Timeline of Austin Housing
1891 Austin’s first suburb, Hyde Park, is developed for affluent residents after streetcar lines make commuting easier
1924-1935 Hyde Park “building boom”
1928 First mention of a comprehensive plan mentioned in City Council records; “A City Plan for Austin, Texas” institutionalizes racial segregation by designating East Austin as the “Negro district”, later to also become home to a large Mexican-American population
1931 Austin’s first zoning ordinance
1937 Austin Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson actively campaigns for the Housing Act of 1937, which establishes a federal program to fund local public housing developments. The Housing Authority of the City of Austin has its first meeting.
1939 Santa Rita Courts opens, the nation’s first federally funded public housing project intended for Mexian-American residents
1940 Rosewood Courts and Chalmers Court open, for occupancy, the first low-income public housing for African-Americans and Caucasians, respectively
1950s University of Texas no longer requires students to live on campus, which leads to an upswing in the rental market as students move into apartments
1956 Resolution passed due to high demand for affordable housing, “Adopting a Comprehensive Plan Essential to Achieve Improved Housing Conditions”
1959 Urban Renewal Agency created to oversee slum overhaul projects
1960s Racial segregation officially ends, removing limitations on housing location
1961 Austin Development Plan adopted
1973 Planning Commission established by City Charter
1983 Hyde Park Compatibility Standards established
1985 New Zoning Ordinance put in pace in effect with newly established Compatibility Standards
1991 Grant from National Trust for Historic Preservation gifted to Texas Neighborhood Conservation Fund
1997 Planning Commission’s 2035 Sustainable City Initiative recommends new growth be directed into dense nodes
2006 McMansion Ordinance (Residential Design and Compatibility Standards) become effective to preserve the historical character of Austin neighborhoods
2010 City Council passes resolution which prioritizes affordable housing resources towards a permanent supportive housing initiative designed to protect the most vulnerable of Austin’s homeless population
1891 Austin’s first suburb, Hyde Park, is developed for affluent residents after streetcar lines make commuting easier
1924-1935 Hyde Park “building boom”
1928 First mention of a comprehensive plan mentioned in City Council records; “A City Plan for Austin, Texas” institutionalizes racial segregation by designating East Austin as the “Negro district”, later to also become home to a large Mexican-American population
1931 Austin’s first zoning ordinance
1937 Austin Congressman Lyndon B. Johnson actively campaigns for the Housing Act of 1937, which establishes a federal program to fund local public housing developments. The Housing Authority of the City of Austin has its first meeting.
1939 Santa Rita Courts opens, the nation’s first federally funded public housing project intended for Mexian-American residents
1940 Rosewood Courts and Chalmers Court open, for occupancy, the first low-income public housing for African-Americans and Caucasians, respectively
1950s University of Texas no longer requires students to live on campus, which leads to an upswing in the rental market as students move into apartments
1956 Resolution passed due to high demand for affordable housing, “Adopting a Comprehensive Plan Essential to Achieve Improved Housing Conditions”
1959 Urban Renewal Agency created to oversee slum overhaul projects
1960s Racial segregation officially ends, removing limitations on housing location
1961 Austin Development Plan adopted
1973 Planning Commission established by City Charter
1983 Hyde Park Compatibility Standards established
1985 New Zoning Ordinance put in pace in effect with newly established Compatibility Standards
1991 Grant from National Trust for Historic Preservation gifted to Texas Neighborhood Conservation Fund
1997 Planning Commission’s 2035 Sustainable City Initiative recommends new growth be directed into dense nodes
2006 McMansion Ordinance (Residential Design and Compatibility Standards) become effective to preserve the historical character of Austin neighborhoods
2010 City Council passes resolution which prioritizes affordable housing resources towards a permanent supportive housing initiative designed to protect the most vulnerable of Austin’s homeless population
