RECOMMENDATION 20240212 - 004 FOR Budget for Increased Emergency Housing Assistance (I BELONG IN AUSTIN PROGRAM) — original pdf

Recommendation

LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 2 0 2 4 0 2 1 2 - 4 FOR Budget for Increased Emergency Housing Assistance (I BELONG IN AUSTIN PROGRAM) WHEREAS the City of Austin continues to face a housing affordability crisis particularly impacting renters that have seen multiple years of rental increases, and WHEREAS the LGBTQ Quality of Life Study noted that the increased cost of rental housing was the highest-ranked domain of priority for participants in the town hall meetings, and WHEREAS, in the referenced Study, 10% of respondents indicated they had been homeless in the last 5 years, 65% of respondents spent 30% or more of their income on housing while 9% spent more than 50% before the record increases of the last three years, and WHEREAS, the City has approved funding over $7 million for a program entitled "I Belong In Austin" to provide emergency assistance for renters in danger of losing their housing including short-term rental assistance as well as moving and storage expenses to lessen the impact of forced relocation, and WHEREAS the "I Belong in Austin" had over 800 people on the waiting list when the Program began and is likely to exhaust funding before the end of this fiscal year, indicating the continuing need for this assistance. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission recommends that the Austin City Council approve funding of $8 million for the "I Belong in Austin" Program to mitigate the affordability crisis and to accomplish strategic goals related to housing stabilization, economic opportunity, and affordability. Page 1 of 2  Record of the Vote: Adopted on an 11-1 Vote, Commissioner Garza voted no Present: VOTE Date of Approval: 2/12/2024 Jerome Benson John Scott Neal (virtual) ● Dereca Sims (virtual) ● Christian Aguirre ● Yuri G Barragán (virtual) ● ● David Garza ● ● Gary Brown ● Brandon Wollerson ● Charles Curry • Melissa Taylor (virtual) ● Morgan Davis ● Alexander Andersen Attest: Alyssa Parra, staff Liaison Page 2 of 2