5. Austin Community Investment Budget Presentation — original pdf

Backup

FY24 Community Investment Budget Led by Equity Action ATX Introductions Who is Equity Action? ● Equity Action is a Political Action Committee (PAC) focused on centering equity and justice in Austin’s political system. What is the Community Investment Budget? ● In collaboration with dozens of community organizations, Equity Action has been facilitating a 2024 Community Investment Budget that will ask Austin City Council to commit to invest directly to community needs, such as: increased wages for Parent Support Specialists, emergency rental assistance and tenant support services, social services for those experiencing homelessness, increased funding for park support, and much more. Who are the organizations involved? ACLU of Texas Alliance for Safety and Justice Austin Area Urban League Austin Community Law Center Austin Environmental Democrats Austin Justice Coalition Austin Mutual Aid Austin Urban Technology Movement Avow Blackland CDC Black Lives Veggies The Nonprofit Black Mamas ATX Community Resilience Trust Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice District 5 for Black Lives East Austin Conservancy Education Austin Equity Action Fruitful Commons Fund Texas Choice Go Austin/ Vamos Austin Ground Game Texas Hungry Hill Foundation Just Liberty Lilith Fund MISMA (Mujeres Inspiradas en Sueños, Metas y Acciones) Planning Our Communities Pro Choice with Heart Public Citizen Save Our Springs Alliance Sierra Club, Austin Regional Group Statewide Leadership Council Sunrise Movement Austin Survive2Thrive Foundation Sustainable Food Center Texas Center for Justice and Equity Texas Fair Defense Project Texas Harm Reduction Alliance Texas Women’s Justice Coalition The NICE Project Tomorrow’s Promise Foundation Undoing White Supremacy Austin University Democrats Zilker Neighborhood Association And the list continues to grow… Why is the CIB important? When Winter Storm Uri wreaked havoc across Austin, community members and organizations were the first to respond. Parent Support Specialists checked in on families to make sure they had what they needed to be safe, mutual aid and nonprofit organizations mobilized to rescue people from their homes (whether in a house or on the street), and local restaurants donated their time, food, and space to prepare and distribute meals. Our public libraries serve as community spaces, resource centers for unhoused and low-income people, and cultural hubs. EMS and City Workers are exploring opportunities in other cities due to salaries that have not kept pace with the increase cost of living in Austin. Lack of affordable, safe childcare is a barrier from employment and other opportunities to many families across the city. Why is the CIB important? Safety and security mean more than just criminalization. A safe and secure community is one in which people's basic needs are met; one in which everyone has access to safe and clean housing, to a good education, to fresh and healthful food, to resources during times of crisis, to well-maintained parks, and more. The City of Austin spends 1/3 of its budget on police alone, which addresses only a fraction of safety overall. The CIB was created to provide guidance on how to address community safety using the remaining 2/3 of the City budget. Why is the CIB important? While Austin is considered one of the best cities in the country to live in for many people, we still have a long way to go to ensure that it is the best for everyone - regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, and income. The CIB details just over $100 million, or 7% of the roughly $1.3 billion General Revenue budget, in funding recommendations to directly address existing community needs and ways to improve the quality of life for Austinites across the city. In Austin, we value and cherish our neighbors, and our City's spending should reflect it. It is in our power to do it. But as a community, we need to tell our leaders: this is what we want. What did the FY23 Community Investment Budget (CIB) look like? Let’s take a look! FY24 CIB? Let’s take a look! Environmental Highlights ● Implementation of the Austin Climate Equity Plan [$685,000] ● Park Maintenance, Safety, Equity, and Restoration [$3.9M] ● Value-based Food Procurement [$3M] ● Food Sovereignty and Food Systems-Related Funding [$2M] How can you support? We request that this body make a recommendation to include the Community Investment Budget in its entirety in the upcoming budget cycle. For more information and to request the CIB Advocacy Packet with further instructions on how individuals can participate, contact Daniela Silva at danielasilvatx@gmail.com Questions?