Austin News

The Austin mayor and City Council members want to implement a $15 million emergency fund to help residents who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19.

The Austin City Council announced the $15 million fund, which will help residents who have suffered economic effects from the pandemic. Patch reported that the city will vote on the fund at an upcoming City Council meeting. The fund will be called the RISE fund, which stands for Relief in a State of Emergency.

The $15 million will be allocated from the municipal reserves and will deploy existing social services to help residents who are struggling due to the work stoppage, according to the news agency. Mayor Steve Adler, Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza and council members Greg Casa, Sabino "Pio" Renteria and Kathie Tovo support the fund, according to the news agency.

One group the fund will assist are domestic violence survivors who aren't safe in their homes and need shelter during the stay-at-home order, the officials told the news agency. Garza said the fund also would help those who would normally be forced to look for work to pay their bills after a stoppage.

"That's not a sustainable choice for any family, and it's not a sustainable choice for us as a city because it leaves us all less protected and less prepared to face this pandemic," Garza told Patch. "These are unprecedented times, and they demand an unprecedented response. The RISE funding for services and assistance is that response that's going to help the most in need, as quickly as possible. Our approach focuses on expediency and equity and prioritizes those who are historically hard to reach as well as those who now find themselves in dire need."

Casar said the goal was to save lives and protect people from losing their homes and livelihoods.

"While the new federal legislation and expanded unemployment insurance will help many, we know that many community members are left out of these benefits — and that for many in the community, federal and state help is simply not enough," Casar said, according to the news agency. "The city can tap into our emergency funds to address the real emergency that working families are facing now, that's why council is acting to create the Relief in a State of Emergency fund."