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Council adopted the Strategic Housing Blueprint last year, calling for 13,500 new units annually over 10 years. This gets us to break-even in terms of need. Would you support amending the City’s proposed Strategic Housing Plan to increase the number to at least 15,000 housing units per year for 10 years, keeping the breakout across income levels and including permanent supportive housing for those chronically experiencing homelessness? (Y/N; Explain)

Rich DePalma

City Council, District 8

Yes I do support amending the City’s proposed Strategic Housing Plan to increase the housing goal to 15,000 units per year for 10 years along with keeping the breakout across the income levels and including permanent supportive housing. My own preliminary research of the Austin market suggests that the city needs a 10% vacancy rate for single family housing and multifamily housing to create market rate affordability. Given the methodology of the Strategic Housing Blueprint, I believe that the additional units will create the housing stock needed to impact affordability.