Official Press Release
Published November 16, 2020
Donation is part of 10-year, $2 million pledge made in 2017
The Downtown Austin Alliance announced its fourth $200,000 donation to Mobile Loaves & Fishes for Community First! Village, the master-planned development in northeast Austin that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for chronically homeless men and women. The gift is part of the Downtown Alliance’s 10-year, $2 million grant to the organization.
This $200,000 installment is dedicated to expanding Phases II, III and IV at Community First! Village. Phase II features an additional 24 acres, more than 300 homes and other community amenities like additional outdoor kitchens and community gardens. Upon completion of all four phases, the community will be able to house approximately 1500 additional residents. Phase I of the Village currently covers 27 acres, features 130 micro-homes, 100 RV/park homes and has more than 200 residents.
“We are proud to continue our support of Community First! Village as they care and serve those in our community who need our support the most—our neighbors and fellow Austinites experiencing homelessness,” Dewitt Peart, president and chief executive of the Downtown Austin Alliance, said. “Community First! Village has demonstrated again and again that they have been successful in their ongoing mission. Through expansion, their impact will become even greater and the Downtown Alliance will continue to support them every step of the way.”
When announced in July 2017, the grant was not only the largest in the history of the Downtown Austin Alliance, but also the largest ever for Mobile Loaves & Fishes, which operates Community First! Village.
“We’re excited to share that neighbors have started to move into Phase II and are enjoying their beautiful new homes,” Mobile Loaves and Fishes President, Amber Fogarty, said. “We are thankful to the Downtown Austin Alliance for their continued support, and we sincerely hope that the community will join in supporting Mobile
Loaves & Fishes’ mission of providing a permanent home to our chronically homeless neighbors.”
In addition, the Community Works Entrepreneur Hub in Phase II opened in September. Neighbors are creating fine art, jewelry, ceramics, pottery and other microenterprise products in this new space. Mobile Loaves & Fishes has navigated the complexities of the pandemic and has been successful in keeping the virus at bay because the Village is built for social distancing.
To join the Downtown Austin Alliance in supporting the good work of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, click here.