⟵ Housing Advocacy

SPRING 2024 LDC REFORMS

In April and May, the City of Austin will consider the next round of updates to the Land Development Code (LDC). We will have a number of opportunities to weigh in and speak up on these revisions, and we encourage everyone with an interest in these issues to consider participating. To learn more about how to get involved, contact jasonhaskins@huoarchitects.com. We are available to help answer questions, coordinate testimony, or assist with logistics.

This round includes three housing-related items. For more information on each, click on the link to visit the City’s Speak Up page or read the summaries below.

• Reduction of Minimum Lot Sizes (HOME Phase 2)
• Repeal and Replace Compatibility Regulations
• Create an ETOD (Equitable Transit Oriented Development) Overlay

ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES

Between 11 April and 16 May 2024, there are three opportunities to speak on these issues. We invite all interested members to consider testifying at one of these meetings.

Joint City Council and Planning Commission Public Hearing
When: Thursday, April 11 at 9 a.m.
Where: Austin City Hall, 301 W. 2nd Street
This meeting sets the tone for the deliberations and potential amendments that Council Members may propose and consider for the final vote.

Planning Commission Meeting
When: Tuesday, April 23 at 4 p.m. (Compatibility and Minimum Lot Sizes)
When: Tuesday, April 30 at 4 p.m. (ETOD)
Where: Austin City Hall, 301 W. 2nd Street
The Planning Commission can make recommendations for amendments, so these meetings tend to be more focused on specific and technical details of implementation. That makes PC an ideal opportunity to propose adjustments to the proposed ordinances.

City Council Meeting
When: Thursday, May 16 at 10 a.m.
Where: Austin City Hall, 301 W. 2nd Street
This is the meeting where action is taken. The relative degree of support and opposition may impact which amendments receive consideration. This is where the most vocal and dramatic discussion occurs and influences the way these ordinances are understood and discussed in the public forum.

PROPOSED ORDINANCES

Minimum Lot Size (HOME Phase 2)

City’s Description: “The goals of the resolution include making homeownership more attainable for middle-income earners, as well as giving families the flexibility to have multigenerational housing options and generate income on their properties. The purpose of this phase is to establish a reduced minimum lot size to facilitate fee-simple ownership of one home on a smaller lot than is currently allowed. Fee-simple ownership means that the homeowner owns the home and the land under it rather than a condominium ownership structure.”

Draft Ordinance
Affordability Impact Statement
Staff Report

Housing Advocacy Committee Notes: Lowering or eliminating the minimum lot size required for a single-family dwelling is a crucial measure to reduce the land costs required to build a home and to remove from our City code one instance of the legacy of explicitly racist and exclusionary practices. Unfortunately, this ordinance only applies to lots with one unit, and it fails to make opportunities available to some property owners with lots below 5,750 square feet, which currently exist in the Land Development Code, available to all property owners.

City-wide Compatibility

City’s Description: “The City of Austin is considering changes to compatibility, a zoning regulation that limits the height of buildings near single-family homes. Changing zoning regulations is one way that the City responds to shifting needs and conditions.”

Draft Ordinance
Affordability Impact Statement
Staff Report
Current vs Proposed Exhibit
Analysis and Methodology

Housing Advocacy Committee Notes: The proposed ordinance makes significant corrections to the current regulations, particularly for lower-density MF base zones. The imposition of height restrictions would reduce from 540′ to properties within 75′. However, the current ordinance does not fulfill the principle put forth in the Council resolution that no impacted property should be more encumbered than the triggering property. It also disincentivizes low-density Mixed Use by removing encumbrances from MF base zones but not -MU combining districts.

Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) Overlay

City’s Description: “Equitable transit-oriented development, or ETOD, builds upon the planning approach known as transit-oriented development, or TOD. TOD places jobs, housing, goods, and services within walking and biking distance of transit stops. TOD planning can reduce car use while giving the community more transportation options, resulting in more sustainable neighborhoods. TOD planning, however, has not always benefitted everyone, as these efforts can cause gentrification. ETOD acknowledges this and works to achieve equitable outcomes by creating opportunities and building communities in which all Austinites are safe, supported, and have the resources to thrive. ETOD advocates that people of all incomes and backgrounds experience benefits from dense, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development near transit hubs.”

Draft Ordinance
Affordability Impact Statement
Staff Report

Housing Advocacy Committee Notes: ETOD builds on previous planning efforts, including Imagine Austin and area plans like ERC and TODs, while improving the reach and implementation. We want to see increased affordability requirements commensurate with the additional benefits offered to ensure those benefits are more equitably shared.

HOME INITIATIVE

The HOME (Home Options for Middle-income Empowerment) Initiative is a collection of amendments to the Land Development Code and related regulations intended to facilitate a greater diversity of housing options.

Submit Your Questions and Experiences

To help our members during the implementation of the HOME Initiative changes, we want to support our members and clients by collecting questions and issues that come up and sharing answers and experiences found while working on projects using these ordinances. Use the form below to share and the Housing Advocacy Committee will publish additional resources and FAQs.

Submit your questions and share your experiences here!

HOME Phase 1 (2023)

The Austin City Council passed the HOME Phase 1 ordinance on 07 December 2023. Ordinance 20231207-001 amends the Land Development Code relating to occupancy limits and the allowable numbers of dwelling units on lots zoned SF-1, SF-2, and SF-3. The ordinance went into effect on 05 February 2024 for new applications. Housing Advocacy has prepared two documents to help members learn and use the new ordinance. The FAQ document will be updated as more information becomes available. Click the images below to download these PDFs:

The AIA Austin Housing Advocacy Committee worked with the City of Austin staff, Council, and Planning Commission to model the potential impact of the HOME Initiative. The Committee’s full summary and recommendations can be found below.

• HOME Initiative Modeling Analysis Report
• HOME Initiative Summary and Recommendations
• 2024.01.29 Housing Advocacy Roundtable Recording

Additional Information and Resources

• Development Services Department Information Page
• Phase 1 Ordinance Text
• City of Austin Phase 1 Press Release
• Land Development Code Update Public Information

AUSTIN CODE CARDS

The AIA Austin Housing Advocacy Committee is pleased to announce the launch of the Austin Code Cards: a new resource to help the community better understand the development constraints and opportunities in Austin. The Austin Code Cards seek to improve access to the code with a user-friendly graphic overview of critical aspects of the Land Development Code and link back to our Austin Code Resources for additional guidance.

A free, printed set of the cards can be picked up at the AIA Austin office or downloaded below.

AUSTIN CODE CARDS – CLICK TITLE TO DOWNLOAD
CARD 0 | Development Code Regulations & Definitions
CARD 1 | Base & Special Zoning
CARD 2 | Housing Density & Density Bonus Programs
CARD 3 | Watershed Protection & Environmental + Sustainability
CARD 4 | Subchapter E Design Standards & Compatibility

Coming soon:

• Parking & Transportation
• Subchapter F (McMansion) & Residential Uses
• Affordable Housing + Affordability Policies
• Development Process