* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:06] GOOD [CALL TO ORDER ] EVENING COMMISSIONERS. GOOD. UH, IT IS 6 36 AND I AM CALLING THIS MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO ORDER. REMEMBER, THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMISSION IS TO ADVISE THIS, THE COUNCIL AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE, UH, IN ATTENDANCE COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC AND PRESENTERS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. [PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ] WE ARE GOING TO START WITH OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION. REMEMBER, IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK, UH, AT PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, THE FIRST 10 SPEAKERS THAT SIGN UP PRIOR TO THE MEETING BEING CALLED TO ORDER, WE'LL EACH BE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS REGARDING ITEMS THAT ARE NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA. SO, MIGUEL, DO WE HAVE SPEAKERS FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? YES, SIR. CHAIR IN PERSON. WE HAVE MS. ANGELINA ALANISE. OKAY. WELCOME MS. ALANISE. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. HELLO, MY NAME'S ANGELINA ALANISE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WHERE EVERYONE SAID MY LAST NAME CORRECTLY BE. SO THAT WAS, THANK YOU. UM, I DIDN'T PREPARE, BUT I'M HERE FROM BEST BEACH FOOD FOREST. FORGIVE ME. WE'VE GONE TO A LOT OF MEETINGS, UM, AROUND SOME RECENT DEVELOPMENTS WHERE WE WEREN'T NOTIFIED THAT THERE WOULD BE CONSTRUCTION IN OUR PARKLAND FESTIVAL. BEACH FOOD FOREST SITS AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF I 35 IN LAKE AUSTIN, SO RIGHT NEXT TO 35. UM, IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY IMPACTFUL PLACE TO BE DOING THIS KIND OF WORK. WE'RE BRINGING MEDICINAL AND EDIBLE LANDSCAPING THAT'S TOTALLY FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AT ALL TIMES. VOLUNTEERS HAVE PLANTED HUNDREDS OF FRUIT AND NUT TREES, THOUSANDS OF OTHER MEDICINAL HERBS AND PLANTS IN THE GROUND, UM, AND ALMOST ENTIRELY VOLUNTEERS. WE HAVE ONE PAID LAND STEWARD. UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH OUR FISCAL SPONSOR, FRUIT OF COMMONS TO GET SOME MORE PAID WORK AND BE PART OF THE GREEN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THROUGH SOME FEDERAL FUNDING THAT THEY RECEIVED, UM, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR. UM, SO WITH THAT IN MIND, UH, SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS WHEN WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS HAVE BEEN TO ELEVATE OUR CONCERNS TO COUNCIL. THIS WAS WORK THAT WAS CITY APPROVED AND CITY FUNDED. WE USED URBAN FOREST GRANT MONEY. UM, WE PASSED SEVERAL RESOLUTIONS AND LEGAL BIND LEGALLY BINDING AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITY AROUND THE DESIGN AND THE WORK THAT WE'D BE DOING. AND ALL OF THIS WAS LIKE INDIRECT CONFLICT WITH CONSTRUCTION WORK THAT THE CITY SIMULTANEOUSLY APPROVED. AND SO IT'S REALLY GREAT THAT COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS ARE PASSING THESE WONDERFUL RESOLUTIONS AND PLANS TO BEAUTIFY A PUBLIC PARKLAND. IT'S EVEN BETTER THAT VOLUNTEERS ARE DOING THAT WORK, BUT IF WE'RE NOT, UM, KEEPING THESE THINGS AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MIND AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE PASSING THROUGH THE NEEDED DEPARTMENTS, UM, A LOT OF VOLUNTEER LABOR IS GONNA GET DESTROYED IN THIS CASE, AND WE'RE REALLY WORRIED THAT IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. UM, WE DID HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS OF REVIEW WITH THE CITY TO TRY TO CODIFY WHAT WE WERE GONNA DO IN THE PARKLAND, AND IT STILL DIDN'T MATTER. UM, SO I'M LIKE, I THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT ALL THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, AND I JUST WANNA WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, DON'T HAVE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. AND YEAH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, YEAH, UH, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION. UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT IT WAS YOUR, THE FOOD FOREST IS ON, ON CITY OWNED LAND, AND WERE Y'ALL INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS AS THEY WERE, I GUESS, ALLOWING TXDOT TO, UM, BUILD OR TO DEVELOP THERE? YEAH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO TECH DO. WE'VE ACTUALLY, THIS IS DEFINITELY LIKE A, A FAILURE OF MULTIPLE PARTIES, THE STATE AND THE CITY. UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO TECH DOT, WE'VE HAD QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH THEM FOR THE PAST 18 MONTHS, AND THEY TOLD US REPEATEDLY THAT THEY DIDN'T NEED TO, UM, THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR NOISE AND DUST AND LIMITED PARKING. SO TRENCHING WAS NEVER MENTIONED, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE GONNA BE TRENCHING DIRECTLY ON CITY PARKLAND. UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT SURVEY THAT THEY DID INCLUDED US BY NAME 40 TIMES. IT NEVER MENTIONED THIS. UM, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THAT'S BECAUSE THESE SURVEYS DON'T HAVE TO INCLUDE CITY UTILITY RELOCATIONS THAT ARE DONE AS A RESULT OF THE CONSTRUCTION. UM, SO I THINK MAYBE THAT'S ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE COULD CHANGE SOME OF OUR PROCEDURES. I'M NOT SURE LIKE THE OVERLAP THERE. AND THEN ONE OTHER THING THAT WE'VE SAW SEEN IS THAT A BOARD, UM, AN ENGINEER WAS SENT TO TESTIFY IN FRONT OF A BOARD, AND THAT WAS A CONTRACTED ENGINEER FROM TXDOT WHO DIDN'T ACTUALLY HAVE EYES ON THE GROUND OF THIS PIECE OF PARKLAND AND DIDN'T HAVE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE CITY. AND SO WE'RE PUSHING FOR MAKING IT, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAINST THE RULES TO HAVE LIKE OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS [00:05:01] TESTING IN FRONT OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. I THINK THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT MAYBE Y'ALL COULD LOOK AT TOO. SO YOU'RE NEVER MISDIRECTED BECAUSE OUR COMMISSIONER DIRECTLY ASKED THE ENGINEER IF THIS WOULD IMPACT OUR SITE AND THAT ENGINEER TOLD THEM IT WOULD NOT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND, UH, YEAH, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO BE, KEEP TALKING ABOUT, UM, IN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THESE GREEN SPACES. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IS ON IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO, YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MIGUEL. DO WE HAVE OTHER SPEAKERS? UM, I DO NOT SEE ANY IN THE LOBBY AT THIS TIME. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, SO WE CLOSE THAT THE PART OF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, [APPROVAL OF MINUTES ] UH, AND WE WILL GO ON TO OUR APPROVAL OF MINUTES, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER ONE. WE WILL, UH, APPROVE THE MINUTES OF, WE WILL VOTE ON APPROVING THE MINUTES OF THE CDC D'S REGULAR MEETING FROM JANUARY 13TH, 2026. COMMISSIONERS, YOUR, UH, PACKET INCLUDES THE MINUTES FROM LAST MEETING. PLEASE, UH, QUICKLY, LET'S GO OVER THEM AND LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY EDITS OR ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE. CHAIR. WE DID RECEIVE ONE, UM, OMISSION THAT WE HAD AND WE'RE CORRECTING IT. UM, IT WAS FROM COMMISSIONER MENARD AND IT WAS ABOUT, UM, MARIA SANCHEZ, UH, AND FROM BODED, A SMALL ENCAPSULATION OF HER PUBLIC COMMENTS. AND WE ARE ADDING THAT TO THE FINAL DRAFT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND AS YOU LOOK THROUGH IT, IF YOU'RE READY, UH, LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, UH, WITH THAT CHANGE THAT MIGUEL JUST NOTED, I MOVE TO APPROVE, UH, VICE CHAIR MOVES TO APPROVE. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? YEAH, I SECOND COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER VOIA SECONDS. UH, LET'S TAKE A VOTE. IF YOU'RE ON VIRTUALLY, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERAS. UH, RAISE YOUR HAND IF, OR SAY I IF YOU APPROVE, UH, THE MINUTES OF LAST MEETING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MIGUEL. SO THOSE MINUTES ARE APPROVED. LET'S GO ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM. ITEM [2. Staff briefing regarding Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) activities and outcomes. Presentation by Angel Zambrano, Program Manager III, Austin Public Health.] NUMBER TWO. IT'S OUR MONTHLY BRIEFING REGARDING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT, THE CSBG, UH, ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES PRESENTED BY ANKIN ANO, PROJECT MANAGER FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH. WELCOME, HIL. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. GOOD TO BE HERE. ALRIGHT, UH, I'LL GET RIGHT INTO IT. IT'LL BE PRETTY BRIEF TODAY. AND, UM, KIND OF WRAPPING UP 2025 CONTRACT, AND I'LL GIVE YOU SOME DATA AND SOME BRIGHT SPOTS IN THE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATES. UH, SO WE'LL GET STARTED. UH, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT FUNDS THE DELIVERY OF SERVICES TO LOW INCOME PEOPLE HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY, PLUS ALL 253 OTHER COUNTIES. OUR MISSION IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT IMPROVES THE LIVES AND HEALTH OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING POVERTY BY PROVIDING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, AND CONNECTING RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES CAN DO IT THROUGH A VARIETY OF WAYS. WE PROVIDE BASIC NEEDS SERVICES, PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING PROGRAMS, UH, CASE MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS THROUGH OUR SOCIAL WORK SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. IF YOU GO TO THE BOTTOM OF PAGE ONE, UM, WE'RE WRAPPING UP OUR 2025 EXPENDITURES THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST. WE HAD EXPENDED 96% OF THAT GRANT. UH, I BELIEVE IT'S FULLY EXPENDED NOW WHEN I REPORT NEXT MONTH. IF YOU GO TO PAGE TWO, I'LL JUST FOCUS ON A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE. AS YOU KNOW, PART OF OUR, UM, GRANTOR'S GOAL IS TO TRANSITION 41 INDIVIDUALS OUT OF POVERTY. UH, WITH OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM PER CALENDAR YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO TRANSITION 49. SO WE EXCEEDED THAT GOAL. UM, THE STATE WAS VERY HAPPY. I THINK WE WERE ONE OF A FEW, UH, COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES THAT ACHIEVE THEIR TRANSITIONS OUT OF POVERTY GOAL IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. UM, IF YOU GO DOWN TO OUR IMMUNIZATIONS AGAIN, I KNOW THAT FLU IS VERY HIGH AGAIN HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. UH, SO PLEASE PROTECT SELVES WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN PUBLIC. UH, OUR NURSES WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE 517 VACCINES TO UNINSURED OR, UH, UNINSURED OR LOW, LOW INSURED, UH, FAMILIES. UH, OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION, [00:10:01] UH, ABOUT 83,000 PEOPLE WERE, UH, SERVED THIS PAST YEAR AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS. UM, IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF PAGE ONE, OR, OR THIS PAGE, ACTUALLY THE TOP OF PAGE TWO, UH, THE SOUTH AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, UM, CONTINUES TO BE CLOSED FOR SOME MAJOR HVAC RENOVATIONS. IT'S BEEN PRETTY FRUSTRATING, BUT, UH, THEY'RE, THEY FOUND SOME, SOME OTHER ISSUES THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH. SO THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THOSE ADDRESSED. HOPEFULLY WE CAN REOPEN IN MAY. ROSA OSA WILL ACTUALLY BE REOPENING IN EARLY MARCH. THEY DID OPEN AND HAD TO CLOSE AGAIN FOR A COUPLE OF, UM, UH, EXTRA RENOVATIONS THEY HAD TO DO. I'LL FOCUS ON NUMBER THREE HERE. UH, WE HAVE A SMALL RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UH, THROUGH GENERAL FUNDS FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN. IN THE PAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST A TOTAL OF, UH, 265 HOUSEHOLDS, AVOID EVICTION AT 604 PEOPLE WHO WERE ABLE TO STAY HOUSED, UH, IN 2025 BECAUSE OF OUR PROGRAM. AND THAT AMOUNTED TO ALMOST $780,000 IN RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND AVERAGES TO ABOUT $3,000 PER HOUSEHOLD. IT DOES VARY BETWEEN TWO AND $10,000. IT DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION AND THE NEED, UM, FOR EACH FAMILY. IF YOU GO DOWN TO NUMBER SIX, AGAIN, JUST A SHOUT OUT TO OUR, UM, SELF-SUFFICIENCY SOCIAL WORKERS. AGAIN, THEY EXCEEDED THE STATE'S GOAL OF 41 TOPS. UH, NUMBER SEVEN IS THE BIGGEST BRIGHT SPOT TODAY. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE HOUSE PASSED A SPENDING PACKAGE TO END THE SHORT TERM PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THIS PAST WEEK. UH, HOW THAT AFFECTED US IS THAT, UM, WE HAVE FUNDING THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR FOR CSPG. SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS KIND OF A QUESTION MARK UNTIL, UH, PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED THIS PACKAGE UNTIL LAW ON FEBRUARY 3RD. SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD FOR THIS YEAR. AS YOU ALL KNOW, OUR CSPG FUNDING, UH, REALLY IMPACTS AND HELPS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, UNDER 200% OF POVERTY. SO IT'S ACTUALLY THE POOREST OF THE POOR IN AUSTIN. AND THEN I HAVE A SUCCESS STORY THAT YOU CAN READ ON YOUR OWN, BUT IT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT COMES FROM ONE OF OUR SOCIAL WORKERS. UM, I'LL TRY TO BRING SOME NURSING STORIES IN THE FUTURE AS WELL. 'CAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER, UH, PROGRAM THAT HAS A LOT OF SUCCESS, HELPING FOLKS NAVIGATE, YOU KNOW, THE WORLD OF HEALTH AND TRY TO FIND A MEDICAL HOME, TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR HEALTH, REDUCE THEIR BLOOD PRESSURE, UH, A LOT OF DIABETES EDUCATION, THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S IT FOR TODAY. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? YES. UH, THANK YOU UNCLE. UH, COMMISSIONERS. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR UNCLE? QUICK ONE ON HAL. HI, IT'S TISHA. UH, PLANNING AHEAD FOR SUMMER. ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO HAVE FANS AVAILABLE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTERS OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS? EXCUSE ME. UH, YES. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. BUT, UH, EVERY YEAR WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, FAMILY ELDER CARE TO PROVIDE FANS TO OUR, UH, COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF FOLKS WHO DON'T HAVE AIR CONDITIONING AND NEED THESE FANS TO KIND OF STAY SAFE. UH, AND EVEN THOSE THAT DO HAVE AIR CONDITIONING, BUT WANNA SAVE, UH, MONEY ON THEIR UTILITY COSTS. AND YOU CAN'T SPOTLIGHT YOUR OPEN HOUSES. SO GONNA BE THE SPOT FOR YOU. YES. HIGHLIGHT YOUR OPEN HOUSES. IT WAS IN MY HEAD AND I THOUGHT I SENT THE EMAIL TO YOU ALL, BUT SINCE YOU BROUGHT IT UP, WE ARE HAVING AN OPEN HOUSE AND THE EMAIL, I THINK WENT OUT TO THE WHOLE BOARD. PLEASE COME. UH, IT'S GONNA BE UP ON TOP LIST THIS TIME AROUND, AND IN MARCH IT'S GONNA BE ONLINE. SO IT MIGHT BE EASIER FOR SOME OF YOU TO JUST COME ONLINE AND, AND, UH, LISTEN TO. IT'S A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION. THE ONE WE HAD LAST MONTH WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. WE HAD A LOT OF, UH, INTEREST FROM, UH, TRAINING GROUPS, NON-PROFITS THAT HELP PEOPLE WITH WORK, UM, DEVELOPMENT AND PLACEMENT. SO, UH, HOPEFULLY THAT'LL, THAT'LL TURN INTO A REFERRAL SOURCE FOR US. YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR HIL? DID EVERYONE ELSE GET THE EMAIL TO YOUR, YOUR BOARD AND COMMISSION'S? EMAIL? YEAH. CHECKING. YEAH, CHECK AGAIN, BUT I CAN SEND IT AGAIN, MIGUEL HERE. AND, UH, WE CAN, UH, HAVE IT SENT OUT ONE MORE TIME. YES, PLEASE DO. OKAY. YEAH. SO AN ANGEL ON THE CLOSING OF NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, UM, ESPECIALLY THE UNEXPECTED ONES. UM, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH LIKE, TRANSPORTATION, TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, PEOPLE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, DEPEND ON PUBLIC TRANSIT? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM AREN'T LIKE FROM THE SOUTH AUSTIN. I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE THE NEAREST ONE WOULD BE. BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, YOU KNOW, DISTANCE IS A BIG ISSUE. THAT'S A GOOD [00:15:01] QUESTION. WE DO HAVE BUS PASSES, SO IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THAT, THEY DO REQUIRE ELIGIBILITY SCREENING, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT VERY EXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S JUST PART OF THE FUNDING. SO WE DO THAT WITH BUD PASS BUS PASSES. WE ALSO HAVE, UM, STAFF STILL DO, UH, SOME FOOD EVENTS ON THE PARKING LOT, ESPECIALLY AT SOUTH AUSTIN. THEY'VE CONTINUED TO DO THAT THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE CLOSURE. AT ROSEWOOD, THE SAME THING THEY'VE DONE. THEY'VE PARTNERED WITH, UH, CONING GUERRERO, UH, DAY CENTER RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET THERE, UH, TO PROVIDE SERVICES, UH, STILL. SO WE, WE STILL HAVE A PRESENCE, UH, BUT DEFINITELY IT IS, I'M SURE IT IS IMPACTING SOME FOLKS. UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. DO WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTIONS FOR OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, AND UH, WE'LL WAIT FOR THAT EMAIL AND THEN WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH. YEAH. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. TAKE CARE. ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU. WE HAVE MORE COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE JOINED US. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, WE ARE MOVING [3. Staff briefing regarding Austin Housing activities and programs. Presentation by Nefertitti Jackmon, Community Displacement Prevention Officer, Austin Housing. ] ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE. THIS IS A STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING, UM, AUSTIN HOUSING ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS, UM, PRESENTED BY NEFERTITI JACKMAN CHAIR. WE HAVE A, UM, NEFERTITI, UNFORTUNATELY COULDN'T MAKE IT TODAY. UM, AND SO WE HAVE CALEB BROWN, ONE OF OUR MANAGERS, AND I'LL LET HIM INTRODUCE HIMSELF. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. WELCOME, CALEB. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CALEB BROWN. I'M THE NEWLY MINTED, UH, DIVISION MANAGER FOR HOME REPAIR, UH, UNDER NEFERTITI JACKMAN, UH, DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION. SO IT'S SO NICE TO MEET YOU ALL. UH, SHE COULD NOT MAKE IT, SO I'M THE SUBSTITUTE TONIGHT, , BUT, UH, BUT NONETHELESS, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME. UM, MY DIVISION IS, UH, CALLED HOME REPAIR. UH, WE HAVE ABOUT SEVEN PROGRAMS TECHNICALLY. UH, WE SAY SIX, BUT IT'S SEVEN. UM, OUR OBJECTIVE IS, IS TO HANDLE DISPLACEMENT BY ALLOWING CITIZENS TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES. UM, MOST HOMES, UH, BEGIN TO DECAY OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME. AND WHEN A CITIZEN FINDS HIMSELF IN A SITUATION, TYPICALLY IT'S 80% MFI AND BELOW. UM, SOMETIMES WE DO DO A HUNDRED PERCENT. THOSE ARE FOR AUSTIN, UH, WATER, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE PROGRAMS. BUT WE HELP, UH, WITH CERTAIN REPAIRS SUCH AS FOUNDATION, STRUCTURAL ISSUES, AND EVEN A DA ACCESSIBILITY FOR OUR OLDER, UH, SENIOR CITIZENS. AND SO, UH, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM, UH, WHICH WHAT FIRST ONE, FIRST, RIGHT? SHOULD BE THE RIGHT, OH, TO THE RIGHT. THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. SO HERE ARE THE REPAIR PROGRAMS. WE HAVE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES. UH, SOME ARE FEDERAL, SOME ARE BY OUR, UH, GO BONDS AND OTHERS IS BY OTHER AGENCIES SUCH AS AUSTIN WATERS. UM, IF YOU SEE TO THE LEFT OUR CDBG FUNDING, UM, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL A BRR OR A BRO. UH, THESE, I'M USING THE ACRONYMS, ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL. THESE ARE MAINLY FOR A DA ACCESSIBILITY, UM, ALLOWING CITIZENS WHO NEED THAT, UM, HELP, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT, BECAUSE IT DOES, IT IS PRETTY COSTLY TO MAKE A UNIT A DA. AND SO WE HAVE PROGRAMS FOR THAT AS WELL AS NEXT WE HAVE A, A WONDERFUL PROGRAM, HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM, HRLP. UH, THIS HAPPENS WHEN A HOUSE IS, UH, SOLD DILAPIDATED, WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE ACTUALLY. UM, D DEMOED. WHAT WE DO, WE ACTUALLY, UH, DEMOLISH THE PROPERTY AS FAR AS THE HOUSING, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY COME BACK AND WE RECONSTRUCT IT, WE DEMO IT, AND WE RECONSTRUCT IT. AND IT'S ALLOWING THE CITIZEN TO NOW HAVE A BRAND NEW HOME, UH, IN THAT LOCATION. AND, UM, THE PROGRAM IS PRETTY INTERESTING BECAUSE WE HAVE A 0% INTEREST RATE, AND WE HAVE A 0% PRINCIPLE THAT YOU PAY, UH, FOR BETWEEN 15 TO 20 YEARS. SO WHEN I SAY PAY, THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO PAY. UH, BUT WE DO HAVE A LIEN ON THE, UH, UH, PROPERTY. BUT AFTER THAT 15 YEARS OR 20 YEARS IS, UH, FINISHED, EXPIRED, UH, IT'S TRANSFERRED COMPLETELY. I'M SORRY. THE LIEN IS COMPLETELY REMOVED, UH, FROM THE PROPERTY, AND THE CITIZEN HAS THE PROPERTY FREE AND CLEAR. AND SO TO CONTINUE ON, WE HAVE MINOR HOME REPAIR. UH, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE MAIN REASON WHY THAT WAS, UH, BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE WAS BECAUSE OF THE FREEZE THE PIPES AND ITEMS LIKE THAT. IT WAS KIND OF TO BE EMERGENCY FUND, UH, THAT YOU CAN SEE UNDER CDBG. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR FAMOUS GO REPAIR. UM, BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, BUT THAT ONE HELPS US TO DO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FIX FROM ROOFS, UH, TO STRUCTURAL ISSUES TO, UH, SHEET ROCK, UH, TO FLOORING. UM, WE CAN, UH, WE HAVE A VARIETY OF, UH, WAYS WE CAN GO. AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, ONE FROM AUSTIN WATER, I'M SORRY, TWO FROM AUSTIN. WATER PLUMBING AND PLAC. UH, PLUMBING IS THAT FAMOUS ONE WHEN YOUR PIPE'S BUSTING YOUR HOUSE, AND WE HAVE SOME ISSUES GOING ON. UH, WHAT HAPPENS IS PLUMBING ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE [00:20:01] TO USE THAT PROGRAM FOR ALL INTERNAL PLUMBING ISSUES. PLA IS FOR ALL LATERAL ISSUES OUTSIDE OF THE HOME, UH, CONNECTING WITH THE CITY. AND SO BOTH PROGRAMS WORK, UH, WONDERFUL FOR OUR, UH, CITIZENS. UH, BUT IT, THE FUNDING THERE IS PROVIDED BY AUSTIN WATER. UM, SO I'LL CONTINUE FORWARD. UH, WE'LL START WITH AUSTIN WATER FUNDING. UM, SO WE HAVE KPIS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO ACHIEVE EVERY YEAR AND EVERY YEAR WE'RE GIVEN A NEW SET OF, UH, KPIS. UH, RIGHT NOW PLUMBING, UH, WE HAVE A 15, UH, YEAR GOAL. AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 13 THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED, AND WE HAVE 12 IN, UH, PROCESSING P LAT. UH, WE JUST STARTED, UH, GETTING, UM, GOING WITH THAT ONE. UH, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FREEZE. WE STARTED GETTING SOME MORE CALLS. UH, WE HAVE A 15, UM, A 15 UNIT KPI. UH, WE DON'T HAVE MANY IN PROCESS RIGHT NOW, BUT I ASSUME THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SOME MORE. WE HAVE BEEN GETTING PHONE CALLS, GETTING SOME PEOPLE PROCESSED. AS I CONTINUE FORWARD. WE HAVE OUR PLUMBING. UM, THE REASON WHY WE HAVE THE WORD NONPROFIT UP THERE IS BECAUSE WE WORK WITH OUR NONPROFITS, UM, TO, UH, GET, UH, DIFFERENT CITIZENS INVOLVED BECAUSE THEY HAVE A GREATER REACH. UH, THEY DO THE ELIGIBILITY AS WELL AS WE GET WITH THEM TO, UH, GET THE CONTRACTORS. SO THEY REALLY HELP US WITH THE PROCESS. UM, PLUMBING, I BELIEVE THAT I MIGHT HAVE MISTAKENLY, I FORGOT TO GO THROUGH THAT NUMBER, DID I? OH, NO, I DID. I ALREADY DID. SORRY ABOUT THAT. UM, WE HAVE ALLOTTED AMOUNT OF $350,000 THAT IS GIVEN TO US BY AUSTIN WATER FOR PLUMBING AND 200,000 THAT IS GIVEN FOR PLAD. AND SO, AS YOU CAN SEE UP THERE, THAT IS ACTUALLY SHOWING, UH, THE NONPROFITS THAT WE HAVE IN, UH, INVOLVED, UM, DIFFERENT CONTRACTS. THEY HAVE ALREADY CLOSED, UH, NUMBERS THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY, UH, OBTAINED SO FAR IN THIS PHYSICAL YEAR. OUR FEDERAL FUNDING PROGRAMS, UH, CDBG, THESE ARE THE PROGRAMS, UM, THAT WE HAVE UNDER CDBG. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, UM, DUE TO THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, UH, ECONOMIC CLIMATE, UH, THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON A FEDERAL LEVEL, WE DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO FUNDINGS AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR PHYSICAL YEAR. UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY JUST STARTING TO GET ACCESS TO THESE FUNDINGS, UH, THIS MONTH. AND SO THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE, UH, ARE GOING TO REFLECT THAT. UH, RIGHT NOW YOU CAN SEE THE KPIS FOR OUR A-B-R-O-A-B-R-R, UH, THE KPIS 60 AND 70, BUT YOU DON'T SEE ANY INPRO OR ANY AT CLOSE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO FUNDING UNTIL, WELL, AGAIN, THIS MONTH. UM, HRLP, LUCKILY WE HAD SOME FUNDING THAT WAS RESERVED, SO WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, KEEP IT ONGOING, BUT IT WAS IN THE SAME, UH, SITUATION AS WELL. THEN WE HAVE MHR, UH, WHICH AGAIN, UH, WE WERE WAITING FOR FUNDING, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, UH, COMMENCE THE PROGRAMS. AND SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY THOSE NUMBERS DO REFLECT A LOW COUNT IS SOLELY BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. UH, THAT WAS ONGOING IN THE LATTER PART OF LAST YEAR, AS WELL AS THE EARLY PART OF THIS YEAR. SO, MOVING FORWARD, GOAL REPAIR, UH, OUR GO REPAIR, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM, IT GIVES YOU OUR KPIS, UH, WHICH IS, UM, 180. UH, THAT'S OUR GOAL FOR THE YEAR. WE HAVE 66 THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE. NOW, THIS IS STARTING, WHEN I SAY OUR YEAR, OUR PHYSICAL YEAR, STARTING 10, ONE OF, UH, 25. SO WE HAVE 66 THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED. WE HAVE 48 IN PROGRESS. AND SO WE ARE WELL ON OUR WAY, UH, TO REACHING OUR KPIS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE, UM, HAVE NONPROFIT PARTNERS YOU CAN LOOK AT, SUCH AS EASTERSEALS, UH, INTERFAITH ACTION, UH, URBAN LEAGUE. AND YOU CAN SEE THE CONSTRUCTION AMOUNT THAT THEY'VE ALREADY USED, AS WELL AS THE ADMIN AMOUNTS AND THE TOTAL, AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S ALREADY IN PROGRESS. AND I WILL ALSO, WE JUST UPDATED THE NUMBER BEFORE WE GOT HERE, UH, THIS THINK OVER THE PAST WEEKEND. AND SO THAT NUMBERS ACTUALLY HAS GROWN SINCE, UH, THE LAST TIME, UH, WE UPDATED THIS, WHICH WAS LAST WEEK. BUT, UH, WE GOT SOME COMPLETED BEFORE, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO UPDATE THIS ONE. AND SO IT'S DEFINITELY ONGOING AND DEFINITELY, UH, GOING STRONG. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT WOULD BE THE END OF MY UPDATE. I TRIED TO KEEP IT CONCISE, BUT I WANNA OPEN UP TO ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, UM, EVEN, UM, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS AND HOW THEY'RE OPERATED. BUT DEFINITELY THE FLOOR IS OPEN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CALEB. UM, DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER LYRIC? YEAH, I, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF EASTER SEALS. I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHAT THAT IS. UH, IT'S A NONPROFIT. I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THEM, UM, AS I AM WITH OTHERS. I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE, BUT THEY'RE NONPROFIT. THAT HAS BEEN OUR PROGRAM FOR AT LEAST THE LAST THREE YEARS. UH, [00:25:01] WE RES SOLICITATE, I'M SORRY, RES SOLICIT EVERY THREE YEARS FOR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS. AND SO THEY HAVE BEEN WITH THIS PROGRAM FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND AND FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN PAST FILES, THEY HAVE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB IN EXECUTING, UH, THESE PROGRAMS. WHAT ABOUT THE INTERFAITH ACTION? INTERFAITH ACTION, I HAVE ACTUALLY, UM, HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ACTUALLY GOING, UM, ON A SITE VISIT WITH THEM. UM, THE CITIZENS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THEIR PROGRAMS, UH, ONE, UH, LADY WAS ACTUALLY IN TEARS AS SHE WAS TALKING TO ME. UM, YOU HAVE CLAIRE AND SIMONE. UH, THEY ARE OUTSTANDING IN WHAT THEY DO, UH, THE CITIZENS, AND IT WASN'T FAKE TEARS I WAS LOOKING TO SEE. THEY WERE ACTUALLY VERY, VERY GRATEFUL, UH, FOR, UH, WHAT THEY WERE DOING OVER THERE. UH, INTERFAITH ACTION, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE ADMIN AMOUNTS. IS THERE, WHAT ARE, WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE ADMIN AMOUNTS? BECAUSE, UM, ON ONE PAGE THERE'S, UH, INTERFAITH ACTION TWICE, AND THERE'S AN ADMIN AMOUNT FOR $17,000, AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO ON ANOTHER PLATE PAGE, AND IT'S 63,000. UM, AND THEIRS IS THE SECOND HIGHEST OUT OF ALL OF THEM WHEN IT COMES TO THE ADMIN AMOUNTS. I'M JUST CURIOUS, LIKE WHAT MAKES THOSE GET SO HIGH AND WHAT'S INCLUDED IN, IN THAT? SO THE ADMIN ADMIN AMOUNT IS A RATIO? UM, NO, A COMMISSIONER. SO THE ONE THAT I PUT ON THE SIDE, THE BLACK AND WHITE ONE. OKAY. THAT'S THE ONE THAT, YEAH, SO I'M SORRY. SO THAT WAS THE, UM, THE ADDITION ON THE EDIT OF THAT, BUT I WILL LET, UM, CALEB ANSWER THAT, BUT I THINK I JUST SAW YOU ON THE COLOR VERSION. I APOLOGIZE. OKAY. UM, THE ADMIN AMOUNT IS BASICALLY, UH, BASED UPON A, A RATIO AND IS DEPENDENT ON THE AMOUNT. WHAT HAPPENS IS A NONPROFIT CHARGES A ADMIN AMOUNT, WHICH WE ALLOW, UM, FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THE CONSTRUCTION FOR, UH, DOING THE ELIGIBILITY FOR DOING, IF I CAN USE THIS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE TASK, UM, SUCH AS ELIGIBILITY. AND SO IT VARIES PER PROGRAM AND PER PROJECT. UH, OF COURSE, IF THE PROJECT IS 10,000 VERSUS IF THE PROJECT IS 25,000, THE ADMIN FEES ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. MM-HMM . AND WHAT THE NONPROFIT, UH, DOES IS THEY USE THOSE ADMIN FEES FOR THEIR OPERATIONS. I'M NOT SURE TO WHAT EXTENT, UH, BUT I CAN SAY, WHEN I TALK ABOUT I ACT, THAT'S CALLED, UH, INTERFAITH ACTION AND EASTER SEALS, I HAVE SEEN THE PRODUCTIVITY, UH, OR THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOR IN THAT REGARDS. GOTCHA. THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. YES, SIR. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE ARCHITECTURAL BURIAL REMOVAL FOR THE OWNERS AND THE RENTERS. MM-HMM . UH, MS. JACKMAN HAS SPOKEN TO US ABOUT THIS, AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED ON, YOU KNOW, INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY. HOWEVER, SHE'S SPOKEN THAT NOT MANY LANDLORDS LIKE TAKE UP THIS PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, SO I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT DOING TO INHA TO ENTICE LANDLORDS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM? YOU KNOW, TO MAKE THEIR, UH, UH, THEIR DWELLING UNITS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PERSONS WITH DIS DISABILITIES? ACTUALLY AT THE CURRENT MOMENT, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO NOW IN RE REGARDS OF OUTREACH. EVEN MYSELF PERSONALLY, I'VE BEEN AT DIFFERENT TABLE EVENTS, UH, DIFFERENT EVENTS WITH CREATING WORKSHOPS BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE LANDLORDS WHO DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT ACTUAL TENANTS DO NOT KNOW AS WELL. AND SO WITH, IN A PROGRAM LIKE THAT, A TENANT ACTUALLY CAN HELP INITIATE THE PROCESS. BUT IF THE TENANT DOESN'T KNOW AND THE LANDLORD DOESN'T KNOW, THEN WE HAVE A SITUATION. BUT IF WE CAN GET THE TENANTS TO KNOW, THEY CAN AT LEAST, UH, INITIATE THE PROCESS AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE AND TRY TO WORK WITH THE LANDLORD TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT A DA ACCESSIBILITY. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONERS, UH, COMMISSIONERS ONLINE. DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR CALEB? I DO. COMMISSIONER TISHA, GO AHEAD. HI, YOU'RE FILLING IN SOME REALLY, REALLY BIG SHOES. . YES, MA'AM. YOU'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT. A GREAT JOB, . YOU DID A GREAT JOB TONIGHT. I JUST HAVE A, UM, QUESTION ABOUT THIS HOME REPAIR LOAN PROGRAM, THE HRLP. MM-HMM . THAT'S THE ONE YOU DESCRIBED WHERE IF THERE'S TOO MANY NEEDS THAT IT CAN BE DEMOLISHED AND THEN REBUILT ON TOP ACTUALLY IS, IS DEMOLISHED PROPERLY. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WE GET THE PERMITS AND THE CODE, BUT IT'S DEMOLISHED THE HOME BECAUSE IT'S TYPICALLY MOST OF THOSE HOMES ARE ON THEIR WAY TO BEING CONDEMNED AND BEING, UH, DEMOLISHED. UH, RIGHT. IF WE ARE ABLE, OKAY. SO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. MM-HMM . I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE USE OF IT, UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE TIMES GOING AROUND THE CITY, YOU'LL SEE MANY HOMES THAT ARE, THAT HAVE BEEN VACANT FOR A WHILE, LOOK LIKE THEY'RE ON THEIR VERY, VERY LAST TOOTHPICK LEG. UM, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT OCCUPIED. SO I'M WONDERING IF THIS PROGRAM IS FOR ONLY OWNER OCCUPIED LOCATIONS OR SPACES, OR IS THIS SOMETHING WHERE INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT MAY HAVE FAMILY PROPERTY BUT MAY NOT BE RESIDING IN THE CITY, [00:30:01] OR NOT RESIDING PERMANENTLY, UM, BUT WOULD WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME PROGRAMS LIKE THIS. AND IT'S, IT'S STRIKING ME AS CURIOUS, THAT IS THE CAVEAT. IT HAS TO BE A HOMEOWNER WHO IS DWELLING IN, UH, IN THE UNIT. AND THAT'S THE ONLY, UH, ISSUE. I KNOW SOMETIMES WE DO SEE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, THAT WE SAY, WELL, THIS WILL BE WONDERFUL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WE CAN ONLY DO HOMEOWNERS. UH, BUT FORTUNATELY, UH, WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS THAT SOME PROPERTIES THAT WOULD'VE BEEN LOST THROUGH THE FAMILY, UH, BECAUSE OF THE CODE OR BECAUSE OF THE ISSUES, WE'RE ABLE TO BRING IT BACK TO A CERTAIN STANDARD AND, UM, ACTUALLY BETTER THAN WHAT IT WAS, UH, INITIALLY A LOT OF TIMES. AND SO UNFORTUNATELY IT'S ONLY FOR HOMEOWNERS, BUT FORTUNATELY WE DO HAVE SOMETHING TO HELP HOMEOWNERS IN THAT SITUATION. DOES THIS ALSO WORK FOR TENANTS OF LANDLORDS? I KNOW TO GO BACK TO WHERE YOU SAID YOU'RE TRYING TO MERGE AND CREATE GREATER OUTREACH SO THAT BOTH SIDES ARE AWARE OF IT. UM, I JUST THINK OF A NUMBER OF HOMES IN THE ST. JOHN'S AREA. MM-HMM . UH, THAT COULD ABSOLUTELY UTILIZE PROGRAMS LIKE THIS. AND I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT CERTAIN IF THEY ARE HOME OWNERS THEMSELVES OR IF THEY ARE TENANTS FROM LANDLORDS CURRENTLY AT THE MOMENT. UM, THE ONLY PROGRAMS WE HAVE FOR LANDLORDS, AND WE ARE, UM, LOOKING AT SOME POINT TRYING TO, UH, HOPEFULLY EXPAND. BUT RIGHT NOW, UM, WE ONLY HAVE, UH, A DA ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAMS, UH, FOR TENANTS, UH, WITH LANDLORDS. UH, SO RIGHT NOW MOST OF OUR PROGRAMS OUTSIDE OF THAT ARE REALLY FOCUSED FOR HOMEOWNERS. BUT I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE ST. JOHN'S AREA AS WELL AS, UH, METROPOLIS. UM, AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO TARGET THOSE AREAS SO THAT WAY A LOT OF THEM ARE NOT AWARE, CITIZENS WIDE, ARE NOT AWARE OF THE GO REPAIR, HRLP ARE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THEY CAN USE. AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO DO A BETTER JOB OF, UH, INFORMING THE CITIZENS OF SUCH PROGRAMS BECAUSE IF THEY KNEW, I THINK THEY WOULD DEFINITELY, UH, TRY TO STRIVE TO, UM, AT LEAST HAVE THE PROGRAMS IF POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER TISHA, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS FOR CALEB? NO. OKAY. UM, I JUST, COMMISSIONER MENARD, GO AHEAD. I JUST HAVE A COMMENT. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS AND JUST SO GLAD THAT WE HAVE THIS ABILITY TO HELP FOLKS WHO NEED REPAIRS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM WHERE THEY OTHERWISE COULD NOT GET REPAIRS. 'CAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THE MORE YOU PUT THESE THINGS OFF, IF YOU'RE LUCKY TO BE A HOMEOWNER, BUT YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO THE UPDATE THE UPKEEP OF YOUR HOUSE, THEN YOU, YOU, YOU COULD EASILY LOSE IT. SO ANYWAY, JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THIS PROGRAM OR JUST SAY, YAY, I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT THE CITY HAS PROGRAMS LIKE THESE. YES, MA'AM. ME AND YOU BOTH. THANK. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH CALEB, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE'RE MOVING ON, [4.Discussion on the City of Austin Equity Overlay. Discussion led by APD Urban Planning Management and Alan Pani, Planner Principal, from Austin Planning.] UH, TO DISCUSSION ITEMS. UH, ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A DISCUSSION ON THE CITY'S EQUITY OVERLAY. UH, THIS DISCUSSION IS LED BY, UH, A PD OVER AND PLANNING MAN MANAGEMENT AND, UM, ALAN PANY FROM AUSTIN PLANNING. WELCOME, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. WHILE WE GET, UH, OUR CONSULTANTS ONLINE. UH, MY NAME IS ALAN PANY. I'M WITH AUSTIN PLANNING, UH, I HELPED LEAD THE STUDY AND TONIGHT WE HAVE A FEW OF OUR CONSULTANT TEAM JOINING US ONLINE. UM, AND THEY WILL ACTUALLY BEGIN WITH THE PRESENTATION. SO IT SHOULD BE GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. LET'S SEE, I SHOULD PROBABLY TURN ON MY VIDEO A SECOND. OH, OKAY. AND, UH, YES, ALAN, I'LL JUST HAVE YOU QUEUE ME UP AND I'LL NEED TO CHANGE SLIDES. YES. JUST LET ME KNOW. SAY THE NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL MOVE IT ALONG. ALRIGHT, WELL, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR HAVING US, UM, PRESENT TO YOU ALL THIS EVENING. UM, UH, WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE AGENDA. SO WE'LL GIVE YOU, UM, HIGH LEVEL, I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME, SO WE'LL GO OVER OUR SCOPE. UM, I KNOW WE PRESENTED ONCE BEFORE, BUT WE'LL DO AN OVERVIEW OF OUR SCOPE AND THEN JUST TALK ABOUT THE DELIVERABLES, UM, AS THEY WERE PHASED THROUGH FOR THIS PROJECT. AND THEN SOME QUESTIONS AS WE CLOSE OUT THE PROJECT. I'M GONNA ASK YOU IF YOU DON'T MIND, TO HOLD ALL YOUR QUESTIONS TO THE END, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN ANSWER THEM THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION FOR YOU. [00:35:01] NEXT SLIDE. SO JUST FOR OUR SCOPE OVERVIEW, UM, NEXT SLIDE. AGAIN, WE WERE, UH, BROUGHT ON BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, AFTER THEY APPROVED A HOME PHASE TWO ORDINANCE THAT WOULD, UM, ALLOW YOU TO BUILD SINGLE FAMILY UNITS ON WHAT WOULD USUALLY BE A SINGLE FAMILY LOCKED. AND THEY ASKED US TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY AND MERITS OF, UM, THE RISK OF APPLYING AN EQUITY OVERLAY OR AN ANTI DISPLACEMENT OVERLAY, AND WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO AFFORDABILITY, DISPLACEMENT OF PROPERTY VALUES. AND SO THE FOCUS OF OUR STUDY IS TO, OR FOCUS OF OUR STUDY, WAS TO MITIGATE THE SPECULATION AND DISPLACEMENT IN THOSE AREAS THAT WERE MOST AFFECTED BY GENTRIFICATION. NEXT SLIDE. AND FOR THOSE OF US, THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHO WE ARE, AGAIN, WE'RE A PD URBAN PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT AND REPRESENTED TODAY BY MYSELF, UH, BRIDGET WILES AND MR. JESSE WILES, WHO IS MY DAD. MOST OF YOU GUYS DID NOT KNOW THAT, AND HE'S ON TO ASSIST, UH, WITH THE PRESENTATION TODAY. NEXT SLIDE. SO THE CORE OF THIS STUDY REALLY ANSWERS, UH, THREE PRIMARY QUESTIONS, WHICH WAS WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD BE AT RISK. UM, AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION WAS, WHAT THE COMMUNITY CONCERN WOULD BE FOR THESE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WOULD BE AT RISK REGARDING AFFORDABILITY, DISPLACEMENT, AND PROPERTY VALUES AS THEY RELATED TO THE HOME ORDINANCE? AND THE THIRD QUESTION IS, WHAT POLICIES OR PROGRAMS WOULD BE AVAILABLE OR COULD BE RECOMMENDED TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS THAT WOULD SUPPORT THE GOALS AND THE OBJECTIVES OF THE HOME ORDINANCE? NEXT SLIDE. SO FOR THOSE THREE THINGS, UM, THEY WENT INTO FOUR PHASES OF OUR WORK, WHICH WAS FIRST PHASE, WHICH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SECOND PHASE WAS POLICY, PROGRAM, STUDY, AND ANALYSIS. THE THIRD PHASE WAS DISPLACEMENT RISK ANALYSIS. AND THEN THE FOURTH PHASE WOULD BE A REPORT. NEXT SLIDE. SO REVIEWING OUR DELIVERABLES, OUR NEXT SLIDE WE TALKED, THE FIRST PHASE WAS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SO WE COMPLETED OVER 15, UM, STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS, WHICH WAS WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE HERE ON THE PHONE OR IN PERSON, VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON OVER A THREE MONTH PERIOD AND PARTICIPATED IN A TOUR OF THE EASTERN CRESCENT. OUR COMMENTS THAT WE HEARD BACK PRIMARILY FELL INTO FOUR CATEGORIES. AND SO WHAT WE HEARD AROUND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY WAS THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING DID NOT OFTEN MEET THE NEEDS OF THE TARGET POPULATION, WHICH WAS 30 TO 40%. MFI. THE COST BARRIERS FOR HOME INITIATIVES, UM, LED TO DISPLACEMENT RATHER THAN BENEFITED THE COMMUNITY. IN TERMS OF DISPLACEMENT, WE HEARD THAT HOME COST BARRIERS LED TO DISPLACEMENT RATHER THAN BENEFITED THE COMMUNITY. MIDDLE INCOME RESIDENTS WERE BEING DISPLACED DUE TO RISING HOUSING COSTS AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. WE HEARD ABOUT A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS, AND THE EFFORTS SHOULD BE MORE TOWARDS MEETING RESIDENTS WHERE THEY WERE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE RENTERS OUTNUMBERED THE HOMEOWNERS. AND FOR HOUSING PRODUCTION, WE HEARD THAT THERE WAS TOO MUCH EXPENSIVE HOUSING BEING BUILT, YET THERE WAS STILL A DIRE NEED TO PRESERVE THE EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND IT WAS AN EXPRESS NEED FOR MORE CLEAR COMMUNICATION THAT ADDRESSED THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY CONCERNS REGARDING HOME BASIS ONE AND BASIS TWO. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE ALSO LOOKED AT PROGRAMS AND POLICIES AND STUDIES, UH, PROGRAM POLICIES, AND THE ANALYSIS AROUND THE FOUR PS, WHICH WAS PLANNING, PROTECTING, PRESERVING, AND PRODUCING. THE PLANNING WAS ABOUT THE ANALYSIS, PREPARING AND REVISING ANTI DISPLACEMENT MEASURES AND STRATEGIES PROTECTION. PROTECTING WAS ABOUT PROTECTING THE EXISTING RESIDENTS AND MAKING SURE THEY HAD THE OPTION TO BE ABLE TO STAY, IF THAT'S WHAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO, OR TO MOVE. PRESERVING WAS ABOUT PRESERVING THE EXISTING HOUSING STOCK, UM, THE SUBSIDIZED, UM, HOMES AND THE OLDER AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THEN PRODUCING SOME DEDICATED AFFORDABLE UNITS IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES THAT WERE ACTUALLY CHANGING. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THEN WE ALSO, UM, LOOKED AT PEER REVIEW CITIES. UM, WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN OUR OWN, UM, PORTFOLIO AROUND DISPLACEMENT RISK ANALYSIS AND DISPLACEMENT STUDIES, BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER CITIES WHO ARE ALSO DOING THE SAME THING. WE LOOKED AT SEATTLE, WE LOOKED AT SAN JOSE, COLUMBIA, UM, WHICH IN DC, PORTLAND, TORONTO, AND OF COURSE HERE IN ATLANTA, UM, TO SEE WHAT THESE ALL CITIES WERE DOING THAT WERE SIMILAR IN SIZE AND OTHER INDICATORS TO AUSTIN, TEXAS. AND THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE, THE, UM, SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE LOOKED AT. NEXT SLIDE. WE ALSO LOOKED AT, UM, THE STUDIES THAT YOU ALL SHARED WITH US THAT WERE KEY TO, UM, WHAT WAS, WHAT THE FOCUS AREAS WERE FOR THE STUDY, THE PREVIOUS STUDIES AND PLAN STUDY THAT WE TYPICALLY DO, UM, [00:40:01] USUALLY CON CONTEXTUALIZE HOME AND PHASE ONE AND TWO, AND, AND ANY OF THE OTHER HOUSING STUDIES AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES THAT YOU HAD. AND GIVEN THAT WE HEARD A COMMON, THE COMMON COMMENTS AROUND, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WERE RELATING TO HOW THE COMPOUNDING IMPACTS OF THE PROGRAMS LIKE PROJECT CONNECT, UM, OR OTHER DEVELOPER INCENTIVES, OTHER DEVELOPER INCENTIVES AND DENSITY BONUSES. WE TOOK A LOOK AT THESE STUDIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THE LANDSCAPE OF THE CITY'S HOUSING GOALS AND THE POLICIES OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS. NEXT SLIDE. WE ALSO, WE ALSO LOOKED AT SOME ADDITIONAL PLANS AND STUDIES THAT WERE RECOMMENDED TO US BY THE STAKEHOLDERS AS WE DID THE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS AND THE MEETINGS FOR THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE. WHILE IT MAY LOOK A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING, IT'LL TAKE JUST A SECOND TO EXPLAIN IT. THE YELLOW, UM, BARS REPRESENT THAT THESE WERE TOOL IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS. THE BLUE REPRESENTS THIS MEANS THAT THERE WAS A PLAN OR A STUDY. IF THE COLOR IS DARKER, THEN THAT MEANS THAT PLANNER STUDY, UM, WAS HE HEAVY ON THAT PARTICULAR FOCUS AREA? IF IT'S LIGHTER, THEN THAT MEANS THAT IT DID NOT REPRESENT IT AS MUCH. IF IT'S BLANK, THEN THAT MEANS THAT THAT STUDY DID NOT ADDRESS THAT PARTICULAR FOCUS AREA AT ALL. SO FOR EXAMPLE, FOR IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THAT WAS A, A PLAN THAT WAS HEAVY ON HOUSING PRODUCTION, LIGHT IN THE DENSITY AREA, LIGHT ON AFFORDABILITY, BUT DIDN'T SPEAK, SPEAK TO THIS PLACEMENT AT ALL. AND SO IF YOU MOVE THROUGH THE, THE MATRIX HERE, THAT'S HOW YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS PARTICULAR MATRIX. WHILE SOME OF THE PLANS AND MAY THAT YOU HAVE, MAY NOT BE INCLUDED, AND SOME WERE INCLUDED HERE. UM, THIS JUST GAVE US SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT TO WHAT WE WERE HEARING FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS, UM, THAT WE INTERVIEWED. AND AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD, UM, TOOL. IT WAS A GOOD TOOL FOR US. UM, EVEN THOUGH, AGAIN, SOME OF THEM MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE TO HOME, BUT SOME OF THEM MAY BE, IT WAS WHAT WE WAS REFERRED TO US BY THE STAKEHOLDERS AGAIN. AND IT REALLY, IT GAVE US AN INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HOME WAS SUPPOSED TO DO OR HOME WAS SUPPOSED TO, UH, OR WHAT IT REALLY WAS. NEXT SLIDE. SO THE KEY TAKEAWAYS THAT WE GOT FROM THIS WAS THAT, UM, THE CITY HAS ENCOURAGED DEVELOPMENT OF MIXED USE AND TRANSIT ORIENTED COMMUNITIES USE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND INNOVATIVE HOUSING SOLUTIONS. AND THAT THE CITY WANTED TO BALANCE PRESERVATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER WITH ECONOMIC GROWTH WHILE ENSURING THERE WAS EQUITABLE ACCESS. THE BIGGEST PIECE TAKEAWAY THAT WE HAD WAS THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES THAT WERE CONNECTED TO THE HOME ORDINANCE TO LOOK TO FILL THE GAPS IN THE CURRENT POLICY AND BUILD ON ANY, ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ALIGN WITH COMMUNITY INPUT AND THE CITY'S EQUITABLE INTENTIONS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO FOR OUR DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS, IT GIVES US THE BASELINE DATA FOR LOOKING AT KEY DEMOGRAPHIC AREAS ACROSS THE CITY. WE'LL BREAK THOSE DOWN INTO SMALLER AREAS. EACH ONE OF THE AREAS HAS ITS OWN DATA POINTS, UM, THAT WE CAN MEASURE AGAINST A SNAPSHOT AND ALSO BEGINS TO HELP US TO UNDERSTAND THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER. BUT THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS, UM, WAS THAT THE HOME HOUSEHOLD INCOMES GREATER THAN $200,000 MAKE UP THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF THE AUSTIN HOME HOUSEHOLDS. WE WENT OUT 17% WITH THE NEXT LARGEST HOUSEHOLD INCOME BRACKET BEING 50 TO $70,000, $75,000. THAT'S ABOUT 15%. SO IT WAS EASY TO SEE THAT HOUSING OPTIONS WERE UNATTAINABLE FOR A LARGE SUBSET OF AUSTIN'S POPULATION. ADDITIONALLY, RENTERS ARE CALLED OUT HERE BECAUSE THEY MADE UP OVER HALF OF AUSTIN'S POPULATION, WHICH WE HEARD IN THE STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, AND AGAIN, IS VALIDATED BY THE DATA HERE. AND THEN THE RENTER POPULATION, NEARLY HALF OF THE RENTERS SPEND MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING COSTS. THAT CAN, THAT MEANS THAT THEY ARE COST BURDEN. AND 22% OF THOSE RENTERS ARE EXTREMELY COST BURDEN, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY'RE SPENDING MORE THAN 50% OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD INCOME ON HOUSING COSTS. AND THIS BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE NEXT PART AND WE TALK ABOUT THE DISPLACEMENT RISK ANALYSIS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO IN OUR DISPLACEMENT RISK ANALYSIS, BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD SO MANY, UM, BETWEEN 2020, UM, 2012 AND 2022, UM, IT WASN'T COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES. SO WE CREATED, UM, A DIFFERENT, MORE STREAMLINED, UM, DISPLACEMENT RISK ANALOG, UH, DISPLACEMENT RISK TYPOLOGY, AND TO BE ABLE TO COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES AND CREATE A MORE STREAMLINED TREND ANALYSIS. AND SO ON A SCALE FROM ONE TO THREE, UM, WE STILL USE VULNERABLE, ACTIVE RISK AND CHRONIC RISK AND CREATED A NEW SCALE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THINGS SIMILARLY ACROSS [00:45:01] THAT TIME PERIOD. SO WHAT THIS MAP IS REVEALING TO US IS THAT AUSTIN'S DISPLACEMENT CHALLENGE ISN'T STAYING IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE SAME COMMUNITIES. IT WAS ACTUALLY SPREADING AND IT WAS SPREADING FASTER. SO PEOPLE WHO WERE PUSHED OUT OF HISTORICALLY IMPACTED AREAS LIKE EAST AUSTIN, UM, WERE MOVING OUTWARD WITH MANY OF THOSE AREAS NOW FACING HIGH DISPLACEMENT RISKS, ESPECIALLY FOR RENTERS WHO WERE ALREADY STRUGGLING WITH HOUSING COSTS. SO BASICALLY THE DISPLACEMENT WAS EXPANDING ACROSS THE CITY AND COST BURDEN RENTERS WERE THE MOST VULNERABLE. SO THOSE WHO AGAIN, PREVIOUSLY PUSHED OUT OF, OF AREAS LIKE EAST AUSTIN, UM, MOVING INTO THOSE AREAS THAT WERE CLASSIFIED AS VULNERABLE OR ACTIVE RISK FOR DISPLACEMENT. SO WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS THAT THE RENTERS WERE MOVING INTO AREAS NOT THAT, NOT RELOCATING INTO STABLE HOUSING, BUT INTO PLACES THAT WERE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME COST INCREASE AND TURNOVER ALL OVER AGAIN. SO THE VULNERABLE CATEGORY HIGHLIGHTS THOSE AREAS WHERE LOW INCOME AND AT RISK RENTERS WERE STILL PRESENT. BUT EARLY WARNING SIGNS LIKE RENT RISING PROPERTY VALUES, INVESTOR ACTIVITY WERE ALREADY SHOWING UP. AND FOR RENTERS THAT JUST TRANSLATES INTO RENT HEIGHTS, LEASE NON MULES OR PRESSURE TO MOVE BEFORE VISIBLE REDEVELOPMENT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT RENTERS WERE THE MOST EXPOSED GROUP, UM, THAT WE COULD SEE. UM, IN AUSTIN. THIS IS MORE LIKELY BECAUSE THEY'RE COST BURDEN MORE LIKELY TO LIVE IN THOSE AREAS THAT ARE TARGETED FOR REDEVELOPMENT, MORE LIKELY TO BE DISPLACED REPEATEDLY AS THE PRESSURE SPREADS ACROSS THE CITY. UM, AND THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. WHAT WE ALSO STARTED SEEING WHEN WE LOOKED AT HOME PERMITS AND EXEMPTION ANALYSIS, THAT HOME PERMITS WERE MORE COMMON IN LOWER VALUE AREAS AND ON PROPERTIES WITHOUT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, WHICH WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE RENTER OCCUPIED OR INVESTOR OWNED. THAT MEANT THAT WE, DEVELOPMENT WAS OFTEN HAPPENING WHERE RENTERS LIVE INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD THAT RENTERS NOT HOMEOWNERS WERE BEING DISPLACED FIRST. SO AGAIN, MOST OF THE HOME DEVELOPMENT AND THOSE PROJECTS WERE HAPPENING IN THE LOWER VALUE AREAS EAST OF I 35, LARGELY DRIVEN BY INVESTORS, NOT BY PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THE HOMES. AND BECAUSE AGAIN, MANY OF THE PROPERTIES DON'T HAVE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS DON'T HAVE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, WHICH WAS ASSIGNED THAT THEY WERE RENTERS RENTALS OR INVESTOR OWNED. IT IS REDEVELOPMENT IS BEING CONCENTRATED IN AREAS ALREADY FACING, FACING DISPLACEMENT PRESSURE, WHICH MEANS, AGAIN, RENTERS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE PUSHED OUT. UM, THIS IS ALSO AN INDICATION THAT THE EXISTING RESIDENTS, THAT EXISTING RESIDENTS MAY NOT BE THE ONES BENEFITING FROM THE HOME PROGRAM FIRST, BUT IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT THERE'S, UM, A CHANCE TO BETTER ALIGN THE PROGRAM WITH COMMUNITY GOALS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS IS THAT WE DID A MORE STREAMLINED DISPLACEMENT RISK TYPOLOGY SO THAT THERE WAS CONSISTENT WAY TO MEASURE DISPLACEMENT TRENDS FROM 2016 TO 2023. I'M SORRY, I SAID 2012 EARLIER. EXCUSE ME. THE SIGNIFICANT AND THE RAPID CHANGE IN THE DEMOGRAPHIC MAKEUP REQUIRED A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THE UNCHECKED MARKET PRESSURES. HOME PERMITS WERE MORE LIKELY, UM, MORE COMMON IN THE LOWER VALUE SUBMARKETS AS WE SHOWED. AND WHAT THE ANALYSIS INDICATED REALLY WAS THAT HOMEOWNERS WITH SUFFICIENT RESOURCES, UM, AND FEWER RESTRICTIONS AND DEVELOPERS THAT WERE FOCUSED ON LOWER VALUE PROPERTIES WERE THE ONES WHO WERE BENEFITING MOSTLY FROM THE CURRENT HOME PROGRAM. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. AND SO, OUR FINAL REPORT, UM, GAVE SIX PRIMARY RECOMMENDATIONS. THE FIRST WAS TO IMPLEMENT ANTI DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES TO ENSURE PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE AND EXISTING RESIDENTS IN THOSE COMMUNITY SPACE GENTRIFICATION, SPECIFICALLY RENTERS IN THOSE IN EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, CREATE INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME AND LEGACY HOMEOWNERS SO THAT THEY COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HOME ALLEVIATE COST BARRIERS FOR HIGH INCOME HOMEOWNERS TO ACCESS HOME THROUGH SIMPLIFIED PERMITTING. UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HEARD IN A LOT OF THE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS THAT WHILE THEY MAY HAVE THE RESOURCES, IT WAS STILL CHALLENGING FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN HOME AS WELL, ACTIVATE NONPROFIT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME AND LEGACY HOMEOWNERS TO NAVIGATE THE TECHNICALITIES OF THE HOME PROGRAM, ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY QUARTERBACK MODEL THAT COULD PROVIDE A WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES TO ASSIST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE FACING DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES. AND, AND PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY, CONDUCT AN OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROGRAM ON HOME TO UNDERSTAND IT AS A HOUSING PRODUCTION TOOL. THERE SEEMED TO BE, UH, A REAL LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HOME WAS ACTUALLY FOR AND WHAT [00:50:01] IT COULD DO. AND SO UNDERSTANDING WHAT, WHAT THAT PROCESS WAS AND WHAT HOME TO BE USED FOR WOULD CERTAINLY BE, UH, BENEFICIAL TO ALL THOSE WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM THE PROGRAM. AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK OVER TO ALLEN. OH YEAH, ONE MORE SLIDE. SORRY, ONE MORE SLIDE. SORRY. YEAH, YOU'RE GOOD. . UM, AND SO THE CONCLUSION HERE IS AGAIN, BY PAIRING THE HOME ORDINANCE WITH THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING, UM, BASED IN THE DATA, UM, HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITIES AND ENFORCING THE PROTECTIONS, WE FEEL LIKE AND BELIEVE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN TRANSFORM, CAN TRANSFORM THIS ZONING REFORM INTO A TRUE EQUITY INITIATIVE THAT ALIGNS WITH THE CITY'S LONG-TERM VISION FOR INCLUSIVE PROSPERITY. AND NOW I'LL TURN BACK OVER TO ALAN. THANK YOU. YEAH. AND SO I'LL JUST FINISH REALLY BRIEFLY WITH, UM, SOME OF STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE STUDY. AND SO, UM, STAFF, UH, IN THE, IN THE REPORT THAT WAS RELEASED AND WITH A MEMO THAT ACCOMPANIED IT, RECOMMENDED A FEW OF THOSE ITEMS THAT THE, UH, STUDY INCLUDED. SO THAT, UH, INCLUDED CONTINUING TO UTILIZE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE UNITS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE STUDY, UH, CREATION, CREATING ADDITIONAL HOMESTEAD PRESERVATION DISTRICTS, WHICH IS WHERE PROPERTY TAX INCREASES CAN BE RESTRICTED TO HELP, UH, PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP AND PREVENT INVOLUNTARY LOSS OF HOMESTEADS FOR THOSE LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. UH, JUST LAST FALL, ACTUALLY IN I BELIEVE SEPTEMBER, THERE WAS TWO NEW HOMESTEAD DISTRICTS THAT WERE CREATED BY COUNCIL. UM, ONE IN KIND OF NORTH UNIVERSITY AREA AND ONE ON KIND OF THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR AREA, GOING A LITTLE BIT SOUTH AS WELL. UH, AND THE OTHER EXISTING ONE IN THE CITIES ON THE EAST SIDE AS WELL. UM, ALSO WE RECOMMENDED CONTINUE TO EXPAND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND INFORMATION, UM, THAT COULD INCLUDE LEGAL, FINANCIAL AND HOUSING INFORMATION REGARDING HOME AS WELL AS ITS USES VIA OUTREACH ED EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS OR CREATION OF THE COMMUNITY QUARTERBACKS, UM, THAT WERE MENTIONED. ADDITIONALLY, WE ALSO RECOMMENDED CONSIDERING DEVELOPING MORE NON-PROFIT AND COMMUNITY-BASED PARTNERSHIPS, UH, TO ASSIST WITH BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE TECHNICAL POLICY THAT THE CITY CREATES AND THEN THAT HOUSEHOLD LEVEL EXECUTION OF, OF HOME DEVELOPMENTS. SO WITH THAT, UM, WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION COMMISSIONERS. DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS, UH, FOR OUR PRESENTERS? WELL, YOU KNOW, I DO CHAIR . YOU CAN START WITH SOMEBODY ELSE. DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM SOMEBODY ELSE? THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO COMMISSIONER TISHA. UH, COMMISSIONER MENARD, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. CHAIR AT, YES. UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS. THAT SEEMS LIKE A VERY SMALL NUMBER. 15. UM, SO IF YOU COULD GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHO WERE THE STAKEHOLDERS. UM, THIS IS A VERY BIG PART OF AUSTIN THAT IS FACING DISPLACEMENT PRESSURE. SO YEAH, I WOULD LIKE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU. SURE. UM, WE INTERVIEWED, LET'S SEE, WE INTERVIEWED COMMISSIONERS. I'M LOOKING BACK OVER ON THIS. WE INTERVIEWED COMMISSIONERS, WE INTERVIEWED NONPROFITS, UM, COMMUNITY POWER A TX. LET'S SEE, WHO ELSE DID, UM, THIS WAS BACK IN NOVEMBER, BETWEEN NOVEMBER OF 24 AND MARCH OF 25. AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THOSE WERE THE PEOPLE THAT WE INTERVIEWED. THIS, UH, THE CITY ZONING DEPARTMENT. UM, SO WHEN YOU SAY 15, IT'S NOT 15 PEOPLE, IT'S 15 GROUPS, LET'S SAY. YEAH, IT WAS GROUPS AND OR INDIVIDUALS. A FEW OF THE INTERVIEWS WERE INDIVIDUALS. AND WHAT KIND OF OUTREACH DID YOU DO TO PUT TOGETHER THAT GROUP OF 15? UM, WE RECEIVED A LIST MOSTLY FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AND THEN WE, I THINK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WE, UM, SENT OUT FLYERS, I THINK ALAN, IF I'M RECALLING THAT CORRECTLY. UH, AND THEN PEOPLE SENT, PEOPLE, UH, RESPONDED TO THE EMAILS THAT WE SENT OUT, UM, AND GOT ON, WE HAD A SCHEDULE AND THEN THEY RESPONDED TO THE SCHEDULE. UM, FOR THE INTERVIEWS. YEAH, WE, THE CITY HAD A WORKING GROUP, UH, WITH PLANNING, UM, HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND THE EQUITY OFFICE. AND BETWEEN THOSE GROUPS, [00:55:01] WE TRIED TO COME UP WITH AN INITIAL LIST OF STAKEHOLDERS THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO CONTACT PEOPLE WHO HAD SPOKEN AT THE HOME AMENDMENT, UH, PROCESS DURING COUNCIL MEETINGS, UM, AS WELL AS THEN TOOK RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION AND OTHERS STAKEHOLDERS THAT WERE INVOLVED. UM, AND THEN LIKE SHE MENTIONED, WE SENT OUT EMAILS REQUESTING, UH, BASICALLY I GUESS PROVIDING INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES OR, OR, UM, PROCESS FOR PEOPLE TO JOIN. OKAY. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER MENARD. QUESTIONS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS, VICE CHAIR? I HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT I'M WORRIED THAT I'M GOING TO, Y'ALL TELL ME IF YOU JUST NEED TO TALK TO ME AFTERWARDS AND EXPLAIN IT TO ME. GO AHEAD. UM, SO I THINK, SO MY UNDERSTANDING, AND AGAIN, NOT THE BIGGEST HOUSING EXPERT IN THIS ENTIRE COMMISSION, SO THEY CAN EXPLAIN IT TO ME LATER, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT HOME WAS INTRODUCED AS A WAY TO INCREASE HOUSING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. 'CAUSE WE NEED MORE HOUSING AND THAT HELPS WITH COST OVERALL, ET CETERA. THE CONCERN WAS THAT THIS PARTICULAR MECHANISM COULD DISPLACE MORE FOLKS, LIKE MANY MECHANISMS TO INCREASE HOUSING STOCK END UP DOING IT OVERALL INCREASES THE NUMBER, BUT IT CAN SPECIFICALLY AFFECT VULNERABLE AND, AND LOW INCOME POPULATIONS. AM I OKAY SO FAR? YEAH. OKAY. SO I THOUGHT THAT EQUITY OVERLAY RECOMMENDATION WAS WHAT IF WE PUT SORT OF A PAUSE OR A BARRIER FOR VERY SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIES THAT WE KNOW ARE AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT BY THESE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY OVER AND OVER AGAIN PUSHED OUT. AND SO I THOUGHT THAT THE ANALYSIS WAS GONNA BE, WHAT IF WE DID THAT RIGHT? WHAT IF WE IDENTIFIED HIGH RISK LOCATE, LIKE PARTS OF AUSTIN AND WE PUT IN SPECIFIC, UM, AN OVERLAY. SO THERE WERE DIFFERENT RULES IN THAT PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHY FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF TRYING TO PRESERVE EXISTING RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY VULNERABLE TO DISPLACEMENT. AND THAT THE ANALYSIS WAS GONNA LOOK AT ONE, LIKE, WOULD THAT HELP WITH THE INTENDED GOAL OF KEEPING DISPLACEMENT FROM HAPPENING? AND TWO, WHAT WOULD THAT COST THE CITY IN TERMS OF LESS HOUSING BEING PRODUCED OR OTHER FACTORS. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WAS THE ANSWER NO, THIS WON'T HELP 'CAUSE EVERYBODY ALREADY MOVED ANYWAY. UM, AND SO WE ARE OFFERING THESE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS OR IS THE HOUSING PRES, THE HOMESTEAD PRESERVATION DISTRICT, WHAT WAS SEEN AS THE WAY TO COUNTERACT THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM? OR AM I MISSING SOMETHING ALTOGETHER? UM, NO, IT, YEAH, THE GOAL WAS TO BASICALLY, UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS COME UP WITH WHAT DIFFERENT POLICIES OR PROGRAMS COULD WORK IN DIFFERENT AREAS LIKE YOU'VE MENTIONED, TO HELP PREVENT, UH, MORE DISPLACEMENT OR GENTRIFICATION IN SPECIFIC AREAS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE HOMESTEAD PRESERVATION DISTRICTS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A, A POLICY, UM, THAT COULD BE CALLED AN OVERLAY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, FUNCTION, A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHY, UH, HELPS REDUCE TAXES FOR THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, TO HELP RIGHT, PREVENT THAT DISPLACEMENT AS WELL AS SOME OF THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY MENTIONED THAT WOULD HELP WITH THAT TOOL. OKAY. SO THE, THE REQUEST FOR AN ANALYSIS OF AN EQUITY OVERLAY WAS DETERMINED TO BE MORE BROADLY INTERPRETED. SO IT'S AN ANALYSIS JUST OF ANTI DISPLACEMENT IN GENERAL, A AS IT RELATED TO HOME, YOU KNOW? YEAH. SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT POLICY OR THAT SPECIFIC PROGRAM? YES. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THERE WAS A CLEAR, UH, EQUITY OVERLAY PRESENTED TO, UM, CITY COUNCIL DURING THE HOME INITIATIVE, UH, CONVERSATION, UH, PRESENTED TO, UM, SPECIFICALLY TO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FUENTES AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ, WHO ARE THE ONES THAT MADE THE MOTION. AND YES, YOU ARE CORRECT, VICE CHAIR. THEY, UH, THEIR WORDING WAS WE WANTED TO FIND THE FEASIBILITY OF AN EQUITY OVERLAY, WHICH YOU DESCRIBED AS PROTECTING A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. UM, AGAIN, BASED ON THAT PLAN THAT WAS PRESENTED BY, UH, COMMUNITY POWERED A TX. SO YES, I, UM, SHARE YOUR CONCERN. , YES, , I SHARE YOUR CONCERN AND THAT YES. UH, A LOT OF THIS, UH, INFORMATION WE'VE KNOWN, WE KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE MAPS, WE'VE SEEN THOSE BEFORE. WE'VE SEEN THOSE MAPS 10 YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, 15 YEARS AGO. WE'VE SEEN THOSE SAME MAPS. SO WE KNOW, UH, WHEN THAT, UM, THOSE PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED THAT WHO'S GOING TO BE AFFECTED THE MOST WHERE THEY ARE. AND, UM, AND YES, SO UNFORTUNATELY YEAH, THAT'S TRUE. THANK YOU. I'D LOVE TO GO AFTER THAT, IF THAT'S [01:00:01] OKAY. CHAIR . GO AHEAD. UH, COMMISSIONER LETISHA, YOU ARE RIGHT ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT, UM, I WAS WONDERING MYSELF, UM, AND SORT OF THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, BUT I DO WANNA HONE IN ON JUST A FEW THINGS. THE QUARTERBACK MODEL. UM, SO MS. MILES AND, UM, PAPA MILES, IF PEOPLE CAN CLARIFY WHAT THE QUARTERBACK, UM, QUARTERBACK, I GUESS MODEL IS A LITTLE BIT MORE. THAT'D BE GREAT. MR, ARE YOU THERE? I THINK HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING HIS, I MEAN, I CAN HEAR FROM YOU. I WAS JUST HONORING, RESPECTING HIS SPACE THAT HE'S HERE AS WELL, SO HE CAN HAVE A VOICE IF HE'D LIKE TO. YEAH. 'CAUSE HE WANT, HE WANTED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, SO I WAS GONNA ALLOW HIM TO TELL HIM TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. I FIGURED THAT'S WHY I PUT THE PAPA IN THERE. THAT'S THROW, GROW UP WITH THOSE MANNERS. . WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT. NO, THE QUARTER, THE COMMUNITY QUARTERBACK MODEL, UM, IDENTIFIES ONE ORGANIZATION THAT KIND OF LEADS THE EFFORT. UM, SO YOU HAVE A CENTRALIZED, YOU KNOW, NON-PROFIT IF YOU WILL, UM, FOR ALL OF THE SERVICES TO RUN THROUGH. UM, IT WOULD BE LIKE THE COMMUNITY CHAMPION, IF YOU WILL, UM, OF WHO THAT MIGHT BE, WHO THAT DESIGNATED, UH, ORGANIZATION MAY BE THAT COULD HANDLE, UM, ANY RANGE OF SERVICES THAT WOULD BE OFFERED FOR THE, FOR THE COMMUNITY. UM, USUALLY AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S BEEN AROUND THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S VERY WELL RESPECTED, UM, THAT COULD DELIVER THE SERVICES FOR THAT. YOU'RE TRYING TO, TO DO ANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, ANY OF THE RECOMMENDED SERVICES. DO YOU THINK IT IS THOSE 15 STAKEHOLDERS THAT YOU MENTIONED, OR IS THIS MORE OF AN EXPANDED BROAD REACH? I THINK IT, WELL, IT COULD BE, IT COULD BE BECAUSE WE TALKED TO A NUMBER OF, OF GROUPS. UM, I KNOW THE COMMUNITY POWERED A TX SEEMS TO BE A VERY WELL RESPECTED ORGANIZATION. UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEIR CAPACITY IS, SO I DON'T WANNA SPEAK OUT OF OUT OF SCHOOL. UM, BUT THEY MAY BE, THEY MAY BE THAT COMMUNITY QUARTERBACK THAT OKAY, WELL THAT GIVES AN IDEA. YEAH. THE COMMUNITY CHAMPION. MY APOLOGIES FOR, FOR, FOR CUTTING YOU OFF. I DIDN'T MEAN TO TO NO, NO, NO, THAT'S OKAY. MAKE YOU SUMMARIZE SO QUICKLY. UH, THE OTHER QUESTION IS WHY THOSE PARTICULAR CITIES, THE REASON WHY I BRING THAT UP IS BECAUSE AFTER RESEARCH, AFTER RESEARCH NEWS ARTICLES, UH, AUSTIN IS LIKENED TO OTHER CITIES, THEN WHAT YOU HAVE LISTED MM-HMM . SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY THOSE PARTICULAR CITIES WERE CHOSEN IN REGARDS TO, UM, SORT OF MIRROR MODELS OF THIS PROGRAM. UM, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK, UM, BASED ON THE POPULATION AND THE VARIOUS DISPLACEMENT RISK INDICATORS. AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT WAS THAT MADE US PICK THOSE CITIES THAT HAD SIMILAR, THAT LOOKED SIMILAR IN THOSE THINGS AND THOSE VARIOUS INDICATORS. DID ANY OF THESE CITIES HAVE THE HOME PROGRAM LACK HOURS OR SOMETHING AKIN TO IT THAT CAN BE USED AS COMPARISON? BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT TO SEE. SO FOR INSTANCE, THE OTHER CITIES AND ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I'VE READ OVER THE PAST YEARS, HOW THEY'VE USED AUSTIN AS A, UM, AS A FOCAL POINT, HAS BEEN OTHER CITIES LIKE NASHVILLE, PHOENIX, DENVER, SOMETIMES THEY'LL THROW IN THEIR MONTGOMERY, I DON'T KNOW WHY. SMALLER TOWN. UM, SOMETIMES JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE IT'S RELATED TO GROWTH. AND THERE ARE CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS, OBVIOUSLY, THAT ARE SIMILAR TO AUSTIN. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT HOME, AND OF COURSE, AGAIN, TO WHAT VICE CHAIR ACHILLES WAS DESCRIBING OF ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF IF WE PLACE IT ON PAUSE, SIMILAR TO WHAT OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDING AND DID MM-HMM . UM, SO WE CAN FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION IS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE, AND THE INCENTIVE THAT EXISTS FOR HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE NOT INTERESTED IN BEING DEVELOPERS THAT ARE NOT INTERESTED IN BEING INVESTORS. MM-HMM . BECAUSE THEY'RE OKAY WITH THE SPACE OF PROPERTY THAT THEY HAVE. IT GIVES THEM A PLACE FOR FAMILY TO RUN AROUND MAYBE THEIR PETS TO RUN AROUND FOR THEM TO BREATHE AND CO-EXIST IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT. MM-HMM . AND SO THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY CONCERNS WITH THIS HOME PROGRAM IS THAT IN A WAY IT ALMOST PENALIZES HOMEOWNERS THAT DO NOT HAVE A DESIRE TO EXPAND ON THEIR PROPERTY WITH MULTIPLE OTHER PROPERTIES. HMM. AND SO I'M CURIOUS OF, AND THIS IS SOMETHING ALSO, YOU KNOW, UM, FOR, FOR OTHER FOLKS IN THE ROOM, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE THESE SIMILAR THOUGHTS, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS HOPING TO FIND OUT FROM THIS SUMMARY IS IF THERE WAS ANY KIND OF INCENTIVE FOR HOME BEING USED [01:05:01] OUTSIDE OF THIS INVESTMENT PURPOSE. AND I KNOW AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVERYONE WILL SAY, THIS INCLUDES GREATER HOUSING AVAILABILITY, BUT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO DO GREATER HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THEIR FAMILY UNIT OR OTHER TYPE OF, UM, USES. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I THINK ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS HOME INITIATIVE. MM-HMM . AND, UM, AN EQUITY OVERLAY IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE HOMEOWNERS. THERE'S PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE OKAY WITH THEIR PROPERTY AND THEIR HOME SURE. BEING UTILIZED IN THE WAY THAT IT HAS GENERATED GENERATIONALLY AND HISTORICALLY BEEN UTILIZED WITHOUT A NEED FOR INVESTMENT, WITHOUT A NEED FOR DIVING INTO DEVELOP IT, UM, FURTHER BEYOND WHAT IT IS. SO I'LL STOP WITH THAT. SO THAT WAS A COMMENT AT THE END, BUT THE TWO QUESTIONS THANK YOU, , FROM BEFORE. NO, I, I, I THINK THAT'S A, I THINK THAT'S GREAT. I MEAN, WELL, LET ME START FIRST BY SAYING OUR SCOPE WAS LIMITED. UM, AND OUR TIME WAS LIMITED TO WHAT WE COULD DO. AND SO IF WE WERE CHARGED WITH, UM, ONLY, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME AND IN SCOPE, UM, THERE WERE ADDITIONAL THINGS AND TASKS THAT WE COULD DO. AND I CERTAINLY THINK LOOKING AT IT PAST, UM, HOME OWNERSHIP AND RENTERS AND LOOKING INTO MORE OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WOULD CERTAINLY BE SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE COULD DO. I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A, A GREAT OPTION OR A TOOL, CERTAINLY A RECOMMENDATION THAT YOUR COMMUNITY QUARTERBACK COULD, COULD POSSIBLY PULL, PULL TOGETHER. BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY AN OPTION. UM, AS I'M LOOKING AT THE CITIES THAT WE LOOKED AT, THE ONLY OTHER ATLANTA IS EXPLORED THE ADUS, UM, BUT IT DIDN'T, I'M LOOKING AT THE DETAILS REALLY. IT DIDN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT, I DON'T SEE WHERE IT GOT INTO MUCH DETAIL AS, YOU KNOW, AS YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT. BUT, UH, THAT BEING SAID, WE CAN PROVIDE, UM, THE DETAILS OF THE STUDIES FOR THE, THE CITIES THAT WERE ON THE SLIDE THERE, IF IT GIVES YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION. JUST WANTED TO ADD REALLY QUICK THAT THE, THE STUDY DOES HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION. THE, THE FULL STUDY HAS MORE INFORMATION ON EACH OF THOSE CITIES. AND SO IT DOES, LIKE PORTLAND, OREGON, UH, LEGALIZED, UH, DUPLEXES AND FOURPLEXES CITYWIDE. ATLANTA HAS ADU, UH, COLUMBIA HEIGHTS HAS, UH, A DIFFERENT PROGRAM. SO THERE ARE SIMILAR TO HOME OR YOU KNOW, SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS, UH, THAT EACH OF THE CITIES DID HAVE THAT THEY USED. AND AS PART OF THE, THE, THE STUDY. YEAH. AND IT'S IN, IT IS IN THE STUDY. YEAH. SO IF IT'S ANYTHING PAST THE STUDY, WE COULD PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'D BE GREAT. AND IF YOU CAN ADD ON IF ANY OF THEM HAVE ANY TYPE OF PRICING CAPS. SO, 'CAUSE I BELIEVE THAT'S ONE PART OF THE REASON, UM, YEAH. UH, WHY THERE MIGHT BE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT HOME IS BECAUSE THERE, THERE, THERE ARE NO SORT OF WIDGETS IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT THERE ISN'T, UM, SORT OF AN OVER CONSUMPTION OF USE OF THAT HOME. BECAUSE IF YOU'RE BUILDING THREE OR FOUR THINGS AND YOU CAN PRICE IT WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE, AND THEY HAVE A GENERATIONAL HOME NEXT DOOR OR GENERATIONAL PROPERTY, EXCUSE ME, NEXT DOOR, THAT CAN CREATE A LOT OF CONCERN. MM-HMM . SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE ANYTHING LIKE THAT. YEAH. IN THE STUDY IT DOES SPEAK TO SOME OF 'EM DO TALK ABOUT PRICE CAP. SO IT'S IN THE IT IS IN THE STUDY. I MEAN, IN THE ACTUAL REPORT. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER TISHA. MICROPHONE TO WORK. SORRY. WE CAN HEAR YOU. UH, COMMISSIONER LAGUARDIA, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? GO AHEAD. SO, UM, YEAH, I THINK I'M GONNA START OFF WITH A GOOD, AND THEN LIKE, NO, NOT SO GOOD . SO I ACTUALLY LIKE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS. I THINK THE, UTILIZING COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, I THINK THE ADDITIONAL HOMESTEAD PRESERVATION DISTRICTS, I THINK PARTNERSHIPS WITH NONPROFIT AND COMMUNITY BASED PARTNERS, I THINK THAT'S GREAT. BUT I WAS EXPECTING SOMETHING TOTALLY EARTH SHATTERING OVER HERE FROM A PD, LIKE, WHY DID THEY, WHY DID THE CITY OF AUSTIN OUTSOURCE THIS PROJECT TO A PD WHEN WE, WE KNEW THIS INFORMATION, WE DO THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, WE KNOW THE, THE AREAS THAT ARE BEING AFFECTED, AND WHY DID IT TAKE SO LONG? AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, ALSO DISAPPOINTED WITH THE LACK OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE COULD HAVE ANSWERED ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS OURSELVES. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DO BELIEVE MR. WILES HAD COME AND SPOKEN TO [01:10:01] US. I I THINK THIS WAS DUE BACK IN SUMMER, 6, 7, 8, 9 MONTHS AGO. AND WE COULD HAVE IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS BACK THEN. UM, I BELIEVE HE ALLUDED TO LIKE, CROWDSOURCING FROM THE COMMUNITY TO HELP PAY FOR, UH, PROPERTY TAXES. AND I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF HOMEOWNERS BEING EMPOWERED TO BUILD ADUS IN THEIR BACKYARDS THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS THEY CAN BECOME LANDLORDS AND MAKE A LIVING THEMSELVES. BUT, UM, YEAH. UM, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THOSE WERE, THAT WAS JUST MY, UM, THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS. YEAH. I JUST WANNA WANNA, YEAH. PUT THIS BEHIND US AND JUST KIND OF MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO WORK, UH, TOGETHER WITH EVERYONE TO LIKE, IMPLEMENT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SURE. YEAH. I, I DO JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT A PD WAS LIMITED IN THEIR, THEIR SCOPE AND TIME AND, AND BUDGETS THAT, THAT WE HAD, UM, OR THAT THEY HAD, I GUESS THROUGH US. UM, SO DEFINITELY WANT TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT OUT THERE. THAT IT WAS DEFINITELY, THEY PUT IN A LOT OF WORK AND DID A LOT OF WORK FOR THIS WITH THE LIMITED, VERY LIMITED SCOPE AND BUDGET THAT WE HAD, UM, FOR THIS. AND I DEFINITELY THINK, YOU KNOW, THE CITY COULD HAVE EXPEDITED THE PROCESS, UM, IN GETTING THE REPORT OUT AND GETTING THROUGH REVIEWS. UM, BUT YEAH, SO JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE. THANK YOU. UM, COMMISSIONER LYRIC, GO AHEAD. YEAH. UM, I'M A LITTLE OVERWHELMED. UM, SO IT WAS SAYING LIKE 56% OF THE PEOPLE WERE RENTERS. AND I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING FROM THIS PRESENTATION, BUT WHERE IN THIS, WHAT, WHAT PARTS OF THIS PRESENTATION IS LIKE PROTECTING RENTERS, LIKE CURRENT RENTERS FROM ACTUALLY BEING DISPLACED, LIKE FROM THEM CURRENTLY LIVING IN THEIR UNITS? WHAT, WHAT PART OF THIS PREVENTS THEM FROM OR PROTECTS THEM FROM LEAVING? UM, YEAH, I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE TOO MANY RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS WAY TO HELP RENTERS AS, AS, AS YOU MENTIONED, A LOT OF IT IS, UH, ORIENTED TOWARDS HOME OWNERSHIP BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE A LOT KIND OF EASIER REALLY TO, TO MANAGE. UM, AND THE GOAL IS TO KEEP, AGAIN, HOMEOWNERS IN THE AREA AND HOPEFULLY THEY CAN ALSO KEEP THEIR TENANTS IN THE AREA BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT BEING PRESSURED TO SELL THOSE PROPERTIES. UM, SO YOU, BUT YES, THERE ARE NOT TOO, TOO MANY, UM, YOU KNOW, GOALS OR RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF THE STUDY OR THAT WE HAVE FOUND THAT WILL HELP RENTERS, AS YOU MENTIONED. IS THERE A REASON WHY THERE'S NO RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND LIKE RIGHT TO RETURN OR LIKE ANTI DEMOLISHING OF PROPERTIES? 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT'S KIND OF THE PIECE OF DISPLACEMENT THAT I GET REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE GONNA MOVE NO MATTER WHAT. UM, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THIS TAKING SO LONG, PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY LEFT. UM, SO WHAT CAN BE PUT IN PLACE TO, UM, PROMOTE THEM, YOU KNOW, COMING BACK TO THE SAME PROPERTY OR THAT PROPERTY NOT JUST BEING GONE AND THEN MOVING INTO A, A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SPACE THAT ISN'T WHAT THEY LOVED ABOUT THEIR, THEIR HOME IN THE FIRST PLACE. YOU KNOW, IF THERE, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING IN HERE, BUT LIKE, JUST, IS THERE A REASON WHY THAT EITHER OF THOSE THINGS OF LIKE RIGHT TO RETURN OR LIKE NOT DEMOLISHING THE SPACE ITSELF AND PUTTING SOMETHING NEW UP? WHY, WHY THOSE DIDN'T GET RECOMMENDED? UM, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS JUST NOT PART OF WHAT WAS STUDIED OR RECOMMENDED. IT DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T BE, UM, THE RIGHT TO RETURN OBVIOUSLY IS A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON OWNERSHIP AND, AND WHO HAS THAT THIS IS NOT, HOME IS NOT AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM WHERE THE CITY IS IN CHARGE OF, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS IN EXCHANGE OF SOMETHING. UM, LIKE SOME OF OUR DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS HAVE THAT RIGHT TO RETURN OR, OR TENANT PROTECTIONS. HOME IS MORE OF A BUYRIGHT ENTITLEMENT, RIGHT? UM, SINGLE FAMILY BASED ZONE PROPERTIES CAN DEVELOP UP TO THREE UNITS. UM, SO IT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE LIMITED IN WHAT IT CAN DO. AND THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST CAN'T DO LIKE AN ANTI DEMOLISHING KIND OF THING. LIKE IF THERE'S, SO, IF, IF, IF THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, UH, THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, BY THE CITY, UM, THEY BASICALLY SELL THE HOUSE AND THE LAND IS OWNED BY THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. AND SO THEN THERE ARE DEFINITELY SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PROTECTIONS AND THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN. UM, IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT AT THAT POINT. UH, BUT JUST A, A TYPICAL CURRENT EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY HOME WOULD, WOULD NOT FALL UNDER THAT. BUT YES, DEFINITELY IN THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, THERE CAN BE THOSE TYPES OF PROTECTIONS. AND, AND THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LYRIC. UM, SO I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR INTERVIEWS WITH STAKEHOLDERS. UM, DID YOU SENSE, UH, LIKE A TRUST OR LACK OF TRUST THAT THE CITY IS ADDRESSING [01:15:01] THE ISSUE HERE, THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUE, WHETHER IT BE WITH THE HOME PROGRAM OR WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS? UH, I KNOW YOU LISTED ALL THE, THE OTHER PROGRAMS HERE. IS THAT A, THAT'S A QUESTION FOR US. YES. OKAY. CAN YOU, UH, REPEAT THE QUESTION AGAIN? I'M SORRY. YES. UM, WHAT DID YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE TRUST FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT THE CITY IS, UM, ADDRESSING THIS, UH, AFFORDABILITY ISSUE, UM, WHETHER IT BE WITH THE HOME PROGRAM OR WITH OTHER PROGRAMS THAT YOU LOOKED AT? I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A LACK OF TRUST. IT'S MORE THAT THEY, PEOPLE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE, WHAT THE HOME PROGRAM REALLY IS. UM, I THINK IT'S MORE, UM, PEOPLE DO WANT MORE COMMUNICATE, BETTER COMMUNICATION. UM, AND THERE WAS SOME ISSUES OR SOME COMMENTS AROUND LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, UM, THAT WE HEARD FROM STAKEHOLDERS. AND CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT, UH, MISUNDERSTANDING OF HOME BY THE, THE STAKEHOLDERS? UM, I THINK PEOPLE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS, IT'S A DEVELOPMENT TOOL. UM, I THINK THAT WAS THE BIGGEST PIECE, THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM THAT. THEY JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS REALLY USED FOR. THAT SEEMED TO BE WHAT WE WERE, WERE FINDING IN OUR MEETING, IN OUR STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS. MM-HMM . I MEAN, ONE THING ABOUT THAT IS THAT IF YOU WERE FOLLOWING THE, THE CONVERSATION, UH, BEFORE THE, THE HOME INITIATIVE CAME TO CITY COUNCIL AROUND THE TIME, UM, LANGUAGE USED BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT WAS ALL ABOUT AFFORDABILITY. IT WAS ALL ABOUT, UH, THIS IS GOING TO MAKE AUSTIN MORE AFFORDABLE. AND, UH, WE DEFINITELY HAVE A HUGE AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM IN AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY WITH, UH, RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE VERY LOW INCOME. AND SO WHEN WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION OF AFFORDABILITY, UM, THESE, THESE RESIDENTS ARE ASSUMING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VERY LOW INCOME, UM, UH, HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS. UH, AND AS YOU CAN, UH, IF YOU SAW THE, THE STRATEGIC BLUEPRINT AND THE REPORTS THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY, THE CITY HAS NOT BUILT MUCH HOUSING AT 30% OR BELOW. UH, I THINK WE BUILT LIKE 426 UNITS. UH, AND SO, UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S A MISUNDERSTANDING IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM AND, UM, WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT. AND SO WHEN WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, ESPECIALLY BY CITY COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY BY HOUSING STAFF, THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING IT WITH THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS, OF COURSE, THEY'RE GOING TO THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT IT'S FOR. RIGHT. OKAY. UM, AND THEN, UM, AS WE NOTED HERE, UM, THERE SEEMED TO BE LIKE A FRUSTRATION, UH, BY COMMISSIONERS FOR SURE, BUT ALSO WITH THE PUBLIC OF, UM, FIRST WHAT THIS PROGRAM WAS MEANT TO DO, UH, OR WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS MEANT TO DO. AND THEN ALSO JUST THE FACT THAT THIS, UM, UM, THIS STUDY BY THAT WAS COMMISSIONED, UH, WAS MEANT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY TO ADDRESS THAT AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM, BUT ALSO TO MITIGATE THOSE HARMS THAT WE HAVE SEEN FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR YEARS, UH, FROM ALL THESE PROGRAMS, UH, UH, THAT WE, THAT WE PASSED THROUGH THROUGH CITY COUNCIL. UM, ONE THING THAT I NOTICED IS THAT, UH, YOU'VE BEEN MENTIONING, UM, THE, THE SCOPE MM-HMM . UM, ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE ABLE TO DO, WHAT YOU WERE ASKED TO DO. AND AS, UH, VICE CHAIR HAS NOTED, WE WERE ALL THINKING THAT THIS, UM, THIS STUDY WAS GOING TO, UH, FIGURE OUT THAT ISSUE, WHETHER, HOW CAN WE PROTECT THESE COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? LIKE WHETHER A VAST, YOU KNOW, PROTECTION PROGRAM WHERE WE CAN PROTECT, UH, AN ENTIRE AREA. BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS INFORMATION IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALREADY KNEW, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SEEN FOR YEARS. SO THE THING THAT WE WERE EXPECTING WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THE WAY TO PROTECT THESE AREAS WHEN WE HAVE THESE PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT ADDRESSING AFFORDABILITY, ESPECIALLY NOT FOR VERY LOW INCOME, UH, RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS, BUT HOW ARE WE PROTECTING THEM? BECAUSE THESE PROGRAMS ARE MARKET DRIVEN RIGHT THERE FOR INVESTORS. INVESTORS ARE GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. THEY'RE GOING TO, UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF SPECULATION. AND AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU LISTED IN YOUR REPORT, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SEEN FOR YEARS. I'VE BEEN, I LIVE IN THE, IN THE MENTALIS, EAST RIVERSIDE AREA, AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN THAT WITH PROJECT CONNECT, WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR, ALL THOSE, AND THEN CITY BONUS PROGRAMS, THINGS LIKE THAT. THEY BRING SPECULATION. THEY BRING, UM, DISPLACEMENT. SO WE WANTED SOMETHING THAT [01:20:01] COULD GUIDE US AND SAY, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE PROTECT THESE AREAS THAT WE ALREADY KNOW OR VULNERABLE? SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I HEAR THE CONCERNS. UM, AND, AND RIGHTFULLY SO. I RESPECT THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, I, I, I APOLOGIZE IF THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU ALL WERE EXPECTING. UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE BEGINNING I GAVE NO, I SAID THAT THESE ARE THE THREE, THREE QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE CHARGED WITH, AT LEAST OUR UNDERSTANDING. UH, WE WERE CHARGED WITH WHAT THIS STUDY WAS SUPPOSED TO DO, WHICH WAS, UM, FIND OUT OR UNDERSTAND WHICH, WHICH NEIGHBORHOODS OR COMMUNITIES WERE MOST AT RISK, UM, BASED ON HOME'S EXPANSION. UM, TALK TO STAKEHOLDERS AND FIND OUT WHAT THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS WERE. YOU KNOW, BASICALLY AROUND AFFORDABILITY, DISPLACEMENT, AND PROPERTY VALUES AS RELATED TO HOME. AND THEN WHAT WERE THE PROGRAMS AND POLICIES THAT COULD BE PUT IN PLACE OR THAT WE COULD RECOMMEND TO BALANCE WHAT THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS WERE, AND THEN WHAT THE GOALS OF THE HOME ORDINANCE WERE. AND THOSE WERE THE THREE CHARGES THAT WE WERE GIVEN FOR OUR SCOPE YES. AND THOSE THINGS. YES. UM, YEAH. AND I, I APOLOGIZE IF IT SEEMS , UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M TARGETING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT, UM, I FEEL LIKE YEAH, I, I UNDERSTAND. YEAH. YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD A, WE HAD AN INTERVIEW WITH YOU, AND SO WE YES. YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND, AND I, I HEAR WITH ALL OF YOU ALL MM-HMM . AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND, AND YEAH. AND I BRING UP THE, THE TRUST ISSUE IN THAT BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE, UH, THERE'S A DISCONNECT FROM WHAT THE COMMUNITY TALKED ABOUT IN THE, UH, AT CITY COUNCIL DURING THE HOME INITIATIVE. UH, AGAIN, WHAT COMMISSIONER, UH, SORRY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES AND VELASQUEZ, UH, LANGUAGE WAS, AND THEN WHAT THE, WHAT YOU WERE ASKED TO DO. THERE SEEMS TO BE A DISCONNECT THERE. AND THAT'S WHY I BRING UP THE TRUST ISSUE IN, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CITY, WITH THE PLANNING AND HOUSING DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THAT SCOPE IS, UH, UH, WAS NOT WHAT THE COMMUNITY WAS ASKING FOR. WE UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE SCOPE THAT WE WERE GIVEN, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE DELIVERED ON THE SCOPE THAT WE WERE CHARGED WITH. YES. THANK RESPECT AND UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION THAT YOU ALL HAVE. UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER NAR, DID YOU WANT TO ASK? YEAH, I HATE TO FOLLOW UP AFTER, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, COMM, UM, CHAIR LEE, BUT, UM, YEAH, JUST TO DOUBLE DOWN, I THINK ON WHAT YOU SAID, I THINK WHEN THIS DISCUSSION CAME UP AT COUNCIL ABOUT HOME, UM, THE CRITICISM TO COMMUNITY WAS YOU JUST, YOU DON'T COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS. AND, AND SO THE EQUITY OVERLY WAS A SOLUTION. UM, AND SO WE, SO, AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS WRITTEN OUT. IT WAS WORKED THROUGH, IT WAS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL. AND SO YOU HAD FINALLY, WE DID GET SUPPORT FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS FUENTES AND, AND, UM, VELASQUEZ TO LOOK AT INEQUITY OVERLAY. AND IT'S JUST, EXCEPT FOR THE TITLE OF THIS STUDY, WHICH HAS THE WORD EQUITY OVERLAY IN IT, UM, I'M NOT SEEING IT REALLY ADDRESSED, EXCEPT MAY BE IN THE QUESTION, BUT THEN IT'S KIND OF DILUTED BY SAYING EQUITY OVERLAY COMPANION IN QUOTES. SO I, AND THIS IS NOT TO THIS QUESTION, IS, THIS IS COMMON, IS NOT DIRECTED TO A PD, IT'S DIRECTED TO THE CITY, BECAUSE CLEARLY IT STARTS WITH Y'ALL, IT STARTS WITH THE CITY AND THE DIRECTION YOU'RE GIVEN TO CONSULTANTS THAT YOU'RE PAYING VERY HANDSOMELY. SO, SO I GUESS I'M JUST GONNA GO BACK TO, TO ECHOING THE POINTS THAT ARE BEING MADE HERE. THIS WAS A STUDY THAT DID NOT ADDRESS THE, THE MISSION THAT IT WAS GIVEN FROM COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT AN EQUITY OVERLAY AND HOW WE COULD IMPLEMENT AN EQUITY OVERLAY TO ADDRESS THE, THE ISSUES OF NOT JUST AFFORDABILITY, BUT DISPLACEMENT AND GENTRIFICATION. SO ALL THIS, WHAT I'M SEEING HERE IS A REPORT THAT SAYS, THIS IS HOW WE CAN GET FOLKS TO ADOPT HOME . I DON'T SEE HOW, HOW, AND, AND TO LEARN HOW TO BUILD HOMES IN THEIR BACKYARD. AND, AND WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER TISHA WAS SAYING IS, SO, IT'S SO RELEVANT. I DON'T WANNA PUT A HOUSE IN MY BACKYARD. I REALLY DON'T. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE PROBABLY DON'T. AND IF THAT IS THE ONLY REASON THAT WE SHOULD SUPPORT HOME AS A, AS A SOLUTION TO AFFORDABILITY, IS TO TELL PEOPLE, YOU JUST GOTTA BUILD IN YOUR BACKYARD. IS THAT REALLY, REALLY, THAT IS NOT FEASIBLE, AND THAT IS NOT RELEVANT TO PROBABLY 90% OF THE, OF HOMEOWNERS, MUCH LESS THE RENTERS THAT ARE NOT EVEN REALLY ADDRESSED. WE, BUT THE ONE THING, AT LEAST THAT WE CAN SAY FROM THIS REPORT IS THAT IT BRINGS UP THAT RENTERS ARE THE MOST, ARE VERY MUCH UNDER [01:25:01] PRESSURE. SO THAT IS THE TAKEAWAY. SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, UM, AND ALSO JUST ONE OTHER COMMENT, UM, AGAIN, THESE CITIES ARE, DON'T DEMOGRAPHICALLY REFLECT AUSTIN, MAYBE SAN JOSE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CITIES THAT REALLY REFLECT OUR DEMOGRAPHICS, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE COMPARING US, AND THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MENARD. ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AS WE CLOSE OUT THIS, UH, MISS ITEM, VICE CHAIR? GO AHEAD. IF I CAN JUST MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT. IT'S, IT'S NOT A QUESTION THAT'S NOT AIMED AT ANYONE IN THE ROOM. I JUST WANNA SAY, I DO THINK THAT WE ALL FELT, AND THEN WE'VE SAID IT, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY IT ONE MORE TIME. UM, DISAPPOINTED AND FRUSTRATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMUNITY BROUGHT FORTH INITIATIVE, AND THEN WE, SO WE WERE EXCITED ABOUT CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS. AND THEN WE, WE FELT LIKE WE GOT SHUT OUT. UM, WE, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO THEN HAVE ANY MORE CONVERSATIONS AFTER THE ORIGINAL PRESENTATION UNTIL AFTER EVERYTHING WAS FINISHED AND WENT TO COUNCIL. AND AGAIN, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE THINGS I DON'T UNDERSTAND IN THE BACKGROUND, SO I'M NOT TRYING, I AM JUST SAYING OUT LOUD FOR THE RECORD, THAT IT WAS JUST REALLY DISAPPOINTING AND FRUSTRATING TO NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO BE, HAVE THE COMMUNITY BE PART OF THE PROCESS THROUGH COMMISSION MEETINGS AND OTHER THINGS. I THINK COMMUNITY POWERED A TX MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN THINKING THAT THEY MIGHT GET TO, TO COMMUNICATE SOME WAY, AT LEAST THROUGH THIS COMMISSION. AND SO JUST ON THE RECORD, VERY, VERY DISAPPOINTED. AGAIN, NOT POINTING THAT AT, AT ANYONE HERE. I'M JUST SAYING IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. VICE CHAIR. UH, OKAY. IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UH, THANK YOU, ALAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, A PD URBAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT, AND, UH, WE'LL CLOSE OUT THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. UH, SO NEXT ITEM IS [5.Discussion on the Austin Housing 2026 Marketing and Outreach Plan. Discussion led by Veronica Samo, Public Information and Marketing Program Manager, and Julie Smith, Community Engagement Specialist, from Austin Housing.] GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION ON AUSTIN HOUSING 2026 MARKETING AND OUTREACH PLAN. UH, THIS DISCUSSION IS LED BY VERONICA SAMO, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MARKETING PROGRAM MANAGER, AND JULIE SMITH, COMM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST FROM AUSTIN HOUSING. WELCOME Y'ALL. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. I'M VERONICA SAMO. YES. THAT'S SAMO SAMO COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER FOR AUSTIN HOUSING. AND WE'LL BE COVERING HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR COMMUNITY, UH, EXCUSE ME, COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY, AND REALLY USING THIS NOT ONLY AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COVER SOME OF OUR KEY PLACEMENTS, UH, BUT ALSO AS AN INVITATION TO EACH OF YOU TO, UH, CONTRIBUTE AND HELP US MAKE THIS MORE STRATEGIC AND INTENTIONAL WITH COMMUNITY. UM, AND I'LL LET MY TEAMMATE HERE, JULIE, INTRODUCE HERSELF. AWESOME. THANK YOU, VERONICA. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. JULIE SMITH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT. NICE TO SEE YOU. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE. UM, YOU SEE MY FACE OFTEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND SOME OF THE, UM, CONVERSATION WHEN WE'RE HERE ASKING, WHAT IS IT THAT THE COMMUNITIES THAT YOU ARE CONNECTED WITH AND TO NEED? WE END UP TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE OUTREACH AND THE ENGAGEMENT AND THE ACCESSIBILITY OF OUR PROGRAMS AND OUR SERVICES. AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO COME AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION FIRST SO THAT WE COULD REALLY DEDICATE TIME TO HOW IS IT THAT WE ARE REACHING COMMUNITY AND HEARING FROM COMMUNITY IN ADVANCE OF OUR YEARLY NEEDS ASSESSMENT AS WE TRY TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THAT AND THE IMPACT OF IT. . AND THE FEEDBACK THAT WE, THAT WE OFTEN GET FROM, FROM YOU, THIS COMMISSION, OTHER COMMISSIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, IS ABOUT REACHING THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED, CONSIDERING THE VOICES OF THOSE WHO ARE MOST IMPACTED, MAKING RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE, INCREASING TRANSPARENCY, AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO, TO SHOW THE IMPACT OF OUR PROGRAMS, UM, WHO THEY'RE SERVING AND, AND HOW THEY'RE CHANGING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE. AND IT'S, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, PLEASE KNOW THAT THESE BOTH ALIGN WITH THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE WHEN WE LOOK FOR STRATEGIES, UM, AND GUIDE US. AND SO WHEN WE CONTINUE TO HEAR THAT THIS IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS US TO BE DOING, UM, IT HELPS US TO KNOW WHERE ARE WE HITTING THE MARK AND WHERE ARE WE NOT? AND AS VERONICA MENTIONED, WE REALLY WOULD INVITE YOU INTO THIS CONVERSATION. SO WE DO WANNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE, WE DO ON A REGULAR BASIS, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW NEED SOME IMPROVEMENT, PLACES THAT WE CAN LEAN IN. AND THEN WANNA OPEN IT UP REALLY FOR DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE. THANKS, JULIE. ALRIGHT, SO LET'S DIVE ON IN TO MARKETING AND OUTREACH. HOW DO WE GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT OUR HOUSING SERVICES AND PROGRAMS, UH, TO AUSTINITES, [01:30:02] STARTING WITH OUR HOMEPAGE? SO OUR PRIMARY SITE THAT WE DO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO IS AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/HOUSING. YOU'LL SEE WE'VE SPENT SOME TIME OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS REALLY FOCUSING IN BY AUDIENCE. UH, SO TRYING TO CLEARLY MARK FOR RENTERS WHAT ARE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE HOME BUYERS, UM, WHAT ARE THE PROGRAMS EVEN BY DEVELOPER, UH, AUDIENCE, BECAUSE THOSE ARE OUR PARTNERS, UM, IN, IN DIFFERENT, UH, REAL ESTATE. AND, UM, ALSO PROGRAM, OR EXCUSE ME, PROPERTY MANAGER RESOURCES. SO, UM, WE'VE TAKEN TIME HERE AND THEN OF COURSE, USE THIS, UH, TO ROTATE IN AND, AND HIGHLIGHT ANY TIMELY ANNOUNCEMENTS OR PROGRAM LAUNCHES. WE ALSO SHARE UPDATES MONTHLY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER. SO THIS IS GOING ON JUST ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF. WE BROUGHT THIS BACK AND IT'S A MONTHLY EMAIL DISTRIBUTION TO APPROXIMATELY 9,300 RECIPIENTS. AND WE'RE WORKING WITHIN EACH OF THE PROGRAM TEAMS WITH HOUSING TO, UM, GET UPDATED CONTACTS, UM, AND TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THIS OUT AND, AND BUILD THAT INTO OUR PROCESS. WE TYPICALLY ORGANIZE THIS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER INTO SECTIONS, CALLING OUT FIRST HELPING AUSTIN NIGHTS STAY IN AUSTIN, THINGS LIKE RENTAL ASSISTANCE OR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS, UH, ANYTHING, UH, THAT WE OFFER IN THAT DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION AREA. ALSO, CREATING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SO ANY GROUNDBREAKINGS, UM, OR, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT OF NEW UNITS AND HOW FOLKS CAN ACCESS THOSE UNITS. AND THEN ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY RESOURCES. SO USING OUR OUTLET TO TIE IN RELATED, UH, COMMUNITY AND, UH, PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS OR OTHER CITY RESOURCES THAT WE KNOW OUR AUDIENCE IS LOOKING FOR. AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, THAT LAST LITTLE CHUNK, WE RECENTLY ADDED IN UP UPCOMING BOARDING COMMISSION MEETINGS SO THAT WE CAN REMIND FOLKS OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO CONTRIBUTE, SPEAK AND, AND HAVE THEIR VOICES SHARED IN ANOTHER WAY. WE ALSO DISTRIBUTE FLYERS IN OUR PUBLIC SPACES, LIKE 24 AWESOME PUBLIC LIBRARY LOCATIONS. THAT'S WHAT THIS MAP IS. AND 11 EASTERN CRESCENT REC CENTERS. SO WE MAINTAIN, UH, RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OF THOSE BRANCH LIBRARIANS OR, UH, FACILITY MANAGERS. AND WE EVEN HAVE THEM REACH OUT TO US WHEN THEY NEED TO RESTOCK THE FLYERS, WHICH IS REALLY NICE. ALL OF OUR FLYERS ARE CURRENTLY IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND WE ALSO TRANSLATE INTO THE TOP SEVEN TIER ONE LANGUAGES. WE'LL TALK A LOT, A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION. UM, THOSE ARE AVAILABLE DIGITALLY, AND AS I'M SURE Y'ALL ARE AWARE, THE CITY IS TRANSITIONING THROUGH THE NEW BRAND UPDATE. SO, UM, WE'LL HAVE THE UPDATED TRANSLATIONS, UH, PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT, NEXT COUPLE MONTHS AS WE FINALIZE THAT NEW BRAND LAYOUT. WE HAVE A SMALL AND MIGHTY BUDGET FOR PAID ADVERTISING, AND I'LL WALK THROUGH A FEW OF THE DIFFERENT OUTLETS THAT WE USE, STARTING WITH TV. WE DO HAVE, UM, COMMERCIAL PLACEMENT THAT WE'LL DO IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAR, UH, TV. ADVERTISING'S A LITTLE ON THE PRICIER SIDE, SO WE HAVE TO BE, UH, INTENTIONAL IN HOW WE SPACE THAT OUT. AND ALSO PARTNERING FOR LARGER SCALE EVENTS LIKE THE, THIS PHOTO IS THE CBS, THE MUNDO BACKPACK DRIVE THAT HAD LIKE 2,500 FAMILIES COME THROUGH. WE ALSO, UM, FOCUS IN ON DIFFERENT RADIO OUTLETS. THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN APPROACHABLE PRICE POINT WHERE WE CAN REACH COMMUNITY RADIO, MORE MAINSTREAM RADIO AGAIN, UH, IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH WHEN WE HAVE THOSE DIRECT SERVICES, UH, AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENTS. AND THEN WE ALSO, UM, QUARTERLY AS WE PLAN OUR ADVERTISING INCORPORATE JUST GENERAL HOUSING RESOURCES, JUST LETTING FOLKS KNOW AUSTIN HOUSING IS HERE AND THIS IS HOW WE CAN HELP PRINT AND DIGITAL OUTLETS. AGAIN, UH, SOME LOCAL, UH, COMMUNITY PAPERS, UM, AUSTIN MONITOR NOW CALLED AUSTIN CURRENT. THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHETHER WE'RE FOCUSING IN ON A PARTICULAR ENGAGEMENT OR PROGRAM LIKE THE RENTAL [01:35:01] FEE TRANSPARENCY SURVEY IN THE LOWER RIGHT CORNER, OR EVEN JUST OUR GENERAL, HEY, THIS IS HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND WE HAVE PROGRAMS FOR EACH STAGE THAT YOU'RE IN, WHETHER RENTER, FUTURE HOME BUYER OR EXISTING HOMEOWNER. WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO, UM, GET CAUGHT UP ON OUR ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION SITES FOR DEVELOPMENT SITE SIGNAGE. THIS IS ACTUALLY OUR FIRST EXAMPLE OF THE NEW BRANDED. THIS IS A SIX BY EIGHT FOOT SIGN THAT WENT UP ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO AT THE CORNER OF DORIS AND HATHAWAY, WHICH IS AN AUSTIN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST SITE. THIS IS RIGHT ACROSS FROM BURNETT MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND, UM, SO HERE WE ARE, JUST LETTING IT KNOWN, HEY, THIS IS YOUR HOUSING BOND DOLLARS AT WORK AND A QR CODE AND WEBSITE THROUGH SPEAK UP AUSTIN, WHERE FOLKS CAN LEARN MORE. AND, UH, TIE THAT BACK INTO, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE, HOW WE'RE MEETING COMMUNITY NEEDS. WE ALSO HAVE A HOME REPAIR ON OUR ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION SITES FOR HOME REPAIR. WE HAVE ENGLISH AND SPANISH, UH, SIGNAGE, AS WELL AS FLYERS SO THAT, UH, PEOPLE CAN SEE THAT THERE, UH, IS ACTION IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND LEARN MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THOSE NEEDS MIGHT BE. MEDIA RELATIONS IS ANOTHER, UM, KEY AREA OF OUR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY. IT'S THE WAY THAT WE NOT ONLY TELL, UH, TELL OUR STORY PROACTIVELY BY WORKING WITH LOCAL NEWS OUTLETS AND, AND REPORTERS. UM, AND WE'RE ALSO RESPONSIVE TO THEIR QUESTIONS AND STATUS UPDATES ON DIFFERENT CITY PROGRAMS. SO WE USE THIS CHANNEL TO COORDINATE ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVENT INVITATIONS FOR COVERAGE, UM, OR ANYTHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GOING ON TO, TO HELP BRING THAT VISIBILITY. AND AGAIN, RES ALSO SUPPORTING THAT RESPONSIVENESS. UM, AS QUESTIONS COME IN, YOU KNOW, REPORTERS MAY SEE, UH, A MEMO ABOUT A PROGRAM UPDATE OR UPCOMING COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS. SO, UH, MAINTAINING THAT RELATIONSHIP, ULTIMATELY BUILDING TRUST NOT ONLY WITH THE REPORTERS, BUT USING THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR AUDIENCE TO HELP TELL OUR STORY FOR DOWN LIKE MORNING NEWS, UM, THEIR DAILY EMAIL DIGEST, EVENING NEWS. ALRIGHT, AND JULIE, WE'LL TAKE IT FROM HERE, STARTING WITH SOME OF OUR TABLING HIGHLIGHTS. YEAH, SO WE ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. YOU'LL OFTEN FIND US TABLING AT COMMUNITY EVENTS. HERE IS A LIST TO GIVE YOU SOME IDEA OF THE TYPES OF EVENTS WHERE YOU MIGHT FIND US AND OUR PROGRAM INFORMATION. THIS IS THE LIST OF, UM, COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WE ATTENDED IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR, UM, WHERE YOU CAN SEE WE REACHED MORE THAN A 560 RESIDENTS. AND THAT LOOKS ANYTHING LIKE SOMEBODY JUST STOPPING BY QUICKLY TO PICK UP A, TO PICK UP A FLYER AND TAKE IT WITH THEM, UM, TO MORE IN DEPTH CONVERSATIONS WHERE WE'RE REALLY ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE NEED AND CONNECT THEM, UM, DIRECTLY WITH THE PEOPLE THAT THEY NEED TO TALK TO. IT'S ALSO AN, AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR US JUST TO LISTEN AND TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS. AND SO THAT, UM, MORE INFORMAL PROCESS. SO JUST BEING IN COMMUNITY, CONNECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEY NEED. WE WORK IN COLLABORATION, UM, AND IN PARTNERSHIP BOTH WITH OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT GETTING THE WORD OUT AND MAKING SURE THAT, UM, OUR COLLEAGUES IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAVE THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO, TO SPREAD THE WORD, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY, UM, USING SOME EXISTING MECHANISMS. THAT'S FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM NEWSLETTERS AND, UM, WHETHER IT'S DIGITAL, DIGITAL NEWSLETTERS OR NEWSLETTERS THAT SHOW UP IN YOUR MAILBOX, UM, EVENTS, THE OTHER DEPO DEPARTMENTS HOSTS THAT WE CAN PARTNER ON. AND OF COURSE USING SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS ACROSS THE CITY. UH, WE HAVE CONTRACTED SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT, UH, ARE DIRECTLY, UH, USING THE FUNDING THAT COMES THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT. SO USING THEM TO HELP US SPREAD THE WORD OF COURSE. AND THEN OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT MIGHT NOT WORK DIRECTLY WITH OUR FUNDING, BUT DO SERVE SIMILAR POPULATIONS. AND SO CONNECTING WITH THEM. AND WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, BEING ABLE TO COME AND HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS, UM, WITH YOU. SO WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESSIBILITY, I WANNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHO WE'RE CONNECTING WITH AND HOW WE'RE CONNECTING. ABOUT A YEAR AGO WE LAUNCHED OUR HOUSING ENGAGEMENT HUB HUB ON SPEAK UP, [01:40:01] AUSTIN. THIS WAS, UH, EN LARGE DUE TO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM YOU AND FROM OTHER COMMISSIONS AND FROM COMMUN, FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE NEEDED A CENTRAL PLACE WHERE YOU COULD FIND ANY INFORMATION YOU WANTED. UM, AND THIS IS NOT MEANT TO REPLACE THE WEBSITE THAT VERONICA TALKED ABOUT, BUT INSTEAD TO BE AN ADDED TOOL THAT IS MORE INTERACTIVE. SO YOU CAN COME HERE TO DOWNLOAD FLYERS, LEARN ABOUT THE INITIATIVES WE HAVE, THE SURVEYS THAT ARE GOING ON, UH, THE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE BEING BUILT, UM, AND WHERE YOU CAN FIND US IN THE COMMUNITY. SO TO HIGHLIGHT JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS THERE ON OUR CONNECT WITH RESOURCES TAB ON THE HUB, AGAIN, OUR FLYERS THAT CAN BE DOWNLOADED, WHICH WILL BE UPLOADED, UPDATED SOON WITH OUR NEW LOGO AND ALL THE TRANSLATIONS. RECENTLY, WE ALSO ADDED AN ELEMENT TO THIS PAGE WHERE, UM, WE WANNA CONNECT FOLKS WITH RESOURCES OUTSIDE OF WHAT THE CITY PROVIDES. WE SO OFTEN, WHETHER IN PERSON OR THE CALLS THAT WE GET, UM, WHEN OUR PROGRAM TEAMS ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, HEAR ABOUT THINGS THAT OUR SERVICES JUST CANNOT, UM, MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE THERE. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE COMMUNITY PARTNERS SERVING THOSE, UM, SERVING THOSE DIFFERENT NEEDS. AND SO HAVING, AGAIN, A PLACE WHERE WE CAN SEND FOLKS TO SAY, CONNECT WITH THESE CHURCHES, THESE NONPROFITS, UM, THESE OTHER GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S ON THE HUB AS WELL, COMING SOON. I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. THIS HAS BEEN, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE. UM, AND WE'LL SOON BE, WE'LL SOON BE PUBLISHED. SOMETHING THAT WE OFTEN HEAR WHEN WE SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REACHING OUT TO 700 ORGANIZATIONS IS, WELL, WHICH ORGANIZATIONS ARE THERE ARE THOSE THAT YOU'RE IN TOUCH WITH. AND IT'S A REALLY, REALLY FAIR QUESTION. AND IT REALLY, UM, URGED US TO, TO NOT ONLY MAKE THAT PUBLIC, BUT TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK TO SAY, WHAT CONTACT INFORMATION DO WE HAVE? WHERE'S IT OUTDATED? SO WE'VE BEEN SPENDING, UM, A, A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME OVER THE LAST MANY MONTHS DIGGING THROUGH THAT LIST, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE UPDATED INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN REACH OUT TO ALL OF THESE COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO SAY, ARE YOU THE RIGHT PERSON? UM, LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE ON A LIST THAT WILL BE ON OUR HOUSING HOOK TO SAY, WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT WE REGULARLY REACH OUT TO YOU TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON. UM, WHICH CAN ALSO HELP US, UH, ASK FOR SOME, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY AND DOUBLE CHECKING, FILLING IN THE BLANKS SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN GO TO THAT SITE TO SEE WHICH ORGANIZATIONS WE MIGHT BE MISSING. OR IF YOU'RE A PART OF AN ORGANIZATION AND YOU SEE YOUR NAME, YOU SEE YOUR ORGANIZATION THERE AND SAY, WELL, I DON'T, I STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, THEN, THEN HELP US CONNECT WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE. SO REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE THAT UP IN THE HUB VERY SOON. AND THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF GROUPS, UM, THAT YOU'LL SEE UP THERE. LANGUAGE ACCESS, AS VERONICA MENTIONED, A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF WHAT OUR TEAM DOES. SO BEING BOTH PROACTIVE AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR CONTENT IS AVAILABLE IN THOSE TOP SEVEN LANGUAGES. AND THEN BEING RESPONSIVE SO AS PEOPLE CALL OR WE INTERACT WITH THEM IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE, UH, RELATIONSHIPS AND ACCESS TO VENDORS WHO CAN VERY QUICKLY JUMP IN AND, AND HELP WITH THOSE NEEDS. AND DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY ALSO VERY IMPORTANT. SO ANYONE WITH DISABILITIES WHO COMES INTO OUR DIGITAL SPACE, UM, THROUGH THE USE OF SCREEN READERS AND THAT SORT OF THING, UM, IS ABLE TO ACCESS ALL OF OUR INFORMATION. SO A HUGE EFFORT CITYWIDE HERE. AND WE HAVE A MEMBER OF OUR TEAM WHO'S BEEN REALLY GOING THROUGH EVERY PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE, EVERY, UM, PDF THAT'S ATTACHED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY IS THERE. SO WHO DO WE HEAR FROM? THERE'S SEVERAL WAYS THAT WE LIST THAT WE ASK THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY NEED AND LISTEN OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT WITHDRAWAL FAMILIAR WITH, WHICH IS TRADITIONALLY TIED TO OUR FEDERAL FUNDING. YOU, YOU'VE HEARD US SAY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. WE REALLY WANNA BROADEN THAT, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LISTENING, UM, ACROSS THAT WE'RE REACHING MORE PEOPLE AND HAVING MORE IMPACT WITH, UH, THE INPUT THAT WE HEAR. THIS IS A PLACE WE COULD REALLY USE YOUR HELP AND GUIDANCE. AN EVERGREEN SURVEY HAS BEEN CREATED, UM, DUE TO FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT THE LAST FEW YEARS, FOLKS WANTING TO BE ABLE TO WEIGH IN YEAR ROUND. WE CAN SOFT LAUNCH THAT LAST YEAR JUST TO TRY IT OUT. UM, AND HAVE JUST UPDATED THAT, UM, TO LAUNCH A 2.0 VERSION WITH A NEEDS ASSESSMENT THIS YEAR. UM, WHICH WILL THEN COME WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE STRUCTURE IN TERMS OF QUARTERLY REPORTING AND WHAT WE'RE HEARING AND MAKING SURE THAT FEEDBACK IS MAKING IT TO ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT PROGRAM TEAMS SO THAT THEY CAN USE THAT FEEDBACK. WE ALSO HAVE MORE TARGETED CONNECTION POINTS, BOTH GEOGRAPHICALLY AND TOPIC WISE. SO IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE'RE BUILDING IN, MAKING SURE WE'RE HEARING FROM THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THOSE AREAS THAN WE'RE LOOKING AT POLICY AND PLANNING TYPES OF INITIATIVES, UH, REACHING THE PEOPLE WHO THOSE POLICIES WILL IMPACT. AND KNOWING ALL OF THAT, UM, WE'RE TRYING MORE [01:45:01] AND MORE TO BE LESS SILOED SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST LISTENING, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE TO ASK CERTAIN QUESTIONS ABOUT CERTAIN PROJECTS, BUT THAT WE'RE REALLY THINKING HOLISTICALLY AND, UM, DEVELOPING A MORE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE ASK THE COMMUNITY, UM, WHAT THEY WANT AND NEED. WE KNOW THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH LISTS. SOME LISTED HERE ARE REALLY DEEPENING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. UH, THE UPDATED LIST WILL HELP WITH THAT A LOT, WORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, UM, HAVING FIRES AND EVEN MORE PLACES THAT ARE MORE ACCESSIBLE. UM, WE, OUR PLAN IS TO REALLY STRENGTHEN THE OUTREACH IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE BUILD AND CONNECT. UM, THAT FEEDBACK, NOT ONLY WITH THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL GO THERE, UH, BUT WITH OUR DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION TEAM WHO CAN HELP WITH THE SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL. OUR DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION NAVIGATORS, WHICH WILL BE IN ITS SECOND ITERATION, UH, WILL BE LAUNCHING AGAIN SOON. SO EXCITED FOR THAT PROGRAM TEAM TO BRING YOU MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT WHEN IT IS, WHEN IT'S LIVE. SO HOW CAN YOU HELP? WE NEED, WE DO NEED HELP CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, FILLING IN THOSE GAPS, DISTRIBUTING FLYERS, LETTING US KNOW WHERE THEY SHOULD GO. UM, WE'LL PRINT THEM AND BRING THEM TO YOU. WE CAN SEND THEM TO YOU DIGITALLY. UH, PLEASE DO PROMOTE OUR NEWSLETTER SIGNUPS. THE MORE PEOPLE WE HAVE ON THAT LIST, THE MORE DIRECTLY WE CAN BE IN CONTACT WHEN WE HAVE NEW PROGRAMS, NEW FUNDING, NEW UPDATES, UM, AND JUST TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING BOTH WITH US AND WITH THE COMMUNITY. AND SO WITH THAT, I'D LOVE TO, AND I KNOW WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME, BUT OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION, BUT LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO BE SEEING. UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN CHECKING THE SPEAK OF AUSTIN SINCE I HEARD ABOUT IT LAST TIME, OR LAST IN NOVEMBER. UM, SO REALLY APPRECIATE THE UPDATES THAT ARE IN THERE. I GOT TO SIGN UP FOR THE, UH, SOUTH OFF AUSTIN NAVIGATION CENTER THAT WAS BEING CREATED. SO THAT'S REALLY, REALLY EXCITING. I'M SUPER GLAD TO SEE, UM, IT THAT THERE, THERE'S UPDATED OPPORTUNITIES ON THERE. UM, I DID WANNA SAY, WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE WEBSITE, UM, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAD A NEWSLETTER, SO I WENT ON AND ON THE, UH, GOVERNMENT WEBSITE, LIKE THE AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV, IT ALLOWS YOU TO SUBSCRIBE TO MULTIPLE NEWSLETTERS, BUT THEN IT ASKS YOU, ASKS YOU TO SIGN IN, UM, INTO LIKE THE ACTUAL, LIKE SPEAK OF AUSTIN PORTAL. UM, SO JUST FYI, IT DIDN'T HAVE ME DO THAT WHEN I WENT TO THE LIKE PUBLIC INPUT PART. UM, SO I COULD JUST GO AHEAD AND LIKE PUT MY EMAIL IN AND IT WAS DONE. UM, BUT ON THE LIKE.GOV WEBSITE, IT MADE ME DO SOME STUFF, YEAH, THE MOBILE. AND WE ARE WORKING THROUGH, UH, AN UPDATE TO A NEW PLATFORM LATER THIS SPRING. BUT YES, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK THAT LINK. THANK YOU. YEAH, AND IT WAS A LITTLE HARD TO FIND, SO IF Y'ALL HAVE ANOTHER PLACE, LIKE ON THE WEBSITE. YEAH, IT'S ALL THE WAY AT THE BOTTOM ON THE ENGAGE PART. AND Y'ALL DO HAVE LIKE A CONTACT US LIKE AREA ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THERE'S A YOUTUBE LINK, SO I'M ASSUMING Y'ALL COULD PUT THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN LIKE LINK RIGHT THERE TOO. UM, BUT YEAH, IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR ME TO LIKE FIGURE OUT WHERE WOULD BE THE RIGHT PLACE AND THEN I WENT TO THE BOTTOM AND IT WAS ENGAGE AUSTIN. UM, THAT'S GOOD FEEDBACK. THANK YOU. YEAH. UM, AND THEN FOR, UM, THE ADVERTISING STUFF, I WAS CURIOUS IF Y'ALL HAVE EVER THOUGHT ABOUT BEING ABLE TO ADVERTISE WITH CAPITAL METRO? I KNOW THAT THEY PROBABLY DO LIKE HAVE, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT, BUT HOPEFULLY BECAUSE IT'S THEM AND LIKE THERE IS SOME PROJECT CONNECT PARTNERSHIP THAT MAYBE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO OFFER THAT AT A DISCOUNT. AND THEY HAVE LIKE THE INTERCOM ON THERE. THEY HAVE THOSE LITTLE LIKE TABS AT THE TOP OF THE BUS WHERE YOU COULD PUT LIKE FLYERS IN AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT LIKE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I'M BORED, I'M LOOKING UP AND I SEE SOMETHING AND I'M LIKE, OH, I SHOULD LOOK INTO THE YMCA'S HIRING, YOU KNOW, YOUTH COUNSELORS OR WHATEVER. JUST THAT KIND OF THING. UM, I THINK WOULD BE REALLY COOL. UM, AND THEN, UM, FOR THE TABLING, I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU GUYS AT, UM, UH, EVENTS THAT I KNOW ALMOST EVERYONE WOULD PROBABLY GO TO AT SOME POINT WHEN, WHEN THEY LIVE IN AUSTIN, LIKE PECAN FEST OR LIKE GOING TO FREE EVENTS AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. I KNOW THAT'S A VERY MORE LIKE CORPORATE-Y LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, SOCIALITE FESTIVAL OF AUSTIN. BUT I THINK EVERYBODY GOES TO THAT AT SOME POINT TO GO TO A FREE EVENT OR GO TO A CONCERT. UM, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS SEE NOT JUST, UM, LIKE THE NON-PROFIT FESTIVALS OR LIKE MORE OF LIKE COMMUNITY DRIVEN FESTIVALS, BUT LIKE A FESTIVAL WHERE EVERYBODY'S GONNA GO AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE, OH, LIKE AUSTIN HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S HERE. LIKE, I'M GONNA ASK 'EM A QUESTION 'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS DO AND THAT KIND OF THING. UM, SO JUST, YEAH, RANDOM THOUGHTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'S CREATIVE. THANK YOU. I WOULD REQUIRE YOU TO MAKE A SPEAK UP. AUSTIN, I WANTED TO QUICKLY JUMP IN. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, VERONICA AND JULIE FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UH, QUESTION. LARGE OVERARCHING QUESTION, THE STRATEGY GOALS, I GUESS BECAUSE I, I'M WONDERING IF THERE ARE CERTAIN THEMES OR TRENDS, UM, THAT YOU ALL HAVE FOR THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF YOUR OUTREACH AND TO, TO, I MEAN CALEB USED THE WORD KPI KEY PERFORM KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS. MM-HMM . I'M WONDERING IF YOU ALL HAVE THAT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, [01:50:01] UM, ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT. UH, BECAUSE IF WE COULD BE OF HELP FOR THAT, THEN I DO HAVE A FOLLOW UP. IT'S JUST ONE THOUGH. . SO IS YOUR QUESTION SPECIFICALLY AROUND WHAT ARE THE GOALS WE'RE SETTING AROUND ENGAGEMENT? RIGHT? I'M JUST CURIOUS AS AS TO WHAT THE, THOSE PARTICULAR INDICATORS ARE MM-HMM . UH, IF Y'ALL HAVE THOSE IN TERMS OF, I KNOW YOU ASKED THE QUESTION HOW CAN WE HELP, BUT ARE YOU LOOKING TO DO FURTHER OUTREACH IN A DIGITAL WAY OR ARE YOU LOOKING TO DO, UM, MORE IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENT? UM, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE IMPRESSIONS OR ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE SIGNUPS FOR HOUSING PROGRAMS THAT EXIST AND ARE YOU ABLE TO, SO I'M JUST CURIOUS OVERALL IN A STRATEGIC THINKING WAY. YES. I THINK THE ANSWER IS ALL OF THE ABOVE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ACROSS AUSTIN, UM, WE'RE NOT JUST GONNA REACH PEOPLE DIGITALLY, RIGHT. AND, UH, DEPENDING ON THE EVENT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE DIFFERENT AUDIENCES. SO, UM, I THINK WHERE WE'RE LOOKING FOR Y'ALL'S FEEDBACK, I MEAN, I THINK IT, IT'S JUST THAT CREATIVITY OF WHAT ARE SOME NEW, UM, AREAS THAT WE CAN TRY OUT. I THINK LYRICS, FEEDBACK WAS REALLY CREATIVE AND HELPFUL AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S HOW DO WE, I THINK FROM A STRATEGY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S HOW DO WE BUILD THAT IN WITH, UM, THE CURRENT RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE, WHETHER IT BE STAFF TIME, FUNDING DOLLARS. UM, SO I THINK I, I REALLY DON'T WANNA SET PARAMETERS AROUND IT OTHER THAN WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR OUR MESSAGE AND HOW CAN WE BETTER REACH THOSE GROUPS, UM, THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH AND THAT YOU'RE REPRESENTING IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. OKAY. THAT'S AWESOME. AND I, I CAN, I'LL DO A QUICK LIST. I WAS JUST CURIOUS OF YOUR WISHLIST, THAT'S ALL. SO THANK YOU. YOU DEFINITELY ANSWERED THAT. UM, FOR ME. I LOVE THAT YOU ALL USE THE VILLAGER. I'VE SEEN IT MANY TIMES IN THE VILLAGER. MM-HMM . THAT'S SUPER GREAT. YAY. UM, ONE THING I'M WONDERING IF YOU ALL HAVE TAPPED INTO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS NEWSLETTERS. YES. THOSE ARE DIRECT TO INDIVIDUALS. UM, AND IF THERE'S HIGH ENGAGEMENT THAT COMES WITH IT. UH, SO WONDERING IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'VE TAPPED INTO. MAYBE YOU WANT TO TAP INTO THAT IN TERMS OF LISTING EVENTS, BECAUSE THEY DO LIST THEM IN THEIR NEWSLETTERS. MM-HMM . THE OTHER ITEM IS I'M ACTIVE WITH A NUMBER OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND THEY HAVE NET THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD EMAIL NEWSLETTERS THAT ARE TARGETED TO RESIDENTS AND A LOT OF THEM ARE HOME HOMEOWNERS, RENTERS MM-HMM . UM, THAT YOU COULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, REALLY GET THE WORD OUT IN A VERY DIRECT WAY. YES. NOT NECESSARILY INDIRECT OR PASSIVE. UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE I WOULD CONSIDER AS WELL AS IF YOU HAVE ADVERTISING, UNDERWRITING FUNDING, A LOT OF THESE, THESE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ARE SELF-FUNDED BY THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE A PART OF IT. UM, SO THERE'S ALWAYS WELCOME HELP MM-HMM . MM-HMM . FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES. UM, AND I'M WONDERING, I DIDN'T SEE UT ON THAT LIST, SO I KNOW THAT THOSE ARE TRANSIENT, TEMPORARY RESIDENTS OF THE CITY FOR THE MOST PART MM-HMM. QUOTE UNQUOTE. UH, BUT WONDERING IF, IF THERE'S MORE SPACE TO ENGAGE A SIGNIFICANT POPULATION OF THE CITY IN REGARDS TO HOUSING AFTER THEIR EXPERIENCE, OR EVEN DURING, BECAUSE UT HOUSING BEYOND MM-HMM . CAMPUS EXISTS. RIGHT. SO THOSE ARE ALL THE THINGS THINGS I HAVE, UM, AS SUGGESTIONS IN TERMS OF CREATIVITY YES. AND FURTHER OUTREACH FOR YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. COMMISSIONER TISHA, I, I'LL ALSO ADD, UM, YES, ALL THE COUNCIL OFFICES DO RECEIVE OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER AND WE HAVE HAD A FEW REACH OUT DIRECTLY FOR LIKE AN ADDITIONAL BLURB. HOW CAN WE HELP, UM, AMPLIFY THIS MESSAGE. I KNOW THAT, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD REGISTRY AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ARE ON OUR RADAR IN TERMS OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS. UM, SO JUST THAT WAS A GREAT REMINDER OF, OF THEIR NEWSLETTERS TOO. AND, UM, THAT LAST POINT ON UT, I KNOW WE HAVE, UM, SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH UT AS A WHOLE AND DEPE, I, I'M THINKING OF LIKE OUR RENTAL FEE TRANSPARENCY, FOR EXAMPLE, DID A LOT OF LIKE TARGETED OUTREACH. UM, BUT I DO HEAR YOU IN TERMS OF LIKE BROADER RESOURCES AND ARE THOSE STUDENTS, HOW CAN WE HELP THEM STAY IN AUSTIN BEYOND JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR UT CAREER. YEAH. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MENARD? GO AHEAD. UM, YEAH, SO I, FOCUSING ON YOUR TABLING, I THINK IT'S GREAT. UM, FROM OUR, MY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S BEST TO BE IN FRONT OF PEOPLE MM-HMM . AND TALKING TO THEM PERSONALLY TO, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY INFORM THEM ABOUT CITY PROGRAMS AND THEN GET THAT WORD OF MOUTH GOING BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, PARTICIPATE IN SOME CITY PROGRAMS AND THEY, IT WAS A WORD OF MOUTH, YOU KNOW, PROCESS. THAT'S GREAT. THAT GOT 'EM TO ME. BUT I'M LOOKING AT YOUR LIST OF EVENTS. SO, UM, [01:55:01] KIND OF THE SAME VEIN AS, UH, COMMISSIONER LYRIC, BUT I'M GONNA GO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION IN THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE CULTURAL EVENTS. UM, I DON'T SEE ANY LATINO EVENTS HERE. I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, ASIAN HERITAGE MONTH. THERE'S PROBABLY A HERITAGE MONTH FOR MANY, MANY. I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S L-G-B-T-L-G-B-T-Q HERITAGE MONTH, SO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO DO MORE TARGETING MM-HMM . IN THAT WAY. UM, AND SO YOU COULD GET TO A LOT MORE EVENTS, UM, AND TO GET IN FRONT OF A LOT MORE PEOPLE. RIGHT, RIGHT. UM, AND THEN, UM, TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER AREA OF INTEREST. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UM, MAKE THE MOST OF, OR, OR TAP INTO THE ENERGY AND WORK THAT A LOT OF COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING. AND IT KIND OF HELPS YOU GUYS INSTEAD OF HAVING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL. UM, AND THESE ARE GROUPS THAT HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED TRUSTED COMMUNITIES AND SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL. SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR PLANS AND THESE CONTRACTED SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT YOU HAVE? AND, UM, AND I THINK YOU HAD MENTIONED YOUR PLANS TO EXPAND THAT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO THE CONTRACTED SERVICES PARTNERS, WE ARE OBVIOUSLY HAVE ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS WITH. UM, WE WORK, I THINK OUR TEAM WORKS WITH OUR PROGRAM TEAMS WHO INTERACT WITH THEM. AND THERE'S DEFINITELY OPPORTUNITIES. WE JUST LOOK ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HEARING HOW OUR, HOW OUR PROGRAMS ARE GOING THROUGH THE LENS OF THOSE COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, OUR NON-CONTRACTED PARTNERS. THAT IT'S ABSOLUTELY, UH, AN AREA THAT, UM, I'LL BE PRIORITIZING OVER THE NEXT YEAR. AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS REACHING OUT DIRECTLY, SO AS WE REACH OUT TO LET FOLKS KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION AND WE'D WANT TO INCLUDE THEM ON THAT LIST, OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO CONNECT DIRECTLY ONE-ON-ONE AND HEAR FROM THEM AND TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. UM, SO TO START THERE AND SEE WHERE THAT TAKES US AND TO REALLY LEAN INTO THAT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING SO THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST AN EMAIL LIST OR AN EMAIL ADDRESS TO US. MM-HMM . FOLLOWING UP WITH, SO THE CONTRACTED SERVICE PROVIDERS, ARE THESE NONPROFITS OR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS OR WHO ARE THESE THE CONTRACTED SERVICE PROVIDERS? PRIMARILY NONPROFITS. NONPROFITS. SO FOR INSTANCE, WHEN CALEB WAS SHARING ABOUT OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS, THE NONPROFITS THAT, UH, WE CONTRACT WITH WHO GO OUT AND DO THOSE REPAIRS. MM-HMM. YEAH. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. UH, ANOTHER QUESTION, VICE CHAIR, I'LL BE FAST. UM, I'M JUST SAY, I LOVE THAT YOU GUYS ARE NOW DOING AN EVERGREEN SURVEY, AND I JUST WANNA SAY OUT LOUD, I KNOW THAT EVERY TIME YOU COME AND YOU SHARE A NEEDS ENGAGEMENT, WE'RE ALWAYS LIKE, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN BRAID THESE TOGETHER, ? SO IT'S NOT THE SAME QUESTION OVER AND OVER AGAIN. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO HAVE A, A MORE HOLISTIC CONVERSATION TODAY. AND I LOVE THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE REALLY STARTING TO THINK ABOUT THAT, RIGHT? THAT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KNOW FROM COMMUNITIES ARE USED BY MULTIPLE DIFFERENT, UH, PROGRAMS IN THE WAY WE CAN MAKE IT EASIER ON THE COMMUNITIES RIGHT NOW, I DON'T MEAN TAKE OUT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO SHARE, BUT MAKE IT SO THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY'RE SAYING THE SAME THING TO SIX DIFFERENT FOLKS AND IT'S NOT RIPPLING ACROSS. RIGHT? YES. SO I, I LOVE THAT Y'ALL ARE THINKING ABOUT THIS AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR SHARING. THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, YEAH, I DEFINITELY WANT TO ECHO THAT. YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE COMMISSIONER MANAR SAID, YOU KNOW, BEING IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE, UH, I KNOW WE HEARD THE WORD CONVERSATION A LOT, BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION, BUT ALSO, UH, HAVE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, COME BACK WITH THEIR QUESTIONS, WITH THEIR CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, AND ACTUALLY LISTENING TO THEM. UM, YEAH, I REALLY LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, OTHER SOURCES, UH, DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE SPANISH MEDIA, THE KACI, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THAT PEOPLE, THAT AUDIENCE HAS A, A WAY TO REACH OUT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I HEARD THIS. CAN I QUALIFY TO FOR THIS? RIGHT? THIS IS PERTAINING TO ME, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN I ACCESS THIS? THOSE QUESTIONS THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE. BEING ABLE TO GET THOSE ANSWERS. YEAH. COMMISSIONER LONGORIA, I LIKE THE, UM, COMMUNITY LAND TRUST. LIKE, I LIKE LEARNING ABOUT THAT. MM-HMM . UM, YOU KNOW, UM, DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE UNITS, THE INVESTMENT THE CITY IS MAKING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST PERSONALLY, I FEEL LIKE I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THAT. AND LIKE, IF WE CAN LIKE, RAISE AWARENESS TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS IS WHAT THE, WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ACTUALLY DOING. WHAT IT'S MONEY. IT'S PRETTY COOL. COOL. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU TO OUR PRESENTERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR INFORMATION AND HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE'RE MOVING ON TO ITEM [6.Discussion on the Annual CDC Retreat. Discussion led by Miguel Lopez, Planner I, from Austin Housing. ] NUMBER SIX, UH, DISCUSSION ITEM ON THE ANNUAL, UH, UH, CDC [02:00:01] RETREAT. AND THIS DISCUSSION IS GONNA LET BE LED BY MIGUEL LOPEZ, OUR LIAISON. UM, GO AHEAD, MIGUEL. THIS IS A 45 MINUTE CONVERSATION. NO, I'M BLANK. UM, OKAY. SO, UH, REAL REAL, REAL QUICK. UM, WE HAD TO RESCHEDULE IT DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. UM, WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THE PATIENCE AND THE RESPONSIVENESS THAT EVERYBODY PUT INTO THAT. UM, WE REALLY DID WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS SAFE, UH, DURING THAT TIME. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU. WE, WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS RETREAT, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL'S, UH, HEALTH IS MORE IMPORTANT TO US AND TO SHOW THAT. SO, UM, I'VE SENT OUT, UH, A NEW POLL FOR THE RESCHEDULE AND AS OF TODAY WE HIT QUORUM. UH, BUT I'M NOT GONNA TELL Y'ALL WHICH DATE IT IS BECAUSE WHOEVER DID NOT RESPOND, YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO RESPOND. UM, AND SO, UH, WE WILL LOCK THAT DOWN AND SOLIDIFY THAT BY THE END OF THIS WEEK, UM, SINCE WE HAVE QUORUM. BUT IF YOU HAVE NOT, UH, FILLED IT OUT, PLEASE FILL IT OUT. I WILL RESEND IT TONIGHT AFTER THE, UM, MEETING, AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT, THAT IT'S, IT'S FEASIBLE FOR EVERYBODY. UM, AND THEN WE WILL SEND OUT THE CONFIRMATION. THERE WAS A COMMUNICATION OF IT BEING AT THE PDC. UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE NORTH, UH, SORRY, THAT'S AT THE OLD, LIKE HIGHLAND MALL. UM, AND THOSE SPOTS FILL UP QUICK. SO THE, THE WINDOW THAT WE'VE HAD, I NEED TO MAKE SURE, AS, AS I SAID TODAY, WE GOT QUORUM, UH, BUT IF IT IS NOT, IT WILL BE AT STREET JONES BUILDING. UM, SO THE DATE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART SO THAT WE CAN GET IT GOING AND MAKE SURE TO GET THIS AND Y'ALL'S VOICES HEARD, UH, IN THAT. SO I CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, BUT THAT IS THE CURRENT UPDATE. THANK YOU. MIGUEL. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? QUICK QUESTION ABOUT SPACE? YES. UH, WHAT ABOUT THE SMALL, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER THAT'S IN SOUTH AUSTIN THAT'S IN THE SAME PLACE AS THE, UM, THE CONSULATE, THE MEXICAN CONSULATE? UM, WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT. UH, THE REASON THAT WE LIKE USING STREET JONES IS JUST BECAUSE, UH, IT'S OUR BUILDING, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO, UH, NORMALLY CONFLICT WITH ANYTHING. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER, UH, UH, CONFERENCE ROOMS IN THERE THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE US. AND SO THAT IS WHY WE WERE, UH, GOING ON ONE OF THOSE TWO. UH, BUT I WILL LOOK FOR THAT ONE AS WELL, IF YOU DON'T MIND. COMMISSIONER TISHA ONE MORE TIME. IT'S THE, I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED THE CITY OF AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER, OR SMALL BUSINESS CENTER INCUBATOR CENTER. BUT IT'S IN THE MEXICO, SO IT'S IN THE MEXICAN CONSULATE BUILDING. IT'S RIGHT BEHIND IT, IF NOT THE SAME BUILDING BACK. EXCELLENT. UM, AND I WILL, I WILL LOOK OUT, UH, FOR THAT AND THEN WE WILL SEND OUT THE CONFIRMATION. JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE AVAILABILITY ON THAT DATE, AND I WILL DO THAT FOR YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. UH, COMMISSIONER JUSTICE. THE, THE LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER IS IN THERE TOO. IT, THERE'S A LOT OF SPACE IN THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, WITH QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MIGUEL. AND YES, PLEASE SEND OUT THAT, UH, EMAIL AGAIN SO THAT WE CAN, UH, RSVP OR RESPONSE. THANK YOU CHAIR. AND I WILL SEND IT OUT TONIGHT. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS. UH, WE'RE MOVING ON TO ITEM [7. Discussion and possible action on the City of Austin budget and budget recommendations from the CDC. Discussion led by Chair Noe Elias] NUMBER SEVEN. SO THIS IS A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, UM, ON THE CITY'S CITY OF AUSTIN. BUDGET AND BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS COMMISSION, FROM THE CDC. SO MARCH 31ST IS THE DEADLINE TO, FOR THE COMMISSIONS, TO SUBMIT A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE, FOR THE BUDGET. UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR ANY THOUGHTS OR DISCUSSIONS ON, UM, ON THE CDC MAKING A RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR THE BUDGET. UM, DO WE FEEL THAT, I KNOW THAT WE DID NOT LAST YEAR, WE WERE, WE, UH, SUPPORTED ANOTHER COM, ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION BY ANOTHER COMMISSION. IS THAT CORRECT? WE DID SOMETHING LAST YEAR, YES. A SEC. OKAY. KEEP TALKING. YES. AND, UH, AND, UM, SO IF WE HAVE ANY, UM, SO I GUESS THE QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, DO WE HAVE THE INTEREST AND THE ENERGY TO, UH, POSSIBLY CREATE A WORKING GROUP, UH, TO WORK FOR THIS NEXT MONTH AND THEN BRING SOMETHING IN OUR FOR OUR MONTH, MARCH, UH, CDC MEETING, UM, COMMISSIONERS. I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO CREATE A CDC WORKING GROUP FOR THE BUDGET DISCUSSION. , UM, THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER TISHA? YEAH. [02:05:01] OH, NO, I WAS, I WAS SAYING THAT JOKINGLY, BUT ALSO SERIOUSLY. YES, YES. I AGREE. HE SHOULD HAVE A BUDGET WORKING GROUP OR AT LEAST MUCH CONVERSATION, UM, FOR SURE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF RECOMMENDATION TO PRESENT. MM-HMM . UH, NEXT MONTH. THANK YOU. UM, AND WE COULD ALSO OPEN IT UP TO ANY TOPICS THAT WE SEE. WE USUALLY, UM, THE PAST YEARS THAT WE'VE MADE A RECOMMENDATION. UH, WE LOOK AT THE TOPICS THAT WE COMMONLY SEE, ESPECIALLY FROM OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS, UM, THAT WE, THAT ARE BROUGHT UP TO THIS COMMISSION, UM, WHICH WE COULD HAVE THAT DISCUSSION NOW, OR WE CAN ALSO JUST HAVE IT IN OUR WORKING GROUP. UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY, UH, COMMENTS OR ANYTHING THAT YOU FEEL SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THOSE, UH, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS? UM, COMMISSIONER LYRIC, I, WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE SEEN THIS MENTIONED BY ANY PRESENTATIONS YET, BUT I DID LAST YEAR GET VERY OVEREXCITED ABOUT POTENTIALLY CHANGING SOMETHING IN SOMEONE'S BUDGET, UH, UH, FOR DAY LABOR OPPORTUNITIES, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST LOW INCOME. UH, I THINK ESPECIALLY WITH, UM, THE IMMIGRATION STUFF AND ICE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I THINK AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCOME THAT COULD HOUSE THEM IN A HOTEL FOR THE NIGHT OR GET THEM, UM, THEIR ID COVERED WHATEVER IT IS, I THINK WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. UM, SO I'D, I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE TALKING MORE ABOUT DAY LABOR. DAY LABOR. YEAH. AWESOME. ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS OR, UH, YES. COMMISSIONER LAGUARDIA. AGAIN, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, KNOWING WHAT IT IS, IF WE CAN AFFECT IT, LIKE INVEST MORE MONEY ON DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AND THEN, UM, SHELTERS AND BENCHES ON BUS STOPS. UM, YEP. THANKS TO MS. ZENO, ENOVIA JOSEPH TO LIKE BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. AND YEAH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR BENCHES AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER LAGUARDIA. UH, COMMISSIONER MENARD, GO AHEAD. UM, I GUESS, UH, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION BY THE BOND FOLKS TO COMING UP? WE CAN REQUEST THAT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM IF YOU'D LOOK. YEAH, THEY'RE GONNA BE STARTING THOSE OPEN HOUSES BECAUSE I THINK, AMANDA, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? I, I SEE YOU OVER THERE. OH, YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT. SORRY. AND CHAIR. UH, SO IT WAS JUST MENTIONED, UH, THE BOND OPEN HOUSES. I JUST JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL WERE AWARE THAT THE, UH, CONVERSATION IS ONGOING ABOUT THE 2026 BOND, UM, WHICH IS CURRENTLY, STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED, I THINK IT WAS A $725 MILLION PACKAGE. CITY COUNCIL IS CURRENTLY CONTEMPLATING WHETHER OR NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A 2026 BOND OR DELAY. UM, THAT DECISION SHOULD BE MADE THE END OF THE MONTH, BUT STAFF IS GOING FORWARD WITH BOND OPEN HOUSES. I WAS JUST GETTING THE INVITES OVER THERE. THERE ARE FIVE DIFFERENT OPEN HOUSES, UH, AT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE SURE, UM, THAT YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE INVITATIONS. TWO OF THEM ON, ON SATURDAYS. THREE OF THEM I BELIEVE, ARE DURING THE WEEK. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MINDY. YES. UH, YES. AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMISSIONERS GET THAT INFORMATION. I WILL FORWARD IT TO MIGUEL AND WE'LL WE'LL GET THAT OUT THERE FOR YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANKS. YEAH. I BELIEVE THE FIRST IS IN MOIS THE 17TH NEXT WEEK. MM-HMM . UM, I BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE I, I UNDERSTAND THAT PARKS MAINTENANCE IS GONNA BE ON THERE. UM, AND I, I DON'T, I, I THINK WE NEED TO PUT THAT IN A BUDGET. IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S LEFT TO THESE EXTRAORDINARY FUNDING, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND VERY VULNERABLE TO REJECTION. SO I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY INSIST THAT THE CITY MM-HMM . PUT PARK MAINTENANCE, PARK MAINTENANCE, UH, ON BUDGET. YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER MENARD. AND, UM, ON THAT, UM, AND COMMISSIONER TISHA'S, UH, IDEA THAT WE CREATE A WORKING GROUP, UM, WHO IS INTERESTED, COMMISSIONERS, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JOINING A WORKING GROUP, UM, FOR, OH, SORRY, MIGUEL, DO WE HAVE TO CREATE A FIRST AND THEN TAKE MEMBERS? YES. SORRY. SO WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, , WE HAVE A MOTION FOR FROM COMMISSIONER TISHA TO CREATE A WORKING GROUP. I SECOND, UH, TO WRITE A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION. UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND. COMMISSIONER LYRIC SECONDS. OKAY. UM, LET'S TAKE A VOTE. UH, IF YOU'RE ON, IF YOU'RE ON VIRTUALLY, PLEASE TURN ON YOUR CAMERA SO YOU CAN VOTE, UH, CREATING A WORKING GROUP FOR A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION. RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY, AYE. THANK YOU. OKAY, GOOD. I, I THINK WE'RE RIGHT ON THE LINE. OKAY. SO WE CAN ONLY HAVE SEVEN. OH, THIS IS VOTING [02:10:01] TO CREATE A, OH, SORRY. THEN IT IS UNANIMOUS WITH ONE OFF THE DAAS. I THOUGHT Y'ALL WERE ALL SIGNING UP FOR IT AND I WAS LIKE THAT. I CAN'T DO THAT. WE'RE SO CLOSE. . OKAY. NOW, UM, COMMISSIONERS, UH, THAT ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING, UH, JOINING THIS WORKING GROUP TO WORK ON A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION. WE HAVE COMMISSIONER LYRIC, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER LAGUARDIA, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER TISHA, AND THEN I WILL INCLUDE MYSELF AS WELL. IS THAT FOUR? OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES. AND COMMISSIONERS, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT ON THE WORKING GROUP, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEND US ANY, UM, TOPICS THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN, UH, ESPECIALLY THINGS THAT WE HAVE SEEN FROM OUR COMMUNITIES THAT WE HAVE SEEN HERE FROM OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WE SHOULD, UH, DISCUSS AS A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION. AND WE WILL WORK ON THAT AND WE WILL BRING IT TO THE MARCH, UH, MEETING FOR THE FULL COMMISSION TO, UH, DISCUSS AND POSSIBLY VOTE AND APPROVE. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS. UH, LAST THING WE HAVE IS, [8. Update from the CDC Strategy Working Group. Discussion led by Commissioner Tisha ] UH, WORKING GROUP UPDATES, ITEM NUMBER EIGHT. SO WE HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE CDC STRATEGY WORKING GROUP, AND THIS IS A DISCUSSION LED BY COMMISSIONER TISHA, GO AHEAD. OKAY. I'LL MAKE THIS VERY QUICK. SO THERE ARE THREE KEY THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO COVER TONIGHT. UM, THE, THE FIRST ONE BEING HOW CAN WE, UH, POSSIBLY HAVE MORE EFFICIENCIES IN THE PRESENTATIONS AND IN THE, IN, UM, OUR MEETINGS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAN BE SUGGESTED IS WHENEVER WE HAVE PRESENTERS, UH, THAT THERE IS A SPECIFIC QUESTION. UH, AND I KNOW MIGUEL, YOU DO THIS ALREADY WHEN YOU'RE ASKING FOR IF WE HAVE AN IDEA OF A FUTURE AGENDA, BUT TO ALSO INCLUDE A LINE THAT SAYS A TARGET FOCUS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEARLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THIS PRESENTER IS TO BE PRESENTING TO US. SO IT'S SORT OF WHAT QUESTION IS GOING TO BE ANSWERED AT MINIMUM FOR THIS PRESENTATION. SO IT'S, UM, IT'S OKAY TO HAVE GENERAL, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT IF THERE'S ONE PARTICULAR THING THAT A COMMISSIONER IS HOPING TO HAVE ANSWERED, THAT WE ARE ALL ON THAT SAME PAGE, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT PARTICULAR TARGET FOCUS OR FOCUS AREA, UH, THAT THE COMMISSIONERS PRESENTED. UH, IF THEY ARE INQUIRING FOR A FUTURE AGENDA SPEAKER, OR EVEN IF, UH, MIGUEL AND THE UM, HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS PRESENTING SOMEONE TO US, WE AT LEAST HAVE SOME TYPE OF FOCUS AREA. AND SO, UM, THAT'S ONE THING. AND THEN IF THERE'S THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS, SOME, UH, WE CAN COME BACK TO THAT AT THE END. THE SECOND ITEM IS HOW CAN WE AS A COMMISSION, UM, BE A BIT MORE, UM, CONNECTED OUTSIDE OF THIS PARTICULAR SPACE? LIKE THIS IS SUCH GOOD ENERGY THAT WE HAVE, I FEEL , AND HOW CAN WE BE MORE, UM, WHETHER IT'S MORE ENGAGED, MORE VISIBLE, UH, BUT SOMEHOW CREATING THIS MOMENTUM THAT CONTINUES BEYOND THESE FEW HOURS, UH, THE ONE TUESDAY OF THE MONTH. SO SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS WAS WHAT I BROUGHT UP LAST WEEK. AND THIS GOES INTO THE, OR EXCUSE ME, LAST MONTH GOES INTO THE THIRD ITEM THAT BEING THE LIVED EXPERIENCE AUDIT. AND WE SORT OF GOT AN, UH, AN EXAMPLE OF THAT TONIGHT WITH THE EQUITY OVERLAY. AND ESSENTIALLY THAT LIVED EXPERIENCE IS HOW DO WE CREATE A SNAPSHOT OF AN EXPERIENCE THAT EITHER WE'RE HAVING OR THAT WE KNOW HAPPENS FREQUENTLY OR RESONATES IN THE COMMUNITIES, UM, THAT WE LIVE AND THAT WE AMPLIFY THEIR VOICE HERE. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY LOOKING AT SORT OF THESE THREE QUESTIONS. WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE NOTICED YOU'VE SEEN MAYBE MIGHT BE BOTHERING, UM, TO YOU, WHAT MIGHT BE THAT INTENTIONAL QUESTION? AND THEN HOW HAS IT MADE YOU FEEL? HOW HAS IT MADE THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU ARE INVOLVED IN FEEL? AND THEN SORT OF THEN THE LAST QUESTION IS SORT OF HOW IS IT CONNECTED WITHIN THE CITY? UM, WHAT DEPARTMENTS OR WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS WHO MIGHT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPROVING, UH, A SPECIFIC SCENARIO? SO THE EXAMPLE, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, TO USE WHAT HAPPENED EARLIER WITH THE EQUITY OVERLAY IS LOOKING AT HOW THERE WAS THE SCOPE AND PROGRESS DID NOT MATCH THE INTENTION AT THE INTRODUCTION THAT WE ALL WERE FEELING A COLLECTIVE FRUSTRATION AND, UM, DISAPPOINTMENT TO USE WORDS THAT, THAT WE WERE ALL SAYING EARLIER. AND DEFINITELY, UM, VICE CHAIR ACHILLES HAD MENTIONED OF, WELL, SO NOW WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHO DO WE TURN TO? WHO DO WE PRESENT SORT OF OUR, UM, OVERVIEW OR OUR EXPERIENCE ABOUT THESE THINGS. UH, SO ONE THING I WANTED TO CONSIDER AFTER THIS LAST CONVERSATION IS PROVIDING A MEMO TO THE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT INITIALLY INTRODUCED THIS WITH CERTAIN INTENTIONS WITH A SPECIFIC QUESTION, AND THEN HAVING THAT EQUITY OVERLAY SUMMARY NO LONGER MATCH. UM, AND [02:15:01] AT LEAST TO INFORM AND, AND OF COURSE LITTLE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW, UH, THAT WE ARE AN EXTENSION OF THEIR VOICES AND, UM, GIVING THAT FEEDBACK. SO I'LL OPEN THAT UP. THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS. UM, BUT OPEN IT UP TO DISCUSSION IF YOU WANT DISCUSSIONS, THOUGHTS, FEEDBACK. YAY, NAY. WHAT ARE Y'ALL THINKING ABOUT THOSE THINGS? THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER TISHA. UH, DEFINITELY YES, THE SPECIFIC QUESTION. I KNOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED. MAKE SURE THAT OUR, UH, OUR PRESENTATIONS AND OUR DISCUSSIONS STAY ON TOPIC. AND, UM, WE, ONE THING THAT I WAS THINKING AS YOU WERE SAYING THAT IS ALSO, UH, FOR OUR PUBLIC, SO MAKE SURE THAT, OR, OR MAYBE SOMETHING WHERE OUR ITEMS HAVE SOME KIND OF DESCRIPTION TO THAT EX TO THAT AS WELL, RIGHT? SO THAT OUR AUDIENCE KNOWS THAT THIS ITEM IS NOT ONLY BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT OR THE EQUITY OFFICE OR WHOMEVER, BUT WHAT IS THE SPECIFIC TOPIC THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PRESENT ON. UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT. UM, YEAH. UH, ANYBODY ELSE? COMMISSIONERS COM, UH, VICE CHAIR, YES, LOVE. UM, ALSO JUST ADDING TO THAT, THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE FEEL COMFORTABLE SHARING WITH PRESENTERS THE ANTICIPATED TIME OF THEIR PRESENTATION. SO IT CAN BE HELPFUL TO BE LIKE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SEVEN MINUTES. THE ONE QUESTION YOU HAVE TO ANSWER IS X, USE THE REST OF THOSE SEVEN MINUTES HOWEVER YOU WANT, BUT YOU CAN'T GO OVER SEVEN. RIGHT? AND THEN WE'LL START WATCHING IT. UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S KIND TO THEM TO KNOW WHAT TO PREPARE FOR, HOPEFULLY THAT FEELS LIKE IT. AND THEN IT'S KIND TO, TO THE TIME OF EVERYONE INVOLVED. AND THEN ALSO DOWN THE LINE, WE'LL START FIGURING OUT HOW WE THINK ABOUT QUESTIONS. BUT IF WE KNOW THE TARGETED THING TOO, IT HELPS, IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR US TO ALSO MANAGE QUESTIONS AROUND THE TOPIC IN A WAY THAT'S, THAT'S REASONABLE. 'CAUSE WE DON'T WANNA CUT THINGS OFF WHEN THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT. AND SO THE WAY TO MANAGE TIME IS TO BEEN VERY FOCUSED. SO I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT. UM, AND ONE OTHER THING THAT WE'LL BRING UP, AND YOU'LL HEAR THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN THE FUTURE, AGENDA ITEMS, CONVERSATIONS. UM, Y'ALL, WE HAVE RICH DISCUSSIONS AND WE CAN ONLY FIT SO MANY ITEMS ON THE AGENDA. AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE OFFERING AGENDA ITEMS FOR POST RETREAT, THIS WILL BE EASIER, UM, FOR IT TO BE REALLY TIED TO OUR STRATEGY. 'CAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION OF WHAT'S CLOSEST TO THE STRATEGY COMES FIRST AND THEN OTHER THINGS CAN ONLY GET ADDED IN AS WE HAVE TIME AND WE RUN OUT OF TIME. 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH. SO THE MORE WE CAN CONTROL THE TIME IN THE MEETINGS AND ALSO KEEP OUR REQUESTS VERY, VERY TIED TO STRATEGY. SO JUST A REMINDER THAT IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AND YOU WANNA SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY, SOME THINGS LIKE YOU ARE ALLOWED TO CALL THESE LIKE THE ORGANIZATIONS ON YOUR OWN RIGHT? OR THEY CAN COME AS A PUBLIC PRESENTATION OR IT CAN BE JUST A FLAG. IF IT'S GONNA BE A LIGHT TIME, PLEASE ADD IN X, Y, AND Z. BUT, UM, BUT HELPING US KNOW, LIKE THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE LIKE REALLY HAVE TO ELEVATE IN THIS PARTICULAR SPACE. LIKE IT CAN'T HAPPEN SOMEPLACE ELSE. IT NEEDS TO BE, HERE IS WHAT REALLY HELPS THE AGENDA SETTING MEETINGS TO, TO BE FOCUSED. SO I LOVE THIS COMMISSIONER TISHA, THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, VICE CHAIR. UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FROM, UH, YES, COMMISSIONER MENARD? GO AHEAD. UM, A DEFINITE YES ON THAT MEMO YES. ON THE MEMO REGARDING THE E EQUITY OVERLY STUDY AND IT'S MM-HMM . MIS MISDIRECTED FOLK OR WHATEVER. YES. I THINK THAT, AND, AND I GUESS A QUESTION, UM, I GUESS WHERE ALL OF US WOULD THAT BE? WOULD IT BE THE BEST MAYBE FOR VICE CHAIR AND I TO, UH, SEND THAT MEMO? I THINK THAT HAS TO COME TO THE NEXT MEETING. 'CAUSE IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA, BUT I DON'T CORRECT. YEAH, CORRECT. OKAY. BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ACTION ITEM FOR THE EQUITY OVERLAY. OKAY. NO. SO, SO THE MEMO WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN ACTION ON THAT? UM, YES. BECAUSE IT'LL HAVE TO BE, UM, ADOPTED BY THE ENTIRE, UH, BY A MAJORITY. AND THEN WE CAN SEND IT. IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD DEAL WITH AT THE RETREAT? WE CAN NOW. I CAN, I CAN ADD THAT. GREAT. THAT'S GOOD. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER MENARD, YOU MENARD . YES. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? NO, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER TEISHA FOR THAT. UM, BEAUTIFUL. I REALLY LIKE HOW WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, FLOW VERY WELL AND VERY CLEAR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP. UM, YEAH, ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON. NO, THANK YOU. . YEAH, . IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UM, [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS] OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, AND AGAIN, UM, IF YOU HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM, UH, PLEASE FOLLOW UP WITH MIGUEL, UH, JUST BEING VERY SPECIFIC OF THE ASK AND, YOU [02:20:01] KNOW, WHO DO YOU WANT TO COME TO PRESENT AND WHAT IS THE QUESTION THAT YOU WANT THEM TO ANSWER. DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. COMMISSIONER MENARD, GO AHEAD. YEAH, SO, UM, ARE THE HERC MEETING, THE COMMITTEE HAD ITS MEETING LAST WEEK. SO WILL THE CITY COME FORWARD WITH, UM, THE FINAL, UM, APPROVAL OR, OR TO, TO SHOW, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT PROJECTS WERE PROVED? DID NOT. AND WILL THERE BE A PRESENTATION IS MY POINT FROM THE CITY ABOUT THAT? YES. UM, FROM MY EXPERIENCE, UH, THE HERC, UH, UPDATE WAS A STANDING ITEM. IS THAT CORRECT? UH, MANDY AND THEN, UH, COMMISSIONER AS A REPRESENTATIVE, YOU WOULD GIVE US AN UPDATE. OKAY. IS THAT CORRECT, MANDY? SO WE DON'T TYPICALLY MANDY DE MAYO DEPUTY DIRECTOR HOUSING AUSTIN HOUSING, WE DON'T TYPICALLY COME BACK WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS. THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS GO DIRECTLY TO AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION. UM, AND SO WE HOPE THAT THAT WILL INFORMATION WILL BE SHARED WITH THE CDC VIA THE MEMBERS OF THE HERC RATHER THAN A PRESENTATION ON THE AGENDA. UM, RIGHT NOW, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL TO, UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION AT THE APRIL 9TH OR APRIL 23RD MEETING. UM, AND SO DECISIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE MADE. IT TAKES A WHILE TO GO THROUGH OUR, UH, REVIEW PROCESS AND TO GET UPLOADED FOR PROPER PUBLIC NOTICE, BUT PROBABLY THE END OF MARCH. AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE HERC . YES, NO PROBLEM. UM, AND SO RIGHT NOW I THINK PUB IS THERE, UH, THE ABILITY FOR PUBLIC TO COMMENT ON THESE PROJECTS. I'VE SEEN IT ON THE WEBPAGE AND CITY LOST IT. SO THERE IS, UM, ALL OF THE APPLICATIONS ARE UP ON THE WEBSITE. YEAH. AND THE PUBLIC IS FREE TO COMMENT. UH, THERE IS, IF YOU GO TO LOOK AT CURRENT, THERE'S CURRENT APPLICATIONS, PAST APPLICATIONS, AND THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THERE. AND THEN OF COURSE WHEN THEY GO TO AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION FOR REVIEW AND POSSIBLE APPROVAL BY THE BOARD, THEN THERE IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE BOARD CONSIDERATION. YEAH. SO JUST KNOW IF Y'ALL WANNA LOOK AT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION, THEY'RE ON THE WEBSITE. GOOD COMMENT ON 'EM. , THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER MENARD FOR REPRESENTING THE CDC ON THE ON THE HARC. UM, YES. AND PLEASE, UM, COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT, UM, PLEASE FOLLOW UP, GO TO THE WEBSITE AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE THOSE COMMENTS. AND THEN ALSO GO TO THE PUBLIC, UH, HEARING AND MAKE THOSE COMMENTS. UH, FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, DO WE HAVE ANY, I WANTED COMMISSIONER TISHA, I WANTED TO SUGGEST IF WE CAN BRING BACK THE, UM, FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FORCE FOR AN UPDATE, UH, BECAUSE SOME OF THE THINGS THEY DIDN'T MENTION WAS FEBRUARY 16TH, WHICH IS NEXT WEEK. MONDAY IS WHEN THE, UM, CONSTRUCTION DESTRUCTION IS SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING OF THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS. SO THEY'RE DOING RAPID REPLANTING AND THESE NEXT FEW DAYS TO TRY AND SAVE SOME OF THOSE PLANTS THAT WERE RECENTLY PLANTED. AND THE OTHER ITEMS THEY DIDN'T MENTION WAS THAT IT'S AFFECTING APPROXIMATELY $550,000 IN PARKLAND INVESTMENTS. THIS PARTICULAR DISRUPTION THAT'S HAPPENING. AND IT WAS A CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION IN 2021 THAT FORMALIZED LEGAL BINDING WITH THE PARKLAND DONATION IMPROVEMENT MAINTENANCE. AND I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUDGETING RIGHT NOW, UH, BUT HERE IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WE BUDGETED FOR SOMETHING, SPENT MONEY ON SOMETHING, AND HERE A FEW YEARS LATER, MONEY IN SIX FIGURES IS JUST ALMOST BEING THROWN DOWN THE PIPE. UM, AND SO THERE'S A STATE CODE ABOUT TRANSPARENCY THAT, UM, ANGELINA DID NOT GET TO MENTION AS WELL, THAT THEY FEEL ALSO WAS IN VIOLATION, UM, OR WAS NOT, UH, COMPLETED AN AGREEMENT TO. SO I'M CURIOUS WHAT THE UPDATES WILL HAVE BEEN BY THE NEXT FEW MO WEEKS OR MONTHS, UM, ON FESTIVAL BEACH, UM, FOOD FOREST, UH, BECAUSE IT IS AN EQUITABLE SPACE. FOOD EQUITY PARK ACCESSIBILITY HERE IN THE CITY, UM, THAT'S BEING DISRUPTED. AND, UM, DARE I SAY DISMANTLED BIT BY BIT, UH, BY THIS NEW CONSTRUCTION. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER TISHA. AND, UM, I GUESS SOME CLARIFICATION THERE. IT, THIS IS TIED TO THE EXPANSION OF, UH, I 35. IT IS, UM, A DRAINAGE TUNNEL THAT WILL BE CONNECTED TO I 35 WOULD DRAIN, UH, FROM CESA CHAVEZ AND I 35. AND IT WOULD GO EAST ALONG CESA CHAVEZ AND SPILL OUT AT UNDER THE OPIS BRIDGE. UH, IS THAT CORRECT, COMMISSIONER MENARD? [02:25:02] I DON'T THINK THIS IS PART OF THE DRAINAGE. I THINK THIS IS SEWAGE, BUT I COULD BE WRONG FROM, IS ONE OF THEIR PIPELINES, THE PIPELINES THAT THEY HAVE, THEY'RE DIRECTING. I THINK IT'S SEWAGE. I DON'T, IT'S NOT THE PART. OKAY. WHETHER IT'S SEWAGE, WASTEWATER, I'M NOT SURE. YEAH. BUT IT'S A PIPELINE THAT IS BEING REDIRECTED AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE ENCROACHING MM-HMM . AND NOT TAKING OVER PART OF THAT FESTIVAL. BEACH FOOD, FOREST, UM, LAND. OKAY. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER TEISHA. SO YES, WE'LL ADD THAT TO OUR LIST OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, ONE THING THAT I WAS DISAPPOINTED ABOUT IS THAT IN OUR ITEM ON FROM THE HOUSING REPORT, UM, OUR MONTHLY HOUSING REPORT, UH, WE HAD ASKED FOR AN UPDATE ON CIS AND AD CAP, UM, FUNDING. UM, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S TIED TO SOMETHING THAT WE SAW IN THE EQUITY OVERLAY REPORT, WHICH, UH, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS, UH, UH, PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPERS, UH, IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, UH, MITIGATE THESE HARMS FROM, UM, DEVELOPMENT AND THE AD CAP AND CIS WAS FUNDING THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO, UH, FOR THOSE PURPOSES FOR THE PURPOSES OF FUNDING COMMUNITY GROUPS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO, UM, STOP DISPLACEMENT ALONG THE, UH, PROJECT CONNECT LINE. AND, UH, AS WE HEARD BEFORE, THEY PAUSED, UH, BOTH THE AD CAP AND THE CIS APPLICATIONS, UM, A LOT OF THAT, UH, SOME OF THAT FUNDING WAS USED FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE BEING AFFECTED THAT WE SEE IN THE MAP HERE, UH, THAT WAS PRESENTED. SO, UM, I REALLY DO WANT, UM, A REPORT ON THAT, ON CIS, HOW MUCH MONEY THERE IS, UH, WHERE'S THE MONEY GOING AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THAT MONEY INTO THE HANDS OF THE COMMUNITY. SO IF WE COULD MAKE IT AN, UH, AN AGENDA ITEM, UM, YEAH. FOR THE NEXT MEETING. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONERS AND CHAIR, YOU WOULD LIKE THAT SEPARATE, UM, FROM THE BRIEFING OR AGENDA ITEM BY ITSELF? AN AGENDA ITEM SEPARATE FROM THE BRIEFING? YES. THANK YOU. PLEASE, COMMISSIONERS, ANYTHING ELSE FOR OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? NOPE. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, COMMISSIONERS. UH, IT IS 9 0 3 AND I AM CALLING THIS, UH, MEETING OF THE CDC ADJOURNED. UH, Y'ALL HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.