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January 9 CAN Appreciation Reception
CAN will recognize new and past chairs of CAN at an Appreciation Reception this Friday, January 9th from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the Atrium of Austin City Hall. Austin City Council Member Laura Morrison and Willie Williams will also be recognized for their dedication to CAN and the Austin community.
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CAN Board meeting: focus on poverty & homelessness
Ann Howard, Executive Director of the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO), will share how ECHO is working to improve our community's system of care for addressing homelessness with the CAN Board of Directors at their meeting on Friday, January 9th. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. in the Boards and Commissions Room of Austin City Hall following the Appreciation Reception.
In observance of Poverty Awareness Month, the meeting will also feature an overview of new poverty data. The meeting can be watched live or on demand on ATXN under the Boards and Commissions tab.
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CAN Community Council
The CAN Community Council will welcome newly elected members at its January 12th meeting. Outgoing Austin City Council Member Laura Morrison will be a special guest at the meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. in Multipurpose Room B of 700 Lavaca.
Before being elected to the Austin City Council, Morrison was a member of the CAN Community Council. She began serving on the CAN Board of Directors after becoming an Austin City Council Member. Morrison will share her ideas about how the Community Council can effectively work with policy makers on the CAN Board of Directors to effect change.
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Call (512) 414-0323 if you would like CAN staff to share a presentation of the findings of the report with your organization or community group.
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Cultural Competency, Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit
Click below to find resources for increasing proficiency in cultural competency, diversity, and inclusion at the individual, organizational, and community levels:
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"Together We CAN!" is a collaborative project of CAN and Leadership Austin. The website shares practical ideas for action we can all take where we live, learn, work and serve to make our community a better place. You can also share how YOU make a difference.
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More than 1,250 Twitter followers!
 Join the 1,000 Twitter followers getting updates on news, meetings, research and more at CAN_Austin.
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Check out the CAN website for research and reports.
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Housing Affordability
report makes suggestions
The City of Austin Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Office has released a draft Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice. This federally required report identifies barriers to fair housing in Austin, and potential strategies to overcome these impediments. The purpose of this analysis is to help make sure all Americans have equal access to the housing of their choice.
A few of the recommended solutions to expanding affordable housing choice in Austin are...
- Through CodeNEXT, create or modify density bonus overlays and other incentives for on-site housing affordability.
- Enact policies, including a land bank, to acquire and preserve apartments on and near transit corridors, where affordable programs can be applied to increase housing for people who are members of protected classes.
- Explore acquiring state land and partnering with UT, Capital Metro, and others to include affordable housing for a range of household sizes on their properties.
- Create a goal to increase access to affordable housing in all council districts.
- Require units with city incentives or subsidies to accept vouchers.
The City of Austin is seeking comments on this draft report through Friday, January 9th.
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Travis County Snapshot
annual look at U.S. Census data
Travis County has released its annual report of data from the 2013 American Community Survey. The Travis County Snapshot is developed by staff in the Research and Planning Division at Travis County Health and Human Services & Veterans Services. This analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey provides a point-in-time "snapshot" of our community and its social, economic, and housing characteristics.
You can find this and other Travis County publications at https://www.traviscountytx.gov/health-human-services/publications.
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16 Million Children Live in States Where They Can Legally Buy e-Cigarettes
Texas is one of those states
Forty states have enacted laws prohibiting the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including e-cigarettes, to minors, but 10 states, including Texas,still permit such sales, according to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More than 16 million children aged 17 and under reside in states not covered by these laws. The latest data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey showed 4.5 percent of all high school students and 1.1 percent of all middle school students had used e-cigarettes within the past 30 days in 2013.
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Mental Health Services
guidebook helps make the case for increased state funding
Texas is home to more than 4.3 million adults with some form of mental illness. Many of them, insured and uninsured alike, are not able to get the help they need due to a decline in services and programs, according to the Texas Medical Association. To address this critical need, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health has released a comprehensive guidebook that demystifies Texas' complex maze of mental health systems and services.
The 358-page book, "Understanding Mental Health Systems and Services in Texas," was created as a research tool for the general audience, particularly policymakers, nonprofits and advocacy groups. The goal, in large part, is to encourage these groups to advocate for increased state funding, and ultimately lift Texas up from the bottom rung of the national mental health report card.
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Town Hall with Paul Cruz
AISD's sole finalist for Superintendent
 | | Dr. Paul Cruz |
KLRU will host a Civic Summit with Dr. Paul Cruz, the sole finalist to be Superintendent for Austin ISD, the region's largest school district. Students, parents, teachers and community members are invited to attend the Town Hall meeting at the KLRU studios on Tuesday, January 13th at 6:30 p.m. Click here to RSVP to attend the Summit.
The Civic Summit: Student & Teacher Townhall will air on Thursday, January 22nd at 9 p.m.
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Community Tax Centers volunteer to help low-income families build a better financial future
Foundation Communities is seeking volunteers to help more than 20,000 low-income working families prepare their taxes for free so they can put more food on the table, pay outstanding bills, and save for the future. No previous tax preparation experience is necessary. They will provide the training. Learn more about volunteering.
 | | Foundation Communities Community Tax Centers Volunteers |
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Pay2Play
documentary screening and discussion of money and politics
The Alamo Drafthouse will screen the documentary Pay2Play, which explores the role of money in American politics, on Wednesday, January 21st. Following the documentary, there will be a panel discussion with local political advocates. Learn more here.
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New Year, New Career?
workforce training program can help
Capital IDEA offers financial support to low-income adults who want a college degree and a better job. Travis County residents who participate in the program receive help with the tuition, books, and other costs to make it possible for non-traditional students to succeed. Students receive support and guidance for pursuing a career in targeted, high-demand fields. Participants can earn two year associate degrees and professional certifications in healthcare, technology and professional trades Four orientation sessions will be held in February. Click here to learn more.
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Austin Youth
gain inside access to SXSW
Austin area youth aged 15 to 19 can earn a SXSW Gold (Film, Interactive) badge by accumulating 72+ hours of Service Learning Credits. Credits are earned by completing a rigorous six day workshop series (48 hrs) and independent creative assignments (24 hrs). There is no charge for participation.
Youth Media Project is a joint venture between E4 Youth and Black Media Council. Students complete a challenging series of day long workshops and mentor reviewed creative assignments to earn access to the festival. Students showcase their talent through blogs, videos and social media coverage of SXSW panels and events.
Learn more.
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Senior Transportation
is there a better way to get around?
Austin has the fastest growing pre-senior population in the country. Help identify transportation solutions for the rapidly aging community. Make plans to attend the Senior Transportation Workshop on January 29th from 1-5 p.m. at IBC Bank at the corner of Pleasant Valley and Cesar Chavez.
AGE of Central Texas and the Basic Transportation Needs Fund will share findings from a recent study on national best practices in senior transportation. Results from a local transportation asset inventory will also be shared, followed by a discussion on recommended solutions for our community. Help the community get ahead of the Silver Tsunami and meet emerging community needs.
RSVP to Lily Wein lilywein@gmail.com.
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CAN is a partnership of governmental, non-profit, private and faith-based organizations which leverage mutual resources to collectively improve social, health, educational and economic opportunities in our community.
CAN Partners: Austin Chamber of Commerce, Austin Community College,
Austin ISD, Austin/Travis County Integral Care, Capital Metro, Central Health, City of Austin, City of Pflugerville, Community Justice Council, Del Valle ISD, Goodwill Industries of Central Texas, Greater Austin Asian Chamber, Greater Austin Black Chamber, Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber, Huston-Tillotson University, Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT), Manor ISD, One Voice Central Texas, Seton Healthcare Family, St. David's Foundation, St. Edward's University, Travis County, United Way for Greater Austin, University of Texas at Austin, and Workforce Solutions - Capital Area
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