[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
6 49 ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER THE 10TH.
AND WE DO HAVE QUORUM FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMISSION IS TO, OF THE BOARD, IS TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL IN DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. WE ARE CALLING IT TO ORDER.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
AND, UM, WE DO HAVE THANK YOU SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP.AND AS THAT INFORMATION IS MAKING ITS WAY, UM, TO ME, WE WILL ALLOW THOSE SPEAKERS TO HAVE THREE MINUTES.
AND, UM, TIMEKEEPER, YOU'RE GOOD.
AND THEY WILL ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS REGARDING ITEMS THAT ARE NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA.
AND, UH, SO WE WILL CALL ON INDIVIDUALS, UM, ACCORDING TO THE, UH, SIGNUP SHEET, WHICH IS MAKING ITS WAY, UM, TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
MR. BLAKE, WHAT'S OUR STATUS ON MY SIGNUP SHEET? THANK YOU, MY DEAR.
WHAT WERE YOU GONNA SHARE WITH ME? WE HAVE AN ELDERLY LADY.
WE HAVE AN INTERPRETER FOR HER.
HER DAUGHTER WENT TO GO GET HER.
THAT SHOULD TAKE UP ENOUGH TIME TO GET HER.
WELL, I HAVE THREE, AND THEN I HAVE HERE, I HAVE THREE.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT DOES LOOK LIKE WE HAVE FOUR INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP, UM, TO SPEAK TODAY, UM, FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
BEGIN WITH MS. ENOVIA JOSEPH, WHO, UM, ALWAYS BRINGS TO US INFORMATION ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY.
MS. JOSEPH, WE'RE READY FOR YOU CHAIR, BUT BEFORE SHE SPEAKS, SHE SENT ME SOME SLIDES.
SLIDES JUST TO, TO PRINT OUTS FOR Y'ALL.
UHHUH I SAW, AND I COULDN'T GET IT ON A FLASH DRIVE TO GET IT ON THE SCREEN BEFORE SHE SPEAKS, SO, OKAY.
BUT I WILL GET IT AND, AND CIRCULATE IT TO, IS THAT THE SAME INFORMATION THAT MR. JOSEPH SENT TO US? I RECEIVED SOMETHING.
UM, IT, IT MAY BE I'LL SPEAK TO HER.
I DID SEND THOSE SLIDES TO YOU.
I DIDN'T SEND IT TO THE COMMISSION IN ITS ENTIRETY.
BUT MR. BLAKE CAN DISTRIBUTE THAT, IF THAT'S OKAY.
MY COMMENT SAYS THEY ALWAYS ARE IN THE CONTEXT OF TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, AND NATIONAL ORIGIN.
I JUST WANTED TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION, SPECIFICALLY THE 69 0 9 RYAN DRIVE PROJECT.
AND I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS FLYER FROM DECEMBER 4TH, THAT WAS THE CLOSING DATE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR THE CAPER.
CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION REPORT THAT GOES TO HUD.
I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT BURIED IN THAT DOCUMENT SPECIFIED THAT WORKFORCE HOUSING IS BEING NEGOTIATED FOR THAT RYAN DRIVE PROJECT.
I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE AS WELL, WHEN THAT PROJECT WENT BEFORE THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 300 UNITS, AND THREE FOURTHS OF THOSE UNITS WERE FOR PEOPLE WHO EARNED $70,000 AND ABOVE AND ABOVE AND ABOVE.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE RAIL SYSTEM IN ITS ENTIRETY, WHEN YOU CONSIDER CRESTVIEW STATION, YOU CONSIDER HIGHLAND.
WHEN YOU GET OVER TO HYDE PARK, I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT IT WAS MARCH 12TH, 2020, WHEN COUNCIL ACTUALLY PUT FORTH $3.8 MILLION FOR A ONE ACRE DETENTION POND WHERE THERE WOULD'VE BEEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GET DOWNTOWN, THE DEVELOPERS PAY A FEE IN LIEU OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WHEN YOU GET TO EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE, THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THE 1,300 UNITS THAT WERE REZONED BACK IN 2019.
SO THE PROJECT IS NOT GOING TO SERVE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOW TO VERY LOW INCOME.
BUT I WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE DOCUMENTATION THAT WENT TO
[00:05:01]
HUT SPECIFIES LOW TO VERY LOW INCOME INDIVIDUALS.AND SPECIFICALLY ON NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN ADOPTED THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL ON JULY 18TH, 2024, SIGNED BY MANDY DEO BECAUSE SHE'S THE FINANCE OFFICER FOR AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS ASKED IS WHETHER OR NOT ANY CITIZEN HAD A CIVIL RIGHTS CONCERN, AND THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDED A FRAUDULENT RESPONSE SAYING NO.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT FRAUD IS TRYING TO GET SOMETHING OF VALUE THROUGH WILLFUL MISREPRESENTATION.
THAT'S THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE DEFINITION FRAUD NET 2017.
SO I WOULD JUST ASK THIS COMMISSION TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU DO HAVE THE AUTHORITY AND THE POWER TO PUT FORTH A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT.
AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO PUT FORTH THAT AMENDMENT IN WRITING SPECIFICALLY FOR TRANSPORTATION, AND TO JUST RECOGNIZE THAT MANDY DE MAYO UNILATERALLY PUT FORTH FOR THE PUBLIC FUNDING TO USE THAT FOR CHILDCARE.
BUT YOU WILL REMEMBER THIS PAST NOVEMBER, THE VOTERS APPROVED FUNDING FOR CHILDCARE.
AND YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT IN 2022, TAMARA ATKINSON SPECIFIED THAT THEY HAD ABOUT $54 MILLION FOR CHILDCARE.
SO ONCE AGAIN, WE DON'T NEED MORE MONEY FOR CHILDCARE.
WE NEED MONEY FOR TRANSPORTATION TO GET PEOPLE FROM SAMSUNG TO APPLE.
AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO PUT THAT IN WRITING AND TO PUT FORTH A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT SO THAT THAT MONEY CAN BE REALLOCATED.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. JOSEPH.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, INPUT.
UM, NEXT ON THE LINE, WE HAVE, UM, WILSON, LAST NAME WILSON.
FIRST INITIAL IS N UM, COMMIT.
THAT IS ONE OF OUR PRESENTERS.
HOW ABOUT THEN, UH, JUAN RAMON RUBIO ON ITEM ON ITEM FIVE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
WELL, THEN WE ARE READY THEN FOR MAMIE CAR.
HER DAUGHTER WENT TO GET HER, AND SHE'S NOT IN HERE AT THIS TIME, BUT HER DAUGHTER WENT OUTSIDE TO GET HER.
SO WHAT WOULD BE OUR PROTOCOL, MR. BLAKE, IN, UM, THIS, BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE ON, AND THIS, WE, WE, WE DO HAVE TO MOVE ON, BUT, AND THIS OP OPPORTUNITY, UM, IS ITEM DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ON OUR AGENDA.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ON OUR AGENDA.
UM, AT THIS TIME, I, I, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ON RECORD THAT THIS, UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS VERY, UM, CITIZEN FRIENDLY AND CITIZEN DRIVEN AND CITIZEN, UM, FOCUS.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, UNFORTUNATELY, WE DO HAVE PROTOCOL THAT WE DO HAVE TO ADHERE TO THAT SOMETIMES IS RESTRICTIVE.
AND, UH, AT THIS TIME, UH, WE ARE FACED AGAINST A SITUATION WHERE WE DO KNOW THAT THERE IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS MADE THEIR WAY, UM, TO THE PREMISES AND IS TRYING TO MAKE THEIR WAY UP INTO THIS SPECIFIC, SPECIFIC SPACE.
THEY HAVE NOT MADE IT HERE, UM, AT THIS TIME.
AND, UM, EVEN WITH ME STALLING RIGHT NOW, UM,
AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I AM READY TO MOVE ON BECAUSE I AM NOT INTERESTED IN DELAYING OUR, UH, RECESSING AT THIS POINT.
UM, BUT I DO SEE MS. JACKMAN AT THE, THE DIOCESE.
MY NAME IS NEFERTITI JACKMAN, THE COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER.
DO I NEED TO SPEAK UP? IS THAT BETTER? WE GOT YOU NOW.
UH, IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, UH, IF ANY OF YOU MENTIONED PARKING EARLIER MM-HMM
THE, THE PERSON IS PAR PARKING IS HORRENDOUS.
I WAS LATE AND I'M NEVER LATE.
WE ALSO, UM, SO I'M ASKING FOR CONSIDERATION OF WHATEVER IS GOING ON OUTSIDE.
[00:10:01]
AND WE ALSO PAID FOR TRANSLATION SERVICES, UH, AND THEY ARE HERE TONIGHT.AND, UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE WE CAN HEAR HER OUT WHEN SHE ARRIVES.
MAYBE WE CAN LISTEN TO HER, MAKE HER PUBLIC COMMENT WHEN SHE ARRIVES CHAIR.
CAN, CAN WE DO A FIVE, LIKE FIVE MINUTE RECESS? SHORT ONE THREE MINUTE RECESS? BECAUSE ONLY REASON, THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE WE CONTINUE TO GO OVER UP.
AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING, UH, UP UNTIL NOW.
UM, AT THIS TIME, I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE MAMIE, IS IT RA, CAMARA, CAMARA.
UM, WHO'S HERE TO SPEAK TO US, UM, FROM THE IMANI? UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT IS ON THE LAST PART, BUT IMANI, ANU, I'M A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY WHO HELPING TO FACILITATE.
OH, THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
SO THOSE NEED TO BE THREE MINUTES.
THREE MINUTES FOR TRANSLATIONS.
UM, THEY, THEY GET SIX MINUTES.
SHE GETS SIX MINUTES FOR TRANSLATION.
HOW MANY? AN EXTRA THREE MINUTES.
TIMEKEEPER, YOU'RE GOOD ON THAT.
MS. MAMIE, WE ARE READY TO BEGIN NOW.
UM, I WOULD LIKE HELP, UM, JUST TO FIND HOUSING, UM, BECAUSE I NEED HELP FOR ME AND MY BABY.
I WANNA TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ME AND MY BABY.
AND YOU ALL PLEASE SPEAK UP AND DON'T DROWN OFF LIKE THIS.
AT THIS TIME, I DON'T WORK AND I DON'T HAVE HOUSING.
UM, RIGHT NOW, MY FRIEND, UM, IS HELPING ME, AND THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M HERE SEARCHING FOR HELP.
I HAVE A LOT OF STRESS, UM, BECAUSE OF THE HOUSING, UM, AND WHERE I'M AT, SOMEBODY HAVE, IT'S WHERE I'M AT.
THEY'RE DRINKING, THEY'RE SMOKING.
UM, WHERE I'M AT RIGHT NOW, IT'S, IT'S CAUSING ME A LOT OF STRESS.
SO LABOR, THERE'S A MAN WHERE I'M, WHERE I'M AT, UM, HE SMOKES AND, AND, AND HE DRINKS.
AND THIS IS WHY, UM, I MADE SURE TO COME HERE.
UM, SEEKING HELP FOR HELP FOR ME AND, AND, AND MY BABY.
UM, MS. MAMIE, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD TO THAT? YOU MAY, I, I WOULD LIKE TO, IF IT'S EVA, ARE YOU PART OF THIS? MM-HMM.
[00:15:01]
I'M IMANI.THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSION AND TO ED.
AND TO TURN, TURN THAT MIC A LITTLE BIT.
SO THIS ADDITIONAL THREE MINUTES MM-HMM
THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSION AND TO ED AND EVERYONE WHO HAS HELPED US TO BE HERE TODAY.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT MOMMY, UM, CURRENTLY IS NOT WORKING CONSISTENTLY, BUT SHE IS AN ARTIST AND FROM HER ORIGINAL HOME COUNTRY OF GUINEA, A PERFORMING ARTIST IN THE GUINEA DANCE COMPANY.
AND SO SHE HAS RECENTLY EVEN GIVEN DANCE WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES AT THE DANCE AFRICA FEST.
SHE IS ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR WORK.
AND SO SHE DOES INTEND TO FIND A WAY TO SUPPORT HER AND HER SON RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE SHE ENDED UP IN AUSTIN AFTER, UM, A CONCERNING PHYSICALLY ABUSIVE SITUATION.
SHE IS LIVING ON THE BENEVOLENCE OF, OF FRIENDS.
AND WHILE SHE APPRECIATES THAT THERE IS AN UNSAFE SITUATION, SHE FEELS IN THE HOUSEHOLD WHERE SHE IS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST CIGARETTE SMOKE, IF I MAY.
AND SHE HAS HER FOUR MONTH OLD SON.
AND SO I'VE BEEN MAKING CALLS AND GOOGLING AND RESEARCHING TO FIND WHERE MIGHT THERE BE SOME RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP HER TO GET A MORE SAFE AND HELPFUL PLACE TO RAISE AND TAKE CARE OF HER SON.
AND PART OF WHAT I FOUND WAS THIS COMMISSION AND ED HAS HELPED ME TO COME TO YOU TO ASK TO PLEASE HELP ME, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, TO HELP HER TO FIND HOUSING, SAFE HOUSING, AND THEN OTHER RESOURCES SO THAT SHE CAN STABILIZE HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, I AM, I'M GOING TO, UM, YIELD FOR ED TO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
UM, AS MUCH AS WE UNDERSTAND MS. MAMIE'S SITUATION IN HER SITUATION, UM, MS. MAMIE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE? OKAY.
AND IF YOU NEED TO TRANSLATE, I'LL, UH, SPEAK.
SO AS MUCH AS WE APPRECIATE THAT SHE CAME TO SHARE HER SITUATION MM-HMM
AND AS MUCH AS WE RECOGNIZE WHAT MS. IMANI HAS TO SAY IN SUPPORT OF MS. MAMIE, THE GOVERNING STRUCTURE OF THE COMMISSION DOES NOT ALLOW FOR US TO UTILIZE, UM, THIS SPACE.
THE PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHERE YOU COME IN AND SHARE IS PRIMARILY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO SHARE WITH US THEIR CONCERN.
DO I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY THAT THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT FORUM TO SEEK THE HELP AND SUPPORT THAT WE NEED FOR MONEY? I, I DO BELIEVE MS. IMANI, UM, I'LL LET HER TRANSLATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID, AND I'LL INCLUDE YOUR STATEMENT IN MY RESPONSE, WHICH IS, I DO FEEL THAT AS MUCH AS IT BREAKS MY HEART TO SAY THIS, I DO NOT FEEL THAT THIS IS THE FORUM FOR WHICH YOU CAN SEEK THE SERVICES THAT YOU'RE SEEKING.
I DO SEE YOU COMMISSIONER, UM, AND I DO VICE CHAIR.
UM, BUT THIS IS A TIME PERIOD, GUYS, THAT THIS IS OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO ARE COMING TO THE COMMISSION TO SPEAK FOR THREE MINUTES TO SHARE WITH US THEIR CONCERN.
WHATEVER IT IS, IT IS NOT A TIME FOR US TO TAKE ACTION ON IT.
WE CAN HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND WE CAN MAKE A MOTION TO PERHAPS DIVE INTO IT.
BUT I DO FEEL THAT THE NEED FOR HOUSING IS NOT ONE THAT IS UNIQUE, UNFORTUNATELY, TO YOU.
NO, I'M NOT MR. JACKMAN, MS. JACKMAN,
[00:20:01]
LET ME KNOW IF I'M, IF I'M OUTTA LINE.I DO BELIEVE THAT IT'S BEEN CONVEYED.
UM, AGAIN, AS MUCH AS IT IS DISAPPOINTING, UM, FOR ME TO SAY AT THIS TIME, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO STICK AROUND IF YOU CAN.
UM, PERHAPS THERE MAY BE SOME WHO MAY BE ABLE TO ASSIST OUTSIDE OF THIS, THE ACTUAL, UM, MEETING OF THIS COMMISSION.
BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I'VE GOTTEN CLARIFICATION, UH, THUMBS UP FROM THE INDIVIDUALS BEHIND ME, THAT UNFORTUNATELY, I'M RESTRICTED AT THIS TIME TO HAVE US ACT ON ANYTHING.
OUR, OUR BYLAWS AND OUR PROCESSES ARE IN PLACE.
ARE YOU TRYING TO COMMUNICATE SOMETHING TO ME? WE LOST QUORUM.
OH, DO I ADJOURN? MAY I, LET'S SEE IF WE LET, LET ME TRY TO GET HER BACK.
WELL, I'LL TAKE A RECESS FOR THREE MINUTES FOR THIS.
AND, UH, MR. UH, AV, I, I WANNA SEE EVERYBODY THAT'S BEHIND ME ON THAT SCREEN THERE, PLEASE.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL ADJOURN FOR THREE MINUTES.
[00:26:03]
PHYSICALLY, UH, IN QUORUM? UM, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA IS OFF OF THE, UH, DICE, BUT HE IS HERE WITHIN US, AND HE IS ABLE TO HEAR.AND SO I DO BELIEVE WE CAN, UM, RESUME OUR, UH, DISCUSSION, UH, OR, OR MY COMMENTS.
UM, BUT THAT, UM, AS A REMINDER, COMMISSIONERS AS HEARTBREAKING AS IT IS SOMETIMES, UM, WE ARE LIMITED IN WHAT OUR ACTUAL MANDATE IS.
AND, UM, MOST OF US SERVE BECAUSE WE CARE ABOUT, OH, WE CARE ABOUT, UM, PEOPLE AND THE SAFETY AND THE HOUSING, UH, SAFE, SAFE HOUSING OF, UH, OF OUR CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, IT IS, UH, LIMITS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND IT DOES BREAK OUR HEART.
I, I ASSURE YOU THAT IS, THAT IS NOT, UM, REALLY, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO DO.
UM, BUT IT UNFORTUNATELY IS, UM, THE MANDATE OF OUR COMMISSION.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
UM, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD TO OUR, UH, APPROVAL OF MINUTES, UM, AT THIS TIME.AND COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR NOVEMBER, UM, MINUTES, THEY ARE WITHIN OUR PACKET.
IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS, PLEASE SPEAK UP REGARDING THOSE.
NOW, SINCE THIS WAS ONE OF THE RARE TIMES THAT I, I THINK IT WAS ONLY, I THINK THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE ONLY TIME IN MY TWO, TWO YEARS OR WHATEVER, THAT I WAS NOT ABLE, I HAD FAMILY EMERGENCY.
I APPRECIATE VICE CHAIR TAKING OVER AND YOU ALL MOVING FORWARD WITH THE BUSINESS AT HAND.
IF THERE ARE NO ADJUSTMENTS TO THE NOVEMBER MEETING MINUTES, CAN I GET QUESTION? YEAH.
THERE, THERE WILL BE ONE CORRECTION TO THE MINUTES.
UM, ON MS. JOSEPH, UM, SHE'S BACK THERE.
IT SHOWS THAT SHE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK FOR ITEM SIX AND SEVEN.
REGARDING THE EQUITY OVERLAY PLAN.
IS THAT INCORRECT? THAT'S EITHER YES OR NO.
IT, IT, IT'S THERE, THERE THERE'S GONNA BE A CHANGE TO THE MINUTES.
SO LET, LET, LET'S HOLD OFF ON VOTING FORM.
LET'S HOLD OFF ON VOTING ON 'EM, BUT THERE WILL BE A CORRECTION TO THEM.
AND SO WHERE WILL THIS COME UP INTO OUR, OUR, OUR AGENDA? IF WE DON'T MAKE THE, WE, WE'LL VOTE ON 'EM NEXT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
SO LET'S HOLD OFF ON 'EM UNTIL WE GET THE CORRECTIONS MADE.
SO AT THIS TIME, COMMISSIONERS, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS IN FACT A SIGNIFICANT, UH, ISSUE REGARDING THE MINUTES FROM LAST MONTH.
AND I HAVE BEEN, UM, GUIDED THAT WHAT WE WILL DO IS
[00:30:01]
POSTPONE THE APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER MEETING MINUTES UNTIL NEXT MONTH, WHICH WE WILL MAKE THE CORRECTION.AND THEN, SO NEXT MONTH WE WILL BE VOTING ON BOTH THE NOVEMBER AND THE DECEMBER, UM, MEETING MINUTES.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AT AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU FOR THAT GUIDANCE, MR. BLAKE.
[2. Presentation regarding the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) activities and outcomes (Angel Zambrano, Manager, Neighborhood Services Unit, Austin Public Health)]
MOVING ON TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. ITEM NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, UM, AND OUR ACTIVITIES.UM, AND OF COURSE ON ANGEL, WHO IS EVER SO PRESENT, ALWAYS TO ASSIST WITH THIS.
AND, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU ALL WHO ARE, UM, ALSO IN THE, UM, ROOM, THIS MAY BE IDEA THAT THERE MAY BE SOME INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE OF ASSISTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY BE SEEKING HOUSING AND OR HAVE OTHER CONCERNS, UH, REGARDING, UH, BEING ABLE TO SURVIVE NOT ONLY SURVIVE, BUT THRIVE, UH, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO HELM VERY WELL MAY BRING SOME INFORMATION AND INSIGHT.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
CAN YOU HEAR ME WELL? OKAY, GOOD.
UH, SO YES, FOR THE, UH, PEOPLE THAT SPOKE EARLIER, I'LL GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE DO.
AND I MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH THEM AFTERWARDS.
UH, AGAIN, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME FOR THE DECEMBER 10TH, UH, PROGRAMMATIC AND FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK.
GRANTS, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, UNIT OPERATIONS.
UH, PAGE ONE BASICALLY STATES WHAT WE ALWAYS GO OVER, WHAT WE DO.
OUR MISSION, 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.
WE DO IT THROUGH A VARIETY OF WAYS.
WE PROVIDE BASIC NEEDS SERVICES, PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING ACTIVITIES, CASE MANAGEMENT TO GET PEOPLE BACK INTO THE WORLD OF WORK.
AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS ARE PART OF THAT CASE MANAGEMENT.
AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE, YOU'LL FIND AN UPDATED, UH, BUDGET REPORT THROUGH OCTOBER.
OUR EXPENDITURES, WE'VE EXPENDED CLOSE TO 60% OF OUR 2024, UH, BUDGET.
UH, WE'RE GONNA ASK FOR AN EXTENSION TO GO INTO 2025, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS FOR US.
WE HAVE SOME PERSONNEL SAVINGS.
IT KIND OF HELPS US STAY FULLY STAFFED, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UH, WHEN WE CAN EXTEND IT A FEW MONTHS INTO THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE TWO, I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF, UH, PERFORMANCE MEASURES HERE ON THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
A TRANSITION OUTTA POVERTY GOAL OF 43 TRANSITIONS, UM, A YEAR.
WE'VE GOTTEN 28 THROUGH OCTOBER.
WE'VE GOTTEN A FEW MORE IN IN NOVEMBER AND EVEN IN DECEMBER.
UH, BUT I JUST KEPT MOST OF THE DATA HERE THROUGH THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, UH, TO KEEP IT, UH, CONSISTENT.
SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET CLOSE TO OUR GOAL THERE.
THAT'S OUR SOCIAL WORKERS, UH, WORKING WITH FOLKS WHO ARE, UH, BELOW 200% OF POVERTY, HELPING THEM WITH TRAINING, GETTING BACK INTO THE WORLD OF WORK, RESUME BUILDING, INTERVIEWING SKILLS, ET CETERA.
UH, I'LL FOCUS ON, UH, THE SERVICE NUMBER FIVE A, THE BOTTOM PART OF THE REPORT HERE, OUR NURSES, I PUT 337, UH, FLU SHOTS WERE GIVEN TO LOW INCOME AND UNINSURED CLIENTS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS THIS FLU SEASON.
I CHECKED AGAIN TODAY AND WE HAD AN EVENT IN SEPTEMBER THAT WE DIDN'T CAPTURE WHEN I GOT THIS DATA, SO THAT'S EVEN BETTER WITH ONE LESS NURSE THAN WE HAD LAST YEAR.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A VACANCY, UH, OR HAD A VACANCY AT MONTOPOLIS THAT HAS BEEN FILLED.
AND STILL WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, HELP ALMOST 400 PEOPLE GET THEIR FLU SHOTS.
OUR FIVE JJ, OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION, UH, NUMBERS.
UH, WE'VE SERVED OVER 80, ALMOST 83,000 PEOPLE THROUGHOUT OCTOBER.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SAME NUMBER, SAME TIME LAST YEAR, 64,000.
SO AGAIN, THE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO BE HIGHER THAN USUAL.
A LOT OF FOOD INSECURITY IN THE AREA DUE TO INFLATION AND JUST, UH, LACK OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR A LOT OF THE CLIENTS WE SEE.
THE REST YOU CAN READ ON YOUR OWN.
NUMBER THREE, OUR HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM.
WE'RE WINDING FULLY DOWN BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
WE WILL HAVE NO STAFF DEDICATED TO THAT PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THE FOOD BANK, AS I MENTIONED A FEW MONTHS AGO, TOOK OVER THE PROGRAM AND THE LOGISTICS OUT OF THEIR, UM, UH, OPERATIONS ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE.
BUT IN NOVEMBER, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO
[00:35:01]
STILL MAKE DELIVERIES TO 1,322 HOUSEHOLDS, IMPACTED ALMOST 4,000 PEOPLE WITH NOT JUST THE SHELF STABLE FOOD, BUT ALSO THE 10 POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE.'CAUSE THAT WAS A HUGE WIN FOR US AND FOR THIS COMMISSION TO SUPPORT THAT.
AND THE FACT THAT IT'S GONNA CONTINUE AT LEAST THROUGH 25, HOPEFULLY 26, WHEN THE FOOD BANK CAN LEVERAGE SOME OF THEIR OWN, UH, FUNDING AND IMPACT, UM, TO CONTINUE TO FUND THAT PROGRAM.
UH, NUMBER FOUR, THE DUFF SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
IT'S, UH, WE HAD A SOFT OPENING.
WITH, UH, SOME OF THE CITY POLITICIANS KIND OF THING, RIGHT? MM-HMM
BUT WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER, I THINK, WE'LL, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE ANOTHER GRAND OPENING IN THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR, BUT WE'RE OPEN.
UM, WE'RE GETTING OUR FOOD PANTRY SET UP, GETTING EVERYTHING DONE THROUGH THE FOOD BANK THE RIGHT WAY.
WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THE, UH, FREEZERS, UH, KIND OF PAR FOR THE COURSE AFTER COVID.
AND JUST THE WAY THE QUALITY OF THINGS ARE, NOT WHAT THEY USED TO BE, BUT WE'RE ALMOST THERE.
WE HAVE A SOCIAL WORKER, WE HAVE A NURSE, A COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, A COUPLE OF OTHER REGULAR COMMUNITY WORKERS AND ADMIN.
AND WE'RE READY A ROLE AT DO SPRINGS.
AND NUMBER SEVEN, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING.
AGAIN, I, UM, SOME OF YOU'RE KIND OF NEW TO THE BOARD.
UH, WE DO PROVIDE, UH, FREE HEALTH SCREENINGS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
WE'RE DOING THAT AT DOVE SPRINGS AS WELL.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT INCLUDES, UH, BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS, BLOOD SUGAR SCREENINGS, CHOLESTEROL HEALTH EDUCATION, UH, HEMOGLOBIN A1C TESTING, PREGNANCY TESTS AND GENERAL INFORMATION REFERRALS, UH, TO HELP PEOPLE GET CONNECTED TO MEDICAL HOMES IF THEY DON'T HAVE ONE, OR JUST GET 'EM SORT OF RE-ENERGIZED AND EMPOWERED TO, UH, TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR HEALTH.
AND, UH, 377 FLU SHOTS, UH, FOR THIS, UH, YEAR.
I'LL INVITE YOU ON YOUR OWN TIME TO, UH, READ THE SUCCESS STORY THIS MONTH.
IT KIND OF WILL SHOW YOU SORT OF THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
IT HAS TO DO BOTH WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING SERVICES AND OUR, UH, SOCIAL WORK SERVICES.
AND JUST KIND OF TACKLING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CHALLENGES FROM THE, UH, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE HERE IN AUSTIN, UH, DAILY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE POOR AND UNINSURED.
I'LL TRY TO HAVE MORE OF THESE FOR YOU ALL, EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO YOU ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, PUT A HUMAN BEING TO THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE.
THE OTHER BACKUP IS JUST FOR YOUR OWN TIME AND PLEASURE.
IT KIND OF BREAKS DOWN THE SERVICES BY, UH, ZIP CODE AND TYPES OF SERVICE THAT'S ALSO IN YOUR BACKUP.
UM, KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE THE ZIP CODE, YOU KNOW, WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM.
ALL I'LL SAY THE CAVEAT IS THAT IF YOU DON'T SEE A ZIP CODE IN HERE, IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY DIDN'T RE RECEIVE SERVICES.
UH, WE'RE JUST CAPTURING THE TOP LIKE, UH, FIVE, SIX ZIP CODES, UM, WHERE MOST PEOPLE CAME FROM AT THAT TIME.
UH, THAT'S THE END OF MY REPORT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL CONNECT WITH THE FAMILY AFTER THIS.
THANK YOU HONOR HILL FOR THAT REPORT.
UM, IN REFERENCE TO THE GRAND OPENING FOR THE DOVE SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, YOU SAID THAT THERE MAY BE IN JANUARY.
DO YOU HAVE A DATE IN MIND ALREADY FOR US TO SAVE THE DATE? UH, I REACHED OUT TO, UH, LEADERSHIP AND A PH TO FIND OUT THE DATE, AND I HAVEN'T RECEIVED A DATE FROM THE PIO OFFICE.
SO AS SOON AS I GET A DATE, I WILL SEND IT TO YOU.
I'LL SEND IT TO BLAKE AND THEN HE CAN KINDA DISSEMINATE IT THE RIGHT WAY TO YOU ALL.
WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT SOME OF THE KINKS MM-HMM
UM, BUT YEAH, I WOULD LIKE FOR, UM, IF POSSIBLE FOR IT TO BE A DATE THAT IS BEYOND OUR NEXT MEETING.
I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THAT TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND SO THAT THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE DOVE SPRINGS AREA AND ANY OTHER, UH, THOSE OF US ON THE COMMISSION, UH, HAVE AMPLE NOTICE TO PARTICIPATE.
UH, SO AS LONG AS WE HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE IT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
I REALLY HOPE THEN TO PUSH IT TO FEBRUARY OR MARCH.
THAT'S THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE YEAR FOR US.
AND I WOULD WANT MOST OF YOU, OR ALL OF YOU TO COME IF POSSIBLE MM-HMM
BUT IT MOST LIKELY WILL BE IN LATE AFTERNOON TO EVENING.
SO PEOPLE ARE WORKING 10 TO 10, BUT IT'S A GREAT FACILITY AND HOPEFULLY BY THEN WE'LL HAVE A CHILDCARE, UM, PROVIDER IDENTIFIED TOO, SO YOU GUYS CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
WE DEFINITELY ARE EXCITED, UM, ABOUT THE DOVE SPRINGS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER COMING ONLINE.
UM, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, UH, COMMISSIONER, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? FORHE, YOU'RE
[00:40:01]
GOOD? OH, ON ONLINE.OH, WE HAVE TWO COMMISSIONER WOODS AND COMMISSIONER TISHA.
THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR YOUR REPORTS.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE, THE WINTER WEATHER, THE SHELTER HAS BEEN ACTIVATED, UM, FOR THIS EVENING INTO TOMORROW.
AND I APPRECIATE, UM, SEEING THAT THAT WAS DONE SO EARLY AND THAT, UM, YOU ALL THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY UTILIZING THE, UM, 24 HOUR ADVANCE NOTICE.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE ALERTS AND THE INFORMATION THAT IS THEN SENT OUT.
UM, BECAUSE I JUST CHECKED THE LINE AGAIN JUST TO SEE IN TERMS OF UPDATES OF INFORMATION AND, UM, I'M JUST WONDERING THE FREQUENCY OF WHEN IT IS UPDATED, BECAUSE THE HOTLINE IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT.
THE COLD SHELTER HOTLINE DOES STATE THAT THE WINTER WEATHER SHELTERS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED, BUT IT IS DATED FOR YESTERDAY.
SO THAT WILL HOPE HOPEFULLY NOT CREATING ANY FURTHER CONFUSION OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU ARE AWARE OF ANY OF THOSE PROCESSES.
AND I KNOW THAT MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, BUT WONDERING IF YOU ARE AWARE OF THOSE PROCESSES IN TERMS OF WHEN THOSE UPDATES HAPPEN, WHEN INFORMATION IS DISSEMINATED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
I GOT THE, THE NOTICE, UH, YESTERDAY AS, AS WELL.
AND I THINK SANDY SINO, THE MANAGER AT EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, POSTED IT ON THE LISTSERV, UH, FOR EVERYBODY WHO'S ON THAT LISTSERV BE PRETTY ROBUST.
UH, BUT I COULD FIND OUT, AND YOU ACTUALLY, UH, REF TRIGGERED MY MEMORY.
'CAUSE YOU HAD ALL ASKED ALSO ABOUT THE, UM, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS LAST MONTH.
I DID REACH OUT AND TALK TO THE PHEP UH STAFF, AND THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO COME AT SOME POINT AND, UH, LET YOU KIND OF KNOW WHAT THE PLAN IS.
I KNOW THAT YOU'D BE WONDERFUL.
I THINK YOU GUYS HAD, UM, I'M BLANKING ON HIS NAME RIGHT NOW, BUT HE CAME AND DID THE RESILIENCY HUB PRESENTATION EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, THAT WAS MORE OF A CITY COUNTYWIDE LEVEL PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, THE PERSON I SPOKE WITH WOULD BE HAPPY TO COME.
SO YOU JUST LET ME KNOW WHAT MONTH AND THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO A SHORT POWERPOINT ON THAT.
SO AT LEAST WE CAN HAVE THAT, UM, ACTIVATED.
WE CAN ADD THAT TO A FUTURE SURE.
AND THEN THIS IS THE OTHER SORT OF QUESTION, BUT THERE'S A LEAD IN, UH, A CONCERNING LEAD IN THAT THEN RESULTS IN THE QUESTION.
SO I ATTENDED A RECENT PODCAST, UM, IT'S CALLED, UM, WHAT IS IT? AMERICAN COMPASSION.
AND UM, ONE OF THE GUESTS MADE A COMMENT THAT STRUCK ME AS A FLAG, NOT A PARTICULAR COLOR, BUT A FLAG
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS MENTIONED, UM, IN THE UPCOMING YEAR, I GUESS HE HAS SOME TIES, MAYBE AT LEAST SOME INROADS INTO THE NEW ADMINISTRATION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE MENTIONED WAS ABOUT THE TANF PROGRAM AND HOW WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, OF COURSE, COMMUNITY MEMBERS UTILIZING NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES AND ADDITIONAL NEEDS.
AND THE COMMENT THAT HE WAS SUGGESTING WAS THAT THERE WILL BE AT LEAST A PROPOSED IDEA TO ROLL BACK A LOT OF FUNDING THAT HAS HAPPENED FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT CURRENTLY ARE UNDER OR UTILIZE TANF FUNDING FROM THE STATE.
AND MY CONCERN IS THE WAVE OF REQUEST AND DEMAND THAT THAT WILL CREATE ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
AND WONDERING IF THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN PROACTIVE CONVERSATION, POTENTIAL PROACTIVE PLANNING IN THE EVENT OF THE CARPET BEING PULLED OUT FROM BENEATH INDIVIDUALS THAT RELY ON PARTICULAR SOCIAL SERVICES NOW.
AND HOW OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS MAY BE ABLE TO, AND CAN BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS, OF COURSE, IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER GROUPS FROM OTHER, UM, ARENAS THAT BEING FAITH-BASED, FAITH-BASED GROUPS, OTHER NONPROFITS, PRIVATE ENTITIES, PUBLIC OR, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE NONPROFIT ENTITIES.
SO JUST WONDERING IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS HAS ALREADY STARTED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS IN THE EVENT OF THE RUG BEING PULLED OUT FROM INDIVIDUALS THAT UTILIZE SOCIAL SERVICES AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THAT COMMENT WAS MADE ON THAT PODCAST AND IT DREW A RED FLAG FOR ME BECAUSE THE PACIFIC POPULATION HE WAS TALKING ABOUT WERE SINGLE ADULTS WITHOUT DEPENDENTS AND THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, OF ELDERLY AGE 55 PLUS, 65 PLUS.
AND THAT'S I GUESS ANOTHER QUESTION ON HOW DO WE TRACK THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS
[00:45:01]
THAT ARE NOT FAMILIES AND THAT ARE NOT ELDERLY UTILIZING NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES, NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER RESOURCES BECAUSE THOSE INDIVIDUALS COULD POTENTIALLY BE IN A VULNERABLE POPULATION SHOULD THINGS TRANSPIRE THE WAY THAT THIS PARTICULAR, UM, EXPERT AND SPECIALIST HAD DESCRIBED ON A PODCAST.SO DID YOU GET THOSE TWO QUESTIONS? I'LL GO OVER THEM AGAIN.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE PROACTIVE PLANNING AHEAD.
IN THE EVENT OF THE RUG BEING PULLED UNDER FOR PEOPLE AND, UM, INDIVIDUALS THAT UTILIZE SOCIAL PROGRAMS LIKE TANF.
UM, WE'VE ALSO, WE'VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS.
WE'VE HAD EXAMPLES IN THE PAST WHEN SNAP IS PULLED OUT FROM UNDER THE RUG OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE USED THAT AND WIC AND HOW THAT'S BEEN PULLED OUT FROM UNDERNEATH IN MEDICAID.
SO JUST WONDERING IF THERE IS PRE-PLANNING, UM, FOR SOCIAL SERVICES RELATED TO TANF EMERGENCY FUNDING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I GUESS CAN PRECURSOR THIS ONE IS DO THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS TRACK THE DEMOGRAPHIC OR THE POPULATION OUTSIDE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE A PART OF A FAMILY OR HAVE DEPENDENTS OR ARE ELDERLY, SO ADULTS? 'CAUSE THE, THE, THE PARTICULAR EXPERT SPOKE ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC POPULATION.
SINGLE INDIVIDUAL ADULTS THAT DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN, UM, OR THAT ARE NOT, UM, IDENTIFIED AS ELDERLY.
UM, SO I WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THE SECOND, THE FIRST QUESTION, UH, WE HAVE BEEN PROACTIVE.
UH, WE'RE SEEING A MUCH HIGHER DEMAND FOR BASIC NEEDS SERVICES, NOT JUST FOOD.
UH, ONE THING WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE WORKING WITH THE FOOD BANK TO GET ON THE, UM, UM, ARP PROGRAM AGENCY RETAIL PICKUP PROGRAM, WHICH WILL ALLOW US TO, UH, TO, UH, PICK UP MORE RESOURCES OTHER THAN FOOD AT, UH, LOCAL ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE PART OF THAT PROGRAM TO THE FOOD BANK.
UH, WE'RE PILOTING THAT AT EAST AND IT'S GOING BY, IT'S GOING REALLY WELL.
IT TRULY ENHANCED OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE MORE, UH, ROBUST SERVICES FOR FOOD PANTRY, UH, FOR EVEN OUR THANKSGIVING EVENTS, WHICH I'LL REPORT ON NEXT MONTH.
'CAUSE WE'RE STILL GETTING THAT DATA NOW FROM NOVEMBER.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO NOT JUST GIVE PEOPLE A TURKEY INSIDE, BUT ABLE TO GIVE LIKE, UM, ONE COOL THING WAS AN EMERGENCY WEATHER, SEVERE WEATHER RADIO.
AND I THINK WE GOT CLOSE TO A THOUSAND OF THOSE RADIOS THROUGH THE, UH, A RP PROGRAM.
SO THAT WAS, UH, A WAY TO KIND OF DO TWO THINGS, GIVE PEOPLE FOOD, AND ALSO THIS, UH, RESOURCE THAT THEY CAN USE TO, UH, KEEP TRACK OF THE WEATHER WHEN THE ELECTRICITY GOES OUT OR, OR THINGS FREEZE UP.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING TO, UH, ENHANCE OUR SERVICES.
SO I'M GONNA FOLLOW UP ON COMMISSIONER'S QUESTION, JUST REAL, REAL STRAIGHT.
IS THERE ANY ACTIONS IN PLACE RIGHT NOW IN ANTICIPATION OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF GREAT CHANGE IN THE SERVICES THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT ELDERLY AND HAVE NO DEPENDENTS? UH, WE ARE WORKING ON ASSISTING ALL INDIVIDUALS.
SO THERE'S NO TARGETED, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC THAT WE'RE DOING THAT FOR THAT WOULD SEE THAT AS DISCRIMINATION.
UH, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET AS MUCH AND BECOME AS ROBUST AS POSSIBLE TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST EVERYONE.
I MEAN, THE FOOD BANK HAS PROGRAMS FOR THE ELDERLY, LIKE THE HOPE PROGRAM MM-HMM
WE HAVE, UH, NOT PROGRAMS BUT SERVICES FOR LIKE YOUNG MOMS WITH FORMULA AND DIAPERS.
SO HOW IS THAT NOT CONSIDERED A DI UH, WHEN WE SAY WE'RE NOT DISCRIMINATING? AND I, I UNDERSTAND THAT I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT ADVOCATING THAT, BUT I'M CURIOUS TO UNDERSTAND.
WE SPEAK THE ELDERLY, WE SPEAK OF THE, THE MOMS WITH THE CHILDREN WE SPEAK OF.
SO HOW IS IT THAT WHEN WE SPEAK OF THOSE WITHOUT CHILDREN OR SOMETHING THAT IT NOW IT, IT SEEMS TO BE, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT DIS DISCRIMINATION, UH, BECAUSE I THINK IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST SOMEONE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 55, WE'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, PREPARING TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO EVERYONE.
SO YES, THE R PROGRAM WILL ENHANCE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO ANYONE WHO'S BETWEEN 18 AND 55, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO ARE UNDER 18 AND THOSE ABOVE 55 AS WELL.
SO WE'RE PREPARING TO HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO HELP EVERYONE.
AND THE THE LAST PART THAT I WANNA COME BACK TO IS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY SPECIFIC INTEREST IN ANTICIPATION OF A GREAT CHANGE, A COMING? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT QUESTION.
UH, MAYBE THE A COMING WAS THROWING YOU OFF.
HAS, IS THERE ANY DIALOGUE WITHIN THE
[00:50:01]
PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION THAT LOOKS FORWARD, IS FORWARD LOOKING AND IS ANTICIPATING POSSIBLE CONCERNS OR POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE, UM, THE, THE NEED IN THE NEXT YEAR, TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS, FOUR YEARS? IF I, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT MY ANSWER MAY BE NO, WHICH IS OII I'M OKAY WITH NO ANSWER IS NO, I JUST NEED THE ANSWER IS NOT.NO, IF IT WAS NOT, I WOULD TELL YOU.
THE ANSWER IS THAT I SEE THIS AS DYNAMIC.
I SEE THIS AS HAPPENING EVERY DAY.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE A RP PROGRAM, I EXPLAINED TO YOU, WHEN WE LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE MORE CAR SEAT EVENTS MM-HMM
I MEAN THAT'S PLANNING, WE'RE NOT DOING IT ONCE.
SHOWING YOU THE, THE PLAN MM-HMM
AND THEN SITTING BACK, SORT OF MY LEADERSHIP STYLE IS TO LIKE, WE'RE JUST WORKING ON IT.
AS THINGS COME UP, WE DO, I LOOK AT THE FUTURE AND KNOW THAT THERE IS LIMITED RESOURCES.
THERE'S A NEW GOVERNMENT COMING IN IN JANUARY THAT COULD CHANGE FUNDING SOURCES FOR AUSTIN AND OTHER CITIES, BUT I WORRY MORE ABOUT THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND DAY TO DAY.
SO WHEN I SEE OPPORTUNITY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITY EVERY DAY.
SO WE ARE PLANNING, I JUST DON'T HAVE A BIG PICTURE ANSWER IN TERMS OF LIKE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
I THINK WE'RE DOING IT EVERY DAY, JUST PART OF WHAT WE DO.
THAT IS, THAT ANSWER IS AN ANSWER.
AND IF I COULD ADD, UH, THAT JUST NEFERTITI JACKMAN, UM, HOUSING DEPARTMENT, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT THE GOOD THING IS OUR BUDGETS ARE SET FOR ALL DEPARTMENTS, RIGHT? WE DO OUR BUDGET ADOPTION, SO THINGS WILL REMAIN THE SAME FOR FISCAL YEAR, UH, FY 25.
EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A CHANGE IN MM-HMM
THE POLITICAL ADMINISTRATION MM-HMM
UM, HOWEVER, UM, WE WILL BEGIN, WE ARE ALREADY STARTING, DEPARTMENTS ARE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET PROJECTIONS PLANNING IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
AND SO UNTIL FUNDING IS CHANGED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL MM-HMM
BUT WE ARE EVEN, WE ARE BEING PROGRESSIVE AND LOOKING PROACTIVE, I'M SORRY.
AND LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET STARTING IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY TO SEE OUR NEEDS.
AND, UH, BUT WE DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S HAPPENING AT A HIGHER LEVEL.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL, UM, HAPPEN WITH OUR LOCAL DOLLARS.
BUT I WILL SAY THIS, SOME OF THE CHANGES MIGHT BE ONE OR TWO YEARS OUT BEFORE THEY MM-HMM
WE DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY IMMEDIATE CHANGES.
AND WHO'S LOOKING AT THAT PROACTIVELY? I AM NOT SURE.
UH, BUT THAT WOULD BE CITYWIDE BECAUSE, UH, IT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT, UH, MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS IN AREAS.
MS. JACKMAN, THAT IS A, UH, THAT IS A VERY HELPFUL RESPONSE.
AND ON HILL, IT'S NOT, THE JURORS WASN'T HELPFUL.
UM, IS BECAUSE THAT IS, UH, HELPFUL IN THE FACT THAT REASSURING, UH, EVERYONE THAT, UM, THE BUDGET FOR 2025 IS ALREADY SET.
THERE WILL NOT BE ANY CHANGES, UH, WITH THAT.
AND THAT ALSO, I CLEARLY HEARD YOU TO SAY THAT THERE IS, UM, AT LEAST AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THERE MAY BE A CHANGE IN FUNDING FROM A FEDERAL PERSPECTIVE, AND THAT AT THAT TIME WE WILL ACTUALLY START, UM, AND WE PROBABLY NEED, YOU SAID YOU SL I WANNA SAY SLIPPED AND SAID PROGRESSIVE.
UM, I ACTUALLY FEEL THAT'S PROBABLY A REAL WISE THING IS FOR US TO, UM, AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT THAT SERVE PEOPLE TO BEGIN TO THINK OF WHAT OTHER, WHAT, WHAT'S THE WORST CASE SCENARIO? WHERE WOULD WE FIND FUNDING? LET'S START THINKING ABOUT THAT STUFF NOW, IF WE DON'T EVER NEED TO GO THERE, WONDERFUL.
RIGHT? BUT IF WE DO NEED TO GO THERE, WE ARE GONNA LOOK REALLY RIDICULOUS BEING FLATFOOTED WHEN WE CLEARLY HAVE NOTICE AND PEOPLE ARE TELLING US WHAT THEY INTEND TO DO, AND WE, WE MUST TAKE THAT UNDER ADVISEMENT.
UM, WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO ACTIVATE, THAT'D BE GREAT, BUT WE MIGHT NEED TO ACTIVATE.
SO LET'S NOT, LET'S NOT BE CARELESS AND HAVE OUR HEAD IN THE SAND AND BELIEVE THAT, UM, THINGS CANNOT CHANGE DRASTICALLY FOR THOSE THAT WE, AGAIN, WE'RE DESIGNED TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WITH THE EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. HELLO? MM-HMM
THAT, THAT'S BETTER THAN, I MEAN, REALLY.
[00:55:01]
BETTER THAN MY ANSWER.NO, NOT, I SHOULDN'T SAY BETTER.
I IT IS AN ADDITION TO, IT WAS SUPPLEMENTAL.
IT WAS A, AN APPRECIATIVE SUPPLEMENT THAT, UH, MS. UM, COMMISSIONER TISHA, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS A LITTLE BIT AND ADDRESSES YOUR CONCERN? OKAY.
COMMISSIONER WOODS, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UH, THIS IS SO QUICK AND EASY BY COMPARISON.
UM, I JUST GOT AN UPDATE TODAY.
THERE'S BEEN SOME ELECTRICAL WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW FROM THE CITY SIDE.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO OPEN IN JANUARY.
UM, WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR WHAT, HOW LONG THE DELAY IS.
I THINK IT'S ABOUT A MONTH'S WORTH OF WORK THAT THEY DISCOVERED AND THEY NEED TO, YOU KNOW, ARRANGE THE CONTRACTOR AND GET ALL THAT DONE.
UNFORTUNATELY WILL NOT BE JANUARY.
AND, UH, WE STILL HAVE A PRESENCE THERE.
WE STILL DO A FOOD DISTRIBUTION THERE AS WELL, AND PEOPLE ARE STILL ATTENDING, SO THAT'S VERY GOOD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REPORT.
IT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD TO SEE, UH, OUR ENDING YEAR NUMBERS.
SO THIS IS OUR LAST MEETING, UH, BEFORE THE YEAR END.
SO, UH, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE, UH, THAT, UH, YOUR 800, UH, TARGET AND THEN Y'ALL HAD ENROLLED 1,178.
YOUR SUCCESS RATE WAS 147 PERCENT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE THAT.
UH, FOOD DISTRIBUTION THIS YEAR WAS 82,980 COMPARED A YEAR AGO, 63,980.
AND IT'S REALLY GOOD TO SEE THAT THE TRANSITION OUT OF POVERTY GO WAS 43 ACHIEVED, WAS 28 SUCCESS RATE, 65%.
SO Y'ALL HAVE MADE SOME GREAT PROGRESS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA JUST RECOGNIZE THAT MM-HMM
AND, AND, UH, ALSO TO LET YOUR VOLUNTEERS AND THE STAFF THERE AT, UH, ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, CLINICS OUT THERE, ALL OF Y'ALL ARE DOING A LOT OF WORK.
SOCIAL SERVICES IS REALLY HARD, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW IN THE TIME OF HOLIDAYS, UH, WHEN PEOPLE ARE, ARE MOST IN NEED.
UM, I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR, UH, TO SEE, AND TO HEAR THAT A HOUSEHOLD, UH, WHO AVOID EVICTIONS THAT YOU ARE, ARE DOING ARE PART OF THAT WORK THAT IS NEEDED OUT THERE IN THE FRONT LINES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HELPING PREVENT PEOPLE FROM LOSING THEIR HOMES.
UH, SO WE CAN HELP PEOPLE, UM, NOT, YOU KNOW, GET HOMELESS.
AND SO I SEE THAT NUMBERS ARE ARE GOING GOOD HERE AND I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO CONTINUE THAT, UH, AS OUR OUR FAMILIES ARE SUFFERING.
UH, I DID WANNA ASK A QUESTION BEFORE WE CLOSE YOU OUT.
UM, IS THERE ANY CHRISTMAS DRIVES OR ANYTHING THAT, UH, THE CLINICS WILL BE OFFERING FOR, UH, LIKE, UH, BLUE SANTA BROWN SANTA, UH, ANYTHING THAT WE COULD SHARE, UH, FROM NOW UNTIL NEXT WEEK, UM, FOR ANY OF OUR, OUR RECIPIENTS OUT THERE? AND THAT'S IT.
UH, WE DID A LOT FOR THANKSGIVING.
I THINK BLACKLAND NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER IS DOING A, A CHRISTMAS, UH, DECEMBER HOLIDAY EVENT.
I WILL, UH, COME BACK TO THIS TOMORROW AND IF THERE'S ANY OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS, I WILL LET YOU KNOW, UH, OTHER THAN OUR REGULAR EVENTS.
BUT GOOD QUESTION, AND THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION.
UH, THE NUMBERS WILL BE EVEN HIGHER 'CAUSE YOU WON'T GET DECEMBER DATA UNTIL FEBRUARY.
WHICH IS KIND OF WEIRD, BUT, UH, THAT'S THE WAY IT GOES.
BUT DEFINITELY, UH, IT IS HARD WORK AND I'LL PASS ON THE COMPLIMENTS TO OUR STAFF.
WE'RE HAVING A STAFF APPRECIATION EVENT ON FRIDAY AND THAT THEY WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT THE COMMISSION IS REALLY, UH MM-HMM.
AND WE DO, UH, TOTALLY ECHO, UH, WHAT COMMISSIONER, UM, DELGADO SAYS THAT IS TRUE.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE ARE FINISHED WITH ON HILL.
[3. Presentation and discussion on the Tenant Relocation Ordinance and Program (Susan Watkins, Division Manager, Housing Department and Nicole King, LaVeer Logix)]
AS WE MOVE ON TO, UM, ITEM NUMBER THREE, WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION WITH THE TENANT RELOCATION ORDINANCE AND PROGRAM.UH, WE DO HAVE SUSAN WATKINS, THE DIVISION MANAGER OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, NICOLE KING.
AND SO, UM, THEY'RE GOING TO SPEAK, UH, REGARDING ITEM THREE.
GOOD AFTERNOON COMM, OR GOOD EVENING.
SUSAN WATKINS WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, A DIVISION MANAGER IN THE DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION DIVISION.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA KIND OF OPEN UP, I'M HERE WITH NICOLE KING, WHO'S OUR VENDOR FOR THE TENANT RELOCATION PROGRAM.
I'M GONNA OPEN UP WITH SOME HISTORY ABOUT THE TENANT
[01:00:01]
USH PROGRAM AND HOW WE KIND OF GOT TO THE PLACE WE'RE AT.AND ALSO, UM, GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHAT WAS CALLED THE NEXUS STUDY.
UM, SO NOW THIS, THIS PRESENTATION THAT YOU'RE GIVEN, I, I HAVE A VERY, VERY, VERY FULL PACKET HERE.
CAN YOU SHARE WITH ME ABOUT THE TIME AMOUNT THAT WE THINK WE'RE GONNA SPEND ON THIS? UH, MY PRESENTATION WILL BE PRETTY SHORT.
UM, AND THEN NICOLE, I HAVE EIGHT SLIDES.
WE'RE GONNA GO OVER THE ORDINANCE AND THE UPDATE.
AND SO STARTING OFF WITH THE ORDINANCE, IT WAS ADOPTED IN 2016.
IT WAS IN A RESPONSE TO A LOT OF REDEVELOPMENT THAT WAS HAPPENING IN AUSTIN OF SMALL SCALE MULTI-FAMILY, UM, THAT INTO MUCH DENSER MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING AND PEOPLE WERE BEING DISPLACED MM-HMM
AND SO THIS ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED TO KIND OF TRY TO HELP PEOPLE GET ENOUGH NOTICE WHEN THIS WAS HAPPENING.
SO THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES, UM, 120 DAY NOTICE FOR MULTIFAMILY.
AND THIS IS FOR FIVE UNITS OR MORE, UM, IN A DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO THAT, THAT WOULDN'T INCLUDE THE DUPLEX TO THE QUADPLEX, UM, PRODUCT.
THIS IS GONNA BE FIVE UNITS OR MORE.
UM, AND THEN 270 DAYS FOR MOBILE HOME RESIDENTS.
UM, IT APPLIES TO, IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HOW THIS IS TRIGGERED.
UM, FOR MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES, IT'S DEMOLITION PERMITS.
UM, AND THAT GOT EXPANDED WHEN, WHEN WE KIND OF SAW SOME ISSUES IN 20 16, 20 17 WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ORDINANCE.
AND FOR MOBILE HOME PARKS, IT WAS ZONING APPLICATIONS AND SITE PLAN APPLICATIONS.
SO THAT MEANT IF A DEVELOPER WAS COMING IN FOR THESE PERMITS, IT THEY WERE GETTING FLAGGED, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DEVELOPER WAS PROVIDING NOTICE TO THE TENANTS, UM, AT BOTH OF THESE LOCATIONS.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THERE WERE SOME ISSUES IDENTIFIED OVER THE COURSE OF IMPLEMENTATION.
AND SO THERE WAS A RESOLUTION PASSED IN 2018, UM, WHERE THEY ASKED FOR MORE STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK.
THERE'S AN EXTENSIVE, UM, MEMO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL IN 2019 THAT KIND OF ADDRESSES THE FEEDBACK.
AND WHAT WAS INTERESTING, AND I WAS GLAD TO SEE, IS THAT SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT'S IN THAT 2019 MEMO, WE'VE, WE'VE SINCE ADDRESSED.
UM, AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER UPDATE IN 2022 TO KIND OF GET AT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE SEEING THAT BUILDINGS WEREN'T NECESSARILY BEING DEMOLISHED, BUT THEY WERE BEING RENOVATED AND HAVING THE SAME IMPACT OF DISPLACING RESIDENTS.
AND SO THERE'S ORDINANCE LANGUAGE UPDATED TO KIND OF ADDRESS NOT JUST THE DEMOLITION PERMIT, BUT IF YOU'RE PULLING A PERMIT FOR A FULL RENOVATION OF THE BUILDING.
AND THEN IT WAS, UM, UPDATED AGAIN IN AUGUST 31ST, 2023, UM, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE DEFINITIONS EVEN AROUND FIVE UNITS IN A BUILDING VERSUS FIVE UNITS IN A DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE WERE SEEING.
AND SO THE, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THE ORDINANCE OUTLINES, UM, THE PROGRAM AND IT CALLS FOR IN 2016, THERE WAS HOPE THAT THERE WOULD BE A DEVELOPER FUND THAT DEVELOPERS WOULD PAY INTO A FUND THAT WOULD ASSIST TENANTS.
THERE ARE STATE CHALLENGES WITH IMPLEMENTING THAT.
AND SO THE ORDINANCE ALSO OUTLINES A CITY FUNDED PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU THE UPDATE ON.
AND SO, UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, FOR THE FIRST TIME THERE WAS FUNDING ALLOCATED TO THE TENANT RELOCATION PROGRAM.
WE WENT THROUGH A SOLICITATION PROCESS.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, IT TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO IS ELIGIBLE.
THESE ARE KIND OF SOME OF THE DETAILS THAT YOU'LL FIND IN THE ORDINANCE AND IN THE NEXT SLIDE, ALSO THE SERVICES OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE.
AND, UM, MS. KING IS GONNA GO OVER SOME OF THIS, UM, AS IT'S BEING ADDRESSED IN THE PROGRAM.
BUT IF WE GO TO SLIDE NINE, UH, WHERE WE ARE IS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ON MONITORING THOSE APPLICATIONS FOR DEMOLITION RENOVATION.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING MORE UPSTREAM.
AND, UM, I SHOULD HAVE PUT THIS HERE AND I APOLOGIZE TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM AS WELL.
UM, THE ZONING STAFF HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT ABOUT LETTING US KNOW WHEN SOMETHING, A LAND USE CHANGE IS HAPPENING ON A SMALLER SCALE MULTIFAMILY PROPERTY THAT WE THINK WILL THEN DISPLACE RESIDENTS AT A LATER TIME.
AND SO THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS LONG, BUT THEN WE HAVE, WE'RE TRACKING THOSE PROPERTIES AS THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS COMING ACROSS THOSE ZONING APPLICATIONS.
UM, DEVELOPERS ARE ALSO WORKING WITH TENANTS.
WE'RE SEEING THAT A LOT, UM, KIND OF PROACTIVELY CREATING AGREEMENTS WITH TENANTS ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN REDEVELOPMENT HAPPENS.
OF COURSE, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T, WE HAVEN'T SEEN WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
SO THESE ARE PROMISES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO TENANTS, BUT THE REDEVELOPMENT HASN'T YET HAPPENED.
WE'RE KIND OF IN A WAITING PROCESS TO SEE IF THOSE DEVELOPERS DELIVER ON THE THINGS THAT THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD DO DURING THE LAND USE CHANGE PROCESS.
UM, AND SO VERE LOGICS IS OUR VENDOR THAT WAS SELECTED AFTER THE SOLICITATION PROCESS FOR THE TENANT RELOCATION PROGRAM.
[01:05:01]
WE HAVE BEEN CONTRACTED WITH, UH, RE LOGIC, WE HAVE SEEN OTHER NEEDS THAT HAVE COME UP.AND THERE'S BEEN ADDITIONAL ORDINANCE CHANGES THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THAT HAVE REDEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS THAT TALK ABOUT TENANT RELOCATION.
AND SO THE PROGRAM IS ADDRESSING, UM, AND WAS INITIATED FROM THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE, BUT WE'RE ALSO, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ESTABLISHED VENDOR WITH, UH, A PROGRAM THAT IT HAS EXTENSIVE GUIDELINES, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO ADD THESE THINGS IN AS THEY COME UP.
AND SO THE LAST THING THAT I WANNA TELL YOU ABOUT BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO VERE IS ON SLIDE 10, THE RE RELOCATION COST STUDY.
SO, UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL ASKED FOR.
IT WAS CALLED THE NEXUS STUDY AT THE TIME.
UH, THE ORDINANCE SAID THAT A DEVELOPER COULDN'T BE ASKED TO, UM, PAY IN THESE REDEVELOPMENT CASES WITHOUT A STUDY BEING DONE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COSTS ARE.
WE, IN THE TIME BETWEEN WHEN WE INITIATED THE STUDY AND WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED, UM, WE ARE NOT ASKING THE DEVELOPER TO PAY A FEE, BUT WE STILL MOVE FORWARD WITH RELOCATION COST STUDY.
WE HAVE A VENDOR FOR THAT CALLED ECO NORTHWEST.
THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF THIS STUDY RIGHT NOW.
IT'LL BE COMPLETE IN FEBRUARY.
WE HAVE, UM, A DRAFT OF PORTIONS OF IT.
THE STUDY INCLUDES AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING GAP ANALYSIS, DISPLACEMENT TRENDS, UM, RELOCATION COST RESEARCH, AND THEN A FINAL REPORT.
THAT FINAL REPORT WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE IN FEBRUARY.
UM, WE'RE EXPECT A DRAFT TO STAFF IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF GIVING US SOME INSIGHT ON WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE SEEING FOR RELOCATION AND WHAT THEY'RE PAYING IN OTHER PROGRAMS AND OTHER PLACES.
UM, AND ALSO WHAT THE COSTS ARE HERE, UM, IN AUSTIN IN A 50 MILE RADIUS AROUND AUSTIN, UM, WHICH IS, IS STATED IN THE ORDINANCE.
AND THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE CAN MOVE, UM, IS WITHIN 50 MILES.
SO THOSE ARE THE UPDATES THAT I HAVE, UM, ON THE STAFF SIDE.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE OUR VENDOR HERE WHO'S BEEN WONDERFUL TO WORK WITH, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE HER GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE PROGRAM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME THE TIME TO SHARE THIS PROGRAM WITH YOU.
UM, AS SUSAN STATED, MY NAME IS NICOLE KING, UM, AND I AM THE VENDOR OR WITH, UH, VERE LOGIC.
SO WE ARE, UM, BY DESIGN, UM, A HUMAN SERVICES PROVIDER.
UM, WE, UM, WE SPECIALIZE IN DISASTER RECOVERY SERVICES, HOUSING, RELOCATIONS, AND THEN CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, HAVE CONDUCTED AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT AS WELL AS, UM, WORKSHOPS.
UM, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO OUR HEARTS BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THE COMMUNITY HAS TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THE PROGRAM, THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE ARE ALSO SENSITIVE TO THE CULTURES AND THE NATURE OF THE, THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE GO INTO.
SO MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THEY ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, IS NEAR AND DEAR TO OUR HEARTS.
SO AS FAR AS THE, THE PROGRAM, UM, OUR GOALS ARE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, ALIGNED WITH THE CITY'S ANTI DISPLACEMENT, UM, INITIATIVES, UM, AS WELL AS SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS BEFORE AND DURING, UM, THE RELOCATION.
UM, COLLECTING QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DATA IS IMPORTANT.
UM, WE KNOW NUMBERS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT WE KNOW SUCCESS STORIES, UH, AND, UM, USER EXPERIENCES IS ALSO IMPORTANT AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ALIGNED, UH, WITH THE ORDINANCE THAT SUSAN JUST WENT OVER.
SO FOR OUR LINES OF SERVICES FOR THIS PROGRAM, UM, WE ARE CONDUCTING NEEDS ASSESSMENTS.
UM, WE'RE DOING HOUSING LOCATOR SERVICES, SO WE'RE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH THE INDIVIDUALS TO HELP THEM FIND, UH, HOUSING.
UM, WE ARE ALSO PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
UM, AND I'LL GO OVER THAT IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THE CASE MANAGEMENT PIECE IS ALSO IMPORTANT, UM, JUST MAKING SURE, UM, ALL NEEDS ARE MET.
UH, WE ALSO WORK WITH THE INDIVIDUALS TO CREATE A MOVE PLAN, UM, THAT INCLUDES AN, UH, THEIR PREFERENCES, WHAT, UH, AS IT RELATES TO WHERE THEY WANNA MOVE, WHAT THEY NEED, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, WE'RE ALSO, UM, DOING LANDLORD RECRUITMENT AND OUTREACH, UH, WORKING WITH LOCAL LANDLORDS TO GET THEM TO OPT INTO OUR PROGRAM.
UM, IN THE EVENT THAT WE HAVE SOME, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SOME, UH, BARRIERS TO HOUSING, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNER OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT IS ANOTHER, UM, LINE OF SERVICE THAT WE ARE DOING.
AND THEN HOUSING MARKET RESEARCH, WHICH IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE LAYOUT AND WHAT THE GOING RENTS ARE.
UM, WE ACTUALLY DID WORK WITH, UM, ECO NORTHWEST, WHO IS DOING THE NEXUS STUDY TO PROVIDE THEM SOME OF OUR, OUR DATA AS FAR AS THE TENANT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND WHAT, UM, INDIVIDUALS ARE
[01:10:01]
ELIGIBLE FOR, UM, THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO $6,000 IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.UM, THE $6,000 COVERS REASONABLE MOVING EXPENSES.
UM, ON THE SLIDE HERE, YOU SEE SOME OF THOSE DEPOSIT FEES, APPLICATION FEES, UM, APPROVED LEASE, UM, RELATED EXPENSES, STORAGE, LOGISTICS, UM, FIRST MONTH'S RENT, UM, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT COMES UP THAT IS A RELOCATION RELATED COST.
UM, WE CAN SUPPORT THAT THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
AS FAR AS THE PIPELINE, UM, WHAT THE APPLICANT WILL, UM, OR HOW THE APPLICANT WILL FUNNEL THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, UM, IT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT REFERRAL BASED.
UM, SO THE REFERRALS WILL COME TO US FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, WE WILL THEN DO, UM, AN APPLICATION, UM, AND OUTREACH AND INTAKE WITH THEM.
UM, THEN WE WILL, UM, DO THE ONGOING CASE MANAGEMENT.
SO IN THAT PORTION WE ARE, UM, COMPLETING THE MOVE PLAN, LEARNING THEIR PREFERENCES, LEARNING ABOUT THEIR HOUSEHOLD, LEARNING ABOUT THEIR NEEDS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO BEGIN THE SEARCH FOR, UM, COMPARABLE HOUSING FOR THEM.
UM, THE WAY THAT OUR PROGRAM WORKS AS FAR AS THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND THE DISBURSEMENTS, UM, WE HAVE TWO OPTIONS.
UM, SOMETIMES, UH, INDIVIDUALS WILL, UM, ASK FOR REIMBURSEMENT, MEANING THEY ALREADY PAID, LET'S SAY THEY PAID A DEPOSIT, UM, TO, UM, AN APARTMENT COMPLEX.
WE WOULD THEN, UH, REIMBURSE THEM DIRECTLY OR WE CAN SEND THE PAYMENT DIRECTLY TO THE VENDOR.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, WILL BE DOING SURVEYS, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT WE ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK AS FAR AS, UM, MEETING NEEDS.
UM, AND IF THERE'S ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR PROGRAM, UM, THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT, THAT WE ARE CAPTURING THAT AND MAKING ADJUSTMENTS AS NECESSARY.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME SUCCESSFUL RELOCATIONS.
UM, UH, AS SUSAN STATED, WE HAVE NOT, UM, AT THIS POINT, UH, WORKED WITH ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN, UM, DISPLACED AS A RESULT OF DEMOLITION, UM, OR REHABILITATION.
BUT WE HOPE, UM, THAT WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU GUYS AND REPORT ON SOME, SOME DATA, UM, AND SOME SUCCESS STORIES FOR, UM, OUR PROJECT MILESTONES.
UH, WE HAVE JUST REALLY BEEN, UH, IN PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, ALIGNED WITH THE ORDINANCE, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, INCORPORATING ANTI DISPLACEMENT, UM, INITIATIVES INTO OUR PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE MILESTONES THAT WE'VE CREATED OR, UM, ACCOMPLISHED TO DATE.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, DEVELOPED A PROGRAM.
UM, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE, UM, ARE DOING HOUSING MARKET RESEARCH, UM, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
UM, WE'VE DEVELOPED, UH, THE APPLICATION, UM, AND WEBSITE, UH, WHERE INDIVIDUALS, UM, ARE ABLE TO APPLY, UM, PROGRAM TRAINING.
WE HAVE, UH, TRAINED THE CITY ON CITY, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT ON OUR PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN OUR SOFTWARE CONFIGURATION TOOL, WE HAVE, UM, COMPLETED THOSE ACTIVITIES.
SO I THINK YOU GUYS, THANK YOU.
UM, THAT LAST, UH, WOULD YOU GO BACK MR. AV PLEASE? THE MILESTONES SLIDE? I DON'T HAVE THE MILESTONES SLIDE IN MY PACKET COMMISSIONERS.
IT'S A, OH, THERE'S AN UPDATED VERSION OF IT.
'CAUSE I, WELL, I LIKE THE MILESTONES.
SO THAT SOUNDS LIKE COMMISSIONERS, THAT THERE IS, UM, ADU, UH, THERE'S ADDITIONAL IN OUR PACKET.
YOU MAY HAVE TO, UM, SCURRY FOR IT, BUT IT, IT, IT'S APPARENTLY THERE, SO, UM, WE CAN FORGE FOR IT THERE.
THANK YOU MS. SUSAN, AND THANK YOU.
Y'ALL KNOW, I'LL BE ASKING QUESTIONS,
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU, DOES ANYONE HAVE, UH, ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE? UH, YES.
COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
OH, OH, WHAT'S HER NAME? NICOLE.
UM, YEAH, SO THIS IS PRETTY GREAT.
UM, I WAS SURPRISED THAT YOU SAID THAT THERE HAD NO RELOCATION ASSISTANCE DUE TO DEMOLITION.
THAT'S KIND OF SURPRISING, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW.
I JUST FIGURED THAT A LOT OF THINGS WERE BEING DEMOLISHED AND
[01:15:01]
RECONSTRUCTED OR WHATEVER.SO I GUESS CAN, CAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BENEFITED FROM THIS PROGRAM SO FAR? UH, YOU SAID, DID IT START IN 2022? SINCE 2016? WHEN DID, LIKE, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT? SURE.
UM, SO FOR US, UH, WE'VE BEEN ON BOARD SINCE 2023.
UM, AND IN THE TIME SINCE WE HAVE, UH, BEEN WAITING FOR THE, THE INDIVIDUALS TO BE DISPLACED, UH, THROUGH DEMOLITION, UM, THE CITY HAS IDENTIFIED, UH, ADDITIONAL POPULATIONS THAT WE CAN SERVE UNDER THIS PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO THAT HAS STARTED LATE LAST MONTH.
UM, SO WE ARE WORKING WITH A VERY SMALL GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS, UM, TO GET THEM HOUSED.
THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE COMING, UM, VIA REFERRAL, UM, FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND THEN SECONDLY THERE ARE, UM, SORRY, CITY OF AUSTIN.
I WAS LIKE, THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION, BECAUSE I WAS GONNA SAY, WE DON'T NEED TO BE HELPING THEM RIGHT NOW.
UM, THERE ARE THREE, UM, NONPROFITS THAT ARE, UH, SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS WITH EVICTION DIVERSION.
UM, AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN, UH, DOING SOME, UH, HOUSING LOCATOR SERVICES.
SO WE ARE TAKING OVER FOR, FOR, FOR THEM.
SO THERE'S ABOUT 10 INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH CURRENTLY.
AND, AND JUST TO ADD ON TO THAT, UM, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UH, JUST TO ADD A LITTLE TO THAT.
AND SO THEY STARTED, I THINK WITH US MAYBE IN LATE, LATE 2023, SO ABOUT A YEAR MM-HMM
PRIOR TO THAT, UM, WE DIDN'T HAVE A PROGRAM SET UP, AND SO WE ASSISTED IN I THINK THREE MASS DISPLACEMENT EVENTS IN 2022.
UM, AND A MOBILE, A FEW MOBILE HOME PARKS MM-HMM
SO, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS PROGRAM SET UP, SO WE WERE ASSISTING THEM IN THE DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION DEPARTMENT WITH FUNDS THAT WE HAD, UH, TO ASSIST PEOPLE IN EMERGENCY NEEDS.
BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS PROGRAM SET UP, WE WILL BE ABLE TO REALLY SEAMLESSLY ASSIST THEM, UM, AND BE ABLE TO GET REFERRALS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS THOSE DEALING MILITIAN PERMITS COME THROUGH.
PRIOR TO, I GUESS 2022 THERE, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT OVER 20 PROPERTIES THAT WERE IN THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS, WORKING WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS PROPER NOTIFICATION TO THE TENANTS.
THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW DEVELOPMENTS.
ONE IS, UM, WE DO SEE DEVELOPERS WORKING WITH TENANTS BEFORE.
THINGS ARE MORE, AND, AND SOME OF THAT IS, MIGHT BE IN RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE, THE ORDINANCE PROVISIONS THAT HAVE, UM, ENCOURAGED DEVELOPERS TO DO THAT.
WE'VE HAD SOME INTERACTION WITH DEVELOPERS.
WE'VE SEEN THAT AT PLANNING COMMISSION WHERE THEY COME READY WITH PLANS OF WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO IN AN AGREEMENT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO, UM, HAVE WITH TENANTS, UM, AT RESIDENCES BEFORE DEMOLITION OCCURS.
SO WE'VE SEEN A FEW INSTANCES LIKE THAT.
WE'VE, LIKE, WE'VE BEEN SENT SOME OF THE TENANT AGREEMENTS WITH DEVELOPERS TO KIND OF VIEW THE CITY ISN'T A PARTY TO THEM, BUT WE'VE BEEN, UM, WE HAVE VIEWED THEM.
AND, UM, SPOKEN TO TENANTS WHO'VE BENEFITED FROM THEM.
UH, AGAIN, AGAIN, I I'M JUST REALLY SURPRISED.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TRENDS ARE LATELY AS FAR AS LIKE DEMOLITION AND CONSTRUCTION, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, I MEAN, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN DURING OR PRE COVID AROUND THE RIVERSIDE AREA RIGHT.
AND I MEAN, THE WHOLE AREA IS CHANGING AND I MEAN, ONE CAN ANTICIPATE THAT EVENTUALLY SOME OF THOSE, UH, PEOPLE MIGHT BE DISPLACED.
AND WE HAVE QUITE A FEW PROPERTIES THAT WE'RE TRACKING RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE HAD LAND USE CHANGES.
THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS JUST HASN'T STARTED ON THOSE PROPERTIES YET.
SO, SO IF YOU HAVE YOUR EYE ON CERTAIN PROPERTIES, KIND OF BALLPARK THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, UM, I CAN GET THAT TO YOU.
WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND WE CAN EITHER COME BACK OR WE CAN EMAIL IT.
'CAUSE IT, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE 300, 500 PEOPLE RIGHT.
AT SOME OF THESE WE SEE, UM, ALSO THAT IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE A MUCH MORE DENSE DEVELOPMENT AT SOME LOCATIONS THAN IT'S CURRENTLY THERE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO IS THIS A REFERRAL BASED PROGRAM? MEANING THAT, UM, YOU HAVE TO GET A REFERRAL FROM AN AGENCY TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THIS ASSISTANCE IN, IN THE, IF YOU'RE BEING ASSISTED BY THE ORDINANCE, THE AGENCY WOULD BE THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE REFERRAL WOULD COME FROM, UM, THE, THE PERMITTING SIDE.
SO WE WOULD KNOW THAT REDEVELOPMENT WAS HAPPENING SOMEWHERE THAT WOULD BE AFFECTING OR DISPLACING TENANTS.
[01:20:01]
THEN THE CITY WOULD REFER THE RESIDENTS TO THE CITY PROGRAM.SO THE CITY PERMITTING DEPARTMENT WOULD BE THE, UM, WOULD BE THE ACTING DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD FACILITATE THE REFERRAL TO, TO THIS FUNDING? CORRECT.
THEY WOULD SEND IT TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
SO IT WOULD GO THROUGH OUR HOUSING.
SO LIKE FOR INSTANCE, SINCE YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF ALL THE DEMOLITIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE RIGHT NOW, OR AWARE OF, UM, THE DISPLACEMENT AND SINCE WE'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE COMMUNITY, WE KNOW, UM, WHO DO WE CONTACT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT THIS IS, UM, ABOUT THESE, THESE ARE ABOUT TO BE DEMOLISHED AND REBUILT AND WE'RE ABOUT TO DISPLACE HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES IN OUR DISTRICT.
LIKE WHO DO WE CORRESPOND THAT WITH YOU OR THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING? I WORK AT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
SO YOU'RE THE, YOU'RE THE CONTACT FOR THAT.
AND, AND WE ARE REGULARLY WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT ON THE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE COMING IN FOR DEMOLITION AND RENOVATION OF PROPERTIES.
SECOND IS, UM, IS THAT THE ONLY WAY PEOPLE CAN ACCESS, UM, THE TENANT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THROUGH THE ORDINANCE PROVISION? YES.
WE ARE WORKING, UM, WITH THE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW, AND I CAN LET, UM, NICOLE SPEAK TO THIS ON THE ADDITIONAL WAYS THAT WE'VE SEEN ARE NEEDED, UH, TO ASSIST RESIDENTS IN MAKING THOSE PROVISIONS.
SO YOU MENTIONED THE THREE VENDORS THAT ARE REFERRING OR CAN REFER THAT ARE PART OF OUR EVICTION PREVENTION.
WHO ARE THOSE VENDORS? I DON'T HAVE THEIR NAMES.
UM, TEXAS RIO GRANDE LEGAL AID AND EL
MS. SUSAN, IF YOU WOULD SAY THOSE LOUDLY AGAIN, BECAUSE WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEGAL ASSISTANCE REGARDING THE EVICTIONS, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THAT IS AN AREA WHERE, UM, OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY IS, IS IMPACTED.
AND THAT, BUT TO, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE FOR EVICTION REPRESENTATION IS SEPARATE FROM THE TENANT RELOCATION PROGRAM, RIGHT.
THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T KNOW IF URSULA IS, SHE WOULD HAVE THE NAME OF THE THREE VENDORS FOR SURE, BUT I AM, I'M THINK THAT THEY'RE VOLUNTEER LEGAL SERVICES, UM, TEXAS RIO GRANDE LEGAL AID.
AND I THINK THAT OB ONE MAY ALSO BE ONE OF THE VENDORS.
NO, OB ONE IS NOT, NOT IS IT THE TEXAS? YES.
AND FOR ME TO BE CLEAR, THAT IS NOT PART OF THE RELOCATION THOUGH, RIGHT? OR IT IS YES.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM TO GET THEM RELOCATED.
TO GET, AND SO THE, THE THE LEGAL ASSISTANCE, DOES THAT TIE IN TO THE RELOCATED? YES.
I JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE PROVIDING THAT SERVICE.
AND SO THEN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO BE REFERRED BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING THE LEGAL SERVICES.
IT DID, IT WASN'T BEFORE, BUT NOW THEY ARE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, SIX GRAND PER INDIVIDUAL I UNDERSTAND.
AND THEN HOW MANY CAN Y'ALL SERVE? DO Y'ALL HAVE A CERTAIN, UM, LIKE QUOTE OF LIKE, YOU CAN ONLY SERVE, YOU KNOW, 300 FAMILIES A MONTH OR, UM, I MEAN, DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY LIMITS? DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY GUIDELINES TO THAT? SURE.
SO WITH THE, UM, REFERRALS THAT ARE COMING OVER FROM, UH, THE LEGAL, UM, DEPART, THE LEGAL, UH, ORGANIZATIONS, UM, WE'RE DOING 10 PER MONTH, UM, PER ORGANIZATION.
SO 30
UM, AND HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE HAVE IN THAT, IN THIS PROGRAM? REAL QUICK? THE, WE HAVE SOME FUNDING FROM VARIOUS FISCAL YEARS.
I BELIEVE THE TOTAL IS 1.9 MILLION IN THE PROGRAM, AND WE HAVE $1.9 MILLION.
AND WE COULD ONLY HELP HOW MANY FAMILIES A MONTH.
SOME OF THE MONEY IS SET ASIDE FOR THE RELOCATION PORTION.
THE LEGAL SERVICES IS, IT IS SEPARATE FROM THE ORDINANCE PROVISION.
NE TD JACKMAN, UH, IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
I, I THINK I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT.
[01:25:01]
IT IS NOT EMERGENCY RENT ASSISTANCE.WE DO HAVE A PROGRAM THAT IS SET UP AND DESIGNED FOR THAT.
UM, THE FIRST GOAL IS WHAT SUSAN AND NICOLE SPOKE TO THIS EVENING, WHICH IS REALLY IN RESPONSE TO THE TENANT RELOCATION ACT, WHICH IS IN RESPONSE TO DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AND SO THERE ARE VERY, THE ORDINANCE OUTLINES VERY CLEAR CRITERIA THAT WE ARE TO USE IF A, UH, PROPERTY IS BEING EITHER DEMOLISHED OR REDEVELOPED.
RIGHT? AND SO, SO WE HAVE GUIDELINES.
WE CAN'T JUST, EVEN IF WE HAD $20 MILLION, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES FOR THE TENANT RELOCATION ORDINANCE, RIGHT? MM-HMM
BUT BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING A WIDE VARIETY OF NEEDS, SUSAN AND HER TEAM HAVE RECOMMENDED OTHER USES AND PURPOSES OF THESE DOLLARS.
THE GREAT THING IS, UH, RIGHT, SO IT CAN ALSO INCLUDE WEATHER EVENTS, RIGHT? UH, WITH WINTER STORM URI, THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES THAT WE PROVIDED ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE THAT WAS SEPARATE FROM EMERGENCY RENT ASSISTANCE, BUT, UH, IT WAS FOR RELOCATION OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS DESIGN OUR PROGRAMS SO THAT BASED ON THE WAY PEOPLE EXPERIENCE LIFE, THEY CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THE SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BUT IT CAN'T BE SO BROAD THAT IT'S, IT'S OPEN TO EVERYTHING.
SO THERE ARE SOME CLEAR, UM, UM, THERE ARE SOME PARAMETERS THAT WE HAVE AND WE TRY TO REMOVE AS MANY BARRIERS AS POSSIBLE.
BUT WE WANNA KEEP IN MIND IT IS FOR REDEVELOPMENT FIRST, BUT NOT ONLY RELOCATION FIRST REDEVELOPMENT IN RESPONSE TO YES.
THE TENANT RELOCATION ORDINANCE.
I JUST WANTED A RESPONSE TO STAFF.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, COMING IN AND, AND MAKING YOUR OBSERVATION.
AND, AND THAT'S GREAT AND ALL.
BUT IF I CAN RECALL, 'CAUSE I'VE SERVED ON THE BOARD SINCE 2016 MM-HMM
THAT WE SAW GENTRIFICATION HAPPENING, WE WERE IN THE MIDST OF IT, IT STARTED HAPPENING IN OH NINE.
SO BECAUSE WE WERE IN THE MIDST OF IT AT THE TIME, WE HAD TRIED TO CREATE MEASURES AND, UH, IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS AND ALLOCATE FUNDING AT THAT TIME.
AND IT TOOK THAT LONG TO ACTUALLY GET THE BALL ROLLING.
WE'RE IN 2024, SO 2016 TO 2024.
HOW MANY YEARS IS THAT? EIGHT.
SO WE'VE LOST A LARGE POPULATION OF PEOPLE IN THAT TIMEFRAME, WHICH IS ALMOST A DECADE OF GENTRIFICATION, DISPLACEMENT.
UH, PEOPLE HAVE BECOME HOMELESS.
PEOPLE HAVE PASSED AWAY DUE TO NOT HAVING HOUSING OR NOT BEING ABLE TO SECURE HOUSING.
SO I FEEL, AND AND AGAIN, THIS IS AN OBSERVATION FROM A COMMISSIONER FROM ONE THAT'S IN, IN, IN THE TRENCHES OUT THERE THAT HAS TAKEN TOO LONG.
AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, IT'S BEEN ALLOCATED, IT'S JUST SITTING THERE.
AND THAT WE'RE, NOW THAT WE'VE GOT THE BALL ROLLING, WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS TENANT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE WAS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S CERTAIN BANDAIDS THAT YOU ALL DO, THERE'S RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
AND WE WE'RE VERY AWARE OF ALL THOSE PROGRAMS. BUT AGAIN, HOW IS THIS HELPING OUR, OUR LARGE AMOUNT OF POPULATION THAT'S SUFFERING FROM THEM.
UM, AGAIN, BEING DISPLACED BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT APARTMENTS GETTING DEMOLISHED ALL IN THE RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR, MORE PEOPLE BEING DISPLACED.
WE'VE LOST SO MANY PEOPLE, UM, THAT WERE PROMISED BY DEVELOPERS, MONEY AND RELOCATION AND THE RIGHT TO STAY.
UM, AND, AND OUR COMMISSIONER NOEY CAN, CAN SPEAK ON THAT.
'CAUSE DEPAS AREA, THE WHOLE RIVERSIDE AREA IS, IS SUFFERING THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I JUST KIND OF FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S JUST WASN'T, I'M NOT REALLY SATISFIED AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO, TO HEAR WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER, UH, WITH THAT, THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S, UH, SITTING THERE AND HOW LONG IT'S TAKEN US JUST TO GET ACCESS TO IT.
AND, AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN GROUND ZERO.
UH, SANTA RITA COURTS IS ABOUT TO BE DEMOLISHED.
I MEAN, WE'RE BEING DEMOLISHED LEFT AND RIGHT, AND I JUST, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS PROGRAM MORE
[01:30:01]
PROACTIVE AND US BEING OUT THERE TRYING TO GET, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, UH, FROM BEING DISPLACED AND, AND BECOMING MORE HOMELESSNESS.AND I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE SAID, AND I WISH, UH, AS A CITY WE COULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROACTIVE.
AND THIS IS PAINFUL, RIGHT? YOU GUYS KNOW, WHAT WE ARE DOING IS RESPONDING TO PRESSURES, AND THERE ARE A VARIETY OF PRESSURES THAT PEOPLE ARE FEELING, WHETHER IT'S TRANSIT, WE'RE DEALING WITH THE PROJECT CONNECT, THE TRANSIT INDUCED DISPLACEMENT, AFFORDABILITY, REDEVELOPMENT.
THERE ARE A VARIETY OF DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE FEELING.
UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO RESPOND TO THOSE, AND WE DO NOT HAVE THE GUIDANCE TO RESPOND TO EVERY SINGLE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS OCCURRING IN OUR CITY.
WE HAVE VERY SPECIFIC GUIDELINES.
AND SO THE TENANT RELOCATION PROGRAM IS VERY SPECIFIC, AND IT GIVES, UH, I THINK AS SUSAN, AND I HOPE THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SUSAN TALKED ABOUT, WE WERE SEEING A NUMBER OF MOBILE HOME PARK RELOCATIONS AND DISPLACEMENT, AND WE WERE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE, THOSE, EVEN BEFORE THE PROGRAM WAS SET UP, EVEN BEFORE THE PROGRAM WAS SET UP, WE USED LOCAL DOLLARS.
THE STATE PROHIBITED US FROM CHARGING, UH, THE DEVELOPERS.
SO THE DEVELOPERS DON'T PAY FOR IT, RIGHT? SO THE CITY SAID, WE WILL STEP IN.
AND SO THIS PROGRAM IS FUNDED LOCALLY.
HOWEVER, WHAT WE ARE SEEING, THE MONEY IS NOT MOVING.
AND SOMETIMES THESE THINGS CAN BE GOOD IF, BECAUSE WHAT WE SEE HAPPENING IS DEVELOPERS BEING MORE PROACTIVE, WORKING WITH THE TENANTS AND ESTABLISHING SOME AGREEMENTS, AND THEY ARE GIVEN THE NOTICE.
IF THEY GIVE THAT NOTICE, THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO.
IF THEY GIVE THE 120 DAY NOTICE.
SO THEY'RE FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES, AND WE ARE, THIS IS VERY NEW, AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO MONITOR TO SEE IF THIS IS EFFECTIVE, BUT DEVELOPMENT IS STILL OCCURRING.
AND THAT IS, IT'S, IT'S THE REALITY.
THE DE DEVELOPMENT IS OCCURRING AND PEOPLE ARE, UM, BEING PUSHED OUT OF PLACES THAT THEY WANT TO CALL HOME.
UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO, I UNDERSTAND.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, AND THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER DELGADO.
DEFINITELY BRINGING UP THOSE, UH, VERY IMPORTANT POINTS.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, ONE COMPLEX, UM, ON THE EAST UL TURF AREA THAT, UM, IF, UH, THE CASE PASSES AT COUNSEL, IT WILL BE DEMOLISHED.
UH, SO MY QUESTION IS, I KNOW THAT YOU SAID YOU HAVE HAVEN'T WORKED WITH AN ENTIRE COMPLEX WHERE YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, UH, RELOCATE AN ENTIRE COMPLEX.
UH, AND BASED ON THAT, ARE YOU, DO YOU THINK THE PROGRAM IS EQUIPPED IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN, UH, TO HELP RELOCATE AN ENTIRE COMPLEX? YES.
YOU THINK SO? UH, 200 PEOPLE OR 300 PEOPLE, YES.
WHICH IS IS ONE, UM, REASON WE, WE HAVE THE VENDOR WHO WENT THROUGH THE SOLICITATION PROCESS BASED ON THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH LARGE SCALE, UM, RELOCATION WAS, WAS A FACTOR IN THAT SELECTION.
AND, UM, SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE DEVELOPERS, UH, BEING PROACTIVE.
UM, SO IF THEY OFFER A DEAL AND THEY DO ALL THE NOTIFICATION THAT YOU WERE SAYING THAT THAT MEANS THE CITY DOES NOT STEP IN OR THE PROGRAM DOESN'T HELP THEM, IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING? THE, THERE'S ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA MM-HMM
AND IN THE ORDINANCE, AND THE, THE PROGRAM IS, IS SET UP SO THAT IDEALLY THE DEVELOPER WILL ASSIST WITH, WITH THE RELOCATION CLASS MM-HMM
IN THE EVENT THAT THEY DO NOT, THE CITY HAS A FUND FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT RECEIVING SERVICES.
AND, AND IS THAT FROM THE ONSET, LIKE, LIKE YOU, LIKE THE DEVELOPER WOULD SAY THEY, UH, THEY HAVE THIS DEAL WITH THE,
[01:35:01]
WITH THE TENANTS, AND THEN, SO THAT MEANS YOU JUST LET THEM HANDLE IT? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WHAT, WHAT HAS PRACTICALLY BEEN HAPPENING IS WE DON'T HEAR FROM RESIDENTS THAT ARE BEING ASSISTED FROM BY THE DEVELOPER.AND, UM, IS THERE ANY WAY TO, TO KNOW WHETHER THESE DEVELOPERS OR WHATEVER, UH, WHATEVER THEY PROMISE, IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH THAT.
WE, WE HEAR FROM SOME TENANTS, WHE WHETHER THEY HAVE OR NOT, ON THE CASES THAT WE ARE MONITORING FROM OUR ZONING STAFF, WE, WE HAVEN'T SEEN, THE DEVELOPMENT HASN'T STARTED YET MM-HMM
WELL, WE KIND OF HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE ON SOME OF THOSE.
I MEAN, UH, MY THOUGHT ON THAT WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF A DEVELOPER OFFERS, UH, YOU KNOW, TENANTS $2,000, MAYBE SOMETHING THEY THINK THEY CAN TAKE.
BUT THEN THE REALITY IS THAT IF YOU GO OUT SEARCHING FOR AN APARTMENT WITH ONLY $2,000, IT'S GONNA BE HARD TO FIND IT.
WOULD THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN COME TO THE CITY OR WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO COME TO THE CITY IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FUNDING FOR, FOR THEM TO FIND AN APARTMENT? YES.
SO OUR PROGRAM WOULD STEP IN, UH, AND THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT 4,000.
UM, THAT IN THE EVENT THAT IT WAS, THEY RECEIVED $2,000 FROM A DEVELOPER MM-HMM
UH, AND, AND THAT WOULD BE ON, ON THEIR OWN ACCOUNT.
LIKE, WOULD THEY HAVE TO, UH, REACH OUT TO YOU AND SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE GIVEN THIS AMOUNT AND THEN IT WASN'T ENOUGH.
I NEED, YOU KNOW, WE NEED HELP.
HOW WOULD WE KNOW THROUGH THE PROCESS? THAT'S WHAT I THINK.
I, WE WOULDN'T BE, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE WOULD FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE WOULDN'T BE A MECHANISM FOR US TO FIND OUT OTHERWISE.
SO THERE MAY BE, UH, SOME AGREEMENTS WITH DEVELOPERS THAT WEREN'T ADEQUATE FOR THE TENANTS TO MOVE OUT.
NOT ENOUGH MONEY, NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES, NOT ENOUGH HELP.
BUT SINCE THEY, I GUESS THEY GOT THEM STARTED AND THE TENANTS DID NOT COME BACK AND REACH OUT TO THE CITY.
SO THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE LOOKED INTO OR, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER ON THAT.
I WILL, I WILL SAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, SUSAN ALSO POINTED OUT, WHEN WE FIND THAT THERE ARE LOOPHOLES, WE HAVE GONE BACK, LAW HAS GONE BACK AND WE'VE CONTINUED TO REFINE THE PROGRAM TO CLOSE THE LOOPHOLES SO THAT THE DEVELOPERS, UM, ARE NUMBER ONE FOLLOWING THE GUIDANCE THAT'S IN THE ORDINANCE.
AND THEN ALSO WE ARE RECEIVING PROPER NOTIFICATION SO FAR.
UM, AS SUSAN ALSO POINTED OUT, WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UH, PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF AND THE ZONING STAFF SPECIFICALLY, THEY PROVIDE US INFORMATION.
WE'RE DEVELOPING THINGS SO THAT WE CAN TRACK WHEN THE DEVELOPMENTS ARE OCCURRING.
UM, AND THEN ALSO STAFF WITH DSD.
AND IT, IT IS, A LOT OF IT IS BASED ON WHEN THE DEVELOPERS PULL THEIR PERMITS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, IF THERE ARE GAPS, I MEAN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, THIS IS NEW, RIGHT? AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE THE PROGRAM.
IF YOU ARE AWARE, ANY OF YOU ARE AWARE OF INSTANCES, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT PERFECT, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE ARE DOING AN, UM, WE'RE GOING FORWARD WITH THE NEXUS STUDY, UH, SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY, RIGHT NOW, THE TOTAL AMOUNT AVAILABLE FOR ASSISTANCE IS $6,000.
DO WE KNOW? BUT THIS IS INFORMATION THAT WAS, UM, THIS NUMBER WAS PROVIDED BACK IN 20, I THINK IT WAS BASED ON RESEARCH FROM 2017 THAT WE DECIDED, AND WE SAID THE COSTS ARE $6,000, BUT THE COSTS, AS WE ALL KNOW, HAVE GONE UP TREMENDOUSLY.
SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS RESEARCH STUDY.
I DON'T WANNA CALL THE NEXUS STUDY RELOCATION STUDY, I'M SORRY, UH, TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE ACTUAL COST OF RELOCATING BOTH, UM, PEOPLE IN SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, APARTMENTS, AS WELL AS, UH, MOBILE HOME PARKS, BECAUSE WE ALSO LEARNED THAT IS MORE EXPENSIVE, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU ALSO NEED LAND WHERE YOU GOT, YOU KNOW, SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAMS, UNDERSTAND THE GAPS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN REFINE IT.
AND WE ALSO NEED TO HEAR BACK FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WANTED TO ELEVATE THIS PROGRAM TO THIS BODY SO WE CAN, UH, RAISE A PROFILE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND I, I BRING THAT UP AGAIN, WORKING WITH, ESPECIALLY THESE TENANTS THAT I'M WORKING WITH LATELY, UM, WHERE THE DEVELOPER OFFERED THEM
[01:40:01]
$3,000 AND, AND SOME OF THEM SAY, OKAY, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING.AND THEN MY QUESTION IS, WHEN YOU MOVED INTO THESE APARTMENTS, HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU HAVE TO HAVE BEFOREHAND? AND THEY, THAT'S WHERE THEY SAW WHAT THAT WAS.
THEY'RE LIKE, YEAH, THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT ENOUGH.
LIKE, THEY NEED SOMETHING, A BETTER DEAL OR SOME WAY TO MAYBE THE CITY TO SUPPLEMENT THAT AS WELL.
UM, AND SORRY, AND CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU, WERE YOU MEANT BY, UH, LAND USE, UH, UH, LAND USE CHANGES THAT ARE, UH, I, WHAT DID, I FORGOT EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID, BUT, UM, THAT ARE CAUSING SOME DISPLACEMENT AND YOU'RE, UH, KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT.
UH, I'M REFERRING TO THE ZONING CASES.
SO THE SMALLER SCALE MULTIFAMILY, WHICH MIGHT BE A 20 TO 40 UNIT PROPERTY IS IN, IN SOME CASES, A HUNDRED UNITS BEING REDEVELOPED INTO MUCH DENSER PROPERTY THROUGH A, THROUGH A MORE DENSE LAND USE CHANGE MM-HMM
AND SO THAT, THOSE ARE THE CASES WE'RE SEEING, UM, FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT OR BEING REFERRED TO YOU FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT MM-HMM
PARTICULARLY AS THERE'S MORE PROVISIONS FOR INCREASED DENSITY IN THE CITY.
AND DO YOU, CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY CASES YOU HAVE? LIKE, I CAN EMAIL YOU THAT, YOU CAN EMAIL ME THAT.
I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER.
ARE A LOT OF THOSE LIKE DB 90 CASES? UM, SOME, MM-HMM
I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY ASK ABOUT SOME GAPS OF KNOWLEDGE THAT IF Y'ALL, OH, SORRY.
I HAVE COMMISSIONER ACHILLES WHO, UH, WAS NEXT, AND THEN YOU WILL BE FOLLOWING THAT.
UM, AND THIS MAY NOT BE, SO JUST A, A, A QUICK QUESTION.
I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH SOMEBODY OR YOU CAN JUST TELL ME THIS IS NOT RELEVANT.
LIKE, IS THERE A WORLD, LIKE IF WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR DEVELOPERS TO DO A ROBUST OFFERING OF SERVICES INSTEAD OF Y'ALL, IF WE KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND IF, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE CAN, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO THINK ABOUT KNOWING WHEN DEVELOPERS ARE, AND I KNOW WE AREN'T CHARGING FEES, BUT WOULD THEM DOING A ROBUST RELOCATION BE A POSITIVE SORT OF RUBRIC THAT COULD BE SHARED AND MEAN SOMETHING AS A POSITIVE INCENTIVE SINCE WE CAN'T DO THE FEE STICK? CURIOUS.
AND I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN ANSWER NOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST SORT OF A RHETORICAL, AND I WILL STOP AND I CAN FOLLOW UP LATER.
THE, THE, THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE REALLY SEEING IS AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT SOME DEVELOPERS ARE BRINGING THIS INFORMATION WITH THEM MM-HMM
AND SO THERE, THERE IS DISCUSSION THERE WITH THAT BODY.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN POSITIVE.
I WILL SAY IT'S BEEN POSITIVE.
WE DON'T, I DON'T THINK THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE LONG ENOUGH FOR US TO SEE.
NOW, WHEN I SAY POSITIVE, IT'S WITH QUOTES, RIGHT.
BECAUSE THERE IS DISPLACEMENT OCCURRING.
SO, BUT THERE ARE SOME DEVELOPERS, LIKE SUSAN SAID, THEY ARE BEING PROACTIVE.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE CALLING US.
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE ALSO.
AND THESE ARE, I DON'T WANT TO LABEL GOOD OR BAD DEVELOPERS.
I, I, I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT FOR ME TO SAY, BUT THEY, THERE ARE SOME DEVELOPERS WHO WANT TO, NUMBER ONE, FOLLOW THE PROCESS BECAUSE WHAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY HAPPEN IF THEY DON'T FOLLOW THE PROCESS, IT CAN SLOW DOWN THEIR, UH, DEVELOPMENT.
RIGHT? UM, IT, IT COULD PAUSE THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
SO SOME ARE SEEKING TO, UM, RATHER THAN EVEN GOING THROUGH US OFFER PACKAGES.
AND SOMETIMES, AS COMMISSIONER ELIA SAID, IT COULD BE INSUFFICIENT, BUT WE WOULD NOT ALWAYS KNOW.
AND MY LONG-TERM GOAL, I DUNNO IF I COULD SAY THIS.
I I'VE ALREADY PUT IT OUT THERE.
MY LONG TERM GOAL IS TO HAVE LIKE A MINIMUM PACKAGE.
IDEALLY, THIS IS WHAT YOU COULD OFFER TENANTS, RIGHT? IN THE VI THAT THERE IS A REDEVELOPMENT THAT IS OCCURRING.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE PROBABLY A YEAR OR TWO OFF FROM THAT.
WE REALLY NEED TO SEE HOW THIS PROGRAM PLAYS OUT AND WHAT THE ACTUAL COSTS ARE BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO SORT OF SAY, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? OR WHAT COULD THAT LOOK LIKE? THANK YOU.
UH, COMMISSIONER TISHA, YOU'RE NEXT.
OH, SO QUICK RAPID FIRE, UH, GAPS OF KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS.
UM, I JUST GATHERED, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M IN, UM, INCORRECT HERE THAT THE DEVELOPERS DO NOT HAVE TO ALERT THAT THEY ARE
[01:45:01]
GETTING READY TO EITHER DO RENOVATIONS OR, OR DEMOLITIONS.UH, IS THAT CORRECT OR INCORRECT? DO THEY NEED TO ALERT YOU? YOU ALL ON THIS TEAM THAT THEY, THEY, UM, DO NEED, THE ORDINANCE SAYS THAT THEY HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DAYS, THEY MUST ALERT TENANTS AND PROVIDE THAT, THAT NOTICE WITH THEIR APPLICATION.
AND SO WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY TURN IN AN APPLICATION TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, THEN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WILL CONTACT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WILL, UM, CERTIFY THAT THE NOTIFICATION THEY PROVIDED TENANTS MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS THE NUMBER OF DAYS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, NOW, BECAUSE THERE IS THIS FUNDING OF 6,000, UM, AND AS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED, SOMETIMES THERE WILL BE OFFERS THAT ARE GRAVELY BELOW THAT PARTICULAR PACKAGE AMOUNT.
UM, I, I HAVE A LARGER WHY QUESTION OF IF THERE HAS BEEN SOME TYPE OF ALERT TO YOU ALL THAT THIS IS HAPPENING, UM, THAT THE INFORMATION OF UP TO $6,000 IS AVAILABLE.
WHY IS THAT NOT COMMUNICATED TO THE TENANTS? UM, SINCE THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN STARTED IN THE PAST YEAR THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE VENDOR, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE DEMOLITION APPLICATION FROM THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
SO CAN YOU RESTATE THAT? I'M TRYING, BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO SEE THE LINKAGE OF, OF SOME OF THESE SITUATIONS WE'RE HAVING HERE WHERE IF YOU ALL ARE INFORMED THAT THERE IS A DEMOLITION OR A RENOVATION THAT IS POTENTIALLY HAPPENING MONTHS DOWN THE LINE, THERE IS THIS PROGRAM THAT AFFORDS THE, UM, ABILITY OF FAMILIES AND TENANTS AND RESIDENTS TO UTILIZE, TO HELP EASE, EASE THIS PAIN OF A SUDDEN MOVE AND IT'S NOT BEING INFORMED.
THAT IS A HUGE GAP OF KNOWLEDGE, GAP OF AWARENESS, GAP OF INFORMATION THAT THE RESIDENTS CAN BE UTILIZING THAT IT IS NOT BEING SHARED.
SO THERE ARE CERTAIN TRIGGERS.
SO SINCE THIS PROGRAM, WE'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, WE HAVE THE PROGRAM IN PLACE, BUT SINCE THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE, THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY TRIGGERS THAT WOULD ACTIVATE THIS PROGRAM, IF YOU WILL.
OUR VENDOR IS READY, THE MONEY IS READY, PROGRAM GUIDELINES ARE READY.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CASE TO DATE THAT WOULD QUALIFY OR REQUIRE THIS PROGRAM TO COME INTO PLACE.
NOW DOES THAT MEAN PEOPLE ARE NOT BEING, ARE NOT HAVING TO MOVE OUT FOR ALL DAY EVERY DAY, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN CONDITIONS THAT MUST BE MET.
AND ACCORDING TO THE TENANT RELOCATION ORDINANCE THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US BY COUNSEL, IT, IT HAS NOT, THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE ARE NOT TRIGGERING THE ORDINANCE OR PROGRAM.
AND THE DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS A VERY LONG PROCESS.
AND SO THE DEMOLITIONS THAT MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, THIS PROGRAM WAS NOT HERE.
I I, I'M, I'M UNDERSTANDING IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT POTENTIALLY RETROACTIVE, BUT I'M THINKING IN PRESENT TERMS AND IN THE FUTURE THAT LOOKING AT, I GUESS I'M JUST, I'M JUST REALLY PERPLEXED AND MAYBE IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF MY, MY ABSTRACT MY MIND TRYING TO REALLY SIMPLIFY THIS AND UNDERSTAND HOW THEM, HOW YOU ALL BEING ALERTED DOES NOT NOT ONLY TRIGGER THAT, OH, THIS COULD BE A POTENTIAL RESIDENT THAT COULD QUALIFY, BUT THEN THE OTHER PART THAT, THAT THAT RESIDENT DOES NOT QUALIFY, UM, OR THEIR, WHATEVER THOSE QUALIFICATIONS ARE, DOES NOT PERMIT THEM TO UTILIZE THIS PROGRAM.
I'M JUST, I'M, I'M JUST PERPLEXED BECAUSE I, I THEN IT MAKES ME WONDER, WELL THEN WHAT PUSHES IT INTO EMERGENCY HOUSING, UM, ASSISTANCE OR EMERGENCY HOUSING RESOURCES WHEN THIS HAS EXISTED FOR A SITUATION THAT AT LEAST WE'VE BEEN GIVEN SOME TYPE OF AWARENESS OR NOTICE BASED OFF OF WHEN, YOU KNOW, THE DEVELOPER THEN SENT THEIR, THEIR INFORMATION TO THE DEPARTMENTS.
I THINK MAYBE IF WE COULD PERHAPS DEVELOP A TIMELINE YES, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, AND SO WE CAN GET, LIKE SAY FOR INSTANCE, IF WE GET A CASE FROM THE ZONING DEPARTMENT, THE DEVELOPMENT MIGHT BE ONE OR TWO YEARS OFF.
SO ALL WE DO FOR NOW, SUSAN AND HER TEAM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PREPARING,
[01:50:01]
THEY HAVE A LIST.THEY HAVE DATES WHEN THESE ARE OCCURRING, BUT RIGHT NOW THERE'S NOTHING FOR US TO DO, BUT TO WATCH AND, AND MONITOR.
SO DO YOU THINK, UM, AND IF YOU COULD GIVE US, WE CAN GET, UH, MAYBE BY JANUARY HAVE SOMETHING, BUT WE CAN SEND IT VIA EMAIL SO WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE NEXT MEETING, BUT WE CAN, UM, SEND A TIMELINE SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHEN, WHEN THE PERMIT IS PULLED, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THIS, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN SHOW YOU THE, EACH OF THE STEPS THAT ARE INVOLVED AND A TIMELINE, WHICH I THINK COULD BE HELPFUL.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO HELPFULLY FILL IN SOME OF THE GAPS BECAUSE IT'S, FOR ME, IT'S, I'M JUST THINKING OF THE, THE TIPPING POINT, SLIPPERY SLOPE OF WHEN IT GETS TO A POINT WHERE NOW RESIDENTS NEED TO UTILIZE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE, UM, WHEN, WHEN THEY COULD HAVE QUITE POSSIBLY QUALIFIED FOR FUNDING FROM THIS PROGRAM.
THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL THAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT.
THOSE SPECIFICALLY IN THE, IN THE RENOVATION OR POTENTIAL DEMOLITION SLATED BUILDINGS.
IF YOU CAN HAVE THAT AS A FOLLOW UP.
UM, ANYBODY ELSE FROM THE, UH, YES, COMMISSIONER? HI EVERYONE.
I HAVE APOLOGIZED FOR MY TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES THAT I WILL SAY, OH, I'M SORRY.
DID YOU SAY? YEAH, WE HEAR YOU.
I WAS WONDERING IF UM, INDIVIDUALS DON'T FULLY ACCESS THIS $6,000, CAN THEY SAY FOR INSTANCE, THAT THEY ONLY USE $3,500? CAN THEY COME BACK LATER IN THE FUTURE TO ACCESS THIS SAME $6,000 IF THEY DIDN'T FULLY EXHAUST THIS AMOUNT? YOU GUYS WANNA I HAVE MY ANSWER, BUT PLEASE ANSWER.
WELL, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR VENDOR DOES, VERE LOGIC, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY PROVIDE AN ASSESSMENT.
THE COST OF MOVING IS NOT THE SAME FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD.
SO THERE IS AN ASSESSMENT DONE, AND, AND WE'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM, UH, SOME PEOPLE SAID, WELL, I DIDN'T GET ALL MY $6,000.
YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED $6,000.
THAT IS THE MAXIMUM THAT WE WILL PROVIDE.
THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE WE WILL ALLOW A HOUSEHOLD TO GO UP TO THE MAXIMUM IF THEY EXPERIENCED A DISPLACEMENT PRESSURE AND THEY WERE RELOCATED.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE WE HAVE TWO INSTANCES OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND ONE IS FROM SOMEONE THAT WE HELPED TO RELOCATE, UM, IN ONE OF THE MOBILE HOME PARKS.
IT IS A YEAR OR SO LATER, THEY'RE EXPERIENCING THE SAME, VERY SIMILAR RIGHT.
SO TO US, THAT MEANS THAT THEY WERE NOT STABILIZED, WE DID NOT STABILIZE THAT HOUSEHOLD.
SO WE ARE ALLOWING THEM, WE'RE TAPPING BACK INTO THE RESOURCES, THE, AND THEY CAN GET THE FULL BENEFIT SO THAT WE CAN HELP GET THEM INTO A SITUATION WHERE THEY ARE STABLY HOUSED.
BECAUSE TO US WHAT THAT MEANT MEANS IS SOMETHING, SOMETHING WAS OFF.
WE, WE NEED THE, THE GOAL IS TO GET THE HOUSEHOLD TO A PLACE WHERE THEY ARE STABLE.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, POTENTIALLY, YES, AND IT IS, I WOULD SAY IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A CASE BY CASE BASIS, BUT YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED, EVERYONE IS NOT GUARANTEED TO GET A TOTAL OF $6,000.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY ANSWERED THESE QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANNA LET Y'ALL KNOW I WAS, UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S OKAY.
UM, SOME TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
NOW, WHEN YOU SAY THIS ONGOING, UH, RELOCATION CASE IN MANAGEMENT, THAT WHEN, WHEN I SEE THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING AUTOMATICALLY ABOUT ONGOING.
IF IT'S SIX MONTHS ONGOING FROM WHEN THEY ARE, UM, WHEN THEY'RE ESTABLISHED WITH HOUSING, UM, SHORT TERM, PERMANENT OR LONG TERM, UM, IS IT SIX MONTHS FROM THEM DOING THE INTAKE OR IS IT SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR? LIKE HOW LONG IS THAT TIMELINE? SURE.
UM, IT IS, UH, THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT THEY'RE IN OUR PROGRAM.
SO AFTER, UM, THEY SUCCESS ARE SUCCESSFULLY RELOCATED, UM, OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH THEM ENDS.
SO HOW IS IT, I'M SORRY IF AGAIN, IF SOMEONE ALREADY ASKED THIS, HOW IS IT SUSTAINABLE, THIS PROGRAM SUSTAINABLE IF IT ENDS ONCE THEY ARE RELOCATED?
[01:55:05]
CAN YOU REPHRASE YOUR QUESTION FOR ME? I'M SORRY.MY QUESTION IS WITH ALL, WITH THE HOUSING ISSUES AND THE CRISIS AND THE LACK OF RESOURCES THAT WE'RE FACING WITH RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE, HOW DO YOU THINK IT'S SUSTAINABLE? UM, ONCE THEY ARE HOUSED TO END THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OR TENANT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE ONCE THEY'RE RELOCATED? I FEEL LIKE IT'LL BE MORE SUSTAINABLE ONCE, UM, YOU HAVE THIS INDIVIDUAL IN THAT PROGRAM SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR AFTER BEING, YOU KNOW, UH, RELOCATED ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YES.
UM, SO TYPICALLY, UM, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, THAT WOULD BE MORE OF LIKE A HOUSING STABILITY TYPE PROGRAM.
UM, BECAUSE THIS IS FOR THE ACTUAL RELOCATION TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THERE ARE NO IMPACTS DURING THEIR RELOCATION, UM, THAT THIS PROGRAM SERVES THAT NEED.
UM, ONE OF THE, UM, INITIATIVES THAT WE ARE, UH, WORKING WITH THE CITY ON IS, UM, SOME HOUSING WORKSHOPS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE THE EDUCATION BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT, UM, AS IT RELATES TO LONG-TERM STABILITY.
UM, AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE, UM, ACTIVITIES THAT WE WILL BE INCORPORATING INTO THE PROGRAM.
UH, JUST MAKING SURE PEOPLE ARE EDUCATED ON LEARN LONG-TERM, UH, STABILITY AS IT RELATES TO HOUSING, FINANCES, UM, AND, AND, AND THE LIKE.
SO DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? MM-HMM
SO, SO WITH THIS ONGOING RELOCATION CASE MANAGEMENT AND WILL, WILL THAT BY ITSELF, WILL THEY HAVE A, A NAVIGATION OR A SOCIAL WORKER TO NAVIGATE THEM THROUGH THIS ENTIRE PROCESS UNTIL THEY'RE RELOCATED? YES, MA'AM.
UH, THEY'LL BE WORKING WITH A RELOCATION COORDINATOR.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE THINGS, I'M JUST GONNA THROW SOME THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN, IN REAL LIFE.
UM, SOMEBODY GETS A PLACE, THEY PAY FOR APPLICATION FEES, UM, MOVING FEES, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS, AND THEY'RE AT $300,000 AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE REFUSED BECAUSE OF THEIR BACKGROUND.
THEY'RE REFUSED BECAUSE OF THEIR RENTAL HISTORY.
WHERE DO YOU, HOW DO Y'ALL NAVIGATE THEM FROM THERE? YES.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE, UM, DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE ARE ENGAGING DIRECTLY WITH LANDLORDS, UM, TO GET THEM TO, I'M GONNA SAY OPT IN, UH, TO OUR PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE ASKING ARE, YOU KNOW, HOW STRINGENT ARE YOU ON YOUR REQUIREMENTS? UM, WE ACTUALLY MET WITH A LANDLORD, UH, OR I MET WITH A LANDLORD THIS MORNING.
UM, AND HE WAS JUST VERY, UM, HE WAS WILLING TO WORK WITH OUR PROGRAM, UM, AND WORK AROUND THE EVICTIONS, WORK AROUND THE FINANCIAL, UM, BARRIERS THAT INDIVIDUALS MAY HAVE, WHETHER IT'S CREDIT, UM, WHETHER IT'S, UH, BROKEN LEASES, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT HE CAN SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM.
SO THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING.
WE'RE WE'RE SEEKING OUT LANDLORDS, WE'RE ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND SEEING, UM, GETTING THEM TO OPT INTO THIS PROGRAM, UM, SO THAT WE HAVE A SMOOTH PIPELINE OR A TRANSITION, UH, FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BEING RELOCATED.
AND WILL THIS PROGRAM BE AVAILABLE FOR LANDLORDS THAT HAVE SECTION A VOUCHERS, H HCA, VOUCHER HUG VOUCHERS, OR NOT EVEN E EVEN HOUSING VOUCHERS? I'M SORRY? WILL IT BE OFFERED TO LANDLORDS THAT OFFER HOUSING VOUCHERS, LIKE SECTION A, UM, APARTMENT COMP? YEAH.
WILL IT BE, WILL IT BE OFFERED TO INDIVIDUALS THAT DON'T ACCEPT SECTION EIGHT? YES.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T, UM, ANTICIPATE THAT ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS WE WORK WITH WILL HAVE A VOUCHER.
SO WE DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A, A, A WELL-ROUNDED, UM, AMOUNT OF LANDLORDS.
BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY HARD AS IT IS RIGHT NOW TO FIND HOUSING WITH SECTION EIGHT OR VOUCHERS IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UM, I APOLOGIZE Y'ALL, IF I AM ASKING QUESTIONS.
I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING FOR THE LAST HOUR AND A HALF TRYING TO GET ON HERE.
NO, I THINK THESE ARE, THEY'RE REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS.
UM, AND THEY'RE DEFINITELY RELEVANT SEEING THE HOUSING CRISIS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, SO NO PROBLEMS FOR ME.
AND HOW MANY TIMES CAN AN INDIVIDUAL APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM?
UM, AND THEN AS NEFERTITI SAID,
[02:00:01]
ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS FOR FIRST OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.THANK YOU COMMISSIONER ARNOLD FOR, UH, YOUR INVOLVEMENT AND GREAT QUESTIONS.
ANYONE ELSE FROM, UM, A REMOTE BEFORE I GO INTO MINE? ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT.
UM, NOT IN ANY SPECIFIC ORDER.
I RECOGNIZE MYSELF FROM THESE, WAS THIS ORDINANCE, UM, THE ONE THAT IS, UM, ENDING IN 0 5 0, WAS IT VOTED ON BY THE CITIZENS OF, OF AUSTIN? NO, IT WAS ONLY A COUNCIL THING.
UM, BECAUSE I WAS INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW IT IS THAT WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT CAN'T BE ENFORCED.
WHY WOULD IT GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO BE IN AN ORDINANCE IF THE DEVELOPER'S TENANT RELOCATION FUND CAN'T, COULD NOT BE FUNDED AS PRESCRIBED IN THE ORDINANCE? I BELIEVE THAT THEY PASSED IT IN 2016, AND THEN DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION OF 2017, IT WAS PREEMPTED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
SO THEY, THEY, THEY PUT FORTH SOMETHING IN 2016 AND THEN THE LEGISLATOR CAME BACK IN 2017 AND PULLED THE RUG FROM UNDERNEATH THEM.
AND SO THE CITY DIDN'T COME BACK WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS DOABLE OTHER THAN USE TAX PAYING MONEY TO COVER FOR THE DEVELOPERS, IS WHAT I'M HEARING.
SO, UM, THEN I'M INTERESTED IN DEVELOP FROM A, FROM A COMMISSION FROM AT LEAST THE CDC AT SOME POINT, FIGURING OUT IF THERE ARE FREQUENT ABUSERS OF THE, IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY.
I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THERE'S SOME THAT ARE STEPPING UP AND THAT ARE BEING PROACTIVE AND ARE TRYING TO GET OUT AHEAD OF IT.
I THINK THAT THAT'S GREAT, BUT I, I'M CURIOUS IF THAT'S A NAME ONLY.
I THINK COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE CHAIR KIND OF SORT OF ALLUDED TO THE FACT THAT IT COULD BE A NAME ONLY.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT NOW BECAUSE EVERYBODY KEEPS SAYING, WELL, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO.
THEY'VE SAID THEY'RE GONNA DO IT, WE DON'T KNOW.
AND WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE TEETH TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
SO THE FREQUENT ABUSERS, THE FREQUENT FLYERS, I WOULD LIKE FOR THERE TO BE SOME WAY THAT IF WE DISCOVER DEVELOPERS OR ANYBODY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT DEVELOPMENT, 'CAUSE THEY'RE REAL SLICK TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE.
IT COULD BE THE THREE OF US IN BUSINESS, AND THEN SHE'S IN THE FRONT PERSON ON ONE DEVELOPMENT.
I'M THE FRONT PERSON ON ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT, HE'S THE FRONT PERSON, ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALL THE MONEY KEEPS COMING TO THE SAME POT.
SO I'M JUST SAYING I'M INTERESTED IN LIKE, YOU KNOW, LET'S BE FOR REAL.
IT WOULD, I'M, I DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE I'M GOING.
WHAT ARE YOU ASKING? I'M ASKING FOR CAN THE CDC OR YOU ALL THROUGH THE, THE, YOUR DEPARTMENT DRAFT SOMETHING THAT IS ATTACHED TO THIS ORDINANCE THAT WE CANNOT, OR, OR, OR A NEW ORDINANCE OR WHATEVER THAT SINCE WE CAN'T HOLD THE DEVELOPERS TO THIS, CAN WE AT LEAST HOLD THOSE THAT ARE IN VIOLATION OF THIS ON A MORE THAN ONE TIME? CAN WE HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE IN THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T GET THE PERMITS TO DO THE DEMOLITION BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT THROUGH GOOD FAITH BEEN HONORABLE.
UH, A FREQUENT, FREQUENT ABUSER'S, UH, FREQUENT ABUSER.
WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER IS A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.
BUT A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL FROM THE COMMISSION.
THEN I'LL, I'LL, I WILL ACTUALLY BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE ON THAT.
I'M NOT PART OF THE COMMITTEES, BUT ALL RIGHT.
SO THE PEOPLE ARE GIVEN 120 DAY NOTICE, THAT'S FOUR MONTHS FOR WORKING PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO BE DISPLACED.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU HAVE TO TRY TO FIND A PLACE TO LIVE, WHICH TAKES A LOT OF TIME.
I THINK MS MS, UM, MS. MAMIE PROBABLY CAN, UH, ATTEST TO THAT.
IT FINDING, TRYING TO FIND HOUSING TAKES A LOT OF TIME.
AND IF YOU'RE TRYING TO WORK AND PROVIDE FOR A FAMILY AND TAKE CARE OF THAT FAMILY, THAT'S REALLY, UH, NOT A LOT OF TIME GUYS.
IT'S REALLY NOT A LOT OF TIME.
UM, AND PARTICULARLY WHEN THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO'VE CALLED, UM, THEIR, THAT LOCATION HOME FOR DECADES.
I THINK THAT THAT, THAT IT'S JUST CONCERNING.
[02:05:01]
I DON'T WANNA SAY IT'S SO SAD, BUT IT, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SO SAD.UM, I'M INTERESTED IN THE PERCENT OF SUCCESS, MS. NICOLE, FOR THE LANDLORD RECRUITMENT.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE, SO LET'S SAY FOR INSTANCE, YOU TALK TO 10 LANDLORDS, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE ARE YOU GETTING TO OPT IN FULLY TO THIS? NOT JUST SAY, OH YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GOOD.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE JUST, UM, LIKE I SAID, JUST KICKED OFF MM-HMM
UM, AND WE'VE HAD ONE MEETING TODAY, UM, AND THAT WAS A SUCCESSFUL MEETING.
BUT, UM, JUST IN OUR EXPERIENCE, UM, WE HAVE HAD JUST HIGH PARTICIPATION.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE LANDLORD MENTIONED, UM, TODAY WAS, UH, HIS VACANCIES.
UM, SO HE'S, HE HAS A HIGHER, UM, NUMBER OF VACANCIES AND WHAT HE'S USED TO, AND THAT IS THE TRENDS THAT HE'S SEEING, UM, ACROSS, UH, THE CITY.
UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL, YOU KNOW, ALSO USE TO OUR ADVANTAGE.
BUT, UM, I'M VERY HOPEFUL, UH, THAT WE ARE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET THEM TO RELAX SOME OF, SOME OF THEIR, UM, SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, EARLY ON IN THE PRO IN THE PROGRAM, WE DID SOME, JUST SOME, UH, SAMPLING CALLING, UH, TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF, UH, HOW CAN I SAY WHAT, WHAT WE CAN OFFER, UM, FOR INDIVIDUALS TO, UM, BE ACCEPTED AT THE PROPERTY.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S JUST A DOUBLE DEPOSIT.
UM, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST OUR, OUR, OUR VOUCHING FOR, UM, THAT INDIVIDUAL.
SO, UM, LIKE I SAID, I'M, I'M VERY, UM, OPTIMISTIC ABOUT INDIVIDUALS.
AND I APPRE NO, YOU'RE DOING FINE.
I APP, I I YOU'RE DOING GREAT.
I WORRIES, BUT I AM, UH, YOU ANSWERED IT.
SO ONE OF THESE FUTURE MEETINGS, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW HOW, WHAT THE PERCENTAGE IS OF, OF, 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU'RE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT BECAUSE YOU ONLY SPOKE TO ONE PERSON AND THAT ONE PERSON SAID, OKAY,
I'M INTERESTED IN SOME BIG NUMBERS.
NOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE VACANCIES IN THEIR PROPERTIES.
IF THEY HAVE SO MANY VACANCIES IN THEIR PROPERTIES, INDIVIDUALS LIKE MS. MAMIE SHOULD BE ABLE TO, THAT WOULD BE, I MEAN, HOW DO WE KNOW ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE VACANCIES IN THEIR PROPERTIES THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR TENANTS? I MEAN, IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT WE SHOULD PUT THOSE TWO TOGETHER.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BUT TO ME, THOSE GO TOGETHER FOR SURE.
YOU'RE DISCOVERING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR TENANTS.
WE KNOW INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR HOUSING.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, UH, INDIVIDUALS, MS. MAMIE AND OTHERS KNOW THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT KIND OF, UM, DYNAMIC.
SO THERE ARE NO QUALIFICATIONS FOR THESE, UM, TENANTS TO THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE BEING RELOCATED.
THERE, THERE ARE NO QUALIFICATIONS.
JUST THAT I'M BEING RELOCATED AND I DIDN'T GET 120 DAYS NOTICE.
THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS, UM, THE REQUIREMENTS ARE THAT THEY HAVE TO, OH, SORRY.
YOU, UM, FALL WITHIN 70%, UM, OF THE AREA MEANING INCOME, THAT IS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO DWELL IN THE MULTIFAMILY, SO THE APARTMENTS.
UM, AND THEN IT IS 80 FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO RESIDE IN THE, UM, THE MOBILE HOME PARKS.
UM, AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO, UM, HAVE A DISPLACING EVENT, UM, AS WELL AS THEIR INCOME.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE INCOME.
SO, UH, I'M SORRY, I JUST SAID THAT.
SO THE 70%, UM, A MI FOR, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE IN THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THIS PROGRAM LEAVES WHEN WE NO LONGER WHEN WE HAVE THIS PROGRAM? THAT THE WHAT? I MEAN WHAT, UH, BASICALLY WE DON'T DO ANYTHING.
I MEAN, IF, IS THIS, MAY I ASK THIS WAY? IS THIS PROGRAM GONNA BE AROUND AND IS BE REFUNDED? DOES IT, DOES IT, IS IT CONTINUOUSLY FUNDED? I WILL SAY THIS.
I MEAN, I CANNOT OF, OF, I DON'T, I MEAN, I KNOW YOU CAN'T GUARANTEE, BUT WHAT'S THIS, RIGHT? I CANNOT GUARANTEE, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE CORE PROGRAMS. THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO A CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE.
AND SO THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN FUNDED, AND WE ANTICIPATE TO CONTINUE FUNDING THE PROGRAM UNLESS WE SHOULD GET DIRECTION, SOME OTHER TYPE OF DIRECTION FOR MAYOR OR COUNCIL TO NOT FUND THE PROGRAM.
BUT THIS WAS ONE OF, FOR THE STATE, BECAUSE THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY SQUASHED THIS OTHER PART.
WHAT THEY SQUASHED IS NOT ALLOWING THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO CHARGE DEVELOPERS A FEE TO FUND THE PROGRAM.
BUT LOCALLY, WE COULD FUND THE PROGRAM.
I THINK, UH, HOW ARE THE SURVEYS DIS
[02:10:01]
OH, HOW ARE THESE, THE SURVEYS, MS. NICOLE, THESE SURVEYS AND EVALUATION, HOW ARE THEY, UM, DISSEMINATED? HOW ARE THEY, HOW ARE THE PEOPLE GONNA BE ASKED WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE SERVED? SURE.UM, SO WE HAVE A, UM, JUST A SURVEY THAT WE WILL SEND TO THEM.
UM, IF IT IS A, SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN PERSON, UH, WE WILL, UH, HAVE THE RELOCATION COORDINATOR SIT DOWN, UM, WITH THE INDIVIDUAL TO HAVE THEM FILL OUT THE SURVEY.
WELL, I DEFINITELY WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, WE APPLAUD THE EFFORT WITH THE WHOLE RELOCATION AND, UH, AGREE AGREEING WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO.
I, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE EIGHT YEARS, UM, OUT, AND I'M, I'M JUST FOR THE RECORD, JUST REALLY CONCERNED THAT THE DEVELOPERS ARE BEING SUPPORTED IN A WAY THAT THE TENANTS AREN'T EQUALLY SUPPORTED.
AND I, UM, JUST DRIVING DOWN JOHNNY MORRIS ROAD, THE, THE MOBILE HOME PARKS ARE GONE.
UM, THERE ARE, I MEAN, IT'S JUST, I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S, ANYWAY, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING, UM, WITH US AND PRESENTING.
I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALL BRING TO THE TABLE.
UM, LET US MOVE ON THE HOUR LATE, BUT THAT WAS NECESSARY.
UH, THE NEXT COUPLE ITEMS SHOULD ROLL RATHER QUICKLY.
[4. Discussion and possible action to approve the Community Development Commission 2025 Meeting Schedule, with an alternative date of November 18, 2025, to accommodate Veterans’ Day (Edward Blake, Program Manager Housing Department)]
I'M ABOUT NUMBER FIVE, BUT NUMBER FOUR, WE HAVE MOVING INTO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. MR. BLAKE.OH, DID WE HAVE SOMEBODY? OH, YEAH.
UM, MR. BLAKE, YOU'RE GONNA, UM, ADDRESS NUMBER FOUR? YES.
BUT, UM, SHE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM, BUT SHE HAS ON NUMBER FIVE.
OH, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOUR OH OH, FOR NUMBER FOUR? YES.
I AM PERPLEXED TOO, AND I AM ACTUALLY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT'S THE EXCEPTION, IF YOU WILL.
SO I CAN SPEAK TO EXACTLY HOW THESE PROGRAMS ARE WORKING.
I JUST GOT A CALL ONE DAY, IT WAS REFERRED FROM THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
AS INFORMED AS I AM, I APPRECIATE THE ASSISTANCE OF MS. KING AND THE TEAM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THE BIGGEST BARRIER IS AS A VETERAN GETTING THE HUD VASH VOUCHER.
I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE, UH, SPECIFICALLY I'LL READ IT INTO THE RECORD.
THE FEDERAL REGISTER ACTUALLY UPDATED THE HUD VASH RULES, AND SPECIFICALLY IT STATES THE FY 2008 TO 2024 APPROPRIATIONS ACTS STATED THAT THE SECRETARY OF HUD IN CONSULTATION WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE VA MAY WAIVE OR SPECIFY ALTERNATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR ANY PROVISION OF ANY STATUTE OR REGULATION THAT THE SECRETARY OF HUD ADMINISTERS IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF THE FUNDS.
IN OTHER WORDS, THERE REALLY IS NO SPECIFIC CRITERIA THAT'S BEEN ERECTED, ARE THE BARRIERS FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT SHOULD BE IN PLACE AT THIS POINT? YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE UNDER THE BRIDGE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE OUTSIDE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE CHRONIC ILLNESS.
ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF THAT WOULD PREVENT A VETERAN FROM GETTING A VASH VOUCHER HAS BEEN WAIVED.
SO NO VETERAN SHOULD BE ON THE STREETS OF AUSTIN OR ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD BECAUSE IT'S BEEN IN PLACE SINCE FY 2008.
I WOULD JUST TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY THAT WHEN I WENT BEFORE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, HOWEVER, THEY ACTUALLY RETALIATED AND THEN BLOCKED MY EMAILS FOR OPEN RECORDS.
AND I TESTIFIED NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024.
I WOULD JUST TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO THESE PROGRAMS THROUGH THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, SPECIFICALLY, VETERANS ARE A SUBPOPULATION THAT ARE PRIORITIZED.
SO I WOULD ASK THIS COMMISSION TO ASK ON HALS AND BRANO TO, TO ACTUALLY GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON HOW MANY OF THE VETERANS ARE ACTUALLY BEING SERVED, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY THAT I DID NOT RECEIVE A PHONE CALL OR AN EMAIL UNTIL AFTER THE FACT, ABOUT THREE MONTHS AFTER COMING HERE, AND THREE YEARS AFTER COMING BEFORE THIS COMMISSION.
AND HE'S THE PERSON WHO REFERRED HIS STAFFER TO ME.
I WILL TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY, THE PERSON WAS DANA NIELSEN.
THE SOCIAL WORKER, AND SHE SAID IT'S, IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SPEAK WITH YOU, AND I'M SORRY THAT WE DIDN'T GET IN TOUCH EARLIER.
[02:15:01]
ME ALL THESE OTHER PROGRAMS. BUT IN THE DOCUMENTATION, THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND THE CAPER SPECIFICALLY, IT SIES THAT THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE IS THROUGH THIS EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT.SO I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT MORE THAT'S NOT TRANSPARENT.
AND I THINK WHAT IS GERMANE, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO SAY AS IT RELATES TO THE VOUCHERS, IS THAT THERE ARE 18 BELRON DEALS THROUGH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THAT'S AN INVESTOR FROM SAN FRANCISCO.
AND THE WAY THESE DEALS GO THROUGH IS THROUGH THE VOUCHERS.
SO THEY ACCEPT VOUCHER HOLDERS AT ALL THESE PROPERTIES.
SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE VOUCHERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO TO ANY OF THESE 18 PROPERTIES AND ACTUALLY CHAIR THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE TIME THAT OKAY.
BUT I JUST, I WAS, YOU KNOW THAT I'VE GOTTEN THAT INFORMATION THROUGH OPEN RECORDS AND I THINK YOU SHOULD MARRY THE TWO TOGETHER, SO, ALL RIGHT.
AND THAT WAS ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.
YOU, YOU, YOU JUST TALKED, YOU TALKED ABOUT TWO ITEMS THAT WERE DISCUSSION ITEMS AND MR. BLAKE ASKED ME TO TIME TOGETHER, SO I MENTIONED ON HAIL IN THE SAME VEIN OF THE RELOCATION.
JUST SO THAT, THAT WAS WHAT I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING AT.
SO THAT YOU COULD HAVE THE CONTEXT OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE GROUND.
I JUST WILL LASTLY JUST SAY THAT, AND I KNOW MY TIME IS UP, BUT MM-HMM
UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE A DISCUSSION FROM THE ACTUAL, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE BECAUSE THEY HAVE A PROGRAM THAT STARTED DECEMBER 15TH.
AND THEY ALSO SAID THEY HAVE FUNDING FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES AND GAVE US $0 FROM A FRIEND, JUST A GIFT CARD FOR FOOD.
ALWAYS BRING IN, UM, HIGHLIGHTS, UM, TO OUR ISSUES WITHIN OUR, WHERE WE HAVE DISCONNECT.
UM, DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS MR. BLAKE.
UM, WE HAVE A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION 2025 MEETING SCHEDULE WITH AN ALTERNATIVE DATE FOR THE NOVEMBER 18TH, UM, 2025 TO ACCOMMODATE THE VETERAN'S DAY, UM, HOLIDAY.
I PRESENTED LAST, UM, LAST MONTH, THE, UH, SCHEDULE FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND VETERAN'S DAY FELT FELL ON THE SAME DAY AS OUR MEETING.
SO, UM, WE CONTACTED THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, THEY GAVE US A LITTLE GUIDANCE AND WE DECIDED ON NOVEMBER 18TH.
NOW THE LOCATION IS STILL TO, TO BE DETERMINED.
UM, IT MIGHT BE HERE AND IT MIGHT BE, UM, BACK AT OUR OFFICES AT HOUSING.
SO I'M NOT SURE YET ON THE LOCATION, BUT, ALL RIGHT.
AND SO OUR PURPOSE TODAY IS TO VOTE ON THAT, UM, ALTERNATIVE DATE AS THE 18TH.
COMMISSIONERS, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE NOVEMBER 18TH, 2025? WELL, THE ENTIRE SCHEDULE AND OH, OUR ENTIRE SCHEDULE AND ALSO, YES.
AND ALSO THAT ALTERNATIVE DATE OF THE 18TH.
YOU SENT THIS TO US, RIGHT? YES, I DID.
I'LL SEND THIS, UM, UPDATED ONE WITH THE ALTERNATIVE DATE ONCE WE VOTE, AND, UM, OKAY.
AND ALL THE OTHER DATES, UM, FALL ON THE SECOND TUESDAY.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONFLICTS WITH ANY VOTING WITH ON ANY ELECTIONS? NO.
UM, WE ARE THEN GONNA VOTE ON THE ENTIRE, UM, 2025 MEETING SCHEDULE.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT? COMMISSIONER LONGORIA? YEAH, I MOTION TO ACCEPT THIS CDC 2025 MEETING SCHEDULE WITH ALTERNATE DATE ON NOVEMBER 18TH.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? I HAVE A SECOND.
WE'VE HEARD COMMISSIONER LONGORIA MOTION, VICE CHAIR SECOND.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR COMMISSIONERS.
YOU'LL HAVE TO HAVE YOUR, UM, VIDEO ON, MAKE SURE WE'RE VOTING.
LET US DO OUR BEST TO ADHERE TO IT.
[5. Discussion and possible action regarding a request from Juan Raymon Rubio (Historical Zoning Commissioner) for a letter of support from the CDC regarding historic zoning at 1500 E. 12th Street (Vice Chair Elias)]
ON, NUMBER FIVE.DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE REQUEST FROM JUAN RAMON RUBIO.
HE'S WITH THE HISTORICAL ZONING COMMISSIONER.
HE IS THE ZONING COMMISSIONER, UH, FOR A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE CDC REGARDING HISTORIC ZONING AT 1500 EAST 12TH STREET.
UM, AND VICE CHAIR ALIAS IS GONNA ASSIST WITH THAT.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT.
[02:20:01]
MY NAME'S JUAN RAYMOND RUBIO FOR THE RECORD.UM, UH, MY BACKGROUND'S IN PRESERVATION ARCHITECTURE.
UM, I'M ON THE BOARD OF PRESERVATION AUSTIN.
I SERVE AS ONE OF THE, HIS MEMBERS OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, ALTHOUGH TONIGHT I'M SPEAKING IN A PERSONAL CAPACITY
UM, BUT, UH, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE ABLE TO READ A LOT OF THE BACKUP MM-HMM
BUT, UH, IT WAS INTERESTING TO HEAR A LOT OF THE OVERLAP THAT YOU ALL ARE EXPERIENCING IN YOUR COMMISSION.
AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE REALLY RELEVANT IN OUR PRESERVATION PLAN, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF, UH, BUT BIG PICTURE OF THIS CASE IS WE ARE SEEKING HISTORIC ZONING AGAINST AN OWNER WISHES, WHICH IS A TOUGH, UM, TOUGH, TOUGH ASK DUE TO THE LEGISLATURE, YOU KNOW, HANDICAPPING US.
AND IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT HAS NOT REALLY BEEN, UM, UH, ACHIEVED IN THE PAST ALMOST 10 YEARS BECAUSE OF THAT.
SO, UH, WITHOUT A SUPER MAJORITY AT CITY COUNCIL, WE'RE ASKING FOR A BIGGER COALITION.
AND, UH, WE HAVE, UH, WE'LL BE GOING TO CITY COUNCIL THIS THURSDAY FOR THE FIRST READING.
THIS PARTICULAR CASE, UH, IS ACTUALLY SPEAKING LOUDER THAN A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, WHICH YOU'RE AWARE OF ALL OF OUR DEMOLITION HOUSING THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING IN, IN THE EAST SIDE ESPECIALLY.
BUT THIS PROPERTY IS, IS, UH, GETTING A LOT MORE ATTENTION BECAUSE OF ITS ASSOCIATIONS WITH NOT JUST GERMAN, UH, AMERICANS IN, IN THE, THAT ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY, BUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN IN THE BLACK AND BROWN CULTURE ON THE EAST SIDE AS WELL, AND THE DISPLACEMENT THAT'S HAPPENING.
AND THEN THE THIRD, I GUESS A BIG ASPECT OF IT IS THAT THE PARTICULAR REAL ESTATE HOLDING EUREKA HAPPENS TO OWN OVER, UH, THREE DOZEN PROPERTIES AND HAS BEEN SITTING ON THEM PROMISING, UH, THE COMMUNITY THAT SOMETHING'S GONNA HAPPEN IN 10 YEARS.
AND, UH, FOR SOME REASON, OUR COUNCIL BELIEVES THAT.
WE HAVE, UH, THANKFULLY NOW I CAN SAY STATEWIDE SUPPORT.
WE HAVE STATEWIDE SUPPORT, WE HAVE COUNTY SUPPORT FROM THE TRAVIS COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION PRESERVATION, TEXAS, UH, EVEN SAN ANTONIO AND DALLAS ARE STARTING TO SPEAK UP AND SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE AT THIS PARTICULAR CASE.
UH, AND SO I THINK THIS IS A LIGHTNING ROD FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND I HOPE THAT, UH, WE CAN WORK WITH Y'ALL IN THE FUTURE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
UH, BUT PARTICULARLY ASKING FOR A LETTER OF SUPPORT.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE HOLD THESE BAD ACTORS ACCOUNTABLE? YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE CITY COUNCIL TO, UH, ACTUALLY THINK ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF THE PUBLIC, NOT JUST THE RIGHTS OF AN INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNER.
RIGHT? UH, IT'S CONVENIENT WHEN WE NEED TO EXPAND THE AIRPORT, BUT NOT WHEN WE WANT TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, HOUSING AFFORDABLE, KEEP PEOPLE IN THEIR HISTORIC HOMES, PROVIDE FOR THEM, OR PROVIDE BUSINESS PLACES FOR BLACK AND BROWN, UH, BUSINESSES, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS ANCHOR WAS AT THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR SUPPORT.
UH, THE CITY COUNCIL CAN DO IT.
UH, THEY'VE DONE DEVELOPMENT ON 11TH STREET, THEY HAVE PLANS, RIGHT? VICTORY GRILL CITY LANDMARK.
RIGHT? WHY CAN'T YOU DO THAT HERE? THERE'S NO EXCUSES.
AND THOSE ARE THE FRUSTRATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE ADVOCATES OF THIS PROPERTY.
SO, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT, BUT I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UM, FOR THAT, UM, I WOULD SAY COMMISSIONER RUBIO, BUT SINCE YOU'RE HERE ON A PERSONAL BASIS, I'LL SAY THANK YOU MR. RUBIO AS A CITIZEN.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANYBODY HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS? OH, OKAY.
UH, COMMISSIONER ARNOLD, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
UM, MR. RUBIO, UH, I LOVE YOUR PASSION.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK, DO YOU KNOW THE AGENDA ITEM, UM, FOR THIS, UH, SPECIFIC, UH, TOPIC FOR ON THE 12TH SO THE COMMUNITY CAN BE AWARE TO GO OUT IN A PUBLIC AND SPEAK ON THIS? YES, IT IS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 90.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 90 FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING THIS THURSDAY, WHICH IS THE 12TH, DECEMBER 12TH.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF BACKUP MATERIAL.
YOU'LL SEE ALL THE LETTERS OF SOME MORE SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
OVER 1200 COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE, HAVE SIGNED THIS PETITION.
UH, THERE'S ALSO A COST ANALYSIS REPORT THAT I'VE PREPARED MYSELF, WHICH SHOWS A LOT OF THE FEDERAL GRANTS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN BE USED, TAX CREDITS, STATE TAX CREDITS, GRANTS THAT CAN BE USED TO ACTUALLY MAKE THIS PROPERTY, UM, UH, A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY, BUT A CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE AND HISTORIC RESOURCE AT THAT.
UH, WE OFFER A LOT OF, UH, BENEFITS TAX ABATEMENTS FOR THESE PROPERTIES THAT REALLY COULD KEEP BUSINESSES AND HOMEOWNERS IN THEIR PROPERTIES.
BUT, UH, A, AFTER WE'VE SEEN ALL THIS DISPLACEMENT, THEY DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE.
THEY'VE SOLD THEIR PROPERTIES MM-HMM
AND SO IT'S CONVENIENT TO LANDMARK EVERYTHING ON THE WEST SIDE WHEN THEY HAD OWNED THE PROPERTY.
BUT NOW THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT OWNERS, COUNCIL WANTS TO SAY NO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE PROTECT PROPERTY RIGHTS.
ITEM NUMBER 90, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 90.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS ON, ON REMOTE? YEAH.
UM, ARE YOU AWARE THAT EUREKA IS THE SAME DEVELOPERS THAT FACTORED INTO THE MOUNT CARMEL SITUATIONS WHERE RESIDENTS WENT WITHOUT HOT WATER AND GAS?
[02:25:01]
YES.THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AT THE LANDMARK COMMISSION.
UM, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAD HAD SP SPOKEN ON THAT.
UH, BUT YES, THAT DID COME UP.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IN SOME WAYS THE COMMUNITY IS, IS HALF DIVIDED, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY'VE BEEN PROMISED SOME THINGS BY EUREKA.
UM, BUT OTHERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THEM.
UM, BUT, UH, YES, IT'S A, IT'S A PATTERN, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND THEN WE EXPECT THEM TO, TO WHAT ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING AFTER 10 YEARS.
AND THEN WHEN WE'VE ALLOWED THEM TO PURCHASE OVER 30 PROPERTIES, UH, IT'S KIND OF INSANE.
AND THEN WE WONDER WHY PEOPLE ARE MOVING OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM A CHANCE, EVEN WHEN WE HAVE PROPERTY ACQUISITION FUNDS THAT THE LANDMARK COMMISSION, UH, NO LONGER, YOU KNOW, HAS JURISDICTION OF RALLY AUSTIN DOES, WHEN THEY'VE GOT $20 MILLION IN THE BANK, YOU TALK ABOUT IT SITTING THERE FOR YEARS, WE COULD HAVE BEEN BUYING THESE PROPERTIES UP, PUTTING THEM IN LAND TRUST, GIVING THEM TO NONPROFITS, HAVING BLACK AND BROWN BUSINESSES IN THERE USING AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUNDS.
SO THE, THE PROBLEMS JUST CONTINUE AS A CYCLE, RIGHT? AND THEN THE CITY WANTS TO SAY, WELL, WELL, WE CAN'T DO SOMETHING.
WE HAVE MONEY, THERE'S MONEY THERE.
RIGHT? DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT STEWARD OF THIS PROPERTY? THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
UH, ANYONE ELSE, UM, FROM THE, UH, REMOTE DAIS? ALL RIGHT.
COMMISSIONER DELGADO IS RECOGNIZED.
OH, WELL, TODAY YOU'RE IN, IN A CAPACITY OF A PUBLIC, UH, CITIZEN.
AND, AND YES, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED AND SPOKE ABOUT, IT'S SO ACCURATE AND FACTUAL, AND WE'RE FACING THAT.
AND SO TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UM, AND I DO WANNA SHARE, UM, WITH THE, I DO WANNA ASK A QUESTION BEFORE I SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, UH, ONE QUE UH, TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, HOW MANY HISTORICAL LANDMARK SITES ARE ON THE STREET? YOU MENTIONED ONE.
UM, THIS PARTICULAR INTERSECTION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TWO EXISTING CITY OF AUSTIN LANDMARKS, THE SOUTHGATE LEWIS HOUSE, WHICH IS IN A NONPROFIT HANDS.
AND THE, UM, THE HURDLE HOUSE IQ HURDLE HOUSE, WHICH EUREKA OWNS.
THEY GOT SLAPPED ON THE WRIST BY BUILDING CODE.
UM, BUT THEY, THEY ALREADY OWN A HISTORIC PROPERTY DESIGNATED.
SO, SO, UM, AND THEN SECOND, UM, IS THE DEVELOPERS, UM, THE OWNERS, I CALL 'EM DEVELOPERS 'CAUSE I JUST LOOKED AT THEIR NAME.
UM, ARE THEY, HAVE THEY FILED A DEMOLITION PERMIT? YES.
SO THIS DEMOLITION PERMIT THAT WAS FILED, UM, AFTER ALMOST 10 YEARS OF NEGLECT, UH, HAS, HAS ACCOMPANIED A LOT OF INFORMATION, ASBESTOS ABATEMENT, WHICH HAS TO BE DONE REGARDLESS OF YOU DEMOING OR REPAIRING IT.
BUT THE DEMOLITION PERMIT CAME IN, IT GOT SENT TO THE LANDMARK COMMISSION.
THEY APPROVED IT AS SUPER MAJORITY UNANIMOUS.
SO DID THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEN NOW IT FINALLY GOES TO CITY COUNCIL FOR THREE READINGS OF A REZONING.
UM, AND HISTORIC ZONING WOULD SAVE THIS PROPERTY FROM BEING DEMOLISHED.
AND THEN IT WOULD FORCE, UH, IN LIMITED CAPACITY, EUREKA, TO MAINTAIN IT.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN HARD TO DO OVER THE YEARS WITH THEIR OTHER PROPERTY AT THE HURDLE HOUSE.
UM, AND YEAH, I WANTED YOU TO SHARE THAT, THOSE THINGS TO OUR BOARD AND HOW, UH, IF, IF WE DON'T PRESERVE THESE PROPERTIES, THAT THEY WILL BE DEMOLISHED.
AND LOOKING AT YOUR BACKUP, YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS HAS OVER 50 YEARS OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE FROM TWO DIFFERENT CULTURES, NOT JUST FROM, UH, THE AFRICAN, UH, AMERICAN CULTURE, BUT AS WELL AS GERMAN.
AND BECAUSE IT'S BEEN U UTILIZED SEVERAL FOR SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS, I JUST WENT AND LOOKED AT ALL OF YOUR BACKUP.
AND SO, UM, I THINK WE ARE ALL IN THE BUSINESS OF WANTING TO, UH, PRESERVE AND, UH, CREATE LANDMARKS IN AUSTIN BECAUSE WE ARE BEING, UH, RECREATED TO A NEW YORK AND A CHICAGO AND A SEATTLE CITY.
UM, AND AS WE TRY TO HOLD ON TO OUR, OUR BUILDING STRUCTURES, OUR CHARACTERISTIC OF OUR HOMES, OUR SCHOOLS, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, THAT WERE HISTORICAL AND A, A HOME THAT WE CALLED AT ONE TIME, I REALLY WANT THIS BOARD TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE 11TH STREET AND 12TH STREET, UM, AREA, MLK AREA IS, IS LITERALLY BEING, UM, IS GROUND ZERO FOR GENTRIFICATION.
NOT JUST IN THE CESA CHAVEZ AREA, BUT AS WE'RE BEING BOMBARDED, UM, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SUPPORT, UH, FROM THE CITY, UM, HELPING US OUT THERE PRESERVED THESE, THESE, UH, BUILDINGS AND HOMES.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, UH, THROUGH THE BUSINESS 11TH STREET BUSINESS MERCHANT ASSOCIATION, WHICH, UH, OUR COUNCIL MEMBER NATASHA MADISON, UH, ALSO COMES FROM, UH, THESE ARE THE, UH, POWER PLAYERS, UH, EUREKA, THAT SITS ON THAT, UH, THAT'S A PART OF THAT BOARD.
AND THEY ARE BUYING UP OUR ENTIRE, UH, CITY, UH, EAST, UH, ON THE EASTERN CRESCENT.
[02:30:01]
AND SO, YEAH, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT, UH, UH, RECOMMENDATION.AND SO I TOTALLY SUPPORT ALL THE WORK THAT THE COMMISSION'S DOING, AS WELL AS THE WORK YOU'RE DOING HERE TODAY.
I SUPPORT THIS LETTER, A RECOMMENDATION.
ANYONE ELSE? ALRIGHT, SO YOU, YOU, YOU OKAY, COMMISSIONER, VICE CHAIR.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, MR. RUBIO AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER DELGADO FOR BOTH OF Y'ALL.
UH, NOTING THE, THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS AREA, THIS BLOCK, ESPECIALLY LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO SAID, WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE, UH, BACKUP, YOU KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT ALL THE OTHER PROPERTIES THAT ARE ON THIS BLOCK.
UM, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT, NOT ONLY, LIKE YOU SAID, NOT ONLY IN THE CITY AND THE STATE, YOU KNOW, AS WELL.
UH, AND YOU MADE A VERY GOOD POINT IN THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE SAME KIND OF DEVELOPERS, RIGHT? THAT WE'RE SEEING WHETHER WE ARE TALKING ABOUT APARTMENTS THAT ARE BEING NEGLECTED.
AND THEN, UH, PEOPLE ARE LIKE, YEAH, OF COURSE YOU SHOULD DEMOLISH THOSE APARTMENTS, BUT WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, UH, DOCUMENT THAT, THOSE YEARS OF NEGLECT, SAME THING THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT HERE.
AND SO, I GUESS WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'M GOING TO READ THE LETTER THAT WAS DRAFTED, UH, FOR THE SUPPORT.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A VOTE.
OKAY? SO, UH, YOU SHOULD HAVE THIS LETTER IN YOUR BACKUP.
BEFORE YOU, UM, BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE, I DO WANNA ASK A QUESTION, AND I, I'M AFRAID THAT IF I TAKE A VOTE, WE, I WON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, CAN YOU ANSWER OR ADDRESS WITH THIS KIND OF SUPPORT? TWO QUESTIONS.
ARE THERE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE IN FAVOR OF PRESERVING THIS? WHO ARE THEY NAMED THEM? GREAT, GREAT QUESTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN RECENTLY TRYING TO SEND CASES UP TO CITY COUNCIL KNOWING THAT IT'S A, IT'S A HARD ISSUE.
WE HAVE AN EAST AUSTIN RESOURCE SURVEY, WHICH RECOMMENDS THESE, YOU KNOW, AND THE CITY PUT MONEY INTO IT.
AND SO IN THIS, IN THE RECENT, THIS RECENT, I GUESS TWO YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, UM, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS CITY COUNCIL HAS HAD SUPPORT FROM EIGHT COUNCIL MEMBERS IN FAVOR OF HISTORIC ZONING AGAINST OWNER WISHES.
HOWEVER, THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE NOT SUPPORTED THIS BECAUSE OF PROPERTY RIGHTS.
AND THAT'S AND WHO, UH, WELL, SO, SO, WELL THEN, SINCE THERE ARE MORE WHO SUPPORT IT, WHO ARE THE THREE WHO DON'T SUPPORT IT? THAT IS, UM, NATASHA HARPER MADISON, PAIGE ELLIS, AND MACKENZIE KELLY.
UH, SO THESE THREE VOTES HAVE PREVENTED US FROM SAVING ANYTHING OF HISTORIC VALUE IN THE CITY.
AND OVER SINCE 2016, WE'VE LOST 130 HISTORIC ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES ON THE EAST SIDE THAT COULD ALL BE, YOU KNOW, LANDMARKS FOR TAX, TAX ABATEMENT, PROPERTIES, ALL THAT.
UM, AND TAX CREDITS, EVERYTHING.
WE'VE LOST OVER 130 PROPERTIES.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CITY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE LANDMARK COMMISSION CAN'T SAVE ANYTHING BY THEMSELVES.
NEITHER CAN PLANNING COMMISSION.
IT'S THOSE 11 VOTES, AND WE NEED NINE.
AND IF I'M UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY, COMM, UM, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, HARPER MADISON IS, UM, AFFILIATED WITH OWNERSHIP OF SOME SOMEHOW AFFILIATED WITH OWNERSHIP, THAT'S JUST A YES OR NO? YES.
AND, UM, MY OTHER QUESTION WAS WITH THIS, UM, UH, SO IF THE COMMISSIONERS, I MEAN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE IN FAVOR OF IT, SO WHY IS IT, IS IT, IS IT, IS IT REASONABLE OR THIS SEEMS TO BE A EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT FOR IT TO STILL BE COMING UP AGAINST, UM, CHALLENGES? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER BRIEFLY, IF POSSIBLE.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? WHY IS, WHY IS THIS SUCH A FIGHT? WHAT'S THE FIGHT? WHAT'S, WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT BOILS DOWN TO MONEY.
I THINK IT BOILS DOWN TO THE MONEY'S TALKING.
UM, IT'S, THE MONEY IS TALKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE, AND THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, HAVE KIND OF, UH, LOST, THEY'VE BECOME APATHETIC TO THE, THE GOALS OF WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
WHEN WE SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN'S CHANGING, YOU KNOW, EAST AUSTIN IS EVEN CHANGING.
OKAY, WELL, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS FOR, FOR 10 YEARS, RIGHT? MM-HMM
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS YET, IT BOILS DOWN TO THE TOP.
AND SO REALLY IT'S THE POLITICAL WILL, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PURCHASE THESE PROPERTIES, PUT THEM IN A LAND TRUST, YOU KNOW, START NEW BUSINESSES IN THEM.
UM, BUT WE NEED THOSE GOOD ACTORS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE CITY HAS WELCOME, LAID THE WELCOME MAT TO, TO THE DEVELOPERS SAYING, AUSTIN'S FOR SALE, OUR SOUL'S FOR SALE.
COME AND BUY EVERYTHING YOU WANT.
KICK OUT EVERYBODY, THE BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE MM-HMM
AND THEN YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA ERASE HISTORY OF IT.
AND THEN WE HAVE NO ACCOUNTABILITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE COMMUNITY HAS ALREADY ENACTED PLANS APPROVED BY THE CITY.
AND CHESTNUT AND, UM, CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN, YOU LOOK AT THOSE TOP THREE
[02:35:01]
FIRST RECOMMENDATIONS OF THEIR GOALS, IT'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF THEIR COMMUNITY.SO WHAT ARE WE DOING? MM-HMM
WHY DO WE NOT HAVE THAT REPRESENTATION? MM-HMM.
THAT IS ACTUALLY SAYING YOU CAN DO IT AND YOU CAN FORCE PEOPLE TO DO IT.
THAT'S WHY THEY WERE FORCED TO KEEP VICTORY GRILL IN THERE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
THAT'S, I JUST WANTED TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, SO AGAIN, I'M GOING TO READ THE LETTER OF SUPPORT THAT WAS DRAFTED, AND WE'LL TAKE A VOTE ON THAT.
UM, IT SAYS, DEAR MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION SUPPORTS THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION'S ORDINANCE TO DESIGNATE 1500 EAST 12TH STREET AS A CITY OF AUSTIN HISTORIC LANDMARK, UH, FROM PRESERVATION AUSTIN.
UH, THIS IS A QUOTE BUILT BETWEEN 1889 AND 1911.
THE STORE AT 1500 EAST 12TH STREET TRACES THE DIVERSE HERITAGE OF EAST AUSTIN.
THE BUILDING'S EARLY HISTORY REFLECTS THE GERMAN HERITAGE OF AUSTIN AND CENTRAL TEXAS, INITIALLY CONSTRUCTED BY GROCER AND POLITICIAN, CHRISTIAN J WILHEM.
IT WAS LATER ACQUIRED BY DESAL MERCHANT EARNEST AND LUISA EISER, WHO OPERATED A PRODUCE AND DRY GOOD STORE, A SALOON AND A RESTAURANT THERE
IN 1950, BLACK, BLACK BUSINESSMAN, BEAUFORT JOHNSON PURCHASED THE BUILDING, TRANSFORMING IT INTO A COMMUNITY HUB FOR EAST AUSTIN'S AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION.
DURING THE JIM CROW ERA, BY THE MID, MID 1950S, THE BUILDING HOUSED THE 1500 BEAUTY AND BARBERSHOPS, AS WELL AS CLUB 1500, A BAR AND A MUSIC VENUE.
IT LATER BECAME THE HOME OF THE GAMMA, A ETA ALPHA CHAPTER OF THE ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, THE OLDEST FRATERNITY IN AMERICA TO ADMIT BLACK MEMBERS.
THE BUILDING IS PROMINENTLY SITUATED AT THE CORNER OF EAST 12TH STREET AND KAMAL STREETS DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE IQ HURDLE.
AND THE SOUTHGATE LEWIS HOUSES BOTH LANDMARKS OF AUSTIN'S BLACK HERITAGE, REFLECTING THE GREATER IMPORTANCE OF THIS INTERSECTION TO THE STORY OF BLACK EAST AUSTIN.
THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN PART OF, UH, MANY CHANGES IN EAST AUSTIN, AND DESERVES TO BE PRESERVED AND DESIGNATED AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE URGE THE CITY, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE.
DO WE HEAR A MOTION FOR, UH, TO ACCEPT THIS AND, UM, MAKE SURE THAT IT IS SENT FORWARD? UH, COMMISSIONER DELGADO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT WE ACCEPT THE MOTION THAT'S PUT ON THE TABLE MADE BY COMMISSIONER, UM, ALIAS ELIAS FOR THE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR HISTORICAL LANDMARK ON THIS PROPERTY.
THAT WAS TO COMMISSIONER TISHA.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER TISHA.
WE HAVE, UH, UM, COMMISSIONER DELGADO HAS MADE A MOTION THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH ACCEPTING THE, UH, LETTER, UH, TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO PRESERVE THE PROPERTY OF 1500 EAST, UM, 12TH STREET.
AND COMMISSIONER TISHA HAS, IN FACT, SECONDED.
DO I HAVE A VOTE? CAN WE TAKE A VOTE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
AND WE GOT A LITTLE EXTRA FROM COMMISSIONER ARNOLD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
UM, ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? YES, COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, YOU ARE RECOGNIZED, MY DEAR.I JUST WANTED TO ASK AGAIN IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE VACANCIES AND THE PROCESS THEREIN? OH, SURE.
WHAT IS, WELL, I THOUGHT WE, WE DIDN'T PUT THAT ON THE THING, HUH? UH AND ON HELL IS IS ON HELL OUT.
DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE ON YOUR VACANCY? UH OH, THAT WE CAN ADD THAT TO? WE NEED THAT AS A FUTURE ITEM.
THAT NEEDS TO BE ON OUR AGENDA, MR. BLAKE AND TEAM, WE NEED TO MAKE, WE, WE YOU, 'CAUSE I'M HAVING YOU ATTEND MORE, UM, NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT'S ON THE AGENDA, BUT WE'LL LOOK FOR AN UPDATE ON THAT.
UH, COMMISSIONER, I MEAN, UH, ON HELL
AND ONE OTHER IS FOR YES, THE WATER FORWARD, AUSTIN WATER FORWARD 2024.
THEY'RE CURRENTLY THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RIGHT NOW.
SO IT'S THE, THE, UM, OH MY GOSH, NOT WATERSHED.
UH, BUT I, I MENTIONED IT LAST TIME AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE UPCOMING JANUARY, FEBRUARY.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT DEFINITELY WILL BE DISCUSSED.
AND OF COURSE, UM, ECHO THE HOMELESS RESPONSE TEAM.
SO THERE'S THREE ITEMS I'VE HEARD NOW
[02:40:01]
TWO CAME IN FROM COMMISSIONER TISHA TALKING ABOUT, IT WAS MENTIONED LAST MONTH THAT THERE IS SOME UPDATE THAT WE NEED IN REFERENCE TO THE WATERSHED OR THE WATERFRONT.SOMETHING ALONG ALONG, I GOTTA GET VERY CLEAR IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS THE, UH, RESPONSE TO THE COLD WINTER.
I WAS ASKED ABOUT THAT PREPARATION.
SO AUSTIN WATER FORWARD, THAT, THAT'S, THOSE WERE SEPARATE.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT INTERTWINED.
SO YES, THE, THE RESPONSE TEAM, UM, SO THE HOMELESS RESPONSE TEAM CAN BE INCLUSIVE OF THE WINTER WEATHER IN TERMS OF WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE, WHAT THE, UM, AND WHAT THOSE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER ASK WAS FOR WATER FORWARD AUSTIN WATER FORWARD PLANS.
SO I'M JUST VERIFYING IF THAT'S FROM THE WATERSHED.
I CAN, YEAH, IT'S JUST THE 2024, UM, WATER FORWARD REPORT.
THAT'S ALL THAT I'M SEEING ON HERE RIGHT NOW.
THERE IS A WATER FORWARD TASK FORCE TASK.
AND THEN YOU WANT THE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE MM-HMM
YOU WANT THE, UM, COLD WEATHER RESPONSE FROM THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE? CORRECT.
AND, AND COMMISSIONER TISHA, CAN I CONFIRM? YOU MENTIONED ECHO, IS THAT WITH THE, THAT WAS WITH THE, UM, COLD WEATHER RESPONSE.
THEY, THEY WORK IN TANDEM RESPONSE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE BECAUSE I HAD MADE NO, THANK YOU.
'CAUSE IT COULD BE CONSIDERED SEPARATE.
UM, BLAKE, UH, MR. BLAKE AND OR MS. UH, JACKMAN, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU NEED CLARIFICATION WITH OUR COMMISSIONERS ON, WITH THE NEEDS? AND MR. BLAKE, CAN YOU MAKE A SPECIAL POINT TO INCLUDE THAT IN OUR AGENDA FOR UPCOMING AGENDA MEETING? MM-HMM
I'M GONNA RELY ON YOU TO INCLUDE IT.
WE GETTING THESE AGENDA MEETINGS IN THE, I DON'T HAVE ALL MY NOTES.
WE, I WILL SAY, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE THE CORRECT SPONSORS OF EACH OF THE ITEMS. I HAVE THE FIRST THREE, UM, BUT THERE ARE SOME OTHERS, UM, PRESENTATION FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, ON THE EQUITY OVERLAY FOR JANUARY.
NOW, WE MIGHT HAVE TO PARE SOME OF THESE DOWN.
BUT THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE FROM LAST MONTH, AND THAT IS COMMISSIONER LONGORIA.
AND YOU WANTED REGULAR UPDATES STARTING IN JANUARY, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, I, I REMEMBER KIND OF LIKE A RAMPING UP AND THEN MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPREAD OUT, BUT OKAY.
IT'S, SO IT'S GREAT TO HEAR SOMETHING THAT OKAY.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, THERE WAS A REQUEST FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY REGARDING UPDATES TO SANTA RITA COURTS IN ROSEWOOD FROM BERTHA DELGADO.
WELL, WAIT, I, I, I HAVE MORE THAN THAT THOUGH, SO FOR JANUARY? WELL, YEAH, RIGHT NOW I GUESS.
I JUST, UH, I WANTED TO CLARIFY SOMETHING BECAUSE I REMEMBER COMMISSIONER ORTIZ HAD ALSO ASKED ABOUT, UH, QUOTE WEATHER PREPARATION, BUT I THINK SHE WAS FOCUSING ON AUSTIN ENERGY AS WELL.
IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN GET LIKE A, SOME A, A REPORT OR, I MEAN A PRESENTATION THAT INCLUDES ENERGY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IF WE LOSE POWER, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THAT, THAT KIND OF REPORT.
AND THEN ALSO THE HOMELESS, UH, STRATEGY.
AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO GET CLARIFICATION MM-HMM
BECAUSE I HAD HEARD AUSTIN ENERGY MM-HMM
SO, UH, RIGHT NOW FOR JANUARY, THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE HAS CONFIRMED THEIR AVAILABILITY AND PARTICIPATION.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN ALSO REQUEST, YOU'RE SAYING FROM, THERE'S A, AND THEN WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOMELAND DEPARTMENT.
HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY DOING THE PRESENTATIONS.
THEY, THEY CAN ALSO DO THAT MM-HMM
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE, BUT I WILL REACH OUT TO, AND I GUESS MY QUESTION WAS DOES THAT INCLUDE EVERYTHING OR IS IT JUST E ENERGY WISE, OR IS IT IT HAS TO DO WITH, AND I BELIEVE I SENT, DID WE SEND THAT, DID I SEND YOU GUYS A PRESENTATION? NO.
[02:45:01]
IT DID.I WASN'T SURE IF WE SENT THAT.
SO I WANTED, SO SOMETIMES WHAT I DO IS I SEND THINGS TO YOU GUYS AS SAY, IS THIS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? I DID SAY THAT.
SO YOU GUYS HAVE TO TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT.
BECAUSE THERE ARE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
WHAT ABOUT THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS DEPARTMENT? BECAUSE THAT ENCOMPASSES MULTIPLE, UH, THOSE DIFFERENT ARENAS OF AUSTIN ENERGY.
THEY WORK IN COLLABORATION IN TANDEM WITH AUSTIN ENERGY.
THEY ALSO WORK WITH AUSTIN WATER IN TERMS OF WORRIED ABOUT FREEZING PIPES AND MAKING SURE THAT, AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE'S, UM, A FROZEN PIPE SITUATION AND HOW TO PREPARE, UM, RESONANCE FOR THAT.
UH, THERE'S, SO THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT COME INTO THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
SO WONDERING IF THAT MIGHT BE A BETTER ROUTE IN TERMS OF BEING COMPREHENSIVE TO BE INCLUSIVE OF THOSE.
SO WHAT I WILL DO, WE WILL LIST THE REQUEST AND THEN AT THE AGENDA SETTING MEETING, I WILL RECEIVE DIRECTION FROM THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR AND ANY OTHERS ON THE CALL IN TERMS OF SPECIFICALLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND SO I'LL OFFER IT TO YOU GUYS.
AND THEN THE ONE THING WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND IS AVAILABILITY.
IT JUST DEPENDS ALSO WHO'S AVAILABLE WHEN.
BUT, UM, BUT IF YOU WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE PRESENTATION THAT I SENT, THAT MIGHT BE THE ONE AND IT WILL BE PRESENTED TO COUNSEL OF THIS THURSDAY.
SO I HEAR, SO COMMISSIONER TISHA'S, UM, COMMENT ABOUT THE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, UM, REPORT.
DOES THAT COMMISSIONER TEISHA TAKE OVER YOUR WEATHERIZATION ONE? ARE WE COMBINING THOSE? OR, OR NOT NECESSARILY.
AND THAT'S FINE IF THERE'S NOT, I JUST NEED TO GET THE HOME.
I, I DO KNOW THE HOMELESS RESPONSE TEAM IS VERY DIFFERENT TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS DEFINITELY ENCOMPASSES ENERGY, WATER, UM, EVEN, EVEN ROAD SAFETY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THE HOMELESS STRATEGY ONE IS THE ONE THAT DEALS WITH THE WEATHER, THE WEATHERIZATION? NO.
BUT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HAPPEN, UH, COMMISSIONER, I MEAN, MR. BLAKE, IF YOU WOULD, ONCE WE HAVE, 'CAUSE I'M LOOKING AT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, AT LEAST ITEMS THAT ARE KEYED UP FOR NEXT MONTH OR THE MONTH AFTER.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS HAVE THE ITEM AND THEN THE COMMISSIONER, WHO'S, WHO'S A ASKING FOR IT.
AND THEN IT'D BE ITEM JUST ITEMIZED ONE, YOU KNOW, ONE THROUGH SIX OR ONE THROUGH EIGHT.
AND THEN COMMISSIONERS, I'M GONNA COUNT ON YOU ALL TO RESPOND TO MR. BLAKE TO LET HIM KNOW YOUR TOP THREE OR TOP FOUR, WHATEVER IT IS, WE WILL GET TO ALL OF THEM, BUT WE WANT, MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET TO ALL OF THEM IN THE NEXT MONTH.
IT MAY TAKE TWO MONTHS TO GET TO THEM, DEPENDING ON THE AVAILABILITY OF, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, OF THE STAFF MEMBERS.
BUT IF WE CAN AT LEAST RANK THEM IN OUR, YOU KNOW, IF THAT WORKS FOR YOU ALL, I THINK THAT WILL HELP ME IN, UH, SETTING THE AGENDA.
'CAUSE NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE THESE THREE HOUR AGENDAS, BUT IF WE'RE TAKING CARE OF GOOD BUSINESS, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
BUT, UM, I STILL WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MINDFUL OF HOW TO USE OUR TIME AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THINGS DONE THAT WILL NEED TO BE DONE.
UH, WE'RE CLOSING THE FUTURE AGENDA.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS BE BEFORE BE, I'M SORRY, AFTER YOU, UH, CLOSE YOUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MY COMMISSIONERS.
BEFORE YOU DO THAT, I'LL, I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I'M ABOUT TO DO.
I DID WANT TO DO A, UM, A CALL TO, UH, ORDER AT THE, AT THE END.
AND THANK EACH AND EVERY COMMISSIONER THAT IS, IS HERE.
I DID NOT, I FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU ALL AT THE BEGINNING.
WE GOT, WE JUST JUMPED RIGHT IN TO IT.
SO, COMMISSIONER WOODS, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
COMMISSIONER ACHILLES, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
COMMISSIONER ARNOLD, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
VICE CHAIR ALIAS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
COMMISSIONER TISHA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE I'VE OVERLOOKED ANYBODY.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DEFINITELY WANT TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
COMMISSIONER DELGADO HAS SOMETHING.
BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I JUST WANTED TO THANK, UH, COMMISSIONER NIKA ARNOLD AND COMMISSIONER, UH, LONGORIA FOR, UM, UH, NOT JUST, UH, ADVOCATING, BUT ALSO REFERRING, UH, ELANO, UH, ORGANIZATION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
[02:50:01]
A TREMENDOUS JOB, UH, WITH PREVENTING, UH, EVICTIONS AND ASSISTING PEOPLE WITH RENTAL ASSISTANCE.SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, UH, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH OUR RECIPIENTS.
AND, UH, ALSO, MILLS ON WHEELS, THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB OUT THERE HELPING PEOPLE PAY THEIR LIGHT, HELPING PEOPLE PAY THEIR GAS.
AND, AND I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF GREAT, UM, UH, CALLS REGARDING THEM.
SO THANK YOU TOO FOR, UH, MAKING SURE THAT YOU BROUGHT THAT TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND, UH, HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF YOU ALL.
YEAH, WE DO, WE DO, UH, ECHO ALL OF THE, UM, THE WORK, THE HARD WORK THAT EVERYONE IS DOING IN YOUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, WITH THAT, UH, AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ALL.
UH, WE WISH YOU ALL, EACH OF ONE OF YOU ALL A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE TIME NOW IS, THANK YOU, DARNA NINE 40 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.