Oct 01, 2025 Public Health Committee

UPSTREAM, HOW DO WE CURB THE INFLOW OF NEW PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING UNSTRUCTURED HOMELESSNESS IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN? AND THE SECOND IS, HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE OUR EFFORTS TO GET FOLKS WHO ARE CURRENTLY LIVING UNSHELTERED ON THESE STREETS OFF THE STREETS AND INTO APPROPRIATE SHELTER, HOUSING, OR DIVERSION PROGRAMS? AND SO OUR OBJECTIVES HERE ARE TO LEVERAGE THE COLLECTIVE EXPERTISE OF THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS TO IDENTIFY A SET OF POLICY AND PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIES THAT WE CAN USE TO REDUCE UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS IN DOWNTOWN AND ASSIGN OWNERSHIP TO THOSE STRATEGIES.

ALRIGHT, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE IS, HAS, IS NOW BACK ON THE DAIS RECONVENING.

UM, WE TOOK A PAUSE ON THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND, UH, WE WILL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATIONS AND CONSIDERATION OF THE APPLICANTS FOR THE SOBERING CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS, HOPEFULLY LATER THIS COMMITTEE MEETING.

BUT UNTIL THEN, WE ARE NOW BACK IN OPEN SESSION AND WE'LL MOVE

[3. Briefing on the downtown homeless taskforce. [David Gray, Director, Homeless Strategy Office].]

ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE.

I'D LIKE TO WELCOME DAVID GRAY, DIRECTOR OF THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE TO PROVIDE A BRIEFING ON THE DOWNTOWN HOMELESSNESS TASK FORCE.

WELCOME, MR. GRAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR AND GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, DAVID GRAY, DIRECTOR OF, UH, AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS.

ALSO WANNA WISH YOU A HAPPY NEW FISCAL YEAR, UH, FOR FY 26.

SO WE'RE LAUNCHING INTO OUR NEW NAMES.

UH, I'LL GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW TODAY OF THE DOWNTOWN HOMELESS TASK FORCE.

UH, SO I'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE OBJECTIVES OF THE TASK FORCE, THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS WORK, UH, AND OUR MEETING TIMELINE.

UH, JUST TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT, WHEN WE LOOK AT HOMELESSNESS NATIONWIDE, UH, WE'VE SEEN, UH, AN INCREASE IN, UH, UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS AS WELL AS SHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

UH, HERE IN AUSTIN, WE'VE ALSO SEEN SOME INCREASES, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO DOWNTOWN SPECIFICALLY, UH, WE'VE SEEN A, A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TENTS AND STRUCTURES, UH, THAT PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN AND THEN CAMPING IN THROUGHOUT THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY.

UH, WE'VE ALSO HAVE RELATIVE LOW RATES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE CAR CAMPING IN DOWNTOWN, BUT THE NUMBER OF UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS REMAINS KIND OF STUBBORNLY SET BETWEEN 400, UH, AND 550.

AND IT, AND IT CYCLES, UH, UP AND DOWN AS THE SEASONS GO.

UH, BUT DESPITE A LOT OF OUR BEST EFFORTS, UH, AND INITIATIVES TARGETED TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN AND KEEP THEM OFF THE STREETS, UH, WE'VE JUST KIND OF BEEN STUCK, UH, AT THIS 400 TO 550 LEVEL.

UH, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT LED US TO LAUNCH A TASK FORCE, BRINGING TOGETHER PARTNERS FROM A VARIETY OF FIELDS AND BACKGROUNDS TOGETHER, UH, UNDER ONE ROOF TO TALK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH HELPING FOLKS GET OFF THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN AND STAY OFF THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN.

AND SO, UH, WE BROUGHT TOGETHER THIS GROUP TO ALIGN ON A COMMON GOAL, WHICH IS SHAPING A ROBUST SET OF POLICY AND PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORKS THAT DOES TWO THINGS.

UH, FIRST IS LOOKING

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SO SOME OF THOSE THINGS WILL LIVE WITH THE CITY AND CITY DEPARTMENTS, BUT SOME MIGHT LIVE WITH THE COUNTY OR OTHER TASK FORCE PARTNERS.

UH, WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A TABLE OF STRATEGIC PARTNERS WHO ENDORSE THE STRATEGIES AND THAT THEY'RE COMMITTED TO SEEING THESE STRATEGIES THROUGH.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING A TASK FORCE THAT'S PUTTING OUT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT GO NOWHERE.

UH, AND SO WE WILL ALSO ESTABLISH A TIMELINE TO IMPLEMENT THE POLICY AND PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIES THAT ARE WITHIN OUR CONTROL, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE REGULARLY REPORT OUT ON THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING AS WE DO THIS WORK.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS, AGAIN, WE PULL TOGETHER A VARIETY OF PARTNERS, UH, BOTH FROM WITHIN THE CITY, BUT ALSO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORK WITH AND RELY ON EVERY DAY TO GET THIS WORK DONE.

UH, THIS INCLUDES OUR MEDICAL COMMUNITY, LIKE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ASCENSION AND, UH, CENTRAL HEALTH AND INTEGRAL CARE TO OUR TRANSPORTATION PARTNERS AT CAT METRO, OUR NONPROFIT SERVICE PROVIDERS LIKE CARITAS AND CHANGE ONE, AND LIFEWORKS AND THE TRINITY CENTER, UH, AND OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.

UH, WE'VE ALSO PULLED TOGETHER OUR COUNTY, UH, COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE THAT REPRESENTS THE DOWNTOWN AREA AS WELL AS THE COUNTY'S GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICE.

AND WE PULLED TOGETHER, UH, OUR PARTNERS FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, BOTH THE COUNTY DA, UH, AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

UH, AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF STATE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ALSO ENGAGING IN THIS WORK, UH, INCLUDING THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, UH, AND OUR COC LEAD AGENCY, UH, ECHO.

AND SO, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND DOING WORK WITH THESE ENTITIES ANYWAY, BUT WHAT WE FIND IS SOMETIMES THE WORK EXISTS IN A SILO.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FOLKS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, WE TEND TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS.

WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOLKS WHO ARE BEING DIVERTED FROM JAIL OR WHO ARE REENTERING, UH, FROM REENTERING SOCIETY UPON JAIL RELEASE, WE TEND TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SILO.

THIS TASK COURSE IS MEANT TO PULL ALL THOSE DIFFERENT SILOS TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF BECAUSE ALL OF OUR SYSTEMS ARE CONNECTED.

AND TO TRULY HELP PEOPLE GET OFF THE STREET AND STAY OFF THE STREET, IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER AROUND THE SHARED SET OF PRIORITIES, UH, TO, TO BRING A, A MEANINGFUL REDUCTION TO UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.

AND SO, IN TERMS OF OUR MEETING CADENCE, UH, WE SET OUT A PRETTY AGGRESSIVE AGENDA THAT BEGAN IN AUGUST AND WE'LL WRAP UP, UH, IN DECEMBER.

IN AUGUST, WE HAD OUR KICKOFF MEETING TO, UH, HAVE EVERYBODY INTRODUCE THEMSELVES, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY WAS ALIGNED AROUND OUR GOALS AND OUR MISSION, AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT IS WE'RE SETTING OUT TO DO.

UH, LAST MONTH WE MET TO TALK ABOUT FACTORS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE INFLOW OF HOMELESSNESS IN DOWNTOWN.

AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS WE'LL BE MEETING AGAIN TO FOCUS ON PRACTICAL AND EFFECTIVE WAYS TO GET MORE PEOPLE OFF THE STREET AND TO KEEP THEM OFF THE STREET.

BY THE TIME WE GET TO NOVEMBER, WE WILL HAVE STARTED TO DRAFT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE'LL HAVE OUR PARTNERS REVIEW THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA BEGIN ALIGNING AROUND.

AND THEN COME DECEMBER IS WHEN WE EXPECT TO, UH, PUBLISH THE FINAL SET OF STRATEGIES.

AND SO THIS IS OUR, OUR TIMELINE AND OUR ACTION PLAN TODAY.

UH, WE'VE BEEN MOVING AT A, AT A RELATIVELY GOOD CLIP.

ALL OF OUR PARTNERS HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE DISCUSSIONS, AND THEY'VE ALSO ALL BEEN DOING THEIR HOMEWORK, UH, WHICH I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF BECAUSE IT, IT TAKES PEOPLE DOING THE WORK IN BETWEEN THE MEETINGS FOR THE ACTUAL MEETINGS TO BE VERY PRODUCTIVE.

AND SO WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE PARTNERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO THE WORK.

AND SO THAT'S THE OVERVIEW OF THE TASK FORCE.

YOU KNOW, WE LOOK FORWARD TO RETURNING TO THIS COMMISSION, UH, AND ALSO TALKING TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'LL BE PUTTING OUT, UH, IN DECEMBER.

UH, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS TO PREVIEW TODAY, BUT OF COURSE I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UH, THAT YOU ALL HAVE ABOUT THE TASK FORCE'S ORIENTATION, UH, AND THE WORK THAT WE HAVE UNDERWAY.

SO WITH THAT MADAM CHAIR CHAIR, I YIELD BACK TO YOU.

GROUP GOES, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO KEEP THAT CORE GROUP KIND OF SET THE WAY IT IS.

AND I APPRECIATE YOU PROVIDING A LIST OF THE STAKEHOLDERS.

ARE YOU STILL ADDING TO THE LIST OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF THE TASK FORCE? SO WE, WE DO, UH, AND THE WAY THAT WE DO IT IS WE, WE'VE BEEN INVITING SOME FOLKS IN FOR SOME VERY SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS.

SO AT THE LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD THAT LOOKED AT INFLOW FACTORS, WE HAD SOME NEW PARTNERS COME JUST FOR THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE THEY BRING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, UH, AROUND WHAT'S CAUSING PEOPLE TO BECOME HOMELESS AND, AND WHY THOSE FOLKS MIGHT BE MAKING THEIR WAY DOWNTOWN.

AS FAR AS THE CORE

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UM, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS.

THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TRIED TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT OUR MEMBERSHIP IS, UH, SYSTEMS, UH, LEADERS, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS.

WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS WORK.

UH, BUT A LOT OF OUR FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS ON SYSTEMS CHANGE AND HOW DO WE DESIGN A BETTER HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM? HOW DO WE CLOSE GAPS IN EXISTING SYSTEMS? UH, AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE OUR MEMBERSHIP FOCUS IS RIGHT NOW.

BUT YOU ARE INCORPORATING INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE WITH HOMELESSNESS OR PREVIOUSLY, OR HOMELESS? ABSOLUTELY.

AROUND THAT TABLE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PERSONAL LIVED EXPERIENCE.

FOR EXAMPLE, UH, COURTNEY JONES, WHO'S THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CHANGE ONE HAS LIVED EXPERIENCE BOTH WITH THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM AND AS, UH, YOU KNOW, A YOUNG PERSON WHO EXPERIENCED LITERAL HOMELESSNESS.

AND SO, UH, WE DO HAVE REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE ON THE TASK FORCE.

UH, AND THAT'S CRITICAL BECAUSE YOU NEED PEOPLE WHO BRING THAT EXPERTISE TO THIS WORK, UH, SO THAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES FROM THAT UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE.

IT TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY AS WELL, WHERE THOSE HOTSPOTS EXIST.

WELL, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

COME, I GUESS WE'LL GET BRIEFED IN JANUARY ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

YES, MA'AM.

SO, SO OUR INTENTION RIGHT NOW ON THIS CURRENT TIMELINE IS FOR US TO PUBLISH THE FINAL SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN DECEMBER.

WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO RETURN IN JANUARY AND PRESENT ON THOSE PERFECT COLLEAGUES.

ANY QUESTIONS? I, IT'S HALF A QUESTION, HALF.

JUST A, A COMMENT.

YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL WANT, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO BE AS INVITING AND, AND SAFE AS POSSIBLE, AND WHETHER, UH, REAL OR PERCEIVED, RIGHT, WHEN SOMEONE SEES AN INDIVIDUAL WALKING AROUND AND EITHER THEY'RE HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE OR JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE PERCEIVED DANGERS THAT JUST LETS, MAKES DOWNTOWN ESPECIALLY FEEL LESS SAFE.

AND, AND SO WHAT I WANT TO JUST BE SURE THOUGH, THAT WE DON'T HAVE HAPPEN IN THIS IS IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE UPON DOWNTOWN, WE JUST DISPERSE THE PROBLEM, WHICH I THINK WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS CONTINUED TO STICK OUT TO ME WHEN LOOKING AT THE, THE HEAT MAP OF THE POINT IN TIME COUNT OVER THE YEARS, RIGHT? IT WAS DOWNTOWN, DOWNTOWN, DOWNTOWN.

AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN ONCE, UM, THE CAMPING BAN WAS REINSTATED AND WE SAW THAT, UM, DISPERSAL FROM DOWNTOWN, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GOT SLOWLY THE SECOND HEAT POINT, UH, IN SOUTH AUSTIN IN THE AREA I REPRESENT.

AND SO, UM, WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE CLEAN UP ONE AREA, WHETHER IT'S SOMEONE JUST ON A CORNER AND WE TELL 'EM TO MOVE, AND THEY GO TO A DIFFERENT CORNER, OR MORE BROADLY, WE'RE TELLING PEOPLE TO LEAVE DOWNTOWN THAT WE HAVE SOMEWHERE FOR THEM TO GO.

AND SO THE THE QUESTION THEN IN IS, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THE EARLY STAGES, BUT, YOU KNOW, OUR SHELTERS ARE PRETTY MUCH FULL.

OUR OUR HOUSING PROGRAMS ARE PRETTY MUCH FULL.

SO WHAT TOOLS DO WE HAVE AVAILABLE ASIDE FROM JUST TELLING PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN'T BE IN THIS SPACE AND MOVING THEM TO A DIFFERENT SPACE, BUT ACTUALLY GETTING THEM INDOORS? YEP.

THAT, THAT'S A GREAT, UH, QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER.

AND SO KIND OF THREE THOUGHTS ON, ON THAT.

UH, THE FIRST IS THAT A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS LOOKING AT HOW OUR SYSTEMS WORK, OR IN SOME CASES THEY DON'T WORK.

AND SO YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT BE, UH, GETTING DISCHARGED FROM A HOSPITAL BACK TO THE STREET.

UH, THAT PERSON MIGHT STAY AT THAT AREA DOWNTOWN IF THEY'RE GETTING DISCHARGED FROM A DOWNTOWN HOSPITAL.

UH, BUT IF THEY'RE GETTING DISCHARGED FROM ST.

DAVID'S SOUTH, THEN THEY ALSO MIGHT BE LINGERING RIGHT DOWN THERE IN DISTRICT FIVE.

AND SO WE, WE TRULY BELIEVE BY IDENTIFYING SOME OF THESE PAIN POINTS AND HOW THE SYSTEMS WORK, AND THEN ADDRESSING AND FIXING THEM SO THAT THOSE TYPES OF, AGAIN, IN THIS SCENARIO, HOSPITAL DISCHARGES DON'T RESULT IN SOMEBODY BECOMING HOMELESS IN THAT AREA.

UH, WE EXPECT THAT THESE SYSTEMS CHANGES WILL BENEFIT EVERYBODY.

IT'S JUST OUR FOCUS KIND OF GEOGRAPHICALLY WITH THIS COMMISSION IS DOWNTOWN.

BUT HOPEFULLY THE SYSTEM CHANGES HELP EVERYBODY.

THE SECOND IS THAT WE'RE NOT ABANDONING ANY OF OUR COMMITMENTS IN ANY OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.

WE'RE STILL DOING OUR HEEL ACTIVITIES ACROSS THE CITY.

WE'RE STILL DOING OUR OUTREACH ACTIVITIES ACROSS THE CITY, AND WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THESE PARTNERS ABOUT TAKING THIS MODEL AND APPLYING IT TO OTHER GEOGRAPHIC HOTSPOTS IN THE CITY BASED OFF OF HOW WE FEEL THIS MODEL WORKED DOWNTOWN.

AND SO, UH, THIS IS A MODEL THAT WE'VE USED WITH A FOSTER YOUTH TASK FORCE THAT WE CONVENED RECENTLY.

WE'RE TRYING A DIFFERENT KIND OF APPLICATION HERE.

UH, BUT IF IT'S SUCCESSFUL AND IF IT COMES OUT WITH GOOD RESULTS HERE, THEN WE PLAN TO TAKE

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THE THIRD IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR EXISTING RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE CONTINUING TO TRY TO BUILD, UH, MORE SHELTER, BRING ON MORE HOUSING THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH PROGRAM LIKE HOUSING CONNECTOR, UH, AND, AND KEEP PEOPLE HOUSED.

I THINK WHAT WE'RE FINDING IN SOME OF THESE EARLY STAGES IS THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TODAY FOR US TO BETTER OPTIMIZE THE RESOURCES THAT EXIST.

UH, ONE EXAMPLE IS OUR BRIDGE SHELTERS.

UH, WE STILL USE THOSE BRIDGE SHELTERS PREDOMINANTLY FOR HEAL ACTIVITIES, BUT WE DON'T QUITE HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF VERY LARGE ENCAMPMENTS THAT WE SERVICE THROUGH HEAL AS WE DID, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO.

YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE BEEN PRETTY EFFECTIVE AT GETTING THOSE LARGE ENCAMPMENTS UNDER, UM, CONTROL, GETTING PEOPLE INTO SHELTER AND, AND KEEPING A LOT OF THOSE SITES CLEAR.

AND SO AS WE POTENTIALLY DO FEWER HEELS, YOU KNOW, MIGHT THERE BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TAKE ONE OF THOSE SHELTERS AND REIMAGINE WHAT THOSE BEDS CAN BE USED FOR? SO CAN THOSE BEDS BE USED AS A SAFE LANDING SPOT FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S BEING DISCHARGED FROM A JAIL? CAN THE BED BE USED FOR SOMEBODY WHO IS COMING OUT OF A HOSPITAL AND DOESN'T NEED RESPITE CARE, BUT DOES NEED A SAFE PLACE TO DISCHARGE FROM, UH, AND THEN GET CONNECTED WITH A HOUSING RESOURCE? SO, SO I THINK THERE'S SOME, SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR OPTIMIZATION EVEN WITHIN OUR EXISTING RESOURCES.

AND WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, AND THAT WOULD BE THE SHORT TERM SOLUTION AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK TO ADD MORE CAPACITY INTO THE SYSTEM.

AND THE LAST THING I'LL ASK IF, IF YOU CAN IN, IN THIS DISCUSSION AND STUDY IS I HAVE HEARD BOTH ANECDOTALLY AS WELL AS IN THE DATA SHOW THAT WE ARE SEEING OUR KIND OF COLLAR JURISDICTIONS, GEORGETOWN, ROUND ROCK, LEANDER WESTLAKE, LITERALLY BRING PEOPLE ON A BUS DOWNTOWN, WHETHER IT'S IN FRONT OF THE ARCH OR CARITAS, AND SAY, NOT OUR PROBLEM.

YOU CAN GET SERVICES HERE IF YOU COULD, IN THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY, HELP IDENTIFY ANY KIND OF VOLUME OR JUST SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.

I, I THINK IT'S PAST TIME THAT WE GO TO THESE OTHER JURISDICTIONS, AND AT A MINIMUM THEY NEED TO BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE SOLUTION.

I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO BE PARTICIPATING IN THE SOLUTION, BUT, UM, IT'S UNSUSTAINABLE.

AND, AND SO IF YOU COULD HELP US WITH THAT THROUGH THIS OR WHATEVER OTHER WORK YOU'RE DOING, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

YES, SIR.

AND I, AND I'LL SAY WE, WE'VE STARTED SOME OF THAT WORK.

IT'S A VERY LIGHT DATA COLLECTION EFFORT, UH, BUT WE'RE HAVING SOME REAL TALK ABOUT THAT.

AND, AND IT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FOLKS WHO, UH, WE KNOW THROUGH OUR STREET OUTREACH PROGRAMS, UH, WERE BROUGHT TO AUSTIN FROM A, A MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY IN GEORGETOWN, OR THEY WERE DRIVEN HERE FROM, YOU KNOW, BY A SHERIFF FROM A NEIGHBORING CITY, BUT WE DON'T HAVE HAPPEN AS MUCH.

ARE OTHER LARGE CITIES SENDING PEOPLE TO AUSTIN? AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME NARRATIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, OH, PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE FROM SAN FRANCISCO OR NEW YORK OR CHICAGO AND, AND WE DON'T TYPICALLY SEE THAT, UH, AS MUCH.

OFTENTIMES IT IS OUR SMALLER NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS THAT DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP.

UH, AND A LOT OF TIMES IT, IT'S SOME PRETTY WELL-INTENTIONED FOLKS WHO THINK GETTING SOMEBODY TO THE ARCH IS, IS THE, THE STRATEGY, RIGHT? BUT IT'S NOT.

UH, AND SO AS WE COLLECT MORE DATA ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM, UH, WHETHER IT'S HOMEGROWN AUSTINITE WHO GOT EVICTED, OR IT'S SOMEBODY FROM CENTRAL TEXAS WHO'S MAKING THEIR WAY TO AUSTIN, UH, WE DO PLAN TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS ABOUT HOW THEY COULD EITHER CONTRIBUTE INTO OUR SYSTEM BECAUSE WE HAVE A SYSTEM TODAY AND WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE CONTRIBUTIONS INTO IT, OR HOW WE CAN LEND OUR TECHNICAL EXPERTISE TO HELP THEM DEVELOP, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESOURCES THAT'S RIGHT.

WELL, AND JUST TO ADD ON TO THIS CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS FLAGGED TO US DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION FROM OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE GINA NOOSA, WAS THE TRANSITIONAL FACILITY THAT WE HAVE IN DELL VALLEY, WHERE WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO DON'T HAVE ANY, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, ANY CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT.

AND SO ONCE THEY'RE RELEASED AND FINISHED THEIR TERM AT THE TRANSITIONAL FACILITY, THEY'RE COMING INTO OUR, INTO OUR CITY, AND WE NEED STATE SUPPORT, WE NEED STATE FUNDING, WE ARE STATE LEADERS INVOLVED SO THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF THE KEY ROLE THAT THEY HAVE IN FUNDING OUR RESPONSE IN OUR SYSTEM.

YES, MA'AM.

AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE SPOT ON MADAM CHAIR.

AND AS PART OF THE REASON WHY WE HAVE, UH, THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE PART OF THESE CONVERSATIONS, AND WE'VE TALKED

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SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UH, A TC, UH, I'M GRATEFUL FOR OUR STATE COLLEAGUES TO BE WILLING TO SIT DOWN WITH US AND HAVE SOME HONEST CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT A TC IS INTENDED TO DO AND WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING ON THE GROUND AND HEARING FROM OUR PARTNERS AT DAC ABOUT A TC RESIDENTS GOING TO DAC FOR SERVICES, EVEN, UH, NONPROFIT PARTNERS.

I WAS AT, UH, A CONFERENCE LAST WEEK AND RAN INTO SOME FOLKS FROM, UH, THE HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE WHO TOLD ME THAT, UH, THEY ALSO SEE A, A, A LARGE NUMBER OF A TC RESIDENTS GOING TO THEIR SERVICE CENTER FOR HELPING FOR SERVICES.

AND, YOU KNOW, I I THINK AS WE CONTINUE TO DIG INTO THIS WITH OUR STATE COLLEAGUES, UH, THERE'LL BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO COLLABORATE, UH, AS WE, WE HEAD INTO THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION, I THINK AROUND SOME ACTS FOR MORE RESOURCES TO HELP A TC REALLY BE SET UP TO PROVIDE THE HOUSING NAVIGATION AND THE ONSITE SERVICES THAT I KNOW THAT THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE.

UH, VICE CHAIR UCHIN.

THANK YOU, MAYOR JIM.

UH, I'VE JUST GOT ONE QUESTION FOR THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICER ABOUT THE DATA, THAT FIRST SLIDE THAT HE'S GOT.

UM, I'M CURIOUS IF, I KNOW WHEN WE HAD THE POINT OF TIME COUNT AND WE SAW A BUMP, AND I THINK YOU ISSUED A STATEMENT, UM, ABOUT THAT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE WASN'T, OR MY RECOLLECTION WASN'T THAT, THAT THERE WAS NO KIND OF WORKING THEORY BEHIND THAT BUMP.

I'M CURIOUS IF YOUR THINKING HAS EVOLVED.

THERE'S NEW DATA.

I YOU'VE GOT OBVIOUSLY A BUMP NATIONWIDE, YOU'VE GOT A BUMP IN THE AREA, THE DOWNTOWN, UM, NUMBERS ARE HOLDING STEADY.

DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT IS GOING ON AT A KIND OF META LEVEL WITH, UM, IS IT THE ECONOMY? IS IT, UH, YOU KNOW, NATIONAL POLITICS? IS IT, UH, THINGS BEING CUT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL? IS IT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE SORT OF FACTORS INVOLVED IN YOUR THINKING RIGHT NOW? OR IS IT STILL TOO EARLY TO MAKE A JUDGMENT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THOSE NUMBERS? YEAH, I, I THINK AS WE HAD TIME TO SIT WITH MORE OF THIS DATA, UH, WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REALLY REFLECT ON WHAT CAUSED SOME OF THAT INCREASE.

I'LL SAY FIRST IS, UM, A GOOD THING.

WE, WE HAVE MORE SHELTER BEDS, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY NOW THAN WE'VE HAD BEFORE.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PICK COUNT DATA AND, AND IT, AND THE PICK COUNT GIVES YOU THAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, IT INCLUDES THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN SHELTER.

UH, AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER OFF HAND, BUT I THINK WE SAW A 50% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN SHELTER, UH, IN THE PICK COUNT DATA THAN, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS REPORTED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

IN FACT, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY, THE PICK COUNT SHOWED MORE PEOPLE IN SHELTER THAN UNSHELTERED.

AND SO THAT, THAT WAS PRETTY AWESOME TO SEE.

UH, I THINK SECOND RELATED TO THAT IS WE'VE DONE A, A BETTER JOB AS A COMMUNITY FUNDING STREET OUTREACH.

UH, WE'VE LAUNCHED THE SUNRISE HOTLINE, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SUNRISE, SO ALSO GIVING MORE PEOPLE NEW WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH OUR SYSTEM.

AND THAT'S ALLOWED US TO DO A BETTER JOB, UH, COUNTING HOMELESSNESS HERE IN AUSTIN.

UH, AND SO GETTING A BETTER SENSE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE TRULY HOMELESS, EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE, THE PICK COUNT DATA.

AND THEN THE THIRD IS ECONOMICS.

UH, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN IS STILL A, A PRETTY, UH, EXPENSIVE PLACE TO, TO LIVE HIGH COST OF LIVING.

I THINK THERE WAS A PRESENTATION, UH, LAST WEEK OR MAYBE THE WEEK BEFORE LAST TO SOME OF YOUR COLLEAGUES ON THE HOUSING COMMISSION.

AND IT LOOKED AT EVICTION RATES IN TRAVIS COUNTY, AND IT SHOWED THAT, UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON TRACK FOR MORE EVICTIONS IN OUR COUNTY THIS YEAR THAN WHAT WE HAD LAST YEAR.

AND LAST YEAR WAS PRETTY MUCH A RECORD FOR EVICTIONS IN OUR AREA.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE A SEGUE INTO THE NEXT PRESENTATION, BUT, BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT LIKE, PEOPLE BECOMING HOMELESS, UH, A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT, UH, FAMILIES ARE NOT, UH, ASSET RICH TO, TO RESPOND TO.

UH, WHICH IS PART OF THE REASON WHY OUR OFFICE IS INVESTING MORE IN THOSE, UH, HOUSING STABILIZATION AND EARLY INTERVENTION INITIATIVES THAT I KNOW I'LL TOUCH ON IN IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION.

ANY THOUGHTS ON THE NATIONAL DATA TREND? UH, FOR SOME OF THE NATIONAL DATA TREND, IT'S ALSO VERY SIMILAR.

UH, A A LOT OF RISING AND, AND COST OF LIVING.

UH, BUT EVERY GEOGRAPHY IS DIFFERENT.

UH, AND SO WE, WE HEAR DIFFERENT THINGS FROM DIFFERENT PLACES AND, AND SOME IT COULD BE DUE TO NATURAL DISASTERS, UH, IN, IN OTHERS IT COULD BE DUE TO A DIFFERENT WAY THAT THEY CONDUCTED THEIR PIT COUNT.

UH, BUT FOR A LOT OF OUR COLLEAGUES WHO WE SPEAK TO, A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH, UH, THE ECONOMIC SITUATION THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN AS A COUNTRY.

GONNA NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, AND I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME BACK AGAIN, DIRECTOR GRAY AND OUR ESTEEMED PARTNERS, MARK HEL BLINK, HOPE I PRONOUNCE IT.

I REALIZE THAT WASN'T ENTIRELY THE PURPOSE OF THAT PRESENTATION, BUT, UH, I DO APPRECIATE YOU ADDING SOME CONTEXT

[00:25:01]

[4. Briefing on prevention, diversion, and rapid exit homelessness services. [David Gray, Director, Homeless Strategy Office; Mark Hilbelink, Executive Director, Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center; Shayna Dunitz, Managing Director, Austin Housing Connector].]

PROBABLY HAS A, A MORE SEVERE NEED, UH, BY QUICKLY DIVERTING THOSE FOLKS AWAY FROM THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, UH, AND BACK INTO A, UH, HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SUNRISE HOMELESS NAVIGATION CENTER AND SHAYNA DUNNET, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN HOUSING CONNECTOR FOR A BRIEFING ON PREVENTION, DIVERSION, AND RAPID EXIT HOMELESSNESS SERVICES.

WELCOME.

AWESOME.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

ALLOW ME TO REINTRODUCE MYSELF AS JC SAYS DAVID GRAY, UH, DIRECTOR FOR AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS.

AND PASTOR MARK IS HERE, RIGHT THERE.

UH, I'LL GIVE THE PRESENTATION, BUT PASTOR MARK IS AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS PROGRAM.

UH, SHAYNA MESSAGED ME THIS MORNING.

UH, SHE SENDS HER REGARDS.

UNFORTUNATELY, SHE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO, UH, ATTEND TODAY'S PRESENTATION.

SHE GOT CALLED AWAY, UH, TO SEATTLE FOR, FOR BUSINESS, UH, PURPOSES.

SO TODAY'S PRESENTATION, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, OUR HOMELESS PREVENTION AND OUR DIVERSION, AND WHY THESE STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS MAKE SENSE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UH, AND SO I'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH A BRIEF, UH, OVERVIEW OF WHAT HOMELESS PREVENTION AND DIVERSION IS AND, AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR HSO, UH, HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE BENEFITS OF EACH STRATEGY AND WHY IT IS THAT WE, UH, ARE STARTING TO ENHANCE OUR INVESTMENTS IN BOTH OF THESE STRATEGIES.

UH, EXPLAIN WHY THESE STRATEGIES ARE SPECIFICALLY CRITICAL TO OUR SYSTEM AND WHAT THEY MEAN FOR AUSTINITES.

UH, AND THEN WE'LL DO TWO PROGRAM SPOTLIGHTS, ONE ABOUT THE WAYFINDER PROGRAM, UH, WHICH IS ADMINISTERED BY THE SUNRISE NAVIGATION CENTER.

UH, AND THE SECOND IS OUR LANDLORD ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS ADMINISTERED BY OUR FRIENDS AT HOUSING CONNECTOR.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOMELESS PREVENTION AND, AND WHAT IS THIS? THESE ARE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT PROVIDE SUPPORT TO HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE AT IMMINENT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS SO THAT THEY CAN MAINTAIN THEIR HOUSING.

UH, THE GOAL HERE IS TO KEEP FAMILIES WHO ARE HOUSED STABLY HOUSED THROUGH STRATEGIES SUCH AS EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UTILITY ASSISTANCE, UH, LANDLORD MEDIATION, CASE MANAGEMENT, UH, AND, AND OTHER FORMS OF EITHER ONE-TIME FINANCIAL INVESTMENT OR SHORT-TERM CASE MANAGEMENT TO HELP THEM STABILIZE IN THEIR EXISTING HOUSING.

THE BENEFITS OF THIS ARE, UM, VERY CLEAR, BUT I'LL COVER THEM.

THE FIRST IS, IT REDUCES THE INFLOW INTO HOMELESSNESS.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR CITY'S EFFORTS HAVE FOCUSED ON FOLKS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS AND HAVE BEEN ON OUR STREETS THE LONGEST, UH, AS IT SHOULD BE.

30% OF OUR POPULATION IS CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO GET UPSTREAM.

WE HAVE TO STOP THE INFLOW OF NEW HOUSEHOLDS, NEW INDIVIDUALS, AND NEW FAMILIES ONTO THE STREETS.

AND HOMELESS PREVENTION ALLOWS US TO DO THAT.

IT ALSO ALLOWS FOLKS TO MAINTAIN, UH, THEIR STABILITY WITHIN THEIR EXISTING COMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEBODY GETS EVICTED OR THEY LOSE THEIR HOUSING, UH, IF WE'RE ABLE TO RAPIDLY REHOUSE THEM, OFTENTIMES THAT'S NOT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THEIR SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, UH, ALREADY EXIST.

AND SO BY HOMELESS PREVENTION, WE'RE ABLE TO HELP THAT COMMUNITY REMAIN STABILIZED, UH, AND PREVENT SOME OF THE DISPLACEMENT THAT I KNOW WE'RE ALL VERY CONCERNED ABOUT.

IT'S ALSO MUCH MORE COST EFFECTIVE COMPARED TO SHELTER AND RAPID REHOUSING.

TYPICALLY, HOMELESS PREVENTION, UH, AND DIVERSION SERVICES ARE A ONE-TIME TWO TO $3,000 COST, UH, COMPARED TO SHELTER, WHICH CARRIES AN ONGOING COST OF ABOUT $24,000 PER BED ANNUALLY, UH, AND RAPID REHOUSING OR PSH, WHICH IS CLOSER TO ABOUT 35 TO $40,000 PER UNIT ANNUALLY.

AND SO, UH, GETTING UPSTREAM IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS EXPENSIVE.

IT'S A GREATER RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, IS THAT IT MINIMIZES THE TRAUMA ASSOCIATED WITH HOUSING LOSS.

THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR NEARLY 2000 A ISD STUDENTS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND THE 50% OF A ISD FAMILIES THAT ARE HOUSING INSECURE.

WE KNOW THAT IF WE COULD HELP SOMEBODY AVOID THE TRAUMA OF HOMELESSNESS, NOT ONLY DOES THAT HELP THEM TODAY, BUT IT ALSO HELPS THEIR KIDS IN TERMS OF THEIR LIFE OUTCOMES.

UH, IF YOU ARE A YOUNG PERSON AND YOU EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS AS A YOUNG PERSON, YOU ARE 10 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS AGAIN AS AN ADULT.

AND SO BY KEEPING THESE HOUSEHOLDS STABLY HOUSED, WE'RE SOLVING PROBLEMS TODAY, BUT WE'RE ALSO GETTING AHEAD OF INTERGENERATIONAL CYCLES OF, OF HOMELESSNESS AND TRAUMA DIVERSION.

AND HO AND PREVENTION ARE SOMETIMES, UM, CONFLATED AS THE SAME THING, BUT THEY'RE DIFFERENT.

DIVERSION ARE INTERVENTIONS THAT HELP PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR HOUSING.

THEY'RE ABOUT TO ENTER A SYSTEM LIKE A, A SHELTER, UH, BUT INSTEAD OF HAVING TO BRING THEM INTO SHELTER FOR SHELTER CARE, WE ARE ABLE TO QUICKLY HELP THEM FIND AN ALTERNATIVE HOUSING SOLUTION.

SO THESE ARE THINGS LIKE FAMILY AND FRIEND MEDIATIONS AND REUNIFICATIONS OR SHORT-TERM FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OR RAPID PROBLEM SOLVING.

UH, AND SO INSTEAD OF BRINGING SOMEBODY INTO THE SHELTER SYSTEM, WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF SAVE THAT, THAT BED FOR SOMEBODY ELSE WHO

[00:30:01]

THIS HAS ITS OWN BENEFITS.

UH, OFF THE TOP, IT'S REDUCING DEMAND FOR SHELTER AND RAPID REHOUSING SERVICES.

UH, IT ALSO PROVIDES A QUICKER PATHWAY TO STABILITY THAN OUR SHELTERS ARE SOMETIMES ABLE TO PROVIDE.

IT ALLOWS US TO STRENGTHEN AND BUILD UPON SOME NATURAL SUPPORT NETWORKS, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE ABLE TO FACILITATE FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIP REUNIFICATIONS, UH, AND ALLOWS THE REST OF OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEMS, LIKE OUR SHELTER BEDS, OUR RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS, AND OUR PSH TO TAKE THOSE RESOURCES AND FOCUS THEM ON PEOPLE WHO HAVE GREATER, UH, NEEDS AND NEED MORE TIME TO STABILIZE THEIR LIVING SITUATION.

NOW, WE ARE INVESTING IN THESE SERVICES AS A CITY FIRST BECAUSE IT ALIGNS WITH OUR OVERALL GOAL TO MAKE HOMELESSNESS RARE, BRIEF, AND NON-REOCCURRING.

AND IT ESPECIALLY SPEAKS TO RARE AND BRIEF.

UH, WE DO NOT WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE TO SPEND MULTIPLE WEEKS IN A SHELTER BED OR MULTIPLE MONTHS IN A RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM, OR MULTIPLE YEARS IN PSH.

WE'D MUCH RATHER GET THEM QUICKLY REHOUSED OR KEEP THEM STABLY HOUSED.

THE SECOND, AS I MENTIONED, IS THAT IT REDUCES OVERALL SYSTEM COSTS AND PRESSURES, UH, IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF OUR SYSTEM.

IT, IT IS A MUCH LOWER DOLLAR COST INTERVENTION THAN SHELTER RAPID AND PSH.

THE THIRD IS THAT IT SUPPORTS OUR HOUSEHOLDS BEFORE CRISIS.

DEEPEN, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE SYSTEM THAT WE INHERITED, THAT FOCUSED PREDOMINANTLY ON THE MOST VULNERABLE, THAT SYSTEM REQUIRED FOLKS WHO RECENTLY BECAME HOMELESS TO BE HOMELESS FOR MULTIPLE MONTHS, EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE TRAUMATIC EVENTS, UH, AND BECOME MORE VULNERABLE AND SCORE HIGHER ON A VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT BEFORE THEY CAN QUALIFY FOR HELP.

THEY WERE ESSENTIALLY STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF A DONUT HOLE BETWEEN BEING STABLY HOUSED AND THEN BEING EXTREMELY VICTIMIZED.

THESE SERVICES ALLOW US TO FILL THAT DONUT HOLE.

IT, IT IS THE, THE DONUT HOLE FILLER THAT MY KIDS LOVE FROM SHIPLEY'S.

SO THE DONUT HOLE, IT ALLOWS US TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE FOLKS GET THAT SWEET SUPPORT, UH, BEFORE THEIR CRISIS BECOMES EVEN WORSE.

AND THEN LAST, IT ALLOWS US TO BUILD A BALANCED PORTFOLIO.

AND YOU'VE ALL HEARD THIS FROM ME AND MY TEAM BEFORE, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO PROP UP ALL PARTS OF OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM TO LEVEL SET THE, THE RESOURCES IN THE SYSTEM WITH THE NEEDS AS WE'RE SEEING THEM.

UH, WE INHERITED A SYSTEM THAT DID NOT INVEST A LOT IN PREVENTION AND DIVERSION, AND NOW WE'RE TRYING TO LEVEL SET THAT PORTFOLIO, UH, AND MAKE SURE IT'S BALANCED.

SO, TO DO THE TWO PROGRAM SPOTLIGHTS, THE FIRST IS THE WAYFINDER PROGRAM.

THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN SEED FUNDED WITH ABOUT $500,000 IN SUPPORT.

UH, SUNRISE HAS SUCCESSFULLY RAISED ANOTHER APPROXIMATELY $500,000, UH, IN PRIVATE FUNDING AND PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING.

UH, AND SO REALLY APPRECIATIVE FOR OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE ABLE TO BRING IN MULTIPLE FUNDING STREAMS TO HELP US MAINTAIN THESE PROGRAMS. WAYFINDER FOCUSES ON THE ABILITY TO HOUSE, UH, MEANING IT, IT IS A DIVERSION PROGRAM THAT'S HELPING FOLKS WHO ARE HOUSING INSECURE.

OUR RECENTLY, UM, RECENTLY HOMELESS, BUT THEY CAN QUICKLY GET REHOUSED.

UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE HOUSEHOLDS ARE ABLE TO GET QUICKLY REHOUSED AND IT DISPROPORTIONATELY SERVES MULTI-PERSON HOUSEHOLDS.

UH, I THINK THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN SERVED SO FAR ARE FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN.

UH, AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW THIS PROGRAM STANDS UP TO SOME OF THE OTHER DIVERGENT PROGRAMS IN OUR COMMUNITY, WAYFINDER HAS BECOME THE NUMBER ONE SOURCE OF REHOUSING IN AUSTIN SINCE IT LAUNCHED LAST YEAR.

UH, AND FY 25 ALONE, IT SERVED JUST OVER 950 INDIVIDUALS, UH, A THIRD OF WHICH WERE H REHOUSED WITH THE $500,000 IN SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE OF INDIVIDUALS THAT MOVE IN IS 2.1.

UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GET TO A 0.1 OF A PERSON, BUT THAT, THAT'S WHAT THE MAT SAYS.

SO THERE WE GO.

UH, AND MORE THAN 440 CHILDREN WERE REHOUSED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM IN ITS FIRST 11 MONTHS OF OPERATING, UH, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR OVER 90% OF ALL CHILD MOVE-INS ACROSS OUR ENTIRE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.

UH, AND SO AGAIN, KIND OF SPEAKING TO HOW EFFECTIVE THIS PROGRAM AND OUR DIVERSION PROGRAMS ARE AT HELPING HOUSEHOLDS GET HOUSED AND STAY HOUSED, THE AVERAGE COST PER MOVE-IN IS $1,700 ONE TIME.

UH, OR THE, IF YOU LOOK AT IT FROM A PER PERSON COST, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A ONE-TIME COST OF LESS THAN $800 PER PERSON.

UH, SO AGAIN, AN EXTREMELY COST, COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTION THAT'S ALSO HELPING A LOT OF PEOPLE AVOID A LOT OF TRAUMA OF HOMELESSNESS.

AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE STAYING POWER OF THIS PROGRAM, TO DATE, 94% OF THOSE CLIENTS WHO WERE SERVED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM

[00:35:01]

HAVE REMAINED HOUSED AND HAVE NOT RETURNED TO HOMELESSNESS.

UH, MEANING THAT THEY HAVE NOT RECONNECTED TO OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.

SO, UH, IN SUMMARY, IT, IT'S A, IT'S A LOW PRICE POINT FOR US TO SERVE A LOT OF PEOPLE.

UH, AND WE'RE SEEING THAT FOLKS WHO ARE HOUSED TO THIS PROGRAM ARE ABLE TO STAY HOUSED.

HOUSING CONNECTOR TAKES A A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT APPROACH.

UM, HOUSING CONNECTOR IS OUR PROGRAM THAT'S FOCUSED ON RECRUITING LANDLORDS TO MAKE MORE UNITS AVAILABLE.

SO WHILE WAYFINDER IS FOCUSED ON GETTING PEOPLE HOUSED, HOUSING CONNECTOR IS FOCUSED ON CREATING THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

UH, AND SO THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS THAT WE FUNDED THIS PROGRAM, UH, 40 RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY HOUSED THROUGH WAYFINDER INTO WAYFINDER UNITS.

NOW THERE'S ANOTHER HUNDRED FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY HOUSED THROUGH WAIT THROUGH HOUSING CONNECTOR ASSISTANCE.

AND SO I'LL, I'LL BREAK THIS DOWN.

SO, WE FUND HOUSING CONNECTOR TO BOTH RECRUIT LANDLORDS, BUT WE'VE ALSO CAPITALIZED THEM WITH ESSENTIALLY AN EMERGENCY HOUSING FUND AT $600,000.

AND SO HOUSING CONNECTOR COULD EITHER HELP FACILITATE THE DIRECT HOUSING PLACEMENT, WHICH THEY'VE DONE FOR 40 RESIDENTS, OR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE LIFEWORKS OR CARITAS OR CHANGE ONE CAN CONTACT HOUSING CONNECTOR AND SAY, HEY, WE HAVE A FAMILY OR AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS READY TO MOVE INTO HOUSING THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED.

THEY JUST NEED HELP PAYING THAT, UH, FIRST LAST MONTH RENT DEPOSIT.

OR THEY NEED HELP PAYING OFF, UH, PASS THROUGH ARREARS THAT WE'VE NEGOTIATED DOWN.

UH, AND THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP WITH HOUSING CONNECTOR, UH, THAT FOLKS IS A, THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE ABLE TO GET ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES IN THAT STABILIZATION FUND AND THEN MOVE IN.

SO I THINK OF IT IN BASKETBALL TERMS OF DIRECT BASKETS VERSUS ASSIST.

SO HOUSING CONNECTOR HAS 40 DIRECT POINTS AND ABOUT A HUNDRED ASSIST.

THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE IS TWO, UH, MEANING THAT OFTENTIMES IT'S COUPLES OR IT'S SINGLE PARENTS WITH CHILDREN HOUSING CONNECTOR HAS SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITED MORE THAN 40 PROPERTIES ACROSS THE CITY, TOTALING ABOUT 8,000 UNITS, UH, THAT ARE COMMITTED TO THAT, THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO FOLKS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS.

UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RACIAL DIVERSITY OF THE HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THESE PROGRAMS, 67% ARE HOUSEHOLDS OF COLOR.

UH, I HAD MENTIONED THAT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM THAT HOUSE CONNECTOR HAS WITH FOLKS LIKE LIFEWORKS AND CARITAS.

SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE 13 COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, INCLUDING SOME OF OUR FELLOW, UH, AGENCY PARTNERS LIKE AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

AND JUST THIS MORNING, UH, WE STARTED TALKING WITH AD'S PROJECT HELP FACILITATING RELATIONSHIP THERE SO THAT OUR A ISD FAMILIES WHO ARE HOUSING INSECURE, UH, CAN HAVE A DIRECT PATHWAY INTO HOUSING, CONNECT THE RESOURCES TO REMAIN STABLY HOUSED.

AND TYPICALLY, THE, THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES FROM, UH, A HOUSEHOLD TO IDENTIFY THEIR HOUSING TO MOVE IN IS 15 DAYS, WHICH IS LIGHTNING FAST.

UH, I THINK WHEN WE LAST LOOKED AT THE HMIS DATA FOR COORDINATED ENTRY, THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TOOK FOR SOMEBODY TO MOVE IN FROM THEIR FIRST COORDINATED ENTRY ASSESSMENT TO THEIR MOVE IN WAS AROUND 400 DAYS.

SO TO GO FROM 400 DAYS DOWN TO 15 DAYS IS, UM, IN NO SHORT ORDER, LIKE A, A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT.

SO, UH, JUST SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS.

YOU KNOW, OUR PREVENTION PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO KEEP PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY HOUSED STABLY HOUSED IN THEIR COMMUNITY.

WE WANNA AVOID THE COSTLY CRISIS THAT COMES WITH HOMELESSNESS.

DIVERSION IS PREDOMINANTLY LOOKING AT PEOPLE WHO ARE NEWLY HOMELESS.

AND SO HOW DO WE GIVE THEM SAFER ALTERNATIVES TO QUICKLY GET REHOUSED AND REDUCE RELIANCE ON OUR SHELTER BEDS SO THAT WE COULD FOCUS OUR SHELTER BEDS ON SOME OF THE MORE, UH, EXTREME CASES IN OUR COMMUNITY? BOTH OF THESE STRATEGIES ARE EXTREMELY COST EFFECTIVE.

AGAIN, COSTING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 2000 TO $3,000 FOR THAT ONE-TIME INTERVENTION.

AND THEY'RE ALSO TRAUMA INFORMED IN THAT THEY DON'T REQUIRE PEOPLE TO SCORE HIGH ON A VULNERABILITY INDEX IN ORDER TO GET ACCESS TO THE SERVICE.

UH, THESE TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS REDUCE PRESSURE ACROSS OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.

THEY SAVE OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS, AND AGAIN, THEY ALLOW OUR MORE INTENSIVE RESOURCES TO FOCUS ON OUR HIGHER NEED CLIENTS.

AND SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MAKE THESE INVESTMENTS YOU SHOULD EXPECT TO SEE, UH, MORE FROM US BY WAY OF THESE INVESTMENTS.

AND AS WE LAUNCH OUR PUBLIC FACING DASHBOARDS AROUND PROGRAM PERFORMANCE, UH, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR DASHBOARDS ARE INCLUDE, UH, THE REFERENCES TO OUR PREVENTION AND OUR DIVERSION SERVICES.

AND SO WITH THAT, UH, MADAM CHAIR, I'LL YIELD BACK TO YOU, BUT I'LL ALSO INVITE PASTOR MARK TO COME JOIN ME IN CASE YOU OR YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE QUESTIONS FOR HIM.

IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO HOUSE AROUND 6,000 PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S 10% OF OUR, NOT EVEN, UM, OF OUR UNITS AVAILABLE.

COUNCILOR ALTER, DIDN'T HAVE TO ASK.

UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE

[00:40:01]

QUESTIONS FOR MARK.

IF SEE HIM DOWN HERE.

UH, WELL FIRST AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, FOR OFF THE TOP, I THINK THIS IS NOT ONLY SO PROMISING AND IMPRESSIVE, BUT IT IS THE FUTURE FOR US.

IT IS THE ONLY, UH, INTERVENTION THAT I SEE THAT IS SCALABLE AND SCALABLE QUICKLY.

UH, WE, WE, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, WE HAVE TO BUILD OUT THE WHOLE SYSTEM, BUT IF WE CAN'T TURN OFF THAT SPIGOT, WE'RE JUST FLOWING THROUGH CONSTANTLY AND NEVER SEEING ANY KIND OF RESULTS.

SO I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT WE'RE TRYING NEW THINGS AND SEEING WHAT WORKS, SEEING WHAT DOESN'T.

AND THIS APPEARS TO BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WORKS.

MY QUESTION, UM, FOR YOU, MARK, IS WHAT IS YOUR ESTIMATED NEED? IF YOU HAD UNLIMITED DOLLARS IN THIS PROGRAM, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU THINK COULD BE SERVED BY THIS OR RIGHT NOW, LIKE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AND THE COST OF THAT? THANK YOU.

UM, GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

UM, AND THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR GRAY FOR SUCH A GREAT, UH, PRESENTATION.

UM, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND I, I WANNA THANK ALL, ALL THREE OF YOU HERE ON THE DICE 'CAUSE WE'VE HAD REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR THING IN THE PAST.

UM, AND, UH, AND, UM, LOVE TO HAVE IT WITH YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CHEN AS WELL.

UM, BUT, UH, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO THAT IS WE HAVE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF OF DATA RIGHT NOW, UM, ON WAYFINDER.

UM, AND THAT'S PART OF THE DATA THAT, UH, THAT, UH, DIRECTOR GRAY WAS PRESENTING HERE.

BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT WE, OUR NUMBERS RIGHT NOW SAY THAT IF WE COULD RAISE ABOUT $5 MILLION ANNUALLY, UH, WE COULD, WE THINK IN THEORY WE COULD HOUSE ABOUT 40% OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION THAT'S BEING SEEN OUTSIDE, WHICH WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS NOT PRESENTED HERE, BUT I'LL JUST KIND OF SAY IS IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ANNUAL DATABASE KIND OF PRESENTATIONS THAT HAPPEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AND THESE ARE GONNA COME OUT PROBABLY IN FEBRUARY, MARCH OF 2026.

UM, AND, AND YOU LOOK AT THE DATA THAT'S ON THE ECHO DASHBOARD, YOU WILL SEE VERY LITTLE, EVEN EVEN WITH THE MASSIVE INVESTMENTS WE'VE MADE, YOU WILL SEE VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT ON PSH, VERY LITTLE MOVEMENT ON RAPID REHOUSING.

THOSE, THOSE PARTS OF THE GRAPH STAY PRETTY STABLE.

THEY'VE INCREASED A LITTLE BIT AS WE'VE INVESTED, BUT THEY HAVEN'T INCREASED TO THE LEVEL THAT WE'VE INVESTED IN THEM.

UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING TO COME AND WHAT WE PREDICT WILL COME IN WHEN THEY PULL THESE NUMBERS IN SPRING OF 2026, YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOMETHING LIKE A THREE TIMES GROWTH IN THE AMOUNT OF TOTAL PEOPLE HOUSED NEXT YEAR, WHICH IS GONNA BE ABSOLUTELY WILD.

UH, WE HAVEN'T SEEN A GROWTH LIKE THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY IN DECADES.

UH, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE ALMOST ENTIRELY RESULTS OF THESE, WHAT WE CALL MINIMAL HOUSING, UM, INTERVENTIONS, THESE MHI.

UM, AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

AND SO, UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE PROCESSING ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS OF PASS THROUGH MONEY.

UM, AND THAT'S GONNA, THAT'S GETTING US ABOUT 150 PEOPLE A MONTH.

SO IT'S GONNA END UP BEING IN THE RANGE OF 1800 PEOPLE IN A CALENDAR YEAR.

UH, WE BELIEVE WE CAN PUSH THAT NUMBER TO ABOUT 4 MILLION, UM, WITHOUT LOSING, WITHOUT SCRAPING THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL, SO TO SPEAK.

CLEARLY THIS NOT INTERVENTION IS NOT FOR EVERYONE.

IT'S FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE INCOME.

IT'S FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN POTENTIALLY GET INCOME.

AND THAT IS NOT EVERYONE, BUT OUR ESTIMATION AND THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE SO FAR POINT US TOWARDS THE NUMBER OF 40%, UM, OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION THAT WE THINK WE COULD REASONABLY REHOUSE.

NOW, I, I WILL SAY EVERY 10% YOU GROW IN THAT NUMBER, IT'S GONNA GET SLIGHTLY HARDER, RIGHT? LIKE IT'S REALLY EASY TO GET THAT FIRST 10% THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.

IT MIGHT BE EASY TO GET THE SECOND 20, THE SECOND 10% AS YOU GET INTO THE 30 AND THE 40% IT'S GONNA GET A LITTLE BIT HARDER.

BUT WE HAVE STRATEGIES KIND OF THOUGHT, THOUGHT OUT ABOUT THAT.

BUT TO THINK ABOUT THE ACTUAL POSSIBILITY OF HOUSING, 40% OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION FOR $5 MILLION WHEN OUR TOTAL ANNUAL BUDGET, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE JUST PROPOSED IS WELL OVER A HUNDRED, UM, IT WOULD, WOULD BE A SHOCKING, UH, ACHIEVEMENT IF WE COULD POSSIBLY DO IT.

AND I'LL JUST SAY LIKE, THIS IS SOMETHING WE ARE ACTUALLY GETTING QUESTIONS FROM OTHER MAJOR CITIES ABOUT ALREADY BECAUSE THE NUMBERS ARE JUST SO, SO HUGE.

YEAH.

WELL, AND, AND THAT, I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

I MEAN, WE CAN'T BUILD THOUSANDS OF PSH UNITS ON A, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD TAKE DECADES.

WE CAN'T BUILD OR, OR SECURE, UM, OTHER, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S SHELTER OR OTHER INTERVENTIONS, THIS, THIS AND PREVENTION, YOU KNOW, I THINK ARE OUR WAY TO REALLY SEE A MEANINGFUL CHANGE AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THOSE OTHER INTERVENTIONS.

BUT, UM, I WILL ALSO CHEAT A LITTLE BIT.

I'VE SEEN YOUR SLIDE DECK.

SO JUST TO OFFER A LITTLE CONTEXT HERE, THAT WE HAVE OVER 36,000 VACANCIES CITYWIDE IN OUR APARTMENTS WITH ANOTHER ALMOST 60,000 UNITS TO BE BUILT OVER THE NEXT THREE TO FOUR YEARS.

AND SO

[00:45:01]

SO WE, WE HAVE THE SOLUTION, WE JUST HAVE TO GET PEOPLE INTO THOSE UNITS.

AND, AND I THINK WE CAN DO IT IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE AGGRESSIVE.

AND SO I, YOU KNOW, LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO, HOW WE CAN HELP.

AND, UM, I'M, I'M REALLY, I HOPE TO HAVE YOU BACK IN SIX MONTHS AND JUST SEE WHAT, IF ANYTHING HAS CHANGED AND, AND HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS PROGRESS.

CHANGE IN THIS THAT SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED IS THAT FOR A DECADE WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING, HOMELESS SERVICES, WE'VE BASICALLY BEEN TELLING PEOPLE TO WAIT MM-HMM .

UM, FOR MARK, SINCE YOU'RE HERE, CAN YOU JUST TALK US THROUGH, 'CAUSE I MEAN, INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL RATES HERE AT THE WAYFINDER PROGRAM.

HOW ARE YOU IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE, CAN BE SERVED BY THE WAYFINDER PROGRAM? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I, IT, IT GOES TO AN EARLIER COMMENT THAT DAVID MADE AROUND, UM, THE HOTLINE.

I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE CHANGES HERE THAT HAVE DOVETAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY AND THAT THANKS TO GREAT LEADERSHIP, UH, BY THE HOMELESS STRATEGY OFFICE, UM, ONE OF THOSE IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN MORE OF A CENTRALIZATION, UM, OF, OF ACCESS POINTS.

AND I THINK THAT, THAT WE HAVE FOR TOO LONG ASKED OURSELVES WHAT IS GOOD FOR NONPROFITS WHEN WE REALLY SHOULD BE ASKING OURSELF WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE PER FOR THE END USER, RIGHT? SO IF MY SISTER BECOMES HOMELESS TOMORROW, WHAT DO, WHAT DO WE WANT FOR HER? WE WANT AN EASY ACCESS POINT WHERE WE CAN DO AS MANY THINGS RIGHT AWAY AS POSSIBLE THAT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.

AND THAT'S THE CHEAPEST THING TO DO.

'CAUSE THEN THEY COME WITH ALL OF THE ASSETS, UH, ALL OF THE ASSETS THAT THEY BRING PERSONALLY, NOT JUST MONEY.

THEY BRING THEIR FAMILY SUPPORTS, THEY BRING THEIR FURNITURE, THEY BRING THEIR FACT, THEY STILL HAVE THEIR KIDS AND THEY HAVEN'T FALLEN INTO ADDICTION LIKE THAT.

THAT'S WHEN WE SHOULD, THAT'S WHEN WE SHOULD REACH PEOPLE.

UM, AND SO I, I THINK THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THAT WE REALLY JUST HAVE TO THINK ABOUT BEING ABLE TO REACH PEOPLE IN THAT SPACE, UM, WHERE THEY'RE COMING INTO, WHERE THEY'RE COMING INTO, UM, UH, THAT EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS.

AND AS WE DO THAT, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ACHIEVEMENT.

UM, BUT I THINK AS WE, AS WE IDENTIFY PEOPLE, THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE HOTLINE, THE HOTLINE TOOK 5,000 CALLS LAST MONTH, WHICH IS JUST WILD.

UM, IT'S FAR SURPASSED ANY IN-PERSON DAY CENTER THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND NOW THAT, NOW THAT WE HAVE THESE VIDEO PODS THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, UH, WE'RE ALSO INCREASING ACCESS POINTS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO BE ENGAGED WHERE THEY ARE NOT HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE TO ENGAGE.

AND SO, UM, MOST OF THESE INTERVENTIONS ARE HAPPENING DIGITALLY.

A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE WE NEVER EVEN MEET.

UM, AND THEY'RE HAPPENING ALL ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS.

UM, AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO USE THE DIGITAL TOOLS THAT WE'VE GOT IN OUR TOOL BAG TO BE ABLE TO ALSO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

SO THE FACT THAT THE HOTLINE EXISTS IS PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE USING TO IDENTIFY.

IT'S ALSO GONNA BE REALLY HELPFUL WITH THE NEW PREVENTION PROJECT THAT'S COMING, UM, ON AS WELL.

UM, I WILL CAUTION THAT THOUGH, TO SAY, AND THIS IS A KIND OF A QUESTION, UH, AN ANSWER TO, UH, COUNCILMAN ALTER'S QUESTION.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE KIND OF ALSO BECOME A VICTIM OF OUR OWN SUCCESS IN THE SENSE THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE DEMAND OVER THE LAST, UH, 12 MONTHS, PEOPLE HAVE REALIZED THAT THIS WORKS.

NOT ONLY INDIVIDUALS, BUT AGENCIES HAVE REALIZED THAT THIS WORKS AND IT WORKS AS WELL AS ANYTHING IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO THE DEMAND HAS CONTINUED TO GROW EVERY SINGLE MONTH.

AND WE COULD, WHERE WE WERE SIX MONTHS AGO, WE WERE RUNNING OUTTA MONEY AT DAY 29 OR DAY 28 OF THE MONTH.

WE ARE NOW AT THE POINT WHERE WE'RE RUNNING OUTTA MONEY AT DAY 10 OF THE MONTH, WHICH MEANS FOR 20 DAYS OF THE MONTH, I'VE JUST GOT DEMAND, DEMAND, DEMAND, DEMAND, DEMAND, AND NOT ABLE TO MEET THOSE DEMANDS.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.

WE COULD BE HOUSING AT LEAST DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE HOUSING RIGHT NOW THROUGH THIS PROGRAM IF IT WAS CORRECTLY FUNDED.

SO WALK ME THROUGH THIS.

SO IF, IF I, YOU KNOW, MY NEIGHBOR BECOMES UNHOUSED, WE CALL THE HOTLINE, SOMEONE PICKS UP FROM YOUR TEAM, ARE THEY THEN GUIDING THEM THROUGH THE HOUSING CONNECTOR PIECE WHERE THEY HAVE A PROPERTY IDENTIFIED THAT WILL TAKE 'EM IN? OR DO YOU HAVE YOUR OWN SET OF IDENTIFIED PROPERTIES? YEAH, SO THE BEAUTY OF THIS IS IT REALLY CAPITALIZES ON THE ASSETS THAT THE PERSON BRINGS.

AND ONE OF THE BEST ASSETS IS, UM, THE PERSON WHO IS THE END USER HAS THE MOST IMMEDIATE NEED FOR THE SERVICE.

FOR, FOR YEARS WE HAD RELIED ON CASE MANAGERS AND WHETHER CASE MANAGERS WERE MOTIVATED ENOUGH TO GO AND DO THIS WORK, THE PERSON THAT'S THE MOST MOTIVATED IS THE PERSON THAT'S ON THE RECEIVING END OF IT, RIGHT? AND A LOT OF TIMES THEIR MOM WITH KIDS.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEREAS I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GO SLEEP THREE NIGHTS UNDER A TREE, UM, SLEEPING UNDER A TREE WHEN YOU'VE GOT THREE KIDS CRAWLING OVER YOUR EARS IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT THING.

SO THESE MOMS ARE HIGHLY MOTIVATED.

UM, AND IT IS NOT UNCOMMON THAT WE GET A PHONE CALL AT 10:00 AM AND THAT PERSON'S HOUSED BY 4:00 PM THAT SAME DAY, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY WILD.

UH, AND WHAT IS GOING ON, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION MORE DIRECTLY IS THAT THESE ARE ENTIRELY, AT THIS POINT, ENTIRELY UNITS THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE IDENTIFYING.

SO TO COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER'S POINT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING IN THE RANGE OF 50 TO 60,000 OPEN UNITS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHERE WE COULD HOUSE THE ENTIRE HOMELESS POPULATION SEVEN TIMES OVER RIGHT NOW.

UM, IF EVERYBODY COULD DO THIS TASK, BUT WE'RE NOT ONLY INCENTIVIZING THEM TO KIND OF GO DO THE WORK, I THINK THE FOUNDATIONAL

[00:50:01]

WE'VE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE TO DO AN ASSESSMENT AND TO WAIT, AND THEY DO AND THEY LISTEN TO US.

THEY GO WAIT UNDER A BRIDGE OR UNDER A TREE AND THEY DETERIORATE MM-HMM .

AND THAT IS JUST ABSOLUTELY A WASTE OF THEIR TIME AND ENERGY WHEN WE CAN NOW TELL THEM TO GO.

SO I'M GONNA STEAL A POP CULTURE REFERENCE SINCE DAVID ALREADY HAD ONE.

UH, MY POP CULTURE REFERENCE IS THE OFFICE.

AND IN THE OFFICE, MICHAEL SCOTT, UM, SAYS TO A GROUP OF SCHOOL CHILDREN, IF YOU CAN GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, I WILL PAY YOUR COLLEGE.

AND IT MOTIVATED THOSE KIDS TO GRADUATE.

NOW, HE DIDN'T PAY FOR THEIR COLLEGE, BUT HE MOTIVATED THEM TO ALL GRADUATE.

UM, WHAT MY TEAM STARTED DOING ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO IS WE JUST STARTED PROMISING PEOPLE, HEY, IF YOU CAN GO FIND YOURSELF A 12 MONTH UNIT, WE WILL PAY FOR YOU TO MOVE IN.

AND WHAT IT DID WAS MAKE THEM ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR OWN REHOUSING.

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME WE JUST SAW PEOPLE INSTEAD OF LEAVING TO GO SIT UNDER A BRIDGE OR LEAVING TO GO PUSH A CART, THEY LEFT TO GO TO APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND GO HIT 'EM UP AND TRY TO GET A UNIT.

AND THAT, THAT CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED.

UH, HAVING PEOPLE BE AN PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THEIR OWN REHOUSING IS SUCH A POWERFUL THING THAT WE HAVE NOT REALLY BEEN SEIZING ON IN THE PAST.

MM, VERY POWERFUL.

YEAH.

AND CERTAINLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE OUR CITY INVEST MORE, PARTICULARLY IN THIS VERY EFFECTIVE PROGRAM IS THIS.

UM, SO THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HOUSED THROUGH WAYFINDER, THEY DO NOT HAVE TO COMPLETE A COORDINATED ASSESSMENT.

THEY DON'T HAVE TO.

THEY CAN, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TO AND USUALLY DON'T.

AND, UH, THANK YOU.

MY NEXT QUESTION IS FOR DIRECTOR GRAY.

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF FOLKS REMAIN HOUSED THROUGH THE HOUSING CONNECTOR PROGRAM? UH, I'LL HAVE TO GET THAT DATA FROM HOUSING.

I DON'T HAVE IT READILY AVAILABLE.

I KNOW IT'S PRETTY HIGH.

I JUST DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC NUMBER RIGHT NOW, BUT I'LL GET THAT FOR YOU.

SURE.

AND THEN, UM, BECAUSE I KNOW IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU SAID THERE'S 40 PROPERTIES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED WITH LANDLORDS WHO ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH US ON GETTING PEOPLE HOUSED.

DO WE KNOW THE CAPACITY OF THOSE, UM, LANDLORD OR THOSE HOUSING PROPERTIES? LIKE DO THEY HAVE 10 UNITS EACH OR ANY SENSE OF HOW FAR WE COULD GO IN CONNECTING? OH, GOTCHA.

YEAH, I MEAN, SOME, SOME OF THE PROPERTIES LIST A COUPLE OF UNITS AT THEIR SITE.

SOME OF THEM LIST ALL AS THE UNITS BECOME OPEN.

SO I MIGHT BE A LANDLORD WITH A OVER A 50 UNIT, UH, APARTMENT COMMUNITY.

AS APARTMENTS BECOME AVAILABLE, UH, AND VACANT AND THEY'RE READY FOR A LEASE THROUGH MY HOUSING CONNECTOR PARTNERSHIP, I CAN EITHER LEASE THOSE KIND OF MARKET RATE ON, YOU KNOW, APARTMENTS.COM OR WHATEVER, OR I CAN, I CAN PUT 'EM UP AS AVAILABLE ON THE HOUSING CONNECTOR PLATFORM, WHICH THEN THE SERVICE PROVIDERS LIKE MARK AND OTHERS HAVE EXCLUSIVE ACCESS.

AND ON THAT PLATFORM IS WHERE SOMEBODY CAN APPLY AT A REDUCED RENT RATE AND ALSO WITH DIFFERENT SCREENING CRITERIA.

AND, AND THAT'S PART OF THE LANDLORD COMMITMENT IS BOTH MAKING THE UNIT AFFORDABLE AND ALSO MAKING IT MORE ACCESSIBLE.

SO WHEREAS FOR EVERYDAY PERSON LIKE DAVID, THEY MIGHT DO A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK, AND IF I HAVE, UH, MORE THAN ONE CRIMINAL OFFENSE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, THEN THEY'RE GONNA SCREAM ME OUT.

WHEREAS THROUGH HOUSING CONNECTOR, THEY MIGHT SAY, LOOK, WE'LL CONSIDER UP TO THREE AND THEY HAVE TO BE THE MOST SERIOUS OFFENSES, BUT IF IT'S THREE MISDEMEANORS, WE DON'T CARE.

WE'LL STILL CONSIDER YOUR APPLICATION.

UH, AND SO, SO HOUSING CONNECTOR MAKES THE RESOURCE AVAILABLE, THAT WAY THE UNITS GET LISTED AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.

MM-HMM .

SO IN TOTAL THERE'S ABOUT 8,000 UNITS THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO, BUT OF THAT 8,000, I THINK THE LAST TIME I CHECKED WITH SHAYNA, THERE'S MAYBE ABOUT 150 THAT WERE CURRENTLY LISTED ON THEIR PLATFORM.

NOW, I DO THINK, LIKE PASTOR MARK SAID, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF OUR RENTAL MARKET AND WHERE IT'S AT NOW, THERE'S A LOT OF SELF-MOTIVATED PEOPLE WHO ARE FINDING GREAT DEALS ON THEIR OWN.

THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT LANDLORDS OUT THERE WHO ARE OFFERING MOVE IN WITH SIX MONTHS OF FREE RENT.

AND SO FOR FOLKS WHO CAN AND, AND DO FIND THEIR OWN UNIT, IT'S A GREAT RESOURCE.

MM-HMM .

FOR HOUSING CONNECTOR, A LOT OF THEIR FOLKS TEND TO BE MAYBE YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO FIND AND NEGOTIATE AND, AND KIND OF REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES A GOOD UNIT.

AND SO THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A LIFEWORKS OR A CHANGE ONE, UH, AND A CASE MANAGER AND THAT CASE MANAGER IS WORKING WITH THE CLIENT USING THE HOW TO CONNECTOR PLATFORM TO IDENTIFY, UH, A HOUSING PROPERTY THAT WORKS FOR THEIR CLIENT AND THEN TO HELP THEIR CLIENT THROUGH THAT APPLICATION PROCESS.

DIRECT POINTS AND ASSISTS.

COLLEAGUES.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES.

VICE CHAIR FIRST, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND, UH, CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO CONNECTING WITH YOU, PASTOR MARK, UH, TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING.

I REALLY HAD ONE CLARIFICATION QUESTION AND, UH, ONE HISTORY QUESTION, AND I THINK THE CLARIFICATION QUESTION IS FOR, UH, DIRECTOR GRAY, YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT WHEN TALKING ABOUT HOUSING CONNECTOR, YOU USED A SPORTS ANALOGY FROM WHATEVER TENNIS OR ROWING OR WHATEVER IT WAS, UH,

[00:55:01]

I THINK I UNDERSTAND THE DIRECT POINTS, BUT CAN YOU EXPAND ON WHAT THE ASSISTS ARE? SURE.

THE, THE ASSIST COULD BE SOMETHING LIKE, LET'S SAY SOMEBODY CALLS, I'M GONNA USE PASTOR MARK AND, AND HIS TEAM AT SUNRISE AS AN EXAMPLE, UH, THIS ACTUALLY MIGHT BE TRUE, SO YOU CAN FACT CHECK ME ON THIS, BUT LET'S SAY SOMEBODY CALLS INTO THE, THE HOTLINE AND SAYS, HEY, YOU KNOW, I, I, I FOUND A UNIT THAT I'M READY TO MOVE INTO, UH, BUT I NEED HELP PAYING THE SECURITY DEPOSIT.

UH, IF PASTOR MARK'S, THAT'S THE HOUSING FUND, THAT'S THE $600,000 HOUSING FUND, RIGHT? THAT'S THE $600,000 HOUSING FUND.

SO PASTOR MARK TEAM, IF HE'S NOT ABLE TO FILL THAT GAP ON HIS OWN THROUGH THEIR PARTNERSHIP WITH HOUSING CONNECTOR HOUSE, A CONNECTOR THROUGH THE HOUSING FUND CAN CUT THAT CHECK, BUT IT'S COUNTED AS A SUNRISE PLACEMENT, BUT HOUSING CONNECTOR GETS THE ASSIST AND THAT, THAT'S THE BASKETBALL ANALOGY.

GOT IT.

BASKETBALL, SO THE DIRECT POINTS, UH, AND IT'S SORT OF LIKE A TWO-PRONGED PROGRAM WHERE YOU'VE GOT A WAY TO CONNECT WITH LANDLORDS AND THEN YOU'VE ALSO GOT THIS HOUSING FUND, UH, AS A SUPPLEMENTARY WAY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY, AND I THINK IT REALLY GETS BACK TO A POINT THAT PASTOR AND MARK SAID THAT WE DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT OF.

IT'S HOW DO YOU MAKE THE PROCESS EASIEST FOR THE CLIENT? AND RATHER THAN FORCE SUNRISE OR LIFEWORKS OR CARITAS OR A CC TO TELL SOMEBODY, HEY, YOU HAVE TO GO TALK TO HOUSING CONNECTOR AND SIGN UP FOR THEIR PROGRAM AND MEET WITH THEIR CASE MANAGER IN ORDER TO GET FUNDS.

IT'S A SIMPLE CALL FROM THE AGENCY TO THE OTHER AGENCY SAYING, I HAVE A CLIENT RIGHT NOW WHO'S READY TO MOVE IN.

CAN THEY TAP INTO YOUR FUNDS TO DO THE MOVE IN? AND HOUSING CONNECTOR IS CUTTING THE CHECK.

NOW PEOPLE CAN GO DIRECTLY TO HOUSING CONNECTOR AND RECEIVE THAT QUALITY OF SUPPORT TOO, IF THEY NEED IT.

BUT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THE SYSTEMS AS USEFUL FOR THE CLIENTS AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE IT, IT SAVES THE CLIENTS TIME, IT HELPS 'EM AVOID TRAUMA, AND FRANKLY, IT MAKES OUR SYSTEM MORE EFFICIENT, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT ALL OF US, UH, WANT.

UH, AN AUSTIN HOMELESS STRATEGIES AND OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT, UH, WE'VE DE WE'VE TAKEN A, A MORE HOLISTIC LOOK AT OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE'RE INVESTING TO, UH, MAKE THAT SYSTEM MORE BALANCED ACROSS ALL THE INTERVENTIONS.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME UNDERSTAND THAT.

THE HISTORY QUESTION IS, WHEN I GO BACK AND I LOOK AT THE 2020 BAR POP REPORT, IT PRETTY CLEARLY IN MY VIEW IDENTIFIES THAT, UH, DIVERSION IN PARTICULAR, BUT ALSO PREVENTION ARE FAR MORE ECONOMICAL AND PRETTY MUCH MOST OTHER APPROACHES.

AND SO I'M WONDERING, CAN YOU HELP ME, UM, FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, UNDERSTAND, WAS IT A CASE WHERE WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT THE SPECIFIC IMPLEMENTATION THAT'S TAKEN US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY? WHAT, WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE FIVE YEARS WHEN WE, WE KIND OF KNEW THAT THAT WAS THE ECONOMICAL WAY VERSUS WHERE WE'RE TODAY, WHERE WE'VE GOT PROGRAMS THAT LOOK LIKE THEY'RE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL AND COULD BE EXPANDED? UM, BUT THERE'S BEEN A GAP OF SEVERAL YEARS WHERE I'M NOT SURE I, I FULLY APPRECIATE WHAT THE JOURNEY HAS BEEN BETWEEN UNDERSTANDING THAT INFORMATION AND DELIVERING THE SOLUTIONS.

YES, SIR.

SO, SO I WAS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN DURING THOSE YEARS, BUT I WAS NOT IN THIS ROLE.

SO I'LL TELL YOU THE STORY.

AS THE STORY'S BEEN RELAYED TO ME, WHICH IS DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A REAL FOCUS ON, UH, FOLKS WHO ARE MEDICALLY VULNERABLE, FOLKS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, AND WANTING TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO GET THOSE FOLKS FIRST, UH, INTO PRO LODGES, OUR SYSTEM OF CARE, TO KEEP THEM KIND OF SAFE FROM THE COVID PANDEMIC, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

AND SO A LOT OF THE FOCUS AT THE TIME, UH, WENT INTO RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS AS A STRATEGY TO GET FOLKS, UH, REHOUSED QUICKLY, ESPECIALLY FOLKS WHO HAD BEEN THE MOST VULNERABLE AND, AND AND HOMELESS THE LONGEST.

UH, AND THEN AS WE RECEIVED FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WERE ONETIME DOLLARS, UH, STRATEGICALLY INVESTING THOSE ONETIME DOLLARS INTO ONETIME EFFORTS, WHICH IS HOW WE, UH, WOUND UP BUILDING A A LOT OF PSH AND NOW FUNDING A LOT OF, A LOT OF PSH SERVICES.

YOU KNOW, 30% OF OUR POPULATION IS CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.

UH, AND SO WE, WE HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT EXTREMELY VULNERABLE COMMUNITY.

UH, AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS THE ORIENTATION OF MY PREDECESSORS.

UH, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE COME IN, WE, WE HAVEN'T LOST SIGHT OF THAT GROUP.

WE'RE STILL INVESTING HEAVILY IN RAPID REHOUSING AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.

WE BUILT OVER 400 UNITS IN THE LAST YEAR.

WE HAVE OVER 700 STILL, UH, IN THE DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE.

BUT AGAIN, WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT FORCING PEOPLE TO BECOME EXTREMELY VULNERABLE BEFORE THEY CAN GET HELP.

UH, JUST LIKE THAT POPPY REPORT SAID FIVE YEARS AGO IS WHAT WE'RE SAYING TODAY, WHICH IS IF WE INVEST MORE IN THE UPSTREAM INTERVENTIONS, IT SAVED FOLKS A LOT OF TRAUMA.

UH, IT SAVES THE TAXPAYERS SOME RESOURCES AND IT KEEPS PEOPLE, PEOPLE OFF OF OUR STREETS, WHICH, WHICH ULTIMATELY IS, UH, THE IMPROVEMENT FOR EVERYBODY.

SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT, IT TOOK FIVE YEARS TO IMPLEMENT.

I JUST THINK PRIORITIES SHIFTED AS THE PANDEMIC HAPPENED.

BUT NOW THAT WE'RE COMING OUTTA THAT PANDEMIC AND YOU HAVE,

[01:00:01]

THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.

I APPRECIATE THAT CONTEXT.

THANK YOU, DAVID.

YES, SIR.

AND GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY FUTURE ITEMS THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS OR RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON AT A FUTURE COMMITTEE MEETING FOR ME, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST A BRIEFING ON BOND PRIORITIES FROM THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE PURVIEW OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE, WHICH INCLUDES AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AUSTIN ANIMAL SERVICES, HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY, OFFICE AND OPERATIONS, AS WELL AS THE AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

ALRIGHT, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I HAVE ONE QUESTION ACTUALLY.

SORRY.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED THIS DIVERSION PROGRAM, THE HOUSING CONNECTOR.

UM, THERE ARE OTHER DIVERSION PROGRAMS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, I'M MORE MORE FAMILIAR WITH, UM, LIFEWORKS, BUT I KNOW THEY'RE NOT ALSO THE ONLY ONES.

I'M CURIOUS WHAT TYPE OF OVERLAP YOU THINK, LIKE, LET'S JUST SAY WE POURED IT ALL INTO WAYFINDER.

HOW MUCH OVERLAP DO YOU HAVE WITH THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE DIVERGENT SERVICES THEY'RE PRO PROVIDING? YEAH, I, I THINK THAT WAS DIRECTED AT ME, BUT I'LL TAKE IT.

UM, AND THIS ACTUALLY IS AN, AN, UH, AN ANSWER I I ALMOST JUMPED IN TO ANSWER, UM, COUNCILMAN CHEN'S QUESTION BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A TIE IN HERE AND THAT IS THAT THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW CONCEPT IN HOMELESS HOUSING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THIS IS NOT THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF DIVERSION AND RAPID EXIT IS SO NEW THAT WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS THEY LITERALLY JUST STARTED, THEY SWITCHED THE DEFINITIONS OF WHAT THEY WERE TWO YEARS AGO, JUST RANDOMLY.

IT'S SUCH A NEW CONCEPT THAT WE ARE VERY MUCH, WE, WE TALK WITH FOLKS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

AUSTIN IS VERY MUCH ON THE FRONT EDGE OF THIS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE GETTING PHONE CALLS FROM OTHER CITIES.

THIS IS, THIS IS VERY INNOVATIVE WORK AND TO YOUR POINT, IT MAYBE SHOULDN'T BE INNOVATIVE WORK, BUT IN HOMELESS SERVICES SOMETIMES SIMPLE SOLUTIONS ARE INNOVATIVE, UM, AND COST, COST, UH, REASONABILITY DECISIONS ARE FAIRLY INNOVATIVE, UNFORTUNATELY.

UM, SO WE ARE LEADING THE WAY.

I, I THINK THAT THAT, THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD SAY.

THE OTHER PIECE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION IS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CENTRALIZATION FIVE YEARS AGO TO PULL THIS OFF.

THIS SORT OF A SYSTEM FOR THE SYSTEM TO WORK OR FOR A PREVENTION SYSTEM WORK, YOU NEED A CENTRALIZED CENTRAL ACCESS POINT.

AND UNTIL THE HOTLINE EXISTED, WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE THAT AS A COMMUNITY.

AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S CHANGED THE GAME TO ENABLE US TO HAVE THE, THE, THE TRACKS FOR THESE TRAINS TO RUN ON, UM, OR THE, OR THE, THE BACKBONE FOR THIS.

UM, UH, BUT I, I THINK THAT, I'M SORRY, CAN, CAN I ASK YOUR QUESTION AGAIN? JUST, JUST WONDERING LIKE IF, IF HOW MUCH YOU TOOK CARE OF EVERYONE.

YES, THANK YOU.

YOU THINK QUESTION HOW MUCH THE OTHER PROVIDERS OVERLAP.

YEAH, SO, SO WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY TO THAT IS THIS DIVERSION MEANS VERY DIFFERENT THINGS TO VERY EV PRETTY MUCH EVERY ORGANIZATION.

THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS. IT'S KIND OF LIKE ONE OF THOSE CATCHPHRASES THAT A LOT OF MEANS, A LOT OF THINGS LIKE TRAUMA CAN MEAN MANY DIFFERENT THINGS TO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

UM, AND DIVERSION IS ONE OF THOSE WORDS.

AND SO, UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF DIVERSION.

SOME PEOPLE COUNT DIVERSION AS THINGS YOU DO FOR PEOPLE WHILE THEY'RE STILL HOUSED.

WE CALL THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY MOSTLY PREVENTION.

BUT THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT CALL IT THAT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH DIVERSION CENTER IN OUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? THEY ARE NOT DOING ANY OF THE STUFF WAYFINDERS DOING.

THAT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DEFINITION OF THE WORD DIVERSION.

I ACTUALLY STOPPED USING THE WORD DIVERSION 'CAUSE IT WAS SO CONFUSING TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE TALKED TO.

AND WE JUST STARTED USING THE WORD, UH, RAPID EXIT, UH, OR USING QUICK RESOLUTION TERM TERMINOLOGY BECAUSE IT'S SO CONFUSING.

THE OTHER PIECES WITHIN HOMELESSNESS THAT DIVERSION CAN MEAN, FOR INSTANCE, TUF HAS A VERY GOOD PROGRAM CALLED GOING HOME, BUT THEIR PROGRAM IS ENTIRELY, UH, PUTTING PEOPLE ON TRAINS AND PLANES TO SEND THEM TO FAMILY MEMBERS.

THAT IS DIVERSION, BUT IT'S NOT WHAT WE DO.

MOSTLY WHAT WE DO IS, IS IS KIND OF PAYING PEOPLE'S MOVE IN FEES.

AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY'RE ALL CALLED DIVERSION.

WHAT LIFEWORKS CALLS DIVERSION ACTUALLY IS, IS A, IS A DIFFERENT THING ALTOGETHER THAN EITHER OF THOSE TWO THINGS.

SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES HERE IS THAT YES, THERE IS CROSSOVER AND YES, WE DO HAND PEOPLE OFF TO EACH OTHER WHEN NECESSARY.

PROBABLY THE ONLY OTHER VERSION OF DIVERSION IN THE COMMUNITY THAT'S SIMILAR TO OURS AS WE CAN NOW, WE CAN NOW IS ACTUALLY RECENTLY DEVELOPED A PROGRAM THAT'S FAIRLY SIMILAR TO OURS.

UM, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME SIMILAR, UM, SOME SIMILAR THOUGHT PARTNERS.

UM, BUT I WILL SAY DIVERSION CAN MEAN VERY DIFFERENT THINGS ACROSS THE BOARD.

UM, BUT WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THAT THOSE OF US WHO WORK IN THE FAMILY SPACE ESPECIALLY HAVE FOUND, AND THIS IS LIFEWORKS AND SAFE AND SUNRISE AND A FEW OTHERS, UM, WE HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS VERY MUCH THE THING THAT IS, THAT IS OUR NEW STRATEGY.

IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING HOW WHEN YOU TALK TO LIFEWORKS, WHEN YOU TALK TO SAFE, WHEN YOU TALK TO SUNRISE, ALL OF US ARE SHIFTING OUR PROGRAMS IN THIS DIRECTION.

IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT EVEN, IT'S NOT EVEN SOMETHING THAT DAVID'S TELLING US TO DO.

WE'RE JUST ALL NATURALLY GOING THIS DIRECTION BECAUSE IT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE FEEL LIKE IN A SYSTEM WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES AND ANTICIPATE FEDERAL CHANGES.

THIS IS THE WAY, UM, AND, AND WE'RE ALL KIND OF NATURALLY INCLINING IN THAT DIRECTION ANYWAYS, BUT DIVERSION MEANS DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WHICH IS WHY WE CALL IT WAYFINDER.

SURE.

WELL, AND I, I LOVE THAT IT IS SERVING OUR FAMILIES AND YOU KNOW, PUTTING FOUR PEOPLE IN A UNIT FOR A SIMILAR COST OF PUTTING ONE

[01:05:01]

OR TWO PEOPLE.

UM, AND, AND JUST THEIR, THE FUTURE OF THAT FAMILY, UH, CAN'T GO TO STAY UNSTATED AND UNDERSTATED.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR THE, UH, INSIGHT COLLEAGUES.

WE ARE NOW GONNA GO, UM, BACK TO OUR SOBERING CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTOR INTERVIEWS.

BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT

[6. Identify items to be discussed at future meetings.]

IF WE CAN PLEASE ADD THAT TO OUR NEXT COMMITTEE AGENDA.

ANYTHING ELSE? GREAT IDEA.

UH, TAKE A PAUSE ON ITEM NUMBER TWO AND TAKE THIS CONVERSATION OF DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON APPOINTMENTS TO THE SOBERING CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

SO WE ARE GOING TO NOW,

[Executive Session (Part 2 of 2)]

THE COMMITTEE WILL NOW GO INTO CLOSED SESSION TO TAKE UP ONE ITEM PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 5 1 0.074, THE GOVERNMENT CODE.

THE COMMITTEE WILL DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO THE DISCUSSION OF THE SELECTION OF A MEMBER TO THE SOBERING CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION INTO GOING INTO CLOSED SESSION? UH, SEEING NONE, THE COMMITTEE WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

ALL RIGHT, WE ARE OUT OF CLOSED SESSION.

IN CLOSED SESSION, WE DISCUSSED PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

[2. Discussion and possible action regarding the appointment of a member to the Sobering Center Local Government Corporation Board of Directors.]

WE ARE RESUMING ON ITEM NUMBER TWO.

JUST WANNA THANK COLLEAGUES FOR THE GREAT CONVERSATION AND DISCUSSION DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION.

WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW TO INTERVIEW APPLICANTS FOR THE SOBERING CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

UM, THE COMMITTEE WILL NOW MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE APPOINTMENT FOR THE SOBERING CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WHICH WILL THEN GO TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.

YES.

UH, AND IF I MAY, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, NOMINATE INDIA GARDNER AS OUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE POLL COUNCIL.