Meadowbrook Apartments Austin Review: Public Housing in a $2,000/Month Neighborhood

Meadowbrook sits on some of the most expensive residential land in Austin. The Bouldin Creek neighborhood surrounding it averages $2,092/month for a two bedroom apartment. Meadowbrook residents pay 30% of their household income. For many, that’s $300 to $500/month.

I’ve tracked over 500 apartment communities across five Texas metros as a licensed REALTOR (TX #679806). And I’ll be upfront: Meadowbrook operates completely outside the conventional rental market. It’s public housing — the kind that doesn’t show up on apartment search sites the way everything else does. You can’t just apply, get approved, and move in next month. But if you qualify, you’re looking at one of the best deals in the entire city when you compare location to cost. Here’s what you need to know before you try to get on that waitlist.

Quick Facts

Two things jump out of that table. Zero application fee and zero admin fee. At conventional Austin apartments, those two fees alone run $150 to $500 before you even get a decision. And the pet policy is the most generous I’ve seen anywhere: no deposit, no monthly pet rent, no weight limit, no breed restrictions.

Best For / Skip If

This property makes sense if:

• You earn below 50% of Austin’s Area Median Income and need housing you can actually afford. For a family of four, that’s roughly $66,900/year or less.
• You need a larger unit. Two, three, four, and five bedroom layouts are available. Good luck finding a five bedroom apartment anywhere else in 78704.
• You want to live in Bouldin Creek without paying Bouldin Creek prices. The Walk Score is 70. South Congress, downtown, and South Lamar are all close.
• You have pets. No deposits, no monthly fees, no weight limits. That alone saves $50 to $75/month compared to most Austin communities.
• You need on-site support services: Boys & Girls Club, career training through Goodwill, adult education, a computer lab. These are real programs, not marketing bullet points.

Skip this property if:

• You earn above HUD income limits. You won’t qualify regardless of anything else.
• You need to move quickly. The waitlist opened for five days in August 2025. Before that, openings were years apart. This isn’t a next-month solution.
• You need a one bedroom. They don’t exist here. The smallest unit is a two bedroom.
• You have an eviction from public housing within the last three years, a felony drug conviction, or sex offender status. These are automatic disqualifiers per HUD rules.
• You need in-unit laundry. Units have washer connections only. No dryer hookups. You get outdoor clotheslines instead.

Ready to Start Your Austin Apartment Search?

Meadowbrook’s waitlist process runs through HACA, not through apartment locators. But if you’re also considering market rate apartments in South Austin, I can help with that search for free. Get started here.

Location

What’s Actually Nearby

Meadowbrook’s address puts you in Bouldin Creek, one of Austin’s most central neighborhoods. South Congress Avenue is about half a mile east. South Lamar Boulevard is a few blocks west. You’re sandwiched between two of the best restaurant and bar corridors in the city.

South Austin Recreation Center is roughly 0.4 miles away at 1100 Cumberland Rd. That’s an eight minute walk. It has an indoor basketball gym, a stage, and meeting rooms. Ricky Guerrero Park is about 0.6 miles south on S 6th Street with a recently renovated playground. And Big Stacy Park, which has a free public swimming pool, sits about 1.2 miles east on Live Oak Street. Free pool access in a city where most apartment pools require a $300/month rent premium? That’s a real perk.

The H-E-B on Oltorf is the closest full grocery store. Bouldin Creek Cafe and a cluster of restaurants along South 1st Street are within walking distance. CapMetro Bus Route 5 (Woodrow/Lamar) runs nearby, and the MetroRapid 801 on South Congress connects you straight through downtown.

Commute Math

Neighborhood Reality

This is a 1952 public housing community inside one of Austin’s most rapidly appreciating neighborhoods. The contrast is real. Across the street you’ll find homes valued at $500,000 and up. Modern apartment buildings charging $2,000+ for a one bedroom sit within a half mile.

The neighborhood itself is walkable, bikeable, and close to everything. But Meadowbrook as a community looks and feels different from the surrounding area. It’s older construction. The grounds show their age. Reviews mention trash in common areas and maintenance issues. That’s the honest reality of a property built in 1952. Go in with your eyes open.

Schools serving this address: Becker Elementary (GreatSchools 7/10), Fulmore Middle (4/10), and Travis High (1/10). Those ratings update annually, so check GreatSchools directly for current scores.

How Rent Actually Works Here

This isn’t a conventional apartment where you see a price and decide if you can afford it. Meadowbrook uses income-based rent, which means your rent adjusts to what you earn.

The formula: You pay 30% of your adjusted monthly household income.

What that looks like in practice:

The flat rent ceiling is the maximum you’d pay regardless of income. For a two bedroom at Meadowbrook, that ceiling is $1,025. Nobody pays more than that.

Fees you won’t pay here:

• Application fee: $0
• Admin fee: $0
• Security deposit: Set by HACA, typically one month’s rent portion
• Pet deposit: $0
• Pet rent: $0
• Valet trash: Not applicable
• Pest control fee: Not applicable

At a typical market rate apartment in this area, those fees add $200 to $400 on top of your monthly rent before you even count the actual rent. That overhead doesn’t exist here.

What’s Inside the Units

Every unit at Meadowbrook is a two story layout. You’re getting a two, three, four, or five bedroom, all with the same general structure. The property was built in 1952, but HACA has added some real upgrades over the years:

• Central air conditioning installed in every unit (not original to the building)
• Double pane windows replacing the original single pane
• Google Fiber available for high speed internet
• Washer connection in every unit (no dryer connection)

What you won’t find: in-unit dryers, dishwashers, modern finishes, or the kind of fixtures you’d see in a property built in the last 30 years. One resident called the learning center “state of the art” but said the staircases are falling apart. The upgrades are practical and functional. Everything else looks its age.

Community amenities include a playground, basketball court, dog walk trail, and a library/learning center with a business center and computers. But the real differentiator is the on-site support programs. Boys & Girls Club runs programming for kids ages 6 to 17. Goodwill has Career Navigators on-site for job training. Communities In Schools provides case management for school-age youth at Becker, Fulmore, and Travis. And the Literacy Coalition runs a learning center for adult workplace skills. I don’t see that lineup at private apartment communities.

Comparing Apartments in South Austin?

If you’re looking at both public housing and market rate options, I can help you understand what’s available at your price point. My service is free for renters. Let’s talk.

Who Qualifies (Screening)

Forget everything you know about conventional apartment screening. Meadowbrook doesn’t use credit score minimums or income multipliers the way private communities do. This is HUD-regulated public housing, and the eligibility rules are different.

Income Limits

Your household income must fall below HUD’s published limits. Austin’s Area Median Income (AMI) is $133,800 as of 2025. Most Meadowbrook residents qualify at the Extremely Low Income tier (30% AMI) or Very Low Income tier (50% AMI).

These numbers update annually. Check HUD’s income limits page for the most current figures.

What Gets You Approved

HACA’s Tenant Selection Plan screens for rental history, credit history, and criminal background. But the thresholds are different from private apartments. Bad credit alone won’t automatically disqualify you. They look at the whole situation. If you have past credit issues but steady income and clean rental history, you have a real shot.

You’ll need:

• Proof of income (pay stubs, SSI/SSDI award letters, TANF documentation, child support records)
• Valid ID and Social Security number
• U.S. citizenship or eligible immigration status for at least one household member

What Gets You Denied

Three things will get you denied, no exceptions:

1. Eviction from any public housing program within the past three years
2. Felony drug convictions
3. Registered sex offender status

The Waitlist Process

This is where most people get frustrated. You can’t just walk into the office and apply. The process works like this:

1. HACA opens the waitlist for a short window (days, not weeks)
2. You submit an online application during that window
3. HACA ranks you by preference category (disabled applicants and those displaced by natural disaster get priority)
4. You wait. Possibly for years.
5. When a unit matching your bedroom size opens, HACA contacts you for an eligibility interview
6. You complete screening and sign a 12-month lease

The last waitlist opening was August 25 through August 29, 2025. Five days. Before that? The gaps between openings can stretch for years. You can check HACA’s public notices page for announcements, but there’s no set schedule.

What your locator knows: At conventional apartments, I pre-screen clients against property criteria before they spend money on application fees. That process doesn’t apply here because there are no application fees and the screening is completely different. But if Meadowbrook’s waitlist timeline doesn’t work for you, I track South Austin apartments across every price point and can match you to communities where you can move within weeks, not years.

What Residents Actually Say

With 120 Google reviews and a 3.5 star rating, Meadowbrook has a mixed reputation. But the review data is thin. Most of those 120 reviews are star ratings with no text. Only about a dozen have meaningful written feedback.

Review Patterns

The positive reviews share a common thread: gratitude. Residents who’ve lived here for a while mention the community feel, the kids playing outside, and the support programs. One ApartmentRatings reviewer specifically praised the learning center, central AC installation, double pane windows, and Google Fiber as changes that improved daily life. That same reviewer noted that washer connections are in every unit but dryer hookups aren’t available, and that the property has “1 to 5 bedroom all 2 story units.” (HACA’s official data shows 2 to 5 bedrooms, no one bedrooms.)

Another resident on Google wrote simply: “Love it here.” Jake Ballard described it as “reminds me of my youth. Kids running around, dogs running around. This way of life seems like it’s uncommon anymore.” There’s a sense of neighborhood here that newer apartment complexes spend millions trying to manufacture.

The negative reviews are harder to read. One ApartmentRatings reviewer described moving into a unit with dead roaches in the closets, paint applied directly over dirt, and a staircase “literally caving in at places.” They said HACA wouldn’t let them see the unit before signing the lease. Another Google reviewer reported being told they owed $4,500 with no documentation to back it up. A more recent Google review from two months ago mentioned trash and old furniture in common areas with unsupervised children.

Here’s what matters for context: most of the serious complaints describe conditions that could have been caught if residents had walked the unit before signing. Not being able to see your apartment first isn’t a Meadowbrook problem. It’s a public housing problem across the board. But that doesn’t make it less frustrating when you’re the one walking into a dirty apartment.

Management response pattern: Zero responses visible on any platform. Not one. That’s a red flag at any property, but it’s common across HACA’s portfolio. Don’t expect the same customer service communication you’d get from a private management company.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No listing site will write this section.

You Can’t See Your Unit Before You Sign

HACA doesn’t let you tour your specific unit before you sign. You commit first, then see what you got. One reviewer said they cried when they saw their apartment for the first time. This isn’t just a Meadowbrook thing. It’s how much of the public housing system works, and it’s a genuine risk. Your unit might need serious cleaning, or have maintenance problems nobody warned you about.

The Building Is 74 Years Old, and It Shows

Built in 1952, Meadowbrook has received some real improvements: central AC, double pane windows, and Google Fiber. Those upgrades matter. But the bones are still 1952 construction. Reviews mention unsafe staircases, aging plumbing, and units that need more than a coat of paint. Don’t walk in expecting anything close to a modern build.

The Waitlist Means Planning in Years, Not Weeks

If you need housing next month, Meadowbrook can’t help you. Waitlist openings happen for days at a time, with long gaps between them. Once you’re on the list, it could take months or years before a unit matching your household size opens up. This is a long game, and you should be applying to every HACA property and housing program available, not just this one.

Need Help Finding an Apartment You Can Move Into Now?

If Meadowbrook’s timeline doesn’t match your situation, I can help you find market rate apartments in Austin that fit your budget and screening profile. Start your free search.

FAQ

Is Meadowbrook Apartments income restricted?

Yes. It’s HUD public housing operated by HACA. Rent is 30% of your adjusted monthly household income. You must meet HUD income limits to qualify.

How do I apply to Meadowbrook?

Through HACA’s online portal when the waitlist opens. The last opening was August 25 to 29, 2025. Monitor HACA’s public notices for future openings. You’ll need an email address to submit the application.

What size apartments does Meadowbrook have?

Two, three, four, and five bedroom units. No studios or one bedrooms. The two bedroom is the most common at 100 of the 160 total units. Square footage ranges from 1,000 to 1,600.

Does Meadowbrook allow pets?

Yes. Cats, small dogs, and large dogs are allowed with no deposit, no monthly fee, no weight limit, and no breed restrictions. That’s the most permissive pet policy I’ve tracked at any Austin apartment community.

Does Meadowbrook have a washer and dryer?

Washer connections are in every unit. There are no dryer hookups. You get outdoor clotheslines. If you need full laundry capability, this is a real consideration.

What’s the Google rating for Meadowbrook?

3.5 stars across 120 reviews. Most reviews are star ratings only, with limited written feedback. ApartmentRatings has four text reviews. Birdeye aggregates a 3.4 rating from 108 reviews.

Is Meadowbrook in a good location?

It’s in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood with a Walk Score of 70, about 3 miles from downtown Austin. South Congress and South Lamar are both within a half mile. CapMetro bus service runs nearby. The location is one of the strongest reasons to get on the waitlist.

Does Meadowbrook have on-site programs?

Yes. Boys & Girls Club for youth ages 6 to 17, Goodwill Career Navigators for job training and placement, Communities In Schools case management, and a Literacy Coalition Learning Center for adult education. These are staffed programs with real services, not just a sign on a door.

Can I transfer my Section 8 voucher to Meadowbrook?

Meadowbrook is a PBRA property, meaning the subsidy is attached to the building, not to a voucher you carry. You apply directly through HACA’s waitlist for this specific property. Your Housing Choice Voucher would be a separate program.

How long is the waitlist?

There’s no published average wait time. The waitlist opens for a few days at a time on an unpredictable schedule. Once you’re on the list, it could be months or years before a unit matching your bedroom size becomes available. Applying to multiple HACA properties increases your chances.

The Bottom Line

Meadowbrook offers something that’s nearly impossible to find in Austin: a two bedroom apartment in the 78704 zip code for a few hundred dollars a month. The location in Bouldin Creek gives residents access to one of Austin’s most walkable and connected neighborhoods. The pet policy is the most permissive I’ve tracked. The on-site support programs are substantive, not decorative. And there are zero fees to apply.

But here’s what I tell every client who asks about public housing — the trade-off is everything else. The buildings are 74 years old. The unit you sign for might need work you didn’t expect. The waitlist could take years. Management doesn’t respond to reviews and the customer service model is nothing like private apartments. You’re working within a government system that moves at government speed.

This property makes sense if you meet HUD income requirements, you can plan months or years ahead, you need a larger unit in a central location, and you understand that public housing comes with trade-offs that private apartments don’t.

This property doesn’t make sense if you need to move soon, you’re above income limits, you want modern finishes and responsive management, or you need a studio or one bedroom layout.

For the right household in the right situation, getting on this waitlist is worth every effort. And if Meadowbrook doesn’t work out, South Austin has dozens of other communities across every price point. I can help you sort through them.

Need Help?

If Meadowbrook fits your situation: Contact HACA directly at (512) 477-4488 or visit the Pathways at Meadowbrook website to check availability. Monitor HACA’s public notices for waitlist openings.

If you need an apartment sooner: My team helps renters find apartments across Austin for free. I can match you to communities that fit your budget, your screening profile, and your timeline. South Austin apartments, downtown, or anywhere else in the metro. The search is on us.

Call | Text: 512-360-0852