Restricted Occupancy Overlay (ROO)
- The ROO was created in 2022 to give neighborhood residents the opportunity to limit
     the number of unrelated occupants in a home to two. Families of any size or type are not
     restricted in any way.
- The definition of "related" was more clearly defined during the adoption process so that
     non-traditional families would not be discriminated against.
- Phases of a subdivision must follow a strict application process involving notifications,
     neighborhood meetings and voting. Phases may work together to educate and inform
     their residents, but must follow the application process separately.
     Follow the links in the section below for detailed information on the ROO.

Occupancy Enforcement
- College Station has had an ordinance limiting housing occupancy to no more than
     four-unrelated individuals since 1939. It has been widely un-enforced, resulting in a
     host of problems for neighborhoods, mostly concerning 5+ Texas A&M students living
     in single-family homes. Due largely to public pressure, there is now action being taken.
     (Scroll down to learn about why the four-unrelated ordinance has not been enforced.)
- The City is developing better enforcement methods including changing violations to civil
     offenses - more like a parking ticket - to streamline the citation process and increase the
     conviction rate.
- Texas A&M has re-established the Office of Off-Campus Student Services and launched a
     number of awareness campaigns on occupancy limits including: campus signs, social
     media, letters to parents, house-to-house visits, etc.
- There are at least two neighborhood-based organizations, in addition to CSAN, that are
     pushing the City hard on this very important issue.
- According to public statements, the City will begin enforcing the four-unrelated
     ordinance at the end of the spring semester, 2024.

Shared Housing
- A new building classification for residential structures, reviewed during permitting.
- It basically determines what is a true single-family residence and what is an
     "Ag Shack" or "stealth dorm," something that has been missing from our codes.
- There are a number of criteria that will be used to determine what will be considered
     "Shared Housing," but a critical one is more than four bedrooms/baths. Structures
     with four or fewer may still be considered shared housing based on other criteria.
- Shared Housing will not be allowed to be built in single-family neighborhoods. Existing
     structures will be grandfathered in.
- High occupancy Shared Housing will no longer be automatically included in the
     new Middle Housing zones. 
- Since inception, the City has denied ALL building permits for Shared Housing
     structures in single-family neighborhoods. Prior to the change, 20-40 permits for
     "Mini-dorms" or "Ag Shacks were typically approved per year.
        CLICK for the characteristics that define a "Shared Housing" structure.

Middle Housing
- A new zoning classification adopted by the City in October 2023.
- Middle Housing zones allow a higher unit density than currently exists. The City solicited
      and received considerable public input, mostly negative. As a result, a few proposed
      areas were completely removed from consideration and nearly half those remaining
      were recommended for Middle Housing, but NOT Shared Housing. 
- Properties in Middle Housing zones will no longer be required to go through the
     rezoning process as they do now. They must only adhere to construction and
     setback requirements. 
      CLICK to go to the Middle Housing page for maps, information and a FAQ.

High Occupancy Overlay (HOO)
- The HOO was created to give the City increased planning flexibility and give the public
     a much greater opportunity for input via the rather involved Overlay process.
     A number of areas have been approved for Middle Housing, but NOT for the
     HOO, thus helping to preserve neighborhood integrity.

The Housing Action Plan Steering Committee
- The City of College established the Housing Action Plan Steering Committee in the fall
     of 2023 to "Advise and make recommendations for the City of College Station
     Housing Action Plan in order to present a unified vision for the future, and to
     recommend for approval a final plan that reflects the community's vision for housing
     action and initiatives." (from Resolution charge.) The Committee should complete its work by
     October 2024.
- The Committee includes 13 members, two of which are currently on the CSAN Board.
- City Staff and members are supplying highly detailed analyses of current housing and
    economic conditions and reviewing many articles on how other cities are handling their
    housing issues.
- Of particular concern is the dwindling supply of affordable and workforce housing within
     the College Station city limits.