Mar 10, 2021 Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee on 2021-03-10 2:00 PM

WELL, LET'S, LET'S, UH, LET'S CRAFT THE CO UM, A, UH, A, A COMMENT BEFORE EVERY MEETING THAT WE CAN, UH, LET LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THOSE WHO, UH, WOULD LIKE TRANSLATION SERVICES, WHERE THEY CAN FIND IT, AND HOW THEY, THIS COULD BE ACCESSIBLE.

UM, WE'LL DO THAT MOVE MOVING FORWARD.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE'LL, WE'LL ASK PEOPLE FOR THEIR PATIENCE IF THEY, IF THEY, IF THEY NEED, UH, THOSE SERVICES, THEY CAN ALWAYS, UH, CONTACT, UH, YOUR OFFICE OR MY OFFICE FOR THAT MATTER.

AND, UH, AND WE'LL TRY TO, TO ACCOMMODATE THEM.

AND, UM, THANK YOU.

WE'LL GET STARTED.

THE BRIEFING ON THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.

SHALL WE DO MINUTES, SIR? COUNCIL APPROVED MINUTES.

[1. 21-2093 Approval of the meeting minutes for the Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee Meeting on February 12, 2021 ]

OH, MY APOLOGIES.

YEAH, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA APPROVE THE, UH, WE GOTTA DO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, ANY EDITS OR, UH, IF NOT, WE'LL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

MOTION TO APPROVE.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? YES, I'LL SECOND THAT.

WE'LL GET BACK TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, THE RIGHT TO, UH, BRIEFING ON THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.

WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, UH, FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

[2. 21-2059 Briefing on the Right to Counsel program. [Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager; Verónica R. Soto, FAICP, Director, Neighborhood and Housing Services] ]

GREAT.

COUNCIL MEMBER VERONICA SOTO WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

WE'LL DO THIS PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU, MS. LAURIE VERONICA SOTO WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING US THE SPACE TO VISIT ABOUT THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL, UH, PROGRAM, AND TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH PROVIDING THE SERVICES.

SO THE NEXT SLIDE HAS SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM, STARTING WITH THE FACT THAT LAST FISCAL YEAR, THIS WAS INCLUDED AS A PILOT IN OUR DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET.

AND SO WE LAUNCHED THAT PROGRAM MARCH 1ST, 2020.

AND VERY SOON AFTER WE REALIZED THAT THE IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC WERE GONNA NECESSITATE THAT WE EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THAT PROGRAM.

AND SO IN JUNE OF 2020, THE CONTRACT WAS EXPANDED SO THAT WE COULD HAVE SERVICES RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC IMPACT.

AND THIS WAS ALSO AROUND THE TIME THAT THE EVICTION COURTS THAT HAD CLOSED, UM, SUB HEARINGS IN MARCH REOPENED.

AND WE KNEW THAT THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL SERVICES, UH, AT THE EVICTION COURSE ARE GONNA BE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.

SO WHAT WE WANNA DO, AND TO CONTINUE THE SERVICE IS THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE HAVE FUNDING TO CONTINUE THE SERVICES NO LONGER AS A PILOT, BUT AS A REGULAR PART OF THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED BY THE CITY THROUGH OUR DEPARTMENT, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE PROVIDING THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY.

THE CURRENT CONTRACT DOES EXPIRE MARCH 31ST, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE FISCAL YEAR, WE HAVE FUNDING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ACCESSIBILITY IN THE FORM OF KIOSK THAT WILL ALLOW, UH, CLIENTS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE LEGAL SERVICES.

SO, IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT SERVICES PROVIDED, WE HAVE TWO PROVIDERS THAT ARE PART OF THE WHOLE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.

[00:05:02]

ONLY ONE CONTRACT IS EXPIRING, AND THAT'S THE ONE WE SEEK TO, UM, CONTINUE.

AND OF COURSE WE HAVE TO GO TO COUNCIL FOR THAT, BUT OF COURSE, WE WANNA HAVE THIS COMMITTEE BE AWARE AND ENDORSE, UH, CONTINUING THE SERVICES.

THE CURRENT PROVIDERS ARE T R L A, TEXAS , LEGAL AID AND SALSA.

I'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT SSA DOES LATER.

THE T R A IS THE MAIN PROVIDER OF THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM.

THEY DO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION IN THE COURT HEARINGS OR ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED THAT REPRESENTATION, WHO ARE FACING EVICTION OR OTHER COURT RELATED ITEMS. THEY ALSO HELP WITH APPEALS, WHICH IS QUITE IMPORTANT FOR US.

THEY ARE PROVIDING MONTHLY KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING FOR TENANT IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND YOU CAN SEE A SAMPLE FOR FLYER FOR A RECENT TRAINING SESSION.

AND VERY IMPORTANT FOR US, SINCE OUR CITY STAFF IS WORKING ON EVICTION INTERVENTIONS AT THE COURT ITSELF, THEY HELP TO DO LIKE A HELP DESK APPROACH FOR OUR STAFF.

WERE NOT LAWYERS WHO CAN BETTER SUPPORT CLIENTS BECAUSE THEY REACH OUT TO T R A TO SAY, I HAVE A CLIENT, HERE'S THE ISSUE.

WHAT ARE THE LEGAL ISSUES? HOW CAN I BEST ADVISE OUR CLIENT? HOW CAN I HELP THEM, UM, WITH THEIR, THE LEGAL QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE? AND SO THAT HAS BEEN INVALUABLE TO OUR CITY STAFF AND HELP OUR CLIENTS BETTER, UH, BETTER.

AND IT IS, UH, TRAINING THAT THEY PROVIDE TO A, PROVIDES TO OUR STAFF, AGAIN, SO THAT WE CAN SERVE OUR CLIENTS BETTER.

THE NEXT SLIDE HAS THE OTHER PORTION OF, UM, THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM THROUGH THE SAN ANTONIO LEGAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION.

NOW, SSA HAS A THREE YEAR CONTRACT, SO SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, BUT WE DO WANNA MENTION IT BECAUSE IT IS PART OF THIS WHOLE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.

AND WHAT SSA DOES IS THAT IT COORDINATES PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES THROUGH A NETWORK OF VOLUNTEER ATTORNEYS, AND THEY WORK PRIMARILY WITH BARON, BUT THEY ALSO GET REFERRALS FROM T R L A.

SO THEY DO OFFER LEGAL ADVICE AND COUNSEL TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT AFFORD, UM, THEIR OWN LEGAL, UH, ADVICE AND THEY HELP WITH THE FUNCTION OR NON-DISCLOSURE.

THIS IS TO HELP, UH, FAMILIES OR PEOPLE FACING COURT ISSUES SEAL FILES SO THAT THAT COURT HEARING OR WHATEVER THAT COURT MATTER WAS, DOES NOT FOLLOW THEM FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS OR YEARS AFTER, UH, AND COULD BE POTENTIALLY A NEGATIVE MARK ON THEIR RECORD, UH, FOR FUTURE TENANCY, ET CETERA.

SO THE NEXT SLIDE TALKS ABOUT, UH, HOW WE WISH TO CONTINUE THE SERVICES AND OUR SUCCESS.

UM, SO EVERY MONTH AS PART OF YOUR DASHBOARD, YOU DO SEE OUR HIGH LEVEL NUMBERS, BUT JUST AS OF MARCH 1ST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON HOW MANY HOUSEHOLDS WE HAVE HELD.

349 HOUSEHOLDS HAVE RECEIVED RIGHT TO COUNSEL LEGAL SERVICES.

18 CASES HAVE GONE THROUGH SALSA.

OF THOSE WHO WE REFERRED WERE FACING EVICTION, 94% WERE ABLE TO AVOID EVICTION.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT NUMBER TO SHARE.

WE HAVE HAD OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE ATTEND THE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING.

AGAIN, THAT'S PROVIDED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND THEY HAVE LOGGED OVER 650 HOURS OF THAT HELP DESK SUPPORT AND TRAINING FOR CITY STAFF THAT IS WORKING ON THOSE, UH, COURT, UM, AT THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURTS FOR EVICTION INTERVENTION.

THAT PICTURE HERE IS A RECENT, UM, OUTREACH EVENT WHERE T R L A STAFF IN CONJUNCTION WITH NEIGHBORHOOD AND HEALTH SERVICES, UM, THIS SPECIFIC, OUR OUTREACH, EVEN THE COUNCIL OFFICE WAS INVOLVED, UM, FOR A PARTICULAR CONFLICT WHERE WE KNEW PEOPLE NEEDED LEGAL ADVICE AND SERVICES.

AND THAT'S A PICTURE OF SOME WORK WE DID AT THAT APARTMENT CONFLICT IN DISTRICT TWO.

AND SO T R A HAS BEEN FLEXIBLE AND GONE ON SITE LIKE THAT PICTURE SHOWS TO ENSURE WE WENT TO THE AREAS AND TO THE PEOPLE THAT NEEDED SERVICES.

SLIDE, UH, SHARING WITH YOU THAT WE'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THOSE SERVICES WITH C R L A, WHO WAS LIKE THE VENDOR.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE PROCESS WE HAVE UTILIZED SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE CONTINUATION OF SERVICES BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS IS NEEDED.

WE'RE STILL A PANDEMIC AND EVICTIONS ARE STILL A CONCERN.

SO WHAT WE DID WAS ISSUE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO HAVE THE EXISTING LEGAL SERVICES PLUS THE NEW KIOSK.

UM, AND THE STAFFING FOR THOSE NOTES, NEW KIOSKS CONTINUE.

AND SO THE R F P WAS ISSUED IN DECEMBER.

IT INCLUDES ALL THE CURRENT SERVICES PLUS STAFFING FOR THOSE KIOSK.

AND WE HAD A PANEL, UH, REVIEW OF R F P AND SELECTED A VENDOR, UH, LAST MONTH.

SO HERE WE ARE BEFORE YOU NEXT

[00:10:01]

AGAIN, THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE AND REPRESENTATION IN COURT AND ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS AND HELP US WITH THE APPEALS PROCESS.

THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE LAWYER YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH FOR THE PUBLIC AND HELP SUPPORT THE COURT INTERVENTION STAFF WITH THAT HELP DESK SUPPORT.

AND THEY WOULD ALSO HELP TO STAFF THOSE KIOSKS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON SO THAT WE CAN HAVE VIRTUAL INTAKE AND CONSULTATION POINTS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.

SO I DO WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE KIOSKS.

UM, THE KIOSK ARE SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS INCLUDED IN OUR BUDGET.

UH, COUNCILMAN , UM, CHAMPIONED THIS ITEM THAT WE COULD HAVE DIFFERENT POINTS OF ACCESS FOR THE LEGAL SERVICES.

AND THERE IS, UM, GENERAL FUND ALLOCATION OF 300,000 FOR THE TECHNOLOGY AS WELL AS THE STAFFING SUPPORT.

SOME OF THESE WOULD BE STATIONARY IN LOCATIONS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

AND THIS IS BEING ACQUIRED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MUNICIPAL COURT.

UM, 'CAUSE OF THE TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY, UM, SERVICES I C S B IS WELL AND OUR DEPARTMENT AS WELL.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT FOUR TO SIX LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

SO WE CAN HAVE DIFFERENT POINTS OF PRACTICE FOR LEGAL SERVICES.

AT LEAST ONE OF THE KIOSKS WOULD BE MOVED AROUND TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.

AND THE TECHNOLOGY ITSELF IS, UH, OUT FOR BID THROUGH A COMPETITIVE FIELD, UH, PROPOSAL PROCESS.

SO THAT'S THE LEGAL KIOSK PART OF THIS NEXT SLIDE.

SO, UM, BECAUSE THE SERVICES OF THE CURRENT CONTRACT END AT THE END OF THE MONTH, WE ARE HOPING FOR YOUR ENDORSEMENT SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THIS TO CITY COUNCIL NEXT WEEK AND WE CAN NEGOTIATE A FINAL CONTRACT AND HAVE SERVICES.

APRIL ONE, THE CONTRACT WOULD BE UP TO $200,000 TO CONTINUE THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.

AND THAT IS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.

UM, AND, UH, OUR TEAM IS HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

THANK YOU, ADAM.

UM, I WILL, UH, I WILL GO, LET'S SEE.

OH, WE'RE GETTING SOME RAISED HANDS.

LET'S SEE.

UM, COUNCILMAN, I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN? YES.

COUNCILMAN, THIS IS VANESSA RODRIGUEZ WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

YES, MA'AM.

DOUBLE CHECK THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS.

YES, THANK YOU.

DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? I CAN CONFIRM? THERE ARE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS, SIR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

YES.

UM, OKAY, WE'LL GO WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE.

UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM AND I WILL CONTINUE TO BE, I THINK IT, IT HAS A, A GREAT VALUE.

UH, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I HAVE BASED ON SLIDE NUMBER FIVE, WHERE WE HAVE SOME, UH, SOME NUMBERS OF, UH, HOUSEHOLDS HELPED AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, IT SAYS 349 HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVED LEGAL SERVICES, UH, AND AN ADDITIONAL 24.

SO 370 OR SO PEOPLE, UH, FAMILIES GOT HELP.

AND THEN IT SAYS 94%.

UH, DOES THAT MEAN 94% OF THE CLIENTS LISTED HERE, UH, WERE ABLE TO AVOID EVICTION? IS THAT RIGHT? IT'S A SUBSET OF THAT BECAUSE NOT ALL THE 349 HOUSEHOLDS WERE FACING EVICTION.

UM, WE DID PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BACKUP, UM, THAT HAS A BREAKDOWN, UH, OF THIS, THE NUMBERS.

UM, SARAH, DO YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT OR IAN, DO YOU WANNA ADD TO THE RESPONSE? NO, I THINK THAT PRETTY WELL COVERS IT.

I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT IN THE 349 HOUSEHOLDS, T L A DOES A LOT, UM, BESIDES EVICTION, INCLUDING ISSUES RELATED TO REPAIRS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT VOUCHERS.

AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR STAFF IS ON THE CALL WITH US AS WELL, UM, AND CAN ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.

SEEMS TO INDICATE THAT THEY SHOULD JUST ASK FOR A JURY TRIAL.

YEAH, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THEY ARE.

AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY, BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THERE'S, UH, TWO SIDES TO, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING EVICTION.

YOU KNOW, IT'S THE FAMILY THAT'S FACING THAT AND, AND NEEDS LEGAL ADVICE, BUT THERE'S ALSO THE PROPERTY OWNER THAT HAS NOT BEEN GETTING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE INCOME IT NEEDS TO MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY.

AND I, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO BOTH SIDES AND, AND RECENTLY HEARD THAT, UM, A CONCERN BY PROPERTY OWNERS IS THAT MANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS COMING FROM THE LEGAL ADVISORS TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FACING FORECLOSURE

[00:15:01]

AND THIS EXTENDS THINGS WAY OUT FURTHER.

AND IT, AND IT'S, AND, AND THE PERCEPTION OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS IS JUST A WAY OF DELAYING, UH, IS THERE ANYONE WHO CAN TALK TO THAT KIND OF A STRATEGY IF IT'S, IF IT'S BEEN USED QUITE A BIT, UH, OR IF THAT'S MAYBE, MAYBE JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING.

HI, THIS IS CHRISTINA FROM FROM T R L A.

CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME? YEAH.

YES.

I, I APOLOGIZE.

I'M IN MY CAR, BUT, UH, I WASN'T, THIS ISN'T SOMETHING I HAD ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED INTO MY DAY.

I CAN SPEAK TO THAT.

I KIND OF OVERSEE MOST OF THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL ATTORNEYS, AND THAT IS NOT A STRATEGY THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND ACROSS THE BOARD AT ALL.

UM, WE REPRESENT OUR, OUR CLIENTS, OF COURSE, ZEALOUSLY, THAT'S OUR JOB, BUT WE'RE NOT SURE.

BUT OF COURSE, THIS, THIS IS, UH, JUSTICE DOESN'T OCCUR IN A VA IN A VACUUM.

I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW THAT PROPERTY OWNERS AREN'T GETTING PAID, THEN THEY'RE GONNA LOSE THEIR PROPERTIES AND IT'S LIKE A RIPPLE EFFECT.

THE WHOLE CITY GETS AFFECTED.

SO WE DEFINITELY, OR DON'T USE THAT AS A STRATEGY.

I WOULD, I WOULD CHEW OUT ANYBODY IF I HEARD THEM RECOMMENDING THAT STRATEGY.

HOWEVER, WE DO MITIGATE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO TO MITIGATE AND TO DELAY AN EVICTION, BUT IT'S NOT FOR PURPOSES OF HURTING THE PROPERTY OWNERS.

IT'S SO THAT PEOPLE CAN APPLY AND GET THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE SO THAT THEN THE PROPERTY OWNERS GET PAID.

SO THAT WOULD BE MY RESPONSE TO THAT.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GLAD TO HEAR.

I WOULD JUST ADD THAT THE COURT'S TEAM DOES OBSERVE OUTCOMES OF, UH, THE HEARINGS AND KEEPS TRACK, UH, OF WHAT THEY'RE SEEING.

AND IN THOSE, WE'VE ONLY COUNTED LESS THAN 1% OF THE CASES OVERALL, UM, RESULTING IN A JURY REQUEST.

UH, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE SOME, A BACKUP BREAKDOWN OF THIS, AND I'D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD JUST SEND IT TO ME.

THAT'S ALL.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBER SULLIVAN.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

AND, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, T R L A AND THE LEGAL SERVICES IS WE, WE KNOW, WE SEE A BIG DEFAULT OF CASES, UM, IN OUR EVICTION COURT HERE IN PRECINCT FOUR.

SO WANTED TO KNOW HOW DO WE PROACTIVELY LOOK AT THAT FROM, UM, THE EVICTION DIVERSION PROCESS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET AHEAD OF THOSE DEFAULTS, BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO BE THE LARGEST NUMBER THAT WE'RE HAVING.

AND SO I WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE'S A STRATEGY THAT'S IN PLACE NOW TO TACKLE THAT FROM A PROACTIVE STANDPOINT.

YEAH, COUNCILWOMAN, I'LL SPEAK TO THAT.

UH, FROM A HIGH LEVEL, UH, YOU, YOU ARE CORRECT.

THERE IS A HIGH NUMBER OF DEFAULT, UH, DEFAULT JUDGEMENTS, AND THAT THAT'S BEEN THE CASE EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.

UM, THE C D C MORATORIUM, UH, IS A GREAT TOOL, BUT IT DOES REQUIRE THE RESIDENT TO FILL OUT A FORM AND SHOW UP IN COURT AND PRESENT IT.

UH, SO THERE ISN'T THAT EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT.

UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE COURT TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE.

UH, WE TRY TO, WELL, WE ARE AT EVERY COURT FOR EVERY HEARING AND PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.

UM, SO I THINK THE, THE, THE STRUGGLE THAT WE HAVE IS GETTING THE INFORMATION INTO THE HANDS OF THE RESIDENT, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN AVOID THAT DEFAULT.

UM, AND THAT WAS A, THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD INTO THE PROCESS FOR NOTIFICATION.

UM, THE COURTS HAVE ALSO BUILT IT INTO THEIR NOTIFICATION TO THE RESIDENT THAT THE RESIDENT HAS EITHER LEFT THE APARTMENT BEFORE THE HEARING, UM, OR JUST DIDN'T RECEIVE THE NOTICE, OR FOR WHATEVER OTHER REASON CAN'T SHOW UP, THEN THAT RESULTS IN A DEFAULT.

ABOUT IT, AND THERE'S TONS OF DEFAULTS GOING ON.

THANK YOU, IAN.

UM, AND THEN CHRISTINA, I KNOW, IS THERE A TOOLKIT THAT WE COULD PUT TOGETHER TO SHOW WHAT RESOURCES YOU PROVIDE TO THE FAMILIES? TO GO OUT TO OUR SCHOOLS, TO OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS? UM, A LOT OF OUR FAMILIES THAT IS A, A RESOURCE THAT WE HAVE NOT TAPPED INTO TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO THOSE FAMILIES.

AND I THINK THAT IF WE HAVE A, A PROACTIVE TOOLKIT WE CAN SEND OUT, THEN WE CAN START TACKLING THE ISSUES OF, OF HELPING WITH THE INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM TO THOSE FAMILIES.

SO DO YOU HAVE A TOOLKIT THAT WE CAN SEND OUT TO OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS? SURE, YEAH, WE DO THAT.

I CAN DO THAT FOR YOU.

WE ALREADY HAVE QUITE A FEW, BUT WE CAN CREATE ONE THAT'S TARGETED TO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT THE DEFAULTS THAT ARE DISTURBING.

I WAS IN JP THREE FOR THE ENTIRE AFTERNOON DOCKET YESTERDAY.

AND EVEN J THE JP COMMENTED ALL THIS MONEY AND PEOPLE ARE NOT HERE IN COURT.

AND I KNOW IT'S NOT FOR LACK OF THE CITY'S EFFORT BECAUSE I KNOW THEY MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO REACH OUT TO TENANTS, BUT FOR ALL THE REASONS PROVIDED A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DON'T HEAR

[00:20:01]

BUT YES, I'LL GET WITH YOU ABOUT THE TOOLKIT AND IT CAN BE CIRCULATED WILD WIDELY.

MM-HMM.

, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND, UM, I KNOW THAT I WANNA JUST THANK, UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES TEAM.

UM, THANK YOU TO SARAH.

THANK YOU, UH, TOTO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHRISTINA.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR BEING OUT AT OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN DISTRICT TWO.

YOU TRULY MADE A DIFFERENCE AND YOU HELPED A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND KNOW THAT IT WAS THERE.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STEPPING UP TO HELP US IN OUR DISTRICT AND TO HELP OUR FAMILIES.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY.

THANK YOU, SIR.

UM, I NEVER HEARD AN ANSWER ON WHAT THE NUMBER IS ON SLIDE NUMBER FIVE.

UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE ASKED THE 94% OF WHAT NUMBER I, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT AGAIN? WHAT IS THAT NUMBER? WHAT, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? THEY'RE ON SLIDE FIVE.

IT IS 167 COUNCILMAN.

SO 97% OF 167 CLIENTS, UM, THAT WERE FACING EVICTION REMAIN, REMAIN .

UH, I'M NOT GOOD AT DOING MATH IN MY HEAD.

WHAT IS THAT NUMBER? IT, IT'S 167 HOUSEHOLDS IS THE, THE NUMBER OF, OF PEOPLE THAT WERE HELPED.

SO, UM, OKAY.

SO HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH PER FAMILY IS THAT, THAT WE'VE SPENT ON THIS PROGRAM OR FOR THAT PORTION? I KNOW THIS COVERS A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT, UM, AREAS, BUT HOW MUCH PER FAMILY IS THAT? WELL, THE TOTAL CONTRACT, UH, AND THAT WAS METRICS FOR THE CURRENT CONTRACT AS OF MARCH ONE, WE STILL HAVE 30 MORE DAYS TO GO.

UM, THAT TOTAL CONTRACT WITH WAS, UH, $200,000, BUT THE EVICTION SUPPORT WAS NOT THE ONLY COMPONENT.

I MENTIONED THE LAWYER RIGHTS TRAINING.

SO WE CAN BREAK IT OUT, UM, BY THOSE AND, AND THE, THE DIFFERENT BUCKETS OF ASSISTANCE.

UM, YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT VERO, SINCE THIS COVERS MULTIPLE AREAS, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE BREAKOUT ON THAT.

AND THEN, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE RESULTS WERE ON EACH ONE OF THOSE ON HOW MANY FOLKS AND HOW MANY FAMILIES WERE HELPED.

SO IF, IF I COULD GET THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

I APPRECIATE IT.

AND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL FROM ME.

THANK YOU, SIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL VRAN.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UM, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR PROVIDING THE POWERPOINT, UH, EARLIER BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP.

UM, CHAIR, ARE WE GONNA NEED A, A MOTION TO MOVE THIS TO FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION? IS THAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR? OR, OR, OR WHAT? YES, I BELIEVE SO.

UM, ALRIGHT.

WELL, I JUST FIRST, UH, CHRISTINA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND FOR MAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE AS WELL.

APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU TO T R L A AND ALL OF THE LEGAL SERVICES.

YOU ALL ARE ABSOLUTELY A, A LIFELINE TO SO MANY PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO GO.

I'M SURE YOU ALL HAVE HEARD THAT BEFORE.

UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR PARTNERING WITH US AND FOR STEPPING UP AND TO CONTINUE WITH THIS CONTRACT.

UM, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT RENTERS AND RESIDENTIAL RENTERS, BUT I DID WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU, CHRISTINA, ARE YOU ALL SEEING OR HELPING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE SEEING THEMSELVES GETTING EVICTED OUT OF LOCATIONS TOO? NO, NOT US.

RIGHT.

TO COUNCIL, BUT T R L A DOES HAVE A TEAM THAT HANDLES SMALL BUSINESSES.

SO THEY, IF THEY APPLY TO US, THEY WOULD BE ROUTED TO THAT TEAM.

SO, BUT RIGHT, RIGHT.

TO COUNCIL, WE'RE JUST ABOUT TENANTS RIGHT NOW.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

BUT, UM, YOU ALL DO HAVE SOMEONE THAT WOULD WORK ON SOMETHING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES WHO ARE FACING THAT? YES.

UM, WELL THAT WAS MY QUESTION.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

I AM DEFINITELY GOING TO, UH, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS TOOLKIT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER AND DREW SULLIVAN TALKED ABOUT.

AND WITH THAT CHAIR, I MOTION TO MOVE THIS TO FULL COUNCIL CONSIDERATION ON MARCH 18TH.

WE DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.

UH, IF, IF, UH, I SAW SOMEBODY RAISE THEIR HAND, BUT IF, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED, CAN YOU PLEASE LOWER YOUR HAND SO THAT I KNOW WHO TO CALL ON NEXT? AH, THERE IT IS.

WHEN PEOPLE COME TO COURT AND THE CITY REPRESENTATIVE HELPS THEM FILL OUT THE C D C PAPERWORK TO GO AHEAD AND, AND REQUEST THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE EVICTION BE PUT OFF BECAUSE OF, UH, THEIR, THEIR COVID FACTORS, HOW IS THAT VERIFIED THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMEBODY DOESN'T HAVE A JOB OR WAS AFFECTED? IS IT BASICALLY THE HONOR SYSTEM, UH, THAT, UH, GOES INTO PUTTING THAT PAPERWORK TOGETHER AND PRESENTING IT TO THE COURT? UH, EFFECTIVELY, AND, AND PERHAPS TI CAN BACK ME UP IF I MISSPEAK ON THIS, BUT, UM, THE, THE DECLARATION IS BASICALLY A SIGNED STATEMENT SWEARING THAT THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE.

COUNCILMAN COURAGE.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

YEAH, I, I JUST HAD, UH, ANOTHER QUESTION.

UH, WHEN,

[00:25:01]

THERE ARE CASES WHERE THE LANDLORD MAY CHALLENGE THAT, AND IN THAT CASE, IT IS SET ASIDE FOR ITS OWN HEARING, SEPARATE FROM THE EVICTION HEARING TO DISCUSS THE MERITS OF THAT FORM.

YEAH.

AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS.

I MEAN, I'VE JUST HEARD FROM, FROM SOME PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE SAID, YEAH, THE, THE TENANT SAYS, UH, THEY CAN'T PAY, THEY DON'T HAVE A JOB, BUT I KNOW FOR A FACT THEY DO HAVE A JOB AND THEY'RE JUST NOT PAYING.

AND SO THE OPPORTUNITY WOULD BE FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER TO BE PRESENT AT THE HEARING AND TO PRESENT WHATEVER COUNTER EVIDENCE THEY KNOW THEY HAVE, UH, ABOUT THAT KIND OF A PRESENTATION THEN, IS THAT RIGHT? YES.

IF THE PROPERTY OWNER CHALLENGES, WE REALLY ENCOURAGE FOLKS IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM ABOUT THE DE DECLARATION FORM TO ONLY FILL IT OUT AND PROVIDE IT IF THEY CAN PROVIDE IT HONESTLY, UM, AND HAVE BACKUP UP FOR THOSE THINGS.

GOOD.

WELL, I JUST WANNA ASSURE THE PEOPLE I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH ABOUT WHAT THE PROCESS SHOULD BE FOR THEM.

THAT THAT'S THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I HAD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIR.

I'M READY TO VOTE ON THE ISSUE.

WELL FIRST WE STILL GOT PERRY, UH, SO COUNCILMAN PERRY.

YEAH.

UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THAT NUMBER AGAIN, THE 167 THAT WE HELP, ARE ANY OF THOSE IS ANY PORTION OF THAT THAT WE HELPED, UM, CONSIDER ANY OF THOSE THAT ARE REQUESTING A TRIAL BY JURY THAT EXTENDS IT FURTHER OUT? I THINK WE HAVE TO, YOU SAID, YOU SAID IT WAS ABOUT 1%.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS FOR THIS, BUT DOES THAT INCLUDE THOSE NUMBERS ALSO, THE 167? I THINK WE'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE DATA, UM, JUST TO VERIFY WHAT EXACTLY WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, BUT, UM, SARAH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD.

YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL CONFIRM YOU.

I WOULD SAY THAT THE 1%, THE LESS THAN 1% OF, UH, JURY REQUESTS IS THE COURT'S TEAM'S OBSERVATIONS OF ALL OF THE HEARINGS THAT HAPPEN, UH, IN THE COUNTY, NOT ONES THAT ARE SPECIFIC PROGRAM.

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL GENERAL FUNDS HERE FOR THIS, FOR THIS CONTRACT, YES, SIR.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, UM, I, I, I WON'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS AT THIS POINT BECAUSE I, I DON'T THINK IT'S READY.

WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS SORTED OUT HERE.

SO, UH, THAT'S WHERE I'M AT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN PERRY.

UM, AND, UH, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO GET YOU A CALCULATOR FOR CHRISTMAS .

FAMILIES HAVE THE ABILITY TO VIRTUALLY CONVERSE WITH AN ATTORNEY AT THEIR LOCAL LIBRARY OR COMMUNITY CENTER AT NO COST TO THEM.

SO, UH, FIRST I DO WANNA THANK, UH, T R L A FOR THE WORK, PROVIDING MORE VULNERABLE RESIDENTS WITH, UH, LEGAL REPRESENTATION.

UH, WE KNOW EVICTION AND DISPLACEMENT IS DEVASTATING, UH, LIFE ALTERING AND AN EVENT, UH, THAT IMPACTS PEOPLE, UH, IN A WAY THAT CAN LAST LIFETIME.

UM, STAFF HAS SHARED THE FOLLOWING STAFF BE, UM, AS, AS WE'VE, WE'VE ALREADY HEARD, YOU KNOW, THE 94% THAT HAVE AVOIDED EVICTION IS JUST REMARKABLE, UH, BECAUSE OF THIS EFFICACY.

UH, RIGHT TO COUNCIL IS AN ACTUAL RIGHT GRANTED IN SEVERAL CITIES LIKE NEW YORK, CLEVELAND, AND PHILADELPHIA.

UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE RIGHT TO COUNCIL GROW TO THE LEVEL IN SAN ANTONIO AND, UH, TO THAT LEVEL IN SAN ANTONIO.

THAT IS, UH, THAT IN THIS CONTRACT IS A GREAT NEXT STEP, UH, THAT WILL GET US TO, TO BE A FULL RIGHT TO COUNSEL CITY.

UH, THE DATA SHOWS THAT PROVIDING OUR MOST VULNERABLE WITH HOUSING LEGAL AID KEEPS THEM HOUSED AND AN EVICTION.

OFF THE RECORD, MY ASK IS THAT T R L A PROVIDE THIS COMMITTEE WITH REGULAR REPORTS ON CASELOADS BARRIERS AND POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES, SALSA FOR WORKING WITH MY OFFICE ON THE LEGAL KIOSKS.

UH, THESE ARE GREAT TOOLS THAT WILL, UH, MAKE LEGAL AID AND ASSISTANCE SERVICES MORE ACCESSIBLE TO COMMUNITIES IN NEED ACROSS THE CITY.

I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE

[00:30:01]

UH, THANK YOU AGAIN TO, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD AND, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES, DEPARTMENT STAFF, AND ALL OUR PARTNERS.

UH, I WANNA SPECIFICALLY WANNA THANK JUSTIN ERIA ON MY TEAM FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM TO SAN ANTONIO.

IT'S TRULY CHANGED LIVES.

UM, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO ACTION ON THIS ITEM.

AND, UH, AS AT THIS ONE, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THE VOTE.

WE'LL HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE THIS TO FULL CITY COUNCIL.

VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

ALL THOSE AGAINST? AYE.

UH, I THINK MOTION PASSES.

WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM

[3. 21-2060 Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) and Texas Eviction Diversion Program (TEDP) Update (Lori Houston, Assistant City Manager, Verónica R. Soto, FAICP, Director, Neighborhood & Housing Services) ]

NUMBER THREE.

COUNCILMAN ITEM NUMBER THREE WILL BE PRESENTED BY IAN BEES WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES.

GO AHEAD, IAN.

THANK YOU, LORI.

THIS IS EDWARD GONZALEZ, UH, AND CHAIRMAN TREVINO.

THIS IS EDWARD, UH, WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES.

I WILL, I WILL TAKE THE, THE REINS FROM IAN.

I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND PRE PRESENT THE, UH, THE EAP UP WITH UPDATE AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR ALLOWING ME TO DO THIS, UH, TODAY.

SO TOTAL BUDGET, $133.6 MILLION.

SO, AS WAY OF BACKGROUND, UH, AND THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, IT WAS CREATED IN APRIL OF 2020 IN A RESPONSE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC.

UH, WE ARE ARE ALMOST AT ONE YEAR OF, UH, PROVIDING THIS ASSISTANCE TO RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEAR COUNTY, UH, AS YOUR, I WA JUST AN INTERESTING NOTE.

WE TOOK OUR FIRST APPLICATION ON APRIL 16TH, UH, OUR ELECTRONIC APPLICATION, BUT WE, WE DID START RECEIVING APPLICATIONS.

UM, AND THE PROGRAM STARTED OFFICIALLY IN APRIL, UH, 26.

APRIL 26TH, 2020.

ELIGIBILITY.

AS A REMINDER, ELIGIBILITY CONTINUES TO BE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT AND OR BEXAR COUNTY RESIDENT.

WE ARE PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO, UH, RESIDENTS LIVING OUTSIDE OF SAN ANTONIO, BUT WITHIN THE BEXAR COUNTY, UH, COUNTY JURISDICTION FOR ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY.

UH, WE'RE PROVIDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE OUTSIDE OF, UH, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.

BUT WITH THAT, BUT WITHIN THE CI, THE COUNTY, UM, MAP MAPPING, NOW THE, UH, WE DO CONTINUE TO, THE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO, RESIDENTS HAVE TO CONTINUE TO, UH, DEMONSTRATE A, DEMONSTRATE A C OVID 19 HARDSHIP.

AS I MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS.

UM, THE MAJORITY OF APPLICANTS THAT ARE PROVIDING, UH, DOCUMENTATION AROUND THIS ARE, ARE REALLY SUFFERING FROM LOSS OF WAGES OR REDUCED WAGES, AND THEN, UH, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.

AND THEN THE, THE FINAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA IS, UH, HAS TO DO WITH INCOME ELIGIBILITY AND INDIVIDUALS MAKING 80% OF A M I OR LESS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM.

NOW, TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT THAT, UH, NUMBER WOULD BE, A FAMILY OF FOUR MAKING $57,000 OR LESS WOULD BE, WOULD BE, UH, 57,600 WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM.

A FAMILY OF THREE MAKING $51,850 WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM.

THE ASSISTANCE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THROUGH THE PROGRAM IS, UH, RENTAL MORTGAGE UTILITY, AND MOST RECENTLY THROUGH THE, UH, CHANGES AND THE AMENDMENTS THAT WERE ADOPTED, UH, BY CITY COUNCIL ON THE 19TH OF FEBRUARY THIS PAST MONTH, UH, WE ARE NOW PROVIDING LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL BENEFIT ENROLLMENT THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH OUR HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, UH, PART OF THE TEAM.

NOW, NEXT SLIDE.

SO, THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WE HAVE $133.6 MILLION BUDGET.

PHASE ONE.

UH, IN APRIL OF 2020, WE STARTED WITH $25.6 MILLION.

THAT FUNDING WAS FULLY EXPEND, UH, IN, UH, UH, JUNE, UH, JULY AT THE END OF JUNE.

AND IN JULY, WE, UH, ACCEPTED ANOTHER $26.9 MILLION, PRIMARILY CORONAVIRUS FOR RELIEF FUNDS.

UH, THAT FUNDING ENDED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020, WHERE, WHICH WE STARTED PHASE THREE WITH $34.3 MILLION.

WE'RE CURRENTLY IN PHASE FOUR OF THE PROGRAM.

WE'RE UTILIZING THE $46.8 MILLION IN US TREASURY FUNDING.

AND WE ARE, UH, ALSO SPENDING THE, THE REMAINDER OF THAT $34.3 MILLION THAT, UH, THAT WE HAVE LEFT.

PROGRAM TOTALING $75.2 MILLION, OF WHICH $60.3 MILLION HAS GONE TO RENTAL AND OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.

SO IN TERMS OF ASSISTANCE AND MONEY OUT THE DOOR FUNDING FOR RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEAR COUNTY, WE HAVE PROVIDED EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE

[00:35:01]

$5.7 MILLION HAS GONE TO C P S ENERGY BILLS, $900,000 HAS GONE TO SAUCE, UH, WATER BILLS 300,000 IN INTERNET ASSISTANCE, AND $8 MILLION IN CASH ASSISTANCE.

I WILL SAY THAT, UH, SET 85% OF THE, OF THE INDIVIDUALS APPLYING FOR ASSISTANCE ARE RENTAL RENTERS.

THIS ASSISTANCE IS UPDATED AS OF MARCH 9TH, 2021 AS OF YESTERDAY.

SO THE ALLOWANCES, UH, EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 18TH, 2021, THROUGH COUNCIL ADOPTION, WE HAVE EXTENDED THE, UH, TERM OF ALLOWANCES FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM ANYONE APPLYING ON, UH, OR AFTER FEBRUARY 18TH, UH, ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO NINE MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE BASED ON THEIR A M I.

SO, A FAMILY IS MAKING LESS THAN 50% OF A M I, THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO NINE MONTHS OF RENTAL AND OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE, AS WELL AS THEIR CURRENT SAW C P S AND INTER, UH, INTERNET BILL.

NOW, IF INDIVIDUALS ARE MAKING, UH, THEIR A M I IS CALCULATED AND DETERMINED TO BE 51 TO 80% OF A M I, THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR UP TO SIX MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE.

NOW, WHAT I WANNA, UH, MENTION TO YOU HERE IS THAT WE ARE PROVIDING A COMPLETE RESET FOR OUR APPLICANTS STARTING FEBRUARY 18TH.

SO, IF YOU HAVE, UH, CONSTITUENTS WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT THAT HAVE BEEN HELPED BEFORE FROM THE PROGRAM, LET'S SAY THEY WERE HELPED IN APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE OF LAST YEAR.

NOW A JA AND THEY APPLY AGAIN IN MARCH, THEN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FULL, AND THEY'RE, AND THEY'RE A M I IS CERTIFIED AS LESS THAN 50% OF A M I, THEN THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT FULL NINE MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE.

NOW, A CAVEAT TO THAT IS THAT WE ARE NOT, WE CANNOT PROVIDE THE SAME MONTH OF ASSISTANCE.

SO IF THAT PERSON GOT THE, OR RECEIVED APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE OF LAST YEAR, WE CANNOT PAY FOR APRIL, MAY OF JUNE OF LAST YEAR.

WE WOULD BE, WE COULD ONLY PAY FOR, UH, AS AN EXAMPLE, IF THEY WERE, UM, IN THE ARREARS FOR DECEMBER.

THEN WE COULD BE DECEMBER, WE COULD BE JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, AND, UM, UH, FUTURE, UH, FUTURE END, UH, ONE MONTH OF FUTURE END.

SO IT'S REALLY DEPENDENT ON THE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCE AND WHAT THEY OWE, UH, BASED ON THE LEDGER, UH, THAT WE'RE, THAT WE ARE PROVIDED FROM, FROM THE INDIVIDUAL.

SO I WANT TO BE VERY, UH, CLEAR ABOUT THE ALLOWANCES.

THIS HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP, UH, INDIVIDUALS, UH, WITH THAT HAVE HAD PREVIOUSLY MET, UH, THRESHOLD ALLOWANCES, AND NOW WE ARE ABLE TO HELP AND, AND RESET ALL OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS.

SO WHAT WE, WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IS THE AVERAGE ASSISTANCE PER HOUSEHOLD.

SO WHEN WE STARTED THE PROGRAM TILL FEBRUARY 18TH, WE, UH, OF 2021, OUR AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE WAS $2,505.

SINCE THEN, UH, FROM FEBRUARY 19TH TO THE PRESENT, UH, WE HAVE, OUR AVERAGE ASSISTANCE AMOUNT HAS BECOME $4,225.

AND WE ARE WATCHING THIS.

UH, OF COURSE, WE ONLY HAVE, UH, THREE, THREE WEEKS OF DATA, UH, TO GO BY.

BUT WE WILL BE PROVIDING UPDATES TO THIS COMMITTEE AND TO CITY COUNCIL ABOUT EXPENDITURE RATES.

UH, WE DO, WE DID KNOW THAT IT WAS GOING TO INCREASE WITH THE A WITH THE INCREASE IN THE ALLOCATION OF MONTHS, UH, BUT WE, WE WERE STILL, UH, DETERMINING KIND OF WHAT THAT LONGER TERM, UH, APPLICATION, UH, AVERAGE IS GONNA BE.

BUT THIS IS, WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY THAT IT HAS WE SLIGHTLY INCREASE FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS.

TO, UH, PRESENT, WHICH WAS YESTERDAY, I READ THE DATE OF YESTERDAY, WE RECEIVED, WE HAVE PROVIDED OVER 364 REFERRALS FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, UH, TO THOSE, TO THOSE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS.

UH, ANOTHER AREA THAT WAS, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, AS WE, UH, PROVIDED THE AMENDMENTS, UH, RECOMMENDED AMENDMENTS AND, AND COUNCIL APPROVED THOSE ON THE NI ON THE 18TH OF FEBRUARY, WAS OUR REFERRAL SYSTEM UPDATE.

SO WE WANTED TO IMPROVE, ONE OF THE AREAS WE WANTED TO APPROVE FROM WAS OUR BENEFIT REFERRALS, RIGHT? SO WE KNEW THAT WE WERE NOT DOING THE GREATEST JOB WITH REFERRING, UH, RESIDENTS TO CONNECTING TO THOSE BENEFITS THAT WERE OUTSIDE OF THE SERVICES THAT WERE PROVIDING THROUGH EAP.

SO ANYTHING SOCIAL SERVICES OUTSIDE OF RENT, MORTGAGE AND UTILITIES, THOSE CAN BE SERVICES LIKE FOOD, CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE, TRANSPORTATION.

UH, WE, WE DID BRING ON, UH, ADDITIONAL BENEFIT NAVIGATORS.

WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT ON FIVE ADDITIONAL BENEFIT NAVIGATORS FOR TOTAL OF 10.

UH, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR HUMAN, UH, SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS THEY ARE, UH, THE LEAD FOR THE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS.

NOW, THE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS ARE LOCATED AT OUR CENTRAL LIBRARY.

AND SINCE FEBRUARY 19TH

[00:40:01]

I'LL SAY THAT THE NAVIGATORS ARE CONTACTING EACH ONE OF THESE FAMILY MEMBERS WITHIN 24 TO 48 HOURS, AND THEY'RE DOING AN, AN ASSESSMENT TO CONNECT THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THOSE FAMILIES TO THE NEEDED SERVICES BASED ON EACH, UH, INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT THAT HAS BEEN CONDUCTED.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, A LITTLE BIT.

UH, I'M GONNA SWITCH GEARS A LITTLE BIT AND TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR TEXAS AVERSION, UH, I'M SORRY, THE TEXAS EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM.

THIS IS THE PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE OUR CASE MANAGERS IN THE COURTS, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE IN THE, THE PRECINCT COURTS.

UM, THEY ARE HELPING FOLKS FILL OUT THAT C D C, UH, REQUIREMENTS, THOSE FORMS, ET CETERA.

THIS, THIS PROGRAM, WE STARTED IN, UH, NOVEMBER OF 2020.

UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY STILL WORKING THROUGH THE PROGRAM.

IT WAS CREATED BY GOVERNOR ABBOTT IN OCTOBER OF 2020.

WE BEGAN ADMINISTERING IT IN IN NOVEMBER WITH INITIAL AWARD OF $600,000.

AS OF MARCH 1ST, WE HAVE FULLY EXPENDED THAT $600,000 PILOT FUNDING.

AND NOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH UTILIZING A $360,000, UH, ALLOCATION FROM THE STATE FOR THE PERMANENT PROGRAM, OR WHAT WOULD, WOULD BE CONSIDERED NOW A NON-PILOT, UH, AND SET ASIDE FUNDING PART OF OUR T UH, TEXAS EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

ELIGIBILITY FOR THIS PROGRAM, OBVIOUSLY, YOU, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE A, A BEAR COUNTY RESIDENT.

SO THERE'S NO JURISDICTION ABOUT CITY OR COUNTY.

UH, SO AS LONG AS YOU'RE WITHIN THE, THE BEXAR COUNTY, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE, YOU DO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A C OVID 19 HARDSHIP TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FUNDING.

AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS PROGRAM IS THAT YOU MUST HAVE AN EVICTION ON FILE.

SO, WITH EAP, WE'RE PROVIDING A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, UPSTREAM SUPPORT.

SO INDIVIDUALS THAT KNOW THAT THEY'RE BEHIND ON THEIR RENT OR RENT OR LANDLORDS KNOW THAT THEIR TENANTS ARE, ARE BEHIND ON THEIR RENT, WE'RE DOING THAT PROACTIVE TRYING TO PAY AND GET, CATCH THEM UP BEFORE IT BECOMES AN EVICTION.

THIS PROGRAM IS THE PROGRAM THAT KICKS IN ONCE THAT FAMILY HAS ACTUALLY BEEN FILED, THE LAWSUIT FOR EVICTION.

SO TOTAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED.

WE, WE PROVIDE UP TO SIX MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE MONTH IN ARREARS.

IF YOU'RE IN AN EVICTION CASE, MOST OF THE MONTHS ARE GOING TO BE IN ARREARS.

WE'VE ASSISTED 90 HOUSEHOLDS WITH THAT.

UM, OUR, WITH OUR PILOT FUNDING SO FAR, UH, WE'VE EXPENDED THE 539,377 HAS GONE TO DIRECT ASSISTANCE.

SO ALL OF THAT HAS GONE TO PAYING OUT LANDLORDS FOR PAST DUE RENT.

AND OUR AVERAGE OF HOUSEHOLD ASSISTANCE THAT WE'VE PROVIDED THROUGH THAT PROGRAM HAS BEEN RIGHT UNDER $6,000 PER CASE.

THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.

SO, THIS IS THE TABLE.

I THINK, UH, THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION WAS ALLUDING TO A COUPLE OF THESE PRESENT, UH, THESE NUMBERS.

I KNOW THAT COUNCILWOMAN, UH, SULLIVAN WAS, UH, ALLUDING TO HEARINGS IN, IN PRECINCT FOUR AND DEFAULT JUDGMENTS.

AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE TABLE, UH, PRECINCT FOUR HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST, UH, DEFAULT JUDGEMENTS OF STAFF THAT HAS, UH, BEEN COLLECTING THIS DATA WITH OVER 778 FOR, UM, FOR A TOTAL FROM ALL PRECINCTS OF 638 DEFAULT JUDGMENTS.

SO AGAIN, WHAT DEFAULT JUDGMENTS, IN MOST CASES, IT MEANS THAT THE, THE, THE RESIDENT THEMSELVES HAS NOT SHOWN UP TO COURT TO REPRESENT THEMSELVES.

AND, UH, A DEFAULT JUDGMENT IS BEING AWARDED IN, IN ON BEHALF OF THE, THE PLAINTIFF.

SO 28% OF ALL, UH, CASES WE'VE REVIEWED ARE, ARE THAT WE, WE DO HAVE SOME REALLY WHAT WE, WE LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT AS, AS GOOD NUMBERS IN TERMS OF CASES DISMISSED WITH OVER 1,256 CASES THAT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED, UH, A LITTLE BIT.

THAT'S, UH, ELUDES TO 22% OF THE TOTAL CASES WE'VE OBSERVED.

WE HAVE 1,638 RESETS, WHICH, UH, EQUATES TO 33% OF THE TOTAL CASES WE REVIEWED.

AND THEN AGAIN, UH, JUDGEMENTS FOR THE PLAINTIFF IN THE AMOUNT OF 16% OR 934 CASES.

NOW, THE JURY RESETS THAT WAS QUESTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION FOR OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF, UH, CASES WE, WE'VE, UH, OBSERVED, UH, 27% OR LESS THAN 1% HAVE BEEN JURY RESETS.

UH, CHAIRMAN COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, IAN AND I ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

[00:45:01]

UH, I REALLY, I, I DO APPRECIATE THIS BRIEFING, UM, TO THE ENTIRE TEAM.

UM, AND, UH, AND FOR WORKING, UH, WITH COUNCIL ON CHANGES TO THE EAP RECOMMENDATION, UH, MY COMMENTS REALLY CONCERN SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PRESENTED IN A TOWN HALL THE N H S D STAFF HOSTED THIS MORNING.

UH, FIRST THANK YOU FOR THE TOWN HALL.

IT, IT, IT IS HELPFUL AND BENEFICIAL TO THE OVERALL PROGRAM WHEN WE CAN BRING STAKEHOLDERS, COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, AND NONPROFITS TOGETHER WITH CITY AND COUNCIL STAFF.

UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE APPLICATION TURNAROUND TIME IS NOW AT 25 DAYS.

I UNDERSTAND THE WINTER STORM SET US BACK IN NUMEROUS WAYS, BUT TAKING NEARLY A MONTH TO CUT THE CHECK IS GOING TO PUSH A LOT OF PEOPLE OUTTA THEIR HOMES, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MORATORIUM SET TO END THIS MONTH.

UH, MY OFFICE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, I IF, IF STAFFING AND OTHER RESOURCES ARE NEEDED, UH, TO BRING THIS, THIS AVERAGE DOWN.

SO COUNCILMAN, I CAN, I CAN, UH, TOUCH, TOUCH ON THOSE TWO THINGS.

SO YES, WE ARE, THIS MORNING WE HAD A STAKEHOLDER INPUT MEETING WHERE WE'RE RECEIVING INFORMATION FROM AND FEEDBACK FROM VARIOUS DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS, THE DEPARTMENT ASSOCIATION, OUR RISK MITIGATION GROUP, UH, DOMESTIC, WHICH IS OUR CONTRACTOR, SAGE, UH, TOPS AND COPS METRO.

UH, SO YES, THAT'S THE CONTEXT BEHIND THE MEETING.

ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE DID DISCUSS, AND I WAS, UH, UH, I WANTED TO, TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME FROM BEGINNING TO END OF CUTTING THE CHECK SUBMISSION TO ENDING.

NOW, IT'S NOT RELATED TO STAFFING.

UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY PRIMARILY RELATED TO, UH, THE WINTER STORM.

SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE WERE GOING FROM, SO AT A, AT OUR BEST DAYS, WE WERE AT 14 DAY TURNAROUND, RIGHT? THAT WAS EARLIER IN THE YEAR.

WE DID GO FROM, UH, WE WERE AT ABOUT 14 TO A 16 BUSINESS DAYS OR DAYS WHERE, LET ME CORRECT MYSELF, IT'S DAYS THEN WE, WE HAD THAT WHOLE WEEK THAT WE DID NOT HAVE STAFF THAT WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE STAFF PROCESSING BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET TO WORK.

SO FROM THAT SATURDAY, OR FROM THAT WEEKEND, THAT FRIDAY, THAT WAS BEFORE THE STORM, THAT'S TWO DAYS.

'CAUSE WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T, UH, WE WEREN'T WORKING SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS.

THE STAFFS WORKING MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

SO THAT'S TWO DAYS PLUS THE FIVE DAYS.

SO THAT'S SEVEN DAYS PLUS THE TWO ADDITIONAL WEEKEND DAYS.

SO THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL EIGHT, UH, FOUR DAYS.

SO THAT WAS THE TOTAL OF NINE DAYS.

THAT HAS KIND OF REALLY INCREASED OUR STAFF PROCESSING TIME.

WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO REDUCE THAT BACK TO OUR NORMAL OPERATING.

WE HAVE ADDITIONAL STAFF ON BOARD, UH, THAT WE RECENTLY BROUGHT IN, UH, A TEMPORARY STAFF TO HELP PROCESS THIS.

AND WE SEE THAT TO BE COMING NOW WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.

I WANNA BE VERY, UH, HONEST AND TRANSPARENT THAT THAT IS THE NUMBER AS OF TODAY.

BUT WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY.

WE ARE PRIORITIZING NOTICES TO VACATE, UH, THAT IF THEY'VE SEEN THOSE, WE'RE CALLING THEM BACK.

UH, BUT AGAIN, WE ARE WORKING AS, AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.

AND THE WINTER STORM DID SET US BACK A LITTLE BIT.

THOSE IN IMMEDIATELY AFTER, UH, COUNCIL APPROVED ON THE 19TH.

WELL, UM, I, I'D LIKE, UH, I'D LIKE REGULAR UPDATES, UH, YOU KNOW, DAILY IF POSSIBLE, ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT 'CAUSE.

UM, AS WE KNOW, UH, THE, THE, UH, THE STORM IS IMPACTING US IN SO MANY WAYS, AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THAT I, I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT GET TO, UH, CREATE A DOMINO EFFECT.

UH, SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT.

UM, ALSO, HOW CAN WE SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE FUNDING FOR RELOCATION ASSISTANCE? UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO IS PROJECTED TO RECEIVE $20.3 MILLION FROM THE NEXT ROUND OF HOMELESS ASSISTANCE GRANTS THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN.

I WOULD LIKE, UH, A STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON HOW MUCH OF THE 20 MILLION CAN BE SET ASIDE FOR RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE CURRENT RELOCATION FUNDING IS LESS THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, WHICH IS NOT SUSTAINABLE GIVEN THE RATE OF INFORMAL EVICTIONS.

STAFF WILL WORK ON THAT RECOMMENDATION AND GET BACK TO YOU.

AND EDWARD, CAN YOU REMIND, UM, THE COMMITTEE, HOW MANY NEW STAFF DID YOU BRING ON TO HELP WITH THIS BACKLOG? AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD? SO WE, WE BROUGHT IN A TOTAL DIRECT ASSISTANCE.

WE BROUGHT IN 10 CALL TAKERS.

SO THE CALL TAKERS ARE ANSWERING QUESTIONS, PROVIDING THAT.

AND THEN WE ALSO PROVIDED 24 PROCESSORS AND REVIEWERS.

SO, SO A TOTAL OF 34 STAFF THAT ARE DIRECTLY, UH, WORKING THESE CASES EVERY DAY.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE BROUGHT

[00:50:01]

UH, WE STARTED TRAINING THAT IMMEDIATELY THAT WEEK AFTER EVERYONE IS ON BOARD AND THEY ARE STARTING TO BE ASSIGNED CASES.

THEY HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ASSIGNED CASES AND THEY'RE REVIEWING THEM.

SO THE THROUGHPUT IS INCREASING.

UH, UH, AND, AND WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 24 THAT ARE JUST DEDICATED FOR BOTH REVIEWING AND PROCESSING AND 10 THAT ARE FOR CALL TAKING.

I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU THAT CONTEXT SO YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING ON IT.

AND WE WILL GET THAT NUMBER DOWN.

COUNCIL MEMBER.

WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT NUMBER DOWN AND DEFINITELY WE WILL COME BACK AND PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE BUDGET, UM, TO INCLUDE RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.

UH, LAST, THERE WAS A BIG CONCERN FROM T R L A AND COMMUNITY ADVOCATES ABOUT PROPERTY OWNERS CASHING EAP CHECKS EVEN, UH, IF, UH, THE TENANT NO LONGER RESIDED ON PROPERTY OR WITHOUT WITHDRAWING THE, UH, EVICTION FILING, THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR SOME TIME NOW.

UH, WE JUST DISCUSSED THE CONTRACT WITH T R A FOR HOUSING LEGAL AID.

IF COUNSEL APPROVES THE CONS CONTRACT, I WOULD, I WOULD ASK THE T R A AND N N H S D WORK ON A DOCUMENT OR A POLICY RECOMMENDATION FOR THE EAP, WHICH DISALLOWS OR DETERS LANDLORDS FROM RECEIVING FUNDS.

IF THE TENANT NO LONGER RESIDES ON THE PROPERTY OR DOES NOT BEGIN TO WITHDRAW THE, THE, THE FILING, BY THE TIME THE FUNDS ARE DISPERSED, THERE'S, THERE'S MORE MONEY PROJECTED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE, UH, RENTAL AND, AND HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE COMING DOWN THE PIKE.

SO WE NEED TO BE SURE OUR PROGRAM IS RESILIENT ENOUGH TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT AND PROMOTE STABILITY EVEN AFTER THE EVICTION MORATORIUM EXPIRES.

UM, AGAIN, I, I JUST, IF, IF YOU ALL COULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE, WE COULD AT LEAST TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, PLEASE.

UM, WE WILL LOOK AT THAT.

UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM MY COLLEAGUES.

I'LL START NOW WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.

UH, YOU, I, I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE CAME FIRST, BUT, UH, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GO WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.

UM, THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU, EDWARD.

SO, UM, I'LL JUMP RIGHT INTO MY QUESTIONS.

EDWARD, UNDER THE PHASE THREE, HOW MUCH FUNDING IS ACTUALLY LEFT IN THAT PHASE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

LET ME DO, USE MY CALCULATOR REAL QUICK.

I'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY THAT RIGHT NOW.

SO IT'S 86.6 MINUS, THERE WAS 11, UH, A LITTLE OVER $11 MILLION THAT IS PART OF THAT PHASE THREE.

SO IN ADDITION TO, FROM THAT 11 PLUS THE 46.5, WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE ABOUT 43.7% OF THE TOTAL $133 MILLION LEFT.

AND HOW, HOW LONG WILL THAT TAKE US INTO BEFORE WE'RE USING THE PHASE FOUR? SO IT, IT'LL BE A COUPLE OF, I'LL TELL YOU, IT WILL ACTUALLY BE A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

UH, BUT LET ME, LET ME ANSWER THAT QUESTION, UM, A DIFFERENT WAY.

THERE ARE, THERE IS SOME FUNDING THAT IS GENERAL FUND THAT'S PART OF THAT PHASE THREE FUNDING.

THERE'S ALSO FUNDING THAT'S, UH, FUNDING FOR MORTGAGE THAT WE CAN USE FOR MORTGAGE SPECIFIC CLIENTS.

SO IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT REALLY A, WE'RE TRYING TO SPEND PHASE THREE MONEY FIRST.

WE'RE TRYING TO UTILIZE AND THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, UM, THE BEST THAT TO, THAT BEST NEEDS THAT, THAT RESIDENTS.

SO IF TODAY A RESIDENT IS COMING FOR UTILITY, I MEAN RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND THEY QUALIFY FOR THE TREASURY FUNDING, WE'RE GONNA USE THAT FIRST.

'CAUSE WE WANNA USE THE TREASURY FUNDING FIRST.

THE GENERAL FUND THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.

AND, UH, UH, SOME OF THE C D B G FUNDS THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR MORTGAGE, WE'RE GONNA USE THAT LAST.

SO TO GO BACK TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN, ALTHOUGH WE STILL HAVE ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS LEFT, I MAY NOT SPEND THAT IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.

'CAUSE I WANT KEEP THAT FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN.

I WANT TO KEEP THE GENERAL FUND FLEXIBLE FUNDING FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT MAY NOT QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL FUNDS.

IN SOMEBODY TO HELP US CREATE SOME MARKETING MATERIALS THAT WE WOULD SEND OUT THROUGH OUR NETWORKS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR BREAKING THAT DOWN AT WORK.

UM, AND THEN THAT BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT QUESTION IS WHAT IS OUR, UM, UPDATED COMMUNICATION PLAN ON THE OUTREACH INFORMATION THAT WE ARE PROVIDING ABOUT THE UPDATES AND THE CHANGES TO THE, THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

WE'RE WORKING ON UPDATING ALL OF OUR MATERIALS.

SO IMMEDIATELY AFTER COUNCIL APPROVED, WE, WE'VE UPDATED OUR WEBSITE.

UH, WE'VE ALSO UPDATED KIND OF THE COVID PAGES WHERE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S MATERIALS, BUT THERE IS, HAVING A PROGRAM THIS BIG, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE ARE MATERIALS THAT ALREADY OUT THERE WITH SOME OF THE DATA INFORMATION.

SO WE'VE BROUGHT

[00:55:01]

WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT OUT BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH WITH ALL NEW MATERIALS BASED ON THE NEW ELIGIBILITY.

AND I WILL SAY THAT THERE IS ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMING FOR PROGRAMS LIKE THIS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

UH, SO WE, IT IS GONNA BE A, A WORK IN PROGRESS.

AS THINGS CHANGE, ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS MADE AVAILABLE.

WE WILL UPDATE ALL THOSE MATERIALS.

YES.

AND WE KNOW THOSE GREAT CHANGES ARE COMING DIRECTLY TO, TO LOCAL, UH, MS NAP AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

MAYBE WE DO NOT HAVE TO CONTINUE TO WAIT SO LONG, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE TAKEN CARE OF.

UM, THE NEXT QUESTION I HAVE IS IN RELATION TO, UM, THE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS.

HAVE WE ENCOUNTERED ANY BARRIERS OR ANY SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO CONNECT FAMILIES TO? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.

COUNCILWOMAN.

UH, WE HOPE THAT WE'RE GONNA, IN THE FUTURE UPDATES, WE CAN GIVE YOU MORE DETAIL AROUND SOME OF THE METRICS THAT THEY'RE SEEING.

YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF, UH, SERVICES THAT'RE CONNECTING TO.

IT'S REALLY, IT WAS A LITTLE EARLY FOR THIS PRESENTATION, BUT WE WANTED TO AT LEAST SHARE WITH YOU HOW MANY REFERRALS WE'RE MAKING.

I WILL SAY THAT THEY, THE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS FOR THE LAST WEEK OR SO, OR TWO WEEKS, THE MAJORITY OF THEIR CALLS HAVE BEEN AROUND NAVIGATING TO RESOURCES FOR PLUMBING REPAIR.

SO, UH, AND, AND REPAIRS TO THEIR HOUSES.

SO WE, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, OR THE NAVIGATORS HAVE BEEN CONNECTING INDIVIDUALS TO, AND HELPING THEM FILL OUT FEDERAL FEMA UH, APPLICATIONS FOR REIMBURSEMENT OR FOR, UH, ASSISTANCE TO HELP WITH THOSE REPAIRS IN ADDITION TO, UH, APPLICATIONS THROUGH OUR SAUCE COMMUNITY HIGH REPAIR PROGRAM.

SO THAT, THAT HASN'T BEEN THE FOCUS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I'LL TELL YOU.

AND THEN, UH, OBVIOUSLY THEY CONTINUE TO CONNECT FOLKS WITH FOOD AND RESOURCES OF THAT NATURE.

I THINK FOOD INSECURITY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST, UH, CONNECTION TO SOCIAL SERVICES THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, I WOULD TELL YOU IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.

AND, AND WITH THAT, UM, BEING SAID, ARE WE WORKING WITH THE FOOD BANK TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE ARE CONNECTING, I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE SAYING THEY EITHER CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE FOOD BANK, OR THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS ARE.

UM, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY FAMILIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EITHER HAVE FOOD DELIVERED TO THEM AT HOME, OR HOW MANY OF OUR COMPLEXES THAT WE KNOW, UM, ARE REALLY STRUGGLING, HAVE HAD SERVICES DELIVERED THROUGH THE, THE PROGRAM WITH OUR, OUR BENEFIT NAVIGATORS COUNCIL? WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE A FOLLOW UP TO THAT QUESTION.

I DON'T WANNA SPECULATE ON WHAT THE NUMBER IS.

I KNOW THAT, UH, ANECDOTALLY I HEAR THAT WE ARE MAKING THE CONNECTION TO FOOD BANK.

UH, WE, UH, WE HAD A CALL WITH MARIO RO ACTUALLY, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK.

THE BENEFIT NAVIGATOR LEADS, UH, THE BENEFIT NAVIGATORS THEMSELVES, MYSELF, AND THEN, UH, THE FOOD BANK STAFF WERE ALL ON A CALL AND WE WERE SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT HOW WE ARE CROSS TRAINING AND PROVIDING RESOURCES BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING AS WELL.

SO WE ARE IN COORDINATION WITH THEM.

I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU, UH, I, I ANSWERED THAT QUESTION.

AND THEN MY FINAL QUESTION THAT I'LL ASK IS, UM, IN RELATION TO THE TEXAS DIVERSION PROGRAM, DO WE KNOW IF THERE'S BEEN ANY, UM, ADDITIONAL LEGISLATIVE DISCUSSION ON EXPANDING THE PROGRAM TO INCLUDE PARTNERS SUCH AS T R L A AND SALSA? I WILL SAY, UH, COUNSEL, THIS IS IAN .

UM, THERE, THERE HASN'T BEEN TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT LEGAL AID EXPANSION.

UM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THE STATE IS NOW ADMINISTERING THEIR OWN EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM, UH, SIMILAR TO HOW THEY'RE ALSO ADMINISTERING THEIR OWN RENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

UM, SO THAT IS ALSO UTILIZING THE TREASURY FUNDING AND CAN, CAN ASSIST RESIDENTS FOR UP TO 15 MONTHS.

UM, SO WE'RE STILL EXPENDING OUR, OUR ALLOCATION OF EVICTION DIVERSION PROGRAM FUNDING, BUT AFTER THAT EXPENDED, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH THE COURTS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO APPLY FOR THAT STATE FUNDING.

AND THIS IS ANOTHER WAY TO JUST GET THE INFORMATION OUT.

THANK YOU, ANNE.

THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION TO KNOW.

I HAVE NOT SEEN THAT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY ANYWHERE.

AND I THINK THAT WITH OUR COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES, WE NEED TO INCLUDE ALSO WHAT IS HAPPENING, UH, WITH OUR STATE STRATEGY, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE JUST RECEIVING ALL OF THE RESOURCES.

AND THEN THAT'LL BRING ME TO THE CLOSE OF ASKING FOR THIS TO BE PART OF THAT TOOL THAT WE SEND OUT TO, UM, OUR PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY, EITHER OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS, UM, OUR BOARD TRUSTEES WHOM, WHOMEVER THAT PACKET CAN GET TO, TO REALLY SPEAK TO WHERE OUR PARENTS ARE, UM, ASKING FOR THIS INFORMATION.

AND WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE TAKING KIDS TO SCHOOL STILL.

UM, EVEN THE SCHOOLS CAN PUT IT ON THEIR WEBSITES, UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW MOST PARENTS ARE LOGGING IN FOR THEIR KIDS.

[01:00:01]

SO, UM, JUST LOOKING FOR WAYS THAT WE CAN REALLY HELP YOU GUYS, UM, WITH GETTING THIS INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY.

BUT THANK YOU AGAIN, IAN.

THANK YOU EDWARD.

AND THANK YOU CHAIR.

COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, COUNCILLOR RERAN.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UM, I JUST A COUPLE POINTS.

NUMBER ONE, I WANT TO, UH, AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER J ANDREW SULLIVAN'S IDEA ABOUT THE OUTREACH AND GETTING THE UPDATED.

I'M GLAD, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL YOUR HARD WORK.

UM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DEFINITELY UPDATE THE, THE FLYERS AND AS SOON AS YOU GET THOSE FLYERS, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD ALSO, AS WAS MENTIONED BY THE COUNCILWOMAN, UM, SHARE THAT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THEIR PARENTS, BUT ALSO WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT STAFF, UM, THE CAFETERIA WORKERS, EVERYONE THERE THAT ARE PART OF THE, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS STAFF AS WELL.

I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE SHARE THIS INFORMATION ABOUT ACTUALLY ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS. UM, SO I'M LOOKING AT YOU, LORI, ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, WE HAVE ASSISTANCE WITH, UM, TO, OF COURSE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUT ALSO, UM, SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO EAP, TO OUR MASS VACCINATION SITES, THAT IF WE CAN HAVE THOSE FLYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS, WE HAVE THEM THERE AT THE MASS VACCINATION SITES SO PEOPLE CAN TAKE THEM WITH THEM AS THEY LEAVE.

UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, SHARE IT WITH MEMBERS OF, UH, A F L C I O LABOR AFSCME, UM, THE, THOSE, UH, THOSE GROUPS, BECAUSE THEY, WE HAVE, THEY HAVE A LOT OF MEMBERS WHO ARE PROBABLY NOT WORKING RIGHT NOW, SO LET'S GET THEM CONNECTED TO EHA, BUT ALSO TO THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.

UH, BUT THANK YOU.

I AM, UH, VERY APPRECIATIVE TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND EVERYONE THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, UH, THE RESCUE PLAN SIGNED HERE SOON AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO MEAN FOR ALL OF US.

SO THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

UM, I WANNA SAY COUNCILMAN CUR, YOU HAD HAD YOUR HAND, UH, DID YOU, DO YOU MEAN TO TAKE IT DOWN? OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THANKS AGAIN, EDWARD, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.

THANKS AGAIN TO STAFF.

UM, ON ONE LAST NOTE, UH, I, I ASKED, I THINK I ASKED FOR THIS LAST TIME, MAYBE I MISCOMMUNICATED IT, BUT OUR, OUR DASHBOARD I'D, I'D LIKE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO FLASH DASHBOARD, UH, UP ON SCREEN WHILE WE'RE, WHILE WE'RE TAKING ROLE, WHILE WE'RE GOING THROUGH MAYBE THE MINUTES, SO THAT THE, NOT ONLY THE, THE DASHBOARD'S NOT JUST FOR US, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY WATCHING AND ON THIS MEETING.

SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL MAKE THAT REQUEST AGAIN SO THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING, IF WE CAN GET THAT DASHBOARD UP, UH, SO THAT IT'S, IT'S ON THE RECORD AND DOCUMENTED.

AND COUNCILMAN, WE'LL MAKE THAT CHANGE.

WE DID ADD IT TO THE AGENDA SO PEOPLE CAN CLICK ON IT AND SEE IT.

AND IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT'S PROVIDED TO THE COMMITTEE, BUT IT IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT WE WILL ADD IT TO THE ACTUAL PRESENTATIONS FOR EVERY MEETING.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.