REGULAR MEETING of the HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Monday, June 23, 6:00 p.m. Austin Energy Headquarters, Mueller Assembly Room 4815 Mueller Blvd, Austin, TX 78723 AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Human Rights Commission may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Ryan Sperling at ryan.sperling@austintexas.gov or 512-974-3568 CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Kolby Duhon, Chair (He/They) Muneeb “Meebs” Aslam (He/Him) Jeffrey Clemmons Harriett Kirsh Pozen Maryam Khawar Gabriella Zeidan, Vice Chair Danielle Bryant Morgan Davis (He/Him) Mariana Krueger (She/Her) Tannya Oliva Martínez AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Human Rights Commission regular meeting on May 19, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Discussion regarding actions that the commission can take besides recommendations, including potential presenters and community engagement at future commission meetings. 3. 4. Discussion regarding topics for potential future briefings by Austin Police Department, including responses to recent protests. Update regarding actions by the Texas State Legislature in 2025 relating to human rights. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 5. 6. 7. Approve the formation of a working group to follow-up and track progress on the commission’s FY2025-26 budget recommendations. Approve a recommendation to allocate an additional $1.5 million in City of Austin grant funding for nonprofit organizations addressing youth development, basic needs, and educational equity to combat federal funding reductions. Approve a recommendation for enhancements to the City of Austin’s rapid-response and disaster-preparedness systems for unhoused residents during extreme weather. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 8. Update from the intergroup relations working group about its most recent working group meeting and progress on the working group goals. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at …
HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISISON MEETING MINUTES Monday, May 19, 2025 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Monday, May 19, 2025 The Human Rights Commission convened in a regular meeting on Monday, May 19, 2025 at 301 W. 2nd St., Boards & Commissions Room, in Austin, Texas. Chair Duhon called the Human Rights Commission meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Kolby Duhon (Chair) Gabriella Zeidan (Vice Chair) Harriett Kirsh Pozen Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Muneeb “Meebs” Aslam Danielle Bryant Jeffrey Clemmons Morgan Davis PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Human Rights Commission regular meeting on April 28, 2025. The minutes were amended to strike “$125,000” in Item 6 and insert “$120,000” on Chair Duhon’s motion, Vice Chair Zeidan’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioner Clemmons was off the dais. Commissioners Khawar, Krueger, and Oliva Martínez were absent. The minutes of the Human Rights Commission regular meeting on April 28, 2025 were approved on Vice Chair Zeidan’s motion, Commissioner Kirsh Pozen’s second on a 6-0 vote. Commissioner Clemmons was off the dais. Commissioners Khawar, Krueger, and Oliva Martínez were absent. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discussion and possible action to approve proposed language for a historical marker on 4th street. 1 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISISON MEETING MINUTES Monday, May 19, 2025 The proposed language was presented by Kim McKnight, Division Manager, Development Services Department. The motion to approve proposed language for a historical marker on 4th street was approved on Commissioner Davis’ motion, Vice Chair Zeidan’s second on a 7-0 vote. Commissioners Khawar, Krueger, and Oliva Martínez were absent. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Chair Duhon – Discussion and possible action to approve the Annual Internal Review at the July meeting. Second by Commissioner Clemmons. Commissioner Aslam – Recommendation regarding severe climate emergencies and cooling shelters at the June meeting. Second by Chair Duhon Commissioner Aslam – Recommendation regarding grant funding for nonprofits working on basic needs such as the Texas Central Food Bank. Second by Chair Duhon. ADJOURNMENT Chair Duhon adjourned the meeting at 6:14 p.m. without objection. The minutes were approved at the DATE meeting on BOARD MEMBER’s motion, BOARD MEMBER second on a (vote count) vote 2 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISISON MEETING MINUTES Monday, May 19, 2025 3
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Human Rights Commission Recommenda)on Number: (20250623-01): Alloca)on of an addi)onal $1.5 Million in City of Aus)n Grant Funding for Nonprofit Organiza)ons Addressing Youth Development, Basic Needs, and Educa)onal Equity to Combat Federal Funding Cuts WHEREAS, the Human Rights Commission of the City of Aus;n is charged with advising the City Council on issues affec;ng the human rights of Aus;n residents and advancing policies that promote equity, dignity, and quality of life for all; and WHEREAS, local nonprofit organiza;ons are essen;al partners in advancing community well-being by addressing social determinants of health and equity, par;cularly in the areas of youth development, food and housing insecurity, and access to educa;onal opportunity; and WHEREAS, recent federal budget cuts—most notably the abrupt cancella;on of approximately $400 million in AmeriCorps grants as of April 2025—have destabilized thousands of nonprofit programs across the country, including many in Central Texas; and WHEREAS, this loss of federal support has resulted in the suspension or elimina;on of more than 32,000 AmeriCorps service posi;ons, including roles cri;cal to youth mentorship, food distribu;on, housing support, and community educa;on in Aus;n; and WHEREAS, addi;onal federal reduc;ons have included over $1 billion in cuts to USDA programs that support food banks and nutri;on assistance, proposed cuts of up to 40% to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and a $300 million reduc;on to the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program—all of which place addi;onal strain on local safety nets; and WHEREAS, these federal cuts come at a ;me when infla;on and the rising cost of living in Aus;n are deepening economic dispari;es and driving increased demand for nonprofit services addressing basic needs, mental health, and educa;onal support; and WHEREAS, many local nonprofits are now facing urgent capacity constraints and funding shor\alls due to these reduc;ons, and may be forced to scale back or shut down essen;al programs without ;mely local interven;on; and WHEREAS, the City of Aus;n has both the opportunity and the responsibility to safeguard con;nuity of services for its most vulnerable residents, par;cularly when federal retrenchment dispropor;onately harms youth, low-income families, and historically marginalized communi;es; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: That the Human Rights Commission strongly urges the Aus;n City Council to allocate $1.5 million in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget to support local nonprofit organiza;ons delivering cri;cal services in the areas of youth development, basic …
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Human Rights Commission Recommenda)on Number: (20250623-01): Recommending Enhancements to the City of Aus)n's Rapid-response and Disaster-preparedness Systems for Unhoused and Low-Income Residents During Extreme Weather WHEREAS, the City of Aus<n currently operates cooling centers in libraries and recrea<on facili<es and issues text alerts to unsheltered residents with mobile devices; however, these centers are typically open only during regular business hours and require individuals to reach the sites independently; and WHEREAS, recent improvements to cold-weather sheltering, including raising the ac<va<on threshold to 35°F, providing advance no<ce, offering aNer-hours transporta<on, and u<lizing hotel vouchers for families, have made winter protec<ons more predictable, demonstra<ng the effec<veness of clear triggers and mul<-agency coordina<on; and WHEREAS, the City of Aus<n has joined the C40 Heat, Health, and Equity Challenge Fund and secured a $70,000 grant to pilot innova<ve cooling solu<ons for people experiencing homelessness, but this ini<a<ve is a temporary pilot rather than a permanent citywide program; and WHEREAS, peer-reviewed studies show that people experiencing homelessness face heat-aUributable death rates up to 100 <mes higher than the general popula<on, and na<onal advocacy organiza<ons es<mate that unsheltered individuals are approximately 200 <mes more likely to die from heat-related causes than those who are sheltered; and WHEREAS, Aus<n’s average summer temperatures have steadily increased over the past decade, with projec<ons from the Na<onal Weather Service indica<ng that the city may experience more than fiNy 100-degree days per year by 2030, crea<ng an unprecedented public health risk for unsheltered residents; and WHEREAS, a comprehensive rapid-response framework must address not only extreme heat but also severe storms, flooding, wildfire smoke, and sudden power outages, all of which dispropor<onately threaten the lives and health of unhoused Aus<nites; and WHEREAS, extreme-weather events, including prolonged power outages, flooding, hail, and high-wind storms, also undermine the health, food security, and economic stability of low-income housed Aus<nites, compounding the risks faced by unsheltered residents; and WHEREAS, households living paycheck-to-paycheck oNen must discard hundreds of dollars’ worth of perishable food aNer mul<-day outages and may face urgent home or vehicle repairs that, if unaddressed, threaten employment and housing stability; and WHEREAS, peer Texas ci<es have shown that rapid, needs-based grants of $500–$1,000 can avert cascading crises by helping residents replace lost food, secure safe shelter, and restore transporta<on within days of a disaster; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: The Human Rights Commission …
