Austin Public Health reports CSBG outcomes: rental aid, food distributions and volunteer hours noted; Q3–Q4 funds released

Austin Public Health presented a summary of Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) activities and outcomes at the Austin Community Development Commission meeting on June 10.

Jill Smith, program manager in the Neighborhood Services Unit at Austin Public Health, presented monthly CSBG metrics and program updates. Smith said, “As of April, we had spent $201,486.70 of the budget and had transitioned 11 individuals out of poverty out of our goal of 43.” She reported casework and service numbers for the calendar year: 271 individuals avoided eviction, 62 utility payments made, about 29,992 people served through food distributions, case management for 79 individuals, clothing distributed to 440 people, and 811 volunteer hours donated.

Smith also provided a January–May update on rental assistance: “From January to May, we helped 309 people and 143 households avoid eviction with our financial stability rental assistance funding, for a total of $376,517.44.” She said the department received confirmation that fiscal year 2025 third- and fourth-quarter CSBG funds had been released to the state.

Commissioners asked how the program tracks particular line items and how residents can access services. Commissioner Lyric asked why bus passes and referrals were absent from the report’s summary. Smith said the CSBG reporting mirrors what the program submits to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) and that bus-pass data and other referral tracking are captured in other reports; “we report that in other places,” she said. On referrals, Smith said staff give referrals to nearly everyone they serve and that it is harder to capture every informal referral in a structured report.

Commissioners raised questions about volunteer roles and center reopenings. Smith said most volunteer hours are tied to food distributions and special events (for example, a Juneteenth event at Blackland Neighborhood Center) and that mobile distributions in partnership with the Food Bank rely heavily on volunteers. She reported facility updates: Blackland Community Center has moved back in and resumed services and will host a Juneteenth reopening event; Rosewood also moved back in and expected to resume services within a couple of weeks; South center has been delayed and staff expect services to resume in July or early August if the current timeline holds.

Commissioner Brewster asked whether reopened centers would offer the same services. Smith said neighborhood centers offer the same range of services citywide, though adjacent non‑city entities (for example, the nearby Blackland community development organization) are separate from the city-run centers. Commissioner Arnold raised concerns about callers reaching staff for rental assistance and described long wait times; Smith said demand exceeds the available funding and staff carefully ration limited funds to serve self‑sufficiency clients and stretch assistance over the fiscal year. “It is very frustrating because there’s not enough money,” Smith said, adding that staff update outgoing voicemail when slots fill and try to communicate availability through centers’ calendars, social media and the department’s website.

Members asked for follow-up data. Commissioner Lyric requested client‑level referral information and broader client‑feedback data; Smith said some referral and satisfaction tracking exists and that the department is expanding survey collection (including digital and Spanish options) for home‑repair programs and is exploring contracting to gather additional qualitative and quantitative information.

The commission thanked Smith for the update and noted the confirmed disbursement of CSBG funds to the state as a positive development for city services.