Civil Rights and Wrongs for June 15, 2021

This Tuesday Michelle Manning-Scott interviews John Henneberger, Co-Director of the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service, or Texas Housers.  John is a leading expert on housing issues in Texas.  He has been recognized for his commitment to social justice, helping low income people advance model solutions to housing issues in their communities, and developing common-ground solutions from diverse housing interests.  We discuss the history of Black neighborhoods in Austin, “redlining,” affordability, and the 2018 housing bond, among other topics.  Jim Harrington will be with us, too.  Jim is the retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project.

Austin Sanders will also join us.  He is a Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle where he covers City Council, APD, homelessness and other issues.  This past Thursday, City Council held its last session before adjourning for a summer break.  Austin reports that Council approved changes to the homestead exemption that provides a tax break for homeowners.  Council also determined how to allocate funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, deciding to spend more than $100M over the next two years on homelessness programs and housing.