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[CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYONE.MY NAME IS VANESSA FUENTES, AUSTIN CITY COUNCILWOMAN.
I CALLED TO ORDER THIS MEETING OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.
THE TIME IS 10:01 AM ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2024, AND WE ARE IN THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
UH, WELCOME TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO OUR SEPTEMBER PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING.
I AM JOINED HERE TODAY BY OUR VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CADRE AND RYAN ALTER.
THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TODAY.
WE HAVE A RELATIVELY SHORT AGENDA.
WE'LL START OUT WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
THEN WE WILL MOVE TO APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM MAY 22ND AND JUNE 5TH.
THEN WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY, OFFICE BUDGET, STRATEGIC PLAN, AND SHELTER TERMINATION POLICY.
ANY QUESTIONS WITH THE AGENDA FOR TODAY? VERY GOOD.
[Public Communication: General]
FROM THE COMMUNITY.MAY THE CLERK'S OFFICE PLEASE START US OFF WITH OUR FIRST SPEAKER.
WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER THIS MORNING.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? HI, I'M SONYA BURNS AND I'M HERE TO DISCUSS HOUSING STRATEGIES AND THE POPULATION THAT WE'VE LEFT OUT.
SO, UM, WHEN YOU GO DOWNTOWN AND YOU GO TO THE ARCH, THERE'S A WOMAN WHO SITS OUTSIDE.
WELL, I MEAN, SHE SCREAMS OUTSIDE ALL THE TIME WHEN SHE GOES TO JAIL, SHE'S INCOMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL.
THIS IS HER BASELINE, AND THAT IS THE KEY.
YOU NEED TO HEAR THAT WORD BECAUSE YOU'LL HEAR IT OVER AND OVER.
WHEN SOMEONE'S AT BASELINE, IF THEY GO TO JAIL, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE PUT ON THE FORENSIC WAIT LIST.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE PUT ON THE CIVIL WAIT LIST.
THEY'RE TOO ACUTE TO ENGAGE VOLUNTARILY IN, UM, I MEAN, MEANINGFULLY INVOLUNTARY SERVICES.
AND THEY'RE NOT ACUTE ENOUGH FOR INPATIENT BECAUSE THEY ARE AT BASELINE.
WE HAVE NO HOUSING OPTIONS FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS.
AND I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ALL ARE WORKING WITH AND HOUSING ARE UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS.
AND I'VE HAD PEOPLE COME UP TO ME NOW AND EXPLAIN TO ME THAT POPULATION YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR YEARS, SONYA, WE HAVE THEM IN OUR SPACES EVERYWHERE.
THEY'RE SCREAMING, THEY'RE DEALING WITH THEIR VOICES.
EMS IS THERE, POLICE IS THERE.
THEY'RE, WE NEED SOMETHING THAT UNDER REGULATORY.
WE DON'T IN TEXAS, IF I NEED TO HAVE A SECURE OPTION FOR YOU, IT'S EITHER A PSYCH FACILITY, A JAIL, OR A PRISON, OR A NURSING HOME.
THE MEMORY CARE UNIT, CALIFORNIA HAS A WHOLE MODEL OF CARE IN BETWEEN HOSPITAL AND COMMUNITY PLACEMENT.
ARIZONA JUST PASSED LEGISLATION RECENTLY TO ADDRESS THIS POPULATION BECAUSE THEY DON'T REALLY NEED TO BE LIVING IN A HOSPITAL FOREVER.
BUT WE DO NEED TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
AND NOT EVERYBODY NEEDS THAT SECURE OPTION.
BUT SOME PEOPLE NEED INTENTIONAL THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES.
SO UNTIL WE ADDRESS THIS, AND I KNOW PEOPLE HEAR ME AND SAY, YOU SOUND LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW, LISTEN TO ME, MY POPULATION, BUT MY POPULATION RUINS EVERYTHING FOR EVERYBODY ELSE BECAUSE THEY ARE PRIORITIZED ALL THE TIME.
THEY WILL BE PULLED OUT OF THE JAIL.
THEY WILL, THEY WILL BE PULLED OUTTA THE HOSPITAL, AND THEN I'M GONNA PUT THEM IN THE RAPID REHOUSING OR THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
WE'VE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY ON THIS, WE KNOW THAT THEY CANNOT SURVIVE THERE.
AND THEN YOU LOSE TRUST WITH YOUR LANDLORDS, YOUR PROPERTY MANAGERS AND YOUR PROVIDERS.
AND YOU ALL HAVE GIVEN MONEY FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION PILOT.
AND I WAS IN THE INITIAL MEETING WHEN THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AND EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM SAID, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THIS IS NOT WHAT WE WANTED.
WE NEED AN INVOLUNTARY OPTION AS WELL.
THIS WILL NOT CAPTURE THAT MOST COMPLEX POPULATION IN THE JAILS.
IT IS NOT GONNA TOUCH THE POPULATION I'M TALKING ABOUT.
WE ALSO KEEP FUNDING INTEGRAL CARE.
AND AT THIS POINT I HAVE RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN LOOK HIM UP, ROBERT, DANIEL CUMMINS, HE'S STILL SITTING IN OUR JAIL.
HE HAS BEEN CYCLING FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
HE HAS BEEN ON THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CARE FOR OVER 10 YEARS.
AND THIS LAST TIME HE WAS ARRESTED ON ASSISTED OUTPATIENT TREATMENT.
SO THAT'S THROUGH THE CIVIL COURT IS NOW OVERSEEING HIS CARE.
AND INTEGRAL CARE HAS NOT ADVOCATED FOR HIS TRUE LEVEL OF NEEDS.
SO I CANNOT KEEP PUTTING PEOPLE ON THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CARE KNOWING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO FAIL.
AND THEN WHAT? AND THAT HAS BEEN THE QUESTION IN EVERY MEETING.
AND I DO THIS AT THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL LEVELS.
YOU ALL YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED, MA'AM.
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO APPROVAL OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
[Approval of Minutes]
MINUTES FROM MAY 22ND AND JUNE 5TH.MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND PLEASE? MOTIONED BY VICE CHAIR OF VELASQUEZ, SECONDED BY COUNCIL CADRY.
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ANY OBJECTIONS WITH APPROVAL OF THE MEET MAY MEETING MINUTES AND JUNE 5TH, MEETING MINUTES.SEEING NONE, THOSE MEETING MINUTES STAND ADOPTED.
[2. Discussion and possible action regarding the Homeless Strategy Office Budget, Strategic Plan, and Shelter Termination Policy.]
ITEM NUMBER TWO.WE'LL WELCOME OUR HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY OFFICER DAVID GRAY, TO LEAD OUR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY, OFFICE BUDGET, STRATEGIC PLAN, AND SHELTER TERMINATION POLICY.
MR. GRAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AND THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HAVING US TODAY.
UH, I'M DAVID GRAY, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, AND AS CTM PULLS UP THE, THE PRESENTATION, UH, I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND, AND LAUNCH INTO, I'M YOUR ONLY ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
SO WE HAVE THREE TOPICS THAT WE'D LIKE TO DISCUSS WITH YOU ALL.
FIRST IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
THE SECOND IS A LOOK AT THE HSO RELATED ITEMS IN THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND LAST IS AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE STAND WITH OUR SHELTER TERMINATION POLICY.
I'M GONNA PAUSE FOR A MOMENT, GIVE OUR OUR FOLKS OVER AT CTMA CHANCE TO GET EVERYTHING UP AND GOING FOR US.
DAVID, WHILE THEY DO THAT, IS THERE SOMEONE ON YOUR STAFF WHO CAN EMAIL US THIS PRESENTATION? YES, WE CAN MAKE SURE YOU, YOU GET A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION.
AH, WHAT DO YOU KNOW? NO WORRIES.
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S FINE WITH, WITH YOU ALL, I CAN RUN IT OFF OF WHATEVER SCREEN YOU PULL UP.
ALRIGHT, LET'S SEE IF THIS WORKS.
SO LET'S JUST TRY TO FOCUS ON THE BIG SCREEN AND NOT THE LITTLE SCREEN.
STEALING MY OWN THUNDER HERE, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UH, SO TODAY'S AGENDA, WE'LL FOCUS ON THE, UH, FY 25 BUDGET APPROVALS.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE ELEMENTS THAT ARE HSO SPECIFIC IN THAT PLAN.
AND THEN WE'LL END UP WITH THE, UH, HOMELESS SHELTER TERMINATION POLICY UPDATE.
SO, JUST FIRST DIVING INTO OUR FY 25 BUDGET.
UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL AND YOUR COLLEAGUES ON THE CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVING THE BUDGET FOR THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.
THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR IN THE CITY'S HISTORY THAT WE HAVE A STANDALONE BUDGET FOR THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.
THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF FUNDING IN OUR BUDGET IS $36.2 MILLION.
OF THAT $3.3 MILLION IS IN OUR OPERATING FUND.
THAT'S THE FUND THAT OUR OFFICE USE TO PAY FOR OUR STAFF, FOR OUR OFFICE SPACE, OFFICE SUPPLIES, MATERIALS, ET CETERA.
THE REMAINING $32.9 MILLION IS IN SOCIAL SERVICES CONTRACTS.
THAT'S WHAT PAYS FOR OUR STREET OUTREACH CONTRACTS.
SOME OF OUR RAPID REHOUSING WORK, A LOT OF OUR PUBLIC, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SERVICES, UH, AND A HOST OF OTHER SERVICES AND TOTAL HSO STAFF HAVE, HSO HAS BEEN ALLOCATED 22 FULL-TIME STAFF FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
THERE WERE SOME KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FY 25 BUDGET PROCESS.
UH, THINGS THAT WERE AMENDED INTO THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR HSO.
THE FIRST WAS $2.8 MILLION TO SUPPORT OUR OPERATIONS AT OUR NORTH BRIDGE AND OUR SOUTH BRIDGE SHELTER.
THE SECOND WAS $2.6 MILLION THAT WAS ADDED FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
UH, AND WE ANTICIPATE USING THOSE, THAT FUNDING TO SUPPORT PSH PROJECTS THAT WILL OPEN NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THE LAST IS $440,000 THAT WAS ADDED FOR THE HOMELESS ENGAGEMENT ASSISTANCE RESPONSE PROGRAM OR THE HEART PROGRAM, WHICH IS A STREET OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT WAS PILOTED BY THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
UH, AND WE STARTED HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH DAA ABOUT MOVING FORWARD WITH NEXT STEPS IN REGARDS TO THAT PROGRAM.
THERE WAS ALSO A TOTAL OF $5.7 MILLION THAT WAS APPROPRIATED TO HSO AS ONE TIME FUNDING IN THIS BUDGET PROCESS.
OF THAT $2.2 MILLION WAS ADDED FOR HOMELESS PREVENTION PROGRAMS. AND SO WE ANTICIPATE ISSUING A SOLICITATION FOR THOSE FUNDS.
3.2 MILLION WAS ADDED TO SUPPORT OUR RAPID REHOUSING SUPPORT SERVICES.
UH, WE'RE GONNA COME TO COUNCIL AND USE THOSE DOLLARS TO, UH, ATTACH IT TO EXISTING CONTRACTS SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT CLIENTS WHO ARE IN PSH PROGRAMS CURRENTLY.
UH, AND THEN IF WE HAVE ADDITIONAL MONEY AFTER WE, WE'VE SUPPORTED OUR CURRENT CLIENTS, UH, AND IF OUR PARTNERS SAID THAT THEY HAVE MORE CAPACITY TO TAKE ON NEW CLIENTS,
[00:10:01]
THEN WE'LL PROCEED WITH ENROLLING MORE PEOPLE INTO P RAPID REHOUSING SERVICES.AND THEN LAST WAS, UH, ONE TIME $300,000 ALLOCATION FOR FAMILY HOMELESS SERVICES, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE SOLICITING IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO UPDATE YOU ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH OUR ALLOCATION FROM THE FEDERAL AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, ALL OF THESE FUNDS HAVE TO BE ENCUMBERED BY THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR AND SPENT BY DECEMBER, 2026 OF THE $95.3 MILLION THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR, UH, THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE 8.3 MILLION REMAINING UNALLOCATED.
HOWEVER, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE AN ALLOCATION PLAN FOR ALL THE FUNDS.
UH, AND JUST TO WALK THROUGH IT AT A HIGH LEVEL, THE REMAINING FUNDS AND THE PERMANENT HOUSING CAPITAL AND LANDLORD ENGAGEMENT COLUMNS ARE ACTUALLY A PART OF A SOLICITATION THAT WE ANNOUNCED TODAY.
UH, IT'S A $2.1 MILLION FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TO HELP REMOVE BARRIERS FOR HOUSING AND ALSO TO ENGAGE PROPERTY OWNERS TO MAKE MORE UNITS AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES THAT ARE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND THOSE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING LITERAL HOMELESSNESS, THE REMAINING MONEY IN THE EMERGENCY SHELTER AND CRISIS SERVICES ROLE IS GONNA BE USED TO HELP US RAMP DOWN THE MARSHALING YARD AND RETURN THAT FACILITY BACK INTO A, A GOOD CONDITION FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE MONEY AND SUPPORTING PROVIDERS.
UH, WE'RE HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS RIGHT NOW WITH ECHO, UH, AROUND A NEW TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS.
AND SO WE ANTICIPATE USING THOSE FUNDS TO SUPPORT THAT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITY.
THE RAPID REHOUSING FUNDS THAT ARE REMAINING, UM, WILL BE ATTACHED TO EXISTING CONTRACTS TO SUPPORT OUR EXISTING CLIENTS AND THEN IN OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES.
THAT 600,000 IS GOING TOWARDS SUPPORTING OUR CLIENTS IN OUR SHELTERS AND IN OUR PROGRAMS. UH, AND THIS IS HELPING THEM WITH THINGS LIKE SOAR ENROLLMENTS, WHICH IS ENROLLING IN, UM, LIKE HEALTHCARE AND, AND OTHER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, UH, AS WELL AS DOING HOMELESS PREVENTION AND DIVERSION SERVICES TO HELP PEOPLE, UH, NOT REMAIN HOMELESS FOR VERY LONG.
AND THEN UNDER HOMELESS SYSTEM SUPPORT, THOSE FUNDS WILL SUPPORT, UH, TEMPORARY STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED WITH OUR OFFICE.
THOSE STAFF SPECIFICALLY MANAGE CONTRACTS AND PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT.
UM, INITIALLY WE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO LET THOSE STAFF GO AT THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
HOWEVER, THROUGH CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT AND SUBSEQUENTLY SOME NEW RULES FROM THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT, WE'VE RECEIVED THE GREEN LIGHT TO CONTINUE USING THIS FUNDING TO SUPPORT THOSE STAFF AS LONG AS THOSE STAFF ARE WORKING ON THE ARPA PROGRAMS. AND SO THAT, THAT'S OUR SPENDING PLAN, WE WILL HAVE ALL THESE DOLLARS ENCUMBERED BEFORE THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR BECAUSE MY TEAM KNOWS THAT DAVID DOES NOT BELIEVE IN GIVING MONEY BACK TO THE GOVERNMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER, CAN I ASK QUESTIONS NOW, CHAIR, OR SHOULD I WAIT UNTIL THE END? RIGHT.
UM, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, THE 0.4 MILL ON THE, ON THE RAMP RAMP DOWN, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? LIKE, SO SOME OF THAT IS BEING USED TO HELP CLIENTS, UH, FIND OR, UH, OBTAIN PERMANENT HOUSING.
UH, SO OUR STRATEGY RIGHT NOW WITH THE MARSHALING YARD IS TO MAKE SURE EVERY CLIENT WHO'S THERE GETS HOUSED BEFORE WE HAVE TO CLOSE IT.
UH, AND SO THIS IS HELPING WITH THINGS LIKE FIRST LAST MONTH RENT, MAYBE PAYING OFF, UH, OLD BALANCES THAT THEY QUALIFY FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES, HELPING PEOPLE GET THEIR IDENTIFICATIONS, BIRTH CERTIFICATES, ET CETERA.
THERE ARE ALSO JUST SOME OPERATING COSTS THAT WE HAVE AT THE MARSHALING YARD THAT WE CONTINUE TO PAY.
UH, THIS INCLUDES THINGS LIKE UTILITIES, TEMPORARY SHOWERS AND TRAILERS, OUR FOOD SERVICE CONTRACT, UM, WITH THE, THE FOOD BANK, ET CETERA.
SO WE STILL HAVE THOSE ONGOING COSTS, WHICH ARE SLOWLY PHASING DOWN, BUT SINCE IT'S STILL A FULL SCALE OPERATION, UM, WE STILL OCCUR FULL SCALE COSTS.
AND THEN THERE'S, ONCE WE CLOSE THE SHELTER, THERE ARE SOME REPAIRS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE TO THE FACILITY TO RETURN IT BACK IN THE CONDITION THAT WE GOT IT IN FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND THAT, THAT WAS OUR PLEDGE TO OUR SIBLING DEPARTMENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE BUDGET UPDATE? YES.
I WAS WONDERING IF, AND THIS IS NOT SPECIFIC TO THESE PARTICULAR LINE ITEMS, BUT KIND OF AN ONGOING CONVERSATION WE'VE BEEN HAVING AND WE HAD, UH, AT THE WORK SESSION, POTENTIALLY FOR A FUTURE MEETING HERE, IF THERE IS A WAY FOR YOU TO HELP, UM, SHOW US THE, NOT ONLY THE EFFICACY OF THESE PROGRAMS, AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT IN THE STRATEGIC, UH, DIRECTION, BUT THE DOLLARS PER INTERVENTION, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION OF HOW MUCH DOES RAPID COST, HOW MUCH DOES PSH COST PER PERSON PER YEAR? UM, AND SO I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE REALLY HELPFUL TO KIND OF SEE ON AN AGGREGATE
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OF WHAT ARE THESE, THE COSTS FOR THESE VARIOUS PROGRAMS, AND THEN WHAT TYPE OF OUTCOMES ARE WE SEEING BASED ON THOSE INVESTMENTS.UM, AND THEN I THINK THAT FEEDS ALSO INTO THAT LARGER CONVERSATION OF, UM, THE SYSTEM.
RIGHT? AND I KNOW BACK FOUR YEARS AGO, THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO, WHEN THEY WERE, UH, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE SOME OF THE ARPA DOLLARS A MODEL WAS CREATED OF WHAT WE THINK OUR SYSTEM IS GOING TO NEED.
AND THAT MODEL WAS, YOU KNOW, VERY DETAILED IN TERMS OF THE VARIOUS INTERVENTIONS.
AND I'M CURIOUS WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT MODEL IS, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO, UH, YOU, YOU PRESENT TO US JUST TO SHOW KIND OF HOW WE ARE MAKING OUR DECISIONS BECAUSE, UH, I THINK WE GOT TO THE BUDGET PROCESS AND WE'RE YEARNING FOR SOME OF THESE DATA THAT WE DIDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE.
AND SO IF WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS EARLIER, UH, I THINK THAT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL.
SO I DUNNO IF THAT WAS NECESSARILY A QUESTION, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN THERE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO, TO COMMENT ON.
IN, IN A MOMENT I'LL INVITE, UH, GARY P*****K FROM OUR OFFICE TO COME UP AND TALK THROUGH SOME OF THE COST PER INTERVENTIONS THAT THEY'VE ROUGHLY CALCULATED.
AND SO THAT'S MY SOFT TOSS TO GARY TO BE PREPARED TO COME UP IN JUST A SECOND.
ON THE SYSTEM MODELING PIECE, UH, THAT YOU ASKED ABOUT, UH, WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH ECHO ON UPDATING THE MODEL.
ECHO DID HAVE SOME STAFF TURNOVER, WHICH, UH, IMPACTED THE TIMELINE THAT WE WERE WORKING ON TO TRY TO GET, UH, A FINAL MODEL TO COUNCIL.
I KNOW MATT MALIKA FROM ECHO CAME DURING THE WORK SESSION AND PRESENTED SOME DATA AND ALSO HAD SHARED SOME INITIAL DATA WITH YOU ALL.
UH, WE DO INTEND TO INVITE ECHO ACTUALLY TO THIS BODY AT A FUTURE MEETING TO DO A MORE COMPLETE PRESENTATION ON THAT MODEL WITH UPDATED FIGURES.
UH, BUT GARY AND HIS TEAM IS WORKING WITH MATT'S NEW STAFF, UH, WHO ARE NOW ASSIGNED TO LEAD THAT EFFORT.
UM, SO WITH THAT THOUGH, LET ME HAVE GARY COME UP REALLY BRIEFLY AND JUST GIVE YOU SOME HIGH LEVEL COST PER INTERVENTIONS.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH A DEEPER DIVE INTO PROGRAM OUTCOMES TIED TO THESE DIFFERENT INVESTMENTS.
'CAUSE THAT'S A GOOD SEGUE TO THE QUESTION I HAD, WHICH THAT THE 32 MILLION THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED TO SOCIAL SERVICE CONTRACTS PER OUR HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE, CAN YOU GIVE US AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH OF THAT 32 MILLION GOES TOWARD EACH INTERVENTION AT A HIGH LEVEL? THANK YOU.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
SOMETHING TOLD ME SOMEBODY WAS GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION TODAY, AND I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT ANSWER PREPARED AND I DID NOT PREPARE THAT ANSWER.
SO I'LL MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE DIRECTLY TO GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN AT A FUTURE PRESENTATION, WE'LL WALK THROUGH ALL OF THOSE, UM, KIND OF FUNDING BREAKDOWNS AND, AND PROGRAM OUTCOMES.
AND AT 32 MILLION, IS IT INCLUSIVE OF THE ONE TIME 5 MILLION IN BUDGET AMENDMENTS OR IS THAT THE, I'M GONNA JUMP BACK TO THAT SLIDE.
SO THIS 32 MILLION, THIS IS THE ONGOING FUNDING THAT IS, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR BUDGET.
AND SO THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 5.71 TIME FUNDING THAT WAS ALLOCATED.
GARY, DO YOU WANT TO COME UP REAL BRIEFLY? THANK YOU.
HI, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, GARY P*****K, HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.
UM, CAN YOU, WAS THE QUESTION JUST ABOUT KIND OF THE COST FIGURES? WELL, THE, I THINK THE FIRST QUESTION IS THE MODEL THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY HENRY CARR AND MANDY CHAPMAN.
UM, I KNOW WE'RE ALSO TALKING WITH ECHO, BUT ARE WE BASING THAT WORK ON THE EXISTING MODEL? ARE WE MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON THE EXISTING MODEL? WHAT DOES THE EXISTING MODEL EVEN TELL US IN TERMS OF OUR NEEDS VERSUS WHAT WE HAVE, UH, CURRENTLY AVAILABLE? MM-HMM.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER, UH, GREAT QUESTIONS.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THE, THE MODEL THAT WE'VE BEEN USING TO THIS POINT WAS DEVELOPED BY BARBARA POPPY AND ASSOCIATES.
I KNOW THE WORK KIND OF WASN'T, UM, OVERLAPPING, UM, BUT, UH, THE WORK AND THE MODEL WAS BUILT BY A MEMBER OF THAT TEAM NAMED MATT WHITE, UM, WHO WORKS WITH A CONSULTING COMPANY CALLED HOUSING INNOVATIONS.
AND HE HAS BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH ECHO TO DEVELOP AN A KIND OF THE 2.0 VERSION OR THE UPDATED MODEL, UM, SINCE THAT WORK THAT, THAT HE SPEARHEADED FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IT WAS, YOU KNOW, REALLY JUST SOMETHING HE DEVELOPED HIMSELF.
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UM, AND HUD HAS RELEASED, UH, A TOOL CALLED STELLA M THAT'S AVAILABLE TO ALL COMMUNITIES, BUT YOU, YOU REALLY HAVE TO PUT IN THE WORK TO BUILD OUT THE MODEL.AND SO WHAT HE DID, UM, WITH ECHO AND, AND SOME HELP FROM US AS WELL, WAS TRANSLATE THE OLD MODEL INTO THAT NEW SYSTEM AND THEN UPDATE THE ASSUMPTIONS, THE COST FIGURES THAT, THAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR CONTRACTS TO THIS POINT.
SO THE MODEL REALLY IS BUILT ON OUR WORK OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
AND THEN WE CAN ADJUST THE ASSUMPTIONS.
WE CAN KIND OF MODEL OUT A SYSTEM THAT WE FEEL IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WANT AS A, AS A COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO WHAT WE CAN FUND MM-HMM.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF AT THAT STAGE OF FIGURING OUT, OKAY, WE HAVE KIND OF THE, THE BASE MODEL OF WHERE WE ARE NOW.
UM, AND ECHO IS TAKING A CLOSER LOOK.
THEY'VE HAD SOME STAFF CHANGES, UM, BUT THROUGH THAT TRANSITION THEY'RE, THEY'RE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MODEL SO THEY CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND IT AND SPEAK TO IT.
AND, AND AS DAVID SAID, UH, WE'LL HAVE THEM, UM, JOIN US AT A, AT A FUTURE MEETING TO DISCUSS THE MODEL AND THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
WELL, I THINK THAT'D BE REALLY HELPFUL.
'CAUSE I KNOW ONE OF THE DATA POINTS IN THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA NEED SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 40 505,000 PSH UNITS OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
IF, IF WE WERE TO FULLY ADDRESS THAT NEED, WHICH, YOU KNOW, AVERAGES OUT TO ALMOST 500 A YEAR.
AND, AND WE ARE, UM, ALL, YOU KNOW, VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S COMING IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
AND IT'S ON THE SCALE OF THREE TO 400 A YEAR, AND THAT'S AWESOME.
BUT IF WE NEED 500 A YEAR FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS, THAT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
THAT HAPPENS AFTER YEARS OF INVESTING AND PLANNING AND BUILDING AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, THE MANY STEPS.
AND SO I WANT TO, UH, BE REALLY CLEAR-EYED ABOUT WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE AND THEN LOOKING BEYOND PSH INTO SOME OF THE PREVENTION, RAPID DIVERSION, WHAT, YOU KNOW, NAME YOUR INTERVENTION, UH, THAT COST PER INTERVENTION UNDERSTANDING, AND THEN THE OUTCOMES ASSOCIATED, UH, SHELTER INCLUDED.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT, TO YOUR POINT, WHAT WE DO HAVE THE MONEY TO DO AND NOT DO, UH, HOW WE'RE GOING TO BEST UTILIZE THOSE DOLLARS.
AND SO I'M, I'M NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING FOR A, A FULL ANSWER TODAY.
I THINK THAT'S A, A BROADER DISCUSSION.
UH, BUT JUST WANT TO KIND OF BRING THAT UP TODAY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AND, AND INTO THE YEAR.
'CAUSE I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING SOME REALLY CHALLENGING DISCUSSIONS COMING INTO THE NEXT BUDGET OF MONEY WE DON'T HAVE AND CLIFFS WE ARE FACING.
UH, THE EARLIER WE START HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS, THE BETTER.
AND NEXT UPDATE ON THIS STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO DIVING INTO THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, AND THIS IS A PROCESS THAT'S BEING STEWARDED BY THE CITY'S FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
SO I WANT TO GIVE THEM THEIR SHOUT OUT FOR GUIDING THIS PROCESS.
THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN HAS BEEN INFORMED BY INPUT FROM OVER 200 UNIQUE STAFF FROM ACROSS THE CITY.
THE GOAL OF THE PLAN IS TO HELP INFORM CITY DECISION MAKING ACROSS THE ENTIRE ENTERPRISE AND REALLY DRIVE SUCCESS TOWARDS SOME COMMON GOALS.
THIS CURRENT CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN BUILDS OFF OF SD 23, WHICH WAS OUR ASPIRATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WAS LARGELY INFORMED BY IMAGINE AUSTIN, WHICH IS THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UH, THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN IS REALLY ORGANIZED AROUND SEVEN STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, WHICH IS LISTED HERE ON THE SCREEN.
UH, I WON'T READ THROUGH ALL OF THEM, BUT THE ONE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND RELEVANT FOR US TODAY IS THE ONE IN PURPLE AT THE BOTTOM LEFT, WHICH FOCUSES ON HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING, DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS, CITYWIDE AND REDUCING HOMELESSNESS THROUGH STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN PARTNERSHIPS.
AND SO, AS YOU DIG INTO THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN DOCUMENT, UH, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE'S SUBSTRATES WITHIN EACH OF THESE GROUPINGS.
AND THERE'S THREE SUBSTRATES THAT ARE SPECIFIC FOR HSO, UM, AND THE WORK THAT WE DO.
AND SO I, I WILL READ THROUGH THIS A LITTLE BIT 'CAUSE I KNOW IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE SMALL ON THE SCREEN.
UH, THE FIRST SUB STRATEGY LOOKS AT, UH, HOMELESS PREVENTION.
IT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF PERSONS WHO ENGAGE WITH CITY FUNDED PREVENTION PROGRAMS, UH, AND DO NOT REPEAT HOMELESSNESS AFTER A YEAR.
UH, AND SO WHAT I HAVE ON THE SCREEN IS ON THE LEFT, A BREAKDOWN OF THE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS AND ON THE RIGHT IS KIND OF OUR OFFICE'S UPDATES AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THAT REGARD.
AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PRIORITY HH 3.1, UH, OUR OFFICE SECURED COUNCIL APPROVAL JUST LAST WEEK ACTUALLY, UH, FOR HOMELESS PREVENTIONS AND DIVERSION SERVICES CONTRACTS.
UH, AND THAT'S A CONTRACT WITH SUNRISE THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ROLL OUT PRETTY
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SOON.UM, ALSO RELATED TO THIS, YOU KNOW, IS THE $2.1 MILLION FUNDING OPPORTUNITY THAT WE ANNOUNCED TODAY.
UH, A LARGE CHUNK OF THAT IS FOCUSED ON HOUSING BARRIER REMOVAL.
UH, AND SO IF FOLKS ARE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS OR THEY'RE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UH, AND THEY'RE HAVING AN ISSUE GETTING INTO AN APARTMENT OR SOME TYPE OF PERMANENT, UH, AND STABLE HOUSING, UH, THEN WE HAVE A FUND THAT WILL BE ESTABLISHED TO HELP THEM REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS AND BE ABLE TO RAPIDLY GET STABLY REHOUSED.
AND SO WE ARE MAKING SOME INROADS ON THIS GOAL.
UH, WE'RE ALSO VERY EXCITED, FRANKLY, TO BE DEDICATING SOME ENERGY TOWARDS HOMELESS PREVENTION AND GETTING UPSTREAM OF PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES OF HOMELESSNESS INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THEM TO BE HOMELESS FOR SO LONG THAT THEY'RE NOW TRAUMATIZED.
AND JUST THE, THE COST AND THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT IT TAKES TO HELP PEOPLE RECOVER AT THAT POINT IS FAR MORE SEVERE.
THE SECOND MEASURE ON HERE IS HH THREE DASH TWO, WHICH FOCUSES ON THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
UH, IT SPEAKS TO HAVING THE PERCENTAGE OF HEAL, UH, BRIDGE SHELTER PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE ENROLLED IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AFTER ENROLLING IN HEAL.
AND OUR TARGET TARGET FOR THAT IS 80%, UM, THROUGH COUNCIL DIRECTION.
WE HAVE BEEN PARTNERING WITH OUR LOCAL LEADERSHIP COUNCIL AS WELL AS ECHO TO FINALIZE THAT RAPID REHOUSING TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TRANSFER POLICY.
UH, IN FACT, THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL SHOULD BE RECEIVING AN UPDATE FROM ECHO THIS MONTH ON THE STATUS OF THAT TRANSFER POLICY.
THE REASON WHY THIS IS RELEVANT FOR THIS STRATEGIC GOAL IS BECAUSE UNDER OUR CURRENT HE MODEL, UH, CLIENTS COME INTO BRIDGE SHELTER FROM ENCAMPMENTS, AND THEN FROM THERE THEY ARE CONNECTED TO RAPID REHOUSING.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT OVER 70% OF THE CLIENTS WHO WE'RE BRINGING IN, UH, THROUGH HEAL ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
AND AS WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH YOU BEFORE, RAPID REHOUSING IS NOT THE BEST INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
SO WE NEED A MECHANISM TO HELP THESE CLIENTS MOVE FROM RAPID REHOUSING INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
SO THIS POLICY WILL HELP US GET THERE.
JUST AS AN ASIDE, WE ARE LOOKING AT HEAL AND JUST THAT PROGRAM MODEL TO SEE WHAT TWEAKS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SUGGEST TOO, UH, SO THAT WE'RE NOT PULLING IN CHRONICALLY HOMELESS CLIENTS INTO RAPID, BUT RATHER DIVERTING THEM FROM BRIDGE INTO, UH, THE MORE APPROPRIATE RESOURCE.
THE LAST, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON HOMELESSNESS IS ITEM 3.3, WHICH SPEAKS TO STABILITY.
UH, HERE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS SERVED BY CITY FUNDED PROGRAMS WHO ENTER PERMANENT HOUSING AND DO NOT EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS AGAIN WITHIN TWO YEARS OF A HOUSING PLACEMENT.
UM, AND SINCE WE'RE ON THE FRONT END OF THIS NEW STRATEGIC PLAN, WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD THE BENEFITS OF, OF A TWO YEAR LOOK BACK TO SEE IF WE ARE ACHIEVING THIS TARGET MEASURE OR NOT.
THAT BEING SAID, GARY AND HIS TEAM DO THAT WORK WITH ECHO AND WITH OTHER PARTNERS, LOOK AT OUR INTERVENTIONS AND TO TRACK WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE SEEING CLIENTS RETURN TO HOMELESSNESS.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AT LEAST WITHIN OUR COC, WE KNOW THAT 98% OF OUR CLIENTS REMAIN SUCCESSFULLY HOUSED.
UM, AND SO WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT WE'RE HITTING THIS MARK, UH, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE MEASURING THROUGHOUT THE NEXT TWO YEARS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING ON TARGET.
BEFORE I JUMP TO THE SHELTER TERMINATION POLICY, WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS? THANK YOU.
AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AS PART OF THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN AS IT RELATES TO HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING.
UM, FOR THE RECORD, OUR CITY'S INTENTION IS TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS CITYWIDE AND REDUCE HOMELESSNESS THROUGH STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS.
AND I THINK THAT IS, IS SUPER HELPFUL IN REALLY SPELLING OUT WHAT WE ENVISION THE CITY'S ROLE IN ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS AND OUR OVERALL ECOSYSTEM.
AND, AND SO I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF US HAVING THAT LENS AS WE APPROACH CITY OPERATIONS AND OUR BUDGET MAKING PROCESS MOVING FORWARD.
UH, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD ARE AROUND, UH, THE TARGET PERCENTAGES THAT YOU HAVE HERE OUTLINED FOR THE STRATEGIES, 75% FOR PREVENTION, 50% FOR HILL INITIATIVE, AND 80% FOR STABILITY.
CAN YOU ELIMINATE HOW, HOW YOU DEVELOP THOSE PERCENTAGES? SURE.
WAS ANYBODY PART OF THAT DIRECT PROCESS? GARY, I'M GONNA INVITE GARY P*****K.
GARY P*****K WAS THE STAR OF THE WORK SESSION DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS, SO I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW GARY, THE, THE QUESTION FOCUSED ON THE TARGETS FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN ITEMS AND HOW WE ESTABLISH THOSE.
UM, HI, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
UM, THE TARGETS WERE GENERALLY SET ON, UM, EITHER PAST EXPERIENCE OR EXPECTATIONS FOR PROGRAMS JUST BASED ON, UM, I THINK TRENDS, UM, EITHER LOCALLY OR NATIONALLY.
SO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, FOR
[00:30:01]
INSTANCE, WE, WE SEE A VERY LOW RATE OF FOLKS RETURNING TO HOMELESSNESS ONCE THEY'RE HOUSED.UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE, ONE OF THE BIG GOALS IS TO, TO KEEP FOLKS SUSTAINABLY HOUSED FOR, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND SO THAT TWO YEAR METRIC REALLY GENERALLY IS MET, UM, FOR RAPID REHOUSING.
THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, I BELIEVE IS AROUND 70 TO 80%, UM, SU SUCCESS.
AND SO WE KIND OF AVERAGED THE TWO TO, TO COME TO THE GOAL HERE.
UM, RECOGNIZING THAT WE, WE HAD A PRETTY HUGE INVESTMENT IN RAPID REHOUSING AND IT WAS NEW TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, WE WERE, WE WERE REALLY KIND OF FORECASTING IN THAT ONE.
UM, WHEN IT CAME TO PREVENTION.
UM, PREVENTION IS, IS ALSO GENERALLY VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, AND, UM, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT, UH, WHEN WE DEVELOPED THESE METRICS, WE DID DEVELOP THEM ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
SO DURING THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2023 PROCESS, UM, OR 2028, SORRY, UM, WHEN 2023 WAS SUNSET, UM, I HAD WORKED WITH, UM, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER AT THAT TIME, DIANA GRAY TO, TO BUILD OUT SOME OF THESE.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE OLD IN MY, MY MIND, NOT SO FRESH.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WAS BUILT ON THE SUCCESS OF THE BSS PLUS COLLABORATIVE, UM, AS WELL AS JUST GENERAL TRENDS AROUND HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION, UM, WHICH REALLY DO TRY TO GET TO FOLKS BEFORE THEY, THEY HIT THE CRISIS OF HOMELESSNESS, UM, AND, UM, AND HAVE A, A GENERALLY VERY HIGH SUCCESS RATE.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST ONE, THE, THE MIDDLE ONE, UH, THE HEEL THAT AGAIN, WAS BASED ON OUR, WHAT WE HAD SEEN IN THE INITIAL ABOUT YEAR AND A HALF OF THE HE PROGRAM.
SO LOOKING AT THE RATES OF FOLKS, UM, ACCESSING SHELTER AND THEN GETTING CONNECTED TO HOUSING PROGRAMS. UM, IT WAS EXTREMELY HIGH AT THE TIME AND THE RESOURCES WERE CERTAINLY MORE FLUSH WITH RAPID REHOUSING.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THAT WAS SET AT THE TIME.
AND SPEAKING OF THE DATA AND, AND GOING BACK TO, UM, WHAT DIRECTOR GRAY MENTIONED ON THE ECHO MODEL THAT'S BEING WORKED ON AND DEVELOPED, YOU'RE BASING THAT ON THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
AND I'M CURIOUS, HOW ARE WE CONSIDERING THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC AND HOW THAT SHOWS UP IN THE DATA? UM, DO YOU MEAN IN LIKE HOUSING STABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY? YEAH, I MEAN, JUST EVEN YOU, YOU REFERENCED SOME OF THE LOOKING AT LOCAL RATES AND THE TRENDS THAT WE HAVE HERE LOCALLY AND BASING YOUR TARGET PERCENTAGES, BUT ALSO JUST OVERALL LIKE HOW ARE WE CONSIDERING THE PANDEMIC IMPACTS? UM, TO BE HONEST, I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WE, I KNOW THAT THE MODEL, AT LEAST THIS THIS FIRST VERSION OF IT, RIGHT, UM, WAS BASED ON KIND OF THE MORE RECENT TRENDS.
AND SO THAT WOULD INCLUDE THAT IMMEDIATE EXPERIENCE OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, BUT I THINK THE, THE, THE IMPACT OF THE MARKET OVER TIME IS PROBABLY STILL BEING IDENTIFIED IN SOME LEVEL.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN WE DID OUR SHELTER ASSESSMENT LAST, LAST YEAR, UM, GOSH, IT'S BEEN A LONG YEAR, UM,
AND THEN WE LOOKED AT THE DEMOGRAPHERS, UM, PROJECTIONS FOR, UM, THE RATE OF POVERTY IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY AND REALLY TRIED TO BLEND THOSE TWO AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WOULD BE THE SHELTER NEED AS WE LOOKED FORWARD.
AND SO I THINK SOMETHING, SOMETHING AKIN TO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTANDING THAT NEED.
UM, BUT, UM, I, I THINK ONE OF THE BIG STRESS OR ONE OF THE BIG POINTS TO STRESS FOR THE MODELING, UM, IS THE, THE PREVENTATIVE SIDE AND REALLY TRYING TO STOP THE INFLOW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN ASSIST AND HELP PEOPLE BEFORE THEY, THEY FALL INTO HOMELESSNESS.
UM, AND THAT, THAT WILL REQUIRE, I THINK, KIND OF A FOCUS ON THAT MARKET IMPACT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE IDENTIFYING THOSE FACTORS THAT COULD PREDICT HOMELESSNESS.
UM, WELL, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I WAS GONNA ASK ABOUT HOW WE GOT TO THE, TO THE TARGET NUMBER, UH, PERCENTAGES, BUT DO Y'ALL HAVE, DO Y'ALL HAVE A, A BREAKDOWN OF SORTS OF, UM, OF A TIMELINE OF WHEN WE HOPE TO HIT, YOU KNOW, 25%, 50% AND, AND YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT, WHAT STEPS AND, AND, AND WHAT WE'LL BE DOING TO KIND OF HIT EACH MILESTONE AS WE, AS WE GO ON? SO YOU'RE SAYING LIKE, LIKE A LOOK AHEAD OF SORT OF MILESTONES? YEAH.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL MAPPED OUT YET.
WHAT WE DO HAVE THOUGH, IS WORKING WITH FINANCIAL SERVICES, WE HAVE SUBTEAMS, YOU CAN THINK OF THEM AS LIKE WORKING GROUPS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS ON EACH OF THESE ITEMS. AND THOSE TEAMS MEET REGULARLY TO LOOK AT THE DATA TRACK OUR INTERNAL PERFORMANCE.
UH, WE DO SET BENCHMARKS FOR OURSELVES AS WE GO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HITTING THE, THE MEASURES.
[00:35:01]
UH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE LIKE A KIND OF FORWARD LOOKING, UM, ROADMAP OF SORTS WHERE WE'VE SAID BY, YOU KNOW, DECEMBER, THIS IS WHERE WE WANT TO BE BY JANUARY, THIS IS WHERE WE WANT TO BE.SO BUILDING ON THE, THE CHAIR'S QUESTION, YOU KNOW, SETTING THESE TARGETS, IT, IT SOUNDS, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE JUST LOOKED AT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND SET THE TARGETS, KIND OF WHERE WE THINK WE ARE OR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RAPID PROGRAM WE THINK IS BETWEEN 70 AND 80, SO IT'S 75 OR HEAL EXPERIENTIALLY.
AND I'M, I'M STRUGGLING JUST A LITTLE BIT IN THAT IT FEELS LIKE WE SHOULD, THAT OUR TARGET SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IS SOMETHING WE ASPIRE TO DO, RIGHT? SO IF, IF WE'RE SEEING 75% SUCCESS WITH RAPID, THEN OUR GOAL SHOULD BE 80 OR 85, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING REALISTIC, BUT ALSO SOMETHING THAT IS BETTER THAN JUST WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND TO COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE'S POINT, THEN A ROADMAP OF HOW WE GET THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT WE'LL DO THIS MUCH BETTER BY NEXT YEAR AND THIS MUCH BETTER BY THE YEAR AFTER.
UH, I KNOW THIS IS ALL STILL NEW AND BEING DEVELOPED.
AND SO I'M, I'M, THIS IS IN NO WAY A CRITICISM OF, OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD NOT AIM TO BE AVERAGE.
WE SHOULD AIM TO BE BETTER AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THERE.
AND MAYBE THE ANSWER IS, IT IS, IS GOING TO TAKE TOO MUCH INVESTMENT IN THIS ONE AREA.
AND, AND SO IF YOU WANT TO SEE THAT KIND OF OUTCOME, LET ME BE REAL CLEAR ABOUT HOW MUCH THAT'S GONNA COST AND, AND WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT AND SAY, OKAY, WELL MAYBE WE'RE BEING A LITTLE TOO AMBITIOUS.
UH, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S, UM, THERE IS ROOM FOR GROWTH WITHIN OUR TARGETS IS JUST KIND OF WHERE I WILL LEAVE THIS AND COUNCILMAN THAT THAT POINT IS NOTED.
AND WE'LL TAKE THAT BACK TO OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND, AND OUR HUDDLE TEAMS. I I THINK, AS GARY MIGHT'VE ALLUDED, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE, THIS ACTUALLY ALL OF THIS SPECIFIC WORK AROUND THE TARGET PREDATES ME AND KIND OF PREDATES US.
BUT I WILL SAY TO YOUR POINT, WHEN WE BRING OUR CONTRACTS FOR RENEWALS, ONE THING THAT WE STARTED DOING ON THE CONTRACTING SIDE WITHIN HSO IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, REALLY LOOKING AT OUR PERFORMANCE METRICS FOR HOW WE'RE EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS AND SETTING PERFORMANCE METRICS THAT ARE ROOTED IN SOME TYPE OF JUSTIFICATION PLUS A LITTLE BIT OF ASPIRATION, RIGHT? SO IF WE KNOW HISTORICALLY THIS, UM, STREET OUTREACH PROGRAM HAS ALWAYS HIT A THOUSAND PEOPLE, OKAY, WITHIN THIS YEAR WE WANT TO TRY TO HIT 1200, LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN DO A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND SO, UM, SO WE SHARE THAT VALUE, WE'RE DOING THAT WORK INTERNALLY WITH OUR CONTRACTS, BUT I, I HAVE TO TAKE, I HAVE TO GO BACK TO FSD AND UNDERSTAND HOW THESE TARGETS WERE SET AND THEN HOW WE CAN MAYBE ADJUST THEM MOVING FORWARD.
AND ONE, UH, I, AND I HAVE MENTIONED IT TO FSD, BUT I'LL ALSO, UH, MENTION IT TO YOU.
I THINK ONE TARGET THAT IS MISSING IN THESE IS NUMBER OF UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A GOAL AND SET EXPECTATIONS OF HERE'S HOW MANY PEOPLE WE THINK, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, IN ONE YEAR, IN FIVE YEARS, WE AIM, AND HOPEFULLY THAT'S A DECLINE, BUT TO, TO HAVE, RIGHT? SO IS IT, UH, REALISTIC BUT ALSO SEMI AMBITIOUS TO SAY, AT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, WE ARE NOT GONNA HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL HOMELESS PERSON THAN WE HAVE TODAY, RIGHT? WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA STOP THE GROWTH AND WE'RE GONNA JUST TRY TO PLATEAU AND THEN IN FIVE YEARS WE'RE GONNA HAVE 2000 LESS.
OR, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT THAT IS A MEANINGFUL METRIC THAT WE ARE NOT PUTTING ON PAPER, BUT THAT SHOULD BE PART OF OUR GOAL SET AND FIGURE OUT, UH, ONCE AGAIN TO COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE'S POINT OF WHAT'S THE PATH TO GET THERE.
UH, MORE, MORE OF A QUESTION OUTTA CURIOSITY.
WHERE ARE WE NOW WITH, WITH THESE NUMBERS, RIGHT? OUR GOALS ARE 75, 50, 80, UH, YOU KNOW, IN RESPECT TO THE THREE DIFFERENT MEASURES, BUT WHERE, WHERE ARE WE RIGHT NOW WITH PERCENTAGE OF PERSONS WHO ENGAGE WITH CITY FUNDED HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION? AND, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER, THE OTHER TWO, GARY MIGHT HAVE THE, THE MORE PRECISE INFORMATION.
UH, IF, IF YOU WANT THE ACTUAL NUMBER, MAYBE I'LL INVITE GARY.
UM, GARY, DO YOU WANNA TAKE THAT ONE OR DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST PROVIDE THE GENERAL, UM,
[00:40:01]
DO YOU HAVE THE PRECISE NUMBERS? UM, I CAN GIVE AN ANSWER IS PROBABLY ONE AND TWO.WHY DON'T YOU, GARY SAID ME THAT HE CAN GIVE US AN ANSWER TO ONE AND TWO.
NUMBER THREE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE TRICKY 'CAUSE IT'S A, IT'S A NEW METRIC THAT'S LIKE A, A TWO YEAR KIND OF LOOK AHEAD.
SO THAT ONE WE DO TRACK AND I, AND I DO KNOW OF CLIENTS THAT ARE PLACED IN PSH, 98% OF THEM REMAIN STABLY HOUSED.
SO, YOU KNOW, BY, BY THAT REGARD, WE WOULD BE EXCEEDING THAT TARGET.
UM, BUT YEAH, WITH RESPECT TO ONE AND TWO, GARY, DO YOU WANNA TAKE THAT? THANK YOU.
UM, SO FOR, UM, FOR STR STRATEGY NUMBER ONE, PREVENTION, UM, AS YOU MAY KNOW, WE, WE'VE NOT HAD A GREAT DEAL OF PREVENTION IN OUR COMMUNITY SINCE THE SHIFT DURING THE ARPA FUNDING DAYS, UM, TO RAPID REHOUSING.
BUT WE DID HAVE TWO PREVENTION PROGRAMS FUNDED THROUGH ARPA, AND THEY MET A NEARLY 100% HOUSING STABILITY RATE.
UM, ONE OF THOSE CONTRACTS WAS THROUGH FAMILY ENDEAVORS, UM, AND THE OTHER WAS THROUGH FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES.
AND THEY, THEY BOTH MET NEARLY A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO MORE THAN 95% OF THE FOLKS THAT THEY SERVED, UM, WERE OR WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR HOUSING.
AFTER THAT SERVICE ENGAGEMENT ENDED, UM,
I THINK, UM, JUST MAKING SURE I, I'M READING THE STRATEGY RIGHT SO I CAN SPEAK TO IT.
UM, I THINK OUR, OUR RATE OF CONNECTION WAS, UM, AROUND 80%.
UM, BUT WE'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THE REAL NUMBER.
UM, AND THE REASON WHY IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BEEN REDUCED IS BECAUSE OF THAT, THAT FUTURE FUNDING QUESTION FOR HEAL, FOR THE HEAL INITIATIVE.
UM, AND SO, UM, THAT WAS ONE THING THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ADJUST, UM, JUST THIS PAST YEAR THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS WITH FSD, UM, KNOWING THAT WE DON'T HAVE RAPID REHOUSING COMMITMENTS TIED TO OUR HEAL PROGRAMS ANYMORE.
UM, AND SO YEAH, THOSE ARE THOSE TWO FIGURES AT THIS TIME.
YEAH, COUNCILMAN, IF I COULD JUST KIND OF PIGGYBACK OFF OF GARY SLIGHTLY.
UM, AND SO I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO NUMBER ONE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT NEW CONTRACT WITH SUNRISE.
ONE THING THAT WE'RE DOING IN PARALLEL TO THAT IS ENTERING INTO, UH, A RESEARCH CONTRACT, NOT JUST TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SUNRISE WORK, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT TYPES OF PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS ARE MOST SUCCESSFUL VERSUS WHICH ONES MAYBE HELP SOMEBODY FOR A FEW MONTHS, AND THEN IT LEADS THEM RIGHT BACK INTO HOMELESSNESS.
AND THEN FOR 3.2, AS WE TINKER WITH OUR HEAL STRATEGY AND PROGRAM DESIGN, AND WE GET THIS RAPID REHOUSING TO PSH TRANSFER POLICY GOING, I THINK WE'LL BEGIN TO SEE CHANGES IN THE DATA.
AND SO IF THERE'S ANY HESITANCY ON MY SIDE AND PROVIDING LIKE AN ACTUAL NUMBER, IT'S JUST BECAUSE WE'RE TWEAKING SOME THINGS AS WE GO, UH, AND WE'LL BE TRACKING THOSE PROGRAM OUTCOMES AGAINST THE CITYWIDE STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS.
SO DATA THAT GARY HAS NOW IS GREAT KIND OF FOR WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, BUT AS WE REIMAGINE WHAT SOME OF THIS WORK LOOKS LIKE AND WE GET SMARTER AROUND OUR INVESTMENTS, UH, WE COULD HAVE DIFFERENT NUMBERS MOVING FORWARD.
AND, AND JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE THESE NUMBERS ON YOU, BUT HOW LONG DID IT TAKE US TO GET TO THE NUMBERS THAT, THAT GARY JUST HIGHLIGHTED, AND, AND HOW MUCH OF, HOW MUCH OF AN INVESTMENT DID IT ALSO TAKE? SURE.
I WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON BOTH OF THOSE.
I THINK WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON TO SHELTER TERMINATION POLICY.
IF A MEMBER OF MY TEAM COULD JUST MAKE A NOTE OF THAT LAST QUESTION FOR ME, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
SO, JUMPING INTO THE SHELTER TERMINATION POLICY.
SO WE'VE RECENTLY WROTE OUT OUR NEW SHELTER TERMINATION POLICY.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY CLIENT DRIVEN.
UM, WE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF CLIENTS WHO WOULD CONTACT OUR OFFICE OR APPROACH OUR STAFF AT SHELTERS, AND THEY WOULD EXPRESS CONCERNS ABOUT DIFFERENT TERMINATION POLICIES FOR HOMELESS SHELTERS IN AUSTIN.
AND WHEN WE SAY TERMINATION POLICY, THAT'S KIND OF OUR INDUSTRY LANGUAGE FOR SAYING THE RULES THAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW.
AND IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW 'EM, YOU GET KICKED OUT, RIGHT? AND SO WE WORKED WITH OUR CLIENTS WHO ARE IN SHELTERS.
WE TALKED TO, UH, HOMELESS ADVISORY COUNCILS, OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE EQUITY OFFICE AND OUR PEER DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE TALKED TO OUR SHELTER OPERATORS, UM, EVEN THE ONES WHO DON'T HAVE CITY CONTRACTS.
AND WE DID THIS TO TRY TO CRAFT A POLICY THAT WE FELT LIKE YIELDS CONSISTENCY ACROSS ALL THE DIFFERENT SITES.
WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY POLICY THAT WE ENACTED, UH, LED WITH HARM REDUCTION AND IT PRIORITIZED CONSEQUENCES THAT WE REALLY FELT WOULD HELP MAINTAIN A CLIENT'S, UH, SHELTER PARTICIPATION.
[00:45:01]
YOU KNOW, THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS, IS TERMINATE SOMEBODY'S RESIDENCY AS A SHELTER.I, IF YOU ARE IN ONE OF OUR SHELTERS, IT'S LIKELY BECAUSE EVERY OTHER SAFETY NET SYSTEM DID NOT SUPPORT YOU IN THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO.
AND SO AS MUCH AS WE CAN, WE WANNA HOLD PEOPLE IN OUR SHELTER.
UH, SO WE WROTE OUT THIS POLICY.
IT HAS GONE INTO EFFECT THIS MONTH.
UH, IT IS MANDATORY AT THE MARSHAL YARD, OUR TWO BRIDGE SHELTERS, ARCH AND EIGHTH STREET, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE OTHER SHELTERS IN THE CITY THAT THE CITY EITHER DOESN'T OWN THE FACILITY, OR MAYBE WE FUND, BUT WE'RE ONLY A PARTIAL FUNDER OF THE OPERATIONS, UH, WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE HAD THE AUTHORITY TO IMPOSE A REGULATION ON THEM.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE REQUESTED VOLUNTARY ADOPTION, UH, AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO ENGAGE WITH THOSE SHELTER OPERATORS TO SEE HOW MUCH OF THIS POLICY CAN BE INCORPORATED WITHIN THEIR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
BASICALLY, THE WAY THAT THE POLICY IS BROKEN DOWN IS INTO THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
THE FIRST LOOKS AT TERMINATIONS AS A RESULT OF MULTIPLE DOCUMENTED VIOLATIONS OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VIOLATIONS OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEHAVIORS THAT NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE SHELTER OPERATIONS OR THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER CLIENTS.
SO THIS COULD BE THINGS LIKE HAVING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL IN THE SHELTER, OR REFUSING ANY OF THE REASONABLE OR MANDATORY SEARCHES, REPEATED INCIDENTS OF SMOKING IN PLACES WHERE YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO SMOKE, OR MAYBE CONSUMING ALCOHOL ON SITE, OR COMMUNICATING IN WHAT WE CALL A VERBALLY ABUSIVE MANNER, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN A, A MORE TERRORISTIC MANNER, WHICH I'LL TOUCH ON IN JUST A SECOND.
AND SO, IN FOR THESE TYPES OF BEHAVIORS, CLIENTS CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE SHELTER, BUT ONLY IF THE VIOLATIONS ARE DOCUMENTED AND THEY'RE ESCALATING AND THEY'RE EXCEEDING.
AND BEFORE ANY REMOVAL OCCURS, OUR SHELTERS HAVE TO PRIORITIZE OTHER CONSEQUENCES THAT GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REMAIN THEIR RESIDENCY IN THE SHELTER.
SO THIS COULD BE THINGS LIKE PARTICIPATION, AND IN PROGRAMS LIKE ANGER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS OR SUBSTANCE USE GROUPS, IT COULD MAYBE BE MEETING WITH YOUR CASE MANAGER TO DEVELOP A HOUSING PLAN OR ACHIEVING MILESTONES LIKE GETTING YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE, GETTING YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE, ENROLLING IN BENEFITS PROGRAMS. UH, IT COULD EVEN MEAN A TEMPORARY SUSPENSION FROM A SHELTER, A FOUR HOUR COOLING OFF PERIOD, UH, JUST FOR SOMEBODY TO, TO KIND OF GET OUT, CALM DOWN, AND THEN REENGAGE WHEN THEY'RE READY.
I WILL SAY, THOUGH, THAT THE COOLING OFF INTERVENTION CANNOT BE THE FIRST INTERVENTION, NOR ARE THE OPERATORS ALLOWED TO UTILIZE THAT INTERVENTION DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER.
UM, SO ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN, UH, BEFORE, UH, A SHELTER CAN APPROACH HSO AND SAY, WE WANT TO TERMINATE THIS CLIENT'S RESIDENCY.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE SECOND CATEGORY, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE ARE THREATS TO HEALTH AND SAFETY.
THESE ARE ACTIVITIES THAT POSE AN IMMINENT THREAT TO THE SAFETY AND THE WELLBEING OF THE OTHER CLIENTS AT THE SHELTER, AS WELL AS OUR SHELTER STAFF AND OUR SHELTER GUESTS.
AND SO THIS IS ACTIONS LIKE SETTING INTENTIONAL FIRES AT THE SHELTER, UH, HARMING OTHER CLIENTS OR OTHER STAFF, ANY TYPE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT OR SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN THE SHELTER, UH, DISTRIBUTING ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES IN THE SHELTER, UH, MAKING TERRORISTIC THREATS TOWARDS OTHER CLIENTS, STAFF OR VISITORS.
AND SO, SO THOSE ARE THREATS WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY LOUD, IT'S VERY AGGRESSIVE, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE, I'M GONNA BLOW UP THIS PLACE, OR I'M GONNA COME BACK AND SET EVERYTHING ON FIRE.
WELL, WE CAN'T HAVE YOU DO THAT.
UH, IF YOU POSSESS A WEAPON IN THE SHELTER, UH, THIS CAN ALSO LEAD TO IMMEDIATE REMOVAL.
WE DO, UH, TAKE WEAPONS WHEN CLIENTS COME INTO OUR SHELTERS.
WE'LL GIVE CLIENTS THE WEAPONS BACK WHEN THEY LEAVE THE SHELTER, UH, EVEN IF THEY'RE JUST EVEN FOR THE DAY AND COMING RIGHT BACK IN.
UH, BUT ALL OF OUR CLIENTS KNOW THAT POSSESSIONS OF ANY TYPE OF WEAPONS, GUNS, KNIVES, ET CETERA, IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE SHELTER.
UM, ANY OTHER ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, THEFT, RAPE, UH, ET CETERA, COULD ALSO BE TREATED AS A THREAT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY AS CLIENTS.
AND AGAIN, THESE HAVE TO BE DOCUMENTED.
UH, THE SHELTER OPERATORS HAVE TO TALK TO US ABOUT THESE THINGS BEFORE THEY EXIT SOMEBODY.
UH, BUT THAT'S THAT SECOND CATEGORY.
THE THIRD CATEGORY SPEAKS TO BAND BED ABANDONMENT.
UM, AND THIS DOES HAPPEN WHEN CLIENTS WILL JUST ON THEIR OWN, LEAVE THE SHELTER WITHOUT TELLING ANYBODY.
THE WAY THIS CATEGORY WORKS IS IF A CLIENT DOES NOT GIVE A SHELTER STAFFER A HEADS UP THAT THEY LEFT THE SHELTER, OR THAT THEY'RE LEAVING THE SHELTER FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, UM, AND THEY'RE GONE FOR MORE THAN 72 HOURS, THEN THAT BED CAN BE PROVIDED TO SOMEBODY ELSE ON THE WAIT LIST.
NOW, BEFORE WE DO THAT, OUR SHELTER OPERATORS WILL CALL LOCAL JAILS, LOCAL HOSPITALS, MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES, ET CETERA, TO TRY TO FIND CLIENTS.
UH, AND IF WE LEARN THAT A CLIENT HAS BEEN ARRESTED OR ADMITTED FOR A MEDICAL
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REASON, WE WILL HOLD THAT BED FOR THEM FOR A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.UM, BUT IF THE CLIENT JUST DISAPPEARS AND THEY, AND THEY DON'T COME BACK, WE WILL SECURE ALL THEIR STUFF, ESPECIALLY THEIR PERSONAL EFFECTS.
IF THEY LEAVE ANY, UM, BIRTH CERTIFICATES OR OTHER FORMS OF IDENTIFICATION BEHIND, ALL THAT STUFF WILL BE SECURED ON SITE, BUT THE BED ITSELF WILL BE TURNED OVER TO A NEW GUEST.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF TERMINATION AND JUST WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR ANY OF THESE CATEGORIES, UM, WE DO REQUIRE OUR SHELTER OPERATORS TO DO A FEW THINGS BEFORE SOMEBODY'S OFFICIALLY TERMINATED.
THE FIRST AND FOREMOST IS OUR SHELTER OPERATORS MUST MAINTAIN A COPY OF THE TERMINATION POLICY, AS WELL AS A GRIEVANCE POLICY THAT'S APPROVED BY THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.
THE GRIEVANCE POLICY IS SOMETHING THAT'S GIVEN TO ALL OF OUR CLIENTS UPON INTAKE.
IT INCLUDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL CLIENTS WHO ARE BEING TERMINATED TO FILE A GRIEVANCE DIRECTLY WITH OUR OFFICE.
UH, OUR SHELTER OPERATIONS AND EXPANSION UNIT LEAD, GREG MCCORMICK, WHO'S HERE TODAY, UH, IS THE INDIVIDUAL WHO I'VE ASSIGNED TO REVIEW, UH, THOSE GRIEVANCES AS WELL AS REVIEW, UH, ANYTHING RELATED TO TERMINATIONS FROM SHELTERS.
UH, ALL OF THE SHELTER OPERATORS HAVE TO PROVIDE THE CLIENTS AND SUBMIT TO HSOA WRITTEN TERMINATION NOTICE THAT CLEARLY EXPLAINS THE REASON FOR THE TERMINATION, AS WELL AS PROVIDE A COPY OF THE GRIEVANCE POLICY AGAIN TO THE CLIENT UPON TERMINATION.
UH, ANY CLIENTS WHO ARE INVOLUNTARY TERMINATED CANNOT BE RESTRICTED FROM FUTURE SERVICES UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY OUR OFFICE.
UH, THE REASON FOR THIS IS OFTENTIMES WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE CLIENTS WHO MAKE MISTAKES.
MAYBE THEY'RE IN A BAD PLACE, MAYBE SOMETHING'S HAPPENING IN THEIR PERSONAL LIFE AND THAT'S RESULTED IN THEM BEING EXITED FROM SHELTER.
BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH A SECOND CHANCE AND A THIRD CHANCE AND A FOURTH CHANCE.
IT, IT TAKES EVERYBODY MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET IT RIGHT.
UM, AND SO UNLESS IT, IT'S REALLY A, A SERIOUS SCENARIO, UH, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, WE WILL WELCOME PEOPLE BACK INTO OUR SHELTERS AFTER THEY'VE, UH, BEEN TERMINATED AND THEN HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COOL OFF.
LASTLY, AND I'VE ALLUDED TO THIS, ALL OF OUR SHELTER OPERATORS MUST COMPLETE A SHELTER INVOLUNTARY TERMINATION REPORT FORM WHEN A CLIENT ISN'T VOLUNTARILY TERMINATED FOR EITHER THE MULTIPLE VIOLATION REQUIREMENT OR FOR THE IMMINENT THREATS TO HEALTH AND SAFETY.
UH, AND THAT FORM IS SUBMITTED TO US WHEN IT COMES TO THE CLIENTS WHO ARE TERMINATED BECAUSE THEY VACATED THEIR BED.
UH, WE HAVE STANDING TUESDAY AND THURSDAY MORNING MEETINGS WITH ALL OF OUR OPERATORS, AND TYPICALLY THEY'LL TELL US AT THAT POINT, THIS PERSON HASN'T SHOWED UP FOR 72 HOURS.
WE'VE KIND OF MADE OUR OUR LIST OF PHONE CALLS.
OUR OUTREACH TEAM WILL TRYING TO FIND THEM.
AND IF THEY CAN'T FIND 'EM, THEN AT THAT POINT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND AUTHORIZE THAT BED TO BE OVERTURNED.
UM, SO AS I SAID, THIS IS THE POLICY THAT WE'VE ROLLED OUT.
UM, OUR OPERATORS ARE EXCITED TO HAVE A POLICY THAT BRINGS SOME CONSISTENCY TO THEIR OPERATIONS.
FRANKLY, OUR CLIENTS ARE REALLY EXCITED TOO, BECAUSE NOW THINGS THAT COULD LEAD TO TERMINATION, THAT ONE SHELTER, UH, LEADS TO DETERMINATION AT ALL SHELTERS.
THERE'S, THERE'S KIND OF REALLY NO, NO GUESSING HERE.
UM, AND THEN OUR STAFF IS REALLY EXCITED.
THIS IS DATA THAT WILL HELP US BETTER TRACK WHY PEOPLE ARE BEING TERMINATED AND EXITED FROM SHELTERS, THE RATE AT WHICH PEOPLE ARE BEING EXITED FROM, FROM SHELTERS.
UM, AND OF COURSE ALL OF OUR POLICIES ARE LIVING, BREATHING DOCUMENTS.
SO IF AT ANY POINT WE SEE A NEED TO AMEND THIS OR A JUSTICE POLICY BASED OFF OF CLIENT FEEDBACK OR OPERATOR FEEDBACK, UH, WE'LL RECEIVE THAT AND THEN WE'LL MAKE AMENDMENTS ACCORDINGLY.
BUT THAT, THAT'S THE UPDATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THIS TERMINATION POLICY.
AND MADAM CHAIR, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS FROM YOU OR THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
ALRIGHT, ANY, UH, LAST QUESTIONS FOR DIRECTOR GRAY.
[Future Items]
MONTH WE WILL HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM, LIKELY REGARDING THE SOBERING CENTER APPOINTMENTS, WE'VE RECEIVED NOTICE OF THE RESIGNATION FROM BOARD MEMBER ANWAR, SOPHIE, ARE THERE ANY OTHER FUTURE ITEMS THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS OR CONSIDER SEEING NONE.I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO TODAY'S IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER BUSINESS BEFORE US, I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 10:56 AM THANK YOU SO MUCH.