Austin council members are set to take a vote on the second and third reading to rezone the property.
AUSTIN, Texas — Austinites who live at the Acacia Cliffs apartment complex in northwest Austin are making a final push to protect their homes as Austin City Council gears up to make a vote on its future.
On Tuesday, residents of the complex rallied outside of Austin City Hall to protest against the property’s proposed redevelopment. Currently, the community has about 290 units and the proposal is to revamp and expand it to 700 units.
The first reading was signed off by the council in March. If members approve the second and third readings on Thursday, city staff said the property owner, Price Realty Corporation, can move forward with the project.
Residents are concerned the redevelopment is stripping them of affordable housing. This proposal, which is under the city’s Density Bonus 90 program, or “DB-90,” is offering roughly 80 affordable housing units.
Rosa Gutierrez, who became a resident in March, said she currently pays $1,200 and relies on her social security income to keep her afloat. Gutierrez added if she has to move out of the complex, she will be forced to go back to work full-time and likely dig into her savings.
“It would be catastrophic for me,” said Gutierrez.
Residents are requesting that the council amend the program and postpone the vote.
District 10 leader Marc Duchen oversees the area and said he is working on creating an “Austin Housing Opportunity Fund,” which would reserve money to preserve existing affordable housing so residents don’t have to be displaced.
In an email, Duchen outlined the plan:
“My team and I are working closely with city planning and legal to find a path to amending the density bonus programs and providing meaningful tenant benefits.
“This is an innovative solution that’s also very feasible: Austin already has the money on hand from the 2022 Affordable Housing Bond and Project Connect Anti-Displacement Fund, and the fund can be set up on a short timeline.
“My proposal is to work with city staff and, in particular, Dr. Johnson, the new assistant city manager in charge of housing, planning, and development services to create this fund to protect Austin’s naturally occurring affordable housing [NOAH]. This kind of multifamily housing is a precious resource that we must take steps to either preserve or plan thoughtfully for its redevelopment to avoid displacing residents.”
It’s an idea Jack Bright, another resident of Acacia Cliffs, welcomes.
“Working towards preserving affordable housing and working with other companies that actually care about preserving it versus just destroying and putting up new stuff,” said Bright.
KVUE reached out to the representative of the property owner, Michael Whellan, who released the following statement:
“We acknowledge that this is a difficult case but it is important to keep in mind that the city already allows this property to be redeveloped today. The problem is that the current rules don’t require any affordability or tenant assistance at all. What we’re proposing would lock in a meaningful tenant assistance package as well as brand new affordable units that the city will continue to monitor and guarantee for the next 40 years,” said Whellan.
Whellan added, “The current units rent at lower levels because they’re older. But older units also start to fail. They start to have problems, no matter how hard you work to keep on top of them. And older buildings eat up a lot of energy and let stormwater run off without detaining or treating it. That all starts to add up. What we’re proposing would address all of that, while also locking in new affordable housing and tenant protections.”
Demolition for the property won’t be expected until the start of 2027. All residents will be offered relocation benefits, moving expenses and the right to terminate their lease without penalty.
While Mayor Kirk Watson didn’t have a comment on the issue, in his weekly newsletter, the mayor shared his stance on the affordability crisis and DB90.
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