Austin’s Homeless Strategy Office is proposing a funding package totaling just under $101 million for homelessness response efforts in the city’s next budget, with about one-third allocated toward maintaining existing programs, one-third for new city investments, and one-third for initiatives expected to be funded by partner organizations. The spending plan laid out in a presentation […]
Austin
Posted inAustin
Downtown Commission looks at partnerships, philanthropy to address homelessness
The city is establishing new partnerships with homelessness relief organizations and could announce new philanthropic partners later this month, while continuing to improve programs already in place to address the needs of the area’s growing homeless population. The most recent meeting of the Downtown Commission featured a presentation from the Homeless Strategy Office that highlighted […]
Posted inAustin
Fed spending cuts delay city’s workforce, infrastructure training plans
City staff are seeking additional time to develop a comprehensive plan for funding and implementing the city’s workforce development program, in part due to federal funding delays and broader budget uncertainties. A recent memo to City Council from the city’s Economic Development Department notes that efforts to secure federal funds for that purpose have been […]
Posted inAustin
Workshops helping city gear up business expansion, place-based incentive programs
Ahead of a planned rollout in May, the city is hoping a series of workshops this month will generate interest in its updated business expansion and upcoming place-based enhancement incentive programs. The programs, which were recently approved by City Council, are designed to assist small businesses and creative-sector tenants facing rising real estate pressures. Three […]
Posted inAustin
Council members celebrate unanimous defeat of bill that proposed putting Austin under state control
Austin City Council members celebrated the resounding defeat of House Bill 274 on Wednesday, a bill that would have created the “District of Austin” as the state’s official seat of government. “Our message is loud and clear: local leaders are best equipped to address local needs. The overwhelming rebuke from members of the state Legislature […]
Posted inAustin
UT hopes to play leading role in Austin’s evolving development scene
At Wednesday’s Urban Land Institute Austin breakfast discussion, interim University of Texas President Jim Davis offered a candid assessment of the university’s evolving role in Austin’s booming development scene. Once regarded as one of the city’s largest builders and employers, Davis said UT now finds itself competing for attention alongside tech giants and multibillion-dollar infrastructure […]
Posted inAustin
Watson warns of Austin’s ‘budget asteroids’ in speech to real estate council
At last week’s annual address to the Real Estate Council of Austin, Mayor Kirk Watson stressed a number of “budget asteroids” the city could face as a result of upcoming state and federal policy decisions. Along with the potential impact of tariffs on international goods, Watson explained to the room filled with developers and other […]
Posted inAustin
Following Trump’s lead, Abbott orders state workers to return to offices
Gov. Greg Abbott’s office has quietly directed heads of state agencies to phase out hybrid-work schedules and require all employees to return to the office five days a week “as soon as practicable” under state law, according to multiple accounts from state employees. Abbott’s mandate comes as President Donald Trump doubled down during his Tuesday […]
Posted inAustin
Panelists cite city, state programs among positives for health of Austin music scene
Praising attempts by the city and state to offer more support for Austin’s musicians and live music venues, panelists weighing in on the state of the city’s music scene were upbeat Tuesday during a discussion at the LBJ Presidential Library. The Future Forum discussion on the health of Austin’s vaunted music ecosystem cycled through the […]
Posted inAustin
December Parks and Recreation Department report identifies needs for senior and recreation facilities
Last week, Jesús Aguirre, the new director of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), sent a memo summarizing the findings of the department’s Recreation and Senior Center Facility Assessment and Gap Analysis Report. The report, released in December, identified priority areas in need of new senior and rec centers and highlighted some renovation and repair […]
Posted inAustin
Austin Animal Services Office releases fiscal year statistical report and waives adoption fees
Due to consistent overcrowding, the Austin Animal Center has waived adoption fees for the foreseeable future. Numbers from the Austin Animal Services Office’s statistical report for Fiscal Year 2025 show a continued need for adoptions. Austin Animal Services Office released a statistical report spanning the months of October 2024 through January 2025. In total, the […]
Posted inAustin
How Trump’s federal funding freeze is beginning to affect Austin
On Jan. 31, a U.S. district judge granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Trump administration from implementing a slew of executive orders that would freeze federal funding programs that allow access to health care, housing, education and other basic services. But this week, U.S. District Court Judge McConnell ruled that Trump has violated that […]