Austin Housing Coalition

Founded in 2003, the Austin Housing Coalition (formerly the CHDO Roundtable) represents the community of “housers” across Austin and Central Texas. We are nonprofits, affordable housing developers, housing and policy experts, and other interested organizations, businesses, and residents who support the development of safe, affordable housing for Austin residents. . Our members work to house people experiencing homelessness, repair the houses of low-income homeowners, provide quality affordable rental housing, and empower low-income households to become successful, first-time homebuyers.

As members of the Austin Housing Coalition, we are intimately familiar with the barriers low-income Austinites face in obtaining safe, decent and affordable housing; whether that be a chronically homeless woman living on the streets or a single father struggling to feed and house his children on minimum wage. We serve and advocate on behalf of the housing needs of Austin’s low-income populations, including: seniors, young adults aging out of foster care, families with children, persons with disabilities, chronically and non-chronically homeless, veterans, and low-income students.

Our Guiding Principles

AHC seeks to:

  • Uplift Multiple Perspectives – by engaging a variety of perspectives from across the housing community
  • Be Member-Focused – by seeking and addressing the priorities of our members through transparent communication and multiple feedback loops within the organization
  • Prioritize Peer Learning & Education – by taking a network-based approach that allows for all members to engage and support their organizational interests
  • Identify Partnerships – by building relationships with institutional and advocacy partners to promote a proactive approach to addressing policy
  • Employ Bold Leadership – by leading the narrative on housing and engage with policymakers to make change in our community and funders

Our Core Values

 

Focused goals: Increasing the supply of income-restricted housing available to a variety of income levels and across the community.

Creating, improving and preserving a variety of housing opportunities and management types.

Inclusive engagement: The ability for residents, neighborhoods and communities to be engaged in the housing solutions that they wish to see.

Equitable Development: Increasing the supply of local affordable housing means building the capacity of local organizations to learn to develop affordable housing better.

Coalition-building: Meeting the community’s housing goals equitably will necessitate weighing in on other cross-cutting issues (e.g. criminal justice, education, health, etc) and aligning with other coalitions and community collaborations.

What We Do:


Advocacy

Advocacy:

We advocate for city, state and national policies that create opportunities for more affordable housing


Networking

Networking:

Our monthly meetings provide our members the opportunity to collectively problem solve, discuss critical issues related to affordable housing, and learn from one another


Training

Training:

We promote best practices for developing and providing affordable housing through training opportunities for our members

 

Posts

Council Item

Item Language: Approve a resolution directing the City Manager to initiate new programs, streamline processes, and build on the City’s existing resources to ensure the recently adopted amendments to City Code Title 25 (Land Development) regarding regulations for housing units (also known as the Home Options for Middle-Income Empowerment “HOME” Initiative) are accessible to low-… Read more Council Item

Letter to Council re Affordable Development in District 8

April 3, 2023 Dear Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, and Councilmembers, The Austin Housing Coalition (AHC) represents the community of “housers” across Austin and Central Texas. We are nonprofits, affordable housing developers, housing and policy experts, and other interested organizations, businesses, and residents who support the development of safe, affordable housing for Austin residents. Austin’s Strategic… Read more Letter to Council re Affordable Development in District 8

The Austin Housing Coalition comprises nonprofits, affordable

October 25, 2023 Dear Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, Council Members, and Planning Commissioners, The Austin Housing Coalition comprises nonprofits, affordable housing developers, housing and policy experts, and other interested organizations, businesses, and residents, who support the development of safe, affordable housing for Austin residents. While our focus is generally on subsidized affordable housing, we recognize… Read more The Austin Housing Coalition comprises nonprofits, affordable

Code Amendments Timeline Joint Letter to City Council, City Manager, and Staff

July 7, 2023 To: City Council, City Manager, and Staff Re: Timeline for Implementation of Land Development Code Amendments In recent months, the Austin City Council has passed, in many cases unanimously, many progressive and pro-housing code amendments, all of which are greatly needed to combat Austin’s ever-worsening housing crisis. Our organizations commend City Council… Read more Code Amendments Timeline Joint Letter to City Council, City Manager, and Staff