March 2023 Monthly Service Offering Recipient – Austin Justice Coalition

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Austin Justice Coalition has had “a long, challenging year of advocating for change and more equitable policies. (They) have been a part of some key wins:

• Furthering housing justice by eliminating HACA screening criteria that blocked formerly incarcerated people from accessing housing vouchers.
• Working with the Eviction Solidarity network and a coalition of renters to win the ‘Right to Organize’ and seven-day‘ Right to Cure’ period for Austin’s tenants.
• Advocating at the SHFC board and County Commissioner’s Court for the Tenants at Rosemont Apartments
• Encouraging the City of Austin to put the largest housing bond in its history on the ballot, and working in coalition with many orgs and advocates to get the bond passed by over 71% of the vote
• Championing permanent supportive housing developments like Cady Lofts, which will provide housing
• Organized the first Community Investment Budget proposal at the City and saw many of our priorities funded including:
  • A pilot for a guaranteed basic income program,
  • The creation of a Trauma Recovery Center,
  • An increase in the minimum wage for city workers,
  • Continuing the rental assistance and anti-displacement program following the end of federal dollars
  • Additional dollars for inclement weather shelter and permanent supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness

  • Defeated efforts to increase sworn police staffing and the police budget, which enabled many of the Community Investment Budget items above to be funded.

• Supported a successful coalition effort to get a petition strengthening Austin police oversight on next May’s ballot
• Supported the successful unionization drives of workers at the primary public low-income healthcare provider (Integral Care) and nurses at the Ascension Seton Medical Center, creating the largest hospital union in Texas to ensure better conditions for those serving the poor in our community
• Supported allocation of dollars to community-based organizations to support gun violence victims in the hospital and to enable those accused of illegal gun possession to avoid the worst outcomes of the criminal legal system – 2 approaches shown to help prevent future gun violence

& of course (they) served our community in a multitude of ways, including:

• Supported community members financially with childcare, rent relief, medical bills, groceries, funeral expenses, etc… equaling over $100,000 in crisis relief for the community
• Sponsored back-to-school drives, Black youth football, cheerleading, and basketball teams, Brown Boy Productions, UNCF @ Huston Tillitonson, Jump On It, DOLE, Tomorrow’s Promise Foundation, community events, and more.
• Hosted supply drives to support our unhoused neighbors and families in need.*”