In the wake of the reinstated camping ban this past May, stakes have risen considerably for those at the helm of the effort to rehouse Austin’s homeless population. Nonetheless, Project HEAL – the Homeless Encampment Assistance Link – which City Council adopted back in February, has moved full speed ahead with its plans to rehouse […]
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Addressing affordability no easy task in Austin
During last week’s speech on the state of the city, Mayor Steve Adler identified issues the city has been grappling with, including defeating Covid and homelessness. He also pointed out the next big issues the city must tackle in order to allow Austinites to continue to live and thrive here. The top issue on the […]
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The census in Austin: homelessness, housing and schoolchildren
It’s hard to overstate the importance of the census, especially on a local level. As city demographer Lila Valencia told the Austin Monitor, “The census touches so many aspects of our lives, from our representation at our nation’s capital, to local representation on school boards and City Council districts, to over $1.5 trillion in federal funds for […]
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Mayor Adler praises Austin, warns against misinformation
Mayor Steve Adler told Austinites in his annual State of the City speech Monday that although Austin continues to be “a magical place,” there are those who seek to divide us through falsehoods as the city faces its major challenges: the Delta variant, policing and homelessness. “We cannot let ourselves be distracted or consumed by […]
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Questions linger on both sides of $1.1M guaranteed income pilot program
Initial details of the city’s forthcoming pilot program to provide guaranteed income assistance to vulnerable families are expected to emerge later this fall, with just over 100 households expected to receive around $1,000 per month. A spokesperson for the city’s Equity Office said information about the program, which City Council budgeted at $1.1 million, is […]
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EDD provides a breakdown of federal funds under its purview
While the Covid-19 pandemic has posed a host of unprecedented challenges for the city, it’s also led to an influx of federal funds under the American Rescue Plan Act. A recent breakdown of these dollars shows how the portion of funds managed by the city Economic Development Department are being spent based on City Council’s […]
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Animal commission asks Council to make changes at city-run shelter
The Animal Advisory Commission voted Monday to ask City Council to immediately implement a set of recommendations to alleviate logjams at the Austin Animal Center in an attempt to ward off the specter of animals being euthanized as a management solution to a shelter space crisis. The commission’s action further exemplifies the growing tension between […]
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Redistricting commission races to fulfill its mission in short time frame
With a Nov. 1 deadline just months away, the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is moving at an unusually fast pace to hold public hearings in each City Council district, draft new district lines based on delayed 2020 census data, gather public input, and adopt a final 10-district map in the fall. Last week, the 14-member […]
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Animal Advisory Commission looks to reform operations at city shelter
At last week’s meeting of the Animal Advisory Commission, commissioners voted to form a working group aimed at addressing the ongoing capacity crisis at the Austin Animal Center. The move came after Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland sent a memo to City Council and Mayor Steve Adler noting that the lack of space may […]
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Mayor Steve Adler on meeting the challenges of 2021
The city and its leaders have faced multiple challenges in the past 16 months: Covid-19, homelessness, Winter Storm Uri and the failure of the Texas power grid, and the Texas Legislature’s continuing attempts to limit the choices Austin and other cities have in raising and spending tax dollars. Mayor Steve Adler sat down with the […]
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City says two sites could serve as temporary encampments for homeless Austinites
Austin has found two city-owned sites that could serve as camps for people living outdoors. One of the potential campsites is on Manor Road in East Austin and the other is on Convict Hill Road in South Austin, according to a memo released Monday. The memo, posted initially on a city website shortly before 5 p.m., […]
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Austin Animal Center contemplates ‘notifications for possible euthanasia’
In a memo last month, Chief Animal Services Officer Don Bland updated City Council and Mayor Steve Adler about the ongoing capacity issues at the Austin Animal Center. The memo included a few lines that made animal lovers around the city sit up and pay close attention: “This current challenge may create the need for […]