* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Call to Order] [00:00:04] YEAH. UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING, UH, REMOTELY UNDER THESE, UH, ODD CONDITIONS, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED. AS WE ALWAYS DO BY READING THE PURPOSE OF THE CDC, THE PURPOSE OF THE BOARD IS TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO SERVE THE POOR AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WITH THE EMPHASIS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. UM, [Item 1] THE FIRST ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 11TH. SO LET'S JUST TAKE A QUICK MINUTE TO LOOK AT THOSE AND SEE IF WE SEE ANYTHING, UH, THAT NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED. MOVE APPROVAL. YEAH. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES, UM, IN A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ALL OPPOSED SAY NAY. OKAY, EXCELLENT. AND JUST A REMINDER. UM, WE ARE, WE DO HAVE A HARD STOP AT FOUR 30 SO WE CAN NOT GO BEYOND FOUR 30, UM, AS THE LIMITATIONS OF THE CITY'S RESOURCES WILL NOT ALLOW US TO. SO, UM, JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE GO THROUGH THE AGENDA. UM, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY, UM, UH, CITIZENS COMMUNICATION. UM, THERE WAS A SIGNUP PERIOD. NOBODY SIGNED UP. SO WE MOVE ON TO, UM, [Item 2A] THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, NEW BUSINESS. UM, THE MAIN REASON WE'RE HERE IS THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION, UH, ON THE DRAFT AMENDMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019, THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND THE 2019 ACTION PLAN AND CITIZENS, UH, PARTICIPATION PLAN. UM, SO, UH, STAFF, I UNDERSTAND WE HAD NO, NO ONE, UH, SIGN UP TO SPEAK, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING EITHER. SO AS A MATTER OF BUSINESS, UH, DO WE JUST MOVE ON, UH, THE COMMISSION COMMITTEE DISCUSSION OF THE, OF THE, OF THE PLAN AND OUR RECOMMENDATIONS? YES, THAT IS CORRECT. ALL SPEAKERS WOULD BE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO CONTINUE WITH BUSINESS. OKAY. UM, I DON'T KNOW, UH, ALL OF WHICH COMMISSIONERS, UH, SO I GUESS IN THAT, IN THAT CASE [Item 2B] WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO, UM, ITEM TWO B, WHICH IS THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION OF THE DRAFT AMENDMENTS FOR THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND THE, UH, OUTCOME PLAN AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN. UH, THAT'S IN YOUR BACKUP. AND, UM, I HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT OVER THE LAST WEEK. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW. UM, WHAT, UH, WHAT IT HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED AS OF TODAY. THERE WAS A CHANGE IN THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, OF THE, UM, I GUESS THE, YEAH, ACTION PLAN MONEY THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, THROUGH THE CARES ACT. MMM. ALRIGHT. WE CAN START WITH, SINCE THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES, I THINK WE MAYBE WANT TO START WITH THE CITIZENS PARTICIPATION PLANS SINCE I FEEL LIKE THAT IS MOST LIKELY THAT WE'LL HAVE LESS DISCUSSION OVER. UM, I THINK THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PARTICIPATION PLAN OR RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON, UH, THE NEW, UH, SORT OF REALITY OF THE PANDEMIC, I THINK WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW. AND, UH, IT, IT NECESSITATED SOME CHANGES, UH, TO, UH, TO THE CURRENT LAW FOR US TO CONTINUE TO BE COMPLIANT. SO, UM, THAT'S IN THE BACKUP. I DON'T KNOW. UM, DO WE WANNA JUST TAKE ONE MINUTE FOR FOLKS TO LOOK AT THAT OR, UH, IF ANYONE HAS ALREADY TAKEN A LOOK AND HAS SOME FEEDBACK OR COMMENTS ON THAT PLAN? UH, ALTERNATIVELY, IF STAFF WANTS TO, UH, TAKE THE LEAD ON WHAT THE CHANGES WERE ABOUT AND OFFER THAT, UM, FEEDBACK TO THE PERMISSION CHAIR. CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? THIS IS ANDY SUMMERS. YES. AND WE UH, UM, WE PREPARED A PRESENTATION TO TEE UP THE CONVERSATION, JUST GAVE [00:05:01] TO US AND SAID WE COULD BACK UP, SORTA SET THE TABLE WITH THE PRESENT PATIENT. GOTCHA. GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, THIS IS ERICA LEAK. I'M AN OFFICER WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. UM, FOR ANYONE WHO CAN'T SEE THE VIDEO, UM, IF YOU'LL LOOK IN THE BACKUP THAT ANGIE SENT TO YOU, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE PRESENTATION, UM, THAT STARTS, UH, ON THE PAGE SEVEN OF THE PDF, UM, THAT WAS SENT TO EVERYONE. SO THAT'S THE FIRST SLIDE OF THE PRESENTATION. SO AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED, UM, THE ITEM THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY IS POTENTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE CITY'S FISCAL YEAR 2019 2020 ACTION PLAN AMENDMENTS TO ITS CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND ITS PATIENT PLAN. AND THESE ARE ALL TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT FUNDING FROM THE CARES ACT AND BE ABLE TO DEPLOY THAT FUNDING QUICKLY TO HELP PERSONS IMPACTED BY COPE. IN 19. SO LET'S GO TO SLIDE NUMBER TWO, HOPEFULLY LIKE NUMBER TWO. UM, SO, UH, SO IF WE CAN GET BACK TO SLIDE NUMBER TWO, MAYBE. UM, SO THE REASON THAT WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD THESE AMENDMENTS IS BECAUSE THERE IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED THROUGH THE CORONA VIRUS AID RELIEF AND ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT, UH, ALSO CALLED THE CARES ACT, WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN APRIL, 2020, WHICH PROVIDES FUNDING TO BE DEPLOYED THROUGH EXISTING HUD FUNDS. UM, AND THOSE FUNDS ARE SPECIFICALLY INTENDED TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE IMPACTS OF COBIT 19. UM, SO THE FASTEST WAY TO BE ABLE TO DEPLOY THOSE FUNDS IS BY AMENDING OUR CURRENT PLAN THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED TO HUD. UM, AND THEN ONCE WE SUBMIT THOSE PLANS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, TO ACTUALLY USE THE FUNDING. SO MOVING ON TO SLIDE THREE. UM, SLIDE THREE DESCRIBES THAT PROCESS. SO, UM, AS YOU ALL LIKELY KNOW AND OR REMEMBER, UM, TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS TO DEVELOP, UM, A FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN. AND THEN A ONE YEAR ACTION PLAN THAT BASICALLY DESCRIBES HOW THE CITY PLANS TO SPEND THE FUNDING THAT'S COMING FROM HUD. AND SO THOSE PLANS WERE APPROVED BY HUD LAST FALL. UM, HOWEVER, IF WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SPEND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WAS ALLOCATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE TO AMEND THOSE PLANS, SUBMIT THEM TO HUD AND HAVE THEM ACCEPT THOSE PLANS BEFORE WE CAN BEGIN SPUN SPENDING THE FUNDS. SO THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW. UM, AND I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL OF, OF HOW WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. SO SLIDE, UH, FOR, UM, THE, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THE CARES ACT IS DEPLOYING ADDITIONAL FUNDING THROUGH THREE EXISTING HUD PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S THROUGH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE PROGRAM, THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS CORONAVIRUS CORONA VIRUS RESPONSE PROGRAM AND THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS. UM, AND SO THAT, THAT ACRONYMS FOR THOSE, UM, JUST SO THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE. SO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, UM, IT'S OFTEN CALLED CDBG AND EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT IS CALLED ESG AND HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS IS CALLED HOT WATER. SO GOING TO SLIDE FIVE, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ON [00:10:01] THE VIDEO. UM, THE ALLOCATIONS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN THROUGH THESE THREE GRANTS IS 4.6 MILLION. THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM AND THAT FUNDING, UM, ALL OF THE FUNDING HAS TO BE USED TO RESPOND TO, UH, THE IMPACTS OF COBIT 19 BUT IT'S THROUGH PROGRAMS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE THROUGH PROGRAMS. SO THE 4.6 MILLION TO BE DEPLOYED THROUGH THAT CBB G PROGRAM HAVE TO BE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ALLOWED THROUGH CDBG THAT THERE ARE SOME WAIVERS THAT ALLOW SOME ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY WITHIN THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT, UM, THAT IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. WOW. FOR CONTINUUM OF CARE OR EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS WHO WERE IMPACTED BY COBIT 19. THAT'S 2.4. ALSO, COMMISSIONERS, SORRY, THIS IS THE CLERK'S OFFICE. IF YOU ARE NOT SPEAKING, PLEASE REMAIN ON MUTE. THESE MICS ARE VERY SENSITIVE SO THEY PICK UP ALL THE OUTSIDE NOISE. AGAIN, IF YOU CAN PLEASE REMAIN ON MUTE UNLESS YOU ARE SPEAKING. THANK Y'ALL. UM, SO, AND THEN THERE ARE THROUGH THE CARE FACTOR, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL, UH, $272,000 FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS PROGRAM, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES, UM, ELIGIBLE FOR CONTINUUM OF CARE OR ASSISTANCE WHO ARE IMPACTED BY COBIT 19. MOVING ON TO SLIDE SIX. UM, SO THERE WE WENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STEPS TO, TO GET FEEDBACK ON HOW THIS ADDITIONAL FUNDING SHOULD BE SPENT. AND SO THAT INCLUDED GETTING FEEDBACK THROUGH AN ONLINE, UH, PUBLIC INPUT TOOL CALLED SPEAK UP AUSTIN. UM, AND WE RECEIVED OVER 70 COMMENTS THROUGH THAT, UM, THROUGH THAT ONLINE TOOL, WHICH WAS GREAT. UM, THERE WAS ALSO A PUBLIC HEARING IN FRONT OF THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ON APRIL 23RD. THERE HAS BEEN ONGOING INTERDEPARTMENTAL DISCUSSIONS, UM, AS WELL AS DATA ANALYSIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS A CITY ARE TRYING TO BEST MATCH THE, THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US WITH THE COMMUNITY NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE. AND SO, UM, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT HAS BEEN A VERY FLUID PROCESS. UM, AS WE LEARN ABOUT COMMUNITY NEEDS AND UH, AND DISCUSS HOW WE AS A CITY CAN BEST FUND THOSE COMMUNITIES. UM, THERE IS ALSO A GROUP OF DIRECTORS, UM, ON INTER DEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP THAT'S LOOKING AT UH, JUST THOSE ISSUES OF HOW, HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY IS, IS ABLE TO RECOVER QUICKLY FROM THE IMPACTS OF COVERT 19, UM, TODAY WORK HERE AT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, LOOKING FOR YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS. AND THEN, UM, WE ARE PROPOSING TO TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ON MAY 21ST WHERE THEY, UM, WILL TAKE ACTION ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN THAT WILL ENABLE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT AMENDMENTS TO OUR PLANS TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE FUNDING FROM HUD. SO ALL OF THOSE, ALL OF THOSE ACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES ARE PART OF THE PROCESS TO DEVELOP THE PROPOSALS, REFINE THE PROPOSALS, AND THEN, UM, EVENTUALLY SUBMIT THE PROPOSALS TO HUD TO BE ABLE TO, TO BE ABLE TO SPEND THE DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY IMPACTED BY COVEN 19. SO GOING ON TO SLIDE SEVEN, UM, THIS SLIDE SHOWS, UM, THE TOP [00:15:01] NEEDS THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD WHEN THEY HAVE CALLED INTO, UM, THE UNITED WAY TWO, ONE, ONE CALL LINE. AND THIS WAS JUST FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF APRIL. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, SOME OF THE GREATEST NEEDS ARE RELATED TO RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND FOOD ASSISTANCE, UM, AS WELL AS UTILITY ASSISTANCE. SO WE LOOKED AT THIS DATA, WE ALSO LOOKED AT UNEMPLOYMENT DATA, UH, TO DETERMINE, UM, SOME OF THE GREATEST NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW. AND THEN GOING ON TO SLIDE EIGHT. UM, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE NEEDS IN THE CHILDCARE ARENA. YEAH. TO ME AND EVERYONE, THIS IS DONNA SUNDSTROM WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH. AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE SLIDE IS SOME OF THE DATA ON THE KOBE 19 IMPACT AND THE FRAGILITY OF CHILDCARE, THE CHILDCARE SECTOR AND THE CHILDCARE WORKFORCE, UM, OPERATE ON SLIM AND PRECARIOUS MARGINS DURING NORMAL TIMES. AND THEN WHENEVER YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE COBIT 19 AND THE PANDEMIC KIDS, THE IMPACT, UM, IS, IS SIGNIFICANT TO THE SECTOR. UM, MOST CHILDCARE PROGRAM TEACHERS, DIRECTORS AND STAFF ARE WOMEN OF COLOR WHO RECEIVE LOW PAY AND THE LEARNER NO EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT THEY DO TO SUPPORT CHILD TO SUPPORT CHILDREN DURING THIS MOST CRITICAL PERIOD OF DEVELOPMENT. UM, YOU'LL SEE ON THE SLIDES THE, SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY ABOUT 68% OF THE CHILDCARE PROGRAMS THAT CONTRACT FOR SUBSIDIZED CHILDCARE OR CLOSED, UM, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF ALL LICENSED SOCCER PROGRAMS IN TRAVIS COUNTY ARE CLOSED. AND ONLY ABOUT 3% OF THE FIRST ROUND OF LOANS WENT TO THE SECTOR. AND THERE'S CURRENTLY ONLY ABOUT 1400 CHILDCARE SEATS AVAILABLE FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, UM, IN THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY AREA. AND HIS ESTIMATE THAT 54% OF CHILDCARE SUPPLY MAY BE LOST. UM, AND THAT'S DUE FROM A VARIETY, WHETHER THEY WILL BE FINANCIALLY VIABLE TO BE ABLE TO REOPEN THEIR CHILDCARE BUSINESS, UM, OR THE, OR THE STAFF WHO ARE, UM, THEIR TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS IF THEY WILL STILL BE, UM, WORKING IN THE SECTOR. AND SO I THINK THERE'S A RISK THAT A LOT OF THE TEACHING AND EDUCATION STAFF HAVE BEEN LOST. AND PRIOR TO THE COVEN 19 CRISIS, THERE WAS ONLY ONE SPOT FOR EVERY 2.71 CHILDREN IN TEXAS. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT WITHOUT INVESTMENT, THERE MAY BE ONLY ONE SPOT FOR EVERY ABOUT SIX CHILDREN. AND SO BACK TO WHAT REBECCA WAS SAYING AND TRYING TO SEE WHERE GAPS WERE, THERE IS NOT FUNDING AVAILABLE AND TRYING TO FILL THOSE GAPS IS WHERE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE COMING FROM. THANK YOU. SO LET'S GO ON TO SLIDE NINE. SO ON SLIDE NINE, UM, THAT IS A SUMMARY OF THE CURRENT FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS TO RESPOND TO CORONA VIRUS. UM, SO THAT INCLUDES FOR THE CDBG CV CONS. IT INCLUDES RECOMMENDING 2.6 MILLION FOR EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE, APPROXIMATELY 1 MILLION FOR CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE, APPROXIMATELY 1 MILLION FOR HOMELESSNESS ASSISTANCE. UM, FOR THE USE OF ENG CV FUNDS, UM, WE RECOMMEND APPROXIMATELY 2.3 MILLION FOR HOMELESS ASSISTANCE, UM, FOR THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE USE OF THE HOPPER CV FUNDS. UM, THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT APPROXIMATELY 270,000 WOULD BE FORCED SERVICES FOR THE HOT BLOCK PROGRAM. SO THOSE BASICALLY THIS IS THE SUMMARY OF WHAT WE WOULD BE PROPOSING TO HUD TO USE THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT IS PROVIDED THROUGH THE CARES ACT. AND SO AS I MENTIONED, WE WILL BE SUBMITTING THIS TO HUD AS AN AMENDMENT TO OUR PLANS. THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO UM, ACCEPT THESE PROPOSALS AND THEN WE WOULD RECEIVE THE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO DEPLOY IT IN THE COMMUNITY. MOVING ON TO SLIDE 10, UM, HUN ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT WE ADD A SECTION TO OUR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN. [00:20:01] UM, THAT IS, THAT IS BASICALLY A SECTION OF OUT DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY AND IT BASICALLY ALLOWS FOR, UM, QUICKER DEPLOYMENT OF FUNDS THAN WOULD BE ALLOWED IN OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES. AND IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, WE CAN GO THROUGH THOSE. AND THEN THERE ARE A FEW OTHER ADDITIONAL REGULATORY PROVISIONS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO BRING OUR PARTICIPATION PLAN UP TO DATE. SO YOU'RE AWARE OF THOSE. UM, GOING ONTO SLIDE 11, UM, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR OUR FEDERAL GRANTS. SO WE HAVE A MAILING LIST. UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE CREATED AN ONLINE INPUT PORTAL THROUGH THE SPEAK UP OFTEN WEBSITE. UH, THERE'S INFORMATION ON NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING'S WEBSITE, WE HAVE A NEWSLETTER, UM, EMAIL, ET CETERA. AND, UM, NOW WE HAVE STAFF FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE ON THE LINE WHO CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF ANY OF THIS. AND MAYBE WE CAN GO BACK TO SLIDE NINE, UM, AS POTENTIALLY THE, THE SLIDE THAT COMMISSIONERS MIGHT WANT TO START TALKING ABOUT. THANK YOU, ERICA. THIS IS, UH, JOE, UH, DOES HOTEL. I, UM, SEE THAT FROM THE ORIGINAL, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT ABOUT, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE A MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN THE HOMELESSNESS, UH, RECOMMENDATION IS, IS THAT EXPECTED TO BE A CONTINUATION OF THE CURRENT SERVICES OR IS THAT AN ANTICIPATION OF ADDITIONAL HOMELESS BECAUSE OF THE COVERT 19 PANDEMIC? SO, ERICA, UM, EVERYONE COMMISSION, CAN YOU HEAR ME? THIS IS ROSIE. YES. YES. OKAY, GOOD. UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. SO I WASN'T TALKING TO MYSELF AS I HAVE BEEN PRONE TO DO ON MANY, MANY CALLS OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS. UH, SO WE DO ANTICIPATE AN INCREASE, UM, IN, IN THE NUMBER OF, OF HOMELESS OR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN AS A RESULT OF KOBE. UM, WE ARE WORKING WITH A TEAM OF CONSULTANTS ON KIND OF A, A LARGE PLAN THAT WOULD HELP US TO ADDRESS, UM, AND TO, TO WORK ON THE, THE, THE, THE HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM IN AUSTIN, UM, SPECIFICALLY IN RELATION TO COVERT, BUT ALSO IN GENERAL. UM, SO I CAN'T SPEAK YET ON EXACTLY WHAT THESE DOLLARS WOULD GO TO, BUT WE RECOGNIZE, UM, THAT THIS IS A SUCH A VULNERABLE POPULATION AND WE ARE SEEING, UM, INCREASING LEVELS THAT WE WANT TO, UM, DEDICATE SOME OF OUR CDBG CV DOLLARS TOWARDS THIS EFFORT. UM, THERE'S, I, I THINK IT WILL BE NEW PROGRAMMING OR, OR POTENTIALLY A LARGER SET OF SOLICITATIONS THAT WILL GO OUT. UM, BUT IT'S NOT ANTICIPATED THAT THIS IS GOING TO GO INTO ANY SPECIFIC CONTRACT THAT'S ALREADY EXISTING. WE'RE KIND OF TRYING TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND TAKE A NEW LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING. UM, AND I KNOW THAT THIS WILL BE OF GREAT INTEREST TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION. AND SO I AM HAPPY TO, UM, AT A, AT A TIME AND A PLACE THAT IS APPROPRIATE IN THE FUTURE, UM, WHEN WE HAVE THIS PLAN A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, TO HAVE OUR CONSULTANTS OR MEMBERS OF STAFF COME AND PRESENT INFORMATION ON THIS TO YOU. UM, OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, MY, MY OTHER QUESTION AND THEN WE CAN OPEN IT UP IS, UM, ON THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE ADDED OR HAVE, UH, EARMARKED QUITE A BIT FOR THAT, WHICH IS GOOD. UM, I KNOW THAT THE, UH, CURRENT LOTTERY, UM, HAS BEEN CLOSED IN TERMS OF SIGN UP, SO I, I GUESS THEY'RE GOING TO, CITY WAS GOING TO REOPEN THAT NOW THAT THERE'S MORE FUNDS OR THEY'RE GOING TO USE THE EXISTING POOL OF, UH, OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR THAT LOTTERY. DO Y'ALL KNOW ANY? SURE. I CAN SPEAK TO THAT ONE TOO. YEAH. SO THE LOTTERY THAT WE, THAT WE, UM, THAT WE HAD WAS OPEN MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY OF LAST WEEK. SO THAT WAS MADE FOR THROUGH MAY 6TH AT 11:59 PM. AND THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO, UM, GETTING ASSISTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH THEIR MAY RENT AND IT WAS TARGETED TOWARDS MAY RENT SPECIFICALLY, UM, TO BE A REAL TIME, UH, TO BE REAL TIME ASSISTANCE. UH, [00:25:01] WE'RE IN THE PROCESS NOW IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HAKA OF GOING THROUGH THE, UM, THE FOLKS THAT APPLIED THE 10,000, 738 FOLKS THAT APPLIED AND, UM, AND, AND DOING THE RANDOMIZED LOTTERY PROCESS AND THE VERIFICATION AND ALL OF THE STEPS TO GET THOSE CHECKS OUT TO LANDLORDS. UM, FOR MAY, WHAT WE ARE FINDING IS THAT, UM, A LOT OF FOLKS WERE APPLYING FOR MAY RENT KNOWING THAT THEY HAD ALREADY PAID ME RENT AND THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE FOR JUNE. AND SINCE THAT WASN'T THE STATED PURPOSE OR THE STATED OBJECTIVE OF THE PROGRAM, WE'RE MOVING ON UNTIL WE CAN DEPLOY THIS TO FOLKS THAT NEED ASSISTANCE FOR MAY. UM, RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS SOMETHING THAT WE RECOGNIZE IS A GREAT NEED, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, SPECIFICALLY IN RELATION TO COBIT AND TO FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED, UM, EMPLOYMENT-WISE BY THE VIRUS. AND SO WE ARE ALSO TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THAT'S THE BASIS OF, OF THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CDBG CV DOLLARS. AND IT'S ALSO PART OF, UM, HOW WE'RE CONSIDERING A LARGER, UH, ALLOCATION OF FEDERAL DOLLARS, WHICH WE'RE CALLING THE CORONA VIRUS RELIEF FUND THAT FOLKS MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT. UM, IT'S A $170 MILLION, UM, ALLOCATION TO AUSTIN THAT COVERS A BROAD RANGE OF THINGS. UM, RENTAL ASSISTANCE OR THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE IN THIS WAY IS ONE OF THOSE ELEMENTS. AND SO WE ARE, UM, AT THE STAFF LEVEL WORKING TO PRESENT AND COME UP WITH, UH, WITH A PLAN THAT WE'D GO TO COUNCIL ON MAY 21ST, SO PROBABLY DISCUSSED AT THE MAY 19TH WORK SESSION ON HOW THAT, UM, HOW THAT CURRENT OF OUR SHOULD BE FUN SHOULD BE ALLOCATED. AND AGAIN, RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS A PIECE OF THAT. I ANTICIPATE, ALTHOUGH I CAN'T SPEAK TO ANY DOLLAR AMOUNTS OR, OR ANYTHING CONCRETELY BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN STILL DEEPLY IN FORMULATION AND THAT'S THE MEETING THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO JUMP OFF OF THIS CALL AT FOUR TO GO INTO SO THAT I CAN PARTICIPATE IN THAT CONVERSATION. UM, SO YES, THIS IS, IS 2.6 MILLION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS. UM, AND WE ANTICIPATE, UM, THAT THERE COULD BE ADDITIONAL FUNDS ALLOCATED THROUGH THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND, IF THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHERE COUNCIL CHOOSES TO GO AND WHERE THE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDS, UM, AND IT WILL ONLY TOUCH THE NEED. THE NEED IS, IS GREAT. AND, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT. I THINK THERE IS GOOD NEWS AND THAT, UM, FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS OUTSIDE THE CITY THAT THE COUNTY, UM, JUST YESTERDAY ANNOUNCED A $10 MILLION EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UM, THAT WE'RE JUST LEARNING THE DETAILS ABOUT TODAY. AND SO, UM, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES IN TOWN THAT ARE STEPPING UP TO HELP ME WITH THIS NEED. THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. UM, I DID WANT TO ADD, UH, MR CHAIR, WE WOULD NOT TO MAKE IT CLEAR, WE WOULD BE GOING OUT FOR A NEW POOL OF APPLICANTS FOR ANY FUTURE DOLLARS, NOT GOING BACK TO THE SAME POOL THAT WE HAD. UM, SO DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD CONTROL FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED RENTAL ASSISTANCE OR WOULD THEY, EVERYONE WOULD AGAIN JUST BE, UH, WOULD BE ALLOWED TO REAPPLY? UH, I, I, WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR FOLKS TO REAPPLY, UM, BECAUSE THE NEEDS OF WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING IS THAT THE NEEDS WILL CHANGE MONTH TO MONTH. AND, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, THE DATA THAT WE RECEIVED IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD ABOUT THIS FIRST ROUND OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UH, TO HELP INFORM HOW WE MIGHT NEED TO TWEAK THE STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM OR CHANGE HOW WE'RE DOING THINGS. I MEAN WE, UM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE, THE, THE PATH PROGRAM CAME TOGETHER VERY QUICKLY TO PROVIDE REALLY DIRECT, QUICK RELIEF AND, UM, IF WE NEED TO SHIFT BASED ON THAT, THEN WE WILL, UM, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE THAT WE'VE RECEIVED AND WHERE THE DATA THAT WE'RE ANALYZING. THANK YOU. UM, COMMISSIONER MAHIA. HI THERE. I'M COMMISSIONER. I'M HERE AT DISTRICT TWO. UM, SO I'M CURIOUS CAUSE WE TRANSITIONED FROM A SLIDE THAT REALLY FOCUSED ON THE FRAGILITY OF THE CHILDCARE SECTOR, THE BUSINESSES, RIGHT, THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED. AND THEN WE WENT INTO SORT OF THE, UH, THE MENU OF, UM, OF, UM, OPTIONS AS FAR AS RELIEF THAT WAS THERE. I HAPPENED TO BE WORKING ON A TEAM AT EDD THAT IS FOCUSED ON A CHILDCARE ELEMENT OF THAT, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, EXCUSE ME, ALL THAT IS FOCUSED ON THE CHILDCARE SORT OF PROVIDERS. I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE WE'VE ALL, YOU KNOW, IN HUNKER DOWN AS FAR AS CITY FOLK, WHAT IS THE OTHER CROSS DEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION IS FOCUSED ON THE PROVIDERS. UH, CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON THAT, BUT IT'D BE GOOD TO KNOW IF ANYTHING IS, UH, COOKING. AND I FIGURED APH FOLKS WOULD KNOW BECAUSE THAT WAS A VERY DIRE, UH, STATISTIC, UH, AS FAR AS THE VULNERABILITY OF, OF THE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS IN PARTICULAR. SO JUST KIND [00:30:01] OF AS A COMMUNITY GUY AND AS A CITY GUY, I KIND OF WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IF APH HAS A LINE ON THE COLLABORATION OR THE APPROACH ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS. HMM. AS A QUESTION FOR, UM, I THINK IT'S FOR ME, UM, THIS IS DONNA SENSOR WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND UM, THIS WAS A GAP. THIS IS A GAP THAT WE SEE. UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH CONVENED A AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY COVERT 19 CHILDCARE TASK FORCE. AND THAT INCLUDES OUR CHILDCARE REGULATIONS ALONG WITH HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION AND WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS AND UNITED WAY AND TRAVIS COUNTY, UM, ALONG WITH, UM, GABA AND BLACK MOMENTS COLLECTIVE AND OTHER KEY EARLY CHILDHOOD STAKEHOLDERS. AND IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ACROSS THE BOARD, UM, INCLUDING NOT, NOT JUST CITY BUT THE COUNTY AS WELL. I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING AT SEEING IF THEY COULD PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT AS WELL. UM, AND I THINK TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION CONTINUES TO EVALUATE AND SEE WHAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UM, TO PROVIDE. SO, AND I THINK THE FUNDING THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LIKE YOU SAID, IS SUPPORTING THE CENTERS, UM, TO SOME DEGREE, BUT, BUT YES, IT'S JUST A SMALL FRACTION OF WHAT THE NEED IS GOING TO BE OUT THERE. OF COURSE, ACROSS, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE SECTORS. BUT SPECIFICALLY THIS IS WHERE WE WERE SEEING THE GAP THAT, THAT THERE WASN'T SPECIFIC FUNDING GOING TOWARDS. DOES THAT HELP HARD WHEN I CAN'T SEE FACES? NO, IT DOES. IT DOES HELP ACTUALLY. I WAS HOPING SOMEHOW I COULD WRITE IT DOWN RIGHT NOW. LIKE THAT TASKFORCE YOU MENTIONED, I JUST THINK THAT THAT MIGHT, IS THERE A, IS THERE A CONTACT THAT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAVE WITH THAT TASKFORCE THAT WOULD BE A GOOD PLUG INTO THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY ESTABLISHED AS, AS OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING GAP TO FILL FOR THE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL OF THEM I KNOW PERSONALLY. ABSOLUTELY. AND I'M ACTUALLY THE TEAM LEAD OF THAT TASK FORCE AND UM, CINDY GAMEZ IS ALSO ONE OF OUR KEY STAFF MEMBERS WHO'S ON THIS CALL. BUT IF YOU WANT TO REACH OUT TO EITHER ONE OF US AND THEN WE CAN DEFINITELY PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON INFOR INFORMATION. MAY I TAKE DOWN YOUR EMAIL NOW? IT'S HARD TO, THERE'S NO NOTHING ON THE, SURE. I KNOW, I KNOW. UM, DONNA D O N N A. DOT. SUNDSTROM S U N D S T R O M AT AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV AND I COULD ALSO REACH OUT TO YOU AS WELL AND OKAY, THANKS. THANK YOU. A LOT OF COMMISSIONERS THAT CAN'T SEE YOUR FACES. SO MAYBE IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MAYBE SPEAK UP AND WE'LL TAKE THEM ONE AT A TIME. I HAVE A, THE QUESTION, THIS IS COMMISSIONER QUANTY WITH DISTRICT THROUGH, I'M SORRY DUDE. WHERE ARE YOU, WHERE ARE YOU GOING AND WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO, UH, NAME SOMEBODY ELSE? NO, NO, PLEASE GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER. HOW'S IT GOING? CHAIR. THANK YOU. I, UH, JUST A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, PERHAPS WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL DRAFT AND, AND TODAY, UH, TO CHANGE THE ALLOCATION OF THAT MILLION DOLLARS, UH, TO, TO THE HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM. I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY A DEFINED OUT YET, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, THE PROPORTION OF THE OVERALL FUNDS THAT MIGHT BE GOING TOWARD HOMELESSNESS. UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT SEEMS, UH, I, I'M, I'M JUST, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, I JUST, WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT PROCESS WAS, WHAT THE FEEDBACK PROCESS WAS BECAUSE I, I MISSED IT AND THEN I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT. UM, WHOM, WHOM, WHOM SHOULD I ADDRESS THAT TO MR CHARITY, YOU THINK? UH, THAT'S A STAFF QUESTION. I HAD A SIMILAR QUESTION. SO, UM, ABOUT THE ALLOCATION OF THE, THE ADDITIONAL, UH, THE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WENT TO HOMELESS HOMELESSNESS. WHAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND, WHAT WAS THE CHANGE IN THE LAST WEEK? I GUESS THAT THAT'S WHAT THOSE FUNDS FROM GOING TO WHERE THEY WERE EARMARKED TO HOMELESSNESS. YEAH. YEAH. SO THIS IS REBECCA TO YELLOW AND I'M GOING TO DEFER REAL QUICKLY TO SEE IF WE'VE GOT OUR DIRECTOR ON THE PHONE AND THEN IF NOT, I'LL TAKE THE QUESTION. UH, ROSIE, ARE YOU STILL THERE? I AM STILL THERE. UM, BUT I'M ALSO FINE FOR YOU TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. UM, I, THERE'S, YOU KNOW WHAT WE'VE, HMM. THE WAY WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALLOCATING FUNDS, I [00:35:01] MEAN GENUINELY HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN SHIFTING ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS AS WE ARE SEEING DIFFERENT NEEDS RISE, AS WE UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT, UM, HOW OUR FUNDS ARE, ARE ABLE TO BE USED. UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE, WITH THE, WITH HOMELESSNESS AS STILL THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, MAYBE, ARGUABLY AFTER THE PANDEMIC, UH, OR, OR TREATMENT OF THE VIRUS. UM, IT, IT MADE SENSE TO US TOO. AND RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE OTHER DOLLARS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP FULFILL SOME OF THE NEEDS FOR BUSINESSES. IT MADE SENSE TO US TO DEDICATE THIS, THIS MONEY TO, UM, TO HOMELESSNESS. UM, I MEAN THERE'S, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT COMPLETELY ANSWERS THE QUESTION, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE IS, WE EVOLVED AND IT CERTAINLY DOES. I MEAN, IT'S, IT DOES ANSWER THE QUESTION. I GUESS. I GUESS MY CURIOSITY IS AROUND JUST PROPORTIONS. I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND AND AS WE ALL DO, AND, UH, AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE NOTION THAT, UH, THE, THE PROBLEMS, THE, UH, OF, OF PEOPLE SUFFERING, UH, WHILE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UH, AND ALSO THE PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ARE PRETTY GREAT FOR OUR TOWN AND THE PROSPECTS AREN'T GOOD. UH, I, IT WAS A QUESTION OF PROPORTION WHEN, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE 2.6, UH, IS GOING, UH, TO EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UM, AND YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, AND SO A MILLION, UH, THAT WOULD BE GOING TOWARD HOMELESSNESS. I THINK WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT IT AS A CONTINUUM, UM, AND PARTICULARLY, UH, THE GRAPHIC THAT WE SAW EARLIER THAT SHOWED THE DISTRIBUTION OF CALLS, UH, AT THE TWO ON ONE PROGRAM, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS WITH BASICALLY HOUSING, UH, HOUSING RELATED COSTS, UM, OR FOOD, UH, YOU KNOW, WHICH CAN START TO CANNIBALIZE EACH OTHER. UH, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, IT'S A, IT'S A PIPELINE ISSUE. UH, AND SO IF THE NOTION IS TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS AND WE CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A GARGANTUAN BUBBLES, UH, OF FOLKS, UH, THAT, THAT ARE ON THE CUSP OF HOMELESSNESS, WOULD IT, YOU KNOW, IS THAT NUMBER, DOES THAT NUMBER ECLIPSE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE AT RISK OF, I DON'T KNOW, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE COULD WE, THAT, THAT THOSE DOLLARS MIGHT BE MORE EFFECTIVELY SPENT PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS BY SUPPORTING WITH HOUSING RELATED COSTS, I. E RENT, UM, AND UTILITIES, UH, AND EVEN FOOD BECAUSE THAT'S ALL DISPLACEMENT AT SOME POINT. UM, AS OPPOSED TO THE, A MILLION OF IT GOING INTO PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS? OR IS THAT SOME FUNCTION OF SOMETHING I'M MISSING? IS THERE A FUNCTION OF LIKE THE, THE FLEXIBILITY OF THOSE FUNDS OR THE LACK OF RESTRICTION OF THOSE FUNDS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE THINGS WITH, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS WEARING, WHAT THE CALCULUS WAS, BECAUSE THAT MILLION DOLLAR SWING AS RELATED TO 2.6 MILLION, YOU KNOW, UH, GOING TOWARD RENTAL ASSISTANCE, IT SEEMS, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A, A LOT LIKE A LOT IN THE MILLION SENSE. OKAY. AND IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT. OKAY. WELL, BASICALLY WE HAVE 2.6 MILLION GOING TOWARD RENTAL ASSISTANCE, RIGHT. AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE IS HELPING THE FOLKS WHO ARE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE, UH, THEY'RE NOT ABLE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR COST OF LIVING OR THEIR COSTS OF THEIR HOMES, PERIOD. PURE POINT BLANK. RIGHT. UH, AND SO IF 2.6 MILLION ARE HEADED TO THAT, MY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBERS OFF HAND, UH, BUT I WOULD ASSUME THAT THAT THE AMOUNT OF THE POPULATION, UH, OR THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION, UH, WHO IS EXPERIENCING SUBSTANTIAL CHALLENGE WITH MAINTAINING THEIR COST OF RENT OR THERE'S THE COST OF HOUSING. UM, I WOULD, I WOULD GUESS THAT THAT POPULATION ECLIPSES SORT OF, UH, WHAT WE'RE IN, YOU KNOW, ECLIPSES, UH, WHAT THE HOMELESS POPULATION IS. UM, OR IT SEEMS LIKE THOSE DOLLARS MAYBE MORE, UH, EFFECTIVELY PROPORTIONATELY SPENT ON PREVENTION. I WOULDN'T SUGGEST, OF COURSE, ELIMINATING ALL OF THE DOLLARS BEING SPENT, UH, ON, ON HOMELESSNESS. UM, BUT RATHER IT SEEMS LIKE, IT SEEMS LIKE PREVENTION, UH, IS, UH, WOULD BE WHERE THOSE DOLLARS COULD BE MOST EFFECTIVELY SPENT. I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU PREVENT HOMELESSNESS BY ASSISTING WITH HOUSING COSTS, I THINK IT'S A FAR CHEAPER INTERVENTION, ALBEIT EXPENSIVE NONETHELESS, THAN SORT OF, UH, ALLOCATING COSTS TO FOLKS THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO HELP AND ARE NOW HOMELESS. AND WHOSE INTERVENTION IS, YOU KNOW, UH, FAR MORE EXPENSIVE, [00:40:01] UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE ORDER OF, I DON'T KNOW, PERHAPS EXPONENT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO, I MEAN, YEAH, THAT TOTALLY MAKES SENSE. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS, THAT I WAS TRACKING WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND OF COURSE I CAN'T, YOU CAN'T SEE MY FACE TO KNOW THAT I'M TRACKING WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. AND SO THIS IS THE FUN OF, OF THESE KIND OF CALLS. UM, SO WHEN I THINK OF THIS, UM, I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE, UM, I ANTICIPATE THAT THERE'S THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL DOLLARS COMING THROUGH THE CURRENT BUYER'S RELIEF FUND TOWARDS RENTAL ASSISTANCE. UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE, UM, AND WE'VE ALREADY PUT FORWARD 1.1 POINT 2 MILLION OUT OF THE HOUSING TRUST FUND. UM, I THINK THAT, I THINK THERE'S GOOD POTENTIAL THERE. UM, IT, WELL I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE THAT I AGREE THAT THE NEED IS, IS OVERWHELMING ON THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PIECE, BUT WE SEE THAT IN AND OF ITSELF, AS YOU SAID, AS, AS A PREVENTATIVE, AS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE. UM, BUT THE, THERE IS STILL ONGOING NEED WITH HOMELESSNESS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE SEE THIS AS AN AVAILABLE WAY TO HELP BOTH CHALLENGES THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS FACING. AND, AND I, SINCE I DON'T HAVE THE FULL DETAILS OF WHAT THE PLAN BE, I THINK SOME OF THIS MILLION DOLLARS COULD GO TOWARDS PREVENTION OF HOMELESSNESS, UM, AS MUCH AS ANYTHING. UM, THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT SPECIFIED IN, IN A MORE DIRECT WAY. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT, IT IS, YOU KNOW, THE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, WHEN WE'RE HAVING OUR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN, WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST THE CREATION OF HOUSING UNITS IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM INCLUDING RAPID REHOUSING, INCLUDING DIVERSION PRACTICES, INCLUDING, UM, EVICTION PREVENTION AND PREVENTION OF HOMELESSNESS. AND SO THIS MILLION DOLLARS KIND OF GOES TO SUPPLEMENT THAT LARGER EFFORT. UM, AND IN THE 2.6 GOES TOWARDS, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE DIRECT INDIVIDUAL RENTAL ASSISTANCE. AND I THINK THEY'RE BOTH IMPORTANT. AND YOU KNOW, IF THE COMMITTEE HAS HAD THOUGHTS OR SUGGESTIONS ON, ON DIFFERENT WEIGHTING, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND I WOULD SHARE THAT INFORMATION BACK WITH THE CITY COUNCIL. UM, BUT I FEEL, I FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH HOW WE HAVE STRUCTURED THE, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY. UM, COOL. THAT MAKES SENSE. UM, AND YEAH, THAT'S REALLY ALL I NEEDED TO HEAR. I THINK JUST, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE, WE VIEW THE WHOLE THING, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS IS ESSENTIALLY A HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION AND IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A HUGE SPECTRUM. UH, AND YOU KNOW, THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO CHARACTERIZE IT FOR ME LIKE THAT. UH, YEAH, THAT MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE THAN I CAN SEE THE GRADIENT BETWEEN HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION BY MEANS OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION, UH, BY MEANS OF THE OTHER INTERVENTIONS OF COURSE, THAT THE, THAT THE HOUSING RELATED INTERVENTIONS. UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, HOMELESS, UH, HOMELESSNESS, UH, UH, JUST INTERVENTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH SUPPORT, UH, AND, AND TRENDS AND TRANSITIONING PEOPLE AWAY FROM HOMELESSNESS. SO I GET IT AND I TOTALLY APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR RESPONSE, ESPECIALLY, UH, THE NOTION THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING MAY BE AVAILABLE FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE. THAT ALL CLEARS IT UP FOR ME. THANK YOU. YEAH, SURE. YEAH. UM, I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS KIND OF EXTENDING OUT FROM THAT QUESTION. ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKED ABOUT THE PROGRAM THAT WAS BEING RUN THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WAS THAT IT WOULD GIVE PEOPLE SOME AGENCY OVER HOW THEY RECOVER FROM THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY HAVE BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. UM, SO PAYING AN ARTIST TO DO ART ON ONE HAND SOUNDS KIND OF FRIVOLOUS, BUT IF THAT'S HOW SOMEBODY GETS THE MONEY TO PAY THE RENT AND MAKES A DEAL WITH THE LANDLORD TO PAY HALF OF THE RENT FOR THIS MONTH OR WAIVE THE LATE FEES OR YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY HAS THE ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE THAT, THERE WON'T, IF THEY GO THROUGH A SYSTEM THAT DEALS WITH, WITH THE LANDLORD. SO, UM, I'M LOOKING AT HOW DO PEOPLE HAVE MORE CHOICE OR SAY, SO IN HOW THEY RECOVER. MAYBE WE COULD DO A PROGRAM WITH ART FROM THE STREETS, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT HOMELESS PEOPLE, UM, YOU ART PROJECTS AND MAKE SOME MONEY DOING IT. AND THEN I THINK WE'VE GOT HOMELESS PEOPLE NOW HOUSED TEMPORARILY BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF HAVING A VIRUS OR THEY HAVE IT. AND IT, [00:45:01] IT'S IRONIC THAT AT SOME POINT THEY'RE GOING TO BE PUT OUT OF THE HOUSING THAT THEY HAVE AND GO BACK TO BEING HOMELESS. AND SO, UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM HERE BECAUSE THAT'S A REALLY LONGTERM SOLUTION, BUT I'M LOOKING FOR THOSE LONGER TERM THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP PEOPLE GET PAST THE SITUATION WHERE THEY'RE SO VULNERABLE TO ENDEMIC. AND, AND THEN ON THE FURTHER DOWN IN THE AGENDA, WE'LL HEAR FROM ANHILL ABOUT MORE FUNDING FOR CSBG. AND I HAD HEARD THAT THAT MONEY WOULD BE USED TO PAY FOR CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS AT ACC THAT PRAYING PEOPLE IN HIGH-PAYING TRADES, WHICH IS A GOOD WAY TO GET OUT OF POVERTY, TO GET A JOB IN A HIGH PAYING TRADE. AND I DON'T SEE THAT LISTED THERE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE STAFF HAS ANY COMMENTS. AND FINALLY, THE FOURTH THING, OUR FIFTH, SORRY, UM, IS WE'RE BEING ASKED TO CHANGE THE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN TO UH, SHORTEN IT WHEN HUD SAYS WE CAN TO A FIVE DAY COMMENT PERIOD OR COMMENT PERIOD. AND SO HUD'S ALREADY DONE THAT. I'M CURIOUS WHY WE NEED TO CHANGE THE PLAN IF ALREADY HAS THE ABILITY TO SAY YOU ONLY HAD TO DO A FIVE DAY PROCESS. SO, UM, IF I CAN ADDRESS THE FIRST OR ONE OF THE MIDDLE ONES, UM, COMMISSIONER, WE, UM, YOU, YOU ARE CORRECT. AND THAT WE HAVE HOUSED A NUMBER OF, UM, PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED, THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND WHAT WE'RE CALLING OUR PROTECT OUR PRO LODGES, OUR PROTECTIVE LODGING. UM, AND WE'RE DOING THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF THE RISK FOR, UH, TO THEM FOR THAT VULNERABLE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD IS, IS AN ABILITY TO NOT RELEASE PEOPLE FROM THE PROLOGUE INTO UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS. AND SO THAT IS, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT AS KIND OF A PRIORITY FOR THE TEAM THAT IS WORKING ON HOMELESSNESS RIGHT NOW. UM, WE WANT TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, OBVIOUSLY. AND THEN WE ALSO WANT TO, UM, OUR GOAL IS TO NOT RELEASE ANYBODY FROM THE PRO LODGES INTO UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS. AND THEN IF, UM, IF ERICA WANTS TO SPEAK TO THE CITIZEN, PARTICIPATE IN CITIZEN PARTICIPATION, PLAN A QUESTION AND THEN, AND THEN WE MIGHT PAUSE ON THE UNTIL WE'RE AT THAT ITEM IN THE AGENDA. YES. SO THIS IS ERICA LEAK. UM, SO HUD RECOMMENDED THAT WE ADD THIS NEW SECTION, UM, TO THE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN FOR, UM, RECOVERY, UH, DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY. AND, UM, THEY, THEY BASICALLY SAID THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE IT IN THERE SO THAT IF THERE ARE OTHER, UM, DISASTER ACTIVITIES THAT, THAT IT WOULD ALREADY BE IN PLACE. SO, SO THAT'S THE REASON THAT, UM, THEY'RE RECOMMENDING THE ADDITION OF THAT NEW SECTION. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IF IT'S POSSIBLE. WELL, I THINK, UM, YEAH, I, I FEEL LIKE THE, THE LOGIC IS, IS, IS SOUND AS FAR AS, UH, THE DISTRIBUTIONS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S HARD, UH, THAT THAT'S THE MONEY THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH. IT'S BETTER THAN NOTHING. A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, WHERE MY MIND GOES IS, I'LL, I GUESS I'LL, UH, TWO, TWO THINGS. I'VE BEEN WONDERING AS THESE, THESE, UH, LARGE SUMS OF MONEY ARE GOING OUT AND BEING RUN THROUGH THE, UH, THROUGH THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. I VERY, I'VE HAD A CURIOSITY ABOUT LIKE, IS THERE A CAP ON ADMINISTRATIVE FEES FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, SERVING AS STEWARDS OF THESE FUNDS? I E WHEN THE, UH, WHEN THE DIRECT TRANSFERS WENT OUT OF THE RENT RELIEF, I'VE, I'VE REALLY BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT IF THERE'S A FLAT ADMIN FEE BECAUSE THERE IS SO MANY, UH, SO MANY DIFFERENT PROVIDERS WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT, WHICH, WHICH COULD BE A GOOD THING OR, OR A NEUTRAL THING. AND THEN MY FOLLOWUP IS, I'M REALLY CURIOUS, I'VE SEEN IN OTHER CITIES AND, UH, THAT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS SEEM TO HAVE A MUCH MORE COHERENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE SORT OF PUBLIC HEALTH EFFORTS. AND I, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST SAYING, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE ANY, UH, CONTROVERSY, BUT JUST MATHEMATICALLY, YOU LOOK AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ON THEIR SITE ALTOGETHER, UH, ATX IT SAYS THEY'VE COLLECTED $6 MILLION. THEY'VE DISTRIBUTED 1.8 MILLION OF THAT AND THEY'RE NOT OPENING UP THERE, I THINK NEXT FUNDING CYCLE UNTIL JULY. SO THE DEMAND ON THE, I KNOW FOR THE CITY TO GET DOLLARS OUT FASTER SEEMS A LOT HIGHER THAN THAT. AND I'M REALLY, [00:50:01] I'VE REALLY BEEN SORT OF CURIOUS AND MAYBE FROM, UH, UM, THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, WHICH, WHICH FAMILY FOUNDATIONS HAVE BEEN SHOWING UP AND HELPING OUT AND WHERE IS THE SORT OF CAPACITY OR GAPS THAT MAKE SURE THAT THESE FOUNDATIONS, UM, ARE AT LEAST INVITED TO THE TABLE. IT'S NOT A MALICIOUS ACCUSATION. I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW THAT HAS PLAYED OUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THESE, WITH THESE FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THESE PROGRAMS. SO, UM, THIS IS ROSIE ONE LAST TIME BEFORE I JUMP ONTO MY NEXT CALL. UM, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE RAISING AND I'M GOING TO LET, I'M GONNA LET THE REST OF THE NACD AND THE HEALTH TEAM RESPOND TO THEM. UH, I AM GOING TO ASK THAT ANGIE, AS SHE'S TAKING NOTES, THAT SHE GETS THOSE OVER OVER TO ME AND I WILL SHARE SOME OF THE FEEDBACK ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES. UM, WITH THE TEAM THAT IS WORKING ON THE ALLOCATION FOR THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY DOLLARS. UM, SO JUST, JUST KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK AND THE, AND THE, THE DIALOGUE AND, UM, I'M SORRY, I HAVE TO JUMP OFF OF THIS CALL, BUT, UM, THANK YOU FOR, FOR LETTING ME SPEAK. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS, THIS IS REBECCA GLO. UM, JUST TO PICK UP WHERE ROSIE LEFT OFF, I'M THE DEPUTY, I'M THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. I TOO APPRECIATE THE SHARED, UM, CONSIDERATION. UH, THAT WAS JUST PROVIDED VERBALLY. I THINK FOR, FOR AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, WE ARE LOOKING AT WHERE THERE IS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENT OF THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE DOLLARS. SO RECOGNIZING THAT THE NEED WAS YESTERDAY WHEN WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, SAT AND RALLIED AROUND HOW TO GET THE DOLLARS OUT THE DOOR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE NEEDED TO LOOK AT SCALE AND THE ABILITY FOR AN AGENCY TO DELIVER AT A LARGE SCALE AND DEPLOY THE DOLLARS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. SO THAT WAS A STRONG CONSIDERATION. AND WHO WOULD BE A PARTNER IN THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE SPECIFICALLY? UM, WE ALSO RECOGNIZE HOWEVER, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY GOING OUT THE DOOR, SO TO SPEAK, IN OTHER ENTITIES. I WOULD WANT DONNA TO POTENTIALLY SPEAK TO THE PROCESS OF THE RISE FUND. THOSE ARE ALSO RELIEF DOLLARS. UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING OUT TO COMMUNITY SERVICES, UH, HAS BEEN THROUGH RISE FUNDS. AND SO I WANNA, YOU KNOW, BE DIPLOMATIC AND PAUSE AND SEE IF DONNA WANTS TO, TO ADD THE COMMENTS THERE. THIS IS DONNA SENSOR WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC TO PROBABLY ADD TO THE CONVERSATION HERE SINCE I WASN'T IN ON ALL OF THE DETAILS OF HOW WE WERE WRITING THOSE DOLLARS OUT. BUT I'M HAPPY TO TAKE BACK ANY QUESTIONS AND GET INFORMATION BACK. UM, I DO KNOW THAT, UM, OH, GO AHEAD. WELL, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S FAIR AND I WOULD ACTUALLY WANT TO ACTUALLY DELIVER THE RESPONSE IN A MORE COMPREHENSIVE WAY. AND SO I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING WITH YOUR FEEDBACK AND THEN ALSO WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS NACD AND, UH, AUSTIN HAS THE FINANCE CORPORATION. I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A, UM, AN EXCELLENT DELIVERY AND REPORT FACT COMPREHENSIVELY ABOUT HOW THE RELEASE DOLLARS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED. SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND, UH, WE'LL DEFINITELY BE LOOKING AT WAYS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, BUT CERTAINLY AT A MINIMUM, PUTTING THAT ON OUR NEXT MEETING. HI, THIS IS ADRIAN CERT FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY, FANTASTIC. ADRIAN, YOU ARE, YOU ARE A WONDERFUL VOICE ON THIS ISSUE, SO THANK YOU ADRIAN BEING THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER A NUMBER OF THESE CONTRACTS ON THE RISE FUND. SO WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE YOU THE FLOOR ON THIS. UM, SO THANK YOU REBECCA. AND I DO AGREE THAT A WRITTEN MORE COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE WILL BE, UM, BETTER, BUT I, I CAN ON A HIGH LEVEL, UM, JUST SAY THAT WE UTILIZED OUR EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DEPLOY THESE FUNDS IN AN EXPEDITED FASHION. UM, THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION WAS CLEAR IN THE DIRECTIVES AND WE COMMUNICATED THAT TO AGENCIES. SO USUALLY IN OUR PROCESS THERE'S SOME NEGOTIATION OF SERVICES, BUT WE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, THIS IS WHO WE WANT TO SET. HOW WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE DONE ARE DO YOU HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO DO SO? AND FOR AGENCIES THAT, UM, REPLIED, YES, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, RECEIVE APPLICATIONS FROM THEM AND UM, ENTER INTO CONTRACTS [00:55:01] FOR THOSE AGENCIES WITH LESS INFRASTRUCTURE BUT WITH GREATER CONNECTIONS IN COMMUNITY. WE PARTNERED WITH THE EQUITY OFFICE, UM, WHO CONTRACTED WITH THE FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE AND THEY, UM, HAD A PROCESS WHERE CODES WERE JUST GIVEN OUT TO FOLKS FOR, UM, DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, SELECT SERVICE AND MORE KIND OF THAT AGENCY, I KNOW WHAT I NEED TO DO WITH $2,000 THIS MONTH, PLEASE GIVE IT TO ME. UM, AND SO IT WAS THROUGH THAT COMBINED APPROACH, LIKE USING OUR RESOURCES WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ALSO IN COMMUNITY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DISSEMINATE THOSE FUNDS QUICKLY. UM, TO THE COMMISSIONER'S QUESTION ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS WITH UM, LOCAL PHILANTHROPY, WE REALIZED THAT IS A GAP. UM, WE DID HAVE EARLY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE UNITED WAY BEFORE THEY SET UP THEIR, UM, RFP PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WASN'T ANY OVERLAP IN THE THINGS THAT THEY WERE, UM, ARE PAYING FOR, WOULD COMPLIMENT THE SERVICES THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE SEEKING TO PROCURE THROUGH THE RISE ONE. UM, I THOUGHT THAT WORKED OUT VERY WELL. WE WANT TO HAVE, UM, CONTINUED CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH ST DAVID'S AND SOME OF THE OTHER BIG PLAYERS IN COMMUNITY BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE IS A LARGE INFLUX OF RESOURCES COMING INTO COMMUNITY. SO WHAT IS THE BEST? SO WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO LEVERAGE THOSE DOLLARS, NOT ONLY INTERNALLY BUT WITH OUR PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS. SO, UM, IT IS A WORK IN PROCESS, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY IS, UH, WILLING AND READY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. AND CHAIR WILL, UH, WILL HAND THE FLOOR BACK TO YOU RECOGNIZING, UH, TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S, THERE'S 30 MINUTES LEFT IN A MEETING AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN YET TO THE CSBG ITEM. RIGHT? YEAH. THANK YOU. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO SAY. AND I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE, UM, TO COMMISSIONER, UH, MT ONE, HIS POINT, I'M, THAT WAS REALLY WHAT MY QUESTION WAS BECAUSE WHEN I LOOKED AT THE ORIGINAL DISTRIBUTION, I HAD BASICALLY SUGGESTED THAT WE MOVE SOME OF THOSE HOMELESSNESS FUNDS TO THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE SPECIFICALLY FOR PREVENTION. UM, AND SO MY THOUGHT IS, UH, OUR FEEDBACK THAT WE WANT TO GET FROM COMMISSIONERS SO THAT YOU CAN INCORPORATE IT, UH, DOES IT MAKE MORE SENSE INSTEAD OF SUCH A HIGH LEVEL, UH, THESE BUCKETS THAT WE JUST PROVIDE OUR FEEDBACK, UH, ON, IN THE WAYS IN WHICH WE MIGHT WANT TO SEE THAT DONE. LIKE WE CAN MAKE A STATEMENTS TO SOME DEGREE OF SAYING IF, IF WE DO AGREE AS A COMMISSION THAT WE WANT TO SEE, UM, A PORTION OF THE HOMELESSNESS FUNDS, IF WE'RE GOING TO SAY, RECOMMEND THAT $2 MILLION BE ALLOCATED FOR THAT PURPOSE, THAT, UM, A PORTION OF IT, OR AT LEAST A FOCUS OF IT BE ON PREVENTION OF, OF, OF HOMELESSNESS AND, UH, UH, RESOURCES THAT WOULD, UH, KEEP PEOPLE FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, BECOMING HOMELESS. UM, SO I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR US TO PROVIDE, UH, FEEDBACK AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU NOW THAT WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THE ALLOCATIONS CAME FROM? UH, AND SO THAT'S A STAFF QUESTION. YEAH. I THINK, I THINK WE JUST WANT TO KNOW THE BEST WAY TO PROVIDE OUR SORT OF THOUGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND THE ALLOCATION OF THE FUNDS. SURE. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, AND, AND, AND, UH, JUST AT A HIGH LEVEL THERE, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS AROUND HOW STAFF GOT TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR TODAY, AND I KNOW I'LL GET TO THE, TO THE SPECIFIC ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, BUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR TODAY IS FOR YOU ALL TO, UH, TAKE ACTION PRIOR TO US GOING TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ON THE 21ST, SO THAT WE HAVE YOUR IMPORTANT FEEDBACK. UM, SO THE TWO PRONGED, UH, ANSWER THAT I WOULD SAY IS A DIRECT ACTION TO, UH, PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, WHETHER IT'S TO ACCEPT IT AS IT'S WRITTEN AND THAT IT IS NOT, IT WOULD BE, UM, A A REFERENCE TO WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO TYPE UP AS A RESOLUTION BY CDC MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MAY DIFFER THAN STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE YOU. SO I THINK IF YOU PROVIDE THAT TO US FROM A, UH, JUST A VERBAL STANDPOINT, UM, AND HE CHECKED ME ON PROCESS, BUT I THINK WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS THAT WE WOULD TYPE UP YOUR RESOLUTIONS SPECIFYING WHAT ACTION WAS TAKEN AND WE WOULD CIRCULATE THAT TO ENSURE ACCURACY THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS. [01:00:02] GREAT. UH, I'M FINE WITH THAT. UM, I THINK YOU'VE GOTTEN FEEDBACK FROM TWO COMMISSIONERS AND IF THERE ARE OTHER COMMISSIONER OH THREE, CAUSE COMMISSIONER POP HAD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND, UH, POTENTIALLY HOW TO USE THOSE FUNDS. CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WAS AN ARTIST, UH, PORTION 600,000 AND THE ORIGINAL THAT THAT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED FUNDS TO ARTISTS TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT COBIT 19 AND IN THE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AROUND THAT, UH, AND HOW THAT COULD BE POTENTIALLY USED INCORPORATED WITHIN THE HOMELESSNESS FUNDS THROUGH THAT ORGANIZATION OR THAT PROGRAM. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, ACCEPTING THOSE FROM COMMISSIONERS, UH, THAT YOU'VE ALREADY RECEIVED. UH, YOU KNOW, FOR ME THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE PERFECTLY FINE JUST TO HAVE TO TAKE IN OUR CONSIDERATIONS, UM, AND THEN MAYBE PROVIDE A DRAFT BACK TO US. SO I GUESS AT THIS TIME, IF THERE ARE ANY FINAL THOUGHTS FROM COMMISSIONERS ON THE ALLOCATION PROCESS NOW WOULD BE PROBABLY THE TIME TO EXPRESS THAT SO THAT WE COULD MOVE ON IN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES TO THE NEXT ITEM. MR. CHAIR, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT A QUICK THOUGHT AND IT'S JUST, IT'S AROUND WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN SORT OF DISCUSSING AND I THINK THAT PERHAPS, UH, PHRASING SOMETHING TO THE NOTE TO THE EFFECT OF, YOU KNOW, THAT MILLION DOLLARS RIGHT NOW IS ESSENTIALLY EARMARKED WITHOUT ANY KIND OF DEMARCATION WITHIN WHERE IN THE SPECTRUM OF, UH, THE HOMELESSNESS CHALLENGE, WHERE IT'S TRYING TO ADDRESS. AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS TO COME OUT LATER. HOWEVER, IT MAY BE A GOOD PROACTIVE STANCE FOR US TO TAKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS WE'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, AT LEAST 50% OF THAT, OF THOSE DOLLARS GOING TOWARD HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION, UH, YOU KNOW, OR 50% OR MORE OF THOSE DOLLARS GOING TOWARD PREVENTION, UH, LEAVING THE REMAINDER FOR A SORT OF, UH, FOR INTERVENTION. UM, OR SOMETHING THAT MIGHT, UH, JUST, UH, PERHAPS MOVE THOSE FUNDS INTO THE RENTAL ASSISTANT, MOVE SOME PORTION OF THOSE FUNDS INTO THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. BUT THAT'S SPECIFICALLY, AGAIN, EARMARKED, UH, OR DEMARCATED, UH, SPACE FOR ARTISTS, UH, BECAUSE I THINK ARTISTS IN PARTICULAR AND A LOT OF THE, UH, PROFESSIONAL ARENAS AROUND THAT ARE, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO NUMBER ONE OR MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FINANCIAL CRISES TOO OFTEN MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE OF THE SAME, UH, COUPLED WITH ALSO THE, UH, THE SOCIAL, UH, FACTORS, UM, UH, THAT, OKAY. THAT CAN ALSO ACCOMPANY, UM, THOSE ISSUES. I THINK, I THINK SOME SORT OF, SOME, SOME SORT OF DEMARCATION OF FUNDS THAT APPLIES TO ARTISTS THAT SOMEHOW FITS WITHIN THE UMBRELLA OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION WHILE REALLY, REALLY HONORING, UH, I THINK THE NEEDS OF THOSE ARTISTS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE SOME SORT OF WAIT IN, IN, UH, SOME SORT OF WEIGHT IN THE RUBRIC, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING ASSISTANCE. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO GET A PRIMER. IT PROBABLY NOT THE TIME AROUND WHICH FUNDS, UH, UM, WHAT THE UNIVERSE AND THE CONSTELLATION OF FUNDS ARE, UH, AND WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. BECAUSE I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN A WHOLE LOT LEARNED FROM THE MOST RECENT RENTAL ASSISTANCE. UH, UH, FUNDS DISTRIBUTION, UH, THAT'S OCCURRING. YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE FORMAL LEASES, SOME PEOPLE CAN'T PROVE X OR SOMETHING. PEOPLE CAN'T PROVE Y. UH, AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE FUNDS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE FLEXIBILITY IN SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO KNOW WHICH FUNDS HAVE STRINGS ATTACHED AND WHICH DON'T. AND IF THAT'S A PART OF THE CALCULUS FOR WHY THE FUNDS ARE ALLOCATED THE WAY THEY ARE BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO MESS WITH THAT. IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW OUT THERE, UM, BUT SORT OF PRIME APHASIA, WHAT I SEE IS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LOT OF WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU, MR. CHAIR. UH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FUNDS GOING TOWARD HOMELESSNESS VERY CLEARLY MARKED TOWARD PREVENTION INTERVENTION AND PERHAPS SOME SORT OF A ALLOCATION TOWARD ARTISTS AND OR MUSICIANS I SUPPORT. I SUPPORT THAT. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GET IN, TAKE A POLL RIGHT NOW WITH THE COMMISSIONERS IF THAT'S NECESSARY STAFF OR YOU COULD JUST TAKE THIS FEEDBACK AND INCORPORATE IT INTO A DRAFT THAT YOU CAN SEND AROUND REAL QUICK. I APPRECIATE THAT. I WOULD VALUE, UM, GOING AHEAD AND GETTING A SECOND ON THAT AND HAVING YOU, UH, CALL FOR A VOTE SO THAT WE WOULD BE CIRCULATING A DRAFT LANGUAGE REFLECTIVE OF AN OVERALL VOTE OF THE BODY. OKAY. COULD YOU MAKE A RECOMMENDATION COMMISSIONER MIGHT WANTING THAT? SOMEONE ELSE GETS SECOND? YEAH. I, I RECOMMEND THAT WE, UH, FURTHER CLARIFY THE LANGUAGE AROUND FUNDING FOR HOMELESSNESS TO, UH, UH, UH, INDICATE, UH, HOW MUCH IS GOING TOWARD PREVENTION VERSUS INTERVENTION. UH, PREFERABLY WITH MORE GOING TOWARD PREVENTION, UM, AND [01:05:02] ALSO ADDING IN CLARIFYING LANGUAGE OR PERHAPS A QUALIFYING LANGUAGE THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS, UH, HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL WEIGHT, UH, IN RUBRIC IN WHEN IT COMES TO GETTING ASSISTANCE. FORGIVE THAT THOSE WORDS MAY NOT BE AS GOOD AS IT COULD BE. I'M JUST KIND OF SPITTING THEM OUT. THAT'S WHAT MY RIGHTS ARE. I RECOMMEND THAT I MOVE, UH, THAT WE, UH, UH, THAT WE RECOMMEND THOSE CHANGES. SECOND, WE HAVE A SECOND. UH, EXCELLENT. SO WE HAVE A EMOTION IN A SECOND ON THE FLOOR, UH, FOR SOME BASIC EARMARKING OF THE, UH, THE FUNDS. UH, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED SAY NO. NAH, NAH. OKAY. OKAY. SO WE HAVE, UH, ONE NATE WHO SAID NATE, I'M SORRY CAUSE I CAN'T SEE THIS IN OUR SLOAN. OKAY. COMMISSIONER SLOAN. UH, AND THEN WE HAVE AN, UH, EXTENSION EXTENSION, UH, ABSTENTION. UH, WHO WAS THE ABSTENTION? WAS IT COMMISSIONER COSTA? WAS IT, YOU MIGHT HEAR, I'M SORRY. UH, COMMISSIONER HERE. OKAY. SO, UH, AS THE WAY AS THE WAY IT COUNTS STAFF, PLEASE, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH, UH, EYES TO PASS THE RESOLUTION. UM, I'M NOT SURE. JUDGING BY OUR, UH, OUR CURRENT, UH, QUORUM IF, IF I'M CORRECT OR NOT. ANGELA, CAN YOU PLEASE CONFIRM THAT? YEAH. YOU CANNOT SEE EVERYONE ON THE CALL. THREE PEOPLE, IT LOOKS, UH, FROM MY APPEARANCE HERE IN CITY HALL, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A SEVEN ONE ONE VOTE. THAT'S OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I JUST COUNTED. OKAY. AND YOU CAN EDIT YOUR VIEW. IF YOU KIND OF MOVE YOUR MOUSE AROUND AT THE TOP RIGHT CORNER, YOU CAN CHANGE THE GRID VIEW SO IT MAY ASSIST. YEAH, THAT HELPED ME SEE ALL WHO WAS IN THE CALL. AND WE HAVE 13 FOLKS IN THE CALL. IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, NONMEMBERS. SO. OKAY. UM, WELL I THINK, I THINK WITH THAT WE COULD PROBABLY MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM. DO WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION OR CALL FOR A VOTE, UH, RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITIZENS PARTICIPATION PLAN AS WELL AS STAFF? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WANT US TO DO RIGHT NOW? YES, I THINK THEN THAT WOULD BE IDEAL. OKAY. UH, COMMISSIONER POP, YOU SEEM TO BE THE ONLY ONE WHO'S MADE A COMMENT SO FAR. DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR ACTION OR DID YOU HAVE YOUR QUESTION CLARIFIED ABOUT THE NEED FOR HUD TO MAKE THESE CHANGES? I HAVE SOME CLARIFICATION. IT'S AN, IT'S AN WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF CASES WHERE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE RUNNING OVER CITIZENS, NOT PROVIDING PUBLIC INFORMATION, NOT HOLDING PUBLIC HEARINGS, GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T. AND OUR CITY ISN'T LIKE THAT. IT'S REALLY A RELIEF THAT IT'S NOT THAT WAY, BUT I STILL HESITATE TO DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT, UH, THAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO COMMENT. AND THIS IS REBECCA GLO. THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD THERE IS RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHEN WE HAVE TO EXECUTE AT THE SPEED IN WHICH RELIEF, UM, IS, IS TO BE DEPLOYED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. UM, I DO APPRECIATE THE STAFF'S WORK AND BRINGING FORWARD SOMETHING THAT DOES LAY OUT WHAT PROCESS IS GOING FORWARD, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZE WE HAVE A DEEP APPRECIATION AND THE STRENGTH OF THE INTEGRITY AND THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE PROCESS WILL ALWAYS BE AT THE FOREFRONT. UM, BALANCING OF COURSE THE, THE UM, THE RECOGNITION THAT THE RELIEF EFFORTS ARE, ARE ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY. SO I DO APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS. MMM. COMMISSIONER POP, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OR DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE MAKING ANY TYPE OF A MOTION? UH, I DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION. I PREFER NOT TO BE THE PERSON WHO MAKES THE MOTION. OKAY. I MOVED TO, UH, ACCEPT THE, UM, MODIFIED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STANDARDS AS THEY ARE WITH THE CAVEAT THAT, UM, THERE WOULD BE A GOOD EFFORT TO, OR THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S A GOOD FAITH EFFORT IN GETTING OUT THE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION TO THE COMMUNITY VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, VIA, UM, [01:10:01] YOU KNOW, I JUST LIKE TO SEE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT ON IF IT'S A COMPRESSED TIMELINE AND WE HAVE TO OVERCOMPENSATE WITH THE MESSAGING ABOUT THAT COMPRESSED TIMELINE FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE. WOW. WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE A SECOND. A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CHANGE LANGUAGE, UH, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON, UM, GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT ABOUT THE ACCELERATED TIMELINE TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED SAY NAY HEARING NO. NAYS IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, THE ITEM HAS PASSED, SO WE HAVE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS. UH, THAT'S EXCELLENT. UM, SO, UH, AT THIS POINT WE CAN MOVE [Item 3] ON TO THE, UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT AND BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION. UM, ANGELS AND BRONTO. GOOD AFTERNOON. EVERYONE MAINTAINS WAS IN BRONTO, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT. UM, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME AND I'VE MISSED YOU GUYS. SO I'M GLAD TO BE HERE ON THIS CALL. I HOPE YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES ARE DOING OKAY AND HANGING IN THERE. I KNOW IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING TIME FOR ALL OF US AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE CLIENTS AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE. UM, BUT IN THE MIDST OF THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC, UH, I'M REALLY HERE TO TELL YOU BRIEFLY WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES UNIT HAS BEEN DOING SINCE WE CLOSED OUR DOORS TO THE PUBLIC ON MARCH 16TH, WHICH WAS ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. UH, WE HAD THREE AND REDESIGN OUR SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL TO ADDRESS, UH, FOOD ACCESS AND RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE VIRTUALLY HAND THROUGH SNAIL MAIL. UM, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK PLAN GRANTS, FUNDS TO DELIVER YOUR BASIC NEEDS, PREVENTIVE HEALTH, CASE MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN. WE CAN SKIP TO PAGE THREE THROUGH THE TIME CONSTRAINTS. HELLO. BRIEFLY CLOSE TO THIS AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS. UH, NUMBER ONE, UH, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SERVICES NEW VACANCIES AS YOU GUYS KNOW. UH, THERE WILL BE A NEW MONTOPOLIS NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, UM, OPENING UP THIS SUMMER. UM, THEY HAVE BEEN SOME DELAYS BUT THEY ARE STILL PLANNING TO OPEN THAT CENTER UP BY THE END OF SUMMER AND IT HAD, IT WAS EARLY SUMMER BEFORE, UH, WE ARE WORKING WITH HUMAN RESOURCES AND WAITING ON SOME APPROVAL. UH, THE HIRING PROCESS WAS STOPPED DUE TO UM, THIS PANDEMIC AND WE ARE HOPING TO GET THE GO AHEAD TO POST THESE POSITIONS OR USE OUR OLD POOL AND INTERVIEW FOLKS AS SOON AS WE GET THE GO AHEAD. UM, SO THAT I SENT HER TO BE FULLY STAFFED WHEN IT DOES OPEN. UH, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION VACANCY. UH, WE HAD UH, ELECTION SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 24TH. OBVIOUSLY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. UM, WE WILL WAIT TO SCHEDULE THAT WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE. A NUMBER THREE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, UH, DUE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THIS COBRA 19 RESPONSE AND SAFETY MEASURES. LIKE I'VE MENTIONED, WE WERE CLOSED TWO MONTHS AGO AND WE STOOD UP VERY QUICKLY. AN EMERGENCY FOOD DELIVERY, A HELPLINE AND EMERGENCY RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE HELPLINE. UM, THEY ARE BOTH, UH, IN HIGH DEMAND. WE GET A LOT OF CALLS. WE HAVE BEEN INUNDATED WITH FOLKS. I'M HAVING A LOT OF ISSUES WITH ACCESSING FOOD AND GETTING THEIR RENT PAID. UH, TO APRIL. WE'VE ASSEMBLED ALMOST OVER 2000 EMERGENCY FOOD BOXES OR FOOD BAGS, UH, 25,000 POUNDS AND DELIVERED THEM THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY. AND THIS REALLY HAS BEEN, UH, JUST AN AMAZING EFFORT BY OUR STAFF TO BOTH WORK WITH THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK IN MAKING ALL THE PICKUPS OF FOOD. AND THEN ASSEMBLING THOSE BOXES AT THE SUICIDE WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, KEEPING IN MIND A SOCIAL DISTANCING AND OTHER SAFETY PROTOCOLS. UH, THEY HAD BEEN DOING GREAT. UM, WE SEE THE NEED LIKE NACD, HIS PRESENTATION SHOWED, UH, TWO ONE ONE CALLS, UH, BEING RENTAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE [01:15:01] AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ADDRESSING. UM, OUR TOP 10 ZIP CODES, UH, THE FOUR ONE FOUR, FOUR, FIVE, THREE, TWO, THREE OH TWO, TWO, FOUR, FOUR TWO, ONE FOUR, FIVE AND THE FIVE TOO. SO IT KINDA MATCHES WHAT WE WERE DOING UNDER NON PANDEMIC TIMES, BUT DEFINITELY, UH, MORE NEEDS FOR SURE. UM, NUMBER FOUR, UH, THE CARES ACT, CSPP FUNDING. UH, WE'VE BEEN INFORMED BY THE PDCA THAT WE WILL BE RECEIVING, UH, SOME CARE SIDE FUNDING. BACK ON MARCH 27TH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SIGNED INTO LAW. THEY ALLOCATED $1 BILLION, UH, TO BE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE NATION TO OVER 1000 COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES, WHICH WE ARE ONE, UH, YESTERDAY I RECEIVED THE OFFICIAL, UM, FIGURE IT'S GONNA BE CLOSE TO ONE POINT $5 MILLION. I'M GOING TO COVERT RELATED, UH, ASSISTANCE FOR A CLIENT. UM, IT INCLUDES PERSONNEL, ADMIN COSTS, AND THEN WE CAN USE THE REST TO PROVIDE DIRECT CLIENT ASSISTANCE AS WE SEE FIT AND AS THE NEEDS ARISE. UH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED, UH, BECAUSE THIS WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO, UM, HIRE SOME PERSONNEL TO BE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE THESE FUNDS, UH, QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'LL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO, UM, KIND OF BEEF UP AND MAKE OUR SELF SUFFICIENCY, CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES MORE ROBUST AND COMMISSIONED. OUR POPS ALLUDED TO THAT EARLIER, UM, IN THE CALL THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO START PROVIDING. UM, WE'D LIKE TO START PAYING FOR TRAINING, UH, FOR OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY CLIENTS. UM, KIND OF THE MIDDLE-SKILL TARGET OCCUPATIONS SO THAT FOLKS CAN BE, NOT JUST BAILED OUT OR ASSISTED FOR PAYING HER ONE MONTH OR TWO MONTHS RENT, BUT ACTUALLY GIVING THEM THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS CERTIFICATE THAT WILL REALLY HOPEFULLY TRANSFORM THEIR LIVES AND IMPACT, UH, GENERATIONS TO COME. UM, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT PIECE. WE DID NOT HAVE FUNDING BEFORE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SO WE WERE WORKING WITH OUTSIDE AGENCIES AND SOMETIMES, UM, UM, THERE'S LONG WAIT LISTS AND OTHER BARRIERS, UM, THAT GET IN THE WAY AND NOW I THINK WE CAN DO IT INTERNALLY. SO WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, TRYING TO STAND THAT UP AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. UM, ALL THESE FUNDS, UH, COME WITH, UH, THE 200% OF POVERTY LINE. THAT'S ONE OF THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, UM, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD FOR US, UM, SO THAT WE CAN HELP AS MANY LOW INCOME FOLKS AS POSSIBLE. UM, AND WE ALSO USE THE BULK OF THESE FUNDS FOR EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UM, AS WELL. UM, WE ALSO ARE RECEIVING A NUMBER FIVE, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY PLUS ONE FUNDS. THOSE WERE INCREASED. WE'VE GOT AN ADDITIONAL $15,000. UM, FROM AUSTIN, FROM AUSTIN ENERGY, AND THAT HAS BEEN GOING QUICKLY. UH, YOU'D GO TO PAGE FOUR. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, MONTOPOLIS IS STILL ON SCHEDULE TO OPEN THIS SUMMER. UM, PAGE FIVE HAS, UM, I UPDATE ON THE DOVE SPRINGS, UM, FACILITY. THEY HAVE AN OFFICIAL ADDRESS NOW, 58, 11, PAULA BLANK, ELAINE. SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS THERE. I LEAVE IT UP TO YOU TO READ THE SUCCESS STORY. UM, I FOCUSED ON OUR STAFF AND THIS TIME AROUND, UM, A LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN DONE IN TWO MONTHS AND A LOT OF WORK WILL CONTINUE TO NEED TO BE DONE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, HELP AND EXTEND THESE FUNDS EFFICIENTLY AND WITH EQUITY AND, UM, AND JUST IN A WAY THAT NOT ONLY ADDRESSES THE IMMEDIATE NEED, BUT HOPEFULLY IT'S WHERE OUR TRAINING PROGRAM ADDRESSES, UH, THE, UM, THE NEED FOR FOLKS TO GET INTO PROFESSIONALS THAT PAY A LIVING WAGE IN THE CITY. THE LICENSE. THANK YOU, ANGEL. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE COMING UP ON ONLY FIVE MINUTES LEFT, SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR ALL THE WORK YOU AND YOUR STAFF HAVE DONE ON THIS. IT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE GIVEN HOW MUCH NEED IS OUT THERE, THAT'S ALL WE'RE ABLE TO, TO UH, CHANGE THE DELIVERY SYSTEM AND FIGURE OUT A WHOLE NEW WAY TO GET, UH, KEEP GETTING, UH, PEOPLE, THE SERVICES THEY NEED. UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE REALLY HAVE TIME TO TAKE QUESTIONS, UH, ON THIS ITEM. STAFF, UH, IF, IF YOU WILL CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT MAYBE WE SHOULD MOVE ON TO, UM, THE, UM, FUTURE ITEMS, UH, OR THAT'S SOMETHING THAT [01:20:01] WE COULD ALSO, AS ALWAYS CONTINUE TO TAKE THROUGH EMAIL AND, AND LET STAFF KNOW OR MYSELF NOW VIA EMAIL, UH, WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE ON FUTURE ITEMS. UH, IF THERE'S ANYTHING COMMISSIONERS HAVE TO, TO ASK, UH, ANGEL, UH, NOW WE'LL BE AT THE TIME. COMMISSIONER POP, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT SUPPORTING THE RECOMMENDATION THAT HAS LAID OUT. WE HAVE A MOTION. YOU HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. UH, ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED SAY NAY. ALL RIGHT. SOUNDS LIKE THE AYES HAVE IT. UM, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS. UH, OKAY. SO THEN I, I THANK YOU AGAIN, ANGEL. UM, JUST DUE TO TIME, I THINK WE'LL [Item 4 ] JUMP TO THE LAST ITEM, WHICH IS A FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, UH, STAFF. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO SAY BEFORE WE HAVE TO ADJOURN IN THREE MINUTES TO HELP US CLOSE THIS OUT? I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO APPLAUD, UH, EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT WITHIN THIS CONTEXT, SPECIFICALLY CITY AND CITY STAFF FOR WHAT I THINK HAS BEEN A REALLY, UH, RELATIVELY, UH, NIMBLE, UH, AND THOUGHTFUL RESPONSE, A TROUBLING SITUATION. I THINK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THEY RELEASED FUNDS WAS, YOU KNOW, IT HAPPENED IN SUCH A WAY THAT, THAT SO MANY BIG BUSINESSES WERE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FUNDS THAT, THAT THEY REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN GETTING. UM, HOWEVER, THE FUNDS THAT DO MAKE IT DOWN TO US AND THE FUNDS THAT WE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, SORT OF HAVE ACCESS TO HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, I FEEL ARE BEING DISBURSED. UH, YOU KNOW, IN A, IN A GREAT WAY THAT THAT BALANCES BOTH EXPEDIENCE AS WELL AS APPLICABILITY. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MUCH NEED AT THE, AT THE HUMAN BEING LEVEL THAT IT'S ALMOST HARD, UH, UNFORTUNATELY FOR IT TO GO WRONG FOR FUNDS TO WHEN YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN DOLLARS, LANDON HANDS HERE. UH, AND I THINK THE CITY HAS BEEN SO QUICK AND FOCUSED ON CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, PARTICULARLY WITH THIS RENT ASSISTANCE, UH, UH, WORK AND, UH, UM, AS WELL AS THE DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE WORK. AND I JUST, OH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S TOUGH TO QUANTIFY, BUT THERE ARE STAFF ON THE FRONT LINES CONSTANTLY IMPLEMENTING THINGS, LEARNING FROM THEM, GATHERING DATA, CORRECTING IT. AND I JUST WANT TO, UH, IT'S HARD TO DO THAT AND I, AND I JUST WANTED TO CALL THAT OUT AND I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER MARIA? WELL, IT'S FOUR 28. YEAH, I JUST WANT TO APPLAUD THE CITY STAFF FOR ALL THE HARD WORK, KIND OF ECHOING A COMMISSIONER, MORE TWENTIES COMMENTS. I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMENTS LIKE, YOU KNOW, LODGE DURING THE MEETING THAT I, THAT UM, PERFECT CAN NOT BE THE ENEMY OF GOOD, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, I WOULD STILL LIKE TO KNOW, UH, THERE WASN'T EXACTLY ANSWERED ABOUT ADMINISTRATIVE FEES THAT YOU SORT OF THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE A THIRD PARTY OR ADMINISTRATIVE FEES THAT ARE BEING COLLECTED BY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE STEWARDING DOLLARS. I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT. AND THE SECOND THING IS IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD INVITE THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AS SUCH A LARGE, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH SUCH A SUCCESSFUL COLLECTION OF FUNDS FOR PHILANTHROPIC PURPOSES PRIMARILY, I THINK FOR THE NONPROFITS THAT ARE SERVING VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, I'D LIKE THEM TO INVITE THEM TO COME AND PRESENT ON, YOU KNOW, TO FIND OUT MORE, UH, ABOUT THEIR DISBURSEMENT PLAN AND WHY THERE'S SUCH A GAP BETWEEN GETTING THOSE FUNDS OUT. THANK YOU. UH, I THINK THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE. SO, UM, BY THE POWER INVESTED IN ME, I PRONOUNCED THIS, UH, MEETING ADJOURNED. UM, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, USE THE EMAIL. UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MORE QUESTIONS TO STAFF AND, AND, UH, AN IDEAS FOR FEATURE GEN ITEMS. UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOUR WEEK. AND FROM HOW LONG READ VOLUME? UH, YEAH. . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.