The Cady Lofts permanent supportive housing community, located at 1004 E. 39th Street in the Hancock neighborhood of District 9, has opened to offer 100 fully furnished studio units dedicated to individuals exiting chronic homelessness. The units are aimed toward those with physical and mental disabilities, with residents selected through the Coordinated Entry System managed by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition. Developed through a collaboration between SGI Ventures Inc. and the Austin Affordable Housing Corporation, a nonprofit subsidiary of the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, Cady Lofts offers wrap-around support services including job training, health screenings, benefits assistance and case management. Additional amenities are a library, computer center, community kitchen, and outdoor courtyard. Volunteers of America will manage the property, while Family Endeavors Inc. will serve as the primary service provider. ​Each unit comes with a dedicated housing voucher, allowing residents to pay no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent. The income restrictions are structured so that 20 percent of units serve individuals earning 30 percent of the area median income (AMI) or below, 60 percent for those at 50 percent AMI or below, and 20 percent for those at 60 percent AMI or below. ​The $25 million development was financed through a combination of public and private sources, including $13.84 million in tax credit equity, a $1.08 million loan from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), a $7.2 million loan from the Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), and a $2 million construction loan from the Austin Community Foundation’s Housing Accelerator Fund.

Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department secured more than $230 million in federal grants during its first full year of operation in 2024, according to a new report. The department completed nearly 57 miles of sidewalks and urban trails, reduced high-risk speeding through the Barton Springs Road safety pilot, and installed new bikeways and traffic calming features. The city also completed its first corridor safety lighting project and leveraged $15 million in federal funds to enhance road safety. Federal grants included $105 million for the Interstate 35 cap project, $48 million from the Environmental Protection Agency for climate pollution reduction, and $32 million for the Barton Springs Road bridge under the USDOT Bridge Investment Program. A pilot sustainability project on West 25th Street introduced Flexi-Pave—a porous material made from recycled tires—demonstrating a shift toward environmentally sensitive construction. The report also highlighted a 21 percent decrease in serious traffic injuries and a 4 percent drop in fatalities. City staff noted that 95 percent of the 2016 mobility bond funds have now been spent, with newer bonds from 2018 and 2020 continuing to fund transportation and safety upgrades across the city.

Committees of both the Texas House and Senate heard favorable testimony on Wednesday about HB 2802, which would change the way Austin pays retired firefighters and deals with the pension fund’s unfunded liability, which has been estimated at more than $300 million. Bob Nicks, a retired firefighter who serves as president of the Austin Firefighters Association, said all those who testified in both committees were in favor of the legislation. That legislation will set up a second tier of firefighters—those who join the department after 2025. Retiring firefighters will receive benefits based on when they began their service, how long they work and when they retire. The same is already true for city of Austin retirees as well as retirees from the Austin Police Department. The city and representatives of the Austin Firefighters Retirement Fund have signed a memorandum of understanding laying out how the city and firefighters will work together on the pensions.  Nicks noted that the committees heard positive testimony from Mayor Kirk Watson, Ruben Vallejo, president of the Austin Retired Fire Fighters Association, Chief Financial Officer Ed Van Eenoo, and several others including Nicks. If the legislation wins final approval, the city will buy down the retirement fund’s unfunded liability. He said no one testified in opposition to the bills and he expects approval.

The City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Office (HSO) has announced a $2.2 million funding opportunity aimed at preventing homelessness among at-risk individuals and families. The initiative seeks to provide rental assistance, financial support, and other services to help households maintain stable housing and avoid entering the homelessness response system. ​ The funding aims to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring by helping individuals and families stabilize their housing situations before they experience homelessness. Eligible organizations may apply until May 20, 2025. ​HSO may award up to three contracts, with the cumulative total not exceeding $2,212,508. ​”Funding homeless prevention programs is one of the most effective, economical, and ethical investments we can make, because we are stopping homelessness before it starts,” said David Gray, the city’s homeless strategy officer in a statement to the press. “By stabilizing individuals and families while they are still housed, we are reducing the number of people relying on emergency shelters, sleeping in cars, waiting for temporary housing, or camping in public spaces.” ​Interested organizations must be registered vendors with the City of Austin and submit applications through the PartnerGrants system. Details on registration and application procedures are available on the city’s Homeless Strategy Office Competitions page.

Tuesday was a particularly busy day for Austin Water crews operating in South Austin. Residents of Barton Hills who were awake at 4 a.m. may have noticed low or no water pressure. Austin Water spokesperson Erik Luna said via email, “Early this morning, Austin Water responded to a 16 (inch) water main break which occurred near the intersection of Barton Hills Drive and Homedale Drive.  Customers in the affected area will be experiencing interruptions to their water service or fluctuations in water pressure while repairs are underway.” Repair workers were looking for the leak underground on the street adjacent to Barton Hills Elementary School. Since the water was shut off at the school, Austin Water had delivered bottled water and portable toilets, according to one worker. Later in the day, water was restored to the surrounding neighborhood. However, another leak developed along Barton Hills Drive, necessitating more repairs and a second shutoff of water to residents in the area. Austin Water estimated the final repairs would be done Tuesday evening. On its outage website, Austin Water said it had 10 leaks pending repair.

The Lower Colorado River Authority is looking for feedback on a newly proposed aggregate processing plant and quarry near Inks Lake. In addition to accepting comments about the project online or by mail, the water authority will also hold a meeting at the Burnet Community Center where residents are encouraged to comment between 8 and 11 a.m.. According to a press release about the event, “During the meeting, each person wanting to provide feedback will go to one of the stations set up around the community center and will have three minutes to share comments on the quarry application from Asphalt Inc. All comments will be recorded and provided to LCRA staff members to consider in their evaluation of the application and whether it meets the standards of the Highland Lakes Watershed Ordinance.” LCRA is limited to determining whether the application meets the requirements of the Highland Lakes Watershed Ordinance and “The come-and-go meeting is strictly for LCRA to collect comments from the public. The meeting will not include a presentation or question and answer session.” Since January, LCRA has received more than 2,000 comments from members of the public. Those comments were submitted online at www.lcra.org/quarrycomments or by mail at LCRA Watershed Management, P.O. Box 220, Mail Stop L106, Austin, TX 78767. Those modes of communication are still available and will remain open through May 13.

This Saturday Travis County Constables are partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to dispose of expired or unwanted medications. On National Take Back Day, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., residents can drop off medications at a Travis County Constable Precinct anonymously, for free and with no questions asked. Syringes will not be accepted. The drop off locations are:

Tonya Nixon

Constable Pct. 1

4717 Heflin Ln. Ste. 127

Austin, TX 78721

(512) 854-7510

Adan Ballesteros

Constable Pct. 2

10409 Burnet Rd. Ste. 150

Austin, TX 78758

(512) 854-9697

Stacy Suits

Constable Pct. 3

8656 B West Highway 71 Ste. 132

Austin, TX 78735

(512) 854-7245

George Morales

Constable Pct. 4

4011 McKinney Falls Pkwy. Ste. 1100

Austin, TX 78744

(512) 854-9488

Carlos Lopez

Constable Pct. 5

1003 Guadalupe St.

Austin, TX 78701

(512) 854-9100

Anyone unable to take part on Saturday can check out the DEA’s site locator for year-round collection.

The Mueller Foundation, which is the nonprofit entrusted with managing the Mueller Affordable Homes Program, welcomed a new head on March 31. Robin Lafleur, who is the former VP of HomeBase Texas, said she was committed to the nonprofit’s mission of helping families purchase homes. A quarter of all homes for rent or sale in the development are affordable. According to a press release from the foundation, there are nearly 700 affordable homes priced from $165,000 to $300,000 in the community now. “Robin is the ideal fit as our new Executive Director,” said Mueller Foundation board chair Jim Walker in a statement to the press. “She is a seasoned real estate professional who has spent nearly two decades helping hundreds of low-to-moderate-income Austin families purchase affordable homes throughout
Central Texas.”
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This week is Flood Safety Awareness Week in the heart of Flash Flood Alley: Austin, Texas. According to a press release from the city, it’s a time to educate yourself on the potential dangers that inevitable flooding holds. “As of August 2023, there are 5,660 active National Flood Insurance Program policies in the City of Austin, covering $1.47 billion in property. In just the last ten years, 930 claims have been paid, totaling more than $42.3 million in damages,” notes the release, which encourages residents to sign up for alerts at WarnCentralTexas.org, make a plan and consider flood insurance, which is now available at a discount for most Austin polices.  This year’s flood awareness week will culminate at  Flood Safety Fest on Saturday, April 26, from 12:00-3:00 p.m. at L.L. Campbell Elementary School. The event will offer tips, giveaways, and the results of a Flood Safety Video contest.

On Saturday, May 3, the Lamar Senior Activity Center will host this year’s 29th Street Spring Art Show: Art On and Off the Wall. The event will showcase art made by artists aged 50 years and up including “paintings, drawings, polymer clay art, fiber arts, jewelry, multi-media pieces, kitchen items, handmade soaps, latch hook rugs, sewing projects, paper crafts, (and) note cards,” according to a press release from the city. The center, which is managed by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, provides seniors with cultural, recreational and educational programming. The art sale, with will be on from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will highlight the creative expression of its community.

According to a post on the City Council Message Board, there will be no work session on Tuesday. Mayor Kirk Watson’s office reported that, given the fact that there are no scheduled briefings and no items pulled from the Thursday City Council agenda for discussion, the work session will be cancelled.

A new urban trail segment will help students getting to Linder Elementary school, following the City Council-approved $1.3 million purchase of a 5.4-acre parcel. The property, which is bordered by Metcalfe and Burleson roads, will also provide access to Mabel Davis Park and improve a trail along Country Club Creek. A map of the city’s urban trail network can be found here.