Community Development Commission Regular Meeting of the Community Development Commission - This regular meeting of the CDC will follow a hybrid format - remote and in-person. Please see agenda for details.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (CDC) REGULAR MEETING July 14, 2026 – 6:30 PM AUSTIN CITY HALL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS - ROOM 1101 301 W 2ND STREET, 78701 AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the CDC may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Miguel Lopez, (512) 975-1575, Miguel.lopez@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Noe Elias, Chair, Montopolis Jenny E. Achilles, Vice Chair, Private Sector Tisha-Vonique Hood, Public Sector Raul E. Longoria, Public Sector Cassandra Medrano, South Austin Jo Anne Ortiz, Public Sector Lyric E. Wardlow, Vice Chair, Public Sector Taniquewa S. Brewster, Rosewood-Zaragosa Cynthia Jaso, Dove Springs Sonia Martinez, East Austin Valerie Menard, St. John’s Ebonie Oliver, Colony Park AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three- minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the CDC Regular meeting on June 9, 2026. STAFF BRIEFING 2. Staff briefing regarding Rental Assistance and Tenant Stabilization Services. Presentation by Ursula Henderson, Program Manager II, and Susan Watkins, Division Manager, Austin Housing. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. 4. Presentation and discussion on the “Displacement in Austin StoryMap,” a tool that illustrates the impacts of displacement and tracks progress on the City’s Displacement Mitigation Strategy. Presentation by William Swinton-Ginsberg, Planner Senior, and Dr. Marla Torrado, Housing Division Manager, Austin Housing. Discussion on the City Council resolution directing the City Manager to provide a monthly report of all rezoning applications for properties with existing multifamily housing to the CDC. Discussion led by Chair Elias. PUBLIC HEARING 5. Conduct a Public Hearing to receive public comment on the proposed 2027 Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) Budget and Community Action Plan, as required by 1) US Department of Health and Human Services, and 2) the Texas Administrative Code, Title 10, Part 1, Chapter 6, Subchapter B, §6.206. Public Hearing held by Angel Zambrano, Program Manager III, Austin Public Health. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. Discussion and approve a …
Austin Public Health Report on PY26 Community Action Plan MISSION: To prevent disease, promote health, and protect the well-being of our community. TOP 5 NEEDS: Housing; Basic Needs; Employment; Health; Income Community Services Block Grant 2026 Contract Programmatic/Financial Report July 14th, 2026 The Community Services Block Grant funds the delivery of services to low-income Texas residents in all 254 counties. These funds support a variety of direct services in addition to helping maintain the core administrative elements of community action agencies. For the City of Austin, the grant provides funding for the delivery of basic needs, case management, preventive health and employment support services through the City’s seven (7) Neighborhood Centers. Mission: The Neighborhood Services Unit aims to improve the lives and health of people experiencing poverty by providing public health and social services and connecting residents of Austin and Travis County to community resources. ◼ Basic Needs (food, clothing, information and referral, notary services, transportation, car safety education and car seats, tax preparation, fans, Thanksgiving food baskets and other seasonal activities); ◼ Preventive Health (screenings for blood pressure, blood sugar including a1C, and cholesterol; pregnancy testing; health promotion presentations, coordination and participation in health fairs, immunizations, coordination of wellness activities, linkages to medical home providers and diabetes case management); ◼ Case Management (individual/family support counseling, advocacy, self-sufficiency case management, crisis intervention, linkages with employers, educational opportunities and training, and working with individuals on quality-of-life issues); ◼ Employment Support (intake, assessment and goal setting, job readiness training, job placement assistance, and job retention services) Expenditures Categories Personnel Fringe Benefits Other Total 2026 Contract Budget $ $ $ $855,640 Cumulative Expenditures through 5/30/26 $270,866.98 $157,429.35 $ $428,296.33 Percent of Total 50% 1 Neighborhood Services Unit Success Stories A patient, who was a minor, and her mother presented to an Austin Public Health’s Neighborhood Center requesting a pregnancy test. The result was positive, triggering immediate medical, legal, educational, and language-access interventions. Mandatory reporting procedures were followed and Austin Public Health coordinated a multi-agency meeting with Child Protective Services (CPS), Austin Police Department, the patient’s family, and interpreters (to ensure safety and understanding). Initial prenatal coordination included scheduling the first OB appointment, providing prenatal vitamins, completing a CHIP intake, and supplying educational materials. However, repeated missed appointments revealed deeper barriers: the family’s primary language was an Indigenous Maya language rather than Spanish and the patient’s mother was unable to read or write. These …
Housing Assistance Through May 2026 Power BI Desktop 51%-75% 76%-100% 126%-150% 151%-175% 176%-200% 0 0%-25% 26%-50% 101%-125% >200 $1,782.05 Average Payment Households Provided Housing Assitance by Race/ Ethnicity White 14.78% Black or African American 43.48% 70 Households Who Have Avoided Eviction 178 Individuals Who Have Avoided Eviction 4,329 Number of Phone Calls to the Rent and Utility Assistance Phone Line this Month Hispanic or Latino or Spanish Origins 40% https://demographics-austin.hub.arcgis.com/ $233,448.36 Rent & Utility Funding Spent Basic Needs Assistance Through May 2026 Power BI Desktop 22,667 Services Provided 6,248 Households Served Households Served by Race/Ethnicity Top Ten Zip Codes Served 78741 78702 78723 78753 1.4% 5.65% 6.67% 15.75% 43.44% Hispanic, Latino/Latina, or Spanish No 'Race/Ethnicity' Entered Black or African American White Two or More Races Asian Prefer Not to Answer Some Other Race or Ethnicity 78744 78724 78745 (Blank) 78752 25.58% 78617 Rent/Utility Assistance By Zip Code Basic Needs Services by Zipcode Power BI Desktop Employment Services Through May 2026 Power BI Desktop 41 Annual Goal Progress Towards Annual Goal of 41 Person Transitioning Out of Poverty 19 (46.34%) Transitions Remaining Goal 22 (53.66%) 328 Number of Case Managment Services Provided 22 Persons Sucessfully Transitioned Out of Poverty Health Services Through May 2026 Power BI Desktop 177 Health Screening Events 1,546 Nursing Care Sessions
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, JUNE 9TH, 2026 The COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION convened in a REGULAR MEETING on TUESDAY, JUNE 9TH, 2026, at CITY HALL, BOARDS AND COMMISSION ROOM in Austin, Texas. Some members of the commission participated by video conference. Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance: Jenny E. Achilles Lyric E. Wardlow, Vice Chair Raul E. Longoria Sonia Martinez Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Ebonie Oliver Jo Anne Ortiz Tisha-Vonique Hood Taniquewa S. Brewster Valerie Menard Staff Members in Attendance: Angel Zambrano Chanda Gaither Lorena Lopez Chavarin (Remotely) Miguel Lopez Nefertitti Jackmon Nicole Joslin Veronica Samo CALL TO ORDER Vice Chair Lyric E. Wardlow called the meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three- minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. Commissioner Raul Longoria provided public comment. 1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the CDC Special Called meeting on April 4, 2026, and the CDC Regular meeting on May 12, 2026. The minutes from the Community Development Commission regular meeting on May 12th, 2026, were approved on Commissioner Tisha's motion, Commissioner Achilles’s second, on an 8-0 vote. The minutes from the Community Development Commission Special Called Meeting on April 4th, 2026, were approved on Commissioner Achilles’s motion, Commissioner Tisha seconded on an 8- 0 vote. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing regarding Community Services Block Grants (CSBG) activities and outcomes. Presentation by Angel Zambrano, Program Manager III, Austin Public Health. The presentation was made by Angel Zambrano, Program Manager III, Austin Public Health. PUBLIC HEARINGS 3. Conduct a Public Hearing to receive public comment concerning the City of Austin’s Fiscal Year 26- 27 Annual Draft Action Plan. Public Hearing held by Deletta Dean, Department Director, Austin Housing. The public hearing was conducted, and the public hearing was closed by Vice Chair Lyric. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4. Presentation and discussion on Land Trust and Community Land Trusts. Presentation by Nicole Joslin, Housing and Community Development Officer and Chanda Gaither, Housing Development Manager, Austin Housing. The presentation was made by Chanda Gaither, Housing Development Manager, and Nicole Joslin, Housing and Community Development Officer, Austin Housing. 5. Presentation and discussion of the redevelopment of the 16th and 18th blocks of East 11th street. Presentation by Lex Miller, Director of Real Estate, Rally Austin. The …
Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) 2027 Community Action Plan & Budget Community Development Commission Austin Public Health/Neighborhood Services Unit | July 14, 2026 Public Hearing Requirements ▪ The proposed estimated 2027 CSBG Budget and Community Action Plan performance activities are distributed and public comment is solicited. The proposed activities as described in the Budget and Community Action Plan are in accordance with the Community Services Block Grant Act. ▪ The CSBG Act states the purpose is “to provide assistance to States and local communities, working through a network of community action agencies and other neighborhood-based organizations, for the reduction of poverty, the revitalization of low-income communities, and the empowerment of low-income families and individuals in rural and urban areas to become fully self-sufficient” 2 Community Action Plan Components 1. Top 5 needs 2. Poverty rates 3. Provision of Nutritious Foods 4. Case Management Services 5. Gaps in Services & Performance Targets 6. Service Locations 3 Top 5 Needs* Housing Basic Needs Employment Health Income/Financial *Ranked in order of importance according to the 2024 CSBG Community Needs Assessment 4 Deep Poverty Rates in 2024 7 6.4 6 6.1 4.1 3.6 6 4.6 2.7 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Travis County (13.3% of people) Texas (17.5% of people) United States (15.7% of people) 50% or less (deep poverty) 100% federal poverty line 125% near poverty Source: ACS 2024 1-Year Estimate 5 Poverty Rates by Race & Ethnicity 17.3 17.5 18.4 17.8 20.3 16.2 8.3 8 9.1 9.7 5.5 5.3 25 20 15 10 5 0 Travis County (13.3% of all people) Texas (17.5 of all people) United States (15.7% of all people) White (not Hispanic) Black or African American Asian Hispanic or Latino Source: ACS 2024 1 year estimates 6 Neighborhood Center Locations Source: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-year estimates 7 Provision of Nutritious Foods ▪ Food Pantry Services ▪ Fresh Food for Families ▪ Healthy Options Program for the Elderly (HOPE) ▪ Mobile Food Pantry ▪ Food Recovery Programs 8 Case Management Services ▪ Self Sufficiency Case Management ➢ Assistance to help clients achieve and maintain incomes above 125% of the FPIL (Federal Poverty Income Limits) for at least 90 days. ▪ Includes: ➢ Assessment and Service Plan ➢ Employment Support-Job search assistance, Job readiness, Job Retention ➢ Linkage to education and training, other social services ➢ Housing (rent assistance) & transportation (bus …
Subrecipient: City of Austin Program Year: 2027 Outcomes FNPI 1 Employment Outcomes FNPI 1a The number of unemployed youth who obtained employment to gain skills or income. FNPI 1b The number of unemployed adults who obtained employment (up to a living wage). FNPI 1c FNPI 1e FNPI 1f FNPI 1h The number of unemployed adults who obtained and maintained employment for at least 90 days (up to a living wage). The number of unemployed adults who obtained employment (with a living wage or higher). The number of unemployed adults who obtained and maintained employment for at least 90 days (with a living wage or higher). The number of employed participants in a career-advancement related program who entered or transitioned into a position that provided increased income and/or benefits. FNPI 1h.1 Of the above, the number of employed participants who Increased income from employment through wage or salary amount increase. FNPI 1h.2 Of the above, the number of employed participants who increased income from employment through hours worked increase. FNPI 1h.3 Of the above, the number of employed participants who increased benefits related to FNPI 1z.1 employment. The number of unduplicated persons who achieved a household income above 125% transitioning to self-sufficiency Identify Need Target SRV 1 SRV 1a-f Services Employment Services Identify Need Estimate Skills Training and Opportunities for Experience 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 20 SRV 1a Vocational Training 7 SRV 1b On-the-Job and other Work Experience 10 SRV 1c Youth Summer Work Placements 5 SRV 1d Apprenticeship/Internship 15 SRV 1e Self-Employment Skills Training 15 SRV 1f Job Readiness Training 15 SRV 1g-h Career Counseling 6 SRV 1g Workshops 41 SRV 1h Coaching Job Search Coaching Resume Development Interview Skills Training Job Referrals SRV 1i-n SRV 1i SRV 1j SRV 1k SRV 1l SRV 1m Job Placements SRV 1n SRV 1o-p SRV 1o SRV 1p Coaching Interactions with employers Pre-employment physicals, background checks, etc. Post Employment Supports SRV 1q Employment Supplies SRV 1q Employment Supplies 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 5 20 20 10 5 20 10 3 FNPI 2 Education and Cognitive Development Outcomes FNPI 2a The number of children (0 to 5) who demonstrated improved emergent literacy skills. Identify Need Target SRV 2 Education and Cognitive Development Services Identify Need Estimate Outcomes Services FNPI 2b FNPI 2c The number of children (0 to 5) who demonstrated skills for school readiness. …
Displacement in Austin Storymap Community Development Commission meeting, July 14, 2026 Austin Housing | Displacement Prevention William Swinton-Ginsberg – Planner Senior & Marla Torrado – Division Manager Background The Displacement StoryMap translates complex housing and displacement data into a public-facing resource accessible to residents, policymakers, and community stakeholders. The project combines historical data, analysis of displacement, and information about City programs and community partnerships to explain how Austin has changed and how the City is responding. 2 Goals & Audience The StoryMap uses maps and data to tell the story of displacement in Austin and share the impact of Austin Housing’s Displacement Prevention Division's work Our audience: 1. Austin residents 2. Community organizations and stakeholders 3. Policymakers 3 What’s in the StoryMap? The StoryMap examines displacement in Austin through two connected lenses: 4 Mapping Displacement in Austin Defining Displacement Displacement occurs when residents have fewer real choices to stay in their homes or neighborhoods because of rising housing costs, eviction, redevelopment pressure, or other neighborhood changes. 6 Where can an education worker afford to rent? 2000 7 Where can an education worker afford to rent? 2024 2000 8 Predominant Race & Ethnicity 2000 9 Predominant Race & Ethnicity 2000 2024 10 Predominant Industry of Employment 2000 11 Predominant Industry of Employment 2000 2024 12 How Austin Housing is Responding How Displacement Prevention Works We maximize our impact by combining three approaches: 14 Residents Receiving Services Through Displacement Prevention in FY2025 Home Repair 15 Residents Receiving Services Through Displacement Prevention in FY2025 Home Repair Community Initiated Solutions 16 Residents Receiving Services Through Displacement Prevention in FY2025 Home Repair Community Initiated Solutions I Belong in Austin 17 Residents Receiving Services Through Displacement Prevention in FY2025 w/Displacement Risk Areas Home Repair Community Initiated Solutions I Belong in Austin 18 Additional Contents Overview of Displacement Navigator Program Description and map of Displacement Risk Area analysis Map of City affordable housing portfolio (pictured to the right) Resources for residents seeking information on Displacement Prevention services and other Austin Housing programs 19 Next Steps Released to the public on July 7th Continued outreach and sharing with residents, community organizations, and housing stakeholders Ongoing updates and refinement as new data, programs, and displacement prevention initiatives evolve Storymap can be viewed at austintexas.gov/housing 20 Questions?
Rental Assistance Program Briefing Austin Housing | July 14, 2026 Agenda • Housing Assistance Need • I Belong in Austin Program Summary • Questions and Comments $3M $48 Million 3 $3M $48 Million 4 Rental Affordability Gap The primary rental affordability gap for rental units in Austin is experienced by households earning 60 percent of MFI or less. Households earning 50 percent of MFI or less experience particularly large affordability challenges (Housing Affordability Gap Analysis, bae urban economics, March 18, 2026) An approximately 34,000 unit shortage for households at 30% AMI and below (FY25-29 City of Austin Consolidated Plan) 5 I Belong in Austin Funding Fiscal Year 2024 2025 2026 Funding Amount $11.6M $6.2M $3M Households served 1,742 925 414* *as of 6/30/26, final FY26 numbers will be available after 9/30/26 6 I Belong in Austin Demographics of Households Served Households FY24 FY25 FY26* Hispanic Black/African American White Other 53% 52% 37% 29% 28% 45% 15% 14% 11% 7% 6% 3% *as of 6/30/26, final FY26 numbers will be available after 9/30/26 7 I Belong in Austin Recipients 8 I Belong in Austin Applications FY26 FY24-26 Income Brackets Percent Income Brackets Percent Zero Income 21% Zero Income 18% "Extremely Low" (30% or Below AMI) 61% "Extremely Low" (30% or Below AMI) 59% "Very Low" (50% or Below AMI) Excess of 80% AMI "Low" (80% or Below AMI) 13% 3% 2% "Very Low" (50% or Below AMI) Excess of 80% AMI "Low" (80% or Below AMI) 18% 3% 2% 9 I Belong in Austin Applications 10 Program Insights 6-month Post-assistance survey 74% indicated ability to maintain stable housing continuously since receiving rental assistance. Building ecosystem by strengthening relationships between service partners On-going stakeholder engagement informs program updates 11 Questions and Comments
Community Development Commission Quarterly Report Commission Mission Advise the council in the development and implementation of programs designed to serve the poor and the community at large with emphasis on federally funded programs. Section 2-1-128 of the City Code. Current Alignment with the Commission Mission and Opportunities to Collaborate Throughout the reporting period, the Community Development Commission carried out its advisory role by reviewing housing and community development programs, evaluating federally funded initiatives, and providing policy recommendations to City Council. The Commission's work emphasized affordable housing, housing stability, rental assistance, permanent supportive housing, community development investments, and oversight of federally funded programs, consistent with its responsibilities under City Code. Given the Commission’s focus on community development, equity, housing stability, and federally funded programs, there are opportunities for continued collaboration with the Joint Inclusion Commission and other quality-of-life commissions whose work also intersects with the needs of historically impacted communities. Approved Recommendations: The Community Development Commission approved and forwarded the following recommendations to Austin City Council: • Recommendation Number: (20250909-7) Reopen the ADCAP Application to coincide with the beginning of the Fiscal Year 2026 • Recommendation No. 20260310-007 – FY 2026–2027 Budget Recommendations • Recommendation No. 20260414-005 – Acquisition of the Montopolis-Fairway Property • Recommendation No. 20260414-006 – Rental Assistance Program Recommendations • Recommendation No. 20260609-006 – Preservation of Local Housing Voucher Funding for Permanent Supportive Housing Residents Through these recommendations, the Commission provided input on budget priorities, housing affordability, rental assistance, and the preservation of critical housing resources for Austin residents. All recommendations were closely aligned with the Commission’s mission, as they addressed the needs of low-income residents and the community at large. Mission-Related Activities Beyond Formal Recommendations The Commission advanced its mission through ongoing policy discussions, oversight activities, and strategic alignment around shared priorities. These activities included discussions related to housing and community development, federal program oversight, CAPER review, Community Development Block Grant monitoring, performance measurement, demographic and geographic reporting, and accountability for federally funded programs. Commission Retreat and Priority Areas At the April 2026 Commission Retreat, commissioners discussed shared priorities and reached consensus on several focus areas to guide the Commission’s future work. Housing stability emerged as the Commission’s primary policy focus, including affordable housing development, displacement prevention, rental assistance, housing affordability, housing access, and increased support for households with the greatest housing needs. Commissioners also identified community health and human services, infrastructure and transportation, digital equity, and …
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission Recommendation Number: 20260604-002: Emergency Budget Recommendation for SAFE Alliance - Eloise House Date of Approval: June 4, 2026 Recommendation: The Hispanic/Latino Quality of Life Resource Advisory Commission recommends that the Austin City Council and the Mayor’s Office, in partnership with Travis County allocate a minimum of $430,000 in funding to preserve Eloise House as a community-based, non-hospital forensic exam and advocacy center operated by SAFE Alliance from June 9 through September 30, 2026, and $200,000 to keep the SAFE domestic violence shelter open from October 2026 through October 2027. The Commission further recommends that the City commit to a sustainable, multi-year funding strategy that ensures continuity of SAFE’s full wraparound model without displacement into hospital settings. Services include: ● Forensic exams ● Trauma-informed advocacy ● Shelter ● Legal services ● Culturally responsive care Finally, the Commission calls on the Austin City Council to immediately pause the Mayor’s proposed transition of forensic nursing services to hospital systems and BRAVE Alliance, and to require a meaningful community input process that centers survivors, advocates, and the communities most impacted before any transition moves forward. A press release is not a plan. Survivors and the organizations that serve them deserve a seat at the table before services that took decades to build are dismantled in weeks. Description of Recommendation to Council: Eloise House, operated by SAFE Alliance, is the only non-hospital forensic exam facility in Austin. It provides sexual assault forensic exams and rape kits at no cost to survivors, in a setting purporse built for: ● Trauma-informed care ● Outside the emergency room ● Free from billing ● Staffed by advocates who remain with survivors throughout the process The Mayor’s May 5, 2026 announcement proposed transitioning forensic nursing services to hospital systems and BRAVE Alliance, a Cedar Park-based organization with no demonstrated capacity at Austin’s scale. This Commission asks Council to reject that transition and instead fund Eloise House directly, preserving the co-located model of exam, advocacy, and wraparound care that has made it the destination of choice for survivors; accounting for 95% of all forensic exams in the region. Funding of at least $630,000 would allow SAFE to sustain approximately 600 forensic exams annually, maintain 24/7 SAFEline access, and continue serving the more than 700 survivors per day who rely on SAFE’s shelter, counseling, legal support, and preservation programming. SAFE Alliance - …
