[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6625834,"mediaKeyId","2756343-9a1695431a14ff76c19ccfbb35b4641c","parentId",2756343,"title","Seniors press for Gus Garcia senior center; Elizabeth Ney advocates seek $500,000 for accessible restroom","audioSeconds",743,"startMs",221000,"endMs",964000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756343-9a1695431a14ff76c19ccfbb35b4641c&start=221&end=964","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2756343-9a1695431a14ff76c19ccfbb35b4641c/thumbnail_221000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6625834/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Seniors-press-for-Gus-Garcia-senior-center-Elizabeth-Ney-advocates-seek-500000-for-accessible-restroom","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625834-0d8bee9a14720b0887483f1fa13daf59/orig.mp4?Expires=1775386275&Signature=ZeZY2FP3wQOEn416f4jyQdUrHcKPCjqgLmE5bI4yDR3U~mF16ctlK-qxHuDGyj9KsvHQVPVYqQJB58NOGJzvLaiR7NluRUIExxF4Z4WQa2or3LrYRKf8Jqa4Ts~JFp-3eSf6Wf0yWx6F~f3aZ5V9apatz6IcGk1Z8g2SECE4l5G949rULrb~8Nas3kBYTB3v1W2iuzie2XsdP-LyMbYdeSL9aNlxDC~k3NNd5Y4PHAYlnI7je07td1XhUd87WY3PTn35WrCGvxPtaTrPZzzsaMmmukIRgtFgy~tq2f66Y7YdNmwC6E60CvF4jkfh23gTBuKI2aUmAvbwe5CXrPT1~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-03-24T00:00:00Z","article","Several citizens used the public-comment period March 24 to press the Bond Election Advisory Task Force for facility investments to include in the 2026 bond package.

Gus Garcia senior center request

Martha Langford, representing seniors who use the Gus Garcia Recreation Center and Park in Northeast Austin, said the area has lacked a dedicated senior facility for decades and urged the task force to include a senior activity center for Gus Garcia in the 2026 parks bond funding. Langford told the task force the Parks and Recreation Department and the PARD Board have identified the need; she said staff indicated Gus Garcia is one of the centers under consideration for the upcoming budget presentation in April. Another commenter, Armando Delgado, also urged a senior center, describing growing participation and the need for more dedicated space.

Elizabeth Ney Museum accessible restroom request

Jack Noakes and Anne Graham spoke for the Friends of the Elizabeth Ney Museum, asking the task force to consider adding $500,000 in bond funding to construct an accessible, standalone restroom near the historic Elizabeth Ney Museum. They said the museum, built in 1892 and owned by the City of Austin, is undergoing an $3.4 million renovation funded from a 2012 bond and other sources; Noakes and Graham said an additional accessible restroom and site improvements are needed to make the museum facilities ADA-compliant and usable for visitors when the museum reopens. Graham described the existing museum bathroom as “in a basement down a narrow, tiny staircase” and said the planned $500,000 would cover infrastructure and construction without compromising the historic character of the site.

Other public comments

Chris Flores proposed that the city consider an aquifer‑fed swimming pool at a park east of Highway 183—citing equity as no aquifer pools currently exist in that portion of East Austin—and said the idea had support from Council Member Fuentes and a UT architecture professor planning student work on the concept. Scott Johnson and other commenters urged prioritizing investments that improve indoor air quality, electrification and partnerships with private developers to enhance parks.

No formal vote was taken on these public requests; staff noted they will be considered during departmental project development and budget discussions.

Sources: Public comments from Martha Langford, Armando Delgado, Jack Noakes, Anne Graham and Chris Flores during the Bond Election Advisory Task Force meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - 2026 Bond Election Advisory Task Force - Mar 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Multiple members of the public urged the task force to include a senior center at Gus Garcia Recreation Center in the 2026 bond, Elizabeth Ney Museum advocates requested $500,000 for a standalone accessible restroom, and another speaker proposed an aquifer-fed pool in East Austin.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625838,"Task force approves five engagement categories for 2026 bond survey; working groups to provide subcategories",2215,6418000,8633000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756343-9a1695431a14ff76c19ccfbb35b4641c&start=6418&end=8633","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2756343-9a1695431a14ff76c19ccfbb35b4641c/thumbnail_6418000.jpg","/articles/6625838/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Task-force-approves-five-engagement-categories-for-2026-bond-survey-working-groups-to-provide-subcategories","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625838-61e5e23a7478cd06ca9117da19d30182/orig.mp4?Expires=1775386276&Signature=FA05FaFoAUJPuma5xiSxXzYteXzuOSTyn-c4jplZV1dVGZh4g0WAjAYvxa8BlIbieCSP7OcdEjR-7NZil1ok5VDVrnnhAxYwQTT7kvX1reVJHwAHPM3cISQMklAscbUW3ox2UWlLLguFeeFsK6nLtQ2NnTpTo9hRRSGs9creG9I~xQe0wsiWYTpCxzD~TdpIZ0E9mSTwEkxnYGOS~U2KMCiAw6EBTkOQwvkhb9NYoUgT-x2pTmSxyTr-eLd4z8ajTjtQJarkfd2JiGMrCFNn8UU3LgZ6L7909by89mDGFD0OT8BrAdqaulmH89c1NCETqvSftDt5kf4TUdd8Gtrm9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bond Election Advisory Task Force voted March 24 to approve five broad categories for the Community Engagement Survey that will guide the 2026 bond public outreach, and directed each working group to provide up to five subcategories to clarify survey questions.

Communications and Public Information Office (CPIO) community engagement manager Marion Sanchez presented a two-step outreach schedule: a first, broad survey phase beginning mid‑May to gather community sentiment on broad categories and a second, more detailed phase (including community meetings in September) that will ask about specific projects and subcategories. Sanchez said the schedule was shifted roughly three weeks to avoid overlap with the City budget office survey.

Task force action and deliverable

The task force motion approved the five categories as proposed by the community engagement working group with the requirement that each working group submit up to five subcategories (examples or more specific items) to Marion Sanchez by the end of the week to inform survey language and outreach materials. Staff and several task force members emphasized the need for clear, community-friendly descriptions and examples so lay respondents understand what each bucket includes.

Why it matters: Staff must finalize survey instruments, printing and outreach training in time for mid‑May fielding. Subcategories will allow the first-phase survey to remain short while producing actionable direction for the second-phase, project-level engagement.

Vote and next steps

The task force approved the motion by majority vote; multiple members abstained and some members who left the meeting prior to the vote were recorded as abstaining. Task force leadership and staff requested that working groups deliver their top subcategory recommendations to CPIO by the end of the week so staff can finalize outreach materials and begin the May engagement.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A with Marion Sanchez, Community Engagement Manager; task force discussion and vote.","On March 24 the Bond Election Advisory Task Force voted to approve five broad project categories (referred to as \"buckets\") for the Community Engagement Survey for the 2026 bond; each working group must supply up to five subcategories by the end of the week to help staff finalize outreach materials and the May survey launch.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625843,"Homeless Strategy Office outlines shelter capacity, prevention focus and HEAL encampment approach",766,5177000,5943000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756343-9a1695431a14ff76c19ccfbb35b4641c&start=5177&end=5943","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2756343-9a1695431a14ff76c19ccfbb35b4641c/thumbnail_5177000.jpg","/articles/6625843/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Homeless-Strategy-Office-outlines-shelter-capacity-prevention-focus-and-HEAL-encampment-approach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625843-f757689e76ea1842c6fa801c184586e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775386276&Signature=C7VJSUeCG1e0JHT17fRm7gXrZ~Nv1JZWqZ~hIEa5km9xmef~6uBkyKRQCpucU7EGm5FyBinRHLBcxf2Zi3RZ-5DrgQ6AU~nuDFTR5hypur0AZDhMd1lURptzHxwbpY2b2wcMNJNaMPrOJRql9HYeWxBmF7NzJhLwW~BrwNWPQ8HLu42mC4aKpBtzBJfCasbPigO6mdi9hQqOYGIq1WmrlO57YWLT27smQh5j0XxNBTV5FFV3~c9hoDsUyFdYbaSkVnJRuQu8zcHvy2zUffak1jz7GizdP3FQ6b3rbCoFuK3kCFoTRcLVcQHsIyI7m4F1via4sPF1b~6h7yg6JMC3TQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","David Gray, the City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Officer, briefed the Bond Election Advisory Task Force on March 24 about the structure and current needs of Austin’s homeless response system, shelter capacity and the office’s priorities for prevention, encampment response and ensuring appropriate interventions.

On-scale and system figures

Gray said approximately 6,000 people sleep unsheltered on any given night in Austin; in the prior year the system recorded about 3,000 successful exits from homelessness—an increase Gray described as roughly 50% over 2022. He said about 24,000 distinct people interacted with the homeless response system over the year and about 8,400 people entered homelessness for the first time in that period (a 72% increase from 2022). Gray said roughly 30% of the total homeless population is considered chronically homeless (long-term unsheltered plus a disabling condition).

Shelters and operations

Gray and staff described six city-owned shelter sites: the Arch (men’s shelter), H Street (women and gender diverse), Northbridge and Southbridge (hotel-conversion shelters used for encampment interventions), the Marshalling Yard temporary shelter (warehouse space with roughly 300 adults on a typical night), and the Austin Center for Women and Children (operated by Salvation Army). Across city-run shelters staff said they provide close to 1,000 beds nightly; additional nonprofit-operated beds exist outside city shelters.

Programmatic emphasis

Gray described three priorities that will shape the office’s bond considerations and operations: homeless prevention (helping people at risk stay housed or rehouse them within 30 days), the HEAL initiative (coordinated encampment response that moves people from encampments into shelter and then into housing), and interventions tailored to client need (matching people to the most appropriate program to improve long-term stability).

The office also oversees outreach, encampment closure enforcement and shelter expansion planning; staff emphasized diversion funds in shelters to help rapidly exit people from shelter into housing and noted the system’s performance: when people move from shelter into housing the system keeps approximately 95% of those people stably housed over time, a figure Gray said exceeds some national averages.

Why it matters: Gray told the task force the city should prioritize investments that increase system capacity where modeling shows gaps, that demonstrably reduce prevalence of homelessness, and that offer high leverage—prevention and rapid rehousing interventions often cost less per person and have high success rates.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A with David Gray, Homeless Strategy Office.","Homeless Strategy Officer David Gray told the task force about system capacity, shelter operations and a renewed emphasis on prevention and matching interventions to needs; staff reported roughly 6,000 people sleeping unsheltered on any night and highlighted diversion funds and shelter throughput in HEAL encampment closures.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625848,"Austin Housing Department: demand outstrips bond funds; new underwriting tool due in June",898,4191000,5089000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756343-9a1695431a14ff76c19ccfbb35b4641c&start=4191&end=5089","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2756343-9a1695431a14ff76c19ccfbb35b4641c/thumbnail_4191000.jpg","/articles/6625848/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-Housing-Department-demand-outstrips-bond-funds-new-underwriting-tool-due-in-June","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625848-e3cd8320519cdab274b15176ecf87497/orig.mp4?Expires=1775386276&Signature=SdDcJsU1M6tDU5UqgyPbEz3rDPuLsgovQaxDvJ9sLQXB-0u3jKcIB2uryAn6MO1oSZ0qudDRw9bIk99UZJTDsWsOHjLW3~KdkoIBy9Iumfq09C0dScBay~YosEX6yxNfQTf2iPbttmh3UixHZc0PlqyL3lfEcWjmCks4fce0Se-H~k2e2NCpLt6ctaBv4YR27MuYhEF~hSI8ht730diTEsSvA5PjbiGbr53iH3eBle0VXlrlxwgxsxURtw8fzdu4sy~lfVUr945XMHftav1Vz6qd0j6G7TVd5Ar343RbOBn1uTugA1smgB5rwg0Th8n7Sj1bFYVycNvATK61Hvssog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","James May, Austin’s Housing and Community Development Officer, briefed the Bond Election Advisory Task Force March 24 on the department’s mission, past bond spending, program structure and how bond funds are allocated to produce affordable housing.

May said the 2018 housing bond approved by voters totaled $250 million; the department has issued about $225 million of that package and encumbered an additional $18.8 million. For the 2022 general obligation housing bond, voters approved $350 million; the department has spent about $61 million and encumbered approximately $90 million with roughly $157 million shown as available in the program budget, but May said some of those dollars are budgeted across multiple fiscal years.

The department told the task force it routinely leverages bond funds with other sources—Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Parkland Dedication funds, private fundraising and other public programs—and that bonds typically fill financing gaps that other resources do not. May described one recent action: the department committed $5 million to acquire the El Gallo site on South Congress to assemble a transit-oriented housing development adjacent to Project Connect lines.

Program delivery and scoring

May explained the department’s major bond programs: home repair, ownership housing, rental housing development assistance (RHDA), and Austin Housing Finance Corporation acquisitions. Rental production and preservation represent the largest share of bond allocations.

May said RHDA scoring historically used a 50-point threshold for underwriting applications and that threshold has been a low entry point; the department is working with consultants (Guidehouse) and community stakeholders to deploy a revised application and scoring tool that will be released in June to evaluate gap‑financing requests more consistently.

Why it matters: May emphasized that bond dollars are a relatively small but critical part of Austin’s larger affordable‑housing financing ecosystem. Demand outstrips supply; projects funded by bond loans often rely on multiple sources and reimbursement timing means the city’s cash outlays lag project construction.

Numbers and recent activity

- 2018 GO bond: $250,000,000 approved; ~$225,000,000 issued; $18,800,000 encumbered (department reported a recent $5,000,000 commitment for El Gallo acquisition).
- 2022 GO bond: $350,000,000 approved; ~$61,000,000 disbursed (cash out the door); ~$90,000,000 encumbered; the department reported it has commitments and loans totaling tens of millions to developments and continues to be oversubscribed.

May said the department will continue to bring bond program recommendations and underwriting results to the task force and Council while working to improve scoring, increase private leverage and deploy funds where the city can secure the most community benefit per dollar.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A with James May, Housing & Community Development.","Housing staff told the bond advisory task force on March 24 that previous general obligation housing bond dollars are largely committed, demand for affordable housing far exceeds current bond resources, and the department will roll out a new underwriting and scoring tool in June.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6625852,"Austin transportation staff proposes scoring framework to rank projects for 2026 bond",1335,1548000,2883000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2756343-9a1695431a14ff76c19ccfbb35b4641c&start=1548&end=2883","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2756343-9a1695431a14ff76c19ccfbb35b4641c/thumbnail_1548000.jpg","/articles/6625852/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-transportation-staff-proposes-scoring-framework-to-rank-projects-for-2026-bond","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6625852-30f4a8c5c3ad0bc6f0bb6284dae09fbc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775386276&Signature=dEGQPAmCpsoUvkBEzBaXpdAdMGJT~0pZ-l~yXbpRXj3t-~6UZ61BDeN7FuRgi5BZw-B1vovSitQgH112VL2CmuUofSoJqL865sALkh~OKWQRRqcSabOvHhAEvQigzT3M0TKL8AGqIg2u~XzcEJVSTO-tEFU3gZlJDasaRA6JAjmnbYcTC7PjVhiOT3tCc9yT6vJuYe0G3XhdwZuTueU3VMxZBIXy0YbN2sXWBFdN8BJubTFtmxiuitA7FpKbJgWSscCNbOw7asUuiko0un1zSdv7sOBM0zXB9YSBz1PtBV~yVYo7mZgdZOlR1bX0J1aLLaBwtKAP8LGBbTIkWjpB-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Transportation and Public Works staff outlined a six-anchor, metrics-driven framework March 24 to help score and prioritize transportation projects for Austin’s potential 2026 bond.

The department told the Bond Election Advisory Task Force it will use the City Strategic Plan anchors—equity, affordability, innovation, sustainability and resiliency, proactive prevention, and community trust—to evaluate projects and programs and translate them into measurable criteria such as equity analysis zones, transit route importance, sidewalk and bike facility gaps, high-crash network rankings and project readiness.

Transportation officer Michelle Marks told the task force the approach ties directly to the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan (ASMP) and the citywide strategic plan. “We have a vision that Austin is the model for safe, reliable and sustainable transportation,” Marks said. She said staff plan to quantify needs across the city, score projects against the anchors and return to the task force later with a scored and prioritized list of projects for further sensitivity testing.

Why it matters: the department said it faces a large universe of unmet capital needs and limited bond funding; the scoring matrix is intended to produce a defensible, comparable ranking so the task force and Council can choose projects that best meet citywide goals and are constructible within the bond timeline.

Key elements of the framework

- Equity: staff plan to prioritize projects inside the city’s Equity Analysis Zones (EAZs) and along Title VI-identified transit routes that serve low-income riders.
- Affordability: projects that expand low-cost travel options (sidewalks, bikeways, transit speed/reliability) and that connect to Imagine Austin growth centers score higher.
- Innovation: technical features (transit signal priority, smart signals) and project-readiness/leverage opportunities are measured. Staff said they will not propose bond projects that are not project-ready for the bond cycle.
- Sustainability/resiliency: projects that reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), include green infrastructure or provide travel choices rank higher; staff will consider streets that are important during emergencies.
- Proactive prevention: safety metrics (high-crash network, safe routes to school) are central to reducing deaths and serious injuries before they occur.
- Community trust: staff will consider the intensity of prior community engagement and population/employment density in the project area.

Project readiness and timeline

Marks said projects proposed for the bond must be deliverable within the bond cycle; under current guidance a project must be substantially complete by the end of the bond cycle (2032) to be included. That requirement will act as a gatekeeper for large or complex projects that require multi-year design and permitting.

Programs as well as individual projects

Staff confirmed they will return not only with named construction projects but with programmatic proposals—local mobility and safety programs such as sidewalks, Vision Zero, urban trails and bikeways—showing how rolled-up programs achieve the same anchors.

Task force questions and staff responses

Task force members asked how staff will account for leveraging federal, regional or partner funds (for example, Capital Metro or county work). Marks said “leverage” is one of the innovation criteria and could be weighted higher; partnering dollars would improve a project score.

Task force members also asked for a carbon-emissions or lifecycle greenhouse-gas estimate for proposed projects. Marks and Director Anna Martin said the idea is important but will require further staff-level work to determine methodology; Martin said, “give us a moment to take that back and think that through.”

On construction materials and low-carbon concrete, staff said they have applied for federal pilot funding to test low‑carbon concrete locally and are evaluating materials that reduce pavement temperature and embodied carbon. Staff noted electrification infrastructure (for example, to support electric buses) will require coordination with Austin Energy and Capital Metro.

What’s next

Transportation staff will apply the proposed criteria to the department’s universe of needs, return to the task force with scored projects later in the year, and solicit the task force’s view on weighting the six anchors. Staff asked the task force for feedback on the proposed anchors and measures before the scoring work proceeds.

Sources: Presentation and Q&A with Michelle Marks and Anna Martin, Transportation & Public Works.","Transportation and Public Works presented a six-anchor, metrics-driven approach to identify and prioritize transportation projects for Austin’s potential 2026 bond, stressing equity, project readiness and leveraging outside funds; staff asked the task force for feedback on weighting and community priorities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Seniors press for Gus Garcia senior center; Elizabeth Ney advocates seek $500,000 for accessible restroom

Task force approves five engagement categories for 2026 bond survey; working groups to provide subcategories

Homeless Strategy Office outlines shelter capacity, prevention focus and HEAL encampment approach

Austin Housing Department: demand outstrips bond funds; new underwriting tool due in June

Austin transportation staff proposes scoring framework to rank projects for 2026 bond