"Kayvon Sabourian, an attorney with the Equal Justice Center and a representative with Austin Interfaith, said he wants the district to move forward with the federal rates because they are readily available and can be adopted immediately, rather than pay 2005 rates to workers for some projects and then paying them a different wage later once the district has updated its pay rates. 'There’s a real concern about spending the bond money using 2005 standards,' Sabourian said. 'Morally, we shouldn’t as a community use taxpayer money to pay people under the prevailing wages of today. We should be paying construction workers what they’re owed: the prevailing wages of today, not 10 years ago.'"

Labor Groups Ask Austin District to Adopt Federal Wage Rates, Austin American Statesman 

At a Social Justice Shabbat organized by Temple Beth Shalom, Koreena Malone regaled the crowd with her story of community triumph, a modern day David & Goliath battle between tenants of low-income Oak Creek Village and "lots and lots of lawyers" on the side of the developer.  Through conversation between tenants, neighborhood council, the developer, lawyers and the City, an affordable housing convenant addressing all stakeholders' interest was negotiated.

Background story (and press) here. 

Austin Interfaith leader, Leland Butler of St. Thomas More Catholic Church, points out that District 6 has its pockets of poverty, with "apartment complexes springing up and filling with people who can’t afford central-city rents."  

In Austin’s District 6, a Different Set of Priorities, Austin American Statesman [pdf]