city of Austin interim housing director, Mandy DeMayo

Director's Message

Throughout Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23), the City of Austin Housing Department remained focused in our mission to create opportunities for equitable, long-lasting support for our community. We worked with partners across Austin to create and preserve affordable housing units and added new areas of support to keep residents in place. We are grateful for another year of collaboration in affordable housing, community development, and displacement prevention to enhance the quality of life of all Austinites. 
– Mandy DeMayo, Interim Director

Our Goals

  • Collaborate with community members to honor and learn from Austin's distinctive physical and cultural qualities to help sustain a multi-ethnic city.
  • Prevent displacement of renters by providing tenant stabilization resources.
  • Address housing challenges in Austin by creating and preserving affordable housing units especially in high opportunity and gentrifying areas.
  • Transform community engagement processes to yield more inclusive, equitable, and effective outcomes for people of color, low-income persons, and renters.
  • Identify and address systemic municipal racial bias and discrimination in housing by focusing programs, plans, and projects to benefit historically excluded communities.


The Housing Department is dedicated to fostering equitable, enduring support for Austinites to sustain residency in our vibrant city. Utilizing strategic housing solutions, our proficient teams focus on enhancing opportunities for low-and moderate-income individuals and families. Collaborating with development partners, we aim to increase the availability of affordable housing units through initiatives such as land acquisition, rehabilitation, and new construction, particularly in areas undergoing gentrification. Numerous funding sources offer private and nonprofit developers diverse development opportunities, leveraging tax incentives, and optimizing City General Obligation (GO) Housing bonds, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocations, the Austin Housing Trust Fund, and the City’s operating budget. 
At the forefront, the department spearheads the execution of the $350 million GO Housing bonds, channeling them into affordable housing programs, notably the Rental Housing Development Assistance (RHDA) and Ownership Housing Development Assistance (OHDA) programs.
What is RHDA? 
Rental Housing Development Assistance (RHDA) Program works to expand the community’s supply of affordable rental housing for low-income households while also increasing the availability of permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness or low-income households with specialized needs.
What is OHDA?
The Ownership Housing Development Assistance (OHDA) Program provides funding to both private and nonprofit developers, including Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), to support the acquisition, renovation, and construction of affordable homeownership opportunities tailored to low- to moderate-income homebuyers.
Affordable Housing Partnerships
In FY2023, the Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) awarded approximately $110 million to support the development of nearly 1,900 affordable Rental Housing Development Assistance (RHDA) and Ownership Housing Development Assistance (OHDA) units. Our Housing Department’s dedication to formulating and executing strategic housing solutions for the benefit of low-and-moderate-income residents was underscored by our collaborative development partnerships.
The Roz and The Sasha developments are milestones for permanent supportive housing serving low-income residents experiencing homelessness in Austin. These two developments were the only applications in 2023 to receive 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) in the city, in addition to the first distributions of the 2022 City of Austin GO Bonds approved by Austin voters. 
Austin Small Developer Training
The Austin Housing Finance Corporation, in collaboration with Capital Impact Partners and HousingWorks Austin, launched the Austin Small Developer Training Program, enrolling 20 participants. This initiative offered small developers comprehensive training, mentorship, networking opportunities, and potential pathways for financing eligible real estate projects in Austin. With more partners collaborating with the city to develop affordable housing, Austin is making significant strides towards achieving the affordable housing objectives outlined in the Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint.
The Housing Department is committed to providing equitable and long-lasting support to enable Austinites to sustain their residency in the city. Our support initiatives encompass various measures such as down payment assistance, home repair services, facilitation of access to essential services, and collaboration with community partners.
Our Down Payment Assistance Program assists income-eligible first-time homebuyers, covering expenses related to down payment, closing costs, and pre-paid expenses associated with home purchases. Homebuyers may receive assistance of up to $40,000, facilitating their path to homeownership.
The Housing Department offers multiple Home Repair Programs designed to assist income eligible Austinites.  These programs aim to facilitate home repairs and modifications, ultimately enabling Austinites to maintain their residences.  Our offerings include the Architectural Barrier Removal Program, GO REPAIR! Grant Program, Minor Home Repair Grant Program, Plumbing Program, Home Rehabilitation Loan Program, and the Private Lateral Line Grants Program.
Black Land Matters, The Symposium
The inaugural Black Land Matters, The Symposium, hosted by the City of Austin Housing Department in June 2023, featured esteemed panelists from across the country.  The Symposium provided a platform for discussions on the persistent obstacles confronting African Americans in areas such as land ownership, wealth accumulation, and cultural preservation.  With over 200 attendees, this educational forum served as a crucial step in addressing these issues and fostering awareness within the community.
I Belong in Austin
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I Belong in Austin (IBIA) emerged as a vital resource dedicated to aiding eligible households facing eviction or at risk of eviction.  The program operates through referrals from various City of Austin departments, as well as program organizational partners.  The program’s goal is to provide client-centered, comprehensive range of services.  In fiscal year 2023, IBIA provided assistance to 253 households, totaling 711 individuals, and disbursed $1.1 million in direct support.
Representation Matters: Eviction Representation
In collaboration with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA), the Housing Department established a partnership to offer legal representation services to more than 200 families facing the threat of eviction.  This initiative significantly enhanced the accessibility of legal aid and mediation services for low-income tenants who are particularly susceptible to displacement due to eviction.  By facilitating negotiations with landlords, these services played a pivotal role in enabling Austin renters to retain their residences and evade the enduring adverse effects often associated with eviction.

Project Connect represents a significant expansion of Austin’s public transit infrastructure. With voter approval of $7 billion in November 2020, including $300 million allocated for anti-displacement efforts, the initiative aims to address the challenges of gentrification and displacement. This funding supports initiatives led by the Housing Department, focusing on preserving affordability in areas affected by transit expansion. Strategies include land acquisition for affordable housing development, preservation of existing affordable units, and the establishment of programs to address immediate household needs. These investments are crucial in ensuring that affordable communities remain accessible to those who wish to remain, particularly in areas undergoing rapid transit development.
Displacement Prevention Navigator Pilot Program
The Displacement Prevention Navigator Pilot Program launched in June 2023 and ongoing until June 2024, is dedicated to aiding individuals in maintaining their residences. Navigators serve as intermediaries, linking communities with vital housing resources to assist Austinites in accessing essential support. The pilot initiative, operating in Dove Springs and Colony Park neighborhoods, receives support from esteemed partners such as United Way and Huston-Tillotson University.
Project Connect Community Initiated Solutions
An innovation initiative, Community Initiated Solutions (CIS), was introduced to mitigate the pressures of transit-induced displacement. Twelve distinct programs, devised by community-based organizations, received a total of $16.5 million to tackle issues related to Tenant Stabilization, Homeownership Preservation and Expansion, and Economic Mobility.  With this unprecedented funding, Austin is poised to address displacement challenges along Project Connect corridors, particularly impacting our most vulnerable communities. In addition to funding, the Housing Department provided crucial support to the CIS-awarded organizations through capacity building and technical assistance.  This assistance ensures that these organizations are equipped to continue effectively serving our most vulnerable communities, both in the short and long term, with effective data and reporting metrics.
The Housing Department receives funding for its programs from a diverse range of local, State, and Federal sources, all aimed at advancing its affordable housing objectives.
the housing departments funding sources consists of: HUD Annual Entitlement Grants; Housing Trust Fund; Approved City Bonds; City Operating Budget; Project Connect Anti-Displacement Funds; CARES Act
*Effective April 2023, the Housing & Planning Department (HPD) has undergone restructuring, resulting in the formation of distinct departments:  the Housing Department and the Planning Department. The financial data above reflects the consolidated funds of both departments, inclusive of $350 million in 2022 Affordable Housing GO Bonds, slated for distribution over a six-year period.
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 austintexas.gov/housing.