MAKE AUSTIN ANTI-RACIST

$3.2 million grants seek to close racial gaps in income and wealth in Austin

The grant money provided to Austin will be used in partnership with UpTogether to launch a cash assistance program to help Black, Indigenous, and people of color purchase homes from the city’s land trust.

Photo by Desola Lanre-Ologun on Unsplash

A national partnership between leading financial institutions has chosen Austin among six total cities to delegate $3.2 million in grants to reduce income and wealth inequality in historically marginalized groups.

The multi-year Closing the Gaps Network initiative by Living Cities has long sought to support pathways for people of color to build wealth while working towards their overall goal of creating an anti-racist society through leadership and inclusive economic opportunities.

The grant money provided to Austin will be used in partnership with UpTogether, formerly the Family Independence Initiative, to launch a cash assistance program to help Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) purchase homes from the city’s land trust. UpTogether will also collaborate with other community-based organizations to provide equity resources and support for local BIPOC entrepreneurs.

In a press release, Living Cities CEO Joe Scantlebury discussed the two main ways for “any group of individuals to build wealth” – homeownership and small business ownership. Creating pathways for people of color to have their own businesses should be easier in Texas, considering it is the second best state to start a small business.

“Gaps in wealth between people of color and white people persist and it will take coordinated, direct action by leaders in cities to turn back the on-going legacy of systemic racism,” he said. “We believe that removing barriers to Black, Indigenous, and other people of color owning homes and small businesses is key for our nation’s future.”

The five other cities besides Austin that will also get a share of the $3.2 million grants are Albuquerque, New Mexico, Memphis, Tennessee, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Rochester, New York.

The grants were made possible with support from the Wells Fargo Foundation and Citi Foundation. In the release, Wells Fargo Foundation president Otis Rolley shared the importance of “restoring financial well-being” of BIPOC through locally-focused endeavors.

“We’re excited to see how each of the selected cities customizes solutions for the needs of their community as they work to close the racial wealth gap,” Rolley said. “At Wells Fargo, we are committed to strengthening underserved communities and opening up more ways for people to grow generational wealth.”

More information about the grants can be found on prweb.com.

bipoc finance Grant Funding anti-racism reducing inequality

keep austin healthy

Austin is the 2nd 'healthiest' city in America, Forbes says

Photo by Max Bender on Unsplash

There are plenty of places for Austinites of varying abilities to be active.

The city's abundance of yoga studios, health-conscious restaurants, and run clubs is paying off: Austin was just named the second healthiest city in the nation in a new study by Forbes Advisor.

The report, "Cities With The Least Healthy (And Healthiest) Populations, Ranked" examined 2021 health data from the City Health Dashboard for 46 of the most populated cities in America. Eight metrics were analyzed for each city, such as the number of heart disease or opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, the percentage of adults with diabetes or high blood pressure, among others.

The study focuses exclusively on physical health, and leans on broad risk factors more than the actual occurrence of specific diseases or conditions.

Austin ranked second to San Jose, California, which was dubbed the No. 1 healthiest city in America.

Forbes found that Austin has the lowest percentage of adult high blood pressure out of all 46 cities in the report, at just 22.5 percent. Only 7.4 percent of Austin residents have diabetes, which is the fourth-lowest rate nationwide. The city also boasts the fifth-lowest percentage of adults who smoke (11.3 percent).

Here's how the report ranked four other metrics for Austin:

Eighth-lowest number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 residents (175.5)
Eighth-lowest number of opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 residents (9.6)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report having obesity (28.2 percent)
10th-lowest percentage of adults who report being physically inactive (18.5)

Austin has a reputation for being an accommodating city, whether it's through restaurants expanding their culinary offerings for vegans and vegetarians, or through local organizations adding exercise equipment to outdoor trails. And you can't forget about all the new gyms and country clubs opening around the city.

At the opposite end of the study, Detroit, Michigan landed as the most unhealthy city in the country.

Elsewhere in Texas
Though Austin is one of the healthiest cities in the U.S., and the healthiest in the state, several other Texas cities fell far behind. Houston appeared as the No. 12 most unhealthy American city on the list, and unhealthiest in Texas. The report attributes this to a high percentage of adults who report binge drinking (18.2 percent), smoking (17.2 percent), and more.

"Houston has the seventh-highest percentage of adults who report having obesity (37.7 percent) and the eighth-highest percentage of adults with diabetes (12 percent)," the report said.

San Antonio ranked as the 15th unhealthiest U.S. city, followed by Dallas (No. 18), El Paso (No. 22) and Fort Worth (No. 25). Arlington appeared as No. 30, technically making it the No. 18 healthiest city in the U.S.

The top 10 cities with the most healthy populations are:

No. 1 – San Jose, California
No. 2 – Austin, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – San Diego, California
No. 5 – Denver, Colorado
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – Boston, Massachusetts
No. 8 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 9 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
No. 10 – Minneapolis

The full report can be found on forbes.com.

austin healthy reports rankings