AUSTIN (KXAN) — A new study from the Texas Comptroller shows just how widespread housing affordability challenges are in Texas.

According to the report, Texas is more than 300,000 homes short of what it needs and Texans from major cities to rural communities are struggling with housing costs.

“It means to me that even as Texans who kind of see themselves as being pro-market and wanting to build, build, build, we’re not building enough,” said Steven Pedigo, the director of the LBJ Urban Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. “We’ve got to build more to keep up with the population gain that we’re seeing.”

The study identifies local challenges including: do cities need to better manage large investment groups who can out bid and drive up costs on single-family homes? And how do cities best regulate their land? The latter is something the city of Austin has discussed for years.

“At the local level it remains one of the biggest parts of our affordability toolkit and we have to tackle that,” said Awais Azhar, deputy director of HousingWorks Austin. “It’s interesting that the state is beginning to think about how do they sort of provide guidance to localities to work this localized issue.”

The report noted the pushback some communities, like Austin, have gotten while working through land development code changes.

“Homeowners want to maintain high property values to earn the greatest return on their investments, and they may oppose projects they believe may de-value their property. This resistance can result in project delays, increased costs and even cancellation of new housing projects, exacerbating housing shortages and affordability issues,” the report says.

‘Not about the wisdom of the policies’: City of Austin back in court over zoning notification process

Several years ago, the city worked through a complete rewrite of its land development code — which governs what can be built where — but that rewrite was successfully challenged in court in 2020.

Now, Austin City Council is working through individual changes to its rules, most notably including the passage of the ‘HOME’ initiative which, in part, reduced minimum lot size requirements and allows building of more units on a single-family lot.

Still, housing experts say there’s a lot more to be done.

“I worry that if the city doesn’t do it, the city and state has this kind of back and forth friction and I wonder if we don’t take care of it does the state kind of step in and start to mandate cities like Austin and Houston and Dallas to do more. That may actually happen and we’ll see how that plays out in terms of the politics of that,” Pedigo said.

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black rabbit renovates a mid-century modern home

Tucked away among a residential neighborhood of Austin, Texas, the newly completed Friar Tuck Residence is a stunning reimagined mid-century home that’s as beautiful as it is sustainable. Designed by Black Rabbit and built by Newcastle Homes, this renovation demonstrates the power of thoughtful architecture and an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Spanning 2,294 square feet, the single-story residence is a masterclass in natural light and indoor-outdoor living. A sun-drenched courtyard, enclosed by a Texas limestone privacy wall, creates a serene oasis. The home’s design is not just about aesthetics — it’s also about creating a healthy, natural environment.

images © Leonid Furmansky

natural living inside the friar tuck residence

Inside the Friar Tuck Residence, visitors will find a peaceful atmosphere curated by the architects at Black Rabbit to be free from artificial dyes, paints, and stains. The use of traditional materials and techniques gives the home an atmosphere that is timeless, while maintaining a contemporary feel. A glass volume connects the front courtyard — with its wild garden by landscape studio Native Son Gardens — to the rear pool, deck, and guesthouse, making it an ideal environment to relax outdoors.

The Friar Tuck Residence is at once a contemporary dwelling and a statement about sustainable living. As the architects say, ‘In this reimagined mid-century home, we’ve embraced sustainability through authentic living design principles. By preserving the original single-story form and using passive solar techniques, we’ve created a sunlit courtyard. Our focus on old-world natural materials and processes has resulted in a healthy interior environment, free from artificial additives. This home is a testament to the beauty and simplicity of living in harmony with nature.‘

The Friar Tuck Residence is a sustainable mid-century home in Austin, Texas

the home was designed by Black Rabbit and built by Newcastle Homes

a sunlit courtyard is enclosed by a limestone garden wall

interiors are designed to suit residents with a healthy, natural lifestyle

With the 2024 Texas high school football season fast approaching, the American-Statesman is revealing our top 10 players at every position.

Today high school reporters Colby Gordon and Rick Cantu highlight the area’s quarterbacks.

Led by Central Texas offensive Player of the Year Cody Stoever of Wimberley, the area’s elite include Ali Scott of LBJ, Cole Taylor of Pflugerville and Jax Brown of Weiss.

OUR TEAM RANKINGS: The 10 best Austin-area teams heading into 2024 season

OUR PLAYER RANKINGS: Top 10 RBs | Top 10 WRs | Top 10 LBs | Top 10 DBs | Top 10 OL | Top 10 DL 

Top 10 quarterbacks in the Austin area

(Players listed in alphabetic order)

Ty Blair, East View

Blair emerged as one of the top passers in Central Texas as a junior by throwing for 2,411 yards and 24 TDs.

Jax Brown, Weiss

A New Mexico State pledge, Brown passed for 3,014 yards and 33 touchdowns for a team that finished 9-2.

MORE ON BROWN AND CO: Why Weiss is No. 4 in our preseason top 10

Luke Dunham, McCallum

One of the top dual-threat QBs in the Austin area, Dunham contributed 2,651 combined passing and rushing yards and 32 touchdowns.

Max Gerlich, Anderson

A recent UTSA pledge, the 6-3 Trojan should emerge as a top QB in the region after missing much of 2023 with an injured knee.

Logan Mitchell, Leander

The dual-threat QB combined for 2,745 total yards and 29 touchdowns during his junior campaign.

London Morgan, Rouse

The leader of the Raiders offense returns after contributing 2,670 passing yards and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore.

MORE PREPS: UIL realignment will soon become a reality for Austin-area schools as football starts

Weston Nielsen, Bastrop

Despite missing half his freshman season with a knee injury, Nielsen impressed by averaging 238 yards passing a game while throwing 13 TDs. He’s a four-star recruit with offers from Nebraska, Miami, Houston, Baylor and TCU.

Ali Scott, LBJ

The Jaguar senior threw for 2,083 yards and combined for 40 passing and rushing touchdowns for a team that finished the year 8-4. UNLV, Grambling State and Bethune Cookman are among the universities interested in his services.

Cody Stoever, Wimberley

The 2023 All-Central Texas offensive player of the year accounted for 73 touchdowns while leading the Texans to a 14-1 record and a spot in the Class 4A DII state semis. He’s being recruited by Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hardin-Simmons University and Howard Payne University.

EXPECTATIONS OF PERFECTION: Why the Wimberley Texans are No. 3 in preseason countdown

Cole Taylor, Pflugerville

The leader of the Panther offense had a breakout sophomore year, passing for 2,381 yards and 16 touchdowns.

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