Sponsored Post – from the Alley Flat Initiative

The Alley Flat Initiative, a collaboration of the Austin Community Design & Development Center, the Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation, and the University of Texas Center for Sustainable Development, has completed one more Alley Flat unit adding to the affordable housing supply in central Austin. The Initiative has been working together since 2005 to develop innovative solutions for Austin’s affordable housing crisis. An Alley Flat is a small, detached residential unit, known as an ADU or Accessory Dwelling Unit, which meets the affordability and green building standards of Austin’s SMART Housing program.

A housewarming will be hosted on Friday November 13th from 5:30-7:00pm for the most recently completed Alley Flat. Join us at 3208 Merrie Lynn Ave. Unit B to learn more about the Alley Flat Initiative and view the latest addition to Austin’s affordable rental housing stock.

The most recent Alley Flat is in the Upper Boggy Creek neighborhood and will be occupied by a household below 80% Median Family Income, maintaining housing affordability in the area. The home features high performance windows, a metal roof, and a ductless mini-split heating and cooling system, meeting Austin Energy Green Building standards. The 2 story home is less than 11 feet wide containing 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a loft space within its 850 square feet.

A recent report by AURA touted ADUs like Alley Flats as a “virtually free way for Austin’s government to immediately increase rental affordability.” The Alley Flat Initiative works with private homeowners and community organizations to ensure the affordability of their units for a minimum of 5 years. Alley Flat Initiative design and program management services provided by the Austin Community Design & Development Center are funded by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the Meadows Foundation. For more information about the Initiative please visit www.thealleyflatinitiative.org.