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Manor approves first of its kind City-run organization to create affordable housing

The Manor Housing Public Facility Corporation will be utilized to form partnerships with developers and to address short-term and long-term housing needs.

MANOR, Texas — The city of Manor, Texas, is expected to grow within the next three to six years, according to City Manager Scott Moore. 

In preparation for that, he and members of the Manor City Council agreed to create the Manor Housing Public Facility Corporation, a nonprofit organization that will be utilized as an economical tool to form partnerships with developers and to address short-term and long-term housing needs.

"We were trying to find a way to attract a tool to where we can have some affordability near the Austin area without pricing people out or forcing multiple roommates living together," Moore said. "So, we want to make sure we have a tool in place to help us address that missing middle, and we felt this tool is going to help us do that."

Moore said the goal is to remove burdens from middle-class workers and young professionals who either have long commutes into the city or who are forced to live with family members and get roommates.

"It was a concern for the council because we know it's hard when you have to live an hour away from home and then you something happens and then you're back to square one. 'Do I get a job closer to where I work, or is there something in the community?' And that's what we didn't have, is something closer to the job centers here for the people to work and live here in Manor," Moore said.

Currently, there are plans to construct about 14,700 single-family units, which are set to bring in 44,100 residents to the area, according to Moore. Currently, Manor's population is 18,867.

With the population set to nearly triple in that 3 to 6-year timeframe, City leaders felt the newly formed Manor Housing Public Facility Corporation will help give them those affording housing options needed to try and give enough people who work in Manor some extra cushion.

"We'd be in a position to use this as model to help those young professionals get their start and then be able to have a good place to live," Moore said. "For instance, if an apartment unit wanted to build 200 units and 50 of them have to be for income-driven, we'd want to make sure the 100 units are set aside for those individuals. And we can make sure we set the parameters in which it's affordable and make sure the individuals that qualify are not priced out."

Moore said the board of directors will consist of city council members who will oversee all the different projects. 

The plan is to meet before the regularly scheduled council meeting in order to take action on what is discussed that same day. The meetings will be held on the first and third Wednesday of the month. 

The next step is for the City to vet developers and establish everything needed to start building. 

"If we can build on that just one project at a time, and those families that are living together can finally see the end of the tunnel to where they maybe, they can have their own place to live and they can afford it ... that's the goal for us is to make sure we we have a good product for the families that want to live in Manor or have a place to call home," Moore said.

Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.

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