gava policy platform

Building Community Power for Health Equity

Investing in our communities’ wellness, safety, and opportunities for healthy living.

GAVA supports policies that reflect the needs and expertise of people in our neighborhoods who are directly affected and involved in the issues. We work to ensure that residents are heard on policy issues that matter to them. Our 2021 policy issues of focus include anti-displacement funding allocation, land use, and disaster preparedness & response, workforce equity for early childhood care takers & educators, and equitable food policy planning.

Interested in getting involved in GAVA's policy issues or supporting grassroots advocacy? Email Monica@goaustinvamosaustin.org

Courtesy of KUT


Residents meet in a socially distanced setting

Residents meet in a socially distanced setting

 

Land Use

  • Mitigate the risk of flooding and other climate shocks and stressors and support residents' right to stay in their community as the city grows and development pressures increase.

  • Support equitable and representative participation in neighborhood and community planning

 

Transportation

  • Ensure equitable access to services for transit-dependent residents, especially in Austin’s Eastern Crescent

  • Ensure equitable spending of $300M anti-displacement funds (mitigate displacement caused by new transit lines AND tax increases)

  • Ensure true governance that ensures a process co-created by directly impacted people who are, or have lived experience as, low-income and transit- and/or public housing-dependent residents

 

Climate & Community Preparedness

  • Address infrastructural needs to mitigate flooding and other climate risks

  • Ensure adequate and equitable disaster preparedness, as well as warning, response, and recovery

  • Promote neighborhood stability and mitigate displacement of longtime residents as improvements are made


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Equitable Parks Funding

  • Ensure prioritization of equitable funding for culturally relevant programming for all ages

  • Increase opportunities for park adoption, neighborhood gardens, and EC outdoor learning

 

Food Policy

  • Prioritize applicants with lived experience and a deep understanding of neighborhood food realities to guide the process

  • Compensate resident leaders with lived experience to give input on plan development and engage community and business members in the conversation

  • Ensure development of an equity tool specifically for the food system to evaluate all food system decision making

 

EARLY CHILDHOOD AND SCHOOL HEALTH EQUITY

  • Increase Continuity of Care funding - expanding local subsidy when families fall outside of federal eligibility requirements, such as up-front job search or loss of job while in care, and possibly a 'ramp-down' period after an income increase

  • $500K for scaling and sustaining Family Child Care Networks


Interested in getting involved?

Use the contact form below!