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The city of Austin has received more than $180,000,000 of
community-development block grant funding
since 1975
through the Department of Housing and Urban Affairs.
It has absolutely contributed to Austin's national recognition as a place where people want to
grow a business,
raise a family and enjoy a high quality of life.
But for low-income residents, enjoying a high quality of life often requires the support of programs and
services made possible through CDBG funding.
For many low-income residents these funds are the crucial link that's paved the way for
a better life,
new-job creation, affordable housing, and community revitalization.
In Austin, community-development block grants have been the driving force for neighborhood
improvements,
local economic development initiatives and home ownership opportunities.
For many low-income residents it's a lifeline
that allows folks a chance to stay in a home and avoid homelessness,
provides a place for children to gather
and avoid the hazards of the streets.
CDBG funds lifts individuals from disparity
and gives them an outlet of hope,
a second chance, and an opportunity to live independently.
CDBG changes lives. (Architectural Barrier Removal Program)
The many faces of CDBG are unmistakable
in the eyes of our elderly residents
or people living with disabilities.
Whether it's a matter of improved ramps to allow wheelchair access to a person's home,
widening a doorway,
adding a handrail to a stairway
or building a walk- or roll-in shower,
individuals with disabilities are often impacted
by architectutral barriers to accessibility, safety, and usability of their home environments.
I heard about it through a nurse
that came to take care of my husband about a year ago
and she told me about it. Her husband was wheelchair- bound and he was getting
the program done - he was having the bathtub done to a walk-in shower.
She told me to get him one. So they came about three months after that.
As people age and find difficulty remaining mobile,
completing simple tasks may become harder than it used to be,
the need for help becomes painfully clear.
Unknowingly, families might feel reluctant to reach out for assistance because barriers in
someone's life
can present serious threats to their independence and caregivers' needs.
That's what I had told his
caregiver that came and I didn't have the money because she was quite costly
so we would have been just
stuck with the bath tub and it was very tall
and you see I couldn't get him in and out of the bathtub. It enables me
as well. I use it too. I can walk him into the walk-in shower. It's good for me too but he is more handicapped
than I am.
So I can get him out easier.
No, the cost would have been too expensive. I couldn't have afforded it.
CDBG dollars helps the city's Architectural Barrier Removal Program
to remove the physical barriers that impact the independence of homeowners and renters.
Through CDBG support
daily living activities
such as getting in and out of the bathtub and walking up a flight of stairs
can become a task that is once again completed with ease and independence.
I would recommend it to other people if I knew...
I have talked to other people about it. I think some neighbors were going to get
the pearl, the program as well done.
So they come and see this and they want it as well... and they need it.
Trails at Vantage Creek Learning Center The Community Learning Center at Trails at Vantage Creek sits in the middle of a 200-
unit Affordable Housing community
in northeast Austin.
It's become a vital part of the neighborhood, affectionately referred to by residents and
staff as the Town Center. Foundations Communities received a $150,000
in CDBG funds from the city of Austin back in 2004
for an almost 5000 square-foot learning center which features green building design
and offers a range of activities for youth and adults at the Vantage Creek Apartments
and surrounding neighborhood.
My name's Nakisha Hill and I'm a mother of five children
and I'm a student at HT and
I also work for PipStart which is a non-profit organization for youth
and my,
my story is, begins with
being in a relationship that was not good for myself
uh... dealing with mental and physical abuse
and
I was with person
in-and-out, being separated three times
and it was at the third time I decided it
was time to get a divorce and it was time to move away
and I did not know where I was gonna go, how I would start over
and one of my friends that attends this program, she told me about CHI
so I decided to apply for it
and that's how I came here
The Learning Center remains a vibrant example of Austin's investment in public facilities
offering a community space where hundreds of families have gathered to share experiences.
Well, basically I have computer lab
I come here every so often to use computer lab and also my, one of my children Chantelle, she attends
the after school program here
When I am at work I don't have to worry about, you know
going to pick her up somewhere else
I can just come here pick my child up and go ahead and go home and then so
far it's been a great deal, the staff here is great, my child, you know, she's taken care of
very well and I like what I see here
and so, I'm pleased.
Safe Place
The many faces of CDBG often are those who've been abused, neglected or are seeking hope
for a new life.
The city of Austin provided gap financing of $500,000 in CDBG funds,
paving the way for Safe Place to acquire land for a new family transitional housing facility
in Austin. CDBG means
the opportunity for families to live
violence-free and to begin to break
abuse patterns and start new lives.
Access to supportive housing for women who leave their abusers
is often a crucial step to survival.
That means that a single mom with children has an opportunity to start over without making
the difficult choice between being homeless
or returning to an abusive environment.
For a lot of folks, when there is not next-step housing available, then
that's the choice they have to make.
and that's unconscionable for many people. We have to provide options. This provides an option.
Safe Place offers emergency shelter,
counseling services, legal advocacy,
life skills for self-sufficient living and school programs to educate teens about violence.
More than 1800 residents have been served through the Transitional Housing Program.
CDBG funds have
helped many faces
in our community.
At Safe Place, in particular, that means
battered women
and their children, families
who have lived with violence, that nobody should have to endure
and it provides a way
to change their lives and to be safe and housed and giving back.
The many faces of CDBG are visible daily as residents embrace the heart of their community.
Nearly 20,000 households have been served in the last four years
through CDBG-funded programs
by the city of Austin Neighborhood Housing
and Community Development Office.