Austin passes HOME initiative allowing more housing units on some single-family lots

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What does the HOME initiative do?
Here are the main changes HOME Phase 1 makes:

• Allowing up to three dwelling units on a single-family 1, 2 and 3 zones.
• Creating three-unit residential use and applying it to applicable zones.
• Easing restrictions on the construction of tiny homes.

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Have a good sized lot? Now you can add up to three tiny homes on it! It's no lie to say that Austin really is another extension of California.

https://slate.com/business/2021/09/california-sb9-single-family-zoning-duplexes-newsom-housing.html

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On Thursday, with the stress of the recall election firmly behind him, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that effectively abolishes single-family home zoning in the country's largest state. Senate Bill 9 allows owners to split their lots or convert homes to duplexes, regardless of local zoning, in an effort to increase the state's anemic housing production, open up high-opportunity neighborhoods, and lower rents and home prices.

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Not sure if you are implying you are against this but I'm curious of your thoughts as you're in the industry. Seems like a small step in the right direction to me. Austin's housing and residential zoning laws are a mess.

Increasing density without redeveloping the utility infrastructure for the demand will be a mess. Water, storm water, sewer, power, gas, communications. Be assured, the city is assuming they will be able to regulate most of the additional population density into using public transportation or bikes, instead of needing additional parking.

I honestly don't think that this will help with housing affordability at all, but to each their own. There are some very good questions on this thread as to how it's going to affect sewer and trash services. As for parking, I believe the city doesn't even require parking spaces in some areas. I guess we'll have to see what happens now with this new ordinance.

IF your lot has sufficient SF to accommodate the added impervious cover then and only then can you add those dwelling units up to 3. There are floor to area ratios that remain in place, as well as fire separation IRC code requriements.

IF your total plumbing fixture count requires a larger line from the meter normal 3/4" to say 1-1/2" to accommodate the added number of plumbing fixtures, then that cost will have to be factored into the final cost of construction.

IF your existing electrical panel needs to be upgraded to accommodate the added load, say from 100A to 200A, then that expense will have to factored in to the final cost of construction.

Every lot will still have to adhere to the impervious cover limits, tree ordinance, and all other land development ordinances.

As for parking, that is where the elimination of required parking spaces is going to make things interesting. Because I don't think everyone is ready to give up their automobiles. This effort will surely put that idea on the fast track. Add to that all the forecasts that the current generation is not buying cars as past generations. Lyft and other ride share applications are not getting smaller. So they may be factoring that into the overall planning.

The other question revolves around affordability. If more units are being provided, it would seem to follow that more supply means lower price. We shall see.

ETA: If you have been following any of the Code Next or the current efforts to revise the Austin Land Development Code, then this is just one step of others. However, it is par for the course and more of a notice that Austin is no longer a small city- it is well on its way to a large city.

How dare you bring reason into this thread! What about the trash service???