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Austin, Texas: SMART Initiative

In 1999, a groundbreaking report entitled Through the Roof described the lack of affordable housing in Austin had reached crisis proportions. This analysis concluded that local regulatory barriers, cumbersome and costly review processes, and the Not In My Backyard phenomenon contributed to this crisis.

In response, the City of Austin created the SMART Initiative (Safe, Mixed-income, Accessible, Transit-oriented, Reasonably priced, Meets green building standards) to stimulate affordable housing production. According to the City, nearly 4,000 affordably priced homes have been completed since the initiative's inception in 2001.

Specific Actions Taken:

• Austin is making surplus city-owned land available to non-profit housing organizations at below-market prices for the development of affordable housing;

• The city created a new process to review all proposed changes to city codes, rules, neighborhood plans, and development fees to determine if there is a negative impact on affordable housing;

• Planners created a fast-track review of proposed SMART housing developments and establishment of a new streamlined review process;

• Local housing officials are facilitating an open dialogue between housing developers and neighborhood organizations to defuse "NIMBYISM" thereby promoting early identification and resolution of concerns and issues; and,

• Austin waives certain fees based on the amount of affordably priced housing contained in a proposed SMART development.

Austin, Texas is a 2005 recipient of the Robert L. Woodson Award.

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