Monday, December 4, 2023

City Council Members Speak on HOME Initiative to Help Create Smaller Single-family Homes

Who: Hosted by Council Members Leslie Pool and Chito Vela, with all council members invited
What: Press Conference
Where: City Hall Press Conference Room 
When: Tuesday, December 5, 12 p.m.
Why: City Council Poised to Vote on HOME Phase 1

A coalition of HOME supporters, including AARP Texas, Austin EMS Association, Capital Metro, and more will speak in advance of the December 7th City Council vote on the first phase of HOME. The initiative is designed to give existing homeowners more options and create smaller, more attainable housing for middle-income households.
 
Council Member Leslie Pool brought forward the resolution on July 20 with Council Member Chito Vela, Council Member Zo Qadri, Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis, and Mayor Kirk Watson. Three more Council Members joined as co-sponsors at that vote: Council Member Ryan Alter, Council Member José Velásquez, and Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison. The measure passed with a 9-2 supermajority.
 
HOME Phase 1 is now in draft ordinance form, and achieves the goals of the resolution in the following ways:

  1. Up to 3 Units Allowed: Increases the number of homes allowed on single-family lots to three units, giving homeowners options to house family members, a caregiver, or earn passive income to pay the bills.
  2. Tiny Homes: Makes it easier to install a tiny home, one of the most accessible and affordable ways to add another house to a property.
  3. Preservation & Sustainability Bonus: Creates an incentive to save existing homes that preserve neighborhood character and helps keep materials out of the landfill.
  4. House Size Limits: Incentivizes the creation of more homes and constrains their size to promote smaller and more attainable housing.

To aid in providing more information about HOME, the Office of Council Member Leslie Pool launched the HOME Website with the latest news on the initiative.

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