Affordable Housing Education Outreach
Housing Works for Schools Summit
A Place to Do Homework
(Housing + Schools) x Planning = Community Success
HousingWorks Austin held its Fifth Annual Housing Summit November 15, 2008 at Reagan High School. The summit was a collaborative event with the City of Austin and Austin Independent School District (AISD) to examine, discuss, and further develop the connections between affordable housing and educational success. The goal of the 2008 Summit was established as "How can we, as a community, leverage integrated planning for homes, schools, and services to reduce residential and school segregation in our city, thereby (and, hopefully) improve school/student success and contribute more broadly to our City's overall quality of life." Approximately 85 people attended the Summit.
The 2008 Summit explored ways to implement recommendations that become apparent from the 2007 Summit - more coordination in planning of schools and housing and after school programs that simultaneously improve student success and neighborhood safety.
Recommendations were discussed, and a diverse group of stakeholders agreed to actions that will move Austin forward in promoting educational and housing neighborhood stability.
Down just the recommendations from the 2008 Summit »
Speaker Series
HousingWorks will provide a speaker to your group or organization to present information on affordable housing issues in Austin. Topics HousingWorks can address include: the impact of affordable housing on education, the status of the $55 million affordable housing bonds, and broader policy recommendations for creating and preserving affordable housing in Austin.
Summits
HousingWorks has sponsored a series of informative summits on key issues affecting affordability in our region. Topics have ranged from a broader discussion of the affordability problem in Austin to specific discussions around how housing affordability affects neighborhoods.
Speakers
HousingWorks speakers are available for presentations. Contact Christine Buendel at c_buendel@yahoo.com, 512.326.3356
Timely Research
A key part of HousingWorks' mission is getting quality, germane housing research done to better inform how our community makes decisions about affordability. Below are links to different reports that HousingWorks has had commissioned through the wonderful help of key partners.
Preserving Austin's Multifamily Rental Housing — A Toolkit download report (PDF) »
The report explores the policy tools be used by cities and states across the country to preserve affordable rental housing opportunities for low income families.
Preserving Affordable Apartments in Austin — Case Study Analysis of the East Riverside/Oltorf Combined Neighborhood Planning Area download report (PDF) »
The report focuses on identifying affordable housing at risk in a particular Austin neighborhood and the limited options currently available to preserve it.
Poll Results
HousingWorks Poll: Austinites Express Fears on Housing Affordability
In a survey conducted Spring 2008, nearly two-thirds of Austinites expressed fears that homes in Austin will become unaffordable for themselves or people that they care about. Download poll results »