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| Texas KIDS COUNT |
 Join the Honorable Mark Strama, his wife Crystal Cotti, and Frances Deviney, Ph.D, Texas KIDS COUNT Director, for an honest look at the well-being of Texas children. Dr. Deviney will highlight new national KIDS COUNT data comparing Texas kids to children across the nation. This data comes at a critical time when Texans are just beginning to discover the devastating effects of the recession on child well-being, and state lawmakers are grappling with one of the largest budget shortfalls in our state's history. Tuesday, July 27th 10 - 11 a.m. Carver Library, 1165 Angelina Street
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| Central Health Considers Tax Increase |  Central Health is considering a tax increase to help fund a $107 million spending plan for 2011. The proposed rate of 7.24 cents per $100 of assessed property value - up from the current 6.74-cent rate - would increase the tax bill for an average Travis County residence by about $13 a year for a total tax of $170.
The Central Health proposed budget would increase spending 9 percent and includes $5.8 million to expand health services. The board expects to give preliminary approval to the budget August 18th and hold public hearings on the budget and tax rate afterward. County commissioners would give final approval in September, before the district's new fiscal year begins in October. |
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| Apply for CAN Community Council | | The CAN Community Council is now accepting applications for new members. Get to know the issues in our community and become engaged in building collaborative solutions. Apply at www.caction.org. |
| Follow CAN's Tweets |  Get short, timely updates on meetings, research and more on CAN_Austin. |
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| Chambers Support AISD Strategic Plan | | The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the Capital City African-American Chamber of Commerce and the Austin Asian American Chamber of Commerce have all approved a position statement supporting the Austin ISD Strategic Plan for a 90% graduation rate and a 77% post-secondary enrollment rate. The position statement adopted by the three Chambers calls on AISD trustees to accomplish the district's strategic plan, including specific strategies to improve East Austin school performance. The chambers' statement also calls for further budget cuts to balance the FY 2011 budget and the reallocation of funds to high-priority items that will accomplish the goals of improved graduation rates and post secondary enrollment. |
| Housing Authority Receives $800,000 in Grants | |
 The Housing Authority of the City of Austin has received two new grants to help residents gain self-sufficiency. A $145,500 grant from the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Public Benefit Program will fund a program to help middle school, high school and adult learners prepare for and gain access to college.
A second grant for almost $700,000 comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This grant will link families and individuals to adult basic education and literacy services; workforce development and job training; job placement counseling; financial literacy; housing counseling; parenting classes; health and wellness classes; youth programs; childcare; and transportation services. |
| New Projects Funded to House People Who Are Homeless | The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently awarded just under $600,000 to the Austin/Travis County Continuum of Care for new projects to serve people who are homeless. The funding will create 26 permanent supportive housing units for people who are chronically homeless through a project operated by Front Steps in partnership with Austin Travis County Integral Care (ATCIC). The grant will also provide additional training and technical support for the Homelessness Management Information System, managed by ATCIC.
Austin and Travis County receives approximately $4.7 million annually in Continuum of Care funding for homelessness housing and services. The Continuum of Care process is managed by ECHO (Ending Community Homelessness Coalition). |
| Proposed Changes to MetroAccess |  Capital Metro is considering changes to its MetroAccess service for people with disabilities. Social service agencies and community organizations that serve people who will be impacted by these changes are invited to a forum on the proposed changes this Friday, July 23rd from 1 - 3 p.m. in the Capital Metro Board Room, 2910 East 5th Street. RSVP to Adam.Perkins@capmetro.org . |
| Trainings on Homelessness Prevention Models for Vets |
The Technical Assistance Collaborative is offering free trainings on Homelessness Prevention Models for Veterans. The deadline to register for both sessions is July 23rd.
The seminars provide an overview of homelessness prevention models and best practices including rapid re-housing, short-term rental assistance and housing stabalizaiton services. Instruction and examples will be provided to assist potential applicants in designing and proposing quality, innovative projects that are consistent with the VA's priorities to prevent and end veteran homelessness.
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| Summit 2010: Building Sustainable Housing Markets | | The City of Austin and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will host a one-day summit on developing a regional strategy to address affordable housing needs in Texas. The summit will be held on Friday, August 13th and will offer a forum for housing experts and stakeholders to discuss regional strategies to create and sustain affordable housing in Texas. The working session will bring together leading housing officials from across the State to develop regional housing action plans. By the end of the summit, attendees will have a realistic and achievable plan for sustaining affordable housing in their community. Register for the free day-long summit at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/housing/summit.htm. |
| Plan to Create Permanent Supportive Housing |
The City of Austin will hold two sessions in August to get public input on strategies to create 350 permanent supportive housing units within four years. On March 25th, the City Council passed a historic resolution directing staff to develop a strategy that would prioritize housing resources - both local and federal - for permanent supportive housing for residents most vulnerable to homelessness. The City Health and Human Services Department and Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department are seeking public input to develop a plan for achieving that goal. The proposed strategies will be presented to Council on October 1.
The Community Input Sessions will be held at the Street-Jones Building, 1000 E. 11th Street:
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Tuesday, August 17th 10 a.m. to noon
- Monday, August 23rd 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
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| Annual Addiction/Mental Health Symposium | |
"Bridging the Gap between Substance Abuse and Mental Health" will be the topic of the 3rd Annual Addiction/Mental Health Symposium on Friday, September 24th. The symposium will combine advanced information on Addiction and Mental Health while providing attendees with 5 hours of Continuing Education & CME Credits including 2 Ethics CMEs. Keynote addresses:
- "The Science of Addiction: From DSM to Treatment" by Carl Erickson, PhD, Director, Addiction Science Research & Education Center, College of Pharmacy at the University of Texas at Austin.
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"Advances in the Treatment of Depression" by Paul E. Holtzheimer, MD, Assistant Professor, Dept of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
Click here for more information about the symposium and to register. |
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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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