Jan 11, 2021 Planning and Land Development Committee

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE, TO APPROVE ITEM NUMBER TWO.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR A.

AYE AYE, AYE.

ANY OF THOSE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MOTION CARRIES WITH THAT ITEM ON CONSENT.

NOW WE DO HAVE ONE CITIZEN SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

[Public Comment ]

UM, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START THAT ONE.

MR. TAYLOR, IF YOU'RE ON THE LINE, WILL YOU PLEASE PROCEED? WE'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.

PLEASE PROCEED.

YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.

FAMILIES THAT HAVE ELDERLY PARENTS LIVING WITH THEM.

UH, THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ.

UM, THIS IS MICHAEL TAYLOR WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AT SAN ANTONIO.

UM, AND I'M SPEAKING TODAY ON ITEM FIVE, UM, AND WE'RE SUPPORTING STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION TO RESTORE, UH, $1 MILLION IN, UM, C D B G FUNDS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, DEVELOPMENT.

UM, AND I SAY RESTORE BECAUSE ON OCTOBER 29TH, 1.625 MILLION IN C D B G, AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FUNDS WERE MOVED OVER TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

UH, WE WERE VERY CONCERNED WHEN THIS HAPPENED, BUT WE WERE TOLD THE FUNDS WOULD BE RESTORED, UM, BEFORE IT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DELAYS WITH OUR, UM, HOME BUILDING PROGRAM.

SO, STAFF'S REPROGRAMMING RECOMMENDATION, WHICH I UNDERSTAND IS GOING TO COUNCIL ON THURSDAY, FULL COUNSEL ON THURSDAY.

UM, WE'VE RESOURCE 60% OF THE FUNDING THAT WAS ORIGINALLY ALLOCATED TO AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.

UM, AND WE THINK THIS IS A GOOD START.

UM, WE UNDERSTAND THE ACUTE NEED TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE, UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE PIPELINE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION.

UM, HABITAT ALONE HAS RECEIVED OVER 3000 APPLICATIONS FROM FAMILIES WANTING TO PURCHASE A HOME, UM, JUST SINCE THE PANDEMIC PANDEMIC BEGAN.

UM, AND FRANKLY, THERE ARE MORE AND MORE FAMILIES IN NEED OF A PERMANENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTION.

UM, AS YOU ALL PROBABLY KNOW, HABITAT IS, IS UNIQUE BECAUSE, UM, WE ARE OFFERING THIS PERMANENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTION.

UM, AND OUR FOCUS IS REALLY ON FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, UM, OR

[00:05:01]

THERE ARE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE BUILDING AFFORDABLE UNITS, BUT MOST OF THESE ARE ONE AND TWO BEDROOM APARTMENTS.

UM, HABITAT IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT BUILDS THREE AND FOUR BEDROOM HOMES FOR FAMILIES, UM, AND SELLS 'EM AT NO PROFIT, FINANCES THEM WITH A 20 TO 25 YEAR 0% INTEREST LOAN.

UM, SO THE MONTHLY PAYMENTS, INCLUDING TAXES INSURANCE, ARE LESS THAN 6 75.

UH, SO WITHDRAWING SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT NOW WILL ENSURE THAT MORE FAMILIES REMAIN RELIANT ON LIMITED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. UM, INVESTING IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IS A LOT LIKE INVESTING IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

UH, THE UPFRONT INVESTMENT CREATES LONG, LONG TERM STABILITY AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE FOR OUR HOME BUYERS.

UM, SO WE ARE REACHING OUT TO OUR SUPPORTERS NOW, UM, TO GATHER LETTERS OF SUPPORT, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT'S ON WEDNESDAY.

UH, BUT AGAIN, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT, THAT YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES VOTE TO RESTORE, UH, 1 MILLION IN C D B G FUNDS FOR AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ON THURSDAY.

STARTING WITH ITEM NUMBER THREE, A BRIEFING ON THE DISTRICT FIVE SHOTGUN HOUSING REHABILITATION PILOT PROJECT, AND AN OVERVIEW OF THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION SHOTGUN HOUSE INITIATIVE.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, MICHAEL TAYLOR.

AND THAT WAS REGARDING ITEM NUMBER FIVE, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE ITEMS, UM, HERE AS PRESENTED,

[3. 21-1010 Briefing on the District 5 Shotgun House Rehabilitation Pilot Project and an overview of the Office of Historic Preservation Shotgun House Initiative. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Shanon Miller, Director, Office of Historic Preservation] ]

SO I, I WANTED TO GIVE MY COLLEAGUES AN UPDATE ON A PROJECT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON IN DISTRICT FIVE HOPEFUL THAT, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, GET THE KINKS OUT AND ARE ABLE TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM CITYWIDE.

WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SHOTGUN HOUSES ALL OVER THE CITY, BUT PRIMARILY IN THE URBAN CORE.

AND SO, UM, WE ARE, WE HAVE A PROJECT GOING AND, UM, I HOPE THAT, UH, UH, WE CAN LEARN FROM IT AND, AND EXPAND ON IT.

SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, LORI OR SHANNON.

I'M NOT SURE WHO'S GONNA DO THE PRESENTATION, BUT Y'ALL THINK IT, RIGHT? AND ACTUALLY THIS PRESENTATION'S GONNA BE DONE BY BOTH SHANNON MILLER AND, UM, VERONICA SOTO.

SO, UM, I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO THEM.

GREAT.

HELP US LOOK AT HOW WE CURRENTLY DO, UM, OUR OWN OCCUPIED PROGRAM AND NEW PROGRAMS FOR DIFFERENT, UM, LIKE VACANT HOUSES OR POTENTIALLY FOR RENTAL HOUSES, SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE HOW WE REHAB THIS KIND OF HOUSING STOCK AND GIVE US POTENTIAL FUNDING SCENARIOS OR FINANCING STRUCTURES SO THAT NOT JUST OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSES, BUT OTHER OWNERSHIP MODELS CAN ALSO BE UTILIZED.

UH, UM, COUNCILWOMAN AND THANK YOU LAURIE.

UM, SO THIS IS A JOINT PRESENTATION BETWEEN THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES.

AND I'LL START IT OFF BEFORE TURNING IT OVER, UM, TO SHANNON TO EXPLAIN WHY WE'RE DOING THIS.

SO LET ME START BY TALKING ABOUT THE PILOT PROGRAM IN THE NEXT SLIDE, AND THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF WHY WE'RE DOING THIS PILOT PROJECT OF SHOTGUN HOUSES.

SO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AGAIN, THIS HAS THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND REALLY OUR GOALS ARE, ARE THREEFOLD.

WE WANNA CREATE NEW TOOLS, WE WANNA DEVELOP MODELS AND SOLUTIONS FOR BARRIERS TO REHABBING.

AND ULTIMATELY WE WANT THREE SHOTGUN HOUSES REHAB IN THE TOOLBOX.

WE WANNA LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES TO RETAIN EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK AND HOUSING STOCK THAT IS CURRENTLY AFFORDABLE SO THAT IT RE REMAINS AFFORDABLE.

WE DO THIS BY MAKING SURE THAT MICRO BUSINESSES AND CONTRACTORS GET TRAINING AND SUPPORT TO DO THE WORK THEMSELVES.

SO THAT MEANS WORKFORCE SKILLSET IN TRADITIONAL TRADES PROGRAM.

AND IN THE END, WHAT WE WANNA DO IS DEVELOP HOW TO GUIDE NOT JUST FOR CITY STAFF, BUT FOR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, THOSE SMALL CONTRACTORS AND PROPERTY OWNERS.

SO THEY REALIZE WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO REALLY HAVE SHOTGUN HOUSES IN TERMS OF MODELS AND SOLUTIONS.

WE WANT TO IDENTIFY THE BARRIERS TO REHABBING HOUSES SO THAT WE CAN OVERCOME THEM AND PROPOSE SOLUTIONS.

SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS MODEL IS A WAY TO PRESERVE A PARTICULAR KIND OF HOUSING STOCK, BUT THOSE PRESERVATION LESSONS CAN INFORM OTHER WORK WHEN WE DEAL WITH OLDER HOUSING STOCK.

SO THIS IS REALLY ABOUT A BRIDGE BETWEEN PRESERVING EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MAKING SURE THAT THE LINK OF THAT EXISTING HOUSING STOCK AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS EVER PRESENT.

AND SO, HOPEFULLY THIS GIVES US NEW MODELS TO HAVE THIS KIND OF CULTURAL HERITAGE THAT HAPPENS TO BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRESERVED FOR THE LONG RUN.

AND IN THE END, FOR THE PILOT, WE WANNA END UP WITH THREE EXISTING SHOTGUN, SHOTGUN HOUSES, REHAB, AND UTILIZED SO THAT WE HAVE THREE NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS BEING UTILIZED BY FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IT WILL

[00:10:01]

AND THIS IS IMPORTANT.

SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UM, MY COLLEAGUE SHANNON MILLER TO TALK ABOUT THE WHY, UM, AND THEIR WORK ON THE INVENTORY FOR SHOTGUN HOUSES.

SHANNON.

GREAT.

THANK YOU, VERO.

UM, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

UM, UH, AS, AS YOU ALL I'M SURE REMEMBER, WE COMMISSIONED O H P COMMISSIONED A STUDY IN 2019 CALLED OPPORTUNITY AT RISK ABOUT, UM, SAN ANTONIO'S HISTORIC EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK.

AND ONE OF THE CONCLUSIONS IN THAT REPORT WAS THAT, UM, IT'S OBVIOUSLY IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR EXISTING HOUSING STOCK IN ORDER TO MEET THOSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS.

AND THAT, YOU KNOW, A CENTRAL COMPONENT OF THAT STRATEGY NEEDED TO, TO BE DEVELOPING NEW TOOLS THAT WOULD HELP US ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF KIND OF DETERIORATION AND NEGLECT OF EXISTING HOUSING UNITS.

AND SO THIS PILOT PROGRAM REALLY HELP TAKES A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO THAT ISSUE AND LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN TACKLE THAT PROBLEM.

AND THE REASON THAT, UM, SHOTGUNS OR VERNACULAR STRUCTURES AND ARE IMPORTANT IS THAT IT REALLY IS A PART OF OUR CULTURAL IDENTITY.

UM, YOU KNOW, MANY OF THESE BUILDINGS WERE BUILT, UM, FOR AND BY CARPENTERS, STONE, MASONS, IRON WORKERS, BLACKSMITH, OTHER SKILLED LABORERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IT'S REALLY A, A REFLECTION OF THOSE WORKING CLASS COMMUNITIES AND, AND IT'S IMPORTANT PART OF OUR, OF OUR CULTURAL HISTORY.

UM, THERE ALSO IS AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT ASSOCIATED WITH REUSING THESE STRUCTURES BECAUSE THERE REALLY IS A SHORTAGE OF SKILLED ARTISANS AND CONTRACTORS WHO CA, WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE WORKING IN TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION METHODS.

AND SO BY, UM, BY UTILIZING THESE PROJECTS AS A WAY TO TRAIN ADDITIONAL ARTISANS AND, UM, CONTRACTORS, WE'RE, WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE IN THE MARKETPLACE.

AND THEN ALSO, UM, WE'RE REUSING EXISTING MATERIAL.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW, UM, REUSING BUILDINGS AS A IS A GREEN SOLUTION WE'RE, UM, RESPECTING THE EMBODIED ENERGY THAT EXISTS IN THOSE BUILDINGS AND NOT THROWING AWAY.

UM, WE ALSO KNOW THAT SHOTGUNS WERE DESIGNED IN LARGE PART FOR, UM, WARMER CLIMATES.

UH, THEY HAVE SMALLER FOOTPRINTS AND BASIC CONSTRUCTION METHODS.

AND SO, UM, IT'S A GOOD WAY, KIND OF REQUIRES LESS ENERGY CONSUMPTION, UM, FOR THE OWNER OR THE TENANT.

SO OBVIOUSLY IN ORDER TO TRY TO AVOID DEMOLITION OF EXISTING OR POTENTIAL POTENTIAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, UM, WE NEED TO REUSE OUR EXISTING HOUSING STOCK.

AND, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IN MANY CASES IN SOME OF THESE OLDER, UM, CORE NEIGHBORHOODS, THERE'S BEEN NEGLECT OVER THE YEARS.

AND SO WE HA WE ARE DEVELOPING THIS PROGRAM AS A WAY TO TRY TO ADDRESS AND KIND OF ARREST THAT DETERIORATION SO THAT THESE PROPERTIES CAN BE, UM, REUSED.

SOMETIMES THERE'S A PERCEPTION AS, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THAT, UM, PRESERVING OR REUSING HISTORIC BUILDINGS IS GOING TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE.

AND WHILE, UM, WE KNOW THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE, MAYBE THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME THINGS ABOUT A REHAB THAT, THAT ARE MORE EXPENSIVE.

AND SO THE IDEA IS THAT WE, THROUGH EXPERIENCE KIND OF, UM, DOCUMENT THE PROCESS AND SEE WHERE, UH, THESE CONCERNS CAN BE ADDRESSED AND, AND OR, UM, WE CAN OVERCOME THOSE PERCEPTIONS IF IT'S NOT THE CASE.

AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT CREATIVE WAYS TO FUND THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.

AND THE, THE NICE THE GREAT THING ABOUT THIS PILOT IS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN DIFFERENT, UM, OWNERSHIP CONDITIONS.

UM, ONE IS, YOU KNOW, LIKE ONE BEING OWNER OCCUPIED, ANOTHER BEING, UH, A A POTENTIAL RENTAL PROPERTY, AND THEN ONE THAT'S CURRENTLY VACANT.

SO WE CAN SEE WHAT KIND OF TOOLS ARE NEEDED TO ADDRESS, UM, PROPERTIES IN THOSE DIFFERENT CONDITIONS.

CONCENTRATION OF THE SHOTGUNS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND ALSO, UM, JUST GENERAL, UH, KIND OF SMALLER VERNACULAR HOMES THAT, THAT COULD CONTINUE TO BE AFFORDABLE.

UM, THIS IS A SLIDE THAT JUST SHOWS YOU SOME DEMOLITION STATISTICS IN THE CITY STARTING, UM, FROM THE LAST, FROM ABOUT 2003.

UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT ABOUT 63% OF DEMOLITIONS ACROSS THE CITY HAVE OCCURRED IN DISTRICTS ONE, TWO, AND FIVE, UM, THE, THE MOST IN, IN DISTRICT FIVE.

AND, UM, AND SO IT'S AN ISSUE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF OUR HISTORIC HOUSING STOCK IS ALSO IN DISTRICTS 1, 2, 3, AND FIVE REALLY.

AND, YOU KNOW, THREE HAS SEEN A, A NUMBER OF DEMOLITIONS AS WELL.

UM, THIS IS ALSO WHERE THERE IS A

[00:15:01]

SO IN, IN LATE 2018, THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION STARTED THE SHOTGUN INITIATIVE TO IDENTIFY ALL THE SHOTGUNS IN SAN ANTONIO.

UM, WE WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEM GO OUT AND HUNT FOR THEM AND SUBMIT THEM TO US.

AND OVER 300 SHOTGUNS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED TODAY.

UM, THEY'RE PRIMARILY IN DISTRICTS 1, 2, 3, AND FIVE.

UM, THE OLDEST IS FROM 1877, AND, UM, REALLY YOU SEE THEM DATING ANYWHERE THERE UP UNTIL THE 1930S.

UM, THE OTHER THING THAT, THAT IS KIND OF COOL ABOUT THE INITIATIVE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO CAPTURE IS, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED SEEING AT H D R C PEOPLE COMING IN AND ASKING TO BUILD TINY HOUSES BECAUSE TINY, THE TINY HOUSES ARE COOL NOW, AND WE'RE LIKE, WE ALREADY HAVE THESE, THEY'RE CALLED SHOTGUNS.

SO, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN DO THAT IN A WAY THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE CHARACTER OF HOW OUR NEIGHBORHOODS DEVELOP IN, IN, IN SAN ANTONIO.

UM, I MENTIONED THE OPPORTUNITY AT RISK STUDY A MOMENT AGO, AND JUST AGAIN, TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT OUT IN THAT STUDY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIR 33,000 HOMES THAT WERE BUILT PRE 1960.

UM, MANY OF THOSE A A, A LARGE NUMBER OF THOSE UNDER A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.

AND WHEN YOU HAVE A A SMALL FOOTPRINT LIKE THAT, YOU'RE KIND OF BY DEFINITION GOING TO REMAIN AT LEAST SOMEWHAT AFFORDABLE.

AND SO THESE REALLY ARE REPRESENT A, A WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDRESSING SOME OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY AS WE REINVEST IN THESE EXISTING STRUCTURES.

UM, NEXT SLIDE.

I THINK I'VE ADDRESSED SOME OF THESE THINGS, BUT JUST ANOTHER KIND OF LOOK AT THE, SOME OF THE IDEAS BEHIND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAVE THESE SHOTGUN HOUSES.

UM, OF COURSE, AND WE MENTIONED THE AFFORDABLE AFFORDABILITY CONNECTION.

UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALSO KIND OF CLIMATE READY, SO TO SPEAK.

THEY WERE BUILT FOR HOT CLIMATES.

THEY HAVE A SMALL FOOTPRINT.

UM, CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY, OF COURSE IS, IS KEY.

UM, IT REALLY DOES HELP TO TELL THE STORY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOW THEY DEVELOPED AND WHO BUILT THEM AND, UM, AND WHO LIVED IN THESE HOUSES.

AND THEN OF COURSE, THE EMBODIED ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE, UM, THE TYPICALLY HIGH, HIGHER QUALITY MATERIALS SUCH AS OLD GROWTH WOOD THAT YOU FIND IN THESE HOUSES.

THE FAMILY FOR, FOR MULTIPLE GENERATIONS.

SO, UM, THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION'S ROLE IN THIS IS, UM, A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS.

I MEAN, ONE, WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE PROVIDING KIND OF GENERAL GUIDANCE AND OVERSIGHT ABOUT THE REHABILITATIONS THEMSELVES.

UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY REALLY ARE, UM, MODEL REHABILITATIONS THAT WOULD BE APPROVED BY THE HISTORIC AND DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION.

AND THEY'RE CONSISTENT WITH OUR, OUR GUIDELINES.

UM, WE'LL BE WORKING, CONTINUING TO WORK WITH U T SS A ON THE SURVEY AND INVENTORY OF BOTH THE SHOTGUNS THEMSELVES, BUT THEN ALSO THE METHODS, TRADITIONAL BUILDING METHODS, UM, TO HELP INFORM OUR TRADES EDUCATION EFFORTS.

AND THEN, UM, WE ARE ALSO HELPING WITH THE PARTNERS TO IDENTIFY CONTRACTORS THAT CAN WORK ON THE REHABS AND ALSO CAN SERVE AS, AS TRAINERS FOR PEOPLE THAT WILL BE, UM, LEARNING THOSE TRADES AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE.

AND THEN, UM, AND THAT LEADS ME TO THE, THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES ARE REALLY PART OF OUR LARGER LIVING HERITAGE TRADES ACADEMY EFFORT.

AND SO THROUGH THOSE PROJECTS WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME IN AND TRAIN UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A MASTER CRAFTSMAN, UM, ON THINGS SUCH AS WOOD WINDOW REHABILITATION.

NEXT SLIDE.

UM, SO THE THREE PROJECTS I'LL JUST TOUCH ON BRIEFLY.

UM, THE FIRST ONE ON FURNISH, UM, IS, IS NOT A A A A A SHOTGUN STRICTLY, BUT IT IS A SMALL VERNACULAR HOUSE.

AND, UM, AND THAT THIS ONE IS OWNER OCCUPIED.

IT'S BEEN IN THE OWNER'S FAMILY FOR, FOR GENERATIONS.

AND, UM, WE ALREADY HAVE A TRAINING SCHEDULED IN FEBRUARY WHERE, UH, STUDENTS WILL LEARN UNDER, UM, VICTOR SALAS, WHO'S A, A MASTER CRAFTSMAN THAT MANY OF YOU KNOW, UM, TO REHABILITATE THE EXISTING WOOD WINDOWS ON SITE AND WILL BE ALSO LOOKING FOR OTHER, UM, TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE, THAT REHABILITATION.

UM, 1107 GUADALUPE IS TENANT OCCUPIED.

UM, IT'S OWNED BY A NONPROFIT AND THAT WOULD BE, UM, ONCE THE REHABILITATION IS COMPLETED, THEN IT WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ATTEND IT AT AN AFFORDABLE RATE.

AND THEN 1107 SMITH ALLEY IS A VACANT STRUCTURE CURRENTLY, BUT IT DOES HAVE, UM, THE HOME IS OWNED BY A FAMILY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HAS, HAS BEEN IN

[00:20:01]

SO IT'S ANOTHER, UM, REALLY GREAT STORY FROM A CULTURAL, UM, HERITAGE PERSPECTIVE.

AND ALL THREE OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE INTENDED TO BE, UM, COMPLETED IN THE APRIL TO MAY, 2021 TIMEFRAME.

AND I'M GONNA LET, UH, VERO, I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK OVER TO VERO NOW AND SHE'LL KIND OF EXPLAIN HOW, UM, HOW THOSE ARE HAPPENING WITH OUR PAR UH, COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARTNERS.

GREAT.

THANK YOU SHANNON.

SO THE, THE PREVIOUS SLIDE DID HAVE ONE, UH, HOME THAT OWNER OCCUPIED, THE FAMILY ACTUALLY QUALIFIED FOR OUR OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB, WHICH OF COURSE HELPS FAMILIES WHO OWN THEIR OWN HOUSE FAMILIES HAVE TO BE AT OR BELOW 80% A M I.

AND IT IS NO SURPRISE, UM, THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF THE OLDER AND SMALLER HOUSES IN THE COMMUNITY.

FIVE.

AND SO THAT ONE HAPPENED TO BE AN OWNER OCCUPIED APPLICANT.

UM, AND, AND WE'RE USING OWNER OCCUPIED FUNDING TO HELP WITH THAT ONE.

BUT WE ARE TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT A, A MODEL SO THAT THOSE STUDENTS CAN LEARN THE TRADITIONAL BUILDING METHODS.

WE ARE TRAINING OUR OWN CONTRACTORS ON HOW TO DO THIS KIND OF REHAB AS WELL, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN WHEN WE HAVE TO, UH, DO A GOOD NEW WINDOWS, FOR EXAMPLE.

AND SO EVEN OUR CONTRACTORS ARE GONNA LEARN HOW TO DO THIS MORE TRADITIONAL CONSTRUCTION METHOD AS WELL, SO THAT IF WE NEED THEM IN THE FUTURE TO THIS KIND OF REHAB, THEY'RE TRAINED, UM, TO DO IT AS WELL.

AND THEN THE REST OF THE HOUSES ARE ONES THAT WE ARE WORKING NOT JUST WITH O H P, BUT OTHER PARTNERS.

AND SO THE NEXT SLIDE HAS THE OTHER PARTNERS AND THE FUNDING FOR THEM.

SO WE MENTIONED THAT WE WANNA DOCUMENT HOW WE DO THIS WORK SO THAT WE CREATE HOW TO GUIDE FOR, FOR OUR STAFF, FOR OUR CONTRACTORS, AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE ACHIEVED THROUGH THREE CONTRACTS, EACH OF THEM $50,000.

ONE IS WITH MICRO ESTATE, ONE IS WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES, SAN ANTONIO, WHICH IS A LOCAL NONPROFIT THAT DOES, UM, DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, FROM CONSTRUCTION TO MANAGING TO OWNING.

AND THE OTHER IS WITH U T S A.

SO THESE THREE PARTNERS ALONG WITH O H P ARE HELPING TO MAKE SURE WE CREATE THOSE GUIDES THAT WE USE THE OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSE AS ONE OF THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES.

THEY'RE ALSO GONNA HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THE ADDITIONAL FINANCING FOR HOUSES THAT ARE RENTED, FOR EXAMPLE, OR HOUSES THAT ARE CURRENTLY VACANT.

AND ONCE THEY HAVE A NEW LIFE, HOW THEY CAN BE BEST BE UTILIZED, MORE THAN LIKELY VACANT STRUCTURES CAN ALSO BE RENTED AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

AND THEN OF COURSE, THE HUNDRED THOUSAND IN THIS BUDGET BREAKDOWN IS THE FUNDING FOR THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB HOUSE.

UM, WHERE NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO REHAB IT, BUT WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE LEAD ISSUES, FOR EXAMPLE.

SO THE, THOSE KIND OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ARE ALSO ADDRESSED.

SO THIS IS THE FUNDING FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM WITH O H P AND THESE THREE ENTITIES, OUR THIRD PARTNER, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A WAY FORWARD WHEN WE DEAL WITH OUR EXISTING HOUSING STOCK, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE EXISTING HOUSE CAN BE THE MOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK.

UM, AND THAT REALLY IS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION, UNLESS YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

UM, FOR US, OH, THIS SLIDE, UM, RECAPS WHAT I MENTIONED IN TERMS OF WHAT EACH OF THE ENTITIES IS GONNA BE DOING, THE DOCUMENTATION, THE COORDINATION WITH THE CONTRACTORS, AND, UM, THE, THE ACTUAL REHAB WORK ITSELF.

SO THIS BUILDS THAT, WHAT'S IN THE SCOPE OF WORK OF THOSE SMALL CONTRACTS AS WELL.

NOW THIS IS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION AND THIS WE HAVE QUESTIONS, UH, FOR SHANNON OR MYSELF.

IS ALWAYS GONNA BE AN ISSUE, BUT, UM, PERHAPS I DON'T, WHO WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT QUESTION? I DON'T KNOW.

OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO THIS ITEM IS, IS FOR BRIEFING.

UM, 'CAUSE THIS, THIS FUNDINGS HAD ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED AND IT WAS SOME PART OF A REQUEST.

I MADE A COUPLE OF, UM, MAYBE LAST YEAR TO DO THE REHAB PROGRAM.

SO, UM, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE OF COURSE TOOK, UH, QUITE A BIT OF TIME TO IDENTIFY THE HOUSES.

UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE OVER 300 IN THE CITY THAT ARE THIS TYPE.

UM, I I, COULD YOU JUST TALK ABOUT PERHAPS WHAT WAS THE GREATEST OBSTACLE THAT WE CAME ACROSS IN, UM, SELECTING THE HOUSES? AND, YOU KNOW, WE, NONE OF THESE HOUSES HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN CON UM, DONE YET.

SO WE MAY RUN INTO OTHER ISSUES, BUT COULD YOU JUST ADDRESS, UM, MAYBE WHAT ARE WERE SOME OF THE, THE MORE DIFFICULT PARTS THAT WE DISCUSS? AND NOT INCLUDING FUNDING, BECAUSE FUNDING OF COURSE

[00:25:01]

UM, VERO, I, I MEAN, I THINK MAYBE WE BOTH CAN KIND OF TAG TEAM.

I MEAN, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ISSUES OFTENTIMES IS, UM, TITLE ISSUES, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S CLEAR TITLE, UM, TO A PROPERTY.

SO THAT CAN BE AN OBSTACLE AND, AND FOR, FOR SOME PROPER, FOR SOME BEING ELIGIBLE FOR, FOR A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.

UM, AND, AND I KNOW THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT THAT HAPPENED AS, AS PROPERTIES WERE BEING SELECTED.

UM, OBVIOUSLY IT, IN THE CASES WHERE AN OWNER IS, UM, ENGAGED WHERE IT'S NOT A ABANDONED TYPE OF PROPERTY, THEN, UM, SOMETIMES THE OWNERS JUST DON'T, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE.

LIKE SOMETIMES THEY'RE JUST NOT INTERESTED.

UM, AND SO THAT CAN ALSO BE AN OBSTACLE.

I DON'T KNOW IF VERO IF YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT.

UH, I'LL JUST ADD SOMETHING BRIEF.

I MEAN, FOR US, UM, WE ALREADY HAVE THE OWNER OCCUPIED PROGRAM.

SO FOR US, THE CHALLENGE WAS HOW DO WE WORK TO BRING SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR PROPERTIES THAT ARE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, BUT OUR RENTAL, UM, 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A A RENTAL REHAB PROGRAM PER SE.

SO, UM, WHEN WE SAW A LIST THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WERE OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSES, UM, WE WEREN'T SURE IF, IF WE COULD DO THOSE HOUSES AT THE BEGINNING.

UM, AND THEN THE WHOLE WORKING WITH VACANT HOUSES, MAKING SURE THEY'RE DON'T HAVE, UM, THE KIND OF ISSUES THAT VACANT STRUCTURES TEND TO HAVE.

UM, ONCE A, A STRUCTURE IS VACANT, WE THOUGHT THE COST MIGHT BE MORE IF THE DETERIORATION WAS, UM, EXACERBATED BY IT BEING VACANT.

UM, BUT, BUT REACHING OUT TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND TELLING THEM WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS THE CHALLENGE.

'CAUSE IT, IT TOOK, UM, EDUCATION TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTOOD WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO, UM, AND, AND GO WITH THE APPROACH OF WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE THE HOUSE SYSTEM, TRYING TO HELP YOU.

SO THERE WAS A LOT OF EDUCATION.

UM, AND SO I HOPE THAT THE DOCUMENTS WE CREATE HELP US A LOT ON THAT EDUCATION FRONT BECAUSE EVEN THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS AGAIN? UM, TOOK, TOOK A A LONG TIME DESPITE THE, THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT SHANNON AND HER TEAM ALREADY HAD.

THEY STILL WERE, UM, QUESTIONING WHY WE WERE TRYING TO, TO HAVE THOSE PHONES.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO I, I'M, I'M INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROJECT, SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES, UH, FOR ANY QUESTIONS STARTING WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE.

UM, WE, WE'VE GOT A SET AMOUNT INDICATED AT $250,000.

DOES THAT ACTUALLY INCLUDE ALL THE COSTS OF REPAIR? SO IT DOES NOT, IT INCLUDES THE COST FOR THE OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSE AND SOME OF THE COSTS, UM, FOR REHABBING ONE OF THE, UH, TWO HOUSES, NOT THE OWNER OCCUPIED.

UM, PART OF THE CHALLENGE WE ARE, UH, ASKING THE, UH, THREE PARTNERS IS TO HELP US IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL FINANCING AND FUNDING SOURCES.

AND SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING WITH THEM TO SEE HOW ELSE, UM, WE CAN FUND THE REST OF THE REHAB FOR THE LAST TWO HOUSES.

WE DON'T HAVE THE SCOPE OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE, SO WE DON'T HAVE THE TOTAL COST YET.

UM, SO WE DON'T KNOW IF, IF THE FUNDING WE'RE GIVING N H SS IS GONNA BE ENOUGH, DO WE HAVE ONE OR TWO? UM, IT COULD BE ENOUGH TO DO AT LEAST ONE MORE, BUT WE'RE NOT SURE HOW MUCH OF, OF THE LAST HOUSE WILL BE DONE.

BUT ONE OF THE CHARGES IS TO HAVE THOSE THREE ENTITIES HELP US FIND FINANCING, UM, AND FUNDING STRUCTURES TO DO THE REST OF THE THE HOUSE.

AND I WOULD ADD TO THAT, OH, GO AHEAD, SHARON.

MAY HAVE, UH, PROBLEM WITH THE ROOF OR WITH FOUNDATION, OR OBVIOUSLY WITH PLUMBING OR ELECTRICITY OR, SO COULD BE A VARIETY, COULD BE ALMOST ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

I, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT A ALSO PART A, A A WAY TO ADDRESS THE FUNDING GAP IS, UM, THE INCLUSION OF THE TRADES ACADEMY CONCEPT.

AND SO, UM, BY, BY HAVING PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING IN AND LEARNING, DO SOME OF THE WORK, THEN OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR THAT WORK.

WE'RE HAVING IT DONE, UM, AS A TRAINING OPPORTUNITY.

AND SO IT HELPS TO OFFSET, UM, HARD COSTS THAT WAY AS WELL.

SURE.

WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT LIKE WHAT WE JUST HEARD ABOUT, UH, FROM HABITAT.

YOU KNOW, THEY RELY ON A LOT OF VOLUNTEER ON A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS OR SEMI-SKILLED PEOPLE TO COME IN AND, AND DO A LOT OF WORK.

AND, AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, IF WE WE'RE GONNA ASSESS EACH BUILDING AND, AND DETERMINE WHAT IT NEEDS, RIGHT? AND THEY MAY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS, SOME MAY HAVE, UH, STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS, SOME

[00:30:01]

IS THE GOAL TO BRING ALL OF THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE SUBSTANDARD UP TO CITY CODE, UH, AS THAT PROCESS MOVES FORWARD? YES.

YES.

THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE THE GOAL.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS RECOGNIZED AS A PROBLEM WITH RE REHABILITATING OLDER HOMES, THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT COMPLETELY REPLACING THE ELECTRICITY, PROBABLY THE PLUMBING, UH, AND THEN YOU START LOOKING AT THE STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS WITH, UH, ROOF OR FOUNDATION OR INTERIOR WALLS THAT NEED TO BE REDONE AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA REPAINT IT, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

IT DOES BECOME VERY EXPENSIVE WHEN WE'RE REQUIRED TO MEET THE CURRENT CITY ORDINANCE FOR ELECTRICITY OR PLUMBING OR ANY OTHER BUILDING THINGS.

HOWEVER, IF WE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO SOME OF THESE HOMES, MAYBE NOT THESE THREE, BUT TO SOME OF THEM, PEOPLE WOULD CON CONTINUE TO LIVE THERE.

UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY PROBLEMS WITH REHABILITATION IS THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE, UH, A HOME THAT'S GONNA MEET THE MORE MODERN REQUIREMENTS, WHICH MEANS THAT THE COST OF DOING THAT IS GONNA BE VERY, VERY HIGH.

AND THEN THE COST TO THE PROPERTY OWNER, BECAUSE NOW ALL OF THE MONEY THAT WAS PUT INTO THAT HOME FALLS ON THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY OWNER TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.

SO IF WE HAVE A $70,000 SHOTGUN HOME, AND THAT MIGHT BE THE VALUE OF IT TODAY, BUT WE PUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS INTO IT, NOW WE'VE GOT A PROPERTY THAT MIGHT BE REALLY VALUED AT 150 TO $200,000.

AND HOW DOES THE PERSON WHO LIVED THERE WHEN IT WAS VALUED AT $75,000 CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THAT HOME OR DO THEY NOT? AND SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS TO BUY THAT.

AND I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT WE LOOK AT WHEN WE LOOK AT REHABILITATION.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO START CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVES TO TRY AND MAKE EVERY HOME WE REMODEL, MEET TODAY'S STANDARD, BECAUSE I'M LIVING IN A HOME THAT WAS BUILT IN THE SEVENTIES, AND I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE TODAY'S STANDARD TO LIVE HERE.

AND I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN THE HOMES WHO WERE BUILT IN THE FIFTIES AND THE FORTIES AND THE THIRTIES, AND THEY'VE DONE A FEW THINGS UPGRADED, THEY LIVED THERE, MAYBE IT NEEDS SOME WORK, BUT IF THEY HAD TO UPGRADE EVERYTHING TO TODAY'S STANDARDS, THEY COULDN'T AFFORD IT.

SO I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A PILOT PROJECT, AND I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE TO LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF MECHANISMS WE CAN FIND TO MAKE IT AS USEFUL AND AS AFFORDABLE AS CAN BE.

BUT I STILL SEE THE BIG PROBLEM DOWN THE LINE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE FINISHED WITH THESE THREE, WHO'S GONNA PAY THE MORTGAGE ON ALL THE MONEY THAT WAS INVESTED TO FIX THESE HOUSES, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN NOW THEY'RE WORTH 150,000 OR WHATEVER THEY MAY BE WORTH AFTER ALL THE WORK'S DONE.

HOW DOES SOMEONE WHO'S LIVING THERE NOW AS A RENTER OR AN OWNER AFFORD THE UPGRADE? YEAH, I, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT, COUNCILMAN.

AND, UM, AND I, I WILL SAY, I MEAN, JUST FOR CLARITY, LIKE THE CITY DOES HAVE THE INTER DOES ADOPT THE INTERNATIONAL EXISTING BUILDING CODE.

SO THERE ARE SOME CODE REQUIREMENTS THAT CAN BE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO ACHIEVE THE LETTER OF THE LAW IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE EXISTING BUILDING CODE.

SO THAT ALLOWS A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY.

UM, I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT I KNOW, UM, N H S D AND, AND VERO CAN SPEAK TO THIS, UM, THEY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UM, POST REHAB VALUE, UM, BEFORE AWARDING CONTRACTS.

AND SO I MEAN, THEY VERY MUCH THINK ABOUT WHAT THE END RESULT IS GONNA BE BEFORE INVESTING TOO MUCH INTO A PROPERTY THAT NEEDS TO REMAIN AFFORDABLE.

AND THEN FINALLY, I WOULD SAY, I THINK ALL THOSE POINTS THAT YOU RAISED JUST REALLY UNDERSCORE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE PILOT PROGRAM, UM, TO REALLY LOOK AT THOSE ISSUES AND SEE WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS AND WHERE THOSE CONCERNS ARE AND WHERE THE EXPENSES REALLY LIE AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE, UM, MOVING FORWARD.

I UNDERSTAND.

ESPECIALLY THE FAMILIES THAT ARE ALREADY LIVING THERE? SO, UM, IF YOU COULD JUST KIND OF SPEAK TO THAT OR, UH, TELL ME WHAT OTHER RESOURCES WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR THE FAMILIES.

UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE, COUNCIL MEMBER JADA, ANDREW SULLIVAN.

UM, THANK YOU CHAIR.

UM, THANK YOU VENO AND THANK YOU SHANNON.

UM, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS ALONG THE LINES WITH, WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE IS A HUGE, UH, TAX, UM, ISSUE AND HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AND REHABBING AND RESTRUCTURING AND REBUILDING.

AND SO THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS WHEN WE GO INTO REHAB AND REMODEL, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE PROPERTY TAX, UM, WHAT ARE WE ADDRESSING ONCE WE GO IN AND ASSISTING

[00:35:01]

YEAH, GO AHEAD.

SO, UM, WELL, LET ME START BY JUST ADDRESSING WHAT WE DO WITH OUR MINOR REPAIR AND OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAMS. SO OBVIOUSLY THE FAMILIES THAT WE HELP, OUR LOW INCOME, BECAUSE THOSE, UH, PROGRAMS HELP FAMILIES AT OR BELOW 80% A M I AND WE, WE LOOK AT THEIR INCOME THAT WAY.

UM, WHAT WE TRY AND DO IS THE, THE FUNDING, IF IT IS AN OWNER OCCUPIED, IT'S A FORGIVABLE LOAN.

UM, SO IT DOESN'T ADD, UM, TO WHAT THE FAMILY HAS TO DO IF THEY CONTINUE TO LIVE IN THE HOME.

UM, SO WE DO PUT A COVENANT, UH, ON THE HOME, BUT, UH, WE CHECK IN WITH THE FAMILY, UM, AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL THERE.

UM, AND WE CONNECT THEM WITH OTHER AVAILABLE RESOURCES.

THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE WE HAVE LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR, UH, LIKE THE SENIOR CITIZEN, UH, PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT, AND IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT BEFORE, WE MAKE SURE THEY GET THAT, UM, THE TAX EXEMPTION RATHER NOT ABATEMENT THE TAX EXEMPTION.

UM, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE WE HAVE CONNECTED WITH, UM, THE COG, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT ONLY DO WE GO IN AND DO A REHAB, BUT THAT WE PLANT A TREE SO THAT IT PROVIDES SHADING AND THEREFORE HELPS FURTHER REDUCE ENERGY USAGE.

AND SO WE CONNECT THEM WITH, UM, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ONCE WE TOUCH, UM, THEM AS A CLIENT.

UM, AND THEN WHEN WE CHECK IN, UM, WE, WE CHECK IN TO SEE WHAT ELSE THEY MIGHT NEED.

SO THAT IS ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE DO.

UM, BUT FOR SURE, WHATEVER WE SEE, UM, LIKE THE EXEMPTION IS, IS ONE KEY THING THAT WE ALERT THEM ABOUT SO THAT THEY KNOW, UM, HOW THEY CAN STAY IN THEIR HOME FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.

AND, AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT, UM, I I, THERE IS A REHABILITATION TAX INCENTIVE FOR, UM, PROPERTIES THAT ARE DESIGNATED HISTORIC.

AND SO, UM, AND THAT IS ALSO ANOTHER OPTION THAT PROPERTIES MAY HAVE IF, IF THEY'RE ALREADY DESIGNATED OR IF THEY BECOME DESIGNATED, UM, THEN THE, THE, THE CITY TAXES ARE REDUCED FOR 10 YEARS.

UM, IT IS, THAT IS JUST CITY TAXES, BUT, UM, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE IT HELPS.

UM, THE NEXT QUESTION, I KNOW THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM AND WITH THE US HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE GRANTS, UM, THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UM, TO HELP, WELL, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING AND, AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.

SO WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM, ARE THERE ANY GRANTS UNDER THAT DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR OR LOOK AT TO SEE IF IT COULD ADD FUNDING INTO THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM? SO I'LL ADDRESS THAT QUESTION.

SO THE HUD PROGRAM CURRENTLY, OR THE HUD FUNDING CURRENTLY FUNDS OUR OWNER OCCUPIED PROGRAM.

SO, UH, AS A COUNCIL, YOU ALL HAVE SET ASIDE MONEY, UM, FROM C B D G AND HOME TO DO OWNER OCCUPIED.

UM, WE ARE ABLE TO CREATE NEW PROGRAMS THAT COULD REHAB RENTAL PROPERTIES, FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, AND SO WE COULD DO, UH, RENTAL REHAB FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.

UM, CURRENTLY THAT IS, UH, ELIGIBLE.

UM, WE UTILIZE OUR RENTAL AND HOME OWNERSHIP, UH, FUNDING, BUT GAP FUNDING CAN BE UTILIZED FOR THAT.

BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE SMALL PROPERTY OWNERS IF YOU WILL COME IN AND APPLYING FOR, FOR THAT FUNDING.

UM, AND A LOT OF IT IS BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW.

UM, BUT IN THE FUTURE, THAT COULD BE ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO FOR OUR FUNDING.

UM, THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S ALREADY A LOT OF DEMAND FOR OUR CURRENT PROGRAM.

SO IT, IT IS ALWAYS A QUESTION OF IF WE FUND A NEW PROGRAM, UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE TAKING AWAY FROM OR WHAT ARE WE DOING LESS OF TO, TO DO A NEW PROGRAM.

UM, SO THE CURRENT FUNDING C D B G AND HOME CAN BE USED FOR THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS. UM, IT, IT JUST MEANS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT DOING LESS OF SOMETHING ELSE, FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, AND HUD HAS NOT RELEASED, UM, ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDING, UM, OTHER THAN THE ENTITLEMENT FUNDS FOR, FOR OTHER KINDS OF PROGRAMS. UM, AND SO THAT WE'LL KEEP, CONTINUE TO LOOK, UM, BUT THEY HAVEN'T DONE ADDITIONAL FUNDING BESIDES OUR ENTITLEMENT IN A VERY LONG TIME.

ALLIANCE IS WORKING TO HELP WITH THE YOUTH HOMELESS POPULATION.

UM, AND THEN I KNOW JUST THIS MORNING, THE EXPRESS NEWS READ AN ARTICLE, UM, JUST SHOWING HOW THE SOUTH ALAMO REGIONAL

[00:40:01]

UM, IS THIS UNDER THE SHOTGUN HOUSES THAT ARE VACANT? IS THIS A PROGRAM THAT WE MAYBE CAN PARTNER TO HELP, UH, START LOOKING AT PERMANENT RESIDENTS FOR THESE YOUTH THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO ASSIST? Y YEAH, I MEAN, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT IS A GREAT IDEA TO, TO KIND OF LOOK INTO THAT AS PART OF THIS, UH, AS PART OF THIS PILOT.

WE COULD, WE COULD INADVERTENTLY DO IS, IS CREATE A, A VALUATION THAT IS, THAT IS JUST NOT SUSTAINABLE OR, OR, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, LONG TERM CANNOT BE ATTAINABLE BY, BY, UH, THOSE WHO, UH, WHO WOULD BE LIVING IN THESE PROPERTIES.

UM, I, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FORM THAT CONNECTION.

I JUST THINK THAT IT WOULD AID IN US MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THE VACANT STRUCTURES HAVE A FAMILY THAT CAN MOVE INTO 'EM AS SOON AS IT'S AVAILABLE.

AND KNOWING THAT WE HAVE A LARGE POPULATION OF YOUTH THAT ARE HOMELESS AND THIS MONEY IS AVAILABLE TO GET THEM INTO SOME FORM OF HOUSING, THIS MAY BE A WAY TO BRIDGE THAT GAP, UM, IN HELPING TO PUT ALREADY STOCKED HOUSING IN THE MARKET, UM, INTO THE HANDS OF THOSE THAT REALLY NEED A HOME.

UM, SO IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN KIND OF CROSS COLLABORATE ON THAT, I'D LIKE TO SEE IF THAT CAN HAPPEN.

UM, AND THEN MADAM CHAIR, MY FINAL QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THAT THE CITY IS LOOKING TO DO THEIR OWN, UM, TRAINING WITH CONTRACTORS, WE STILL KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE, UH, MINORITY CONTRACTORS AND SMALLER CONTRACTORS ARE STILL ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHEN WILL THEY GET THEIR CHANCE TO STEP UP TO HELP THE CITY WITH CONTRACTING.

I THINK THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO GO THROUGH OUR INVENTORY OF THOSE SMALL CONTRACTORS AND START REACHING OUT TO THEM PERSONALLY TO BRING THEM INTO THIS PROJECT AND SEE WHAT ARE THEIR QUALIFICATIONS OR HOW THEY MAY BE ABLE TO TRAIN WITHIN THIS DISTRICT AREA THAT ARE NEEDING THE MOST HELP.

UM, SO I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN START TO WORK ON GETTING THAT INVENTORY OF CONTRACTORS TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN START REACHING OUT TO THEM PERSONALLY.

BUT THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS PILOT PROGRAM.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

THANKS, UH, THANKS JADA FOR ALL THOSE, UH, GREAT QUESTIONS.

UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VINNO, THANK YOU CHAIR.

AND I THINK THIS IS A, A GREAT PROGRAM AND A LOT OF GREAT QUESTIONS BEING ASKED.

UH, THE, THE, THE FIRST, UH, ONE THAT I'D ALSO LIKE TO EMPHASIZE IS WHAT, WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE DOING WITH REGARDS TO THE, THE REHABILITATION, UH, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT HERE THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR BUILDING CODES ARE REQUIRING.

AND, AND, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN COURAGE BROUGHT UP A GREAT POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE, THE NEW CODES ARE, YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY, UH, IT, IT'S, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY IN LINE WITH A LOT OF THE WAY THINGS WERE BUILT MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.

UH, BUT WE CAN WORK ON SOME OF THE CODES BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING MORE TOWARDS A PERFORMANCE BASE, UH, CRITERIA.

AND MAYBE WE CAN ESTABLISH, UH, OUR OWN SET.

I MEAN, WE CAN, I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT THIS AS IF WE'RE GONNA BE, IF WE'RE GONNA BE DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, LET'S CREATE A SUBSET THAT CAN ALLOW US TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE, UH, WITH, WITH SOME OF THESE MORE HISTORIC HOMES.

UM, ON TOP OF THAT, WITH REGARDS TO ARE WE DOING MAINTENANCE? ARE WE DOING REHABILITATION? AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MY, MY WORRY AND, AND I HEARD SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY THIS IS, IS PROPERTY TAXES.

YOU KNOW, THE, THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT WILL LOOK AT THIS, UH, A CERTAIN WAY.

AND, UM, WHILE I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE WE'RE TELL TELLING FOLKS ABOUT THE THE OVER 65 DEFERMENT, UH, THAT'S ONLY AFTER THE VALUATION IS MADE AFTER THE IMPROVEMENTS BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, THEY EVALUATE AND THEN THEY'LL FREEZE IT AT THAT POINT.

BUT YOU'LL STILL SEE A, A HUGE SPIKE IN THE VALUATION.

UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD TRY TO GET A, A MEETING WITH, UH, CHIEF APPRAISER, UH, QUI AND, AND GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THOSE LIMITS ARE, BECAUSE I THINK YOU CAN, IF YOU, IF IF MOST OF WHAT YOU DO IS, IS MAINTENANCE, AND YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF HIT ON IT WITH VICTOR SILAS, AND I, I KNOW VICTOR, UM, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT REHABILITATING OLD WOOD WINDOWS, THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT REBUILDING THEM.

YOU'RE, YOU'RE, IT'S A MAINTENANCE MM-HMM.

ISSUE, RIGHT? AND SO THEN YOU CAN MAKE THE CASE THAT SOMETHING IS MAINTENANCE AND, AND THEREFORE IT'S NOT AS IMPACTFUL ON PROPERTY TAXES.

SO I WANT US TO, TO STUDY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS, IS SO CRITICAL IN, IN SORT OF MAINTAINING THIS BALANCE BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE, WE,

[00:45:01]

SO WE JUST, WE JUST GOTTA BALANCE THAT.

I THINK THIS SOUNDS, UH, MORE LIKE A MAINTENANCE PROJECT THAN A REHABILITATION PROJECT, IN MY OPINION.

UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.

NO, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I MEAN, I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT THAT, THAT, THAT IT IS, AND IN MANY CASES IT IS MAINTENANCE AND, UM, AND WHILE, WHILE IT DOESN'T, WOULDN'T ADDRESS THE VALUATION ISSUE, UM, ONE OF THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THE OPPORTUNITY AT RISK STUDY IS THAT WE LOOK AT WAYS TO EXPAND THE TAX CREDIT.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY LIKE THE, THE REHABILITATION TAX CREDIT THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT'S ONLY CITY TAXES CURRENTLY.

BUT OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE POTENTIALLY WE COULD PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY AND IT COULD APPLY TO COUNTY TAXES.

I MEAN, THERE ARE, THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT COULD BE EXPLORED THROUGH THIS, BUT IT DOESN'T ADDRESS THE VALUATION ISSUE.

AND THEN I ALSO, JUST TO, TO KIND OF ECHO YOUR POINT AND AND AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE BUILDING CODES IS, I, I, I THINK IT, IT'S PROBABLY A, A PERSON YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, THERE'S A REHABILITATION, UM, LIKE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER WHO, WHO MOSTLY DOES PRESERVATION WORK.

AND I'VE HEARD HIM SPEAK A FEW TIMES, AND HE ALWAYS SAYS THAT WOOD DOESN'T KNOW THAT BUILDING CODES HAVE CHANGED.

LIKE WE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE, THE EXISTING HIGH QUALITY, HISTORIC OLD GROWTH WOOD DOESN'T KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, A BUILDING CODE HAS BEEN MODIFIED AND THAT THAT EXISTING MATERIAL IS STILL VERY VALUABLE AND VERY STRONG.

AND SO I, I THINK, I THINK, UM, YOU ARE, ARE BOTH RIGHT, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT LIKE LOOKING AT USING THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT OUR BUILDING CODES AND WHAT'S BEING REQUIRED AND HOW WE MIGHT, UM, BETTER TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE VALUE OF THE EXISTING MATERIAL.

EXACTLY.

AND, AND I I THINK WE CAN EVEN CREATE MAYBE LIKE A, A TO YOUR POINT ABOUT IF, IF, UH, IF WE AS A CITY CAN DESIGNATE THESE HOMES, UH, OR GET 'EM IN A CATEGORY, THEN, THEN, THEN LET'S, LET'S, LET'S PUSH BUILDING CODES IN THAT DIRECTION.

'CAUSE WE, WE DO CONTROL THAT.

AND SO THIS IS ONE WHERE WE CAN, UH, ADJUST OUR OWN BUILDING CODES TO, TO PROPERTIES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS HISTORIC OR, YOU KNOW, UH, BUILT, UH, IN A, IN A, IN A VERY, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, TIME PERIOD WITH A DIFFERENT, UH, UH, UH, CRAFTSMAN STYLE.

SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE FOR US TO LOOK AT THAT.

UH, I ALSO WOULD RECOMMEND THE HISPANIC CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION.

I DIDN'T HEAR THAT NAME, BUT I COULD TELL YOU, UH, THAT'S A GROUP I WOULD REACH OUT TO.

UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S MANY, MANY PEOPLE THAT I KNOW THAT ARE IN THAT GROUP, UH, THAT ARE VERY TALENTED AND I THINK WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN THIS PROGRAM.

AND I THINK ULTIMATELY CAN HELP LONG TERM AND OF COURSE, UH, YOU KNOW, PUSH FOR HIGH REFLECTANCE ROOFS OR, OR WHITE ROOFS, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE WHITE, BUT THEY CAN JUST, AS LONG AS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT.

AND AGAIN, UH, I'M THINKING OF IT IN TERMS OF MAINTENANCE.

AND SO AS LONG AS YOU'RE, YOU IS LOOKING IN TERMS, YOU'RE LOOKING IN TERMS OF MAINTENANCE, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE IMPACTING THE PROPERTY VALUES AS BADLY.

SO, UH, BUT AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS.

I THINK THIS IS A, A, A GREAT PROGRAM AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO, TO BEING AS HELPFUL AS I CAN AS WELL AND SUPPORTIVE.

TO THE O H P ROLE, UM, TO ORGANIZE THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIVING HERITAGE TRADES ACADEMY.

AND, AND COUNCILMAN COULD, I JUST WANTED TO SAY ONE MORE THING BASED ON YOUR COMMENTS.

UM, IT, IT ALSO KIND OF TIES INTO OUR DECONSTRUCTION INITIATIVE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO PULL THAT HIGH QUALITY WOOD OUT, AND THEN SOMETIMES THERE'S A CHALLENGE IN EXISTING BUILDING CODES TO USE THE, THE WOOD THAT'S, THAT WAS PULLED OUT IN FOR STRUCTURAL USES IN A, IN A, IN A REHABILITATION PROJECT.

AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO TACKLE AS PART OF THAT DECONSTRUCTION INITIATIVE SO THAT WE'RE SURE THAT THE, UM, THAT THE OLD GROWTH MATERIAL THAT'S COMING OUT CAN THEN BE USED IN OTHER REHABILITATION PROJECTS.

AND SO I THINK IT ALL JUST TIES IN WITH, WITH THE POINT YOU WERE MAKING.

YEAH.

AND WITH THE CODES.

SO LET, LET'S LOOK AT THAT.

I THINK WE CAN CREATE OUR OWN SUBSECTION OF THE BUILDING CODE.

IT, IT COME, COMES TO MIND A LOT OF OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT LAND TRUSTS AND THOSE SORT OF THINGS, UM, THAT AND, AND EVEN OUR, OUR FUTURE BOND.

BUT, UM, I'LL LEAVE THOSE FOR ANOTHER TIME.

BUT WE DO HAVE COUNCILWOMAN DIEGO, DID YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS BEFORE I TURN IT BACK OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE? THANK YOU.

I JUST WANTED TO, UM, UH, MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.

I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PILOT PROGRAM, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, CHAIR, UH, GONZALEZ.

I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE, IT'S GOING TO BE A COMBINATION OF SO MANY THINGS THAT WE NEED HERE IN THE CITY ALSO, PRIMARILY WHEN WE'RE COMING

[00:50:01]

WE KNOW THAT, YES, THIS IS FOR THE SHOTGUN HOUSES, BUT THIS MEANS SO MUCH MORE, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR URBAN CORE.

UM, WE ALREADY HAVE THAT BUILT IN RELATIONSHIP WITH U T S A AND BRINGING ON NEW PARTNERS AND ALL OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WERE ALREADY MADE, I THINK ARE CRITICAL.

HAVE THEM ALL COME TO THE LIVING HERITAGE ACADEMY AND LET'S GET EVERYONE TRAINED.

SO WE WILL HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE URBAN CORE TO, UM, MAINTAIN OR REHABILITATE OUR, UH, COMMUNITY.

SO OUR URBAN CORE, MOST DEFINITELY.

AND ONCE YOU'VE GOT THAT, THAT LIVING HERITAGE TRADE, IT'S GOING TO JUST GO ON AND ON.

AND THANK YOU FOR REALLY LOOKING AT THE LEGACY FAMILY HOME OWNERSHIPS TOO.

SO WE KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTING, UM, AND MAYBE EVEN BREAKING, UH, SOME, YOU KNOW, CYCLES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST.

BUT WITH THIS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BREAK IT AND START SOMETHING BRAND NEW FOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND FOR FAMILIES AND FOR COMMUNITIES.

THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.

THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN VIE, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.

YES, THANK YOU.

I JUST WANTED TO, I GUESS, PUT ANOTHER BUG IN THE EAR FOR VERO AND SHANNON THAT I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME EXPERTS THAT WE'VE LINED UP TO WORK WITH US ON THIS FROM U T S A, I THINK YOU SAID FROM A OPEN CONTRACTING PERSPECTIVE.

UM, BUT I, I HOPE THAT MAYBE WE CAN LOOK TO BRING IN SOME KIND OF OTHER ENGINEERING OR PLUMBING CONSULTANTS THAT CAN EVALUATE THE SAFETY OF SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN EXISTENCE.

OBVIOUSLY WE'VE RAISED THE LEVEL, UH, FOR ELECTRIC OR PLUMBING BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT NEWER PRODUCTS THAT COME IN THAT MAKE GREATER DEMANDS ON THE SYSTEM.

BUT LIKE I SAID, UH, THE HOUSE I LIVE IN RIGHT NOW, I FEEL PERFECTLY SAFE IN, BUT I'M NOT GONNA BRING IN, UH, UH, AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE PLUG AND PUT IT IN WITHOUT ADJUSTING MY ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

'CAUSE I KNOW THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE SAFE.

AND WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS IF THERE'S A LEVEL OF SAFETY EXISTING IN MANY OF THE HOMES THAT WERE BUILT DURING CERTAIN PERIODS OF TIME BECAUSE OF THOSE CODES, RATHER THAN SAY, WELL, WE'VE GOTTA BOOST THEM ALL UP TO THE, TO THE NEWEST CODE, CAN'T WE JUST SAY, ALL RIGHT, ACCORDING TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM YOU HAVE, YOU SHOULDN'T GO AHEAD AND PURCHASE OR ACQUIRE ANY KIND OF ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS ABOVE THIS LEVEL BECAUSE IT PUT, WOULD PUT TOO MUCH OF A STRAIN.

IN OTHER WORDS, EDUCATE PEOPLE THAT WHAT THEY'VE GOT IS OKAY, AS LONG AS THEY DON'T OVER STRESS THE SYSTEM BY ADDING THINGS THAT WOULDN'T BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE ELECTRICITY THAT YOU HAVE, RATHER THAN SAYING, WE OUGHT TO TEAR OUT THE OLD AND PUT IN A NEW, SO IF YOU WANNA PLUG IN YOUR ELECTRIC CAR, YOU CAN.

SO I'M WONDERING IF BY AN EVALUATION, WE CAN, UH, WE CAN DETERMINE THE SAFETY RELIABILITY OF SYSTEMS THAT WE WORK WITH AND JUST GIVE PEOPLE NOTICE THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE DOING CERTAIN OTHER THINGS.

'CAUSE THEN IT WOULD STRESS THAT SYSTEM TOO MUCH.

AND IF PEOPLE KNOW THAT, BUT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'VE GOT IS SAFE AND THEY CAN, THEY CAN USE IT THE WAY IT IS WITHOUT SPENDING $75,000 TO REDO THEIR ELECTRIC SYSTEM, UH, WE'RE PROBABLY PROVIDING A GREAT SERVICE.

AND IF THEY NEVER CAME TO US FOR REHABILITATION AND THEY SOLD IT SIX MONTHS FROM NOW, IT'S GONNA STAY THE WAY IT'S, OR IF THEY SELL IT THREE YEARS FROM NOW AND THEY NEVER ASKED FOR HELP FROM US, IT'S GONNA STAY THE WAY IT IS FOR THE NEXT BUYER.

SO ALL WE'RE REALLY DOING IS ASSESSING THE SAFETY, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR US IN ELECTRIC AND PLUMBING, AND THEN EXPRESSING LIMITATIONS THAT THE HOMEOWNER OWNER SHOULD FOLLOW TO KEEP THEIR SYSTEM SAFE, RATHER THAN CAUSING THEM TO HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO REDO THEIR SYSTEM.

AND THERE ARE PROBABLY EXPERTS OUT THERE WHO CAN EVALUATE THOSE THINGS FOR US AND, AND GIVE US SOME INPUT ON THAT.

SO ANYWAY, I'LL, I'LL, THAT'S ENOUGH.

NEXT ITEM IS, UH, ALSO, UM, UH, WEST SIDE CREEK'S, UM, ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECT.

UH, OKAY.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COURAGE.

AND I JUST, UM, BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT THIS ITEM, I'M, I'M REMEMBERING THAT ONE OF MY VERY FIRST ENCOUNTERS AS A COUNCIL MEMBER WAS HAVING BEEN APPROACHED BY A WOMAN THAT I HAD KNOWN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

UM, SHE LIVED ACTUALLY IN DISTRICT ONE AND SHE LIVED IN A, AN OLD SHOTGUN HOUSE.

AND, UM, WE WERE, UH, UM, GOING TO DEMOLISH IT PER CODE.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER SHANNON, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, SEVEN NOW, ALMOST EIGHT YEARS AGO.

AND WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY OPTIONS FOR HER.

AND WE ENDED UP DEMOLISHING HER HOME.

UM, AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, BY ALL ACCOUNTS NOT LIVABLE.

SHE TOLD ME MANY TIMES, I KNOW I CAN'T LIVE THERE, BUT I RAISED 10 CHILDREN THERE.

UM, I PAID $12,000 FOR IT IN 1978.

UH, AND IT WAS NOT WORTH A PENNY MORE.

UH, AND SHE HAD ALL OF HER RECEIPTS, HER HANDWRITTEN RECEIPTS WHERE SHE HAD

[00:55:01]

PAID IT OFF.

MM-HMM.

, UH, AND, UM, YEAH, WHEN IT CAME TIME, UM, UH, WE COULDN'T HELP HER.

WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE ANY, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY FUNDING.

WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TOOLS.

UH, AND, UM, SHE WENT TO LIVE WITH ONE OF HER FAMILY MEMBERS AND, AND SHE KNEW THAT THAT WAS THE BEST THING FOR HER.

UM, BUT I HOPE THAT, THAT THIS, WE CAN EXPAND ON THIS AND, AND HELP MORE PEOPLE AND NOT PUT ANY MORE PEOPLE IN THAT SITUATION.

SO TOOK EIGHT YEARS.

BUT, UH, HERE WE ARE, HOPEFULLY, UM, COMING UP WITH SOMETHING.

SO THANK YOU FOR, THAT WAS JUST FOR BRIEFING PURPOSES.

WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES.

UM, THE

[4. 21-1081 Briefing on the Westside Creeks Greenway Trails and Westside Creeks Ecosystem Restoration Project. [David W. McCary, CPM, Assistant City Manager; Homer Garcia III, Director, Parks and Recreation; Brian Mast, Government Affairs Manager, San Antonio River Authority] ]

UH, AND IT'S GONNA BE A BRIEFING.

UM, YOU KNOW, MU MUCH OF THIS STUFF IS IN PREPARATION FOR OUR, OUR NEXT BOND THAT I'M TRYING TO, UM, UPDATE US ALL ON.

IT'LL COME REALLY QUICKLY.

SO I THINK WHO'S GONNA GIVE US THIS ONE? UM, IS IT GONNA BE HOMER OR, I SEE BRIAN MASS HERE.

YEAH, I THINK, UM, ACTUALLY I'D LIKE HOMER TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM AND THEN INTRODUCE BRIAN MASS, IF THAT'S OKAY.

AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR AND COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS HOMER GARCIA, DIRECTOR OF THE, UH, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.

AND TODAY WE DO HAVE A BRIEFING ON THE WEST SIDE CREEK, INCLUDING AN, UH, UPDATE AND STATUS ON THE ECO RESTORATION PROJECT.

UM, BRIAN MASS IS THE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER OF THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY.

HE WILL DO THE PRESENTATION, UH, BUT I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE CITY, UH, LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP, IN PARTICULAR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY.

THEY'VE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER IN CREATING GREAT PUBLIC SPACES, UH, ON THE WEST SIDE.

I KNOW THIS IS SPECIFIC TO, UH, THE WEST SIDE CREEKS, BUT, UH, WE KNOW THAT THE WEST SIDE CREEKS, UH, TOUCH MANY PARKS ALONG THE WEST SIDE.

AND SO, UM, THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE INVESTMENT GOES WELL BEYOND JUST THE, UH, WEST SIDE CREEKS THAT, UH, WE'LL HEAR, UH, AN UPDATE ON THIS AFTERNOON.

SO, UH, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BRIAN, AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, WE'LL BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, HOMER AND CHAIRWOMAN GONZALEZ.

CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME? ALL RIGHT? GREAT.

UM, AND SO, AS HOMER SAID, I'M THE MANAGER OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FOR THE RIVER AUTHORITY AND, UM, IN TIMES OF PAST, SUZANNE SCOTT WOULD'VE BEEN DOING THIS PRESENTATION, BUT, UH, SINCE SHE'S MOVED ON TO THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, UH, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR A WHILE WITH HOMER, UH, THROUGH THE GREAT PARTNERSHIP THAT HE MENTIONED.

UM, I WILL BE PRESENTING TODAY.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

SO WE STARTED THIS BACK PROBABLY AROUND 2011, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT SOONER.

WE'VE HAD A OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AT WEST SIDE CREEK'S OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE INVOLVED, ENGAGED FROM, FROM THAT POINT FORWARD.

AND THEIR OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS OF THE, OF THE CREEKS THEMSELVES, OF ALZA, APACHE MARTINEZ, AND SAN PEDRO CREEK.

UH, WE'VE, WE'VE ADDED CZAR ZAMORA CREEK TO THAT MIX AS WELL, UM, AS WELL AS ENHANCE OR MAINTAIN THE FLOOD CONDITIONS OR THE FLOOD CONTROL COMPONENTS AND PROVIDE INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, RECREATION ENJOYMENT ALONG THE CREEKS.

UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND SO, ON THIS SLIDE HERE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION WITH CURRENT TRAILS OR WHERE WE HAVE COMPLETED CURRENT TRAILS IN THE GREEN SHADE.

UM, SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE CONNECTIVITY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE MISSION, REACH THROUGH APACHE AND SAN PEDRO CREEK AT THIS TIME, AND WE WILL SOON WITH AL ON, UH, AND FURTHER UP INTO APACHE AS WELL.

UM, I WILL NOTE THAT ON MARTINEZ CREEK WHERE THE DESIGN IS COMPLETE, WE ARE, UM, DELAYING THE CONSTRUCTION THERE, UH, TO ALLOW SAWS TO MOVE SOME VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, THAT THEY HAVE THERE.

AND THEY ARE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH US AND COORDINATING WITH US TO MOVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE OUT OF THE WAY IN ANTICIPATION OF OUR FUTURE RESTORATION PROJECT.

SO IT'S A GREAT COLLABORATION ACROSS, UH, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE, UM, ENTITIES HERE.

AND WITH THAT, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

HERE I WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE INVESTMENT THAT THE CITY HAS MADE IN THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS THROUGH THE HOWARD PEAK GREENWAY TRAIL SYSTEM.

AND PRESENTLY IT'S A LITTLE OVER $25 MILLION, BUT THAT DOESN'T CATCHER EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ON THE WEST SIDE.

AS YOU RECALL, WE'VE

[01:00:01]

ALSO UPDATED THE ELMENDORF CREEK OR ELMAN ELMENDORF PARK, AND ALSO CREATED A BEAUTIFUL POOL THAT, UH, OR REDID A POOL, UM, AND CREATED A SPLASH PLAID IN ELMENDORF LAKE PARK.

SO THE INVESTMENTS ARE ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE $25 MILLION THAT YOU SEE HERE, UH, THROUGH THE PROP TWO, BECAUSE THE BOND PROJECT AND OTHER FUNDS ALSO ASSISTED WITH ELMAN LAKE PARK.

UM, AND WITH THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO WHAT'S COMING IN THE FUTURE? WE ARE LOOKING TO REVITALIZE, RESTORE THE ECOSYSTEM OF THE WEST SIDE CREEKS.

BACK IN THE 1960S AND SEVENTIES, THE CORE OF ENGINEERS WITH LOCAL PARTNERS CAME THROUGH AND CHANNELIZED THE, THE CREEKS.

AND, AND SO WHAT THAT DID, THAT PROVIDED A LEVEL OF FLOOD PROTECTION FOR US, BUT IT REALLY DENUDED THE CREEKS.

IT DISCONNECTED THE COMMUNITY FROM THE CREEKS.

AND WE'VE DEMONSTRATED THROUGH THE MISSION REACH PROJECT THAT WE CAN HAVE FLOOD CONTROL AND AN ECOSYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS, UH, RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, UM, AND GET PEOPLE OUT, ESPECIALLY IN TIMES THAT WE HAVE TODAY, THE PANDEMIC, UH, GIVE PEOPLE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO RECONNECT WITH NATURE.

AND SO THIS IS THE EXTENT OF THE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECT THAT YOU SEE HERE ON, ON THIS SLIDE.

AND NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE, UH, TOOLS THAT WILL BE UTILIZED TO RESTORE THE CREEKS.

IT'S GONNA BE NATURAL.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO MOVE, UH, THE AMOUNT OF DIRT THAT WE DID IN THE MISSION REACH PROJECT.

UH, WE ARE CONSTRAINED BY THE COMMUNITY, UH, BY THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE A ABUT THE, THE CREEKS.

AND SO WE ARE NOT ACQUIRING LAND TO DO THE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION, BUT, UH, WE WILL DO, WE WILL BE DOING SOME IMPROVEMENT, GETTING WILD FLOWERS BACK IN THERE, GETTING NATIVE TREES BACK IN WHERE WE'RE ALLOWED TO.

UH, AND IT WILL SUPPORT.

UH, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'VE SUPPORTED THIS PROJECT THROUGH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS IS THE AVIAN COMMUNITIES THAT WILL BE COMING BACK TO THE CREEKS, THE HABITAT THAT WE ARE CREATING, UM, FOR FISH, BIRDS AND OTHER SPECIES TO INTERACT ON THE CREEKS.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS ON THE MISSION REACH IS DOCUMENT THE NUMBER OF AVIAN SPECIES THAT HAVE COME BACK TO THAT AREA THAT WERE NOT THEIR PRE-PROJECT.

WE'VE IDENTIFIED 203 DIFFERENT SPECIES OF BIRDS UTILIZING THE MISSION REACH OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.

AND SOME OF THOSE BIRDS WE ANTICIPATE WILL BE USING THE WEST SIDE CREEKS AS WE GET THOSE RESTORED AS WELL.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND SO, UM, WORKING WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS CAN BE INTERESTING, AS YOU PROBABLY WELL KNOW.

UM, THEIR BUDGETING PROCESS IS NOT AS CLEAR AS IT ONCE WAS.

UM, THERE, YOU KNOW, THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, RECOMMENDS A BUDGET.

UH, AND I WILL SAY THAT THE MISSION REACH NEVER MADE THE ADMINISTRATION'S BUDGET BACK IN THE DAY.

UM, AND THE WEST SIDE CREEKS ARE NOT MAKING THE ADMINISTRATION'S BUDGET.

UM, SO THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE THE ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS BILL.

UM, IN THERE ARE NO EARMARKS ALLOWED, AS YOU WELL KNOW, BUT THE, HOPEFULLY CONGRESS WILL ADDRESS THAT MAYBE SOON.

UM, PEOPLE ARE, PEOPLE, UH, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL ARE RECOGNIZING THAT THEY ARE MAKING, THEY, THEY HAVE ALLOWED FUNDING DECISIONS TO BE MADE BY THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS OR THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, AND CONGRESS NO LONGER HAS THAT AUTHORITY, OR THEY ARE NOT UTILIZING THAT AUTHORITY TO ACTUALLY, UH, PROVIDE DIRECTION ON FUNDING.

AND SO THE THIRD PIECE OF THIS, BECAUSE OF CONGRESS NOT PROVIDING THAT DIRECTION THROUGH THE EARMARK PROCESS FOR THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS, IS THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS CREATES A WORK PLAN EACH FISCAL YEAR.

AND THAT WORK PLAN IS WHERE THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS GOES IN, IN EARMARKED FUNDING.

AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO PROVIDE DIRECTION THROUGH THE STATEMENT OF MANAGERS REPORT THAT ACCOMPANIES THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL.

UM, WE'VE DONE THAT IN PARTICULAR FOR THE MISSION REACH REIMBURSEMENT.

AND OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN HAVING $61 MILLION RETURNED TO BEXAR COUNTY FOR FUNDING THAT THEY ADVANCED TO THE CORE OF ENGINEERS TO HAVE THE MISSION REACH PROJECT COMPLETED.

AND NOW THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE THAT AS A FEDERAL AGENDA ITEM FOR US, THE WEST SIDE CREEKS ARE OUR NUMBER ONE

[01:05:01]

CORE OF ENGINEER PROJECT AT THIS TIME.

UM, THE OTHER, THE ONE OTHER PIECE I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT HERE IS THERE IS A PILOT PROGRAM WITHIN THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS THAT HAS BEEN RE-APPROVED THROUGH THE WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT THAT PROVIDES FEDERAL FOUNDING FOR A WHOLE PROJECT AND PUTS A LOCAL AGENCY IN THE LEAD OF IMPLEMENTING THAT PROJECT.

UM, IT'S A GREAT TOOL.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE WITH THE WEST SIDE CREEKS IF IF IS CHOSEN BY THE COURT, BY, UH, THE HEAD HEADQUARTERS AT THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT IT IS WE, THROUGH THE MISSION REACH PROJECT, WE WERE ABLE TO SAVE APPROXIMATELY $26 MILLION OFF THE COST OF CONSTRUCTING THE PROJECT.

AND WE DID IT IN A QUICKER TIMELINE THAN WHAT WE, THAN WHAT WE WOULD'VE THROUGH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

WE STILL DESSI CONSTRUCT THE DESIGN THAT THE CORE PROVIDES, BUT IT, UH, IT ALLOWS US TO MOVE THE CONSTRUCTION OUT MORE QUICKLY.

UM, SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE EXPLORING HIGHLY COMPETITIVE ACROSS THE NATION TO BE CHOSEN TO I TO ENTER THIS PILOT PROGRAM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.

NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

SO WITH THE RECENT OMNIBUS APPROPRIATIONS BILL THAT WAS PASSED, THE, THE LANGUAGE THAT ACCOMPANIES THAT BILL, THESE TWO PHRASES THAT I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED HERE ARE, ARE IN THE, THE STATEMENT OF MANAGER'S REPORT THAT PROVIDES THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET DIRECTION ON HOW TO UTILIZE SOME OF THEIR FUNDS.

AND SO THE $2.34 MILLION FOR ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECTS THAT ARE MODIFICATIONS TO FLOOD PROTECTION PROJECT AUTHORIZATIONS, THAT IS PRECISE LANGUAGE THAT WE PROVIDED TO THE DELEGATION AND OUR DELEGATION WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING INTO THE REPORT.

AND THAT $2.34 MILLION IS THE EXACT AMOUNT THAT WE NEED TO DESIGN THE SOUTHERN STRETCH OF SAN PEDRO CREEK AS IT CONNECTS TO THE MISSION REACH PROJECT.

UM, SO THAT IS THE EXACT AMOUNT OF THE FEDERAL, UH, FEDERAL BUDGETING NEEDS THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE WHAT THE LOCAL SPONSORS, WHAT WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO BRING TO THE TABLE, UH, FOR THE LOCAL SHARE, UM, ROUGHLY THAT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 35% ADDITIONALLY, AND THAT COMES OUT TO $1.26 MILLION, UH, FOR THE FEDERAL SHARE OF THAT DESIGN DESIGN.

MARK, THE SECOND PHRASE THAT YOU SEE THERE, WELL, I'M SORRY.

THE SECOND PHRASE YOU SEE THERE IS REALLY A, A HURDLE THAT WE NEED TO OVERCOME WITH CORPS OF ENGINEERS HEADQUARTERS, THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

UM, THEY LIKE TO THINK MOVING FROM A FEASIBILITY STUDY, WHICH WE HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED FOR THE WEST SIDE CREEKS.

UM, AND MOVING INTO PRE-CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND DESIGN IS A NEW FUNDING DECISION.

UM, BUT CONGRESS HAS BEEN TELLING THEM FOR MORE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT NO, IT IS NOT A NEW FUNDING DECISION.

IT IS PART OF THE SAME STUFF.

AND THAT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER PROJECTS THAT ARE MOVING FROM THE FEASIBILITY, FEASIBILITY STAGE STRAIGHT INTO PRE PRE-CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING DESIGN AS ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING.

WE'VE BEEN THINKING, UH, WE'VE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET AND THEY HAVE SAID THAT IS NOT THEIR ISSUE AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT IT IS CORE HEADQUARTERS THAT WE'RE HAVING THAT NEED TO HAVE ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS WITH.

BUT THAT IS A MAJOR ISSUE THAT WE ARE, UM, TACKLING.

AND WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES IN THE COUNTRY THAT ARE BUMPING INTO THIS, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT TO BE, UH, JUST TO BE AWARE OF.

AND NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

AND SO WITH THAT, WHAT WE'RE, UH, OUR FEDERAL FUNDING REQUEST AT THIS STAGE IS THE $2.34 MILLION TO INITIATE THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND DESIGN ON THE WEST SIDE CREEK'S ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECT.

UM, IT IS A FABULOUS PROJECT.

IT WILL REVITALIZE THE CREEKS, IT WILL PROVIDE THE COMMUNITIES, UH, THAT ARE ADJACENT TO THE CREEKS AS WELL AS MANY, MANY OTHERS ACROSS THE CITY.

UH, AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE HEART OF THE SEVENTH LARGEST CITY TO CONNECT WITH NATURE, UM, THROUGH THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS, UM, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE, FOR THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT AS WELL.

IT'S SUCH FABULOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING IT IMPLEMENTED, UH, HOPEFULLY HERE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.

AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR

[01:10:01]

ASK HOMER OR DANIEL TO HELP ME OUT.

UM, SO LEMME JUST GO BACK TO, UM, DIDN'T WE GET A LARGE AMOUNT OF FEDERAL FUNDS THIS LAST TIME AROUND? I FEEL LIKE WHEN WE WERE IN DC I THINK ALL OF US WERE THERE.

UM, MAYBE EXCEPT FOR COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE, I, I THOUGHT WE GOT SOME FUNDING.

WE RECEIVED $26 MILLION TO FINISH OFF THE MISSION REACH REIMBURSEMENT.

AND SO, OKAY.

WAS THAT ALREADY, THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED AND SPENT, THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE AL HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO BEXAR COUNTY SINCE THEY WERE THE FUNDING PARTNER THAT, UH, ADVANCED THE FEDERAL FUNDS.

AND BEXAR COUNTY HAS COMMITTED TO, UH, UTILIZING THOSE FUNDS IN ADDITIONAL WATER RESOURCE PROJECTS LIKE THE WEST SIDE CREEK.

SO THEY WOULD BE UTILIZING SOME OF THOSE FUNDS FOR THE LOCAL MATCH REQUIREMENT, UM, TO CONTINUE TO ADVANCE THE WEST SIDE CREEKS.

IT DOESN'T COVER THE FEDERAL SHARE OF THE FUNDING.

I GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE 26 MILLION, YOU KNOW, IS UM, WOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO COVER THE COMPLETION OF THE WEST SIDE CREEKS RESTORATION FOR THE WEST SIDE CREEKS PROJECT.

I FEEL LIKE WHAT WE WERE SHORT WAS LIKE ALMOST AROUND THAT EXACT SAME AMOUNT.

UM, AS YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE REDIRECTION OF TAX DOLLARS TO THE WORKFORCE INITIATIVE, IT WAS LIKE 26 MILLION OR MAYBE 30 MILLION WAS PENDING FOR THE COMPLETION.

THE, THE FULL WEST SIDE CREEK RESTORATION PROJECT, CURRENT CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE IS A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR ALL FOUR WEST SIDE CREEKS.

AND THAT IS THE FULL PROJECT.

THE RESTORATION DOES NOT THE TRAIL SYSTEM.

CORRECT? I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE TRAIL SYSTEM.

2.34 MILLION, IS THAT YOUR ASK OR IS THAT, IS ALL THAT WE CAN REQUEST? THAT IS OUR ASK.

IN, IN THAT, IN THAT ESTIMATE, THE PART OF PART OF THAT FUNDING THAT I JUST MENTIONED COULD BE UTILIZED FOR ADDITIONAL RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, ADDITIONAL TRAILS AND CONNECTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.

UM, THE CORES, THE CORE OF ENGINEER'S BUDGET IS LIMITED AT 10% OF THE RESTORATION COSTS.

SO THAT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY AN ABOUT $10 MILLION OF THAT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.

SO, AND, AND THEN, SO I MEAN, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THE, AT THE, ON YOUR LAST PAGE, YOU'RE ONLY ASKING FOR 2.34 MILLION TO INITIATE PRE-CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND DESIGN.

I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE THAT SOMEWHERE OR ANOTHER, UM, THAT WE COULD DEDICATE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO WE ONLY NEED TO PROVIDE THE MATCH, THE 1.4 MILLION.

IT SEEMS LIKE 2.3 IS A PRETTY SMALL REQUEST FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

IT HAS BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE THAT, UM, IN COMPETING NATIONALLY WITH OTHER ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECTS WITHIN THE CORE ENGINEERS PORTFOLIO.

IT'S A VERY LIMITED POT OF FUNDS, UM, PRIMARILY, UM, TAKEN BY MAJOR, VERY LARGE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECTS LIKE THE EVERGLADES IN FLORIDA THAT ARE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

UM, AND SO, UM, WE, WE'VE TAKEN THE TACT TO NOT GO FOR ALL FOUR CREEKS TO DESIGN THEM ALL AT ONCE, BUT TO DESIGN ONE AND THEN CONTINUE TO MOVE FURTHER INTO THE CREEKS, UM, TO GET THEM TO GET US TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN GET TO A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

SO IF WE WERE TO DESIGN ALL FOUR CREEKS AT ONE TIME, THAT MAY TAKE A COUPLE YEARS.

IF WE GET THE $2.34 MILLION, WE MAY BE ABLE TO FINISH THAT WITHIN NINE MONTHS TO A YEAR AND GET TO A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO START TO COMPLETE, UM, SOME OF THE RESTORATION AND THAT, THAT'S THE STRATEGY THAT WE HAVE TAKEN.

UH, OKAY.

LET ME TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER.

GAN THANK YOU, CHAIR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, BRIAN.

YOU DID A GOOD JOB, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UH, SO ONE THING THAT I LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE TOMORROW IS OUR I G R MEETING IS OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL, UH, AFFAIRS MEETING.

SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THIS AS OUR WHOLE FEDERAL AGENDA, OR WE ALWAYS PARTNER WITH OUR, OUR COMMUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR WHAT'S GOING ON.

BUT, UM,

[01:15:01]

THAT IS NOT ALL WE CAN REQUEST, UM, THE FULL AMOUNT.

ONE SECOND.

I WANT TO PROVIDE YOU THE FULL AMOUNT THAT WE COULD REQUEST FOR ALL.

UH, I WILL GET THAT TO YOU COUNCILWOMAN I CONNECTIVITY ISSUE WITH MY COMPUTER AT THIS TIME.

NO PROBLEM.

IF YOU COULD JUST LET ME KNOW SO WE CAN KNOW IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT ASK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LOOKING AT THESE OMNIBUS AND APPROPRIATION SPILLS, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THE RIGHT ASK FOR OUR RESTORATION PROJECT BECAUSE THIS IS A LARGE AREA AS WELL.

AND TO YOUR POINT, IT CONNECTS TO SO MUCH OF THE WEST SIDE AND COMING INTO THE CONFLUENCE, UM, AREA AS WELL.

SO I THINK THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, UM, NOT GONNA LEAVE ANY MONEY ON THE TABLE.

SO THANK YOU.

THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND SO JUST FOR CLARITY HERE, UM, SO I'M LOOKING AT THE MAP, UH, I GUESS CAN YOU BRING UP, UM, THE ONE THAT SHOWS THE WEST SIDE CREEK TRAIL PROJECT, THE MAP? UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, I SHOW YOU GOING HERE TO URA UP TO LIKE A LITTLE BIT PAST 34TH STREET, UM, AND THEN A LITTLE BIT TO THE NORTH, THERE'S LIKE A LITTLE GAP AND THERE'S THIS SAMORA CREEK, I MEAN THIS, UM, MARTINEZ CREEK PORTION AND THEN A GAP.

SO IS THERE, UM, IS THERE PLANS TO CONNECT THAT OR IS THAT YELLOW AND I JUST CAN'T SEE IT? IT'S YELLOW AND YOU JUST CAN'T SEE IT.

IT'S THE, UH, BRIEFING REGARDING THE CITY'S PROCESS AND TIMELINE FOR THE 2020 1%, 2021 9% HOUSING TAX CREDIT REQUESTS FOR APPLICATION AND FEE, B D G HOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING GAP FUNDING.

THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING BECAUSE, UM, DIDN'T MAKE SENSE THAT WE WOULD'VE, THIS ONE, UM, SLICE THAT DOESN'T SEEM CONNECT AND THAT SECTION THAT YOU CAN'T, CAN'T SEE CHAIRWOMAN IS ACTUALLY FULLY DESIGNED AND READY TO BE CONSTRUCTED.

UH, BUT WE ARE, WE ARE WAITING FOR SAWS TO COMPLETE THEIR REHABILITATION PROJECT, UH, WHICH, UH, SHOULD BE DONE HERE IN A LITTLE, NOT TOO LONG.

OKAY, WELL, I'LL ENCOURAGE COUNCIL MEMBER , WHO I THINK IS, I THINK THIS IS HIS AREA TO GET ON SAW, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT ON THEM, THEY MAY DELAY TOO LONG TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE, UM, AS THE EXPERIENCE I HAD HERE IN, IN, UH, MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO I, I GUESS, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT, UM, WHAT IS VERY, THESE TWO THINGS ARE VERY DIFFERENT.

SO THE COMPLETION OF THE CREEK'S TRAIL SYSTEM IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE CREEK'S ECHO RESTORATION SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHERE I THINK I'VE, I'VE, UM, BY MISUNDERSTANDING THE NUMBERS THAT ARE REQUIRED, THE FINANCE, THE MONEY REQUIRED.

CORRECT.

UH, WELL, WHAT, WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE HAS BEEN YOU, YOU HAVE BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A GREAT PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ADVANCE MANY OF THE RECREATIONAL COMPONENTS THAT THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS WOULD'VE LOOKED TO INVEST IN, BUT WOULD'VE NEVER HAD THE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO DO THE EXTENT OF TRAILS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE, THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO IMPLEMENT.

AND SO A LITTLE BIT OF RECREATIONAL FUNDING THAT THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS WILL BE ABLE TO BRING TO THE TABLE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME GREATER CONNECTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY.

MAYBE SOME, UH, ADDITIONAL POCKET PARKS THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO WITH LOCAL FUNDING.

BUT THE, SO A LOT OF THE RECREATIONAL COMPONENTS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO INVEST IN ARE IN ADVANCE AND HAVE BEEN DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED WITH THE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PROJECT IN MIND.

SO THOSE TRAILS SHOULD REMAIN OPEN, UM, WITHOUT HAVING TO BE REPLACED WHEN THE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION TAKES PLACE.

UM, OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THANK YOU.

I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE IN QUEUE, SO, UM, I THINK THEN, UH, THIS WAS ALSO JUST FOR A BRIEFING, UM, PURPOSES, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, ARE IMPORTANT FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

SO, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UH, WE HAVE ONE FINAL ITEM ON OUR AGENDA FOR BRIEFING.

UM,

[5. 21-1042 Briefing regarding the City’s process and timeline for the 2021 9% Housing Tax Credit (HTC) Request for Applications and CDBG/HOME Affordable Housing Gap Funding [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, FAICP, Director, Neighborhood and Housing Services] ]

[01:20:01]

SO I DON'T KNOW IF LORI'S GONNA DO THAT ONE, OR WHO'S UP.

YES, CHAIR.

UM, VERONICA SOTO WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES WILL PROVIDE A BRIEFING ON THESE TWO ITEMS. CAROL? OKAY.

THANK, THANK YOU, LAURIE.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UM, SO, UM, I'LL WAIT FOR THE PRESENTATION.

AND SO THE TOTAL WAS 7.375 MILLION.

UM, SO WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE HOUSING TAX CREDIT ITEM.

AND JUST TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT, THE HOUSING TAX CREDIT ARE PROVIDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO THE STATES.

IT'S THE STATES WHO ACTUALLY RUN THE PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTIAL RENTAL DEVELOPMENT TO BE DEVELOPED.

UM, THAT HOUSES FAMILIES THAT ARE BELOW 60% A M I.

THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF TAX CREDITS.

ONE IS A NON-COMPETITIVE 4% THAT DOESN'T HAVE A DEADLINE FOR WHERE APPLICATIONS ARE SUBMITTED TO THE STATE.

AND THEN THERE'S THE COMPETITIVE 9%, WHICH IS, UM, THE ONE THAT DOES HAVE VERY STRICT DEADLINES.

AND WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF, UH, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A STATE PROGRAM, THE CITY DOES HAVE A ROLE.

AND SO THE NEXT SLIDE SPEAKS TO THE ROLE THAT CITIES HAVE IN THE PROCESS.

ONE OF THE MAIN ROLES THE CITY HAS IS IN GRANTING RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT, OR NO OBJECTION TO THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT SUBMIT WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.

THIS PROCESS ALLOWS A DEVELOPER, UH, OR A DEVELOPMENT TO GAIN POINTS AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND THE POINTS ARE WORTH QUITE A BIT.

AND SO ALL THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE SEEKING TAX CREDITS AT THE STATE, OF COURSE, WANT THOSE RESOLUTIONS THAT CAN HELP THEM GET POINTS.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHO WINS AND LOSES THIS ACTUALLY SOMETIMES LESS AT ONE POINT.

UM, SO A LOT OF TIEBREAKERS ARE DONE TO AWARD THE CREDIT AND THE 9% TAX CREDIT, UM, ARE THE ONES THAT COVER ABOUT 70 TO 80% OF THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS OF AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SO COMPETITIVE.

ANOTHER ROLE THE CITY HAS IS IN GRANTING SOME WAIVERS THAT THE STATE ALSO ASKED MUNICIPALITIES TO DO.

UM, SO BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT A LOT OF CONCENTRATED POVERTY OR A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT TO BE CLUSTERED, THEY ASK THE CITY SPECIFICALLY FOR WAIVERS THAT CAN BE FOLDED INTO THESE RESOLUTION.

AND FINALLY, THERE ARE POINTS AWARDED IF CITIES CONTRIBUTE, UH, FINANCIALLY TO, UH, DEVELOPMENT.

AND ALSO IF A DEVELOPER, UM, A DEVELOPMENT IS WITHIN A CONCERTED REVITALIZATION PLAN.

SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF THE CITY SUBMITS A LETTER SAYING THAT THERE WITHIN AN AREA THAT DOES HAVE A REVITALIZATION PLAN, AND WE HAVE USED, UH, TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE, UH, SA TOMORROW DETAILED PLANS AS THOSE, UM, CONCERTED REVITALIZATION PLAN POINTS IN THE PAST.

SO THAT'S HOW THE CITY HAS A ROLE IN THE PROCESS.

WHEN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE TALK ABOUT OUR OWN PROCESS FOR AWARDING THOSE RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT AND ACKNOWLEDGING WHEN WAIVERS HAVE TO BE PROVIDED TO THOSE DEVELOPERS AS WELL.

SO WE HAVE A PROCESS WHEREBY, UM, THOSE SEEKING THE TAX CREDIT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION AND THAT ALLOWS US TO COLLECT INFORMATION AND SCORE, UM, SO THAT IT BECOMES THE BASIS FOR OUR RECOMMENDATION.

WE OPENED OUR REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS BACK IN NOVEMBER.

WE ACTUALLY CLOSED THAT REQUEST, UM, MONDAY, THE JANUARY 5TH.

AND SO THAT ALLOWS US TO WORK WITHIN THE VERY TIGHT TIMELINES THAT THE STATE HAS.

UM, AND SO WE'RE BRIEFING YOU NOW BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA COME WITH THE RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT OR NO OBJECTION RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU AT YOUR NEXT COUNCIL COMMITTEE.

AND THEN THEY WILL, UM, WILL ASK THAT YOU ALLOW US TO MOVE TO COUNCIL FOR THEM, EVEN THOUGH A DEVELOPMENT MAY RECEIVE A RESOLUTION, IT'S NOT GUARANTEED SUPPORT, OR THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE THE TAX CREDIT AT THE STATE LEVEL.

AND THEN THE ACTUAL APPLICATIONS ARE DUE THROUGH THE STATE, IT'S THROUGH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS IN MARCH, MARCH THROUGH JULY IS THE, THE TIMELINE THAT T C H C A USES TO REVIEW THE FULL APPLICATION AND ACTUALLY AWARD THE CREDITS.

THEY'RE USUALLY AWARDED AT THE END OF JULY.

PRE APPLICATIONS AT THE STATE ARE DUE, WERE DUE THE NINTH, WHICH IS LAST FRIDAY, BUT FULL APPLICATIONS ARE DUE IN MARCH.

UM, SO WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AND THIS IS THE EVALUATION CRITERIA THAT WE UTILIZE FOR SCORING IF, UH, SOMEONE IS ELIGIBLE FOR A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT

[01:25:01]

OR NO OBJECTION.

THIS WAS POLICY ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IN OCTOBER 31ST, 2019 BECAUSE IT'S JUST BEEN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR.

THERE WERE NO CHANGES TO THE POLICY.

IT'S STILL PRETTY FRESH.

AND SO WE'RE USING THE SAME SCORING CRITERIA FOR ALL OF THESE.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE LOOK AT, UH, PROJECT DISABILITY MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCES, THE AREAS TARGETED, THERE'S SOME PROFIT, UM, PARTICIPATION.

IF THERE'S DEEPER AFFORDABILITY, THERE'S PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.

AND THIS IS THE SAME POLICY WE UTILIZED LAST YEAR FOR THE 2020 CYCLE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE USING FOR THE 2021 CYCLE.

WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE THAT HAS A MASS OF THE PROPERTIES THAT, UH, SUBMITTED LAST MONDAY FOR CONSIDERATION.

UM, AGAIN, THE APPLICATIONS WERE DUE TO US ON JANUARY 5TH AT 2:00 PM BEFORE THE END OF THAT, UH, EVENING, WE HAD SENT ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS A MEMO OUTLINING THE 15 APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE COME IN.

AND SO NOW WE HAVE A MAP, AND THIS IS A MAP THAT, UH, SHOWS THAT WE HAVE THE 15 IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE CITY.

THE ONLY COUNCIL DISTRICTS THAT DID NOT GET, UH, A REQUEST OR A DEVELOPMENT ARE DISTRICT NINE AND DISTRICT FOUR, BUT ALL THE OTHER APPLICATIONS CAME IN, IN ALL THE OTHER DISTRICTS AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS MAP.

AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE HAS A LIST OF THE 15 THAT CAME IN.

SO THIS IS THE FIRST HALF OF THOSE, AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE PROJECT NAME IS, WHAT COUNCIL DISTRICT THEY ARE IN, WHO THE DEVELOPER IS, AND HOW MANY UNITS THEY'RE PROPOSING TO BUILD SHOULD THEY RECEIVE THE TAX CREDIT.

SO THIS IS THE FIRST HALF OF THE 15.

AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE HAS THE BALANCE OF THE 15, UH, APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE COME IN.

NOW AGAIN, THE PRE-APPLICATION WAS DUE TO THE STATE LAST FRIDAY, AND IT TAKES THE STATE, UH, A FEW DAYS TO POST WHAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.

SO OUR HOPE IS THAT ALL OF THESE DID, UH, SUBMIT THE PRE-APPLICATION, BUT WE WON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL MIDWEEK THIS WEEK.

AND SO OUR PROCESS ON THIS NEXT SLIDE IS AGAIN, WE OPENED OUR PRE-APPLICATION FOR THE RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORT, OR NO OBJECTION BACK IN NOVEMBER.

THEY CLOSED LAST MONDAY THE FOURTH.

WE ARE SCORING THE APPLICATIONS NOW, AND I'M WAITING TO SEE WHICH ONES DID INDEED SUBMIT THEIR PRE-APPLICATION AT THE STATE LEVEL.

AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK TO THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON FEBRUARY 8TH WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR NEXT MEETING TO SHARE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AWARDS.

AND THAT SAME WEEK WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.

ALL OF THESE RESOLUTIONS NEED TO BE PRESENTED TO CITY COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY BECAUSE THE FULL APPLICATIONS, AGAIN, ARE DUE IN MARCH.

AND SO, UM, THE DEVELOPERS AND US HAVE A TIGHT TIMELINE FOR THIS PROCESS.

AND SO AS SOON AS WE KNOW WHO MADE IT THROUGH THE PRE-APP, WE'LL SEND ANOTHER MEMO UPDATING YOU ON THAT.

SO NOW LET ME SHIFT TO ANOTHER ITEM THAT WILL ALSO BE COMING FORWARD AT YOUR NEXT COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEETING.

THIS HAS TO DO WITH OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING GAP FUNDING TIMELINE.

AND SO LET ME START BY SAYING THAT THIS FUNDING IS FROM OUR HUD ENTITLEMENT GRANTS IS HOME AND C D B G PROGRAMS THAT FUNDED, Y'ALL APPROVED THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN BACK IN AUGUST OF WEEK, AND THE FUNDING IS UTILIZED THIS FISCAL YEAR.

IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, IT SHOWS WHAT THE GAP FUNDING IS UTILIZED FOR.

AND SO THIS IS TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR TO PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THE FUNDING CAN BE USED BY THE DEVELOPERS, AND I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT A LOT OF THE DEVELOPERS, LOT OF THE DEVELOPERS ARE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE SOLE MISSION IS TO, UM, HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CREATED AND MANAGED IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE FUNDING SUPPORTS INCLUDE LAND ACQUISITION, REHABIL, REHABILITATION OF EXISTING, UM, UNITS.

IT INCLUDES PUBLIC SITE IMPROVEMENTS WITH C P B G FUNDING, SO IT COULD BE GETTING A SITE READY DOING ENVIRONMENTAL WORK.

UM, IT DOES IMPROVE.

UM, IT DOES INCLUDE SITE IMPROVEMENTS THEMSELVES.

IT COULD INCLUDE DEMOLITION ACTIVITIES AND OF COURSE, WITH HOME FUNDING, NEW CONSTRUCTION CAN ALSO BE FUNDED WITH THESE PROGRAMS. THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO AWARD.

SO THE ACTION PLAN WAS ADOPTED IN AUGUST AND IT INCLUDED, UM, RENTAL AND HOME OWNERSHIP GAP FUNDING FROM BOTH THE HOME AND C D B G PROGRAMS IN THAT, UH, SECOND COLUMN THAT YOU SEE.

[01:30:01]

HOWEVER, UM, ONCE THE CITY BUDGET WAS APPROVED IN SEPTEMBER, COUNCIL DIRECTED THAT THE C D B G FUNDING FOR ALL OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING GAP FUNDING BE REDIRECTED TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

SO WE CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE $2.5 MILLION IN HOME, UM, THE HOME PROGRAM FOR THE GAP FUNDING ACTIVITIES AT THIS WEEK.

COUNCIL MEETING, AS YOU HEARD FROM SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT, THERE'S AN AMENDMENT BEING PROPOSED TO THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN THAT WOULD ADD BACK, UM, SHOULD COUNCIL PROVE IT, THE UM, C D B G FUNDING FOR RENTAL AND HOME OWNERSHIP AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

SO IT WOULDN'T BRING US BACK TO THE 7.375 THAT WAS ADOPTED BACK IN AUGUST, BUT IT DOES, UH, INCREASE FROM 2.5 MILLION TO 5.5 MILLION.

WHAT COULD BE AWARDED.

AND THE R SS A REQUEST FOR APPLICATION, UM, IS IN PROCESS AT THE MOMENT.

IT IS A HIGH PROFILE ITEM.

SO WE DID HAVE TO GO AND DO A PRES SOLICITATION PRESENTATION TO THE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE, AND WE WILL HAVE TO DO A POST SOLICITATION PRESENTATION, UM, TO THE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE AS WELL.

AND SO, UM, THE RE THE REQUEST WE HAVE RE UH, RECEIVED THAT WE HAVEN'T SCORED YET, BUT WE'LL BE SCORING THIS MONTH, INCLUDE FIVE APPLICATIONS FOR RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND THREE FOR HOME OWNERSHIP.

THE TOTAL REQUESTED FUNDS IS 8.8 MILLION.

SO SHOULD THE ITEM ON THURSDAY BE APPROVED, UM, THE REQUEST IS STILL MORE THAN THAN THAT 5.5 MILLION.

AND AGAIN, A LOT OF THE DEVELOPERS ARE NONPROFITS WHO WORK, UH, IN CREATING AND PRESERVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL AS OTHER DEVELOPERS.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE EVALUATING IS ON THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THIS IS THE CRITERIA THAT WE UTILIZE.

WE LOOK AT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE OWNER OR DEVELOPER.

WE LOOK AT THE PROJECT DISABILITY AND READINESS.

IT HAS TO MEET THE HUD FUNDING GUIDELINES.

WE LOOK AT THE AMENITIES OF EACH SITE, AND OF COURSE THAT THEY MEET THE, THE HUD REGULATORY, UH, CONDITIONS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO MEET THAT CRITERIA AND THAT IT'S SUFFICIENT USE OF THE FEDERAL FUNDING.

AND THEN WE DO, UH, AN UNDERWRITING REVIEW AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DEVELOPMENTS TRULY NEED THE GAP FUNDING TO MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT THE HOUSING IS, UH, AFFORDABLE FOR THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE PUT A COVENANT ON THEM.

AND SO THE NEXT SLIDE JUST HAS HER TIMELINE, UH, SIMILAR TO THE TIMELINE THAT I SHARED EARLIER, WE HAVE BEEN, UM, IN THIS PROCESS SINCE THE FALL WITH THE PRES SOLICITATION PRESENTATION TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE BACK IN OCTOBER.

THE, UM, RFAS WERE ISSUED AFTER THAT ALSO IN OCTOBER.

WE HAD A PRE-SUBMIT CONFERENCES WITH INTERESTED APPLICANTS IN NOVEMBER, AND THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT WAS DECEMBER 11TH.

WE'RE DOING PRELIMINARY UNDERWRITING THIS MONTH, AND WE WILL HAVE THE EVALUATION AND SCORING FOR THE APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED THIS MONTH.

AGAIN, WE WILL COME TO THE NEXT PLANNING AND LAB DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IN FEBRUARY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO GO TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE IN FEBRUARY FOR A POSTAL SOLICITATION REVIEW BECAUSE OF THE HIGH PROFILE NATURE OF THIS ITEM.

AND THEN WE WILL GO TO CITY COUNCIL.

UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA END UP BEING MARCH 4TH JUST BECAUSE, UM, FINANCE IS, IS UNCERTAIN ABOUT HAVING THE AUDIT COMMITTEE LOOK AT IT ON A TUESDAY AND THEN TWO DAYS LATER IT'D BE ON COUNCIL ON A THURSDAY.

SO WE HAVE THE BOTH DATES HERE, BUT IT'LL BE MARCH 4TH.

AND SO THAT CONCLUDES THE ITEM, UH, ITEM, UNLESS Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

UH, THANK YOU VEL.

SO LET, LET ME DO, I JUST WANNA, UM, SORT OF UNDERSTAND SOMETHING.

UM, THIS IS COMING TO THE COMMITTEE AS A BRIEFING, SO NO ACTIONS REQUIRED.

UM, SO I, I GUESS, UM, THIS IS JUST TO SHOW THE COMMITTEE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT, UM, PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING TO THE COUNCIL.

UM, WE ONLY SHOWED THE GIVE TIMELINE TAX CREDIT, UM, SO WE SHOWED YOU WHAT HAS COME IN, BUT IT DOES, WE DIDN'T INCLUDE WHICH ONES ARE BEING RECOMMENDED FOR RESOLUTIONS, UH, YET.

AND THEN FOR THE GET FUNDING, UM, IT'S TO SHOW THE TIMELINE AND HOW MUCH AVAILABLE FUNDING THERE IS FUNDING, UM, BUT TO SHOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THAT R

[01:35:01]

A SINCE OCTOBER, UM, TO AWARD GAP FUNDING, BUT WE DIDN'T , SO I KNOW WE, NO, I'M SORRY.

WE'VE DONE THIS FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, YOU KNOW, JUST TRYING TO, UM, TO SEE ALL, YES.

COUNCIL, THIS IS LAURA.

I JUST WANTED TO CLEARLY STATE THAT THIS IS JUST FOR BRIEFING.

WE ARE GONNA BE BRINGING THESE TWO ITEMS BACK TO YOU ALL FOR APPROVAL, BUT THEY'RE VERY, VERY COMPLICATED.

SO WE'VE ALWAYS MADE SURE THAT WE DO A BRIEFING, UM, IN BETWEEN THE STEPS TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE SEVERAL DEVELOPERS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO REACH OUT TO YOU, OR THEY ALREADY HAVE REACHED OUT TO YOU REQUESTING MAYBE A LETTER OF SUPPORT OR BRIEFING YOU ON THEIR 9% TAX CREDIT, UM, PROJECT THAT THEY TYPICALLY SUBMIT TO THE CITY FOR US TO PROVIDE A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT.

SO, UM, THIS IS JUST BRIEFING, WE'LL BE COMING BACK WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE RESOLUTIONS FOR THE 9% AS WELL AS THE GAP FINANCING FOR THE HOMEOWNERSHIP AND RENTAL.

I KNOW THAT THIS HAS, I MEAN, OF COURSE WE, SOME OF US HAVE DONE THIS A FEW TIMES NOW AND IT CAN GET KIND OF CONTENTIOUS, BUT, UM, I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A BETTER SYSTEM NOW, AND I THINK WITH THE CITY PRIORITIZING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING BETTER AT IT, I GUESS ALL OF US.

UH, IN FACT, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO UNDERSTAND THE STATE AND, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'VE BEEN FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH THEIR RULES AS WELL.

SO THAT I THINK HELPS US.

UM, AND, UH, I, I, WE DO HAVE SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE QUESTIONS, SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER.

VIN.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THE BRIEFING.

MY ONLY CONCERN GOES BACK TO THE, UH, SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO, UH, COUNCIL VOTE ON THIS THURSDAY.

UH, WE'RE TAKING, WE'RE WE'RE TAKING MONEY OUT OF OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUND BEFORE WE'RE PAST THIS PANDEMIC, AND I HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THAT.

UM, CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO MOVE THOSE FUNDS IN ORDER TO HELP FAMILIES REMAIN HOUSED.

AND NOW JUST TWO MONTHS LATER, RIGHT AFTER SAN ANTONIO SET A NEW RECORD FOR CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS, AND AFTER 9,500 EVICTIONS WERE STILL FILED IN 2020, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING WE MOVE MONEY OUT OF EAP FOR A FUTURE NON-EMERGENCY NEED.

UH, IT WOULD BE ONE THING HAD WE NOT ARTIFICIALLY DEFLATED THE NEED FOR OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BY REDUCING THE AWARDS AND ELIGIBILITY, AND THE NEED WAS ACTUALLY DECREASING.

BUT THIS IS NOT THE CASE WHATSOEVER BECAUSE SAN ANTONIO SAW MORE EVICTIONS FILED IN DECEMBER THAN ANY MONTH SINCE WE WENT INTO LOCKDOWN.

I SUPPORT FACILITATING THE CREATION OF A MORE OF MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT NOT AT THE COST OF DECREASING OR RESTRICTING AID DURING A PANDEMIC, A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT IS FAR MORE FEASIBLE TO FIND MONEY TO HELP DEVELOPERS TOMORROW THAN IT IS FOR FAMILIES TO FIND MONEY TO PAY OFF FOOD, RENT, AND UTILITIES.

TODAY, $3 MILLION CAN HELP STABILIZE 1,175 FAMILIES OR 3,158 PEOPLE TODAY RIGHT NOW.

PERIOD.

THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.

IN, UH, HOUSES OR THE RENTAL UNITS THEY LIVE IN TODAY.

UM, THANK YOU.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TRAVINO, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.

UH, I GUESS NOT TO SOUND REDUNDANT, I HAVE TO SAY I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN TREVINO.

UH, I BELIEVE THE EMERGENCY THAT EXISTS TODAY FAR OUTWEIGHS THE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING A YEAR AND A HALF OR TWO YEARS, OR TWO AND A HALF YEARS DOWN THE LINE.

UH, BUT I WILL ASK A QUESTION THOUGH, VETO VITO, WHAT HAS BEEN THE AMOUNT OF GAP FUNDING PER TRANSACTION ON AVERAGE THAT WE HAVE BEEN AWARDING, UH, OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS FOR THE AWARDS? UM, IT, IT IS BEEN BETWEEN 600,000 TO AROUND A MILLION, UM, THAT WE HAVE AWARDED FOR DEVELOPMENT.

I'LL HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK, BUT THAT'S AROUND HOW MUCH WE SUPPORT.

UM, EVERY APPLICATION VARIES A LITTLE BIT, BUT I WOULD SAY RIGHT AVERAGES IS BETWEEN THOSE NUMBERS.

UM, OKAY.

SUPPORTED OR ALL, UH, FOR FAMILIES AT OR BELOW 80% A M I AND SOMETIMES, UM, A LOT LOWER THAN THAT.

RIGHT.

AND I GUESS THAT THAT TELLS ME THAT THE TWO AND A HALF MILLION THAT WE HAVE NOW CAN SUFFICE TO HELP THREE OR FOUR FUTURE PROJECTS PRETTY EASILY.

AND, AND I DON'T SEE THE TRANSFERENCE OF ANOTHER 3 MILLION INTO THAT, UH, BEING AS MUCH OF A, AN IMPORTANT TRANSACTION AS PUTTING THAT MONEY INTO KEEPING PEOPLE

[01:40:01]

SO I'LL, I'LL SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT WOULD PUT MORE MONEY INTO THAT RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW, AND I WOULD NOT SUPPORT TRANSFERRING $3 MILLION, UH, INTO THAT GAP FINANCING.

BUT THAT'LL COME UP WITH COUNCIL.

I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY IT NOW.

THANK, UM, OKAY.

WELL THANK YOU FOR, FOR THAT BRIEFING.

I GUESS, UM, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER BRIEFING ON THE STATUS OF SOME OF THE CARESS FUNDING AND BEFORE YES.

COUNCILMAN THERE IS A FUND, THERE IS A BRIEFING SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK ON THE STATUS OF THE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN AND THE FUNDING FOR THAT.

UM, I DID WANNA ADD THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THURSDAY IS THAT WE'RE REPROGRAMMING $10.2 MILLION.

WE'RE ACTUALLY, WE'RE PROGRAMMING $10.2 MILLION IN C D B G CARES FUNDING THAT WE RECEIVED.

WE ARE USING THAT $10.2 MILLION TO FUND $900,000 TO HELP WITH TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR HOMELESS.

THAT'S GOING TO SUPPORT THE HOUSING, UM, SERVICES WE PROVIDE, PROVIDE AT THE HOTEL.

WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE $350,000 FOR STAFF SUPPORT TO HELP US STAFF OUR EVICTION PREVENTION EFFORTS AND OUR HOUSING COUNSELING AND FORECLOSURE COUNSELING EFFORTS.

WE ARE PROVIDING $425,000 TO HELP INCREASE OUR MINOR REPAIR PROGRAM EFFORT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A, AN AC UNIT OR A, YOU KNOW, A MAJOR, UM, HOME REPAIR AWAY FROM LOSING THEIR HOME.

SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HELP 'EM STAY IN THAT HOME.

WE'RE ADDING $900,000 TO THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAM.

SAME ISSUE.

WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN STAY IN THEIR HOME AND THEN WE'RE ADDING $3 MILLION TO THE EMERGENCE, UM, TO THE, UM, TO HELP WITH GAP FUNDING FOR RENTAL AND HOME OWNERSHIP AND THAT.

AND THEN WE ARE ALSO ADDING $4.6 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

AND SO, UM, THAT'S THE TOTAL OF 10.2 MILLION AND UM, BUT IT RESULTS IN A NET INCREASE TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OF 4.6 MILLION.

AND, UM, WE ARE ADDING 3 MILLION TO GAP FUNDING, BUT WE DO NOT, WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING TO STOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTION.

AND WE KNOW THERE IS A SHORTFALL OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SAN ANTONIO, AND WE KNOW THERE ARE SEVERAL PROJECTS TO INCLUDE THE NINE PERCENTS AND FOUR PERCENTS THAT CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS THAT ARE GONNA BE REQUESTING GAP FUNDING.

AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T STOP THAT AND WE CONTINUE THAT PRODUCTION EFFORT.

UH, OKAY.

WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I KNOW THAT THIS ITEM HAS BEEN SEEN BY ANOTHER COMMITTEE AS WELL, BUT PERHAPS IN A DIFFERENT FORM.

SO WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THERE, UH, THESE PROJECTS ARE VERY COMPETITIVE AND JUST, I KNOW THE ONE IN DISTRICT FIVE, THE FISH POND ONE, IS A REHAB PROJECT THAT IS IN TREMENDOUS NEED OF REPAIR.

UM, AND I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT A, PROBABLY AN UNSAFE LIVING CONDITIONS THERE, BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW WE NEED, WE DO NEED TO CONTINUE, UM, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE HOUSING ISSUES THAT ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, UH, ARE ARE JUST IMPORTANT WORK THAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE, UH, IN THE CITY, ESPECIALLY IF WE'VE BEEN PRIORITIZING HOUSING.

SO I THINK THAT'S JUST ANOTHER BRIEFING.

I DON'T SEE ANYBODY UP FOR, UM, ANY QUESTIONS.

SO, UM, I THINK THAT WE CAN, UH, WRAP IT UP HERE.

I THINK THAT'S EVERYTHING.

SO, UM, THANK YOU MUCH FOR HANGING IN THERE WITH ME, UH, TODAY, AND WE'LL SEE Y'ALL VERY SOON.