Aug 02, 2021 Public Safety Commission

[00:00:11]

ALL RIGHT BY MY CLOCK.

IT IS 3 0 1.

SO I BELIEVE WE HAVE A QUORUM.

SO LET US GO AHEAD AND KICK OFF.

[CALL TO ORDER 3:00-3:05pm]

MY NAME IS REBECCA GONZALEZ.

I AM THE CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON.

IT IS AUGUST 2ND, 2021.

AND THIS IS, UH, THE CULTIVATOR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION MEETING.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.

UM, IT'S RE REQUESTED THAT WE DO A ROLL CALL, SO I WILL GO DOWN THE LIST.

PLEASE BRING YOURSELF OFF MUTE AND LET ME KNOW YOU ARE HERE WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.

UH, VICE CHAIR RAMIREZ HERE.

COMMISSIONER WEBER HERE.

COMMISSIONER HASA PLAQUE PRESENT, UH, COMMISSIONER AUSTIN.

KAY.

WE'LL MARK COMMISSIONER AUSTIN AS NOT PRESENT CHAIR.

UM, BEHIND ME, WE HAVE AN, A LITTLE, UH, COMMISSIONER AUSTIN HAVING A LITTLE DIFFICULTY GETTING LOGGED IN.

I THINK SHE IS GOING TO DO CALL IN TODAY.

OKAY, WELL, WE WILL, UM, WE'LL JUST CHECK BACK IN AFTER THE UNDERWORLD CALL TO SEE IF SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO JOIN US.

THIS IS COMMISSIONER KICKOFF HERE.

COMMISSIONER LEWIS HERE, COMMISSIONER LANE.

ALL RIGHT.

I BELIEVE WE ARE MISSING COMMISSIONER LANE AS WELL.

COMMISSIONER BARNHART.

I BELIEVE YOU'RE ON MUTE.

OKAY.

UM, WE HAVE NOTED COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT IS HERE, EVEN THOUGH WE COULD NOT AUDIBLY HEAR HER.

SHE IS HERE ON VIDEO AND SHE IS RAISING HER HAND AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER SIERRA, OUR VOLO, UH, HAS NOTIFIED US THAT WOULD NOT BE PRESENT.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES.

YES.

THAT IS CORRECT.

THIS IS CITY HALL, AAV COMMISSIONER AUSTIN.

IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, UM, WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING YOU INTO THE MEETING.

UM, IT'S MOST LIKELY YOUR SOURCE THAT YOU'RE JOINING WITH.

SO IF YOU'RE JOINING FROM YOUR BROWSER, YOU'LL NEED TO ACTUALLY JOIN FROM THE APP.

IF THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN ALSO CALL IN AND I CAN UNMUTE YOU.

OKAY.

SHALL WE WAIT UNTIL THE ISSUES WITH COMMISSIONER AUSTIN OR TAKEN CARE OF? I SEE HER ON THE FULL ATTENDEES LIST.

COMMISSIONER CHAIR GETS ALL THIS.

YES.

COMMISSIONER BURNER.

YOU CAN, YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW.

THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO FIND OUT.

THANK YOU.

MY, OKAY.

WE HAVE NOTED, UH, COMMISSIONER AUSTIN IS PRESENT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND I APOLOGIZE, UH, FOR THE ISSUES YOU ARE HERE.

AND BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH, UH, THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR, UH, STAFF LIAISON, UH, MS. JANET JACKSON.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF THE HARD WORK YOU'RE PUTTING IN TO COORDINATE US ON AND OFF SCREEN, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR US.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE COORDINATION.

I APPRECIATE IT.

YOU ARE VERY WELCOME CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER AUSTIN.

WE CAN SEE YOU AS WELL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WONDERFUL.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, WE WILL THEN MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST ITEM, WHICH IS

[Citizen Communications 3:05-3:20pm (from speakers signed up to speak)]

DO WE HAVE MR. LAEL ON WARNING SITTING HALL? WERE WE ABLE TO PATCH IN MR. LEONE FOR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION? YES.

YES.

HI THERE.

UM, WE NEED THE CORRECT PHONE NUMBER BECAUSE I HAVE TWO, ONE STARTING IN A SEVEN, FOUR.

UM, EXCUSE ME A SECOND.

I, WHAT? I'M SORRY, ONE STARTING AT 9, 7, 4

[00:05:02]

I CAN UNMUTE BOTH UNLESS SOMEONE WANTS THE EXACT NUMBER.

I'M SORRY, WHICHEVER YOU'LL HEAR ME.

OKAY.

SO AT CARLOS LEONE FIRST AND FOREMOST, BECAUSE THAT'S OUTSIDE THE RULES FOR LETTING ME SPEAK FOR EVIDENCE-BASED LEGAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND AGAINST COVID-19 MASK AND VAX MANDATES THREATENING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY CAP.

METRO BUS VIDEO SHOWS GUILTY DRIVER, DAVID R. HARRIS OPERATOR ID 300 TO THREE ZERO LOOKING DIRECTLY AT ME WHEN MAKING THE THROAT SLASH GESTURE ON MAY 7TH, APD BODY CAM VIDEO DOCUMENTS, HARRIS REPEATEDLY TO THE ON-SCENE OFFICER INVESTIGATING THE CRIME HARRIS DENIED THE DEATH THREAT.

HE MADE CLAIMING HE ONLY MADE A BOLD MOTION FROM HIS CHEST OUTWARD WHILE TELLING ME, GET ON OFF THE BUS AND JUST STAY OFF THE BUS.

HOWEVER HARRIS DID NOT DO OR SAY THAT HARRIS REPEATEDLY AND ABUSIVELY YELLED SHUT UP, MAN, YOU HAVE TO BE QUIET TO TRY ILLEGALLY SILENCING ME.

WHEN I WAS ALREADY OFF THE BUS, TRUTHFULLY TELLING HIM YOUR, THE PROBLEM YOU NEED TO BE FIRED YOUR, THE CRIMINAL ALSO BECAUSE HARRIS HARRIS POINTED HIS FINGER AT ME, 51 TIMES, I KEPT POINTING THREE FINGERS BACK AT HIM, TURNING THIS EVIDENCE OVER TO AN APD DETECTIVE AND OR FILING A COMPLAINT WITH AUSTIN MUNICIPAL COURT.

OUR NEXT STEPS NEXT, FOLLOWING THE SCIENCE AND DATA OF MY COVID-19 BACKUP MATERIALS IN FRONT OF YOU NOW, AND ONLINE FOR THIS MEETING, COVID 19 PCR TESTS ARE A FRAUD MASKS DO NOT STOP COVID-19 TRANSMISSION.

AND COVID 19 VACCINES ARE REALLY EXPERIMENTAL M R N A SPIKE PROTEIN SHOTS NOT APPROVED BY THE FDA.

THE CDC SAYS THREE FOURTHS OF THOSE INFECTED WITH THE DELTA VARIANT IN CAPE COD WERE FULLY VACCINATED TO SCARE YOU INTO AN ENDLESS CYCLE OF BOOSTER SHOTS FOR ENDLESS COVID-19 VARIANTS.

THE VACCINATED ARE CREATING SHEDDING AND SPREADING TRANSMOGRIFYING THE REAL WORLD, ORGANIC BODY'S NATURAL IMMUNE SYSTEM INTO AN ARTIFICIAL MACHINE OPERATING SYSTEM NEEDING CONSTANT PATCHING TO FUNCTION IN THE MATRIX THOUGH.

CORONA VIRUSES ARE REAL AUSTIN'S HEALTH RANGER, MIKE ADAMS CLAIMS. THERE ARE NO PHYSICAL SPECIMENS OF ISOLATED COVID AVAILABLE FOR TESTING INSTRUMENT, CALIBRATIONS AND QUALITY CONTROL AS IF COVID-19 EXISTS ONLY BY DIGITAL DEFINITION.

YET THE INJECTED SPIKE PROTEINS ARE REAL TOXIC NANOPARTICLES DESTROYING YOUR BODY FROM THE INSIDE OUT BECAUSE HCQ IVERMECTIN VITAMIN D VITAMIN C AND ZINC APPEAR MUCH SAFER ANTIDOTES AGAINST CORONA VIRUSES.

ANTI-HUMAN BIG TECH MISLABELED THAT TRUTH MISINFORMATION TO SENSOR IT, TO PUSH YOU TO HARM OR KILL YOURSELF BY INJECTION, THEREFORE USING PHYSICAL FORCE TO NOT BE JABBED AGAINST YOUR WILL TO PREVENT IMMINENT PHYSICAL HARM IS MORAL AND LEGAL.

SELF-DEFENSE IN JESUS' NAME.

I PRAY.

AMEN.

THANK YOU, LORD.

GOD BLESS TEXAS.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONSTITUTIONAL LAW TRUTH AND ABOVE ALL CUOMO CM.

PRAY GOD'S WORD OUT.

THANK YOU, MR. LEON.

AND I WANT TO CONFIRM THAT WE DID RECEIVE ALL OF YOUR BACKUP DOCUMENTATION BEFORE THIS MEETING.

SO EACH ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAS THEIR, UM, THE BACKUP DOCUMENTATION.

UM, WAS, IS THERE ANOTHER PERSON SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO ONE ELSE HAS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.

PERFECT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JANET.

ALL RIGHT.

I'M MOVING

[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 6, 2021 3:20pm-3:25pm]

SO WE ARE GOING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE JULY 6TH MEETING.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS, CONCERNS? UM, I HAD A COUPLE CORRECTIONS.

YES.

MR. BARRETT, GO AHEAD.

FIRST.

I THINK THAT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER WEBER, HIS NAME MIGHT BE LISTED TWICE AS ATTENDING.

UM, AND I THINK ONE OF THOSE MIGHT HAVE INTENDED TO BE MY NAME INSTEAD.

IT WAS JUST TWO REBECCA WEBER'S.

I THINK WE GOT THAT.

UM, AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS THERE'S A LIST OF QUESTIONS, UM, FOR, UH, CHIEF GAY.

AND, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT LANGUAGE FOR THE QUESTION FOR ME, BUT

[00:10:01]

UM, AND I WAS ASKING THE CHIEF TO PROVIDE US WITH CLEARANCE RATES.

OKAY.

I WILL CERTAINLY REVISIT THAT COMMISSION UPON HOW IT FOR A CORRECTION ON THAT.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BARNHART, ANYONE ELSE? ANY OTHER CORRECTIONS OR QUESTIONS TO THE MINUTES FROM LAST MONTH? OKAY.

UH, WITH THE, UM, CORRECTIONS LISTED BY COMMISSIONER BURNHAM, I WILL, UH, COUNT THOSE MINUTES AS APPROVED, ALL RIGHT ON TO OUR OLD BUSINESS, IF THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE.

OKAY.

UH,

[2.a. Implementation of Proposition B Ordinance (sponsors: Commissioner Bernhardt and Hausenfluck) 3:25pm-3:40pm Speaker(s): -Dianna Grey, Homeless Strategy Office, City of Austin -Community Member – Homeless Advocate]

AND I KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER, I'M SORRY.

UH, VICE CHAIR.

RAMIREZ ALSO HAD A, UM, RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER ACTION.

UM, JUST GO AHEAD.

I JUST WANT YOU TO NOTE THAT, UM, CARLY CHOKE DICKSON IS LISTED AS ATTENDEES AND SHE WAS GOING TO BE ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS DURING THIS, UM, PORTION.

SO THIS IS CITY HALL.

UM, CARLY, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, WE'LL NEED YOU TO, UH, REJOIN IF YOU'RE JOINING FROM YOUR BROWSER AND THE APP, OR YOU CAN JUST TRY LOGGING OUT AND LOGGING AGAIN.

UM, AT THIS POINT WE CAN NOT MAKE YOU A PANELIST.

UH, I CAN TRY THAT.

I LOGGED IN THROUGH THE LINK Y'ALL SENT ME, SO I CAN DO THAT AGAIN.

THANK YOU.

GREAT.

AND, UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, VICE-CHAIR RAMIREZ, DO YOU MIND INTRODUCING, I KNOW COMMISSIONER WITH BERNHARDT CON AND GLAAD, UH, SPONSORED THIS, BUT I KNOW YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK GETTING, UH, THESE, UH, ATTENDEES.

SO IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND GIVING US A LITTLE, A QUICK LITTLE INTRO, THAT'D BE GREAT IF YOU COULD.

YEAH.

YES.

UM, WE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION TO SORT OF ADDRESS JUST MORE OF THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPERTY.

WE HAVE SASHA ROSE AND CANDICE SWARM FROM AUSTIN MUTUAL AID AND CARLY JO DICKSON FROM THE TEXAS DEFENSE PROJECT, KIND OF SPEAKING FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.

AND WE ALSO HAVE DIANA GRAY HERE TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HEAL INITIATIVE AND THE INTENTION BEHIND THAT WAS TO SORT OF JUST SHOW THE CONTRAST BETWEEN SOME DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THIS IS BEING DEALT WITH ACROSS THE CITY.

SO, PERFECT.

AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO START WITH MS. GRAY? YES.

WONDERFUL.

MS. GREEN, PLEASE GO AHEAD.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

DIANA GRAY HERE, A HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

AND SO I'M HAPPY TO, TO SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE WE ARE ON THE HEAL INITIATIVE, UM, WHICH IS THE HOUSING FOCUSED ENCAMPMENT ASSISTANCE LINK, UH, WHICH WAS PASSED BY COUNCIL BEGINNING IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.

I DID FORWARD A SLIDE DECK TO STAFF, UM, NOT TOO, TOO TERRIBLY LONG BEFORE THE MEETING.

SO IF I NEED TO GIVE IT A GO WITHOUT THAT, I AM HAPPY TO DO SO.

I'LL JUST KIND OF START GOING THROUGH THAT PRESENTATION AND NELLIE, IF YOU OR OTHERS ARE ABLE TO BRING UP THE PRESENT THE SLIDE DECK ALL THE BETTER, IF NOT, WE'LL JUST, WE'LL MAKE IT WORK.

SO, AS I SAID, THE HEAL INITIATIVE WAS PASSED BY COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR OF FEBRUARY 4TH.

AND THE INTENT OF THE RESOLUTION AS STATED THERE IN IS TO IMMEDIATELY HOUSE PEOPLE, UM, OR IMMEDIATELY SHELTER PEOPLE AND WITH A PATH TO PERMANENT HOUSING, UH, FOR THE UNSHELTERED POPULATION AND HOUSING FIRST APPROACH SO THAT WE ARE GOING IN AND TARGETING AND CAMPUS, UH, FOR CLEARANCE.

BUT WE'RE NOT JUST ASKING PEOPLE TO LEAVE, BUT RATHER OFFERING CONCRETE RESOURCES FOR IMMEDIATE SHELTER AND, UM, HOUSING IN THE MIDTERM, UH, BUT WITH DEDICATED RESOURCES ATTACHED TO THAT.

AND SO THE, UH, AS I SAID, THE, THIS IS FRAMED AS PHASE ONE OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE.

UH, AND FOR THAT PHASE ONE COUNCIL ASKED US TO LOOK AT FOUR SITES ACROSS THE CITY, UM, IN NORTH AUSTIN, EAST AUSTIN, UM, SOUTH END IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT WITH SOME PARAMETERS AROUND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE SITES, UM, ET CETERA, UH, BUT WITHOUT NECESSARILY, UH, GIVING

[00:15:01]

AND SO JUST IN TERMS OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE INITIATIVE, THE WAY IT HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER, FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS AN OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT COMPONENT.

SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING PREDOMINANTLY WITH OUR HOST TEAM, WHICH IS THE HOMELESS OUTREACH STREET TEAM, UM, AS YOU KNOW, A MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE, UH, MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM, UH, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, STAFF FROM THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS, INTEGRAL CARE, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, COMMUNITY COURT, SOCIAL WORKERS AND APD, AND IN SOME CASES, PATH TEAM, WHICH IS ANOTHER OUTREACH TEAM THAT IS, UH, STAFF SOLELY OUT OF, OF INTEGRAL CARE WORRIES OUTSIDE OF THE, UH, THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.

SO THAT OUTREACH OCCURS, UM, TAKE ASSESSMENT OF WHO IS AT THE SITE, MAKE AN OFFER OF SHELTER AND OF HOUSING.

UM, AND, UM, AT THAT POINT POINT, USUALLY THE MOVE WOULD HAPPEN FAIRLY QUICKLY THEREAFTER.

UM, AT THAT POINT, THEN FOLKS ARE OFFERED SHELTER.

WE OPENED UP IN JUNE, UH, THE SOUTHBRIDGE SHELTER, WHICH WE CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, HERE IN A MOMENT, BUT IT'S A CONVERTED HOTEL.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NON CONGREGATE SHELTER, VERY, UM, DIFFERENT AND OFTEN EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO ACCEPT, UH, GOING INTO A HOTEL ROOM RATHER THAN A COT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH VERY LITTLE PRIVACY AND CONGREGATE SHELTER.

AND, BUT THE IDEA OF THAT SHELTER IS THAT IS TRULY BRIDGE SHELTER THAT EVEN AS PEOPLE ARE ENTERING, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE IN WHAT WE HAVE A SERVICE PROVIDER WAITING AT THE READY TO ENROLL THEM IN THEIR PROGRAM WITH BOTH CASE MANAGEMENT AND HOUSING, UM, HOUSING RENTAL SUPPORTS AVAILABLE TO THEM.

SO THAT IT IS REALLY JUST A MATTER OF GETTING THEM ENROLLED, FINDING THE HOUSING, UM, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE WORKING THROUGH THE APPLICATION AND ACCEPTANCE PROCESS, UH, BUT FINDING THEM PERMANENT HOUSING SO THAT WE'RE, THEY'RE STAYING IN THE BRIDGE SHELTERS RELATIVELY BRIEF.

UH, AND THEN I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS, YOU KNOW, HE'LL WAS PASSED BEFORE PROP B PASSED.

AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF VERY VIGOROUS DISCUSSION ON THE DIOCESE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SPIRITED, UH, COMMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT IT MEANT TO BE DOING THIS WORK, UM, AND, UH, SEEKING VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE AT THE TIME.

IT DID NOT, WE WERE, WE WERE POTENTIALLY RELOCATING SITES OR PEOPLE WHO ARE AT SITES WHERE IT MAY HAVE AT THAT TIME BEEN, UM, TO BE CAMPING IS NO LONGER THE CASE, BUT WE ARE STILL REALLY, UM, FOCUSED ON, UH, YOU KNOW, THE BELIEF AND, AND OUR EXPERIENCE SO FAR, UM, UH, REITERATE THIS, THAT PEOPLE WANT SHELTER AND HOUSING.

AND SO PEOPLE ARE TYPICALLY VOLUNTARILY RELOCATING.

UH, I THINK THAT IF WE COULD GO TO SLIDE THREE, I THINK IS NEXT.

SO, UH, ACTUALLY WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO TO FOUR.

SO ESSENTIALLY, AS I SAID, THERE WERE THREE SITES THAT WERE, THAT WERE IDENTIFIED, UM, THROUGH THIS FIRST PHASE OF THE INITIATIVE SHOULD HEAL.

SHOULD THERE BE A PHASE TWO OF HEAL? AND WE CONTINUE TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK.

ONE OF THE TASKS SETS WILL BE, WE WILL BE CHARGED WITH IS IDENTIFYING A PROCESS OR, UM, PRIORITIZING AND CAMP MINUTES, UH, WITH A REAL EYE TO HEALTH AND SAFETY, AS WELL AS EQUITY IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE TARGET THESE RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, AT THE BEN WHITE SITE, WHICH I'LL DESCRIBE HERE IN A MOMENT WE'D HAD, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE PEDESTRIAN VEHICLE FATALITIES, RIGHT.

AND ACCIDENTS.

SO REALLY LOOKING AT FLOOD RISK, FIRE RISK, YOU KNOW, VEHICLE RISK, ET CETERA.

THE REALITY IS THAT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT IS NOT, UH, HEALTHY, NOR SAFE FOR PEOPLE TO BE LIVING OUTDOORS FOR THE MOST PART IN GENERAL.

SO THERE'S ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT, DANGEROUS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL BE DOING AS WE COMPLETE THIS INITIAL BAYS IS REALLY LOOKING TO DEVELOP A DATA-DRIVEN WAY TO IDENTIFY WHERE WE DO THE WORK.

SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO W ONE OF THE REASONS, YOU KNOW, WE DID NOT COUNSEL DID NOT EXPLICITLY IDENTIFY THE LOCATIONS OF THE SITES, UM, UH, BOTH TO GIVE STAFF SOME LATITUDE TO ADJUST AS NEEDED, BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE WANTED TO BE, UH, TO HAVE AN ORDERLY PROCESS AND NOT HAVE THE PERVERSE SORT OF IMPACT OF DRAWING PEOPLE INTO A SITE THAT WE WERE SEEKING TO CLEAR, AND THEN NOT BEING ABLE TO SHELTER ANY OF THEM, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A SPACE IN SHELTER, BUT WE HAVE NOW COMPLETED TWO SITES BEGINNING, UH, IN, IN JUNE.

SO OVER

[00:20:01]

AND THEN JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, UH, WORKED ON THE ENCAMPMENT AT THE UNDERPASS AT BEN WHITE AND MANSHACK, AND THAT WAS ABOUT 50 PEOPLE.

SO, UM, WE STILL HAVE TWO SITES TO DO.

I ANTICIPATE US COMPLETING THE THIRD SITE THIS MONTH, UH, AND THEN ARE STILL HOPING THAT WE CAN COMPLETE THE FOURTH SITE, BUT BY THE END OF THE SUMMER, THAT REALLY WILL WE DO AT THAT POINT, IT BECOMES DEPENDENT ON HAVING ENOUGH ROOM IN SHELTER, UH, THROUGH PERMANENT HOUSING PLACEMENTS, AS PEOPLE MOVE OUT OF SHELTER AND INTO HOUSING THAT WE HAVE SPACE IN SHELTER.

UM, I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY THAT JUST IN TERMS OF NUMBERS, UH, OVER 90% OF PEOPLE WHO WERE OFFERED SHELTER AND HOUSING TOOK IT.

SO THE SORT OF IT SORT OF BELIES THE THING THAT WE HEAR SOMETIMES IT, WHICH IS PEOPLE JUST REALLY DON'T WANT TO GO TO SHELTER.

THEY DON'T WANT HOUSING.

THEY WANT TO LIVE OUTSIDE.

THAT HAS NOT BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE THUS FAR, UM, OF THE 70 PEOPLE WHO WERE TRANSFERRED TO SOUTH BRIDGE, 67 IS SHUT LAST COUNT.

AS OF LAST FRIDAY, AT LEAST REMAINED.

UM, WE WILL HAVE PEOPLE WHO, UM, WHO HAVE INTERACTION WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER OUTSIDE OF THE SHELTER, UH, ENVIRONMENT AND, AND, AND, AND GO TO JAIL.

OR WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED, UH, FOR PRIMARY CARE NEEDS, UH, ET CETERA.

AND THEN WE WILL HAVE PEOPLE WHO LEAVE OR WHERE, UM, WHERE, WHERE THERE COULD BE A BEHAVIORAL ISSUE, UH, AND ARE ASKED TO LEAVE.

I WILL SAY THAT THAT IS GENERALLY LESS OF AN ISSUE WHEN YOU HAVE A NON CONGREGATE SHELTER AND PEOPLE CAN BE IN A PRIVATE SPACE.

RIGHT.

UM, SO, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH, UH, TO SEE HOW THAT PLAYS.

I THINK IT WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND I'M VERY ENCOURAGED AT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING YES, AND COMING IN DOORS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE ATTRITION LOOK LIKE? WHAT'S OUR REAL, OUR REAL SUCCESS IS GETTING PEOPLE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING AND THEM STAYING THERE.

UM, SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF ENROLLING THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO, UH, HAVE MOVED FROM BOTH THE TERASA AND THE BEN WHITE SITES INTO, UH, THE PROGRAMS OF THEIR SERVICE, THEIR HOUSING SERVICE PROVIDERS, WHICH IN THIS CASE ARE, ARE INTEGRAL CARE AND FAMILY ELDER CARE.

UH, THEY'RE, I'M, I'M GETTING, I'M ACTUALLY GUESSING THAT THE NUMBER IS HIGHER THAN 50, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN, UH, SEVERAL DAYS SINCE I GOT AN UPDATE FROM THEM, BUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY THEY'RE READY TO ENROLL PEOPLE AS THEY COME INTO SHELTER AND START SERVING THEM.

WE DO HAVEN'T HAD HOUSING PLACEMENTS YET, BUT I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WOULD BEGIN THIS MONTH.

UM, SO WE WOULD BEGIN TO SEE THAT MOVEMENT INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.

NEXT SLIDE.

THE PREVIOUS ONE.

YEAH.

SO THIS IS THE SOUTHBRIDGE SHELTER, AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT.

UM, YEAH, I, I'M PROUD THAT WE STOOD IT UP AND GOT IT RUNNING.

IT IS NOT FULLY, THE RENOVATION IS NOT FULLY COMPLETE YET.

SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO DRIVE BY IT'S AT IT'S, UH, ON NORTHBOUND, UH, FRENCH ROAD NEAR OLTORF, UM, THAT IT STILL HAS CONSTRUCTION FENCING AROUND IT FROM WHEN THE RENOVATION WAS HAPPENING.

UH, WE SAW SOME WORK TO DO ON THE EXTERIOR LANDSCAPING AND FENCING, ET CETERA.

BUT I THINK THAT OVERALL, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN A NON CONGREGATE SHELTER AND HAVING THEIR OWN ROOM IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE ARE VALUING.

I WANT IT TO LOOK EVEN BETTER, UM, UH, OPENED IN JUNE.

WE, UH, OUR, OUR CONTRACT, UH, CONTRACTING WITH FRONT STEPS TO OPERATE THE SHELTER.

THEY WERE NOT QUITE READY TO OPERATIONALIZE IN JUNE.

AND SO WE ACTUALLY STOOD IT UP WITH, UH, CITY STAFF AND TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES.

UH, WE HAD SOME KIND OF A POOL OF AVAILABLE FOLKS WHO HAD, EXCUSE ME, THEN INVOLVED IN THE OPERATIONS OF PROLOGIS ACROSS THE CITY.

SO SIMILAR OPERATIONS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DRAW FROM, BUT REALLY STEWED THE FACILITY UP VERY QUICKLY, UH, AND HAPPILY NOW HAVE PASSED IT OFF FOR THE LONGER-TERM OPERATION, UH, WITH FRONT STEPS.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS QUICKLY.

THIS IS JUST SORT OF DRESSES IMMEDIATELY AFTER, OR AS PEOPLE WERE STILL MOVING, WE STILL HAD A FEW FOLKS THERE.

UH, AND THEN AFTERWARDS, AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE IS A PHOTO OF THE BEN WHITE SITE BEFORE AND AFTER I DO WANT TO COMMENT ON THIS BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE SAID, AND I SHARE

[00:25:01]

UH, HOWEVER, WE ALSO DON'T TAKE PICTURES OF INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION AND RIGHT, AND, AND, AND CONSENT.

AND SO THERE'S SOME PRIVACY ISSUES THERE, BUT I WANT TO JUST, I THINK BE CLEAR THAT WHILE I THINK IT, THIS VISUAL, YOU KNOW, IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE OUT OF SIGHT AFTER THE CLEARANCE, THE, THE REAL, THE REAL VALUE HERE IS FOR THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE SHELTER AND ULTIMATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE AND BELIEVE PERMANENTLY HOUSED THAT I THINK THAT, THAT MIGHT GO, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

I CAN'T REMEMBER IF WE HAVE ANY OTHERS.

THIS IS JUST, UM, UH, ONE OF OUR PARTNERS AT, AT, UH, AT INTERVAL CARE, UM, WHO IS, UH, IS HELPING US WITH BOTH.

WE DO HAVE ONSITE, UH, UH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, UH, WORKERS, UM, AT, UH, AT SOUTHBRIDGE.

UM, WE ARE MOVING TOWARD, WE BELIEVE OPENING UP A SECOND, UH, SHELTER, WHICH WILL ALSO HAVE THAT ONSITE, UH, SUPPORT IS CURRENTLY DURING BUSINESS HOURS.

YOU KNOW, I THINK WE PROBABLY CAN IMPROVE HAVE SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN TERMS OF SUPPORTS ONSITE, UH, OVER TIME.

UH, BUT WITH THAT, I WILL JUST TAKE QUESTIONS.

I'M SURE YOU'VE GOT A FEW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

DO YOU MIND TAKING THE SLIDE DOWN SO I CAN SEE THE DYESS AGAIN, PLEASE? AVA.

I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, DO WE WANT TO, LET'S GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FOR MS. GRAY, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE OUR FRIENDS FROM AUSTIN MUTUAL AID PRESENT.

WE STILL HAVE ABOUT 20 MINUTES.

SO I THINK WE'RE, UM, IF IT'S BETTER, IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO HAVE OTHER FOLKS PRESENT AND THEN TAKE QUESTIONS, THAT'S FINE, TOO.

WHATEVER WORKS.

UM, LET'S, LET'S SEE IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT OFF THE BAT, AND THEN MAYBE WE'LL GO, WE'LL GO THROUGH IT AGAIN.

UH, COMMISSIONER KIRKOFF, GO AHEAD.

YES.

AND, UH, THANK YOU, UH, DIANA FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

AND I THINK IT'S GREAT.

THE 90%, UH, THING, UH, THE OFFER TO BE HOUSED.

THAT'S VERY ENCOURAGING.

UM, MY QUESTION IS, WHAT KIND OF REASON DID THE 10% GIVE THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO ACCEPT YOUR OFFER? YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T HAVE A SHORT LIST.

IT IS ONLY, YOU KNOW, ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE AT THIS POINT.

UM, SOMETIMES WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS PEOPLE WON'T GIVE A REASON, BUT THEY MAY JUST LEAVE THE SITE.

SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE HAD THE COUPLE OF DAYS OF OUTREACH AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE RELOCATING, ET CETERA, THEY MAY NOT GIVE A REASON.

THEY MAY JUST GO FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

AND IT'S ONE THAT I CAN POSE TO OUR STAFF AND THE HOSTS TEAMS ABOUT WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? THE OTHER PIECE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMITMENT IS THAT SO LONG AS WE HAVE SPACE AT A SHELTER, IF ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS COMES BACK AND SAYS, I'VE CHANGED MY MIND, YOU KNOW, I I'D LIKE TO GO INTO SHELTER, YOU KNOW, WE, THAT, THAT OFFER STANDS.

GOOD.

THANK YOU.

AND DO YOU ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, COMMISSIONER HUDSON FLUFF, PLEASE.

GO AHEAD.

HI.

THANK YOU.

I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON THE PERMANENT, PERMANENT, PERMANENT HOUSING PORTION AND HOW, WHAT THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE FOR THEM.

AND I KNOW YOU SAY YOU'RE JUST GOING TO BE STARTING IT THIS MONTH, BUT WE'LL KIND OF WORK WITH THEM ON, ON HOW, HOW YOU ANTICIPATE TO MOVE THEM IN THERE AND QUICKLY HOW QUICKLY.

SURE.

SO THE PERMANENT HOUSING RESOURCE THAT THE LARGEST PROGRAM HOUSING RESOURCE ATTACHED TO THIS, UH, INITIATIVE, OUR RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS AND RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS OFFER A PRETTY ROBUST, BUT TIME LIMITED CASE MANAGEMENT AND RENTAL SUPPORTS.

AND SO THAT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM THREE MONTHS UP TO TWO YEARS OF ASSISTANCE WITH RENT AND CASE MANAGEMENT, SHOULD PEOPLE NEED IT? UM, RAPID REHOUSING IS ALMOST ALWAYS SCATTERED SITE IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO ONE OF THE ROLES OF THE SERVICE PROVIDER AND, AND, AND THEIR STAFF IS TO HELP PEOPLE FIND AN APARTMENT, RIGHT.

THAT, AND, AND THAT IS DONE OFTEN IN COLLABORATION WITH ECHO AND SOME OF OUR OTHER, UH, COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH LANDLORDS WHO WILL ACCEPT A NON, YOU KNOW, CONVENTIONAL APPLICANT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT PEOPLE MAKE COMING INTO HOUSING ARE GOING TO HAVE CREDIT SCORES OR GREAT RENTAL HISTORIES OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS.

SO THERE THEY'RE REALLY SOME, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH LANDLORDS, BUT THOSE, THOSE NON-PROFITS ARE WORKING ALL THE TIME TO PLACE PEOPLE.

WHAT WE KNOW.

I SAID, I THINK PROBABLY OUR BEST MARKER FOR

[00:30:01]

AND THAT THE AVERAGE, UM, FROM THE TIME SOMEONE WAS ENROLLED WITH THAT SERVICE PROVIDER TO HOUSING WAS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 60 TO 70 DAYS.

SO, UM, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE OVER TWO MONTHS, UH, WHICH IS WHY I SAY, BECAUSE WE MOVED OUR FIRST 20 FOLKS IN, IN JUNE, WE WOULD EXPECT TO BEGIN TO SEE PLACEMENTS, UH, SOMETIME RELATIVELY SOON.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS NOT EXPLICITLY PART OF THIS, UH, CONTINUUM, UH, IS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, WHICH IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, EVERGREEN, IF YOU WILL, LONG-TERM NON TIME LIMITED HOUSING SUBSIDY AND ONGOING VERY ROBUST SOCIAL SERVICES.

UM, AND THAT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE IT TENDS TO TAKE A LITTLE LONGER TO CREATE BOTH FROM A, EITHER FROM A, A LOCATIONAL STANDPOINT, CAUSE THAT WE DO SOMETIMES BUILD RIGHT CREATE UNITS, UM, THROUGH OUR HOUSING PROGRAMS. UH, BUT THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, TO BRIDGE AND FIND, FIND LINKAGES FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT.

WE SEPARATE CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY, WE HAVE A PIPELINE OF PSH UNITS AND PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE BEEN NURTURING AND CULTIVATING.

AND IT IS MY HOPE THAT FAIRLY SOON WE'LL BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'LL BEGIN TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S SCATTERED SITE, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO, YOU'VE GOT A HOUSING SUBSIDY, YOU KNOW, ABOUT YOUR, THAT IS LONG-TERM, IT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY AND THAT YOU HAVE CONTINUED CASE MANAGEMENT OR THAT WE, UM, WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO OPEN UP ONE OR MORE OF OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING APARTMENT COMPLEXES.

WE ACTUALLY JUST CLOSED ON, UH, ON A HOTEL TODAY, UH, THE BUNGALOWS, UM, ON MOPAC, UH, WHICH WE'LL BE WORKING WITH INTEGRAL CARE TO CONVERT TO PSH, SO SUPER EXCITING.

AND THAT WILL, I THINK, ADD TO THAT SORT OF PORTFOLIO OF PLACEMENTS THAT WE KNOW SOME PEOPLE MAY NEED.

RIGHT.

THANK YOU, ACTUALLY, UM, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO GET A COMMENT FROM A COLLEGE OF EXTENDED SOFTWARE, ROSA, THIS POINT, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU AND THEN WE CAN.

PERFECT.

UM, DO YOU WANT TO SET UP, OR DO YOU JUST WANT TO, UM, GO AHEAD AND HAVE CARLY JO AND SASHA MAKE THEIR, UH, COMMENTS HIGHLY? YES.

YOU GUYS JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES BRIEFLY BEFORE YOU SPEAK AND, AND, AND THAT'S IT.

I THINK, YEAH, THAT'LL BE GREAT.

AND YOU ARE BOTH ON MUTE.

I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO START.

UM, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR INVITING ME TODAY.

UH, MY NAME IS CARLY JO DIXON.

I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE TEXAS FAIR DEFENSE PROJECT, UM, AT TFTP WE AIM TO STOP THE CRIMINALIZATION OF POVERTY.

AND WHAT THAT MEANS PRACTICALLY FOR MY WORK IS THAT I STAND IN THE GAP WITH DIRECT SERVICES FOR FOLKS WHO ARE ENTANGLED IN THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM, BUT DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO APPOINTED COUNSEL.

SO THAT INCLUDES FOLKS WHO ARE ACCUSED OF AND CHARGED WITH CLASS C MISDEMEANORS, UH, SUCH AS THE OFFENSES UNDER CLASS B, I MEAN UNDER PROP B, UH, THAT CRIMINALIZE THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

SO WHAT I HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS IS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS NOW USING TICKETS, ISSUING TICKETS TO ENFORCE, UM, THE CAMPING BAN.

UM, LAST WEEK I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND SPEAK WITH SOME OF OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS.

WHO'VE ACTUALLY RECEIVED TICKETS FOR USING THEIR BASIC SURVIVAL GEAR, UH, SUCH AS TENSE.

UM, I WANT TO PAUSE AS WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, JUST TO, JUST TO REITERATE THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING UNDER OUR BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES CONTINUES TO BE A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AND THE PROCESS OF SENDING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHERS TO PUSH PEOPLE INTO THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM IS AN ADDED CRUELTY.

UM, PREVIOUS PHASES OF PROP B ENFORCEMENT HAVE INCLUDED OUTREACH.

UM, APD HAS BEEN HANDING OUT OUTREACH MATERIALS.

THEY ARE, IT IS A LIST OF PHONE NUMBERS.

THEY HAVE PUT TOGETHER FOR THE FOLKS.

I KNOW WHO'VE RECEIVED THOSE MATERIALS AND TRY TO CALL THOSE NUMBERS TO GET ASSISTANCE.

THEY HAVE BEEN DEAD ENDS, UM, OUTREACH DOESN'T WORK IF THERE'S NO CAPACITY.

AND RIGHT NOW THERE IS NOWHERE TO GO.

UM, I KNOW WE JUST HEARD ABOUT THE HEAL INITIATIVE.

UM, MOST OF THE CAMPS AND THE ENCAMPMENTS IN THE CITY DO NOT FALL UNDER THAT PLAN.

UM, AND UNDER PROP B, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.

LAW ENFORCEMENT IS SUPPOSED TO DO THREE THINGS.

THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO ADVISE PEOPLE BEFORE THEY ISSUE TICKETS OF WHERE IT IS LEGAL TO CAMP.

WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE NO LEGALIZED

[00:35:01]

UM, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GIVE PEOPLE RESOURCES OF AVAILABLE SHELTER, BEDS, AND HOUSING.

THERE ARE NO SHELTER BEDS.

THERE IS NO HOUSING AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE RIGHT NOW.

UM, AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO CONTACT SOMEONE FROM THE CITY TO TRANSPORT THEM TO SERVICES.

THAT ALSO IS NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING.

WHAT WE ARE SEEING AS LAW ENFORCEMENT IS GIVING TICKETS TO PEOPLE.

I CANNOT FIND IN TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THESE CAMPS, WHY SOME PEOPLE ARE RECEIVING TICKETS FOR CAMPING AND OTHERS ARE NOT IN THE SAME ENCAMPMENT.

UM, WHAT I CAN SAY IS TWO OF THE MEN I TALKED TO WHO RECEIVED TICKETS FOR CAMPING IN JULY HAD VISIBLE PHYSICAL DISABILITIES.

THEY HAD TROUBLE STANDING WALKING.

ONE OF THEM COULD BARELY GET OUT OF HIS TENT BECAUSE OF HIS MOBILITY ISSUES.

AND IN THEORY, PROP B HAS, YOU KNOW, A CATCHALL FOR THIS.

IT SAYS THAT IT'S AN AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE TO PROSECUTION IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY, BUT THAT ASSUMES THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET TO COURT.

THE CAMPING BAN IS NOW CITYWIDE.

AND SO IS DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURTS JURISDICTION.

IF SOMEONE RECEIVES A TICKET FOR CAMPING AT SLAUGHTER CREEK OR UP NORTH, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SOMEHOW FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIND THEIR WAY TO DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, VERY SHORTLY WON'T EVEN BE HOUSED IN DOWNTOWN ANYMORE.

UM, I DID SOME PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST, UM, AND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO ME BY DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT SAID THAT PEOPLE ARE WAITING A YEAR TO GET SERVICES FROM THEM.

DURING THAT TIME PEOPLE ARE GETTING WARRANTS AND THEY'RE GETTING FURTHER ENTRENCHED IN THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM.

WE HAVE FUNCTIONALLY TURNED THE CONDITION OF HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY INTO A CRIME.

UH, WE'RE ALLOWING THE REMOVAL OF OUTDOOR SHELTER AND PROP ME MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR INDIVIDUALS TO FIND ACTUAL PERMANENT HOUSING, SUSTAIN EMPLOYMENT, GET TRANSPORTATION, GET MEDICAL CARE.

UM, IF OUR AIM IS TO NOT ENTRENCHED PEOPLE IN THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT PERSON CENTERED LONG-TERM HOUSING SOLUTIONS.

THE PEOPLE I TALK TO ARE SCARED AND THEY'RE CONFUSED.

MANY PEOPLE SAID I'M GOING TO GO.

THE POLICE HAVE COME TO THE CAMP.

THEY'VE TOLD ME TO LEAVE.

I'M GOING TO LEAVE, BUT THEY'RE NOT MOVING INTO HOUSING.

THEY'RE GOING FURTHER INTO HIDING.

THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT GOING TO THE RIVER TO CREEK BEDS, TO WOODS PLACES WHERE THEY WILL NOT HAVE TO INTERACT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.

UM, AND THERE WAS A REAL FEELING OF DESPERATION.

ONE WOMAN WHO HAS CANCER TOLD ME SHE'S BEEN ON THE WAITING LIST FOR HOUSING, BUT SHE WILL PROBABLY DIE ON THE STREETS BEFORE SHE'S HOUSED.

SHE PLED WITH ME.

SHE WANTED TO KNOW WHY ISN'T SHE A PRIORITY.

SHE'S NOT IN A HEEL CAMP.

SHOULDN'T THE FACT THAT SHE'S SICK.

THAT SHE'S A HIGH RISK OF COVID MEANS SOMETHING TO GET HER INTO HOUSING INTO ONE OF THESE PRO LODGES.

UM, SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S GOING TO DO WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT COMES TO ARREST HER.

THANK YOU, MR. MS. ROSE AB CAN YOU UNMUTE MS. ROSE FOR HER? THERE YOU GO.

THANK YOU.

HI.

YES, I'M UH, THE DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN MUTUAL AID.

YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF US AS WE STEPPED UP.

THEN WE'RE A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION.

WE'RE REALLY A COLLECTION OF SMALLER GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT STEPPED UP DURING THE FREEZE.

DURING THE FREEZE, WE WENT VIRAL AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET NEARLY 500 PEOPLE INTO HOTELS TO SHELTER THEM DURING FREEZE.

UM, THEY ALL WENT BACK ONTO THE STREETS, OF COURSE, AND MY CONCERN RIGHT NOW, AND THE CONCERN THAT I'M HEARING FROM MANY OF US WHO DO CAMP SUPPORT.

AND FOR THOSE OF THEM WHO ARE IN CAMP SUPPORT IS THAT A LOT OF THESE CAMPS DO NOT QUALIFY FOR THE HEAL INITIATIVE I'VE HEARD.

UM, UM, I FORGET HER NAME NOW I'VE HEARD HER SHARE, UH, THAT THERE WERE 70, MAYBE 70, 20, MAYBE A HUNDRED PEOPLE WHO WERE OFFERED, UH, SERVICES THUS FAR.

WE'RE HEARING FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THOSE MAIN CAMP AREAS THAT ARE WONDERING WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

THEY HAVE A LOT, THEY'VE SEEN ALL THE SIGNS THAT SAY THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER LEGALLY ABLE TO CAMP THERE AND THEY ARE SERIOUSLY CONCERNED.

THEY'RE NOT BEING PROVIDED THE RESOURCES AND ALTERNATIVES THAT THEY WERE TOLD OR THAT THE, UH, SAVE AUSTIN NOW PROGRAM WAS SHARING THAT WAS GOING TO BE NEEDED OR GOING TO BE HAD.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY CONCERNED.

WE NEED AT LEAST ONE OTHER GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED CAMP.

UH, WHAT HAPPENED WITH, UH, THE ONE DOWN BY ESPERANZA WAS THAT, UH, THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION WAS ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.

IT

[00:40:01]

WHAT INTEGRAL CARE HEAL AUSTIN IS ABLE TO OFFER.

AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE STEPPING IN.

WE REALLY NEED TO BE SUPPORTED FINANCIALLY TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO OFFER THESE SERVICES.

SO RIGHT NOW, AUSTIN MUTUAL AID HAS A HOUSING INITIATIVE OF OUR OWN.

UH, WE HAVE, UH, AT LEAST A DOZEN PEOPLE THAT WE PUT BACK INTO HOTELS.

WE'RE ACTUALLY JUST PRIORITIZING THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT, AT THIS POINT, BEEN OFFERED ANY SERVICES.

THEY HAVE NOT BEEN OFFERED ANY ALTERNATIVES.

WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN WHEELCHAIRS, WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, FOR WHATEVER REASON, UH, UNSAFE.

SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR MORE SUPPORT AND WAYS TO WORK WITH THE GOVERNMENT AS GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS.

UM, UH, LET'S SEE.

YEAH.

WHAT WE'RE FINDING WITH THE PEOPLE WHO WE'RE PUTTING IN HOTELS IS THAT MANY OF THEM ALREADY HAVE SOME TYPE OF CRIMINAL RECORD.

THEY HAVE CRIMINAL TRESPASS.

UH, THEY HAVE TICKETS THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED PREVIOUSLY.

SO EVEN IN OUR OWN SMALL LITTLE GRASSROOTS, UH, UM, INITIATIVE, WE'RE REALLY STRUGGLING TO FIND THEM PERMANENT HOUSING, AND WE'RE NOT HAVING ACCESS TO THE SAME RESOURCES THAT YOU ALL DO.

SO WE'D REALLY LIKE TO BE WELCOMED TO THE TABLE.

I APPRECIATE BEING INVITED TO THIS MEETING.

THANK YOU, REBECCA.

UH, WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO BE WELCOMED TO THE TABLE IN ORDER TO HELP BRIDGE THIS GAP OF WHAT'S AVAILABLE.

WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ON THE STREETS, AND WHAT I'VE HEARD IS WE'VE OFFERED A HUNDRED PEOPLE HOUSING.

SO WE REALLY NEED SOMETHING TO HELP BRIDGE THE GAP.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS EARMARKED A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR THAT.

UH, F ROUNDS IS A GOOD, A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE ALLOWED TO AND SUPPORTED IN STEPPING UP AND HELPING BRIDGE THAT GAP.

UM, I THINK THAT'S IT, I'D LIKE TO REALLY, UH, YEAH, REALLY GIVE, PASS IT OFF TO CANDACE, WHO IS ONE OF OUR PEOPLE WHO IS CURRENTLY, UH, IN OUR PROGRAM.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

UM, CANVAS, ARE YOU, UM, CAN WE HEAR YOU? I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HEARD, UM, OKAY.

I DON'T WANT TO USE MY CAMERA AS I'M NOT ON MY HAIR, BUT, UM, SASHA GROUP HAS REALLY LIKE REALLY, REALLY HELPED ME.

UM, I WAS IN THE WOODS ACTUALLY UNTIL SASHA PUT, YOU KNOW, A HOTEL ROOM AND BEING OUT IN THE WOODS, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY VULNERABLE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE BEING PUSHED TO AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF PROPOSITION READING.

UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO SAY.

UH, NOT I'M A PRETTY STRONG WOMAN.

I'VE BEEN ON THE STREETS HERE IN AUSTIN FOR TWO YEARS.

UM, AND I HAVE GOOD SURVIVAL SKILLS, BUT I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY HAS THAT.

LIKE I WAS WORKING ON A DOCUMENTARY TO, UH, SHINE SOME EDUCATION ON WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ON THIS SIDE OF THE FENCE.

AND, YOU KNOW, I FOUND SOME NUMBERS THAT WERE REALLY DISTURBING TO ME.

UM, ECHO REPORTED LAST YEAR THAT THERE WAS 3,100 PEOPLE IN AUSTIN THAT ARE DISABLED, BUT THE NUMBER IS CLOSER TO 5,000 AND OUT OF 5,000 PEOPLE, 70% OF THAT ARE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OUT OF 5,000 PEOPLE, 34% OF THAT OVER 34% OF THAT IS FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, YOU KNOW? AND SO OVER 70% OF THE PEOPLE HAVE A DISABILITY AND WE WANT TO CRIMINALIZE IT, YOU KNOW? UM, I JUST THINKING ABOUT THE CHILDREN THAT ARE NOT EVEN COUNTED IN THAT HEAD COUNT, LIKE IT'S, IT'S, IT BLOWS MY MIND.

UM, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED, I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYBODY LIKE ACTIVELY GOING OUT AND TRYING TO GET PEOPLE INTO HOUSING.

AND IT JUST, I JUST HAPPENED TO STUMBLE UPON THE AUSTIN MUTUAL AID GROUP.

YOU KNOW, IF IT WASN'T FOR SOME THIRD, TRYING TO RAISE FUNDS FOR MY OWN NONPROFIT THAT I'M TRYING TO GET STARTED.

IT LED ME TO ONE PERSON WHICH LED ME TO ALSO MUTUAL AID AND, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY HAVE SAVED MY LIFE.

MY BOYFRIEND JUST PASSED AWAY.

AND SO ME BEING IN A MOTEL ROOM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN LIKE A HUGE GODSEND FOR ME, BUT, UM, CAN, CAN, IS, CAN YOU SHARE ABOUT THE, UM, THE COVID, UH, UH, UH, THING THAT YOU FOUND PLEASE ABOUT THE LOOPHOLE ESSENTIALLY? OH, YES.

OKAY.

SO, UM, HOUSE BILL 1925 GOES INTO EFFECT, UM, IN SEPTEMBER AND I WAS LOOKING AT IT, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF HOURS AFTER IT WAS PASSED.

THERE'S ACTUALLY A LOOPHOLE IN HOUSE BILL 1925, UM, WHICH WOULD GIVE MAYOR ADLER THE, UM, THE RIGHT TO DEEM EVERY CAMP IN AUSTIN AS AN EMERGENCY SHELTER SITE.

UM, I THINK IT IS IN SECTION G OR H OF THE BILL, BUT IT TALKS ABOUT, UM, IF THE, IF WE

[00:45:01]

SO I HAD, UM, HAD MY BROTHER LOOK AT IT AND HE TOLD ME, YOU KNOW, HE THINKS IT'S A VALID THE POLL.

AND THEN SOMEBODY WITH THE APPLESEED, UH, LEGAL GROUP ACTUALLY LOOKED AT IT AND SHE SAID, YES, MA'AM.

I MEAN, IT IS A VALID, ACTUAL LOOPHOLE, AND THAT WOULD BUY SOME TIME AS LONG AS WE ARE UNDER THE STATE OF EMERGENCY, WHICH WE'RE ACTUALLY UNDER TWO RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF COVID AND BECAUSE OF THE WINTER STORM.

WELL, THANK YOU, CANDACE.

WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR SOME TYPE OF PRIVATE LAND OR GOVERNMENT LAND ACTUALLY TO BE DEEMED AS SAFE CAMP ROUNDS.

WE REALLY NEED THIS, UH, THAT NEXT STAGE OF CA UH, OF CAMPING PROPOSITION B IS, UH, HAPPENING IN SIX DAYS.

UH, SO PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THESE ENCAMPMENTS ARE NOT, IT DOESN'T EVEN SOUND LIKE THE HEAL INITIATIVE WHILE IT SEEMS VERY SUCCESSFUL, IS PREPARED TO OFFER PEOPLE ALTERNATIVES TO WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.

SO, UH, AS A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION WHO SPEAKS FOR A LOT OF GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, WE REALLY ARE REQUESTING FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND HELP IN PROVIDING MORE OF A, AN ALTERNATIVE.

WE JUST NEED CAMPGROUNDS WHERE PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO BE ARRESTED RIGHT NOW.

WE REALLY NEED SAFE CAMP ROUNDS.

WE HAVE CAMP SUPPORT.

WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO WILL FEED THEM.

UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO DO DONATIONS.

WE WORKED WITH SEVERAL CHURCHES, BUT WE REALLY NEED AN ALTERNATIVE.

WE ARE NOT READY TO MOVE INTO STAGE FOUR OF THE CAMPING BAN.

UH, THERE JUST AREN'T ENOUGH RESOURCES AVAILABLE.

THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PEOPLE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH BOOTS ON THE GROUND.

UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT REALLY SHARES.

IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, I'M HAPPY TO HELP.

YOU CAN EMAIL ME AUSTIN, UH, MUTUAL AID@GMAIL.COM AND WE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY ASKING FOR MORE OF YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE OUT OF TIME, BUT WE WON'T HAVE, WE'LL HAVE TIME FOR ANY QUESTIONS, BUT WE DO HAVE A, UH, RECOMMENDATION IN FRONT OF THE COMMISSION TO GET IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL THAT HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER BY VICE CHAIR, RAMIREZ AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BERNHARDT.

UH, I'D LIKE TO GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF DISCUSSION AROUND THAT, UM, UH, VICE CHAIR.

RAMIREZ, CAN YOU TAKE IT? YES, OF COURSE.

MUTED.

YES.

OKAY.

UM, SO I SORT OF PUT TOGETHER THE BROAD STROKES FOR A RECOMMENDATION TO SORT OF ADDRESS, UM, THE MOST IMMEDIATE THING, WHAT FELL, WHAT FELL MOST UNDER OUR PURVIEW.

I THOUGHT, UM, JUST TO ADDRESS THE GAP, THIS, THIS GAP THAT EVERYBODY KEEPS TALKING ABOUT THE CAPACITY WHERE WE'RE GOING TO ARREST, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S NOWHERE TO SEND PEOPLE YET.

SO, UM, I SENT OVER THE RECOMMENDATION EARLIER TODAY, BUT BASICALLY IT'S AT THE PUBLIC.

THE DRAFT THAT I PUT TOGETHER SAYS THAT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT SEE CITATIONS AND ARRESTS SET FORTH BY THE RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH WAS THE PLAN THAT WE WERE PRESENTED WITH LAST MEETING, UNLESS THE DIVERSIONS BEING OFFERED TO PERSONS, EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED, HOMELESSNESS INCLUDE A HOUSING OPTION.

UM, THERE ARE MYRIAD REASONS LISTED FOR WHY, UM, THIS FEELS APPROPRIATE.

UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UM, IT'S, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO AT THIS POINT SAY TO SAFELY AND HUMANELY RELOCATE PEOPLE.