The Platform
Steven's Commitments
Four Pillars. Eight Core Priorities. One Mission.
Four Pillars. Eight Core Priorities. One Mission.
District 1 comes first. I will make decisions WITH my neighbors, not behind closed doors. I will be transparent about who funds city projects and who benefits. No outside special interests will have a seat at my table that belongs to D1.
Growth that doesn't lift up District 1 residents isn't progress — it's DISPLACEMENT. I am fighting for development that pays living wages, includes affordable housing, respects D1's character and history, and keeps working families rooted in the communities they built. We grow together or we don't grow at all.
D1 schools are underfunded. Parks are neglected. Connected sidewalks and bike lanes lag. I am committed to REVERSING that. I am prioritizing investment in afterschool programs, rebuilding park spaces, improving transit, and creating job opportunities connected to that growth. District 1 has waited long enough for equitable investment.
District 1 residents have been locked out of decisions that affect their lives. I am committed to RECLAIMING community power through community advisory boards, transparent public forums, and direct resident input on every project that affects D1. When the community decides, we all win.
My Policy Philosophy
It is easy to think that your voice is washed out in a city of over a million residents, especially in an underserved and underrepresented area like District 1. But I believe your voice matters — simply as neighbors, parents, workers, homeowners, renters, small-business owners, students, retirees, longtime residents, and newcomers. All who are deserving to put down roots in East Austin.
The Constitution states that representation is based on the people, not membership in organizations. That's the diverse representation I'm fighting for: no prerequisites for equal protection and representation, just neighbors and community members first and foremost, with a seat at the table and a chance to be heard.
My policy philosophy is to make well-rounded decisions and stances by first hearing from community members about the issues they face and then deciding what could best support them with data-driven, effective solutions. To make Austin the best version of itself, we have to listen to and learn from everyone around us; leave divisive culture wars at the door. Only then can we partner with local government and community organizations to build real, long-lasting multigenerational change.
As a man of faith, I understand the importance of treating my neighbors not just equally, but equitably. That ensures everyone gets the individualized help they need, not a one-size-fits-all solution. Only through genuine respect for our neighbors and equitable treatment for all can Austin become the best city it can be, not just for those who can afford the rising costs, but for every resident who calls it home.
These are just the start. Stay connected to learn how I will fight for the other issues that matter to D1 families.
Long-term District 1 residents are being priced out of the community they built. Rising rents and housing costs are displacing families and preventing renters from becoming homeowners. That ends now.
District 1 can no longer be a safe haven for developers pushing for higher prices and encouraging gentrification. I'm supporting the Equity/Anti-Displacement Overlay for the 78702 zip code — a policy that protects one of the nation's most gentrification-vulnerable zip codes from luxury developers while preserving affordable housing.
When elected, I'll return funding to proactive rental assistance programs that prioritize households facing displacement with direct rental assistance, moving and storage costs, and settlement negotiations. Renters deserve protection, not exploitation.
For our unhoused neighbors, I'll push to expand the Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST) model into District 1. HOST pairs officers, paramedics, mental health specialists, and social workers to proactively connect unhoused individuals to behavioral health care and pathways to permanent housing. This system works, and yet is currently underfunded. I'll ensure District 1 supports it so our unhoused neighbors are treated with dignity and care.
District 1 workers deserve fair pay, safe conditions, and the opportunity to build stable futures for their families. Taxpayer dollars should create good-paying jobs that support working people.
Once in City Council, I'll advocate for mandated living wages on all city contracts. Your hard work deserves a reciprocated livable wage. Economic justice is what you get back from the taxes you pay. Too often District 1 neighbors contribute their fair share but do not see the same level of investment brought back to them in their microcommunities and households.
District 1's taxpayer dollars should fund District 1's infrastructure, public services, parks, and community improvements — at the same level as other neighborhoods. A priority of mine is ensuring District 1 gets its fair share in every city budget. Your tax dollars should come home to District 1.
As a fourth-generation East Austin resident and father, I understand that every generation has a responsibility to invest in the next. My family has called District 1 home for generations, and I want to ensure today's children have the same opportunity to build their future here. That means investing in their safety, education, and resilience while creating pathways for them to plant roots, build careers, raise families, and contribute to our community for years to come.
To guide this work in our schools and community, I'll support the use of a widely accepted education equity index scorecard. The scorecard will track educational equity, student outcomes, and confront systemic disparities facing minority students across Austin and District 1. When in City Council, I'll use this as a tool to drive investment in resources targeting these issues.
An important part of building generational wealth is ensuring that family homes and land stay within families for generations. Unfortunately, many generational homeowners lack formal legal documentation of their property titles. When elected, I'll push for more funding toward legal assistance to formalize heir property rights in District 1.
The heat in Austin is no joke, and neither is the disparity between District 1's tree canopy and West Austin. West Austin communities have 78% tree canopy coverage by mature trees, while East Austin and District 1 have just 22%. This means our community faces hotter temperatures in the same city — a direct result of historical disinvestment. When elected, I'll mandate tree canopy expansion in District 1 so your zip code doesn't determine your experienced climate conditions.
District 1 has also disproportionately housed industrial facilities due to zoning laws that allowed dumping grounds to be across the street from residential homes. This puts our community at risk of documented respiratory disease, heart disease, and reduced life expectancy simply because facilities have used District 1 as a dumping ground for decades. If elected, I'll establish an Environmental Remediation Fund for District 1 to clean up decades of industrial contamination and protect our community's health.
Every Austin resident deserves to feel safe, respected, and protected. Yet Austin's east side Black and Latino residents are disproportionately stopped, searched, and arrested on traffic stops, while warnings are concentrated on the west side. That's not safety, that's targeting.
The historically higher rate at which minorities are pulled over demands accountability and a public-safety approach grounded in dignity, not enforcement.
As a City Council member, I'll strengthen independent police oversight through full implementation of Austin's voter-approved Police Oversight Act. I'll also expand Austin's Crisis Intervention Team into District 1, pairing trained mental health clinicians with APD officers to respond to people in crisis with care instead of incarceration. Public safety means protection, not punishment.
As District 1 neighborhoods expand rapidly, so is vehicle and foot traffic on our streets. Drivers, bikers, and pedestrians deserve safe roads and sidewalks. Yet we've been left behind without basic infrastructure.
When elected, I'll ensure District 1 gets its fair share of funding from grants and bonds to implement street safety features: high-visibility crosswalks, street lights on dark roads, and smart traffic signals. I'll also close critical sidewalk gaps near transit stops, schools, and medical services.
Reliable public transit is even more urgent in our growing city. District 1 commuters face service gaps and delays that other neighborhoods don't tolerate. The Green Line Commuter Rail was promised six years ago — this promise has stalled. When elected, I'll demand that Project Connect go back to voters so we can prioritize the components District 1 actually needs — like circulating neighborhood buses or the Green Line — and deliver reliable and affordable transit for working-class commuters who depend on the city to provide it.
District 1's culture is one of its greatest strengths, built by generations of minority Austin families who have shaped the community's identity, history and spirit. As our city continues to grow, we must ensure cultural investments keep pace and end the cultural funding disparity in East Austin today.
Preserving cultural heritage means protecting the spaces where local artists live and work, where cultural programming thrives, and where families gather to celebrate who we are. Done right, District 1's unique stories and traditions can be passed down across generations, strengthening both our community connections and economic opportunities.
I've already been in this fight. As a Givens Park Advisory Board Member, I've advocated for parks and recreation centers that serve our community. From the Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse naming effort to the ongoing push to reopen Givens Park's kitchen, I've shown up because the spaces where families gather matter. As a council member, I will bring that same grit to City Hall every day: fighting for equitable cultural funding and protection of the historic buildings and neighborhoods that tell Austin's authentic story.
Small businesses are the backbone of District 1, creating local jobs, building intergenerational wealth, and preserving the character of the neighborhoods we call home. As Austin grows, I will make sure local entrepreneurs have what they need to compete, not just survive. That starts with increasing outreach, training, and city contracting opportunities for the family-owned, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses that define our community.
Opening a business should not feel like the system is working against you. When elected, I will push for dedicated funding that gives D1 entrepreneurs direct access to technical assistance — helping them navigate permits, licenses, and city requirements correctly the first time. Getting it right from the start saves time, saves money, and removes a barrier that stops too many great ideas before they begin.
Finding affordable commercial space is one of the most pressing challenges facing our small business community. I will prioritize keeping District 1 commercial spaces accessible by pushing for landlord tax incentives tied to affordable rents and establishing a legacy business preservation fund, so the businesses that have anchored our neighborhoods for decades can stay exactly where they belong.
City resources should work for the people, not just on paper, but inside the homes of the families who build District 1.