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Austin Ranks 4th in Nation for Best Performing Cities
The Austin-Round Rock MSA was recently ranked the 4th Best Performing City in the Nation by the Milken Institute. Each year the organization produces a Best-Performing Cities report to identify the latest trends and most relevant factors powering regional growth. Rankings are based on a number of factors including job creation, wage gains, and technology trends.
The Austin-Round Rock MSA ranked second in the nation for job growth, third for wage growth and ninth for high-tech GDP concentration, earning an overall fourth place ranking, two places lower than the previous year.
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Easton Park - Affordable Housing for Renters and Owners
Austin Mayor Steve Adler and City Council Member Delia Garza put together a major affordable housing deal in Southeast Austin's Easton Park. The deal is unique in that it ensures that 650 homes will be occupied by low-income households in perpetuity, while another 350 rental units will be reserved for low-income households for a 40-year period.
"While the deal falls short of satisfying the city's huge demand for affordable housing, it represents a strong commitment by the City Council to get serious about addressing a major element of Austin's affordability crisis. We urge the council to use it as a model for future housing development projects in the city," Austin-American Statesman Editorial Board.
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Austin ISD Anticipates Reduction in Student Population
Each year, AISD commissions a demographic report to identify and inform the district of student population trends in the community and how these trends may affect future student populations. The projections are provided to assist the district in determining facility adjustments that may be necessary through the Facility Master Plan implementation process. Key findings of the demographic report include:
- District student populations are expected to decline annually over the next ten-year period.
- The greatest declines will be seen in the elementary and middle school grade levels, with an anticipated decline of approximately 2,750 (-6%) and 2,100 (-13%) students, respectively.
- Lower elementary student counts will translate to losses at all grade levels in subsequent years and drive lower projections through the end of the ten-year period.
- Student growth from new and planned future residential developments in the District is expected to be limited due to the anticipated high cost of projected future housing. An estimated 11,337 potential units are expected to be developed over the ten-year period, however, only a third of these new housing starts are single-family residential units.
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Austin Reaches Goal of Housing Homeless Vets
Just before the beginning of the new year, Austin Mayor Steve Adler announced that Austin had achieved the City's goal of housing 200 homeless veterans as part of a national mayors' challenge to end veteran homelessness. Through a strong partnership with the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO), non-profits and property owners, the City of Austin met its goal to house homeless vets. However, there are still thousands of men, women, and children who are without permanent and stable shelter in Austin and Travis County.
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Local Health Care Guides: Open Enrollment Ends January 31st
Last month the Center for Public Policy Priorities launched TexasHealthCareGuide.org, a new web guide to enrolling in and keeping health coverage. This comprehensive website can help with choosing plans, applying for coverage, getting health insurance-related tax help, and more.
Find help to enroll for health insurance locally at GetEnrolledATX. This coalition of community organizations and service providers are working together to help Central Texans obtain health coverage. The Open Enrollment deadline is January 31, 2016.
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Volunteers Needed: ECHO Point-in-Time Count
Each year the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) conducts a homeless point in time count as part of the national effort to eliminate street homelessness spearheaded by the federal Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA). By knowing who is on the street, where they are, and what they need, ECHO and its partner agencies can most effectively target services to those that need them the most.
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Austin Area Heritage MLK March and Festival
The Annual Community March celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy while uplifting diversity and multi-culturalism in our city. The MLK Community March kicks off on Monday, January 18, 2016 at 9 a.m. with a short program at the MLK Statue on the University of Texas campus. The march will continue on to Huston-Tillotson University, where activities are planned.
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Give Capital Metro Input on Needed Service Changes
Capital Metro wants to make sure their services are meeting the community's needs. Complete the Capital Metro Community Survey to provide feedback and help develop the Connections 2025 Service Plan.
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Seeking Applications for a Full-Time Research Analyst
CAN is looking for a new Research Analyst! Responsibilities include updating, maintaining, and writing CAN's annual Community Dashboard report and website, as well as other CAN research projects. The Research Analyst also facilitates the CAN Dashboard Steering Committee, which reviews the Community Dashboard and makes recommendations for improvements to CAN staff and the CAN Board of Directors. Please pass along the link below if you know anyone who might be interested in the position!
Link to full job description
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CAN 2015 Butler Award Winners
CAN is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Butler Awards. These awards, in honor of CAN Executive Director Fred Butler, seek to honor the traits Fred Butler modeled for our community as a leader, as a bridge builder and as a master at collaboration.
Bridge Builder: Mike Manor in honor of his efforts to build bridges of respect, understanding and trust between the community, law enforcement, governmental and education institutions by chairing the Building Bridges Brick by Brick initiative for the Travis County Sheriff's Office.
Leadership: Senator Gonzalo Barrientos in recognition of his leadership in advocating for and implementing the 10-One city governance system.
Spirit of Collaboration: Restore Rundberg for bringing together community, public safety, education and other stakeholders to improve the quality of life, health, and safety of the Rundberg neighborhood.
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CAN 2016 Work Plan
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. Each year, CAN assesses community conditions using the CAN Community Dashboard, CAN's Strategic Framework for Action and feedback received via community forums and from CAN partners and other stakeholders. The CAN 2016 Work Plan outlines the activities to be undertaken by the organization in the coming year to enhance equity, opportunity and the overall well being of the community.
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Community Advancement Network 2015 Year End Report
2015 was an exciting year for CAN! The CAN Community Council hosted a summit on how to build a more person-centered community, we worked with regional partners to host a five county summit on "bridging the economic divide," and we hired a new executive director The 2015 Year End Report includes a letter from CAN's new Executive Director, Raul Alvarez, a summary of CAN's accomplishments in 2015, and an introduction to the new leaders of the CAN Board of Directors and Community Council.
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Expanding Opportunity Summit: Event Recap
Over 220 policy makers, business and community leaders, service providers, and educators from across the five-county Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area came together to consider how to ensure that the opportunity provided by our region's growth is expanded to all people. The Summit Overview and State of the Region Presentation by Chris Schreck, Economic Development Manager at the Capital Area Council of Governments are now available online.
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CAN Board of Directors
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| | CAN Vice Chair Simone Talma Flowers, Past Chair Erica Saenz and Chair Jeremy Martin |
CAN is excited to announce new leadership to the CAN Board of Directors. Jeremy Martin, Senior Vice President of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, will Chair the CAN Board of Directors in 2016, and Simone Talma Flowers, Executive Director of Interfaith Action Central Texas (iACT), will serve as Vice Chair. The next CAN Board of Directors regular, monthly meeting will take place from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 12th, at Austin City Hall. Watch the meeting live or recorded on ATXN under the Boards and Commissions tab.
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CAN Community Council
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| | Vice Chair Ara Merjanian, Chair Eileen Schrandt and Past Chair Anne Harutunian |
CAN welcomed new Community Council members at its January meeting this past Monday. Eileen Schrandt, Director of Community Development for the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, will Chair the CAN Community Council in 2016. Ara Merjanian, a Special Assistant with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, consultant, will serve as Vice Chair. The next CAN Community Council's regular, monthly meeting, will take place on Monday, February 15th at 5:30pm.
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CAN is a partnership of governmental, non-profit, private and faith-based organizations which leverage mutual resources to collective 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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