On Friday, April 4, 2014, expert speakers and panelists got together with the UT Opportunity Forum and HousingWorks Austin to discuss connecting affordable housing and transportation policies.

A key conclusion from the forum: if a city demonstrates a commitment to affordable housing through policies, plans and legally-restricted affordable units in transit areas, they are more likely to receive New Starts Funding, which is critical federal funding for high-capacity transit. New Starts funding has the potential to match local funding for mass transit.

A video from the conference follows. Read more about New Starts funding and how affordable housing and transit can mutually benefit from integrated policy and planning here.