Help us make healthy & affordable housing attainable for all renters.

The demand for affordable housing is exceeding supply and discourages tenants living in substandard conditions from speaking out for fear of being quickly displaced with nowhere to go. While these tenants have limited tenant protections under Texas Law, many aren't informed of their rights and lack the resources to address their issues. By addressing their problems as a group, renters have the ability to change the power dynamic.

We dedicate our energy to empowering renters to take action through outreach, educational workshops, leadership development, and campaign planning to obtain repairs, prevent displacement, and address common problems at properties. With your contribution we can continue to support Austin renters who are improving their own communities.

Contributions support Building and Strengthening Tenant Action (BASTA), a 501(c)(3) organization.  Currently, BASTA's programmatic work operates as a project of Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid (TRLA). This work is expected to shift to BASTA’s independent organization in fall 2026  and contributions will support this new entity's work.

Donate Art Supplies

In addition to financial contributions, which are always welcome, another great way to support BASTA’s work is to donate any of the following art supplies to help expand our This Is Home arts project, which explores tenants’ personal and collective understanding of rentership in community and seeks to redefine the narrative of home to include the renter experience. If you have any of the following items to donate, please email arts@bastaaustin.org:

  • sketch paper

  • paint (new/gentle used)

  • paintbrushes & paintbrush cleaner

  • smocks

  • canvases

  • print-making press & supplies

  • silk screen printing supplies

  • canvases

  • posterboard

  • pottery wheel

  • vinyl & cricut supplies

  • embroidery supplies