"This resolution will identify gaps to our current programs and explore new partnerships to protect stability, preserve affordability and ensure that people can stay in the communities that they have helped build," council member José Velásquez, who sponsored the proposal, said in June.
The big picture
Today, homeowners have several options for city financial aid to address structural issues, improve safety, fix utility lines or make their housing more accessible if they qualify based on income. Nearly $6.25 million was spent to repair almost 400 homes in Austin's fiscal year 2023-24 under those programs, according to the Housing Department.
To extend the reach of the offerings, city leaders voted on June 5 to make "small-scale" landlords eligible for home repair assistance as well as individuals. The change will be limited to property owners of four or less who are renting to lower-income tenants, and will not include larger institutional landlords.
Velásquez, who wrote the resolution directing the expansion, said the proposed change could help the many renters in his district and citywide who can't see their housing benefit from existing programs. While working for a home repair group before holding office, he said he'd also gotten feedback that home repair challenges frequently led people to simply move on and sell their homes.
"Let’s help them make an easier choice; if it’s between selling the property or just being able to do some minor home repairs to keep people there, it was a no-brainer," he said in an interview. "If we are helping mitigate one person being displaced because of home repair, then to me that’s enough.”
Beyond the landlord addition, Velásquez's resolution also calls for a review of new policies or initiatives that could impact housing quality and affordability. Those results will be brought to City Council by early November.
Also of note
While the city has several home repair offerings in place already, Velásquez said he's heard from residents who aren't aware they can seek city assistance for much-needed improvements on their properties. To address information gaps between City Hall and the community, a separate resolution from him approved in May kicked off review of Austin's communications strategies. Velásquez said one goal is to improve civic outreach on the repair programs and other initiatives.
"We’re still dealing with a lot of the vestiges from when we were an at-large [council] system, and the people who were in the know stayed in the know, and not so many folks outside ... have known about some of these projects or services that we offer. Marketing is a huge component of this because I don’t think a lot of people are aware of the program," he said. “I hear all the time from constituents, people out in the community, ‘We didn’t know y’all offered that, we didn’t know that y’all had that.’ Home repair is one of the major hurdles to keeping folks in their homes so that they do not have to be gentrified out of Austin or out of East Austin."
More information on current home repair offerings is available from the city by calling 512-974-3100 or emailing [email protected].
