Developers, come hither and apply

The Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department is hoping to entice developers to submit proposals for the Rental Housing Development Assistance Program and the Ownership Housing Development Assistance Program in line with the new development assistance calendar. The new calendar aims to streamline the process and help boost the construction of affordable housing in the city. Project applications can be submitted at any time, and will be reviewed quarterly. Both RHDA and OHDA are critical programs for affordable housing in the city: RHDA promotes housing development construction for low-income households while OHDA funds private and nonprofit developers in purchasing, rehabbing or constructing affordable homeownership opportunities for low- to moderate-income homebuyers. James May, NHCD community development manager, said in the announcement, “Our goal is to establish the clearest and most efficient means for processing these applications in a timely manner. We ask that applications be detailed as to all stages of the development process, so the city’s AHFC (Austin Housing Finance Corporation) Board can consider the entirety of the project.”