AUSTIN, TX – The City of Austin Housing Department and development partners celebrated the opening of a new mixed-income community in the 1000 block of E. St. Johns Ave., in District 4. With funding from the Austin Housing Finance Corporation, the new units were developed as a collaboration between Capital A Housing and Constructinople Design + Build. The ribbon cutting on March 7 highlighted the beautifully designed community including six townhomes, three of which are income-restricted.  

“We are excited to see continuing collaboration between the City of Austin, Capital A Housing, and Constructinople Design + Build. It takes a village to create opportunity to provide stable housing so families can flourish," said Angela Means, Interim Deputy Director of the Housing Department. “As a mixed-income community, these three units help us meet our affordable housing goals. Every unit counts in making sure our residents have homeownership options to stay in Austin.”  

Caption: L to R – Angela Means (City of Austin); Conor Kenny (Capital A Housing); resident; José ‘Chito’ Vela (Councilmember District 4).

The ‘A at St. Johns’ townhome community was built utilizing funding from the Austin Housing Finance Corporation Ownership Housing Development Assistance (OHDA) program and the Affordability Unlocked development bonus program. The latter waives or modifies some development restrictions with the goal of increasing low and moderate-income housing. It allowed developers of this latest project to build more units and reduce the setbacks and parking requirements. 

"Leveraging tools like the Affordability Unlocked program, housing bonds, and cross-subsidization using market-rate units to stretch city funds further, 'A at St. Johns' has become a reality. Priced at under $250k, these new construction, home-ownership units are unprecedented within a 15-mile radius and the first of their kind,” adds Conor Kenny, principal of Capital A Housing. "We're proud of this achievement and thankful for the backing of both current and former city council members, as well as the AHFC team.” 

Addressing affordability 

The three affordable townhomes feature 2 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms and are about 1,200 square feet. All of the affordable homes have been sold for $245,800, priced and sold at 80 percent of the median family income (MFI). The remaining three townhomes have 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and about 1,928 square feet, available at market rate. Per the 2022 Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint Scorecard, District 4 was the only district to meet at least 50% of its 10-year goal after five years and it continues to work to provide affordable housing in its area.   

“As District 4 faces rapid gentrification and displacement, this is really the sweet spot for what we are trying to accomplish with increasing the affordable housing supply,” said Councilmember José ‘Chito’ Vela. “This is an excellent example of what partnerships between the public and private sector can accomplish; bringing affordable homes to those who need it close to all the amenities that central Austin has to offer.” 

Caption: Kitchen inside one of the affordable townhomes with modern finishes.

The St. John’s community has a rich history, especially for African American and Hispanic families going back generations. The new townhomes are located within a half mile of the St. Johns Community Center and the St. John branch of the Austin Public Library. It is also close to a CapMetro bus stop, offering easy access to public transit. Construction of the units took about a year to complete.  

"From laying the foundation to putting the final touches, our team poured heart and soul into crafting these homes," said Mudassir Ansari, Chief Operations Officer of Constructinople and general contractor on the development. “Today, at this ceremony, we are not just closing a chapter in construction; we are opening the doors to new possibilities for the families that are going to call the ‘A at St. Johns’ home." 

For more information on affordable housing in Austin, visit www.austintexas.gov/housing.  

About the City of Austin Housing Department 

The City of Austin Housing Department provides equitable and comprehensive housing, community development, and displacement prevention to enhance the quality of life of all Austinites. To access affordable housing and community resources, visit www.austintexas.gov/housing. 

About the Austin Housing Finance Corporation 

The Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) was created as a public, non-profit corporation and instrumentality of the City of Austin. The mission of the AHFC is to generate and implement strategic housing solutions for the benefit of low- and moderate-income residents of the City of Austin. 

About Capital A Housing

Capital A Housing is an Austin-based and focused development company of affordable and mixed-income projects. It specializes in projects that range from a quarter acre to 50 acres and are responsive to neighborhood, city and elected official concerns, delivering outstanding amenities, affordability and services. Through its methodology, Capital A Housing accomplishes rezonings or other permissions that would typically be infeasible for more standard developments. For more information, please visit capitalahousing.com

About Constructinople

Constructinople was founded in 2015 as the second HEXAH entity after Civilitude Engineers & Planners. Constructinople is a general contractor offering design build services. As one of the last major steps in tackling affordability, Constructinople handles all of the active design and construction of projects to deliver consistent counsel and quality throughout the lifecycle of these developments. The firm has built projects like A at Lampost, a 17-unit affordable housing development that fully sold out in 2022. For more information, please visit constructinople.com.