On March 20, Austin City Council approved support for tax credits to a developer for construction of an affordable housing complex at 11108 and 11300 Zimmerman Lane.
The Cardinal Point project is proposed for a side street off RR 620, said Foundation Communities Executive Director Walter Moreau, the developer for the proposed complex. The project's site plan was reduced from 170 units to 124 units, he said.
Moreau said the state is trying to build more affordable housing in all parts of Austin—including in areas that traditionally have not had affordable housing—and encourage affordable development in higher-income areas with strong schools.
The Zimmerman Lane tract was selected for the project because more than 500 jobs are located within a mile of the site, Moreau said. He said the area lacks bus service and mass transportation access (see Page 46).
"[Zimmerman Lane] is not an ideal [location], but we hope we can work with Capital Metro to look at [adding] service [in the area]," Moreau said.
Capital Metro staffers are having more discussions with developers and city of Austin officials about locating affordable housing projects in areas where there is existing mass transit and a strong transit market, Capital Metro Senior Planner Jenn Golech said.
"Capital Metro needs to continue to work with the City Council and the community to help solve these problems," she said. "It's a real challenge for us to serve those developments after they are planned."
Councilman Chris Riley voted against supporting tax credits for the project at the March 20 meeting. He said he disagreed with city support for affordable housing projects in areas that lack mass transit.
"We need to think carefully about [the relationship] between mass transit and affordable housing," Riley said.
Calculations of distance between affordable housing and transit options are determined by mapping out the route "as the crow flies"—without regard to street paths, sidewalks or traffic, he said.
"Yes, there's a connection between housing [in close proximity to] jobs, but for many households, it's not that simple," Riley said. "There are a lot of reasons families may need mass transit. They may need to get to medical care or go shopping.
"Staff is recommending projects that are more car-dependent than the city average as a whole."
David Potter, city of Austin program manager, said the proposed Cardinal Point development met or exceeded the city's building threshold requirements.
"[The project is proposed for] an area of higher opportunity in terms of employment, access to health care, better schools and quality of life," he said.
Cardinal Point developers are proposing to include a community center that will offer after-school academic, English language, money management, homebuyer education and computer training programs, Moreau said. Foundation Communities will offer college savings and free income tax return preparation resources for residents, he said.
Foundation Communities promotes an initiative to help families leaving homelessness and working toward self-sufficiency, he said. About nine Cardinal Point units will be reserved for these families.
Approximately 10 percent of Cardinal Point's units will house individuals or families with incomes at or below 30 percent of the city's median family income, of MFI, currently $21,950 for a four-person household and $15,400 for an individual. About half of the units will rent to households at or below 50 percent of the MFI, and 40 percent of the units are reserved for households at or below 60 percent of the MFI.
Foundation Communities will find out in July if the state will accept the project proposal, Moreau said.
Foundation Communities has 14 affordable housing projects in the Austin area, he said. The typical family in residence is earning between $30,000 and $40,000 annually and has passed strict background checks, he said.
