Proposed changes to Austin's subdivision regulations for infill lots have been postponed to allow for additional input.

A potential change to city rules that could make it easier to build smaller houses has been delayed.

The Austin City Council voted at its Sept. 12 meeting to delay implementing the changes to the city's subdivision process for infill lots, which housing experts contend needs to be overhauled to allow for smaller and more affordable home construction. Council

members now are slated to vote on the changes at their Nov. 7 meeting.

The nearly two-month delay is aimed at providing more time for input from interested parties, according to city documents.

Austin's current subdivision process is lengthy and expensive, with some housing advocates contending it can cost over $100,000 and take several months or even years to subdivide residential property. The proposed changes to the process are aimed at boosting the number of homes built in the city as part of its HOME initiative, which stands for the Home Options for Middle-income Empowerment.

If the City Council makes it easier to subdivide residential property, it would allow more homes to be built on smaller lot sizes, potentially resulted in smaller but more affordable homes.

The council has been changing its regulations around homebuilding through the HOME initiative. The initiative was approved in two phases - the first, passed in December, allows for three homes to be built on a single-family lot, while the second was passed in May and reduces the minimum lot size to 1,800 square feet.

But experts have said that until the subdivision process is changed, it's unlikely that many homebuilders will submit applications to create smaller lot sizes enacted through

HOME Phase 2.

As of Sept. 12, the city of Austin website shows that 177 applications proposing to build 331 units have been submitted to the city under HOME Phase 1, and 123 of those applications have been approved.