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[Austin Balcones Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on August 7, 2024.]
ALL THE REMARKS REALLY SHORT, AND I WANNA START OFF BY WELCOMING ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS FROM SKYLINE TERRACE, UH, KELLY ALEXANDER, WHO'S GONNA SHARE A BIT ABOUT HER STORY.UM, GOOD MORNING, AND I'M HONORED TO BE HERE.
MY NAME IS KELLY ALEXANDER, AND AUSTIN IS MY HOME.
BUT I'VE LIVED IN MANY OTHER PLACES, AS I'M SURE A LOT OF US HAVE.
UM, I BECAME UNSHELTERED AND I LIVED UNSHELTERED ON THE STREETS FOR JUST SHORT OF TWO YEARS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
UM, I WAS BORN THERE IN OCEANSIDE.
UM, I HAD GONE THROUGH A VERY TRAUMATIC EVENT.
UM, I LOST MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER DUE TO HEART ATTACK, AND I, UH, UH, TRIED TO, UH, I WAS THE FIRST RESPONDER, TRIED TO DO CPR AND, UM, UH, I COULDN'T SAVE HIM, SO THAT LEFT ME STRUGGLING WITH GRIEF AND DEPRESSION.
AND, UM, I'VE BEEN THE TYPE OF PERSON TO WORK HARD ALL MY LIFE.
I'VE ALWAYS WORKED, UM, RAISED FAMILY, BUT AT THIS TIME, I JUST COULDN'T SEEM TO, UH, FIND THE EMPLOYMENT.
AND, UH, I GUESS I, I GUESS I NEEDED TO HEAL, I GUESS IS WHAT IT WAS.
SO LIVING ON THE STREET, IT WAS, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT.
UM, SCARY AT TIMES, ESPECIALLY FOR MYSELF BEING A WOMAN.
UM, UH, IT'S, IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT MONSTER OUT THERE.
AND BEING UNSHELTERED, AND I LIKE TO MAKE THIS A POINT, UM, THAT YOU ARE NOT SHELTERED.
YOU DON'T HAVE A TENT, YOU DON'T HAVE A CAR, YOU'RE NOT, UM, COUCH SURFING.
YOU ARE LITERALLY UNSHELTERED, UNSHELTERED.
SO I'D MAKE SURE I WAS, UM, IN A VERY PUBLIC PLACE TO BE SEEN WHERE THERE WAS TRAFFIC UNDER STREETLIGHT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
UM, EVEN THOUGH I WAS ROBBED NUMEROUS TIMES, UM, ASSAULTED, UM, AND TOWARD THE END ON MY ROAD, TRYING TO GET BACK HOME, UM, I WAS EVEN BEAR SPRAY WITH BEAR SPRAY, NOT PEPPER SPRAY, BEAR SPRAY IT.
AND, UM, I WAS A, UH, UM, A WITNESS IN COURT WITH THAT, TO MY OWN
UM, ALL I KNEW IS THAT I NEEDED TO GET HOME.
I NEEDED TO GET BACK TO AUSTIN BECAUSE MY ADULT CHILDREN WERE HERE.
I INITIALLY MOVED TO AUSTIN, UM, IN 1986.
AND, UM, I JUST KNEW I NEEDED TO RECONNECT WITH THEM, BUT I KNEW THAT I, UM, NEEDED TO DO THINGS ON MY OWN.
I WASN'T GOING TO BE, UM, A BURDEN ON MY CHILDREN AND JUST GO AND, YOU KNOW, LIVE WITH THEM, YOU KNOW? AND IT'S BEEN NOTHING BUT A BLESSING BEING HOME.
UM, IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, UM, NO YEAR BEFORE 2022, I, UM, WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE SALVATION ARMY DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, WAS THERE A NUMBER OF MONTHS, AND I WAS PART OF THE POPULATION THAT SPOKE TO THEIR CLOSING AND THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HAPPENED WITH ME ON THAT JOURNEY.
THEN I WAS BLESSED TO GET INTO A SWC AUSTIN'S, UH, SHELTER FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND, UM, GREAT PEOPLE THERE.
UM, SHE HELPED ME, UH, GET STARTED AND, UH, LIKE TO CALL, GETTING MY ME BACK.
I STARTED WORKING AGAIN AT AUSTIN STATE HOSPITAL.
I LOVED THE PATIENTS MORE THAN I DID THE STAFF
UM, BUT, UM, THAT PROVED TO BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT ON ME AT THAT TIME.
I DON'T THINK I WAS READY FOR SUCH, UM, UM, DELVING MYSELF INTO THAT HEALTHCARE FIELD AGAIN.
UM, BUT ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING DID HAPPEN WHEN I RETURNED TO AUSTIN, MYSELF, BEING MY INQUISITIVE SELF.
I STARTED, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR RESOURCES AND UP CAME FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES,
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AND I SIGNED UP, YOU KNOW, TRIED TO GET ON WAITING LIST, AND THEN I JUST KIND OF FORGOT ABOUT IT.AND THEN LO AND BEHOLD, I GET A PHONE CALL FROM SC AND I'M LIKE, OH, WOW.
AND, UH, THEY SAID, I'D BEEN APPROVED TO BE MOVED INTO A COMMUNITY, A STUDIO, APARTMENT, COMMUNITY OF SINGLE ADULTS.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO STAY IN THE SHELTERS.
UM, I'M, I'M MOVING UP, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT.
THEN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, I MOVED INTO ONE OF S'S PROPERTIES, AND, UM, I HAVE GREAT LOVE FOR MY NEIGHBORS THERE AT SKYLINE TERRACE.
UM, AND I REMEMBER COMING ONTO THE PROPERTY AND GETTING READY TO FILL OUT MY APPLICATION, AND I WAS GREETED BY, UH, JEFF THERE, AND HE SAID, WELCOME TO YOUR FOREVER HOME.
AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, I MEAN, THIS IS A BLESSING.
YOU KNOW, I, I'M IN A STUDIO, IT'S MINE.
UM, AND YEAH, I WAS JUST, I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
I DIDN'T KNOW THEN, BUT I LOOK AT IT NOW, THAT HE MEANT, THIS IS YOUR FOREVER HOME, MEANING FOUNDATIONS, COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST THAT ONE PROPERTY.
'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT PROPERTIES THAT CAN SPEAK TO DIFFERENT HUMAN BEINGS AT THEIR TIME AND NEED IN THEIR PARTICULAR TIME IN THEIR LIFE.
I WAS ABLE TO ENJOY EVENTS FROM FOUNDATIONS, COMMUNITIES, THE SOCIAL CLUBS, SUPPER CLUBS, BINGO NIGHTS, PARTIES, OUTINGS AT MUSEUMS, ART STUDIOS WE'RE GOING TOMORROW TO AN ART STUDIO.
AND THEY ALSO GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN SUPPORTIVE EMPLOYMENT, WHICH I, I THOROUGHLY LOVED.
I GOT TO BE A PART OF DIFFERENT PROPERTIES, AND I GOT TO BE A PART OF, UM, GETTING TO KNOW STAFF ON A DEEPER LEVEL.
AND, UM, ALSO BEING BACK IN THE GAMUT OF LOVING MY NEIGHBOR AND BEING IN A POSITION WHERE I COULD GIVE BACK FROM WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME THROUGH FOUNDATIONS, COMMUNITIES, NOTHING BUT BLESSINGS.
SOMEONE WHERE IS HE? MR. NORRIS, DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS.
SOMEONE ASKED ME, NORRIS, WHAT WOULD I SAY TO SOMEONE WHO IS LIVING UNSHELTERED ON THE STREETS RIGHT NOW, OR IN A HOMELESS SHELTER? WHAT WOULD I SAY? I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO, UM, APPLY, GET ON THE LIST, APPLY FOR A PLACE, A BEAUTIFUL PLACE LIKE THIS, BALCON TERRACE, UM, THESE PLACES.
SAVE LIVES AND GIVE CHANCES TO PEOPLE LIKE ME AND LIKE YOU, LIKE ALL OF US.
UM, THE ONE THING THAT, UM, UM, ALLOWED ME, UM, TO DO WAS TO DECOMPRESS.
BECAUSE BEING UNSHELTERED AND ON THE STREETS, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW, I NO WORDS.
UM, BUT I WAS SO PLEASED WHEN, UM, I WAS ACCEPTED AT SKYLINE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE THAT, UM, IF YOU ARE BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THIS LOVELY COMMUNITY, YOU'LL HAVE YOUR OWN SPACE.
YOU'LL HAVE, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING OUT FOR YOU.
YOU'LL HAVE YOUR OWN PLACE TO PREPARE MEALS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE STREETS AND WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO EAT AND WHAT RESOURCE CENTER AND YOUR OWN BATHROOM, WHICH IS WONDERFUL
ONE GOOD THING THAT I LOOKED AT AND I CRIED MY FIRST NIGHT IN MY SPACE.
UM, I WOKE UP AND MY SHOES WERE STILL THERE.
IT'S A BLESSING BECAUSE I SPENT, UM, SOME TIME IN, UM, WITH NO SHOES.
AND I TEASED NOW, BUT SOMEHOW IN SERIOUS WALK A MILE ON MY SOFT FEET.
I'M JUST THANKFUL IN SO MANY WAYS.
THANKFUL, THANKFUL TO FOUNDATION'S, COMMUNITIES.
THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND OF COURSE, I THANK MY GOD, THANK FATHER.
UM, AND ALL I CAN SAY IS THANK YOU FOUNDATIONS, COMMUNITIES FOR GIVING ME A HOME.
AND, UM, THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN
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AGAIN.I WAS STRONG THEN, AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT.
THANK YOU, KELLY, FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.
UM, 50 APARTMENTS HERE HAVE VOUCHERS FOR FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN HOMELESS LONG TERM.
THE OTHER 73 APARTMENTS ARE FOR FOLKS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE HOMELESS.
UM, IT'S REALLY A HOMELESS PREVENTION PROGRAM.
UM, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR HELPING US ARRANGE THOSE 50 VOUCHERS.
OUR BIGGEST FUNDER AND OUR MOST CRITICAL SUPPORT HAS COME FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO IT'S MY HONOR TO WELCOME MAYOR WATSON TO COME SAY, SHARE A FEW WORDS.
AND, AND, UM, I WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, BUT ALSO, UM, REALLY CAN'T START WITHOUT SAYING THANK YOU TO KELLY.
UM, THAT THAT'S WHAT A WONDERFUL TESTIMONY AND, AND, AND GRAPHIC EXAMPLE AND REASON PERSONIFIED BY YOU ABOUT WHY WE DO THIS AND WHY WE OUGHT TO BE DOING THIS.
YOU, UM, YOU'RE A SPIRIT AND YOU'RE A GREAT HOPE.
SO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT.
LET'S GIVE HER ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
UM, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE THAT, THAT ARE HERE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM, UM, OUR DIRECTOR OF THE HOU AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, A FEW MINUTES, MANDY DE MAYO.
BUT, UM, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
HE'S SITTING HERE, AND I WANNA SAY, SAY A, A SPECIAL THANKS FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING TO OUR RELATIVELY NEW, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG WE, WE, WE SAY NEW, BUT, UH, OUR NEW CITY MANAGER TC BROAD NOW.
SO I, I'LL TELL YOU THAT I, I, I, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A REAL SIGN THAT HE IS HERE WITH US TODAY.
UM, IT'S A REAL SIGN FOR A COUPLE REASONS.
ONE IS IT DEMONSTRATES HIS COMMITMENT TO WHAT IT IS THAT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN WORKING IN THIS WAY IS DOING AS WE ADDRESS PEOPLE THAT ARE UNHOUSED AND ADDRESS THEIR LONG-TERM STABILITY.
SO, I WANNA SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THE SECOND REASON IS I INDICATED HE'S ONLY BEEN HERE A COUPLE OF MONTHS, UM, BUT WHEN WE HIRED HIM, HE PROMISED IT WAS GONNA GET COOLER
UM, AND, AND HE, HE TELLS ME HE'S STILL WORKING ON THAT.
AND AROUND NOVEMBER, HE THINKS IT'LL, UH, UH, THE THE THINGS HE'S WORKING ON WILL KICK IN, AND WE'LL GIVE HIM A BIG THANKS AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
BUT, UH, I, I WILL JUST SAY TO YOU THAT I AM REALLY EXCITED THAT TC BROAD ACTS IS WITH US.
HE IS, HE'S, UH, GOING TO BE A GREAT CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND A GREAT LEADER FOR OUR CITY.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I, UH, JUST A FEW COMMENTS.
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT WE REALLY KNOW THAT ARE, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN OUR CITY LOOKING FOR A PLACE, AS KELLY HAS POINTED OUT TO CALL HOME.
UH, MANY OF THEM COME FROM BEING CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
UM, I CAME INTO OFFICE TELLING FOLKS THAT I PROMISED WE WOULD PUT AFFORDABILITY FIRST AND WE WOULD ADDRESS THE UNHOUSED IN OUR CITY.
AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY IS THIS COMMUNITY AND FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES AS A GENERAL RULE THAT WORKS TO ACHIEVE BOTH GOALS, UH, WITH PARTNERSHIPS THAT THE CITY CAN HAVE WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
WE CAN CREATE BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITIES LIKE WHAT KELLY HAS DESCRIBED AND WHAT WE HAVE HERE WITH US NOW FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE AUSTINITES.
AND, AND AS KELLY CLEARLY POINTED IT OUT, BUT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IT.
THIS IS NOT JUST A ROOF OVER A HEAD.
IT IS HOPE, IT IS STABILITY, IT'S LOVE THAT OTHERWISE WOULD BE LOST.
AND THAT TAKES ALL OF THE SERVICES AND, AND THE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT PEOPLE AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SERVICES ARE, ARE, ARE CARRIED OUT.
AND I, I TELL YOU, AS MAYOR OF THIS CITY, I COULDN'T BE PROUDER OF THE WORK THAT FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES DOES AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WITH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES AND WORKING IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I COULDN'T BE PROUDER OF THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE.
AND WALTER, UM, I CAN REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST OPENED GARDEN TERRACE, UH, THAT WAS THE VERY FIRST RESIDENCE FOR SINGLE ADULTS.
UM, THAT WAS 20 YEARS AGO, I MIGHT ADD.
UM, AND WE FUNDED THAT WITH THE FIRST
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$1 MILLION.MY MEMORY IS WE FUNDED THAT FROM WHAT WAS THEN KNOWN AS THE MAYOR'S FOR AFFORDABILITY FUND.
AND, UH, SO I'M VERY, I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT.
AND, UM, I'M TOLD BY SOME OF YOUR, YOUR STAFF THAT SOME OF THE RESIDENTS THAT WERE THERE ORIGINALLY ARE STILL THERE.
THAT IS THE STABILITY OF WHICH I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UH, SINCE THEN, WE'VE PARTNERED, UH, WITH, IN MORE THAN 20 OTHER HOUSING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER, AND WE'VE STILL GOT A LONG WAY TO GO TO ANSWER THE NEED FOR AFFORDABILITY HERE IN AUSTIN, BUT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
SO, TO WALTER AND ALL OF THE FOUNDATION COMMUNITY STAFF, CONGRATULATIONS FOR THIS WONDERFUL DAY, AND THANK YOU FOR THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU MAKE TO THIS WORK.
AND WITH THAT, UH, THE LAST THING I'LL SAY BEFORE WALTER COMES BACK UP HERE IS I ALSO, AND HE'S GONNA INTRODUCE HER, BUT I, I WANNA PERSONALLY, SINCE, SINCE I HAVE THE MICROPHONE, SAY THANK YOU TO THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR OF HUD THAT IS HERE WITH US CANDACE VALENZUELA.
UM, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HERE TODAY.
WE KNOW THAT THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF CDBG MONEY.
AND IN MY OPINION, AS A MAYOR, AS A FORMER MAYOR, UM, CDBG MONEY IS SUCH A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO.
AND SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE.
WALTER, GOD BLESS YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO, AND ALL THE FOLKS THAT WORK AT COM, UH, FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'M HONORED TO INTRODUCE CANVAS, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
THIS IS C 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CDBG.
UM, I JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF CITY STAFF THAT'S COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS, KEY PIECE OF FUNDING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
IT'S SOMETHING I PERSONALLY APPRECIATE WHEN PEOPLE TRANSLATE THE, UH, ACRONYMS. THERE ARE OVER 500 ACRONYMS ON THE HUD WEBSITE THAT I DOWNLOADED AND MADE INTO FLASHCARDS.
SO WHEN FOLKS TRANSLATE IT, I PERSONALLY FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER, UH, AND A LITTLE BIT HAPPIER FOR THE PUBLIC BECAUSE CDBG IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
AND BEFORE I GET STARTED, I ACTUALLY WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, OUR NEW REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR EACH CDBG SAAB AND BEN JOHNSON, SHE ACTUALLY COMES TO US FROM DC SHE USED TO ADMINISTER THE, THE HOME PROGRAM, CORRECT? ALL YEAH.
THE CDG PROGRAM, THE, ALL OF THE CD BG PROGRAM FOR THE COUNTRY.
UH, AND SO SHE, UH, AS A TEXAN FELT THE CALL BACK TO TEXAS.
I, I UNDERSTAND, RIGHT? AND SO IT'S AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO HAVE HER, AND I'M, I'M, I'M LOOKING FOR FORWARD TO YOU ALL GETTING TO KNOW HER.
SO AGAIN, IT, IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO BE HERE.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, WALTER, FOR INVITING ME TO BE HERE.
UH, AND, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR KIND WORDS, MAYOR WATSON.
UH, IT'S JUST ABSOLUTELY A TESTAMENT TO THE HARD WORK, UH, THE ACTUAL INVESTMENT, UH, THAT YOU'RE MAKING IN THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY.
UM, AND REALLY, REALLY GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
UH, MR. BROAD NEXT, UH, I, I, I, I STAND IN A DUAL PLACE AGAIN.
I KNOW THAT WHEN MY SECRETARY LEFT, I WAS BOTH REALLY SAD, BUT ALSO INCREDIBLY HAPPY WITH OUR ACTING SECRETARY.
AND I'M, YOU KNOW, AS A DALLAS SITE, SAD TO HAVE ASKED YOU, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT YOU LEFT AS A CAPABLE TEAM AND REALLY HAPPY TO PERPETUATE YOU IN, IN OTHER PARTS OF TEXAS, SPECIFICALLY IN AUSTIN.
SO WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU AGAIN TOO.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU, I, I HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET.
UH, MY NAME IS CANDACE VALENZUELA AND I AM HUD'S REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR.
UH, I AM A PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTEE OF THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION, UH, REPRESENTING ACTING SECRETARY TODDMAN, UH, IN NEW MEXICO, OKLAHOMA, ARKANSAS, LOUISIANA, UH, BUT ALSO IN MY BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT, UH, HOME STATE OF TEXAS.
UH, AND SO IT'S ALWAYS A, AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO, TO LOOK AT, UH, BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL PROPERTIES THAT, THAT HUD HAS HAD SOME PART IN.
UH, AND, AND I, I HAVE TO SAY, I REALLY WANTED TO GO HOME AFTER YOU SPOKE KELLY.
I, UM, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE DONE.
UH, WITH, WITH RESPECT TO YOU MAYOR
UM, I DIDN'T WANT TO STAND UP
UM, AND BECAUSE YOU, YOU BASICALLY GET AT, AT THE HEART OF, OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AT HUD.
LOOK, UH, WE ARE FACING A, A HOUSING CRISIS.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SITTING HERE OR STANDING HERE IN THE HEAT, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE TOO LONG, BUT YOU ALSO UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT JUST A A, AN ANNOYANCE.
A HOUSING CRISIS IS AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS.
IT CHALLENGES OUR ABILITY TO EXIST.
IT CHALLENGES OUR ABILITY TO BE HUMAN AND FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES IS, IS GETTING TO THE, THE HEART OF WHAT WE WANNA DO.
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MAKING SURE THAT WE GET PAST THAT SHORTAGE OF HOUSING UNITS.WE HAVE A TWO TO 5 MILLION UNITS SHORTAGE, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK.
BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE FOSTERING COMMUNITIES.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, EXITING, UH, HOMELESSNESS, ESPECIALLY UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, UH, I HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH IT TOO.
I WON'T GIVE YOU MY LIFE STORY, BUT YOU USED A REALLY GOOD WORD, AND THAT WAS DECOMPRESS.
LOTS OF FOLKS THINK AS SOON AS YOU GET OFF THE STREET AND INTO A, YOU KNOW, ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD, ALL OF THE PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED.
YOU'VE GOT, NOW YOU CAN GO AND FIND A JOB AND EVERYTHING IS, IS GREAT.
BUT, UM, THE MEMORY OF HOMELESSNESS STAYS WITH YOU.
UH, THE, THE FEELING OF, OF NOT BEING ABLE TO KNOW IF YOUR SHOES ARE GOING TO STILL BE THERE.
UH, FOR ME, I WENT OFF TO COLLEGE AND I WAS ACTUALLY PUT, I WAS ACTUALLY HOARDING FOOD IN MY DINING, UH, IN MY DORM ROOM REFRIGERATOR, BECAUSE I WASN'T AWARE FOR A WHILE THAT IT WOULD ALWAYS BE THERE.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS A LITTLE THING THAT YOU ALWAYS TAKE WITH YOU WHEN YOU'VE BEEN HOMELESS.
AND SO THERE'S SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, AND HAVING A BEAUTIFUL PLACE LIKE THIS ONE WHEN THERE, THERE, THERE'S WRAPAROUND SERVICES, RIGHT? SO THERE'S HEALTHCARE, THERE'S MENTAL HEALTHCARE, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S COACHING, UH, BUT ALSO A REAL INTENTIONALITY TOWARD ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY, A BASIS FOR WHICH PEOPLE CAN LAUNCH THEIR LIVES FOR WHICH PEOPLE CAN LIVE THEIR LIVES.
AND SO ON, ON, ON, ON THE, THIS, UH, THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CDBG, UH, IT'S, IT'S AN ABSOLUTE HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO KNOW THAT HUD'S MONEY, UH, THAT THE MONEY, UH, THAT THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN FIGHTING FOR, UH, FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, UH, IS GOING TO WORTHY PROJECTS LIKE THIS ONE.
UH, NOT JUST PUTTING PEOPLE, UH, IN, IN, IN BOXES, BUT, BUT BUILDING COMMUNITIES IN AUSTIN, FORTIFYING COMMUNITIES IN AUSTIN.
UH, ENSURING THAT WE PRESERVE CULTURE BECAUSE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS CULTURE.
UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, LABOR BECAUSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS AFFORDABLE LABOR.
UH, AND, AND ENSURING THAT THE ECONOMIC SUCCESS THAT WE'VE SEEN HERE CAN CONTINUE.
AND I KNOW THAT, THAT MAYOR WATSON HAS HAD THAT, THAT VISION FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UH, AND THIS IS JUST AN EXTENSION OF THAT.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU ALL TODAY.
AND, AND WALTER, JUST, JUST KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
UH, LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU BACK HERE OR HAVING YOU HAVING ME BACK HERE.
WE HAD SOME REAL CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES.
UH, BEC CONSTRUCTION, SCOTT AND TEAM, THANK YOU FOR STEPPING IN AND FIXING THINGS.
AND ALSO TO TRAVIS AND ALLENSWORTH LAW FOR HELPING US
UM, WE HAVE A GRANT FROM THE HOME LOAN BANK OF NEW YORK, THE DISABILITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, UM, PROVIDED SUPPORT, AND WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL DONORS.
I'M SO GRATEFUL TO THE MCLEAN FAMILY, TO THE HAR FAMILY, PEOPLE WHO, WHO CARE ABOUT YOU, KELLY, WHO CARE ABOUT, UM, STORIES LIKE YOURS AND HELPING THEIR NEIGHBORS.
UM, PLEASE GO IN THE AIR CONDITIONING AND HAVE A LITTLE TOUR AND SOME WATER AND, UH, CELEBRATE TODAY.
OH, AND WE'RE GONNA CUT THE RIBBON.