Capitol Bend Realty Data
Development Pipeline MonitorNo. 9 · October 2026
Development Pipeline Monitor · Austin multifamilyData to September 30, 2026
Deliveries outrun starts for a sixth straight quarter
Austin delivered 5,000 multifamily units in the third quarter and started 1,800. The units under construction fell by 3,200, while new zoning cases rose for the first time since 2024
1Where the pipeline stands
We track 63,000 multifamily units across five stages, from an open zoning case to a building under construction. The total is 3,600 units lower than at the end of June. Units under construction account for 3,200 of that fall, as buildings permitted in 2023 and 2024 finished and too few new ones broke ground to replace them.1
| Stage | Sep 2026 | Jun 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning case | 14,200 | 13,100 | +1,100 |
| Site plan filed | 11,800 | 12,400 | down 600 |
| Site plan approved | 8,900 | 9,300 | down 400 |
| Permitted, not started | 6,400 | 6,900 | down 500 |
| Under construction | 21,700 | 24,900 | down 3,200 |
| Austin | 63,000 | 66,600 | down 3,600 |
Source: City of Austin issued construction permits and site plan cases, Travis County appraisal records, TDHCA applications, Capitol Bend Realty Data estimates
Source: City of Austin issued construction permits and site plan cases, Travis County appraisal records, TDHCA applications, Capitol Bend Realty Data estimates
2Entitlement events in September
We recorded 41 entitlement and permit events on multifamily projects in September. The five below moved the most units. One project on South Congress cut its announced count from 310 to 264 units at site plan; we keep both figures and count the revised one.2
| Project | Submarket | Units | Event | Counted at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Riverside tower | Southeast | 412 | Site plan approved | Site plan approved |
| Domain area podium | North | 356 | Building permit issued | Permitted |
| South Congress midrise | South | 310 to 264 | Units revised | Site plan filed |
| Mueller area infill | Central | 240 | Site plan filed | Site plan filed |
| Family tax credit project | Northeast | 180 | TDHCA 4% bond application | Zoning case |
Source: City of Austin permits and development case records, TDHCA application log, September 2026
3Where the unbuilt pipeline sits
Of the 41,300 units not yet under construction, 9,800 sit in the Southeast submarket, most of them along East Riverside and in the airport corridor. The Northwest holds the fewest, at 4,000, after two years in which almost no new zoning cases were filed there.
Source: City of Austin issued construction permits and site plan cases, Travis County appraisal records, TDHCA applications, Capitol Bend Realty Data estimates
4Revisions between stages
We keep the unit count a developer first announced and every later revision. In the third quarter, 19 projects changed their counts, all downward, by a combined 640 units. Site plan is where most revisions happen, usually when parking, fire access or a lender's sizing forces a smaller building.
| Stage at revision | Projects | Announced | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning case | 6 | 2,140 | 1,980 | down 160 |
| Site plan filed | 9 | 3,320 | 2,910 | down 410 |
| Site plan approved | 4 | 1,460 | 1,390 | down 70 |
| All revised | 19 | 6,920 | 6,280 | down 640 |
Source: City of Austin issued construction permits and site plan cases, Travis County appraisal records, TDHCA applications, Capitol Bend Realty Data estimates
5Against the Supply Ledger
6What to watch in October
Whether the three East Riverside zoning cases reach Planning Commission before the holidays, how many of the 6,400 permitted units start before permits begin to expire, and the TDHCA board's next round of 4 percent bond determinations.
How this monitor is built
- Every project is placed at the furthest stage supported by a public record, using the firm's own stage definitions
- Announced units are kept as first filed, with every revision dated and the latest figure counted
- Each event traces to a permit, case number or TDHCA application held on file for subscribers who ask
Approved for subscribersDana WhitcombDirector of Supply Research · October 8, 2026
1 Multifamily means five or more units in one building. Under construction starts at the first passed foundation inspection and ends at a certificate of occupancy.
2 Tax credit projects are placed by their city record; a TDHCA application alone does not move a project to a later stage.