COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Affordable housing was a central topic of Thursday’s City Council meeting in College Station as the city works to develop a plan to address the community’s housing issues and needs.

In 2023, the City established the Housing Action Plan Steering Committee, tasked with finding solutions to improve housing availability and affordability.

According to the city’s inventory, 58 percent of renters and 18 percent of property buyers said they were burdened by the cost of housing.

Housing is considered “affordable” if no more than 30% of household income is spent on rent or mortgage.

The supply of affordable housing has decreased as more people and businesses move into the area, bringing well-paying jobs but also higher prices.

“We have some new developments coming up, but I would say they’re at the higher end of the market,” said Harold Womble, housing voucher program manager for the Brazos Valley Council of Governments.

Housing options in College Station consist primarily of single-family homes or multi-family apartments. Middle-class housing options such as duplexes or townhouses are scarce.

“Affordable housing prices are over $200, and that’s still not an amount that most working families can currently afford,” Womble explained.

City officials said now is the time to take proactive measures.

“Forecasts indicate an impending housing shortage, and we expect there to be a shortage of about 4,000 housing units by 2030,” predicted community development analyst David Brower.

This is where the Housing Action Plan comes in. It uses public feedback to develop solutions. The plan is currently in draft form.

“We are trying to get citizens to understand what housing problems they face and what different tools they think could and should be used to address those housing problems,” Brower said, explaining the draft.

The plan not only proposes ideas for maintaining affordable housing, but also addresses expanding the range of housing options.

Possible strategies and solutions discussed during the meeting included increasing population density in certain areas, creating programs to encourage homeownership, and working with developers to build affordable rental housing.

This is a long-term plan. The city estimates that completion will take about seven to ten years.

Nevertheless, city officials said a wide range of housing problems will be addressed.

“We are not only expanding housing options for those we traditionally serve, but also expanding housing options for those who may be above those income limits and are also struggling with housing issues,” Brower added.

The Housing Action Plan Steering Committee will meet on August 12 at 4:30 p.m. to continue work on the plan.

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