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COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
DO WE HAVE A ANNOUNCEMENT FOR SPANISH TRANSLATION? NOT THAT I KNOW OF, SIR.
WELL, I'LL JUST ANNOUNCE THAT CARLOS VALENZUELA IS ON THE LINE.
IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, IF ANYBODY IS, IS NEEDING, UH, SPANISH TRANSLATION, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
WE'LL, WE'LL TRY TO GET THROUGH THIS AGENDA, UH, EFFECTIVELY AND OFFICIAL MINUTES POSSIBLE.
[1. 21-1530 Approval of the meeting minutes for the January 7, 2021 Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting.]
WE'LL START OFF WITH FIRST THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR JANUARY 7TH, 2021.I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.
WE APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY 2ND.
AYE, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
UH, FIRST ITEM IS, UH OH, I'M SORRY.
WE HAVE, UH, WE DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE GET TO ANY ITEMS. SO, UH, WE'LL TAKE, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENT NOW FOR ANY OF THE ITEMS, UM, THAT ARE, FOR THE ITEMS THAT ARE ON CONSENT.
UH, OTHERWISE I THINK WE'LL TAKE THE PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE, UH, THE ITEM THAT IS TO BE PRESENTED.
CHAIR, DID YOU WANT ME TO READ THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED? ARE, WOULD YOU BE WANTING TO SPEAKERS AT THIS TIME? UH, YES, BUT AGAIN, ONLY FOR RIGHT NOW WE'RE TAKING PUBLIC COMMENT FOR, UH, THE ITEM THAT'S ON CONSENT FROM DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE.
UH, AND WE'LL SAVE THE OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS AS THE ITEMS OKAY.
AS PICK UP THE ITEMS? YES, SIR.
UM, I'M LOOKING NOW AND REFERRING THROUGH THEM UNRELATED TO ITEM ONE CONSENT, SIR.
[Consent Agenda]
DO HAVE, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE, PRE-QUALIFIED LIST OF PUBLIC ARTS PROFESSIONALS ON CONSENT.UH, WE WILL, UH, ACCEPT A MOTION TO APPROVE ANY ITEMS ON CONSENT, UNLESS ANY OF THE, UH, MY COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO, TO HAVE A PRESENTATION.
I'LL MOVE TO, UH, APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA, SAY AYE.
[4. 21-1624 Presentation by members of the Risk Mitigation Fund Stakeholder Group on the proposed amendments to the Emergency Housing Assistance Program. [Jessica Guerrero, Nikki Johnson, Maureen Galindo]]
ON, UM, TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER FOUR.I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA TAKE A LITTLE, LITTLE OUTTA ORDER HERE BECAUSE I DO THINK ITEM NUMBER FOUR NEEDS TO BE HEARD BEFORE ITEM NUMBER THREE.
ARE THERE ANY SPEAKERS FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR? ANY, ANY CITIZENS TO BE HEARD ON ITEM NUMBER? NO CHAIR, NO SPEAKERS FOR ITEM FOUR? ONLY FOR ITEM THREE AND FIVE.
SO, UH, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S, UH, TAKE UP THE PRESENTATION BY MEMBERS OF THE RISK MITIGATION FUND STAKEHOLDER GROUP ON THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THIS IS JESSICA GUERRERO, ONE OF THE PRESENTERS FOR THIS ITEM.
UM, MAUREEN GALINDO WAS GOING TO PRESENT THE SLIDES, AND SHE IS NOT CONNECTED YET.
WE WEREN'T AWARE OF THE CHANGE IN THE ORDER.
OKAY, WELL, IF Y'ALL, UH, WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN, LET, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD.
[00:05:01]
SURE.UM, SO THANKS COUNCILMAN RENER FOR GIVING US THIS SPACE.
UM, FIRST OFF TO, UM, SHOW WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, UH, THIS IS THE EHA PARTICIPATORY POLICYMAKING PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH AND RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THAT.
SO, THE PRESENTATION CONTENT, WHO WE ARE AS THE R M P EAP STAKEHOLDER GROUP, THE R M P E HAP HISTORY.
WHAT IS PARTICIPATORY POLICYMAKING PROCESS? UM, THE EHA PARTICIPATORY METHODOLOGY AND COMMUNITY ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATION WITH THE OBJECTIVE THAT WE CREATE THE MOST EFFICIENT AND ECONOMICALLY EXPANSIVE DISTRIBUTION OF 46 MILLION FEDERAL RENT RELIEF DOLLARS VIA EAP PARTICIPATORY POLICYMAKING PROCESS.
SO, JUST WANNA CLARIFY FIRST THAT R AND P AND EAP ARE THE SAME THING.
WHEN COVID COVID HIT SAN ANTONIO, THE RISK MITIGATION POLICY WAS IMMEDIATELY UTILIZED AS AN EMERGENCY LIFELINE FOR VULNERABLE SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITIES.
THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, EAP DISTRIBUTION FRAMEWORK, PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IN MAY, 2020, AS WELL AS TO MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE NATION WAS CREATED BY THE R M P E HAP STAKEHOLDER GROUP VIA PARTICIPATORY POLICYMAKING PROCESS.
UM, COUNCILMAN PERRY WAS ACTUALLY YOU, WHO WHEN IT WAS PRESENTED, ASKED CITY STAFF.
UM, SO BASICALLY WE HAVE ALL OF THIS READY TO GO AND WE JUST HAVE TO TRANSFER MONEY INTO IT, AND THE ANSWER WAS YES.
AND SO ALL THESE MONTHS LATER, UM, YOU'RE WELCOME.
SO, THIS IS WHO WE ARE, AND THIS WAS A PICTURE WE TOOK FOR OUR PRESENTATION OF THIS PROCESS TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
LAST JANUARY, WE MET WEEKLY AND BIWEEKLY FROM MAY, 2019 TO MAY, 2020 TO CREATE WHAT BECAME EAP.
IT WAS AN EQUITABLE COMPOSITION THREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO WERE DIRECTLY IMPACTED AND OR WORKS DIRECTLY WITHIN PEOPLE IMPACTED BY HOUSING INSECURITY.
UM, IMPORTANTLY TWO FAIR HOUSING STAFF WHO HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH APPLICANTS AND THEIR GRIEVANCES.
AND THAT GOT US THE MOST REAL INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THE PROGRAM WAS WORKING.
THERE WAS ALSO CITY STAFF FACILITATOR AND ADMINISTRATOR WHO WAS COMMITTED TO USING THEIR POWER TO CREATE AN EQUITABLE PROCESS AND A CITY STAFF DATA REPORT CREATOR, UM, THAT WAS DOCUMENTED FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR PROCESS.
THE INHERENT POWER DYNAMICS WERE CONSISTENTLY ADDRESSED AND WORKED THROUGH SO THAT THE TRUSTING ENVIRONMENT WAS MAINTAINED.
NONPROFIT SPECIAL INTERESTS WERE CONSCIOUSLY REMOVED FOR THE MOST GROUNDED SOLUTIONS AND SOLUTIONS WERE IMMEDIATELY IMPLEMENTED BY FAIR HOUSING STAFF.
IT WASN'T A LONG PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
AS WE WERE HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS, THE CHANGES WERE HAPPENING.
SO, R M P E HUB HAS ROOTS IN PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY.
UM, MANY THINGS BEFORE THIS, BUT SORT OF WHAT GOT THE HOUSING CONVERSATION GOING WAS MISSION TRAILS TENANTS SELF ADVOCATING FOR HOUSING SECURITY, WHICH WAS THE ONLY REASON THEY RECEIVED SOME RELOCATION ASSISTANCE FROM THE PROPERTY DEVELOPER.
THEY BRAVELY REVEALED THEIR STORY AND BROUGHT AWARENESS TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING ALL OVER SAN ANTONIO.
A COUPLE YEARS LATER, SOAP WORKS AND TOWN CENTER, UH, GAINED SOME ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.
THIS HERE WAS ONE OF MANY CITY HELD MEETINGS, SOAP WORKS AND TOWN CENTER TENANTS, AND THEIR LOVED ONES ADVOCATED FOR AND PARTICIPATED IN, WHICH SERVED AS THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR WHAT WOULD BECOME R M P AND COUNCILMAN SINA, YOU WERE ACTUALLY AT THIS MEETING, UM, THAT I FOUND HERE.
THEY CONTINUE TO GO TO MANY MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE MEETINGS AS WELL, WHICH RESULTED IN SO MUCH OF THE EXPERIENCES OF WANTING TO BE INCLUDED IN POLICY, UM, BEING PUT INTO THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE UNDER PROTECT AND PROMOTE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THERE WAS A SECTION CREATE RISK MITIGATION FUNDS.
AND HERE'S A FEW QUOTES FROM THAT.
THE CITY SHOULD DEVELOP AN INCLUSIVE PUBLIC PROCESS WITH PARTICIPATION OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED OR ARE AT RISK OF BEING DISPLACED.
THIS FUND SHOULD INCLUDE RESOURCES FOR EFFORTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A RELOCATION ASSISTANCE PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES RAPID REHOUSING AND HOUSING NAVIGATION SERVICES PROVIDED BY TRAINED HOUSING NAVIGATORS AND COUNSELORS WHO CAN PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED CASE MANAGEMENT TO ENSURE RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THEIR HOUSING RIGHTS AND HAVE ACCESS TO A RANGE OF SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES.
AND THE CITY MUST INVEST FUNDS AND OTHER RESOURCES TO REACH SAN ANTONIANS WHO DO NOT, OR CANNOT NORMALLY ENGAGE WITH THE CITY, BUT WHO ARE IN MOST NEED OF THE HOUSING SERVICES AND HAVE THE MOST, UM, EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE WORKED TOWARDS IN R M P AND HOPE TO, UM, IN THE CONTINUATION OF EAP.
SO THIS IS FOR, UM, Y'ALL'S INFORMATION.
[00:10:01]
OFFICE INSIDE OF N H SS D THAT IS THE DIRECT ACCESS DOORWAY BETWEEN CITY STAFF AND HARD TO REACH SAN ANTONIO COMMUNITIES.THE FAIR HOUSING OFFICE UNDER N H S D IMPLEMENTS THE MOST IMPORTANT DIRECT SERVICE PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE SEEKING HOUSING SECURITY.
THE STAFF THERE ARE AWARE OF PROGRAMS AND OTHER RESOURCES AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE REGION, SO THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE COORDINATED SERVICE TO CLIENTS PER THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEY ALSO, WHEN WE WERE WORKING WITH THEM, HAD AN EXTREMELY TRAUMA-INFORMED STAFF.
CONVERSATIONS AMONG OUR GROUP WERE REGULARLY HAD ON THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF HOUSING INSECURITY AND WAYS TO MAKE CLIENT EXPERIENCES FEEL SAFE.
UM, AND THAT HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON HEALTH THAT CAN'T BE STRESSED ENOUGH.
THE FAIR HOUSING OFFICE HAS THE MOST VITAL INFORMATION CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO HEAR ABOUT THEIR CONSTITUENT STRUGGLES WITH HOUSING SECURITY THAT WE DON'T THINK IS GETTING TO Y'ALL RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS MY BACKGROUND IS, UM, PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH.
UM, BY THEORY WE HAVE SOME OF THE CITY PAST PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PRINCIPLES ON THE LEFT THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
IT'S A TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION, RIGHT, WITH THE GOAL OF ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS IN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES.
ON THE RIGHT IS EINSTEIN'S LADDER OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION.
THIS IS A TOOL OF MEASUREMENT FREQUENTLY USED TO OPERATIONALIZE PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY IN LITERATURE.
UM, ON, ON SUCH, AND YOU'LL SEE AT THE VERY BOTTOM IS THERAPY AND MANIPULATION, WHICH IS NON-PARTICIPATION AND ON TOP CITIZEN CONTROL, DELEGATED POWER PARTNERSHIP.
THAT'S WHAT WE BELIEVE THAT WE WERE DOING FOR THAT YEAR, UM, BEFORE R AND P TURNED INTO EAP.
UM, CITI NOT ONLY DID CITY STAFF USED TO FREQUENTLY SAY, NOTHING'S BURNING DOWN WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH COMMUNITY IN THIS WAY, BUT IT ALSO GOT THE CITY A NATIONAL AWARD FOR ONE OF THE BEST RENT RELIEF PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY.
SO THIS IS PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH.
IT'S A METHOD OF PERFORMING RESEARCH THAT EMPOWERS CHANGE IN SOCIETY THROUGH COLLECT INQUIRY OF A PROBLEM.
UH, THE PRINCIPLES ARE EQUITY AND STAKEHOLDERS.
ALL STAKEHOLDERS ARE CONSIDERED CO-RESEARCHERS AND HAVE EQUAL VALUE TO CONTRIBUTE.
POWER DYNAMICS ARE CRITICALLY ASSESSED, EVERY STEP OF THE PROCESS SO IMPORTANT.
AND STAKEHOLDERS DEVELOP NEW RESEARCH SKILLS BY CO-CREATING DATA FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES THAT HELPS EMPOWER COMMUNITY AND COLLECTIVE EMPOWERMENT BETTER, MORE SUSTAINABLE RESULTS.
AND THAT CHART, THERE IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE AS INDIVIDUALS ARE AFFECTED BY, BY ALL OF THE SYSTEMS BEYOND US, UP TO CITY GOVERNMENT, UM, NATIONAL WORLD, GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY AS WELL.
THOSE THINGS AFFECT US AS THE INDIVIDUAL, AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO CONSTANTLY BE BRING BRINGING THOSE TOGETHER.
SO THIS IS PAR AND POLICYMAKING.
PARTICIPATORY POLICYMAKING PROCESS IS APPLYING PAR TO POLICY CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION.
THE GOAL IS STAKEHOLDERS DEVELOP A COLLECTIVE AND CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING OF A PROBLEM IN ORDER TO DEMOCRATICALLY DECIDE WHAT INTERVENTIONS WILL BE MOST EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT.
UM, HERE AS AN EXAMPLE WITH R M P, THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO DISCOVER THE ROOT CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT.
IT WASN'T JUST TO GIVE OUT THE MONEY, IT WAS ALSO TO GET TO WHAT OTHER CHANGES NEED TO HAPPEN THROUGH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING IT.
THE HYPOTHESIS, RELOCATION AND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE.
WE THEN, THIS IS ALSO THE WHEEL OF SCIENCE, BY THE WAY.
SCIENCE IS A NEVER ENDING, UM, PROCESS.
AFTER THE HYPOTHESIS WAS CONSIDERED, WE IMPLEMENTED AND COLLECTED THE DATA AND THEN REFLECTED WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS, BROUGHT THE DATA TO ALL OF THE IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDERS AND WONDERED WHAT ARE THE MOST QUESTIONS, UM, TO THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND THAT GETS US TO OUR NEXT, WHAT IS ANOTHER INTERVENTION THAT WILL MOST, UM, SUCCESS BE SUCCESSFUL FOR PREVENTING DISPLACEMENT? NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, THROUGH THE YEAR THAT WE WORKED TOGETHER, WE WERE SO COMMITTED TO EQUITABLE OUTREACH AND PARTICIPATION.
WE DID LOTS OF DIFFERENT OUTREACH EFFORTS, INCLUDING SOME COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS WHERE WE PRESENTED THE DATA TO COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO GET THAT COMMUNITY BASED ANALYSIS.
UM, THOSE TWO MEETINGS, THE ONE WE STARTED OFF WITH AN ICEBREAKER OF WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SUPERPOWER.
AND THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SAID THAT THEIRS WOULD BE TO HEAL PEOPLE.
UM, THIS WAS THE KIND OF PEOPLE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BRING TOGETHER IN A ROOM TO TALK ABOUT HOUSING INSECURITY AND SOLUTIONS.
AND IT WAS MOSTLY ALL PEOPLE WHO WORK DIRECTLY WITH TENANTS OR, UH, OR HOMEOWNERS IN CRISIS.
SO, UH, WE PUT ALL OF THAT THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.
[00:15:01]
N H S D AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT INFORMATION NEVER MADE IT PAST OUR GROUP.THERE IS 208 PAGES AND THE FINAL VERSION WAS, UM, CREATED IN JANUARY, 2020 AS THE RISK MITIGATION FUND FISCAL YEAR 2019 REPORT.
IT CONTAINS REALLY VALUABLE DATA OF COMMUNITIES MOST IMPACTED BY HOUSING INSECURITY PRE COVID, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE NOW THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH DATA AFTER COVID.
UM, AND TWO, IT DOCUMENTS THE PARTICIPATORY PROCESS THAT RESULTED IN WHAT BECAME THE FRAMEWORK AS PRESENTED AS EAP.
UM, WHEN THIS WAS COMPLETED IN JANUARY, 2020, WE ALSO RECEIVED AWARDS FROM N H S D FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE OUTREACH, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF THE RISK MITIGATION FUND POLICY.
IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT I WOULD ASK Y'ALL TO LOOK AT AFTER THIS, IT'S THIS DOCUMENT THAT WAS CREATED IN OUR LAST TWO MEETINGS TOGETHER IN MAY, 2020 BEFORE FAIR HOUSING, UM, WAS NOT ABLE TO MEET WITH US ANYMORE.
UM, AND THESE ARE JUST TWO SECTIONS FROM IT, BUT IT REALLY GOT INTO THE, UM, DETAILS OF HOW TO IMPLEMENT PARTICIPATORY POLICYMAKING PROCESS, WHICH WE KNOW IS POSSIBLE, UM, UNDER N H S D, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP THAT ALLOWS IT.
UM, THE RISK MITIGATION FUND POLICY WAS DEVELOPED AS PART OF SAN ANTONIO'S HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK AS A RESOURCE TO ONE, MITIGATE THE HOUSING CRISIS VIA EMERGENCY FUNDS RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.
TWO, CREATE SPACE INSIDE THE CITY FOR DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION OF PEOPLE MOST IMPACTED BY SAN ANTONIO'S HOUSING CRISIS.
AND THREE, GENERATE DATA TO BE USED TO DEEPER UNDERSTAND ROOT CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT, BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATORY POLICYMAKING.
AND THIS WAS, AGAIN, CREATED WITH CITY STAFF.
THIS DOCUMENT EVERYONE GAINS PERSPECTIVE, VALUABLE FIRSTHAND INFORMATION AND DATA DIRECTLY FROM PEOPLE IMPLEMENTING AND BEING IMPACTED BY PROGRAMS ON A MORE HOLISTIC ANALYSIS TO BETTER IDENTIFY GAPS AND SOLUTIONS.
SO THAT WOULD HAVE REMAINED HIDDEN ABSENT ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND THESE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE PUT IN, IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT WE SAW IMPLEMENTED INTO EAP, WHY IT WAS SO PREPARED FOR IMMEDIATE, UM, DISTRIBUTION OF ALL THAT MONEY.
IN THE CASE OF R M P PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS GROUP WERE ABLE TO BE RAPIDLY MOBILIZED FOR C OVID 19 RESPONSE INTERVENTIONS FOR FOOD INSECURITY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE, FLEXIBLE DOCUMENTATION, DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE, SENSITIVITY TO IMMIGRATION STATUS, EFFECTIVE OUTREACH, ADDITIONAL STAFF, AND KEY DATA POINTS.
SO THIS IS A, THIS IS ON THE REPORT THAT, UM, MOST RECENTLY CREATED BY N H S D.
UM, AFTER CREATING THE EHAB CLIENT SURVEY WITHIN THE HOUSING COMMISSION COMMUNITY OUTREACH WORK GROUP AND OBTAINING THE DATA LATE DECEMBER, UH, N H S D LEADERSHIP, CIRCUMVENTED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS BY GENERATING A 50 PAGE REPORT RELEASED THE NIGHT BEFORE.
IT WAS BROUGHT TO HOUSING COMMISSION FOR DISCUSSION WITH THE TIMELINE TO PASS REX THROUGH COUNCIL BY FEBRUARY 18TH.
UM, PRIOR TO THAT AVENUES BY WHICH N H S C LEADERSHIP WAS DIRECTED TO INVOLVE THE R M P EAP COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS IN CO ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF EAP DATA.
AND BREX WAS THE R M P EEPS STAKEHOLDERS, THE HOUSING COMMISSION, COMMUNITY OUTREACH WORK GROUP, HOUSING COMMISSION, AND COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UM, WHERE ALL, WHERE THESE DISCUSSIONS HAD HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THAT REPORT WAS RELEASED.
THE REPORT CONTAINS STAFF GENERATED DATA AND RECOMMENDATIONS, INCLUDING IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AND TO MAKE AUTONOMOUS SENSE OF, AND THAT COMMUNITY HAS MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REPORT DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY COMMUNITY ANALYSIS.
AND SO, I'M SORRY THAT THIS IS SO MUCH, BUT ALL OF IT REALLY IS SO IMPORTANT AND WE ARE SCARED THAT YOU AREN'T GOING TO RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION IF IT, UM, IT MAY NOT BE THROUGH HERE.
THIS IS THE COMMUNITY ANALYSIS OF EHAB AND AHAB REPORT FROM THE STAFF REPORT.
THERE'S RESEARCH LIMITATION AND THAT DATA DOES NOT REFLECT THE MOST HARD TO REACH PEOPLE VIA DIGITAL DIVIDE.
MANY APPLICANTS NEVER RECEIVED A SURVEY.
STRONG BIAS IN PRESENTATION OF DATA STAFF.
REX DOES NOT ADDRESS THE MOST CRITICAL CONCERNS.
COMMUNITY ADVOCATES HEAR FROM APPLICANTS.
UM, 26% DID NOT RECEIVE ASSISTANCE, AND THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.
UH, MAJORITY APPLICANTS ARE BELOW 30% A M I, WHICH WAS ALWAYS THE CASE DURING R M P AS WELL.
AND, UM, IN SAN ANTONIO, THIS WAS ALSO THE CASE BEFORE, UM, COVID AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE IMPACTED BY HOUSING INSECURITY THAN IN OTHER CITIES.
AND THERE'S MANY MORE QUESTIONS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT THE STAFF REPORT THAT EXIST AMONG THE GENERAL COMMUNITY.
UM, THESE ARE, THIS IS A COMMUNITY ANALYSIS.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR.
IT'S AS COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, IT'S NEVER BEEN JUST ME AND JESSICA AND NIKKI.
ALL OF US WORK WITH PEOPLE, UM, DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY HOUSING INSECURITY AS WELL AS WITH
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NETWORKS AROUND THE CITY OF OTHER ADVOCATES WHO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THESE PEOPLE.AND SO THIS IS AN ACCUMULATION OF LOTS OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, UNEXPLAINED, MISLEADING, CONFUSING REASONS FOR BEING REJECTED IN THE EHA PROCESS.
THREE, GENERAL COMMUNITY ADVOCATES FEEL THEY HAVE NO VOICE WITH CITY STAFF WHO CONTROLS EAP DECISIONS.
FOUR, VARIOUS NONPROFIT CONTRACTS WITH NO OVERSIGHT OF IMPLEMENTATION OR VERY LITTLE.
FIVE LANDLORDS HAVE POCKETED CITY CHECKS AND STILL EVICTED THE TENANTS WITH NO RETRIBUTION.
SIX LANDLORD THREATS AND ABUSE AND TIME WAITING FOR RENT RELIEF, INCLUDING SEXUAL ABUSE.
SEVEN LGBTQ PLUS APPLICANTS ARE FEAR FEARFUL OF APPLYING AT CONTRACTED RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
EIGHT, THE VERY, VERY TANGIBLE SERIOUS HEALTH, UM, COMPLICATIONS FOR APPLICANTS DUE TO TRAUMA OF HOUSING INSECURITY AND SECOND SECONDARY TRAUMA FOR ADVOCATES AND THE STAFF IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH APPLICANTS NINE.
THE CURRENT PROCESS DOES NOT SUPPORT RELIEF FOR RELOCATION, MORTGAGES, OR HOUSING THE HOUSE LIST 10 EAP HAS BEEN USED IN JUSTICE OF PEACE COURTS BY JUDGES CONTACTING N H S D FOR EVIDENCE THAT A TENANT DIDN'T APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE AND THEREFORE THEY'RE NOT PROTECTED UNDER THE C D C EVICTION MORATORIUM CAUSING EVICTIONS.
UM, AND 11 E A AND C D C MORATORIUM PAPERWORK ARE NOT BEING EXPLICITLY OFFERED BY ALL JUSTICE OF PEACE EVICTION COURT JUDGES, DESPITE US HAVING A CITY STAFF PRESENCE THERE.
UM, AND THERE'S A LOT MORE THAT WE COULD BE GETTING INTO.
AND SO THESE ARE BASED ON ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
THE COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EAP ONE 12 MONTHS BACK PAY, UM, THAT IS LISTED IN THE US TREASURY EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE WEBSITE.
UM, TWO, WHEN A LANDLORD ACCEPTS A CHECK, AN AGREEMENT THAT THEY WILL NOT EVICT THE TENANT.
UM, THREE, IF LANDLORD REJECTS THE CHECK, PROVIDE DIRECT CASH RELIEF TO TENANT THAT IS ALSO INSIDE OF THE US TREASURY, UM, PROGRAM, AND GIVE DIRECT CASH RELIEF IMMEDIATELY FOR APPLICANTS WHO REPORT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR REFUGEE STATUS.
NUMBER FOUR, CITY STAFF CONSISTENTLY BREAK DOWN BARRIERS BY ACTIVELY INCLUDING APPLICANTS IN THE PROGRAM EVALUATION FOR OUTREACH APPLICATION AND POST APPLICATION.
THIS JUST ASSURES MOST EFFICIENT DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS, UM, ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING.
NUMBER FIVE, NO THIRD PARTY CONTRACTS SAVED FOR MUTUAL AID ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH A COMMUNITY SCREENED, UH, REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS WHO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE HARD TO REACH COMMUNITIES PER THE DATA.
EXAMPLE, IMMIGRANTS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ELDERLY DISABLED DIGITAL DIVIDE NUMBER SIX.
UH, STRONG COLLABORATION AND JUSTICE OF PEACE COURT WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS RIGHT TO COUNCIL ATTORNEYS AND CITY AND COUNTY STAFF WHO HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE APPLICANTS FOR OVERSIGHT OF EVER-EVOLVING FEDERAL, STATE, AND MUNICIPAL POLICY AND PROGRAMS. SEVEN, A RENTER'S COMMISSION BASED ON POWER DYNAMICS ASSESSMENT AND TO INCLUDE PARTICIPANTS LISTED ABOVE.
NUMBER EIGHT, STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
ALWAYS BE A DIRECT REFLECTION OF PARTICIPATORY COMMUNITY ANALYSIS IN EAP AND ALL PROGRAMS AND POLICIES WHERE HARD TO REACH COMMUNITIES.
HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH CITY STAFF.
AND NUMBER NINE, MAYOR AND COUNCIL ADVOCATE TO OUR FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES FOR RENT AND MORTGAGE CANCELLATION AS THE MORE ECONOMIC FRIENDLY DISTRIBUTION PROCESS OF FEDERAL DOLLARS TO LANDLORDS.
UM, AND THAT DOES, I, I KNOW THERE'S SOME MISUNDERSTANDING, BUT RENT CANCELLATION DOES MAKE SURE THAT LANDLORDS GET PAID.
UM, THIS IS AS OUR GROUP, THE R M P EAP COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.
OUR ASKS, ONE, KEEP THE NAME EAP.
NOBODY EVER LIKED THE NAME R AND P.
THAT WAS A CONSISTENT PROBLEM, UM, WITH COMMUNITY TWO, TWO, OUR, THEY ALL SAY ONE.
UM, TWO R M P E HOP STAKEHOLDER GROUP MEET NEXT WEEK IN A TRANSPARENT, INCLUSIVE, ACCESSIBLE, RESPONSIVE AND CONTINUOUS MANNER COMPRISED OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FAIR HOUSING STAFF, COURT SUPPORT STAFF, T R A ATTORNEYS IMPLEMENTING RIGHT TO COUNSEL, A CITY STAFF FACILITATOR, UM, A CITY STAFF DATA REPORT CREATOR AND COUNCIL STAFF WITH THE GOAL OF UPLIFTING HIDDEN PERSPECTIVE FROM HARD TO REACH SAN ANTONIO TO COMMUNITIES TO BE EXPANDED WHILE MAINTAINING COMMITMENT TO EQUITABLE PARTICIPATION.
AND, UM, THIS CAN'T BE EMPHASIZED ENOUGH.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE CITY STAFF FACILITATOR IS COMMITTED TO RESEARCH-BASED PARTICIPATORY METHODOLOGY.
UM, OTHERWISE WE GET THAT BOTTOM OF THE RUNG.
UM, LADDER OF NON-PARTICIPATION, UM, MANIPULATION.
AND THE FINAL, RATHER THAN CONTRACT, CONTRACT OUT TO NONPROFITS AND MOSTLY LOSE OVERSIGHT OF POLICY IMPLEMENTATION.
[00:25:02]
N H S D MOVE $4.6 MILLION, WHICH IS 10% PER THE US TREASURY FOR, UM, IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION TO FAIR HOUSING TO CREATE.I PUT 50, BUT, UM, I THINK 33 WOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR IMMEDIATELY 33 PERMANENT FULL-TIME STAFF FOR MOST EFFICIENT TRAUMA-INFORMED RENT DISTRIBUTION AS WELL TO ACTUALIZE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY, TASK FORCE RECS FOR TRAINED HOUSING NAVIGATORS AND A COORDINATED HOUSING RESOURCE SYSTEM.
MOVE ALL CITY ANTI DISPLACEMENT EFFORTS UNDER FAIR HOUSING.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR, UM, LISTENING THROUGH.
I KNOW IT WAS A LOT, BUT, UM, THIS HAS BEEN A PROCESS THAT'S BEEN HIDDEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND I BELIEVE THE HOUSING COMMISSIONERS WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
UH, AND AS YOU MENTIONED NIKKI AND JESSICA, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FROM BEING HERE TODAY, UH, THIS GROUP HAS DONE INCREDIBLE WORK LEADING UP AND THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
I APPRECIATE, UH, THE INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS WERE GROUNDED IN THEORY AND CONNECTED WITH POLICY LANGUAGE, LIKE THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE.
MY HOPE IS THAT THIS COMMITTEE WILL FIND COMMON GROUND BETWEEN THIS FEEDBACK AND THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE WORK ON THE NEXT SET OF AMENDMENTS TO THE EAP AND SEEK TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM OVERALL.
I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON THE LAST SEVERAL SLIDES WHICH LISTS CONCERNS WITH THE CURRENT FEEDBACK AND RECOMMENDATION PROCESS.
I'LL HOLD MY CONCERNS ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO, TO EAP AMENDMENTS UNTIL THE NEXT ITEM, AS I DO SUPPORT SOME OF THEM AND WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE THEIR FEASIBILITY.
OF COURSE, I'VE READ THE, THE ARTICLES THAT INDICATED COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ARE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME ACCESSING HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
CAN THE GROUP SPEAK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH E EAP AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESIDENTS FACE? UM, HI, MY NAME IS NIKKI JOHNSON AND I WANNA THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING US TODAY.
MAUREEN, YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB WITH THE SLIDES.
UM, OF COURSE, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR EVERY AFRICAN AMERICAN, BUT JUST THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THOSE THAT WE WORK WITH IN THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE MOST IMPACTED HAS BEEN EVERYTHING FROM, UM, NOT BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR ASSISTANCE TO NOT HAVING ADEQUATE INTERNET, UM, BANDWIDTH.
BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION ONLINE, IT KEEPS REQUIRING THEM TO CONSTANTLY START OVER AND OVER UP TO EIGHT TIMES.
BECAUSE BY THE TIME THEY GET TO THE END OF THE PROCESS, IT TIMES OUT, IT DOESN'T SAVE, AND THEY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO REAPPLY.
UM, ALSO PEOPLE, UM, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET DOWN TO THE OFFICE THAT KEPT CALLING FOR HELP AND FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION.
THEY WERE TOLD TO COME INTO THE OFFICES WHEN THE OFFICES REOPENED.
HOWEVER, DUE TO SOCIAL DISTANCING HEALTH ISSUES, UM, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO GO DOWN TO THE OFFICE AND THEREFORE KIND OF FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, UM, OTHER THAN LANGUAGE BARRIERS, 'CAUSE IT WASN'T JUST THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, THERE WERE, UH, THOSE IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY THAT DO NOT SPEAK THIS PARTICULAR DIALECT OF SPANISH BECAUSE THEY'RE FROM CUBA OR PANAMA, OR OTHER AREAS WHERE THE LANGUAGE IS DIFFERENT.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE SUBMITTED THEIR APPLICATION AND NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ELSE, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES THEY CALLED.
UM, SOME WERE JUST TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT QUALIFY, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A REASON THAT THEY DIDN'T QUALIFY.
UM, MANY HAVE SAID THAT THEY WORKED WITH VERY FRUSTRATED PEOPLE THAT TOLD THEM THAT THEY WERE ONLY TEMP WORKERS, THAT THEY WEREN'T TRAINED FOR THIS AMOUNT OF CALLS, THEY WERE FRUSTRATED, THE CALLERS OR APPLICANTS WERE FRUSTRATED.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE FELL THROUGH THE CRACK THAT WAY AS WELL.
UH, CAN WE ALSO ELABORATE MORE ON THE ISSUES OF THE, THE CURRENT THIRD PARTY CONTRACTS? JESSICA? UM, YEAH.
SO THAT, THIS IS, UH, MY NAME IS JESSICA GUERRERO.
THANK YOU, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TINO FOR THIS SPACE AND FOR, FOR THAT QUESTION.
UM, IT'S BEEN OUR OBSERVATION AND, AND EXPERIENCE THAT NOT ALL NONPROFITS HAVE THE GRASSROOTS CONNECTIONS TO COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO FULFILL THE EXPECTATIONS OF A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
AND THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN OVERALL ISSUE, A CHALLENGE.
UM, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BECAUSE IT, IT CAN BE TOO EASY FOR THE CITY, UM, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION DOESN'T HAVE THE,
[00:30:01]
THE NEEDED GRASSROOTS CONNECTIONS TO THE PEOPLE MOST IN NEED OF THESE PROGRAMS. UM, BUT IT CAN THEN BE TOO EASY TO SHIFT THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO OTHERS WHO, EXCUSE ME, TO GROUPS WHO CLAIM TO HAVE IT.UM, BUT, BUT IN, IN ACTUALITY DON'T.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH, UH, THE THIRD PARTY PARTNERSHIPS IS THAT, UM, THOSE RELATIONSHIPS DON'T ALWAYS EXIST.
THE TRUST THAT IS PERCEIVED, UM, THAT, THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS OR GROUPS HAVE IN COMMUNITY IS NOT ALWAYS ACCURATE.
THE OTHER ISSUE THAT COMES UP AS WELL IS FOR THOSE GROUPS THAT DO HAVE THOSE GRASSROOTS, UM, CONNECTIONS.
THOSE ARE MOST OFTEN THE, THE MOST UNDER, UH, FUNDED GROUPS.
SO THEY ARE ALREADY OVEREXTENDED IN MAINTAINING THOSE CONNECTIONS WITH, WITH COMMUNITIES MOST IN NEED AND NEED, UH, SUPPORT THAT CURRENT PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CITY DO NOT FACILITATE.
UM, SO, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, THE CHALLENGES WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY THERE NEEDS TO BE A, A CLOSER LOOK A, A, A MORE COMMUNITY DRIVEN REVIEW OF WHAT THOSE PARTNERSHIPS ENTAIL.
ALSO, CAN Y'ALL ELABORATE ON, ON WHAT IS MEANT BY CITY STAFF CONSISTENTLY BREAKDOWN BARRIERS BY ACTIVELY INCLUDING APPLICANTS IN PROGRAM EVALUATION? REPEAT THAT PLEASE.
IT, THE, UH, ELABORATE ON WHAT WHAT IS MEANT BY CITY STAFF CONSISTENTLY BREAKDOWN BARRIERS BY ACTIVELY INCLUDING APPLICANTS IN PROGRAM EVALUATION? THAT'S ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, WE, UH, IT'S, IT'S NECESSARY FOR CITY STAFF TO WORK IN A CONTINUUM OR CONSISTENTLY TO BREAK DOWN THE BARRIERS THAT EXIST, UH, IN COMMUNICATING AND ENGAGING COMMUNITIES MOST IN NEED OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN ONE FELL SWOOP, RIGHT? UM, IT'S A CONTINUING AND ONGOING PROCESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN BEFORE COVID THAT WAS, THAT WAS A CHALLENGE, THAT, AND A TARGET I GUESS, THAT WAS EVER MOVING.
SO JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOAL THAT IS, UM, DIFFICULT TO GET TO, BUT ALSO IMPORTANT TO ASSESS ALONG THE WAY.
AND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALWAYS BEING SOMEONE LEFT TO STILL REACH IS, IS NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, AN INDICATION OF INDICATION OF, OF FAILURE.
UM, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IS REAL WAY BEFORE COVID.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ACCESS, UH, THE LANGUAGE ACCESS BARRIERS THAT WERE EXPLAINED EXISTED WAY BEFORE COVID.
AND A LOT OF THOSE THINGS WERE JUST EXACERBATED WITH, WITH COVID.
UM, THE ONGOING, UH, DISTRUST THAT PEOPLE HAVE IN, UM, GOVERNMENT, UM, IS ALSO A REALITY THAT DOESN'T GET CORRECTED FROM, YOU KNOW, BY ONE PROGRAM OR FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT.
SO, UM, JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT'S A PROCESS AND THAT THOSE BARRIERS HAVE TO BE ASSESSED AND, UM, AND, UH, EFFORTS, THOUGHTFUL EFFORTS NEED TO BE MADE TO ADDRESS THOSE ALONG THE WAY.
AS, AS I I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS STAKEHOLDER GROUP WAS CREATED TO GUIDE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RISK MITIGATION PROGRAM TO ENSURE IT, UH, IT WAS HAVING THE INTENDED IMPACT IN REACHING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN THE PRESENTATION, I ALSO HEARD THAT MEMBERS OF THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY.
ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS CALL FOR CONVENING A MEETING BETWEEN THIS STAKEHOLDER GROUP, FAIR HOUSING TEAM, THE COURTS, AND RIGHT TO COUNCIL TEAMS AND SO ON.
I AGREE THESE MEETINGS NEED TO HAPPEN AND THEY SHOULD TAKE PLACE REGULARLY.
THIS TEAM WOULD HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO ADDRESS MOST, IF NOT ALL, THE 11 CONCERNS WITH THE EAB PROCESS.
DOING SO WILL RELIEVE MUCH OF THE FRUSTRATION AND MISCOMMUNICATION AND LEAD TO A BETTER COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAM OVERALL.
SO I WOULD LIKE FOR THE RISK MITIGATION PROGRAM, STAKEHOLDERS, N H S D AND OTHER HOUSING ASSISTANCE PARTNERS TO MEET REGULARLY.
UH, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR THIS PRESENTATION AGAIN.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT N H SS D IS LOOKING TO HIRE ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME STAFF WITH THE LATEST ROUND OF FEDERAL AID.
UH, LIKE TO ASK, UH, IS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE EXPLORE HIRING STAFF, LIKE SOCIAL WORKERS TO HANDLE COMPLEX HOUSING ASSISTANCE CASING CASES? UH, I'M CERTAINLY IN FAVOR OF KEEPING, UH, THE NAME EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AS WELL OVER THE RISK MITIGATION PROGRAM.
IT SEEMS MORE DESCRIPTIVE TO THE FIRST TIME APPLICANTS AND FOLKS WHO MAY NOT SPEAK ENGLISH.
[00:35:01]
UH, I WANT TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS AMPLE TIME FOR, FOR MORE DISCUSSION AND WOULD LIKE TO, TO WORK ON HAVING REGULAR BRIEFINGS WITH THIS STAKE STAKEHOLDER GROUP.UM, SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM MY, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UH, AS WELL, UH, DURING THIS PRESENTATION OR DURING THIS MEETING.
UH, BUT I WANNA THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
LET'S SEE, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE MAIN IDEA THAT CAME TO MY MIND AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS WAS, UM, WORRISOME.
YOU KNOW, I AM, I AM WORRIED, UH, AND CONCERNED THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE, UH, SUCH A, UM, A, A BIG DIVERGENCE BETWEEN WHAT WE THINK WE UNDERSTAND, WE HEAR COMING FROM OUR STAFF AND WHAT THIS GROUP HAS FOUND IN, IN ITS WORK.
AND I AM WHOLEHEARTEDLY BEHIND WHAT YOU, UH, RECOMMENDED CHAIRMAN THAT IS THAT THIS GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS AND THE CITY STAFF AND PEOPLE WHO ARE PROVIDING LEGAL SUPPORT, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE COURTS OR, UH, THE LEGAL ORGANIZATION, WE, WE RECOMMEND OR, OR WORKS WITH US.
THEY NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND THEY NEED TO TALK WITH ONE ANOTHER.
UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF YOUR SLIDES, UH, I THINK IT WAS SLIDE NUMBER THREE, UH, TALKED ABOUT STAKEHOLDERS AND, UM, CAN SOMEBODY PULL THAT UP AGAIN? IS THAT EASILY ATTAINABLE? YES.
I JUST WANTED TO REMIND MYSELF, JUST WANTED TO REMIND MYSELF, UM, OF WHAT IT SAID.
COUNCILMAN COURAGE, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE ONE THAT SAID R M P EHA STAKEHOLDER GROUP WITH THE PICTURE ON IT? I THINK THAT WAS THE ONE.
I THINK THAT IS, UM, SLIDE NUMBER FOUR.
IS THAT THE ONE YOU'RE REFERRING TO, SIR? LET'S SEE.
UH, THE ONE THAT, THAT, UH, I'M REFERRING TO TALKED ABOUT HOW STAKEHOLDERS, ALL STAKEHOLDERS ARE, ARE INVOLVED IN RESEARCH AND SHOULD BE RESEARCHING TOGETHER.
SO IT MIGHT'VE BEEN, UH, A DIFFERENT ONE THAN THAT.
AND, UH, IT ALSO SAID THEY SHOULD BE, ALL STAKEHOLDERS SHOULD BE TREATED EQUALLY AND HAVE AN EQUAL SAY IN, IN HOW IT WORKS GOING FORWARD.
AND, AND I THINK THAT REALLY STRUCK ME AS, UH, NOT TAKING PLACE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, UH, THE R M P GROUP, UH, IS A STAKEHOLDER AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE IS PART OF THAT PROCESS, YET OUR CITY STAFF IS ON THE GROUND, BOOTS ON THE GROUND, SO TO SPEAK, EVERY DAY TALKING TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ASKING FOR HELP.
AND SO WHAT WE HEAR FROM THEM IS, IS THEIR OBSERVATION.
AND I THINK WE'RE, WE ARE HEARING AND SEEING DIFFERENT OBSERVATIONS OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
I THINK A LOT OF WHAT YOU HEAR IS THE FOLLOW THROUGH, MORE OR LESS, UH, FROM PEOPLE WHO AREN'T SUCCESSFUL OR WHO ARE, BUT STILL SEE THE CHALLENGES.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT OUR CITY STAFF RECOGNIZES THAT PART OF, UH, PROCESS AND HOW IT ALL NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT TOGETHER.
SO I GUESS, ANYWAY, ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT I, I REALLY AGREE.
ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS NEED TO BE SITTING DOWN.
I DON'T EXPECT THAT THE CITY STAFF NEEDS TO COME BACK TO US AND SAY, WELL, THIS IS OUR VIEW, OR THIS IS HOW WE SEE IT.
NO, I THINK EVERYBODY NEEDS TO COME TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH A CONSENSUS OF WHAT THOSE CHALLENGES ARE THAT NEED TO BE OVERCOME, AND HOW THEY CAN BE OVERCOME, UH, RATHER THAN ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER, TRYING TO STAND BY WHAT THEY SEE OR WHAT THEY PERCEIVE.
UH, WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE IS A UNIFIED EFFORT IN THIS AREA.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN, UH, AGREE WITH YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GERRAN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, THIS PRESENTATION.
I DO WANNA TALK ABOUT A COUPLE THINGS ON THE, UM, ANALYSIS OF THE REPORT OF THE EAP PROCESS, UH, TO MY COLLEAGUES' POINT, THE, AND, UH, JESSICA, YOU DID SPEAK ON THIS A LITTLE BIT, THE VARIOUS NONPROFIT CONTRACTS WITH NO OVERSIGHT OF IMPLEMENTATION.
THAT IS, I THINK THE WORD THAT WAS USED
[00:40:01]
IS RIGHT, WORRISOME.BECAUSE I KNOW FOR US, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE CONTRACTING WITH SOMEBODY, THAT THERE IS OVERSIGHT AND THEY ARE GETTING THE JOB DONE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING THAT WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, THINGS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON.
SO MAYBE, UM, AFTER I SPEAK, IF, IF STAFF CAN ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, OR HOW DO WE HAVE OVERSIGHT? HOW ARE WE NOT HAVING OVERSIGHT? AND IF THE REMARKS OR THE SUGGESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY, THE PARTICIPANT, UH, SURVEY IS IDENTIFYING, OKAY, THESE ARE, THESE ARE, THIS IS NOT HAPPENING WITH THIS, THAT WE TAKE IT AND WE USE IT AS PART OF OUR EVALUATION PROCESS WITH THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE DO CONTRACT WITH.
UM, AND THEN TWO, THE NUMBER 10 WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT EAP HAS BEEN USED IN JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURTS BY JUDGES CONTACTING N H N H S D FOR EVIDENCE THAT TENANT DID NOT APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE.
UM, THAT ONE'S ALSO WORRISOME.
SO IF WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW, WHAT ARE OUR SOLUTIONS, WHAT ARE OUR REMEDIES FOR THAT? RIGHT? I WANNA KNOW WHAT A REMEDY CAN BE OR IS FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE, ANOTHER QUESTION, AND I AND ANDY IS ON THE PHONE, SO I'M GONNA START WITH ANDY, UM, AFTER I ASK THIS QUESTION.
UH, BUT FIRST I DO, DID, DID WAS THIS, I'M GLAD WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION AND WE HAVE A COPY OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS SENT TO US AS WELL.
SO WAS THIS ALL, THIS PRESENTATION ALSO SENT AND PRESENTED TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION? ACTUALLY, I CAN ANSWER THAT COUNCILWOMAN.
SO, UM, FIRST, THE TWO 19 RISK MITIGATION FUND REPORT WAS PRESENTED TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
NO, I, I MEAN, I MEAN THIS POWERPOINT PRESENTATION RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE TAKING, RIGHT? NO, IT, IT WAS NOT BECAUSE, UM, OKAY.
CAN I SHARE WITH YOU THAT OKAY, YOU CAN AFTER I ASK ANDY THE FIRST QUESTION.
ANDY, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT, UM, NUMBER TWO ON THE COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHEN LANDLORD ACCEPTS CHECK AN AGREEMENT THAT WILL NOT EVICT TENANT, CAN WE DO THAT? THAT'S PART OF THE, THE, UM, AND, AND, AND LORI CAN HELP ME HERE, BUT PART OF THE PROCESS IS IF WE DO HELP THE, UH, THE TENANT THROUGH, UH, WRITING A CHECK TO THE LANDLORD, I THINK THERE'S AN, UH, AN AGREEMENT THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA EVICT FOR NONPAYMENT.
THERE'S OTHER RE OTHER REASONS THAT THEY MAY BE EVICTED, BUT IF NOT, FOR NOT PAYING ME.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT WE WERE DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND IF WE'RE NOT, THEN I THINK I NEED MORE, UM, INFORMATION.
BUT LORI, GO AHEAD AND SHARE THOSE WERE ALL MY, THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS CHAIR.
AND SO THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS IN THERE.
I, I DO WANNA STRESS THAT WHEN THE, UM, THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WAS INITIALLY STARTED, WE FUNDED IT WITH LOCAL FUNDING.
AND THEN WHEN WE RECEIVED THE FEDERAL FUNDING, UM, WE HAD THE DIFFERENT HOUSING PILLARS AND OTHER PILLARS THAT WERE ESTABLISHED BY THE MAYOR.
AND THE MAYOR IDENTIFIED THE CULTURAL NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COUNCIL COMMITTEE AS THE COMMITTEE THAT OVERSEES THE HOUSING PILLAR.
SO WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING REGULAR UPDATES TO THAT COMMITTEE AS WELL AS PROVIDING UPDATES TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
AND THERE ARE TWO SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
ONE IS THE OUTREACH SUBCOMMITTEE, AND, UM, MAUREEN GALINDO, NIKKI JOHNSON AND JESSICA ARE ON THAT SUBCOMMITTEE AS WELL.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THAT SUBCOMMITTEE ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER COMMITTEES, NOT JUST HOUSING COMMISSION COMMITTEES, BUT NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONS IN GETTING INPUT FOR THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
HOWEVER, WE DID GO TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
THEIR LAST MEETING, WE PRESENTED THE DRAFT SURVEY ANALYSIS, UM, OF THE SURVEY THAT THE HOUSING COMMISSION ASKED US TO DO.
AND AT THAT COMMISSION MEETING, THERE WAS A MOTION TO ASK THAT THIS GROUP PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CULTURAL NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE.
AND WHAT WAS APPROVED WAS THAT CITY STAFF MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, TO THE CULTURAL NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES COMMITTEE AND SHARE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEIR FEEDBACK ON SHARE OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND FEEDBACK ON THE, UM, EAP SURVEY AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND SO THERE WAS NO MOTION THAT WAS APPROVED FOR THE RISK MITIGATION FUND GROUP
[00:45:01]
TO GO FORWARD TO THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE.NOW, THE REASON WHY WE WITHDREW THAT MOTION OR RECOMMENDED IS BECAUSE WE DON'T CONTROL THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE AGENDA.
COUNCILMAN TREVINO, THOUGH, DID GRANT THEM THE PERMISSION TO PRESENT.
AND SO THAT WAS THE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
AND SO IT IS ON THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, THE HOUSING COMMISSION, UM, STAFF DID RECOMMEND THAT THE HOUSING COMMISSION HEAR THIS PRESENTATION BEFORE IT COME TO THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE.
AND THE, UM, HOUSING COMMISSION AGENDA COMMITTEE, UM, WAS TIED ON WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD MAKE IT TO A SPECIAL HOUSING COMMISSION MEETING.
SO THE HOUSING COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE NOT HEARD THIS REPORT.
HOWEVER, TWO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT THEY'RE NOT REPRESENTING THE HOUSING COMMISSION IN THIS, UM, PRESENTATION.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
WELL, I MEAN, IT GOES BEYOND YEAH, WHAT I, I WAS ASKING, BUT, UM, ONE OF, BUT WHAT WE HAVE HAD PRESENTED HERE TODAY, I THINK ARE, UM, VERY ACUTE AND, UH, LEGITIMATE CONCERNS THAT THE ACTUAL MEMBERS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM CAN BRING INSIGHT AND GIVE US, UH, THE ABILITY TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES FOR, UM, HOW, HOW THE PROGRAM IS WORKING.
UM, AND I DO WANNA SAY, I, I AGREE WITH THE FAIR H THE BUILDING UP OF OUR FAIR HOUSING, UM, NOT DEPARTMENT, BUT OUR FAIR HOUSING IN WITHIN N H S D, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE HAD, WE HAVE, UM, WE NEED, WE HAVE NOT INVESTED IN THAT ENOUGH IN THE PAST.
SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO, TO INVEST IN THAT.
SO, LORI, WE CAN TAKE THAT FORWARD WITH, UM, LOOKING AT, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT MOVING DOLLARS WITH OUR, UM, COVID MONEY, OR IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGETS NEXT YEAR, LET'S TRY AND IDENTIFY THIS, BECAUSE IT ALSO, THE FAIR HOUSING ALSO MOVES BEYOND, UH, JUST WITH THE RENTAL ASSISTANT AND EAP.
IT ALSO IS ABOUT, UM, OUR LEGACY HOMEOWNERS, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS NOW.
BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, THE NEXT ITEM.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, AND, AND, UH, UH, YOU'RE CORRECT.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE BROUGHT THIS ITEM, AND WE EVEN HAD TO KIND OF SWITCH, UH, THE, THE ORDER BECAUSE I WANTED THIS COMMITTEE TO, TO HEAR THIS BEFORE WE, WE LISTENED TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON EAP, UH, MAUREEN, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP.
I WANNA GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UH, UH, UH, MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS YOU WERE HEARING.
I THINK COUNCILMAN VRAN KIND OF HIT IT WELL, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT WE DID NOT, WE NEVER REPORTED THE, UM, 2019 FISCAL YEAR REPORT TO HOUSING COMMISSION.
WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT WAS THEREFORE NOT OFFICIAL OR FORMAL, AND THAT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, THEREFORE WAS NOT LEGITIMATE.
UM, AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO THROW OUT THERE THAT WHEN COUNCILMAN TREVINO PUT US ON THE AGENDA ITEM FOR HERE, IT WAS BECAUSE COMMUNITY ANALYSIS WAS CIRCUMVENTED IN ORDER FOR HOUSING COMMISSION TO BE ABLE TO HEAR IT.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PRESENT THIS TO HOUSING COMMISSION.
UM, AND THAT, I, I DO JUST WANNA LET THE COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW THAT N H SS D LEADERSHIP DID HAVE THE MORE POLITICALLY POWERFUL, UM, PEOPLE INSIDE OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION LAST WEEK.
UM, THE PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT SOME LARGE, UM, SOME LARGE ENTITIES WITHIN THE CITY, ACCOST, UM, THE HOUSING COMMISSIONERS, UM, GUERRERO AND JOHNSON, AND TELL THEM THAT THEY WERE, UM, THIS WAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR THEM TO BE PART OF THE R AND P STAKEHOLDER GROUP AND BE ON THE HOUSING COMMISSION, AND THAT THEY SHOULD PROBABLY STEP DOWN AS WELL AS A PRETTY NASTY EMAIL FROM SOMEONE ELSE.
AND IT WAS, WITHOUT A DOUBT, VERY SIMILAR LANGUAGE TO EACH OTHER.
UM, WE KNOW THAT N H SS D WAS HAVING DEVELOPERS LOBBY COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH THAT $3 MILLION A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND THEY HAVE BEEN MAKING PERSONAL CALLS TO MEMBERS OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION TO DELEGITIMIZE THIS R AND P PROCESS.
UM, AND JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT.
UM, A LOT OF, UH, GOOD INFORMATION HERE.
DO WE, DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR GROUP, DO WE HAVE ANY INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES TO AT LEAST, UH, COMMUNICATE AND LISTEN AND GET THE WORD OUT TO THE INDUSTRY, WHETHER IT'S, UH, RENTAL OR, UM, INDUSTRY OR, OR WHATEVER, UM, ON THIS, ON THIS GROUP?
[00:50:01]
NIKKI, WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND OR SHOULD I TAKE THAT? UM, I'M, I'M GONNA LET YOU TAKE THAT ONE.UH, THANK YOU COUNCILOR PERRY.
UM, YES, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE GROUP HAS DISCUSSED IN THE PAST.
UM, THE, THE VALUE AND, UM, THE UNIQUENESS ABOUT THE MAKEUP OF THE R I P STAKEHOLDER GROUP IS THAT IT DOES, UM, FOCUS AND CENTER EQUITY IN PARTICIPANTS OF THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES.
UM, BUSINESS REPRESENTATIVES ALREADY HAVE AN ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP AND EASY ACCESS, UM, UH, EASY ACCESSIBLE AVENUES OF COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIP TO CITY STAFF AND CITY OFFICIALS.
SO THIS SPACE IS REALLY ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT EQUITY IS CENTERED AND THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED AND USUALLY NEGATIVELY IMPACTED, UM, BY, BY POLICYMAKING ARE INCLUDED, ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS.
SO THAT'S WHY TO DATE, THERE'S BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE OF DISCUSSION, UH, BETWEEN THE US COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND CITY STAFF MEMBERS OF THE R AND P STAKEHOLDER GROUP.
IT'S AN ONGOING, UM, DISCUSSION, BUT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S OUR, OUR PREMISE ON THE COMMUNITY SIDE.
AND OUR POSITION IS THAT, UH, AN EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION OF, UM, IMPACTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS WHAT'S NEEDED.
AND IF I CAN ADD TO THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, PERRY, ALSO, WE HAVE WANTED THROUGHOUT THE LAST COUPLE YEARS TO EXPAND THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP.
AND IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE WITH ADDING ADDITIONAL MEMBERS BECAUSE AS IT STANDS NOW, IT HAS DWINDLED DOWN TO THE THREE OF US AND THE OCCASIONAL BRIEFING THAT WE CAN GET FROM, UM, FROM N H S D AND I SAY BRIEFING BECAUSE WE'RE NO LONGER AT THE TABLE INCLUDED IN THE CREATION OF THE PROCESS.
WE JUST GET BRIEFED ON WHAT THE DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE OR WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS THAT THEY'VE ALREADY DECIDED.
AND I JUST WANNA ADD ONE MORE THING.
ONE THING, ONE GROUP THAT I THINK WOULD BE, UM, BENEFICIAL TO HAVING, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, IS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT.
SO LIKE, ONE TIME I WAS TALKING TO MY PROPERTY, ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN MY PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OFFICE, AND SHE WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN THIS.
SHE WAS REALLY, UM, INTERESTED IN HELPING TENANTS APPLY FOR THESE.
UM, SHE DOES A LOT OF THE PAPERWORK FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, STUFF, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS A LOT OF, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND STUFF.
AND, UM, PEOPLE LIKE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO BE IN THIS SPACE.
AGAIN, WHO WORK DIRECTLY WITH PEOPLE MOST IMPACTED BY HOUSING INSECURITY.
WELL, I, IT, I'M KIND OF BAFFLED AS TO WHY WE HAVEN'T REACHED OUT TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO GET REPRESENTATIVES, UH, TO WORK WITH Y'ALL.
BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT YOU WERE BRINGING UP WHILE AGO ABOUT PROBLEMS, UH, A LOT OF THAT CAN BE SOLVED BY DIRECTLY TALKING WITH THEM SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE WORD OUT SO THAT THEY CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR MEMBERS AND EVEN, UM, YOU KNOW, OWNERS AND, AND, UH, MANAGERS THAT AREN'T MEMBERS OF THEIR ORGANIZATION.
SO, UH, I GUESS I'M JUST BAFFLED AS TO WHY WE DON'T OPEN THE DOOR TO THEM TO SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE WITH Y'ALL TO HELP, UH, WORK THROUGH SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS. AND, YOU KNOW, I I, YOU KNOW, IF YOUR, IF YOUR MEMBERSHIP HAS DWINDLED, UM, YEAH, NEED TO RE-ENERGIZE THAT, BUT LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GET THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE AS WELL TO BE ABLE TO WORK THOSE ISSUES AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL BEFORE IT BECOMES MAJOR ISSUES THAT HAVE TO, IT HAS TO GO UP THE CHAIN OF, UH, OF, UH, COMMITTEES AND, UH, EVENTUALLY TO THE COUNCIL LEVEL.
SO I WOULD REALLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT Y'ALL REACH OUT TO INDUSTRY AND SEE ABOUT GETTING SOME MEMBERS, WHETHER IT'S LIKE YOU SAID, THE, THE, UH, OWNERS OR THE PROPERTY MANAGERS OR THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOWN IN THE FRONT OFFICES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, HELP SOLVE SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND GET THE WORD OUT.
I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN ON THE, THE OTHER SIDE.
UH, I GOT A QUESTION ON THAT ON THAT LAST SLIDE, AND THIS REALLY PERKED UP MY EARS.
UM, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT, LET'S CARVE OUT WHAT, OVER $4 MILLION OR FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THIS PROGRAM, AND LET'S, LET'S HIRE 50 ADDITIONAL PEOPLE TO RUN THIS PROGRAM FOR FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
I, I, I'M SORRY, I, I, TO ME, THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOME INFLATED NUMBERS.
[00:55:01]
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS KIND OF ISSUE IN HELPING PEOPLE TO CARVE OUT 10% RIGHT OFF THE TOP, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AUTHORIZED BY, BY THE FEDS, THAT'S, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO USE THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.AND WHEN, WHEN I SEE THAT AND THEN SEE A, UH, AN AN ADMINISTRATIVE TALE OF 50 POSITIONS ADDED TO THE CITY STAFF, I THINK THAT'S, UH, WE NEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THAT AND THEN TO HEAR, WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN DO IT WITH 33.
IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE WE HAVE ANYTHING PINNED DOWN ON WHAT THE REQUIREMENT IS AND WHAT IT WOULD REALLY TAKE TO RUN THIS PROGRAM AND, UH, EXECUTE THIS.
SO I'M, UH, Y'ALL HAVE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB THAN THAT.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS WHY DON'T WE PUT OUT AN R F Q, UH, TO INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S NON-PROFITS OR FOR-PROFITS OR WHATEVER, LET'S SET SOMETHING OUT THERE AND SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME GOOD, UH, INTEREST IN THIS, AND THEN MAYBE PUT A, AN R F P OUT THERE TO DO THIS, UH, VIA CONTRACT VERSUS, UH, HIRING THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF TO MAKE OUR GOVERNMENT GOVERNMENT BIGGER TO, UH, RUN THIS PROGRAM.
UH, I'M TELLING YOU THAT, THAT THAT'S WILD.
I, I, I CANNOT SEE HAVING 50 PEOPLE AT 10% OF THIS, THIS AID THAT SHOULD BE GETTING DOWN TO THE PEOPLE TO CARVE OUT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.
I, I, I'M SORRY THAT THAT IS WAY OVER THE TOP.
AND I, I EXPECT TO SEE SOMETHING BACK ON THAT.
WHAT'S THE PLAN? WHAT'S THE REAL REQUIREMENT? CAN WE GO OUT AND, OR LET'S GO OUT WITH AN R F Q AND SEE IF THERE'S INTEREST BY, UH, NONPROFITS OR WHOMEVER TO ACTUALLY RUN THIS PROGRAM FOR US.
UM, THIS, THIS TO ME IS, UM, PUTTING THE MONEY IN THE WRONG, WRONG AREAS JUST TO RUN THE PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, UH, ALL MY COMMENTS.
MAY I RESPOND TO THAT REALLY QUICKLY? UH, YES, GO AHEAD, JESSICA.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, PERRY, AND I JUST WANTED TO, UH, GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THAT RECOMMENDATION IS ABOUT.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN SINCE, UH, BEFORE COVID, WHEN THIS PROGRAM WAS R AND P, THE HUGE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT TAKES TO ACTUALLY TO SUPPORT SOMEONE MAKING THE CALL AND MOVING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF NOT ONLY GETTING THE ASSISTANCE OF THIS PROGRAM, BUT REALLY TRULY UNDERSTANDING ALL OF THE NEEDS THAT THEY DO HAVE, BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T EVER HAVE JUST ONE ISSUE OR ONE PROBLEM, RIGHT? SO, UM, THESE, UH, THESE NUMBERS, THESE COSTS, THIS, UM, RECOMMENDATION IS ABOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT CASE MANAGEMENT IS NEEDED, THAT A LONGER TERM, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS LONGER TERM SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE CALLING IN FOR, FOR THIS ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED.
AND, UM, THAT REQUIRES THE TRAUMA INFORMED CARE, THE ONGOING, UH, COMMUNICATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S NECESSARY TO KEEP, UH, TO MAINTAIN THE COMMUNICATION WITH, UH, CLIENTS, WITH APPLICANTS, WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE CALLING.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS WORKS BEST WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO DO IT IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR, UH, CITY STAFF PARTNERS WHERE WE STARTED ORIGINALLY.
AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, CRUNCH THOSE NUMBERS AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THOSE NUMBERS SHOULD BE.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET, UM, TO THAT PART OF OUR PROCESS TO ACTUALLY CALCULATE EXACTLY WHAT THE NEEDED ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS WOULD REALLY BE.
WE JUST KNOW THAT IT'S WAY MORE THAN WHAT HAS BEEN, UM, ALLOTTED SO FAR, WHICH WAS JUST KIND OF A PIECEMEAL REACTION TO, YOU KNOW, THE COVID EXPLOSION ADDING TEMPORARY WORKERS.
YOU KNOW, OUR POINT IS THAT, UH, MORE PERMANENT STAFF OR MORE PERMANENT INFRASTRUCTURE IS NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS, UM, PROGRAM CAN, UH, REACH ITS FULL POTENTIAL.
AND SIR, IT WOULD BE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY, WHETHER IT THE FUNDS GOT PRIVATIZED THROUGH A THIRD PARTY CONTRACT OR STAYED WITHIN PUBLIC OVERSIGHT, IT WOULD BE THE SAME AMOUNT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
WELL, I'M, I I, I, I'M NOT ARGUING THE ISSUE OF, UH, WHAT IT, YOU KNOW, ON WHAT THE REQUIREMENT IS.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S, UM, UM, AN ADMINISTRATIVE, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE TALE THAT, UM, THAT COMES ALONG WITH DOING SOMETHING IN-HOUSE VERSUS, UH, CONTRACTING IT OUT.
AND, AND WE HAVE NOT EVEN ASKED THE QUESTION OR GONE OUT TO INDUSTRY TO SEE IF SOMEONE WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THE COST WOULD BE ON, ON CONTRACTING IT OUT.
[01:00:01]
I'M NOT ARGUING THE FACT THAT YES, WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO DO THIS AND DO THAT, BUT WHAT IS THE REAL REQUIREMENT AND HOW MUCH IS IT GONNA COST? AND, AND THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN JUST SAYING, WELL, WE'LL JUST HIRE 50 PEOPLE ON CITY STAFF TO RUN THIS PROGRAM.THERE'S OTHER AVENUES OUT THERE ALSO.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I WAS TRYING TO, WE DID.
WE'RE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MOVE.
I, WE JUST, WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.
LET'S, LET'S, I WANT TO KEEP IT GOING.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN PERRY AND I, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN HAVE OUR OFFICE OF INNOVATION TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS, UH, SO WE CAN GET THAT GOING REALLY QUICKLY.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER VRAN, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH, ONE LAST ONE, UH, CHAIR, BECAUSE I THINK A, A LOT HAS BEEN SAID HERE AND A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO HEAR FROM, UH, VERO SOTO, BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN DEALING WITH THIS A LOT.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF VETO IS ON THE LINE, VETO, CAN YOU JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'VE SEEN THIS OR YOU'VE HEARD IT BEFORE.
SO WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND WHAT HAVE Y'ALL BEEN WORKING ON? WELL, UM, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
UM, SO WE HAVE HEARD SOME OF THIS, UM, BECAUSE OUR JOB IS TO LISTEN TO A VARIETY OF, OF STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, SO WE HAD NOT HEARD THIS FORMAL PRESENTATION.
WE DID ASK THE HOUSING COMMISSION, UM, AGENDA GROUP.
UM, THEY HAD A DISCUSSION IF, IF THIS SHOULD BE PRESENTED TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION, AND THAT'S THE TIE VOTE.
UM, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE HOUSING COMMISSION TO HAVE HEARD THIS PRESENTATION, BUT THESE KINDS OF THINGS WE HAVE HEARD FROM OTHERS, UM, WE HAVE A CALL CENTER WHERE WE END UP GETTING A LOT OF COMPLAINTS.
UM, THIS IS NOT AN EASY PROGRAM TO ADMINISTER.
THERE IS A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND THERE'S QUITE A FEW REGULATIONS THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T RUN A A FOLLOW THEM BECAUSE WE NEVER WANNA BE IN A POSITION WHERE, UM, WE DIDN'T DO THINGS RIGHT AND WE HAVE TO TURN MONEY BACK, UM, TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO WE, WE FIRST AND FOREMOST HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE DO THAT.
UM, WE HAVE HEARD SOME OF THESE ISSUES, AND ACTUALLY, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, DISALIGNMENT WITH SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'LL HEAR, UM, FROM EDWARD GONZALEZ.
EDWARD IS THE ONE OVERSEEING THIS PROGRAM.
HE'S THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER OUR FAIR HOUSING TEAM.
ALL OF OUR FAIR HOUSING TEAM HAS BEEN REDEPLOYED TO WORK A, UM, AND SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU'LL HEAR THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THIS REPORT, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE CONSTANTLY MAKING IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, BACK IN APRIL BEFORE WE LAUNCHED, WE DID TRY AND GET WHAT WAS THE RISK MITIGATION STAKEHOLDER GROUP BACK THEN.
AND IT INCLUDED A LOT MORE PEOPLE BACK THEN WHO THEN DROPPED OFF FOR VARIOUS REASONS TO VISIT WITH THE INDUSTRY.
UM, WE DID SET UP A MEETING WITH THE APARTMENT ASSOCIATION IN THIS GROUP, AND IT JUST, IT JUST DIDN'T WORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE OIL AND WATER I GUESS, BUT WE DID TRY AND GET EVERYONE TO THE TABLE.
UM, WE HAVE CHANGED OUR PROGRAM, UH, AT THE BEGINNING TO TRY AND, AND HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE COULD.
SO INNOVATION, UM, THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION DID COME IN AND HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS BETTER, HOW TO KEEP TRACK OF APPLICATION.
UM, THEY, THEY REALLY HELPED US MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD GET THE ASSISTANCE TIME TO, UH, WHAT THE AUDIT REPORT SHOWED, UH, WHICH WAS ABOUT 10 DAYS.
I MEAN, THE AUDIT REPORT THAT, UM, WAS PRESENTED TO YOU ALL PREVIOUSLY SHOWED, UM, THAT WE WERE FOLLOWING THE POLICIES THAT WE WERE SERVING, UH, FOLKS.
UM, AND SO WE KNOW WE HAVE TO IMPROVE IT AND CONSTANTLY IMPROVE IT.
AND WE HAVE THE DASHBOARD IS SOMETHING WE DIDN'T HAVE BACK IN APRIL, BUT, BUT THIS COMMITTEE ASKED FOR THAT, THAT INFORMATION.
IT DID TAKE SOME ADMIN DOLLARS TO GO BACK AND ASK THE, UH, DEVELOPER OF THE SOFTWARE TO DO THAT.
UM, YOU WANTED MORE REFINED INFORMATION.
UH, PEOPLE NEEDED AN ONLINE WAY TO CHECK THE STATUS OF THE, THE APPLICATION BACK IN APRIL.
SO PEOPLE CAN DO THAT SINCE THE BEGINNING WE'VE HAD THE CALL CENTER.
UM, AND SO A LOT OF THE THINGS WE HAVE DONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO AND ARE PROPOSING TO DO, ARE NOT OUT OF LINE WITH WHAT, WHAT YOU HEARD, UH, FROM THIS GROUP.
SO I THINK WE'RE A LOT CLOSER, UM, THAN THAN PEERS.
UM, BECAUSE ALL OF US, WE WANNA SERVE THE COMMUNITY AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN AND HELP THOSE THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
[01:05:01]
RUN, AND THIS GROUP IS JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT AS WELL.SO I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT ITEM WHERE WE CAN HEAR FROM EDWARD AND HIS AMENDMENTS.
UH, YEAH, LET'S, LET'S MOVE ON BECAUSE, SO I, I THINK THIS IS REALLY HELPING US SORT OF GET, GET A, A BETTER SENSE FOR WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE LISTENING TO IN, IN, IN THE NEXT ITEM.
AND I, AND I WANNA, UH, AGAIN, THANK, UH, MAUREEN AND NIKKI AND JESSICA FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY ON AND, UH, AND, AND LISTEN TO, TO THE, TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
[3. 21-1396 Briefing and discussion on Emergency Housing Assistance Program Amendments. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, FAICP, Director, Neighborhood & Housing Services]]
THREE, A BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ON EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.I'M LORI HOUSTON, AND UM, THIS ITEM IS GONNA BE PRESENTED BY EDWARD GONZALEZ, WHO'S AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
BUT I WANTED TO STRESS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATION WE JUST HAD REALLY KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE NEED FOR A SUBCOMMITTEE OF BOTH RENTERS AND PROPERTY MANAGERS THAT WOULD REPORT TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION, BECAUSE THAT WOULD HELP US MEET OUR GOAL OF BEING A COORDINATED HOUSING SYSTEM.
UM, I ALSO WANNA STATE AND REITERATE WHAT VERONICA SAID THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WE'RE MAKING ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT YOU JUST HEARD.
WE HAVE RECEIVED MULTIPLE INPUTS FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
WE HAVE RECEIVED INPUT FROM OUR APPLICANTS THROUGH A SURVEY THAT HAD OVER 7,000 RESPONSES.
WE'VE RECEIVED INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT'S HELPING US GET APPLICANTS.
THESE THIRD PARTY CONTRACTS ARE WITH COPS, METRO, DOMESTICUS, UNITUS, UM, WITH SAGE, WITH THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HELPING US GET PEOPLE TO APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM.
UM, WE ALSO RECEIVED INPUT FROM THE PROPERTY MANAGERS IN THE LANDLORD COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND THE HOUSING COMMISSION, AND SEVERAL OTHER STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.
UM, SO IT'S NOT JUST ONE GROUP WE'RE HAVING TO LISTEN TO.
WE NEED TO BALANCE IT AND LISTEN TO EVERYONE.
PLUS CONSIDER THE RESTRICTIONS THAT ARE PUT ON US FROM THE FEDERAL FUNDING, OTHER FUNDING THAT WE HAVE.
UM, BUT THE GOOD THING IS, AS I MENTIONED, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT YOU JUST HEARD, WE KNOW WE NEED TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP THOSE THAT DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET TO BE ABLE TO APPLY.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HEAR THAT TODAY.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE NEED A REFERRAL SYSTEM THAT HELPS US WITH THAT CASE MANAGEMENT.
AND THEN COUNCILMAN PERRY DID TALK ABOUT THE TEMPORARY STAFFING ISSUE.
WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING HIRING PERMANENT STAFF, BUT WE ARE RECOMMENDING HIRING 34 TEMP STAFF TO HELP US WITH THIS PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION, OF WHICH OF THOSE 34 20 OF THEM ARE BECAUSE OUR LIBRARY STAFF THAT WAS HELPING US WITH THE PROGRAM HAVE TO GO BACK AND OPERATE THE LIBRARIES, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE OPENING MORE PHASES.
AND SO IT'S REALLY, UM, ADDITIONAL STAFF TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT WE'RE LOSING.
BUT THEN ALSO THOSE ADDITIONAL 14 ARE GONNA HELP US WITH MORE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND THAT CASE MANAGEMENT WE DESPERATELY NEED.
AND THERE IS A PROCESS AND A CONTRACT WE'RE GOING THROUGH TO GET THAT ASSISTANCE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO OPEN UP THIS ITEM, AND I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO EDWARD, WHO'S DOING A GREAT JOB MANAGING THIS PROGRAM.
GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO, WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE, UH, EAB SURVEY THIS MORNING, AND I WANNA GIVE, UH, YOU SOME BACKGROUND AND SOME DETAIL.
I'LL ALSO GIVE YOU SOME, WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH SOME OF THE, THE, THE RESPONDENTS THEMSELVES.
SO, AS RORY MENTIONED, STAFF HAS TAKEN SEVERAL, UH, FACTORS INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF, OF OUR PROPOSED EAP AMENDMENTS THAT I'LL PRESENT TODAY.
THE THE EAP SURVEY IS ONE OF THOSE.
UH, THE GOAL OF THE SURVEY WAS, WAS JUST THAT TO IMPROVE AND IDENTIFY STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERING SINCE APRIL OF 2020.
NOW, IT WAS CO-DEVELOPED BY STAFF, THE HOUSING COMMISSION, OUR, UH, THE HOUSING COMMISSION'S OUTREACH WORK GROUP.
AND WE'VE ALSO, UH, AS THE DEVELOPMENT, WE, WE STARTED THE DEVELOPMENT IN OCTOBER.
UH, TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF TIMELINE, WE ISSUED THE SURVEY ON NOVEMBER 9TH AFTER WE RECEIVED FEEDBACK FROM THIS COMMISSION ON NOVEMBER 2ND.
NOW, THE SURVEY CLOSED ON JANUARY 1ST, AND ON JANUARY 27TH, WE PRESENTED THE INITIAL RESULTS OR THE TALLY RESULTS, UH, OF THOSE QUESTIONS TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
SO, AS WE HAVE BACKGROUND, THE HOUSING COMMISSION, AND WE WANTED TO, I WANNA SHOW YOU THAT IT'S A NINE MEMBER BOARD.
UM, THERE IS MADE UP, THEY HAVE TWO WORK GROUPS,
[01:10:01]
THE OUTREACH WORK GROUP, AND THEN THE AGENDA WORK GROUP.THOSE, THE OUTREACH WORK GROUP IS MADE UP OF COMMISSION MEMBERS AS WELL AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, SOME OF THE, UM, COMMISSION MEMBERS ARE LISTED HERE.
UH, CHAIR GUERRERO IS PART OF THE OUTREACH WORKING GROUP.
UH, THE, UH, MAUREEN, UH, AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER RICHARDSON.
SO HERE'S THE MAKEUP OF THAT OUTREACH WORKING GROUP THAT STAFF WORK WITH, UH, TO DEVELOP AND ISSUE THE SURVEY.
NOW, THE AGENDA WORKING GROUP IS MADE UP OF, UH, ALL, UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS.
SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DATA.
SO WE SENT THIS SURVEY OUT TO EVERYONE THAT WE HAD, UH, CONTACTS WITH THAT HAD APPLIED FOR THE EHA PROGRAM FROM THE BEGINNING OR INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM TILL THE ISSUANCE OF THE, UH, THE SURVEY.
SO EVERYONE THAT WE HAD SERVED FROM APRIL OF 2020 THROUGH, UH, DECEMBER, I MEAN, SORRY, UH, NOVEMBER 9TH.
NOW, THAT INCLUDES APPLICANTS THAT WERE APPROVED FOR ASSISTANCE, APPLICANTS THAT WERE NOT APPROVED FOR ASSISTANCE, PROPERTY OWNERS, MANAGERS, AND IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS.
NOW, EVERY APPLICANT WAS INVITED.
WE DISTRIBUTED VIA EMAIL, FLYERS, AND HOUSING COMMISSION.
TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF, OF THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS WE SENT.
WE SENT CLOSE TO 40,000 EMAIL MESSAGES TO INDIVIDUALS UNIQUE EMAILS.
UH, WE ALSO CONTACTED A SAMPLE OF APPLICATIONS BY PHONE, AND WE HAD A HIGH NUMBER OF COMMENTS.
SO, UH, UH, A LITTLE BIT DETAIL ABOUT THE ACTUAL SURVEY ITSELF.
SO WE ASKED THE TOTAL OF 44 QUESTIONS.
11 OF THOSE QUESTIONS WERE MULTIPLE CHOICE.
UH, ONLY 38 OF THOSE QUESTIONS WERE MULTIPLE CHOICE AND OR OPEN RESPONSES.
FIVE OF THOSE QUESTIONS WERE OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES WHERE WE, WE REQUESTED, UM, JUST RESPONSES TO THOSE QUESTIONS ARE FREEFORM.
NOT ALL RESPONDENTS WERE GIVEN, UH, OR ANSWERED THE 44 QUESTIONS.
THEY'RE REALLY DRIVEN BASED ON, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE REPRESENTATION AND HOW THEY WERE ANSWERING PREVIOUS QUESTIONS.
SO IF YOU APPLIED AND RECEIVED ASSISTANCE, YOU WERE ASKED, UH, 23 QUESTIONS.
IF YOU APPLIED AND DID NOT RECEIVE ASSISTANCE, YOU'RE, UH, ASKED 16 QUESTIONS.
PROPERTY MANAGERS AND OWNERS WERE ASKED, ASKED A TOTAL OF 11 QUESTIONS.
AND THEN IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS AND OUTREACH PARTNERS WERE ASKED A TOTAL OF 11 QUESTIONS.
SO, LIMITATIONS OF THE DATA, UH, WE DID WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT.
SO THERE'S NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN SOMEONE WHO, WHO HAD APPLIED IN APRIL WHEN THE PROGRAM BEGAN, AND SOMEONE THAT WOULD'VE HAVE APPLIED IN, UH, LET'S SAY DECEMBER.
SO WE DID GET SOME INFORMATION AS AN EXAMPLE OF INDIVIDUALS PROVIDING FREE FORM FEEDBACK ABOUT, UH, MAYBE GETTING, BEING ABLE TO CHECK ON THE STATUS OF THEIR APPLICATION.
SO SOMEONE THAT APPLIED IN APRIL DID NOT HAVE THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS SOMEONE THAT HAD APPLIED IN, UH, IN SEPTEMBER WHEN WE HAD OUR, UH, ABILITY FOR SOMEONE TO CHECK ON THEIR APPLICATION ONLINE AS AN, THE SURVEY WAS PRESENTED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
WE HAVE HEARD THAT, UH, MULTIPLE LANGUAGES MAY HAVE BEEN, UH, A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BUT WE DID DO IT BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
AND THEN WE DID HAVE VERY LIMITED ABILITY TO CONDUCT PHONE SURVEYS, ALTHOUGH WE DID DO THAT.
UH, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME, UH, LIMITATIONS BETWEEN, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY.
SO WE GOT OVER 7,000 TOTAL RESPONSES TO THE, TO THE SURVEY.
THE MAJORITY OF THOSE RESPONSES, 88% OR 6,281 WERE FROM APPLICANTS.
UH, THE NEXT, UH, HIGHEST RESPONSE RATE WAS THE AREA OF IN 7%, 468.
THOSE WERE FOR PROPERTY MANAGERS AND OWNERS, UH, THEN IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS, UH, AT THAT, UH, 63 AND THEN 279 FOR DATE, UH, RESPONSES FOR NO CONNECTIONS TO THE PROGRAM.
NOW, WE ISSUED THIS SURVEY TO, UH, POST IT THROUGH OUR ESSAY SPEAKUP CAMPAIGN AS WELL.
AND WE, SO WE DID GET A, A NUMBER OF 279 RESPONSES FOR FOLKS THAT WERE NOT PART OF THOSE THREE CATEGORIES.
SO, IN THE AREA OF, UH, WHEN WE ASKED APPLICANTS THE QUESTION OF, WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE PROGRAM TO OTHERS, 92% OR A TOTAL OF 4,533 OUTTA FOUR, LET ME, LET ME BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.
[01:15:01]
HAD 4,910 RESPONSES TO THIS QUESTION.OF THE 92% OF ALL RESPONDENTS SAID THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE PROGRAM TO OTHERS.
SPANISH SPEAKING RESPONDENTS WERE SLIGHTLY MORE LIKELY TO RESPOND TO THE, TO RECOMMEND THE PROGRAM THAN ENGLISH SPEAKING RESIDENTS.
UH, INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFYING THEMSELVES AS SPANISH SPEAKING RESPONDENTS SAID THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE PROGRAM TO OTHERS COMPARED TO 92%, UH, OF ENGLISH SPEAKING RESPONDENTS, WHICH WAS 3,965.
INDIVIDUALS WOULD RECOMMEND THAT, UH, 99% OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO RECEIVED UTILITY ASSISTANCE SAID THAT THEY WOULD, I'M SORRY, RECEIVED ASSISTANCE, WOULD, UH, RECOMMEND THE PROGRAM COMPARED TO 73% WHO HAD NOT RECEIVED RESISTANCE, UH, WOULD STILL RECOMMEND THE PROGRAM.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE DATA THERE, 27% SAID THEY WOULD NOT.
SO WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE EAP TO, UH, WE ASKED THIS QUESTION TO PROPERTY OWNERS AND MANAGERS, 90% SAID YES.
UH, 5% WERE NEUTRAL, AND 5% WERE, NO, WE GOT 415 RESPONSES TO THIS QUESTION.
SO IN THE AREA OF, WAS THIS ASSISTANCE ENOUGH TO KEEP YOU HOUSED? SO WE GOT A TOTAL RESPONSE RATE OF 3,563 RESPONSES.
SO THAT IS, UH, A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN 3000 RESPONSES.
SO, IN THE QUESTION WHERE WE ASKED, ARE YOU CURRENTLY AT YOUR SAME RESIDENCE? WE ASKED THIS OF RESPO OF, UH, APPLICANTS.
SO, 94, WE HAD A TOTAL, UH, RESPONSE RATE OF 4,495 RESPONSES TO THIS QUESTION, 94% OR 3,400, UH, AND 44 INDIVIDUALS WERE STILL LIVING AT THE SAME ADDRESS AS WHEN THEY APPLIED FOR ASSISTANCE.
6% OR 239 WERE NOT, UH, ENGLISH AND SPANISH SPEAKING RESPONDENTS DID NOT HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT, UH, RESPONSES WHEN WE ASKED THIS QUESTION.
HOWEVER, RESPONDENTS WHO DID NOT RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FOR THE, FROM THE CITY WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE MOVED.
10% OF RESPONDENTS WHO DID NOT RECEIVE ASSISTANCE REPORTED THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER AT THE SAME ADDRESS COMPARED TO 6% OF THOSE WHO DID RECEIVE, UH, ASSISTANCE.
NOW, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED, UH, AS FOLLOW UP, UH, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, WHY DID YOU MOVE? UH, SOME, SOME OF THE RESPONSES WERE THEY VARIED, OBVIOUSLY, SOME OF THEM WERE, WELL, I WANTED TO SAVE MONEY.
I LOOKED FOR A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, UH, ALL BECAUSE OF, OF, UH, OF NOT RECEIVING THE ASSISTANCE.
SO WE ASKED APPLICANTS, UH, ARE YOU ABLE TO AFFORD YOUR HOUSEHOLD PAYMENTS TODAY? AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY, WE GOT, UH, WE RECEIVED 4,244 RESPONSES TO THAT QUESTION.
OF THOSE 79% SAID NO, AND 29, 20 1% SAID YES.
AND THE QUESTION OF DID YOU RECEIVE A REFERRAL TO ANOTHER AGENCY? WE RECEIVED, WE ASKED THIS OF APPLICANTS, AND WE RECEIVED, UH, FOUR THOU A LITTLE UNDER 5,000 RESPONSES TO THIS QUESTION OF THAT QUESTION, 89% SAID THAT THEY DID NOT GET CONNECTED TO A REFERRAL.
AND THESE, THESE LAST TWO SLIDES, UH, UH, THE AREAS OF CONNECTION TO A REFERRAL, AS WELL AS CAN YOU AFFORD YOUR HOUSEHOLD PAYMENTS, ARE REALLY WHERE SOME OF THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS YOU'RE GONNA SEE LATER.
AND HOW WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THAT.
I'D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO, ONE OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS WE ASKED OF APPLICANTS WAS, HOW EASY WAS THE APPLICATION PROCESS? AGAIN, WE COULDN'T DIFFERENTIATE THE, UH, WHETHER HER APPLICANT WAS RESPONDING, UH, IN APRIL THAT HAD APPLIED IN APRIL VERSUS AN APPLICANT THAT HADN'T RESPONDED IN JUNE OR SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER OF THIS, OF 2020.
BUT WE DID GET A RESPONSE RATE OF WE, WE RECEIVED OVER 5,800 RESPONSES TO THIS QUESTION.
35, UH, 3,556 OR 60% SAID THAT IT WAS SOMEWHAT EASY.
[01:20:01]
UH, 24% SEE, SAID IT WAS HARD.UM, AND THEN, THEN 11% OR 650, UH, 65 SAID IT WAS SOMEWHAT HARD, AND 240 SAID IT WAS VERY HARD.
NEXT SLIDE IN THE QUESTION WE ASKED WAS, FOR THE INFORMATION YOU RECEIVED ABOUT YOUR PAIN, WAS IT EASY TO UNDERSTAND? SO FIF, WE RECEIVED OVER A LITTLE UNDER 5,000 APPLICATION OR RESPONSES FOR THIS QUESTION, 55% OR 26.
2,700 RESPONDENTS SAID THAT THE INFORMATION THEY RECEIVED ABOUT THE APPLICATION WAS EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, 28% SAID THAT IT WAS A SOMEWHAT EASY, AND YOU HAVE THE COMPARISONS FROM ENGLISH IDENTIFIED, UH, SPEAKERS VERSUS SPANISH IDENTIFIED SPEAKERS.
THERE'S, IT REALLY ALIGNS REALLY, UH, CLOSELY WITH THE RESPONSES.
SO THERE'S LESS THAN A COUPLE OF, UH, PERCENTAGE VARIANCE BETWEEN THOSE RESPONSES.
SO, SPANISH SPEAKERS SAYING THAT IT WAS 52% WAS VERY EASY, UH, AS OPPOSED TO ENGLISH BAKER SAYING 55%.
NEXT SLIDE IN THE AREA OF, UH, WAS IT EASY? WE ASKED THE QUESTION TO IMPLEMENTATION AN OUTREACH PARTNER.
WAS IT EASY TO HELP YOUR CLIENTS? WE DID NOT GET, UH, UH, THE SAME VOLUME OF RESPONSES THAT WE GOT FROM APPLICANTS.
WE ONLY RECEIVED 39 RESPONSES TO THIS QUESTION.
BUT OF THOSE, UH, 13 SAID THAT IT WAS VERY EASY, AND THEN ANOTHER 20 OF THOSE RESPONSES SAID IT WAS SOMEWHAT EASY.
UH, WE HAD A TOTAL OF SIX, UH, RESPONSES THAT WERE EITHER NEUTRAL OR SOMEWHAT HARD, OR VERY HARD.
SO, WE, WE ASKED, UH, APPLICANTS IF THEY WERE ASSISTED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
NOW, THE OVERWHELMING, UH, 74% SAID 3,500, UH, AND 56 RESPONDENTS SAID YES.
SO, IN THE AREA OF RESPONSES BY INCOME LEVEL, THIS SHOWS THE RESPONSES OF, UH, THAT WE RECEIVED FROM EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES OR EACH OF THOSE RESPONDENTS.
UH, SO APPLICANTS PROPERTY MANAGERS, IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS, THIS IS WHAT THEY SELF-IDENTIFIED AS THEIR INCOME AT THE TIME OF, UH, RESPONDING TO THE APPLICATION.
THIS REALLY ALIGNS VERY WELL WITH THE APPLICANTS OR THE AVERAGE A M I FOR APPLICANTS THAT ARE RECEIVING ASSISTANCE.
SO, AS A REMINDER FOR THE 28,000 PLUS HOUSEHOLDS THAT WE'VE ASSISTED WITH, UH, THE PROGRAM SINCE APRIL OF 2020, THE AVERAGE A M I FOR INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING ASSISTANCE IS RIGHT UNDER 30%, 29%.
SO, IN SUMMARY, THE SURVEY, UH, RESULTED IN SEVERAL AREAS, UH, AND WE ASKED WHAT WOULD MAKE THE PROGRAM MORE ACCESSIBLE AND OR HELPFUL FOR THEM.
WE'VE SUMMARIZED THIS IN A TABLE.
UH, WE HEARD FROM APPLICANTS SAYING THAT A CLEAR APPLICATION IS PRO, UH, IS MORE, IS NEEDED, MORE HUMAN ASSISTANCE, UM, MORE EXPOSURE, KEEP UPDATES TO YOUR CASE.
I THINK THAT IS, UH, AND THOSE ARE THE AREAS WHERE WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON, AROUND THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO, PROPERTY OWNERS AND MANAGERS, UH, OBVIOUSLY COMMUNICATION IS STILL A BIG ISSUE.
THEY WANNA BE INFORMED ABOUT THE PROCESS AND THE PROGRAM, UH, PRIMARILY AROUND FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THIS, FOR THIS PROGRAM.
UH, THEY WANT TO MAKE THE PROCESS FASTER IN RECEIVING AND APPROVING, UH, CL UH, APPLICATIONS, ADDITIONAL MARKETING.
UH, THEY ALSO, UH, RECOGNIZE THAT OLDER RESIDENTS LACK COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE.
NOW, IN TERMS OF OUR IMPLEMENTATION AND RE RESEARCH PARTNERS, THEY'VE GIVEN US THAT THE STRUGGLE WITH SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS, UH, SOME APPLICANTS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY.
UH, THE CASH ASSISTANCE WAS PORTION OF THE, UH, PROGRAM WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER.
AND THEN, UH, BEING ABLE TO CHECK THE STATUS, THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS, UH, ALREADY.
UH, SO BEING ABLE TO CHECK SOMEONE'S STATUS, YOU CAN DO THAT NOW ONLINE.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT TAKES INTO, THAT ASSUMES THAT INDIVIDUALS HAVE ACCESS TO A TECHNOLOGY COMPUTER TO DO THAT.
SO, UH, A LITTLE BIT THAT, THAT CONCLUDES KIND OF THE, THE RESPONSES TO THE SURVEY.
WE DID NOT DO ANY ANALYSIS ABOUT THOSE RESPONSES IN TERMS OF, WELL, THIS IS
[01:25:01]
WHAT THIS IS, X MEANS Y WHAT I SHOWED YOU, THERE ARE PURELY RESPONSE TALENT.SO WE SHOWED YOU THE RE THE RESPONSE RATES, AND WE BROKE THAT OUT BY EACH OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WE PROVIDED.
NOW, UH, JUST AS WAVE BACKGROUND, I WANT JUST, UH, GIVE YOU SOME, UH, REMINDER THAT THE PROGRAM WAS CREATED IN APRIL OF 2020 AS A RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
IN AN EFFORT TO CONTINUE TO KEEP PEOPLE HOUSED, UM, WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING REGULAR UPDATES TO CITY COUNCIL THROUGH OUR RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE, UH, PLANNING UPDATES TO THIS COUNCIL COMMISSION, TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION AS WELL.
NOW, ELIGIBILITY FOR APPLICANTS, UH, CONTINUES TO BE, UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A COVID-19 HARDSHIP.
I WANNA REMIND FOLKS THAT THIS PROGRAM IS STILL A COVID-19, UH, EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
YOU HAVE TO INCOME QUALIFYING, AND AT THIS POINT, THE INCOME ELIGIBILITY IS THOSE MAKING LESS THAN 80% OF A M I, UH, YOU HAVE TO, TO BE A CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT.
MOST RE RECENTLY, WE, WE EXPANDED THAT TO BE A BEAR COUNTY RESIDENT FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
SO WE ARE PROVIDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR BEAR COUNTY RESIDENTS OR RESIDENTS THAT ARE LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS WITHIN BEXAR COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, ELMENDORF KIRBY, AREAS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN THE ASSISTANCE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THROUGH THE PROGRAM CURRENTLY IS RENTAL MORTGAGE, UTILITY, AND DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF, UH, DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE FOR GROCERIES, FUEL MEDICINE.
SO, AS OF FEBRUARY 9TH, WE HAVE, UH, APPROVED OVER $72.2 MILLION, 57.5 MILLION OF THAT HAS GONE TO RENTAL MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.
$5.5 MILLION HAS GONE TO C P S ENERGY BILLS, A LITTLE UNDER $1 MILLION OR $900,000 HAS GONE TO WATER BILLS, 300,000 TO INTERNET BILLS, AND $8 MILLION TO INDIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE FOR FOR INDIVIDUAL.
THIS TABLE, UH, AS OF FEBRUARY 9TH, SHOWS YOU THE BREAKOUT BY COUNCIL DISTRICT OF, OF THAT FUNDING.
SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, YOU SEE THE AVERAGE A M I I WILL SAY THAT, UH, AS A REMINDER, THOSE, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE THE AVERAGE ASSISTANCE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THROUGH ALL HOUSEHOLDS IS LESS THAN 30% OF A M I.
UH, THIS SHOWS YOU THE TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, AS WELL AS THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE, TOTAL AMOUNT OF, UH, OF FUNDING APPROVED PER COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THIS IS THE SAME INFORMATION JUST SHOWN IN A DIFFERENT VISUAL FORMAT.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE ACROSS THE, UH, ACROSS THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS, IT SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE LOWEST A M I, UH, AVERAGE THAT WE'RE SEEING FOR A PARTICULAR COUNCIL DISTRICT IS 24.3%.
THE LARGEST, UH, AVERAGE A M I FOR INDIVIDUALS ASSISTED IS RIGHT, 132% OF AREA MEANING INCOME AS DEFINED BY HUD.
SO THIS IS THE TOTAL APPROVED HOUSEHOLDS BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE, UH, 27 77.
UH, WE USED, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE, WE ARE ASSISTING INDIVIDUALS IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT, SOME OF WHICH ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY A LITTLE LARGER THAN OTHERS.
BUT OVER 2,230 IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT, COUNCIL, DISTRICT NINE HERE, I THINK HERE, THE THOUSAND 38, AND THE HIGHEST IS, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO WITH OVER 3,800 INDIVIDUALS.
THIS IS A COMPARISON SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF APPROVAL PER COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO, DISTRICT TWO, UH, COINCIDES WITH THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT WE PROCESSED AND APPROVED IN THAT COUNCIL DISTRICT WITH CLOSE TO 9 MILLION.
UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE IS, UH, RIGHT, 5 MILLION.
SO, AS WAY OF, UH, BACKGROUND, AGAIN, I, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THREE, UH, AND WE ARE LEADING INTO A PHASE FOUR OF THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
PHASE ONES REALLY STARTED WITH THE INITIAL ALLOCATION FROM CITY COUNCIL IN APRIL OF 25.6 MILLION.
PHASE TWO BEGAN, UH, WITH 26.9 MILLION TO OUR CORONAVIRUS OR RELIEF FUNDS.
THAT PHASE STARTED IN JULY OF 2020.
PHASE THREE WAS, UH, THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN, BEGAN IN OCTOBER 1ST, 2020.
IT BEGAN WITH AN ALLOCATION OF COUNCIL WITH $24.2 MILLION.
[01:30:01]
THUS BEEN, UH, EXPANDED.PHASE THREE HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO $34.3 MILLION.
AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN PHASE THREE.
THESE THREE PHASES, UH, ACCOUNT FOR $86.8 MILLION WORTH OF FUNDING THAT WE HAVE FOR DEDICATED TO THE PROGRAM.
AND WE'RE PROPOSING, OR WE ARE ACTUALLY MOVING INTO PHASE FOUR WITH THE ADDITION OF THIS 46.8 MILLION, BRINGING THE TOTAL EAP BUDGET TO HUNDRED 33.6 MILLION.
AS A REMINDER, ON JANUARY 19TH, 2020, THE CITY RECEIVED OUR NOTIFICATION OF THE $46.8 MILLION IN RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE FROM THE US TREASURY.
SO, AS I, UH, BEGAN THE PRESENTATION, AND AS I STARTED OFF, UH, DISPLAY, UH, DESCRIBING SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE TOOK FOR, UH, PROPO CREATING OR PROPOSING THESE AMENDMENTS TO THE PROGRAM, THERE ARE, AND THE CER EAP SURVEY WAS CERTAINLY ONE OF THOSE WITH OVER 7,000 RESPONSES.
THERE ARE ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE'VE TAKEN.
ONE IS, AND OBVIOUSLY ANOTHER, IS THE US TREASURY FUNDING.
I WANNA GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND AROUND THE TREASURY FUNDING.
THAT TREASURY FUNDING IS FOR RENTAL AND OR UTILITY ASSISTANCE ONLY.
UTILITY ASSISTANCE IS MEASURED OR DEFINED AS ENERGY COSTS, UH, ENERGY AND OR WATER COSTS.
SO THAT WOULD BE C P S ENERGY BILL, UH, SOFT WATER BILL, UH, INTERNET IS NOT CONSIDERED AN, UH, A UTILITY FROM THE, UH, FROM THE US TREASURY.
IT'S ONLY FOR INDIVIDUALS MAKING LESS THAN 80% OF THE A M I.
SO THAT, THAT ALIGNS NICELY WITH OUR CURRENT, WITH OUR PROGRAM.
UH, AN ADDITIONAL DETAILS, FUNDS MUST BE PAID DIRECTLY TO LANDLORDS AND OR UTILITY COMPANIES, AND FUNDS MUST BE SPENT BY SEPTEMBER 30TH ON 2021.
SO THERE IS AN EXPIRATION OF, THERE IS AN EXPIRATION ON THESE FUNDS.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, EDWARD, I DIDN'T WANT EDWARD, THIS IS LORI.
I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY FUNDS MUST BE SPENT BY DECEMBER, 2021.
LOOK, I, I, I CAN, I WANNA CLARIFY THAT.
SO WE HAVE, UH, THERE IS A, UH, AN EXPENDITURE BENCHMARK, A SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2021.
NOW, UM, COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN SPENT 60% OR MORE CAN BE EXTENDED TO DECEMBER 30, THE END OF THE YEAR.
BUT IF THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE NOT SPENT MORE THAN 30, UH, SORRY, 60% OF THEIR FUNDS, BY THAT TIME, THEY WOULD BE, UH, THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE GATHERED BACK AND REDISTRIBUTED TO, TO COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE, UH, SPENT MORE THAN THAT 60.
SO THE LIKELIHOOD IS, IF WE WERE TO SPEND THESE FUNDS BEFORE SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2021, THE LIKELIHOOD TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDS IS, IS HIGHLY LIKELY, UH, PROBABLE.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR.
SO YES, OUR EXPENDITURE BENCHMARK IS SEPTEMBER 30TH.
WE, WE KNOW THAT WE WILL, UH, MEET THAT BENCHMARK, UH, PARTNERS, UH, IN ADDITION TO, UH, TO SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS, WE DID TAKE FEEDBACK BACK FROM PARTNERS LIKE DOMESTIC LINAS, COPS, METRO SAGE TRIAL, CATHOLIC CHARITIES, AND SACRED HEART MAYOR, AND CITY COUNCIL, OBVIOUSLY THROUGH, UH, RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY BRIEFINGS.
THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UH, THROUGH OUR, OUR MONTHLY EAP BRIEFINGS, UH, I BELIEVE WE'VE HAD FIVE FORMAL PRESENTATIONS, UH, AND UPDATES ON EAP.
THEY HAVEN'T BEEN EVERY MONTH, BUT THEY HAVE, UH, WE HAVE HAD FIVE PRESENTATIONS SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM, UH, HOUSING COMMISSION THROUGH MONTHLY UPDATES SINCE JUNE OF 2020.
AND THEN, UH, THE MOST RECENT INPUT, UH, THAT WE RECEIVED THROUGH OUR PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS THAT WE RECENTLY HELD EARLIER.
SO I WANNA NOW SHARE SOME OF THE AMENDMENTS,
SO CURRENTLY, THIS IS WHAT OUR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE, UH, PROGRAM, PROGRAM ALLOWANCES, WE CURRENTLY CAN PROVIDE UP TO TWO MONTHS OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE BASED ON E M I, UH, PERIOD, RIGHT? SO WE, AND INDIVIDUALS MAKING LESS THAN 50% OF A M I ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RENTAL AND OR UTILITY ASSISTANCE, AS WELL AS DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE.
THEY'RE, IT'S, WE ARE CAPPING ASSISTANCE AT TWO MONTHS, REGARDLESS OF, UH, UH, TWO MONTHS TOTAL.
REGARDLESS IF YOU'VE GOTTEN THAT TWO MONTHS IN, IN TWO DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS OR IN ONE, ONE APPLICATION, IF WE PROCESS A THIRD, INDIVIDUALS REQUIRING A THIRD MONTH ARE GIVEN A ONE-TIME CASH GRANT OF 500.
SO WHAT IS OUR PROPOSAL? OUR PROPOSAL IS TO INCREASE THE ALLOWANCE FROM TWO MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE TO UP TO SIX MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE THAT CAN BE USED IN COMBINATION OF ARREARS CURRENT MONTH'S RENT, AND
[01:35:01]
ONE FUTURE MONTH.WE ARE, UH, RECOMMENDING TO CONTINUE WITH HAVING A TIERED APPROACH WITH THOSE MAKING LESS THAN 50% OF A M I HAVING A, A RICHER, UH, BENEFIT OR BEING ELIGIBLE FOR RICHER BENEFIT, WHICH MEANS US RENTAL AND OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE SAW CPS AND, AND INTERNET, AND THEN THOSE MAKING BETWEEN 51% AND 80% OF OUR A M I GETTING THE RENTAL AND OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE FOR SIX MONTHS, THEY WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR SAW OR UTILITY AND OR INTERNET ASSISTANCE.
WE ARE, I WANNA POINT OUT IN THIS CHART, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THE ELIMINATION OF CASH, CASH ASSISTANCE, UH, AND WE FEEL THAT WE CAN, UH, ADDRESS THAT TO OUR REFERRAL SYSTEM.
NOW, THERE'S TWO REASONS BEHIND THAT.
ONE, UH, THE $46.8 MILLION FROM THE US TREASURY IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THAT.
DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE IS NOT AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE.
UH, AND NUMBER TWO, OUR PARTNER THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE TO ADMINISTER THAT HAS RECENTLY REACHED OUT TO US AND TOLD US THAT, UH, THEY CANNOT CONTINUE THE RELATIONSHIP.
UH, FOR NOW, I'LL TELL YOU THEY'VE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER UP TO THIS POINT.
WE HAVE, WE INITIALLY STARTED IN APRIL WITH A $2 MILLION, UH, AGREEMENT.
WE EXPANDED THAT AGREEMENT SEVERAL TIMES AS WE'VE INCREASED THE FUNDING TO THE PROGRAM, AND THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO, UH, HELP ADMINISTER UP TO $8 MILLION OF
SO, IN THE AREA OF THE IMPROVED REFERRAL SYSTEM, UH, AND WE HEARD FROM THE
WE ARE NOT DOING A GREAT JOB CONNECTING PEOPLE TO BENEFITS THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING OUTSIDE OF, UH, THOSE SERVICES.
SO BENEFITS LIKE SNAP ENROLLMENT, UH, WE ARE GETTING REFERRALS OR WE'RE HEARING FROM, UH, APPLICANTS THAT THEY NEED JOB TRAINING, THEY NEED PET CARE SUPPLIES, THEY NEED FOOD, THEY NEED TRANSPORTATION.
IF THEY'RE A SENIOR, MAYBE THEY NEED COMMODITIES.
AND WE ARE PROPOSING TO IMPROVE THAT REFERRAL SYSTEM IN COORDINATION WITH OUR UNION SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
THEY HAVE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON STAFF THAT PROVIDE THAT BENEFIT NAVIGATION.
WE FEEL THAT IT'S A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH.
SO IF SOMEBODY IS ASKING FOR A FOOD, THEY'RE HUNGRY, WE CAN, THOSE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS CAN CONNECT THEM TO SNAP BENEFITS.
SO THEY GET A MONTHLY STIPEND OR A MONTHLY SUBSIDY, AND THEY'RE ENROLLED IN THAT PROGRAM.
IF THEY'RE A SENIOR AND THEY NEED FOOD, THEN MAYBE THEY GET ENROLLED INTO, UH, THE MONTHLY COMMODITIES PROGRAM.
NOW, THE ENHANCEMENT WOULD BE WE ARE AT, WE'RE ADDING, WE'RE RECOMMENDING, UH, ADDING FIVE MORE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS TO SPECIFICALLY TAKE REFERRALS FROM, UH, THE EAP PROGRAM.
THOSE REFERRALS WOULD COME FROM OUR APPLICATION SYSTEM ITSELF.
SO WE'RE ENHANCING OUR PRO, UH, OUR ONLINE PORTAL TO ACCEPT, UH, OR TO CAPTURE REFERRALS OUTSIDE OF THE REQUEST FOR RENTAL AND OUR MORTGAGE SYSTEMS. AND WE WOULD ALSO BE MAKING REFERRALS FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CALLING OUR CALL CENTER.
SO IF SOMEBODY WAS TO CALL OUR CALL CENTER AND SAY, LOOK, UH, THANK YOU.
I'VE BEEN HELPED WITH RENTAL AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE, THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE ON MY APPLICATION, BUT DO YOU KNOW WHERE I CAN GET, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SUPPLIES, THOSE INDIVIDUALS WOULD BE ABLE TO, WE ARE GONNA TAKE THAT REFERRAL AND MAKE A WARM HANDOFF TO OUR HUMAN SERVICES BENEFIT NAVIGATORS SO THEY CAN GET THAT HOLISTIC APPROACH OUTSIDE AND CONNECT THEM TO SERVICES OUTSIDE OF RENTAL, MORTGAGE AND UTILITIES.
THE SECOND AREA, OR THE THIRD, I'M SORRY, THE THIRD AREA IN TERMS OF OUR, UH, RECOMMENDED AMENDMENT, UH, IS TO ENHANCE OUR APPLICATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UH, THROUGH THE PRE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION AS WELL AS, UH, SURVEY RESULTS THAT I PROVIDED EARLIER IN MY PRESENTATION, WE ARE SEEING THAT THERE ARE, ARE STILL, UH, CHALLENGES WITH THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, STILL HAVE ACCESS, UH, LACK ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, AS WELL AS LACK ACCESS TO BEING ABLE TO CAPTURE DOCUMENTATION THAT'S NEEDED TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR US.
SO WE'RE PROPOSING TO, TO HELP AND, AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE IN PAST AND EXPAND THEIR ROLE AND CHANGE THEIR ROLE A LITTLE BIT.
SO, UH, OUR OUTREACH PARTNERS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB WITH OUTREACH.
THEY'RE GETTING TO THOSE HARD TO MEET PLACES OR HARD TO REACH LOCATIONS AND AREAS.
UH, THEY'RE GETTING TO OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, THEY'RE GETTING TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT, THAT MAY NOT HAVE, HAVE ACCESS TO TELEVISION OR, OR RESOURCES TO SEE THE MARKETING OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO IS MAKE THEM REFERRAL AGENTS, RIGHT? SO IF WE WERE TO GET AN INDIVIDUAL THAT CALLS OUR CALL CENTER AND THEY ARE
[01:40:01]
HAVING TROUBLE SUBMITTING AN ONLINE APPLICATION FOR LACK OF ACCESS, WE WOULD CONNECT THEM TO ONE OF OUR CONTRACTED PROVIDERS, AND THOSE PROVIDERS WOULD DO THE LEGWORK TO GET THAT APPLICATION INTO OUR SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN PROCESS THAT QUICKLY.WE DO A REALLY GREAT JOB PROCESSING, UM, BUT WE WOULD NEED TO IMPROVE ON IS HELPING PEOPLE ACTUALLY APPLY.
AND THAT WOULD MEAN THEY WOULD BE NAVIGATORS FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
WE WOULD CREATE, UH, WE WOULD MAKE REFERRALS TO THEM, AND THEN WE WOULD CONS, UH, COMPENSATE THOSE AGENCIES FOR HELPING US PROVIDE THAT APPLICATION.
THEY WOULD BE THEIR DIRECT, UH, NAVIGATORS FOR THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
SO THEY WOULD ENSURE THAT THAT APPLICATION MAKES IT INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND THEN THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CHECKING ON, UH, THE PROGRESS OF THAT APPLICATION THROUGHOUT THE CLASSES.
SO, UH, THEY CAN GO ONTO OUR ONLINE SYSTEM AND LOOK UP THE, UH, WHERE THEY, WHERE THEY ARE IN THE PROGRESS, AND THEN MAKE THOSE, UH, CONTACTS BACK TO THOSE FAMILIES AND, AND, AND SHARE THAT INFORMATION.
SO THAT'S THE THIRD AREA, AND THAT'S THE THIRD, UH, ENHANCEMENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT PROVIDING.
SO IN TERMS OF, UH, HOUSING COMMISSION FEEDBACK, WE, WE MENTIONED THAT WE, WE PRESENTED THIS ON THE 27TH TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION, THESE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH IS TO EXPAND THE ALLOWANCES PER MONTH FOR ASSISTANCE.
THE SECOND WAS TO IMPROVE OUR REFERRAL SYSTEM, AND THE THIRD WAS TO IMPROVE OUR APPLICATION PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR THOSE THAT MAY HAVE DIGITAL DIVIDE ISSUES.
NOW, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WAS IN TERMS OF THE REFERRAL SYSTEM WAS IT MUST BE EMBEDDED INTO THE ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESSING TALK CENTER, AND WE HAVE OUR INTENT TO DO THAT.
UH, WE WOULD ADD THESE FIVE ADDITIONAL BENEFIT NAVIGATORS TO HELP EXPAND HUMAN SERVICES SUPPORT FOR THIS.
THEY WOULD ALSO PERFORM AN, UH, AN ASSESSMENT FOR EACH REFERRAL RECEIVED, AND IF NEEDED, THEY COULD CONNECT PEOPLE TO THOSE, UH, NEEDED SERVICES LIKE, UH, FOOD STAMPS AND STANDARDS.
IN THE AREA OF CASH ASSISTANCE, THAT'S, THIS WAS AN AREA THAT, UH, THE HOUSING COMMISSION ASKED ABOUT.
UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE IS NOT ELIGIBLE UNDER THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES FOR RECENTLY AWARDED 46.8 MILLION FOR THE TREASURY.
AND, UH, I SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE PARTNER.
THEY'RE RETURNING TO THEIR PRIMARY MISSION TO FACILITATE FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE THROUGH FINANCIAL COUNSELING AND MENTORSHIP.
SO THEIR SUPPORT STRUCTURE IS MORE LONG TERM.
SO THEY'RE WANTING TO WORK WITH A SMALLER AMOUNT OF FAMILIES FOR A LONGER TERM PERIOD, AS OPPOSED TO THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES THAT WE'VE TURNED, UH, WE'VE ASKED THEM TO HELP US WITH.
AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, UH, FOR A VERY SHORT ONE-TIME ASSISTANCE.
NO, I WAS, JUST GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE.
EDWARD, YOU NEED TO GO OVER IT.
UH, SO CASH ASSISTANCE REMAINS A NEED FOR FAMILIES.
UH, THE, THE PROPOSAL PROPOSED REFERRAL SYSTEM WILL CONNECT INDIVIDUALS TO LONG-TERM BE BENEFITS THAT WILL HELP WITH FOOD SECURITY.
I WANNA EMPHASIZE THIS IS WHAT THE NAVIGATORS WOULD NEED FROM HUMAN SERVICES.
THEY'RE GONNA CONNECT TO JOB TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, CHILDCARE RESOURCES, UH, AND OTHER SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.
NOW, THEY USE A SYSTEM, UH, UH, UH, AN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM THAT IS A REFERRAL BASED SYSTEM THAT MULTIPLE AGENCIES ARE PART OF.
SO THEY HAVE AGENCIES, UH, THAT TRADITIONAL AGENCIES THAT MAY NOT BE AS TRADITIONAL AS THE FOOD BANK OR, UH, CHILDCARE SYSTEM.
MAYBE ANY BABY CAN IS PART OF THAT.
SO THERE'S DELEGATE AGENCIES THAT ARE PART OF THIS REFERRAL SYSTEM THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO.
AND AS THEY TRIAGE INDIVIDUALS FOR ASSISTANCE, THEY'RE ABLE TO CONNECT THEM TO THOSE RESOURCES.
THIS GROUP OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ARE WAITING FOR REFERRALS, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE IN THE CLOUD AND THEY'RE SAYING, OKAY, I HAVE THE ASSISTANCE THAT I, UH, PROVIDE AS AGENCY A AND WHEN I SEE A REFERRAL INTO THAT SYSTEM, THEY'LL GRAB IT AND TAKE THAT REFERRAL AND SEE IT FROM BEGINNING TO END WITH ASSISTANCE FROM OUR NAVIGATOR.
NOW, IN TERMS OF CASH ASSISTANCE, UH, WE, THEY WILL, IT WILL STILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE ON A VERY, UH, AS NEEDED BASIS.
AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE TO TRIAGE.
SO THROUGH THIS BENEFIT NAVIGATION, EVERY FAMILY MEMBER AND EVERY FAMILY THAT WE REFER WILL BE TRIAGED.
AND IF THEY NEED A GIFT CARD FOR GROCERIES OR A GIFT CARD FOR GAS, THEY WOULD BE PROVIDED.
SO, UH, ANOTHER AREA THAT WAS PRE PRESENTED AS WELL AS, UH, THE PRESENTATION THIS MORNING, UH,
[01:45:01]
BEFORE MY PRESENTATION, AND THEN THE HOUSE COMMISSION IS ADDITIONAL DATA ANALYSIS NEEDED.SO AS I MENTIONED THIS MORNING IN MY PRESENTATION, WE PROVIDED REALLY THE TALLIES AND THE FACTS AND SUMMARIZED SOME OF THOSE TALLIES WHERE YOU TOOK THIS MORNING.
IN EACH OF THOSE, UH, EACH OF THOSE AREAS, UH, WE PERFORM A GRAPHICALLY.
WE SHOWED THE RESPONSES TO EACH OF THOSE QUANTITATIVE QUESTIONS AND SOME SAMPLES OF SOME OF THE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS.
UM, THAT ANALYSIS THAT WAS PROVIDED WAS REALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF DATA, 7,000 RESPONDENTS.
WE PROVIDED A REPORT AND WE ALSO ATTACHED THAT REPORT THAT WE PROVIDED TO THE HOUSE COMMISSION, TO YOUR SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENTS THAT ARE RECEIVED FOR THIS, UH, PROJECT.
SO IT'S AN ONGOING, UH, ANALYSIS.
WE, WE, WE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO DO ANALYSIS AROUND THAT DATA AND CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE PROGRAM AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO I DID WANNA, UH, SPEND SOME TIME, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE TEXAS RENTAL RELIEF PROGRAM.
I THINK, UH, ALL OF US GOT A, A TWITTER, UH, NOTIFICATION THIS WEEK ABOUT A NEW PROGRAM THAT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, UH, ANNOUNCED RECENTLY.
THEY ANNOUNCED THAT THIS WEEK, THAT PROGRAM IS A $1.3 BILLION EMERGENCY RENTAL AND ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
NOW, THEY ARE GOING TO BEGIN TO TAKE AND ACCEPT APPLICATIONS STARTING NEXT MONDAY.
UM, APPLICATIONS CAN BE TAKEN FROM LANDLORDS AND TENANTS.
ALL BEXAR COUNTY RESIDENTS, OR ALL RESIDENTS OF, UH, THE STATE OF TEXAS ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THIS MONDAY.
UH, WE WANTED TO, TO, TO SHARE, OR I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THIS COUNCIL COMMITTEE THAT, UM, THIS DOESN'T PRECLUDE ANYONE THAT WE'RE HELPING TO APPLY FOR THIS AS WELL.
SO IF, UH, AS AN EXAMPLE, IF SOMEBODY THAT WE'VE HELPED WITH ASSISTANCE, UH, OR, OR WE DO HELP IN THE FUTURE WITH THE SIX MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE, IT AS PROPOSED, IF IT IS APPROVED, THEY CAN ALSO APPLY FOR STATE FUNDING AND VICE VERSA, THEY CAN APPLY FOR THE STATE FUNDING FIRST.
NOW, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY COME TO THE CITY FIRST, UH, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE DOING A REALLY GREAT JOB AND WE'VE SHOWED, UH, PROGRESS TO, UH, PROCESSING APPLICATION AND AFTER THE CITY ASSISTANCE, AND THEY CAN GO TO THE STATE FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE.
NOW, IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE OFFERING, UH, PAST DUE READ.
SO APPLICANTS ARE RE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PASS DUE RENT CURRENT AND UP TO THREE MONTHS OF EXPECTED RENT UTILITIES AND ARE HOME ENERGY COSTS.
AFTER THEIR INITIAL THREE MONTHS OF AFFORD ASSISTANCE, UH, INDIVIDUALS ARE ABLE TO APPLY FOR ADDITIONAL MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE.
NOW, ONE THING THAT WE, I, I, UH, I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH ON THIS IS THAT A RESIDENT CANNOT APPLY FOR THE SAME TIME PERIOD OF ASSISTANCE.
SO, UH, AS AN EXAMPLE, IF YOU, IF A RESIDENT IS APPLYING FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FOR, FOR BENEFIT FOR APRIL OF 2021, THEY CANNOT APPLY AND RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS FOR APRIL.
SO THERE CANNOT BE, WE CANNOT PROVIDE THE SAME ASSISTANCE FOR THE SAME TIME PERIOD, BUT IF WE CAN HELP SOMEBODY IN APRIL AND THE STATE HELPS SOMEBODY, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT I CLARIFY.
AND EDWARD, WHAT THAT MEANS IS SOMEBODY COULD GO FOR SIX MONTHS FROM THE CITY AND GET AN ADDITIONAL THREE MONTHS, SO AT LEAST NINE MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE, AND THEN POTENTIALLY ANOTHER THREE MONTHS IF THERE'S FUNDING STILL AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE FOR A TOTAL OF POTENTIALLY 12 MONTHS.
SO IN TERMS OF TIMELINE AND NEXT STEPS, SO, UH, AGAIN, WE'VE BRIEFED THE, UH, THESE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION ON THE 27TH.
AND, AND I SHARED YOUR, UH, THE FEEDBACK WITH YOU TODAY.
WE'VE HAD A PUBLIC COMMENT, VIRTUAL MEETING.
WE HELD A VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENT MEETING ON FEBRUARY 9TH.
THOSE COMMENTS WERE, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE, UH, THERE WERE VERY POSITIVE IN NATURE.
I THINK, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMENTS WERE AROUND CONTINUING THE PROGRAM, NOT NECESSARILY DETAILS AROUND, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT MORE ABOUT CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THE FAMILIES IN SAN ANTONIO COUNTY.
UM, TODAY WE'RE BRIEFING DISCOUNTS COMMITTEE, AND WE'RE HOPING, UH, AND WE WILL TAKE THIS TO, UH, CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION, UH, WITH YOUR APPROVAL ON FEBRUARY 18TH.
SO, ACTION REQUESTED TODAY, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS COUNCIL FOR PROCUREMENT IS TO EXTEND THE TERM OF ELIGIBILITY FROM TWO MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE TO SIX MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE RENTAL MORTGAGE AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE, PROVIDE, UH, C P S SOLVES AND INTERNET, VARIOUS INTERNET PROVIDERS, UH, BUT ELIMINATE THE CASH GRANT AND THEN TO APPROVE THE IMPLEMENTATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPROVED REFERRAL AND APPLICATION
[01:50:01]
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU, UH, FOR PROVIDING MY OFFICE WITH, UH, SEVERAL BRIEFINGS.
UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS, UH, SPEAKING ON THIS ITEM? YES, SIR.
UM, OUR FIRST CITIZEN SPEAKING ON ITEM UM, THREE SHOULD BE, UM, CANDACE, DIETRICH, CARLOS, DO WE HAVE PEOPLE QUEUED IN THE WAITING ROOM READY TO SPEAK AS WE HAVE CANDICE READY TO GO? CANDACE, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT ON MUTE, PLEASE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME, MS. DIETRICH? HI.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, MA'AM.
UM, MY COMMENT IS ON ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION ON EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.
UM, I SUPPORT THE CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MONTHS FROM TWO TO SIX OR EVEN MORE.
UM, THE PROGRAM SHOULD ALLOW FOR RENTERS TO APPLY FOR FUNDS TO COVER ALL PAST DUE RENT TO CATCH UP, PLUS BE ELIGIBLE FOR THREE ADDITIONAL MONTHS AS AN ONSITE STAFF MEMBER.
UM, WITH A FEW DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH IN THE PAST YEAR, I'VE, YOU KNOW, SEEN A FEW PEOPLE THAT, UM, HAVE GONE THROUGH A LOT.
SO, BEING ONSITE, OF COURSE, WE CARE SO MUCH ABOUT OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR RESIDENTS AND WATCHING, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHAT THEY'VE JUST GONE THROUGH, THROUGH COVID, THEIR JOBS GETTING LOST.
UM, WE'VE HAD A FEW PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN OUT OF WORK FOR THREE, FOUR, OR FIVE PLUS MONTHS.
UM, SOME OF WHO ARE LOOKING FOR WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY, THE, JUST THE STRESS AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE UNDER TRYING TO CATCH UP.
AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOTTEN SOME ASSISTANCE WAS, IT WAS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, COVERED THE TWO MONTHS, BUT THEN THEY WERE STILL BEHIND.
UM, AND SOMETIMES WHEN THEY APPLY, THEY GET THAT COVERAGE, AND THEN THEY'RE STILL BEHIND.
BY THE TIME WE GET THE CHECK, THEY'RE STILL ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO BEHIND, EVEN IF THEY WERE ONLY AT TWO MONTHS.
UM, AND IT'S JUST THE, THE STRESS, BASICALLY THE THEY'RE UNDER.
AND THEN SOME OF, SOME OF THE PEOPLE I HAVE TALKED TO HAVE ALSO, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTED COVID AND ENDED UP, UM, HAVING OTHER HEALTH ISSUES ARISE FROM CONTRACTING THAT.
AND SO THEY ARE WORKING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEIR LIFE IS GONNA CONTINUE AT THIS POINT, WHILE ALSO DEALING WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.
SO, I, I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS THAT.
UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, PUT MY POINT OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALSO SEEN HOMEOWNERS WHO'VE BEEN UNABLE TO PAY THEIR MORTGAGES, UM, WHO DO RENT OUT PROPERTIES AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT, UM, GOTTEN THE FUNDS EITHER.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE OUT WHILE THEY THEMSELVES DO NOT HAVE THAT GOING ON.
AND SO, UM, AGAIN, I'M JUST, I'M IN FAVOR OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF MONTHS AND PROPOSE POTENTIALLY DOING ALL OF THE PAST DUE RENTAL AMOUNTS, AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL THREE MONTHS AS WELL.
AND THAT IS ALL I WANTED TO SAY, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MIKE RUST.
MIKE RUST, CAN YOU HEAR US PLEASE? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU.
I WORK FOR A HOUSING PROVIDER IN THE CITY.
WE PROVIDE, UH, WHAT'S CALLED WORKFORCE OR, UH, YOU KNOW, NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY.
WE HAVE APARTMENTS AND SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
UH, WE'VE HAD A VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH THE CITY, UM, THROUGH THE EAP FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
UH, OUR STAFF, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED EMPLOYEES, AND THEY DID A GREAT JOB.
AND THEY WERE THE GAP, THEY BRIDGED THE GAP BETWEEN THE CITY'S OUTREACH AND OUR, AND OUR RESIDENTS WHO, WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO RECEIVE THAT BY, YOU KNOW, GOING OUT INTO THE, OUR COMMUNITIES, FINDING OUR RESIDENTS AND HELPING THEM APPLY.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE DO THAT EVEN DURING THE PANDEMIC.
YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, OUR PEOPLE DIDN'T STOP COMING TO WORK.
THEY WERE THERE TO HELP OUR CUSTOMERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, TO, TO MR. GONZALEZ'S POINT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE WITH, WITH COVID AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HELP THAT THE CITY PROVIDED WHILE, UM, SUBSTANTIAL AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WELL RECEIVED, UM, NOT ENOUGH.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THERE ARE OTHER PROGRAMS OUT THERE, AND I THINK THIS SPEAKS TO THE POINT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN ASKED ABOUT THAT WAS IN THE PRESENTATION ABOUT LANDLORDS ACCEPTING, UM, YOU
[01:55:01]
KNOW, CHECKS FROM THE CITY ON BEHALF OF THEIR CUSTOMERS OR THE RESIDENTS.AND THEN STILL EVICTING, YOU KNOW, TWO CLARIFICATIONS THERE.
ONE IS THAT IF THE RENT HAS BEEN PAID, YOU CAN'T EVICT FOR NONPAYMENT OF RENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S STILL A JUDGE THAT TO LOOK AT THAT.
AND, AND THE SECOND IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM, UM, THAT'S OUT THERE THAT REQUIRES YOU TO FILE FOR EVICTION IN ORDER TO GET THE RESIDENT IN LINE FOR THAT ASSISTANCE.
AND SO, TO, TO CANDACE'S POINT RIGHT BEFORE THIS, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THE CITY MONEY WASN'T ENOUGH TO COMPLETELY GET PEOPLE, UH, CAUGHT BACK UP.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HELP THEM FIND THE OTHER ASSISTANCE THAT'S OUT THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT PRESENTATION THAT, THAT YOU, THAT YOU HEARD EARLIER, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT EITHER MISREPRESENTED OR MISUNDERSTOOD, YOU KNOW, KNOW THE EVICTION PROCESS AND WHAT THAT IS, BUT YOU, THERE IS A PERVERSE INCENTIVE IN THE EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM, UM, THAT REQUIRES US TO FILE.
AND ANY KIND OF STRING THAT COMES WITH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY PROGRAM THAT PREVENTS THAT, REALLY WHAT THAT DOES IS IT JUST PUTS A WALL BETWEEN OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR RESIDENTS, AND, UH, THE OTHER ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED.
SO I, I URGE, UH, THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THOSE KIND OF INCENTIVES, THOSE KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, TERTIARY EFFECTS OF THESE PROGRAMS AND ANY STRINGS THAT YOU ATTACH TO THEM AND WHAT, WHAT EFFECT THAT MIGHT HAVE ON, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT WERE, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HELP.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT, UM, ALSO SPEAKS TO COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY'S POINT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, INDUSTRY REALLY SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THAT GROUP BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S SOME, SOME FACTS THAT AREN'T GETTING OUT THERE.
THERE'S, THERE'S A SINGLE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE DESIRE FOR EQUITY, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT SHOULD COME AT THE EXPENSE OF PRODUCING GOOD POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID IN THAT, IN THAT PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, WERE PRETTY, PRETTY APPALLING TO, TO SLANDER A ENTIRE INDUSTRY AS, AS GREEDY SEXUAL ABUSERS, UH, WAS TOUGH TO LISTEN TO.
UM, BUT I THINK MY TIME'S UP AND, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, TERRY BILBY.
TERRY, CAN YOU HEAR US PLEASE? TERRY BILBY.
CARLOS, DO WE HAVE TERRY BILBY UP NEXT? YES, SHE'S ON THE LINE.
HELLO, MS. BILBY, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES IF YOU'LL PROCEED.
ON BEHALF OF THE ROUGHLY 400,000 SAN ANTONIO RENTERS LIVING IN RENTAL HOUSING, OWNED AND MANAGED BY SAN ANTONIO PARK ASSOCIATION MEMBERS, I FIRST WANNA THANK THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE FAIR HOUSING TEAM FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK ON BEHALF OF RENTERS OF DISTRESS.
AND FOR LISTENING TO THE EXPERIENCES AND INSIGHTS OFFERED BY ALL STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING APPLICANTS PROPERTY OWNERS AND MANAGERS AND FACILITATORS OF AID DISTRIBUTION, WE SUPPORT AND APPLAUD THE CITY STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS OF SIGNIFICANCE TO SUPPORT THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM IN MEETING THE HOUSING NEEDS IN OUR CITY.
FIRST, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THERE ARE RENTERS IN NEED WHO WILL NOT BE HELPED ENOUGH TO AVOID DISPLACEMENT FOR NONPAYMENT OF RENT.
WE KNOW THERE ARE RENTERS WHO HAVE ALREADY MAXED OUT FROM THE PREVIOUS ASSISTANCE AT THREE MONTHS AND WERE UNABLE TO PAY GOING FORWARD AND ARE STILL BEHIND ON RENT.
THEY'LL MAX OUT THE DUE ADDITIONAL THREE MONTHS AND WILL STILL NOT BE SAFE FROM EVICTION FOR NONPAYMENT, WHICH OF COURSE, IS WHAT WE ALL WANT TO AVOID TO ACHIEVE THE INTENDED GOAL.
WE BELIEVE THE CITY SHOULD ALLOW A RENTER TO HAVE ALL PAST DUE RENT CAUGHT UP, PLUS BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL THREE MONTHS, OR BE ELIGIBLE FOR NEW ASSISTANCE OF SIX MONTHS IF THE RENTER IS NEWLY IMPACTED BY COVID.
UM, AS WAS REPORTED EARLIER, THE STATE IS ALLOWING PAYMENT OF PAST DUE AND THEIR ASSISTANCE, AND WE THINK THE CITY SHOULD, TOO, THAT BEST HELPS PROTECT.
SECONDLY, AS THE APARTMENT SERVING RESULTS CLEARLY SHOW SAN ANTONIO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS MAKE UP THE MAJORITY OF APARTMENT OWNERS SERVING RENTERS SERVED BY EAB TO PRESERVE THE VITAL HOUSING SUPPLY, THE SELF-EMPLOYED CITIZENS CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
WE AND THE CITY MUST HELP THEM REMAIN IN THE RENTAL HOUSING BUSINESS AS THEY MANAGE INCREASED COSTS AND CASH FLOW SHORTAGES DUE TO COVID.
WE ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO RECOGNIZE THEM AS KEY CONSTITUENTS WHO DESERVE PROTECTION AND WHO CAN PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING RESIDENTS IF THEY ARE PROPERLY SUPPORTED IN THE HEAP APPLICATION PROCESS.
THESE OWNERS NEED TIMELY ACCESS TO INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR RESIDENCE APPLICATION STATUS.
SO THEY KNOW RENTAL INCOME WILL BE COMING BEFORE THEY MAKE CRITICAL DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS VIABILITY WITHOUT ANY CERTAINTY, EAP WILL HELP THEM STAY IN THE RENTAL HOUSING BUSINESS.
ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES POINTED OUT IN THE STUDY RESULTS IS THAT IMPROVED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND RENTER, THE RENTER SEEKING ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED AND CRITICAL TO ENSURING RENTERS IN NEED KNOW THEIR APPLICATION STATUS.
RENTAL HOUSING PROVIDERS STAND READY TO HELP YOU BRIDGE THAT COMMUNICATION GAP AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.
WE THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.
THOSE ARE OUR SPEAKERS FOR ITEM THREE.
[02:00:06]
I THANK YOU'RE ON MUTE, SIR.UM, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL OF COMMENTS STARTING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GERRA.
OF COURSE, THE COMPUTER OR THE, IT'S ACTING A LITTLE WEIRD, SO I'M GONNA TRY AND TALK FAST THROUGH THIS RIGHT NOW.
UM, FIRST THANK YOU VERY MUCH EDWARD FOR THAT VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
I'M GLAD YOU HAD ENOUGH WATER TO DRINK, UH, BY GOING THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALSO ADDRESSING T D H C A.
UM, I THINK MY QUESTION IS, SO THE CASH ASSISTANCE, SO YOU ARE SAYING TO ELIMINATE THE CASH ASSISTANCE OR TO DO IT WITH A GIFT CARD INSTEAD, THAT WOULD, EVEN IF WE ELIMINATE THE CASH ASSISTANCE, WE WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO GIVE SOME A RELIEF WITH A GIFT CARD.
UM, COUNCILWOMAN, SO WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS WE ELIMINATE THAT AS OF RIGHT CASH ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
IF THE TENANT SAYS THEY STILL NEED ASSISTANCE OTHER THAN WHAT'S PROVIDED THROUGH RENTAL AND UTILITY, WE REFER THEM TO A BENEFITS NAVIGATOR WHO LOOKS AT ALL OF THESE SERVICES.
IT DOES AN ASSESSMENT AND IF IT'S DETERMINED THEY NEED CASH, WE CAN PROVIDE A GIFT CARD.
BUT IT'LL BE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THEM ENROLLED IN A, A MONTHLY FOOD PROGRAM, GET 'EM ENROLLED IN SNAP, GET 'EM ENROLLED IN CHILDCARE.
BUT IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THROUGH THE OTHER SERVICES WE HAVE ACCESS TO, WE CAN GIVE THEM THE GIFT CARD GIFT.
UM, SO THAT GIVES US, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF DOING A ONE MONTH, YOU KNOW, FIX, IT'S A LONG-TERM FIX.
UM, AND I AM IN FAVOR OF AS, AS MUCH AS WE CAN EXTEND THIS ASSISTANCE FOR THEM TO GO TO SIX MONTHS AND THEN LOOK AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH HELPING WITH THE RELIEF FROM THE STATE.
THOSE DOLLARS, WE HAVE TO DO THAT 'CAUSE THIS IS GOING ON FOR SO LONG AND PEOPLE ARE STILL NOT GETTING BACK TO THEIR JOBS.
AND EVEN IF THEY DO GET BACK TO THEIR JOBS, UM, ARE THEY GOING IN AT THE SAME HOURS? ARE THEY GETTING PAID ENOUGH? I, I MEAN, SO MANY DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.
SO I THINK IF WE CAN EXPAND IT, UH, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT, UM, RECOMMENDATION AND THANK YOU EDWARD, FOR SHOWING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT SURVEY RESULTS AND THAT IS A LOT OF PARTICIPATION OF APPLICANTS.
THAT WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE TO TALK TO.
SO, OF THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS IN, UM, I'M NOT, LET ME CHECK WHAT SLIDE THAT WAS IN THE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WHO WENT THROUGH THE SURVEY, NOT ALL OF THEM PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY ONE.
HOW MANY DO WE HAVE? I SAW THE NUMBER HERE.
SO IS IT JUST THE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE AND NOT ALL OF THEM PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY.
SO WE, FOR THAT, FOR UH, I'M SORRY, LEMME GO TO THE SLIDE HERE.
SO FOR THIS QUESTION WE HAD 30, 40 RESPONSES FROM, UH, AND IAN CAN PROBABLY HELP ME IN TERMS OF, UH, OF THE NUMBER OF UNIQUE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE REPRESENTED.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE ABOUT SIX CORE AGENCIES THAT WE CURRENTLY WORK WITH AND CONTRACT WITH.
SO THOSE ARE THE DOMESTIC AS THAT'S COPS METRO, THAT'S CATHOLIC CHARITIES, THAT'S ALSO, UH, SAGE, UH, ON THE, SO THO I CAN'T TELL YOU AT THIS POINT, UH, WHO OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS ACTUALLY APPLIED, BUT PEOPLE FROM THOSE ORGANIZATIONS OR CASE MANAGERS, WE HAD 39 RESPONDENTS.
UM, COUPLE OF THINGS ON SLIDE NUMBER 19.
UH, I DO THINK THIS IS GREAT FEEDBACK AND I THINK IT ALSO SPEAKS TO WHEN WE'RE ALL, UH, PARTICIPATING, WE CAN GET GREAT FEEDBACK AND A LOT OF IT ALIGNS WITH ONE ANOTHER, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE MORE HUMAN HELP.
SO UNDER THE COLUMN WHERE IT SAYS MORE PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER, DOES THAT MEAN THE SAME THING? THEY WANT MORE HUMANS TO HELP AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.
UH, SOME OF IT IS AROUND HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE JUST HELP IN EVERY AREA POSSIBLE? HOW DO WE HELP ME, ME AS A RESIDENT APPLYING FOR THE ASSISTANCE? SO WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT THROUGH OUR RECOMMENDATION.
[02:05:01]
AND THEN HOW DO WE HELP WITH GETTING ME THE ANSWERS WHEN I CALL THE CALL CENTER, HOW, UH, WHERE'S MY APPLICATION? LIKE HOW, WHERE IS THIS AT? MM-HMM.AND THEN, UM, ALSO THE ITEM WHERE IT SAYS TO BE ABLE TO SELF-CHECK STATUS, SELF-CHECK STATUS, OR KEEP UP TO DATE ON YOUR CASE, I THINK THAT'S A LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION.
AND THEN TO, TO YOUR POINTS AND ALSO THE, THE, UH, POINTS MADE BEFORE GIVE US THE WHY IF THEY'RE NOT ACCEPTED OR IF THEY ARE REJECTED TO A Y WHY DO WE HAVE THAT? UM, WHY DIDN'T WE GET IT? BECAUSE AS I'M LOOKING, UM, ON SLIDE NUMBER 20, OH, WHAT SLIDE IS THAT? WELL, AS, AS I'M LOOKING AT THE, I GUESS IT'S SLIDE 22, THE ONE I'M LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT 30 HAD 3,278 APPROVED HOUSEHOLD DISTRICT EIGHT HAD 3,276 HOUSEHOLD APPROVED.
BUT THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS IS VERY DIFFERENT.
SO EDWARD, I DON'T WANT TO MISSPEAK, BUT IS THAT BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH THE RENT IS THE DIFFERENCE OF RENT? THAT'S CORRECT.
IT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE AMOUNT OF EITHER RENT AND OUR MORTGAGES.
UH, I DON'T HAVE THE BREAKDOWN BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, BUT UH, THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE THE FACTOR.
UM, SO I AM, AND YES, TO EXPAND BENEFITS NAVIGATION, WE NEED MORE OPTIONS.
SO I THINK THAT IS VERY HELPFUL.
UM, WE ALSO, SO ALL THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
I THINK A LOT OF WHAT WE WERE TOUCHED ON BEFORE ARE HERE.
SO, UM, I'M LOOKING AT THIS AND I'M LOOKING AT YOUR ACTION REQUESTED TODAY TO, UM, WHERE IT SAYS ON, ON SLIDE, ON BULLET POINT NUMBER TWO, BUT ELIMINATE THE CASH GRANT.
IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN ALSO, HOW CAN WE HIGHLIGHT IT THAT WE'RE ELIMINATING THE CASH GRANT BUT IT STILL CAN BE ADDRESSED IN, IN THE OTHER ASSISTANCE? THAT'S WHAT I WANT.
WHAT WE COULD DO IS WE CAN ELIMINATE THE CASH GRANT AS PART OF THE PACKAGE, BUT THEN IN THAT THIRD ITEM, APPROVE THE IMPLEMENTATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPROVED REFERRAL SYSTEM.
THAT INCLUDES CHILDCARE, JOB TRAINING, AND GIFT CARD ASSISTANCE AS NECESSARY THROUGH AN ASSESSMENT.
IS THAT, DOES THAT WORK? COUNCILMAN? I, BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT WE HAVE THAT INCLUDE THAT THAT IS, UM, TAKEN INTO, THAT WOULD BE TAKEN TO COUNSEL.
NOT THE ELIMINATION OF THE CASH IS GONE, BUT IN LIEU OF CASH GRANT, WE HAVE IT AS PART OF THE BENEFIT NAVIGATION OR BENEFIT EXPANSION THROUGH GIFT CARD.
UM, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND I WANNA CLARIFY THAT NOT EVERYBODY MAY NEED A GIFT CARD.
OH, NO, I, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT AFTER THE ASSESSMENT, BUT AS THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE BENEFITS NAVIGATION, THEY CAN NO LONGER, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PAYING THEIR UTILITY MORTGAGE RENTAL, ET CETERA, BUT THEY STILL NEED, AND THEY CAN'T FIND THEIR MM-HMM.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THAT SOMEWHERE ADDRESSED IN THIS.
UM, IN THIS, WELL WE MOVE IT TO, UH, COUNCIL, BUT CHAIR, UM, I SUPPORT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND I DON'T KNOW, UM, DO WE NEED A MOTION RIGHT NOW? I'M LOOKING, DO WE NEED A MOTION RIGHT NOW TO MOVE THIS FORWARD WITH, UM, WITH, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS OR WITH ADDITIONS AS SUCCESS IN THE COMMITTEE? THAT WOULD BE MY MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
SO IS IS STAFF ASKING FOR, UM, ACTION OR FEEDBACK? WELL, THIS IS POTENTIAL.
WE HAVE ACTION ON HERE AND WE'RE, WE'RE REQUESTING YOUR SUPPORT FOR STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE'LL PLACE SOME, IT'S, IT'S GOING FORWARD IN THE FEBRUARY 18TH COUNCIL COMMITTEE AND SO THAT'S WHAT'S BEING REQUESTED.
BUT I THINK WE STILL HAVE CONVERSATION, UM, OF SOME OTHER, YOU KNOW,
[02:10:01]
THOSE ARE MY, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
YOU KNOW, I'M WILLING TO YIELD MY TIME TO COUNCILMAN PERRY.
I UNDERSTAND HE NEEDED TO LEAVE EARLIER, SO, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND YIELD TO HIM.
I SEE HE HAD SOME REMARKS TO MAKE AND THEN I'LL FOLLOW UP.
AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WRAP UP SOON TOO.
I, I DO HAVE, I DID HAVE A HARD STOP, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING SO WE CAN WRAP THIS ITEM UP.
COUNCILMAN, PER, WELL, ACTUALLY, UH, I HAD A CHANGE IN MY SCHEDULE, SIR, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD AND I'LL, I'LL GO AFTER YOU.
I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY WORKING TO, UH, ALLOW US ALL TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION HERE.
I THINK THIS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY ON THE CASH ISSUE.
HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE HAVE CURRENTLY REMAINING OUTSIDE OF THE 46 MILLION THAT WE'RE BRINGING INTO THE PROGRAM RIGHT NOW IN TEAP? A I CAN ANSWER THAT.
SO WE HAVE, UH, AUTHORIZED RIGHT NOW $86.8 MILLION, OF WHICH WE'VE SPENT $72.2 MILLION.
UH, I'LL TELL YOU FOR DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE, THAT'S THE QUESTIONS.
WHAT IS ELIGIBLE TO, TO PAY FOR THAT? UM, LEMME PULL THAT UP BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE OUR GENERAL FUND.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY $4.9 MILLION IN GENERAL FUNDS THAT COULD BE USED FOR DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE.
AND I WILL SAY THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS WE ALSO, WE ARE ALSO USING THAT FOR THAT GENERAL FUND, THAT $4.9 MILLION.
WE'RE USING THAT FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE UNDOCUMENTED OR NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.
WE'RE ALSO USING THAT FUNDING FOR, UH, WE WOULD USE THAT FUNDING BEFORE FOR, UH, MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE INDIVIDUALS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST FOR CASH ASSISTANCE, BECAUSE WE'VE ONLY PUT OUT 8 MILLION OF CASH IN EIGHT MONTHS.
SO I WOULD EXPECT WE COULD CONTINUE GIVING CASH FOR FOUR OR FIVE MORE MONTHS WITH WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING MORE THAN JUST CASH, CASH ASSISTANCE WITH THAT.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
WE'RE USING THAT FUNDING, AS I MENTIONED, FOR UN UNDOCU OR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL, THE FEDERAL, UH, FUNDING AS WELL AS, UH, ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, ONE EXAMPLE IS INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE SHAREHOLDERS.
SO WE'RE PAYING THEIR, THEIR FAIR SHARE MARKET OF THAT SUBSIDY, OR THAT'S NOT BEING SUBSIDIZED.
WE'RE PAYING THAT RENT AS WELL.
I, I'M GLAD TO HAVE THAT CLARIFIED.
'CAUSE THAT CERTAINLY WASN'T SOMETHING I THINK WE UNDERSTOOD.
UH, THE 46 MILLION THAT WE'RE GETTING, DOES THAT STILL HAVE THE SAME RESTRICTIONS FOR USAGE THAT THE OTHER MONEY DID? IT DOES.
SO THE RESTRICTIONS THAT HIGH LEVEL ARE INCOME ELIGIBILITY, 80% OF A M I HAS TO, UH, UH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A COVID 19 HARDSHIP.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME DISCUSSIONS AROUND, SPECIFICALLY AROUND UNDOCUMENTED INDIVIDUALS.
UM, WE HAVEN'T GOT A CLEAR RESPONSE ON THAT, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YOU'RE GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION.
AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YOU'RE GONNA GET NOT AN ANSWER.
WELL, I HOPE WE GET SOME KIND OF AN ANSWER TO CLARIFY THAT, TO GIVE US A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL NAVIGATORS AND PARTNERS TO HELP WITH THIS, BUT IN A PRIOR DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT WE HEARD THAT, UH, AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE, THE NONPROFITS THAT ARE WORKING WITH US.
BUT I THINK WE HEARD A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF DISSATISFACTION EXPRESSED, UH, BY THE R M P UH, GROUP THAT, UH, TALKED ABOUT FEEDBACK THEY HAD BEEN GETTING, UH, INDICATING THAT NOT ALL OF THE, OUR PARTNERS ARE BEING VERY SUCCESSFUL OR ARE MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS OF MANY OF THEIR, THE, UH, PEOPLE THEY DEAL WITH ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
AND, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE SEEN THAT ADDRESSED, AND I'M NOT REALLY ASKING FOR A RESPONSE, I'M JUST BRINGING IT UP AS A CONCERN THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE TALK ABOUT PARTNERING, UH, THAT WE, WE HAVE SOME KIND OF METRIC TO MEASURE THE LEVEL OF SATISFACTION.
'CAUSE EVEN IN THE SURVEY THAT YOU PRESENTED, UH, OUR LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WAS WELL BELOW 90%.
[02:15:01]
IS THE KIND OF STANDARD THAT EVERYBODY WOULD EXPECT.IF WE CAN'T PLEASE NINE OUT OF 10 OF THE PEOPLE WE'RE SERVING, THEN WE'RE NOT DOING OUR JOB TO OUR OWN EXPECTATIONS.
AND SO WHEN IT COMES TO WORKING WITH, UH, OTHER PARTNERS, UH, I'M CONCERNED THAT THE ACCOUNTABILITY ISN'T BEING, UM, ISN'T BEING SHOWN TO THE EXTENT THAT WE MAY WANNA SEE IT.
AND, UH, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND AS WE CONTINUE SURVEYING THE CUSTOMERS THAT WE DEAL WITH THE, THE PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP, THAT WE START TO SEE A MORE DRAMATIC, UH, POSITIVE RESPONSE AT 90% OR MORE FOR THE KINDS OF SERVICES WE'RE PROVIDING.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY, IF SOMEBODY WAS TURNED DOWN FOR A LEGITIMATE REASON, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE 90% SATISFIED.
NOW, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S PROBABLY THOSE WHO ARE RECEIVING THE SERVICES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT I THINK IS AN AREA OF CONCERN.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BRINGING IN MORE NAVIGATORS, UH, IN WHICH ABOUT HIRING MORE CITY EMPLOYEES, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING THEM IN SHORT TERM PART-TIME? UH, AND I THINK WE'VE ALREADY HEARD, UH, FROM SOME OF THE TESTIMONY EARLIER THAT MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE BROUGHT IN TO WORK IN N A H S D TO HELP WITH, UH, THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN PART-TIME AND HAVE BEEN SAYING, LOOK, I'M JUST A PART-TIMER AND I'M JUST DOING THE BEST I CAN WHEN THEY'RE TALKING TO, UH, OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR CLIENTS.
UH, AND SO I WORRY ABOUT, WELL, YOU'LL BRING IN A FEW MORE, AND IF THEY'RE GONNA BE FULL-TIME, THAT BRINGS UP ANOTHER ISSUE OF EXPANDING THE SO-CALLED BUREAUCRACY IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
MY MY POINT THAT I WANTED TO REFER TO IS THAT I THINK THAT THERE'S GREAT SERVICE THAT'S PROVIDED TO PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY THROUGH THE SENATE OF FOOD BANK AND THEIR NAVIGATORS AND, AND THE OPERATION THAT THEY HAVE THAT HELPS PEOPLE GET ALL KINDS OF WRAPAROUND SERVICES WHO SIMPLY SHOW UP AT THE FOOD BANK FOR HELP.
AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT SHOULDN'T BE A SOURCE THAT WE GO TO, TO PARTNER WITH US TO A GREATER, GREATER EXTENT.
UH, YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT ORGANIZATION TO PARTNER WITH.
IT WOULD BE A GREAT ORGANIZATION TO GIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE WORK THEY DO, UH, AND IT WOULD MEET SOME OF OUR NEEDS.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW DEEPLY THAT'S BEEN EXPLORED OR HOW SERIOUS, SERIOUSLY IT'S BEEN EXPLORED, BUT I THINK I WOULD PREFER TO SEE US PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE FOOD BANK IN THEIR OPERATIONS, SERVING THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE AS THEY DO IN SO MANY WAYS, RATHER THAN BRINGING IN PART-TIME OR EVEN LONG-TERM FULL-TIME STAFF TO DEAL WITH THIS.
SO, UM, IT'S A COMMENT, IT'S AN IDEA.
I'M NOT ASKING FOR SOME KIND OF, UH, RESPONSE, BUT I HOPE IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN GET SOME CONSIDERATION.
ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS, HOW ARE WE GONNA COORDINATE WITH T D H C A WITH THE TEXAS RENT RELIEF PROGRAM? I THINK THAT AS THE COUNCIL PERSON, I'D LIKE SOME CLARITY ABOUT THAT WE'RE ALREADY SAYING SOMEBODY CAN'T APPLY FOR THE SAME SEVERAL MONTHS WORTH OF RENT.
WELL, HOW DOES THE STATE KNOW THEY DIDN'T APPLY WITH THE CITY AND GRANTED THAT, OR HOW DO WE KNOW THEY HAVEN'T APPLIED WITH THE STATE AND BEEN GRANTED THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE SOME COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION SO THAT THE TRANSMISSION OF THAT INFORMATION GOES BACK AND FORTH, THEN I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE DOOMED TO SEE ERRORS AND MISTAKES THAT CAN BE VERY COSTLY FOR THE SYSTEM.
SO I WOULD LIKE, UH, MAYBE SOME KIND OF REFLECTION ON THAT.
VERONICA COUNCILMAN, UH, GREAT QUESTION ON THAT.
UM, I WAS ON A, UM, I GUESS IT WAS A TEAM'S CALL WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF C D H C A, THE STATE AGENCY THAT, UH, ANNOUNCED THIS PROGRAM ALONG WITH OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UH, OFFICIALS, CITIES AND COUNTIES.
AND WE TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THAT DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS THAT THE TECHNICAL TERM, UM, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SERVE THE SAME FOR THE SAME PERIOD.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT HOW, UM, IT WAS GONNA BE ADMINISTRATIVELY A CHALLENGE TO MAKE SURE WE DID THAT RIGHT.
SO WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
UM, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UM, BOBBY WILKINSON, HE AGREED TO HAVE THE COORDINATION MEETINGS CONTINUE EVERY OTHER WEEK, AND THEY'RE WORKING ON THEIR SYSTEMS TO SEE WE AS CITY OFFICIALS WHO ADMINISTER THIS PROGRAM, UM, WE'LL HAVE ACCESS SO WE CAN CHECK WHO HAS SUPPLIED AT THE STATE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S ONE THING WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS, UM, SO THAT WE AVOID IT.
UM, AND SO THERE'S ALSO SELF CERTIFICATIONS FROM LANDLORDS ON THEIR SYSTEM AND, UH,
[02:20:01]
TENANTS WHERE THEY HAVE TO CERTIFY THAT THEY'RE NOT APPLYING FOR THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME FROM AN A DIFFERENT SOURCE.UM, AND THEY MADE THEIR LANGUAGE, UM, SPECIFIC TO SAY THAT THERE ARE
SO SOMEONE IS BORN LIKE, HEY, DON'T APPLY FOR THE SAME MONTH, UH, FROM US AND FROM SOMEONE ELSE AS WELL.
BUT IT IS AN ISSUE WE'LL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH THEM, UM, AND, AND SOMETHING THAT ALL THE OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS RAISED AS AN ISSUE THAT WE, WE HAVE TO GET IN FRONT OF.
AND COUNCILMAN, THIS IS LAURA HOUSTON.
I DO WANNA ADD THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THE STATE IS DOING DIFFERENT FROM THE CITY IS THAT THEY ARE TAKING TWO WEEKS OF APPLICATIONS AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA REVIEW THE APPLICATION.
AND SO THERE'S GONNA BE A PAUSE WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK, AND WE WILL HAVE THAT COORDINATION MEETING TO MAKE SURE WE CAN AVOID THAT DUPLICATION.
SO THAT'S GONNA HELP WITH THAT.
AND THEN ON YOUR FIRST POINT, I DO WANNA MENTION THAT WE CURRENTLY, CURRENTLY THE, WHAT YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT PEOPLE SAYING WHEN THEY CALL IN ASKING FOR SERVICES, SOMEONE SAYS, I'M JUST A CALL CENTER PERSON.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING TO HIRE BENEFITS NAVIGATORS.
AND THOSE WILL BE NAVIGATORS UNDER THE D H S UMBRELLA.
AND MELANIE WOOSLEY IS ON THIS CALL.
SO WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE NAVIGATORS, AND SO WE'RE HIRING SPECIALIZED INDIVIDUALS TO HELP WITH THAT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE CALL CENTER EMPLOYEES AND THEY TRY TO DO THEIR BEST ABOUT REFERRALS, BUT THAT'S NOT THEIR SOLE JOB.
THEIR JOB IS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH THE APPLICATION.
THESE NAVIGATORS THAT WE'RE HIRING, THAT IS THEIR JOB IS TO HELP ACCESS THE REFERRAL SYSTEM.
WE'LL DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THE COORDINATION FROM THE FOOD BANK, BUT I DID WANNA MENTION THAT, THAT IT'S THE CALL CENTER EMPLOYEES THAT WE'RE HEARING THAT, YOU KNOW, DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THESE REFERRALS.
WE'RE GONNA BE HIRING FIVE PEOPLE WITH D H S TO HELP WITH THOSE REFERRALS.
WELL, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT SOMEWHAT.
I, I WONDER THOUGH, IF WE, WE DON'T THEIR TRAINING WITH SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO SAY YOU'RE A CALL CENTER AND YOU'RE TAKING INFORMATION.
IT'S ANOTHER THING TO SAY, YOU, YOU ARE WORKING NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND YOU'RE WORKING WITH SOMEBODY TO SATISFY THEIR NEED, AND THEY'RE SAYING THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE ATTENTION OR THEY'RE NOT BEING UNDERSTOOD.
UH, BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN N H SS D USED TO WORK IN THE LIBRARY OR USED TO WORK IN ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, AND THEY'RE IN THERE TEMPORARILY.
AND THAT VERY WELL MAY BE THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE SAYING IT NOT JUST SOMEBODY AT A CENTER.
AND I'M JUST, UH, CONCERNED EVERYBODY WHO'S DOING THIS IS SO WELL TRAINED THAT EXPECTATIONS CUSTOMER HAS, THAT THE CLIENT HAS WHEN THEY CALL.
AND, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU'RE GONNA TALK TO FOOD BANK.
I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IS A, A WELL WORTHWHILE PART OF, OF HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.
UM, UH, QUESTION OF CONCERN THAT'S MENTIONED, AND THAT IS REDUCING, UH, THE, UM, THE AWARD FOR UTILITIES.
AND I UNDERSTAND NOW THAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS IF SOMEBODY IS OVER 50% A M I THAT WE'RE SAYING, WELL, WE'RE NOT GONNA GIVE THEM MONEY FOR UTILITIES THAT, UH, ANYBODY WHO IS, UH, UNDER WILL CONTINUE TO GET IT.
BUT IF YOU'RE OVER THAT, UH, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THAT UTILITY, UH, SUPPORT.
DID I RECALL THAT CORRECTLY FROM YOUR PRESENTATION? THAT THAT IS WHAT THE CURRENT PROGRAM SAYS.
AND SO WE WENT THROUGH THIS LAST, UM, ROUND OF AMENDMENTS.
SO WE'RE HELPING THE MOST VULNERABLE.
AND SO THE 50% A M I OR BELOW GET THE FULL PACKAGE OF BENEFITS THAT'S CURRENT.
UM, BUT AS YOU SAW THAT SLIDE THAT EDWARD SHOWED, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE GETTING ASSISTANCE ARE IN THAT 30% A M I RANGE OR BELOW THE HIGHEST BEING 32% A M I OR BELOW.
UM, SO WE ARE SERVING THE MOST VULNERABLE ALREADY.
BUT YEAH, WE WENT THROUGH THIS LAST
WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT A LOT OF THAT WAS BEFORE WE GOT THE 46 MILLION IN.
AND ONCE WE REALIZED WE HAD THAT COMING IN, WE, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED TO RECOGNIZE WE CAN GIVE MORE, WE GIVE IT LONGER, BUT UTILITIES ARE STILL IMPORTANT.
IF SOMEBODY'S MAKING 55% OF A M I OR 60 OR 65 OR 70, AND THEY'RE BEHIND IN A LOT OF THEIR BILLS, INCLUDING THEIR UTILITY BILLS, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD JUST TAKE IT FOR GRANTED THAT C P S OR SOFT IS, IS JUST GONNA NOT TURN OFF THEIR, THEY'RE NOT RIGHT NOW, BUT THE DAY MAY COME.
AND IF THESE, IF ANYBODY IS NOT RECEIVING THAT HELP AND FOLLOWING FURTHER AND FURTHER BEHIND,
[02:25:01]
WHAT BECOMES THE SITUATION THEY FACE FOUR MONTHS OR FIVE MONTHS FROM NOW, UH, WHEN SAWS OF C P SS STARTS DOING THAT, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE IN ARREARS, SIX, SEVEN MONTHS WORTH OF UTILITY BILLS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'VE GOT EVEN WORSE CREDIT THAN THEY HAD TO BEGIN WITH BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GETTING THAT SUPPORT.UH, AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN COMING TO THE CITY TO SUPPORT THAT HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING THEIR UTILITY BILLS BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.
BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY HAVEN'T COME TO THE, THE CITY BECAUSE MAYBE THEY DIDN'T NEED RENT OR MORTGAGE, BUT THAT MAKE IT ON OTHER ENDS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TO SAY THEY CAN'T EVEN COME FOR UTILITIES, I THINK IS SHORTSIGHTED.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, I I, I KNOW THAT C P S ITSELF HAS TRANSFERRED SOME MONEY INTO ITS REAP PROGRAM, WHICH IS INTENDED TO HELP PEOPLE, UH, 80% BELOW WHO NEED HELP WITH THEIR UTILITIES.
I WAS JUST THINKING OUT OF THIS 46 MILLION, CAN WE GO AHEAD AND PUT INTO THEIR PROGRAM A COUPLE OF MILLION SO THAT THEY CAN HELP WITH PEOPLE WHO DON'T COME TO US, BUT GET BEHIND ON THEIR UTILITY, UH, PAYMENTS? I DON'T KNOW THAT.
I MEAN, THE 46 MILLION IS FOR A RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
BUT YEAH, THE 46 MILLION IS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND UTIL THAT ALLOWS US THE 46 MILLION IS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT MORE STATE AID THAT WE WEREN'T COUNTING ON A WEEK AGO OR TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN USE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT FEDERAL MONEY FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE, KNOWING THAT THE STATE'S GONNA GIVE THREE MONTHS WORTH OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UH, IF WE CAN HELP MORE FOR UTILITIES WITH SOME PEOPLE WHO NEED IT.
I'M, I'M JUST SAYING, LET'S LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE AND SEE IF WE CAN MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS WITH THE CITY MONEY THAT WE'VE GOT LEFT OVER THE FEDERAL MONEY THAT'S JUST COME IN THE STATE MONEY THAT'S NOW BEING OFFERED, AS WELL AS HOPEFULLY SEEING DOWN THE LINE MORE FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.
LET'S TRY AND ADDRESS AS MANY OF THESE NEEDS AS WE CAN TODAY AND TOMORROW AND NEXT WEEK AND NEXT MONTH.
UH, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT IN THERE FOR A POINT OF DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S, UH, ALL OF MY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME OR COMMENTS.
COUNCILMAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
SORRY, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA ASK THAT JUST BECAUSE WE, WE REALLY GOTTA, OKAY.
UH, MAYBE YOU CAN JUST SEND HIM AN EMAIL.
UH, COUNCILMAN PERRY? YEAH, JUST REAL QUICKLY, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH EDWARD.
BUT, UH, UH, SLIDE NUMBER 11, AND I NOTICED THIS BACK AND FORTH.
I'M A NUMBERS TYPE OF GUY AND WE, WE KIND OF SWITCHED BETWEEN YOU, YOU MENTIONED THE TOTAL NUMBERS ON SOME, BUT THEY WEREN'T LISTED ON SOME SLIDES.
SOME SLIDES, THEY WERE, I LIKE TO ACTUALLY SEE THE NUMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PERCENTAGES BECAUSE IT WOULD GIVE US A BETTER FEEL FOR WHAT, WHAT THE NUMBERS REALLY WERE.
I MEAN, PERCENTAGES CAN BE MISLEADING OUT THERE, WHETHER YOU HAVE 10 RESPONSES OR A THOUSAND RESPONSES.
SO REALLY LIKE TO GET THE NUMBERS BESIDES THESE TO SHOW WHAT, WHAT THE DATA REALLY WAS ON HOW WE COLLECTED THOSE.
SO JUST TO, JUST TO COMMENT ABOUT THAT.
AND ON, UH, SLIDE 18, UM, YOU, YOU HAD A GOOD, GOOD BREAKOUT THERE, UH, WITH THE INDIVIDUAL, UM, UH, AMOUNTS THERE.
IF, IF WE'RE GONNA REFERENCE AMIS, UH, LET'S PUT THAT ON THERE.
ALSO, WHAT, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED IT, UH, LESS THAN, UM, 50% A M I, BUT THE AMIS AREN'T ACTUALLY LISTED ON, ON THIS CHART HERE.
SO, UM, LET MAKE SURE THAT WHEN, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ISSUE, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S REFLECTED ON, ON THOSE SLIDES AS WELL.
UM, SLIDE NUMBER 30, 35, AND THAT'S GETTING TO THE, UM, INDIVIDUAL, UM, COMMENTS HERE.
UM, ONE, EDWARD, YOU MADE A COMMENT THAT, UH, UH, THREW ME OFF A LITTLE BIT.
YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY ON THIS, ANOTHER $46 MILLION.
UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T RECALL WHAT THE, WHAT THE TERM IS ON THAT WORK, HOW LONG YOU'RE EXPECTING THIS MONEY TO LAST, BUT WE HAVE THIS OTHER POT OF MONEY, $1.3 BILLION, UH, FROM THE STATE.
[02:30:01]
I WOULD RATHER YOU MADE A COMMENT, THEY SHOULD COME TO THE CITY FIRST BECAUSE WE'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.I, I UNDERSTAND THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WOULD RATHER, UM, HAVE SOMETHING WORKED OUT AND REFER PEOPLE TO THE STATE FIRST TO USE THAT MONEY.
WE ONLY HAVE $46 MILLION, SO WHY NOT USE THE STATE'S MONEY UPFRONT AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO HELP EXTEND OUR PORTION OF THE $46 MILLION EVEN FURTHER.
UH, SO I, I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR COMMENT ON THAT.
I'D RATHER SEE US DIPPING INTO THE STATE MONEY FIRST, AND THEN LET'S FOLLOW THAT UP WITH WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE HERE AT THE CITY, UM, FOR, FOR ANY OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS THAT, UH, THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UH, AND I, I AGREE WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU HAVE ON, ON THAT, UH, UM, SLIDE ON THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, AND, AND I, I'LL, I'LL SUPPORT THOSE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
YEAH, COUNCILMAN, UH, CHAIRMAN, UH, I JUST WANNA RESPOND TO COUNCILMAN, UH, COMMENT ABOUT THE STATE FUNDING.
I JUST WANNA MAKE A, I JUST WANNA MAKE A, UH, AN AREA OF CLARIFICATION IF I CAN.
SO THERE, THERE IS, I JUST WANNA REMIND COUNCIL, SO THERE IS A, UM, A TIMING ISSUE, COUNCILMAN WITH THIS, WITH THE FUNDING.
SO, UH, THERE IS, SO I, I MENTIONED SEPTEMBER 30TH, SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, EXPENDITURE BENCHMARK ON THAT STATE FUNDING.
UH, SO ALTHOUGH WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, THAT STRATEGY, WE CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, STATE MONEY FIRST AND CITY MONEY, UH, I THINK THE TIMING IS GONNA MAKE THAT A CHALLENGE.
OKAY, SO I'M, I'M GONNA TRY TO GO QUICKLY TO, UH, 'CAUSE WE'VE GONE WAY OVER.
UM, SO FIRST I DO WANNA THANK, UH, THANK, THANK YOU EDWARD AND STAFF.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.
UH, THE AUDIT DID SHOW THAT, THAT WE'VE MADE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS.
WE WENT FROM, UH, 53 DAYS TO RESPONDING TO, I, I WANNA SAY IT WAS 11 OR NINE DAYS.
SO LOT OF IMPROVEMENT HAS BEEN MADE.
UH, AND IT'S ONLY THROUGH, UH, GOING, UH, THROUGH THESE, THESE MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS THAT, THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY WHAT SOME OF THE POTENTIAL GAPS ARE.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT, WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
UH, I'M GONNA LAY OUT WHAT I THINK IS AN ISSUE.
UH, WHOEVER'S NOT ON MUTE, PLEASE MUTE BECAUSE I THINK I'M, WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF FEEDBACK.
UM, SO THE FIRST IS, AS WAS POINTED OUT, UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
I'M NOT IN SUPPORT OF CUTTING OFF THE UTILITY ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES WHO ARE IN THE 51 TO 80% A M I RANGE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT INCLUDES WATER.
IT'S, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO HEALTH AND SAFETY DURING THIS PANDEMIC, AND SO IS ELECTRICITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT INTERNET, UH, BEING ESSENTIAL AS KIDS ATTEND CLASS VIRTUALLY.
OUR PARTNER C P S ENERGY STATED AS OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2020, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 140,000 TOTAL RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THAT ARE 30 DAYS OR MORE PAST DUE, THAT TOTALS OVER $70 MILLION C P S ENERGY IS OWED.
I'M CONCERNED THAT IF WE CUT OFF A LARGE SWATH OF APPLICANTS FROM GETTING UTILITY ASSISTANCE, THAT IT MAY LEAD TO HARSH CO HARSH CONSEQUENCES DOWN THE ROAD, LIKE A RATE INCREASE.
IT WILL NOT SUPPORT ANY AMENDMENTS WHICH REMOVE ELIGIBILITY FOR UTILITY ASSISTANCE AND WILL REQUEST STAFF, UH, TO REINSTATE IT BEFORE TAKING THIS ITEM TO FULL COUNSEL.
UM, THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ADDRESSED EARLY ON IN THE PANDEMIC.
C P S AND SAWS WERE VERY RES, UH, RESPONSIVE IN MAKING SURE THAT THERE WERE NO CUTOFFS, UH, DURING THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME.
THE NEXT IS, UH, THE MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE.
ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE RISK MITIGATION PROGRAM STAKEHOLDER GROUP WAS TO PROVIDE UP TO 12 MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEDERAL LIMITATIONS.
I UNDERSTAND WE, WE CANNOT REALISTICALLY PROVIDE 12 MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE TO ALL APPLICANTS, BUT WE SHOULD AT LEAST GIVE OURSELVES THE OPTION.
EVEN THOUGH THE STATE HAS PROVIDED A ROBUST BILLION DOLLAR RENTAL ASSISTANCE FUND, THERE WILL BE BARRIERS TO ENTRY THAT MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS WILL RUN INTO.
HAS STAFF CONSIDERED A TIERED SYSTEM BASED ON A M I, FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE WHO ARE, UH, AT 30% A M I AND UNDER WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO 12 MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE.
I, I THINK THAT'S A FAIR REQUEST, AND WE SHOULD LOOK INTO THAT BY, BY CREATING THIS LIMIT, I THINK WE'RE CREATING UNDUE ANXIETY.
DID SOMEBODY ANSWER THAT COUNSELOR? WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT.
WE'LL LOOK INTO BOTH OF THOSE ISSUES.
RIGHT? UH, RELOCATION ASSISTANCE UNDER THE RISK MITIGATION POLICY ASSISTANCE, UH, FELL UNDER TWO CATEGORIES, STABILIZATION AND RELOCATION.
I UNDERSTAND THE EAP FUNCTIONS AS OUR HOUSING STABILIZATION TOOL, BUT I'M NOT CLEAR ON HOW MUCH WE
[02:35:01]
HAVE SET ASIDE AND SPENT SO FAR ON RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.HOW MUCH OF THE $46 MILLION OR OTHER INCOME HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUNDS WILL BE DEDICATED TO RELOCATION ASSISTANCE? WE CURRENTLY WORK WITH OTHER PARTNERS TO ASSIST THAT RELOCATION, AND I'M GONNA ASK IAN BENAVIDEZ TO SPEAK TO THAT BECAUSE HE'S THE, THE STAFFER AT THE COURTS.
AND THEN WE DO HAVE SOME FUNDING IN THE RISK MITIGATION FUND THAT WE USE IF WE NEED TO USE RELOCATION ASSISTANCE DOLLARS.
BUT WE'RE DEPENDING A LOT ON THESE OTHER PARTNERSHIPS.
SO, IAN, CAN'T HEAR YOU, IAN, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
UH, GOOD MORNING OR AFTERNOON NOW, I GUESS.
WE WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE COURT, ST.
UH, WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL, FOR WHATEVER REASON GOES THROUGH THE EVICTION PROCESS AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ASSIST 'EM, UH, WE HELP THEM WITH RELOCATION, UM, WITH OUR PARTNER AGENCIES.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME FUNDING STILL AVAILABLE WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT, UM, STILL LEFT OVER FROM THE RISK MITIGATION PROGRAM AND SOME OTHER BUCKETS, UM, THAT WE USE ON A AS NEEDED BASIS TO PROVIDE RELOCATION SERVICES TO RESIDENTS.
A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT IS IN DISTRICT TWO AT THE EDGE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL OFFICE, GOING OUT TO THE SITE, SEEING IF ANY RESIDENTS, UH, ARE NEEDING RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND THEN TRIAGING THEM AND PROVIDING THAT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AS NEEDED.
WELL, BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T REALLY ANSWER ABOUT HOW, HOW MUCH THAT IS.
SO I, I GUESS I WOULD LIKE STAFF TO SET ASIDE A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUNDS FOR RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND TRACK IT ON THE EAP DASHBOARD.
I THINK I WOULD WORK WITH EDWARD ON THE ELIGIBILITY FOR RELOCATION OF THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS.
I'M NOT SURE WE'LL HAVE TO WORK ON THAT.
I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER, SO THE RELOCATION PACKAGE THAT, UH, WE HAD THROUGH OUR RISK MITIGATION FUND WAS ROBUST, RIGHT? IN TERMS OF WE WERE PROVIDING STORAGE UNITS, WE CAN PROVIDE SOME MOVING COSTS.
WE WOULD ALSO PROVIDE, UH, RENTAL AND OR DEPOSITS AS, AS KIND OF THE PACKAGE, RIGHT? WHAT WITH USING EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE FUNDS, WE CAN HELP WITH RENTS.
THE ISSUE IS GONNA BE THOSE ANCILLARY SERVICES THAT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THAT.
SO IF SOMEBODY WAS TO MOVE A LOCATION AND GET INTO ANOTHER LO UH, AND HAVE A LEASE, A VALID LEASE, AND THEY ALSO QUAL MEET THE OTHER, UH, GUIDELINES, INCOME QUALIFY, AND ALSO, UH, MEET THE C OVID 19 HARDSHIP, THEN WE CAN PROVIDE THAT ASSISTANCE THROUGH EAP, RIGHT? SO WE, WE NEED THE LEASE, WE NEED THE COVID 19 HARDSHIP, AND WE NEED THE INCOME ELIGIBILITY.
WELL, SO I, I WANT US TO THINK ABOUT THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S BARRIERS.
LIKE THERE, WE'VE GOTTEN CALLS FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN THEIR CARS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, CAN'T BE GOTTA BE FOCUSED ON THE INDIVIDUAL, UH, UH, STORIES THAT ARE HAPPENING, UH, HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND I, I JUST, AND I KNOW YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE FEDERAL FUNDS ARE, ARE LIMITING, BUT THIS IS THE POINT IS WE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO ADDRESS WHAT THE EMERGENCY IS.
AND, AND I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR A LONG TIME, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED TO, UH, GET MORE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, THEN LET'S GO GET THOSE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS.
BUT YOU, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT TELLING THE CITY COUNCIL WHAT THAT MAGNITUDE IS, THEN WE DON'T KNOW.
SO I'M, I'M JUST GONNA ASK, IT'S GONNA, IT KINDA LEADS TO MY MY NEXT POINT ABOUT DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE, WHICH AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S SOME BARRIERS TO PROVIDING DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE, BUT WE CAN'T SIMPLY TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER WITH THIS.
UH, WE KNOW THAT DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE IS MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN A LANDLORD REFUSES TO ACCEPT EHAP FUNDS IN LIEU OF OWE RENT.
UH, HAS STAFF EXPLORED ASKING OTHER ENTITIES, SUCH AS THE HOUSING TRUST TO CONTINUE PROVIDING, UH, DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE? THE HOUSING TRUST HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROGRAM, AND THEY WERE A, A HUGE CONTRIBUTOR EARLIER ON.
UM, THEY ARE ALS ALSO OUT WITH THEIR OWN $3 MILLION MM-HMM.
UM, SO THEY'RE PLAYING IN SEVERAL AREAS OF THE ARENA.
WE HAVE NOT ASKED 'EM TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS.
UM, BUT COUNCILMAN, WE, WE, WE ARE DEALING WITH A RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND THAT'S ONE ISSUE.
THESE OTHER ISSUES YOU'RE BRINGING UP, YES, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THOSE AND WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE OR HOW WE ARE CURRENTLY ADDRESSING THEM.
BUT THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AS YOU KNOW, DOES NOT ADDRESS RELOCATION.
AND WE'RE DOING THAT THROUGH OTHER WAYS AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
WELL, I, I, I'M JUST, I'M GIVING MY FEEDBACK AND I YES, NO, I, I, I, PART, PART OF WHAT, WHAT I, I, AGAIN, BECAUSE IT'S ALL CONNECTED AND WE CAN'T TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED.
AGAIN, PART OF THE CONVERSATION FROM BEFORE WERE, WERE PEOPLE, UH, THAT, THAT HELPED CREATE A, A PROGRAM THAT WE WERE LUCKY TO HAVE THAT WE TURNED INTO AN EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THAT HAS HELPED US TREMENDOUSLY BECAUSE OF LIVED EXPERIENCES BECAUSE OF, OF WHAT THEY BROUGHT TO THE
[02:40:01]
TABLE.SO, I MEAN, I'M JUST TRYING TO TRACK THAT.
I'M TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, BE COGNIZANT OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING TO HELP THE COMMUNITY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS, THIS, THIS PANDEMIC.
UH, LET ME GET TO, UM, I ALSO WANT TO, TO TRACK INFORMAL EVICTIONS.
UH, AS WE, AS WE TRACK DATA, I WOULD LIKE FOR STAFF, UH, TO ASK THE APPLICANT QUESTIONS THAT THEY CAN DETERMINE IF A TENANT APPLICANT WAS INFORMALLY EVICTED, MEANING THE TENANT VACATED THE PROPERTY FOR ANY SORT OF FORMAL EVICTION FILING OR NOTICE.
UH, THIS DATA IS, IS REALLY HELPFUL IN DETERMINING IF FURTHER PROTECTIONS ARE NEEDED IN ORDER TO KEEP FAMILIES FROM BEING DISPLACED.
I PERSONALLY WENT TO DELIVER 17 PACKETS, UH, TO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX TO, FOR PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE NOTICES TO VACATE, NOT EVICTIONS, NOTICES TO VACATE AND, AND PROVIDE THEM MUCH NEEDED, UH, INFORMATION TO, TO, TO PROVIDE, UH, SOME OF THAT, THAT SUPPORT, UM, RELATIONSHIP WITH THE JP COURTS.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS WHEN A JP, UH, COURT CONTACTS N H S D TO DETERMINE IF A DEFENDANT OR A TENANT HAS APPLIED FOR ASSISTANCE? I CAN SPEAK TO THAT COUNCILMAN.
SO N H SS D STAFF, AS YOU KNOW, IS PRESENT IN EVERY JP COURT.
UH, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COURTS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, RENT ASSISTANCE AND OTHER, OTHER SERVICES.
I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT RELOCATION SERVICES AS WELL.
UM, WE, WE HAD BEEN ASKED TO TESTIFY, UM, STAFF MEMBERS, AND WE ARE, WE ARE NO LONGER DOING THAT.
UM, SO I, I DO WANNA CLARIFY THAT.
I ALSO WANNA STATE THAT, UM, THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE EARLIER.
UH, AND I THINK ACTUALLY ONE OF THE, THE COMMENTERS WHO CALLED IN ALSO CLARIFIED, WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COUNTY ON THE TEXAS EMERGE, UH, EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT HAS BEEN USED AND UTILIZED BY THE COURTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STATE AND WITH THE CITY.
UH, AND SO ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO COMES TO THE COURT AND HAS NOT APPLIED FOR RENT ASSISTANCE IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THAT PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE MADE IMPROVEMENTS ON, ON OUR ONLINE DASHBOARD AND WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW TO GET THAT, THAT FUNDING OUT.
SO, SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE NO LONGER PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION, UH, IF, IF COURT, IF A COURT, UH, CALLS AND ASKS IF SOMEBODY APPLIED THAT? THAT IS CORRECT.
WE ARE NOT PROVIDING IT, UH, TO THE COURT DIRECTLY.
WE'RE PROVIDING IT TO THE RESIDENT WHEN THEY APPEAR FOR COURT.
UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY WE'RE NOT HELPING TO FACILITATE ANY, ANY POTENTIAL EVICTION, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO, UH, ARE, ARE UNAWARE OR UNABLE TO APPLY FOR THIS ASSISTANCE.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS ONE OF THE CONDITIONS THEY MUST MEET IN ORDER TO, TO BE PROTECTED UNDER THE MORATORIUM.
I, I, I JUST, I, I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL, UH, WITH THAT.
UM, ABSOLUTELY COUNCILMAN, AND WE, WE HAVEN'T HEARD THAT, UM, FROM OUR STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE AT THE COURTS.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE JPS, UH, WHO ARE VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE, UH, EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM.
UH, AND IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN A REALLY GREAT SUCCESS HERE IN BEXAR COUNTY.
UH, AGAIN, SO MY ASK WILL BE THAT THE STAFF TAKE THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMITTEE AND CREATE A SUMMARY, WHICH, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS WERE ADDED TO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WERE NOT, AND, UH, A RATIONALE, UH, AND THE RATIONALE AND PROVIDE IT, UH, TO THE FULL COUNCIL BEFORE THIS ITEM IS VOTED ON NEXT WEEK.
UM, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT TODAY ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS CONNECTED TO SO MANY ISSUES, UH, REGARDING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE EMERGENCY AND, AND, AND THE ANXIETY THAT PEOPLE ARE FEELING BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO FROM ONE MONTH TO THE NEXT.
UH, AND SO I, I ASK THAT, THAT, THAT THIS FEEDBACK BE, BE TAKEN, UH, SERIOUSLY.
UH, IS IT, UH, COUNCILMAN CURS AND PERRY, YOU ALL, DID Y'ALL JUST LEAVE YOUR HANDS UP OR, OKAY.
WELL, UM, WE'LL, I THINK YOU HAVE A MOTION THOUGH, ON THE FLOOR.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE TO MOVE THIS TO, TO FULL CITY COUNCIL.
UH, IS THERE A SECOND? I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HEAR A SECOND.
AND CHAIR, TO CLARIFY, I DID SAY MOVE TO FULL CITY COUNCIL, BUT WITH THE COMMENTS WE'VE MADE IN THIS DISCUSSION.
SO, SO WOULD YOU TAKE, SO WE'LL ADD THAT, UH, PRETTY MUCH KIND OF WHAT, WHAT I, UM, SAID AT THE END OF, UH, MY STATE TOO, IS TO SAY THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BROUGHT UP, YOU'D LIKE FOR STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS PART OF WHAT IS PRESENTED TO FULL CITY COUNCIL.
IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, YOU SAID THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD, THEY WOULD SHARE IT WITH ALL OF US PRIOR TO CORRECT.
WE, WE VOTE ON THIS, SO, YEAH.
WE GOTTA MATCH IT IN A SECOND ON THE RECORD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE, THERE WERE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS HERE.
I AND I, I'M ASSUMING THAT STAFF WILL GET BACK, AS YOU SAID, STAFF WILL GET BACK TO US
[02:45:01]
WITH EVERYTHING IN A NICE BOW, WHAT WILL BE GOING TO COUNCIL.BUT, UH, I FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT, UM, VOTING TO MOVE IT ON TO COUNCIL WITHOUT SEEING THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE PACKAGE RIGHT AWAY.
IS THERE SOMETHING, UH, IS THERE SOME EMERGENCY OR SOME REASON THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA NEXT WEEK? WELL, PART OF IT'S THE TIMING AS, AS WAS AS WAS PRESENTED.
AND I THINK COUNCILWOMAN GERRANS MOTION WAS SIMPLY THE, UH, THE, THE MOTION WAS TO MOVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS ALONG WITH THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE TO, WHICH I THINK IS FAIR AND ALLOWS OUR CAMPUS COLLEAGUES TO UNDERSTAND SORT OF THE, THE FULL BREADTH OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED OF THIS, UH, EMERGENCY HOUSING, UH, ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE MOTION, UH, AS STATED.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[5. 21-1262 Briefing and Possible Action on the creation of a sub-committee focused on renters’ issues that would report to the Housing Commission [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, FAICP, Director, Neighborhood and Housing Services]]
GONNA HAVE TO TAKE UP, UH, ITEM FIVE AT OUR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING.UH, I APPRECIATE TODAY'S DISCUSSION.
UH, THANK YOU TO, UH, THE RISK MITIGATION PROGRAM STAKEHOLDERS FOR ATTENDING THIS MEETING.