Community Project Funding

Community Project Funding is an appropriations program that brings direct funding to projects throughout Texas Congressional District 35.

Most importantly, each request must include demonstrated community support. Projects are required to submit evidence of community support, such as:

• Letters of support from elected community leaders
• Press articles highlighting the need for the specific project
• Resolutions passed by local/county/state governments
• Projects listed on community development plans, state intended use plans, and other publicly available planning documents
• Support from local newspaper editorial boards, etc.

In the interest of transparency, all Members are required to post all Community Project Funding requests submitted to the committee on their website. The posting includes the name of the proposed recipient, the address, the amount of the request, and an explanation of the purpose and justification for the use of taxpayer funds.

• FY2025 Community Project Funding Requests
• FY2024 Community Project Funding Requests

Projects Requested

Listed below are the projects Congressman Casar has submitted to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration for FY26 Community Project Funding (listed in alphabetical order): 

Ella Austin Community Center Campus Renovation

Project Recipient: City of San Antonio

The Ella Austin Community Center is a complex of five buildings, including the historic Ralph Waldo Emerson junior high school, built in 1923, located in the Dignowity Hill neighborhood of San Antonio’s East Side. Since the 1960’s the Ella Austin Community Center campus has provided a breadth of services to the community including child care, after school youth programs, adult education, older adult programs, job training, gardening and nutrition programs, sports, and office space for community support services. The City of San Antonio will be renovating the campus to upgrade building systems and position the Ella Austin Community Center campus to best serve the community for decades to come. 

• Address of Recipient: 100 W. Houston St., San Antonio, TX 78205
• Project Location: 1023 N. Pine St., San Antonio, TX 78202
• Amount Requested: $1,565,319.00
• Disclosure Form

Esperanza Community Project

Project Recipient: City of Austin

The Esperanza Community is a non-congregate emergency shelter complex in East Austin. Esperanza’s low barrier and trauma informed nature makes it a unique and integral part of Austin’s continuum of care. The City will fund the construction of a shelter complex made up of 200 individual shelter units, shaded gathering areas, hygiene facilities, and a community center. Once built, the project will provide community members holistic supportive services, including onsite work opportunities, highly personalized case management and housing navigation, and 24-hour crisis management. The Esperanza Community will assist community members with exiting homelessness. Community members are offered not only physical shelter, but a safe environment in a time of transition. 

• Address of Recipient: PO Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767
• Project Location: 760 Bastrop Hwy SB Austin TX 78741
• Amount Requested: $1.1 million
• Disclosure Form

Hays County Sportsplex Improvements

Project Recipient: Hays County

Hays County is seeking funding to renovate and reopen a long-standing sports complex as the Hays County Sportsplex.The Sportsplex is currently not in a safe or usable condition. Improvements need to be made to buildings such as the concession stands, press box, and restrooms as well as the parking lot, fences, and bleachers. Fields need to be updated with proper irrigation and turfing in order to ensure safety and functionality for youth sports. Additionally, improvements need to be made to the electrical, plumbing, lighting equipment and scoreboards. Once renovated, the Sportsplex will provide increased opportunities for community activity and youth sports in Hays County. 

• Address of Recipient: 712 S. Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos, TX 78666
• Project Location: 2880 Goforth Rd, Kyle, TX 78640
• Amount Requested: $2 million
• Disclosure Form

Investing in Community Infrastructure Through NALCAB's New Home in San Antonio's Historic Market Square

Project Recipient: City of San Antonio 

The City of San Antonio requests funds to invest in community development services for low-to-moderate income communities through partnership with  National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB). Funds from this project will relocate NALCAB’s headquarters to downtown San Antonio and renovate a newly acquired office building where NALCAB will invest in the capacity, economic development, and vibrancy of the community. The initiative will stimulate local businesses by attracting foot traffic and increasing demand for goods and services. This creates new opportunities for entrepreneurs and small business owners, leading to investment growth and enhancing the economic environment of downtown San Antonio.

• Address of Recipient: 100 W. Houston Street, San Antonio, Texas 78205
• Project Location: 109 N. San Saba, San Antonio, Texas, 78207
• Amount Requested: $1 million
• Disclosure Form

Morris C. Beldon Apartments Site and Building Improvements Project

Project Recipient: Housing Authority of the City of San Antonio 

The Housing Authority of the City of San Antonio requests funds to renovate The Morris C. Beldon apartments, which provides deeply affordable housing for residents of San Antonio. By focusing on the revitalization of all 35 units, this project aims to provide modern, energy-efficient living spaces while prioritizing safety and sustainability. Ultimately, this project underscores the housing authority’s dedication to meeting the evolving needs of their residents, fostering inclusivity, and promoting safety within the community through a more sustainable and resilient living environment for all.

• Address of Recipient: 818 S. Flores St., San Antonio, TX 78204
• Project Location: 7511 Harlow Dr., San Antonio, TX 78218
• Amount Requested: $2,451,252.80
• Disclosure Form

Onion Creek Metropolitan Park All Abilities Playground

Project Recipient: City of Austin

The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department will create a destination public playground where residents of all ages and abilities can enjoy the magic of play in a space that fosters health and mental wellness, community connections, social development, and joy. The playground will be universally accessible and inclusive to all visitors, particularly children with disabilities and special needs, and it will feature innovative design and programming opportunities. It will be a major step in the process of transforming Onion Creek from a flood-prone neighborhood into a community asset

• Address of Recipient: PO Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767
• Project Location: 8652 Nuckols Crossing Rd, Austin, TX 78744
• Amount Requested: $5 million
• Disclosure Form

Palacio Del Sol Senior Living Rehabilitation

Project Recipient: City of San Antonio

The City of San Antonio Neighborhood and Housing Services Department will fund the rehabilitation of the Palacio del Sol Senior Apartments. The Palacio del Sol Senior Apartments are home to over 222 low-income residents and individuals with disabilities aged 62 or over. In 2021, Winter Storm Uri caused damage to pipes, building, elevators, kitchen, and literacy center. To appropriately serve seniors, the proposed project will replace and rehab dinner equipment, kitchen equipment, and a literacy center. This project would be an investment into the health, safety, and quality of life for San Antonio’s senior community.

• Address of Recipient: 100 W. Houston St., San Antonio, TX 78205
• Project Location: 400 N Frio St., San Antonio, TX 78207
• Amount Requested: $850,000
• Disclosure Form

Persimmon Point

Project Recipient: City of Austin

Families are being pushed out of Austin by skyrocketing housing costs, requiring a fast and targeted response to meet the need. The City of Austin plans to address this need by investing in Persimmon Point. When completed, this 126-unit homeownership community in Southeast Austin will become a neighborhood that vital workers – like educators, healthcare workers, hospitality workers and first responders – and their families can call home. 

• Address of Recipient: PO Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767
• Project Location: 7051 Meadow Lake Boulevard, Austin, TX 78744
• Amount Requested: $2.5 million
• Disclosure Form

Pipeline to Success: Supporting Diversionary High School and Post-Secondary Success Among Underserved Students

Project Recipient: Communities in Schools of Central Texas

Through the Pipeline to Success Project, Communities in Schools Central Texas (CISCT) serves Hays County and Travis County by connecting its Male Student Achievement Program (MSAP) and Providing Access to Holistic Support to Post-secondary Success (PATHS) program to offer supportive programming that diverts students from the criminal justice system and keeps them on track to a stable, successful life. MSAP seeks to break the school to prison pipeline: MSAP Coaches specifically work with Hays County and Travis County high school students who are identified as “at risk” of being pushed out of the education system, including those who are involved in gangs or the juvenile justice system. Alleviating the burden for law enforcement and providing services directly in the school setting. Through PATHS, College-Based Program Managers (PMs) will offer direct services to community college students, while also acting as a navigator to help students connect to the existing supportive resources and programs.

• Address of Recipient: 2512 E St. Elmo Rd, Austin, TX, 78744
• Project Location: Texas Congressional District 35
• Amount Requested: $700,000
• Disclosure Form

Santa Rita Courts Childcare Facility

Project Recipient: Housing Authority of the City of Austin

The proposed childcare center will be part of the redevelopment of the historic Santa Rita Courts housing project in East Austin. Santa Rita, on the National Register of Historic Places as the first public housing created under the U.S. Housing Act of 1937, is currently home to 97 low-income families. The redevelopment will more than double the amount of affordable housing and improve the quality of life for all the families who call Santa Rita home. The funds will be used to fund the adaptive reuse of two historic buildings into a childcare center. The center will serve families on a sliding scale based on income, allowing low income families access to high quality childcare. 

• Address of Recipient: 1124 S. IH 35, Austin, TX 78704
• Project Location: 2341 Corta Street, Austin, TX 78702
• Amount Requested: $3 million
• Disclosure Form

The Sasha

Project Recipient: Travis County

Travis County will help fund the new construction of 60 units of high quality, supportive housing paired with voluntary, wrap-around services for Austin’s most housing-fragile families experiencing domestic violence. The Sasha will be a five-story, wood-frame, elevator-served building that will be designed with comfort and safety in mind for those who have experienced long-term trauma, violence, and homelessness. The building will feature secured and separated entries. Durability and long-term ownership will be key goals in mind with the selection of finishes and surfaces.  

• Address of Recipient: 700 Lavaca St., Ste. 320, Austin, TX 78701
• Project Location: 1401 Grove Boulevard, Austin, TX 78741
• Amount Requested: $4 million
• Disclosure Form

Sir Swante Palm Park

Project Recipient: City of Austin

The City of Austin is revitalizing the historic Sir Swante Palm Park in downtown Austin as the next Phase of the highly-anticipated Waterloo Greenway project. Situated between popular downtown destinations and on the dividing line to the historically diverse East Austin, the City plans to return this central greenspace to an enlivened and ecologically restored park for families and children of all backgrounds.

• Address of Recipient: PO Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767
• Project Location: 200 N. IH 35 Svrd SB, Austin, TX 78701
• Amount Requested: $2 million
• Disclosure Form

Sunset Acres Neighborhood Improvements

Project Recipient: City of San Marcos, Texas

The Sunset Acres Neighborhood in San Marcos, Texas is prone to flooding and wastewater problems, requiring significant cleanup after previous flood events. With heavy rain, residents experience an influx of water that causes sewage to back up onto their property, including inside their homes in some cases reported to City staff. Community Project Funding would be utilized to replace water and wastewater mains, which have exceeded their useful life cycle. Replacing these failing water and wastewater lines, in coordination with the other flood mitigation work being done by the city, will significantly enhance the environmental health and sanitary conditions in the neighborhood.

• Address of Recipient: 630 East Hopkins Street San Marcos, TX 78666
• Project Location: Texas Congressional District 35
• Amount Requested: $5.5M
• Disclosure Form

Travis County Transformation Project (TCTP)

Project Recipient: Excellence and Advancement Foundation

The Excellence and Advancement Foundation (EAF) plays a critical role in the wrap-around support provided by the Travis County Transformation Project (TCTP). Families are given the choice to opt into TCTP when law enforcement is called to the scene of a family violence incident. Current eligibility is for youth aged 15 to 16. The restorative process is based on a rigorously evaluated model. It includes preparation to build readiness for youth and caregivers, culminating in conversations where youth, caregivers, family members, and community participants come together to discuss and resolve the harm caused. 

• Address of Recipient: 900 Chicon Street #C66, Austin, TX 78702
• Project Location: Texas Congressional District 35
• Amount Requested: $750,000
• Disclosure Form

VFW Post 76 "The Petty House" Renovation

Project Recipient: City of San Antonio

The City of San Antonio plans to support the veteran community through the renovation of the VFW Post's Petty House. Originally built in 1891, it stands as the "first post and oldest post" in Texas. Now, at over 129 years old, the house has weathered various challenges, including a house fire, significant weather events, and issues with rodents and trespassers. Funds provided from the City of San Antonio would restore the Petty House to its former glory, ensuring it remains a place for every veteran in Bexar County and Texas. Post 76 will serve veterans and patrons in a safe, stable structure, with public safety at the forefront of the work.

• Address of Recipient: 100 W. Houston St., San Antonio, TX 78205
• Project Location: 10 10th Street, San Antonio, TX 78215
• Amount Requested: $3 million
• Disclosure Form