Sponsored Post – from the Austin Community Design and Development Center
The Austin Community Design and Development Center (ACDDC) will host their second annual fundraiser, the Affordable Infill Tour on Saturday September 23rd. The event showcases seven ‘missing middle’ housing sites, including Alley Flats, duplexes, townhomes, and cottage courts, all part of affordable housing programs in our city. The event gives Austinites a first-hand look at what affordable, green homes can do for our neighborhoods.
The Affordable Infill Tour will be a full day of learning, exploring, and raising awareness of housing affordability. The $35 tour ticket grants attendees access to a morning Affordability Panel, where local housing affordability experts will discuss the importance of affordable ‘missing middle’ housing and the main challenges to increasing this much-needed housing stock. Those attending the panel from 10:30am to noon will also enjoy free breakfast items from local vendors including Veracruz All Natural, Rockstar Bagels, and Medici. Following the panel, seven homes will be available for a self-guided tour between noon and 4pm. Attendees are also invited to a reception at in.gredients on Manor Road from 3pm to 5pm.
Mueller Townhouse, photo from the Austin Community Design and Development Center
Alley Flats participate in the City of Austin’s SMART Housing program and meet at least a 3-star Austin Energy Green Building rating. These efficient, affordable rental units increase Austin’s housing supply while generating additional income for homeowners.
The Alley Flat Initiative is a collaboration among ACDDC, the UT Center for Sustainable Development, and the Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation, who, since 2005 have collaborated to develop innovative solutions for Austin’s affordable housing needs. The event raises funds for ACDDC, a 501c3 non-profit organization that works to improve quality of life for all through community-engaged design.
“Alley Flats are one tool we have for providing the kind of housing diversity, neighborhood stability, and healthy urban environments we need in Austin and other growing cities,” says ACDDC Executive Director Nicole Joslin.
The Alley Flat Initiative has seen increased interest from the Austin property owners since Austin’s City Council approved a new Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance in November 2015. City of Austin residents and leaders have also prioritized this type of ‘missing middle’ housing in the recently adopted Strategic Housing Blueprint and ongoing rewrite of the land development code, known as CodeNEXT. With more than 58,000 lots now eligible for ADU development in Austin and increasing demand for housing in walkable urban neighborhoods, affordable Alley Flats provide an alternative development solution to Austin’s affordability crisis.
About the Austin Community Design and Development Center (ACDDC)
ACDDC creates affordable living opportunities through community-engaged design. We envision inclusive and sustainable neighborhoods achieved through an empowered community, a nurturing built environment, and supportive policy and regulation. ACDDC provides sustainable design, planning, and development services to low and moderate-income individuals, families, neighborhoods, and the organizations that serve them.
Please note – editorials and sponsored posts are written by guest writers to inform and educate the community on a variety of different viewpoints, as well as to share information about local eco-friendly businesses and organizations. However, they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Austin EcoNetwork.
