When Austin residents are forced to leave their homes because of new development, the city offers some assistance. But a new study finds it may not go far enough.
In 2016, the city started requiring developers to provide advanced notice and relocation resources, including financial assistance, to certain residents being forced to leave their homes. The ordinance covered families living in apartments, mobile home parks and other types of multifamily properties facing redevelopment. In 2017, the state of Texas passed legislation that prohibits cities from mandating financial assistance from developers in this way. So the city in 2023 created its own tenant relocation assistance program, which gives money directly to families.
But city leaders wanted to better understand how residents are impacted financially by forced relocation. In 2023, the Austin City Council commissioned a study conducted by Portland-based research firm ECOnorthwest. It found that moving costs can range from $3,100 to $15,000 depending on the size of the household. Austin’s program provides up to $6,000 per household…