Austin Announces New Online Affordable Housing Search Tool

The City of Austin has announced a new Affordable Housing Online Search Tool (AHOST) to help potential renters find affordable housing that matches their household income and occupancy needs

The AHOST is accessible in both English and Spanish, and asks users only to provide their current yearly household income and how many people reside in their household to inform the search.

Within seconds, a map of income-restricted housing is generated, as well as property details including: 

• Leasing Office Contact Information 
• Affordability Levels 
• Nearby Schools 
• Amenities
• Communities Served 
• Acceptance Criteria 

The searchable map and listing of income-restricted affordable rental housing is drawn from the Comprehensive Affordable Housing Directory, which is a comprehensive online data tool for planning and tracking housing inventories and construction programs across the City of Austin.

The AHOST database includes income-restricted rental units from the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA), the Housing Authority of Travis County (HATC), the City of Austin, and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).

A live demo of the AHOST will be provided during the Housing and Planning Committee meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, November 17, streaming on ATXN1 Live.

While the AHOST listing will be updated regularly, the availability of units cannot be guaranteed in real-time, given the rapid changes in the Austin housing market.

Affordable housing property owners and managers are able to update information for their listing online, which will be updated in the search tool. 

The addition of new properties where a certificate of occupancy has been issued is updated quarterly.   

For more information on the AHOST, visit the webpage at www.austintexas.gov/housing or www.austintexas.gov/page/affordable-housing-listing for a direct link to the search tool, view “How-To” videos in English and Spanish, and access more resources for renters.