AUSTIN, TX – The City of Austin Housing Department has updated its Displacement Risk Area Map and Dashboard, which identifies areas throughout Austin where the risk of displacement has increased. Additionally, the department maintains the Project Connect Anti-Displacement Spending Dashboard, which shows where money has been spent so far to create and preserve affordable housing, and to address immediate displacement needs.  

“As a City, we look comprehensively at how our efforts impact residents throughout Austin,” explains Mandy DeMayo, Interim Director for the Housing Department. “The data in these dashboards provide the foundation for how we address displacement pressures across the City of Austin. This is how we ensure we focus our efforts on areas most in need to help Austinites stay in Austin.” 

Displacement Risk Area Map and Dashboard

Using methodology from the University of Texas Uprooted Report, the Displacement Risk Area Map and Dashboard identifies areas at risk of displacement. This is achieved through a 3-part analysis that focuses on vulnerability, demographic change, and the housing market. The Housing Department updated the maps as part of the ongoing goal to understand displacement in Austin and where it is occurring. These efforts help City staff become more proactive in solving the ongoing affordability challenges for vulnerable populations in Austin. Staff used census data to update the dashboards and maps. 

“Analyzing the data enables us to focus on areas where people are most at risk of being pushed out of Austin,” explains Nefertitti Jackmon, Community Displacement Prevention Officer. “This gives us a clear understanding of the people who live in those places and how we can invest the dollars in thoughtful ways. We want to be impactful and innovative in how we deploy the dollars.” 

The updated map categorizes areas by the intensity of their risk for displacement:

• Vulnerable — Neighborhoods in this category include areas with vulnerable residents and no significant demographic change. Some neighborhoods are near or contain areas with high property values and/or high rates of appreciation. 
• Active Displacement — Neighborhoods in this category include areas with vulnerable residents, active demographic change, and accelerating or appreciating the housing market. 
• Chronic Displacement — Neighborhoods in this category include areas where vulnerable residents have been displaced, significant demographic change has occurred, and the housing market is high value and appreciated. 

The information captured in the dashboards will be used across City departments, including the recent passage of new Land Development Code changes with phase 2 of the HOME initiative (or HOME 2).  

Project Connect Anti-Displacement Spending Dashboard

Voter-approved Project Connect is expanding Austin’s public transit system, including $300 million for anti-displacement work. The Displacement Risk Area maps also inform the efforts outlined in the Project Connect Anti-Displacement Spending dashboard so that there is transparency in terms of where the funds are being invested. The data further emphasizes the necessity of the work in areas that would be impacted within a mile of the proposed Project Connect light rail lines.  

With data continuously updating monthly, the Project Connect Anti-Displacement Spending Dashboard shows that more than $87 million has been dedicated since 2021. In expended funds to date, $37 million went toward land acquisition and the rehabilitation of existing affordable housing stock, $32 million was spent on affordable housing development. The remaining $18 million was awarded to community partners to address immediate displacement needs via Community Initiated Solutions (CIS) organization partners.  An additional $33 million has been allocated for upcoming anti-displacement support through the end of September 2024 (Fiscal Year 2024).

Helping Austinites Stay in Austin

The data from the updated dashboards shows that displacement risk areas expanded across the city. New displacement areas are largely found on the northern, eastern, and southern outskirts of the city. There’s also been a large increase in the vulnerable and chronic categories of displacement risk, primarily due to demographic changes and rising prices in outlying parts of the city. Unique conditions from the last update are likely a factor, including impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, housing market spike, and increases in housing costs.  

It is important to note that not all residents living within an area facing displacement risk are vulnerable to displacement. The number for the total population provides the total number of people living in the area, not the total number of people vulnerable to displacement. The Housing Department’s comprehensive goals for displacement prevention are to provide assistance across the city to all residents in need. Project Connect investments are only one vital part of preventing displacement in vulnerable areas near transit lines. 

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About the City of Austin Housing Department

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