The city of Austin has agreed to pay a New York City-based consultant up to $1.3 million to investigate racism and bigotry in the Austin Police Department, including looking into materials used to train new officers and reviewing instances where police injured or killed someone. The contract took nearly a year to put in place. […]
Audrey McGlinchy, KUT
Posted inHousing
Concerned that money will go unspent, Austin makes changes to its rent help program
Renters affected financially by the Covid-19 pandemic can now apply for up to six months of rent from the city’s rent assistance program, where previously they could apply for only up to three. The change comes as the city worries it won’t be able to distribute millions in funds by a federally imposed deadline. “The […]
Posted inPolice
Anticipating election protests, Council members ask Austin police how they plan to avoid injuries
Four City Council members sent a letter Thursday to the chief of police asking him to explain how he plans to keep protesters safe during anticipated demonstrations following the results of the presidential election next week. “As we’re sure you agree, what happened at previous Austin protests this year represented a failure to keep people […]
Posted inHousing
Austin’s got millions to help with rent, but giving it away is harder than expected
The city of Austin says fewer people have applied for rental assistance than expected. It’s given out just $1.3 million so far of roughly $13 million available for tenants hit financially by the Covid-19 pandemic. “The need that was anticipated has not manifested. We are hearing stories but we’re not seeing it,” Nefertitti Jackmon, housing […]
Posted inPolice
Austin’s DNA lab has had issues for years. A new report outlines how it could be run in the future.
Poor supervision and untrained staff have long plagued the Austin Police Department’s DNA crime lab, forcing it to close briefly in 2016 and then be overseen by the state. So, what will a future lab look like? Consultants hired by the city of Austin in 2017 attempted to answer this question in a long-awaited report […]
Posted inPolice
Group begins collecting signatures to put state law limiting police oversight to a vote
A new political action committee is trying to put a state law governing police oversight on the ballot next May. “I think it’s really unique and kind of amazing that (this petition could) allow the voters in Austin to decide if we want to change how policing is done in Austin,” Eric Wikman, treasurer of […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin City Council set to undo ban against public drinking in East Austin
City Council members are expected to reverse a decades-long ban against the public consumption of alcohol in several parts of East Austin on Thursday. Since the 1990s, drinking alcohol on public streets, roadways or sidewalks in six designated areas of town has been outlawed. The areas include parts of downtown, South Congress Avenue, UT Austin and […]
Posted inAustin
Audit calls Austin’s ‘bad landlord’ program ineffective, says it doesn’t ensure safe housing
A city program intended to make sure landlords maintain safe apartments is failing to do its job, a new audit finds. The report released Wednesday by the Office of the City Auditor looks at the Repeat Offender Program within the city’s Code Department. Created by City Council in 2013 and paid for with a monthly […]
Posted inCity Hall
After ‘damaging’ diversity training, city won’t use company again for similar workshops
A diversity training described by city of Austin employees as “hurtful” and “emotionally and professionally damaging” has prompted the city to prevent an employee assistance company from doing this type of training for staff again. In August 2019, the Austin Transportation Department required its employees to attend the one-hour diversity and inclusion training. In all, […]
Posted inHousing
The CDC has banned most evictions. Here’s what Central Texas renters need to know.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an order last week that could protect renters who’ve lost wages or work hours from eviction until Jan. 1. Why did the order come from a public health agency? The CDC argues keeping people in their homes during a pandemic allows them to quarantine or isolate themselves […]
Posted inHousing
Thousands are out of work, but home sales in Austin are doing fine — better than fine. What gives?
Blake Taylor wants to be rid of the house she hardly leaves. Taylor lives with lupus, an autoimmune disease, and is terrified of what it would mean if she caught Covid-19. She’s been extra careful. When she heads to HEB to buy food, she goes as soon as it opens, hoping fewer people will be […]
Posted inLocal Politics
Gov. Abbott proposes freezing property tax revenue in cities that cut police funding
In the hopes of discouraging cities from reducing money spent on police, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday he and other state leaders support the passage of a bill halting a property tax revenue increase for any Texas city that cuts its police budget. “Cities that endanger residents by reducing law enforcement should not then be […]