AUSTIN, Texas —
New initiatives will be announced Tuesday to help lower energy bills and bring more child care to residents of one Austin nonprofit's affordable housing community.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) said he's secured more funding to enhance the services that Open Door provides.
The federally-funded projects will impact some of the Foundation Communities properties in North Austin. Foundation Communities is a nonprofit that provides affordable housing at 23 properties to those that apply within the Austin area or North Texas region.
Doggett is focused on combating climate change and addressing a child care desert that has been seen in that area. The funds will work to increase Foundation Communities' access to early education at one of its North Austin properties.
Foundation Communities is partnering with the Open Door school, which strives to integrate students with disabilities into classrooms with other students who do not have disabilities. Open Door will bring access to learning to one of the properties to help those that live there and are experiencing homelessness.
"They will enable children who cannot get adequate services now to have right there with our housing, child care and early education. And they will expand the role of an important institution here, the Open Door school," Doggett said.
The funds will also allow the nonprofit to receive solar energy at some of the properties, with the goal of reducing residents' electricity bills.
"They'll be helping with some families that have children that have been homeless and some that have been house for some time, but foundation communities," Doggett said. "So the idea is let's combat the climate crisis and let's provide the tools to educate our youngest neighbors."
Doggett will unveil more details about these federally funded projects at 10 a.m. at the Foundation Communities' Laurel Creek Apartments.
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