Item 3: 20260302_003_Strategies to Slow Residential Evictions and Protect Immigrant Households DRAFT — original pdf

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. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Commission on Immigrant Affairs Recommendation Number: 20260302- 003: Strategies to Slow Residential Evictions and Protect Immigrant Households WHEREAS, Recent local housing data shows eviction filings have climbed to levels not seen in several years, signaling ongoing instability in the rental market. While Austin’s economy has grown, rent burdens remain high, wages for many service and construction workers have not kept pace with housing costs, and affordable units remain limited. WHEREAS, Immigrant households face heightened vulnerability to eviction due to: • Concentration in low-wage and contract labor sectors • Fear of interacting with legal systems due to immigration status concerns • Language barriers limiting understanding of court processes • Mixed-status households avoiding public programs due to perceived immigration consequences • Higher likelihood of informal lease arrangements that limit legal protections WHEREAS, Evictions are not isolated housing events, they trigger cascading impacts on employment stability, school continuity, mental health, and long-term housing access. For immigrant workers, housing displacement often leads to job loss, wage theft exposure, and deeper economic precarity. WHEREAS, Slowing eviction proceedings, particularly through mediation, diversion, rental assistance linkage, and language access, allows families time to stabilize while reducing long-term public costs associated with homelessness, emergency shelter, and crisis response. WHEREAS, The Commission finds that proactive eviction prevention aligns with the City’s equity commitments and immigrant inclusion priorities and urges Council to act urgently to prevent avoidable displacement and family destabilization. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED The Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends that the Austin City Council take immediate action to slow the pace of residential evictions in the City of Austin and strengthen stabilization measures for immigrant and mixed-status households amid significantly rising eviction filings in Travis County. BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED The Commission on Immigrant Affairs recommends the City Council to: . • Direct the City Manager to evaluate lawful mechanisms to extend eviction timelines, including pre-filing mediation requirements, enhanced notice periods, and eviction diversion coordination. •Council should direct the HACA Board to develop a plan now to support potentially impacted households and consult with the City’s Immigration Officer and the Commission on Immigrant Affairs. • Expand funding for emergency rental assistance, right-to-counsel programs, and eviction defense services, with culturally responsive outreach to immigrant and Limited English Proficiency (LEP) households. • Require strengthened language access standards for eviction notices, rental assistance applications, and tenant education materials. • Partner with Travis County courts to formalize an eviction diversion program that pauses proceedings when tenants demonstrate active engagement in rental assistance or mediation. • Explore the feasibility of local tenant stabilization tools, including just-cause protections, within state law constraints. • Direct the Intergovernmental Relations Office to prioritize state-level advocacy that expands municipal authority to protect tenants and prevent displacement. •Prioritize current counseling and representation services for the most vulnerable populations including immigrant and mixed status households while working with partners to create a right to council in Travis County. • Fund community-based, trusted immigrant-serving organizations to provide proactive “Know Your Rights” education before eviction filings occur. Seconded By: Date of Approval: Motioned By: Vote: For: Against: Abstain: Off the dais: Absent: Attest: _____________________________________________