Council Forum Covers “R.E.A.L. Solutions” to Gentrification and Displacement, Affordable Housing, and Public Safety

On Monday, Oct. 12, a handful of City Council candidates convened for a virtual forum on institutional racism to discuss gentrification and displacement, affordable housing, and public safety. Organized by Grassroots Leadership, Commun­ities of Color United, and Undoing White Supremacy Austin, the forum specifically sought to ask candidates not only about their commitment to racial justice and equity but also their plans for implementation.

With Council's historic reallocation of Austin Police Depart­ment funds toward health and social service programs in the fiscal year 2021 budget, the five Council seats on the Nov­ember ballot have the opportunity to impact how funding will be allocated going forward. Though shifting funds away from APD was a significant step toward reimagining a public safety system that addresses the root inequities underlying crime – versus relying on policing as the solution – Communities of Color United's Paula Rojas said, "We can't just focus on defunding police without focusing on what it is that we need to invest in. To solve the problem, we also need to invest seriously in the needs of our local community." Through years of community input, CCU has concretized R.E.A.L. solutions, which targets four key aspects of reinvestment – the RISE fund, the city's Equity Office, Austin Public Health, and low-income housing – to help address Austin's racial disparities and inequities.

Moderator Rachel Manning, a member of Undoing White Supremacy Austin, questioned candidates on their commitment to R.E.A.L. solutions, including Austin's newly formed Reimag­in­ing Public Safety Task Force and the displacement of communities of color. All the candidates committed to working toward such solutions, with the lone exception being District 10's Ben Easton (who favors decriminalizing all drugs, but also believes in minimal social welfare).

On the issue of gentrification and displacement, most candidates cited possible solutions being right-to-stay and right-to-return policies, the preservation of affordable housing, and funding for tenant advocacy. "The displacement of our Black community has been an ongoing issue here in Austin," said D2's Vanessa Fuentes, referring to Austin's shrinking Black population. (According to a UT-Austin study, Austin was the only city out of the 10 fastest growing cities in America between 2000 and 2010 whose Black population declined.)

There was broad agreement among the candidates on decoupling mental health services from police, decriminalizing minor infractions, and investing more in mental health services. D4 incumbent Greg Casar referred to the shooting of David Joseph, a Black teenager experiencing a mental health crisis whom an APD officer shot and killed in 2016, as "one of the most horrific killings of a person by a police officer, not just in our city but across the country. ... We can't solve behavioral health issues through policing."

D2 candidate David Chincanchan pointed to the fact that D2 – a community that is 72% Latinx – experiences the highest number of officer-involved shootings out of all 10 Council districts: "Does that make our communities feel safe?

"It's not just about reallocating funds," Chincanchan said, "but about making sure our policies and our laws reflect our community values."