Real estate
BY HALEY MCLEOD
Habitat for Humanity ramps up affordable housing to meet demand
Also of note
According to Gerami, Austin Habitat has begun partnering with master-planned communities, helping developers meet incentive-based afford- ability requirements while making it possible for families—often priced out of areas like East Austin’s Whisper Valley—to move in. Residents are able to access amenities not typically found in traditional Habitat builds. Whisper Valley features community gardens, playgrounds, pools and more. Gerami said many communities included affordability commitments as part of their devel- opment agreements with the city over a decade ago. However, as those obligations come due, he said many developers are finding they lack the experience or infrastructure to deliver on them.
Affordable housing has long been a city-led priority in the Austin-area as home costs, property taxes and interest rates remain high. Austin Habitat for Humanity is helping bridge the city’s housing gap by delivering “missing middle” options for working families. In a single week this October, Habitat is set to deliver 25 new 1,400-square-foot homes. “Affordable ownership units are crucial because they provide opportunities for residents to build wealth through homeownership, especially in a market where housing prices are rising,” Austin Habitat for Humanity CEO Michele Anderson said.
Previously, the agency built around 25 homes a year. However, in 2025 that number is set to increase dramatically for the next several years. By the end of the year, Habitat expects to see 91 new homes built and roughly 100 homes per year afterward, said Wayne Gerami, chief operating officer at Austin Habitat. “We’re really ramping up,” Gerami said. These homes are designed to remain affordable long term by using efficient materials and limiting property taxes to the home’s resale-restricted value—not full market value—which saves families thousands of dollars annually.
35
Austin Habitat for Humanity homes
183
MOPAC
The takeaway
290
Third-party sale Habitat consulted homes Future builds Habitat for Humanity
23
60
48
11
Anderson said Austin Habitat is giving more than just a home to local families. Homeownership has been proven to increase many social determinants of health like stress, she said. The organization is actively seeking applicants for homes across the metro. Habitat for Humanity also provides free homebuyer and homeowner educational services, including money management, credit score improvement and more online.
COLORADO RIVER
7
12
130 TOLL
Represents total units in a development
183
Austin
Smithville
San Marcos
290
4
230
71
MOPAC
71
230
12
35
35
126
621
GAZLEY ST.
183
47
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
SOURCE: AUSTIN HABITAT FOR HUMANITY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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