Sep 07, 2022 Public Health Committee

BY ENTERTAINING A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING FROM THE JUNE 8TH MEETING, VICE CHAIR, FUENTES MOVES APPROVAL.

SO COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN IS HERE

[CALL TO ORDER]

ON THE DIAS.

UH, VICE CHAIR.

FUENTES HAS JOINED US VIRTUALLY AND I'D LIKE TO START

[1. Approve the minutes of the Public Health Committee meeting on June 8, 2022.]

IS THERE A SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN SECONDS.

ALL IN FAVOR.

BYE.

AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS ON THE DIAS WITH MAYOR ADLER AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON OFF THE DIAS.

WE HAVE SEVERAL ITEMS TO TAKE UP TODAY.

I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO ASK, UM, IF SOMEBODY CAN JUST GIVE US A QUICK UPDATE AS TO WHAT CHANGES WERE MADE IN THE HILL PRESENTATION.

I KNOW WE JUST RECEIVED AN UPDATE THIS MORNING.

WE'LL HAVE WE'LL TAKE UP THAT PRESENTATION A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WERE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES THROUGHOUT THAT THE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE AWARE OF OR IF IT WAS, IF THERE WERE JUST A FEW, MY APOLOGIES, BUT I'M NOT ABLE TO HEAR YOU.

THAT'S OKAY.

I THINK I HEARD THAT THEY WERE MINOR CHANGES.

THEY WERE NOT SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES.

AND SO, OKAY.

SO COLLEAGUES, IF YOU PRINTED OUT THE, THE ORIGINAL ONE, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S NEARLY THE SAME.

COULD, COULD WE ASK SOMEBODY TO CHECK AND SEE IF THE ERROR IS ON IN HERE? OKAY, GREAT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

HEY, COLLEAGUES, WE HAVE TWO

[2. Discussion and possible action regarding the reappointment of the members Selena Alvarenga and Jessica Pal vino to the Sobering Center Local Government Corporation Board of Directors.]

PRESENTATIONS TODAY AND WE ALSO HAVE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON OUR SOBERING CENTER APPOINTMENTS.

AND SO I THINK I'D LIKE TO TAKE UP THE FIRST ONE, THE SOBERING CENTER CONSIDERATION OF REAPPOINTMENTS FIRST.

WE HAVE TWO REALLY EXCELLENT BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE SERVING CURRENTLY.

ONE IS JESSICA VINNO AND THE OTHER IS JUDGE SELENA VEGA, AND BOTH HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN BEING REAPPOINTED.

WE DO HAVE AN OPTION TODAY OF GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION INTO A PERSONNEL EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THIS IF WE'D LIKE TO AMONG OUR COMMITTEE.

UH, BUT WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT THIS IN OPEN SESSION.

I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK IN SPECIFICS ABOUT EITHER CANDIDATE, WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD GO INTO OUR EXECUTIVE PERSONNEL SESSION, OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, TALK ABOUT OUR APPROACH TO THIS, TO THIS ISSUE.

UM, I AM HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION, UM, OR SECOND, A MOTION THAT WE REAPPOINTMENT THESE TWO.

WONDERFUL, THANK YOU.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN MOVES REAPPOINTMENT OF THESE TWO CANDIDATES, VICE CHAIR, FUENTES SECONDS.

THAT THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

AND, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR THAT MOTION.

I, I SERVE ALONGSIDE THEM AND THEY'RE BOTH REALLY TERRIFIC AND HAVE, HAVE, UM, ADDED TREMENDOUS VALUE TO THEIR, TO THEIR ROLE.

I'LL SAY THAT JESSICA, UM, BOARD MEMBER, UH, VINNO IS THE CHAIR OF THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE AND ALSO A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE RIGHT NOW.

SHE'S ALSO SERVING AS INTERIM FINANCE CHAIR, FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR, UNTIL WE, UNTIL WE, UH, FIND A PERMANENT REPLACEMENT THERE.

AND JUDGE EL VERGAS, A MEMBER OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.

SO BOTH ARE, ARE REALLY, UM, INVOLVED.

SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING I SIGN, UH, THAT IS UNANIMOUS ON THE DIAS AGAIN WITH MAYOR ADLER AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON OFF THE DIAS.

AND THESE WILL BE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE FORWARD TO THE FULL COUNCIL AT THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY, WHICH I HOPE WILL BE ON THE 15TH OF SEPTEMBER, IF WE CAN MAKE THAT WORK.

WE HAVE TWO REALLY INTERESTING PRESENTATIONS TODAY.

AND JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ME TO DO ANYTHING FROM MY END.

SO OUR FIRST

[3. Briefing and discussion on issues related to homelessness.]

THEY'RE BOTH TIED TOGETHER.

UM, AND IN THAT THEY BOTH ARE, ARE ADDRESSING, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

AND I SEE OUR, OUR CHIEF, UM, HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY OFFICER ONLINE, DIANA GRAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US AND I WILL WE'LL TURN IT TO YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION ON HEEL AND THEN WE'LL, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE ON, ON AGING AND ON THE UNHOUSED.

SLIDE FIVE WAS THE, THE SUBHEADING UNDER THE, THE MAIN HEADING THAT'S RE REMOVED.

MA'AM AND, AND FIRST LET ME APOLOGIZE.

I WASN'T ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE CORRECTIONS AND THE HEEL SLIDE, BECAUSE I WAS NOT YET UNMUTED.

UH, THERE WAS A CORRECTION OF A TYPO AND THE REMOVAL OF A SUBHEADING, WHICH WAS DUPLICATIVE.

UH, SO NOT MATERIAL CHANGES, MS. GRAY, WOULD YOU MIND TELLING US WHAT, WHICH PAGES THOSE ARE ON? JUST SO WE CAN CORRECT OUR VERSION.

SO IF WE'VE ALREADY PRINTED THEM, SO LET'S SEE, SLIDE FOUR AND SLIDE FIVE, SLIDE FOUR WAS JUST A, THE, A, A MISSING, UH, WORD IN THE SUBHEADING AND

[00:05:01]

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UM, HAVE BEEN COMMITTED TO TRACKING, UH, THROUGH THE HEAL INITIATIVE, UH, IS THAT THE EQUITY IMPACT, UM, ON OF THIS, OF THIS EFFORT, THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS, UH, AS WE LAUNCHED THE INITIATIVE THAT BY TARGETING ENCAMPMENTS, WE MIGHT SEE DISPARATE IMPACT WITH A CONCERN, PARTICULARLY THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS MIGHT NOT BE SERVED, UH, PROPORTIONATE TO THEIR, UM, THEIR REPRESENTATION WITHIN THE HOMELESS POPULATION.

IF YOU WOULD LEAD US THROUGH THIS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

EXCELLENT.

WE CAN LOAD THE SLIDE DECK.

SO WHILE THAT IS HAPPENING, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS WILL BE VERY BRIEF TODAY, UM, UH, IN DEFERENCE TO AN EXCITING PRESENTATION THAT YOU WILL HAVE AS COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA MENTIONED ON OLDER ADULTS AND HOMELESSNESS.

UM, AND SO THIS IS AN UPDATE, UM, ON THE HEAL INITIATIVE, AND I'LL BE DISCUSSING SOME OF THE, THE ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES, BOTH FROM INCEPTION TO DATE AND THIS FISCAL YEAR.

SO WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO SINCE INCEPTION, UM, THE HEAL INITIATIVE HAS, UH, DECOMMISSIONED 10 ENCAMPMENTS, UH, THO UH, FROM THOSE ENCAMPMENTS, WE HAVE MOVED 361 PEOPLE INTO BRIDGE SHELTER.

UM, THOSE NUMBERS ARE THROUGH, UM, THE END OF AUGUST AND INCLUDE OUR MOST RECENT ENCAMPMENT RELOCATION FROM ROY GUERRERO PARK.

UH, THESE OTHER NUMBERS ARE THROUGH JULY 31ST, 2022.

UH, WE USUALLY TAKE A, UM, A MOMENT AFTER THE END OF THE CALENDAR MONTH TO CLEAN AND VET OUR DATA.

SO WE'LL HAVE SOME UPDATES HERE SOON, BUT AS OF THE END OF JULY, WE HAD 182 PEOPLE ENROLLED IN HOUSING SERVICES AND HAD MOVED 94 PEOPLE INTO P MINUTE HOUSING.

UM, ALL OF THAT WITH, UM, A 90% SHELTER EXPECT, UH, EXCUSE ME, ACCEPTANCE RATE.

SO 90% OF THE PEOPLE WE OFFERED SHELTER HAD ACCEPTED, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE INITIATIVE.

UM, AND OUR FIRST RELOCATION WAS IN JUNE OF 2021.

THE AVERAGE TIME, UM, FROM SHELTER ENTRY INTO PERMANENT HOUSING MOVE IN IS ABOUT 5.7 MONTHS.

AND I CALL THAT OUT BECAUSE THAT IS LONGER THAN WE WOULD LIKE.

UM, AND I'LL, I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO WHY WE THINK, UH, THAT IS A, CERTAINLY THE RENTAL MARKET HAS BECOME MORE CHALLENGING.

WE ALSO SAW SOME SLOWDOWNS IN THE EARLY MONTHS OF THE INITIATIVE AS WE WERE GETTING CONTRACTS INTO PLACE FOR RAPID REHOUSING.

AND SO FOR SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO MOVED IN FROM THE EARLIEST ENCAMPMENTS, IT TOOK US A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO GET THEM ENROLLED IN THEIR RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM AND, AND WORKING WITH A CASE MANAGER AND OTHER STAFF TO LOCATE HOUSING, WHICH WE, UM, BELIEVE EXTENDED THAT TIME PERIOD.

UH, AND THAT IS CONTRASTED A BIT WITH WHAT WE SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HEEL INITIATIVE ACTIVITIES, UM, FROM THIS, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR, YOU'LL SEE THERE THAT THE AVERAGE TIME FROM SHELTER ENTRY TO HOUSING MOVE IN FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED INTO HOUSING THIS FISCAL YEAR IS MORE LIKE THREE AND A HALF MONTHS.

AND SO THOSE NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, DO MOVE OF COURSE OVER TIME, BUT WE ARE ENCOURAGED THAT WE ARE SEEING SOME REDUCTION IN THE TIME FROM ENTRY TO HOUSING.

UH, YOU MAY RECALL THAT THE GOAL FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR FOR THE HEAL INITIATIVE WAS TO MOVE AT LEAST 200 PEOPLE FROM UN ENCAMPMENTS INTO HOUSING.

UH, WE ARE AT 109% OF THAT GOAL WITH 218 PEOPLE RELOCATED, UH, VIA A TOTAL OF SIX, UH, ENCAMPMENTS DECOMMISSIONED, UM, OF THE PEOPLE ENROLLED THIS YEAR 120, UH, ARE ENROLLED IN SERVICES.

AND, AND I SHOULD MENTION THAT 90 OF THAT 218 REALLY OCCURRED PRIMARILY IN AUGUST.

UM, AND SO THESE NUMBERS, UH, AT THE END OF JULY, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE NOT SHOWING THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE PROBABLY AS WE SPEAK BEGINNING TO BE ENROLLED IN HOUSING PROGRAMS, UM, AND, UM, HAVE MOVED 23 OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UM, INTO HOUSING NEXT SLIDE.

SO THIS SHOWS A MAP, UH, AS WELL AS A LIST OF, UM, THE ENCAMPMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN TARGETED AS YOU KNOW, UTILIZING, UH, AN ASSESSMENT TOOL THAT, UM, LOOKS AT THE HIGHEST HEALTH AND SAFETY, UH, FOR ENCAMPMENT OCCUPANTS OF THE 10 SITES.

UM, WE HAVE ADDRESSED SIX OF THOSE ARE IN PARKS.

SO WE ARE SEEING VERY SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES, UH, WITHIN OUR PARK SYSTEM.

A COUPLE OF THEM ARE TECH DOT OR THEIR TRANSPORTATION SITES.

SO AN UNDERPASS, ET CETERA, UM, UM, UH, ONE THAT WAS BSD, UH, AND OUR BUILDING SERVICES DIVISION, I SHOULD SAY, CONTROLLED.

AND ONE THAT WAS ON A LIBRARY SITE.

NEXT SLIDE.

[00:10:02]

AND SO WHAT THIS SHOWS US IS A, THE TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, HO UH, OVERALL POPULATION, UM, WHICH IS 49%, NON-HISPANIC WHITE 9%, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN, OR NON-HISPANIC BLACK AND 34% PERCENT HISPANIC WITHIN THE GENERAL, UM, HOMELESS POPULATION.

UH, THERE IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT OVERREPRESENTATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, AND THAT REALLY TRACKS TO SOME UNDERREPRESENTATION OF BOTH, UH, ANGLO AND, UH, HISPANIC POPULATIONS THAT IS ALMOST ENTIRELY REPRESENTED BY THE INCREASE, UH, IN THE PREVALENCE OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE HEAL INITIATIVE.

WE DO SEE, UM, AND ARE PLEASED TO SEE THAT 39% OF THOSE SERVED HAVE BEEN AFRICAN AMERICAN COMPARED TO 32%, UM, WITHIN THE OVERALL HOMELESS POPULATION.

UH, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.

WE ARE, WE, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THESE, THESE NUMBERS DO NOT BELIEVE WE'RE UNDER SERVING THE AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, POPULATION.

WE DO, HOWEVER, SEE, UM, A, AN UNDERREPRESENTATION, UM, OF, UH, HISPANIC AND LATINX POPULATIONS RELATIVE TO THEIR, UH, PROPORTION WITHIN THE HOMELESS POPULATION.

WE BELIEVE RIGHT NOW THAT THAT IS RELATED TO, UM, A HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF HOMELESS FAMILIES, UH, WITHIN THE HISPANIC LATINX POPULATION AND HOMELESS FAMILIES ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BE SHELTERED, UH, THAN OUR SINGLE INDIVIDUALS, BUT WE WILL, UM, CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT COMPARED TO THE UNSHELTERED POPULATION AND THINK ABOUT WAYS AND, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THERE ARE ANY, UM, AREAS OF INQUIRY THAT WE CAN ENGAGE IN TO HELP US UNDERSTAND IF THERE'S SOME REASON, UM, THAT THE ENCAMPMENTS WE ARE TARGETING, UH, DO NOT HAVE AS MANY HISPANIC OR LATINX, UH, PEOPLE IN THEM.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT BRIDGE SHELTER EXITS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANNA LOOK AT IS WHEN FOLKS EXIT BRIDGE SHELTER, UM, AGAIN, ON THE EQUITY FRONT, UH, WHEN PEOPLE ARE EXITING TO HOUSING, ARE WE SEEING, UH, PROPORTIONATE, UM, REPRESENTATION OF THE POPULATION AND THOSE WHO ARE EXITING TO HOUSING, UM, AND WHEN THERE IS AN EXIT FROM SHELTER WITHOUT HOUSING IS ANY GROUP PARTICULARLY OVERREPRESENTED.

AND SO, UM, WE OVER, UM, ARE SEEING AGAIN, UH, PRETTY POSITIVE, UM, OUTCOMES.

UH, WE ARE NOT SEEING AT PRESENT DISPROPORTIONATE REPRESENTATION OF, UM, AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO HAVE A NEGATIVE EXIT FROM SHELTER.

UM, BUT WE ARE AGAIN SEEING, UH, SLIGHTLY FEWER, UM, POSITIVE EXITS FOR HISPANICS YOU'LL NOTE THAT THE NEGATIVE EXITS ARE ALSO LOWER THAN, UH, THE PERCENTAGE OF, OF, UH, HISPANIC, LATINX AT ENTRY.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT THAT MEANS LARGELY IS THAT WE'VE STILL GOT A LOT OF, UM, THAT POPULATION STILL IN SHELTER.

THEY HAVE NOT EXITED YET.

UM, AND SO THEY ARE STAYING LONGER, UM, 213 PEOPLE HAVE EXITED, UH, BRIDGE SHELTER SINCE HEALS INCEPTION.

AND THOSE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, UH, ROUGHLY EVENLY SPLIT BETWEEN, UH, EXITS TO PERMANENT HOUSING AND SOME POTENTIAL RETURN TO HOMELESSNESS.

UH, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO SAY THAT EVEN WHEN SOMEONE EXITS A BRIDGE SHELTER, UM, WE'RE INCREASINGLY TRYING TO KEEP THE SERVICE PROVIDER CONNECTED WITH THAT INDIVIDUAL, UM, WHEN THEY ARE UNSHELTERED.

SO WE DON'T GIVE UP ON THEM, UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, KEEP WORKING WITH THEM AND TRYING TO GET THEM INTO HOUSING.

AND WE'LL BE REALLY CONTINUOUSLY LOOKING AT, UM, WHAT WE CAN DO TO DECREASE, UM, THAT, THAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO EXIT WITHOUT HAVING ACHIEVED, UM, PERMANENT HOUSING.

AND THE NEXT BIT OF DATA, I THINK GIVES US SOME CLUE TO THAT, UM, EXITS TO HOUSING, UM, YOU KNOW, OVERALL, UM, UH, SINCE WE, SINCE WE STARTED,

[00:15:01]

UH, TAKES ABOUT 163 DAYS, UM, RETURN TO HOUSING EXITS ARE ABOUT 76 DAYS.

AND SO PEOPLE ARE LEAVING WITHIN, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THE FIRST TWO AND A HALF MONTHS.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS IN PART DUE TO THE EARLY DAYS OF THE INITIATIVE WHEN IT WAS TAKING US SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER TO GET PEOPLE ENROLLED IN THAT PERMANENT HOUSING PROGRAM AND WORKING WITH THEIR CASE MANAGER.

AND SO WE REALLY NEED FOLKS AS THEY COME INTO SHELTER TO BE ENGAGED QUICKLY SO THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY, UM, THEY ARE ON THAT PATH TO HOUSING AND CAN, CAN SEE THAT GOAL CONCRETELY AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CERTAINLY IMPROVED THE SPEED WITH WHICH WE'RE ENROLLED IN PEOPLE IN THAT PERMANENT HOUSING PROGRAM.

AND SO HOPE TO, UM, START TO SEE THESE NUMBERS SHIFT A LITTLE BIT, UM, STILL VERY, YOU KNOW, VERY GOOD, UH, NUMBER OF PEOPLE HOUSED, BUT WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE KEEPING PEOPLE IN SHELTER AS LONG AS WE CAN, UH, IN ORDER AND UNTIL THEY ARE PERMANENTLY HOUSED.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL PAUSE AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

YOU MIGHT HAVE QUESTIONS, COLLEAGUES, COUNCIL MEMBER, EZ, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON HAS JOINED US WELCOME EITHER OF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

I SEE.

I JUST, YOU CAN TAKE THEM FIRST WANTED TO SEE IF EITHER OF THEM HAVE QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN, I'M ALWAYS AFRAID I'M GONNA SKIP THE FOLKS ONLINE.

OH, YOU WELCOME TO, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT THEY DO SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THIS IS, UH, VERY GOOD AND USEFUL DATA TO HAVE APPRECIATE THAT.

UM, SO, AND, AND AS ALWAYS, I CONTINUE TO BE IMPRESSED WITH THE RESULTS THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM, UH, FROM THE HEEL INITIATIVE.

UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOU DRILLING DOWN LIKE THIS TO SHOW US WHERE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL EFFORTS NEED TO, YOU KNOW, OCCUR TO IMPROVE THE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO IMPROVE THE RESULTS THAT WE'RE GETTING.

SO, UM, SO I THINK I'M HEARING THAT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING WITH THE EXITS TO HOUSING, UM, AND RETURN TO HOMELESSNESS THAT, DID I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY TO SAY THAT SOME OF THESE NUMBERS WERE INFLUENCED BY, UM, THE, UH, THE INITIAL STARTUP PERIOD? IS THAT WHAT I HEARD OR CORRECT.

SO, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK COUNCIL MEMBER AT SORT OF THE PATTERN OF EXITS OVER TIME.

MM-HMM, , UH, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'VE ANALYZED CAREFULLY YET, BUT WE KNOW THAT ONE OF THE, UM, CHALLENGES WE HAD EARLY ON, UH, BECAUSE THE INITIATIVE WAS STARTED, YOU KNOW, PRETTY QUICKLY WAS GETTING ALL OF THE CONTRACTS INTO PLACE FOR THE RAPID REHOUSING, THE PERMANENT HOUSING RESOURCE.

UH, AND HAVING ENOUGH CAPACITY IN THAT, WHICH WE'VE NOW EXPANDED.

AND SO IT WAS TAKING PEOPLE LONGER TO GET ENROLLED IN THAT HOUSING PROGRAM AFTER THEY WERE IN SHELTER.

AND OUR SENSE IS THAT, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, UM, THAT IS LESS ENCOURAGING THAN IMMEDIATELY, YOU KNOW, WITHIN 30, UH, DAYS CERTAINLY, UM, BEING ASSIGNED A CASE MANAGER AND STARTING TO WORK WITH HIM.

YEAH.

IT SEEMS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, IS, IS A, IS A KEY, UH, KEY COMPONENT OF THIS PROGRAM IS THE IMMEDIATE OFFER OF HELP.

THAT SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HELPING THE PROGRAM WORK, BOTH, UM, OFFERING, UM, YOU KNOW, A PLACE AND BRIDGE SHELTER, BUT THEN ALSO OFFERING A TANGIBLE, UM, PATH TO HOUSING THAT CAN BE TRUSTED.

SO WELL, I WOULD APPRECIATE ONE WHEN YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN DRILL DOWN A BIT.

I ALSO WONDER WHETHER THERE'S, I KNOW THAT YOU OFTEN MAY NOT KNOW WHY SOMEONE MAY EXIT THE PROGRAM, BUT, UM, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND TO THE EXTENT YOU CAN DO DO, ARE THERE ANY, UH, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY OPPORTUNITIES TO TALK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE EXITING TO UNDERSTAND THE REASONS BEHIND THEIR EXIT OR IS THAT, UM, OR DO THEY JUST, JUST LEAVE? SO A COMBINATION COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, SOME PEOPLE DO JUST LEAVE MM-HMM , UH, BUT I WOULD SAY MORE COMMONLY, I THINK IT'S DIFFICULTY ADJUSTING TO THE MORE STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT.

THERE'S IMMEDIATE RISK TO HEALTH OR SAFETY, RIGHT.

UM, OF THE SHELTER, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING LOW BARRIER SHELTER.

OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE RULES THERE.

UM, THERE IS, UM, A CURFEW PEOPLE HAVE TO BE IN BY A CERTAIN TIME IN THE EVENING, ET CETERA, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PRIVACY AND FREEDOM THAN WE FIND IN A CONGREGATE SHELTER.

MM-HMM , BUT, YOU KNOW, OCCASIONALLY WE WILL HAVE ISSUES ARISE WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THE INTERACTION WITH STAFF OR OTHER SHELTER GUESTS IS SUCH THAT, UM, MANAGEMENT MAKES A DECISION, UH, TO EXIT SOMEONE.

I, I WILL SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT WE DO AS A PRACTICE, UM, CERTAINLY IF THERE, IF

[00:20:01]

UM, SOMEONE MIGHT BE EXITED.

HOWEVER, WHEN THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE CAUSING, UM, CHALLENGES WITHIN THE SHELTER ENVIRONMENT, UH, WE HAVE, WHAT'S CALLED A BY NAME LIST, UH, MEETING WHERE STAFF GO THROUGH EVERY CLIENT.

AND IF THERE ARE ISSUES REALLY WORK TO PROBLEM SOLVE AROUND THOSE MM-HMM , UM, TO ALLOW THEM TO MAINTAIN, UH, THEIR STABILITY IN SHELTER UNTIL WE CAN GET THEM INTO STABLE, LONG TERM HOUSING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND, UM, WHEN, LIKE, LIKE I SAID, WHEN YOU GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN DRILL DOWN WITH MORE DATA, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.

MA'AM VICE CHAIR FUENTES.

COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MEDICINE.

RECENTLY.

I WAS ABLE TO JOIN, UH, A, A MEETING THAT WAS, I BELIEVE WAS PART OF THE RECENTLY LAUNCHED, UH, CENTRALIZED HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE, UH, STRUCTURE, UM, MS. GRAY THAT YOU'VE WROTE OUT, ROLLED OUT, AND I FOUND IT SUPER INFORMATIVE TO LISTEN IN, TO SEE HOW OUR VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER AND HOW, UM, THE VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS ARE COORDINATING WITH OUR HOMELESSNESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT EFFORT.

UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO, UM, HOW THAT'S GOING, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS STRUCTURE IN PLACE, YOU KNOW, ANY IMPROVEMENT, UH, THAT YOU'RE SEEING, OR ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL INSIGHT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO OFFER.

SURE.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, AND I WILL SAY THAT THE MEETING THAT YOU JOINED IS ACTUALLY AN EXAMPLE OF THE COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN HAPPENING, UM, EVEN BEFORE WE PUT THE MORE FORMALIZED STRUCTURE INTO PLACE.

AND SO I THINK WHAT IT REPRESENTS IN MANY WAYS IS IT'S A MUCH MORE OPERATIONAL MEETING WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND COORDINATION BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENTS.

UH, WHAT WE HAVE INSTITUTED IS A MORE FORMAL DECISION MAKING, UH, PROCESS THAT ALLOWS US WHEN, YOU KNOW, STEPPING BACK FROM THAT SORT OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE IMMEDIATE, UH, WEEK OR COUPLE WEEKS OF ACTIVITY TO SAY, WHICH, WHICH ENCAMPMENTS ARE WE PRIORITIZING IN THE SHORT TO MIDTERM, WHAT ARE THE POLICIES WE NEED, WHAT RESOURCES ARE COMING TO THE TABLE? SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF TRAINING, UM, ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT CAN DO THE ASSESSMENTS OF ENCAMPMENTS, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE SET UP, NOW WE DO NEED TO GET MORE FULL COVERAGE OF ENCAMPMENTS ACROSS THE CITY.

UH, AND SO WE'RE ENGAGED IN THAT WORK CURRENTLY.

UM, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THAT AND, AND REPORT TO, TO COUNCIL ON IT.

AND I'M HAPPY TO HEAR FROM, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEMBERS, WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION YOU'D BE MOST INTERESTED IN HEARING, UH, ABOUT THAT PROCESS AND THE WORK IN THAT SPACE.

YEAH, NO, THAT'S, IT WAS, IT WAS SUPER INSIGHTFUL FOR ME TO BE PART OF THAT OPERATIONAL MEETING.

AND, AND I APPRECIATE YOU CLARIFYING, UM, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.

AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE DEVELOP A MORE ROBUST, UM, RESPONSE AND COORDINATED EFFORT, ONE THAT'S ROOTED IN, IN COMPASSION AND HOUSING FIRST, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING THESE, UH, REGULAR CHECK-INS ON HOW, UH, HOW OUR EFFORTS ARE GOING ARE IMPORTANT.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN.

I THINK THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT FOLKS JUST AREN'T ACCOUNTING FOR, UH, AND REALIZING THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOMETIMES THE CHALLENGE IS TO TRUE SUCCESS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS SOME PERMANENCE IN HOUSING HAS SO MUCH TO DO WITH HUMAN BEHAVIOR THAT I JUST WONDER IF THERE'S ANOTHER WAY FOR US TO COLLECT DATA ABOUT EFFICACY OF PROGRAMMING, BECAUSE NOT BEING ABLE TO QUANTIFY FOR SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, I THINK SKEWS IT TO WHERE IT'S NOT QUITE FAIR.

MA'AM COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER MEDICINE.

I, UH, I YOU'LL HAVE TO FORGIVE ME.

IT'S NOT LIKE A, OH, I FEEL SO SORRY FOR YOU, BUT IT'S LIKE, I JUST LOOK AT YOUR JOB AND OFTEN FEEL LIKE, UM, I JUST WONDER IF YOU HAVE THE SUPPORT AND THE TOOLS THAT YOU NEED TO REALLY DO IT.

AND I, I, I JUST, I, YOU NEVER EXPRESS FRUSTRATION, BUT I FEEL FRUSTRATION ON YOUR BEHALF.

SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE JUST AN UNCRACKABLE NUT OVER THERE AND SMILING, BUT I, I FEEL YOU'RE A VERY KIND COUNCIL MEMBER AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE TO MANAGEMENT.

WELL, I THINK I'M OBSERVANT IF NOTHING ELSE.

RIGHT.

AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M OBSERVING THAT, I WONDER IF MAYBE THIS IS CHAIR, I WONDER IF THIS IS SOMETHING TO ADD TO THE LIST FOR FUTURE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I OFTEN FIND MYSELF FRUSTRATED IN THESE CONVERSATIONS CUZ UM, I'M RECOGNIZING SOME PARALLELS.

SO I HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS IN MY DISTRICT CONSTITUENTS THAT AREN'T EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS YET.

UM, BUT WE ALL KNOW IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME.

THEY KNOW IT ALREADY.

I KNOW IT ALREADY, YOU KNOW, AND OUR STAFF THAT'S TRYING TO CONNECT THEM TO RESOURCES, KIND OF KNOW IT ALREADY.

AND IT'S A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU WERE JUST MAKING REFERENCE TO HUMAN BEHAVIOR.

YOU KNOW, THOSE, THE DATA POINTS THAT YOU CAN'T QUANTIFY ON A PIECE OF PAPER FOR YOU TELLING ME WHAT TO DO TODAY, I'M A GROWNUP AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT TO EAT AND WHEN TO DO IT IS NOT QUANTIFIABLE ON A PIECE OF PAPER.

AND THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS TO, UH, COUNCILWOMAN FENT THIS'S POINT ABOUT COMPASSION.

UM,

[00:25:01]

UM, THAT SAID ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M PICKING UP ON, ESPECIALLY IN DIALOGUE AROUND INCREASING ACCESS TO HOME OWNERSHIP, INCREASING ACCESS TO MORE LONG TERM AFFORDABLE RENTAL OPTIONS, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE ADJACENT TO IT THAT AREN'T BEING CONSIDERED.

SO LIKE ALAN GRAHAM'S PROGRAM, THEY PUT SO MUCH EMPHASIS ON THE COMMUNITY COMPONENT THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE SAY, THINGS LIKE HOUSING FIRST AND I'M NOT AN EXPERT.

RIGHT? AND SO WHEN I, WHEN I THINK THAT I'M THINKING VERY, LITERALLY GET SOMEBODY A HOUSE AND THEN FIGURE OUT ALL THE OTHER STUFF, ALAN, ON THE OTHER HAND IS FIGURING IT ALL OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY.

AND I JUST WONDER IF THAT'S THE BETTER APPROACH, CUZ I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR, TO THE POINT I WAS MAKING ABOUT FOLKS WHO AREN'T YET HOMELESS, UM, OR WHO ARE ENTERING INTO HOME OWNERSHIP FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHAT THEY DON'T HAVE IS SIMILAR ACCESS TO WRAPAROUND SERVICES.

SO IF YOU ARE A PERSON WHO RIGHT NOW TODAY CAN QUALIFY FOR THIS HOUSE, BUT DON'T KNOW HOW TO LONG TERM PLAN AND PREPARE TO HAVE THE KIND OF FINANCIAL RUNWAY YOU NEED TO HAVE TO FIX.

WHEN WINDOWS BREAK THAT'S EXPENSIVE, WHEN DOOR DOORS ARE EXPENSIVE, ACS ARE EXPENSIVE, APPLIANCES ARE EXPENSIVE, A WATER LEAK COULD BE THAT LOOSE, THAT BRAND NEW MESS CUZ YOU DIDN'T PLAN FOR IT.

YOU DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ALL THAT TO SAY THE WRAPAROUND STUFF AND THE HUMAN NATURE STUFF.

I REALLY JUST DON'T THINK WE'RE GIVEN THAT AS MUCH WEIGHT AS WE REALLY SHOULD BE TO ACTUALLY TACKLE THE CHALLENGE OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING ON SHELTERED HOMELESSNESS.

UM, SO I GUESS THAT WAS MORE STATEMENT THAN QUESTION AND HOPEFULLY WE JUST START TO HAVE MORE ROBUST DIALOGUE ABOUT THAT PART, CUZ THOSE ARE THE PARTS THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT THE STRUCTURE.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE LAND, IT'S ABOUT ALL THE OTHER STUFF.

AND I THINK ALL THE OTHER STUFF IS JUST AS IF NOT MORE IMPORTANT, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU THAT WAY.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.

UM, AND, AND IT, AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD REMINDER FOR ME TO, UM, A, ABOUT MY COMMUNICATION AND BEING REALLY CLEAR THAT WHEN WE SAY HOUSING FIRST, WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT HOUSING ONLY, RIGHT? UM, BUT OUR PROGRAMS, OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAMS THAT OUR RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS ALL COME WITH PRETTY INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT AND ACCESS TO OTHER SERVICES.

AS PART OF THAT, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO REALLY DO JUST NEED SORT OF SHORT TERM FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO GET BACK ON THEIR FEET.

BUT WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE WHO, UM, HAVE BEEN HOMELESS FOR A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME OR ARE LIVING WITH A DISABILITY, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HOUSING FIRST SAYS IS LET'S NOT REQUIRE THAT ALL OF THESE OTHER ISSUES ARE FIXED BEFORE WE GET THEM INTO HOUSING, BUT LET'S DO THOSE TWO THINGS CONCURRENTLY, JUST KIND OF, AS YOU SAID AT COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE.

SO PARTICULARLY IN OUR SITE BASED HOUSING, UM, LIKE SPIRIT RUTLAND AND UM, YOU KNOW, TERRA OAK SPRINGS, UH, THERE IS AN EXPECTATION OF THOSE SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT THEY ARE DOING COMMUNITY BUILDING ON SITE IN ADDITION TO REALLY PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES.

SO I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING ME A MOMENT TO, TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, MS. GRAY, MY QUESTIONS REALLY TOUCH ON SOME OF THE SAME ISSUES I WAS, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANNA START BY, BY ACKNOWLEDGING JUST THE EXTRAORDINARY DIFFICULTY OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS ISSUE.

AND I THINK WE REALLY WILL SEE THIS IN MANY DETAILED WAYS IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION AS WELL.

JUST HOW COMPLEX AND, AND WELL, JUST HOW COMPLEX, UM, THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE THAT SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE, ARE FACING.

IN ADDITION TO BEING UNHOUSED, I WAS A LITTLE STRUCK BY, BY THE NUMBERS, UM, AND THE PERCENTAGES AND SEEING IT IN THIS, IN THIS MANNER THAT, THAT AS THIS DATA SUGGESTS, WE HAVE MORE RETURNS TO HOMELESSNESS THAN WE HAVE EXITS TO HOUSING.

AM I READING THAT CORRECTLY? THAT IS CORRECT, BUT WE STILL HAVE, UM, TWO BRIDGE SHELTERS THAT ARE FULL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING TOWARD GETTING INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.

SO, UM, I WOULD NOT EXPECT NOT EXPECT THAT PROPORTION TO REMAIN GREAT, UH, AS IT STANDS TODAY.

THAT'S GREAT.

I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP IN YOUR RESPONSES TO MY COLLEAGUES AND IT, OR MAYBE IT WAS MORE IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IS THE

[00:30:01]

EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY.

UH, AND YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER MEDICINE, YOU MENTIONED COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE.

AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW IN HAVING TOWARD THAT MULTIPLE TIMES NOW, UM, ALAN GRAHAM AND, AND THE OTHERS WHO HAVE JOINED WITH HIM IN THAT EFFORT, REALLY FOCUS ON BUILDING COMMUNITY AND HOW CRITICAL THAT IS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'M WONDERING, I'M WONDERING HOW YOU CAN, HOW YOU CONFRONT THAT IN THIS VERY DIFFERENT MODEL.

UM, IF WE ARE, IF WE'RE MOVING AS A CITY AWAY FROM CONGREGATE SHELTER, WHERE THERE ARE, ARE STRUCTURAL OPPORTUNITIES, WELL STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMUNITY, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN INDIVIDUALS WOULD LIKE TO EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT ISN'T STRIKING THAT RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, PRIVACY THAT ADULTS HAVE A, A RIGHT TO EXPECT AND, AND COMMUNAL MEALS OR THINGS OF THAT SORT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR, WELL, LET ME NOT ASK WHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE, HOW ARE YOU, OR ARE PARTNERS ADDRESSING THAT? WHAT IS A REAL FELT NEED? IT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE REAL REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE, ARE EXITING.

UM, SURE.

AND I GUESS IN ASKING THAT QUESTION, I'D LIKE TO KNOW KIND OF HOW YOU'RE EXPLORING THAT WITH OUR PARTNERS AND WHAT KINDS OF THINGS THEY'RE EXPLORING TO, TO ADDRESS THAT SITUATION.

AND ALSO WHETHER, WHETHER A GROUP LIKE THE SHACK, UM, OR OTHERS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE CAN HELP US HELP INFORM, YOU KNOW, HOW OUR PRACTICES NEED TO CHANGE.

CUZ IT, IT STRIKES ME THAT ONE THING WE MIGHT BE SEEING HERE IN THE DATA IS THAT THIS SHIFT FROM CONGREGATE TO INDIVIDUAL ROOMS MAY NEED SOME, MAY NEED SOME, UM, IN BETWEEN OR MAY NEED SOME ADJUSTMENT.

SURE.

I THINK, UM, SO ONE THING I WOULD SAY THAT I THINK IS ACTUALLY A REAL STRENGTH OF THE HEAL MODEL IS THAT IT IS TRUE THAT PEOPLE DO HAVE COMMUNITY WHEN THEY ARE UNCHARTERED OFTEN, RIGHT? THEY CERTAINLY, THEY EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, A LACK OF SAFETY AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, TRAUMA OF LIVING OUTDOORS, BUT VERY OFTEN, UM, THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE STRONG BONDS BUILT WITHIN ENCAMPMENTS AND SOME OF WHICH HAVE EXISTED FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

AND SO ONE OF THE REAL STRENGTHS OF THE HEAL INITIATIVE IS THE OFFER TO MOVE THE ENTIRE ENCAMPMENT INTO SHELTER AT ONCE SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY ARE LEAVING THEIR ENTIRE SORT OF EXISTING, UH, SOCIAL NETWORK OR A GREAT DEAL OF IT BEHIND BY COMING INTO SHELTER.

AND SO WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY SEEN, I THINK, A VERY DIFFERENT PATTERN, UM, OF THE EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME INTO SHELTER, BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKELY COMING INTO SHELTER WITH, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE, UM, WHO THEY HAVE KNOWN FOR FOR SOME TIME AND MAYBE QUITE CLOSE TO, UM, I DO THINK PARTICULARLY WITH, UM, THE SOMEWHAT EXTENDED STAYS IN BRIDGE SHELTER, WE, WE WILL NEED TO, UM, ADDRESS MORE CONCRETELY THE COMMUNITY BUILDING ON SITE.

UM, IF WE, YOU KNOW, GET TO A POINT WHERE IT'S 60 DAYS AND WE ARE ROCKING AND ROLLING AND GETTING PEOPLE HOUSED VERY QUICKLY AFTER THEY COME INTO SHELTER, UM, THEN WE STILL WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL WELCOMED AND COMFORTABLE, BUT THE LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

UH, AND SO I THINK THAT SOME OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LOOKED AT IS WE'VE HAD SOME CASES WHERE, YOU KNOW, GROUP WANTS TO, UH, HAS COME IN TO VOLUNTEER TO, YOU KNOW, DO OFFER ONE SORT OF RESOURCE OR ANOTHER OR A, A SOCIAL EVENT.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT REALLY INCREASED.

UH, I THINK THAT URBAN LEAGUE WHO IS TAKING OVER SOUTHBRIDGE HAS HAD SOME, UH, GOOD IDEAS ON THAT FRONT.

UM, BUT I, I THINK IT'S A, UM, WELL, UH, IT WELL POSITIONED QUESTION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UH, JUST BECAUSE OF THAT, WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE VULNERABLE IN THOSE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS OF COMING INTO BRIDGE SHELTER OF RETURNING TO THE STREETS.

UM, THANK YOU.

THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.

HAVE THERE BEEN ANY EFFORTS TO ENGAGE, ENGAGE WITH A GROUP LIKE, LIKE THE SHACK AND I'M SORRY, I'M DRAWING A, ALMOST TOTAL BLANK ON WHAT THAT ACRONYM STANDS FOR.

BRING OUR NEIGHBORS.

UM, NO, I WAS, I WAS REALLY TALKING ABOUT AAC COUNCIL CHAIR.

A THANK YOU.

THE BRIDGE SHELTERS, BUT AS IMPORTANTLY, WE'VE TALKED TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STAYING THERE.

OH THOUGH, I'M FORGETTING THE, THAT ACRONYM TOO, BUT THE GROUP OF, OF, UM, THE KIND OF ADVISORY BOARD OF INDIVIDUALS WITH TALKING ABOUT SPRINGDALE PARK, SORRY ABOUT THAT.

UM, THE INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE WHO ARE HELPING INFORM SOME OF THE POLICIES AT THE ARCH AND, AND ELSEWHERE, AND MADE SOME GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDING INCLUDING WATER FOUNTAINS, WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO ACT ON.

BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT, IF THAT, UM, ORGAN, IF THAT COMMISSION MIGHT, MIGHT BE OF SOME SERVICE IN HELPING SUGGEST SOME IDEAS.

SO I BELIEVE WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH THEM ABOUT, UM, ABOUT

[00:35:01]

AND SO IT'S BEEN A FEW MONTHS, BUT WE, UH, WORKED ON WITH DAC, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, SORT OF A QUESTIONNAIRE LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT PEOPLE, UM, WHAT PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WANTED MORE OF OR LESS OF.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO TO HELP US GET A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN RESOURCE IT MORE EFFECTIVELY.

YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP WAS THAT WHILE PEOPLE WERE, YOU KNOW, GETTING ENGAGED IN THE EARLY STAGES WITH THEIR CASE MANAGERS, OR MAYBE WHILE THEY WERE WAITING, UH, TO GET THAT PERMANENT CASE MANAGER AND ACCESS TO HOUSING, THEY STILL HAD SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME SOCIAL SERVICE NEEDS THAT, UM, THAT COULD BE, UH, MET BY WHAT WE CALL A, YOU KNOW, SERVICE NAVIGATOR.

SO THAT WE NOW HAVE SOMEONE AT NORTHBRIDGE ON SITE WHO HELPS PEOPLE WITH DOCUMENTS, ET CETERA.

IT IS NOT, UM, A LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER, BUT REALLY SOMEONE WHO, YOU KNOW, KNOWS HOW TO POINT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND HELP THEM THROUGH, UM, SOME OF THOSE PREPARATORY ELEMENTS OR CONNECTING THEM WITH RESOURCES, UM, THAT IS, IS MUCH MORE THEY'RE THERE, YOU KNOW, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.

SO, UM, THAT'S MUCH MORE AVAILABLE TO FOLKS ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS.

UH, AND THEN THE MORE ROBUST CONNECTION TO THE, TO THE CASE MANAGER, THAT'S GONNA GET 'EM INTO HOUSING.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

UM, AND I THINK THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS, IS SOMETHING THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, WHICH IS SOME OF THE INITIAL CONCERNS ABOUT HEAL.

AND I REMEMBER THESE WERE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES BEING EXPRESSED BY, BY FOLKS WHO WANTED US NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH HEAL FOR THE REASON THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT THERE WOULD BE THAT, UH, THAT THE ENCAMPMENTS THAT WERE, THAT WERE RECEIVING RESOURCES WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE THOSE THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OVERALL POPULATION IN TERMS OF RACE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I, I BRING THAT UP, UM, JUST TO UNDERSCORE THE POINT THAT YOU MADE, BUT ALSO ALSO BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE, SOMETIMES WE PLAN AND PLAN AND PLAN TRYING TO, TRYING TO MITIGATE AGAINST ALL POTENTIAL NEGATIVE OUTCOMES.

AND, YOU KNOW, AS THIS ONE SHOWED, I THINK IT WAS, AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER OF KITCHEN FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH IT, WITH AN AGREEMENT TO ITERATE, TO WATCH THE DATA AND TO REALLY BE RESPONSIVE TO THE DATA AND TO ITERATE AS NECESSARY WAS REALLY THE RIGHT APPROACH BECAUSE, UH, WE CAN, WE CAN SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY HERE AT THE CITY GETS STUCK IN THAT PLANNING PHASE AND TRYING TO ADDRESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE CONCERNS.

AND I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHEN THE RIGHT THING TO DO IS TO MOVE FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH NOT EVERYBODY WAS ON BOARD, EVEN ON THIS DIAS.

UM, AND CERTAINLY NOT IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD JUMP INTO THIS, THIS NEW APPROACH.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, MS. GRAY AND YOUR TEAM AND, AND THE MANY OTHERS AROUND THE CITY WHO HAVE, HAVE HELPED IMPLEMENT IT AND ITERATE IT AS NECESSARY COLLEAGUES, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.

SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE APPLY TO BE AT COMMUNITY FIRST COMMUNITY FIRST HAS DONE A FABULOUS AND JOB OF BUILDING COMMUNITY THERE, BUT THEY BUILD COMMUNITY WITH A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT THE, THE, THEIR APPROACH TO COMMUNITY, UM, IS A GOOD FIT FOR AND WORKS FOR.

UM, THANK YOU.

THIS IS A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION.

UM, AND, UM, AS YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, AS YOU, UH, CONSIDER, UM, THE CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD, AND I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE HAD, UH, WITHIN THE SHELTERS, THE, UH, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, APPROACH TO COMMUNITY BUILDING, THAT'LL BE INTERESTING TO HEAR MORE OF WHAT YOU LEARN.

UM, I THINK THAT, UM, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, HAS HAPPENED, UM, AT SOUTHBRIDGE, UM, AND HAPPENED WITH AT LEAST ONE OF THE, UM, LOCATIONS WAS, UM, SOME ENGAGEMENT BY NEIGHBORS WHO, UH, SUPPORTED THE, UM, THE FOLKS THAT, UM, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE INTO SOUTHBRIDGE SHELTER AND CONTINUED TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AT SOUTHBRIDGE.

NOW, I THINK THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A VERY, UM, LIMITED EFFORT.

UH, BUT I KNOW THAT THAT, UM, INTEREST IS THERE AND, UM, THOSE NEIGHBORS WERE ENGAGED AT THE VERY BEGINNING, UM, EVEN BEFORE THAT PARTICULAR SITE, UH, WAS DECOMMISSIONED.

SO, UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH, UM, WITH THAT KIND OF APPROACH ALSO TO BE HELPFUL, IT, IT IS A WAY TO, AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CHALLENGES AND MAY NOT WORK IN ALL AREAS, BUT, UM, IT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, PERHAPS COULD, COULD ALSO BE, UM, CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, AND PERHAPS STRENGTHENED IN SOME WAYS.

UM, SO THERE'S THAT, I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT BUILDING COMMUNITY IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, AS YOU SAID, UM, MS. GRAY BUILDING COMMUNITY IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN BUILDING COMMUNITY IN A LONGER TERM PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING MORE PERMANENTLY LIKE COMMUNITY FIRST.

THE OTHER THING WE NEED TO REMEMBER ABOUT COMMUNITY FIRST IS THEY, UM, THEY, YOU KNOW, YOU, IT'S AN APPLICANT

[00:40:01]

SO, UM, SO I THINK THAT HEARING YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, ACTUALLY, UM, CONSULTING WITH TALKING WITH ENGAGING THE FOLKS WHO ARE ACTUALLY STAYING IN BRIDGE SHELTER ABOUT WHAT COMMUNITY MEANS TO THEM, I THINK IS, IS, UH, AS A WAY TO, UM, TO, TO MOVE FORWARD.

AND, AND ALSO, AS YOU MENTIONED, IT'S DIFFERENT IF YOU'RE GOING TO STAY AT A PLACE FOR A COUPLE MONTHS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR SIX MONTHS, BUT, UM, I THINK THIS IS A VERY HELPFUL, UH, CONVERSATION AROUND COMMUNITY BUILDING.

AND AS WE'VE LEARNED AS ALAN GRANDMA'S SHOWED US, AND AS WE KNOW OURSELVES, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE AND NOT ISOLATED OR ALIENATED BY THE PLACE THAT THEY'RE STAYING.

SO, UM, SO I'M EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT YOU'ALL HAVE MADE IN THIS REGARD.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FEW COUNCIL MEMBER.

UM, ONE QUICK LI ONE QUICK, LAST QUESTION.

I KNOW THAT MEALS WERE BEING DELIVERED INDIVIDUALLY TO ROOMS BECAUSE OF COVID PRECAUTIONS AND PERHAPS FOR OTHER REASONS AS WELL.

IS THAT STILL THE CASE IN OUR BRIDGE SHELTER OR? YEAH, UH, THE, THE MEALS ARE IN THE LOBBY AND GUESTS COME AND, AND GET THEM AT PRESENT.

UM, ANY LAST QUESTIONS, COLLEAGUES.

IS, UH, ENTITLED AGING AND UNHOUSED IN TRAVIS COUNTY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN, UH, MS. GRAY FOR, FOR BEING AVAILABLE TO THIS COMMITTEE AND ALSO FOR THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM DO.

UM, OUR NEXT PRESENTATION

[4. Briefing on the Aging and Unhoused Final Report June 2022.]

AND OUR SPEAKER ON THAT IS AMY TEMPORALLY OWNER AND CEO OF THE ORGANIZATION.

AGING IS COOL.

AND I SEE THAT SHE'S ON THE LINE COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.

THIS IS AN ITEM THAT YOU REQUESTED.

DID YOU WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THAT? YES, I WAS.

I WAS, UH, VERY, UM, INTERESTED AND, AND PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THIS, UH, MORE IN DEPTH, UM, REVIEW OR ANALYSIS, I SHOULD SAY OF AGING AND UNHOUSED IN TRAVIS COUNTY HAD BEEN DONE.

AND, AND THIS, UM, INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO US.

I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME IS, YOU KNOW, ALL ASPECTS OF THE POPULATION OF FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING UNSHELTERED AND UNHOUSED.

UM, BUT I DO DID HAVE PARTICULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THOSE WHO ARE AGING IN UNHOUSED, CUZ I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE STREETS WITH PEOPLE IN THIS, UH, IN THIS AGE GROUP.

UM, I ALSO HAD A SPECIFIC REQUEST FROM THE COMMISSION ON SENIORS TO, UM, FROM JENNY BRIEF MEISTER, YOU KNOW, IN THE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION ON SENIORS TO, TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING, UH, WITH THIS POPULATION, UM, LIVING UN SHELTERED.

AND SO I'M EXCITED TO, TO GET THIS, UH, INFORMATION.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, WELCOME MISS ATE.

GOOD MORNING.

WE WILL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.

GOOD MORNING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY.

IT'S A VERY RICH CONVERSATION ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOPEFULLY THIS DATA WILL ADD SOME ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS FOR YOU TO MORE DEEPLY INFORM IT.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME, I HAVE WORKED WITH OLDER ADULTS FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS, BOTH IN THE NONPROFIT AND FOR-PROFIT SECTORS.

UM, AND I'M VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMISSION ON SENIORS.

AND DURING THE PANDEMIC, I UNDERTOOK A ROLE AS THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT FRONT STEPS.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A THREE MONTH, UH, REMIT AND IT ENDED UP BEING EIGHT MONTHS.

UM, IT WAS MY FIRST INTRODUCTION REALLY TO HOMELESSNESS.

AND DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, UM, SOME ISSUES CAME TO LIGHT AROUND OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR AT RISK FOR HOMELESSNESS.

AND A GROUP OF US BEGAN A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO TRY AND, UH, FIND THE DATA AND ADDRESS THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPLY.

SO, UH, THIS IS SOME OF OUR EFFORTS TO DATE.

UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO OUR COLLABORATION, UH, FUNCTION FOR ABOUT SIX OR EIGHT MONTHS TRYING TO START TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH AGING AND HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND WE EVENTUALLY BROUGHT OURSELVES UNDER ECHO AS AN AFFINITY GROUP.

SO WE COULD BE MORE DEEPLY CONNECTED TO THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AS WELL.

IN DECEMBER OF 2021, WE ENGAGED, UM, A CONSULTANT GROUP, WOO NICHOLS TO ACTUALLY LOOK MORE DEEPLY AT THE DATA.

UM, WE KNEW IT WAS OUT THERE, BUT NOBODY HAD REALLY LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THIS PARTICULAR POPULATION, UM, ST DAVIS FOUNDATION FUNDED THE WORK.

THEY'RE A GREAT SUPPORTER IN OUR COMMUNITY OF ALL ISSUES, UM, RELATING

[00:45:01]

TO OLDER ADULTS.

SO OUR STUDY INCLUDED BOTH QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA.

WE WANTED TO FIND OUT THE NUMBER OF OLDER ADULTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND TRENDS.

WE WANTED TO LOOK AT THE GAPS IN AWARENESS ON, UM, THAT THE DIFFERENT PROVIDER AGENCIES HAD AROUND, UM, PROVIDING SERVICES FOR THIS GROUP.

WE WANTED TO LEARN ABOUT THE TYPES OF SUPPORTS THAT, UH, OVER ADULTS WHO ARE, UH, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS MIGHT NEED, UM, AND WHAT CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS THAT THEY MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING.

UM, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH LOOKING AT, UM, OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE, UM, UNHOUSED, TYPICALLY THE AGE 50 IS UTILIZED VERSUS THE MORE COMMONLY THOUGHT OF AGE 65.

UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE UNHOUSED, THIS IS DUE TO STRAIGHT AGE, MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING ON THE STREETS AND ARE IN THIS AGE POPULATION OF 50 PLUS PRESENT AS MUCH OLDER.

SO THEY HAVE HEALTH ISSUES AND DISABILITIES THAT ARE MUCH MORE PRONOUNCED BECAUSE OF THEIR EXPERIENCE.

SO OUR METHODOLOGY FOR THIS SURVEY, WE DID AN ONLINE SURVEY OF FRONTLINE WORKERS.

WE DID DATA REVIEW FROM THE, UM, HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM, H M I S THERE WAS ALSO A LITERATURE REVIEW TO LOOK AT NATIONALLY WHAT THE TRENDS WERE AND SEE HOW WE WERE COMPARING THERE.

AND THEN WE INTERVIEWED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE 50 PLUS ON AND, AND UNHOUSED, EXCUSE ME.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO SOME OF THIS DATA, I'M SURE YOU KNOW, THAT THE NUMBER OF OLDER ADULTS IS INCREASING RAPIDLY AROUND THE WORLD.

UM, AND THAT AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING SENIOR AND PRE SENIOR POPULATIONS IN THE COUNTRY.

PEOPLE ARE MOVING HERE TO BE WITH FAMILY, THEY'RE RETIRING, GOOD WEATHER, ALL OF THAT GOOD STUFF.

UM, WE ARE EXPECTING A, UH, GROWTH OF 114.3%, UM, IN THE AGES OF 65 AND OLDER IN OUR AREA, UM, FROM 2010 TO BETWEEN 2010 AND 2030, WHEN WE LOOKED AT, UH, THE HM I S DATA DURING A TIME PERIOD BETWEEN 2019 AND 2021, ABOUT 60, 66 OLDER ADULTS IN THAT 50 PLUS RANGE WHERE NEWLY IDENTIFIED IN I S EACH MONTH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE WHOLE ADULTS, 50 PLUS CONSTITUTE ABOUT 26% OF THOSE, UM, IN THE HMI SYSTEM, UM, OF THESE 66 NEW PEOPLE THAT WERE BEING IDENTIFIED ABOUT 22.5 OLDER ADULTS WERE BEING HOUSED EACH MONTH.

SO YOU CAN SEE WE'VE GOT, UM, MORE COMING IN THAN ARE GOING BACK INTO HOUSING.

AND AS WITH THE DATA THAT, UM, MS. GRACE SHARED AS WELL, WE HAVE, OH, SORRY.

I MUTED MYSELF.

UM, WE STILL HAVE A, UM, DISPROPORTIONATE REPRESENTATION, UM, OF, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN INDIVIDUALS IN THIS 50 PLUS POPULATION WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT A LITERATURE REVIEW, UM, HUMPHREYS AND CANUM 2021, UH, DR.

SARAH CANUM IS A, A PREMIER RESEARCHER IN THIS, UH, AREA AROUND THE COUNTRY, SOME COMMON THINGS THAT WERE NOTED IN HER RESEARCH AND THAT WE FOUND IN OUR STUDY AS WELL, UNSHELTERED OLDER ADULTS REQUIRE SPECIFIC SHELTER AND HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS.

THEY TEND TO HAVE MORE HEALTH PROBLEMS. THEY TEND TO NEED MORE SERVICES LIKE TRANSPORTATION OR IN-HOME CARE, UM, AND ALSO, UM, HAVE OTHER ISSUES WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE THAT MIGHT BE LIFELONG, CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, OLDER ADULTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE MEN AND CAN BE DIFFICULT TO HOUSE DUE TO SUBSTANCE USE HISTORY, CO COMORBID MENTAL HEALTH AND PHYSICAL HEALTH ISSUES AND LIMITED SOCIAL SUPPORTS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE, COME UP AGAIN AND AGAIN, AS PER YOUR CONVERSATION AS WELL, AND NEWLY HOMELESS, OLDER ADULTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE INFORMAL SOCIAL SUPPORTS, BUT THEY OFTEN EXPERIENCE BARRIERS TO ACTUALLY FINDING INFORMATION ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, HEALTHCARE AND THE COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.

UM, LAST BULLET POINTS HERE ON THE PAGE, OLDER ADULTS IN OUR AREA HAVE HIGHER RATES OF THE FOLLOWING.

SO, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR LOCAL DATA, ABOUT 70% OF THE UNHOUSED OLDER ADULT POPULATION IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY ARE MEN.

UM, AGAIN, NOT, NOT SURPRISING.

WE SEE THIS KIND OF, UH, REPRESENTATION IN THE OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS, AS WELL.

AS I MENTIONED, 22 PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 55 WERE HOUSED, UM, EACH MONTH, HOWEVER, SOMETHING THAT CAME UP IN THE STUDY THAT WAS OF CONCERN IS THAT ABOUT 13 OLDER ADULTS IN THIS POPULATION OVER AGE 55 RETURNED TO HOMELESSNESS AFTER EXITING A PROGRAM FOR UNHOUSED ADULTS, THIS IS MUCH HIGHER THAN IT IS FOR THE YOUNGER POPULATIONS.

UM, AND WE DO THINK THIS MAY HAVE TO DO WITH SOME OF THE, UH, FORMAL AND INFORMAL SUPPORTS THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THAT HOUSING.

AND AS YOU LOOK AT THE,

[00:50:01]

THEY, UM, HAVE HIGHER RATES OF DISABLING CONDITIONS, HIV AIDS, ALCOHOL ABUSE, CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS, PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, AND MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.

AND YOU'LL SEE IT'S QUITE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE, YOU KNOW, UH, PHYSICAL DISABILITY, 56% VERSUS 20% IN YOUNGER POPULATIONS, CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS, 56% VERSUS 21%.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A POPULATION THAT, UM, HAS LOTS OF COMPLICATING FACTORS TO GETTING THEM HOUSED, KEEPING THEM HOUSED TO KEEPING THEM HEALTHY.

ADULTS, UM, WHO WERE CURRENTLY UNHOUSED 21, MALE FIVE FEMALE.

SO WE DID A SURVEY OF, UH, 46 SERVICE PROVIDERS.

THESE WERE PREDOMINANTLY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING IN HOMELESS, UH, SERVICES.

SO CASE MANAGERS WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE TOP THREE REASONS THAT THEY WERE SEEING INDIVIDUALS BECOMING UNHOUSED, UH, IN THIS 50 PLUS POPULATION, THEY REPORTED INABILITY TO PAY HOUSING COSTS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, AND LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THEY ALSO ALMOST GLOBALLY, UM, REPRESENTED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE, UM, ACCESS TO, OR AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE RESOURCES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WERE ACTUALLY AVAILABLE TO OLDER ADULTS.

UM, THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE SERVICES AND WHAT WAS OUT THERE WHEN ASKED WHERE THEY FIND THEIR INFORMATION, THE NUMBER ONE, UH, ANSWER FOR THAT WAS GOOGLE.

AND IF YOU KNOW, ANYTHING ABOUT GOOGLE, UM, IF YOU GOOGLE, UH, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET ALL OF THE SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR OLDER ADULTS, IT'S JUST NOT THE WAY IT'S GONNA WORK.

IT'S GONNA BE YOUR FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES.

UM, AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOTS OF FUNDING TO POP TO THE TOP OF THOSE SEARCHES.

SO THESE CASE MANAGERS ARE GOING TO GOOGLE TO TRY AND FIND RESOURCES, AND THEY'RE NOT FINDING WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.

WE ALSO, UM, THEY ALSO NOTED, UH, THERE WERE ISSUES WITH DISCHARGES FROM HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE ACTUALLY BEGAN.

OUR COLLABORATION IN THE BEGINNING WERE SOME VERY UNSETTLING TALES ABOUT HOSPITALS AND OR NURSING HOMES, DISCHARGING RESIDENTS, OR HOSPITAL PATIENTS DIRECTLY TO SHELTERS SOMETIMES ON GURNEYS OR WHEELCHAIRS, UH, BEING UNABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELF, NEEDING TIME TO RECOVER, UM, OR MAYBE WITH COGNITIVE DISABILITIES OR PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS THAT WOULD PRECLUDE THEM FROM ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO ENTER THOSE SHELTERS.

AND SO THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE ENDING UP, BACK ON THE STREETS WITH THEIR HEALTH ISSUES AND MOST LIKELY BACK IN THE HOSPITAL AGAIN, UH, BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT RECOVERED FULLY.

SO, UM, THEY, ALL, MANY OF THEM REPORTED THAT THEY WERE SEEING THESE TYPES OF ISSUES, STILL A PROBLEM.

AND AS WE KNOW, UH, THROUGH LOTS OF SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS, TRANSPORTATION IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST HURDLES.

UM, AND THEY WERE FINDING ACCESSIBILITY TO TRANSPORTATION DIFFICULT SO THAT PEOPLE COULD GET TO THEIR APPOINTMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO FILL OUT THE FORMS AND DO THE THINGS THEY NEEDED TO DO TO GET HOUSED.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SOME OF THE COMMON, UH, BARRIERS WHEN THEY ARE TRYING TO HOUSE OLDER ADULTS, NONE OF THESE WILL BE SURPRISING, LACK OF INCOME, CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS, RENTAL, AND EVICTION HISTORY, UH, LACK OF AVAILABLE UNITS, LACK OF DOCUMENTATION OR IDENTIFICATION AND ABIL, AND AN INABILITY TO SELF APPLY FOR HOUSING.

83% OF THE SURVEY RESPONDENTS, UM, SAID THEY HAD SOME SPECIFIC ISSUES, PARTICULARLY WORKING WITH THIS 50 PLUS POPULATION, ESPECIALLY FOR OLDER ADULTS TO HAVE COGNITIVE DISABILITIES.

UM, SOME OF THIS WAS BEING UNABLE.

UH, THE INDIVIDUALS BEING UNABLE TO ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND OR FILL OUT THEIR PAPERWORK INDEPENDENTLY, UM, LACK OF AGE PROS, APPROPRIATE HOUSING OPTIONS THAT CAN PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF CARE NEEDED AND THEN CHALLENGES MAINTAINING HOUSING, WHICH COULD BE EVERYTHING FROM NEEDING HELP WITH BATHING, DRESSING, GROOMING TOILETING, OR TO THOSE MORE, UH, UH, DAILY ACTIVITIES LIKE MEALS, UM, SHOPPING, TRANSPORTATION, THAT TYPE OF SUPPORT.

WE ACTUALLY JUST RECENTLY AT OUR LAST AFFINITY GROUP MEETING, UM, DID A CASE STUDY OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS IN HIS SEVENTIES HAVING COGNITIVE PROBLEMS WITH DEMENTIA, UM, AND HAS BEEN ADMITTED TO THE ARCH TEMPORARILY.

AND THEY'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING A NURSING HOME PLACEMENT FOR HIM BECAUSE THE NURSING HOMES ARE NOT COOPERATING OR THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MEDICAID BEDS.

SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH TRYING TO NOT ONLY FIGURE OUT MORE INDEPENDENT LEVEL HOUSING, HOW DO WE GET SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR THIS POPULATION, BUT FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE COGNITIVE LIMITATIONS, UM, OR MAY JUST NEED SOME HELP WITH THEIR DAILY CARE, THE REAL OPTION HERE IS NURSING HOMES IS THERE'S NOT ANY SORT OF INTERMEDIATE, LOW INCOME ASSISTED LIVING.

THAT'S A DIFFICULT CHALLENGE IN TEXAS ALL THROUGHOUT THE STATE BECAUSE OF OUR FUNDING PROBLEMS WITH MEDICAID.

UM, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE PLACES TO PUT THEM.

AND SO WE'RE GETTING THESE FOLKS THAT ARE KIND OF STUCK IN THE SYSTEM.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

THE CONSULTING GROUP INTERVIEWED 26, UH, OLDER

[00:55:01]

YOU CAN SEE THE AGE BREAKDOWNS HERE.

THEIR TOP REPORTED REASONS FOR BECOMING UNHOUSED WERE JOB LOSS, MARITAL BREAKDOWN, DEATH OF A LOVED ONE AND LACK OF SOCIAL SUPPORT.

UM, SOME OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE LIVING WITH A CAREGIVER AND NEEDED SUPPORTS AND THEIR CAREGIVER PASSED AWAY.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OPTIONS HAD TO BE FOUND FOR THEIR CARE.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS, UH, THAT THESE INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUALS WERE REPORTING, UM, A HISTORY OF TRAUMA FEELINGS OF GUILT AND SHAME WOMEN STAYING UNHOUSED, UM, BECAUSE THEY, UH, ARE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND, AND, UM, THERE'S STAYING IN THOSE SITUATIONS LONGER.

WE HEARD FREQUENTLY AND, AND, UM, MS. GRAY SPOKE TO THIS, THAT THE LONGER THEY'RE ON THE STREETS, THE EASIER IT SOMETIMES IS TO BECOME, TO STAY ON THE STREETS BECAUSE THEY ARE DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE WHO CAN SUPPORT THEM.

SO IT SPEAKS TO THIS SOCIAL STRUCTURE, AGAIN OF COMMUNITY, WHEREVER IT IS BEING DEVELOPED, OBVIOUSLY A LACK OF IT, INCOME, THIS FEELING, ISOL ISOLATED, ONCE THEY GET HOUSED.

SO MAYBE THEY ARE PLACED IN AN APARTMENT.

THEY DON'T KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORS.

THEY'RE NOT BEING ABLE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT INTERACTING WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

UM, THEY ALSO REPORTED THAT THEY WERE HAVING POOR COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR CASE MANAGERS NOT FEELING SEEN OR HEARD.

UM, THERE WAS REFERENCE TO YOUNGER CASE WORKERS THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS GENERATION, UM, AND NOT, UH, UNDERSTANDING THEIR NEEDS.

SO THAT'S, UH, A BIG PROBLEM.

AND THEN OF COURSE, LACK OF AFFORDABILITY IN AUSTIN, NOTHING SURPRISING THERE, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SOME OF THE SERVICE NEEDS, UM, THESE ARE VERY COMMON ONES THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE THROUGHOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, AGE GROUPS.

I JUST WANNA POINT OUT A COUPLE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT WERE KIND OF SURPRISING, UH, JOB TRAINING AND EDUCATION.

YOU CAN IMAGINE, UH, MOST OF US KNOW THAT IF YOU'RE 50 OR OLDER, THERE IS AGEISM OUT THERE AND IT COULD BE DIFFICULT TO GET A JOB.

IMAGINE BEING 50 PLUS, AND ALSO BEING UNHOUSED AND TRYING TO FIND, UM, JOB TRAINING AND EDUCATION AND SUPPORT.

SO AGEISM IS GONNA DOUBLE PUT THE DOUBLE WHAMMY ON TOP OF THIS SITUATION, UH, SUPPORT AFTER BEING HOUSED.

AND HERE YOU SEE IT AGAIN, INCLUDING SOCIAL GATHERINGS, POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT.

ONE GENTLEMAN SAID HE'D LOVE TO JUST SEE POSITIVE SIGNS ON THE WALL THAT JUST MORE ENCOURAGING, UM, SO THAT THEY COULD THINK ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS AND THINK ABOUT THE HAPPY THINGS, UM, INSTEAD OF THEIR SITUATION ALL THE TIME.

AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, SAFE AND SPEEDY HOUSE HOUSING PLACEMENT.

AND POSITIVITY WITHIN HOUSING TO HELP SUSTAIN HOUSING RETENTION, OFFERING PEER SUPPORT AND NAVIGATION PROGRAMS FOR OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE UNHOUSED TO KIND OF HELP THEM THROUGH THE SYSTEM, WHICH CAN BE VERY COMPLICATED AND CONNECTING WITH EMPLOYMENT PROVIDERS, UH, TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO JOB TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY TARGETED, UM, TO THIS OLDER ADULT POPULATION.

SO SOME OF THE SYSTEM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME, UM, FROM THE STUDY, THE FIRST WAS TO INCREASE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING BETWEEN THE AGING PROVIDERS AND THE HOMELESS SERVING ORGANIZATIONS, SO THAT THEY COULD UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER BETTER AND REFER TO EACH OTHER.

THERE ARE, WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST NETWORK OF AGING SERVICES, UM, MANY BELONG TO THE AGING SERVICES COUNCIL AND BEING ABLE TO CONNECT, UM, THOSE WHO ARE SERVING THE UNHOUSED WITH THIS POPULATION IS GONNA BE CRUCIAL SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO GOOGLE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THE RESOURCES ARE THERE, AND THEY KNOW HOW TO, UM, PATCH THEM TOGETHER AND WHO TO REACH OUT TO CREATING A SHARED RESOURCE LIST FOR UNHOUSED OLDER ADULTS.

THOSE SO THAT WE COULD EDUCATE THE AGING SERVICES PROVIDERS ABOUT THAT, UM, PROVIDING SORE TRAINING FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS, SERVING UNHOUSED OLDER ADULTS, SORE IS A PROGRAM THAT IS, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S SAMSA THAT PUTS IT TOGETHER, BUT IT IS A SPECIAL TRAINING THAT CASE MANAGERS CAN GET TO HELP THEM, UH, WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER OR HAVE DISABILITIES, HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE BENEFITS SYSTEM AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THE BENEFITS TO WHICH THEY'RE ENTITLED CREATING RELATIONSHIPS AND PROCESSES TO ADDRESS THIS HOSPITAL DISCHARGE ISSUE, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING DISCHARGED APPROPRIATELY INTO SAFE SETTINGS ACCESS TO, HM, I S FOR ALL ORGANIZATIONS SERVING UNHOUSED OLDER ADULTS WILL BE LOOKING AT THIS, UM, LATER TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW THAT WE MAKE SURE WE KNOW, UM, A CLIENT IN THE SYSTEM AND WHAT SERVICES THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING ACCESS TO INCREASING ACCESS TO SAFE STORAGE, UM, STOCK OF, AND ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, DESIGNED TO SERVE OLDER ADULTS.

WE DO KNOW THERE'S SOME GREAT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING COMING, SOON FAMILY.

CARE'S DOING A LOT OF WORK IN THIS SPACE.

UM, WE'RE JUST GONNA NEED MORE WITH THIS OLDER ADULT POPULATION GROWING HERE SO RAPIDLY.

WE ARE GOING TO NEED MORE, UH, PROVIDING GREATER ACCESS TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND, UM, ASSESSING FOOD AVAILABILITY FOR UNHOUSED OLDER ADULTS, ESPECIALLY ON THE WEEKENDS AND EVENINGS.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, IN TERMS OF SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, PROVIDING CROSS TRAINING FOR CASE MANAGERS ON GENERATIONAL AND AGING ISSUES.

SO THEY'RE BETTER ABLE TO WORK WITH THIS POPULATION.

SERVING ENSURING ALL SERVICES ARE TRAUMA INFORMED, CREATING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY

[01:00:01]

SO, UM, I THINK A NUMBER OF YEARS BACK OUR, OUR COUNCIL RECOGNIZED THE TSUNAMI THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF OLDER ADULTS.

SO IN TERMS OF WHAT THE, UH, AGING AND UNHOUSED DEFINITY GROUP OF ECHO, WHAT OUR PLANS ARE FOR THE FUTURE, WE WANTED TO PICK A FEW THINGS.

WE ARE ALL PARTS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SERVING OLDER ADULTS OR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE UNHOUSED.

SO WE'RE REPRESENTING A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS HERE, AND WE WANTED TO PICK SOME THINGS THAT WERE PARTICULARLY, UM, ATTAINABLE THAT WE COULD DO AS A COLLABORATIVE.

THE FIRST IS TO DO SOME TRAINING AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING BETWEEN AGING AND HOME HOMELESSNESS PROVIDERS AND CASE MANAGERS.

SO WE ARE WORKING ON A HALF DAY SEMINAR THAT WE HOPE TO PRESENT IN FEBRUARY OF NEXT YEAR, THAT WILL INCLUDE, UM, CULTURAL COMPETENCY KIND OF WORK, UH, SOME PANELS ON HOUSING AND BENEFITS, AND THEN A RESOURCE FAIR THAT WILL ACTUALLY ALLOW PEOPLE TO WANDER THROUGH, GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER, PICK UP RESOURCES AND MATERIALS SO THAT WE CAN CONNECT THESE TWO GROUPS MORE DEEPLY.

WE ARE SEEKING A MASTER'S LEVEL INTERN WITH THE GRACE PROGRAM, WHICH IS A SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM AT UT, UM, FOCUSING ON OLDER ADULTS.

SO WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE AN INTERN THAT CAN HELP US MOVE SOME OF THESE THINGS FORWARD.

WE ARE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS RIGHT NOW WITH, UH, HOSPITAL DISCHARGE POINTERS TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOK AT WHAT IS GOING ON, WHY ARE PEOPLE BEING DISCHARGED TO THE STREETS? WHY ARE THEY NOT BEING DISCHARGED IN A MORE APPROPRIATE MANNER? HOW DO WE SET UP SYSTEMS TO ACTUALLY MAKE SURE THIS HAPPENED AND THEN TO, UM, INCREASE SO TRAINING.

SO JUST EDUCATING CASE MANAGERS ABOUT THIS TRAINING THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE TO HELP THEM WITH BENEFITS.

UM, COUPLE OF ADDITIONS I WANNA MAKE AT THE END OF THIS, WE'RE REALLY PLEASED ABOUT HAVING THE DATA WE KNEW.

WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT KNOWING THE NUMBERS AND WHAT WAS ACTUALLY OCCURRING.

AND NOW WE CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME ATTAINABLE THINGS.

I THINK WHAT'S GONNA BE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT GOING FORWARD.

AND THE COMMISSION ON SENIORS HAS MADE A RECOMMENDATION IN THIS REGARD AS WELL, IS THAT THE CITY HAVE A PLAN FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THIS OLDER ADULT, UH, POPULATION WHO ARE EITHER UNHOUSED OR AT HIGH RISK FOR BECOMING UNHOUSED.

UM, THERE ARE UNIQUE NEEDS HERE, AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS POPULATION JUST SLIGHTLY DIFFERENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT HOUSING.

UM, ON GOOD NEWS, WE, UM, AS A COLLABORATIVE ADVOCATED WITH ECHO, UM, IN TERMS OF THEIR NEW, UH, PRIORITIZATION INDEX TO REDUCE THE, UH, PRIORITY AGE FROM 65 TO 50, AND THEY DID DO THAT.

SO NOW PEOPLE WHO ARE 50 AND OLDER, GET AN ADDITIONAL POINT, UM, ON THE API.

AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THIS WILL START TO MOVE THE NEEDLE A LITTLE BIT AND MAKING SURE THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS, UM, YOU KNOW, GET HOUSED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND THAT WE ARE BEING MINDFUL OF THIS STREET AGE CONSIDERATION, UM, FOR OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE HOMELESS, UM, I WILL STOP THERE AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, THAT WAS VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN, I'LL ASK A FEW AND THEN MY COLLEAGUES MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS TO, AND YOU CAN COME BACK TO ME AFTER THAT.

SO FIRST OFF, UM, I WANNA THANK YOU.

UM, THIS IS VERY INFORMATIVE INFORMATION, UM, FOR US AND, UM, UH, I APP APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE DIVE INTO THE DATA TO HELP TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE AND THE SCOPE OF THE SCOPE OF THE POPULATION.

AND I ALSO APPRECIATE THE, THE FOCUS ON, ON SPECIFIC NEXT STEPS, BOTH FROM A SYSTEM STANDPOINT AND A SERVICE STANDPOINT.

SO, UM, I HAVE A NUMBER OF, OF QUESTIONS, AND THEN I WANT ALSO WANNA JUST COMMIT TO YOU THAT I STAND READY TO HELP YOU ALL, BOTH THROUGH THE COMMISSION ON SENIORS, YOU KNOW, AND THROUGH ECHO TO, TO TAKE SOME NEXT STEPS.

UH, IT OCCURS TO ME THAT THIS IS A MANAGEABLE POPULATION IN TERMS OF THE NUMBERS.

UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS CITY HAS, HAS FOCUSED AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

LIKE WE FOCUSED ON VETERAN HOMELESSNESS, WE FOCUSED ON YOUTH.

UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'D BE INCLINED TO, TO CREATE A FOCUS ON, UM, OLDER ADULTS.

SO, SO THERE'S THAT, BUT I ALSO WANT TO JUST DO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE SENIOR COMMISSION WHO HAS BEEN DRIVING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS NOW, UM, THIS OUR CITY'S AGE FRIENDLY ACTION PLAN.

UH, AND WE ALSO NOW HAVE AN AGE FRIENDLY COORDINATOR AND WE ALSO HAVE THANKS TO THE, THE COUNCIL.

UH, WE HAVE, UM, AN ADDITIONAL STAFF PERSON TO WORK ON AGE FRIENDLY ISSUES.

[01:05:01]

AND SO THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE NEED TO DRILL DOWN ALSO.

SO JUST A, A COUPLE OF, UM, ONE, UH, TWO QUESTIONS.

FIRST QUESTION IS, UM, IN, IN THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DID I, UH, IN, IN YOUR REVIEW AND IN DISCUSSION WITH, UH, SERVICE PROVIDERS, CAUSE I THINK YOU HAD SOME INTERVIEWS OF SERVICE PROVIDERS.

DID YOU HA WERE YOU ABLE TO CONNECT WITH ANY OF THE, UM, THE MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATIONS FOR MEDICAID FOR THE STAR PLUS PROGRAM? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE ABLE TO DO THAT OR, OR NOT, BUT I WANTED TO ASK, WE DID NOT IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS, UH, STUDY, BUT I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THOSE.

THE REASON I SUGGEST THAT IS AS A NEXT STEP, IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO CONTACT THE, PARTICULARLY THE STAR PLUS.

AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR STAR PLUS IS A MEDICAID PROGRAM.

THAT'S FOCUSED ON, UH, OLDER ADULTS AND ADULTS WITH, UM, WITH, UH, DISABILITIES.

AND SO THEY BRING, THEY CAN BRING RESOURCES TO THE TABLE.

THEY'RE CHARGED FROM A STATE PERSPECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE SERVICES, UH, TO PEOPLE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID THAT FALL INTO THOSE AGE, CATEGOR, AGE, AND DISABILITY CATEGORIES.

SO, UM, SO I'LL BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND, AND YOU, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU MAY HAVE THE CONNECTIONS YOU NEED, BUT I, I WOULD ALSO URGE THAT, UH, THEY COULD BE, THEY COULD BE HELPFUL, UM, IN, IN NEXT STEPS.

UM, THE OTHER THING IS THE, SO A QUESTION ABOUT THE, SO, UH, SO INCLUDES THE APPLICATIONS TO MEDICAID, RIGHT.

AND SSI AND THE WHOLE RANGE OF THINGS.

SSI AND S S D I.

AT THIS POINT, DID YOUR DATA, WERE YOU ABLE TO IDENTIFY FROM YOUR DATA, HOW MANY OF HOW MANY OLDER ADULTS WERE, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR, OR RECEIVING MEDICAID? NO, WE DID NOT.

WE DID NOT DO ANY, UM, FINANCIAL ANALYSIS.

THAT MIGHT BE A, AN INTERESTING NEXT STEP ALSO.

SO, UM, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS YOU MENTIONED WAS, DOES THE CITY HAVE A PLAN TO ADDRESS THIS POPULATION? DO YOU HAVE A PATH FOR THAT OR DO YOU NEED ASSISTANCE IN, IN MAKING THAT HAPPEN? WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED.

WE DO NOT HAVE A PATH FOR THAT, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO BE PART OF ANY CONVERSATIONS AND SUPPORT, UH, THAT INITIATIVE.

UM, AND THEN FINALLY, CHAIR, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF, UM, MS. GRAY IS AVAILABLE, BUT IF I WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO COME AND SHE MAY HAVE MOVED, YOU KNOW, SHE MAY HAVE HAD TO MOVE ON, BUT IF SHE'S STILL WITH US, IF SHE WANTS TO COMMENT ON THIS, IT'D BE INTERESTING.

YEAH.

I DID REACH OUT TO HER, UM, TO SEE IF SHE'S, AND I DO SEE THAT SHE'S, UH, BACK ON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. GRAY FOR STICKING WITH US.

ABSOLUTELY.

THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS SURVEY REALLY FOCUSED ON PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY UNHOUSED AND WE HAVE GREAT CONCERNS IN THE AGING SERVICES NETWORK RIGHT NOW ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE AT HIGH RISK, UM, FOR BECOMING UNHOUSED AS WELL.

AND THANK YOU, AMY.

UM, I THINK THIS IS, UM, UH, JUST A, A WEALTH OF INFORMATION FOR US TO WORK THROUGH AND THINK ABOUT, UM, WHAT OUR STRATEGIES CAN BE.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, I AM STRUCK BY, UM, AS WE WALK THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, THERE'S SEVERAL AREAS IN WHICH I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UM, EFFORTS, A FOOT THAT ARE GONNA MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE AND OTHERS WHERE WE KNOW, UH, THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK AHEAD.

AND SO I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY AT THE MACRO LEVEL, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE GREATEST NEEDS WE HAVE IDENTIFIED IN OUR SYSTEM FOR A VERY LONG TIME IS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.

AND THAT'S VERY RELEVANT TO THIS POPULATION BECAUSE OF THOSE VERY HIGH LEVELS OF DISABLING CONDITIONS AND THE GREATER SUPPORTS OFFERED ON SITE.

UM, HAVING SAID THAT WE CERTAINLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT BEYOND, UM, THE GENERALLY ROBUST SERVICES IN PSSH WE'VE GOT PROVIDERS AND SITES THAT ARE, ARE SPECIFICALLY ATTUNED TO THE NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT, UM, UH, FAMILY ELDER CARE WILL NOT ONLY BE THE SERVICE PROVIDER AT PECAN GARDEN IN, UH, DISTRICT SIX, BUT ARE ALSO WORKING ON ANOTHER PSSH PROGRAM, UH, DEVELOPMENT FOR 60 UNITS.

UH, AND, UM, AS YOU MAY RECALL FROM LAST WEEK'S COUNCIL, UH, AGENDA, UM, ARE, ARE GOING TO BE, UM, RECEIVING SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED FUNDING AROUND RAPID REHOUSING.

AND THAT'S JUST BEEN REALLY CRITICAL CUZ THEY'RE VERY GOOD AT, SO THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, THEY KNOW HOW TO WORK WITHIN THIS SYSTEM IN A WAY THAT, UM, OUR OTHER PROVIDERS, YOU KNOW, MAY HAVE GENERAL COMPETENCY, BUT NOT QUITE THE LEVEL OF EXPERTISE.

WE AS THE CITY HAVE DEDICATED, UH, A MILLION DOLLARS OF RPA MONEY TOWARD ADDITIONAL SOURCE SPECIALISTS IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND WE HAVE ENCOURAGED THOSE TO BE FULL-TIME SORE SPECIALIST.

WHAT WE SEE IN TERMS OF EFFICACY IS THAT IT IS A COMPLEX PROCESS AND

[01:10:01]

TRAINING.

AND IF WE ARE INVESTING IN, IN THAT TIME, IT'S BEST TO HAVE FOLKS WHO THAT IS, WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

UM, THERE HAS BEEN SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, MONEY, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY, PRIVATE DOLLARS FOR SORE SPECIALISTS THROUGH THE ST DAVID'S, UH, FOUNDATION.

SO WE'RE HOPING TO SEE, UH, IMPROVED ACCESS BOTH, UM, TO S S I S S D I AND MEDICAID THROUGH THOSE EFFORTS.

UM, WE, AS, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF OUR, UH, FINDING HOME ATX INVESTMENT PLAN ARE REALLY LOOKING AT CAPACITY BUILDING, UM, UH, ACROSS SEVERAL AREAS AND, UH, AND SEVERAL TYPES OF EFFORTS FOR OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS.

I THINK WE WANT TO MAKE SORT OF THE REGULAR TRAINING OF FRONTLINE WORKERS AND CASE MANAGERS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE ROBUST.

AND I THINK THIS PIECE ABOUT, UM, WORKING WITH OLDER ADULTS, UH, IS GONNA, YOU KNOW, CAN BE A CRITICAL PIECE OF THAT.

SOME OF THE, THE AREAS WHERE I THINK WE REALLY HAVE, UH, MORE ROAD AHEAD OF US.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WE, WE HAVE SOME CLUES IN THE DATA THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED ABOUT WHY PEOPLE, UH, MIGHT BE MORE LIKELY TO RETURN TO HOMELESSNESS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK UNDERSTANDING THAT BETTER WOULD BE REALLY CRITICAL, UM, THAT MAYBE I THINK, YOU KNOW, RELATED IN PART TO THE INTERACTION IN THESE VERY COMPLEX SYSTEMS THAT, UM, IS TEMPORALLY OUTLINED, YOU KNOW, THE NURSING HOME SYSTEM, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO, UH, UH, SUPPORTS FOR ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, ALL THE KIND OF THINGS THAT CAN HELP ANY OLDER ADULT AGE IN PLACE, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAY BE MORE DIFFICULT TO ACCESS OR NOT REALLY, UH, WITHIN THE, THE, THE PRIMARY, UH, SUITE OF SERVICES THAT ARE, ARE HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO, TO ACCESSING THE DISCHARGE.

UM, THE DISCHARGE ISSUE IS REAL.

UM, WE HAVE TALKED FOR SOME TIME AND CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THE NEED FOR RESPITE CARE, UM, FOR FOLKS.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITY BASED EFFORTS UNDERWAY.

WE DID NOT RECEIVE AN APPLICATION FOR FUNDING UNDER OUR, UH, RECENT RFP WHERE RESPITE CARE WAS AN ALLOWABLE USE.

SO WE WERE A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THAT.

UH, BUT I WOULD ADD TO THAT, THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RESPITE CARE, UM, OR WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT RESPITE CARE, OFTEN WE ARE REFERRING EXPLICITLY TO DISCHARGE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD CERTAINLY GO BEYOND THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE SAW, FOR EXAMPLE, IN SOME OF OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTER, UM, BOTH GENERAL OPERATIONS AND IN THOSE COLD WEATHER, UM, EMERGENCIES LIKE YU, AND LIKE THE EXPERIENCE OF THIS FEBRUARY, WE HAD OLDER ADULTS PRESENTING, UM, FROM THE STREET WITH VERY COMPLEX NEEDS.

UH, AND IT IS REALLY JUST SHOCKING THAT THOSE FOLKS ARE UNSHELTERED.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NEED TO THINK ABOUT, UM, AS PART OF OUR OVERALL SHELTER ANALYSIS, WHICH, UM, IS ON OUR PLATE AS A DIVISION OVER THE NEXT MONTH, WHAT KIND OF SPECIALIZED SHELTER MIGHT BE NEEDED, UM, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE KNOW, UM, WILL HAVE NEEDS THAT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO MEET IN A GENERAL SHELTER SETTING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH COLLEAGUES, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER MEDICINE.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

I HAVE A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS.

UH, HI, AMY, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

UM, I WILL MAKE SURE TO SEND SOME OF MY QUESTIONS TO YOU AND DIANA SEPARATELY.

UM, THE ONE BIG QUESTION I I'M ASKING, BUT I ALSO JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT.

UM, SO MAYBE MORE OF A STATEMENT IS IN MY EXPERIENCE, I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT, UH, FAMILY ELDER CARE DOES, BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY WITH DEALING WITH CONSTITUENTS WITH, UM, WHO ARE DIFFERENTLY ABLED, UM, AND, OR ELDERLY SEEMS LIKE FAMILY ELDER CARE MIGHT BE HAVING SOME TOUGH TIMES WITH STAFFING, UM, AND CASELOAD.

UH, I HAVE, I HAVE FOLKS WHO STRUGGLE TO GET WHAT THEY NEED FROM THEIR CASE WORKERS.

SO I JUST WANNA MAKE CERTAIN TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE GONNA BE SAYING WE'RE LEANING ON A PARTNER ENTITY, THAT THEY HAVE THE SUPPORTS THAT THEY NEED.

AND IF ANY OF THAT NEEDS TO COME FROM US AT THE CITY LEVEL, THEN IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE AND THE SAME, UM, YOU KNOW, TO EXTEND IN, IN YOUR DIRECTION, AMY, YOU KNOW, BY WAY OF YOUR, YOUR WORK WITH THE, UM, WITH THE COMMISSION AND THEN THE WORK THAT YOU GENERALLY DO, YOU HAVE SOME INSIGHTS THAT WE MAY JUST NOT HAVE, BUT I WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S EQUIPPED FOR SUCCESS AND THAT THIS BODY UNDERSTANDS WHERE THE GAPS ARE.

I, I

[01:15:01]

AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE ALSO LOOKING AT THAT.

I, MYSELF HAD A STAFF MEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO HELP THE OTHER DAY SHE'S 74 YEARS OLD AND WAS ABOUT TO BE EVICTED FROM HER APARTMENT BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T AFFORD HER RENT.

UM, LUCKILY I KNEW WHERE TO GO , BUT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.

UM, AND OR THERE ISN'T ENOUGH, THERE, THERE IS NOW MORE FOR RAPID REHOUSING, WHICH IS FANTASTIC.

I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE THOSE FUNDS, UM, BUT THIS COULD BECOME OVERWHELMING AND WE KNEW THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN.

UM, PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED DURING COVID, UM, THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS I'M HEARING EVERY DAY ABOUT PEOPLE'S RENTS GOING UP SOMETIMES 400, $500 A MONTH, UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, JUST DIPS RIGHT INTO YOUR FOOD BUDGET AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST WANNA BE MINDFUL THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTH SIDES OF THAT AS WELL.

I I'LL SAY FROM OUR SIDE COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, OF COURSE ARE INVESTING IN SIGNIFICANT CAPACITY BUILDING OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS.

YOU KNOW, THIS SPACE HAS LONG BEEN A PRETTY HIGH TURNOVER SPACE, BUT WITH THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A HUGE SHIFT, YOU KNOW, LIKE IN ALL SECTORS OF REALLY, OF DIFFICULTY WITH OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS, UM, YOU KNOW, VACANCY RATES.

AND SO WHILE WE ARE INCREASING THE RESOURCES TO THEM FROM A PROGRAMMATIC STANDPOINT, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT SOME OF THE CAPACITY BUILDING FUNDS THAT FOLKS WILL USE WILL BE THINKING ABOUT HOW THEY CAN ADDRESS, UM, SOME OF THESE STA STAFFING SHORTAGES FOR FUNDED PROGRAMS. RIGHT.

AND, AND WE'LL CERTAINLY, I THINK BE INTERESTED IN HEARING, UM, FROM OUR PROVIDERS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF JUST STRAIGHT PROGRAM FUNDING, WHAT ARE YOU THEY SEEING AS WEAKNESSES IN THE, IN THE SYSTEM? I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR APPROACHES, UH, IN THIS OVERALL EFFORT HAS BEEN A CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING SOME EXISTING, UM, PARTNERS, UH, INCREASING SCALE, BUT WE'RE ABSOLUTELY, UM, INTERESTED IN THINKING ABOUT, ARE THERE OTHER NONPROFITS THAT ARE VERY ACTIVE IN THE SENIOR, YOU KNOW, OLDER ADULT SERVICE SPACE WHO MAY NOT BE, UM, PARTICULARLY ENGAGED IN THE HOMELESS SERVICE SPACE.

AND I THINK THIS CROSS TRAINING THAT AMY IS REFERRING TO COULD BE A BIG BRIDGE THERE TO, TO HELP US THINK ABOUT HOW WE MORE ADEQUATELY RESOURCE, UM, THE SYSTEM COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON.

DID YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? I DID NOT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

THIS IS REALLY VALUABLE AND I HOPE, UM, COLLEAGUES THAT WE CAN MAYBE MAKE SPACE IN OUR AGENDA FOR SOME FOLLOW UP ON THESE ITEMS. I'M REALLY, I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH THAT YOU PRESENTED US, NOT JUST WITH THE OBSERVATIONS FROM, FROM THE INTERVIEWS AND FROM THE ANALYSIS THAT THE TEAM DID, BUT ALSO THE NEXT STEPS THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN.

AND, AND IT DOES, UH, AND MS. GRAY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE ALSO TO, TO PROVIDE INPUT ABOUT HOW SOME OF THOSE, UH, SOME OF THOSE NEXT STEPS MIGHT, MIGHT WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH PROGRAMS WE'RE ALREADY EN ENGAGED IN.

SO THANK YOU.

WONDERFUL WELL COLLEAGUES THAT COMPLETES OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY.

UM, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE STAND ADJOURNED AT 10 52.

COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M SORRY.

UH,

[Additional Item.]

UM, THE WAY THAT WE, AND I'LL KEEP IT BEEN, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.

NO PROBLEM.

BUT THE WAY THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO HANDLE THOSE IS TO, TO TAKE THEM UP OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING.

WE HAVE SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS FOR FOLLOWING MEETINGS, UM, QUEUED UP.

AND SO, BUT, BUT YES, IF YOU'D LIKE TO AIR IT NOW, AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHEN TO SCHEDULE IT.