How many people are at displacement risk under Project Connect?

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Project Connect's community advisory committee will discuss property impacts linked to the multi-billion-dollar transit initiative in a public meeting Thursday evening. On deck for the discussion includes identifying properties at risk for displacement, outreach initiatives and the latest updates on the 30% design recommendations.

Austin voters approved Project Connect in November 2020, to an initial tune of $7.1 billion. Since, project scope changes, real estate acquisition costs and inflation have raised that estimated project cost to more than $10 billion.

As part of that funding, $300 million has been earmarked for anti-displacement use to help residents and businesses situated along the project's boundaries. Approximately 302,000 people and 135,000 housing units are located within one mile of Project Connect's boundaries and are at risk for displacement, based on 2020 Census population figures.

In March, Austin City Council approved $41 million in anti-displacement funds for twofold use, with $21 million earmarked to help construct affordable housing resources and $20 million committed toward anti-displacement mitigation efforts. But with Austin's rising costs compounded by national inflation rates, city officials told KXAN in April that the $300 million funding pool won't be enough.

"The $300 million are insufficient to meet the rapidly increasing housing costs that Austinites are facing, especially low-income households," said Nefertitti Jackmon, Austin’s Community Displacement Prevention officer, in April.

According to Project Connect's anti-displacement dashboard, 61% of people living within one mile of Project Connect are classified as a person of color and 67% are designated low income, based on 2019 Census estimates.

Austin's Housing and Planning Department has a three-tier classification for displacement risks: vulnerable, active displacement and chronic displacement.

• Vulnerable: Vulnerable neighborhoods are "near or contain areas with high property values and/or high rates of appreciation."
  • Approximately 139,000 residents, 55,000 housing units and 7,000 affordable housing units are classified as at vulnerable risk
• Active displacement: Active displacement neighborhoods are areas "with vulnerable residents, active demographic change, and accelerating or appreciating housing market"
  • Approximately 119,000 residents, 56,000 housing units and 9,000 affordable housing units are classified as at risk for active displacement
• Chronic displacement: Chronic displacement neighborhoods are communities where "vulnerable residents have been displaced, significant demographic change has occurred, and the housing market is high value and appreciated"
  • Approximately 45,000 residents, 24,000 housing units and 2,000 affordable housing units are classified as at risk for chronic displacement

Project Connect's community advisory committee will meet from 5-7 p.m. online and in person at the Street-Jones Building, located at 1000 E. 11 St., Room 400A.