City falls further behind on affordable housing goals "The city continues to fall behind on its affordable housing goals, according to a report from nonprofit HousingWorks Austin. In 2021, nine out of 10 Council districts failed to achieve district-based affordable housing production goals, and seven out of 10 did not even meet half of their goals. Only District 4, which has the lowest annual target of all the districts, exceeded its goal." (Jonathan Lee, Austin Business Journal)

SXSW economic impact stumbles after multi-year pandemic closures "SXSW announced on September 21 that this year’s version of the music, film, and interactive confab generated an economic impact of $280.7 million for the Austin economy. By comparison, the economic impact of the 2019 gathering totaled $355.9 million." (John Egan, CultureMap Austin)

Chacon says police were 'underprepared' for May 2020 protests "The Austin Police Department wasn’t ready for the massive protests on I-35 and outside police headquarters in May 2020, APD Chief Joseph Chacon said Friday. 'I think that we had never faced anything of this scale,' he said at a news conference to announce the findings of an internal report. The long-awaited report detailed the police department’s response to the protests following the police killings of George Floyd and Mike Ramos." (Andrew Weber, KUT 90.5)

This Downtown Demolition Application Could Tell a Tower-Shaped Story "A demolition application scheduled to appear at the October 5 meeting of the city’s Historic Landmark Commission could point to a new tower development on the northwestern edge of downtown Austin." (James Rambin, Towers)

Austin anticipates 'dramatic increase' in homeless system capacity next year as funding, housing work continues "Austin is anticipating a ramp-up in the region's shelter and housing capacity for those experiencing homelessness as the local population on the streets continues to grow. During a Sept. 22 briefing about the city's work addressing homelessness, Homeless Strategy Officer Dianna Grey said Austin remains focused on establishing more shelter space and permanent homes." (Ben Thompson, Community Impact)

$20 million bankruptcy deal for downtown real estate close at hand "After some fits and starts, a downtown site near the Austin Convention Center once again appears on the verge of being purchased out of bankruptcy so it can be turned into a skyscraper. DHA Capital LLC has been approved to buy the Fogo de Chão building at 309 E. Third St. for $20.1 million, according to a Sept. 20 order from U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Tony Davis — yielding signs that yet another property is being wrestled away from embattled real estate firm World Class Holdings and its owner, Nate Paul."  (Cody Baird and Paul Thompson, Austin Business Journal)