An affordable housing project in Southeast Austin gets bigger

The Travis County Commissioners Court was delighted to hear that a proposed affordable housing project has become even bigger after the developer decided to add another story to the project. AMTEX, the developer, now wants to build 304 income-restricted units at 7430 Bluff Springs Road, which sits just outside city limits in Southeast Austin. Previously, the plan had been to build 228 units. The new plan will also include some units priced for very low-income people at 30 percent of the area median income. “My goodness, thank you so much,” said County Judge Sarah Eckhardt, addressing Darin Hansen, a representative of AMTEX. Hansen explained that the developer decided to add a fourth floor to the complex after assessing the surrounding area and deciding that a building that tall was in line with the character of nearby properties. The court unanimously approved a resolution of no objection, which will allow the developer, which is working in partnership with the Travis County Housing Finance Corporation, to apply to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for federal 4 percent low-income housing tax credits to finance the project.