Developing more affordable housing will be a focus of a joint subcommittee that features representatives from Travis County, the city of Austin and Austin ISD following the County Commissioners Court’s vote Tuesday to approve a resolution in support of collaborative planning.

Austin is an increasingly expensive city to call home, Commissioner Ron Davis said. At a meeting earlier in the month he said he wanted to see a map or list outlining the locations of public lands being considered for potential development. Considering the properties, which include city-owned tracts of land at 411 Chicon St. and 4711 Winnebago Lane in East Austin, he said repurposing available public lands could result in negative impacts for residents in some areas.

“I don’t think the solution is creating another pocket of poverty in East Austin. … I just don’t think that this is the way to go,” he said.

County Commissioner Brigid Shea said the group will make retaining teachers and low-wage county employees a priority since AISD is losing students and affordability concerns throughout the city are rising.

“No one on that committee has any interest in creating ghettos or pockets of poverty,” she said, adding the goal is to pool resources and come up with effective solutions to allow city, county and ISD employees to remain in Austin.

Davis voted against the motion to approve the resolution, which the court passed 4-1.