Austin’s Growth Leaves Lowest-Income Households Behind, Housing Inequality Deepens
Key Takeaways Austin’s rapid growth is sharply increasing housing prices, making it difficult for the lowest-income residents to keep up. Affordable housing construction falls far short of demand, particularly for those earning near 30% of the area median income. The growing housing gap is leading to widespread displacement and threatens the stability of entire working-class neighborhoods. The Widening Housing Divide in Austin Austin’s breakneck growth, from Congress Avenue to the Domain, is squeezing out the city’s most vulnerable. Housing prices have soared 58% since mid-2010s, while affordable units lag dangerously behind demand. Public-private efforts can’t keep up; in 2023, only 63 deeply affordable homes were built for those near 30% of area median income. Entire neighborhoods become instant no-go zones for working families, risking mass displacement and instability under the shadow of the Texas Capitol. The threat grows. Answers follow. Housing Crisis Amid Austin’s Rapid Expansi...