How Austin’s housing crisis has shaped the race for a new mayor

Austin mayoral candidates state Rep. Celia Israel, center, and former state Sen. Kirk Watson, right, debate on ATX Decides, hosted by Austin PBS, at The Texas Tribune’s Studio 919 on Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. (Credit: Azul Sordo/The Texas Tribune)

In the race for Austin’s next mayor, the capital city’s dire housing affordability crisis has taken center stage.

Virtually no corner of Texas has gone untouched as rents and home prices surged amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But no major Texas city felt the crunch as acutely as Austin, where record demand sent already rising housing costs sky high.