ATX-SCA: Impact 11/4/2025

New grocery store The Halfway Market opened alongside Austin coffee shop Barley Bean in late October.

The joint market and cafe is the latest concept by Barley Bean co-founder and CEO Mohit Mehra, who is an Austin resident. The coffee company has another location off South Lamar Boulevard.

A closer look: Barley Bean is a specialty, boutique coffee house, bakery and roastery, serving coffee, tea and espresso beverages. Additionally, the cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees, including pizza and paninis.

The Halfway Market sells essential groceries and convenience items, fresh food, and craft beer.

Something to note: The new business is located near The University of Texas at Austin next to Posse East and Taco Joint.

• 2805 San Jacinto Blvd., Austin

Building height limits for high-rise projects downtown are now in place as Austin responds to a new state law meant to spur housing development across Texas.

The update caps most buildings in the city core at 350 feet, unless new towers participate agree to provide public benefits like streetscape improvements and fee payments for affordable housing. The changes approved in October are expected to be temporary ahead of wider revisions to city development policies and Austin's long-range plans for the downtown area.

While moving forward with a 350-foot limit in response to SB 840 this fall, city planners report the change could hurt Austin's affordable housing efforts due to declining participation in the density bonus program. However, taller projects may not be on the horizon for now given wider economic conditions.

The city's new height cap was also questioned in public reviews ahead of council's October vote, with some community members stating the change could constrain new construction and hamper city goals.

Millions of Texans may see delays in their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits beginning Nov. 1, as the federal government shutdown reaches the one-month mark.

The latest: The federal food assistance program is set to run out of funding in November, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Two federal judges ruled Oct. 31 that the Trump Administration must use federal contingency funds, which are stockpiled for emergency expenses, to fund SNAP in November, although the next steps surrounding SNAP benefits were unclear as of press time.

The local impact: Over 3.5 million Texans receive SNAP benefits each month, according to Feeding Texas, the statewide network of food banks.

“People are at risk of going hungry if the government doesn't reopen and SNAP benefits are delayed. … These are already vulnerable Texans,” Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole said in an Oct. 27 interview.

Food banks across the state Texas food banks previously expanded their operations to meet increased demand as thousands of federal workers go without paychecks during the shutdown.

Election Day is Nov. 4. Polling places across Texas will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., according to the secretary of state’s office.

The overview: Voters in the following counties can vote at any polling place within their county of residence through the countywide voting program: Bastrop, Bexar, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Fort Bend, Galveston, Guadalupe, Harris, Hays, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson. Registered voters in other counties are required to visit a polling place specific to their voting precinct.

On the ballot: Texas voters will decide on 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution during the Nov. 4 election. Each proposition was approved by at least two-thirds of state lawmakers this spring before being placed on the ballot.

Voters in various communities across the state may also see local propositions and races on their ballots, including a 20% tax rate increase in Austin, a congressional race in Harris County and a state Senate race in Tarrant County.

Learn more: To get to know the propositions and candidates on your local ballot, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.