commentary: Gentrification in our local government

Austin, Texas is one of the most rapid growing cities in the United States. According to Francisco Dominguez from The Daily Texan, every year, Austin has 40,000 new residents.  The more people that move here in Austin, the higher demand for housing. Real-estate developers have found many opportunities for new housing developments. Real estate developers have bought many properties in the East Austin area.  East Austin is known for low-income residents, crime, and historical landmarks. Developers found that East Austin offers cheap land that’s close to downtown (Dominguez). The new development has affected many longtime residents.  Many housing complexes have raised rental costs and property values have increased. Most residents who have been affected by the new development can’t afford the rent or some have been evicted. What is happening in East Austin is called gentrification. Gentrification is when wealthy people move to a lower income neighborhood, where they buy property or convert old builds to luxury housing units, and this changes the culture.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler decided he wanted to make sure all resident can continue to live in Austin despite increase cost of living for the low and middle- class. Mayor Steve Adler created a Task Force with local leaders to create city policy that can guarantee that all residents would be treated fair. This task force was created to combat gentrification in Austin. The Mayor’s Task Force published a 70-page report on Institutional Racism and Systemic Equities. This report was presented to the city council, the Council would vote on whether to ask the city manager to devise policy based on the task force’s recommendations. One of the recommendation the mayor’s proposed renovate deteriorating market-rate housing and offer the upgraded housing to lower-income residents, by creating a strike fund this would leverage private dollars to make the changes. Another recommendation of the task force to combat gentrification in Austin is to temporary suspend all rezoning and demolition of single-family and multifamily homes in certain parts of  East Austin.  Many people were evicted from their resident, houses were destroyed and new apartments or business were constructed. Gentrification in Austin has increased over the years and no one has tried to stop it, I'm glad the Mayor wants to do something about it. I think City Council should approve the recommendations the Mayor's Task Force suggested because it could stop expanding Gentrification in all Austin. Developers should focus constructing new apartment and business outside of Austin in open lands. I believe it would be good to use funds to renovate houses, parks, community centers and historical sites. Making Austin more beautiful without evicting residents, lowering the cost of housing, and keeping Austin culture, everyone can live happily. We hope in the next years Austin can continue to be known as "Live Music Capital of the World," and stop being known to be one of fastest gentrified city in the United States, so let support our local government and be more involved in our community.

Dominguez, Francisco. "Austin's Growing Population Is Gentrifying the City's East Side and Hurting Austinities in the Process - The Daily Texan."

Austin's Growing Population Is Gentrifying the City's East Side and Hurting Austinities in the Process. N.p., 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 26 April. 2017.

Commentary: Sweet Tea and Politics blog

               In the blog “Texas should Raise its Minimum Wage,” my classmate discuss Texas minimum wage hasn’t increased over the years. I agree with my classmate argument Texas should increase the minimum wage because the cost of living expenses have increased over the years. Texas is the second largest state and populated in the Unites States, currently, the minimum wage is $7.25. The net income from one job hasn’t been able to overpass residents living expenses. Many people are living check to check every week. Most residents have to get at least two jobs to cover their basic living expenses like rent and their utilities.
                 My classmate mention about an article from the  Huffington Post about ten states who have increase their minimum wage and the unemployment hasn’t increase, but in Texas, the unemployment has increased also the growing number of homeless. If Texas would increase their minimum we would have less unemployed and homeless. The more people with jobs the more collection in taxes that can be used for roads, schools, and other things. My classmate provided supporting fact for their argument. This blog was very informative and was able to communicate their idea. Texas needs to increase their minimum wage to compensate all resident who daily struggles to make ends meet. I hope we don’t have to wait more years until legislator increases the minimum wage. We need to create changes, so we can make our resident happier. So come Texas lets earn more money for our resident and for our state!