Ryan was born at St. David's South and is still here. He lives in South Austin with his wife Rita and their three kids — Aurora, Atticus, and Alistair. If you see them on the trails, at the playground, or around the neighborhood, come say “Hi!"

Ryan for Austin

Trained with the analytical skills of an engineer from UT Austin and graduate of Harvard Law School, Ryan has proven he has the tools to tackle any challenge facing our community. At the Capitol and now in City Hall, Ryan has championed policies to create more opportunities for more people everywhere.

Welcome to District 5

Ryan Alter was born at St. David's South. He trained as an engineer at UT Austin and graduated from Harvard Law School. He lives with his wife, Rita, and their three children.

District 5 | City of Austin | AustinTexas.gov

As the lead sponsor of the Environmental Investment Plan and other policies that ensure we have clean air, fresh water, and abundant natural space to enjoy, Ryan has relentlessly pushed to protect our environment. Having fought for years fighting for progressive policies as a Capitol staff member for Senators Kirk Watson, Sylvia Garcia, and Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, he understands it is going to take local solutions to meet the challenges of today.

Ryan Alter previously worked as a Capitol staff member for Senators Kirk Watson, Sylvia Garcia, and Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa.

Ryan previously worked as a Capitol staff member for Senators Kirk Watson, Sylvia Garcia, and Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa.

Welcome to District 5

Ryan Alter was elected in 2022 to represent District 5, covering south Austin.

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Ryan currently serves on the Austin City Council representing District 5. He was elected in 2022.

2026 Texas General Election

As of September 10, 2026, Ryan Alter’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Economy

Imagine walking a few blocks from your front door to a park that's actually ready for you. A place where the playscapes are intact, restrooms clean, trails maintained, and enough shade for you to enjoy it all. This is what a park system built for Austin looks like: not a rare amenity across town, but a neighborhood fixture every family can walk to and count on.

How we get there:
 Establish an asset renewal fund to fix our broken slides, swing sets, and other equipment
 Continue to grow our parks maintenance efforts
 Close the gap for the 35% of Austin that can’t walk to a local park

Ryan for Austin — Issues

Proposes a park asset-renewal fund, expanded park maintenance, and improvements to walkable park access.

- Proposes a park asset-renewal fund, expanded park maintenance, and improvements to walkable park access.

Public Services

Everyone who wants to live in Austin should be able to afford to live in Austin. That means building enough housing for our workers, for our seniors, for our students, and for our families. We can do this by:
 Requiring deeply affordable housing to be built in exchange for increased entitlements
 Lowering development costs by further fixing the permitting process
 Modernizing our 40+ year-old development code to meet today’s housing needs

Seniors on a fixed income shouldn’t struggle to stay in their home. That’s why we’ve almost doubled the senior homestead exemption in the last 4 years from $113,000 to $204,000 – saving seniors thousands. We’ve also increased funding for programs like Meals on Wheels that support aging in place.

We have to build on this work by:
 Continuing to keep senior taxes flat through increases in the senior homestead exemption
 Strengthening programs that allows seniors to stay in their homes
 Expand our network of senior and recreation centers

A renter must not be held hostage by their landlord. That starts with work we did to:
 Require fee disclosures, so no one is surprised by hidden junk fees
 Prevent evictions with legal support and targeted rental assistance
 Enforcing lease terms that protect renters
 We must build on these successes to level the playing field between renters and landlords.

Too often we measure success by the number of dollars we are spending, not the number of people being successfully housed. We must do better by:
 Investing in proven, cost-effective solutions
 Holding partners accountable who are not performing
Working with service providers so they aren’t set up for failure

In just the past five years we have more than doubled our shelter and housing capacity. This has allowed us to get more people off the streets and into housing than ever before. We can maintain this momentum by:
 Bringing 400+ shelter beds online over the next 4 years
 Taking advantage of high vacancy rates to get people in housing
 Delivering the hundreds of supportive housing units in the pipeline

Seniors on a fixed income shouldn’t struggle to stay in their home. That’s why we’ve almost doubled the senior homestead exemption in the last 4 years from $113,000 to $204,000 – saving seniors thousands. We’ve also increased funding for programs like Meals on Wheels that support aging in place.

NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, EVERYONE DESERVES THE DIGNITY OF A BED, PILLOW, FOOD, AND A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD.
First multi-year decline in the number people entering homelessness
Wait time to get housing has decreased 25%
More than doubled emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, and supportive housing capacity over past 5 years
Opening a new housing navigation center better equipped to handle this growing need
The cheapest, most effective tool we have is to keep people housed. Expanding our prevention programs will allow us to serve more people with fewer dollars all while increasing outcomes.

Proposes requiring deeply affordable housing in exchange for increased development entitlements.

Plans to increase senior homestead exemptions, strengthen aging-in-place programs, and expand senior and recreation centers.

Supports rental-fee disclosures, eviction-prevention legal support and rental assistance, and enforcement of lease terms protecting renters.

Proposes investing in proven homelessness solutions, holding underperforming partners accountable, and working with service providers.

Plans to add more than 400 shelter beds, use high housing-vacancy rates, and deliver planned supportive-housing units.

Said the council nearly doubled the senior homestead exemption and increased Meals on Wheels funding to help seniors remain at home.

Advocates expanding homelessness-prevention programs to keep more people housed.

- Proposes requiring deeply affordable housing in exchange for increased development entitlements.
- Plans to increase senior homestead exemptions, strengthen aging-in-place programs, and expand senior and recreation centers.
- Supports rental-fee disclosures, eviction-prevention legal support and rental assistance, and enforcement of lease terms protecting renters.
- Proposes investing in proven homelessness solutions, holding underperforming partners accountable, and working with service providers.
- Plans to add more than 400 shelter beds, use high housing-vacancy rates, and deliver planned supportive-housing units.
- Said the council nearly doubled the senior homestead exemption and increased Meals on Wheels funding to help seniors remain at home.
- Advocates expanding homelessness-prevention programs to keep more people housed.

Housing & Urban Development

Thinking differently about how we respond to emergencies is not only going to save lives, it’s going to save money. That’s why in the next four years we should:
 Expand EMS’s C4 program that replaces a costly ambulance with connections to more appropriate and effective community services
 Utilize non-APD personnel for non-emergency calls like crash reporting, allowing existing officers to focus on higher priorities
 Explore non-sworn park safety options so everyone is safe in our parks

SAFE COMMUNITIES DON’T JUST RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES, THEY PREVENT THEM.
6% reduction in District 5 crime since taking office
Expanded the Emergency Medical Crisis Outreach Team to 24/7
Long-term contracts with all three public-safety departments
First dedicated investment to community violence intervention to prevent crime
Filled vacancies across our public safety departments
We are breaking the cycle of crime and trauma by investing in programs that stop crimes before they occur. Through the community violence intervention program, we invest in neighborhoods to address the root causes of crime and stem gun violence. Violent crime can be prevented if we continue to make smart investments in community-level programs like these.

Not every emergency requires someone with a badge to show up. That’s why I have pushed aggressively for smarter emergency response that matches an emergency with the right professional. This is particularly true for emergency mental health calls, where now instead of a police officer, we utilize trained mental health professionals 24/7.

Plans to expand Emergency Medical Services' C4 program, use non-police personnel for nonemergency calls, and explore non-sworn park-safety options.

Supports community violence-intervention programs intended to address causes of crime and reduce gun violence.

Advocates assigning trained mental-health professionals, rather than police officers, to mental-health emergency calls.

- Plans to expand Emergency Medical Services' C4 program, use non-police personnel for nonemergency calls, and explore non-sworn park-safety options.
- Supports community violence-intervention programs intended to address causes of crime and reduce gun violence.
- Advocates assigning trained mental-health professionals, rather than police officers, to mental-health emergency calls.

Public Safety

You shouldn’t have to get in your car to visit a neighbor, get a cup of coffee or taco, or enjoy a park. Complete connected communities should be the standard, not the exception. To do that, we should allow:
 Neighborhood-scale coffee and food shops
 Mixed-use development that integrates housing and commercial, especially in transit zones
 Missing-middle housing attainable to first-time homebuyers, teachers, nurses, and workers

In the general election in November, none of the six candidates for District 5 got more than 50% of the votes. As the top two vote-getters, Alter and Bazan went to a runoff this month.

During the campaign season, the two candidates were aligned on some key issues, like support for Project Connect. On other initiatives, though, like expanding I-35, they differed: Bazan was against the project, while Alter supported it.

Along with a new mayor and two new council members, Alter is scheduled to be sworn in on Jan. 6.

Ryan Alter wins race to represent District 5 on the Austin City Council

WALK, BIKE, AND STROLL
Neighbors can’t connect with each other if they can’t reach each other. We need to build infrastructure that:
 Allows parents to stroll their kids to their local park
 Makes it safe to walk or bike without getting hit by cars
 Supports small local businesses where neighbors can gather

Supports neighborhood-scale food and coffee shops, mixed-use development near transit, and missing-middle housing.

Supported Project Connect and expanding Interstate 35 during the 2022 campaign.

Advocates pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure that improves access to parks and local businesses and reduces the risk of vehicle collisions.

- Supports neighborhood-scale food and coffee shops, mixed-use development near transit, and missing-middle housing.
- Supported Project Connect and expanding Interstate 35 during the 2022 campaign.
- Advocates pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure that improves access to parks and local businesses and reduces the risk of vehicle collisions.

Transportation & Infrastructure

We are building a climate-ready Austin that can withstand the heat, storms, and growing demands on our local infrastructure. As summers grow longer and hotter and hundred-year winter storms hitting with greater frequency, we must:
 Increase the resiliency of our local grid through batteries, solar, and other infrastructure
 Lower our urban heat-island with more trees, cooler pavement, and more shade
 Deploy more green infrastructure to naturally mitigate local flooding

We should never worry about water coming out of the faucet or the air we breathe poisoning our bodies. That’s why I have been a fierce advocate to protect our water supply, limit pollution, and preserve green spaces from over-development. I will continue to fight for:
 Limits on large water users, including data centers
 Electrification of everything we can
 Strong protections for natural spaces in any new development

NATURE IS THE SOUL OF AUSTIN. THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT FOR CLEAN AIR, FRESH WATER, AND OUR NATURAL SPACES.
Championed a $50 million investment to preserve parks and open spaces
Added millions to better maintain our park spaces
Launched the largest solar on city facilities effort in the nation – saving money and increasing resilience
Stormwater improvements in D5

Advocates grid resilience through batteries, solar, and other infrastructure; heat reduction through trees, cooler pavement, and shade; and green flood infrastructure.

Advocates limiting large water users, expanding electrification, and protecting natural spaces in new development.

Said he championed a $50 million investment to preserve parks and open spaces and launched a solar initiative for city facilities.

- Advocates grid resilience through batteries, solar, and other infrastructure; heat reduction through trees, cooler pavement, and shade; and green flood infrastructure.
- Advocates limiting large water users, expanding electrification, and protecting natural spaces in new development.
- Said he championed a $50 million investment to preserve parks and open spaces and launched a solar initiative for city facilities.

Energy & the Environment

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Ryan Alter

- Said the council nearly doubled the senior homestead exemption and increased Meals on Wheels funding to help seniors remain at home.
- Advocates expanding homelessness-prevention programs to keep more people housed.

- Supports community violence-intervention programs intended to address causes of crime and reduce gun violence.
- Advocates assigning trained mental-health professionals, rather than police officers, to mental-health emergency calls.

- Advocates pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure that improves access to parks and local businesses and reduces the risk of vehicle collisions.

Mauricio Mendez

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David Weinberg

Farrah Abraham

Liz Brink

- City council members collaborate to create and enforce city policies, including legislation on essential services like police, fire, parks, libraries, and utilities.
- They work alongside the mayor to manage city departments, including transportation and parks and recreation.
- Council members can be elected to represent specific districts or the entire city at-large.
- The structure of city councils, including the number of members, their terms, term limits, and partisanship, differs by county.

Passes laws and regulations for your city.