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).
