Austin seeks $10 million for low-income housing

Five weeks after Austin voters rejected a $78.3 million bond proposal for low-income housing, City Council members are looking for other ways to spend money on afiordable housing.

On Thursday, the council, despite some concerns, unanimously directed city man- agement to ffind between $8 million and $10 million in the city budget for low-income housing. Council Members Laura Morrison and Kathie Tovo say that money could leverage at least $30 million in state and federal grants.

The money would go to two “shovel ready” apartment complexes built by nonproffit or private organizations, plus possibly other projects, according to city stafi members who worked with Morrison and Tovo as they crafted the proposal.

“The afiordable housing issue is one that is not going away in Austin,” Morrison said in an interview.

The resolution doesn’t bind the city to spend whatever money the city stafi might ffind in city cofiers. Mayor Lee Lefffingwell said he will probably oppose whatever spending possibilities the city manager brings back to the council.

“I’m somewhat worried we’re about to spend money on a project, worthy though it may be, that the voters turned down,” Leffingwell said.

The resolution is the latest in a series of attempts by the city to work against market