Does Austin Hate the Poor?

The rejection of Prop 15 in 2012 was a tremendous blow to Austin’s affordable housing initiatives. Voters approved bonds for transportation, open space, parks and recreation, public health and human services, and even library, museum, and cultural arts facilities, but not for housing. Why, of all the bonds, was this one not approved? Is the community against affordable housing in principle or is there more to it?

Beyond just the proposition, I believe that as designers and as humans, we have a basic responsibility to help those in need. It is either incredibly self-centered or incredibly ignorant to disregard issues assuming they will solve themselves. The problem poverty is not a new one and is something that we can never actually solve. Jesus famously said, “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” However, the enormity of the problem is not an excuse for inaction.

Studying the effects of the Industrial Revolution on poverty in 1889, Charles Booth mapped the wretched living conditions endured by the poor. They lived as close to work as they could afford and the personal cost was more than just rent They sacrificed personal space, health, and morals to be exploited by their employers. While conditions are not as dire in Austin, the root of the problem is the same. Many people cannot afford to live and are unable to advance. There is a discrepancy between rent and wages. While rent is extremely susceptible to the market, wages are not. Left solely to the market, low-income citizens will lose every time. Thus, Austinites must intercede to help their own community. We have to craft policies that will effectively create affordable housing where it is needed. I intend research what went wrong with Prop 15 and what Austin should do to move forward with its affordable housing initiatives.

Charles Booth: Poverty Map of London 1889