Draft Recommendation regarding affordable housing for families (Item 2biv) — original pdf

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BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Early Childhood Council 20220412-2biv: Affordable Housing for Families WHEREAS, the City of Austin Strategic Plan section Economic Opportunity & Affordability contains several strategies to reduce inequities in availability of affordable housing: Strategy #5: Develop and act on recommendations to reduce the number of households and businesses displaced from Austin due to unaffordability; Strategy #7: Acknowledge Austin’s history of racial segregation and counter it by applying an equity perspective to the City’s land development code and associated programs and policies, aligning with community priorities as articulated in Imagine Austin, and ensuring affordable housing options throughout Austin; and Strategy #8: Define and enact our response to homelessness focusing on efficient and effective use of our resources to address disparities, prevent homelessness, and support housing stability WHEREAS, almost 32,000 children under 6 in Austin live in households with low incomes (less than 200% of federal poverty level, which is slightly under $53,000 per year for a family of 4); WHEREAS, families with children need housing that includes at least two bedrooms and, in many cases three or four bedrooms; for example, social services often require that children of different genders have separate bedrooms; WHEREAS: enrollments in AISD have declined over the last several years in part because families with children are moving to outlying areas in order to find affordable housing; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Austin Early Childhood Council encourages the Austin City Council to prioritize the needs of families with low incomes for affordable housing, including increasing the availability of 3 (and 4) bedroom units. Date of Approval: _____________________________ Record of the vote: _____________________________ Attest: _____________________________________________