S.M.A.R.T. Housing™ — City of Austin, Texas, United States of America (Pop 718,912). The declining affordability of housing for low-and medium-income families is an issue in growing cities throughout Australasia and North America. In April 2000, the City of Austin responded by initiating S.M.A.R.T. Housing. The S.M.A.R.T. Housing concept is a development policy that utilises a voluntary, incentive-based approach to encourage developers to build housing that is affordable; is responsive to legitimate neighbourhood concerns; meets construction standards for higher levels of energy efficiency and accessibility than required for market-rate housing; and is located near public transport. The programme provides strong incentives for high-quality, affordable housing in mixed-income neighbourhoods, and gives developers access to an efficient, fast and consistent development process with City staff advocacy if problems surface. In addition, the City Council requires an impact analysis on housing affordability for any proposed ordinance rule or plan. In turn, developers give back to the City and the citizens of Austin as a whole more affordable homeownership and rental opportunities for low-and middle-income families in mixed-income communities inside the City limits.
PRESENTER – Paul Hilgers, Director, Neighbourhood Housing and Community Development
WORKSHOP FACILITATORS - Duncan Field, Chief Executive, and Scot Figenshow, Queenstown Lakes District Council
Download written case study (PDF)
Case Study Presentation not available at this time
DownloadAdditional presentation material from case study workshops (PowerPoint)
WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING AND HOUSING, NEW ZEALAND
For further infroamtion about the City of Austin
http://www.cityofaustin.org/
and S.M.A.R.T. Housing
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/ahfc/smart.htm