Property Tax and Affordable Housing Q&A

5:30 PM, Wednesday, May 27, Carver Library, 1162 Angelina 78702

Moderators Cynthia Mathis, Blackshear Neighborhood Development Corporation & Donna Hoffman, Blackshear Bridge will pose questions to Brigid Shea, County Commissioner Precinct 2, Travis County Appraisal District’s Chief Appraiser Marya D. Crigler, City of Austin Neighborhood Housing & Community Development Manager Letitia Brown-Moore, affordable housing developer Mark Rogers with Guadalupe-Saldana Subdivision and other special guests including District 1 Council Member Ora Houston or a representative of her office and Architect Tom Hatch. Commissioner Precinct 1 Ron Davis invited.

Bring your questions and ideas to the Carver at 1162 Angelina, 78702 next Wednesday. Social at 5:30, Q&A Session, 6:00-7:30, 7:30 Tidy up.

Want to appeal your property tax appraisal? You’re just in time to get more information.

Interested in living in central east Austin but housing costs are too high?
Come hear about affordable and environmentally friendly options becoming available soon.

Let’s build ways Austin can increasingly fill the gap between the need for affordable housing and availability of sustainable options.

Maintaining diversity is a core value behind the work of the volunteers of Blackshear Bridge. City of Austin demographer Ryan Robinson underlines that “sustainability requires diversity”. Robinson’s statistics show how “intense economic pressure” in 78702, one of the nation’s most rapidly gentrifying zip codes, is causing displacement of Latino and African American neighbors.

UT Professor Eric Tang’s Outlier study confirms Austin’s challenge to make it possible for African Americans to live in central Austin if they wish to. In Outlier, Tang describes that Austin is the only major city in the U.S. to experience a double digit rate of population growth between 2000-2010, while also experiencing a decline in the African American population.

Blackshear Bridge and our partner groups are located on the top of la loma, Prospect Hill. In 1928, Austin’s City plan displaced and relocated African Americans to live on Austin’s east side.

Blackshear Bridge asks you to join us and many Austinites working to build alternatives to the trend which sees people of color relocating to north and south suburbs. Making affordable housing available and policies to keep it affordable once it is built are great ways to help make Austin the diverse and sustainable city we all want.

Come learn and lead with us on Wednesday, May 27, 5:30-7:30 PM at the Carver Library, Room 2.

Thank you! Donna Hoffman

Sustainability requires diversity.