A dozen townhomes, including two supported by city bond dollars that'll be sold to lower-income households, are now under development in East Austin.

What's happening

The Mira townhome project from Aus/Bos Social Housing formally broke ground in the Govalle neighborhood June 17.

The three-story duplex townhomes each range from about 1,700 to 2,500 square feet and are located at 732 Springdale Road. All units will feature metal roofs, brick facades, private yards, garages and access to a small central courtyard.



Construction kicked off in April and is expected to wrap up by the end of the year. The townhomes were designed by Plural Office and being built by Pecan Valley Homes, both based in Austin

Zooming in

The 10 townhomes that'll be sold at market-rate prices each include three bedrooms, while the two affordable units—reserved for qualifying households earning up to 65% of Austin's median family income—include four. Mira is likely the only city-backed, income-restricted development with that higher bedroom count intended for families, which Aus/Bos President Anmol Mehra highlighted as a key element of the project.

“We listened closely to what the community wanted for the affordable homes. They specifically wanted larger, family-friendly homes. Four-bedrooms, which are really hard to find here in Austin. So we’re especially proud to be delivering two affordable homes that meet this critical growing need," he said.

Mira is also being built under Austin's Affordability Unlocked development program. Additionally, Mehra said a new city initiative aimed at streamlining reviews for smaller residential projects was "huge" for moving the development along.

"We would’ve had to have gone through a full-blown site plan, which would’ve been $100,000-$200,000 and another year," he said. "Being exempt from site plan ... allowed us to go through this much faster."

The project also received financial support with a $240,000 loan for its two affordable units through Austin's 2018 housing bond, approved by City Council in 2019. Mehra thanked city officials for helping to "bridge the gap" on the income-restricted units. That funding followed council approval of a rezoning for the site approved in early 2018, with support from the Govalle/Johnston Terrace Neighborhood Plan Contact Team.

“Mira is a testament to what’s possible when thoughtful infill mixed-income housing and community-minded design come together," Mehra said.

Going forward

Purchasing inquiries for the market rate homes can be made through Mira's website. Austin Habitat for Humanity affiliate HomeBase will handle applications for the affordable ownership units closer to their completion.