Making Housing More Affordable in Austin

Most Austin, Texas residents age 50 and older are aware of the city’s affordable housing problem, but proposed solutions are drawing mixed reactions.

Three-quarters of older residents recently polled support the idea of building more affordable housing (e.g., duplexes, townhomes and small apartment complexes) to make their communities more livable for middle-income people. The idea is popular among 80% of those ages 50–64 and 66% of residents 65-plus, according to a June 2025 online survey of about 250 older Austin residents.

The city has proposed some policy changes to make way for more housing options. When asked about the reforms, many residents were unsure about the measures or their impact.

Proposals and awareness of them

Density Bonus (DB 90) reform would allow the construction of taller buildings, as long as they include a minimum number of affordable units in the project. Most polled (68%) were unfamiliar with the proposal, the AARP survey revealed.

Once informed, some respondents liked the idea of DB 90 if it was properly planned and carried out. Others voiced conditional support, if the taller buildings were limited to certain locations — such as commercial areas downtown. Opposition centered on worries of overcrowding and straining the city’s infrastructure and environment. 

Another way to provide more affordable housing is to make it easier for people to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs, such as “backyard bungalows”) on their property.  About half of older Austin residents (47%) said they were not aware of the city’s series of proposed ADU reforms.

Interest in ADUs is low in the city. Just 5% of single-family homeowners polled say they would be very likely to add a smaller unit to their property in the future. The reasons varied: 42% say they don’t have enough space to build an ADU on their lot, 38% simply aren’t interested, and 30% say they don’t need one.

Those opposed fear ADUs could hurt a neighborhood’s charm or property values. Residents open to the idea are curious about costs, codes, and permits needed to build.

Education on the issue

Education is needed in Austin to let residents know about potential policies to address the affordable housing crisis, the AARP report concludes. When it comes to ADUs, residents could benefit from straightforward information to navigate the building process and targeted financial incentives.

Methodology

The analysis was based on an online survey of 251 Austin residents age 50 and older in June 2025. The data are representative of the Austin population on age and gender but are not weighted by AARP membership, race, ethnicity or income of Austin residents age 50 and older.

For more information, please contact Joanne Binette at jbinette@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.