This Powerpoint presentation describes the current statutory and regulatory barriers that exclude ex-offenders from numerous licensed occupations ranging from plumbing to nursing to cosmetology and suggests reforms to lower these barriers. Such reforms can improve economic productivity and reduce crime, as ex-offenders who are employed are three to five times less likely to re-offend.
Economy
Austin’s Simple Fix for Soaring Housing Costs
After years of watching home prices skyrocket out of reach for first responders, nurses, and young families, in December 2023, Austin city council voted to rewrite its zoning code. The first phase of its HOME Initiative—known as HOME-1—effectively allowed up to three homes on most lots that previously could host only one. A year later,...
December 9, 2025