Now the work begins! Thanks to Austin voting Yay for Prop A , we have $250 million dollars to fund affordable housing in our communities to help keep Austin a diverse and inclusive city. The bond will be divided into categories that include Rental Housing Development Assistance (RHDA), Home Ownership Development Assistance (HODA), land acquisition, and home repair, which are subject to change based on opportunity. Neighborhood Housing and Community Development (NHCD) has reengineered the application process and established a standardized review procedure for housing development assistance programs. The RHDA program expands the construction of affordable rental housing for low-income households and increases the availability of permanent supportive housing for persons experiencing homelessness or with special needs, while the HODA program funds private and nonprofit developers, including Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), to acquire, rehabilitate, and construct affordable ownership housing for low- to moderate-income homebuyers.
Stakeholders were invited to review RHDA and HODA program guidelines (available below) on December 17th. Comments on the new process can be sent to James May, Community Development Manager at NHCD (james.may@austintexas.gov). Scoring is subject to change as the process will require updates. Applications are open January 1st and close February 2nd.