ATX-SWA: Impact 9/4/2025

Austin's main homeless services hub could be moving away from its current South Austin location.

The details: For years, various homeless services have been offered from the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center in South Austin. The location has proved controversial, drawing legal and legislative attempts to shut down operations there due to public nuisance and safety concerns. On Sept. 3, the city's Homeless Strategy Office announced plans to potentially acquire a new property off I-35 to serve as a replacement for Sunrise's services. It remains to be seen if Sunrise would also make the move across town, or if a new operator would be chosen.

No final decision about the new site has been made, and officials said resident input will inform whether the proposed relocation takes place. Depending on public sentiment, City Council could vote to move forward with the property acquisition in October ahead of the new center's opening next spring.

Talisman Coffee has expanded its operations to South Austin with its trailer opening at Far Out Lounge & Stage in early July.

The specifics: The business is operated by co-founder and roaster Fernando Alvarado, co-founder Johanna Alvarado Barker and farmers Yuri and Johanna Alvarado.

While the coffee trailer presents classic options from lattes and americanos to cold brew and matcha, customers can also try out its specialty drinks including the seasonal PB & Strawberry Jelly Latte and Matcha-Loops, an off-the-menu drink with a flavor profile similar to Fruity Loops milk.

The trailer is also looking to implement drinks inspired by the founders’ background, Barker said in an email exchange with Community Impact.

“We’re also experimenting with signature drinks inspired by Nicaraguan flavors and the beverages we grew up enjoying,” Barker said.

• 8504 S. Congress Ave., Austin

The Heart Hospital of Austin at St. David's Round Rock Medical Center is the first in the nation to use a new vascular stent treatment for carotid artery disease, with a surgeon at the hospital being the first to use this treatment outside of clinical trials in July. 

What you need to know: Per a news release shared by the hospital system in August, Dr. Bradley Boone, M.D., chief of surgery at Heart Hospital of Austin at St. David’s Round Rock and vascular surgeon with Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons, performed the first surgery in the country to use a carotid stent in the transcarotid artery revascularization technique since receiving approval from the Food and Drug Administration.