Re-Entry Grants Look To Assist Formerly Incarcerated In Austin

AUSTIN, TX—The City of Austin's Equity Office announced it will accept applications from the community for Re-entry Services Grant to generate improved opportunities and resources for formerly incarcerated community members. As the city evaluates barriers impacting individuals with a criminal record that prevent accessibility to stable housing, jobs, transportation and health care, the grant program looks to improve outcomes for those re-entering society via a more human-centered re-entry process.

$400,000 will be distributed through two different programs including Hub Funding — one award for $200,000 to serve as a "hub" or one-stop-shop where the re-entry community can receive services necessary to assist them in reaching stability, and Spoke Funding —awards of up to $50,000 will be disbursed for entities that can provide component services in new and innovative ways.

The goal of Hub Funding is to fund an organization to provide wrap-around, holistic services to individuals who are working to achieve stability after incarceration, whereas Spoke Funding looks to augment services such as housing, mental and physical care, financial assistance, job and skills training and food access.

Chief Equity Officer Brion Oaks considers the grant opportunities will help eliminate some of the obstacles that prevent those formerly incarcerated from attaining stability, “What we seek to accomplish through these grants is to examine who is most impacted by barriers and begin to address them on both an individual and systemic level,” Oaks said in a press release.

Applications from the community for Re-entry Grants will be accepted through Friday, July 23. More information may be found HERE.