Member Alert: AAA Opposing Proposition Q

This week, the Austin Apartment Association Board of Directors joined with several local business and real estate organizations to oppose the City of Austin’s proposed tax rate increase, which will appear on the November ballot as Proposition Q. 

President Paige Russell shares, “This was not a decision made lightly. For weeks, we have weighed our profound desire to support our city’s vital services against the real-world impact this tax would have on our owners and residents. We support the goals of this funding, which aim to help our unhoused neighbors, support our students, and assist first responders. Still, we cannot endorse a method that places a disproportionate and unsustainable burden on multifamily housing.” 

At the heart of the Association’s concern are the people who provide and live in rental housing. Nationwide, nearly 90 percent of single-family rental properties are owned, not by large corporations, but by small, local housing providers (BatchData, Q2 2025 Investor Pulse). These are our fellow Austinites, often operating on thin margins to provide rental housing. Over the last decade, property taxes from Austin’s various entities have risen by more than 60%, significantly impacting one of the largest operating expenses for rental housing providers, after their mortgage expense.  

The proposed rate could increase multifamily property tax bills by another 35%, with no relief comparable to the homestead exemption homeowners receive. While owners and operators work tirelessly to manage their properties effectively, absorb these rising costs, and offer a record number of concessions to residents - there is a breaking point.  

While recognizing the broader funding challenges facing the City, including the loss of key federal grants and programs that have supported vital local initiatives, associations like AAA stand ready to collaborate with the City in public-private partnerships to support critical services continuing without placing an additional burden on renters or small housing providers. 

The Association will continue and expand our partnerships with nonprofits to serve the unhoused.   We will continue to offer housing relief to Austin’s teachers and first responders.  

The Association’s mission remains to be a strong voice for housing stability and a champion for every Austinite who calls a rental property home.  Russell adds,  “We will continue to advocate for our residents and support policies that help property professionals, renters, and the broader community thrive in a vibrant and inclusive Austin.”