Houston will open a new center to help address the needs of those dealing with homelessness and substance use.

The gist: The Houston Health Department received a federal $3 million-per-year grant for the next four years. The grant will go toward supporting the development and implementation of the Houston Health Respite, Recovery and Transitional Housing (HHRRTH) Center (pronounced “hearth”).

The center is a community-based initiative designed to help those experiencing homelessness, medical illness and serious mental illness or substance use disorder move toward recovery and self-sufficiency, according to a news release.

How it works: The center will provide a coordinated approach to responding to the needs of homeless individuals, particularly those who have been discharged from local hospitals with medical illness, substance use disorder or both.

Also of note: The Harris Center will serve as the program’s clinical behavioral health lead, providing assessments, housing navigation and coordinated entry across systems of care.

A Swedish candy cart has made its way to Houston.

What is it: Haus Candy, a mobile, vintage-inspired Swedish candy cart, offers a rotating selection of 12-16 pick-and-mix candy varieties.

Pick-and-mix candy is a tradition in Sweden that founders Chelcie and Adam Aldred said they wanted to bring to Houston. Candies vary from sweet to sour, and from foams and gummies to chewy and gel-filled candies. The cart also offers gluten-free and gelatin-free options.

Some flavors include banana toffee, dizzy skulls, happy chews, sour apple and tutti frutti. The candy is imported from Sweden and free of most artificial dyes.

About the owners: Chelcie said she and her husband Adam "have a passion for design and a love for candy."

"We wanted Houston to have Swedish candy the way it's meant to be enjoyed: scooped from a cart with old-school candy shop charm," Chelcie said. "We were shocked when we realized Houston didn't have a Swedish candy cart yet, so we built the first one."

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts celebrated its 60th anniversary and the completion of the venue’s first full-scale renovation.

The gist: Leaders from Houston First, the city of Houston and Houston’s theater district gathered at Jones Hall on Oct. 5 for a tour of the newly renovated theater. Improvements include new seating and aisles, a reimagined lobby, new elevators, increased bathroom facilities and an expanded green room.

Improvements also featured technical and infrastructure renovations backstage, including new, modernized stage automation control.

Other details: Jones Hall is home to the Houston Symphony and other performing arts events. It was founded in 1966 and is named after Jesse Jones, a philanthropist and politician from Tennessee who moved to Houston as an adult.

Houston residents can celebrate Oktoberfest throughout October with the inaugural Oktoberfest Nation Houston.

What is it: Created by the team behind Frosty's Christmas Bar, this five-week, all-ages event runs from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31 along Dallas Street in East Downtown.

The event features authentic Hofbräu München beer, traditional German food and apparel shops. Activities at the festival include stein-holding showdowns, live Oompah bands and DJs, festival-style carnival games and interactive team competitions.

Doors open at 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, running until midnight. Ticket prices range from $12.60 to $48.10.

Before you go: Other local Oktoberfest events on Oct. 10 include the POST Houston Skylawn Oktoberfest, the kickoff of the Texas Renaissance Festival Oktoberfest Weekend and a stein-hosting competition at the Shepherd Drive Little Woodrow's.

The average annual insurance premium for a Texas homeowner rose 79% in six years, from less than $2,000 in 2020 to more than $3,500 this year, Texas Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford told state lawmakers Oct. 5.

The overview: The rise in home insurance costs has been caused by severe weather, high inflationary costs impacting home repairs and "the concentration of risk" in the insurance market, Crawford said.

Experts said hardening homes against severe weather could help reduce expensive losses from disasters, resulting in lower insurance premiums.

Zooming in: Proponents of home-hardening incentives have pointed to their success in other Gulf Coast states, such as Alabama. Texas consumer advocacy groups and the insurance industry backed proposals to create a similar grant program last year, according to previous Community Impact reporting, but those measures did not pass.

"Resilience helps homeowners long before it shows up in an insurance bill because a stronger home holds up better when the storm comes," said Chelsea Stallings, a regional vice president for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.