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HOW TO EDUCATE YOURSELF

ORGANIZE WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS

& ADVOCATE

Watch this video of tenants speaking out about living and organizing against mold in their homes. The first step to confronting the issue is to name it.

This video was produced as part of a panel on mold & healthcare providers put on by the Center for Health and Environment Education Research at UT’s Dell Medical School.

The Medical Diagnosis: Mold exposure can cause adverse health effects.

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Organizing for change!

You are not alone! Chances are you are experiencing the same problems that your neighbors are dealing with.

  The Regulators: what can the Austin Code Department and city officials do.

Regardless of whether or not you have submitted a written repair request or if you are current on rent, you can always call the Austin Code Department to submit a complaint if an issue in your home affects yours or your neighbors’ safety and health . You can call 311 and let the operator know you want to make a Code complaint.

Maybe the only good thing to come out of Winter Storm Uri, is that mold is getting recognized as a serious and widespread problem that is affecting the health of thousands of renters. BASTA has been working side by side with tenants for years, and mold has been one of the most common and harmful issues plaguing tenants in their homes.

Due to the jump of code complaints in the months following the storm, City Council passed a resolution to direct city staff to research how the city can address health and safety issues related to mold and rental housing.

In early September of 2021, City staff from the Austin Code Department, Austin Public Health, Housing and Planning, and Homeland Security and Emergency Management produced a report on how to the City can design and implement best practices for addressing mold remediation.

 Tenant Advocates Defending Healthy Housing

BASTA works closely with tenant associations at properties across Austin. We support campaigns based around repairs, especially related to mold all the time! Tenants we work with frequently testify at City Council, Building and Standards Commission, Travis County Commissioners Court, and more. Starting in 2019, BASTA has also began supporting Tenant Advocates Defending Healthy Housing (TADHH) - a group of BASTA tenant leaders from all over the City who work to ensure robust enforcement of existing building and safety codes as well as changing the culture around repairs for tenants, landlords, and officials.