Tag Archives: affordable housing
Friday, April 22, 2016 by Jo Clifton
Development
Council OKs road resolution for housing project
City Council voted unanimously Thursday to direct City Manager Marc Ott to consider including in next year’s budget the construction costs of a public road that would run through a Habitat for Humanity project in Southeast Austin. Such a move…
Tuesday, April 5, 2016 by Jo Clifton
Housing
Council approves fee-in-lieu for more housing
Greg Anderson, director of operations for Austin Habitat for Humanity, pronounced his organization “happy, happy, happy” on Friday. The declaration came after City Council approved a deal that would allow Cielo Property Group to build a new mixed-use project with…
Monday, March 28, 2016 by Elizabeth Pagano
Development
Affordable housing manuever loses at City Hall
Though it earned the respect of some Planning commissioners, an attempt to leverage a site plan extension for more affordable housing on the near-east side didn’t pay off last week.At last week’s Planning Commission meeting, Nikki Hoelter, who works in…
Thursday, March 17, 2016 by Caleb Pritchard
Development
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,…
Friday, February 26, 2016 by Elizabeth Pagano
City Council
Rosewood Courts’ historic zoning back in play
It was far from clear what had happened after a flurry of amendments and votes. But when the dust settled, the question of historic zoning for Rosewood Courts remained open.City Council voted 8-0-3 to initiate historic zoning on Rosewood Courts,…
Wednesday, February 24, 2016 by Jo Clifton
Courts
Rodgers offers to settle Pilot Knob suit with city
Bill Aleshire, who represents civic activist Brian Rodgers in his open meetings lawsuit against the city over the handling of the Pilot Knob case, has offered to settle the suit. Rodgers is asking the city to rescind its action or…
Monday, February 22, 2016 by Jo Clifton
Housing
Council OKs more affordable housing funds
During last week’s State of Our City address, Mayor Steve Adler said it is projected that City Council will put $68.2 million into the city’s Housing Trust Fund over the next decade, not including funds from Pilot Knob. So where,…
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 by Jack Craver
City Council
Oak Creek affordable housing debate just starting
A developer seeking state tax credits to fund an affordable housing complex in North Austin got a boost from City Council on Thursday, despite loud objections from a large group of neighbors as well as familiar criticism of housing subsidies…
Wednesday, February 10, 2016 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Pilot Knob deal turmoil continues
At Tuesday’s work session, Mayor Steve Adler launched a discussion on the Pilot Knob planned unit development with a spirited defense of City Council’s now controversial decision to redirect the PUD’s water and wastewater impact fees to the city’s affordable…
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 by Courtney Griffin
AISD
Shrinking AISD enrollment could be new normal
Trustees for the Austin Independent School District are asking district staff to let them know what variables they have control over after hearing grim student enrollment projections.At Monday’s workshop meeting, board members heard the results of an annual demographics report conducted…
Friday, January 8, 2016 by Audrey McGlinchy
Housing
Oracle: when a tech company expands in Austin
Demolition, it seems, follows Robin Wilkins.Wilkins, 54, moved into the Lakeview Apartments on South Lakeshore Boulevard after another apartment building she was living in was slated to be torn down. She stayed for five years, paying no more than $720…
Wednesday, November 25, 2015 by Jack Craver
Development
Council backs affordable housing development, despite location concerns
City Council gave the nod Thursday to a new 324-unit multifamily affordable housing development partially financed by 4 percent noncompetitive tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.The Council vote of “no objection” was required in order…
Monday, November 23, 2015 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Council makes density bonus rules more stringent
Changes to the city’s Planned Unit Development density bonus program, designed to encourage developers to build more on-site affordable housing, won City Council approval on a vote of 10-1 on Thursday. Only Council Member Don Zimmerman voted against the overall…
Thursday, November 19, 2015 by Vicky Garza
Austin
Austin Habitat for Humanity celebrates new headquarters, CEO
2015 has been an eventful year for Austin Habitat for Humanity. With bright new headquarters and a new leader at the helm, the nonprofit has built itself up into a good position to further help with the issue of affordable…
Tuesday, November 17, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
City Hall
City audit finds trouble with affordable housing
A city audit has found that Austin does not have an effective strategy to meet its current affordable housing needs.The audit of the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department found that NHCD “has not adopted a clear goal, established timelines,…
Friday, November 13, 2015 by Jo Clifton
Planning
Pilot Knob attorney seeks fee waivers
City Council heard more ideas about how to create more long-lasting affordable housing in the Pilot Knob Municipal Utility District last night. But, on agreement between Council Member Delia Garza and Richard Suttle, the attorney for the developer, the vote…
Thursday, November 5, 2015 by Elizabeth Pagano
Courts
Court denies injunction against Foundation Communities
How much havoc can one neighbor wreak on a $20 million affordable housing project backed by federal, state and local governments and nonprofits? Potentially, quite a bit.On Tuesday, Foundation Communities avoided potential disaster for its Bluebonnet Studios on South Lamar…
Tuesday, November 3, 2015 by Jo Clifton
Housing
Appraisal district, Mueller folks air differences
Some owners of affordable housing in the Mueller development have seen their homes’ appraised values double since 2013.One of those homeowners is Janeka Rector, whose home was appraised at $179,000 last year. Next year it will be appraised at more…
Thursday, October 15, 2015 by Tyler Whitson
Development
Council may revamp affordable housing policy
City Council will pick up a proposal today that Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo hopes will lead to more on-site affordable housing in future developments throughout the city. Based on a discussion at a work session on Tuesday, however, it…
Monday, October 5, 2015 by Stephen Carlson
Housing
Committee zeros in on affordable housing
Lack of affordable housing, an issue that continued to plague Austin during the boom times of the last decade, was the main focus at the last Housing and Community Development Committee meeting.The city of Austin’s Neighborhood Housing and Community Development…
