The final Data Points e-newsletter of 2011 from CAPCOG recaps the major demographic news from the five-county Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).  Among the highlights in the report....

• The Austin MSA was the third fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000 to 2010.
• Most of this growth occurred outside of the City limits of Austin in Travis and surrounding counties.
• This "suburbanization" is credited to increasing housing costs, which continue to demand a larger portion of total household income.
• 49% of all people in the CAPCOG region cross at least one county line to get to work.
• Two-thirds of the Austin metro area's growth over the past decade was due to migration.
• Among the nation's largest MSA's, Austin posted the highest net migration of adults with a bachelor degree.

Download the report or visit http://www.capcog.org/ and sign up to receive the newsletter each month. 

People found using tobacco products in Austin parks now face fines up to $2,000.  Austin City Council voted last month to extend the City's Smoking in Public Places Ordinance to also include all City parks, athletic fields, recreation centers, senior centers, nature preserves and swimming pools.  Golfers get a pass while playing a round of golf, but are not allowed to smoke on the driving ranges or practice greens.  

The Travis County Commissioners Court is considering a new policy that would require all county buildings and work sites to be tobacco-free.   A hearing will be held to get public input on the proposed policy on Tuesday, January 24th at 9 a.m. in the Travis County Commissioners Court. 

The Veterans Administration has released a new video produced by a vet for vets on the services available at local Vet Centers.  Many of those who provide services to veterans and their families at local Vet Centers are also veterans. 

The Austin Vet Center is located at 2015 S. IH 35 in the Southcliff Building. Learn more about eligibility and programs available at http://www.vetcenter.va.gov/.

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The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization will host two events this Friday, January 20th at One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road.  From noon to 1 p.m. you can learn more about a new Coordinated Plan for Public Transit and Health and Human Services Transportation.  The new plan helps identify how existing transportation services can be coordinated to meet the needs of more people, and will identify cost-effective strategies for meeting unmet needs.  The plan will also guide the prioritization of new services for funding through the Federal Transit Administration.

Organizations are invited to a pre-application workshop for two Federal Transit Administration grants from 1:30 - 3 p.m. at the same location.  Job Access-Reverse Commute grants support transportation services that connect low-income people to jobs or employment related activities.  New Freedom grants support efforts to provide transportation options for people with disabilities. Applications are due February 24th.  Learn more by visiting www.campotexas.org.

Each winter, teams of volunteers canvass Travis County to count the homeless men, women and children in shelters, on streets, under highways and in homeless camps.  The annual Point-In-Time count is a vital component in assessing the well-being of Austin's homeless population and in receiving the greatest level of funding the federal government will allot Travis County's homeless service providers.

The count will take place this Sunday, January 22nd.  Volunteers are needed to work one of two shifts - from 3 to 7 p.m. or from 5 to 9 p.m. The final volunteer training will occur from 1 to 3 p.m. on the day of the count, so it's not too late to volunteer. Visit www.austinecho.org/count to learn more.

The George Washington Carver Museum's Cultural Lounge will feature a Courageous Conversation on Race on Wednesday evening, January 25th.  The event will engage the audience in a conversation on race and institutionalized racism and the role each of us play in creating disproportionality and disparities in systems and institutions that serve poor communities and vulnerable populations. Participants will also consider the transforming possibilities of what can happen when communities purposefully address racial inequities.  

The conversation will be led by Joyce James, Associate Deputy Executive Commission with Health and Human Services Commission Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities and Sheila Sturgis Craig, Disproportionality Project Manager with Health and Human Services Commission Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities.  Refreshments will be served at 6 p.m. 

The Austin Chamber is seeking volunteers to assist with Financial Aid Saturdays program events across 15 Central Texas school districts. These events run from February through March 2012, and provide assistance to high school seniors and parents in completing federal and state college financial aid applications. Last spring, this volunteer-fueled effort helped more than 1,000 students and their families complete financial aid forms.

The effort is a key element of the Austin Chamber's regional goal to increase direct-to-college enrollment from 61 percent in 2010, to 70 percent by 2015. The program is part of an effort to ensure our region is able to meet future talent demands and remain economically competitive.