Urgent Issues Action Plan

 

PLANNING MATRICES URGENT ISSUE SUMMATION

Basic Needs

  • Basic needs resources (food, clothing and shelter) are fragmented and hard to access.
  • Too many people in this community are going without food, shelter or clothing.

Housing

  • There is a significantly inadequate amount of affordable housing in our community due to a lack of: corporate incentives to increase affordable housing; development/building capacity focused on affordable housing; proactive policies (appropriately zoned land, dedicated resources and an efficient development and review process)
  • Too many policy makers and community members are not fully aware of the extent or complexity of the affordable housing crisis in our region and the impact of a "Not in My Backyard " (NIMBY) community attitude.
  • The community is rapidly losing existing affordable homes and apartments to gentrification, development, deterioration and loss of affordable subsidies.

Homelessness

  • Many families and individuals become homeless or cannot transition out of homelessness because of the shortage of affordable housing.
  • Many families and individuals become homeless or cannot transition out of homelessness because of the shortage of transitional housing
  • Many people are turned away from shelters, put on a waiting list, or cannot utilize existing facilities due to lack of space and/or special needs (safety, mental health, addiction status).
  • Financial hardship and extremely high housing costs are leading to an increased number of people becoming homeless.

Early Education and Care

  • Good quality child care is not available to all families.
  • Too many parents are isolated and lack the support to effectively raise their children
  • Many families cannot afford good quality child care.
  • The critical importance of educating and raising children is not widely understood and valued.

Education

  • There is a shortage of qualified/certified teachers
  • K-12 students are often unprepared to succeed in higher education or the workforce
  • Not enough students are encouraged to enroll in challenging courses/programs.
  • High expectations are not consistently communicated to all students.
  • Student learning often suffers due to family and community issues (housing, basic needs, family violence, etc) that are not effectively addressed.
  • Resources are fragmented and hard for families and educators to access.
  • Too many students are not on track to attain their educational goals or do not remain in school.

Workforce Development

  • Not all stakeholders are fully involved in effective efforts to promote academic success and workforce solutions.
  • Many community members are not aware of financial aid, education and training opportunities.
  • Too few private sector employers are actively engaged in addressing their employees' child care needs.

Health

  • There are significant mental and physical health disparities among some populations of Travis County.
  • There is a lack of focus and sufficient resources to promote creative, effective efforts in preventing illness and injury, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
  • Not all people have equal access to mental and physical health care services.
  • Substance abuse has a negative impact on many aspects of health and quality of life in this community.
  • Persons who use, abuse, or are addicted to substances cannot access the
    treatment they need and want.
  • Residents of Travis County are not receiving coordinated, consistent and
    integrated services to PREVENT substance abuse.
  • Our community is not consistently receiving substance abuse services
    based upon the most effective principles, strategies, approaches and
    models.

Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities

  • A significant disparity exists in the employment rates of persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities (MR/DD).
  • People with MR/DD are often excluded from participation in community activities due to issues with accessibility, lack of financial resources, and lack of support.
  • There is no coordinated, responsible system for responding to persons with MR/DD who are in crisis.
  • There are over one thousand persons with MR/DD waiting for appropriate services, such as respite, affordable and accessible care, and specialized assistance, in Travis County
  • People with MR/DD are over-represented in the Travis County percentages for unemployment, poverty, limited and ineffective education and child care, and involvement with the justice system.

Public Safety

  • The importance of emphasizing effective public safety strategies is not fully understood by policymakers and community members.
  • Resources for youth and families, victims and offenders are fragmented and difficult to access
  • The community does not have the data necessary to make informed public safety planning decisions.
  • Funding for prevention and intervention is inadequate to meet the needs of the community and prevent crime

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