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| Austin - Most Expensive Housing in Texas |
| Austin is the most expensive city in Texas for paying rent and buying a home, according to a study
released by the Washington D.C. based Center for Housing Policy.
United States and ultimately concludes homeownership is still unaffordable for many workers
despite low interest rates and steep drops in home prices.
Austin ranks as the 65th most expensive U.S. rental market and the 73rd most expensive
homeownership market of all metro areas studied. The center studied data provided by the National
Association of Home Builders, the National Association of Realtors and the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development. |
Texas Ranks High in Child Death by Abuse
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For the last decade, Texas has had a significantly higher rate of child deaths due to abuse and neglect than other states, according to a policy brief published by the Center for Public Policy Priorities. While the overall child death rate in Texas has been declining, there has been an increase in the numbers of children who die in Texas due to abuse and neglect.
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| Austin Chamber Education Progress Reports |
The Austin Chamber has released Education Progress Reports for ten area school districts. This is the fifth year for this effort to engage school districts, business leaders and the community in improving education and helping more students go to college. The reports track school district performance trends. Each report focuses on high school graduation, college/career readiness, post-secondary enrollment rates, and student performance indicators that predict success in high school. Visit the Austin Chamber website to download copies of the reports and to learn more about Chamber efforts to improve education. |
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Trying to Make Sense of Health Care Reform?
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Now that the Health Care Reform has been approved, people are trying to determine its impact. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law on March 23rd, is designed to expand health coverage to 32 million Americans. Georgetown University Health Policy Institute has released a fact sheet summarizing the impact of the Act on "Key Medicaid, CHIP, and Low-Income Provisions in the Health Care Reform Package."
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2-1-1 Community Needs and Trends Report
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235,344 people dialed 2-1-1 in 2009 seeking referrals for everything from electric utility assistance to free income tax preparation. The volume of calls to 2-1-1 Central Texas increased by more than 35% in 2009. The United Way Capital Area has just released its " 2-1-1 Community Needs and Trends Report" analyzing those calls and the types of services that were most requested. The top call needs in 2009 were for basic needs, health and criminal justice/legal services.
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Food Stamp Approval in Austin Tops State |
The Austin district is performing best in the state when it comes to the timeliness of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility determination. The House Human Services Committee held a hearing last month on whether the state is meeting federal requirements to let 95% of all applicants know within thirty days whether or not they qualify for food stamps.
The Austin district came closest to meeting that standard, with a rate of 93%. The worst performing areas of the state were Houston (36%) and Dallas-Fort Worth (44%). In March 2010, 3.3 million people were receiving $405 million in federal SNAP payments. A copy of the presentation to the Committee can be found on the Health and Human Services Commission website. |
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Final Census Push
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Travis County's Census response rate is among the worst of Texas urban counties. See how we compare. Encourage everyone you know to take ten minutes to answer ten questions and secure funding for our community for the next ten years. |
CAN Needs You!
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The CAN Assessment & Review Committee is now recruiting members. The Committee meets monthly to review and edit summary information on each of the CAN Community Dashboard indicators. If you would like to learn more, contact Chantel.Bottoms@austinisd.org.
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CAN Board Update on Community Dashboard
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The CAN Board of Directors will get an update on the forums held to highlight the Community Dashboard education and low income indicators at their meeting this Friday, April 9th. The meeting begins at 1 pm at City Hall and will be shown on Cable Channel 6.
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Community Council Forum on Housing and Homelessness
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Throughout 2010, the CAN Community Council is taking a closer look at indicators on the CAN Community Dashboard. The April 19th Council meeting will focus on homelessness and housing. Tune in or show up - 5:30 p.m. at City Hall Boards and Commissions Room.
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Financial Fitness Offers Free Workshops and Seminars
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Financial Fitness Greater Austin will offer a full week of free financial education seminars and activities the week of April 24th through May 1st. Businesses, financial institutions, schools, non-for-profits, governmental agencies and the media are all partners in this public education and awareness campaign designed to help consumers better manage their personal finances. Financial Fitness Greater Austin provides programming for all demographics and income levels, covering all facets of personal finance. Check www.financialfitnessaustin.org for a schedule of activities.
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Seminar on Financial Help to Care for Elderly Family Members
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Caring for others can easily turn into a full-time, usually unpaid, job for a family caregiver or relative. However, there may be ways to help pay for the expenses of caregiving. A free, educational seminar on this topic will be presented by Austin Groups for the Elderly (AGE) on Saturday, April 24th from 10 a.m. to noon. A panel of experts will discuss Medicaid, veteran's (VA) benefits, long-term care insurance, and other potential sources of financial assistance. For more information, or to register, contact Bruce Kravitz at (512) 451-4611 x236 or email bkravitz@ageofaustin.org. Respite care is available by reservation.
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Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium
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Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for Texans and the third leading
cause of death among youth ages fifteen to twenty-four, and the second leading
cause of death for college age students.
The Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium, "Coming Together to Care" will be held on June 9th and 10th in San Antonio. For a schedule and registration information, visit texassuicideprevention.org.
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FamilyConnections Celebration of Families
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Connecting with Nature is the theme of the 17th annual Celebration of Families to be held Saturday, May 1st at the Palmer Events Center. Hands-on activities will include kite-building, rock wall climbing, a maze, making terrariums, and leaf rubbings. This full day of entertainment, activities and games is free.
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Community Action Network (CAN) is a partnership of agencies and organizations in Austin and Travis County that provide resources to improve the health and well-being of people in our community. CAN is a collaboration of organizations and individuals working together to build a community of equity and opportunity.
CAN's role in the community is to ...
- enhance awareness of community issues;
- strengthen partnerships and connect planning efforts;
- support collaborative strategies that maximize community resources and impact; and
- mobilize action by reporting on progress made to improve the community's well-being.
CAN Partners: Austin Area Interreligious Ministries, Austin Chamber of Commerce, Austin Community College, Austin Independent School District, Austin Travis County Integral Care, Capital Metro, Central Health, City of Austin, Community Justice Council, One Voice Central Texas, Seton Family of Hospitals, St. David's Foundation, St. Edward's University, Travis County, 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 Afterschool
Network, Child & Youth Mental Health Planning Partnership, Ending Community Homelessness
Coalition, Early Care and Education, HousingWorks, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Coalition, Literacy Coalition of Central Texas, Ready by 21, Reentry Roundtable, and Regional Transit Coordination Committee.
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