Austin's building boom fails to reach the poorest residents

Despite making progress on its affordable housing goals, the city of Austin has not done enough to support its lowest-income households, according to new data assessing the city's 10-year Strategic Housing Blueprint.

As Ben Thompson explains in Community Impact, the plan aims to create at least 60,000 new income-restricted housing units by 2028. But affordability is based on median family income, which has risen by 56% since 2018. 

While Austin already passed its goal of adding at least 15,000 new units for 61%-80% MFI earners, "The 2024 blueprint scorecard noted almost no progress toward Austin goals for housing at 30% MFI and below, the extremely low-income level that includes tenants exiting homelessness." New housing was also concentrated in specific geographic areas. While a few districts have surpassed their housing goals, most are no more than 45% of the way there.