Coronavirus: Austin To Create $15M Fund For Struggling Residents

AUSTIN, TX — City officials on Friday afternoon are scheduled to propose the creation of a $15 million fund designed to help residents struggling amid the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Steve Adler, Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza and council members Greg Casar, Sabino "Pio" Renteria and Kathie Tovo are poised to propose a vote for the upcoming city council meeting to create the RISE fund, the acronym of which translates to Relief in a State of Emergency. The action includes a $15 million allocation from municipal reserves to help residents grappling with bills amid work stoppage prompted by the need for physical distancing to blunt illness spread.

The RISE fund will deploy existing social service agencies to help tens of thousands of residents who are struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic, officials explained in a news advisory. Garza’s resolution aims to ensure Austin residents can pay for housing, food, household essentials such as diapers, and other essential needs.

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The fund will also support survivors of family violence who need to leave their homes for a safer place during the shelter-in-place order, officials explained.

Casar’s budget ordinance allocates $15 million immediately to the RISE fund from the Budget Reserve. RISE will target residents working in industries hardest hit by the pandemic, and it will support Austinites who are not receiving sufficient support from existing state and federal relief programs, such as low-income seniors, low-income students, and immigrants.

Garza expounded on the need for triggering emergency funds outlays at a time when residents are forced to shelter in place to mitigate the potential spread of respiratory illness from contact: “As a city, we’re asking Austinites to stay home to flatten the curve. For many people, that means choosing between complying with that order and protecting public health and safety, or going out to find work so they can pay their bills and feed their kids.

"That’s not a sustainable choice for any family, and it’s not a sustainable choice for us as a city because it leaves us all less protected and less prepared to face this pandemic. These are unprecedented times, and they demand an unprecedented response. The RISE funding for services and assistance is that response that’s going to help the most in need, as quickly as possible. Our approach focuses on expediency and equity and prioritizes those who are historically hard to reach as well as those who now find themselves in dire need.”

Casar added: “We must save lives in this pandemic. We also must protect people from losing their homes, their livelihoods, their ability to make ends meet. While the new federal legislation and expanded unemployment insurance will help many, we know that many community members are left out of these benefits — and that for many in the community, federal and state help is simply not enough. The City can tap into our emergency funds to address the real emergency that working families are facing now, that’s why Council is acting to create the Relief in a State of Emergency fund, or RISE fund.”

Renteria spoke to the urgency of the measure: “The need locally is urgent, so we must make quick, impactful responses to help Austin’s most vulnerable families. By passing this resolution, Council will address the growing demand on our local social services and offer much-needed relief to those affected by this ongoing pandemic.”

It's an effort to make families whole in a time of financial exigency for many, Tovo suggested: "Many families in our city have lost employment or have had their hours cut significantly and are struggling to pay bills and secure basic needs for their families. This measure will enable our social service providers to get financial support to those families right now.”

This is a developing story. Patch will update as more details are shared.