Austin, TX – The City of Austin’s Planning Department is announcing two paid opportunities for community members and organizations to participate in the upcoming release of the Equity-Based Preservation Plan. Competitive applications for both Community Ambassadors and mini-grants to community organizations are open now and will close on December 13, 2023.

The Equity-Based Preservation Plan will replace Austin’s 1981 historic preservation plan with an inclusive, community-oriented process and outcome. Created by a community working group, the draft plan will be released in February 2024 for public review and feedback, with a range of engagement opportunities in addition to the Community Ambassadors and organizational mini-grants. The draft plan will propose improved and new policies, programs, and tools that meet both historic preservation and equity goals.

"We are excited to offer this paid opportunity to community members and community-serving organizations,” said Lauren Middleton-Pratt, Director of the Planning Department. “The Equity-Based Preservation Plan envisions actively engaging diverse communities to protect important places and share stories. Community Ambassadors and mini-grants will help lay the groundwork.”

Community Ambassadors are paid community members who will engage historically marginalized communities to help shape the final preservation plan. People who are connected to groups that have been historically marginalized in planning processes are encouraged to apply, especially communities of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ people, low-income households, and renters.

Ambassadors will be paid $25/hour to do interviews, facilitate small-group conversations, and conduct community outreach. The time commitment is about 14 hours per month from January through May 2024. Ambassadors must register as City vendors.

Organizational mini-grants will provide funds to help engage communities that have been excluded from past planning processes in shaping the Equity-Based Preservation Plan. The City is seeking organizations that have strong, well-established relationships with historically marginalized communities, are skilled at gathering input from these groups, and apply an equity lens in their work. Selected organizations will receive a mini-grant of $3,000 to $5,000 to cover the costs associated with gathering input from their networks over a period of roughly four months. In total, $25,000 in grant funds are available.

Organizations that can meaningfully engage with the following groups are especially encouraged to apply:

• Black, Native American/Indigenous, Mexican American and other Latino/a/x, and Asian American communities
• Youth
• LGBTQIA+ communities 
• People with disabilities 
• Low-income households 
• Renters

To learn more about the Equity-Based Preservation Plan and apply to be a Community Ambassador or for an organizational mini-grant, visit www.publicinput.com/ATXpresplan. Several virtual information sessions in November and early December are listed on the website. The application deadline for both Ambassadors and mini-grants is December 13, 2023.