2016 Alley Flat Tour Brochure

Austin Community Design and Development Center

Austin’s most affordable backyard homes on tour!

Thank you for attending!

The Alley Flat Initiative began informally in 2003 with the idea that infill housing in Austin’s Boggy Creek watershed as a form of “civic environmentalism” could concurrently resolve ecological and social equity problems. That idea expanded in 2005 when a partnership formed between the UT Center for Sustainable Development, the Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation, and the Austin Community Design and Development Center (ACDDC).

In 2014 The City of Austin Office of Sustainability joined the partnership to pursue the Green Alley Demonstration Project, which envisions affordable housing, alleys and small streets as ecological infrastructure. The collaboration continues to grow to tackle more barriers to affordable infill development.

We wholly welcome this evolution and invite collaborators to build a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable development model that preserves the diversity of our neighborhoods, provides new economic opportunity, and fosters social equity in our rapidly changing neighborhoods.

This Alley Flat Homes Tour has been coordinated by ACDDC to raise awareness of the Alley Flat Initiative and raise funds to support its growth.

Austin Community Design & Development Center

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The Alley Flat Initiative proposes a new sustainable, green, affordable housing alternative for Austin.

ACDDC would like to thank The Meadows Foundation for supporting the expansion of The Alley Flat Initiative and Bank of America for their annual support of The Alley Flat Initiative since 2008.

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www.thealleyflatinitiative.org

Here is a quick reference for a few terms used in this guide: AEGB: Austin Energy Green Building is Austin’s sustainable design rating system for homes and commercial properties.

Alley Flats are always at least 3 stars.

MFI: Median Family Income is the median income for the area in a given year. Alley Flats tenants must be at or below 80% MFI for the first 5 years after completion.

SMART Housing: Safe, Mixed-income, Accessible, Reasonablypriced, Transit oriented Housing is a City of Austin program that incentivizes green affordable housing development. All Alley Flats are SMART Housing.

Austin Community Design & Development Center

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Tour Details

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11:00AM - 4:00PM SELF-GUIDED TOUR

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Browse the 5 Alley Flats on tour at your leisure. Attendees have access to the inside of three units and outsideonly access to two others, as indicated on the map. Please be respectful of Alley Flat neighbors and residents.

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Join us for refreshments at in.gredients to celebrate the Alley Flat Initiative and discuss alternative affordable housing development solutions for Austin.

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3:00PM - 5:00PM RECEPTION

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*1804 B E. 2ND ST. AUSTIN, TX 78702

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*Units are available to walk through Austin Community Design & Development Center

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5413 B DUVAL STREET AUSTIN, TX 78751

*Unit available to walk through

This 2 bedroom home nestles neatly into a site constrained by set backs and an existing heritage tree. The family friendly floor plan was devised in partnership with the future residents in order to maximize privacy and functionality within the small footprint. Generous windows in the double height living areas allow for dappled daylight through the Live Oak tree to fill the spaces.

AEGB (pending) 849 square feet 2 Bedroom 2.5 Bath Two Story Completed in 2016 Designed by ACDDC Interiors by Annette Patterson Constructed by Z Works Design Build Estimated Cost: $140,000 This unit is in its 1st year of its affordability period. The tenants have a household income below 80% MFI and their rent is no more than 28% of their income.

Host Sponsor:

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www.thealleyflatinitiative.org

3208 B MERRIE LYNN AVE. AUSTIN, TX 78722 With a commitment to neighborhood affordability, the owners of this property dedicated their entire backyard to building a family friendly Alley Flat. Lovingly referred to as the “skinny house,� vaulted ceilings and an open floor plan make this 850 square foot home feel spacious.

The two bedrooms and extra loft space overlooking the living room allow for a family of four to make themselves at home here.

AEGB (pending) 850 square feet 2 Bedroom 2 Bath Two Story + loft space Completed in 2015 Designed by ACDDC Constructed by Truehome Design Build Estimated Cost: $130,000 This unit is in its 1st year of its affordability period. The tenants have a household income below 80% MFI and their rent is no more than 28% of their income.

Host Sponsor:

Shiloh Travis Homes 10

www.thealleyflatinitiative.org

904 B LYDIA ST. AUSTIN, TX 78702 Originally designed for the mother of the tenant of the front house, this fully accessible one-bedroom Alley Flat features a metal roof, a covered front porch, and a number of green building features earning it a 5 star AEGB rating. This unit is part of the growing housing stock of the Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation and was designed in collaboration with students from the University of Texas School of Architecture.

AEGB 584 square feet 1 Bedroom 1 Bath Single Story Fully accessible Completed in 2009 Designed by University of Texas School of Architecture Constructed by Saldana Homes Estimated Cost: $85,000 This unit received subsidies from the City of Austin and is rented at 30% MFI and below for the foreseeable future.

Host Sponsor: Liz Mueller and Michael Oden 12

www.thealleyflatinitiative.org

1804 B E. 2ND ST. AUSTIN, TX 78702

*Unit available to walk through

The Second Street unit is the first Alley Flat prototype.

Designed by University of Texas School of Architecture students, this one-bedroom Alley Flat features a generous kitchen and living/dining space as well as outdoor storage. The unit also has a rain catchment system, high efficiency heating and cooling system and a solar trellis shading its southern face. Vaulted ceilings, a clearstory and sliding glass doors make for a light-filled interior.

AEGB 695 square feet 1 Bedroom 1 Bath Single Story Completed in 2008 Designed by University of Texas School of Architecture Constructed by Z Works Design Build Estimated Cost: $110,000 This unit is no longer in its 5 year affordability period and is rented at market rate.

Host Sponsor:

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www.thealleyflatinitiative.org

1616 B CANTERBURY ST. *Unit available AUSTIN, TX 78702 to walk through The design of this Alley Flat offers maximum flexibility for both owner and tenant. A studio apartment on the first level features vaulted ceilings over the main living space, while a separately accessed flex space on the second level makes for an ideal workshop, artist studio, or guest bedroom. This design earned a 4 star Austin Energy Green Building rating and with solar panels is net-zero energy ready.

AEGB 830 square feet (540 ft2 ground floor studio + 290 ft2 2nd floor office)

2 Bedroom 2 Bath + Separate entry for upstairs office Completed in 2013 Designed by ACDDC Constructed by Truehome Design Build Estimated Cost: $115,000 This unit is in its 3rd year of its affordability period. The tenants have an income below 80% MFI and their rent is 28% of their income.

Host Sponsor: + 16

Bartlett Cocke Regents Professorship www.thealleyflatinitiative.org

Welcome Home!

An Alley Flat is a small detached home, known as an ADU or Accessory Dwelling Unit, often accessed from Austin’s extensive network of under utilized alleys. Per current code, ADUs may be up to 1,100 ft2 and no more than 30 ft tall.

The Alley Flat Initiative was created in 2005 by the University of Texas School of Architecture and is currently a collaboration between the University of Texas Center for Sustainable Development, the Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation, and the Austin Community Design and Development Center (ACDDC). The Alley Flat Initiative proposes a new sustainable, green affordable housing alternative for Austin. To build an Alley Flat, property owners work directly with ACDDC, who are the architect and project manager.

Affordability + Sustainability Alley Flats are distinct from other ADUs because they achieve at least a 3 star Austin Energy Green Building rating and participate in the City of Austin’s S.M.A.R.T. Housing program for the first 5 years after it is constructed. Per the program, tenants are limited to households with income at or below 80% MFI (Median Family Income) and rent may not be more than 30% of a tenant’s household monthly income.

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www.thealleyflatinitiative.org

What you need to know if you want to build an Alley Flat: Zoning: ADUs are only allowed in SF-3, SF-5, SF-6 and MF-1 thru MF6, unless your neighborhood has adopted the secondary apartment infill tool.

What is your zoning? >>http://www.austintexas. gov/GIS/ZoningProfile/

How big is your lot?

Lot size: Your lot must be at least 5,750 ft2.

>>http://www.traviscad.org/ property_search.html

Parking: You must add one off-street parking space for an ADU unless you are within 1/4 mile of an Imagine Austin activity corridor currently served by public transit.

Activity Corridor?

30’-0” (MAX)

>> http://www.austintexas.gov/ imagineaustin

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Parking: 1; 0 if within 1/4 mile of an activity corridor served by transit

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ADU Size: 1,100 ft2 or 15% of lot area max (whichever is less) Lot Size: 5,750 ft2 (min) Zoning: SF-3, SF-5, SF-6 & MF-1 thru MF-6 (+ SF-1 & SF-2 w/Secondary Apartment Infill Tool) 45% (max) impervious cover, 40% (max) building cover

Austin Community Design & Development Center

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Eligible Lots over 58,000 lots are

eligible for Accessory Dwelling Unit development.

over 10,000 of these lots do not require a parking space.

Austin has a gap of 47,698 housing units for renters earning less than $25,000. << City of Austin 2014 Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis

East Austin neighborhoods have

lost 34.4% of their long-time homeowners since 2002. << Land of Broken Dreams & Land of Opportunity, East Austin Conservancy & PODER

Map Key: Lot* with Alley Flat Potential Lot* with Alley Flat Potential without Additional Parking Requirement City of Austin Parcels without Alley Flat Potential *Zoned SF-1, SF-2, or SF-3 20

www.thealleyflatinitiative.org

Miles 0 ½ 1 2 3 Source: City of Austin GIS Data Austin Community Design & Development Center

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Alley Flat Benefits In the last 15 years Austin’s: The cost of housing in Austin is skyrocketing and MEDIAN HOME income is slow to catch up.

PRICE

67%

Meanwhile, many residential lots in the City MEDIAN % of Austin are currently INCOME “under utilized,” meaning that existing structures cover less than 25-30% of the lot.

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COMMUNITY BENEFITS

There are many reasons why you may want to build an alley flat on your lot: to supplement your mortgage payments, offset rising property taxes, or provide a place for elderly parents.

Neighborhood stabilization Improved alley infrastructure Increased social capital Sprawl mitigation Green building Supplemental income

Unfortunately, these potential benefits are not yet fully realized in Austin.

There are many financial, regulatory and political barriers that make developing these types of units difficult for homeowners and community organizations without assistance.

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www.thealleyflatinitiative.org

What can you do?

Build your own Alley Flat.

If you own a single family lot you may be eligible to participate! Contact the Austin Community Design & Development Center for more information.

Support Alley Flat development.

Your contributions of funds, time, and materials to the Initiative help subsidize the development of more affordable Alley Flats.

Encourage legislation.

Our zoning and financing regulations can help or hinder the development of Alley Flats. Make your support for regulations that compel the development of affordable Alley Flats known to your local representatives.

Educate your community.

The more people who understand this affordable housing alternative the more we will all be able to take advantage of the many benefits of Alley Flats.

Austin Community Design & Development Center

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Thank You! ACDDC would like to thank the 2016 Alley Flat Tour Sponsors for their generous support and commitment to green building, sustainable living, and affordability in Austin neighborhoods.

2016 Tour Underwriter:

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www.thealleyflatinitiative.org

2016 Alley Flat Hosts:

Bartlett Cocke + Regents Professorship

Shiloh Travis Homes Liz Mueller and Michael Oden 2016 Tour Supporters:

Austin Community Design & Development Center

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AUSTIN COMMUNITY DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT CENTER 1210 Rosewood Ave. Austin, TX 78702 512.220.4254 www.acddc.org ACDDC works to improve the quality of life for all by providing sustainable design, planning, and development services to low and moderate income individuals, families, and neighborhoods.