More than half of habitable land in Austin is now considered at risk of being damaged in a wildfire. That’s up from just under 40% nearly a decade ago.

The City of Austin agreed to pay Housing Connector $2.14 million over two years. The company currently operates in at least three other cities, including Dallas, Denver and Portland, Oregon.

As faith organizations across the city watch their congregations dwindle, some are wondering if their property could be used to realize a core mission: providing for those in need. It’s a trend some have termed “Yes in God’s Backyard.”

Eviction filings were up about 25% in 2024 compared to the year before. An eviction filing does not mean a renter was eventually evicted.

About two-thirds of land parcels in the city would be considered at risk of damage from wildfire, up from about 35% a decade ago. The changes would require builders to construct more homes with fireproof materials.

The city was scheduled to vote Thursday on rules that staff said would make it harder for short-term rental owners to skirt the city’s licensing requirements.

After years of falling short, Austin is making gains in growing the number of affordable housing units.

The city has proposed rules to make it hard to run a short-term rental without a city-issued license. Third-party data suggests thousands of owners rent out their homes without one.

According to data from Zillow, average rents in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro now outpace those in Austin for the first time since at least 2015.

Unlike nearby Travis County, Williamson County does not have any government run overnight shelters for the area’s homeless population — including when it gets cold outside. Residents frustrated by the situation came together to create their own solution this winter.