Data center boom fueling Abilene housing crisis
The Stargate data center project in Abilene, Texas, is causing a severe housing crisis, with rents doubling and families facing homelessness. This has led to significant community opposition and concerns about the project's impact on the city's identity, alongside a broader 'governor's pause' on data center development.
The Stargate data center project currently under construction in Abilene, Texas, is reportedly fueling a significant housing crisis in the city. Rents have doubled in some cases, leaving local families homeless, which has generated considerable community concern and opposition.
Reporters Kayleigh Hunt, Katie McAfee, and Lee Walden from KUT, Austin's NPR station, traveled to Abilene to investigate the situation. While some business owners reported benefiting from Stargate, the reporters found that almost everyone they spoke with on the ground was opposed to the project, expressing unhappiness with how it is changing Abilene's identity and questioning if the reported benefits are truly helping the real people in the city.
The discussion highlighted that data centers are increasingly becoming a political issue, impacting people furthest from major cities. The team also explored whether a similar housing crisis could develop in Central Texas, specifically Williamson County, given the increase in manufacturing projects like Samsung and more data centers in the area, prompting questions about cities' preparedness for such large-scale developments. A 'governor's pause' on data center construction in the state was also noted.