A new block of funding for anti-displacement work related to the Project Connect transit system is now available through Austin's housing department, the city announced April 11.
The funding will be shared among local nonprofits for support of residents at risk of displacement given housing pressures that are anticipated with the new rail network's development. Rosie Truelove, director of the Austin Housing and Planning Department, said the dollars have the potential to create stability for renters and homeowners along proposed Project Connect lines by providing "affordable housing units and asset-building opportunities."
“Our goal is to inspire and fund community-driven solutions that are informed by demographic data and research, made available to the public to identify communities at risk of displacement," said Nefertitti Jackmon, Austin's community displacement prevention officer. "These community-driven processes are not simply innovation. It’s community innovation designed to propel the city of Austin toward transportation and housing solutions that are equitable for Austinites."
Officials said the anti-displacement dollars could be spent on work such as tenant stabilization, foreclosure assistance, and supporting economic mobility and opportunities such as homeownership.
