Planning commission approves staff recommendations on Smart Housing LDC amendments, urges longer affordability and tenant protections

The Austin Planning Commission on Tuesday approved staff-recommended amendments to the city’s Smart Housing Land Development Code (LDC) provisions and added two formal recommendations for staff consideration on longer-term changes.

Brendan Kennedy, program manager with the City of Austin Housing Department, presented Phase 2 amendments that staff described as administrative and consistency updates to the Smart Housing program — the city’s voluntary affordable housing incentive program that primarily offers fee waivers and expedited permit review in exchange for affordable units.

The commission’s action sends the staff recommendation forward with two additional, unanimously approved directions: that staff consider increasing the minimum affordability period (40 years for rental; 99 years for ownership) in a subsequent review and that staff evaluate applying the requirements of Chapter 4-18 (rental and ownership housing development assistance) and associated lease-addendum protections to Smart Housing participants as part of a later phase.

Kennedy told commissioners Smart Housing has long been paired with other local, state and federal tools and that staff…