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Special Called Work Session on Housing Supply and Affordability

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 6:15 pm
by Steve Adler
Seems there’s support for having a focused work session to discuss issues of housing supply and affordability. After discussing with City Staff, I propose that this work session take place on Tuesday, November 30th and that our regularly scheduled work session be shifted to Wednesday, December 1st, which I’ll need to miss. This special called work session would be for the purpose of airing ideas, getting input from staff, and coordinating next steps. No actions would be taken at this work session until posted on a subsequent Council agenda or special called meeting. It would be good if ideas on which we could reach consensus could be posted here on the message board ahead of time. I posted some initial concepts to explore here: https://austincouncilforum.org/viewtopi ... 3445#p3445

- S

Re: Special Called Work Session on Housing Supply and Affordability

Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2021 8:25 pm
by Greg Casar
Thank you, Mayor. I also support your recommendation of a work session focused on affordability, and that timing works well. We do not have a Housing & Planning Committee scheduled for December, so adding a work session for the whole Council would be helpful. I look forward to discussing refining our ideas for housing supply and affordability.

-Greg

Re: Special Called Work Session on Housing Supply and Affordability

Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2021 12:12 pm
by Mackenzie Kelly
All,

Due to the rapid growth of our city, I support a special called session on this extremely important issue.

That schedule works for me and I look forward to having a robust and collaborative conversation with my council colleagues.

-mk

Re: Special Called Work Session on Housing Supply and Affordability

Posted: Mon Nov 22, 2021 4:01 pm
by Steve Adler
Colleagues:

I propose a schedule for our 11/30 special called work sessions as set out below. After the COVID briefing, we have the day to see if we can advance action on the challenges of Housing Affordability and Housing Supply. As CM Alter and I posted, after having spoken with several on our dais, we should be trying to find those things that we think have the greatest impact on those two issues and also have the greatest chance of achieving very broad (9+ votes) support.

Obviously, we’ll be taking no votes, but this is a chance to see if we can identify issues or actions that make sense to move forward on. Note: we could meet in the boards and commissions room this day, subject to colleague concerns or technical issues.

9-10:30 – Joint COVID briefing

10:30-11:30 – Council Members --those that wish-- speak briefly (5 minutes each) to set out ideas or topics we would like to work on or support, to set up our discussions for the remainder of the day.

11:30-12:45 – Briefing to Council regarding Housing Affordability & Supply

- Update on current housing market and market forces impacting housing affordability and supply
- Update on Housing Blueprint: Progress & Priorities
- Update on subsidized housing investments and anti-displacement work
- Update on other Work in Progress and challenges ahead


12:45-1:30 – Lunch Break

1:30-4:30 – Council discussion (with hard stop) on Housing Affordability and Housing Supply...
- What are the things that might have BOTH (1) the greatest impact and (2) achieve broad council support?
- Next steps (IFCs? additional work sessions? Staff initiations? Etc.)


Please post topics, ideas, thoughts prior to 11/30 (or sooner, where possible), so others can be thinking about issues you might raise.

Tomorrow I will be posting a list of our proposed ideas, as well as ideas shared with our office by advocates. Postings to date can be found HERE: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing. (Please correct me and contact Janine Clark in my office if we have missed anyone or any ideas.)

We should all be proud to be part of a City Council that is profoundly committed to this topic and that is responsible, along with Austin voters, for the largest affordable housing investments in the city’s history. And yet, the challenge continues to grow. I am anxious to learn your ideas for moving ahead. And I look forward to identifying together the ideas that have the greatest impact on housing affordability and housing supply AND have the chance of receiving broad support.

s

Re: Special Called Work Session on Housing Supply and Affordability

Posted: Tue Nov 23, 2021 11:23 am
by Steve Adler
As promised, here is my list of proposed ideas up to this point: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Is4 ... sp=sharing.

In addition, here are ideas shared with our office by housing advocates:
Housing Works Letter on Housing Affordability: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 092840.pdf

Austin Board of Realtors (ABoR) Recommendations for Reducing Barriers to Housing: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 112056.pdf

ABoR ADU Recommendations: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 112121.pdf

ABoR Land Development Code Policy Priorities: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 092930.pdf

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving,
S

Re: Special Called Work Session on Housing Supply and Affordability

Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2021 11:51 pm
by Natasha Harper-Madison
Thank you, Mayor.

The list of topics posted is comprehensive and captures many of the items I was hoping we would take up tomorrow.

I have two items, previously approved by Council during the 2nd reading of the Revised LDC, I would like to add to the mix:
1. Amend or remove the Capitol Dominance Overlay in order to enable more downtown sites to take full advantage of the Downtown Density Bonus Program, administratively.
2. Reduce the minimum site area for townhome to 1400 sf to increase the feasibility and affordability of construction for this housing type.

I look forward to tomorrow's discussion.

Kind Regards,
Natasha

Re: Special Called Work Session on Housing Supply and Affordability

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:35 am
by Paige Ellis
Good Morning, Colleagues -

I appreciate the posts you all have put up on this topic. As we know, the cost of housing combined with the cost of transportation are often the biggest drivers of a family budget and the reason many Austinites have to decide whether they can afford to stay in the city they call home. My main priorities include the points below which are also reflected in some of your posts as well as the input from ABoR and HousingWorks Austin. I look forward to today’s discussion.

- Liberalizing parking requirements as appropriate.
Recommended by ABOR (see “Residential Parking Reform):
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 092930.pdf
Recommended by Farm & City and the new Austin Parking Reform Coalition (letter in email)
Recommended by HousingWorks Austin and by Austin Housing Coalition as potential leverage to extract affordable units in density bonus programs (AHC letter in email; see point 1 in HousingWorks letter):
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 092840.pdf

-Increasing ADU availability, including:
Eliminating outdated restrictions on age and employment status;
Seeking cost reduction measures;
Increasing flexibility and predictability in location and type (i.e. detached/attached/internal).
Recommended by HousingWorks Austin (see point 3):
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 092840.pdf
Recommended by ABOR:
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 112121.pdf

-Right-sizing site plan review in Chapter 25 by developing a Limited Site Plan review pathway for missing middle housing, and possibly allowing house-scale triplexes and fourplexes to follow the same review process as single units and duplexes (i.e. the building permit process).
Recommended by ABOR (see page 1, “Site Regulation Suggestions”): http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 112056.pdf
Indirectly recommended by HousingWorks Austin (see points 4 & 6):
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 092840.pdf

-Possibly exploring creation of a Preservation Bonus that would ensure an existing home is saved while allowing an additional unit to be built in the back.
Recommended by the HousingWorks Austin (see point 3):
http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 092840.pdf

-Fully supporting the City and CapMetro’s current and future work on equitable Transit Oriented Development (eTOD) planning around Project Connect.




Thank you,
Paige Ellis

Re: Special Called Work Session on Housing Supply and Affordability

Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2021 1:43 pm
by Steve Adler
For this afternoon's conversation, my office has consolidated our ideas and interest in topics posted to the message board and captured from our conversation on the dais this morning.

I'll use this list this afternoon to guide our discussion. (Please contact Janine Clark in my office if we have missed anyone or any ideas).

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing