Join Our Team

We are a team of tenants, organizers, attorneys, and paralegals working to create a future where all Austinites have access to healthy and affordable housing. We are always looking for talented and passionate folks to join our team. 

Available positions are listed below. Please check back regularly for updated opportunities to help us achieve our mission!

Director of Legal Services

About BASTA:

BASTA (Building and Strengthening Tenant Action) is a project housed in Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) dedicated to helping Austin renters work alongside their neighbors to improve conditions in their homes and communities. In response to longstanding community frustration over substandard housing and landlord impunity, BASTA engages underrepresented tenants through outreach and education into a housing justice movement that seeks to dismantle the systems that prevent tenants from living in dignified and healthy homes. 

BASTA works to build tenant power by supporting organized groups of renters -tenants associations- and by educating the larger renter community about evictions and other tenant issues. Our tenants association work supports tenants organizations at multifamily properties throughout Austin to advance campaigns to win dignity, respect, better living conditions, and community benefits. Our community education work includes interactive presentations, the development of digital and print materials, and connecting individual tenants facing eviction to resource and rights information. BASTA envisions a future where the collective action of Austin renters has brought healthy and affordable housing to all.

Position Description:

BASTA’s Director of Legal Services will be a pivotal member of our leadership team responsible for a wide range of legal activities related to tenants rights, community benefits agreements, and housing issues. The Director of BASTA Legal Services will supervise two BASTA paralegals and, with the support of the Project Director, will build out the BASTA Legal Services team, including identifying potential funding for and recruiting additional community lawyers. The Director of BASTA Legal Services Director will work closely with the Project Director, the BASTA Research and Policy Director, BASTA paralegals, and TRLA housing attorneys to support the tenants association, community education, and policy efforts.

This role requires a dynamic individual with strong legal expertise who locates their legal advocacy in the context of advancing campaigns led by directly-impacted tenants and who sees lawyering as one tactic in the housing justice movement. The ideal candidate is a creative thinker who is not afraid of the messiness that comes with community lawyering; understands the importance of training and partnering with other attorneys and paralegals to strengthen Austin’s community lawyering infrastructure; has the patience and curiosity to tease out client stories and questions to ensure mutual understanding; and likes to roll up their sleeves to develop the mastery necessary to make seemingly complex information accessible.

Responsibilities:

  • Provide legal representation to individual tenants in various housing-related matters, including but not limited to eviction defense, habitability issues, community rule issues, and ledger disputes. Such representation includes counsel and advice, negotiation, and litigation;

  • Conduct client intake interviews, assess legal needs, and develop tailored legal strategies;

  • Represent tenants associations affirmatively, including negotiating and drafting community benefits agreements; 

  • Oversee BASTA legal intake line;

  • Supervise BASTA paralegal work; convene team meetings; and provide guidance, support, and professional development opportunities to paralegals (and attorneys in the future);

  • Identify fellowship and funding opportunities to grow the BASTA legal team with the support of the Project Director and Development and Communications Manager;

  • Develop and maintain relationships with TRLA housing attorneys and other public interest attorneys in Austin to build capacity to co-counsel and represent BASTA tenants;

  • Provide legal guidance and support to BASTA staff and tenants associations to inform and advance campaigns;

  • Serve as a resource for team members seeking legal expertise;

  • Work with field staff and Research and Policy Director to develop educational materials and resources about affordable housing tenants’ legal rights and responsibilities;

  • Conduct interactive know your rights presentations at tenants associations as needed in conjunction with field staff;

  • Collaborate with the Research and Policy Director on tenant-related policy advocacy;   

  • Develop community benefits agreement template, based on existing materials, and work with Research and Policy Director to familiarize staff and tenants with community benefit agreements;

  • Ensure that legal team case data and deliverables are regularly updated and assist with grant reporting;

  • Ensure separation of legal team and outreach work to avoid conflicts of interest and litigation pitfalls, optimize organizer flexibility in advocating at properties, and ensure compliance with organizational restrictions;

  • In conjunction with the Project Director, maintain and develop BASTA’s legal team infrastructure, including referral processes and compliances requirements;

  • All other duties assigned.

Required Qualifications: 

  • Juris Doctor (JD) and active license to practice law in Texas;

  • A minimum of 4 years of active practice, with a focus on tenants rights and housing law preferred;

  • Experience in community lawyering, legal services or public interest law;

  • Commitment to social, economic, racial and language justice;

  • Knowledge of local and state housing laws and regulations;

  • Strong legal research, writing and advocacy skills;

  • Excellent communication skills;

  • Strong interpersonal and consensus-building skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of people, including team members, clients, opposing counsel, and property managers and owners; 

  • Ability to problem solve and think strategically;

  • Ability to effectively multi-task, work well with others under pressure, and creatively adapt as needed;

  • Strong organizational skills;

  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team;

  • Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends; and

  • Vehicle and driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications: 

  • Experience managing staff, interns or volunteers.

  • Proficiency in languages often spoken or used by tenants in Austin (ie., Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese, Pashto, Burmese, ASL);

  • Experience with working in multilingual spaces;

  • Proficiency with Google Docs, Sheets and Slides or Microsoft equivalents; 

  • Experience designing accessible and engaging print materials with knowledge of Canva a plus; and,

  • Familiarity with LegalServer, Slack, Miro, Hustle, and Toggl.

Compensation:

Salary $82,250-$92,250 depending on experience. Full medical and dental benefits are provided to employees. Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays. 

Apply HERE!

BASTA has a strong commitment to hiring staff that reflect the tenant communities we support. People of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people and renters with experience living in low-income housing are encouraged to apply.

Director of Organizing

BASTA (Building and Strengthening Tenant Action) is a project housed in Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) dedicated to helping Austin renters work alongside their neighbors to improve conditions in their homes and communities. In response to longstanding community frustration over substandard housing and landlord impunity, BASTA engages underrepresented tenants through outreach and education into a housing justice movement that seeks to dismantle the systems that prevent tenants from living in dignified and healthy homes. 

BASTA works to build tenant power by supporting organized groups of renters -tenants associations- and by educating the larger renter community about evictions and other tenant issues. Our tenants association work supports tenants organizations at multifamily properties throughout Austin to advance campaigns to win dignity, respect, better living conditions, and community benefits. Our community education work includes interactive presentations, the development of digital and print materials, and connecting individual tenants facing eviction to resource and rights information. BASTA envisions a future where the collective action of Austin renters has brought healthy and affordable housing to all.

Position Description:

The Director of Organizing position presents a unique opportunity for a strategic, dynamic, and thoughtful leader to advance BASTA’s commitment to building power through base building, grassroots leadership development, and tenants association campaigns. The successful candidate will have a robust grassroots organizing background, strong campaign planning and strategy skills, and management experience. 

The Director of Organizing will be responsible for overseeing our property organizing work and refining BASTA’s organizing model, which centers the voices and the lived experience of those who are most impacted by the current housing crisis: low-income renters. As a member of the leadership team, the Director of Organizing will also guide organization-wide decisions and play a key role in maintaining a healthy organizational culture. The Director of Organizing will report directly to the Project Director.

 Responsibilities:

  • Recruit, hire, supervise, manage and support BASTA organizing staff to build the power of tenants associations in Austin by running and winning campaigns at low-income multifamily properties. Currently, 3-4 direct reports and 3 indirect reports.

  • Train organizers in outreach, facilitation, meeting planning, tenant leadership development, and other key skills to develop robust consensus-oriented tenants associations.

  • Lead comprehensive property organizing strategy including assessing new properties for organizing potential and collaborating with community partners to identify organizing opportunities.

  • Guide organizers in the development and implementation of campaign plans to address collective priorities of tenants associations, including researching properties and targets, conducting power analysis, selecting tactics, and messaging. 

  • Support and when necessary take lead on tenant meetings, negotiations, direct actions, media events and other tactics to further property campaigns. 

  • Refine and further develop BASTA organizing model in collaboration with BASTA leadership team.

  • Ensure that data and deliverables are regularly updated and assist with grant reporting. 

  • Any other duties required by the BASTA Project Director, or her designee.

Required Qualifications:

  • Commitment to social, economic, racial and language justice;

  • 2+ years of experience managing multiple staff, interns or volunteers;

  • 3+ years of grassroots organizing experience including base building, campaign planning and leadership development;

  • Experience with effectively coaching or mentoring individuals for leadership and professional development purposes;

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Spanish, including the ability to persuade others;

  • Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills;

  • Strong interpersonal, leadership, and consensus-building skills, including the ability to work effectively across sectors and in multi-ethnic and multi-generational spaces;

  • Experience with planning and leading participatory meetings, direct actions, and media events;

  • Ability to effectively multi-task, work well with others under pressure, and creatively adapt as needed;

  • Proficiency with Google Docs, Sheets and Slides or Microsoft equivalents;

  • Experience designing effective flyers and print materials, knowledge of Canva a plus;

  • Ability to work nights and weekends; and

  • Vehicle and driver's license.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience running campaigns led by directly-impacted communities; 

  • Knowledge of tenant rights and housing justice issues, including healthy housing, code enforcement, affordable housing and equitable development. Texas experience a plus;

  • Experience creating and implementing popular education tools and curricula;

  • Experience with roleplaying and leading role plays;

  • Strong understanding of the role that communications and media play in grassroots organizing and advocacy;

  • Experience working in multilingual spaces;

  • Knowledge of program development, budgets, and grant reporting and writing; and

  • Familiarity with Salesforce, Slack, Miro, Hustle, and Toggl and project management software such as Asana.

Compensation:

Salary $59,000-$69,000, depending on experience. Full medical and dental benefits are provided to employees. Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays. This is an exempt position but hours are reasonable.

To Apply:  

Email a resume and a cover letter describing interest in the position to jobs@bastaaustin.org with the subject line “BASTA Director of Organizing Application.” 

BASTA has a strong commitment to hiring staff that reflect the tenant communities we support. People of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people and renters with experience living in low-income housing are encouraged to apply.

Tenant Organizer

About BASTA:

BASTA (Building and Strengthening Tenant Action) is a project housed in Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) dedicated to helping Austin renters work alongside their neighbors to improve conditions in their homes and communities. In response to longstanding community frustration over substandard housing and landlord impunity, BASTA engages underrepresented tenants through outreach and education into a housing justice movement that seeks to dismantle the systems that prevent tenants from living in dignified and healthy homes. 

BASTA works to build tenant power by supporting organized groups of renters -tenants associations- and by educating the larger renter community about evictions and other tenant issues. Our tenants association work supports tenants organizations at multifamily properties throughout Austin to advance campaigns to win dignity, respect, better living conditions, and community benefits. Our community education work includes interactive presentations, the development of digital and print materials, and connecting individual tenants facing eviction to resource and rights information. BASTA envisions a future where the collective action of Austin renters has brought healthy and affordable housing to all..

Position Description

The Tenant Organizer will advance BASTA’s commitment to building tenant power through forming, supporting and sustaining tenants associations at multifamily properties in Austin. The successful candidate will be an attentive, empathetic relationship builder, have prior experience with community organizing or outreach, possess strong problem solving skills, and have solid strategic instincts.

Responsibilities

  • Visit substandard properties to engage and educate Austin renters about their right to live in healthy and safe homes.

  • Form, support and sustain multiple tenants associations to address collective concerns and issues.

  • Ensure tenants associations have a solid base by conducting regular outreach to tenants at properties, including canvassing, flyering, calls and texts.

  • Coordinate and facilitate meetings and activities with property residents using a consensus-oriented approach and handle all activity and meeting logistics.

  • Develop the leadership skills of tenants association members, including outreach, meeting facilitation, public speaking, and negotiation skills.

  • Plan, execute and win campaigns that advance tenant dignity and get tangible results using a variety of tactics.

  • Strategize with tenants associations on ways to address their concerns, such as collective repair requests, meeting with property managers, reporting substandard conditions to code enforcement, direct actions, and media events.

  • Educate Austin renters on tenants rights and the connection between housing deficiencies and health, through the development of accessible materials and the use of popular education techniques.

  • Document outreach activities and compile data to track outcomes.

  • All other duties assigned.

Required Qualifications

  • Commitment to social, economic, racial and language justice;

  • Previous outreach, community engagement, or grassroots organizing experience;

  • Excellent communication skills in English and Spanish, including the ability to persuade others;

  • Strong interpersonal and consensus-building skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of people, including residents, property managers and owners, community partners, and decision makers; 

  • Ability to problem solve and think strategically;

  • Ability to effectively multi-task, work well with others under pressure, and creatively adapt as needed;

  • Strong organizational skills;

  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team;

  • Ability to work evenings and weekends; and

  • Vehicle and driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Proficiency in additional languages often spoken or used by tenants in Austin (ie., Arabic, Vietnamese, Pashto, Burmese, ASL);

  • Experience with planning and leading participatory meetings, direct actions, and media events;

  • Knowledge of housing issues and/or landlord-tenant law;

  • Experience with working in multilingual spaces;

  • Proficiency with Google Docs, Sheets and Slides or Microsoft equivalents; 

  • Experience designing effective flyers and print materials with knowledge of Canva a plus; and

  • Familiarity with Salesforce, Slack, Miro, Hustle, and Toggl.

Compensation:

Salary $40,840-$54,230 depending on experience. Full medical and dental benefits are provided to employees. Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays.

Apply HERE! Please note, the position on the hiring website is listed as BASTA Tenant Outreach  Specialist.

BASTA has a strong commitment to hiring staff that reflect the tenant communities we support. People of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people and renters with experience living in low-income housing are encouraged to apply.

BASTA Paralegal

About BASTA 
In furthering the cause of tenant and housing justice in the Austin area, Building and Strengthening Tenant Action (BASTA) seeks a Paralegal  to join our team. BASTA, housed in Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA), builds tenant power by bringing underrepresented Austin renters into a housing justice movement fueled by tenants association outreach, community education, and outreach. Our work is centered on dismantling the systems that prevent tenants from living in dignified and healthy homes.

BASTA achieves its mission through its teams: the BASTA Outreach Team (BOT), which forms tenants associations at multifamily properties in Austin and builds BASTA’s base; the BASTA Education & Arts Advocacy Team (BEAT), which engages allies to creatively educate Austin renters and the broader Austin community; the BASTA Citywide Advocacy and Policy  (B-CAP) team, which develops project-wide campaign priorities, trains our base on housing justice issues, and ensures that tenants are not left out of policy conversations; and the BASTA Legal Advocacy Team (BLAT), which represents individual tenants and tenant organizations, and provides legal guidance to the other teams.

Position Description:

The BASTA Paralegal plays a critical role in ensuring that BASTA members and the larger community understand and are able to effectuate their rights as tenants. Reporting to the BASTA Director of Legal Services, the Paralegal will support attorneys in representing both individual and group clients in matters ranging from eviction defense to consumer rights and will work with other BASTA team members to develop accessible and accurate know your rights materials and presentations.

The ideal candidate enjoys talking to people and listens deeply; double-checks - and sometimes triple-checks - their work to make sure that nothing is overlooked and everything is correct; is naturally inquisitive, questioning their own assumptions and seeking clarity when something is unknown; finds, embraces and amplifies small moments of joy to sustain themselves, their clients, and their teammates; and has the fortitude to provide compassion and kindness to clients who may be in crisis and are not always showing up as their best selves.

Responsibilities:

  • Under the supervision of an attorney, maintain a client caseload, exercising the independent professional judgment required of an advocate on all aspects of each individual case.

  • Conduct eligibility and substantive interviews by telephone and in person. Interviews may at times take place outside the regular office setting.

  • Assist in the negotiation with opposing parties, which will include frequent contact with third parties, including landlords, apartment managers, rental assistance providers, caseworkers, and opposing counsel.

  • Assist in litigation support, including drafting pleadings, affidavits, and discovery.

  • Provide direct representation of clients in administrative proceedings, including representation before housing authorities, utility companies, and justice of the peace courts.

  • Provide basic information and referrals to applicants, including those ineligible for services.

  • Facilitate interactive tenants rights workshops at properties, schools, community centers, and other community institutions in conjunction with the Organizing Team and Education and Arts Advocacy Team.

  • Assist in the development of educational resources that are accessible to community members across language, literacy and educational levels including flyers, informational booklets, pro se materials, skits, know-your-rights workshops, and presentations and identify resources that need to be developed.

  • Maintain accurate and complete client files and administrative records, including data entry into client database and other requirements, such as timekeeping.

  • Occasionally support outreach efforts in the field to build and maintain understanding of BASTA’s core work.

  • Any other duties assigned.

This is an in-person position, and regular, on-site attendance is considered an essential function of the role. While TRLA supports flexibility and may allow occasional remote work where appropriate and with prior approval, consistent in-person attendance is expected.

Required Qualifications:

  • Commitment to social, economic, racial and language justice;

  • Excellent communication skills in English and Spanish, both verbal and written;

  • Strong organizational skills;

  • Detail-oriented;

  • Ability to communicate complex concepts in plain language;

  • Ability to effectively multi-task, work well with others under pressure, and creatively adapt as needed;

  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team;

  • Experience with Google Docs, Sheets and Slides or Microsoft equivalents;

  • Bachelor’s degree;

  • Ability to work evenings and occasional weekends;

  • Authorization to work in the United States; and

  • Vehicle and driver's license.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Degree in relevant field;

  • Previous experience working in a legal office;

  • Knowledge of tenants rights and housing justice issues;

  • Familiarity with Legal Server;

  • Experience designing effective print materials  with knowledge of Canva a plus; and

  • Community engagement, movement, or grassroots organizing experience.

Compensation:

Salary $43,340-$57,213, depending on experience. Full medical and dental benefits are provided to employees. Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays. This is an exempt position but hours are reasonable.


Apply HERE!

BASTA has a strong commitment to hiring staff that reflect the tenant communities we support. People of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people and renters with experience living in low-income housing are encouraged to apply.