Equity and Affordability Budget Work Session

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Delia Garza
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:20 am

Equity and Affordability Budget Work Session

Post by Delia Garza »

I’m sorry that I could not be at today’s budget work session. I am battling molds and am on the verge of losing my voice. The issues discussed today are near and dear to my heart and really the core of the reason I fought for 10-1 and they are what drives me to go to work everyday to unapologetically fight for our vulnerable population.

With regards to funding, I think funding should be at the same level that we fund other areas. Equity and affordability are just as much a part of public safety as is having a fire truck show up to your house when you need help.

For me, equity and affordability issues rank #1 on my list of priorities. I would think most of my colleagues feel the same, we just have different ideas on how to address them.

With regards to additional investments, I have sponsored a continuity of care IFC, the equity tool IFC, a food access IFC, and a missing middle housing IFC and look forward to the report back from the City Manager on different funding options. In our prosperous Austin, no families should be living in food desserts and worried about access to healthy food or where they will get their next meal, so I look forward to figuring out how to fund addressing our food access issue.

Finally yesterday LULAC unveiled a report on the State of Latinos in Austin and it addressed many issues that need to be prioritized to ensure that we are appropriately supporting our largest minority group but also every minority group. The members present at that meeting stated that they don’t believe the community outreach for the equity office has been robust, so I ask the City Manager to be sure to get as many voices to the table as possible as we create this very important office.
Mayor Pro Tem, District 2