Apr 28, 2025 Special Called Joint Meeting of the Public Health Committee and the Audit and Finance Committee

TO CAPITALIZE ON INCREASED VACANCIES IN THE RENTAL MARKET, AND APPROPRIATELY MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUTH WITH HIGHER ACUITY.

SO THAT WAY THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE LENGTH OF THIS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S HARD TO MAKE A DECISION ON THAT EITHER WAY.

BUT SINCE, UH, WE HAVE A, A LENGTHY REPORT AND WE HAVE, UH, FOLKS, IF YOU LOOK AT WHEN THE PEOPLE YOU'RE GETTING READY TO SEE SPEAK, THEY KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TOPIC.

SO, UH, WE, WE'LL, WE'LL HEAR FROM 'EM IN THAT WAY.

PLEASE,

[Public Communication: General]

IF YOU'LL BEGIN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE HAVE A, UM, A SPEAKER, LIZ SCHOFIELD, WHO HAS THREE MINUTES DONATED TIME BY KIRSTEN.

UM, THEY'RE NOW AVAILABLE TO SPEAK.

THEY'RE BOTH HERE, SIR.

SO YOU HAVE THREE, UM, A TOTAL OF SIX MINUTES TO SPEAK.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WATSON, YOU ARE PRO TEMP FUENTES AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS LIZ SHAUNFELD, AND I SERVE AS CEO AT LIFEWORKS.

UH, I THINK I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH Y'ALL TODAY.

I'M HERE AS ONE OF THE PROVIDERS OF OUR HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, AND I WANNA ECHO THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN A BALANCED CONTINUUM OF SERVICES, WHICH YOU WILL SEE, UH, RECOMMENDED IN, IN DAVID'S PRESENTATION IN JUST A BIT.

UM, ALSO WANNA REITERATE THE IMPORTANCE OF MATCHING INDIVIDUALS TO SPECIFIC INTERVENTIONS AND BRINGING OTHER ENTITIES AND FUNDERS TO THE TABLE TO HELP ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

BUT I'D LIKE TO CALL ATTENTION TO A SPECIFIC SUBSET OF OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, SPECIFICALLY UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH UNDER THE AGE OF 25.

AT LIFEWORKS, OUR MISSION IS TO SOLVE YOUTH HOMELESSNESS.

AND YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IS QUALITATIVELY DIFFERENT THAN ADULT CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS.

UM, BUT THE TWO ARE CLOSELY CONNECTED, UH, BECAUSE WITHOUT INTERVENTION, MANY OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE GO ON TO EXPERIENCE LONG-TERM HOMELESSNESS AS ADULTS, DRIVING SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC COSTS.

EACH CHRONICALLY HOMELESS ADULT COSTS TAXPAYERS BETWEEN 34,007 AND $47,000 ANNUALLY THROUGH EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS, INCARCERATION, SHELTER STAYS AND LOST PRODUCTIVITY.

AND BY INTERVENING EARLIER, WE NOT ONLY CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF YOUNG LIVES, BUT WE HELP TO PREVENT THESE FUTURE COSTS.

AND IN AUSTIN, UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 10% OF THE OVERALL HOMELESS POPULATION.

AND THEIR EXPERIENCES ARE MORE CHALLENGING THAN MANY REALIZE.

85% ARE UNSHELTERED, 57% HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, AND NEARLY A THIRD ARE PARENTING WHILE HOMELESS IMPACTING OUR NEXT GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE.

AND THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE.

SINCE OCTOBER OF 2020, YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY HAS MORE THAN QUADRUPLED GOING FROM 247 TO OVER A THOUSAND.

AND DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES, THERE ARE SUCCESSES TO BUILD ON BECAUSE OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, NEARLY 1700 YOUTH HAVE TRANSITIONED FROM HOMELESSNESS TO HOUSING WITH LIFEWORKS, UH, SUPPORTING 62% OF THOSE TRANSITIONS.

IN FISCAL YEAR 2024 ALONE, MORE THAN 275 YOUTH WERE SERVED THROUGH OUR RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM WITH 72% EXITING TO PERMANENT DESTINATIONS.

AND WE'VE ALSO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED A SCATTERED SITE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN ABLE

[00:05:01]

WHILE WE'RE PROUD OF THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE, THE REALITY IS THAT THE SCALE OF YOUTH HOMELESSNESS CONTINUES TO GROW.

AND WE PROJECT THAT THE NUMBER OF UNHOUSED YOUTH WILL RISE FROM ABOUT 1300 NEXT JANUARY TO OVER 2000 BY JANUARY, 2029.

IF OUR, IF THESE TRENDS CONTINUE, WHICH WILL REPRESENT MORE THAN A 60% INCREASE IN JUST THREE YEARS, AND EVEN AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR THE NUMBER OF YOUTH WHO ARE LIKELY TO SELF RESOLVE, RELOCATE OR OTHERWISE BE DEEMED INELIGIBLE FOR SERVICES, THE NUMBER WILL LIKELY GROW FROM AN EXPECTED 1100 AND, UH, 20 AND EARLY 2026 TO ROUGHLY 1,660 BY EARLY 2029.

AND THAT'S NEARLY A 50% INCREASE, EVEN UNDER THESE REALLY CONSERVATIVE ASSUMPTIONS.

BUT IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY BECAUSE THIS THIRD LINE SHOWS WHAT'S POSSIBLE IF WE INVEST IN A FULLY FUNDED SYSTEM, ONE THAT INCLUDES LIGHTER TOUCH UPSTREAM INTERVENTIONS, AS WELL AS MORE INTENSIVE HOUSING SOLUTIONS LIKE RAPID REHOUSING, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AND ROBUST SUPPORTIVE SERVICES WITH A FULLY SCALED SYSTEM.

UH, WE PROJECT THAT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS COULD EFFECTIVELY BE RESOLVED BY NOVEMBER OF 2028.

AND NOW TO BE CLEAR, YOUTH WOULD STILL FALL INTO HOMELESSNESS, BUT THE SYSTEM WOULD HAVE THE CAPACITY TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY.

MAKING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS RARE, BRIEF, AND NON-RECURRING ACHIEVING THIS IMPACT WOULD REQUIRE A MEANINGFUL, UH, INVESTMENT.

SCALING DIVERSION, HOUSING INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES COSTS WOULD BE HIGHER INITIALLY, AS THE SYSTEM RAMPS UP, BUILDS CAPACITY AND SCALES TO MEET THE FULL NEED.

BUT OVER TIME, AS MORE YOUNG PEOPLE ACHIEVE STABILITY, ANNUAL INVESTMENTS WOULD LEVEL OFF AND ULTIMATELY DECLINE AS INFLOW SLOWS, AND THE OVERALL DEMAND ON THE SYSTEM DECREASES.

AND SO WHAT WOULD A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE? IT WOULD EXPAND DIVERSION SERVICES, PROVIDING THE LIGHTEST TOUCH INTERVENTIONS WHENEVER POSSIBLE, WHILE SCALING RAPID REHOUSING AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR THOSE WITH MORE INTENSIVE LONG-TERM NEEDS.

BUT HOUSING ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH.

WRAPAROUND SERVICES, INCLUDING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, PEER SUPPORT, AND COUNSELING, ARE CRITICAL FOR HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE EXIT HOMELESSNESS AND STAY HOUSED FOR THE LONG TERM.

AND THE NUMBERS THAT I PRESENTED ON THE PRIOR SLIDE INCLUDE THOSE WRAPAROUND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.

AND SO TO CLOSE, THERE ARE THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS THAT I JUST WANNA LEAVE YOU WITH.

FIRST, SOLVING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IS A SMART STRATEGIC INVEC, UH, INVESTMENT THAT PREVENTS HIGHER, LONG, LONG-TERM PUBLIC COSTS.

SECOND YOUTH HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY IS GROWING RAPIDLY.

AND WITHOUT INTERVENTION, THE HUMAN AND FINANCIAL TOLL WILL CONTINUE TO RISE.

AND FINALLY, THERE IS A CLEAR, ACHIEVABLE PATH FORWARD.

WE KNOW THE NEED, WE KNOW WHAT WORKS, AND WITH THE RIGHT INVESTMENT, IT IS POSSIBLE TO EFFECTIVELY SOLVE YOUTH HOMELESSNESS BY THE END OF 2028.

BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR EXPERIENCE.

THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO, TOO.

CAN I ASK HER JUST ONE QUESTION? IS THAT OKAY? JUST ONE? YES.

IT'S ALL I PROMISE.

IT'LL BE, THERE'S ONLY BE ONE COUNCIL MEMBER.

UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR SCATTER SITE, PSH, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LITTLE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT HERE WITH DAVID.

WHEN DID THAT START? AND I'M REALLY, WHERE I'M TRYING TO GO WITH THIS QUESTION IS LOOKING AT THE COSTS THAT WE HAVE SEEN, YOU KNOW, DRAMATICALLY CHANGE IN THE PAST TWO YEARS IN THE RENTAL MARKET AND THE VACANCY RATES, HOW, IF YOU STARTED THAT WHEN, WHEN RENTS WERE HIGH VERSUS TODAY, JUST THE DIFFERENCE IN SUCCESS MM-HMM .

AS WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO POTENTIALLY UTILIZING THIS WHEN RENTS MIGHT BE GOING UP A LITTLE BIT.

I JUST WANT TO YEAH.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THE SCATTER SITE, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.

WE'RE IN OUR SECOND YEAR OF DOING THAT.

AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD INCREDIBLE SUCCESS PARTNERING WITH PROPERTY MANAGERS.

UM, IT, IT'S BEEN HIGH, LARGELY COMPARABLE TO THE SUCCESS WE'VE HAD WITH RAPID REHOUSING.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF APPETITE FOR IT.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOE CATHERINE QUINN, AND THE NEXT ON DECK IS CHASE WRIGHT.

IF YOU ARE PRESENT, PLEASE COME DOWN TO THE FRONT AND BE READY TO SPEAK.

YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

WELCOME.

HELLO, MAYOR WATSON.

MAYOR PRO TEM FUENTES.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.

I'M JOE CATHERINE QUINN.

I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO AT CARITAS OF AUSTIN.

CARITAS PROVIDES A HOME AND TAILORED SERVICES TO PREVENT AN END HOMELESSNESS.

WE SUPPORT THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.

SPECIFICALLY, WE'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THREE THINGS, A BALANCED APPROACH, UNIFORM STANDARDS, AND SUSTAINABLE FUNDING.

WE NEED A BALANCED APPROACH IN THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM BECAUSE IT'S CRITICAL TO HAVE THE FULL COMPLEMENT OF INTERVENTIONS FOR EACH OF THE SUB SUBPOPULATIONS WHO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS.

WE ARE A PSH PROVIDER, AND PSH IS NECESSARY, AND WE ALSO NEED PROGRAMS THAT PREVENT PEOPLE FROM DETERIORATING INTO CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS.

WE ENDORSE UNIFORM STANDARDS FOR EACH

[00:10:01]

TYPE OF INTERVENTION BECAUSE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA BY WHICH TO JUDGE PROVIDER'S PERFORMANCE WILL STRENGTHEN OUR CITY'S RESPONSE, OUR RESPONSE SYSTEM, AND ENSURE EVERY CLIENT IS BEING SERVED WITH HIGH QUALITY.

PERFORMANCE-BASED CONTRACTING PROTECTS US, THOSE WE SERVE, AND THE TAXPAYER AND OUR SYSTEM NEEDS TO ENSURE WE ARE GETTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO THE RIGHT INTERVENTION SO IT CAN RUN AT MAX EFFICIENCY.

AND LASTLY, SUSTAINABLE FUNDING.

WE'D LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR ITS SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP, AND RECOGNIZE HOW SUSTAINABLE PREDICTABLE FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY'S EFFORTS TO EFFECTIVELY STRATEGIZE.

EXCUSE ME.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT WITHOUT SUSTAINABLE PREDICTABLE FUNDING, OUR COMMUNITY'S EFFORTS TO EFFECTIVELY STRATEGIZE OUR HOBBLED CARITAS IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO SUPPORT YOU THROUGH SOME TOUGH BUDGET CYCLES AND TO ENCOURAGE MORE FINANCIAL INVOLVEMENT FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S, TAXING AUTHORITIES, AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER WITH ALL OF YOU.

AND THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO IN THE COMMUNITY.

NEXT SPEAKER ON DECK IS CHASE RIDER.

HE HAS THREE ADDITIONAL MINUTES, UM, DONATED BY KERMIT HEDER.

KERMIT HEIDER, I NEED TO KNOW IF YOU'RE IN THE CHAMBERS.

IS KERMIT HEIDER IN THE CHAMBERS? IT'S PARKED.

YOU CAN'T GO AFTER ME.

GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSEL.

HOW'S IT GOING? MY NAME IS CHASE WRIGHT.

I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF THE HUNGRY HILL FOUNDATION.

I'M CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW PARTNERING WITH MANY COLLABORATIONS FROM GRASSROOTS.

UM, WE JUST COMPLETED FIVE MONTHS OF A FIRST PHASE, UH, THANKS TO ECHO AND A FEW OTHER PARTNERS AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE AND START OUR OWN COLLABORATION, RIGHT? UM, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IN THAT COLLABORATION IS MAJORITY OF YOUR DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS, RIGHT? YOU LOOK AT HUNGRY HILL, YOU LOOK AT, WE CAN NOW YOU LOOK AT THE HE PROJECT, THESE ARE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY CALL ON WHEN IT'S TIME TO ADDRESS OUR HOMELESS NEEDS, RIGHT? WHEN IT'S TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE OUR CLIENTS ARE RECEIVING THE BEST SERVICES.

NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS SAME COLLABORATION, YOU WILL FIND THAT IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST UNDERFUNDED INITIATIVE THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN THE CITY.

I ASKED MYSELF, HOW ARE WE FIRST TO RESPOND, BUT LAST TO RECEIVE FUNDING IN THIS INITIATIVE, RIGHT? CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE FIVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS CITY'S BUDGET.

NOT INCLUDED IN THE COUNCILS, NOT INCLUDED IN THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET EITHER.

WE ARE CURRENTLY HERE STANDING, REPRESENTING OURSELVES IN THIS ORGAN IN, IN, IN THIS CITY RIGHT NOW.

AND IT'S BEEN A PROBLEM.

WE ARE MINORITY LED, WE'RE AFRICAN AMERICAN LED, WE ADDRESS AFRICAN AMERICANS AT PRIMARY, BUT WE ADDRESS EVERYBODY, RIGHT? THIS STARTED OFF AS A SMALL PROBLEM THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS, BUT NOW WE HAVE REPLICATED AND WE HAVE MOVED ALL OVER THE CITY.

WE ANSWER TO OUR DISTRICT ONE REPRESENTATIVES, WE ANSWER TO OUR DISTRICT THREE REPRESENTATIVES.

WE ANSWER TO OUR DISTRICT TWO REPRESENTATIVES.

WHENEVER WE'RE CALLED UPON, WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU CONSIDER THIS COLLABORATION.

OUR COLLABORATION HOSTS IN EFFECT, SO MANY DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS.

AND THIS YEAR WE'RE NOT PROJECTED TO RECEIVE ANY FUNDING OR HAVE ANY FUNDING ALLOCATED TO US WITHIN THE CITY BUDGET.

WE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS.

WE ARE NOW AT A POINT WHERE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE ADVOCATING, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TALKING TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT NONE OF OUR PARTNERS THAT ARE PART OF THAT COLLABORATION OUTSIDE OF WE CAN NOW AND MAYBE TWO OTHER PROVIDERS EVEN KNEW ABOUT TODAY, RIGHT? THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE NOT INCLUDED IN IT.

AND IN THIS CITY, IF YOU'RE NOT INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, HOW DO WE EXPECT OUTCOMES? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CLIENTS THAT WE AFFECT ON THE DAY TO DAY? RIGHT? HUNGRY HILL ALONE AFFECTS 700 INDIVIDUALS MONTHLY THROUGHOUT OUR WORKFORCE AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT ON TALK ON GIVING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.

WE WORK WITH CENTRAL HEALTH, WE WORK WITH HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, WE WORK WITH THE EQUITY, UH, I'M SORRY, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, AS WELL AS THE OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION.

WE WE ARE AT A POINT RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE ALMOST BEGGING THAT YOU GUYS DO NOT MAKE ANY MORE INITIATIVES OR INVESTMENTS IN INITIATIVES WITHOUT INCLUDING US.

WE CAN'T GUARANTEE ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.

WE DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO KEEP ACCEPTING OUR CLIENTS, KEEP SERVICING OUR CLIENTS, AND, AND, AND TO JUST STAND ALONE.

QUITE FRANKLY, WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP OUR LIGHTS ON.

UH, IF I'M JUST BEING TRANSPARENT WITH Y'ALL, IF IT WASN'T FOR ECHO AND INITIATIVE THAT THEY STARTED LAST NOVEMBER THAT MANY OF YOU SIGNED UP ON, A LOT OF US WOULDN'T BE HERE.

OUR PARTNERS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR EIGHT YEARS ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IN EAST AUSTIN AND CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN AND SOUTH AUSTIN.

WE ASK THAT YOU GUYS PLEASE TAKE A DEEPER DIVE IN THIS, AND PLEASE THANK YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.

COURTNEY JONES, IF YOU'RE PRESENT, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND THEN WE'LL HAVE NEXT ON DECK.

AND WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO.

ANTHONY JACKSON, IF YOU'RE PRESENT, IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

PLEASE CALL THE NEXT TWO NAMES.

ANTHONY JACKSON,

[00:15:01]

CHRIS BAKER, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

AND BY THE WAY, THE PART OF THE REASON WE'RE DOING THIS IS A JOINT MEETING, UH, IN, IN, NOT REALLY IN RESPONSE, BUT AS BY WAY OF EXPLANATION THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO SAY THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO DO BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW TOUGH THIS BUDGET CYCLE IS GOING TO BE.

WE WANTED TO UTILIZE THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, UH, IN A, IN A MORE ROBUST WAY THAN MAYBE IT HAD BEEN DONE IN THE PAST WHEN IT CAME TO THE BUDGET PROCESS AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE AND, AND REALLY THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, THAT COMMITTEE KNOWS THAT ONE OF THE KEY AREAS, A FOUNDATIONAL AREA, A PROMINENT AREA, WHATEVER IS THE RIGHT WORD TO SHOW THE SIGNIFICANCE, UH, BUT ONE OF THE KEY AREAS OF THAT BUDGET IS GOING TO BE HOW WE ADDRESS PEOPLE LIVING HOMELESS.

AND SO PART OF WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE WITH THIS AS, AS THE MAYOR PRO TEAM HAS POINTED OUT, THE FIRST TIME EVER A JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE AUDIT AND FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE IS, IS SO THAT WE HAVE THAT SORT OF FOCUS AND WE CAN LOOK TO WHAT OUGHT TO BE IN THIS NEXT BUDGET.

UH, AND, AND WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GONNA GET IT RIGHT.

UH, WE'RE NOT ALWAYS, YOU'RE, WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GONNA DO IT WHERE EVERYBODY AGREES.

AND WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GONNA PROBABLY PUT MONEY WHERE EVERYBODY THINKS ALL THE MONEY OUGHT TO GO, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY SO THAT WE'LL BE IN A POSITION TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS GOING FORWARD.

AND THIS IS ALL ABOUT RIGHT NOW, THE BUDGET THAT'S UPCOMING, THE BUDGET THAT WE WILL PASS FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

SO I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING, UH, YOU AS YOU WALKED UP TO THE PODIUM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT IT IS WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO HERE.

PLEASE.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

UH, HELLO EVERYBODY.

IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE.

UM, I WANNA JUST SAY THANK YOU CHASE, FOR STEPPING UP AND SPEAKING LOUDLY FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR ORGANIZATIONS.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

HE SAID A LOT, UH, THAT I COULD SIT UP HERE AND SAY, SO I'LL TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO IT.

UM, WE CAN NOW, I'M THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF, WE CAN NOW, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR FIVE YEARS.

STARTED OFF AS A STREET OUTREACH TEAM.

UH, IN THE SECOND YEAR, WE WERE CONTACTED BY THE, THE HOST TEAM, WHICH IS THE CITY.

UH, WE WERE WORKING AT THE BIGGEST ENCAMPMENTS AT THE TIME.

AND IN THOSE ENCAMPMENTS, UH, WE STAYED AT LEAST A YEAR PROVIDING SERVICES FOR THEM.

WE WOULD ASK THEM, HEY, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THESE WOODS THAT ARE COMING TO PROVIDE SERVICES? BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT WE AT THAT MOMENT, WE COULD ONLY OFFER, UH, THE BASIC SERVICES THAT WE WERE GIVEN, BUT WE KNEW THAT THEY WOULD NEED MORE.

YET THE ANSWER WAS NO.

WE CAN NOW IS THE ONLY ONE WHO SHOWS UP TO THE WOODS.

UH, AND IN THE PLACES THAT, YOU KNOW, MOST PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO GO, INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING FOR THE CITY, WHO'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN THESE ENCAMPMENTS.

UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THAT, WE'VE BUILT TO HAVE AN OFFICE SPACE.

WE'VE BUILT TO HAVE A DIVERSION PROGRAM BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE SEEING PEOPLE ON OUR STREETS.

I, MYSELF, EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS HERE, UH, IN AUSTIN, 10 PLUS YEARS.

AND WE DON'T WANT TO SEE, THIS IS A GREAT CITY.

WE DON'T WANNA SEE PEOPLE UNDER THE BRIDGES AND IN THE WOODS AND ON THE SIDEWALKS AND AT OUR PARKS.

AND I BELIEVE HERE IN AUSTIN, WE HAVE THE MANPOWER TO DO SO.

UM, SO SINCE WE'VE HAD OUR DIVERSION PROGRAM SINCE 2023, UH, WE'VE DIVERTED OVER 80 INDIVIDUALS OFF THE STREETS AND INTO STABLE HOUSING.

UH, EVERY ONE OF THOSE DIVERSION SAVES THE CITY OVER $25,000 PER PERSON IN EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS, POLICING AND PUBLIC HEALTH COSTS, MEANING OUR PRO, OUR PROGRAM HERE AT WE CAN NOW HAS ALREADY SAVED THE CITY $2 MILLION, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHAT OUR CITY FUNDING, AND THAT'S ON A , LIKE, LIKE CHASE SAID, A SMALL BUDGET.

SO IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD DO IF WE ACTUALLY COULD TAP INTO THE ACCESS AND THE RESOURCES HERE AT AUSTIN, IN AUSTIN, UH, TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE.

AND A LOT OF TIMES THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, HUNGRY HILL, AND WE CAN NOW SERVE THE HEALING PROJECT.

A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALLY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, SERVE THAT CLIENT OR THEY WON'T GO ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR THAT CLIENT.

SO WE'VE TAKEN UPON OURSELVES TO DO SO IN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES, AND WE'VE DONE A VERY GREAT JOB.

UM, CHASE HAS ALREADY SAID, WE NEED MORE FUNDING.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE ARE HERE.

WE APPRECIATE ALL THE PARTNERSHIPS, WE APPRECIATE WHAT THE OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE DOING RIGHT NOW.

BUT I THINK THAT, UM, NOT ONLY, NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, IS IT, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT THING TO DO, IT'S ALSO THE SMART THING TO DO.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO.

NEXT SPEAKER ON DECK IS COURTNEY JONES, THEN CHRIS BAKER AND MEL LEBLANC.

IF YOU'RE PRESENT, PLEASE COME TO THE FRONT.

YES, IF, IF SHE CALLS YOUR NAME, PLEASE COME TO THE FRONT SO THAT WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE HERE AND YOU'RE READY TO SPEAK.

WE GOT TWO PEOPLE.

SOMEBODY JUST GRAB COURTNEY JONES.

CHRIS , IF YOU'RE HERE, PLEASE GO TO THE MIC.

[00:20:01]

I'M SORRY.

CHRIS BAKER.

CHRIS BAKER CAN TALK.

ALRIGHT, DOESN'T MAKE EVERYBODY SO EXCITED.

UH, MY NAME IS CHRIS BAKER, UH, AND I'M HERE AS A PART OF A COMMUNITY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

AND JUST REAL QUICK, IF YOU'RE A HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDER OUT THERE, CAN YOU PUT YOUR HAND UP OR STAND UP AND JUST BE RECOGNIZED? CAN WE ALL GIVE A BIG THANKS TO THOSE PEOPLE? UM, I'M ALSO THE FOUNDER OF THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION.

I'M CURRENTLY SERVING AS AN AMBASSADOR OF THE WORK THAT, THAT WE DO THAT, THAT WE DO THERE, EVEN THOUGH TOO, EVERYONE'S GREAT RELIEF.

I AM NO LONGER THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THERE.

UM, SO I WANT TO ECHO SOME OF WHAT JOE CATHERINE SAID.

UH, I THINK THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY AGREE TO REALLY THREE MAIN POINTS.

UH, ONE IS THAT WE SUPPORT BRINGING NEW PARTNERS TO THE TABLE, UM, AND OTHER UNITS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT AND APPROPRIATELY RESOURCE OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.

IT MAKES ME SO EXCITED THAT THIS MEETING IS HAPPENING.

IT MAKES ME SO EXCITED TO SEE THAT WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM TRAVIS COUNTY HERE.

THIS IS A REALLY, WE ARE IN A BIG MOMENT RIGHT NOW, AND I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT.

AND THANK, UH, THANKS TO DAVID FOR HIS LEADER LEADERSHIP ON PUTTING TOGETHER A GREAT REPORT.

UM, NUMBER TWO IS CREATE UNIFORM STANDARDS TO MEASURE THE IMPACT, UH, THAT THE WORK THAT OUR SYSTEM DOES TO, TO MEASURE THAT IMPACT.

UM, WE'VE ALL GOT THIS SHARED NORTH STAR OF MAKING HOMELESSNESS, RARE, BRIEF AND NON-REOCCURRING.

UM, AND THEN THE THIRD IS THIS, UH, BALANCE.

A SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT VALUES, UH, UH, UH, THE, TO SUPPORT A BALANCE SYSTEM THAT VALUES THE ENTIRE CONTINUUM OF CARE FROM PREVENTION, UH, ALL THE WAY TO, UH, THROUGH TO PSH.

AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN, WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE REPORT, UH, SO FAR, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE PRESENTATION YET, DOES THAT, UH, QUITE WELL.

UM, THERE IS ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY, AND AGAIN, NOT HAVING SEEN THE REPORT, I'M KIND OF TAKING A, A, A, A SWING HERE THAT, THAT I'M, I'M NOT SURE IS ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE YET, BUT WE'LL FIND OUT.

SO ON PAGE 25, UM, THE REPORT CALLS FOR A $2 MILLION INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY SHELTERS.

UM, AND I'M CONCERNED THAT THAT NUMBER IS MUCH TOO SMALL.

UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY SHELTERS, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS OF BEDS THAT ARE SORT OF OUTSIDE OF THE OFFIC OFFICIAL CITY SHELTER SYSTEM.

AND I FEEL LIKE BIFURCATING BEDS INTO THE TWO BUCKETS OF LIKE, THESE ONES ARE CITY AND THESE ONES ARE, COMMUNITY IS KIND OF A MISTAKE.

UM, AS FAR AS COMMUNITY, UH, BEDS ARE CONCERNED, SOME OF THEM ARE FROM ARE FOR YOUTH, SOME OF THEM ARE FOR CHRONICALLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS, SOME ARE FOR FAMILIES.

UH, BUT THEY ARE ALL FOR THE SAME COMMUNITY.

THAT'S THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ALL SHARE.

UH, AND ALL SHOULD BE, UH, BEHOLDEN TO THOSE SAME UNIFORM STANDARDS THAT I, THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.

UH, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, IT'S NOT MY OPINION THAT THE OVERALL BUCKET OF EMERGENCY SHELTER DOLLARS REALLY NEEDS TO BE INCREASED.

UM, I, I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT THERE, THERE'S A WAY TO SPREAD THE, THE DOLLARS THAT ARE THERE NOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, EQUITABLY, UH, SO THAT THESE COMMUNITY SHELTERS AREN'T KIND OF, I HATE TO SAY IT LIKE THIS, BUT FIGHTING FOR THE LEFTOVERS, UM, WITH THE WIND DOWN OF SOME STATE ARPA DOLLARS.

UH, THE OTHER ONE'S FOUNDATION IS GOING INTO A MAKE OR BREAK YEAR, UH, IN FISCAL YEAR 2026.

AND, UH, WE'VE ALL WORKED COLLECTIVELY TOGETHER, UH, TO BUILD A FUTURE THAT NIGHT.

ELISE ADDENDUM TO ALL EXISTING AND OLDER PROPERTIES PUBLICIZING DENIAL DATA.

YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.

NEXT SPEAKER, MIKE, APPRECIATE YOU, APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO.

LONG EIGHT TRACK X AND LARRY BREWER.

IF YOU ARE PRESENT, PLEASE COME TO THE FRONT.

YOUR NAME'S BEEN CALLED.

PLEASE COME FORWARD.

UM, GOOD MORNING COUNSEL.

MY NAME IS MEL LEBLANC AND I'M HERE WITH VOCAL TEXAS.

WE'RE AN ORG THAT FOCUSES ON ENDING OVERDOSE, MASS INCARCERATION, HOMELESSNESS, THE HIV AND AIDS EPIDEMIC, AND THE WAR ON DRUGS.

WE'RE A UNION LED, MEANING OUR MEMBERS AND STAFF ARE MADE OF PEOPLE WITH LIVED AND EXPERIENCE RELATED TO THESE ISSUES.

TODAY I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT A CAMPAIGN WE LAUNCHED IN EARLY APRIL.

SINCE LAST YEAR, WE'VE BEEN IDENTIFYING ISSUES THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN.

AND OVERWHELMINGLY WE FOUND THAT TWO ISSUES ROSE TO THE TOP ONE.

FOLKS WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS ARE UNABLE TO QUALIFY FOR HOUSING, MAKING THEM MORE PRONE TO LIVING ON THE STREETS.

AND TWO, OVERALL, THERE'S A LACK OF DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, FOR PEOPLE EXITING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY.

THE US IS AN EXTREMELY PUNITIVE NATION THAT MEETS PEOPLE ON THE STREETS WITH TICKETS AND HANDCUFFS RATHER THAN A SECOND CHANCE.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, AUSTIN IS NO DIFFERENT.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, IT'S ILLEGAL TO BE HOMELESS.

UM, IN TRAVIS COUNTY, EACH YEAR, APPROXIMATELY 40,000 PEOPLE EXIT JAIL OR PRISON AND RETURN TO OUR COMMUNITY, MANY OF WHICH HAVE NOWHERE TO GO BECAUSE OF THE DISCRIM DISCRIMINATION THEY FACE POST JAIL TIME.

SO HAVING A BACKGROUND MAKES IT HARDER TO GET HOUSING, GET A JOB, GET EDUCATION, EVEN VOTE.

UM, IN ADDITION TO HAVING TROUBLE GETTING INTO HOUSING, THERE'S SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

IN 2017, THE CITY COMMITTED TO BUILDING 20,000 UNITS FOR PEOPLE EARNING 30% MFI OR BELOW.

BY 2027 TO DATE, ONLY 2% OF THOSE UNITS HAVE BEEN BUILT.

WE ARE EXTREMELY FAR BEHIND SEEING THAT SOME OTHER MFI LEVELS ARE NEARING 50 TO 80% COMPLETION.

UM, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE, I HAVE A WHOLE PAPER THAT'S GONNA SAY A LOT MORE THAN I CAN SAY IN THREE MINUTES, BUT, UM, SOME OF THE PIECES THAT I HAVE ARE OFFERING INCENTIVES TO HOUSING DEVELOPERS IF THEY AGREE TO APPLY THE UPDATED RHODA

[00:25:01]

SO RIGHT NOW IT'S REQUIRED THAT IT IS LOGGED, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT AND IT COULD GIVE REALLY ACCURATE DATA ON DENIALS.

AND THE LAST POINT IS CREATING A MORE ACCESSIBLE AND STANDARDIZED APPEALS PROCESS FOR FOLKS THAT APPLY.

UM, RIGHT NOW, SOME FOLKS DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY'RE DENIED OR WHY THEY'RE DENIED.

UM, AND THEN FOR THE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PIECE, THE NUMBER OF 30% MFI AND BELOW UNITS NEEDS TO INCREASE, PERIOD.

WE, WE RECOMMEND THAT ANY NEW UNITS BEING BUILT WITH ANY NEW BOND MONEY NEEDS TO PRIORITIZE THESE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE UNITS.

AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO RECOMMEND PROVIDING QUARTERLY UPDATES ON THESE, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS BROKEN DOWN BY MFI LEVEL, SO WE CAN BETTER IDENTIFY WHERE THE CRACKS ARE HAPPENING.

AND LASTLY, WE RECOMMEND THAT ANY NEW UNITS BEING BUILT WITH ANY NEW CITY BOND DOLLARS SHOULD REQUIRE A PERCENTAGE OR NUMBER OF SETA ASIDES SPECIFICALLY FOR PEOPLE EXITING HOMELESSNESS, ENSURING THAT SUPPORTIVE SERVICES ARE IN PLACE IF NEEDED.

UM, SO I'M ALMOST OUTTA TIME, BUT WE NEED TO START FOCUSING ON THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT MOST, WHICH ARE EXTREMELY LOW INCOME AND PEOPLE EXITING HOMELESSNESS.

WE CAN'T, AND HOMELESSNESS BY EXCLUDING FOLKS THAT ARE LOW INCOME AND THAT HAVE RECORDS.

UM, I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT THAT A LOT OF YOU ON THIS COUNCIL HAS ALREADY GIVEN, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU FURTHER.

THANK YOU, HONOR.

APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.

APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.

THANKS AGAIN.

WE HAVE A TRACK X, LARRY BREWER AND MAYOR.

UM, KERMIT HEIDER HAS CHECKED IN AND WOULD STILL LIKE TO DONATE HIS TIME TO CHRIS WRIGHT.

OKAY, WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT IN A SECOND.

GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSEL.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK TODAY.

MY NAME IS EIGHT TRACK AND I'M A LEADER AT VOCAL TEXAS.

WE FOCUS ON ENDING HOMELESSNESS, OVERDOSE, MASS INCARCERATION, THE WAR ON DRUGS, AND THE HIV EPIDEMIC.

I'VE BEEN HOMELESS FOR OVER TWO YEARS AFTER LEAVING AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP.

AT THE TIME, I THOUGHT MY ONLY WAY OUT WAS A SUICIDE ATTEMPT.

AFTER I GOT OUT OF THE HOSPITAL, I WAS ASSIGNED A CASE WORKER TO HELP ME THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT TIME.

I WAS PLACED IN A GROUP HOME WHERE I SHARED A LIVING ROOM WITH FOUR OTHER PEOPLE WITH LIMITED RESOURCES.

THIS WAS APPARENTLY THE BEST MY CASEWORKER CAN FIND.

I WAS EXPECTED TO PAY $850 A MONTH FOR THIS UNLIVABLE SITUATION.

EVENTUALLY, I WAS KICKED OUT FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THE RENT.

HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE THAT I WAS PLACED SOMEWHERE WHILE RECOVERING FROM SEVERE MENTAL TRAUMA THAT I COULD NOT AFFORD? I WAS SET UP FOR FAILURE.

I'M CURRENTLY STAYING IN A SHELTER, BUT I'M STILL HOMELESS AND HAVING TROUBLE FINDING A PLACE TO LIVE DUE TO MY CRIMINAL BACKGROUND WITH A FELONY, IT AUTOMATICALLY BARS ME FROM SO MANY HOUSING LISTS.

THE SITUATION I FIND MYSELF IN IS UNACCEPTABLE, AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT KEEPS HAPPENING TO SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE.

THIS LACK OF HOUSING AND RESOURCES IS DUE TO OUR CITY NOT FOCUSING ON THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT THE MOST.

PEOPLE EXITING HOMELESSNESS, AUSTIN NEEDS TO DO BETTER AT VOCAL.

WE LAUNCHED OUR CAMPAIGN IN EARLY APRIL, AND IT FOCUSES ON STOPPING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS AND CREATING MORE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN AUSTIN.

THROUGH OUR OUTREACH PROCESS, WE PASSED AROUND A PETITION AND COLLECTED OVER 530 SIGNATURES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY HOMELESS.

OUT OF THESE SIGNATURES, OVER 95% OF PEOPLE HAD A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND WITH A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF OVER 6,000 HOMELESS PEOPLE IN AUSTIN.

IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME THAT PEOPLE WITH RECORDS MAKE UP A LARGE PART OF THE UNHOUSED POPULATION.

I'M FIGHTING FOR THIS BECAUSE IT AFFECTS ME PERSONALLY.

I DID MY TIME, I'VE OWNED UP TO MY MISTAKES AND I'M TRYING TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT.

I DESERVE A PLACE TO LIVE.

WE ALL DESERVE A PLACE TO LIVE.

WE CANNOT END HOMELESSNESS BY EXCLUDING PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS.

CURRENTLY, I CAN APPLY TO WORK AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND BE HIRED WITH A FELONY ON MY RECORD, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T GET HOUSING FROM THE CITY.

HOW IS THAT FAIR? IF I CAN GET A JOB, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET HOUSING ALONG WITH IT.

WE ARE ASKING THE CITY TO DO BETTER TO SEE PEOPLE AS HUMAN BEINGS AND NOT JUST WHAT'S ON A PIECE OF PAPER.

PEOPLE ARE NOT THEIR PAST HOUSING APPLICATION SCREENINGS NEED TO BE FAIR AND EQUITABLE, AND THAT INCLUDES LETTING PEOPLE WITH CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS IN HOUSING.

HAVING A HOME IS THE FIRST STEP TO FIXING THE TRAUMA THAT COMES FROM BEING ON THE STREETS AND BEING CAUGHT IN OUR PUNITIVE JUSTICE SYSTEM.

PEOPLE NEED SECOND CHANCE HOUSING NOW.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.

LAST CALL FOR COURTNEY JONES.

COURTNEY JONES, IF YOU ARE PRESENT, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

AND THEN KERMIT HEIDER WOULD LIKE TO DONATE THREE MINUTES TO CHASE.

YEAH, THAT, THAT'S NOT THE WAY THE RULES WORK, BUT I'M GONNA ALLOW IT TODAY.

I I'LL LET YOU LET YOU KNOW THAT COURTNEY JONES IS UNABLE TO REACH OUR OFFICE.

SHE'S CURRENTLY IN TRAFFIC RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS ACTUALLY A GREATER PROBLEM IN OUR DIRECT SERVICES.

RIGHT? WE GOT OUR GENTLEMAN RUNNING IN LATE.

YEAH, YEAH.

'CAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN THE FIELD WORKING.

PLEASE, PLEASE GO.

PLEASE GO AHEAD.

I'M, WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GONNA BEND THE RULES BECAUSE THAT'S IS NOT THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO OPERATE, BUT, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO IT FOR YOU.

SO PLEASE GO AHEAD.

[00:30:01]

YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REMAIN SOLUTION ORIENTED, RIGHT? SO IF WE TALK ABOUT PROBLEMS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED, OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND OUR OUTREACH ARE OUR BIGGEST THINGS.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUTREACH, YOU TALK ABOUT THE LAST MAN STANDING.

WHAT ORGANIZATION IS GONNA GO FILE INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS WHO ARE HAVING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, WHO ARE FACING DISABILITIES.

SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE KICKED OUTTA HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, SOME KICKED OUT OF SHELTER SYSTEMS. THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED US THE MOST.

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE DIRECTLY IMPACT.

THESE 125 INDIVIDUALS OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE, THAT WE'VE GOT INTO SHELTER, INTO HOUSING, ARE THE SAME INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL BE CAUSING A NUISANCE IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS IF WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET TO THEM, RIGHT? WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WE TALK ABOUT WORKFORCE, WHAT THAT MEANS TO EACH INDIVIDUAL UNHOUSED CLIENT AT RISK OF BEING UNHOUSED.

THAT'S THE EMPOWERMENT FACTOR TO GET THESE INDIVIDUALS WHERE THEY ARE FROM WHERE THEY'RE AT, AT THE BOTTOM.

AND TO EMPOWER THEM TO BECOME PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS, TO EMPOWER THEM TO WANNA DO BETTER AS CITIZENS, TO WORK SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE SUSTAINABLE LIVING.

WE ADDRESS OUR HOUSING ISSUE BY MAKING SURE INDIVIDUALS HAVE ACCESS TO HOUSING, BUT CAN THEY SUSTAIN? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? NOW? WE LOOK AT HOUSING AS HIDING THE PROBLEM.

WE NO LONGER WANNA HIDE THE PROBLEM.

WE WANT TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.

IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE NEED OUR WORKFORCE DOLLARS.

WE NEED OUR OUTREACH DOLLARS.

WE NEED OUR DEPARTMENTS TO HAVE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH FUNDING.

SO WHEN DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE ASKED TO CALL ON THE DROP OF A DOM TO SAVE OUR CITY, TO HELP OUR CITY, THAT THEY HAVE THE ADEQUATE FUNDING TO DO SO.

'CAUSE AT THAT POINT, WE'RE DOUBLE DIPPING.

WE'RE DEPENDING ON OUR PHILANTHROPISTS, WE'RE DEPENDING ON THE SAME INDIVIDUALS.

I WE'RE REMOVED FROM SAYING THEIR NAMES, BUT OUR PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY IS SAVING US COLD HEARTEDLY RIGHT NOW.

ON TOP OF THAT, THEY'RE HELPING OUT WITH OUR COUNCIL, THEY'RE HELPING OUT WITH OUR COMMUNITIES.

WE CANNOT ASK THEM TO FIX THE PROBLEM ALL BY THEIRSELF.

IT'S A HOLISTIC PROBLEM.

IT'S AN ECOSYSTEM, WHICH MEANS IT'S GONNA TAKE EVERYBODY.

DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDERS ARE BEING FORGOTTEN.

AND THIS YEAR'S CITY MANAGER BUDGET, WE ARE OUT HERE BEGGING RIGHT NOW THAT YOU DON'T FORGET US.

WE HAVE CONTRACTS THAT WE ASKED FOR AMENDED.

MAYBE YOU PUT MORE DOLLARS INTO THOSE CONTRACTS SO THAT WE CAN SHARE.

YOU ARE LOOKING AT 10 ORGANIZATIONS SHARING THE BARE MINIMUM, THE ABSOLUTE BARE MINIMUM.

AND WE'RE MAKING IT WORK.

WE'RE NOT GONNA CRY ABOUT IT, WE'RE NOT GONNA COMPLAIN.

BUT WE DO ASK THAT YOU AT LEAST PUT SOME SUFFICIENT FUNDING IN THERE FOR ME AND OUR PARTNERS TO CONTINUE TO HARD WORK.

WE HAVE WINTERTIME COMING, WE HAVE SUMMERTIME COMING, WHICH IS MORE, WHICH IS A HOT SUMMER TALKING ABOUT 105 DEGREE WEATHER.

YOU'RE GONNA ASK US TO GO GET THESE INDIVIDUALS SO THEY'RE NOT DYING ON OUR STREETS, SO THEY'RE NOT OVERDOSING OUR STREETS.

WE'RE ASKING NOW THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED FUNDING TO DO SO.

THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT ARE ALL YOUR SPEAKERS THAT ARE SIGNED UP.

I'M SORRY I WASN'T ABLE TO HEAR YOU.

THAT ARE, THAT'S ALL YOUR SPEAKERS.

DAVID GRAY TO, TO JOIN US FOR A STAFF UPDATE TO THAT RESOLUTION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND THANKS FOR ALL THE SPEAKERS THAT CAME HERE THAT COME HERE TODAY.

MAYOR PRO.

TIM, IF YOU WANNA THANK YOU.

YES.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR JOINING US TODAY.

I, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO SIGN UP TODAY TO SPEAK, PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU CAN STILL PROVIDE YOUR TESTIMONY OR COMMENT INFORMATION WITH, TO ANY OF US HERE ON OUR COMMITTEES VIA EMAIL.

OR PLEASE REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE.

YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE INCORPORATE YOUR FEEDBACK.

THIS IS JUST ONE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS, BUT KNOW THAT THERE ARE MULTITUDE OF WAYS YOU CAN REACH US.

UH, SO COLLEAGUES, AS THE MAYOR SHARED EARLIER, THIS, UH, JOINT COMMITTEE HEARING CAME ABOUT FROM A COUNCIL RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY OUR FULL CITY COUNCIL THAT ISSUED ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS AS ONE OF OUR TOP BUDGET PRIORITIES.

UM, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE IN CHALLENGING TIMES AHEAD.

UH, WE ALSO KNOW THAT THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT DOLLARS, WE WERE ABLE TO INJECT NEARLY A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS INTO OUR HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.

BUT THOSE DOLLARS ARE COMING TO AN END.

SO WE ARE AT A PIVOTAL TIME RIGHT NOW IN LOOKING AT HOW DO WE ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS? HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING IN OUR HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM? AND HOW WE NAVIGATE THAT IS GONNA BE CRITICAL THAT WE LEAN ON THE EXPERTISE AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR STAFF.

SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO INVITE

[1. Staff update on Resolution No. 20250130-083, related to funding sources, partnerships, and opportunities to prioritize ongoing investments in the homelessness response system. [David Gray, Officer, Homeless Strategy Office] This item will be taken up jointly with the Public Health committee.]

YOU IN RESPONSE TO COUNCIL RESOLUTION 20 25 0 1 30 0 H THREE, WHICH ADOPTED AS GUIDANCE.

WELCOME, MR. GRAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TEM, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT OUR STAFF RESPONSE TO YOUR COUNCILS RESOLUTION.

BUT BEFORE I BEGIN, UH, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THANK ALL OF THE SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM FUNDERS, OUR POLICY PLANNERS, PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, AND OTHERS WHO TOOK TIME OUT OF THEIR LIVES AND THEIR SCHEDULES TO BE HERE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON.

AND SO, JUST FOR ALL OF YOU, UH, ON BEHALF OF MY OFFICE AND MY EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP EACH AND EVERY DAY WITH OUR OFFICE.

THE, THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND THE TIME THAT YOU COMMIT TO HELPING TO SOLVE THESE CHALLENGES ARE NOT LOST ON US.

UH, AS I MENTIONED, TODAY'S STAFF PRESENTATION IS OUR RESPONSE TO THIS RESOLUTION THAT YOU ALL, UH, ADOPTED IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.

I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THE OFFICIAL BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR OFFICE WILL BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT WILL COME OUT, UH, LATER IN IN APRIL.

HOWEVER, WE DID WANNA MAKE IT A POINT TO PUT FORTH SOME FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS IN FRONT OF

[00:35:01]

THE STATE OF THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM REPORT EMPHASIZED MATCHING CLIENTS WITH THE APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS BEST SUITED FOR THEIR SUCCESS DIRECTED STAFF TO LOOK INTO OUR ARPA INVESTMENTS AS WELL AS HSO STAFFING WAYS TO INCREASE THE UTILIZATION OF OUR EXISTING INTERVENTIONS AND CAPITAL AND SERVICE FUNDING NEEDED TO ENHANCE OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM INVESTMENTS, AND ALSO LOOK INTO POLICY AND ADMINISTRATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO FINISH OUR CURRENT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PIPELINE AND BRING MORE UNITS ONLINE.

AS WE EMBARKED ON THIS JOURNEY, WE SET FOUR KEY TENETS TO GUIDE THE WORK THAT WE DID.

THE FIRST WAS THAT ANYTHING THAT WE RECOMMEND MUST PRODUCE A MEASURABLE REDUCTION IN THE PREVALENCE OF HOMELESSNESS, MEANING THAT OUR INVESTMENTS HAVE TO REDUCE THE OVERALL HOMELESSNESS COUNT IN OUR CITY.

THE SECOND IS THAT WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON INVESTMENTS ACROSS THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM SPECTRUM, BEGINNING WITH PREVENTION AND GOING ALL THE WAY TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE HOUSEHOLDS REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY'RE AT IN OUR CONTINUUM.

THE THIRD IS MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MATCHING OUR INTERVENTIONS TO THE NEEDS OF THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND THAT OUR INVESTMENTS ARE USED IN A MANNER THAT SERVES PEOPLE WITH THE MOST APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.

AND LAST IS RECOGNIZING THAT THE CITY CANNOT DO THIS WORK ALONE.

WE NEED PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP FUND HOMELESS RELATED INITIATIVES.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IT, OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM IS SORT OF LIKE A GROUP OF CLYDESDALE HORSES PULLING A CARRIAGE.

IF YOU GET ONE CLYDESDALE, THAT ONE CLYDESDALE HAS THE CAPACITY TO PULL 88,000 POUNDS.

IF YOU PUT TWO HORSES TOGETHER, YOU DON'T GET 16,000 POUNDS.

YOU ACTUALLY GET 22,000 POUNDS.

AND IF YOU TRAIN THOSE TWO TOGETHER BEFORE THEY PULL, YOU DON'T GET 22,000 POUNDS.

YOU ACTUALLY GET 36,000 POUNDS OF PULLING POWER FROM THOSE TWO HORSES.

AND OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM IS THE EXACT SAME WAY.

WHEN WE ALIGN OUR INVESTMENTS, WHEN WE ALIGN OUR PROGRAMS, WE OPTIMIZE OUR SUCCESS.

NOW I'M GONNA START WITH THE BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT, WHICH IS THAT OUR, OUR TOTAL INVESTMENT CONSIDERATION PACKAGE TOTAL IS JUST UNDER $101 MILLION.

WE'LL GET INTO THE DETAILS OF ALL THESE SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, BUT I WANNA SUMMARIZE THAT ABOUT A THIRD OF THESE CONSIDERATIONS ARE CURRENT ONE-TIME FUNDING THAT WE BELIEVE COUNCIL SHOULD CONSIDER FOR ONGOING INVESTMENT.

A THIRD IS NEW INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE CITY, AND A THIRD IS NEW INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM PARTNERS.

BUT LIKE I SAID, THIS SLIDE IS HERE AS REFERENCED, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK TO IT AS WE GET THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.

AGAIN, DIVIDE THE THIRDS AGAIN.

YES, SIR.

SO ONE THIRD IS CURRENT ONE TIME FUNDING FROM THE CITY THAT WE BELIEVE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR ONGOING INVESTMENT.

SO THAT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT DOLLARS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE, UH, TALKING ABOUT IN JUST A MOMENT.

A THIRD IS NEW INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE CITY.

THIS WOULD BE THINGS LIKE ADDING MORE SHELTER BEDS TO OUR SHELTER SYSTEM OR ADDING MORE SERVICE FUNDING FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS.

AND THEN A THIRD IS NEW INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA ASK OTHER HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM FUNDERS TO, TO WORK WITH THE CITY ON RESOURCING.

UH, AND THIS IS IN RECOGNITION THAT WE CANNOT FUND THIS ENTIRE SYSTEM ALONE, BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT IF WE'RE ABLE TO ALIGN ACROSS ALL OF OUR FUNDING PARTNERS, WE CAN OPTIMIZE THE OUTCOMES IN OUR SYSTEM.

SO AS WE TALK ABOUT THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS, I THINK IT'S FIRST IMPORTANT THAT WE BEGIN WITH THE LOOK AT HOW WE'VE SPENT MONEY AS A CITY.

AND SO THE CHART IN FRONT OF YOU IS CITY FUNDING FOR HOMELESS SERVICES ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS.

THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE FEDERAL OR STATE FUNDS.

AND I DO WANNA NOTE THAT PROGRAM NAMES AND FUNDING SOURCES HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME.

SO WE DID OUR BEST, UH, TO APPROXIMATE SOME OF THE OLDER DATA.

THE KEY TAKEAWAY HERE IS THAT WE'VE SCALED INVESTMENTS CONSIDERABLY IN SHELTER AND IN HOUSING THROUGHOUT THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, EVEN DURING THE COVID YEARS.

AND THIS IS REALLY EVIDENT WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEMS CAPACITY, WHICH THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR SYSTEM TODAY HAS RECORD SETTING LEVELS OF SHELTER AND HOUSING, AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE HAVE MORE TO COME.

AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS CHART, THINGS THAT STAND OUT IS FUNDING THAT WE DEDICATED TOWARDS RAPID REHOUSING TOWARDS OUR EMERGENCY SHELTER AND OUR CRISIS SERVICES, AND TO CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO BUILD NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THAT'S PSH AND OTHER, UH, LEVELS OF AFFORDABILITY.

AND SO AS OUR TEAM DUG INTO ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE FUNDED THROUGH ARPA, WE LOOKED FOR IMPACT EFFICIENCY AND EFFICACY TO IDENTIFY FIVE INITIATIVES FOR COUNCIL TO CONTINUE TO CONSIDER CONTINUING, UH, AS THESE ARPA FUNDS TRANSITION NOW.

AND SO THESE PROGRAMS TOTAL $15.65 MILLION.

THEY INCLUDE AN $8 MILLION ALLOCATION FOR US TO KEEP THE MARLINE YARD OPEN.

THE MARLINE YARD IS THE LARGEST SHELTER IN OUR SYSTEM,

[00:40:01]

SERVING JUST UNDER 300 PEOPLE EACH NIGHT.

THE SECOND IS A $3 MILLION CONSIDERATION FOR HOUSING THAT'S TIED TO OUR BRIDGE SHELTERS.

THIS WOULD HELP US GET 80 TO A HUNDRED PEOPLE, UH, OUT OF OUR BRIDGE SHELTERS, CREATING MORE CAPACITY WITHIN THOSE SHELTERS FOR US TO DO MORE HEAL INITIATIVES.

THE THIRD IS $2 MILLION FOR STREET OUTREACH.

AND YOU JUST HEARD A COUPLE OF FOLKS TODAY TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF STREET OUTREACH AND THE LACK OF FUNDING THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE IN THAT AREA.

WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE CONTRACTING WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT STREET OUTREACH CITYWIDE.

THE FOURTH IS 2 MILLION FOR COMMUNITY-BASED EMERGENCY SHELTERS, WHICH WOULD HELP THEM WITH CAPACITY BUILDING AND GETTING NEW, NEW UNITS ONLINE.

AND THE FIFTH IS $650,000 TOWARDS THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT.

THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE FIVE STAFF WHO RUN A RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM THAT SUPPORTS APPROXIMATELY 100 CLIENTS ANNUALLY.

AND WE'LL DIG INTO MORE SPECIFICS INTO EACH OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.

NOW, I KNOW A BIG FOCUS OF TODAY IS TO TALK ABOUT NEW CAPITAL AND SERVICE INVESTMENTS, BUT OUR TEAM THOUGHT IT WAS PRUDENT TO LOOK AT OUR EXISTING INTERVENTIONS TO ASSESS THEIR EFFECTIVENESS, IDENTIFY GAPS, AND UNDERSTAND WHERE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TODAY CAN BE MADE.

THIS HELPS ENSURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING ANY CURRENT SHORTCOMINGS IN OUR WORK, AND THAT ANY NEW INVESTMENTS THAT COME OUR WAY BUILD UPON THINGS THAT WORK.

AND SO AS WE DIG INTO THE EXISTING INTERVENTIONS AND WE'LL GO INTERVENTION BY INTERVENTION, UH, THESE ARE AREAS WHERE OUR STAFF HAVE IDENTIFIED WHERE WE CAN ENHANCE THE INTERVENTIONS TO HELP PRODUCE MORE HOUSING OUTCOMES.

AND I WANNA NOTE THAT ITEMS WITH THE ASTERISK ON THE SCREENS ARE THINGS THAT OUR OFFICE IS CURRENTLY PHASING IN OR THINGS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY PILOTING.

AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO HOMELESS PREVENTION, LAST WEEK WE JUST RELEASED A $2.2 MILLION HOMELESS PREVENTION SOLICITATION BECAUSE THAT'S A LIVE SOLICITATION.

I CAN'T GO INTO DETAILS OR ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT RFP, BUT AT A GENERAL LEVEL, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING SCREENING TOOLS TO IDENTIFY AND DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO HOUSEHOLDS AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.

WE WANT TO KEEP HOUSEHOLDS HOUSED.

WE DO NOT WANNA WAIT FOR HOUSEHOLDS TO LOSE THEIR HOUSING BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO HELP THEM.

WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING CASE MANAGEMENT TO AT-RISK HOUSEHOLDS SO THEY CAN STABILIZE IN THEIR CURRENT HOUSING.

WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DEEPENING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH MANY OF THE PROVIDERS AND FOLKS IN THE ROOM TODAY SO THAT THOSE HOUSEHOLDS HAVE A ROBUST SUPPORT SYSTEM TO HELP THEM STAY STABLY HOUSED.

AND MAKING SURE THAT ANY ORGANIZATION WHO RECEIVES FUNDING FROM THE CITY TO DO THIS WORK HAS FLEXIBILITY TO USE THOSE DOLLARS IN A WAY THAT TRULY SUPPORTS THE FAMILY.

WHEN IT COMES TO STREET OUTREACH, OUR TOP PRIORITY IS PRIORITIZING THE EMPLOYMENT OF INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE WITH STREET OUTREACH ROLES.

BECAUSE THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE THAT UNIQUE EXPERIENCE AND THEY'RE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE IN OUR STREET.

WE'RE ALSO WORKING DILIGENTLY TO INCREASE OUR SHELTER BED CAPACITY SO THAT OUR STREET OUTREACH TEAMS HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO SHELTER BEDS.

WE CAN GET SOMEBODY INDOORS THE SAME DAY.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STREET OUTREACH PROGRAMS ARE TAILORED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF UNIQUE POPULATIONS.

YOU HEARD EARLIER TODAY FROM LIFEWORKS AND THEY TALKED ABOUT YOUTH HOMELESSNESS.

IT'S IMPORTANT FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE HAVE STREET OUTREACH WORKERS WHO ARE SPECIFICALLY TRAINED TO WORK WITH YOUTH, SPECIFICALLY TRAINED TO WORK WITH SENIORS, SPECIFICALLY TRAINED TO WORK WITH VETERANS.

WE WANNA LEVERAGE A GEOGRAPHIC DEPLOYMENT STRATEGY THAT PRIORITIZES OUTREACH TO AREAS WHERE WE SEE HIGHER HOMELESS DENSITIES.

THAT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR A CITY OF OUR SIZE.

OUR CITY IS 300 SQUARE MILES.

UH, SO MAKING THE BEST USE OF THE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE IS CRITICAL.

WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY AND MOBILE APPLICATIONS SO THAT WE CAN ALLOW FOR REAL TIME DATA ENTRY AND SERVICE COORDINATION FOR OUTREACH TEAMS. AND THIS IS NOT JUST FOR CITY OUTREACH TEAMS. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ANYBODY WHO'S DOING STREET OUTREACH IN OUR COMMUNITY HAS ACCESS TO UP-TO-DATE DATA, UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON HOW CLIENTS ARE BEING SERVED, WHO'S SERVING CLIENTS, AND WHAT PROGRAMS THEY'RE CONNECTED INTO.

WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STANDARDI STANDARDIZING OUR DATA AND OUR KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS SO THAT WE CAN UNIFORMLY ASSESS THE IMPACT THAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING, HOLD OUR STAFF ACCOUNTABLE AND HOLD OUR PROVIDERS ACCOUNTABLE.

WE ALSO ARE TALKING WITH OUR SIBLING DEPARTMENTS ABOUT PLACING OUTREACH WORKERS INSIDE CITY FACILITIES.

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, OUR CITY FACILITIES OFTENTIMES SERVE AS COOLING CENTERS IN THE SUMMER MONTHS OR WARMING CENTERS IN THE WINTER MONTHS.

IT'S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE GO TO GET WATER, TAKE A SHOWER, OR USE A COMPUTER.

UH, AND OFTENTIMES IT'S THOSE PARD REC CENTER STAFF OR THOSE LIBRARY LIBRARIANS WHO ARE TRYING TO JUGGLE BOTH THEIR CITY JOB AND BE CASE MANAGER.

AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR FELLOW DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH SUPPORT IN THOSE CITY FACILITIES.

AND THEN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS THAT PROVIDE CARE DIRECTLY ON THE STREETS OR DIRECTLY IN ENCAMPMENTS.

AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS TO TRY TO GET EVERYBODY HOUSED.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN'T ALWAYS DO THAT THE SAME DAY, BUT WHEN WE DO COME ACROSS CLIENTS WITH MEDICAL NEEDS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE.

FROM AN ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IN AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY TO DECREASE

[00:45:01]

OUR RELIANCE ON EXTERNAL CLEANING CREWS BY BUILDING OUR INTERNAL STAFF CAPACITY TO FACILITATE MORE TIMELY ENCAMPMENT, CLEANUPS AND ENCAMPMENT CLOSURES.

WE'RE ALSO LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO PRIORITIZE OUR SERVICE REQUESTS AND AUTOMATE HOW WE DO PROJECT SCHEDULING, UH, AND LEVERAGE GIS MAPPING.

THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT, UH, STAFF TIME SAVING EXERCISE.

RIGHT NOW, MY STAFF PROBABLY SPEND 80% OF THEIR TIME JUST GOING THROUGH THREE ONE ONE CALL DATA, REMOVING DUPLICATE CALLS AND TRYING TO WORK WITH OUTREACH IN OUR CLEANING CREWS TO SCHEDULE THE APPROPRIATE TYPE OF FOLLOW UP.

AND SO BY LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY, WE COULD SAVE SOME STAFF TIME AND ALSO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO PUBLIC CALLS FOR SERVICE.

WE ALSO WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

UH, MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT LAST YEAR WE DID OVER 1500 ENCAMPMENT, CLEANUPS AND CLOSURES, BUT MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT.

AND SO WE WANNA LAUNCH A PUBLIC FACING DASHBOARD WITH REAL-TIME DATA SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BETTER TRACK THEIR 3 1 1 CALLS AND OUR RESPONSIVENESS TO THOSE CALLS FOR SERVICE.

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REVISING OUR HEAL INITIATIVE TO CUSTOMIZE HOUSING SOLUTIONS FOR OUR SHELTER CLIENTS.

70% OF THE CLIENTS WHO WE BROUGHT IN THROUGH THE HEAL INITIATIVE ARE FOLKS WHO CLASSIFY AS CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.

WE KNOW FROM DATA THAT CHRONICALLY HOMELESS PEOPLE DO NOT DO WELL IN RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS. YET TO DATE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR HEAL CLIENTS WHO GO THROUGH THE CITY FUNDED SERVICES GET INTO A RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING OUR BRIDGE SHELTERS WITH MORE CUSTOMIZABLE SOLUTIONS TO APPROPRIATELY MATCH THE INTERVENTION WITH THE FOLKS WHO WE'RE PULLING IN THROUGH HEAL.

WHEN IT COMES TO DIVERSION AND RAPID EXIT, UH, ONE OF OUR BIG INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE EMBARKED ON RECENTLY IS STRENGTHENING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL LANDLORDS TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING UNITS FOR AT RISK OR RECENTLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.

I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH OUR RECENT PARTNERSHIP WITH HOUSING CONNECTOR, WHICH WE ANNOUNCED ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO.

AND THROUGH THAT PARTNERSHIP, WE'VE ALREADY SECURED OVER 2300 UNITS ON THEIR PLATFORM.

UH, THESE ARE LANDLORDS WHO'VE DECIDED TO MAKE THEIR UNITS AVAILABLE LOWER THEIR SCREENING CRITERIA.

SO WHEN WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS LIKE THE GENTLEMAN WHO SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT HAVING A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND THAT KEEPS THEM FROM GETTING A LEASE THROUGH THE HOUSING CONNECTOR PROGRAM, WE'RE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THOSE SCREENING CRITERIA, REMOVE BARRIERS FOR INDIVIDUALS LIKE THAT SO THAT FOLKS HAVE A FAIR SHOT AT GETTING INDOORS AND CONTINUING TO PROGRESS WITH THEIR RECOVERY.

WE'RE ALSO DEVELOPING A CITYWIDE MODEL FOR HOMELESS DIVERSION AND RAPID EXIT AND LOOKING AT HIRING OR ASSIGNING HOUSING NAVIGATORS AND CASE MANAGERS SPECIFICALLY FOR DIVERSION AND RAPID EXIT PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.

RIGHT NOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DO THIS WORK ARE JUGGLING MULTIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES, UH, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE SPECIFICALLY TRAINED ON DIVERSION AND RAPID EXIT SO THAT CLIENTS CAN FULLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE SERVICES AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE SERVICES QUICKLY.

WHEN IT COMES TO OUR EMERGENCY SHELTERS, I I KNOW MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE CALLED FOR THIS AND WE'RE WORKING TO, TO BRING THIS FIRST POINT TO BEAR, WHICH IS REAL TIME BED AVAILABILITY ACROSS OUR SHELTER SYSTEM AND LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY SO THAT WE COULD BETTER MANAGE REAL TIME BED AVAILABILITY AND SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE WHAT THE REAL TIME BED AVAILABILITY IS ACROSS OUR SHELTER SYSTEM.

I WILL SAY ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT, OUR SHELTERS ARE BETWEEN 90 AND 95% FULL.

UH, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHERE OUR BED IS AVAILABLE.

THIS WILL ALSO BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL FOR OUTREACH WORKERS SO THAT THEY CAN QUICKLY GET FOLKS OUT OF THE STREETS AND INTO SHELTERS.

WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR SHELTER STAFF ARE IMPLEMENTING PROACTIVE HOUSING FOCUS, EXIT PLANNING FOR ALL CLIENTS BEGINNING DAY ONE.

LET ME BE CLEAR, SHELTER IS GREAT, BUT SHELTER IS NOT HOUSING.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SHELTER TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREET.

WE CAN TRIAGE THEIR NEEDS, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE INTO HOUSING SO THAT WE CAN FLIP THOSE BEDS AND USE THOSE BEDS TO SERVE MULTIPLE CLIENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

WE ALSO NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT ONSITE SUPPORT AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL OF OUR CLIENTS.

WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME, SOME CONVERSATIONS, SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS AROUND CONVERTING UNDERUTILIZED CITY PROPERTY INTO ENGAGEMENT HUBS OR LOW CAPACITY MICRO SHELTERS.

THIS WOULD BE 15 TO 20 BEDS, UH, ON A PARTICULAR SITE.

WE'VE SEEN OTHER CITIES DO THIS VERY WELL, BUT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS IN AUSTIN AND ALSO IMPROVE HOLISTIC CARE BY PARTNERING WITH OUR MEDICAL FRIENDS AND SHELTER STAFF AND CASE MANAGERS TO ROUND ON CLIENTS AT EVERY SHELTER.

WE ALL KNOW WHO THOSE 10 OR 20 OR 30 HIGH NEEDS INDIVIDUALS ARE.

AND SO BY ROUNDING ON THOSE FOLKS IN MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT YOUR DOCTOR PROBABLY IS ROUNDED ON YOU WHEN YOU WERE IN THE HOSPITAL, WE'RE ABLE TO BRING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PIECES OF SERVICE TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COORDINATING THE CARE FOR THOSE HIGH NEEDS FOLKS AND GETTING THEM INTO THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED OUTSIDE OF SHELTER TO HELP THEM IN THEIR HOMELESSNESS.

WHEN IT COMES TO RAPID REHOUSING, MY TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING WITH OUR CONTINUUM OF CARES LEADERSHIP COUNCIL FOR SEVERAL MONTHS TO LOOK INTO DATA-DRIVEN REVISIONS TO THE COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM TO ENSURE THAT CLIENTS ARE PROPERLY PLACED IN RAPID REHOUSING AND OTHER INTERVENTIONS.

[00:50:01]

WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR RAPID REHOUSING PROVIDERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ASSESSING CLIENTS' NEEDS AT THE BEGINNING AND ADDRESSING BARRIERS AT PROGRAM ENTRY FOR EVERY CLIENT, AND THAT WE'RE CHECKING IN WITH THOSE CLIENTS AT REGULAR INTERVALS.

AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'RE ALSO IMPLEMENTING THOSE LANDLORD ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE MORE UNITS AVAILABLE TO OUR RAPID REHOUSING PROVIDERS.

AND WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR RAPID REHOUSING PROVIDERS TO STRENGTHEN SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE APPROPRIATE CASE MANAGER TO CLIENT RATIOS, WHICH IS SOMETIMES IN THE BALLPARK OF ONE TO 20.

BUT I DO WANT TO CAVEAT THAT THAT RATIO CAN SCALE UP OR DOWN DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS OF THE CLIENTS WITHIN THAT PORTFOLIO.

WE ALSO ARE WORKING WITH OUR PROVIDERS ON NEW PROGRAM GUIDELINES THAT WOULD ENHANCE THE STABILITY FOR FOLKS AS THEY TRANSITION OUT OF RAPID REHOUSING BY MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE EDUCATION IN REGARDS TO THEIR TENANT RIGHTS, BUDGETING, GOOD NEIGHBOR EXPECTATIONS, GOOD NEIGHBOR EXPECTATIONS, AND OTHER SKILLS AND, AND KNOWLEDGE BASES THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL TENANTS ON THEIR OWN INDEPENDENTLY.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UH, ONE THING THAT WE'RE DIGGING INTO RIGHT NOW IS TRACKING THE CAUSES OF MOVING DELAYS AND WORKING WITH OUR OUTREACH TEAMS TO ENSURE THAT CLIENTS ARE MOVING READY.

DAY ONE.

UH, JUST LAST WEEK WE WERE OUT AT KATY LOFTS CELEBRATING THE GRAND OPENING OF THAT 100 BED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UH, BUILDING.

AND THAT'S GREAT.

THERE WAS A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT WENT INTO BRINGING THAT DEVELOPMENT ONLINE.

AND NOW WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE, ARE GETTING INDOORS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

WE'RE ALSO IN CONVERSATIONS AROUND LAUNCHING A BRIDGE TO PSH PROGRAM THAT WOULD STREAMLINE THE LEASE UP AND PREPARE CLIENTS FOR HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, MAKING SURE THAT OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROVIDERS HAVE LOW CASE MANAGER TO CLIENT RATIOS, AGAIN, SOMEWHERE IN THE BALLPARK OF ONE TO 15, BUT THAT CAN ADJUST UP OR DOWN DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS OF THE CLIENTELE.

AND AS PEOPLE MOVE INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND WE START TO FILL UP THESE UNITS, WE ALSO WANNA THINK ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE FOR THESE CLIENTS.

ULTIMATELY, ALTHOUGH PERMANENT IS IN THE NAME, WE DON'T WANT EVERYBODY TO BE THERE PERMANENTLY.

AND SO IMPLEMENTING MOVE ON PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES THAT HELP PEOPLE TRANSITION OUT OF PSH, UH, AND INTO OTHER SERVICES SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THOSE BEDS AVAILABLE TO NEW CLIENTS AS NEEDED.

AND LAST, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM SUPPORT, THIS IS BIGGER PICTURE, NOT, UM, INTERVENTION SPECIFIC.

UH, TOP FOR US IS IMPLEMENTING CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT METHODS AND PRIORITIZING DATA INFORMED DECISION MAKING.

I KNOW FOR MY TEAM, OUR BUDGET AND CONTRACT UNIT LED BY KELLY WHO'S HERE TODAY HAS REALLY BEEN DIGGING INTO PERFORMANCE REPORTS, DOING MORE DESK AUDITS, AND LOOKING AT DATA TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CITY INVESTMENTS ARE HAVING A HIGH RETURN ON INVESTMENTS FOR OUR TAXPAYERS AND WHEN THEY'RE NOT, THAT WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PROVIDERS ABOUT WAYS THAT THEY CAN ENHANCE THOSE SERVICES AND WHAT TYPE OF HELP DO THEY NEED FROM THE CITY AND OTHERS TO ENHANCE THEIR DELIVERY.

WE'RE ALSO COLLABORATING WITH OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM FUNDING PARTNERS TO IMPROVE THE ALIGNMENT OF OUR FUNDING STREAMS, AS WELL AS WHAT WE'RE ASKING OF OUR PROVIDERS.

SO IF A PROVIDER IS STACKING MULTIPLE SOURCES OF CAPITAL TO DO A PROGRAM, THEY'RE NOT ALSO HAVING TO JUGGLE MULTIPLE PROGRAM GUIDELINES.

THEY COULD SPEND MORE TIME DOING THE SERVICE, KNOWING THAT THE FUNDING IS ALIGNED AND THAT THE FUNDING IS SECURED.

WE'RE DEVELOPING MORE IN-HOUSE PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT TOOLS TO HELP US SUPPORT ACTIVE MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.

AND, AND WE BEGUN THE PROCESS OF SCHEDULING RECURRING INTERVENTION SPECIFIC PROVIDER MEETINGS TO STRENGTHEN OUR NETWORKS, ADDRESS COMMON CHALLENGES, AND ENABLE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAPACITY BUILDING.

UH, ONE I LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT WOULD BE EVERY OTHER MONTH WE MEET WITH ALL SHELTER OPERATORS IN THE CITY, WHERE WE TALK ABOUT CHALLENGES THAT ALL OF US ARE FACING, OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'RE ALL FACING POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS.

WE'VE HAD CENTRAL HEALTH COME IN AND TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY DO AROUND NARCAN AND MAP ENROLLMENTS.

AND SO WE'RE GONNA SCHEDULE MORE OF THOSE INTERVENTION SPECIFIC PROVIDER MEETINGS SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE RESOURCES TO OUR PROVIDERS, WE CAN HELP BUILD OUR NETWORKS, AND WE CAN ADDRESS COMMON CONCERNS.

AND SO NOW, THE PART THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY ALL BEEN WAITING FOR, WHICH IS CAPITAL AND SERVICE INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, AND I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT, UH, SOME OF THE ITEMS IN HERE YOU'RE GONNA SEE ARE THINGS THAT WE COVERED IN THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT SECTION, BUT WE'VE INCLUDED THEM AND COUCHED THEM WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE, UH, INTERVENTION.

SO BE, BEFORE I DIVE IN, I HAD ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE CITY CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE.

IT, IT TAKES MANY HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM FUNDING PARTNERS TO DO THIS WORK.

UH, OUR OFFICE HAS MET REGULARLY AND WILL CONTINUE TO MEET REGULARLY WITH OTHER FUNDING PARTNERS.

THESE INCLUDES THE PART, UH, GROUPS LIKE OUR COLLEAGUES AT TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, OUR GOOD FRIENDS OVER AT CENTRAL HEALTH.

UH, OUR COLLEAGUES IN THIS WORK OVER AT ECHO, UH, INTEGRAL CARE, WHICH IS OUR MENTAL HEALTH AUTHORITY, A NUMBER OF PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS, SEVERAL OF WHOM ARE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, AND A LOT OF OUR BUSINESS AND CORPORATE PARTNERS.

AND I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIFIC SHOUT

[00:55:01]

OUT TO THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.

JUST LAST WEEK, YOU ALL APPROVED THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATION FROM MY OFFICE THAT ALLOWED US TO PARTNER WITH DAA TO ENHANCE THE LEVEL OF STREET OUTREACH THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IN THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY.

UH, AND SO IT REALLY TAKES A, A ROBUST AND ALIGNED NETWORK OF FUNDING PARTNERS FOR THIS WORK TO POP.

AND SO, JUST ON BEHALF OF MY OFFICE, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR FUNDING PARTNERS FOR THEIR SUPPORT TO DATE AND ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO, TO TALKING TO THEM MORE ABOUT HOW WE ALIGN OUR FUNDING, HOW WE ALIGN OUR GUIDELINES AND SUPPORT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE LAYING OUT TODAY.

SO, DIVING INTO IT, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CONSIDERATIONS FOR PREVENTION, DIVERSION, AND RAPID EXIT, WE'RE ASKING COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY TO CONSIDER A $3.8 MILLION INVESTMENT IN THIS AREA.

UH, JUST FOR SOME CONTEXT, WE CONTEXT, WE CURRENTLY HAVE SEVERAL ONE-TIME FUNDING INITIATIVES THAT ARE COUCHED WITHIN PREVENTION, DIVERSION, AND RAPID EXIT.

THIS INCLUDES THE $2.2 MILLION HOMELESS PREVENTION SOLICITATION THAT WE LAUNCHED LAST WEEK, A HALF A MILLION THAT WE INVEST IN THE SUNRISE WAYFINDER REHOUSING PROGRAM, WHICH IS A DIVERSION PROGRAM, AND 2.2 MILLION FOR OUR CONTRACT WITH HOUSING CONNECTOR TO HELP RECRUIT MORE UNITS INTO OUR SYSTEM.

WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH ECHO TO SECURE PHILANTHROPIC FUNDS FOR HOMELESS PREVENTION, AND WE'VE AUTHORIZED OUR CITY SHELTERS TO PROVIDE CLIENTS WITH DIVERSION AND RAPID EXIT SUPPORT USING FUNDING THAT WE'VE ALREADY ALLOCATED TO THOSE SHELTERS.

SO AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD AS A SYSTEM, WE ARE ASKING FOR, CONSIDERING CONVERTING THE ONE-TIME FUNDING HIGHLIGHTED ABOVE INTO ONGOING FUNDING.

AND THIS WILL ALLOW US TO SUSTAIN OUR IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS IN PREVENTION, IN DIVERSION, AND IN RAPID EXIT.

WE ALSO ARE GONNA, AS AN OFFICE, CONTINUE MONITORING AND EVALUATING THESE PROGRAMS. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, AS PART OF OUR INVESTMENT WITH SUNRISE WAYFINDER PROGRAM, WE ALSO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH UT TO HELP US EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE AND THE OUTCOMES, UH, OF THOSE DIVERSION FUNDS AND WHETHER OR NOT FAMILIES ARE MORE STABLE AND SECURE AFTER THEY RECEIVE THE DIVERSION ASSISTANCE.

THAT TYPE OF RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS, COUPLED WITH THE FUNDING, ALLOWS US TO MAKE STRATEGIC AND DATA INFORMED CHANGES TO PROGRAMS AS WE GO.

AND SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THESE PROGRAMS AND MAKING, UH, MODIFICATIONS TO GUIDELINES AS NECESSARY.

WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC FUNDING RECOMMENDATION WHEN IT COMES TO HOMELESS NAVIGATION, HOWEVER, WE DO WANNA PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FOR WHERE, UH, WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO CONSIDER INVESTING IN THIS AREA.

UH, THE FIRST IS JUST THE RECOGNITION THAT THE SUNRISE NAVIGATION CENTER DOES AMAZING WORK IN OUR COMMUNITIES, LITERALLY SERVING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS EVERY DAY.

UH, THROUGH THAT WAYFINDER PROGRAM, SUNRISE IS HOUSED OVER 120 INDIVIDUALS IN ONE MONTH.

SO IT'S JUST A, A SENSE OF THEIR, THE SCALE OF THEIR IMPACT.

AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE THE ONLY FULL SERVICE NAVIGATION CENTER IN AUSTIN, WHICH CREATES A COUPLE OF CHALLENGES.

ONE IS THAT THERE'S A NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND SUNRISE THAT GETS DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVING TO GO TO SUNRISE EVERY DAY.

THE SECOND IS FROM OUR CLIENTS THAT THEY'RE HAVING TO COME FROM ALL ACROSS THE CITY TO SOUTH AUSTIN TO ACCESS THESE CRITICAL SERVICES.

AND SO THE CONSIDERATION HERE IS FOR THE CITY AND OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM FUNDERS TO COLLABORATE ON ESTABLISHING A ROBUST NETWORK OF NAVIGATION CENTERS THAT WOULD MORE EFFECTIVELY CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO HOUSING AND OTHER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND ALLEVIATE THE IMPACT THAT'S CURRENTLY BORN BY ONE SINGLE COMMUNITY.

WE THINK THERE ARE SEVERAL OPTIONS TO ACHIEVING THIS GOAL.

UH, ONE IS TO INCORPORATE NAVIGATION CENTERS INTO OUR EXISTING FOOTPRINT, UH, WHETHER THAT'S EXISTING FACILITIES OR EXPANSION PLANS.

THE OTHER IS BY CONTRIBUTING FUNDS FOR ONE TIME CAPITAL, AS WELL AS ONGOING EXPENSES TO HELP OPERATE THESE, THESE NAVIGATION CENTERS.

UH, THE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL AND OPERATING DOLLARS WILL DEPEND ON THE SIZE THE SERVICES RENDERED, WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO ACQUIRE NEW PROPERTY OR, OR REHABILITATE PROPERTY, WHICH IS WHY WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC DOLLAR VALUE ON THIS ONE.

UM, BUT THIS IS ONE THAT MY TEAM AND I WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE WHEN IT COMES TO STREET OUTREACH AND ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT.

JUST SOME CONTEXT, UH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICE HAS LIMITED CAPACITY TO CONSTRUCT, UH, CONDUCT STREET OUTREACH ON OUR OWN ACROSS OUR 300 SQUARE MILE AREA.

AND THAT IS WHY WE PARTNER WITH 11 DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS AND OVER 15 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS FOR BOTH OUTREACH AND ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT.

UH, AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH DAA AND URBAN ALCHEMY ON THE HEART PROGRAM.

NOW, LAST SUMMER, WE DID A PILOT PROGRAM WHERE WE USED SOME ONE-TIME FUNDS IN OUR BUDGET TO PILOT A COORDINATED HOMELESS OUTREACH, UH, RESPONSE STRUCTURE.

UH, WE FUNDED FOUR ORGANIZATIONS TO BE A PART OF THIS PILOT.

THOSE FOUR ORGANIZATIONS WERE THE OTHER ONES, FOUNDATION, HUNGRY HILL FOUNDATION, URBAN ALCHEMY, AND SUNRISE.

AND THE PILOT WAS SUCCESSFUL AND THAT IT ALLOWED US TO, FOR THE FIRST TIME REALLY COORDINATE ACROSS DIFFERENT PROVIDERS, HAVE FREQUENT COLLABORATIONS, AND LEVERAGE THE COLLECTIVE STRENGTHS TO OVERCOME, UH, ANY WEAKNESSES AND ALSO ADDRESS URGENT

[01:00:01]

NEEDS.

AND SO, COMING OUT OF THAT PILOT, UH, THAT'S INFORMED OUR THINKING AROUND AN INVESTMENT CONSIDERATION OF $5 MILLION FOR STREET OUTREACH AND ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT.

UH, THIS WOULD INCLUDE ADDING POSITIONS TO HSO FOR OUTREACH AND ENFORCEMENT, WHICH I'LL COME BACK TO LATER.

UH, EXTENDING OUR ARPA FUNDED INITIATIVES BY ALLOCATING $2 MILLION FOR EXTERNAL PARTNERS TO CONDUCT OUTREACH AND ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT, AND ALSO ALLOCATING THE $3 MILLION FOR OUR BRIDGE SHELTER HOUSING PROGRAMS. THE REASON WHY BRIDGE SHELTER IS, IS COUCHED HERE AND NOT IN SHELTER IS BECAUSE BRIDGE SHELTER IS TIED TO HEAL.

HEAL IS AN ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.

IT'S ABOUT COMPASSIONATE ENCAMPMENT CLOSURES AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE.

YOU KNOW, IF THIS FUNDING WERE TO COME TO BEAR AND WE CONTRACTED WITH THESE PARTNERS, WE WOULD CONTINUE THE SUCCESS THAT WE HAD FROM OUR SUMMER PILOT BY MANDATING COORDINATION BETWEEN THE PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE GOOD QUALITY CONTROL, AND THAT WE'RE CONNECTING UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS WITH THE APPROPRIATE OUTREACH SERVICE LEVELS.

AND I'LL COME BACK TO THE SLIDE, IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO, BUT THE TABLE ON THE RIGHT SHOWS HOW WE ENVISION OUTREACH SERVICE LEVELS FOR STREET OUTREACH FROM LOW LEVEL SERVICES, SUCH AS RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND PROVIDING HYGIENE RESOURCES ALL THE WAY TO SPECIALIZED SERVICES, SUCH AS HELPING PEOPLE WITH THEIR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ENROLLMENT PACKETS, OR DOING TAILORED STREET MEDICINE FOR FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING UNSHELTERED ON OUR STREETS WHEN IT COMES TO EMERGENCY SHELTERS.

SOME JUST QUICK CONTEXT, UH, THE STATE OF THE HRS REPORT THAT WAS PRODUCED EARLIER THIS YEAR RECOMMENDED 550 NEW SHELTER BEDS TO OUR SYSTEM BY 2029.

UH, WE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT SOME HSO ANALYSIS AND FOUND THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS CONSISTENT WITH AN HSO SHELTER ANALYSIS THAT WE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IN JULY, 2023.

OUR CURRENT EXISTING ONGOING BUDGET FOR SHELTER OPERATIONS IS JUST UNDER $20 MILLION ANNUALLY.

NOW, YOU ALL KNOW THAT WE'VE MADE A, A REAL INVESTMENT IN ADDING MORE SHELTER CAPACITY TO OUR SYSTEM, AND TODAY WE HAVE A RECORD NUMBER OF SHELTER BEDS IN AUSTIN THAN WE'VE HAD IN, IN OUR HISTORY, WHICH IS WHY IT'S A RECORD NUMBER, UH, SITTING RIGHT AROUND JUST UNDER 1500 BEDS.

AND THAT BEING SAID, WE STILL ONLY HAVE ONE BED FOR EVERY FIVE UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, UH, TO ADD MORE CAPACITY.

NOW, OUR FRIENDS AT THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION ARE CURRENTLY ADDING A HUNDRED BEDS AT CAMP ESPERANZA.

UH, COUNCIL INVESTED A MILLION DOLLARS IN THAT PROJECT SUMMER OF LAST YEAR.

AND CENTRAL HEALTH IS CREATING 50 MEDICAL RESPITE BEDS, UM, THAT SAYS THAT CAMERON CENTER.

BUT I WAS RECENTLY INFORMED THAT IT'S ACTUALLY AT ANOTHER FACILITY, UH, AND CAMERON CENTER IS COMING DOWN THE LINE, BUT THOSE 50 BEDS ARE COMING.

AND THEN THROUGH HARD WORK WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE LAST YEAR, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO JOINTLY SUBMIT WITH THE OTHER ONES FOUNDATION, DA AND TDOT, UH, UH, AN APPLICATION PACKAGE TO THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT WOULD FUND UP TO 400 BEDS OUT AT CAMPUS BARZA.

THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE A HUNDRED BEDS THAT'S BEING ADDED IN PHASE TWO.

NOW.

WE ALSO LOOKED AT COST.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO ACTUALLY OPERATE, UH, A SHELTER BED? AND WE WANT TO GIVE YOU BOTH A FLOOR AND A CEILING.

WHAT WOULD IT COST JUST TO DO THE BASIC BARE MINIMUM? WHAT DOES IT COST TO ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE INTO HOUSING? AND SO WHAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU HERE IS THE COST FOR A HOUSING FOCUSED SHELTER IS AROUND $34,000 PER BED ANNUALLY.

BUT EACH OF THOSE BEDS SERVES BETWEEN THREE TO FOUR CLIENTS EACH YEAR.

BECAUSE AT THAT FUNDING LEVEL, YOU'RE PAYING FOR THE HOUSING NAVIGATION AND THE CASE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT THAT SOMEBODY NEEDS TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION OUT OF SHELTER AND INTO HOUSING.

BUT IF ALL WE WANTED TO DO WAS PROVIDE A ROOF OVER SOMEBODY'S HEAD, A CLEAN PLACE TO SHOWER AND SOME FOOD TO EAT, WE'D BE LOOKING AT 25,000 PER BED ANNUALLY.

THE TRADE OFF IS THAT BED IS ONLY SERVING ONE TO TWO CLIENTS PER YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PROVIDING THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT PEOPLE NEED TO SUCCESSFULLY EXIT AND MOVE ON FROM SHELTER.

AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CONSIDERATIONS FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER, OUR MATH PUTS US AT 32.3 MILLION PLUS CAPITAL COSTS.

AND WHAT THIS WOULD INCLUDE WOULD BE ALLOCATING 11 AND A HALF MILLION TO STABILIZE OUR EXISTING OPERATIONS.

THIS INCLUDES $8 MILLION FOR THE MARSHALING YARD, AS WELL AS THREE AND A HALF MILLION FOR THE H STREET WOMEN'S SHELTER.

THIS ALSO IS LOOKING AT DEVELOPING 550 NEW SHELTER BEDS BY 2029.

NOW, THE CAPITAL COST TO DO THIS WILL VARY DEPENDING ON THE SHELTER SIZE, UH, AND SOME OF THE OTHER APPLICATIONS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOLLOWED.

THE OPERATING COST FOR THESE BEDS WILL RANGE BETWEEN JUST UNDER 14 MILLION TO JUST UNDER 19 MILLION, DEPENDING ON IF WE WANNA PROVIDE BASIC SHELTER OR HOUSING FOLK AND SHELTER.

UH, AND WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE CAN HAVE FUNDERS COLLABORATE WITH THE CITY ON IDENTIFYING, UH, WHERE WE PUT THESE SHELTERS, HOW WE CO-FUND THE ONGOING OPERATIONS OF THESE SHELTERS, AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE EXITING SUCCESSFULLY.

ALSO, UH, YOU HEARD REFERENCED BY ONE OF THE SPEAKERS TODAY, UH, THE $2 MILLION SEED FUND INITIATIVE.

UH, OUR THINKING HERE IS THAT UNDER THIS STRUCTURE, WE COULD MAKE INVESTMENTS, INITIAL INVESTMENTS TO HELP COMMUNITIES, ORGANIZATIONS GET SHELTER BEDS ESTABLISHED.

UH, THAT COULD BE

[01:05:01]

FOR CAPITAL, OR THAT COULD BE TO OFFSET SOME OF THE OPERATING EXPENSES.

BUT AS THOSE BEDS MATURE, AND AS THOSE OPERATORS ARE ABLE TO RAISE FUNDS FROM OTHER SOURCES, WE COULD THEN RECAPTURE A PORTION OF THOSE DOLLARS AND REDISTRIBUTE 'EM TO OTHER NON-CITY OPERATED SHELTERS.

AND, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES COMMUNITY GROUPS LIKE TO OPERATE THEIR OWN SHELTERS.

THEY LIKE TO DICTATE THEIR OWN INTAKE TERMS, THEIR OWN CASE MANAGEMENT TERMS, ET CETERA.

AND SO THIS FUNDING LEVEL WOULD ALLOW US TO COME IN AND HELP THEM SUPPORT AND STABILIZE WITHOUT THE CITY HAVING TO BECOME OVERBEARING ON ALL OF THEIR OPERATIONS FOR RAPID REHOUSING.

OUR CONSIDERATION HERE IS PEGGED AT JUST UNDER $24 MILLION.

UH, I WANNA START JUST WITH ACKNOWLEDGING THAT ALL OF OUR CURRENTLY FUNDED RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS, CITY FUNDED ARE FULL.

UH, WE DO NOT HAVE SPACE FOR ANY NEW ENROLLMENTS, AND WE'RE NOT EXPECTING TO HAVE SPACE FOR ANY NEW RAPID REHOUSING ENROLLMENTS UNTIL 2026.

UH, OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR RAPID REHOUSING IS FOUR AND A HALF MILLION ANNUALLY.

UM, OUR ARPA ALLOCATION, UH, WAS APPROXIMATELY, UH, 12.3 MILLION ANNUALLY, BUT THOSE ARPA DOLLARS WILL BE EXHAUSTED THIS YEAR.

FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE A SOFTWARE MARKET, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE LANDLORDS AND GET PEOPLE INTO UNITS QUICKLY.

UM, AND OUR STATE OF THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM REPORT, UH, RECOMMENDS JUST OVER 2300 UNITS, NEW UNITS RAPID REHOUSING TO BE PRODUCED BETWEEN 2024 AND 2034, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT 275 NEW UNITS ANNUALLY.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE COST FOR RAPID REHOUSING, UH, WE PEG THE COST FOR A WELL-RESOURCED RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM TO BE AT $34,000 FOR SINGLES AND $40,000 FOR FAMILIES.

BUT I WANNA NOTE THAT THESE DOLLAR VALUES ARE BASED OFF OF THE CLIENTS WHO ARE IN RAPID REHOUSING UNITS TODAY.

I THINK MANY OF US ARE AWARE THAT OFTENTIMES CLIENTS WHO NEED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ARE BEING PLACED IN RAPID REHOUSING.

UH, AND SO WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE IS THAT THE COST OF RAPID AND THE COST OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TODAY ARE CURRENT KIND OF THE SAME.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE SERVING THE SAME CLIENTELE.

BUT THE COST OF RAPID REHOUSING COULD DECREASE IF WE STARTED TO GET LOWER ACUITY FOLKS INTO THAT PROGRAM.

UH, AND THE DATA SHOWS THAT THAT'S, THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY GO.

SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE INVESTMENT CONSIDERATION, WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HERE IS A $650,000 ALLOCATION TO EXTEND THE ARPA FUNDED DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM.

AND THEN AS A SYSTEM ALLOCATING $23 MILLION TO SUPPORT RAPID REHOUSING PLACEMENTS, A PORTION OF THAT CONSIDERATION WILL COME FROM THE CITY AT $12 MILLION, WHICH WOULD SUPPORT THE OPENING OF 300 TO 350 NEW UNITS OF RAPID REHOUSING.

AND THEN WE'D CALL ON OTHER HRS FUNDERS TO PARTNER WITH US IN THIS SPACE.

WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF FUNDERS THAT THEY WANT TO SUPPORT HOUSING INVESTMENTS AND HOUSING INITIATIVES.

THEY WANT TO DO THINGS TO HELP GET PEOPLE OUT OF SHELTER AND OFF THE STREETS AND INTO HOUSING.

WE THINK THIS IS A PERFECT PLACE FOR THOSE FUNDERS TO, TO ALIGN WITH THE CITY, UH, BY PUTTING UP ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP US GET FOLKS INTO THESE UNITS, HELP OFFSET THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND PROVIDE THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND ALSO ALIGN THEIR PROGRAM GUIDELINES WITH THE CITIES.

SPEAKING OF PROGRAM GUIDELINES, WE ARE DOING A WHOLESALE UPDATE OF OUR PROGRAM GUIDELINES FOR RAPID REHOUSING.

AND SO, AS WE ENVISION REOPENING PLACEMENTS IN 2026, UH, WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE SOME NEW RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM GUIDELINES THAT'S GONNA BE BASED OFF OF THE LESSONS THAT WE'VE LEARNED TO DATE.

UH, THAT'S REALLY GONNA HELP OUR PROVIDERS GET SOME CLARITY AROUND THE EXPECTATIONS FROM THE CITY ON THE SERVICES.

AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY GONNA HELP MORE CLIENTS BEING SERVED, TRANSITION FROM RAPID REHOUSING, UH, INTO STABLE HOUSING.

AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT OUR CONSIDERATIONS FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AND WE'LL DO THIS IN TWO CHUNKS.

THE FIRST CHUNK IS LOOKING AT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING THROUGH 2027.

THESE ARE UNITS THAT ARE IN OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PIPELINE TODAY.

NEXT, WE'LL TALK ABOUT UNITS POST 2027.

THE STATE OF THE HOMELESS SYSTEM RESPONSE REPORT RECOMMENDS DEVELOPING JUST OVER 4,000 NEW UNITS OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING BETWEEN 2024 AND 2034.

UM, WE ARE, WE HAVE A RECURRING FUNDING IN OUR BUDGET FOR PSH SERVICES AT $9.3 MILLION.

WE ALSO HAVE $4.8 MILLION IN ONE TIME FUNDING FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING THAT'S COME OUT OF THE BUDGET STABILIZATION AND RESERVE FUND.

AND WE'RE GONNA SOLICIT THOSE DOLLARS JOINTLY WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND ECHO AS PART OF THE AT-HOME PROGRAM.

AND THAT SOLICITATION IS FORTHCOMING.

NOW, OF THE UNITS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE PIPELINE, WE HAVE 585 REMAINING UNITS TO OPEN BEFORE 2027.

OF THOSE 391 DO NOT YET HAVE SERVICE DOLLARS ATTACHED TO THEM.

AND OF THOSE 258 UNITS ARE PART OF WHAT'S CALLED THE TRAVIS COUNTY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING INVESTMENT PIPELINE OR THE SHIP.

UH, THESE ARE UNITS THAT ARE FUNDED BY A A $100 MILLION ARPA INVESTMENT FROM TRAVIS COUNTY.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE COST OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, A WELL-RESOURCED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNIT COSTS $20,000 PER UNIT FOR THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.

THERE'S

[01:10:01]

ALSO A $15,000 RENTAL SUBSIDY THAT'S ATTACHED TO THAT UNIT, WHICH IS OFTEN FUNDED THROUGH THE HOUSING VOUCHERS.

SO IN TOTAL, THAT PACKAGE IS A $35,000 PACKAGE.

SO $35,000 PER UNIT PSH $34,000 PER UNIT FOR RAPID REHOUSING.

ONE THING THAT WE ARE TRACKING IS THAT FEDERAL LEVEL STAFFING AND FUNDING CHANGES COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING VOUCHERS AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR PSH PROPERTIES.

AND SO CITIES, INCLUDING OURS, ARE BRACING FOR THERE NOT TO BE A, A, A WIDE INCREASE IN FEDERAL HOUSING VOUCHERS.

UH, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP, UH, OFFSET THAT LOCALLY.

SO OUR INVESTMENT CONSIDERATION WHEN IT COMES TO LOOKING AT THE UNITS THAT WILL BE DELIVERED BETWEEN NOW AND 2027, THE FIRST IS WE WOULD LIKE TO CONVERT THE $4.8 MILLION ONE TIME BUDGET STABILIZATION RESERVE FUND ALLOCATION INTO AN ONGOING ALLOCATION.

THE LOGIC HERE IS THAT THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS ARE HERE TO STAY, AND WE NEED TO MATCH OUR ONGOING INVESTMENTS WITH ONGOING FUNDING, PAYING FOR ONGOING INVESTMENTS WITH ONE-TIME FUNDING IS GONNA GET US RIGHT BACK INTO THE HOLE THAT WE FOUND OURSELVES IN AS THE ARPA DOLLARS BEGAN TO TRANSITION.

NOW, WE'RE ALSO AS A SYSTEM CALLING FOR A $7.9 MILLION INVESTMENT CONSIDERATION TO FUND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR UNITS IN THE PSH PIPELINE.

THIS WOULD INCLUDE A CONSIDERATION OF 2.7 MILLION FROM THE CITY TO FUND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.

THOSE ARE SERVICES IN UNITS THAT THE CITY HAS INVESTED CAPITAL DOLLARS IN BRINGING FORTH, AND THEN CALLING ON OUR HRS FUNDING PARTNERS TO PROVIDE THE $5.2 MILLION FOR THE SERVICES AT THE SHEP FUNDED PROPERTIES.

WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT FUNDING CAN BE PHASED IN OVER TIME BASED ON THE FISCAL YEAR THAT A PROJECT IS FORECASTED TO OPEN.

AND SO I'M HAPPY TO COME BACK TO THIS SLIDE IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO, BECAUSE YOU COULD SEE EVERY PROJECT AS WELL AS THE PROJECTED LEASE UP YEAR BETWEEN NOW AND 2027.

WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR FUNDING PARTNERS ARE PREPARED TO SUPPORT LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY POLICY OR STAFFING CHANGES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

THIS COULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE, UH, STAFFING CHANGES AT HUD THAT MAKE IT HARDER FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO DRAW DOWN ON COC PROGRAM FUNDS OR STAFFING CHANGES OR FUNDING CHANGES THAT COULD HAPPEN AT THE VA THAT MAKES IT HARDER FOR US TO CON SECURE VASH VOUCHERS, WHICH ARE THE HOUSING VOUCHERS THAT HELP US HOUSE OUR VETERANS.

AND NOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT POST 2027, UH, THE CONTEXT HERE IS THAT SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL OPERATING AND SERVICE FUNDS ARE NEEDED TO BUILD THE ADDITIONAL 575 TO 650 UNITS.

THAT'S CALLED FOR IN THE STATE OF THE HRS SYSTEM.

WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS RESTRICTS EVERY REGION TO ONLY ONE PSH PROJECT FUNDED THROUGH 9% LITECH AND LITECH ANNUALLY.

THE CHART ON HERE, UM, WHICH I WON'T GO THROUGH IN EXTREME DETAIL IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, BUT WHAT IT DOES IS IT LAYS OUT THE AVERAGE AMOUNT THAT THE CITY FUNDS FOR CAPITAL OPERATING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR EVERY UNIT OF PSH THAT'S PRODUCED.

AND SO FOR EVERY UNIT OF PSH PRODUCED, WE TYPICALLY WILL PROVIDE A ONE-TIME CAPITAL SUBSIDY OF $140,000, UH, THE ONE-TIME OPERATING COST OF $15,000, WHICH IS COVERED EITHER THROUGH THE FEDERAL HOUSING VOUCHERS OR A LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHER.

IF IT'S A LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHER, IT'S FROM MAN DE MAYO'S OFFICE.

AND THEN OUR OFFICE PROVIDES THE $20,000 PER UNIT FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.

AND SO YOU COULD SEE THAT THE ANNUAL COST AND THE TOTAL COST FOR CREATING MORE UNITS IS, IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT.

UH, AND I WILL NOTE THAT WHILE THIS TABLE DOES ACCOUNT FOR A 3% INFLATION RATE ACROSS THESE YEARS, IT DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF TARIFFS, WHICH, UH, FRANKLY, WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO SEE THE EFFECTS OF, OF TARIFF PRICING EFFECT CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND, AND OTHER LABOR COSTS WITHIN OUR, OUR AREA.

AND SO, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT POST 2027, THE INVESTMENT CONSIDERATION HERE IS A $23 MILLION ANNUAL INCREASE THROUGH 2034.

AND WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE INCREASING OPERATING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES THROUGH 2022 THROUGH 2034.

THIS WOULD BE ANOTHER JOINT INVESTMENT CONSIDERATION FOR THE CITY AND OUR FUNDING PARTNERS WITH $6 MILLION FROM THE CITY TO SUPPORT 150 UNITS AND $17 MILLION FROM OUR FUNDING PARTNERS TO SUPPORT 425 UNITS.

AND AGAIN, WE'RE CALLING OUR INVESTMENT PARTNERS TO HELP US IN THIS AREA BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD FROM INVESTMENT PARTNERS THAT THEY WANT TO FUND HOUSING SOLUTIONS.

THIS IS A GREAT HOUSING SOLUTION TO INVEST IN.

WE ALSO LOOKED AT ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES.

HOW DO WE ACTUALLY BRING THESE UNITS TO BEAR? AND SO ONE THING THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON AND HAVING CONVERSATIONS ON IS A NEAR TERM SHIFT FROM PROJECT-BASED PSH TO ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES SUCH AS GLOBAL LEASING AND TENANT-BASED PSH.

THIS ALLOWS US TO SECURE UNITS THAT EXIST TODAY THAT ARE SITTING VACANT IN OUR COMMUNITY WITHOUT HAVING TO INVEST ALL THE CAPITAL TO BUILD NEW UNITS.

NOW, IF WE'RE GONNA SECURE UNITS TODAY THAT ARE IN APARTMENT COMMUNITIES AND IN NEIGHBORHOODS, WE ALSO MUST ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR PROGRAM

[01:15:01]

PLACEMENTS ARE CONDUCTED BASED ON SITE SPECIFIC FACTORS THAT CAN INFLUENCE WHETHER A CLIENT OR A HOUSEHOLD IS SUCCESSFUL.

THIS COULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE SPACE FOR PROVIDERS TO OPERATE ON SITE IF WE'RE PLACING A LOT OF HIGH ACUITY CLIENTS ON ONE SITE OR LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF PSH UNITS IN THE PROPERTY.

AND IF THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF UNITS, MAYBE WE'RE PROVIDING THOSE TO LOWER ACUITY CLIENTS.

WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAXIMIZING OUR PSH PRODUCTION WITH ANY REMAINING OR FUTURE BOND FUNDS.

AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH MANNY DE MAYO'S OFFICE TO LOOK INTO THAT WHILE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING A BALANCED APPROACH, BECAUSE THE FACT IS THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AT ALL LEVELS.

AND LASTLY IS, AS WE THINK ABOUT NEW PROJECTS, MAKING SURE THAT WE ALIGN OUR CAPITAL AND OUR SERVICE FUNDING STRATEGIES EARLY ON SO WE DON'T END UP IN SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE PROPERTIES BEING BUILT WITHOUT THE SERVICE DOLLARS ALLOCATED.

SO I JUST WANT TO, AGAIN, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE A CALL TO ACTION FOR OUR HRS FUNDING PARTNERS, WHICH ACROSS ALL THE THINGS THAT WE TOUCHED ON, TOTALS UP TO $16.2 MILLION AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY DOING, PLUS ONGOING INVESTMENT TO HELP US BRING MORE PSH UNITS TO, TO BEAR.

AND I'M HAPPY TO COME BACK TO THIS SLIDE AND DISCUSS THIS SLIDE IN MORE DETAIL IF YOU LIKE.

THE LAST PIECE THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT IS SOMEWHAT SELF-SERVING, BUT YOU ASKED ME FOR, SO I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO YOU, WHICH IS THE RESOURCE AND STAFFING NEEDS WITHIN THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.

AND I THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU.

SO OUR STAFFING, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT OUR OFFICE, UH, WE HAVE AN OFFICE WITH STAFF.

IT'S NOT JUST ME.

IT'S A LOT OF HARDWORKING MEN AND WOMEN WHO DO THIS WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT.

UH, I JUST GET THE POST ABOUT ALL THEIR HARD WORK ON LINKEDIN EVERY DAY.

UH, BUT WE HAVE 25 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND SEVEN TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES, UH, THAT ARE DIVIDED ACROSS FIVE DIVISIONS, A POLICY AND PLANNING UNIT, A SHELTER OPERATIONS AND EXPANSION UNIT, A PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT UNIT, WHICH ALSO DOES STREET OUTREACH, A COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT UNIT, AND A FINANCE AND CONTRACTING UNIT.

HOWEVER, WHILE, WHILE WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THIS WORK, AND WHILE WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THIS WORK, UH, OUR OFFICE IS VERY LEAN, ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO OTHER HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICES AND OTHER CITIES.

UH, FOR EXAMPLE, I DON'T HAVE ANY BACKUP LEADERSHIP.

AND SO WHEN I'M OUT, OUR DEPARTMENT BECOMES VERY VULNERABLE TO DISRUPTIONS AND DECISION MAKING AND COORDINATION.

UH, THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE EMAIL ME AND I SAY, I'M ON VACATION.

THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, WHY ARE YOU EMAILING ME BACK FROM THE BEACH? WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE THE, THE WORK REQUIRES IT.

WE ALSO HAVE TWO EMPLOYEES WHO CONDUCT DAILY FIELD WORK ACROSS OUR ENTIRE, UH, CITY AREA, OUR, OUR 300 SQUARE MILES, UH, WHICH IS FRANKLY JUST INSUFFICIENT FOR US, GIVEN THE HIGH LEVEL, UH, OF SERVICE REQUEST.

UH, EVERY MONTH WE AVERAGE AROUND 700 SERVICE REQUESTS.

AND SO TO HAVE TWO STAFF TRYING TO COVER 300 SQUARE MILES TO BE RESPONSIVE IS A CHALLENGE.

BUT AGAIN, THEY'RE COMMITTED TO DOING IT.

WE ALSO LACK STAFF THAT ARE DEDICATED TO MANAGING DATA SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY, WHICH LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO OPERATE EFFICIENTLY AND SHARE INSIGHTS WITH THE PUBLIC IN A WAY THAT THE PUBLIC CAN KNOW THAT WE'RE MAKING DATA INFORMED DECISIONS.

WE LACK OF FULLY STAFFED COMMUNICATIONS TEAM, WHICH LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO INFORM AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

IT ALSO MAKES IT CHALLENGING FOR US TO ENGAGE WITH STAKEHOLDERS, OFTENTIMES OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO WANT US TO ATTEND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS OR THEIR BUSINESS MEETINGS, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THEM WAIT SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO FOLLOW UP.

WE ALSO HAVE SOME CHALLENGES WITH TRANSLATIONS AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES.

UH, WE DO OUR BEST TO, TO WORK WITH CPIO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HONORING THE CITY'S COMMITMENTS AROUND MAKING INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE.

UH, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE C P'S SUPPORT IN HELPING US, UH, DELIVER ON OUR TRANSPORTATION AND INTERPRETATION GOALS.

CURRENTLY, OUR STREET OUTREACH TEAM AND OUR PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT TEAM ARE, UH, THE SAME UNIT.

UH, THIS CREATES TENSIONS AND ROLE EXPECTATIONS.

UH, IT'S ALSO CHALLENGING, FRANKLY, FOR US WHEN WE ENGAGE WITH CLIENTS AND ENCAMPMENTS BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE WONDERING, ARE WE SHOWING UP IN OUR OUTREACH CAPACITY TODAY? OR ARE WE SHOWING UP WITH, WITH AUSTIN POLICE AND AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY TO, TO CLEAR OUT THEIR ENCAMPMENT? AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAN BIFURCATE THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, HAVING THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS LIKE HR, UH, ACCOUNTING, ET CETERA, MANAGED BY OTHER DEPARTMENTS OFTENTIMES CAN CAUSE A DELAY.

AND OUR ABILITY TO HIRE QUICKLY OR DO CONTRACTING.

UH, AND I, I WANT TO GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE LEAN ON.

AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH PROVIDES US WITH HR SUPPORT.

FSD PROVIDES US WITH A LOT OF ACCOUNTING SUPPORT.

CTM PROVIDES US WITH A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT.

BUT WHEN THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE UNDER RESOURCED OR HAVE THEIR OWN STAFFING CHALLENGES, IT DELAYS OUR ABILITY TO DO OUR WORK AND TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE DEMANDS FROM THE PUBLIC.

AND SO OUR STAFFING CONSIDERATION IS TO, TO REALLY EXECUTE WELL ON YOUR VISION FOR US AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING OUR PART TO LIFT UP AND OPTIMIZE THE SYSTEM THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.

WE RECOMMEND CONSIDERING ALLOCATING 40 NEW POSITIONS TO HSO, THE BULK OF WHICH WOULD BE ALLOCATED TO ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT AND STREET OUTREACH.

UH, BUT THEN ADDITIONAL POSITIONS TO HELP US OPERATE OUR HOMELESS SHELTERS, WHICH IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT AS WE TALK ABOUT ADDING MORE

[01:20:01]

HOMELESS SHELTER CAPACITY.

HELP US WITH DATA AND TECHNOLOGY SO WE CAN LOOK AT DATA MORE EFFICIENTLY.

AND ALSO SHARE DATA, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC MORE CLEARLY, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO HELP OUR OFFICE WITH SOME OF THE INTERNAL FUNCTION NEEDS.

AND THEN EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT SO THAT I CAN GO ON VACATION.

NO, I'M JUST PLAYING .

UH, BUT IT IS HELPFUL TO HAVE, HAVE A DEPUTY.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE OTHER NEEDS TO HELP US FULFILL OUR JOBS.

THINGS LIKE CASE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, UH, CITY VEHICLES.

MY STAFF USE THEIR PERSONAL VEHICLES TO DO THEIR OUTREACH.

UH, YOU ALL GRACIOUSLY, UH, ALLOCATED FOUR VEHICLES TO US IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE.

SO WE APPRECIATE THAT.

UH, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT INVESTING IN LAPTOPS AND TABLETS FOR US TO DO FIELD WORK.

AND SO NEXT STEPS, AND THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE AFTER SPEAKING TO YOU FOR 45 MINUTES, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

UH, WHILE THIS PRESENTATION CLOSES OUT OUR RESPONSE TO YOUR COUNCIL RESOLUTION, IT DOES NOT END OUR WORK.

AND SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON IMPLEMENTING THE CHANGES TO THE SYSTEM THAT WE DISCUSSED AND SHARED WITH YOU EARLIER TODAY.

WE'RE ALSO GONNA CONTINUE OUR INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS AND STAFFING NEEDS, AND FIGURING OUT OUR CONTINGENCY PLANNING SHOULD THE, THE CONSIDERATIONS, UH, BE UNABLE TO BE MET.

AND WE'RE COMMITTING TO MEET WITH OUR HRS FUNDING PARTNERS, PROVIDER COMMUNITIES, AND OTHERS TO SHARE THIS PRESENTATION WITH THEM, UH, AND CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE ALIGN OUR WORK TO OPTIMIZE OUR IMPACT.

AND SO WITH THAT, UH, MR. MAYOR AND MADAM MAYOR PRO, TIM, I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR TIME TODAY.

UH, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT THANK YOU.

EXCELLENT REPORT, BUT YOU'RE IN CHARGE.

WELL DONE.

THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES.

WE WILL NOW TAKE QUESTIONS FROM NO, DON'T GIVE HIM ANY.

HE HE'LL KEEP TALKING.

, WHY IS THIS BROWN? KELLY .

SO WE'LL HAVE, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ FOLLOWED BY COUNCIL.

CORY, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION THAT WE ALWAYS, UH, ONE, APPRECIATE YOU COMING TO PRESENT TO US, BUT ALSO ALL OF THE, THE WORK THAT YOU DO HERE FOR OUR IN-HOUSE FOLKS.

I, I, I, THE, IN THE SHORT TIME THAT YOU HAVE BEEN HERE, I HAVE SEEN A MARKET CHANGE IN HOW WE DO BUSINESS.

AND I THINK A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE SEEN A MARKET CHANGE IN HOW WE DO BUSINESS.

AND THAT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED.

I DIDN'T KNOW YOU GOT TO TAKE VACATION THOUGH, SO , YOU CAN LET, YOU CAN LET US KNOW HOW YOU GET THAT DONE.

WE, WE, WE WOULD BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

UM, I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU ON, YOU TALKED ABOUT DATA, AND I KNOW WE'LL, WE WILL, OUR OFFICES ARE HAVING A, A MEETING LATER THIS WEEK TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT YOU IN THAT ENDEAVOR.

UH, I DID HAVE A QUESTION THOUGH.

YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT YOUR, UM, RESOURCES AND STAFFING.

UH, RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE 25 ON STAFFING, AND YOU, WHAT DO OUR PEER CITIES LOOK LIKE? SO LET'S, LET'S SAY DENVER MAYBE.

YEAH, SO, SO DENVER, UM, AS AN EXAMPLE HAS, SO WE HAVE 25 STAFF, AND THAT INCLUDES ME.

UH, DENVER HAS 20 STAFF WHO ONLY DO OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT, AS WELL AS OTHER STAFF WHO DO ALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS.

SO, SO THEIR OUTREACH TEAM IS THE SIZE OF MY ENTIRE OFFICE, AND OUR OUTREACH TEAM IS TWO, OUR OUTREACH TEAM IS TWO WHO DO DAILY FIELD WORK.

AND THEN TWO MORE WHO ARE SCREENING 3 1 1 CALLS, DOING COORDINATION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS, UH, GIVING ME THE INFORMATION THAT I NEED, BEING RESPONSIVE TO Y'ALL'S REQUEST.

WHEN YOU SUBMIT CAFS OR YOUR CONSTITUENTS CONTACT US FOR SERVICES.

I MEAN, NOT TO EVERYBODY, NOT JUST D THREE, RIGHT? EVERYBODY.

I'M SORRY, Y'ALL.

THE, THE UNIVERSAL, BUT RIGHT.

BUT WE HAVE TWO STAFF WHO DO, UH, DAILY.

AND, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST UP IN DALLAS DOING, UH, SITE VISITS UP THERE FOR SHELTERS.

AND I LEARNED FROM THEIR, UH, HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER THAT THEY ALSO HAVE A A 20 PERSON STREET TEAM AS WELL.

SO, AND SO THAT'S JUST THE SIZE OF THESE STREET TEAMS IS THE SAME SIZE AS YOUR ENTIRE TEAM.

THE, THE SECOND QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS ON PAGE NINE, AND IT'S, THIS IS JUST FOR CLARIFICATION.

YOU HAD THE, UM, THE, UH, WAIT, I'M SORRY.

IT'S PAGE 10.

UM, YEAH, PAGE 10 FOR THE ONGOING, UH, ARPA PROGRAM FUNDING, TO BE CLEAR, THAT IS, THAT IS JUST TO CONTINUE AT THAT LEVEL, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT, UH, 15.65 BECAUSE OF THE ARPA FUNDS THAT WE ARE LOSING THAT IS, AND I WAS JUST TO BE CONTINUING AT THAT LEVEL.

YES, SIR.

AND I, AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.

'CAUSE I, I, I, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTOOD IT PROPERLY, THAT THAT'S WHAT I GOT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY.

UH, OUR OFFICE HAD BROUGHT FORWARD A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN 2023, UH, AROUND PSH WRAPAROUND SERVICES.

THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM.

UM, I JUST WANNA THANK ALL THE PROVIDERS WHO HAVE BEEN OUT HERE TODAY, ALL THE VOICES.

I WANNA THANK DAVID AND HIS TEAM.

I KNOW YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A GREAT TEAM BEHIND YOU, BUT YOU'RE VERY MUCH THE FACE OF IT.

AND I, I APPRECIATE YOUR LINKEDIN POST WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU, WHEN, WHEN YOU MAKE THEM.

UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THIS WHOLE DIE CARES DEEPLY ABOUT MAKING SURE WE DO RIGHT BY OUR OWN HOUSE POPULATION.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE BRING FORWARD, WE HAVE THE IDEAS, WE BRING FORWARD THE POLICY, BUT ULTIMATELY, YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES WHO EXECUTE IT.

YOU GUYS ARE THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, AND, AND I, AND I SO APPRECIATE IT.

UM, I HAD THREE QUESTIONS.

I THINK I'M GONNA WORK KIND OF BACKWARDS, WE'LL BACKWARDS FROM YOUR PRESENTATION ON PAGE 28.

UH, YOU HAD MENTIONED THE, UH, THE CONVERSATION TO DO WITH PSH THROUGH 2027.

[01:25:01]

HAS THAT MONEY BEEN SPENT YET? LET ME, LET ME HAVE MY TEAM LOOK INTO THAT.

AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU.

OKAY, GREAT.

WELL, THEN I WILL MOVE ON.

YOU SAID THIS IS IN, THAT WAS IN 20 FFY 23, UH, 23, CORRECT.

YEAH, THAT WAS MY FIRST BUDGET CYCLE.

UM, GREAT.

SO NOW I'M GONNA GO TO PAGE 22.

UM, SO SOMETHING THAT, I ACTUALLY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH COUNCILOR REINOLD BEFORE WHEN HE WAS IN, I THINK, THE BAY AREA FOR GRADUATION.

UH, SEEING THE, THE STREET OUTREACH TEAM THERE.

UH, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE REALLY MOTIVATED TO KIND OF BRING THAT TO LIFE, YOU KNOW, HERE, HERE IN AUSTIN.

REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.

REALLY APPRECIATE BILL ADD THE DAA.

UH, BUT WE HAD BROUGHT FORWARD BUDGET AMENDMENTS AROUND THE, THE HEART PROGRAM.

UM, JUST, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, WHAT HAS THE IMPACT LOOKED LIKE? YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY, UM, I DON'T KNOW ANY, ANY STATS, ANY DATA BEHIND THAT? SO, YEAH, THE, THE HARP PROGRAM IS FULLY OPERATIONAL.

AND AGAIN, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE INVESTING, UH, THEIR DOLLARS INTO THAT PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS US TO PUT ANOTHER FULL TEAM, UH, ON THE GROUND WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, AUSTIN ALLIANCE'S, UM, BOUNDARY AREA.

UH, THAT TEAM IS ACTIVE SIX DAYS A WEEK.

UH, IT'S ONE SHIFT IN THE MORNING, A COUPLE OF SHIFTS DURING MIDDAY, AND THEN A SHIFT IN THE EVENING.

UH, IN JANUARY ALONE, THEY DID OVER 800 ENGAGEMENTS, UH, WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

IT'S ALSO A GREAT RESOURCE, NOT JUST FOR DAA, BUT ALSO FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

UH, SOMETIMES IF OUR OFFICERS GET CALLS FOR SERVICE AND THEY SHOW UP AND THEY RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S JUST SOMEBODY SLEEPING OR SOMEBODY WHO NEEDS ASSISTANCE, THEY WILL ALSO CALL, UH, URBAN ALCHEMY.

AND THE URBAN ALCHEMY OUTREACH WORKERS ABLE TO ENGAGE IN A WAY THAT KIND OF KEEPS THINGS COOL.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T RESPOND TO, TO POLICE VERY WELL.

AND SO TO HAVE THAT PARTNERSHIP AND THAT INTENTIONALITY IS, IS REALLY GREAT.

AND IT WORKS THE OTHER WAY TOO.

IF URBAN ALCHEMY ENGAGES WITH SOMEBODY AND THEY BECOME BELLIGERENT, THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN CONTACT A PD AND A PD WILL BE RESPONSIVE.

UM, THAT TEAM IS UP FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.

I KNOW, BECAUSE I TEXT THEM AT SIX 30 WHEN I'M DRIVING DOWN CONGRESS, UH, AND, AND, AND THEY LET ME KNOW IMMEDIATELY, YES, SIR, WE'RE GONNA DEPLOY A TEAM.

SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE OUT THERE HARD AT WORK, BUT I APPRECIATE, WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE FUNDING.

AND I'VE ALSO SEEN THE PROGRAM IN SAN FRANCISCO.

I WAS JUST THERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO VISITING, UH, AND HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THAT PROGRAM.

AND SO IT'S, IT'S A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM, UH, AND JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT WORK.

UM, AND THEN MY LAST BATCH OF QUESTIONS, NOW I'M ON PAGE 12.

UM, THE DASHBOARD, UH, AROUND THE, AROUND THE ENCAMPMENTS, WHEN DO WE EXPECT THAT TO GO LIVE? SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE, I GUESS YOU WOULD CALL IT MAYBE LIKE, LIKE THE PRODUCT, THE EARLY PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PHASE OF IT.

UH, CHARLES LUON, WHO'S A MEMBER OF MY EXECUTIVE TEAM, WHO'S HERE TODAY, HAS BEEN LEADING THAT INITIATIVE FOR US.

UH, WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT OTHER CITIES TO SEE HOW THEY DO THIS WORK.

UH, I THINK JUST LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO, WE WERE ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH, UH, CTM AND SOME EXPERTS FROM OUR GIS TO HELP US START DESIGNING, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

UH, SO WE DON'T HAVE A FIRM LAUNCH DATE JUST YET, BUT IT IS ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING THIS TO BEAR.

IT, IT WILL GIVE THE COMMUNITY A SENSE OF WHEN THEY SUBMIT THEIR 3 1 1 TICKET, UH, WHAT'S THE PROGRESS BEING MADE ON THAT TICKET, UH, WHERE HAVE OTHER TICKETS BEEN SUBMITTED? UH, AND WHEN WE CLOSE OUT, YOU KNOW, TICKETS, YOU COULD ALSO LOG IN AND YOU COULD SEE, UH, PRE AND POST CLEANUP ACTIVITY, PHOTOS, NARRATIVE OF HOW WE HELP PEOPLE, OR WHAT ACTIONS WE TOOK TO, TO TRY TO HELP MAINTAIN THE PUBLIC SPACE, UH, ET CETERA.

SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING THAT TO THE COMMUNITY AS, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PROJECTS IN LINE RIGHT BEFORE THAT ONE, UH, BUT I KNOW CHARLES AND HIS TEAM IS WORKING REALLY HARD TO, TO GET THAT ONE TO US AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN.

AND WE TRACK HOW MANY MOVE ON.

UM, JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ON THE ENCAMPMENTS.

I KNOW YOU HAD MENTIONED 1500 ENCAMPMENTS HAVE BEEN CLOSED.

DO WE KNOW HOW MANY STILL EXIST? AND THEN FURTHER IN MY ENCAMPMENT QUESTIONS, UM, DO WE, WE KNOW WHEN, WHEN FOLKS ARE, WHEN THE ENCAMPMENTS ARE CLOSED, HOW MANY FOLKS ARE GET INTO S SORT OF HOUSING VERSUS HOW MANY FOLKS KIND OF PIVOT INTO ANOTHER ENCAMPMENT? YEAH.

WE, WE TRACK THAT AS, AS BEST AS WE CAN.

AND HAPPY TO GET INTO THE SPECIFIC DETAILS WITH YOU IF, IF YOU'D LIKE.

UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT I CAN SAY IS, OFTENTIMES IF THE CLEANUP OR THE CLOSURE IS NOT WELL COORDINATED, PEOPLE WILL MOSTLY MIGRATE TO ANOTHER PLOT OF LAND NEARBY PRIVATE PROPERTY OR ANOTHER PUBLIC PROPERTY.

AND WE'RE JUST CHASING FOLKS.

UH, THAT'S WHY WE RATED A PRIORITY THIS YEAR TO ADOPT THE CITY'S FIRST COORDINATED ENCAMPMENT CLEANUP ENCLOSURE POLICY.

AND SO, UH, YOU SAW THE SLIDE WHERE I SAID, WE PARTNER WITH 11 DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO DO THIS WORK.

ALL THE PARTNERS WHO ARE PART OF THE ENCAMPMENT MANAGEMENT VERTICAL, UH, ARE BOUGHT INTO A COORDINATED PROCESS WHERE, UH, IF IT'S NOT AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, THEN IT'S COORDINATED WITH OUR OFFICE.

WE DO OUTREACH, WE TRY TO GET PEOPLE INTO SHELTER.

WE TRACK HOW MANY COME INTO SHELTER, UH, AND THEN THOSE WHO DON'T, WE GIVE THEM TIME TO GATHER THEIR STUFF AND MOVE ON.

[01:30:01]

BUT I CAN GET YOU THE SPECIFIC DATA.

I JUST HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO BULLET.

NO, THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE US, UH, COMING TOGETHER ONCE AGAIN, AND APPRECIATE Y'ALL, YOU AND, AND YOUR TEAM'S HARD WORK.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

YEAH, I JUST WANNA PIVOT OFF OF SOMETHING.

UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CORIE JUST SAID, UM, HE WAS THERE THE OTHER NIGHT.

UH, SO WAS COUNCILMAN VELA WHEN WE, AND SEVERAL OF Y'ALL'S STAFF WERE ALSO THERE WHEN, UH, THE RIBBON WAS CUT AT KATIE LOFTS, WHICH IS A PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.

AND, UH, I'D MADE CONTACT WITH, UH, MR. GRAY AS, AS PART OF THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS HE POINTED OUT TO ME, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL READ WHAT HE SENT BACK.

HE SAID, THE RESIDENT WHO SPOKE, IF YOU REMEMBER SHARON, I THINK WAS HER NAME.

WHERE SHE GOES BY ROSE, UH, THAT VERY MOVING, UH, VERY MOVING, UH, SPEECH THAT SHE GAVE.

UH, HE, HE POINTED OUT THE RESIDENT WHO SPOKE WAS FIRST CONTACTED BY AN URBAN ALCHEMY STREET OUTREACH TEAM.

SO JUST WHAT YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT.

THEN PROVIDED SHELTER AT EIGHTH STREET AT THE EIGHTH STREET WOMEN'S SHELTER, THEN UPDATED HER COORDINATED ASSESSMENT AT SUNRISE, THEN RECEIVED MOVE-IN SUPPORT FROM ENDEAVORS, WHICH IS OUR MARSHALING YARD OPERATOR.

AND AS HE POINTS OUT, IT SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMPLETE SYSTEM.

UH, AND, AND THAT WAS JUST ONE EXAMPLE.

AND, AND SINCE YOU'VE MENTIONED, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE OUTREACH, THE STREET OUTREACH, I WANTED TO BRING THAT UP.

AND, AND I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO A BUNCH OF DISCUSSION OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT I, I DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ SAID, WE'VE STOOD UP A HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT IS NOW A HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.

AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WHAT YOU JUST DID IN THAT 45 MINUTES, UH, IS, IS DUG DEEP ON WHAT WE NEED AS A STRATEGY AND WHERE WE HAVE DONE WELL, BUT WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LACKING.

AND SO, UH, BUT IT, BUT IT ALSO COVERS THE ENTIRE CONTINUUM.

AND, AND THAT IS, IS POINTED OUT BY WHAT THE COUNCIL MEMBER JUST POINTED WAS TALKING ABOUT.

SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR WHAT I THINK IS, UH, AN EXCELLENT JOB THAT THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS NOW DOING.

AND THIS REPORT IN RESPONSE TO, UH, WHAT CAME OUTTA THE MAYOR PRO TIMMS, UH, WORK AND COMMITTEE WORK, UH, WITH THAT RESOLUTION, I THINK PUTS US WHERE WE WERE HOPING TO BE WITH THIS JOINT MEETING, UH, AND WHERE WE'RE HOPING TO BE WITH REGARD TO THIS BUDGET.

MAYBE NOT ALL THE THAT'S IN THERE, BUT, BUT THE, THE POINT BEING, WE ARE NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME, I THINK, AND CERTAINLY IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE CONTINUUM.

AND WE'RE LOOKING AT IT WITH REAL NUMBERS AND WITH PERFORMANCE REQUESTS AS PART OF THAT.

AND THAT MAKES FOR WHAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO ON THE, IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, UH, BETTER.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, SIR.

NOT JUST SCHEDULING YOUR ID APPOINTMENT FOR YOU AT THE DMV, BUT THEY'RE GETTING YOU THERE.

YES.

AND JUST TO BUILD OFF OF THAT, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION IS BEING SHARED TODAY WITH US ON, ON, ON COUNCIL AND IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND FOR ME, UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE, I HAVE THREE KEY AREAS I WANNA DIG INTO.

UM, I'M A STRONG PROPONENT OF A HOUSING FIRST APPROACH, BUT HOUSING FIRST DOES NOT MEAN HOUSING ONLY.

THE CARE AND THE CASE MANAGEMENT AND THE PEER SUPPORTED SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE IS ABSOLUTELY KEY, WHICH IS WHY I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT EMERGENCY SHELTER, UH, ENSURING THAT WE, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN A HOUSING FOCUS, EMERGENCY SHELTER VERSUS A SHELTER.

UH, SO THE AREA I WANNA DIG, DIG DEEPER ON IS CASE MANAGEMENT AND JUST KNOWING THE CRITICAL ROLE THAT THEY PLAY IN OUR OVERALL RESPONSE EFFORT, WHETHER IT'S PROVIDING CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES IN A HOSPITAL SETTING VERSUS A SHELTER SETTING OUT IN THE STREETS OR IN IN OUR JAIL.

HOW, WITH THE PROPOSAL YOU'VE LAID OUT HERE, HOW, WHAT'S THE CASE MANAGEMENT PORTION OF IT LOOK LIKE, EVEN FROM, MY FIRST QUESTION WOULD BE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'VE MADE TO BUILD OUT YOUR DEPARTMENT, HOW MANY MORE CASE MANAGERS WOULD WE HAVE IN-HOUSE VERSUS HOW MANY MORE CASE MANAGERS DO WE NEED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND OUR PARTNERS? YES, MA'AM.

SO OUR, OUR STAFFING RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT LOOK AT CASE MANAGEMENT IN-HOUSE, AT LEAST NOT HSO, BUT IT DOES LOOK AT, UH, SOME OF THOSE CASE MANAGERS AT DAC.

AND THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THE DIFFERENT ROLES THAT WE PLAY.

AS A STRATEGY OFFICE, WE SET STRATEGY AND, AND WE FUND A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS TO DO THE DIRECT SERVICE.

WE DON'T DO A LOT OF DIRECT SERVICES OURSELVES, UNLIKE DAC, WHICH DOES DO A, A WHOLE LOT OF DIRECT SERVICES AND COURT ADMINISTRATOR KINGDOM IS HERE, YOU KNOW, TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT IF YOU'D LIKE.

HOWEVER, WHEN WE LOOKED AT OUR FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS, IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOKED AT THE COST OF QUALITY CASE MANAGEMENT.

YOU KNOW, KNOW YOUR CASE MANAGER IS YOUR ALLY.

IT'S YOUR ADVOCATE.

IT'S THE PERSON WHO'S

[01:35:01]

THEY'RE SITTING WITH YOU AND THEY'RE BRINGING YOU BACK, RIGHT? IT'S THE PERSON WHO'S HELPING YOU ENROLL IN THAT MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OR COMPLETE YOUR HOUSING PACKET.

I MEAN, THAT, THAT IS YOUR GO-TO.

AND YOUR CASE MANAGER'S GONNA MEET YOU WHERE YOU'RE AT.

THEY'RE GONNA HELP TAKE YOU WHERE, WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.

UH, AND SO HAVING THOSE CASE MANAGERS IN THE SHELTER ENVIRONMENT, IN THE HOUSING ENVIRONMENT, UH, EVEN FOLKS ON THE STREET LEVEL WHO ARE ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND HELPING THEM GET ON SHELTER WAIT LIST AND CHECK THEIR POSITIONS AND STAY ENGAGED, UH, CAN RECEIVE A CALL FROM MY TEAM WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY AND SAY, YES, I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE MY CLIENT IS.

UH, I COULD HELP THEM DO THEIR TRANSITION.

THAT, THAT ROLE IS SO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.

I ALSO JUST WANT TO THANK OUR CASE MANAGERS BECAUSE THAT JOB IS, IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE JOBS THAT'S GOES MOST UNNOTICED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT AT A DAIS, BUT IT'S THE HARDEST WORK IN THE SYSTEM.

AND SO IF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY CASE MANAGERS IN THE ROOM OR JUST LISTENING TODAY, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE BECAUSE THAT, THAT IS PROBABLY THE HARDEST JOB OUTTA ALL THE JOBS.

YES, ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, IT JUST, A KEY PIECE OF THE OVERALL RESPONSE IS HAVING THAT QUALITY CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICE.

UH, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT RETURN ON INVESTMENT WITH IT.

WE'RE TALKING LOWER COSTS ON EMERGENCY RESPONSE, LOWER HEALTHCARE COSTS, YOU NAME IT.

AND SO THAT'S ONE AREA I'D LOVE TO DIG DEEPER ON, UM, AS PART OF OUR COMMITTEE WORK.

UH, THE OTHER AREA I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF SUMMARIZE.

YOU'VE LAID OUT THIS RECOMMENDATION.

YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IS NEEDED TO ADEQUATELY RESPOND AND ADDRESS OUR HOMELESSNESS, UH, RESPONSE SYSTEM.

AND TO HAVE THAT STRONG CONTINUUM OF CARE.

UM, WITH THAT YOU'VE SAID, YOU KNOW, MAINTAIN ABOUT A THIRD OF IT AND ONGOING FUNDING AND THEN INJECT ANOTHER THIRD INTO OUR RESPONSE AS A WAY TO ADDRESS THE ARPA GAPS TO ADDRESS THE FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS.

SO AM I HEARING YOU RIGHT THAT THE RECOMMENDATION COMING OUT OF YOUR REPORT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL 33 MILLION? YES.

AND SO PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION, AS YOU MENTIONED, IS A THIRD IS LOOKING AT THINGS THAT WE ARE BUDGETED FOR ONE TIME IN THIS YEAR, BUDGET, AND CONTINUING THOSE INVESTMENT RECOMMENDATIONS.

UH, SO THAT'S 30, THAT'S ABOUT $33 MILLION.

AND THAT, THAT INCLUDES ARPA CUTS.

UM, THE, THE ONE-TIME FUNDING THAT WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW TO SUSTAIN THE H STREET WOMEN'S SHELTER, THE ONE-TIME FUNDING THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR HOMELESS PREVENTION, THE ONE TIME FUNDING THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR THE HOUSING CONNECTOR PROGRAM THAT HELPS US RECRUIT LANDLORDS.

YOU KNOW, ALL ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE CRITICAL SYSTEM INVESTMENTS THAT ARE HAVING REAL RESULTS AND GETTING PEOPLE OFF THE STREET AND INTO HOUSING.

AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE CAPACITY, UH, THAT, THAT'S SO CRITICAL AND SO EFFECTIVE AND SO INSTRUMENTAL.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE NEED TO ADD MORE.

OUR SYSTEM IS SUCCESSFUL WHEN PEOPLE LEAVE OUR SYSTEM, WHEN THEY EXIT HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FOLKS WILL REMAIN HOUSED AND THEY WILL NOT TOUCH OUR SYSTEM.

AGAIN, THAT BEING SAID, OUR SYSTEM IS JUST TOO SMALL.

IT'S LIKE A 15 PASSENGER AIRCRAFT TRYING TO SUPPORT 500 PEOPLE.

SO WE NEED TO ADD MORE SEATS TO THE PLANE, AND THAT'S WHERE THE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT CONSIDERATION FROM THE CITY IS BEING SET FORTH.

ALSO, THE CITY CAN'T BE THE ONLY PERSON INVESTING IN BUILDING MORE SEATS ON THE PLANE.

AND SO WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO OTHER FUNDERS TO ALIGN WITH US TO ALSO HELP US INVEST, UH, BY ESSENTIALLY MATCHING OUR NEW INVESTMENT.

VERY GOOD.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND, UH, SO WITH THE, WITH THESE INVESTMENT RECOMMENDATIONS COMING TO US AT A PERFECT TIME, RIGHT? AS WE ENTER A BUDGET SEASON, UM, WHAT CAN THE COMMUNITY EXPECT FROM LIKE, LET'S SAY WE ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY AN ADDITIONAL 33 MILLION TO INJECT TO THE CITY'S PORTION OF THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.

CAN OUR COMMUNITY EXPECT, WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS? ARE WE EXPECTING SHORTER WAIT TIMES? UH, ARE WE EXPECTING LESS INDIVIDUALS LIVING OUT ON THE STREETS? ARE WE BRINGING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE INDOORS? WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR US? YES, MA'AM.

WHAT THE COMMUNITY CAN EXPECT IS A MEASURABLE REDUCTION IN UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THAT, THAT'S BEEN OUR PRIORITY SINCE DAY ONE.

AND SO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS QUICKER RESPONSE TIMES TO 3 1 1 CALLS FOR SERVICE.

AND THAT'S BOTH FROM THE RESIDENT WHO'S CALLING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT AN ENCAMPMENT TO THE PERSON EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WHO'S CALLING FOR HELP.

UH, AND SAYING, I, I WANT A SHELTER BED.

I WANT TO TALK TO SOMEBODY.

I NEED MEDICAL ACCESS.

SO SHORTER, SHORTER WAIT TIMES, MORE EFFECTIVE SHELTER SYSTEMS, SHELTERS THAT HAVE HIGHER POSITIVE EXIT RATES AND THAT ARE POSITIVELY EXITING MORE PEOPLE.

SOME OF OUR SHELTERS RIGHT NOW HAVE DECENT EXIT RATES AND MAYBE TURNOVER BEDS ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR, WE COULD HAVE HIGHER EXIT RATES AND ALSO USE THE SAME BED TO SERVE THREE TO FOUR PEOPLE ANNUALLY.

ALSO, HAVING MORE POSITIVE EXIT RATES FOR INTERVENTIONS LIKE RAPID REHOUSING.

UH, WE KNOW THAT IF WE, IF WE SERVE FOLKS WHO ARE NOT CHRONICALLY HOMELESS IN THAT INTERVENTION, ABOUT 66, 60 7% OF THOSE PEOPLE WILL EXIT POSITIVELY.

WHEREAS IF FOLKS ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS IN THAT INTERVENTION, THAT SUCCESS

[01:40:01]

RATE DROPS TO ABOUT 30%.

AND WE'RE FEELING THE EFFECTS OF THAT NOW.

UH, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE INVESTING PUBLIC DOLLARS AND INTERVENTIONS, THAT WE'RE USING DATA TO INFORM OUR DECISIONS.

AND WE CAN TELL THE PUBLIC WITH SOME DEGREE OF CERTAINTY THAT YOU'RE A TAXPAYER DOLLARS, MY TAXPAYER DOLLARS, 'CAUSE I PAY PROPERTY TAXES HERE TOO.

ARE TRULY HELPING PEOPLE EXIT HOMELESSNESS.

UH, AND SO THAT'S WHAT, WHAT OUR SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE OR THAT'S WHAT THE SYSTEM WOULD LOOK LIKE IF THESE FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS, NOT RECOMMENDATIONS.

'CAUSE I COULD FEEL CARRIE LANG LOOKING AT ME, BUT THESE FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS , UH, ARE, ARE BROUGHT FORTH.

VERY GOOD.

THAT'S A ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT.

YES, COUNCIL, THANKS .

I WANTED TO KIND OF PICK UP RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT OFF AND YOU MENTIONED DIRECTOR LANG.

I WAS, I WAS HOPING I MIGHT, UH, ASK HER A COUPLE QUESTIONS TO JUST GET SOME ULTIMATE CLARITY ON WHAT THE MAYOR PATAM WAS ASKING ABOUT.

DOES THIS MEAN I COULD SIT FOR A SECOND? IT DOES.

THANK YOU, SIR.

I APPRECIATE IT.

YOU LOOK LIKE YOU COULD USE A LITTLE SPELL .

GOOD AFTERNOON, CARRIE LANG, DIRECTOR OF BUDGET AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SO I WANTED TO JUST GET A, A CLARITY WE HAD A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, YOUR OFFICE PRESENTED THAT RIGHT NOW GET THE EXPENDITURES THAT WE HAVE FROM THE CURRENT BUDGET MOVING FORWARD LEAVES US, UH, AT OUR CURRENT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT CAP, ABOUT $33 MILLION SHORT.

Y'ALL ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE MIGHT CLOSE THAT GAP, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE STAND TODAY, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.

AND THEN WITH WITHIN THAT, OR I SHOULD REALLY SAY SEPARATE FROM THAT WAS ALL THE ARPA FUNDED PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT EVEN PART OF THAT $33 MILLION GAP, BUT THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL, AND YOU IDENTIFIED 18.1 MILLION, UM, AND I, I FORGET WHAT THE EXACT NUMBER THAT WAS IDENTIFIED HERE.

I DON'T HAVE THAT SLIDE, BUT THERE YOU GO.

15 PHONE A FRIEND HERE.

UM, BUT THAT AMOUNT IS NOT INCORPORATED INTO 33 MILLION.

THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL COST THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND JUST TO MAINTAIN OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.

AND THEN AS DAVID AND THE MAYOR PRETEND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TO THEN LAYER ON THOSE INVESTMENTS, SO NOT JUST MAINTAINING OUR SERVICE LEVELS BUT TO DO MORE, THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL ABOUT 33.

IF, IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL CITY THIRD.

SO IT'S, IT'S 66 OR SOMEWHERE IN THE 60 RANGE TO DO THE CITY OF OF NEW FUNDING FOR THE CITY.

THAT THE BIT FOR THE ARPA AND THEN THE BIT FOR THE CITY, UH, I'M NOT SAYING THAT AS WELL AS, UH, LEMME, LEMME TRY AGAIN.

BASELINE IS TODAY TO GET THE ARPA FUNDED PROGRAMS WE NEED TO ADD BEYOND OUR CURRENT BUDGET.

THAT'S, THAT'S, WE CAN'T CLOSE THAT IN THE GAP.

CORRECT.

15, 18, WHATEVER.

THEN, AND AS DAVID MENTIONED, JUST TO MAINTAIN CURRENT SERVICES, SOME OF THOSE SERVICES, AND THIS IS WHERE I'M, IT GETS, I'M, I'M LOSING MYSELF A LITTLE BIT WHY I CALLED YOU UP HERE.

THERE'S THAT THIRD THAT HE MENTIONED OF MAINTAINING CURRENT SERVICES AND SOME OF THAT WAS ARPA FUNDED, BUT SOME OF THAT WAS JUST CURRENT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING WITHIN THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE.

CORRECT.

IS THAT A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF THAT? I'M GOING TO SAY THAT IS CORRECT.

UM, SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS THAT ARE IN THE, UM, 33 THAT, THAT, UH, DAVID GRAY MENTIONED ARE PART OF THE OPERA DOLLARS, BUT THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, SOME OF THE HOMELESS RESPONSE.

UM, THAT IS PART OF THE ADDITIONAL PART IN ADDITION TO THE ARPA DOLLARS THAT WE MENTIONED ON A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF OVERLAP, BUT NOT COMPLETE OVERLAP.

GOT IT.

AND WHERE I'M TRYING TO GO WITH THIS IS THAT IF WE, ASSUMING WE DON'T CUT HOMELESS RELATED PROGRAMS TO BALANCE OUR $33 MILLION DEFICIT, THAT MEANS WE NEED, UH, IDENTIFIED HERE TODAY, 15.65 OF NEW MONEY TO, FOR THE ARPA PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT ACCOUNTED FOR, PLUS WE'LL SAY THE THIRD OF THAT NEW INVESTMENT.

SO THAT'S AROUND, I GUESS ABOUT $50 MILLION OF NEW MONEY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO COME UP FOR WITH THE NEW, WITH THE BUDGET NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET TO DO THAT.

IS THAT A, A FAIR CHARACTERIZATION OF THE NUMBER OKAY.

AFTER CONFERRING? YES.

METHOD TO GET $50 MILLION OF NEW REVENUE TO THE CITY, WHICH WOULD BE TO ASK TAXPAYERS TO PUT THAT BILL.

AND THAT'S JUST, I WANTED TO GET A, AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH WE NEED TO BRING TO THE TABLE.

AND, AND REALLY THERE'S ONLY ONE

[01:45:01]

I MEAN, WE CAN'T RAISE OUR SALES TAX RATE, WE CAN'T RAISE FEES TO DO THAT.

IT, IT'S, WE WOULD HAVE TO ASK THE TAXPAYERS TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN THIS PRIORITY.

IS THAT A FAIR, THAT IS A PRETTY FAIR ASSUMPTION.

YEAH.

I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN DO TO LOOK AT, UM, PRIORITIZATION OF SERVICES AND THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE FOCUSES OF THE CITY? BUT TO RAISE THIS LARGE OF AMOUNT, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S THAT MUCH PRIORITIZATION THAT WE CAN DO AS A CITY.

I THINK THERE WILL BE A REQUEST TO GO TO THE TAXPAYERS.

AND, AND WHY I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT FRAME IS THAT WHEN WE'RE GOING TO TAXPAYERS, AND THIS IS EXACTLY ON THE QUESTION THAT MAYOR PRO TEM ASKED, WE HAVE TO TELL THEM WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET FOR THAT INVESTMENT, RIGHT? NO ONE'S GOING TO JUST SAY, YES, I WANT TO PAY MORE, BECAUSE IT FEELS GOOD.

UH, THEY WANNA KNOW WHAT'S THAT TANGIBLE RESULT, WHAT DO THEY GET OUT OF IT? AND WE HAVE HAD, AS A CITY, A NUMBER OF PLANS.

UM, I FORGET ALL THEIR NAMES, RIGHT? BUT WE, WE, EVERY FOUR OR SO YEARS, WE HAVE A NEW HOMELESSNESS PLAN OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO COMBAT HOMELESSNESS.

AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, TIMES CHANGE.

SO YOU HAVE TO UPDATE YOUR PLANS, BUT WE HAVE TO SHOW THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY DELIVER SUCCESS ON THOSE PLANS.

AND SO WITHIN THAT, I THINK IT'S MY GREAT STRUGGLE IN, IN THIS WHOLE ANALYSIS IS THAT WE, WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE.

AS, AS DAVID MENTIONED, UH, IT'S, WE ARE JUST ONE ENTITY AND IT'S A BIG NUMBER, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO SET OURSELVES UP FOR SUCCESS SO THAT IF WE ASK THE PUBLIC TO INVEST IN THE CITY, AND, AND WHAT WE ARE SAYING, THAT IF YOU GIVE US THE MONEY, WE WILL ACHIEVE X RESULT.

IF WE DON'T PULL ALONG THOSE OTHER PROVIDER OF OUTSIDE FUNDING, THEN WE DELIVER SOME, BUT WE DON'T GET THE FULL SYSTEMATIC SUCCESS GIVEN THAT WE HAVE, UH, THE RAPID REHOUSING AND THE PERMIT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING ELEMENT HEAVILY AS PART OF THAT PUBLIC INVESTMENT.

AND SO I BRING THIS UP TO, TO JUST HAVE US THINK ABOUT IF THERE IS SOMETHING DISCREET WITHIN WHATEVER WE DECIDE TO DO, WHETHER IT'S THIS PLAN OR ELEMENTS THEREOF, THAT WE HAVE TO SET OURSELVES UP TO PROVE TO THE PUBLIC THAT IF YOU INVEST IN US, WE WILL DELIVER THE RESULTS.

AND SO, IF THAT'S FOCUSING ON A SUBSET COMMUNITY, LIKE WE HEARD, UM, YOU KNOW, LIFE WORKS CAME AND TALKED ABOUT HOW YOU COULD ADDRESS YOUTH HOMELESSNESS, THERE ARE OTHER, UH, SUBSETS OUT THERE.

OR IF IT'S LOOKING AT A CERTAIN INTERVENTION AND SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO PREVENT THIS NUMBER OF HOME, UH, INDIVIDUALS OR DIVERT THIS NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS.

I, I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER OUR INVESTMENTS ARE, WE CAN PROVE TO THE PUBLIC THAT, UM, THEY'RE GONNA GET WHAT THEY INVEST IN.

AND SO THAT'S NOT A QUESTION FOR YOU.

JUST, UH, A, A THING TO THINK ABOUT.

I THINK FOR US ALL AND, AND AS WE TRY TO PICK OUT IN THIS, UM, 'CAUSE IF WE ASK FOR THIS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT, WE DON'T DELIVER.

I'M AFRAID WE NEVER GET THAT CHANCE AGAIN.

SO WHAT WOULD BE THE NUMBER TO, AND LIKE I SAID, I THINK THAT THIS IS WHAT RYAN WAS ASKING, BUT TO MAINTAIN EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, INCLUDING, AGAIN, WE'VE GOT $15.65 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDING, AND I'M LOOKING AT THAT LIST AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING THAT I WANNA DISCONTINUE.

THANK YOU COUNCIL, COUNCIL VELA, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, MAYOR PERAM, UM, I'M GONNA, I THINK KIND OF ASK THE SAME QUESTION.

I'M JUST TRYING TO KIND OF REALLY, UH, PINPOINT IT.

BUT HONESTLY, BEFORE THAT, UH, I DID WANNA SAY THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UH, AND I ALSO, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S A TOUGH JOB.

UH, I REALLY THINKING ABOUT YOUR PREDECESSOR TOO, DIANA GRAY, BEFORE THERE WAS A HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE WHEN SHE WAS THE DIVISION OF, YOU KNOW, THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WOO BOY.

UH, THAT I THINK IN THINKING ABOUT THE CROSS COORDINATION, SO I DID ALSO JUST WANT TO CALL OUT, I, I CAN'T REMEMBER.

I THINK IT WAS OUR FORMER INTERIM CITY MANAGER WHO MADE THE RECOMMENDATION AND SAID, WE NEED A HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE THAT'S INDEPENDENT, AND WE NEED TO MOVE ALL THE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT IN THERE, AND WE NEED TO ACTUALLY GIVE THE POWER TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE SAY WE WANT THEM TO DO.

THAT WAS A GREAT DECISION.

I'M SO HAPPY THAT HAPPENED.

AND I THINK JUST FROM THE DA'S PERSPECTIVE, IT FEELS LIKE THINGS ARE MOVING, UH, QUICKER, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND MORE KIND OF DELIBERATELY, DELIBERATELY THROUGH THE PROCESS.

SO, UH, JUST WANTED TO, UH, TO, TO, TO MENTION THAT, THAT THAT WAS A, A, A REALLY GOOD SUBSTANTIVELY.

UM,

[01:50:02]

UH, AND THEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, WE HAD SOME ONE-TIME, UH, FUNDS IN THE BUDGET AS WELL, AND ALSO ANY EXPIRING FEDERAL FUNDS THAT, UH, ESPECIALLY ANYTHING RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS IN PARTICULAR.

AND, AND SO DID I HEAR CORRECTLY THAT THAT NUMBER IS IN ABOUT THE $18 MILLION RANGE? IS THAT ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT? THE 18 MILLION THAT WAS A PART OF THE APA PRESENTATION.

IT WAS THE 15 THAT, THAT DAVID MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDED SOME FUNDING FROM, UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.

SO THERE WERE SOME SMALLER PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAD AS WELL IN THAT FULL 18 MILLION THAT WE DISCUSSED ON ARPA.

I THINK, UM, THE STAFF IS CONTINUOUS, CONTINUING TO LOOK AT WHAT OTHER FEDERAL DOLLARS MAY BE IMPACTED GOING FORWARD.

AND I WOULD ASK THAT WE BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THAT FULL BREADTH OF THE TOTAL DOLLARS IN THE COMING DAYS AS WE BREAK DOWN ALL THE, ALL THAT INFORMATION.

GOT IT.

BUT SO OUR BASELINE THEN WOULD BE THAT 15.65 OF ARPA PLUS AGAIN, IN THE, YOU KNOW, 3 MILLION, YOU KNOW, TWO TO 3 MILLION, TWO TO $4 MILLION RANGE OF POTENTIALLY OTHER FUNDS.

AGAIN, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, I I, I KNOW I'M ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT I DO NOT WANT TO DO LESS THAN WE DID LAST YEAR.

I MEAN, THAT'S A KIND OF A BASELINE LEVEL OF NO, WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE TO, TO, UH, DO WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.

I THINK WHERE WE GO IS A TOTALLY SEPARATE QUESTION, BUT JUST IN MY MIND, I'M TRYING TO KIND OF BE LIKE, WHAT, SO THEN AGAIN, JUST $33 MILLION PLUS $20 MILLION, $33 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT, UH, JUST KIND OF ONGOING BECAUSE OF REVENUES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, AND CONTRACTS THAT WE WILL ALSO BE NEGOTIATING FIREFIGHTERS AND WHATNOT.

UH, AND THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ABOUT $20 MILLION ON THE HOMELESSNESS SIDE OF ONGOING PROGRAMS THAT WE LIKELY WANT TO SUPPORT.

IS THAT A, A FAIR KIND OF, THAT SOUNDS FAIR.

AND I, I GUESS I WANNA JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, STAFF IS WORKING ON ADDRESSING, OF COURSE, THE 33 MILLION THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT DURING THE FORECAST PERIOD.

AND SO I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING BACK AND LOOKING AT FROM AS WE CRAFT, UH, THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET.

BUT THAT IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE 33 MILLION FROM FORECAST AT, IN ADDITION TO THE, THE NUMBERS THAT DAVID GAVE TODAY.

AND, AND I COMPLETELY AGREE, AND NOW THAT THIS IS GONNA BE MY THIRD, FOURTH MONTH, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER NOW, UH, I, I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S FUN PROGRAMS THAT ARE EXPIRING OR MAYBE THAT WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, REALLOCATE OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.

BUT I DON'T SEE HOW WE GET TO $50 MILLION WITHOUT NEW REVENUE.

I, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I I, I'VE SEEN Y'ALL WORK MUCH SMALLER NUMBERS SUCCESSFULLY WORK MUCH SMALLER NUMBERS.

BUT THE REALITY IS THAT I JUST DON'T SEE HOW WE GET TO, UH, THAT, THAT LEVEL OF INVESTMENT.

AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ESSENTIALLY STILL BASELINE.

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CONTINUE MAINTAIN CURRENT EFFORTS AT THAT LEVEL.

AND I, I, I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR MY COLLEAGUES, BUT YOU KNOW, MY CONSTITUENTS WANNA REALLY WANT TO INCREASE, UH, THE LEVELS OF SUPPORT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, CLEANUPS AND, AND HOUSING AND, AND, UH, MAINTENANCE AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, AND AGAIN, NOT TO, TO BELABOR THE OBVIOUS, BUT, UH, UH, THE ONLY WAY WE GET THERE, UH, IT'S, IT'S LIKELY GOING TO BE A, A, A TAX RATE, UH, ELECTION, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, SORRY, WE WERE, WE WERE OVER CRUNCH CRUNCHING SOME NUMBERS REALLY QUICKLY.

SO JUST TO SUSTAIN WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 15.65 MILLION IN THE ARPA FOR THE HSO, BUT AS CARRIE MENTIONED, THERE'S OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT DO STUFF TOO.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEN IT'S 7.3 MILLION, WHICH IS THE $3.8 MILLION BUCKET FOR THE ONE TIME PREVENTION DIVERSION AND RAPID EXIT PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE RUNNING, AS WELL AS PLUGGING A $3.5 MILLION, UH, FUNDING GAP FOR THE H STREET WOMEN'S SHELTER.

SO WHEN OUR OFFICE INHERITED THAT SHELTER, ONE TIME FUNDING WAS ATTACHED TO THAT.

WE'VE BEEN MANAGING THAT BUDGET THROUGH ONE TIME COST SAVINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND.

UH, UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S NOT GONNA BE AS EASY FOR US TO DO GOING FORWARD.

AND SO THE, THE TOTAL IS THE 15.65 FROM ARPA PLUS 7.3 AND OTHER ONE TIME THAT'S IN HS O'S BUDGET.

AND THAT WOULD JUST BE TO SUSTAIN WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING.

SO THE EIGHTH STREET SHELTER IS NOT PART OF THE ARPA PROGRAM FUNDED, THAT'S THAT.

SO MARCHING YARD? CORRECT.

MARCHING YARD IS FUNDED THROUGH, UH, ARPA CURRENTLY.

AND SOME OTHER ONE TIME, 'CAUSE CARRIE LANG'S DONE SOME GREAT BUDGET JUJITSU THIS FISCAL YEAR.

UH, BUT EIGHTH STREET WOMEN'S SHELTER IS NOT ARPA.

SO AGAIN, THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLOSER TO LIKE A 22, 20 $3 MILLION, 23, 22 0.95.

[01:55:01]

ACCORDING TO MY MATH.

GOT IT.

UH, AND THAT'S A TOTAL, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE INTO THE $50 MILLION, I MEAN, INTO THE MID FIFTIES, HONESTLY, AT THIS POINT.

THAT WAS THE CLARIFICATION JUST FOR IN MY MIND, SO I COULD UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, AGAIN.

WELL, AND JUST TO ADD, SO 23, 22 0.9 MILLION TO SUSTAIN, AND THEN THE RECOMMENDATION IS ADDITIONAL 33 MILLION FOR THESE ENHANCED STRATEGIES AND INVESTMENTS TO BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY, CORRECT? YES.

YEP.

YEAH.

AND I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE, THE POINT, UH, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM 'CAUSE AGAIN, THE BASELINE, THE ABSOLUTE IS TO MAINTAIN, BUT WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S JUST, IT, IT'S, IT'S DRAINING ALSO ALL OUR OTHER, I MEAN, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES, UH, IT, IT IT'S THIS WHACK-A-MOLE THAT WE PLAY WITH ENCAMPMENTS.

IT'S, IT'S IS ALSO VERY EXPENSIVE.

UH, AND, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S AS EFFECTIVE, UH, AS OTHER STRATEGIES.

SO I, I COMPLETELY AGREE THAT WE'VE GOT TO GET TO A BETTER PLACE, UH, WITH OUR OVERALL HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.

AND, AND, AND, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE PLAN THAT YOU'VE LAID OUT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

ARE, UH, DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR INTERACTING WITH FOUNDATIONS AND BUSINESS PARTNERS TO HELP BRING ALIGNMENT, TO SHARE TABLES AND SHARED SPACES.

COUNCIL MEMBER, I THINK WE HAVE FINAL QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL CHEN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR PROAM, FIRST, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR A VERY THOROUGH, UH, AND VERY INFORMATIVE PRESENTATION.

AND I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR JUST YOUR AVAILABILITY TO ME AND MY TEAM.

UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU JUMPING ON CALLS AND HELPING US STEP THROUGH A LOT OF THIS STUFF, UH, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.

UH, I ALSO WANNA SAY JUST THANK YOU FOR THE FOCUS ON, UH, A LOT OF DATA AND TECHNOLOGY AND REPORTING THAT YOU'VE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT YOU'RE PRESENTED TODAY.

UM, I THINK THAT PROBABLY GO A LONG WAY TO HELPING ME BETTER UNDERSTAND AND ALSO FEEL GOOD ABOUT A LOT OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED.

UM, AND THEN ALSO JUST, UH, ONE LAST ONE THING, WHICH JUST TO THANK YOU FOR THE CONTROLS THAT YOU'VE PUT ON IN PLACE ALREADY.

I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS FOR, UH, SOME OF THE CONTRACTS THAT THE CITY CURRENTLY HAS.

SO, SO FIRST I WANNA BUILD ON COUNCIL MEMBER VELASQUEZ'S QUESTION, WHICH WAS ABOUT LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES.

I KNOW IT WASN'T PROBABLY PART OF THE SCOPE OF, UH, WHAT YOU WERE DIRECTED IN THE JANUARY RESOLUTION, BUT EITHER THROUGH THAT OR INDEPENDENTLY, HAVE YOU LOOKED AT OTHER TEXAS PEER CITIES TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY'RE ADDRESSING SIMILAR CHALLENGES, FUNDING THEIR PROGRAMS, FUNDING THEIR POSITIONS, UH, EVEN WORKING WITH THEIR COC AND THEIR HOMELESS ECOSYSTEM? ANY CONCLUSIONS, IF YOU HAVE, EXCUSE ME, IF YOU HAVE LOOKED AT THOSE OTHER EXAMPLES, UH, ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING, WHAT WE MIGHT EVEN BE ABLE TO BORROW FROM AS WE'RE TRYING TO NAVIGATE THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY NOTED? YES, SIR.

SO, SO WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER OFFICES TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY FUND THEIR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEMS. I THINK IN SOME WAYS AUSTIN IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN OUTLIER WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF GENERAL FUND DOLLARS THAT WE CONTRIBUTE TO PROP UP OUR SYSTEM COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES THAT MIGHT DRAW DOWN ON FEDERAL FUNDS, SOME OF WHICH IS EMERGENCY FUNDS FROM HURRICANES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

UH, OTHER CITIES HAVE A VERY ROBUST, UH, PHILANTHROPIC AND CORPORATE GIVING CULTURE, UH, WHERE PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS AND LARGE CORPORATIONS WILL FUND SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF THEIR SHELTER OPERATIONS OR HOUSING OPERATIONS.

THAT JUST HISTORICALLY HASN'T BEEN THE CASE HERE, BUT THAT IS PART OF THE REASON WHY WE FELT LIKE IT WAS IMPORTANT TODAY FOR US TO START HIGHLIGHTING PLACES WHERE WE FEEL LIKE OTHER FUNDERS IN OUR SYSTEM CAN BEGIN TO ALIGN WITH THE CITY IN WAYS THAT WE THINK, UH, MAKE A LOT OF SENSE FOR OUR SYSTEM HERE.

AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE HRS, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED? OTHER CITIES? YEAH.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM FUNDERS, THAT INCLUDES OTHER ATTACKING AUTHORITIES, PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS, OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS, UH, AND INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLDS WHO LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR FAVORITE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.

AND IS THERE ANYTHING IN THAT SPACE THAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING THAT'S PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE THAT WE COULD BE DOING IN TERMS OF, AGAIN, MEETING THE FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS JUST TO SUSTAIN OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF OPERATIONS FROM A, FROM A FUNDING PERSPECTIVE OR IN A PHILANTHROPIC PERSPECTIVE AS YOU'VE LOOKED AT, AGAIN, OTHER EXAMPLES OF HOW AND HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS YOU JUST MENTIONED? YEAH, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WE WENT TO DENVER LAST YEAR, AND I TOOK SOME TIME MEETING WITH SOME FOLKS FROM, UH, THEIR CITY AND THE DENVER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION TO TALK ABOUT SOME APPROACHES THAT THEY'RE TAKING TO, TO REALLY ALIGN CITY FUNDING AND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH, UH, THEIR PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY.

UH, IT'S, IT'S A FUNDER'S TABLE OF SORTS, BUT IT'S A SPACE WHERE, UH, FOUNDATIONS, INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS CAN, CAN DONATE MONEY AND DONATE RESOURCES, AND THEN THE CITY AND THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY WORK TOGETHER TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PROGRAM THOSE FUNDS.

UH, AND THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE EITHER OFFICES HAVE STAFF THAT

[02:00:01]

UH, THAT IS A GOAL FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, AND WE DO PLAN TO LEAN INTO TO SOME OF THAT WORK, UH, THIS YEAR.

UM, AND WE'VE ALREADY HAD, IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY, WE'VE ALREADY HAD SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH LOCAL PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS WHO'VE TALKED TO US ABOUT THEIR STRATEGIC PLANS, UH, WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY THINK THEY MIGHT WANT TO INVEST FUNDS, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'RE VERY INTERESTED IN THE DISCUSSIONS TODAY AS A STARTING POINT.

HOMELESS SENIORS IN THAT FACILITY IS EITHER FULL OR CLOSE TO BEING FULL.

WELL, THAT'S, THAT MAKES ME FEEL MORE OPTIMISTIC.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE PROGRAMS OR, UH, UH, MODELS LIKE IN DENVER THAT WE CAN POTENTIALLY EMULATE.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE ALREADY TAKING STEPS TO DO THAT.

MY CONCERN AROUND THAT IS THAT, UH, IT FEELS LIKE EVERY TIME WE ARE ASKING THE CITY TO STEP IN AS A FUNDER IN THIS SPACE, WE ARE SORT OF ASKING EVERYBODY ACROSS THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM IN AUSTIN, INCLUDING PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE ON THE CUSP OF HOMELESSNESS THEMSELVES, UH, TO HELP PARTICIPATE IN FUNDING THESE PROGRAMS INSTEAD OF ASKING FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT HAVE MEANS THAT ARE PART OF A, A BUSINESS OR PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE, AGAIN, YOU TALKED ABOUT IN DENVER THAT HAVE, UH, SO IT FEELS TO ME LIKE THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF WHATEVER YOUR SOLUTION IS THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON.

AND AGAIN, ENCOURAGED TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE TAKING STEPS ALREADY IN THAT SPACE.

UM, IN TERMS OF HOW YOU SPLIT UP COSTS BETWEEN THE CITY AND HRS, HOW DID YOU FIGURE THAT OUT? YOU, I MEAN, I APPRECIATE THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT ARE IN THAT YOU, YOU PRESENTED HERE, BUT WHAT WAS THE SORT OF METHODOLOGY USED TO GET THERE? SURE.

REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE TRIED TO BASE OUR ANALYSIS OFF OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE WERE HAVING, HAVING WITH OTHER PARTNERS IN THE SPACE, AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHERE THEIR INVESTMENT PRIORITIES WERE, UH, WHERE THEY FELT COMFORTABLE SPENDING THE RESOURCES AND THE TYPE OF OUTCOMES THAT THEY WANT TO SEE FROM THAT WORK.

UH, IT WASN'T NECESSARILY THE CASE THAT WE WENT INTO THIS PROJECT THINKING, YOU KNOW, IN, IN CHUNKS OF THIRDS.

UH, AND OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION WITH OTHER SYSTEM FUNDERS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THEIR LEVEL OF INTEREST IS, WHAT THEIR COMFORT LEVEL IS IN TERMS OF ALIGNING FUNDING WITH THE CITY.

UH, AND SO WE REALLY SEE TODAY AS A STARTING POINT FOR AN ONGOING CONVERSATION, BUT OUR ANALYSIS THUS FAR HAS JUST BEEN BASED OFF OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH OTHER FUNDERS IN THIS SPACE.

SO ANOTHER QUESTION I'VE GOT IS, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE SAW, UH, DR.

SCHOENFELD WORK EARLIER THAT SHOWED THE ACCELERATION OR THE INCREASE IN, IN, UM, UH, AT RISK YOUTH IN HOMELESSNESS, UM, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ALSO HOW ARE WE, UH, SORT OF WHAT ARE THE OTHER UNDERLYING SPACES THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO HAVE SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS FOR? I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH.

I KNOW THERE'S SOME LEGISLATION IN THE CAPITAL RIGHT NOW THAT'S MAYBE GONNA TRY AND ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE GAPS IN THAT SPACE.

UM, I REALIZE AGAIN, MAYBE OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE SPECIFICALLY OF WHAT WE ASK YOU TO DO, BUT WHERE DO YOU SEE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPLEMENT SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS, WHETHER THEY'RE AT RISK YOUTH, WHETHER THEY'RE MENTAL HEALTH, UM, THAT CAN HELP US TACKLE THIS OTHER THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, HOUSING AND SHELTERS AND THE THINGS YOU RAN THROUGH HERE.

YES, SIR.

DEFINITELY.

FIRST I WANNA, I WANNA THANK LIZ FOR OUR PRESENTATION TODAY, LIZ AND I CO-CHAIR, UH, A WORKING GROUP THAT'S A VARIETY OF CITY DEPARTMENTS AND STATE AGENCIES AND, AND OTHER, UH, FOUNDATIONS AND OTHER PARTNERS TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THE FOSTER YOUTH TO HOMELESS PIPELINE AND, AND HOW WE BRING STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS TO, TO CUT OFF THAT PIPELINE.

AND SO, LIZ, IF YOU'RE STILL HERE, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UH, YES, WE ARE WORKING, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICE, UH, HAVING GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH STATE LAWMAKERS OF ALL PARTIES TO TALK ABOUT THE NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN AUSTIN AND IN TRAVIS COUNTY.

A LOT OF THE CLIENTS WHO WE SEE NEED MENTAL HEALTH CARE, AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE A PLACE TO TAKE THEM.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, OUR SHELTER SYSTEM IS NOT EQUIPPED TO SERVE THOSE CLIENTELE.

AND SO WE SEE A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS CYCLING OUT OF ERS BACK TO THE STREET OR JAIL, BACK TO THE STREET, AND SOMEWHERE IN THAT CYCLE THEY PASS AWAY.

UH, AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE BRINGING THE, THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO BAYER SO THAT WE CAN GET FOLKS INTO THE APPROPRIATE HEALTH FACILITIES TO ADDRESS THEIR UNDERLYING NEEDS AND THEN BEGIN TO WORK WITH THEM ON ALL THE OTHER SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO REALLY STABILIZE AND IMPROVE THEIR LIVES.

WE'RE ALSO SEEING SOME NEEDS AROUND FAMILY HOMELESSNESS, SPECIFICALLY FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.

I WAS JUST TALKING WITH MY OUTREACH LEAD, PATRICIA BURRERA TODAY ABOUT A CALL THAT WE GOT ON FRIDAY, UH, ABOUT AN ENCAMPMENT WITH A YOUNG CHILD IN IT.

AND SO, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE APPROPRIATE AND RESPONSIVE RESOURCES FOR OUR FAMILIES THAT ARE SLEEPING IN CARS OR SLEEPING IN CAMPS, UH, WITH KIDS UNDER THE AGES OF 18.

AND THEN LASTLY, UH, ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS OUR SENIORS.

UH, A LOT OF OUR SENIORS ARE ON FIXED INCOME, UH, AND THAT FIXED INCOME IS NOT RISING WITH THE COST OF LIVING.

AND SO WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS FALL INTO HOMELESSNESS.

I'M REALLY GRATEFUL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET PECAN GARDENS OPEN LAST YEAR.

I KNOW FAMILY ELDER CARE IS IN THE ROOM TODAY.

THEY DO AN EXCELLENT JOB MANAGING THAT FACILITY.

THAT FACILITY IS SPECIFICALLY FOR CHRONICALLY

[02:05:01]

AND SO WE, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T TALK A LOT ABOUT SUBPOPULATIONS TODAY BECAUSE THAT WASN'T PART OF OUR CHARGE, UH, BUT WE ARE PAYING VERY CLOSE AND CAREFUL ATTENTION TO OUR SUBPOPULATION GROUPS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT MIX OF RESPONSIVE INTERVENTIONS FOR THOSE, UH, INDIVIDUALS.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UH, LAST QUESTION IS REALLY JUST ABOUT, UH, GOING BACK TO MY ORIGINAL QUESTION ABOUT PEER CITIES AND LOOKING AT SAN ANTONIO AND DALLAS AND HOUSTON, SO ON, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE TRIED TO DO SINCE WE FIRST TALKED ABOUT THIS BACK IN JANUARY WAS TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW SOME OF THE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AND WHAT THEY'RE AT LEAST SPENDING IN THE SPACE, UH, PARTICULARLY AS WE GET INTO A COMPLEX DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE CAN AFFORD JUST TO SUSTAIN SERVICES, IF NOT EXPAND THEM.

AND I WAS KIND OF SURPRISED TO DISCOVER THAT AT LEAST AS FAR AS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BONDS, WE SPENT, I THINK ALMOST FIVE TIMES AS MUCH AS THE NEXT CLOSEST TEXAS CITY.

UM, AND WE'RE SPENDING OPERATIONALLY IN A BUDGET MORE THAN ANY OTHER TEXAS CITY FROM WHAT I CAN TELL.

SO IF I DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER, I WOULD ASSUME WE ARE DOING WAY BETTER IN THIS SPACE, UH, THAN WHAT I HEARD FROM THE TESTIMONY THIS, YOU KNOW, UH, TWO HOURS AGO.

UH, CAN YOU HELP ME FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN AUSTIN? WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT, UH, THAT WE ARE NEEDING TO CONTINUE TO SPEND MORE AND, AND CONTINUE TO STEP UP HOUSING AND SERVICES? IS IT LOCAL ECONOMICS? IS IT SOME OTHER FACTORS? LIKE WHAT'S DRIVING IN YOUR OPINION AND WHAT'S DRIVING A LOT OF THIS? YES, SIR.

YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT IS VERY CHALLENGING TO COMPARE TWO DIFFERENT CITIES EVEN WITHIN THE SAME STATE.

UH, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT LIKE AUSTIN RELATIVE TO SOME OF OUR PEER CITIES IN TEXAS, ONE THING IS THE RAPID RISING COST OF LIVING IN THIS CITY THAT WE'VE SEEN RECENTLY, ESPECIALLY DURING COV WHEN AUSTIN WAS THE HOTTEST PLACE TO BE.

UH, AND AT THE SAME TIME US HAVING THE HOUSING SHORTAGE.

AND SO YOU LO YOU SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE LOSE THEIR JOB BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, ALSO NOT ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR RISING RENT.

UH, AND YOU DIDN'T NECESSARILY SEE THOSE SAME PRESSURES IN SOME OF OUR PEER TEXAS CITIES.

UH, SO I KNOW THAT THAT'S ONE FACTOR JUST KIND OF UNIQUE TO, TO US.

UH, AND WE KNOW THE RECENT DATA THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING UNSHELTERED HOMELESS IN AUSTIN ARE FROM CENTRAL TEXAS, OR THE FIRST TIME THEY EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS WAS WHEN, UH, THEY, THEY WERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.

UH, THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, WE MEET PRETTY REGULARLY WITH OUR PEER CITY PARTNERS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HOMELESSNESS LOOKS LIKE IN SAN ANTONIO OR DALLAS OR WACO OR FORT WORTH, UM, AND, AND TRY TO COMPARE WHAT WE'RE SEEING TREND-WISE AND TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE WORKING.

AND SO, UH, I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.

I'M JUST ALWAYS A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT COMPARING TWO DIFFERENT CITIES BECAUSE THE, THE HYPERLOCAL SITUATIONS AROUND, UH, LOCAL ECONOMIES AND LOCAL INDUSTRIES AND LOCAL ZONING AND, AND WHATNOT KIND OF COME INTO PLAY AND IT CAN GET REAL MESSY.

BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND YOUR STAFF, UH, AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO REALLY DIG INTO THAT LEVEL OF ANALYSIS IF YOU'D LIKE.

NO, THAT'D BE GREAT.

I'D LOOK FORWARD TO IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND MR. MAYOR, IF I CAN JUST REALLY BRIEFLY, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRA, YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT THE MONEY YOU HAD APPROPRIATED TO THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.

MY FINANCE TEAM DID CONFIRM THAT THOSE DOLLARS WERE ALLOCATED TO A PROJECT.

UH, AND BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE-TIME MONEY, WE ACTUALLY ATTACHED IT TO OUR AT-HOME WORK, WHICH IS ALSO ONE TIME MONEY.

UH, BUT IT, IT HAS GONE INTO SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.

SO THOSE, THOSE DOLLARS HAVE BEEN USED AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON, ON GETTING US THAT ALLOCATION.

ANY FINAL QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR YES.

SORRY, I HAVE ONE FINAL COMMENT.

UM, I, I, I KNOW DAVID, YOU HAD MENTIONED IT AND SOME OF US HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND IT, BUT I, I JUST WANNA THANK SALLY FROM, FROM KATIE LOFTS.

UM, I TALKED TO THE MAYOR ABOUT THIS DURING THE, THE RIBBON CUTTING, YOU KNOW, FOR A LOT OF FOLKS MIGHT NOT REALIZE HOW MUCH OF A STRUGGLE THAT WAS AND HOW MANY FOLKS DIDN'T WANT THAT PROJECT TO HAPPEN, BUT ALSO HOW, HOW NECESSARY THAT PROJECT IS AND HOW THE FOLKS THAT, THAT LIVE IN KATIE LOFTS, LIKE, LIKE ROSE, WHO, WHO I THINK BELIEVE THE MAYOR HAD MENTIONED IS, IS JUST AS MUCH AS OUR NEIGHBOR, AS AS ANYONE ELSE.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE NEED MORE KATIE LOFTS AROUND THE CITY.

UH, AND I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE SALLY'S WORK, BUT ALSO EVERYONE'S WORK.

WE MADE IT POSSIBLE.