Boston Council Hears Austin Housing Playbook as City Eyes Zoning Overhaul

BOSTON — December 3, 2024 — Boston City Council examines Austin's sweeping zoning reforms in search of housing relief. The Committee on Planning, Development and Transportation, chaired by District 8 Councilor Sharon Durkan and led by sponsors Councilors Henry Santana and Enrique J. Pepén, hosted Austin Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Poole and Council Members Zoe Quadri and Jose "Chito" Vela on December 3 to discuss Austin's HOME Initiative, which allows up to three housing units by right on single-family lots and cut the minimum lot size from 5,750 to 1,800 square feet. Austin policy advisor Alexis Garcia said the city slashed its initial site plan review time to 28 days and reported rent declines of 10 to 15 percent over the past 18 months. Jesse Kansan-Beninov, executive director of Abundant Housing Massachusetts, warned that Boston's piecemeal squares and streets rezoning risked repeating Austin's failed Code Next effort, while public commenter Tom McDonald reported that 90 percent of Spanish-speaking Roslindale residents he canvassed had never heard of the squares and streets process. Durkan closed by noting the December 15 deadline for public comments on Boston's Article 80 modernization proposal.