Tag Archives: affordable housing
Monday, August 8, 2016 by Elizabeth Pagano
Reporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Resignations and resignation
“Sent using OWA for iPhone”… On Friday, the Austin Monitor reported that Neighborhood Housing and Community Development department executive Steve Ritchie had quit, following the sudden retirement of Director Betsy Spencer over the public release of allegations of harassment and…
Friday, August 5, 2016 by Syeda Hasan
Housing
Affordable housing development facing delays at City Hall
The Elysium Park apartment complex, a new affordable housing development planned for North Austin, is facing delays at City Hall. City Council has decided to postpone a zoning decision for the project.The proposed development would include about 90 units, a…
Wednesday, August 3, 2016 by Jo Clifton
City Council
Suit: Pilot Knob vote violated state, federal law
Civic activist Brian Rodgers has amended the lawsuit he initially filed in February against the city of Austin, challenging the city’s entire scheme for financing water and wastewater improvements at the controversial Pilot Knob development in Southeast Travis County.Rodgers’ lawsuit,…
Monday, August 1, 2016 by Jack Craver
Land Development Code
Commission starts process on affordable housing incentive program
The city Planning Commission on Tuesday kicked off the creation of an amendment to Austin’s land development code to encourage developers to build more affordable housing.The objective of the proposal, which is only in the beginning stages of being drafted,…
Tuesday, July 12, 2016 by Jo Clifton
Courts
Mueller homeowners reach agreement with TCAD
The Travis Central Appraisal District has reached an agreement with the owners of three affordable homes in the Mueller development who sued the district claiming their appraisals were too high because they were not allowed sell their homes at market…
Monday, June 13, 2016 by Austin Monitor
Reporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Cactus Rose, mobility plans and… Benghazi?
Communicant bounced from “kangaroo court”…Something unusual happened at Travis County Commissioners Court last week. For the first time in months, the weekly segment of the agenda set aside for public communications was actually taken advantage of by residents with specific…
Tuesday, June 7, 2016 by Syeda Hasan
Housing
Austin’s first-ever housing plan hits City Hall
This week, city leaders released a draft of Austin’s first-ever strategic housing plan. Unlike broader visions for the city’s future, it focuses on how development will impact the housing supply.The plan is the direct result of a startling 2015 audit…
Monday, May 16, 2016 by Jo Clifton
Planning
Sun Chase promises more affordable housing
City Council approved planned unit development (PUD) zoning on second reading for the Sun Chase development in southeast Travis County, also known as the Southeast Travis County Municipal Utility District, on Thursday, with a new provision for 3 percent of…
Thursday, May 12, 2016 by Elizabeth Pagano
Housing
East Austin zoning mess fix moves forward, for now
A fix for a mistake made two years ago is headed to City Council, and nine east side properties once owned by the city hang in the balance, as does a deal struck for affordable housing as a condition of…
Friday, April 22, 2016 by Eva Ruth Moravec
City Council
Council pledges to protect mobile home residents
The majority of City Council members voted Thursday to protect mobile home residents along with other tenants who are displaced by development.In an 8-1-1 vote with Council Member Don Zimmerman opposed, Council Member Sheri Gallo abstaining and Mayor Steve Adler…
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…
