“By combining historical context, data, and community impact, the Story Map illustrates how Austin\u2019s unprecedented growth has contributed to displacement while highlighting the positive outcomes of Austin Housing\u2019s displacement mitigation efforts,\u201d said Deletta Dean, Austin Housing Director. \u201cMost importantly, it reflects our commitment to preserving affordability, stabilizing communities, and ensuring residents can remain and thrive in their neighborhoods for generations to come.”<\/p>\n
The Displacement StoryMap<\/a> also highlights how Austin Housing is responding by creating and preserving opportunities to stabilize communities. The tool is intended to be a public-facing resource available to residents, community stakeholders, and policymakers. Ongoing updates and refinements are expected as new data, programs, and displacement prevention initiatives evolve.<\/p>\n Austin Housing\u2019s Displacement Mitigation Efforts<\/p>\n The Displacement Prevention Division<\/a> was created in 2019 as a response to the increasing displacement pressures Austinites continued to face. These programs help stabilize residents in their current homes and communities, working alongside affordable housing real estate investments that create and preserve income-restricted units across Austin.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Displacement Prevention programs provide support to low-income households through:\u00a0<\/p>\n Direct assistance to help residents remain in their homes.<\/p>\n Partnerships with community members and trusted organizations that connect residents to support and expand the reach of services.<\/p>\n Research and geographic targeting to identify where residents are most vulnerable to displacement.\u00a0<\/p>\n How We Help Austinites Stay in Austin\u00a0Using data to identify areas most vulnerable to displacement through our Displacement Risk Area maps.<\/p>\n Nefertitti Jackmon, Austin Housing Displacement Prevention Officer explains: \u201cThe data confirms what many residents are already feeling, the pressure to move further outside of Austin\u2019s urban core. Most importantly the data helps us to focus on where investments should occur. Our goal is to help support residents through Austin\u2019s growth, not by impeding development, but by ensuring that resident voices, priorities, needs, and their desire to remain in Austin, are incorporated and considered as the city grows.\u201d<\/p>\n Keeping vulnerable residents in their homes through our Home Repair Programs.<\/p>\n \u201cI never thought it was possible to get this help. It changed my whole spirit. I feel proud to walk into my house now.\u201d – Austinite who received home repair support<\/p>\n Supporting communities impacted by transit investments through Community Initiated Solutions.<\/p>\n \u201cI am so blessed that CIS was able to help my family. This money saved us from losing our apartment.\u201d – Austinite assisted through the Community Initiated Solutions programming.<\/p>\n Leveraging community knowledge to fight displacement through our Displacement Prevention Navigator Program.<\/p>\n \u201cThinking about the parents or grandparents and those who worked so hard to get where they are today\u2026 I just want to make sure they\u2019re taken care of and able to stay in the home they worked so hard for.\u201d \u2013 Displacement Prevention Navigator on why they joined the program<\/p>\n Stabilizing renters when crisis hits through our Rental Assistance program.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for giving us hope and faith, allowing us to dream about our future again.\u201d – Austinite assisted through our I Belong in Austin program<\/p>\n A member of the community speaking to staff at a resource fair for Community Initiated Solutions, one of the City programs aiming to prevent displacement.<\/p>\n Community Support<\/p>\n \u201cInvestment should not create a future that local people cannot reach.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 -Austinite feedback from Grove-Riverside site engagement\u00a0<\/p>\n Through years of community engagement, we\u2019ve learned that our community shares the same concerns about displacement. Austinites worry that:<\/p>\n Rising costs are pushing long-time residents out<\/p>\n Fear of losing connection and identity for long-time residents<\/p>\n Fear new investments will benefit newcomers more than current residents<\/p>\n Desire right-to-return, relocation benefits, and protections<\/p>\n Encourage preservation of existing affordable housing<\/p>\n Concern for our most vulnerable populations<\/p>\n Importance of addressing housing issues alongside other household needs<\/p>\n This comes from past engagement from the following initiatives: Grove-Riverside Redevelopment<\/a>, Community Needs Assessment<\/a>, Project Connect Anti-Displacement Funding<\/a>, RHDA Lease Addendum<\/a>, 5 Year Consolidated Plan<\/a>, and Opportunity Map<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Learn more about our Displacement Prevention Initiatives<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n About Austin Housing<\/p>\n<\/p>\n