Georgetown City Council denied a request Dec. 8 for $195,000 from the Housing Advisory Board to complete a strategic plan to address workforce housing needs in the city. The council voted 2-5 on a motion to approve the study with Council members Rachael Jonrowe and Anna Eby voting in favor of the study. The HAB first approached the city during a Nov. 10 City Council workshop. Board Chairman Walt Doering said the first phase of the study would have been to gather the needs, concerns and solutions from stakeholders and members of the target population—millennials, seniors and workers making between $30,000 and $60,000 a year. The data would be used to help draft policy recommendations related to building workforce housing. “We are here to ensure our city has affordable housing for residents at all economic levels; we are responsible for long-term housing research and policy recommendations,” Doering said of the HAB's purpose. Doering said the study’s objective would be to accelerate the building of affordable housing to meet the needs of the target population while preserving Georgetown’s way of life and economic prosperity, expediting infill development and maintaining the current inventory of housing. Several residents spoke in favor of the study including Tom Swift, who said he would soon be unable to live in Georgetown after his lease ends. “It is less expensive to live in Austin than stay here in Georgetown,” he said. “I know I’m not the only one in this situation. … There are a lot of people in town who are feeling the same squeeze.” Other residents said the study was not the best way to go about finding affordability solutions. “I’m just not quite sure if we as a city should immediately spend $195,000 without knowing what we are getting,” resident William Dalton said. Council Member Steve Fought said while he agrees there is a shortfall of affordable housing in the city, he did not believe this study would help. “I admire the passion and the intent,” he said. “I am not enthusiastic about the whole hog approach. … There have been other studies that have been done recently that the board has not explored. … I do not support this study that is not yet well defined.” Council members John Hesser, Keith Brainard, Ty Gipson and Tommy Gonzalez agreed. “We’ve got additional work to do,” Brainard said. “It’s not clear what we would be getting. … I think we need more data and more information.” Jonrowe said her concern was without the study the issue of affordable housing would keep getting pushed back. “Our housing advisory board has done exactly what they’ve been tasked to do,” she said. “I don’t think it’s an unreasonable amount.” City Manager David Morgan said the issue of affordable housing could be discussed during a future City Council workshop session.