AIA Austin Advocacy Update – 4/6/26
The monthly Advocacy Update summarizes the advocacy efforts of AIA Austin, led by the Advocacy Commission and its three Tactical Committees.
The Advocacy Commission coordinates systematic efforts to promote our expertise and identify audiences, venues, and mediums to advance the values of our organization. To get involved, please join the committee email list(s) using the links below.
2026 Public Role & Advocacy Commissioner: Jason John Paul Haskins, AIA
ADVOCACY TACTICAL COMMITTEES AT-A-GLANCE
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COMMITTEE INITIATIVES
Housing Advocacy
Focuses on zoning reforms and legislative fixes to improve housing stock and preservation.
Recent Wins
- Green Social Housing: On Feb.5, Austin City Council members voted to adopt a resolution directing the city manager to look into how the city can implement a Green Social Housing policy, which combines permanently affordable housing and public ownership. KVUE spoke to Jason Haskins, AIA, about the policy; watch the interview here.
- AIA Austin Letter of Support Regarding The Houseplex Code Amendment 2/16/26
- Two articles in Texas Architect magazine
Active Priority Issues
- Integrating 4 units into the IRC (International Residential Code)
- Advancing Missing Middle and Mixed Use Zoning
- Downtown Density Bonus
- HOME fix
- City Preservation Bonus
- Review of city staff recommendations?
Tracking Issues
- Next legislative session
- “10-minute walkability” to third places
- 2026 Housing Bond Election
- Austin Housing Department / AHFC Monitoring and Compliance
- STR Regulations
- SMART Housing Updates
- Affordability Unlocked Updates
- Affordability Impact Statements
- Green Social Housing
- Elevator Reform
Resiliency & Climate Response
Addresses environmental impact, resource management, and climate-conscious design standards.
Wins
- Establish monthly series – Short Topic Reports
- Form Water Working Group – meet peer experts (4th mtg. upcoming)
Active Priority Issues
- Water as keystone theme for 2026: Water resiliency & integrative water management
- Austin Energy Green Building Program Input for Fall 2026 Update
- Bird Friendly Design: Lights Out & Ordinance (support Travis Co. Audobon and working group)
- Barton Springs Rd. Bridge advocacy (with HLC, Austin Preservation, AIA Mobility, others)
Tracking Issues
- Deconstruction (ordinance, strategies, policy)
- FAR definition
- Green Infrastructure (Working Group)
- I35 Cap & Stitch (street trees)
- Resilience stations / hubs / demos (ATP, Austin Resilience Network)
- 10-minute Walkability to third places; ACU (accessory commercial unit) (with AIA Housing)
Mobility Advocacy
Focuses on transportation infrastructure, pedestrian-friendly streets, and major urban corridor planning.
Wins
- Austin Core Transportation Plan adopted with amendments to further consider green infrastructure implementation, two-way street options, curb management, and near-term funding.
Active Priority Issues
- Citywide and Downtown Density Bonus Updates
- Great Streets Update
- I-35 CapEx Frontage Road Improvements & Street Trees
- Barton Springs Road Bridge
Tracking Issues
- I-35 Cap & Stitch
- Project Connect
- Austin 2026 Bond Package
GET INVOLVED
There are many ways to get involved in advocacy with AIA Austin, from listening in on committee meetings or just reporting issues to working on tactical committee issues or giving public testimony. We encourage anyone to explore advocacy, regardless of experience or time available. To get started, consider joining a Tactical Committee, attending an event, or engaging with one of these current opportunities:
- SUBMIT AN ISSUE: AIA Austin Advocacy Intake Form – Please tell us what you are concerned about in local government and the built environment.
- SIGN UP AS AN AIA AUSTIN SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT. Are you interested in assisting with advocacy and outreach but don’t have time to join a committee? Looking for a way to share your expertise and experience with other members and the general public? Sign up as a Subject Matter Expert to let us know your interests and areas of expertise, and we will contact you when requests for experts on your topics when they come up.
- CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES. AIA Government Affairs and Public Policy has an online Action Center to make it easier to reach out to your congressional representatives on specific items important to the profession from deprofessionalizaton to design freedom and housing policy to tax credits for energy efficient designs.
- HELP SET RULE-MAKING PRIORITIES. As part of a larger reform of rule-making processes, City Council has directed staff to prioritize review and revision of the rules found in the various Criteria Manuals that most impact the ability to create new housing. Anyone with experience running into out-of-date or overly restrictive Criteria Manual provisions should provide input here to help prioritize which rules to address first. Deadline to submit is April 8.
- TACKLE URGENT ISSUES WITH AIA NATIONAL: Your voice matters! AIA speaks directly with lawmakers, manages coalition partners, makes statements, gives testimony, and organizes official public comments, but we also need the voice of constituents speaking to their lawmakers, explaining why these policies matter at home. That’s where you come in. Visit the AIA Action Center to find ways to push forward the policies important to you.
UPCOMING ADVOCACY EVENTS
APR 9
Austin Energy Contractors, Builders, and Developers Open House
Austin Energy values your feedback and is thrilled to invite you to an enhanced, interactive meeting tailored for you. This meeting will unite teams from Austin Energy, Austin Development Services and Austin Technology Services in one convenient location.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER >>
APR 9
AIA Austin Advocacy Roundtable: City-wide Bonus Density Update
Noon – 1:30 PM
Bring your own lunch and join us for a discussion with the City of Austin staff leading the city-wide density bonus overhaul.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER >>
APR 9
AIA Austin Advocacy Happy Hour
Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches
5:30 – 7:30 PM
Anyone and everyone interested in advocacy is welcome to join us for some casual conversations!
NO RSVP NEEDED
April 17
Housing Advocacy Book Club – Kick Off Meeting!
AIA Housing Advocacy & Affordability’s first book club gathering and discussion of The Unfinished Metropolis by Benjamin Schneider.
Reach out to Diego for details.
APR 17
Housing + All Y’all
Housing Works
Hyatt Regency Austin
This summit will bring together policymakers, practitioners, and community advocates to tackle ongoing housing debates, lean into the grey areas of housing policy, and chart pathways for a more inclusive future.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER>>
APR 23
From Principles to Policy: How Urban Designers Shape the Public Realm
AIA Austin Urban Design Committee
Austin Community College
What does it look like when architects and urban designers work not for clients, but for cities — and for the people who live in them? This session draws on the work of New York City’s urban design practice to explore how public-sector design can be a powerful force for health, equity, and resilience. Registration coming soon.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER>>
APR 29
Fair Housing & Economic Mobility Conference
City of Austin
9:00 – 4:00 PM at Norris Conference Center
Austin’s 2026 Fair Housing & Economic Mobility Conference unites leaders to advance a shared framework for systemic change. In Austin, neighborhood conditions play a major role in shaping people’s access and opportunities. Across housing, health, workforce, education, and neighborhood vitality, many organizations are working hard to improve outcomes for residents. Bringing these efforts together can help build on that work and create even greater impact. The City of Austin’s 2026 Fair Housing and Economic Mobility Conference brings together policymakers, advocates, practitioners, community leaders, and business owners to connect efforts around a shared framework for systemic change.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER>>
SEPT 14
Save the Date: Candidate Forum
Presented by AIA Advocacy and Austin Housing Coalition. Candidates for the open City Council seats will share their positions on various issues related to housing affordability, planning, and development.
5:00-8:00pm at Assembly Hall
Free