How should Austin spend its housing dollars?
Are we focused on poverty or building the middle class?
In recent years, there has been a consensus among elected officials in Austin that the city is facing a dire housing crisis and that government subsidies must be a part of the solution. Voters have decisively agreed, approving more than $900 million since 2018 for affordable housing.
But this apparent consensus masks disagreements over how to best spend the money. City government will never have nearly enough money to provide affordable housing to everyone who needs it, so who should be the lucky few who benefit from this limited pot of money?
For instance, what is more important: providing affordable rental apartments for the poor or helping the middle class achieve homeownership?
