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LAKEWAY, Texas (KXAN) – Lakeway City Council members voted 4-3 on Monday against a workers’ housing estate proposed on the corner of FM 620 and Nightingale Lane.
“I left hopeful because we went in there that night thinking it was going to be 7-0,” said business owner and Lake Travis Chamber Chair Christy Black. “Next, we’re not giving up.”
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A building of around 250 units with three private courtyards and a public park was planned. Those who would have qualified are blue-collar workers and families who earn around $ 40 to $ 60,000 a year.
“That is the wrong fit for this property,” said one woman during the public statement at the council meeting.
“We are not against workers’ housing, nobody is against it,” added another. “It’s just the density of development we’re against. We worry about the density. We’re worried about the traffic. “
Employee accommodation is not the same as §8 accommodation. The proposed unit was designed for middle class workers and families who earn between approximately $ 40,000 and $ 60,000 a year.
According to the last census, the Greater Austin Area gained 500,000 new residents.
“When that happens, prices go up,” said Jenni Williams of the Greater Austin Board of Realtors. “People can’t afford this because their wages are not keeping up with the price increases we’ve seen in housing.”
She adds that over the past decade housing costs have increased 138% while incomes have only increased 38%.
New workforce development may not go up to 620 and Nightingale, but Black says she plans a summit with fellow Lake Travis executives and business owners to discuss other options.
“These are my people. I keep them busy, ”she said.
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https://www.kxan.com/news/local/travis-county/chamber-not-giving-up-on-bringing-workforce-housing-to-lakeway/
