S2 Ep2: João Paulo Connolly - Transit Investment and Anti-Displacement in Austin

High Frequency

In November 2020, Austin residents voted in favor of Proposition A. The $7 billion plan will expand bus service and build new light rail. Prop A also broke ground by pairing transit investments with housing funds to prevent displacement.

João Paulo Connolly is the Director of Housing and Community Development at the Austin Justice Coalition. AJC is a racial justice group that educates and builds community power for people of color in Austin. In this episode, João Paulo discusses the anti-displacement fund and the equity dashboard written into Prop A. He also shares how transit advocacy can incorporate housing justice.

“Project Connect is a mass transit infrastructure project that includes anti-displacement funding right at the ballot. This is a unique chance that we have to try to get it right and build new transit infrastructure without displacing people from their neighborhoods."

To learn more about the Austin Justice Coalition, click here.

For more on TransitCenter, visit us here.

Disclaimer: Political views raised by guests on the podcast do not reflect the views of TransitCenter.

Hosted and edited by Kapish Singla

Produced by TransitCenter

Music: “Comma” - Blue Dot Sessions