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Council backs plan to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing and expands Homestead Preservation Districts
Summary
The council approved a resolution to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) and approved extensions and expansions to Homestead Preservation Districts as part of consent business, while directing staff to return with code changes and timelines to protect existing affordable units.
The Austin City Council on Sept. 11 approved a resolution directing city staff to develop tools to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) and to pursue additional protections against displacement.
Councilmember Jimmy Duchin introduced the NOAH resolution, drawing support from multiple council colleagues and community speakers. The resolution directs the City Manager to identify funding sources, prepare ordinance changes to strengthen relocation support and to add preservation or replacement requirements into density bonus incentive programs where feasible.
Why it matters
Multiple speakers during public comment referenced the Acacia Cliffs displacement case and called for immediate action to prevent similar losses of affordable units. Council members repeatedly described NOAH preservation as cheaper, faster and more carbon‑efficient than replacement construction and said the city needs a coordinated funding tool, modeled on other jurisdictions' housing opportunity funds, to buy or preserve at‑risk units.
Council direction and next steps
The resolution instructs staff to:
- Explore funding mechanisms for an Austin Housing Opportunity Fund (or similar vehicle) to preserve NOAH units; - Prepare code changes to strengthen relocation support and require preservation or replacement where density bonus programs are used, and return with a recommended timeline (Council members requested firm report‑back dates in committee); - Deliver annual reporting on progress and recommended actions.
Councilmembers emphasized speed. "We're losing upwards of 800 NOAH units every year," Councilmember Duchin said in remarks introducing the resolution (paraphrase of council remarks).
Related actions on the Sept. 11 agenda
Also on consent, council extended the East Austin Homestead Preservation Reinvestment Zone for 10 years and added options to apply the Homestead Preservation District tool in more areas with high poverty or low‑income clusters. Council members asked staff to update maps so they include poverty data in Williamson County as well as Travis County for districts that cross county lines.
Public comment
Residents, housing advocates and community groups including Go Austin, Vamos Austin (GAVA) and Save Our Springs Alliance spoke in favor of preserving NOAH and urged the council to set firm deadlines for staff actions and to avoid subjective standards in code language.
What happens next
Staff were directed to prepare ordinance language, funding options and a timeline for council review; councilmembers asked that at least some elements be returned within the calendar year.
Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the Sept. 11 public record.
