FactCheckATX

Real Talk.

FACT: The new code ensures that your home remains your home, even if you're in a transition area.

No one who lives in Austin wants more displacement. Part of what makes Austin an amazing city is the characters in our neighborhoods, from people to peacocks.

That's why the effects of the new transition areas only come into play when the property owner chooses. Transition areas will allow us to add housing inventory over time, in sizes and shapes that work best with the existing neighborhood.

Learn more about transition areas

FACT: The new code includes measures to prevent and reduce flooding throughout the city.

Austin isn't immune to climate change, and we can't afford to cling to an old code that costs lives, heartache, and billions of dollars in losses and write-offs.

The new code will allow Austin to better direct its growth in a changing world by reducing sprawl, shrinking our climate footprint, cleaning up our water and air, and reducing the risk of flooding to our homes, businesses, and communities.

Learn more about Environment & Flooding

FACT: The new code re-legalizes some of the old types of housing that make Austin beautiful.

You know that adorable bungalow court you drive by on your way to work - the one with the vegetable garden, and the kids' bikes out front? It's illegal to build that in Austin today.

A McMansion, though? That's fair game.

There's only one thing that explains that disconnect between what we have and what we need: the existing code. It's time for change.

Learn more about affordability

Get the Facts and Decide for Yourself.

Affordability

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An updated code will allow the city to direct growth where it is most needed, adding to our housing inventory so that everyone has a place to live that they can afford.

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Mobility

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An updated code will address many of the issues Austinites are struggling with from the old code: congestion, long commutes, unsafe or missing sidewalks, and more.

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Environment & Flooding

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An updated code will allow for appropriate density - building up, not out - and establish strict guidelines for new construction, preventing flooding and keeping our city green.

get the facts

Social Equity

An updated code will begin to address some of the social inequities caused by the old code, including food deserts, lack of transit, and school closures.

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Aging & Families

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An updated code will help make sure older Austinites can age in place..and younger Austinites can afford to still call our city home when they're grown.

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Improved City Services

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An updated code will cut red tape, simplify processes, and remove barriers for simple projects. Seventeen permits to fix up an old garden shed? New code, please.

get the facts

Help Set the Record Straight.

A land development code rewrite is an enormous undertaking, and making sense of all the jargon, history, and interdependencies can be challenging for anyone. And that means it's easy for rumors and misinformation to spread unchecked.

FACT: Despite claims that there is “only one” public hearing, there will be multiple opportunities to provide public input. Please consider attending an upcoming public event and helping make sure discussions focus on facts, not just fears.