Housing Authority of the City of El Paso
HR&A equipped El Paso with a comprehensive roadmap to address its housing affordability crisis. Working with the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso and TAG Associates, our regional needs assessment and production plan analyzed barriers to both multifamily and single-family development while recommending solutions that positioned City Council to increase affordable housing investment.
El Paso’s housing affordability crisis stems from low-wage jobs and declining incomes, compounded by rising rents, loss of naturally affordable units, and barriers to homeownership. The Housing Authority of the City of El Paso and TAG Associates engaged HR&A to develop a regional housing needs assessment and production plan addressing these intersecting challenges. We conducted financial gap analysis and evaluated current and potential public tools, including public land for affordable housing, housing trust funds, LIHTC development, and TIRZ incentive districts, to guide multifamily affordable housing development meeting needs across all income levels.
HR&A analyzed barriers to single-family development, including low credit scores and the inability to access affordable mortgages due to citizenship status, and developed solutions to address these obstacles. Our strategic recommendations covered both multifamily and single-family development pathways. The final regional housing plan document created a compelling case for El Paso City Council to increase affordable housing funding, positioning the city to expand production and address its affordability crisis through coordinated public investment and strategic deployment of available tools.
