A few weeks ago, the land-developer-backed group “Evolve Austin” trumpeted a news article predicting that the Austin Independent School District (AISD) would soon endorse CodeNEXT, a controversial plan to rezone and redevelop neighborhoods across our community. The group apparently saw local educators as allies: Austin’s public schools have been losing students for years as low- and middle-income families have been displaced by rising housing costs, and Evolve Austin and the local real estate industry have touted CodeNEXT as a fix for that problem.
Things didn’t go quite as planned. First, the Austin American-Statesman ran an eyebrow-raising story about city planners refusing to answer AISD’s CodeNEXT questions. Then, early last week, AISD approved a firmly worded resolution calling into question CodeNEXT’s basic premise—that increasing residential density in Central Austin will lead to affordable housing for working families.
The school district opened that resolution by pointing out that “Austin already has a higher ratio of multi-unit housing than it needs,” echoing CodeNEXT critics who see the plan as little more than an attempt by real-estate speculators to replace established neighborhoods with luxury condos, boutiques, and bars for wealthy singles.
In what had to be a surprise for CodeNEXT supporters, AISD then called for the preservation of those neighborhoods. According to the district, existing homes remain the most reliable form of affordable housing for the families that send their children to Austin’s public schools and the teachers who work in them.
Should CodeNEXT go forward, AISD demanded that neighborhood rezoning be limited to the creation of “family-friendly” homes affordable to those making 60 percent of Austin’s median income, or about $49,000 per year for a family of four. The school district also warned city leaders about CodeNEXT’s elimination of the city’s existing parking rules, a move educators fear will lead to increased traffic and threats to children’s safety in the streets surrounding its campuses.
“We believe CodeNEXT poses a real threat to Austin residents, and AISD appears to agree,” said Fred Lewis, head of Community Not Commodity. “If City Hall passes it in its current form, our public schools will continue to lose students as middle-class families are driven away by land speculators, redevelopers, and inflated home prices. CodeNEXT must not move forward without being put on the public ballot, where the parents of Austin’s schoolchildren have a voice.”
If you agree, download and sign this petition requiring voter approval of CodeNEXT. Don’t let the city council pass it before you’ve had a chance to cast your vote!