DEPARTMENT: Office of Historic Preservation
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Shanon Miller, Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All
SUBJECT:
Briefing regarding a study on the contributions of existing, older housing stock to meeting affordable housing goals.
SUMMARY:
In 2019, the Office of Historic Preservation commissioned a study examining the role of existing, older housing stock in the preservation and production of affordable housing units. Donovan Rypkema, Principal of PlaceEconomics, prepared the study and will provide a presentation.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
This study was commissioned to understand the contribution of housing stock built before 1960 towards affordable housing. Significant findings include:
* One in three San Antonio households is spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing and nearly half of all renters meet this "cost burdened" threshold.
* Over the last decade, while median household income increased 1.9% per year, housing prices increased at 4.7% per year.
* While San Antonio is experiencing greater than national average growth in jobs and housing, most of the new homes are large and expensive and much of the job growth is in lower wage jobs.
* The existing pre-1960 housing stock is providing largely unsubsidized and unprotected affordable housing.
* Every week over the last ten years, San Antonio has lost 3 units of pre-1960 housing to demolition.
* Twenty-two percent (22%) of all housing units were constructed prior to 1960.
* Pre-1960 homes are smaller than newer homes with a greater share of pre-1960 housing in fair or poor condition than is housing built in 1960 or later.
* Thirty-three percent (33%) of the households making 60% Area Median Income or less live in neighborhoods with a concentration of pre-1960 housing, including a larger share who identify as Hispanic.
* The pre-1960 housing stock in San Antonio is home to a large share of long-term residents.
* Single family, renter occupied structures in fair an...
Click here for full text