[00:00:03]
THE NAMES, IF YOU WANT ME TO LET'S UH, GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
UM, HERE'S WHO I HAVE AS PRESENT, UH, CHAIR MOTWANI, UH, COMMISSIONER FADULU, COMMISSIONER WOODS.
UH, VICE-CHAIR POP COMMISSIONER, GARRETT, COMMISSIONER GARCIA, COMMISSIONER SLOAN, COMMISSIONER
SO I THINK WE CAN GET STARTED.
LET ME JUST GET THE AGENDA HERE IN FRONT OF ME.
[CALL TO ORDER]
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO ORDER AND THE AUGUST, 2021.AND 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, UH, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UH, STAFF AND COMMISSIONERS ARE LIKE, IT IS TYPICALLY NOT VERY EASY TO MEET IN THE EVENINGS AND EVERYBODY'S CONTRIBUTION OF TIME IS DEEPLY APPRECIATED.
IT'S A THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH WITH THAT SAID, WE'LL GO INTO CITIZEN COMMUNICATION BEFORE MOVING INTO OUR GENERAL AGENDA.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? NO SPEAKERS.
[1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WITH THAT SAID, WE CAN MOVE TO OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JULY 13TH MEETING.IF EVERYBODY COULD REVIEW THE BACKUP AND TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE MINUTES, OKAY.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THOSE MINUTES AND, UH, WE HAVE THAT WE WOULD BE GETTING A REPORT FROM COMMISSIONER DESOLTEL ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION WAS, IS THAT, UH, I WAS THAT, DID WE SAY HERC? ARE WE REFERENCING THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OR I'M, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK.
SO THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE, IS THAT WHAT THAT IS? RIGHT? OLYMPIAN THAT'S THAT'S A CORRECTION I CAN MAKE.
OPEN TO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION AS WELL AS ENTERTAINING A MOTION TO APPROVE.
GIVEN THE EFFORT MENTIONED, CORRECT.
I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
I'M ASSUMING GIVEN THE CORRECTION THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? OH, I'M SORRY.
WHO GAVE ME THAT MOTION? I DIDN'T SEE COMMISSIONER GARRETT WITH THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES WITH THAT.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? DO THE SECOND.
TALAVERA IT'S GOOD TO HEAR YOU.
AND WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER TOLLIVER.
ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE, OR INDICATE ALL OPPOSED AND ANY ABSTENTIONS, PLEASE MAKE IT VOCALLY CLEAR.
ALSO IF YOUR VIDEO'S NOT ON THE OAK HILL.
PASSES UNANIMOUSLY ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO
[2A. Briefing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2022 CSBG Budget and Community Action Plan (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health).]
TO A BRIEFING ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2022 CSBG BUDGET AND COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN WITH[00:05:01]
WHO'S THE MANAGER OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.CAN YOU HEAR ME GOOD EVENING? AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HEAR YOU.
WELL, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UH, HOPE YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES ARE SAFE AND HANGING IN THERE DURING THIS SURGE AND STAGE FIVE.
UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO DO THE, UM, REPORT ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT 2022 COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN AND BUDGET.
AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED, WE ARE REQUIRED BY TD HCA TO DO AN ANNUAL PRESENTATION OF THESE, UM, PLANS AND BUDGET OR, UH, APPROVAL.
SO I WILL, UM, STYLING NOW NEXT SLIDE, PUBLIC HUMAN REQUIREMENTS.
IT GIVES A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, EXPLAINING ANYTHING, UM, THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES AS DESCRIBED IN THE BUDGET AND COMMUNITY ACTION PLANNER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, UH, THE CSBG ACT STATES THAT THE PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO STATE AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES WORKING THROUGH A NETWORK OF COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES, SUCH AS OURS AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER IT BE REDUCTION OF POVERTY THAT REVITALIZATION OF LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF LOW INCOME FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS TO BECOME.
SELF-SUFFICIENT A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY HERE, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY INTERESTING IS THAT IT'S REALLY INCREDIBLE THAT THE CSBG GRANT WAS SET IN MOTION ALMOST 60 YEARS AGO ON AUGUST 28TH, 1963, DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING SENIOR GAVE HIS, I HAVE A DREAM SPEECH, UM, LESS THAN A YEAR LATER.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON FROM TEXAS HERE SIGNED INTO LAW.
THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 1964.
AND THAT KIND OF GOT THE DIALOGUE GOING CONGRESS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO CREATE PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE DISTA HEADSTART ENABLE THEIR CENTERS.
KING PLANTING THOSE SEEDS AND IT WASN'T UNTIL 1981.
WHEN ON AUGUST 13TH, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT TURNS 40 YEARS OLD, PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN SIGNED THE OMNIBUS BUDGET RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1981, WHICH INCLUDED OFF THERE WAS AUTHORIZING LANGUAGE ON CSBG.
SO IF YOU'RE OUT SOME FREE TIME AND THE ONE I LOOK AT HISTORY A LITTLE BIT, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THIS NAMES THAT YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT, UH, DONALD RUMSFELD IS ONE, UM, AND THERE ARE MANY OTHERS NEWT GINGRICH, IF YOU'RE A NUMBER WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN CSBG.
I INVITED TO KIND OF LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORY OF THIS AMAZING GRANT THAT KEEPS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS IS THRIVING AND HELPING FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO IT TURNS 40 IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN COMPONENTS.
UH, BASICALLY THE CAP SETS THE COURSE FOR THE NSU ACTIVITIES IN THE COMING YEAR, KIND OF GIVES US A ROADMAP.
SOME OF THE COMPONENTS ARE LISTED HERE.
THE TOP FIVE NEEDS A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, UH, WALTER AND NICHOLAS CAME AND PRESENTED ON THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT IDENTIFY THE TOP FIVE NEEDS, UM, FOR THIS AREA, GET THE POVERTY RATES, UH, PROVISION OF NUTRITIOUS FOODS, CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
WE LOOK AT THE GAPS IN SERVICES AND OUR PERFORMANCE TARGETS AND HOW TO ADDRESS THOSE AND SERVICE LOCATIONS.
THE TOP FIVE NEEDS THIS TIME AROUND, UH, WERE HOUSING, BASIC NEEDS, HEALTH EMPLOYMENT, AND EDUCATION.
PRETTY SIMILAR TO THE TOP FIVE NEEDS IDENTIFIED IN THE 2018 NEEDS ASSESSMENT BACK THEN HOUSING WAS NUMBER ONE AS WELL.
HEALTH WAS NUMBER TWO AT THE TIME EMPLOYMENT NUMBER THREE BASIC NEEDS FOR AN EDUCATION STATE AT FIVE.
SO BASIC NEEDS HAS KIND OF MOVED UP, UM, PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY GIVEN THE PANDEMIC AND THE ECONOMIC SITUATION FOR A LOT OF HER, THE COMMUNITY HERE.
JUST A LITTLE BIT ON THE POVERTY RATES HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS, AND THE US, NOTHING NEW THAT YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW.
UM, I ALSO LOOKED AT THE COMMUNITY, UH, ADVANCEMENT NETWORKS DASHBOARD AND IN 2019 11%
[00:10:01]
OF TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS LIVED IN POVERTY.THAT'S CLOSE TO ABOUT 150,000 PEOPLE.
MANY OF THOSE FOLKS ARE OUR CLIENTS.
IF YOU LOOK AT A FOCUS USING AN EQUITY LENS REALLY SHOWS THERE ARE VERSUS PARITIES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY AS SEEN IN THIS SLIDE CAN NOTHING NEW TO YOU GUYS SINCE THIS IS THE WORKER OR YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN AREAS WHERE THERE CONTINUES TO BE, UM, HIGH POVERTY RATES, UM, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS BASICALLY EXIST TO ADDRESS, UH, THE TOP FIVE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY AND OUR FUNDING.
WE DO THIS THROUGH A VARIETY OF SERVICES THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH FROM OUR MONTHLY REPORTS TO THIS COMMISSION, EXCUSE ME, CHAIRMAN.
THIS IS THE MISSION OF TOLERBER.
I NEED TO ASK ANGEL A QUESTIONS, PLEASE GO AHEAD, MR. KELLER, UH, UH, THIS PAST WEEKEND, UH, WE DID A BACK TO SCHOOL RALLY OF BACKPACKS, AND WHILE I WAS OUT THERE, IT TURNED A ROBINSON RECREATION CENTER.
I NOTICED THAT, UH, Y'ALL HAVE NOT, UH, FOR CDS AND THE LAST FEW YEARS TO BRING UP THE TEMPTATION THAT I REQUESTED JOHN TO DO THAT COMMISSIONER TYLER.
I DID NOT GET THE LAST SENTENCE.
MY LAST SENTENCE, I, IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, I'VE BEEN ASKING Y'ALL TO GET INFORMATION AND PRODUCTS OUT AT TRENTON ROBINSON RECREATION CENTER, LIKE YOU HAVE AT THE OTHER RECREATION CENTER.
AND AS OF THIS PAST WEEKEND, I LEARNED THAT Y'ALL HAVE NOT BEEN OUT THERE TO DO ANYTHING.
IF I COULD INTERRUPT COMMISSIONER COLLIVER, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND THE, UM, WE COULD BRING THIS QUESTION TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING THE CSBG SORT OF IN GENERAL, UH WHO'S WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION BEFORE WE EVEN GET TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, I'M TRYING TO GET INFORMATION BEFORE WE GET THE ITEM NUMBER THREE, RIGHT? UH, WELL, COMMISSIONER TODDLER, THIS ITEM IS, UH, THE BRIEFING ON THE, ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO GO.
BUT MY QUESTION IS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS THAT I HAVE REQUESTED TO GO TO TURNER ROBINSON RECREATION.
I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING OUT THERE AND, UH, IF I HAVE TO, I WILL BE OFF TO DIE FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT.
IF I DO NOT GET ANY INFORMATION THAT IS COMMISSIONER TOLERBER SHOULD REQUEST.
TOLERBER, I'LL SEE TO IT THAT WE RECOGNIZE YOU ON ITEM NUMBER THREE, AND WE CAN MAYBE PUT A FINER POINT ON WHAT YOU'RE REQUESTING AND, AND WHAT UH, ANGEL COULD DO ABOUT IT.
SO THE PROVISION OF NUTRITIOUS FOODS THROUGH OUR CENTERS, UH, WE PROVIDE FOOD PANTRY SERVICES, ESPECIALLY FOOD FOR FAMILIES, THE HEALTHY OPTIONS PROGRAM FOR THE ELDERLY OR PROGRAM DO MOBILE FOOD PANTRY, UM, AND OUR FOOD RECOVERY PROGRAM AND OUR HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM.
OUR CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES COMPONENT, ADDRESSING SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND HELPING OUR CLIENTS TRANSITION OUT OF POVERTY.
THIS IS A BROGAN THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO REVAMP IT DURING THE PANDEMIC.
[00:15:01]
AND THIS PROGRAM HAS HELPED PROVIDES ASSISTANCE.THEY HELP CLIENTS ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN INCOME ABOVE 125% OF FPL FOR AT LEAST 90 DAYS.
WE HAVE SOCIAL WORKERS WHO WORK WITH OUR CLIENTS, UH, FROM PRE WORK, THROUGH SOME TRAINING TO RESUME DEVELOPMENT, INTERVIEWING SKILLS, WHATEVER THEY NEED, UH, TO BE ABLE TO ENTER THE WORLD OF WORK AND MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT.
UM, OTHER OTHER SERVICES ARE INCLUDED HERE AND ALSO PROVIDE HELPING ASSISTANCE IN TERMS OF, UH, RENT ASSISTANCE, IF NEEDED BUS PASSES FOR TRANSPORTATION, SOME CRISIS INTERVENTION AND SHORT-TERM COUNSELING SERVICES AND BUDGETING AND FINANCIAL COUNSELING AS WELL.
SO I INCLUDED THE CAP, THE COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN AND THE BACKUP FOR YOUR REFERENCE, UH, THE CAP OUTLINES THE NEEDS, THE GAPS IN SERVICE SERVICE AND HOW THE NSU CAN BRIDGE THOSE GAPS.
UM, WHAT WE CAN DO TO, UH, TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS.
AND IT SAID SOME OUTCOMES THAT WE CAN MEASURE, UH, THESE ARE DICTATED BY TDAC.
UM, YEAH, AND IN THE CSBG WORLD, THERE ARE CALLED A NATIONAL PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, FMP APIS FOR SHORT.
UM, SO LOOKING AT THE HOUSING GAPS, EVEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEFINITELY NEEDED OUR SERVICES THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, OUR EVICTION PREVENTION IN THE FORM OF RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE AND THE OUTCOMES THAT WE, THE OUTCOME THAT WE MEASURE FOR THE STATES, IT IS A HOUSEHOLD TO AVOID EVICTION.
AND I REPORT ON THOSE NUMBERS EVERY MONTH DURING THE MONTH, THE REPORT, NEXT SLIDE, IN TERMS OF HEALTH, THE HEALTH GAP IDENTIFIED AS LACK OF AFFORDABLE HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THROUGH OUR FRAMEWORK, OUR SCREENING AND ASSESSMENTS BY OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES, THOSE ARE ALL FREE.
UH, SOME REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES, NUTRITIOUS FOODS AND EMERGENCY HYGIENE ASSISTANCE AS NEEDED THE OUTCOMES THAT THE STATE SETS FOR US TO MEASURE.
THESE SERVICES ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO DEMONSTRATED IMPROVED PHYSICAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING.
DAVID, JUST TO IMPROVE SKILLS WITHIN IT, TO THE ADULT ROLE OF PARENT AND CAREGIVERS, THAT'S TO OUR CAR SEAT PROGRAM, AND THEN SENIORS, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND CHRONIC ILLNESSES WHO MAINTAINED AN INDEPENDENT LIVING SITUATION, UH, THROUGH OUR, UH, OUR PROGRAM RIGHT NOW, OUR HEALTH SERVICES HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD DUE TO COVID OUR NURSES, WHERE WE ASSIGNED TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS PANDEMIC.
AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY AT OUR CONTACT TRACY IN VACCINE PODS, NURSE HOTLINE, ET CETERA.
ANOTHER MPI IS THOSE WITH EMPLOYMENT, SOME GAPS IDENTIFIED AS LACK OF AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE, LACK OF TRANSPORTATION, LACK OF EMPLOYMENT FOR PERSONS WITH CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS.
WHAT WE CAN DO THROUGH OUR FRAMEWORK.
AGAIN, IT'S HELPFUL TO JOB SEARCH FROM YOUR COUNSELING AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS TO OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT 2.0 PROGRAM.
UM, THE OUTCOMES THAT WE MEASURE IS NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED, ADULTS WHO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT, NUMBER OF CASE MANAGERS, ADULTS INCREASE INCOME AND OR BENEFITS.
AND THEN NUMBER OF PERSONS WHO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN INCOME OF 125% FOR AT LEAST 90 DAYS, UM, THAT HOW COME MEASURE IS SET BY THE STATE IT'S 43 OR THE NEIGHBOR'S SERVICES UNIT.
SO 43 TRANSITIONS, UH, PER YEAR IT'S PART OF OUR GRANT REQUIREMENTS.
WE PARTNER WITH OTHER AGENCIES THAT JUST WORKFORCE, WE DO THE BULK OF THIS WORK.
WE JUST GIVE A SMALL PIECE OF IT FOR THE CLIENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT COME TO US WITH THIS NEEDS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IN TERMS OF BASIC NEEDS, THE GAP IS LACK OF SUFFICIENT SUPPORT SERVICES TO MEET BASIC NEEDS.
THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE OUR FRAMEWORK AGAIN, IS NUTRITION, COUNSELING FOOD, SOME BENEFIT COORDINATION AND ADVOCACY, WHICH IS SNAP AND ACTUAL COACHING AND COUNSELING FOR CLIENTS WHO WHEN REQUESTED BUS PASSES AND A LOT OF REFERRALS AND LINKAGES TO OTHER AGENCIES IN AUSTIN THAT, UH, SPECIALIZE IN A LOT OF THESE OTHER
[00:20:01]
SERVICES THAT WE CAN'T PROVIDE INTERNALLY.THE OUTCOMES THAT THE STATE MEASURES IS SENIORS, INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES AND CHRONIC ILLNESS AND MAINTAIN INDEPENDENT LIVING SITUATION AS TO OUR NUTRITION PROGRAM AND INDIVIDUALS WHO REPORT IMPROVED FINANCIAL WELLBEING FROM US ARE, ARE INDIVIDUALS IN THE CASE MANAGEMENT 2.0 PROGRAM, THE SELF-SUFFICIENCY COUNSELING.
AND SINCE THE, UH, THE LAST NEED, WHICH IS EDUCATION, THE GAP WAS IDENTIFIED AS LACK OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH LOW INCOMES AND SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE IS PARTNERING WITH THE ACC.
UH, THE COMMON PROVIDE BASIC EDUCATION CLASSES TO OUR CLIENTS WHO SIGN UP AND THEN A LOT OF REFERRALS AND LINKAGES TO OTHER NONPROFITS AND AGENTS IN AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY, WORK WITH FOLKS AND, UH, ON EDUCATION, CAPITAL IDEA, ET CETERA.
AND, UH, THE OUTCOMES THAT ARE MEASURED FOR THIS IS ADULTS WHO DEMONSTRATE IMPROVED BASIC EDUCATION.
THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ENTER THE, UH, ACC CLASSES AND ACTUALLY IMPROVE, UM, BY THE END OF THE CLASS AND ALSO INDIVIDUALS TO OBTAIN A RECOGNIZED CREDENTIAL, A CERTIFICATE OR SOME SORT OF DEGREE RELATING TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL AND VOCATIONAL SKILLS.
THOSE ARE CLIENTS WHO ARE IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT AND IN SOME KIND OF TRAINING TO SKILL POINT OR, UM, ANOTHER HEAT WHO SEE LIKE THAT IN THE COMMUNITY CENTRAL TEXAS ALLIED HEALTH INSTITUTE IS ANOTHER ONE THAT WE PARTNERED WITH THIS PAST YEAR.
UH, THEY PROVIDE A LOT OF TRAINING ON ADVANCED MEDICAL ASSISTANT FOR A LOT OF THE TECHNICIAN, PHARMACY TECHNICIAN, THOSE TYPES OF, UH, UM, VOCATIONS THAT ARE IN DEMAND.
OUR SERVICE LOCATIONS, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, ARE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, BLACK KNIGHT, AND HE'S AUSTIN ON TOP OF IT, I SUPPOSE, WAS THAT A GOAL? IS THAT ST.
NOW WE HAVE SOME RV SITES TURN ROBERTS RECREATION CENTER.
UH, THE ONE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE THERE, UH, IS THE MOBILE FOOD PANTRY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK AND DOVE SPRINGS REC CENTER.
AGAIN, THAT IS ALSO, UH, PROVIDING, UM, MOBILE FOOD PANTRY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK AND, UH, OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, THE UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ANOTHER ONE OF OUR WE SITES, UM, SAME THING, GLOBAL FOOD PANTRY, UH, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE JUST STANDING UP OUR SATELLITE SITES.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER, WE'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR AWHILE NOW FOR THE NEW FOLKS.
UH, WE IDENTIFIED A NEED IN, UH, CERTAIN PARTS OF EAST AUSTIN, SORT OF NORTHEAST, AND THEN NORTH AUSTIN.
AND WE STARTED TO OPEN UP THESE TWO SATELLITE LOCATIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE YMCA TO BE ABLE TO DO SCREENINGS, ELIGIBILITY, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UTILITY ASSISTANCE, BUS PASSES, ET CETERA.
WE WEREN'T EVEN THINKING OF BRINGING OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES TO THOSE SITES, UM, TO PROVIDE SOME OF THE, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING SERVICES TO THE PANDEMIC.
AND, UH, THAT WAS PUT ON HOLD NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
PROGRAMS AND SERVICES A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR CURRENT EXPANSION, UH, ON TOP OF THIS REC AND COMMUNITY CENTER OPENED UP, UM, VERY RECENTLY LAST ALL THE TREMONT.
IT'S A VERY NEW, VERY NEW BRAND NEW LOCATION WHERE WE'RE REALLY EXCITED BE THERE, UH, STATE OF THE ART, UH, CENTER, UH, WE'RE PROVIDING ALL OUR SERVICES, DATA, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, INTUITY ASSISTANCE, SPECIFICITY, CASE MANAGEMENT, ET CETERA.
UM, WE'RE HOPING TO, AS THINGS HOPEFULLY IMPROVE WITH THE PANDEMIC, GET OUR SATELLITE LOCATIONS GOING AGAIN AT, UH, NORTH AND EAST YFCA, UM, THE HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM AND PARTNERSHIP WITH AMAZON AND THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK IS THE CURRENT, UM, EXPANSION FENDER REACH MORE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY OR FOOD INSECURE.
I'LL GIVE YOU SOME, UH, DATA THROWING MY MONTHLY REPORT AND A COUPLE OF ITEMS. UH, VERY EXCITING.
THE PROPOSED EXPANSION IS THE DOVE SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
THE PROJECTED HAPPENING IS 2023.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO, TO, TO OPEN THAT CENTER, IT'S GOING TO PROVIDE A, I THINK THERE'S IMMUNIZATIONS CLINIC THERE, A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, A WIC PROGRAM AND QUALITY CHILDCARE CENTER FROM SIX WEEK OLD, ALL THE WAY THROUGH PRESCHOOL, LOTS OF CLASSROOMS, 23,000 SQUARE FEET, SUPPOSED TO BE A BEAUTIFUL SPACE.
IT'S A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR GARDENS AND ART
[00:25:01]
WORK AS WELL.SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO REPORTING MORE AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE GRAND OPENING, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
OUR FUNDING ALLOCATION IN 2021, IT WAS $1,102,106 IN MARCH OF 2021 WILL RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL 93,522 AND DISCRETIONARY FUNDS.
WE USE THAT FUNDING TO PROVIDE OUR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UH, TO OUR CLIENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE 2022 ALLOCATION IS GOING TO BE THE SAME PRO THEIR STATE.
IT COULD, OR IT CAN VARY, COULD GO UP A LITTLE BIT, GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
USUALLY IT'S WITHIN $10,000 OF THIS AMOUNT, UM, AND THAT, WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GO? WELL, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
IT GOES TO PERSONNEL TO BE ABLE TO RUN THESE PROGRAMS, COMMUNITY WORKERS AND FOR SOCIAL WORKERS ARE, UM, ARE PAID WITH THESE FUNDS, UM, SMALL PIECE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
WE HAVE ABOUT 47 STAFF, THE OTHER STAFF FOR GENERAL FUND.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, UH, WITH WHAT'S LEFT OVER FROM THE CSBG FUNDS.
WE BUY BUS PASSES THROUGH THE TRANSIT EMPOWERMENT FUND GIFT CARDS FOR EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS.
UM, USUALLY CLIENTS WHO ARE IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT NEED MONEY FOR GAS, WORK, CLOTHES, BOOTS, TOOLS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOMEBODY HAS GIFT CARDS, UH, ONCE THEY BECOME EMPLOYED.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I'M OPEN TO THEM RIGHT NOW, OR YOU CAN ALWAYS EMAIL ME ALL THE, WHATEVER YOU PREFER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
AND CAN WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, ON KAYLA RELATED TO THE BRIEFING ON THE CSBG BUDGET FOR 2022? YEAH.
UM, YEAH, I FEEL, CAN YOU EMAIL ME THE, I DIDN'T SEE HERE ANY WEBSITE.
I KNOW THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO THE CENTERS, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY WEBSITE WHERE THEY CAN FIND ALL THIS INFORMATION? UH, YES, I CAN.
I CAN EMAIL YOU THAT PUT AN EMAIL IT TO ALL OF YOU, JUST AS A REFRESHER, I'LL SEND YOU OUR FLYER, OUR WEBSITE, UM, ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS BRIEFING? LET'S MOVE INTO
[2B. Conduct a public hearing to receive comments on the proposed Fiscal Year 2022 CSBG Budget and Community Action Plan, as required by 1) US Department of Health and Human Services, and 2) the Texas Administrative Code, Title 10, Part 1, Chapter 6, Subchapter B, §6.206 (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health).]
IT AND TO ITEM TWO B, WHICH IS TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE THE COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2022 CSBG BUDGET AND COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN AS REQUIRED BY THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TITLE 10 PART ONE CHAPTER SIX AFTER B.UH, AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT I'M KIND OF UNHANDLED.
UH, I'LL LEAVE THAT TO YOU AS IN AS MUCH AS WHAT THE PROTOCOL IS HERE.
UH, BASICALLY, UH, IF ANYBODY SIGNS UP TO GIVE COMMENT, ASK QUESTIONS, UH, I'M HERE FOR THAT.
IF THERE IS NO ONE TO DO THAT, WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS A PROPOSAL OF APPROVAL.
SO WITH THAT SAID, I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP, BUT COMMISSIONER DOLLIVER DID HAVE QUESTIONS AND THEY MAY PERTAIN, UH, TO THE PROPOSED 20, 22 BUDGET.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE TO SEE IF THEY DO OR DON'T, UH, COMMISSIONER PALAVER.
UH, DID THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE THEY WOULD PERTAIN TO THE PROPOSED, THE PROPOSAL AND PASSAGE, UH, OR AT LEAST THE APPROVAL RATHER, UH, UH, OF THE BUDGET FROM OUR SIDE? OR DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR QUESTION MIGHT BE A MORE APPROPRIATE IN AGENDA ITEM THREE IN THE GENERAL BRIEFING ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, YOU MAY BE MUTED.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE THESE GIFTS CARDS OUT
[00:30:02]
AND THIS SHEET TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE TO TAKE THE VACCINE.CAN ANGEL EXPLAIN THAT TO ME? I CAN EXPLAIN IT IN TERMS OF THE NEIGHBORS SERVICES UNIT, THESE GIFT CARDS FROM A BETTER CSPT FUNDED OR USED, OR OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT CLIENTS.
SO
WE ALWAYS USE A PORTION OF OUR CSBG FUNDING FOR GIFT CARDS.
LIKE I SAID, AGAIN FOR OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT CLIENTS.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, ANGEL IS THE ONES THAT HAVE HAD THE VACCINATION.
IS IT WRONG FOR YOU TO GIVE A GIFT CARDS TO, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOT PARTICIPATED IN GETTING THE VACCINE SHOTS ANSWERED THAT QUESTION, PLEASE ENABLED NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, UNIT OR GIFT CARDS ARE ONLY FOR THOSE CLIENTS WHO ARE IN SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT.
I CAN NOT SPEAK FOR THE REST OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH OR PLAINTIFFS MAY NOT HAVE TO, OH, THANKS.
YOU'RE PART OF AUSTIN HEALTH, RIGHT? AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH.
YOU WERE PART OF IT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
MY UNDERSTANDING IN THE LAST 26 HOURS THAT Y'ALL WANTED TO GIVE OUT THESE GIFT CARDS FOR PEOPLE TO GET BACK TO NATIVE THAT HAS NOT BEEN VACCINATED.
THIS IS AN INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO GET BACK TO NATIVE.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING SINCE I DID NOT HAVE NO INCENTIVE TO, TO GET MY VACCINATION, HOW ARE Y'ALL ABLE TO COME OUT AND LAST YEAR'S BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS, UH, COMMISSIONER TAULOV OR ARE THE BUDGET PRESENT ON IS ONLY FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNITS.
SO IT'S ONE VERY SMALL PIECE OF THE OVERALL BUDGET FOR THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
I CAN NOT SPEAK TO THE REST OF THE BUDGET.
UM, AND I, I COULD TRY TO FIND OUT FOR YOU WHAT THE PLAN IS IN TERMS OF THE INCENTIVES, UH, FOR VACCINATIONS.
I HAVE NOT HEARD, BUT I CAN FIND OUT FOR YOU.
I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER WORD, BUT CUTE SONG AS THE BUCK KEEP ON PASSING, UH, COMMISSIONER TOLERBER I, UH, AND I THINK, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS QUESTION IS BETTER.
UH, CHAIRMAN, HOW LONG CHAIRMAN I HAVE DEALT WITH THIS AND THE LAST 2016, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION THAT I HAVE REQUESTED INFORMATION, THAT INFORMATION I HAVE NOT RECEIVED.
SO I'M LOOKING AT THE SITUATION THAT THE BOAT IS JUST GOING PAST US.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? AND IF I'M IN THE WRONG, SOMEBODY NEED TO COME TO ME AND SHOW ME WHEN I'M WRONG, BUT I HAVE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION, BUT EVER SINCE 2016, AND IT'S STILL THE SAME THING, THE BELT KEEP GOING, NOBODY KNOWS THE TRUTH.
AND I WANTED THE COMMISSIONS TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH.
IF IT'S CAUSING THEM PROBLEMS, I WILL GO OFF TO DIE IN THE NEXT 20 MINUTES.
I WILL NOT BE ON THE DIE IN THE NEXT 20 MINUTES.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO KNOW COMMISSIONER TALL OVER THAT.
UH, SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THIS ROLE, WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING, UM, SERVICES THAT TURNED TO ROBERTS.
WE PROVIDED A MOBILE FOOD PANTRY.
LIKE I MENTIONED, IN MY REPORT, WE'VE HAD PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES THERE AS WELL DURING THOSE EVENTS, UH, INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICES, AND ALSO, UH, PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT OUR RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
SO WE, WE HAVE BEEN A PRESENCE
[00:35:01]
THERE.AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER TOLLIVER.
UH, WE WILL, I'LL, I'LL CHECK IN WITH, ON HAIL TO SEE TO IT THAT HE MAY CONNECT YOU WITH THE APH CONTACTS.
IT MIGHT BE ABLE TO PUT A FINER POINT, UH, AND RESPONSES TO SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS AROUND INCENTIVES AND VACCINATIONS.
AND WE'LL ALSO REACH OUT EMAIL YOU AND FOLLOW UP WITH RESPECT TO THE SPECIFIC POINTS OF CLARITY OF CLARIFICATION THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
UH, UH, APPARENTLY FOR SOME TIME NOW WE'LL FOLLOW UP.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UH, RATHER DURING THIS HEARING, BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE PASSAGE, UM, I'VE GOT A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, IN THE PRESENTATION IT TALKS ABOUT, UM, EVICTION PREVENTION, UH, MORE SO AROUND RENTAL ASSISTANCE, AND THEN THERE'S ADDITIONAL BACKUP, UM, FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING THAT THE LAST SERIES OF TABLES AND ON PAGE SIX, IT TALKS ABOUT EVICTION PREVENTION SERVICES AROUND, UM, COUNSELING, TENANT, LANDLORD MEDIATION, UM, MEDIATIONS AND INTENDED LANDLORD, TENANT RIGHTS EDUCATION.
IS THERE ADDITIONAL SERVICES AROUND, UM, COUNSELING AND MEDIATIONS FOR EVICTIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE CSBG SERVICES FOR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS? UM, OR IS IT ER, EVICTION PREVENTION ONLY AROUND BRINT ASSISTANCE? THAT MAKES SENSE.
THE SERVICES THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO SERVICES, I THINK IS FOUR F OR G AND FOUR H THEY'RE VERY SPECIFIC TO BASICALLY WORKING WITH THE LANDLORD IN TERMS OF THE RENT OWED.
SO BASICALLY LIKE THE SOCIAL WORKER, HAVING A DIALOGUE WITH THE LANDLORD CAN THE CLIENT TO WORK, QUOTE UNQUOTE, WORK THINGS OUT.
SO IF WE CAN'T, WE REFER PEOPLE TO OUTSIDE AGENCIES AT THE TENANTS COUNCIL, UM, AND OTHER NONPROFITS.
IT'S A VERY KIND OF SMALL, SPECIFIC SERVICE, AS YOU CAN TELL FROM OUR, UM, TAB, WE DON'T DO A LOT OF IT.
A LOT OF IT IS NOT REQUESTED OF US.
UH, BUT WHEN WE SEE THE NEED, UH, WE DO INDIVIDUALIZE IT TO THAT SPECIFIC TENANT AND WORK WITH THEM.
A LOT OF TIMES SHE DOESN'T GET TO THAT LEVEL.
WE'RE ABLE TO ASSIST WITH THE RENT AND THE CLIENT IS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR HOUSING.
DID WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
UM, FOR THE LAST 40 MINUTES, I'VE BEEN FILLING AGAIN WITH TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES THROUGH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, AS YOU LOOK TO THE RIGHT I'M ON HERE AS AN ATTENDEE AND NOT A PANELIST.
SO AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY THIS HAS BEEN THE THIRD TIME.
THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME, SO I'M NOT REALLY HAPPY.
SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD AS YOU ALL HAVE MOVED FORWARD WITH THE AGENDA AND MAKE SURE THAT I'M ALSO MARKED AS ATTENDANCE AS WELL.
UM, I DO WANT TO SECOND, UH, COMMISSIONER TALL OVER ON THE STATEMENT THAT HE JUST PROVIDED TO APH, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE VETERANS TO THIS BOARD.
UM, WE ALSO DO NEED TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION SINCE A NEW BOARD, DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE BEEN REQUESTING AND WAITING FOR SOME DATA THAT STILL HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED.
AND EVERY TIME A COMMISSIONER ASKS FOR SOMETHING FOUR YEARS AGO, WE SIT HERE AND WE WAIT EVERY YEAR TO CIRCLE BACK TO THAT AGENDA ITEM OF DISCUSSION.
SO I DO WANT TO REITERATE WHAT COMMISSIONER TALK TO ALL OF HER JUST STATED, UM, BECAUSE IT IS FRUSTRATING, ESPECIALLY IT IS EVEN MORE FRUSTRATING FOR ME THAT WEB NEXT OR WEB X I HASN'T HA IS NOT ABLE TO LOG ME IN, BUT YET I'M IN CITY ZOOM NEEDS.
I CERTAINLY, NO, IT'S A COMPLAINT.
I WASN'T FINISHED CHAIR FINISHED, LIKE I SAID, 40 MINUTES TRYING TO LOG IN.
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND ALL COMMISSIONERS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS ARE LIMITED TO THE AGENDA ITEM AT HAND.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AS RELATED TO THE AGENDA ITEM TWO B
[00:40:01]
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE[2C. Discussion and possible action on the proposed Fiscal Year 2022 CSBG Budget and Community Action Plan (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health).]
TO AGENDA ITEM TWO 30, WHICH ON HILL, UH, AGAIN, I'LL DEFER TO YOU IN AS MUCH AS, UH, PROCESSES CONCERNED HERE.UH, YES, THE PROCESS IS, UH, WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSION ALREADY.
I'LL FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ASKS, UM, AND LETTING YOU GUYS KNOW.
AND THEN RIGHT NOW IT'D BE FOR YOU CHAIR TO, UM, MOVE, TO APPROVE THE CABIN BUDGET SO THAT I CAN SUBMIT THAT TO THE STATE.
AND SO ON KAYLA, IF I WERE TO SUMMARIZE WHAT I'M SEEING IS THAT IT'S EFFECTIVELY RENEWING THE SAME BUDGET FOR THE CSBG, WHICH IS THAT 1 MILLION, A 106,000 NUMBER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, 1 MILLION 1 0 4.
UM, AND THAT NUMBER TO BE CLEAR IS FROM THE CSBG AND GOES TOWARD THE 14 STAFF MEMBERS THAT YOU IDENTIFIED.
UH, AND THAT'S A FRACTION OF THE TOTAL NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES BUDGET.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
UH, SO WE'RE EFFECTIVELY RENEWING THE ALLOCATION TOWARD EXISTING STAFF MEMBERS FOR THAT FRACTION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT, UH, UH, WHICH AGAIN, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES AGAIN, IS A PORTION OF APH AS A WHOLE, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND WITH THAT SAID, UNLESS WE HAVE ANY MORE DISCUSSION, I WOULD LOVE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE OR SUPPORT, UH, THIS PROPOSED, UH, 20, 22 CSB THE BUDGET AND COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR? OKAY.
MOTION TO THE DOCTRINE OF THE CSBG BUDGET.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS VICE-CHAIR POP, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
WE HAVE A MOTION APPROVED BY VICE CHAIR.
POP, DO WE HAVE A SECOND SECOND, MR. GARRETT.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
OR RAISE YOUR HAND TO INDICATE THE SAME.
PLEASE SAY NAY OR WELL, OR INDICATE NOW VOCALLY.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY.
ON, UH, FOR THE THOUGHTFUL PRESENTATION AND ALSO FOR YOUR YEARS OF COMMITTED SERVICE, UM, YOU ARE THE STAR OF THIS EVENING AS YOU HAVE
[3. COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT (CSBG)]
THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE, A A, WHICH IS YOUR TRADITIONAL BRIEFING ON THE CSBG.I WAIT FOR IT TO BE BROUGHT UP AND YOU KNOW, THIS FOR OUR NEWER COMMISSIONERS ON HAIL BRIEFS.
I SAY EVERY MONTH ON THIS COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT THAT WE JUST ALL APPROVED THE, OR WE JUST ALL RECOMMENDED, SUPPORTED THE BUDGET FOR, UH, SO, UH, EACH MONTH WE'RE ABLE TO SEE INCREMENTALLY THE PROGRESS, UH, AT THE, THIS GRANT IS MAKING, UM, WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT.
SO, YES, FOR THE NEW COMMISSIONERS, I GIVE A PROGRAMMATIC FINANCIAL REPORT.
I ALSO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT SOME THINGS.
THIS IS ALSO IN THE BACKUPS, SO I DON'T GO IN DETAIL THROUGH IT, BUT I DO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF OUR BRIGHT SPOTS AND THEN SOMETIMES SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES AS WELL.
UM, KEEP YOU GUYS ABREAST OF EVERYTHING.
SO PATIENT NUMBER ONE, AGAIN, REMINDER THAT THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT FUNDS TO DELIVERY OF SERVICES, TO LOW INCOME TEXAS RESIDENTS IN ALL 254 COUNTIES IS SUPPORTIVE VARIETY OF SERVICES, WHICH I MENTIONED ALREADY IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION AND MONTHLY, UH, BASIC NEEDS, PREVENTIVE HEALTH CASE MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS.
UM, WE'RE ON TRACK TO FULLY EXPEND THESE FUNDS.
UM, BY DECEMBER, IF WE DON'T ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION, USUALLY THCA WILL GIVE US AN EXTENSION THROUGH MARCH OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
SO AGAIN, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, IT SAYS, UH, OFTEN PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT ON THE Y 21 COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN.
SOME OF THE MEASURES I REFERENCED IN MY PREVIOUS PRESENTATION OR ARE HERE THE TOP, WHICH IS OUR MAIN MEASURE GIVEN BY THE STATE WHEN WE RECEIVED
[00:45:01]
THIS $1.1 MILLION IS TO BE ABLE TO TRANSITION 43 INDIVIDUALS OUT OF POVERTY IN ANY GIVEN YEAR.UH, WE ARE AT ZERO NOW, A LOT OF OUR, UH, STAFF WERE REDIRECTED TO DO RENT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE, WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY THE BULK OF OUR WORK ON TOP OF, OF ADDRESSING THE FOOD INSECURITY.
UM, OUR SOCIAL WORKERS DID TAKE THE TIME TO KIND OF REVAMP AND, UH, HANDS OUR CASE MANAGEMENT, 2.0 PROGRAM.
UH, WE MAY EVEN MEET THAT GOAL BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
UH, WE'VE BEEN IN REALLY GOOD PARTNERSHIP WITH SKILL POINT AND OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE PROVIDING THE TRAINING.
WE COME IN AND PROVIDE THE, UH, ANCILLARY SUPPORTS COUNSELING, THE, UH, GIFT CARDS, THE BUDGETING, UM, BASICALLY JUST BEING THERE FOR FOLKS WHO NEED THAT EXTRA BIT OF HELP COULD BE UTILITY ASSISTANCE, RENT ASSISTANCE, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, DON'T LET A ZERO, WHERE ARE YOU? UH, WE WILL BE GETTING, UH, TRANSITIONS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UH, IF YOU GO DOWN, I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE FM PIE OR EITHER HOUSEHOLDS WILL EVICTION, UH, THROUGH A SEPARATE, UH, GRANT.
WE'VE GOT THE CSBG CARES THAT GRANT, WHICH I TALKED TO YOU GUYS ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ASSIST A LOT OF FOLKS, UH, WITH, WITH THOSE FUNDS.
UM, MOST OF THOSE FUNDS WENT TO RENT ASSISTANCE.
OUR TARGET WAS 1200 HOUSEHOLDS.
AND ACTUALLY YOU'VE SEEDED THAT
WE HOPE TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND THAT WITH A HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM AND HOPEFULLY BRING THEM BACK OR FISH AND FOR FAMILIES PROGRAM THAT WAS PUT ON HOLD DUE TO COVID, THOSE WERE VERY WELL ATTENDED, BUT IT WAS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE COMING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS AT ONE TIME, WHICH AS YOU ALL KNOW, IS NOT ACTUALLY PRETTY DANGEROUS, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC.
SO WE HAD TO PIVOT AND DO FOOD DELIVERY, UH, CURBSIDE DRIVE UP, AND, UH, SOME OF OUR PPE EVENTS WHERE WE, UH, DISTRIBUTED THE EMERGENCY FOOD BOXES AS WELL.
AND THERE'S ONE OF THOSE EVENTS COMING UP THIS SATURDAY, I'M ON TOP OF THIS.
I CAN SEND YOU GUYS THAT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, UH, TO LET YOUR COMMUNITY KNOW THERE'S ONE AT ST.
SO, UM, I WILL SEND THOSE OUT WITH THAT EMAIL THAT I SEND.
I'M PRETTY SURE GARCIA, UH, THE FLYERING WEBSITE AS WELL.
UM, SERVICE THREE 8.1, THE VOLUNTEER HOURS.
THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH ZERO FOR A LONG TIME.
SO IT WAS KIND OF PROMISING WHEN WE STARTED GETTING DOWN TO STAGE TWO, WE'VE GOT SOME OF OUR VOLUNTEERS BACK USING ALL MITIGATION MEASURES.
THEY WERE ABLE TO COME IN AND HELP OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SOME ARE FORMER CLIENTS WHO WANT TO GET BACK TO 175 HOURS IS QUITE A BIT FOR A PANDEMIC.
UM, SO JUST KIND OF A BRIGHT SPOT WE'RE IN A BAD PLACE AGAIN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN PUT ON HOLD, BUT I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN GET BACK TO THAT SOON, BUT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS SPACE AND PROGRAMMATIC ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE NO VACANCIES IN THE NSU.
NUMBER TWO FOR THE NEWER COMMISSIONERS, JUST A REMINDER OF HOW LONG WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS, MARCH 16TH, 2020.
WE CLOSED OUR CENTERS TO THE PUBLIC AND IT'S COMPLETELY ONLINE AND VIRTUAL AND, UM, PER SITE DRIVE UP.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT EVER SINCE.
UM, AND I CAN SAY OUR STAFF HAS BEEN DOING THAT VERY WELL, GIVEN ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT THAT ENTAILS.
NUMBER THREE, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO BE A HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM.
UH, WE ARE PRETTY FULL WITH TUESDAYS.
UH, WE'RE STARTING TO SIGN UP PEOPLE FOR THE WEDNESDAYS OF EVERY MONTH FOR WEDNESDAYS.
UH, THE FINAL REPORT FOR THE PILOT.
UH, I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THE DATA AGAIN AND, UH, THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS ALMOST 500, I THINK LAST MONTH I REPORTED LIKE 304.
SO ACTUALLY A LOT MORE PEOPLE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, THE CAPSULE, ONCE WE CLEANED UP THE DATA.
SO THEN IN OUR PILOT, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST A LOT OF FOLKS.
UH, THESE AMAZON FLEX DRIVERS ARE REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THE PROGRAM TOO.
UH, THEY, THEY COME IN AND THEY, THEY LEARN THAT THIS IS NOT JUST DELIVERING FOOD FROM WHOLE FOODS OR SOMEWHERE ELSE TO FAMILIES.
THAT'S ACTUALLY HELPING OUR COMMUNITY.
WE REALLY NEEDS THIS FOOD FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
UH, WE ARE HOPING TO, TO GET APPROVAL FOR, TO, UH, FTE STAFF THAT WILL HELP US, UH, STAND UP THIS PROGRAM
[00:50:01]
TO FOUR DAYS A WEEK BY A LATE FALL WINTER, JUST SO WE CAN MAXIMIZE OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE FOOD BANK AND THE AMAZON.SO MORE TO COME ON THAT COMPLETELY FREE FOR ELIGIBLE FOLKS.
WE'RE HOPING TO EXPAND THE ELIGIBILITY AS WELL TO VETERANS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
I THINK ONE OF YOU ASKING THAT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHEN WE FIRST TALKED ABOUT THIS.
UH, NUMBER FOUR, UH, THE CARES ACT FUNDING HAS GONE TO 445 HOUSEHOLDS.
UH, WE'VE EXPENDED ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS, LITTLE OVER 1 MILLION, $89,000 IN RENT ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES, CONTINUING TO DO THAT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AUSTIN AREA, URBAN LINK BY NUMBER FIVE, TO LUNA THE AUSTIN ENERGY PLUS ONE PROGRAM.
NUMBER SIX TO CAPTAIN BUDGET THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER AS WELL, IT'S PART OF THE RECORD.
AND THEN THE SUCCESS STORY REALLY THAT WE HAD, I WANT TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT INNOVATION FROM THE HEALTH EQUITY TEAM.
AND ONE OF OUR MANAGERS, WE STARTED A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, SANDRA FINO.
WE PARTNERED UP WITH THEM TO ASSIST WITH THESE TPD EVENTS, UM, THIS SPRING AND THIS SUMMER, AND PEOPLE WORKED VERY HARD AND THE HEAT ON WEEKENDS, OUTSIDE OF THE NORMAL WORK HOURS, UH, TO REALLY ASSIST A LOT OF FOLKS, UM, WITH DISASTER FOOD BOXES, FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, UH, RESOURCE PACKAGES OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT OUR OTHER SERVICES AND, UM, JUST BASICALLY BEING AMBASSADORS FOR THE NEIGHBORS CENTERS AND BEING VISIBLE AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE EXIST IN THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN HELP THEM WITH IN SERVED A TOTAL OF 10,406 INDIVIDUALS, 3,540 HOUSEHOLDS IN JUST A FEW MONTHS.
UM, IT'S HARD TO KIND OF WRAP YOUR MIND AROUND THAT, BUT JUST TRY, UM, IT'S OUR DRIVE THROUGH EVENTS THAT TAKE A LOT OF LOGISTICS, A LOT OF PLANNING, UM, BUT THEY HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE.
UH, HEALTH EQUITY IS AGREED TO DO EIGHT MORE OF THESE, THIS FALL AS SOME FALL WITHIN OUR GEOGRAPHIC AREAS.
SO WE ARE HOPPING ON BOARD AND DOING THOSE.
LIKE I MENTIONED THIS SATURDAY AT MONTOPOLIS NEXT SATURDAY AS JOHN, UH, THEY'RE PLANNING ONE IN THE RUN BRAKING, RUNDBERG AREA AS WELL, WHICH I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT.
UM, SO I DIDN'T GET THE SHOUT OUT TO THE HARD WORK OF THE NSU STAFF AND THE HEALTH EQUITY, AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH.
I'M GOING TO, BEFORE WE GO INTO QUESTIONS, I WANT TO ECHO, UH, THAT SHOUT OUT TO NSU STAFF AND JUST REITERATE THAT IN THIS PANDEMIC, NONE OF US IS TOTALLY SAFE AND THAT TO SERVE AS YOU WERE MENTIONING, OR TO HAVE 3000 AND MORE ENCOUNTERS OF SERVICE MEANS THAT RISK IS, UH, INCREASED AT ANY INTERSECTION AT EVERY INCREMENT WHERE SOMEBODY IS INTERACTING WITH ANOTHER PERSON AND WE'RE ALL ATTACHED AND ASSOCIATED IN SOME WAYS TO FOLKS WHO ARE VULNERABLE EITHER BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY DON'T HAVE AN OPTION TO BE VACCINATED, OR BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN STILL BE CARRIERS AND STILL EXPERIENCE ILLNESS, EVEN IF WE ARE VACCINATED.
SO TO UNDERSTAND THE RISK THAT EVERYONE IS PUTTING THEMSELVES THROUGH, UH, WHILE BEING SO PROUD AND ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THEIR WORK AT THE SAME TIME AND MAINTAINING THEIR MOTIVATION MEANS A LOT TO ALL OF US.
AND WITH THAT SAID, LIKE OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, THIS IS CONSTRAINT GARRETT.
UM, BUT QUICK, UH, INSTEAD OF QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM, UM, FOR ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS, ARE THEY ABLE TO CONNECT TO YOU A LITTLE BIT OF SELECTION IN TERMS OF THE PRE-PACKAGED FOOD DELIVERY? UM, KIND OF FEEDBACK THAT CAME, UM, IS THROUGHOUT THE INDEPENDENT MAKE IN TERMS OF FOOD DELIVERY IS KIND OF BEING KIND OF CULTURALLY CONSCIOUS IN ALLOWING FOLKS TO KIND OF BE ABLE TO CHOOSE UP TO YOU ITEMS THAT MIGHT BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THEM.
AND IT WAS JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY SORT OF LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF SELECTION THAT'S ABLE FOR FOLKS THAT ARE A PART OF THIS PROGRAM.
GOOD QUESTION, COMMISSIONER GARRETT.
UH, THERE, THE SHORT ANSWER RIGHT NOW IS WE KNOW THAT ARE PRE-PACKAGED BY THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK.
A HOPEFUL ANSWER IS THAT WE ARE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FOOD BANK TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME OF THAT, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE RECEIVED FEEDBACK FROM, UH, CLIENTS WHO ENROLL, UM, MOST OF THE FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN HAS TO DO WITH
[00:55:01]
FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US NOT PERFECTLY, IT'S NOT PERISHABLE, RIGHT? IF PEOPLE DROP IT OFF AND YOU KIND OF HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO SIT OUT AT THE CURB FOR A THIRD DOOR, BUT WE ARE IN DISCUSSIONS TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND TO FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
UM, AND I CAN KEEP YOU ABREAST OF THAT AS INSTINCTS, YOU KNOW, GROW.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THE FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THAT ARE PPE EVENTS.
UH, THE LAST ONE I THINK WE DELIVERED, WE WERE ABLE TO HAND OUT 600 BOXES OF NON-PERISHABLE, BUT ALSO 600 BOXES OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WERE VERY, VERY HAPPY.
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO PROMOTE IS JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THAT, UM, WHEN IT'S HOT AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THROUGH SAFETY, BUT DEFINITELY WE'RE IN DISCUSSION WITH THE FOOD BANK ABOUT BEING MORE SENSITIVE TO PEOPLE'S NEEDS.
UM, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AROUND THAT IN THE FUTURE WOULD BE GREAT.
THANK YOU FOR CHARACTER ON THAT NOTE, ACTUALLY, YOU WANT TO ADD ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM? UH I'M HEATHER, YOU WERE MENTIONING, UH, SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT I THINK TUESDAYS WERE FILLING UP AND THE WEDNESDAY OPTION MIGHT BE OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS A PILOT, CAN YOU HELP REFRESH MY MEMORY AROUND THAT? WHAT THAT MEANS, HOW IF THERE IS A W ANOTHER DAY OPTION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FILL UP HOW WE MAY, UH, AND I KNOW YOU'RE SENDING OUT THIS INFORMATION AS WELL, BUT HOW WOULD WE BE, UH, HELP, UH, HELP CONNECT FOLKS TO ENROLL? UH, YES, ONE I'LL SEND OUT THE, THE, THE FLYER INFORMATION WITH HOW PEOPLE ARE TO ENROLL AND YOU GUYS ARE I'M SURE HALF BECAUSE OF YOUR ROLES ON THIS CONDITION HAVE CONTACTS IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL, THAT YOU CAN BLAST IT OUT TO, UM, OUR GOAL.
I THINK WE'RE MOVING PAST THE PILOT IS WE HAD WORKED OUT A LOT OF THE KINKS AND WE'RE MOVING INTO MAKING IT JUST OFFICIAL OFFICIAL PROGRAM.
THAT'S GOING TO GO THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR AND BEYOND OUR GOAL IN THE PILOT WAS TO FILL UP TUESDAYS, UH, CAUSE AMAZON CAN DO 90 DELIVERIES A DAY.
UM, AND WE WANT TO GET UP TO FOUR DAYS A WEEK, UH, WHICH IS WHAT IS THAT FOUR TIMES 9,216 FAMILIES A WEEK, OR GET A FREE BICYCLE FOOD MONTHLY SORT OF IN AUTOMATICALLY EVERY MONTH.
UM, SO YEAH, WE WERE HOPING TO FILL UP WEDNESDAYS AND GET TO THURSDAYS AND THEN GO BACK TO MONDAYS.
WE JUST NEED THAT EXTRA STAFFING AND SHOW THAT IT'S SUCCESSFUL, WHICH WE ARE DOING ALREADY.
SO TO BE CLEAR, THE OPPORTUNITY IS THERE FOR THOSE WHO MAY LIKE TO ENROLL, UH THAT'S RIGHT? YES, WE ARE OPEN FOR WEDNESDAY.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, WE APPRECIATE, WE APPRECIATE YOU, UH, ON HAIL YOUR WORK AND ALSO YOU'RE KEEPING US INFORMED OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND, UH, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU ABOUT ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS WE HAVE.
THANKS FOR SENDING OUT THE SUMMARY INFORMATION ON THE CSBG AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES WORK, AS WELL AS FOLLOWING UP, UH, WITH THE, UH, THE HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM INFORMATION.
AND WAS THERE ONE MORE ITEM YOU WERE GOING TO SEND BACK OUT, SEND OUT AS WELL, OR IS THAT IT, UH, THAT WAS, LET'S SEE.
AND I'LL READ DUCKS, UH, TO COMMISSIONER COLLIVER AND COMMISSIONER DELGADO IN AS MUCH AS ANY PARTICULAR LINE, ANY PARTICULAR LINE ITEMS OF INFORMATION THAT WE MIGHT, UH, UH, NEED, UH, ANY FURTHER CLARITY ON, UH, AND WE COULD SEND IT TO YOU.
AND IF IT'S NOT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF EITHER THE CSBG OR NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, THEN, UH, PERHAPS YOU CAN HELP US GET IT TO THE RIGHT CONTACTS AT APH.
SO WE CAN, UM, AGAIN, CLARIFY ANY INQUIRIES.
AND STEVE WITH THAT SAID, LET US MOVE TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS NEW BUSINESS
[4A. Update on efforts regarding Homelessness (Dianna Grey, Austin Public Health)]
FOR, AND A UPDATE ON EFFORTS REGARDING HOMELESSNESS TWO.WE HAVE, UH, DIANA GRAY WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HERE.
AND, UH, GLAD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
UM, UH, SO I, I W WHEN, WHEN, UH, STAFF REACHED OUT TO ME, THERE WAS INTEREST PARTICULARLY IN SANCTION AND KAMPMANN, WHICH WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT.
UM, BUT I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE DIVISION AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON GENERALLY.
UH, AND THEN WE CAN, UM, GO MORE SPECIFICALLY INTO, UH, QUESTIONS AROUND THE ASSESSMENT OF SANCTION ENCAMPMENTS ON CITY OWNED PROPERTY,
[01:00:01]
WHICH IS THE ACTIVITY THAT HAS OCCURRED AS WELL AS ANY OTHER CONVERSATION ON THE CREATION OF PERMANENT HOUSING, UM, RENTAL SUBSIDIES SERVICES, ET CETERA.AND SO, UH, JUST BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION, UM, MY NAME IS DIANA GRAY, AND I, UH, JUST JOINED THE CITY AS HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS.
AND, UM, AND IN THAT TIME HAVE BEEN, UH, INVOLVED IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND IN, UH, HOUSING AND SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.
I, UM, UH, COME INTO THE DIVISION IS ALSO NEW.
SO IT WAS CREATED FORMALLY AT THE BEGINNING OF 2020.
UH, SO HAS BEEN NOW IN EXISTENCE, JUST, UH, OVER, I BELIEVE, A YEAR AND A HALF.
AND REALLY THE, THE DIVISION DOES SIT WITHIN AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
BUT THE, THE CONCEPT IS THAT WE REALLY STRADDLE DEPARTMENTS.
SO OBVIOUSLY THE BULK OF THE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS MIGHT BE FUNDED OR COORDINATED VIA AUSTIN, PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, THE BULK OF ANY BRICK AND MORTAR HOUSING THAT MIGHT BE DEVELOPED WOULD HAPPEN WITHIN WHAT A HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT OR HFC, UM, WITH WHOM YOU FOLKS I KNOW INTERACT REGULARLY AND, UM, WHO STAFF SUPPORT YOU.
UH, BUT WE ALSO, UM, ARE CHARGED WITH COORDINATING WITH THE, UH, MULTIPLE OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WHO, UH, WHOSE WORK TOUCHES, UM, THIS ISSUE IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
AND, UH, JUST AS SORT OF A, I THINK A FRAMEWORK, WE HAVE A, A BI-WEEKLY MEETING, UM, ACROSS DEPARTMENTAL MEETING WITH ABOUT 15 DEPARTMENTS, UM, ON, UH, ISSUES RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS.
SO IN TERMS OF TALKING ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO, I THINK THAT THERE ARE, UM, A COUPLE OF PRIMARY AREAS.
ONE IS TRULY LONG-TERM HOUSING STABILITY.
HOW DO WE GET FOLKS REHOUSED WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESS HOMELESSNESS, UM, HELP THEM STABILIZE IN THAT HOUSING, NOT JUST WITH AFFORDABILITY, BUT WITH THE SERVICES THAT THEY MIGHT NEED, UH, WHETHER THOSE BE SIMPLE CASE MANAGEMENT, EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, UH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, ET CETERA.
AND THAT CAN HAPPEN, UH, EITHER, UH, IN THE SORT OF OPEN RENTAL MARKET WITH RENTAL SUBSIDIES OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER, UM, OR VIA DIRECT, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, HAVE VERY SPECIFIC GOALS AROUND, UH, CARVE-OUTS OF UNITS WITHIN OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE REFERRED THROUGH THE, UM, HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
UH, AND SO THOSE ARE ALL REALLY INTENDED AND WE DIDN'T ALSO DO, UH, SOME PREVENTION WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THAT IS REALLY ABOUT GETTING AND MAINTAINING HOUSING STABILITY, UH, IN, UH, AN APARTMENT OR A HOME JUST LIKE ANY OF US, UH, WOULD SEEK.
WE, OF COURSE ALSO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING THE CRISIS RESPONSE IN THE FORM OF, UH, SHELTERS, UH, OUTREACH TEAMS, UH, MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, ET CETERA, THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THIS POPULATION.
AND THEN FINALLY WE DO COORDINATE WITH OUR, UH, PUBLIC SPACE PARTNERS, UM, BE THAT PARKS AND RECREATION.
UM, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY, PUBLIC WORKS, THOSE ENTITIES THAT ARE CHARGED WITH MAINTAINING AND, UH, MAINTAIN THE PUBLIC SPACES.
AND THEN WE ARE COORDINATING CLOSELY WITH, UH, WITH PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, EMS AND APD.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS WHERE CERTAINLY THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT DEAL OF FOCUS OVER THE LAST, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AROUND THE PASSAGE OF VOTER, UM, THE, THE, UH, BALLOT INITIATIVE, UH, ON MAY 1ST THAT REINSTATED A BAN ON CAMPING IN PUBLIC SPACES, UH, AS WELL AS ON SIT LIE IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND THE UNIVERSITY AREA, AND SOME, UH, SOME, UH, RULES AROUND, UH, AROUND PANHANDLING AS WELL.
AND SO I WANT TO SPEAK VERY BRIEFLY TO SORT OF THE PERMANENT HOUSING PIECE.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD NEWS THERE, AND I ACTUALLY THINK YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, UM, RECENTLY, OR, OR WILL LIKELY HEAR FROM HFC ABOUT THE, THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF THINGS, WHERE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UH, BUT THEN SPEAK ALSO TO OTHER PIECES OF WHAT, UM, OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING, OR HAVE BEEN CHARGED TO DO THAT HAVE DRAWN A LOT OF INTEREST, UH, NAMELY THE HEAL INITIATIVE, UH, THE RESPONSE TO PROPOSITION B AND AS, UM, PART OF THAT RESPONSE
[01:05:01]
COUNCIL'S DIRECTION TO STAFF TO LOOK AT DESIGNATED ENCAMPMENTS ON CITY OWNED PROPERTY AND THE OUTCOME OF THAT ANALYSIS.UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, I THINK, UM, THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, UH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT GOING ON, BUT WE HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF REALLY GOOD DAYS.
WE AS A CITY CLOSED ON THE ACQUISITION OF A, UM, 65 ROOM HOTEL IN DISTRICT SIX, EXCUSE ME, DISTRICT SEVEN, UH, NEAR MOPAC AND HOWARD LANE.
SO AN AREA IN WHICH THERE HAS NOT TRADITIONALLY BEEN A TON OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND, UM, AND THAT WILL BECOME IN RELATIVELY SHORT ORDER.
WE BELIEVE IN SIX MONTHS OR LESS 60 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, OR SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN HOMELESS FOR THE LONGEST IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, AND WHO WILL RECEIVE ROBUST SUPPORTS, UM, FROM INTEGRAL CARE, WHO WILL, WHO WILL OPERATE THAT BUILDING, UH, YESTERDAY, UH, CARITAS OF AUSTIN BROKE GROUND ON A SPARROW AUSTIN AT RUTLAND, WHICH WILL BE 171 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, LARGELY DIRECTED TOWARD PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS, UH, ABOUT A HUNDRED OF THOSE UNITS WILL BE PEOPLE WHO ARE REFERRED DIRECTLY OUT FROM THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
AGAIN, 50 AT LEAST HAVE THEM SET ASIDE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY WILL HAVE THOSE NEEDS FOR, UM, ONGOING DEEP AFFORDABILITY AND CASE MANAGEMENT, AND WILL GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED, UH, TO LIVE THERE.
LONG-TERM, UH, WITH THE DIGNITY AND STABILITY.
AND SO AS WE LOOK AT THE PIPELINE OF, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS RIGHT NOW, I SEE PROBABLY, UH, 380 OR SO IN THE PIPELINE.
UM, AND, AND BY THAT, I MEAN, UH, THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT THE CITY HAS TAKEN SOME ACTION ON, EITHER PURCHASED A BUILDING OR APPROVED FUNDING FOR ANOTHER, FOR ANOTHER DEVELOPER AND THAT, UM, COMPORTS, UH, GENERALLY WITH THE GOAL, THEIR REVISED GOAL IN THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT, WHICH, UH, UH, SETS A GOAL THAT HFC WOULD INVEST IN ABOUT 350 PSH UNITS PER YEAR.
SO, UH, THOSE, THOSE PIPELINES ARE REALLY TOUGH TO BUILD THE DEALS ARE NOT EASY.
THEY REQUIRE A LOT OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF, OF FINANCING, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF SUPPLY COMING ONLINE.
AND I THINK, UH, WANT TO COMMEND IN PARTICULAR THE, UM, HOUSING PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND HFC STAFF, OR FOR REALLY LEADING INTO THAT WORK AND BRINGING A LOT OF TALENT AND DEDICATION TO THE TABLE.
SO WE DON'T OF COURSE, UH, BUILD THE APARTMENT UNITS FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO NEEDS TO BE REHOUSED.
IT'S A PROBLEM TWO-THIRDS AT LEAST OF THE REHOUSING THAT IS DONE IS DONE BY PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH SOME RENTAL SUBSIDY, FOR THEM TO IDENTIFY, UH, AN APARTMENT, UH, OR A RENTAL UNIT IN THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
AND SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED BEFORE A PROPOSITION B PASSED WAS THAT PASSED A RESOLUTION IN FEBRUARY, UM, CREATING SOMETHING CALLED THE HEAL INITIATIVE, UH, WHICH STANDS FOR HOUSING FOCUSED ENCAMPMENT ASSISTANCE LINK.
AND BASICALLY WHAT THIS DID WAS TO DIRECT STAFF, UH, AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, TO IDENTIFY ENCAMPMENTS WHERE THEIR PARTICULAR CONCERNS WERE HEALTH AND SAFETY, WHETHER THAT BE DUE TO FLOOD RISK OR RISK OF THE VEHICULAR PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT, UH, OR JUST GENERAL CONDITIONS AT THE ENCAMPMENT AND OFFER THOSE INDIVIDUALS ACCESS, UH, TO BRIDGE SHELTER DIRECT FROM THE STREET.
AND THAT THEN FROM BRIDGE SHELTER, WOULDN'T JUST BE SHELTER AS THE END OF THE ROAD, BUT RATHER, UH, EXPLICIT RESOURCES SET ASIDE TO ASSIST THOSE PEOPLE IN FINDING HOUSING, UH, WITH SOME SUPPORTS FOR THE INITIAL MONTHS OF THEIR TENANCY.
SO THAT WAS PASSED IN FEBRUARY.
THE, UH, INITIAL PHASE WAS TO ENCOMPASS FOUR ENCAMPMENTS, UH, AND WE HAVE NOW COMPLETED THREE OF THOSE ENCAMPMENT, UH, RELOCATIONS ONE WAS A TERASA LIBRARY.
ONE WAS AT BEN WHITE AND MANCHESTER BOULEVARD.
AND THE THIRD, WHICH WE JUST COMPLETED LAST WEEK WAS, UH, UH, DOWNTOWN SESAR CHAVEZ IN CONGRESS, UM, FROM THE SORT OF BUFORD TOWER AREA, UM, OVER TO SOUTH FIRST STREET FROM THE SIDEWALK OF, UH, SOUTH SIDEWALK OF SESAR CHAVEZ DOWN TO THE LAKE.
AND SO THROUGH THAT, WE HAVE PLACED A, IF MY MATH IS CORRECT ABOUT 116 INDIVIDUALS INTO SHELTER, UH, WELL, OVER 90% OF THE PEOPLE WE OFFERED SHELTER
[01:10:01]
AND EVENTUAL HOUSING SAID, YES.SO I THINK IT DOES GIVE US SOME CONCRETE EXPERIENCE AROUND, UH, SORT OF AS A RESPONSE TO PEOPLE WHO WONDER WHETHER FOLKS ARE JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, LIVING, UM, UNSHELTERED, UH, BY CHOICE AND, AND NOT WANTING TO COME INTO SHELTER.
SO WE ARE PARTNERING WITH FAMILY ELDERCARE AND WITH INTEGRAL CARE AS, UH, THE SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO THEN ENROLL THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UH, INTO THEIR PROGRAMS AND BEGIN TO FIND, UH, UNITS FOR THEM IN THE COMMUNITY, PROVIDING SOME RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR A TIME LIMITED, UH, UH, PERIOD TYPICALLY COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM THREE MONTHS TO A YEAR, UM, MAXIMUM OF TWO YEARS, ALTHOUGH THAT IS, UH, UNLIKELY IN THE CASE, IN THE CASE OF THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM DESIGN.
SO A YEAR IS PROBABLY THE AVERAGE, UH, AND WE ANTICIPATE IT USUALLY TAKES AT LEAST 60 DAYS OR SO FROM THE TIME PEOPLE COME INTO SHELTER AND ENROLL IN THE PROGRAM TO FIND THEIR UNIT.
SO WE, I BELIEVE I'M GOING TO GET THE DATE WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE OUR FIRST HOUSING PLACEMENTS, UM, FOR TERASA S WE'RE AROUND, UH, JUNE 17TH.
SO WE ARE, UH, WE'RE CLOSING IN ON THAT TWO MONTH MARK AND WOULD, UH, I THINK EXPECT TO START SEEING SOME FOLKS BE PERMANENTLY HOUSED.
WE HAVE ONE MORE SITE, UH, AND ARE GOING TO BE WAITING ON SOME, UH, CAPACITY AT THE SHELTERS TO, UH, TO REHOUSE THEM, OR EXCUSE ME, TO RELOCATE THEM TO SHELTER, BECAUSE WE ALREADY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH SHELTER IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, AND BECAUSE OF COVID SHELTER CAPACITY WAS SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED, UH, IN ORDER TO ALLOW FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING, IT WAS NECESSARY FOR US TO CREATE SOME ADDITIONAL SHELTER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, UH, AND WE NEEDED TO DO SO IN RESPONSE TO PROP B AND JUST THE, THE LACK OF, OF, UH, CRISIS BEDS AND SHELTER IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
SO IN JANUARY SHE'S, EXCUSE ME, JUNE, WE STOOD UP SOUTHBRIDGE SHELTER, WHICH, UH, IS IN A HOTEL THAT THE CITY, UH, PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED.
IT IS NEAR
AND THEN JUST LAST WEEK, WE PIVOTED, UM, UH, AN EXISTING PROTECTIVE LODGE, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE, WAS A COVID FACILITY, UM, DEMOBILIZE THAT, UH, FACILITY AND PIVOTED IT TO ANOTHER BRIDGE SHELTER WITH ANOTHER 65, UM, ROOMS AVAILABLE AT FULL CAPACITY.
SO WE WOULD HAVE THOSE TWO FACILITIES, 140 BEDS.
AND I WILL NOTE THAT I SAY FULL CAPACITY, BUT, UH, WHEN I SAY THAT, I MEAN, FULL CAPACITY AT SINGLE OCCUPANCY, WE WERE REALLY ON THE CUSP OF, OF, YOU KNOW, WE THOUGHT WITH ALL OF OUR SHELTERS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, PERHAPS BEING ABLE TO RESTORE SOME CAPACITY, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ADDING BACK SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL BEDS WE'D LOST OR ALLOWING FOR TWO PEOPLE IN A ROOM, BUT WE VERY RAPIDLY THEN MOVED INTO STAGE FOUR AND NOW STAGE FIVE.
AND SO FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, IT'S, IT'S NOT ADVISABLE THAT CONTEXT.
I THINK OF, UH, PROPOSITION BE PASSING IN MAY, UM, REALLY FOCUSING, UH, THE COMMUNITY ON THE LACK OF PLACES FOR INDIVIDUALS TO GO, SHOULD THEY BE ASKED, UH, BY POLICE TO VACATE A PARTICULAR ENCAMPMENT OR LOCATION? UH, I THINK FOCUSED US ON SHELTER.
UM, AND ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT COUNCIL ASKED US TO EXPLORE AT THE TIME, RIGHT AFTER PROP B PASSED WAS WHETHER THE UTILIZATION OF DESIGNATED ENCAMPMENTS OR, UM, SOMETIMES YOU'LL HEAR THEM CALLED SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS WOULD BE AN OPTION FOR THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND ASKED US AS STAFF TO DO A NUMBER OF THINGS.
THIS WOULD BE, I'M SORRY, I'VE JUST MOVED.
AND MY DOG IS REALLY UNHAPPY AND SHE'S WHINING INCESSANTLY.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR, FOR, FOR YOU HEARING THAT IN THE BACKGROUND, UM, THEY ASKED US FIRST OF ALL, TO LOOK AT CITY OWNED PROPERTIES.
SO THIS WAS NOT A BROAD SORT OF ASSESSMENT OF DESIGNATED OR SANCTIONING CAMPUS GENERALLY, BUT RATHER WHETHER SUCH A USE COULD BE ACHIEVED ON CURRENTLY OWNED CITY-OWNED PROPERTY.
THEY ASKED US TO LOOK AT COSTS, WHICH WE DID.
UM, THEY ASKED US TO LOOK AT, UH, THE VARIOUS SERVICES AND COMPONENTS THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND AND TO ESTABLISH SOME CRITERIA, EXCUSE ME, UM, FOR ASSESSING WHETHER A SITE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE OR NOT.
THE CITY, THE INITIAL LIST WE BEGAN WITH IS, UH, WAS ONLY 78 PROPERTIES.
[01:15:01]
THAT 78 ISN'T A LOT, BUT IN A CITY AS BIG AS AUSTIN CITY GOVERNMENT, IT WAS NOT A HUGE PORTFOLIO OF PROPERTY, WHICH I THINK, UM, PERHAPS IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN SOME PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION THAT THE CITY HAD SORT OF AN ENDLESS, UM, AN ENDLESS PORTFOLIO OF PROPERTY TO DRAW FROM.SO WE LOOKED AT THAT OFF THE BAT AS PARKS AND RECREATION ACTUALLY DID THE ASSESSMENT OF THE PROPERTIES.
UM, LOOKING AT MINIMUM SIZE, UH, COUNCIL CLARIFYING THAT THEY, THEY DIDN'T WANT ANY PARKLAND LOOKED AT EVEN UNDEVELOPED PARKLAND, UH, TOOK A LOT OF THE, UM, THE PROPERTIES OFF THE LIST, UH, AND AS PARKS AND RECREATION CONTINUED TO DO THE PR THE ASSESSMENT, THE LIST CONTINUED TO BE NARROWED.
AND AS OF, UH, I BELIEVE THE MEMO CAME OUT ON THE 19TH, UH, WE PROVIDED THEM WITH THE TWO SITES THAT APPEARED TO BE THE CLOSEST TO FITTING ALL OF THE CRITERIA.
AND THOSE WERE ONE PROPERTY, UM, AT 35, 11 MAIN ROAD, UH, THAT WAS IN COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER MADISON'S DISTRICT, AND THEN ANOTHER ON CONVICT HILL, UH, WHICH IS IN COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS' DISTRICT.
AT THAT TIME, WE BEGAN THEN TO LOOK, UH, VERY SPECIFICALLY AT THOSE PARCELS THEMSELVES AND WHAT THE PROCESS WOULD BE, UM, TO, TO CONVERT, UH, TO SUCH A USE SHOULD COUNCIL DIRECT US TO DO SO.
AND THAT, UM, THAT ASSESSMENT, I THINK, LED TO NOT ONLY AN UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, IF, IF WE ARE TO DO THIS AS THE CITY, WE NEED TO CERTAINLY PROVIDE FOR BASIC NEEDS, UH, BASIC HYGIENE NEEDS, ET CETERA, AND, UH, STAFFING, ET CETERA.
SO THAT THE COST, UH, AS WE HAD IDENTIFIED IT, WE THOUGHT WAS AT LEAST $1.4 MILLION, UH, PER SITE FOR JUST 50 PEOPLE ON THE SITE AND COULD WELL GO ABOVE 2 MILLION.
UM, BUT THAT FOR THESE TWO PARTICULAR SITES, THEY WOULD NEED TO BE REZONED.
AND THAT REZONING PROCESS, UH, IF SUCCESSFUL WOULD S WOULD LIKELY TAKE, UH, SIX MONTHS OR SO, UH, AND CLEARLY THAT BASED ON, UM, THE RESPONSE OF THE COMMUNITY TO THE DIALOGUE IN PUBLIC, AND THEN, UM, AND THE SHARING OF THE LISTS, WHICH HAD BEEN AS THEY WERE WHITTLED DOWN, UM, W WAS VERY CLEAR THAT A REALLY INTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORT WOULD BE NEEDED.
UM, IF, IF SUCH A, A PROJECT WERE TO GAIN TRACTION AND ACCEPTANCE.
SO OUR COMMUNICATION, UH, TO COUNCIL HAS BEEN THAT IS NOT THAT DESIGNATED ENCAMPMENTS MIGHT NOT EVER BE A USEFUL TOOL, UM, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF CREATING ESSENTIALLY SHELTER, BECAUSE I WILL SAY ALSO THAT OUR RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDATION AS STAFF IS NOT THAT YOU WOULD SIMPLY PROVIDE LAND AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO GO AND CAMP THERE, BUT THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE PROVIDED WITH, UM, AT THE VERY LEAST VERY, VERY ROBUST TENT LIKE STRUCTURES, BUT PROBABLY MORE OF A MICRO SHELTER, UM, TYPE MODEL.
UH, I HESITATE TO SAY TINY HOME, CAUSE I THINK PEOPLE ARE LARGELY THINK ABOUT THAT AS SOMETHING WITH ITS OWN KITCHEN AND BATHROOM, BUT POTENTIALLY A SMALL, UH, STRUCTURE THAT PROVIDES FOR PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTS, UM, SOME PRIVACY, ET CETERA, UM, THAT WE BELIEVE THAT WITH A VERY SMALL STAFF HST CURRENTLY, UM, HAS, UH, UH, A MIX OF PERMANENT AND, AND TEMPORARY STAFF MEMBERS FOR ABOUT, UM, SIX CORE FTE, UM, THAT IT COUNCIL WANTED US TO MOVE FORWARD ON THOSE PARTICULAR PROPERTIES.
WE ASKED THEM TO GIVE US A DIRECTIVE TO DO SO, UH, BECAUSE WE WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE REZONING PROCESS.
UH, IT WOULD REQUIRE STATE APPROVAL.
UH, THE STATE PASSED ITS OWN, UH, CAMPAIGN BAN STATEWIDE IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AND ALONG WITH THAT BAN, THEY, UH, STIPULATED THAT ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTING TO DESIGNATE ILLEGAL CAMPING SITE ON PUBLIC LAND HAS TO GET STATE APPROVAL.
SO THAT APPROVAL PROCESSES AS YET TO BE, UH, FORMALIZED, UH, TD HCAS AND THE PROCESS OF THAT.
BUT FUNDAMENTALLY OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION WE BELIEVE IF OUR OVERALL GOAL IS TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO SHELTER INDIVIDUALS IN PLACES THAT ARE ILLEGAL, UH, WE MIGHT HAVE BETTER TRACTION, UM, IN OTHER AREAS, UH, WHETHER THAT BE CREATING ADDITIONAL BRIDGE SHELTER FROM, YOU KNOW, CONVERTED HOTELS OR OTHER STRUCTURES, OR,
[01:20:01]
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE NOT YET FINALIZED, BUT ARE DISCUSSING, UH, CREATING REQUEST FOR INTEREST FROM THE COMMUNITY, WITH SOME FUNDING FROM THE CITY, UH, AS ESSENTIALLY LIKELY MATCH DOLLARS OR COMMUNITY-DRIVEN EFFORTS TO CREATE ADDITIONAL SHELTER FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS.UM, AND THAT WAS A LOT A LOT, AND I KNOW THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
SO JUST OPEN TO THE DESIRES OF THE GROUP IN TERMS OF, UH, ANY AREAS YOU'D LIKE TO EXPLORE FURTHER.
UH, DIANA, DO WE, AND THAT WAS, UH, UH, VERY, UH, CERTAINLY INFORMATIVE AND, AND A LOT OF INFORMATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? JESSICA COMMISSIONER, GARRETT L I'M SORRY.
DO I HEAR, IS THAT COMMISSIONER SLOAN? YEAH, IT WAS.
I CAN'T SEE I'M JUST ON MY PHONE.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF BRIEF QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SIGNING UP FOR BEING HERE AND SPEAKING TO US THIS EVENING.
UM, I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP AND SEE IF YOU MIGHT HAVE KANZI.
UM, THAT TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED IN THE PHASE ONE ENCAMPMENT.
I AM EXCITED TO HEAR THAT 90% OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SHELTER AND HOUSING OPTIONS ABOUT THE PIPELINES REQUIRED TO HOUSE AND WHAT THAT TOTAL NUMBER MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
SO YOU DID BREAK UP A LITTLE BIT FOR ME.
I'M NOT SURE IF THE CHAIR, IF YOU COULD REPEAT HER, PERHAPS THE CHAIR HEARD MORE CLEARLY THAN I DID AND COULD REPEAT IT, BROKE UP FOR ME TO CONVINCE HER A SLOAN, UH, YEAH, THE CENTER PART OF THE QUESTION, UH, BROKE UP.
SO YOU, UH, MET RIGHT BEFORE YOU ASKED ABOUT RIGHT BEFORE THE PIPELINE, BASICALLY.
UM, SO JUST INTERESTED IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFIED CAMPING IN THE FIRST PHASE, UH, UH, FAV ENCAMPMENT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN BE LOOKING AT THAT PIPELINE OF HOUSING AND SERVICES OR HOUSING AND SHELTER OPTIONS NECESSARY TO, UM, TO ADDRESS THE PHASE ONE ENCAMPMENTS.
AND, AND LET ME CLARIFY, JUST, YOU KNOW, IT IS, I THINK VERY GOOD, VERY CONFUSING THAT WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE PHASE ONE OF HEAL, AND THEN WE HAD A PHASED IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPOSITION B ENFORCEMENT.
THE TWO ARE SEPARATE, OF COURSE, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOU TO BE SPEAKING TO, UH, PHASE ONE OF HEEL, IS THAT ACCURATE? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO PHASE ONE OF HEEL DIRECTED US TO GO TO, TO SELECT FOR, UH, FOREIGN CAMPAIGNS THAT WERE GENERALLY DESCRIBED, UM, I BY PART OF TOWN AND BUY SOME OF THEIR CHARACTERISTICS.
SO WE DID NOT, UM, CERTAINLY DO AN, YOU KNOW, A BROAD SURVEY OF ENCAMPMENTS IN THE CITY, ALTHOUGH, UH, AS A COMMUNITY, WE HAVE SOME DATA ABOUT, UH, PEOPLE LIVING UNSHELTERED.
SO THOSE FOLKS WHO CAME INTO SHELTER, THE A HUNDRED AND, UM, AND, AND 16, I THINK YES, THROUGH INITIALLY CAME INTO SHELTER, ACTUALLY WE'LL HAVE, WHEN I TALK ABOUT PIPELINE, I'M TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPMENT OF CONCRETE UNITS.
AND WHILE THAT IS IMMENSELY HELPFUL TO PLACE PEOPLE, IT IS NOT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
SO WHEN WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO COME INTO SHELTER AND WE, WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, BEGIN A HOUSING SEARCH WITH THEM WITH, YOU KNOW, UM, SAY THREE MONTHS TO TWO YEARS OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO THEIR NAME THAT WE CAN COMMIT TO THEIR LANDLORD.
AND THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL IS COMING WITH IT.
UM, THEN VERY OFTEN THEY'RE ABLE TO FIND UNITS IN THE, IN THE PRIVATE MARKET.
AND I WILL SAY THAT AS WE, YOU KNOW, ONE HOPES, I THINK WE ARE ABOUT TO SEE A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN, UM, THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO REHOUSE FOLKS.
WE'RE AN EXTREMELY TIGHT RENTAL MARKET.
AND SO WE WILL NEED TO BE FIGURING OUT HOW WE SECURE THOSE UNITS, BUT A HUNDRED AND SO 116 PEOPLE.
AND WE'VE GOT, UM, ABOUT 380 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IN THE PIPELINE THAT DOES NOT COUNT THE NUMBER OF UNITS IN THE PIPELINE THAT ARE JUST SET ASIDE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING THROUGH THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, REFERRAL, A REFERRAL PIPELINE.
I SHOULDN'T SAY PIPELINE SYSTEM ITSELF, AND WE'VE GOT ANOTHER HUNDRED UNITS OR SO OF THAT, I THINK SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WITH HFC
[01:25:01]
AND, AND DON'T HAVE YET, BUT AMONG THE TOOLS THAT WE HOPE TO DEVELOP IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE PIPELINE.BUT THEN ALSO WHEN WE EXPECT THOSE DEVELOPED UNITS TO HIT THE GROUND, UM, MORE ART THAN SCIENCE, OF COURSE, BECAUSE CONSTRUCTION, UM, AND RAIN DON'T ALWAYS GET ALONG, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT, UH, WE, WE SEE THAT PIPELINE AS PART OF WHAT IT TAKES TO HOUSE THE 3000 OR SO PEOPLE, UM, WE HOPE TO REHOUSE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS OVER AND ABOVE OUR, OUR EXISTING PERFORMANCE, BUT NOT EVERY PERSON WHO IS REHOUSED WILL, WILL NEED A UNIT THAT HAS BEEN FUNDED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND, AND BUILT, YOU KNOW, PURPOSE-BUILT RIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
I, UM, I DO REALLY APPRECIATE THEY'RE SILLY.
UM, I AM, I, UH, WANTED TO INQUIRE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS I CAN IDENTIFIED IN THE FOUR CAMPSITES, UH, TARGETED BY THE PHASE ONE OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE, LIKE HOW MANY TOTAL CAMPERS WERE THERE, MAINLY BECAUSE, UM, AS I THINK A LOT OF US, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A PUBLIC PERCEPTION THAT PREVIOUS INITIATIVES TO, UM, CLOSE DOWN IN CAMERON, UM, COUNTS OF INDIVIDUALS THERE AND PERCENTAGES OF PEOPLE.
SO IF THEIR DIRECT CALLS WERE NOT MADE VERY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND SO I WAS CURIOUS IF YOU HAVE THAT, UM, THAT FIRST COUNT OUT, SPOKE IN THOSE SITES.
SO, AND I APPRECIATE YOU, YOUR, YOUR DIPLOMACY AND, AND ACKNOWLEDGING THAT I GAVE YOU A ROBUST, UH, ANSWER.
AND STILL DIDN'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
BUT, UM, TH SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING IS WHEN I SAY 90%, WHAT WAS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE HAD? AND SO WHAT'S THE DELTA, IF WE TOOK OUR 146 PEOPLE IN, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE DECLINED, UH, TO GET US TO THE TOTAL OF HOW MANY WERE THERE.
I'LL ASK STAFF THAT IF I I'M, IT'S NOT VERY HIGH, BUT, UM, I CAN CERTAINLY GET THAT FROM STAFF.
AND THEN I JUST HAD ONE MORE AND HOPEFULLY VERY BRIEF AND, AND SEE THE QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU, UM, WHO IS, UH, MANAGING THE CONTRACTS FOR THE PRO LIVES AND THE HOTEL THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING USED AS FILTERS.
SO THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT ANSWERS.
SO THE PRO LODGES, UM, WE'RE PART OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY ARE FORMALLY MANAGED UNDER THE EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTER, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WITH THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, HOWEVER, LIKE SO MANY THINGS WITH THE PANDEMIC, CERTAIN, UM, CERTAINLY APH STAFF WAS INVOLVED IN SOME OF THE CONTRACTS FOR THOSE, UH, THOSE PRO LODGES, WHICH, UM, WHICH HAD A VARIETY OF SERVICE PROVIDERS ONSITE.
IT WAS NOT, UM, IN, IN NO CASE, WAS THERE SORT OF ONE GLOBAL CONTRACT FOR APRIL LODGE OPERATION, UM, TO A SINGLE ENTITY THAT TOOK ON THE ENTIRE OPERATION OF THAT PROLOGUE, UM, FOR THE SHELTERS, UH, HSD HOMELESS SERVICES DIVISION HELPS SELECT, UM, THE, THE ENTITY THAT MIGHT MANAGE THE SHELTER, UH, IN, I BELIEVE WHAT YOU MIGHT BE REFERRING TO IS THAT FOR SOUTH BRIDGE, WHICH OPENED IN JUNE, WE STOOD IT UP WITH CITY STAFF INITIALLY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO IT QUICKLY, BUT THEN HAVE EXECUTED A CONTRACT WITH FRONT STEPS FOR, UM, FOR ITS OPERATION.
APH ALSO HAS A CONTRACTING UNIT, WHICH SORT OF DOES THE DAY TO DAY CONTRACT MANAGEMENT, UM, UH, ON SUCH CONTRACTS.
BUT I WOULD SAY BETWEEN THE, UM, HEALTH ENGAGEMENT AND, AND AN EQUITY, UH, AND COMMUNITY HEALTH EQUITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION AND HOMELESS STRATEGY DIVISION WOULD BE THE TWO THAT WOULD MOST INVOLVED, PARTICULARLY ON THE SHELTER SIDE, UH, ALSO THE PRO LODGES, BUT, UH, THAT WAS MORE OF A MIXED, A MIXED EFFORT.
THANKS SO MUCH AND DEEPLY APPRECIATE HOW MUCH COULD BE POSSIBLE TO GET THAT SELTZER OFF THE GROUND.
REALLY INCREDIBLE TO SAY THE LEAST.
I, UH, I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT.
AND IT IS A REMINDER TO JUST GIVE PROPS TO THE STAFF ON THE GROUND WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID NOT INITIALLY ANTICIPATE, UH, HOME STRATEGY DIVISION IS NOT THOUGHT OF AS AN OPERATIONAL DIVISION, SUPPOSED TO BE LARGELY PLANNING AND POLICY, BUT NEEDED TO MAKE, UH, BOTH OF THESE HAPPEN QUICKLY.
AND, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO DO SO, NOT JUST WITH STAFF, BUT WITH PARTNERSHIP FROM, UH, MANY OF OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS.
[01:30:06]
THANK YOU.DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE FROM OUR CO YES.
SORRY, CAN WE JUST HERE, YOU DID HAVE YOUR HAND UP EARLIER.
AND JUST ONE THING, UM, DIANA, GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PATIENT PROVIDED.
UM, SO THE CITY IS DEFINITELY MAKING STRIDES AND I WANTED TO ASK, I THINK I SEE ON THE AGENDA, UM, THIS WEEK THAT COUNCIL IS VOTING ON AN ADDITIONAL HOTEL.
UM, I BELIEVE CANDLEWOOD SUITES.
AND I WANTED TO, IF YOU COULD SPEAK A BIT MORE ON THIS, LIKE HOW, UM, HOW IS IT, IS IT TARGETED FOR PSH, UM, WHERE, WHERE DOES IT KIND OF FIT IN THE PIPELINE? AND I'M JUST GOING A BIT MORE ABOUT THIS AGENDA ITEM.
SO CANDLEWOOD SUITES IS A HOTEL, UM, IN DISTRICT SIX.
SO IT IS IN COUNCIL MEMBERS, KELLY KELLY'S DISTRICT IN FAR NORTHWEST, UH, AUSTIN.
UM, JUST OFF OF 180 3 IN PECAN PARK BOULEVARD NEAR, NOT TOO FAR FROM LAKELINE MALL.
AND SO THIS IS A TWO-YEAR OLD HOTEL, ALL, UM, ALL SORT OF EXTENDED STAY.
SO THE, THE ROOMS ALREADY HAVE KITCHENETTES, UM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, A VERY EASY CONVERSION INTO LONG-TERM USE AS, AS RENTAL APARTMENTS FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
SO AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE, UM, ESSENTIALLY MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING, BUT FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS FOR A LONG TIME OR MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS, AND WHERE THERE WOULD BE A ROBUST ONSITE SERVICES, UH, IN, IN, IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE FROM CARITAS OF AUSTIN IS THE SERVICE PROVIDER THAT WE ARE PARTNERING WITH ON SITE.
UM, AND JUST REALLY, I THINK ONE OF THE EXCITING THINGS ABOUT WHEN WE DO FIND A HOTEL THAT IS, UM, RELATIVELY NEW AND IN GOOD CONDITION, IS THAT FROM THE TIME WE ACQUIRE IT, UM, TO BEING ABLE TO MOVE PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS AND INTO THOSE UNITS, UH, IS SHORT, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF THE WAY WE NORMALLY THINK ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? SO WE WOULD HOPE THAT, UH, SHOULD COUNCIL ELECT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PURCHASE.
WE WOULD HAVE FOLKS HOUSED THERE WITHIN SIX MONTHS OR SO.
LOOK FORWARD TO HOPE THAT COUNCIL DOES GO AHEAD AND PROVE THAT.
I ACTUALLY HAD THE SAME QUESTION.
I'M GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO END ON THAT.
AND, UH, I FEEL LIKE I DIDN'T QUITE GET THE, UH, I DIDN'T REALLY, I'M PROBABLY MISSING SOMETHING WHEN IT COMES TO UNDERSTANDING THE RESPONSE OF HOW MANY FOLKS WERE IDENTIFIED, UH, AS CAMPERS WHO WOULD BE, UH, UH, POTENTIALLY INVOLVED IN, IN THE PHASE.
ONE OF HEAL WAS, UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT COMMISSIONER'S PHONE WAS ASKING.
I KNOW THAT IT SOUNDS, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAD 116 FOLKS, UH, UH, WERE PUT INTO SHELTER, UM, OR ACCEPTED SHELTER.
AND THAT WAS 90% OF A TOTAL NUMBER AMONG THOSE THREE CAMP CAMPING SITES, UH, WHICH WAS OF COURSE TO HER OFFICE, UH, SSR CHAVEZ, UH, AND OVER UNDER 71.
DO, DO, DO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF, OF TOTAL IDENTIFIED CAMPERS IN THE CITY BY CHANCE OR TOTAL IDENTIFIED CAMPERS WHO MIGHT BE TARGETED FOR LACK OF THE BETTER WORD, UH, FOR, UH, SUPPORT AND TRANSITION, UH, IN, IN THIS PROJECT? SO I THINK, YES.
I MEAN, I THINK E YOUR, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHAT THE, WHAT, WHAT COMMISSIONER SLOAN'S COMMENT IN QUESTION WAS, I THINK IS CORRECT, IS SIMPLY, YOU KNOW, AND I'M SAYING IT WAS UPWARDS OF 90%.
I DON'T W WE JUST DID ONE LAST WEEK, SO I WANT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT GIVING SPECIFIC NUMBERS, BUT SHE HAS ASKED FOR WHAT WAS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE ENCOUNTERED, RIGHT? THE ACTUAL TOTAL AND THE ACTUAL THAT SAID YES, AND THEREFORE WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, AND THEN, AND THEN THE PERCENTAGE, BUT THE BROADER QUESTION ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF, I THINK, SPIRITED, DIALOGUE, AND ANALYSIS AROUND.
IT'S A TOUGH NUMBER TO GET TO.
UM, WE DO NORMALLY OF COURSE, AN ANNUAL POINT IN TIME COUNT, UH, WITH OUR LOCAL HOMELESS COALITION ECHO.
UM, IT IS IMPERFECT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING WE DO EVERY YEAR WHERE IT IS A PHYSICAL COUNT.
PEOPLE GO OUT IN THE, OF THE NIGHT AND IN THE EARLY MORNING AND, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISH A GRID
[01:35:01]
PATTERN IN THE CITY AND BOTH, UH, IDENTIFIED VISUALLY AND DO SURVEYS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.NOW WE KNOW THAT HISTORICALLY, UH, OF COURSE, IF PEOPLE ARE WELL HIDDEN, THEY MIGHT NOT BE COUNTED, UH, A LITTLE BIT UNCLEAR, UH, HOW PROP B, EXCUSE ME, NOT PROP D BUT THE, THE LIFTING OF THE CAMPING BAN WOULD HAVE AFFECTED OUR COUNT, BUT WE ALSO DID NOT DO, UH, UM, WE DID ACCOUNT IN 2020, BUT NOT IN 2021 BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
SO THE NUMBER HAS HOVERED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 1,720 200, DEPENDING ON THE ANALYSIS, UH, ECHO HAS RECENTLY DONE SOME STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, UM, UH, BASED ON THEIR DATA AND ON LOOKING AT POINT IN TIME, CENSUS DATA SUGGEST IT COULD BE MUCH HIGHER, BUT THEIR METHODOLOGY IS ALSO THE ACCOUNT OVER SEVERAL DAYS.
THEY ASSUME THAT THERE'S MORE THAN ONE PERSON PER TENT, WHICH, UM, PARTICULARLY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE'RE FINDING IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.
PEOPLE MIGHT EVEN HAVE TWO TENTS, RIGHT.
ONE FOR THEIR THINGS AND ONE FOR THEIR SLEEPING SPACE.
SO I'M GOING TO SAY THAT THE BEST, THE NUMBERS THAT WE KEEP COMING BACK TO, UM, AS, UH, AS FAIRLY SOLID IS SOMEWHERE AROUND 2200, BUT IT IS, I WILL JUST SAY AN AREA FOR CONTINUED INQUIRY.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE, FOR SURE IT'S A IT'S NEBULOUS, UM, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE DIFFERENT METHODOLOGIES, UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, IT'S A PRIVILEGE FOR US TO GET TO ASK YOU, YOU KNOW, IN THE ROLE THAT YOU'RE IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THE SPECTRUM, OR WHAT ARE THE CLOUD OF NUMBERS THAT YOU WORK WITH TO SORT OF TRIANGULATE YOUR TRUTH? YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE INDICATORS? AND, AND SO THAT WE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK ANY, ANYONE WANTS TO PUT ANYONE ON THE SPOT FOR WHAT THE DONE NUMBER IS.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT HOW YOU APPROACH IT.
SO IT GIVES US A BETTER, BETTER ANGLE ON THAT, TOO.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, EVEN, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO SORT OF, UH, FIND THAT SPACE, OF COURSE.
AND, UH, MAN, WHEN WE GET TO A PLACE WHERE WE'VE GOT A GREAT METHODOLOGY THAT WE'RE ALL REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH, I'M GOING TO BE A VERY HAPPY ONE AND I'LL BE EVEN HAPPIER WHEN THE NUMBER IS CLOSE TO ZERO.
UH, AND I, UH, IS THIS COMMISSIONER DELGADO? YEAH, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
I'LL COME BACK TO IT AFTER YOURS.
UM, I'VE BEEN ON, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE, ON TECHNICAL SUPPORT.
I'M NOT EVEN ABLE TO ACCESS MY EMAIL OR ANY OF, UM, ANY PRESENTATION, JUST WHATEVER WE'RE DISCUSSING.
UM, SO THIS IS AN ITEM THAT I'VE REQUESTED TO BE PUT ON THE AGENDA.
UM, AND SO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AGAIN, AS, SINCE I DO HAVE, UH, THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT ON THE OTHER LINE, WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE AGAIN? YES.
SO I'M HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND SO, UH, I, WE HAVE A SMALL DIVISION, UH, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY DIVISION, BUT BROADLY SPEAKING TO HELP, UH, COUNCIL AND CITY LEADERSHIP SET A STRATEGY AROUND THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS AND TO COORDINATE WITH THE VARIETY OF CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, CORRECT? THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE WORK WITH.
CAUSE, UM, AGAIN, UM, THIS IS A QUESTION THAT I NEEDED TO ASK.
SO, UM, ACCORDING TO THE DESIG DESIGNATED, UH, ENCAMPMENTS, UM, I DID HEAR YOU EXPRESS, UH, THAT A LOT OF EVER SINCE THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ORDER WAS PUT IN PLACE TO REMOVE THESE CAMP SITES, UH, FROM, UH, CITY PROPERTY AREAS, AS YOU KNOW, UM, THEY HAVE INCREASED IN OUR PARTS, UM, AND I'LL SPEAK IN SPECIFICALLY TO DISTRICT THREE, THE AREA OF EAST AUSTIN, WHERE I SERVE, UM, WE HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF TENTS AND HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, UM, LIVING AT
I DID NOT HEAR YOU MENTION IN THE REPORT THAT YOU GAVE, WHAT IS THE STRATEGY AS WELL AS A RESOLUTION TO REMOVING THEM FROM OUR PARTS? THAT IS A QUESTION THAT WE BROUGHT UP TO THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS.
THOSE ARE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, PUBLICLY STATED, UH, THROUGH THE
[01:40:01]
COMMUNITY THAT RESIDE IN THESE AREAS THAT ARE ADJACENT TO THIS PARK.UM, AS WELL AS THE PARK PLANNING TEAM HAS MET WITH PARKS DEPARTMENT AND HAS ACTUALLY BEEN THE ADVOCATES AND THE ACTIVISTS THAT FOUGHT AGAINST, UH, HOMELESSNESS TENTS BEING IN OUR PART.
SO I DIDN'T HEAR YOU COVER THAT.
IS THERE ANY TOPIC OR CONVERSATION THAT'S HAPPENING FOR THAT OR ANY TIMELINE? SO I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, FIRST, SO I THINK THERE ARE TWO PIECES.
ONE IS THAT, UH, WITH THE PASSAGE OF PROP OPPOSITE NOW, PUBLIC CAMPING IN PARKS WAS ALWAYS COUNTER TO THE ORDINANCE, EVEN WHEN CAMPING IN PUBLIC PLACES WAS LEGAL.
UM, THERE WAS LIMITED ENFORCEMENT OF THAT PARTIALLY I THINK DUE TO THE CDC RECOMMENDATION THAT ENCAMPMENTS NOT BE DISTURBED DURING THE PANDEMIC.
UM, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE CONCERN THAT THAT PARK STAFF WERE LIMITED AND DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE TO TELL PEOPLE TO GO, HOWEVER, SINCE THE PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION B ON MAY, UH, FIRST APD, UM, INSTITUTED A FOUR PHASED, UH, UM, IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THAT WITH FULL, UM, SORT OF FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ORDINANCE BEGINNING LAST SUNDAY.
AND SO THAT DOES NOT MEAN THEY CAN BE EVERY PLACE, UM, AT EVERY TIME, BUT THEY ARE, UM, MAKING THE ROUNDS AND ASKING PEOPLE TO MOVE.
UM, NOT MOVING IS GROUNDS FOR CITATION.
UM, HOPEFULLY VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE IS ACHIEVED.
UM, BUT IF NOT THAT IT'S AN ACTIONABLE OFFENSE FOR APD.
SO APD IS LOOKING IS, HAS REALLY BEEN MOVING THROUGH AND CAMP MITTS THROUGH THE CITY.
WE ARE SEEING, UM, SOME ENCAMPMENTS, UH, UH, ABANDONED BY PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE PREVIOUSLY.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S NOT YOUR EXPERIENCE TO DATE, BUT, UM, THEY ARE MOVING, UM, THROUGH THE CITY AND IDENTIFYING PRIORITY AREAS.
SO I THINK THAT, THAT YOU ANSWERED THAT QUESTION.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS, UM, I DID HEAR YOU SAY THAT ONE OF THE PARTNERSHIPS IS ECHO.
UM, WHAT ARE YOU DOING AS, UH, NOW THAT YOU'RE, UM, A NEW DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY, IN YOUR FIELD, YOU ARE PART OF ALL THE PARTNERS.
HOW IS IT THAT BECAUSE ECHO HAS BEEN SELECTED AS THE ORGANIZATION? I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE EVEN NON-PROFIT OR NOT.
UM, BUT HOW IS I KNOW THAT FOR SURE, THEY'RE GETTING A LOT OF FUNDINGS FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, HOW IS IT THAT THEY'RE BEING AUDITED AS AN AND SHOWING NOT JUST THE DEPARTMENTS, BUT THE CONSTITUENTS AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY THAT THEY ARE DOING THEIR JOB.
I'VE HAD FOUR COMPLAINTS COME IN OF, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOMELESS AND FACING HOMELESSNESS.
HAS IT BEEN EVICTIONS? THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROTOCOL ECHO AND THEY DO NOT QUALIFY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT LIVING IN A TENT.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, I HEAR YOU CHAMPIONING THEM, AND I KNOW THAT THEY ARE OUT HERE AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE DEVELOPED A WEBSITE TOOL, BUT I DON'T SEE THEM OUT HERE IN DOING THE OUTREACH THAT'S NEEDED FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT ARE INTENSE, AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING HOMELESSNESS OR AN OVERCROWDED HOMES, THERE SHOULD BE THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU ALL ARE ENGAGING IN COLLECTING THAT DATA TO SHOW THAT IF PEOPLE ARE BEING DENIED, HOW IS THAT NOT BEING A PART OF THE DATA OF HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY? THANK YOU.
UM, THEY ARE THE NONPROFIT THAT IS DESIGNATED AS LEADING, UH, THE CONTINUUM OF CARE AROUND HOMELESS FUNDING BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THAT IS REALLY HOW THEIR, UM, LEADERSHIP EMERGES AMONG, YOU KNOW, THEY CERTAINLY DO OTHER THINGS, BUT THEY ARE CHARGED WITH LEADING THE APPLICATIONS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR SUBSTANTIAL SUMS OF DOLLARS THAT DON'T FLOW THROUGH THE CITY AT ALL.
WE DO SUPPORT THEM, UH, BOTH GENERAL OPERATIONS.
AND THEN, UM, THIS YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, IN PART OF OUR FUNDING FOR THEM, UH, SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT IMPROVEMENTS IN DATA QUALITY, UH, THROUGH THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM, UH, AND
[01:45:01]
OTHER REPORTING THAT ITEM YOU MENTIONED AROUND.SO I THINK WE CERTAINLY WANT TO HEAR IF THERE ARE CONCERNS, UH, AND, UH, WORK WITH THE MONITORING HAPPENS THROUGH OUR CONTRACTING UNIT W AT HOMOSEXUALITY AND, UM, EXCUSE ME, HEALTH EQUITY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BUT BECAUSE THE RESOURCES ARE SO LIMITED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ACROSS THE NATION, IT IS NOT JUST ECHO'S POLICY NOR THE CITY'S POLICY, BUT IT IS FEDERAL POLICY THAT FOR THE MOST PART, NOT, NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, PEOPLE ARE PRIORITIZED BASED ON NEED.
AND SO, YES, IT IS TRUE THAT, UM, THE MAYBE NOT FUNDAMENTAL ELIGIBILITY, BUT THE LIKELIHOOD OF GETTING SERVICES IS OFTEN TIED TO PEOPLE BEING LITERALLY HOMELESS.
AND SO I, I THINK THAT'S A, UH, CERTAINLY A POLICY QUESTION THAT OUR DIVISION CAN LOOK AT IN TERMS OF DO, DO WE NEED INITIAL RESOURCES IN THAT AREA, BUT THE, WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS THE RESPONSE TO SOMEONE DOING A COORDINATED ASSESSMENT AND BEING TOLD THAT THEY ARE RELATIVELY LOW ON THE, THE WAITING LIST, UH, LOOSELY DESCRIBED AND WOULD NOT LIKELY, UH, GET HOUSING, OR THEY'RE NOT LITERALLY, UH, HOMELESS.
AND THAT IS NOT A POLICY DECISION, UM, AT THE ECHO LEVEL OR THE CITY LEVEL FOR THEM, BUT IT IS FEDERALLY GUIDED POLICY.
I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT, UM, I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FEDERAL ARE, BUT I DO ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY OF BOSTON HAS GIVEN THEM THAT NEED AND THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
AND SO WE ALSO CAN CRAFT, UM, HOW THE PROTOCOL SHOULD BE WHEN AN INITIAL ASSESSMENT IS RECEIVED.
IF THERE'S ONLY INITIAL ASSESSMENTS DOING, GETTING DONE ONLINE, AND THAT'S HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO BE ASSESSED NO PHONE CALL, NO SCREENING OVER THE PHONE FOR NON-DIGITAL, UH, RECIPIENTS, NO ACCESS OF NOT ABLE TO NAVIGATE THE SYSTEM.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAYBE DON'T LIVE IN A TENT, THE LIVE IN A CAR, BUT MAYBE LIVE UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE.
UM, THE FACT IS, IS THAT THERE HAS TO BE SOME TYPE OF SYSTEM CREATED WITH THE CITY.
IF YOU'RE, IF THEY'RE RECEIVING ANY OF OUR BOND MONEY, ANY OF OUR DOLLARS, UH, ANYTHING THAT THEY RECEIVE CITY WIDE, WE'RE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO MONITOR THAT.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO CRAFT THAT TO A WAY THAT OUR RECIPIENTS THAT ARE FACING HOMELESSNESS CAN BE ABLE TO ACCESS.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO THOSE RECIPIENTS AND FIGURE OUT IF THEY WERE EVER HOUSED OR DID THEY END UP IN A TENT.
AND SO I JUST SEEN THE PROCESS HAPPEN AS I AM OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY, WORKING WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS, THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER PROCESS.
COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER, GARRETT WITH HER HAND UP.
YEAH, I JUST, I HAD TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, AND SO YOU REMEMBER AFTER YOU FINISH ANSWERING MINE AHEAD, SO ONE MORE THING, A CLARIFICATION QUESTION AROUND, UH, THE CANDLEWOOD SUITES.
AND WOULD IT BE A PART OF THE THREE 80 THAT'S IN THE PIPELINE OR IS IT AN ADDITION TO THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION.
AND THEN MAY 2ND QUESTION IS KIND OF, UM, OFF OF COMMISSIONER DELGADO'S, UH, LAST QUESTION AROUND.
AND SO I THINK I REMEMBER IN A PREVIOUS, UM, PRESENTATION A COUPLE MONTHS BACK AROUND THE HOMELESSNESS SUMMIT AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, UM, MAYBE SYSTEM CHANGES AROUND HOW OUTREACH HAS DONE IN PARTICULAR AROUND FOLKS THAT ARE NOT, UH, CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, BUT MAYBE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS OR SHORT TERM, THEY'D BEEN HOMELESS PROGRAM MONTHS.
LIKE HOW IS THIS SYSTEM KIND OF CHANGING OR LIKE THE INTENTION AROUND THE SYSTEM MIGHT BE CHANGING IN ORDER TO ADDRESS DIFFERENT POINTS IN TIME IN WHICH PEOPLE MIGHT BE HOMELESS EITHER THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE STRUGGLING TO PAY RENT VERSUS THOSE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN HOMELESS FOR ONE TO THREE MONTHS.
AND THEY JUST NEED TO GET BACK INTO HOUSING, UM, VERSUS YOUR FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN CHRONICALLY HOMELESS FOR, YOU KNOW, A YEAR BEYOND.
AND ARE WE WORKING THROUGH CHANGES IN THAT? SO THAT'S SO TWO QUESTIONS.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION IS, YES, IT IS PART OF THAT PIPELINE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE REASON WE CALL IT PIPELINE IS SO IT ITEMS IN THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED OR AUTHORIZED FOR FUNDING IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
[01:50:01]
BUT NOT ALL OF THEM HAVE COME TO FULL FRUITION AND THE CANDLE WOULD IS IN THAT SCENARIO, IT HAS NOT YET BEEN THAT THE ACQUISITION HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED.SO, UM, THE, THERE WAS A, UH, A PLANNING PROCESS THAT OCCURRED IN THE SPRING THAT OVERALL SET A GOAL OF, UH, REHOUSING, AN ADDITIONAL 3000 PEOPLE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, OVER AND ABOVE WHAT WE DO YEAR OVER YEAR, WHICH IS ABOUT 1800 PEOPLE.
AND AS PART OF THAT, IT WAS A RECOGNITION THAT WE REALLY NEEDED MORE THAN SORT OF THE, UM, THE STANDARD, UH, PROGRAM MODELS THAT, THAT HOOD, UM, ADVANCES, WHICH ARE IMPORTANT AND USEFUL, BUT THAT WE HAD PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE ABOUT TO ENTER THE, THE HOMELESS, UH, INNER HOMELESSNESS WHO COULD USE, UM, A BIT OF ASSISTANCE TO KEEP THEM FROM BECOMING HOMELESS, UH, PEOPLE WHO HAD, YOU KNOW, WHO MAYBE HAVE JUST BEEN HOMELESS FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND COULD ALSO GET A BIT OF ASSISTANCE.
AND THOSE, WE REFER TO THAT TYPICALLY AS DIVERSION AND RAPID EXIT.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT AN OVERALL INVESTMENT STRATEGY THAT BEGINS TO PUT MONEY INTO THOSE POTS AS WELL.
AND I THINK ON THE OUTREACH AND, AND SPECIFICALLY THE PART OF OUTREACH THAT IS COORDINATED ASSESSMENT IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT IS RIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT AND, AND, AND, AND TAKE A REALLY GOOD, HARD LOOK AT HOW ARE PEOPLE ACCESSING THE SYSTEM? WHERE ARE THEY DOING IT, WHO'S DOING THE OUTREACH AND, YOU KNOW, HOW HARD IS IT REALLY JUST TO EVEN GET INTO THE SYSTEM AND GET ANSWERS? AND SO THERE IS, UH, THERE ARE RESOURCES IN THAT OVERALL INVESTMENT PLAN, UH, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD HOPEFULLY HELP US, UM, IMPROVE PERFORMANCE THERE.
I'M HAPPY AT A LATER TIME TO COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT THAT SORT OF OVERALL INVESTMENT PLAN.
AND THEN THE CITY'S PART OF, UH, IN IT, WHICH IS OF COURSE, UH, JUST A PORTION OF THE, THE WHOLE, SINCE WE ARE LOOKING AT FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLARS, AS WELL AS HOPING TO GET PARTNERSHIP FROM OUR COUNTY, UH, OUR, OUR FRIENDS AT TRAVIS COUNTY.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GARRETT.
DIANA, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YEAH.
THANKS FOR ALL THE INFORMATION DIANA.
UH, ARE THEY, DO THEY COMMUNITIES, DO THEY HAVE, UH, SOME SECURITY, SOME RULES THAT, UH, THE PEOPLE NEED TO FOLLOW? OR WHERE IS THE PROCESS FOR THAT? SO ARE YOU, ARE YOU SPEAKING? I THINK YOU'RE SPEAKING TO THE PERMANENT HOUSING, UM, COMMUNITY, SO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
UH, SO WHEN WE DESCRIBE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, WE SAY, FIRST OF ALL, THAT IT IS MULTIFAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND SO JUST LIKE YOU OR ME, UM, TENANTS HAVE TO FOLLOW THE, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THEIR LEASE.
AND THAT MEANS, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKING CARE OF THEIR UNIT, PAYING THEIR RENT AND ALLOWING FOR WHAT I THINK IS USUALLY TERMS SOMETHING LIKE THE PEACEFUL ENJOYMENT OF THEIR NEIGHBORS.
SO, UM, THAT THE, YOU KNOW, H HAVE TO ALLOW OTHERS AROUND YOU TO LIVE PEACEFULLY AS WELL.
WE DO USUALLY FUND, UM, 24 HOUR DESK COVERAGE, UH, FRONT DESK COVERAGE IN THESE BUILDINGS, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS EXPERIENCE, EXTREMELY HIGH RATES OF, UH, VICTIMIZATION AND TRAUMA AND VIOLENCE ON THE STREETS.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, PEOPLE HAVE THEIR INDEPENDENCE AND, AND, AND, AND FREEDOM TO COME AND GO DOES THEIR, THEIR RENTAL UNIT, BUT THAT THERE IS SOME SECURITY ONSITE, UH, 24 HOURS, WHETHER THAT'S, UH, IN THE, THE FORM OF SOMEONE MANNING THE FRONT DESK, UH, OR SECURITY OR COMBINATION.
AND, UM, JUST, UH, ANOTHER QUESTION, DO YOU KNOW, OR, WELL, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT WHAT IS THE REZONING PROCESS? I THINK YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU WERE WORKING ON THAT, UH, BUT, UH, IS ANY PLACE WHERE WE CAN FIND THAT INFORMATION.
SO I W THE ZONING THAT I RECEIVED, I SPOKE TO, I BELIEVE WAS SHOULD CITY COUNCIL, THE LEDGE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, UTILIZING THE COUPLE OF PROPERTIES THAT THEY'VE, THEY HAD IDENTIFIED AS POSSIBLE IN CANTONMENT SITES, LEGAL ENCAMPMENT SITES, THEN, UM, REZONING WOULD BE REQUIRED TO A COMMERCIAL ZONING CATEGORY.
WE HAVE NOT INITIATED THAT BECAUSE, UH, WE ARE, WE AT, AT PRESENT DO NOT, UM, PLAN ON
[01:55:01]
CONTINUING THAT PROCESS UNTIL COUNCIL TELLS US TO.UH, AND, AND SO THE, THERE SHOULD, UM, THERE WAS A TRY, I'M GETTING MY DATES CONFUSED.
SO PERHAPS I CAN HAVE STAFF FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF MEMOS AND BRIEFINGS IN THE LAST MONTH THAT DESCRIBE THE ZONING THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED, THE ZONING CHANGE THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THOSE TWO SITES, SHOULD COUNCIL ELECT TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE PROCESS, BUT THAT PROCESS HAS NOT BEEN INITIATED AT THE TIME.
THANKS TO MR. GARCIA FOR HIS OPENING.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US DIANA, AND, UH, FOR OFFERING SUCH A THOROUGH, UH, PRESENTATION AND ALSO MANAGING OUR VERY SPECIFIC INQUIRIES.
UH, WE WISH YOU THE BEST, UH, AND, UH, WE WILL CERTAINLY SEE YOU SOON, UH, OVER, OVER THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, FOR SURE.
UH, THANKS FOR BEING HERE AND, UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
[5A. Update from the Housing Investment Review Committee (Commissioner Deshotel)]
THE WORKING GROUP AND THE COMMITTEE REPORTS.THE FIRST IS AN UPDATES, UH, FROM THE HERC, THE HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE WITH COMMISSIONER DESOLTEL, WHICH, WHO I DON'T BELIEVE IS HERE.
UM, VICE CHAIR, POP YOU, UH, HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE, OR YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS, OR SHOULD WE MOVE TO THE NEXT I'VE BEEN TO A HURT MEETING SOON? I CAN'T, I THINK WE SHOULD PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH AND MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.
AND I WOULD SAY, I WOULD JUST SAY AS WELL THAT I AM ON THE HOOK WITH THE COMMISSIONER, THIS HOTEL, BUT I MISSED THAT LAST MEETING, SO I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO, I DON'T, I DIDN'T PREPARE ANY OKAY.
IN THAT REGARD, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FOR THAT.
[5B. Update from Joint Sustainability Committee (Commissioner Fadelu)]
NEXT, UH, UPDATE OR A COMMITTEE REPORT WOULD BE, UH, COMMISSIONER LOU FROM, UH, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.DO WE HAVE A REPORT OUT? UM, YEAH.
UM, JUST, UH, JUST A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE ONE ITEM THAT IS RELEVANT TO OUR CONDITION, UM, THAT IS ONGOING, HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR AWHILE IS THE UPDATE TO THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLANS.
UH, IF YOU ALL REMEMBER, WE HAD, UH, SOMEBODY FROM STAFF COME, UM, FROM THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE, COME TALK TO US.
SO, UH, YEAH, COME PRESENT TO US SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
UH, AND, UH, SEVERAL PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES PARTICIPATED IN THE, YOU KNOW, INITIAL PUTTING TOGETHER THE UPDATE TO THE PLAN.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WHERE THINGS ARE, IS THAT A MEMO HAS BEEN SENT TO COUNCIL WITH A SUMMARY OF THE CHANGES THAT INCLUDES, UH, YOU KNOW, THE RESOLUTION WE PUT FORWARD, AS WELL AS THAT FROM THE OTHER COMMISSIONS.
UH, THE PLAN IS THAT, UM, ALL THE HOPE THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AUGUST.
SO THAT'S AUGUST, UH, THE PLAN IS FOR, UH, A RELEASE OF A DRAFT FINAL PRIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, PRESENTED, UH, TO CITY COUNCIL, TO CITY COUNCIL WORKING SESSION.
AFTER THAT, THE PLAN IS THAT IN DECEMBER, THERE WILL BE A FINAL, FINAL PLAN AND AN ADOPTION IN SEPTEMBER, SORRY, A FINAL, FINAL PLAN AND ADOPTION OF THE PLAN, UH, WHERE I THINK WE WOULD COME INTO PLAY AGAIN, WOULD BE, UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE.
SO RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE ADOPTION OF THE PLAN, THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE, UH, THE POINT AND THE HOPE IS THAT IT WILL BE SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED IN THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE, WHERE WE HAD COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS, UH, EQUITY IS AT THE FRONT AND CENTER WAS PLANNED.
AND SO, UM, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND SO I'LL BE REPORTING BACK TO THIS COMMISSION, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO REPRESENT DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER PADILLA? I'VE GOT ONE.
I BELIEVE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS EITHER SEARCHING OR FINALIZING, UH, THE SELECTION OF, IS IT A CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER OR CHIEF RESILIENCE?
[02:00:01]
YES.AND THAT'S DONE ALREADY THERE'S ONE ALREADY.
AND, AND, UH, SO THAT PERSON HAS BEEN SELECTED.
DO YOU KNOW HOW RECENT THAT WAS? THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SOME MONTHS SINCE COATS, SEVERAL MEETINGS BACK NOW.
UM, I COULD SWEAR THAT LAST MONTH THAT IT HADN'T BEEN FINALIZED.
SO MAYBE WHAT I KNOW IS THE JOB WAS POSTED.
LET ME GET, LET ME GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
I THOUGHT TWO MONTHS AGO, THEY SAID THE ROLE WAS HIRED.
YEAH, IT, YEAH, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO PIN DOWN THE EXACT INFORMATION THERE, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF THE, UH, THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE IS INVOLVED IN ANY WAY FORM OR FASHION IN THAT SELECTION, OR NO, WE'RE NOT INVOLVED IN THE HIRING FOR SURE.
WE'RE JUST GETTING UPDATES AS WELL, BUT I CAN CONFIRM THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU THIS EVENING OR TO HER ON THAT.
I'M CERTAINLY NOT IN THAT BIG OF A RUSH, SO JUST WHENEVER YOU CAN, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, WE APPRECIATE THE REPORT OUT AND, UH, I BELIEVE, UH, ITEM C AS WELL.
UH, WE WON'T BE REPORTING OUT ON BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE, UH, COMMISSIONER MCGEE IS HERE TODAY.
AND ITEM C WAS THE UPDATE FROM THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
[6. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
WE WILL MOVE INTO ITEM SIX, WHICH IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UH, DO WE HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR THOUGHTS, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? WELL, SURE.THERE WAS A LOT OF INTERESTING, I MEAN, BEING ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATER BROKE PEOPLE OFFERED TO BE IN A WORKING GROUP ON THAT TOPIC.
SINCE THEN, I'VE TALKED WITH STAFF ABOUT THEIR SCHEDULE FOR THEIR ROLE IN THIS AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET A PRESENTATION OF THE CDC ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AND THE AFFORDABILITY COMPONENT.
AND I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HEAR AN OUTLINE OF IT THIS EVENING AND THEN DRILL IN ON THE HOUSING PIECE OF IT NEXT MONTH.
BUT I GUESS THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
SO, BUT I WOULDN'T SEE IT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM UNDERSTOOD BY CHEER UP YOU'RE BREAKING UP.
BUT, UH, I'M PRETTY SURE WHAT YOU WERE SAYING WAS THAT WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE GOTTEN A FULL PRESENTATION ON SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
UH, WELL, A PRESENTATION, UH, AT LEAST OVERVIEW ON SOUTH CENTER WATERFRONT TODAY AND NEXT MONTH POTENTIALLY DRILL DOWN INTO THE AFFORDABILITY COMPONENT.
UM, AND WE HEARD FROM STAFF THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET THAT PRESENTATION THIS MONTH.
UH, AND SO WE WILL HOPEFULLY GET EITHER A PRESENTATION ON BOTH THE OVERVIEW OF SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLUS AFFORDABILITY NEXT MONTH, OR MAYBE SPLIT THOSE ITEMS. I KNOW THIS IS A UNIQUE INTEREST AS WELL.
THE COMMISSIONER DELGADO, WHO EXPRESSED THAT SHE WOULD HAVE LIKED IT ON THIS MONTH'S AGENDA AS WELL.
I ALSO, UM, CHAIR, I ALSO HAVE A REQUEST FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
IS THIS THE TIME TO PUT IN THE REQUEST PLEASE? UM, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHO IS RESPONSIBLE TO GIVING US A REPORT ON THAT HOUSING BOND MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T RECALL BECAUSE I'VE HAD NO ACCESS TO MY, UM, EMAIL.
I'M NOT ABLE TO RESEARCH WHEN OUR LAST DISCUSSION WAS ON THE HOUSING BOND MONEY THAT WAS VOTED IN.
UH, I THINK I WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO FOLLOW UP WITH HPD STAFF ON THAT AND, UH, GET A FINER POINT, UH, ON, ON THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU'D LIKE AND HOW WE CAN ADD IT TO THE, WHERE YOU WILL, UH, PURSUE IT AND FOLLOW UP AND REACH OUT TO YOU, UH, FOR ANY SPECIFICS.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, ALSO IN THE ABSENCE OF EMAIL ACCESS, I OFTEN, UH, BECAUSE IT, IT CAN BE CUMBERSOME TO ACCESS THE CITY EMAIL.
I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, ESPECIALLY I THINK GIVEN WHAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW, EVEN MORE SO OBVIOUSLY, UM, I OFTEN USE THE
[02:05:01]
CDC WEBSITE AND JUST DOWNLOAD THE AGENDAS FROM THE BACKUP AND THE MEETINGS FROM THE BACKUP, UH, WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT, SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST.UM, SO I'LL ALSO, I'LL TAKE A CRACK AT THAT MYSELF AND SEE IF I CAN, I CAN FIND WHEN THAT PRESENTATION WAS TO THANK YOU.
CAUSE, UH, ACCORDING TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT, I'VE BEEN BLOCKED FROM THE CITY WEBSITE.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'M NOT ABLE TO CONNECT.
SO YEAH, IF YOU COULD ASSIST ME, UM, AND GIVING HIM PROVIDING SOME OF THAT INFORMATION.
SO, UM, AS THEY'RE HANDLING THAT, UM, DURING BUSINESS DAYS DO BUSINESS HOURS, I WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, START RESEARCHING SO I CAN BE ABLE TO CRAFT WHAT EXACTLY I'M I'M I'M ASKING FOR.
ALSO, YES, ALONG THAT LINE, WE PERIODICALLY GET A RE A QUARTERLY REPORT ON HOUSING PRODUCTION IN, SO PERHAPS ERICA LEE COULD TELL US WHEN THE LAST QUARTERLY REPORT WAS ERIC, I'M GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT HERE.
I DON'T HAPPEN TO KNOW OFFHAND, BUT I CAN LOOK IT UP HERE MOMENTARILY.
AND, UH, VICE-CHAIR POP, WOULD YOU BE OKAY WITH, UH, JUST THE NOTION OF ADDING IT TO THE AGENDA, UH, OR ADDING IT AS A POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEM IF WE'RE DUE UP FOR A REPORT? ABSOLUTELY.
AND I ALSO, UH, DO, MAYBE THIS ISN'T AN AGENDA ITEM.
UH, IT COULD BE AN AGENDA ITEM, UH, BUT IT CERTAINLY CAN BE DISCUSSED AS A POTENTIAL AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS THAT, UH, NEXT MONTH, THE, UH, BECAUSE THE, I BELIEVE IT'S THE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IN LINE WITH THE GOVERNOR DID NOT RENEW THE DISASTER DECLARATION OR AT LEAST THE EXEMPTION, UH, UH, WITH RESPECT TO OPEN MEETINGS THAT ALLOW US TO MEET VIRTUALLY AS OF SEPTEMBER, OUR MEETINGS NEED TO BE A COMBINATION OF IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL, WHICH ME, WHICH MEANS THAT AT THAT RESIDE, IF I UNDERSTAND THIS CORRECTLY, THE PRESIDING OFFICER PLUS A QUORUM NEED TO BE IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS CAN BE VIRTUAL.
AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK THE COMBINATION OR PERMUTATION WOULD NEED TO BE LIKE.
AND SO WITH THAT SAID, WE CAN'T THIS ISN'T UP FOR DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IT'S NOT POSTED FOR, FOR SUCH WITH THAT SAID, UH, WE CAN EXPECT THAT TO BE POTENTIALLY AN AGENDA ITEM.
IF WE HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING TO DISCUSS HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THIS.
AND IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, UM, JUST AS WE CLOSE TODAY, WE CAN EXPECT, UH, LIKELY STAFF TO REACH OUT TO US TO SEE HOW WE MAY BE ABLE TO SERVE, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ALL BE AVAILABLE TO DO OUR DUTIES AS COMMISSIONERS.
AND ON THAT NOTE, I THINK, UH, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HERE, UH, FOR BEING PRESENT, UH, AND, UH, CONTRIBUTING OUR TIME AND OUR EFFORT AND OUR ATTENTION, UH, FOR THE WELLBEING OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND IF THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER OBJECTION, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UH, AGENDA ITEMS THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT LIKE TO SUGGEST BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT THE MEETING? THERE AREN'T ANY OBJECTIONS.
THEN I WOULD LIKE TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 7:43 PM.