🏡 Home insurance headaches

Thanks for joining us this Monday.

☀️ Today's weather: Highs in the mid-90s.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Austin member Marcia Silverberg! And a happy belated birthday to member Jodi Holzband!

🎶 Situational awareness: Willie Nelson will play a free concert on the Long Center lawn on Oct. 17 to mark the 50th anniversary of "Austin City Limits."

• Registration to potentially win a free ticket closes at 10pm.

Today's newsletter is 818 words — a 3-minute read.

The city of Austin tomorrow launches an open call for major public art projects.

Why it matters: Art enlivens our city, and this is a way talented artists can win hefty commissions for their work.

Driving the news: The city's Art in Public Places program is putting out a call for local professional artists.

• Applications open Tuesday and close Oct. 22.
• Eligibility is open to visual artists who reside in Travis, Hays, Williamson, Bastrop, Caldwell, Burnet and Blanco counties and are at least 18 years old, per the city callouts.

Follow the money: Artists are invited to propose ideas for public artworks across seven locations in Austin, with budgets ranging from $100,000 to $625,000.

• By city of Austin rules, 2% of eligible capital improvement project budgets are set aside to commission artists or purchase art for city-owned property and facilities.
• Since Austin's Art in Public Places program was established in 1985, the program has commissioned at least 365 works.

What they're saying: "These open calls demonstrate our ongoing efforts to enriching Austin's public spaces with artwork that not only celebrates our city's diversity but also sparks innovation and cultural relevance," says Sylnovia Holt-Rabb, director of the city's economic development department, which oversees the program.

Details: The city is seeking art proposals for the following spots.

• Elisabet Ney Museum Grounds, artwork budget $100,000
• Armadillo Water Tank Mural at 910 Armadillo Road, $133,000
• Walter E. Long and John Treviño Jr. metro parks, $100,100
• Johnny Morris Road, $190,000
• Ross Road, $330,000
• Red Bud Isle, $625,000

Between the lines: All the open calls seek work that "enhances the aesthetic quality of public places," "integrates with the site," "is easily maintained and vandal resistant" and lasts at least 20 years.

📅 What's next: The city is hosting info sessions for artists on Sept. 29 and Oct. 3 and 14.

About 13% of U.S. homeowners with a mortgage — and a much higher percentage in Texas — were paying at least $3,000 a year for home insurance as of 2023, according to new Census Bureau data.

Why it matters: Home insurance costs are up considerably over the last few years — even to the point of driving up inflation.

The big picture: Most homeowners — around 58% — are paying less than $1,500 a year for their coverage, according to the 2023 American Community Survey.

Yes, but: It's a much different story in states like Texas (where 25.6% of homeowners are paying $3,000 or more for insurance), Florida (36.5%) and Louisiana (32.8%).

• Coverage in those states is getting especially costly due to the threat of climate-related disasters like hurricanes, as well as legal issues.

State of play: Texas' severe weather events have caused more than $400 billion in damage since 1980, more than any other state.

Zoom in: In Austin, the average annual cost of home insurance coverage is $2,840, per a NerdWallet analysis earlier this year.

💭 Asher's thought bubble: Not only are insurers raising premiums — they're shying away from coverage altogether.

• When I recently moved houses I had trouble getting insurance at all, even though my home was relatively standard and not in a flood plain. We had to take extra tree-trimming measures and undertake a roof replacement before a company committed to us.

📬 Let us know: What have you noticed about your own home insurance rates? Any challenges getting coverage?

• Hit reply to this email.

🐾 The Austin City Council this week could vote to require Austinites to get microchips for their pets. (KUT)

• It's part of an effort to keep animals out of the overcrowded Austin Animal Center.

🚨 A study involving Texas State University researchers found levels of a dangerous gas "off the scales" in a Caldwell County oilfield. (Texas Tribune)

🚔 Travis County commissioners are setting up a $1.8 million mini-law enforcement agency to protect elected and appointed officials and county employees deemed under threat. (KVUE)

• The decision comes as the county grapples with security threats to District Attorney José Garza.

Instagram is launching Teen Accounts in September, with built-in protections limiting who can contact teens and the content they can see. Plus, only parents can approve safety setting changes for teens under 16.

The impact: More protections for teens, and peace of mind for parents.

Learn more.

Knowledge is power, and we believe in empowering our community through reliable, local journalism.

Join our membership program for just $50+ a year, and you can support our efforts to keep you in the know of what's happening around town.

• You'll get insider notes and other perks as a thanks.

Together, we can ensure our neighbors stay informed.

Here are picks of things to do the first half of the week.

Monday

🎹 Drop by the Saxon Pub to hear Marcia Ball perform, with Lawrence Wright and Gordon Wright, as part of a fundraiser for Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers. $15, 6-7:30pm.

📚 Celebrate all things Sally Rooney from 8:30pm to midnight at Vintage Bookstore and Wine Bar on East 11th Street.

• Festivities include a TV Book Club chat about "Normal People," the Hulu series based on her work, a trivia match and finally the midnight release of her new novel "Intermezzo." Tickets start at $29.

Tuesday

🎶 Catch Sad Park, an emo punk band from Los Angeles, performing at Empire Control Room, with openers Yungatita and Good. Show starts at 8pm. $20.

Wednesday

👢 Two-step to Portland, Oregon, country music act Mac Cornish and the Hens at the White Horse at 8pm. $5.

Starting in September, Instagram Teen Accounts have automatic protections for who can contact teens and the content they can see. Plus, only parents can approve safety setting changes for teens under 16.

What this means: Built-in protections for teens, and peace of mind for parents.

Learn more.

Thanks to Chloe Gonzales and Bob Gee for editing this newsletter.

🌲 Asher is headed to Minnesota for an Axios Local retreat.

🛳️ Nicole returns tomorrow.

Congrats to reader Linda M. for winning our Friday news quiz. The answers: The median home price in greater Austin is less than $500,000 ($439,990); Uber is the ride-sharing company that will offer robotaxis in Austin next year; and Concordia University just named its first female president.