Austinites impacted by the Covid-19 crisis could see a bit of relief as Austin City Council approved breaking out $15-million from the city’s reserves to create the RISE fund, Relief In a State of Emergency fund. Officials hope to have those dollars moving in the next 2-3 weeks.
Many of Austin’s activist and immigrant community called into Thursday’s digital council meeting and pushed the city leaders to direct some of those funds to the direct financial assistance of those impacted. Grassroots Leadership’s Claudia Munoz told the city leaders just about half her family have lost their incomes thus far. With the covid crisis ongoing she added, “the immediate and enormous need for us has been really alarming. Because we know that this will only increase as time is passing.”
The RISE funds would go to various “social service providers,” groups that help local communities with various needs, like getting quality food, setting up internet access, or helping pay the bills.
Through these groups some folks may even get direct financial assistance. Councilmember Jimmy Flannigan explained the fund will help fill in the gaps left over by larger federal assistance programs, like the $2-trillion relief package. He said, “that’s really important because as a city we are not deciding between people based on their status, or their demographics, or their age or anything.”
The Fund will prioritize folks making less than double the federal poverty line, those directly impacted by Covid-19, and those ineligible to get help from the federal government.
