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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)

Kathie Tovo

City Council, District 9

No I support and voted for the Strategic Housing Blueprint, which set a relatively high standard for City housing goals by basing them on metropolitan area growth, rather than on the lower projected City growth rate. For context, according the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, last year the Austin MSA was the most active among the top 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas in terms of housing permits issued per capita. In managing this huge growth, I continue to support our Imagine Austin vision of adding density on our corridors and in our centers and adopting effective policies for securing affordable housing units. I also have led Council in serving people experiencing homelessness, including leading efforts on developing and passing the “Action Plan for Ending Homelessness,” supporting and expanding the Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST), ensuring Downtown density bonus fees could be used for permanent supportive housing services, initiating and supporting the city in moving forward with a “Pay for Success” program for permanent supportive housing, and waiving City fees for the Community First! Village permanent supportive housing development.