A new working group from four of the city’s commissions hopes to identify ways that the town center planning concept spelled out in Imagine Austin could be used to combat affordability issues driving veterans, artists and other vulnerable populations out of the city. Over the next two months, members from the Arts Commission, Music Commission, […]
Affordability
A multi-faceted discussion that centers around the relative cost-of-living in a given municipality. In Austin, this debate has returned discussions on such divers concepts as land use, density, living wages, and public transportation.
Posted inAustin
Council kicks off new year with measures aimed at affordability
In its first official meeting since the election, City Council unanimously approved several measures aimed at Austin’s growing affordability crisis. In an attempt to increase funding for affordable housing in a rapidly gentrifying part of East Austin, Council approved a change to the existing homestead preservation district, whose boundaries extend roughly between Interstate 35 to […]
Posted inTransit
Traffic, affordability plague Austin in latest Zandan Poll
Traffic and transit woes continue to be the bane of most Austinites’ existence, but the latest edition of a long-running community survey suggests those frustrations are easing, at least a little bit. The newest Zandan Poll – started 30 years ago by researcher and market analyst Peter Zandan – finds that traffic and transportation again […]
Posted inCity Council
Auditor’s report: Affordability data incomplete
According to a special report from the Office of the City Auditor, information about city programs and initiatives that affect affordability for Austinites is inconsistent, may be unreliable or incomplete and may not be readily accessible. In addition, auditors found that city programs “may have unanticipated effects on affordability” and that the city has historically […]
Posted inAustin
Has Austin’s booming population finally peaked?
For years, we’ve been hearing about how Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Thousands of people move here each year, but recent reports show that some of the factors that draw people to the city – like good jobs – aren’t growing quite as fast as they used to. And it […]
Posted inLocal Politics
With 100,000 potential voters, Austin tech groups flex political muscle
Imagine 100,000 dormant, unengaged voters just waiting to be drawn into the Austin political scene. That’s the potential that a pair of local technology groups see in the Austin tech community, which they hope to get involved in the local and state political scene in the coming years so they can shape policy to favor […]
Posted inBudget
By slim margin, Council approves an 8 percent homestead exemption
In a vote that pitted representatives of the city’s lowest-income districts against their colleagues, City Council members Wednesday narrowly approved an 8 percent homestead exemption — an increase of 2 percent over last year’s exemption. To a resident with a home worth $250,000, that equates to a nearly $23 yearly savings on property taxes. But […]
Posted inDevelopment
SXSW panel spotlights urban housing
Austin is no snowflake when it comes to issues of housing, affordability and density. Cities across the United States grapple with similar challenges even if they don’t have the robust economy that is driving growth here in Central Texas. Last Friday, two mayors from opposite sides of the country sat on a South by Southwest […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Council moves toward closing small-lot loophole
When the small-lot amnesty tool was adopted by the city, no one envisioned that it would lead to houses that spanned two small lots being demolished in order to build more new homes. But that is what’s happening today. And, though some would like that practice to continue, others just can’t get past the fact […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Housing
RECA calls for more housing; Austin reacts
Last week, the Real Estate Council of Austin released a paper calling for a fix to Austin’s affordable housing problem. As a solution, the group called for 100,000 new housing units in the city by 2025. The paper, which is filled with statistics about Austin’s decreasing affordability, increasing population and what lies ahead, states in […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Housing, Resources
Consultant outlines affordable housing study data
Affordable housing advocates and residents gathered at City Hall on Monday to weigh in on the findings and recommendations of a July report that outlines Austin’s affordable housing needs and fair choice impediments. According to the 2014 Comprehensive Housing Market Study, the city has lost a significant amount of affordable housing since 2000, though it […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics, Public Safety
Austin Interfaith grills mayoral candidates on affordability
Only three of the eight candidates in the running for mayor participated in a question-and-answer session hosted by Austin Interfaith on Tuesday. And rather than give candidates a forum to lay out their individual platforms, Austin Interfaith directed four specific questions to them about the group’s priorities, touching on education, immigration, affordable homes and employment. […]