ACTION ALERT RE: GENTRIFICATION! VOTE NO ON REZONING MONTOPOLIS!

This Thursday, October 15th, city council will vote on a proposal to rezone part of Montopolis (508 Kemp Street). The proposed rezoning will allow developers to build luxury condos CONT’D

with a promise of some “affordable housing,” set aside for new residents with income levels that are far greater than the median family income of Montopolis residents.

This proposal does nothing to protect Montopolis residents from being displaced and is instead CONT’D

an example of Austin city council using “affordable housing” rhetoric to grant favors and entitlements to rich developers at the expense of vulnerable communities.

In our R.E.A.L. solutions proposal, we are clear about the need for low-income housing (versus “affordable housing”

which is essentially developer handouts) for the people most at risk of being displaced in our communities. The Uprooted report highlighted Montopolis as one of the neighborhoods most at risk of gentrification and displacement. A vote in favor of this rezoning proposal will ...

do nothing to slow down gentrification, but will instead only exacerbate it. In addition, it will replace the woods around Circle Acres nature preserve with luxury condos. Circle Acres is a community asset and free for the public to access and enjoy nature. CONT’D

At first reading, a majority of the city council voted yes to this rezoning proposal

The pro-gentrification YES votes were: @MayorAdler @GregCasar @NatashaD1atx @DGarzaforD2 @CM_Renteria @paigesellis @JimmyFlannigan

This Thursday, they vote again and we need them to vote NO!

Contact your city council member by phone or by email them using this link put together by Protect Montopolis http://tinyurl.com/montopolisall  and let them know if they care about the communities of color at highest risk of being displaced, they will DENY the rezoning.

If you would like to testify at the city council meeting, you have till Wednesday at noon. Link: https://cityofaustin.formstack.com/forms/austin_city_council_speaker_signup

Include your name, your address, indicate that you OPPOSE rezoning on Item 66 (C14-2020-0038 - 508 Kemp Street). If you wish to provide written comments or visual materials to include in the backup for council to see you can send them to Kate Clarke at [email protected].