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WELCOME TO OUR CITY COUNCIL B SESSION AGENDA.
THE TIME IS 2:05 PM UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UH, MADAME CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO? HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU MISSED ME, BUT I, I WAS HERE.
OKAY, WE HAVE, UH, TWO ITEMS ON OUR B SESSION AGENDA TODAY.
UH, SO WE WILL GO TWO ROUNDS AND LEMME TURN IT OVER TO STATE MANAGER WALSH.
[1. 20-7221 Briefing on a five-year strategic plan to respond to homelessness in San Antonio and Bexar County and the City’s response and recovery initiatives for homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Colleen M. Bridger, MPH, PhD, Assistant City Manager; Melody Woosley, Director, Human Services]]
COUNSEL.THE FIRST ITEM IS A, UH, UH, BRIEFING ON THE STATUS OF HOMELESSNESS IN SAN ANTONIO, UH, INCLUDING, UH, SOME KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, AS WELL AS AN UPDATE ON OUR, UH, NEW HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVES THAT WE INCLUDED WITHIN THE, UM, RECOVERY, RESILIENCY, UH, PLAN, AS WELL AS OUR BUDGET.
UM, YOU'LL REMEMBER, UH, LAST YEAR, ALTHOUGH THAT FEELS LIKE IT WAS PROBABLY FOUR YEARS AGO OR LAST YEAR, WE APPROVED A CONTRACT, UH, TO CONDUCT A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
AND, AND DURING THAT PROCESS, UH, A LOT OF DATA WAS ANALYZED.
UH, A LOT OF STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, UH, OCCURRED, UH, TO IDENTIFY SYSTEM, UM, AND, UH, IDENTIFY GAPS WITHIN THE, UH, THE, UM, UM, HOMELESSNESS NETWORK.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, UH, C OVID 19 HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON HOMELESSNESS SERVICES, UH, HUMAN SERVICES AND OUR PROVIDER PARTNERS CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT THAT POPULATION, UH, IS SERVED.
UM, BUT, UH, THE LAST SEVEN OR EIGHT MONTHS, WE'VE HAD TO DO THAT IN MUCH DIFFERENT WAY.
UM, UH, AS WE ALIGN THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, AS WELL AS OUR, UH, RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN, HUMAN RESOURCES HAS RETOOLED MANY OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAD IN PLACE.
WE'VE LAUNCHED NEW INITIATIVES, UH, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE.
WE'VE EXPANDED OUR COORDINATION WITH PARTNERS, UM, PRIMARILY TO LIMIT THE SPREAD OF COVID 19, UH, AMONG THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
AND, UH, WE HAVE HAD, UM, UM, COMPARED TO OTHER CONGREGATE SETTINGS, UM, WE REALLY HAVEN'T HAD, UH, ANY BIG, UH, UM, UH, EXPOSURES AND, UH, INCREASED COUNTS, UH, IN THAT COMMUNITY SO FAR TO DATE.
UH, THE, UH, THE MANY OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UH, HERE IN THE PRESENTATION PROVIDE THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY WITH, WITH, I THINK, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO STRESS AN INTENTIONAL SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
IT'S GOTTA BE COORDINATED, IT'S GOTTA BE EVIDENCE-BASED.
UH, IT HAS TO INCLUDE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES.
UH, WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS AN ARRAY OF DISCONNECTED OR PIECEMEAL EFFORTS, WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT.
AND, AND MEL AND, UH, D H S, UM, ARE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB OF STAYING CONNECTED TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
WE HAVE A LOT, WE HAVE A LOT OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF NEED OUT THERE, AND I WANT TO THANK, UH, HUMAN SERVICES AND THE PARTNERS FOR, UH, THEIR, THEIR PARTICIPATION NOT ONLY IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN EARLIER IN THE YEAR, PRE COVID, BUT IN HOW THEY HAVE, UH, WORKED WITH US TO RETOOL THOSE EFFORTS OVER THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MEL, UH, TO KIND OF WALK THROUGH BOTH PARTS OF THAT AND, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS A CRITICAL ISSUE FOR A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THE POLICY CONVERSATION AFTERWARDS.
UM, SO GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND I WANT TO START BY ADDING MY THANKS AS WELL AS, UM, TO OUR FANTASTIC COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND OUR HOMELESS SERVICES PROVIDERS, AND ALSO, UM, MY HOMELESS SERVICES DIVISION TEAM LED BY PATRICK STACK AND MARJORIE WHITE, UM, FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESS.
THEY HAVEN'T STOPPED, UH, TO TAKE A BREATH SINCE MARCH.
NEXT SLIDE IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION, UM, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, I'LL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE STATUS OF HOMELESSNESS AND THE CITY'S INVESTMENTS TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF HOMELESSNESS.
BRIEF YOU ON FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY HOMELESS STRATEGIC PLAN, REVIEW THE IMPACT OF C OVID 19 ON THE HOMELESS SYSTEM,
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AND OUR ONGOING RESPONSE EFFORTS.AND I'LL ALSO BRIEF YOU ON LONG-TERM STRATEGIES AND NEXT STEPS FOR THE HOMELESS SYSTEM.
THE ANNUAL HOMELESS POINT IN TIME COUNT IS A HU HUD MANDATED COUNT OF ALL PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY.
IT'S TAKEN ANNUALLY IN JANUARY, AND IT'S ORGANIZED BY THE, UH, SOUTH ALAMO REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS, SARAH, OUR HOMELESS CONTINUUM OF CARE AGENCY.
IT COVERS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY WITH THE SUPPORT OF SERVICE PROVIDERS, PUBLIC AGENCIES, FAITH ORGANIZATIONS, VOLUNTEERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, SS A P D, AND BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
THE 2020 COUNT OCCURRED PRE PANDEMIC, AND THE 2021 COUNT WILL MOVE FORWARD ON JANUARY 26TH WITH ADJUSTMENTS TO ENSURE SAFETY.
AND WE BELIEVE IT WILL HELP US GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PANDEMIC EFFORTS ON THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS IN SAN ANTONIO.
TWENTY NINE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO PEOPLE WERE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ON JANUARY, IN JANUARY OF LAST OF THIS YEAR, EARLIER IN 2020.
OF THOSE ALMOST 1300 WERE UNSHELTERED.
THIS INCLUDES THE 566 INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE STAYING IN HAVEN FOR HOPE THE NIGHT OF THE COUNT IN THE COURTYARD, AND 708 INDIVIDUALS SPENDING THE NIGHT IN ENCAMPMENTS AROUND THE COMMUNITY OR ON THE STREETS.
1,658 INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WERE MEMBERS WERE IN EMERGENCY OR TRANSITIONAL SHELTER THAT DAY.
AND IN THE 2020 COUNT, WE SAW A REDUCTION IN HOMELESS VETERANS IN THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES, UH, AND PEOPLE, UH, MEMBERS OF FAMILIES.
BUT WE ALSO SAW CONCERNING INCREASES IN UNSHELTERED, HOMELESS, OLDER ADULTS AND YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AS WELL AS FEMALES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND TO PROVIDE SOME PERSPECTIVE ON HOW THE POINT IN TIME COUNT RELATES TO THE, THE WHOLE SYSTEM IN, YOU KNOW, IN AN AVERAGE, IN THAT SAME YEAR, THE YEAR BEFORE 2019, THERE WERE MORE THAN 13,000 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS IN OUR HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM.
AND SO THE POINT IN TIME COUNT PROVIDES VALUABLE INFORMATION, BUT IT REALLY IS A ONE NIGHT SNAPSHOT.
SO, OVERALL, THE TOTAL COUNT OF HOMELESSNESS, UM, HAS GROWN BY ABOUT 1.5% SINCE 2015 WHEN FACTORING IN OVERALL POPULATION GROWTH OF BEAR COUNTY, THE PER CAPITA ACCOUNT OF HOMELESS HAS DECREASED BY 4.1% FROM THE SAME PERIOD, 2015.
AND, UH, FROM 15.26, HOMELESS PER 10,000 RESIDENTS TO 14.63.
HOWEVER, THE COUNT OF UNSHELTERED HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS DID, UH, INCREASE SLIGHTLY, UH, BASED ON PER CAPITA.
AND SO, THE CITY, AS YOU KNOW, INVESTS SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES ANNUALLY TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF HOMELESSNESS.
OVER 32 MILLION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021.
THE ADOPTED BUDGET INCLUDES 13 MILLION IN THE HUMAN SERVICES BUDGET, 8.6 MILLION OF THAT FUNDS HAVEN FOR HOPE AND OUR AND THEIR PARTNER AGENCIES ON CAMPUS TO OPERATE COMPREHENSIVE COURTYARD AND TRANSFORMATIONAL CAMPUS SERVICES.
UH, AN ADDITIONAL THREE, 3.2 MILLION IN GENERAL FUNDING AND GRANT FUNDING IS ALLOCATED TO HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO ARE OPERATING ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
AND 1.3 MILLION FUNDS, HUMAN SERVICES HOMELESS SERVICES AND INITIATIVES, INCLUDING THE NEW STREET OUTREACH TEAM, ENCAMPMENT INITIATIVES AND VETERANS INITIATIVE.
FINALLY, NEARLY 19 MILLION SUPPORTS THE INDIRECT EXPENSES RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS IN, UH, SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS.
HUMAN SERVICES ALSO RECEIVED ALMOST $17 MILLION IN CARE ACT'S EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT FUNDING TO BE SPENT OVER TWO YEARS, SPECIFICALLY ALLOCATED TOWARDS ADDRESSING COVID RELATED NEEDS OF THE HOMELESS SYSTEM.
ADDITIONALLY, BEAR COUNTY RECEIVED 2.56 MILLION, AND SARAH RECEIVED 5.1 MILLION IN CARES ACT FUNDING FOR A TOTAL OF 24 MILLION AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY SHELTER OPTIONS, HOMELESS PREVENTION, AND RAPID REHOUSING SERVICES IN SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES.
SARAH AND BEXAR COUNTY JOINTLY ISSUED A COMPETITIVE APPLICATION IN DEVELOPED A BRAIDED FUNDING STRATEGY TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS TO COMMUNITY PRO PROVIDERS WHO, WHO CAN QUICKLY RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF THE HOMELESS AND WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC.
THE 6.4 MILLION, UM, OF THE, THE CITY'S E S G CARE FUNDS WILL SUPPORT THE HAVEN FOR HOPE OPERATED HOTEL THROUGH MID 2021, AS WELL AS NEW SHELTER OPTIONS FOR UNIQUE SUBPOPULATIONS AND THOSE UNABLE TO ACCESS EXISTING SHELTERS.
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IS ALLOCATED FOR RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS, WHICH PROVIDES UP TO ONE YEAR OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND CASE MANAGEMENT FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.1 MILLION IS ALLOCATED FOR HOMELESS PREVENTION EFFORTS TO BE COORDINATED WITH THE ONGOING WORK OF NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
THE E S G HOMELESS PREVENTION PROGRAMS SERVE VERY VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS MOST AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS WITH UP TO ONE YEAR OF RENTAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE IN CASE MANAGEMENT.
AND FINALLY, 2.2 MILLION, UM, WILL SUPPORT OUR, UH, NEW AND EXPANDED STREET OUTREACH EFFORTS.
AND THESE, THIS PROPOSED FUNDING PLAN WAS DEVELOPED WITH THE SUPPORT OF A HUD TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TEAM AND APPROVED BY HUD IN SEPTEMBER.
AND SO, LAST YEAR, COUNSEL, YOU APPROVED A CONSULTING CONTRACT WITH HOMEBASE TO DEVELOP A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
THE HOME BASE TEAM GATHERED AND CONDUCTED, UH, GATHERED DATA AND CONDUCTED ONSITE INTERVIEWS FROM NOVEMBER OF 2019 THROUGH FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
THE PROCESS INCLUDED MORE THAN 50 DISTINCT MEETINGS WITH OVER 500 COMMUNITY MEMBERS PARTICIPATING TO ASSIST THE CURRENT SYSTEM AND IDENTIFY GAPS, OPPORTUNITIES, IMPROVEMENTS, AND PARTNERSHIPS.
REPRESENTATIVES OF, UM, HOMELESS AND HEALTHCARE SERVICE PROVIDERS WERE, UH, REPRESENTED.
UH, IT ALSO INCLUDED DOWNTOWN TOURISM AND BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS, AS WELL AS 65 CURRENT AND FORMER CONSUMERS OF HOMELESS SERVICES.
THE PLAN, UH, YOU MAY REMEMBER, WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO BE RELEASED IN APRIL.
HOWEVER, UM, THE DELAY DUE TO COVID WAS, UM, DID ALLOW FOR THE HOMEBASED TEAM TO UPDATE THE PLAN IN LIGHT OF EFFECTS OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC AND THE UNPRECEDENTED INFLUX OF FUNDING FOR THE CARES ACT.
THE REPORT IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF STRENGTHS ACROSS THE SAN ANTONIO HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM AND OTHER COORDINATING SYSTEMS, INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY'S ABILITY TO QUICKLY RESPOND TO EMERGING NEEDS THROUGH SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS AND PILOTS.
IT ALSO NOTED THAT SAN ANTONIO IS A COMPASSIONATE CITY COMMITTED TO COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION.
AND THAT HAVEN FOR HOPE WAS WIDELY NOTED AS OFFERING A UNIQUE TRANSFORMATIONAL AND TRAUMA-INFORMED EXPERIENCE TO PEOPLE EX, UH, WHO ARE HOMELESS IN SAN ANTONIO, AND THAT STAKEHOLDERS AND CLIENTS ALSO RECOGNIZE THE EXPERIENCE, EXPERTISE, AND STRENGTHS OF MANY OF THE EXISTING HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS IN SAN ANTONIO.
THE REPORT IDENTIFIED SIX MAIN AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT TO THE HOMELESS SYSTEM THAT EMERGED FROM THE STAKEHOLDER INPUT, THE NEED FOR MORE ROBUST CONTINUUM OF SHELTER, HOUSING, AND SERVICES FOR PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
CONCERN ABOUT THE GROWING UNSHELTERED POPULATION, ESPECIALLY INCREASED ENCAMPMENTS ACROSS THE CITY AND STREET HOMELESS IN THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, AS WELL AS, UM, VEHICULAR HOMELESSNESS, PEOPLE SLEEPING IN THEIR CARS, STAKEHOLDERS IDENTIFIED INCREASING AND IMPROVING COORDINATION ACROSS SYSTEMS AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PROVIDERS AND THE COMMUNITY IS AN AREA OF OPPORTUNITY AND IMPROVEMENT.
THE MEETINGS REVEALED A WEALTH OF INFORMATION, RESOURCES, AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST ACROSS SAN ANTONIO TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS.
BUT KNOWLEDGE OF THOSE RES OF THESE RESOURCES WAS OFTEN NOT SHARED WIDELY AND AMONG CLIENTS, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PUBLIC, WHICH REDUCES THE IMPACT OF A ROBUST CROSS-AGENCY REFERRAL SYSTEM.
AND THEN UNIVERSALLY STAKEHOLDERS OUTSIDE OF THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO PLAY A MORE SUBSTANTIAL ROLE IN EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND HOMELESSNESS.
AND THAT INCLUDES PRIVATE SECTOR BUSINESSES, UM, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, JUST FOLKS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY THAT WANT TO BE INVOLVED.
AND WE, WE PLAN TO HARNESS THAT.
UM, THEY ALSO SAID THAT, UM, IDENTIFY CONCERNS WITH AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SHELTER, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND INNOVATIVE SUPPORT SYSTEM SYSTEMS, AND THE NEED FOR MORE FLEXIBLE FUNDING.
AND FINALLY, UM, DISCUSSIONS FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING MORE DISTINCT INTERVENTIONS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF SUBPOPULATIONS OF PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, INCLUDING OLDER ADULTS, YOUTH PERSONS WITH CRIMINAL HISTORIES AND SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
BASED ON THE INPUT FROM BOTH CONSUMERS OF HOMELESS SERVICES AND STAKEHOLDERS, REVIEW OF A RELATED COMMUNITY PLANS AND ANALYSIS OF LOCAL SYSTEMS OF DATA.
HOME-BASED IDENTIFIED KEY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT SUPPORT AN INTENTIONAL SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS THROUGH COORDINATED EVIDENCE-BASED AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES.
FIRST, INCREASED FOCUS ON CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT AND EQUITY
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THROUGHOUT THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, PRIMARILY BY IMPROVING THE WAY WE ENGAGE PERSONS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE IN POLICY AND PROCESSES TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES IN IN SERVICES AND OUTCOMES.H M I S AND POINT IN TIME DATA SHOW AN OVERREPRESENTATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HOMELESS IN THE SYSTEM AND IDENTIFY, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY POORER OUTCOMES IN DETAINING PERMANENT HOUSING.
SECOND, INCREASE INCREASING CAPACITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF STREET OUTREACH, SPECIFICALLY.
UM, HOME BASE RECOMMENDED EXPANDING THE HOMELESS OUTREACH CLINICIAN PILOT IMPLEMENTED IN DISTRICT 10 AND CREATING COMMUNITY OUTREACH STANDARDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION ACROSS ALL AGENCIES.
THE REPORT ALSO RECOMMENDS WE IMPROVE OUR SYSTEM TO PRIORITIZE THE MOST VULNERABLE AND HARDEST TO SERVE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES FOR PERMANENT HOUSING RESOURCES, AND THAT WE ESTABLISH LOWER BARRIER INTERVENTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INELIGIBLE OR HAVING DIFFICULTY ACCESSING SHELTER.
THIS MAY INCLUDE PERSONS WITH SERIOUS CRIMINAL RECORDS, PERSONS WHO ARE ACTIVELY USING SUBSTANCES, OR THOSE WHO ARE UNABLE TO CARRY OUT ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING OR MAYBE IN NEED OF PALLIATIVE OR HOSPICE CARE.
HOME BASE ALSO RECOMMENDED ESTABLISHING A SMALL LEADERSHIP GROUP TO FOCUS ON AREAS OF ALIGNMENT AROUND THE OVERALL STRATEGIC VISION OF PREVENTING AND ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN SAN ANTONIO, AND THAT THE COMMUNITY INCREASES INVESTMENT IN SERVICE ENRICHED HOUSING OPTIONS, ALSO CALLED PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS ACCESSIBLE TO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES, INCLUDING, UM, POTENTIALLY CREATING A PRE-DEVELOPMENT LOAN OR LENDING FUND TO ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT IN SITE-BASED, AFFORDABLE AND SERVICE RICH HOUSING.
FINALLY, HOME BASE RECOMMENDED THE COMMUNITY CONDUCT ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS OF HIGH UTILIZERS OF PUBLIC RESOURCES AMONG PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND THE REPORT ALSO INCLUDED A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL LOW COST HIGH IMPACT RECOMMENDATIONS.
MANY ARE GOOD SUGGESTIONS AND ARE IN PROGRESS, SUCH AS STRONGER BUILDING STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
THE IMPACT OF THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC ON HOMELESS SERVICES AND THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WAS IT, IT WAS SIGNIFICANT AND IT WAS IMMEDIATE.
AND TO FACILITATE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND REDUCE THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS IN CONGREGATE SETTINGS AND ACROSS THE UNSHELTERED POPULATION, HOMELESS EMERGENCY SHELTERS, CLOSED INTAKE, MANY SERVICE PROVIDERS, UH, I DO WANNA SAY ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, ESPECIALLY WITH FAMILIES AND VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THEY WOULD ALLOW, UM, UH, NEW NEWLY HOMELESS TO ENTER THE, THE SHELTERS.
MANY SERVICE PROVIDERS AND ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING MEALS OR OTHER SERVICES TO UNSHELTERED HOMELESS REDUCED THEIR SERVICES OR ELIMINATED THEM.
AND STREET OUTREACH TO, UM, HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BASED ON, UM, C D C AND HUD GUIDANCE.
IN MARCH, HUMAN SERVICES SUSPENDED ENCAMPMENT ABATEMENT, AND AT THE SAME TIME, HOUSEHOLDS ALREADY ON THE EDGE OF HOMELESSNESS LOST THEIR JOBS OR SUPPORTS SUCH AS CHILDCARE, PUTTING THEM AT GREATER RISK OF ENTERING THE HOMELESS SYSTEM.
ADDRESS, THOSE IMMEDIATE, UH, NEEDS FROM THE IMPACT OF COVID, WE EXPANDED COORDINATION WITH PARTNERS, RETOOLED OUR PROGRAMS, AND LAUNCHED NEW INITIATIVES TO LIMIT THE SPREAD OF C OVID 19 AMONG THE HOMELESS POPULATION, AND TO HELP MEET THEIR BASIC NEEDS.
HUMAN SERVICES WORKED WITH SARAH HAVEN FOR HOPE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND METRO HEALTH TO RESPOND TO THE PANDEMIC.
WE WORKED TOGETHER TO DEVELOP PROTOCOLS FOR HOMELESS TESTING, QUARANTINING, AND ACCESS TO ISOLATION FACILITY HOTEL.
IN EARLY APRIL, THE CITY LEASED A 300 ROOM HOTEL FACILITY, WHICH HAVEN FOR HOPE OPERATES AS A FULL SERVICE EXTENSION OF THEIR SHELTER TO DECOMPRESS THE HAVEN CAMPUS AND COURTYARD AND SAFELY SHELTER THEIR HIGHEST RISK CLIENTS.
TO DATE, THE HOTEL HAS SERVED OVER 900 CLIENTS WITH MANY TRANSITIONING TO PERMANENT HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES ANTICIPATES CONTINUING TO LEASE THE HOTEL THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF NEXT YEAR.
THE STRATEGIC AND UNPRECEDENTED COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR PARTNERS HAS RESULTED IN A RELATIVELY LOW C OVID 19 RATE AMONG THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
AS AN EXAMPLE, HAVEN FOR HOPE HAS HAD LESS THAN 40 POSITIVE CLIENTS AT THE CAMPUS, AND THE HOTEL ANNEX WHILE SHELTERING OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE NIGHTLY AND SERVING OVER 3000 PEOPLE SINCE MARCH.
HUMAN SERVICES ALSO LAUNCHED HOMELESS RESOURCE HUBS AND HOMELESS CONNECTIONS HOTLINE IN APRIL.
THE HUBS PROVIDE BASIC SERVICES TO UNSHELTERED HOMELESS, INCLUDING MEALS, HYGIENE PRODUCTS, INFORMATION ON C OVID 19, AND HEALTH SCREENINGS AND SHOWERS.
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BEEN SERVED THROUGH THESE HUBS AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR OWN MINISTRIES CENTRAL OF SAN ANTONIO AND MANY PRIVATE, UH, MEAL DONORS.THE HOTLINE OPENED TO ASSIST HOMELESS OR NEAR HOMELESS TO NAVIGATE SERVICES THAT WERE STILL AVAILABLE AND OPEN, IDENTIFY RESOURCES AND PROBLEM SOLVE CHALLENGING SITUATIONS.
I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THE PANDEMIC DELAYED THE LAUNCH OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
HOWEVER, IN MANY WAYS, COVID TO 19 HAS ALSO ACCELERATED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN BY DEMANDING HEIGHTENED COORDINATION BETWEEN PRI PROVIDERS AND SYSTEMS. AND BY BRINGING UNPRECEDENTED RESOURCES TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS, D H SS DEVELOPED THE COVID RESPONSE AND RESILIENCE PLAN, FINANCIAL RECOVERY AND HOMELESS STRATEGIES IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE INITIAL FINDINGS AND DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
WITH A VISION OF IMPROVING OUR RESPONSE SYSTEM BY CREATING THAT INTENTIONAL SYSTEM OF COORDINATING COORDINATED SERVICES AND REDUCING, UM, THE USE OF DISCONNECTED OR OR PIECEMEAL SERVICES.
THE LEADERSHIP GROUP RECOMMENDED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN EFFECTIVELY ALREADY EXISTS AND IS ADJUSTING AS NECESSARY.
IN RESPONSE TO THE C OVID 19 PANDEMIC HUMAN SERVICES, SARAH AND HAVEN FOR HOPE, EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP BEGAN MEETING DAILY TO COORDINATE THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND CLARIFY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
ADDITIONALLY, SARAH HAS CONVENED ALL HOMELESS SERVICE PROVIDERS WEEKLY SINCE THE PANDEMIC TO PROVIDE REGULAR UPDATES ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
LONGER TERM AND POST COVID IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN INCLUDES EXPANDED AND COORDINATED STREET OUTREACH AND SHELTER OPTIONS, INCREASED COLLABORATION, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AN INCREASED FOCUS ON PERMANENT HOUSING OPTIONS, SPECIFICALLY MEETING THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TRANSITIONING FROM HOMELESSNESS, BOTH THROUGH CARESS ACT, RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS, AND A CONCERTED EFFORT TO PERMANENTLY HOUSE THE MOST VULNERABLE AND CHRONICALLY HOMELESS.
THROUGH CARESS FUNDING, WE, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT OUR SYSTEM BY PROVIDING SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TO CHRONIC AND EXTREMELY VULNERABLE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE AT HIGH HIGHEST RISK FOR POOR OUTCOMES AND ARE THE HIGHEST UTILIZERS OF SOCIAL HEALTH AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESOURCES.
THE WORK CONTEMPLATED TO INCREASE INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITY-BASED HOUSING AND SERVICE OPTIONS IS LARGELY BEING DONE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT LED STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
HUMAN SERVICES PARTICIPATES IN THE ONGOING SHIP DEVELOPMENT, ADVOCATING FOR SERVICE ENRICHED AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THE SHIP INCLUDES A COMMITTEE FOCUSED ON BETTER CONNECTING HOUSING DEVELOPMENT WITH SOCIAL SERVICES DELIVERY.
SO, EXPANSION AND ENHANCEMENT TO STREET OUTREACH TEAMS IS UNDERWAY.
UH, COUNCIL THROUGH THE C OVID 19 RESPONSE AND RESILIENCE PLAN EARLIER THIS YEAR AND THE FISCAL YEAR 2021, ADOPTED BUDGET, YOU APPROVED IMPLEMENTATION OF 11 TEAMS TO PROVIDE OUTREACH IN ALL 10 DISTRICTS AND DOWNTOWN.
THIS APPROACH IS MODELED AFTER TWO SUCCESSFUL COUNCIL INITIATED PILOT PROJECTS.
THE DISTRICT 10 HOMELESS OUTREACH CLINICIAN ADDED IN 2019 AND COORDINATED EFFORT OF, UH, IN THE BELLEVUE AREA OF DISTRICT ONE OVER THIS PAST SUMMER TO REDUCE, UM, THE IMPACT OF STREET HOMELESSNESS ON THE AREA.
THESE TEAMS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE PRESENCE ON THE STREETS, BUILDING RAPPORT AND TRUST WITH CLIENTS AND THE COMMUNITY, AND FOCUSING ON A ON GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
HOME BASE HAS CONTINUED TO WORK WITH HUMAN SERVICES WITHIN THEIR CONTRACT AND HOMELESS SERVICES PROVIDERS AND SHELTER PROVIDERS TO DRAFT COMMUNITY OUTREACH STANDARDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION ACROSS ALL AGENCIES.
UM, PROVIDING A A PORTION OF THE OUTREACH SERVICES, THESE AGREED UPON STANDARDS AND ASSOCIATED TRAINING WILL ENSURE A CONSISTENT AND COORDINATED EFFORT ACROSS MULTIPLE AGENCIES, PROVIDING HOMELESS OUTREACH AND STREET SERVICES, AND INCLUDE PROTOCOLS FOR ENGAGING CLIENTS IMPLEMENTING OUTREACH GRID ID RECOVERY, AND ACCESSING SHELTER BEDS OR HOUSING D H S FUNDS AND LEADS THE ID RECOVERY PROGRAM WITH STRONG SUPPORT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK AND S A P D EMBEDDING ID RECOVERY.
IN THE OUTREACH TEAM'S WORK IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO IMPROVING ACCESS TO SERVICES, HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT FOR UNSHELTERED HOMELESS.
OUTREACH WORK ALSO INVOLVES CONTINUING TO ENSURE ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS, INCLUDING MEALS, HYGIENE, AND SHOWER.
WITH THE DELIVERY OF THE MOBILE SHOWER TRAILER, NUMBER ONE THAT YOU ALL HELPED TO FUND LAST YEAR, WE ARE NOW ABLE TO PROVIDE SHOWER SERVICES IN TWO DAYS PER WEEK AND IN OTHER LOCATIONS AS NEEDED.
HAVEN FOR HOPE, SALVATION ARMY AND THE GI FORUM HAVE REOPENED SHELTERS TO NEW CLIENTS WITH SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE.
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AND THERE IS CURRENT CAPACITY TO SERVE HOMELESS IDENTIFIED THROUGH OUTREACH OR THROUGH THE HOMELESS HOTLINE.UM, NOW AND DURING, IN INCLEMENT WEATHER, HOWEVER, IN COORDINATION WITH OUR PARTNERS, WE WERE ALSO DEVELOPING, DEVELOPING ADDITIONAL LOW BARRIER TEMPORARY HOUSING OPTIONS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF SUBPOPULATIONS IN UNIQUE SITUATIONS.
WE ARE WORKING TO IMPLEMENT A PILOT PROJECT TO SHELTER HIGH NEEDS CLIENTS WHO MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR OR BEST SERVED AT AN EXISTING EMERGENCY SHELTER.
AND TO INCLUDE IN THAT PROJECT CASE MANAGEMENT, SUPPORT SERVICES AND HOUSING NAVIGATION THAT MOVES CLIENTS INTO APPROPRIATE PERMANENT HOUSING.
THE HOTLINE HAS EVOLVED OVER THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC, AND TODAY THE PRIMARY FUNCTION IS TO HELP DIVERT CLIENTS FROM ENTERING THE HOMELESS SYSTEM.
STAFF HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN DIVERSION COUNSELING, AND A DIVERSION FUND IS AVAILABLE TO ASSIST WHEN OTHER RESOURCES ARE NOT AVAILABLE.
THE HOMELESS HOTLINE HAS TAKEN OVER 3,500 CALLS, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT IT WILL CONTINUE AS A KEY COMPONENT OF OUR COORDINATED HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
BEYOND COVID RECOVERY, WE HAVE DEVELOPED AN EMERGENCY SHELTER PLAN THAT PROVIDES TEMPORARY SHELTER FACILITIES, UM, TO HOMELESS DURING DISASTERS.
WE, IT ALSO SERVES, UM, TO HELP, UH, ASYLUM SEEKERS WHEN THERE IS A MIGRANT INFLUX AND IS OVERFLOW FOR HOMELESS DURING INCLEMENT OR EXTREME WEATHER CON WEATHER CONDITIONS WHEN EXISTING SHELTERS REACH CAPACITY.
AND WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP A CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR SHELTER AND HOUSING IN THE EVENT OF A LARGE NUMBER, A LARGE NUMBER OF EVICTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY DUE TO C OVID 19.
AND IF THE THIS TYPE OF EVENT WERE TO EXHAUST THE CAPACITY OF OUR CURRENT EMERGENCY AND FAMILY SHELTERS, THIS PLAN WILL BE COMPLETED, UM, IN JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR.
SLIDE FOUR SHOWED THE TOTAL CITY INVESTMENT IN HOMELESSNESS OF OVER 32 MILLION, WHICH INCLUDES 2.4 MILLION FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS.
THAT INCLUDES OUR INTEGRATED TREATMENT PROGRAM AT HAVEN FOR HOPE STREET OUTREACH CLINICIANS, UM, AND SS A P D MENTAL HEALTH, UH, DETAIL CLINICIANS.
IT ALSO INCLUDES THE WORK OF SS A P D SPECIALIZED TEAM, THE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, DOWNTOWN BIKE PATROL, HOPE TEAM, AND SAFE UNITS TO WHEN, AS THEY ADDRESS THE TE THE NEEDS OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION WHO WERE EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
WE WERE ALSO FACILITATING A JOINT CITY, COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH WORKING GROUP, WHICH IS WORKING TO IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS GAPS IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM.
THROUGH THIS WORK, A WALK-IN PRE-CRISIS, ME, UH, MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC SERVICES ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO PREVENT CRISIS AND REDUCE EMERGENCY DETENTION, WHICH OFTEN LEADS TO HOMELESSNESS.
IN ADDITION, HIGH UTILIZER STUDIES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF STRAC AND CAN BE BUILT UPON FOR IDENTIFYING AND MAKING SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS FOR FREQUENT USERS OF, UM, HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS. ADDITIONALLY, PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEGUN AROUND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HOMELESS COURT IN SAN ANTONIO THAT INVOLVED MUNICIPAL COURT, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, AND BEAR COUNTY COURT ADMINISTRATION.
IMPROVEMENT IN MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT INCLUDES OUR FAITH BA, FAITH-BASED CONGREGATIONS AS WELL, THE FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE, AND THE NATIONAL, UH, LOCAL NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
NAMI HAVE LAUNCHED A PROGRAM CALLED BRIDGES TO CARE, WHICH WILL TRAIN CONGREGATION MEMBERS IN CLUSTERS IN EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT TO WORK WITH THE OUTREACH TEAMS AND CONNECT INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
UM, IF FISCAL YEAR 21, D H S IS ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST FIVE CITY DEPARTMENTS TO WORK THROUGH THE OFFICE OF EQUITIES DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENTAL EQUITY ASSESSMENT.
AND THIS INCLUDES REVIEW AND DEVELOPMENT OF MORE WAYS TO ENGAGE CLIENTS AND INCORPORATE THEIR VOICES INTO PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THE APPROPRIATE SERVICES TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.
UM, IT'S EQUITY IS ALSO A FOCUS OF THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF THE, THOSE STREET OUTREACH PROTOCOLS OF THE BRIDGES TO CARE, UH, PROGRAM AND TRAINING FOR TO IMPLEMENT CARES ACT PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO OUR NEXT STEPS INCLUDE CONTINUING LEASING THE HAVEN FOR HOPE HOTEL AND CONTINUE OPERATING HOMELESS RESOURCE HUBS THROUGH THE SUMMER OF 21, DEPLOYING THE 11 OUTREACH TEAMS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, AND DEVELOPING APPROPRIATE SHELTER OPTIONS FOR HOMELESS, NEEDING SPECIALIZED MENTAL HEALTH, NURSING, MEDICAL, OR HOSPICE SERVICES BY JANUARY 31ST, CONVENING THE STRATEGIC PLAN STAKEHOLDERS CURRENT AND FORMER CLIENT PROVIDERS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
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FRAMEWORK AND TIMELINE.BY MARCH OF NEXT YEAR THROUGH OUR CONTRACTED AGENCIES, WE ANTICIPATE PERMANENTLY HOUSING 350 CHRONICALLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS THROUGH RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAMS AND PREVENTING MORE THAN 100 NEAR HOMELESS HOUSEHOLDS FROM ENTERING THE HOMELESS SYSTEM THROUGH RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT.
AND FINALLY, I WANNA SHARE, UM, CONTACT INFORMATION FOR RESIDENTS TO REPORT ENCAMPMENTS, AND THEY CAN DO THIS BY CALLING 3 1 1 OR EMAILING HOMELESS OUTREACH@SANANTONIO.GOV.
AND I ALSO ENCOURAGE THOSE IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE TO CALL THE HOMELESS HOTLINE AT (210) 207-1799 OR TO EMAIL HOMELESS HOTLINE@SANANTONIO.GOV.
AND SO THIS DOES CONCLUDE MY FORMAL PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR GREAT PRESENTATION, MELODY AND, AND THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE WORK THAT'S, UH, BEEN GOING ON THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC.
I, I, I THINK YOU'VE DESCRIBED A PRETTY CHALLENGING SITUATION VERY WELL.
UH, I KNOW THAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE HAS BEEN LONG AWAITED, AND THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD STUFF IN IT.
I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE THINGS AND, AND MAYBE POSE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
THE THINGS THAT REALLY STOOD OUT FOR ME, UM, ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT, UM, THE FOCUS ON UPSTREAM PREVENTION, UM, WHICH HAS LONG BEEN A, A, A FACET, UH, AN EMPHASIS ON OF OUR APPROACH, UM, KNOWING THAT HOMELESSNESS IS ONLY A SYMPTOM OF OTHER ISSUES, UH, AND HOW WE DO THAT THROUGH CAP CAPACITY BUILDING OF THE PARTNERS THAT ARE AT THE TABLE.
UM, I'M, I'M CURIOUS, UH, THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS LISTED IN THE BACK THOUGH, IS, IS A FOCUS ON GOVERNANCE AND ESTABLISHING SOME KIND OF COLLECTIVE IMPACT GROUP.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS VIEWED SARAH THAT WAY.
UM, SO COULD YOU DESCRIBE SORT OF WHAT THE, WHAT THE THINKING IS AROUND THE GROUP AND WHAT KIND OF GAP THEY WOULD BE FILLING IN THAT, UM, IN THAT RECOMMENDATION? OF COURSE.
UM, AND SO HOME BASE NOTICE NOTED, UM, THROUGH THEIR INTERVIEWS THAT THERE ARE REALLY THREE, UM, LARGE, UH, FUNDERS AND PROVIDERS OF HOMELESS SERVICES AND COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S THE CITY HAVEN FOR HOPE AND, UM, SARAH.
AND SO SARAH IS THE, THE FEDERALLY TRUE FEDERALLY MANDATED CONTINUUM OF CARE HOMELESS LEAD AGENCY.
BUT HAVEN FOR HOPE IN THE CITY ARE ALSO VERY INVOLVED IN POLICY MAKING, DECISION IN DECISION MAKING, AND HOME BASE FELT LIKE THEY'RE ONE THAT COULD PROBABLY CREATE SOME CONFUSION IF WE ARE NOT AS COORDINATED AS WE SHOULD BE.
AND RECOMMENDED THAT, THAT THOSE FOLK, THOSE AGENCIES THAT ARE, ARE SO INVOLVED IN THE SYSTEM, UM, THAT THEIR EXECUTIVES SPEND TIME DISCUSSING POLICY AND ALIGNING SYSTEMS SO THAT, THAT THAT CONFUSION IS REDUCED AND, UM, THE, THE WORK OF MORE COORDINATED.
WELL, SO MUCH OF THE, OF THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS PROCESS ORIENTED.
SO I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S WORTH ANOTHER DISCUSSION BECAUSE IF, IF WE'RE GONNA SET SALE ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN, THAT PART OF IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
I KIND OF WANNA UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER HOW THE, ALL THE PARTNERS, UH, FIT INTO THAT.
ON THAT NOTE, UH, WHAT WAS ALSO PRETTY STRIKING AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF IT, IT FELT LIKE I'VE READ THEM BEFORE, UH, MANY OF THEM.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOUND, UM, IN PARALLEL IN THE HOUSING FRAMEWORK THAT WE'VE RATIFIED.
SO COULD YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW HOME BASE, UM, USED THE HOUSING FRAMEWORK AND HOW THAT THAT INTERPLAY IS THERE? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN, IN PUBLIC HOUSING AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, FOR INSTANCE, IS, IS SUPPOSED TO BE HOPEFULLY ADDRESSING SOME OF THE, UM, THE NEED THAT WE'RE SEEING UPSTREAM.
SO, UH, I MEAN, COULD YOU DESCRIBE HOW THOSE TWO FRAMEWORKS WORK TOGETHER? AND, AND THE REASON WHY I BRING THAT UP, UM, AFTER THIS IDEA OF A NEW COLLECTIVE IMPACT GROUP IS THAT ONE OF THE FIRST RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE HOUSING FRAMEWORK IS THAT WE DON'T ADD TO THE ALREADY OVERBURDENED BUREAUCRACY IN THE HOUSING ECOSYSTEM, RIGHT? SO YOU, THE, THE INTENTION FROM HOME, HOME BASES, UM, PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEY DID LOOK AT, OF COURSE, THE FRAMEWORK AND A NUMBER OF OTHER DOCUMENTS SAY TOMORROW, UM, TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW PLANS AND, UM, UH,
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DOCUMENTS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS IMPACTED THE HOMELESS SYSTEM.AND THEY FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE WASN'T ENOUGH EMPHASIS ON THE KIND OF HOUSING THAT IS GENERALLY NEEDED TO, UH, MOVE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND VERY, VERY VULNERABLE HOME HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS INTO OUT OF THE HOMELESS SYSTEM AND INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.
AND THAT INVOLVES STRONG SERVICE ENRICHED HOUSING THAT INVOLVES, UM, ACCESS TO SOMETIMES A NURSING, PALLIATIVE, OR HOSPICE CARE.
AND SO THE IDEA OF THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, UM, THERE IS A VERY FOCUSED EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THOSE TYPES OF HOUSING ARE AVAILABLE AND TO IMPROVE AND INCREASE ADVOCACY FOR THOSE TYPES OF HOUSING, UM, SITUATIONS.
AND THEY NEED TO BE DEVELOPED.
WE HAVE VERY LITTLE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND SERVICE ENRICHED HOUSING, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I GUESS, UH, THE LAST THING I'LL, I'LL, UM, MENTION IS I, I WAS VERY, UM, PLEASED THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE WORK OF PROVIDING IMMEDIATE, UH, EMERGENCY SHELTER, UH, FOR FOLKS BECAUSE ENCAMPMENTS ARE NOT A SOLUTION.
UM, AND THE EMPHASIS ON, ON CAPACITY BUILDING THAT PROVIDES THOSE, UH, WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT ARE GONNA BE NECESSARY FOR SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO TRANSITION TO PERMANENT HOUSING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONTINUING AND WILL CONTINUE TO FUND EMERGENCY SHELTER RELIEF, UH, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH, UH, OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING PROGRAM OR THROUGH THESE OTHER, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE EMERGENCY ISOLATION FACILITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, IN THE EVENT WE START TO SEE EVICTIONS, OTHER PLACES, UM, THAT ARE GOING TO AFFECT US, UH, WHAT, WHAT IS THE STRATEGY IMMEDIATELY? HOW ARE WE GOING TO PIVOT, UM, IN YOUR PLAN? SO IN OUR PLAN, AND WE WILL PROVIDE A MORE DETAILED PLAN IN JANUARY TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE INSTANCE OR IF WE ARE SEEING A, A MAJOR NUMBER OF EVICTIONS RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE EVICTIONS HAPPENING AND THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS, HAS THE CAPACITY TO HANDLE THEM, MISHANDLING 'EM.
UH, WE, WE GET A LOT OF CALLS THROUGH THE HOMELESS HOTLINE, UM, FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING EVICTION, AND WERE ABLE TO DIVERT AND REFER TO THE APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR SERVICES, PRIMARILY TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES EAB PROGRAM.
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, IT, IF THAT NUMBER INCREASES TO A CERTAIN POINT, THEN THE, IT WOULD OVERWHELM THE HOMELESS SYSTEM AND, AND IT WOULD BECOME AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE HOMELESS PARTNERS, THE PROVIDERS AS WELL AS WE'LL WORK WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES TO PUT THOSE CONTINGENCIES TOGETHER THAT COULD INVOLVE USE OF HOTELS, UM, AND OTHER FACILITIES TO HOUSE, UH, PEOPLE WHO BECOME HOMELESS AFTER EVICTION AGAIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, HANDLE THE SHELTERS, HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HOUSE PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING EVICTION OR TO PROVIDE A FEW NIGHTS OF HOTEL STAY IF THEY'RE DISPLACED AND TRANSITIONING, UM, HELP THEM WORK THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVE THROUGH POTENTIAL FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS THEY COULD STAY WITH.
BUT THERE IS A POINT AT WHICH, UM, THE HOMELESS SYSTEM DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, ABSORB A LARGE NUMBER OF, UH, EVICTED FAMILIES.
AND SO WE WILL BRING TO YOU IN JANUARY THOSE CONTINGENCY OPTIONS, MORE SPECIFICS ON OPTIONS, UM, THAT WE'LL PUT IN PLACE FOR CONTINGENCY PLAN.
UM, AS YOU DO THAT, UM, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO OUR WORK ON THE FRONT END.
UM, BUT, UH, I KNOW YOU'RE AWARE OF THIS, BUT I, I, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACCOUNTING FOR FOLKS WHO HAVE, UM, MEDICAL DISABILITIES OR OTHER, YOU KNOW, OTHER ISSUES THAT WOULD PREVENT A TRADITIONAL, UM, SHELTER, UM, SITUATION.
SO, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MELODY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO, TO DIGGING IN THIS VERY, UH, A LOT MORE AND, AND IT'S GREAT WORK UNDER SOME PRETTY EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES.
LET ME GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, UH, RO GARCIA.
UH, AND THANK YOU MELODY AND, AND TEAM.
AND I KNOW THAT HOME BASE WAS OUT, UH, I HAD A HOMELESSNESS FORUM, UH, IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, WHICH SEEMS SO LONG AGO.
UH, AND, AND SO THANK YOU TEAM FOR COMING OUT AND, AND GETTING SOME INPUT.
I LOVED SOME OF THE IDEAS IN THEM, AND I, I WANTED TO FOCUS ON THAT.
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MY DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES, JOHANNI HERNANDEZ, UH, DOES A GREAT JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT SHE'S A LIAISON BETWEEN YOUR OFFICE AND, AND OUR OFFICE.AND SO, UM, THERE'S A WOMAN, UH, TODAY IN D FOUR BY THE NAME OF MR. RAMOS WITH THREE CHILDREN WHO'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STAY, UH, IN HER APARTMENT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, UH, OR, OR THROUGHOUT CHRISTMAS.
RIGHT? UM, THERE'S A WOMAN, UH, BY THE NAME OF MRS. GOMEZ.
SHE'S, UH, AN ELDERLY, UH, WOMAN WHO IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STAY HOME.
WE JUST HELPED WITH, WITH YOUR, YOUR, YOUR HELP, UM, MRS. FOWLER BE, UH, SAFELY, UM, SECURED AT, AT A SENIOR FACILITY.
AND THERE'S A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF JESSE, WHO I SEE EVERY SINGLE DAY WHO, UM, IS, UH, LIVES OUT OF HIS CAR.
UM, AND I SEE HIM WHEN, WHEN I GO GET COFFEE AND, AND ACTUALLY SHOULD SAY EVERY SINGLE DAY NOW, BECAUSE IT, BECAUSE WE'RE AT HOME, I DON'T GET TO SEE HIM EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, SO THERE'S FACES, THERE'S NAMES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED TO HOMELESSNESS.
AND, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT WE, WE DO A, UH, A, A GOOD JOB OF REMINDING FOLKS, UM, THAT THERE'S REAL PEOPLE OUT THERE.
SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT, UH, WAS BURIED IN THE REPORT ON PAGE 1 0 9, AND I'LL REFERENCE PAGE NUMBERS, THE BENEFIT OF MY, UH, COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH URGENCY AROUND THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT WAS DIRECT STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT STAKEHOLDER, WHOEVER IT WAS SAID THAT, THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD DEVELOP A CAMPAIGN FOR 2021 TO BE THE YEAR TO ELIMINATE HOMELESSNESS IN SAN ANTONIO.
THE, THE REALLY, UM, THE, THE, THE BIG THING THAT I WANNA FOCUS ON, ON, ON THIS IS THAT THEY ALSO POINTED OUT THAT, UM, WE SHOULD REFRAME HOMELESSNESS AS A LOCAL EMERGENCY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION.
AND I WHOLLY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THAT IDEA.
AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD LOOK MORE INTO THAT.
HOW DO WE, UM, LOOK AT, UH, AT, AT, AT MAKING SURE THAT WE, UM, MAYBE YES, REFRAME OR MAYBE, UM, UH, RE YOU KNOW, RE REPOSITION THE, UH, AREA, THE FOCUS ON HOMELESSNESS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE IMMEDIATE ACTION.
SO IS THE SOLUTION TO DECLARE IT A STATE OF EMERGENCY? UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT A LOT OF, UH, OUR OFFICES, WE SEE THAT, WE SEE THAT THERE'S URGENCY.
THOSE ARE THE CALLS THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
SO, UM, SO I, I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE I WAS, AGAIN, BURIED IN PAGE 1 0 9 OF THE PLAN.
UM, BUT ALSO IN PAGE 33 ON PAGE 33 OF THE PLAN, AND I SPOKE ABOUT EMPATHY LAST WEEK.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONNECT EMPATHY IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
AND SO IN THE, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, I NOTICED SOMETHING THAT IT, IT, IT'S SOMETHING SO SIMPLE THAT TO US MEANS A WHOLE LOT, BUT THAT WE DON'T THINK ABOUT IT IF, IF SOMEONE'S IN A HOMELESS SHELTER.
AND SO, UM, A CONSIDERATION FOR A SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT COULD LITERALLY BE THAT ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS CAN STAY INSIDE SOMEWHERE AND REST DURING THE DAY.
UH, AND SO, SO MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.
ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY HAD, UM, THERE IS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A SPECIAL EFFORT TO ALLOW OLDER ADULTS TO SLEEP NEAR A BATHROOM.
AND SO, AGAIN, THESE THINGS THAT, BECAUSE WE MIGHT NOT BE IN THAT AGE RANGE YET, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY THINKING OF WHAT THE NEEDS ARE, BUT THAT'S A PART OF EMPATHY.
SO PUTTING OURSELVES IN THEIR SHOES AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WOULD MAKE THEM COMFORTABLE.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I, I REALLY LIKED ABOUT THE SYSTEMS IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED ON THIS, UM, THAT THEY WERE BASED ON, UH, ON EMPATHY, THE, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO THESE WONDERFUL, UH, THINGS THAT WE PLAN TO DO AS, AS PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNER THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED TODAY? THERE IS, UM, UH, I, I, I SEE THE NEED FOR, UM, ALSO, UH, THE NEED AND TO, TO HELP THEM SAFELY AGE IN PLACE.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, AND SOME OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE MADE SURE THAT WE, UM, HAVE ACCESS TO HELP FOLKS SO THAT THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS REPAIR THEIR HOME, ET CETERA.
SO I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A GROWING, UM, AGING POPULATION.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT THE TIME IS NOW DEFINITELY ON PAGE 52, THEY, UM, MENTION A PRIORITY POOL, UH, AND IT'S A CONCEPT FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE, UM, HOUSED.
IT'S, IT'S A LEVEL HOUSING READINESS.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT I APPRECIATED THAT ON PAGE 62 AS WELL.
THERE'S, UM, THE PRIOR, UH, WHERE ARE PEOPLE PRIOR TO RAPID REHOUSING? I LIKE HOW, UM, THERE ARE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK TO BE PROACTIVE INSTEAD OF REACTIVE.
UM, THE PER PRIMITIVE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING THAT WE TALK ABOUT, WHERE ARE THESE FOLKS BEFORE THEY GET THERE? I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL.
SO I, I APPRECIATE THAT IT TAKES THIS, UM, THIS LOOK BEFORE, UH, BEFORE IT HAPPENS.
UM, I, UH, AGREE WITH, WITH THE MAYOR ON PAGE 73.
IT REFERENCES THE COLLECTIVE IMPACT LEADERSHIP GROUP, UM, POSSIBLY THAT WE CAN CREATE FOR BEXAR COUNTY.
UM, I LOVE THAT THEY WOULD MEET BI-ANNUALLY AND
[00:45:01]
THAT THEY WOULD MEET IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS LIKE NATURAL DISASTERS OR SOMETHING LIKE C ET CETERA.BY THE WAY, THE LINK IS BROKEN.
UM, I CLICKED ON THE LINK TO THE, UM, I THINK IT WAS TULSA, UH, THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COUNCIL, AND IT WAS BROKEN, BUT IT, BUT I, IT, IT HELPED ME FIND SOMETHING ELSE, UM, THAT I THOUGHT WAS CRITICAL.
AND I'LL, I'LL SHARE THAT WITH YOU OFFLINE.
UM, THE IDEA ON PAGE 74 OF POSSIBLY CREATING A, A, A LENDING FUND, THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE.
I, I, I WOULD NOT KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THAT, BUT I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM HOME BASE TO SEE, UH, WHAT, WHAT THAT, UH, RECOMMENDATION IS STEMMING FROM, UM, THE EXTENSION OF THE CLINICIAN PILOT PROGRAM AND D 10, UH, I LIKE THAT YOU ALL ARE POINTING OUT, UH, THE USE OF POLICE SUBSTATIONS.
I'D ALSO PROBABLY SAY THAT WE HAVE FIELD OFFICES THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD PROBABLY BE WILLING TO, UM, ASSIST WITH, RIGHT? AND OFFER UP FOR, FOR FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING IN THIS TYPE OF ROLE.
UM, I ALSO, ON PAGE, UH, 79, I LIKE THAT YOU HAVE A CONSUMER ACTION BOARD, UH, THAT WILL SHARE THROUGH THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES, UM, THEIR INFORMATION, UH, AND SO, SO WE CAN LEARN ABOUT THINGS THAT WE DON'T THINK ABOUT BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER BEEN IN THAT SITUATION.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS THE SAFE PARKING PROGRAM.
AND SO ON PAGE 82, UM, THEY TALK ABOUT REACHING OUT TO FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND MAYBE EVEN SOME, SOME HIGHER ED CAMPUSES TO TRY TO DEVELOP THESE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN FEEL SAFE IF THEY'RE, UM, PERHAPS LIVING OUT OF THEIR VEHICLE.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN, UM, WE CAN DO THAT.
ALSO, UH, I, I NOTICED THAT THE RECODING, THE RECLASSIFICATION, IF YOU WILL, UH, WAS PROBABLY BRUTAL.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HOME BASE TEAM.
I, I THINK THAT YOU ALL DID A, A GOOD JOB SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, UH, SOME, SOME GOOD DATA THAT THAT IS GOING TO BE, UM, COLLECTED.
UM, I ALSO LIKE THE FOCUS ON PAGE ONE 13 ON THE TRAINING, AND YOU MENTIONED THIS MELODY IN YOUR PRESENTATION TRAINING FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, UM, SPECIFICALLY TO, UH, TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, AREAS OF NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, AS FAR AS MENTAL HEALTH, ET CETERA.
UH, AND THEN I ALSO, UM, APPRECIATE, UH, THAT THERE IS A FOCUS ON A SIX MONTH, UH, TRANSITION PLAN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE EXITING OUR PRISON, OUR PRISON SYSTEM.
SO WE NEED TO START PREPARING THEM AND WORKING TOGETHER TO PREPARE THEM FOR WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED INTO THE REAL WORLD.
AND SO I, UM, I LIKE THAT AS WELL, UM, AS THE MARKETING NERD ON THE GROUP.
I LIKE THAT YOU ALL, UH, OR THEY RECOMMENDED A MARKETING CAMPAIGN, UH, FOR HOMELESS FOLKS TO ACCESS HELP.
THAT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL, AND THAT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TALK TO THIS POPULATION, UH, NOT HOW TO TALK TO THEM, BUT, BUT HOW TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED.
SO, UM, I NOTICED IN THE END OF YOUR PRESENTATION, THERE IS ACCESS TO RESOURCES.
THERE'S 3 1 1 THAT WE CAN CALL.
THERE'S AN EMAIL THAT WE CAN EMAIL ABOUT WITH HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS.
UM, BUT HOW DOES THE AVERAGE, UH, PERSON WHO'S OUT THERE LIVING IN THEIR VEHICLE KNOW WHERE TO CALL? DO THEY EVEN HAVE A PHONE? AND SO I LOVE, UH, TO SEE, UM, HOW THAT MARKETING CAMPAIGN DEVELOPS.
UM, AND, UH, IN ON THE AUGUST 18TH SPECIAL SESSION THAT WE HAD, MELODY, WE HAD A CALL, I THINK IT WAS A WEEK BEFORE, FROM A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, AND HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT SOME AGGRESSIVE HOMELESS FOLKS, UM, THAT WERE, UH, AROUND HIS EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE SENT SOME INFORMATION AUGUST THE 20TH, AND I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR OFFICE TO SEE IF THERE WAS A, A MORE, UH, FORMULATED PLAN ON HOW TO ADDRESS THAT, UM, BECAUSE MAYBE WE COULD SHARE IT WITH OTHERS, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THERE, I SAW THAT THERE WAS A BIG FOCUS ON BUSINESSES AND HOW WE COULD PARTNER WITH BUSINESSES, MAYBE WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THAT INSTANCE, WE COULD SHARE WITH OTHER SMALL BUSINESSES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THAT.
AND THEN, UM, MY, UH, MY, MY OTHER, UH, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IS THE HOMELESSNESS COORDINATORS BY DISTRICT.
SO I'D LIKE AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE ON THAT, AND THEN ALSO WHAT YOUR PLAN FOR REGIONAL STRATEGY IS.
SO I GUESS, UH, ALL THE OTHER ONES ARE COMMENTS, BUT THOSE ARE MY TWO LAST QUESTIONS.
UM, WHERE ARE WE ON THE HOMELESSNESS COORDINATORS BY DISTRICT AND WHAT'S OUR REGIONAL STRATEGY TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS? THANK YOU.
UH, COUNCILMAN, I, I WOULD JUST QUICKLY ADDRESS THE SLEEPING, THE ISSUE OF SLEEPING IN CARS.
THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION OF THE REPORT.
IT ISN'T ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE BEGUN TO IMPLEMENT OR SANCTION, AND IT'LL BE PART OF A, YOU KNOW, PART OF ADDRESSING, UM, IF THERE'S MASS EVICTIONS, UM, AND IF OUR, UH, CURRENT CAPACITY IN OUR SHELTERS BECOMES EXHAUSTED.
I THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA
[00:50:01]
TO COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO.UM, THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU MELODY FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND IT'S, UH, I I CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UH, HOWEVER, UM, I, I, I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT AS, UM, JOVIAL ABOUT, ABOUT THE, THE OUTLOOK.
IT, IT IS, UH, I THINK THAT, THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES HERE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
AND YOU AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT, IS THIS A PEOPLE ISSUE? IS THIS A, A RESOURCE ISSUE? IS THIS A SYSTEMIC OR SYSTEMS ISSUE I SHOULD SAY? AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I I THINK IT'S, IT'S, UH, A SYSTEMS ISSUE, BUT A REALLY, A COMBINATION OF A LOT OF THESE THINGS.
AND, UM, I DO APPRECIATE THAT ERIC, UH, WALSH CITY MANAGER CAME OUT TO MY FIELD OFFICE, UH, WHERE WE ARE USING THE FIELD OFFICE TO COORDINATE, UH, OUR HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAM.
UH, I WANT TO SPECIFICALLY THANK, UH, JAMIE NICHOLSON, WHO'S JUST BEEN A ROCKSTAR IN HELPING US UNDERSTAND MORE FULLY AND MORE IN DETAIL ALL THE ISSUES, UH, THAT, THAT YOU JUST PRESENTED.
UH, IN FACT, THE FIRST REQUEST I HAVE IS THAT YOU PLEASE MAKE THIS REPORT THAT YOU SHARED WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS PUBLIC.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT I DON'T THINK WERE INCLUDED IN THE PRESENTATION, UH, THAT, THAT WOULD, WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I ALSO WANNA THANK, BY THE WAY, JO VAN KIKEN.
I, YOU KNOW, HE IS, UH, TREMENDOUS ASSET AT D H SS, AND I HOPE HE HAS, HE'S, HE'S THERE FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO COME.
UM, THE ISSUE OF, OF COORDINATED AND COLLABORATION, COORDINATION, AND COLLABORATION IS, IS, IS SO, SO CRUCIAL.
AND ERIC, AS YOU POINTED OUT, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO, UH, REALLY GET A, A BETTER REPORT ON.
AND, UM, I WENT AND VISITED A COUPLE DAYS AGO WITH THE OFFICER FERRIS AND LIEUTENANT BARRIGAN OVER AT THE ID RECOVERY PROGRAM IN THE SAN FERNANDO GYM.
THEY ARE, UH, JUST AMAZING PEOPLE, UH, ALONG WITH MONTE, UH, WHO, WHO RECENTLY RETIRED AND, UH, STARTED HELP START THE PROGRAM WITH OFFICER FERRIS.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE ISSUE FOR ME IS THAT AS WE SEE ALL THESE THINGS WORKING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS I ASK WAS, I SAW, I SAW MAYBE, UH, 80 PEOPLE THERE, INCLUDING THE HOMELESS PEOPLE WHO WERE, UH, LOOKING TO GET ID RECOVERY.
AND I ASKED WHERE, WHERE WAS, WAS ANYBODY FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES THERE? THE ANSWER WAS NO.
THERE WASN'T A SINGLE PERSON FROM D H SS THERE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I, UH, WITH, WITH THAT MUCH EFFORT AND THAT MUCH GOING ON WITH WAN MINISTRIES HELPING OUT, I, I THINK IT, IT WOULD JUST BENEFIT US IF, IF WE COORDINATED, UH, SUCH, SUCH AN IMPORTANT EFFORT THAT ID RECOVERY PROGRAM IS, IS SO CRITICAL.
UM, I ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES TO VISIT THAT PROGRAM THAT I BELIEVE NEEDS TO GET DECENTRALIZED AND KIND OF GET, GET OUT, UM, UH, AND, AND, AND TRY TO BE AVAILABLE IN ALL PARTS OF OUR, OF OUR CITY, INCLUDING, I MEAN, MAYBE WE BASE IT OUT OF OUR FIELD OFFICES OR, OR OTHER AREAS, UH, TO BE ACCESSIBLE, UH, IN EVERY CORNER OF OUR SITTING.
IT, THE, THE OTHER ISSUE IS THAT, UH, AS WE'RE TRYING TO TREAT SOME OF OUR FOLKS AND HELP, UM, THE, THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY TWO MODELS, THE CONTINUUM CARE AND HOUSING FIRST, AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR, I'D LIKE, I REALLY WANNA GET, UH, AN UNDERSTANDING OF, OF WHY HOUSING FIRST IS, IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HEAR ENOUGH ABOUT.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU, UH, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS FROM THE REPORT.
MANY STAKEHOLDERS WE'RE OPEN TO INNOVATIVE AND UNCONVENTIONAL HOUSING MODEL, SUCH AS RENOVATION AND REUSE OF ABANDONED PROPERTIES SHARED IN CO-HOUSING MODELS AND TINY HOME COMMUNITIES.
AS LONG, AS LONG AS THESE MODELS ARE IMPLEMENTED ACCORDING TO BEST PRACTICES AND ACCORDING WITH ZONING AND CODE COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS.
AND WITH ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE WRAPAROUND SUPPORTIVE SERVICE PROVIDED, STAKEHOLDERS ALSO EXPRESS, EXPRESSED A DESIRE FOR A RANGE OF PERMANENT HOUSING OPTIONS THAT INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO OPERATING WITHIN THE HOUSING FIRST MODEL.
AND THE HOUSING FIRST MODEL, I, I BRING IT UP BECAUSE, UH, I'VE GOT SEVERAL EXAMPLES THAT I, THAT I'VE EXPRESSED, UH, TO, TO THE CITY MANAGER, TO, UH, MELODY WOOLSEY, UH, WHERE, UH, OUR OUTREACH SPECIALISTS HAVE, HAVE GONE TO, TO, UM, GOTTEN PEOPLE TO, TO TRUST, UH, IN, IN, IN RECEIVING THOSE SERVICES.
BUT WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY FINALLY WENT INTO THE SHELTER, THERE WAS A BARRIER, THE BARRIER WHERE, WHERE THERE WHETHER, UH, THEY DIDN'T MEET, UH, THE, THE MENTAL HEALTH GUIDELINES, OR THEY, THEY NEEDED DETOX.
[00:55:02]
INSTANCE, THERE WAS, UH, SOMEBODY WHO, WHO WAS SIMPLY TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THERE WERE, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH DETOX BEDS.IN FACT, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH FEMALE DETOX BEDS.
THERE WAS 28 AVAILABLE DETOX BEDS, BUT ONLY EIGHT WERE DESIGNATED FOR, FOR WOMEN.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE TO HEAR, UH, AND I KNOW I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, WITH YOU MELODY ABOUT IT, AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKED ON THAT ISSUE, UH, TOGETHER.
BUT, AND I CAN'T HELP BUT THINK OF HOW MANY TIMES THAT HAPPENS AS PEOPLE, YOU FINALLY TAKE THAT STEP AND, AND ARE SIMPLY TURNED AWAY.
UM, THE, THE NEXT REALLY BIG THING THAT I, THAT, THAT THE REPORT TALKED ABOUT THAT WAS, UH, EYE-OPENING BUT WAS NOT SURPRISING, WAS EVICTIONS.
UH, IN THE REPORT IT SAYS, MANY STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING CURRENT AND FORMER RESIDENTS, THE PUBLIC HOUSING USE IDENTIFIED EVICTION AS A PRIMARY CAUSE OF HOMELESSNESS IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS STRAIGHT FROM THE REPORT.
AND, AND, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A HUGE EVICTION CRISIS, UH, LOOMING.
UH, AGAIN, THE, WE KNOW THAT, UM, HOMELESS EVICTIONS HAVE INCREASED BY 80% LOCALLY, UH, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS ALONE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S PRE PANDEMIC, AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE INFORMAL EXTRA JUDI JUDICIAL EVICTIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S MANY THINGS WE CAN DO.
JUST THIS YEAR ALONE, WE HAD 8,429 FILINGS.
EVEN WITH ALL THE ATTEMPTS TO TRY TO SLOW THIS DOWN, I WANNA THANK, UM, THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE FOR, FOR ALL THAT THEY'VE DONE.
UH, THE FOLKS THAT WRITE TO COUNSEL, UH, THE, THE GREAT COUNSEL TEAM AND LEGAL PARTNERS LIKE ELIANA, LOU, T R L A SALSA, UH, I WANNA RECOGNIZE THEM FOR, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE.
AND, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT'S LOOMING WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, UH, EVICTION CRISIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHER COMMUNITIES, UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE, THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN STILL DO.
AND ONE OF THOSE IS TO SIMPLY PUT A MORATORIUM ON NOTICES TO VACATE AND NOTICES TO VACATE IS NOT PART OF THE, UH, UH, AN EVICTION PROCESS.
BUT THAT NOTICE TO VACATE DOES, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT PEOPLE, UH, OUT OF THOSE, THOSE HOMES.
AND, AND MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE, THOSE FAMILIES SIMPLY DON'T KNOW THEIR RIGHTS.
UM, SO I, I THINK THAT, AGAIN, THESE, THIS INFORMATION IS NOT SURPRISING.
UH, WE'VE KNOWN, WE'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME WITH RENTAL HOUSING STABILITY IN THE CITY FOR DECADES, AND IT IS, IS GRAVELY CONCERNING, UH, CONSIDERING ALL THE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ARE SET TO END AFTER CHRISTMAS.
THE END, UH, EVICTION WAR RETURN WILL EXPIRE ON JUNE, JANUARY 1ST.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING, WE'LL LIKELY SEE AN INFLUX OF HOUSING SECURITY IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.
UH, I JUST GOT A REPORT FROM THE, UH, THE APPRAISAL, UH, THEIR APPRAISAL CHIEF ABOUT, UH, HOME SALES, UH, ACTUALLY GOING, UH, RISING, WHICH MEANS THAT THE MARKET PRICES HAVE GONE UP AND THE, AND THE, THE SUPPLY OF HOUSING HAS GONE DOWN INSTEAD OF UP, AND THAT PUTS PRESSURE ON THE AVAILABILITY OF, OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, SO THE, THE LESS, THE LESS WE HAVE, THE LESS HOUSING WE HAVE, UH, THE LESS, UH, OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE FOR, FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, WE'LL NEED MORE THAN, UH, JUST A FEW, UH, MORE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, UH, IN HOUSING ASSISTANCE BEFORE THE NEW YEAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THIS ISSUE GIVEN THE PEOPLE OF COLOR, WOMEN OF COLOR, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY SINGLE MOMS, UH, OF COLOR FACE OR, UH, FACE EVICTION AND, AND DISPLACEMENT AT A, AN INCREDIBLY DISPROPORTIONATE RATE.
AND AGAIN, I, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, HOUSING IS HEALTHCARE.
AND I WORRY, AND I'M WORRIED THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ENOUGH PROTECTIONS OR FUNDS TO SAY, FAMILIES FROM HOUSING INSTABILITY.
AND HOMELESSNESS DURING THE TIME OF COVID CASES ARE INCREASING LOCALLY.
UM, WE RECENTLY HAD A FAMILY HERE, UH, WITH A KID WHO SIMPLY DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM.
AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S JUST THE SIMPLE THINGS THAT, UM, I THINK CAN HELP, UH, PROTECT THE DIGNITY AND THE, UH, RESPECT THAT WE MUST SHOW ONE ANOTHER IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IF WE ARE GONNA BE CALLING OURSELVES THE CITY OF A COMPASSION, WE MUST LOOK AT ADOPTING THE HOUSING FIRST MODEL.
WE MUST LOOK AT INCREASING, UH, THE, THE, THE RESOURCES FOR SYSTEMS TO CONNECT PEOPLE AND GET PEOPLE THE HELP THAT THEY NEED.
UM, AND NOW THAT, THAT WE'RE FACING THESE COLD WINTER MONTHS, WHAT, WHAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE IS PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREET ON A COLD, RAINY NIGHT WITH NO PLACE TO GO.
[01:00:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.I CERTAINLY HAVE TO, UH, AGREE WITH A LOT OF WHAT WAS SAID BY MY TWO PROCEEDING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE, THEY'VE EXPRESSED A LOT OF IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW.
UH, AND SO I WANNA, UH, LOOK AT THIS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
I WANT TO ASK, UH, FROM THE HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE PUT IN HOTELS, UH, SINCE THE CORONAVIRUS BROKE OUT, UM, WHAT HAS THIS THIS LED TO FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS AS FAR AS, UH, MOVING FROM THE HOTEL INTO OTHER KIND OF SERVICES? UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT HAVE WE SEEN FROM GIVING THEM A SAFE PLACE TO WHERE THEY TEND TO GO FROM THERE? SO, UH, THE, OUR HOTEL HAS PRIMARILY BEEN THE HOTEL THAT WE LEASED IN HAVEN FOR HOPE HAS OPERATED.
AND THEY INITIALLY STARTED, UM, WITH THAT BY MOVING DECOMPRESSING THE CAMPUS, TRYING TO MAKE WAY FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING MOVE THEIR MOST HIGH RISK, UM, INDIVIDUALS TO THE HOTEL.
AND IT'S REALLY BECOME, UM, ALMOST A BRIDGE TO, UH, BETTER HOUSING OPTIONS.
A LOT OF THEM WERE ABLE TO GO THERE, RECEIVE MORE ATTENTION MAYBE THAN, THAN THEY HAD BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE AT THE COURTYARD, UH, RECEIVE MORE SERVICES, UM, MORE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES, AND REALLY BEGIN TO SEE WHAT IT MIGHT BE LIKE TO MOVE INTO A PLACE OF THEIR OWN.
AND SO HAVEN HAS BEEN ABLE TO, AND I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER WITH ME, UM, I'LL GET IT FOR YOU, HAS BEEN ABLE TO MOVE A COUPLE OF HUNDRED, SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE FROM THE HOTEL, SO FROM THE CAMPUS TO THE HOTEL, AND THEN INTO EITHER PERMANENT HOUSING SITUATION OR A BETTER HOUSING SITU, A BETTER LIVING SITUATION, SOME, SOMEWHERE MORE APPROPRIATE, UM, THAT DOESN'T, THEY WILL NOT GO BACK TO THE COURTYARD.
SO THERE'S REALLY, THAT'S REALLY BEEN A SURPRISE, UM, EFFORT I THINK.
AND, AND KENNY HAS TALKED ABOUT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE REALLY SEEN A, A VERY IMPRESSIVE, UM, CHANGE IN PEOPLE FROM, FROM THAT TIME AT THE HOTEL.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF, UH, WILL BE PART OF, YOU KNOW, CREATING A HOUSING, THIS, UH, HOMELESS, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN FRAMEWORK AND, AND CONTINUING THAT WORK IS CONSIDERATION THE IMPACT OF THE HOTEL.
WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED, OR, OR THEY'VE IDENTIFIED HOME BASIS THE CITY AND HAVEN FOR HOPE, WHICH IS ALMOST THE SAME THING, UH, AND SARAH AS, AS THREE PRIMARY AGENCIES THAT ARE WORKING WITH HOMELESS.
AND, AND WHAT I WOULD HOPE TO SEE IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF, UH, A, A REGULAR WAY FOR US AS COUNCIL TO SEE HOW THESE EFFORTS ARE, ARE MAKING PROGRESS.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS ALL THREE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND A COLLECTION OF INFORMATION FROM ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION THAT DEALS WITH HOMELESS, TO GIVE US REPORTS ON A REGULAR BASIS, UH, ON, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY CONTACTS HAVE THEY HAD WITH HOMELESS PEOPLE, UH, WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES THAT THESE HOMELESS CONTACTS HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF OR COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO? UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY HOMELESS HAVE MOVED OUT OF BEING AT LIKE HAVEN FOR HOPE AND MOVE BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY ON A PRETTY REGULAR BASIS SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF TRACK AND SEE AS A, AS A COUNCIL, THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING OR THE LACK OF PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING, AND MAYBE LOOK FOR HOLES THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE ABOUT.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE HAD, UH, CONTACTS WITH, UH, 500 HOMELESS PEOPLE IN A MONTH, YOU KNOW, WHERE DID THOSE GO? HOW MANY WERE REFERRED FOR ASSISTANCE? BECAUSE MAYBE THEY HAVE A DRUG PROBLEM OR AN ALCOHOLIC PROBLEM, OR A MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM, DID THEY GO, DID THEY RECEIVE THAT? HOW MANY OF THEM, UH, HAVE BEEN AT HAVEN FOR HOPE, FOR X AMOUNT OF TIME, THAT HAVE NOW MOVED OUT BECAUSE THEY'VE RECEIVED THE HELP THAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET A JOB AND MOVE INTO OTHER SAFER OR MORE STABLE HOUSING? WE NEVER SEE THESE NUMBERS, SO WE DON'T KNOW.
ALL WE KNOW IS THERE ARE 3000 HOMELESS AND X AMOUNT ARE SERVED THROUGH HAVEN FOR HOPE.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE US START DEVELOPING, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF INFORMATION.
AND I, I'D LIKE TO SEE US GET ABOUT A QUARTERLY REPORT THAT WOULD BE AT LEAST IN WRITING OR IN, IN A, A REPORT LIKE YOU PRESENTED TODAY FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AND AT LEAST, UH, EVERY SIX MONTHS HAVE, UH, A B SESSION ABOUT THIS TO REALLY GET INTO THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW
[01:05:01]
IT'S PAYING OFF.'CAUSE WE'RE INVESTING A HUNDRED, OR, EXCUSE ME, $39 MILLION INTO THIS EFFORT ACCORDING TO THE TWO PRESENTATIONS YOU'VE JUST SHOWN.
AND IF THAT'S THE INVESTMENT WE'RE MAKING, AS MY FRIEND CLAYTON LIKES TO SAY, WE NEED TO SEE THE RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT, NOT IN DOLLARS AND CENTS, BUT IN THE, THE HUMAN LIVES THAT ARE IMPROVED.
AND, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
ALL I SEE IS A FEW NUMBERS ABOUT HOW MANY HOMELESS THERE ARE, AND THAT WE HAVE SO MANY HERE AND SO MANY THERE.
SO I'D, I'D CERTAINLY LIKE TO SEE THAT KIND OF REPORT PUT TOGETHER USING ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE CAN FIND, AND THEN LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS THAT ARE PART OF THAT TO SEE HOW MANY ARE SERVING, HOW MANY PEOPLE, AND HOW SUCCESSFULLY.
UH, I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE, UM, A CONTINUING NUMBER OF HOMELESS THAT WE CAN PROBABLY, UH, NEVER GET OFF THE STREETS FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT SETTING THOSE PEOPLE ASIDE, WHETHER IT'S A HUNDRED OF 'EM OR A THOUSAND OF THEM, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING IN ALL OF THE OTHERS THAT CAN BE HELPED, CAN BE ASSISTED, CAN BE MOVED INTO A SAFER ENVIRONMENT FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR THEIR FAMILY.
SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN WORK ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, UH, HOW ARE THE, OUT, HOW WILL THE OUTREACH TEAMS WORK FOR EACH DISTRICT? I MEAN, WHAT IS THE TEAM COMPRISED OF, AND HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO BE OUT THERE TO RESPOND TO THOSE NEEDS? SO EACH TEAM WILL INCLUDE A, UH, OUTREACH SPECIALIST, AND THAT WILL EITHER BE A, UM, A CLINICIAN OR SOMEONE WITH SOCIAL WORK BACKGROUND BACKGROUND WORKING WITH, UM, HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
AND THE TEAM WILL ALSO INCLUDE A SOCIAL WORK INTERN FROM, UM, THE COLLEGES WE'RE WORKING WITH U T S A, OUR LADY AT THE LAKE, UM, TO GET THOSE SOCIAL WORK IN INTERNS.
THEY WILL BECOME, YOU KNOW, THEY WILL BECOME FAMILIAR WITH YOUR, YOUR STAFF, YOUR FIELD OFFICE, UM, THE CONSTITUENTS IN THE AREA, BUSINESSES IN THE AREA, SPEAKING TO THEM ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, MAYBE THERE'S A FURNITURE STORE THAT, THAT'S DUMPING ITEMS BEHIND THE, THE BUILDING AND, UM, WAITING FOR TRASH TO PICK THEM UP.
AND SOMETIMES HOMELESS WILL LOCATE, UH, CLOSE TO PLACES LIKE THAT SO THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE TYPES OF ITEMS. SO LOCKING THEIR DUMPSTERS OR, OR, OR KEEPING THOSE AREAS CLEAR SOMETIMES PREVENTS HOMELESS FROM, FROM BUILDING ENCAMPMENTS IN, IN THAT AREA.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THAT COORDINATION WITH, UM, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE FAITH-BASED SECTOR IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CAN REALLY CREATE SOLUTIONS, UM, FOR HOMELESSNESS, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, UM, ADVOCATING FOR PEOPLE TO HELP, UM, PROVIDE HOMELESS SERVICES SUCH AS THE FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE SAW THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS WAS, UM, THEY WERE VERY OPEN TO, AND SO I THINK I SAID WE NEED TO HARNESS THAT AND, AND THOSE OUTREACH TEAMS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THAT.
BUT THE WORK WITH THE HOMELESS WILL INVOLVE, YOU KNOW, THAT BUILDING TRUST AND RAPPORT ABSOLUTELY.
LOOKING AT DO YOU HAVE ID, UM, AND GETTING THEM ATTACHED TO THAT BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S VERY LITTLE THEY CAN DO WITHOUT IT.
UM, AND THEN, UH, CASE MANAGING THEM ONCE THEY ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT SERVICES, UH, IF THERE'S NOT A HANDOFF TO A, TO A SHELTER AT THAT POINT.
SO IF, IF SOMEBODY CALLED MY OFFICE AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UH, SOME HOMELESS PEOPLE CAMPED OUT BEHIND OUR HOME IN AN OPEN AREA OR SOMETHING, THEN I COULD GO AHEAD AND CONTACT THOSE TEAM MEMBERS FOR DISTRICT NINE AND ASK THEM TO GO OUT AND EXPLORE THAT.
UM, NOW DOES THAT MEAN WE WOULDN'T CALL HAR HAVEN FOR HOPE ANYMORE TO COME OUT AND DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, YES, THAT, SEE, THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT YOU WOULD GO THROUGH THE, YOUR, THE HOMELESS OUTREACH SPECIALIST FOR DISTRICT NINE, AND IF, YOU KNOW, HAVEN FOR HOPE, MAYBE THE MOST APPROPRIATE REFERRAL, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT.
NOW, ARE WE GOING TO EMPLOY, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THE, UH, SAFE OFFICERS TO WORK WITH THESE TEAMS? SOMETIMES IT MAY NOT BE SAFE OR PEOPLE MAY FEEL UNSAFE GOING OUT INTO AN ENCAMPMENT.
UH, SO WILL, WILL THERE BE A COMMITMENT FROM SAFE OFFICERS TO WORK WITH THESE TEAM MEMBERS WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE THEY NEED THEM? WE, WE BELIEVE WE HAVE THAT COMMITMENT.
THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, TREMENDOUSLY HELPFUL IN THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING AROUND ENCAMPMENTS FOR YEARS.
AND, UM, WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT RELATIONSHIP EVEN POTENTIALLY, UM, HOUSING THE OUTREACH WORKERS, UM, RIGHT, RIGHT.
WITH, WITH THE SUBSTATIONS, WILL THERE BE A DIRECT CONTACT WITH CODE COMPLIANCE OR SOMEBODY IN A SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT THAT MIGHT BE ASSIGNED TO SO MANY DISTRICTS SO THAT YOU'VE GOT THAT
[01:10:01]
KIND OF CONTINUITY? RIGHT.YOU KNOW, AND THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THE OUTREACH PROVIDES IS EYESIS AND EARS IN THE, IN THE DISTRICT, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO IF THEY SEE ILLEGAL DUMPING OR, OR A LOT OF TRASH, THEY CAN INFORM CODE COMPLIANCE.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ERIC, DID YOU WANNA RESPOND TO SOMETHING? WELL, I, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF ALONG THE, THE, THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCILMAN COURAGE HAD, I MEAN, UM, I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA FIND, AND, AND IT GOES BACK TO WHAT COUNCILMAN TREVINO DESCRIBED AND, AND MY VISIT OUT THERE.
UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE CAPACITY ISSUES IN, IN SOME OF THE OUTLETS.
AND, AND THE EXAMPLE THAT COUNCILMAN TREVINO GAVE WAS THE DETOX CENTER EXAMPLE.
AND SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE GONNA FIND AS WE EXPAND THE OUTREACH TEAM, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY IS MORE EXAMPLES OF WHAT HE DESCRIBED, WHICH, WHICH I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED TO GET OUR ARMS AROUND, UM, AND, AND WORK WITH OUR PARTNER AGENCIES, WHETHER IT'S EVEN FOR HOPE OR, UH, UH, U H SS OR CENTER HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
UM, BECAUSE THOSE ARE GONNA BE SOME OF THE DOWNSTREAM ISSUES THAT WE'RE GOING TO ENCOUNTER THAT ARE GONNA EITHER REQUIRE US TO, UH, REALLOCATE FUNDING OR ALLOCATE FUNDING OR WORK WITH THOSE AGENCIES.
AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING BECAUSE THAT MEANS FROM A SYSTEMIC, FROM A SYSTEM STANDPOINT, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT CAPACITY AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE ARE, UH, LEARNING FROM, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IN SOME OF THE DISTRICTS, UH, AND MEL TALKED ABOUT D 10 AND D ONE, WE'RE GONNA FIND MORE.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE'LL KEEP THE COUNCIL UPDATED BECAUSE IT'S GONNA REQUIRE US TO, TO, UH, CONTINUE TO MAKE CHANGES.
UM, THERE DOES NEED TO BE A, A PLUGIN AT ALL CASES WHERE, WHERE FOLKS CAN GET THE HELP THEY NEED.
ALRIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREWS SULLIVAN.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE AND, AND I THINK THAT YOU ANSWERED IT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE WHEN IT COMES TO THE, UH, REPORT ON THE VACANT INVENTORY OF BUILDINGS THAT WE COULD USE, UM, TO HELP WITH THE 1600 AND OR 16,400 AFFORDABLE UNITS, UM, DO WE KNOW WHAT THAT INVENTORY LOOKS LIKE? OR DO WE HAVE THAT REPORT AS OF YET? WE KNOW THERE ARE A NUMBER OF HOTELS THAT ARE EITHER VACANT OR WAY UNDERUTILIZED.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE, FOR OUR EMERGENCY, UM, HOUSING PLAN FOR HOMELESS, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD FOR A WHILE AND USED WHEN, UM, WE HAD THE MIGRAINE INFLUX.
WE HAVE SMALLER FACILITIES AVAILABLE AT THE, THE GYM AT THE FRANK GARRETT, THE SAN FERNANDO GYM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LONGER.
UM, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CORONE MINISTRIES AT, AT TRAVIS CHURCH, THAT'S A, THAT'S A TEMPORARY SHORT TERM, UM, FIX FOR LONGER TERM.
UM, YOU KNOW, SAY IN A MASS EVICTION, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, AT LARGER FACILITIES AND, AND PROBABLY THE INVENTORY OF VACANT HOTELS.
HAVE WE LOOKED AT THE INVENTORY OF ANY VACANT APARTMENT BUILDINGS OR, UM, WHAT ARE INVENTORY OF AFFORDABLE VACANT HOMES WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL HOMES WE HAVE NOT LOOKED AT, BUT WE DO KNOW OF SEVERAL VACANT APARTMENT BUILDINGS THAT, THAT WE'LL, WE'LL, UM, EXPLORE.
AND, AND WOULD YOU BE REPORTING TO US AS A COUNCIL ON WHAT'S AVAILABLE OR HOW IS THAT PROCESS GONNA TAKE PLACE? WE WILL HAVE A REPORT, UM, READY IN JANUARY THAT THAT PROVIDES, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY LOOKS AT WHAT ARE THE CONTINGENCY PLANS IN THE EVENT THAT THE, THE CAPACITY OF THE SYSTEM IS EXHAUSTED.
AND, UM, WE'LL BRING THAT TO YOU EITHER THROUGH B SESSION OR A SUBCOMMITTEE ONCE IT GOES THROUGH CITY MANAGER.
AND THEN WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT OUR FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, AND MENTAL HEALTH, WE HAVE SOME OF OUR FAITH-BASED CHURCHES THAT ACTUALLY HAVE MENTAL HEALTH, UM, YES.
SO IF THEY ALREADY HAVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE ALREADY UP AND RUNNING, HOW DO THEY BECOME A PART OF THE PROCESS NOW? I THINK THAT'S WHAT, UH, THE BRIDGES OF CARE PROGRAM, UH, REALLY IS GOING TO HELP WITH.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S FINDING THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT EITHER HAVE THOSE PROGRAMS OR WANT TO, OR WANT TO PARTICIPATE AND FORMING THE CLUSTERS, PROVIDING TRAINING TO THEM SO THAT THERE'S AGAIN, A CONSISTENT, UM, PATH OR CONSISTENT WAY OF, OF PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY AND THEN ENGAGING THEM THAT WAY.
SO IF WE KNOW OF ANY OF OUR FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO THAT ALREADY, CAN WE GET YOU THOSE NAMES, MELODY,
[01:15:01]
SO YOU CAN PASS 'EM ON? ABSOLUTELY.IN FACT, WE, YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM, UM, IN HOME KEY OR OR OTHER FOLKS IN OUR DEPARTMENT TO GATHER THAT KIND OF INFORMATION FROM EACH OFFICE.
UM, AND SO I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE SHOWER TRUCK, AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN TREVINO, UM, FOR MAKING SURE THAT OUR POPULATION THAT NEEDS IT THE MOST AND REALLY ARE ASKING FOR AND HAS SOME DIGNITY WHEN THEY GO TO HAVE THESE SERVICES.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, COUNCILMAN.
UM, THANK YOU, MELANIE FOR, FOR SEEING THAT THROUGH A CITY MANAGER.
BUT ONE THING THAT WE'VE SEEN WITHIN OUR DISTRICT IS THAT THE POPULATION OF THOSE WHO ARE UNSHELTERED DON'T HAVE FACILITIES SUCH AS RESTROOMS. UM, AND SO THE SPACES THAT THEY, UM, HAVE INCORPORATED HAVE BECOME, UM, THOSE FACILITIES.
AND SO WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT SANITATION AND, AND SANITAR CARE, WHAT OTHER RESOURCES ARE WE PUSHING FORTH, MELODY TO PROVIDE EITHER PORTA POTTIES OR RESTROOMS OR, UM, ANOTHER FACILITY TRUCK THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP, UM, AS WE'RE GOING FORWARD.
SO THAT'LL BE PART OF THE PLANNING THAT WE'RE DOING, UM, IN RESPONDING TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
BUT EVEN THE RESTROOMS ARE ALWAYS AN ISSUE.
THE SHOWER TRAILER, UM, YOU KNOW, NOW GIVES US THE ABILITY FOR, FOR PEOPLE TO SHOWER SIX DAYS A WEEK, UM, IN TWO LOCATIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO NOW LOOK AT THE DATA, YOU KNOW, IS IS IT, ARE THEY BEING UTILIZED? HOW ARE THEY BEING UTILIZED? WHERE, WHERE ARE WE, UM, STILL IN NEED OF THAT BECAUSE SOMEBODY OBVIOUSLY IS NOT GOING TO WALK, YOU KNOW, 10 MILES TO GET A SHOWER OR USE THE FACILITIES.
AND SO THAT IS PART OF THE WORK WE STILL NEED TO DO THERE.
UM, THERE ARE ACCESS TO BATHROOM ISSUES.
WE SEE THAT, AND I KNOW THE CLEANING CREWS SEE THAT.
AND SO, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S STILL PART OF THE PLANNING AND, AND WORKING WITH, UM, OUR SISTER DEPARTMENTS ALSO ON, UH, WHERE BATHROOMS ARE AVAILABLE AND HOW WE INCREASE THAT.
UM, WE HAVE THEM AT THE TWO AREAS WHERE WE ARE PROVIDING, UM, THE SHOWERS, BATHROOMS ARE AVAILABLE, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S, THERE'S ISSUES COMMUNITY-WIDE.
UM, AND THEN HOW ARE WE WORKING WITH TEXT DOT WHEN IT COMES TO THE ENCAMPMENTS UNDER THE FREEWAYS AS WE'RE GOING FORWARD WITH THIS PLAN? UH, GENERALLY WHEN WE'RE DOING WORK UNDER THE FREEWAYS, TXDOT, UH, WORKS CLOSELY WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON WHERE WE HAVE ACCESS AND, UM, HAS DEVELOPED THAT RELATIONSHIP SO THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT, UH, PUBLIC WORKS IS DOING WHEN THEY CLEAN THE AREAS.
AND, UM, WE'VE HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AS FAR AS GOING AND DOING OUTREACH IN THOSE AREAS WITHOUT, WITHOUT, WE DON'T HAVE TO CONTACT THEM EVERY TIME.
AND THEN THE FINAL QUESTION THAT I HAVE, MELODY IS AS WE'RE OVERCOMING OR HELPING FAMILIES TO OVERCOME BARRIERS, HAVE WE DONE A, UM, EVALUATION ON HOW EVICTIONS AND HOW MANY EVICTIONS A FAMILY HAS, UM, THAT IS HOMELESS? AND, AND HOW ARE WE OVERCOMING THAT WITH SPEAKING TO GETTING THOSE FAMILIES BACK INTO, UM, STABLE LIVING AND, AND WORKING WITH THEM, WITH THEIR BUDGETING, WITH THEIR RESOURCES OF, OF HOW TO GET TRANSPORTATION, UM, IF THEY HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH, UM, OUTSIDE OF JUST, UM, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, BUT IF THEY HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY OR IF THEY'VE HAD A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, UM, HOW ARE WE SPEAKING TO THOSE POPULATIONS, THE HOPE OVERCOME THOSE BARRIERS? AND THAT AGAIN, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE, UH, PAY CLOSER ATTENTION TO SUBPOPULATIONS AND UNIQUE NEEDS.
THAT'S PART OF MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE INDIVIDUALIZING SERVICES AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES SUCH AS TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
WE DON'T, UM, THAT I'M AWARE OF, HAVE A STUDY THAT DIRECTLY TIES EVICTIONS TO THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
BUT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WE'LL FOLLOW UP AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO PULL INFORMATION OUT OF THE H M I S SYSTEM OR, OR MAYBE THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE OUT THERE THAT'S DONE THAT KIND OF RESEARCH.
WELL, THANK YOU MELANIE, AGAIN, FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING AND, AND THE TEAM OVER THERE.
UM, I THINK THIS IS, UH, THIS IS VERY THOROUGH.
UH, I'VE LOOKED AT THE MAJORITY OF THE REPORT AND I'VE BEEN FLIPPING THROUGH IT WHILE, WHILE YOU'VE BEEN TALKING, MELANIE, AND SO I, I'M, I'M IMPRESSED WITH THE, WITH THE COMPLETENESS, UH, AND, AND THE WORK IN IT.
I, I THINK THAT LIKE ALL THINGS, IT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, THE, UH, AND SO JUST, JUST SOME, UH, SOME THOUGHTS AS I I'M, AS I'M FLIPPING THROUGH IT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FIRST EMBARKED ON THIS,
[01:20:01]
I, UM, I ASKED Y'ALL TO PLEASE KEEP IN MIND L G B T, UM, HOMELESS, UM, SAN ANTONIANS, RIGHT? AND THAT WAS ALWAYS A PRIORITY FOR ME AS IT RELATES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS.AND I, I'LL TELL YOU, I FLIPPED THROUGH THE REPORT AND, UH, THE TERM L G B T IS REFERENCED FIVE TIMES IN THIS REPORT, ONCE IN A GLOSSARY, UM, WHERE IT DEFINES L G B T AS LESBIAN, GAY, UM, UH, BISEXUAL AND TRANS, WHICH WE ALL KNOW.
SO THEN THERE'S FOUR OPPORTUNITIES THEN TO SEE IF, UH, SOMETHING THOROUGH WAS DONE WITH REGARDS TO THE L G B T.
THEN ON PAGE 1 1 3, COUNCILMAN TRINO, UM, THERE'S A MENTION OF THE DEPARTMENT'S M I H PROGRAM SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE ALAMO AREA RESOURCE CENTER PRIDE CLINIC, UH, IN A KIND OF A FOOTNOTE LITTLE BOX.
AND THEN THERE'S THREE OTHER INSTANCES WHERE IT'S MENTIONED THE REPORT ONCE ON PAGE 70, ANOTHER ON 82 AND 1 1 2 AND ONE 12.
AND IT BASICALLY IS THE EXACT SAME SENTENCE REPEATED THREE TIMES ONCE ON EACH PAGE AND THE SENTENCES AS FOLLOWS, L G B T YOUTH HAVE EXPRESSED DISTRUST IN WORKING WITH FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, IDENTIFYING A NEED FOR INCREASED COLLABORATION WITH THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY TO BUILD TRUST AND PROVIDE CULTURALLY COMPETENT SUPPORTS FOR THIS POPULATION, WHICH I TOTALLY AGREE WITH, BUT THAT'S IT.
UH, IT'S THE ONLY SORT OF SUGGESTION THAT'S BEEN PRODUCED IN THIS REPORT, AND I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER.
UM, AND SO HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW, RIGHT? AND I'M, I'M NOT MAKING A BIG DEAL ABOUT A, A SMALL SUBSET OF PEOPLE.
WE KNOW THAT 40% OF HOMELESS YOUTH IDENTIFY AS L G B T, UH, 43% OF PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WALK-IN, YOU KNOW, SAME DAY SERVICE CENTERS IDENTIFY AS L G B T, 30% OF PEOPLE, UM, ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE STREET OUTREACH CLIENTS IDENTIFY AS L G B T, AND THEY ADD, AND 30% OF, UH, CUSTOMERS WHO ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF REHOUSING PROGRAMS IDENTIFY AS L G B T, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THAT THAT PHENOMENON MERITS MORE THAN JUST ONE LINE REPEATED THREE TIMES IN A ROW.
AND, UM, AND ONLY AS IT IS LIMITED TO THEIR DISTRUST OF FAITH COMMUNITIES.
AND SO, UM, HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW.
WE KNOW THAT L G B T PEOPLE ARE, UM, HAVE A MUCH HIGHER DIFFICULTY IN FINDING SHELTERS THAT ACCEPT AND AND RESPECT THEM.
UM, I KNOW THAT L G B T INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCE, UM, HOMELESSNESS AND A MUCH HEIGHTENED RISK OF VIOLENCE, UM, ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION COMPARED TO THEIR HETEROSEXUAL PEERS.
UM, AND I, I THINK THAT, UM, WE'RE MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY HERE.
AND SO IS JEFF COYLE ON THE LINE? JEFF'S ALWAYS ON THE LINE.
UM, SO JEFF, I I, I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE, UH, RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH ACT, UM, AND I THINK IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE REAUTHORIZED EVERY FIVE YEAR, AND IT, IT, IT ADDRESSES, UM, IT DOES A KIND OF A MEDIOCRE JOB AT ADDRESSING L G B T LEADS, BUT I THINK THERE IS A MOVEMENT AFOOT TO, UH, REAUTHORIZE IT AND STRENGTHEN THE L G B T LANGUAGE IN THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT GRANTS ARE SENT SPECIFICALLY DOWN TO HOMELESSNESS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, LIKE ALL THE ONES THAT WE'VE GOT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND I THINK THAT MAYBE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR, FOR US TO BAKE THAT INTO OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
AND SO AT A LATER DATE, MAYBE WE CAN, UM, AFTER I'VE HAD YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO, TO LOOK AT IT, MAYBE WE, WE VISIT.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING I WANNA MENTION ALSO IS THAT, UM, THIS, UH, THIS RUNAWAY AND HOMELESSNESS YOUTH ACT IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT, RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF FEDERAL GRANTS, UH, OUT THERE MADE AVAILABLE TO US AND MADE AVAILABLE TO, YOU KNOW, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
AND I THINK MELODY, WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PUSH IS MAKING SURE THAT WE VERIFY THAT EVERY ONE OF OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS ARE PULLING FROM EVERY LEVEL AVAILABLE TO THEM, AND A AVAILING THEMSELVES OF ALL THESE GRANTS FUNDED BY THE RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH ACT.
AND THEN, UM, THE RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH ACT ALSO, UH, I THINK PROVIDED FOR TECHNICAL TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ORGANIZATIONS FUNDED BY THAT, THAT SAME STATUTE.
UM, AND IT'S PROVIDED BY THE FAMILY YOUTH SERVICES BUREAU.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT'S JUST AN IDEA, RIGHT? THE OTHER ONE TOO IS, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE TALK ABOUT L G B T HOMELESSNESS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FEDERALLY DESIGNATED ORGANIZATION, UM, OR THE FEDERALLY DESIGNATED NATIONAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR RUNAWAY AND HOMELESSNESS, UH, YOUTH IS, UH, THE NATIONAL RUNAWAY SAFE LINE, WHICH IS ALSO NOT MENTIONED IN THE REPORT, BUT I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO BEEF THIS UP BY EXAMINING WHETHER OR NOT THEMSELVES OF THE NATIONAL RUNAWAY SAFE LINE SERVICES.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONE ORGANIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES THAT, UM, IS THE LEADING ORGANIZATION AS IT COMES
[01:25:01]
TO PROVIDING CRISIS INTERVENTION FOR YOUTH, AND PARTICULARLY, UM, L G B T YOUTH.AND THAT IS THE TREVOR PROJECT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO AND SEEING IF WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THEM OR AT LEAST AVAIL OURSELVES OF, OF THEIR GUIDANCE AND THEIR SERVICES.
AND SO, ANYWAY, I THINK I'M BEATING A DEAD HORSE MELODY, BUT, UM, WHAT I'D, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, AS WE UNPACK THIS REPORT GOING FORWARD AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES AROUND IT, UM, THAT WE DO, THAT WE PAVE THIS ONE ISSUE OF L G B T HOMELESSNESS, UM, THE ATTENTION THAT IT MERITS.
UM, AND, UM, I, I THINK YOU AGREE WITH ME 'CAUSE YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE PAST, BUT, BUT, UM, I, I, THIS, THIS IS JUST MY WAY OF REMINDING Y'ALL THAT THIS IS STILL IMPORTANT TO ME.
SO THANK YOU, UH, UH, MAYOR, IF YOU'RE BACK, IF NOT, JOHN PAT, I HAND THE BATON.
AND IF I COULD JUST QUICKLY LET YOU KNOW, SO SARAH DOES HAVE A VERY LARGE HUD YOUTH DEMONSTRATION GRANT, IN FACT, IT'S LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY.
AND THROUGH THAT, THEY WENT THROUGH A VERY INTENSIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
AND SO LARGE, YOU KNOW, SO LAR YOU KNOW, TO A LARGE EXTENT, I THINK THE REPORT REFERENCES THAT PROCESS RATHER THAN SOME OF THE INITIATIVES OR, UM, UH, EFFORTS THAT YOU, YOU WERE DISCUSSING.
AND THOSE, THOSE ARE PROBABLY FOUND IN THAT REPORT.
BUT YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN AND WE'LL LOOK AT HOW WE ENSURE THAT AT LEAST CRAFTS REFERENCES IN A, IN A MORE ROBUST WAY OR, UM, IS INCLUDED.
RIGHT? AND SO I, I THINK YOU AND I ARE SAYING THE SAME THING, RIGHT? AND THE WAY THAT WE SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC, UH, IS BY ISSUING THESE REPORTS AND DISTRIBUTING TO THEM.
AND IF THE PUBLIC STARTS FLIPPING THROUGH PAGES LOOKING FOR WHAT, FOR THIS ONE ITEM, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF FOLKS, AND THEY ONLY FIND IT FIVE TIMES, AND THOSE FIVE TIMES ARE REALLY NOT THAT MEANINGFUL, UM, THEN WHAT WE THEN, WE REALLY HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO THEM WHAT THE PRIORITY YOU JUST ARTICULATED IS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M PUSHING MELODY.
I MAKE THIS AS, AS WE POSSIBLY CAN GET THERE.
AND SO I'M ALSO LIKE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES LOOKING THROUGH THE REPORT 'CAUSE I, I HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ IT IN FULL.
UM, BUT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COMES TO MIND EVEN, UH, REGARDING YOUR PRESENTATION, UM, IS THAT YOU TALK ABOUT, OR IN ONE OF THE SLIDES, IT SAYS HERE, UH, HOMELESS INVESTMENT IN 2021, AND THE TOTAL IS 32 MILLION, UM, 138,000.
SO WHAT IS IT? SO THAT'S WHAT, UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY SPENDING, THAT'S WHAT'S, UH, INCLUDED IN THE CITY'S ADOPTED BUDGET.
AND THAT INCLUDES, UM, DIRECT SERVICES THAT COME OUT OF HUMAN SERVICES, OUR CONTRACTS WITH, UM, THE COMMUNITY PROVIDERS AND HAVEN FOR HOPE, AS WELL AS WHAT WE, WE ARE FUNDING, UM, FOR OUR OUTREACH TEAM AND, AND, UM, ENCAMPMENT PROCESS.
BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES A, YOU KNOW, UH, SIGNIFICANT EVEN MORE MONEY FOR, UH, HOW SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUBLIC WORKS, RESPOND TO, UM, THE CHALLENGES OF HOMELESSNESS.
SO E M SS CALLS, UM, THE MENTAL HEALTH TEAM, THE HOPE TEAM, UH, SAFE OFFICER'S, TIME SPENT, UM, ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS CHALLENGES AND, UM, PUBLIC WORKS DOING THE ENCAMPMENT CLEANUP.
SO ARE WE STILL, UM, IS THAT STILL HAPPENING? ARE WE STILL HAVING THE POLICE DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS? 'CAUSE I FELT LIKE WE WERE SHIFTING, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S FOR THE CHIEF OR FOR YOU, BUT PERHAPS WE WERE SHIFTING THAT MODEL WHERE WE WERE NOT SENDING UNIFORMED OFFICERS ANYMORE.
UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S A COMBINATION OF, UH, DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WORKING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, WE WORK WITH, UH, MEL MELODY, WE WORK WITH THE HAVEN, UH, TO, UH, DISMANTLE THESE ENCAMPMENTS.
UM, AND WE DO IT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
COUNCILWOMAN, THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS THAT, UH, AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE GOT A GROUP ON THIS, UH, YESTERDAY WHERE, OH, OKAY.
WE LOOK AT, UH, U T SS A IS HELPING US GO BACK THROUGH THE TYPES OF CALLS THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO AND, AND HOW WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS GOING FORWARD.
AND THAT'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL, UH, I BELIEVE IN APRIL.
SO, I, I, I, I THINK WHERE I WAS TRYING TO GO WITH THIS CONVERSATION OR THIS LINE OF QUESTIONING, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, OF COURSE, THIS INCREDIBLE NEED, UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE IS EXPERIENCING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
UH, YOU KNOW, FOR A LONG TIME, I WOULD, I WOULD THINK, WELL, AT LEAST OUR HOMELESS PROBLEM IS NOT AS BAD AS OTHER CITIES, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE THERE NOW.
UM, AND SO, UH, I JUST THINK AS WE GO IN FORWARD TO ADOPT OUR BUDGET, I, I WON'T BE HERE FOR THE NEXT BUDGET ADOPTION, BUT FOR MY
[01:30:01]
COLLEAGUES IT WILL BE.DO WE NEED TO REDIRECT RESOURCES HERE? SO YOU SHOW 32 MILLION, BUT EVEN IN THE CARES PART, THERE'S 16 MILLION.
WAS THAT AN ADDITIONAL 16 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF 48 YES.
PLUS, OR WAS THAT INCLUDED IN THAT? AND YOU KNOW, HOW, UM, WE GOT THAT ADDITIONAL CARES MONEY? UM, SO I DON'T KNOW, MAY, MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION FIRST.
IT, IT, SO THE, THE 32 MILLION DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CARES DOLLARS.
THEY'RE ON THE, THE NEXT SLIDE ARE BROKEN DOWN ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE IT, IT CROSSED, UM, REALLY THREE FI TWO FISCAL YEARS, THREE, ALMOST THREE FISCAL YEARS BEFORE THE, THE FUNDS WILL EXPIRE.
SO, UM, THEY ARE IN ADDITION AND FOR VERY SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES.
SO I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO GET A BUDGET OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE NEED IS, UM, SO IS IT IN EXCESS OF 50 MILLION? UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE 32 AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL 16.
UM, I SEE HERE, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE RAPID REHOUSING, YOU DON'T HAVE THE PREVENTION SERVICES IN THE OTHER INVESTMENT PIECE.
WELL, AND THIS ALSO ONLY INCLUDES THE CITY'S INVESTMENT, THE COMMUNITY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE RECEIVE FUNDING FROM HUD, UM, FROM THE VA THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO AGENCIES, UM, FUNDING FROM THE STATE THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO AGENCIES.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S AT LEAST 50 MILLION JUST, JUST THERE COMING IN FROM FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS, AND PLUS THE FUNDRAISING THAT PRIVATE AGENCIES DO, UM, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
SO THERE'S AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF RESOURCES THAT GO INTO HOMELESSNESS.
WHAT IS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT NEEDED? I, I DON'T, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE, WE KNOW IT'S, IT'S SIGNIFICANT, BUT THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS USE THE RESOURCES WE HAVE IN A BETTER WAY.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS PLAN IS ABOUT.
WELL, UM, I GUESS I, I, UM, IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME WHAT IS THE BETTER WAY.
SO, UM, I, I, I FEEL LIKE, I MEAN, I, UM, WHEN WE GOT THE CARES MONEY AND, AND WE MADE ALLOCATIONS, UM, ON PRIORITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS WOULD'VE BEEN HELPFUL, UM, TO SEE EXACTLY HOW, UM, THE NEED, WHERE IS THE NEED.
AND, AND PERHAPS, I KNOW THAT ALL OF US WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE EVICTION PROCESS OR, YOU KNOW MM-HMM.
UH, AND WE DID SEE FOR A WHILE THERE, UM, AT LEAST IN, IN THE COMMUNITY, VISIBLY A BIG INCREASE IN HOMELESSNESS.
UH, AND NOW IT SEEMS TO HAVE SUBSIDED.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL HEARD ME HERE MANY TIMES TALK ABOUT, LIKE, WE'VE GOTTA ADDRESS THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S OUT OF CONTROL, AND IT SEEMS TO NOW HAVE TAPERED BACK A LITTLE BIT.
AND IS THAT, UM, A RESULT OF, UH, OF THE, UM, SHELTERS OPENING AGAIN? I, I ABSOLUTELY THINK THAT'S PART OF IT.
UH, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT, THAT MAY HAVE ACCESSED SHELTERS AT SOME POINT IN THEIR, IN THEIR TIME, UM, BUT THEY COULDN'T GET BACK INTO THEM AFTER THE SHELTERS CLO OR CLOSED INTAKE.
WE'VE ALSO HAD MORE OUTREACH AND OUT THE STREET, AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN MORE COORDINATED IN THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT.
WELL, I KNOW, UM, AT LEAST IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, THAT WE'VE SEEN AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS, I AM SORT OF CONCERNED THAT THEY'RE JUST NOT AS VISIBLE AND ARE STILL THERE.
UM, BUT IT'S JUST, IT'S HARDER TO SEE SINCE, UM, AS I MENTIONED, UH, THEY, THEY'VE SORT OF GONE A LITTLE BIT MORE UNDERGROUND.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE TALKED ABOUT A HOUSING BOND IN ONE OF MY COMMITTEES, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, COULD THAT PERHAPS, UH, BE A WAY THAT WE TRY TO ADDRESS THE HOMELESS POPULATION? I THINK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, UM, ADDRESSING A HOUSING BOND IN REFERENCE TO HOMELESS, UM, WOULDN'T HAVE STRUCK A CORD WITH ANYONE, BUT I THINK IT MAY, UM, AS WE CONTINUE WITH THOSE, YOU KNOW, FUTURE FINANCIAL, UH, PLANS.
UM, AND ALSO, I MEAN, I, I, I DO THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET A GRASP OF THE NEED, UM, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE NEVER GONNA BUDGET APPROPRIATELY IF WE DON'T QUITE, IF WE DON'T GET A FULL GRASP OF THE NEED.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS 32 MILLION, WE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 16 MILLION WITH CARES, AND MAYBE THAT ALSO WAS AN EVEN CLOSE.
UM, AND I MEAN, I, I, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS THE COUNCIL IS MAKING FUTURE DECISIONS ABOUT THE BEST USE OF THE, YOU KNOW, $3 BILLION BUDGET, IF WE NEED TO MOVE MORE INTO THAT AREA,
[01:35:01]
UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT.BUT WHEN WE DON'T SEE A FULL PICTURE OF THE NEED, IT'S HARD TO MAKE DECISIONS.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, WHAT SORT OF ONE COMMENT THAT I, I FEEL THAT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, MAKING, UM, THESE REALLY, UH, CRITICAL, UM, DECISIONS, UM, AND, AND EVEN AS IT RELATES TO, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO I KNOW WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IS THIS REALLY AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE HANDED BY, HANDLED BY, UM, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT? UM, BUT I DON'T THINK WE EVER GOT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, CLARITY ON WHERE THAT LANDED.
UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, DOES IT MEAN REDIRECTING RESOURCES FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT THAT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES HOMELESSNESS, GIVEN THAT IT'S OUR LARGEST EXPENSE, UM, AS, AS A CITY IS IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, PARTICULARLY IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO I KNOW WE DID A, YOU KNOW, SOME MOVING AROUND AND, UM, HAVING MORE OFFICERS DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, BUT IF, UM, WE ALSO KNOW, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN AT MANY, UM, ENCAMPMENTS, UM, WHERE THE POLICE'S ROLE, UM, AT THAT TIME WAS REALLY JUST TO PREVENT, UM, LIKE, UH, UM, UH, FIGHTING OR PRE, YOU KNOW, PREVENT AN ESCALATION, UM, AT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IS THAT REALLY THE BEST, UH, USE OF THOSE RESOURCES.
SO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO ON THIS ISSUE AND, AND, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK STILL LOTS OF IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
THANK YOU, UH, MELODY FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND THIS REPORT WAS A LONG TIME, UH, COMING, BUT, UH, I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT IN TERMS OF HOW THOROUGH IT WAS, AND A LOT OF THE GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, MOST OF THEM ALREADY MENTIONED BY COUNCILMAN ROCHE GARCIA, WHO DID A GREAT JOB OF READING THE FULL DOCUMENT.
I, I THOUGHT YOU WERE REFERRING TO THE SUMMARY, BUT WHEN YOU STARTED TALKING ABOUT PAGES IN THE HUNDREDS, AND I
UM, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR, FOR ME TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO BEGIN, BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS OR HOUSELESSNESS AS, AS SOME PEOPLE SAY, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A CONTINUUM OF, OF HOUSING AND, AND HEALTH PROBLEMS THAT COULD HAPPEN TO PEOPLE.
SO WHERE EXACTLY CAN WE BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE, RIGHT? WHEN, WHEN WE INSERT OURSELVES.
AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE THIS, THIS CRISIS, NOT JUST A HEALTH CRISIS, BUT, UH, WITH POSSIBLY AN EVICTION CRISIS, UH, COMING UP.
SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THAT, BUT ALSO THINK ABOUT THESE UPSTREAM AND, AND BROADER PROGRAMS? SO, UH, HATS OFF TO YOUR TEAM AND TO COUNCILMAN TREVINO, WHO'S REALLY DONE HIS HOMEWORK ON, ON THIS ISSUE AND HAS, HAS MADE SOME VERY TANGIBLE CHANGES, UH, FOR, FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAVE, LIKE, LIKE THE SHOWERS.
I, UH, CAN'T THANK HIM ENOUGH FOR LEADING THE CHARGE ON THAT.
SO I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND PICK ONE SPOT,
AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, THE FAMILIES GETTING, UH, EVICTED.
I REMEMBER WHEN I WENT TO, UM, HAVEN FOR HOPE, PROBABLY A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHEN WE WERE STARTING TO SEE A RISE IN, UH, A, A SOME PEAK IN, IN HOMELESSNESS NUMBERS.
AND WHAT, UH, KENNY SAID WAS, WHAT WE'RE REALLY SEEING ARE FAMILIES WHERE THE RENT HAS JUST INCREASED, UH, TREMENDOUSLY, UH, FOR, FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
I, I SUSPECT SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN CERTAIN AREAS OF, OF THE CITY AS WELL AS, UH, PROPERTY TAX, UH, APPRAISALS RISING, AND LANDLORDS JUST NOT BEING ABLE TO HOLD THAT PRICE AT THE SAME, AT THE SAME LEVEL, WHICH IS A BIGGER PROJECT FOR US TO EXPLORE LATER, IS HOW WE CAN HELP LANDLORDS, UH, DO THAT.
UH, BUT IT WAS FAMILIES THAT WERE, THAT WERE BEING, UH, EVICTED.
SO I WANTED TO, AND, AND IN THE REPORT, UH, IT DOES, UH, IDENTIFY THAT AS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF, OF THE FIRST CAUSE OF HOMELESSNESS.
RIGHT? I IMAGINE THEY'RE LISTED IN SOME PRIORITY ORDER IN THAT SECTION ON CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS IN SAN ANTONIO, WOULD YOU SAY? I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S PRIOR IN PRIORITY ORDER, BUT IT IS MENTIONED, SORRY, IN UH, ORDER OF, UH, ATTRIBUTABLE TO MAYBE THAT'S THE MOST LIKELY ATTRIBUTABLE TO.
SO, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS EVICTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T, WE DIDN'T END UP PASSING AN EVICTION MORATORIUM ON OUR COUNCIL, BUT WE DID PASS AN ORDINANCE IN, IN JUNE, I BELIEVE, ABOUT, UH, NOTIFYING
[01:40:01]
TENANTS OF THEIR RIGHTS AND, UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO.AND I THINK IF, IF THAT IS THOROUGHLY IMPLEMENTED AND ENFORCED, I THINK IT CAN HELP US STEM A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, THIS TYPE OF EVICTION AND EVENTUAL HOMELESSNESS.
SO CAN SOMEONE TELL US HOW WELL THAT, UH, HAS BEEN WORKING? IS THERE SOME METRIC THAT WE HAVE FOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT? LIKE FOR ALL THE, UM, NOTICES TO VACATE THAT HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED, HOW MANY OF THEM HAD THAT NOTICE ATTACHED TO THEM? THE NOTICE OF TENANT'S RIGHTS ATTACHED TO THEM? COUNCILWOMAN IS LORI CASE THEN? MM-HMM.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE BEEN, FOR EVERY NOTICE WE HAVE BEEN MAKING SURE THAT THOSE NOTICES ARE BEING SENT OUT.
UM, AND THAT WE DO HAVE SOME REFERRALS COMING IN THROUGH THOSE NOTICES THAT HAVE BEEN SENT OUT.
BUT I'LL GET YOU THE ACTUAL NUMBERS AND A NUMBER OF THE REFERRALS THAT HAVE COME TO US FROM THE EAF AS A RESULT OF THAT NOTICE.
I WAS MENTIONING TO ERIC THAT I HAD, UH, TWO ANECDOTES IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WHERE THERE WAS A NOTICE TO VACATE WITHOUT THE NOTICE ATTACHED.
SO IT GAVE ME, IT GAVE ME PAUSE, UH, ABOUT, ABOUT ITS IMPLEMENTATION.
HOW, HOW DO YOU HAVE THE NUMBERS FOR WHO'S ATTACHING THE NOTICE TO, SORRY, THE NOTICE OF TENANTS RIGHTS.
HOW IS THAT MONITORED? AND HOUSING SERVICES DOES MONITOR IT.
AND, UM, WE, WHAT WE DO IS WE'LL KIND OF DO A SPOT CHECK AND AS PEOPLE CALL IN SAYING THEY'RE BEING EVICTED OR THEY RECEIVED A LETTER, WE CONFIRM IF THEY GOT A NOTICE.
AND THEN WE ALSO CAN TELL, UM, IF THEY CALL FOR, UM, BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN REFERRED AS A RESULT OF THE NOTICE TO THE EHA MM-HMM.
UM, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THAT'S BEING, UM, MONITORED, LORI.
AND THAT IT'S, UM, DIRECTING PEOPLE TO THE EEF LINE.
I, I THINK WE MAY WANT TO CONSIDER, UH, PERHAPS, UH, POSSIBLY A MORE, UM, A STRONGER ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM AS WELL, BECAUSE I, I DON'T THINK WE'RE ONLY GOING TO NEED THIS DURING COVID, BUT, BUT FOR THE LONG TERM.
SO, UM, I'D LOVE TO TALK TO YOU OFF OFFLINE ABOUT THAT.
UM, ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO BRING UP IS, UH, I'VE SEEN IN MY DISTRICT, UH, SEVERAL, UH, APARTMENT BUILDINGS, SOME OF THEM SMALL, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE MAYBE 10 UNITS OR 20 UNITS THAT ARE UP FOR SALE.
AND THIS IS WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND ONCE THEY GET SOLD THERE, I ANTICIPATE THERE WILL BE INVESTMENT IN, IN BRINGING THEM, YOU KNOW, UP TO CODE AND MAKING THEM LOOK BETTER, AND THAT THEY WILL NO LONGER BE AS AFFORDABLE AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW TO SOME OF THE FAMILIES THAT ARE LIVING IN THERE.
SO IS THIS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE HAVE, UM, ANY SORT OF ROLE IN OR, UH, OR A HANDLE ON? I'M, I'M JUST ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, POSSIBLY CONTRIBUTING TO MORE HOMELESSNESS.
WHAT WE COULD DO IS, UM, AND WHICH WE HAVE DONE, AS WE FIND OUT THESE PROPERTIES ARE GOING, UM, UP FOR SALE, WE CAN REACH OUT MM-HMM.
AND PROVIDE THEM SOME MARKING MATERIALS, MAYBE THE PROPERTY NEEDS TO BE REHABBED, AND WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE REACH OUT TO THE NEW OWNER ON THE TOOLS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR A REHAB.
AND THEN THAT'S, ONCE WE PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE, THEN WE CAN HAVE MORE INFLUENCE ON HOW IT, WHETHER OR NOT IT STAYS AFFORDABLE.
SO IF YOU HAVE THOSE, THOSE ADDRESSES MM-HMM.
UM, AND THEN, UH, JUST, JUST MY LAST QUESTION IS, UH, MEL, IN TERMS OF, UM, THIS HOUSING FIRST POLICY, THE COUNCILMAN WAS SAYING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
COULD YOU, COUNCILMAN
THERE ARE INSTANCES AND, AND APPROPRIATE, UM, UH, TIMES WHEN PEOPLE GO FROM THE STREET INTO HOUSING, UM, OR THEY'VE MAYBE BEEN AT THE HAVEN CAMPUS A SHORT TIME OR IN THE COURTYARD AND THEY GO DIRECTLY INTO HOUSING.
THERE ISN'T A PRESCRIBED, UM, STEP, YOU KNOW, STEP STOOL OR STEP LADDER INTO, INTO HOUSING.
[01:45:01]
SO WE DO USE HOUSING FIRST IN A NUMBER, UM, INSTANCES, UH, RAPID REHOUSING WILL HELP THE, ALL OF THESE ADDITIONAL RAPID REHOUSING DOLLARS WILL HELP US DO MORE OF THAT.AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S LIVING UNSHELTERED ON THE STREET AND THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF BARRIERS TO GOING INTO, TO SHELTER OR, YOU KNOW, THE MO THEY'RE VERY VULNERABLE.
THEY'RE PRIORITIZED ABOVE, UM, PEOPLE WHO AREN'T AS VULNERABLE FOR PERMANENT HOUSING AND COULD GO INTO, UM, A HOUSING SITUATION VERY QUICKLY.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S ABOUT ASSESSING, UM, PEOPLE AS THEY ENTER THE HOMELESS SYSTEM.
WE USE AN ASSESSMENT THAT, UM, RANKS THEM BY VULNERABILITY.
IT'S THE VULNERABILITY INDEX AND THE HIGHER THEIR, THEIR VULNERABILITY, THE, THE, UM, HIGHER THEY ARE ON THE LIST FOR PERMANENT HOUSING OPTIONS AND SUBSIDIES.
AND SO, UM, A LOT OF TIMES THAT DOES TRANSLATE INTO PEOPLE, UM, MOVING VERY QUICKLY FROM THE STREET INTO HOUSING SO THAT, THAT THAT RESOURCE IS AVAILABLE ALONG WITH TREATMENT RESOURCES.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S MORE APPROPRIATE FOR PEOPLE TO RECEIVE, UM, DETOX, SOBERING AND, AND, UH, OR MENTAL HEALTH STABILIZATION TREATMENT BEFORE GOING INTO HOUSING.
SO AGAIN, AND WE'RE GO, GO AHEAD AND WE'RE ABLE TO GET THEM THAT TREATMENT ALL THE TIME BEFORE WE EVEN PUT THEM INTO HOUSING, NOT ALL THE TIME, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES.
AND, AND COUNCILMAN TREVINO, UM, PROVIDED A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A, A WOMAN WHO NEEDED DETOX TREATMENT.
WE COULD NOT GET HER INTO A BED BECAUSE THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH OF THEM.
AND SO THAT'S A GAP AREA THAT ERIC POINTED OUT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE PEELING BACK AN ONION.
THE MORE, UM, OUTREACH WE PUT OUT THERE, THE MORE SERVICES WE PUT OUT THERE, THE MORE GAPS WE MAY FIND, UH, WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
THANK YOU, MELODY, AND THE ENTIRE TEAM.
I THINK I WANNA START WHERE COUNCILWOMAN SANDOVAL WAS MENTIONING ABOUT CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, IN THE MATERIAL, UH, IN THE REPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US, AND YOU, YOU ALREADY MENTIONED IT IN YOUR PRESENTATION, THE, THESE INCLUDE EVICTIONS, MENTAL HEALTH, PHYSICAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, INVOLVEMENT IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE OR FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND NATURAL DISASTERS.
AND WITH C OVID 19, WE KNOW THIS HAS INCREASED.
THE EXAMPLES THAT THEY GAVE WERE VERY TELLING THAT ONE IN FIVE RESIDENTS LIVE IN POVERTY IN SAN ANTONIO.
THE SAN ANTONIO CONT CONTINUES TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT POPULATION GROWTH.
AND THE MINIMUM WAGE IS $7 AND 25 CENTS PER HOUR, WHICH IS ONLY A THIRD OF THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT REQUIRED FOR TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT $20 IN 19 SIX.
SO WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS A COUNCIL LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT COMPREHENSIVELY.
AND I THINK WE ARE MAKING STRIDES TOGETHER WITH A LOT OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE ARE PUTTING FORWARD.
MELODY, I THINK I AM SO GLAD TO SEE THIS, UM, PLAN OR THIS, THIS PRESENTATION HERE AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, THESE PROCESS CHANGES AND IMPLEMENT THAT SINGLE COLLECTIVE, INCLUDING, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE INCLUDED AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
'CAUSE WE KNOW OUR TEACHERS AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS ARE THE FIRST ONES WHO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE FAMILIES.
AND I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN PART OF THE CONVERSATION, BUT MAKING THAT MORE OF A POINT AND HAVE THAT COLLECTIVE, THAT SINGLE COLLECTIVE, I KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS IS ALL OVER THE CITY AND IT IS CHRONIC AND IS ALSO UNDER THE RADAR, AND IT IS ALSO KEPT SECRETS.
AND WE NEED TO BE THERE FOR OUR RESIDENTS, FOR OUR, UH, THOSE THAT ARE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND I DO BELIEVE IN THAT GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE.
SO I WILL, UH, CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT, THAT A GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE WITH AN EQUITY FOCUS.
I BELIEVE THIS IS A, UM, DEFINITELY A PATH FORWARD.
THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ FOR MENTIONING, UH, POTENTIAL LOOK AT BONDS BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN, UM, OTHER CITIES MOVE FORWARD WITH THINGS LIKE THAT AND THINK CREATIVELY.
I ALSO WANT TO AGREE AND BRING UP THE POINT OF, UM, SAFE PARKING, UH, LOCATIONS.
I THINK I MENTIONED THAT TO YOU TOO.
UM, MELODY OR THE TEAM THE OTHER DAY, I BELIEVE THAT WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT SAFE PARKING, UH, PLACES IN EVERY
[01:50:01]
SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT BECAUSE THIS IS TAKING PLACE IN EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT.AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THEIR CARS ALSO HAVE TO GO WORK IN ANY PART OF THE COUNCIL OF, OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WE'VE BEEN DOING SO MANY THINGS AND TRYING SO MANY THINGS OVER ALL OF THESE YEARS, AND THANK YOU, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE COMING TOGETHER AND MOVING FORWARD.
UM, I AM GLAD THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO TALK ABOUT ID RECOVERY AND OUR HOPE TEAM.
I KNOW I HAD A LOT OF FAITH-BASED, UM, PASTORS AND RESIDENTS WHO WERE VERY COMMITTED AND VERY ENGAGED.
THAT'S WHY I THINK IT WAS TWO BUDGETS AGO, WE INCREASED THE, THE MONEY FOR OUR HOPE TEAM AND OUR ID RECOVERY.
SHE HAD STORIES UPON STORIES, AND SHE TOOK PICTURES AND SHE MADE POSTERS THAT SHE WOULD BRING TO ALL OF OUR BUDGET MEETINGS SHOWING THE REAL LIFE IMPACT THAT ID RECOVERY HAS, AND SHE CONTINUED TO WORK ON ON THAT.
UM, THIS IS A, I ALSO HAVE TO GIVE THANKS TO THE INCREDIBLE TEAM, UH, THAT IS ON THE CALL.
UH, MARJORIE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING AT MY TOWN HALL MEETINGS YEARS AGO WHEN PEOPLE WERE YELLING AT ME AND YOU AND OTHERS
UH, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, BUT ALSO YOUR DISPOSITION AND YOUR SPIRIT AND HOW YOU CARE SO MUCH FOR THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU ARE SERVING.
THANK YOU TO PATRICK, UM, AS WELL, WHO'S A PART OF THIS AND GETTING THINGS, GETTING THINGS DONE.
UM, IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT, A LOT OF TIME.
IT CONTINUES TO TAKE MORE TIME, BUT I THINK THIS PATH GIVES ME HOPE, LIKE IT DOES FOR DR.
GARCIA GARCIA BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE NOW ALL GELLING TOGETHER ON THIS AND MOVING FORWARD.
SO MAYOR, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
I'M VERY ENCOURAGED WITH THIS.
AND I ALSO TAKE MY, THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES INTO, UM, INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT I THINK WE ARE DEFINITELY ON THE RIGHT STEP FORWARD.
UH, UM, UH, GOOD LOOKING REPORT, MC, MELODY, GOING THROUGH THIS REPORT.
WHAT DIDN'T YOUR STAFF, OR, YOU KNOW, ABOUT ONCE YOU GOT THIS REPORT? WAS THERE ANYTHING IN THERE THAT Y'ALL DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW? I THINK THERE'S A LOT, LOT OF DATA THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE ANALYSIS, UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY AROUND DISPARITIES.
UM, WE HAD NOT, WE WERE NOT AWARE OF, HAD NOT DONE, UM, HAD NOT WORKED WITH OUR PARTNERS ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A NUMBER OF, UH, IDEAS AND PRACTICES THAT, THAT ESPECIALLY THOSE ACROSS, UH, PEOPLE ARE DOING WHAT PEOPLE ARE DOING ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT WE WEREN'T AWARE OF.
UM, EVEN SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING LOCALLY THAT WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT HOME BASE WAS ABLE TO BRING TOGETHER STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTICIPANTS, UM, THAT WERE NON-TRADITIONAL THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF.
I THINK YOU'RE SELLING YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT SHORT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UM, YOU MENTIONED A TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IS PUT TOWARDS THIS PROBLEM.
AND, AND YOU SAID, UM, AROUND $50 MILLION, BUT THAT DOESN'T, THAT DOESN'T REFLECT MONEY THAT'S ACTUALLY BEING PUT TOWARDS BY, UH, DIFFERENT AGENCIES AROUND THE CITY, NOT, NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY, RIGHT? LIKE OTHER NONPROFITS, FAITH-BASED GROUPS, THAT KIND OF THING.
UH, NO, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THAT.
IT DOESN'T INCLUDE, UM, PRIVATE FUNDRAISING.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF ESTIMATE ON THAT? ON WHAT, WHAT AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS GOING TO THIS, THIS PROBLEM? NO.
UM, WE KNOW WHEN WE CONTRACT WITH AN AGENCY, WE GENERALLY HAVE A, A TOTAL AGENCY BUDGET THAT TELLS US HOW MUCH FUNDRAISING OR HOW MUCH THEY FUNDRAISED, UM, THAT YEAR.
BUT WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF, UM, INFORMATION ON, ON OTHER COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND AGENCIES.
WELL, UM, LET'S JUST REMEMBER THAT $50 MILLION MARK, AND AGAIN, THAT DOESN'T, DOESN'T TALK ABOUT ALL THE OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE RAISING AND, UH, HELPING OUT THE HOMELESS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, DO WE HAVE A HANDLE ON HOW MANY NONPROFITS OR FAITH, FAITH-BASED AGENCIES THERE ARE IN THIS CITY THAT ARE HELPING THE HOMELESS? DO WE HAVE ANY OF THIS DATA AVAILABLE?
[01:55:02]
UH, WE KNOW HOW MANY ARE PART OF THE SARAH ORGANIZATION.SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CONTINUUM OF CARE, SARAH, THAT IS A, UH, THAT THAT'S A, A GROUP THAT REPRESENTS ALL OF THE HOMELESS PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S, GOSH, UH, I SHOULD KNOW THIS, BUT I WILL GET THAT TO YOU.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE, OR HOW MANY AGENCIES ARE PART OF THAT, UM, ORGANIZATION.
BUT, BUT THERE ARE, UM, AGENCIES, CONGREGATIONS DOING WORK THAT ARE NOT PART OF SARAH.
WELL, I'LL SEE IF I CAN GET YOU THAT ESTIMATE.
I'D REALLY LIKE TO GET THOSE TWO NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW MANY THERE ARE MM-HMM.
AND TO COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ'S POINTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OUT THERE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TO IDENTIFY THOSE NEEDS AND THEN SEE WHAT THE RESOURCES THAT ARE GOING TOWARDS IT.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY A SMALL PORTION, OR I WOULDN'T SAY SMALL.
WE ARE A PORTION OF THAT FUNDING GOING OUT THERE.
WE NEED THAT WHOLE UNIVERSE OF FUNDING THAT'S GOING OUT TOWARDS THE HOMELESS SITUATION.
'CAUSE WHEN I LOOK JUST PLAIN DOLLARS AND CENTS AND YOUR POINT IN TIME COUNT 2,900 PEOPLE AND YOU TALK, TAKE THAT $50 MILLION, THAT'S OVER $17,000 A PERSON.
AND I'M, I'M SORRY, THAT JUST, THAT JUST DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH ME.
THAT THAT'S, THAT'S MORE THAN, THAN A LOT TO COUNTS A WOMAN VIA GRAND'S POINT.
THAT'S MORE THAN A LOT OF OUR POPULATION MAKE ON WHILE THEY'RE OUT THERE WORKING IN THEIR SALARIES.
SO I'M, I'M JUST HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME WITH THIS.
AND THEN WHEN YOU READ THROUGH, AND I'VE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO SCAN THROUGH THIS REPORT FOR THE SIX RECOMMENDATIONS THERE ARE SAYING WE NEED TO PUT MORE MONEY TOWARDS IT, MORE MONEY, MORE MONEY.
AND I LIKE WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER, THAT WE NEED TO SPEND THE AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE NOW MORE EFFECTIVELY AND MORE EFFECTIVELY MEANS WORKING CLOSER WITH ALL OF THESE OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE WORKING TO SUPPORT THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
SO I LIKE THAT, WHAT YOU SAID, BUT AGAIN, THIS REPORT DIDN'T SAY THAT AT ALL.
IT SAID, WE NEED MORE MONEY IN FOUR OF THE SIX CATEGORIES.
SO THAT, THAT CONCERNS ME ABOUT THAT.
AND WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH OVER $50 MILLION, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WAS TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT WAS OUR INITIATIVE HERE IN DISTRICT 10 ON GETTING THAT, UH, CLINICIAN OUT THERE TO HELP.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, I, I LEARNED A LOT FROM THAT, FROM THAT, UH, PARTICULAR, UH, PERSON IN THAT POSITION THAT IT WASN'T JUST AS SIMPLE AS SENDING HER OUT AND CLEANING UP ENCAMPMENTS.
NUMBER ONE, HER SAFETY WAS FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND WE WOULD NEVER SAY SEND HER OUT BY HERSELF.
SHE WOULD ALWAYS BE ACCOMPANIED BY A SAFE OFFICER.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, YOU CAN'T JUST ELIMINATE THE POLICE OR PULL THE FUNDING FROM POLICE OR PULL THE RESOURCES FROM POLICE WITHOUT KNOWING THAT WE'RE NOW, WE'RE DOUBLE, DOUBLE COUNTING.
INSTEAD OF THE POLICEMAN TAKING CARE OF THE ISSUE, WE'RE ADDING ANOTHER POSITION OR MORE, UH, TO THAT PARTICULAR SITUATION.
SO IT, AGAIN, IT'S WE'RE, I, I FEEL THAT WE WE'RE KIND OF FOCUSED ON THE WRONG THINGS AND I, I REALLY WANT TO WANNA STRESS THAT, THAT WE NEED TO, AS YOU SAID, LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS AND PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT ARE REALLY NEEDED OUT IN, IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THE HOMELESSNESS, UH, POPULATION.
BUT IN THESE ENCAMPMENTS, EVEN WHEN SHE WAS GOING OUT TO THESE ENCAMPMENTS AND THEY WERE OFFERING THE SERVICES, WHAT WAS THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY ACCEPT ANY SERVICES? SO RIGHT NOW, WITH OUR ENCAMPMENT INITIATIVE, WE ARE AT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JUST UNDER 30% RATE OF PEOPLE ACCEPTING, UM, SERVICES.
ESPECIALLY SINCE, UM, WE, WE STARTED DOING ENCAMPMENT ABATEMENTS AGAIN, UM, AFTER OUR SUSPENSIONS DURING COVID.
SO WE'VE, WE RANGED OVER THE LAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, ANYWHERE FROM LIKE 22% TO 28, 20 9% OF PEOPLE WHO ACCEPT SERVICES WHEN WE GO OUT.
UM, IF WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT, OKAY, THIS MIGHT BE THE SECOND OR THE THIRD TOUCH IT, THAT PERCENT, UM, MIGHT GET HIGHER OF PEOPLE THAT WERE ABLE TO GET INTO THE SYSTEM.
SOMETIMES IT JUST TAKES MULTIPLE, UM, TOUCHES AND TIME TO BUILD RAPPORT AND, UM, TRUST TO GET THEM TO ACCEPT.
[02:00:01]
THE STORIES THAT I'VE HEARD IS THAT THERE'S, UH, A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T WANT THE HELP.THEY DON'T WANT TO CHANGE THEIR LIFESTYLE.
THEY WANNA STAY IN THESE ENCAMPMENTS.
AND WHEN WE TAKE AN ENCAMPMENT DOWN, THEY JUST MOVED DOWN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER DOWN THE STREET AND SET UP AGAIN.
AND I, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT POINT THAT I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH MONEY YOU PUT TO THIS PROGRAM, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ELIMINATE IT.
AND MY, MY CONCERN IS HOW MUCH MORE MONEY ARE WE GONNA PUT ON INTO THIS PROGRAM WITH, UH, AS COUNCILMAN COURAGE TALKED ABOUT A WHILE AGO, IS A RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
HOW MANY LIVES ARE YOU GONNA REALLY BE AFFECTING OUT THERE? THERE THERE'S A POINT OF DIMINISHING RETURNS.
WE CAN SPEND MORE AND MORE AND MORE MONEY, BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ELIMINATE HOMELESSNESS ACROSS THE CITY.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL EVEN BE ABLE TO GET DOWN BELOW THE 2,900 PEOPLE BECAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN THAT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF, IN THE LAST THREE POINTS IN TIME.
IT'S BEEN HOVERING AROUND THAT NUMBER EACH TIME.
SO, UM, I, I'M, I'M JUST CONCERNED WHEN I SEE A, A REPORT THAT COMES OUT, AND I TOLD THEM THIS, I SAID, I WANNA SEE SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
I DON'T WANNA SEE THE REPORT COME OUT SAYING, WE JUST NEED TO PUT MORE MONEY AGAINST IT.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT A SOLUTION IN MY BOOKS.
UH, WE'RE, WE HAVE A BIG POT OF MONEY, I E OVER $17,000 PER PERSON TO HELP THEM.
AND SOME PEOPLE WILL ACCEPT THAT OTHER PEOPLE WON'T.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF RESOURCES TO BE, UH, TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE AND THEY DON'T ACCEPT IT.
SO I, I'M, I'M JUST STRUGGLING WITH THAT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH THAT.
ARE WE DOING THE RIGHT THING? SHOULD WE REFOCUS INTO OTHER AREAS? SO WE FOCUS THAT MONEY IN DIFFERENT AREAS TO GET THE, GET THE RIGHT HELP TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE OUT THERE.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I WOULD WOULD'VE LIKED TO SEEN THIS REPORT MUCH EARLIER.
I NORMALLY DON'T GET TO MY EMAILS UNTIL LATE IN THE EVENING.
NONE OF MY STAFF GOT A CHANCE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS TO BE PREPARED FOR TODAY.
UM, IT, IT WAS LATE, TRIED TO SCAN THROUGH IT TODAY.
WE NEED MORE TIME TO BE LOOKING AT THESE TYPES OF, AND, UH, UH, BEING ABLE TO BE PREPARED FOR THESE THINGS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, I'M CURIOUS, ARE WE KEEPING ABREAST OF WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING? UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, WE CAN'T BE THE ONLY COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE, THERE'S THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE INCREASING, AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE, OF COURSE, THE DIFFICULTIES WITH, UM, PROVIDING SERVICES.
ARE WE KEEPING ONE EYE ON KIND OF OTHER COMMUNITIES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, IF THEY'RE DOING ANYTHING THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT THAT WE ARE, ARE LOOKING INTO IT? YES, WE DO.
UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE OTHER, UH, LARGE TEXAS CITIES, WE, WE TALK TO THEM QUITE A BIT.
WE ESPECIALLY LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN AUSTIN.
UM, WE HAVE, WE BE, WE BENCHMARK OUR DATA.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, OUR, UH, UNSHELTERED POPULATION IS HIGHER THAN, UM, BY, BY A LITTLE BIT DALLAS AND HOUSTON, BUT ABOUT HALF OF WHAT IT IS IN AUSTIN PER CAPITA.
AND SO WE DO MONITOR THOSE ACTIVITIES AND ESPECIALLY, UM, WHAT YOU SAID, THE, THE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES OR, UH, EFFORTS THAT THEY'RE USING TO, UM, ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF HOMELESSNESS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND WE TALKED TO, UM, WE'VE TALKED TO PROGRAMS IN NEW JERSEY AND CALIFORNIA, AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC ABOUT HOW THEY WERE ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF HIGH RISK HOMELESS.
AND SO, YEAH, WE, WE USE, UM, THE NATIONALLY CITIES QUITE A BIT TO IDENTIFY COHORTS AS WELL AS, UM, THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE AND, AND THE UNITED STATES INTER, UM, AGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESS.
OH, I THINK, I THINK THAT THE CITY'S DONE A GOOD JOB OF, OF PIVOTING, YOU KNOW, UM, AND, AND STAYING FLEXIBLE.
SO I I, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT WE'RE DOING THAT.
UM, JUST IN CASE, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY IS DOING SOMETHING INNOVATIVE THAT WE CAN USE.
UM, IN THAT SAME VEIN, ARE, ARE THERE PROCEDURES THAT, THAT, THAT THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED THAT ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE AND THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER, UM, FUTURE FUNDING TO SUPPORT OR, UM, OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, JUST EXPANDING.
UM, HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, SOON WE'LL BE ABLE TO EXPAND THOSE SERVICES.
BUT, UH, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN THINK THAT WE CAN USE INTO THE FUTURE? YEAH, THE PRIMARY EXAMPLE OF THAT IS REALLY THE OUTREACH, UM, TEAMS. WE, WE STARTED LOOKING AT DOING THAT AS PART OF THE RECOVERY PLAN WHEN WE RECEIVED THE CARESS ACT FUNDING.
[02:05:01]
AND THEN IT'S CONTINUED, UM, AND EX AND EXPANDED EVEN MORE THROUGH THE BUDGET DOCUMENT.AND THAT'S HOW WE WILL, UM, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO, TO CON OR CONTINUE TO CONTINUE.
SO WE'LL KEEP THAT PROGRAM GOING BEYOND THE CARES ACT FUNDING.
UM, WE'VE ALSO REALIZED THAT THE HOMELESS HOTLINE IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE PART OF OUR PERMANENT SYSTEM, AND, AND WE WILL LOOK FOR WAYS TO CONTINUE THAT BEYOND, BEYOND CARESS ACT RECOVERY ALSO.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEDA, UM, IN, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE ANOTHER ITEM, UM, UH, A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SOME FOLLOW UPS AND, AND I WANNA REFLECT THEM HERE AND MAYBE GET SOME RESPONSE.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH,
I, I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANYTHING THAT IS, BUT WE, WE'LL, UM, WE'LL FOLLOW UP.
AND, AND SIMILAR TO THAT, COUNCIL MEMBER TREVINO, UM, NOT REALLY A QUESTION.
UM, SO MUCH AS A, AS A REQUEST FOR THE STAFF, UM, UH, APPARENTLY, UH, REPRESENTATIVE RAY LOPEZ HAS BEEN WORKING, UH, ON HOUSING FIRST AND THE UPCOMING STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UH, AND SO, UH, IS REQUESTED IF WE CAN COORDINATE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER LOPEZ, EXCUSE ME,
AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH, UH, I G R ON BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS. THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UH, LEMME TURN IT BACK TO ERIC NOW.
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, MELODY AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATION.
LEMME TURN IT TO ERIC FOR THE SECOND, UH, ITEM.
UM, ACTUALLY, UM, BEFORE YOU DO THAT, UH, LET ME GIVE THE FLOOR TO ANDY ON, ON JUST ONE, UH, QUICK CORRECTION.
UH, I WANTED TO MAKE ONE CORRECTION, OTHERWISE MY, UH, MATHEMATICS MAJOR SON WILL GIMME AN EARFUL AT, AT DINNER TONIGHT.
UM, ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, I THINK COUNCILMAN PERRY MADE THE, UH, THE POINT THAT WE'RE SPENDING 17,000 PER PERSON ON HOMELESSNESS, BUT THAT ASSUMES THE STATIC POPULATION.
UH, SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE, THE NUMBER OF THE, THE INDIVIDUALS, IF YOU TAKE THE SET OF INDIVIDUALS WHO IDENTIFY AS HOMELESS IN JANUARY, IT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE SET OF INDIVIDUALS IF YOU LOOK AT IT IN JULY OR DECEMBER.
UM, SO THE 17 K PER PERSON IS, IS ONLY VALID IF YOU ASSUME A STATIC POPULATION, WHICH I THINK WE ALL KNOW IT'S NOT A STATIC POPULATION.
UH, I'D ALSO SUGGEST THAT WE SHOULDN'T REDUCE OUR COMPASSION TO SIMPLE R O I IN TERMS OF DOLLARS AND CENTS, BUT LET'S MOVE NOW TO ERIC FOR THE SECOND ITEM.
ANDY, I'LL HAVE MARIA CHECK YOUR MATH ON THAT BECAUSE I DIDN'T MAKE YOUR MATH.
[2. 20-7288 Briefing on the status of the replacement project for the San Antonio Public Safety Radio System. [Maria Villagomez, Deputy City Manager; Craig Hopkins, Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Services]]
UH, THE SECOND ITEM IS, UH, IS A QUICK UPDATE ON A, UH, LARGE PROJECT, UH, OUR, OUR REPLACEMENT OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO SYSTEM.AND, AND WE'LL JUST UPDATE THE COUNCIL ON, UM, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROJECT BACK IN FEBRUARY OF, UH, 2018 OR OR LATER IN 2018, WE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING PREDIC UPDATES TO THE COUNCIL.
AND WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE TODAY.
UM, THE, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE, OF THE RADIO SYSTEM, UM, UH, HAS, UH, ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL, UM, UH, CHALLENGES OVER THE LAST NINE MONTHS.
UM, PRIMARILY DUE TO, UH, SITE CONSTRUCTION ISSUES FROM SOME OF THE TOWERS THAT WE'VE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY.
UH, WE'VE HAD SOME IMPACT OF C OVID 19 AND, UH, BECAUSE OF THAT, THE PROJECT COMPLETION DATE, UH, IS ANTICIPATED TO BE EXTENDED BY SIX MONTHS TO JUNE OF 2022.
UH, THERE ARE NO OPERATIONAL IMPACTS OR BUDGET IMPACTS TO THAT, UH, ADJUSTMENT.
UH, MANY OF YOU WILL RECALL THAT WE WENT THROUGH A PRETTY THOROUGH, UH, VETTING PROCESS, UM, UH, THAT CULMINATED IN A FEBRUARY, 2018, UH, SELECTION BY THE COUNCIL AND CONTRACTED DAILY WELLS.
UM, AND, UH, THE AGREEMENT, JUST A REMINDER IS, UH, IS A, UH, UH, INCLUDED IN A LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH BEXAR COUNTY AND C P S ENERGY FOR SHARED OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF THE NEW RADIO SYSTEM.
SO CRAIG, UH, CRAIG, UH, HOPKINS, OUR CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER WILL PROVIDE THE BRIEFING AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO HIM.
SO ERIC HIT MY FIRST THREE SLIDES JUST LIKE THAT, SO THAT'S FANTASTIC.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH SOME OF THOSE
[02:10:01]
PRETTY QUICK.GO AHEAD AND HIT THAT, UH, NEXT ONE FOR ME.
SO I AM GONNA GIVE YOU JUST A QUICK UPDATE, UH, ACROSS THIS, UH, PROJECT FOR RIGHT NOW.
UM, I DO WANT TO HIT QUICKLY THE BACKGROUND AND THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT, UH, ERIC JUST TALKED ABOUT SO WE UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WORKS GOING FORWARD.
A QUICK SUMMARY ON THE P 25 SYSTEM.
YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT E DAC SYSTEM AND MOVING TO A P 25 SYSTEM, SOME OF THE BENEFITS WE GET OUT OF THAT.
AND THEN I'M GONNA DO A QUICK PROJECT STATUS AND, UH, SHOW YOU AN UPDATED BUDGET AND TIMELINE AS WE GO THROUGH IT.
AS, UH, AS ERIC SAID, THERE IS NO CHANGE TO OUR BUDGET, OUR CONTRACT, OR OUR BUDGET AT THIS TIME.
THIS IS ALL TIMELINE CHANGES THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH TODAY.
SO THE CURRENT RADIO SYSTEM, UM, IS PUT IN PLACE IN 2004.
IT HAS OVER 12,000 SUBSCRIBERS TODAY.
UH, THAT'S, UM, YOU CAN SEE DOWN BELOW THERE'S ALMOST 7,000 OF THEM ARE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FIRE AND POLICE, A LITTLE OVER 2,700 FROM BEXAR COUNTY.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE 2,500, UH, FOLKS FROM 56 DIFFERENT EXTERNAL AGENCIES THAT USE OUR CURRENT SYSTEM TODAY.
THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS WE MOVE TO THE NEW SYSTEM, WE NOT ONLY WANNA TAKE CARE OF IT FOR, UM, OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS, BUT ALL THESE SUBSCRIBERS ARE ALSO INTENDING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS AS WE AS WELL.
IT COVERS 1200 SQUARE MILES OF COVERAGE.
YOU'RE GONNA HEAR THE WORD COVERAGE A COUPLE TIMES AS WE GO THROUGH HERE.
1200 SQUARE MILES IS BASICALLY THE COUNTY, BUT THERE'S, AS WE'RE BUILDING THIS OUT, WE'RE TRYING TO GET DENSER, UM, RADIO COVERAGE INSIDE OF THOSE 1200 SQUARE MILES AS WELL AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO SOME OF THE BIG THINGS THAT I LOVE TO REALLY TALK ABOUT ON THIS PROJECT OF ARE ABOUT WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO DO IT.
NOT JUST THE OLD TECHNOLOGIES GETTING OLD, BUT WHAT ARE WE REALLY TRYING TO GET GOING FORWARD? CLEARLY ENHANCED COVERAGE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO WE'RE A 14 TOWER SYSTEM TODAY.
THERE'S PHYSICALLY 14 TOWERS EITHER RENTED, LEASED, OR OWNED ACROSS THE COUNTY.
TO GET THE SIGNAL OUT THERE TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO A 28 TOWER SYSTEM, WHICH ALLOWS US DEEPER DENSER COVERAGE INSIDE OF THAT 1200 SQUARE MILES AND GETS US INTO SOME NORTHERN AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
I'LL SHOW YOU A MAP A LITTLE BIT THAT ACTUALLY ALLOWS US TO GET INTO SOME TOUGHER TERRAIN OR AREAS THAT WE DON'T HAVE COVERAGE IN TODAY.
THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US FOR, AS WE'RE FOCUSING ON ANYBODY IN A PUBLIC SAFETY CAPACITY OUT IN THE FIELD, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THEM ALL THE TIME.
INTEROPERABILITY IS A VERY BIG DEAL AS WE GO FORWARD.
THE P 25 SYSTEM ALLOWS NOT ONLY MULTIPLE RADIO TYPES TO WORK ON A SYSTEM, BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN AGENCIES.
A HUGE LESSON LEARNED FROM NINE 11 THAT WE KEEP CARRYING FORWARD WITH US AS WE BUILD OUT NEW SYSTEMS LIKE THIS, UH, AND EFFICIENCIES.
THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF EFFICIENCY WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GAIN HERE AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE BUYING TOGETHER BASICALLY THE CITY, THE COUNTY AND C P S ENERGY.
WE'RE COMING TOGETHER, WE'RE BUYING RADIOS TOGETHER, WE'RE DOING BULK PURCHASES TOGETHER.
SO AGAIN, NOT HAVING INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMS, WE CAN DO THESE THINGS TOGETHER AND PROVIDE EFFICIENCIES ACROSS OUR AGENCIES.
UH, SAFETY, WE'RE ABLE TO INTERFACE WITH 9 1 1 NEW DISPATCH CENTERS ACROSS THE CITY, THE COUNTY AND C P S ENERGY.
AND ONCE AGAIN, WE CAN ACTUALLY BRING IN OTHER, UM, UH, DISPATCH CENTERS ACROSS OUR, UM, PARTICIPANTS IF WE CHOOSE TO, WHICH GIVES US MORE INTEROPERABILITY AND PROVIDES US COMMUNICATION ACROSS AGENCIES TO MAKE OUR FOLKS IN THE FIELD SAFE.
UH, AND THEN THERE IS A PROPOSED LOWER COST ON THIS AS WELL.
BY DOING THIS TOGETHER, INSTEAD OF US BUILDING OUR OWN SYSTEMS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT, WE ESTIMATED WE COULD SAVE ABOUT $48 MILLION OVER THE 15 YEAR LIFE OF A RADIO SYSTEM JUST BY US DOING THIS TOGETHER AND BRINGING COSTS TOGETHER ACROSS THE THREE AGENCIES.
SO MORE TO COME ON THAT AS WE GET TOWARDS THE END.
UM, ERIC ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS.
THE CURRENT PARTNERSHIP IS, UH, SORRY, THE CURRENT SYSTEM.
EAX IS SHARED BY THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, BUT THE NEW P 25 SYSTEM AS WE GO FORWARD IS THE THREE PARTNERS TOGETHER AND, UH, THE CITY IS A 56, UH, PERCENT OWNER BE COUNTY AND C P S 22 A PIECE.
ALRIGHT, JUST A LITTLE BIT, UH, HERE BECAUSE THIS WILL HELP US TALK ABOUT THE, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE, UM, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROJECT.
AGAIN, A 28 TOWER SYSTEM TODAY, WE, UH, THAT WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS OFF A 14 TOWER SYSTEM.
10 OF THE 14 EXISTING TOWERS ARE BEING RETAINED, WHICH MEANS THEY NEED TO BE REMEDIATED, UPGRADED THINGS.
TECHNOLOGY HAD TO HAPPEN AT THOSE 10 LEGACY TOWERS AND 18 NEW TOWERS ARE BEING BUILT INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO AS MUCH AS THIS IS A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY IN A RADIO SYSTEM, THERE'S A LOT OF JUST PURE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON HERE AS WELL AS WE
[02:15:01]
WORK OFF THIS 20 TOWERS.THE V TWO CORE IS ACTUALLY THE BRAINS OF THE, UH, SYSTEM ITSELF.
WE'VE ALREADY PURCHASED, TESTED AND INSTALLED THE CORE, BOTH IN THE BROOKS DATA CENTER AND BARE METRO ROCK.
SO WE NOW HAVE REDUNDANT OPERATIONS IN THOSE TWO FACILITIES.
IF WE WERE TO LOSE ONE DATA CENTER AT SAY, AT THE ROCK, WE CAN GO TO THE BROOKS AND VICE VERSA AND KEEP THE SYSTEM UP AND RUNNING.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE SITE ON WHEELS EARLIER ON IN THE PROJECT.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ACTUALLY TAKE A TRAILER, THINK OF IT AS A LARGE TRAILER WITH A PORTABLE RADIO TRANSMITTER AND TAKE IT OUT INTO AN AREA OF THE FIELD AND PROVIDE BETTER COVERAGE.
WE CAN USE THIS IF A TOWER GOES DOWN, WE CAN BRING THIS TRAILER OUT TO REPLACE A TOWER OR THERE MAY BE AREAS OF THE, UM, OF THE COUNTY STILL AFTER THIS IS DONE WHERE THE COVERAGE IS NOT THAT GREAT AND IF THERE WAS A LARGE EVENT OR A FIRE, YOU COULD BRING THE TRAILER OUT THERE AS WELL TO PROVIDE ENHANCED COVERAGE IN THAT SMALL AREA.
SO BOTH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, UH, HAVE THESE SITE ON WHEELS AND THEY'RE BASICALLY PORTABLE TOWERS.
IN FACT, IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SEE IN THAT PICTURE, BUT IT'S A TOWER THAT ACTUALLY YOU STAND UP IN ORDER TO GET A SIGNAL.
THAT'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT TO THIS NEW SYSTEM AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND THEN THE RADIOS THEMSELVES, UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY, FOR THE CITY, WE'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY PURCHASED THE THREE OVER 3000 RADIOS FOR S A P D AND DEPLOYED THOSE RADIOS OUT INTO THE FIELD.
THEY'RE OPERATING ON THE, THE CURRENT
WHEN THE NEW SYSTEM COMES UP, WE'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO REPROGRAM THEM AND PUT THEM ON THE NEW SYSTEM AS WELL.
SO NEW TECHNOLOGY IN THE FIELD, BOTH BEAR COUNTY AND C P S ARE DOING THAT WITH THEIR OWN RADIO PURCHASES.
AND IN A SECOND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE FIRE RADIOS HAVE A SEPARATE SLIDE FOR THAT AS WELL.
I JUST WANT TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF VISUALS, UM, VERY QUICKLY.
BUT TOWER CONSTRUCTION IS LITERALLY DANGEROUS, TEDIOUS, SPECIALIZED WORK.
UH, AND SO IT REQUIRES, YOU KNOW, DRILLING AND PLATFORMS AND A GIANT ERECTOR SET AND CRANES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT EVERY ONE OF THESE, EVEN THE 10 TOWERS THAT ARE BEING REMEDIATED REQUIRE MAYBE NOT THE INSTALLATION OF THE NEW TOWER, BUT STRIPPING OLD EQUIPMENT, ADDING NEW EQUIPMENT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF TOWER WORK THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
VERY CLOSE QUARTERS, SPECIALIZED CREWS THAT HAVE TO COME IN FLYING IN RANGE FOR IT.
CLEARLY WEATHER HAS A BIG FACTOR IN GETTING THE WORK DONE AS WELL, BUT THAT IS A BIG PART OF OUR CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN WE TALK A LOT, UH, ALSO TALK ABOUT SHELTERS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, UM, IF THIS, IF YOU KNEW THIS, BUT ON EVERY SITE IS BASICALLY A SHELTER AND YOU CAN SEE THIS UNIT AND INSIDE OF THIS UNIT IS WHERE ALL THE TECHNOLOGY IS.
SERVERS AND WIRING AND STRUCTURE AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES UP TO THE TOWER.
SO THAT'S THE, ACTUALLY THE BIGGER PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION IS THE SHELTER ITSELF AND GETTING THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE INTO THESE BASICALLY, INTO THESE BOXES.
AGAIN, ANOTHER VERY CLOSE QUARTER SPECIALIZED SKILL.
UH, AND IN A COVID ENVIRONMENT, ASKING PEOPLE TO WORK IN SOME OF THESE ENVIRONMENTS HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT AND WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE ON HERE, BUT ALSO THERE'S, UM, UM, EQUIPMENT AROUND THE SITE LIKE GENERATORS AND BACKUP POWER AND FENCING AND SECURITY EQUIPMENT, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT THEN PROTECT THE SITE AS WELL AS WE SET EACH OF THESE 28 SITES UP.
THIS IS JUST A, A KIND OF A SIMPLE MAP OF WHERE THE TOWERS ARE.
UH, THE BLUE LINE REPRESENTS THE COUNTY, UH, UH, BARRIER.
THE GREEN REPRESENTS COVERAGE.
NOW, UM, CLEARLY COVERAGE DOESN'T END AT THE COUNTY LINE, BUT THIS IS OUR PROPOSED COVERAGE MAP.
AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE SYSTEM, THE 28 TOWERS WILL PROVIDE THAT GREEN COVERAGE ACROSS THE, THE COUNTY.
UM, IF I SHOWED YOU THE 14 TOWERS TODAY, YOU WOULD SEE MOST OF THEM, UM, THE RED DOTS IN THE UPPER LEFT AND THEN THE UPPER CENTER WOULD GO AWAY BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING, NOT JUST IN THOSE AREAS, BUT IN ORDER TO GET BETTER COVERAGE IN THE NORTHERN PARTS OF THE COUNTY, WE'RE ACTUALLY BUILDING MORE TOWERS UP IN THAT DIRECTION.
YOU'LL ALSO SEE A TOWER WAY OFF TO THE RIGHT LES, WHICH IS ACTUALLY OUTSIDE THE COUNTY.
SO THEY ARE ACTUALLY BUILDING THEIR OWN TOWER AS PART OF THE 28 TOWER SYSTEM AND THAT WILL BE IN THERE AS WELL.
SO OUR INTENT IS TO GET COVERAGE, THE BEST COVERAGE WE CAN WITHIN THE COUNTY LINE.
NOW CLEARLY IN THE FLAT TERRAIN AREAS IT'S EASIER TO DO SO AS YOU SEE IN THE SOUTH SIDE, IT TAKES LESS TOWERS TO COVER A FLAT TERRAIN AND IT TAKES MORE TOWERS TO COVER A ROUGHER TERRAIN ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CITY.
UM, 10 OF O OR DID THAT 10 EXISTING TOWERS, 18 NEW, BUT THIS ALSO OWNED, THERE'S A MIX OF OWNERSHIP AS WELL.
THE CITY OWNS SIX OF THOSE TOWERS.
[02:20:01]
THEY'RE ALREADY SAWS FACILITIES AND WE'VE EITHER ADDED A TOWER ON THEIR SITE OR THERE WAS ALREADY A TOWER THERE AND WE WERE USING IT.THE SAME THING WITH C P S WE'RE USING SIX OF THEIR SITES IN MANY CASES THEY HAD TOWERS WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE AND THEN 11 OF THEM ARE LEASED, MEANING THEY ARE OWNED BY PRIVATE VENDORS.
UH, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY AT THE CITY PAY A LEASING AGREEMENT TO PUT EQUIPMENT ON THOSE TOWERS.
SO WE HAVE A MIX OF OWNERSHIP ON THESE DIFFERENT TOWER STRUCTURES AS WE'RE GOING FORWARD.
SOME OF THAT HAS CREATED SOME EARLY DELAY IN THE DESIGN, GETTING ALL THE OWNERSHIP IN PLACE BEFORE WE COULD ACTUALLY DO SITE CONSTRUCTION.
SO SOME QUICK ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UM, BEFORE I TELL YOU THE BAD NEWS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE GOOD NEWS.
HUGE SYSTEM, UH, DETAILED DESIGN REVIEW WAS COMPLETED AT THE END OF 18.
THAT ALLOWED US TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE TOWERS NEEDED TO GO, HOW MANY TOWERS WE NEEDED, HOW THE STRUCTURE WAS GONNA WORK.
THAT WAS A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT.
IN FACT, FROM THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT, THE TEAM DID EVEN HAVE TO ADJUST A FEW TOWER SITES FOR BETTER SYSTEM COVERAGE.
I TALKED ABOUT THE 3000 RADIOS FOR PD AND THE BEXAR COUNTY RADIOS, AND THEN THE, UM, THE BETA CORPS THAT'S BEEN ALREADY INSTALLED.
THE KEY POINT ABOUT SITE CONSTRUCTION IS FOR THE 17 NEW TOWER SITES THAT NEEDED TO BE BUILT, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SITE PERMITTING WORK AND PLANNING THAT HAD TO GO IN INTO PLACE IN THAT, WHICH TOOK US SOME SLOWDOWNS, BUT RIGHT NOW ALL 17 SITES ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
SO HERE'S THE PRIMARY IMPACT, UH, TO THE PROJECT.
UH, WHEN WE STARTED, UH, CONTRACT SIGNING, UM, UM, WE HAD SET A DATE OF, UH, SEPTEMBER 21 TO ACCOMPLISH THE PROJECT.
WHEN WE GOT TO THE REDESIGN, WE RESET THAT DATE TO DECEMBER OF 21.
BUT THE TWO THINGS HAVE REALLY DRIVEN, UH, AN EXTENSION OF THAT.
ONE IS COVID IN THE SENSE OF THE SMALL SPACES THAT I JUST SHOWED YOU IN SOME OF THE, UM, TOWER IN THE SHELTER AREAS.
UH, VERY SMALL SPACES MADE IT DIFFICULT TO WORK CLOSE SPACES SOMETIMES.
UH, WE ALSO HAD SOME FOLKS CONTRACT COVID OR OTHERS THAT WERE IN CLOSE CONTACT, SO WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN CREWS AT TIMES AS WELL AND LET THEM, UM, QUARANTINE UNTIL WE COULD GET THEM BACK ON.
BUT THE OTHER THING IS REALLY THIS CONCEPT OF BDAS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, UM, SIGNAL RADIO SIGNALS DON'T GO THROUGH CONCRETE WALLS WELL, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS, THAT THEIR RADIOS ACTUALLY WORK WHEN THEY'RE INSIDE OF BUILDINGS AS WELL.
SO PUTTING THESE, UM, CALL THEM REPEATERS, LIKE A WIFI IN YOUR HOUSE AT TIMES IN THIS EQUIPMENT INSIDE OF BUILDINGS IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN THE SIGNAL INSIDE THE BUILDING HAS BEEN IMPORTANT, UM, IN COUNTY, CITY AND HOSPITALS.
BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET INTO THOSE BUILDINGS DURING COVID.
UM, WE'VE RECENTLY BEEN ABLE TO GET MOST OF THE WORK IN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY BUILDINGS DONE, BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET INTO THE HOSPITAL STILL.
SO THAT HAS DRIVEN US ON OUR TIMELINE AS WELL.
SO AS MUCH AS I COULD JUST BLAME THINGS ON COVID ON, UH, PROJECT DELAYS AS WELL, EVEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE COVID, WE WOULD STILL HAVE SOME DELAYS BECAUSE ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE TOWERS HAD A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SITE DESIGN ISSUES AS WE WENT THROUGH THAT.
I TOLD YOU IN A FEW CASES WE ACTUALLY PICKED THE SITE AND THEN CHOSE AN ALTERNATE SITE WHICH DELAYED US.
OR IN SOME CASES WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAD A DESIGN READY TO GO, BUT WE WENT THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS, WE WERE ASKED TO MAKE CHANGES, PUT TANKS UNDERGROUND OR WHATEVER THEY MAY BE THAT LAUNCHED OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
SO NO ONE THING IS SIX MONTHS IN THIS CASE, BUT THESE THINGS TOGETHER, UH, AT NO, UM, AT NO REAL, UM, THE CONTRACTOR OR THE CITY OR THE COUNTY OR ANY OF US REALLY COULDN'T HAVE PLANNED FOR THESE THINGS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF CONTROL OF THESE THINGS AS WENT FORWARD.
HAVE CUMULATIVELY MADE THE SIX MONTH DELAY.
SO WE ARE ASKING TO PUSH THIS OUT TO JUNE OF 22, AS ERIC SAID.
BUT WITH THAT, THERE IS NO BUDGET OR OPERATIONAL IMPACT.
UM, THE CURRENT BUDGET AND VENDOR CONTRACT IS STILL THE SAME AMOUNT.
THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CHANGE ORDER TO INCREASE BECAUSE OF THESE ITEMS. THIS IS BASICALLY NEED MORE TIME TO, UM, TO ACCOMPLISH AND OPERATIONALLY BOTH, UM, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ARE GOOD WITH STAYING ON THE CURRENT SYSTEM FOR AN ADDITIONAL SIX MONTHS.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO PAY THAT MONTHLY CHARGE FOR ADDITIONAL SIX MONTHS, BUT WE'RE NOT PAYING THE NEW FEES ON THE NEW SYSTEM FOR SIX MONTHS DELAY.
SO IT DOESN'T HAVE A NET ON MY OPERATIONAL BUDGET.
UH, BUT TECH TECHNOLOGY WISE, THE VENDOR HAS AGREED TO MAINTAIN THAT SYSTEM FOR UNTIL THE NEW ONE IS UP AND RUNNING.
ON THE C P S ENERGY SIDE, THEY OUR, UH, LEGACY SYSTEM, THEY'VE DONE THE SAME THING WITH THEIR VENDOR FOR THE ADDITIONAL SIX MONTHS.
[02:25:01]
RADIOS.UM, IF YOU REMEMBER IN THE CONTRACT THEY, UM, THE FIRE HAS THE DISCRETION TO CHOOSE THE RADIO THAT IS BEST FOR THEM, SPECIFICALLY FOR, FOR FIREFIGHTERS.
UM, THEY'RE WORKING WITH HARRIS DIRECTLY TODAY.
HARRIS HAS AGREED IN THE CONTRACT TO ACTUALLY BUILD AND PROTOTYPE, UH, A, A RADIO SPECIFIC TO SPECIFIC TO SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE TEAM HAS PROVIDED INPUT, HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY THIS WEEK TALKING WITH THEM AGAIN ABOUT THE LATEST VERSION OF THE PRO PROTOTYPE.
WE EXPECT THAT TESTING OF THOSE RADIOS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN APRIL AND THEN START TO MAKE IT BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION IN THE SUMMER COMING OUT OF THE TESTING AND SPRING AND INTO THE SUMMER, UM, ABOUT THOSE, THAT PARTICULAR HARRIS RADIO AND WHETHER WE ACCEPT THAT OR NOT, THEY ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FALL BACK TO A MOTOROLA RADIO IF THEY NEED TO.
BUT RIGHT NOW, UM, THE FIRE TEAM IS HERE TO, TO, UH, ADDRESS THIS IF WE, YOU NEED TO, BUT THEY'RE MOVING AHEAD WITH HARRIS IN THE CURRENT PROTOTYPE.
UH, BUDGET WISE, THIS IS $108 MILLION PROJECT.
THAT CONTRACT SIGNING, UH, 80.7 MILLION WAS FOR THE PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF, UM, THE RADIO SYSTEM AND 27.5 MILLION IS FOR THE MAINTENANCE OVER THE NEXT 15 YEARS.
UM, WE MADE ONE CHANGE ORDER IN MARCH OF 2019.
WE BROUGHT TO YOU AT A COUNCIL MEETING, UH, FOR 1.36 MILLION, UH, WHERE WE, SO WE CHANGED, WE'VE UPPED THE BUDGET FROM 80, UH, 0.7 TO 82.05.
UH, I, I HAVE TO SAY THIS FOR BEN ZEL AGAIN IF, IF I MAY, BECAUSE HE REALLY HAMMERED THIS INTO ME.
BUT THE TEAM DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB PRIOR TO SELECTION TO LOOK AT RADIO PROJECTS THAT WERE GOING ON AROUND THE NATION.
AND MANY OF THOSE PROJECTS WOULD SIGN A CONTRACT WITH A VENDOR AND THEN HAD 50 TO 75% BUDGET INCREASES THROUGH LOTS AND LOTS OF CHANGE ORDERS AS THEY WENT THROUGH BECAUSE OF THE WORK THE TEAM DID IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND THE BEST AND FINAL PROCESS.
AND I EVEN BELIEVE IN THE FINAL SYSTEM DESIGN PROCESS, WE HAVE ONLY HAD ONE NET EFFECT CHANGE ORDER OF 1.3 MILLION ON AN $80 MILLION PROJECT.
SO WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT AS WE GO FORWARD.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE LAST THING IS JUST THE TIMELINE.
UH, THIS REINFORCES WHAT I JUST SAID EARLIER.
UM, WE ARE HERE TODAY IN DECEMBER OF 2020.
UH, WE HAVE A FEW KEY MILESTONES THAT WE NEED TO, UH, CATCH UP ON, WHICH IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY THE FIRST ONE AT THE VERY TOP IN THE CHART.
THE REMAINING CIVIL CONSTRUCTION THAT IS PUSHED FROM AUGUST UP TO FEBRUARY, WHICH THEN ONCE ALL THE TOWERS ARE ONLINE, WE CAN ACTUALLY START SYSTEM TESTING.
THEY'RE ALL ON THE CRITICAL PATH BECAUSE YOU CAN'T START YOUR TESTING PROCESS UNTIL EVERY TOWER IS UP AND AVAILABLE.
UM, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN START WITH 26 AND THEN ADD TWO AS YOU GO.
SO WE ARE ASKING THAT THOSE ARE OUR KEY DATES, PUSHING FORWARD WITH THE SIX MONTH CHANGE FOR JUNE OF 22.
AND I THINK THAT ADDRESSES MY BRIEFING AND, UH, WE'RE HERE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UH, FOR THE UPDATE, THIS IS A, UM, VERY LONG PROCESS, SO I DON'T WANNA, UM, BELABOR THE QUESTIONS.
MY MAIN CONCERN, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE CHANGE TIMELINE IS THE, UH, LIFE AND SAFETY OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM, THE LEGACY SYSTEM.
UH, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT, UM, WHAT PERFORMANCE WE'RE GONNA GET OUT OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM? YEAH, THE TEAM HAS GONE THROUGH THAT EVALUATION DAILY.
WELLS IS OUR VENDOR OF OUR CURRENT SYSTEM AS WELL, SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR ON THAT.
UM, THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THAT PERFORMANCE, UH, OPERATION.
THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL RISK, UM, ADDING SIX MONTHS.
THE PRIMARY RISK WE HAVE WITH THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS PARTS, NOT RADIOS THEMSELF, BUT PARTS FOR THE, FOR THE RADIO SYSTEM.
AND SO THE TEAM FOR THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN TAKING REPLACEMENT PARTS AND REFURBISHING THEM BECAUSE PART PARTS CAN'T BE PURCHASED ANYMORE.
SO THEY, AND WE'VE BEEN TOLD THEY HAVE AN ADEQUATE ENOUGH OF AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF REFURBISHED PARTS IN THE WAREHOUSE ON THE SHELVES READY TO GO IF WE HAVE ANY MORE BREAKAGE OVER THIS EXTRA PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT WE WILL CONTINUE THAT PROCESS.
UM, UH, NO OTHER THAN THAT, UH, AGAIN, IF YOU CAN JUST KEEP US SURPRISED, UH, OF THE TIMELINE AS WE MOVE ALONG.
I KNOW COVID HAS AFFECTED EVERYTHING AND THERE'S SUCH A INTENSIVE CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION, IT'S NOT A SURPRISE TO SEE IT SLIP A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, UH, ALSO VERY PLEASED, THANKS FOR THE UPDATE ON, UH, HOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PROTOTYPE IS WORKING OUT.
UM, I GOTTA THANK MY COLLEAGUES AND, AND THE, UM, AND THE STAFF, UH, FOR INSISTING ON THAT AS WE MOVED ALONG.
I THINK THAT WAS ONE AREA OF THE
[02:30:01]
DELAY WHERE WE ACTUALLY BENEFITED.SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT CONTINUE TO MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE RIGHT MODEL FOR THE, FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, LET ME UH, TURN IT OVER NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.
CRAIG, WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT DEVELOPMENT OF THE, UH, THE NEW RADIO FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, WE, WE HAVE SO MUCH IN THE BUDGET FOR, FOR THAT RADIO FOR AND IT COULD, IF IT DOESN'T GET APPROVED, UM, I GET THE HARRIS RADIO, UM, AND THEY SAY, NOPE, WE'RE GONNA STAY WITH MOTOROLA.
UH, IS THERE GONNA BE A COST DIFFERENTIAL THERE OR IS THERE GONNA BE A POTENTIAL FOR, UH, ADDITIONAL MONEY GOING OUT FOR THAT? SO YES SIR, THE, THERE'S THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS LOADED INTO THE CONTRACT FOR THE HARRIS RADIOS AS THE TEAM IS WORKING THROUGH THAT.
IF THE TEAM CHOOSES NOT TO GO WITH THE HARRIS RADIO, BUT TO GO WITH A MOTOROLA RADIO, WE DON'T HAVE A NEGOTIATED PRICE OF THOSE RADIOS YET.
WE HAVE SOME MARKET PRICES, WHICH ARE MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF MILLION IF WE GO TO THAT.
BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO ACTUALLY START A NEGOTIATION WITH MOTOROLA FOR THEIR PRICES THEN THAT WOULD BE, THERE IS A RISK THAT WE'D HAVE TO PAY MORE THAN THE THREE AND A HALF FOR THEM.
UH, I DON'T HAVE REAL NUMBERS FOR YOU YET, BUT IT'S A REAL RISK IF WE GO THERE, COUNCILMAN, WE WOULD HAVE TO, IF WE START TO SEE THAT HAPPENING, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO COME UP WITH A PROCUREMENT STRATEGY TO, TO MINIMIZE THAT, UH, AND DEAL WITH THAT.
IF WE START, ESPECIALLY IF WE AS, AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOES TO THEIR TESTING AND THE SPRINGTIME, WE'LL START TO GET AN IDEA.
BUT, BUT IF IT, IF, IF IT STARTS TO GO THAT WAY, WE'LL WE'LL BRING BACK A STRATEGY TO THE COUNCIL TO MITIGATE.
SO THAT'S SCHEDULE FOR THE SPRINGTIME.
WHAT, WHAT, WEREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO GET IT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER THAN THAT, THAN THE SPRING? THE PROTOTYPE? UH, CHIEF MEAD, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO JUMP IN ON THE TIMELINE THERE AS YOU'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH WITH HARRIS.
YEAH, THE, THE, ACTUALLY FOR THE RADIO ITSELF, UH, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY MUCH ON, ON THE SAME SCHEDULE IT HAS BEEN FOR ABOUT THE LAST YEAR.
THIS IS A EXPECTED TIME THAT WE WOULD GET IT AND START TRAINING, UH, START TESTING IT.
UM, THE, UH, THE MIC THAT GOES WITH IT IS, UH, MAYBE PUSHED BACK A LITTLE BIT AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE KEEPING A VERY CLOSE EYE ON IT.
BUT PRETTY MUCH ON SCHEDULE OR WE'RE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND SCHEDULE.
UM, I'D SAY WE'RE PRETTY MUCH ON SCHEDULE.
UH, THE, THE DELAY IN THE SYSTEM ACTUALLY KIND OF MARRIES UP TO WHAT OUR EXPECTED DATE HAS BEEN FOR THE NEW FIRE RADIO.
UH, WE INITIALLY THOUGHT THAT THE SYSTEM WOULD GO INTO PLACE AND BE USED WITH US USING OLD RADIOS WAITING FOR THOSE NEW RADIOS AND NOW IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY CLOSE TO COINCIDING.
SO THERE, THERE'S STILL A RISK THERE ON WHETHER ON DETERMINING WHICH RADIO THEY'RE GONNA GO WITH.
WE HAVE NOT DETERMINED THAT YET.
THAT'LL BE PART OF THE TESTING AND, AND ULTIMATELY IT IS, UH, THE FIRE CHIEF'S CHOICE, UH, WHICH DIRECTION WE'RE GOING AND HE'S GONNA OBVIOUSLY BE USING A LOT OF INPUT FROM THE TESTING IN THE FIELD.
AND ALSO JUST ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, BEN AND THE TEAM WERE ABLE TO UH, UH, NEGOTIATE THIS SO THAT IF WE DON'T PURCHASE THE FEW THOUSAND RADIOS BETWEEN US AND AND THE COUNTY, THAT IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE REST OF THE PRICING FOR ALL THE OTHER RADIOS, WHICH TYPICALLY IT WOULD.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRA I JUST HAD TO CHIME IN ON THIS, UH, THIS ITEM.
I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT IT'S A MOVE THAT WE ARE AT THIS POINT RIGHT NOW AND UH, I KNOW THAT THERE IS A RISK IF, UM, THE FIREFIGHTERS DO CHOOSE TO GO WITH THE OTHER RADIO, BUT WE ALWAYS KNEW THAT WAS PART OF THE RISK WHEN WE WENT INTO THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
WE ALWAYS KNEW THAT WAS PART OF THE RISK.
SO I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO WORK AND GET A GREAT STRATEGY ON THAT PROCUREMENT IF IT GOES THAT WAY.
BUT, UM, I JUST HAD TO SAY, WELL DONE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN, UH, WITHOUT ANYBODY ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
UM, I GUESS WE ARE THROUGH WITH OUR CONVERSATION ON, ON THIS ITEM.
WE DO HAVE A 5:00 PM UH, PUBLIC HEARING AND WE ARE GONNA HAVE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION TOMORROW.
SO EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS THAT WERE POSTED FOR TODAY WILL BE CARRIED OVER UNTIL THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17TH WILL BE CONSIDERED AT ANY TIME DURING TOMORROW'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
TIME IS NOW 4:40 PM AND TODAY'S, UH, MEETING IS NOW IN RECESS.
SO WE WILL GO, UH, AND SEE EVERYBODY BACK AT FIVE O'CLOCK FOR OUR UH, CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.