Reliably Austin
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The City Of Austin Revives A New Deal Program To Put People Back To Work

A new city program called the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps aims to connect people financially impacted by COVID-19 to employment opportunities.
A new city program called the Austin Civilian Conservation Corps aims to connect people financially impacted by COVID-19 to employment opportunities.

Lee esta historia en español.

The City of Austin is putting up to $2 million toward a new employment program that helps organizations hire people financially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Austin Civilian Conservation Corps is modeled after a New Deal program of the same name. The idea behind it is the same now as it was after the Great Depression: put people affected by the economic downturn to work in conservation jobs, such as cleaning up parks and trails.

“We’re really excited and hopeful and enthusiastic about helping people get into conservation fields, gain more employment, help make Austin a better, greener place and address the coronavirus pandemic in a way that’s uplifting and forward-looking,” said Daniel Culotta, portfolio manager for the City of Austin’s Innovation Office.

Several city departments, including Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department, have identified work they need done but don’t have the ability to do themselves. So, they’ve teamed up with local organizations that hire people to complete this work, with the city footing the bill for wages. Pay starts at $15 an hour.

About 60 people have been hired so far, Culotta said. They've worked with organizations like the Gulf Coast Carpenters and Millwrights Training Trust Fund, doing carpentry and solar panel installation. There are currently two open jobs with American Youthworks to help maintain parks and green spaces.

Austin City Council members voted in May to ask city staff to create the program.

“It’s going to make Austin a more beautiful, safer place through projects that reduce wildfire risk, plant trees, improve trails and a whole lot more,” Council Member Alison Alter, whose office worked on the resolution, said in May.

No previous experience is required for these jobs. They are temporary, lasting anywhere from weeks to months, but Culotta said the focus is on training employees so that when a gig ends, they can apply for other jobs in the same field.  

“For all these programs we are really focusing on including trainings and certifications and other advancement opportunities so that while residents are earning income and getting this training, they are getting verifiable credentials … that they can leverage into future jobs,” he said.

The original plan was to use money from the CARES Act, but Culotta said federal eligibility requirements made the program harder to implement. So, the city decided to use its own funds, collecting about $1 million from several city departments that had funds available in their existing budgets.

Culotta said the city can authorize another million for the program if it can find the money.

Got a tip? Email Audrey McGlinchy at audrey@kut.org. Follow her on Twitter  @AKMcGlinchy .

If you found the reporting above valuable, please  consider making a donation  to support it. Your gift pays for everything you find on KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.

Copyright 2020 KUT 90.5

Audrey McGlinchy is KUT's housing reporter. She focuses on affordable housing solutions, renters’ rights and the battles over zoning. Got a tip? Email her at audrey@kut.org. Follow her on Twitter @AKMcGlinchy.