[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE JUNE 8TH MEETING OF THE BOSTON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO ORDER.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO WELCOME OUR NEW COMMISSIONER.
I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN SEATED.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE IN ATTENDANCE, SO LET'S WAIT UNTIL AFTER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION TO KIND OF NOD TO THEM.
[CITIZEN COMMUNICATION]
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE WE DO HAVE SOME SPEAKERS SIGNED UP, SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.AM I DEFERRING TO A V OR AM I DEFINING ELISA HERE? CHAIR.
THIS IS JESSE ROCKING A CALL UP THE SPEAKERS.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M IN ALEXIS HENDERSON.
IF YOU'RE ON THE PHONE, PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
HOW ABOUT WILL HENDERSON? YES, SIR.
OKAY, WELL YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, I WANTED TO SPEAK, UH, ON TWO THINGS.
UH, NUMBER ONE IS ITEM THREE B THE DRAFT FISCAL YEAR ACTION PLAN, AND DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF THOSE FUNDS BEING USED FOR AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING.
AND THEN ALSO HERE IN SUPPORT OF ITEM THREE C A I'M WITH CARLTON COMPANIES OR A CO-DEVELOPER ON THAT PROJECT.
I'M HERE TO ANSWER A QUESTION.
SHOULD THEY COME UP LATER? I JUST WANTED TO BE ON THE LINE IN SUPPORT OF, UH, SYLVIA AND TIFFANY AND RUBY'S PRESENTATION.
UH, AND COULD YOU REPEAT YOUR NAME ONCE MORE? I'M SORRY.
WILL HENDERSON AND WITH CARLTON COMPANIES.
UH, NEXT SPEAKER, STEVE SAVELLES.
STEVE, ARE YOU ON THE LINE? YES, SIR.
UM, I'M A COWORKER OF WHEELS AND I'M, I'M CALLING, UH, IN SUPPORT OF THE SAME TWO ITEMS AS WELL AS, UM, WANTING TO BE AVAILABLE IN CASE THERE WERE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THREE B AND THREE C.
AND, UH, ALSO, UH, LETTING US KNOW THAT YOU'RE IN SUPPORTIVE THREE B AND THREE C.
NEXT UP IS SYLVIA BLANCO, SYLVIA.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS SYLVIA BLANCO, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
FOR SHORT, I'M EXCITED TO PROVIDE A BRIEF PRESENTATION THIS EVENING TO UPDATE YOU ON THE ROSEWOOD COURTS REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT, ALONGSIDE TIFFANY MIDDLETON, TACOS, RESIDENT PROTECTION MANAGER AND RUBY.
ROWA OUR RESIDENT PROTECTION CONSULTANT, BUT IN ADVANCE OF THAT ON BEHALF OF HAKA, I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SOME BRIEF COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF THE CITY'S DRAFT ACTION PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021, 2022.
UM, OR ITEM THREE B AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, THE ROSEWOOD REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT EFFORT HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING.
SINCE 2013, HAKA HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH RESIDENTS AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPING A TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT THAT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ROSEWOOD FAMILIES, THE CREATION OF ADDITIONAL NEW ENERGY, EFFICIENT HOUSING FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES, THE RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION OF EIGHT HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND A COMMEMORATIVE GREEN SPACE, AND THE CREATION OF AFFORDABLE HOME-OWNERSHIP UNITS FOR ELIGIBLE HAKA FAMILIES PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY.
ADDITIONALLY, ALL OF THE ELEMENTS OF THIS PROJECT CLEARLY MEET
[00:05:01]
THE OBJECTIVES LAID OUT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT THAT WAS ADOPTED IN 2017.I WILL ALSO SHARE THAT THERE IS A GAP IN FUNDING FOR THE FINANCING OF THIS PROJECT.
THEREFORE, WE ARE RESPECTFULLY ASKING FOR THE CITY'S HELP IN FILLING SOME OF THIS GAP TO ASSIST IN MAKING THIS TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT BECOME A REALITY TO REITERATE THE ROSEWOOD PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE CITY'S STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT AND WILL PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE COMMENTS TO THE DRAFT PLAN THIS EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENCE IN YOUR, IN YOUR COMMON, UH, SYLVIA AND FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
ZENOBIA SEE JOSEPH, YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ON, UM, KENDRA.
I'VE BEEN HAPPY TO VOLUNTEER WITH HAKA DURING THIS PROPHET FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF ROSEWOOD COURT.
SPEAKING WITH THE RESIDENTS OF ROSEWOOD, ANTICIPATE THIS REDEVELOPMENT.
I AM HIGHLY IN FAVOR FOR THIS FREE DEVELOPMENT TO TAKE PLACE IN THE NEAR FUTURE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF ROSEWOOD, WHICH IN TURN WOULD HELP TO COMBAT THE HOUSING CRISIS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING E ANY SOFTEN AND REESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS IN NEED OF SUPPORT THERE'S SUPPORT THAT CAN BE ESTABLISHED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, PARTNERING WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO MAKE THIS REDEVELOPMENT HAPPEN.
WE'LL HAVE THAT MUCH MORE IMPACT ON THE EAST SIDE OF AUSTIN.
THE COMMUNITY IN STOCKTON IS RAPIDLY GROWING, AND WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE, KEEP UP WITH THE EVER-GROWING POPULATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO OFFER EQUAL AND FAIR HOUSING TO ALL CITIZENS.
AND THIS IS WHY I'M IN FAVOR WITH THE UPCOMING REDEVELOPMENT OF ROSEWOOD IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND HACA WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR THEIR RESIDENTS.
UH, KENDRA, ARE YOU STILL ON THE LINE BY CHANCE? YES, SIR.
UH, I JUST, UH, WANTED TO, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND VOLUNTEERING.
UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE INTENDING TO STAY ON DURING THE, THE ENTIRE CALL.
I KNOW THE OTHER CALLERS LIKELY WILL AND, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS WILL HAVE A MOMENT TO CHAT OR ASK ANY QUESTIONS OF THEM, BUT I WANTED TO, UH, UH, MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE COMMISSION HAD A CHANCE TO, UH, EITHER, UH, SHARE ANY COMMENTS OR ANY QUESTIONS WITH YOU, UH, AT THIS MOMENT.
DO ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, OR THE VICE CHAIR, UH, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR KENDRA CURE? I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
THANKS SO MUCH, UH, FOR BEING HERE, KENDRA, AND FOR SHARING, UH, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTARY ON THIS, AND OF COURSE FOR YOUR VOLUNTEER WORK, UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME NEXT CALLER, JEFFREY CLEMENS, JEFFREY, IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN UNMUTE YOURSELF.
JEFFREY DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ON A LIRA RAMIREZ.
HELLO? CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I AM A STUDENT AT, AS A COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND UT AUSTIN, AND IN CO-CHAIR CALLED SHE DIDN'T COMMISSION.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO GARNER SUPPORT FOR RECOMMENDATION.
OUR COMMISSION PASSED IN JANUARY FOR A COLLEGE FOOD INSECURITY GRANT PROGRAM THAT WOULD ALLOCATE A MINIMUM BUDGETS, 2000 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BE AWARDED TO APPLICANTS AT AUSTIN COLLEGES, INSECURITY SECURITY PROGRAMS, INITIATIVES THAT WOULD BEST SUPPORT THOSE STUDENTS FROM MEAL VOUCHERS OR FOR ON CAMPUS FOOD PANTRY TO BRING TO THE EIGHT FUNDS.
OUR COMMISSION, THE COLLEGE STUDENT COMMISSION REPRESENT STUDENTS FROM TILSON, US COMMUNITY COLLEGE, CONCORDIA ST EDWARD'S AND UT AUSTIN ACCOUNTING FOR OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND STUDENTS.
[00:10:01]
STUDENTS WHO ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO FOOD INSECURITY IS THEY MAY NOT TYPICALLY QUALIFY FOR GOVERNMENT BENEFIT PROGRAMS. AND THIS GREATLY IMPACTS THE ABILITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL.THE PANDEMIC AND WINTER STORM HAS EXACERBATED WHAT WAS ALREADY A HIGH PRIORITY ISSUE ON OUR CAMPUSES.
WE HOPE THAT YOUR SUPPORT ALONG WITH OTHER COMMISSIONS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE CAN MAKE THIS PROGRAM A REALITY.
UH, AND, UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE HERE AND, UH, APPRECIATE YOU SHARING, UH, ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE.
IS THIS NOT ONE OF THE AGENDA ITEMS TODAY? OKAY.
IF, UH, YOU'D BE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH US BY EMAIL ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO, UH, BE ABLE TO STAY INFORMED AND STAY ABREAST OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I THINK THOSE WERE ALL THE SPEAKERS.
WE CAN TRY THE FOLKS THAT DID AN ANSWER AND SEE IF THEY'RE HERE.
I'M STILL HERE, BUT I DID SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THREE, A THREE B AND THREE C.
THEN I'LL BE AROUND FOR QUESTIONS LATER.
ZENOBIA UM, AND JEFFREY CLEMENS.
YEAH, IT'S ADOBE ON THE LINE IS ENOVIA OR JEFFREY CLEMONS.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR MEMBERS I'M AS ENOVIA.
MY COMMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO ITEM TWO.
I WANTED TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT TRANSPORTATION AND THE IMPEDIMENTS TO FAIR HOUSING.
IT'S FOUR PAGES LONG SPECIFICALLY.
I WANTED TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO PROJECT CONNECT, WHICH IS CONTINGENT ON 45 TODAY DURING THE WORK SESSION FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE BRIEFED AND HOUSE BILL THREE EIGHT, NINE THREE IS THE TUNNEL BILL.
AND THAT'S A VICTORY FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE.
SO COMMISSIONER DELGADO IS NOT ALONE IN HER OPPOSITION.
I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT PROJECT CONNECT WILL SEGREGATE AUSTIN FOR CENTURIES.
I PROVIDED YOU WITH THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE AREA NORTH OF US.
ONE 83 IS 24 TO 30 YEARS FOR THE RAIL.
THE SECOND SLIDE SHOWS THE TARGET AUDIENCE, WHICH IS WHITE MILLENNIALS WHO EARNED $100,000.
THAT WAS CAPITAL METRO, HIS TARGET AUDIENCE IN 2015 TO 2016, WHEN THEY COLLECTED APPROXIMATELY 5,000 SURVEYS ON THAT SLIDE, IT TELLS YOU THAT 70% OF THE METRO RAIL RIDERS ARE LIGHT ON THE THIRD SLIDE.
I PROVIDED YOU WITH A QUOTE FROM THE CHAIRMAN WAYNE COOPER, WHERE HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE DISPARATE IMPACT IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
HE SAID IT IS ALSO UNDENIABLE THAT INDIVIDUALS MAY HAVE SEEN IN PARTICULAR AREAS, CHANGES THAT DID NOT HELP THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
AND MAYBE JUST ADVANTAGE THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
WE HEAR THE PAIN AND CHALLENGE, PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT TO THE EAST SIDE COMMUNITY.
HOWEVER, WHAT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION CIRCULAR POOL 702.1 B IT'S DATED OCTOBER 1ST, 2012.
IT ACTUALLY REQUIRES CAPITAL METRO TO REANALYZE AND IMPLEMENT THE LEAST DISCRIMINATORY ALTERNATIVE THEY HAVE REFUSED TO DO SO.
AND IN THEIR TITLE SIX UPDATE, WHICH WAS MID MAY, SPECIFICALLY LAWRENCE DIETER WHO'S THE SENIOR PLANNER SAID THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY PLANS TO DO SO.
SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPEDIMENTS TO FAIR HOUSING, I PROVIDED YOU WITH A CHART FROM TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT FROM PROGRAM YEAR 2019, WHERE THERE ARE NINE PROJECTS.
ONLY ONE OF THE PROJECTS OUT OF THE NINE IS WITHIN 0.4 MILES OF A BUS STOP.
THE OTHER PROJECTS SPECIFICALLY IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN, IT'S 1.3 TO FOUR MILES, AND THERE'S AN ANOMALY, A FIVE MILE WALK TO THE NEAREST BUS STOP IN SOUTH EAST AUSTIN.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE 2018 REPORT, I'M SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO THE CENTRAL TEXAS ASSESSMENT OF THEIR HOUSING.
IT MENTIONS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
ACCESS HAS NOT KEPT UP WITH GROWTH.
I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE IT'S NOT THAT IT HASN'T KEPT UP WITH GROWTH.
SPECIFICALLY, PROJECT CONNECT, EVEN ELIMINATED THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT THAT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED ACCESS TO JOBS BETWEEN SAMSUNG AND APPLE.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND AS WELL THAT NORTHEAST AS WELL, THAT NORTHEAST WEST CONNECTIVITY WAS ELIMINATED JUNE 3RD, 2018, WHEN CAP REMAP WAS IMPLEMENTED, I COULD GIVE YOU MANY EXAMPLES, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND ONE
[00:15:01]
LAST THING I KNOW YOU HEAR FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF BOSTON LATER, I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME IS THE NEW RED LINING.AND I'LL JUST GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE, SPECIFICALLY, THE HIGHLAND VILLAGE APARTMENTS.
THAT'S 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME IT'S NAMED FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
THE STREETS ARE NAMED AFTER WILAMENA DELCO AND JACOB FONTANE AT THE ENTRANCE, BUT AFRICAN-AMERICANS CAN'T LIVE THERE BECAUSE THE AREA MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME IS APPROXIMATELY $54,700 FOR 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
AFRICAN-AMERICANS EARN ABOUT 42,000 IN HISPANIC EARN ABOUT 50,000.
ALL THREE OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
HIGH OPPORTUNITY PROJECTS ARE 80% AREA MEDIAN INCOME THAILAND.
THE OTHER TWO PROPERTIES ARE BIG AND MULTI-FAMILY AND SOCO TOO, WHICH HAS SOLVED CONGRESS.
I'LL STOP THERE, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH AN ADVERSE PATTERN OF BUILDING THOSE LOW-INCOME UNITS, EAST OF
ANOTHER PROJECT THAT'S IN THE FORT EASTERN CRESCENT, WHERE THE BUS RUNS 60 MINUTES COMPARED TO SIX MINUTES, SOUTH LISTENING, CENTRAL.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
AND I THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO MAKE MY COMMENTS.
AND I ALSO, UH, THE SLIDE DECK, I WISH IT WOULD'VE ARRIVED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
I FEEL LIKE I GOT IT, UH, KIND OF AS I WAS LISTENING TO THE OTHER COMMENTS.
UM, AND I DO, UH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU AS FAR AS THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME IS CONCERNED, UH, WHERE W YOU KNOW, W WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT, UH, MEASURE IS, IS COMING FROM? I MEAN, CLEARLY IT'S A DYNAMIC MEASURE, UH, BUT, BUT WHERE, WHERE IS, WHERE IS THE MANDATE, UH, IN AS MUCH AS USING AMI, UH, OR THE MEDIAN INCOME, WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM? IS THAT, IS THAT A CITY GUIDED STIPULATION, OR IS THAT A HUD? SO IT SEEMS TO BE A PATTERN THAT'S INDICATIVE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THE MAYOR STRIKE FUND PARK HOUSING IS ACTUALLY 80% AREA, MEDIAN INCOME UP TO 120% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
AND THAT USED TO BE TYPICALLY 60% AREA MEDIAN INCOME, WHICH WOULD BE A ESSENTIAL WORKER, SOMEONE WHO MADE ABOUT $12, MAYBE $15 AN HOUR, BUT THAT HAS SINCE INCREASED.
AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT THERE'S BEEN A PATTERN, ESPECIALLY WITH HAKA, WHERE IN ORDER THEM TO GET SOME AFFORDABILITY, THEY ARE ACTUALLY 180% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
AND I'LL JUST GIVE YOU ONE SPECIFIC PINPOINT OF SO THAT YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M COMING FROM ON DECEMBER 17TH, 2020 DURING THE HAKA BOARD MEETING, MIKE GERBER ACTUALLY MENTIONED ABOUT THE HIGHLAND VILLAGE APARTMENTS.
IT WAS THE PEOPLE IN THE AREA IN AND AROUND THE AREA THAT DIDN'T WANT MORE INCOME.
AND SO HE INFORMED THE BOARD THAT THAT WAS UNFORTUNATE.
AND I SAID, IT'S DISCRIMINATORY BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME FROM IT, CDBG THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT 2020, UH, THE DATA AT THE TIME TELLING YOU THAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS, DIDN'T EARN ENOUGH MONEY TO LIVE.
THEY'RE TELLING YOU THAT THE HISPANICS DIDN'T, BUT YET YOU HAVE THE LOCAL BOARD.
SO IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT HOOD IT'S LOCAL.
SO THEN YOU HAVE THE LOCAL BOARDS PASSING THE ITEM.
ANYWAY, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAD A BOARD MEMBER WHO WAS A FORMER MEMBER OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE HIGHLAND, WHO HAD SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE PROPERTY BEING MARKET RATE, AND ONLY 30% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
THEY DON'T TELL YOU, YOU CAN'T LIVE THERE BECAUSE YOU'RE BLACK, OR BECAUSE YOU'RE A HISPANIC, BUT IF YOU DON'T EARN ENOUGH MONEY, YOU YOU'RE DISQUALIFIED FROM MOVING THERE.
AND THEN THE CAVEAT IS WE WILL TAKE OUR VOUCHER HOLDERS, BUT THE VOUCHER HOLDERS ARE UNLIKELY TO GO THERE.
AND SO WHAT YOUR SUGGESTION THEN BE THAT, UH, YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, I MEAN, BECAUSE THE HOUSING BLUEPRINT DOES, YOU KNOW, FROM 2017 DOES SORT OF HAVE DEMARCATIONS OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, IN EACH OF THE SORT OF MEDIAN INCOME, UH, CATEGORIES, RIGHT? UH, THE NINO DEEPLY AFFORDABLE, I THINK, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, BELOW 30% AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, 30 TO 60 OR 60 TO 80.
AND OF COURSE YOUR 80 TO ONE 20.
AND, UM, WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU IS THAT WITH THE RAPID GROWTH OF JUST INCOME, YOU KNOW, AS A WHOLE, ESPECIALLY AS THE TOP LEVEL IN AUSTIN, THAT THE MEDIAN INCOME IS GROWING SO RAPIDLY, THAT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT 80 TO ONE
[00:20:01]
20, THAT IS NOW PROBABLY A RANGE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE LESS OF A FOCUS ON WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE DEVELOPMENT.IT DOES THAT, IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? OKAY.
WELL, UM, MR. CIARA, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS A LITTLE BIT OF DIVERSITY WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE INCOME LEVEL.
SO WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW IS LOOP ONE IS THE MAGIC LINE.
SO IF IT'S WEST OF BLUE ONE, YOU HAVE FEWER AFFORDABLE UNITS, SPECIFICALLY LIKE A LAKE LINE STATION.
IT'S RIGHT THERE, WHERE YOU HAVE THE ACCESS TO GOOD TRANSPORTATION, BUT IT'S ONLY 128 UNITS COMPARED TO SAY 300.
I DON'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT I THINK I DO GET YOUR POINT, WHICH IS THAT, UH, UH, CERTAIN AREAS, UH, YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE DEEPER AFFORDABILITY, MORE, UH, I THINK, UH, EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED AROUND THE CITY, UH, AND OBVIOUSLY IN HIGHER VOLUME, JUST IN GENERAL, DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? YEAH, THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT.
I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU SEE 30%, WHICH IS THE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE UNITS ON THE EAST SIDE.
SO THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR EXAMPLE IS GOING TO BE 1934.
RUTLAND IS PHARAOH, WHICH IS ON THE AGENDA AGAIN, THIS THURSDAY TO COUNCIL, AND THAT'S A HUNDRED AND OUT OF 101 UNITS OUT OF 171.
BUT WHEN YOU GET TO THE CENTRAL AREA, YOU MIGHT GET 24, 30% AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
IF YOU'RE ON THE WEST SIDE, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION, YOU MIGHT NOT SEE ANY, YOU MIGHT SEE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME VASH VOUCHERS RIGHT THERE AT LUKE ONE AND PALMER, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE A VETERAN WITH A CAR, AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE A HUNDRED OVER THERE.
YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO SEE A HANDFUL.
SO I WOULD JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, TELL YOU THAT, AND ALSO TELL YOU, MR. CHAIR, I SENT YOU THE LINK, UH, FOR THE ORANGE LINE AND THE BLUE LINE FOR YOU AND ANYBODY ELSE, TWO QUICK COMMENTS.
AND WE HAVE 15 DAYS TO SUBMIT THOSE COMMENTS TO THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, BECAUSE I THINK CAPITOL METRO NEEDS TO BE EQUITABLE AND NOT JUST GIVE US EQUITY TRUMP AGAIN.
AND SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LONG-WINDED ANSWER, BUT IT'S JUST NOT EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTED.
I THINK WHAT WOULD HELP YOU IN THE FUTURE IS WHEN YOU GET THESE BRIEFINGS, LIKE YOU HAD THE TRANSIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING BRIEFING, IF YOU WOULD GET STAFF TO ACTUALLY GIVE YOU AN OVERLAY OF THE AREA, MEDIAN INCOME AND THE DENSITY IN EACH PART OF TOWN, THEN YOU WOULD ACTUALLY BE ARE OF THE CITY.
YOU WOULD ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO SEE THE DISPARATE IMPACT A LOT CLEARER THAN JUST SAYING, OH, WE HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALL OVER AUSTIN.
BUT IF YOU'RE COUNTING CORRIDORS WHERE THE METRO RAPID BUSES ARE ELIMINATED, BUT STILL PART OF THE BIG PROJECT CONNECT PLAN FOR 30 YEARS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PRETTY DECEPTIVE.
SO I THINK THE OVERLAY WOULD HELP ME TO SEE CLEARER WHAT I SEE PRETTY EASILY BECAUSE I FOLLOW THIS.
UM, BUT I THINK IF YOU COULD SEE THE OVERLAY, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND, UH, UH, WITH THAT SAID, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS, UH, ONE IS, ARE THERE ANY STAFF PRESENT THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE EXISTENCE OF THAT OVERLAY OR OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO VIEW THE SAME? THAT WOULD BE NUMBER ONE.
AND THEN NUMBER TWO, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HERE THAT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR SYNOVIA? UM, I WOULD ASK THAT WE WITHHOLD ANY SUPPORTIVE COMMENTARY UNTIL WE ACTUALLY, UH, ANY, ANY COMMENTARY, UNLESS WE'RE GETTING TO THE, UNTIL WE GET TO THE AGENDA ITEMS, BUT IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR CLARIFICATION, UH, AND THAT WOULD BE THE TIME MY CHAIR.
UH, SO MS. JOSEPH, YOU STATED YOU'D PROVIDED MATERIAL TO US THROUGH THE STAFF, UNLIKE PAST STAFF, IF THAT MATERIAL HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO US YET? NO, WE JUST RECEIVED IT AT FIVE 54.
AND THEN MS. JOSEPH, YOU SPOKE ABOUT A PROPERTY HIGHLAND VILLAGE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT YOU SAID THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS CONSIDERING BUYING OR DEVELOPING AND THEN BACK DOWN, IS THAT, DID I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY? NO, I'M ACTUALLY.
SO HIGHLAND VILLAGE IS ACTUALLY THE OLD HIGHLAND MALL.
SO IT'S THE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE HIGHLANDS.
SO THEY ACTUALLY, ALL OF THOSE APARTMENTS ARE MARKET RATE.
SO THE ONLY AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT WILL BE THERE WILL BE THE PROPERTY THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS GONE INTO PARTNERSHIP WITH IT'S THROUGH THEIR PUBLIC FACILITY CORPORATION, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY DIDN'T PUT ANY MONEY INTO IT, BUT IT DOES GIVE THE DEVELOPER A TAX BREAK.
AND SO THEIR DECEMBER 17TH, 2020 BOARD MEETING, THAT'S ACTUALLY WHEN THEY DISCUSSED THIS ITEM, SO THEY ARE DEVELOPING IT, IT WILL BE AFFORDABLE, BUT IT'S 80% AREA MEDIAN
[00:25:01]
INCOME, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU'D HAVE TO EARN ABOUT $54,700 IF YOU'RE GOING BY THE CDBG 20, 20 GUIDELINES.AND SO IT'S EXCLUSIONARY, BUT THAT PROPERTY IS ACTUALLY THE OLD HIGHLAND MALL IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO TELL YOU WHERE IT IS.
AND THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? AND ARE THERE ANY STAFF WHO MAY LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE, UH, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER AN OVERLAY, UH, LIKE SYNOVIA WAS MENTIONING, MIGHT BE AVAILABLE OR WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO VIEW, HI, THIS IS REBECCA GLO, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
WE WOULD ALSO VALUE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE TESTIMONY AND PROVIDE A FORMAL RESPONSE.
UH, IT DOES SOUND WITHOUT A DOUBT BENEFICIAL.
AND SO, UH, WE WOULD, WE WOULD DEFINITELY VALUE RESPONDING TO THE REQUEST AND, AND, UH, YES.
IT'S TARA, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LATE DELIVERY.
I HAVE LOTS OF INFORMATION SOMETIMES SYNTHESIZING IT DOWN TO A SMALL AMOUNT AND IT TAKES ME A WHILE, BUT I APPRECIATE IT.
WELL, WELL, WE, WE APPRECIATE YOU AS WELL AS YOUR CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK, WHICH YOU ARE A GOOD EVENING.
UH, AND, UH, JESSE, UH, AM I CORRECT? THAT YES.
YEAH, I BELIEVE SO UNLESS MR. CLEMONS IS ON, BUT I DON'T THINK HE IS.
I BELIEVE IT WAS MR. UH, YEAH.
SO, BUT, UH,
AND ALSO APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S APPRECIATE, UH, EVERYONE'S, UH, HONORING OF, OF THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPEDIENCE.
UH, AND SO BEFORE WE GET INTO THE AGENDA ITEMS, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SORT OF REITERATE A FEW THINGS FOR COMMISSIONERS AND EVERYONE REALLY ALIKE THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING ITEMS THAT, OF COURSE WE'RE ALL PASSIONATE ABOUT.
AND LET'S PLEASE RECALL THAT OUR FRUSTRATIONS SHOULD NOT BE TARGETED AT ONE ANOTHER, ESPECIALLY NOT IN STAFF MEMBERS.
IF WE DO HAVE THOSE FRUSTRATIONS, PLEASE BE SURE TO TARGET THEM AT ME OR YOUR COMMON VERY DIRECTLY TO ME.
AND ALSO, UH, IF WE ARE ASKING QUESTIONS, LET'S DO OUR BEST TO SORT OF ASK QUESTIONS THAT ARE POINTED AND CONSTRUCTIVE.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE A SPECIAL REQUEST OF STAFF MEMBERS AND ANYONE WHO IS PRESENTING THAT WHEN WE ARE RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS, IF WE COULD DO OUR BEST TO RESPOND AS SUCCINCTLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND IF FOLLOW-UP IS NECESSARY, WE WILL ALLOW THE COMMISSIONERS TO FOLLOW UP AS REQUIRED.
IT'S HELPFUL TO AVOID, I THINK, LONG NARRATIVE DISCUSSIONS OR RESPONSES, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE UNSOLICITED AT THE END OF THE DAY, KEEPS ALL OF US HERE LONGER.
AND THOUGH I'M SURE ALL OF US ARE ENTHUSIASTIC TO SERVE.
WE DO HAVE FAMILIES AND PERSONAL OBLIGATIONS TO GET THROUGH.
SO WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER DAY WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD LIKE ALSO TO RECOGNIZE OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE HERE, UH, BUT, UH, WE HAVE HAD ELECTIONS, UH, UH, AND WE HAVE MEDIUM GARCIA FROM NORTH AUSTIN.
WE ALSO HAVE COMMISSIONER ELOISE, CEPEDA OR LOUISA CEPEDA, AND WE HAVE, UH, SHE'S A, UH, PUBLIC SECTOR APPOINTEE.
WE HAVE SHAQUITA HAWTHORNE WITH ROSEWOOD, SARAH GOSHA AND, UH, JOSE NOY, LES, UH, WITH MONTOPOLIS.
IF I PRONOUNCED YOUR NAMES INCORRECTLY, UH, WE WILL GET A CHANCE FOR YOU TO CORRECT ME.
I'M SURE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, LET US MOVE TO
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE FIRST AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.UM, ANY DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE APRIL 13TH, 2021 CDC MEETING MINUTES, WE WERE CALLED WE NOT ABLE TO HAVE A MAIN MEETING BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT QUORUM COULDN'T BE MET AS WE WERE SEATING THE NEW COMMISSIONS.
SO NOW THAT OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE SEATED, UH, AND WE HAVE A QUORUM WOULD LOVE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
OF COURSE, AFTER YOU'VE HAD A MOMENT TO REVIEW THEM,
[00:31:17]
ANY MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, MOTION TO APPROVE AND WHO MOVED? I APOLOGIZE.DESOLTEL MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM APRIL 13TH.
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, THE SECOND FROM, IS THAT VICE CHAIR, PAUL? YES.
SECOND FROM VICE CHAIR, PAUL, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM APRIL 13TH, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY ABSTAINING, PLEASE MAKE THAT KNOWN VOCALLY THEN SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
AND BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, LISA, UH, AND, UH, AND JESSE, DO WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, UH, KNOWING WHO ALL IS IN ATTENDANCE? OR SHOULD WE TAKE THAT ROLL CALL THAT YOU WERE MENTIONING? I WILL DEFER TO JESSE, BUT I BELIEVE I HAVE AN ACCURATE, UM, ROLE TAKEN.
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD TO YOU? SOUNDS GOOD TO ME.
UM, JUST WANT TO, I WANT TO KNOW THAT, UH, NEW COMMISSIONER MIRIAM GARCIA IS ON FYI.
WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU, AND THANKS TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WHO DO SHOW UP THIS COMMISSIONER LES FROM MONTOPOLIS.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, UH, AND DO THAT ROLL CALL.
UM, JUST MAKE SURE WE KNOW WHO'S HERE.
UM, I'LL GRAB THE NEW ROSTER AND OF COURSE I KNOW I'M HERE.
I KNOW THE VICE CHAIR IS HERE.
WE KNOW COMMISSIONER ADESA TELLS HERE COMMISSIONER BY THAT.
COMMISSIONER MAHIA ARE YOU HERE? YES, SIR.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MAHEA COMMISSIONER.
DERRICK, ARE YOU HERE? COMMISSIONER SLOAN? WE KNOW IS HERE COMMISSIONER TALER ARE YOU HERE? COMMISSIONER? WOOD'S COMMISSIONER'S AFFAIR.
THAT COMMISSIONER WOODS IS HERE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER
[2A. Briefing and discussion on the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health)]
LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS, UH, NUMBER TWO, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, A BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT WITH, UH,[00:35:01]
THIS IS
UM, AND IN ORDER TO HONOR THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPEDIENCY, I WILL BE BRIEF TONIGHT.
UM, JUST WANT TO POINT A COUPLE OF THINGS OUT AND MOVE FORWARD AS YOU MOST OF YOU KNOW, AND THE NEW COMMISSIONER.
SO LET THEM KNOW NOW WHERE YOU RECEIVE COMMUNITY SERVICES, BLOCK, GRANT FUNDING IN ORDER TO DELIVER A BASIC PREVENTIVE HEALTH CASE MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS FIRST PAGE OF THAT REPORT SHOWS THE BUDGET THROUGH APRIL 30TH.
WE'LL RECEIVE A LITTLE BIT OVER A MILLION DOLLARS EACH YEAR FROM THCA.
IF YOU CAN MOVE ON TO PAGE NUMBER TWO, PLEASE, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A, UM, IT'S A STORY OF THREE NUMBERS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE MOSTLY DOING RENT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE WITH CARE SIDE FUNDING.
UM, WE'VE SERVICED 1,013 HOUSEHOLDS HELPED THEM AVOID EVICTION WITH CARE SIDE FUNDS.
UM, WE ALSO DO SOME UTILITY PAYMENTS, UH, FOR AUSTIN ENERGY PLUS ONE PROGRAM.
AND WE DO A LOT OF FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVER SINCE COVID BOTH OUR CENTERS DOWN LAST YEAR ON MARCH 17, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO CURBSIDE, UM, FOOD PICK UP SERVICES.
I HAVE A EXCITING NEW PROGRAM TO REPORT ON THE NEXT PAGE, PAGE NUMBER THREE OR 10 OF THEM.
I'LL GO THROUGH THIS KIND OF QUICKLY.
UM, TWO THINGS IS THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT HERE.
UH, ONE IS THE HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM.
WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PILOT, UH, WITH, UH, COLLABORATION WITH THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK AND AMAZON, UH, LAUNCHING A HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM SO I CAN ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, I WAS TELLING YOU RESIDENTS LOW INCOME AND TARGET POPULATIONS, HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN'S YOU'RE 18 OR SENIORS, 60 AND OVER.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO SIGN UP FOR MONTHLY DELIVERIES OF PRE-PACKAGED FOOD BOXES.
SO A WHOLE NEW WAY TO REACH OUR COMMUNITY AND ADDRESS THE FOOD INSECURITY ISSUE IN HOSTON THAT WAS EXACERBATED BY COVID TEEN.
UM, IT'S VERY NEW, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS OLD.
LIKE I SAID, WE'RE IN A PILOT PHASE.
UH, THE WAY IT LOOKS LIKE IS PEOPLE CALL US AND THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THE PROGRAM.
WE SIGNED THEM UP FOR A MONTHLY DELIVERY THROUGH AT LEAST DECEMBER, IF THE PROGRAM IS SUCCESSFUL AND AMAZON AND THE FOOD BANK WANTS TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH US, UH, WE CAN GO INTO NEXT YEAR.
UH, WE ARE HOPING THAT A SUCCESS BRINGS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND, UH, PROTEINS AND FRESH FRUITS, AS WELL AS NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS. UM, POSSIBLY SOME OTHER GOODS, UH, AS WELL.
SO THERE'LL BE MORE TO COME MORE DATA AND JUST AN UPDATE NEXT MONTH ON OUR PILOT WENT.
UM, THE EXCITING ITEM FOR TONIGHT, UH, IS NEXT AS THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT, UH, WALTER NICHOLS AND ASSOCIATES WILL BE PRESENTING ON THE CNA, UH, FINDINGS FOLLOWING MY REPORT.
UM, WE USE THIS TO HELP US GUIDE OUR, UM, MY PROGRAMMING OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
EVERY THREE YEARS, WE ARE REQUIRED BY THE STATE TO DO A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT, UH, AND TAKE THAT AND CREATE A COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN THAT WE WILL PRESENT TO YOU ALL IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, SO VERY EXCITING, UH, THE NEEDS, YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
UH, THEY JUST SORT OF GET SHUFFLED IN TERMS OF A RANKING EVERY FEW YEARS.
UH, BUT THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME ONES THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR DECADES.
UH, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THEM AS BEST WE CAN IN OUR UNIT.
UM, ITEM NUMBER SIX, I REMIND YOU THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, BOSTON URBAN LEAGUE TO MAKE PAYMENTS, TO HELP PEOPLE AVOID EVICTION.
WE'VE ASSISTED, UH, THROUGH THAT PROGRAM 366 HOUSEHOLDS AND ALMOST, UH, ALMOST $900,000 IN RENT ASSISTANCE.
AND I WILL LET YOU TAKE YOUR TIME LATER TO READ THE SUCCESS STORY.
I'D LIKE TO USUALLY DO THAT ONCE A WEEK, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A STORY BEHIND THE NUMBERS.
AND THIS ONE IS PRETTY, IT'S JUST PRETTY IMPACTFUL AND LIGHTENING THOSE OF SITUATIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE GONE THROUGH OVER THE PAST YEAR, UH, DUE TO COVID IN HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST.
UH, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS I CAN TAKE NOW, IF NOT, UM, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT ITEM IN THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
[00:40:01]
THANK YOU SO MUCH.AND I DO HOPE THAT EVERYONE GETS A CHANCE TO READ THIS SUCCESS STORY.
UH, VERY KEEN TO HEAR ABOUT HOW THE AMAZON PILOT GOES, UH, OR THE HOME DELIVERY I SHOULD SAY IS PROBABLY A BETTER WAY TO FRAME IT.
PILOT GOES NEXT MONTH, UH, AND EXCITED TO HEAR THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
DO ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS OR VICE CHAIR, UH, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UH, AROUND ADAM DOING OKAY, THIS IS COMMISSIONER MIHIR.
IS THAT THE, IS THAT THE, ALL OF YOUR PRESENTATION, UH, ON HIM? UH, YES, THAT IS MY MONTHLY.
I, I, THIS IS MORE OF A, UH, MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND I KNOW YOU ALL DO A LOT, BUT I, I, WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION AND I'M CURIOUS IF IT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT MAY WANT TO COLLABORATE WITH OR MAY ALREADY BE DOING, BUT I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THE EMERGENCY BROADBAND BENEFIT, AND IT IS THE SORT OF COMMUNITIES THAT USE THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT SERVES THAT I THINK ARE ELIGIBLE AND WOULD BENEFIT FOR THIS.
I THINK IT'S A $50, A $50 VOUCHER IF YOU WILL.
UM, AND, UH, FOR FOLKS TO HELP PAY FOR THEIR INTERNET BILL.
AND I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS OBVIOUSLY ARE ACCESSING YOUR SERVICES OR FINDING OUT ABOUT THEM IN A DIGITAL WAY, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT INTERNET FEES CAN BE EXPENSIVE.
AND, UH, EVEN, I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TESTIMONY IN, IN, UM, IN THE SORT OF POLICY ENVIRONMENT ABOUT HOW MANY, UH, YOUNG PEOPLE MAY HAVE SORT OF DROPPED OFF IN THEIR ONLINE CLASSES DUE TO LACK OF AFFORDABLE INTERNET OR INTERNET BEING CUT OFF FOR THAT MATTER.
SO I WAS CURIOUS IF Y'ALL WERE ALREADY MOVING ON THAT, OR IF THERE WERE PLANS TO SORT OF, UH, I GUESS MAYBE LATERAL THAT OPPORTUNITY OVER TO THE CLIENTS THAT, THAT Y'ALL ARE SERVING.
MY, UH, YES, WE ALREADY ON THAT.
UM, OUR SOCIAL WORK TEAM AND OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGERS, CASE MANAGERS ARE WORKING WITH CLIENTS ON THAT.
AND AT LEAST WITH SOME, THEY DO WARM HANDOFFS WITH OTHER, THEY CAN ASSIST TO GET THEM SIGNED UP AND WITH THE REST, IT'S MOSTLY JUST AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THIS BENEFIT DOES EXIST.
TIM IS, IS VERY, UM, JUST CRUCIAL IT'S DOLLARS AND CENTS.
YOU KNOW, I WAS CURIOUS, SO ARE THEY ACTUALLY ASSISTING FOLKS IN SIGNING UP AND WHERE DO YOU LOG THAT VICTORY IN TERMS OF YOUR OUTCOMES? WE DON'T ASSIST THEM DIRECTLY.
WE WORK WITH, UH, OTHER AGENCIES THAT DO.
AND IS THAT, WHERE DOES THAT OUTCOME GO IN YOUR SORT OF RECORDING? UM, WE DON'T REALLY CAPTURE THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONE OF OUR PERFORMANCE MEASURES IS JUST SORT OF AN AUXILIARY SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE OR EDUCATION FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF THAT GOES ON WITH THE NEIGHBOR SERVICES UNIT.
WE HEAR ABOUT, UH, LIKE FREE TAXES.
WE DO CAPTURE SOME OF IT AT ROSEWOOD, BUT THERE ARE LIKE FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES HAS THEIR OWN REALLY WONDERFUL TAX PROGRAM.
UM, SO WE REFER A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO WITHOUT HAVING TO FEEL WE NEED TO GET THE DATA.
I DON'T WANT TO GO ON ANY FURTHER, BUT I JUST HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S A MAJOR ISSUE AND IF Y'ALL ARE A PART OF THAT, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU'RE CAPTURING THAT SO THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A STORY TO TELL TOO, BUT THANK YOU.
UH, YEAH, THAT, THAT'S FANTASTIC.
I'M GLAD, UM, THAT BOTH OF Y'ALL, UH, ARE ON THE PULSE THERE, UH, AND, UH, ON HILL, I'M SURE THAT I'LL FLY AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET COMMISSIONER MAHIA LISTED THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WORKING WITH THAT, UH, AND POTENTIALLY CONNECT, UH, COMMISSIONER MANIA, UH, WITH THE CONTEXT THERE.
SO WITH THE CONTACTS THERE, SO HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET A BETTER PULSE ON, ON WHAT THE HEALTH OUTPUTS OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, THE OUTCOMES ARE.
ANY OTHER NOTES, TELL THEM, DEFINITELY DO THAT.
LET'S MOVE ON TO THE EXCITING PART AS, UM, SOME VENDOR HAS SAID, UH, WHICH
[2B. Briefing, discussion and possible action on the Community Services Block Grants 2021 Needs Assessment (Woollard, Nichols & Associates)]
IS TO BE, UH, THE BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANTS, 2021 NEEDS ASSESSMENT.THANK YOU TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STAFF MEMBERS WHO WERE INVOLVED, UH, IN AND WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS BY THE WAY.
SO WITH THAT SAID, WE'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO WILLARD, NICHOLS AND ASSOCIATES.
I'M KELLY NICHOLS WITH BUTLER NICHOLAS AND ASSOCIATES, AND WE ARE, UM, EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL TO PRESENT THE FINDINGS FROM THE CSBG COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
I AM JOINED BY, UH, MERCEDES PERRY AND BY DESERET BURNS, THEY WERE MY PARTNERS IN THIS PROJECT.
AND, UM, AND SO I'M GOING TO GET US KICKED OFF AND THEN I'M GOING TO, UM, UH, LET THEM SHARE SOME
[00:45:01]
OF THE DATA AND THE FINDINGS WITH YOU AS WELL.SO HERE'S WHAT WE'RE, UH, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, WE ARE, WE'LL DO A QUICK OVERVIEW.
WE ARE GOING TO SHARE, UH, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES WITH YOU, INCLUDING, UM, OF COURSE, THAT WAS SPEAKING WITH MANY OF YOU ON THE CDC.
WE WILL SHARE WITH YOU THE TOP FIVE NEEDS THAT CAME OUT OF THE CNA.
AND, UM, WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE GAPS IN SERVICES AND BARRIERS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TDA T H ASKS FOR IN, IN THE ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE, UM, FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY DISCUSSION THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE.
SO I SHARED THIS PROCESS WITH YOU ALL BACK IN MARCH, UM, AND, UM, NOT PROBABLY A LOT MORE TO SAY THERE, UM, EXCEPT THAT, UM, I THINK YOU ALL KNOW, AS, UM, AS ON HILL MENTIONED THAT, UM, UH, THE, THE GOVERNING BOARD, WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FOR THE COMMUNITY ACTION FOR THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY, UM, OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT, UM, THE GOVERNING BOARD NEEDS TO FORMALLY ACCEPT THE ASSESSMENT.
SO FOLLOWING, UH, FOLLOWING MY PRESENTATION, I'LL HAND IT BACK OVER TO UNHEALTH TO, UM, TO ASK FOR THAT ACTION FROM YOU ALL NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THIS IS JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE UNDERTAKEN OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
UH, WE, WE GOT OUR ACT TOGETHER IN TERMS OF SETTING UP OUR WORK PLAN, AND THEN WE JUMPED RIGHT INTO THE DATA.
UM, MERCEDES, UM, REALLY LED OUR QUANTIFY, UM, I'M SORRY, OUR QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTION AND, UM, DESERET LED OUR QUANTITATIVE PIECES.
SO WE'LL LET THEM TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND, UM, JUST IN CASE ANYONE WAS WONDERING THE, UM, THE INITIALLY THE REPORT, AS WE TOLD YOU IN MARCH, WAS TO ON, UH, JUNE 1ST, WE WERE ABLE, BECAUSE THIS, THE COMMISSION WASN'T ABLE TO MEET IN MAY, WE WERE ABLE TO GET AN EXTENSION.
UM, THE, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WAS ABLE TO GET AN EXTENSION.
SO WE ARE IN GOOD SHAPE TO GET THE, UH, CNA, UM, TO THCA BY JULY 1ST, PLEASE.
THIS IS JUST SO THOSE OF YOU, UM, IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE REPORT, YOU'LL SEE IT'S A, IT'S A ROBUST REPORT.
IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED PAGES LONG, INCLUDING THE APPENDICES.
UM, AND IT REALLY FOLLOWS THE OUTLINE THAT IS, UM, THAT IS SET UP IN THE CSBG REGULATIONS AND THAT THCA ADMINISTERS.
UM, AND SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ROOM FOR A TON OF CREATIVITY, BUT, UM, BUT WE HAVE FOLLOWED THE GUIDELINES THAT THEY HAVE ASKED FOR.
AND SO THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SORT OF, UM, THE KEY HEADINGS OF, OF THE REPORT, NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, OF COURSE, CONDUCTING A CNA, UM, YOU KNOW, AT, AT THE, UM, AT THE TAIL END OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC HAD, UM, CERTAINLY BOTH OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES.
UM, LUCKILY WE GOT SOME REALLY GOOD GUIDANCE FROM THE NATIONAL, UM, COMMUNITY ACTION, UH, FOLKS, UH, THERE WAS A HELPFUL WEBINAR, UM, AND THEY, THESE ARE PULLING, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM THAT WEBINAR.
UM, UH, BUT I REALLY THINK THEY'RE TRUE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME KEY OPPORTUNITIES IN TERMS OF, UM, DETERMINING THE BASELINE NEEDS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY WERE CREATED BY COVID-19 AND ALSO IDENTIFYING THE CONDITIONS, UM, AND, AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING A BASELINE OF HOW THIS COMMUNITY IS, IS ABLE TO RESPOND TO THAT CRISIS.
SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT TIME TO DO A CNA AND THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, SOME REAL CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO BASICALLY GO TO COMPLETELY, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST PARTS OF VIRTUAL DATA COLLECTION.
AND, UM, I, I THINK YOU ALL PROBABLY UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BROADBAND ACCESS, UM, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THERE, BUT WE ALSO KNOW, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST THE RESPONSE AND RESPONSE RATES, UM, THEY, THEY ARE LOWER THAN IN PAST CNAS.
AND THAT DOESN'T REALLY SURPRISE US, GIVEN THAT FOLKS HAVE A LOT ON THEIR PLATES RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT GOES BOTH FOR RESIDENTS AND CLIENTS, BUT ALSO FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS.
HOWEVER, WE FEEL LIKE WE, WE DID GET, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH RESPONSE AND WE'LL SHARE THAT WITH YOU TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE, UM, ENOUGH TO, TO WORK WITH AND ENOUGH TO HAVE SOME VALID CONCLUSIONS.
AND FINALLY, THERE'S ALSO EFFECTS ON DATA ANALYSIS AND PRIORITIZATION.
AND WE THINK THIS IS PROBABLY, AS UNHEALTH SAID, YOU KNOW, THE TOP FIVE NEEDS REALLY, UM, DON'T CHANGE THAT MUCH, BUT WE DO SEE FOLKS PRIORITIZING EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND BASIC NEEDS, UM, A LITTLE HIGHER THAN IN PAST ASSESSMENTS.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S AT ALL SURPRISING PROBABLY TO ANY OF US, UM, GIVEN, UM, GIVEN THE CHALLENGES THAT WE KNOW, UM, MANY FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE HAD OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS.
SO, UM, THE, THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR FRUSTRATIONS IS THAT THE DATA LAGS, RIGHT? SO MOST OF
[00:50:01]
THE DATA THAT WE'RE USING IS PRE COVID, UM, PRE PANDEMIC DATA.WE HAVE SENT TWO, ONE, ONE DATA, AND THAT DATA I THINK WAS REALLY USEFUL AND GIVING US A PICTURE OF COMMUNITY NEEDS DURING THE ASSESSMENT, BUT WE, WE KIND OF HAD TO WORK WITH WHAT WE HAD, UM, AND KNOW THAT, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE DATA TO TELL THE FULL STORY BECAUSE OF COURSE IT JUST, IT'S NOT OUT YET.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MERCEDES, TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND, UH, UH, KELLY, JUST FOR A MOMENT I'D LIKE TO PAUSE, RIGHT? UH, AS YOU'RE TURNING IT OVER TO MERCEDES AND REMIND THE COMMISSIONERS TO PLEASE BE TAKING A LOOK AS WELL AS, AS YOUR, AS, AS PERHAPS SIMULTANEOUSLY AS YOU'RE DOING THIS PRESENTATION, PLEASE BE REVIEWING, UH, THE BACKUP, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE YOU REVIEWED ALREADY, BUT, UH, THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT DOCUMENT THAT WAS SUBMITTED IN THE BACKUP, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU WILL LIKELY BE TAKING.
AND YOU CAN, UH, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET RIGHT INTO OUR QUALITATIVE DATA COLLECTION PROCESS.
UM, AS KELLY MENTIONED, WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, UH, DID MAKE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, QUITE CHALLENGING, BUT WE GOT IT DONE.
UM, SO I COULD GOT SOME PRETTY ROBUST, UH, ROBUST RESPONSE, UM, EVEN WITH THAT CHALLENGE IN OUR, IN OUR WAY.
SO WE HAD KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS.
THANK YOU TO, UM, ANY COMMISSIONERS WHO RESPONDED AND WAS ABLE TO TAKE TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY, BUSY, BUSY, BUSY SCHEDULES TO, UM, INTERVIEW WITH US SO THAT WE COULD, WE COULD GET SOME KEY INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, LEADING OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
UM, A LOT OF THAT WAS USED SO THAT I COULD FOLLOW UP AND FIGURE OUT WHO TO CONTACT NEXT AND WHAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WE NEEDED TO, UM, SHARE THE SURVEYS WITH.
UM, AND WHAT OTHER KEY INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SHOULD REACH OUT TO, ESPECIALLY AS WE WERE IN THE PANDEMIC.
UM, AND, AND THEN COMING TO THE END, THE TAIL END OF THE PANDEMIC.
SO IT WAS VERY HELPFUL, UM, GETTING THOSE CAM FORMAT INTERVIEWS DONE.
UM, I THINK I WAS ABLE TO HIT ABOUT FIVE OF THE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT ARE REPRESENTED.
SO IT WAS PRETTY A PRETTY GREAT, UM, QUALITATIVE EXPERIENCE.
I REALLY ENJOY GETTING TO TALK TO THE COMMISSIONERS THAT I DID GET TO HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE WITH.
UM, IF YOU DID GET TO CHAT WITH ME, UM, THE CLIENT SURVEY RESPONSE, WE HAD 99 CLIENT RESPONSES, UM, ABOUT 20 OF THOSE WERE SPANISH.
AND, UH, SO WE DID PROVIDE A SURVEY IN, UH, IN THE SPANISH LANGUAGE.
THE CLIENT RESPONSES WERE ALSO THOSE SURVEYS WERE SENT DIRECTLY TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH CLIENTS.
SO ANYONE THAT MIGHT HAVE RECEIVED ANY SERVICES OR PROGRAMS ENGAGED WITH APH NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS IN THE LAST YEAR, BASICALLY WAS THEY WERE ABLE TO BE BLASTED WITH THE SURVEY.
UM, AND WE RECEIVED A SUBSTANTIAL RESPONSE FROM THOSE CLIENTS.
UM, THE RESIDENT SURVEY, WE RE WE RECEIVED 61 RESPONSES FROM, UM, NOT AS MUCH SPANISH ENGAGEMENT, BUT THE SURVEY WAS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE FOR ALMOST TWO AND A HALF WEEKS, UM, WHICH HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE SHORT TIMEFRAME WE HAD TO WORK WITH, UM, IN TERMS OF PUSHING THE SURVEY AND HAVING A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DEADLINE THAT WE HAD FROM TV, UM, FROM THE STATE BASICALLY.
UM, AND SO THE SERVICE, WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO, UM, SURVEY OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS GOT ABOUT 39 ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED, UM, AMONGST THE, THAT RESPONSE.
UM, SO IT WAS ALSO PRETTY ROBUST.
UH, JUST SOME KEY THEMES THAT CAME OUT OF THE OUTREACH FROM DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS IN THE SURVEYS, UM, THAT THERE WERE MAJOR GAPS BETWEEN ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT SERVICES AND PROGRAMS ARE ACTUALLY AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE UTILIZATION OF SET PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, UM, BY RESIDENTS WHO NEED THEM.
IT WAS VERY CLEAR WHEN TALKING TO KEY INFORMANTS AND REVIEWING RESPONSES FROM THE SERVICE PROVIDER, UH, SURVEYS THAT, THAT THERE'S JUST THAT GAP IS THERE.
UM, THEN THERE, THE SECOND THING IS, YOU KNOW, MAJORS NEED TO STREAMLINE, SIMPLIFY AND EDUCATE ON THE WAY CITY PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY WORK IN HOW TO ACCESS THEM.
UM, PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T SEEM TO BE AWARE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND I THINK I'M HELD KIND OF LIKE POINTED THIS OUT.
OFTENTIMES NEIGHBORHOOD SENDING MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, REFERRING YOU OUT TO A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION THAT CAN PROVIDE THAT.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUTE, UM, CON CONFUSION OUT THERE IN TERMS OF, OF, UM, OF HOW TO DO THAT AND WHERE TO GO AND WHERE TO LOOK AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO MAJOR NEED TO STREAMLINE SIMPLIFY WAS VERY, VERY, VERY COMMON THEME THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
UM, THE LAST KEY THEME WAS, UM, SUGGESTING A FOCUS ON GRASPING AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, UM, AROUND
[00:55:01]
INFORMATION SHARING BECAUSE OF THE SHIFT TO DIGITAL AND VIRTUAL MEANS OF OPERATION EVEN BEFORE WE WERE IN THE PANDEMIC.AND SO AT THIS POINT, THE PANDEMIC HAS ONLY EXACERBATED, UM, AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS.
AND THIS WAS A KEY THEME THROUGHOUT EVERY SURVEY AND AS WELL AS THE INTERVIEWS, UM, THERE WERE, THERE WASN'T EVEN, THERE WAS A LACK OF CONSENSUS IN OUR CLIENT SURVEY.
UM, EVEN WHEN WE TRY TO PICK OUT IF RESIDENTS PREFERRED RECEIVING SERVICES VIRTUALLY, OR BY PHONE BY PHONE OR IN HOW THEY WERE RECEIVING PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.
SO, UM, IT JUST KIND OF HELLO, IDENTIFY WHETHER THERE WAS A, THERE'S A LACK OF CONSENSUS AS EASILY PUT.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS A VERY ROBUST PROCESS AND, AND I, I ENJOY DOING IT.
I ENJOYED WORKING WITH EVERYONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, AGAIN, COMMISSIONERS FOR THE TIME THAT YOU TOOK TO MEET WITH ME.
I KNOW THAT YOU PROBABLY GOT SEVERAL EMAILS FROM ME, UM, AND PHONE CALLS.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONERS WHO MIGHT'VE EVEN TEXTED, MESSAGED THE SURVEY OUT, UM, AS WELL.
I HAD SEVERAL TEXT MESSAGES BLASTS GO WITH SURVEY LINKS IN THEM.
SO I APPRECIATE ANYBODY THAT WAS ABLE TO SUPPORT US IN THE OUTREACH, UM, DURING THIS CHALLENGE AND TIME TO BE TRYING TO ENGAGE, UM, AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND PASS IT ON THE DESERET.
SHE'S GONNA, UM, JUMP US, TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO OUR QUANTITATIVE DATA.
UM, SO NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IN SPEAKING, YOU MIGHT BE MUTED.
FOR THE QUANTITATIVE DATA COLLECTION, UH, WE USE THE COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP DATA HUBS PROVIDE US A LOT OF INFORMATION, UH, KEY SOURCES, INCLUDING INFORMATION, ERIC.
AND CAN YOU SURVEY, UH, CENSUS BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, A LOT OF BIG PICTURE DATA.
AND THEN WE CONTEXTUALIZE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE REPORTS FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN ECHO, AND YOU CAN SEE THE LIST THERE.
UM, AS, UH, KELLY HAD ALREADY STATED SOME OF THE DATA'S LAGGING BECAUSE THE INFORMATION WAS COLLECTED PRIOR YEARS, UH, BUT TWO, ONE, ONE DATA WAS REALLY KEY.
AND SO I WANTED TO GO OVER THAT, UH, AT THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO SOME INSIGHTS COME TO ON ONE, UH, THERE WERE 64,211 FALLS IN 2020, WHICH IS A 50% INCREASE FROM 2018.
UH, SO WHEN WE CALL BULLYING WAS FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT FROM 2019, SHE CAN TELL US, SO THE CHART ON THE RIGHT, UH, DESIGNATED DESIGNATES PUSH CALL TYPE AND THE YEARS, AND THEN A PERCENT CHANGE FOR EACH CALL TYPE FROM 2018 TO 2000.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, A LOT OF THEM, IT'S A HUGE INCREASE, ESPECIALLY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.
UH, THERE WAS ALSO A DECREASE FOR TRANSPORTATION RELATED ALL TYPES.
SO QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE NEEDS.
UM, IN ORDER HOUSING WAS NUMBER ONE, FOLLOWED BY EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, AND I MEANT, AND THEN EDUCATION OR SOME OTHER IDENTIFIED NEEDS AS WELL, BUT DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE TOP FIVE SUCH AS PAYING FOR CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE, UH, ADDRESSING TRAUMA, TRAUMA AND ADULT LITERACY.
SO THE FIRST NAME HOUSING FIRST IS I'M GOING THROUGH THIS INFORMATION FOR THE SAKE OF TIME.
I WON'T BE READING OFF THE SLIDE.
I'LL BE FOCUSING ON THE CHART AND THEN ALL I'M DISCUSSING THE CHART.
IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO READ THROUGH, UM, THERE'S INFORMATION HERE ABOUT SERVICE PROVIDERS AND PAINFUL EVENTS AND FINDINGS THAT THEY PROVIDED US WITH, AS WELL AS KEY QUOTES FROM, UH, BOTH SERVICE PROVIDERS.
SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CHART, UH, IT'S DESIGNATED BY NEED TYPE ON THE SURVEY.
SO IT SHOWS HOW MANY PEOPLE AND THE TOTAL PERCENTAGE OF RESIDENTS AND CLIENTS THAT CHOSE THIS NEED ON THE SURVEY.
SO TO START WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, ON RESIDENTS, YOU CAN SEE THAT HELP TANG BRANCH FROM MORTGAGE, THAT TOP AID ON 1950 7%, A TOTAL OF 12 RESPONDENTS CHOSE THAT NEED IDENTIFIED THAT NEED AS A NEED FOR STAFF.
UM, WHAT I DID WAS I HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW, UH, THE TOP NEED FOR RESIDENTS AND CLIENTS.
AND THEN I HIGHLIGHTED IN TEAL IS SECOND HIGHEST NEED FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND CLIENTS.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UPPER RESIDENTS TAUGHT ME, THEY IDENTIFIED WAS HOUSING THAT I CAN REFER AND CLIENTS HELP PAYING RENT.
AND THE SECOND HIGHEST NEED RESIDENTS WAS HELPED TO MAKE MY HOME ENERGY EFFICIENT.
[01:00:01]
IT WAS HELPFUL TO IT.THE SECOND TAUGHT ME WAS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE FOR RESIDENTS, IT TAUGHT ME WHAT'S HELPED MANY RESOURCES, THE COMMUNITY CLIENTS FOOD, AND THEN THE SECOND HIGHEST NEED FOR RESIDENTS WAS BOTH HEALTH INSURANCE, MEDICAL CARE AND TRANSPORTATION FOR CLIENTS, AND IT'S HELP FINDING RESOURCES.
THE THIRD NEED WAS IDENTIFIED AS HEALTH AND PENCE AND JOSIE THAT PRESIDENT'S MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING OR CLASSES WAS THE HIGHEST NEED.
AND FOR EXPLAINS HIS HEALTHY EATING CLASSES OR OTHER SUPPORT, THE SECOND HIGHEST NEED FOR RESIDENTS WAS THE SAME HEALTHY EATING CLASSES OR OTHER SUPPORT.
AND THEN FOR SCIENCES PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS, KIND OF GIVE YOU ALL A MINUTE TO READ THE SLIDES.
I WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE TOO EXCITING FOR END WAS IN PAYMENT FOR RESIDENTS THAT TAUGHT ME AND WAS HELPED WITH JOB SKILLS AND OUR JOB TRAININGS ARE AND BETTER WAGES FOR CLIENTS.
IT WAS HELP FINDING A JOB, BUT, AND GRANGE SECOND HIGHEST FOR RESIDENTS WAS HELP FINDING A JOB WITH A LIVING WAGE AND A SECOND FOR CLIENTS, BUT IT'S HELPED WITH JOB SKILLS AND OUR JOB TRAININGS ARE IN BETTER WITCHES.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, IT APPEARS THAT BOTH RESIDENTS AND CLIENTS ARE BOTH CONCERNED WITH TWO VERY THINGY.
AND THE FINAL THING IS EDUCATION.
AS YOU SEE, THERE IS A SLIGHT ERIK YEAR.
SO ACTUALLY THE, UM, HE DID NOT HIGHLIGHT NONE OR NONE OF THE ABOVE AS I TALK.
AND THAT'S LIKE AN A, UH, SO FOR, UM, SO FOR THE SECOND MEET FOR RESIDENTS, IT'S ACTUALLY DIFFERENT, BUT I'LL SAY THAT IN JUST A MOMENT.
I, SO FOR RESIDENTS, THE TOPIC HAS HELPED TO ATTEND TRADE OR TECHNICAL SCHOOL COLLEGE FOR CLIENTS, WITH ENGLISH AS SECOND LANGUAGE CLASSES, AND THEN THE SECOND HIGHEST NEED PRECEDENTS IT'S COMPUTER SKILLS TRAINING.
I JUST THE SAME AND KELLY WE'LL WRAP UP OUR PRESENTATION.
SO ONE LAST SIDE WANT TO JUST SHARE THE, UM, GAPS IN SERVICES AND BARRIERS.
I DON'T THINK THESE WILL BE A BIG SURPRISE TO YOU ALL.
UM, AND, AND THEY REALLY ARE, UH, STEMMING FROM MANY OF THE THEMES THAT MERCEDES WAS MENTIONING THAT WE HEARD FROM, UM, FOLKS IN THE SURVEYS AND THE KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS, BUT WE CLASSIFIED, UH, GAPS IN THESE THREE BROAD CATEGORIES.
SO, UM, FIRST ACCESS, RIGHT FOLKS ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY ACCESSING A BROAD VARIETY OF, OF SERVICES, UM, ACROSS THE SPECTRUM.
UM, THOSE SERVICES MIGHT BE AVAILABLE, BUT THEY'RE, UM, THEY'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY, UM, OBTAINING THEM.
UM, SO THAT, THAT WAS THE FIRST GAP.
THE SECOND GAP WAS ABOUT AVAILABILITY AS WELL.
SO WE HEARD SEVERAL COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, REALLY THEN THE NEED FOR SERVICES, OUTWEIGHING DEMAND, UM, AND THAT BEING EVIDENCED BY, UM, WAIT TIMES, WAIT LISTS, LONG LINES AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEN FINALLY, AND I THINK THIS ONE IS, UM, PROBABLY VERY MUCH RELATED, UM, TO THE OTHER TWO IN PARTICULAR, THE FIRST ONE, UM, WE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, THE, UM, ABOUT CULTURAL COMPETENCY AND RESPONSIVENESS OF SERVICE PROVIDERS, UM, AND THE NEED FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS TO IMPROVE THEIR ABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH FOLKS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
AND THAT COULD BE RELATED TO, UM, LANGUAGE, BUT ALSO, UM, ALSO, UM, JUST GENERAL, UM, CULTURAL COMPETENCY, UM, AND, UM, MANY COMMENTS ABOUT BEING MORE TRAUMA, TRAUMA INFORMED AS WELL.
JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE AS SOME OF THE, UM, THE GAPS THAT WE SAW AND FINALLY, UH, NEXT SLIDE, RIGHT.
THAT BRINGS US TO, UM, SO WHAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT.
SO, UM, JUST, JUST A FEW POINTS HERE.
WE WANTED TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION IN PARTICULAR, IF WE HAVE ONE ASK FOR YOU IS, UM, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT COMMUNITY RESOURCE LISTS.
UM, ONE OF, I THINK THE LOVELY THINGS THAT WE'RE ALSO ASKED TO DO IN THE CA IN THE CNA PROCESS IS TO OUTLINE THE COMMUNITY STRENGTHS AND ASSETS AND THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
AND WE REALLY WANT THIS TO BE A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, RESOURCE THAT'S AVAILABLE.
[01:05:01]
YOU COMMISSIONERS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE LISTS ON PAGE 29 OF THE DOCUMENT, IT'S ABOUT THREE OR FOUR PAGES LONG, LET US KNOW IF YOU SEE ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO BE LISTED THERE, ANY, OR ANYTHING THAT SHOULDN'T BE LISTED OR COULD POSSIBLY BE AN ERROR OR OLD INFORMATION.SO, UM, WORKED RETARDED, UPDATING THAT, BUT WE WOULD LOVE YOUR EYES PARTICULARLY THERE.
UM, THE OTHER THING WE WERE WONDERING IS, ARE, ARE THERE ANY SURPRISES, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN WHAT WE'VE PRESENTED OR IN THE CNA ITSELF, BUT THAT SURPRISED YOU, THAT YOU DIDN'T REALLY EXPECT? SO A COUPLE OF PROMPTS THERE, BUT REALLY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY, ANY QUESTIONS OR TAKE ANY COMMENTS FROM YOU ALL NOW, THANK YOU.
DESERET MERCEDES AND KELLY, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALSO ON HALE, UH, TO YOU, UH, IN YOUR PRESENTATION PROCEEDING THIS ONE AND, UH, FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK, UH, TO PUT A BODY OR MANY BODIES AND SPIRITS ON TRYING TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS AND MITIGATE, UH, SO MANY OF THE CHALLENGES AND SUFFERING FOR SO MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS HERE IN AUSTIN, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO START BY SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THIS ROOM, THERE ARE PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, UH, IN HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
UH, UM, IF NOT AROUND THE COUNTRY, AT LEAST IN AUSTIN ALONE.
AND I WOULD BET THAT MOST OF US AREN'T SURPRISED BY SEEING THE TOP NEEDS.
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE TWO ECONOMIES IN AUSTIN ARE FAR MORE, UH, ACCENTUATED THAN I'VE SEEN.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S EXEMPLIFIED, UH, WHEN WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, SOME, UM, RESIDENTS ARE LOOKING AT WEATHERPROOFING PROOFING, THEIR HOMES, UH, WHILE OTHER RESIDENTS ARE LOOKING TO HAVE A HOME, UH, SOME, UH, RESIDENTS ARE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR GETTING THEIR HOUSING TO BE MORE AFFORDABLE WHILE SOME FOLKS AGAIN ARE JUST TRYING TO HAVE HOUSING OR GET BASIC NEEDS.
AND I, UH, I KNOW THAT ALL OF US HERE HAVE BEEN SEEING THOSE SAME BASIC NEEDS, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, UH, IN PERMUTATIONS OF THOSE TOP FIVE, UH, FOR THE PAST PROBABLY DECADE, IF NOT TWO DECADES AT THIS POINT.
AND IT IS MY OPINION THAT AT SOME POINT ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE BASIC NEEDS.
UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SORT OF JUST GROUP THEM ALL TOGETHER AS THE RIGHT TO LIFE AND THE RIGHT TO EXIST.
UH, AND, UH, THEN MAYBE LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER ONES, BUT SEE THAT WE'RE SORT OF GLARINGLY, UH, NOT, NOT ADDRESSING THIS.
AND WHAT I REALLY APPRECIATED WAS Y'ALL'S IDENTIFICATION OF NAVIGATION AS A NEED, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF MOBILIZATION IN MANY LEVELS, UH, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, UH, ALL THESE PROBLEMS, BUT OF COURSE, YOU'RE SEEING IT FROM A HUMAN CENTERED STANDPOINT IN THE DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM FROM A HUMAN CENTERED STANDPOINT, DEFINITELY NOT ALIGNED WITH WHAT OUR INCENTIVES ARE OFTEN AND IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMS FROM WE'RE COMING FROM DIFFERENT FUNDING BUCKETS.
SO I, I APPRECIATED YOU ALSO FOCUS ON IF YOU THINK IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT PARTICIPATION WAS LOW, THOUGH.
I UNDERSTAND, OF COURSE, IN A PANDEMIC YEAR, UH, THAT'S THE CASE.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IN A PANDEMIC YEAR, NOT LOVE, OF COURSE, BECAUSE OF JUST THE GRAVITY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IN A NON PANDEMIC YEAR THAT WE ARE APPROACHING AT LEAST SOME REASONABLE PERCENTAGE OF THE LIKELY 400,000 PEOPLE MINIMUM IN AUSTIN WHO ARE STRUGGLING ECONOMICALLY, IF NOT MORE.
UM, AND SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH WOULD LOVE TO, UH, JUST START WITH THE QUESTION, UH, FOR YOU KELLY, UH, AND, AND YOUR TEAM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS SORT OF, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS SORT OF THE BIGGEST GAP IN INFORMATION HERE? AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST SALIENT BIT OF INFORMATION HERE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION CHAIR.
UM, AND I'M GONNA, UM, MAKE SURE MY TEAM KNOWS THEY CAN, UM, THEY CAN PLUG IN AS WELL.
UM, I, I MEAN, I AGREE WITH YOU.
I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAD A BROADER SPECTRUM OF, UH, RESIDENT NEEDS.
I THINK, UM, I WILL SAY, I KNOW MERCEDES REALLY FOCUSED ON, WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT TYPICALLY WHEN WE PUT OUT ELECTRONIC SURVEYS, THEY'RE GOING TO OVER-REPRESENT AND SO THAT W SHE MERCEDES REALLY PUSHED THAT.
SO I FEEL IF WE DIDN'T ASK DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY WAY OF KNOWING.
UM, BUT, UM, BUT I THINK MORE RESONANT, UM, INFORMATION WOULD, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN USEFUL THERE.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IT JUST, YOU KNOW, UM, WASN'T, WASN'T POSSIBLE.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SEE IF DESERET HAS ANYTHING OFF THE TOP OF HER HEAD.
YEAH, I WAS, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT BIT ABOUT DEMOGRAPHICS.
SO WE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE SURVEYS SO SHORT SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD FEEL THAT IT WASN'T
[01:10:01]
A BURDEN BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT A LOT OF BRITAIN RIGHT NOW AT MY UNFORTUNATE, THAT MEANT THAT WE DIDN'T COLLECT AS MUCH INFORMATION THAT WE'D LIKE TO, TO CONTEXTUALIZE THE DATA AND SEE WHERE WE'RE LACKING AND WHAT TYPE OF PRECEDENTS FOR ANKLES.UM, SO THAT WOULD DEFINITELY SOME CHECK CHECKUP ONE.
AND THEN I WOULD ADD TO THAT, THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS WE TRY TO LIKE, GET INTO THAT WORLD TOO, IS BY PARTNERING WITH APH TO DO A PAPER SURVEY.
SO THEY WERE ABLE TO PUSH A PAPER SURVEY OUT.
SOME OF THE PROGRAM MANAGERS WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE PAPER SURVEYS TO CLIENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE USED THE COMPUTER AT ALL.
UM, SO THAT DID IT, THAT MADE ME FEEL A LOT BETTER ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UM, AND THE SEASON THAT WE'RE IN HONESTLY.
AND SO, UM, YEAH, BUT ALL OF THAT AGREE AND HEARD JUST QUICKLY TO ADD MOST SALIENT DATA.
UM, I MEAN, I THINK THOSE REALLY HIT THE TWO ON ONE DATA.
I THINK IT TELLS US THE STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE PANDEMIC AND THE BEST WAY.
UM, IT WAS REALLY, THEY WERE SUPER RESPONSIVE.
UM, AND SO REALLY, REALLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THAT DATA BECAUSE IT WAS SO HARD TO GET DATA FROM THE LAST YEAR.
THE OTHER THING I WILL SAY IS, YOU KNOW, THOUGH THIS COMMUNITY, I MEAN, WE DON'T LACK FOR, UM, COMPREHENSIVE DATA SOURCES.
SO, UM, THE, THE GREAT THING WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD AUGMENT THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE CENSUS, I MEAN, THE ICS DATA WITH ALL OF THESE OTHER WONDERFUL REPORTS, RIGHT.
FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD, UM, TO THE HOUSING MARKET STUDY TO, UM, OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT.
I MEAN, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A JOB TO, UM, IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, PULL ALL THAT DATA IN.
BUT, UM, BUT I, WE, UM, WE ENJOYED PUTTING ALL THAT COMPREHENSIVE DATA TOGETHER.
I WAS MADE TO DO ANY OF THE THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UH, DO ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS, OR, UH, VICE-CHAIR HAVE ANY CO-TEAM KNOWING THAT IMMINENTLY, WE ARE GOING TO BE LIKELY ASKED FOR ACTION TO APPROVE.
YEAH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER GARCIA.
UH, I'M JUST CHECKING THE INFORMATION, BUT, UM, MAYBE YOU HAVE IT THERE, BUT IS THIS JUST, UM, ONE TIME PROJECT FROM THE PANDEMIC, OR IT'S JUST AN ONGOING PROJECT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME, UH, NECESSITIES, UH, FROM THE PANDEMIC THAN ON THIS YEAR OR THE NEXT YEAR.
IT'S JUST THAT MY QUESTION, IS THIS AN ONGOING PROJECT OR IS THIS JUST ONE TIME FROM THE PANDEMIC? TH THIS IS A REQUIREMENT, UM, EVERY THREE YEARS.
SO, UM, SO IT IS YOU'RE RIGHT.
SO WE'RE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, UH, IN ORDER TO DO THE, THE COMMUNITY PLANNING, UM, FOR, FOR THE CSBG FUNDING, UM, THEY, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS ONE TO SORT OF OVER, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO REPRESENT A CERTAIN POINT IN TIME, BUT, UM, BUT WE REALLY TRIED TO GO BACK THREE YEARS AND SORT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVE, GIVE THAT SNAPSHOT.
SO, UM, SO UNHEALTH TEAM, WE'LL GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO DO THAT THREE YEARS FROM NOW.
HI, I'M HELEN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK MORE AROUND THE PROCESS? UH, SURE.
UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOU SAY I'M SO GRATEFUL, UH, TO KELLY AND HER TEAM FOR DOING THIS FOR US.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO SAY, UM, WHETHER IT'S IT'S A HAIKU OR A SHAKESPEARIAN SIGN IT, IF YOU CAN, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE SAME MESSAGE IN 12 SYLLABLES OR WHATEVER MANY LINES OF SHAKESPEARE SIGN IT IS, YOUR NEEDS ARE THERE.
SO TO ANSWER WILLIAM'S QUESTION THREE YEARS AGO, THEY WERE RANKED HOUSING, HEALTH, HEALTH EMPLOYMENT, BASIC NEEDS AND EDUCATION.
AND THIS TIME AROUND IT WAS HOUSING.
AGAIN, FIRST BASIC NEEDS MOVED UP FROM FOUR TO TWO, THEN HEALTH EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION WAS NUMBER FIVE.
SO WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS PROCESS IS THAT WE CAN TAKE THIS INFORMATION AND WE CAN USE IT TO EITHER CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO AND TRY TO IMPROVE WHETHER IT HAS TO DO WITH MARKETING OUTREACH, UH, SIMPLIFYING OUR MESSAGE SO THAT FOLKS DON'T GET CONFUSED, UH, WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS AND THE COMMUNITY MORE ACTIVELY AND DOING WHAT WE DO, BUT BETTER THE WARM HANDOFFS.
WE NEVER JUST GIVE SOMEBODY A NUMBER AND HAVE THEM CALL.
WE ALWAYS TRY TO GET THEM CONNECTED RIGHT THEN AND THERE,
[01:15:01]
UM, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT TRAUMA INFORMED CARE.WE CAN, THERE'S A LOT OF POSSIBILITY THERE.
WE HAVE TRAINED OUR STAFF ON TRAUMA INFORMED CARE ALREADY, BUT THE MESSAGE IS STILL THERE.
WE COULD DO MORE OF THAT, MAYBE LEVEL TWO AND LEVEL THREE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, UH, THE TRADE TECHNICAL SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, MESSAGE FROM OUR COMMUNITY SAYING THEY WANT MORE OF THAT.
WE ALREADY STARTED THAT WITH OUR CASE MANAGEMENT 2.0, WE'LL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE THAT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
UM, SO I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN TAKE ALL THE INFORMATION HERE AND USE IT AND HAVE IT, UH, EVOLVE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY DYNAMIC AND, UM, WE ARE VERY FLEXIBLE IN SOME WAYS, IN OTHER WAYS, WE'RE VERY INFLEXIBLE BECAUSE THE FUNDING DOES HAVE CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT WE JUST CAN'T IGNORE.
BUT WE HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB EVEN BEFORE I CAME ON, UH, WITH ADDRESSING THINGS IN A CREATIVE MANNER SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY FEELS RESPECTED, UH, INCLUDED AND, UH, AND HAVE DIGNITY, UH, WHEN THEY DO REACH OUT TO US.
UM, SO AGAIN, THAT'S THE DANCE, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE BEAUTY OF TREATING PEOPLE LIKE HUMAN BEINGS AND THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF HAVING TO COLLECT ALL THIS DATA AND REPORT IT MONTHLY TO THE STATEMENT OF FEDS TO CONTINUE TO GET THE FUNDING.
SO KIND OF A LONG-WINDED ANSWER, BUT, UH, WE, WE, WE WILL TAKE THIS INFORMATION IN AND DO THE BEST WE CAN, AND THEN PRESENT IT TO YOU GUYS AND, AND GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU ON THE WAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE POLITICALLY DIMENSIONAL CONTEXT.
UH, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER GARCIA.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER, MAY HE HAS YOUR HAND UP AND GOOD TO SEE YOUR FACE? YOU DO, EVERYBODY'S FACES.
UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH, UH, FOR ENGAGING IN THIS PROJECT.
I CAN, I CAN HEAR IT IN YOUR VOICES, LIKE ANY, YOU KNOW, RESEARCHER AND RESEARCHER OR DATA PERSON WITH, WITH INTEGRITY.
YOU WISH THERE WAS A GREATER RESPONSE, BUT I THINK THAT'S EVERYBODY RIGHT.
I CAN HEAR IT IN THE WAY ALL PRESENT.
AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IS NO EASY FEAT, BUT I WANTED TO ASK, UM, WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE WEIGHTING OF THE QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION YOU COLLECTED FROM THE TWO ONE-ON-ONE CALLS, RIGHT.
VERSUS THE, VERSUS THE ACTUAL RESIDENT SURVEY RESPONSES.
HOW DID IT, HOW DID THOSE, WHAT'S THE FORMULA BETWEEN THOSE THINGS, WHICH ARE MAJORLY DIFFERENT IN THEIR NUMBERS TO COOK UP THE SAUCE, OR, UH, THAT BECOMES THE FIVE TOP RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S, IT'S SO INTERESTING THAT YOU ASKED THAT COMMISSIONER BECAUSE, UM, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THAT DESERET WHO'S WORKING ON HER PHD WAS, UM, ASKING ME ABOUT A MONTH AGO IS LIKE HOW IT'S SAYING WE HAVE TO WAIT THE QUANTITATIVE DATA WITH THE OTHERS.
SO, UM, IT'S, WE, WE, WE ACTUALLY, SHE WAS LIKE, LET'S, WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WORKS AND W W YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY THE CSBG GUIDANCE SAYS.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK WE WANT, SO THAT CHART ON IS WHAT I WANTED TO REFERENCE ON PAGE THREE IS, IS SORT OF THAT'S, THAT IS A REQUIREMENTS, UM, BY THE STATE, YOU KNOW, TO REPORT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY HAD TO USE OUR DISCRETION, RIGHT.
IN TERMS OF, AGAIN, LOOKING ACROSS ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL COMMUNITY REPORTS THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND THE NEEDS AND THE QUANTITATIVE DATA, AND, AND MAKE THOSE RANKINGS, UM, FOR THE QUANTITATIVE DATA, UM, KNOWING, YOU KNOW, KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW.
UM, AND, AND SO THAT, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE DID AS RESEARCHERS IS THAT, UM, IT WAS, IT'S EASIER TO DO THOSE WITH THOSE SURVEYS OF COURSE, RIGHT.
THAT WAS PRETTY CLEAR COMING OUT OF THE RESULTS.
UM, THE INTERVIEWS WE HAD TO GO, YOU KNOW, GO BACK AND READ AND CODE THEM.
AND SO THEN WHEN IT CAME TO THE FINAL RANKING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY JUST LOOKED AT, IT WAS, IT WAS, IT CAME OUT PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD, I GUESS, IS WHAT I WANT TO SAY THERE, UM, HOUSING, YOU KNOW, REALLY ACROSS, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE BOARD, UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE INTERVIEWS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS, IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, IT DOES SAY, YOU KNOW, I THINK INTERVIEWS, WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY WE HEARD ABOUT HOUSING TOO, SO IT'S NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE, I GUESS, IS MY PRIMARY RESPONSE.
THERE'S SOME DISCRETION THERE.
UM, AND THEN I HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR DEMOGRAPHICS, BUT THAT GIVEN AGAIN, THE SMALL UNIVERSE, CAN WE JUST BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT, DID YOU TRACK AREAS OF THE CITY WHERE THE RESPONSES CAME FROM BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS TRACKED DESERET? DO YOU WANT IT, I MEAN, UH, SORRY.
MERCEDES, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT? YES.
SO WE ASKED FOR ZIP CODE IN ALL OF OUR SURVEYS.
[01:20:01]
ACTUALLY, WE CAN ACTUALLY GO, IT'S PROBABLY ACTUALLY IN THE REPORT.UM, SO THERE'S THE ZIP CODES WHERE, YOU KNOW, USE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS BRAINS FROM ACROSS THE CITY.
WHEN I INTERVIEWED COMMISSIONERS, I TARGETED COMMISSIONERS WHO WERE REPRESENTATIVE GEOGRAPHY, GEOGRAPHIC AREAS, UM, INSTEAD OF JUST ASKING, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC, PUBLICLY, UM, SEATED COMMISSIONERS.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I TARGETED GEOGRAPHICALLY REPRESENTED COMMISSIONERS SO THAT I KNEW THAT THEY KNEW THEY KNEW THEIR AREA.
THEY KNEW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU REPRESENT, IF YOU'RE RED REPRESENTING EAST AUSTIN AS A COMMISSIONER, UM, THAT'S YOUR JOB, YOUR BENEFITS TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THAT REGION.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, UM, I, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIED TO DO THAT, UH, TO INTERVIEW IN THAT WAY.
UM, YEAH, SO WE DID COLLECT THAT'S THE, THE WAY THAT WE DID THAT, IT WAS LIKE, AND I WAS ONTO LIKE, OH MY GOSH, I'M GOING TO POST OVER HERE.
I'M GOING TO SEND IT OVER HERE AND HAVE THIS PERSON TEXTED THIS WAY.
CAUSE I'M TRYING TO GET, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO GET RESPONSES FROM ALL OVER THE CITY.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, TO ADD TO THAT THOUGH, LIKE OUR GUIDELINES ARE TO FOCUS ON LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS AND WE KNOW BASED ON OUR DATA WHERE LOW INCOME RESIDENTS LIVE IN AUSTIN.
AND SO THAT ALSO HELPED INFORMED WHAT PARTS OF THE CITY WE REALLY WANTED TO TARGET, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SHORT TIME TIMEFRAME WE HAD TO CONDUCT COMMITTEE ENGAGEMENT.
UM, I GUESS THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ABOUT IT IS, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK I HEAR YOU, I HEAR ON HEAD THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU KNOW, BASED UPON WHERE YOU STAND, IT'S NOT REALLY GOING TO CHANGE THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, THE JENGA PIECE HAS ONLY MOVE AROUND SO MUCH BECAUSE THE NEEDS IN THESE BROAD CATEGORIES ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN HOUSING, RIGHT.
HOUSING IS THE NUMBER ONE IN AUSTIN IS GOING TO BE, I THINK I, IT MAKES ME BEG THE QUESTION THOUGH, IF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE PARAMETERS UNDER WHICH Y'ALL DO THIS SURVEY ARE SO MAYBE THEY'RE RESTRICTIVE, BUT I THINK THERE'S THE QUESTION LINGERING IN MY MIND IS IF YOU ARE GETTING CHEST RESORTING OF THE SAME THEMES EVERY THREE YEARS, COULD IT BE THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOME THINKING TO DO WHERE PEOPLE COULD ELICIT MORE? UM, WELL, THEY WOULD BE CALLED TO ELICIT MORE DETAILED RESPONSES OR, UH, OR ACUTE NEEDS THAT, UM, THAT DON'T NECESSARILY RESULT IN JUST THE RESHUFFLING OF THE SAME THINGS, UH, OR THE SAME, UH, OVERALL THEMES, BUT MAYBE TELL, TELL A RICHER STORY.
SO, AND MAYBE, MAYBE THAT'S NOT THIS SURVEY, RIGHT.
MAYBE THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THE SURVEY IS TO GET THE BROAD, BUT, UM, YEAH, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST LINGERING THOUGHTS AND, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE A HATER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT ON ANY OF YOU GUYS.
UM, AND I, AND I HOPE THAT IT LEADS US AT LEAST TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, MAKE A BETTER DECISION THAT WE, THEN WE WOULD IF WE HAD NO INFORMATION AT ALL.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MANIA.
AND YEAH, WE'D JUST LIKE TO UNDERSCORE THAT I APPRECIATED THAT, UH, THE TEAM LED WITH THE LIMITATIONS OF THE DATA, UH, AND ALSO, UH, WE'RE SO INTENTIONALLY, I THINK, FOCUSED ON STRATEGICALLY LEVERAGING THEIR QUALITATIVE DATA IN A WAY THAT MITIGATED THAT MERCEDES, SOME OF YOUR STRATEGIES I THINK WERE EVIDENT THERE.
UM, AND, UH, I THINK WOULD THE IRONIC, IF YOU WILL, GOOD NEWS IS THAT, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, AREN'T HEARING ANYTHING NEW AND SO THEREFORE NOT SUSPECTING THAT WE'RE MISSING TOO MUCH, UH, YOU KNOW, AS A RESULT OF THE LIMITATIONS OF THE DAY OR THE BAD NEWS IS, IS THAT WE'RE NOT HEARING BETTER NEWS.
UH, AND, UH, UM, IF ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, HERE OR STAFF, UH, OR OTHER, UH, SPEAKERS, UH, MIGHT HAVE A COMMENT, UH, THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, LIKE RECOGNIZE ANYONE FOR THAT NOW, ANYTHING THAT WE THINK MIGHT BE UNEARTHING SOMETHING NEW, UH, UH, I THINK NOW WOULD BE THE TIME FOR THAT.
UH, AND OTHERWISE, UH, WE'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, UH, UH, REQUEST FOR ACTION.
SO W WOULD BE INTERESTED IN RECOGNIZING ANYONE IN THE ROOM WHO MIGHT LIKE TO SHARE ANY COMMENTARY HERE THAT MIGHT BE UNEARTHING SOMETHING NEW OR SHEDDING NEW LIGHT, THE QUESTION THIS COMMISSIONER DOES.
UM, SO IT'S JUST KIND OF RELATED TO THE TWO PRESENTATION.
SO WE HAVE THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, OUR DRAFT ACTION PLAN AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT BOTH OF THEM.
I SEE THAT OBVIOUSLY HOUSING AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN SORT OF THE NUMBER ONE.
SO LOOKING AT THE CHANGES THOUGH IN THE, IN THE INCREASE IS PRETTY, IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
[01:25:01]
53% OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE UP 109%, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY UNEMPLOYMENT IS SORT OF RELATED TO THAT AS HOUSING BECOMES, UH, EXPENSIVE.SO THE QUESTION IS SORT OF, ARE WE USING THESE INSIGHTS TO, UH, HAVE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN CALCULATED INTO SORT OF THE NEW ACTION PLAN? SO MS. MAY BE A QUESTION MORE FOR, UH, AND HILL, UH, IN TERMS OF THAT.
UM, AND I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET HIS PRESENTATION, BUT I DID NOTICE THAT THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN FUNDING, UH, THAT HAS SORT OF SHIFTED FROM HOUSING OWNERSHIP TO RENTAL.
UH, IT'S NOT A LOT, BUT I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SOME SHIFT THERE AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, I WOULD THINK IF, UH, W YOU KNOW, WITH LIMITED RESOURCES THAT MAYBE THE FOCUS SHIFTS MORE TO GETTING MORE AFFORDABLE, RENTING AND LESS MONEY ON DOWN PAYMENT FOR OWNERSHIP.
SO JUST CURIOUS HOW YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DECIBEL.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT OTHER ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS A COMPLETELY UNRELATED PRESENTATION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I ANSWERED THAT QUESTION.
UH, I'M JUST BASICALLY ASKING, UH, YOU KNOW, I REALIZE IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S A DIFFERENT PRESENTATION, BUT IF IT'S ABOUT THE DRAFT PLAN AND LIKE WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, I'M JUST KIND OF FIGURING OUT HOW WE USE THIS ASSESSMENT AND THE CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO, UH, TO HOW THAT ACTUALLY AFFECTS OUR DRAFT PLAN MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM LIKE THERE'S MORE CONCENTRATION ON RENTAL ASSISTANCES, WHICH WHAT I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED MORE THAN A HOME OWNERSHIP, UM, ASSISTANCE IN DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE VERSUS, YOU KNOW, UH, FIXING UP HOMES, UH, THROUGH SOME OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS AND, AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE, DIRECT RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
I THINK THAT PERHAPS WE MAY WANT TO BRING THAT UP, UH, DURING BRIBIE, UM, AND SORT OF RE REKINDLE THIS, UH, JUST TO ADD SOME, SOME CONTEXT THERE, UM, AS WELL AS MAYBE INVOKE SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT SYNOVIA SHARED, UH, DURING CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD TO YOU? YEAH, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S RIGHT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS OR EXPERTS IN THE ROOM? BRILLIANT.
WILLARD'S UH, NICHOLSON ASSOCIATES.
AND TO, UH,
UH, THERE'S SOMEBODY OUT HERE, NEIGHBORS SERVICES UNIT, UM, AND THEY DO REQUEST ACTION ON OUR APPROVAL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT IMMEDIATELY NEEDS ASSESSMENT CALENDAR YEAR 21 THROUGH 20.
I KNOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR 2021.
UH, AND SO THE NEXT THREE YEARS I MOVED TO APPROVE.
WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER MAHEA DO WE HAVE A SECOND? OKAY.
A SECOND PERMISSION TO DESOLTEL WE HAVE A SECOND.
DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION? BRILLIANT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF VOTING TO APPROVE, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS, PLEASE INDICATE VOCALLY IT APPROVES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND WE'RE JUST GETTING COOKING AND IT'S SEVEN 15, UM, MOVING ON TO, UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS NEW BUSINESS.
UH, AND I ALSO REALIZED THAT AT THE OUTSET, WHEN WE CALLED THIS MEETING TO ORDER, UH, I WAS SO EXCITED TO RECOGNIZE OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS, THAT I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMISSION.
SO I'LL JUST MAKE SURE TO DO SO.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOARD IS TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. AND WITH THAT SAID, I AM THREE NEW BUSINESS,
[3A. Briefing on Draft Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Action Plan (Rebecca Giello & Katie Horstman, Housing & Planning Department)]
A BRIEFING ON THE DRAFT FISCAL YEAR, 2021, 2022 ACTION PLAN.UH, WE HAVE, UH, REBECCA JELLO AND EDDIE HORSEMAN WITH HOUSING AND PLANNING, TURNING IT OVER TO YOU, REBECCA.
IT IS A LOVELY TO BE WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING.
I'M REBECCA GLO DIRECTOR, I'M SORRY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING.
AND, UM, I AM JOINED BY KENNY HORSEMAN WHO IS RELATIVELY NEW TO THE DEPARTMENT AND IS HEADING UP HER FIRST EVER, UH, ACTION
[01:30:01]
PLAN.AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TAG TEAM THROUGH REALLY WHAT IS A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE BROUGHT TO YOU ALL IN APRIL, BUT WE HAVE BUILT ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND TO PROVIDE AS MUCH, UM, CONVENIENCE TO YOU AS POSSIBLE.
WE ARE REALLY WANTING TO TEE UP A STRONG DESIRE TO, UM, MAINTAIN A, UM, A SOLID FOOTING ON OUR CURRENT PROGRAMS AT A TIME OF GREAT CONSTRAINT, NOT ONLY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF, AS WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH A LOT OF COVID-19 RESPONSIVE PROGRAMMING, BUT ALSO TO OUR NONPROFIT COMMUNITY, UM, WHO HAS ALSO TAKEN GREAT PAINS TO MAINTAIN A LOT OF THE WORK THAT THEY CONTINUE TO DO.
SO WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN A NUMBER OF THE SLIDES AS WE MOVE THROUGH TO THE PROPOSED FUNDING OF OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM DOLLARS IS A TRUE HOLD THE LINE.
UM, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION AND HEARING ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND CERTAINLY OPENING IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL FOLKS THAT WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT.
SO WITH THAT, IF WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND KATIE AND I WILL TAG TEAM, WE'VE BEEN DOING A FAIRLY ORGANIC KINDA TAG TEAM RODEO AND, UM, HAVE APPRECIATED HER THE LAST FEW FEW MONTHS.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE FEDERAL REPORTING PROCESS, UM, OUR PROPOSED PROGRAMMING OF THE DOLLARS AND A SUMMARY OF THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN WE WANT TO BE SURE YOU ALL KNOW THE REMAINING OF THE SCHEDULE AS WE MOVE TO THE END OF JULY.
I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO KATIE SO SHE CAN WALK YOU THROUGH JUST A COUPLE OF SLIDES ON PROCESS FOR THOSE WHO ARE VIEWING AT HOME.
MY NAME IS KATIE HORSEMAN WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, COMMISSIONERS, THESE NEXT FEW, YOU DID SEE IN A PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, SO I'LL TRY AND KEEP IT RELATIVELY BRIEF.
UM, SO WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVE, WE OPERATE ON A REPORTING SCHEDULE THAT THAT OPERATES ON FIVE YEARS.
SO EACH FIVE-YEAR PERIOD, WE SUBMIT A CONSOLIDATED PLAN THAT GIVES A PROJECTION OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND MONEY ON, UM, WHAT USING FEDERAL DOLLARS, FIVE YEARS INTO THE FUTURE.
AND THEN WITHIN THAT FIVE-YEAR PERIOD EACH YEAR BEFORE THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINS, WE SUBMIT AN ANNUAL ACTION PLAN, UM, TO OUTLINE WHAT ACTIONS WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING WITH WITH THE FEDERAL DOLLARS, UM, THAT WE RECEIVE UPDATED FOR HOWEVER MUCH WE'RE PROJECTED TO RECEIVE FROM HUD FOR THAT SPECIFIC FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND IT SERVES AS AN APPLICATION FOR THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND THEN ONCE THE FISCAL YEAR CONCLUDES, WE WILL SUBMIT A CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE AND EVALUATION REPORT TO EVALUATE HOW WELL WE MET OUR SERVICE GOALS AND HOW MUCH, UM, HOW MANY FEDERAL DOLLARS WE ACTUALLY SPENT ON EACH PROGRAM.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE OPERATING IN THE 2019 TO 2024 FIVE-YEAR PLAN PERIOD, GOING INTO YEAR THREE WITH FISCAL YEAR 2122.
AND SO THE, THE GRANTS THAT WE ARE APPLYING FOR AND ALLOCATING, UM, THROUGH THE ACTION PLAN OR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS GRANT HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS IN THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND THIS, UH, CHART OUTLINES THE CURRENT PROPOSED FUNDING, UM, THAT HUD HAS, UH, RELEASED FOR FISCAL YEAR 21, 22, COMPARED TO THE FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVED THIS YEAR.
UM, AND SO THESE NUMBERS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, UM, FROM WHAT'S LISTED CURRENTLY THE DRAFT ACTION PLAN BASED ON ALLOCATION UPDATES FROM HUD.
AND SO WE'VE, WE HAVE RELEASED THE DRAFT ACTION PLAN TO THE PUBLIC AND ARE HERE TO DISCUSS IT WITH YOU.
UM, AND BRIEFLY WE'LL GO OVER THE RESULTS OF THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT, THAT WE WENT THROUGH FOR THIS ACTION PLAN, SPECIFICALLY UNRELATED TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
YOU JUST RECEIVED A PRESENTATION ON, UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UM, SO OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT TOOK PLACE FROM MARCH 29TH TO APRIL 30TH.
AND IN THAT TIMEFRAME, WE VISITED THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT YOU CAN SEE ON THE CHART ON THE LEFT WITH THE PRESENTATION, GIVING INFORMATION ON THE ACTION PLAN AND RECEIVING FEEDBACK ON WHAT NEEDS SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED IN THE PLAN.
WE CONDUCTED TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS IN FRONT OF THIS COMMISSION, AS WELL AS AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
AND ON THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE, UM, THESE ARE THE, THE TOPICS BROKEN OUT THAT RECEIVED.
UM, WE RECEIVED THE MOST FEEDBACK ON THAT WERE MENTIONED THE MOST THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
OUR ASSESSMENT WAS CONDUCTED PRIMARILY THROUGH SPEAKUP AUSTIN, AND WE DID RECEIVE SOME ADDITIONAL, UM,
[01:35:01]
RESPONSES THROUGH EMAIL.AND SO THE MOST, UM, MENTIONED COMMUNITY NEED TO PRIORITIZE THROUGH OUR ACTION PLAN WAS AFFORDABLE LOW-INCOME HOUSING, FOLLOWED BY SERVICES, HOUSING, OR TEMPORARY SHELTER FOR UNHOUSED PEOPLE WHICH RECEIVED 19 MENTIONS.
UM, THEN WE HAVE HOME REPAIRS AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, RENOVATION OF ROSEWOOD COURTS WAS MENTIONED THREE TIMES.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THE REMAINING THERE.
AND NOW WE ARE WITHIN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
SO WE'VE RELEASED THE DRAFT ACTION PLAN, UM, ONLINE, VIA OUR SPEAKER BOSTON WEBSITE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE PAPER COPIES AVAILABLE AT THE LOCATIONS THAT YOU SEE LISTED HERE.
UM, AND WE'RE HOPING THE PUBLIC WILL REVIEW, GIVE US FEEDBACK, LET US KNOW HOW WELL OUR FUNDING ALLOCATIONS ARE MATCHING UP WITH THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO CONDUCTING A PUBLIC HEARING HERE TODAY AT THIS, UM, WITH THIS COMMISSION AND ALSO THIS THURSDAY IN FRONT OF AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, UM, TO RECEIVE PUBLIC PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE DRAFT PLAN.
AND I'LL, I'LL PASS IT BACK TO THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
I WANT TO PAUSE JUST FOR A MOMENT AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE DO HAVE NEW COMMISSIONERS WITH US, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE COMMISSION.
UM, WE RECOGNIZE WE'LL BE MOVING THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES WITH PROGRAM'S SPECIFIC INFORMATION.
SOME OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE DEPARTMENT AND OUR PROGRAMS, AND SOME OF YOU MAY NOT BE, AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION AND A DIRECT PROGRAMMATIC WALKTHROUGH.
UM, PLEASE CONTACT OUR LIAISON JESSE, AND HE WILL, UM, DEFINITELY GET WITH THE APPROPRIATE STAFF SO WE CAN MEET WITH YOU INDIVIDUALLY SO THAT WE'RE NOT JEOPARDIZING FORUM AND REALLY WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROGRAMS THAT OUR DEPARTMENT OFFERS.
THIS MAY SEEM A LITTLE HIGH LEVEL, AND WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT YOU ARE ADEQUATELY PREPARED AND EQUIPPED AND HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ANSWERED, UM, IN THE FUTURE.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE.
OKAY? SO AS WE GO FORWARD, WHAT WE HAVE DONE, AND THANK YOU, KATIE FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IS WE'VE STRUCTURED THE SLIDES TO SHOW YOU THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR FUNDING, AS WELL AS OUR PROPOSAL.
AND AGAIN, I THINK WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS A STRONG THEME OF A HOLD THE LINE.
AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF OUR REPROGRAMMING OF DOLLARS, UH, TOWARD THE END OF THE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITY SLIDES.
NEXT SLIDE HERE, YOU HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANCE.
AND AS A REMINDER, THE MAJORITY OF EVERYTHING HERE IS SERVICED THROUGH CONTRACTS ARE ADMINISTERED BY THE AUSTIN HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO YOU SEE HERE OUR CURRENT FUNDING AND YOU SEE VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE SUB-RECIPIENTS OF, UH, CDBG AND HOPWA FUNDS ARE, UM, ARE HELD INTACT.
YOU DO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF INCREASE IN HOPWA DOLLARS WITH PROJECT TRANSITIONS, AND THAT IS DUE TO A SLIGHT INCREASE IN OUR FORMULA GRANT ALLOCATION ANTICIPATED FROM HUD.
NEXT SLIDE, HOMELESS THIS ASSISTANCE AGAIN, ESG IS ADMINISTERED BY, UH, THE AUSTIN HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND YOU SEE IT AS A STRONG, UM, HOLDING OF THE LINE WITH ESG, MAINTAINING THE PROGRAM AREAS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT TO OUR HOMELESS COMMUNITY CURRENTLY, AND TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE STILL BEING A VERY, UM, NEEDED SUBSIDY FOR OUR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCED CHRONIC, CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY PROPOSING TO MAINTAIN FUNDING IN THAT AREA AS WELL.
UM, WE HAVE ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL, AND THAT IS PRETTY INTUITIVE.
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT SERVICES INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN NEED OF DIFFERENT MODIFICATIONS AND RETROFITTING OF THEIR HOME IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO BE MORE MOBILE.
WE FUND THIS WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS.
WE ALSO HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE, UM, AUSTIN TENANTS COUNCIL CURRENTLY FOR TENANTS RIGHTS ASSISTANCE.
AND WE ARE PROPOSING TO MAINTAIN THESE ACTIVITIES.
WE HAVE SEEN, UM, A BIT OF A, A BIT OF A CONSISTENT, UH, ACTIVITY IN THIS, IN THIS PROGRAM AREA, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UM, FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS AND THE NEED TO, TO ACCESS, UH,
[01:40:01]
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP CLOSE VERY, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC GAPS TO, UH, GO INTO A FIRST TIME HOME BUYING.UM, OFTENTIMES DREAM COME TRUE FOR INDIVIDUALS IN AUSTIN.
WE ARE ANTICIPATING AND PROPOSING TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF, UH, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND PRODUCTION IN THIS PROGRAM.
NEXT SLIDE AND HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE.
THIS IS A LONG TIME AREA ADVOCATED REALLY BY THE COMMISSION, OUR HOMEOWNER REHABILITATION LOAN PROGRAM.
THIS IS IF YOU, UM, ENGAGE IN ANY OF THE BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOGRAPHS, SOME OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE WORK DONE IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE ARE TAKING HOMES THAT ARE ALMOST AN UNINHABITABLE AND, UH, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES WHERE INDIVIDUALS CAN LIVE WITH INTEGRITY AND GRACE.
SO STILL MAINTAINING, UH, FUNDING FOR THAT PROGRAM, AS WELL AS MINOR HOME REPAIR.
YOU ALL MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH OUR MINOR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONGSTANDING PROGRAM DELIVERED BY, UH, AA UL AND, UH, STILL MAINTAINING FUNDING.
AND THAT ACTIVITY ALONG WITH ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL, SPECIFICALLY IN OUR OWNERSHIP PROGRAM AT 1,000,005, COULD YOU, COULD YOU CLARIFY THE ABBREVIATION FOR A WELL, OKAY.
AND PLEASE STOP ME WHEN I DO THAT, BECAUSE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT I DON'T MISSTEP THERE AND USE ACRONYMS. I APPRECIATE THAT CHAIR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.
UH, OFTENTIMES THIS IS WHERE WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITY ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA RELATED TO THESE TWO PROGRAMS. YOU WILL KNOW THEM AS SISTERS OR BROTHERS, UH, OWNER SHIP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, WHICH WE CALL ODA AND RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, WHICH WE CALL RHODA.
UM, ONE OBVIOUSLY PROVIDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE, THE OTHER OWNERSHIP, AND WE ARE MAINTAINING FUNDING.
AND THIS PARTICULAR AREA, I WILL SAY THIS FUNDING THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS INFUSED WITH OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND PROGRAM.
SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, THE MAJORITY OF FUNDING NOTED ON THIS SLIDE IS GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, AND THAT IS OUR LOCAL BOND PROGRAM FOR OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM.
UM, BUT THIS, THIS IS AN OFTEN VERY HIGH PROFILE PROGRAM.
SO WE WANTED TO BE SURE YOU KNEW THAT THIS IS OFFERED OFTENTIMES WITH LEVERAGED FUNDING FROM OUR FEDERAL FUNDING SOURCES, WHERE IT MAKES SENSE.
AND, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO OFFER A FEDERAL AND LOCAL, UH, BRAIDING OF THESE DOLLARS, WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER THESE PROGRAM BUDGETS, UM, UH, ESSENTIALLY WHOLE FOR THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 22, NEXT SLIDE.
AND, UH, AS YOU ALL MAY HAVE REMEMBERED WHEN WE APPROVED OUR FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN, WHICH LAYS OUT THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN FOR THESE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM HUD.
WE NOTED THAT IN YEAR TWO OF THE FIVE AND CONTINUING, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT YEAR THREE OF THE FIVE YEARS, WE WOULD BE, UM, WORKING WITH OUR DEPARTMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO ASSIST WITH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES.
AND WE ARE PROPOSING A CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CERTAINLY AT A TIME WHEN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM, IS SO CRUCIAL.
AND WE ARE CONTINUING WITH A PROPOSED $1.8 MILLION WORTH OF FUNDING THERE.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S OUR FINAL ON THE PROGRAMS. SO THAT WAS THE FINAL PROGRAM LAYOUT.
I'LL JUST SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST SIMPLY STATE THAT OUR PROGRAM INCOME LIMITS DEFINES AND REALLY DRIVES OUR, UM, ELIGIBILITY FOR OUR PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE, THESE ARE DETERMINED BY HUD AND WE ARE JUST OFFERING THIS UP.
WE HAVE THIS ON OUR WEBSITE AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR ANY AND ALL WHO WANT TO UNDERSTAND BETTER HOW, UM, ELIGIBILITY WORKS FOR OUR PROGRAMS. AND IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE, YOU WILL SEE IT UNDER SERVICES.
IT'S CALLED THE, UH, MFI CHART OR MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME CHART.
AND IT SHOWS DOWN TO EVEN OUR MORE PROGRAMS, SPECIFIC INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, UH, WHAT THE QUALIFICATIONS ARE AS IT RELATES TO INCOME.
[01:45:01]
UH, REPROGRAMMING OF FUNDS, AS YOU ALL MAY KNOW WHO HAVE, UM, INTERACTED WITH OUR DEPARTMENT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, WE DO TAKE EACH YEAR TO IDENTIFY WHERE WE MAY HAVE FUNDING THAT HAS A NEED TO CARRY FORWARD AND REALLY FILL SOME GAPS WHERE WE HAVE SOME CRUCIAL NEEDS.AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING THE SAME.
WE HAVE ROUGHLY $800,000 WHERE WE CAN MOVE SALARIES TO OTHER FUNDING SOURCES AND UTILIZE OUR DOLLARS TO, TO FUND DIRECT PROGRAM, UM, DELIVERY FOR CLIENTS IN NEED.
AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT MOVING $800,000 TO HOUSING AND, UM, AND PROVIDING ACTUAL SERVICE TO CLIENTS AND BENEFICIARIES IN NEED.
UM, WE'LL DO THE SAME WITH ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
WE'LL BE MOVING THAT TO HOUSING AND, UH, $2 MILLION THAT ARE IN SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE A LITTLE BIT IN HOME REPAIR, AS WELL AS THIS IS ALL CDBG, AS WELL AS SOME OWNERSHIP, WE WILL BE MOVING ALL OF THE $4 MILLION WE'RE PROPOSING FOR RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHERE WE ARE SEEING A VAST, UH, OVERSUBSCRIPTION EACH QUARTER IN OUR APPLICATIONS.
AND WE REALLY WANT TO BE SURE THAT WHERE WE CAN MOVE CDBG TO AREAS THAT WE ANTICIPATE, UH, HAVING SOME NONPROFIT DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, UM, WHO CAN COME IN AND CREATE AND PRESERVE ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE WANT TO BE SURE WE HAVE THESE DOLLARS AVAILABLE IN THAT AREA WITHOUT D STABLE DE-STABILIZING ANY PROGRAM AREA.
AND SO I WANT EACH OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE DO NOT MOVE THESE OR PROPOSE REPROGRAMMING IF ANY CURRENT ACTIVITY WE'LL SEE ANY DESTABILIZATION.
SO WE HAVE DOLLARS IN HOME REPAIR.
WE DO HAVE DOLLARS, UH, THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS IN BOTH HOME REPAIR, AS WELL AS OWNERSHIP.
AND SO WE BELIEVE THE CDBG WILL BE BENEFICIAL IN THE RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AREA.
WE, UM, WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY EACH YEAR WHEN WE VISIT WITH YOU ALL, AS WELL AS INCLUDING IT IN THE ACTION PLAN TO DO SO AND WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL.
AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO KATIE TO CLOSE US OUT.
UM, SO WE ARE, UM, WITHIN OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD RIGHT NOW, WHICH BEGAN ON MAY 6TH, AND WE'LL CONCLUDE THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 11TH, AFTER THE, UM, THURSDAY CITY COUNCIL MEETING WHERE WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, AFTER THAT, WE WILL BE BACK TO THIS COMMISSION ON JULY 13TH TO RECEIVE A FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO AFTER WE'VE RECEIVED, UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT ACTION PLAN, UM, WE'LL TAKE SOME TIME TO, TO REVIEW THE PLAN AND MODERATE IT AS NEEDED, UM, AND THEN RECEIVE ALSO FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM YOU AND THEN GO TO CITY COUNCIL TO RECEIVE ULTIMATE APPROVAL OF THE ACTION PLAN ON JULY 29TH.
UM, AND ONCE WE, ONCE WE HAVE THAT APPROVAL, WE'LL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF SUBMITTING THE PLAN TO HUD, UM, UH, AND ULTIMATELY SUBMIT IT BY AUGUST 13TH.
AND SO WE'RE RECEIVING COMMENTS, PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT ACTION PLAN, UM, VIA PHONE EMAIL VR SPEAK-UP BOSTON WEBSITE.
WE ARE RECEIVING COMMENTS AS WELL VIA, UM, OUR PO BOX AND MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT HAVING THE ADDRESS LISTED HERE.
UM, IT IS AVAILABLE ON OUR, UM, ON OUR CITY OF AUSTIN WEBSITE AND OUR SPEAKER OF AUSTIN WEBPAGE.
UM, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING THIS PRESENTATION.
WE'RE HOPING TO RECEIVE MORE, MORE COMMENTS BY BY FRIDAY, UM, AND LOOK FORWARD TO, TO HEARING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
I CHAIRMAN I WANT TO CLOSE BY SAYING THAT I'VE APPRECIATED THE COMMISSION'S STRONG ENCOURAGEMENT TO, UM, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WAIVERS THAT ARE MADE AVAILABLE BY THE U S HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, PROVIDE US WITH A MORE, UH, SWIFT ACTION AROUND THE ACTION PLAN AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AROUND PROGRAMMING.
THIS COMMISSION HAS REALLY ENCOURAGED AND STRONGLY ADVOCATED FOR UTILIZATION OF THE ENTIRE TIME.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT WE'VE BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE AND ALTHOUGH WE HAD ACCESS TO, UH, THE WAIVER, YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY AND STRONG ENCOURAGEMENT TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE PROCESS,
[01:50:01]
UH, CERTAINLY WAS ADHERED TO, AND, UM, WANT TO THANK KATIE VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF THE THOUGHTFUL WORK THAT SHE'S DONE AS SHE HAS WORKED THROUGH A LOT OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND SCHEDULED US FOR A NUMBER OF PLACES.AND I THINK WE'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK, UM, TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY, HOW IT WORKS BEST FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WHICH IS BOTH IN-PERSON.
AND AS WE'RE CONTINUING TO HEAR IN AN EVOLVING LANDSCAPE, OFTENTIMES TO, UH, INCLUDE METHODOLOGIES AND APPROACHES, LIKE WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY AND WE ARE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, AND THEN I'LL DEFER TO YOU TO RECOGNIZE THE PUBLIC HEARING AS WELL.
AND, UH, I WANT TO FIRST, UH, CALL OUT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CONTEXT THAT WAS IDENTIFIED BY COMMISSIONER DECIBEL EARLIER AROUND THE NEED FOR, UH, AN INCREASED FOCUS ON UNIQUELY, UH, RENTAL HOUSING SINCE, AND I BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS HONORED IN SOME SUBSTANTIAL WAY FORM OR FASHION BY THE REALLOCATION, OR RATHER THE CARRY FORWARD OF THOSE 4 MILLION, UH, THAT WERE DISCUSSED ON THAT SLIDE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT CONTEXT.
UH, AND, UH, UH, CHAIRMAN, JOE, CERTAINLY INVITE YOU TO, TO SHARE ANY THOUGHTS, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE ANY, ANY MORE AROUND THAT.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, I DO HAVE A QUICK, I HAVE A QUESTION AND IT'S REALLY AROUND THE PIE CHART, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, WITH SORT OF THE, THE RESPONSES OF THE COMMUNITY, UH, UH, UM, IN THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, AROUND WHERE WE AS A COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE DOLLARS ALLOCATED, UH, AND EFFORTS ALLOCATED, AND W HOW CLOSELY THAT PIE CHART RESEMBLES CHANGES IN ALLOCATION.
UH, AND IF, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE A VISUALIZATION LIKE THAT THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR US, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE IN, YOU KNOW, LATE DAYS HERE, UH, IN THE PERIOD, AND MAYBE NOT EASY TO COME UP WITH THAT IMMEDIATELY, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL CONTEXT ONGOING, UH, NO NEED TO RESPOND TO THAT, JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE.
AND WITH THAT SAID, BEFORE WE, EVEN BEFORE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE HEARING WOULD LIKE TO, UH, JUST CALL ON COMMISSIONER SLOAN.
AND IF SHE'S HERE AT COMMISSIONER GARRETT, UH, WHO I KNOW HAD, UH, SOME OUTSTANDING, UH, COMMENTARY AND REPORT BACK, UH, EARLIER, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER SLOAN ON, ON, ON THIS ITEM IN PARTICULAR, YOU MAY BE MUTED.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YEAH, I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THAT, HEIDI.
I KNOW IT'S CHALLENGING WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU CALL IT AND I APPRECIATE OUTPATIENT.
I FIGURED THAT I WAS NEEDED ON THE OTHER END AS WELL.
UM, AND KATIE AND REBECCA JUST TREMENDOUSLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL AS ALWAYS WITH THIS PHENOMENAL PRESENTATION.
UM, THE FACT I'M, I'M A LOVING THE HOLD THE LINE NARRATIVE HERE, AS WELL AS THE VLE OR THE, UM, THE MOVEMENT OF THE 4 MILLION AS ILLUSTRATED.
AND THEN THE LAST SLIDE, I JUST THINK IT SPEAKS TO YOUR DEDICATION SO HIGHLY AFTER THE LAST PRESENTATION, UM, ON THE SAME SUBJECT, UM, COMMISSIONER GARRETT, AND I WERE, UM, SORT OF GETTING TO A GRANULAR LEVEL ON, UM, ON PARTICULARLY HOMELESSNESS FUNDING, UM, AND A DRAFT ACTIONS PLAN AND HOW DIFFERENT REVENUE STREAMS WERE COMING TOGETHER, UM, TO, UH, TO FUND DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE WERE SEEING ON THE HORIZON, MY MAIN INTEREST BEING, UM, HOW THE HEAL INITIATIVE WAS FUNDED.
AND I THINK COMMISSIONER GARRETT COMING FROM A PLACE OF JUST WANTING TO UNDERSTAND REVENUE STREAMS AND HOW THEY COORDINATE.
AND SO WE HAD THE GREAT PRIVILEGE OF MEETING WITH, UM, MANDY, THE MYO, JAMIE NAY, AND, UM, WITH DIANA GRAY ONE AFTERNOON, WHO WALKED US THROUGH SO MUCH OF THESE DIFFERENT FUNDING STREAMS. AND I HAVE A LOT OF GREAT NOTES THAT COMMISSIONER GARRETT PUT TOGETHER THAT I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE.
[01:55:01]
UM, BUT WHAT WE WANTED TO BRING BACK TO THIS COMMISSION AS A WHOLE, AS A LITTLE BIT OF THE UNDERSTANDING OF, UM, HOW THESE FUNDING STREAMS WOULD DO MORE THAN HOLD THE LINE IN THE COMING YEARS WITH THESE NEW ACTIONS ON THE HORIZON THAT WE SEE HERE ARE LIMITATIONS FROM FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. AND YET WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL IN OUR COMMUNITY TO, AS LIZ MENTIONED, LEVERAGE THESE DOLLARS TO DO MUCH MORE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.UM, IN PARTICULAR, WE SEE COMING OUR WAY, UH, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN DOLLARS, UH, WHICH WILL DEFINITELY SOME OF THEM WILL GO TO THE HOME GRANT, UH, WHICH, UH, PROVIDES THE TEMPLE TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
UM, AND ALSO CAN BE LEVERAGED FOR THINGS LIKE THE HOTEL CONVERSIONS, UH, WHICH DIRECTLY ADDRESSED HOMELESSNESS HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, AND THEN TO THE INITIATIVE, THE HEAL INITIATIVE ITSELF, UM, PRIMARILY MY AREA OF INTEREST WAS HOW RAPID REHOUSING WAS GOING TO BE FUNDED, UM, WHEN THE HEAL INITIATIVE CALLS FOR, UM, 2.4 MILLION AND ALLOCATION FOR THAT INITIATIVE THIS YEAR.
AND SO WE GOT TOGETHER AND STARTED TO UNDERSTAND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DOLLARS THAT ARE ALREADY ALLOCATED IN FISCAL FISCAL YEAR 2021, GOING TO THAT PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN USED THIS YEAR, BUT ALSO UNDERSTANDING THE SORT OF LONG-TERM GOALS OF THINGS LIKE THE HEAL INITIATIVE TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING, ESPECIALLY UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS HERE IN AUSTIN, THAT, UM, THIS WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE FUNDED YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, HERE WE HAVE REBECCA AND WE HAVE KATIE ADVOCATING FOR THE CONTINUOUS, UH, FUNDING STREAMS COMING FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, ONE THING THAT DIANA GRAY POINTED OUT WAS, AS WE LOOK AT THE SPECTRUM OF HOMELESSNESS, WE KNOW THAT RAPID REHOUSING WORKS FOR SOME INDIVIDUALS, AND THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION FOR WHOM PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS THE ACTUAL LONG-TERM GOAL AS THE ANSWER TO THEIR NEEDS.
AND WE SEE, UM, AGAIN, WHILE WE'RE HOLDING THE LINE, IT'S A BIT OF A STAGNATION AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FUNDING AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO BEGIN A CONVERSATION WITH THE HOMELESS STRATEGY TEAM HERE IN AUSTIN, AROUND HOW THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION CAN SAY, WE HOLD THE LINE ON THESE FEDERAL PROGRAMS. WE LEVERAGE THESE DOLLARS AS BEST AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE THAT, UM, UM, EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS, GRANT PROGRAMS AND, AND THE RAPID REHOUSING THAT THEY FUND THAT THE SHELTER SERVICES STAY INTACT.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO APPROACH THAT LONGTERM GOAL FOR SOME PEOPLE, WHICH IS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, WHICH IS BUILDING NEW HOUSING FOR THE LOWEST INCOME AUSTINITES.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MENTION SOME OF THE FINDINGS THAT CAME UP IN THAT CONVERSATION FOR PURSUIT AT A DIFFERENT TIME, BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET TO THIS GRANULAR LEVEL AND YOU SAY, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? WE ULTIMATELY MOVE OUT OF THE REALM OF THIS PARTICULAR, UH, POINT ON THE AGENDA.
AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH MORE TIME, BUT WE START LOOKING INTO OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COMMISSION TO DO ADVOCACY, UM, WITHIN THE BUDGET, THE CITY OF AUSTIN BUDGET, UH, FOR 2020, UH, FOR THE COMING FOR FALL 2021, GOING INTO FISCAL YEAR 2022, UM, AND RE-INVESTING, AND, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS AND DIRECT INVESTMENT IN NEIGHBORHOOD HUBS, UM, ACTIONS LIKE THOSE RECOMMENDED BY THE RE-IMAGINING PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE IN ALLOCATION OF THE FURTHER AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS THAT ARE GOING TO BE MUNICIPALLY DIRECTED, UM, INTO HOUSING AS WE SEE AS THE HIGHEST NEED.
AND THOSE ARE, UM, BEING DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW AT CITY COUNCIL, HOW THOSE WILL BE ALLOCATED, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS COMING FROM THE AUSTIN HOMELESS SUMMIT THIS SUMMER, UM, LOOKING TOWARDS A GOAL OF HOUSING 3000 INDIVIDUALS OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, AND BEING ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT, PARTICULARLY BY DEDICATING THOSE FUNDS TO HOUSING, TO HOMELESSNESS IN PARTICULAR, THROUGH RAPID REHOUSING AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, BOTH.
AND THEN, UM, AS IT HAS BEEN NOTED THAT ANOTHER MISSING PIECE OF THIS PUZZLE AND HOW WE FELL FOR, LONG-TERM NOT JUST HOLD THE LINE, BUT PUSH BACK AND, AND REALLY MAKE PROGRESS ON THOSE TOP FIVE NEEDS AND GOALS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS LEVERAGING OUR TRANSIT BOND DOLLARS, WHICH I THINK THAT OUR COMMISSION IS ON TOP OF, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE AND HAVE CONVERSATION AROUND.
BUT ULTIMATELY MY TAKEAWAY IS ARE THAT, UM, WE ARE ABLE TO FUND INITIATIVES LIKE THE
[02:00:01]
HEAL INITIATIVE BECAUSE WE'RE HOLDING THE LINE WITH OUR FEDERAL DOLLARS AND THEIR ALLOCATION.AND YET WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A NEXT STEP IN THAT PROCESS.
AND THAT NEXT STEP IS GENERALLY PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
AND WE DON'T SEE AN INCREASE COMING FROM FEDERAL DOLLARS TO DO THAT, UM, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND SO IT IS TIME FOR US TO GET CREATIVE IF WE WANT TO PURSUE THAT.
AND I THINK OUR COMMISSION HAS A, A REALLY UNIQUE ROLE TO PLAY IN ADVANCING THOSE KINDS OF SOLUTIONS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO REPORT BACK.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME AND I CAN SHARE THOSE NOTES OUT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT WAS MORE OF A, A WHIRLWIND OF INFORMATION THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
AND, UH, AND REBECCA, OF COURSE, CHAIRMAN, I APOLOGIZE, YOU BROKE UP TOWARD THE END AND I WASN'T SURE IF YOU HAD SPECIFIED A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
NO, I WAS JUST, UH, I, I THOUGHT THAT, UH, I WAS THANKING COVID FOR SLOAN, AND THEN I ALSO THOUGHT THAT YOU MIGHT'VE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGING, UH, IN SPEECH WHAT SHE WAS, WHAT SHE HAD SAID.
AND SO I FELT LIKE I HAD SPOKEN OVER YOU AND CUT YOU OFF AND WANTED TO GIVE IT BACK TO YOU.
SO, NO, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I, I CAN NOT THINK THE COMMISSIONER ENOUGH FOR THAT SUMMARY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST SPOKE SO BEAUTIFULLY AND SO ELOQUENTLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OTHER THAN, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU NEED TO COME WORK FOR HOUSING AND PLANNING.
SO THANK YOU, HONESTLY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR THE LANE IN, AND WE JUST, YOU, YOU REALLY, UM, SPOKE BEAUTIFULLY ABOUT LEVERAGED OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I JUST WANT TO ADD, AND, AND, UH, CLOSE, CLOSE THIS PARTICULAR, UM, UH, COMMENTARY SO THAT I CAN GIVE IT BACK TO THE CHAIRMAN FOR OTHER QUESTIONS.
I DON'T THINK WE WOULD BE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE COULD, UM, MAKE WHOLE SOME OF THESE ACTIVITIES WITH OUR FORMULA GRANTS.
IF WE WERE NOT SEEING THE COLLABORATION FROM THE COMMUNITY, EXTERNAL AGENCIES, ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDS, WHICH IS HUGE, THE $11 MILLION COMING FROM HOMES SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE AMERICA RESCUE PLAN IS ONE OF MANY RESOURCES THAT ARE ALLOWING US TO THINK, UM, BROAD MORE BROADLY THAN THESE FEDERAL DOLLARS.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS THAT WERE JUST MADE.
WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO REALLY HOLD THE LINE BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE MYRIAD OF OTHER, UM, UH, ELEMENTS HAPPENING PARTNERS, FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND I JUST WANT TO, I WANT TO SAY I CAN'T SPEAK HIGHLY ENOUGH ABOUT OUR NEW HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY, OFFICER DIANA GRAY, WHO IS REALLY LOOKING AT THE STRATEGIC LANDSCAPE OF ALL PARTIES, PARTNERSHIPS, FUNDING, UM, AND THAT IS BRINGING A REALLY WELCOMED DYNAMIC TO SOLUTIONS AS WELL.
[3B. Conduct a Public Hearing to receive comment on Draft Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Action Plan (Katie Horstman, Housing & Planning Department)]
WE TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, OR, OR FURTHER COMMENTARY FROM, FROM THE COMMISSIONERS.UM, REBECCA MIGHT ASK, UH, WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST IN AS MUCH AS TRANSITIONING INTO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM AND HOW WE MIGHT BEST, UH, FRAME UP, UH, UH, SORT OF BI-DIRECTIONAL FEEDBACK IN A WAY THAT IT'S MOST EFFICIENTLY CONSOLIDATED IF AT ALL? SO I'M LOOKING AT THE LANGUAGE HM.
AND, UH, HELPED ME JESSE AND LISA.
MY, MY PERHAPS LATE REACTION IS I'M NOT SEEING POSTING LANGUAGE TO TAKE ACTION, UM, BRIEFING ON THE DRAFT, WHICH WE'VE DONE AND CONDUCTING A PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE COMMENTS.
UM, BUT I'M NOT SEEING WHAT WE USUALLY HAVE ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS A POSSIBLE ACTION.
UM, AND THAT IS OBVIOUSLY, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD ASK OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
AND IF WE ARE NOT POSTED IN ORDER TO RECEIVE IT, WE WILL CERTAINLY HAVE AN ITEM ON THE JULY AGENDA SO THAT WE CAN RECEIVE YOUR ACTION PRIOR TO THIS GOING TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, JULY 29TH.
AND SO, UH, I'M SORRY, I'M SPEAKING OUT LOUD, WHICH IS NOT PRODUCTIVE.
I DON'T SEE THAT WE'RE POSTED FOR ACTION, WHICH IS CERTAINLY NOT PROBLEMATIC.
WE WILL COME BACK WITH A ACTION
[02:05:01]
ON YOUR JULY AGENDA, AND THAT GIVES FOLKS TIME ACTUALLY TO ASK ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, UM, AND WE WILL RECEIVE YOUR ACTION ON THE DRAFT AGENDA IN JULY, PRIOR TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, UM, FINALIZING ACTION ON THE DRAFT.SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THIS WAS THAT AGENDA ITEM B IS REALLY JUST A SEGWAY OF AGENDA ITEM A OR WOULD BE THE TYPICAL SORT OF, UH, COMMENT AND DISCUSSION, UH, IN QUESTIONS AROUND, UH, A AND WE ARE EFFECTIVELY THEN IN AGENDA ITEM B.
AND I CAN JUST SORT OF RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE IN THE AGENDA ITEM E A, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE COMMENTS.
SO, UH, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTARY FROM ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, AROUND, UH, THE DRAFT FISCAL YEAR OF 20 2122 ACTION PLAN, UM, WOULD BE WELL-PLACED RIGHT NOW.
UM, IT WAS, I GUESS, A QUESTION FOR STAFF OR THEY PROBABLY ALL ARE, UM, ON THE HOME REPAIR PRO HOME OWNER, HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE, REPAIR PRO PROGRAMS. THERE HAS BEEN IN PAST YEARS, A TOPIC WE CALLED GO REPAIRS.
IT WAS HOMEOWNER REPAIRS FUNDED OUT OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS IS, IS THE EQUIVALENT OF THAT IN THE TOTAL THAT WE'RE SEEING FOR HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE.
I'M MOVING BACK TO THAT SLIDE.
SO YOU ARE REFERRING COMMISSIONER, I BELIEVE, OR VICE CHAIR ON SLIDE 15 UNDER HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE.
AND WE HAVE DESIGNATED THE THREE ACTIVITIES FUNDED WITH FEDERAL FUNDS.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND IT COMES UP TO ABOUT 3.4 MILLION.
IS THAT THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS THAT HAS WITH OUR FEDERAL FUNDS? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
WE ALSO, IN ADDITION, DO TO YOUR POINT HAVE GO REPAIR, WE HAVE THE GO REPAIR FUNDED, AS YOU NOTED WITH A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND FUNDS THAT IS NOT, UH, LISTED HERE ON THE SLIDE, BUT WE ARE FUNDING THAT AT LEVEL FUNDING AS WELL WITH OUR GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND FUNDS.
AND MY NEXT QUESTION IS I SEE DOLLAR AMOUNTS FOR DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, BUT I DON'T SEE NUMBER OF UNITS PRODUCED OR A NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS ASSISTED.
KATIE, UH, KEEP ME HONEST HERE.
IT SHOULD BE LAID OUT IN TERMS OF PROPOSED FUNDING, AS WELL AS PROPOSED ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THE ACTUAL ACTION PLAN.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S HERE AND I'M MISSING IT OR IT'S NOT HERE YET? IT IS NOT ON THE SLIDE.
IT'S NOT ON A SLIDE DECK, BUT IT IS ON THE DRAFT ACTION PLAN, WHICH IS ONLINE.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO CIRCULATE THIS ACTUAL PRESENTATION WITH THAT COLUMN DROPPED IN FOR CONVENIENCE, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
SO YOU WOULD SEE VERY LITTLE VARIATION OR THERE WOULD BE VERY LITTLE VARIANCE.
AND WHAT DID THE CURRENT PROPOSED ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE, BUT TO YOUR POINT, IT'S NOT CONVENIENT FOR YOU TO ANALYZE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ACTUALLY POST A REVISED PRESENTATION JUST WITH THAT NOTED, DROPPED IN COLUMN, UM, OR CIRCULATED ON EMAIL, WHATEVER, UH, JESSE WOULD RECOMMEND WE DO.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS I, DID I HEAR SOMETHING ABOUT COUNCIL BEING IN THE PROCESS OF DECIDING HOW WE SPEND THE ADDITIONAL, BUT WONDERFUL ADDITIONAL HOUSING FUNDS THAT ARE COMING FROM WASHINGTON OR THE KIND OF REALLY THERE'S MORE IS THE, ARE THOSE FUNDS GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION FOR RECOMMENDATION? IN ADDITION TO COUNCIL, THAT IS ACTUALLY A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION.
WE HAVE, UM, CERTAINLY BEEN, UH, PARTICIPATING AS REQUESTED AND, UH, BEING VERY WATCHFUL OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AS THEY ARE REVIEWING AND ANALYZING THE AMERICA RESCUE PLAN FUNDS AND, UM, MAKING THEIR ACTION, UM, ON, ON THE RECOMMENDATION STAFF IS BEING BROUGHT IS THE, IS BRINGING FORWARD.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO ALIGN WITH THE ACTUAL ACTION THAT COUNCIL IS TAKING.
[02:10:01]
WANT TO MISSTEP AND MISSPEAK ON TIMING, BUT WE ARE HAPPY TO, UH, PROVIDE AN ITEM ON YOUR AGENDA FOR JULY AND BRING YOU INFORMATION RELATED TO THAT.UM, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE TIMING AROUND COUNCIL'S ACTION.
I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN COMMENTS, UM, BY THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE RECOMMENDATION STAFF HAS BRINGING FORWARD IN ALIGNMENT WITH THEIR BUDGET DISCUSSION.
SO I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE WOULD BE TIME FOR THAT IF WE POST AN ITEM ON YOUR NEXT MONTH.
UH, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET OVER MY SKIS AND START MAKING A BUNCH OF PROMISES ON TIMELINES, BUT WE'RE ABSOLUTELY HAPPY TO SCHEDULE A PRESENTATION WITH THE APPROPRIATE STAFF NEXT MONTH.
WELL, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
IT TAKES TWO OF US TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA, SO I WILL LEAVE THE OTHER HALF TO BE OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
I WOULD CERTAINLY BACK IN BACK SUPER, UH, I THINK ANYTHING, UH, OF IT YOU'D BE ABLE TO DO, UH, REBECCA, WHETHER IT'S GETTING THIS, UH, INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S NOT PICKED UP ENOUGH FOR AN AGENDA ITEM FOR AT LEAST, UH, US TO REVIEW, I KNOW COMMISSIONER SLOAN, UH, AND, UH, AND THE VICE CHAIR, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMISSIONERS WILL BE KEEN TO SET, UH, TO MAKE SURE WE SET AN AGENDA ITEM ON OUR OWN.
IF WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO BREAK, ANALYZE AN AGENDA ITEM, OR WE'D LOVE TO TAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION ON, ON SETTING AN AGENDA ITEM, IF YOU FEEL LIKE THERE'S ENOUGH, THERE, THERE, UH, SO THANKS SURE.
UM, I'LL DEFINITELY TAKE THAT INFORMATION TO THE APPROPRIATE INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN SCHEDULING.
UM, IF WE CANNOT SCHEDULE SOMETHING WITH THE APPROPRIATE SPEAKERS, I KNOW WE CAN GET YOU SOME HELPFUL INFORMATION, SO LET ME DO SOME DUE DILIGENCE AND I'LL BE IN TOUCH.
ANY OTHER, UH, COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS DURING THIS HEARING? THIS IS COMMISSIONER MIHIR AND YEAH, I THINK IT'S JUST, I THINK I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT IT SEEMS VERY REASONABLE, THE SORT OF FOCUS AND THE IDEA OF HOLDING THE FORT AND FREEING UP DOLLARS FOR, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHLY VULNERABLE RENTAL, LOW INCOME RENTAL SORT OF NEEDS THAT ARE PRESENT.
I, UM, I THINK, I GUESS I WANT TO SAY LIKE, I'VE, I'VE, I THINK I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR, UH, ALMOST THREE YEARS NOW, AND TONIGHT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST CLARIFYING NIGHTS WHERE I THINK THIS, UH, THE EQUIVALENT OF TONIGHT IS, WAS MY FIRST MEETING, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE CDC.
AND I THINK I WANT TO THINK COMMISSIONER SLOAN FOR HER CREATIVITY AND HER, UM, UH, AND, AND COMMISSIONER GARRETT, I THINK IT WAS FOR GOING THE EXTRA MILE AND ASKING THE QUESTIONS THAT I THINK ARE ONLY BECOMING MORE CLEAR AFTER THREE YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK I COMMEND THE CITY STAFF OF WORKING WITH RESTRICTIVE, UH, FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS WITH, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, HAVING TO MAKE PRIORITIES, OR, YOU KNOW, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, YOU COULD CALL IT COMPETITION, OR YOU COULD CALL IT, UH, BROKERING NEITHER THAN THE NEEDS OF THESE BIG FEDERAL DOLLARS COMING IN ACROSS THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
AND TONIGHT IS THE FIRST TIME WHERE I'M EXCITED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THAT THE NONPROFIT SECTOR, THE NON-PROFIT SECTOR WE'D CALL IT LIKE, YOU KNOW, RESTRICTED FUNDING FOR A VERY SPECIFIC PURPOSE PURPOSE FROM A FUNDER THAT HAS VERY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS VERSUS WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW IS A LOT MORE GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT, RIGHT? SO I'M VERY INTRIGUED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT IS THE SORT OF EQUIVALENT IN OUR WORLD OF THE MORE GENERAL, GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT DOLLARS AND RESOURCES THAT THE COMMISSION CAN ADVISE ON AND INSTILL DOING OUR CIVIC DUTY AND THESE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, WITH THESE MORE RESTRICTIVE DOLLARS AND MAKING SURE WE'RE BEING AS CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE AND, AND GETTING THINGS DONE SO THAT WE DON'T MISS BIG FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, RIGHT.
GETTING THESE APPROVALS DONE ON TIME.
BUT I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY, UM, MY GRATITUDE AND, AND MY EXCITEMENT THAT MAYBE PART OF THE CRISIS IS THAT WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE MORE CREATIVE AND A LITTLE CLEARER ON, UM, SORT OF ORGANIZING OUR ACTIONS AND PRIORITIES A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SO I GUESS I'M NOT SAYING MUCH, BUT THANKS.
I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE SAYING A TON COMMISSIONER MAHIA, UH, I ALSO UNDERSCORE YOUR GRATITUDE TO COMMISSIONERS, UH, SLOAN, UH, AND GARRET AND, UH, TO OUR STAFF, UH, AND COUNCIL AND ALL OF THEIR TEAMS AS WELL, WHO I BELIEVE OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, I'VE SEEN BE EXTREMELY NIMBLE IN LEVERAGING, UH, FEDERAL DOLLARS IN A WAY THAT HONORS THE RESTRICTIONS OR LACK THEREOF ASSOCIATED WITH THEM, UH,
[02:15:01]
AND CREATING THIS PLACEMENT WHENEVER POSSIBLE, UH, WHILE ENSURING THAT THOSE DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT IN WAYS THAT HONOR THEIR SORT OF BUCKETS OR DEMARCATIONS.AND I REALLY APPRECIATE HEARING, YOU HONOR, THE CONTINUED CREATIVITY THERE.
I LOVED THAT PROVISIONER SLOW AND, UH, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ALL HAVE OUR HEADS UP WHEN IT COMES TO ARPA AND WE, AND THAT YOU'VE DOUBLED DOWN ON, ON US AS A COMMISSION.
UH, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE CATCH THINGS EARLY, WHEREVER WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY, LET'S USE IT, LET'S LEVERAGE, AND WE DON'T WANT TO BE CAUGHT LATER, UH, SAYING, WELL, YOU KNOW, THESE DOLLARS WERE EXPANDED AS WELL AS WE WANT THEM TO, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY'RE TIED TO THIS AREA.
UM, AND SO, SO, NO, I DON'T, I FEEL LIKE YOU, I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU JUST SHARED, UH, AS WELL AS OF COURSE, UH, COMMISSIONER SLOAN FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS, UM, IN, UM, IN, IN REPORTING BACK, THANKS TO EVERYONE, ANY OTHER, UH, THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? UH, GOVERNMENT THOUGH YOU'D MENTIONED, UH, ABOUT, UH, RENTAL, UH, PARTICULARLY FOCUS ON RENTAL ASSISTANCE, AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE, UH, OTHER AREAS OF INVESTMENT.
I KNOW THAT, UH, REBECCA IN HER PRESENTATION HAD, UM, TOUCHED ON THAT, UM, BECAUSE THAT SATISFACTORY ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO SEE OR HEAR.
YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS, WHAT I WAS GETTING AT.
AND SO IT WAS GOOD TO SEE THAT THAT'S THAT'S BEING DONE.
UH, IN THE ABSENCE OF, UH, ANYTHING ADDITIONAL THEN, UH, WOULD LOVE TO MOVE, UH, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UH, KATIE AND REBECCA, UM, FOR BEING HERE
[3C. Briefing from the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) regarding redevelopment at Pathways at Rosewood Courts (Sylvia Blanco, Tiffany Middleton, and Ruby Roa, HACA)]
AND LIKE TO MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE C UM, THE BRIEFING FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN REGARDING REDEVELOPMENT AT PATHWAYS AT ROSEWOOD COURTS, I DO WANT TO CALL OUT, UH, HERE THAT BOTH ON THIS ITEM AND THE NEXT COUPLE OF AGENDA ITEMS. WE HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE NOT STAFFS, WHO ARE NOT CITY STAFF AND WHO ARE NOT COMMISSIONERS.UM, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, IT GETS TIRESOME IN THESE HOURS AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST, UM, TO, TO HONOR YOUR TIME, UH, AND, AND GET YOU BACK HOPEFULLY TO YOUR FAMILIES, UH, AS REASONABLY QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
I, I BELIEVE, UH, I WOULD BE TURNING IT OVER TO SYLVIA.
UM, UH, IS, IS THAT RIGHT? YES.
UH, THIS IS SYLVIA BLANCA WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND, UM, TURN ON MY CAMERA NOW.
ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
UH, WE DO HAVE A BRIEF SLIDE DECK, UH, PRESENTATION THAT WE'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE.
AND, UM, ACTUALLY I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN ALSO SHARE A VERY BRIEF VIDEO WITH YOU.
UM, BUT VERY QUICKLY, I JUST WANTED TO DO SOME QUICK INTRODUCTIONS OR MY TEAM THAT WE'LL BE PRESENTING, UH, FOR YOU HERE THIS EVENING.
AGAIN, MY NAME IS SYLVIA BLANCO.
I'M THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, JOINING ME THIS EVENING ON THIS PRESENTATION IS TIFFANY MIDDLETON, WHO IS OUR RESIDENT PROTECTION TEAM MANAGER, AS WELL AS MS. LOOBY ROWA, WHO IS OUR RESIDENT PROTECTION, UH, CONSULTANT, AND, UH, KIND OF KEEPS US IN LINE.
SO, UM, I WANTED TO, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE EVERYONE A, UH, AN UPDATE ON OUR ROSEWOOD COURTS, REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS.
UM, WE DO HAVE A BRIEF VIDEO AND I'M HOPING THAT, UM, JESSE CAN CUE THAT UP NEXT, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'S ON THE NEXT STEP SLIDE.
THERE'S CONCRETE IN MY GARDEN WITHIN HERE, MY GRASS ROOTS GROW.
I'VE SEEN LIFE GROW AROUND IT.
SO YOU WILL KNOW THIS CONCRETE IS CALLED ROSEWOOD AND IT KILLS THE GRASS UNDERNEATH IT SWEATY TO SEE THE ACTUAL I CAN'T BREATHE.
WE CAN HEAR THE AUDIO, THE CONCRETE MEMORIES OF 1939.
LET US MAKE THIS CONCRETE ONE GOOD TIME.
IF WE WERE TO JUST MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND PLAY, UM, WILL THE AUDIO SHARE, UH, THE AUDIO OUTPUT? IT'S ALL OF US CAN, UH, SEE HOLLY DAVEY, LET US KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE THE CASE
[02:20:06]
I'M GOING TO DEFER TO OUR, UM, YEAH, THE IT TEAM.UM, I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW YOUR NAME.
UH, ARE YOU ALL HEARING, UH, THE, THE NEXT SLIDE HAS A VIDEO ON IT.
IF WE WERE TO PLAY IT, UH, IS THE WEBEX SET UP TO, UH, SHARE THE COMPUTER SOUND OF THAT MACHINE OUT TO ALL OF US? YOU MAY BE MUTED IF YOU'RE SPEAKING BACK WITH US PV.
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY YOU COULDN'T SEE THE VIDEO.
ARE YOU RUNNING THE SLIDE SHOW, JESSE? NO, THERE'S A TECH HERE.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN PLAY DIRECTLY FROM THE POWERPOINT.
IT LOOKS LIKE WELL, COMMISSIONERS, IT WOULD BE MY PLEASURE TO SEND EVERYONE A LINK TO THE, UH, TO THE VIDEO AFTERWARDS.
I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF EVERYONE'S BUSY SCHEDULES.
I DON'T THINK I WOULD DEFINITELY, UM, INVITE EVERYONE TO, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE, THE VIDEO AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S A VERY QUICK ABOUT TWO TO THREE MINUTE VIDEO, BUT IT'S, IT'S VERY POWERFUL AND AGAIN, IT, IT CAPTURES OUR RESIDENTS' VOICES, UH, BEAUTIFULLY.
AND, UM, AGAIN, WE WOULD ASK THAT EACH OF YOU JUST TAKE A FEW MINUTES OF YOUR TIME, UH, MAYBE, UH, TOMORROW AND, AND, UM, AND ENJOY THE VIDEO.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, WHY DON'T WE JUST GO AHEAD AND, UM, PROCEED WITH OUR, WITH OUR PRESENTATION? UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS, UM, AGAIN AN UPDATE FOR OUR ROSEWOOD COURT'S REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS.
UM, AS I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE MEETING, THIS HAS BEEN MANY YEARS IN THE MAKING.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY WITH, UH, THE ROSEWOOD COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS THE BROADER COMMUNITY AND JUST ENVISIONING A, UH, NEW, UM, COMMUNITY AND IT REINVIGORATED COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, REALLY MANY OF THE REASONS ARE, ARE ON THIS SLIDE DECK.
UH, IT'S A PROPERTY THAT HAS BEEN, UM, ESTABLISHED MORE THAN 80 YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS, UM, CONSTRUCTED OF CINDER BLOCKS.
IT'S A VERY SOLID IT'S, IT'S SOLID BRICK.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S MORE OF A BARRACKS STYLE TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION THAT, UH, DOES NOT HAVE A LOT OF THE, UH, BASIC MODERN AMENITIES THAT, THAT MOST OF US, UH, ENJOY.
AND A LOT OF US MAYBE JUST KIND OF TAKE FOR GRANTED AS, AS JUST A GIVEN, UH, ONE OF WHICH IS CENTRAL AIR, AS WE GET CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE, UH, THE SUMMER MONTHS AND THE, UH, THERMOMETERS START TO, TO RISE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE NINETIES, UH, YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW, HOW UNCOMFORTABLE AND, AND SOMETIMES JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M BEARABLE.
IT COULD BE, UH, IN A SETTING WITH, WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING CENTRAL AIR.
NOW I WILL, UH, CLARIFY THAT WE DO PROVIDE A WINDOW UNIT FOR ANY FAMILY THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD, UM, A WINDOW AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, BUT WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT WINDOW UNITS ARE NOT THE MOST EFFICIENT, NOT THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE TO, UH, TO OPERATE.
UH, SO WE CAN, WE CAN DO MUCH, MUCH BETTER.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS 1939 STOCKS, SO, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VERY OUTDATED HEATING AND PLUMBING AND BUILDING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL THAT REALLY HAVE OUTLIVED THEIR, THEIR LIFE CYCLE AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND SO WE TRULY DO BELIEVE, UM, COLLECTIVELY THAT IT IS TIME TO REDEVELOP, UH, ROSEWOOD COURTS.
SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO WE SERVE.
UM, AGAIN, WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN 1937 AND HERE IN PARTICULAR AT ROSEWOOD COURTS, WE SERVE REALLY THE POPULATION THAT, UM, WAS, WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER IN THE CSBG NEEDS ASSESSMENT BRIEFING.
UH, WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, SENIORS,
[02:25:01]
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, REALLY, UH, THE MOST VULNERABLE AMONG US, UM, IN THE AUSTIN AREA.AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DO PROVIDE THAT CRITICAL SAFETY NET THAT, UM, PROVIDES DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN, IN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE ALSO SERVE AS THAT IMPORTANT CONNECTOR TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT SERVICES THAT ARE REALLY DESPERATELY NEEDED BY THE FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE.
AND, UM, AGAIN, IT'S REALLY THE BASIC NEEDS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, TWO CHAIRMAN, UM, WITH ONE WITH TONY'S POINT EARLIER.
AND, AND SO HERE, JUST KIND OF A MICROCOSM OF THE, THE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THAT WE SERVE AT ROSEWOOD.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE A 124 UNITS AT ROSEWOOD.
UM, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT BREAKDOWN, 105 OF THOSE ARE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE 95 KIDDOS THAT GO TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, SUCH AS, UM, UH, BLACKSHEAR ELEMENTARY AND KEELING.
AND VERY SOON THE, UH, THE BRAND NEW EAST SIDE MEMORIAL THAT'S, THAT'S A RIGHT OFF OF THOMPSON AND WE HAVE SENIORS AND MANY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT WITH THIS REDEVELOPMENT EFFORT, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE BUILDING MORE UNITS THAN WE HAVE TODAY.
UH, 60 MORE TO BE EXACT OVER HALF OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE FAMILY UNITS, MEANING TWO BEDROOMS AT ABOVE TWOS, THREES, AND FOURS.
AND THAT WILL DEFINITELY HELP TO BOOST ENROLLMENT, UH, BY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, WHICH WILL REALLY HELP TO BOLSTER THE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS.
WE HAVE WONDERFUL NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS THAT, THAT I'VE MENTIONED, UH, ONE OF WHICH IS, UM, A BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL AND ANOTHER ONE IS A MAGNET SCHOOL AT HEALING.
UM, AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ACCESSIBLE UNITS THAT WE HAVE AT ROSEWOOD.
AS I'VE MENTIONED, WE DO SERVE, UH, QUITE A FEW PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND WE HAVE, UH, MADE THE, UH, MADE THE COMMITMENT TO ACTUALLY DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF ACCESSIBLE UNITS, UH, DOUBLE WHAT'S WHAT'S ACTUALLY REQUIRED BY, BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
SO I WANTED TO ORIENT YOU, UH, IN TERMS OF THE SITE PLAN TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE, UM, THE PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS AND THE PLANNED REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS.
SO YOU'LL SEE ON THIS SITE PLAN AT THE TOP TO ORIENT YOU, THAT IS ROSEWOOD AVENUE ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE IS TO CONN STREET AND TO THE RIGHT IS POQUITO STREET.
UM, SO YOU WILL SEE THAT THE, UH, THE BLUE BLOCKS ACTUALLY REPRESENT THE, THE UNITS THAT ARE GOING TO BE CREATED.
UM, SO I'LL START SORT OF AT THE TOP OF THE SITE PLAN CLOSEST TO ROSEWOOD AVENUE, UH, THAT WILL BE A FOUR STORY BUILDING THAT WILL HOLD, UM, BRAND NEW APARTMENTS.
AND THEN ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE IN THE ORANGE, THOSE GOING TO BE AMENITY SPACES.
SO, UM, A LOT OF THE TYPES OF AMENITIES SPACES THAT, THAT YOU FIND IN TODAY'S APARTMENT COMMUNITIES, SUCH AS A MANAGEMENT OFFICE AND A FITNESS CENTER, A CLASSROOM SPACE, A COMPUTER LAB, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, THINGS THAT DON'T EXIST TODAY AT ROSEWOOD COURTS.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT JUST THE, UM, GREAT AMENITIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UM, AT THE FINGERTIPS AND AT THE ACCESS OF, OF OUR ROSEWOOD FAMILIES.
YOU'LL SEE ALSO A DARKER ORANGE BUILDING THAT IS, UM, RIGHT THERE AT THE CORNER OF ROSEWOOD EDUCON STREET.
AND THAT IS TO DESIGNATE, UM, THE VISITOR CENTER, A FUTURE VISITOR CENTER THAT WE ARE PLANNING WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS WITH OUR RESIDENTS THAT WILL HELP TO TELL THE STORY ABOUT THE, THE HISTORY OF ROSEWOOD COURTS AND THE LEGACY OF EMANCIPATION PARK.
UH, SO WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS THAT TIFFANY IS GOING TO TOUCH ON LATER.
UH, BUT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PHYSICAL SPACE THAT IS REALLY GOING TO HELP US TELL THAT STORY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT.
UM, SO THAT WILL ALSO BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, ALONG TO CONN STREET AND ROSEWOOD, THIS GREEN SPACE THAT IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT, UH, AROUND AN ACRE IN SIZE.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A COMMEMORATIVE GREEN SPACE TO ALSO
[02:30:01]
HONOR THE LEGACY OF EMANCIPATION PARK, THE ORIGINAL EMANCIPATION PARK THAT WAS ONCE, UM, THE LAND THAT, THAT ROSEWOOD COURTS WAS BUILT UPON.UH, IF YOU GO FURTHER DOWN ALONG THE, AT THE MIDDLE OF THE, THE SITE PLAN, YOU SEE SOME MORE BLUE TO, UH, MORE BUILDINGS, AND THAT WILL ALSO HOUSE A BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION MULTI-FAMILY UNITS, AGAIN, RUNNING IN A SIZE FROM ONE BEDROOMS TO FOUR BEDROOMS AND ALL OF THAT RIGHT THERE, THE, UH, UH, BUILDING A BUILDING B AND BUILDING C, IF YOU SEE THAT, THAT WILL TOTAL UP TO A 164 UNITS, UH, BUILDING A IS 90 BUILDING B IS 39 AND BUILDING C IS 35.
UM, SO FOR A TOTAL OF 164 UNITS, AND THEN TO THE LEFT OF THAT, YOU SEE DELINEATED, UM, EIGHT BLOCKS.
AND THAT REPRESENTS, UH, OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THESE ARE EXISTING BUILDINGS THAT ARE GOING TO GO THROUGH A COMPLETE RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION EFFORT.
UM, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
THIS WAS DONE AGAIN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND IT WAS, UM, UNANIMOUSLY UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED BY CITY COUNCIL AND THE, THE VARIOUS COMMISSIONS.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE LITERALLY GOING TO RESTORE THE EXTERIOR'S TO 1939 ERA CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SO IF, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE ROSE WOOD COURTS BUILDINGS RIGHT NOW, THEY HAVE PITCHED ROOFS.
WELL, BACK IN 1939, WHEN THEY WERE FIRST BUILT, THEY WERE ACTUALLY FLAT ROOFS.
UM, SO THESE WERE, UM, PITCHED ROOFS CAME DECADES LATER.
SO AS PART OF THE RESTORATION, IT'S GOING TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL, UH, FLAT ROOF DESIGN.
THE OTHER THING WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IS, UH, REMOVING THE LAYERS OF PAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED OVER THE YEARS TO THE ORIGINAL BRICK COLOR.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE, UM, PUTTING CASEMENT STYLE WINDOWS THAT, AGAIN, HARKEN BACK TO THE, UH, THE 1939 ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION, BUT FROM THE INSIDE, THAT'S GOING TO BE FULLY RENOVATED, MODERNIZED.
AND, UH, THE LIVING SPACES ARE GOING TO BE, UH, AMPLIFIED AND, UM, AND BASICALLY MADE LARGER SO THAT IT WILL MIRROR WHAT IS GOING TO BE FOUND IN THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, UH, BUILDINGS.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY IN, IN THOSE BUILDINGS ABOUT, UM, ESSENTIALLY BRINGING ALL OF THE, UH, THE, THE SYSTEMS UP TO CODE UP TO CURRENT CODE AND MAKING THEM MUCH MORE LIVABLE SPACES FOR, FOR FAMILIES.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED, EXCITED ABOUT THAT, AND WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UM, URBAN FOUNDRY, AS WELL AS, UH, DONNA CARTER WITH CARTER AND ASSOCIATES IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL PROJECT AND THE MULTI-FAMILY.
WE ARE PARTNERING WITH, UH, CARLTON COMPANIES AS WELL AS NELSON PARTNERS.
UM, SO THAT IN TERMS OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, THOSE EIGHT BUILDINGS THAT WILL CREATE 20 UNITS.
AND SO THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 164 NEW CONSTRUCTION UNITS TO BE BUILT, WE WILL HAVE A GRAND TOTAL OF 184, UH, UNITS AS A WHOLE FOR, FOR ROSEWOOD COURTS.
A 60 UNIT INCREASE FROM THE 124 THAT EXISTS TODAY.
BUT AGAIN, ALL BRAND NEW, ALL MODERNIZED, ALL ENERGY EFFICIENT VISITABLE, AND MUCH, MUCH, UH, GREATER IMPROVED ACCESSIBILITY FOR FAMILIES WITH, WITH DISABILITIES ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WHICH YOU WILL ALSO SEE IS, UM, YOU SEE ALONG POQUITO STREET, JUST SORT OF THIS, THIS WHITE RECTANGLE GOING UP AND DOWN.
AND THAT REPRESENTS ANOTHER VERY EXCITING ELEMENT THAT IS GOING TO BE VERY UNIQUE TO, TO ROSEWOOD.
AND THAT IS AN AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP COMPONENT.
UM, SO WE ARE THRILLED TO BE PARTNERING WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IN CREATING 10 TO 12, UM, HOME-OWNERSHIP UNITS THAT STILL INFLUX, AND WE HOPE THAT IT WILL BE THE HIGHER OF THE NUMBER, UH, BUT NONETHELESS, WE'RE GOING TO BE INTRODUCING
[02:35:01]
A, AN AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR A HAKA FAMILIES WHO ARE READY FOR THAT NEXT STEP OF HOMEOWNERSHIP.AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE OPENING THAT UP AS AN OPPORTUNITY, NOT ONLY FOR OUR CURRENT ROSEWOOD FAMILIES, BUT TO THE REST OF OUR PORTFOLIO, UH, WITHIN, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PORTFOLIO AND ALSO TO OUR HAKA SECTION EIGHT FAMILIES UNDER THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM.
AND SO WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT EMBARKING ON, ON THAT ASPECT.
AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO BE UNIQUE.
UH, NONE OF OUR OTHER PROPERTIES HAVE THAT, THAT ELEMENT OF A HOME OWNERSHIP COMPONENT.
AND WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL SERVE AS YOU KNOW, MAYBE A, A NATIONAL MODEL FOR, FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES TO, TO LOOK TO.
UM, SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A SNAPSHOT TO ORIENT YOU IN TERMS OF WHAT'S GOING WHERE, UM, AGAIN, WE ARE WORKING TO, UM, HELP ENVISION WHAT THE GREEN SPACE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
AND AGAIN, TIFFANY WILL, AND RUBY WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN, UM, IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.
UH, BUT WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND, UM, SHOW YOU A FEW OF THOSE RENDERINGS TO START VISUALIZING WHAT, WHAT THESE BRAND NEW, UM, APARTMENT BUILDINGS ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
AND ALSO THE, A FEW DRAWINGS OF OUR, UM, OUR PRESERVED BUILDINGS AS WELL.
SO HERE ARE YOU SAYING, I SEE A VIEWPOINT FROM RECREATION DRIVE, WHICH IS RIGHT OFF OF CHICKEN STREET, LOOKING INWARD TOWARDS ONE OF THOSE NEW CONSTRUCTION BUILDINGS, BUILDING B.
UH, BUT YOU ALSO SEE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, ONE OF THE PRESERVED BUILDINGS FROM THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UH, SO AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S GOT THE FLAT ROOFS IT'S GOT, YOU CAN SEE THE BRICK COLOR AND THE CASEMENT STYLE WINDOWS.
AND AGAIN, REALLY HELPS TO CAPTURE, UM, THAT 1939 ERA OF CONSTRUCTION, UH, ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, YOU SEE THE, THE NEW BUILDING, WHICH REALLY HELPS TO TIE IN THAT ORIGINAL BRICK COLOR ALONG THE, THE FIRST, THE FIRST LEVEL OF, OF THE BUILDING.
AND IT REALLY COMPLIMENTS THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION.
CAUSE THE LAST THING WE WANTED WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST NOT GOING TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN A SEAMLESS SORT OF, UH, COMPLIMENTING OF, OF THE ORIGINAL, ORIGINAL BUILDINGS THERE.
WHAT YOU ALSO SEE IS A LOT OF GREAT WALKWAYS.
UH, WE REALLY WANT THIS PROPERTY, THIS COMMUNITY TO, UM, BE MORE INTEGRATED AND YOU SEE A LOT OF GREAT WALKING PATHS.
YOU SEE THE, UH, THE LANDSCAPE AND, AND SOME WONDERFUL HERITAGE TREES THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE, UH, PRESERVING AS PART OF THE REDEVELOPMENT EFFORT AND JUST A LOT OF LUSH LANDSCAPING THAT REALLY HELPS TO DRAW FOLKS OUT AND, AND JUST HELP TO, UM, IMPROVE THAT AND, AND, AND ELEVATE THE, UH, THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY, UH, WITHIN THE PROPERTY.
AND HERE, THERE'S ANOTHER VIEWPOINT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER UP ON THE, UH, THE SITE CLOSER TO, UH, TO THE, UH, CUL-DE-SAC UP ON, ON CORNELL.
AND THIS IS LOOKING AT BOTH BUILDING B AND BUILDING C, BUT AGAIN, YOU ALSO SEE A LITTLE PEAK OF ONE OF THE ORIGINAL BUILDINGS ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE.
ALSO, YOU SEE SOME GREAT, UH, PLAYGROUND SPACES FOR THE KIDDOS.
UM, AGAIN, A LOT OF GREAT SEATING AREAS TO HELP WITH, UM, FOLKS TO, TO JUST ENJOY THE GREAT OUTDOORS, GREAT HERITAGE TREES, LOTS OF SHADE ON, ON THE SITE, AND AGAIN, JUST REALLY HELPING TO ELEVATE THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY FOR, FOR OUR FAMILY.
ONE OF THE PRESERVATION BUILDINGS INSIDE THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, SO YOU SEE, AGAIN, THE, UH, THE FLAT ROOFS, THE CASEMENT STYLE WINDOWS, YOU SEE THE ORIGINAL BRICK COLOR, AND, UH, THERE'S AN INTERESTING SORT OF, UH, ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENT THERE AT THE, UH, AT THE DOORWAY.
YOU SEE IT SORT OF A, A CRISSCROSS DESIGN, AND THAT WAS ALSO ORIGINAL TO THE, UH, TO THE BUILDING DESIGN BACK IN 1939.
SO WE ARE, AGAIN, SORT OF RE-INTRODUCING THAT AS PART OF THIS,
[02:40:01]
THIS, UH, PRESERVATION EFFORT, AGAIN, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE WALKABLE VISITABLE, AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PRESERVING ALL OF THE WONDERFUL GREEN SPACES WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL TREES, THE TERRORIST THING, AND, UH, THE OTHER GREEN SPACES ARE GOING TO BE VERY CRITICAL AND KEY ELEMENTS TO, TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT RESTORATION.AGAIN, ANOTHER RENDERING HERE.
THIS IS, UH, AN ANOTHER BUILDING BUILDING E UH, SAME THING.
AND OF COURSE, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE MAKING, UM, AS MANY OF THESE UNITS ACCESSIBLE AND VISIBLE TO TOO MANY FOLKS IN DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE.
UM, SO AGAIN, VERY VISITABLE, UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, SOME THE, UH, THE PRESERVATION OF THE GREEN SPACES AND THE, THE HERITAGE HERITAGE TREES.
AND NOW I'M GOING TO, UH, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO TURN IT OVER TO TIFFANY MIDDLETON, WHO IS GOING TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON HOW WE ARE, UM, ENGAGING OUR RESIDENTS, KEEPING THEM FRONT AND CENTER THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, TIFFANY, TAKE IT AWAY AND THANK YOU, SYLVIA.
I JUST WANT TO DO A QUICK TIME CHECK.
IT'S EIGHT 30 AND WE HAVE THIS FORUM UNTIL NINE 30, AND WE DO HAVE A FEW MORE AGENDA ITEMS. SO OF COURSE EVERY ELEMENT HERE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UM, BUT ANYTHING THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO TO SORT OF ACCOMMODATE OUR TIME LIMITATIONS WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND, UH, WELL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UM, I WORK ALONGSIDE RUBY ROWA, WHO IS A LONG TIME OR LONG TIME, UH, HOUSING ADVOCATE, UH, OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCATE.
AND, UM, WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE AT THE, UH, I, AN AUTHORITY IS, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR ROSEWOOD COURTS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COINED IS B UM, IF YOU CAN GO BACK ONCE LOT, UH, IS, UH, SOMETHING WE CALL PICK FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND THAT'S PROTECTIONS IMPROVEMENTS IN CHOICE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE REALLY DEDICATED TO IS ENSURING THAT FIRST OF ALL, OUR RESIDENTS RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED IN TERMS OF THEIR RIGHT TO RETURN.
UM, THAT'S A BIG ISSUE DURING A TEMPORARY, UH, REDEVELOPMENTS OR RELOCATIONS.
AND SO HAKA IS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THOSE ORIGINAL RESIDENTS THAT ARE DEAD, THAT ARE THERE AT THE TIME OF A RELOCATION, THEY WILL HAVE THE FIRST RIGHT TO RETURN TO THE PROPERTY.
UM, SECONDLY, UH, ALSO WITH PIG, WE HAVE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND SO, UH, OF COURSE THE REDEVELOPMENT ITSELF IS GOING TO BE A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FOR THE LIVES OF THE RESIDENTS.
UH, AND THEN WE HAVE CHOICES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, AGAIN, ONE OF THE MAJOR CHOICES IS FOR OUR RESIDENTS IS, IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE THERE, UH, HAS AN OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, THEY MAY BE ABLE TO CHOOSE WHERE THEY, UH, DECIDE TO TEMPORARILY THROUGH THE USE OF VOUCHERS, OR THEY MAY CHOOSE TO BE PLACED AT ANOTHER HACKER PROPERTY, UM, HOWEVER, BUT THEY DO HAVE THOSE CHOICES, UH, AND ALSO THEY GET TO MAKE CHOICES IN TERMS OF DECIDING WHAT THE INTERIOR WILL LOOK LIKE, WHAT SOME OF THE AMENITIES WILL BE ON PROPERTY AT ROSEWOOD COURT.
AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'VE BEEN ENGAGING THE RESIDENTS IS WE FEEL UTILIZE A PAPER, BUT WE ALSO USE TECHNOLOGY.
UH, SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO SUBMIT CHOICES IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THEIR NEW UNITS.
THEY CAN USE THE Q CODES AND WE TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH THOSE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE NEVER USED Q CODES, HOW TO USE THEM.
UM, THEY CAN ALSO CALL IN, WE HAVE A HOTLINE THAT THEY CAN CALL.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO GONE DOOR TO DOOR AND WE HAVE A FEW RESIDENTS THAT MAY VOLUNTEER TO DO SOME OF THAT WORK.
BUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE CREATE ACCESS TO THESE OPTIONS, THEN IT'S ACTUAL ACCESS BECAUSE, UM, I CAN HAVE ONLINE, BUT IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IF I'M DEALING WITH SOMEBODY WHO IS EITHER UNABLE TO UTILIZE A TECHNOLOGY, OR THEY MAY BE UNWILLING FOR THEIR OWN REASONS.
AND I STILL RESPECT THAT AS WELL.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE DO COLLECT AS MUCH, WE COLLECT AS MUCH MEANINGFUL DATA AS WE CAN FROM THE RESIDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN FEEL, UM, AND KNOW THAT THEY ARE, UH, AN INTRICAL PART OF THIS PROCESS, UM, OF THE REDEVELOPMENT.
SO, UH, AND, UH, JUNE 17TH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A FULL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RESIDENTS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO GATHER INFORMATION FROM THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THEIR FEEDBACK BECAUSE, UH, THAT'S NUMBER ONE FOR US MAKES FIVE.
[02:45:03]
UH, AND ALSO ONE OF THE OTHER EFFORTS IS TO ENGAGE THE BROADER COMMUNITY AS WELL.AND WE'VE ALSO HOSTED MEETINGS, UH, AT LEAST TWO MEETINGS.
NOW WE'VE HAD THREE COMMUNITIES, UH, TO COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS WHERE WE'VE INVITED THE BROADER COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS ALSO DOES INCLUDE THE RESIDENTS AS WELL.
UM, AND WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT ZIP CODES AROUND THE CITY WILL HAVE INPUT ON WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO HERE AT ROSEWOOD COURTS AS SPECIFICALLY, UM, WITH A MEDITATION PART, BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR THE SPACE AND HAVE EVERYBODY'S INPUT, BECAUSE WE ALSO HOPE THAT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM THIS SPACE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS HERE, UM, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY PARTNERED UP WITH A DECENT COMMUNICATIONS TO HELP US WITH THESE EFFORTS SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE ARE MAKING EVERY EFFORT WE CAN TO GET AS MUCH FEEDBACK AS POSSIBLE, NEXT SLIDE.
HERE'S OUR PREDICTED TIMELINE.
UM, WE WILL HAVE ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO, UH, PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
UM, AGAIN, THEY HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO ANY OF US WHO WORK WITH, UH, THE HAKA STAFF.
THEY ALSO HAVE, UH, AGAIN, A RELEVANT HOTLINE THAT THEY CAN CONTACT AND LEAD FEEDBACK AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN IN MARCH, WE DID, AGAIN, WE DID AROUND THE VOTING FOR THE INSIDE OR THE INTERIOR OF THE UNITS.
UH, WE CAME BACK IN APRIL AND, UH, BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE, UH, VOTING THAT WE DID PREVIOUSLY, WE UPDATED THE DESIGNS.
UH, AND THEN THE RESIDENTS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE AGAIN ON WHAT THEY FOUND, UH, MOST ACCOMMODATING FOR THEM, JUNE 17TH.
AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE A RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY.
WE WILL BE OUT ON PROPERTY SOCIALLY DISTANCE, OF COURSE, AND PRACTICES SAFETY.
HOWEVER, WE WILL BE OUT, UH, ENGAGING THE RESIDENTS, ENSURING THAT EACH, EACH RESIDENT AT LEAST HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS.
THEN JUNE 29TH, UH, WE WILL HAVE COMMUNITY WORKSHOP, NUMBER THREE.
UH, ANY OF YOU ALL ARE INVITED TO COME AND PARTICIPATE.
UM, DURING THAT MEETING AGAIN, WE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO HONOR THE HERITAGE OF EMANCIPATION PARK OR I'M SORRY, COMMUNITY SPACES, UM, THAT WILL HONOR OF MY OCCUPATION PARK.
SO I DON'T WANT TO GET THAT WRONG.
SO DON'T TALK ME ALL THE WAY, BUT I THINK I GET THE JUST, UH, AND THEN IN JUNE, UH, LATER ON THIS MONTH IN JUNE, WE WILL BE, UH, SELECTING A RELOCATION CONSULTANT WHO WILL HELP US WITH, UM, PLANNING OUR TEMPORARY LOCATION FOR THE RESIDENTS WHILE THEIR NEW PROPERTY IS BUILT.
AND THEN AS WELL AS MANAGING ALL OF THEIR NEEDS UNTIL IT IS TIME FOR THOSE RESIDENTS TO RETURN, IF THAT IS A CHOICE OF THEIRS.
UH, AND THEN IN FALL IN THE FALL OF 2021, UH, WE WILL HAVE THE, UH, PLAYGROUND DESIGNS AND, UH, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE WITH THE YOUTH IN MIND.
SO GENERALLY WE HAVE, UH, UH, AN EVENT THAT HAPPENS ALL OVER THE CITY, WHICH I THINK WE ALL KIND OF KNOW IT IS, UH, IT HAPPENS THE FIRST OR SECOND, THE FIRST, WHAT IS IT CALLED BUCKINGHAM NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.
WE HAVE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, AND THAT IS GOING TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ENGAGE THE YOUTH ON THE PROPERTY AND THEY GET TO ACTUALLY GIVE THEIR INPUT ON WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON PROPERTY.
SO, AND THEN OF COURSE IN THE SPRING OF 2022, UH, WE HELPED TO BEGIN, UH, THE RESIDENT RELOCATIONS, SO NEXT LOT.
AND WE DO HAVE A WEBSITE FOR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, OR IF YOU WANTED TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROSEWOOD REDEVELOPMENT, UM, YOU CAN DEFINITELY VISIT HOCKEY NET.ORG FORWARD SLASH ROSEWOOD COURTS, UM, TO GAIN MORE INFORMATION.
THAT'S THE EXTENT OF OUR PRESENTATION COMMISSIONERS, UM, THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
AGAIN, ALSO BEING MINDFUL OF, OF YOUR, YOUR LIMITED TIME HERE, BUT AGAIN, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR, OR EMAIL THEM AT AT A LATER TIME AS WELL.
UH, AND WHAT A FANTASTIC PRESENTATION, UH, ALWAYS APPRECIATIVE OF HOW THOUGHTFUL, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND PATHWAYS, UH, IS, UH, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THESE REDEVELOPMENTS.
UH, I THINK CHALMERS WAS, UH, UH, BRILLIANT TEMPLATES FOR THIS, UH, AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS.
IS THERE, UH, ANY ACTION THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF OR THAT YOU MAY BE REQUESTING FOR US IN THE NEXT, UH, SHORT TERM, BUT WE SHOULD BE, UH, AWARE OF,
[02:50:02]
UH, NO, NO, MR. CHAIR, UH, THERE, THERE ISN'T ANY ACTION, YOU KNOW, AT, AT THIS TIME OR, UM, AGAIN, JUST, WE, WE WILL KEEP YOU UP TO DATE AS WE GO, AND WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO BE, BE PRESENT AS AT A FUTURE.ALSO THE RESIDENT FEEDBACK, UH, WHENEVER WE CAN GET IT, UH, AND ALSO WE WOULD CERTAINLY APPRECIATE BOTH POSITIVE AND, UH, CONSTRUCTIVELY CRITICAL, UH, RESIDENT FEEDBACK.
SO IT WOULD BE REALLY MEANINGFUL TO US IF, UH, HAKA AND PATHS PATHWAYS MIGHT FACILITATE RESIDENTS WHO ARE BRINGING BOTH THAT KIND OF FEEDBACK, UH, TO US, UH, AND, UH, IT HELPS ALL OF US SORT OF BE AHEAD, UH, YOU KNOW, OF, OF THE MANAGEMENT OF THAT FEEDBACK AND INCORPORATION OF IT AND BE CONTINUED PROVING SOME, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IF ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS OR THE VICE CHAIR HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS NOW WOULD BE THE TIME.
AND THIS IS COMMISSIONER DESOLTEL.
I JUST HAVE, UH, TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
SO ONE IS, UM, UH, CURIOUS ABOUT THE, THE NUMBERS AND THE DENSITY OF, OF THE PROJECT.
I COULD BE MISREMEMBERING, BUT I FELT LIKE THE CHALMERS, THERE WAS, UH, MORE DENSITY BUILT INTO, UH, THE, THE PURE NUMBER OF UNITS.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE INCREASED ABOUT OVER 60, WHICH IS REALLY GREAT.
UM, LOOKING AT THE SITE PLAN, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S STILL NOT VERY DENSE AND I'M PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA.
UM, SO I'M JUST KINDA CURIOUS, IS THERE, W WAS THERE A DEVELOPMENT LIMITATIONS BY THE CODE OR WAS THIS JUST WHAT THE RESIDENTS AND THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD DO WITH THE MONEY THAT YOU HAD? UH, W CAN YOU JUST WALK ME THROUGH THE THINKING BEHIND, UH, WHY 184 UNITS AS OPPOSED TO 250 OR, OR ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, COMMISSIONER, AND, AND REALLY IT, UM, HAS, UH, IT WAS A VARIETY OF REASONS, UH, ONE WHICH IS WE DID A MUCH ROBUST HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMPONENT.
INITIALLY WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, PRESERVING FEWER BUILDINGS, UH, BUT WITH THE COMMUNITY DRIVEN PROCESS THAT, THAT WE WERE, UH, ENGAGED IN AND A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, OR A HOUSTON WAS, WAS, UH, A REAL, UM, CHAMPION IN, IN HELPING TO, TO BRING US TO, TO THAT EIGHT BUILDING, UM, YOU KNOW, FINAL, FINAL CONCLUSION AND DECISION THAT WAS SUPPORTED BY BY CITY COUNCIL, BUT REALLY IT HAS TO DO WITH, UH, PRESERVING A MORE ROBUST NUMBER OF, UH, BUILDINGS AT THE SITE.
UM, AND THAT, OF COURSE THAT IMPACT THE, UH, THE NUMBER OF NEW CONSTRUCTION UNITS THAT WE COULD BUILD.
UM, ALSO THE HOME OWNERSHIP PIECE, UH, THAT, THAT PARCEL OF LAND, UM, IS BEING DEDICATED TO HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, SO THOSE, THOSE ELEMENTS DID HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE ULTIMATE NUMBER OF, OF UNITS THAT ARE ABLE TO BE BUILT AT THE SITE.
UM, AND, AND SO WE ALSO WERE MINDFUL OF THE, UH, INFORMATION AND THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE GENERAL COMMUNITY AT THE TIME OF OUR CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING EFFORT.
AND THEY REALLY FELT THAT SOME SOMEWHERE AROUND, YOU KNOW, 180 TO 200 UNITS WAS, WAS A SWEET SPOT.
AND SO WE WANTED TO, UM, BE, BE SENSITIVE TO THAT AND AGAIN, BE GOOD, GOOD NEIGHBORS, AND, UH, ENSURE THAT WE STAYED WITHIN, WITHIN THAT, THAT, UH, AMOUNT.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT ALSO COMES DOWN TO FINANCING.
AND SO THAT SWEET SPOT TYPICALLY IS ABOUT 130 TO 150 UNDER THE LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM.
UM, BUT WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD AT LEAST A FEW MORE UNITS TO, UH, INCREASE DENSITY, KNOWING THAT THERE IS A HUGE NEED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR, FOR DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, SO REALLY IT'S, IT'S THOSE THREE ELEMENTS IT'S, IT'S MAKING, UM, HONORING THE, THE HISTORIC RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION PIECE THAT, THAT WE COMMITTED TO, TO THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S THE CREATION OF HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AT AN AFFORDABLE RATE.
AND IT'S ALSO, UM, HONORING WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU, JOE, DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? YEAH.
JUST REAL QUICK TO FOLLOW UP AND I APPRECIATE THAT ANSWER AND THAT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT I ASSUME, AND I KNOW IT'S A BIG BATTLE IN THIS CITY BETWEEN THE CHARACTER OF A BUILDING AND THE CHARACTERS THAT LIVE IN THE BUILDING, AND I'M PROBABLY ALWAYS GOING TO SIDE ON HAVING MORE CHARACTERS AROUND THEM IN A PARTICULAR WAY.
IT LOOKS, BUT, UH, UNDERSTANDING THAT I'M ALSO CURIOUS, AND I APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE RIGHT TO RETURN FIRST, UM, POLICY THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE FOR THIS.
[02:55:01]
UH, CAN YOU, UH, UNLESS I MISSED IT, I'M SORRY IF I DID, BUT CAN YOU, UM, WHAT I SAW THE TIMELINE, BUT, UH, HAVE YOU ALREADY OUTLINED WHERE THESE FOLKS ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO GO? UM, AND, AND I GUESS THERE GOING TO BE SERVICES TO HELP THEM REINTEGRATE INTO WHATEVER NEW COMMUNITY THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN, EVEN IF IT'S TEMPORARY.WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THERE, THERE ARE TEMPORARY RELOCATION CAN BE AS CLOSE TO ROSEWOOD AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO AS YOU, YOU, UH, UH, THE CHAIR OF NOTED CHALMERS WEST, UH, AND CHILDHOODS EAST IS JUST A STONE'S THROW AWAY FROM, FROM ROSEWOOD COURTS.
AND, UH, WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING MORE UNITS THERE.
SO WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO ALIGN, UH, SOME OF THAT RELOCATION JUST DOWN THE STREET AT CHALMERS.
UH, BUT WE ALSO DO HAVE, UM, SOME OTHER NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
UM, AGAIN, ALSO STONE CENTER AWAY FROM ROSEWOOD, SUCH AS BOOKER T WASHINGTON, SANTA RITA COURTS AND, AND OTHERS.
UH, WE ALSO, THROUGH OUR SUBSIDIARY, AUSTIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CORPORATION, UH, HAVE A LARGER PORTFOLIO OF AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES THAT WE WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO TAP INTO.
UH, BUT ULTIMATELY AS TIFFANY SHARED, THIS IS ALSO ABOUT CHOICE.
AND THIS MAY BE THE FIRST TIME IN MANY OF OUR FAMILIES, UH, LIVES THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A CHOICE OF WHERE THEY WANT TO LIVE.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK HAND IN HAND WITH EVERY FAMILY TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS ARE, AND IF IT'S THAT THEY WANT TO STAY IN THE, UH, THE, THE ROSEWOOD, UH, NEIGHBORING AREA, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
BUT IF THEY HAVE THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEM IN NORTH AUSTIN OR SOUTH AUSTIN, THIS MAY BE THEIR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY TAP INTO THEIR EXISTING SUPPORT NETWORK THAT WILL MAKE IT MUCH, MUCH EASIER AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THEM.
BUT ULTIMATELY TO YOUR POINT, WE WANT ALL OF OUR FAMILIES TO COME BACK.
THEY WILL HAVE THAT FIRST RIGHT TO RETURN, AND WE WANT EVERYONE TO COME BACK HOPE.
UM, THAT THAT IS THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT.
UM, SO AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT OPTIONS.
IT'S ABOUT CHOICES, BUT ULTIMATELY WE DO WANT ALL OF OUR FAMILIES TO COME BACK AND ENJOY THE, THE BRAND NEW AND IMPROVED ROSEVILLE COURTS.
UH, DO WE HAVE, UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE VERY DIRECTIONAL, UH, GIVEN OUR LIMITATIONS ON TIME, AND I KNOW THAT I CAN SYLVIA AND THEIR TEAM ARE ALWAYS RESPONSIVE AND WILLING TO COME BACK AND TALK TO US.
SO I'LL KEEP THAT IN MIND, UH, BOTH OFFLINE, AS WELL AS FOREIGN ONLINE, UH, EITHER QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS.
AND JUST, I WOULD WANT TO SAY THAT WAS ONE OF THE MORE THOUGHTFUL AND, UM, UM, JUST THOUGHTFUL AND AUTHENTIC AND RESPONSIVE PRESENTATIONS AROUND WHAT COULD BE A VERY STICKY ISSUE AND DEEPLY PERSONAL.
UM, SO I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE FOR WHAT I SEE IS A LOT OF THOUGHT AND CARE AND LISTENING.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MIHIR.
AND I'M SURE MANY OF THEM, MOST OF US ALL, IF NOT ALL OF US AGREE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, BRILLIANT.
THAT'S UH, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE WITH US.
UH, SO LATE IN THE EVENING, UH, LET'S UH, MOVE ON, UH, TO THE NEXT ITEM.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE SOME SPEAKERS HERE, UH, WHO CALLED IN FOR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS FOR ITEM THREE, A C OR FOR THREE D.
UM, BUT I THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR CONTINUING TO STAY ON LINE TWO.
[3D. Briefing regarding property management and administration of privately-owned, project based Section 8 housing (Michael Cummings, Southwest Housing Compliance Corporation (SHCC), and Michael Gerber, Housing Authority of the City of Austin)]
LET'S MOVE TO D WHICH IS WHEN YOU THINK REGARDING THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ADMINISTRATION ARE PRIVATELY OWNED.PROJECT-BASED SECTION EIGHT HOUSING.
WE HAVE, UH, MICHAEL CUMMINGS WITH SOUTHWEST HOUSING COMPLIANCE CORPORATION AND, UH, OF COURSE, UM, UH, GERBER WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CHAIRMAN.
I'M MIKE GERBER, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE AS WE GET CLOSE TO THE NINE O'CLOCK HOUR.
UM, I WANT TO SAY JUST THANK YOU AGAIN.
I REALLY HAD NO REAL APPRECIATION BECAUSE I'VE NEVER BEEN HERE THIS LATE, AND I JUST WANNA, UH, JUST GIVE YOU MY RESPECT FOR, UM, YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TRYING TO MAKE, UH, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY STRONGER AND HEALTHIER BECAUSE OF YOUR, UH, COMMITMENT AND ENGAGEMENT.
UM, WE WERE ASKED AND THANKS FOR LISTENING.
SO ATTENTIVELY TO ROSEWOOD, YOU ALL HAVE BEEN PART OF THE JOURNEY WITH US, AND WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AT CHALMERS COURTS, AS WE WORK TO WRAP UP CHALMERS AND THEN PREPARE TO LAUNCH INTO, INTO ROSEWOOD.
UM, THE PROCESS HAS BEEN BETTER BECAUSE OF THE INPUT FROM THIS COMMISSION.
AND SO WE'RE VERY, VERY GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU.
UM, WE WERE ASKED TO GIVE YOU A BRIEFING ON WHAT THE WORK OF A LITTLE KNOWN SUBSIDIARY OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DOES.
[03:00:01]
UM, SOUTHWEST HOUSING COMPLIANCE CORPORATION IS A FULLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.UM, AND, AND IT PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HELPING TO ADMINISTER SOMETHING CALLED PROJECT-BASED SECTION EIGHT, UH, IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND IN THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.
THERE'S TWO TYPES OF SECTION EIGHT, THERE'S THE SECTION EIGHT THAT COMES AND GOES TO THE TENANT.
UM, WE ADMINISTER THAT PROGRAM HERE WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, WE ADMINISTER ABOUT 5,200 OF THOSE SECTION EIGHT VOUCHERS, AND SOMEONE TAKES THEM ON THE OPEN MARKET AND THEY FIND A, A PLACE TO LIVE.
AND THE VOUCHER COVERS A PORTION OF THE RENT.
THE, THE OTHER TYPE OF SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER IS, IS A PROJECT-BASED SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER.
AND THAT INSTEAD OF GOING WITH THE TENANT GOES TO THE, TO THE PROPERTY.
AND SO IT ENSURES A LONGTERM SUBSIDY TO THE PROPERTY BEING PAINTED THE LANDLORD.
WHO'S WILLING TO SET ASIDE A UNIT OR A NUMBER OF UNITS AT THAT PROPERTY, UH, TO PARTICIPATE, TO, TO BE INSURED, TO, TO ASSURED OF A LONG-TERM PAYMENT, USUALLY YOU 10, 15, 20 YEARS.
UM, AND IT, AND IT SETS ASIDE UNITS, UH, FOR, FOR THOSE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR, IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS WORK IS REFLECTED OF WORK THAT THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO DECIDED THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPACITY IN HOUSE TO DO ANY LONGER.
AND THEY BEGAN PUTTING OUT WORD THAT THEY WANTED TO OUTSOURCE THIS WORK BECAUSE THEY WERE SEEING A DRAMATIC NUMBER OF RETIREMENTS AND OTHER, UH, THINGS HAPPENING AT HUD, UH, AND THE INABILITY TO FRANKLY, ADMINISTER, UH, THE SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS AND THE SIGNIFICANT, UM, UH, UH, UH, CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROGRAM.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS ASKED TO TAKE ON THIS WORK FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS FEW YEARS LATER, WE TOOK IT ON ALSO FOR THE STATES FOR THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.
AND SO WE'VE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PERIODICALLY HAVE THESE CONTRACTS ARE REBID AND WE'VE BEEN, UH, SUCCESSFUL AND CONTINUING TO DO THIS WORK.
AND, UH, ABOUT 50 MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM HERE AT THE HAKA CENTRAL OFFICE AT 35 AND RIVERSIDE, UM, HAVE DONE THIS WORK FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, MICHAEL CUMMINGS, WHO IS THE VICE PRESIDENT, OVERSEEING SOUTHWEST HOUSING AND IS WITH US TODAY, UH, HAS BEEN HERE SINCE DAY ONE.
AND SO MICHAEL'S GONNA PRESENT TO YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT WE, WHAT WE DO, AND THE REASON WE'RE BRINGING THIS UP NOW IS BECAUSE, UH, THE PROJECT-BASED PROPERTIES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN WERE ALSO SOME OF THE HARDEST HIT PROPERTIES, UH, DURING THE MOST RECENT WINTER STORM DURING WINTER STORM, UH, URI.
UM, ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES IS MOUNT CARMEL.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUT MICHAEL WANTS TO GO AHEAD AND PROVIDE THE COMMISSIONERS AN OVERVIEW OF THE SOUTHWEST HOUSING COMPLIANCE CORPORATION.
MICHAEL CUMMINGS, VICE PRESIDENT OF SOUTHWEST HOUSING.
UM, AND I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE RUNNING A LITTLE SHORT ON TIME.
UM, SO IF YOU COULD, UH, GO TWO SLIDES FORWARD, I BELIEVE IT IS.
MIKE HAS COVERED, UM, UH, A LARGE PART OF THE, UH, UM, FIRST PART OF THE SCREEN, BUT, UM, I'LL JUST ADD ON HERE.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MIKE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A TWO-STATE PORT PORTFOLIO OF TEXAS AND ARKANSAS, UM, IN WHICH WE HAVE OVER EIGHT, UH, COMPLIANCE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OVER 800 PROPERTIES, APPROXIMATELY 60, 60,000 UNITS IN 136 RESIDENTS IN AUSTIN PROPER.
UM, YOU SEE HERE THAT WE ARE SERVING, UM, 19 PROPERTIES, 2001 UNITS AND 5,213 RESIDENTS.
UM, THIS IS A LIST OF THOSE PROPERTIES, THE 19 PROPERTIES, UM, WE HAVE THEIR NAME, ADDRESS, ZIP CODE, THE UNIT COUNT, AND THEN OUR, UM, RATINGS, UH, AND, UM, REVIEWS AND RATINGS OF THE PROPERTY.
ONE THING OF NOTE HERE, UM, WE DID PUT DOWN THE CONTRACT EXPIRATION DATE.
UM, PRESERVATION IS ALWAYS A BIG ELEMENT OF, YOU KNOW, ONE, UM, FEATURE OF WHAT WE DO.
WE WANT THESE PROPERTIES IN OUR, IN OUR PORTFOLIO.
AND IN LOOKING AT THIS, UM, WE'RE IN VERY GOOD SHAPE PORTFOLIO WISE FROM A PRESERVATION PERSPECTIVE, UM, 15 OF THE 19 DON'T EXPIRE UNTIL THE NEXT DECADE.
AND, UH, AND IN FACT, THERE'S ONLY ONE, UM, YOU CAN SEE HERE, FRENCH EMBASSY THAT IS COMING UP FOR A RENEWAL SHORTLY AND, UM, AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, AND IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY DO INTEND TO RENEW AS WELL.
SO WE ARE IN VERY GOOD SHAPE FROM A PRESERVATION PERSPECTIVE, BUT THIS IS ALWAYS A HANDY LIST, UM, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO KEEP TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IN OUR PORTFOLIO HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO, UM, MIKE COVERED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, WHAT WE DO, UM, UH,
[03:05:01]
DESCRIBES US AS THEIR CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR AND, AND TECHNICALLY SPEAKING WHERE THEIR FISCAL AGENT AS WELL, UM, UM, NOTED BELOW IS WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR HOUSE, THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS ON A MONTHLY BASIS TO OWNERS.SO WE DO ALL OF THE ACCOUNTING AND DISBURSEMENT OF THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS TO THE, TO THE OWNERS, TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT 456 MILLION, UM, A YEAR.
UM, ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT FEATURE IS WE DO RUN A RESIDENT CALL CENTER.
SO IT'S A DEDICATED TOLL FREE RESIDENT, UM, CALL CENTER.
ANY RESIDENT FROM ANY OF THE TWO-STATE PORTFOLIOS CAN CALL US, UM, IN INSTANCES, UM, WHERE THEY NEED ANY KIND OF ASSISTANCE.
AND, AND THE WAY IT WORKS IS TECHNICALLY SPEAKING.
WE'RE NOT THE FIRST PLACE THAT THEY CALL IN THAT, UM, THE OWNER AGENT IS SUPPOSED TO MEET THEIR NEEDS, THE, YOU KNOW, OR, OR THE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE 24 HOUR MAINTENANCE NUMBER THAT THEY HAVE, IF THEY HAVE MAINTENANCE ISSUES, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO CONTACT THE OWNER AGENT FIRST, UM, WHEN THEY COME TO US IS AN INSTANCES THAT THE OWNER HAS A SLOW RESPONSE OR NO RESPONSE, OR THAT A REPAIR WAS DONE, OR A REMEDY WAS OFFERED TO THE RESIDENT, BUT IT WAS, WAS, YOU KNOW, THE REPAIR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DONE IN A QUALITY MANNER OR THE RESIDENT OR, OR THE REMEDY WAS NOT TO THE RESIDENT SATISFACTION.
SO THEY CALL US, UM, WE ENGAGE WITH THE OWNER AGENT, UM, IF WE NEED, UM, DOCUMENTATION, UH, SUCH AS WORK ORDERS OR PHOTOS OR INVOICES TO SHOW THAT THEY MET, UM, THE RESIDENT NEED OR MADE THE CORRECTION THAT THEY NEEDED TO MAKE, WE CAN ASK FOR THOSE.
AND, AND IN, IN A, UH, LARGE PERCENTAGE, WELL OVER, I THINK IT'S 94%.
WE DO COME TO A, UM, RESOLUTION THAT IS SATISFACTORY TO THE RESIDENTS.
UM, THE INSTANCES, UH, WHEN THEY MAY NOT, YOU KNOW, SONY FOR THE OTHER 6% MAY BE, UM, INSTANCES RELATED TO OTHER LEASING ISSUES OR, OR EVICTIONS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT IN MOST CASES, WE'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND I'M HOLDING THE, UH, UH, OWNER AGENT ACCOUNTABLE TO WHAT THE RESIDENT'S NEEDS.
UM, ALSO ON THIS, UH, TO TWO OTHER BIG AREAS, WE DO PROCESS, UM, UH, PERIODIC CONTRACT RENEWALS FOR THE OWNER AGENTS, AND THEN EACH, UM, CONTRACT IS ELIGIBLE, UM, BASED ON PERFORMANCE, AS LONG AS THEY'RE MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONTRACT FOR AN ANNUAL RENT ADJUSTMENT.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, A BIG ELEMENT OF WHAT WE DO IS A MANAGEMENT AND OCCUPANCY REVIEW.
AND ON THE PREVIOUS SCREEN, THAT'S WHERE YOU, UM, YOU CAN REFERENCE THE RATINGS, UM, THAT WE GIVE FOR THE LOCAL PROPERTIES OR AN IN, UM, UH, TECHNICALLY SPEAKING FOR ALL PROPERTIES, UM, IN MA MANAGEMENT AND OCCUPANCY REVIEWS, IT IS LIMITED REVIEW OF THE PROPERTIES APPEARANCES CONDITION.
SO IT'S KIND OF A LAY PERSON'S REVIEW OF, UM, BASED ON A WALKTHROUGH OF THE OBSERVABLE AND VISIBLE, UM, PHYSICAL DEFICIENCIES.
WE MAY SEE AT THE PROPERTY AND ASK THEM TO CORRECT.
WE DO ISSUE FINDINGS IN THESE MANAGEMENT AND OCCUPANCY REVIEWS AND DO ISSUE IN DO ISSUE RATINGS, OF COURSE.
AND THEN, UM, WE LOOK AT THEIR BUSINESS PROCESSES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT CONTROLS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE CONDITION AND THEIR FILES ARE PROPER AND THAT THEY'VE CALCULATED THE PROPER AMOUNT OF RENT AND SUBSIDY FOR THE RESIDENTS AS WELL.
SO, UM, THAT IS ANOTHER BIG FEATURE OF WHAT WE DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN, IN EVERY RESPECT WE TRY TO BE RESIDENT FOCUS.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE PROTECTED, UM, YOU KNOW, LARGELY THROUGH THE ADHERENCE OF WHAT, UM, THE HUD TERM OF DECENT, SAFE AND SANITARY HOUSING, UM, AND HOLDING THE OWNERS ACCOUNTABLE TO THAT CONDITION OF HOUSING.
AND THEN ALSO BEING A RESOURCE, UM, FOR THE RESIDENTS FOR THE COMMON PROBLEMS THAT DO OCCUR, YOU KNOW, THE PRO AS YOU, AS Y'ALL HAVE HEARD, UM, EARLIER TONIGHT, I MEAN, THE, THESE PROGRAMS ARE COMPLICATED, THE INTERPRETATION IS DIFFICULT.
UM, I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 20 YEARS.
I, I LEARNED SOMETHING NEW ALMOST EVERY WEEK IN THAT REGARD.
AND SO WE WORK REALLY HARD TO BE A RESOURCE FOR THE RESIDENTS IN A RESPECT AND, YOU KNOW, HANDLE OTHER THINGS AS WELL THAT COME UP, UM, COMMON CHALLENGES FOR RESIDENTS LIKE TENANTS RIGHTS TO ORGANIZE OR RETALIATION AND HOUSING THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES, AND EITHER, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THE OWNERS UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE PROTECTIONS ARE AND REMIND THEM OF WHAT THEY ARE.
AND USUALLY THAT WILL BE ENOUGH TO AFFECT CHANGE OR REFER THE RESIDENT TO, UM, ADDITIONAL HELP IN THE FORM OF, UM, THE LOCAL LEGAL AID AND WHATEVER COMMUNITY THEY MAY BE, UM, FOR GREATER THAN WE EVEN WE CAN OFFER.
SO, UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, JUST ENSURING THE OWNERS DELIVER, UM, AND IN THOSE RESPECTS FOR, FOR
[03:10:01]
THE RESIDENTS AND FOR HUD.AND, UH, THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF THE, OF THE PRESENTATION.
I WOULD JUST CHIME IN THAT, YOU KNOW, HERE LOCALLY, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE BASED LOCALLY, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BECOME INVOLVED IN A COUPLE OF PROBLEM, UH, ISSUES THAT HAVE, THAT HAVE DEVELOPED, UM, AT MOUNT CARMEL, WHEN THE NET, THE GAS LINE SYSTEM FAILED DURING A WINTER STORM URI, UH, THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY THERE STRUGGLED QUITE A BIT.
UM, WE ALLOWED IT TO, TO, TO GO FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND, AND IN THE HOPES THAT THEY WOULD FIGURE IT OUT, THEY, THEY, THEY REALLY STRUGGLED TO DO SO.
AND, UM, WE, WE JUMPED IN AS DID, UM, AUSTIN CODE COMPLIANCE, AND FRANKLY, WE, WE TURNED OFF THE SPICKET, UH, FUNDING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE PROPERTY, UM, AND WORKED TO GET A FAIR SETTLEMENT FOR RESIDENTS TO HAVE THEM MOVE FROM THE PROPERTY, ALLOW THE REPAIR TO BE MADE, COMPARES, TO BE MADE.
AND THEN THEY'RE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF RETURNING THOSE RESIDENTS TO THE PROPERTY AND GUARANTEEING A RIGHT OF RETURN FOR THOSE RESIDENTS AND BETTER LIVING CONDITIONS FOR THOSE RESIDENTS WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT WE DID.
SO WE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE THE BULLY PULPIT SOMEWHAT, UH, BUT WE ARE, AGAIN, AN AGENT OF HUD AND, AND HUDDLED THEM.
IT MAKES THE FINAL CALL AT THE END OF THE DAY.
OUR BIGGEST TASK IS REALLY THE, THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE, THOSE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS, MAKE SURE WE GET IT RIGHT AND MAKE SURE THAT LANDLORDS ARE DOING THEIR PART.
AND THAT RESIDENTS ARE BEING, UH, PROPERLY, UM, CHARGED APPROPRIATELY AND THE UNITS ARE BEING PROPERLY CARED FOR AND FUNDED.
UM, AND SO, UM, BUT WE DO JUMP INTO SPECIFIC PROPERTY ISSUES AGAIN, AS MICHAEL SAID, THE CARE OF RESIDENTS IS REALLY, IS REALLY ARE OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.
THIS PROGRAM NEEDS TO WORK, UH, TO THEIR BENEFIT.
UM, SAID WE ENSURE THAT THAT SAFE, DECENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING I'LL STOP THERE AND ANSWER.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, UH, THOUGH THIS IS EXTREMELY, OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT, UH, I'M GOING TO ASK THEM I'LL MAYBE, AND THOSE ME IN A COUPLE OF YES.
UM, SO AS HCC, THE SOUTHWEST HOUSING COMPLIANCE CORPORATION, UH, IS THAT, UH, AN ENTITY OF THE HOUSING YEAH.
ON SUBSIDIARY OF, OF HAKA, OUR BOARD IS A, UM, THE, THE SAME BOARD FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS THE SAME BOARD.
AND, UH, SO NO, THAT JUST HELPS ME UNDERSTAND.
SO THEN, UM, IF WE GET OUT, HAVE THAT LAST SLIDE BACK UP, ACTUALLY THOUGH, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL ALSO, UM, THE, OH, WE HEARD ABOUT THE MOR RATINGS, UM, AND THOSE WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR US? I MEAN, THOSE ARE OBVIOUSLY, UH, BOTH MANAGEMENT AND, UH, UH, OCCUPANT RATINGS AND, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY A LAY PERSON, A LAY PERSON WHO MAY BE GOING IN THERE, UH, AND TAKING A LOOK, I'M GUESSING THAT WHEN WE'RE SEEING THOSE MOR RATINGS, THAT THERE IS SOME SUBS ON FEEDBACK OR RATING COMING FROM S H C C STAFF, OR IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH.
AND WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR US TO GET SOME VISIBILITY INTO THOSE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, UH, FOR THE COMMISSIONERS OR REALLY ANYBODY, BECAUSE ON THE SLIDE BEFORE THIS, OR MAYBE TWO BEFORE THIS, IT LOOKED LIKE MOUNT CARMEL, UM, HAD ABOVE AVERAGE, UM, UH, YEAH, THAT, THAT GRID, UH, UH, AND SO THE REALLY INTERESTING, JUST TO KIND OF SEE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MISSED SO WE CAN LEARN FROM THEM LATER.
UH, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT'S CORRECT TO SAY THAT THEY'VE BEEN MISSED.
I THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT, AGAIN, IT'S A, IT'S WHAT WE CAN OBSERVE.
SO GOING IN, AND WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, CHECK THE GAS LINE.
I SAID THINGS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MISSED AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT WEREN'T NECESSARILY MISSED, BUT MAY OR MAY NOT LIKE, AGAIN, HINDSIGHT IS ALSO 2020, RIGHT? LIKE SOMEBODY CAN SAY, OH, WELL, THERE WAS A MOUNTAIN OVER THERE.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WOULDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WERE A GAS LINE ISSUE.
SO I'M LOOKING AT THIS STRICTLY FROM, FROM SORT OF A, WHAT CAN WE LEARN, UH, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE GO OUT? CAN WE INCORPORATE INTO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT? BUT, UM, AND SO THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS THAT IF THE, UH, TENANT DOES NOT GET REMEDY FROM THE MANAGEMENT, WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THE NEXT LEVEL IS TO GO TO SACC.
UH, AND, UM, AND SO AT WHAT POINT, AND SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, I THINK, UH, EVERYBODY APPRECIATES, UH, THE ROLE THAT ANYONE HAS HAD, ESPECIALLY YOU ALL IN BEING ABLE TO, UH, CREATE REMEDY FOR THOSE TENANTS, MEANING, YOU KNOW, GET ANOTHER PLACE TO STAY, GET SETTLEMENTS, UH, UM, AND, AND BE ABLE TO PROGRESS AND BE WHOLE IN SOME WAY, FORM OR FASHION, ESPECIALLY AFTER A, WHAT WAS AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF SUFFERING? I I'M GUESSING DO WE HAVE STANDARDS? UH, AND THIS IS, AGAIN, COMING TO A POINT OF CONTINUOUS
[03:15:01]
IMPROVEMENT, HAVE WE, IF WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE HAVE NOW, OR WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED, BUT DO WE HAVE STANDARDS ON SORT OF TIMING FOR WHEN S H, C, C MIGHT COME IN AND EITHER THROUGH INTERACTIONS WITH HUD OR NOT DETERMINE WHEN IS THE TIME TO TURN OFF THE SPIGOT, OR WHEN IS THE TIME TO SORT OF USE THE MUSCLE THAT'S AVAILABLE? UM, AND BECAUSE I THINK PROBABLY EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE THAT THE MOUNT CARAMEL, UH, ISSUE WENT ON LONGER THAN ANYONE, UH, WOULD HAVE PREFERRED.AND THAT IF WE ALL DO IT OVER AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY? AND IS THAT STUFF CODIFIED, I GUESS, IS WHAT I'M SAYING? UM, YEAH, IT'S A CHALLENGING ISSUE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THE, UM, SO, SO ACTUALLY HUD FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT FIVE YEARS ACTUALLY STOPPED DOING MORS.
THEY STOPPED AND STOPPED PAYING FOR MORS TO BE, TO BE, TO BE DONE.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT, THAT ABILITY TO HOLD THOSE OWNERS TO THAT LEVEL OF COUNT.
AND THERE REALLY WAS A, A MISSING PIECE OF, OF THIS WORK, UH, THOSE KICKBACK IN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS FOR THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE KIND OF WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH THE PORTFOLIO.
UM, AND I'VE GOTTEN TO MANY OF THE PROPERTIES, BUT THEN THE PANDEMIC HIT.
SO WE HAD ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
WE WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, WORK THROUGH IT.
WE REHIRED A STAFF TO GO DO INSPECTIONS, AND THEN, AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, DEPLOYED FOLKS ACROSS THE TWO, THE TWO STATES.
UM, SO YEAH, I MEAN, WE, WE DEFINITELY CAN MAKE AVAILABLE AND HAVE MADE AVAILABLE IN THE CASE OF MOUNT CARMEL, UH, INFORMATION TO ANYONE, ANYONE WHO'S ASKED.
AND THEN RE WITH REGARD TO, IF WE COULD HAVE DONE IT ALL OVER AGAIN WITH OUR RESPONSE TIMES, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE SORT OF THE BRIGHT LINES THAT WE SEE THAT WE WOULD CHANGE IF WE WERE TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS LIKE PUTTING OFF THE SPIGOT EARLIER, EXERCISING MUSCLE AND THE MANAGEMENT EARLIER, OR, YOU KNOW, MAKING SHIFTS, BECAUSE I THINK THERE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF CRITICISMS, YOU KNOW, OUT THERE.
UM, I THINK ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, ANY OF US WHO MIGHT'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THAT WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THE MOST PERFECT JOB POSSIBLE.
AND SO WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED AND WHERE COULD WE HAVE BEEN BETTER? AND, AND HOW, WHAT IS THE SORT OF THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PLAN TO HOW WE CLARIFY THAT? YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, OUR, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING CAUSE OUR, OUR PUBLIC HOUSING PROPERTIES ACTUALLY FARE REALLY WELL, UM, THROUGH THE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR FORMER PUBLIC HAZARD PROPERTIES.
NOW PROJECT-BASED RENTAL SYSTEMS PROPERTIES, UM, THE 18 PROPERTIES THAT ARE KIND OF THE CORE OF, YOU KNOW, HAKA, SOME OF WHICH DATE BACK TO LIKE CHALMERS AND SANTA RITA AND ROSEWOOD STATE BACK TO 1938, YOU, THOSE PROPERTIES FARE REALLY QUITE WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS WINTER STORM IS YOU'LL HEAR, I KNOW AS HUMANS FROM NET, FOR TD AND OTHERS, IT WAS REALLY SUCH AN EXTRAORDINARY ONCE IN A, YOU KNOW, ONCE IN A LIFETIME KIND OF EVENT, UM, THAT, THAT IT'S HARD TO, IT'S HARD TO, I THINK WE'RE STILL FIGURING OUT THE LESSONS, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S THE NEED PROBABLY TO, TO SIT WITH OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THIS SPACE AND TO LOOK AT WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE LACK OF ACCESS TO TWO CONTRACTORS TO COME OUT QUICKLY, THE INABILITY TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR FRIENDS WHO REALLY ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SO BLESSED TO HAVE GREAT CIVIL SERVANTS HERE IN THIS CITY.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, CODE ENFORCEMENT WAS JUST HUMONGOUS, LIKE OVERWHELMED.
UM, I THINK WE WERE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE WERE OVERWHELMED AS WELL.
UH, OUR ABILITY TO GET OUT AND BE, AND, AND TO, TO BE THERE TO JUST, IT JUST WA THERE'S WEREN'T ENOUGH PEOPLE LAY EYEBALLS ON EVERYTHING THAT NEEDED, UM, YEAH, TOTALLY EYEBALLS ON DO THE ANALYSIS SO THAT WE CAN THEN PUT UP A, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT UP WHAT THE WORK WAS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
AND THEY GET THE CONTRACTORS OUT.
WE'RE STILL SEEING STATEMENTS.
I THINK, I THINK ALL THAT MAKES SENSE.
I, I REALLY, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THE FOCUS HERE TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, THAT WASN'T DONE WELL.
I MEAN, ARE THERE ANY BRIGHT LINES, LIKE, OKAY, FOLKS ARE GOING THIS LONG WITHOUT X BASIC NEED, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE HAVE, LIKE SORT OF A CODIFIED TRIAGE PLAN THAT WE DO NOW WHEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THE POINT OF FACILITATION.
I JUST THINK THAT THERE MIGHT BE MORE VOICES IN THE ROOM THAT MIGHT WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS AS WELL.
I JUST FEEL CALLED TO INVITE YOU, TO MAKE SPACE FOR THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, PLEASE.
UH, COMMISSIONER MYHILL, I'LL CALL ON YOU.
I HAVE THINGS, BUT I'D LOVE TO HEAR IT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT NEW COMMISSIONERS, WE'VE GOT OTHER FOLKS IT'S JUST LIKE, YES, I, I, YOUR POINT IS TAKEN.
AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR THE COMMISSIONERS.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER MAHIA WOULD YOU, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES, SIR.
UM, YEAH, I JUST THINK, UM, I, I RESONATE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONING IN WITH TONY'S POINT IN, IN SAYING THIS, THAT, UH, I FEEL, I FEEL THAT THE ROLE OF A COMPLIANCE, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU GUYS AREN'T THE GUYS THAT ARE GOING TO DEPLOY THE PLUMBERS WHEN THINGS GO DOWN, HOWEVER, IT WOULD BE GOOD IF TO SEE IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF THE VULNERABLE NATURE OF THESE RESIDENTS,
[03:20:01]
YOU KNOW, MOUNT CARAMEL CASE IN POINT THAT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS SOMEHOW PUT INTO THE AUDIT OR PUT INTO THE PORTFOLIO.WHAT Y'ALL DO, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY THOUGHT OF THAT, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT PROTOCOL, LIKE, LIKE THE CITY WHO MANAGES PUBLIC SPACES HAVE A, YOU KNOW, AN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROTOCOL, WHETHER IT'S Y'ALL OR HAKA, I FEEL LIKE THAT THAT MIGHT BE WITHIN THE REALM OF REASON, UH, FOR Y'ALL TO SORT OF HAVE THAT IN YOUR, MAYBE IN YOUR, YOUR SCOPE, JUST TO JUST OPEN UP A THOUGHT HERE.
UM, AND THEN IF I CAN LEAVE THIS FOR ANOTHER TIME, BUT I'M TERRIBLY INTERESTED CAUSE I LIVE IN DOVE SPRINGS AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MULTI-DRUG UNITS SORT OF, UH, HAKA MANAGED PROPERTIES.
WE MIGHT HAVE ONE OR TWO, I MEAN, NOT THAT MANY, BUT DO YOU ALL ALSO, UM, DO THE SAME SERVICES FOR STANDALONE, UH, UM, UH, SECTION EIGHT PROPERTIES OR FOLKS THAT ARE RECEIVING HUD DOLLARS OR IS THAT A SORT OF WILD WEST GAME? BECAUSE WE GOT MORE OF THAT IN DOVE SPRINGS.
AND I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT THE STATE OF SOME OF THESE HOUSES AND WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR THOSE PEOPLE.
SO ON THE TENANT BASE SECTION EIGHT SIDE COMMISSIONER, WE DO HAVE A TEAM OF INSPECTORS THAT WE HAVE IN HOUSE.
THEY THEN GO OUT AND THEY HOLD THOSE UNITS TO HOUSING QUALITY STANDARDS, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN WHAT WE SAW WITH, UH, WITH THE WINTER STORM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT TO CONDEMN SAY THIS IS UNINHABITABLE.
UM, AND THEN FOLKS HAVE NO PLACE TO GO THERE'S.
UM, SO, SO WE WERE, WE, WE CERTAINLY TOOK A LIGHT TOUCH TO IT AND JUST KIND OF WORKED THROUGH WITH AS LONG AS LANDLORDS WERE WORKING WITH THE RESIDENT AND WORKING WITH US.
UM, WE, WE, WHICH WAS REALLY THE CASE ALSO IN THE, IN THE SACC PORTFOLIO, UM, YOU KNOW, MOUNT CARMEL WAS REALLY A UNIQUE CASE, UM, WHERE YOU HAD A CASE WHERE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AND, AND MOST LANDLORDS DO HAVE THOSE EMERGENCY PLANS, UM, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AND SO THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S KNOW THAT IS AN IMPORTANT THING AND WE, WE HAVE THEM TOO, AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT A PERIOD WHEN SYSTEMS WERE JUST SO OVERWHELMED.
THE UNFORTUNATE PART ABOUT NOW CARAMEL WAS THAT IT WAS NOT ONLY THE SYSTEM WAS NOT ONLY OVERWHELMED, BUT THE RELATIONSHIP HAD BROKEN DOWN SO MUCH SO QUICKLY AND, AND, AND, AND BADLY BETWEEN BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND OWNERSHIP, UM, THAT REALLY OTHERS NEEDED TO COME IN TO FACILITATE, UH, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, A SETTLEMENT TO IT THAT WAS GOING TO WORK IN THE INTEREST OF, OF RESIDENTS, OWNERS NEEDED TO GIVE MORE THAN THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD GIVE.
UM, AND THE RESIDENTS NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND MORE FULLY THAT IT WASN'T JUST A QUICK, QUICK, A QUICK FIX.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO BALANCE THAT, THAT ALL OUT, BUT, UM, I GUESS ONE OF THE BIGGEST LESSONS I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD SAY WE LEARNED IS, UM, YEAH, I WISH WE HAD PROBABLY JUMPED IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS EARLIER TO THE NOW CARAMEL CASE.
UM, I THINK WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE, UH, LENT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A HAND.
UM, WE HAVE DONE SO IN OTHER, OTHER PROPERTIES AROUND THE, AROUND THE STATE AS WELL.
UM, AGAIN, THOSE THINGS HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, AFTER A HURRICANE, AFTER A TORNADO, AFTER SOME KIND OF A TIVOLI, SOME KIND OF A NATURAL DISASTER, AND WE'RE ABLE TO JUMP IN, THIS WAS SUCH AN EXTREME THING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
AND THEN OF COURSE YOU HAD THE CHALLENGE OF REALLY OUR STAFF WAS ALSO HOBBLED AS WELL.
OUR ABILITY TO JUMP IN, UH, AND ALSO BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND MAY THINGS MAY JUST COME, EVERYTHING GOT COMPOUNDED, BUT ALL, ALL FAIR THINGS THAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT, HOW DO WE DO THIS BETTER IN THE FUTURE? AND CERTAINLY DISASTER PREPAREDNESS.
THAT'S BEEN A STRUGGLE FOR, FOR ALL OF US IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING INDUSTRY.
I USED TO RUN THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, UH, DEVELOPERS AND OWNERS OF TAX CREDIT PROPERTIES AT 2200 RUSTY, EVERYONE'S STRUGGLED WITH, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU PREPARE ENOUGH? AND, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T PREPARED ENOUGH, OR IF YOU, EVEN, IF YOU DO PREPARE ENOUGH, WHERE DOES EVERYBODY GO? THIS PLACE SUDDENLY HAS TO GO OFFLINE AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S JUST AN IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION TO ANSWER.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ONE OF THE THINGS WE WE'VE DONE IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS WE DO REDEVELOPMENT, LIKE AT ROSEWOOD, IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY, WHEN WE REDEVELOP, WE WANT TO MINIMIZE HARM AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS A PLACE TO GO.
THAT'S WHAT TIFFANY AND RUBY ROSE JOB HAS BEEN SOME, YOU KNOW, SO CRITICAL TO, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T DISPLACE ANYBODY AT CHALMERS AND THE RELOCATION PEOPLE MAY HAVE TO MOVE AT ROSEWOOD DOWN THE STREET, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE MOVING FAR.
THEY'RE GOING TO STAY IN NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY'RE GONNA STAY CONNECTED TO COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO, YEAH, AND, AND THEY'LL HAVE CHOICE AND EVERYBODY GETS TO RETURN.
THAT'S NOT THE CASE NECESSARILY IN, IN, IN THESE PROPERTIES AND SO TOUGH ISSUES, BUT ALL, ALL FAIR CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE RAISED AND THINGS THAT WE'VE ADDED TO OUR LIST TONIGHT.
I APPRECIATE THE INSIGHT AND THOUGHT, I APPRECIATE, UH, THE NOTION OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND BEING ABLE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS WHEN WE'RE NOT UNDER, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HAPPENS ONCE.
OF COURSE, YEAH, EVERYBODY IS BURDENED AND UNDERSTAFFED AND OVERWHELMED.
UH, AND IT'S, IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO RETHINK THESE THINGS LATER SO THAT WHEN IT HAPPENS TWICE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE'VE JUST GOT SORT OF,
[03:25:01]
WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THOSE SYSTEMS BETTER.I APPRECIATE THE NOTION OF, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE MAYBE COULD HAVE GONE THERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS EARLIER, AND THEN MAYBE THAT'S INCORPORATED INTO OUR, OUR WAY OF THINKING IN THE FUTURE.
I WOULDN'T SAY MR. CHERIF, I CAN JUST INTERJECT.
I DO THINK THAT THERE'S REAL VALUE IN HOW TEAMS COME TOGETHER IN THE CITY AND WHEN IT CAME TO MOUNT CARMEL, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, BECAUSE THE SERVICE TO YOU, YOUR STAFF, UM, YOU KNOW, ROSIE TRULA, UH, REBECCA GLO, UH, FOLKS IN CODE COMPLIANCE, UM, FOLKS IN, UH, IN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, HARBOR, MADISON'S MAYOR PRO TEM HARBOR MADISON'S TEAM REALLY ALL CAME TOGETHER.
AND SO THE CITY DID WORK IN, YOU KNOW, IN, IN CLOSE COOPERATION.
AND I THINK THAT WAS ALSO MOTIVATIONAL FOR THE OWNER AS WELL.
SO, UM, AND THAT, THAT HELPED TOO.
I THINK THE SOONER WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER, I WORK AS A TEAM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND W WHICH WE EVENTUALLY ALWAYS GET TO THIS CASE.
AGAIN, ALL SYSTEMS WERE OVERWHELMED.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE BRIEFING ON THE CITY RESPONSE TO URI? SORRY, GO AHEAD.
I JUST HAVE ONE BRIEF COMMENT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE SORT OF ROUNDING THE CORNER IN THE CONVERSATION.
THE DISCUSSION THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING, HONESTLY, JUST WANT TO COMMUNICATE THAT THIS COMMISSION, UM, REALLY HONORS AND VALUES BUILDING TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT, UM, IS ON THE RECEIVING SIDE OF SO MANY OF THE SERVICES THAT WE ALL WORK TOGETHER TO PROVIDE, AND THAT TRUST, UM, YOU KNOW, IS NOT EASILY EARNED, UH, AND IT IS CERTAINLY EASILY SHATTERED.
AND I THINK THAT WE WANT TO STAND WITH, UM, HAKA AND, AND WITH YOU ALL, UM, IN THE S HCC, UH, TO BE THE BEST REPRESENTATIVES THAT WE CAN FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL RELIABLE AND HAVE THEIR BACK, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES OF CRISIS.
AND I PERSONALLY WOULD JUST SAY THAT, UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT YOUR OWN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN, I WOULD BE STRONGLY AN ADVOCATE FOR ADDING INTO CONTRACTS, THE BURDEN BEING ON LANDLORDS, UH, THAT THEY HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLAN THAT THERE ISN'T SO MUCH GRAY AREA OF WHAT HAPPENS.
IF, AND THEN THERE'S NOT SO MUCH NEGOTIATION THAT ENDS UP INEVITABLY BURDENING THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE LIVING IN THESE PLACES.
AND SO HAVE YOU ALL, UM, COME TO SOME FUTURE CONCLUSION ON THAT OR, OR ARE WORKING ON ACTIONS OF THAT? UH, WE WOULD BE, UH, CERTAINLY HAPPY TO RECEIVE THOSE UPDATES AND, OR, UM, CONTINUING TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE, THE COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN SO OUTSPOKEN TOWARDS US.
UM, WE, WE DON'T THINK THAT I, WELL, I DON'T THINK THAT THE BURDEN IS ALL ON YOU TO PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, IT IS ON ALL OF US TO STAND UP FOR OUR NEIGHBORS.
SO THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT COMMISSIONER.
I WOULD ALSO JUST ADD THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS SO EXCITING ABOUT NOW CARAMEL WAS, YOU KNOW, WE SAW TENANT ACTION AT WORK, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT THEY CAME TOGETHER, WASN'T PLEASANT.
I DON'T THINK IF IT'S GONNA BREAK THAT GROUP PART AND THAT'S GOING TO BENEFIT THAT COMMUNITY GOING WELL INTO THE FUTURE.
WE NEED MORE TENANT LEADERS, THE BEST PROPERTIES THAT WE FIND ARE THE ONES WHERE YOU HAVE OWNERS AND LANDLORDS AND, AND RESIDENTS ALL WORKING TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY, AND THEY FEEL A SENSE OF JOINT OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A JOINTLY CARED FOR HOME FOR PEOPLE.
AND, UM, AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHEN IT WORKS BEST.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, A BIG PART OF WHAT SACC DOES IS ALSO GIVE PEOPLE TOOLS TO HELP HOPEFULLY, UH, YOU KNOW, EMPOWER RESIDENTS TO, YOU KNOW, ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING.
UM, AND WHEN THINGS GO BAD, UH, TO TRY TO GET THE THINGS, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, SET ON THE, ON THE, ON THE RIGHT PATH HAS CERTAINLY HAVING A DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN AND KNOWING THAT, UM, THE BEST INTEREST OF RESIDENTS WILL BE LOOKED AFTER IF THE WORST HAPPENS.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY A REALLY IMPORTANT THING.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THAT.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR MIKE OR MICHAEL CUMMINS? GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US SO LATE IN THE EVENING, Y'ALL, UM, AND TO SPEAK ABOUT A TOPIC, OF COURSE, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY UPLIFTING EXCEPT ON THE ITEMS ON THE, ON THE ELEMENTS THAT YOU ALL WERE ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE THE SILVER LINING IN THE COMMUNITY.
[3E. Briefing on City’s response to Winter Storm Uri (Nefertitti Jackmon, Housing & Planning Department and Daniel Word, Austin Code Department)]
AGENDA ITEM THREE E, WHICH IS THE BRIEFING ON THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO WINTER STORM URI.UM, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE SO LATE WITH US IN THE EVENING, UH, NET FOR TT, UH, IT'S A PRIVILEGE, UH, TO, TO GET TO, UH, TALK TO YOU, UH, AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE FLOOR.
[03:30:03]
OKAY.THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR CONTINUED WORK AND DEDICATION ON THESE, UH, IMPORTANT HOUSING ISSUES.
UM, AM I GOING TO THIS? I WANT TO HAVE MY SLIDE PRESENTATION, OR I CAN SHARE MY SCREEN.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN, THE OPTION IS OKAY.
UM, WHAT I'M GOING TO PROVIDE TO THE COMMISSIONERS THIS EVENING IS A UPDATE TO THE RESPONSE EFFORTS, UH, AS REQUESTED BY CITY COUNCIL TO THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, THE INFORMATION, UH, AND THEY ACTION IS RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO THE RENTERS WHO WERE IMPACTED BY WINTER STORM URI.
IT'S NOT A RECAP OF THE, UH, CITY OF BOSTON'S ENTIRE RESPONSE TO WINTER STORM, A URI.
SO JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M CLEAR AND SHARING THAT WITH YOU.
IT'S REALLY HOW WE RESPONDED TO LOW INCOME TENANTS WHO CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE A FINANCIAL LOSS.
UH, BUT I WILL STATE, UH, BRIEFLY THAT IN, IN ADDITION TO THE DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THAT WE PROVIDED, UH, THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT ALSO PROVIDED EMERGENCY HOME REPAIR SERVICES.
UH, AND THAT PROGRAM PROVIDED UP TO $10,000 IN REPAIRS OR MODIFICATIONS.
UM, BUT, UH, THAT, THAT IS ANOTHER PRESENTATION FROM, UH, ANOTHER TEAM MEMBER.
AND THAT, AND I'M SORRY, MY NAME IS NEFERTITI JACKMAN FOR THOSE WHO DON'T.
NOW I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
UH, THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALLOCATED APPROXIMATELY 32 POINT, UH, $32.4 MILLION IN TENANT STABILIZATION PROGRAMS OF, FOR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
UH, THE ASSISTANCE HAS FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON PERSONS WHO WERE IMPACTED BY COVID-19.
AND, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF MISCOMMUNICATION IN TERMS OF WHAT ASSISTANCE WE COULD PROVIDE TO TENANTS WHO HAD BEEN IMPACTED BY WINTER STORM URI.
AND WE HAVE VERY SPECIFIC GUIDELINES, UH, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF, FOR COVID IMPACTED NEEDS.
AND THOSE WEREN'T NECESSARILY THE SAME.
AND SO WE DID HAVE TO RESPOND WITH DIFFERENT FUNDS FOR WINTER STORM URI AND THE FUNDS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO A MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDS, UH, WHICH WE CONTRACTED WITH, UH, ELBA AND SOMATA TUNNEL THAT HAD, THOSE WERE LOCAL DOLLARS HOUSING TRUST FUND DOLLARS WITHOUT THE FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS.
SO ALTHOUGH SOME HOUSEHOLDS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR, UM, COVID-19 FUNDS, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.
AND SO THEY WERE NOT THE SAME.
AND, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING HARD THAT WE DID HAVE TO COMMUNICATE, UH, WITH THOSE, UH, WANTING TO USE COVID RELATED FUNDS.
UH, JUST BRIEFLY THE CONTENT IS, AND I'M GOING TO GO REALLY QUICKLY THROUGH HERE, UH, RELIEF, UH, FUNDS AND ACCESS THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
I'LL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION WHO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS WERE, THE CURRENT TIMELINE THAT WE'RE ON, UM, SOME DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AND ONGOING CHALLENGES THAT WE CAN SOLVE, UH, TO BE BETTER PREPARED IN THE FUTURE FOR, UM, OTHER DISASTER RECOVERY SOLUTIONS.
NEXT SLIDE, AS I SHARED THE RELIEF FUNDS, UH, WE PROVIDED A MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING, UH, FROM THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENTS, HOUSING TRUST FUND DOLLARS, AND THESE FUNDS WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
THEY HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED THROUGH LB AND SOMATA TUNNEL AND OTHER NONPROFIT PARTNERS.
THEY HAVE WORKED WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE, AS MIKE SHARED, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE, AND WE SAW THIS THROUGH THIS EFFORT TO HAVE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO WERE ON THE GROUND, WHO WERE WORKING WITH RESIDENTS, WHO WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY, UM, HOUSEHOLDS MOST IN NEED.
SO JUST THESE FUNDS WERE NOT JUST FOR LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, BUT THERE HAD TO BE A DEMONSTRATED NEED.
AND WE HAVE MANY NONPROFIT PARTNERS WHO WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE NEEDS AND THEN THEREFORE IDENTIFIED FAMILIES TO GET THE SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE, UH,
[03:35:01]
THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, UH, YOU MUST HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT LIVING WITHIN AUSTIN'S FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION, CURRENTLY RENTING A HOUSING UNIT, OR LIKE A MOBILE HOME, UH, A LEAST HAD TO BE IN THE RECIPIENT'S NAME, UH, UH, INCOME, I'M SORRY, BELOW 80% OF THE AWESOME MEDIUM FAMILY AREA, MEDIAN INCOME, AND HAVE EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT SHORT TERM HOUSING NEED RELATED TO THE IMPACTS OF WINTER STORM URI, WHETHER IT WAS A LACK OF WATER OR GAS OR ELECTRICITY.
UM, BUT THIS WAS GREATER THAN FIVE DAYS.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE BASIC, UH, ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS THAT A BENEFICIARY BENNETT, UH, UH, RECIPIENTS HAD TO DEMONSTRATE.
UM, AND SO, SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, CONTINUE TO HAVE WATER DAMAGE, UM, OR OTHER RELATED DAMAGE.
AND, UH, AS WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE SOME, UH, HOMES, MANY HOMES HAVE EXPERIENCED MOLD AND OTHER ISSUES RELATED TO THE WINTER STORM.
AND, UH, THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR OTHER FORMS OF GOVERNMENT RELIEF, AND, UM, MUST ALSO RESIDE IN A PROPERTY WITH A HISTORY OF KNOWN CODE VIOLATIONS RELATED TO HOUSING AND SAFETY.
THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION IS LISTED THERE.
THESE ARE VERY SIMILAR TO MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS, INCLUDING PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION, INCOME, ELIGIBILITY.
WE WANT IT TO BE FAIRLY FLEXIBLE.
IT COULD BE, COULD HAVE BEEN A LETTER FROM AN EMPLOYER TAX DOCUMENTATION SNAP, OR SELF-CERTIFICATION FORM THAT HOUSEHOLDS WERE BELOW 60%, UM, UH, AMI, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND THEN WE ALSO REQUIRED THE COPIES OF THE FIRST PAGE OF THE LEASE AGREEMENT, A SELF-CERTIFICATION OF THE WINTER STORM OR A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP.
AND, UM, THAT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE, UH, DURING THIS TIME MANY PEOPLE, IT WAS A STRUGGLE TO FIND CERTAIN DOCUMENTATION, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN INCLUDING LEASES.
SO, UH, WE TRY TO BE A LITTLE FLEXIBLE, NOT TOO FLEXIBLE, UM, BUT WE TRIED TO MEET AS BEST WE COULD.
UM, THE PEOPLE WERE THERE, THEY WERE IN, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE SITUATION IN THE EMERGENCY SITUATION THAT PEOPLE UNFORTUNATELY FOUND THEMSELVES IN.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THIS SLIDE IS A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SEE, BUT IT, IT SHOWS, IT PROVIDES A LIST OF THE VARIOUS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT
UM, AND THEY THEY'RE WORKING WITH, THEY'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY BASED, UH, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO DISTRIBUTE, UH, BASICALLY COLD OR REFER CLIENTS.
AND SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE SHARED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF FAMILIES AND, UH, THE ONES THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN IS SHOWS THAT THEY SAID, LOOK, WE, WE HAVE ABOUT 30 FAMILIES THAT WE NEED TO SERVE.
AND THEY HAVE, UH, DISTRIBUTED CARDS AND RESOURCES TO A TOTAL OF 30 FAMILIES.
AND THEN ANOTHER HAD ONE FAMILY THAT THEY SAID NEEDED ASSISTANCE.
AND SO TO DATE, YOU CAN SEE THAT 544 CLIENTS HAVE BEEN SERVED TO DATE, UH, OUT OF THE TOTAL OF 900, THAT LP AND ANTICIPATES BEING ABLE TO SERVE NEXT SLIDE.
I SEE THAT THERE'S A HARD STOP AT NINE 30.
SO, UM, I'M JUST GOING THROUGH, UH, LBN AND DR.
UH, WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT ALL OF THE FUNDS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED BY THE END OF JUNE.
UH, AND WE ARE, UM, IN LINE WITH THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED HERE, NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN THE, THE, THE REMAINING SLIDES.
UH, YOU HAVE THIS INFORMATION AND YOUR BACKUP, BUT THE REMAINING SLIDES SHOWS, UH, PROVIDES, UM, DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IN TERMS OF WHO WAS SERVED IN WHAT AREAS, WHAT GRAPHIC AREAS, UM, AS WELL AS OTHER RACIAL AND ETHNIC DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
AND YOU CAN JUST GO THROUGH THE SLIDES IF YOU DON'T MIND.
AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL STOP AT THIS POINT.
[03:40:05]
THANK YOU.AND FORGIVE ME NEFERTITI FOR NOT HAVING INTRODUCED YOU, UH, UH, UH, APPROPRIATELY THANK YOU FOR, FOR TAKING CARE OF THAT.
UH, BEING THE HEAD OF ANTI-DISPLACEMENT HAS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ROLE, UH, IN, IN OUR CITY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE JESSE, HOW HARD OF A HARD STOP IS THERE AT NINE 30.
DO WE TURN INTO PUMPKINS OR, UH, WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENS IS THAT GUIDANCE OR, OR HOW, HOW SOFT OF A STOP CAN WE HAVE IF WE CAN PAY OVER OVERTIME? I THINK WE CAN GO OVER A LITTLE BIT.
UH, AND, UH, I DO APPRECIATE, UH, NOT JUST OF COURSE THE RESPONSE, BUT THE THOUGHTFUL PRESENTATION WITH GREAT GRAPHICS AND INFORMATION.
DO ANY COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE, OR IF A DOCTOR MODIO MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO SHARE ANY THOUGHTS, COMMENTS? YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, UH, JUST ON THE VERY LAST SLIDE, IF YOU DON'T MIND PUTTING THAT UP.
I THINK, UM, JUST SO THAT WE, AS A CITY CAN BE PREPARED, THERE ARE, UH, SOME CHALLENGES THAT I THINK WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS.
AND ONE OF THE PRIMARY ONE IS BEING ABLE TO CONTRACT QUICKLY.
LIKE IF YOU HAVE A NEED AND, YOU KNOW, I COULD TALK WITH STAFF LATER ABOUT THIS.
LIKE, HOW DO WE CONTRACT QUICKLY, UH, WHEN THERE IS A NEED AND WE MIGHT HAVE TO HAVE SOME PRE IDENTIFIED VENDORS TO RESPOND.
THIS ONE CAN HELP WITH FOOD DISTRIBUTION.
THIS ONE CAN HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE ESTABLISHED IN OUR CONTRACTING PROCESS.
WE HAVE SOME, UH, LIKE CERTIFICATES OF EXEMPTIONS, BUT EVEN GOING THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES, THE WAY THEY ARE CURRENTLY DESIGNED ARE STILL VERY CUMBERSOME.
AND THEY'RE NOT QUICK, NOT WHEN YOU HAVE A SITUATION LIKE WE EXPERIENCED WITH WINTER STORM YEARS.
DO WE SEE ANY SOLVENCY THAT, OR DO YOU SEE ANY SOLVENCY FOR THAT AROUND THE ABANDONING? I THINK THERE COULD BE.
I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING WITH, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH, UH, CITY LEADERSHIP, BOTH AT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S LEADING THE RESILIENCY EFFORT, BUT THEN ALSO PERHAPS WITH THE, UH, PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT, RIGHT.
THE CITY'S PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT, WHAT CAN WE DO TO IDENTIFY VENDORS FOR ABLE TO RESPOND IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS? THANK YOU.
AND ALSO, YEAH, I'M SORRY, JUST BEING KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
LIKE I THINK, UM, HAD WE KNOWN THAT ELBA HAD ELWYN HAD ALREADY RECEIVED MONEY AND FUNDING TO DO EXACTLY WHAT WE ASKED THEM TO DO.
SOME SIX WEEKS LATER THEY WERE, THEY HAD ALREADY RECEIVED FUNDS TO DO THAT.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CLOONEY AND, AND BE AWARE OF THE ASSETS THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I AGREE THAT THERE'S CERTAINLY A VALUABLE ASSET IN THE COMMUNITY.
DO ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS THAT WE MIGHT LIKE TO ADD AS WE'RE CLOSING DOWN HERE? AND ALSO IF POSSIBLE, SINCE DR.
MUNOZ HUNG WITH US, UH, THROUGH ALL THIS WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE HER AS WELL.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, PLEASE SPEAK UP IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE RECOGNIZED.
UH, YOU PUT THERE THE NUMBERS OF THE PEOPLE THAT ALREADY RECEIVED THE, OR THEY ARE, THEY WILL RECEIVE.
I DIDN'T SEE VERY WELL THE DATE, UH, BUT THEY WILL RECEIVE THE VISA PARTS.
UM, I'M JUST, I'M JUST WANTING TO ASK IS ANY, I'M SORRY.
SO THE PEOPLE CAN, UM, CAN YOU STILL APPLY FOR ANY OF THIS, UH, UH, THIS BENEFITS OR, OR THE DATE IS DONE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT RECEIVE THE, UH, OR THAT THEY, THE PEOPLE THAT APPLY ON APRIL WAS THE FINAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT CAN APPLY FOR THIS, UH, FOR THIS BENEFIT, OR YES, THERE ARE STILL SOME, UH, PEOPLE CAN STILL RECEIVE ASSISTANCE.
[03:45:01]
THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO CONTACT LBN DIRECTLY, BUT THEY ARE PROVIDING, UH, ASSISTANCE DIRECTLY THROUGH REFERRALS WITH NONPROFIT AGENCIES, BUT LBN CAN DIRECT YOU IF, YOU KNOW, A PERSON WHO IS IN NEED AND THEY CAN GIVE YOU GUIDANCE IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS.SO THERE ARE SOME, UH, FUNDING STILL AVAILABLE AND WAS ALL THIS PROCESS, UH, VIA ONLINE OR BY PHONE, YOU DIDN'T HAVE SOMEONE IN PERSON AND WHEN, OR YOU DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
SO IT WAS PRIMARILY AGAIN THROUGH A COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WORKING ON THE GROUND, THOSE WHO WERE SERVING AND RESPONDING TO, UH, NEEDS OF RENTERS IN VARIOUS COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, LIKE BOSTON WAS ON THE GROUND.
BOSSA WAS VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN OF THE PROGRAM.
UH, THEY WORKED WITH US, UH, WITH DR.
AND SO THEY WERE INFLUENTIAL IN HELPING US TO DESIGN A PROGRAM THAT WAS RESPONSIVE.
AND SO WE GOT THAT INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THE GROUND.
SO THERE REALLY WASN'T A CALLING AND PER SE, BUT COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS IDENTIFIED PEOPLE IN NEED.
MAY I ADD, UH, NEVER TV IN MY I'M PROBABLY REPEATING THIS.
IT WAS A VERY HUMAN CENTERED APPROACH, RIGHT.
SO WE PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE KNEW, UM, HAD CLOSE CONNECTIONS TO THE FAMILIES THAT MOST NEEDED AND THROUGH THEM, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY FAMILIES OF OUR FASTER.
UH, SO JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT IT WAS NOT, NOT DEFINITELY NOT AN ONLINE, UM, SYSTEM OF, UH, DISSEMINATING THE FUNDS AND TO YOUR, TO YOUR QUESTION, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, PEOPLE CAN STILL CALL WHILE THIS PROGRAM IS DONE THROUGH REFERRALS WITH OUR PARTNERS.
WE, IF WE STILL HAVE FUNDING, UH, WE WILL FIGURE OUT HOW TO SUPPORT, UH, THE CALLER, BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT CAN HELP THEM WITH RENT AND, AND CASH ASSISTANCE.
IS THERE A PHONE NUMBER THAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF MOST, YOU KNOW, MOST DEFINITELY AT THIS POINT IN THE DAY, YOU THINK I WOULD REMEMBER MY OWN PHONE NUMBER.
IT'S, UH, IT'S (512) 439-8900.
WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY? I, I ALSO, UH, WANTED TO BANK THE CITY, YOU KNOW, DURING THE URI RESPONSE, WE SERVED OVER 3,400 FAMILIES WITH CASH ASSISTANCE, FOOD, DIAPERS, AND WATER, AND DID NOT EVEN MEET THE NEED THAT THERE WAS, UM, OUT THERE.
SO THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVED THROUGH, UM, UH, THROUGH THIS PROGRAM ALLOWED US TO REACH 900 MORE FAMILIES.
SO WE'RE VERY THANKFUL, UH, THAT, THAT THESE FUNDS WERE AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY.
MOODY, YOU AND, UH, AND NEFERTITI, UH, AS WELL, UM, FOR YOUR WORK, UH, TO SUPPORT, UH, AND BRING RELIEF TO SO MANY, UH, WHO ARE SUFFERING ON MANIFOLD LEVELS AND ON THE NOTE OF, UH, GIVING THANKS TO THE CITY.
I THINK THAT'S A, A GREAT SEGUE INTO WRAPPING UP AND THINKING ALL OF, UH, THE CITY STAFF WHO ARE SUPPORTING US, UH, NOW, UH, AND ALL THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, WHO ARE HERE, ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE NOT STAFFERS, UH, WHO ARE JOINING US, ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, FOR JOINING US SO LATE, WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING LAST MONTH, AND THAT'S WHY THIS MINNESOTA ACTION PACKED.
IN FACT, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TO ALL THE AGENDA ITEMS. THE VICE CHAIR, UH, HAS TEXTED ME BECAUSE I GUESS SHE, SHE CAN'T BE UN-MUTED, UH, SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULD, UH, CARRY OVER, UH, THE REMAINING AGENDA ITEMS. UH, AND, UH, WE'LL GET TOGETHER THE VICE CHAIR, MYSELF, UH, STAFF, AND THAT COMMISSIONER MANIA, OF COURSE, UH, WHO HAS ONE OF THE REPORT OUT ITEMS. ONE OF
[03:50:01]
THE OTHER PENDING ITEMS IS THE ELECTION OF THE CDC OFFICERS.AND IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, UH, WITH EXTREME EXPEDIENCE, WE CAN ALL DISCUSS, UH, HOW WE MAY DO A SPECIAL FOLLOWED IF NECESSARY.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UH, UNLESS THERE ARE MANY OBJECTIONS I'M GOING TO, UH, ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
DO WE HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS OR ANY FINAL COMMENTS OR THOUGHTS? THANK YOU TO EVERYONE.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 9:38 PM AND WISH EVERYONE A WONDERFUL MONTH AHEAD.
IT WAS HER THE KING TO LIVE HIS INTENTION AND INDEPENDENCE TO DECLARE PEACE.
WE WENT OUT AND THEY BRING A, CREATE A REVOLUTION IN COMMERCE.
THEN BE A RIGHTFUL FORTUNE TO COME IN FOR A SHARE TO A CERTAIN MESS.
I'VE STATED, MY HONOR, MY INTENTIONS FOR NIPPON LITERATURE NECESSARY SHOULD BE MY WAY.