Austin City Hall on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Austin City Council spent much of the week debating possible data center regulations, but members also took steps to protect residents from mold, address rising displacement amid an affordability crisis and push back against GOP-led efforts to restrict books.
Here’s more on the other notable actions taken at Thursday’s meeting:
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Mold Regulations
The council unanimously approved a resolution authored by Council Member Vanessa Fuentes that begins the process of changing city code to establish standards and protocols for mold inspections and remediation. The resolution also directs City Manager T.C. Broadnax to improve public awareness of mold prevention and ensure that all housing developments receiving financial assistance from the city meet certain standards.
Fuentes said she proposed the resolution because constituents had told her about landlords failing to address mold problems.
“I’m bringing forth this item to improve the city’s local response to mold complaints, to ensure that all Austinites have a safe and healthy home, free of mold,” she said.
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Shoshona Krieger, who works for the nonprofit Building and Strengthening Tenant Action, encouraged council members to support the resolution during public comment. She said the city code is limited in how it can address landlords’ treatment of tenants.
“This resolution presents an opportunity to continue to explore potential solutions to this problem that has plagued Austin renters,” she said.
Austin attorney Kristina Baehr said in an interview that she began representing residents harmed by mold exposure after two of her children sustained brain damage from toxic mold in their home. Her firm, Just Well, currently has 105 active cases in Texas.
“These cases are very real, and people get very sick in Texas because landlords are turning a blind eye to mold,” she said.
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Mold exposure can cause respiratory issues and allergic reactions. It also has been linked to other health problems, including cognitive difficulties and mental health issues.
Baehr said her saddest case involved a 31-year-old who died after being exposed to mold caused by an improperly installed HVAC system.
Are the city’s displacement programs working?
The council also approved a resolution directing Broadnax to evaluate the effectiveness of city programs aimed at preventing displacement and homelessness. The resolution reallocates budget funding to existing displacement-prevention services and calls for a competitive solicitation process for any new services recommended to the council.
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Awais Azhar, executive director of Housing Works Austin, supported the resolution during public comment Thursday.
“This item really gives us an opportunity as a city to assess our eviction and displacement prevention services, and programs holistically,” he said, adding that there has been a lot of confusion around the state of current services among providers and the community.
Council Member Zo Qadri, who authored the resolution, described it as a first step in fighting homelessness.
“This is our opportunity to develop evidence-based, community-backed recommendations and go forth knowing our limited city dollars are maximizing efficiency and effectiveness,” Qadri said.
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A ban on books? Not at Austin Public Library.
From fall 2022 through May 2026, the Austin Public Library received eight requests to remove or re-level books. Of the five removal requests, four were denied and one resulted in a book being re-leveled. Of the three re-leveling requests, one was denied, one is pending and one lacked sufficient information.
The American Library Association reported 4,235 unique book titles were challenged in 2025. The fight over book bans has been particularly acute in Texas, where state lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 13 last year. The law gives school boards more authority over library materials and prohibits public school libraries from carrying materials with “profane” or “indecent” content.
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The council voted unanimously to reaffirm its opposition to book bans, following a recommendation from the Austin Library Commission. The council passed a resolution in 2022 that first established the city’s commitment to open access to information.
“Today, we are building on an Austin tradition of being on the right side of history by standing up for intellectual freedom,” Council Member Krista Laine, who sponsored the resolution, said at a Wednesday press conference.