[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER]
OCTOBER THE EIGHTH, 2024.AND IT IS, UH, TIME TO BEGIN OUR CDC MEETING FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.
THE PURPOSE OF THE, UM, CDC AS THE BOARD IS TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR CALL TO ORDER, UH, IN ATTENDANCE, UM, ON THE DA WE HAVE VICE CHAIR NOAH.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE S UM, UM, WE ALSO HAVE COMMISSIONER JENNY ACHILLES.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER CYNTHIA HAEL, UM, HERE ON THE DICE ONLINE, WE DO HAVE COMMISSIONER GAVIN PORTER.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER JOANNE ORTIZ.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER, UH, JULIA WOODS, AND COMMISSIONER TISHA NIK, AND COMMISSIONER TISHA NIK, WOULD YOU CONFIRM IS, SHOULD WE REFER, IS IT, IS IT ACCEPTABLE FOR YOU TO BE COMMISSIONER TISHA NIK? OR IS COMMISSIONER HOOD YOUR PREFERENCE? UH, IT STILL REMAINS TISHA, NIK, OR TISHA FOR SHORT.
UH, IS IT OKAY THAT WE PUT COMMISSIONER TE UH, TISHA IN FRONT OF IT? SOUNDS GREAT.
I JUST WANNA GET THAT CLARIFICATION FOR YOU.
UM, AND I DO BELIEVE WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER, UH, ARNOLD ONLINE.
UM, IT IS, UH, WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU, UH, JOIN US AND REPRESENTING THE NORTH AUSTIN, UM, SECTOR.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING PART, UH, OF THE COMMISSION, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT WITH US.
SO, WELCOME COMMISSIONER ARNOLD.
DID I ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, MY DEAR? I THINK I DID.
I THINK I DID COMMISSIONER WOODS AS WELL.
I'M HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, BUT I HAVE VIDEO, SO, OKAY, GOOD.
UH, I HOPE THAT WE CAN KEEP YOUR VIDEO SO WE CAN GET ANY VOTING, UH, GOING ON.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, I SEE WE HAVE, UM, MS. UM, LOPEZ SHAVAR, THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S GONNA BE COVERING OR JOINING US FROM THE STAFF WITH, UH, LISA, IS THAT CORRECT? SHE, YEAH, SHE'S REPLACING LISA.
SO IT SHOWS SHE'S MY, OUR NEW ADMIN FOR, FOR EXCELLENT.
WELL, WELCOME ABOARD, WELCOME ABOARD, UM, MS. LAINA, AND PLEASE, BY ALL MEANS, UM, I ALWAYS TELL YOU ALL FROM A STAFF POINT OF VIEW, I AM A, UM, A PROCESS IN LEARNING.
UM, SO PLEASE, UM, INTERJECT AS NEED BE.
UM, COMMUNITY, I MEAN, PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
UM, MR. BLAKE, WHO DO WE HAVE ON OUR SPEAKER LIST? UH, MS. JOSEPH SIGNED UP, BUT I DO NOT SEE HER PRESENT AND I DO NOT SEE HER, UM, REMOTE, SO.
UM, MS. JOSEPH, ARE YOU AVAILABLE? MS. JOSEPH, MS. ZIA, JOSEPH ALWAYS HAS, UM, A LOT OF GREAT PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, TO RICH STUFF TO BRING TO US.
I, YOU KNOW, SHE SIGNED UP FOR ITEMS NUMBER FOUR, UHHUH
OH, OH, SPEAKING OF WHICH, COMMISSIONERS, BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, UM, THOSE OF YOU ALL ONLINE, HAVE YOU SENT IN ALL OF YOUR DOCUMENTATION FOR BEING PRESENT? I'VE ACKNOWLEDGED YOU, BUT, UM, LEGALLY WE MUST ABIDE BY
[00:05:01]
ALL OF THE GUIDELINES.MR. ED, HAVE WE GOTTEN ALL CONFIRMATION FOR THOSE? I JUST NEED A THUMBS UP FOR THE COMMISSIONERS ON REMOTE THAT YOU SEND IN YOUR CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND YOU'RE SAYING, UM, I GOT ALL MY THUMBS UP, SO I'M GONNA SAY WE DO.
AND LISA RECEIVES THOSE, SO I'M SURE I'M LISA, RECEIVED THOSE.
YEAH, SHE, SHE'S PRETTY GOOD AT THAT.
I, I LOVE MY COLLEAGUES WITH THE THUMBS UP, BUT I WILL BE HONEST AND TELL YOU ALL, NO, NO, NOT NOTHING DIRECTED AT MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT LISA, UH, OR WHOEVER AT SOME POINT, NEEDS TO ENSURE, UM, THAT WE ARE IN FACT ABIDING BY, UH, THE REQUIRED GUIDELINES.
UM, MS. UH, ENOVIA JOSEPH, WE WERE SAYING HAS SIGNED UP.
SHE'S NOT PRESENT, UM, PHYSICALLY HERE IN THE ROOM AT THE MOMENT, NOR IS SHE, UH, SHOWING UP ON AS HAVING LOGGED IN.
UM, IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT SHE HAS SIGNED UP FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
WE DO HAVE, UH, UH, AN ADDENDUM, I GUESS YOU WOULD CALL IT MR. BLAKE, UH, REGARDING THAT WAS SENT IN FROM, UH, MS. JOSEPH.
SO FOR THOSE OF YOU ALL WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH IT, IT IS THERE.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
FORWARD, WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING.I WILL SAY THAT I WAS ALERTED, THANK YOU.
UM, KARA LET ME KNOW THAT ONE OF HER COLLEAGUES WAS OMITTED ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT WAS ROCIO, EO PENA MARTINEZ, ALSO CO-PRESENTED WITH KARA TON, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE RECORD REFLECTS THAT.
OTHER THAN THAT, COMMISSIONERS.
UM, IN THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES, IT SAYS ON VICE CHAIR OR THESIS MOTION, UH, THAT'D BE COMMISSIONER OR THESIS.
DON'T WANNA TAKE AWAY FROM OUR VICE CHAIR
YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY FOR US LOOKING FORWARD.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD PROJECTION.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION.
UM, MR. BLAKE, YOU HEARD THAT AS WELL? WAIT, SAY, SAY THAT AGAIN.
UM, COMMISSIONER ORTIZ WAS REFLECTING THAT ON ONE OF THE ITEMS. UM, I CAN GO ON.
ITEM NUMBER ONE, APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
IT SAYS ON VICE CHAIR OR ORTI MOTION.
IT SHOULD SAY COMMISSIONER OR THESIS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ORTIZ.
SORRY ABOUT THE, UM, PROMOTION AHEAD OF TIME.
ANYTHING ELSE? YES, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES.
UM, SO JUST IF IT, IF IT MATTERS, I THINK THAT THREE OF THE COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE LISTED AS IN ATTENDANCE IN PERSON, WERE ACTUALLY REMOTELY OH, GREAT.
LET, LET'S SAY, SAY THAT AGAIN.
WHICH ONE ARE YOU SAYING ON, ON THE FIRST PAGE? UHHUH.
UM, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONERS LONGORIA PORTER.
AND, AND THEN SIMILARLY, UM, THERE'S AND, AND CORRECT STATEMENT OF BEING WHO WAS PRESENT, WHERE TO GO? DEAR.
OH, AND THEN UNDER THE CALL TO ORDER.
UM, IT SAYS THAT COMMISSIONER PORTER WAS ABSENT, BUT COMMISSIONER PORTER WAS PRESENT.
AND THREE, IT WAS COMMISSIONER ELIAS DELGADO, ESTEVAN DELGADO, AND TO WHO WERE ABSENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE NORMALLY EVEN HAVE THAT THERE, BUT, UM, THANK YOU.
DID YOU GET THAT IN? DID YOU GET THAT? I, I CALLED COMMISSIONER ORTIZ'S.
AND WHAT WAS THE LAST ONE? SORRY.
SO ON THE FIRST PAGE WHERE IT SAYS, BOARD MEMBERS, COMMISSIONERS IN ATTENDANCE.
IT LISTS THEM AS IN ATTENDANCE.
UM, AND WHERE IT SAYS CALL TO ORDER, IT SAYS COMMISSIONER PORTER WAS ABSENT, BUT HE WAS ACTUALLY REMOTE.
AND WHO WERE THE ABSENT ONES TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT?
[00:10:02]
I THINK WE DID HAVE ABSENT.THE THREE ABSENCE WERE NOTED ON THE FRONT PAGE AND THAT THOSE ARE CORRECT.
MR. BLAKE, CONFIRMATION OF RECEIPT.
CONTINUE ON ANYMORE, LET'S FLESH IT OUT.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I AM SEEKING A MOTION TO ACCEPT IT WITH THE CORRECTIONS.
I MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING WITH THOSE CORRECTIONS.
COMMISSIONER ORTIZ WITH THAT? MM-HMM.
UM, CAN YOU ALL GET, I, I WANT THIS IN FRONT OF ME HERE SO THAT I'M NOT DOING THE OVER THE SHOULDER THE WHOLE TIME AND I SEE COMMISSIONER GAVIN, I MEAN, PORTER, ARE YOU, WERE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND OR WERE YOU JUST READY FOR THE VOTE? NO, MA'AM.
YEAH, SO I LIKE WHERE IT IS, BUT YOU'RE GONNA MOVE IT OVER 'CAUSE I STILL WANNA BUILD, I'M NOT THIS, THAT'S NOTHING RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE HAVE HEARD A, UM, MOTION TO ACCEPT FROM VICE CHAIR, UM, ALIAS.
AND WE'VE HAD SECOND AND THE SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER.
UH, OR, UM, WE'RE READY FOR THE VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR ACCEPTING THE MINUTES WITH THE, UH, ADJUSTMENTS AND CORRECTIONS AS NOTED.
UH, RAISE YOUR HAND SO IT'S VISIBLE, PLEASE.
[2. Presentation and discussion regarding outcomes for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) for August 2024 (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health). ]
ITEMS. THE FIRST ITEM WE HAVE TODAY IS A PRESENTATION OF DISCUSSION REGARDING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, OUR CSBG, WITH OUR, UM, EVER SO FAVORITE.AND HELL ZAMBRANO THE MANAGER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND WELCOME TO, UH, COMMISSIONER ARNOLD FROM THE, UH, NORTH AUSTIN GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
UM, I THINK YOU HAVE IT ON THE SCREEN THERE.
JUST WANT TO GO OVER, UH, THE SEPTEMBER, ACTUALLY THE AUGUST, UH, REPORT.
I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL AGAIN, SO THAT THEY CAN KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF WHAT WE DO AND, AND GET THE BIG PICTURE.
THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT FUNDS THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO LOW INCOME TEXAN RESIDENTS IN ALL 254 COUNTIES.
UH, HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THE GRANT PROVIDES FUNDING FOR DELIVERY OF BASIC NEEDS, CASE MANAGEMENT, PREVENTIVE HEALTH AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT SERVICES THROUGH THE CITY'S SIX NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS AND TO OUTREACH SITES.
OUR MISSION IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT IMPROVES THE LIVES AND HEALTH OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING POVERTY BY PROVIDING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, AND CONNECTING RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
AGAIN, WE PROVIDE BASIC NEEDS SERVICES, PREVENTIVE HEALTH, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS.
AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE ONE, YOU'LL SEE AN UPDATE ON OUR EXPENDITURES AND OUR BUDGET.
WE'VE EXPENDED ABOUT 42% OF OUR, UH, ANNUAL BUDGET SO FAR.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE TWO, WE HAD FOUR MORE TRANSITIONS OUT OF POVERTY SINCE I WAS HERE LAST IN SEPTEMBER.
UH, WE'RE HAVING MORE COMING IN, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET CLOSE TO THAT NUMBER THIS YEAR.
BUT, UM, WE HAVE SOME VACANCIES AND SOME NEW SOCIAL WORKERS.
UH, THEY'RE ALREADY, WE'RE FULLY STAFFED TO GET, SO I'M REALLY HOPEFUL FOR THE CALENDAR.
YEAR 25, WE WILL MEET THAT GOAL.
I'D LIKE TO FOCUS JUST ON A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE.
UH, THE FOUR E HOUSEHOLD TO AVOIDED EVICTION.
OUR TARGET FROM LAST YEAR WAS 800, UH, FOR 2024.
WE'VE ALREADY EXCEEDED THAT BY HELPING 1,174 HOUSEHOLDS AVOID
[00:15:01]
EVICTION WITH OUR, UH, RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.UH, UTILITY PAYMENTS, IF YOU GO DOWN THE SERVICES FOR L WE GET A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY, UH, FROM, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY PLUS ONE PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE KEEP THE LIGHTS ON.
UM, THIS YEAR SO FAR, WE'VE SERVED 187, UH, HOUSEHOLDS.
A YEAR AGO WAS 165, SO WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE.
BUT THE FUNDING IS PRETTY MUCH LEVEL EVERY YEAR, SO THE NUMBERS ARE USUALLY PRETTY CLOSE.
AND THEN THE, UH, FIVE JJ OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION, A LOT OF WHAT WE DO AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS IS, IS I HELP PEOPLE WITH FOOD INSECURITY.
UM, AND THAT'S SORT OF THE, UH, A BIG BULK OF WHAT OUR EFFORTS ARE DIRECTED AT.
UH, WE'VE SERVED 70,634 PEOPLE SO FAR THIS YEAR.
IF YOU CAN LOOK AT LAST YEAR, RIGHT THERE IS 49,293.
SO ONCE AGAIN, JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT THE DEMAND CONTINUES TO GO UP, UM, IN THE WORLD OF FOOD INSECURITY AND FOR THE FAMILIES THAT WE HELP.
THERE'S OTHER DATA HERE FOR THE NEW COMMISSIONERS.
YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT ON YOUR OWN.
IF YOU EVER HAVE QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME.
LET'S HOP ONTO, UH, PROGRAMMATIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE TWO.
AGAIN, FOR THE NEW COMMISSIONERS, UH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE DO AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS AND SOME OF THE COLLABORATIONS WE HAVE WITH OTHER AGENCIES.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE, UH, THREE, I'D LIKE TO FOCUS AGAIN ON JUST A COUPLE OF ITEMS TODAY.
UH, NUMBER TWO, THE CDC NOMINATION AND SELECTION AND THE BYLAWS UPDATE.
UH, WE HAD THE, UH, NORTH AUSTIN ELECTION, UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AND, UH, WE DO, WE NOW WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER IN NORTH AUSTIN.
SO THANK YOU VICE CHAIR ELIAS FOR ATTENDING.
UM, HE DOESN'T LIVE IN THAT AREA, BUT HE WAS, UH, THERE SUPPORTING US AND THE CANDIDATES WHO CAME AND SPOKE AND, UH, PUT THEIR NAME OUT THERE.
I'LL BE SPEAKING ON ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS THE BYLAWS UPDATE AND GIVING YOU SOME, UH, INFORMATION FROM A LEGAL DEPARTMENT AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS CAN DISCUSS AND APPROVE THAT SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO, UH, AMENDING THE BYLAWS AND BEING ABLE TO, UH, BE MORE EFFICIENT IN OUR ELECTIONS THIS COMING YEAR.
UH, I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON NUMBER SIX AS WELL.
OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING PROGRAM.
WE HAVE TWO, UH, NEW NURSES, UH, COMING ONTO, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT.
SO WE'LL BE FULLY STAFFED AGAIN.
UH, I DIDN'T PUT THE NUMBERS ON HERE 'CAUSE I JUST GOT 'EM THIS AFTERNOON, BUT FROM JANUARY THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF THIS PAST YEAR, UH, WE'VE PROVIDED 4,568 SERVICES TO OUR CLIENTS.
ALMOST 3000 OF THOSE FOR CORE SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDE, UH, BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS, BLOOD SUGAR SCREENINGS, CHOLESTEROL, UH, HEALTH EDUCATION, HEMOGLOBIN, A1C, AND THE OTHER, UM, ABOUT 1800 OR MORE OF OUR, UH, OTHER SERVICES, KIND OF COUNSELING REGARDING BMI, EXERCISE, NUTRITION, UH, DIET, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED FOR, FOR THIS COMING YEAR AS WELL WITH THE NURSING PROGRAM, WE, UH, HAVE STOOD UP A DIABETES CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE NURSES WHO HAVE CASELOADS AND ARE HELPING FOLKS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH, UH, DIABETES, KIND OF HELPING THEM WITH LIFESTYLE CHANGES, UH, FINDING A MEDICAL HOME, WHATEVER SUPPORTS THEY NEED.
SO I'LL BE REPORTING A LITTLE MORE IN DETAIL ON THAT SINCE THE PROGRAM IS NOW FULLY UP AND RUNNING.
AND I DID NOT HAVE THIS INFORMATION BEFORE TODAY EITHER, BUT, UH, THE HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM THAT I REPORTED ON EVERY MONTH MM-HMM.
'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE ONE STAFF WORKING ON THAT PROGRAM.
SO I THOUGHT IT'D BE GOOD FOR YOU GUYS TO KIND OF SEE IT THROUGH TO THE END OF THE YEAR.
UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THEY JUST STARTED, UH, DELIVERING FRESH PRODUCE AND FRUITS.
SO FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, THAT WAS THE BIG, THE BIG LIFT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT LOGISTICALLY, IN TERMS OF FOOD SAFETY FUNDING, I THINK I TOLD YOU LAST TIME THAT, UH, IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
BUT WE JUST GOT CONFIRMATION THAT THE FIRST FAMILIES RECEIVED A BOX OF A 30 POUND BOX OF FOOD, 20 POUNDS OF NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS, AND 10 POUNDS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
UM, THERE ARE THOSE OTHER SLIDES THAT I JUST, UM, PUT IN THE BACKUP.
THIS IS MORE FOR YOUR OWN, SORT OF ON YOUR OWN TIME TO LOOK AT.
AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, IT KIND OF BREAKS DOWN SOME OF OUR, UM, SERVICES.
THE RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE AVERAGE PAYMENT WAS ABOUT $2,000.
[00:20:02]
IT HAS SOME OF THE TOP ZIP CODES, UH, OF FOLKS WE HELPED.IT KIND OF BREAKS IT DOWN BY RACE AS WELL AND BY POVERTY LEVEL.
YOU CAN TAKE TIME ON YOUR OWN TO KIND OF LOOK AT THAT.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, IS WHEN IT SAYS OASIS ASSISTANCE.
THAT'S, UH, FOOD, CAR SEATS, UH, CLOTHING, CLOSET, UH, TAXES, WHATEVER OTHER SERVICES WE PROVIDE.
WE KEEP 'EM IN OASIS DATABASE.
AGAIN, HERE IT SHOWS YOU SORT OF THE TOP ZIP CODES.
UH, SOME OF THE SERVICES, UM, ARE SEASONAL.
I DON'T HAVE THIS SLIDE IN FRONT OF ME.
IT'S HARD FOR ME TO READ IT UP HERE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP RIGHT, UM, EAST AUSTIN.
SO THAT'S WHY THE SQUARE IS BIGGER.
THE BIGGER THE SQUARE, THE MORE SERVICES WE PROVIDED FOR THAT, UH, ITEM.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE ZIP CODES IS THE FOUR ONE.
UH, SEEMS TO BE WHERE WE GET, UH, A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS.
THIS CAN BE A LITTLE DECEPTIVE.
UM, IT'S JUST WE GET, THERE COULD BE 200 PEOPLE IN FOUR ONE AND 150 AND FIVE TWO, BUT FIVE TWO LOOKS A LOT SMALLER.
BUT AGAIN, IT GIVES AN IDEA OF, OF, OF THE AREAS WE'RE HITTING AND HELPING.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST SLIDE, IT SORT OF IS A, WHAT YOU WOULD CALL, I GUESS, A HEAT MAP THAT KIND OF SHOWS THAT WE ARE SERVING FOLKS IN THE AREAS WHERE WE, UM, WHERE WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS THAN IN THE AREAS THAT ARE MORE, UH, CONCENTRATED POVERTY.
UM, SO AGAIN, IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME.
I CAN RESPOND TO ALL OF YOU, UM, BY THAT.
AND I THINK THAT WAS IT FOR THIS MONTH.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, REGARDING YES, COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE CHAIR? ALIAS.
THANK YOU HIL FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I GUESS FOR, FOR THE NEW COMMISSIONERS, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE FRESH FOOD, UH, DELIVERY? OH, SURE.
AND HOW, UM, HOW IT WORKS, HOW PEOPLE CAN APPLY.
SO WE HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THROUGH THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK THAT WE PARTNER WITH.
ONE OF 'EM IS THE FRESH FOOD FOR FAMILIES PROGRAM.
UH, THOSE EVENTS ARE HELD, UH, ONE TIME A MONTH AT EACH CENTER.
THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER, UM, AND ANYBODY CAN COME.
WE JUST COME AND WE JUST ASK FOR VERY LITTLE INFORMATION, NAME, NUMBER IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD ZIP CODE.
SO AGAIN, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE.
IF YOU NEED THE FOOD, YOU CAN COME, I CAN SEND YOU THOSE, UH, FLYERS AGAIN THROUGH EMAIL.
SO YOU GUYS KNOW FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE THE HOPE PROGRAM.
IT'S A SMALLER PROGRAM, BUT IT'S FOR, UH, FOLKS WHO ARE 60 AND OLDER NOW, USED TO BE 55 AND OLDER, AND THEY GET ONCE A MONTH.
UH, UH, AN AMOUNT OF NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS AS WELL, JUST FOR FOLKS, 60 OR OLDER.
WE HAVE THE, UH, KIND OF SHOP FOR MARKET, WHICH IS SOME OF OUR FOOD RECOVERY PROGRAMMING.
THAT ALSO HAPPENS AT, UH, ALL NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
THAT'S MORE FRESH FOODS, VEGETABLES.
AND IT COMES FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES.
THE FOOD BANK HELPS US OUT THERE TOO, BUT WE HAVE WHEATSVILLE, WHOLE FOODS, UM, OTHER FOLKS THAT, UH, THAT DONATE FOOD TO US THAT'S STILL VERY FRESH AND HEALTHY.
AND IS THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN DEL VALLEY PART OF IT? OR IS THAT SOME JUST SOMETHING ELSE? I DON'T THINK SO.
UH, SO JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT A FOOD PANTRY IS.
WE HAVE 'EM IN ALL THE CENTERS.
AND, UH, THAT'S BECOME SADLY VERY POPULAR.
'CAUSE AGAIN, FOOD INSECURITY IS PRETTY, A BIG ISSUE IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, HIL, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
AND YES, PLEASE, UM, FORWARD, UM, YOUR, UM, WEBSITE LINK, WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS, UM, DO HAVE, UH, ACCESS AND NOWHERE TO GO TO GAIN, UM, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THOSE IN THEIR, UH, AREA.
ANYONE ELSE? I HAD A, A QUESTION.
BY ALL MEANS, COMMISSIONER TISHA.
SO THE QUESTION I HAVE IS LOOKING BACK AT PAGE EIGHT, UM, AND, AND FORGIVE ME IF I MISSED THIS, BUT IMMUNIZATIONS DID NOT HAVE ANY NUMBERS LISTED.
CAN YOU CLARIFY AS TO WHY THERE WASN'T
[00:25:01]
ANY NUMBERS LISTED FOR NUMBERS SERVED WITH, UM, FIVE A ON PAGE EIGHT FOR THE IMMUNIZATIONS? MM-HMM.WE HELP OUT WITH THE FLU SHOTS AND WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF DOING IT RIGHT NOW.
SO I USUALLY, I HAVE THAT DATA IN DECEMBER FOR OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, WHICH IS WHEN WE REALLY TARGET, UM, FOLKS TO GET THEIR FLU SHOTS.
SO I'LL, I'LL PRESENT ON THAT IN DECEMBER.
TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT COMMISSIONER TISHA SAID, I DO, I'M FAMILIAR WITH WHY WE DON'T HAVE THE CURRENT NUMBERS, BUT WHY IS IT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE HISTORICAL DATA? UH, THAT WAS AN OVERSIGHT.
I THOUGHT I WOULD PUT 'EM TOGETHER WHEN I GOT THE CURRENT NUMBER.
I COULD GIVE YOU WHAT WE LAST YEAR AT THAT MONTH.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU.
UM, AND CAN I GET COMMISSIONER DELGADO'S STUFF TOGETHER? HELLO.
UM, DO YOU WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COMMISSIONER? MM-HMM.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
UM, UM, ON HILL, UM, IN, UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE, UM, I DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, WHO HAS JOINED US AT THE DAAS.
AND COMMISSIONER BERTHA DELGADO.
SO, UM, WE ARE, WE ARE ROCKING AND ROLLING.
[3. Presentation and discussion of components to consider for the Equity Overlay for the Home Options for Middle-Income Empowerment (HOME) Initiative (Celine Rendon, Marisa Perales, and Misael Ramos, Organizers, Community Powered ATX) ]
NUMBER THREE.UM, WE DO HAVE THE PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF THE COMPONENTS, UH, FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY, FOR THE HOME OPTIONS FOR MIDDLE INCOME EMPOWERMENT HOME INITIATIVE.
AND TODAY WE DO HAVE CELINE REON, UM, MARISSA PEREZ, UM, MARIEL RAMOS, MISAL.
AND MISAL OR RAMOS, UM, THEY ARE HERE WITH THE COMMUNITY POWERED A TX.
UH, I WILL LET YOU ALL KNOW WE ARE EXCITED TO HEAR FROM YOU.
UM, IT IS MY ROLE TO ENCOURAGE US TO STAY AS CLOSE TO A REASONABLE, UH, TIME.
AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE ASK THAT YOU HIGHLIGHT THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE, UH, MOST IMPACTFUL FOR US TO KNOW.
UH, KNOWING THAT YOU MAY HAVE MAYBE 10, NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES AT MAXIMUM.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY.
I'M ONE OF THREE ORGANIZERS HERE TODAY WITH COMMUNITY POWERED A TX.
AND, UM, OF COURSE WE HAVE MARISA AND MISAEL WHO CAN INTRODUCE THEMSELVES WHEN, UH, AS WE GO ALONG.
UM, LIKE YOU SAID, NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES.
WE WANNA GET TO THE HIGH POINTS OF WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY TO, UM, BRING BACK THE FOCUS ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY THAT WE'VE BEEN ORGANIZING, UM, SINCE HOME PHASE ONE BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2023.
UM, SO WE'LL HAVE SOME CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND ON THAT.
UM, WHAT WE'RE REALLY ASKING FOR, THINKING ABOUT THE LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS AND ALSO JUST OVERALL THINKING ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE OF AUSTIN'S GROWTH AND RACIAL EQUITY.
SO WHO ARE WE? UM, AS MENTIONED, WE REPRESENT COMMUNITY POWERED A TX.
WE'RE A WIDE COALITION OF YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR, EAST AUSTIN COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ALLIES FIGHTING FOR REAL SOLUTIONS TO THE HOUSING CRISIS.
UM, A LOT OF H HAD DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, RENTER ORGANIZING, ANTI DISPLACEMENT, AS WELL AS ADVOCATES ON MANY INTERSECTING ISSUES INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, CLIMATE ACTION, PUBLIC SAFETY, MUTUAL AID, AND MUCH MORE.
UM, WE BECAME ACTIVE IN RESPONSE TO COUNCIL MEMBER POOLS HOME INITIATIVE BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2023 BECAUSE, UM, BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCES, UM, WE KNOW THAT, AND WITH RESEARCH THAT UPZONING, UM, CHANGING ZONING CODES TO PERMIT MORE DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT LEAD TO MIDDLE INCOME HOUSING, BUT INSTEAD CALLED THE FURTHER DISPLACEMENT FOR LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN EAST AUSTIN.
SO, JUST SOME BACKGROUND ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
AS Y'ALL MAY KNOW, UM, AS I MENTIONED HOME PHASE ONE, UM, WE BECAME ACTIVE AGAINST IN DECEMBER OF 2023.
AND THEN IN MAY OF 2024, COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR PASSED, UM, PHASE TWO.
AND SO THESE CHANGES TO THE DEVELOPMENT CODE OVERALL AS, UM, MOST FOLKS MIGHT BE AWARE CAUSE MORE DEBT DEVELOPMENT TO LOTS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.
AND SO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ORGANIZERS, AND
[00:30:01]
ADVOCATES, WE, UM, CAME OUT WITH AN AMENDMENT AND A POLICY PROPOSAL TO APPLY THE EQUITY OVERLAY TO BE INCLUDED IN THOSE CHANGES.AND THE OVERALL AIM IS TO PROTECT VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY, UM, BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES IN AUSTIN FROM POTENTIAL DEVELOP DISPLACEMENT DUE TO THE CHANGES IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
SO WITH OUR COALITION, THAT PHOTO AT THE TOP RIGHT, WE ORGANIZED AND BROUGHT TOGETHER MORE THAN 40 PLUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT SIGNED ON TO THIS LETTER IN SUPPORT OF AN EQUITY OVERLAY.
UM, AND ON THE DAY OF THE HOME PHASE TWO VOTE, HUNDREDS OF US CAME OUT TO ADVOCATE AT CITY COUNCIL CALLING IN AND ATTENDING IN PERSON TO CALL FOR THAT EQUITY OVERLAY.
UM, AND SO MANY OF THOSE FOLKS ARE FRONTLINE SERVICE PROVIDERS ADVOCATES, UM, SPEAKING ON THE EXPERIENCES OF, UH, CREATING UP ZONING POLICIES WITHOUT REGULATION, THAT REALLY OPENS THE FLOOD GATES FOR GENTRIFICATION.
SO WE'LL LOOK AT THAT FURTHER IN A, IN A BIT.
SO WHAT IS THE EQUITY ANTI DISPLACEMENT OVERLAY? BASICALLY, UM, IT WOULD COVER NEIGHBORHOODS IN WHICH RESIDENTS THAT ARE VULNERABLE TO DISPLACEMENT TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THOSE, UM, EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND TO PRODUCE HOUSING THAT'S TRULY AFFORDABLE.
WHAT'S REALLY NEEDED TO MAKE THIS WORK.
UM, AND THIS IS BASED ON A LOT OF RESEARCH AND STUDIES THAT, UM, OUR OTHER SPEAKERS WILL, WILL MENTION IN A BIT.
BUT APPROVING THESE ZONING CHANGES MUST BE LIMITED TO GEOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT ARE NOT CONSIDERED VULNERABLE TO DISPLACEMENT BASED ON THE UPROOTED REPORT.
UH, AND THIS IS AGAIN, WITH OTHER MANY STUDIES THAT HAVE, UM, USED THIS AS A BEST PRACTICE.
AND SO WE WERE ASKING FOR, UH, COUNSEL TO INITIATE A COMMUNITY-BASED PROCESS TO PRIORITIZE DIRECTLY IMPACTED HOMEOWNERS, RENTERS, AND RESIDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO WE THINK THAT THROUGH THAT, UM, WE CAN RECOMMEND ZONING CHANGES, PROTECTIONS, AND INVESTMENTS FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY AREAS.
UM, AND YEAH, I'M GONNA PASS IT ON 'CAUSE I KNOW HE'S GONNA COVER SOME OF THIS STUDIES.
HOW'S IT GOING? HOW'S IT GOING? MESSIAH, MESSIAH RAMOS.
UM, ALSO AN ORGANIZER, AND I'M GONNA GO OVER THE IMPACTS ON VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES FOR THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE CHANGES.
UM, THESE ARE ACTUALLY, UH, TAKEN FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S AFFORDABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT.
UM, THESE, IT TALKS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES AND ALSO THE DISPARITIES.
AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HERE, WHERE THE PROPERTY VALUE INCREASES.
SO AS, UH, ENTITLEMENTS ARE INCREASED, UM, AND ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS ARE GIVEN, THAT ACTUALLY INCREASES THE MARKET VALUES FOR A LOT OF THE PROPERTIES, UM, IN DIFFERENT AREAS THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE.
UM, THESE RISING COSTS ESSENTIALLY GET, QUOTE UNQUOTE TRICKLED DOWN TO A LOT OF OUR RENTERS WHO ARE ALSO LIKE LIVING IN HOMES AND RENTING, UH, CONDOS APARTMENTS, UM, IN DIFFERENT VULNERABLE AREAS TOO.
UM, THIS ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT IS THE PROTECTION, UM, OF ALREADY EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, WITH THE LAND DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT CODE REWRITES, WE POTENTIALLY SEE, UH, THE INCENTIVIZATION OF DEMOLITION OF ACTUAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT ALSO AND HIGHLIGHT THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON BIPOC COMMUNITIES, UM, WITH FEWER RESOURCES TO WHETHER INCREASING HOUSING COSTS, BLACK RESIDENTS ARE MORE, MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE DISPLACEMENT OR HOMELESSNESS.
AS Y'ALL CAN SEE, TO THE RIGHT, WE HAD, WE PULLED SOME DEMOGRAPHIC DATA.
UM, WHITE HOUSEHOLDS BACK IN 2021 WERE MAKING 93,000 A YEAR MEDIAN INCOME, HISPANIC HOUSEHOLDS 57, ABOUT 58,000 A YEAR, AND BLACK HOUSEHOLDS WERE 48,000.
NOW THE MFI AND THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME THAT THAT ACTUALLY EQUATES TO IS ACTUALLY LOWER.
SO WHAT, WHAT YOU SEE UP THERE, UM, FOR THE 90% IS CORRECT, BUT FOR 2021, THE HISPANIC HOUSEHOLDS WOULD ACTUALLY BE AT 50% AND THE BLACK HOUSEHOLDS WOULD BE AT 40% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT 80%, 90%, THAT'S NOT GOING TO, UH, IMPACT OR SUPPORT THOSE HISPANIC AND BLACK HOUSEHOLDS.
UM, WE ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT DESPITE MAKING UP ONLY 8% OF TRAVIS COUNTY'S POPULATION, BLACK RESIDENTS ACCOUNT FOR 37% OF THE UNHOUSED POPULATION.
SO WHAT IS OUR GOAL? OUR GOAL IS TO, UH, COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE WAY TO ADDRESS THE
[00:35:01]
HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS WITH REAL SOLUTIONS.UM, THIS INCLUDES PREVENTING THE ROOT CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, BY ENSURING THAT MARKET DRIVEN LUXURY DEVELOPMENTS IS NOT HAPPENING AND DEMOLITION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, IS ALSO NOT HAPPENING.
WE ALSO REALIZE THAT THERE'S A TON OF SPECULATION THAT HAPPENS ON A LOT OF THESE VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO THE EQUITY OVERLAY WOULD ESSENTIALLY PREVENT A LOT OF THAT AS WELL.
UM, WE ALSO WOULD JUST WANNA RESTATE, WE ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT, UH, DENSITY AS LONG AS THERE'S TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, THAT'S GIVEN TO, UH, FOLKS WITHIN THESE AREAS.
AND I'LL ALSO PASS IT OVER TO MARISA.
I'M MARISA PERALES AND, UH, ALSO PART OF, UH, COMMUNITY POWERED A TX, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF, UM, 7 8 7 0 2.
AND SO, UM, AS COMMISSIONER DELGADO DEFINITELY KNOWS, UH, OUR COMMUNITY IS A COMMUNITY THAT WHERE, UM, WE, WE MIGHT NOT.
SO, UM, VOCIFEROUSLY SUPPORT DENSITY BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN THE DEMOLITION OF MODEST AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THEY'VE BEEN REPLACED BY TWO OR THREE UNITS, THUS CREATING THE DENSITY THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
AND THEY ARE NOTHING CLOSE TO WHAT THEY'VE REPLACED.
THEY, THEY ARE NOT AFFORDABLE TO THE TYPES OF RESIDENTS WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY MADE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ARE THEIR HOMES.
UM, AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT EVEN IF IT MEANS, UM, THAT WE CAN'T ENACT, WE WOULD PREFER THAT IT NOT OCCUR, EVEN IF IT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO PREVENT ENACTING SOME OF THE INCENTIVES THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED BY CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO WHAT WE HAD ASKED FOR THROUGH THE EQUITY OVERLAY, UM, WHEN PRESENTING TO CITY COUNCIL, AND WHAT WE CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR TODAY IS TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE'RE PROTECT PROTECTING VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD REQUESTED AND WE CONTINUE TO REQUEST IS THAT WE DELAY IMPLEMENTING ANY ZONING CHANGES THAT ARE REALLY INTENDED TO INCENTIVIZE, UH, GETTING RID OF HOUSING THAT IS, UM, RIGHT NOW PERHAPS AFFORDABLE IN ORDER TO REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING MORE PROFITABLE.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO PREVENT AND DELAY ANY OF THOSE INCENTIVES FROM GOING INTO EFFECT WHERE, UH, IT WOULD REALLY TRULY HAVE AN IMPACT ON VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
WE ALSO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INEQUITY OVERLAY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S A COM COMMUNITY BASED PROCESS.
UM, THE FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING IN THESE COMMUNITIES ARE THEIR OWN, THEY'RE EXPERTS IN WHAT THEY HAVE OBSERVED AND WHAT WORKS IN PREVENTING, UH, DEMOLITION OF, OF TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CREATE A PROCESS THAT ALLOWS FOR THEIR EXPERTISE, UH, TO BE INCLUDED.
UM, WE WANT, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE, TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND SO THE, THE SLIDES AS WE, UH, WANNA IDENTIFY ZONING CHANGES THAT PROTECT EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WE SHOULDN'T ONLY BE FOCUSED ON ZONING CHANGES BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ZONING IS, THE ZONING CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED THUS FAR REALLY ARE INTENDED TO AFFECT THE MARKET.
AND IF WE WANNA CREATE AND PROTECT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE CAN'T RELY ON THE MARKET, RIGHT? SO WE NEED TO LOOK BEYOND JUST ZONING CHANGES IF WE REALLY WANNA CREATE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
AND RELATED TO THAT, IT HAS TO BE A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.
IT HAS TO, WHATEVER WE TALK ABOUT NEEDS TO INCLUDE REAL INVESTMENTS, UM, REAL INCENTIVES FOR DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND A WHOLE HOST OF ANY TOOLS THAT WE KNOW EXIST TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT.
SO JUST QUICKLY, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE LEGAL COMPLIANCE.
A THING TO NOTE IS THAT THE UPROOTED REPORT THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UM, AND THAT WE'VE BEEN RELYING ON TO IDENTIFY AREAS THAT ARE AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT.
THAT UPROOTED REPORT WAS PREPARED.
ONE OF THE AUTHORS WAS A LAW, A LAW PROFESSOR IS A LAW PROFESSOR AND A LAWYER.
AND SO, UM, THE TOOLS THAT WERE SUGGESTED IN THAT REPORT AND THE ANALYSIS THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THAT REPORT, AND THAT IS A LEGAL ANALYSIS.
AND SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO NOTE.
UM, AGAIN, UH, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IF WE REALLY WANNA CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY OF TRULY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE CAN'T JUST BE FOCUSED ON ZONING CHANGES.
WE REALLY NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON INVESTMENTS AND OTHER CREATIVE TOOLS.
AND SO MOVING FORWARD, UM, WE'RE REALLY, UH, FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A, A VERY ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE, ON THE NEED TO MITIGATE ANY DISPLACEMENT
[00:40:01]
AND, UM, CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE HERE PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY IS BECAUSE OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, THAT THE COUNCIL HAS ASKED FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY REGARDING AN EQUITY OVERLAY AND THAT IT BE PRESENTED TO THEM WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THEIR VOTE ON HOME TWO, WHICH I THINK MAKES THAT DEADLINE NEXT MONTH.
UM, AND THUS FAR WE HAVE BEEN KIND OF OUT OF THE LOOP.
AND, UM, AND SO WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THE STATUS IS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT PROCESS IS LOOKING LIKE.
IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE VERY COMMUNITY ENGAGED THUS FAR.
WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER THAT DEADLINE WILL BE COMPLIED WITH, UM, WHAT'S GONNA BE PRESENTED IF IT'S NOT COMPLIED WITH WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND SO WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ASK OF, OF THE COMMISSION, UM, IF Y'ALL CAN WEIGH IN WITH A RESOLUTION, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT DIRECTS THE COUNCIL OR REQUESTS OF THE COUNCIL, UH, AN EXTENSION OF THE DEADLINE, IF, IF THERE IS A HARD DEADLINE, AN EXTENSION OF THAT DEADLINE, UM, FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT THEY'VE ASKED FOR.
AND PERHAPS, UM, ALSO INCLUDE IN THE REQUEST, UH, AN INCREASE IN RESOURCES SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER PROCESS IS IMPLEMENTED IN ORDER TO COME UP WITH THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY HAS SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S A REALLY ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ASPECT OF IT.
UM, I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH MORE TIME IS NECESSARY BECAUSE WE ARE, WE ARE UNAWARE OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.
IF WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED, UM, THEN I WOULD THINK THAT WE NEED AT LEAST ANOTHER SIX MONTHS.
UM, IF WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED, MAYBE THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOW US TO HELP WITH THE SCOPE OF WORK, UM, OR TO HELP IN INTERVIEWING POTENTIAL CONSULTANTS TO HELP IN THE RESEARCH THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO PUT TOGETHER THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY.
WE'RE AVAILABLE AND WE WANT VERY MUCH TO ACTIVELY BE A PART OF WHATEVER PROCESS, UM, IS INTENDED TO COMPLETE THIS REPORT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE ASK OF YOU TODAY.
I APPRECIATE ALL THREE OF YOU.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I'M GOING TO ASK, UM, ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS, EITHER, WHETHER IT BE HERE ON THE DICE OR, UH, REMOTELY, IF YOU HAVE, UM, ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
UM, WE DO WANT TO ADHERE TO OUR, UH, ADOPTED POLICY EYES OF DOING THE ROUND ROBIN.
UH, SO AS YOU, UH, ASK IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS TO ASK, UM, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA GO AROUND RATHER, UH, QUICKLY.
UM, SO, UM, MAKE SURE, UM, THAT WE DO KEEP THAT IN IN MIND.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, I THINK I SAW COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, UM, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, SIR.
HAVEN'T THEY HAD AN EXTENSION PIECE ALREADY TO MY ATTENTION? OKAY.
UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO HELP WITH A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, UM, CHURCH THOMPSON.
NO, UM, WE NEED, THAT'S AUDIO VID.
CAN WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE? HE, HE JUST NEEDS TO LEAN IN A LITTLE BIT.
WHEN THEY, WHEN I LEAN IN, THEY TELL ME NOTHING.
SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON.
UH, LEAN IN, COMMISSIONER, LEAN, LEAN IN FOR NOW THIS, THIS REQUEST TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE.
I MEAN, IT SEEMS ABSOLUTELY REASONABLE, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW TOO MUCH MORE ABOUT THE PHASES OF THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
AND CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT PHASE ONE? THAT WAS DECEMBER, 2023, IS THAT CORRECT? SO THAT WAS ACTUALLY, UH, THE HOME VOTE THAT WAS, UH, PASSED.
UM, SO HOME, HOME ONE WAS PASSED IN DECEMBER, 2023 AND HOME TWO WAS PASSED, UH, IN MAY OF 2004, 2024.
AND THEN, SO WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT THAT WE NEED THIS EQUITY OVERLAY? SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT WAS PASSED IN A HOME PHASE TWO WAS A FEASIBILITY STUDY, UH, FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
UM, AND SO WE'RE REQUESTING THAT, WELL, A SIX MONTH FEASIBILITY STUDY, UH, FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
AND SINCE WE'RE COMING UP PRETTY CLOSE TO THE SIX MONTH MARK, UM, WE'RE ASKING LIKE, WHAT'S THE STATUS, WHAT'S THE UPDATE AND WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY WE'RE NOT SURE, UH, WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PROCESS.
AND SO THE, THE REQUEST IS TO ESSENTIALLY HAVE SOME MORE TIME IF POSSIBLE, AND POTENTIALLY SOME MORE RESOURCES SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY AND AND WHATNOT.
AND I'LL LET, UH, BUDDY, SO, OR CELINE WEIGH IN IF THEY WANT.
[00:45:02]
THERE WAS A FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT WAS APPROVED OF, AND WE'RE WAITING ON THE RESULTS OF THOSE, THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY.UM, THERE, THERE WAS APPROVAL FOR A FEASIBILITY STUDY TO BE PREPARED UHHUH.
SO WE DON'T KNOW THE STATUS OF THAT.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CONSIDER WE'RE DOING.
WE NEED TO FIND OUT LIKE WHO'S DOING THAT FEASIBILITY STUDY.
AND THEN, SO, SO IN SIX MONTHS, OKAY, SO THAT'S DEADLINES COMING UP YEAH.
AND WE WANNA KNOW LIKE THE RESULTS OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, RIGHT? THAT'S, AND THEN ALSO YOU'RE SAYING LIKE, I MEAN, MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
THERE HASN'T, THERE HASN'T, THERE HAS BEEN NO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT ALL.
UM, AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THAT IN PREPARING PEOPLE TO DO BASIC TEACH-INS ON WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
'CAUSE A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT IT REALLY MEANS.
UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S ADVERTISED AS SOMETHING FOR MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE AND SOMETHING THAT'S FOR AFFORDABILITY, BUT IT'S NOT BEING DEFINED.
THERE'S ACTUALLY NO AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS, WHICH WAS OUR ORIGINAL CONCERN, UM, STARTING UP IN DECEMBER, 2023.
AND WE'VE DONE MEN, WE'VE DONE A LOT SINCE THEN.
WE'VE DONE LIKE FIVE, UM, HOUSING FORUMS, BRINGING TOGETHER SERVICE PROVIDERS, PEOPLE THAT HAVE NAVIGATED THROUGH THE HOUSING, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING SYSTEM, PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE, UM, BEEN IN THE DISTRICTS DISTRICT TWO OR DISTRICT THREE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE RISE OF GENTRIFICATION AND RISING COSTS GO THROUGH CITY COUNCIL'S PROGRAMS THAT ARE MEANT TO HELP FOLKS EXPERIENCING RISING COSTS, BUT ARE TELLING US THAT THEY'RE NOT EFFECTIVE AT ALL.
SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THAT LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT, BUT AS MENTIONED, WE HAVE NOT BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY IS OR IF THAT'S EVEN BEEN AN EFFORT OR BEEN BROUGHT TO YEAH.
WHAT THE, WHAT THE CITY IS DOING ON THAT.
I HAVE ONE MORE FOLLOW UP QUESTION, AND THEN LIKE WE CAN OPEN UP.
SO THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, AND SO THIS WAS ALREADY WITH THE EQUITY OVERLAY ALREADY APPROVED IN THERE? NO.
SO WE HAVEN'T EVEN APPROVED OF AN EQUITY OVERLAY.
NO, THE, IT, IT'S THE, THE, THE REQUEST FROM, UH, COUNCIL WAS JUST FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDY TO POTENTIALLY HAVE AN EQUITY OVERLAY.
SO IF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY, I GUESS ASSUMING THAT IF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY IS POSITIVE AND EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE INCORPORATED, THEN THE EQUITY OVERLAY PROCESS WOULD THEN KICK OFF AND START.
BUT THIS IS JUST TO ESSENTIALLY DO THE RESEARCH BEHIND IT TO SEE IF IT'S ACTUALLY A FEASIBLE IDEA.
UM, PANEL, UH, COMMISSIONER BERTHA DELGADO, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE RECOGNIZE YOU.
SO I, I WANNA THANK, UM, ALL OF YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
UM, IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU ARE HERE.
AND SO SEEING YOU HERE TODAY IS REALLY, REALLY, UM, IT, IT NOT JUST BRINGS JOY TO MY HEART, BUT IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE WE HAVE SOME HOPE.
UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF CRISIS OUT THERE IN THE CITY, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
AND Y'ALL HAVE DONE A LOT OF MOBILE WORK OUT THERE.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU EACH OF YOU.
UM, CELINE, THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING THAT LEADERSHIP.
AND MARISSA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, BEING A PART OF THIS GROUP.
UM, I DON'T KNOW EVERYONE, BUT I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE MOVING AND SHAKING OUT THERE.
AND SO IT TAKES A LOT OF ENERGY, IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF HOURS THAT ARE UNPAID.
AND I, I WANNA RECOGNIZE ALL OF YOU ALL, UH, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE AT THIS COMMISSION.
UH, THIS COMMISSION IS A VERY IMPORTANT COMMISSION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
IT IS THE ONLY, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION THAT AUSTIN HAS AND, AND WE NEED TO UTILIZE IT MORE.
AND SO THE REQUEST THAT YOU'VE MADE TODAY, UM, I WANNA PUT A MOTION, UH, TO MOVE ON THAT REQUEST IN A SECOND.
UM, I WILL BE SUPPORTING THAT REQUEST.
UH, WE DO NEED TO WORK HARDER AS NOT JUST A COMMISSION, UH, BUT TO HOLD NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING AND ANY OTHER ENTITY OF THE CITY, UH, THAT'S A PART OF THESE DECISION MAKING, UM, DECISIONS ACCOUNTABLE.
UM, I DO SEE THAT THE DENSITY BONUS, UH, PROGRAM DOES NOT WORK.
IT HASN'T WORKED IN, IN 15 YEARS.
UH, EAST AUSTIN, UM, IS GROUND ZERO TO GENTRIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE FIGHTING, UH, DEAN IY, IS THAT WHAT IT'S CALLED ON THURSDAY? UM, WE HAVE, WE ARE BEING, UM, BOMBARDED.
AND SO THE FEASIBLE STUDY, THE QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO ASK IS STAFF WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THAT FEASIBLE STUDY? UH, WHEN IS THAT FEASIBLE STUDY? DO, UH, WHO ARE THE CONSULTANTS?
[00:50:01]
SO THE QUESTIONS YOU BROUGHT TO US, WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AS SOON AS WE FIND OUT THE ANSWERS.'CAUSE THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT ME AS A COMMISSIONER FOR DISTRICT THREE, WHICH IS 7 8 7 0 2, UM, I AM REQUESTING TO GET THOSE ANSWERS TODAY FOR YOU ALL.
IF WE CAN'T GET 'EM TODAY, THEN WE WILL HAVE 'EM TO YOU ALL BY TOMORROW.
UM, WE ARE ALL BEING EVICTED RIGHT NOW.
UH, PEOPLE ARE DYING IN THE STREETS.
IT IS A REAL ISSUE THAT, UM, THE PEOPLE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT.
THE NEWS IS NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CITY IS NOT TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CHANGE THAT.
AND THE ONLY WAY THAT LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE THAT HOLD THESE POSITIONS THAT SIT ON THESE DIOCESE CAN DO ANYTHING IS IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER AND WE HAVE YOUR HELP AS WELL.
AND SO I WANT US, UM, MOVING FORWARD, THIS IS MY LAST YEAR ON THE COMMISSION.
NEXT YEAR, I, I WILL BE DOING 10 YEARS ALREADY.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE WORKING WITH THIS COMMISSION SIDE BY SIDE.
AND AS I BECOME ON THE OTHER SIDE AS A CITIZEN NEXT YEAR, NOT A COMMISSIONER, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE WORK REALLY, REALLY CLOSE WITH THIS COMMISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE FUNDING THAT'S COMING THROUGH HERE THAT IS BEING MONITORED AND AUDITED.
BECAUSE I ALSO SEE THAT THAT'S NOT BEING DONE, UH, ON THE CITY'S END.
SO I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF YOUR REQUEST.
I DO WANNA ASK ONE QUESTION ON YOUR PROTECTION ZONES FOR THE OVERLAY.
IS, UM, CHICANO PARK, EDWARD RENDON PARK, THAT ENTIRE AREA, IS THAT INCLUDED IN ANY OF YOUR OVERLAY PROTECTION? UM, FROM ANY TYPE OF ZONING CHANGES? 'CAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE FIGHTING FOR.
UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I LIVE IN, THAT MARISA LIVES IN, IS THAT AREA GONNA BE UNDER PROTECTION ZONING AS WELL? UH, CESA CHAVEZ, ANY OF THE AREAS, UM, FROM SEVENTH STREET DOWN? I, I, I DON'T KNOW THE MAP.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THE MAP, BUT THAT IS A QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, MARISA, IN THE, SO I, I'M, I, MY SHORT ANSWER IS I DON'T KNOW, BUT, UM, IT'S NOT PROMISING
SO IN THE UPROOTED REPORT, AS I RECALL, UM, WHEN IT WAS FIRST PREPARED, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS CONSIDERED, UM, I THINK IT WAS LIKE ACTIVELY GENTRIFYING.
AND SO I THINK IT WASN'T CONSIDERED LIKE MAYBE ONE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, BUT WE'RE NOT ADVOCATING THAT THE UPROOTED REPORT BE ADOPTED JUST EXACTLY AS IT'S BEEN PREPARED.
WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT ALLOWS FOR FOLKS, ESPECIALLY THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN, UM, AFFECTED BY THE UPZONING THAT'S OCCURRED OR BY THE DISPLACEMENT AND THE SPECULATIVE HOUSING THAT'S OCCURRED IN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TOO.
UM, WE'D LIKE TO HEAR THOSE VOICES TALK ABOUT WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES ARE AND, UM, WHAT NEEDS TO BE PRIORITIZED AND PROTECTED IN ANY EQUITY OVERLAID THAT WE CONSIDER.
YEAH, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SANTA RITA COURTS, THE ROSEWOOD COURTS, THE UM, UH, CHALMERS COURTS, THE REBECCA BANKS, UH, ELDERLY, THOSE ARE ALL IN THE 7 8, 7 0 2 AREA.
MY NEIGHBORHOOD, ALL THE AREA.
SANTA RITA, SANTA ROSA, SANTA MARIA, ALL OF THOSE AREAS ARE BLACK AND BROWN.
AND SO EVEN THOUGH THE STUDY, A LOT OF THE STUDIES THEY'VE DONE ARE NOT SHOWING THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR AND PEOPLE THAT ARE LOW INCOME ARE STILL IN THERE.
AND SO I JUST WANNA WORK WITH YOU ALL, UM, AND, AND MY TEAM ARE, ALL OF US WANNA WORK AND TRY TO MAKE IT BETTER TO HELP YOU ALL OUT THERE WITH THE TOOLS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE, PROVIDE TO YOU ALL BECAUSE, UM, IF WE DON'T WEIGH IN, LIKE YOU SAID, WE KIND OF ARE NOT.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT SEEING THAT ANY OF THE COMMISSIONS ARE WEIGHING IN.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO JUST ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND HOW MUCH WE CAN DO, AND THEN HOW YOU ALL CAN HELP US AND WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER AS, AS A UNIFIED, UM, COLLECTIVE SO WE CAN GET THE WORK DONE BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT GETTING DONE.
AND SO THANK YOU AGAIN EACH OF YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
PLEASE, I ENCOURAGE YOU CONTINUE TO COME, CONTINUE TO, UH, BE INVOLVED, UH, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS.
I'M GONNA HOLD ON, UM, VICE CHAIR IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU.
I'M GONNA GET, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER, YOU ALSO, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ACHILLES? YOU COOL? DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? COME ON.
UM, SO I'M ALSO TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TODAY AND SORT OF WHAT THE PROCESS AND TIMELINE IS AND ALSO
[00:55:01]
HOW, WHAT THE PROCESS AND TIMELINE IS FOR GETTING THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN GET ANSWERED TONIGHT OR TOMORROW? UM, AND THEN IF, AND THEN YES.
SO I'M JUST, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT ALL WE NEED TO DO TODAY WITH THE INFORMATION WE HAVE THAT WE, SOME OF US JUST RECEIVED
UM, AND SO, AND THEN I ALSO, I HAVE A CLARIFICATION ON THE WORDING OF THE RESOLUTION IF WE WERE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT, BUT I CAN PAUSE ON THAT.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS, UM, UM, PROVIDE IT AS THE DRAFT OR ARE YOU SPEAKING OF OH, WHAT THAT ONE, WHAT WHAT ARE YOU SPEAKING OF? YOU SAID YOU HAVE A CLARIFICATION OF THE RECOMMENDATION.
OF THE RECOMMENDATION YEAH, THE, THEIR RECOMMENDATION FOR US TO WRITE A RESO.
SO I HAVE, IF WE WERE TO NEED TO DRAFT A RESOLUTION TODAY, I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ON WORDING, BUT IF NOT, THEN I ALRIGHT.
BUT I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, CIRCLE BACK TO THAT, UH, WHILE WE ALL ARE TOGETHER.
UH, COMM VICE CHAIR, CAN YOU HOLD WHILE I GRAB EVERYBODY ELSE? COMMISSIONER, UH, TISHA, I THINK I SAW YOUR HAND.
UM, THAT'S, IT'S BASIC IN REGARDS AND THIS IS FOR ANY OF YOU ALL TO ANSWER.
COMMUNITY POWERED, YOU ALL ARE DOING GREAT WORK.
UM, SO, UM, THE FEASIBILITY REPORT POINT OF CLARIFICATION THAT WAS PRESENTED BY THE COUNCIL THAT WAS NOT PRESENTED, OR I SHOULDN'T SAY PRESENTED, BUT IT WAS BROUGHT UP BY THE COUNCIL, IT WAS NOT BROUGHT UP BY YOU ALL.
WE, WE WANTED THE EQUITY OVERLAY ADOPTED AND, UH, THE COUNCIL, UM, AND THEY SAID THAT IT NEEDED TO BE STUDIED THROUGH A FEASIBILITY STUDY FIRST.
SO THE NEXT POINT, UM, BECAUSE THE, WHO IS SOMETHING I'M SURE WE CAN QUICKLY GET TO, UH, BUT THE, WHAT, WHAT WERE THE OUTCOMES OR WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS THAT THEY'RE SEEKING TO BE ANSWERED WITH A FEASIBILITY REPORT? BECAUSE WE KNOW WHAT YOU ALL, UM, ARE TRYING TO HAVE ANSWERED, BUT DID THEY PRESENT, HAVE ANY INCLINATION FROM THE COUNCIL IN REGARDS TO THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS THAT THEY WANTED ANSWERED? UM, WELL, I, I LOOKED JUST BEFORE THIS MEETING, I LOOKED UP THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS PROPOSED BY COM.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, WHO I THINK IS THE ONE WHO INITIATED THE, THE MOTION.
UM, AND I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT AS I RECALL, SOME OF THE THINGS HE WANTED STUDIED WERE, UM, WHAT THE, I THINK IT, IT WAS QUESTIONS RELATED TO, UM, WHAT KINDS OF TOOLS COULD BE USED, WHAT KINDS OF IMPACTS, UM, WHAT TYPES OF IMPACTS COULD BE, UH, COULD WE EXPECT FROM UPZONING? UM, UH, WHEN THEY MENTION, I'M SO SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF.
UM, WHEN THEY MENTION TOOLS, CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT TYPES OF TOOLS THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOFTWARE, UM, FOR TRACKING PURPOSES, OR, I'M JUST CURIOUS WHEN THEY SAID TOOLS, IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF INCLINATION OR INSIGHT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY INSIGHT INTO WHAT PRECISELY WAS INTENDED, BUT, UM, WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT TOOLS, THE THINGS THAT WE, UM, REFER TO AND WHAT WE HAVE ADVOCATED, INCLUDING TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ, IS THAT WE LOOK AT TOOLS OUTSIDE OF THE ZONING PROCESS ALONE.
UM, AND THAT WE ALSO CONSIDER DELAYING IMPLEMENTING ANY ZONING CHANGES IN AREAS THAT ARE VULNERABLE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO INCENTIVIZE THE DEMOLITION OF EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOMES IN ORDER TO MAKE SPACE FOR HOMES.
UM, THAT MAY BE SMALLER, BUT ARE STILL GONNA BE CONSIDERED MORE EXPENSIVE IF THEY'RE BASED ON, YOU KNOW, MARKET MARKET RATES.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE ASKED FOR IS TO CARVE OUT, MAYBE NOT CARVE OUT, BUT AT LEAST NOT IMPLEMENT THE ZONING CHANGES, UH, THAT EVERYWHERE AND, AND ESPECIALLY NOT IN AREAS THAT ARE VULNERABLE TO GENTRIFICATION.
AND THEN WE, UH, WANTED, UM, WE WERE ASKING THAT OTHER TOOLS BE CONSIDERED AS WELL THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE MARKET BASE OR MARKET RATE HOUSING, THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, LAND TRUSTS, UM, THINGS LIKE, UH, PERHAPS, UM, SETTING ASIDE PROPERTIES, UM, THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, FOREVER REMAIN AFFORDABLE.
UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT OTHER TOOLS WE ASKED FOR, BUT YEAH, IT WAS THINGS OTHER THAN JUST ZONING.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ HAD IN MIND, BUT WE'D LIKE TO THINK THAT HE WAS THINKING OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE PROPOSED AFFORDABLE.
THAT GIVES ME BETTER CLARIFICATION.
AND THEN THE LAST PIECE, UH, IN REGARDS TO HOW IT'S BEING DESCRIBED FOR THESE
[01:00:01]
GEOGRAPHIC VULNERABLE AREAS, DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY VISUAL AIDS OF THESE PARTICULAR AREAS? AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR OVERLAY FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, DO YOU HAVE ANY HEAT MAPS? DO YOU HAVE ANY BEFORE AND AFTER TYPE OR, UM, TOOLS THAT CAN GIVE US SOME VISUAL AIDS OF THE IMPACT THAT WOULD OCCUR SHOULD YOU KNOW THIS, THIS GO THROUGH? SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN BASING A LOT OF, UH, OUR MAPPING, UM, ON IS THE UPROOTED REPORT THAT WAS DONE BY UT, UM, IN, WITHIN THIS REPORT.IT GOES BY AND, UH, BASICALLY CATEGORIZES EACH NEIGHBORHOOD AND AREA AND ZIP CODE BY, UH, MOST VULNERABLE, LEAST VULNERABLE, UM, AND OTHER DIFFERENT CATEGORIZATIONS, UM, OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE OR AT LEAST SUSCEPTIBLE TO, UH, GENTRIFICATION.
AND SO WE CAN, UH, WE CAN SEND THAT, UH, INFORMATION AS WELL.
UM, BUT THAT'S PRIMARILY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE USING, UM, IN OUR EQUITY OVERLAY, UM, RECOMMENDATION.
THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO, TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT, THAT SOURCE OF INFORMATION.
WE'RE WRAPPING UP AND WRAPPING IT UP.
ALRIGHT, WE GOTTA DO EVERYBODY JUST MM-HMM,
FOR THE, UM, ANGLO 50% FOR LATINOS.
MM-HMM
AND DID IT SAY TRAVIS COUNTY ON THE, TO THE LEFT? IT SAID TRAVIS COUNTY BLACK RESIDENTS WERE 8%.
UH, LET ME LET THEM ANSWER THEN WE'LL SEE.
UM, SO MM-HMM,
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE WERE BASING, UM, THIS DATA FROM.
UM, I'M NOT SURE ENTIRELY SURE, UM, WHY TRAVIS COUNTY VERSUS AUSTIN, BUT ESSENTIALLY THAT'S WHERE WE WERE PULLING THE INFORMATION FROM.
AND WHAT WAS THE DATE ON THAT? THAT IS THAT 2021.
AND THERE ISN'T, UM, THAT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE YEARS.
I MEAN, WE, WE DON'T, I KNOW YOU VERBALLY SHARED A LITTLE DIFFERENCE THAT THE, UH, ANGLO WAS GONNA STAY THE SAME, BUT THE LATINO IS GONNA DROP BY 10% AND THE SAME THING AS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN.
UM, WHAT WAS THE YEAR THAT, OF THE VERBAL INFORMATION? IS THAT, HOW RECENT IS THAT? YEAH, THE, THE VERBAL INFORMATION, UM, THAT, THAT I WAS MENTIONING WAS ACTUALLY FROM, UH, 2021 AS WELL.
UM, SO THIS INFORMATION THAT WE'RE, THAT WE WERE CURRENTLY SHOWING, UM, IS ALL FROM 2021.
SO THE MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME AND THE, THE PROGRAM LIMITS ARE ALSO FROM 2021 AND SHOWS THE MEDIAN INCOME.
UM, A ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONER, UM, TISHA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? OKAY.
UH, COMMISSIONER BERTHA, HOLD TIGHT.
I KNOW YOU'RE INTERESTED IN CHIMING IN, BUT WE'RE DOING THE RED, UH, ROUND.
ANYONE ELSE REMOTELY? ANYONE ELSE REMOTELY? YES.
COMMISSIONER WOODS, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR, UH, GUEST PRESENTERS.
UH, I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU WERE WORKING ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO THE CITY'S, UH, LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO ASK IF THEY INTEND TO WEIGH IN ON THE LEGALITY OF THE TOOLS THAT WILL BE PUT INTO PLACE WITH AN EQUITY OVERLAY AND IF YOU HAVE, HAVE YOU HEARD BACK? UM, I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW IF ANYONE IN THAT DEPARTMENT IS TAKING A LOOK AT THAT, BECAUSE, UM, I'M QUITE SURE THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN THOUGHTS ABOUT, UM, WHETHER THAT'S, UH, GONNA FLY UNDER STATE LAW.
UM, THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE.
COMMISSIONER WOODS, UH, PANEL.
UM, SO CURRENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN NO EQUITY TOOLS PROPOSED BY THE CITY.
IT WA THE, WHAT WAS REQUESTED WAS A FEASIBILITY STUDY.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF A REQUEST HAS BEEN MADE TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
CERTAINLY WE HAVEN'T REACHED OUT TO THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO ASK ABOUT WHETHER ANY OF THE TOOLS THAT WE'VE PROPOSED, UH, REQUIRE A LEGAL
[01:05:01]
ANALYSIS.UM, WHAT WE CAN SAY IS THAT, UH, AGAIN, THE UPROOTED REPORT INCLUDES A NUMBER OF TOOLS, UM, THAT WOULD EITHER ASSIST IN MITIGATING DISPLACEMENT OR, UM, OR PROVIDE SOME SORT, SORT OF, UH, UH, SOME OTHER WAY OF PROTECTING EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING RATE.
AND THAT WAS PREPARED BY AUTHORS THAT INCLUDE A LAW PROFESSOR, A LAWYER.
AND SO SHE WAS REVIEWING TOOLS THAT ARE ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW.
UM, AND SO TO THE EXTENT THAT ANY, ANYTHING THAT WE'VE RECOMMENDED IS INCLUDED IN THAT REPORT, IT HAS BEEN VETTED BY A LAWYER, UM, BY A LAW PROFESSOR.
UH, AND WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING.
I MEAN, EQUITY OVERLAYS HAVE BEEN YOU, THEY'VE BEEN, THEY'VE BEEN DONE AROUND THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING TO INDICATE TO US THAT WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS SOMEHOW ILLEGAL, SO.
UH, ANYONE ELSE? REMOTELY? COMMISSIONERS.
UM, MISS MARISSA, UH, ON THAT? ANYONE ELSE? ALRIGHT.
UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND WE'RE GONNA CIRCLE BACK, UH, TO COMMISSIONER, UH, BERTHA, UH, DELGADO IN JUST A MOMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UM, THIS IS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, EVERY TIME THAT WE GET A PRESENTATION, I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT, UM, OUR MISSION AS A COMMISSION, WHICH IS, UH, SERVING THE INTERESTS OF THE, OF OUR COMMUNITY, OUR, UH, THE POOR.
AND THIS IS DEFINITELY A CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE OF, YOU KNOW, HOW AUSTIN IS DEVELOPING AND WHO IS, UH, SPEAKING UP.
AND SO I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, UH, FOR, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO ANSWER THEM, BUT, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, COMMUNITY POWER WERE THE ONES THAT ASKED FOR THIS OVERLAY.
UM, AND FROM WHAT I HEAR, COMMUNITY POWER HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN, UM, IN THIS PROCESS SO FAR.
I MEAN, IT'S BEEN FIVE MONTHS RIGHT? SINCE, UH, SINCE THIS WAS DONE.
UM, UM, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED IN, UH, THE DISCUSSIONS OR, UM, ANY PART OF THE PROCESS.
AND SO YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THE PROCESS IS NOW? YEAH.
UM, SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE DON'T KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE, UM, HOW MUCH TIME OR RESOURCES WOULD BE NEEDED, UM, TO FINISH THIS PROCESS? YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT TOO SURE.
SO, UH, WHAT I WANNA SAY ALSO IS THAT, UH, WE ASKED, UM, I THINK TWO MONTHS AGO IF, UM, IF WE COULD GET A PRESENTATION FROM, UH, MS. MANDY DAMO, UH, ABOUT THIS PROCESS, RIGHT? SO I THINK, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT SHOULD HAPPEN AS WELL.
UM, WE'LL SEE WHERE WE ARE, BUT YES.
HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT I'M ABLE TO.
MANDY DE MAYO, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR, GIMME SOME VOLUME ON THAT, PLEASE? THANK YOU.
CAN I, YOU WANNA FINISH? YEAH.
SO, UM, SINCE YOU'RE HERE,
UM, WHAT IS THE SCOPE? UM, IS THERE COMMUNITY INVOLVED SO FAR IN THIS PROCESS? UM, AND HOW HAVE YOU ENGAGED THE COMMUNITY IN DEVELOPING THE EQUITY OVERLAY OR THE FEASIBILITY? SO, MANDY DE MAYO, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS THE LEAD ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY FEASIBILITY.
WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, ALONG WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
UM, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UM, HAS CONVENED AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL TASK FORCE TO LOOK AT HOME ONE AND TWO.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS A MEMO OR A REPORT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL IS DUE THE END OF THIS MONTH.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THE MEMO YET, BUT, UH, IT SHOULD DESCRIBE THE
[01:10:01]
PROGRESS MADE THUS FAR AND WHAT THE PLANS ARE FOR, UM, THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.I DO KNOW WE HAVE BEEN, AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY.
PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS THE LEAD.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ALONG WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, PLANNING DEPARTMENT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND LAW.
SOMEBODY HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UM, ANY PROPOSALS THAT COME OUT OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.
WE, OF COURSE, BE RUN THROUGH OUR LAW DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT IT IS, UM, IN FACT FEASIBLE WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A CONSULTANT WHO HAS DONE SIMILAR WORK ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
I'M NOT AT LIBERTY JUST NOW TO SAY WHO THE CONSULTANT IS, BUT WE DID WORK, AGAIN, ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS ON THE SCOPE OF WORK BASED ON WHAT COUNCIL HAD LAID OUT, UM, FOR THEIR EXPECTATIONS OF A FEASIBILITY STUDY, OF AN EQUITY OVERLAY.
WE ALSO IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, TWO OF WHICH ARE IN THIS ROOM.
ONE WAS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, AND THE OTHER WAS COMMUNITY POWERED A TX.
SO OUR EXPECTATION IS EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, BUT WE HAVEN'T KICKSTARTED THAT CONTRACT YET.
UM, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT IT WILL BE KICKSTARTED SOMETIME THIS MONTH.
DOES THAT ANSWER, DOES IT ANSWER ALL OF YOUR STUFF? ACTUALLY, I HAVE A FOLLOW UP.
SO FROM WHAT, UH, FROM THE PRESENTATION, THERE WAS A SIX MONTH, UM, DELAY IN IMPLEMENTATION OF HOME.
IS THAT WHAT YOU, YOU TOLD US? WHICH WOULD BE, THE END WOULD BE IN NOVEMBER.
THAT'S THE SIX MONTHS, CORRECT.
SO THAT SEEMS LIKE IT DOESN'T GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, RIGHT? IF WE HAVEN'T EVEN HIRED, UM, A CONSULTANT, I, I CAN JUST TELL YOU WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WITH THE CONSULTANT AND ALSO THE FACT THAT ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCE, TWO AREAS WERE DELAYED FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF HOME ONE AND HOME TWO.
ONE WAS THE WWE, THE WILD WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE, WHICH IS A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
AND THIS IS WHAT THE FOLKS AT COMMUNITY POWERED A TX HAD REFERENCED.
AREAS THAT, UM, WERE EXPERIENCING DISPLACEMENT AND GENTRIFICATION PER THE MAPS, UM, UH, WHICH ARE CENSUS TRACKED BASED MAPS.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO AREAS THAT WERE DELAYED PER THE ORDINANCE UNTIL NOVEMBER 16TH.
AND I'M GONNA PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH LINKS.
ONE IS TO ALL OF THE INFORMATION ON THE HOME AMENDMENTS, UM, SO WHAT HOME ONE DOES, WHAT HOME TWO DOES.
AND THEN IT DOES TALK ABOUT THE DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION TO NOVEMBER 16TH.
SO, BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC AREAS OF TOWN AND WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD QUALIFY FOR DELAYED IMPLEMENTATION.
AND WOULD, I GUESS, WOULD YOU BE IN AGREEMENT WITH COMMUNITY POWER THAT SINCE WE'RE AT, AT THIS WE'RE ONLY ABOUT LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY, THREE AND A HALF, OR THREE AND A HALF WEEKS,
I HAVE A, A SERIES OF ITEMS, UM, NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER.
UM, UM, ONE, IT, THIS SEEMS TO BE MORE ABOUT, IT'S NOT ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, IT'S MORE ABOUT PROFITABILITY.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO VERY WELL GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING AND LET'S BE AUTHENTIC.
UM, BECAUSE WHEN I, I, I HAVE TO WONDER HOW MUCH IS IT ABOUT CHECK THE BOXES VERSUS A SINCERE AND AUTHENTIC EFFORT TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY? UM, I, I UNDERSTAND THE LIP SERVICE OF USING THE COMMUNITY, BUT IF WE'RE RUNNING OUT THE CLOCK, I'M NOT REALLY SURE IF THAT IS, I THINK IT SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE DISINGENUOUS, UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
AND KEEP IN MIND, I'M A LOW LEVEL THINKER, SO YOU MAY HAVE TO BREAK IT DOWN, YOU KNOW, BIG TIME FOR ME.
UM, I'M ALSO CONCERNED, UM, ABOUT WHETHER, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO ME, THIS IS A STRAIGHTFORWARD QUESTION, AND I'M GONNA CONTINUE AFTER THIS AS CHAIR.
WAS THERE ANY COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
[01:15:01]
IN THE SELECTION OF THE CONSULTANT TO DO THIS WORK THAT WAS LED BY STAFF? SO THE ANSWER TO THAT IS PER COUNCIL DIRECTION.SO THE ANSWER TO THAT WAS NO, THERE WASN'T ANY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN REFERENCE TO THE SELECTION OF THE CONSULTANT.
THE C TO BE CLEAR, THE CONSULTANT HASN'T BEEN SELECTED YET, BUT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A CONSULTANT.
AND SO DO YOU PLAN ON ENG ENGAGE? SO IF YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THE CONSULTANT, SO THAT'S LIKE ME GOING SHOPPING FOR SOMETHING.
IF I'VE ALREADY FIGURED OUT THAT I WANT THE BLACK DRESS, THEN I REALLY DON'T NEED TO HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF GIRLFRIENDS TO TELL ME ABOUT WHAT COLOR OR WHAT OUTFIT, WHAT KIND OF OUTFIT TO GET.
BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY DETERMINED THAT I WANT THE BLACK DRESS.
UH, I, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO FOLLOW A CERTAIN PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
SO IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGE? IS THERE COMMUNITY, WILL THE COMMUNITY A TX BE INVOLVED IN DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT THE PRESELECTED CONSULTANT IS ACTUALLY PROCURED? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
UM, I AM SORRY THAT IT TOOK SO MUCH.
UM, NEXT QUESTION I HAVE IS THIS, THIS, THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY CALENDAR.
UM, WHERE WOULD, WHERE, WHERE IS THIS TIME, WHERE IS THIS TIMELINE LOCATED? WHERE, WHERE, WHO IS THE, UM, THE, THE, THE WHO'S HOLDING THE TIME, THE CALENDAR, WHO'S, WHO'S, WHO'S MANAGING, WHO'S THE MANAGER OF THE TIMELINE FOR THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY? SO THE EFFORT OR THE INITIATIVE IS BEING LED BY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
AND IT IS LAID OUT IN ORDINANCE WHAT THE FEASIBILITY, THE TIMELINE FOR THE FEASIBILITY THAT SIX MONTHS IS IN THE ORDINANCE.
AND THAT'S THE SIX MONTHS THAT GETS THAT ENDS NOVEMBER 16TH.
SOMEWHERE IN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.
I'M A LOW LEVEL THINKER, SO I'M AS A LOW LEVEL THINKER, I REALLY DO SEEM, THIS SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE REALLY HAS NOT BEEN A GENUINE AND AUTHENTIC EFFORT TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I I'M NOT, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT THAT IS A FACT, BUT I'M SAYING AS A LOW LEVEL THINKER, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO ME THAT THAT IS, I AM HEARING THAT LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THE PRESENTATION FROM COMMUNITY POWERED A TX.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT RUNNING OUT THE CLOCK, UM, THAT REALLY, UM, FROM A PUBLIC SERVICE PERSPECTIVE IS SO ANNOYING.
IT'S SO ANNOYING TO HAVE STAFF BUREAUCRACIES, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GOVERNMENT THAT IS JUST RUNNING OUT THE CLOCK.
THAT CERTAINLY WAS NOT THE INTENTION.
I APOLOGIZE ON BEHALF OF THE STAFF.
'CAUSE THAT MEAN IT'S SO ANNOYING.
UM, I DO WANT TO SAY, I NEVER DID SAY THANK YOU GUYS.
UM, I DID LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU ALL HAVE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, BUT THERE'S STILL DIVERSITY WITHIN THE COLLABORATION.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S GENUINE.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A COOKIE CUTTER AND EVERYBODY BE THE KUMBAYA.
EVERYBODY AGREE TO EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME.
AND SO I DO LIKE THE FACT THAT IT SEEMS LIKE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, A TX, THAT YOU ALL HAVE VARYING VOICES AND DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON HOW WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THINGS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S WONDERFUL, THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE DIFFERENCES, YOU HAVE MORE IN COMMON TOWARDS MOVING FORWARD.
AND US AS A COMMUNITY, AS COMMISSIONER DELGADO HAS INDICATED, UM, BEFORE I, UM, YIELD, AND I'M NOT GONNA BE YIELDING MUCH, JUST TO LET YOU ALL KNOW WHEN I SPEAK, I'M PRETTY MUCH WRAPPING IT UP.
UM, HAVE YOU CONNECTED WITH THE COUNCIL? HAVE YOU ALL CONNECTED WITH COUNCIL? HOW DOES THAT WORK? DO, DO YOU CONNECT WITH COUNCIL? HOW HAS THAT WORKED? HAVE YOU TRIED TO CONNECT WITH COUNCIL? YES.
UM, FOR PHASE, UH, AFTER PHASE ONE, IT WAS RAPID RESPONSE BECAUSE YOU, WE HEARD RIGHT BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS THAT PHASE ONE WAS BEING PROPOSED LEADING UP TO PHASE TWO AND THE EAD, UM, AND OTHER UPZONING CHANGES THAT WERE BEING PROPOSED.
[01:20:01]
WE SET UP MEETINGS WITH COUNCIL, BUT WERE MET MOSTLY WITH THEIR STAFF TO TELL US, UM, A BUNCH OF CRAZY THINGS, TO BE HONEST.UM, THAT THEY WEREN'T GOING TO CONSIDER OR TAKE OUR, UM, IDEAS OR AMENDMENTS TOO SERIOUSLY, OR JUST BEING MET WITH STAFF AND HAVING MAJOR PUSHBACK LIKE PACIFIERS.
AND TO BE TOLD OF, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, OH, WELL, IF YOU HAVE A TEACHER WHO HAS A TEACHER SALARY, IF THEY HAVE A PARTNER THAT MAKES THREE FIGURES OVER 200 K, THEY CAN AFFORD TO LIVE IN THIS
UH, AND YOU ARE QUOTING, ARE YOU BEING AU YOU ARE.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS FROM RYAN ALTER'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING ON, ON THE RECORD FOR THAT.
UM, REACHED OUT TO STAFF ABOUT THE CALENDAR DIVERSITY, UM, THAT, UH, UT UPROOTED REPORT.
WHAT'S THE DATE ON THAT? APPROXIMATELY WHAT YEAR? IT'S 2018.
IT'S 2018, BUT IT'S UPDATED BY OUR DEPARTMENT, UH, AND ACTUALLY RECENTLY UPDATED, I'M GONNA SAY WITHIN THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
SO WE UPDATE THE MAPS, THEY LAID OUT THE OKAY, FAIR ENOUGH.
THE, UH, FRAMEWORK AND, AND THE ALGORITHM, AND THEN WE UPDATE WITH THE DATA.
AND I'M GONNA SEND THAT TO YOU ALL TOO, THROUGH, UH, MR. BLAKE.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE USING STALE DATA, I MEAN, HONESTLY, IT, IT, IT, THAT DOESN'T MAKE TOO MUCH SENSE TO ME.
I, UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO, CAN YOU YIELD AND, AND HAVE YOU HAVE, HAVE I ADDRESSED PERHAPS ANYTHING THAT, THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT I, I WANT.
UM, UH, CAN YOU MOVE QUICKLY WITH THAT? MM-HMM.
UM, I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE LIKE COMMISSIONER, UH, NOE JUST STATED, HE HAD REQUESTED THIS INFORMATION COME TO US TWO MONTHS AGO, AND IT NEVER DID.
AND SO, CHAIR, THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.
AND THEY, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING CANNOT CONTINUE TO DO THAT TO US.
WHEN WE REQUEST SOMETHING, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AND OBLIGATION IS TO PROVIDE THAT TO THE BOARD.
SO WHEN WE HAVE AN ISSUE, LIKE WE HAVE ONE TODAY, HEARING THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE CONSTITUENTS, THESE ARE TAXPAYERS, THESE ARE RENTERS, THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO, TO, TO SPEAK TO.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE ASKING, IT PUTS US IN A VERY TIGHT SITUATION.
AND NOT JUST THAT I WANNA FINISH, WE HAVE A ROBIN RULE THAT I DON'T AGREE WITH.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T SIT HERE AND DISCUSS, BECAUSE OUT OF THE ENTIRE AGENDA, THIS IS THE ONLY ITEM I WANNA DISCUSS BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY ITEM THAT IS GONNA PROTECT OUR PEOPLE FROM BEING MORE GENTRIFIED AND MORE HOMELESS.
AND THE FACT THAT OUR COUNCIL MEMBER HAS, UM, GIVEN THE AID TO THEM AND GIVEN THEM THE SPEECH AND THE ELEVATOR AND ALL THAT, WE'RE USED TO THAT AS ADVOCATES AND ACTIVISTS.
AND IT'S DISAPPOINTING TO SEE MY COLLEAGUES AND MY DEPARTMENT AND US, WE ARE HERE TO SERVE.
AND YOU ALL DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN YOU'RE APOLOGIZING TO US.
YOU OWE OUR PEOPLE AN APOLOGY BECAUSE WE HAVE FOUR LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING.
WE, TODAY, MY MOTION IS TO POSTPONE THIS.
WE HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL AND ASK FOR A POSTPONEMENT BECAUSE THEY LEFT AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF, OF, OF NOT JUST ADVOCATES, BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING OUR WORK, THE CITY WORK, AND THE PEOPLE'S WORK, THEIR POWER TO THE PEOPLE.
THESE PEOPLE ARE DOING THE WORK, BUT YET FIVE MONTHS, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S AT.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW THE DEADLINE.
THEY DIDN'T, THEY WEREN'T INVOLVED.
AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS A TENDENCY TO NOT INCLUDE PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE STAFF.
SO I WANT A RESOLUTION TODAY, AND I WANNA KNOW FROM STAFF BESIDES YOU SAYING YOU'RE SORRY, WHAT'S, WHAT'S GONNA COME OUT OF THIS? SO I'M, I'M VERY UPSET RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THIS IS HARD WORK.
AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE LITERALLY DOWN TO THREE AND A HALF WEEKS.
AND THE CITY'S GONNA DO WHAT THEY WANT, AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA LISTEN TO THIS COMMISSION.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA LISTEN TO THEM.
AND ALL OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT ARE GONNA BE
[01:25:01]
DISPLACED.SO HOW ARE WE PREVENTING DISPLACEMENT? HOW ARE WE HELPING OUR PEOPLE? THAT'S MY QUESTION I HAVE FOR STAFF, BECAUSE WE COME HERE TO SERVE, TO BE THE VOICE FOR THE PEOPLE, BUT WE CAN'T EVEN GET OUR STAFF TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN OUR, IN OUR QUEUE, AND WE COULD BE ABLE TO HELP OUR PEOPLE.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M UPSET ABOUT THAT.
AND I JUST WANNA TELL OUR COMMISSIONER THE DATA OF WHY, OF WHY THEY HAVE THIS DATA THAT'S SO OLD.
BECAUSE THE CITY AND CENSUS TRACK, AND UT AND ALL OF THEM, THEY DID DATA DURING A PANDEMIC IN 2020 AND 2021.
AND IT'S SO SAD THAT OUR COUNCIL HAS NOT, HAS NOT RECOMMENDED THAT A NEW DATA BE DONE IN THE CITY SINCE OUR CITY IS NOW AT 2 MILLION PEOPLE.
SO, SO THAT'S, TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, THEY'RE ONLY DOING WHAT THEY HAVE BECAUSE THAT'S ALL THEY HAVE.
AND THE CENSUS TRACK IS WRONG.
'CAUSE IT WAS DONE DURING A PANDEMIC AND DURING AN IMMIGRATION, UH, DURING A TIME WHEN IMMIGRATION BORDER WAS BEING BUILT, AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WERE HIDING BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANNA GET DEPORTED.
SO WE HAVE AN ENTIRE, UH, WRONG CENSUS TRACK IN, IN OUR, IN OUR UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN, IN OUR STATE.
AND THE REASON WHY IT SAYS TRAVIS COUNTY, AND NOT JUST CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THIS IS TO MY MY COMMISSIONER, BECAUSE CITY OF AUSTIN IS BOUNDARIES ARE, ARE THEIR, THEY'RE THE, THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY GOES INTO DELL VALLEY, SUNSET VALLEY.
AND SO THEY CAN'T JUST SAY CITY OF AUSTIN BECAUSE DELL VALLEY, SUNSET VALLEY, WEST LAKE, ALL OF THEM, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE IN THE CITY BOUNDARIES, THEY HOLD A DIFFERENT JURISDICTION BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN MAYOR.
PFLUGERVILLE HAS THEIR OWN MAYOR.
ALL OF THEM HAVE THEIR OWN THEIR OWN DIFFERENT GUIDELINES.
SO JUST SO YOU KNOW, I'M VERY UPSET RIGHT NOW TO HEAR THAT THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO I AM RECOMMEND RECOMMENDING A POSTPONEMENT AND THEN FOR US TO ASSIST WITH THE RESOLUTION OR RECOMMENDATION FOR, UM, COMMUNITY EMPOWER.
REALLY QUICK, I WANNA REMIND YOU, THIS IS THE, UH, DISCUSSION ITEM.
UM, WE CAN MOVE THIS TO, UM, NOVEMBER'S AGENDA, WHICH IS NOVEMBER 12TH.
IT'S NOT AS MUCH AS WE WOULD LIKE, OF COURSE, BUT THERE CAN'T BE ANY ACTION TAKEN.
SO MY QUESTION FOR WHEN I WAS ASKING FOR YOU WAS, UM, WHAT WAS, WAS, WAS, UH, AND I DO WANNA SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT, I DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, REPRESENTING THE PLANNING, UM, DEPARTMENT, HOUSING, HOUSING, HOUSING, HOUSING, HOUSING, HOUSING.
REPRESENTING HOUSING DEPARTMENT HOUSING.
I, I DO, UH, EVEN IF AND REPRESENTING THE CITY, I WANNA BE CLEAR, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND, AND THE EQUITY OFFICE AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
AND, AND I, AND I UNDERS, I I, I DO WANT TO, UM, UM, FOR US, FOR ME TO BE REAL CLEAR, UH, THAT MY ROLE IS TO, UM, REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY AND THE POOR.
AND SO, AND I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT MY ROLE.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I DO RESPECT AND APPRECIATE YOU AND ALL OF THE STAFF THAT, UM, SUPPORT YOU WITH THAT.
UM, COMMISSIONER, I MEAN, NOT COMMISSIONER, I'M SORRY.
MR. ED, UH, QUESTION WAS, WAS, WAS, WAS MS. DEMA ON THE AGENDA FOR A PREVIOUS TIME? THIS HAS NOT BEEN ON THE AGENDA.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS ALL, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HADN'T ALWAYS HAPPY TO BE HERE.
I I THINK THE PREVIOUS AGENDA ITEM WAS RELATED TO REAL ESTATE.
WHICH WE PRESENTED MAYBE LAST TIME.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE, UM, HOLDING THE, THE PROCESS ACCOUNTABLE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HADN'T HAD AN ISSUE WHERE IT WAS ON THE AGENDA AND THEN WE DROPPED THE BALL.
BUT IT DOES SOUND LIKE THIS HASN'T COME UP.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS HOW MUCH INFLUENCE, I KNOW THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POSTPONING THIS UNTIL TILL NOVEMBER, BUT HOW MUCH INFLUENCE DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT HAVE? CAN YOU ALL MAKE, CAN YOU MAKE THIS HAPPEN? SO THE, UH, DELIVERABLES THAT WE HAVE TO CITY COUNCIL, THE NEXT DELIVERABLE THAT I MENTIONED IS A MEMO COMING FROM THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE OPERATING IN COLLABORATION WITH THEM.
UHHUH
I WILL CERTAINLY BRING THIS FEEDBACK AND THE PASSION THAT I AM HEARING
[01:30:01]
IN THIS ROOM TO INCORPORATE IN THE UPDATE TO CITY COUNCIL.THAT IS THE MEMO THAT IS GOING, UH, THIS, THE, THE CITY COUNCIL HASN'T BEEN LISTENING TO CITIZENS TOO MUCH ALONG THE WAY.
WILL THEY LISTEN TO YOU, UM, WITH US? OUR NAME OMIT? WHAT'S THAT? SHE'S GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA PRESENT WITH OUR NAME ON IT.
BUT I'M, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE, IF, IF, IF HER DEPARTMENT, IF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAS SOME REAL INFLUENCE ON THIS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU CAN TO BE GENUINE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE YOU, YOU ALL COME TO US.
YOU COME TO US TO SUPPORT THINGS AND WE WANT TO SUPPORT THOSE THINGS.
BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S TRANSACTIONAL AT THE SAME TIME.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR, CAN YOU HELP US WITH THIS? SO THE, THE CDC D'S ROLE IS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THAT IS MADE BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
THIS IS THE HOME ONE AND THE HOME TWO, AND THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
WE ARE GOING TO PROVIDE UPDATES, AND WE WILL CERTAINLY PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT WE ARE HEARING TODAY.
I, I MAY NOT BE UNDERSTANDING.
BUT, UM, AT THIS POINT, UH, VICE CHAIR, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WERE INTERESTED IN, I'LL LET YOU CLOSE OUT.
I WON'T SAY ANYTHING ELSE AFTER THAT.
UM, ANY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WILL HAPPEN IN THE NOVEMBER MEETING, JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT'S ON THE AGENDA.
UM, AND, UH, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, WHATEVER WORDING YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IN THE NOVEMBER MEETING.
UM, UM, BUT I, WE WILL CLOSE, UM, AT, AT AN HOUR OF DISCUSSION WITH THIS, WITH VICE CHAIR.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS, UH, DEAR TO HIS HEART.
SO I WILL LET HIM CLOSE, AND THEN WE WILL MOVE ON, UH, TO ITEM FOUR, FOLLOWING THAT VICE CHAIR.
SO WHAT I, WHAT I SEE THAT WE NEED TO DO AS A COMMISSION HERE IS WRITE A RECOMMENDATION.
SO I SUGGEST THAT WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP THAT CAN WORK WITH COMMUNITY POWERED TO WRITE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
TAKE IT CITY COUNCIL, UM, PUSH FOR THIS.
THIS DELAY IN, UH, IMPLEMENTATION AGAIN IS, IS UP ON NOVEMBER 16TH.
UM, AND LIKE WE SAW HERE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVEN'T GOT TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
AND SO, SO THAT'S MY, UM, THAT'S WHAT I RECOMMEND IS THAT WE, UH, START A WORKING GROUP.
I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER LONGORIA SAID HE WOULD HELP.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, UM, COMMISSIONER DELGADO IS VERY INTERESTED.
UM, AND SO, YEAH, SO A WORKING GROUP TO MEET WITH COMMUNITY POWER, GET THIS WRITTEN AND GET THIS PUSHED TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, I JUST NEED, IF WE'RE GONNA FORM A WORKING GROUP, I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHO, WHO'S VOLUNTEERING TO BE ON IT.
AND, AND, AND COMMISSIONER TISHA IS ALSO, UH, AND COMMISSIONER ARNOLD ARNOLD, COMMISSIONER ARNOLD IS ALSO PART OF THAT.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S, UH, FIVE.
AND THEN, UM, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, YOU'LL MAKE YOUR CONCERN FOR YOUR WORDING.
OH, I WAS JUST TRYING TO, NO, NO, NO CONCERN.
CAN I ASK YOU ONE QUICK QUESTION? UM, NO, THANK YOU.
ASK THE QUESTION AND THEN WE WE'RE WELL, NO, JUST BECAUSE OF THE DEADLINE IS THE WORKING GROUP.
LIKE, IS THERE ANY WAY FOR US TO KNOW WHAT, LIKE, WE CAN'T CALL OUR, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CALL MY COUNCIL PERSON AND ADVOCATE PERSONALLY BASED ON THE EXPERTISE THAT COMES OUT OF THIS BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING, IF I CAN'T GET ANY COMMUNICATION UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.
AND SO THAT'S MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANY WAY FOR US TO BENEFIT FROM THE EXPERTISE OF WHAT JUST HAPPENS IN A WAY THAT'S LEGAL? I'M NOT TRYING TO WALK IN QUORUM STUFF.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING NOW, CHAIR, BECAUSE IT'S INDIVIDUALLY NOT AS A, NOT AS A, UH, I UNDERSTAND THE COMMISSION CAN'T MAKE ANYTHING.
DO YOU ALL HAVE, UM, TALKING POINTS OR SOMETHING THAT'S AVAILABLE? UM, IN A, SO WE COULD A REPOSITORY? WE HAVE PLENTY OF DOCUMENTATION AND EVERYTHING.
[01:35:01]
SORRY, JUST BASED ON WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES JUST SAID, UM, I THINK MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE FOR COMMUNITY POWER TO START THAT MOVEMENT, THAT MOVEMENT.NOW, UH, YOU HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT HERE.
AGAIN, UH, WE CAN'T MOVE AS A COMMISSION UNTIL WE WRITE THAT RECOMMENDATION AND VOTE ON IT ON THE NEXT, UH, MEETING.
BUT YOU DO HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT HERE.
UM, SO JUST START SETTING UP THOSE MEETINGS WITH CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, AND THEN GIVE US TALKING POINTS.
CAN I GET A NAME FOR THAT WORKING GROUP? IT, IT HELPS WITH QUICK, JUST THROW, SO RECOMMENDATION, THROW SOMETHING AT ME.
JUST DO THE, JUST DO THE EQUITY OVERLAY.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD PUT HOME ONE OR HOME TWO OR PHASES.
'CAUSE AND THEN IT'S GONNA JUST, YOU KNOW, LIMIT IT.
EXTENSION, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR? EXTENSION.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WANT, I DO WANT TO, UM, UM, UH, RECOGNIZE, UH, EVERYONE ON THE PANEL, UH, THAT WAS HERE.
THAT'S MS. CELINE RENDON, MS. MARISSA, UH, PEREZ, UM, UH, MS. MS. SAEL RAMOS.
UM, EVERYONE WITH THE COMMUNITY POWERED A TX AND AS WELL AS, UM, UH, MS. MANDY DEO REPRESENTING THE, UH, HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
WE DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU ALL, UM, SPEAKING, UM, FOR THIS ITEM.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, THE VISITORS IN THE GALLERY.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING THERE TOO.
ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE, UH, CITIZENS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING.
[4. Discussion and possible action to approve amendments to the Community Development Commission (CDC) Bylaws regarding removal of board members to comply with state law - 10 TAC 6.212(b)(3) (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health).]
SAID, COMMISSIONERS, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. WE GET TO TAKE ACTION THESE TIME.THIS IS THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENT, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
OUR BYLAWS REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF BOARD MEMBERS, UH, THAT IS TO COMPLY WITH STATE LAW AND OND ZAMBRANO IS GONNA BE COMING BACK TO THE DIOCESE TO, UH, GIVE US FEEDBACK FROM LEGAL, UM, WHERE WE DID, UM, REQUEST ADDITIONAL INFORM.
HELLO, I'M ANO FROM NEIGHBOR SERVICES UNIT.
UM, I DID REACH BACK OUT TO, UH, LEGAL AND, UM, I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT VERY SIMPLE AND BRIEF.
UM, WE ARE ASKING TO, UH, EDIT REMOVAL PROCESS IN THE BYLAWS TO ALLOW THE CDC TO REMOVE BOTH DEMOCRATICALLY SELECTED MEMBERS AND PRIVATE SECTOR MEMBERS, AND RECOMMEND REMOVAL OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS MEMBERS TO COUNCIL.
UM, AND THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THIS, AS IT WAS OUTLINED IN YOUR BACKUP, IS THAT IT COMPLIES WITH STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS FOR REMOVAL OF BOARD MEMBERS IN TEXAS.
ADMINISTRATIVE CODE 6.212 B THREE.
SO IT ACTUALLY GIVES YOU MORE POWER.
UH, AS COMMISSIONER ACHILLES POINTED OUT LAST TIME, UH, THE ONLY CHANGE THAT IS THAT NOW THE COMMISSION, UH, CAN REQUEST REMOVAL OF THE TWO PRIVATE MEMBERS.
SO AGAIN, IT ACTUALLY GIVES YOU A LITTLE MORE POWER.
THE OTHER FIVE, UH, YOU COULD REQUEST REMOVAL, BUT COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THOSE.
SO BEFORE THIS, YOU COULD REQUEST APPROVAL TO REMOVE THE EIGHT, ONE OF THE EIGHT, ANY OF THE EIGHT DEMOCRATICALLY SELECTED MEMBERS.
NOW WE ARE ADDING TWO MORE TO, UH, COMPLY WITH, UH, TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE.
AND, UM, THAT'S THE ONLY CHANGE AND WHICH ONES ARE NOT.
UM, THIS, DOES THIS NOT, NOT APPLY TO, UH, THE FIVE THAT ARE APPOINTED BY COUNSEL? OKAY.
YOU COULD STILL REQUEST REMOVAL, BUT COUNSEL WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THOSE FIVE.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, REGARDING ON ANGEL'S EXPLANATION REGARDING THE BYLAWS? ANYBODY THANK YOU ON HILL FOR COMING BACK AND, AND REVISITING, JUST TO CLARIFY THINGS, REVISIT YOU.
[01:40:01]
THAT WE DOT OUR I'S AND CROSSED OUR T'S, UM, HEARING, NO, UM, QUESTIONS.UM, WE ARE READY TO TAKE ACTION.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ON HILL HAS BROUGHT FORWARD REGARDING OUR BYLAWS AND THE ADJUSTMENT? THEREFORE, I SEE COMMISSIONER LONGORIA IS MAKING A MOTION TO DO SO.
DO I HEAR A SECOND OF THAT MOTION? I SEE A COMMISSIONER, ACHILLES AND COMMISSIONER ORTIZ BOTH ARE, UM, SECONDING THAT MOTION.
THAT BEING SAID, COMMISSIONERS ALL IN FAVOR.
PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND, UM, ON SCREEN SO WE CAN SEE IT.
LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE EVERYONE HERE.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, UM, UH, VICE CHAIR IS, UH, ABSTAINING.
I HAVE A DISCUSSION ITEM FOR THAT THOUGH, MS. JOSEPH, WERE YOU GONNA BE SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER FOUR? I THINK SHE'S FIVE AND SIX.
[5. Discussion and possible action to approve the City’s application to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the Pro-Housing Grant Funding that can be used to further develop, evaluate, and implement housing policy plans, improve housing strategies, remove regulatory barriers, and facilitate affordable housing production and preservation (Mandy DeMayo, Interim Director and Rachel Tepper, Planner Principal, Housing Department)]
TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.I'LL INTRODUCE IT AND THEN I'LL, UH, HAVE PUBLIC SPEAKERS, UM, FOR THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM, UH, ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE CITY'S APPLICATION, UH, TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, HUD FOR THE PRO HOUSING GRANT FUNDING THAT CAN BE USED TO FURTHER DEVELOPMENT, EVALUATE, UH, AND IMPLEMENT HOUSING POLICY PLANS, IMPROVE HOUSING STRATEGIES, REMOVE REGULATORY BARRIERS HMM.
AND FACILITATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION.
AND PER, UH, ATION, UM, WE DO HAVE INTERIM DIRECTOR, UM, MANDY DE MAYO COMING BACK UP FOR THAT AS WELL AS WE HAVE RACHEL, UM, WITH THE PLAN, WHO'S THE PLANNING PRINCIPAL WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
BUT FIRST, UM, MS. JOSEPH, UM, YOUR TIME TO SPEAK, UM, FROM THE PUBLIC.
ARE WE DOING, IS IT THREE MINUTES? THAT OKAY? YES.
UM, MS. MS. JOSEPH, PLEASE TAKE YOUR SPOT AT THE DIOCESE PLEASE FOR YOUR COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS, I'M XENOBI JOSEPH.
I DIDN'T MIND WAITING FOR THEM TO DO THEIR PRESENTATION, BUT ON PAGE NINE SPECIFICALLY, UH, THEY TALK ABOUT THE RYAN PROPERTY.
I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT IT'S APPROXIMATELY 300 UNITS, AS BEST I RECALL FROM THE BACKUP MATERIALS.
AND 240 OF THOSE UNITS ARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO EARN $65,000 AND UP.
I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT IN 2020, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY CONDUCTED A STUDY OF THEIR MINORITY CHAMBERS.
AND IN THAT REPORT, IT SHOWED THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS EARNED APPROXIMATELY $42,000.
HISPANICS EARN APPROXIMATELY $50,000.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROPOSAL THAT'S GOING TO COME BEFORE YOU AS IT RELATES TO THIS PATHWAYS, TO REMOVING OBSTACLES TO HOUSING, IS REALLY A FARCE.
SPECIFICALLY, I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT AS WE LOOK AT THE LIGHT RAIL LINE, I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT WHEN YOU GET TO HYDE PARK, YOU WILL RECALL THAT ON MARCH 12TH, 2020, THE CITY OF AUSTIN PAID $3.8 MILLION FOR 1.01 ACRE DETENTION POND, WHERE ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE ACTUALLY WAS GOING TO PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO WE HAVE RYAN PROPERTIES, WE HAVE, UH, IF YOU'RE GOING DOWN THE, WHERE THE TERMIN IS AT HYDE PARK, YOU'VE HEARD A WHOLE LOT ABOUT EAST RIVERSIDE, SPECIFICALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT ON OCTOBER 17TH, 2019, THAT IS WHEN THE CITY REZONED ONE OF THE LARGEST REZONINGS IN AUSTIN'S HISTORY, 1,308 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SPECIFICALLY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN STUDENTS AND THE MINORITIES THAT LIVED IN THAT AREA.
SO IT IS QUITE DISINGENUOUS FOR THEM TO COME BEFORE YOU, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND TELL YOU THAT THEY NOW WANT TO PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHERE THE LIGHT RAIL WILL
[01:45:01]
ACTUALLY OPERATE.AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AND RECOGNIZE SPECIFICALLY THAT YES, THERE ARE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE COME ONLINE AFTER THAT, BUT ESSENTIALLY ADJUST, REPLACES WHAT THEY'VE TAKEN AWAY.
AND SO IT IS ALSO DISINGENUOUS FOR THE STAFF, MANDY DE MAYO IN PARTICULAR, TO SIT HERE AND TELL YOU THAT COUNSEL PERHAPS IS NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO THEM BECAUSE THEY DO.
AND I JUST WILL READ INTO THE RECORD SPECIFICALLY.
IT WAS ITEM 50 WHEN THEY MET ON SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2024, CURRENTLY ITEMS SENT TO THE COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE THE USE OF CERTAIN PROCUREMENT METHODS AT MULTIPLE MONTHS OR SO, THE STAFF SAID, AND THEN THEY SAID, OVER THE LAST 10 OR MORE YEARS, THERE ARE NO KNOWN INSTANCES WHERE COUNCIL DECLINED TO AUTHORIZE THE PROCUREMENT METHOD RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS GO TO COUNSEL, THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH APPROVED.
AND YES, I HAVE OFTEN SAID THAT THERE'S THE $2.9 MILLION SOLE SOURCE, NO BID CONTRACT BY JOYCE JAMES.
I'M NOT THROWING ANYBODY UNDER THE BUS AS I'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF.
I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT SHE ACTUALLY SAID ON THE RECORD TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION THAT SHE WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO GIVE THE TRAINING ON RACISM.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
BUT, BUT JUST CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION, LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE CHAPTER 2 5 2, WHICH IS THE PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTS.
AND THE CITY HAS HABITUALLY FAILED TO COMPLY WITH STATE LAW.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND SO I OPPOSE THIS PRO HOUSING GRANT.
UM, UM, FOR THAT, UM, AS MS. MANDY, UH, DEMA AND MS. RACHEL MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE, UM, DIOCESE, I'LL SAY THAT, UM, ANYONE SPEAKING FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, IS IMPOSSIBLE TO THROW ANYBODY UNDER THE BUS.
IT IS AN OBSERVATION AS CITIZENS OF THE CITY TO, UM, HOLD THOSE THAT LEAD US ACCOUNTABLE.
WE DESERVE ANSWERS AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO.
ALL RIGHT, I'M READY FOR Y'ALL.
MANDY DEMAYO, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND WE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE, UH, A HUD GRANT.
WITH THAT, WE PLAN TO APPLY FOR APPROXIMATELY SEVEN, NEARLY $7 MILLION.
IT'S THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS KNOWN AS THE PATHWAYS TO REMOVING OBSTACLES OR PRO HOUSING GRANT, UM, COMPETITION.
AND YOU MAY RECALL, THIS IS IN FACT THE SECOND TIME, OR THIS WILL BE THE SECOND TIME THAT WE APPLIED, AND RACHEL'S GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? MM-HMM,
ALL RIGHT, WELL, GOOD, GOOD EVENING.
I SERVE AS THE PRINCIPAL PLANNER IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
AND AS MANDY MENTIONED, I'M HERE TO PROVIDE A STAFF BRIEFING BRIEFING OF OUR APPLICATION, UM, TO THE PRO HOUSING GRANT.
UH, TO START, I JUST WANTED TO, TO COVER THE KEY ACTIVITIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO FUND THROUGH THIS GRANT.
THERE'S THREE KEY ACTIVITIES WE'D LIKE TO UPDATE, THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT AND OPPORTUNITY MAPPING INDEX.
THESE TOOLS, UM, WERE ADOPTED IN 2017, AND THEY DO NEED A REFRESH.
UM, WE HAVE MANY MORE DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION PROGRAMS. WE, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WENT THROUGH A PANDEMIC.
WE HAVE NEW REAL ESTATE TOOLS AND MANY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS, UH, SO THAT NEED TO BE CONSIDERED IN OUR PLANNING DOCUMENTS.
UM, FOR THE SECOND OFF, UM, ITEM, WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UH, TO DEVELOP NEW ZONING TOOLS.
UH, THIS INITIATIVE IS INTENDED TO UNLOCK MISSING MIDDLE AND URBAN MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS AUSTIN.
AND FINALLY, UM, WE'RE SEEKING ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, NEAR PLAN LIGHT RAIL INVESTMENTS.
SPECIFICALLY, WE AIM TO FUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON WEST OF I 35 ALONG THE NORTH LAMAR AND SOUTH CONGRESS CORRIDORS.
TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THE PRO HOUSING GRANT, UM, THE INTENTION OF IT IS TO REMOVE BARRIERS AND INCREASE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION.
SO, AS MANDY MENTIONED, WE APPLIED IN 2023, BUT WE WEREN'T SELECTED.
UM, THERE WERE, UH, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF FUNDING REQUESTED, AND THEY ONLY HAD $80 MILLION.
UM, THIS SECOND ROUND OF FUNDING, UM, OFFERS A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDS, AND THEY'VE CAPPED THE AWARD AMOUNT TO 7 MILLION.
SO WE KNOW PRIORITY WILL BE GIVEN TO APPLICANTS THAT HAVE A STRONG COMMITMENT AND
[01:50:01]
PROGRESS IN OVERCOMING HOUSING BARRIERS, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WITH HIGH DEMAND LIKE AUSTIN.SO WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS OF, UM, IN RECENT YEARS AND ARE WELL POSITIONED FOR THIS AWARD.
UH, SO JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THE NEED, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS GRAPH, UM, HOUSEHOLD INCOMES IN AUSTIN CERTAINLY HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH RISING HOME VALUES.
UH, BUT WE ALSO FACE, UH, CHALLENGES WITH THE UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DISPLACEMENT AND AGING RENTAL STOCK.
SO IN OUR APPLICATION, WE IDENTIFY THREE CATEGORIES OF BARRIERS.
THESE BARRIERS ACTUALLY COME FROM OUR CONSOLIDATED PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, SO WE'RE BEING CONSISTENT WITH, UM, THE BARRIERS WE'VE IDENTIFIED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PREVIOUS HUD DOCUMENTS.
UM, SO THE THREE CATEGORIES ARE SOCIOPOLITICAL, REGULATORY, AND ECONOMIC BARRIERS.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA READ THEM ALL ON THE SCREEN, BUT ESSENTIALLY FOR THE SOCIOPOLITICAL BARRIER, WE REALLY THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE AN ACTION PLAN AND WE CONTINUALLY UPDATE OUR ACTION PLAN.
WE HAVEN'T REALLY UPDATED OUR ACTION PLAN SINCE 2017, WHICH MEANS WHILE WE'VE DONE SOME, MANY OF THE ACTIONS THAT WERE LAID OUT IN THE BLUEPRINT, WE HAVE A LOT MORE THAT WE NEED TO ADD SO THAT WE CAN MAKE PROGRESS TO OUR, TOWARDS OUR GOALS, WHICH WE KNOW WE'RE BEHIND ON, PARTICULARLY IN GEOGRAPHIC DISPERSION, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN ALL PARTS OF TOWN, AND THEN ALSO, UM, DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND FINALLY, FOR THE REGULATORY BARRIERS, WE DO KNOW THAT WE, WE STILL NEED A, WE NEED MORE HOUSING OPTIONS.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW, UM, THE PROPOSAL IS TO CREATE MORE HOUSING OPTIONS FOR MIS MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING AND MIXED USE HOUSING.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, THE THIRD IS WE KNOW WE STILL HAVE ECONOMIC BARRIERS.
WE STILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO SUBSIDIZE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND SO WE WANT TO DO THAT BY CONTINUING TO INVEST AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEAR PLANNED LIGHT RAIL IN HIGH OPPORTUNITY AREAS TO ENSURE EASY ACCESS TO TRANSIT, JOBS AND SERVICES.
UM, SO JUST TO GO OVER THESE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
UM, SO UPDATING THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT AND OPPORTUNITY MAPPING.
AS I MENTIONED, THESE ARE OUTDATED TOOLS, UM, THAT WE NEED TO BETTER GUIDE OUR, UM, OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT THE PLAN IS RELEVANT AND EFFECTIVE.
THE PRO HOUSING GRANT WILL FUND CONSULTANT FEES AND A NEW STAFF MEMBER DEDICATED TO, TO GIS MAPPING AND TRACKING PRO PROGRESS.
AS YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW, WE RELEASE A SCORECARD ANNUALLY, UM, BUT WE THINK WITH BETTER TOOLS, WE COULD TRACK THAT, THAT INFORMATION MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY.
UM, THE TIMELINE FOR THIS IS TO COMPLETE BY Q4 2027.
UM, FOR THE SECOND ACTIVITY THAT'S FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING NEW ZONING TOOLS, UM, THE GOAL IS TO CREATE CLEAR AND FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE ZONING SOLUTIONS THAT OPEN MORE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS AUSTIN.
THE CONSENT, THE CONSULTANT OR THE GRANT WILL FUND CONSULTANT SERVICES, UM, FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ZONING TOOL RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, THE, UH, THE PROCESS IS INTENDED TO BE COMPLETED IN Q2 2026.
AND THEN FOR THE LAST ONE, DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABILITY OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEAR PLAN LIGHT RAIL INVESTMENT.
UM, SPECIFICALLY WE AIM TO CLOSE A 5% FINANCING GAP FOR THE RYAN DRIVE REDEVELOPMENT, LOCATED AT RYAN DRIVE AND JUSTIN LANE.
UM, AND, UH, THE GRANT WILL ALSO GO TO SUPPORT LAND ACQUISITION AND PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE SOUTH CONGRESS CORRIDOR.
THIS WILL COVER THE FINANCING GAP, FUND A NEW POSITION AND PAY FOR CONSULTANT SERVICES TO HELP MANAGE THE PROPERTY SOLICITATIONS.
WE ANTICIPATE THE RYAN DRIVE PROJECT TO BE COMPLETING Q3 2027 AND THE SOUTH CONGRESS FOLLOWING IN Q1 2029.
SO REGARDING OUR GRANT TIMELINE, WE LAUNCHED A SPEAK UP AUSTIN.
WE HAD A SHORT TIMEFRAME FOR THIS, UM, GRANT.
UM, IT WAS ANNOUNCED IN AUGUST.
UM, AND SO WITH THE DEADLINE OF OCTOBER 15TH, WE LAUNCHED OUR, UM, PUBLIC INPUT PAGE ON SEPTEMBER 19TH, WE WENT TO THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT, OR HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL OCTOBER 1ST.
WE'RE HERE WITH YOU ALL TODAY ON OCTOBER 8TH, AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO THE PROJECT CONNECT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON OCTOBER 10TH.
AND OUR APPLICATION IS DUE ON THE 15TH.
UM, SO WE REALLY DO WANT YOUR FEEDBACK AND WE ARE COLLECTING FEEDBACK UNTIL OCTOBER 10TH.
UM, SO OCTOBER, OUR WEBSITE IS SPEAK UP AUSTIN.ORG/PRO HOUSING GRANT 2024.
[01:55:03]
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.AND MANDY AND I ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME PROJECT MANAGERS OF THE OTHER PROJECTS AS HERE AS WELL.
IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, AND I KNOW THIS IS A REALLY SHORT TURNAROUND TIME.
THE NEW FUNDING WAS A BIT OF A SURPRISE, AND IT WAS ANNOUNCED IN AUGUST.
WE MET WITH HUD STAFF, HUD HEADQUARTER STAFF TO GO OVER OUR PREVIOUS APPLICATION AND LEARN BETTER WHAT SCORED WELL, WHAT DIDN'T SCORE, WHAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND FOR A REVISED APPLICATION.
AND WE SUBSEQUENTLY REVISED THE ACTIVITIES, UM, AND THE APPLICATION AND POSTED THAT WE HAD PRESS RELEASE POSTED IT, UM, IN SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 19TH, SEPTEMBER 19TH.
AND, AND HUD ASKS FOR A 15 DAY COMMENT PERIOD.
SO WE'RE DOING A A 20 SOMETHING DAY COMMENT PERIOD.
AND AS RACHEL MENTIONED, WE WENT TO THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, UM, AND HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION WITH OUR SUB SET OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF PROJECT CONNECT, UM, ON THURSDAY.
UM, BOTH, UM, INTERIM DIRECTOR AS WELL AS, UM, MS. RACHEL, UM, COMMISSIONERS BEFORE I GET GOING, UM, ANYONE FROM THE, UH, OH, WE'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER LONGORIA.
UM, VICE CHAIR, I'LL COME TO YOU NEXT.
UM, IT, DO YOU GUYS HAVE LIKE A BUDGET FOR THIS GRANT? YES, WE DO.
IT'S ABOUT, I'M GONNA SAY $6.7 MILLION.
AND KEEP IN MIND IT'S OVER A SIX YEAR TIME PERIOD.
SO, SO, AND THE BUDGET IS ONLINE IN THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN.
SO, I MEAN, FROM WHAT I'M SEEING, THESE LIKE FIRST TWO GOALS WOULD INVOLVE A LOT OF LIKE GRANT FUNDED, LIKE STAFF MEMBERS TO LIKE UPDATE THE, LIKE, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE 6.7 MILLION IS GONNA GO TO THE STAFF MEMBERS? I THINK IT'S A, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, I THINK IT'S AROUND ONE POINT.
IT'S LIKE BETWEEN ONE AND 2 MILLION.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T QUITE REMEMBER THE EXACT FIGURE, BUT, UM, SOME OF IT IS GOING TO, UM, FUND A NEW STAFF POSITION SO THAT THERE, THERE'LL BE A NEW STAFF POSITION FOR LAND ACQUISITION, UM, FOR THE LAND DEVELOPMENT, UM, UH, ACTIVITY.
AND THEN WE ARE ALSO PROPOSING A NEW STAFF POSITION ON MY TEAM TO HELP WITH PROGRESS AND REPORTING.
SO, SO THAT ONE OR 2 MILLION IS OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE YEARS, UH, YES.
AND THEN ALSO WE ARE ASKING FOR A LITTLE BIT OF SUPPORT FOR OUR OWN STAFF.
SO, SO WE GET, UM, HUDS GOING TO ESSENTIALLY ALSO PAY FOR SOME OF OUR TIME AS, AS PROGRAM STAFF THAT CURRENTLY WORK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THEN TO COMPLICATE IT FURTHER, WE'RE LEVERAGING, UH, SOME OF OUR, WE HAVE A REQUIRED MATCH, UM, OR WE SCORE MORE POINTS THE MORE MATCH WE DO LIKE MANY GRANT APPLICATIONS.
AND SO WE'RE LEVERAGING SOME OF OUR TIME AS WELL.
BUT THERE WILL ONLY BE A COUPLE NEW STAFF MEMBERS.
SO, SO FOUR TO $5 MILLION OF THIS GRANT IS GONNA GO TOWARDS DEVELOPING THAT HOUSING ON SOUTH CONGRESS? CORRECT.
SO RIGHT NOW HAVE, UM, AN EXISTING PARCEL, UM, ON RYAN DRIVE THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY AUSTIN ENERGY AND HAS SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN TRANSFERRED TO AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION FOR THE CREATION, UM, OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN NEGOTIATION WITH THE DEVELOPER, UM, AND TRYING TO INCREASE THE LEVEL OF AFFORDABILITY THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE ON THAT SITE.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 320 UNITS, UM, THAT IS THE RYAN DRIVE SITE, WHICH IS THE NORTH END OF THE PROPOSED LIGHT RAIL.
WE ARE IN, UM, EAR, NOT EVEN EARLY STAGES.
WE, UH, ARE, ARE PLANNING TO ACQUIRE VACANT LAND ALONG SOUTH CONGRESS, AND I CAN'T BE SPECIFIC AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND WE ARE IN DUE DILIGENCE RIGHT NOW ON THAT PARCEL, AND THAT WILL SUBSEQUENTLY BE DEVELOPED INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, UM, COMM, VICE CHAIR.
UM, SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE SECOND GOAL WHERE IT SAYS, CREATE NEW ZONING TOOLS TO UNLOCK MISSING MIDDLE AND URBAN MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MISSING MIDDLE AND URBAN MIXED USE AND HOW THAT, WHAT THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING? SURE.
UH, JONATHAN LEE WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, SO THESE ARE
[02:00:01]
TOOLS THAT WOULD UNLOCK MORE HOUSING OPTIONS ACROSS THE CITY.UM, AND THERE WOULD BE THE POTENTIAL TO, UM, INCLUDE, UH, AFFORDABLE UNITS THROUGH DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD ANALYZE, UM, IF WE WERE, UH, GIVEN THIS GRANT, UH, THE ABILITY TO INCENTIVIZE AFFORDABLE UNITS, UM, THROUGH THE INCREASED, UH, ENTITLEMENTS THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY BE ALLOWED ON MIXED TWO SITES, UH, OR IF MISSING MIDDLE WERE TO BE ALLOWED IN MORE PLACES.
I THINK ONE OF THE CONCERNS RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE HAVE SOME PRETTY BLUNT TOOLS, EXISTING TOOLS, AND COULD WE CREATE SOMETHING MORE, UM, NUANCED THAT WOULD ENABLE US TO ENSURE BOTH DENSITY AND AFFORDABILITY IN STRATEGIC LOCATIONS.
UM, SO LISTENING TO YOUR ANSWER, I SEE, I'M SEEING A DISCONNECT, UH, BETWEEN WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING HERE AND ACTUALLY WHAT WE JUST HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY POWERED A TX PRESENTATION AND WHAT, UH, MS. JOSEPH JUST SPOKE ON, UH, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS ARE NOT WORKING, UM, THAT UPZONING IS ACTUALLY THREATENING COMMUNITIES RATHER THAN, THAN HELPING.
UM, AND YOUR NEXT GOAL ACTUALLY IS DEVELOP AND PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND MS. JOSEPH JUST SPOKE ON THE DEMOLITION OF, UM, THE UPZONING, FIRST OF ALL, THE UPZONING OF EAST RIVERSIDE, WHICH LED TO THE DEMOLITION OF A LOT OF AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS THERE.
SO THAT'S, I'M SEEING THAT DISCONNECT THERE.
AND ACTUALLY WHAT I'VE SEEN LOOKING MORE INTO THIS IS THAT, UM, AND ACTUALLY COMMUNITY POWER SPOKE ON THIS, IS THAT UPZONING USUALLY LEADS TO SPECULATION, WHICH CAUSES HIGHER LAND COSTS, AND THEN THE CITY HAS TO SPEND MORE MONEY TO ACQUIRE LAND.
SO AGAIN, THIS THE DISCONNECT THAT I'M SEEING.
IF YOU'RE CALLING FOR CHANGING AND ZONING UPZONING, YOU'RE ACTUALLY MAKING THE CITY SPEND MORE MONEY ON TRYING TO ACQUIRE LAND TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I WILL JUST SAY ONE THING THAT IN THE APPLICATION WE DO TALK ABOUT USING THIS TOOL, THE NEW ZONING, PRIMARILY IN HIGH OPPORTUNITY AREAS.
SO PLACES THAT ARE NOT AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT.
THERE'S, WE KNOW THAT THERE, WE HAVE THIS CHALLENGE WITH GEOGRAPHIC DISPERSION WHERE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY CERTAIN AREAS ARE THE LAND VALUES ARE SO HIGH IS BECAUSE THEY'VE ONLY ALLOWED SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THOSE AREAS FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
AND SO BY CREATING MORE HOUSING OPTIONS, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREAS THAT ARE NOT AT DISPLACEMENT RISK, I THINK THIS TOOL COULD WORK VERY WELL WITH THE EQUITY OVERLAY GOING IN THOSE AREAS THAT ARE NOT AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT.
AND I THINK I DO WANNA PIGGYBACK ON THAT, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT, OUR OPPORTUNITY MAPPING.
SO RIGHT NOW, UM, WE TALKED PRE IN THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT KEEPING OUR DATA FRESH AND UP TO DATE.
AND SO WE'RE, YOU'RE, Y'ALL ARE GONNA GET A COPY OF THE MM-HMM.
WE'RE STILL USING DATA AND A TOOL, A PROPRIETARY TOOL FROM 2017.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THINGS HAVE CHANGED ENORMOUSLY SINCE 2017.
AND SO ONE OF THE GOALS IN THE FIRST PIECE IN TERMS OF UPDATING THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT IS ALSO UPDATING OUR OPPORTUNITY MAPPING, WHICH WE CANNOT DO ON OUR OWN.
WE HAVE, UM, DONE AN ASSESSMENT, KIND OF A BROAD SEARCH OF EXISTING TOOLS, AND WE NEED TO TAKE ONE OF THE EXISTING TOOLS AND WE NEED TO KIND OF TWEAK IT FOR OUR OWN PURPOSES TO BETTER MAP OUT WHERE ARE, WHAT WE WOULD CALL HIGH OPPORTUNITY AREAS, WHICH TYPICALLY, UM, ARE ALMOST THE OPPOSITE OF AREAS FACING DISPLACEMENT AND GENTRIFICATION.
UM, AND THEN HOW CAN WE DRIVE INVESTMENT IN AFFORDABILITY IN THOSE AREAS.
SO FOR YOUR THIRD GOAL, COULD ONE OF THE TOOLS BE THE INEQUITY OVERLAY THAT YOU WOULD ADD TO THAT? SO BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT I, UM, EVERYTHING THAT I HEARD TODAY, MM-HMM.
AND TO BE CLEAR, THIS WORK IS OVER A SIX YEAR PERIOD.
AND, UM, IN TERMS OF THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT, WE'RE LOOKING AT UPDATING THAT TO ALIGN WITH THE 10 YEARS, WHICH WOULD BE 2027 MM-HMM.
[02:05:02]
THAT THE TIMING, WE'RE LOOKING AT A LONGER RUNWAY THAN ANYTHING THAT THE FEASIBILITY STUDY OR THE EQUITY OVERLAY THAT WOULD BE DESIRABLE.BUT I, I DO THINK IN TERMS OF THE LANGUAGE AND THE GRANT, I THINK WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IN THE GRANT AROUND, CERTAINLY AROUND I, THERE ALREADY IS LANGUAGE AROUND PER LIKE DISPLACEMENT RISK AREAS MM-HMM.
UM, BUT I, I, I DO THINK THAT THAT COULD BE A PIECE OF FEEDBACK AND WE COULD MODIFY THE GRANT LANGUAGE TO MAKE THAT EVEN MORE CLEAR.
AND WHAT'S THE LANGUAGE ON THAT? ON, UH, PREVENTING DISPLACEMENT OR WHAT, WHAT YOU JUST SAID? PRETTY MUCH ALL THREE MM-HMM.
ONE, AND I THINK MAYBE WE COULD GO BACK THROUGH THAT, UH, LANGUAGE VERBIAGE AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S REALLY CLEAR.
UM, I THINK THAT SOUNDS REASONABLE.
AND ALSO, IS THERE A REASON WHY, UM, THE RYAN DEVELOPMENT IS, CANNOT BE, UH, MORE AFFORDABLE, DEEPLY AFFORDABLE? WE'RE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO THE, UM, CITY COUNCIL OR THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD, WHICH IS THE MARIN CITY COUNCIL AWARDED, UH, WE DID A SOLICITATION, A HFC DID A SOLICITATION, AND THE BOARD AWARDED TO DMA DEVELOPMENT IN MAY.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN OUR EXCLUSIVE NEGOTIATING PERIOD, AND THAT REALLY IS THE TIME WHEN STAFF AND THE DEVELOPER MEET TO HAMMER OUT THE DETAILS OF WHAT THE, THE PROJECT IS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
WE HAD SOME VERY, UM, MINIMUM STANDARDS, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST 300 UNITS, A MIX OF INCOMES.
UM, ALSO, UM, ALIGNING THE PROJECT SO IT HAD ACCESS TO THE ACTUAL LIGHT RAIL STATION MM-HMM.
UM, SO THOSE DETAILS ARE BEING WORKED OUT.
AND OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS IN ANY A HFC PARTNERSHIP, OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS TO MAXIMIZE THE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE, WHICH INCLUDES 30 AND 50% MFI UNITS.
I DID HAVE COMMISSIONER ACHILLES AND I'M GONNA LET YOU LET YOU GO.
UH, BUT COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, I HAD NODDED THAT YOU WOULD BE NEXT.
UM, SO SIMILARLY, ALL OF US WERE LISTENING TO THE LAST ONE BEFORE WE GOT TO THIS ONE.
UM, SO I WAS, I WAS CURIOUS AND THANK YOU.
UM, VICE CHAIR PLUS ONE ON, ON EVERYTHING.
UM, SO BACK TO THE, THE ZONING TOOLS AND THINKING ABOUT, UM, AS YOU IDENTIFY THOSE, IT SEEMS LIKE IF THERE'S A ROBUST FEASIBILITY STUDY ON ZONING TOOLS THAT HELP PROMOTE EQUITY THAT'S FUNDED AND PART OF THIS, THE, UM, CURRENT ORDINANCE, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT COULD THEN INFORM HOW YOU'RE IDENTIFYING ZONING TOOLS THAT COULD BE USED GOING FORWARD.
SO IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE SOME COULD BE SOME REALLY GREAT SYNERGY HERE THAT MAYBE COUNCIL WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT IN THEIR MEMO.
AND THAT MIGHT BE AN IMPORTANT PART OF A GRANT APPLICATION BECAUSE IF THERE, IF COUNCIL'S INTERESTED IN COMPLETING A FULLY RESOURCED FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT'S PART OF THE MATCH THAT THEN GOES INTO GRANT DOLLARS THAT COME BACK TO HELP SUPPORT, I JUST WONDER IF THERE'S SOME HELPFUL MESSAGING AND SYNERGIES HERE THAT COULD HELP BOTH OF THESE PUTTING IT OUT THERE.
I KNOW TIMING MAY NOT WORK OUT, BUT I'M JUST SAYING IT ANYWAY.
AND I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION WHEN THE VICE CHAIR WAS TALKING, IT WAS ABOUT UTILIZING THAT TO DO THE FEASIBILITY STUDY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE CLEAR THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SOONER FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND THAT THIS WORK WOULD STRETCH OUT OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UM, BUT YES, THERE'S A SYNERGY BETWEEN THEM WITHOUT A DOUBT.
SO, YEAH, SO JUST WANTED TO PLUS ONE ON ANY WAY THAT THAT HELPS ADVANCE THE GOALS THAT WE JUST SO ROBUSTLY ARTICULATED.
UM, AND THEN, UM, MY OTHER JUST QUESTION IS, I WAS LOOKING AT THE COMMENTS ONLINE AND SO I JUST WANTED TO CALL OUT THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE UNDERSTANDING OF FOLKS COMMENTING ONLINE, THE ONES THAT I COULD SEE, UM, THEY, THEY SEEMED TO THINK IT WAS JUST STAFF AND NOT NECESSARILY THE DEVELOPMENT, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW YOUR, LIKE SORT OF WHAT THE SUMMARY OF COMMENTS HAS BEEN AND HOW YOU'RE INCORPORATING THOSE COMMENTS AND THIS CONVERSATION INTO, I KNOW IT'S A TIGHT TURNAROUND, BUT, SO, BUT GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE'RE ALL DOING THIS AND COMMENTING, HOW IS THAT GETTING INCORPORATED INTO, SO WE HAVE SOMEBODY FURIOUSLY TYPING BEHIND US.
UM, AND I WILL SAY ALL OF THE COMMENTS, EACH INDIVIDUAL COMMENT IS BEING INCORPORATED
[02:10:01]
INTO THE GRANT APPLICATION, AND WE ARE ACTUALLY RESPONDING TO EACH INDIVIDUAL COMMENT.I WILL SAY ONE OF THE COMMENTS ACTUALLY WAS, UM, IT WAS A, A PERSONAL STORY OF STRUGGLING, UH, WITH HOMELESSNESS AND FINDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH WASN'T DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE GRANT APPLICATION, BUT WE REACHED OUT TO THAT PERSON AND CONNECTED THEM WITH RESOURCES.
SO WE ARE READING EVERY SINGLE COMMENT AND WE ARE RESPONDING TO THOSE COMMENTS WITHIN THE GRANT APPLICATION OR SEPARATELY IF IT IS A PERSONAL REQUEST.
UM, UH, THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES, UH, COMMISSIONER VERTA DELGADO, WHO, UM, WE DO EXPRESS OUR CONDOLENCES ON, ON SOME OF HER LOSS IN THE FAMILY.
I I WILL BE LEAVING EARLY AND, AND I JUST WANTED TO, UM, JUST SHARE MY COMMENTS ON HERE.
I WILL BE VOTING AGAINST THIS SO I AM NOT, UM, IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS FULL OPPOSITION.
UM, WOULD MY VOTE BE CONSIDERED IF I'M GONE BEFORE YOU VOTE? I DON'T KNOW.
BUT, UM, I DO JUST WANNA PUT ON THE RECORD, UH, THIS, UM, I, I CAN'T SUPPORT AN UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING UNIT BEING DEVELOPED ON SOUTH CONGRESS IN OUR DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT WHAT I REPRESENT AND THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS GUY IS, SHOULD BE REPRESENTING.
AND IT, AND IT, IT JUST, IT, IT'S MIND BOGGLING TO ME THAT AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE AND NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING, WHICH I HOPE THAT YOU ALL CAN PROVIDE TO THE DAAS AND TO THE NEW COMMISSIONERS, ESPECIALLY THE COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE NO CLUE WHAT AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE STANDS FOR AND WHAT THEY ARE.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHO'S APPLYING FOR THIS GRANT? AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE.
I SEE A DISCONNECT WITH AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE, NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING.
YOU'RE AN INTERIM FOR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING WHO'S A DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE, WHO SITS ON THE BOARD OF AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE.
WHERE ARE THOSE MEETINGS CONDUCTED AT? DO THE COMMUNITY, UH, ARE THEY INVOLVED IN THOSE MEETINGS? BECAUSE AGAIN, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW IN THE YEAR 2024 IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND I SEE YOU ALL MOVING PRETTY FAST.
I SEE THIS AS A DONE DEAL, WHAT WE SAY TODAY AND WITH THIS SHORT TURNAROUND OF THIS TIME, YOU KNOW, PRESSURE THAT YOU'RE GIVING OUR BOARD TO WEIGH IN OR BE A PART OF DISCUSSION.
IS IT, I MEAN, IT'S, WE'RE TOTALLY DISRESPECTED.
I JUST WANT, I WANT AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE AND NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING TO KNOW THAT WE ARE BEING DISRESPECTED AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME HEARING ABOUT THIS GRANT, AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN IT SAYS THAT YOU ALL HAVE ABOUT COUPLE WEEKS TO, AND I, I JUST CAN'T APPROVE ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
UH, YOUR MFI OF 80% AND, AND ALL OF THAT.
AGAIN, IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING.
YOU ALL THROW THE BALL BACK AT, UM, IT'S A FEDERAL THING.
IT'S A PART OF HUD FEDERAL, WELL, YOU TAKE HUD GRANT MONEY AND SO DOES OUR CITY.
AND IF WE'RE SEEING THERE'S AN AFFORDABLE BARRIER HERE WITH THE MFI OF 80% AND WHY THESE UNITS ARE BEING GIVEN TO PEOPLE THAT, THAT SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN TO.
BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE MEETING THOSE REQUIREMENTS, THEY'RE GETTING THEM.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO AND I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND DOING THE WORK INSTEAD OF JUST US RUBBER STAMPING AND SIGNING OFF AND JUST GIVING YOU APPROVAL.
I AM NOT A PART OF THAT CITY, UH, PROPAGANDA AND I'M NOT GONNA BE A PART OF IT.
SO I DO NOT AGREE ON YOUR APPLICATION FOR SOUTH CONGRESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS DOWNTOWN.
I, I SEE, UM, REMOTELY, I, SO MY FIRST ONE IS COMMISSIONER ARNOLD AND THEN COMMISSIONER TISHA, UH, IN THAT ORDER.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE DIS DENSITY, UH, BONUS PROGRAM THAT Y'ALL PROPOSING, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? WILL THE COMMUNITY GET FIRST ACCESS TO VOUCHERS? WILL VOUCHERS BE IMPLEMENTED FOR LOW INCOME AND UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS? WHO WOULD Y'ALL GO THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE ACCESS, LIKE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, TRUSTED LOCAL NONPROFITS THAT DO THE WORK? WHAT DEVELOPERS ARE Y'ALL, UH, DEALING WITH? BUT I, I WANNA START ON THE FIRST QUESTION.
[02:15:01]
LOT OF QUESTIONS.UM, THIS IS MY FIRST DAY SERVING AS A COMMISSIONER.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BESIDES COMMENTS ON THE WEBSITE? IS THERE'S WORKING GROUPS.
HOW ARE Y'ALL GETTING THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON? OKAY, SO, UM, AGAIN, MANDY DE MAYO INTERIM DIRECTOR, AND I'VE GOT OUR FRIENDS IN PLANNING WHO CAN GET MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE ZONING TOOL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT VOUCHERS AND I, I WANT TO JUST SPECIFICALLY MENTION THAT IN ALL OF OUR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS, SO WE HAVE A WHOLE ALPHABET SOUP OF DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES IS THAT ALL OF THEM REQUIRE ACCEPTANCE OF HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS.
SO THE INCOME LIMITS FOR THE DENSITY BO BONUS UNITS MIRROR THE FAIR MARKET RENT.
AND SO WHOEVER IS DEVELOPING AND OWNING THOSE UNITS CANNOT DENY ACCESS TO SOMEBODY JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE A HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS WE'RE ABLE TO REACH LOWER INCOME PEOPLE THROUGH THAT TOOL.
SO THAT'S A LEGAL PART OF ALL OF OUR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. BUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOES NOT, THE VOUCHER PROGRAM IS RUN BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND THAT IS SEPARATE FROM ANY OF OUR ZONING TOOLS, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE MORE UNITS WE CREATE THROUGH DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS, THAT PROVIDES MORE UNITS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WITH HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS.
SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERED THE VOUCHER QUESTION.
AND THEN, OH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
DO YOU WANNA, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS, IF WE GET THE GRANT, THERE WILL BE EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE DON'T ANTICIPATE LEARNING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE GET THE GRANT UNTIL WE WERE TOLD JANUARY LAST YEAR.
IT ENDED UP BEING MAY, I THINK IT WAS JUNE.
SO, UH, YEAH, SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE'LL FIND OUT ABOUT THE GRANT SOMETIME IN, UH, HOPEFULLY EARLY 2025 SO WE CAN KICKSTART THE WORK THAT WILL INVOLVE EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH THE CDC, BUT ALSO WITH THE COMMUNITY.
SO THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY KIND OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT ALL PRIOR TO RECEIVING THE GRANT? SO WE APPLY, WE SUBMIT THE GRANT APPLICATION ON OCTOBER 15TH, AND THUS FAR, STARTING SEPTEMBER 19TH, WE POSTED A DRAFT OF THE APPLICATION.
WE'RE REVISING IT AS WE GO BASED ON COMMUNITY COMMENTS.
BUT THE DRAFT HAS BEEN POSTED ONLINE SINCE SEPTEMBER 19TH.
WE'VE DONE ONE, WE'VE DONE A COUPLE OF LIKE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS, BUT IN TERMS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE ON OCTOBER 1ST, AND THEN OF COURSE THIS MEETING WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT.
AND THEN ON THURSDAY, THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF PROJECT CONNECT.
IS THE PUBLIC INPUT PUBLIC? IS IT ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, CAN WE GO BACK IF YOU, UH, THE LAST PAGE OF THE, OH, THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN IS THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN PAGE.
SO IF, IF, UM, IF COMMENTERS MADE THEIR COMMENTS PUBLIC, AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY DO HAVE A CHOICE, UM, HOWEVER, WE ARE GOING TO BE SHARING THE ENTIRE GRANT, EVERY COMMENT WE RECEIVE AS PART OF OUR SUBMISSION, AND WE'LL ABSOLUTELY MAKE THAT PUBLIC.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE COMMENTS THAT THE COMMENTERS CHOSE TO MAKE PUBLIC UP ON THE WEBSITE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE ALL THE COMMENTS AND HOW WE'VE RESPONDED TO THEM IN OUR SUBMISSION, WHICH IS GONNA BE, UM, SUBMITTED TO HUD ON OCTOBER 15TH.
AND THEN WE'LL ABSOLUTELY PUT THE FINAL SUBMISSION ON THIS WEBSITE AS WELL.
NOW, MY QUESTION IS, IS Y'ALL DON'T THINK THAT'S A DIGITAL DIVIDE OR THAT'S A BARRIER OR OBSTACLE WITHIN ITSELF, HAVING IT BEING SUBMITTED ONLINE VERSUS IN PERSON? BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY FACING A DIGITAL DIVIDE AS IT IS.
THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE STRUGGLE WITH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE DO THE PUBLIC MEETINGS TO ENSURE THAT FOLKS ARE ABLE TO COMMENT VERBALLY, UM, IN WRITING.
THEY CAN ALSO CALL OUR OFFICE.
WE HAD SOME FOLKS DO THAT WITH THE CONSOLIDATED PLANNED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE GONE TO A COUPLE OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS AS WELL WITH A SHORT TIMEFRAME.
WHAT COMMUNITY MEETINGS HAVE Y'ALL BEEN TO? MANDY? I'M SORRY?
[02:20:01]
WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS HAVE Y'ALL BEEN TO? WE WENT TO THE AUSTIN HOUSING COALITION, UM, AND I THINK THERE WAS ONE OTHER, IT'S A VERY SHORT TURNAROUND TIME.SO WE WOULD, WE'VE PUT IT OUT, PRESS RELEASES.
UM, AGAIN, TALKED TO COUNCIL OFFICES.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY ONE LAST THING.
UM, THE AREA, I FEEL LIKE, UM, I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN, MY FAMILY'S BEEN HERE FOR SIX GENERATIONS.
UM, BORN AND RAISED AUSTINITE.
I'M, I'M I CURRENTLY, I'M THE NORTH AUSTIN COMMUNITY, CDC, SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA.
MY THING IS, RIGHT NOW, THAT AREA HAS A LOT OF LOW INCOME, MARGINALIZED UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS.
SO DEVELOPING SOMETHING LIKE THAT WILL ONLY HARM THEM AND DISPLACED THEM.
UM, LIKE I WAS SAYING, I FEEL LIKE WITH THIS SHORT, SUCH SHORT NOTICE, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH IT BEING SUCH SHORT NOTICE.
WE DON'T WANNA HARM THESE INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THE LOW INCOME, BLACK AND BROWN MARGINALIZED UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS THAT MOST LIKELY WILL PROBABLY BE SLEEPING OUTSIDE.
WHAT RESOURCES DO Y'ALL HAVE TO OFFER TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED? SO WHAT RESOURCES IN TERMS OF OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS? YES.
WHAT KIND OF RESOURCE EXISTING PROGRAMS, BECAUSE I'M FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF HUD FUNDED PROGRAMS, UM, BEING RECIPIENT OF THEM AS FAR AS RENTAL ASSISTANCE, YOU TELL, WELL, YOU NAME IT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF BARRIERS, A LOT OF BARRIERS WHEN IT COMES TO ACCESSING THEM.
SO I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO LET Y'ALL KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT.
I JUST FEEL LIKE IT'S, IT'S JUST NOT A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT AND WE'RE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY AND SPEAKING FOR THE COMMUNITY.
IT SHOULD BE MORE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO CALL THE OFFICE.
PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO ONLINE.
Y'ALL ARE HERE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
Y'ALL SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE PEOPLE TO BE OF SERVICE.
WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO FIND Y'ALL.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS NOT DONE, ESPECIALLY IN SUCH SHORT NOTICES AND HOW MUCH IS GONNA IMPACT ALL IN THIS HOUSING CRISIS.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, OH, I'M SO SORRY.
DO YOU MIND IF I STEP IN FOR JUST A SECOND? OH, BEING THAT I USE, ONE OF MY PREVIOUS POSITIONS WAS A QAD ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR.
THE ONE THING THAT I WILL GIVE TO HUD, AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE MISSING HERE IS, AGAIN, THIS IS GRANT MONEY IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND YOUR QUESTIONS ARE EXTREMELY VALID.
BUT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE AS A COMMISSION, UM, WHEN WE, WHEN AS A COM COORDINATOR I WOULD DO IS I WOULD TRY, WHEN I HAD THAT TIMELINE LIKE THIS, I WOULD TRY TO FIND ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM ALL AREAS.
AND BY LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED, I'M SEEING THAT.
UM, I DO THINK THAT, UM, THE, THE PANELISTS HAVE MENTIONED THAT ONCE, UH, THE GRANT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AND WE GET MORE INFORMATION, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO DO MORE EXTENSIVE ENGAGEMENT.
UM, BUT THIS SHORT TURNAROUND ISN'T THE FAULT OF HUD.
UM, IT'S THE FAULT OF THE PEOPLE WHO SET OUT THE GRANT.
IF I HEARD CORRECTLY, IT WAS INITIALLY SUPPOSED TO BE ANNOUNCED EARLIER IN THE YEAR, AND THEY DIDN'T UNTIL A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
AND THEN BY THE TIME IT WAS ACTUALLY RELEASED, THEY ONLY HAD A FEW WEEKS ACTUALLY LAUNCH.
SO WHILE I'M NOT EXCUSING ANYTHING OR, OR DEVALUING ANY OF Y'ALL'S THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS, I JUST WANNA KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT ONE OF OUR POSITIONS HERE AS A COMMISSION ISN'T JUST TO SPEAK ON THE, ON BEHALF OF OUR COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S ALSO TO SHARE BACK INFORMATION WHEREVER WE CAN.
AND I THINK THIS IS A GOOD PLACE.
LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, MS. ARNOLD, OUR COMMISSIONER ARNOLD, WAS TO, UM, THE, THE TECH DIVIDE IS HUGE AND IT DIDN'T BECOME MORE APPARENT TILL, TILL THE PANDEMIC WHEN IT REALLY HIT HOME.
AND IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THOSE WHERE IT'S IN THE FOREFRONT NOW.
AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE WE AS A COMMISSION HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER OUR NETWORKS TO SAY, HEY, LOOK, Y'ALL NEED TO COME SPEAK UP.
UM, IF YOU NEED ME TO ASSIST, IF YOU NEED ME TO BRING A REPRESENTATIVE OUT, THEN WE CAN REACH OUT TO HUT AND TRY TO DO SOME INDIVIDUAL WORK GROUPS OR, YOU KNOW, SEND THEM OUT AND SAY, HEY, HERE'S SOME CONTACTS.
UM, BUT I, I DO, I DID WANNA MENTION THAT, LIKE I SAID, AS A POSITION ITSELF AS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR, IT IS DIFFICULT WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT IS KIND OF BEYOND THE CONTROL.
BUT WE ALSO WANNA TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY OF THE,
[02:25:01]
THE FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE WITH KEEPING IN MIND ALL THOSE CONCERNS THAT Y'ALL HAVE AND WHAT PLACE AND SPACE THAT THIS GROUP HAS AND WHAT CAN THEY ANSWER FOR US NOW AS WE MAKE THIS DECISION, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED TO US.WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND THAT THEY, THEY ARE DIFFERENT THAN HAVING THE ACTUAL MONEY AND MOVING FORWARD AND HAVING THIS TIME SPACE THAT ISN'T REALLY OUR, THEIR FAULT OR, OR OURS.
BUT HOW CAN WE MAKE THE BEST OF IT AND BRING PEOPLE TO THIS, TO THIS GROUP TO GIVE THEIR THOUGHTS AND, AND OPINIONS ON.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, IT'S VERY VALID AND IT'S VERY UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT, UH, WITH THIS TIMELINE, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY COULD DO A LOT MORE ENGAGEMENT WHEN, WHEN THERE'S SO FEW WEEKS IN BETWEEN, UM, GETTING THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND SUBMITTING IT.
SO I JUST WANTED, I JUST WANTED TO, TO SHARE THAT AS A POSITION THAT I'VE HAD IN THE PAST.
THANK YOU TO BOTH COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, AND I WILL SAY WE DO RELY ON THIS COMMISSION.
EACH OF YOU EITHER REPRESENTS A GEOGRAPHIC AREA OR CERTAINLY IT REPRESENTS A, A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, AND YOU HAVE YOUR OWN NETWORKS.
AND WE DO RELY ON YOU ALL TO TAKE INFORMATION BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS TO BRING INFORMATION FROM THE COMMUNITY HERE.
UM, KNOWING THAT, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, ONE IS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER ARNOLD, YOU ASKED ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES.
WE HAVE TWO, UM, HELPFUL DOCUMENTS.
ONE IS RESOURCES FOR RENTERS THAT OUR DEPARTMENT ADMINISTERS, AND THE OTHER IS RESOURCES FOR HOMEOWNERS.
UM, ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS TARGET LOW AND MODERATE INCOME, UM, FOLKS IN AUSTIN.
AND I WILL MAKE SURE WE GET YOU THOSE.
UM, AND I'LL MAKE SURE I GET THEM TO MR. BLAKE SO HE CAN DISTRIBUTE TO THE ENTIRE COMMISSION, BECAUSE WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THOSE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER ARNOLD.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, UH, ORTIZ, UM, FOR, UH, THAT ADDED INFORMATION.
I DO BELIEVE THAT I SAW COMMISSIONER TISHA.
COMMISSIONER TISHA, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THANK YOU BOTH, UM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO PIGGYBACK AND PARLY ON WHAT COMMISSIONER ARNOLD WAS DESCRIBING, BECAUSE I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING, UM, INQUIRING ABOUT THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, LOOKING AT IT FROM A HISTORICAL SPACE, BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE WITHIN YOUR CONTROL AND CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN YOUR CONTROL.
UM, THE TIMING AND THE TIMELINE OF THAT BEING ONE, AND I RECOGNIZE YOU CAN RELAY TO US, BUT THERE STILL IS A RESPONSIBILITY TO INQUIRE FROM US WHAT IS NEEDED VERSUS, AND MAYBE AN EXPECTATION THAT WE'LL GO BACK AND RELAY THIS KIND OF INFORMATION OR INPUT THAT YOU NEED FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO WHAT I'M INQUIRING ABOUT IS THE INPUT, UM, OR EXCUSE ME, HISTORICALLY, WHAT HAVE YOU ALL DONE? AND COMMISSIONER ORTIZ, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THIS, BUT IN REGARDS TO GATHERING COMMUNITY INPUT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE HISTORICALLY SPEAKING? UM, BECAUSE IT, FROM, FROM JUST THIS CAPSULE OF A CONVERSATION, IT LOOKS PATRONISTIC IN TERMS OF WHO YOU REACH OUT TO, HOW YOU REACH OUT TO CERTAIN COMMUNITIES, OR LACK THEREOF IN OBTAINING COMMUNITY INPUT.
I WANNA ADDRESS JUST GENERALLY COMMUNITY.
JULIE SMITH, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THIS FEEDBACK.
WE, UM, AS THIS COMMISSION KNOWS, CONDUCTED A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT EARLIER THIS YEAR AND HEARD VERY SIMILAR FEEDBACK ABOUT NEEDING TO ENHANCE OUR ENGAGEMENT.
WE KNOW THAT WE HEAR THAT, AND, UM, THAT ADVOCACY HELPS US ADVOCATE FOR MORE RESOURCES TO DO THAT ENGAGEMENT.
UM, LOOKING BROADLY, WE WORK PRIMARILY THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO REACH THOSE COMMUNITIES.
SO SPECIFICALLY WITH, WITH THIS PROCESS, WE DID REACH OUT TO ABOUT 800 COMMUNITY LEADERS, UM, WITH INFORMATION THAT THEY COULD SPREAD IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND, UM, THOSE PARTNERS, WE DO RELY HEAVILY ON THOSE PARTNERS TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT.
UH, WE DO USE FLYERS IN REC CENTERS AND LIBRARIES.
WE DID THAT WITH THIS PROJECT.
UM, WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST AS WELL, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY CAN COME TO US, AND I HEAR YOU, WE WANNA GO TO THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
WE WOULD LOVE THE CAPACITY TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT BY HAVING THE RESOURCES IN PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE THEM IN LANGUAGES THAT, UM, THAT PEOPLE NEED THEM IN, UH, WORKING THROUGH THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO ARE ALREADY, UH, BOOTS ON THE GROUND WORKING WITH FOLKS SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT, THAT THERE'S RESOURCES
[02:30:01]
THAT THEY CAN CONNECT THE PEOPLE THAT THEY SERVE, UM, WITH.SO WORKING TO ENHANCE ALL OF THAT, UM, AND KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, A LOT, A LOT OF GROWTH AND WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF GROWTH OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND WHO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REACH AND HOW, HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REACH THEM.
SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE.
WE'D LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ON CREATING AN, UM, AN OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT PLAN.
UM, SO LET'S PLEASE KEEP TALKING ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT, THAT COMMENT.
AND I'M HOPING THAT IT INFLUENCES THE LANGUAGE YOU ALL UTILIZE IN THE MEMO THAT WE JUST FINISHED DISCUSSING, BECAUSE IT'S VITAL IN TERMS OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS, THESE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU'RE LEVERAGING FOR COMMUNITY INPUT, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PROGRAMMING WE JUST FINISHED HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT.
SO, UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, UM, SHOULD WITH THIS EXTENSION, THAT THOSE TYPES OF ACTIVATIONS, THOSE TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS ARE TRULY BEING ACTIVATED ONLY, RIGHT.
AND IMPLEMENTED IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, AND THAT THERE'S, THERE'S VISUAL DATA, RESPONSIBLE DATA THAT WE CAN SEE THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
BUT THEN THE, I THE LAST QUESTION, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE SORT OF AT, UH, TIME HERE.
AND MY QUESTION IS, I DIDN'T HEAR ANY MINIMUM UNIT NUMBERS IN THE 30 TO 50% RANGE.
SO DO YOU HAVE ANY TYPE OF INFLUENCE OR POWER TO CREATE STANDARDS WITH THAT, THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION? AND IF YOU DO, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS IN THE CONVERSATION WITH THESE DEVELOPERS? AND IF NOT, WHY IS IT NOT A PART OF THE CONVERSATION? SO ARE MANDY DE MAYO INTERIM DIRECTOR? OUR STANDARD FOR ANYTHING THAT IS FUNDED BY OUR DEPARTMENT IS THAT WE FUND, UM, UNITS, HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE AFFORDABLE TO PEOPLE AT OR BELOW 50% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
SO THAT IS OUR STANDARD ACROSS THE BOARD FOR WHAT WE FUND FOR RENTAL HOUSING, FOR OWNERSHIP HOUSING, IT IS 80% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
BUT JUST LIKE WITH OUR 80% LIMIT, OUR MAXIMUM FOR OWNERSHIP, WE TRY TO DRIVE THAT DOWN TO 60 AND 70%.
THAT'S KIND OF THE SWEET SPOT FOR WHAT WE FUND.
WE WORK WITH PARTNERS WHO TRY TO SERVE THOSE HOUSEHOLDS AT 60 AND 70% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME FOR OWNERSHIP FOR RENTAL.
AGAIN, THE MAXIMUM FOR WHAT WE FUND IS 50% MEDIAN FAMILY.
AND WE TRY TO DRIVE IT DOWN TO 30% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME WHERE WE CAN.
AND WE ALSO, BECAUSE IF IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE FUNDING, WE TRY TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC DOLLARS.
AND THE LOWER THE INCOME, THE MORE EXPENSIVE THE PROJECT IS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO LEVERAGE OUR DOLLARS AS BEST WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT WE MAXIMIZE THE NUMBER OF LOW INCOME UNITS WHILE RECOGNIZING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE PROJECTS THAT ARE FEASIBLE.
AND JUST A, A QUICK FOLLOW UP, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
HOWEVER, I THINK THE ANSWER WAS STILL MISSING A CRUCIAL POINT OF BEING ABLE TO CREATE ANY TYPE OF INFLUENCE IN THE DEVELOPER'S DECISIONS OF HOW MANY UNITS COULD BE EITHER MARKET AND HOW MANY WILL BE THOSE THAT ARE SUBSIDIZED, SUPPLEMENTED BY YOU, ALL BY HUD, UM, OR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
AND THE EXAMPLE I WILL GIVE IS A LOT OF THE DEVELOPERS WILL SAY, WE ARE USING, WE ARE GOING TO OFFER MIXED USE FOR ENGINES OF 100 UNIT BUILDING.
AND THEN 10 FALL WITHIN THE 60 TO 70 MM-HMM.
AND THEN YOU HAVE MAYBE A FIVE THAT ARE AT 50, AND THEN ANOTHER FIVE OR THREE OR TWO OR HOWEVER YOU BREAK THAT NUMBER UP.
BUT DO YOU SEE THE DISPARITY THAT I'M, THAT I'M DESCRIBING? AND THAT IS A CONCERN WITH THESE NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT THAT IS, THAT IS THE DIRECTION IT WILL GO.
AND WONDERING THE INFLUENCE, YOU ALL HAVE TO MANDATE A CERTAIN NUMBER WHEN YOU ARE PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR BUDGETS AND THE FUNDING THAT IT GOES FOR.
THESE NUMBER OF UNITS EXIST IN 30 TO 50, AND YOU MUST MAKE SURE THESE UNITS ARE THAT AMOUNT AND THEY CANNOT BE ADJUSTED.
[02:35:01]
OKAY.I THINK I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
AND FOR OUR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS THAT YOU MAY BE REFERRING TO, LET'S SAY IT'S, UH, WE GIVE, UH, VERTICAL MIXED USE.
WE GIVE A DEVELOPER ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS IN ORDER TO GET SOME ONSITE AFFORDABILITY.
THOSE ARE THE SITUATIONS IN WHICH IT IS 10% OF THE UNITS.
THE PROGRAMS ARE LAID OUT BY ORDINANCE, AND WE CANNOT DEVIATE FROM THAT FOR LEGAL REASONS.
SO 10% OF THE UNITS ARE AT 60% MEDIA AND FAMILY INCOME, AND THE REST ARE MARKET THAT IS LAID OUT BY ORDINANCE, BUT WE'RE NOT PROVIDING ANY FUNDING IN THOSE CASES.
NOW, WHEN WE PROVIDE FUNDING, YES, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE INFLUENCE.
SO WHEN WE FUND A PROJECT OR SUBSIDIZE A PROJECT THROUGH A, A LOAN AGREEMENT AND A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, THAT IS WHERE WE TRY TO MAXIMIZE THE NUMBER OF DEEPLY AFFORDABLE UNITS.
SO I KIND OF, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT ON TWO DIFFERENT PATHS.
UM, ONE IN WHICH WE'RE PROVIDING FUNDING AND ONE IN WHICH WE'RE PROVIDING INCENTIVES, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
BUT ABSOLUTELY, IN THE ONE CASE, WE HAVE INFLUENCE AND WE WORK HARD TO DRIVE DOWN THAT AFFORDABILITY.
UM, I THINK, UM, WE ARE FINISHED WITH THAT.
UH, AS ALWAYS, UM, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, THE THIRD ITEM, THE THIRD GOAL BEING TO DEVELOP AND PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEAR PLANNED LIGHT RAIL INVESTMENT.
I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS ALREADY A PRIORITY, UM, THAT DIDN'T REALLY INCLUDE THE BI POP COMMUNITIES.
UM, SO I, I WAS, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THIS GRANT WOULD GIVE MORE, UM, CONSIDERATION FOR, UM, THE BI BIPOC COMMUNITIES OR OUR, OUR OUR ARE, UM, DEEPLY, UM, AFFORD THE NEEDS FOR DEEPLY, DEEPLY AFFORDABLE.
WELL, I'LL JUST SAY TOO, THAT LIKE HUD SPECIFICALLY REALLY DOES WANT TO EXPAND THE EQUITY LENS ON THEIR WORK.
AND SO THERE ARE, IN ADDITION TO THE NARRATIVE, UM, THAT WE'VE PROVIDED ABOUT THESE PRO ABOUT THESE PROJECTS, THEY'VE ASKED US TO ALSO TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT JULIE HAS SHARED IS, IS WRITTEN OUT, UM, IN TERMS OF THE STEPS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES AND MULTIPLE MODES.
UM, AND SO JUST AS FAR AS THE GRANT, IT'S VERY MUCH GOING TO BE DRIVEN BY EQUITY PRI PRINCIPLES.
UM, AS FAR AS THIS DEVELOPMENT, I MIGHT HAVE MANDY TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE, WE IMPLEMENT THAT.
SO IN, UM, THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, WHERE WE DO A SOLICITATION LIKE FOR RYAN DRIVE, OR PRESUMABLY WHATEVER HAPPENS ON SOUTH CONGRESS, WE PROVIDE, UM, THE TEMPLATE FOR A PREFERENCE POLICY, WHICH PREFERENCES WE, WE ASK THE DEVELOPER TO REVIEW AND TELL US HOW THEY ARE GONNA IMPLEMENT THIS PREFERENCE POLICY CONCEPT.
UM, WHICH EFFECTIVELY IS GIVING PREFERENCE TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT.
IT DOESN'T CALL OUT BIPOC BIPOC COMMUNITIES SPECIFICALLY.
UM, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE DEVELOPER IS USING CREATIVE AND INTENTIONAL WAYS TO REACH THOSE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEFT AUSTIN.
SO WE SEE WITH OUR, A LOT OF, A LOT OF OUR BIPOC COMMUNITY KIND OF A FURTHER MIGRATION NORTH AND EAST MM-HMM.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO MOVE BACK, HAD, HAVE THEY BEEN DISPLACED, UM, OUT OF AUSTIN, THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE BACK.
SO OUR PREFERENCE POLICY IS PER A CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
UM, IT'S CURRENTLY IN THE PILOT PHASE, BUT STILL WITH ALL OF OUR DEVELOPMENTS, WE ASK OUR DEVELOPERS, UM, TO, UM, UH, REVIEW AND RESPOND AND DEVELOP AN AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING PLAN THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THE PREFERENCE POLICY.
AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, UM, THE EFFORT THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT FORTH IN, UM, GETTING THE, UM, GRANT OR GETTING IT TO THIS POINT.
I, I DO WANNA ECHO WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS MENTIONED IN REFERENCE TO OUR
[02:40:01]
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT COMMISSIONER ORTIZ IS SAYING.
UM, BUT I, I, IT DOES SEEM TO BE ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE, IT'S TENDS TO BE A CONSTANT REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
AND I JUST, I JUST, I JUST THINK, AND THOSE 800, UM, PARTNERS THAT JULIE MIS, UH, MENTIONED, ARE THOSE LISTED SOMEWHERE ON THE, UM, ON THE WEBSITE.
SO I PRESUME THESE 800 INDIVIDUALS OR PARTNERS, ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE CON CONTACTED REGARDING THIS, UM, THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE OR IN THE GRANT ABOUT, MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD.
I TOLD Y'ALL I'M, I'M, I'M LOW PROCESSING.
AND THERE ARE ABOUT 800 OF 'EM OR SO THAT HAVE BEEN REACHED OUT TO, DID YOU SAY THAT? I DID SAY THAT.
AND THERE'S, WHERE ARE THOSE? THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY PUBLIC.
UM, IT'S A LIST THAT WE WORK ON REGULARLY TO MAKE SURE IT'S UPDATED.
SO IT INCLUDES, BUT IT'S NOT PUBLIC.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST A QUESTION.
I DON'T MEAN TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE IT'S A BAD THING, BUT I'M JUST, IT'S NOT PUBLIC.
AND THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE, I THINK WE CAN CONSIDER.
UM, A LOT OF IT COMES FROM THE COMMUNITY REGISTRY.
SO WE LOOK AT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE ARE REACHING OUT TO THOSE COMMUNITY LEADERS AND WE, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD GET, YOU COULD END UP, I'M SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF ON THE INTEREST OF TIME, BUT SERIOUSLY, YOU COULD END UP WITH 800 FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE POCKET OF THE DEVELOPERS AND THEN SAYING, OH, I'VE REACHED OUT TO THESE COMMUNITY PEOPLE.
UH, THEY LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, I I, WHEN YOU SAY 800 COMMUNITY, I, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ALL JUST START LISTING THEM, YOU KNOW, URBAN LEAGUE OR YOU KNOW, ALL THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS, THEY, YOU KNOW, AND I WAS EXPECTING, SO IT DOES ACTUALLY, UM, AND IT DOES INCLUDE GROUPS LIKE THAT.
WELL, BUT I KNOW IT DOES INCLUDE MAYBE ONE OR TWO, BUT I'M JUST SAYING WHEN YOU SAY 800, THAT SOUNDS, I WAS PLEASED.
AND SO I WAS JUST THINKING, OH, OKAY, WELL WHO ARE THESE 800? SURE.
THAT'S, THAT'S A, I'LL LET IT BE RHETORICAL AT THIS POINT.
JUST FOR THE INTEREST OF SPEED, UM, UM, YOU DID MENTION THAT EVERY SINGLE COMMENT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE.
UM, THAT'S, I I, I'M GONNA COUNT ON THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I DID.
SO THAT'S ALL I, THAT'S ALL I, I'M LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT.
I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT ALL OF THE COMMENTS WILL BE MADE PART OF THE APPLICATION, UM, TO, FOR THE GRANT, AND THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING THESE EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND THE LAST THING THAT I'LL, I'LL END WITH, UM, IS, UM, WELL SECOND TO THE LAST, THE SECOND TO THE LAST IS WE DO NEED TO CONTINUE TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING OTHER THAN THIS SPEAK UP, AUSTIN, THAT IS ACTUALLY, AS YOU ALL HAVE SAID, HEARD ME SAY TIME AND TIME AGAIN, SPEAK UP.
AUSTIN IS REALLY KEYBOARD AUSTIN.
AND SO I'M JUST CONTINUING TO SAY, UNLESS YOU'RE KEYBOARDING, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT INCLUDE ALL, AND THAT'S ALL.
AND THE, FOR THE POPULATIONS THAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF, THAT IS OF A CONCERN.
AND THE LAST THING THAT I WILL SAY THAT IS VERY, I AM VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS IS THE PART ABOUT THE, UH, DEED IN LIEU.
UM, WE TEND TO HAVE DEVELOPMENT AND IF WE ARE GONNA BE DOING A LOT OF THIS, UM, DEED IN LIEU FOR AFFORDABILITY, I, I JUST REALLY JUST, I, I JUST HAVE TO SAY, I DON'T SEE HOW THAT REALLY FURTHERS OUR TRUE OBJECTIVE OF AFFORDABILITY IF WE'RE GONNA ALLOW THEM TO BUY THEIR WAY OUT.
I JUST, THAT IS SO SOUR IN MY MOUTH.
WE HAVE HEARD THAT LOUD AND CLEAR AND OUR DENSITY BONUSES GOING FORWARD, OUR PROGRAMS REQUIRE ONSITE AFFORDABILITY UP TO A CERTAIN POINT, AND THEN THERE IS AN OPTION FOR FEE AND LOAD AND WE CAN'T HAVE THE OPTION REMOVED.
IS THAT, UM, THAT WAS EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION BY OUR CITY COUNCIL.
UM, AND THAT IS, WELL, THEY'RE IN THE POCKET.
I'M TALKING ABOUT WITH YOU GUYS.
YOU ALL HAVE INFLUENCE, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH, YOU DO.
WE HAVE RECOMMENDED, IN ALMOST EVERY CASE, WE RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL THAT THEY DENY ANY FEE.
AND LI PLEASE, I MEAN, GUYS CONTINUE TO DO THAT, PLEASE.
WE, THAT WE, WE ENJOY OUR ONSITE AFFORDABLE UNITS.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A TRUE LOOPHOLE THAT JUST WORKS IN THE DEVELOPMENT FLAVOR AND AGAINST THAT.
UM, DO WE HAVE AN ACTION, UH, VICE CHAIR THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ON THIS ONE? WHAT IS
[02:45:01]
MY ACTION? UM, THANK YOU EVERYONE.I THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE DISCUSSION AND EVERYTHING.
WHO THAT CAME UP? UM, ARE WE, ARE WE VOTING IN, WE'RE VOTING, UM, TO, TO IT, IT IS A POSSIBLE ACTION ITEM.
TO APPROVE, WE'RE WE'RE VOTING TO APPROVE THEIR, UM, THEIR APPLICATION.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
TO, TO, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
TO SUPPORT IT AND MOVE FORWARD.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IF WE, IF WE, IF WE DON'T SUPPORT IT, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, DO THEY STILL MOVE FORWARD? IT WILL BE REFLECTED IN YOUR VOTE.
THAT WOULD ALSO BE PART OF THE, UM, OF THE APPLICATION THAT THE CDC, UH, DID NOT SUPPORT IT.
DO I SEE IT AS THREE OPTIONS? ONE TO SUPPORT IT, ONE TO OPPOSE IT AND ONE TO NOT TAKE ACTION AT ALL? THEY DON'T, YEAH.
WOULD I THOUGHT I HEARD SOMETHING.
WELL, THEY COULD ALSO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION WITH CHANGES.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR THAT, DO WE? NO.
'CAUSE IT GOES IN TWO DAYS, THREE DAYS.
WELL, WE ARE STILL MAKING CHANGES TO THE GRANT.
SO I THINK IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, IF YOU FORMALLY HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, UM, WE WILL INCLUDE IT IN THE COMMENT LOG, UM, THAT'S SUBMITTED TO HUD WITH THE RESPONSE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE WERE ABLE TO INCORPORATE YOUR CHANGES.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THAT AS AN OPTION.
I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE, IT SEEMS LIKE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, ARE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE GIVEN YOU NOW, WHICH YOU SAID WHAT YOU WOULD TAKE AND, YOU KNOW, APPLY IT TO THE APPLICATION.
UM, CAN I MAKE A MOTION? YEAH, PLEASE.
UM, GIVEN WHAT WE'VE HEARD, AND GIVEN THAT I'M NOT SEEING THE EQUITY IN THIS, UH, I'M ACTUALLY SEEING, UH, POSSIBLE HARM TO COMMUNITY BASED ON THIS, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE OPPOSE, UM, AND WE TAKE A VOTE ON THAT.
DO I SE SECOND THE MOTION TO VOTE? TO VOTE ON IT? YEAH, TO VOTE ON IT.
SO, UM, WE, WHAT I, UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO ADJUST YOUR MOTION IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE VOTE, IS THAT CORRECT? VICE CHAIR.
AND THEN WE, UM, CAN VOTE WHETHER OR, OR TO OPPOSE, ACTUALLY I SECOND THE OPPOSITION.
OH, YOU'RE SECONDING THE OPPOSITION.
I JUST NEEDED TO, TO HAVE CLARIFICATION.
UM, LET ME GET SOME GUIDANCE RIGHT QUICK.
UM, MR. BLAKE, SO IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, WE HAVE ON THE TABLE TO OPPOSE IT AND A SECOND TO OPPOSE IT, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE VOTE AND THEN DO THE, IS THERE AN OPTION FOR THOSE, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD? TO ACCEPT IT? WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE, ON ITEM FIVE.
I THINK I SEEN VOTE NEFERTITI COMING UP.
YEAH, WE, WE CAN VOTE AND IT AND IN YOUR VOTE IT'LL REFLECT IF YOU OPPOSE IT.
SO IT'LL, THE VOTE WILL BE THREE, BUT THE VOTE IS THE MOTION IS TO OPPOSE IT AND THE SECOND IS TO OPPOSE IT.
SO THAT'S, SO THAT'S WHERE I'M CONCERNED.
UM, THAT FOR TD JACKMAN, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER, UM, CHAIR THOMPSON.
SO THE FIRST, UH, ACTION IS TO VOTE ON THE RECOMMENDATION THAT VICE CHAIR ELIAS HAS PUT FORTH MM-HMM.
AND THAT IS TO OPPOSE THE NOT PROVIDE SUPPORT.
I THINK WE MIGHT WANNA SAY NOT PROVIDE CDC SUPPORT FOR THE APPLICATION TO HUD ON THE PRO HOUSING GRANT.
AND THEN YOU HAD A SECOND TO SUPPORT THAT RECOMMENDATION.
SO THEN YOU WOULD TAKE A VOTE ON THAT ACTION BEFORE YOU.
AND SO IF YOU, BASED ON THOSE VOTES, YOU'RE EITHER GONNA HAVE, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO COME BACK WITH ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION, SAY, DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME OF THAT VOTE.
ALRIGHT, I THINK I HAVE A, I THINK I HAVE A, A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING.
UM, ED, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD? NO, NO, GO AHEAD.
UM, NEFERTITI SAID WHAT STATED, OKAY.
[02:50:01]
COMMISSIONERS, UM, WE ARE, THE VOTE THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK UPON IS A VOTE TO OPPOSE THE, UM, UM, SUPPORT OF THE GRANT OF THE HUD GRANT.AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, PLEASE INDICATE IF YOU OPPOSE BY CHAIR REAL QUICK.
WE, WE DON'T WANNA SAY OPPOSE.
WE JUST WANNA SAY NOT PROVIDE SUPPORT.
UM, LET ME MAKE THE CORRECTION FOR THE RECORD.
I, WE DO HAVE A MOTION TO NOT PROVIDE SUPPORT, UM, FOR THE, UM, GRANT, THE PRO GRANT, UM, FOR HUD AND, UM, THOSE WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF NOT PROVIDING SUPPORT INDICATE BY, UM, RAISING YOUR HAND AND CHAIR REAL QUICK, I JUST WANT TO NOTE
AND THEN THE SECOND WAS COMMISSIONER LONGORIA LONGORIA.
IT WAS, I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SURE.
UM, IT WAS, UM, PUT ON THE TABLE BY COMM, VICE CHAIR ELIAS, AND SECOND, UM, BY COMMISSIONER LONGORIA.
THOSE COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE IN, UM, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN BEING ON RECORD OF NOT PROVIDING PROVID FOR THIS HUD GRANT, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
UM, THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE WITHHOLDING IN SUPPORT, I WOULD SAY ARE IN SUPPORT, IN SUPPORT OF THE, ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE GRANT.
OF THE GRANT MOVING FORWARD ARE IN SUPPORT FOR YES.
SUPPORTING THE GRANT INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND THOSE WHO OPPOSE, UH, ABSTAIN.
WE HAVE THREE THAT ARE ABSTAINING.
THAT'S MY TWO IN SUPPORT OF, AND, UM, FIVE WITHHOLDING SUPPORT OF BASED ON THE CONCERNS WITH EQUITY.
UM, THAT, UM, HAS BEEN RECORDED FOR THE VOTE.
AND, UM, AND WE WILL SEE, UM, THEM BACK WITH THIS, UH, I, I PRESUME IT IS STILL GONNA, UH, GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU GUYS BACK WITH THIS.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR THAT.
[6. Conduct a public hearing to receive comments on the proposed application to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Pro-Housing Grant Funding (Mandy DeMayo, Interim Director and Rachel Tepper, Planner Principal, Housing Department). ]
LEAST, ITEM NUMBER SIX ON OUR AGENDA.HERE, UH, WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, WE ARE TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC, OH, WE ARE TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE COMMENTS.
SAY WHAT? UH, ON, ON THE PROPOSED APPLICATION, UM, FOR THE GRANT, THE PRO HOUSING GRANT FUNDING, AND WE HAVE THE SAME INDIVIDUALS.
UM, RACHEL, YOU'VE COME UP, RACHEL, ER, WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
IT SEEMS LIKE YOU TOOK THOSE ITEMS UP TOGETHER, ESSENTIALLY.
WELL, I DIDN'T HAVE MY PUBLIC HEARING INDIVIDUAL, UH, I DIDN'T HAVE, I HAVE, MRS. JOSEPH IS ON RECORD OF BEING FOR ITEM NUMBER SIX, SO YES.
YOU WANT HER TO SPEAK FIRST BEFORE
I WANTED TO READ THE ITEM AS I JUST DID.
AND I BELIEVE YOU HAVE TO SAY YOU OPENED PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN YEAH, LATER.
AND, UH, WE ARE, UH, OPENING THAT PUBLIC HEARING, UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, AS I JUST SO READ ON ITEM NUMBER SIX, I DO HAVE MS. JOSEPH ON RECORD AS, UM, WANTING TO MAKE A DISCUSSION AND, UM, WE WELCOME HER BACK TO THE, THE DI.
ALL RIGHT, YOU HAVE YOUR THREE MINUTES, MA'AM.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS ZENOBIA.
JOSEPH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY SPECIFICALLY, MADAM CHAIR, IT IS DISINGENUOUS FOR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO
[02:55:01]
COME BEFORE YOU AND NOT TELL YOU THAT THIS IS ON GRANTS.GOV AUGUST 13TH, 2024.I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT WHEN THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN WAS ON THE AGENDA, MANDY DE MAYO ACTUALLY MADE A UNILATERAL DECISION AND INCLUDED CHILDCARE WHEN THAT WAS NOT PUBLIC INPUT FROM THIS COMMITTEE.
I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT YOU CANCELED THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN FY 24 TO 29 WHEN IT WAS ON THE AGENDA, BECAUSE IT HAD ALREADY GONE TO COUNCIL JULY 18TH, 2024 AFTER THEIR BREAK.
AND SO IT IS DISINGENUOUS FOR THEM TO COME BEFORE YOU.
I JUST WILL READ INTO THE RECORD.
HUD WILL PRIORITIZE APPLICANTS THAT DEMONSTRATE ONE PROGRESS AND A COMMITMENT TO OVERCOMING LOCAL BARRIERS TO FACILITATE THE INCREASE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION.
THEY ARE ALSO GOING TO PRIORITIZE INCOMES BELOW 100%.
THEY ARE ALSO MENTIONING AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING.
AND THEN THE APPLICATION ENDS WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS.
AND IT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONS REPLACING SEGREGATED LIVING PATTERNS WITH TRULY INTEGRATED AND BALANCED LIVING PATTERNS, TRANSFORMING RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY CONCENTRATED AREAS OF POVERTY INTO AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY AND FOSTERING AND MAINTAINING COMPLIANCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS AND FAIR HOUSING LAWS.
AND I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU, AS IT RELATES TO THESE VOUCHERS, SPECIFICALLY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THEY'VE DONE 19 BELRON DEALS.
THEY EVEN HAVE A PROPERTY IN CEDAR PARK.
IT'S IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN JURISDICTION, BUT THE ADDRESS IS CEDAR PARK.
THERE IS NO TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO THESE DEVELOPMENTS.
AND SO I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE BEING PUT FORTH TO HUD DO NOT ADDRESS WHAT'S IN THE DESCRIPTION THAT I JUST READ.
AND WHAT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS RYAN PROPERTY THAT IS IN THE EXTENSION, THE FIRST PHASE OF PROJECT CONNECT LIGHT RAIL TERMINATES AT HYDE PARK, WHICH WAS DEVELOPED EXCLUSIVELY FOR WHITE PEOPLE, 1889 TO 1924 BY COLONEL MONROE SHEPE.
IT IS DISINGENUOUS FOR US TO THEN PRIORITIZE GETTING NEW FUNDING FOR RYAN PARK, WHICH IS CRESTVIEW STATION, WHEN THAT IS NOT EVEN BEING CONSIDERED IN PHASE ONE.
THEY DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDING FOR PHASE ONE, BUT YET WE ARE GOING TO GO TO THE EXTENSION AND THEN GET ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR RYAN.
I AM AS FRUSTRATED AS YOU ARE.
IF THEY WANNA USE SOME TYPE OF PLANNING MONEY, THEN THAT WOULD BE THE SMART HOUSING POLICY, SAFE, MIXED INCOME, ACCESSIBLE, REASONABLY PRICED, TRANSIT ORIENTED, AND THEY COULD STOP THE STAFF FROM BEING ABLE TO WAVE THE TRANSIT PART BECAUSE IT'S ONE TO FIVE MILES FOR OUR LOW INCOME RIDERS, AND ESPECIALLY AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO ARE SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE HOMELESS, TO WALK TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT DEVELOPMENTS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME.
BUT THIS IS A SMOKESCREEN AND I WILL END BY SAYING IT IS TIME FOR MANDY DE MALE TO RESIGN.
THANK YOU, UM, MS. JOSEPH FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE DO, UM, RESPECT AND VALUE OUR, UM, CITIZENS AND PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, UH, VOCAL LIES THEIR, UM, CONCERNS.
UM, THAT IS THE ENDING OF OUR PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM.
I DO NOT BELIEVE I HAVE ANYONE ELSE THAT HAS SIGNED UP AND THERE'S NO ONE ONLINE REFERENCING IT.
SO THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE, UM, PRO HOUSING GRANT, UM, WITH HUD IS NOW CLOSED.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DO WE HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? REMEMBER THAT I SEE MS. JACKMAN MAKING HER WAY BACK UP TO THE DIOCESE.AND I DO WANNA SAY ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSION THAT WE DO APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S, UM, UM, PRESENCE HERE, UM, TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
UH, NEFERTITI JACKMAN, COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SEE IF WE CAN GET SUPPORT FOR IS HAVING STAFF COME BACK AND PRESENT AND UPDATE ON THE DISPLACEMENT RISK MAPS.
UH, THEY WERE UPDATED IN 2024.
AND THESE ARE THE MAPS THAT ARE BEING USED, UH, FOR THE HOME, UM, HOME
[03:00:01]
INITIATIVE, UM, FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY.SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THOSE MAPS.
AND I KNOW WE WILL BE SENDING A LINK TO YOU, BUT I WANT TO, UH, WALK YOU THROUGH THOSE PHASES, UH, JUST A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH AND STAFF CAN COME AND PRESENT ON THAT.
SO THAT'S ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST TO BE ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
I ALSO RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM, UM, ALEJANDRA IN THE EQUITY OFFICE.
UM, THERE IS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR, THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEES ARE WORKING.
THEY WORK EACH YEAR ON PRESENTING, UH, BUDGETS, RECOMMENDATIONS TO THIS CITY BUDGET.
AND, UM, THIS IS A COMMISSION THAT THEY THINK SHOULD BE INVOLVED.
UM, AND SO THEY ARE HAVING FALL MEETINGS.
NOW, I'VE RECEIVED A REQUEST TONIGHT, SO I'M THINKING, UM, THIS MIGHT BE AN AGENDA ITEM.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE AN AGENDA ITEM TO SEE IF WE CAN, UM, HAVE A MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE OF SERVE ON, UM, WE CAN'T HAVE THE FULL COMMITTEE OF COMMISSION, BUT TO SEE IF YOU, IF, IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED IN, UH, SERVING ON THIS.
IT'S A, I GUESS, A COALITION OR A COLLABORATION.
THEY ARE INTERESTED IN CONNECTING IF YOU ASK THE COMMISSIONS.
SO THAT'S, SO THOSE ARE TWO THINGS TO SERVE ON THE JOINT INCLUSION COMMITTEES.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE CALLED.
OH, THEY'RE CALLED COMMUNITY VOICES AND CHOICES.
I WANNA, I DON'T WANT TO NOT PUT THIS ON HERE, EVEN THOUGH I NEED TO GET MORE CLARITY FROM ALEJANDRA IF THIS IS A WORK GROUP OR IF THIS IS JUST A CALL TO ATTEND A COUPLE OF SESSIONS, SO ABOUT THAT.
DO WE NEED TO APPOINT SOMEBODY OR ARE WE JUST ASKING? THAT'S WHY I NEED TO GET CLARIFICATION AS I'M READING THIS, I'M LIKE, I'M REALLY NOT CLEAR.
AND WE CAN, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT COULD BE MOVED AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE MR. BLAKE MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE, UM, SOMETHING ABOUT THAT IN OUR NOVEMBER AGENDA.
IS THAT FINE? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
AND THE LAST THING FOR NOVEMBER, WHICH COMES FROM JAMES, UH, MAY, WHO SPOKE LAST MONTH, HE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON NOMINATING A MEMBER FROM THE CDC TO SERVE ON THE HERC COMMITTEE.
AND I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER ACHILLES AGREED.
WAS THAT ALL? I, I DO HAVE THAT ON.
UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY HERE ON MY, ON MY OWN NOTES.
UM, I WAS REALLY WANTING TO GET WITH COMMISSIONER LONGORIA.
UM, IS IT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE, UM, ON OUR NOVEMBER AGENDA AGENDA? ALL RIGHT.
AND WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE ACTION YES.
BECAUSE I, THAT I HAVE THAT, AND THEN I HAVE, UM, MR. BLAKE, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT MS. CARA, UM, PUT FORTH THAT CAME THROUGH WITH THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE, UM, HAVE READY FOR THEM FOR NEXT MONTH.
I KNOW THAT THE HISTORICAL LANDMARK, UM, SOCIETY OR WHOEVER COMMISSION PUT FORTH A LONGER, UM, RECOMMENDATION, BUT WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THAT PARTICULAR? I WOULD'VE TO PULL IT UP AND LOOK, BUT I DID SEE THE EMAIL AND RESPONDENT, SO EQUITY PRESERVATION PLAN.
UM, TISHA, UM, YES, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THOSE ITEMS, SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE THREE ITEMS THAT ARE PRIORITY FOR THE NOVEMBER AGENDA.
THOSE ARE PRIORITY FOR THE NOVEMBER AGENDA.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ITEMS ARE INCLUDED, EVEN IF I DIE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
UH, PLEASE MAKE SURE THOSE ARE ON THE NOVEMBER AGENDA.
I THINK I'VE MADE IT CLEAR FOR THOSE BEYOND THE NOVEMBER AGENDA.
WHAT HAVE YOU GOT? UM, SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA START WORKING WITH THE WORKING GROUP, UH, FOR THE RECOMMENDATION.
OH, FOR THIS PRESERVATION THING? NO, FOR COMMUNITY POWER.
AND SO I'M GUESSING WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT FOR THE NEXT, UH, MEETING TO
BECAUSE, UM, THAT'S COMING UP FAST TOO, RIGHT? YES.
THE COMMUNITY, UM, BECAUSE THAT WAS NOVEMBER 16TH.
NOVEMBER 16TH WAS THERE, AND OUR NEXT MEETING IS THE 12TH.
[03:05:01]
UM, MAY I ASK, UM, IF WE WERE TO GET A RECOMMENDATION WRITTEN SOONER, WHAT WOULD THE POSSIBILITY BE TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING? IS THAT A POSSIBILITY? UH, I'M NOT GONNA COMMIT TO A SPECIAL, UM, MEETING.WHY WOULD, WHY WOULD, WHY, WHAT WOULD BE GOING TO GET THE RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL QUICKER BEFORE THE DEADLINE? MR. UM, BLAKE, THAT'S GONNA BE, UM, I'LL NEED TO SEEK YOUR GUIDANCE ON THAT.
I'M, I'M SEEKING GUIDANCE AS WELL.
YOU'RE SEEKING GUIDANCE AND WE ALL SEEKING GUIDANCE.
I'M LOOKING AT MY BOSS, LIKE, UH, SO WE WILL CHECK WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE IF THERE IS A WAY TO TAKE A VOTE AND TAKE ACTION.
UM, OR IF WE NEED A SPECIAL CALL MEETING, WE WILL CHECK WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE TOMORROW AND GET BACK TO YOU VERY QUICKLY.
UM, I WON'T PUT MY THUMB ON THAT SCALE RIGHT NOW, SO, UM, I'VE, ALL RIGHT.
OH, WHAT'S MY LAST THING? I THINK JUST THE ADJOURNMENT.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DO WANT TO, UM, THANK ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HANG WITH US, UM, FOR THIS THREE HOUR MEETING.
BUT WE DID, WE, WE DID GET SOME THINGS, UH, DONE.
NOW COMMISSIONERS IS, UM, 9 36 AND WE STAND ADJOURN.