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 June 10, 2009

City Determines Use of Stimulus Funds
City_sealThe City of Austin has announced how it intends to utilize over $5 million in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funds coming to the City through Community Development Block Grants and Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Prevention funds. The plans for the use of these funds have been filed as an amendment to the current five Year Consolidated Plan and the Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Action Plan. Review the amendment
Comment on City's Draft Consolidated Plan (June 12 - July 13)
Neighborhood Housing and Community Development has created a draft Fiscal Year 2009-14 Consolidated Plan along with an Action Plan for 2009-2010.  The draft plan will be posted on NHCD's Consolidated Plan website on June 12th when its launches a 30-day public comment period and public hearings on the draft plan.  Public hearings on the draft Five Year Consolidated Plan will be held:
  • Thursday, June 18th at 6 p.m. at City Hall and
  • Monday, June 29th at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
The Five Year Consolidated Plan guides City spending of several HUD funded programs as well as local programs to address housing and health and human services. For more information or to make a comment on the plans, contact Kate Moore at [email protected].

In This Issue
Capital Area Workforce Plan
Housing Discrimination Complaints Up
Benefits Enrollment Training
Vivir Unidos
Juneteenth Celebration
Latinas More Likely to Attempt Suicide
Resource Council Meeting
This Friday's Resource Council meeting will feature an overview of the new Behavioral Health FAQ and a discussion of the development of a Compact for Children and Youth. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. at City Hall and will be televised on Cable Channel 6.
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Community Council Forum on Job Assistance
Many people in our community are faced with a job loss and want to know what resources are available to help them find employment.  The CAN Community Council will host a special forum to highlight the many resources available on Monday, June 15th from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.  The meeting is open to the public and will be televised live on Cable Channel 6. 

The forum will include experts from Workforce Solutions, Worker's Assistance Program, Catholic Charities, Travis County Criminal Justice Planning, Goodwill Industries,City of Austin Health and Human Services, and Austin Community College.
Capital Area Workforce Plan
workforce_solutions_logoAs the leader of the workforce system in Travis County, Workforce Solutions - Capital Area is responsible for producing a local Workforce Plan every five years.    The Plan identifies the Capital Area's targeted industries and occupations, describes strategies to support those industries and occupations, and provides a report on the Capital Area's success in meeting the Governor's priorities for the Texas workforce system.  The most current plan will be submitted to the Texas Workforce Commission on June 30th, and is currently available for public comment on Workforce Solutions website, www.wfscapitalarea.com, through June 16th.
Record Number of Fair Housing Discrimination Complaints
fair housing logoA record 10,552 fair housing discrimination complaints were filed in fiscal year 2008, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  The report, produced for Congress each year, shows 44% were filed by persons with disabilities and 35% for alleged discrimination based on race. Read the HUD press release and "The State of Fair Housing" report.
Benefits Enrollment Training Workshops
BNC_logoThe Basic Needs Coalition will hold workshops to train caseworkers and non-profit volunteers on how to help their clients through the process of applying for public benefits.  According to the BNC's 2009 Poverty Fact Sheet, only a small percentage of Texans eligible for public benefits such as food stamps, Medicaid and other work supports actually receive those benefits. 

The Basic Needs Coalition, in conjunction with Catholic Charities and Capital Area Food Bank, will hold benefits enrollment workshops on
June 11 and June 23 from 1:30pm - 3:30pm at Capital Area Food Bank.  To RSVP call 1-866-203-8083 or email [email protected].  The workshops are FREE. Workshops are an in depth training on the entire benefits application. 
Vivir Unidos
vivir_unidosVivir Unidos is a free, bilingual & family friendly celebration with music, food and entertainment.  The goal is to give Hispanic families the information and encouragement they need to become more engaged in their community. Join in the celebration Thursday, June 18th from 6 - 8:30 p.m. at the Mexican-American Cultural Center, 600 River Street.  The event is hosted by United Way Capital Area and the Hispanic Engagement Advisory Board.  Visit the United Way website to learn more.
Juneteenth Celebrations
Emancipation Proclamation
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery.  On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with the news that the enslaved were free.  This was two and one half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation marked the official end of slavery.

Local celebrations this June 19th will include a morning Freedom 2K Run/Walk and a parade followed with a full afternoon of entertainment, poetry, music, food and other family-friendly activities.

The Greater East Austin Youth Association has coordinated this year's Central Texas Juneteenth celebration.  Learn more at www.junteenthcentraltexas.com.
Austin/Travis County MHMR Name Change
The Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Board of Directors is seeking public input to re-brand its agency.  An initial stakeholder survey this past spring is now being followed with a second survey to better help ATCMHMR understand perceptions of key words and phrases and to assist the agency in developing a new name and logo.  You can participate in the survey at http://tinyurl.com/pxffen.
Latinas More Likely to Take Their Own Lives
Two million young Latinas in the United States attempted suicide in 2007 according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. A story in the San Antonio Express-News reports that Latinas age 12 to 17 make up the largest and fastest-growing minority group of girls in the nation. And they are more at risk of trying to take their own lives than any other racial or ethnic group their age.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 percent of Latina teenagers have contemplated suicide and around 15 percent have attempted it, compared with 10 percent of Anglo and African-American teen girls who have attempted suicide. Some studies put the percentage of Latina suicide attempts even higher.
Neighborhood Farm Markets Now Accept Food Stamps
farmers marketSustainable Food Center (SFC) has launched six Neighborhood Farm Markets as part of the SFC-sponsored Austin Farmers' Market Association.  Click here for locations and times.  The markets will accept WIC-Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) vouchers as well as SNAP (Food Stamp) electronic Lone Star cards. 
 
The neighborhood markets are designed to improve access to fresh, healthy, locally grown foods in traditionally underserved neighborhoods, especially for families who need an outlet to redeem their supplemental WIC-FMNP vouchers.  Each neighborhood market will host at least one local farmer, who will offer the bounty of their farm for neighborhood residents. 

CAN Partners
CAN logoCAN Partners:  Austin Area Human Services Association, Austin Area Interreligious Ministries, Austin Chamber, Austin Community College, Austin Independent School District,
Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center, Capital Metro, City of Austin, Community Justice Council, Integrated Care Collaboration, Seton Family of Hospitals, St. David's Community Health Foundation, St. Edward's University, Travis County, Travis County Healthcare District, United Way Capital Area, University of Texas at Austin, and Workforce Solutions - Capital Area.
 
CAN Issue Area Groups:  Aging Services Council, Austin/Travis County Victim Services Task Force, Basic Needs Coalition, Behavioral Health Planning Partnership, Central Texas After-School Network, Child & Youth Mental Health Planning Partnership, Developmental Disabilities Planning Partnership, Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, Success by 6, HousingWorks, Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, Ready by 21, Reentry Roundtable, and Regional Transit Coordination Committee.