City leaders in Austin, Texas are backing an innovative policy to increase the amount of affordable housing.
The plan relaxes zoning restrictions and provides incentives for higher density construction in affordable and mixed-income developments. To qualify, 50% of the housing in a development must be affordable—priced for families earning 60% or less of median family income (MFI) for the area.
For-sale properties must be affordable at 80% of MFI or below. If projects meet baseline criteria, developers could increase density and total rentable or sellable space. That includes the go-ahead to build higher than a zoning district’s limits.
Other loosened restrictions include a reduction of setbacks and minimum lot sizes, waiving height/setback compatibility standards, and bringing accessible-parking requirements up to code. The program is applicable in commercial and residential zoning districts, except in industrial zones or near sites that present certain health hazards, and in most special-use zoning and overlay districts.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Nov 29, 2021
FAA seeking design of air traffic control towers of the future
Call for design submissions for safe, efficient structures.
Codes and Standards | Nov 28, 2021
Efficient electric water heaters in multifamily buildings significantly reduce carbon emissions
In buildings with 5+ units, water heating uses more energy than space heating, cooling, or lighting.
Codes and Standards | Nov 23, 2021
New York’s Labor Law Section 240 and how it affects general contractors
The ‘Scaffold Law’ was first enacted by the New York State Legislature in 1885 and is one of the single most-used laws in construction accident cases.
Codes and Standards | Nov 22, 2021
ABC’s Construction Technology Report finds focus on solving operational problems
More than half rely on project management software.
Codes and Standards | Nov 22, 2021
Contractors say 811 utility location system has significant flaws
More than half of firms in survey report damages, near misses because lines were unmarked or marked incorrectly.
Codes and Standards | Nov 19, 2021
Creating net-zero/net-positive buildings is top priority in Green Building Trends 2021 report
Findings also demonstrate compelling business case for building green.
Codes and Standards | Nov 19, 2021
Construction Startup Competition 2021 awards highlight tech innovations
AI-powered software to identify and explain critical issues in construction contracts takes top prize.
Codes and Standards | Nov 18, 2021
Infrastructure bill contains $5 billion for energy efficiency in buildings
Wide range of programs to reduce energy use, improve materials, train workers.
Codes and Standards | Nov 17, 2021
Skanska will provide embodied carbon assessments on all new projects over 53,000 sf
Will use the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator it helped create.
Codes and Standards | Nov 16, 2021
NOAA, Univ. of Maryland, and ASCE partner on climate-smart engineering codes, standards
Efforts will account for climate change in future infrastructure design and construction.
