The City of Austin’s Equity Office provides leadership, guidance, and insight on equity to improve the quality of life for Austinites. The Office strives to achieve the vision of making Austin the most livable city in the nation for all while building and sustaining a culture of equity across the city. This requires tackling tough issues such as institutional racism and implicit bias. Creating a culture of equity will ensure we are meeting the needs of all residents.
The City of Austin Equity Statement is as follows:
Racial equity is the condition when race no longer predicts a person’s quality of life outcomes in our community. The City recognizes that race is the primary determinant of social equity and therefore we begin the journey toward social equity with this definition. The City of Austin recognizes historical and structural disparities and a need for alleviation of the wrongs by critically transforming its institutions and creating a culture of equity.
Learn more here about how this definition was developed and how the Equity Office supports City departments when it comes to equity trainings.
The Equity Office works across all City departments and with major institutions, non-profits, and other community organizations working in the Austin to build capacity and leadership in working from a racial equity lens. This includes both our multiple training offerings, and one-on-one equity consultations. Annually the Office trains more than 500 people, and consults on more than 600 different programs, services, policies brought to us both by City staff and community concerns. If you are a staff member with the City or other major institution and are seeking an equity consultation or workshop, please complete this form and staff will get in touch.
Learn More and Get Involved
In order to learn more about the work of the Equity Office, please check our Equity Action Team Dashboard. On this Dashboard, you can learn more about how we define equity, how we began as an Office, and how you can help us make Austin the most livable city in the country for ALL.