Austin: City Council Approves Phase 2 of HOME Initiative, Unlocking Potential for 60,000 New Homes
Austin: City Council Approves Phase 2 of HOME Initiative, Unlocking Potential for 60,000 New Homes
After more than 14 hours of public comment and a meeting that spilled over into Friday, the Austin City Council passed Phase 2 of the HOME (Home Options for Middle-Income Empowerment) Initiative. The initiative, led by District 7 Council Member Leslie Pool, seeks to amend the city's land development code to allow more and different kinds of housing to be built.
Key changes:
Phase 1, which passed in December with a 9-2 vote, allowed for up to three units on many lots.
Phase 2, approved Friday in a 9-2 vote, reduces the minimum lot size needed to build one housing unit in Austin from 5,750 square feet to 1,800 square feet.
The setbacks have been reduced to 10 feet, with the option of using 5 feet as a porch.
The compatibility buffer around single-family homes for multi-story buildings has been shrunk from 540 feet to 75 feet.
These changes could potentially unlock 60,000 new homes in the city.
An amendment from Council Member José Velásquez directs the city manager to look at the feasibility of adding an "equity/anti-displacement overlay" to protect areas vulnerable to gentrification.
Controversy
The initiative has become deeply controversial. HOME will greatly help affordability by allowing for more housing options. At the same time, NIMBYs argue it's being rushed and could cause further displacement (by not restricting the supply of housing for some reason), specifically on the city's Eastern Crescent. Council Members Alison Alter and Mackenzie Kelly voted against both phases, with Alter expressing deep concerns about the changes.
Additional measures
The City Council also approved an equitable transit-oriented development overlay, prohibiting or making conditional some kinds of new developments within a half-mile of Phase 1 of Project Connect, the city's planned light rail. A new density bonus overlay along Phase 1 of the light rail will allow developers to build up to 60 feet of height, with a maximum of 120 feet in total height, in exchange for providing affordable units.
What's next
Council Member José Velásquez plans to implement an ordinance on May 30 to streamline processes and ensure HOME entitlements are accessible to all residents. The city will also explore the feasibility of adding an "equity/anti-displacement overlay" to (somehow?) protect vulnerable areas from gentrification. With the potential for 60,000 new homes, the city will need to closely monitor the impact of these changes on housing affordability and neighborhood character.