Government
BY HALEY MCLEOD, BEN THOMPSON & JOEL VALLEY
South Austin homeless services hub likely to move Austin is looking to relocate a homeless services hub from the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center to a new location o I-35 in South Austin. The big picture
Travis County directs $34M for child care Less than a year after voters authorized a countywide tax rate hike to expand a ord- able child care, Travis County o cials are rolling out the rst wave of local invest- ments for the Creating Access for Resilient Families, or CARES, initiative. The big picture County commissioners OK’d a $24 million contract with Workforce Solutions Capital Area to support child care for 1,000 young children, and $9.7 million for Austin, Manor and Del Valle ISD pre-K and after-school programs. The Aug. 26 approvals kicked o a two-year funding pilot. Looking back The tax rate increase approved last November is expected to generate about $75 million annually for increased day care subsidy placements and reduced-tuition incentives; more after-school and sum- mer-care spots; expanded child care hours; and coverage of state subsidy funding gaps. County sta said the initial investment is the fastest child care fund to launch in the nation, as similar e orts typically take about two years to get o the ground. So far, Travis County’s over $34 million invested is expected to result in 3,099 early child care and after-school slots. Other contracts are being negotiated with additional local providers, school districts and Health and Human Services, which are expected to add more than 1,700 slots.
Gray said he couldn’t comment on whether Sun- rise would also make the move across town, if his o ce would choose a new operator, or if the city will open a public solicitation for a replacement. Stay tuned The announcement of the possible new nav- igation center location doesn’t represent a nal decision, and resident input will inform how ser- vices are relocated. Gray said the current approach di ers from some of Austin’s past property purchases for homeless shelter or housing that advanced without community review. Feedback or questions can be emailed to homeless.input@austintexas.gov. One more thing Austin’s homelessness o ce has reported the city should have more than one navigation center given its population and geographic size. Gray said the potential I-35 purchase won’t halt consideration of other sites or strategies, like enhancing smaller providers or co-locating multiple services together.
Navigation centers are a single location where homeless clients can access case management, health care, mail services and more. The main existing navigation center in Austin, based out of Sunrise Community Church at 4430 Menchaca Road, has served hundreds of clients from around the city and received millions of local and federal dollars in recent years. It’s also drawn many public safety complaints, and both legal and legislative pushback. Homeless Strategy O cer David Gray said it’s been clear that a new location was needed, despite previous work with Sunrise on “operational enhancements” at the church. A property at 2401 S. I-35 was identi ed as a potential replacement after months of searching, and Austin may now move to buy the site as soon as October after pub- lic review. The city could start leasing the property as its new navigation center by next spring.
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Proposed location
Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center
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First Hays County administrator takes the reins
administrator’s chief of sta . Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra credited Boutté’s “extensive” public service background and said o cials were “thrilled” to welcome her to the role. Zooming in Boutté, who started July 7, called Hays County residents “welcoming and approachable.” To start, she said her o ce will develop a long-term plan over the months ahead based on county o cials’ priorities.
Kandice Boutté began her role as Hays County’s rst-ever administrator this summer. What to know In Texas, county administrators oversee daily government operations like department coordi- nation, budgeting, long-range planning, policy implementation and sta supervision. Boutté holds a master’s degree in public administration, a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and most recently served as the Tarrant County
"With the county experiencing rapid growth, it’s clear we’re entering a pivotal moment. I look forward to working alongside the commissioners court, county sta and our residents to build the infrastructure needed for long-term success."
KANDICE BOUTTÉ, HAYS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
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SOUTHWEST AUSTIN DRIPPING SPRINGS EDITION
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