Do you agree that increasing housing supply is only one side of the supply-demand equation for beating back Austin’s affordability crisis, and that Austin should refrain from subsidizing growth during times of rapid growth so as to reduce demand growth to levels that can be met with new supply? If so, in the Candidate Response section below, please tell us your ideas for ways to make Austin’s growth pay for itself. (Hint: You can refer to any of the materials parked on this page from the years of work conducted by local developers, Brian Rodgers and Ed Wendler, Jr., especially the power point at the bottom of the page Total Accounting and Impact Fees.) Rate your support on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most support and 1 being the least.

Jessica Cohen

City Council, District 3

I do believe that there are more ways to help resolve Austin’s affordability crisis but, increasing housing is most likely going to be the best solution for the already high demand. To put it colloquially, the genie is out of the bottle. We’re going to have a tough time putting it back in. I also believe we need to fight the state on the Texas Education Recapture Fund. Lower property taxes would help increase affordable housing. I’d also like to see a revamp of the SMART Housing Policy to include waivers for fees that have been added since its inception.

Rate your support: 7