[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.UM, THE TIME IS 6:33 PM AND I CALL THIS MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO ORDER.
UM, BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT CHAIR, UM, NOE ELIAS IS NOT, UH, HERE TODAY, AND I'LL BE SERVING AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER FOR 10 NIGHTS MEETING.
UM, AND AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO READ OFF THE MISSION OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, UM, JUST TO KIND OF HELP GROUND US.
SO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ADVISES THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE LOW AND MODERATE INCOME RESIDENTS WITH A FOCUS ON EXPANDING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, WHILE ENSURING MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, AND JUST A NOTE, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME IN THIS ROLE, SO IF I MAKE ANY MISTAKES OR HICCUPS, PLEASE JUST BE PATIENT WITH ME.
I'M LEARNING AND I WANT TO DO THIS AS BEST AS I CAN.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
CAN NOW MOVE OVER TO PUBLIC COMM COMMUNICATION, IF THAT SOUNDS GOOD.MIGUEL, DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS THAT ARE SIGNED UP? YES.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN IN SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDATION ADOPTED BY THE HISPANIC LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION REGARDING EMERGENCY FUNDING FOR THE SAFE ALLIANCE AND ELOISE HOUSE TODAY, JUNE 8TH, UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY FACING A VERY CRITICAL DECISION ABOUT WHETHER SURVIVORS IN OUR COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TO TRUSTED TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE.
I BELIEVE IT'S TODAY THAT THE FUNDING FOR THE ELOISE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO LAP.
SAFE CURRENTLY CONDUCTS APPROXIMATELY 95% OF FORENSIC EXAMS OR RAPE KITS IN OUR REGION, HELPING PRESERVE EVIDENCE THAT CAN SUPPORT INVESTIGATIONS WHILE ENSURING SURVIVORS RECEIVE COMPASSIONATE CARE DURING SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT MOMENTS OF THEIR LIVES.
APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THOSE WHO ARE SERVED ARE LATINO, INCLUDING MANY CHILDREN, UH, BUT SAFE.
AND THE LOUIS HOUSE DOESN'T JUST SUPPORT LATINOS.
UH, IT ALSO SUPPORTS THE LOW INCOME COMMUNITY, THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, THE LGBTQIA PLUS COMMUNITY, AND MANY OTHERS.
AS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT TRANSITIONING THESE SERVICES TO OTHER PROVIDERS, WE MUST CONSIDER THE BARRIERS THAT SURVIVORS MAY ENCOUNTER.
DISTANCE UNFAMILIARITY TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES AND CONCERNS ABOUT IMMIGRATION STATUS CAN ALL DISCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS FROM SEEKING HELP FOR IMMIGRANTS FAMILIES, AND MIXED STATUS HOUSEHOLDS.
FEAR ALONE CAN BE ENOUGH TO PREVENT SOMEONE FROM ACCESSING LIFE-SAVING SERVICES.
SAFE HAS BUILT TRUST WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY OVER DECADES.
THEY HAVE DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS WITH SURVIVORS, ADVOCATES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT TRUST CANNOT BE SIMPLY TRANSFERRED TO THE BRAVE ORGANIZATION OR REGIONAL HOSPITALS.
OVERNIGHT, I URGES COMMISSIONED TO SUPPORT THE HISPANIC LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION.
I ENCOURAGE CITY COUNCIL TO EARMARK SUSTAINABLE FUNDING SOLUTIONS AT PRESERVE ACCESS TO SHELTER FORENSIC SERVICES AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE CARE.
THE MEASURE OF A COMMUNITY IS HOW WE RESPOND TO THOSE EXPERIENCING CRISIS.
I HOPE WE CHOOSE COMPASSION, CONTINUITY, AND INVESTMENT IN THIS MODEL THAT WE KNOW WORKS.
SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I'LL CHECK RIGHT NOW VICE CHAIR FOR ANY MORE.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKERS AT THIS TIME.
UM, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PROVIDED PUBLIC COMMENT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING, UM, WHICH WAS ON MAY 12TH, I THINK.UM, ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR AMENDMENTS TO THE MINUTES? IF THERE ARE NO CORRECTIONS, UM, I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
COMMISSIONER, TISHA, CAN I GET A SECOND? SO MOVED.
[00:05:05]
UM, WE ALSO NEED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE, WE NEED TO VOTE FOR THAT ONE.WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
WE JUST NEED TO VOTE FOR WE DO.
SO WHAT DO, SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO, WHAT DO WE, UM, SO NOW WE NEED TO ALL, ALL COMMISSIONERS IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING THEIR HAND.
OH, UH, ALL COMMISSIONERS IN FAVOR.
UH, PLEASE, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE ON VIDEO.
UM, AND MAY I JUST CLARIFY, UH, THE SECOND WAS FROM WHICH COMMISSIONER? EXCUSE.
I, UM, AND THEN WE, UM, OUR NEXT ITEM IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE CDC SPECIAL CALLED MEETING ON APRIL 4TH IN 2026.
UM, ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR A MINUTE OR AMENDMENTS TO THOSE MINUTES? IF THERE ARE NO CORRECTIONS, UM, I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
I MOVE, WE APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, AND I'LL SECOND HER SECOND THAT.
UM, IT HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED.
DID
AND AGAIN, SORRY, VICE CHAIR JUST TO, UM, IT, IT WAS COMMISSIONER MADANO, CORRECT.
COMMISSIONER MAD COMMISSIONER T, CORRECT.
[2. Staff briefing regarding Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) activities and outcomes. Presentation by Angel Zambrano, Program Manager III, Austin Public Health.]
NOW MOVE TO ITEM TWO, A STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT.ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES PRESENTED BY ANGEL, OR ON HELL, APOLOGIES ON HELL SOBRANO FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, ANO FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HERE FOR MY MONTHLY, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT REPORT.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN YOUR BACKUP, I TOOK THE, UH, FEEDBACK FROM LAST MONTH AND REVAMPED OUR REPORT.
SO HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT CLEARER, GIVE YOU MORE CONTEXT, UH, A LOT LESS WORDS AND, UH, MORE GRAPHS AND DATA THAT'S EASIER TO READ.
WE STILL HAVE TO KEEP SOME OF THE FORMAT FOR THE FIRST PAGE, UH, IN TERMS OF OUR MISSION AND OUR TOP FIVE NEEDS.
UH, OUR MISSION IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT AIMS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES AND HEALTH OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING POVERTY BY PROVIDING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, AND CONNECTING RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
WE DO THAT THROUGH A VARIETY OF MEANS.
WE PROVIDE BASIC NEEDS SERVICES, PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING PROGRAM, CASE MANAGEMENT WITH OUR SOCIAL WORKERS, AND THEIR SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
AND THEY OFFER EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS AS WELL.
IF YOU GO TO THE BOTTOM OF PAGE ONE, YOU HAVE OUR EXPENDITURES THROUGH APRIL 30TH OF 26.
WE'RE EXPENDED ABOUT 45% OF THAT FUNDING FROM CSBG.
UH, BUT WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE, UH, THIRD ALLOCATION.
UH, THAT'LL PROBABLY COME SOMETIME THIS FALL.
BEFORE WE GET TO THE NEXT PAGE, A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UH, THE, UM, PRE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AT BLACK LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER WILL TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY.
I INVITE ANYONE WHO'S LISTENING OR WHO'S HERE IN THE ROOM TO ATTEND, IT'S 10 TO 1:00 PM I SHARED THE FLYER WITH, UH, MIGUEL, AND I THINK YOU ALL RECEIVED IT.
IT'S ALSO, UM, ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND I YOU GOOGLE IT AS WELL.
MUSIC, CELEBRATION OF HISTORY, UH, FOOD.
[00:10:01]
HAVE A HEALTH FAIR, SO A LOT OF VENDORS ARE THERE TOO.THE OTHER PIECE IS THE NORTH AUSTIN, UH, SEAT HAS BEEN VACATED.
SO WE WILL START WORKING ON, UH, ELECTION TO FILL THAT SEAT THAT I THINK WAS, UM, NICK ARNOLD, UM, VACATED LAST MONTH.
SO COMMISSIONER ARNOLD IS, WILL BE MISSED, BUT WE'LL TRY TO FILL THAT SEAT, UH, OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
IT'S KIND OF INTENSIVE PROCESS AND, UM, WE WILL GET THAT DONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
THE BACK OF PAGE ONE IS THE, UH, SUCCESS STORY.
I KNOW YOU GUYS ASKED FOR MORE OF THOSE AT THE MEETING LAST MONTH, SO I HOPE THAT YOU DO TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS ON YOUR OWN.
I'LL BE PROVIDING ONE EVERY MONTH, SO I WILL BE FROM THE NURSING PERSPECTIVE, SOME WILL BE FROM THE, UH, SOCIAL WORKER PERSPECTIVE.
OTHERS WILL JUST BE A BASIC NEEDS, UH, STORY.
IT GIVES YOU SORT OF THE, THE HUMAN STORY BEHIND WHAT WE DO AND THE NUMBERS.
ALRIGHT, AGAIN, I WON'T READ IT 'CAUSE IT'S A LOT.
LET'S GO TO THE NEXT, UH, BACKUP, PLEASE.
ALRIGHT, SO AGAIN, IT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS YEARS.
UM, I TOOK THE FEEDBACK, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAD ASKED ABOUT SORT OF CONTEXT OF WHAT WE DO ON PAGE ONE ON THE TOP.
UH, WE DO A NEEDS ASSESSMENT EVERY THREE YEARS THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE STATE.
AND, UH, THE TOP FIVE NEEDS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT NEEDS ASSESSMENT FROM ONE TO FIVE WAS HOUSING BASIC NEEDS, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH AND INCOME.
THEY DON'T CHANGE VERY MUCH OVER THE YEARS.
HOUSING MIGHT GO TO TWO BASIC NEEDS TO ONE, IT JUST DEPENDS ON PEOPLE'S RESPONSES AND THE DATA THAT WE GET FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE USE THOSE NEEDS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, ASSESS WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE, WHAT KIND OF SERVICES WE CAN OFFER TO PEOPLE TO ADDRESS THEM.
SO THE FIRST SLIDE HERE IS ON THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE THROUGH APRIL OF 2026.
THE AVERAGE RENT PAYMENT IS ABOUT $1,654.
SO IT GIVES YOU KIND OF AN IDEA OF WHAT, UM, HOW WE'RE HELPING PEOPLE.
WE'VE HELPED 142 INDIVIDUALS AVOID EVICTION.
IT'S A VERY SMALL RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, BUT, UH, WE DO THE BEST WE CAN.
WE RECEIVED ALMOST 3,500 CALLS ON THE RENT LINE IN THE MONTH OF APRIL.
WE RECEIVED, I THINK, 16,000 CALLS.
SO AS YOU GUYS ALL ALREADY KNOW, THE NEED IS GREAT, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEKING HELP TO AVOID EVICTION.
AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP, UH, PIE CHART, AGAIN, THIS CAME FROM LAST MONTH'S FEEDBACK.
UH, HOUSEHOLDS PROVIDED HOUSING ASSISTANCE BY RACE OR ETHNICITY.
AS YOU CAN TELL, THERE, 44% OF THE FOLKS THAT RECEIVED, UM, RENTAL ASSISTANCE WERE BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN.
THE BOTTOM GRAPH SHOWS THE, UH, CITY DEMOGRAPHER'S DATA.
7.4% OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN.
THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS LAST MONTH ABOUT US NOT SERVING ENOUGH, UH, AFRICAN AMERICANS.
UH, SO I KIND OF DRILLED DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND GOT STAFFED TO PROVIDE ME THIS DATA.
WE'LL, MINOR DETAIL, WE'LL TRY TO MAKE THE COLORS MATCH SO IT'S EASIER TO KIND OF COMPARE THE GRAPHS.
THE BOTTOM ONE IS THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER.
THE TOP ONE WAS GENERATED THROUGH OUR ANALYTICS PLATFORM, POWER BI.
SO IT, IT'S A LITTLE TRICKY TO, TO, UH, CHANGE THE COLORS SO THAT THEY MATCH.
AS YOU CAN SEE, HISPANIC WAS THE D PURPLE ON THE BOTTOM, AND THE D PURPLE ON TOP IS BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN.
IF YOU TAKE YOUR ATTENTION TO THE, UH, TOP BARS, THE TOP BAR THERE IS THE RATIO OF INCOME TO POVERTY THRESHOLD OF THE PEOPLE WE HELP.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THERE, 60% OF THE CLIENTS WE SERVE WE'RE UNDER A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY THRESHOLD.
AS I'VE SAID, EVERY TIME I'M HERE, WE SERVE THE POOREST OF THE POOR, UM, THROUGH OUR BASIC NEEDS AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM, THOSE TWO BLUE LINES KIND OF FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT WE ARE REALLY HELPING THE POOREST OF THE POOR.
THE BOTTOM GRAPH IS THE, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, POVERTY THRESHOLDS.
60% OF OUR FOLKS COME IN UNDER 125% OF POVERTY.
TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT, UM, A FAMILY OF TWO WOULD NEED TO MAKE LESS THAN $21,640.
UM, AND MOST OF OUR FAMILIES, OR EVEN OUR SINGLE PEOPLE THAT COME IN ARE MAKING LESS THAN THAT TO TRY TO SURVIVE.
IN TRAVIS COUNTY, JANUARY THROUGH APRIL, WE'VE, UH, SPENT $173,682 IN OUR RENT AND UTILITY PROGRAM.
[00:15:04]
I KNOW I WAS ASKED LAST MONTH THAT, UM, WHY THE NUMBERS WERE LOW IN TERMS OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WE'VE ASSISTED SO FAR.OUR, OUR TARGET WAS 700 INDIVIDUALS.
I THINK WE WERE AT 13% AND WE WERE CALLED A FAILURE.
I WANT TO KIND OF GO DOWN TO THE, UH, REASONS WHY WE HAVEN'T HELPED AS MANY PEOPLE.
FIRST OF ALL, WE DID NOT GET EMERGENCY RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UH, FUNDING.
OUR FUNDING DUE TO THE CITY BUDGET WAS REDUCED BY 10%.
THAT WAS ANOTHER $63,406 THAT WE DID NOT HAVE TO SPEND ON RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
WE WILL PROBABLY GET CLOSE TO MEETING THAT NUMBER BY THE END OF THE YEAR OF HELPING 700 INDIVIDUALS AVOID POVERTY.
UH, BUT WE, WE MAY NOT GET THERE, AND THAT'S DUE TO A FUNDING NOT EFFORT BY STAFF.
IF YOU TURN, UH, THE, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THE OTHER NEED WE ADDRESS IS BASIC NEEDS ASSISTANCE THROUGH APRIL 20, 26.
ALMOST 18,000 SERVICES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED AND ABOUT 5,300 HOUSEHOLDS WERE SERVED.
MOST OF YOU HAVE BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT I'LL JUST SAY THAT'S THROUGH, UM, OUR FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS, OUR, UH, CAR SEATS, SAFE SEATS, UH, NOTARY SERVICES, CLOTHING CLOSET, UM, SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT.
IF THEY RECEIVE OTHER BASIC NEEDS SERVICES, THEY GET ENTERED IN THIS NUMBER.
UM, AGAIN, I INCLUDED A PIE CHART WITH THE RACE AND ETHNICITY.
TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT OF WHO'S COMING TO US, THERE WAS A QUESTION AS WELL ABOUT THE BLANK ON THE TOP ZIP CODES.
THE REASON THAT IS BLANK IS BECAUSE, UM, ZIP CODE IS SELF-DECLARED.
PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO GIVE US THEIR ZIP CODE TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE SERVICES.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, ONE OF THE, PROBABLY THE, THE FOURTH LARGEST SQUARE ON THE ZIP CODE SECTION OF THIS SLIDE WAS BLANK.
SO THAT'S PEOPLE WHO DID NOT WANT TO DISCLOSE THEIR ZIP CODE.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, KIND OF DRILLS DOWN MORE IN TERMS OF THE ZIP CODES.
I DID NOT GIVE YOU A LIST OF ALL THE ZIP CODES, BUT I THINK THIS SLIDE KIND OF SHOWS WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM.
IN AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE DARKER GREEN IS WHERE A LOT OF OUR FOLKS ARE COMING FROM.
OR LIVE UP NORTH, ABOVE TWO 90, BETWEEN 180 3 AND THEN DOWN IN THE SOUTHEAST AUSTIN AREA, BOTH FOR RENTON UTILITY AND FOR BASIC NEEDS SERVICES.
THESE ARE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES.
OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM THROUGH, UH, APRIL OF 2026.
UH, DATA HERE, THE STATE SETS A GOAL OF 41 TRANSITIONS OUTTA POVERTY.
SO WE HAVE TO HELP, UH, 41 INDIVIDUALS EITHER FIND WORK OR MAINTAIN A JOB OR GET MORE WAGES OR MORE BENEFITS.
THROUGH APRIL, WE'VE ASSISTED 19 PERSONS TRANSITION OUTTA POVERTY.
AND THAT IS THE MAIN GOAL THAT THE STATE GIVES US, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
AND THAT IS ONE OF OUR SOCIAL WORKERS.
OUR, OUR MENTALIS SOCIAL WORKER, DANA NIELSEN IN THE PICTURE, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
OUR HEALTH SERVICES, THIS IS OUR PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING SERVICES.
AGAIN, JUST TO SUMMARIZE, THEY PROVIDE, UH, HEALTH SCREENINGS, BLOOD SUGAR, BLOOD PRESSURE, CHOLESTEROL CHECKS, UH, HELPING OUR CLIENTS FIND MEDICAL HOMES, CONNECT WITH INSURANCE.
KIND OF MAKES SENSE OF THAT, THAT VERY COMPLICATED SYSTEM.
THEY DO A LOT OF HEALTH SCREENINGS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS.
THEY ALSO DO SOME IN THE COMMUNITY, LIKE, UM, THE MEXICAN CONSULATE FOR ONE.
AND SOMETIMES THEY GO TO SCHOOLS THROUGH OTHER BIGGER EVENTS.
THEY'VE DONE A 1,332 NURSING CARE SESSIONS, WHICH I SAID INCLUDE EVERYTHING I JUST MENTIONED.
SOME OF IT COULD ALSO BE SEXUAL HEALTH COUNSELING, S-T-D-H-I-V, UH, COUNSELING AS WELL.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION ON HOW, UM, COMMISSIONERS, UM, I'M GOING TO OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GOING TO, FOR THE SAKE OF THE AGENDA AND IT BEING FULL, ASK YOU TO DO ONE QUESTION AND WE CAN KIND OF GO THROUGH THE GROUP AND EVERY COMMISSIONER HAS HAS A CHANCE FOR ONE QUESTION AND THEN WE'LL CIRCLE BACK.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND WE HAVE TIME FOR AN ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL QUESTION FROM THAT COMMISSIONER.
UM, I THINK THAT MADE SENSE,
UM, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO, UM, COMMISSIONERS FOR QUESTIONS.
[00:20:01]
IS SO MUCH BETTER CONTEXT AND, UH, BETTER UNDERSTANDING IN THE WORK THAT YOU DO, UH, BECAUSE YOU SHOULD RECEIVE AND, AND EARN THE DELIGHT THAT IS DESERVING OF THE WORK THAT THE ENTIRE PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS ARE DOING.SO THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING CONTEXT IN THIS PURVIEW.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR FOR A WHILE.
UH, YOU'RE WELCOME AND YOU'RE WELCOME
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS ONLINE? YEP, GO AHEAD.
UM, YEAH, I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT, WHAT TISHA JUST SAID ON HELL.
UM, UH, I KNOW, UH, STAFF, UM, AND Y'ALL WORK SO HARD AND OF COURSE YOU'RE ON SUN HEROES A LOT OF TIME.
AND I'M SORRY IF YOU ALL WERE MADE TO FEEL, UH, LESS THAN AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT, UH, JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE VERY MUCH APPRECIATIVE AND THIS IS EXCELLENT INFORMATION.
UM, AND WE KNOW Y'ALL DO GREAT WORK AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL.
AND, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, FOR ALL YOU DO.
UM, I HAVE A SLIGHT QUESTION IN COMMENT.
UM, I HAD THE CHANCE TO GO TO TWO OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, UM, AND, UH, HAD MY OWN THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS, BUT I WANTED TO ASK IF Y'ALL ONLINE OR JUST LIKE IN PERSON OFFER ANY KIND OF, UM, UM, DETAILS AROUND WHAT THE, THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER OFFERS.
UH, THE ONE THAT I WENT TO THAT'S ON SECOND STREET, I HADN'T REALIZED THAT TO GET FOOD YOU HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
AND SO THAT WAS KIND OF LIKE SOMETHING I WAS LIKE, OH, I'M HUNGRY RIGHT NOW.
IS THERE A WAY FOR ME TO ACCESS, UM, FOOD HERE? AND THEY WERE LIKE, NO, WE DON'T.
WE WE'RE ONLY APPOINTMENT ONLY, WHICH I HADN'T REALIZED.
UM, SO YEAH, JUST SOMETHING THAT, LIKE WHICH CENTER WAS THIS? IT WAS THE ONE ON, UH, IT'S LIKE LITERALLY LIKE EAST AUSTIN, RIGHT? DOWNTOWN, UM, EAST ON KAMAL.
'CAUSE WE DON'T, WE DO APPOINTMENTS, BUT WE ALSO DO WALK-INS.
SO LET ME CHECK WITH THAT MANAGER.
UH, UNLESS THERE'S SOME EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE'RE ALL FOCUSED ON SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'RE DOING, WE DO OUR BEST.
BUT THAT'S, YEAH, I MEAN, I WENT DURING LUNCH, SO MAYBE IT WAS JUST LIKE TIMING THING.
BUT YEAH, IT WOULD, WE DEFINITELY DO WALK-UPS, ESPECIALLY AT THAT CENTER.
THERE'S A LOT OF UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE IN THAT AREA AND THEY COME TO OUR CENTER AND WE SERVE THEM RIGHT AWAY.
LIKE, I COULD PROBABLY GO TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION, BUT EVERY LOCATION DOES DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND SO THE ONE THAT I WAS AT CURRENTLY, THEY DON'T DO JUST LIKE WALK-IN.
AND SO SHE TOLD ME TO GO TO A DIFFERENT, UM, LOCATION.
SO I WAS LIKE CURIOUS IF THERE WAS ANY LIKE, WEBSITE INFORMATION ABOUT LIKE WHAT SERVICES ARE OFFERED AT EACH NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
IT WOULD BE ON OUR WEBSITE AND THAT IT'S A GOOD FOLLOW UP.
'CAUSE YOU HAD ASKED LAST MONTH ABOUT, UH, WHEN YOU GO TO GOOGLE AND SEARCH FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, SOME OF THOSE LINKS ARE BROKEN.
SO I FOLLOWED UP AND, UH, THIS IS THE ANSWER I GOT.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS A NEW WEBSITE, WHICH WAS MODERNIZED AND MADE EASIER FOR USERS.
AS PART OF THIS, THE WEB TEAM HAS ASKED THE NSU TO REDUCE OUR FORMER EIGHT PAGES.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAD A PAGE FOR EACH NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER TO ONE UNIT PAGE.
THIS WAS PRESENTED AS A BEST PRACTICE AND DUE TO OUR CENTER SPECIFIC PAGES BEING THE SAME, EXCEPT FOR THE LOCATION AND SERVICES PROVIDED AT ALL CENTERS.
AND WE ARE WORKING TO ENSURE THAT ALL CENTERS CAN BE FOUND EASY ON GOOGLE SEARCHES.
SO IT'S JUST SORT OF LIKE THIS TRANSITION TO A NEW PLATFORM THAT THE CITY TOOK.
SO WE ARE WORKING ON TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT, BUT THAT'S THE REASON WE WERE FORCED TO GO TO ONE SITE.
SO THE OTHER ONES WERE BROKEN.
THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING UP ON THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
IF NOT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
SO MIGUEL'S HELP AND WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SAY.
MIGUEL, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, AND VICE CHAIR, I, UH, THE SAME AS THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING.
I, I PRINTED OUT THE PROCESS FOR, UM, CITY COUNCIL AND HOW THEY NORMALLY DO IT, IF THAT'S OKAY.
SO WE WILL, UH, IF YOU DON'T MIND PUTTING UP THE, THIS FORM, ALL THE QR CODE.
UM, AND WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR, DTA DEAN HERE, UM, TO, SHE'S PRESIDING OVER IT, BUT I'LL JUST GO OVER THE, THE STEPS IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, SO THIS WILL BE FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING IS FOR REVIEW OF THE DRAFT ACTION PLAN.
AND I BELIEVE ALL OF THE, THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD LAST TIME HAVE BEEN FIXED, UH, ABOUT HAVING ACCESS.
UM, BUT IF, IF YOU FIND ANYTHING, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS CORRECT
[00:25:01]
ON THAT.UM, AND SO IT WILL BE, ESSENTIALLY THE PROCESS WILL BE THIS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER REPORT THAT WE WILL PUT ON, UH, THE SCREEN AS WELL.
AND THEN WE'LL KIND OF OPEN IT UP TO, UM, COMMENTS.
AND AS IT SAYS HERE, IT'S, UH, THE PRESENTATION AND THEN A PRESENTATION FROM AN APPLICANT.
UM, BUT THESE ARE THE SAME, UH, PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN INTERESTED PARTIES IN SUPPORT AND THEN, UH, PARTIES OPPOSED, AND THEN A REBUTTAL.
SO THAT'S THE WAY THAT, THAT IT GOES TO FIVE STEP PROCESS.
UM, BUT YEAH, AND ESSENTIALLY WE'LL BE OPENING UP THE, THE FLOOR AND WHENEVER Y'ALL ARE READY, UH, FROM LISTENING OR READING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, PUT ON THE REPORT AFTER THAT.
I LIKE A LITTLE COMPLETE, BUT SHOULD I JUST READ THIS OTHER THING? NO, YOU ACTUALLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
'CAUSE UM, SHE'S PRESIDING OVER THERE.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE.
[3. Conduct a Public Hearing to receive public comment concerning the City of Austin’s Fiscal Year 26-27 Annual Draft Action Plan. Public Hearing held by Deletta Dean, Department Director, Autin Housing. ]
UM, AND WE WILL HEAR ABOUT THAT FROM, UM, SORRY, I DIDN'T GET YOUR NAME.PLEASURE TO BE HERE, UH, WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S FY 2 5 2 9 CONSOLIDATED PLAN IS A FEDERALLY, FEDERALLY REQUIRED FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT GUIDES THE USE OF HUD FUNDING, INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, HOME EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT, ALSO ESG, AND THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS HOPWOOD PROGRAMS. THE PLAN COVERS THE PERIOD FROM OCTOBER 1ST, 24 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 29.
THE PLAN IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS AUSTIN'S MOST PRESSING HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES, WHICH FOCUS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION, HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND RESPONSE SERVICES FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, ASSISTANCE FOR SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, FAIR HOUSING AND REBO, AND REDUCING BARRIERS TO HOUSING ACCESS AND NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION.
THE KEY NEEDS IDENTIFIED, UH, WERE, UH, GATHERED THROUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND NEEDS ASSESSMENTS, WHICH IDENTIFIED SEVERAL CRITICAL CHALLENGES IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE RISING HOME PRICES AND RENTS CONTINUE TO PRESSURE A LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
THERE'S ALSO A SIGNIFICANT NEED FOR MORE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THAT IS THE, UH, BELOW THE 50, UH, UH, 50%, UH, A MI.
THERE'S ALSO, UH, THE HOUSING INSECURE AND THE CONTINUED NEED FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
WE ALSO NEED TO DO HOUSING PRESERVATION, WHICH IS, UH, TO PRESERVE OUR EXISTING HOUSING STOCK, WHICH IS AT RISK OF DETERIORATING.
WE ALSO NEED TO PROVIDE A SPECIAL, UH, SERVICE OR, OR SERVICES TO OUR, UH, SPECIAL POPULATIONS.
AND THAT INCLUDES OUR SENIORS AND PERSONS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES, ALSO OUR YOUTH AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH HIV AND AIDS.
AND LASTLY, ECONOMIC MOBILITY.
AND THAT FOR US IS, IS CHILDCARE AND ACCESS TO CHILDCARE.
THE MAJOR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES OF THE PLAN OVERALL IS TO EXPAND AND PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND FOR AUSTIN HOUSING, THAT'S TO BUILD NEW, UH, AFFORDABLE RENTAL AND OWNERSHIP HOUSING TO PRESERVE EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THAT'S NO PROPERTIES TO SUPPORT HOME REPAIR AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS AND TO LEVERAGE THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
WE ALSO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC SERVICES AND THE PLAN SUPPORTS, AGAIN, SERVICES FOR LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS OR YOUTH AND OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN LASTLY, IMPROVING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND THAT IS TO PROVIDE OUR SUPPORT WITH THESE DOLLARS PROGRAMS THAT INCREASE HOUSEHOLD SELF-SUFFICIENCY.
LASTLY, THE PLAN ADVOCATES AND COURT AND COORDINATES FOR FUNDING SOURCES.
I MENTIONED THOSE EARLIER, CDBG, HOME, ESG, AND HOPWA.
AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR AUSTIN HOUSING IS THAT WE UTILIZE THESE RESOURCES AND WE PARTNER WITH RELATED DEPARTMENTS THROUGH THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN THAT'S CENTERED ON INCREASING AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUPPLY, PRESERVING EXISTING UNITS, EXPANDING HOMELESSNESS INTERVENTIONS, TARGETING INVESTMENTS, AND THEN LEVERAGING THESE RESOURCES.
SO THIS ONE YEAR ACTION PLAN IS A PART OF THE FIVE YEAR PLAN, AND IT'S UNCHANGED.
[00:30:01]
SO THIS PLAN HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION, UH, IN PRIOR YEARS.THIS IS THREE, THIS IS YEAR THREE, UH, OF THIS PLAN.
I'VE BEEN HERE LESS THAN A YEAR.
UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE STAFF, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THIS PLAN.
AND IF, UH, NECESS, UH, AND IF NECESSARY, UH, AS WE RECEIVE, UH, COMMENTS THROUGH FORMS LIKE THIS AND, UH, FURTHER ENGAGEMENT, THEN WE WILL REFINE IT AS THE NEEDS ARE EXPRESSED BY, UH, OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN.
THOSE DOLLARS, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU, UH, A BREAKDOWN OF THE ALLOCATION FOR THE CDBG SPENDING BY PROGRAM, UH, LARGELY, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT.
AND THAT FUNDING AMOUNT IS APPROXIMATELY 2.4 MILLION, WHICH IS ROUGHLY 34% OF THE FUNDING.
UH, ARCHITECTURAL BURIAL REMOVAL, WHICH IS HOME REPAIR, MINOR HOME REPAIR, HOME OWNERSHIP REHABILITATION LOAN PRO LOAN PROGRAM.
UH, THAT IS ALSO A HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE TALKED, UH, UH, ABOUT MI UM, INTRO HERE IN TERMS OF, UH, THE SOCIAL SERVICE ASPECT, UH, AND THE ECONOMIC MOBILITY THROUGH, UH, CHILDCARE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND SENIOR SERVICES, WHICH ARE ADMINISTERED THROUGH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH FOR HOME DOLLARS.
WE LOOK AT BUILDING, UH, OR CREATING, UH, HOME OWNERSHIP AND THEN PRESERVING HOMES, UH, AND INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE HOUSING INSECURE THROUGH OUR TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH OUR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND THEN THERE'S ADMINISTRATIVE FEES.
WE ALSO COVER, UM, THE COMMUNITY, UH, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH ARE OUR CHODO ARE OUR SMALLER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND THERE ARE, UH, FOUR OF THOSE.
AND, UM, THOSE, UH, TARGET OR THOSE PROGRAMS ARE, UH, THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE AROUND, SORRY, RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, HOME OWNERSHIP, UH, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, AND COMMUNITY HEALTH HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS.
SO AGAIN, THOSE ARE SMALLER ORGANIZATIONS, UH, THAT WE, UH, HELP SUPPORT THAT, UH, WORK IN THIS SPACE.
AND, UH, FAILED TO MENTION THAT THE HAKA, UH, IS, UH, THE RECIPIENT OF THE TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
AND, UH, LASTLY, THE HOPWA PROGRAM THROUGH A PH, WHICH IS, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, HAS A LIST OF PROGRAMS HERE.
UH, PROJECT, UH, TRANSITIONS, AGE SERVICES OF AUSTIN INTEGRAL CARE AND, UH, ASHWELL.
AND LET'S SEE, LASTLY, HSO, WHICH IS A HOMELESS STRATEGIES OFFICE, ALSO HAS PROGRAMMING DOLLARS THROUGH THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT, WHICH IS ESG.
AND, UH, THOSE PROGRAMS ARE SHELTER OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE RAPID REHOUSING.
AND THEN THERE'S, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE FEES WRAPPED INTO THAT.
UH, AND WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION NUMBER TWO.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY PRESENTATIONS FOR, UM, WE ARE SERVING AS THE APPLICANT AS, AS WELL AS THE ONE BRINGING IT.
SO, UM, AND THEN THE NEXT ONE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR OPPOSITION.
UM, AND SO THEN WE DON'T NEED A REBUTTAL IF THERE'S NONE THERE.
SO WE'RE KIND OF OPENING THE FLOOR TO COMMENTS OR, OR ANYTHING THAT YOU COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IN THIS SUBJECT.
UM, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO COMMISSIONERS FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, JUST A NOTE TO DO ONE QUESTION EACH COMMISSIONER, AND THEN WE CAN CIRCLE BACK AROUND.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I THINK, UM, AGAIN, WELCOME TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, MANDY DE MAYO HAD BEEN INTERIM DIRECTOR FOR A LONG TIME, AND IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT FORMAT, THE WAY THAT SHE PRESENTED THE INFORMATION, AND THAT'S OKAY.
AND, UM, WHAT I MEAN TO SAY IS THAT, UM, THE WAY THAT IT WAS PRESENTED BEFORE, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF SEE THE GOALS, UH, FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR OR, UH, THE GOALS FOR THE, FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
THAT WAY, UH, I WAS EASILY ABLE TO LIKE, IDENTIFY GAPS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, CHILDCARE SERVICES, UM, YOU KNOW, HAD A SERVICE GOAL OF 189, AND THIS YEAR WE DID 220.
UM, OR FOR SENIOR SERVICES, THE GOAL WAS 1 23,
[00:35:01]
BUT WE ONLY DID 100.SO, YOU KNOW, FOR US IT WAS EASY TO IDENTIFY GAP.
SO I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MOVING FORWARD, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, UM, WHEN PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION, UH, UH, MORE TRANSPARENCY OR AT LEAST JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT OR INFORMATION FROM PREVIOUS OR FOLLOWING YEARS THAT WAY.
UM, WE KNOW, I KNOW WHERE TO, UM, IDENTIFY, UH, GAPS, LIKE I SAID, WHERE TO FOCUS MY ATTENTION.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE HOPWA WAS, UM, UNDER ADMINISTERED, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE WAS GAPS THERE.
AND I EVEN THINKING LIKE, UM, UM, UM, ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER, ARCHITECTURAL BARRIER REMOVAL, AND THEN ALSO, UH, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, THOSE, THE, THE FAMILY BUSINESS LOANS.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S JUST MY ASK TO YOU.
UM, IT'S NOT A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY MM-HMM
IT'S, IT'S NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS EXPECTED MM-HMM
SO I CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE, UH, THOSE NUMBERS FOR YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
SO IF, IF, UM, SOMEONE NEEDS SERVICES FOR MENTAL HEALTH OR THE MINOR HOME REPAIR, UM, WHERE WOULD THEY GO TO APPLY FOR THAT? OR DID THEY DO THAT ONLINE? UM, I THINK THEY PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION, BUT I HAVE SOMEONE WHO NEEDS IT AND, AND, AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE, WHAT INFORMATION TO GIVE THEM.
WE DO HAVE A ONLINE PROCESS AND I'M LOOKING AT NEFERTITI, UH, WHO, UH, ADMINISTERS THAT PROGRAM AND SHE'LL PROVIDE US THE CONTACT INFORMATION.
BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY WANNA HELP, UH, INDIVIDUALS AND IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO COMMUNICATE THIS OUT.
YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING OF JULIE, YOU CALLED ON ME.
I'M LIKE, OKAY, JULIE, I'M LOOKING, UH, OUR MAIN WEBSITE IS ONE POINT OF CONTACT AND THEN OUR MAIN TELEPHONE NUMBER.
DO YOU KNOW THAT JULIE? SO I CAN, IT CAN BE RECORDED.
7 0 7 1 3 5 1 2 9 7 4 8 1 0 0.
AND, AND THAT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS THAT YOU SPOKE OF? THIS NUMBER MM-HMM
AND THEN YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, JUST ANY, ANY SERVICES IN PARTICULAR.
YOU SAID THE MAIN, UM, SO I GOT THE NUMBER HERE AND THE MAIN WEBSITE IS THAT THE HOUSING, UM, AUSTIN HOUSING.GOV.
THE SPANISH AUSTIN HOUSING.GOV.
AND ANYTHING ELSE, FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW UP WITH US, UH, VIA EMAIL AND MIGUEL WILL WE'LL FIND ANY OTHER RESOURCES THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
I WANTED TO QUICKLY ASK, UM, WELCOME TO THE HOUSING.
UH, IT'S NOT A QUESTION
SO LONGORIA, UM, WHAT COMMISSIONER LONGORIA SAID, I DEFINITELY WANNA ECHO A BIT OF WHAT HE SAID IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT HOW THE INFORMATION CAN BE, UM, PROVIDED IN A WAY SO WE CAN SEE WHERE WE CAN BE OF SERVICE AND OF HELP IN SUPPORTING ANY GAPS, UH, THAT MIGHT EXIST.
SO AS A COMMISSION, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING WE ALWAYS LOOK FOR.
SO I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO ECHO WHAT, UM, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA HAD MENTIONED AND MAYBE, UH, LOOK AT SOME OF THE CONTEXT THAT, AND AT LEAST THE COMMENTARY THAT WE PROVIDED TO ON HEAD AND PO POTENTIALLY THAT CAN BE HELPFUL IN SHAPING AND FRAMING THE INFORMATION.
SO USING THAT AS A, AS A NOTE OF, OF WELCOME GUIDANCE.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I CAN SAY, BUT THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS IF YOU ARE AWARE OF OR FAMILIAR WITH ANY OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS HERE IN THE CITY, MANDY DE MAYO, AND I WOULD HAVE WONDERFUL CONVERSATIONS BACK AND FORTH
UM, TO SORT OF CONTINUE FROM THE QUESTIONS I'D HAVE FOR MS. DE MAYO.
THE, THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS THAT YOU MENTIONED ARE NOT REFLECTED IN THE CDBG ARE THE USE OF THE HOME DOLLARS.
[00:40:01]
PROGRAMS ARE ADMINISTERED BY IR REAL ESTATE OFFICE, AND WE ARE CERTAINLY, UH, HAPPY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU.UH, AT SOME POINT IF YOU, IF YOU WANT AN IN DEPTH DISCUSSION, THERE IS AN ORDINANCE THAT, UM, THAT, UH, HAS, UH, WORKED ITS WAY THROUGH, UM, THE THROUGH CITY COUNCIL, UH, IN TERMS OF US, UH, REFINING THOSE PROCESSES AND THAT PROGRAMMING, AND THEN ALSO THE ASSOCIATED FEE AND LIE DOLLARS THAT, THAT COME WITH THAT.
UH, AGAIN, NOT A PART OF, UH, THIS, UH, CONSOLIDATED PLAN, BUT HAPPY TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
SO I'M ALSO KIND OF CHEATING, BUT THEY'RE SUPER FAST AND THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY QUESTIONS IN, IN PART I WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE CONTRIBUTE TODAY IS CONSIDERED PART OF THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WE'LL GO IN, IN THE, IN THE COMMENTS.
UM, AND THEN I DID ALSO WANNA CONFIRM FOR, FOR EVERYONE, AND TO SAY OUT LOUD THAT I THINK, BECAUSE I KNOW I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO DIGEST THIS
I JUST WANTED TO, AND, AND THEN I HAD ONE OTHER STATE STATEMENT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM FOR EVERYBODY.
UH, IT IS, UH, UH, SPEAK UP AUSTIN, WHICH IS THE WEBSITE AND THAT INFORMATION, AND DO THAT LITTLE ABSOLUTELY.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS, IF YOU'RE ALSO LIKE ME AND MAY NEED TO GO BACK AND COMMENT AT A, AT A FUTURE DATE RATHER THAN TODAY, WE HAVE UNTIL THE 30TH.
UM, AND THEN JUST A, A PROCESS.
UM, AND I KNOW ALSO GOOD TO SEE YOU
UM, I KNOW WE KEEP, WE KEEP, UM, REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAYS TO BE EFFECTIVE AND TO, TO WORK WELL WITH, WITH STAFF ON THE BEST WAYS TO BE EFFECTIVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE IN THE FUTURE, UM, FOR YOU GUYS TO DRAFT.
'CAUSE I KNOW MIGUEL AND THE TEAM, WE ASK FOR SO MANY THINGS, AND THEY ARE, THEY ARE RUNNING ALL THE TIME.
I, I THINK IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO REALLY CATCH THIS WAS COMING AND HIGHLIGHT FOR ALL THE COMMISSIONERS AND GET THE WORD OUT.
AND SO I KNOW I'M DISAPPOINTED.
WE DON'T HAVE COMMUNITY COMMENT.
I'M SURE THAT WE, WE WOULD'VE, AND I COULD BE WRONG.
YOU GUYS MAY HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY KNOWN AND BEEN ON IT, AND IT'S JUST ME.
BUT I THINK, UM, WE ARE, WE ARE STRUGGLING AND WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO CATCH IT.
BUT IF THERE'S THINGS THAT WE, LIKE, IF YOUR TEAM COULD, COULD MAKE SURE THE COMMISSIONERS ALL GET AN EMAIL LIKE A COUPLE WEEKS IN ADVANCE, THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD SEND TO YOUR COMMUNITIES.
IF THERE'S ANY OTHER WAY TO HELP MAKE SURE WE GET THE WORD OUT, UM, THAT WOULD BE JUST INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
AND YOU MAY TELL ME YOU ALREADY ARE, AND I AM JUST MISSING IT.
AND THAT IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY, BUT I'M JUST NAMING OUT LOUD THAT I, I MISSED IT.
AND IF I'M THE ONLY COMMISSIONER WHO DID, THEN MY APOLOGIES.
UM, BUT NO, THERE'S A LOT, THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNICATION THAT GOES OUT.
SO, UM, WE, WE HAVE BEEN IN THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE HAD, UH, SOME PRESENTATIONS AND GATHERED FEEDBACK.
UH, JULIE SMITH IS, IS HERE, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S ON TAP TODAY TO, UH, PROVIDE, UH, BACKGROUND ABOUT THE PROCESS IN WHICH WE GATHER, UH, COMMUNITY COMMENTS.
UH, IT IS PUSHED OUT, UH, IN VARIOUS WAYS IN TERMS OF INFORMING THE PUBLIC THAT THIS OPPORTUNITY EXISTS BECAUSE WE ENCOURAGE, UH, INDIVIDUALS TO COMMENT SO THAT WE CAN HELP SHAPE HOW WE UTILIZE PUBLIC RESOURCES.
CAN I ADD SOMETHING? IF I MIGHT, I, THIS FORMAT IS THE SAME.
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT MANDY PRESENTED BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME TEAM PRESENTING THE SAME INFORMATION.
I THINK, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO SHARE WITH COMMISSIONERS IS THAT THIS PROCESS IS INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED, NOT BY US, BUT BY BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEMS TO BE HARD TO UNDERSTAND AND HARD TO KNOW WHERE DO YOU WEIGH IN.
IT'S REALLY NOT MEANT TO HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND COMMENTS.
HOWEVER, I WILL SAY WE ARE SEEKING TO BE RESPONSIVE.
WE'VE HEARD YOU AND JULIE SMITH AND COMMISSIONER TISHA, UH, MET RECENTLY, AND WE WANNA FIGURE OUT A WAY, HOW CAN WE RESTRUCTURE HOW WE BRING FORWARD THE ACTION PLAN AND THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN? IT, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT, AND WE DID SEND INFORMATION FOR YOU TO SHARE, BUT IT IS HARD TO KEEP UP WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION.
BUT, UM, SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT AND WE LIKE YOUR FEEDBACK.
BUT I THINK COMING THROUGH THE STRATEGY WORKING GROUP, UH, THE FEEDBACK THAT I RECEIVED FROM COMMISSIONER TISHA AS WELL AS JULIE, I HEARD THAT THE MEETING WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
AND I HOPE GOING FORWARD, MAYBE
[00:45:01]
NOT THIS YEAR, BUT I THINK IN FUTURE YEARS, I, I THINK YOU WILL SEE A DIFFERENT WAY THAT WE BRING, UM, THESE ITEMS TO YOU.AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, UM, I'M A, UH, AT HEART OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZER FIRST.
UH, I'M VERY MUCH GRASSROOTS THAT'S, UH, MY BACKGROUND.
UM, SO WHAT I HAVE, UH, BROUGHT TO THE TEAM IS THAT IT'S PEOPLE FIRST AND THEN WE BUILD HOUSES.
SO I AM VERY ADAMANT ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE REACH OUT, THAT WE ARE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT NEED IS SO THAT WE CAN USE THAT TO INFORM OUR WORK.
SO I WELCOME THAT FEEDBACK AND IT LETS ME KNOW THAT I'M ON THE, THE RIGHT TRACK IN TERMS OF ENSURING THAT WE ARE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT WE HEAR THAT VOICE SO THAT IT CAN GUIDE OUR WORK.
AND I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY CHIME IN AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP, NEFERTITI AND HI JULIE.
UM, I WASN'T GOING TO BRING THAT UP IN THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT.
UM, AND THERE'S A REASON WHY THE STRATEGY WORKING GROUP IS NOT ON THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA AND THAT IT WILL BE FOR THE NEXT ONE IS WANTED TO USE THIS MEETING AS A CATALYST TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UH, MOVING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY IN REGARDS TO THE WAYS THAT WE PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING BETWEEN JULIE AND MYSELF.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING TO ECHO HOW YOU'RE A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER AND TRYING TO EMPHASIZE THE COMMUNITY PEOPLE CENTERED VERSION OF IT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO.
AND SO EVERYONE IN THE STRATEGY WORKING GROUP, NEFERTITI PROVIDED A PREVIEW AS TO THE, UM, SORT OF THE, THE FEEDBACK AND THE REACH OUT THAT'S GONNA BE OUTREACH THAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING, UM, AFTER THIS MEETING.
SO THANK YOU NEFERTITI AND JULIE
I HAVE, UH, ONE QUESTION AND A COMMENT.
UM, I, I DID RECEIVE IN MY OFFICIAL ROLE OUTSIDE OF THE COMMISSION, UM, WITH ECHO, UH, THE TRAVIS COUNTY CDPG, UM, UH, ACTION PLAN AND PROPOSED SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENTS HEARING.
UM, THERE'S ONE ON JULY 14TH THAT I THINK IS HAPPENING AT THE, UM, COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
UM, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I HAD PLANNED ON ATTENDING JUST TO LIKE, KNOW MORE ABOUT IT.
BUT I, I DIDN'T SEE THE ACTUAL ACTION PLAN WHEN LIKE, LOOKING AT THE INFORMATION THROUGH THE EMAIL.
AND SO I WAS CURIOUS IF THAT'S PROVIDED LIKE DAY OF OR IF PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO REVIEW IT ONLINE.
YOU SAID TRAVIS COUNTY? YEAH, IT SAYS TRAVIS COUNTY, CDBG AND HOME INVITATION TO COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED, UM, FISCAL YEAR 2026 ACTION PLAN AND SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENTS.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY A, UH, COUNTY ALLOCATION VERSUS OURS IS IN MORE OF AN ENTITLEMENT.
SO THERE, YEAH, THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT ALLOCATIONS.
UM, AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER COMMENT, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT LIKE, I'M, I'M NOT SURE HOW THIS CAN BE ADDRESSED OR ANYTHING, BUT JUST SEEING ON THE, ALL OF THE FUND, ALL THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IS SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT WHEN WE ARE VERY MUCH IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, UM, IS JUST SOMETHING I WANNA NOTE ON HERE.
UM, I'M HOPING THAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN START TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND JUST SEEING IT SO SMALL IS A REAL, REAL SAD FEELING
UM, JUST KNOWING THAT WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH FUNDING FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHEN WE KNOW IT'S, UM, PRETTY BAD OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT NOTE.
WELL IF THAT IS IT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TO SPEAK TO US TODAY.
DO I ADJOURN OR LIKE HOW DOES OR CLOSE THE YES, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IF THERE IS NO MORE COMMENTS, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING IF THERE IS NO MORE COMMENTS.
[4. Presentation and discussion on Land Trusts and Community Land Trusts. Presentation by Nicole Joslin, Housing and Community Development Officer and Chanda Gaither, Housing Development Manager, Austin Housing. ]
TO ITEM FOUR, A PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON THE LAND TRUST AND COMMUNITY LAND TRUST.I DON'T KNOW WHY I SAID IT TWICE, BUT EXCELLENT.
YES, WE, WE HAVE OUR TEAM, SHONDA.
I WAS TOLD THAT FOLKS WANTED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN INFO SESSION ON EXACTLY WHAT A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS, UM, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
[00:50:01]
MIGUEL.UM, SO WE'RE JUST GONNA GET STARTED.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT COMMUNITY LAND TRUST MODEL IS, FIRST OF ALL.
THEN WE'RE GONNA GO INTO WHAT OUR, UM, WHAT AUSTIN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS DOING THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHY WE'RE UNIQUE, OUR PROGRAM DESIGN, UH, OUR PREFERENCE POLICY.
I WILL SEE IF WE CAN GO OVER OUR CURRENT PORTFOLIO AND OUR FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS.
IF NOT, YOU'VE GOT THEM ALL ON YOUR HANDY DANDY SLIDES.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHAT IS A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST? UM, AND OF COURSE, I, I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT I WAS TOLD THAT WE WANTED TO GO DOWN TO THE BASIC LEVEL SO THAT WE ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT WHAT A LAND TRUST IS.
SO I HOPE I'M, I HOPE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHY WE, THE SLIDES, THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT THE DEFINITIONS UP THERE.
SO A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS A UNIQUE HOME PURCHASE, WHICH ALLOWS RESIDENTS TO INVEST INTO THEIR HOMES WITHOUT OVERWHELMING FINANCIAL BURDENS.
UH, THIS IS BEST KNOWN FOR PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, THROUGH THE FIRST CLT, WHICH IS NEW COMMUNITIES INC.
UH, WHICH FIRST STARTED BY SOME BLACK FAMILIES IN GEORGIA, ESTABLISHED IN 1969.
THE LAND IS HELD FOR COMMUNITY BENEFIT PROTECTED FROM MARKET PRESSURES.
IT'S A FLEXIBLE STRUCTURE THAT CAN BE USED BY COMMUNITY GROUPS, NONPROFITS, COALITIONS, OR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
UM, THIS IS THE BASIC, BASIC, BASIC VERSION OF WHY THIS MAKES THIS AFFORDABLE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UH, THE SITUATION WOULD BE THE LAND IN THE HOUSE ARE NOW A SEPARATE COST.
SOMEBODY IS HOLDING THE LAND AND THAT'S GONNA BE A NONPROFIT HERE.
UM, IT WOULD BE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORP FOR BOSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST.
BUT THIS IN TURN MAKES THE TOTAL COST OF THE HOUSING GO DOWN.
SO IF THE TOTAL HOUSE WAS $400,000 AND WE REMOVED THE COST OF THE LAND AT ONE 50, WHICH OF COURSE WE LIVE IN AUSTIN, THAT WOULD BE VERY MUCH THE REVERSE, IF NOT TRIPLED OR DOUBLED.
UH, THAT WOULD LEAVE US WITH A LOWER AMOUNT FOR THE FAMILY TO MORTGAGE, RIGHT, WHICH WOULD LEAVE THEM WITH A LOWER LOAN, LOWER PAYMENTS, AND A LOWER DOWN PAYMENT.
SO WHAT ARE THE KEY BENEFITS, UM, OF THIS MODEL? UH, KEEPING HOUSING PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE, ALLOWING LOWER INCOME HOUSEHOLDS TO STAY IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE PRICES ARE RISING.
UM, PRESERVE PUBLIC INVESTMENT BY RECYCLING THE INITIAL AFFORDABILITY.
BECAUSE ONCE IT IS A LAND TRUST HOME, IT IS IN THE LAND TRUST FOR 99 YEARS.
UM, THE SALES PRICES ARE CAPPED BY WHAT THE HOUSE IS ALLOWED TO APPRECIATE YEAR OVER YEAR, CAPPED AT A RATE THAT WE THINK WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR THE NEXT 80% A MI FAMILY.
UM, AND THE NEXT PART WOULD BE PROVIDING STRONG HOMEOWNER SUPPORT RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER DELINQUENCY AND FORECLOSURE RATES COMPARED TO PRIVATE MARKET.
CLTS ARE ONE TYPE OF SHARED EQUITY HOUSING ALONG WITH DEED RESTRICTED HOUSING, WHICH WE DO HAVE HERE.
THAT WOULD BE THROUGH OUR DEVELOPER INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, OUR OHDA.
SO OUR, UH, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR OWNERSHIP, THAT IS WHAT WE CALL DEED RESTRICTED.
JUST MEANING THAT THERE'S A RESTRICTION THAT'S PLACED ON THE HOME, LETS PEOPLE KNOW HOW THEY HAVE TO DO THE RESALE.
VERY SIMILAR TO OUR CLT ACTUALLY.
UM, AND THEN WE DO SOME FORMS OF DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE WOULD ALSO FALL UNDER WHAT WE CALL A SHARED EQUITY HOUSING MODEL.
UM, DO CLT HOMEOWNERS BUILD ASSETS? THEY ABSOLUTELY DO.
UM, THE SUPPORT BUILDING ASSETS FOR HOUSEHOLDS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE REMAIN RENTERS.
UM, AND THAT IS BASED ON THE AMIS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO REACH OUR DEMOGRAPHICS FOR THE CLT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET DOWN INTO THE LOW FIFTIES, 54, 53 A MI EASILY WITH DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AND THEM BUYING A LAND TRUST HOME.
UM, BECAUSE CLT HOMEOWNERS RECEIVE SUPPORT AND MAINTAIN HOME OWNERSHIP LONGER, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO REALIZE MEANINGFUL EQUITY GAINS.
AND RESEARCH SHOWS THAT CLT OWNERS BUILD ENOUGH EQUITY THROUGH MORTGAGE TO PAY DOWN MODEST DEPRECIATION AND LOWER HOUSING COSTS TO TRANSITION INTO THE OPEN MARKET IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
SO JUST A LITTLE RECAP, REMEMBER THAT WE'RE SELLING THE HOUSE OR THE UNIT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AS, UM, SINGLE FAMILY OBVIOUSLY INCLUDES CONDOS AND TOWN HOMES, BUT IT CAN BE A CONDO, A TOWN HOME, ONE, ONE, UH, IMPROVEMENT ON ONE PIECE OF LAND, RIGHT? BUT WE'RE GONNA, THE IMPROVEMENT IT GOES TO THE PERSON, TO THE INDIVIDUAL, THE LAND IS GONNA STAY WITH US OR THE NONPROFIT.
SO HOW IS AUSTIN COMMUNITY LAND TRUST UNIQUE? WELL, HOW IS OUR MODEL A LITTLE DIFFERENT? UM, ONE WE'RE MUNICIPAL, WE'RE RUN BY MUNICIPALITY, UH, GOVERNED BY A HFC THAT IS DIFFERENT COMMUNITY-BASED LAND TRUSTS ARE USUALLY RUN BY A TRIPARTITE BOARD, WHICH INCLUDES HOMEOWNERS, PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THE NONPROFIT THAT IS HOLDING OWNERSHIP.
AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION HAS ITS OWN BOARD, SO WE ARE THE BOARD.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT IS DIFFERENT.
UM, AND THE NEXT PART WOULD BE THAT WE'RE GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE LOTS.
MOST COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS ARE EITHER NEIGHBORHOOD BASED OR AREA BASED.
WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE A GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD, MEANING WE HAVE HOMES IN THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.
UM, AND ALSO THAT OUR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IMPLEMENTED A PREFERENCE POLICY TO ENSURE EQUITABLE HOUSING AND REDUCED DISPLACEMENT OF
[00:55:01]
AUSTIN RESIDENTS.UM, WE'LL GO INTO THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THIS SLIDE HAS THE ENABLING LEGISLATION FOR EACH OF THOSE STEPS.
I WANTED TO PUT THIS IN AS A REFERENCE SLIDE FOR YOU GUYS.
I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO NOTE THE OTHER CLT, THE OTHER COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS THAT ARE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT ARE DESIGNATED, UM, AND THEY'RE DOWN THERE AT THE BOTTOM.
I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AUSTIN REVITALIZATION AUTHOR, UH, AUTHORITY AND BLACK LAND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE PREFERENCE POLICY, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S THE MOST UNIQUE PART.
WE'RE PROBABLY ONE OF THE ONLY ONES USING ONE HERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND SO THAT MAKES US PRETTY SPECIAL.
UM, COUNCIL RESOLUTION ASKED US IN 2018 TO PROPOSE A POLICY THAT WOULD DISTRIBUTE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO LOW AND MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES BASED ON GENERATIONAL TIES TO THE CITY.
UM, AND TO FURTHER THE CITY'S OBLIGATION TO AFFIRMATIVE, UH, TO AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING TO INCLUDE A METHOD THAT WOULD PRIORITIZE THE WAIT LIST FOR PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES SUCH AS HOME OWNERSHIP AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
THE POLICY SHOULD ALSO BE BASED ON HOUSEHOLD SIZE.
AND SO, UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS APPLIES TO 50% OF THE UNITS WHEN THERE ARE TWO OR LESS UNITS AND 40% ONCE THE NUMBER JUMPS TO THREE.
UH, MEANING THAT ONCE WE HAVE THREE UNITS OR MORE, 40% OF THE UNITS WE ARE ALLOWED TO SET ASIDE FOR THE PREFERENCE POLICY.
UM, THERE'S NOT A POINT WHERE WE'RE JUST NOT SELLING BECAUSE MAYBE THIS NUMBER ISN'T MET, BUT IT JUST ALLOWS US TO, UH, LOOK AT THE MARKETING DIFFERENTLY.
IF WE'RE NOT REACHING WHO WE WANNA REACH AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO PURCHASE, WHICH IS A PART OF, OF FURTHERING AFFIRMATIVELY FAIR HOUSING IS REACHING THE HOUSEHOLD LESS LIKELY TO APPLY.
SO WHAT THIS DOES IS GIVES US A CHANCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW IF WE ARE HITTING THESE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE DONE THAT.
NEXT, THE THREE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THIS PREFERENCE POLICY ARE GOING TO BE DISABILITY, WHICH APPLIES TO HOUSEHOLDS THAT HAVE, UH, THAT NEED TO NEED ACCESSIBLE UNITS.
THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE ACCESSIBLE UNITS FIRST OR CHOOSE THE UNIT THAT IS MOST LIKELY GOING TO BE OKAY FOR THEM.
UM, THE NEXT ONE'S GONNA BE HOUSEHOLD SIZE.
WE BASIS ON NUMBER IN THE HOUSEHOLD AND BEDROOMS. UM, AND WE TRY TO MATCH THAT UP AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO INITIALLY THE IDEA IS THAT THE LARGER HOMES WITH THE MORE BEDROOMS WOULD GO TO FOLKS THAT NEED THE MORE BEDROOMS. WE DON'T LET EMPTY, UH, WE DON'T LET UNITS SIT EMPTY.
THAT'S NOT THE POINT EITHER, BUT WE WANNA GIVE FOLKS THE CHANCE THAT HAVE PEOPLE IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD, GENERATIONAL GRANDMA DOWN TO KIDS A CHANCE TO MOVE INTO THE HOUSE THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE.
RIGHT? THE LAST ONE IS GONNA BE GENERATIONAL TIES AND DISPLACEMENT.
UM, AND THIS ONE ADDRESSES THE TOPICS OF GENERATIONAL TIES AND DISPLACEMENT OF LOW TO MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
I HAVE A SAMPLE OF THE CHART HERE, SO YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT JUST HOW IT'S JUST MINIMUM PERSONS EQUALS THE MINIMUM, THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLD OR MAXIMUM NUMBER OF BEDROOMS. UM, AGAIN, WE DO NOT STOP A PERSON, A ONE PERSON HOUSEHOLD FROM BUYING A TWO BEDROOM UNIT.
WE JUST TRY TO PRIORITIZE TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLDS TO TWO BEDROOM UNITS FIRST.
THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE POLICY NEXT TO IT.
THERE IS A MAP THAT WE USE, UM, UM, THAT WAS CREATED BY OUR COMMUNICATED SOLUTIONS, UH, PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO TELL WHERE HIGHLY GENTRIFIED AREAS HAVE OCCURRED AND THAT THOSE FOLKS, UM, IS ALSO PART OF THE DISPLACEMENT.
THE 40% IS ALSO SET ASIDE FOR THEM.
SO IF THEY'RE FROM ANY OF THOSE AREAS WHEN WE POP THEIR ADDRESS INTO THE MAP, HAVE LIVED THERE, LIVED THERE IN THE PAST, PARENTS LIVED THERE, PARENTS MIGHT HAVE PASSED THERE, ALL THOSE FOLKS QUALIFY, UM, UNDER THIS PROGRAM DESIGN.
HERE'S A QUICK SHOT OF OUR PORTFOLIO.
UM, WE STARTED OFF WITH 16 PROPERTIES THAT WE RENOVATED RIGHT AROUND THE 11TH STREET BUILDING.
UM, UM, IN 2015, 16, WE ADDED 20 HOMES THROUGH A PURCHASE OF OUR HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, PORTFOLIO, UH, PURCHASE IN 2020.
UM, WE ARE STILL SELLING A FEW OF THOSE.
UM, THOSE ARE REHABS AND TURNED OUT PRETTY REMARKABLE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE PURPLE DOTS THAT'S GIVING YOU AN IDEA ALONG 35 ALL THE WAY DOWN.
SO PALMER DOWN TO WILLIAM CANNON.
UM, WE HAVE FOUR NEW BUILDS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE THROUGH THE DEAL, AND THOSE ARE ALSO ALREADY SOLD.
UM, TWO NEW, UH, DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE COMING ONLINE, UH, 2027.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT SOME EXPANSION, SOME PROJECTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FROM OUR PORTFOLIO OF LAND, UH, FOR FUTURE FUTURE BUILDS.
[01:00:01]
ONE OF OUR FIRST ONES I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, THIS ISN'T THE PERMANENT NAME, BUT IT'S THE NAME OF THE AREA THAT IT'S IN.SO WILLOWS CROSSING, IT'S IN COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO.
UH, THOSE WERE ACQUIRED ACRES USING GO BONDS.
WE ARE PLANNING ON GETTING 38 UNITS, ONE TO THREE BEDROOMS, 12 FULLY ACCESSIBLE UNITS WILL SELL TO PRICES FROM 180 5 TO 2 49.
HERE YOU CAN SEE A SITE PLAN AND SOME RENDERINGS OF THE FUTURE HOUSING FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE GETTING TO THE EASY PART WHERE THERE'S JUST PICTURES.
SO, UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE NEXT ONE, WHICH IS, UM, OFF OF BURNETT ROAD ACROSS FROM BURNETT MIDDLE SCHOOL, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA.
SO COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR, UH, 1.23 ACRES ACQUIRED WITH GEO BONDS.
UH, 25 UNITS, ONE TO THREE BEDROOMS, THREE FULLY ACCESSIBLE, UH, SALES PRICES, 180 4 TO 2 48.
AGAIN, THE SITE PLAN AND S RENDERINGS OF WHAT WE EXPECT THOSE UNITS TO LOOK LIKE.
SO SOME FUTURE FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS FOR OUR LAND TRUST MODEL.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING OUR DEPARTMENT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WELL TOGETHER, FIGURING OUT HOW TO BE MORE OF A CONTINUUM.
SO GOING FROM RENTAL TO OWNERSHIP TO KEEPING PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES.
UM, WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THE PROGRAMS IN THE SAME UNDER THE SAME ROOF, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO MORE OF A WRAPAROUND PROCESS.
UM, WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT EVERY RENTER WANTS TO BECOME A HOMEOWNER.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE RENTERS THAT WE DO HAVE THAT FIT THE CRITERIA.
THE DEEPER AFFORDABILITIES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET TO, THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO ACCESS THE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE EITHER THROUGH THE CLT OR OTHER TYPES OF, UM, DEED RESTRICTION HOUSING OR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ALSO USING OUR, UM, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS SUCH AS HOUSING COUNSELING AGENCIES AND OUR PARTNER LENDERS.
THEY'RE GREAT AT HAVING OPEN DISCUSSIONS WITH US ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE MARKET, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH RATES, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING WITH BUYERS THAT WE CAN KNOW WHAT PROGRAM TWEAKS WE NEED TO DO.
UH, WORKING ON OUR AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING, WHICH AGAIN, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING TO THE FOLKS WHO AT LEAST LIKELY HEAR A RANDOM, FIND A RANDOM FLYER, A RANDOM AD, RIGHT? SO THAT IS A LOT OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
I AM AT SOMETHING AT LEAST TWO TIMES A MONTH ON THE WEEKENDS.
YOU HAVE TO BE IN PERSON SOMETIMES TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION.
SO MAKING SURE THAT OUR AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING IS MATCHING WHO WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO.
AND THEN TAKING A DEEP, DEEPER DIVE INTO OUR STEWARDSHIP AND MONITORING AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR PORTFOLIO, WHICH MEANS MAKING SURE THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN OUR HOMES REALIZE THAT THERE ARE PROGRAMS THAT CAN ASSIST THEM STAYING IN THEIR HOMES AND THAT IS REPAIRS.
UM, ALSO PROGRAMS LIKE ESTATE PLANNING, RIGHT? UM, AND SO MAKING SURE THAT THAT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING ALONG WITH MONITORING THAT PEOPLE ARE USING OUR INVESTMENTS THE WAY THAT WE PRESCRIBED QUESTIONS.
I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS.
I'LL START, YOU CAN START WITH, OH, ORTIZ, YOU'RE ON, YOU'RE ON MUTE.
I WAS NOTICING ON THE MAP OF THE LOCATION OF, OF THE, UM, THE PROPERTIES AND, UH, WAS WONDERING IF THAT WAS, UH, DONE SPECIFICALLY TO, UM, I'M LOSING ALL MY WORDS TODAY, UH, TO, TO SPREAD OUT THE, UH, LOCATIONS.
SO WHERE, YOU KNOW, NORTH, SOUTH EAST, UM, OR IF IT, IF IT WAS INTENTIONAL OR IF IT WAS JUST, UH, LUCK OF THE DRAW OF WHERE THE PROPERTIES WERE.
UM, I'M HOPING IT'S THE FIRST, BUT UH, IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS PRETTY WELL DISTRIBUTED AND I REALLY LIKED THAT AND WAS HOPING IT WAS ACTUALLY PART OF THE PLAN.
SO I I JUST WANTED TO ASK THAT QUESTION IF IT IS.
UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
WHEN WE MADE THE DECISION TO PURCHASE THE HAKA, UM, PORTFOLIO THAT WAS A RENTAL RENTALS THEY WERE DECIDING TO OFFLOAD, THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS IS BECAUSE IT GAVE US A NICE GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD, RIGHT? AND THEN ALSO IT ALLOWS OUR HOME BUYERS TO ENTER THE MARKET JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AND DECIDE WHERE THEY'D LIKE TO LIVE.
SO MY QUESTION IS IN REGARDS TO THE GENERATIONAL COMPONENT, UM, AND WONDERING THE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES AND THE PREFERENCES THAT Y'ALL HAVE THERE IN THE GENERATIONAL PART, IS THERE A SPECIFIC TIME TERM, UM, LIKE IS THERE A TIME LIMIT THAT SOMEONE HAS TO SHOW THAT THEY'VE LIVED THE PLACE? OR WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, I WANNA BE REALLY TRANSPARENT ABOUT OUR POLICY.
UM, OUR LAW DEPARTMENT DID AN AMAZING JOB AT COMING UP WITH A POLICY THAT WE WOULD LEAST LIKELY GET CHALLENGED ON.
UM, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA SPEND OUR TIME FIGHTING PEOPLE ABOUT A POLICY THAT WE KNOW WE NEED IN OUR CITY FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO STAY HERE.
SO THE POLICY ACTUALLY ALLOWS FOR, IF YOU'RE LIVING, YOU'RE IN ONE OF THE CURRENT ADDRESSES.
SO RIGHT NOW, IF WE PUT YOUR ADDRESS IN, YOU HIT THE MAP, BOOM, GREAT, NO PROBLEM.
[01:05:01]
UH, FOLKS BACK TO 99ALSO, THE MAP ITSELF GOES BACK TO 99.
SO YOU, WE DO HAVE, THE HISTORY IS KIND OF BUILT INTO THE MAP, WHICH IS GREAT FOR US.
SO WHAT'S GENTRIFYING CURRENTLY? SO WHAT IS RAPIDLY HAPPENING NOW? BACK TO WHAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED, IF THAT HELPS.
DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? IT DOES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS, THIS, UM, PRESENTATION.
IT'S VERY HELPFUL AND ALSO ENCOURAGING 'CAUSE I KNOW AT LEAST THERE'S SOME AFFORDABILITY OUT THERE.
UM, I WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE A FIGURE ON THE POPULATION.
WE KNOW HOW MANY UNITS HAVE BEEN BUILT, BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HOUSED IN THESE UNITS? UM, WE COULD GO BACK TO THE SLIDE.
YEAH, WELL, SO WE HAVE THE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
WE DELETE THE, TAKE THOSE OUT OF THE MATH.
SO OUR CURRENT, THE CURRENT PORTFOLIO AS IN WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO MOVE INTO.
SO WE'VE GOT THE 16 THAT ARE OCCUPIED.
WE HAVE 20 HOMES THAT WE PURCHASED.
OUT OF THOSE 20, ONLY THREE ARE NOT SOLD.
SO, UM, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? 33 OCCUPIED AS A COMMUNITY LAND TRUST FOLKS.
BUT WHAT IS THE NUMBER PER HOUSEHOLD? ARE THE TWO PEOPLE, ONE PERSON? OH, THAT'S A, I WOULD LOVE TO ANSWER THAT OVER EMAIL.
I'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH, I DEFINITELY DON'T HAVE ALL THREE, THREE UNITS FOR WHO'S, HOW MANY, WHAT, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN EACH UNIT.
BUT I CAN DEFINITELY TAKE THAT AS A QUESTION BACK.
UM, SO, SO THIS IS AN ONGOING PROGRAM, IS THAT CORRECT? LEMME PAUSE ON THAT FOR JUST ONE SECOND.
UH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING, WE WOULD, WE WOULD ONLY KNOW WHO WENT INTO THEM WHEN THEY PURCHASED IT 'CAUSE WE DON'T KEEP TRACK OF A PERSON'S EXPANSION OR IF THE FAMILY GOT SMALLER AFTER THEY WENT INTO IT.
UM, NO, I'M ASKING IF THAT'S OKAY FOR THE DATA.
UM, SO AROUND THE GEOGRAPHIC SPREAD FOR ME WHEN I SAW THIS MAP, I DO LIKE THAT IN NORTH AUSTIN AND KIND OF THE CENTRAL NORTH AREA, THERE ARE MORE, UM, PROPERTIES, BUT IT STILL DOESN'T REACH WEST AUSTIN.
UM, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW WE CAN START, LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN DECIDE ON PROPERTIES THAT ARE MORE WEST, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, PUSH FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THAT AREA, PEOPLE OWNING LAND IN THAT AREA.
AND ALSO, UM, THE MORE PEOPLE THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT ARE, UM, OWNING LAND AND PROPERTY, MAYBE WE COULD GET MORE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS, UM, THAT COULD HAPPEN IF WE COULD START MOVING INTO WEST AUSTIN MORE OFTEN.
UM, SO I'M CURIOUS, HOW DO YOU GUYS DECIDE ON THE PROPERTIES AND LIKE HOW, IF THERE'S A REASON WHY IT'S STILL NOT LIKE IN WEST AUSTIN AT ALL? IT FEELS LIKE A VERY LARGE, BROAD QUESTION.
UH, THAT SOUNDS MORE SYSTEMIC AND FEELS MORE SYSTEMIC THAN WHAT I WOULD WANT TO GIVE AS PART OF MY CLT PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT I DO HEAR YOU AND WE, WE ACTUALLY TAKE IT AS THE OPPOSITE 'CAUSE WE WOULDN'T WANNA MOVE FAMILIES WHERE THERE ARE NOT BUS LINES.
WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN A MI AT 80% OR BELOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 54, TO BE HONEST.
UH, MOVING THEM WHERE IS NOT REC CENTERS, TRANSPORTATION, GROCERY STORES IS NOT IDEAL.
UM, THE WAY WE SEE, IT'S KIND OF THE REVERSE.
WE WANT THEM TO HAVE THE AMENITIES WHERE WHEN THEY GET THERE, UH, NOT, NOT HAVE THEM AND HAVE TO WAIT ON THEM.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT OUR DECISION? YEAH, I CAN TALK ABOUT THE WE PURCHASE LAND, THE REAL ESTATE ACQUISITION.
I'M THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER OF REAL ESTATE FOR AUSTIN HOUSING AND SHANA'S ON MY TEAM.
UM, AND SO WE DO HAVE A VACANT, WE HAVE A LAND PORTFOLIO OF VACANT LAND THAT WE HAVE ACQUIRED OVER, UM, PROBABLY OVER THE LAST DECADE OR SO.
UM, WE DO HAVE A PARCEL IN WEST AUSTIN THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED FOR EXPANSION FOR OUR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ONCE WE HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR ADDITIONAL NEW DEVELOPMENT.
BUT LAND ACQUISITION IN WEST AUSTIN IS CHALLENGING FOR US AS IT IS FOR ANY BUYER OF LAND THAT'S VERY EXPENSIVE LAND.
UH, BUT GEOGRAPHIC DISPERSION IS ONE OF OUR GOALS FOR PROVIDING AFFORDABLE OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS RENTAL OPPORTUNITIES AND PROVIDE A VARIETY OF HOUSING OPTIONS TO MEET VARIETY OF HOUSING NEEDS.
[01:10:01]
YOU.WE HAVE A SECOND QUESTION, BUT I WANNA JUST MAKE SURE.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS, I'LL JUST ASK REAL QUICK ONE FROM LONGORIA.
YOU SAID THIS IS PAID FOR WITH GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS? THE LAND WAS ACQUIRED REHAB, AND THEN CONSTRUCTION IS USUALLY THROUGH OTHER, SO EITHER HOUSING TRUST FUND OR, YEAH.
THROUGH OTHER, OTHER LOCAL DOLLARS.
UM, NOT SURE WHO, WHO, UM, ASKED FOR THIS AGENDA ITEM.
YEAH, BUT I MEAN, I, I CHECK A BOX.
I JUST THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HIGHLIGHT THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THESE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE ARE GONNA GO TO THE RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL DOLLARS OR DEBT THAT IT'S GOING TO, THINGS LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW? SO, YEAH.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, UM, REGARDING THE MAP, I THINK MY UNDERSTANDING IS PRIORITY REALLY IS TO ADDRESS THE, THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE MOST AT RISK OF GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT.
SO I CAN UNDERSTAND AND ALSO YOUR, YOUR HOUSING COSTS WOULD BE LOWER IN THOSE AREAS.
SO FOR ME, THAT THAT IS PRIORITY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SECURE, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE, THAT ARE NOT YET COMPLETELY GENTRIFIED AND THAT WHERE WORKING CLASS FAMILIES ARE STILL TRYING TO, TO LIVE, UH, AND IN SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING.
SO FOR, IN MY CASE, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE IN THE ST.
JOHN'S IS, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF, OF, UM, DEVELOPMENT THERE.
A LOT OF THESE INCOMPATIBLE, I CALL THEM TREE HOUSES, UM, NEXT TO MUCH SMALLER, UH, HOMES.
AND THEN ALSO OF COURSE ONTOP US, UM, AS WELL THEN AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, UH, LIKE, UH, WANNA ECHO WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER MONGOLIA SAID IT IS.
WE'RE REFRESHING AND WE'RE, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THERE IS A PROGRAM THAT IS SOME WAY, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING, UM, THAT AFFORDABILITY CRISIS AND ISSUE.
IT'S, UH, HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND THAT OR APPLY FOR THESE HOMES? LOVE IT, LOVE THAT.
UM, OF COURSE, ALWAYS AUSTIN HOUSING SITE IS GONNA HAVE, UH, SOME OF THE INFORMATION, BUT A CLT ACTUALLY HAS ITS OWN WEBSITE.
UM, THAT IS WHERE YOU CAN APPLY.
IT'S A VERY, IT'S A SIX MINUTE APPLICATION CAN BE DONE EVEN ON YOUR MOBILE PHONE.
UM, IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, BUT YOU CAN APPLY ONLINE AND, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE HOMES.
SO WE'VE GOT VERY NICE PICTURES COURTESY OF OUR COMMS DEPARTMENT.
THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB OF MAKING SURE FOLKS HAVE THAT SAME REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE OF GETTING A LOOK AT THIS FANCY STUFF ONLINE AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY WANNA DO.
UM, AND SO YES, WE WELCOME THAT.
UM, AND THEN AS OUR NEW DEVELOPMENTS COME UP, YOU WILL BE GETTING NOTICES.
I DID WANNA QUICKLY ALSO CHIME IN AND SEND KUDOS TO THIS PROGRAM.
'CAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, I'VE SEEN OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS IS SUCH A WONDERFUL ANCHOR PROGRAM.
SO KUDOS TO YOU ALL AND THE COMMS TEAM, BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THOSE PHOTOS ARE GREAT.
I WON'T NAME THE NAMES OF UPPER COMPANIES, BUT I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THOSE PHOTOS ARE GREAT, AND ESPECIALLY WHERE IT MENTIONS PENDING OR SALE PENDING OR UNDER CONTRACT.
SO IT REALLY DOES GIVE THE FEEL AS IF YOU WERE LOOKING AT ONE OF THOSE OTHER LEGACY LARGE REAL ESTATE SITES.
UM, I DO HAVE A, ANOTHER JUST QUICK QUESTION.
DOES, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU CAN LAYER OTHER HOUSING, UM, INCENTIVE PROGRAMS ON TOP OF THIS, AND ONE OF THEM I'M WONDERING IT, AND OF COURSE IT'S ESCAPING ME, THAT IT'S SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF EVERYDAY HEROES.
IT'S THAT INCENTIVE, UM, FIRST TIME HOME BUYER PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS, EMERGENCY SERVICE PERSONNEL.
IS THAT PERMISSIBLE WITH IT? ABSOLUTELY.
WE TEND TO SEE, MY GOODNESS, THAT'S A GREAT RATE.
YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY OF THEM DON'T HAVE MORTGAGE INSURANCE, NO.
REALLY WHAT WE ENCOURAGE IS FOLKS LAYER AS MANY THINGS TOGETHER AS THEY CAN.
UM, THE CLT, THE, THE HOME ITSELF, IT'S GONNA BE MOSTLY BASED ON WHAT THE LENDER IS WILLING TO DO TOGETHER.
NOT WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO DO TOGETHER, UM, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
BUT WE, I HAVE TYPICALLY, PEOPLE WILL USE THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE CITY, UM, AND ALSO LAYER IT WITH THAT.
WE DON'T ALL SEE A LOT OF THE TAC PROGRAMS. JUST INTEREST RATES ARE SOMETIMES NOT COMPARABLE.
SHOUT OUT TO MY TA FOLKS THOUGH.
THEY, I STILL LOVE THEIR PROGRAMS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS NEED THE BEST DEAL.
THEY'D RATHER JUST USE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE WITH WHATEVER LENDER PROGRAM THEY WERE ALREADY USING.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PRESENTING TONIGHT.
[01:15:01]
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.[5. Presentation and discussion of the redevelopment of the 16th and 18th blocks on East 11th Street. Presentation by Lex Miller, Director of Real Estate, Rally Austin.]
ON TO ITEM FIVE, A PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION REGARDING THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE 16TH STREET AND 18TH OH, 16TH AND 18TH BLOCKS ON EAST 11TH STREET.PRESENT PRESENTATION BY LEX MILLER, DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE RALLY AUSTIN.
I'M NOT LEX, AS YOU KNOW, UM,
UM, SO I'M NICOLE JOCELYN, THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR AUSTIN HOUSING.
UM, AND WE WERE ACTUALLY THE ONES THAT PROPOSED RALLY COME TODAY AND PRESENT THIS ITEM.
UM, THE DEVELOPMENT OF BLOCK 16 AND 18 HAS BEEN, UH, UNDERWAY FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.
THE URBAN RENEWAL BOARD THROUGH URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY OWNS THESE TWO PARCELS.
THESE ARE LAST PARCELS LEFT IN THEIR REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO, AND THEY HAVE ENDEAVORED TO DEVELOP THESE BOX BLOCKS, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH URBAN RENEWAL PLAN AND THE PRIORITIES OF THE BOARD.
THEY HAVE ENGAGED RALLY AUSTIN ON THEIR BEHALF TO PUT OUT A SOLICITATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT PARTNER AND THE NEGOTIATION OF DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS CURRENTLY CONSIDERING A VARIETY OF WAYS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS LAND, AND ONE OF THOSE WAYS COULD POTENTIALLY BE THROUGH OUR, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS THAT YOU ALL OVERSEE AS WE JUST HEARD FROM THE ACTION PLAN PRESENTATION.
UM, AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU GUYS GOT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROJECT SO THAT IF WE COME BACK LATER DOWN THE ROAD TO PROPOSE WAYS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU WERE INFORMED.
AND THANK YOU VICE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.
I ALSO WANT TO INVITE, UM, WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM HERE AS WELL.
SO ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO JOIN ME IS WELCOME TO JOIN ME.
THIS IS A PROJECT LONG TIME COMING THAT WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE, AND, UM, I'M SURE Y'ALL HAVE QUESTIONS AND CURIOSITIES.
SO, UM, THE PROJECT FORMERLY KNOWN AS BLOCK 16 AND 18, SO BLOCK 16 AND BLOCK 18 ARE TWO PARCELS ON EAST 11TH STREET AND AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT CORRIDOR.
IT'S ACTUALLY RECENTLY, UM, BEEN RENAMED, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT TO, SO EAST 11TH.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, I THINK JUST THE ATTENTION BEHIND WHERE THAT NAME COMES FROM, WHICH IS THE ACRONYM.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RALLY, JUST FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT BE NEW TO OUR ORGANIZATION.
WE ARE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.
WE ARE CREATED BY CITY COUNCIL, UM, AND CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, BUT WE ARE NOT CITY EMPLOYEES.
AND TO NICOLE'S POINT, THE URBAN RENEWAL BOARD, UM, ASKED US TO FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND FOR THOSE THAT AREN'T IN THE REAL ESTATE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT WORLD, THIS IS WHAT'S KNOWN AS A P THREE PROJECT, LITERALLY THREE PS, WHICH IS A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
SO IT'S PUBLIC LAND, PRIVATE DEVELOPERS.
A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S THE WAY YOU GET THE BEST OUTCOMES, QUICKEST, QUICKEST WAY TO GET TO THE BEST OUTCOMES AS WELL.
SO, UM, JUST QUICKLY, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, ABOUT OUR BOARD.
WE HAVE A VERY LARGE BOARD THAT'S PUT TOGETHER.
I THINK THE NEXT SLIDE, SORRY, I FORGOT I'M SUPPOSED TO, UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF CIE, I THINK VICE CHAIR MENTIONED YOU'RE PART OF ECHO.
SO THAT'S WHEN I JUST ROLLED OFF FOR OUR BOARD NOT THAT LONG AGO.
UM, BUT THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE MEETING WITH US, UM, BIMONTHLY MONTHLY, UM, DEPENDING ON WHICH COMMITTEES THEY SERVE ON TO HELP, UM, STEWARD OUR VISION AND MISSION AND ALSO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE.
UM, SO WE DO GET PERSPECTIVES FROM THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND THERE'S A COUPLE OTHERS NOT LISTED HERE, BUT CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEES EDUCATION, UM, AND SOME, UM, LIKE YOU SEE UNITED WAY, CAP, METRO, ET CETERA.
UM, SO THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE ON AUSTIN.
WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT AND GET TO, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE OR CURIOSITIES.
UM, BUT THIS IS JUST A QUOTE FROM THE, THE CHAIR OF THE URBAN RENEWAL BOARD.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT IN YOUR PRINTOUTS, 'CAUSE IT'S A LATE EDITION, SORRY.
UM, BUT WE CAN GET IT TO YOU AFTERWARDS.
UM, AND BASICALLY THIS IS TAKEN FROM OUR ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
WE PUBLISH OUR ANNUAL REPORT, OUR FIVE YEAR FORECAST.
UM, WE, AND WE, UH, MAKE THE ROUNDS WITH CITY COUNCIL MAYOR TO REPORT ON OUR OUTCOMES ON THE YEAR.
UM, AND THIS WAS JUST THE CHAIR OF THE URBAN REPORT TALKING ABOUT WHY HE ENLISTED RALLY AUSTIN TO HELP WITH DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT'S ALL THIS SLIDE IS MEANT TO CONVEY, UM, ZOOMED OUT LOCATION WISE.
HOPEFULLY EVERYONE KNOWS WHERE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE HERITAGE DISTRICT IS, BUT, UM, EAST OF 35 ON EAST 11TH STREET.
SO IF YOU CAN PICTURE FRANKLIN'S BARBECUE.
AND THEN, UM, MOVING EAST, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TWO PARCELS, UM, VERY CLOSE AND ALMOST THE ENTRANCE TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE HERITAGE DISTRICT.
SO THAT'S WHY THIS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THIS PROJECT IS IMPORTANT, IF WE THINK ABOUT ENERGIZING, ACTIVATING, UM, THIS IMPORTANT, UM, CORRIDOR.
[01:20:01]
IN DEVELOPERS, UH, LET ME INTRODUCESO I'M LEX MILLER, DIRECTOR OF REAL ESTATE AT RALLY AUSTIN.
UH, I'M DONNA CARTER WITH CARTER DESIGN ASSOCIATES.
WE ARE AN ARCHITECTURAL PRESERVATION AND URBAN DESIGN FA, UH, FIRM HERE IN AUSTIN.
I OPERATE A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, EAST AUSTIN CREATIVE COALITION, AND I AM THE CONCEPTUAL ARCHITECT FOR THESE DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, I'M WITH A, THE BINGHAM GROUP AND I HELP WITH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ASPECT OF THE PROJECT.
YEAH, SO THEY, UM, ARE ON THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
SO YOU ARE IN FRONT OF THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE, HAVE PUT THIS VISION TOGETHER AND, AND ARE TRYING TO EXECUTE ON THIS VISION.
UM, SO BLOCK 16 IS THE PARCEL CLOSEST TO 35 RIGHT NOW, IF YOU WERE TO DRIVE BY, IT'S JUST AN EMPTY LOT.
UM, AND ACTUALLY LIKE INSTRUCTION WORKERS AND STUFF PARK ON IT RIGHT NOW.
BUT THIS, THAT'S ONE LOT WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP.
AND THAT'S GONNA BE HOUSING, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT.
UM, BLOCK 18 HAS SOME STUFF GOING ON.
IF YOU COULD PICTURE VICTORY GRILL, UM, VICTORY GRILL IS NOT GOING AWAY.
VICTORY GRILL IS STAYING, THIS DEVELOPMENT ACTUALLY IS ADJACENT TO THE VICTORY GRILL.
AND RIGHT NOW, UH, KENNY DO'S BACKYARD IS THERE.
UM, IF YOU, HOPEFULLY YOU'VE BEEN TO A SHOW THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TEAM HERE, THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM MIGHT HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS.
I JOINED RALLY IN OCTOBER OF 2024.
ACTUALLY, EMMA, A EAST AUSTIN RESIDENT AS WELL.
SO I WAS PRIOR TO MY TIME AT RALLY, UM, FOLLOWING ALONG JUST AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN, BUT THIS IS A LONG TIME COMING.
A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT, UH, WENT INTO THIS.
AND, AND ULTIMATELY TO NICOLE'S POINT, THIS WAS A PUBLIC SOLICITATION.
SO THIS WENT OUT TO THE WORLD TO TRY TO FIND PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO EXECUTE ON THE VISION.
AND THE VISION WAS INFORMED BY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, CONSTRAINTS, RIGHT? ANYTIME YOU'RE IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, YOU HAVE SOME CONSTRAINTS.
AND ALSO THERE WAS A COUNCIL RESOLUTION AND THE RENEWAL BOARD AS OUR CLIENT ALSO HAS, UM, DESIRES THEY WANNA SEE OUT OF THESE TWO UNDEVELOPED PARCELS.
ANYTHING Y'ALL WANNA MAKE? OKAY.
UM, IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF PICTURES THAT, UM, WENT INTO.
SO BASICALLY FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, THIS HAS BEEN A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND I HAVE A SLIDE ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND WE HAVE BRITTANY WHO, UH, LEADS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
BUT JUST KNOW THAT IN THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT WORLD, THERE'S A NUMBER OF WAYS YOU CAN BUILD.
UM, THERE'S IN MY MIND ONE WAY TO DO IT, RIGHT, WHICH IS COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND INTENTIONALITY AND INFORMED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
MY BACKGROUND IS FINANCE AND COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, BUT ALSO SET ON THE BOARD OF A NONPROFIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER, A CHODO AS DIRECTOR ULTA, UH, MENTIONED.
AND THAT WAS PRIOR TO MY TIME JOINING RALLY.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT ATTRACTED ME TO RALLY WAS ACTUALLY THIS PROJECT AND JUST STUDYING IT FROM AFAR.
AND, UM, LUCKILY, LUCKILY I WAS, UM, BROUGHT ON AT RALLY.
SO THIS IS NOT EXHAUSTIVE LIST, BUT JUST KNOW THESE ARE THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH LEADING UP TO THE RFP, UH, THROUGH THE RFP AND ALSO A, A LOT OF THESE FOLKS ARE, WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH.
AND THERE'S ALSO A, A GROUP OF COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES THAT REC THAT, UM, REPRESENT LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, LOCAL BUSINESSES.
I SEE SOME RIGHT NOW THAT AREN'T MENTIONED.
I HOPE THEY DON'T GET ME FOR THAT.
UM, BUT A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE EAST AUSTIN, AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE, HERITAGE DISTRICT, AND SHOULD HAVE A SAY IN WHAT HAPPENS HERE.
AND SO JUST KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THE DEVELOPER IS SHOWING UP AND HOW WE'RE SHOWING UP.
THIS IS HOW WE TRY TO SHOW UP, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND THERE'S, WE ALSO USE ONLINE TOOLS AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT WAYS THAT WE TRY TO, UM, SEEK, UM, ENGAGEMENT AND INVOLVEMENT.
OKAY, SO THE OTHER THING THAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
SO A LOT OF TIMES YOU HAVE A DEVELOPER AND AN ARCHITECT AND, AND NOT MUCH ELSE HAPPENING, BUT YOU CAN SEE THERE'S ACTUALLY A LARGE TEAM THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER IN RESPONSE TO THE RFP THAT WENT OUT TO INFORM THIS DEVELOPMENT.
HOPEFULLY YOU RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE FOLKS.
UM, REALLY GOOD GROUP AND GOT LUCKY WITH THE DEVELOPER, THE TEAM THEY PUT TOGETHER TO RESPOND.
THAT CUTS ACROSS I THINK A LOT OF IMPORTANT PERSPECTIVES.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT LEAD DEVELOPER, THAT IS A FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPER, BUT CO-DEVELOPER IS GNDC, WHICH WAS JUST MENTIONED IN THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST.
UM, SO GNDC HAS A VITAL ROLE IN THIS PROJECT.
I THINK THEY ACTUALLY DID THE FIRST COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IN TEXAS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
UM, AND THEN HAROLD MCMILLAN IS HERE, DONNA IS HERE, AND THEN BRITTANY IS, UM, ON BEHALF WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE BINGHAM GROUP.
UM, SO YEAH, WE WELCOME QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS, BUT HOPEFULLY, UM,
[01:25:01]
Y'ALL ARE FAMILIAR.MOODY NOLAN IS ACTUALLY THE LARGEST BLACK LED ARCHITECTURAL FIRM IN THE UNITED STATES IF YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE THEM.
ANYTHING I MISSED THERE? OKAY.
UM, SO SPEAKING ABOUT ANY INTENTIONALITY, UH, THE NAME, SO BLOCK 16 AND 18 IS WHAT THESE PARCELS HAVE BEEN LEGALLY KNOWN AS, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY MEAN ANYTHING TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO ENGAGE AND EDUCATE PEOPLE, IT'S LIKE, WHERE IS THIS? AND THERE'S ACTUALLY MORE THAN ONE BLOCK, 16 AND MORE THAN ONE BLOCK 18 IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND SO THERE WAS AN EFFORT LED, UM, AND BRITTANY AND TEAM GET A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THIS TO ACTUALLY SAY, WHAT SHOULD WE PUBLICLY NAME THIS DEVELOPMENT? AND THIS WAS THE ACRONYM SOUL, UM, THAT, UH, THAT WAS SOURCED BY THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THESE WERE PICTURES FROM THE EVENT.
I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT THE EVENT WAS.
IT WAS WITH E FOUR YOUTH, RIGHT? IT WAS A BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT AT KENNY DORANS.
AND SO, UH, I THINK WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE RESPOND, UM, WHERE THEY VOTED ON THE NAME OFFER SUGGESTIONS.
AND THEN SEPARATELY, AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S A SMALL GROUP THAT IS A ALONG, UM, WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT TEAM THAT CUTS ACROSS A LOT, A LOT OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS MENTIONED EARLIER TO HELP INFORM.
AND THEY ACTUALLY OFFERED SOME OF THE NAMES THAT WERE VOTED ON AS WELL.
SO THAT'S HOW WE ENDED UP WITH SOL ON EAST 11TH.
IF YOU'RE CURIOUS, OKAY, LET'S GET INTO, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO BUILD HERE? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? UM, BLOCK 16, WHICH IS CURRENTLY A VACANT LOT, IS DNDC IS TAKING THE LEAD AND DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST, WHICH IS BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE ONLY BUILT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THEY'RE, UM, TRUE TO THEIR MISSION.
IN THIS CASE, THERE'S, UH, AROUND A HUNDRED UNITS BEING CONTEMPLATED ALL AT 50% MFI OR BELOW.
AND SO WE MENTIONED WE'RE TRYING TO, IN AUSTIN, GO AFTER DEEPER AFFORDABILITY.
AND THAT IS THE GOAL FOR THIS PARTICULAR BLOCK HERE.
THERE'S ALSO FAMILY ORIENTED HOUSING.
SO IF YOUR MIND IMMEDIATELY GOES TO WHAT ARE THE UNIT TYPES, THERE'S MORE THAN JUST ONE AND TWO BEDROOM UNITS.
THERE'S ALSO, UH, THREE BEDROOMS AND UP, UM, THE, UH, PARKING GARAGE THAT'S GONNA SERVE BOTH OF THESE TWO BLOCKS IS GONNA BE LOCATED ON BLOCK 16, BUT IT'S MEANT TO SERVE, UH, THE OTHER SITE.
AND THE SITES ARE MEANT TO BE MUTUALLY DEPENDENT.
SO, UM, THIS IS PART OF WHY WE HAVE A LARGE TEAM AND WE'RE GONNA GET INTO LIKE EVERYTHING WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
UM, BUT I THINK THE DEVELOPERS COME UP WITH RELEASE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO, TO MAKE THIS, UM, A REALLY AMAZING PROJECT ON.
AND IF I COULD JUST ADD, UH, PART OF THE BEDROCK OF CONCEIVING THIS HOUSING AND EVEN THE COMMERCIAL ASPECTS OF IT IS THE NOTION OF RIGHT TO RETURN, RIGHT TO STAY.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO GET FOLKS OF COLOR BACK INTO THIS COMMUNITY AS WORKING ARTISTS, BUSINESSES AS RESIDENTS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF BAKED INTO THE CAKE START TO MENTION THAT.
AND I IMAGINE THE COMMISSION IS FAMILIAR WITH AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING TO NOT VIOLATE FAIR HOUSING LAWS, BUT, UH, AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING AND, AND WHO WE MAKE AWARE OF THIS PROJECT IS DEFINITELY PART OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
UM, BLOCK 18 IS, IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUE AND EXCITING.
UM, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN ON JUNIPER STREET, WHICH IS THE BACK STREET FACING THE RESIDENTIALS, IF YOU CAN KIND OF PLACE YOURSELF ON EAST 11TH STREET, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LIVE WORK TOWN HOMES.
UM, ON THE REST OF THE BLOCK, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE BULLET POINTS THERE, WHICH ARE, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MIXED INCOME, AND UH, A CULTURAL VENUE.
AND WE'LL GET INTO SOME OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS.
SO WHAT, WHAT I DO WANT TO CALL ATTENTION TO HERE IS THE NUMBER OF BEDS.
SO A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, GOALS AND OUTCOMES, WE TALK ABOUT UNITS AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER OF BEDS AND PEOPLE THAT WILL, WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE.
I THINK THAT ACTUALLY CAME UP EARLIER IN THIS, THIS COMMISSION MEETING.
SO I OUTLINED THE NUMBER OF BEDS.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO JUST THINK ABOUT HOW MANY FOLKS WILL THIS HOUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD DO THE MATH 'CAUSE I CAN'T DO IT RIGHT NOW.
200 AND WHAT IS THAT? 259, SOMEBODY HELP ME OUT.
THIS IS, UH, BLOCK 18 CONCEPT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT PICTURE, THAT IS THE VICTORY GRILL.
AND ONCE AGAIN, THE VICTORY GRILL'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
THAT'S HISTORIC LANDMARK AND IMPORTANT TO EAST AUSTIN.
BUT THIS DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO BE BUILT IN CONSIDERATION OF THE VICTORY GRILL BEING THERE AND AROUND VICTORY GRILL.
AND THESE ARE RENDERINGS THAT THE ARCHITECT, UM, HAS, UH, DRAWN UP.
WE'RE STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES OF DESIGN, SO AS WE REFINE THINGS, WE'LL GET MORE RENDERINGS.
THE ARCHITECT ACTUALLY HAS A VIDEO WALKTHROUGH.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, ONE THING TO KNOW IS JUST THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS AND BEHIND THE SCENES.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE WEEKLY MEETINGS ABOUT THIS PROJECT, A LOT.
SO A LOT OF ENERGY, EFFORT, MOMENTUM, UH, ON THIS PROJECT.
UH, THE KEY FEATURES YOU SEE HERE, UM, AND WE HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE TO DRILL
[01:30:01]
DOWN, BUT JUST KNOW, UM, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, HAROLD'S VISION AND TEAM'S VISION ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO REALLY ENERGIZE, UM, THIS LOCATION, MAKE THIS A PLACE THAT'S A DESTINATION.UM, WE KNOW PEOPLE COME TO VISIT FRANKLIN'S, THERE'S NO REASON THEY SHOULDN'T COME TO VISIT, UH, OTHER PLACES IN AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE, HERITAGE DISTRICT THAT SPEAK TO THE, THE CULTURE AND THE HISTORY OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE HERITAGE DISTRICT.
SO IF WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY AND, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE BARBECUE, BUT FRANKLIN'S, UM, WELL, LET ME JUST KEEP GOING.
UM, SO ALL RIGHT, IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT'S BEING CURRENTLY CONTEMPLATED AND JUST KNOW WITH REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, THINGS CAN CHANGE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF GUARDRAILS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T GET TOO FAR OFF TRACK, RIGHT? THERE'S A, IN THE REAL ESTATE WORLD, IT'S EASY TO SAY, HEY, WE'LL GET RID OF THIS, WE'LL GET RID OF THAT TO MAKE IT EASIER.
AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY VIA THE HOUSING, VIA THE URBAN RENEWAL BOARD, VIA OUR BOARD, VIA THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM, VIA THE COMMUNITY, A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SEE THIS VISION REALIZE AS CLOSE TO ENVISIONED AS POSSIBLE.
SO THIS IS JUST OUTLINING SOME OF, UM, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE AIMING TO BUILD.
AND I'LL LET, UH, DONNA CHIME IN.
GO AHEAD AND THEN I'M GONNA LET HAROLD CHIME IN.
THIS IS REALLY COMING FROM THE COMMUNITY VISION FROM, UH, HAROLD'S WORK.
HAROLD'S, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITY AND THE CREATIVE SPACE.
BUT I REALLY WANNA BRIDGE WHAT LEX HAS SAID.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BEDS, BUT WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THIS CULTURAL BEDROCK.
AND THAT SOMETIMES IS WHERE THINGS CLASH BECAUSE THIS ULTIMATELY COMES BACK TO THE DEVELOPER AND ABOUT MONEY.
SO WE KNOW THAT AS WE MOVE THIS FORWARD, WE'RE GONNA NEED SUPPORT.
AND TO REALLY BE ABLE TO SHOW WHY THIS CULTURAL ASPECT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF SHORING UP THAT BEDROCK, MAKING SURE THAT BEDROCK IS, IS SOUND AND SECURE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ALSO DO, UM, THE OTHER THINGS THAT GO AROUND.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS NOW FOR, WHAT, THREE YEARS.
AND SOME OF US, YOU KNOW, HAROLD'S BEEN DOING IT SINCE THE EIGHTIES.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE ONE OF THE FIRST PLANS SINCE BEN'S BARBECUE WAS WHERE FRANKLIN'S IS RIGHT NOW, UH, IN THE LATE SEVENTIES, EARLY EIGHTIES.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S LONG OVERDUE.
WE UNDERSTAND THERE IS THIS, UH, THIS ABSOLUTE CROSSROADS WHEN IT COMES TO BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THIS.
WHAT WE SAY, CAN WE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS IN TERMS OF MAKING THESE THINGS COME TOGETHER? NOT EITHER OR BE SOME TO THAT.
SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR TO THE LEGISLATION BEING PASSED AT COUNCIL TO EVEN MAKE THE RFP POSSIBLE, UH, MY ORGANIZATION WAS WRITING AND DOING RESEARCH AND GOING TO CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION MEETINGS, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS FROM THAT, FROM THOSE, YOU KNOW, DOG AND PONY SHOWS OF GOING TO COMMISSION MEETINGS AND DEALING WITH THE HARD QUESTIONS.
WE RECEIVED ENDORSEMENT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE BLOCK 18, UH, FROM THE MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMISSION, FROM THE MUSIC COMMISSION, FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION, FROM THE ASIAN CULTURE COMMISSION, FROM THE AFRICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY GROUP.
AND THE RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME FROM THE AFRICAN AMERICAN ADVISORY GROUP ALSO ADDED ANOTHER THING THAT WE DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY ASK FOR.
AND THEY SAID, TRY TO MAKE BOTH OF THESE BLOCKS AS TIED TO CULTURE AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN.
WE ALSO GOT ENDORSEMENTS FROM PRESERVATION AUSTIN, BLAH BLAH.
WE WENT TO MEETINGS, WE TALKED TO FOLKS.
THAT HAS CONTINUED SINCE 2000, 2019, UM, FOR SOME OF US WHO ARE HAVE PASSED 40 NOW.
UH, THIS IS COLLECTIVE LEGACY WORK AND WE REALLY NEED TO SEE THIS GET DONE SO THAT WE CAN SIT DOWN BECAUSE THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT,
[01:35:01]
SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.AND THERE IS A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPER, BUT OUR NONPROFIT ALSO IS DESIGNING A CULTURAL CENTER, A LEGIT PROFESSIONALLY RUN CULTURAL CENTER WITH THE MAIN STAGE PERFORMANCE HALL AND A MUSIC SCHOOL, AND A DANCE STUDIO, AND A RECORDING STUDIO AND CULTURAL HISTORY RESEARCH SECTION, AND AN ART GALLERY.
UM, WE ARE OVERJOYED THAT THE CITY IS READY TO STEP UP AND REALLY MAKE THIS HAPPEN IN OUR LIFETIME.
ONLY HAVE A COUPLE MORE SLIDES JUST TO UPDATE YOU ON THE TIMELINE.
SO, UM, BECAUSE THESE ARE TWO NON-CONNECTED, UH, BLOCKS AND DOING KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS, BLOCK 16 IS GOING TO BE YOUR LITECH LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROJECT.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE GONNA HAVE, YOU KNOW, SEPARATE CONSTRUCTION, SORRY, CONSTRUCTION AND FINANCING SCHEDULES, THEY'RE MORE OR LESS ON TRACK TO BOTH COMPLETE AT THE SAME TIME IF WE KEEP THINGS ON TRACK.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO BREAK DOWN THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS TY A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED THAN YOU'D SEE IF IT WAS JUST ONE SITE AND, YOU KNOW, A MIXED USE ON THE SAME SITE.
SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE TIMELINE SO THAT YOU HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S ANTICIPATED.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE BLOCK 18, UM, CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IS, IS EXPECTED TO WRAP UP IN 2029 AS WELL AND GET UNDERWAY MEANINGFULLY IN 2027, THE SAME AS BLOCK 16.
UM, SO THIS IS THE, THE FINAL SLIDE OF THE PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DEFINITELY WELCOME QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, YOU HAVE THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM HERE WHO'S BEEN LISTENING FOR YEARS, IS WILLING TO LISTEN.
I DIDN'T, I DON'T HAVE A SLIDE ON THE CONTACT INFORMATION, BUT WE CAN MAKE SURE, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE, THERE'S THE RALLY WEBSITE WHERE WE TRY TO UPDATE ON THE PROJECT RALLY AUSTIN.ORG.
AND THEN BRITTANY AND HER TEAM ARE CREATING A WEBSITE.
THERE'S ALREADY AN EMAIL, BRITTANY, MAYBE YOU CAN MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS THE CONTACT INFORMATION AND THEN WE CAN OPEN IT UP VICE CHAIR.
UM, YEAH, SO WE DON'T HAVE, WE ARE WORKING ON AN OFFICIAL WEBSITE, BUT FOR NOW YOU CAN EMAIL PLEASANT HILL COLLABORATIVE@GMAIL.COM.
P-L-E-A-S-A-N-T, HILL, HILL COLLABORATIVE, C-O-L-L-A-B-O-R-A-T-I-V-E.
I DESERVE A SPELLING BEE TROPHY FOR THAT
I'LL, UM, I'LL JUST OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS.
I HAVE A GOOD, I'LL START HERE.
UH, VERY EXCITING, VERY EXCITING TO SEE THIS.
UM, I REALLY LOVE THE COMMENT ABOUT RETURNING BACK 'CAUSE YOU MUST HAVE BEEN IN MY MIND THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU MADE THAT COMMENT.
ACTUALLY, EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING WAS HOW WONDERFUL THIS IS.
HOW ARE WE ENSURING THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING ABLE TO COME BACK INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, AND, AND SORT OF REINSTITUTE THE, THE HISTORICAL CULTURAL SPACE OF IT.
SO THAT BEING SAID, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT DISPLACEMENT OF THE EXISTING BUSINESSES THAT ARE AROUND VICTORY.
AND I KNOW IT'S JUST A VACANT SPACE RIGHT NEXT TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S THE PLAN.
BUT I ALSO WONDER ABOUT THE DISPLACEMENT EFFECTS OF THOSE SMALLER BUSINESSES COMING BACK, INCLUDING COMMUNITY VEGAN THAT MOVED INTO THEIR OWN BRICK AND MORTAR, BUT THEY WERE SUCH A STAPLE IN THAT AREA AS WELL.
AND SO THAT'S MY QUESTION REVOLVES AROUND DISPLACEMENT OF BUSINESSES, UM, THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN THERE.
OH, AND THE LAST THING, ART, THERE'S THAT FENCE THAT HAS HAD THAT COMMUNITY ART, PEOPLE CALL IT GRAFFITI, I CONSIDER IT ART, STREET ART FOR DECADES.
AND WONDERING WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THOSE TYPES OF HISTORICAL HERITAGE PIECES.
I THINK I'LL LET HAROLD TAKE THIS ONE.
I WOULD SAY COMMUNITY VEGAN WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE SLIDE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED.
SO THEY'VE, UH, BEEN ALONG AND ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS.
BUT I'LL LET HAROLD FROM THE DEVELOPMENTS PERSPECTIVE AND HIS HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, WHEN THEY RESPONDED TO THE RFP, THEY ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT THE BUSINESSES TO THE, THE POINT WHERE SOME BUSINESSES INDICATED INTEREST AND BEING A PART OF IT.
NO, UM, THOSE LETTERS OF INTEREST ARE NOT BINDING CONTRACTS, BUT COMMUNITY VEGAN AND TONY'S COMPLETED THOSE LETTERS, UM, TO MOVE BACK TO
[01:40:01]
A, A BRICK AND MORTAR.UM, NIECY VEGAN MEXICAN ALSO DID THE SAME AND HIPPIE PICNIC PICNIC, WHICH IS STILL OPERATING ON EAST 11TH STREET.
THEY ALSO EXPRESSED INTEREST IN BRICK AND MORTAR SPACE, UH, LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD, ALL OF THOSE THAT I MENTIONED ARE MOBILE, UH, BUSINESSES, THE FOOTPRINT OF THE CONSTRUCTION ON BOTH OF THOSE SITES.
THERE ARE NO EXISTING BUSINESSES RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF PRESERVATION OF THE ART.
OUR ORGANIZATION RUNS, UM, FINE ART GALLERY AND AT KENNY DURHAMS, WE HAVE HAD A PROGRAM OF DOING LARGE SCALE OUTDOOR INSTALLATION AND MURALS THE ENTIRE TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN THERE.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE EXPRESS INTEREST IN THOSE PIECES.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE A FIRM ANSWER WHERE THEY WILL END UP, BUT I DON'T THROW AWAY ART, ENVIRONMENTAL ART SOMETIMES JUST DEGRADATES.
BUT, UM, IT'LL BE HANDLED LIKELY, UH, INCORPORATION WITH RAISING IN THE SUN THAT, THAT'S, SORRY, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ADD.
WE ARE WORKING WITH RAISIN IN THE SUN.
WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO ACTIVATE THE SPACE FROM WHEN WE START ALL THE WAY TO WHEN WE END.
SO I MEAN, THERE'S GONNA BE CONSTRUCTION SIGNS, THERE ARE GONNA BE ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? WHY IS SOMETHING MOVING? SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE AS WAYS OF ACTUALLY ENCOURAGING NEW ART, BUT ALSO INCORPORATING WHAT MIGHT BE FAMILIAR, WHAT MIGHT HAVE TO BE MOVED.
BUT RAISIN IN THE SUN IS THE PERSON THAT'S, OR THE GROUP THAT'S REALLY GETTING US GOING ON THAT.
JUST FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, UM, IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FIRST, IF PEOPLE HAVE COMMENTS, UM, LET'S GET TO THE QUESTIONS FIRST AND THEN WE CAN END IT WITH COMMENTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, I HAD ONE QUESTION.
UM, I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL SPACES.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING THESE RESTAURANTS AND THE MUSIC VENUES AND CAFE.
SOMETHING THAT I HAVE FRUSTRATION WITH SOMETIMES IS SEEING PLACES THAT ARE MEANT TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, BUT THEN OFFER CAFES AND RESTAURANTS THAT I WOULD NEVER PROBABLY PURCHASE A MEAL FROM BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE, UM, AND NOT WORTH IT IN MY OPINION.
SO, UH, I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW Y'ALL WILL DECIDE ON WHAT RESTAURANTS AND CAFES, LIKE, WILL IT BE A PROPOSAL, LIKE AN RFP PROCESS OR, UH, DO YOU ALREADY HAVE LIKE THE PLACES IN MIND THAT YOU PLAN TO PUT THERE? SO SOMETHING THAT SHAME ME, I FAILED TO MENTION IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS PROJECT BEING AFFORDABLE IS ACTUALLY THE COMMERCIAL SPACES ARE ALSO GONNA BE DISCOUNT TO MARKET.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INVITING, YOU KNOW, LOCAL BUSINESSES, UM, RIGHT NOW IN THE PROFORMA, WHICH IS JUST THE, ALL THE FINANCIAL ASSUMPTIONS, THOSE ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE BELOW MARKET RATE.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS IN TERMS OF INFLATION AND ALL THAT STUFF, BUT IN TERMS OF TRYING TO DO WHAT WE CAN SO THAT THE OWNER OPERATOR DOESN'T HAVE TO CHARGE US OUT THE WAZOO BECAUSE THEIR RENT IS OUT THE WAZOO AND THEIR PROPERTY TIED, LIKE WE ARE CONTEMPLATING HOW TO DO THAT.
AND TOPO, WHO IS THE DEVELOPER, UM, A CONSULTANT MENTIONED, UM, THEY'RE, THEY DO SPRINGDALE GENERAL, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR CANOPY.
UM, SO THEY ARE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HAVE DONE, YOU KNOW, A VERSION OF AFFORDABLE COMMERCIAL SPACE.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS OF SELECTING THEM, I THINK THAT'S GONNA PRO, I HAVE TO RUN THAT BY THE URBAN RENEWAL BOARD.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE, WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ON THAT, SO MAYBE THAT'S ONE WAY TO JUST STAY ENGAGED WITH HOW THAT MIGHT LOOK, UM, SO THAT WE DON'T LEAVE ANYONE OUT.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PROJECT.
SO JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER LONGORIA? UM, YEAH, IT'S JUST A SUCH AN AWESOME PROJECT.
THE TRIPLE P, RIGHT? YOU CALLED IT? YEAH, P PRIVATE PROPER PRE P THREE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, THIS AMOUNT OF GROUPS THAT ARE INVOLVED ARE AWESOME.
UM, I GUESS WHEN IT COMES TO BEING LIKE A, A BLACK LED PROJECT, LIKE HAVING THESE CONSULTANTS AND GROUPS THAT ARE LIKE BLACK LETTER ARE ALSO LIKE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TOO.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THE RIGHT TO RETURN.
UM, I THINK THIS IS VERY MINDFUL ALSO THE 50% MFI, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS STRUGGLE WITH, UM, YOU
[01:45:01]
KNOW, WITH CITY DEVELOPMENT.UM, I LOVE THE ECONOMIC, UM, OPPORTUNITY COMPONENT ALSO.
I MEAN, I JUST, I CAN SEE IT WORKING THROUGHOUT A, A, A VARIETY OF AREAS, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, JUST SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, CAPACITY BUILDING, UM, FOR, UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR, LIKE HOW DID LEAN A NONPROFIT, UM, SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT, UM, ART CULTURE, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING.
I MEAN, WHATEVER, WHATEVER WE CAN DO AS A COMMISSION TO SUPPORT THIS, LIKE, I MEAN 100% AND LIKE, THIS IS AWESOME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND SPEAKING TO US.
YEAH, NO, I JUST WANNA ALSO ECHO EVERYTHING EVERYONE'S SAYING, THIS IS AN EXCITING PROJECT AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS A HABIT OF NAMING SOMETHING THE DISTRICT, BUT ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE GONE
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THE, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORIC DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE, BE REVITALIZED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS, AND THEN THAT IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE DONE.
UM, AND I'M JUST HOPING THIS WILL BE A MODEL, UM, FOR MOVING FORWARD AT THE CITY TO DO THE SAME IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY, UM, ASIAN COMMUNITY AND OTHER COMMUNITIES.
I DON'T SEE IT THAT MUCH HAPPENING.
UH, CERTAINLY NOT IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY WE KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVE A DISTRICT DOWNTOWN, BUT
BUT, BUT ANYWAY, KUDOS AGAIN TO Y'ALL AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING, UM, SEEING WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE DONE.
AND I DO HAVE A FOLLOW UP REALLY QUICKLY.
UM, AND THIS IS A TECHNICAL QUESTION, DB, ARE YOU RECEIVING ANY DENSITY BONUS FUNDS FOR THIS PROJECT? BECAUSE IT IS A TRIPLE P
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GETTING SUPPORT DEPENDING ON THE BLOCK.
UH, I WOULD SAY, JUST BEFORE I GET TO THAT QUESTION, I'LL PROMISE I'LL ANSWER IT.
DAVID'S FOUNDATION AND ALSO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAVE, UM, ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS PROJECT.
UM, SMART HOUSING FEE WAIVERS ARE GOING TO BE UTILIZED.
UM, THE, ONE OF THE, UH, TALK ABOUT CONSTRAINTS, THIS IS IN THE CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDOR, SO YOU HAVE SOME CONSTRAINTS THERE, BUT, UH, RHODA FUNDS, SO THE CITY, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND THEN RHODA HAS ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS IT CAN COME IN, BUT THE RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION, I BELIEVE THAT'S THE RHODA, UH, ACRONYM, UM, IS ALSO ONE WAY THAT, UH, THE DEVELOPER IS TRYING TO SUBSIDIZE THE PROJECT IN TERMS OF DENSITY BONUS.
LIKE IN MY MIND, I'M THINKING AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, DB 90, LIKE ALL THOSE THINGS, UM, I GUESS AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, BUT THAT MIGHT BE THE EXTENT, UH, IF I'M ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION.
BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT VERSIONS WHERE YOU GO UP OR OUT.
[6. Discussion and approve a recommendation for the anticipated funding gap for Local Housing Vouchers and impacts on Permanent Supportive Housing residents. Discussion led by Vice Chair Wardlow. ]
WE ARE NOW GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM SIX, UM, IN THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, UH, AGENDA AREA.UM, THIS WILL BE DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL, UM, OF A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE ANTICIPATED FUNDING GAP FOR LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHERS AND THE IMPACTS ON PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESIDENTS.
UM, AS COMMISSIONERS KNOW, UM, THE HOUSING COMMUNITY COMMITTEE MET IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THIS MEETING AND RECEIVED A PRESENTATION FROM ECHO ENDING COMMUNITY HOMELESSNESS, UH, COALITION ON THE HOUSING VOUCHERS.
UM, AND WE WILL DISCUSS THAT NOW.
UM, BEFORE OPENING IT UP, I'D LIKE TO READ THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, THAT WE REVIEWED IN THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, UM, AND THEN I'LL OPEN IT UP TO COMMISSIONER LONGORIA TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE HOUSING COMMITTEE, UM, REVIEWED AS WELL.
SO, UM, REALLY QUICKLY, I'LL JUST READ THE RECOMMENDATION OUT LOUD, AND I THINK, DO WE HAVE IT SOMEWHERE WE CAN, IS THE EMAIL THERE? YES.
UM, I WAS SENT IT RIGHT BEFORE, AND, UH, LET ME SEE IF WE CAN GET IT UP.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS ONE AMENDMENT, UM, AND I, THIS SHOULD HAPPEN.
SHOULD I INCLUDE IT IN WHAT I SAY, OR SHOULD I JUST WAIT FOR LONGORIA TO SAY WHAT THE AMENDMENT WAS? UM, HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE.
UM, SO THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER TECHNICALLY.
IS THIS THE RIGHT NUMBER? YES, I, I PUT IT IN EARLIER, SO I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE 2 0 2 6 0 6 0 9 DASH SIX.
[01:50:01]
OF LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHER FUNDING FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESIDENTS.UM, THE RECOMMENDATION STATES, UH, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIZE THE PRESERVATION OF LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHERS, SERVING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESIDENTS, AND IDENTIFY FUNDING SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS ANTICIPATED FUNDING GAPS.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO COUNCIL.
BULLET ONE SAYS, PRIORITIZE THE PRESERVATION OF EXISTING LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHERS SERVING PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESIDENTS.
UM, AND A QUICK AMENDMENT TO THE SECOND BULLET WAS, INSTEAD OF IDENTIFY, CHANGE THAT TO, UM, EARMARK, UM, SO EARMARK FUNDING OPTIONS TO ADDRESS ANTICIPATED FUNDING GAPS AND MAINTAIN HOUSING STABILITY FOR AFFECTED RESIDENTS.
AND THEN BULLET THREE, UM, IS CONSIDER THE IMPACTS ON RESIDENTS, HOUSING PROVIDERS, AND THE BROADER HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM WHEN EVALUATING FUTURE FUNDING DECISIONS RELATED TO LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHERS.
UM, RATIONALE FOR THIS IS LOCAL HOUSING VOUCHERS ARE CRI ARE A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF AUSTIN'S HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, UM, AND HELP RESIDENTS IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING MAINTAIN LONG-TERM HOUSING STABILITY.
PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE USE OF FEE AND LIE FUNDS MAY CREATE A FUNDING GAP THAT IMPACTS THE CONTINUED AVAILABILITY OF THESE VOUCHERS.
THE LOSS OF VOUCHER VOUCHER FUNDING COULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT RESIDENTS, HOUSING PROVIDERS AND THE BROADER HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM BY INCREASING HOUSING INSTABILITY AND PLACING ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON ALREADY LIMITED HOMELESSNESS RESOURCES PER PRESERVING HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE EXITED HOMELESSNESS, PROTECTS PRIOR PUBLIC INVESTMENTS, SUPPORTS LONG-TERM HOUSING STABILITY, AND HELPS PREVENT RETURNS TO HOMELESSNESS.
UM, AND THEN I'LL GO AHEAD AND PASS IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER LONGORIA TO, UH, GO OVER WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT IN THE HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL RECOMMENDATION AND, UM, I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE RECOMMENDATION.
I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, KATE MOORE, UH, FOR PRESENTING AT THE HOUSING COMMITTEE.
UH, SHE'S REPRESENTING ECHO, UH, THE HOMELESSNESS, THE HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE SYSTEM HERE IN, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY.
UM, WHAT THIS RECOMMENDATION DOES, OR WHAT IT INTENDS TO DO, IS TO EARMARK, EARMARK THE FUNDING OF PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING VOUCHERS.
WHAT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS, IT'S THE PEOPLE USUALLY WITH THE HIGHEST NEEDS AND THOSE WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
IT'S USUALLY IF THEY'RE HOMELESS FOR OVER A YEAR, OVER CERTAIN CONSECUTIVE PERIODS OVER A YEAR.
AND, UM, IT'S THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE.
USUALLY IT'S PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, WHO HAVE CHRONIC ILLNESS, UH, CHRONIC MENTAL DISABILITIES, CHRONIC PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, VETERANS, WOMEN, UH, DISABLED PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL THESE TYPES OF PEOPLE.
AND, AND THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAIN, UH, CRITERIA, UH, IN, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO QUALIFY FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
UM, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, OR THE PAST COUPLE OF DECADES, THERE'S BEEN HISTORIC UNDERINVESTMENT IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
USUALLY THESE PEOPLE ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
THERE'S, THERE'S STRUGGLING WITH SOME ISSUES, AND THEY'RE UNHOUSED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, HOWEVER, UH, THANKS TO, UH, SOME INVESTMENT RECENTLY, THERE'S BEEN MORE HOUSING OPTIONS.
THEY'RE LIKE, THERE ARE APARTMENTS AROUND THE COMMUNITY, LIKE THE ROSES, I, I BELIEVE THAT EXISTS OFF OF BEN YI THINK THAT'S A LATEST PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
THE RA, THE RAS RISE, IT'S, IT'S LIKE AN APARTMENT COMPLEX.
UM, HOWEVER, WE'VE BUILT THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT OF, UM, INTEREST IN THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATION, NONPROFITS TO SUPPORT THESE PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHO LIVE THERE.
HOWEVER, WE DO NEED TO PAY TO RENT AND OPERATE THESE SPACES.
SO WHAT THIS RECOMMENDATION DOES IS THAT IT ASKS, IT DEMANDS THAT CITY COUNCIL FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THEIR COMMITMENT AND EARMARK MONEY TO, UH, COVER THE COST OF OPERATING THESE SPACES.
THAT WAY, THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY VULNERABLE DON'T FALL BACK INTO, UM, HOMELESSNESS.
SO, UM, I BELIEVE, UM, IN FY 27, UM, THERE'S A FUNDING GAP OF ABOUT, UH, $7.8 MILLION.
AND IN FY 28, ABOUT SEVEN POINT, UM, NINE, $5 MILLION.
AND, UM, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY, UH, SUPPORT, UH, THIS RECOMMENDATION, UM, THAT CITY COUNCIL AND THE, THE COMMUNITY FOLLOWS THROUGH WITH THEIR COMMITMENT TO, UM, HELPING THE MOST, UM, UH,
[01:55:01]
VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.UM, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO, UM, OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMISSIONERS IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, DISCUSSIONS, OR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE RECOMMENDATION.
COMMISSIONER TISHA, I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY, UH, POINT OUT AND CLARIFY IN TERMS OF EARMARK THAT I WAS THE ONE THAT PRESENTED THAT AMENDMENT FOR THE REST OF THE COMMISSION TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE THINKING THAT WENT BEHIND THAT IS BECAUSE WE CAN IDENTIFY, WE CAN USE THE WORD IDENTIFY AND IDENTIFY FUNDING, YOU KNOW, THE WAY I SAID IT UNTIL THE COWS COME HOME.
WE COULD DO THAT FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT UTILIZING THE TERM EARMARK IS INCENSE, REQUIRING THEM, UH, A TRIGGER IN TERMS OF FUNDING AND FINANCE, ESPECIALLY IN THE EXPERIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT.
WHEN SOMETHING IS EARMARKED, THAT MEANS THAT FUNDING IS USED FOR THAT PURPOSE AND THAT PURPOSE ONLY.
SO IT PROVIDES SOME BARRIERS AND SOME GUARDRAILS IN TERMS OF THE FUNDING THAT THEY DO IDENTIFY, AND THEY DO FIND IS TO ENSURE THAT IT IS USED IN AND FOR THAT PURPOSE.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO PROVIDE THAT, UM, CONTEXT INTO WHY THERE WAS THE AMENDMENT AND THE USE OF THAT LANGUAGE OF EARMARK VERSUS IDENTIFY.
UM, SO THERE'S A REFERENCE TO CHANGE IN FEE IN LIE FUNDS BEING WHAT CREATES THE GAP.
I, I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THERE'S A TIMELINESS REASON FOR THIS COMING TODAY, AND I JUST WONDERED IF YOU GUYS COULD GIVE LIKE, THE SHORT, VERY SHORT VERSION OF, OF WHAT THAT WAS.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF KATE CAN SPEAK ON THIS IF, IF SHE CAN.
AND I'M NOT OPPOSED, I'M JUST CURIOUS.
HI, COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS KATE MOORE, UM, FROM ECHO.
UM, SO THIS IS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE CITY BUDGET OFFICE, UM, DID NOT EARMARK ANY FUNDS USING THAT TERM, HOPEFULLY CORRECTLY, UM, ANY FUNDS FOR THE VOUCHERS.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE ARE ASKING IS FOR CITY COUNCIL TO FIND THESE FUNDS AND THIS LETTER, UM, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE CLARITY ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE DENSITY BONUS FUNDS.
UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION, UM, WITHIN CITY COUNCIL OF, OF WHAT THE DE DENSITY BONUS CAN DO.
UM, AND HISTORICALLY THE FEE IN LIEU FROM DENSITY BONUSES IS GONE TO FUND THE HOUSING TRUST FUND, WHICH WAS THE SOURCE OF THE HOUSING VOUCHERS.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHY THEY DIDN'T PUT ADDITIONAL FUNDS INTO THE VOUCHERS OR NOT, BUT IT'S JUST A REFERENCE TO THAT, IF THAT'S HELPFUL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR AMENDMENTS TO THE RECOMMENDATION? OKAY.
UM, IF THERE'S NO OTHER, UM, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, UM, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR, UM, A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION WITH THE DRAFTED LANGUAGE.
I'LL MOVE TO, UM, I MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE ON OFF CAMERA ONLINE, PLEASE TURN YOUR CAMERA ONTO VOTE.
UM, THE MOTION PASSES ON AND JUST TO MAKE, UM, FOR THE RECORD, AND IT WAS FROM COMMISSIONER MENARD AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER MONOR.
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO, IF I COULD FIND THE AGENDA AGAIN.
[7. Update from the CDC Housing Committee. Discussion led by Commissioner Raul Longoria. ]
ON TO ITEM SEVEN.UM, AM I CORRECT, IS IT SIX OR SEVEN TO SEVEN? OKAY.
UM, AN UPDATE FROM THE CDC HOUSING COMMITTEE DISCUSSION LED BY, UM, COMMISSIONER RAUL LONGORIA.
SO, UM, THE HOUSING COMMITTEE MET TODAY.
UH, WE RECEIVED A STAFF BRIEFING FROM, UH, MR. JERRY GALVAN.
UH, HE WAS REPRESENTING AUSTIN ENERGY.
HE WAS GIVING US SOME INFORMATION OVER THE CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PROGRAM.
UM, AUSTIN ENERGY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, ELECTRIC WATER
[02:00:01]
DRAINAGE AND WASTEWATER.UM, HE ALSO SPOKE TO US ABOUT THE SERVICE AREA, UM, OVER 575,000, UM, CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS.
HE ALSO SPOKE TO US ABOUT, UH, THE DISCOUNT PROGRAM, UM, HOW EFFECTIVE, HOW EFFICIENT IT IS AT ENROLLING PEOPLE IN UTILITY BILL DISCOUNTS, UM, A A A, A WHOLE SLEW OF WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S TRULY A, A NATIONAL MODEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, UM, HE SPOKE TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WEATHERIZATION.
UH, THIS YEAR THEY'RE ON TRACK TO SURPASS, UM, ALMOST 300 PEOPLE WHO, WHO GET HELP OR QUALIFY FOR WEATHERIZATION ANYWHERE FROM THREE TO $6,000 IN, IN HOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR HOUSE TO SAVE, UM, ENERGY.
UM, OVER THE COURSE OF THAT PROGRAM, THERE'S BEEN ALMOST OVER 10,000 PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UH, BENEFITED FROM THIS.
UM, ONE OF THE MOST, UH, PERTINENT THINGS TO, UM, OUR, UH, COMMISSION IS THE, UH, REARRANGE PROGRAM.
IT'S LIKE A DEBT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH PAYING THEIR BILLS.
AND THERE'S ALSO A PLUS ONE FINANCIAL SUPPORT, WHICH WAS TRULY WONDERFUL.
UM, UH, THEY ALSO WORK WITH CLOSE TO 60 NONPROFIT PARTNERS THAT HELP INCREASE ACCESS, UH, REDUCE BARRIERS, HELP ESTABLISH UTILITY ACCOUNTS, UH, DISCOUNTS, UH, CASE MANAGEMENT, ALL THESE TYPE OF THINGS.
SO IT WAS A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION BY, UM, UH, MR. UH, JERRY GALVAN, UH, REPRESENTING AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, AND, UM, LEMME SEE WHAT ELSE WAS ON THE AGENDA.
UH, WELL WE RECEIVED THAT, UH, GREAT PRESENTATION BY MS. MOORE AND ECHO.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL THAT, THAT I HAVE FOR THE HOUSING COMMITTEE UPDATE.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR FINAL, UM,
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
AREA OF CONVERSATION, WHICH IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, WE'VE DEDICATED 20 MINUTES FOR THIS.UM, THE ONLY THING I WANNA NOTE IS THAT, UM, FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, IF WE CAN TRY TO KEEP THEM, UM, WITHIN THE KIND OF SCOPE THAT WE DECIDED ON WITHIN THE TEAM RETREAT, UM, THAT LIKE KEEPING US IN PRIORITY AREAS SO THAT WE HAVE A LANE THAT WE'RE STAYING IN, UM, AND THAT WE HAVE SOME FOCUS AREAS, UM, FOR THE FUTURE.
SO I, COMMISSIONER TISHA, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HAVE THOSE LIKE ALREADY READILY, READILY AVAILABLE IN YOUR HEAD, BUT, UM, IF WE CAN JUST KIND OF MENTION THAT REALLY QUICKLY, UM, IF POSSIBLE AND THAT WAY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, WE ARE KIND OF STAYING IN THE, IN THE LANE.
SO YEAH, HOUSING, EDUCATION, TRANSPORTATION.
HOUSING, HEALTH, DIGITAL EQUITY AND TRANSPORTATION, SORT OF INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED ITEMS. THOSE WERE THE FOUR, BUT I'LL QUICKLY VERIFY.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITION, UH, OR ANY ITEMS COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE FOR FUTURE AGENDAS? I HAVE SOME.
OH, I WAS TRYING TO GET THIS DONE FOR THIS, BUT IT WAS TOO CLOSE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AUSTIN ENERGY COME IN TO TALK ABOUT THE PEAKER, UH, PLAN AND TALK ABOUT THE PEAKERS THAT ARE THE 10 PEAKERS FOR THE GAS PEAKERS THAT ARE IN EAST AUSTIN.
AND THE PLAN FOR THE 10 MORE THE CITY, UH, WANTS TO BUILD.
AND THEN, UH, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GET MAYBE HOUSING, UH, BUT ALSO MAYBE WATERSHED TO TALK ABOUT, UH, THIS, THE DOG'S HEAD AND, UM, THE IMPACT, THIS, THE NEW, NEW CONTRACT, 45 YEAR CONTRACT THAT THE CITY JUST SIGNED WITH THE DEVELOPER, UH, WHERE THERE ARE FOLKS ALREADY LIVING.
AND THESE ARE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING, UM, LOW WAGE OR WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES.
UM, SO YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO GET THEM TO ADDRESS, UM, THAT, AND JUST TO CONFIRM, COMMISSIONER, UM, AGAIN, THAT'S AUSTIN ENERGY, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE PEAKERS, UM, AND THEN AUSTIN HOUSING OR WATERSHED, BOTH, UM, TO DISCUSS THE DOG HEAD DEVELOPMENT AND THE 45 YEAR CONTRACT? YES, I THINK, I THINK FOR, UH, I THINK WE NEED BOTH OF 'EM BECAUSE THEY'RE BOTH HAVE, THEY'RE BOTH ISSUES.
I, UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT WATERSHED, UM, IF THEY'VE DONE ANY, UH, ASSESSMENT OF IT.
UM, THEY WERE NOT THERE TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING WHEN THE COUNCIL PASSED, UH, APPROVED THE CONTRACT.
SO I'D LIKE TO GET THEIR INPUT AND THEN THEN HOUSING ALSO TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT ON, UH, HOUSING THAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LONGORIA.
UM, AGAIN, I WANNA INSIST THAT, UH, WE
[02:05:01]
CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT, UM, SAFE, THE SAFE ALLIANCE AND THE ELOISE HOUSE, THE SERVICES THAT THEY PROVIDE.UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, UH, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THEY'VE PROVIDED 95% OF FORENSIC EXAMS IN THIS REGION, OR RAPE KITS.
SO 95% OF PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE RAPE OR SEXUAL ASSAULT GOES TO THE SAFE ALLIANCE OR ELISE HOUSE.
UM, IT'S TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE, WHICH MEANS THAT THEIR SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS OR CULTURALLY COMPETENT, THEY'LL SPEAK TO A PERSON IN A LANGUAGE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND IN A DIFFERENT, AND IN, IN A, IN A, IN A CALM ENVIRONMENT.
THEY'VE JUST GONE THROUGH A EXTREMELY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE.
ALSO, THEY PROVIDE REFUGE FOR THOSE WHO ARE, UH, WHO'VE EXPERIENCED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UM, THERE'S A GAP, THERE'S A FUNDING GAP.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT THEY RECEIVE MOST OF THEIR FEDERAL OR STATE FUNDING, AND THERE'S A GAP.
UH, THE MAYOR HAS PROPOSED, UH, THAT A NEW ORGANIZATION BRAVE AND THAT REGIONAL HOSPITALS, UH, TAKE CHARGE OF THIS FORENSIC EXAMS. HOWEVER, WE'VE SEEN THAT PEOPLE DON'T GO THERE.
THEY GO TO THE SAFE ALLIANCE AND THEY GO TO THE LOE PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY'RE WELL TRUSTED, THEY'RE CULTURALLY COMPETENT, THEY'RE TRAUMA INFORMED.
AND, UM, THERE'S LAWS RIGHT NOW STATE LAWS WHERE, UM, NOW HOSPITALS ARE ASKING PEOPLE FOR THEIR DOCUMENTATION STATUS.
SO I THINK THAT'S IMMEDIATELY GONNA DROP THE NUMBER OF SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTS.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT, IT'S A MODEL THAT WORKED AND WE, I FEEL LIKE WE RE WE NEED TO REVISIT IT.
JUST, THIS IS JUST A GENERAL QUESTION, BUT THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL FROM THE, UM, HISPANIC LATINO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION, ARE OTHER COMMISSIONS ALLOWED TO BE IN SUPPORT OF KI OTHER COMMISSIONS' RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL? UM, I BELIEVE SO.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE IT HAS TO BE ADOPTED IN A MEETING.
SO TO CLARIFY, I BELIEVE WHAT YOU'RE REQUESTING IS THAT THE COMMISSION THAT YOU LEAD A DISCUSSION ON A RECOMMENDATION BY THE CDC TO ADOPT THAT AS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM BECAUSE WE DON'T NECESSARILY NEED A PRESENTATION FROM SAFE.
AND, AND ALSO A REMINDER WHERE WE ARE TRYING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO USE THE MEETING TIMES FOR THINGS WE CAN TAKE DIRECT ACTION ON.
UM, SO IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? THAT WE HAVE A DISCUSSION AT OUR NEXT MEETING ABOUT ADOPTING A RECOMMENDATION FOR CITY COUNCIL, PROBABLY BASED ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
I THINK THAT'S THE MOST ACTIONABLE ITEM TO CO-SPONSOR THE RECOMMENDATION ALREADY PUT FORTH BY THE LATINO HISPANIC QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION.
HOWEVER, I DO ANTICIPATE A RECESS BY CITY COUNCIL AND THAT, THAT US AS A COMMISSION REVISIT THIS NEW PROGRAM THAT'S BEING, UH, PROPOSED BY THE MAYOR WITH THE REGIONAL HOSPITALS AND, BUT FOR FUTURE MEETINGS.
SO I GUESS, SO WHAT IS THE AGENDA REQUEST ASK? I'M GONNA
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CO-SPONSOR THE RECOMMENDATION PASSED BY THE LATINO HISPANIC QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSION AND YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO BE THE ONE DOING THAT.
WE'LL PUT THAT DOWN FOR THE DISCUSSION.
UM, AND WERE THERE ANY OTHER, SORRY GUYS, BECAUSE THIS IS A WORKING, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY GETTING INTO THE WEEDS, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, MIGUEL, TISHA AND VICE CHAIR, THAT Y'ALL NEED TO KNOW FROM WHAT COMMISSIONER MENARDS SAID FOR THE AGENDA MEETING? ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS? ARE WE CLEAR ON WHAT THE REQUEST IS, WHO WOULD DO IT, AND WHAT THE POTENTIAL ACTION IS? WELL, UM, AND JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, UM, I WOULD START ASKING AROUND AND SEEING WHO WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, INVOLVED WITH THAT IN AUSTIN ENERGY.
AND THEN I WOULD, UM, SEND AN INQUIRY FOR A PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT IF THERE'S SOMEONE SPECIFIC OR, OR, YOU KNOW, EVEN, UM, A DEPARTMENT OR A DIVISION, UH, IT, IT WOULD HELP BECAUSE THEN I COULD START THERE.
AND TO, TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT, IT'S, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WE ARE BEING HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO DO AS MUCH OF THAT THOUGHT WORK ON BEHALF OF STAFF FOR THESE REQUESTS AS POSSIBLE.
SO COMMISSIONER MENARD, IF ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE THAT YOU CAN GIVE, UM, AND WE ARE MEETING TOMORROW AFTERNOON TO THINK THROUGH WHAT, WHAT RESEARCH WILL NEED TO BE DONE FOR THE NEXT, UM, MEETING.
SO, SO IF THERE WERE ANY ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE YOU COULD PROVIDE US BEFORE TOMORROW, THAT WOULD REALLY HELP TO LATE TOMORROW AFTERNOON.
THAT WOULD HELP US IN OUR PROCESSES.
YEAH, SO, SO YOU NEED CONTACT, 'CAUSE I KNOW
[02:10:01]
PEOPLE IN WATERSHED, SO I COULD GET YOU COME, UM, A CONTACT PERSON THERE.AND THEN, UM, AS FAR AS THE AUSTIN ENERGY, I CAN TRY TO GET IN CONTACT THERE FOR YOU.
IS THERE ANYTHING MORE YOU GUYS NEED? DO YOU, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL FOR ME TO SEND YOU THE, UM, OR TO SEND MIGUEL THE, UM, THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING WHERE, WHERE COUNCIL PASSED THESE ITEMS? IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
COMMISSIONER, UM, MANARD, IS THAT CORRECT? I CAN'T SEE.
UH, THIS IS NEFERTITI COMMUNITY DISPLACEMENT PREVENTION OFFICER.
SO ONE OF THE ITEMS, UH, FOR CLARIFICATION, UH, YOU MENTIONED DOGHEAD, UM, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING, WHICH WAS JUST VOTED ON.
SO THAT IS A PROJECT BEING LED BY THE FINANCIAL SERVICES DIVISION.
WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IS IF YOU COULD JUST STATE WHAT YOUR REQUEST IS.
UM, WE'RE VERY EARLY, OR FINANCIAL SERVICES DIVISION IS VERY EARLY IN THAT PROCESS.
UH, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ASK IS TO THEM.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT DO YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW? RIGHT.
AND I HAD SENT THAT TO, TO MIGUEL AND I CAN RESEND IT.
IF YOU SENT IT TO MIGUEL, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
AND THAT IS WITH FINANCIAL SERVICES DIVISION.
AND I THINK REALLY I JUST WANT THEM TO, UM, SHARE WHAT THEY KNOW, YOU KNOW, SO FAR AND TO GIVE US A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THIS IN, WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
AND, UH, BECAUSE WE DID NOT GET THAT INFORMATION FROM COUNCIL.
WHAT WERE, WHAT WAS THE OTHER ONE THOUGH? I WASN'T CLEAR? AUSTIN, AUSTIN ENERGY.
YES, SHE, UH, SHE COMMISSIONER RECEIVED ALL OF THAT.
I HAD A QUICK ONE I WANTED TO ADD.
UM, AND OF COURSE WE CAN DISCUSS ABOUT THIS IN THE MEETING, BUT, UM, FOR DIGITAL, UH, EQUITY, DIGITAL ACCESS, UM, THERE WAS A DIGITAL EQUITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND THEY HAD A TOWN HALL EARLIER THIS YEAR, SO WOULD LIKE THEM TO COME AND DO A QUICK OVERVIEW, HIGH LEVEL FYI.
THAT ALSO GIVES US INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO THE TOOLS THAT ARE FREE AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO REINFORCING THE DIGITAL EQUITY PROGRAMMING THAT ALREADY EXISTS HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE PLANS IN THE LARGER SCHEME OF THINGS MOVING FORWARD.
SO I DO HAVE A DIRECT CONTACT, DO HAVE A DIRECT ACCESS, AN INDIVIDUAL THAT COULD, UH, BE ABLE TO COME AND DO THE PRESENTATION ITSELF.
BUT THE ASK SPECIFICALLY IS LOOKING AT THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF DIGITAL EQUITY ACCESS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THAT'S THE ANSWER THAT IS BEING, OR THE QUESTION THAT IS BEING ANSWERED.
I HAVE ONE MORE
UM, ALSO I JUST WENT TO THE, THE WATER RESOURCE, UH, TASK FORCE AND THEY JUST MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING, UH, COMMERCIAL USERS, UM, TO TRY TO, UM, OFFSET THAT IMPACT, UH, OF WATER USE BY LARGER INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL USERS.
UM, I MEAN, I CAN JUST ADD THAT TO THE LIST.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE NEXT MEETING, BUT, UM, I'LL JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT TOO.
INVITE, UH, EITHER SOME, SOMEONE FROM AUSTIN WATER AND I DO HAVE CONTACTS WITH THEM AS WELL TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEN I WILL, UM, ALSO ON, ON OUR SIDE, I'LL, I'LL LOOK FOR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND, AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BERNARD.
WHEN WE KNOW TIMELINESS, THAT IS ALSO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
'CAUSE THERE ARE SOMETIMES AGENDA ITEMS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE IN A MEETING AND AS WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL OUT OF HERE BEFORE 9:00 PM AT THE LATEST, IT'S, IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW IF WE HAVE ONE SHOT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE VERSUS WHEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD, WE'VE GOT A THREE MONTH WINDOW TO GET IT IN.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT INFORMATION.
YEAH, NONE OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE URGENT
[02:15:02]
I SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS, UH, BEFORE THE COMMISSION.I'D LIKE TO, UM, GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN TODAY'S MEETING AND JUST REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PATIENCE WITH ME AS I, UH, FIGURE OUT THIS ROLE.
I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS REALLY QUICKLY.
I WILL BE AT THE BLACKLAND NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER ON FRIDAY FOR THE JUNETEENTH EVENT AND I KNOW ANOTHER COMMISSIONER WILL BE THERE AS WELL.
SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE THERE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T END UP HAVING LIKE A, ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS.
SO I JUST WENT TO FYI, UH, YEAH, COMMISSIONER LONG YOU'LL BE THERE.
SO THREE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT A QUORUM, QUORUM.
EVEN IF IT IS, UH, GONNA MEET THAT, WE JUST HAVE TO, TO POST IT, SO.
BUT THANK YOU FOR COMMUNICATING.
WELL, IT SAYS, IT SAYS POSSIBLE AND THEN THE LAST PERSON THAT MAKES IT, THEY HAVE TO LEAVE THE PERSON THAT GETS THERE.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 8 49, UM, ON A TUESDAY.