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The Bastrop Housing Authority reviewed plans last month to shift to a voucher-based system and help address a growing demand for affordable housing.
The transition would move the agency away from its current public housing model, allowing it to increase revenue and invest in additional housing opportunities, according to Executive Director Rhonda Baxter.
Under the proposed change, the housing authority would take ownership of its existing public housing units and receive 50 additional vouchers to distribute to families.
“We only have 50 public housing units and we have 25 vouchers. That’s not a lot. We have 1,500 people on our wait list,” Baxter said.
The voucher program allows low-income residents to secure housing through participating landlords, who receive fair market value for their units. Tenants pay a portion based on their income, with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development covering the remainder through the local housing authority.
Bastrop has three public housing complexes, all built in 1968. Baxter said current residents would be assisted in finding alternative housing while the properties undergo repairs and upgrades.
Baxter added the shift would give the housing authority greater financial flexibility to expand housing options.
“We would own the property and use it as collateral to buy more property and build more units to house more people,” Baxter said. “That’s the only way we can see to resolve some of the homeless people we have on the streets right now. There’s just no way you’re ever going to stop it totally but we can put a dent in it.”
The transition would not remove existing homes from the city’s tax rolls, according to officials.
