Dollars for duplexes : assessing the fiscal impact of regulatory processes in Austin, Texas

By testing the relationships between regulations and unit costs of duplexes in Austin, Texas, this master’s report seeks to offer a new quantitative basis to which future plans and policies on missing middle housing can refer. Across the country, housing development has become increasingly focused on the poles of the density spectrum: single-family detached units and mid-rise apartment blocks. This is evident in Austin, Texas, where missing middle housing has becoming a topic of fierce debate among neighborhood groups, housing advocates, and planners. A common claim is that regulatory processes add financial burdens to developers of missing middle housing, which are then passed down to consumers. This report gathers data from building permits and Zillow to compare the size, count, and cost of units affected and unaffected by various regulatory procedures to determine whether this assumption is true in Austin.