It’s no revelation that the Austin housing market is exploding and new developments are popping up almost as quickly as people are moving in. And out. To help address the displacement and gentrification Austin is experiencing, at its Feb. 26 meeting, the Human Rights Commission reviewed the six resolutions/draft ordinances that make up the People’s Plan. Although […]
Austin Human Rights Commission
an advisory committee to members of the Austin City Council. It’s purview includes “all matters involving racial, religious or ethnic discrimination.”
Posted inUncategorized
Human Rights Commission finds the naming of Austin public spaces inequitable
In Austin, streets have their names changed from time to time. City parks, however, rarely seem to undergo name changes, but the Human Rights Commission wants to change that. On Nov. 27, the Human Rights Commission considered amending its previous recommendation to City Council’s Gender Equity Resolution to require a more gender-neutral approach to the […]
Posted inAustin
Commission asks if curfew ordinance does any good
Austin and the United States at large share a history of law enforcement policy discriminating against non-white people, and Monday night Human Rights commissioners Sukyi McMahon and Kristian Caballero invited Texas Appleseed staff and community members to help them answer whether the city’s curfew ordinance was a step in the direction of fair and just […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Human Rights Commission talks density bonuses
Housing affordability in Austin as it relates to CodeNEXT was the center of attention at the Human Rights Commission meeting on Monday, June 26. On behalf of Austin Habitat for Humanity, Greg Anderson, the organization’s director of operations, presented a new form of density bonus incentives as a way to combat the city’s housing challenges. […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Human Rights Commission ponders CodeNEXT
The city’s Human Rights Commission is taking a look at CodeNEXT in an attempt to understand the implications of the controversial overhaul of Austin’s land development code on vulnerable populations. On Monday, the commission, which last year urged City Council to recognize gentrification as a “human rights issue,” heard from voices in support of increasing […]
Posted inCity Council
Human Rights Commission condemns Trump
Austin’s Human Rights Commission is pushing City Council to take the bold move of condemning the president of the United States and banning official use of his company’s products and services. At its meeting on Monday, the commission voted 8-2 to condemn actions taken by both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Commissioners […]
Posted inAustin
Human Rights Commission prepares to take on Trump and SB 92
Austin’s Human Rights Commission is testing how much influence city government can have at both the state and national levels this year. Members of the commission are proposing to take a strong stand against President-elect Donald Trump in January and are preparing a recommendation for City Council to condemn some of his statements and conduct […]
Posted inCity Hall
Human Rights Commission pushes Council to address gentrification
Although gentrification is a well-recognized problem in Austin, the Human Rights Commission believes it has reached crisis level and is pushing City Council to take concrete action. The commission passed a recommendation that Council recognize gentrification as a human rights issue at its meeting on June 27. After months of discussion, in which the commission […]
Posted inCity Hall
Disparate treatment of women comes back into focus at City Hall
Last spring, Austin found itself in the national spotlight when news broke about a training session held with the intent of helping city staff cope with a female-majority City Council. Though the repercussions were quick for then-assistant City Manager Anthony Snipes, who resigned in May, the issue soon fell out of the national – and […]
Posted inAustin
Is gentrification a human rights issue in Austin?
Over the past few months, the city’s Human Rights Commission has been taking a hard look at preservation and gentrification. Though such issues might seem outside the commission’s purview, onetime City Council candidate Fred McGhee has a different opinion. McGhee’s complaints come after the Historic Landmark Commission rejected historic zoning for the Rosewood Courts in […]
Posted inAustin
Fair chance hiring moves forward
City Council’s Economic Opportunity Committee voted Monday to direct staff to move forward with writing what is known as a fair chance hiring ordinance. It would include a one-year period to educate employers before they would face penalties for noncompliance. The vote was 3-1, with Council Member Ellen Troxclair, who chairs the committee, voting no. […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Police claim no disparities in marijuana arrests
Austin police say African-Americans are not unfairly targeted by police for marijuana offenses, despite community claims to the contrary. The Austin Human Rights Commission met last week to hear a presentation from Assistant Police Chief Brian Manley about statistics related to citations for marijuana, as opposed to arrests. Manley said of all the Austin Police […]