According to the Austin Monitor, the city council will consider a pair of measures today that are designed to fight the displacement of longtime residents by luxury real-estate developments.
Council is poised to approve two resolutions relating to displacement at its meeting today. One authorizes the city manager to find a team at the University of Texas to do a study on gentrification over the next year. The second resolution calls for the creation of the task force and specifies that at least four of the 11 members should be people experiencing displacement due to economic pressure.
We’re grateful the city council is addressing this issue, which has long been a rampant problem in Austin, particularly on the East Side. There are other steps they need to take, though. Community Not Commodity launched a petition last week with three demands:
DEMAND #1: The city council must pass a temporary moratorium on residential rezoning and demolition on the East Side and in other displacement-prone areas.
DEMAND #2: The city council must develop solutions to prevent future displacement by consulting independent, nationally recognized experts.
DEMAND #3: The city council must pass anti-displacement solutions before CodeNEXT is enacted.
We urge the Austin City Council to adopt these measures as soon as possible. If you agree, sign our petition and tell them the time for action is now!