GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
[00:00:01]
I SEE[CALL TO ORDER]
ON THE VIRTUAL DYESS COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, UH, VICE-CHAIR FONTUS IS HERE AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE'LL BEGIN BY[Approval of Minutes]
ENTERTAINING A MOTION FOR, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.VICE CHAIR FONTAS MOVES APPROVAL.
COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, SECOND, SET ALL IN FAVOR.
THAT IS UNANIMOUS ON THE DYESS WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM AND THE MAYOR OFF THE DIOCESE AS THEY WILL BE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.
SO DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION
[2. Approve the 2022 Public Health Committee Schedule.]
ON THE CALENDAR.ANY COMMENTS ON THE CALENDAR? I THINK WE'VE PULLED SOME OF YOUR OFFICES AND HEARD FEEDBACK, ANY CONCERNS OR ISSUES WITH THE CALENDAR AS IT'S PRESENTED FOR 2022, IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THAT PLACE.
VICE CHAIR OF WINDOWS MOVES, APPROVAL COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SECOND THAT, UM, JUST NOTE COLLEAGUES THAT WE HAVE CANCELED THE JULY MEETING AND HAVE, UM, LEFT OPEN THE POSSIBILITY THAT DURING, DURING BUDGET TIME ON EIGHT THREE, THAT MAY BE ANOTHER MEETING THAT WE CHOOSE NOT TO HAVE AT THAT POINT, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE BUDGET GOING ON.
WE HAD, INITIALLY WE HAD TALKED ABOUT HAVING THE PUBLIC HEALTH MEET COMMITTEE MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH.
WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT PROBABLY A YEAR OR SO AGO.
UM, RIGHT NOW BETWEEN THE RESILIENCE HUB WORK AND THE WORK RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS AND THE OTHER REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT COME UP, UM, ON A MORE, UH, THAT ARE LESS ONGOING, BUT MORE TEMPORAL ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE WE NEED THIS MONTHLY SCHEDULE, BUT I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO FEEDBACK ON THAT.
I THINK JUST GIVEN THE SIZABLE INVESTMENT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS MADE TOWARDS REDUCING HOMELESSNESS, I, IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO HAVE MONTHLY UPDATES AND OF COURSE THE CRITICAL WORK OF THE COMMUNITY RESILIENCE HUBS THAT DEFINITELY ALONG WITH FOOD ACCESS AND CHILDCARE, ALL OF THOSE TOPICS ARE VERY TIMELY.
SO LET'S TAKE A VOTE ON THE CALENDAR ALL IN FAVOR THAT IS UNANIMOUS OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE TODAY.
[3. Briefing and discussion on issues related to homelessness.]
TO OUR CONVERSATION AROUND HOMELESSNESS.WE'RE GOING TO START WITH AN UPDATE ON THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH WELCOMING PETE VALDEZ.
AND SO COLLEAGUES WERE, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT AND THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND THEN MS. GRAY IS GOING TO DO A PRESENTATION ON, ON A COUPLE AREAS WITH RELATIONSHIP TO HOMELESSNESS, TO THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER OFFICE.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE UP OUR, OUR SECOND TOPIC OF THE DAY, BUT I BELIEVE WE HAVE ABOUT 10 MINUTES SCHEDULED FOR YOUR PIECE.
AND THEN ABOUT 20 MINUTES SCHEDULED FOR THE PRESENTATION PIECE FROM THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER FROM MS. GRAY.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME TIME LEFT FOR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR SECOND TOPIC.
THANKS FOR COMING ACROSS THE RIVER TO BE WITH US HERE TODAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THERE, THERE IS A, UH, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SLIDES, UM, AT THE END OF, UH, DIANA'S UM, POWERPOINT, IF YOU COULD PLEASE BRING THOSE UP, MR. VALDEZ, IS THIS THE ORDER THAT YOU WOULD PREFER OR WOULD YOU RATHER GO AFTER MS. GRAY? OH, I'M FINE.
GOING FIRST IF DIANA'S FINE WITH IT, I'M FINE.
YOU'LL WANT TO CONTINUE TO FORWARD.
IT'S THE LAST TWO TO THREE SIDES.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE SOME HIGH LEVEL UPDATES ABOUT THE WORK THAT THE COMMUNITY COURT IS DOING, UH, TO SERVE THE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UM, OUR INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, UM, CONTINUED THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
WE HAVE, UH, NEVER SHUT DOWN OUR SERVICES.
SO WHAT WE DID DO FOR OUR INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT IS WE SHIFTED TO A FULL-TIME MOBILE AND COMMUNITY MODEL.
UH, PRIOR TO THAT, WE WERE, UM, HAVING INDIVIDUALS COME TO THE OFFICE TO MEET WITH THEIR CASE MANAGERS.
UH PART-TIME AND THEN PART-TIME THE CASE MANAGERS WOULD MEET WITH THEM IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, NOW IT'S PRIMARILY JUST MEETING WITH INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE'VE HAD TO PROVIDE OUR CASE MANAGERS WITH ACCESS TO CITY VEHICLES.
[00:05:01]
OWN FIVE FLEET VEHICLES AND WE HAVE 14 CASE MANAGERS THAT HAVE TO HAVE A VEHICLE, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THEIR CLIENTELE.UM, SO WE'VE HAD TO, UM, RENT, UH, SEVERAL FLEET VEHICLES, UH, SO THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE ABLE TO AGAIN, ACCESS THEIR CLIENTELE IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, AS A BEST PRACTICE, UH, TO MAKE IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR THE INDIVIDUALS AND, UH, TO ENGAGE THEM IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY BELONG TO, BUT ALSO, UH, TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF FOOT TRAFFIC IN THE FACILITY.
SO, UH, TO, TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE, UH, IN RESPECTS TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
UM, AGAIN, THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE WORKING, UH, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A HOUSING FOCUSED IN PERSON CENTERED APPROACH.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE ARE, WE, WE, UH, WE CREATE TREATMENT PLANNING SPECIFIC TO THE INDIVIDUAL'S NEEDS.
AND SO WE WILL FIND THE SERVICE IF WE DON'T PROVIDE IT OURSELVES, WE WILL FIND THE SERVICE THAT THEY NEED, UH, TO HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL AND HELP THEM ACQUIRE THAT LONG-TERM STABILITY THAT THEY NEED TO GET INTO HOUSING AND STAY IN HOUSING SUCCESSFULLY.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE, UH, OVER 300 INDIVIDUALS ON OUR WAIT LIST.
AND SO, AS I TALKED THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THAT WAITLIST, GOING BACK TO THE HOUSING FOCUSED PERSON CENTERED APPROACH.
I WANT TO ALSO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIORITIZING INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HIGHER ACUITY.
SO THE WAY THAT WE DO THAT IS WE LOOK AT INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND SUBSTANCE USE ISSUES, BUT ALSO MEDICAL ISSUES AND WHO HAVE, UM, HAVE EXTENSIVE, SOMETIMES EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL HISTORIES.
SO WE WILL PRIORITIZE THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO STABILIZE AND GET INTO OUR HOUSING PROGRAMS. UM, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE HA I THINK THAT THAT ALSO, UM, PLAYS A ROLE IN OUR WAIT LIST BECAUSE WE HAVE TO TAKE FROM THE TOP OF THAT WAIT LIST.
AND WE ARE GETTING REFERRALS FROM, UM, HOSTS, FOR EXAMPLE, OR EVEN FROM OUR COURT OPERATIONS.
UM, BUT MOSTLY INDIVIDUALS WALKING IN, ASKING FOR SERVICES VOLUNTARILY, UH, BECAUSE THEY'VE HEARD OF ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
SPEAKING ABOUT WALK-IN SERVICES.
WHAT WE REFER TO AS TRIAGED CASE MANAGEMENT, UM, IS THE COMPONENT OF OUR PROGRAM, WHERE WE PROVIDE, UM, ON THE SPOT SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS, TO ANY INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THAT WALKS IN ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR WAIT WAITLIST.
WE CAN'T CONNECT THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO A CASE MANAGER, BUT WE CAN PROVIDE THEM, UH, ITEMS SUCH AS BIRTH CERTIFICATES AND IDS.
UM, WE CAN CONNECT THEM TO, UM, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT MIGHT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SERVE THEM.
UH, WE HELP THEM THROUGH, UH, HOUSING NAVIGATION IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
UH, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE CONNECT THEM TO DOCUMENTS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED.
LONG-TERM LIKE THE BIRTH CERTIFICATES AND IDS AND SOCIAL SECURITY, UM, CARDS.
AND SO, UM, SINCE THE PANDEMIC STARTED, WE'VE SERVED AT THIS POINT OVER 16,000 PEOPLE THROUGH JUST THE WALK-IN SERVICES.
AND THAT NUMBER CONTINUES TO INCREASE IT DECREASED A LITTLE BIT WHEN WE MOVED TO ONE TEXAS CENTER BRIEFLY FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS, BUT IT STARTING TO BUILD UP AGAIN, UM, AS INDIVIDUALS ARE FINDING US, UM, AGAIN, AGAIN, DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE, UH, CREATED A, WHAT WE CALL AN EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT COVID, UM, PROGRAM, WHERE WE SERVE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE STAYING AT THE PROTECTIVE LODGES AND CONNECT THEM TO HOUSING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
UH, THIS PROGRAM, WE RECEIVE REFERRALS THROUGH ECHO FOR THIS PROGRAM.
SO INDIVIDUALS, UH, HAVING A COORDINATED ASSESSMENT, THEN THEY'RE SENT TO US TO WORK, TO CONNECT TO THAT RAPID REHOUSING.
UM, THIS, THIS POPULATION IS REALLY NOT ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ARE SERVING, THAT WE IDENTIFY AS HIGH ACUITY.
THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE ALSO SCORING AND THE 11.5 RANGE OF THE COORDINATED ASSESSMENT.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY ALSO NEED HIGH LEVELS OF SUPPORT FROM THE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE PERSPECTIVES AND THE MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
AND THEY ALSO HAVE CRIMINAL HISTORIES.
SO, UH, BECAUSE OF THAT, IT IS TAKING US LONGER TO HOUSE.
[00:10:01]
WAS ANTICIPATED WHEN WE TOOK THEM ON.UM, BUT WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM AND THAT GRANT AND THAT PROGRAM IS FUNDED THROUGH THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO ONCE THAT FUNDING GOES AWAY, UM, WE, WE HOPE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE SERVING WILL BE HOUSED, BUT WE ALSO KNOW BECAUSE OF THEIR ACUITY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO SUPPORT SERVICES ONGOING.
UM, SO WE HOPE THAT THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE FUNDING THE FYI TWENTY-THREE BUDGET PROCESS.
WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE FUNDING THE INDIVIDUALS SO THAT WE KNOW, SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE HOUSING THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.
CAN YOU, UH, CHANGE THE SLIDE PLEASE? UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT IS, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE BEING CITED OF FOR PROPERTY VIOLATIONS OR STATEWIDE CAMPING VIOLATIONS.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, AGAIN, BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR WAITLIST, UH, WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL WALKS IN TRYING TO ADDRESS THEIR CASES, UM, OR WHEN THEY SHOW UP AT THE MUNICIPAL COURT AND THEY'RE TRANSPORTED TO COMMUNITY COURTS SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO CONNECT TO OUR SOCIAL SERVICES.
UM, WE CONNECT THEM TO OUR TRIAGED CASE MANAGEMENT, WHICH AGAIN, IS ABLE TO PROVIDE AN ARRAY OF SERVICES.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T CONNECT THEM TO A CASE MANAGER BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THOSE SLOTS AVAILABLE.
UM, AS OF OCTOBER 29TH, THERE WERE 138 CASES THAT WERE CREATED, UH, AND THAT WERE, THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROP B VIOLATIONS OR STATEWIDE CAMPING.
UM, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY ARRESTS BROUGHT INTO THE COMMUNITY COURT AS OF YET.
UM, AND SO WE, WE, WE SEE SPURTS OF INCREASES OF CITATIONS, BUT WE REALLY HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF MOVEMENT OF INDIVIDUALS WALKING IN WANTING TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR, OF THOSE CASES ON THEIR OWN, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE REQUESTED, UH, TRIALS, OR ARE WORKING WITH AN ATTORNEY TO ADDRESS THOSE CASES REGARDING NEVADA, KEEP SAFE STORAGE PROGRAM.
UH, THE COMMUNITY COURT TOOK THIS PROGRAM OVER, UH, IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY WAS PREVIOUSLY PROVIDING THE OVERSIGHT AND SINCE THE COMMUNITY COURT TOOK IT OVER, WE EXPANDED OUR HOURS FROM 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
UM, AND ADDITIONALLY, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT TO FIVE, UH, INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF THAT EXPANSION.
AND WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF BINS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS THAT NEED STORAGE, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY.
THIS HAS BEEN, UM, VERY HELPFUL TO INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LIVED IN ENCAMPMENTS AND WHO HAVE HAD TO LEAVE THOSE ENCAMPMENTS BECAUSE OF PROP B AND STATEWIDE AND THE STATEWIDE CAMPING BAN.
UM, SO WE'VE SEEN, UH, A HUGE INCREASE IN THE USE OF THE PROGRAM OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
UM, CURRENTLY WE ONLY HAVE 49 BINS AVAILABLE, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO BE ABLE TO FIT MORE BINS INTO THAT PROGRAM, UNDERSTANDING THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE GONNA NEED THAT SERVICE.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, AND, UH, REGARDING WAYS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS OUR WAITLIST, UM, WE HAVE ENGAGED IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE IN INTEGRAL CARE.
IT IS CALLED THE HOMELESS HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER PROGRAM.
AND THIS PROGRAM IS ACCEPTING REFERRALS FROM THE COMMUNITY COURT IN HOST.
AND WE ARE FOCUSED ON AGAIN, PROVIDING SERVICES TO, TO THE HIGH ACUITY INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PRESENTING WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH AND THE SUBSTANCE USE ISSUES, BUT ALSO THE MEDICAL ISSUES AND WHO, UM, WHO HAVE AN, AND THESE INDIVIDUALS ALSO HAVE, UM, CRIMINAL JUSTICE INVOLVEMENT.
UH, SO THESE, UH, THROUGH THE FUNDING BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY COURT AND THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, WE ARE ABLE TO SERVE AN ADDITIONAL 100 INDIVIDUALS, UM, UP TO DATE, THAT PROGRAM IS GOING VERY WELL.
IT, THEIR APPROACH MIRRORS, WHAT WE DO IN OUR INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, SO WE'RE, WE ARE VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, UNDERSTANDING THAT AGAIN, THEY'RE ADDRESSING, UH, THE HIGH ACUITY NEEDS OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND I AM AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. VALDEZ, UM,
[00:15:01]
COLLEAGUES, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE? COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.COUNCIL MEMBER FUND IS TALKING TO YOU.
UM, JUST LIKE ALL, ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
I MEAN, THIS IS DIFFICULT WORK AND, UM, AND IT, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A LOT OF HEART AND A LOT OF, UM, IN A PERSEVERANCE AND REALLY WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU.
SO, UM, I HAVE THREE, THREE QUICK QUESTIONS.
UM, HE, THE PRO LODGES, SO YOU'VE GOT ONE PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE WORKING THROUGH TO HELP FOLKS THAT WERE IN THE PROLOGIS GET CONNECTED TO HOUSING IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY.
AND THAT IS, I THOUGHT SAW, IT'S SAID A HUNDRED OVER TWO YEARS.
IS THAT THE NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT WERE IN THE PRO LODGES THAT YOU ALL ARE WORKING WITH, THAT YOU HAD TO ESTIMATE, OR YOU HAVE ALREADY CONNECTED TO HOUSING? COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT NUMBER TO ME? SO TO DATE, UM, AND I HAVE THAT STATISTIC.
WE ARE WORKING WITH, UH, 69 OF THE 100, WE'VE ENGAGED WITH 69 OF THE 147 OF THOSE 69 HAVE BEEN HOUSED TO DATE.
AND CAN YOU SAY THE 100, WHAT IS THAT NUMBER COMING FROM 100? THAT WAS JUST THE AGREEMENT WITH THE GRANT, UH, THAT WE WOULD SERVE A HUNDRED PEOPLE.
AND THOSE ARE THE, AND THOSE A HUNDRED PEOPLE OR A HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE LIVING IN THE PRO LODGES.
AND SO YOU'RE WORKING WITH THEM GOING FROM THE PROLOGIS TO HOUSING.
UM, AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, AND I'M NOT SURE IF, IF YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON THAT KNOWS THE ANSWER TO THIS, IT MAY BE DIANA, BUT, UM, I CAN ASK HER LATER, BUT MY SECOND QUESTION IS, CAN YOU, UM, REMIND ME WHAT THE POLICY IS FOR, UH, RELATED TO PROP B, UH, WHAT EXACTLY THE IS HAPPENING WITH FOLKS BEFORE THEY ARE, UM, BEFORE THEY, UH, CAN BE ARRESTED.
AND IT WAS, I KNOW THAT THERE IS A, UH, A STEP PROCESS FOR CONNECTING PEOPLE TO HOUSING AND THERE'S A WARNING PERIOD, AND THERE'S VERY THING, VARIOUS THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT, UM, CAN, CAN YOU ARTICULATE, CAN SOMEONE ARTICULATE EXACTLY WHAT THAT PROCESS IS BEFORE THEY ENDED UP, YOU KNOW, BEFORE AT THE END OF THAT PROCESS, THEY MIGHT BE ARRESTED? YES.
I WOULD DEFER TO DIANA ON THAT QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THAT NOW OR, OR, UH, WELL, UH, THE REASON I WAS ASKING IT IS BECAUSE I, I NOTICED THAT, UM, THE, THE COMMUNITY, THE, UM, THEY CAN, IF THEY ARE ARRESTED, THEY'RE NOT, UM, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT THROUGH THE DAC, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE, UM, PROCESSING FOR THOSE FOLKS.
SO THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING IF YOU COULD JUST BRIEFLY ANSWER THAT.
AND CERTAINLY I THINK WE'LL WANT TO, UM, UH, ALLOW FOR APD TO, TO, TO CHIME IN HERE OR CORRECT ANYTHING.
UM, UH, IF I LEAVE ANY GAPS, I THINK THAT PRIMARY ISSUE OF COURSE, IS THAT THIS IS OUR CLASS C MISDEMEANORS, AND OUR OFFICERS HAVE COMMITTED TO, UH, WHEN WE, UH, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE'RE CLEARING IN AN ENCAMPMENT OF MULTIPLE PEOPLE, UH, GIVING, UH, GIVING NOTICE OF, OF SEVERAL DAYS, IDEALLY, UM, AND IN MOST CASES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.
SO, UM, CERTAINLY TAN SITE WITHOUT A VERBAL WARNING, BUT TYPICALLY WOULD GIVE A VERBAL WARNING WARNING IN ADDITION TO, UM, THAT SORT OF, YOU KNOW, UH, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH THAT'S HAPPENING PRIOR TO THAT TIME, IF SOMEONE DOES NOT.
UM, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IF SOMEONE DOES NOT VACATE AN AREA, UH, AFTER A CITATION HAS BEEN ISSUED, OR AN ORDER HAS BEEN GIVEN, THEY COULD CONCEIVABLY BE ARRESTED AT THAT TIME.
BUT TYPICALLY, UM, EVEN AFTER A CITATION, UH, INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE GIVEN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO THEN SUBSEQUENTLY CLEAR THEIR ITEMS AND VACATE AN AREA.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE ARE PART OF THE REASON THAT YOU'RE ONLY SEEING ONE ARREST, UM, OVER THE COURSE SO FAR, UM, FULL ENFORCEMENT, MOST OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED HAS INVOLVED VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE.
UM, YOU SMALL, A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF CITATIONS, ET CETERA.
I THINK, UM, OF COURSE, IF SOMEONE HAS ISSUED A CITATION AND THEN THEY DO NOT PAY OR DO NOT ARRIVE FOR A COURT DATE, UM, THERE IS, UH, CONCEIVABLY A SCENARIO IN WHICH THEY COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR HAVING A WARRANT ISSUED.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE COULD HAVE, UH, PETE CHIME BACK IN AND, UH,
[00:20:01]
MAKE SURE THAT I'VE DESCRIBED THAT ADEQUATELY AND WHAT THAT PROCESS MIGHT LOOK LIKE.UM, SHOULD, SHOULD SUCH AN, A METRO REALITY ARISE.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO TALK ABOUT IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT? SO TO DATE, UM, JUDGE COFFEE HAS, UM, IT HAS DECIDED NOT TO PROCESS WARRANTS, UH, BECAUSE OF, UH COVID-19.
SO, UH, HE'S THINKING THAT SOMETIME IN JANUARY, HE WILL RESUME, UH, THE CONFIRMATION OF WARRANTS, WHICH WOULD THEN MEAN THAT IF SOMEBODY DID, UM, NOT SHOW UP TO THEIR COURT DATE, UH, BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED A CITATION THAT, UH, THAT WOULD GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF, UH, GIVING THAT PERSON TIME TO RESPOND.
AND IF THEY DID NOT RESPOND AFTER A NOTICE WAS SENT OUT THAT, UH, THEY WOULD THEN HAVE, UH, UH, AN ACTIVE WARRANT IN THEIR NAME.
AND AT THAT POINT, IF, UH, OFFICERS, UH, HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND ASKED FOR THEIR ID AND THEY RAN THEIR NAME, IT WOULD SHOW AN ACTIVE WARRANT AND THEY WOULD BE ARRESTED AT THAT TIME.
IF THE COMMUNITY COURT WAS OPEN DURING THE TIME OF THE ARREST, THEY WOULD BRING THEM DIRECTLY TO THE COMMUNITY COURT.
IF THE COMMUNITY COURT WAS NOT OPEN BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE EVENING OR A WEEKEND, THEN, UH, THEY WOULD BE BOOKED INTO THE JAIL AND BROUGHT TO COMMUNITY COURT ON THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT AT THIS POINT, THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED.
BOTH COURTS, BOTH THE MUNICIPAL COURT AND THE COMMUNITY COURT ARE NOT CONFIRMING ON WARREN'S CURRENTLY, UH, BECAUSE OF COVID-19 MY LAST QUESTION HERE IS SO, UM, SO YOU ALL WORK WITH INTENDED INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT ESSENTIALLY.
UM, AND SO CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND, OR JUST ON, BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS, IS HELPFUL? AND THEN THERE WAS WHAT IS REALLY EFFECTIVE, UM, AND HELPING GETTING PEOPLE CONNECTED TO HOUSING.
ANOTHER WAY TO ASK IT IS WHAT, OR WHAT IS IT THAT'S KEY TO WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING THAT IS, UM, THAT WORKS FOR INDIVIDUALS TO CONNECT THEM TO HOUSING.
YOU TELL ME THAT BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE.
YEAH, I, I THINK IT'S SEVERAL, UH, COMPONENTS REALLY, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT PLANNING IS, IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY, UH, BECAUSE THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THAT PERSON'S SPECIFIC NEEDS.
THEREFORE WE ARE NOT TRYING TO HOUSE THEM INTO A PROGRAM THAT ISN'T REALLY BEST SUITED FOR THEM.
WE'RE GOING TO PUT THEM IN A, IN A LOCATION THAT IS GOING TO BE THE BEST FIT.
UM, ON TOP OF THAT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO COMMIT, TO CONTINUING TO SERVE THAT INDIVIDUAL FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES.
SO THAT IS ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS I THINK.
AND WHAT WE DO IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A TIME LIMIT, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE GRANT FUNDED, UM, INDIVIDUALS, THOSE INDIVIDUALS BEING SERVED THROUGH GRANT, UM, THROUGH OUR GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, WE DON'T HAVE A TIME LIMIT FOR HOW LONG WE CAN WORK WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL.
AND BECAUSE WE ENCOUNTER SO MANY INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, UH, PRESENTING WITH HIGH ACUITY, WE END UP HAVING TO SUPPORT THEM FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME.
SO I THINK THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT.
AND IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT IS VERY HELPFUL FOR, FOR THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT HELPS US HELP THEM IN THAT WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO CUT THEM OFF BECAUSE OF OUR FUNDING SOURCE.
UM, W THE CHALLENGE OF, OF HOUSING, I THINK IS THE SAME ACROSS THE BOARD IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THE MARKET, UH, FOR GETTING PEOPLE INTO HOUSING MAKES IT REALLY DIFFICULT.
THE HOUSING ISN'T AS AVAILABLE AS WE NEEDED TO BE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HOUSE.
UM, IT'S TAKING A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO HOUSE INDIVIDUALS CURRENTLY.
UM, AND FOR US SPECIFICALLY, UH, THE CRIMINAL HISTORY FACTORS ARE PLAYING A HUGE ROLE IN THAT AS WELL.
SO WE CAN FIND WAYS TO GET AROUND THAT OFTENTIMES THROUGH ADVOCACY, UTILIZING THE CASE MANAGERS, WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO GIVE LARGER, UM, DEPOSITS.
UH, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO LET THE LANDLORDS KNOW THAT WE ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY, SO THAT THEY WILL FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IN TAKING THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
UH, BUT IT'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN AND THEY CAN HAPPEN SO THAT, UH, THOSE PEOPLE CAN GET HOUSING.
IT JUST TAKES A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME TO GET THEM INTO THE HOUSING.
[00:25:01]
UM, MR. VALDEZ, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS IN THE 138 CASES THAT HAVE BEEN REFERRED TO THE DAC.ARE THOSE INDIVIDUALS, OR ARE SOME OF THE CASES, MULTIPLE CASES ATTACHED TO, WITH THE SAME INDIVIDUALS? YEAH.
AND LOOKING AT THE, UH, AT THE DATA RECENTLY, SOME OF THOSE ARE NOT DISTINCT INDIVIDUALS.
THERE ARE A FEW THAT HAVE RECEIVED REPETITIVE RE REPEAT, UH, CITATIONS.
IF YOU COULD, MAYBE AT OUR NEXT FOLLOW-UP MEETING OR, UM, IN SUBSEQUENT COMMUNICATIONS, IT WOULD BE GREAT TO KNOW, UH, THAT DIFFERENCE.
I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH A BREAKDOWN.
AND THEN WITH REGARD TO THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAM, WHICH, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GETTING UP AND RUNNING SO VERY QUICKLY, THAT WAS, UH, SOMETHING I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE SUGGESTED COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, YOU WORKED WITH ME ON THAT RESOLUTION AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT FUNDED, BUT IN PART IT WAS USING THE DAX FUNDING THAT FIRST YEAR.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT PARTICIPATION.
CAN YOU HELP ME REMEMBER HOW MANY, I KNOW YOU SAID THERE'S A CAPACITY FOR 100 INDIVIDUALS AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS BROUGHT INTO, INTO BEING IN JANUARY, 2021? YES.
UM, I THINK YOU HAD SAID THE WAIT LIST AT THAT POINT WAS OVER 200.
CAN YOU GIVE US SOME SENSE OF WHAT THE WAITLIST IS NOW FOR, FOR THOSE SERVICES AND HOW MUCH OF THAT 100 CAPACITY IS BEING UTILIZED AT THIS STAGE? YES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THE ENTIRE CASELOAD THAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH RIGHT NOW.
UH, BUT THEY ARE TAKING, THEY ARE FULLY STAFFED AND THEY'RE TAKING ON FAIRLY QUICKLY.
UM, THE, THE WAITLIST AT THAT TIME, WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM WAS PROBABLY AROUND THE SAME, SAME THAT IT IS TODAY.
IT, IT FLUCTUATES BETWEEN 200 AND 300 PEOPLE AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE THE CASE MANAGER SUPERVISOR WILL GO IN THERE AND REMOVE PEOPLE IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THEM WHEN WE HAVE A CASE MANAGER AVAILABLE FOR THEM.
UM, AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE WITH A WAITLIST, IT'S REALLY NOT PRODUCTIVE FOR US TO HAVE A WAITLIST, BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SERVE THOSE PEOPLE, UH, WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY APPEAR BEFORE US, UH, THERE ARE CHANCES IT'S, THEY'RE BIG, IT'S A BIG CHANCE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO RECONNECT A RE-ENGAGE WITH THEM, UH, WHEN WE DO HAVE THAT RESOURCE AVAILABLE.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S UNFORTUNATE.
UH, BUT I THINK THE, THE WAITLIST, UM, IS A GOOD WAY TO, UH, SHOW THE COMMUNITY THE NEED FOR THOSE SERVICES.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT POINT.
UM, AND JUST, JUST TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT IT.
SO WE HAVE ANYWHERE AT ANY GIVEN ON ANY GIVEN DAY, WE HAVE BETWEEN 200 AND 300 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WHO HAVE PRESENTED OR HAVE IDENTIFIED AS IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS A NEED OF MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND HAVE EXPRESSED A WILLINGNESS AND AN INTEREST IN RECEIVING THEM.
AND WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SERVE JUST ONE ONE-THIRD OF THEM THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE IS PARTICIPANT FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION IN THIS ONE.
IT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, A GREAT IDEA.
THEY CAME TO THIS CITY WITH, AND I THINK IT HELPED SUPPLEMENT THE GREAT WORK THAT, THAT, UM, THE DECK WAS DOING ALREADY IN THIS AREA.
SO I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE THE EXPANSION, BUT THE FACT IS, AND I THINK THIS IS A POINT OUR COMMUNITY REALLY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT WE STILL DO NOT HAVE IT FUNDED AT A LEVEL WHERE, UM, THOSE SERVICES ARE REALLY NEEDED AGAIN, WHERE WE'RE ABLE AS A CITY AND AS A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO, TO HELP SERVE ABOUT A THIRD OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BOTH IN NEED AND INTERESTED IN RECEIVING THOSE SERVICES.
AND WHO KNOWS HOW MANY MORE WOULD, UM, EXPRESS THAT SAME INTEREST IF THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD HAVE AN ABILITY TO, TO RECEIVE THOSE SERVICES MORE QUICKLY? SO THANK YOU FOR, THANKS FOR HELPING TALK THROUGH THAT POINT, UM, YOUR VEHICLES.
SO I AM INTERESTED, I ASSUME THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.
I KNOW THROUGH THE BUDGET, WE WERE ABLE TO FUND SOME PERMANENT VEHICLES.
DO YOU HAVE A SENSE? WE ARE EXPECTING AN ADDITIONAL FOUR NEW VEHICLES, UH, IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, SO THAT, THAT MEANS WE CAN DECREASE THE AMOUNT THAT WE ARE RENTING.
UM, AND WE'LL JUST CONTINUE DOING THAT.
UM, AGAIN, AS A, AS A, AS A WAY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE SERVING IN THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, VICE-CHAIR FUENTES TWO REALLY SUMMED UP.
ONE OF THE REASONS TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THESE UPDATES IS TO REALLY, WE'VE MADE REALLY SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS.
AND WE'RE ALWAYS GETTING QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW IS THE CITY'S INVESTING ITS RESOURCES AND WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES.
SO, UM, SO THAT IN ESSENCE IS THE REASON FOR MY UP QUESTION.
WHAT IS THE TIMELINE FOR GETTING THOSE VEHICLES? YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMETIMES THERE'S A REAL LAG BETWEEN WHEN WE MAKE THE BUDGET DECISIONS AND WHEN THOSE PURCHASES OR THOSE
[00:30:01]
PROGRAMS ACTUALLY GET FUNDED.AND I, I JUST APPRECIATE YOU AND MS. GRAY AND OTHERS, AND, UM, ACM HAYDEN HOWARD FOR MAKING SURE THAT THOSE INVESTMENTS ARE BEING MADE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE WE ALL NEED, WE ALL KNOW THE NEEDS ARE GREAT AND THEY'RE IMMEDIATE, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST NOW.
SO HOW SOON ARE THOSE VEHICLES GOING TO BE PURCHASED? SO THE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH AT FLEET HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY PUT A RUSH ON, ON THOSE VEHICLES, BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE, IT TYPICALLY TAKES ANYWHERE BETWEEN SIX AND 10 MONTHS TO GET A NEW VEHICLE.
I'LL NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND FROM OUR PURCHASING DEPARTMENT WHY THAT IS BECAUSE THAT'S A LONG TIME TO CONTINUE TO BE LEASING WHEN WE'VE ALLOCATED THE MONEY FOR A PERMANENT VEHICLE.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JUST LASTLY, I KNOW THAT, UM, THE COUNCIL DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, I BROUGHT FORWARD THE DIRECTION TO EXPEDITE THE MANAGER'S DECISION-MAKING WITH REGARD TO A PERMANENT LOCATION.
I KNOW THERE'S GOOD WORK HAPPENING ON THAT FRONT, AND I HOPE WE'LL HAVE A REPORT BACK ON THAT REALLY SOON.
UM, HAVE YOU GIVEN SOME THOUGHT TO SATELLITE OFFICES? I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU AND I HAVE HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT, UM, AND JUDGE COFFEE AS WELL ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, EVEN ONCE WE HAVE A PERMANENT LOCATION FOR THE DAC, WHICH IS MUCH NEEDED, I KNOW I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THE SPACES AT ONE TEXAS CENTER, BUT I THINK HAVING A PERMANENT PERMANENT HOME OR THE INDIVIDUALS YOU SERVE, AND THOSE WHO ARE, ARE WORKING IN THAT BUILDING AND IN THOSE PROGRAMS IS REALLY CRITICAL.
IS THERE A LONGTERM INTEREST? UM, AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT LET ME SAY, I THINK IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE STILL MIGHT BE A LONG TIME A LONG-TERM NEED FOR HAVING SOME SATELLITE OFFICES.
I LOVE THE MOBILE, THE IDEA OF HAVING THOSE MOBILE, UM, THE MOBILITY OF, OF GETTING OUT TO WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE, WHO NEED THOSE SERVICES FROM THE DECK.
UM, BUT CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE POSSIBILITY OF POTENTIALLY HAVING SOME SATELLITE, TEMPORARY OR SATELLITE OFFICES, UH, TO DELIVER THESE SERVICES TO AS, ESPECIALLY AS AUSTIN CONTINUES TO GROW? SURE.
UM, THERE'S DEFINITELY THE WILLINGNESS.
UM, WE ARE DEFINITELY WILLING TO BE AT THE TABLE TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT WORK.
UH, WE DEFINITELY ALSO WANT TO BE ALIGNED WITH WHAT THE BIGGER PICTURE, UM, APPROACHES ARE, UH, TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
SO WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH, WITH DIANA AND HER TEAM ON WHAT THAT BIG PICTURE LOOKS LIKE.
AND, UM, BUT, BUT AGAIN, WE ARE DEFINITELY WILLING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND, UM, AND MAKE SOMETHING WORK.
I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, COLLEAGUES AS I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WORTH TALKING ABOUT AMONG OUR COMMITTEE AT SOME POINT WHAT THE ALONG WITH WITH PETE AND DIANA AND OTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE, UM, AND HAVE EXPERTISE TO OFFER THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING AS WE, AS WE CONTEMPLATE FACILITIES AND JUST PROGRAM DELIVERY.
UM, JUST LASTLY I WANTED, OH YES.
IT WAS SPURRED BY SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU MADE CHAIR TOVO REGARDING THE MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT SHARING THAT WE'RE RIGHT NOW, GIVEN OUR CAPACITY, WE'RE ONLY ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO ABOUT A THIRD OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE EXPRESSED NEEDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
AND I'M TRYING TO RECONCILE THAT METRIC WITH THE, UM, SIGNIFICANT FUNDING THAT WE'VE ALLOCATED TOWARDS THE ARPA DOLLARS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS KEEPING US AT THIS TIME FROM UTILIZING SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS TO ADDRESS THE WAITLIST IS A MAT.
IS IT A MATTER OF IT'S IN THE PIPELINE? AND IT'LL COME LATER DOWN THE LINE LATER IN THE YEAR.
UM, BECAUSE I IMAGINE EVEN THOUGH RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 200 WHO WOULD, WHO WOULD PREFER TO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, UM, TODAY, BUT THAT NUMBER IS ONLY GOING TO INCREASE AS WE HAVE MORE OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE, ROLL OUT MORE OF THE ENCAMPMENTS, UM, CONNECTED TO HOUSING.
SO JUST TRYING TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THAT, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.
SO IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY AND DIANA MAY NEED TO HELP ME WITH THIS ONE.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THE FUNDING THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO HAS REALLY BEEN AROUND CRISIS MANAGEMENT, UH, FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.
UM, WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT IS PEOPLE ARE PRESENTING NOT NECESSARILY IN CRISIS, BUT WHO HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS THAT IS GOING UNADDRESSED AND THAT, UM, WITHOUT THE MEDICATION AND THE SUPPORT SERVICES, THEY WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE A CRISIS.
UM, BUT WHAT THEY NEED IS REALLY THE FULL WRAP AROUND NOT JUST THE MENTAL HEALTH, UH, CONNECTION, BUT ALSO OFTENTIMES THE SUBSTANCE USE, UH, LINKAGES.
AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, CHARITABLE, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING FOR THE COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT, AND I'M WONDERING AS WE DISCUSS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL DIRECTION
[00:35:01]
WITH SOME OF THE NEEDS, AND LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SATELLITE OFFICES THAT WE COULD ALSO PROVIDE MORE DIRECTION ON ALL OF THE ASPECTS OF ADDRESSING AND REDUCING HOMELESSNESS.CAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL COUNCIL, CONSIDERING THE INFORMATION THAT IS SHARED DURING THESE COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
YOU AND I HAVE TO GO BACK AND DOUBLE CHECK, BUT AS I RECALL, SO WHEN WE FUNDED IT THROUGH THE RESOLUTE, WHEN WE DID THE DIRECTION, UM, IN LIKE DECEMBER, 2020, UM, YOU HAD EXISTING FUNDING WITHIN THE DOC BUDGET TO BRING, TO MATCH THE DAS.
AND THEN IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, WHEN IT CAME FORWARD, WHEN THE MANAGER'S BUDGET CAME FORWARD THIS SUMMER, IT DIDN'T HAVE CONTINUED FUNDING FOR THAT PROGRAM, AS I RECALL.
AND SO WE ONLY WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE FUNDING TO CONTINUE IT THROUGH THIS YEAR, UM, AND, AND HELP, UM, MATCH, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T EXACTLY A ONE-TO-ONE MATCH, BUT IT WAS PUTTING UP, UM, THOSE PUBLIC DOLLARS IN RESPONSE TO THE DA'S CONTINUED PRIVATE CONTRIBUTION.
WE ONLY WERE ABLE TO DO THAT THROUGH A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
I BROUGHT, AND I NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK, BUT IT MAY BE FUNDED THROUGH ARPA FUNDING.
I IMAGINE THIS GRAY REMEMBERS WE DID SOME OF THE DAX NEEDS THROUGH ARPA FUNDING AND SOME THROUGH MAYBE GENERAL FUND AND MAYBE OTHER, OTHER BLENDS OF FUNDING.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHERE WE EVENTUALLY LANDED, BUT I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT WE KNEW THERE WAS A GREATER NEED, BUT, BUT WE WERE STARTING FROM ZERO.
UNFORTUNATELY IT WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE MANAGER'S BUDGET FOR CONTINUED FUNDING.
IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? I MAY BE MIXING UP A FEW OF THE DETAILS, BUT YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE PROCESSES THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, OF COURSE, WITH THE OVERALL ARC OF FUNDING IS LOOKING AT OUR SOLICITATION PROCESS.
UM, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, GOING TO BE ACCESSING THE INPUT OF THE HOMELESS RESPONSE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, WHICH IS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE GOVERNANCE, UM, COMMITTEES THAT ARE BEING SEATED LITERALLY AS WE SPEAK, UM, THERE WILL BE A MENTAL HEALTH WORKING GROUP THERE.
AND SO WE'LL DO A SOLICITATION.
I THINK THAT, UH, FURTHER EXPANSION OF A PROGRAM LIKE THIS IS CERTAINLY A VIABLE USE, UH, BUT WE HEAR OF OTHER NEEDS AS WELL.
UM, UH, MEDICAL DETOX, UH, OR INPATIENT TREATMENT, UH, ET CETERA, WHICH IS ALSO VERY, VERY SCARCE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR, FOR, UH, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS.
AND SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, UM, KIND OF THAT ARRAY OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH NEED, UH, WITHIN THE POPULATION OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND, AND LOOK AT THEN HOW WE, UH, INVEST THOSE RESOURCES, UH, UNDER THE ARPA SPENDING FRAMEWORK.
AND I LIKE THAT, UH, THE SPENDING THE INVESTMENT PLAN THAT YOU PRESENTED TO COUNCIL REALLY CAPTURES WHAT THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT IS AND WHAT THE PRIVATE INVESTMENT NEEDS TO BE TO REALLY FULLY MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO THAT IS A GREAT, THIS IS A VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO CONTINUE TO INVEST INTO INVEST DEEPLY BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A DEEPLY FELT NEED.
I APPRECIATE MR. VALDEZ, YOUR, ALL OF YOUR WORK.
I JUST WANT TO UNDERSCORE AS WE CLOSE THAT DURING COVID WHEN, SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN ALL OF THE CITY OPERATIONS SHIFTED, AS YOU POINTED OUT, THE DAC REMAINED OPEN AND SERVED, UM, 15,740 INDIVIDUALS, OR HAD THAT MANY VISITS AND, AND INTERACTIONS WITH INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY FOR CASE MANAGEMENT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, ALL OF YOUR WORK, AND PLEASE CONVEY OUR THANKS AND APPRECIATION TO YOUR STAFF.
UM, MS. GREG, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY.
AND THANK YOU, UH, PETE FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND ALL THE WORK THAT, UH, THE TAC STAFF, JESS, WE WILL THEN GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE SLIDE DECK.
UM, AND WE HAVE, UH, NOW HAD THE UPDATE FROM DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT, WHICH IS THE THIRD ITEM THAT YOU SEE HERE.
UH, AND WHAT I'LL BE COVERING BRIEFLY IS A BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH WE CARRIED OUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT REGARDING THAT ARPA, UM, ALRIGHT, SPENDING FRAMEWORK FOR THE CITY DOLLARS AND THEN AN UPDATE ON, ON PHASE TWO OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
[00:40:02]
SO COUNCIL ASKED US, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER WHEN THE PRELIMINARY, UM, UH, DESIGNATION OF $106 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDING, UH, WAS ESTABLISHED TO DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS WE DEVELOPED THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK.AND SO WE DID THREE THINGS, UM, THAT, UH, THAT SPOKE TO THAT ONE IS THAT WE, UH, CREATED A SURVEY FOR THE AUSTIN HOMELESSNESS ADVISORY COUNCIL, UH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT STAFF, THE AWESOME HOMELESSNESS ADVISORY COUNCILS.
THE COUNCIL MADE UP OF PEOPLE WITH A LIVED EXPERTISE OF HOMELESSNESS, EITHER CURRENTLY HOMELESS OR PREVIOUSLY HOMELESS.
UH, SO THROUGH AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, WE COMPLETED THAT SURVEY PROCESS.
WE CREATED A SPEAK-UP SURVEY, UM, ON THE CITY WEBSITE, ASKING FOLKS ABOUT THEIR PREFERENCES AND PRIORITIES AROUND THE SPENDING.
AND THEN WE HAD A COUPLE OF, UM, IN-PERSON, OR I SHOULD SAY VIRTUAL IN-PERSON, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS.
SO THIS SLIDE LAYS OUT THE TIMING OF THAT, UM, UH, OVER AUGUST THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER, NEXT SLIDE, AND FIRST GOING TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THE SPEAK-UP CERTAINTY, UH, THAT WAS CARRIED OUT.
WE HAD 277 RESPONSES, SO FAIRLY ROBUST, UM, RESPONSE REPRESENTATION ACROSS ALL ZIP CODES AND COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
WE DID HAVE, UM, SOME, UH, OVER-REPRESENTATION OF, UH, WHITE AS A RACE.
AND IN PARTICULAR, WE ALSO, UH, HAD UNDER-REPRESENTATION OF, UH, OF HISPANIC, UH, WHITE, UH, WHEN TAKING ETHNICITY INTO ACCOUNT.
HOWEVER, WE DID HAVE, UM, UH, APPROXIMATELY, UH, EQUAL REPRESENTATION OF BLACK OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESPONDENTS, UM, UH, CORRESPONDING TO THE CITY POPULATION.
AND THEN ANOTHER THING I'M, I'M PROUD OF IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSES THAT WE GOT, UH, WAS THAT, UH, ALMOST 18% OF RESPONDENTS WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE NOW EXPERIENCING OR HAD EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS IN THE PAST.
NEXT SLIDE, WE ASKED FOLKS, UM, FIRST WHAT THEIR PRIMARY PRIORITIES WERE, UM, BETWEEN SHELTER AND CRISIS RESOURCES AND LONGER-TERM HOUSING HOUSING, UH, ABOUT HALF OF RESPONDENTS REALLY WANTED A BALANCED APPROACH.
UH, AND THE OTHER HALF WAS SPLIT WITH SLIGHTLY MORE 30% PREFERRING INVESTMENTS IN LONGTERM HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND ABOUT 20%, UM, PREFERRING INVESTMENTS IN SHORT-TERM CRISIS SERVICES.
UM, OF COURSE THAT IS NOT JUST AN EITHER OR QUESTION WE CAN DO BOTH.
AND, UM, THE MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS OVERALL DID FAVOR MODERATE OR SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN BOTH CORE HOUSING PROGRAMS LIKE RAPID REHOUSING AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WITH 75% OF RESPONDENTS ANSWERING IN THE AFFIRMATIVE IN THOSE CATEGORIES.
AND 71% WHO FAVORED MODERATE TO SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN CAPITAL INVESTMENTS.
SO THE BRICKS AND MORTAR CREATION OF NEW HOUSING, NEXT SLIDE, UH, WE DID, HOWEVER, I THINK FIND THAT WE HAD, UM, SOME SUBSTANTIAL WORK TO DO IN THE AREA OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ONGOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UH, THIS ISN'T WHOLLY SURPRISING KNOWING THAT WE ARE A RELATIVELY NEW DIVISION, UM, BUT ONLY ABOUT 25% OF RESPONDENTS FELT LIKE THEY REALLY KNEW HOW TO FIND ACCURATE AND TIMELY INFORMATION ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY'S PROGRESS TO END HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO, UM, I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO, UH, LOOK AT OUR COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS AND, UM, AND COLLATERAL, UH, BOTH ON THE PART OF THE CITY AND THEN ALSO GUIDING PEOPLE TO OTHER IMPORTANT SOURCES OF DAILY DATA, LIKE ECHO, WHO HOLDS THE INFORMATION THROUGH OUR HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM ON INDIVIDUALS AND, UM, AND THE OUTCOMES OF PROGRAMS, UH, ALMOST 80%.
WE'D LIKE TO WANT IT UPDATES THROUGH, UM, WEBPAGE EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND, UM, 70% SAID THEY WOULD LIKE, UH, WHEN ASKED HOW OFTEN THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE UPDATES SAID, THEY'D LIKE TO SEE MONTHLY UPDATES.
SO, IN ADDITION TO, AS I SAID TO THE SPEAK-UP, UM, SURVEY THAT WAS ON THE CITY WEBSITE, WE DID A TARGETED SURVEY TO THE AWESOME HOMELESSNESS ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, AND THAT THEY IDENTIFY TOP PRIORITIES IN THREE CATEGORIES.
UH, FIRST WAS HOUSING, UH, THAT THEY REALLY, THE FIRST PRIORITY BEING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS, UH, OTHER DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND, AND TINY HOME COMMUNITIES, FOOD ACCESS
[00:45:01]
WAS ALSO A PRIORITY.SO ACCESS TO SNAP BENEFITS SO THAT THEY CAN ACCESS THEIR OWN, UH, FOOD, UH, VIA GROCERY STORES AND OTHER VENDORS, WATER AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION TO ENCAMPMENTS, AND THEN WALK UP PREPARED MEALS.
AND THEN THE THIRD CATEGORY THAT WAS IMPORTANT WAS, UH, HEALTHCARE AND THE THREE ITEMS THAT FOLKS IDENTIFIED, UH, AS THEIR TOP PRIORITIES IN THIS AREA WERE MEDICAL ACCESS PROGRAM ENROLLMENT.
SO THE MAP PROGRAM THROUGH CENTRAL HEALTH, UH, OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, WHICH WE'VE TOUCHED ON, UH, IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT PRESENTATION, AND ALSO IDENTIFIED A NEED FOR TRANSPORTATION TO, AND FROM, UH, MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS.
NEXT SLIDE, WE HAD TWO VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETINGS IN OCTOBER ABOUT, UH, FIVE DAYS APART BETWEEN THE 14TH AND THE 19TH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
AND WHAT WE HEARD REALLY IN THOSE, UM, THOSE SESSIONS, UM, THEMATICALLY WAS AN INTEREST CERTAINLY IN THE RESOURCE ALLOCATION, BUT OUR REAL CONCERN ABOUT, UM, THE ADVENT OF FULL ENFORCEMENT OF THE, UH, THE NEW OR REINSTATED CAMPING BANS IN THE ABSENCE OF CRISIS RESOURCES, UH, FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE SOMEPLACE TO GO OR TO BE CONNECTED TO SERVICES, UH, IDENTIFICATION OF, OF GAPS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE CHALLENGE WE HAVE TO BUILD CAPACITY OF OUR PROVIDERS, UM, AND REALLY AN INTEREST IN, UM, BALANCING THAT LONGER TERM TIMELINE OF THE SUMMIT PLAN WITH IMMEDIATE RESPONSE, UH, TO WHAT WAS PERCEIVED AS A CRISIS SITUATION FINALLY, UH, SUPPORT FOR ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS IN MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT, NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE DID MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK THAT WE HAD DRAFTED PRIOR TO OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND THIS SLIDE SHOWS SOME INCREASES, UH, IN THAT OVERALL BUDGET.
AND WHAT I WILL SAY, UH, WITHOUT GOING DEEPLY LINE BY LINE INTO THE ITEMS IN THIS SLIDE IS THAT WE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED CRISIS, UH, RESOURCES, AND THEN, UM, SOME INCREASES IN THE SORT OF SYSTEM CAPACITY BUILDING.
UH, AND IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SIDE, UM, WE REDUCED IN ORDER TO DO THAT A BIT OF THE SPENDING IN RAPID REHOUSING AND IN CAPITAL FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT.
NOW, THE NUMBERS YOU SEE HERE ARE THE CHANGES, NOT THE TOTAL AMOUNT, RAPID REHOUSING WAS REDUCED BY 2.5 MILLION.
BUT, UM, I BELIEVE WE, YOU KNOW, WE STILL ENDED UP WITH A SPENDING FRAMEWORK OF SOMEWHERE AROUND, UM, 50 MILLION FOR RAPID REHOUSING.
SO THESE WERE CHANGES AT THE MARGINS, BUT IN PARTICULAR, UM, DID END UP SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING THE CRISIS RESOURCES THAT WE CONTEMPLATED AS PART OF THE SPENDING FRAMEWORK.
NEXT SLIDE, AS WE REFLECT ON THIS PROCESS AROUND ARPAN AROUND OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, IN, IN GENERAL, I THINK THAT WE, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING OUR PERMANENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC INFORMATION STAFF AT PRESENT.
UH, AND SO AS THOSE STAFF MEMBERS COME ON BOARD, WE ANTICIPATE SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT, UM, THROUGH SOME KEY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS AND THOSE INCLUDE THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.
SO THAT'S THE CONTINUUM OF CARE GOVERNANCE, UH, GOVERNING BODY.
UH, AS I MENTIONED, UH, UH, WILL BE SEATING ITS COMMITTEES, UH, IN THE COMING DAYS.
UH, I THINK THOSE DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AND, AND NOTICES WILL BE GOING OUT.
AND THOSE COMMITTEES AND WORK GROUPS ARE REALLY GOING TO PROVIDE CRITICAL, CRITICAL ON THE GROUND FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT'S NEEDED.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH THE AUSTIN HOMELESSNESS ADVISORY COUNCIL.
AND THEN OF COURSE, OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, THROUGHOUT, UH, RELATED TO THE CITY AND TO OTHER, UH, OTHER ENTITIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
WE, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO HOLD QUARTERLY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, MEETINGS THAT ARE OPEN MUCH LIKE THE ONES THAT WE, UM, WE HELD IN OCTOBER.
AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS A RECOGNITION THAT WELL, THOSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS WERE, UM, UH, IN TERMS OF TOPIC REALLY NARROWLY FOCUSED ON OUR BOOKS SPENDING.
I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF DESIRE ON THE PART OF THE ATTENDEES TO GENERALLY EXPRESS CONCERNS, INTEREST IDEAS, ET CETERA, AROUND HOMELESSNESS.
SO WE THINK WE NEED TO BE DOING THAT MORE REGULARLY.
AND THEN FINALLY, BASED ON THE INPUT WE RECEIVED, UH, ON THE PREFERENCES OF THOSE WHO COMPLETED THE SPEAK-UP SURVEY INSTITUTE,
[00:50:01]
REGULAR EMAIL UPDATES, UM, FOR FOLKS WHO, WHO SIGN UP FOR THOSE NEXT SLIDE AND, UM, CHAIR TO-GO, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GO INTO THE HEEL UPDATE OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO TAKE QUESTIONS ON, UH, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BEFORE WE DO THAT? I THINK, THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION, MS. GRAY.I THINK IF YOU COULD, UM, PLEASE GO AHEAD AND DO THE NEXT SEGMENT OF THE PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS ALL AT ONCE.
WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO CONDENSE THE Q AND A A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE CAN GET TO OUR NEXT.
I WILL TRY TO GET TO GO THROUGH THE SIDES WITHOUT HASTE.
SO AS YOU KNOW, HE'LL WAS A DONATED, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T NEED TO HURRY.
I'M JUST SAYING WE'RE GOING TO CONDENSE OUR QUESTIONING.
UM, HE'LL WAS, UH, ESTABLISHED BY COUNCIL RESOLUTION IN FEBRUARY OF 2021 WITH GENERALLY APPROXIMATELY A SIX MONTH TIMELINE TO COMPLETE THE, UM, UH, COMPASSIONATE CLOSURE OF FOUR ENCAMPMENTS, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER.
AND SO, UH, WE COMPLETED THAT, UH, IN AUGUST, UM, UH, OR, AND THEN WITH, UM, WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, SET ASIDE FOR PHASE TWO, UH, FROM ARPA FUNDS, UH, COUNCIL DIRECTED US TO BEGIN PHASE TWO BY, UH, BY NOVEMBER.
UH, AND THAT ALSO ENTAILED US WORKING ON A LONGER TERM, UM, TOOL THAT WOULD HELP US ASSESS AND SELECT ENCAMPMENTS FOR RELOCATION.
AND SO WE ARE IN PHASE TWO NOW, UM, WE SHARED WITH YOU IN OUR LAST BRIEFING, THE DRAFT OF THAT ASSESSMENT TOOL.
SO WE REFINED THAT, UM, UH, STAFF WENT OUT AND ESSENTIALLY BETA TESTED THE TOOL IN A COUPLE OF ENCAMPMENTS, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING, UH, AUSTIN FIRE OR SOME POLICE DEPARTMENT HOST RESOURCE RECOVERY, PARKS, AND RECREATION, WATERSHED PROTECTION, AND ALSO THE TRAVIS COUNTY CONSTABLES, UH, WHO DO HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH, UH, AND EVENTUALLY WENT AND, UM, ASSESSED ANOTHER 11 ENCAMPMENTS UTILIZING THAT TOOL.
WE KNOW OF COURSE THAT THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHER ENCAMPMENTS IN THE CITY, BUT THESE WERE FROM, UH, AMONG A BATTERY OF A LIST OF THE ENCAMPMENTS THAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED BY DEPARTMENTAL PARTNERS, UM, AS ONES THAT WERE PARTICULARLY HIGH ON THEIR RADARS IN TERMS OF CONCERNS ABOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY AND SERVE WHAT WE BELIEVE WILL BE A BODY OF, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO EXPAND THAT OVER TIME.
UM, UH, BUT THAT WILL BE A GRADUAL PROCESS.
SO THE ENCAMPMENT ASSESSMENTS, UM, HAVE, UM, SCORES ON A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FACTORS.
MOST OF THOSE ARE, UH, OBJECTIVE.
SO IS THERE PRESENCE OF X OR Y FOR EXAMPLE, UM, EVIDENCE OF UNCONTROLLED FIRE IS, ARE THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE, HAVE PEOPLE OBSERVED OR NO OTHER KNOWN PEOPLE IN THE ENCAMPMENT THAT ARE MOBILITY IMPAIRED AND UTILIZE MOBILITY AIDS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME SUBJECTIVE RATINGS THAT ALLOW ASSESSORS, UM, TO GIVE THEIR OVERALL SENSE OF THE CONDITIONS IN AN ENCAMPMENT NEXT TIME.
SO THIS IS, WILL BE FAMILIAR TO YOU.
UM, IT IS A SLIGHTLY UPDATED VERSION OF THE CRITERIA, SOME OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE SHOWED LAST TIME, BUT JUST AS A REMINDER, SINCE WE ARE FOCUSING HERE ON HEALTH AND SAFETY, WE HAVE SOME PUBLIC HEALTH CATEGORIES THAT REALLY SPEAK TO BOTH ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, UH, AND THE PHYSICAL OR MEDICAL HEALTH STATUS AND ACCESS OF OCCUPANTS ALONG WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, CONCERNS, UH, PARTICULAR AROUND FLOOD WILDFIRE, UM, VEHICULAR, UH, DATE OR TRANSIT DANGERS, ET CETERA, AND THE ABILITY OF FIRST RESPONDERS TO ACCESS SITES.
NEXT SLIDE, THE POTENTIAL SCORES FOR, UM, ENCAMPMENTS RANGE, UH, BASED ON THE CURRENT TOOL FROM THREE TO, I BELIEVE 35.
AND THIS SHOWS THE RANGE OF SCORES THAT WE, THAT RESULTED FROM THE ASSESSMENTS THAT WERE DONE IN THE 11 ENCAMPMENTS RANGING FROM NINE TO ALMOST 22.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY, THEN WE DID SEE A GOOD SPREAD, WHICH WE FELT LIKE WAS IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF THE TOOL, HAVING SOME UTILITY FOR HELPING US UNDERSTAND, UH, AND CAMPUS THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO TARGET FIRST.
UM, AND ASSESSORS ALSO INDICATED THAT THEY DID FEEL LIKE, UM, GENERALLY
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SPEAKING, THE BOARDS WERE PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH THEIR SENSE OF, UH, CONDITIONS IN THE ENCAMPMENTS, BUT OF COURSE WE WILL BE CONTINUING, UM, TO ADJUST THE CRITERIA OR WAITING AS THE TOOL IS UTILIZED.AND, UM, IT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE SORT OF, UH, IDENTIFY ANY GAPS OR, UM, OR REDUNDANCIES IN THE SCORING, BUT BASED ON THIS FIRST PHASE, WE FEEL ARE FEELING PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THE TOOL, UM, AS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS A, UH, HAS UTILITY FOR THE TEAMS NEXT TIME.
SO THE NEXT STEPS ARE TO PREPARE FOR THE INTAKE AND RELOCATION OF THE NEXT ENCAMPMENT, WHICH WE WILL HAPPEN BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
UM, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO IT ASSESSMENTS, UM, BASED ON REFERRALS THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM BOTH FROM DEPARTMENTS AND FROM THE PUBLIC.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE WILL NEED TO DO, PARTICULARLY AS WE STAFF THE PROGRAM UP IS TO DEVELOP THAT PROCESS, UM, SO THAT WE HAVE A WORKFLOW FOR IDENTIFYING HOW WE EXPAND THE CIRCLE OF ENCAMPMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ASSESSED IN AND HOW WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, UH, UH, IN CROSS DEPARTMENTAL MEETINGS OF IDENTIFYING WHICH ENCAMPMENTS WE WOULD TARGET.
I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THIS IS OF COURSE FLUID.
UM, THE HEALING, THE HEAL INITIATIVE IS ABOUT RELOCATION TO SHELTER AND THE OFFER OF HOUSING OF COURSE, ENFORCEMENT IS HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE AS WELL.
AND SO EVEN JUST IN OUR FIRST ROUND OF ASSESSMENTS, THERE WERE SOME ENCAMPMENTS THAT HAD BEEN ON THE RADAR FOR ASSESSMENTS FOR HEAL THAT HAD, UM, WHERE ENFORCEMENT HAD OCCURRED.
AND THOSE ENCAMPMENTS NO LONGER EXISTED BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IN CASES OF ENFORCEMENT, PEOPLE ARE LEAVING SITES, BUT THEY OF COURSE DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEIR HOMELESSNESS ENDS.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO GETTING A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC AND MANY DEPARTMENTS ABOUT, UM, ABOUT NEW ENCAMPMENTS, UH, OR GROWTH IN ENCAMPMENTS AND OTHER LOCATIONS, WHICH WE EXPECTED, UH, BASED ON, UM, ON, ON THE REALITY OF HAVING ENFORCEMENT, UH, THAT IS NOT ALWAYS COUPLED WITH CONCRETE ACCESS TO SHELTER OR HOUSING.
AND THEN WE ARE, UM, LOOKING AT CONTINUING TO DEVELOP THE ASSESSMENT TOOL TO BETTER INCORPORATE GIS ON HOLIDAY IN THIS NEXT PHASE.
THAT WILL BE REALLY, I THINK, UH, A PRELIMINARY STEP.
UH, THERE IS A LOT, WE BELIEVE THAT COULD BE DONE LONGER TERM, BUT WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME BASIC FUNCTIONALITY IS THERE IN TERMS OF GIS EXCITE, IN TERMS OF THE SERVICE SIDE OF HE'LL, UH, ON NOVEMBER 18TH, COUNCIL WILL HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM TO EXPAND AN EXISTING RAPID REHOUSING CONTRACT WITH FAMILY ELDERCARE BY A 1.5 MILLION.
IT WILL ACCOMMODATE SOME, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE RELOCATED THROUGH THE PHASE ONE OF HEAL, BUT FOR WHOM THERE WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY AN ADEQUATE CASE MANAGEMENT CAPACITY OR RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM CAPACITY, I SHOULD SAY.
AND IT WILL ALLOW, UM, FOR SOME ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR THE INITIAL ENCAMPMENTS IN PHASE TWO, THAT IS USING GENERAL FUND DOLLARS BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT WAS GENERAL FUND.
UM, IT MADE MOST SENSE TO DO THAT WITH ONE TIME, A GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, WE WILL THEN DO A SOLICITATION FOR ADDITIONAL VENDORS, UM, WITH ARPA FUNDS FOR ADDITIONAL RAPID REHOUSING ATTACHED TO THE HEAL INITIATIVE, BUT NEED A LITTLE TIME, OF COURSE, TO GO THROUGH THAT SOLICITATION PROCESS, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT OUR BRIDGE SHELTER CAPACITY.
UM, OF COURSE OUR ABILITY TO RELOCATE ENCAMPMENTS IS DEPENDENT ON, UM, THE CAPACITY WITHIN OUR BRIDGE SHELTERS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TWO UP AND RUNNING RIGHT NOW AND, YOU KNOW, WE DO, WE ARE TALKING WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES FOR CREATING OTHER TEMPORARY SHELTER, UH, OPTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT COULD EXPAND OUR ABILITY TO RELOCATE FOLKS FROM ENCAMPMENTS.
UH, BUT THAT IS FORTHCOMING AND THEN RELATED TO THE HEAL INITIATIVE, ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT LIMITED TO THE HEAL INITIATIVE, WE ARE LAUNCHING A PROJECT WITH THE OFFICE OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT THAT REALLY LOOKS AT OUR WORKFLOWS, OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND OUR PRIORITIZATION AROUND ENCAMPMENT RESPONSE GENERALLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE MENTIONED, WE HAVE A TOOL NOW THAT HELPS US PRIORITIZE ENCAMPMENTS FOR HEAL.
UM, BUT WE WANT TO BE ENGAGED IN, UH, ACROSS DEPARTMENTAL PROCESS AND CROSS DISCIPLINARY PROCESS.
EVEN WHEN WE LOOK AT ENCAMPMENTS THAT WHERE THERE, THERE MAY NEED
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TO BE OTHER INTERVENTIONS CLEAN UP WHERE APD MAY, UM, INTEND TO ENFORCE, UH, HOW DO WE DO THAT COORDINATION ACROSS DEPARTMENTS? UM, AND HOW DO WE TAKE IN THE INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, SYNTHESIZE THAT INTO AN ORDERLY, AN ORDERLY PROCESS, KNOWING THAT THERE'S, UH, QUITE A LOT OF FLUIDITY IN THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, UM, ABOUT THEIR SUPPORT OF THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS IN THIS WORK.
AND AGAIN, THOSE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES THAT WE DEVELOP WILL BOTH SUPPORT THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
UH, THE PART OF IT THAT IS ABOUT THE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ENCAMPMENTS, AS WELL AS OUR WORK, UH, IN, IN CAMERAS AND PUBLIC SPACE, SPACE MANAGEMENT, GENERALLY NEXT SITE.
UH, AND, UH, AT THIS POINT I'LL PAUSE, THIS IS OF COURSE THE PRESENTATION THAT DAK HAS ALREADY PROVIDED, AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS ON OUR BOAT OR HEAL OR OTHER, ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'VE THOUGHT ON YOUR MIND.
THANK YOU, MS. GRAY, VICE CHAIR.
OH, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
IT'S INCREDIBLY HELPFUL TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS THINKING ABOUT OUR EFFORTS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE METRICS THAT YOU PROVIDED KNOWING THAT AUSTINITES WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE MONTHLY UPDATES ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT AND HOW WE'RE APPROACHING OUR EFFORTS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS HAND-IN-HAND WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, IS IMPORTANT.
AND I, AND I LOVE THAT YOU EVEN BROKE IT DOWN BY, YOU KNOW, HOW BY, YOU KNOW, WANTING IT VIA EMAIL AND RECEIVING UPDATES ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO HAVING QUARTERLY UPDATES.
I THINK HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE REGULAR CHECK-INS WITH THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE SUPER HELPFUL.
DO YOU WANT TO FLAG? I THINK MANY OF US HAVE NEWSLETTERS THAT WE SEND TO OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND SO IF THERE'S EVER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO INCLUDE THOSE UPDATES IN OUR OWN DISTRICT LEVEL COMMUNICATIONS, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO THAT AS WELL.
ALSO, IF ONE OF THOSE QUARTERLY MEETINGS IS HELD IN PERSON, THAT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL TOO.
CAUSE I KNOW FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE MINE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT IN-PERSON CONNECTIVITY, UM, AND WANT TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF INTERACTION WITH THEIR CITY LEADERS IN.
SO MY QUESTION IS ON, UM, IS ON THE LAUNCH OF THE ENCAMPMENT PROJECT WITH THE OFFICE OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT.
CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE, I MISSED PART OF THE, WHEN YOU WERE EXPLAINING ABOUT WHAT IT'LL BE, BUT WHAT CAN WE EXPECT, UH, WITH THAT PARTNERSHIP? WELL, THAT WOULD THAT BE A DASHBOARD OF WHERE WE CAN SHARE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY, UH, PSH UNITS WE HAVE ONLINE, OR HOW MANY, UM, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONNECT TO HOUSING WOULD BE THAT TYPE OF FORMAT, OR IS THIS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF A TRACKING MECHANISM AS VICE CHAIR? SO THIS PROGRAM, THIS, UH, INITIATIVE WITH OPM IS ACTUALLY MUCH MORE NARROWLY FOCUSED ON PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF AMAZING WORK BEING DONE ACROSS MANY DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE CLEANUPS, UM, AND YOU KNOW, OUTREACH, ET CETERA, BUT THAT, UM, WE HAD A SOMEWHAT FRAGMENTED SYSTEM AND SOME GAPS IN US IN WORKFLOWS AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, UH, FOR THIS WORK.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CREATE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT REALLY SUPPORTS STAFF AS THEY GO ABOUT THIS WORK.
UH, AND SO, UH, AMONG A VARIETY OF ELEMENTS OF THE SCOPE, UH, INCLUDE REALLY IDENTIFYING THE WORKFLOW.
HOW DO WE MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT, UM, WHERE OUR CLEANUP RESOURCES, UH, WHERE OUR OUTREACH RESOURCES GO, WHERE, YOU KNOW, UM, AND EVEN WHEN YOU KNOW, ENFORCEMENT OCCURS, PARTICULARLY IF IT'S IN THE CASE OF A LARGER ENCAMPMENT, UH, AND IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS BRIEFING, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY HOW ARE WE PRIORITIZING HEAL, WHERE WE'RE EXPLICITLY CONNECTING PEOPLE TO SHELTER AND RISK AND, UM, AND HOUSING RESOURCES, WHICH OF COURSE IS OUR HOLY GRAIL AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO BE DOING