It’s no secret that our cities are becoming too expensive for longtime residents. And every Texan deserves a basic roof over their head.
So we need smart, innovative solutions to ease the housing supply crunch and protect the most vulnerable members of our communities. We need to build on the excellent work of progressive Austin lawmakers in recent years in order to:
Encourage Smart Density. Through property tax policy and incentives for local government, the state should incentivize smart density at the edges of established neighborhoods while preserving the historical core of those communities for generations to come.
Protect Homesteads. The Homestead Preservation Act championed by Austin lawmakers should be strengthened and updated to make it easier to increase the availability of affordable rental housing, expand homestead district eligibility so longtime residents can stay in their houses as property values rise, and to otherwise improve housing security for low-income families across the state.
House The Homeless. Government should make it easier—should make it downright simple—for nonprofits and local governments to provide safe, clean, healthy housing solutions for our homeless neighbors who have lived and worked in the community for at least a year. We need to build on the innovative work of local leaders to create strong property tax incentives for organizations who help house the homeless, and for converting underutilized motels into affordable communities.
Ensure Essentials. If recent events have taught us anything, it’s that we need to look out for one another. We need to build on work done by previous leaders to ensure that low-income tenants and homeowners cannot be denied power, water, or gas if they demonstrate need. And, across the state, affordable housing units should be subject to “just cause” eviction protections and the right of tenants to organize. Recent legislation has gone a long way in this regard, but more and more Texans are going to need access to this kind of support in the months and years to come. We need to be there for them, and for each other.