Study: More Than 30 Percent of the Cost of a Multifamily Development is Due to Government Regulation

Multifamily developers are seeing their costs increase as a result of government regulation. According to a new study from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), federal, state, and local regulations account for 32.1 percent of the cost of a multifamily development The study highlights the fact that...

Austinites are Struggling with Affordability, But The Austin City Manager Is Not

Many Austinites are struggling with affordability right now, but there’s at least one person who’s not—the Austin city manager. In addition to his $325,000 base salary, $7,200 annual executive allowance, and other health and retirement benefits, the city manager is also the beneficiary of a very generous $4,500 per month housing allowance. If you’re curious...

Will Austin Use HOT Money and Debt to Pay for Another “Want”?

Is the City of Austin prepared to use a boatload of taxpayer money to turn the old Seaholm facility into a multifunctional meeting space for concerts, food trucks, docking, and other activities? It certainly appears so. The Austin American-Statesman recently reported that the Austin Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that regularly receives grants through the City’s...

Fort Worth’s Bond Rating Downgraded Due to “Rising Pension Liabilities”

The City of Fort Worth had its bond rating recently downgraded by S&P Global Ratings who cited “the city’s rising pension liabilities and pension contributions below actuarially determined levels.” More specifically, S&P expressed concern over the Ft. Worth Employees’ Retirement Fund’s 42.4 percent funded ratio and its $3.1 billion unfunded liability. S&P’s recent action comes...