Four years ago, I ran for Council to ensure that working families who built our city are able not just to remain, but to thrive and have access to quality services and economic opportunity. Council’s top priorities must be affordable housing, public transportation, and economic empowerment. Without a doubt our city would be far less effective at providing social services if it were not for the amazing nonprofits that step up to help their fellow Austinites. This year City Council won’t pick and choose nonprofits during the budget process. We have set aside funds and placed them in several buckets, so the experts within departments can fund the most effective nonprofits with the level of resources they require. Outside of better funding nonprofits, my plan to address disparities is to provide affordable housing and build a more accessible and reliable transit system to help create diverse, multi-generational, mixed-income communities in Austin to address economic segregation and help ensure working families have increased access to jobs, schools, healthcare, parks and other resources that can raise the quality of life for all Austinites. During my time at Council, I have successfully passed ordinances to help affordable and public housing providers create thousands of affordable homes, advocated for the current $250 million affordable housing bond, was a leading proponent of the $720 million mobility bond, advocated for raising the living wage and expanding worker protections including Fair Chance Hiring and Paid Sick Leave