City staff identify $101M in funding needs to address homelessness in Austin

Ahead of this month’s budget workshops, city staff have released estimates that it will take more than $100 million in additional funding to sustain and expand the local homelessness response system as the expiration of federal pandemic relief aid approaches…

Budget • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 30, 2025

Housing staff wants more funding, support for land trusts to build affordable homes

The Housing Department is pushing City Council to continue to provide funding for land acquisition and development subsidies to preserve long-term housing affordability. In a recent memo responding to a Council resolution from last year, housing officials describe land banking…

Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 29, 2025

City leaders evaluate surprising ideas for water conservation

Paul Robbins said he had two main goals when he presented his water conservation ideas to the Resource Management Commission this month. “First is to convey a sense of urgency,” he said. “Austin is as little as 15 years and…

Water • By Mina Shekarchi • Jun 29, 2025

Still-nascent police oversight commission pushes for transparent review of all complaints

Since the passage of the voter-approved Austin Police Oversight Act two years ago, the mission of the Community Police Review Commission has been continually thwarted and delayed. It wasn’t until in August 2024 a judge ruled that APD must make…

Police • By Lina Fisher • Jun 26, 2025

Audit: Economic official granted arts, music funding against city code

The former director of the Economic Development Department authorized a handful of grant awards that violated city code restrictions, according to a new investigative report from the Office of the City Auditor. The report concludes that Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, who retired…

City Hall • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 26, 2025

Parks Board recommends vendor for Zilker Café, while voicing concerns about lack of local presence

The Parks and Recreation Board on Monday recommended city approval of a vendor to operate Zilker Café, the long-vacant concession stand located steps from Barton Springs Pool. The vote comes four years after a previous parks board rejected a local…

Parks • By Amy Smith • Jun 25, 2025

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe

Travis County’s Mental Health Diversion Center takes another step

Last week, Travis County kicked off the design portion of its long-awaited mental health diversion center and central intake project. The lead architectural firms, Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects, Kirksey Architecture, and Pulitzer Bogard, will work with county staff and UT’s…

Public Health • By Lina Fisher • Jun 24, 2025

Austin is losing even more water to leaky city pipes than previously thought

Austin’s leaky pipe problem keeps getting worse. In recent years, the city’s water utility has recorded losses of about 7 billion gallons annually due to leaks in its treatment and distribution system. That’s about enough water to fill Lady Bird…

Water • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Jun 22, 2025

Housing staff suggest ADU pilot program aimed at 80% MFI households

City housing staff say a publicly-funded program to help homeowners build accessory dwelling units would likely see limited uptake and may fall short of the city’s affordability goals, particularly for households most at risk of displacement. In a recent memo…

Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 22, 2025

Dozens of city music grants stalled over missing final reports

Sixty recipients of Austin’s Live Music Fund grants are currently in non-compliance with the city’s reporting requirements, leaving more than half a million dollars in hotel tax funds unpaid and effectively frozen, according to data presented at the June 16…

Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Jun 19, 2025

Council reaffirms its commitment to making Austin a more age-friendly city

Austin is getting older, and its growing population of residents aged 65 and up is living proof. In fact, those between 65 and 74 represented the fastest-growing age group between 2010 and 2020, according to city reports. With that demographic…

City Council • By Amy Smith • Jun 19, 2025

Planning Commission settles on recommendation in controversial doggy daycare zoning case

A rezoning case for an out-of-compliance doggy daycare in South Austin’s Sweetbriar neighborhood earned the recommendation of Austin’s Planning Commission (and the scorn of some of neighbors) last week. Planning commissioners heard the case for the second time during their…

Zoning • By Miles Wall • Jun 17, 2025

« Previous Page — Next Page »