CURRENT EFFORTS
In response to current housing barriers, the local community has taken steps
toward developing a wide range of solutions. This includes a variety of programs,
such as emergency home repair, first-time homebuyer assistance, temporary shelters,
and new construction for low-income families. The table in Appendix
A presents a sampling of some positive developments, including public, private,
and public/private collaborative efforts that make up the $36 million invested
in housing for the community.
The
Texas Low Income Housing Information Service report entitled "Austin's
Commitment to House the Poor" also has a comprehensive listing and
description of public and private housing services.
PRELIMINARY PLANNING
There are two housing assessments that lead to strategic recommendations
for housing in our community. One is the Community Action Network "Through
the Roof" report on affordable homes. The other is the Texas Low
Income Housing Information Service housing assessment. Each report includes
recommendations that can serve as a starting point for the community to address
some of the barriers identified in the area of housing.
Recommendations in the Community Action Network's "Through
the Roof" report include:
- Educating the community on the regional housing crisis by instituting
a public education campaign including making housing a priority in decision-making
processes, and convening major employers and universities to discuss housing.
- Improving existing financing methods by using development incentives
for affordable housing, facilitating a review of housing resources, and
challenging lenders to develop new loan products for lower-income borrowers.
- Developing proactive policies to meet community needs by adopting
a joint city/county affordable housing policy, promoting efforts to make
land available for low-income housing (through a vacant lot foreclosure
program or land bank), and encouraging affordable multifamily developments
in zoning ordinances.
- Increasing resources for housing by creating a housing trust fund
and encouraging more private institutions to collaborate to provide more
housing programs.
Recommendations in the Texas
Low Income Housing Information Service's assessment on housing include:
- Establishing the Austin Housing Opportunity Trust Fund, which will generate
$10 million each year.
- Changing zoning laws to require residential developers to set aside affordable
housing units.
- Redirecting housing funds to programs that assist poorer families.
- Encouraging community and neighborhood based housing programs.
- Amending Austin's Fair Housing Ordinance to prohibit discrimination against
families receiving government assistance.
- Rebating city development fees to developers of affordable housing.
- Adopt a city ordinance requiring one-for-one replacement of any low-income
housing.
- Changing the city occupancy standard to be based on square footage rather
than number of rooms.
- Strengthening and enforce restrictive covenants and loan or lease agreements
requiring housing to be affordable to low-income people.
- In the City's allocation of its federal CDBG and HOME funds, adhere to
a "fair share" policy so that funds are allocated to groups based
on their percentage of "worst case housing problems."
As a part of this assessment, a focus group of local housing experts and
advocates was conducted, which also made several recommendations for improvements
to the housing service delivery system:
- Provide mortgage payment assistance to homeowners in danger of losing
their homes.
- Create additional transitional housing units for the Travis County area.
- Develop more alternatives for flexible mortgage financing, such as opportunities
for reverse mortgages for the elderly.
- Universities and colleges in the Travis County area should be encouraged
to develop more student housing.
- Include Single Room Occupancy housing as an option for single and teen
Travis County residents in affordable housing proposals.
- Develop housing options for single parents that include child care and
other workforce development services.
The City of Austin has proposed a program called "SMART Housing"
- Safe, Mixed-income, Accessible, Reasonably priced, and Transit-oriented.
This program is designed to combat the lack of affordable housing in Austin
by giving discounts on water, sewer, review and inspection fees to developers
who build affordable housing near public transportation routes. The city also
hopes that this program will help encourage development of lower income housing
into the whole community. The plan also incorporates incentives for homeowners
to remodel their houses by simplifying the building codes. The Austin City
Council is expected to vote on this issue later this year (Christian Davenport,
September 1999).
