Council approves $55,000 contract for affordable housing study to inform comp plan and code update

Taylor City Council on Nov. 8, 2025, approved a $55,000 contract with Freese and Nichols to perform an affordable housing study concurrent with the city’s code and comprehensive-plan update.

Staff told council the study will assess the range of housing needs—from rental and multifamily to ownership and temporary housing—help identify where housing types are needed across city limits and ETJ areas, and include fiscal-impact modeling and a public-engagement component. Project principal(s) for Freese and Nichols attended the meeting to confirm the consultant could complete the housing study while the code and comp plan updates proceed.

Council members emphasized the need to coordinate with local partners including the Greater Taylor Foundation and Taylor Housing Authority; staff said stakeholder lists for the comp plan will be leveraged for the housing study. Mayor Pro Tem Samir Smerek called the work “necessary” to define “what affordable housing means in Taylor,” and council approved the city manager’s authority to execute the contract.

The contract is intended to inform future policy decisions, incentives and possible development guidance; staff said the study will include targeted stakeholder workshops and outreach to employers, neighborhood groups and service providers.