Austin has fallen behind cities of a similar size when it comes to caring for its elders. It’s no longer in AARP’s top 10 cities to live in for older adults as of 2022. In fact, last year, it didn’t even make the top 25. That might not be top of mind, as the median […]
Austin
Posted inAustin
City, DAA among partners for new homelessness task force
The Downtown Austin Alliance and the city of Austin have launched a new task force aimed at reducing homelessness in the downtown core. Formally convened on Aug. 6, the Downtown Homelessness Task Force will meet through the end of the year to develop strategies for reducing the number of people entering homelessness and increasing successful […]
Posted inAustin
Arts commissioners question new structure for grant programs
The Arts Commission took a close look at significant changes proposed for the city’s grant programs for artists and creative organizations on Monday, raising questions about how new eligibility rules, scoring criteria and funding structures would affect the city’s diverse cultural ecosystem. Commissioners and staff from the newly formed Department of Arts, Culture, Music and […]
Posted inAustin
Austin growth is slowing, increasingly driven by international migration, as Hispanic and Black residents leave
In 2022, Austin had just broken into the top 10 largest cities in America. It was the fastest-growing large metro area in the country, and had held that title for 12 years. Now, Austin has dipped to the 13th largest city, and the fourth fastest-growing region in the country. What happened in the last three […]
Posted inAustin
Dozens of city music grants stalled over missing final reports
Sixty recipients of Austin’s Live Music Fund grants are currently in non-compliance with the city’s reporting requirements, leaving more than half a million dollars in hotel tax funds unpaid and effectively frozen, according to data presented at the June 16 meeting of the Austin Arts Commission. In total, 70 grant contracts across all city arts […]
Posted inAustin
Austin food trucks no longer have to move trailers for health and safety inspections
Desnudo Coffee’s East Austin location serves hundreds of cups of coffee each day. But once a year the truck has to shut down for its annual health safety inspection. Closing for even a day can cost the business thousands of dollars as it has to prepare and move the trailer, and that’s doesn’t include how […]
Posted inAustin
Former Council Member and dedicated environmentalist Jackie Goodman has died
Jackie Goodman, 79, who served on the Austin City Council for 12 years starting in 1993, passed away on Tuesday. She had been hospitalized but had come home before her death. She served as Mayor Pro Tem for several years starting in 1998. She is survived by her sisters, Janis Morgan of Austin and Joann […]
Posted inAustin
Downtown report: Office vacancies up, infrastructure growth continues
Downtown Austin is in a transitional period, with the latest “State of Downtown Austin” report highlighting diverging paths for public and private sector development. The Downtown Austin Alliance’s annual review, now in its seventh year, notes an increase in downtown office vacancies, up to 22 percent versus the 18 percent reported last year. Office vacancies […]
Posted inAustin
City opens $5 million grant round for anti-displacement work
At its meeting last week, the Community Development Commission learned about a newly-launched $5 million grant opportunity aimed at combating displacement and promoting economic mobility near Austin’s Project Connect transit corridors. Housing Department staff explained that the current $5 million solicitation is the final portion of a $15.9 million allocation for fiscal years three through […]
Posted inAustin
ACME previews grant updates, community plans at Music Commission meeting
The city’s newly formed Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment (ACME) is moving forward with a restructuring of cultural funding programs, with plans to complete new grant guidelines by mid-summer, launch applications in August, and distribute funding by early next year. At Monday’s meeting of the Music Commission, assistant director Morgan Messick detailed the […]
Posted inAustin
Austin arts groups facing budget cuts after cancellation of NEA grants
An assortment of arts organizations in Austin were among the hundreds across the nation that learned late Friday that their most recent round of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts was being withdrawn. The Austin Monitor has confirmed at least four Austin organizations — Cine Las Americas, Women & Their Work, Tapestry Dance […]
Posted inAustin
New Austin program helps connect residents with jobs as city begins major construction projects
Before Jennifer Cobb became an electrician, she worked as a receptionist in a doctor’s office in the Austin area. She was making about $16 an hour and raising two boys, which meant money was tight. She had to rely on government assistance to help make ends meet. “Sometimes I didn’t know how my kids were […]