The City of Austin has been awarded $6.7 million in the second round of the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) Grant by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This funding will support housing policy development, strategy improvement, regulatory barrier removal, and affordable housing production and preservation.
“Austin continues to demonstrate that our priority is to ensure access to affordable housing for all Austinites,” stated Mayor Kirk Watson. “We are ready to implement these grant dollars to expand our impact on equitable housing initiatives.”
HUD received over 200 applications from nearly every state and territory for this funding round. A total of $100 million was distributed among 18 recipients. The grant process follows the Community Development Block Grant statutory and regulatory framework, focusing on applicants committed to removing housing barriers and fostering housing-forward communities.
“The City of Austin is thrilled to receive $6.7 million to expand our efforts for affordable housing,” said Mandy DeMayo, Interim Director of the Housing Department. “This impactful funding from HUD will allow us to strategically update policy plans, invest in development near future light rail, and create new zoning tools to unlock missing middle opportunities.”
Planning Director Lauren Middleton-Pratt added, “In the past year, the City of Austin has made important updates to its land development code that have enabled more housing options and provided support for our historic transit investments. This PRO Housing grant will help us build upon those successes as we continue our work to create innovative solutions to shape a more affordable Austin where everyone can thrive.”
The city plans a six-year spending period for the $6.7 million PRO Housing Grant funds. Approximately $3 million is allocated for gap financing at Ryan Drive's affordable housing development and future acquisitions in South Congress; about $1 million is set aside for new zoning tools; and $750,000 is earmarked for updating the Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint and Opportunity Mapping.
The HUD PRO Housing Grant supports communities actively working toward increasing affordable housing production while reducing costs long-term by addressing regulatory barriers affecting underserved communities disproportionately.
Austinites were invited to provide input on how this funding should be utilized locally through SpeakUpAustin.org/PROHousingGrant2024. Resources related to affordable housing are available at www.austintexas.gov/housing.
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