[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.IT IS 10:01 AM AND I'M CALLING THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE TO ORDER.
IT IS, UH, 10 0 1 ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH, 2024, AND WE ARE HERE IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
UH, WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING OF OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE YEAR.
IS THIS OUR FIRST? YEAH, GUESS IT IS.
AND I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR NEWEST MEMBER OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE, COUNCIL MEMBER ZO CADRE.
WE'RE THRILLED THAT YOU HAVE JOINED OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.
UH, TODAY WE HAVE A RELATIVELY SHORT BUT VERY IMPORTANT AGENDA.
WE WILL HEAR FROM OUR HOMELESS HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY OFFICER DAVID GRAY, AND ALSO DISCUSS SOME BOARD APPOINTMENTS.
WE WILL HAVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF OUR COMMITTEE.
AND THEN I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE JOINED HERE BY DOZENS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WILL BE, UH, SHARING SOME REMARKS WITH US HERE SHORTLY AND WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME THEM.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
SO, TO LAY OUT OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY, WE ARE GONNA START WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
THEN, UH, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR LAST COMMITTEE MEETING FOR APPROVAL.
FROM THERE, WE WILL HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME PRESENT TO US AND JOIN US FOR THE UPDATE FROM THE HSO OFFICE.
THAT'S THE HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY OFFICE AND ENDEAVORS.
THEN WE WILL GO TO MOVE ON TO CENTRAL HEALTH APPOINTMENTS, FOLLOWED BY ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION ON THE SOBERING CENTER BOARD APPOINTMENTS WHERE WE MAY, UH, WELL ACTUALLY WE WILL BE IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR BOTH ITEMS. AND SO, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE AGENDA? ALRIGHT, SO I GUESS WE WILL START FIRST
[Public Communication: General]
WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.AND MAY THE CLERK'S OFFICE PLEASE START US OFF WITH THIS SPEAKER.
EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES FOR THEIR REMARKS.
THE FIRST SPEAKER UP IS CHRIS EDELMAN.
SECOND SPEAKER WILL BE ANTONIO ROMERO.
WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE COME TO THE MIC OR TO THE PODIUM.
CHRIS EDELMAN, ANTONIO ROMERO, THOMAS WOODARD, AND HE HAS GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS THOMAS WOODWARD AND THAT'S ME ON THAT, UH, GRAPHIC RIGHT THERE.
UH, I'VE BEEN, UM, MY NAME IS THOMAS WOODWARD.
I'VE, UM, YEAH, I'LL GET TO THAT.
I'VE BEEN ON, UH, SEVERAL ADVISORY BOARDS.
I'VE, UH, BEEN INVOLVED WITH, UH, AGENCY OVERSIGHTS AND, UM, I WORKED FOR, UH, SIX YEARS WITH THE CHALLENGER NEWSPAPER AND INFORMING THE COMMUNITY OF, UM, HOW TO CORRECT OUR, UH, ISSUES HERE WITH THE HOMELESSNESS.
UH, WE ARE GOVERNMENT BY THE CONSENT OF THE, THE GOVERN.
UM, I HAD SUBMITTED RECENTLY ABOUT, UM, THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER, UH, FOOD MODIFICATIONS FOR THE NUTRITIONAL, UH, DEFICIENCIES, AND I APPRECIATE THOSE, UH, OFFICES THAT HAD RESPONDED TO THAT.
UH, THAT'S ME ON THAT, UH, GRAPHIC UP THERE.
UM, 2022, I TEMPORARILY PUT MY STUFF IN A CITY STORAGE FACILITY AND A CITY EMPLOYEE, UH, HAD TAKEN MY STUFF, WHICH HAD RENDERED ME HOMELESS AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.
UM, YEAH, THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY COURT, UM, I HAD CON IN REGARDS TO THIS ISSUE RIGHT HERE.
I CONTINUED TO KEEP THEM UPDATED IN REGARDS TO THE THEFT AND THE BEHAVIOR GOING ON THERE.
AND, UH, JEREMY MYERS, WHO IS THE SUPERVISOR THAT RETALIATED AGAINST ME BY INFORMING HIS EMPLOYEES THAT I WAS TELLING HIM ABOUT THEIR THEFT AND THEY WERE COMING AFTER ME.
UM, THAT GOES TO SHOW THE INTEGRITY OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.
THE CONTINUUM OF CARE, WHICH ALL THIS OPERATES UNDER, NEEDS TO BE MODIFIED.
I'M GONNA WORK WITH HUD ON MODIFYING THAT CONTINUUM OF CARE, THE CONTINUING THE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
UM, THESE AGENCIES OVER THE YEARS, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN ADVOCACY FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, AND, UM, THESE AGENCIES SHOULD BE WORKING THEMSELVES OUTTA BUSINESS AND NOT EXPANDING.
UM, THEY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, UH, 10 YEARS OF STAGNATION IN REGARDS TO, UM, WELL, WE'LL GO BACK TO 2018 WHEN I HAD TO FILE AN INJUNCTION AGAINST THE CITY CONTRACT FOR
[00:05:01]
FRONT STEPS BECAUSE OF, UM, BEHAVIOR THAT WAS GOING ON WITHIN FRONT STEPS.FRONT STEPS WAS EVENTUALLY MOVED, REMOVED FROM THE, UH, THE, UH, CITY SHELTER IS IN REGARDS TO THAT.
AND THEN WE TOOK THAT LEADER AND THEN WE PUT THEM THAT LEADER IN THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.
IS MY TIME OUT? THANK YOU SPEAKER.
NEXT SPEAKER UP IS LOGAN GREEN, THEN FRAN TU SASHA ROSE.
IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE COME TO THE MIC.
I'M LOGAN GREEN AND I'M A SOCIAL WORK INTERN AT CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
I FREQUENTLY TALK WITH AND WORK WITH OUR NEIGHBORS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WHO TELL ME ABOUT THE BARRIERS THEY HAVE ACCESSING SHELTER.
AND SO FROM WORKING WITH OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, UH, I, I HAVE BECOME AWARE OF THE LACK OF COHESION AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CITY RUN SHELTERS, INCLUDING THE, THE MARSHALING YARD, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THE MARSHING YARD AND OTHER CITY RUN SHELTER.
THE MARSHING YARD AND OTHER CITY RUN SHELTERS DIFFER AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL ENTRY PROCESS, UM, WHICH CREATES CONFUSION AND A FEELING OF UNCERTAINTY WITH THEIR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS.
UM, AND SO THIS LACK OF COHESION BETWEEN SHELTERS CREATES A SYSTEM THAT FEELS UNFAIR, WHERE SOME MAY BE ABLE TO ACCESS HOUSING BEFORE OTHERS PURELY BASED ON WHO THEY KNOW.
AND SO I BELIEVE IT WOULD BENEFIT OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, UM, IF THERE THERE WOULD BE GREATER COLLABORATION, UM, AND COORDINATION AMONG THE CITY'S SHELTERS.
AND I BELIEVE BY ESTABLISHING A STRONG COMMUN COMMUNICATION CHANNELS AND, UH, STANDARDIZED PROTOCOLS, WE COULD GIVE OUR NEIGHBORS ATTEMPTING TO SECURE SHELTER A BETTER CHANCE OF DOING SO AND PREVENT THEM FROM FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS.
AND ALSO, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE PLAN ENCLOSURE OF MARSHALING YARD IN AUGUST.
UM, OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS HAVE EXPRESSED TO ME THE BENEFIT OF, UM, THE SHELTER AND OTHER SHELTERS AND PROVIDING A SAFE PLACE TO REST.
AND SO WITH HOW AUSTIN ALREADY HAVING A SHORTAGE OF SHELTERS, UM, I HOPE TO SEE THE MARSHALING YARD STAY OPEN AS A VITAL RESOURCE FOR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT WORKING TO, UM, CREATE A COORDINATED SYSTEM OF CITY RUN SHELTERS AND KEEPING THE MARSHALING YARD OPEN WILL CREATE A MORE COMPASSIONATE, EFFICIENT, AND EFFECTIVE SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR THE UNHOUSED POPULATION, OUR CITY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK IN ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS AND BEING PART OF THE, THE EFFORT TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE THAT AFFECTS MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
NEXT SPEAKER, SASHA ROSE, FRAN TTU, AND JESUS GONZALEZ.
IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE MIC.
RICKY LIVA, CARMEN GIANNIS, FRAN TTU, SASHA ROSE, JESUS GONZALEZ.
IF YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE MIC.
UM, MY NAME'S NOT REALLY IMPORTANT.
I'VE BEEN HOMELESS IN MULTIPLE STATES, IN SEVEN PLUS CITIES.
I'VE SEEN MULTIPLE MODELS OF, UH, LIKE HOMELESS SHELTERS.
AND THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT I'VE SEEN IS, UH, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE TO LIKE BE THERE WHEN IT HAPPENS.
NOW, IF YOU WANT TO, UH, SOLVE HOMELESSNESS, YOU GOTTA HAVE TO KIND OF DO IT WITH INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE AVAILABLE, UH, TO SERVE OUR, OUR UNHOUSED, UH, NEIGHBORS.
AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED 'CAUSE UH, IT'S ALSO A TURNOFF.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS LIKE MYSELF HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE PRISON SYSTEMS AND ALSO THE CPS SYSTEMS, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, PTSD AND TRAUMA FROM OUR EXPERIENCES.
AND I, MYSELF, INTENTIONALLY DON'T USE SHELTERS THAT REMIND ME OF, UH, THE PRISON, UH, FACILITIES OR, UH, MY FOSTER HOME WHEN I STAYED AT THE HAVEN FOR HOPE, UH, SHELTER DOWN IN, UH, SAN ANTONIO.
ONE THING I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT IT WAS, UH, THE POLICE PRESENCE.
THERE WERE A HIGH NUMBER OF, UH, POLICE PRESENCE AND, AND IT JUST MADE ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
SO I WOULD WAIT TILL THE OVERFLOW SHELTER OPENED UP AT 10 O'CLOCK AND USE THAT THEIR FACILITIES WHERE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF POLICE PRESENCE.
NOW, UH, A LOT OF OUR, UH, ISSUES ON THE STREETS HAS TO DO WITH, UH, LIKE OUR DIET, MAN, WE DON'T GET THE BEST DIET AND OUR BODIES ARE KIND OF PAYING FOR IT,
[00:10:01]
MAN.CARMEN GIANNIS KEA PRINCE LISA RAINES.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THIS COMMITTEE AND YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL CARE GREATLY ABOUT THESE COMMUNITIES.
UM, YOU ARE HEARING FROM A LOT OF DIRECTLY IMPACTED FOLKS, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS REALLY SERIOUSLY.
UH, AND TO PAUSE IN THIS INVESTMENT OF $2 MILLION TO MCKINSEY, WHICH I KNOW, YOU KNOW, COULD DOUBLE THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE THAT ELWIN COULD IMMEDIATELY SUPPORT SOME PEOPLE FROM, UH, BEING OUT ON THE STREET RIGHT NOW COULD HELP GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREET RIGHT NOW.
AND A LOT OF THESE FOLKS KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, YOU KNOW HOW IT IS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WHEN YOU HIRE AN EXPENSIVE CONSULTANT AND THEY COME, WHO DO THEY COME TO? THEY COME TO OUR PEOPLE AND THEY ASK US FOR EVERYTHING WE KNOW SO THEY CAN PUT IN A REPORT FOR YOU.
THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY HAS NO TRUST.
WHY? BECAUSE THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN HURT BY THE PRIVATIZED IMMIGRATION INCARCERATION SYSTEM, THOSE OF US WHO HAVE, UH, LOST PEOPLE TO THE FENTANYL CRISIS, THOSE OF US WHO HAVE WATCHED OUR NEIGHBORS EVICTED FROM APARTMENTS THAT ARE DEMOLISHED TO BUILD EXPENSIVE DENT UNITS, THIS HAPPENED IN YOUR DISTRICT AT IBER HEART.
THEY COULDN'T EVEN GET THAT POSTPONEMENT.
BUT I MET WITH THOSE TENANTS AND THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ENDING UP ON THE STREETS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANOTHER PLACE TO GO.
SO I URGE YOU ALL TO LOOK AT THIS COMPANY AND ITS HISTORY OF GETTING INVOLVED IN CREATING PROBLEMS THAT IT THEN COMES IN TO GET BIG CONTRACTS TO ASSESS HOW TO SOLVE, BECAUSE THAT IS A TRACK RECORD WITH MCKINSEY ON THOSE THREE ISSUES.
I SAY THAT AS A PERSON WHO HAS WATCHED PEOPLE SUFFER AT THE HANDS OF THE PRIVATE DETENTION SYSTEM OF IMMIGRANTS, I SAY THAT AS SOMEBODY WHO LOST MY HOMIE FROM THE TWO THREE THAT I WENT TO PROM WITH AN LBJ TO A FENTANYL OVERDOSE WHO LOST, WHOSE FAMILY LOST HIS LITTLE BROTHER FIVE YEARS LATER IN NOVEMBER.
AND I SAY THAT TO YOU AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS WATCHED TOO MANY PEOPLE RENTING IN AUSTIN FOR YEARS.
THOSE FOLKS IN DISTRICT TWO, THEY WENT TO PALM SCHOOL.
SO PLEASE RECONSIDER THIS CONTRACT.
YOU CAN HELP PEOPLE RIGHT AWAY WITH THE MONEY.
AND I REMIND SPEAKERS, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE ANNOUNCE YOUR NAME AS YOUR, AS YOU BEGIN SPEAKING, PLEASE ANNOUNCE YOURSELF.
FRAN TTU AT DISTRICT NINE OUTREACH LIAISON AUSTIN MUTUAL AID.
I THANK THE COMMITTEE FOR THIS TIME TODAY AND FOR A CHANCE FOR US TO ALL COME TOGETHER AND SEEK SOLUTIONS.
I ECHO MY FRIENDS, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT MCKINSEY, AND I'M GONNA BE ECHOING MANY OF THE, UM, CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT MARSHALL YARD.
I UNDERSTAND IT, UH, SERVES A PURPOSE.
UH, I RUN POP-UP SHELTERS AND HELP RUN A SHELTER FOR THREE WEEKS DURING YURI.
AND FROM THAT MODEL, I HAVE BEEN COMING TO COUNCIL FOR A COUPLE YEARS NOW SAYING, PLEASE CONSIDER THE SMALLER SERVICE PROVIDERS.
AND WHAT WE SUGGEST ARE SMALLER PERSON, PERSON ORIENTED, UH, SHELTERS, EMERGENCY SHELTERS, UM, HALFWAY HOMES.
WE NEED TO SERVE OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS IMMEDIATELY UPON NEED, WHICH IS NOT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
PEOPLE ARE DYING BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO, UM, FROM SURGERY.
AND THERE ARE, UH, I CAN PROMISE YOU, IF YOU GAVE US THE $9 MILLION, WE WOULD SET UP SMALL SHELTERS IN EVERY SECTOR OF AUSTIN.
PEOPLE WOULD SHOW UP TO HELP US.
I HAVE FED 500 PEOPLE AT A TIME.
IT'S REALLY QUITE EASY WITH THE DEDICATED STAFF TO MAKE AMAZING MEALS.
UH, AUSTIN MUTUAL AID ALONE HAS 23 COOKS AT A VOLUNTEER STEP FORWARD, AND WE DELIVER MEALS.
UH, SECONDLY, I WANNA, UH, DISCUSS THE SWEEPS AND HOW MAY WE START TO, UH, WORK WITH A PD INSTEAD OF CROSS PURPOSES.
I MYSELF FEEL THREATENED WHEN I'M OUT IN THE STREETS AND I'M STOPPING AND I'M TALKING TO PEOPLE.
A PD COMES UP AND TALKS TO ME, AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, THE AREA WHERE I WAS IS CORDONED OFF.
NO, UH, OFFER OF ASSISTANCE, JUST I FEEL THREATENED.
UM, CONSTANTLY OUR SURVIVAL GEAR IS BEING THROWN INTO THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, WHATEVER THEY CALL IT,
SO, UH, LET'S FIND A WAY TO KEEP A BD FROM BEING ROGUE.
I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS DOES NOT, UH, REFER TO OUR CONSTABLES WHO PEOPLE ON THE STREET HAVE BEEN TELLING ME THEY FEEL PROTECTED BY.
SO, HATS OFF TO ANY CONSTABLE THAT WANTS TO STEP UP AND ADVOCATE FOR THE UNHOUSED.
UH, BUT PLEASE, LET'S HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH A PD TO, TO STOP THIS.
I'M SASHA ROSE AUSTIN, ALSO WITH AUSTIN MUTUAL AID.
UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT A FEW THINGS.
ONE, THE MCKINZIE STUDY IS INCREDIBLY CONCERNING TO ME.
UM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF STUDIES DONE, THEY'RE DONE NATIONWIDE.
UM, THE HOMELESSNESS IS THE REASON FOR HOMELESSNESS IS PRETTY EASY TO SEE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU JUST GO JUMP IN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP.
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IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO ACCESS.UM, THEY'RE NOT GETTING PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING, UH, REPLIES THAT LOTTERY SYSTEM THAT IS CURRENTLY USING IS NOT A TRUE EQUITABLE PRIORITIZATION METHOD.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE SEEN SYSTEM WIDE.
WE DO NOT HAVE AN EQUITABLE PRIORITIZATION METHOD FOR ACCESS TO SHELTER, FOR ACCESS TO CARE.
LIKE FRAN SAID, OUR RESPITE CARE, OUR, UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS ARE ALL BEING OVERLOOKED.
IT'S BASICALLY AN ABLEIST SYSTEM WHERE IF YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, EITHER YOU'RE IN A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA FOR THE HEAL INITIATIVE OR YOU'RE ABLE TO PRESENT YOURSELF IN PERSON, THAT'S NOT AN EQUITABLE SYSTEM, Y'ALL.
WE ARE NOT PRIORITIZING THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR A SHELTER AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SHELTER.
AND THE SWEEPS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY HARMFUL.
JUST THIS LAST WEEK, WE HAD SOMEBODY, WE HAD AN AREA THAT, IT WAS AN ESTABLISHED CAMP.
THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE DUMPING THINGS INTO THAT LOCATION, TIRES EVERYWHERE.
UM, THE DAY BEFORE, THEY WERE VERY AGGRESSIVE.
THEY CAME IN AND THEY, ALL THEY DID WAS DEMOLISH THE TRAILER THAT WAS THERE.
THEY DIDN'T PICK UP ANY OF THE TRASH.
IT'S ACTUALLY GIVING AN ABILITY FOR CRUEL AND DEHUMANIZING.
AND WE ARE WORKING OUR BUTTS OFF.
WE, UH, HELP SUPPORT 1600 PEOPLE THIS LAST FREEZE.
SO THESE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS, THIS NEEDS TO BE A MORE CITYWIDE, WE CAN RECOGNIZE THAT THE ONE EMBARKATION CENTER IS NOT EFFECTIVE.
AND, UM, REQUIRING PEOPLE TO NAVIGATE THE CITY TO GET TO THAT SPACE, TO HAVE ACCESS TO WHAT IS BASIC NEEDS OF SHELTERING IN THESE EXTREME WEATHERS IS INCREDIBLY INEQUITABLE AND INEFFICIENT.
Y'ALL, Y'ALL, YOU, Y'ALL RELY UPON US TO HELP YOU GET THESE PEOPLE INTO SHELTERS.
I'LL CALL CAR CARMEN GIANNIS KEA, PRINCE LISA RAMS, AND JJ RAMIREZ.
IF YOU ARE HERE, PLEASE COME TO THE MIC.
I'M AN ORGANIZER AT LOCAL TEXAS, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE HAVE BEEN DOING OUTREACH FOR MONTHS, TALKING TO DOZENS OF RESIDENTS OF THE MARCHING YARD.
AND I'VE BEEN HEARING, UH, BUT WE ARE HERE TODAY SPEAKING IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION BECAUSE AGAIN, PEOPLE WHO ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED OR NOT BEING INVITED TO, TO TESTIFY ON THINGS THAT THEY ARE EXPERTS IN, UH, WE HAVE TO COME ON OUR OWN.
RIGHT? UH, AND I'LL ALSO REMIND THE COMMITTEE THAT WE WARNED THE CITY THAT A RUSH TEMPORARY SHELTER PLANT AT THE COST OF $9 MILLION WOULD HAVE PROBLEMS. AND, UM, AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE MEMBERS AND LEADERS HERE WHO ARE GONNA BE GIVING IN GREATER DETAIL.
SOME OF THE ISSUES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP AND, UH, REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO, TO LISTEN TO THEM.
BUT THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING, RIGHT? OUR LEADERS MET WITH DAVID GRAY BANK, HO OFFICE, JUST RECENTLY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CONCERNS THEY BROUGHT UP.
AND YES, SOME THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE, BUT THOSE THINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED.
THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH SHOWERS, GOOD FOOD SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED IN THE PLANNING PROCESS, NOT NOW WHILE THERE'S CURRENTLY STANDING THERE.
SO, UH, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, TO READ, TO RECONSIDER HOW YOU'RE GETTING YOUR INFORMATION, RIGHT.
AND SINCE AND OFTEN, AND ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE'RE NOT HEARING, UH, BEING TALKED ABOUT OF THE ISSUES IS THE DISCHARGES HAPPENING AT NIGHT, RIGHT? PEOPLE ARE GETTING KICKED OUT AT NIGHT.
THEY'RE NOT ACCESS TO OTHER, THE OTHER FACILITIES THAT ARE HERE IN THE CITY.
THINGS LIKE VIOLENT STORES AND PEOPLE STORE THEIR EQUIPMENTS THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SURVIVE OUTSIDE.
THAT INSIGHT COMES FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED AND WHY THIS COMMITTEE AND ALL OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS SHOULD BE LISTENING TO PEOPLE NOT TOXIC AMONGST YOURSELVES ON HOW YOU THINK THE CITY SHOULD, SHOULD, UH, HELP FIX THE PROBLEM.
AND I ALSO SAY THAT ON THIS, ON THIS, UH, MCKINSEY THING, RIGHT? WHAT WE'RE HEARING IS THAT THERE'S AN OVERALL LACK OF CARE AND COMPASSION IN OUR RESPONSE SYSTEM.
AND WITH FUNDING BEING VERY OFTEN THE REASON THAT WE DO NOT HAVE AN ADEQUATE PROGRAM, SPENDING $2 MILLION ON, UH, UH, UH, SPENDING $2 MILLION ON AN INSTITUTE THAT HAS HELD COMPANIES LIKE PURDUE PHARMA, LIKE EXPAND THE OPIOID CRISIS, AIN'T JUST, AIN'T RIGHT.
OUR PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.
IF YOU NEED, IF YOU NEED CONSULT, THANK YOU, SPEAKER.
SPEAKER SUSIE BEASON, VICTORIA MARSHALL, SAM DONG, GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY.
I WAS UNHOUSED ON THE STREETS FOR SEVEN MONTHS IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, THEN I GOT INTO THE MARSHALING YARD FOUR MONTHS AGO.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO BE THERE AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE SO FAR.
THE MARCHING YARD HAS BEEN, UM, THEY'VE HAD A FEW PROBLEMS WITH THE FOOD, MOST OF ALL THERE.
IT HAS SERVED COLD EVERY DAY, AND IT'S THE SAME OPTIONS EVERY DAY.
[00:20:01]
CULVER'S, DOMINOES, DENNY'S, TACO CABANA, CHURCHES, CHICKEN, CHICKEN.OVER AND OVER THIS PAST WEEK WE HAD THE CULVER'S BURGERS, UM, OVER AGAIN, FIVE TIMES IN A ROW EXCEPT FOR THE PANCAKES.
BUT, UM, WE DID, I DID SPEAK WITH DAVID GRAY AND WE GOT FRESH FRUIT AND SOME SNACKS, WHICH WAS VERY APPRECIATED.
SOMETIMES SANDWICHES IN BETWEEN THE MEALS.
AND FINALLY HE GOT US THE MICROWAVES LAST WEEK THEY WERE INSTALLED.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE CAN MAKE OUR OWN SOUPS AND STUFF, ESPECIALLY NOW THERE'S A LOT OF COLD FLUS GOING AROUND BECAUSE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE THERMOSTAT.
THEY CAN'T TURN THE HEAT DOWN.
SO IT'S INCUBATING GERMS. THERE IS NO VENTILATION EXCEPT THIS PAST WEEK THEY DID OPEN THE BAY DOORS TO GET FRESH AIR IN, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST PASSING THE GERMS BACK AND FORTH.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY CAN'T SEPARATE THE BEDS WHEN THEY HAVE MORE THAN HALF OF THE EMPTY WAREHOUSE KEEPING PEOPLE AWAY FROM, LIKE DURING COVID WE HAVE DISTANCE, BASIC PUBLIC HEALTH, AND NOW WE'RE RIGHT ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.
LIKE RIGHT NEXT, JUST ENOUGH ROOM TO WALK BETWEEN THE BEDS.
A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE IN BETWEEN WOULD HELP A LOT AND, AND KEEPING THINGS CLEANER AND SPREADING THE GERMS. UM, LASTLY, I, I'D LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE NOWHERE TO WASH OUR DISHES.
WE HAVE TO USE THE JANITOR CLOSET, WHICH IS JUST A SINK ON THE FLOOR WITH A MOP BUCKET.
AND THEY USE THAT HOSE TO THANK YOU.
SPEAKER, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
M THE FLOOR, YOU KNOW, THAT GOES RIGHT DIRECTLY IN THE MOP BUCKET.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
I'VE BEEN UNHOUSED FOR TWO YEARS AND I'VE BEEN STAYING AT THE MARCHING YARD FOR SIX MONTHS.
LIVING ON THE STREET HAVE BEEN TERRIFYING.
UNSAFE FOR ME NOT BEING ABLE TO LAY MY HEAD DOWN TO GET PROPER REST WITHOUT DANGER.
COMING TO ME ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR OTHER STRANGERS TO TRY TO PREY ON ME.
THIS ONLY BROUGHT ON MORE ANXIETY, DEPRESSION ALONG WITH O OTHER CHRONIC DISABILITIES I HAVE PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY.
I AM NOW LIVING AT THE MARCHING YARD FOR AN UNKNOWN TI TIME TEMPORARILY.
I'VE BEEN AFFECTED BY UNSANITARY CONDITIONS, MAKING ME SICKLY OVER AND OVER THE LIVING AREA, NOT BEING MOPPED FURNITURE, COUCHES, TABLES AND BATHROOMS GOING.
UNSANITIZED EMPLOYEES DOING UNSANITARY ACTS, WIPING TOYS DOWN, USING SAME TOWEL TO WIPE DOWN THE BATHROOM, SINKS AND FAUCETS USING THE SAME MOP WATER THEY USE FOR BATHROOM FLOORS TO GIVE TO, TO US WHO ARE LIVING THERE, TO THE, UH, TO MOP OUR AREAS.
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE MONITORING STAFFS ARE NOT STAYING IN THEIR PROPER PLACE TO WATCH OVER US TO MAKE SURE WE AND OUR BELONGINGS ARE SAFE AS THINGS HAVE BEEN STOLEN.
WATER JUGS BEING FILLED BY THE, FROM THE JANITOR ROOM, CARRIED BY THE PEOPLE LIVING THERE TO MAKE COFFEE.
ALL OF THIS IS IN DANGER TO MY HEALTH.
IT CAN ALSO CAUSE MY LUPUS TO GET WORSE.
WHEN I CAME TO STAY AT MARTON YARD, I CAME TO GET HOUSED WITH PERMANENT HOUSING BECAUSE OF MY DISABILITY AND LIMITED INCOME.
SPEAKER, YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
SAM DE WONG LES ANTON TIL AUNT LILY LES AND TILLY GLORIA CHOPPA.
PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE MIC.
I'VE BEEN UNHOUSED FOR SIX MONTHS AND I'VE BEEN STAYING AT THE MARSHING YARD FOR TWO MONTHS.
DURING MY TIME OF BEING IN HOUSED IN AUSTIN, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO FIND A PUBLIC SHOWER AND PUBLIC BATHROOMS. AND I THOUGHT THAT BEING IN THE MARSH MARSHING YARD, THAT THIS ACTUALLY, THIS, THIS DRESS OF MINE WOULD BE RELIEVED.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE.
AT THE MARSHING YARD FOR 200 MEN, WE SHARE FOUR SHOWERS.
NOT ONLY ARE THE SHOWERS FULL OF BUILDUP, THE SHOWER CURTAINS THAT WERE ONCE WHITE ARE NOW BROWN.
DUE TO LACK OF CLEANLINESS BY ENDEAVORS IN ITS STAFF.
SUBJECT TO THE LACK OF SANITATION, I PERSONALLY CONTRACTED CELLULITIS.
IT'S A SEVERE, UH, BACTERIAL INFECTION ON THE SKIN, WHICH, UM, RESULTED IN
[00:25:01]
MULTIPLE LESIONS, PAINFUL LESIONS ON MY LEFT LEG.SO I DID GO TO THE DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY AFTER MY DOCTOR VISIT.
THE CONDITIONS OF THE SHOWERS HAD NOT CHANGED.
ALTHOUGH VOCAL TEXAS HAD RAISED CONCERNS TO HSO, I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF PERSONALLY TO CLEAN A SHOWER EACH TIME BEFORE I USED IT.
AND HAVING SOMEONE HOMELESS, STAYING IN A SHELTER, NEEDING TO BUY THEIR OWN CLEANING SUPPLIES, I FEEL THAT THAT JUST ISN'T RIGHT.
UH, SEEING AS HOW THEY WERE QUITE STAFFED.
FORTUNATELY FOR MYSELF, I HAVE FOUND HOUSING, BUT THERE ARE STILL HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THESE CONDITIONS.
OKAY, I WANT YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER THAT.
IF THE CITY WANTS TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT, YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO PEOPLE LIKE ME IN THE RESIDENTS AND MARSHING YARD.
'CAUSE WE KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE SHELTERS A CARING, SAFE, AND COMPASSIONATE PLACE.
I'VE BEEN AT THE MARCHAL YARD FOR FIVE WEEKS TODAY.
AND, UH, THE STAFF IS NOT VERY NICE.
THEY DISCRIMINATE AND THEY HAVE THEIR FAVORITES.
AND AT NIGHTTIME YOU CAN'T EVEN SLEEP BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO BUSY FIGHTING.
THE SECURITY GUARDS ARE TOO BUSY ON THEIR CELL PHONES.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF VIOLENCE, DRUGS COMING IN.
IN ORDER TO GET ATTENTION, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN AFFAIR WITH A SECURITY GUARD.
IT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
I GOT LIVER CANCER AND I DON'T WANNA DIE THERE.
AND IT WOULD BE NICE IF SOMEBODY WOULD CARE ABOUT HOW WE LIVE.
IF YOU ARE HERE, BARRY JONES, VERNON GERMAN, KATHY MITCHELL.
UH, THANKS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY.
MY NAME IS BARRY JONES AND I'VE BEEN HOMELESS FOR NINE YEARS.
I STAYED AT THE MARSHALLING YARD FOR THREE MONTHS, EXCUSE ME.
UM, UH, TWO MINUTES REALLY ISN'T ADEQUATE TO DESCRIBE THE MARSHALLING YARD, BUT I'LL GIVE IT MY BEST SHOT.
UH, I PARTICULARLY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND THE EJECTION POLICIES.
UH, SO I HAVE MAJOR DEPRESSION.
I TAKE SIX MEDICATIONS FOR THAT CONDITION.
UH, MY MEDICATIONS TAKE SIX WEEKS BEFORE THEY BEGIN TO WORK.
AND ABOUT THAT TIME TO STOP, UH, AT THE MARSHALING YARD.
I WAS DENIED, UH, UH, TRIPS TO THE PROMISED TRIPS TO THE, THE MY MEDICAL DOCTORS, MY MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS.
I WAS ALSO DENIED ACCESS TO MY MEDICATIONS.
UH, MY MEDICATIONS WERE STOLEN OUTTA MY BACKPACK.
I TOLD THE, THE MANAGER OF THE SHELTER, HE SAID HE WOULD CHECK THE SECURITY TAPES.
THERE WERE SECURITY CAMERAS ALL OVER THAT PLACE.
UH, HE NEVER GOT BACK TO ME ABOUT THAT.
UM, I, I WAS, UH, TOLD THAT I WOULD GET A, COULD GET A REPLACEMENT.
UH, I WAS KEPT STRUNG ALONG WITH THAT LINE FOR WEEKS.
UH, I WAS OFF MY MEDS FOR ABOUT FOUR WEEKS, AND THEN I HAD, I, I TOLD MY, MY CASEWORKER, I'M GONNA BE HAVING PROBLEMS IF I DON'T GET MY MEDICATION SOON.
I TOLD HIM THAT EARLY IN THE SITUATION.
AFTER FOUR WEEKS, I HAD A, A INCIDENT WITH A STAFF WORKER WHERE WE GOT IN AN ARGUMENT.
I THREW SOME FOOD ON THE FLOOR, LOST MY TEMPER, UM, AND A PD WAS CALLED, UH, BEFORE A PD GOT THERE.
SECURITY HANDCUFFED ME AND DRAGGED ME ACROSS THE FLOOR BY THE HANDCUFFS.
I WAS LEFT LYING IN THE FLOOR UNTIL A PD ARRIVED.
UH, WHEN A PD ARRIVED, UH, I, THEY SAID THAT I WAS GOING TO BE CHARGED WITH ASSAULT FOR PUSHING THE STAFF MEMBER.
I TOLD 'EM TO LOOK AT THE, UH, SECURITY CAMERAS BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS ON THE SECURITY CAMERAS.
THEY CAN'T JUST LET EVERYTHING SHUT EVERYTHING OFF.
VERNON JARMAN COMPASSION AT THESE SHELTERS.
MY NAME IS VERNON JARMAN AND I'M A LEAD OF BOCO, TEXAS.
THANK Y'ALL FOR LETTING ME THANK Y'ALL FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY.
I WAS UNHOUSED FOR A YEAR AND HALF TO TWO YEARS.
I FIRST GOT HOUSING WITH A RAPID REHOUSING VOUCHER.
I WASN'T ABLE TO WORK BECAUSE OF MY DISABILITY.
SO MY CASE MANAGER HELPED ME GET PERMANENT HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER.
AND NOW I HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE PERMANENTLY.
[00:30:01]
NO ONE GET HOUSES.I WANT TO SPEAK TODAY AGAINST THE 2 MILLION MCKENZIE STUDY AND I URGE YOU TO SPEND THESE DOLLARS ON CASE MANAGERS INSTEAD.
BECAUSE IF YOU WANT TO GET PEOPLE HOUSING, YOU NEED CASE MANAGERS, NOT MCKENZIE.
GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, MY NAME IS PAULETTE SULTANI.
I'M THE CO-DIRECTOR OF A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION CALLED VOCAL TEXAS.
I WANNA START BY SAYING, UM, WE'VE BEEN RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT THE MARSHALING GUARD AND MOST OF THE RESPONSES THAT WE'VE RECEIVED HAVE BEEN AROUND THE TEMPORARY NATURE OF THE MARSHALING GUARD.
SO I WANNA START BY SAYING, NO, IT IS NOT OKAY TO MAKE EXCUSES BECAUSE THIS IS A SO-CALLED TEMPORARY SHELTER.
NO BETTER THAN NOTHING IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE IN THIS CITY WHO ARE UNHOUSED.
THE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE BEING PASSED OUT TO YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO RE HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO RESIDENTS OF THE MARSHALING YARD WHEN THEY ENTER THE SHELTER.
I'VE HIGHLIGHTED ONE SPECIFIC AREA ON THE FRONT PAGE ABOUT THE APPEALS, UH, PROCESS AROUND DISCHARGES, WHICH SOME PEOPLE, SOME OF THE PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED.
SO YOU'LL SEE, IT MENTIONS, UM, MEMBERS CAN APPEAL THEIR DISCHARGE BY EMAILING THEIR APPEAL TOES@ENDEAVORS.ORG.
THEIR SHELTER MANAGER WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING THE APPEALS TO ENDEAVORS LEADERSHIP.
WHENEVER THAT NEXT MEETING HAPPENS WITH ENDEAVORS LEADERSHIP, THEN THE PERSON WILL FIND OUT WITHIN 24 HOURS WHAT THE OUTCOME OF IT IS.
I WANNA ASK THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE HERE, HOW MANY CLIENTS DO YOU HONESTLY THINK HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UTILIZE THIS APPEALS PROCESS SUCCESSFULLY TO GET BACK INTO THE SHELTER? THE SECOND PRINTOUT IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF A LIST OF RULES POSTED ON THE SHELTER.
THEY STATE THAT YOU CAN BE DISCHARGED FROM THE SHELTER FOR 24 HOURS, 48 HOURS, OR EVEN PERMANENTLY.
THEY'RE OPEN-ENDED AND REALLY SUBJECTIVE TO WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IS THEY'RE SUBJECTIVE TO WHATEVER THE STAFF THINK.
AND SO I GIVE THESE TO YOU TODAY BECAUSE THIS IS A MASSIVE ISSUE THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, PEOPLE BEING DISCHARGED.
WE DON'T KNOW AT WHAT TIME THESE ARE HAPPENING.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE POLICY IS, AND THERE'S REALLY NO OVERSIGHT.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY HAS NO DISCHARGE POLICY FOR CITIES, FOR SHELTERS ACROSS THE CITY.
AND SO, UM, ALONG WITH THAT, I THINK AT A VERY MINIMUM, WE NEED TO BE ASKING FOR, FOR DATA, UM, TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY JUDGES ARE HAPPENING ACROSS THE CITY, HOW MANY HOUSES.
THANK YOU, SPEAKER, IF, IF YOU, IF YOU CAN FINISH YOUR SENTENCE PLEASE.
UM, THERE IS A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING, AND IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE MARSHALING YARD, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY DISCHARGES ARE HAPPENING WHEN THEY'RE HAPPENING, WHO ARE THEY HAPPENING TO? ARE HOUSING PLACEMENTS HAPPENING AS OFTEN? WE BELIEVE THAT DISCHARGES ARE FAR OUTPACING THE NUMBER OF HOUSING PLACEMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING THROUGH THE DIS THROUGH THE MARSHALING YARD.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE AROUND FOOD QUALITY, QUALITY, AND UNDERSTANDING WHETHER THERE'S A NEW VENDOR THAT'S BEING VETTED SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY EAT HEALTHY FOOD IF THEY'RE STAYING AT THIS SHELTER.
HOW MANY A DA BATHROOMS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE? WE'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT THE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT THE SHELTER ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE DISABILITIES.
WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S A GRIEVANCE BOX FOR PEOPLE TO FILE GRIEVANCES IF THEY HAVE SUGGESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
WHO'S READING THOSE? WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THOSE GRIEVANCES? WE CAN'T JUST ALLOW HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TO BE PUT IN A WAREHOUSE AND NOT ASK THESE QUESTIONS.
AND IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS TODAY, THOSE ARE THE EXPECTATIONS THAT WE HAVE AS A COMMUNITY IS TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION HERE TODAY, PRESENT FOR THIS COMMITTEE, AND FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC TO HEAR IT.
HI, MY NAME IS KATHY MITCHELL.
I'M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU ALL HERE TODAY.
THIS IS A REALLY GREAT COMMITTEE.
UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO HEAR EVERYTHING YOU'RE HEARING TODAY.
I THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY A NEED FOR THE CITY TO INVESTIGATE ITS OWN SERVICES AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE MEETING BASIC HUMAN NEEDS.
HOWEVER, I AM HERE TODAY TO REMIND YOU THAT MCKINSEY IS NOT A GROUP THAT ANYONE TRUSTS TO DO THAT KIND OF WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT OUR COUNTY HAS PUT US ON A DIFFERENT TIMELINE, AND IT IS A REASONABLE TIMELINE.
ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE ABOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS WITH MCKINSEY
[00:35:02]
IS THAT MANY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT PRESUMABLY ARE, WOULD BE STUDIED AS PART OF THIS, UH, THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR PARTNER ARENAS HAVEN'T EVEN ROLLED OUT YET.SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S AN ITEM COMING TO YOU ANYTIME SOON.
I'M NOT SURE WHEN, BUT I HOPE YOU WILL VOTE FOR IT.
THAT IS THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION PILOT COMING FROM THE COUNTY.
THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION PILOT IS ANOTHER MULTIPLE FUNDED MULTI-PARTY, UH, PROJECT THAT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A BETTER OUTCOME FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS THAN GOING TO THE JAIL, WHICH IS WHERE THEY STILL GO.
UH, THERE WAS A DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE FORUM JUST THIS MORNING ON THIS TOPIC IN WHICH IT WAS MADE CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE A VERY SERIOUS FORENSIC, UH, MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM IN OUR COUNTY, AND THAT THE COUNTY JAIL IS STILL OUR LARGEST MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER.
AND SO, IN A MOMENT WHEN THAT PROJECT IS LITERALLY COMING TOWARDS YOU, I HOPE I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT ON THE NEXT AGENDA TO BE APPROVED IN THAT MOMENT.
IT IS NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO START A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING IN THIS TOWN.
WE HAVE PLENTY THAT WE NEED TO STUDY IN AUSTIN ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING, AND WE CAN WAIT TO LET THE COUNTY ACTUALLY ROLL OUT ITS MOST IMPORTANT PROGRAMS. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, I WAS ON THE WORKING GROUPS FOR THE CREATION OF THIS, UH, PROGRAM FOR MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION.
SO I DO REMEMBER HOW LONG AGO THOSE MEETINGS WERE.
WE'VE BEEN MEETING ON THIS SINCE 2022.
NEXT SPEAKER UP IS BEVERLY MANNY, CHRIS HARRIS.
I'M WITH THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION.
UH, NOW THAT THE COUNTY HAS VOTED DOWN, PARTNERING WITH THE CITY ON THE MCKINSEY STUDY, THE COUNCIL HAS THE CHANCE TO RIGHT THE WRONG OF THIS CONTRACT AND FORCE CITY MANAGER GUARDS THERE TO REVISIT THE DEAL AS HE PROMISED HE WOULD IF THERE WERE NOT PARTNERS.
THE CONTRACT DOESN'T WORK WITHOUT PARTNERS.
THE STUDY IS UNNECESSARY AND THE VENDOR CORRUPT.
THE STUDY IS AN IMPROPER USE OF PRECIOUS ARPA DOLLARS.
THE ARPA PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO HELP ADDRESS COVID AND REMAKE OUR, OUR SOCIETY, UH, IN WAYS THAT REALLY MAKE SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE LONG-TERM, LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS.
WE URGE THIS COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND REVISITING THIS CONTRACT IMMEDIATELY.
SOMETHING THAT CAN AND SHOULD BE FUNDED IS THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY.
THIS PROVIDES NEW RESOURCES TO PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSES, PROMISES TO KEEP PEOPLE THAT NEED CARE OUT OF THE JAIL AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM AND MORE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY ADDRESSES PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TREATS PEOPLE HUMANELY.
WE URGE THIS COMMITTEE TO IMMEDIATELY PUT THE $2 MILLION OF CITY PROMISED ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA SO THAT THIS IMPORTANT WORK CAN BEGIN.
FINALLY, IT'S THE LITERALLY THE LEAST YOU CAN DO.
AFTER SPENDING OVER $9 MILLION ON A SUBPAR SHELTER WITH NO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, I'M HERE TO ECHO THE SERIOUS CONCERNS WITH THE MARSHALLING YARD BROUGHT TO YOU BY THOSE DIRECTLY IMPACTED.
LISTEN TO COMMUNITY BEFORE, INVESTMENTS IN EXPENSIVE BOONDOGGLES THAT SEEM MORE DESIGNED TO HIDE ON HOUSE FOLKS ON THE EAST SIDE AS USUAL MORE THAN ACTUALLY ABOUT ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
THANK YOU, BEVERLY MANNING, ANNIE ANNA HARRIS AND ANNA ROMERO.
IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE MIC.
HI, MY NAME IS BEVERLY MANNING AND, UM, I'M JUST HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT BEING HOMELESS BECAUSE I USED TO BE ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I FINALLY GOT MY APARTMENT AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT HAS NO PLACE TO GO, NEED A PLACE TO GO.
AND IT, IT, WHEN I WAS THERE, I SEEN A LOT OF THINGS THAT WASN'T RIGHT THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED, THAT'S NOT BEING CORRECTED.
BUT, UM, I JUST WANNA SPEAK ON BEHALF OF
[00:40:01]
THE OTHER PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT THAT'S STILL OUT THERE AND NEED A PLACE, WANT A PLACE, AND CAN'T GET A PLACE RIGHT NOW.BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY SAD BECAUSE IT TOOK ME ON A WAITING LIST A YEAR AND A HALF, AND STILL NOTHING.
IT TOOK ME FIVE MONTHS, THAT'S WHEN I GOT MINE.
AND, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY I'M VERY THANKFUL, GRATEFUL, AND I HOPE Y'ALL DO THE SAME FOR OTHERS VERY QUICKLY.
THE TIME I SPENT ON THE STREETS WAS VERY SCARY.
I'M PART OF UHUNA RENTERS, AN UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS ALLIANCE.
MY MOTHER AND I WERE PREVIOUSLY UNHOUSED AND LIVING IN THE STREETS FOR THREE YEARS, EVEN BEFORE WE RECEIVED MUCH NEEDED HELP FROM VOLUNTEERS.
UH, THE TIME I SPENT ON THE STREETS IS VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY WITH MY MOTHER WHO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH KIDNEY FAILURE.
DURING OUR TIME UNHOUSED, WE WENT THROUGH TWO SWEEPS WHERE WE LOST PERSONAL BELONGINGS.
BEING UNHOUSED WAS TOUGHER, ONE THAN ONE MIGHT THINK.
EVEN THOUGH I WAS WORKING TO SUPPORT MY MOTHER AND SELF, THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE BRUTAL.
SUMMER DAYS WERE NIGHTMARES AND RELIEF FROM HEAT WAS ALMOST NONEXISTENT.
WINTER NIGHTS FELT HOPELESS, AND STAYING WARM IN A TENT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.
GETTING FOOD USUALLY MEANT EATING EXPIRED OR UNHEALTHY FOOD, WHICH CAUSED STOMACH ISSUES AND OTHER HEALTH ISSUES.
AND WITHOUT ACCESS TO RESTROOMS, OFTENTIMES MEANT ACCIDENTS HAPPENED.
IT WAS ONLY THROUGH THE CASE OF VOLUNTEERS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF OF THE STREETS AND INTO HOUSING.
MANY PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT THE UNHOUSED DON'T WANNA WORK, UM, IS FALSE.
AND I WAS, I WAS PROOF OF THAT.
I SPENT, I'VE NOW BEEN AT MY JOB RIGHT NOW FOR FOUR YEARS.
THREE OF THOSE YEARS WAS UNHOUSED.
ANNA HARRIS, SOL PRAXIS, DANIELLA SILVA.
UM, HERE ON BEHALF OF THE RENTERS AND UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS ALLIANCE AND COMMUNITY POWER A TX, WE SUPPORT VOCAL TEXAS EFFORTS TO GET TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE AND TO DEMAND INVESTMENTS IN PERMANENT HOUSING.
THERE'S THIS FALSE NARRATIVE THAT PEOPLE WANNA STAY ON THE STREETS DESPITE SHELTERING OPTIONS, BUT VOCAL TEXAS IS RAISING SOME OF THE MANY REAL REASONS PEOPLE DON'T GO TO SHELTERS.
THERE'S NO COMPASSION, RESPECT, FAIRNESS, OR EVEN COMPETENCY.
WHEN I'VE OFFERED SPOTS TO THE MARSHALING YARD TO UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, I KNOW NO ONE HAS WANTED TO GO BECAUSE OF EXPERIENCES AS SHELTERS IN GENERAL.
AND BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'VE HEARD ABOUT THE MARSHALING YARD.
ONE FRIEND ON THE STREETS IN NORTH AUSTIN WHO CHOSE NOT TO GO, UH, FOR THOSE MANY REASONS RAISED, UM, ALSO DECLINED SHELTER DURING THE FREEZE.
I CHECKED IN WITH HIM BEFORE AND AFTER THE FREEZE TO SEE IF HE NEEDED SUPPORT AND IF HE HAD SURVIVED, HE SAID, QUOTE, COULD BE BETTER, COULD BE WORSE.
MY FRIEND THAT CAMPED NEAR ME CAUGHT HIMSELF ON FIRE AND DIED.
HE WAS A COOL DUDE IN THE REPORTING ABOUT THE LOSS OF THIS PERSON'S LIFE ON THE NEWS, IT SAID THAT CITY OFFICIALS WOULD LIKE TO REMIND RESIDENTS OF THE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS AVAILABLE AS IF HE HAD DIED BECAUSE IT WAS HIS CHOICE NOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS RESOURCE.
LET ME SAY THAT THIS DEATH WAS PREVENTABLE THROUGH ACTION BY THE CITY AND THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.
FIRST, MAKE SHELTERS SAFE, COMPASSIONATE, AND FAIR.
AFTER YEARS OF FREEZES TO NOT HAVE EFFECTIVE OUTREACH AND FREEZE RESPONSES, I VOLUNTEERED DURING EVERY FREEZE THIS YEAR WITH AUSTIN MUTUAL AID TO DISTRIBUTE WARMING AND SURVIVAL SUPPLIES TO UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS TRYING TO SURVIVE THE COLD.
MANY PEOPLE DID GO TO THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER, BUT MANY CHOOSE NOT TO.
THEY'RE INCREDIBLY RESOURCEFUL IN SURVIVING TOGETHER IN FREEZING CONDITIONS.
FOR THOSE WHO CHOSE NOT TO GO, THIS WAS MOST OFTEN BECAUSE IT WOULD MEAN LOSING ALL OF THEIR BELONGINGS.
THE CITY SHOULD FUND ROAMING SURVIVAL, CHECK-INS, NOT BY COPS WITH WARMING SUPPLIES AND MEDICAL CHECKUPS IN THE WAY THAT MUTUAL AID ORGANIZATIONS DO EVERY YEAR.
THE CITY SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED ROBUST STORAGE OPTIONS OFFERING TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE FOR FOLKS BELONGINGS.
THIS WOULD TAKE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST AND EXPLAINING THAT THESE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE, BUT THE CITY DOESN'T DO ANY OF THAT.
THERE'S A LACK OF TRUST AND CREDIBILITY BECAUSE THE CITY SWEEPS CAMPS ALONGSIDE THE POLICE.
UM, IN FACT, THERE WERE SWEEPS THE WEEK BEFORE THE FREEZE AND PROVIDE, UM, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
UM, I'LL SEND ALL THE REST OF MY NOTES TO YOU.
DANIELLA SILVA, CELINE RENDON, AND RITA THOMPSON.
[00:45:01]
GOOD MORNING, COUNSEL.I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT THREE.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO AMPLIFY AND UPLIFT THE MESSAGES THAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE.
BUT MOST OF ALL, I'M REALLY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE MANY OF THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THIS ROOM TODAY WERE HERE LAST YEAR TELLING YOU HOW BAD OF AN IDEA THIS WAS AND HOW WASTEFUL OF SPENDING IT WOULD BE.
AND IT'S FRUSTRATING THAT WE HAVE TO COME HERE AGAIN AND SAY WE TOLD YOU SO.
UM, SO I'M NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, UH, REPEAT A LOT OF WHAT WAS ALREADY SAID TODAY, BUT WHAT I AM GOING TO ASK IS THAT LIVED EXPERIENCE WAS NOT LISTENED TO AND ADVISE LAST YEAR.
AND SO I ASK THAT YOU ACTUALLY PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THESE FOLKS ARE TELLING YOU TODAY AND ACT ACCORDINGLY.
IT'S SO FRUSTRATING THAT $9 MILLION WAS SPENT ON THIS SUBPAR PLAN WHEN IT COULD HAVE GONE SO MUCH FURTHER HAD IT BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO THIS WORK DAY IN, DAY OUT.
I MEAN, IF YOU HAD EVEN CHOSEN NINE OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OUTREACHING ORGANIZATIONS AND GIVEN THEM EACH A MILLION DOLLARS, IT WOULD'VE DONE 500% BETTER THAN THE MARSHALING YARD HAS DONE THUS FAR.
SO PLEASE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT THESE FOLKS ARE TELLING YOU.
TRY AND IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES, UM, THAT THEY ARE ASKING THAT YOU MAKE BECAUSE THIS POOR DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE.
SO TRY AND IMPROVE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE MCKINSEY STUDY, UM, WHICH I ASK THAT YOU NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH.
WE WENT THROUGH MASSIVE SHELTER ASSESSMENT PROCESS ALREADY.
SO WHY ARE WE DOING IT AGAIN? IT'S SUCH A WASTEFUL USE OF SPENDING, UM, AFTER THIS GOVERNMENT ACTED SO FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE BY MASSIVELY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF OUR TAX DOLLARS THAT ARE SET ASIDE INTO THE RESERVE FUND.
UM, SO HOW ARE WE GONNA BE THIS WASTEFUL IN OUR SPENDING? THE HOMELESSNESS SUMMIT PLAN FROM 2021 IS STILL BEING IMPLEMENTED AND MCKENZIE IS AN AWFUL ORGANIZATION AND WE DON'T WANT OUR MONEY GOING TO THAT FIRM.
SO PLEASE, UH, FUND THE ITEMS THAT, THAT THESE FOLKS ARE, ARE REALLY NEEDING AND THE MONEY WOULD BE USED FOR BETTER.
SELENA RENDON AND RITA THOMPSON.
HI, MY NAME IS RICKY EVA, I'M IN DISTRICT ONE.
UH, I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSECURITY FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS AND HAS BEEN ONLY BY THE GRACE AND KINDNESS OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT I'VE MANAGED TO AVOID LIVING ON THE STREETS.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH AUSTIN MUTUAL AID FOR THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS, AND WHILE REVIEWING MY TALKING POINTS IN THE LOBBY FOR THE PAST HOUR, UH, I LEARNED HOW FRANKLY, DISGUSTING AND UNTRUSTWORTHY MCKINSEY IS.
AND IT MADE ME WONDER WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD WANT TO GIVE $2 MILLION TO A FIRM LIKE THAT.
IT REALLY MAKES ME THINK, Y'ALL MUST THINK WE'RE STUPID OR NOT PAYING ATTENTION, BUT I PROMISE YOU THAT WE ARE.
AND I THINK THAT MONEY WOULD BE MUCH BETTER SUITED FOR PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY WANNA HELP, WHO IN GOOD FAITH WANT TO GIVE RESOURCES TO PEOPLE AND HELP BECAUSE I'VE LIVED NAS MY WHOLE LIFE AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT LIVING ON THE STREETS.
YOU KNOW, I'M HOME SECURE AND I CAN'T, I CAN'T HANDLE IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S DISGUSTING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I WANNA START BY SAYING WHO'S COUNTING HOW MCKENZIE HYPED CALIFORNIA'S HOUSING CRISIS? SO I SEE HOW IT IS.
THEY AND THEIR SIMILAR THINKERS CREATE A CRISIS, A PROBLEM THEY GENTRIFY EAST AUSTIN, WHICH WE HAVE TO MAKE AMENDS TO OVER IN DOVER.
AND THEN WE HIRE SOMEBODY WHO CREATES THAT AND TOUTS THAT AND SAYS, NOW YOU GET MORE MONEY AND CLEAN UP THE HOMELESS CRISIS.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I'VE BEEN A SOCIAL WORKER SINCE 1980.
I'VE WORKED IN RESIDENTIAL, OUTPATIENT, INPATIENT, AND I KNOW WHAT A GOOD INTAKE LOOKS LIKE AND I KNOW WHAT A GOOD DISCHARGE LOOKS LIKE, AND A GOOD DISCHARGE DOES NOT HAPPEN IN THE DARK OF NIGHT.
I REMIND CASEWORKERS AND THOSE WHO ARE SOCIAL WORKERS WITH ENDEAVOR WHO
[00:50:01]
HOLD A LICENSE THAT WE HAVE A CODE OF ETHICS TO ADHERE TO.AN ENDEAVOR IS NOT YOUR CLIENT.
THESE RESIDENTS ARE YOUR CLIENTS.
THESE PEOPLE ARE YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
ONE MORE POINT, I JUST WANNA MAKE, DISRUPTION OF MEDICATION CAN CAUSE PSYCHOSIS, DEATH, AGGRESSION, SUICIDE.
IT IS INEXCUSABLE IF THAT OCCURRED.
FOR THAT TO NOT BE SEEN AS A CRISIS AND IMMEDIATELY ADDRESSED.
RYAN ALTER, I AM IN YOUR DISTRICT.
PLEASE IF NOTHING ELSE TODAY, MAKE SURE THAT ENDEAVOR ASSURES YOU THAT IF MEDICATION IS NOT SECURE OR ACCESSIBLE TO CLIENTS, THAT SOMETHING WILL BE DONE IMMEDIATELY.
I AM THE, UM, NEIGHBORS PROGRAM MANAGER AT CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS OF COLD WEATHER SHELTER THAT THE CITY HAS MADE.
UM, ALSO THE SHELTERS THAT HAVE, UM, COME UP TO HELP PEOPLE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF ISSUES, BUT MOST OF THE PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO HAVE APPRECIATED HAVING A BED AND THREE MEALS A DAY AND A SHOWER, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OF THEM.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT IT'S A WAREHOUSE AND IT'S NOT THE BEST SETTING, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE BEING LEFT OUT IN FREEZING COLD HEAT AND IN UNSAFE CONDITIONS.
HOWEVER, OUR SHELTER SYSTEM IS STILL CLOUDED BY A LACK OF COORDINATION, TRANSPARENCY, AND BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
THE SHELTER PROCESS INTAKE SHOULD BE CLEAR AND UNDERSTOOD BY ALL AND CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL THREE CITY OWNED SHELTERS.
LEADERSHIP HAS NOT PROVIDED CONSISTENT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION.
IT COMES DOWN TO, IT COMES DOWN TO WHO, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO GET INTO A SHELTER, PEOPLE ARE WHOM ARE HOMELESS, KNOW BEST WHAT THEY NEED, BUT THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO WALK UP AND SAY, I NEED A BED TONIGHT.
EVEN IF THEY'RE SUICIDAL, IF THEY'RE HAVING A CRISIS.
I WANNA POINT OUT A NATIONAL ALLIANCE AND HOMELESSNESS REPORT, UM, THAT THEY, THAT WAS DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH AUSTIN IN 2018.
AND THEY SAID A COMMUNITY-WIDE DECISION MAKING PROCESS SHOULD BE USED TO DETERMINE PRIORITIZATION.
WHILE THE SYSTEM NEEDS A CONSISTENT PRIORITIZATION PROCESS FOR MATCHING PEOPLE TO HOUSING, THE SYSTEM HAS TO ALSO HAVE A PRIORIT PRIORITIZATION PROCESS FOR PEOPLE WHO GET SHELTER BEDS.
UM, PEOPLE NEED A, THAT ARE FLEEING UNSAFE SITUATIONS NEED A SAFE AND DECENT PLACE TO STAY.
AND IN AN EFFECTIVE HOMELESS CRISIS RESPONSE SYSTEM, ANYONE EXPERIENCING A HOUSING CRISIS SHOULD EASILY ACCESS SHELTER.
I WALKED SOMEONE DOWN TO EIGHTH STREET LAST WEEK AND THEY WERE TOLD THIS ISN'T THE WAY TO GET IN.
SHE WAS FLEEING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
SIX YEARS AFTER THIS REPORT COMES OUT, WE STILL HAVEN'T IMPLEMENTED BEST PRACTICE DESPITE A YEAR OF ASKING OUR LEADERS TO BRING ALL SHELTERS TO THE TABLE.
THE CITY DESPERATELY NEEDS TO DEFINE ITS ROLE IN HOMELESSNESS AND DESPERATELY NEEDS TO PLAN.
THAT'S DONE BY THE LEADERS AND PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE SYSTEM, NOT AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR.
THANK YOU TO OUR CLERK AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO JOINED US FOR OUR COMMITTEE MEETING, FOR YOUR REMARKS.
AND, UH, WE'LL CER CERTAINLY WANT TO DIG INTO SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED HERE SHORTLY.
UM, WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF THE MEETING
[1. Approve the minutes of the Public Health Committee meeting on December 13, 2023.]
MINUTES.CAN I GET A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE DECEMBER 13TH, UH, 2023 MEETING MINUTES.
VICE CHAIR VELASQUEZ MAKES THE MOTION SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER ANY OBJECTIONS TO APPROVING THE MEETING MINUTES? SEEING NONE, THOSE STAND APPROVED.
[4. Receive a briefing on the marshalling yard temporary emergency shelter operations, cold weather shelter operations and Healthier Austin Partners from David Gray.]
ON TO RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON THE MARSHING YARD TEMPORARY EMERGENCY SHELTER OPERATIONS, COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATIONS, AND THE HEALTHIER PARTNERS INITIATIVE.AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, OUR CITY MANAGER, JESUS GARZA, WILL BE KICKING OFF THAT BRIEFING.
I KNOW THAT DAVID IS GONNA GET INTO THE SPECIFICS OF SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE RAISED OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST, UH, HALF HOUR OR SO, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REVIEW WE WANT TO DO OF THE CONTRACTS.
UH, RELATIVE TO THE ISSUE OF PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS, I THINK THAT IT IS SAFE TO SAY
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THAT MY POSITION HAS BEEN SINCE, UH, ARRIVING ALMOST A YEAR AGO, IS THAT THIS REQUIRES A MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL EFFORT.AND THAT MEANS THAT WE NEED ALL OUR PARTNERS AT THE TABLE WITH US ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE SO WE CAN SORT THROUGH THESE SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT ARE NECESSARY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE HOMELESSNESS BE RARE, BRIEF, AND NON-RECURRING.
THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE'VE, UH, HAVE ALLOTTED $80 MILLION OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND FOR THIS ISSUE.
AND I CAN SAY THAT OVER THE LAST THREE FISCAL YEARS, THAT IS FISCAL YEAR 21, FISCAL YEAR 22, AND FISCAL YEAR 23, WE'VE ALLOCATED ALMOST IN EXCESS OF $200 MILLION TO THIS ISSUE ALONE.
AT THE, IN THAT COURSE OF THAT TIME, THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS HAVE NOT DECREASED, BUT IN FACT HAVE INCREASED.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS REVIEW IS SO ESSENTIAL.
SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND FROM THE, WHAT THE LEADING INDICATORS ARE SO THAT WE CAN DO MORE PREVENTATIVE WORK SO THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THAT EXPERIENCE.
HOMELESSNESS IS RARE AND BRIEF AND MOST OF THESE FUNDS THAT I'VE JUST MENTIONED AGO ARE ON DIRECT SERVICES.
THEY'RE DIRECT SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE THAT EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT THE CITY AND OUR PARTNER AGENCIES ALLOCATE RESOURCES SO THAT WE CAN MAKE WISE POLICY DECIS DECISIONS TO ALLOW MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT SERVICES FOR THE VULNERABLE POPULATION IN THIS COMMUNITY.
THAT'S WHY THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OUR PARTNER AGENCIES MET IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR, SO THAT WE COULD BEGIN DISCUSS THAT PROCESS THAT WE WOULD UNDERTAKE TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE ALL MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND MAKING THE INVESTMENTS WHERE WE, WHERE THEY COULD BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL THOSE AGENCIES, INCLUDING TRAVIS COUNTY, MET MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST MONTHS TO DISCUSS THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW.
WE ALL UNDERSTOOD THE CURRENT FRAGMENTED APPROACH TO ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IS INADEQUATE.
AND, UH, WE NEED A COHESIVE, INTEGRATED STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL, SUSTAINABLE AND NOTICEABLE OUTCOMES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND DURING THESE MULTIPLE MEETINGS, OUR PARTNERS WITH OUR PARTNERS, WE REVIEWED AND PROVIDED FEEDBACK ON THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WOULD BE DONE.
WE DISCUSSED THE LAUNCH OF THE THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR AND MADE PLANS FOR THE WORKING GROUP TO BEGIN TO REVIEW THIS WORK THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
AND WE USED THE PROCESS BY WHICH WE LANDED ON THIS, UH, THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS WHERE MCKINSEY WAS CHOSEN AND APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
WE EXPLAINED IN JANUARY TO EACH OF THE PARTNERS FOR THEM TO BE PART OF THIS WORKING GROUP, THEY WOULD NEED TO HAVE SOME FUNDING LEVEL, SOME SKIN IN THE GAME, IF YOU WILL, FOR THIS REVIEW.
CENTRAL HEALTH INTEGRAL CARE CONTRIBUTED ARE CONTRIBUTING MONIES TOWARD THIS CONTRACT AND THE, AND THE COUNTY, UH, FOR DECISION DECISIONS THAT THEY MADE.
A, A WEEK OR SO AGO, THEY DECIDED NOT TO PARTICIPATE.
AND IN SPITE OF THIS EFFORT, I'VE MADE CALLS TO THE, THAT THOSE AGENT, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS, TO SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS, NOT ALL OF THEM, AS WELL AS TO SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN, IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, THAT THEY ARE WELCOME TO BE AT OUR TABLE, THAT WE DO NEED TO WORK AS A WORKING GROUP ON THIS ISSUE.
AND PART OF THE REASON WE NEED THE WORK TO BE DONE QUICKLY IS YOU WILL BE BEGINNING THE DEBATE ON FISCAL YEAR 25.
AND I WOULD WANT THE COUNCIL, I'M SURE THE COUNCIL WOULD WANT TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION SO THAT WHEN YOU MAKE POLICY CHOICES FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, YOU'RE INVESTING THE DOLLARS IN THE AREA THAT IS, THAT WILL BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE TO ACHIEVE THE BEST RESULTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND LET ME RE-EMPHASIZE WHAT I SAID JUST A MINUTE AGO.
IT, IT HAS ALWAYS APPEARED TO ME JUST IN THE YEAR THAT I'VE BEEN HERE THAT OUR APPROACH HAS NOT BEEN COORDINATED.
WE'VE HAD A FRAGMENTED, WE HAVE A FRAGMENTED SYSTEM THAT DOESN'T PULL THE PIECES TOGETHER.
AND THE INTENT OF GETTING THESE PARTNERS TOGETHER IS SO THAT WE HAVE A COHESIVE APPROACH, UNDERSTANDING HOW TO BE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE IN WHAT IT IS WE DO, NOT JUST WITH OUR GOVERNMENTAL PARTNERS, BUT THOSE OBVIOUSLY THOSE PRIVATE NONPROFITS THAT DO VALUABLE WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I WANTED YOU TO HAVE THAT, UH, FEEDBACK.
AND UH, AND I, UH, I KNOW DAVID'S GONNA HAVE SOME INFORMATION FOR YOU IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE ISSUES AND COMMENTS THAT WERE RAISED JUST A MINUTE AGO, BUT IT IS OUR INTENT TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE POOR AND VULNERABLE IN A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY.
AND I THINK THE CURRENT SYSTEM AND THE WAY WE'VE APPROACHED IT HAS NOT MET THOSE OBJECTIVES.
A REAL QUICK, UM, SINCE WE HAVE YOU HERE, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU PROVIDING THAT, THAT BACKGROUND AND, AND SHARING WITH OUR COMMUNITY, UM, ABOUT HOW THE HEALTHY PARTNERS INITIATIVE CAME TO BE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN CONVERSATIONS GOING ON WITH THE OTHER INSTITUTIONS WITH CENTRAL HEALTH, TRAVIS COUNTY INTEGRAL CARE.
UM, PART OF WHEN CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE HELP, THE CONTRACT WITH MCKINSEY, IT WAS WITH THE STIPULATION THAT THE CITY'S
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PORTION WOULD BE 1 MILLION.IS THAT STILL THE CASE? THE, THE, THE CONTRACT THAT WAS APPROVED WAS A $2 MILLION CONTRACT.
AND THE, AND THE ISSUE THAT WAS RAISED DURING COUNCIL WAS TO SAY, SHOULD THE FUNDING NOT MATERIALIZE, WHAT WOULD WE DO? AND I THINK MY COMMENT WAS IF THAT HAPPENED, WE WOULD SIT AND REGROUP, WE WOULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO CHANGE THE SCOPE OF SERVICES SO IT WOULD FIT INTO THE AVAILABLE FUNDING.
SO, AND THAT, AND THAT WORK IS NOT COMPLETE YET.
SO WITH, WITH YOUR COMMENT THERE, IS THERE A SCENARIO HERE THAT THE CITY WOULD BE PAYING MORE THAN 1 MILLION? IF IT IS, IT WOULD ONLY BE A FRACTION, A SMALL AMOUNT ABOVE 1 MILLION.
I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER FOR YOU YET, WOULD THAT, BUT I'M GONNA PROVIDE A MEMO TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, CHANGE IN TERMS OF SCOPE OF WORK.
THIS IS THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE, THAT, UH, IS THE TOTAL, THIS IS THE FUNDING WE GET FROM CENTRAL HEALTH.
THIS IS THE FUNDING WE'RE GETTING FROM, UH, INTEGRAL CARE AND, AND WE MAY BE REQUIRED TO PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY INTO THIS.
I, I DEFINITELY WANNA TALK THAT THROUGH AND PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE'LL BE ON THE LOOKOUT FROM THE MEMO AND MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A WORK SESSION CONVERSATION ON THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY, MY SUPPORT FOR THE MCKINSEY CONTRACT WAS BASED AROUND THAT.
THIS WAS A JOINT VENTURE THAT TRAVIS COUNTY WOULD ALSO BE HELPING FUND GIVEN THEIR CHANGE IN STANCE.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE CITY PUTTING MORE THAN 1 MILLION.
UM, BUT WE, WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT OFFLINE.
AND THE ONLY THING I'D SAY IS FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT, UM, THE, THERE THIS, THE WORK, THE, THE WORK THAT'S BEING, THE WORK THAT WILL BE DONE IS SO YOU CAN HAVE, UH, AS POLICY MAKERS THE INFORMATION YOU NEED WHEN YOU MAKE INVESTMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 AND BEYOND.
UH, THE, THE, UH, APPROACH HAS BEEN AND HAS BEEN REINFORCED OVER THE YEARS PRIOR TO MAYBE OF YOU BEING ON COUNCIL HAS BEEN A PRETTY FRAGMENTED APPROACH.
AND THERE'S NO, AND IT'S NOT A, IT SHOULD NOT BE A MYSTERY TO ANYONE WHY WE HAVE NOW WE EXPERIENCED MORE PEOPLE WITH HOMELESSNESS THAN WHEN WE STARTED THIS, UH, THIS, UH, EFFORT TO TRY TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION SO THAT IT IS, UH, THANK YOU.
YES, COUNCILMAN? YEAH, I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO ECHO A LOT OF THINGS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES HAD SAID.
I, I, I HAD ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE, UH, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON BECAUSE OF THE, THE FUNDING, UH, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM ONE TIME RPA FUNDING.
AND I STILL HAVE THAT CONCERN IN HEARING THAT IT MIGHT, WE MIGHT HAVE TO THROW A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT BE A FRACTION THAT IT, IT GIVES ME A LOT OF PAUSE.
I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I WENT BACK AND WATCHED THE MEETING ABOUT THIS ITEM AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP THE CONVERSATION THAT WAS HAD AND, AND, AND THE RESOLUTION THAT THAT WAS STATED.
AND WHERE I THOUGHT WE LEFT OFF WAS THAT IF THINGS DID NOT GO AS PLANNED, THE THE PROMISE GIVEN TO US WAS THAT IT WAS GONNA COME BACK TO COUNCIL.
NO, IT'S NOT THE PROMISE I MADE, SIR, THAT IT IS.
AND AND YOU SAID IF, IF WE GET JAMMED UP, WE'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL.
SAY THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT AND GET FURTHER DIRECTION.
AND SO I, I UNDERSTAND THE MEMO IDEA AND I APPRECIATE IT.
YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT, UM, BEING ABLE TO, TO HAVE THAT ADVANCED NOTICE.
I THINK IT'S, IF THE, THE LAY OF THE LAND HAS CHANGED SINCE WE APPROVED THAT CONTRACT.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND AS A COUNCIL, WHAT, WHAT THE NEW, WHAT THIS MONEY'S GONNA BE SPENT ON.
RIGHT? IF THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS FOR ALL THE PARTNERS TO, TO HAVE THE ASSESSMENT, WHICH I THINK IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, I I SHARE YOUR DESIRE TO GET EVERYBODY IN THEIR RIGHT LANE AND, AND ACHIEVE RESULTS.
'CAUSE WE'RE, IT'S NOT ABOUT SPENDING MONEY, IT'S ABOUT GETTING THE RESULTS.
BUT IF TRAVIS COUNTY'S NOT COMING BACK TILL JUNE, AND IF WE ARE GOING TO BE MORE INWARD FOCUSING AND, AND UTILIZING POTENTIALLY STAFF TO DO THAT, THAT'S JUST A, A DIFFERENT NOTION THAN WHERE WE STARTED.
AND SO I THINK IT'S WORTH THE COUNCIL BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AGAIN.
AND SO MY REQUEST IS THAT IT WOULD COME BACK.
I'M, I, I DON'T HAVE THAT, UH, THAT AUTHORITY TO JUST PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, BUT I JUST WANT TO, TO VOICE THAT, UH, HERE TODAY.
AND, AND, UM, I, I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND, AND I, I THINK WE, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE, UH, SO THAT WE GET IT RIGHT.
NOW WE WILL HAVE DAVID GRAY, OUR HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY OFFICER, WHO WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, MARSHALING YARD, COLD WEATHER, SHELTER, OPERATIONS, AND MORE.
GOOD MORNING, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
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GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIR.UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE YOU ON THE OPERATIONS AT THE MARSHALLING YARD.
UM, MORE IMPORTANTLY, I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE CLIENTS WHO WE'RE SERVING, WHO ARE HERE TODAY TO VOICE THEIR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS WITH OUR STAFF ABOUT THE MARSHALING YARD.
ALSO, WANNA THANK OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
I'M VERY PROUD THAT OUR OFFICE HAS A TRACK RECORD OF WORKING WITH VOCAL TEXAS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO IDENTIFY CHALLENGES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR SHELTERS AND THE WORK TO FIX THOSE CHALLENGES.
AND YOU HEARD SOME OF THAT TESTIMONY TODAY ABOUT HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP TO MITIGATE CHALLENGES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION.
UH, WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THIS WORK.
WE'RE COMMITTED TO STANDING IN THAT GAP AND RECEIVING THE HONEST FEEDBACK.
UH, AND I'LL BE STICKING AROUND AFTER TODAY'S COMMITTEE MEETING FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES TO MEET WITH ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AT MARSHALING YARD AND WITH OUR OTHER SHELTERS.
UH, WITH THAT, WE'LL BRING UP THE, THE PRESENTATION, UH, AND WE'LL LAUNCH INTO TODAY'S DISCUSSION.
SO, TODAY WE'LL PROVIDE THE QUICK UPDATES ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH OUR MARSHALING YARD EMERGENCY SHELTER, AS WELL AS, UH, AN UPDATE ON HOW WE DID WITH COLD WEATHER SHELTER, UH, PERFORMANCE THUS FAR THIS YEAR.
JUST AS SOME BACKGROUND, UH, THE MARSHALING YARD OPENED IN AUGUST OF 2023.
UH, ENDEAVORS WAS SELECTED AS OUR FACILITY OPERATORS FOR THIS SITE.
THE SITE CURRENTLY SERVES 300 CLIENTS, BUT YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT WHEN WE FIRST OPENED, WE CAPPED INTAKE AT 200 CLIENTS PER COUNCIL DIRECTION.
UH, THAT WAS TO GIVE OURSELVES AND ENDEAVORS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS THE OPERATION, UH, FIGURE OUT WHAT CHANGES WE NEEDED TO MAKE IN ORDER TO BEST SERVE OUR CLIENTS, UH, BEFORE WE INCREASED TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY.
WE'RE ALSO CAPPED AT 300 CLIENTS, AND BECAUSE WE NEED TO RESERVE SOME SPACE IN THE MARSHALING YARD FOR ONGOING CONVENTION CENTER ACTIVITIES, UH, AS WELL AS MUTUAL AID RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.
UH, IF THERE'S A HURRICANE IN THE GULF, UH, WE HAVE A MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT CITY THAT WOULD ALLOW, UH, GALVESTONIANS TO COME TO AUSTIN TO SEEK REFUGE UNTIL THE HURRICANE PASSES.
AND SO WE'RE CAPPED AT 300 CLIENTS SO FAR.
UH, AS OF JANUARY 15TH, WHICH IS WHEN THIS DATA WAS COMPILED, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 577 CLIENTS CYCLED THROUGH OUR FACILITY.
UH, AND, AND JUST AS A REMINDER, OUR SHELTER PROVIDES A NUMBER OF SERVICES TO THE CLIENTS THAT ARE ENTRUSTED INTO OUR CARE.
THIS INCLUDES DAILY TRANSPORTATION, INCLUDING DOOR TO DOOR TRANSFERS.
SO IF CLIENTS NEED HELP, GETTING TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS, GETTING TO JOB SITES.
UH, I WAS THERE A FEW NIGHTS AGO.
WE RESCHEDULED A 4:00 AM VAN TO GET A NUMBER OF CLIENTS TO, UH, A DAY LABOR CENTER.
UH, AND EVEN FOR TODAY'S CONVERSATION LAST WEEK, WE TOLD ENDEAVORS IF CLIENTS WANT TO COME TO TODAY'S, UH, TODAY'S MEETING, UH, THAT WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAD TRANSPORTATION TO DO SO.
SO WE DO PROVIDE THAT DOOR-TO-DOOR TRANSPORTATION.
UH, WE ALSO PROVIDE THREE MEALS A DAY.
AND AS YOU ALSO HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY, UH, OUTSIDE OF THOSE THREE MEALS, WE DO PROVIDE SNACK.
WE, WE TRY TO MAKE FRESH FRUIT AVAILABLE, UH, AS WELL AS OTHER MEALS.
AND THEN WE NOW HAVE MICROWAVES ON SITE, WHICH IS A NEW ADDITION FOR CLIENTS TO WARM THEIR OWN FOOD IF THEY LIKE.
WE HAVE PET FRIENDLY ONSITE BOARDING FACILITIES, UH, AS WELL AS PET FOOD THAT'S OFFERED.
AND SO THIS IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR CLIENTS ARE ABLE TO COME IN, UH, WITH THEIR FRIENDS, THEIR FURRY FRIENDS, AS WELL AS WITH THEIR SERVICE ANIMALS.
WE DO OFFER ON ONSITE WASH, DRY AND FOLDING SERVICES.
THE CLIENTS TAKE THEIR, THEIR LAUNDRY ITEMS TO, UH, A, A SHELTER WORKER.
WE, WE DO THE LAUNDRY, WE FOLD, AND THEN WE PROVIDE THE CLOTHING BACK.
WE DO HAVE ON ONSITE SHOWERING FACILITIES.
THOSE FACILITIES ARE CLEANED, UH, AND SANITIZED EACH AND EVERY DAY, UH, AS WELL AS SPRAYED DOWN AFTER EACH CLIENT'S USE.
WE ALSO HAVE ONSITE ACCESS TO CASE MANAGEMENT.
CASE MANAGERS FROM OUR NETWORK OF PROVIDERS DO COME ON SITE AND CAN COME ON SITE TO MEET WITH THEIR CLIENTS.
UH, AND WE HAVE CONFIDENTIAL MEETING SPACES ON SITE WHERE THEY CAN MEET WITH THEIR CLIENTS FOR ONE-ON-ONE APPOINTMENTS, WE OFFER A HOST OF WELLNESS ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING A TELEVISION AREA, AN OPEN WIFI NETWORK.
NEXT WEEK, WE'LL START HEALTHY LIVING CLASSES AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, AND THEN WE DO ALSO HAVE A PATIO ACCESS FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, UH, FOR FOLKS TO PLAY WITH THEIR PETS, AND ALSO TO SERVE AS A PUBLIC SMOKING AREA.
IN TERMS OF OUR DAILY CENSUS, JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A, A SENSE OF, UH, OUR CAPACITY, UH, AND HOW THE UTILIZATION OF THE SHELTER HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME.
UM, CURRENTLY WE ARE AT CAPACITY, UH, AND WE'VE BEEN AT CAPACITY NOW FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UH, AND SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS A TREND LINE BEGINNING.
BACK IN AUGUST WHEN WE FIRST OPENED, UH, IT WAS A RELATIVELY SLOW INTAKE, UH, AND THEN WE LEVELED OFF AT AROUND 200 CLIENTS.
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UH, STOPPED INTAKE AT 200 CLIENTS FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR OPERATIONS WERE UP TO PAR.WE ALSO RESERVED SOME BEDS DURING THAT TIME, UH, TO BRING IN CLIENTS WHO WERE RESIDING IN HIGH WILDFIRE RISK AREAS, UH, AND OTHER AREAS THAT WERE NOT SAFE FOR HABITATION.
UH, AND THEN AROUND THE OCTOBER TIME, WE OPENED, UH, TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY TO 300.
UH, WE VERY QUICKLY REACHED THAT MARK.
UH, WE ARE NO LONGER RESERVING BEDS FOR WILDFIRE RISK AREAS.
UH, WE DO HAVE BEDS FOR MEN, WOMEN, TRANSGENDER CLIENTS, AND CLIENTS THAT HAVE A DA NEEDS.
UH, IN TERMS OF THAT JANUARY 15TH POPULATION SNAPSHOT, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT OUR COMPOSITION LOOKS LIKE INSIDE THE SHELTER.
UH, ON JANUARY 15TH, WE HAD 193 MALE CLIENTS, 94 FEMALE CLIENTS, SEVEN CLIENTS WHO IDENTIFIED AS GENDER DIVERSE.
UH, AND WE WERE ALSO PROVIDING SHELTER TO 20 PETS AND SERVICE ANIMALS.
I, I WAS REALLY HEARTENED DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT TO HEAR CLIENTS WHO TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY'VE BEEN WITH US FOR TWO MONTHS, THREE MONTHS, FIVE MONTHS.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO STICK AROUND AS LONG AS THEY NEED TO FIND A REFUGE IN OUR CARE.
UH, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT ON AVERAGE, OUR CURRENT PARTICIPANTS ARE STAYING WITH US FOR 70 DAYS.
UH, FOR THOSE WHO'VE EXIT, IT'S AROUND 44 DAYS.
OUR POSITIVE EXITS ARE USUALLY ABOUT 49 OR 50 DAYS.
UH, NEGATIVE EXITS, WHICH ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXITED FROM SHELTER, OR PEOPLE WHO SELF EXIT FROM SHELTER.
THAT USUALLY OCCURS RIGHT AROUND 40 TO 43 DAYS TO DIG, TO DIG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER INTO EXITS.
I KNOW THIS IS DATA THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE REQUESTED, AND SO IT'S DATA THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE PRESENTED AND SHARED PUBLICLY.
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE JANUARY 15TH DATA, UH, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE HAD 298 PEOPLE IN OUR SHELTER.
UH, IN TERMS OF THOSE WHO'VE EXITED.
WE HAD 27 WHO SUCCESSFULLY EXITED INTO A PERMANENT HOUSING DESTINATION.
WE HAD 57 WHO WE'VE CONFIRMED HAD RETURNED TO HOMELESSNESS.
UH, AND THAT'S FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS THAT I'LL DIG INTO IN A SECOND.
WE HAVE 190 CLIENTS WHO EXITED TO AN UNKNOWN DESTINATION.
UH, AND SO THIS COULD BE A, A NUMBER OF FACTORS, BUT, UH, WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS IS THAT THESE CLIENTS LEFT THE SHELTER WITHOUT US HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO AN EXIT INTERVIEW AND TO COLLECT SOME DATA ON, UH, WHY THEY EXITED, OR MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHY THEY HAVEN'T RETURNED.
AND THEN WE HAVE FIVE CLIENTS WHO EXITED TO SOME OTHER, UH, SHELTER OR AN INSTITUTION.
INSTITUTION COULD BE A HOSPITAL, UH, IT COULD BE A JAIL, UM, OR IT COULD BE ANOTHER SHELTER IN OUR SYSTEM OR IN ANOTHER SYSTEM.
IN TERMS OF THE REASONS FOR EXITS, AND AGAIN, THIS, THAT IS FROM OUR INCEPTION THROUGH JANUARY 15TH, UH, 11% OF THOSE EXITS HAVE BEEN WHAT WE CALL POSITIVE.
IT'S EITHER PEOPLE WHO'VE COMPLETED OUR PROGRAM, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY EXITED DIRECTLY INTO A, A PERMANENT, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESOURCE, OR SOME OTHER RESOURCE PROVIDED BY OUR CLIENTS, UH, I'M SORRY, BY OUR PARTNERS.
UH, OR THEY EXITED INTO ANOTHER POTENTIAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY THAT WAS DEEMED POSITIVE.
WE HAVE 5% WHO HAVE BEEN EXITED FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OR VIOLENCE TOWARDS SHELTER STAFF.
UH, I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T TAKE EXITS SLIGHTLY.
WE, WE REALLY TRY EVERYTHING TO NOT EXIT CLIENTS.
UH, YOU SAW IN THE HANDOUT THAT, AND OFTENTIMES WHAT WE'LL DO IS GIVE SOMEBODY A 24 HOUR COOLING OFF PERIOD, OR MAYBE A 72 HOUR COOLING OFF PERIOD.
OFTENTIMES, THE COOLING OFF PERIOD IS A LOT LESS.
IT'S JUST, GO TAKE A WALK, COME BACK WHEN YOU'VE CALMED DOWN.
UH, BUT VIOLENCE OF ANY FORM TOWARDS OTHER CLIENTS OR TOWARDS SHELTER STAFF, OR MY STAFF, IS NOT TOLERATED.
UH, AND FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF AND FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHER CLIENTS, WE HAVE TO MAKE A, A DISCHARGE.
WE HAVE 2% WHO HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY'VE EXITED BECAUSE THEY'VE DISAGREED WITH THE RULES.
WE HAVE 12% WHO HAVE EXITED FOR REPEAT NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE RULES.
UH, SO WE DO HAVE A PROCESS AT THIS SHELTER WHERE WE GIVE CLIENTS WARNINGS.
UH, WE EXPLAIN TO THE CLIENTS WHY THEY'VE RECEIVED THE WARNING, UH, ENDEAVORS AND OUR STAFF TRY TO MAKE EVERY CONSIDERATION TO, TO HELP CLIENTS IMPROVE BEHAVIORS.
UH, BUT AGAIN, AFTER SO MANY WARNINGS, WE, WE HAVE TO MAKE THE UNFORTUNATE DECISION TO EXIT A CLIENT, UH, AND THEN TO OFFER THAT BET TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
UH, 66% OF OUR CLIENTS WHO HAVE EXITED, UH, THERE WAS NOT AN EXIT INTERVIEW COMPLETED.
SO I, I CAN'T CONFIRM TO YOU WHY THOSE FOLKS HAVE EXITED.
I CAN MAYBE OFFER SOME REASONABLE GUESSES.
UH, SOMETIMES PEOPLE UNFORTUNATELY PASS AWAY.
THEY DECIDE THAT THIS IS NOT THE, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM.
AND SO, UH, THEY GO TO ANOTHER DESTINATION THAT WE DON'T KNOW OF, WHETHER THAT'S ANOTHER SHELTER THAT'S BACK ON THE STREET, UH, THAT'S REUNITING WITH FAMILY.
UM, AND SO WITH THIS 66% REALLY RESEMBLES IS FOLKS WHO, UH, LEFT ONE DAY DID NOT RETURN.
UH, AND AFTER 72 HOURS, WE MAKE THOSE BEDS AVAILABLE TO
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ADDITIONAL CLIENTS.SO THIS CONCLUDES THE PORTION ON THE MARSH LEAN YARD.
I WILL TOUCH REALLY BRIEFLY ON COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATIONS, UH, BUT I'M HAPPY TO RETURN TO THIS SLIDE AT ANY POINT IF YOU ALL HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME REGARDING THE MARSHALING YARD.
JUST REALLY BRIEFLY ON COLD WEATHER SHELTER.
UH, AS A REMINDER, OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTER SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY OVERNIGHT RELIEF FROM UNUSUALLY COLD CONDITIONS.
UH, THE WAY THIS WORKS IS WE TAKE FACILITIES THAT ARE USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
UH, TYPICALLY THEY'RE, THEY'RE PARK AND RECREATION CENTERS.
UH, WE TAKE THOSE FACILITIES, WE TAKE THEM OFFLINE FROM THEIR OTHER USES, AND WE USE THEM TO PROVIDE THE OVERNIGHT COLD WEATHER ACCOMMODATIONS BECAUSE WE'RE USING CITY FACILITIES AND WE HAVE TO PREPARE THOSE CITY FACILITIES FOR THE OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS.
WE DO HAVE A, A CENTRAL POINT OF REGISTRATION.
IT'S CALLED OUR CENTRAL IMPORTATION STATION.
AND THAT'S AT ONE TEXAS CENTER.
WHEN RESIDENTS COME TO ONE TEXAS CENTER TO GET REGISTERED FOR SHELTER, THEY ARE PROVIDED WITH A SNACK WARMTH.
UM, WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY, THAT THEY ARE TAKEN CARE OF, THAT THEIR PETS ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
UH, AND THEN WE PARTNER WITH CAP METRO TO LOAD THOSE CLIENTS ONTO BUSES, AND THEN TO TAKE THEM TO THE SHELTER THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR THAT NIGHT.
BECAUSE WE ARE USING THOSE RECREATION CENTERS, THE LOCATIONS OF OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTERS WILL SOMETIMES ROTATE, DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT THE RECREATION FACILITY HAS OTHER ACTIVITIES GOING ON, IF THERE'S SIGNIFICANT REPAIR WORK BEING DONE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE DON'T JUST SEND PEOPLE DIRECTLY TO A, A SITE, UH, 'CAUSE OFTENTIMES THE SITES MIGHT NEED TO ROTATE AND CHANGE.
IN TERMS OF OUR THRESHOLDS FOR ACTIVATION, WE DO ACTIVATE AT 32 DEGREES OR COLDER.
UH, AND WE'LL ALSO ACTIVATE IF THE TEMPERATURE IS 35 DEGREES OR COOLER WITH SOME OTHER FACTOR, SUCH AS, UH, OVERNIGHT PRECIPITATION, WHETHER THAT'S RAIN OR SNOW, AS WELL AS WITH THE WINDCHILL THAT BRINGS THE FEELS LIKE TEMPERATURE TO, UH, 32 DEGREES OR BELOW.
WE DO MAINTAIN A CONTRACT WITH THE AUSTIN AREA URBAN LEAGUE.
THEY DO PROVIDE THE INITIAL, UH, WAVE OF COLD WEATHER SHELTER COORDINATION AND SUPPORT.
UH, AND SO THEY'LL SERVE UP TO 300 CLIENTS.
ON A TYPICAL COLD WEATHER SHELTER ACTIVATION, WE MIGHT SEE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 80 TO 150 CLIENTS.
AND SO THIS CONTRACT IS, IS SUFFICES FOR OUR TYPICAL NEEDS.
UH, JANUARY WAS TOTALLY NOT TYPICAL, AND I WILL TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A MOMENT.
UH, BUT AGAIN, WE, WE DO CENTRAL EMBARKATION FROM ONE TEXAS CENTER FROM 6:00 PM TO 8:00 PM WE LOAD FOLKS ONTO BUSES TO GET THEM TO THE SHELTERS.
AND DURING THE DAYTIME, WHEN IT'S STILL COLD OUTSIDE, UH, WE DO ACTIVATE OUR LIBRARIES AS WELL AS OUR RECREATION CENTERS FOR, UH, WARMING CENTERS DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS.
I DO WANNA TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR MOST RECENT WINTER STORM IN JANUARY, 2024.
'CAUSE AS I MENTIONED, THIS WAS ANYTHING BUT TYPICAL FOR OUR OPERATION.
SO ON A TYPICAL COLD WEATHER SHELTER ACTIVATION, WE MIGHT ACTIVATE, UH, TWO SITES.
MOST OF THE TIME WE'RE ACTIVATING ONE SITE AND ONE SITE'S ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE 80 TO A HUNDRED GUESTS.
DURING JANUARY, 2024, WE SAW RECORD LEVELS OF UTILIZATION OF OUR SYSTEM.
UH, WE HAD AT OUR PEAK SEVEN SITES THAT WERE OPERATIONAL AT ONE TIME.
UH, SO WE HAVE TO SIGNIFICANTLY SCALE UP THE OPERATION WITH STAFFING AS WELL AS WITH FOOD AND WATER AND OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS.
UH, ON A TYPICAL EVENT, WE MIGHT ACTIVATE FOR ONE OR TWO CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS.
IN JANUARY, WE ACTIVATED FOR EIGHT CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS.
WE TYPICALLY, AGAIN, MIGHT SERVE 82 A HUNDRED CLIENTS.
AT OUR PEAK UTILIZATION IN JANUARY, WE HAD 659 PEOPLE, UH, STAYING WITH US IN OUR OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS.
UH, AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE EIGHT CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS, WE HAD NEARLY 3000 SHELTER STAYS.
UM, SO I, I DO WANT TO COMMEND MY STAFF AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE AND OTHER CITY STAFF STAFF AT PARD, AND HES AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WORKED REALLY, UH, DILIGENTLY AND QUICKLY TO HELP US SCALE UP OUR OPERATIONS MULTIPLE TIMES OVER TO MEET THE DEMAND THAT WE SAW IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WE ALSO TOOK STEPS TO MODIFY OUR OPERATIONS TO BE NIMBLE AND FLEXIBLE AND RESPONSIVE TO THIS EVENT.
UH, I THINK THAT THESE MODIFICATIONS ARE REALLY THE REASON WHY WE WERE SUCCESSFUL.
UH, FIRST WE PROVIDED TWO DAYS ADVANCED NOTICE OF OUR SHELTER ACTIVATIONS.
THIS EARLY COMMUNICATIONS WAS CRITICAL, NOT JUST FOR OUR CLIENTS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR THE NON-PRO NONPROFIT PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH, UH, BECAUSE IT ALLOWED THEM AND THEIR STREET OUTREACH TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR CLIENTS AND LET THEIR CLIENTS KNOW ABOUT THE COLD WEATHER THAT WAS COMING AND ACTIONS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO TAKE TO KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE.
WE ALSO DELIVERED OUR TEXT MESSAGE ALERT NOTIFICATIONS.
THAT NOTIFICATION GOES OUT WHENEVER WE HAVE EXTREME WEATHER FORECASTED IN OUR CITY.
[01:20:01]
NOTIFICATION, SO IT GOES OUT IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH, AND IT ALSO GOES OUT WITH A DIGITAL FLYER, UH, A MAP, UH, AND INFORMATION ON BUS ROUTE INFORMATION.UH, AND THAT TEXT ALERT WAS DISTRIBUTED TO NEARLY 5,000 RECIPIENTS.
UH, I'VE MENTIONED BEFORE THAT TYPICALLY OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATIONS ARE OVERNIGHT ONLY FOR THE JANUARY STORM, WE SHIFTED TO PROVIDE 24 HOUR ACCOMMODATIONS, UH, BEGINNING THAT FIRST DAY AND GOING THROUGH DAY SEVEN.
UH, AND THEN ON DAY EIGHT, IT WAS A OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION.
UH, THIS IS A HUGE, BECAUSE AGAIN, THESE RECREATION CENTERS ARE USED FOR AFTERSCHOOL.
UH, I HAVE KIDS IN A ISD SCHOOLS, THEY'RE AFTERSCHOOL CARE IS AT A RECREATION CENTER.
I'M SURE SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN THERE.
SO WE HAD TO PIVOT AND WORK WITH OUR CHILDCARE AND AFTERSCHOOL CARE OPERATORS TO MOVE THOSE LOCATIONS.
PAR ALSO DOES OTHER ACTIVITIES AT RECREATION CENTERS, SUCH AS PROGRAMS THAT FEED SENIORS.
UH, AND SO THESE ARE, THESE TYPES OF THINGS ARE USUALLY THE REASONS WHY WE CAN'T DO 24 HOUR ACCOMMODATIONS.
BUT AGAIN, GIVEN THE EXTENT OF THE CODE, UH, AND THE WILLINGNESS OF OUR PARTNERS TO BE NIMBLE AND FLEXIBLE, WE WERE ABLE TO PIVOT AND TO PROVIDE THAT 24 HOUR ACCOMMODATION.
UH, WE BEGAN OUR EMBARKATIONS FROM ONE TEXAS CENTER AN HOUR EARLIER.
UH, THIS WAS DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL EIGHT O'CLOCK TO TAKE A BUS.
UH, WE WANTED PEOPLE TO GET ON THE BUS AS SOON AS PRACTICALLY POSSIBLE.
SO WE DID IT AT 5:00 PM WHEN THERE WAS STILL SUNLIGHT OUTSIDE.
AND HOPEFULLY IT WAS A LITTLE BIT WARMER.
WE ALSO PROVIDED DIRECT TRANSPORTATION FROM OUR WARMING SENSORS TO OUR SHELTERS.
UH, I REALLY WANT TO COMMEND AND THANK OUR PARTNERS AT CAP METRO, UH, FOR PIVOTING AND FINDING OPERATORS TO HELP US MOVE CLIENTS FROM THE WARMING CENTERS TO OUR SHELTERS, UH, AND NOT JUST FROM ONE TEXAS CENTER.
SO, HUGE TEAM EFFORT, UH, REALLY SHOWS WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND WE HAVE, UH, MULTIPLE AGENCIES WORKING TOGETHER.
WE DID CEASE ENCAMPMENT, CLEANUPS, ENCLOSURES IN THE DAYS LEADING INTO THE WEATHER EVENT, AS WELL AS DURING THE WEATHER EVENT.
AND THEN FOR SEVERAL DAYS FOLLOWING THE WEATHER EVENT, IN FACT, THE WEATHER EVENT, I BELIEVE, ENDED ON A MONDAY OR A TUESDAY.
WE DIDN'T KNOW CLEANUPS OR CLOSURES THAT WHOLE WEEK TO GIVE PEOPLE TIME TO GET BACK TO THEIR ENCAMPMENTS, UH, AND, AND REORGANIZE AND, AND GET THEIR STUFF TOGETHER.
I KNOW THERE WAS ONE HIGHLY PUBLICIZED, UH, CLEANUP ACTIVITY THAT HAPPENED, I THINK THE DAY OR TWO BEFORE WE DID AN ENCAMPMENT, I'M SORRY, THE DAY BEFORE WE DID THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER OPERATIONS.
UH, THAT ENCAMPMENT WAS IN A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
AND FOR THE SAFETY OF THOSE, UH, CAMPERS AND ALSO FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WE DID HAVE TO CLEAN UP THAT SITE.
AND TYPICALLY THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL CEASE OUR NORMAL OPERATIONS.
BUT IF THERE IS, UH, AN IMMINENT PUBLIC SAFETY RISK, UH, THEN WE DO TAKE IT UPON OURSELVES TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE MITIGATE THAT RISK, TRY TO HELP MOVE PEOPLE INTO SHELTER, UH, AND THEN CONDUCT A CLEANUP ACCORDINGLY.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, WE OPENED OUR WARMING SENSORS EARLIER.
WE ALSO OPENED ADDITIONAL WARMING SENSORS, UH, THAT MONDAY WAS A MLK DAY HOLIDAY.
UH, AND WE HAD CITY STAFF COME IN ON THEIR HOLIDAY BREAK TO PROVIDE WARMING ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND THEN WHEN WE DEMOBILIZED OUR FRIENDS AT THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY, OPENED UP A FEW FACILITIES AN HOUR EARLIER, PROVIDED COFFEE, UH, AND, AND OTHER SNACKS FOR FOLKS WHO WERE COMING OUTTA SHELTER.
UH, SO WE COULD HELP THEM TRANSITION BACK, UH, TO THEIR ENCAMPMENTS, UH, OR TO OTHER RESOURCES.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY UPDATE ON THE MARSHALING YARD AS, AS WELL AS ON OUR CODE WEATHER, SHELTER OPERATIONS IN GENERAL, AS WELL AS FOR JANUARY.
UH, AGAIN, I, I WILL BE STICKING AROUND FOR THE PUBLIC IN CASE THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME OR FOR MY STAFF AND TO RECEIVE THEIR ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.
BUT MADAM CHAIR, AT THIS TIME, I'LL GO BACK TO YOU FOR ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE.
UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I WANNA DIG IN ON, UM, IS THE, THE INCIDENT OF THEFT REGARDING BELONGINGS, PARTICULARLY AROUND PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S OUR POLICY AT THE MARSHALING YARD REGARDING WHEN THAT HAPPENS, KNOWING THAT A DISRUPTION OF MEDICATION CAN HAVE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES? YOU KNOW, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT ISSUE THAT WAS RAISED? I CAN, YES, MA'AM.
SO IT, I DO WANNA BEGIN BY SAYING THAT ENDEAVOR STAFF ARE NOT ABLE TO ADMINISTER MEDICATION.
UM, IT'S NOT IN THEIR CONTRACT, AND FRANKLY, THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THE PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE TO DO.
WE DO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR CLIENTS TO KEEP THEIR MEDICINE SAFE AND LOCKED UP AND SECURE, WHETHER THAT'S IN A, A STORAGE SPACE THAT'S ATTACHED TO THEIR BED.
UH, WE DO HAVE OUR VIOLET KEEPSAKE BINS AT MARSH LEAN YARD, WHERE PEOPLE CAN LOCK UP MEDICATION.
AND FOR MEDICATION THAT HAS TO BE STORED COLD.
UH, WE DO PROVIDE THAT ACCOMMODATION AS WELL BY STORING A COOL IN AN AREA THAT'S MONITORED, UH, WHEN THESE CLAIMS COME UP TO STAFF.
I KNOW ENDEAVORS INVESTIGATES.
I ALSO HAVE STAFF WHO ARE ON SITE NEARLY EVERY DAY, WHO ALSO LOOK INTO THE MATTER, UH, WHEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MEDICATION IS RETURNED.
UH, IF NOT, WE WILL WORK WITH THAT CLIENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO GET BACK TO THEIR DOCTOR'S OFFICE AND REFILL THAT PRESCRIPTION.
UM, SO IT'S MORE OF, OUR ENDEAVORS DOESN'T HAVE THAT, UM, WITHIN THEIR CONTRACT RIGHT THERE, THERE'S, IT'S NUMBER ONE, IT'S
[01:25:01]
NOT IN THEIR CONTRACT.NUMBER TWO, THERE, THERE ARE CERTAIN, UM, TRAININGS KIND OF PROCEDURES THAT PEOPLE NEED TO GO THROUGH TO PROPERLY ADMINISTER MEDICATION.
AND NOW WE'VE FURTHER COMPLICATED A, A MEDICAL ISSUE.
UH, AND THIS IS PRETTY STANDARD ACROSS MOST OF OUR SHELTERS.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT MY STAFF IS LOOKING INTO.
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT ENDEAVORS OR MY TEAM IS ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE.
I, BECAUSE I KNOW CENTRAL HEALTH IS INVOLVED NOW WITH THE MARSHALING YARD, THEY HAVE SOME BEDS FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY'RE ON SITE, THAT THEY ARE, UM, FACILITATING OR HELPING WITH.
WE, WE WERE, AND I BELIEVE WE STILL ARE, HAVE, HAVE RESPITE BEDS ON SITE FOR CENTRAL HEALTH REFERRALS.
I WOULD HAVE TO INVITE, WELL, THAT'S INVITE, I'M INVITE.
IT'S MORE, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO HAVE ONE OF MY STAFF WHO'S ON SITE COME SPEAK TO THAT? WELL, IT'S MORE OF IF CENTRAL HEALTH IS ALREADY PARTNERING WITH THE CITY ON THE, IN THE MARSHALING ART OPERATIONS, CAN THEY UTILIZE THEIR CAPABILITIES, STAFF PERSONNEL TO HELP WITH THE MEDICATION? AND IS THAT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PUT TOGETHER POTENTIALLY? RIGHT.
WE DO HAVE CENTRAL HEALTH THAT COMES THROUGH.
WE HAVE AWESOME PUBLIC HEALTH SENDS CLINICIANS ALSO TO DO HEALTH SCREENINGS AND HEALTH CHECKS.
AND, AND WHEN THEY'RE THERE, THEY COULD DO THAT KIND OF, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT I'LL LOOK INTO FURTHER UP MY TEAM TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THIS REQUEST.
IT'S JUST WE DON'T HAVE THE, THE STAFFING TO DO IT PRESENTLY.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE, AND THEN COLLEAGUES, I'LL TURN IT OVER, UM, TO, TO COMMITTEE QUESTIONS, IS REGARDING THE, UM, THE GRIEVANCE BOX ARE, IS STAFF OR ENDEAVORS LOOKING AT THE GRIEVANCES THAT ARE BEING SUBMITTED AND FROM RESIDENTS? YEAH.
SO ENDEAVORS DOES HAVE A GRIEVANCE PROCESS.
AND YOU SAW THAT'S, THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE POLICY DOCUMENT THAT YOU WERE PROVIDED BEFORE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE GRIEVANCE BOXES CAME INTO PLAY, SO THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE TO SEND AN EMAIL.
THEY CAN DROP IN A COMMENT ANONYMOUSLY OR SELF-IDENTIFIED.
I HAVE STAFF ON SITE EVERY DAY WHO LOOK INTO THOSE GRIEVANCES.
UH, I KNOW ENDEAVOR STAFF AND THE SITE MANAGERS ALSO LOOK INTO THE GRIEVANCES.
THEY KNOW THAT THEY COULD WALK UP TO MY ONSITE PERSON OR ONE OF THE ENDEAVOR STAFF AND TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, IF, IF EVERYBODY THERE FEELS LIKE THEY NEED, UH, APPROVAL FROM HIGHER UP, THEN MY TEAM WILL CALL ME.
AND EITHER I'LL MAKE THE CALL OR I'LL RUN IT BY OUR, OUR CITY LEADERSHIP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS.
BUT EVERY, I WANNA BE CLEAR, EVERY GRIEVANCE THAT IS FILED, WE LOOK INTO.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, DAVID, FOR BEING HERE WITH US.
I ALSO WANNA THANK, UH, VOCAL TEXAS AND ALL THE FOLKS THAT ARE AT THE MARSHING YARD THAT CAME TO TESTIFY TODAY.
UM, UM, WHAT IS THE RATIO OF STAFF TO RESIDENT, UH, AS WELL AS CASE MANAGER RESIDENT AT, AT THE MARSHALLING YARD? WE HAVE THAT DATA, THAT DATA COUNSELOR, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU WITH THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS ON STAFF TO CLIENTS.
I JUST DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW.
UM, REGARDING THE INDIVIDUAL DISCHARGES, WHAT CURRENT POLICIES ARE IN PLACE FOR DISCHARGING RESIDENTS? UH, SO THIS IS A THREE PART QUESTION.
IS THERE CURRENT DATA AVAILABLE ON THE AMOUNT OF DISCHARGES WITH REASONS INCLUDED? AND IF THERE IS NO DATA, WILL THERE BE FOR, UH, FUTURE EFFORTS TO TRACK THAT DATA? SURE.
SO WE, WE DO COLLECT AND TRACK THE DATA, AND THAT'S THE DATA THAT I PRESENTED EARLIER AROUND THE REASONS FOR THE DISCHARGES.
I THINK YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE, OF THE DISCHARGE POLICY THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED BY A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC TODAY.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS, AS THESE CONTRACTS ARE COMING UNDER HSO, UH, WE ARE LOOKING INTO DISCHARGES.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME OF THE FINDINGS FROM OUR SHELTER ASSESSMENT.
AND WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING TOWARDS A UNIFIED DISCHARGE POLICY, SO THAT THE WAY THAT DISCHARGES ARE CONDUCTED IS HAPPENING IN A UNIFORM MANNER, WHETHER YOU'RE AT MARSH, LEAN YARD, BRIDGE SHELTERS, OR SOME OTHER SHELTER LIKE H STREET OR ARCH, THAT'S A, A CITY OPERATED SHELTER.
SO THAT UNIFIED POLICY HASN'T EXISTED BEFORE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR OFFICE IDENTIFIED AS A GAP.
UH, AND NOW THAT THE, THE MANAGEMENT OF THESE CONTRACTS IS SHIFTING OVER TO US, UH, WE'RE MEETING WITH OUR OPERATORS ACROSS ALL OF OUR SITES AND LETTING 'EM KNOW THAT WE'RE DIGGING INTO
[01:30:01]
HAVING A UNIFIED POLICY AROUND DISCHARGES.UM, WHAT DATA IS AVAILABLE ON THE HOUSING PLACEMENTS FROM THE MARSHALING YARD, AND ARE THOSE INDIVIDUALIZED? AGAIN, THIS IS, THIS IS THE, THE DATA FROM MARSHALING YARD.
THIS INFORMATION IS TRACKED AND OUR SYSTEM-WIDE, UH, HMIS TOOL THAT'S MANAGED BY, UH, OUR LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AND OUR LOCAL COC.
WHAT I ALSO WANNA NOTE, JUST BECAUSE YOU ASKED, IS FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHERE YOU SEE UNKNOWN DESTINATION OR THE EXIT INTERVIEW IS NOT COMPLETED, OFTENTIMES THOSE INDIVIDUALS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE EXITED FROM SHELTER, THEY'RE STILL ENGAGED IN THEIR SERVICE, THEY'RE STILL MEETING WITH THEIR CASE MANAGER, OR THEY MIGHT MEET WITH MY OUTREACH TEAM.
SO AS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE AND LEARN ABOUT WHERE THEY'VE EXITED TO, WE GO BACK INTO HMIS AND UPDATE THE DATA SO THE DATA IS UPDATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
UM, REGARDING, UH, YOU HEARD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, UH, THE CONCERNS AROUND FOOD.
UM, OUR OFFICES HAS RECEIVED AND HEARD NUMEROUS CONCERNS ABOUT FAST FOOD BEING THE PRIMARY MEAL PROVIDED AT THE SHELTER.
WHAT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO ENSURE THAT THE FOOD PROVIDED MEETS, UH, SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS OF RESIDENTS AS WELL AS FULFILLS, YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS? YEAH.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS RAISED AS A CONCERN TO US.
AND FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ENDEAVORS AND A LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT CAN PROVIDE HEALTHY FOOD AND A VARIETY OF HEALTHY FOOD.
THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT THIS ORGANIZATION DOES EVERY DAY.
WE'RE ROUNDING THIRD BASE ON FINALIZING, FINALIZING THE AGREEMENT, UH, THAT WOULD SHIFT OUR FOOD OPERATIONS FROM WHERE THEY'RE CURRENTLY AT, TO WORKING EXCLUSIVELY WITH THIS NONPROFIT THAT HAS THE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE THREE MEALS A DAY, A VARIETY OF FOOD, HOT AND COLD OPTIONS, AS WELL AS HEALTHY OPTIONS AND OPTIONS FOR FOLKS THAT HAVE DIETARY RESTRICTIONS.
WE, UH, YOU'D HEARD EARLIER ALSO ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE RESTROOMS. IS THERE AN ADEQUATE, UH, AVAILABILITY OF RESTROOMS, UH, AS WELL AS A DA COMPLIANT RESTROOMS? YES.
SO WHEN WE FIRST OPENED, REMEMBER, WE WERE SERVING 200 CLIENTS.
AND BECAUSE THE MARSHALLING YARD WAS CONSTRUCTED TO BE A WAREHOUSE, ONE THING THAT WE DID IS WE BROUGHT IN RESTROOM FACILITIES, RESTROOM TRAILERS, SO THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE RESTROOMS AND SHOWER ACCOMMODATIONS FOR FOLKS AT THIS FACILITY THAT WE'RE LEASING FOR A YEAR.
WHEN WE INCREASED THE 300, THE SHOWER CAPACITY WAS FINE.
UH, WE NEVER HAD A LINE FOR SHOWERS UP UNTIL THE JANUARY EVENT WHERE ONE OF OUR PIPES FROZE.
AND SO WE HAD TO TAKE SOME OF THE SHOWERS OFFLINE TEMPORARILY.
HOWEVER, WE DID DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF RESTROOMS THAT WERE AVAILABLE.
UH, AND ACCORDING TO MY STAFF WHO WERE ON SITE, UH, EVERY DAY, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT A LINE FOR RESTROOM FACILITIES.
WE DO ALSO HAVE A DA RESTROOM FACILITIES IN THE MARSHALLING YARD.
UM, AND SWITCHING TO, UH, TO THE COLD WEATHER, UH, ACTIVATION WITH THE CENTRALIZED REGISTRATION.
I KNOW LAST YEAR, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND I, WE MET WITH THE FORMER CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ABOUT WORKING ON CHANGING THIS.
UH, CAN WE MAKE IT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN REGISTER EACH OF THE COLD WEATHER, UM, SHELTERS? BECAUSE I KNOW, I MEAN, WE'VE TALKED, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STORAGE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AND EQUITY.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE, WE'D MET WITH THEM LAST YEAR.
SO WAS, UH, THIS WAS, UH, BEFORE YOU WERE IN CHARGE OF THE, OF THE OFFICE, SO I WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S BEEN ANY MOVEMENT ON THAT.
SO THIS IS ANOTHER CONTRACT THAT'S SLIDING UNDER OUR OFFICE'S PURVIEW.
UH, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO PIVOT AND DO A LOT OF GREAT THINGS IN JANUARY THAT, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, THE CITY HASN'T DONE BEFORE.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A DEMONSTRATION OF OUR COMMITMENT TO GO THE EXTRA MILE TO SERVE PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.
ONE OF THE SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT I'VE TASKED TO A MEMBER OF MY STAFF IS ACTUALLY DOING SOME RESEARCH ON HOW OTHER CITIES ORGANIZE AND OPERATIONALIZE THEIR COLD WEATHER SHELTER ACTIVATIONS.
AND IN FIGURING OUT OF THOSE NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES, WHICH THINGS CAN BE APPLIED HERE TO AUSTIN, I WILL SHARE, ONE OF OUR MAJOR CONSTRAINTS CONTINUES TO BE THE FACT THAT WE USE OUR RECREATION FACILITIES AS OUR COLD WEATHER SHELTERS.
AND THAT'S NOT INTENDED TO, TO BE A NEGATIVE TOWARDS PAR BECAUSE PART STAFF ARE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE THOSE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO US.
IT'S JUST WE SHARE THAT USE WITH OTHER USES, SUCH AS THE CHILDCARE AND THE SENIOR FEEDING PROGRAMS. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE, WE HAVE ONE TEXAS CENTER AS TO CENTRAL EMBARKATION.
OUR FEAR IS THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR ONE ACTIVATION, MONTOPOLIS MIGHT BE THE COLD WEATHER SHELTER, AND FOR THE NEXT ACTIVATION, IT WON'T BE.
BUT BECAUSE WE TOLD SOMEBODY FOR THAT FIRST ACTIVATION TO GO TO MONTOPOLIS, THAT PERSON NOW GOES TO MONIS FOR THE SECOND ACTIVATION.
IT'S NOT OPEN, AND THEY WASTED THEIR TIME, AND WE BROKE A PROMISE.
SO FOR NOW, I GET THAT THE, THE U ONE EMBARKATION IS NOT PREFERRED.
IT, IT REALLY IS THE OPTIMAL SOLUTION FOR WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, BUT WE ARE DIGGING IN WAYS FOR US TO MODIFY THAT CONTRACT AND MODIFY THE OPERATION SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE A, A BETTER SERVICE FOR OUR CLIENTS REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY'RE AT IN THE CITY.
AND WHEN, WHEN YOU, UH, WHEN YOU UNCOVERED THOSE FINDINGS, CAN YOU REPORT BACK TO THIS COUNSEL? YES.
I MEAN, TO THIS, UH, TO THIS BODY ON THAT, YES, SIR.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND, AND DO A, A BRIEFING ON THAT ONCE WE FINISH THAT DATA COLLECTION.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
[01:35:01]
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WAS, THAT WAS, UH, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT WAS STORAGE.DO WE HAVE ANY ABILITY TO PROVIDE STORAGE FOR FOLKS THAT WE DO, THAT WE DO BRING INTO THE SHELTERS FOR THE COLD WEATHER, COLD WEATHER SHELTERS FOR COLD WEATHER SHELTERS, SPECIFICALLY? CURRENTLY, WE DO NOT.
UH, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE GAPS IN OUR SYSTEMS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RESOLVE.
UM, AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DON'T HAVE LARGE SCALE VIOLET KEEPSAKE BINS AT THESE RECREATION FACILITIES BECAUSE THEY'RE USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
UH, IF FOLKS COME INTO OUR SHELTERS SUCH AS H STREET, MARSHALLING YARD, OR THE ARCH, OR THE BRIDGE TO ONE OF THE HEALING INITIATIVES, UH, WE DO HAVE ON ONSITE STORAGE THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR CLIENTS.
UM, MY LAST QUESTION IS, CAN WE LOOK TO INCREASING THE ACTIVATION THRESHOLD TO, TO 40 DEGREES? I THINK, UH, AS OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE, I BELIEVE IT'S PORTLAND, IT'S CURRENTLY DOING THAT RIGHT NOW, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE INVESTIGATING.
AND WE ACTUALLY GOT SOME, SOME REALLY GOOD COMMUNITY FEEDBACK IN THAT REGARD.
ONE THING THAT WE HAVE TO KEEP IN CONSIDERATION IS THE COST.
UH, I ONLY HAVE SO MUCH FUNDING GOING INTO THIS CONTRACT THAT I INHERITED RIGHT NOW FOR COLD WEATHER SHELTER ACTIVATION.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LETTING THE LACK OF MONEY BE THE EXCUSE WHY WE DON'T DO SOMETHING.
WE REALLY WANNA UNDERSTAND HOW WE PROVIDE THIS SERVICE OPTIMALLY.
UH, BUT WHAT I DO ANTICIPATE IS THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A, A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT COST IMPACT.
UH, SO WE WILL HAVE TO COME, WHICH IS WHY I WOULD BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL ANYWAY, UH, IF WE EVER PIVOTED THE STRATEGY, BECAUSE I WOULD, I WOULD PROBABLY NEED SOME MORE RESOURCES TO DO SO.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THIS.
UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO TOUCH ON, YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS WAS FIRST PRESENTED TO US AT MARSHALING OUR, UH, OUR OFFICE SPOKE TO A LOT OF FOLKS FROM THE, FROM THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY.
WE SPOKE TO FOLKS AT, UH, TEXAS HARM REDUCTION, UH, ALLIANCE.
UH, I, I VOTED AGAINST THE MARSHALING GUARD BECAUSE A LOT OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP, AND MY HOPE WAS THAT I WAS, THAT I WAS WRONG.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROJECT IS, IS UP TO, UH, STANDARD FOR THE FOLKS WHO, WHO LIVE THERE, FOR THE FOLKS THAT IT AFFECTS.
AND NO ONE KNOWS THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF THE MARSHALING YARD MORE THAN THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE RESIDENTS OF, OF THE MARSHALING YARD.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, GOING OFF OF, NOT EVEN A QUESTION, JUST A STATEMENT, UH, THAT COUNCILOR VELASQUEZ HAD MADE, OR VICE CHAIR OF VELASQUEZ, UH, ON THE FOOD, I THINK IT'S SO NECESSARY NOT TO JUST KEEP GIVING FOLKS FAST FOOD.
UH, YOU KNOW, I I, I GET GUILTY OF EATING OUT QUITE A BIT.
IT'S, I FEEL LIKE COMPLETE S**T THE NEXT DAY.
UH, AND IF YOU'RE GIVING FOOD TO FOLKS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S JUST NOT HEALTHY.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S JUST EXTREMELY, UH, IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE ABLE TO GIVE FOLKS, UH, GOOD FOOD, YOU KNOW, FOOD THAT'S GOOD FOR THEIR BODY, AND A LOT OF FOLKS WHO MIGHT HAVE ANY PREEXISTING, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, CONDITIONS OR, OR ANY HEALTH ISSUES.
JUST GETTING FAST FOOD DAY IN, DAY OUT IS, IS ISN'T GREAT.
UM, I KNOW ONE THING THING THAT ONE OF THE RESIDENTS HAD MADE, MAY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE RESIDENT, A RESIDENT HAD MENTIONED WAS INTERACTIONS BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND STAFF, AND SOME, SOMETIMES THAT BECOMING CONTENTIOUS.
UH, COULD YOU, COULD YOU COMMENT ON THAT AND WHAT NORMALLY IS DONE TO ALLEVIATE ANY, ANY CONCERNS, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS MIGHT HAVE? UM, SURE.
YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND, AND ALSO JUST, JUST AGAIN, ON THE FOOD TOPIC.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE IF THIS MEETING WAS AT THE END OF THE MONTH VERSUS NOW, I PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO DISCLOSE MORE AND SHARE.
WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THIS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE MORE DIVERSE FOOD THAT'S NOT ALL FAST FOOD.
SO I, I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THAT PRESS RELEASE OUT IN THE COMING DAYS.
UH, ABOUT THIS NEW, THIS NEW SERVICE IN, IN TERMS OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN, UH, OUR, OUR STAFF AS WELL AS WITH OUR CLIENTS, UH, OUR CLIENT, OUR STAFF UNDER DO UNDERGO TRAINING.
UH, I'VE BEEN THERE AND I'VE ALSO HEARD REPORTS ABOUT HOW, UH, WE WILL WORK WITH OUR STAFF TO DEESCALATE, UH, IF WE DO FIND THAT A STAFF HAS CROSSED THE LINE, UH, THAT STAFF IS LIKE A ALRIGHT.
AND, AND WE, WE DON'T CONDONE, JUST LIKE WE DON'T CONDONE VIOLENCE FROM OUR CLIENTS TOWARDS OUR STAFF, WE ALSO DON'T CONDONE OUR STAFF BEING AGGRESSIVE OR DISRESPECTFUL TO OUR CLIENTS.
THE, THE MARSHALING YARD CAN ONLY WORK IF THERE IS MUTUAL RESPECT, UH, AND MUTUAL TRUST AMONG EVERYBODY THAT IS THERE.
SO IT'S THE 300 CLIENTS PLUS ALL THE STAFF ON SITE, PLUS THE SECURITY PERSONNEL THAT WE CONTRACT WITH, SO ON SO FORTH.
WHEN A CLIENT DOES COMPLAIN ABOUT AN AGGRESSIVE STAFF MEMBER, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO TAKE SERIOUSLY.
OUTTA CURIOSITY, HAS THERE BEEN AN INSTANCE WHERE A STAFF MEMBER WAS LET GO FOR ANY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE, ALTHOUGH I KNOW WE DO HAVE OUR ENDEAVOR STAFF, I'M SORRY, OUR ENDEAVORS, UH, PARTNERS WHO ARE HERE WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT, BUT NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
UH, JUST GOT THREE MORE, THREE MORE QUESTIONS.
WHAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE HSO DOING TO HELP REDUCE, UH, DISCHARGES AT, AT THE MARSHALING YARD? SO WE'VE ESTABLISHED A NEW PROCESS.
AGAIN, THIS IS A, A CONTRACT THAT'S RECENTLY SHIFTED
[01:40:01]
FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TO HSO.UH, AND SO AS PART OF OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH ENDEAVORS, AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR SHELTER OPERATORS, ONE THAT WE'RE DOING IS ESTABLISHING A PROCESS WHERE, UH, IF A CLIENT IS BEING EXITED FOR REPEAT VIOLATIONS, THAT BEFORE THAT EXIT OCCURS, THAT EXIT, UH, THE DISCUSSION AROUND THAT EXIT COMES THROUGH MY OFFICE FIRST, AND THAT WE SIGN OFF ON THAT.
UH, AND SO AS WE'VE BEEN RENEGOTIATING OUR BRIDGE CONTRACTS, WE'VE BEEN INSERTING THAT AS A TERM INTO THOSE CONTRACTS.
UH, AND THAT POLICY SPEAKS TO THAT AS WELL.
UH, I ALSO HAVE STAFF CURRENTLY AT MARSHLAND YARD WHO ARE THERE NEARLY EVERY DAY.
UH, AND SO WHEN EXITS OCCUR BECAUSE OF REPEAT VIOLATIONS, MY STAFF ON SITE ARE NOTIFIED BY THE, BY THE SITE SUPERVISOR.
UM, IF IT'S AN EXIT THAT'S DUE TO VIOLENCE, I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S AN EXIT THAT, THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
AND CLIENTS ARE NOTIFIED ON THE FRONT END OF THEIR PROCESS THAT IF THEY FIGHT, IF THEY ENGAGE IN PHYSICAL CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER OR ENGAGED IN PHYSICAL CONFLICT WITH ONE OF OUR STAFF, THAT THEY WILL BE EXITED.
UM, SO THOSE EXITS DO, DO OCCUR.
UM, THE SECOND QUESTION, UH, I THINK THAT THERE WAS A QUESTION A ASKED BY VICE CHAIR VELAZQUEZ, BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH, WITH RESTROOMS OR I GUESS RESTROOMS AND SHOWERS.
HOW MANY RESTROOMS AND SHOWERS DO Y'ALL CURRENTLY HAVE FOR, FOR MEN, FOR WOMEN, UH, FOR FOLKS WHO ARE GENDER NONCONFORMING? SURE.
I CAN GET THE EXACT FIGURE FROM MY STAFF WHO'S HERE TODAY.
CHARLES, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THIS? 'CAUSE I HAVE BAD EYESIGHT AND I CANNOT READ THAT.
CHARLES LUON, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.
SO, FOR SHOWERS, UH, WE HAVE A RATIO OF, UH, ONE SHOWER STALL TO 44 CLIENTS, UH, MALE CLIENTS, ONE SHOWER STALL TO EVERY 23 FEMALE CLIENTS AND ONE SHOWER STALL TO EVERY, UH, 15 CLIENTS THAT REQUIRE A DA ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND FOR RESTROOMS, WE HAVE ONE RESTROOM UNIT AVAILABLE TO EVERY 15 CLIENT THAT REQUIRES A DA ACCOMMODATIONS, ONE TO EVERY 12 WOMEN AND ONE TO EVERY 18 MEN.
AND THEN JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, YOU'RE GIVING RATIO, BUT HOW MANY, SO HOW MANY BATHROOMS ARE THERE AND HOW MANY RESTROOMS ARE THERE? SURE.
SO FOR, SORRY, HOW MANY SHOWERS ARE THERE AND HOW MANY BATHROOMS ARE THERE? UNDERSTOOD.
SO FOR MALE SHOWERS, THERE ARE, UH, FOUR SHOWERS FOR FEMALE SHOWERS, FOUR AND FOR 88, 2.
AND THEN FOR RESTROOMS, AADA A TWO, FEMALE, EIGHT, AND THEN FOR MALE, FOUR STALLS AND SIX YEAR OLDS.
UM, AND THEN I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, WE STILL HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
LAST QUESTION, AND THEN I'M, I'M DONE.
UH, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU, YOU HAD SAID YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA FIGURE OUT FINAL NUMBERS, BUT I KNOW SOMEONE, I HEARD SOMEONE SAY THAT THERE'S FIVE, POTENTIALLY JUST FIVE CASEWORKERS AT THE MARSHALING YARD.
UH, I GUESS THE MATH OF THAT WOULD BE ONE CASEWORKER FOR EVERY 60, 60 PEOPLE.
UM, IS THAT THE CASE? IF, IF, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IF, IF IT'S NOT, OR IF IT IS, IF, DO YOU GUYS SEE NEEDING AN INCREASE OF, OF CASEWORKERS FOR THE AMOUNT OF FOLKS THAT ARE THERE? SURE.
SO I, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME.
WHAT I WILL SPEAK TO IS THAT IN ADDITION TO ENDEAVORS, CASEWORKERS, WE HAVE SUNRISE NAVIGATION THAT HAS CASE MANAGEMENT ON SITE EVERY DAY.
AND THEN OFTENTIMES THE FOLKS WHO ARE COMING INTO OUR SHELTERS HAVE CASE MANAGERS THROUGH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT AREN'T DIRECTLY AFFILIATED WITH MARSHALING YARD.
WHICH IS WHY I'M SAYING, LET ME RETURN TO THE DATA.
'CAUSE I THINK WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IS UNDERSTANDING THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE A CASE MANAGER TIED TO THEIR SERVICE.
AND SO WE CAN RETURN WITH THAT INFORMATION.
AND I'LL TRY TO BE QUICK HERE.
THE, THIS SLIDE SHOWS THAT THERE ARE 27 PEOPLE THAT EXITED TO PERMANENT HOUSING.
CAN YOU GO TO THE SLIDE RIGHT BEFORE IT SOMEBODY OH, NO, NO.
THERE WAS ANOTHER SLIDE THAT MAYBE ONE MORE BEFORE.
WELL, THERE'S ANOTHER SLIDE THAT, THAT'S HAD, I THINK IT SAID 40 SOMETHING PEOPLE HAD POSITIVE EXITS.
UH, SO OUR POSITIVE EXITS, I THINK YOU MIGHT BE REFERRING TO THIS SLIDE.
THIS IS THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF TIME IN SHELTER.
SO FOR POSITIVE EXITS, THEY SPENT ABOUT 49 DAYS IN OUR SHELTER.
WHEREAS THIS ONE SPEAKS TO THOSE, OH, THE NUMBER PEOPLE, SEVEN INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE, UH, MOVED INTO HOUSING.
I DO WANNA SAY, I MEAN, I ALWAYS WANT THIS NUMBER TO BE GREATER.
THIS IS TYPICALLY WHAT WE SEE NATIONALLY FOR THIS STYLE OF SHELTER IS AROUND, UH, A A 10% SUCCESSFUL
[01:45:01]
MOVE RATE FROM A CONGREGATE SETTING INTO A, A HOUSING SETTING.AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE ON PAR WITH THAT NATIONAL STANDARD.
THAT BEING SAID, I I WANNA SURE.
BLOW THAT NATIONAL STANDARD OUT THE WATER.
AND AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE OF THIS, UH, FACILITY, WHEN WE HAD ORIGINALLY DISCUSSED, IT WAS FOR A YEAR IN LENGTH, AND THERE WAS GONNA BE A RAMP DOWN PERIOD IF IT WAS NOT TO BE RENEWED.
SO CAN YOU BRIEFLY JUST, DO WE HAVE A RAMP DOWN PLAN IN PLACE? WHEN WILL THAT START? JUST SO, SO WE ARE APPROACHING THAT CRITICAL DECISION POINT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT MARSHAL AND YARD WILL BE EXTENDED FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME.
OR IF WE ARE GONNA WIND THIS FACILITY DOWN IN AUGUST, THAT DECISION HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE.
HOWEVER, IF THAT DECISION IS MADE TO WIND DOWN, WE WILL BEGIN RAMPING DOWN IN LATE APRIL, EARLY MAY.
WHAT RAMP DOWN LOOKS LIKE, EXCUSE ME, IS FOR THE CLIENTS WHO WE HAVE IN SHELTER, UH, DOING OUR DARNEST TO GET THEM CONNECTED TO A HOUSING RESOURCE AND HAVING THEM POSITIVELY EXIT THE SHELTER INTO HOUSING AND FOR NEW INTAKES, THAT THE NEW INTAKES ARE MORE OR LESS RESTRICTED TO PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING IN WITH A VOUCHER AND WITH A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO GET HOUSING SO THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN AS WE CLOSE IN AUGUST AND PEOPLE HAVE TO WALK OUT OF OUR SHELTER AND BACK ONTO THE STREETS.
IF THE DECISION IS MADE TO EXTEND THE OPERATIONS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, UH, THAT'D BE GREAT.
I'M SURE ENDEAVORS IS PREPARED TO DO THAT AS WELL.
UH, HOWEVER, THAT'S A DECISION THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE MADE BY CITY LEADERSHIP.
UH, AND IF WE DO EXTEND THE OPERATION, WE'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU COUNCIL, UH, TO APPROPRIATE FUNDING FOR THAT PURPOSE.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THIS TIES INTO, YOU KNOW, THIS DECISION POINT'S GONNA HAPPEN AND IT'S GONNA HAPPEN SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE HAD A, A, A RESOLUTION SOME NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO ABOUT OUR SHELTER NEED AS A CITY TO DO AN ASSESSMENT.
AND I KNOW AT THE LAST MEETING YOU PRESENTED ON A NUMERIC NEED.
AND THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL TO SEE KIND OF HOW WE'RE IMBALANCED AND, AND WHERE OUR NEED IS IN TERMS OF WHAT TYPES OF BEDS, BUT WHERE IT, IT WAS, THE INFORMATION WE DIDN'T GET IS THE GEOGRAPHIC NEED.
WE KNOW WHERE WE HAVE SOME OF THESE SHELTERS AND WHERE WE DON'T.
AND SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR US TO GET THAT INFORMATION BEFORE WE'RE MAKING A DECISION ON THE MARSHALING YARD ABOUT WHERE YOUR OFFICE RECOMMENDS WE SHOULD HAVE, UH, ADDITIONAL SHELTERS WHERE THE, IT WOULD BE BEST, UH, OUR POPULATION WOULD BE BEST SERVED.
AND I THINK ALSO AS IT RELATED TO THAT ITEM, UM, THERE WAS AN ELEMENT ABOUT NAVIGATION CENTERS AND, AND HOW, UH, THAT RESOURCE ALSO, WHAT KIND OF NEED DO WE HAVE ACROSS THE CITY.
SO MY REQUEST HERE TODAY IS JUST THAT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS AT THIS COMMITTEE, WE GET THAT PIECE OF THE INFORMATION SO THAT WHEN WE ARE MAKING A FUTURE DECISION, WE HAVE THE FULL PICTURE IN FRONT OF US.
AND I BELIEVE THAT OUR NEXT WORK SESSION WITH ALL THE COUNCIL WILL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON OUR SHELTER SYSTEM AND OUR SHELTER CAPACITY.
BUT I'LL JUST SHARE BRIEFLY ON GEOGRAPHICALLY IS WHAT THE PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION BE.
UH, THIS POPULATION, OUR, OUR FOLKS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THEY, THEY MOVE AROUND A LOT.
SO IF I GAVE YOU A GEOGRAPHIC SNAPSHOT OF JANUARY 15TH BY TODAY, IT COULD LOOK VERY DIFFERENT.
AT A HIGH LEVEL, I CAN SAY THAT WE SEE A LOT OF FOLKS IN AND NEAR THE SOUTH AUSTIN AREA WITHOUT A SHELTER THERE.
UH, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO WHERE WE PLACE OUR SHELTER, SUCH AS THE AVAILABILITY, THE AVAILABILITY OF LAND, UH, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S A CITY OWNED SITE, OR WE HAVE TO BUY THE SITE AND OUR ABILITY TO STAND UP SHELTER QUICKLY AND DO SO IN, IN THE BEST POSSIBLE FORMAT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO, TO DIVE INTO THAT DEEPER EITHER AT THE WORK SESSION OR COME BACK TO THIS BODY AND, AND DO A PRESENTATION ON THAT.
AS IT RELATES TO THE COLD WEATHER SHELTERS, DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF MOBILE PICKUP? LIKE IF THERE'S AN INDIVIDUAL WHO, UH, WHETHER THEY HAVE A PHYSICAL DISABILITY OR SOME OTHER NEED, CAN THEY? YEAH.
THIS, THIS IS ACTUALLY A CHANGE THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DISCUSSING WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE NOW, UH, IS OFFERING A VERSION OF A MOBILE EMBARKATION FOR FOLKS WHO CAN'T MAKE IT THE ONE TEXAS CENTER, OR WHO CAN'T MAKE IT BY THE 8:00 PM CUTOFF TIME TO ONE TEXAS CENTER.
UM, AND SO WE'RE DISCUSSING THAT WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE RIGHT NOW TO FIGURE OUT THE FEASIBILITY OF THAT.
UH, IS THERE AN INTAKE LINE PEOPLE CALL? HOW MANY VANS SHOULD WE PREPARE TO DEPLOY? JUST KIND OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UH, BUT WE, I'M HAPPY TO SET UP WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT.
AND MAKING THAT RESOURCE AVAILABLE.
AND THEN, AND Y'ALL DID A, A REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, HUGE IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT WE HAD SEEN BEFORE, SO I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
CHARLES, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED ADD? CHARLES WAS REMINDING ME THAT
[01:50:01]
CENTRAL HEALTH DOES NOT HAVE BEDS AT MARSHALLING YARD, BUT COMMUNITY CARE HAS FIVE RESPITE BEDS AT MARSHLAND YARD.SO I THINK WE JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT FOR THE RECORD.
THANK WELL, BUT STILL, IF WE CAN HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH COMMUNITY CARE.
COLLEAGUES, THANK SUCH A GREAT CONVERSATION.
I THINK IT REALLY HIGHLIGHTS, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF, OF THIS AS A TOPIC AND WHY OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A DEDICATED, UM, SPOT FOR US TO DISCUSS OUR HOMELESSNESS SERVICE OUTREACH EFFORTS.
UM, WE STILL HAVE A LOT MORE TO DISCUSS.
NOT A LOT MORE, BUT WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE ITEMS TO MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, ON.
AND THAT IS THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON APPOINTMENTS TO THE CENTRAL HEALTH BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE SOBERING CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
SO I'M GONNA MOVE US INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[Executive Session]
THE COMMITTEE WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP TWO ITEMS PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 51 0.074 OF THE GOVERNMENT CODE.THE COMMITTEE WILL DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO ITEM FIVE, DISCUSS THE SELECTION OF MEMBERS OF CENTRAL HEALTH BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
ITEM SIX, DISCUSS THE SELECTION OF A MEMBER TO THE SOBERING CENTER LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION INTO GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THE ITEM ANNOUNCED? HEARING NONE.
THE COMMITTEE WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE'RE GOING INTO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ROOM.
WE ARE OUT OF CLOSED SESSION AND CLOSED SESSION.
WE DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO ITEMS FIVE AND SIX, UH, RESUMING
[2. Discussion and possible action regarding the appointment of a member to the Central Health Board of Managers]
TO ITEM TWO.THANK YOU ALL FOR THE GREAT DISCUSSION.
THE COMMITTEE WILL HOLD INTERVIEWS FOR SELECTED CANDIDATES AT THE MARCH 6TH PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING.
NO FURTHER ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AT THIS TIME.
[3. Discussion and possible action regarding the appointment of a member to the Sobering Center Local Government Corporation Board of Directors.]
TO ITEM THREE.THIS IS A DISCUSSION ON THE SOBERING CENTER APPOINTMENT.
UM, WE WILL ALSO, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT CANDIDATES AND, UM, WE WILL TAKE THAT UP AT THE MARCH COMMITTEE MEETING.
[Future Items]
LAST ITEM, ANY FUTURE TOPICS THAT WE WANNA DISCUSS AT THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING? UH, I WAS THINKING IT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR US TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT ON THAT PROCESS, UM, GIVEN THE URGENT NEED THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT PILOT PROGRAM MOVES FORWARD.UM, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? OKAY, EVERYONE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND CONTRIBUTION TO TODAY'S IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS.
IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS, I ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 12:07 PM THANK YOU.