News

A plan for increasing Austin’s affordable housing, racial and economic diversity

by John Henneberger  February 5, 2017

Austin is experiencing a moment of anxiety and introspection unlike any I have seen since I came here 44 years ago. There is a sense that this place, much loved by its residents and envied by many outsiders, is headed in the wrong direction. While Austin’s economy is booming and people are choosing to move here in droves, the things that attract and retain people are being eroded at an alarming rate. The key problems are the skyrocketing cost of housing and diminishing racial, ethnic and economic diversity. ( …read article)

A task force set up to evaluate institutional racism in Austin is recommending the city create a fund with a goal of raising $600 million to buy and preserve affordable ...

Commission asks Council to delay CodeNEXT mapping

by Joseph Caterine – Austin Monitor – March 9, 2017

In an act of defiance to the momentum of the CodeNEXT juggernaut, the Zoning and Platting Commission passed a resolution at the closing of its March 7 meeting calling on City Council to direct Planning and Zoning Department staff and consultants to delay the April 18 release of the CodeNEXT mapping until a “cohesive and unified electronic code” has been finalized. ( …read article)

Task force draft says CodeNext is a ‘tool of institutionalized racism’

By Nolan Hicks – American-Statesman Staff   February 21, 2017

An incendiary draft report circulating among members of Mayor Steve Adler’s Task Force on Institutional Racism describes the city’s high-profile land development code rewrite as “the most recent tool of institutionalized racism.”

Proponents argue that the city’s proposed 1,100-plus-page overhaul of its zoning rules, known as CodeNext, is essential to encouraging and speeding the construction of badly needed housing in Austin. But the draft, by a subgroup of the anti-racism task force, which noted that Austin’s policies dating back to the 1920s pushed Latinos and blacks east of Interstate 35, said the city’s efforts with CodeNext will accelerate the forces pushing minorities out of East Austin. ( …read article)

Proposed Austin code rules will impact everyone living in Austin

By Kate Weidaw  February 1, 2017

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Wednesday is the public’s first opportunity to explore the new draft of the city’s land development code. This is the first time in 30 years the code has been rewritten to reflect the changes to Austin.

“It affects every property owner, every renter, everyone that lives in Austin, whether you live inside the city or just outside our city limits,” says Greg Guernsey, Director of the Austin Planning and Zoning Department. The plan, known as CodeNEXT, sets the rules and standards for things like affordable homes, green infrastructure, the character and look of a neighborhood, and mobility options. ( …read article)