The Austin City Council released the second draft of its land development code Friday. It’s the latest step in the city’s more than half-decade-long attempt to update the rules that determine what can be built in the city and where.
The city’s hope is to permit and encourage the building of more diverse types of housing, such as duplexes and triplexes, and to entice developers to build affordable housing in exchange for relaxed zoning.
The Austin metro area is one of the fastest growing in the country, and the demand for housing has grown with it. In 2017, the City Council set a goal of building 135,000 new housing units by 2025, with 60,000 of those being affordable to families making less than the median income.
But the council has to tread lightly, as it tries to find ways to encourage more housing without displacing residents from currently cheaper homes.
In December, council members approved 199 amendments to the new code, asking city staff to encourage developers to build smaller homes, write stronger water conservation measures and to find ways to get more commercial buildings, such as grocery stores and child care centers, within neighborhoods.
The City Council will vote on changes to this latest version of the code sometime in mid-February; members have set aside Feb. 11, 12, 13 and 17 for discussion and a vote. The City Council is expected to take a third and final vote on the new code in late March or early April.
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