In April 2016, the membership of Friends of Austin Neighborhoods (FAN) voted to urge city officials to allow for greater housing type diversity throughout the city.
Our housing type diversity resolution and letter was as follows:
FAN stands for an inclusive Austin that welcomes people of all socioeconomic backgrounds throughout the city. When our policies limit the amount and diversity of housing, we effectively segregate our communities, pr
eventing all but the privileged few from living in the highest-demand neighborhoods. We strive for diversity to be a defining character common to all our neighborhoods.
We support a broader mix of housing types, throughout the city, to increase the socioeconomic diversity of our neighborhoods. In addition to detached single family homes, the mix of housing types should include options such as row-houses, triplexes, quadplexes, and “tiny homes”.
Permitting these housing types would increase opportunities for more efficient use of very limited land resources, help to address supply-demand imbalances, enable more people to live in close proximity to jobs, shopping, and services, and reduce combined housing, transportation, and utility costs, bringing us closer to fulfilling the Imagine Austin plan’s vision of complete communities, as reflected in the indicators listed on pages 225-226 of the plan.
We call upon city leaders to allow for this housing diversity by decreasing minimum lot sizes and providing more opportunities for the construction of row-houses, triplexes, quadplexes, and “tiny homes” in our neighborhoods.
As always, we welcome the points of view of all neighbors and recognize that all neighbors deserve a voice. No matter what your view, please feel free to share your thoughts on this or any other topic on the FAN forum.