[00:00:05]
[CALL TO ORDER]
TO ORDER AT 9 36.WE HAVE A QUORUM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, FUENTES AND HARPER MADISON WILL NOT BE HERE TODAY, BUT I'M JOINED ON THE DIAS BY MAYOR ADLER AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Public Health Committee meeting on December 5, 2022.]
THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM LAST WEEK.IF I HAVE A MOTION, MAYOR ADLER MOVES APPROVAL.
COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN SECONDS.
THAT ALL IN FAVOR? AND THAT IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH THOSE WHO ARE HERE ON THE DIAS.
[2. Briefing and discussion on issues related to homelessness.]
UM, WE HAVE ONE JU ONE ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA, AND THAT IS TO GET AN UPDATE AND REALLY A SUMMARY AND AN OVERVIEW ON HOMELESSNESS.UH, THIS HAS BEEN REALLY A PRIORITY FOCUS FOR ALL THREE OF US HERE ON THE DIAS AND IN CONVERSATION, WE AGREED THAT TODAY WOULD BE A GOOD DAY TO, TO REALLY TAKE STOCK OF, OF SOME OF THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT OUR COUNCIL HAS DONE AND ACCOMPLISHED WITH RE, WITH REGARD TO THIS AREA, BUT WITH ALSO AN EYE TO THE FUTURE AND MAKING SURE THAT, THAT THE NEXT COUNCIL HAS A VERY CLEAR SENSE OF, OF WHAT HAS COME BEFORE AND, AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES AND THE INITIATIVES THAT ARE STILL UNDERWAY.
AND SO DIANA GRAY WILL BE PROVIDING US WITH THIS PRESENTATION.
I'M NOT SEEING HER HERE IN THE CHAMBER, BUT SHE IS VIRTUAL.
WELL, MS. GRAY, WE ARE, ARE DELIGHTED, UM, TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
AND WE THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK.
UNFORTUNATELY, MR. MALIKA FROM ECHO WAS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE, BUT HE DID PROVIDE US WITH SOME INFORMATION AND I THINK SOME OF IT WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO MS. GRAY'S PRESENTATION AS WELL.
I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE HERE TOO, I'M SO SORRY.
UM, DIANA, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE MAYOR ADLER TO, TO PROVIDE SOME FRAMEWORK AS WELL.
I APPRECIATE THE WAY THAT YOU HAVE SET THIS UP.
UH, AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK IN, IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE POWERPOINT FOR US TO, TO, TO SEE.
UM, AND I DON'T, I LIKE THE WAY THAT YOU DESCRIBED WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR AT TODAY'S MEETING, CUZ IT, IT'S WHAT I WOULD HOPE TO BE GETTING TO, WHICH IS KIND OF A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF WHERE WE WERE OR WAS THE, THE, THE, THE STATE OF AFFAIRS AND, AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE.
UH, SO, UH, AND WHERE WE NEED TO GO AT A HIGH LEVEL.
I, I SEE THE, THE GREATEST VALUE OF THIS MEETING WITH THE THREE OF US HERE ROLLING OFF BEFORE WE COULD ACTUALLY REACT TO VERY MUCH OF ANYTHING THAT, THAT'S HAPPENING AS ALMOST AN ARCHIVAL MOMENT, AS WELL AS A OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS OR COMMUNITY MAYORS, OR THE NEW MAYOR, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PULL BACK THIS VIDEO AND KIND OF GET A, A PRIMER ON THAT, WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WHAT WE'VE DONE, AND WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
AND I, I KNOW THAT THE TWO OF YOU, UH, COMMENTING AT THAT LEVEL WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO THE, TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE FOLLOWING US.
THIS IS LIKE YOUR LAST CHANCE TO MINE AS WELL, TO, TO IMPART AT THAT HIGH LEVEL.
SO MY HOPE IS I SEE THE POWERPOINT, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT DIANA GRAHAM DID IN PUTTING IT TOGETHER.
MY NEED WOULD BE FOR A PREFERENCE WOULD BE FOR HER TO WORK THROUGH THAT OKAY.
I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION, UM, AND HELPING PEOPLE, UM, UNDERSTAND, UH, THE CHALLENGES OF ADDRESSING, UM, UH, HOMELESSNESS.
AND ALSO JUST THE, THE DEPTH OF THE, THE DEPTH OF THE PROGRESS THAT THE CITY HAS MADE.
AND SO, UM, AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY HARD TO MAKE THAT AVAILABLE, UH, TO FOLKS THAT KIND OF INFORMATION.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, THE WAY THAT YOU ALL ARE CHARACTERIZING TODAY'S MEETING IS, IS SPOT ON AND VERY MUCH NEEDED.
SO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE.
SOUNDS, I THINK THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
WELL, MS. GRAY, IF YOU COULD START US OFF WITH THE POWERPOINT AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A MORE, UH, FREE FLOWING, BROAD CONVERSATION AFTERWARDS.
UM, SO I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT LAURA LA FUENTE, UM, WITH THE HEALTH EQUITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UH, DIVISION OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS PRESENT TODAY.
AND SO I WILL PITCH TO HER FOR A COUPLE OF SLIDES.
UH, BUT BEFORE I START, UM, AND WE DIG INTO CONVERSATION, UH, AFTER THE SLIDESHOW, I DO JUST WANT TO SAY, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, IT'S, UH,
[00:05:01]
FITTING AND SYMBOLIC THAT THE THREE OF YOU ARE ON THE DIAS TODAY.UM, MUCH OF THE PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, UM, HAS BEEN DRIVEN, UM, BY, UH, CLEARLY BY THE WHOLE COUNCIL, BUT IN MANY INSTANCES, SPECIFICALLY BY, UH, THE MAYOR AND TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE DEPARTING AND, AND SEATED ON THE IS TODAY.
SO JUST IN A SPIRIT OF, OF GRATITUDE FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS AND RECOGNITION FOR THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE WITH YOUR SUPPORT.
UH, SO AS YOU SAID, WE WILL MOVE THROUGH THIS SLIGHT SLIDE DESK, UH, QUITE QUICKLY TODAY WITH A UPDATE ON FINDING HOME ATX, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE PROCESS OF SOCIAL SERVICE SOLICITATIONS, WHICH INCLUDES THE OBLIGATION OF ARPA FUNDS DEDICATED, UH, TO ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
I'LL GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE WITH CAPACITY BUILDING EFFORTS, UH, AN UPDATE ON PROGRESS IN THE HEAL INITIATIVE, AND THEN A COUPLE OF OTHER, UM, QUICK UPDATES ABOUT THINGS HAPPENING IN THE SYSTEM THAT WE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO AS ALL OF YOU WELL KNOW THE FINDING HOME, UM, UH, ATX INITIATIVE IS NOT JUST A CITY INITIATIVE, BUT A COMMUNITY-WIDE COLLABORATIVE THAT CAME TOGETHER TO, UH, REALLY ESTABLISH AND CRYSTALLIZE SOME GOALS AROUND HOW WE WOULD ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS AND MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FROM 2022 THROUGH 2024.
THOSE HIGH LEVEL GOALS INCLUDE HOUSING 3000 PEOPLE CREATING 1300 NEW HOUSING UNITS AND SECURING THE OTHER 1700 UNITS IN THE PRIVATE RENTAL MARKET, UH, WITH SOME INCENTIVES AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH LANDLORDS.
AND THEN BROADLY STRENGTHENING THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, FOCUSING ON EQUITY, ON CAPACITY BUILDING OF ADDITIONAL NONPROFITS IN THE SYSTEM, IMPROVING OUR DATA, UH, AND, AND ANALYSIS, UH, AND LOOKING AT WAYS FOR US TO INNOVATE, UM, AND, AND BRING FURTHER EFFICIENCIES INTO THE SYSTEM.
WE DEVELOPED AN OVERALL, UH, INVESTMENT PLAN FOR FINDING HOME ATX, WHICH TOTALED 515 MILLION, UH, FROM ALL SOURCES.
AND IF WE CAN ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, AS OF NOVEMBER 2ND, SO JUST OVER A MONTH AGO, WE WERE AT 87% OF THAT TOTAL 515 MILLION GOAL, UH, AND WE'RE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THAT IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC FUNDS COMMITTED TO THE EFFORT, WE HAD SECURED, UH, JUST UNDER 50 MILLION.
THE CITY, UH, THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE OVERALL FUNDS SECURED TO DATE, UH, IS 228 MILLION.
UH, THAT'S A COMBINATION OF, UH, NEW GENERAL FUNDS THAT HAD BEEN COMMITTED, UH, DURING THIS PERIOD, GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND OTHER CAPITAL DOLLARS, BUT SIGNIFICANTLY 106.7 MILLION IN, UM, FUNDS FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, UH, WHICH WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF, UM, OF DEPLOYING NOW IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE WILL SPEAK MORE TO, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO I, HERE, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO LARA LA FUENTE, WHO IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR HESI, UH, WHO WILL SPEAK BOTH TO THE GENERAL SOLICITATIONS THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH, UH, THIS YEAR, UH, AROUND HOMELESSNESS, AND THEN SPEAK MORE SPECIFICALLY TO THE ARPA FUNDS, WHICH, UM, REPRESENT EXPANSIONS IN OUR SYSTEM.
LAE, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR HEALTH EQUITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, THE SLIDE BEFORE YOU, I THINK SHOULD BE PRETTY FAMILIAR.
WE'VE SHARED THIS INFORMATION BEFORE, SO WE ARE JUST PROVIDING YOU AN UPDATE WITH THE THREE VARIOUS PHASES, UM, THAT WE WENT THROUGH FOR THE HOMELESS SOLICITATIONS.
AS A REMINDER, THIS FUNDING WAS BOTH GENERAL FUND, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING, AND ALSO ARPA FUNDING.
SO IN TOTAL, DURING THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR, IT WAS OVER 72 MILLION OF INVESTMENTS OR SOLICITATIONS THAT WERE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY THAT RESULTED IN OVER 44 NEW AGREEMENTS.
UM, THERE'S A BREAKDOWN KIND OF AT THE BOTTOM OF, THERE WERE THREE NEW PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AGREEMENTS, FOUR RAPID REHOUSING AGREEMENTS, AND FOR OUR RAPID REHOUSING AGREEMENTS, WHAT I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IS THAT IS OUR PILOT THIS YEAR FOR WE'LL BE PILOTING A PAY FOR PERFORMANCE.
SO THIS IS A NEW PROCESS AS WE'RE LOOKING FOR WITH THE RAPID REHOUSING AND PAY FOR PERFORMANCE MODEL.
IN ADDITION, YOU'LL SEE OUR CRISIS RESPONSE, UH, WHERE WE ENTERED INTO SIX NEW EMERGENCY SHELTER AGREEMENTS, FIVE STREET OUTREACH AGREEMENTS, AND ONE YOUTH SET ASIDE PROGRAM.
AND THEN FOR OUR PHASE THREE, WHICH WAS SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, WE HAVE SEVEN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, FIVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAMS,
[00:10:01]
AND THREE BENEFIT ENROLLMENT PROGRAMS. SO THAT WAS WHAT WENT OUT THE DOOR, UM, OR WHAT WE SOLICITED WHAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FINALIZING ALL THE AGREEMENTS, THE MAJORITY HAVE ALREADY BEEN EXECUTED AND ARE IN PLACE.IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SPECIFICALLY, WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE ARPA AND BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THE ARPA FUNDING.
SO AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ARPA FUNDING, IT WAS SPECIFICALLY OVER 53 MILLION, AND THERE WERE BROKEN DOWN ALSO IN THE VARIOUS PHASES WITH ABOUT 6 MILLION IN RAPID REHOUSING.
AND THAT INCLUDED FUNDING FOR HEAL, UM, EMERGENCY SHELTER AND STREET OUTREACH.
AND ALSO IN OUR PHASE THREE, THE VARIOUS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
SO THIS IS SPECIFICALLY JUST THE ARPA FUNDING.
UM, AND AS YOU'LL NOTE, SOME OF OUR AGREEMENTS WE HAVE, UM, WHETHER IT'S GENERAL FUND, VARIOUS AGREEMENTS WITH SOME OF OUR CON CURRENT PARTNERS OR PREVIOUS PARTNERS, BUT ALSO WE'VE ADDED SOME NEW PARTNERS, UM, IN OUR PORTFOLIO OF HOMELESS SERVICES.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL CHECK IT BACK TO DIANE.
SO LATA HAS GIVEN US AN OVERVIEW OF, UM, THE COMMITMENT OF FUNDS THAT, THAT FLOW THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AND IN PARTICULAR, THAT LAST SLIDE, SUMMARIZE THE OBLIGATION OF ALMOST 53 MILLION, UH, FOR, UH, HOMELESS SOCIAL SERVICES.
AND JUST AS AN INDICATOR OF THE IMPACT OF THAT, UM, IN JUST ONE SECTION, THE RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS, UH, WE ESTIMATE THAT THOSE FUNDS WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO REHOUSE APPROXIMATELY A THOUSAND PEOPLE.
SO THAT IS CAPACITY OVER AND ABOVE THE BASELINE OF OUR SYSTEM.
PREVIOUSLY, THOSE PROGRAMS ARE, ARE RAMPING UP NOW, UH, THEY, AND SO WE WILL, UH, BEGIN TO SEE THE, THE IMPACT OF THAT IN THE COMING MONTHS.
UH, WE HAVE DEPLOYED ARPA FUNDS THROUGH SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UH, IN THE CITY.
AND IN ADDITION TO A P H, ANOTHER, UH, ROUTE THAT WE HAVE TAKEN IS THROUGH THE INNOVATION OFFICE.
WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT, UH, IN THIS SPACE OF NEEDING TO REALLY AGGRESSIVELY INCREASE THE OVERALL SERVICE CAPACITY IN OUR SYSTEM.
UH, WE NEEDED, UH, BOTH GROWTH IN EXISTING PROVIDERS AND MORE PROVIDERS.
AND IMPORTANTLY THAT, UM, TO REALLY HAVE THE IMPACT ON EQUITY THAT WE WANT TO IN A, UH, A SYSTEM IN WHICH AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE IN PARTICULAR ARE, UH, FAR O OVERREPRESENTED IN THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
WE NEEDED TO WORK WITH SOME SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS WHO MAY NOT HAVE HISTORICALLY HAD THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO ACCESS CITY FUNDING OR OTHER PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDING.
SO WE CONCEPTUALIZED A PROGRAM, UH, WHICH ESSENTIALLY HAS THREE PARTS.
WE SELECTED ORGANIZATIONS WHO DID APPLY, UH, FOR THE PROGRAM.
THE FIRST PHASE, WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, IS THAT EACH ORGANIZATION GOES THROUGH AN CAPACITY ASSESSMENT PROCESS WITH A CONSULTANT.
UH, WE THEN WILL HAVE A VARIETY OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY AND BUILD THEIR INTERNAL SYSTEMS. AND THEN THERE WILL BE SMALL GRANT FUNDS, UM, AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM EXECUTE ON THE, THE, UH, ESSENTIALLY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE.
YOU HAVE A LIST OF THOSE PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS HERE.
SO, WE HAVE BEEN GIVING YOU REGULAR, UM, REPORTS ON THE HEAL INITIATIVE, AS YOU KNOW, WHICH IS OUR INITIATIVE THAT TARGETS, UH, ENCAMPMENTS OF UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS THAT PRESENT, PRESENT THE HIGHEST, UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS.
UM, WE ARE ABLE IN THOSE SPECIFIC ENCAMPMENTS TO OFFER INDIVIDUALS DIRECT TRANSFER TO SHELTER, UH, BRIDGE SHELTER, WHICH CURRENTLY EXISTS IN, UM, TWO CONVERTED HOTELS, UH, WITH, UH, UH, COMMITTED ACCESS TO LONGER TERM HOUSING SUPPORTS.
SO A CASE MANAGER WITH RENTAL SUBSIDIES WHO WILL HELP THEM FIND A UNIT.
UH, THIS INITIATIVE WAS APPROVED IN FEBRUARY OF 21.
WE, UH, RESOLVED OUR FIRST ENCAMPMENT IN JUNE OF THAT YEAR.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE DECOMMISSIONED 11 ENCAMPMENTS, MOVING OVER 400 PEOPLE INTO SHELTER AND 162 PEOPLE, UH, INTO HOUSING.
UH, I WILL NOTE HERE ALSO THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A VERY HIGH SHELTER ACCEPTANCE RATE, MEANING THAT WHEN INDIVIDUALS ARE OFFERED TRANSFER TO BRIDGE SHELTER, 87% THUS FAR HAVE ACCEPTED.
UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE NEXT
[00:15:01]
SLIDE.JUST IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, UH, I THINK YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE BEGUN TO DO HERE IS TO LOOK AT, UH, THESE BY COHORTS.
SO WE SEE, LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE, UH, RELOCATED IN A SINGLE YEAR, THE NUMBER OF CAMPS, UH, THAT WERE DECOMMISSIONED, UH, WHEN THEY MOVE INTO SHELTER, THE NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO HAVE, UM, BEEN ASSIGNED AND ARE WORKING WITH THE CASE MANAGER, UH, AND EVENTUALLY THOSE WHO MOVE INTO HOUSING, UH, AND, UH, SUBSEQUENTLY WILL, UM, STOP RECEIVING CASE MANAGEMENT AND HOUSING, UH, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, BUT REMAIN HOUSED.
SO THIS REPRESENTS, UH, THE FISCAL YEAR 22 COHORT WHERE WE DECOMMISSIONED SIX ENCAMPMENTS AND MOVED 220 PEOPLE, UH, WHICH WAS OVER AND ABOVE OUR 200 PERSON GOAL.
UM, WHAT THIS SLIDE DEMONSTRATES IS THE DISPOSITION OF THE ENTIRE, UM, ENTIRETY OF PEOPLE SERVED THROUGH THE INITIATIVE.
UH, HERE WE ARE LOOKING AT 398 TOTAL UNDUPLICATED CLIENTS.
UH, WE STILL HAVE, OF COURSE, OF, UM, PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO THE HEAL INITIATIVE, UH, ALMOST A HUNDRED STILL IN, IN SHELTER.
AND THIS WAS AS OF THE 30TH OF NOVEMBER.
WE HAD HAD, UM, 127 RETURNS TO UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT OF THOSE, UM, SOME NUMBER DO REMAIN CONNECTED WITH A CASE MANAGER AND ACTIVELY WORKING ON LOCATING HOUSING.
OF THE TOTAL 150 ARE IN PERMANENT HOUSING.
UM, 120 OF THOSE ARE STILL WORKING WITH A CASE MANAGER AND HAVE, UH, RENTAL ASSISTANCE 22 HAVE COMPLETED THE PROGRAM AND ARE NOW LIVING INDEPENDENTLY, UH, WITHOUT ONGOING SERVICES, AT LEAST FROM, UM, THIS PROGRAM.
UH, AND EIGHT, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ABLE TO SELF-RESOLVE, UM, THROUGH CONNECTION TO FAMILY OR THE STABILITY THAT THEY WAS AFFORDED TO THEM IN BRIDGE SHELTER, ET CETERA.
SO ON THE WHOLE, 70% OF CLIENTS WHO HAVE ENGAGED IN HEAL SINCE ITS INCEPTION ARE EITHER HOUSED IN SHELTER OR MAY HAVE EXITED, UM, TWO HOMELESSNESS, BUT STILL ENGAGED IN A HOUSING SURGE.
SO THIS PROVIDES US, UM, UH, A MAP OF THE LOCATIONS FROM WHICH WE HAVE, UH, IMPLEMENTED THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
NOTE THAT OF THE 11 SITES THUS FAR, SEVEN ARE PARKS AND RECREATION SITES.
UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SITES THAT ARE, UM, TRANSPORTATION, UH, ORIENTED AND UNDER THE CONTROL OF TECH DOT, UM, A LIBRARY SITE.
AND THEN, UM, WELL, A PUBLIC SITE MANAGED BY BUILDING SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LOOKED CLOSELY AT, UM, AS, UH, AS DIRECTED BY COUNCIL AND WE THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE SERVING THROUGH HEAL AND I THIS, WHAT THIS SHOWS IS THAT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE INDIVIDUAL ENCAMPMENTS VARY SIGNIFICANTLY, UM, BY ETHNICITY.
AND SO DIFFERENT ENCAMPMENTS HAVE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS.
UM, BUT WHAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE OF OVERALL IS THAT WE ARE NOT UNDERSERVING IN PARTICULAR, UH, AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY REPRESENTED IN THE SYSTEM.
AND WHAT THIS, UH, SLIDE SHOWS IS THAT THE NUMBER, THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE, UM, UH, SERVED BY, UH, RACE OR ETHNICITY IN HEEL IS SIMILAR TO THAT, THAT WE SEE IN THE OVERALL UNSHELTERED HOMELESS POPULATION.
WE'LL MOVE NOW TO A COUPLE OF, UH, OF QUICK UPDATES.
UM, YOU WILL RECALL THAT, UM, THE EMERGENCY SHELTER, EMERGENCY CONTRACTS, EXCUSE ME, FOR BOTH SOUTHBRIDGE AND, UH, THE ARCH WERE, UH, APPROVED IN JULY AND WERE EXECUTED, UH, AN EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST.
URBAN ALCHEMY HAS ASSUMED OPERATIONS AT THE ARCH AND AUSTIN AREA.
URBAN LEAGUE HAS ASSUMED OPERATIONS AT SOUTHBRIDGE.
IN BOTH CASES, THE NEW OPERATORS WERE ABLE TO HIRE, UH, 90% OR MORE OF THE EXISTING FRONT STEP STAFF, UM, AT THOSE TWO SHELTERS.
THEY HAVE, UH, ESTABLISHED GRIEVANCE REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESSES AS REQUIRED, UM, BOTH BY COUNCIL DIRECTION AND, UM, MEMORIALIZED IN THEIR CONTRACTS.
AND THE FIRST QUARTERLY REPORTS ARE EXPECTED BY JANUARY 15TH, SO WE'D BE PREPARED TO REPORT TO COUNCIL SOON THEREAFTER.
WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH THE OPERATORS TO, UM, CARRY OUT GUEST SURVEYS,
[00:20:01]
UM, UH, STAFF, BOTH BY, UM, FOLKS FROM WITHIN, UH, HOME STRATEGY DIVISION, AND STAFF OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THEMSELVES.UH, WE ARE CONSULTING WITH THE AUSTIN HOMELESS ADVISORY COUNCIL, UM, AND REALLY, UH, COLLECTING THAT INFORMATION TO BOTH UNDERSTAND, UH, HOW THINGS ARE GOING IN THE SHELTERS RIGHT NOW, AND TO INFORM A PLANNING PROCESS, WHICH WE ARE APPROACHING.
THE PLANNING PROCESS THAT I REFERRED TO, UH, ALSO, UM, STEMS FROM THE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL THAT WAS GIVEN IN LATE JULY AT THE TIME OF THE APPROVAL OF THE EMERGENCY CONTRACTS FOR THE TWO SHELTERS.
UH, WE WERE DIRECTED TO ENGAGE IN A PROCESS WHERE WE ASSESSED OUR SHELTER SYSTEM COMMUNITY-WIDE AND COME UP WITH, UM, SOME PRINCIPLES AND VISION FOR OUR FUTURE EFFORTS IN THE SHELTER ARENA.
WE HAVE BEGUN THAT PROCESS, UH, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH ECHO, UH, AND ENGAGE WITH, UH, ICF INTERNATIONALS, THE CONSULTING FIRM, UM, FUNDED BY HUD TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY KICKING OFF THAT PROCESS FORMALLY TOMORROW, UH, AND HAVE BEGUN THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, UH, UH, GOING FIRST TO PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WHO ARE EITHER PREVIOUS OR F OR CURRENT USERS OF SHELTERS OR ARE UNSHELTERED.
AND THEN WILL EXPAND THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, EXPECT TO COMPLETE THIS PROCESS, UM, BY THE END OF, OF QUARTER ONE OF CALENDAR YEAR 23, OR SOON THEREAFTER.
SO WE HAVE NOT HAD A PHYSICAL, UH, IN-PERSON POINT IN TIME COUNT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
HUD, UH, REQUIRES THAT LOCAL, UM, UH, LEAD AGENCIES, UH, IN THIS CASE ECHO.
UH, OUR, OUR LOCAL HOMELESS COALITION ADMINISTER WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A ONE NIGHT CENSUS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE DID NOT DO IT IN 2021 BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
AND SO THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE, UM, 2019, UH, WILL BE CARRYING OUT, UH, A POINT IN TIME COUNT.
UM, ECHO COORDINATES THIS EFFORT.
IT IS A HUGE EFFORT STAFFED ALMOST ENTIRELY BY VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING MANY CITY STAFF, AND OFTEN ELECTEDS, UH, ECHO.
THEN ALSO ANALYZES THE DATA THAT IS GATHERED THROUGH THE POINT IN TIME COUNT, WHICH GIVES US IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRENDS, UH, WITHIN OUR HOMELESS POPULATION.
UH, AT THE SAME TIME, WE LOOK AT, UH, WHAT IS CALLED THE HOUSING INVENTORY CHART, WHICH HELPS US IDENTIFY THE CURRENT CAPACITY OF, UM, OUR SHELTER SYSTEM, AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR OTHER HOUSING SYSTEMS. YOU'LL SEE HERE A QR CODE, WHICH WILL ALLOW, UH, FOLKS TO SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER DIRECTLY.
UM, AND WE WILL BE, UH, CONTINUING TO COMMUNICATE OVER THE NEXT WEEKS TO HELP DRIVE, UH, THAT VOLUNTEER EFFORT AND INVITE FOLKS TO CONTACT US.
ALSO, CERTAINLY IF THEY'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, WE CAN HELP YOU, UM, CONNECT WITH ECHO AND GET ORGANIZED TO DO THAT NEXT SLIDE.
THAT WRAPS UP THE UPDATES, AND HAPPY TO, UH, TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION.
DO YOU WANNA GO FIRST, MAYOR, OR, UM, I'M HAPPY TO, OR, OR, UH, DEFER TO YOU IF YOU WANNA GO FIRST.
UM, I HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO TALK ABOUT.
AND THEN WE CAN, UM, UH, FIRST OFF, DIANA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IT'S A GOOD OVERVIEW, I THINK, FOR FOLKS, UH, TO SEE THE DIFFERENT PIECES.
UH, SO I THINK THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.
AND, UM, I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT, I'LL MENTION TWO THINGS IN PARTICULAR, AND WE CAN START IN WHATEVER ORDER.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO PROVIDE, UM, SOME CONTEXT AND AN OVERVIEW OF THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S AN AREA THAT, UM, IS, IS, IS MANAGED BY OTHER ASPECTS OF THE CITY.
BUT, UM, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, IN HEARING FROM YOU, DIANA, ON WHERE YOU SEE THAT IS RIGHT NOW.
IT'S SORT OF THE, UM, IT IS THE PLACE AT WHICH MOST OF THE PUBLIC SEES, UM, SEES THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO HOMELESSNESS.
AND FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT'S ALL THEY SEE.
[00:25:01]
SO I THINK IT'S HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CITY IS DOING IN THAT REGARD AND HOW THAT FITS WITH, UM, WITH OUR PRIMARY AND WITH OUR PRIMARY FOCUS, WHICH IS HELPING CONNECT PEOPLE TO HOUSING AND SERVICES.SO, COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT FOR A MOMENT? YES.
AND I THINK THAT I'D LIKE TO CONTEXTUALIZE THIS A A A BIT IN TERMS OF SORT OF THIS QUESTION OF WHERE WE ARE, WHERE, WHERE WE HAVE BEEN, AND WHAT OUR, OUR, UH, OUR MAIN CHARGES AND CHALLENGES ARE GOING FORWARD.
UM, I JOINED THE CITY ALMOST EXACTLY TWO YEARS AGO.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE AT THAT TIME, OF COURSE, WE'RE IN, UM, THE SORT OF FULL IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, WE, LIKE MANY LARGE AMERICAN CITIES, HAD SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS OVER THE PREVIOUS THREE TO FOUR YEARS.
UH, AND, AND THAT WAS SEEN PARTICULARLY MARKEDLY IN HIGH COST CITIES, UM, WHICH WE, WHICH WE ARE.
UM, WE HAD A STRONG, UM, PADRE OF NONPROFIT PROVIDERS WHO, IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS DEMONSTRABLY WERE BEING SUCCESSFUL AT REHOUSING PEOPLE AND KEEPING THEM REHOUSED.
HOWEVER, WE HAD A VERY VISIBLE, UM, INCREASE.
UH, IT, WE HAD A VERY MUCH INCREASED VISIBILITY IN UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, BOTH BECAUSE OF THE FRANK INCREASE AND BECAUSE AT THAT TIME, UM, PUBLIC CAMPAIGN, UH, HAD BEEN DECRIMINALIZED, AND WE WERE HAVING A BIT OF TROUBLE, I THINK ARTICULATING, I THINK ARTICULATING TO THE COMMUNITY WHAT OUR, UH, COMBINATION OF STRATEGIES WERE THAT WE WERE GOING TO, UH, UH, EXECUTE ON TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
UH, THERE WAS ALREADY UNDERWAY AT THAT TIME, THE PLANNING FOR WHAT WOULD BECOME FINDING HOME ATX IN MID 2021.
WE WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH THOSE HIGH LEVEL GOALS THAT WE SPOKE TO ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE REHOUSED THE UNITS WE WANTED TO CREATE, UM, AND, UM, THAT THERE WOULD BE AN EXPLICIT APPROACH, UH, AND FOCUS ON UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS.
SO WE HAVE MADE VERY SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS.
WE NOW HAVE 1300 UNITS OF HOUSING IN THE PIPELINE THAT WILL SERVE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
YOU HEARD ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LE WEK SPEAK TO, UM, THE CONTRACTS THAT WE HAVE JUST APPROVED AND ARE NOW EXECUTING THAT ARE GONNA SIGNIFICANTLY, UM, BRING US TO SCALE IN TERMS OF PROVIDING THE SERVICES, UM, THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE REHOUSED.
UM, THE CHALLENGE NOW, I THINK IS A EXECUTING ON A VERY AMBITIOUS, UH, UM, AGENDA OF CREATING HOUSING AND SERVICES AND EXPANDING IT AND MANAGING THE DAY-TO-DAY IMPACTS OF HOMELESSNESS ON OUR COMMUNITY AND ON THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING IN PARTICULAR, UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS.
UM, I THINK, UM, ONE IS THAT WE HAVE HEAL HAS BEEN SUCH AN IMPORTANT, UH, MODEL FOR SHOWING HOW, UH, WE CAN EFFECTIVELY INTERVENE IN ENCAMPMENTS AND CONNECT PEOPLE TO SERVICES.
ITS SCALE IS STILL QUITE LIMITED.
UH, WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO DO SIX ENCAMPMENTS, UM, WITH ABOUT 200 PEOPLE.
AND THE, THE, UH, PRIMARY CONSTRAINT THERE, HIS ACCESS TO BRIDGE SHELTER BEDS, AND THAT IS IN TURN, IMPACTED BY, UH, THE, THE, THE TIMELINE ON WHICH WE CAN GET PEOPLE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.
WHAT DO WE, SO WE ARE WORKING ON THAT WE HOPE TO, UH, SUSTAIN AND OR EXPAND HEAL, BUT WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT ALL OF THE REST OF THE UNSANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS, UH, IN, IN THE COMMUNITY? UH, WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT, UH, PARTICULARLY IN, UM, FOR THE END OF, UH, 2021, WHEN THE CAMPING, UH, ORDINANCES WERE REINSTATED, OR MANY, MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS, UH, WERE, UH, GETTING REQUESTS FOR RESPONSE AT WHETHER THAT BE FOR LEGAL ENFORCEMENT OR FOR, UH, PICKUP OF REFUSE OR CONCERNS ABOUT FIRE RISK, ET CETERA.
AND THE DEMAND FAR EXCEEDED THE ABILITY OF STAFF TO RESPOND.
UM, IT DOES STILL EXCEED, UM, THE ABILITY OF STAFF TO RESPOND TO EVERY SINGLE ENCAMPMENT IMMEDIATELY.
BUT WE NEEDED TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL AND INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW WE ORGANIZED OUR RESOURCES AND PRIORITIZED THAT WORK.
[00:30:01]
STARTED A PROCESS WITH, UH, THE OFFICE OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT TO LOOK AT THE CREATION OF, UH, A STRUCTURE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO ORGANIZE OUR WORK BASED ON DATA, UM, AND, AND REALLY AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THE PROBLEMS WERE MOST CONCERNING AND THAT WE WOULD PRIORITIZE AND WE WOULD WORK TOGETHER AND ENSURE THAT WE WERE NOT DUPLICATING EFFORT OR, UM, NOT LEVERAGING, UM, EFFECTIVELY THE, THE PARTNERSHIP OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.SO WE CREATED WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT TEAM.
UH, THAT IS, UH, AGAIN, A STRUCTURE THAT HAS ABOUT A DOZEN, UH, DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED.
IT IS STAFFED BY A PROGRAM MANAGER IN MY DIVISION, AND WE DO A NUMBER OF THINGS THERE.
ONE IS THAT WHAT, UH, A TOOL THAT WE DEVELOP THAT WE THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT, UM, IS A MOBILE ENCAMPMENT ASSESSMENT TOOL.
IT'S ABOUT 40 CRITERIA THAT LOOK AT HEALTH, SAFETY, FIRE RISK, UM, FLOOD RISK, UM, IMPACT ON PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, ET CETERA.
AND ESSENTIALLY GIVE US A SCORE THAT TELLS US SORT OF THE ACUITY, IF YOU WILL, THAT UM, THAT ENCAMPMENT, UH, ARMED WITH THAT DATA, WE HAVE A LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT LOOKS AT, UM, THOSE ENCAMPMENTS THAT ARE RISING TO THE TOP IN TERMS OF URGENCY, UM, AND, UH, AND, AND RISK.
AND THAT WE THEN DEVELOP IN CONCERT WITH THE LAND HOLDING DEPARTMENT, A CLEAR PLAN FOR HOW WE WILL OPERATIONALIZE WORK IN THAT ENCAMPMENT.
UM, AND THAT CAN BE HEAL IN SOME CASES.
WE ARE ABLE, UM, TO, UH, TO IMPLEMENT, HEAL IN AN ENCAMPMENT, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, WHAT WE'D RATHER DO, UM, WHENEVER POSSIBLE AND OFFER PEOPLE ACCESS TO, UM, SHELTER AND HOUSING.
BUT EVEN WHEN HEAL IS NOT POSSIBLE, AND THERE WILL BE ENFORCEMENT, THAT WE, UM, HAVE AN OPERATIONAL PLAN THAT CLEARLY IDENTIFIES HOW OUTREACH IS GOING TO HAPPEN, UM, IN THAT AREA, OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF ENFORCEMENT IN ONE AREA, UH, ON, UM, THE LIKELY DISPLACEMENT OF PEOPLE TO OTHER, UM, AR, UH, OTHER AREAS NEARBY, AND WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEANUP, UH, AND, AND SOME OF THE POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION, ET CETERA.
SO WE ARE ABSOLUTELY STILL ITERATING ON THIS PROCESS, UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO REFINE IT, BUT I THINK THAT WE, UM, ARE IN, UM, A, A GOOD PLACE TO REALLY BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE DATA NOT ONLY ABOUT THE CURRENT CONDITIONS IN THE ENCAMPMENTS, BUT ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING REQUIRED ACROSS A NUMBER OF CITY DEPARTMENTS IN THE RESPONSE.
UH, THAT WAS A, A VERY HELPFUL OVERVIEW AND EXPLANATION OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, I WANNA SAY FROM, I WANNA FIRST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF AND TO YOUR STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT ISSUES, UM, AS WELL AS WELL AS HEAL.
AND I'LL HAVE A QUESTION, UH, OR TWO ABOUT HEAL IN A MINUTE.
BUT, UH, LET ME JUST SAY THAT, THAT YOUR STAFF, THE TEAM, THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT TEAM, AS WELL AS A P D, UH, THROUGH OUR DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES FOR SOUTH AUSTIN, AND I WANNA NAME SERGEANT BECK, HAVE BEEN, UH, VERY RES RESPONSIVE, UH, DISTRICT FIVE, AND I KNOW DISTRICT FIVE IS NOT THE ONLY AREA, UH, AND MAYBE NOT EVEN THE LARGEST AREA, BUT WE HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT, UM, SIGNIFICANT ISSUES AROUND ENCAMPMENTS IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
AND THE RESPONSE, UH, FROM THE STAFF HAS BEEN, UH, VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
AND IT HAS BEEN PRIORITIZED, AS YOU SAY, UH, BY HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK.
UM, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ENCAMPMENTS THAT WITH THE, AS ASSISTANCE OF THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT TEAM WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A P D AND THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHERS, UM, HAVE BEEN, UM, HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, UM, AS, AS, UH, AS OUR CONSTITUENTS KNOW IN DISTRICT FIVE, AND OUR NEIGHBORS KNOW IN DISTRICT FIVE, IT IS NOT A QUICK OR EASY, UH, SOLUTION, AND IT DEPENDS ON WHAT IS HAPPENING IN A PARTICULAR AREA.
UM, UH, BUT THE, THE NEIGHBORS IN, AT LEAST IN DISTRICT FIVE, HAVE BEEN WILLING TO ENGAGE AND INTERESTED IN ENGAGING WITH STAFF, WHICH IS WHAT IT TAKES, UH, TO, TO REALLY ADDRESS SOME OF THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO AGAIN, UNDERSTANDING THAT THE BOTTOM LINE IS HOUSING, UH, BUT AS YOU SAID, AS YOU SAID, THERE ARE CAPACITY ISSUES, UH, THAT ARE, THAT WE'RE, WE ARE ON TRAJECTORY TO ADDRESS.
UM, AND THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES THAT IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT IN A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SERVICES
[00:35:01]
THAT ARE AVAILABLE.AND THOSE, THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES PRESENT SOME CHALLENGING ISSUES THAT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED.
BUT ANYWAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR OVERVIEW AND, AND CHAIR, I'LL, I'LL COME, YOU CAN COME BACK TO ME LATER WITH SOME OTHER QUESTIONS.
AND WHY DON'T WE STAY ON THAT ONE FOR JUST A MINUTE.
SO, I, I THINK TO KIND OF THINK THROUGH, UH, THE GUIDE, THE GUIDING THE GUIDELINES THAT THE MAYOR SUGGESTED, WHICH I THINK ARE REALLY GOOD ONES.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ASK QUESTIONS FIRST ABOUT THE PRESENTATION, KIND OF INFORMATIONAL QUESTIONS IF WE HAVE THEM AS YOU HAVE, AND, AND THEN HIGHLIGHT, UH, AND THEN TRY TO GO BACKWARDS AND, AND TAKE STOCK OF, OF SOME OF THOSE BIG ELEMENTS.
BUT I WANNA PAUSE ON PUBLIC MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE DEFINITELY IDENTIFIED, I THINK AN AREA THAT, FOR ALL THE REASONS YOU SAID IS ONE, IS ONE THAT, UM, IS ONE THAT DOES CAPTURE A LOT OF, OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ATTENTION.
AND IT IS, I THINK, AN AREA WHERE THERE'S, THERE ARE TO-DOS LEFT.
UM, AND SO THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THEM.
CLEARLY HOUSING IS THE ISSUE, BUT, BUT, UM, THE STREAMLINING WORK THAT THE, THAT YOUR TEAM IS DOING IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
DIANA, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT THAT BE SOMETHING THAT'S CONVEYED TO THE EARLY, EARLY ON TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I KNOW IN MY DISTRICT, THERE'S NOT A WEEK THAT PASSES WHERE WE DON'T HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS ABOUT PARTICULAR ENCAMPMENTS THAT THEY BELIEVE ARE POSING A SAFETY RISK.
WE HAVE SOME RECURRING ENCAMPMENTS THAT POSE SAFETY RISKS BOTH TO THOSE LIVING LOING THERE, UM, AS WELL AS TO OTHERS.
ONE IS THE OVERPASS WHERE 38TH STREET, UM, BRANCHES OFTEN TO AIRPORT WHERE THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN AN ENCAMPMENT IN A MEDIAN.
SO IT POSES, I THINK, GREAT, GREAT DANGER TO THEM.
AND THEN OFTEN BELONGINGS ARE ENDING UP ON THE ACCESS ON THE RAMP, UM, POSING A DANGER TO CARS.
SO IT, IT IS A VERY HIGH, HIGH RISK AREA FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
SO I THINK THE, I THINK THIS WORK AND CONVEYING TO, TO NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS HOW THEY CAN, HOW THEY CAN BEST HIGHLIGHT THOSE AREAS OF RISK AND, AND DANGER, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR CONSTITUENTS ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WITHIN THEIR DISTRICT ARE GETTING, ARE GETTING THE SERVICES, OR AT LEAST THAT THAT INFORMATION IS MAKING ITS WAY TO THIS TEAM SO THAT THOSE ENCAMPMENTS CAN BE ASSESSED FOR SERVICES AND RESOURCES.
UM, MAYOR, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS ITEM BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE KIND OF LOOK, UM, LOOK AT THE PRESENTATION, SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER INFORMATIONAL QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE'LL, AND THEN WE'LL BEGIN AS YOU SUGGESTED, WITH TAKING STOCK OF SOME OF THE OTHER.
YEAH, I'M ON HOLD MOST OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD NORMALLY ASK ON THE PRESENTATION, JUST BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE, THE NEXT GROUP COULD, COULD, COULD DO THAT.
AND I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S HELPFUL.
THE ONE EXCEPTION THAT I WOULD MAKE TO THAT IS THE ONE THAT I THINK, UH, YOU BOTH HAVE PICKED UP ON, WHICH IS THE ISSUE THAT WE HEARD IN THE CAMPAIGN, UM, WHICH WAS, UH, THE, THE QUESTION OF, OF BETTER ENFORCING THE, UH, THE, THE, THE CAMPING BAN.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO RESERVE AS MUCH TIME AS WE CAN EVEN IN THIS CONVERSATION AT A REALLY HIGH LEVEL PLACE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING INTO THIS CONVERSATION NEW, UM, OR, OR ARE TRYING TO GET A FEEL FOR, FOR WHERE WE ARE.
SO I GUESS MY SPECIFIC QUESTION WITH RESPECT TO CAMPING BAN AS IT RELATES TO THE REPORT, AND THEN MY HOPE IS REALLY TO GET TO A HIGHER LEVEL VIEW OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHERE WE'RE GOING, UH, TELESCOPING DOWN INTO THE CAMPING BAN QUESTION, THEN, IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THE TRADE OFFS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THAT.
I MEAN, THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE REALLY TRICKY POLITICAL ISSUES FOR US TO HAVE.
UM, PEOPLE IN THE CITY DON'T LIKE SEEING TENTS.
UH, SO HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THE TENTS? UH, WE COULD SET UP, UH, LARGE, UH, OR SMALL OR, OR EMERGENCY SHELTER AREAS.
YOU'VE LOOKED AT THAT, UH, AND THERE ARE PROS AND CONS ASSOCIATED WITH DOING THAT AND THE CONTEXT OF ACTUALLY ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY.
BUT IT'S HARD BECAUSE IF WE'RE, WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TAKE EVERYBODY WHO'S IN A TENT RIGHT NOW OFF THE STREET, WE COULD DO THAT NOW.
WE PUT ALL OUR MONEY TOWARD THAT.
UH, BUT I'VE OFTEN HEARD YOU SAY THAT THAT'S NOT THE WAY TO END HOMELESSNESS.
UH, SO THERE ARE TRADE OFFS INVOLVED.
AND, AND IF YOU COULD DISCUSS WHAT THOSE TRADE OFFS ARE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS NEW TO THIS DISCUSSION OR DEBATE, BECAUSE THERE IS NO RIGHT POLITICAL ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, IT'S GONNA BE A HARD CHOICE NO MATTER WHICH ONES WE DO.
BUT IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGE OF GETTING EVERYBODY OFF THE STREET IN THE CONTEXT OF ACTUALLY ENDING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, SO I, I THINK I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS IN IN TWO PARTS.
ONE OF WHICH IS, UM, ENFORCEMENT THAT IS HAPPENING, UM, NOW AND WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHEN ENFORCEMENT
[00:40:01]
OCCURS, THAT IS NOT PAIRED EXPLICITLY WITH, UM, EITHER SERVICES OR IN, AND ESPECIALLY SOMEPLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO.UM, WE, WE DO HAVE ENFORCEMENT.
WE HAVE HAD, UM, AT MY LAST CHECK, I'M SURE IT'S SLIGHTLY HIGHER NOW, AROUND 350 CITATIONS ISSUED UNDER THE REINSTATED CAMPING, UM, UH, CAMPING ORDINANCE, AS WELL AS, UH, THE, UM, PROHIBITION ON PANHANDLING.
TYPICALLY WHEN, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS APPROACH FOLKS AND ASK FOR COMPLIANCE, THEY WILL GET IT SO PEOPLE DO MOVE.
HAVING SAID THAT, WHEN WE ARE WORKING WITH A LARGE ENCAMPMENT, WHERE THAT IS, HAS BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED AND WE KNOW THAT IT, UM, ENFORCEMENT DIDN'T HAPPEN, UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE OF UNDER CDC GUIDELINES, EVEN IN CASES WHERE AT THAT TIME IT WAS PROHIBITED, THAT WE KNOW THAT SIMPLY HAVING, UM, OFFICERS COME IN AND ASK PEOPLE TO LEAVE WITHOUT ATTENDING TO, UM, THE, THE, THE ENCAMPMENT ITSELF OR REACHING OUT TO THEM IS LIKELY TO RESULT EITHER IN REPOPULATION OR IN, UM, MOVING TO ANOTHER LOCATION NEARBY.
SO WE HAVE TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT ENFORCEMENT MEANS AND WHAT IT GETS US.
UM, WE HAVE HAD ENFORCEMENT, THOSE CITATIONS ARE REFERRED TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT WHO DO HAVE SOME ABILITY TO CONNECT, UH, INDIVIDUALS COMING THROUGH THE COURT TO SERVICES.
UM, BUT ENFORCEMENT, I THINK HAPPENS.
IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT HOMELESSNESS DISAPPEARS, UH, JUST LIKE ENFORCING SPEEDING LAWS DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE ANYONE SPEEDING ON THE STREETS OF AUSTIN IN TERMS OF WHAT THE RESOURCE, UH, APPLICATION IS OF OUR, UM, OUR INVESTMENTS AS A CITY.
AND I THINK IMPORTANTLY, AS A COMMUNITY, ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE IS THAT THIS IS NOT SOLELY THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY.
WE ARE A HUGE, UH, STAKEHOLDER IN THIS, AN INVESTOR IN THIS, BUT IT CANNOT BE THE CITY'S, UH, ROLE ALONE IF THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE COSTS OF SHELTER AND PERMANENT HOUSING, UM, THE ANNUAL COSTS TO DO THAT AREN'T THAT DIFFERENT PER PERSON.
AND SO WE WANT TO PROVIDE SHELTER, UM, BUT TO THE DEGREE WE DON'T HAVE A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO GO ONCE THEY MOVE TO SHELTER, UH, WE WILL NOT REALLY SEE A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE ON THE STREETS.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT AS WE LOOK AT OUR SHELTER PORTFOLIO, WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT OUR ABILITY TO MOVE PEOPLE THROUGH SHELTER AND GET THEM INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.
THAT IS THE THING THAT IS REALLY GOING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE IN TERMS OF SEEING A DECREASE IN POPULATION, UM, ON OUR STREETS AND, AND WHO ARE, UM, STILL IN SHELTER, WHICH IS OF COURSE, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT WHERE WE WANT FOLKS TO BE LONG TERM.
WE WANT THEM TO BE IN THEIR HOMES.
WE HISTORICALLY HAVE LOOKED AT, UM, HAVE BEEN VERY DISINVESTED, OR I SHOULD SAY, UNDERINVESTED IN PERMANENT HOUSING IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND SO COUNCIL HAS, I THINK, APPROPRIATELY OVER THE YEARS, UM, FOCUSED ON INCREASING OUR PORTFOLIO OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UM, AND RAPID REHOUSING, THE FIGHTING HOME AX EFFORT REALLY, UH, REDOUBLE THOSE EFFORTS.
IT DOES HAVE SOME RESOURCES THERE TO HELP US EXPAND SHELTER.
UH, DURING THIS TIME WE ARE USING SOME OF THE RESOURCES TO OPERATE, UM, NORTHBRIDGE THERE.
UH, WE ARE USING SOME OF THE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION AT, UH, ESPERANZA COMMUNITY OPERATED BY THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION.
UH, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT MIX, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THAT SHELTER OR EVEN, UM, SOME VARIATION OF A SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENT IS NOT IN AND OF ITSELF A LOWCOST INTERVENTION.
SO WE REALLY ARE BALANCING THE LONG-TERM NEEDS WITH THE CRISIS RESPONSE.
AND, AND IT IS, THERE IS NO RIGHT ANSWER.
UH, UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOU POINTING OUT A COUPLE THINGS.
FIRST IS THERE'S A HUMANITARIAN ISSUE AND WE HAVE PEOPLE ON OUR STREETS THAT, THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO DEAL WITH AS BEST WE CAN.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE REACTING TO THAT.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IF YOU TAKE SOMEONE OFF THE STREET AND PUT THEM JUST IN AN EMERGENCY SHELTER WITHOUT A PLACE OR A
[00:45:01]
PLAN TO PULL THEM THROUGH, YOU MAY HAVE DEALT WITH THE IMMEDIACY OF THE HUMANITARIAN ISSUE, BUT YOU HAVEN'T DEALT WITH THE LONGER TERM HUMANITARIAN ISSUE, CUZ YOU HAVEN'T MOVED THEM CLOSER TO ACTUALLY GETTING OFF THE STREET.I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO NOTE.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH PUTTING SOMEONE IN AN EMERGENCY SHELTER AND AND PROVIDING FOR THAT IS NOT ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT FROM THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH ACTUALLY GETTING THEM IN A, IN A PERMANENT SHELTER.
UH, WHICH IS WHY OUR FOCUS AND PRIORITY HAS BEEN TO WAIT TOWARD THE MORE PERMANENT ANSWER.
AND JUST AS AN ASIDE, UH, AND YOU CORRECT ME ON THE NUMBERS, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CITY, FOR THE LONGEST PERIOD OF TIME, PEOPLE WERE DOING GOOD WORK IN DEALING WITH THE EMERGENCIES DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US, NEVER HAVING THE RESOURCES TO REALLY BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH IS AT SCALE.
UH, WE WERE LIVING AS A CITY WITH LIKE 500 UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR, FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
UH, AND NOW WE'RE SET TO QUADRUPLE THE NUMBER OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS WE HAVE IN ABOUT THREE YEARS, UH, WHICH WOULD MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE, AS YOU POINTED OUT AS WELL, WE'VE ALSO TRIED TO LOCATE SOME EMERGENCY SHELTERS, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'S COMMUNITY RESISTANCE TO THAT AND WE HAVEN'T FOUND THE RIGHT FORMULA OR THE RIGHT PATH, EVEN IF WE WANTED TO OPEN UP, UM, MORE OF THAT.
UH, AND THAT GETS EVEN MORE PRONOUNCED IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SANCTIONED CAMP AREAS AS OPPOSED TO NON CONGREGATE LIVING, WHICH IS MORE HUMANE AND SAFER AND, AND AND BETTER.
SO WE HAVE A NEXT COUNCIL THAT'S COMING IN THAT IS GONNA BE WRESTLING WITH CALLS TO END HOMELESSNESS CALLS TO DEAL WITH THE IMMEDIACY OF THE HUMANITARIAN ISSUE.
AND THERE ARE NO EASY, QUICK ANSWERS, UH, TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND IN THE ABSENCE OF HAVING UNLIMITED RESOURCES AND HAVING UNLIMITED TIME, THERE'S GOING TO BE FORCED CHOICES THAT WILL LEAVE US, UM, UH, NOT BEING ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO DO.
AND THE NEXT COUNCIL'S GOING TO HAVE TO PICK PRIORITIES AND, AND FOCUSES.
I TRY TO DO THAT AS NEUTRALLY AS I POSSIBLY COULD.
YEAH, NO, I THINK, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND I WANNA SAY JUST A FEW THINGS ABOUT SANCTION CAMPING BECAUSE IT HAS COME UP, UP AGAIN AND AGAIN AND, AND, YOU KNOW, OUR COUNCIL HAS INITIATED LOOKS AT IT AND IT'S PROVEN TO BE, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL THE REASONS YOU SUGGESTED IT, IT IS, IT IS RESOURCE INTENSIVE.
I THINK ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, UH, THE KINDS OF CLEANUP MEASURES THAT WE'VE DONE IS AL ARE ALSO EXPENSIVE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN, WHEN ESPERANZA WAS, WAS SET UP, THERE CERTAINLY WAS A LOT OF, WELL, LET ME JUST SAY, THERE WERE LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THAT PLACE AND WHAT THE STATE HAD DONE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THOUGH THAT HAS, AND IT DID NOT, YOU KNOW, I WENT OUT THERE EARLY ON AND IT DID NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES THAT WE WOULD WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO WHO ARE IN, IN A SPACE LIKE THAT.
IT NOW OVER TIME HAS BECAUSE OF THE, THE WORK OF VARIOUS COMMUNITY GROUPS, INCLUDING REALLY IMPORTANTLY THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS I DO SEE IN THAT AREA THOUGH IS THAT THE CONCENTRATION OF, UM, THE FOCUS HAS ALLOWED FOR SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES TO BE DELIVERED TO, TO PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN LIVING IN OTHER ENCAMPMENTS.
AND WHEN I TALKED WITH RESIDENTS, THAT WAS, THOSE WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY COMMENTED ON THAT, UM, HAVING SOME ACCESS TO RESTROOMS ON A REGULAR BASIS, HAVING ACCESS TO, TO A LEVEL OF SECURITY ON SITE WERE, WERE THINGS THAT HAD DRAWN THEM TO THAT SPACE.
AND SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THO AS, AS THE NEXT COUNCIL KIND OF CONSIDERS THE TRADE-OFFS.
I THINK THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE ONES, UM, THAT THEY MIGHT CONSIDER.
YOU KNOW, AS I DRIVE AROUND, WE HAVE VERY LARGE ENCAMPMENTS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO ACCESS TO RESTROOM FACILITIES, TO, TO FRESH WATER, TO HAND WASHING STATIONS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE REAL SERIOUS CONCERNS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE LAST THING I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT SANCTION ENCAMPMENTS.
IT HAS BEEN, IT HAS BEEN NOT A, A CONVERSATION WE'VE KNOWN WHAT TO DO WITH EXACTLY.
I THINK WE ARE ALSO, WELL, YEAH, I'LL MENTION STORAGE LATER.
DID YOU FINISH IT IN OKAY, SORRY, ONE MORE THING.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AND AGAIN, I THINK TOO, WE HEAR THIS REPEATED CALL FOR FROM POLICE OFFICERS AND OTHERS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOR ASKING PEOPLE TO LEAVE ONE AREA, THERE IS NO OTHER AREA TO ASK THEM TO GO.
AND WE, WE SIMPLY HAVEN'T, THERE ARE NO INTERIM SPACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO.
AND I THINK THAT IS STILL A HUGE NEED.
WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S AN OUTDOOR COURTYARD SPACE, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED, UM, AT THE ARCH OR SOMEWHERE ELSE IN DOWNTOWN OR OTHER
[00:50:01]
KINDS OF SPACES THROUGHOUT THE CITY WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO AND, AND BE SAFE AND, AND UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ASKED TO LEAVE THAT SPACE.I THINK, I THINK THAT IS A REAL NEED.
MY LAST COMMENT IS JUST THAT, UH, AND THANK YOU, THANK YOU BOTH FOR, UM, SORT OF LAYING OUT THE, THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
AND YOU ALSO DI UH, DAN, DIANA, UH, THE PROS AND CONS, YOU KNOW, OF, OF SANCTION CAMPGROUNDS.
AND, AND IT'S ALSO A, IT'S A CONTINUUM SO IT'S NOT A BLACK AND WHITE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO THAT IS SOMETHING FOR PEOPLE TO, TO UNDERSTAND FOR THE NEW COUNCIL TO UNDERSTAND AND, AND REALLY WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH THE NUANCES.
UM, BECAUSE THE BOTTOM LINE IS, YOU KNOW, LOCATIONS ARE DIFFICULT, LOCATIONS ARE DIFFICULT FOR SHELTERS.
UM, AND THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES.
THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY REALLY STARTED AS A, AS A SANCTION ENCAMPMENT, BUT IT'S NOT THAT ANY LONGER.
THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY HAS NOW EVOLVED TO ESSENTIALLY A BRIDGE SHELTER AND THEY'RE BUILDING, UM, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING TINY HOMES ON IT.
SO, UM, SO IT'S, IT IS BEEN INTERESTING TO WATCH THE EVOLUTION OF THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY FROM A, FROM A, YOU KNOW, PARKING LOT AREA THAT PEOPLE COULD COME AND PITCH A CAMP ON TO WHAT IS NOW, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD CALL IT AS MUCH MORE OF A, OF A BRIDGE SHELTER.
AND PERHAPS IT'S EVOLVING TO MORE PERMANENT HOUSING, I'M NOT CERTAIN, BUT IT IS NO LONGER A SANCTION IN CAMPGROUND.
AND SO, UM, SO ANYWAY, I, I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE ARTICULATED THERE'S, THESE ARE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS.
THERE'S A LOT OF PROS AND CONS, AND THERE'S NO RIGHT ANSWER.
UM, AND THERE'S NO ONE ANSWER.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A MIX OF THINGS.
SO KATHY, I COULD HAVE 30 SECONDS MM-HMM.
UH, I WOULD BALANCE THAT IF I WERE GIVING ADVICE TO THE NEXT GROUP COMING IN TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE PRIORITIZING ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY.
UH, AND, AND IT'S REAL IMPORTANT AS BEST YOU CAN TO, TO DEAL WITH THE KINDS OF CHALLENGES THE COUNCIL MEMBER TOVA WAS ADDRESSING.
BUT I WOULD URGE THE COUNCIL NOT TO DIVERT ANY FUNDING AWAY FROM ACTUALLY ENDING HOMELESSNESS.
THAT, THAT LONG TERM, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF TENTS AND OFF OUR STREETS, THE LONG TERM ANSWER, UH, IS GOING TO BE TO, TO PROVIDE THE LONG, LONG-TERM SOLUTION.
AND WE'RE LAID OUT ON A, ON A PATH FOR THAT AND, AND, AND PROUD THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS RAISED ALMOST 90% OF THAT.
AND CERTAINLY THE, THE COUNCIL AND THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, LED, UH, ON THAT AND THE COUNTY JOINED AS WELL.
UH, BUT I, I WOULD URGE THE, THE LEADERS COMING IN NOT TO DISRUPT THAT PATH AND TO, IF ANYTHING, TO ACCELERATE THAT PATH AS, AS RESOURCES BECOME AVAILABLE.
BECAUSE THAT IS REALLY THE ONLY LONG TERM ANSWER, UH, NOT TO HAVE TO, TO, TO CONTINUE TO FUND THIS AT THE EMERGENCY LEVELS THAT ARE NECESSARY.
NOW, WHILE WE TAKE CARE OF THAT, THAT 3000 PERSON BUBBLE THAT WE HAVE, THAT LIKE THE BOA THAT EATS THE MOUSE, UH, WE HAVE TO HANDLE THAT AND TAKE THAT OFF SO WE CAN GET TO A MORE EQUILIBRIUM STATE.
AND SO THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME, UH, TO KIND OF GO BACK AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WERE THE, SOME OF THE RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS THAT WERE IN PLACE REALLY WHEN WE SWITCHED TO THE TEN ONE SYSTEM.
AND I WANNA GET BACK TO THE POINT, WELL, AND LET ME JUST SAY, MAYOR, I AGREE WITH YOU ON, ON MAKING SURE THAT OUR FOCUS IS LASER IS LASER FOCUSED ON, ON ENDING HOMELESSNESS.
I SEE THE HOST TEAM AND STORAGE AND SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THOSE INITIATIVES THAT HAVE POPPED UP THOUGH AS WAYS OF MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO TENDING TO SOME OF THE EMERGENCY NEEDS THAT ARE PRESENT AMONG INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S TO THE NEXT COUNCIL TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT ANY KIND OF, UM, SAFE CAMPING AREAS ARE, ARE PART OF THAT KIND OF INTERIM SOLUTION TOO.
SO WHEN, UH, AND I WOULD JUST, I'VE BEEN A REAL BIG FAN OF YOUR WORK, UH, AND THE COUNCIL'S WORK WITH RESPECT TO THE HOST TEAMS, CUZ I THINK THAT'S BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, YOU'VE FOUGHT AND WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE FUNDING FOR THAT AT A TIME WHEN GETTING FUNDING FOR THIS WHOLE AREA WAS LIKE, UH, INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT THING TO DO.
I THINK THAT'S AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR, OF OUR RESPONSE.
IT ENABLES US TO KNOW WHO'S ON OUR STREETS AND, AND THEIR
[00:55:01]
NAMES AND, AND WHAT THEY NEED.AND SO THAT KIND OF OUTREACHES IS JUST CRITICAL.
THE, THE HARDER QUESTIONS ARE THE, ARE THE EMERGENCY PLACES, RIGHT? UH, THAT ARE EXPENSIVE, HARD TO LOCATE YEP.
DON'T ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREET LONG TERM, BUT DO DEAL WITH THE, THE, THE IMMEDIATE NEED THAT PEOPLE SEE AND THEREIN LIES THE, THE RUBBER.
AND BECAUSE THEY'RE HARD FOUGHT AND CONTROVERSIAL, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY, I THINK, HELP US, THOSE CONVERSATIONS DON'T HELP US DO WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO, WHICH IS BUILD COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND FUNDING FOR THE PERMANENT SOLUTION.
SO IT IS A, IT IS A PATH THAT MAY NOT BE WORTH GOING DOWN.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, BEFORE I WOULD SAY THERE WERE MULTIPLE RESOURCES AND EFFORTS AND THIS, YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT AS A TEN ONE COUNCIL WE'VE PROB WE'VE TALKED MORE ABOUT.
BUT I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IN THOSE YEARS BEFORE THE TEN ONE COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBERS, RILEY MAYOR PROTON COLE WERE REALLY, WERE ALSO REALLY FOCUSED ON RAISING, RAISING THIS.
SO THERE WAS DEFINITELY A FOCUS ON PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
THERE WERE GOALS FOR THE NUMBER OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS TO CREATE, UH, THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AROUND THAT TIME WAS CHANGED TO BENEFIT THE CREATION OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS.
OUR COUNCIL, UM, WITH THE RESOLUTION I DID, CHANGED IT TO ALSO PROVIDE FOR VOUCHERS SO THAT THOSE DOLLARS CAN BE USED NOT JUST TO CONSTRUCT GROUND UP UNITS, BUT CAN ALSO BE USED TO HELP HELP, UM, INDIVIDUALS BE HOUSED IN OTHER, OTHER PROPERTIES.
AND OF COURSE, WE HAD THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND, WHICH, WHICH OUR COUNCIL EXPANDED THE WAYS IN WHICH THAT'S FUNDED THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT MEASURES.
AND THERE WERE ALSO, THERE WAS A VERY STRONG, AND I WANNA SAY THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND OTHERS HAD, HAD LOOKED AT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND HAD REALLY BEEN ABLE TO ADVOCATE SUCCESSFULLY AT THE COUNCIL FOR, FOR, UH, A COMMITMENT TO USING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND RECOGNIZING THE WAYS IN WHICH THAT BENEFITED NOT JUST THE INDIVIDUALS, BUT ALSO REDUCED COSTS TO OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, TO OUR HEALTH SYSTEM, TO SOME OF THE OTHER SYSTEMS OF CARE THAT ARE, THAT WERE, UH, SERVING INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
SO THERE WAS A SENSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK A REAL COMMITMENT THAT PSH WAS THE WAY, WAS WHAT WE WANTED TO BE FUNDING.
AND, AND OF COURSE WE HAD, WE HAD SOME SHELTERS.
I THINK IN ALL OF THOSE AREAS, I'VE MENTIONED SOME, WE HAVE EXPANDED, AND I CAN GO INTO THOSE, UM, UNLESS OTHERS WANNA TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT WE COULD MAYBE FIRST TALK ABOUT SHELTER BECAUSE ONE OF THE, THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE WITH OUR EMERGENCY SHELTERS, WE HAD SEVERAL INITIATIVES AND FUNDING EFFORTS TO EXPAND THE CITY'S, THE CITY OWNED WOMEN AND CHILDREN'S SHELTER TO, TO PROVIDE FOR SOME MORE BEDS BECAUSE WE HAD MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS COME FORWARD AND POINT OUT THAT WE HAD WOMEN DYING ON THE STREETS OF AUSTIN AND NEEDED SAFER SPACES.
WE ALSO PROVIDED FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR THE SALVATION ARMIES, BUT OF COURSE THEY DID IT PRIMARILY ON THEIR OWN, THE SALVATION'S CREATION OF, OF THE FAMILY CENTER, THE RATHGABER FAMILY CENTER AT 10 HILL, RIGHT NEXT TO OUR CITIES, OUR CITIES, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN'S SHELTER.
AND I THINK REALLY IMPORTANTLY IS THE WORK THAT WE DID THAT OUR COUNCIL DID AT THE ARCH AND HOW WE THINK ABOUT SHELTER.
AND THAT WAS IN LARGE PART BECAUSE WE BROUGHT IN SOME OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS.
THEY TOOK A LOOK AT THE ARCH, THEY TOOK A LOOK AT THE AREA OUTSIDE THE ARCH, AND THEY POINTED OUT THAT ONE OF THE THINGS, THIS WAS A, AN INTERDISCIPLINARY CONVERSATION THAT INVOLVED OUR POLICE AND OUR FOLKS ACROSS THE ENTIRE, UM, CITY GROUP.
I THINK MAYOR, YOUR TEAM HAD REPRESENTATION THERE.
I THINK YOUR, UM, STAFF ATTENDED AS WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN AND, AND LOTS OF NONPROFITS.
AND, AND ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, THERE WERE SEVERAL IMPERATIVES THAT CAME OUT OF THAT.
ONE WAS THE NEED TO REALLY INTERRUPT WHAT HAD BECOME A DRUG MARKETPLACE RIGHT OUTSIDE THE ARCH WHERE PEOPLE WERE COMING DOWN AND PRAYING ON CLIENTS OF THE ARCH AND GUESTS OF THE ARCH AND, AND REALLY MAKING AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR EVERYBODY AROUND, BUT ESPECIALLY PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO ACCESS SERVICES.
THEY ALSO POINTED OUT THE NEED TO FOR PHYSICAL ENHANCEMENTS OF THE ARCH TO CREATE MORE SPACE, MORE, MORE LIVABLE SPACE WITHIN THAT.
I THINK URBAN ALCHEMY HAS REALLY TAKEN THAT TO A NEW LEVEL AND HAVE, I HAVEN'T SEEN THE CHANGES, BUT I HEAR THEY'VE DONE SOME TREMENDOUS THINGS AT THE ARCH, BUT WE ALSO PROVIDED CASE MANAGEMENT.
SO IT WAS, SO WE REALLY ENVISIONED, UH, WITH THE HELP OF, OF, UM, EXPERTS IN THIS FIELD, WE REALLY ENVISIONED AND SET THAT, SET THOSE CHANGES IN PLACE HERE AT, AT OUR COUNCIL OF PROVIDING MORE MONEY FOR CASE MANAGEMENT TO MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT GUESTS AT THE ARCH AND OUR SALVATION ARMY SHELTERS WERE GETTING CASE MANAGEMENT.
WE HELPED EXPAND THE SPACES, WE HELPED, UM, SET A PATH FOR GETTING THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING AT THOSE SPACES PAID, PAID BETTER AND BETTER TRAINING.
I THINK THAT'S STILL A, A TO-DO.
[01:00:01]
UM, AS I LOOK AT THE, TO-DOS AHEAD OF THE NEXT COUNCIL, I THINK GETTING A LIVING WAGE FOR THOSE WHO ARE DOING THAT IMPORTANT WORK IS REALLY CRITICAL.BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I SEE THAT WE'VE DONE THAT WE DID WITH, WITH REGARD TO SHELTER.
AND OF COURSE THERE WERE THE KIND OF SPECIAL INITIATIVES THAT WE DID THAT ONE SUMMER THAT WERE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THAT AND TO TRY TO INTERRUPT THAT DRUG MARKETPLACE.
BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE SAID IN PLACE THAT I THINK REALLY NEED TO CONTINUE ARE THAT THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR THE CASE MANAGEMENT, THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THE SERVICES ARE DELIVERED BETTER, UM, THAT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING THERE ARE, HAVE, HAVE GOOD TRAINING, THEY FEEL VALUED AND THEY HAVE BETTER SALARIES.
ANYTHING WE WANNA SAY ABOUT YEAH, ANNE, AND THEN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN AND THE MAYOR? YEAH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO, I I THINK THAT, UM, UH, UM, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY TAKEN A LOOK AT, AT, YOU KNOW, AT SHELTER AND MADE, UM, SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARDS TRYING TO EVOLVE SHELTER TO, TO, TO, UM, BEST PROVIDE THE SERVICES TO FIT ITS ROLE IN THE PICTURE.
AND I THINK, AS DIANA SAID EARLIER, THERE'S A PROCESS GOING ON RIGHT NOW TO TO CONTINUE THAT ASSESSMENT, UH, AND TO, YOU KNOW, IN BASED ON NATIONAL UNDERSTANDING IN OUR LOCAL UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT WORKS BEST.
UM, I WANTED TO COMMENT A BIT ON, YOU KNOW, THAT WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT AND SHELTER, WHICH ARE COMPONENTS OF THE BIGGER PICTURE.
AND SO I WANTED TO TALK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT THE BIGGER PICTURE AS THE, AS THE MAYOR WAS MENTIONING.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE REALLY BEEN, UH, EXCITED ABOUT THAT WE ALL HAVE REALLY WORKED ON, UH, RECENTLY IS WHAT I SEE CAME FORWARD OUT OF THE FINDING HOME ATX EFFORT.
BECAUSE I THINK WHAT, WHAT THAT EFFORT HAS DONE IS PUT A IS IS IS PROVIDE CONTEXT AND LOOK AT THE WHOLE SYSTEM, UM, AND POINT OUT WHAT WE NEED AT EACH PART, EACH PART OF THE SYSTEM.
BECAUSE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE REQUIRES A, A SYSTEM IN A NUMBER OF, OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
UH, THAT'S REALLY HELPING SOMEONE WHO IS UNSHELTERED GO THROUGH A PROCESS, UH, TO PERMANENT HOUSING.
AND THAT REQUIRES A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT STEPS ALONG THE WAY AND A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF SERVICES.
SO, UM, SO WHAT I AM HOPEFUL IS THAT THE NEXT COUNCIL WILL EMBRACE AND, UH, FURTHER, YOU KNOW, WITH DIANA AND HER TEAM, WHAT HAS BEEN STARTED WITH FINDING HOME ATX, WHICH REALLY RECOGNIZED, AND I WANT, UH, WHICH REALLY COGNIZE THAT THIS IS A, THIS IS A COMMUNITY ISSUE.
IT TAKES EVERYONE COMING TO THE TABLE.
AND THEN THE OTHER ASPECT OF THAT IS, AND I REALLY WANNA, I CAN'T, COULDN'T SAY THIS MORE STRONGLY.
WE CAN DO THIS AS A COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S, UH, I THINK THAT'S A DRUMBEAT THAT I'M HOPING THE NEW COUNCIL WILL BE REPEATING OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU, I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR FOR HELPING INITIATE THE FINDING HOME ATX.
I WANT TO THANK THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE PUSHING FORWARD THE HOME, UH, FINDING HOME ATX.
UH, AND I WANTED TO JUST EMPHASIZE THAT THAT COMMUNITY PART OF THIS IS, IS CRITICAL.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IF I HAD TO SAY ONE THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, IT WOULD JUST BE WE CAN END HOMELESSNESS AND WE NEED TO KEEP OUR EYE ON THE HOUSING.
SO, UM, SO I WANNA GIVE DIANA THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO FINDING HOME ATX IN THE CONTEXT IT OFFERS FROM A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE.
CUZ I KNOW SHE'S BEEN VERY INVOLVED WITH THAT AND JUST WANTED TO SEE IF SHE HAD ANY COMMENTS BEFORE.
BEFORE WE GET THERE, COULD WE HEAR FROM THE MAYOR? SURE.
AND I ALSO WANNA, CAN I, CAN I STEP US BACK ONE STEP THERE? OKAY.
SO I, YOU'RE, YOU RAISED A POINT THAT I THINK IS CRITICAL.
ACTUALLY, MAYOR, YOU SHOULD GO FIRST CUZ I HAD, I CALLED ON YOU.
AND THEN I WANNA TAKE US BACK TO THE, AND MAYBE YOU WANNA ADDRESS THIS, THE PLAN THAT YOU, UM, HAD ASKED SOME FOLKS TO DO.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, AND, AND COUNCIL, I THINK YOU DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF LISTING THE INITIATIVES THAT, UH, WERE IMPLEMENTED EVEN BEFORE THE TEN ONE COUNCIL CAME IN.
SOME, YEAH, THOSE WERE ALL BEHIND.
SOME WITHIN THAT WAS, BUT, BUT EVEN BEFORE THE TEN ONE COUNCIL, AND, AND ONE THING THAT WE CAN SAY I THINK WAS TRUE IS THAT WE HAD GREAT ORGANIZATIONS DOING REALLY GOOD WORK.
UH, THE SUCCESSFUL RATE AT AT CARITAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN INCREDIBLY HIGH, BUT JUST NOT THEM.
I MEAN, SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ON THIS CHALLENGE,
[01:05:01]
I THINK IN, IN REAL RESPECT.WHAT, WHAT THE ONLY RE THE ONLY REAL CHANGE THAT'S HAPPENED HERE RECENTLY, AND I THINK IT'S SIGNIFICANT CHANGE, IS THAT WHILE YOU AND OTHERS WERE CALLING FOR FUNDING AT THE SCALE OF THE CHALLENGE, THAT NEVER CAME.
SO WE HAD ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE AND THAT WERE DOING GREAT WORK, BUT NOT THE, THE TOOL OR THE CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WORK FIVE TIMES FOR FIVE TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE, OR 10 TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE.
UH, SO I DON'T THINK IT'S THAT WE CAME UP WITH ANYTHING NEW IN TERMS OF APPROACH OR NEED.
UH, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO, TO ANNE HOWARD'S DAYS ON, ON THE ECHO, AND IN YOUR DAYS AS, AS LEADERSHIP AND, AND THE WORK THAT YOU WERE DOING IN THE HEALTH, IT'S NOTHING NEW.
WHAT IS NEW IS FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME WE HAVE EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY NOT ARGUING WITH ONE ANOTHER OVER WHICH ELEMENT TO DO WHEN WE FINALLY SAID, LET'S ACTUALLY FUND ALL THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AND NOT BEAT EACH OTHER UP ON, IF YOU HAD TO PICK BETWEEN THESE THREE THINGS, WHICH ONE DO YOU PICK? WHEN THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS, IF YOU PICK ANY ONE OF THOSE THREE THINGS, YOU WILL FAIL.
THAT THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY DO THIS IS TO DO ALL OF THE PIECES OF THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY'RE MUTUALLY REINFORCING AND, AND AND SUPPORTING.
SO I THINK THAT IF ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED IS HERE RECENTLY IS THE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO ACT AS SCALE.
THAT'S LED TO US NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH, UH, WITH, UH, WITH THE REALITIES, THE COMPETITIONS OF POVERTY.
CAUSE EVERYBODY COULD GET FUNDED TO DO THE IMPORTANT WORK.
IT GAVE US THE ABILITY TO BRING IN, UH, AS DIANA WAS SAYING, NEW PARTNERS, NEW PLAYERS, UH, AND INCREASED CAPACITY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE AND HAVE BEEN BITING IT THE BIT, DOING GREAT WORK, BUT UNABLE TO SCALE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S CHANGED AND THAT'S WHAT'S MAGIC ABOUT THIS MOMENT, IS WE HAVE THE RESOURCES, WE HAVE EVERYBODY ON BOARD PUSHING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, UH, AND, AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SCALE.
I THINK YOU REALLY ARTICULATED THAT SO CLEARLY AND, AND THERE ARE SOME CHANGES IN HOW WE THINK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS.
ONE IS KIND OF THE MOVEMENT AWAY FROM SHELTER AS, AS THE ONLY SOLUTION.
UM, AND I WANNA CREDIT MARY, YOU HAD ASKED THE DIFFERENT HOUSING STAKEHOLDERS TO COME TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH A PLAN.
AND I THINK THAT WORK REALLY HELPED US ALL SEE THAT SPECTRUM OF NEED REALLY, THAT, THAT YOU HAVE TO FUND ACROSS THE WHOLE AND YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY.
I'M SO GLAD YOU CAPTURED THE POINT THAT WE HAD ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE, THAT WERE ALREADY DOING GREAT WORK WITH THE, WITH THE CLIENTS THEY WERE WORKING WITH AND, AND HAVING GREAT SUCCESS IN KEEPING THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN HOUSING, BUT NOT PERFORMING AT SCALE.
BUT IT WAS THAT SHIFT, I THINK, TO THINKING ABOUT IT TO WHAT, WHAT PROBABLY THOSE PROVIDERS KNEW, BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE POLICY MAKERS, THAT IT REALLY HAD TO BE A SPECTRUM OF, OF INVESTMENTS AROUND THERE.
AND, AND THOUGH YOU AND I AND ANNE AND OTHERS WERE CALLING FOR THAT PRIVATE INVESTMENT, THERE REALLY WASN'T, UM, THE COMMUNITY PIECE OF THAT, OF INVOLVEMENT IN, IN THAT SPECTRUM UNTIL FINDING HOME ATX.
AND SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT POINT.
I THINK WHAT, WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS ABOUT THAT.
UM, WE, WE CAN INVEST AND HAVE TO ACROSS THAT, BUT I DO WANNA, I DO, AS WE'RE KIND OF DOING THIS CHRONOLOGY, I THINK THAT PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS, WHICH THIS COUNCIL EVENTUALLY PASSED, WAS REALLY A KEY TO HELPING RESHAPE HOW, AT LEAST AT A CITY LEVEL, WE THINK ABOUT THOSE INVESTMENTS.
UH, I THINK PERHAPS JUST THAT, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PARTNERSHIP REPRESENTED BY FINDING HOME, UH, ATX IS IMPORTANT IN, IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
ONE IS IT'S VERY CRITICAL IN TERMS OF THE STAKEHOLDERS OUTSIDE OF THE, THE SERVICE PROVIDER COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER AND, UM, AND AGREEING TO SUPPORT AN OVERARCHING INITIATIVE, UM, THAT LOOKED AT SORT OF APPROPRIATELY RESOURCING DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE SYSTEM.
AND SO THAT WAS OF COURSE, THE CITY, CLEARLY WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT PRIVATE FUNDERS, BUT VERY IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP ON THE PART OF THE COUNTY OF OUR HOUSING AUTHORITIES, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH, UH, AND LEVERAGING FUNDS FROM THE, THE FEDS AND THE STATE.
UH, THE OTHER PIECE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, A BROAD STRATEGY.
I THINK THAT OVER TIME OUR COMMUNITY'S DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF IDENTIFYING, AS YOU'VE SPOKEN TO, UM, THE CITY, REALLY SUPPORTING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES IN THIS SPACE, UM, THROUGH OUR CONTRACTING AND THE WORK THAT WE DO OURSELVES.
[01:10:01]
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE VERY SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, INCREASED THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE.SO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY MEMORY, AND I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 20 YEARS OR SO, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SCALE IS GOING TO APPROACH THE NEED.
UM, OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS ARE NOT ONLY WHO EXECUTES MOST OF THIS WORK, BUT THEY'RE REALLY CRITICAL THOUGHT PARTNERS.
AND SO I THINK THAT PART OF THE CHALLENGE OF THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, IS THAT NOW WE ARE GOING TO BE IN EXECUTION PHASE ON SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF THIS PLAN.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, CASE IN POINT IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT MORE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT PEOPLE IN HOUSING AND THE HOUSING MARKET THAT IS EVER, EVER TIGHTER IN TERMS OF GETTING PEOPLE INTO THOSE UNITS.
SO, YOU KNOW, PART OF OUR JOB AS A CITY IS TO HELP BE A PARTNER AND TO DEFINE THOSE BROAD STRATEGIES AND SORT OF AREAS OF INVESTMENT, BUT ALSO TO TROUBLESHOOT AND JUST BE REALLY COMMITTED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, CONTINUOUSLY ASKING WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER, BETTER AS A SYSTEM, HOW CAN THE CITY PLAY ITS APPROPRIATE ROLE IN, IN, YOU KNOW, WORKING THROUGH THE CHALLENGES THAT WILL INEVITABLY COME UP AS WE IMPLEMENT A, A VERY AMBITIOUS PLAN.
AND I THINK THAT REALLY TEES UP WELL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE CAPTURED IN THIS DISCUSSION, WHICH IS THE WORK THAT THAT MAYOR LEFFINGWELL STARTED, BUT I THINK MAYOR ADLER YOU REALLY LED ON WITH REGARD TO THE VETERANS INITIATIVE.
AND THEN OF COURSE THERE WAS A, A SIMILAR YOUTH INITIATIVE, BUT I THINK IT'S THE VETERANS INITIATIVE AND SOME OF THOSE REALLY INNOVATIVE WAYS OF TRYING TO BRING IN THE PRIVATE PARTNERS THAT I THINK IS A, A GOOD MODEL.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S A GOOD, AS YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THIS, IT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FOCUS ON VETERANS THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, MAYOR LEFFINGWELL HAD PLEDGED TO DO, UH, WAS REALLY ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES THAT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS JOINED TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE A REALLY SPECIFIC STRATEGIC GOAL THAT WAS REALLY OUTSIDE OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL MISSIONS.
SO IT WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD ONLY BE ACHIEVED BY HAVING LOTS OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER ON A GOAL THAT WAS ADOPTED DIFFERENT THAN THEIR NORMAL.
AND IT DID WORK WELL, AND IT BROUGHT IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
UM, AND, AND, UH, WE WERE ONE OF THE FEW CITIES IN THE COUNTRY TO GET NET EFFECTIVE ZERO ON VETERAN HOMELESSNESS.
WHAT HAPPENED THEN WAS WE THOUGHT WE COULD SCALE UP FROM THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE CHILDREN WERE WORKING WELL, SUSAN MCDONALD AND, AND, AND LIFEWORKS DOING A GREAT JOB GETTING HALF OF THE CHILDREN ON OUR STREETS WITHOUT HOMES OFF OUR STREETS.
THOSE PROJECTS DEMONSTRATED TO US THAT WE COULD IN FACT BE SUCCESSFUL IF WE'RE WILLING TO PUT THE RESOURCES AGAINST IT.
THE CHALLENGE WE HAD WITH, WITH, WITH VETERANS IS THAT, UH, WE LEARNED THAT, YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE WAS A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR VETERANS THERE NOT SO MUCH FOR HOMELESSNESS.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHY PROBABLY WE HAD A LOT OF THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAD FOR VETERAN HOMELESSNESS.
SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO TRANSLATE IT INTO SCALING UP THE OVERALL SYSTEM.
THE LESSONS LEARNED THAT WE COULD BE SUCCESSFUL WERE REAL IMPORTANT.
UH, AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, AS WE'RE NOW GOING OUT TO THE, TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND ASKING FOR DOLLARS, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY LOOK AT AS AN EVIDENCE PIECE THAT IT'S WORTHY TO CONTRIBUTE TO FINDING HOME ATX ARE THOSE SUCCESSES WITH VETERANS AND CHILDREN.
CAN YOU TALK, CAN YOU JUST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THE STRATEGIES THAT YOU DID WORKING, BECAUSE YOU BROUGHT IN PARTNERS, PARTNERS LIKE THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION AND, AND OTHERS WHO HADN'T NECESSARILY BEEN AT THE TABLE WORKING TO END HOMELESSNESS BEFORE.
AND I JUST, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAPTURE THAT THOSE AND THE RISK FUND, THE RISK MITIGATION FUND THAT YOU DEVELOPED.
AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT BY LOOKING AT IT, THIS, THE, THE CHALLENGE IS ONE, THAT'S A SYSTEM.
YOU CAN THEN SAY, WHERE IS IT THAT WE'RE NOT MOVING PEOPLE FORWARD? WHERE ARE PEOPLE BACKING UP? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO DRIVE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM? AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACED, AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY IT'S A CHALLENGE BEING FACED NOW, MAYBE EVEN TO A GREATER DEGREE, IS HOW DO WE GET SPACES FOR PEOPLE? THERE ARE, THERE ARE ALMOST 500 PEOPLE I UNDERSTAND IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE VOUCHERS AND SUPPORTS, UH, THAT WILL PAY FOR THEM TO BE IN A PLACE, BUT WE HAVE NO PLACE TO PUT THEM IN.
WE HAVEN'T, WE'RE WE'RE SHY 500 LANDLORDS OR 500 PROPERTY OWNERS, OR 500 SPACES FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO TAKE A VOUCHER THAT PUTS MONEY IN THEIR BANK ACCOUNT ON THE FIRST OF EVERY MONTH, THE MOST REGULARLY PAYING TENANTS YOU COULD POSSIBLY HAVE.
BUT WHAT WE DID BACK THEN, GUNS METO, WAS WE CREATED A RISK FUND BECAUSE WE HAD HEARD FROM, FROM FROM LANDLORDS THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED THEY WANTED TO PARTICIPATE, BUT, BUT WHAT IF SOMEONE CAME IN THAT, THAT TRASHED OUT THE APARTMENT? OR WHAT IF
[01:15:01]
SOMEONE LEFT AND THEY LOST RENT FOR TWO OR THREE MONTHS BECAUSE THEY, THEY, UM, HAD TO GO THROUGH AN EVICTION PROCESS.SO WE CREATED, AND I THINK THERE WOULD STILL BE ACCESS TO A, A, A RISK MITIGATION FUND OPERATING OUTSIDE OF GOVERNMENTS.
YOU DON'T APPLY TO GOVERNMENT WHERE YOU COULD GET CAUGHT FOR SIX MONTHS WITH A PENDING APPLICATION FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
UH, BUT WE HAD, UH, FOLKS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR CREATE A FUND, UH, THAT MADE IT SO THAT THE LANDLORD WHO HAD IT, WHO WAS WILLING TO BE PART OF THIS, BUT HAD A CHALLENGE, COULD CALL IN THE MORNING AND GET, UH, A REIMBURSEMENT CHECK THAT AFTERNOON TO, TO MINIMIZE THEIR RISK.
UH, AND QUITE FRANKLY, UH, WHEN WE DID THAT, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SAID, DON'T DO THAT CUZ YOUR FUND IS GONNA GET DEPLETED A MATTER OF DAYS.
WE MADE THE LEAP OF FAITH THAT REALLY PEOPLE WEREN'T GONNA MAKE THOSE CLAIMS UNLESS CHALLENGES AROSE.
AND WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT THOSE CHALLENGES WOULD BE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN BOTH THOSE THINGS PROVED TO BE TRUE.
I THINK THERE WERE ONLY ONE OR TWO PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY ULTIMATELY MADE A, A CLAIM ON THE, ON THE FUND BECAUSE AS IT TURNS OUT, THE TENANTS WERE NOT PROBLEM TENANTS AND THEY WERE MIXING WELL IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THERE WASN'T A NEED FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
SO WHERE, UM, WOULD WE LIKE TO GO NEXT? I I HAVE A LITTLE LIST OF SOME OF THE OTHER INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE DONE THAT I THINK ARE WORTH CAPTURING.
AND THEN I'VE GOT A LITTLE LIST GOING UP TO DOS.
ANNE, DID YOU HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN AT SOME POINT? WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
I DO WANNA TALK, ASK SOME, ASK A QUESTION OR TWO ABOUT HEAL.
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK NOW MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME.
AND AS WE MOVE INTO THAT, ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT I WANTED TO BE SURE THAT I MENTIONED IS COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, WHEN YOU BROUGHT THIS FORWARD, THERE WERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UM, PUSHBACK MM-HMM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WANNA CREDIT YOU FOR, FOR WORKING AND DIANA GRAVE FOR YOUR WORK TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, UM, THAT THAT WOULD BE A GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
BUT WE WOULD MOVE ON AND START IT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMETIMES, UM, SOMETIMES IN WHAT I'VE LEARNED ON COUNCIL IS THAT YOU NEED TO, YOU NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AND TRY SOMETHING WITH THE AGREEMENT THAT IF IT'S NOT WORKING, YOU KNOW THAT THESE ARE GOING TO BE THE WAYS IN WHICH WE EVALUATE IT.
AND IF IT'S, AND IF IT'S NOT PROVIDING THE EQUITABLE APPROACH THAT WE'VE ALL COMMITTED TO, THEN WE WOULD STOP AND REGROUP AND SWITCH MM-HMM.
AND I WAS, UM, A SOLID SPONSOR AND SUPPORTER OF THAT BECAUSE IT, IT SEEMED TO ME AN APPROACH THAT COULD MAKE A REAL HUGE IMPACT.
UH, BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO HELPFUL TO REMEMBER THAT, THAT NOT EVERYBODY WAS ON BOARD IN THE BEGINNING MM-HMM.
SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT BEFORE, BEFORE I FORGOT.
WE STARTED HEAL AS A, AS A PILOT PROGRAM.
THE FIRST YEAR WAS A PILOT WITH, UH, FOUR LOCATIONS.
UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT MADE IT PERMANENT.
UM, AS, UH, DIANA MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, IT IS A, IT IS A SMALL PROGRAM, UM, AND I WOULD ADVANCE, AND I THINK DIANA SAID THIS ALSO, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO SCALE.
UM, WITH THAT SAID, IT IS ONE PIECE, AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT ALL THESE, ALL THESE INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE A PIECE OF A SYSTEM AND THE ENTIRE, AND YOU NEED EVERY PIECE, AS THE MAYOR SAID, UH, BECAUSE IF YOU JUST FOCUS ON ONE PIECE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO THE, I THINK WHAT THE HEAL PERS, WHAT WHAT HEAL WAS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO DO WAS TO, TO LOOK AT A, A PROCESS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE INDIVIDUAL, UM, AND TO FOCUS ON PLACES.
SO TO FOCUS ON ENCAMPMENTS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY, UM, DANGEROUS, UM, UH, TO FOCUS ON THOSE ENCAMPMENTS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS.
AND WHAT IT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT IT IS, IS THE IDENTIFYING THE LOCATION AND THEN OFFERING EVERYBODY THAT IS AT THAT LOCATION THE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE TOGETHER TO BRIDGE SHELTER, UH, COMBINED WITH SERVICES AND COMBINED WITH, UH, THE RESOURCES TO MOVE THEM TO PERMANENT HOUSING.
SO IT'S A VERY, IT'S A DIFFERENT APPROACH IN THE SENSE THAT IT IS, UM, IT FROM AN INDIVIDUAL'S PERSPECTIVE, IT LOOKS, LOOKS AT AND PROVIDES RESOURCES FOR EVERY STEP OF THE WAY FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL.
UM, AND AT THE SAME TIME, IT RECOGNIZES THAT THERE ARE PLACES THAT PEOPLE ARE CAMPING THAT ARE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS AND IT CLOSES THOSE PLACES.
[01:20:01]
SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT IT.UM, IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T WORK FOR EVERYBODY.
IT'S NOT INTENDED TO, IT CAN'T WORK FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, IT'S CERTAINLY NOT, NOT THE ONLY, ONLY SYSTEM THAT WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE, UH, IN OUR SYSTEM ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
SO I THINK WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM IT.
I WANTED TO ASK DIANA WHAT SHE FEELS LIKE WE'VE LEARNED FROM IT.
I, UH, THE, THE, THE STATISTIC THAT 80 PLUS PER, OR MAYBE IT'S 85 PLUS PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE OFFERED THIS SAY YES, I THINK IS SIGNIFICANT.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE SAY IS THAT NO ONE, THAT PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREETS WANNA LIVE ON THE STREETS.
AND THAT'S JUST NOT ACCURATE DATA.
THE DATA SHOWS US THAT'S NOT TRUE.
SO SOME VERY HIGH SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN, IN PROCEEDING AT SHELTER IF IT'S OFFERED TO THEM, UM, AND INTERESTED IN DOING THAT WITH THE FOLKS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CAMPING AROUND.
SO THEN WE LOOK AT, WELL, WHAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, NOW WE'RE AT THE PHASE, UH, OF THIS PROJECT WHERE WE'RE HAVING, STARTING TO SEE SOME RESULTS ABOUT HOW IT WORKS IN TERMS OF GETTING FOLKS ALL THE WAY TO PERMANENT HOUSING.
SO, UM, I WOULD CONSIDER THE 70% FIGURE THAT WE HEARD EARLIER, A SUCCESS.
UH, 70% OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN HEAL, UH, ARE EITHER MOVING ON TO HOME OR MOVING ON TO PERMANENT, UM, PERMANENT HOUSING, EITHER REMAINING THROUGH THE BRIDGE SHELTER OR THROUGH OTHER SOURCES.
SO I'D LIKE, UH, TO ASK, UM, DIANA TO SPEAK TO THAT.
I THINK THAT, UH, WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS PROGRAM, AND I'D LIKE HER TO SPEAK TO WHAT WE'VE LEARNED.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I SEE THAT WE'VE LEARNED THAT THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM, SOME, UH, WORKS FOR A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
UM, IT DOESN'T WORK FOR EVERYBODY.
I WOULD NEVER EXPECT IT TO WORK FOR EVERYONE CONSIDERING THE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE HAVE.
SO, UH, BUT I THINK 70%, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW, IS A, IS A VERY GOOD, UH, PERCENTAGE.
SO DIANA, WOULD YOU JUST SHARE WITH US WHAT YOU THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE LEARNED? AND THEN, AND THEN I THINK WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS ON, UH, IN THIS COMMITTEE ABOUT SOME ADDITIONAL TO-DOS TO, TO FURTHER THAT, TO FURTHER THAT LEAR LEARNING YES.
UM, I WILL SPEAK TO SOME THINGS I, THAT WE HAVE LEARNED AND I THINK THAT WE ARE STILL LEARNING.
UM, AND, AND ALSO I, I'D LIKE TO SET THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF, UM, HAVING BY NECESSITY DURING THE PANDEMIC STOOD UP THE PROTECTIVE LODGES MM-HMM.
AND SO THE CITY STOOD UP FIVE PROTECTIVE LODGES, UH, SPECIFICALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE, UM, UNSHELTERED AND NEEDED THAT SPACE TO, TO, UM, TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE.
UM, AS WE WOUND THOSE DOWN IN, IN 2021, I THINK WE'D LEARNED THAT PEOPLE WERE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE AT, UH, GETTING PLACED INTO HOUSING WHEN THEY WERE IN THE, UH, MORE STABLE ENVIRONMENT OF THE SHELTER.
AND THAT THEY WERE MORE IN STABLE IN THAT SHELTER.
UH, IN PART BECAUSE IT WAS NON CONGREGANT.
UH, AND BY WHICH, I MEAN, UM, PEOPLE HAVE IN THE HOTELS, UM, THE, THE NOW BRIDGE SHELTERS INDIVIDUAL ROOMS. AND SO THE NU THE ACCEPTANCE RATE IS 87%.
SO 87% OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING YES.
AND I WANNA CLARIFY ALSO THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING, UM, THIS, THIS INTERVENTION, THE ENCAMPMENT IS HAPPENING PRETTY QUICKLY.
SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN OFFER THAT IN THESE CASES IS MADE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY OVER THE COURSE OF THREE TO FOUR DAYS.
SO THOSE FOLKS ARE SAYING YES WITHOUT A TON OF TIME.
UM, AND SO WE DO HAVE PEOPLE SOMETIMES THAT SAY NO, BUT LATER, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE WILLING, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY KNOW FOLKS WHO HAVE MOVED IN AND WHO, UM, WHO HA HAVE HAD A A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE.
IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE REASONS THAT ACCEPTANCE RATE IS SO HIGH IS THAT, UM, THIS IS LOW BARRIER SHELTER.
AND SO WE REALLY LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE KEPT FOLKS OUT OF YOUR TRADITIONAL SORT OF MANY, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE COPS IN A ROOM TYPE SHELTER, AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE, WHAT WE CAN ADJUST.
UM, PEOPLE CAN BRING THEIR PETS.
UM, IF PEOPLE ARE, IF THERE'S A COUPLE, THEY CAN STAY TOGETHER IN THE SHELTER.
UH, AND AS YOU MENTIONED, I THINK VERY IMPORTANTLY, WE INVITE, UM, IF, WHEN, WHEN WE OFFER SHELTER TO AN ENTIRE ENCAMPMENT, PEOPLE ARE NOT FACED WITH LEAVING THEIR ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL NETWORK FROM ONE DAY TO THE OTHER.
[01:25:01]
UH, THERE IS A CURFEW, BUT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE DURING THE DAY, RIGHT? THEY HAVE, UM, THEY HAVE FREE ABILITY TO COME AND GO, UM, ON, ON SITE.UH, AND AGAIN, WE, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY HAVE, UM, A SENSE OF WHAT THEIR PATH OUT OF THAT SHELTER WILL BE.
I THINK SOME OF THE, THE CHALLENGES WE'VE HAD AND THINGS THAT WE, UM, IN SOME CASES HAVE RESOLVED IN SOME CASES ARE REALLY STILL WORKING ON IS UNDERSTANDING AND GETTING, UM, OUR, OUR, OUR RESOURCES ALIGNED SO THAT CASE MANAGE MANAGERS CAN, UM, ENGAGE WITH CLIENTS QUICKLY ONCE THEY'VE MOVED IN.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE HOUSING SEARCH ITSELF IS OFTEN TAKING QUITE A WHILE NOW BECAUSE OF THE MARKET.
AND SO WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO LOSE, UM, THEIR OPTIMISM THAT IN THEIR SENSE THAT IN FACT THEY ARE GOING TO BE HA ARE GOING TO BE HOUSED BECAUSE WE THINK WE DO LOSE SOME PEOPLE FROM SHELTER, UH, WHEN THAT OCCURS.
UM, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY WORKING THROUGH HOW WE CREATE COMMUNITY ON THIS SITE, UM, AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT HERE TALKING ABOUT THE HARD SORT OF, YOU KNOW, OR, OR MORE FORMAL SOCIAL WORK OR CASE MANAGEMENT, BUT HOW WE BUILD THAT COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE, UM, THERE, THERE ARE MANY, MANY ADVANTAGES OF HAVING PRIVATE SPACES, BUT ONE OF THE POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES IS THE GREATER, UH, UM, POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATION FOR INDIVIDUALS.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON.
WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE ANOTHER PROVIDER IN THIS SPACE NOW IN THE FORM OF AUSTIN AREA URBAN LEAGUE, WHERE WE CAN BE WORKING WITH THEM ALSO ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE.
AND, UM, THINGS THAT THEY ARE TRYING THEY FOR ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, EMPLOYING PEERS ON SITE.
SO PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CONDITIONS.
UH, AND REALLY, UH, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO REINE THE MODEL NATIONWIDE.
AND HERE IN AUSTIN, OUR FIRST EXPERIMENT WITH THIS, UM, AT LEAST FOR SINGLE ADULTS, HAS ALMOST UNIFORMLY BEEN IN CONVERTED HOTELS BECAUSE THEY COULD VERY QUICKLY BE, UM, REPURPOSED, UH, IN, INTO SHELTER.
AND SO I THINK ONE QUESTION I HAVE FOR US IN THE LONGER TERM, PARTICULARLY AS WE THINK ABOUT, UH, OUR SHELTER SYSTEM, UH, AND HOW IT WILL EVOLVE OVER TIME, IS WHETHER WE CAN TAKE THE BEST ELEMENTS OF WHAT WE, UM, HAVE, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS USING, UH, SORT OF AN ADAPTIVE REUSE OF A FORMER HOTEL, UM, AND APPLY THOSE IN SOME OTHER SETTINGS THAT MAY MAKE IT EASIER OR MORE EFFICIENT TO OPERATE.
UM, WE MAY NOT NEED, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE ROOMS BECAUSE THEIR EXTENDED STAY HOTELS ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SIZE OF US ALL SMALL STUDIO.
SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GAIN SOME ECONOMIES OF SCALE, UM, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO EXPLORE.
SO I THINK WE'RE SCHEDULED, UM, UNTIL ABOUT 1130.
SO MAYBE WE SHOULD, SHOULD START SHIFTING, UM, IF THERE ARE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE WANNA TALK ABOUT, BUT, AND THEN SHIFT TO KIND OF WHERE WE SEE SOME OF THE CONTINUED NEEDS.
I MADE A LIST OF SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I, THAT I SAW OUR COUNCIL DO.
UH, ONE WAS TO CREATE THE MENTAL HEALTH, THE HOMELESS WELLNESS CENTER TO PROVIDE THE FUNDING THAT, THAT, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE WAS A PARTNER WITH, WITH US IN AND HAS SCALED BACK, BUT IT CONTINUES TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF SUPPORT FOR THAT, FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, PARTICULARLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA WHO ARE, WHO ARE IN NEED AND ARE INTERESTED IN ON THE WAIT LIST FOR THAT.
FOR THAT, I SEE THAT AS A HUGE, UM, CONTINUED NEED.
I THINK THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT WE REALLY COULD SEE SCALE UP, YOU KNOW, BACK TO THE CONVERSATION BEFORE ABOUT HOW WE, HOW WE REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
WE HAVE TWO NEW RESOURCES, SEVERAL NEW RESOURCES THAT I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, THE VIOLET CROWN STORAGE, WHICH ALLOWS, ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO STORE THEIR BELONGINGS SAFELY AND INCLUDING, UM, IDS AND OTHER KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE REALLY CHALLENGING TO KEEP A HOLD OF ON THE STREET AS THE REDEVELOPMENT THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE HEALTH SOUTH PARKING LOT.
AND SO I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT THAT'S SOMETHING I KNOW THE STAFF HAVE BEEN LOOKING TO CREATE STORAGE AREAS, UM, IN OTHER PARTS OF TOWN BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
AND SO THAT GEOGRAPHIC DISPERSAL REMAINS
[01:30:01]
A NEED, BUT THERE'S GOING TO EVENTUALLY BE A NEED TO RELOCATE THE VIOLET CROWN STORAGE, UM, AS WELL BECAUSE IT'S IN THE SITE THAT'S BEING REDEVELOPED.OUR COUNCIL CREATED, UH, RESTROOMS AND WATER FOUNTAINS.
NOW THOSE ARE, ARE DESIGNED TO SERVE OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, BUT THEY ARE ALSO SERVING THOSE WHO ARE UNHOUSED WHO HAD NEED OF THEM.
I SEE THAT, UM, A, A REAL NEED TO CONTINUE TO CONTINUE THAT WORK IN OTHER PARTS OF TOWN.
WE, ESPECIALLY, WE STARTED WITH THE DOWNTOWN, BUT I THINK WE, OUR COUNCIL HAS ALSO TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO SEE THOSE WATER FOUNTAINS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY AS WE, AS WE FACE CLIMATE CHANGE AND AN INCREASINGLY HOT CLIMATE, WE DEFINITELY NEED ACCESS TO WATER THROUGHOUT, BUT THOSE, THOSE HAVE PROVIDED RESOURCE THAT WE DIDN'T PREVIOUSLY HAVE TO INDIVIDUALS IN OUR DOWNTOWN AREA WHO ARE UNHOUSED.
AND THE SOBERING CENTER IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT, UH, HAS BEEN ANOTHER IMPORTANT PART OF THIS.
THIS, AGAIN, IS SERVING OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
IT, IT, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE NOT, ARE NOT THEIR PRIMARY CLIENTELE, BUT CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY ARE, ARE PART OF THE GUESTS THAT THEY'RE SERVING AT THE SOBERING CENTER AND NOW ARE SERVING IN DIFFERENT WAYS BY, BY ALSO HOLDING OVER SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SUBSTANCE USE ISSUES AND HAVE EXPRESSED AN, IS AN INTEREST IN LONGER TERM CARE AND ENTERING A PROGRAM.
THE SOBERING CENTER HAS REALLY, VERY CREATIVELY AND INNOVATIVELY UNDER THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
LAURA ELMORE FOUND A WAY TO KEEP THOSE INDIVIDUALS AT THE CENTER FOR A COUPLE DAYS, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S NOT WHAT THE CENTER WAS DEVISED FOR.
UM, AND UNTIL THERE'S A BED AVAILABLE.
AND SO THAT'S, I SEE THAT THAT IS AN AREA THAT'S REALLY GONNA NEED SOME SUPPORT AND EXPANSION, BUT THERE'S SUCH A CRITICAL NEED.
BUT DEFINITELY, UM, THE SERVICES OF THE SOBERING CENTER HAVE BEEN AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT IN, IN THE RESOURCES THAT WE'RE OFFERING.
AND THEN I MENTIONED IT AND THE MAYOR TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE TOO, AS THE HOST TEAM.
AND THIS WAS CREATED IN, IN LARGE PART UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF, OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE MODELING IT AFTER SOMETHING THAT HOUSTON HAD DONE.
UM, IT'S AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF, OF, WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT IS, IT'S AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM THAT HAS POLICE AND CASE WORKERS AND OTHERS.
BUT IT TOO, I THINK REPRESENTED A SHIFT IN HOW WE THINK ABOUT WHAT SERVICES WE NEED TO PROVIDE FOR INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
BECAUSE IT IS REALLY, IT IS DESIGNED TO MEET THOSE, UM, EMERGENCY NEEDS TO TRY TO PREVENT CRISES, MEDICAL CRISES, AND OTHER KINDS OF CRISES BEFORE, BEFORE THEY OR TO, TO RECOGNIZE THOSE KINDS OF, OF ISSUES BEFORE THEY BECOME CRISES.
TO CONNECT WITH INDIVIDUALS, TO, TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, SO THAT AT, AT A MINIMUM, UM, WHEN SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE A PLACE THAT'S READY FOR THEM ON HOUSING, THERE'S SOMEBODY POTENTIALLY ON THE HOST TEAM WHO KNOWS HOW TO LOCATE THEM.
SO THE HOST TEAM I SEE AS PART OF PART OF THE COUNCIL, THE CITY'S SHIFT TO NOT JUST FUNDING ACTUAL UNITS, ACTUAL SHELTER, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT AT HOW WE CAN HELP MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WHO ARE IN, IN A, WHAT IS UNFORTUNATELY A VERY LONG QUEUE FOR HOUSING.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT THE STATE STEPS UP TO, TO DO A LOT MORE IN THAT AREA.
AND I WOULD MAKE THAT A, A LOBBYING PUSH OF THE CITY COUNCIL CUZ THERE'S BEEN SOME INDICATION THAT PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE NOW ARE RECOGNIZING, UH, THAT NEED.
UH, AND JUST AS A REMINDER THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, WE NEED TO PROVIDE MORE IMMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE JUST NEEDING HELP AND ARE OTHERWISE LOST ON OUR STREETS.
BUT EVEN WHEN THEY GET THAT INITIAL MOMENT OF INTERVENTION, WHICH IS NECESSARY, THERE IMMEDIATELY THEN BECOMES THE NEED OF THEN WHERE DO WE PUT THAT PERSON? THERE'S GOTTA BE A HOME FOR THAT PERSON ON THE BACKSIDE OF ANY INTERVENTION.
AND MAYBE IT'S INTEGRATED, UH, WITH CONTINUED CARE AND SUPPORT, UM, BUT WE CAN'T LOOK AT, AT THE INTERVENTION BY ITSELF.
IT'S GOTTA BE COUPLED AS WITH ALL THINGS AND HOMELESSNESS WITH A HOME ON THE BACK END FOR THAT REALLY TO, TO, TO BE ABLE TO, TO HELP.
I THINK THAT'S DESERVING OF EMPHASIS.
THE OTHER THING AT A REALLY HIGH LEVEL IS I WOULD JUST POINT OUT AGAIN THAT WHILE IT'S INCREDIBLY EXCITING TO BE 90% FUNDED TOWARD A THREE YEAR OPERATIONAL PLAN, THAT MEANS THERE'S STILL 10% STILL TO GO AND THERE'S 65 MILLION STILL TO BE RAISED.
AND THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS WITH PRIVATE FUNDERS AND FOUNDATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY, UH, THAT HAVE EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN BEING PART OF THOSE CONVERSATION.
[01:35:01]
AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS NEED TO CONTINUE AND THEY NEED TO EXPAND AND THEY NEED TO REACH MORE PEOPLE.UH, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THE INCOMING LEADERSHIP GROUP COULD DO WOULD BE TO HELP SUPPORT THOSE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE CONTINUING THAT EFFORT WITH FINDING HOME ATX.
AND IT'S JUST REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT PUTTING THEIR SHOULDER TO THAT TOO.
IT GIVES IT LEGITIMACY AT SOME LEVEL WITH, UH, SOME OF THE FUNDERS THAT, UH, AND COMPANIES AND CORPORATIONS.
UH, BUT I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT WE WENT THROUGH A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE MOST EVERYBODY IN THIS CITY RECOGNIZED THE CHALLENGE WAS, WAS, WAS DEMANDING ACTION.
AND WE'RE AT THE PLACE RIGHT NOW WHERE THERE'S A VERY EASY, QUICK AND MULTIFACETED WAY FOR PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY TAKE THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS TO SAY, IN ADDITION TO TO, TO COMPLAINING OR IDENTIFYING THE CHALLENGE, I WANT TO BE PART OF SOLVING IT.
AND AT THIS POINT, THERE'S NO REASON OR EXCUSE FOR SOMEONE OR A COMPANY NOT TO PARTICIPATE.
THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN PARTICULAR PICK A PARTICULAR ENTITY.
YOU CAN PART, PARTICULAR PROJECT.
YOU CAN PICK A PARTICULAR, UH, AREA THAT INTERESTS YOU, THAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT.
YOU CAN FUND, UM, UH, COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM ANY GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT DIRECTLY TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING WORK, NEW ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING WORK.
YOU CAN JOIN AND PARTICIPATE IN WHAT IS BEING PUBLICLY FUNDED.
CUZ THERE'S, THERE'S JUST SO MANY, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR SOMEONE IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE SOLUTION.
THANK YOU FOR THAT ONE OTHER AREA.
I WANNA SAY, UH, SO WELL, TWO OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK ARE, ARE STILL ON THE TO-DO LIST.
ONE IS THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE AS A COUNCIL EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN, IN SUPPORTING TRAVIS COUNTY IN DOING OUR SUPPORT WAS LIMITED TO ONE POLICY ACTION TO LOOK AT, AT THE POTENTIAL OF PILOTING AND AT THE SOBERING CENTER, WHICH DID NOT TURN OUT TO BE THE BEST SOLUTION.
BUT I THINK THAT EXPRESSES THE CITY'S INTEREST IN, IN SUPPORTING SUCH A METHOD.
AND I KNOW THAT TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND STAFF CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THAT IDEA.
I THINK IT'S EX VERY MUCH NEEDED.
I'M IN CONVERSATIONS A LOT WITH, WITH VARIOUS DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDERS AND, AND OTHERS.
AND I, I THINK THAT THAT IS A, A VERY NECESSARY AND VERY NEEDED RESOURCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT, AS I DID AT OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT PROVIDES INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE RESOURCES, UM, INCLUDING TO INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND THEY ARE CONTINUE TO BE IN A NEED OF PERMANENT LOCATION.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, THAT OUR COUNCIL, UM, WAS ABLE TO COME TO A CONSENSUS ON.
AND I, AND THAT'S DEFINITELY A NEED IN THE FUTURE.
AND I, I WANNA WANNA ALSO NOTE THAT PETE VALDEZ, UM, REALLY A LEADER AT THAT ORGANIZATION JUST ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT AND WE DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR HIM, BUT HE, HE IS AN EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC SERVANT AND, AND THIS COMMUNITY IS, IS BETTER OFF FOR HIS SERVICE.
AND SO I KNOW HE'LL BE MUCH MISSED.
AND THAT WAS KIND OF ON MY LIST OF TO-DOS.
ARE THERE OTHER, OTHER KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, THAT THE NEXT COUNCIL, UH, JUST, JUST ONE ITEM, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT I'LL MENTION THAT HAVEN'T BEFORE AND IT'S A, IT'S A EMERGING ITEM.
SO, UM, AS, AS, UH, DIANA MENTIONED, UM, THE, THERE ARE EFFORTS, UM, BEGINNING TO ASSESS, UM, THE BEST PRACTICE AND, UH, WAY TO PROVIDE SHELTER.
UH, SIMILARLY WE HAVE STARTED DOWN THE ROAD AS A CITY TO, TO LOOK AT FUNDING, UM, STREET OUTREACH.
AND, UM, AND WHAT GOES ALONG WITH THE QUESTION OF STREET OUTREACH IS THE QUESTION OF NAVIGATION CENTERS.
UM, AND THAT IS AN AREA THAT AS A CITY WE HAVE NOT, UH, DISCUSSED YET ABOUT HOW YOU OFFER THOSE SERVICES.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS A WAY TO WORK WITH THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE OFFERING SERVICES, UM, TO PEOPLE AND ENCAMPMENTS WHO ARE LIVING UNSHELTERED.
AND, UM, AND SO WHAT'S THE BEST PRACTICE FOR THAT? IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IS THAT GOING TO THEM THROUGH STREET OUT OUTREACH? IS THAT A HOTLINE? UM, SUNRISE CHURCH IS, IS, UM, OR SUNRISE NAVIGATION CENTER IS, UM, PILOTING AND HAS STARTED A HOTLINE EFFORT, UH, TO THAT, UH, FOLKS THAT ARE LIVING UNSHELTERED CAN USE TO HELP CONNECT TO SERVICES.
SO THOSE, UH, AND, AND THIS COUNCIL, UH, PAST DIRECTION THAT I BROUGHT FORWARD, UM, JUST REALLY RECENTLY TO SUGGEST, UM, THAT THIS IS AN AREA FOR OUR HOMELESS
[01:40:01]
STRATEGY OFFICE TO CONSIDER IT IS, UH, THEY'VE, THEY HAVE A LOT OF WORK STACKED UP.SO IT IS NOT THE FIRST THING
SO CUZ THEY'RE WORKING ON THE, THE SHELTER QUESTION NOW, BUT, UM, BUT THE QUESTION OF WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE THOSE KIND OF NAVIGATION SERVICES, UM, AND TO PROVIDE THAT KIND OF STREET OUTREACH IS, IS SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES SOME FURTHER CONVERSATION.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE CAN, CAN ADDRESS.
UM, I THINK THAT, I THINK WHAT THAT POINTS TO, TO ME FROM A BIGGER PICTURE IS WE'VE HAD A LOT OF LEARNINGS, UH, FROM THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS ABOUT THE BEST WAYS IN WHICH TO OFFER SERVICES.
THIS, THIS IS ONE PIECE, JUST LIKE SHELTER'S, ONE PIECE.
UM, AND WE'RE EVOLVING OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AND WE'RE NOT EVOLVING OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF BEST PRACTICES ALREADY OCCURRING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT THIS IS A WAY TO, TO, TO TAKE A LOOK AT ONE PARTICULAR AREA AND SAY, WE'RE GONNA FUND SOME THINGS.
WE HAVE FUNDED SOME THINGS AS A CITY, SO IS IT WORKING? IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO DO IT? UM, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS TO ADDRESS RESPITE.
I KNOW THIS IS AN AREA THAT YOU HAVE OH YES, THANK YOU.
FOCUSED A LOT OF ATTENTION ON YOU.
SO TAKING RESPITE TO SCALE IS ALWAYS BEEN OUR CHALLENGE.
AND WHAT DOES RESPITE MEAN? WELL, RESPITE MEANS, UH, ON ONE LEVEL IT MEANS IF SOMEONE WHO IS, UH, LIVING UNSHELTERED, UM, IS, ENDS UP IN THE HOSPITAL OR THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND IS DISCHARGED, THEY FUNDAMENTALLY SHOULD NOT BE DISCHARGED BACK TO THE STREET.
AND YOU'RE HEARING ME, YOU'RE HEARING MY PASSION FOR THIS.
I JUST THINK IT IS, UH, I JUST THINK IT IS NOT HUMANE AND HORRIBLE TO EXPECT SOMEONE TO RECOVER AFTER A HOSPITAL STAY OR EMERGENCY ROOM VISIT ON THE STREETS.
SO, UM, SO THERE'S THAT ASPECT.
THERE'S ALSO THE ASPECT OF, OF RESPITE THAT RELATES TO SOMEONE WHO IS JUST, WHO IS ILL ON THE STREETS.
SOMEONE WHO HAS THE FLU OR RESPIRATORY ILLNESS OR SOMETHING ELSE LIKE THAT, UH, WITHOUT RESPITE, THEY, THEY, UM, IT JUST WORSENS.
SO, UM, THERE ARE, UM, THIS IS AN AREA THAT, UM, CENTRAL HEALTH HAS BEGUN A PROGRAM, IT NEEDS TO GO TO SCALE.
I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT.
UH, THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER CONVERSATIONS ALSO, UH, WITH OTHER PART, OTHER PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY ABOUT, UH, PUTTING IN PLACE RESPITE PROGRAMS. BUT I WOULD SAY THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, OUR CITY IS, UM, WOEFULLY UN UNDER-RESOURCED FROM A RESPITE PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO THE CHALLENGES HAVE BEEN NOT UNLIKE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR OTHER PROGRAMS, A MATTER OF CAPACITY, A MATTER OF WHO FUNDS, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE, HOW DOES THE COMMUNITY WORK TOGETHER TO BRING THAT TO SCALE.
AND THOSE ARE NOT, UM, EASY ISSUES.
IF THEY WERE, IT WOULD'VE ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED.
SO, AND I, I DO WANNA, IF WE COULD TAKE JUST A MINUTE OR SO IF, IF DIANA WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT RESPITE, I DUNNO THAT I, I WANNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT RESPITE THAT YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY SAID.
I, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'VE SIGNALED IS PART AND PARCEL OF HOW WE ARE THINKING ABOUT OUR WORK GOING FORWARD.
UH, WE ARE, AS YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY YOUNG, UH, DIVISION, WE'VE EXISTED FOR THREE YEARS AND, AND THAT FIRST YEAR, UH, WHICH WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD AN INTERIM OFFICER, UH, LARGELY HOLDING DOWN THE PORT ON OUR OWN, IS THAT WE, UM, WHILE WE WILL BE ADDRESSING ISSUES AS THEY COME UP AND RESPONDING TO DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL, WE ALSO WANT TO BE REALLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT SETTING OUR WORK, UM, IN, IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS US TO REALLY MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGE IN A PARTICULAR AREA.
BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY AREAS TO WORK IN, WE ARE VERY AWARE OF NEEDING TO LOOK AT STREET OUTREACH MM-HMM.
FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY RESOURCE CENTER, WHICH LINKS TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO, UM, SPOKE ABOUT THE STORAGE, UM, RESOURCES, UH, CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, ALSO ARE THINKING ABOUT OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE SYSTEM, UH, IN THE PERMANENT HOUSING REALM.
AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD MENTION THAT, UH, RELATED TO THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION EFFORT, THE CITY DOES HAVE REPRESENTATION ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE THAT IS BEING LED BY,
[01:45:01]
UM, DR.AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR PARTNERSHIP, UH, IN WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THAT, UH, THAT GROUP'S, UH, RECOMMENDATION PROCESS.
AND I WOULD JUST ADD ON, UM, ON THE RESPITE AREA, THE CENTRAL HEALTH IS STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE.
AND, UM, AND I APPRECIATE THEIR LEADERSHIP.
I CONSIDER, UM, RESPITE ISSUE, A HEALTHCARE ISSUE SPECIFICALLY.
I CONSIDER ALL OF THIS HEALTHCARE, BUT I REALLY AM PLEASED TO SEE, AND, UH, WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT OUR HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY, UM, IS THE BEST PLACE TO CENTRALIZE A RESPONSE TO RESPITE ALONG WITH, UH, THE OTHER FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE WORKING ON THESE ISSUES.
SO I APPRECIATE CENTRAL HEALTH STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE, AND I KNOW THAT OTHERS, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT DOING.
I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, UH, BOTH OF YOUR LEADERSHIP ON, ON THE ISSUES OF RESPITE CARE.
AND I HOPE WITH YOUR NEW APPOINTMENT, UM, UH, YOU, YOU, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE FAR FROM, FROM HELPING THIS CITY REALIZE, UH, THE, THE ANSWERS TO THIS CUZ THE PRESSURE, UH, NEEDS TO BE KEPT ON, UH, IN THIS AREA.
UH, JUST TWO THINGS I'D POINT OUT REAL FAST.
ONE IS SOMEONE GOES INTO RESPITE, WE NEED THE PLACE FOR THEM SO THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING DISCHARGED AND ON OUR STREET, BUT AS SOON AS THEY FEEL BETTER, THEY'RE GONNA LEAVE RESPITE.
AND WHERE DO THEY GO? AND IF WE DON'T HAVE HOUSING FOR THEM, AGAIN, THEY WILL BE BACK ON OUR STREETS AND BACK IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND BACK IN SIMILAR.
SO ONCE AGAIN, ALL ROADS LEADING TO, WE ACTUALLY NEED TO GET PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO BE AND SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE IN THOSE PLACES.
AND I'M ENCOURAGED BY THE, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST.
I UNDERSTAND THAT COMMUNITY FIRST IS, WOULD MAKE A SPOT AVAILABLE MM-HMM.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DIFFICULT TIME RIGHT NOW, I KNOW FOR HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, GIVEN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE MARKET.
BUT THE, UH, SUGGESTION OF BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY PLAYS INTO A NEED THOSE FOLKS HAVE.
AND I'VE SEEN REAL SUCCESSFUL MODELS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE, WHERE, WHERE, UH, HOSPITAL AND CARE, UH, OPERATING SYSTEMS, IN ESSENCE, UH, PURCHASE BEDS, UH, IN A FACILITY THAT THEN SERVE THEM ALL.
THE PRICE OF THE BED THEY PAY IS REALLY 125% OF WHAT THAT BED REALLY COSTS, OR 150% OF WHAT THAT BED REALLY COSTS.
BUT THEY ALWAYS HAVE A NUMBER OF BEDS AVAILABLE TO THEM.
AND WITH THAT LITTLE PREMIUM THAT THEY'RE PAYING, THERE ARE ALSO BEDS THEN THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY GENERALLY.
UH, BUT WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH FINDING AN OPERATING, UH, PARTNER IN THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO AGAIN, REALLY IMPORTANT WORK.
I JUST MENTIONED THOSE PARTICULARS, SO IF SOMEONE'S WATCHING THIS TAPE, THEY KNOW WHERE TO, WHERE TO, TO FOCUS IN.
ANY OTHER ISSUES WE SHOULD ELEVATE OR SHALL WE WRAP? WELL, UM, COLLEAGUES, I WANNA JUST SAY THIS HAS BEEN AN AREA OF INCREDIBLE IMPORTANCE TO ME PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY AND TO MY DISTRICT NINE TEAM.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING ALONGSIDE THE TWO OF YOU WITH, WITH THAT COMMITMENT, UM, THAT I KNOW YOU SHARE HAS BEEN JUST EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT.
UM, I WANNA THANK OUR STAFF, DIANA, AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SO MANY, SO MANY OTHERS OF, OF ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE SUPPORTED THAT WORK.
UM, THERE'S STILL A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT TO DO AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS KIND OF CONVERSATION REALLY CHALLENGING, BECAUSE I KNOW IF WE HAD SIX MORE MONTHS WE'D, YOU KNOW, KEEP DOING THAT, THAT HARD WORK TOGETHER AND, AND CONTINUE TO SEE THIS FORWARD.
BUT I THINK WE'VE, WE HAVE A, A GOOD, UH, CAPABLE GROUP COMING ON BOARD AND, UM, I HOPE THAT THEY PRIORITIZE THIS ISSUE WELL AS, UH, AS WELL, UM, AS, AS THE DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE AREA THAT, THAT HAD, UH, FOR SOME TIME THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
I KNOW THESE WERE, THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT CONSTITUENCY TO ME AND I WANNA REALLY THANK, UM, SHANNON AND HALLE AND, AND ASHLEY RICHARDSON ON MY STAFF WHO WORKED ON THIS ISSUE JUST, UM, DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND REALLY PASSIONATELY AS WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
UH, ONE OTHER THING I DO WANNA MENTION, IT'S, IT IS, IT IS A LARGER PIECE IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT IMPACTS HOMELESSNESS TO SOME EXTENT, BUT IT'S MUCH LARGER.
AND THAT IS THE AUSTIN CARES PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE, UM, A PLACING OF MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS IN THE NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
UM, SO THAT IS A, THAT'S ANOTHER PIECE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT RECOGNIZES, UH, THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPORTANCE OF EMPHASIZING THE, UM, MOST APPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH CRISES AND, UM, BY PLACING MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS.
[01:50:01]
THAT IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH INTEGRAL CARE, WITH OUR, UM, WITH OUR EMS DEPARTMENT, UH, WITH A P D.UM, AND IT IS A, UM, A VERY INNOVATIVE, NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED, UM, PROGRAM AT THIS POINT.
UH, I ALSO WANT TO, TO THANK, UH, KEN CRAIG ON MY STAFF WHO REALLY, UH, HELPED LEAD THE EFFORT TO GET AUSTIN CARES GOING, AND ALSO HAS BEEN JUST AN AMAZING, UM, LEADER WITH REGARD TO HOMELESSNESS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MY STAFF AS A WHOLE HAS TRIED TO BE VERY RESPONSIVE AS YOU HAVE TOO, TO WHAT WE HEAR IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THEM BRING THAT TO THE TABLE.
BUT, UM, BUT KEN HAS BEEN OUR, OUR LEAD, UM, FOR OUR OFFICE AS WELL AS THE CITY IN TERMS OF HELPING CONSTITUENTS, UH, ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR THAT.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, I NEGLECTED IN MY COMMENTS REALLY TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP AND MAYOR FOR YOURS.
AND I SEE THAT YOU HAVE COMMENTS AND I'LL LET YOU CLOSE US OUT, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND, AND, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE HAD OUR, OUR MOMENTS COLLECTIVELY AS WE HAVE, UH, ARGUED, UH, BETWEEN US ON THE BEST WAYS TO, TO GET TO PLACES, BUT I HAVE ALWAYS, UH, ADMIRED YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FELT THAT WE WERE ALIGNED IN WHERE WE WANTED TO GET TO.
UH, AND I ALSO KNOW THAT THE MOVEMENT THAT THE CITY'S MADE IN THIS AREA WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT YOUR BOTH OF YOU, UH, UH, COMMITMENT TO THIS AREA.
UH, ONE THING I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, TO MENTION ONLY CUZ WE, WE DIDN'T OUT LOUD, AND TO THE DEGREE THAT THIS IS A HISTORICAL PRESERVATION MOMENT, I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE, THE CAMPING BAN AND THE WORK THAT WE DID IN DECRIMINALIZING, UH, HOMELESSNESS.
YOU KNOW, THAT THAT DIDN'T GROW OUT OF, UH, A DESIRE TO MAKE ANY KIND OF BROAD STATEMENTS OR EVEN TO BE PARTICULARLY CONTROVERSIAL.
UH, AT THE TIME IT WAS JUST A RECOGNITION THAT WHILE SOMEBODY WHO WAS CREATING A PUBLIC SAFETY RISK OR A PUBLIC HEALTH HARM SHOULD BE TICKETED OR ARRESTED, UH, SOMEBODY WHO WAS NOT DOING THOSE THINGS, WHO'S, WHOSE ONLY CRIME OR OFFENSE WAS THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE, SHOULD NOT BE SOMEONE THAT WAS GETTING TICKETED FOR THAT OR PUT IN JAIL FOR THAT.
THAT THERE JUST HAD TO BE A BETTER SOLUTION.
UH, AND, AND, AND WE ALL RECOGNIZED THAT AND WERE STRUGGLING WITH A SYSTEM THAT WAS, UH, PERHAPS ALL TOO EFFICIENTLY, UM, TICKETING OR PUTTING PEOPLE IN JAIL WHEN THAT WAS THEIR, THEIR OFFENSE.
UM, WE WERE DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB OF THAT, THAT IT WAS, PEOPLE WEREN'T, PEOPLE WEREN'T RECOGNIZING, I THINK, THE EXTENT OF THE CHALLENGE THAT WAS, UH, EXISTING IN OUR, IN OUR CITY.
BUT HAVING TAKEN THAT, THAT FIRST ACTION TO DECRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO, TO DO, UH, I THINK THAT ONE, WE LEARNED LESSONS ON HOW TO DO IT.
IF WE COULD DO IT OVER AGAIN, I THINK WE WOULD, UH, BE, UH, MANAGING SHARED PUBLIC SPACES BETTER THAN WE DID.
UH, BUT I BELIEVE IN THE REASON THAT WE MOVED IN THIS WAY.
UH, AND I ALSO BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER CITIES ON THE WEST COAST, THAT IF WE HAD CONTINUED TO MANAGE IT THE WAY WE WERE, THE CHALLENGE WOULD CONTINUE TO GET LARGER AND LARGER AND MORE ENTRENCHED TO THE POINT THAT THE SCALE OF THE CHALLENGE WOULD BE SO GREAT, WE COULDN'T SOLVE IT.
UH, AND ONE OF THE, THE, THE, THE BYPRODUCTS OF GOING THROUGH WHAT WE WENT THROUGH AND THE DISRUPTION AND DISCOMFORT ASSOCIATED WITH SEEING PEOPLE WITHOUT THE HOMES IN OUR, IN OUR MIDST, UM, UH, ONE, IT LED TO CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD JUST CREATED A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR WHETHER PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY SEEING NOW THE CHALLENGE WE HAD.
BUT I ALSO BELIEVED FUNDAMENTALLY THAT IF OUR COMMUNITY ACTUALLY SAW THE CHALLENGE, THIS IS A COMMUNITY THAT WOULD STEP FORWARD TO, TO FIX IT.
UH, AND I BELIEVE WE'VE DONE THAT.
UM, AND I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT IN WAYS THAT, THAT, THAT MOST OTHER CITIES IN THE COUNTRY HAVE NOT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A CHANCE TO BE THE FIRST CV SIZE IN OUR SITUATION TO ACTUALLY END HOMELESSNESS.
I GO BACK TO YOUR POINT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, WE CAN END THIS, BUT THE REASON WE'RE ON THIS PATH IS IN PART BECAUSE WE WENT THROUGH THAT CATHARTIC DISRUPTION.
I THINK THAT I'M NOT SURE WE WOULD BE IN THE PLACE WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW HAD WE NOT DONE THAT.
AND AS A POSTSCRIPT, I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THE CONVERSATIONS THAT'S TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW IN LOS ANGELES, BRAND NEW MAYOR KAREN BASS, MAYOR BASS STEPPING FORWARD DECLARING, UH, AN EMERGENCY IN LOS ANGELES TO DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS.
IT WAS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE IN THEIR CITY, UH, MAYORAL ELECTION.
UH, BECAUSE THEY, THEY DID HIDE IT FOR LONGER THAN, THAN WE DID.
AND THE SCALE DID GET SO BIG THAT THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE DEALING WITH IT.
BUT IF YOU LISTEN TO HER CONVERSATIONS RIGHT NOW ON WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE TRYING TO DO, IT JUST REAFFIRMS FOR ME THE PATH, THE CORRECTNESS,
[01:55:01]
AND OF THE PATH THAT WE'RE ON BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, AS I HEAR MAYOR BASS TALK, I REALIZE LOS ANGELES IS REALLY A STEP OR TWO BEHIND WHERE WE ARE.AND THEY'RE TRYING NOW TO CREATE THE KIND OF THE SYSTEMIC RESPONSE.
BUT IN A WORLD WHERE IT'S GONNA BE SO DIFFICULT, I WISH HER AND THAT CITY THE BEST.
WE'VE GONE TO SCHOOL ON THOSE CITIES.
NOT TO REPEAT WHAT THEY DID, BUT TO TRY TO AVOID THE PATH, UH, THAT THEY IN PORTLAND AND SAN FRANCISCO AND AND SEATTLE WERE ON AND WE'RE ON THAT PATH NOW TO, TO AVOID THAT.
UM, AND, AND, AND WHILE WE WENT THROUGH DISRUPTIVE TIMES, I JUST THINK THOSE DISRUPTIVE TIMES ARE NOW, ARE ENABLING US TO BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND IF ANYONE ON THE NEW COUNCIL HERE WANTS TO LOOK AT THAT, I BELIEVE WE PASSED A RESOLUTION ASKING OUR MANAGER TO EVALUATE JUST THAT VERY ISSUE AS WELL OF, OF WHETHER DECLARING A CRISIS WOULD, WOULD BRING IN NEW RESOURCES.
WELL, AGAIN, THANK YOU COLLEAGUES, UM, FOR YOUR EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP IN THIS AREA.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR CITY STAFF, UH, CURRENT AND PAST WHO HAVE, HAVE REALLY WORKED AND, AND CONTINUE TO WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT ON THESE ISSUES AND OUR, OUR MANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND NON-PROFITS WHO ARE ENGAGED IN THIS WORK EVERY DAY.
WE STAND ADJOURNED AT 11:32 AM THANK YOU TO OUR CITY HALL STAFF.
THANK YOU TO ALL ALL WHO SUPPORTED THIS MEETING.