Central Austin Edition | January 2022

2 0 2 2 A N N U A L C O M M U N I T Y G U I D E

Travis County to see voting changes

OTHER STORIES TO FOLLOW IN 2022

TRAVIS COUNTY ELECTIONS IN 2022

Travis County looks to help renters Since March 2020, Travis County has maintained an eviction moratorium and doled out more than $16.9 million in rental assistance. However, the county is looking for new protections for residents as funding runs out and a new law prevents moratoriums starting March 1. Travis County utilized American Rescue Plan Act funds to help renters; however, the federal government denied a request for an additional $7.8 million, leaving the county to fund $400,000 in outstanding requests and pause the program. The county is looking at new ways to fund the rental assistance and other protections, such as legal aid and education programs. TRAVIS COUNTY RENTAL ASSISTANCE $16.9M allocated out by Travis County to assist renters $7.8M request by the county for additional federal funds was rejected Commissioners Court appointed Rebecca Guerrero as interim county clerk Jan. 11. Her appointment will follow the retirement of Dana DeBeauvoir. Guerrero will assume the role Jan. 28 through the end of 2022. Travis County residents will vote on a new clerk in November. Guerrero has served in the clerk’s oce for the last 22 years. Rebecca Guerrero New election head named Travis County

In 2022 Travis County voters will head to the polls for a number of elections, including party primaries in March and the midterm election in November. MARCH 1: party primaries in Texas MAY 7 : local and Austin special ballot elections NOV. 8: midterm election concerned about a requirement that people voting by mail provide either a driver’s license or the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. Despite SB 1, DeBeauvoir said the county continues to oer the best possible voting process. DeBeauvoir said she intends to stay involved with elections.

BY BENTON GRAHAM

2022 will also bring personnel changes in the county, marking the rst elections in over 35 years without DeBeauvoir at the helm, as she plans to retire Jan. 28. DeBeauvoir said when she rst ran for the position, her primary goal was to modernize the record system. However, she has overseen signicant technological changes to the Travis County election process, including creating an auditable voting system. “Most of the things that I came into oce talking about all those years ago are nished,” DeBeauvoir said. “The other reason [for retiring] is I’m turning 68.” As for Senate Bill 1, she is

TRAVIS COUNTY The new year is bringing changes to Travis County’s voting process. That is because a sweeping voting bill passed by the Texas Legislature, which limits early voting times, provides greater rights for partisan poll watchers and increases identication requirements for voting by mail, goes into eect. On Jan. 18, Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvior announced her oce had rejected 27% of mall-in ballot applications for the upcoming primary elections, and DeBeauvior and the Texas Secretary of State’s Oce began a public back and forth that included her calling the fallout of the new law “voter suppression.”

Austin’s housingmarket remains strong; aordability issues linger

BY DARCY SPRAGUE

HOUSING HEATS UP Austin’s market is coming o a record-setting year in 2021 with little sign of slowing down. However, some worry about what

AUSTIN After a record-setting year, the Austin Board of Realtors expects the housing market will remain hot. “We have very high demand, and our inventory looks about like it did last year. Interest rates are currently still low,” ABoR President-elect Ashley Jackson said. While the market is a sign of Austin’s strong economy, some are concerned about what it means for aordability in the city. Austin City Council ended 2021 with a renewed commit- ment to developing aordable housing. HousingWorks Austin Executive Director Nora Lin- ares-Moeller and Research Manager Woody Rodgers said they hope to see aordable housing options expand throughout the city. “I would like to see more aordability, both subsidized and not, all over Austin. Right now we only see it really in South and East Austin, because understandably, the land is cheaper,” Linares-Moeller said.

this could mean for the city’s aordability. MEDIAN HOME PRICES IN DECEMBER 2021 AUSTIN: $551,025 TRAVIS COUNTY: $545,000 AUSTIN METROPOLITAN AREA: $476,700

AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS

12% After four years, Austin added 12% of the aordable housing units called for in a decadelong plan.

34% of Austinities are rent-burdened, meaning they

spend more than 30% of their income on rent. 34%

SOURCES: AUSTIN BOARD OF REALTORS, CITY OF AUSTIN, HOUSINGWORKS AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

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CENTRAL AUSTIN EDITION • JANUARY 2022