HousingWorks Austin releases district-by-district affordable housing analysis

AUSTIN, Texas - The nonprofit HousingWorks released its Austin City Council District-by-District Analysis for 2021.

They say there isn't enough affordable housing in the city, specifically in high-cost areas like west of Mopac Expressway.

"We have a significant, large number of people that are spending more money than they should be," said Nora Linares-Moeller, executive director of HousingWorks.

HousingWorks has put together an annual report for the past seven years. The data is for city council members, staff, and planners.

It shows many data points, like the number of subsidized units there are and how many are being planned per district.

"This is like a Bible. It really tells people to look at this and try to determine if there's a need in each city council district or where the need might be," Linares-Moeller said.

District 1 added the highest number of affordable housing units in the past year.

"I'm proud that we're producing that type of product and really looking forward to producing the additional elements that we need to attack our housing crisis," District 1 Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison said. "It definitely reaffirms what I've been pushing for. Our housing supply crisis really is fueling an overall affordability crisis."

The report also shows how many units are located along public transportation routes.

Between 2020 and 2021, the median home price has gone up 26 percent, and the average monthly rent has gone up 27 percent. Meanwhile, the median income has only grown by about half that rate.

The report says 65 percent of people who became unhoused last year lived in districts 1, 2, 3, and 4.

"What the irony is about that is that when rent goes up and homeownership goes up, the cost of all of that goes up, it's going up in those districts as well. Even though they also have the largest number of affordable housing units in the city, they also have the largest number of people that are experiencing homelessness," Linares-Moeller said.

"It's also showing us that Central and West Austin are really lagging in affordable housing production," Harper-Madison said. "We need more housing types for all income levels in all parts of the city."

For a link to the full report, click here.