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 Housing Blueprint established our 10-year Housing Production goal to meet our population’s housing needs by 2028. However, Districts 6, 8, and 10 have some of the fewest units of affordable housing in the city and have only produced 0.4 – 5% of their ten year goal over the last five years.*
Our coalition supports the development of affordable housing – especially housing that**:
- Advances our Strategic Housing Blueprint goals, especially in the geographies of our city where we are most behind, like Districts 6, 8, and 10 (District 8, for example, is roughly 3,500 units short of where they should be according to the blueprint).
- Increases the supply of income-restricted housing available to a variety of income levels and across the community.
- Creates, improves and preserves a variety of housing opportunities and management types.
- Promotes geographic equity: Reversing both de jure and de facto segregation by developing and preserving housing in all parts of town that provides Austinites opportunities and choice to safe, quality housing, education, mobility and transportation access, health and environment, and green spaces regardless of race, household type, income, disability, etc.
Austin Housing Coalition (AHC) works towards and advocates to ensure that Austin remains a diverse, affordable, and inclusive city by supporting all types of housing for all kinds of people in all parts of town, and we encourage these considerations when Council is evaluating new developments. We endorse actions taken by council to ensure that District 8 and all districts can realize their affordable housing goals.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Abby Tatkow
2024 Austin Housing Coalition Chair