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| With strong support from advocates for older adults, housing, the environment, labor, and public entities such as Capital Metro, the City Council on Thursday overwhelmingly approved HOME, an initiative designed to make homes more attainable for middle-income households, and to give existing homeowners more options for inter-generational living. Council Member Leslie Pool brought the resolution with Council Member Chito Vela, Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis, Council Member Zo Qadri, and Mayor Kirk Watson. At Tuesday’s work session, Council Members Ryan Alter, José Velásquez, and Natasha Harper-Madison also joined as cosponsors. The item, which was overwhelmingly approved with 9 votes, is crafted to benefit middle-income households by encouraging smaller single-family homes and to provide options for existing homeowners in the following ways:
The resolution gained a cross-section of support for creating smaller single-family homes. Austin EMS Association and LiUNA Local 1095 (Laborers’ International Union of North America) have endorsed the measure, along with HousingWorks Austin, Environment Texas, and local real estate associations, including Austin Infill Coalition, ABoR, HBAGA, and RECA. Additionally, AARP Texas has endorsed HOME as an important measure for allowing older adults to age in place, and Capital Metro applauds the initiative as a way to create a more conducive environment for transit. Austin ISD has also conveyed its appreciation of the goals of HOME. Council Member Vela noted the common sense of creating smaller minimum lot sizes. "A 6,000 square-foot lot is more expensive than a 3,000 square-foot lot,” he said. “This is the basic reality of the housing market. Allowing homes on smaller lots is a simple and easy way to make homes more affordable for middle- and working-class people." “I’m proud to cosponsor this initiative to make housing and homeownership more attainable for everyday Austinites,” said Mayor Pro Tem Ellis. “Council Member Pool’s resolution complements the ordinance streamlining triplex and fourplex permitting in Item 158 on today’s agenda, which is the first phase of implementing my December 2022 resolution to scale site plan requirements for missing middle housing of three to sixteen units. Together, these partner initiatives will open doors to more housing opportunities and affordability citywide.” Council Member Qadri pointed to today’s vote as a step forward in creating a more affordable Austin and slowing the effects of climate change. “This overdue change to our outdated land development code will break down barriers to building the kind of housing types that allow more people to get out of their cars and walk, bike, or take transit,” he said. “This resolution isn’t just good for affordability; it’s also an important win when it comes to slowing climate change.” The resolution directs the City Manager to work on these measures and provide council with ways to best achieve the goals of creating smaller, single-family homes, and giving options to existing homeowners to have more units on their property. The resolution also directs the City Manager to analyze any unintended consequences and return to council with recommendations. The City Manager will also provide regular public updates to council on the progress of HOME over the coming months. |
