I agree completely with what you're saying. I think the mistake is thinking that any of these attempts to change the zoning and code regs have anything to do with actually helping with housing in Austin. It's about lining the pockets of a handful of folks, and they make more money building 2 and 3 unit properties in central Austin that can be quickly sold to investors for use as short-term rentals than they do with an apartment/condo building (and thereby making the housing situation worse, not better). If they actually wanted to add affordable housing, then of course apartment buildings are the answer, but that's not how the grift is set up. Developers want to build cheaply and sell quickly, not maintain a building. Supposedly we have a bunch of new apartments coming onto the market soon. I have no idea where and haven't noticed significant amounts of construction, but I keep hearing that they're coming. I don't know if they'll be real apartments or those money laundering bullshit condo buildings we have downtown that no actual working humans live in. Any significant apartment development should be scattered throughout town, though, and not crammed into one area. I agree that using existing multi-unit locations is the smart move. The problem is the lack of interest in developing such properties. Just like banning short-term rentals, this obvious solution isn't one the crooked assholes in charge have any interest in because it's not how their bread is buttered.