"Tatum Owens, a UT senior and co-chair of the College Student Commission, said addressing college student housing affordability is a vital issue for her. She hopes that the city continues to include more input from college students as they try to find more affordable housing solutions.

She said the city will see clear benefits from having more available affordable housing options for students because those students would be able to provide more time and resources back to the city if they are not rent-burdened.

“I know many students, including myself, are moving out of Austin once they graduate because they simply cannot afford to live in this city without aid,” Owens said. “This is unacceptable, and the city should aim to make it more affordable overall, but especially for this large group of residents because they make up a good part of Austin culture.”