CITY & COUNTY County approves $2.3M for homelessness, substance use nonprofits
News from Cedar Park, Austin & Williamson County
THE BREAKDOWN
The $2.3 million approved for homeless and substance use disorder nonprofits will go toward several different projects.
Mobile Loaves & Fishes • Funding awarded: $1.4 million • Purpose: build 500 homes for Phase 3 of Community First! Village Family Eldercare • Funding awarded: $600,000 • Purpose: connect homeless individuals to housing and provide supportive services, such as case management at Community First! Village Yellow House Foundation • Funding awarded: $300,000 • Purpose: cover transitional costs as it moves from its temporary Cedar Park location to Leander
$2.3M
BY CHLOE YOUNG
WILLAMSON COUNTY Nonprofits addressing homelessness and substance use disorders in Williamson County will receive over $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. The Williamson County Commissioners Court approved the funding at a May 23 meeting for Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Family Eldercare and Yel- low House Foundation. Nonprofit representatives said the funding addresses an increased need for their services as Williamson County grows. “Go make a difference and save more lives,” County Judge Bill Gravell said after passing the three items. Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a homeless ministry based in Austin, will use the $1.4 million to expand its permanent affordable housing development Community First! Village. The funding will support Phase 3 of the 51-acre community, covering infra- structure costs and the construction of 500 homes. Family Eldercare will receive $600,000 to con- nect homeless individuals to housing and provide
SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
supportive services, such as case management at Community First! Village. Alan Graham, founder and CEO of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, said a longtime partnership with Family Eldercare has allowed the community to provide better support for its residents. “Housing alone will never solve homelessness; the community will,” Graham said. “The marriage of this partnership with Family Eldercare is a perfect example of that.” Yellow House Foundation, an alcohol and sub- stance use recovery nonprofit in Cedar Park, will
use its $300,000 in funding to cover transitional costs as it moves from its temporary location to a new space in Leander. The facility has been under construction since January and is expected to open in January 2024, said Hal Cromwell, a board member who coordinates fundraising. Cromwell said the new ARPA funding is critical as the volunteer-run organization continues to grow with over 3,000 people attending Yellow House Foundation meetings each month. “This helps us bridge the gap [until] we’re in our new home and self-sustaining,” Cromwell said.
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