TO: Mayor Adler and City Council Members, Mr. Bert Lumbreras, Assistant City Manager
In light of the absence of an NHCD director, the members of the Austin Housing Coalition would like to make the following Housing Department budget recommendation revision:
Direct NHCD to fund GO Repair at $3 million. This year’s budget was $2.5M, but the staff recommendation is currently for $2M in next year’s budget. Please note:
• The Austin Housing Repair Coalition agencies all have long waiting lists and are fully capable of effectively utilizing $3M. Additionally, all agencies entered into the Green and Healthy Housing Initiative Compact which maximizes the effect of repair efforts within the City.
• GO Repair is the major matching fund to leverage the City’s ABR, HOME and Lead Safe programs as well as leveraging over $500,000 in other funding through partner agencies’ direct grants.
• $3M will allow us to repair 160 homes this year.
Over 13,000 low income home owners in Austin live in substandard, unsafe housing and cannot afford to make necessary repairs. The GO Repair Program is the only program that can effectively repair these homes, allowing these citizens to live in safe, accessible housing for the remainder of their lives, thereby stabilizing neighborhoods and eliminating blight. This program strengthens Austin’s initiative to make it the best city in America.
Sincerely,
Sunshine Mathon, Chair Charles Cloutman, Vice-Chair