Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once, either in-person or remotely, and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To at David.Alcorta@austintexas.gov or by phone at 512- 972-5042. \ contact David Alcorta by register please email COLLEGE STUDENT COMMISSION SPECIAL CALLED MEETING APRIL 29, 2022 AT 3PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, ROOM 1101 301 W. 2nd STREET, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 Some members of the commission may be participating by videoconference. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Lira Ramirez, University of Texas at Austin (Chair) Pete Cervantes, St. Edwards University (Co-Chair) Tatum Owens, University of Texas at Austin (Secretary) Andrea Danburg, Austin Community College Justin Parker, Austin Community College Isaiah Smith, Austin Community College Todd Clayton, Huston-Tillotson University Kennedy Fears, Huston-Tillotson University Esther Heymans, St. Edwards University Ethan Tobias, St. Edwards University Edwin Bautista, University of Texas at Austin AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 2. ANNOUNCEMENTS & COMMISSION UPDATES The commission’s staff liaison and commission leadership will have the opportunity to share any pertinent announcements relevant to Commission business. 2. NEW BUSINESS a. Speaker – Cap Metro Sam Sargent from Cap Metro Government Affairs will be speaking regarding recent bus service issues. b. Election – Chair The commission will elect a Chair to serve beginning May 1st. c. Election – Co-Chair The commission will elect a Co-Chair to serve beginning May 1st. d. Election – Secretary The commission will elect a Secretary to serve beginning May 1st. e. Recommendation – An Obligation to Reform Progressive Neoliberal “Affordable” Housing in the City of Austin Part 1 of 2 The commission will discuss and consider passage of a recommendation proposed by Commission Bautista. f. Recommendation – An Obligation to Reform Progressive Neoliberal “Affordable” Housing in the City of Austin Part 2 of 2 The commission will discuss and consider passage of a recommendation proposed by Commission Bautista. 3. OLD BUSINESS a. Working Group Updates Updates from the Housing, Mental Health & Accessibility, Transportation, Civic Engagement & Outreach, and Sustainability working groups. c. Campus Reports & Community and …
College Student Commission Recommendation 20220429- Draft: An Obligation to Reform Progressive Neoliberal “Affordable” Housing in the City of Austin Part 1 of 2 Authored By: Commissioner Edwin Bautista (UT Austin) WHEREAS, the College Student Commission recognizes that housing is a human right1 and does not condone its financialization2 nor its commodification3; and, WHEREAS, the College Student Commission recognizes the term “progressive neoliberalism” to describe the dominant political-economic paradigm of the past half-century and defines it as a synthesis of identity-based social movements and various financial sectors that represents an effort to render capitalism palatable, celebrating virtues such as racial diversity and female empowerment while nevertheless supporting economic expansion and financialization that exacerbates inequality4; and, WHEREAS, the College Student Commission recognizes that contemporary mixed-income housing developments mask poverty through neoliberal policy tied to market based incentives and therefore creates a need for alternative means to affordable housing that are independent of the market5; and, WHEREAS, the College Student Commission recognizes that the City of Austin is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis6, increasing the risk of displacement7 and creating financial hardships8 among vulnerable low-income populations including college students9 and the college workforce community10; and, WHEREAS, the median family income (MFI) in the City of Austin, as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Development, is $110,300 and increased more than 10% from $98,900 in 202111; and, 1 https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=373015 2 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0924051920923855 3 https://www.statesman.com/story/business/2022/04/19/american-campus-communities-austin-tx-sold-ny- blackstone/7366553001/?csp=chromepush 4 https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/10/texas-hyperreactionary-neoliberalism-capitalism-keep-austin-weird 5 https://digital.library.txstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10877/12258/WILLIAMS-THESIS-2020.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 6 https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/central-texans-open-up-about-the-affordability-crisis-in-austin/269-9215788c-8826-4cce- 8666-483eecf9ee72 7 https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/04/18/housing-program-set-help-low-income-austin-families-own-home/7318882001/ 8 https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/12/17/austin-college-students-struggle-rising-rental-costs/8640704002/ 9 https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/county/2019/08/08/austin-city-council-gives-preliminary-nod-to-controversial- domain-on-riverside/4508362007/ 10 https://rebusinessonline.com/priced-out-adding-affordable-units-to-student-housing/ 11 https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/whispers/federal-income-numbers-for-austin-are-up-by-about-11-percent/ 1 WHEREAS, in March 2022, the median price home price in the City of Austin was more than $645,000, an increase of 21.9% compared to previous year12 while the appraised median market value for all homes in Travis County increased by 53.6% and has risen 78% since 202013; and, WHEREAS, in March 2022, the median rent in the City of Austin was more than $1,500, a 32% year-over-year increase14; and, WHEREAS, a report by HousingWorks15 stated almost half of renters in the City of Austin are “cost burdened,” meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing, hindering their ability to pay for food, transportation and other necessities; and, WHEREAS, research studies show that students facing housing insecurity have lower GPAs, poorer health, and higher rates of depression and anxiety than those who do not face this issue16; and, WHEREAS, the College Student Commission recognizes …
College Student Commission Recommendation 20220429- Draft: An Obligation to Reform Progressive Neoliberal “Affordable” Housing in the City of Austin Part 2 of 2 Authored By: Commissioner Edwin Bautista (UT Austin) WHEREAS, the College Student Commission recognizes the University of Texas at Austin cost of attendance for a Texas resident, which includes tuition, housing and basic living expenses, is over $30,000 a year1; and, WHEREAS, a 2019 Memorandum to City of Austin Staff written by Root Policy Research regarding college student effect on rental housing prices also stated that “student housing developments have higher average rents than conventional developments even after accounting for the larger average size of student rentals: $2.29 average rent per square foot for student rentals compared to $1.53 per square foot for conventional.”2; and, WHEREAS, the College Student Commission recognizes the University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO) was created by Ordinance No. 040826-56 and codified into city code in 20043 as a development incentive that includes an affordable housing component4 (S.M.A.R.T. Housing); and, WHEREAS, UNO and its associated guidelines intend to facilitate the development of a dense residential district adjacent to the University of Texas flagship campus, thereby reducing transient student traffic and parking near the campus; and, WHEREAS, “S.M.A.R.T. Housing is designed to stimulate the production of affordable housing for residents of Austin that is Safe, Mixed-Income, Accessible, Reasonably Priced, and Transit- Oriented and compliant with the City of Austin’s, Austin Energy Green Building standards.”5 WHEREAS, UNO has been one of the City of Austin’s most successful densification programs to that extent as it has produced hundreds of on-site “affordable” housing units and more than 15,000 bedrooms in the West Campus neighborhood6; and, WHEREAS, UNO has allowed the West Campus neighborhood to become one of the densest7 and fastest developing neighborhoods in the City of Austin8; and, 1 https://onestop.utexas.edu/managing-costs/cost-tuition-rates/cost-of-attendance/ 2 https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Housing/Memo%20on%20Student%20Effect.pdf 3 https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1OMDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=west+campus+design+guidebook&source=bl& ots=1Nq770gzXj&sig=ACfU3U353hZCKV1Dc72amJ4okJhJF1HtKw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiU_rz95vP0AhW8KDQIHQjIAC84 ChDoAXoECAoQAw#v=onepage&q&f=true 4 https://rebusinessonline.com/priced-out-adding-affordable-units-to-student-housing/ 5 https://www.austintexas.gov/department/development-incentives-and-agreements 6 https://thedailytexan.com/2018/03/19/west-campus-area-has-nearly-doubled-in-size-over-past-20-years/ 7 https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2018/10/25/18-story-tower-sprouts-in-austins-densest.html 8 https://austin.towers.net/west-campus-remarkable-growth-charted/ 1 WHEREAS, the close proximity of the West Campus neighborhood to the future light rail route proposed by Capital Metro (Orange Line)9 supports the case for increasing the allowable building density by expanding the Inner West Campus Subdistrict; and, WHEREAS, the amendments made to UNO in 2014 and 2019 increased the minimum percentage of units designated as S.M.A.R.T. Housing to 20%, extended the term to “a period not less than 40 years” and lowered the tiered MFI levels10; and, WHEREAS, currently under UNO, …
