City recruiting members for new pilot program to help prevent people from being evicted from their homes

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin Housing Department is recruiting community members who want to serve as Displacement Prevention Navigators to help prevent people from being evicted or foreclosed on, according to a news release from the city.

The one-year pilot program will focus on two neighborhoods at high risk of displacement, which is Colony Park and Dove Springs, the release said. Compared to Austin as a whole, the pilot neighborhoods have higher shares of cost-burdened residents, as well as residents who have lived in their homes for more than 20 years.

“The Displacement Prevention Navigator pilot program is urgently needed,” said District 2 Austin Council Member Vanessa Fuentes. “People are our city’s biggest strength—but many people are finding it harder to live here as Austin becomes less affordable. This program will help Austinites stay in their homes and communities by accessing resources from the City and others.”

According to the city, navigators will go through a series of training workshops in summer 2023 to learn about local housing resources and tools to effectively connect community members with those resources.

Navigators will be paid $25 an hour for the year-long program, the city said. Additionally, training will take at least six hours per week, and Outreach and assistance will take 10-15 hours per week from fall 2023 through May 2024, according to the release.

Austinites interested in learning more about the program, or if they would like to serve as a navigator, can go to AustinTexas.gov/Housing.