Item 6- 4_14_2026_CDC_27_Affordable_Housing_Rental_Assistance_Rec — original pdf

Backup

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Support for allocating $10 million for rental assistance Date: April XX, 2026 Subject: Rental Assistance Recommendations Motioned By: Commissioner Seconded By: Commissioner Recommendation Description of Recommendation to Council ● Allocate $10 million in funding to restart the rental assistance program and to provide emergency rental assistance. Rationale As Austin celebrates the recent decrease in rents driven by an increase in housing supply, the reality is that our community is also experiencing record numbers of evictions and a growing number of neighbors facing homelessness. The increase in housing supply has contributed to declining rents at the higher end of the market, but it has not meaningfully improved affordability for those struggling on the lower end of the income spectrum, especially because the increased density has led to the demolition of naturally occurring affordable housing. Austin must continue to address housing supply, but we must also ensure that our policies support those most at risk of displacement. Protecting our most vulnerable residents is essential to maintaining the inclusive and resilient community we strive to be. As lower-wage workers—those who keep our city functioning every day—struggle to remain in Austin, the Housing Department has made the decision to end its rental assistance program. This program has been a critical lifeline. According to Dr. Murillo of El Buen Samaritano, it was already reaching only about 20% of those in need—families on the brink of eviction. Ending the program now, when the need is clearly far greater than the resources available, will only exacerbate housing instability across our community. For many families, rental assistance is the difference between stability and eviction, between remaining housed and falling into homelessness. Commendation Whereas, data shows that higher income, luxury developments dominate the housing built in Austin over the past several years, and Whereas, although Austin is leading the nation in affordable unit development, we are only building housing at 60% MFI and above, and Whereas, Austin is falling behind in the development of housing that is affordable for our lowest-income neighbors, particularly those living at or below 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI), and Whereas, nearly half of all renters struggling to pay rent and Austin is seeing more than 14,000 evictions in the last 12 months, and Whereas, the Austin Community Development Commission has heard countless stories from residents highlighting the urgent need for rental assistance and the importance of expanding, not eliminating, this support. Therefore, be it resolved that, we, the commissioners of the Austin Community Development Commission, strongly oppose the City’s decision to end the rental assistance program. Furthermore, we call on the Austin City Council to allocate $10 million to restart the program and expand it to include emergency rental assistance, ensuring that families facing sudden financial hardship have the support they need to remain housed.