On Thursday, the Austin City Council took a step toward a European-style housing model.
The council adopted a resolution calling on the city manager to look into how the city can implement Councilman Mike Siegel’s proposed “green social housing” policy.
“The idea of green social housing is to bring permanently affordable, climate-friendly, and publicly controlled housing into Austin,” said Siegel.
The housing would be owned and operated by the local government. Some city officials have accused the private sector of not doing enough to address affordability in Austin, especially for workers.
“We know Austin is continuing to grow,” Siegel said. “If we create a public option for housing through city investment, that could lock in future affordability for all of the workers that are going to continue to come here.”
Similar housing models are being used in Maryland, as well as Vienna, Austria.
It’s unclear how the city council would find such a program, but Siegel has indicated that the money could come from bond elections or land swaps.
The city manager is expected to provide an update on the resolution to the housing and planning committee on October 13, and a final decision could be made in December.
