EAST AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER
Austin, TX
East Austin has been the home for members of the Latino and African American communities for generations. These communities established their cultural identities in the area during the middle of the 1900s when the city of Austin was still segregated. As the city grew, East Austin remained an area where low-income communities could exist and thrive and be near downtown. In the past 20 to 30 years, the city began to boom as the technology industries began viewing Austin as the next ‘Silicon Valley’. As it faced some of the highest levels of urban migration in the country, East Austin began to change drastically. The area began to be heavily developed in favor of the affluent people who were moving to the city to work for high profile tech companies. With this development, the low-income communities were being forced further East and the family owned businesses were forced to close. East Austin Community Center strives to provide services and amenities that the low-income communities of East Austin no longer have access to. With a small Mercado offering affordable healthy groceries, Food Education and Wellness classes, and traditional community center services such as a health clinic, financial services, and counseling, the center will be a space for the community to gather and grow together. As the community continues to evolve, East Austin Community Center will adapt to support them.