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SAN ANTONIO, SAN ANTONIO AND SAN ANTONIO.
[1. Staff presentation of the FY 2022 Proposed Budget focusing on, but not limited to, the following City Departments or Initiatives: [Erik Walsh, City Manager; Scott Huizenga, Director, Management and Budget]]
WE'LL CALL OUR SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORK SESSION TO ORDER.UH, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU READ THE ROLE? COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER VERAN.
ALRIGHT, UH, FOR THE RECORDS, THE DATE TODAY IS AUGUST 18TH, 2021.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE ITEMS ON OUR BUDGET SESSION TODAY, SO LEMME TURN IT OVER TO CITY MANAGER ERIC WALSH.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
WE'VE GOT TWO ITEMS, UH, IN TODAY'S WORK SESSION.
WE'LL START WITH, UH, VETO, UH, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THEN TRANSFER, UM, TRANSITION TO MEL, UH, AND OUR HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND DELEGATE AGENCIES, UH, BUDGETS.
JUST SO YOU CAN HEAR ME BETTER.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, VERONICA SOTA WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE ARE GONNA PRESENT OUR PROPOSED 2020 BUDGET.
AND BEFORE I GET INTO THAT, I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR DEPARTMENT.
WHEN I TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DO IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT, I LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE SEVEN DISTINCT BUSINESS LINES IN OUR SHOP.
AND SO YOU'LL HEAR ME LATER TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT PROGRAMS UNDER OUR HOUSING PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION TEAM, LIKE THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAM AND THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM.
SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED BY FEDERAL GRANTS.
SO WE HAVE A GRANTS MANAGEMENT TEAM THAT ENSURES THAT WE'RE USING THAT MONEY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL GUIDELINES.
AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT THE ONLY THING FUNDED BY THOSE GRANTS.
WE SUPPORT ITEMS LIKE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT PARKS AND REC RECREATION RUNS, AS WELL AS HOMELESS SERVICES AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES.
THROUGH THOSE GRANTS, WE ADMINISTER OUR HOUSING BOND PROGRAM FOR THE CITY.
FOR THE 20 17 20 22 HOUSING BOND, WE'LL HAVE OVER 500 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE DELIVER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES THROUGH OUR TAX INCREMENT FINANCING.
SO WE HAVE A TEAM THAT FOCUSES ON THAT WORK, AND WE ALSO WORK WITH NEIGHBORHOODS WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT TEAM LEADING THE WORK, GETTING RESOURCES TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
THAT TEAM ALSO HAS OUR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE ALSO HAVE OUR FAIR HOUSING SERVICES, WHO HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC THROUGH OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT FAIR HOUSING WORK IN A LITTLE WHILE.
FINALLY, WE HAVE A COORDINATED HOUSING SYSTEM THAT HAS OUR HOUSING POLICY TEAM, AND THEY TOO HAVE BEEN ENGAGED WITH WORK RELATED TO PANDEMIC RESPONSE.
SO YOU'LL HEAR ME TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH REGARDS TO EVICTION PREVENTION, THAT WORK CAME OUT
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OF THAT HOUSING POLICY TEAM AND ALSO THE EXPANDED RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.AND SO THAT'S WHAT OUR DEPARTMENT IS.
AND FOR THE FISCAL 2022 PROPOSED BUDGET, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BUDGET OF ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
AND SO LET ME WALK YOU THROUGH BECAUSE THIS IS A LARGE NUMBER, BUT A LOT OF IT IS RELATED TO OUR C O D RESPONSE.
SO I'LL CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE BOX IN GREEN THAT HAS OUR COVID RELATED GRANTS, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT MORE THAN HALF OF THIS BUDGET IS DEVOTED TO HAVE THE CONTINUATION OF OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THAT IS GRANT MONEY THAT CAME THROUGH THE ARPA THAT WILL CONTINUE TO FUND EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
AND YOU'LL ALSO SEE IN THE BLUE BOX AN ITEM FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING.
THAT WAS A ONE-TIME ADDITION IN OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR WHERE ABOUT 4.5 MILLION WAS ADDED.
AND THAT WAS BEFORE WE KNEW THERE WOULD BE ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDING TO HELP WITH RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
SO AROUND THIS TIME LAST YEAR, WE WERE WORRIED THAT ONCE THE CARESS ACT MONEY WAS UTILIZED, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM.
SO COUNCIL RIGHTLY ALLOCATED THIS FUNDING BECAUSE WE DID NOT KNOW THAT ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDING WOULD BE AVAILABLE WHEN THAT FUNDING BECAME AVAILABLE IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR AND IN THE SPRING.
THAT OF COURSE, IS NOW FOLDED INTO OUR EAB PROGRAM FOR ARPA.
SO I WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
UM, IN OUR BUDGET, SO GENERAL FUND FEDERAL GRANTS FROM HUD, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TAX INCREMENT FINANCING, THAT'S A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND.
AND OF COURSE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD BOND PROGRAM ARE WHAT MAKES UP THE TOTAL BUDGET.
YOU'LL SEE AN INCREASED PROPOSED, AND I'LL GO INTO SOME OF THE DETAIL LATER.
THESE ARE THE IMPROVEMENTS FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR, AND THEY'LL FOCUS ON SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE HEARD YOU WANT US TO EXPAND AS WELL AS SOME PANDEMIC RESPONSE ITEMS THAT WE WISH TO CONTINUE INTO THE FISCAL YEAR.
YOU'LL ALSO NOTE THAT ONE OF THE CHANGES IS A PROPOSED STAFFING CHANGE.
IF WE'RE GONNA ADD MORE SERVICES OR MORE PRODUCTS TO OUR, UM, BUSINESS LINES, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DELIVER THAT.
AND SO WE NEED STAFFING RESOURCES TO HELP WITH THAT.
AND SO THAT'S THE BUDGET, UH, PROPOSAL FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND OUT OF THIS BUDGET, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUDGET.
AND SO WHAT I WANNA POINT OUT TO YOU HERE ARE A COUPLE OF AREAS WHERE WE HAVE MADE THE, THE CHANGES AND GROWN THE PROGRAMS. AND THIS IS BASED ON FEEDBACK WE HAVE RECEIVED AT YOUR WORK SESSION LAST JUNE, BUT ALSO FROM OUR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, ALL OF OUR REHAB AND PRESERVATION PROGRAMS ARE SLATED TO BE INCREASED IN NEXT YEAR'S PROPOSED BUDGET.
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, WE ARE RECOMMENDING MORE THAN $10 MILLION BE ALLOCATED TO OUR OWNER-OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAM.
AND SO YOU SEE THE INCREASE FROM OUR CURRENT YEAR IN THAT NUMBER UNDER ONE ROOF IS ALSO PROPOSED TO GROW.
AND THAT'S A 1 MILLION ADDITION SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ENERGY EFFICIENT ROOFS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND OUR MINOR REPAIR PROGRAM IS ALSO SLATED TO GROW AND THAT GROWTH IS COMING FROM A COMBINATION OF GRANTS AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND ALLOCATIONS.
I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT OUR RIGHT TO COUNCIL STILL CONTINUES TO BE FUNDED INTO NEXT YEAR.
I MENTIONED THAT WE HAD TO RESPOND TO THE PANDEMIC WITH A LOT OF OUR EVICTION PREVENTION, UM, INTERVENTIONS WITH THE STAFFING AT THE COURT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD TO DO WAS SCALE UP HER RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.
SO THAT TOO IS GETTING ADDITIONAL FUNDING NEXT YEAR AND THE SERVICE WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
SO THIS BUDGET DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FEDERAL PANDEMIC RELATED GRANTS THAT WERE SHOWN IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
IT JUST SHOWS THE REGULAR, WHAT I'LL CALL REGULAR GRANTS WE GET FROM HUD, WHICH ARE OUR ENTITLEMENT GRANTS THAT YOU HEARD ABOUT LAST WEEK.
AND SO OVERALL, WE DO HAVE ABOUT $19 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING FOR THIS BUDGET.
AND WHAT YOU SEE REPRESENTED IN FRONT OF YOU ALSO INCLUDES THAT 5.3 MILLION IMPROVEMENT OVER OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
AND IN A MOMENT I'LL GO OVER WHERE SOME OF THOSE DETAILS IN THAT IMPROVEMENT ARE.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THIS BUDGET IS PART OF OUR WORK PLAN AND I WANT TO DEVOTE A FEW MINUTES TO GO OVER SOME PARTICULAR ITEMS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR WORK, NOT JUST AS A DEPARTMENT, BUT FOR
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THE COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE INTENTIONAL AND STRATEGIC IN MAKING INVESTMENTS THAT ADDRESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHILE WE HELP FAMILIES CONTINUE THROUGH THIS, UM, DIFFICULT TIME WITH THE PANDEMIC AND EVENTUALLY RECOVER FROM IT.
AND SO LET ME HIGHLIGHT A FEW ITEMS THAT ARE PART OF OUR WORK PLAN.
AND THE FIRST ONE I'M GONNA MENTION IS A PLANNING DOCUMENT THAT IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT NOW THAT WILL GUIDE OUR STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO MEET WHAT WE'RE CALLING RECALIBRATED TARGETS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
THIS IS A DOCUMENT BEING DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW THAT BUILDS ON THE HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK.
THAT'S THE DOCUMENT THAT WAS CRAFTED BY THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE BACK IN 2017.
AND THIS REALLY BUILDS TO ADDRESS HOW WE IMPLEMENT THE MANY, UH, POLICIES, STRATEGIES, ACTIONS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THAT FRAMEWORK.
SO ONE REASON WE NEED TO HAVE THIS SHIP, WE CALL IT THE SHIP AND HAVE A LOT OF FUN WITH, UH, NAUTICAL, UM, TERMS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR WORK.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE NEED THIS IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IS THAT WHILE THAT HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT WAS REALLY GOOD ABOUT THE ACTIONS, POLICY, PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES, IT WAS NOT AS CLEAR ABOUT WHO IS GOING TO DELIVER ON THOSE.
AND SO OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN HELPS US IDENTIFY WHO IN OUR COMMUNITY IS GOING TO HELP TO DELIVER.
IN ADDITION, WE FOUND THAT AS WE TRACK OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, WE ARE REACHING SOME OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED FOR HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO IT WAS TIME TO RECALIBRATE THOSE GOALS.
AND SO THE SHIP HELPS US RECALIBRATE THOSE GOALS AND WE'RE ALMOST DONE DOING THAT.
ULTIMATELY, IT'LL BE THE WHOLE OF CITY COUNCIL WHO ADOPTS THAT RECALIBRATION.
THOSE NEW TARGETS ADOPTS AS WELL THE DEFINITION OF AFFORDABILITY THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY, NOT JUST CITY COUNCIL, NOT JUST CITY DEPARTMENTS, BUT WE AS A COMMUNITY CAN ALL AGREE THIS IS WHAT'S AFFORDABLE FOR SAN ANTONIO.
AND, UM, THE FUNDING STRATEGY THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT SO THAT WE KNOW WHO'S RESPONSIBLE TO DELIVER WHAT AND FOR WHOM.
AND THAT'S WHAT OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WILL DO.
I WANNA MENTION THAT WE WANT A LOT OF PARTNERS TO BE PART OF THIS, AND OFFICIALLY WE WANT TO ADOPT THE, HAVE THE DOCUMENT BE ADOPTED, NOT JUST BY THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE HELPING TO DELIVER AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL.
SO WE WOULD LIKE THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST TO ALSO ADOPT THAT STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
AND WE ALSO WANT THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY TO ALSO ADOPT A PLAN, BUT ULTIMATELY BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO THAT COORDINATED HOUSING SYSTEM, WE WANT THE WHOLE OF THE HOUSING ECOSYSTEM, EVERYONE WHO DELIVERS HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY TO EMBRACE THIS PLAN AND TO HELP US TO DELIVER IT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO, AS I MENTIONED THAT WORK IS UNDERWAY, WE HAVE OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE HELPING US ACTUALLY CRAFT THE STRATEGIES THEMSELVES.
AND ALL OF THIS WILL BE REVIEWED AND HAVE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC INPUT THROUGH ALL THE PUBLIC FORUMS THAT WE HAVE.
WE WILL OF COURSE HAVE THE HOUSING COMMISSION WEIGH IN.
WE'LL TAKE THIS DOCUMENT TO THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FORMAL PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL AS THE DRAFT IS RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER, SO THAT COME THE NEW FISCAL YEAR IN THE FALL, WE CAN HAVE THIS ADOPTION BY OUR PARTNERS AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO THAT'S THE WORK AHEAD FOR OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
AND I MENTIONED HOW THAT DOCUMENT IS GONNA HAVE A FUNDING STRATEGY.
SO ANOTHER BIG ITEM WE WILL WORK ON THAT ADDRESSES THAT FUNDING STRATEGY IS DEVELOPING THE PROPOSED 20 22, 20 27 HOUSING BOND.
WE'RE ALREADY WORKING, GETTING STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK ON WHAT WE COULD DO, BUILDING ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE CITY CHARTER THAT PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
AND THAT PUBLIC INPUT IS GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT ARE SCHEDULED WITH A LIST OF RECOMMENDED PROJECTS COMING FORWARD SHORTLY.
AND ALL OF THAT WORK, AGAIN, WILL CULMINATE WITH SOMETHING COMING TO THIS COUNCIL EARLY NEXT YEAR SO THAT A CALL FOR AN ELECTION CAN BE MADE.
SO HOUSING SHOULD BE A PART OF THAT PROPOSITION, THAT BOND, BUT I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS WILL ALSO UNDERTAKE AND A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT SHAPING THE WHOLE OF THE PROPOSITION.
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AND SO THIS IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OUR WORK THAT AGAIN, TELLS US OVER FIVE YEARS HOW WE COULD IMPACT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.AND SO RELATED TO OUR WORK WHEN IT COMES TO SERVING OUR COMMUNITY, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING NEXT FISCAL YEAR AT OUR FAIR HOUSING WORK PLAN AND THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE.
I MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE OUR FAIR HOUSING TEAM HELPING TO DELIVER OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND THAT HAS CONSUMED A LOT OF OUR STAFF TIME, A LOT OF OUR RESOURCES AND RIGHTLY SO.
BUT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE SERVICES THAT WE HAD TO UPSCALE DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT WE WISH TO KEEP GOING FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY WELL, ESPECIALLY THOSE IMPACTED THE MOST BY THIS PANDEMIC.
AND HOW DO WE TRANSFORM WHAT WE HAVE INTO SOMETHING SUSTAINABLE FOR THE FUTURE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND HOPEFULLY ONE DAY WHEN WE CAN SAVE RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC.
SO WE DO KNOW THAT WE NEED TO RESTRUCTURE SOME OF OUR STAFFING.
SO WHEN I TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE A HOUSING NAVIGATOR, YOU AND EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF SERVICES THAT INDIVIDUAL CAN PROVIDE.
AND WHEN I TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE A FAIR HOUSING SPECIALIST THAT IS ADDRESSING A HOUSING DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT, YOU AND THE COMMUNITY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF SERVICES THAT TEAM CAN PROVIDE.
AND EVENTUALLY WE NEED TO TRANSFORM OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE INTO OUR HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
WE WISH TO RENAME THAT PROGRAM FROM WHAT WAS IN THE HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK.
IT WAS CALLED THE RISK MITIGATION FUND.
AND FRANKLY, IF I SAY RISK MITIGATION IN THE COMMUNITY, SOMEONE MIGHT ASK IF I'M SELLING INSURANCE, BUT IF I SAY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, IT MORE CLEARLY COMMUNICATES WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AND HOW WE WISH TO HELP.
AND OF COURSE, WE NEED TO MARKET WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH THE TEAM, SO WE HAVE COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF THE SERVICES.
AND SO WE HAD ASKED THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION TO HELP US WITH THAT ANALYSIS AND WE WANT TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN.
AND AGAIN, BIG FOCUS THIS YEAR AND OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS OR SO ON THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, VERY PROUD OF THAT WORK AND BEING RECOGNIZED AS HAVING ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, THE WHITE HOUSE IN THE US TREASURY HAS HIGHLIGHTED OUR PROGRAM AS RECENTLY AS YESTERDAY SHOWING HOW OTHER CITIES COULD LEARN FROM THE GOOD THINGS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THAT PROGRAM.
BUT AT SOME POINT NEXT YEAR, WE NEED TO SHIFT TO HAVING THE HOUSING STABILITY SERVICES BE CLEARLY DELINEATED WITH THE, THE EVICTION PREVENTION SERVICES, CONTINUING THE TENANT LANDLORD MEDIATION SERVICES, AND OF COURSE THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM UNDER THAT TEAM AND DISTINGUISH THAT FROM THE FAIR HOUSING WORK THAT WE DO.
AS I MENTIONED, CLARITY AROUND HOW YOU ADDRESS HOUSING DISCRIMINATION ISSUES, THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT, HOW YOU ADDRESS ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES AS WELL, AND CONTINUE TO HAVE HOUSING COUNSELING.
SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THIS WORK AND HOW IT CAN ENHANCE NOT JUST WHAT WE DO IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT HELP OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL.
NOW I'LL SHIFT A LITTLE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DO WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, WE EMBARKED WITH A, A VERY WELL RECEIVED NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF REALLY STRONG LEADERS AND STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE SHAPING WHAT WE DO AND HELPING US MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT RESOURCES FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT WE DO HAVE.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES SO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS CAN CONTINUE TO DO THEIR IMPORTANT WORK.
WE WILL, OF COURSE OFFER THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT SERVICES ARE OFFERED BY THE CITY, AND WE HOPE TO CONTINUE HOSTING WORKSHOPS SO THAT PEOPLE LEARN SKILLS TO HELP THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY WITH NEIGHBORHOODS.
NOW LET ME SHIFT BACK TO SOME OF OUR HOUSING REHAB PROGRAMS, AND THIS IS OUR HOUSING PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION TEAM.
I MENTIONED THAT THE OVERALL PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES IMPROVEMENTS.
SO I WANNA HIGHLIGHT WHERE SOME OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ARE GOING TO.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, OVER 10 MILLION IS PROPOSED TO BE DEVOTED TO OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB, AND THAT REPRESENTS A $1 MILLION IMPROVEMENT TO THAT BUDGET.
SO THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THAT 5 MILLION IS GOING TO, AND THIS WILL HELP US, UH, ASSIST 81 FAMILIES GETTING THEIR HOME TO BE AT A HIGHER QUALITY LIVABLE STAY IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
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HELP US IN THAT WAY AS WELL.SIMILARLY, THE MINOR REPAIR PROGRAM ALSO HAS AN IMPROVEMENT FOR THAT ONE.
THERE'S 2 MILLION PROPOSED TO BE ADDED TO THE BUDGET TO TOTAL 4.75.
THE 4.75 IS A COMBINATION OF GENERAL FUNDS AS WELL AS GRANTS, AND THAT WILL HELP US ASSIST 175 FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THESE PICTURES ARE ONES THAT YOU CAN GO AND SEE THE HOUSES THAT HAVE BEEN HELPED.
YOU CAN MEET THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE RECEIVED ASSISTANCE AND SEE THE DIFFERENCE.
THIS, THESE TWO REHAB PROGRAMS MAKE IN ADDITION, THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM THAT HELPS FAMILY RECEIVE ENERGY EFFICIENT ROOFS IS ALSO PROPOSED TO HAVE A $1 MILLION IMPROVEMENT.
SO THE BUDGET THERE WITH 3.25 MILLION IS GONNA HELP US HELP 300 FAMILIES GET THIS ROOF OVER THEIR HEADS AND MAKE SURE THEY DON'T WORRY ABOUT ALL THE RAINS.
SO TRYING TO SUMMARIZE THE BUDGET THAT IS PROPOSED GROWS SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE HEARD YOU AND THE COMMUNITY ASK THAT WE INVEST IN.
IT ALSO ADDS RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THAT ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT WILL FOCUS ON HOUSING PRESERVATION AND THE FAIR HOUSING AND HOUSING NAVIGATION SERVICES.
SO WE'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT CAN SUPPORT THE PROGRAM, MINOR REPAIR AND UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAMS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA LOSE TRACK OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO GET THOSE, UM, PROJECTS OUT THE DOOR.
AND WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THE RIGHT STAFFING FOR HOUSING STABILITY SERVICES TO HELP FAMILIES THAT MAY BE FACING EVICTION AND HOUSING INSTABILITY AND HOPEFULLY HELP FAMILIES BEFORE THEY DO GET THAT NOTICE OF EVICTION.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I BELIEVE MEL WILL FOLLOW RIGHT AFTER.
OKAY, SO GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I GUESS I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE, UM, IN PERSON THIS TIME TO PRESENT THE HUMAN SERVICES AND DELEGATE AGENCY BUDGETS.
UM, BEFORE I BEGIN, I WANT TO, UM, INTRODUCE MY ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, PATRICK AND JESSICA, WHO ARE WITH ME ALONG WITH MY LEADERSHIP TEAM.
UM, THEY REALLY HELP US ACCOMPLISH AND, AND, UH, OUR MAKE CREATE THE SUCCESS THAT WE ENJOY AND I COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THEM.
AND SO TO START, HUMAN SERVICES FOCUSES ON IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR COMMUNITY'S MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
TO DO THIS, WE LEVERAGE MULTIPLE FUNDING SOURCES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS IN EVERYTHING WE DO SO THAT WE CAN ENHANCE OUR CORE SERVICES.
OUR WORK IS FOCUSED ON SERVICES INITIATIVES AND COLLABORATE COLLABORATIONS THAT ARE ORGANIZED TO ACHIEVE OUR LONG-TERM GOALS OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH SUCCESS, STRENGTHENING FAMILIES, SENIOR INDEPENDENCE AND REDUCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND OUR FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS HELP US ACHIEVE OUR GOALS AND EXTEND OUR REACH INTO THE COMMUNITY.
THEY CROSS ALL OF OUR KEY GOALS AND CONNECT THE DEPARTMENT TO CONGREGATION TO CONGREGATIONS AND COMMUNITY AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL.
THIS CONNECTION HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE IN ADDRESSING, UM, CRISES LIKE THE PANDEMIC, THE WINTER STORM, AND MIGRANT SURGES.
THE GOAL OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH SUCCESS PROGRAMS IS TO ENSURE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND LIFE.
OUR EARLY HEAD START HEAD, UH, HEAD START IN CHILDCARE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS, CONNECT CHILDREN TO EARLY LEARNING, HELP PARENTS WORK AND PROVIDE A PROTECTIVE FACTOR FOR CHILDREN AT RISK.
WE PROMOTE YOUTH SUCCESS THROUGH THE AMBASSADOR COLLEGE INTERN PROGRAM AND THE NEXT LEVEL YOUTH OPPORTUNITY CENTER AND NONPROFIT YOUTH SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT WE FUND.
UM, EXTERNALLY STRENGTHENING FAMILIES BEGINS WITH STABILIZATION AND INVOLVES, UH, EVOLVES TO FINANCIAL COUNSELING AND ASSET BUILDING.
WE PROVIDE EMERGENCY UTILITY ASSISTANCE, BILL ASSISTANCE, AND TAX ASSISTANCE TO THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES ANNUALLY.
LAST SUMMER, WE REBRANDED OUR FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTERS TO FINANCIAL RECOVERY CENTERS AND ADDED BENEFITS NAVIGATION TO FINANCIAL COUNSELING TO HELP FAMILIES STABILIZE THE PANDEMIC AND WINTER STORM EVENTS EXACERBATED FOOD
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INSECURITY AND ISOLATION AMONG SENIORS.WE PIVOTED TO CURBSIDE, UH, DISTRIBUTION AND HOME DELIVERED MEALS AND FOOD COMMODITIES TO IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY AND PARTNERED WITH THE LIBRARY OATS AND OASIS TO CONNECT SENIORS TO ONLINE INSTRUCTION AND LOAN DEVICES IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM ACTIVE AT HOME AND REDUCE THEIR ISOLATION.
OUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST HOMELESSNESS IS TO PREVENT IT THROUGH THESE UPSTREAM PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT I'M, I'M DESCRIBING.
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS A SIGNIFICANT AND INVESTED ROLE IN ADDRESSING AND REDUCING HOMELESSNESS THROUGH A TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACH THAT INDIVIDUALIZES AND PROVIDES OPTIONS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WHILE RESPONDING TO RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WHO MAY BE IMPACTED BY HOMELESSNESS CHALLENGES.
OUR WORK IN REDUCING HOMELESSNESS IS GUIDED BY A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN TO RESPOND TO HOMELESSNESS THAT I PRESENTED TO COUNCIL IN DECEMBER OF, UH, LAST YEAR.
AND I'LL PROVIDE MORE DETAIL ON OUR HOMELESSNESS WORK PLAN COMING UP.
AND SO THE DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED 22 BUDGET IS 182.7 MILLION.
THAT INCLUDES 45.5 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND, 121.4 MILLION FROM ONGOING GRANTS AND 15.8 MILLION FROM COVID RELATED GRANTS.
THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 6.1 MILLION FROM GENERAL FUND HOMELESS PREVENTION IMPROVEMENTS AND SENIOR SERVICES MANDATES, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDS.
UM, RECEIVED THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE BUDGET IS FROM FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS FOR CHILDREN'S SERVICES, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT'S, UH, BY FAR THE MAJORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET.
THAT IS ALL FEDERAL FUNDING FOR HEAD START, EARLY HEAD START, AND THE CHILDCARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM, WHICH SERVES THE 11 COUNTY REGENTS.
OUR LARGEST GRANT, OUR TOTAL POSITIONS THAT INCREASED, UM, INCREASED BY 26 TO A TOTAL OF 405 WITH 16 GENERAL FUND POSITIONS ADDED TO SUPPORT THE WALKER RANCH SENIOR CENTER AND BENEFITS NAVIGATION.
AND THEN ALSO 10 ADDITIONAL GRANT, UM, POSITIONS ADDED THROUGH INCREASED FUNDING.
AND SO FOR FISCAL YEAR 22, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON RECOVERY.
THIS INCLUDES ENROLLING, UM, MORE CHILDREN IN EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE AND RAISING THE QUALITY OF PROVIDERS THROUGH TEXAS RISING STAR QUALITY CERTIFICATION.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE BECAME THE CERTIFYING ENTITY FOR THE TEXAS RISING STAR PROGRAM.
SO WE ARE BOTH MENTORING, UM, CHILDCARE PROVIDERS AND THEN WORKING TO CERTIFY THEM SO THAT THEY RECEIVE THAT ADDITIONAL TEXAS RISING STAR DESIGNATION AND THE, UM, ADDITIONAL REIMBURSEMENT THAT COMES WITH THAT FOR 22.
WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE THOSE TARGETED EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY AND SERVE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY CHALLENGED BY DISRUPTIONS IN EDUCATION AND LOSS OF OUTTA SCHOOL SUPPORTS.
DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, THE MID-YEAR BUDGET REALLOCATED ALMOST $900,000 IN FUNDING TO TARGETED SUPPORTS FOR YOUTH WHO ARE IMPACTED, UM, BY COVID, INCLUDING, UM, ON-THE-JOB TRAINING, APPRENTICESHIPS AND HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE CONNECTIONS.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS IN 2022 TO IDENTIFY AND PROVIDE SERVICES AND ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL BUT DIDN'T ENROLL IN COLLEGE AS EXPECTED.
AND THROUGH THIS BUDGET, WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND OUR FINANCIAL COUNSELING AND BENEFITS NAVIGATION BENEFITS NAVIGATORS, HELP RESIDENTS FIND AND APPLY FOR ALL OF THE BENEFITS FOR WHICH THEY MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE AND ALSO CONNECTS THEM TO LOCAL RESOURCES.
IMPROVING OUR CRISIS RESPONSE IS A KEY PRIORITY FOR US FOR FISCAL YEAR 22.
OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE RESPONDED TO MIGRANT WEATHER AND PANDEMIC CRISES, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING A SECOND WAVE OF, UH, MIGRANTS WHO ARE SEEKING ASYLUM AND TRANSITING THROUGH SAN ANTONIO ON THEIR WAY TO HOST FAMILIES.
UM, THE FOCUS WILL BE ON STRENGTHENING POLICY TRAINING, UM, COLLABORATE OUR COLLABORATIONS WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERS AND ALSO ON DEVELOPING INTERNAL RESILIENCE SO THAT WE CAN RESPOND QUICKLY AND PROFESSIONALLY.
AND SO WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT OUR 2019 SENIOR SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THIS INCLUDES ENHANCING COMMUNITY AND PARTICIPANT ENGAGEMENT AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO FINANCIAL COUNSELING.
[00:30:01]
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING ACCREDITATION PROCESS FOR OUR SENIOR CENTERS IN 2019.THE COUNCIL SUSPENDED THE PROCESS.
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON AGING SUSPENDED THE PROCESS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THEY WILL RESTART THIS YEAR.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO COMPLETING THAT PROCESS AND ACHIEVING ACCREDITATION FOR ALL OF OUR CENTERS BY NEXT SEPTEMBER.
ADDITIONALLY, THE PROPOSED BUDGET PROVIDES ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO EXPAND OUR NUTRITION SERVICES.
AN AREA OF GROWTH AND A KEY PRIORITY FOR HUMAN SERVICES IN FISCAL YEAR 22 IS ENGAGING MEANINGFUL INPUT AND IDEAS FROM MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES AND RESIDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE BUT ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROGRAMS. WE DO A GREAT JOB SURVEYING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON THE INPUT WE RECEIVE FROM PARTICIPANTS, BUT NOT AS WELL AT, AT GETTING INPUT FROM, UH, COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MARGINALIZED AND, UM, WE DON'T HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN AREA OF GROWTH.
AND SO, UM, OUR HOMELESS WORK PLAN IS REALLY BASED ON OUR FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR PERSPECTIVE OVER 12,000 UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS.
WERE SERVED IN THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM IN 2019, WHICH IS THE LAST FULL YEAR OF DATA THAT WE, UM, HAVE ON THE SYSTEM.
THE THE NEXT TWO YEARS ARE, UM, SORT OF HAVE AN ASTERISK NEXT TO THEM BECAUSE THE, THE SYSTEM HAS, UM, BEEN SO CHALLENGED.
AND THEN ALSO IN THE JANUARY, 2020 HOMELESS POINT IN TIME COUNT, WE IDENTIFIED TWENTY NINE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS ON THE STREET AND IN SHELTERS ON THAT ONE SINGLE NIGHT.
BEFORE I LAY OUT OUR FISCAL YEAR 22, UM, WORK PLAN, I DO WANNA QUICKLY UPDATE YOU ON STRATEGIC PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED BY THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM IN PARTNERSHIP OVER THE LAST YEAR.
THE PLAN HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY THE SOUTH ALAMO REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS, OR SARAH.
THE COMMUNITY'S HOMELESS STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, WILL NOW BE THE, AS THE COMMUNITY'S HOMELESS STRATEGIC PLAN, AND SARAH WILL PROVIDE THAT OVERSIGHT OF GUIDANCE, UM, ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE STRATEGIES, WE EXPANDED STREET OUT, UH, OUTREACH WITH HUMAN SERVICES, HIRING 11 CLINICIANS AND SPECIALISTS, AND FUNDING 15 ADDITIONAL NONPROFIT POSITIONS FOR A TOTAL OF 26 OUTREACH SPECIALISTS ON OUR COMMUNITY TEAM.
IN COORDINATION WITH EIGHT PARTNER AGENCIES, WE DEVELOPED COMMUNITY STANDARDS FOR OUTREACH TO MOVE FOLKS FROM STREET TO HOUSING.
AND AS A RESULT OF THIS FOCUSED EFFORT, THE PORTION OF UNSHELTERED HOMELESS WHO ARE REFERRED TO HOUSING DIRECTLY FROM THE STREET AS CREATE HAS INCREASED BY 89% SINCE JANUARY.
AND SO IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 25% OF REFERRALS WERE COMING FROM THE STREET, AND CURRENTLY IT'S ABOUT 50%.
SO THERE'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS INCREASE.
AND IN COUNCIL IN JUNE, YOU APPROVED A LEASE AND A CONTRACT TO FUND A NEW LOW BARRIER HOTEL OPTION MANAGED BY SAM MINISTRIES, WHICH OPENED IN JULY, AND THEY HAVE ALREADY SUCCESSFULLY MOVED PEOPLE FROM THE HOTEL INTO HOUSING.
AND SO OUR WORK PLAN FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR, FISCAL 22, INCLUDES EXPANDING OUTREACH, CASE MANAGEMENT AND CASE CONFERENCING TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL SYSTEMS SUCH AS THE ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES SYSTEM, JUSTICE SYSTEM, NURSING AND HOSPICE CARE AND MENTAL HEALTH, DEVELOPING ADDITIONAL STRUCTURES TO INCORPORATE THE VOICES OF THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, CONTINUING TO IDENTIFY BARRIERS AND IMPROVE ACCESS TO SERVICES SUCH AS EXPENDING OR, UH, EXPANDING KENNELING OPTIONS FOR UNSHELTERED HOMELESS WHO HAVE DOGS.
WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO INCLUDE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROJECTS AS PART OF THE, UH, SHIP AND THE HOUSING BOND AND HOUSING.
500 PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS BY DECEMBER 31ST.
SINCE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR, THE ROOTS HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM HAS HOUSED 503 PEOPLE, WHICH IS, UH, MORE THAN WE USUALLY DO IN A YEAR.
AND WE PLAN TO, UM, HOUSE 500 MORE BY DECEMBER.
WE HAVE A, A CAMPAIGN AND A A MEDIA, UM, INFORMATION, UH, PLAN SO THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY TO HELP IN ANY WAY.
BUT OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR CARES FUNDING IS FULLY EXPENDED.
AND TO DO THAT, WE, WE NEED TO ENROLL 500 MORE PEOPLE BY DECEMBER.
[00:35:02]
SO THE HUMAN SERVICES FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET PROPOSAL INCLUDES ALMOST 3 MILLION IN IMPROVEMENTS AND MANDATES TO ENHANCE HOMELESS FINANCIAL RECOVERY AND SENIOR SERVICES FOR OLDER ADULTS.A TOTAL OF $895,000 AND FIVE NEW POSITIONS PROPOSED FOR THIS IMPROVEMENT SUPPORTS HOMELESS DIVERSION AND PREVENTION ACTIVITIES.
SARAH PROVIDED FUNDING TO CREATE A DIVERSION FUND, UM, LAST YEAR, AND IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, 200,000 ADDITIONAL FOR THAT FUND WILL HELP PREVENT 200 MORE THAN 200 HOUSEHOLDS FROM ENTERING HOMELESS SHELTER.
430,000 CONTINUES BENEFITS NAVIGATION TO HELP HOUSEHOLDS ACCESS ALL OF THE BENEFITS FOR WHICH THEY ARE ELIGIBLE AND TO HELP IDENTIFY LOCAL RESOURCES.
AND TO, AS AN EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, WE SAY SOME A LOT THAT THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE ONE FLAT TIRE AWAY FROM DISASTER AND HOMELESSNESS.
WELL, WE HAD A CLIENT, UM, COME INTO THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY CENTER AND, AND THAT PERSON NEEDED HELP REPLACING A FLAT TIRE.
AND OUR BENEFITS NAVIGATOR WAS AWARE OF A PROGRAM THAT DISCOUNT TIRE OFFERS TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE, ARE HAVING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES, UH, REPLACE THEIR TIRES, THE GOAL OF HELPING PEOPLE CONTINUE TO WORK.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY TRUE ABOUT THE FLAT TIRES.
COUNSELORS WILL BE TRAINED TO PROVIDE RESOURCES RELATED TO OLDER ADULT FRAUD AND SCAMS AND LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING, AS WELL AS ASSISTANCE WITH TRANSITION PLANNING.
UM, A STRATEGY ALIGNS WITH RECOMMENDATIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2019 SENIOR SERVICES STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THIS PROPOSED MANDATE ALSO ADDS TWO POSITIONS TO MANAGE, UM, I'M SORRY, PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT ALSO ADDS TWO POSITIONS TO MANAGE HOMELESS AND HOMELESS PREVENTION, CONTRACT COMPLIANCE.
THE HUMAN SERVICES AND DELEGATE AGENCY BUDGETS, UM, INCLUDE 13.7 MILLION IN HOMELESSNESS FUNDING 8.2 MILLIONS FUND FUNDS HAVEN FOR HOPE OPERATIONS AND PARTNER AGENCIES ON THE CAMPUS WITH ABOUT 5.1 MILLION OF THAT, UM, GOING TO HAVEN FOR HOPE.
$4 MILLION IS ALLOCATED FOR OTHER NONPROFIT PROVIDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND 1.5 MILLION SUPPORTS HUMAN SERVICES HOMELESS OPERATIONS.
UM, WHEN WE INCLUDE THE COST POLICE, FIRE, E M S AND PUBLIC WORKS, UM, SPEND ON ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF HOMELESSNESS, OUR TOTAL INVESTMENT, THE CITY'S TOTAL INVESTMENT IS $32.5 MILLION ON THE HOMELESS RESPONSE.
IN TOTAL, MORE THAN 70 MILLION IN CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND FEDERAL PUBLIC INVESTMENTS SUPPORT A CONTINUUM OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY IN BEXAR COUNTY TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES AND NEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 12,000 PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN A GIVEN YEAR.
IN ADDITION, STAFF PROPOSES MODIFYING A FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH HAVEN FOR HOPE APPROVED BY COUNCIL IN MAY OF 2019.
IN THE 2019 MID-YEAR BUDGET ADJUSTMENT, THE CITY FUNDED HAVEN FOR HOPE FOR 2.4 MILLION IN CAPITAL DOLLARS TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION ON A NEW, UH, WELL, A REHABILITATED MARTIN STREET BUILDING WITH THE AGREEMENT THAT PROCEEDS FROM, UM, A RELATED PENDING LAWSUIT WOULD BE RETURNED TO THE CITY.
THIS SUMMER HAVEN FOR HOPE WAS AWARDED, UH, FUNDING FROM LITIGATION WITH A CONTRACTOR THAT WAS ENGAGED, UH, PRIOR TO THE CITY'S CAPITAL INVESTMENT HAVEN HAS RE HAVEN HAS REQUESTED AND STAFF RECOMMENDS AMENDING THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT TO ALLOW HAVEN FOR HOPE TO KEEP THAT AWARD AMOUNT AND APPLY IT TOWARDS UNANTICIPATED CONSTRUCTION OVERRUNS AT THE BUILDING.
THE RESOURCE CENTER WILL ADD AN ADDITIONAL 146 BED CAPACITY TO HAVEN FOR HOPE, INCLUDING BEDS FOR COUPLES, UM, WOMEN AND FAMILY EMERGENCY SURGERIES, UH, SURGERY
IT ALSO HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER A HUNDRED EMERGENCY BEDS TO BE ADDED IN THE FUTURE.
PROVIDERS, UH, WILL ALSO BE PROVIDING, SERVING AN ADDITIONAL 500 CLIENTS OUT OF THIS FACILITY, WHICH OPENED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
AND SO YESTERDAY WE HEARD QUESTIONS ABOUT SYSTEM CAPACITY FOR DETOXIFICATION SERVICES.
THE CITY FUNDS THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES, 1.25 MILLION TO OPERATE A SOBERING UNIT THAT IS INTENDED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AS A JAIL DIVERSION MECHANISM.
THE SOBERING UNIT HAS SERVED NEARLY 1800 CLIENTS THIS FISCAL YEAR WITH 80% COMPLETING SOBERING
[00:40:01]
TYPICALLY WITHIN A FEW HOURS AND 12%.C H C SS ALSO OPERATES AN INPATIENT SEVEN DAY RESIDENTIAL DETOX PROGRAM, WHICH IS NOT FUNDED BY THE CITY.
THIS PROGRAM IS THE ONLY PUBLICLY SUBSIDIZED DETOX FACILITY IN THE COMMUNITY TO SERVE UNINSURED CLIENTS.
TYPICAL DETOX BED CAPACITY IS FOR 20 MEN AND EIGHT WOMEN.
AND OVERALL C H C S REPORTS THAT ABOUT 70 TO 80% AVERAGE BED UTILIZATION AT THE PROGRAM.
I SPOKE TO, UM, C H C S THIS MORNING AND THEY HAD SIX BEDS AVAILABLE.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE EVERY DAY.
AND SO IF IT, IT GOES UP AND DOWN.
AND WE DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE SPEND TIME, WE'VE BUILT TRUST WITH THE CLIENT, THEY'RE WILLING TO GO TO DETOX FOR SERVICES AND SOMETIMES THERE AREN'T BEDS AVAILABLE.
AND SO THAT'S AN ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES.
AND THEY ARE WORKING WITH OUTREACH PROVIDERS AND PROVIDING TRAINING TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION HANDOFF AND ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES.
SO THERE, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN, UM, OUTREACH OR ANOTHER CASEWORKER TAKES SOMEONE TO DETOX AND MAYBE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO GET IN, AND SO THEN THEY'RE TURNED AWAY.
UM, THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL SUBSIDIZED DETOX BEDS IS BEING ASSESSED.
IT'S AN ONGOING CONVERSATION AS PART OF THE, UM, MEADOW SYSTEM REVIEW AND THE COUNTY'S WORK ON BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WITH THEIR ARPA FUNDS.
SO MANDATES INCLUDE 2.1 MILLION TO EXPAND SENIOR SERVICES.
HUMAN SERVICES OPERATES 10 COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR CENTERS AND PROVIDES MEALS AND LIMITED SERVICES AT 41 PART-TIME NUTRITION SITES OPERATED BY THE CITY, NONPROFIT CENTERS, CONGREGATIONS, PART-TIME NUTRITION SITES ARE ANTICIPATED TO REOPEN.
IN OCTOBER OF, UH, ON OCTOBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR, OUR NUTRITION PROGRAM EXPERIENCED A 28% INCREASE IN MEAL PARTICIPATION GOING FROM 2,500 DAILY MEALS TO 3,200 IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR.
AND THE BUDGET INCLUDES 655,000 TO SUPPORT THOSE ADDITIONAL MEAL COSTS.
THE MUCH ANTICIPATED DISTRICT NINE SENIOR CENTER AT WALKER RANCH WILL OPEN IN MAY OF 2022.
1.4 MILLION IS INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO HIRE NINE STAFF FULL-TIME POSITIONS, FUND OPERATIONS FOR FIVE MONTHS AND PURCHASE EQUIPMENT.
WE ESTIMATE THAT 500 NEW SENIORS WILL ATTEND THE CENTER DAILY WITH 300 PARTICIPATING IN THE NOON MEAL PROGRAM.
AND ADDITIONAL BOND FUNDED MULTI-GENERATIONAL CENTER WILL OPEN IN COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR AT HERITAGE PARK BY APRIL OF 20 13, 20 23.
AND SO THE DELEGATE AGENCY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, UM, I'LL BE PRESENTING ENHANCE THE DEPARTMENT'S HUMAN SERVICES, DIRECT SERVICES AND LONG-TERM GOALS.
THE CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS COMBINES GENERAL AND GRANT FUNDS INTO A SINGLE R F P AND PROCESS, UH, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ALIGN WITH PAR PARTICIPANT COMMUNITY AND CITY COUNCIL INPUT AND ARE BASED ON THE QUALITY OF THE APPLICATION, PAST PERFORMANCE AND FUNDING AVAILABILITY.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS, UH, A LITTLE, TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF PERSPECTIVE, WE RECEIVED 93 PROPOSALS TOTALING $27 MILLION, AND WE HAD, UM, THREE AGENCIES WHOSE FUNDING WAS REDUCED.
TWO AGENCIES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY FUNDED THAT WERE NOT, UH, ARE NOT RECOMMENDED IN THIS PROCESS.
AND THERE WERE SEVEN AGENCIES FUNDED IN FISCAL YEAR 21 THAT DID NOT REAPPLY.
YOU ALSO HAVE A, UH, CHART AT YOUR SEAT THAT SHOWS THE, UH, FISCAL 21 AND FISCAL 22, UH, ADOPTED IN PROPOSED AMOUNTS AND THE VARIANCE FREE OH, FOR EACH AGENCY.
DO WE END THERE? WELL, WE WILL GET IT TO YOU.
A TOTAL OF 21.7 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUNDING GRANTS IS RECOMMENDED FOR 50 AGENCIES AND 80 PROGRAMS FOR FISCAL YEARS.
CONTINUE FUNDING IN FOUR INVESTMENT CATEGORIES, CHILDREN AND YOUTH SERVICES, INCLUDING CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION, KINDER READINESS, AFTERSCHOOL CHALLENGE, YOUTH SUCCESS, AND COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS, STRENGTHENING FAMILIES PROGRAMS, SUPPORT, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION
[00:45:01]
AND INTERVENTION, AND AS WELL AS SHELTER, FINANCIAL SECURITY AND LEGAL SERVICES, HOMELESSNESS AWARDS, SUPPORT HAVEN FOR HOPE, OPERATIONS AND PARTNER, UM, PROGRAMMING OUTREACH, RAPID REHOUSING AND TREATMENT TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF CHRONIC YOUTH FAMILY VETERAN AND L G B T Q, INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.SENIOR INVESTMENTS SUPPORT SENIOR PROGRAMMING AT OUR COMPREHENSIVE CENTERS, INCLUDING FITNESS, WELLNESS AND COMPUTER ART, COMPUTER AND ART EDUCATION AND COUNCIL, BASED ON YOUR INPUT, 9.7 MILLION OF THE FUNDING POOL IS DESIGNATED DIRECTLY TO HAVEN FOR HOPE, THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND SIX SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND IS INCLUDED IN THESE TOTALS.
AND THE REMAINING 12 MILLION IS RECOMMENDED FOR AWARD THROUGH THE COMPETITIVE R F P PROCESS.
THIS POOL OF FUNDING SUPPORTS, UH, HUMAN SERVICES INITIATIVES, INCLUDING ACTIVITIES AT OUR SENIOR CENTERS.
THE NEXT LEVEL YOUTH OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM SUPPORTS AND FINANCIAL RECOVERY CENTER SERVICES, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER AND SURVIVOR SERVICES COMPLEMENT THE METRO HEALTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS. THROUGH THESE, WE ARE ABLE TO INVEST IN SERVICES WE NEED FROM AGENCIES WITH SPECIFIC EXPERTISE RATHER THAN, THAN HIRING THOSE POSITIONS.
SO FISCAL 22 MARKS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE BIENNIAL CONSOLIDATED FUNDING PROCESS CYCLE.
SO TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, FROM JANUARY TO FEBRUARY, WE CONDUCTED COMMUNITY INPUT SESSIONS AND PRESENTED TO COUNCIL AT B SESSION FOR INPUT ON PRIORITIES, UH, FOR THE FUNDING PROCESS.
IN MARCH, WE RELEASED THE R F P ONLINE FOR PUBLIC INPUT AND COMMENT.
PRIOR TO ISSUING WITH THE FINAL, ISSUING THE FINAL R F P AT THE END OF MARCH FROM APRIL TO MAY, WE HELD TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORK SESSIONS FOR INTERESTED APPLICANTS.
PRIOR TO PROPOSAL SUBMISSION, PROPOSALS WERE EVALUATED BY DIVERSE PANELS FOR EACH OF THE NINE FUNDING PRIORITIES THAT INCLUDE OUR BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS, COMMUNITY EXPERTS, UM, OTHER FUNDING PARTNERS, COMMUNITY FUNDING PARTNERS LIKE UNITED WAY AND THE AREA FOUNDATION, AND AS WELL AS CITY STAFF.
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FINALIZED THROUGH THE BUDGET ADOPTION IN SEPTEMBER, AND CONTRACTS WILL BEGIN OCTOBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR FOR YEAR TWO, UM, WHICH IS FISCAL YEAR 2023.
WE WILL MAKE CONTRACT RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON FISCAL AND PROGRAM PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING
AND SO FUNDING PRIORITIES ARE DRIVEN BY ONGOING ENGAGEMENT AND PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND FRONTLINE STAFF.
WE USE THIS INPUT ALONG WITH COMMUNITY DATA TO REFINE OUR SERVICE PRIORITIES AND FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS.
THIS PROCESS INCLUDES ENSURING ALIGNMENT WITH CITY PRIORITIES SUCH AS THE COVID RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLAN, THE HOMELESS STRATEGIC PLAN, THE 2019 POVERTY REPORT AND ESSAY READY TO WORK.
THIS ALSO INCLUDES WORKING WITH OTHER COMMUNITY FUNDERS, AS I SAID, LIKE UNITED WAY, THE AREA FOUNDATION, THE GRONKOWSKI FOUNDATION TOWARDS SHARED OUTCOMES, ALIGNED INVESTMENT PRIORITIES, AND IN THE FUTURE SHARED DATA SYSTEMS TO REDUCE FUNDING, DUPLICATION AND GAPS.
WE USE THE EQUITY ACT ATLAS TO ENSURE OUR INVESTMENTS FOCUSED ON THE HIGHEST NEED POPULATIONS, AND WE CONTINUE TO EMBED RACIAL EQUITY TOOLS IN THE PROCESS, INCLUDING REMOVING OR REDUCING ADMINISTRATIVE UM, REQUIREMENTS, STREAMLINING THE APPLICATION AND IMPROVING EQUITY IN OUR EVALUATION PROCESS, AS WELL AS CONTINUOUS CONTRACT MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF PROGRAM, PROGRAM, UH, INVESTMENTS.
AND SO THIS, UH, DOES CONCLUDE MY FORMAL PRESENTATION AND VETO AND I ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE MORE DETAIL.
UH, MELODY AND, UH, VETO FOR THE PRESENTATIONS, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DIVE RIGHT INTO IT.
UM, UH, VETO, CAN I ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS? FIRST, IF YOU COULD COME UP, UM, FIRST OF ALL, UH, THIS IS ONE AREA I THINK THAT THE CITY HAS GOTTEN A LOT OF, UH, POSITIVE ATTENTION FOR IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT, UH, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING, ALONG WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND THE COUNCIL FOR MAKING SURE THAT IT'S PROPERLY RESOURCED.
UM, ON SLIDE THREE, UH, YOU MENTIONED, UH, WE HAVE, UH, YET UNSPENT $56.1 MILLION WITH THIS ALLOCATION IN THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
[00:50:01]
UM, HOW MUCH OF THAT IS CARRIED FORWARD? AND HOW MUCH OF THAT ARE WE ANTICIPATING COMING FROM THE, THE HOME ARPA FUNDS? SO WHAT YOU SEE THERE IS GONNA BE WHAT'S CARRIED FORWARD TO THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.SO 56.1 IS GONNA BE THE CARRY FORWARD OKAY.
AND SO HOW MUCH WE ARE ANTICIPATING IS COMING FROM, FROM THE, UH, FROM ARPA.
WELL, THIS IS ALREADY THE MONEY THAT WAS THE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE FUNDING THAT WAS ALLOCATED EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
AND SO THAT'S ALREADY MONEY THAT WAS DESIGNATED JUST FOR THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
IT'S NOT THE ADDITIONAL ARPA FUNDS.
I'M ON THE WRONG POWERPOINT HERE.
UH, ARE OUR, IS OUR PROJECTION STILL THAT WE WILL HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE IN THE EAP THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR, UH, BASED ON CURRENT NEED? OKAY.
SO HOW ARE WE GONNA DETERMINE WHICH SOURCE OF FUNDS ARE GONNA BE USED FOR A GIVEN APPLICANT IN TERMS OF ALL THE, THE FUNDING FOR ELIGIBILITY HAVE ELIGIBILITY? YEAH, SO THE, THE MONEY WE HAVE NOW, THE E R A MONEY, THAT'S THE, THE NAME US TREASURY PROVIDES.
UM, THAT'S THE EMERGENCY RE RENTAL ASSISTANCE MONEY.
THAT IS WHAT WE'RE UTILIZING FOR RENT AND UTILITIES RIGHT NOW.
WE CAN'T USE THAT FOR MORTGAGES.
SO IN THE BUDGET SLIDE YOU SAW THAT WE DO HAVE THAT RISK MITIGATION ITEM PLUS THE MONEY WE HAD IN OUR ANNUAL ACTION PLAN FROM THE HUD GRANTS.
THAT'S GONNA HELP US WITH MORTGAGES.
WHAT WE DO WITH EVERY CLIENT IS WE DETERMINE WHICH IS THE BEST FUNDING SOURCE FOR THEIR PARTICULAR NEEDS.
IF THEY NEED, UM, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, THE, UH, E R A HARPA FUNDS ARE THE BEST ONES TO DO THAT.
COMBINED WITH UTILITY ASSISTANCE, WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THE STATE MONEY THAT WE GOT THIS YEAR AS WELL.
SO FOR EVERY CASE, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION IS HOW WE DETERMINE THAT.
UM, BUT OF ALL THE, THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE HAVE, WE ARE CONFIDENT WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH DECEMBER WITH THE E R A MONEY AND THE CURRENT, UM, STATE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND, AND WHILE WE HAVEN'T, UH, RELIED ON THE BACKSTOP, UH, OF THE EVICTION MORATORIUM AS OUR ONLY SAFETY VALVE, UM, DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CURRENT EVICTION MORATORIUM IS GONNA END, I THINK AT THE END OF OCTOBER.
WHAT ARE WE SEEING IN TERMS OF, UH, APPLICATIONS PROCESSING? ARE WE SEEING AN INCREASE? I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF SPECULATION AND, AND ACTUALLY A LOT OF DATA AND I'D, I'D LIKE TO, TO HEAR WHAT I MEAN, LEVEL SET FOR US.
WHAT ARE WE SEEING IN SAN ANTONIO? SURE.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AS JULY WAS COMING TO AN END, BECAUSE THAT WAS WHEN THE ORIGINAL, UH, EVICTION MORATORIUM WAS SET TO EXPIRE, I ASKED OUR TEAM, AND IT'S LED BY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT EDWARD GONZALEZ TO PLEASE TRACK HOW MANY APPLICATIONS WE WERE GETTING A WEEK PER WEEK AND LOOK BACK AT WHAT WE HAD SEEN OVER THE LAST PREVIOUS MONTHS.
SO EVERY MONDAY WE GET A REPORT THAT ALL OF OUR TEAM SHARES TO LOOK AT APPLICATIONS.
NOW, IN ANTICIPATION OF THAT END OF JULY EVICTION MORATORIUM DATE, WE RAMPED UP A LOT OF OUTREACH ACTIVITIES.
AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE ALL OF THE COMMUNITY KNEW THAT OUR PARTNERS GOT THE WORD OUT.
SO WE DID SEE AN UPTICK IN APPLICATIONS OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS, BUT THEY HAVE LEVELED OFF THIS WEEK.
UM, RATHER LAST WEEK WE DID SEE AN INCREASE BECAUSE WE HAD ALL OF THAT OUTREACH, HAD A LOT OF OUR TEAMS DO INTAKE.
WE HAD AN EVENT, UM, EVENT WITH OUR T R L A PARTNERS AND IN, WITH REGARDS TO EVICTIONS, I ASKED OUR HOUSING POLICY TEAM, AND THAT TEAM IS LED BY ASSISTANT DIRECTORY IN VEZ.
I ASKED THEM THE SAME FOR THE EVICTION TEAM.
AND SO WE HAVE NOT SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE EVICTION FILINGS.
UM, THEY'RE STILL LOWER THAN THE 2019 NUMBERS AND THEY HAVE NOT EXCEEDED OVER 300 FILINGS PER WEEK.
WE JUST ASKED THE, THE COUNTY TO HELP US WITH A LITTLE BIT, UH, BETTER INFORMATION SO WE CAN, UM, DO A LITTLE BIT MORE ANALYSIS.
BUT WE'RE EVERY WEEK TRACKING HOW OUR APPLICATIONS ARE COMING IN.
WE DID SEE AN UPTICK, IT LEVELED OFF AS OF LAST WEEK.
AND WITH EVICTIONS, WE HAVE NOT SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE FILINGS.
OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS ARE CONTINUING SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO GET THE WORD OUT AND HELP PEOPLE FILL OUT APPLICATIONS IF THEY HAVE NOT APPLIED.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THE HEALTH COLLABORATIVE.
WE ASK THEM TO HELP PEOPLE FILL OUT, NOT JUST THE EAP APPLICATION, BUT ALSO THE TEXAS RENT RELIEF PROGRAM.
AND THEY ALSO HELP FILL OUT JUST UTILITY ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS THAT MEL MENTIONED
[00:55:01]
AS WELL, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT DON'T NEED RENTAL OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE, THEY JUST NEED UTILITY ASSISTANCE.AND WE DO PAY FOR THE COLLABORATIVE TO HELP WITH ALL OF THOSE APPLICATIONS AS WELL.
AND, AND THOSE ACTIVITIES ARE GONNA CONTINUE SUCH AS THE, THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING DIRECTLY IN THE COURTS CORRECT.
THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR AND INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
WE HAVE BUDGET FOR THAT AND WE BUDGETED FOR THAT.
UM, I HAVE READ, UH, THIS IS A BIT OF AN ASIDE OF ONE, UH, JP THAT'S NOT OBSERVING THE MORATORIUM.
IS THAT, UH, IS THAT PRECINCT RECEIVING APPLICATIONS SPECIALTY BECAUSE OF THAT STANCE? AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MITIGATE THAT? UM, SO WITH THAT PARTICULAR COURT, WE HAVE HAD CHALLENGES.
IT WAS ALSO, UM, THE COURT THAT HAD CASES IN PERSON AS OPPOSED TO VIRTUAL OR A MIX.
SO WE CONTINUE TO HAVE GREAT STAFF THERE TO ASSIST FAMILIES AND HELP THEM FILL OUT APPLICATION.
THE OPTION IS STILL THERE FOR THE TENANT AND WE'RE RELYING ON T R L A OUR LEGAL SERVICES RIGHT, TO COUNSEL PARTNER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE REPRESENTATION IN THAT COURT.
UM, AND SO IN THAT COURT, WE HAVE HAD MORE EVICTION FILINGS THAN OTHERS THROUGHOUT, UH, THE TIME BECAUSE THEY WENT BACK TO A, A FULLER DOCKET THAN THE OTHER COURTS.
THEY ALSO HAD IN-PERSON, UM, HEARINGS AS OPPOSED TO THE, THE VIRTUAL.
UM, SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO TRACK THAT, BUT WE HAVE THE STAFF TEAM ON THE GROUND ALONG WITH OUR RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM, MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS WHO HAPPEN TO FALL INTO THAT PARTICULAR PRECINCT HAVE SPECIAL ATTENTION AND THAT THEY TOO CAN FILE THEIR DECLARATION AND, AND MAKE THAT CHALLENGE.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN AN UPTICK AGAIN OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS SINCE, YOU KNOW, THE EXTENSION WAS ANNOUNCED, BUT IT WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK THAT PARTICULAR COURT AS WELL.
WELL, AND IF WE CAN INTERVENE, UM, IN SOME WAY ON THEIR BEHALF SO THE FOLKS OUT THERE KNOW THEIR RIGHTS AND POTENTIALLY THE VIOLATION OF A, A FEDERAL MORATORIUM BY THAT JP, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IN FINDING OUT IF WE CAN HELP WITH THEM, HELP THEM WITH THAT.
UM, ON, UH, SO MOVING FORWARD ON, UM, ON FAIR HOUSING, I THINK IT'S SLIDE NINE, YOU MENTIONED SPECIALIZED PO UH, POSITIONS.
WHAT KIND OF WORK WILL THEY BE DOING? UM, AND, AND IS IT, IS IT STILL GOING BACK TO OUR TOUCHSTONE ON FAIR HOUSING WITHIN THE MAYOR'S HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE FRAMEWORK? YES, SIR.
UM, SO WE WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT WHO IS OFFERING THE HOUSING NAVIGATION SERVICES, WHICH IS IN THE HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK VERSUS THE WORK THAT OUR TEAM HAD.
THE TEAM IS CALLED OUR FAIR HOUSING DIVISION.
AND SO WE WANT TO RENAME IT BECAUSE THE FAIR HOUSING SERVICES ARE MORE ABOUT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION INFORMATION COMPLAINTS AND HOUSING COUNSELING.
WHEREAS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE HOUSING NAVIGATORS IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE STABILITY, HOUSING STABILITY SERVICES.
SO THAT WOULD COM, UM, INCLUDE OUR EVICTION INTERVENTIONS.
I'LL GO TO THE, THIS NEXT SLIDE HAS THE EVICTION INTERVENTIONS WOULD BE THAT HOUSING STABILITY SET OF SERVICES.
IT BUILDS ON THE HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK BECAUSE IT DOES TALK ABOUT MITIGATING DISPLACEMENT AND MAKING SURE WE ASSIST PEOPLE WHO COULD LOSE THEIR HOUSING.
SO HAVING THE EVICTION PREVENTION TEAM BE A PERMANENT PART OF OUR WORK INSTEAD OF JUST THE PANDEMIC RESPONSE IS ONE OF THE SERVICES THAT WILL GROW.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE ADDITIONAL STAFFING.
UM, THE TENANT LANDLORD ISSUES, MANY OF THOSE ARE WHAT LEAD TO EVICTION BEING, UH, EVICTIONS BEING FILED AS WELL WOULD BE PART OF THEIR SERVICES ALSO.
AND THEN THAT'S THE TEAM THAT WOULD CARRY FORWARD THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
SO THE EVOLUTION OF OUR RISK MITIGATION PROGRAM INTO THIS HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
SO A CLEAR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO HELP FAMILIES BE STABILIZED AND THOSE SERVICES DISTINGUISHED FROM ACCESSIBILITY, HOUSING DISCRIMINATION KIND OF ISSUES THAT ARE FAIR HOUSING TEAM SHOULD FOCUS ON.
AND YES, BOTH, BOTH DIVISIONS AND CLARITY BUILD ON THE HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK.
AND A SIMILAR QUESTION, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER IT, BUT ON, ON THE FOLLOWING SLIDE, ON NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ALIGNMENT WITH THE FRAMEWORK ON, ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT WORK AS WELL AS WHETHER THIS ENGAGEMENT TEAM CAN HELP WITH THE HOUSING COMMISSION, UH, IN TERMS OF THEIR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY AS WELL.
SO, UM, JUST AGAIN, WE CAN, WE CAN VISIT MORE ON THAT, BUT JUST THAT WOULD BE MY HOPE IS THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT TEAM WOULD BE ALIGNED WITH THE FRAMEWORK AND THAT THEY WOULD ALSO BE ENGAGING, UH, PRETTY DIRECTLY WITH THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
UM, MELODY, I HAVE A, JUST A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU, UM, KIND OF DOVETAILING WITH, UH, SOME OF WHAT VETO PRESENTED.
[01:00:01]
THANK YOU.ON UTILITY ASSISTANCE, I THINK IT'S SLIDE FOUR, YOU NOTED.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO 10,000, UM RIGHT.
HOW DO WE GET TO THAT NUMBER? WHAT IS THE PROPORTION OF THE, OF THE HOUSING ASSISTANCE DOLLAR WISE IS IT'S GONNA GO TO UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
AND, UM, WITH REGARD TO UTILITY ASSISTANCE, ARE YOU JUST TALKING ABOUT ENERGY OR ARE YOU ALSO TALKING ABOUT WATER UTILITIES? THIS IS ONLY C P SS BILL ASSISTANCE AND MOST OF THE FUNDING FOR THAT COMES FROM THE PROJECT REAP, UH, FUND.
UM, WE'RE ALLOCATED A MILLION THAT WE SHARE WITH BEAR COUNTY EVERY YEAR, BUT THEY'VE ALSO ALLOWED US TO ACCESS THE CORP, THE REAP CORPUS AND NOW THE WARM CORPUS.
AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO HELP PEOPLE PAY DOWN THEIR DEBT.
IT'LL BE ABOUT $4.2 MILLION, UM, POTENTIALLY IS WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATING, UM, TO SERVE THOSE FAMILIES.
SO THESE ARE EXISTING AFFORDABILITY CLIENTS, CUSTOMERS, UM, THESE ARE CLIENTS WHO MAY HAVE GOTTEN SERVICES OVER THE LAST YEAR.
THAT'S AN ESTIMATE ON HOW MUCH WE CAN SERVE, HOW MANY PEOPLE WE CAN SERVE WITH THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE.
AND IT'S BASED ON THIS LAST YEAR, UM, THE, THE BILLS HAVE BEEN HIGHER AND SO WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD A HIGHER AVERAGE BILL PAYMENT.
AND THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP WITH THE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE SERVED.
BECAUSE I'M AWARE THAT, UM, BEN GOEL IS ALSO WORKING WITH THE UTILITY, BOTH OF THE UTILITIES MM-HMM.
UH, IS THAT WORK GOING TO TIE IN WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE? IT IT CERTAINLY SHOULD AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT IT DOES.
THE, THE OTHER PART OF THAT MAYOR IS, AND, AND VETO MENTION IT WHILE SHE WAS UP THERE, SOME OF THE FUNDING WE'RE DOING, WE'RE USING THROUGH THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS NOT JUST FOR HOUSING.
WE'VE PROBABLY SPENT A DAY BETWEEN C P S AND SAWS THROUGH EAP.
15, $16 MILLION OF THAT HAS GONE TOWARDS UTILITY.
SO, UH, NEXT WEEK WE'RE GONNA BE GIVING THE COUNCIL ONE OF OUR WORK SESSIONS.
WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON C P S AND THE DISCONNECTS, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE, SO YOU SEE THE TOTAL PICTURE.
IT IS A, IT IS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
IT, IT WAS BEFORE COVID AND DURING COVID PART OF PROJECT REAP AND PROJECT WARM.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT A MUCH LARGER ISSUE THAT THE UTILITIES ARE DEALING WITH AND, AND CERTAINLY THEY SHOULD ALL TIE TOGETHER.
UM, I'VE ADMITTEDLY TAKEN MY EYES OFF THE, UH, DASHBOARD FOR A WHILE.
UH, BUT THIS WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THIS, UH, DATA IF IT'S NOT ALREADY UPDATED ON OUR, OUR RECOVERY DASHBOARD IN TERMS OF WHAT'S GOING INTO THE APP AND WHO'S GETTING SERVED.
UH, AND I WOULD EXPECT US, UH, TO REMAIN FLEXIBLE IF THE NEED CONTINUES TO INCREASE OR WE SEE, UH, INFLUX OF APPLICATIONS THAT WE WOULD BE WILLING TO COME BACK HERE AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET EVEN IF WE'RE PAST, UH, RATIFICATION IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, LET ME JUST ASK JUST A COUPLE MORE BRIEF QUESTIONS.
THERE IS A, THERE'S A SLIDE EIGHT, I THINK IT IS.
IT MENTIONS $200,000 ON HOUSING OR HOMELESSNESS DIVERSION, WHICH BASED ON ALL THE OTHER DATA, UH, THAT WE HAVE HERE, SEEMS LIKE AN AWFULLY SMALL NUMBER.
UM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT, WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT FUND IS DOING THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF YOUR BUDGET? SURE.
AND SO, UM, WITH DIVERSION, IT'S VERY FOCUSED ON PROVIDING QUICK AND, UM, SOMETIMES SMALL PAYMENTS TO HELP PEOPLE STAY HOUSED.
SO MAYBE THEY HAVE A, A LARGER UTILITY BILL THAN THEY CAN PAY AND THAT'S ALL THEY NEED TO, TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR HOME OR, UM, THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NEED ONE MONTH OF RENTAL ASSESSMENT AS ASSISTANCE AND CAN SHOW THAT THEY CAN PAY THE NEXT MONTH.
SO IT'S, IT'S THOSE SMALL THINGS THAT OFTEN RESULT IN PEOPLE ENDING UP HOMELESS AND ENDING UP IN SHELTERS.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WITH MAYBE JUST A FEW DAYS OF HOTEL, UM, ROOM PAYMENTS, WE CAN KEEP THEM FROM HAVING TO ENTER A HOMELESS SHELTER AND THEY CAN THEN MOVE INTO ANOTHER, UM, SITUATION.
AND SO THERE'S A WHOLE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASSISTANCE THAT, UM, WE USE THAT FUND FOR.
AND IT, FOR THE MOST PART HAPPENS THROUGH OUR HOMELESS CONNECTIONS HOTLINE.
SO SOMEBODY CALLS, UM, THE PERSON ON THE LINE DOES AN INTAKE, UM, I MEAN THEY GO THROUGH A WHOLE ASSESSMENT AND INTAKE AND THEN, UH, FIGURE OUT REALLY WHAT IS NEEDED IN ORDER TO, TO KEEP THEM HOUSED.
UH, SOMETIMES IT'S A BUS TICKET, MAYBE THEY HAVE FAMILY IN ANOTHER CITY AND, AND THEY WANT TO GO THERE.
AND AS LONG AS WE CAN VERIFY SOMEBODY'S ON THE OTHER END, UM, FOR THEM TO GO TO, THEN, THEN WE CAN PROVIDE THAT BUS TICKET.
WELL, UM, AGAIN, JUST MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT
[01:05:01]
THAT'S ONE PORTION OF A MUCH BIGGER YES.UM, OPERATION WITH REGARD TO HOMELESSNESS.
LAST THING, UM, AND, AND LET ME JUST ALSO SAY I'M VERY HAPPY I DIDN'T MENTION THIS EARLIER WITH THE INCREASES IN THE HOUSING PRESERVATION AND REHABILITATION.
UM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT, UM, LAST THING.
WE OFTEN ASCRIBE ALL OF OUR BEST WISHES AND OUR CRITICISMS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH HOMELESSNESS, UH, TO HAVEN FOR HOPE.
UH, AND PEOPLE ASSUME THAT THEY CAN DO IT ALL AND SHOULD DO IT ALL.
THAT'S NEVER THE INTENT, BUT THEY DO A LOT.
UH, SO I AM HAPPY TO SEE THE, THE ASSISTANCE.
UM, MY QUESTION, UM, AND, AND, AND BELIEVE ME, MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH PEERS THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH SAME ISSUES AROUND THE COUNTRY AND ARE ALL LOOKING TO SOMEHOW REPLICATE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH HAVEN AS ONE ELEMENT OF A LARGER STRATEGY.
BUT AGAIN, BEING MINDFUL THAT LET'S GET THIS ONE RIGHT ALSO, UM, ON THE 146 BEDS, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT, WHAT IS THE PROFILE OF CLIENT THAT IS GONNA BE USING THOSE BEDS? SURE.
AND I'LL HAVE, UM, HAVEN CHIME IN IF I MISSED SOMETHING.
SO, UH, DEFINITELY PART OF THAT IS HOUSING FOR, OR SHELTER FOR COUPLES.
AND THERE'S VERY LITTLE ACCESS TO SHELTER FOR COUPLES IN THIS COMMUNITY.
THE NEW SAM HOTEL WILL ACCEPT COUPLES, BUT THOSE ARE, YOU'RE GENERALLY HIGHER ACUITY, UM, HIGHER RISK CLIENTS.
SO FOR A COUPLE THAT IS SITUATIONALLY HOMELESS AND DOES NOT HAVE CHILDREN, IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO FIND A PLACE TO, TO GO.
AND SO IT WILL ALSO SERVE MORE WOMEN AND SERVE AS A EMERGENCY SHELTER OVERFLOW.
AND I DON'T KNOW, MOLLY, DO YOU WANT TO, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? I'M SORRY.
SO THEY'RE SAYING NOW 220 MORE SPACES FOR COUPLES? UH, WELL FOR COUPLES, FAMILIES AND WOMEN.
I THINK THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS.
MELODY, BETO, UH, HAYFORD HOPE TEAM, UH, THAT'S HERE AS WELL.
LEMME TURN IT NOW TO MY COLLEAGUES.
UM, WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU TEAM.
I THINK THE MAYOR ASKED ALL MY QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR SENDING THE, THE SLIDES AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, I, I KNOW JOHN IC DOES A GREAT JOB IN TRYING TO GET THEM OUT AHEAD OF 24 HOURS AND I WANNA, UM, TELL YOU ALL AS A FORMER STAFF MEMBER, I KNOW THAT THINGS ARE LITERALLY CHANGING UP UNTIL LIKE 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE MEETING.
SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL TRYING TO GET AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OUT.
I APPRECIATED THE DRAFT PRESENTATIONS.
I THINK I WAS ONLY MISSING MAYBE TWO SLIDES AND THAT WAS GREAT.
SO FIRST OF ALL, THE 18.4 UM, MILLION DOLLARS IN THE REHAB AND PRESERVATION.
UM, I'M HAPPY ABOUT OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB UNDER ONE ROOF, MINOR REPAIR.
YOU TALKED ABOUT $600,000 ADDITIONAL STAFF.
IS THAT PART OF THE $18.4 MILLION, OR IS THAT IN ADDITION TO THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE IMPROVEMENT.
AND SO THAT WILL BE THE, UH, STAFFING SUPPORT THAT WILL GIVE US THE SIX POSITIONS, AND THEN UP TO SIX MORE STAFFING AS WE NEED IT.
SO WE CAN FLEX IN THE AREAS WHERE WE SEE THE NEED.
SO THE, THE COST IS ABOUT 600 K, BUT THAT'S PART OF THE IMPROVEMENT, AND IT WOULD BE A PERMANENT ADDITION MOVING FORWARD.
SO WE HAVE THAT STAFF SUPPORT.
ON PAGE SIX, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE ALREADY REVIEWED, UM, THE PLAN FOR THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN? YES, SURE.
SO FIRST THING YOU SHOULD KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PART OF WHAT WE CALL OUR FORUMS. AND THE FORUMS, UM, INCLUDE ABOUT 25 PEOPLE PER FORUM THAT ARE HELPING WRITE IT.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST SET OF STAKEHOLDERS WE HAVE VISITED WITH THE, UH, HOUSING COMMISSION ABOUT SOME OF THE, UM, IDEAS THAT ARE THERE.
WE HAD A LOT OF HOUSING ADVOCATES BE PART OF A CONVERSATION AROUND SERVING EXTREMELY LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
AND SO THAT ONE INCLUDED A LOT OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN OUR ANTI DISPLACEMENT WORK WHO ARE NOT PART OF THE SHIP FORUMS. UM, BUT THEY ARE VERY INTERESTED IN, IN THAT PARTICULAR CATEGORY.
AND SO, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE HOUSING PROVIDERS, ALL OUR NONPROFIT HOUSING, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS, THE, THE CHOROS HAVE BEEN PARTICIPANTS IN THIS.
THEY'RE EITHER MEMBERS OF FORUMS OF, HAVE OF, OR HAVE PARTICIPATED IN PARTICULAR, UH, SHIP FORUMS. WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT, UM, DEVELOPERS WHO DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE HAVE FOLKS WHO WORK IN, UM, HOMELESS
[01:10:01]
SERVICES BE PART OF THIS.UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SOME UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS WHO WORK IN THIS SPACE.
WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, UH, INVOLVED AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, CYNTHIA SPIELMAN IS PART OF ONE OF OUR GROUPS, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, WE HAVE OF COURSE, SARAH THE, UH, SOUTH ALAMO REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS BEING REPRESENTED.
UM, AND A LOT OF HOMELESS SERVICES PROVIDERS.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE A HUNDRED OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE.
WE HAVE EVEN, UH, EL CENTRO REPRESENTED.
AND SO ALL THE FORUMS ARE ALREADY STAKEHOLDER FORUMS, IF YOU WILL.
BUT WE HAVE HAD FOCUSED CONVERSATIONS, UH, AROUND EXTREMELY LOW INCOME WHERE WE BROUGHT THE HOUSING ADVOCATES TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL THE NONPROFITS ABOUT EXPANDING NONPROFIT CAPACITY IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SPACE.
SO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN PART OF A FORMAL FORUM HAVE PARTICIPATED SO FAR.
AND AGAIN, WE'VE HAD OUR UPDATES WITH THE HOUSING COMMISSION WITH THE PREVIOUS, UM, PLANNING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
WE'RE GONNA REVISIT SHORTLY WITH THE NEW PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AS WELL.
BUT, UM, I WOULD SAY THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INPUT HAVE BEEN THERE.
WE'VE OPENED THE, THE, THE FORUMS UP AND INVITED MORE SHIPMATES.
UM, I TOLD YOU WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN WITH THE SHIP.
UM, AND SO A LOT OF SHIPMATES HAVE HELPED US STEER THE WORK.
AND I THOUGHT THAT IT, IT MERITED AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE WHO YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH.
UH, GREAT JOB ON, ON TRYING TO, TO TRANSLATE, IF YOU WILL, INTO SIMPLER TERMS SOME OF THE, THE TERMINOLOGY BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I CAME ON, I WAS LIKE, WELL, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? LIKE, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS THAT? AND SO IT JUST DIDN'T TRANSLATE WELL FOR ME, SO I KNOW THAT IT, IT MIGHT NOT FOR OTHERS.
I'M, I'M OKAY WITH THE REST OF YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE'VE TALKED, I, I THINK, EXTENSIVELY ON SOME THINGS.
UM, BUT MEL, I, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, AND SO FIRST OF ALL, I DO, WHILE YOU COME UP, I'LL TELL YOU THAT I'M COMPLETELY IMPRESSED WITH THE COLLEGE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
I WAS ABLE TO, UH, ATTEND A CEREMONY FOR THEM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
I THINK THERE WAS 104 STUDENTS.
UM, AND SO THEY'RE JUST DOING GREAT WORK.
THEY WERE ALL OVER AT, AT FIRE FINANCE, I THINK, IN, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND DOING GREAT WORK, UH, WITH WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER LAP PROGRAM.
SO VERY, VERY EXCITED, UM, TO, TO SEE THAT WE'RE CONTINUING WITH THAT PROGRAM.
UM, ON THE HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIC PLAN, I, UH, HAVE, I TOTALED THE PROPOSED, AND, AND THIS IS COMING FROM THE DECEMBER 16TH REPORT.
$579,000 IS A TOTAL INVESTMENT THAT WE HAVE.
THAT IT, THAT WAS KIND OF WHAT THEY WERE ALL PROJECTING, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, IT, IT'S A COMMUNITY PLAN AND IT'S NOT ONLY, WON'T ONLY BE FUNDED BY CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH RIGHT NOW IS WHAT IS THE IMPLEMENTA, WELL, WE HAVE AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, BUT HOW DO WE ATTACH A BUDGET TO THAT AND, AND WHO TAKES ON RESPONSIBILITY FOR EACH OF THOSE BUDGET PIECES? AND SO WE, WE'VE COMMITTED TO, UM, CONTINUING TO FUND THE OUTREACH TEAM.
UM, WE HAVE OUR DELEGATE AGENCY BUDGET TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL OUTREACH AND RAPID REHOUSING.
BUT I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE FUNDING RIGHT NOW FOR THE ACTUAL, UM, PLACING PEOPLE IN PERMANENT HOUSING IS COMING THROUGH THE CARES ACT.
UM, AND SO HOW WE CONTINUE THAT, UM, WE'RE WORKING ON, BUT ALSO THE IDEA REALLY OF ALL THOSE DOLLARS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND COMMUNITIES IS TO ADDRESS CHRONIC HOMELESS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE'VE SORT OF PIVOTED TO DOING MORE OUTREACH ON THE STREET AND SENDING PEOPLE DIRECTLY TO HOUSING IS SO WE CAN SPEND THOSE DOLLARS AND, AND GET THAT CHRONIC HOMELESS POPULATION SITUATED AND HOUSED.
THEY, NATIONAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE COST FOR, TO A COMMUNITY FOR, UM, THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS CAN BE 60 TO $70,000 PER YEAR, DEPENDING ON, ON WHERE YOU ARE.
AND, AND ALSO, MEL, I'M, I'M SURE YOU ALL HAVE IT SOMEWHERE, BUT I'D LOVE TO SEE MAYBE A TIMELINE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT.
YES, THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS IN THERE.
ONE OF THEM IS A FREQUENT USER SYSTEM ENGAGEMENT, THE ANALYSIS.
AND I'M WONDERING WHO WILL BE DO THAT, DOING THAT FOR US.
I'M HAPPY THAT YOU ALL HAVE THE OFFICE OF INNOVATION THAT IS ENGAGED.
I KNOW S A P D PRESENTED SOMETHING
[01:15:01]
SIMILAR, UM, IN THE HIGH USER.SO I DON'T KNOW IF IF THERE'S A PLATFORM THAT WE ALREADY MAYBE PAY FOR AND MANAGE AS A CITY, THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO US.
BUT ANYWAY, SO I'D JUST LOVE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN ALSO THANK YOU FOR, UM, WANTING TO FOCUS ON DIRECT ACCESS TO THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE I THINK THAT A LOT OF TIMES WE GET SURVEYS BACK FROM FOLKS THAT SOMETIMES REPRESENT THEM, SOMETIMES DON'T.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE GO DIRECTLY TO OUR FOLKS.
UM, WHENEVER YOU GET A CHANCE, IF YOU COULD SEND ME SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THE BRIDGES TO CARE PROGRAM MM-HMM.
AND THEN ALSO THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING WELLMED CHARITABLE FOUNDATION AS ONE OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'M, I'M HAPPY THEY DID A LOT OF GREAT WORK DURING, UH, COVID.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THE FOLKS THAT DIDN'T APPLY DIDN'T APPLY.
LIKE, WAS IT SOMETHING THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY, THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF RED TAPE.
WAS IT TOO MUCH TRACKING? WHAT, WHAT WAS IT? JUST SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THAT IN MIND.
AND THEN ALSO ON PAGE 12, YOU TALKED ABOUT A RESERVE ON SLIDE 12, I THINK.
AND SO, UM, WHAT, THERE'S NO RESERVE FOR 2022, BUT THERE WAS ONE FOR 2021.
AND SO THAT, THAT RESERVE IS FROM, SO THE ONE THAT WAS IN 2020, WE HAD, UM, FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR HOMELESS SERVICES AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES, 500,000 EACH ABOUT.
AND THEN IN, IF YOU RECALL, IN 2021, WHEN WE, UH, WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE, ESPECIALLY YOUTH AND SENIOR AGENCIES THAT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SPEND THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT THEY HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN ALLOCATED BECAUSE THE SENIOR CENTERS WERE CLOSED, THE YOUTH PROGRAMS CLOSED.
AND SO WE DID MAKE RE TEMPORARY REDUCTIONS TO THOSE AGENCIES.
AND THAT MONEY WAS, THAT FUNDING, UH, WAS HELD IN A RESERVE SO THAT WE COULD USE IT, UH, FOR THINGS THAT CAME UP THAT WE WEREN'T EXPECTING OR, YOU KNOW, UH, COVID RELATED IMPACTS THAT WERE NOT FUNDED.
YOU KNOW, PART OF IT WAS USED FOR FOOD.
UH, WE EXCEEDED OUR CONTRACT WITH THE FOOD BANK ON COMMODITIES FOR SENIORS.
UM, AND THEN AS WE BEGAN TO SEE MORE AND MORE IMPACTS TO YOUTH, UM, THAT'S WHEN WE IDENTIFIED THE NEED TO, WE NEED TO GO FIND STUDENTS THAT HAVE NOT GRADUATED, YOU KNOW, THAT GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN DID NOT ENROLL IN COLLEGE.
AND SO, UM, AS WELL AS PROVIDING MORE CAREER PATHS, REALLY, UM, NOT EVERYONE, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, IN SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS GOES TO COLLEGE, LIKE THE AMBASSADORS DO.
AND SO WE NEED TO HAVE ALTERNATIVE PATHS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER VIE GR THANK YOU.
THANK YOU MELODY AND VETO FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
MELODY, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND START WITH YOU.
AND I'M GONNA START WITH DELEGATE AGENCIES.
SO, UM, AND YOU CAN GET THIS TO ME LATER.
UH, I WANNA, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, AND WE GOT THE LIST, HOW MANY AGENCIES HAVE BEEN RECEIVING DOLLARS FROM THE CITY FOR OVER 10, 15, 20 YEARS? AND DO WE SENSE, DO WE SUNSET OR HAVE WE EVER LOOKED AT HAVING A SUNSET ON THE LENGTH OF FUNDS WE PROVIDE TO SOME OF THESE AGENCIES? UM, THE OTHER ASPECT I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT, ASIDE OF THE WORKFORCE DELEGATE AGENCIES, IS CAN WE LOOK AT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED AN AUDIT, IF THEY'RE RE IF THEY'VE BEEN RECEIVING DOLLARS FOR OVER 10 YEARS, WHAT THEIR OUTREACH AND, UM, IF THEY'RE DOING SENIOR SERVICES HOMELESS, ARE THEY ALSO INCLUDING THE, THOSE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES, THE L B G T Q COMMUNITY? I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS WE MOVE AS A CITY FOR EQUITY, AND WE MOVE TO BE INCLUSIVENESS THAT THE INCLUSIVE, THAT THE DELEGATE AGENCIES THAT WE ARE FUNDING ARE ALSO DOING THAT.
AND MAYBE THIS IS A WAY WE CAN GET SOME OF OUR COMMITTEES INVOLVED, UH, IN, IN WHAT THEIR ASKS ARE FOR.
UH, SO I, 'CAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO BRING IN NEW AGENCIES THAT MAYBE ADD ASSISTANCE TO SOME SPECIFIC GROUPS.
UM, ESPECIALLY THOSE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES AS SENIORS AGE AND, AND GET DISABILITIES.
UM, AND THEN I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY OF THESE AGENCIES THAT ARE PULLING CITY DOLLARS FROM OTHER CITY POTS.
UM, AND IF THAT'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST MM-HMM.
I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK WE HAVE.
UH, WE HAVE A GREAT, UM, REPRESENTATIVE OUT IN OUR AREA, BUT ON THERE ARE SOME HIGH INTENSE AREAS THAT NEED MORE HELP.
AND I THINK SPECIFICALLY I 37 AND GOLIAD, AND I WANT US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE COVERING
[01:20:01]
THE, UM, ID RECOVERY AND GETTING THE MEDICAL TREATMENT.SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, IN, IN TERMS OF THE HOMELESS PREVENTION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE COMMUNICATE THAT EVEN IF WE GET THEM TO A FAMILY MEMBER'S HOME, IT STILL MEANS THAT THEY'RE HOMELESS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A HOME OF THEIR OWN, OR THEY'RE SLEEPING ON A COUCH OR THEY DON'T HAVE A ROOM.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO STRESS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF KEEPING THEM FROM THE STREETS, AND THAT THAT IS SOMETIMES WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE IN, IN THIS WORK IS THAT WE'RE KEEPING THEM FROM THE STREETS, THAT WE'RE KEEPING THEM A WEEK AWAY FROM ALCOHOL.
YOU KNOW, THEY GO ONE, ONE EXTRA WEEK WHERE THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE A DRINK.
AND I THINK WHEN WE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE HOMELESS ISSUE, I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF GETTING PEOPLE INTO THEIR HOMES, BUT I REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON THOSE SMALL SUCCESSES TOO.
UM, SO, AND PART OF THAT, SOME OF THAT IS USING THAT MOBILE, UH, THE CITY'S MOBILE, UH, SHOWER TRAILER.
AND IF I COULD GET INFORMATION ON THAT MM-HMM.
AND THEN I WANNA, OF COURSE ADDRESS THE SENIOR SERVICES, AND I BROUGHT THIS UP YESTERDAY WITH METRO HEALTH AS THEY DO THEIR HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT AND THEIR DEPARTMENT ARE IN COMMUNICATION TOGETHER, BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE SENIORS FEED THE, SO I THINK IF, IF SOMEBODY IN THE HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE'S A SENIOR IN THE HOUSEHOLD THAT MAY NEED TO BE PART OF OUR PROGRAMS, THAT WE GET THEM INTO OUR, UM, OUR MEAL PROGRAMS ALSO.
AND THE SENIOR CENTERS, UM, SOME ARE CURRENTLY OPEN SOUTH SIDE LION IS, UM, IS, IS THERE ANY TIMELINE OF WHEN ALL WILL BE REOPENED AND IN FULL CAPACITY? RIGHT.
AND SO ALL OF THE FULL-TIME COMPREHENSIVE CENTERS ARE OPEN.
UM, THE PART-TIME CENTERS, WERE LOOKING BY OCTOBER 1ST TO REOPEN.
SO RIGHT NOW, AND, AND TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND, SO WE HAVE A GRANT, UM, THROUGH ACOG AND, AND THE STATE THAT REQUIRES US TO SERVE CONGREGATE MEALS.
AND SO WE'VE HAD TO REQUEST A WAIVER SO THAT WE CAN CON, CONTINUE TO DO CURBSIDE.
SO BECAUSE WE HAVE, UH, SENIORS COMING BACK INSIDE, AND THEN WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO COME BACK AND STILL WANT TO GET THEIR MEALS OUTSIDE.
AND SO IF WE WERE TO FLIP AND GO COMPLETELY BACK TO CONGREGATE, WE WOULD HAVE A LOT OF SENIORS THAT WOULDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO MEALS.
SO WE'RE KEEPING THE CURBSIDE GOING, UM, AT LEAST THROUGH OCTOBER OR THROUGH SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER 1ST, HOPEFULLY THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER.
AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS, AND WE'LL REASSESS AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS, AS WE TALK ABOUT BOOSTERS AND NATIONAL MEDIA, TALKS ABOUT BOOSTERS, IS I, WHAT I'M SEEING IN MY DISTRICT IS, THAT'S MY DISTRICT, IS THAT SENIORS ARE NOW AFRAID TO GET BACK TO THE SENIOR CENTERS UNTIL THEY GET MORE WORD ON THE BOOSTERS.
SO IF WE CAN CONTINUE THAT CURBSIDE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE MM-HMM.
'CAUSE I HAVE SENIORS THAT NOW ARE TESTING WEEKLY BECAUSE THEY'RE, YEAH.
THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE SCARED FOR THAT.
SO THAT, THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR, UM, FOR YOU, MELODY, THAT'LL, I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND I WANT TO START WITH, UM, ARE, ARE YOU GOING TO BREAK DOWN THE, THE 400 HOMES FOR HOUSING PRODUCTION? UM, IS THIS GOING TO BE A FIRST COME FOR SERVE BASIS? ARE WE GOING TO HAVE, IF THEY WERE FURLOUGHED DURING C OVID 19, ARE THEY GONNA GET KIND OF MOVED UP THE LIST IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, LIVING WITH DISABILITIES? HOW IS THIS GOING TO WORK? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
JUST YESTERDAY, I WAS TALKING TO OUR HOUSING PRODUCTION TEAM ABOUT THE EQUITY MATRIX THAT WE'RE GONNA UTILIZE TO SELECT, UM, THE HOMES THAT WE WANNA U UTILIZE OR SERVE FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE HAVE BEEN USING AN EQUITY MATRIX, AND IT HAS EVOLVED SINCE 20 20 17.
UM, ALONG WITH THE BUDGET BEING ADOPTED WITH THAT EQUITY MATRIX THINKING, WE HAVE USED POVERTY AS A PROXY TO DISTRIBUTE, UM, HOW MANY HOUSES PER DISTRICT.
LAST YEAR WE ADDED THE RED LINED AREAS AS A, A KEY METRIC.
AND SO WE HAVEN'T FINALIZED IT, BUT THE DISTRIBUTION IS GONNA HAVE THAT EQUITY COMPONENT, UH, FOR THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAM.
AND ONCE WE DO THAT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH ALL THE COUNCIL OFFICES HOW MANY OF THE 81, UH, ARE IN EVERY DISTRICT SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT AND TELL YOU WHY THEY SCORED THAT WAY.
[01:25:01]
WHAT WE ARE CONSIDERING RIGHT NOW DOES INCLUDE THE EQUITY MATRIX SCORING THAT THE OFFICE OF EQUITY HAS CREATED, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR BOTH POVERTY AND PERCENT OF, UH, PEOPLE OF COLOR IN A CENSUS TRACK.WE ARE LOOKING AT THE RED LINED AREAS AS A WAY TO HELP SELECT, UM, WE OF COURSE HAVE THE STUDY COMPLETED BY THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION, LOOKING AT OUR OLDER HOUSING STOCK.
SO WE'RE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT EITHER THE OLDER, THE AGE OF THE HOME OR A PROXY FOR THAT IS THE SIZE OF THE HOME.
AND SO WE'RE FOCUSING ON SMALLER HOUSES THAT WAY WE CAN ALSO GET SOME SHOTGUN HOUSES, UM, BE PART OF THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THE A M I, UM, LEVEL.
WE DO HAVE, UM, DISABILITY STATUS IN THERE, UH, AT THE MOMENT.
UM, AND I'M MISSING ONE, BUT THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND THAT'S HOW WE WILL SELECT WHO, UM, GETS INTO THE OWNER-OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAM.
EVEN WITH THE INCREASE, WE DO EXPECT TO GET MORE APPLICATIONS THAN THE 81 SLOTS THAT WE HAVE.
AND I'M RUNNING OUTTA TIME, BUT ONE LAST THING IS BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT, LOT OF LEGACY HOMEOWNERS IN MY DISTRICT THAT NEED ASSISTANCE, BUT I'M, BECAUSE OF THE, ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, I KNOW THERE'S MORE PROGRAMS OUT THERE THAN WHAT THE CITY OFFICER OFFICES, UH, OFFERS.
DO WE, DOES THAT LIVE SOMEWHERE? UM, AND IS THERE A WAY WE CAN EASILY MAYBE CHOOSE A MONTH OR SOMETHING TO PUSH THAT OUT TO OUR, OUR COMMUNITY? SURE.
SO IT, IT LIVES IN VARIOUS PLACES AND A LOT OF OUR STAFF TEAMS, UH, HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, MALES BENEFIT NAVIGATORS HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THE, THE, THE PROGRAMS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT.
UM, SACRED IS A RESOURCE THAT HAS NOT JUST THE D H S RELATED SERVICES, BUT HOUSING SERVICES AS WELL, THAT GETS UPDATED.
OF COURSE, THE 2 1 1 SYSTEM HAS ALL THE SERVICES WE UPDATE THAT REGULARLY, JUST HAD TO UPDATE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE C D C EVICTION MORATORIUM EXTENSION, SO THEY HAD THE RIGHT INFORMATION.
AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO HAD COMMISSIONED, UM, A, A REPORT THAT HAD ALL THE SERVICES.
NOW THAT ONE'S A LITTLE DATED, SACRED, KIND OF REPLACED IT, BUT THAT LIVES ON OUR WEBSITE AND IT HAS ALL THE HOUSING RESOURCES FROM WHAT THE COG OFFERS SINCE THEY ALSO DO HOUSING REHAB WEATHERIZATION TO WHAT OTHER, UM, NONPROFITS OFFER, LIKE MERCED STILL DOES, UH, REHAB AS WELL.
THEY DO MINOR REHAB, UM, WITH THEIR OWN FUNDING SEPARATE FROM SOME OF THE WORK THEY'RE DOING FOR US AS WELL.
I, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAYOR AND AND COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US PUSH OUT, LIKE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, GET TESTED MONTH, VACCINE MONTH.
I'D LIKE TO PUSH THAT OUT FOR HOUSING TOO, AROUND THOSE DEADLINES.
SO, UM, THE CITY CAN KIND OF GET EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER GRO, COUNCIL MEMBER CAB VARDA.
UM, VETO, UM, I'LL START WITH YOU SINCE YOU'RE THERE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE US CREATE A, A RESOURCE FUND FOR FLOOD VICTIMS WHO DON'T QUALIFY FOR FEMA ASSISTANCE.
DO WE HAVE ANYTHING THE BEGINNINGS OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT? I'M SORRY.
WELL, THIS MASK IS NOW ATTACHED FOREVER, SO I DON'T, OKAY, HERE WE GO.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE US CREATE A RESOURCE FUND FOR FLOOD VICTIMS WHO DON'T QUALIFY FOR FEMA ASSISTANCE OR, OR, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST THE BEGINNINGS OF THAT.
I, I KNOW WE, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE IN DISTRICT SIX WITH THE RECENT REIGNS.
MANY FAMILIES EXPERIENCED SEVERE FLOODING, AND THEY, THEY'VE LIVED IN THEIR HOMES FOR OVER 30 YEARS WITH NO FLOODING ISSUES.
SO THIS WAS, UM, THEY WEREN'T EXPECTING IT.
THE CITY WAS VERY HELPFUL IN PROVIDING RESOURCES AND ACCESS TO RESOURCES.
BUT IS IT POSSIBLE TO CREATE LIKE A STANDING EMERGENCY FUND OR SPECIFICALLY FOR FLOODING? I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER.
I COULDN'T GET MY MASK OFF EITHER.
YEAH, THAT'S A, THAT'S A, SURE, THAT'S POSSIBLE.
AND, AND, AND BEFORE COVID, THAT'S WHAT THE RISK MITIGATION FUND WAS FOR, BUT IT'S, IT'S TURNED INTO SOMETHING MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
BUT, UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT SETTING ASIDE, UH, FUNDS IN CASE WE NEED THEM FOR THOSE.
I KNOW YOU'VE HAD A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, UH, DURING THE SUMMER WHERE, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE ALL THE RAIN WAS RAINING, ALL THE DISTRICT SIX IN YOUR DISTRICT, SO
BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT.
I MEAN, AND NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, EVEN DURING THE WINTER STORM, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE, WE WERE HAVING TO FIND, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS BIG TICKET ITEMS. I MEAN, LITERALLY PEOPLE THAT HAD SOME POWER BUT NO HEAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO, WE WENT AND BOUGHT 'EM, HEATERS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, IT JUST, I, I UNDERSTAND.
I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THE RISK MITIGATION FUND, BUT, UM, IF WE COULD MAYBE EARMARK FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND PERHAPS AS WE DO OUR FAIR HOUSING WORK, WE CAN SET ASIDE
[01:30:01]
A PORTION OF THAT FUNDING.NOW OUR BUDGET DOES INCLUDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR RELOCATION ASSISTANCE, SO WE CAN SET THE POLICY SO THAT MAYBE, MAYBE THAT'S THE WAY WE DO IT.
UH, BUT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE WAS MOSTLY FOCUSED ON PEOPLE WHO HAD DISPLACEMENT PRESSURES MM-HMM.
BUT WE CAN CAPTURE SOME OF THAT FOR AN EMERGENCY, NOT COVID RELATED.
UM, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
AND, AND IT'S ALSO CERTAINLY PART OF THE RESILIENCY PART.
I'M, UH, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT WAS, UM, HELPING IDENTIFY THE VULNERABLE.
THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT COULD COME OUT OF THAT AS WELL FOR THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS.
I KNOW THERE WAS A FAMILY IN MY DISTRICT THAT HAPPENED TO BE ABLE TO BORROW A TRAILER.
THEY HAD TO GET SPECIAL PERMISSION TO LIVE IN THE TRAILER IN FRONT OF THEIR HOME, BUT THEY HAD ACCESS TO THAT TRAILER, NOT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY DOES.
UM, ALSO, OF COURSE, I'M IN, I'M IN FAVOR OF INCREASING RESOURCES FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, UM, AND ENHANCED NE, BUT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAYBE ENHANCED NEIGHBORHOOD RESPONSE EFFORTS.
WE GET A LOT OF CALLS, I'M SURE EVERYBODY HERE, UM, FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS REGARDING, UM, UH, THE HOUSELESS AND, AND, UM, SOME OF THE EFFECTS THAT, UH, NOT ONLY OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT ON THE HOUSELESS, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HOUSELESS.
SO I, I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN KEEP OUR BUSINESSES NEIGHBORHOODS UPDATED, UH, ON WHAT'S ON THE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING MADE ON, ON, UM, ON EVEN RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN HELP TO PUSH OUT.
SO AS PART OF OUR, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY, THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN USING THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS FOR.
WE HAVE SHARED WITH THEM INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THE SERVICES.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE HELPED US GET A LOT OF CLIENTS.
AND MANY OF THEM, WHEN WE HAVE THE, UH, MINOR REPAIR, OWNER-OCCUPIED REHAB PROGRAMS OPEN UP, THEY PUT THAT INTO THEIR OWN NEWSLETTERS AND HELP US GET THE WORD OUT.
AND SO WE'LL MAKE SURE WE USE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT TEAM, UM, TO MAKE SURE WE DO THAT.
AND A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS ARE REFERRED BY NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY'RE AWARE OF THE PROGRAMS. UM, WE ALSO GET CLIENTS THAT ARE STEERED TO US BECAUSE SOMEONE WENT THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.
AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO ENHANCE THAT AND, AND MAKE SURE WE UTILIZE THAT WITH THE BUSINESSES SIDE.
UM, I'LL TALK TO ALEX, UH, ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO THAT AND HOW WE CAN HAVE THAT TIE, BECAUSE CERTAINLY BUSINESSES IS ONE WAY.
WE HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF PUBLIC OUTREACH DURING THE PANDEMIC AS WELL.
UM, AND I THINK MY LAST COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ARE FOR, FOR MEL.
UM, ACTUALLY, I REALLY JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION REGARDING DELEGATE AGENCIES.
UM, WE WE'RE, OF COURSE, WE'RE FOCUSING A LOT ON MENTAL HEALTH AND, AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT KINDS OF, UM, MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSES.
AND THERE'S, UH, ON THE DELEGATE, WELL, THIS IS A LIST OF CONSOLIDATED, SO LIST OF AGENCIES FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS TO DELEGATE AGENCIES.
THIS IS THE DOCUMENT THAT WE GOT RIGHT NOW.
SO I DON'T SEE THE SAN ANTONIO CLUBHOUSE ON THIS.
THEY, THEY DO A LOT OF MENTAL HEALTH, UM, REACTION TO MENTAL HEALTH CALLS AS WELL.
I WONDER IF Y'ALL CONSIDERED THEM OR, WELL, THEY ACTUALLY DID NOT APPLY.
UM, AND SO WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE AN APPLICATION TO CONSIDER, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE AWARE OF THEM AND CERTAINLY WE, UM, COLLABORATE, COORDINATE WHEN, WHEN THE TIME COMES.
UM, DO YOU WANT RESPOND TO THAT COUNCILWOMAN? UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING THROUGH THE MENTAL HEALTH RESPONSE THAT WE PRESENTED YESTERDAY AS WELL, WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WE ARE GONNA BE EVALUATING THE POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP WITH NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
SO THAT IS WORK THAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER WE, UM, ADOPT THE BUDGET.
SO THERE'S STILL AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ORGAN ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THAT? YES, MA'AM.
IF I CAN, UM, JUST ADD, OH, YES, MA'AM, REAL QUICK.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE QUESTION REGARDING, UM, OUTREACH TO NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND HOMELESS.
WE DO HAVE A HOMELESS OUTREACH SPECIALIST THAT'S WORKING IN DISTRICT SIX.
AND THAT'S ALSO PART OF THEIR FUNCTION IS TO COORDINATE WITH, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS BUSINESSES, UM, TO HELP THEM WITH QUESTIONS THEY HAVE OR HELP THEM WORK ON HOW THEY CAN SECURE THEIR PROPERTIES OR, UM, WORK WITH THE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
WE HAVE, UM, A SPECIFIC, UM, ENCAMPMENT ON MARBA AND FOUR 10 WHERE OUR OUTREACH SPECIALIST HAS BEEN ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING WITH COUNCILWOMAN, UH, ROCHA GARCIA'S OUTREACH SPECIALIST.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, IF WE COULD GO TO SLIDE EIGHT ON THE N H S D PRESENTATION.
WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT N H S D HAS BEEN MEETING WITH FOR
[01:35:01]
THE HOUSING BOND? YES, FOR THE HOUSING BOND ON SLIDE EIGHT.SO, SOME OF THE FOLKS WE STARTED VISITING WITH INCLUDE, UM, SARAH, THE SOUTH ALAMO REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE HOMELESS.
UM, WE HAVE VISITED WITH OUR CHODOS, THE COMMUNITY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, WE HAVE VISITED WITH THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST AS WELL.
UM, THOSE, THOSE I THINK ARE JUST THIS MONTH.
UM, IN DEVELOPING THIS, WE'RE LISTENING TO WHAT THE HOUSING COMMISSION HAS SHARED AS WELL.
LOOKING AT BOTH WHAT THE SHIP HAS ON THE FUNDING STRATEGIES, SO ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED.
UM, AND OF COURSE, GOING BACK TO THE HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK AND THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT CAME OUT OF ALL OF THAT, UM, I STILL HAVE ALL THE, THE DOCUMENTATION FROM THE HOUSING POLICY FRAMEWORK DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO I GO BACK AND LOOK AT, AT NOTES TO TELL STAFF THAT WASN'T HERE BACK THEN.
HEY, THESE ARE SOME OF THE KIND OF THINGS THAT SHOULD BE THERE.
UM, THERE'LL BE OTHERS AS WELL.
CAN COUNCIL RECEIVE A LIST OF THOSE STAKEHOLDERS AND WE'LL COUNSEL BE, UM, GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS ON BEST PRACTICES FOR THEIR DISTRICTS? Y YES.
THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THE WORK.
AND AGAIN, UM, AS WITH ALL THE, THE PROPOSITIONS, YOU'LL HAVE REPRESENTATION THROUGH THE COMMITTEES THAT ARE CREATED.
UH, AND YOU WILL, I MEAN, ULTIMATELY IT'S GONNA BE THIS BODY THAT ADOPTS WHATEVER, UH, DOCUMENT GOES FORWARD.
BUT YOU'LL HAVE A LOT OF, UH, SAY THROUGH THE COMMITTEES THAT GET CREATED FOR THAT PROCESS.
AND I, I RECOMMEND THAT IN SEPTEMBER, THAT COUNCIL, UH, GET BRIEFED AND IS ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INPUT ON BEST PRACTICES FOR OUR DISTRICTS AND NOT NECESSARILY WHEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S YEAH.
IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY AND IT'S MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AND THEN IF WE CAN MOVE TO, LET'S SEE, SLIDE FOUR.
UM, WITH THE GAP FINANCING CAN CITY, WELL NOT CAN CITY COUNCIL, UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD GIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, SET, SET PARAMETERS ON WHAT THOSE GAP FUNDEDS GET ALLOCATED TOWARDS.
UM, THE MAYOR HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE HAS IDENTIFIED THAT WE HAVE A UNIT GAP OF OVER 32,000 UNITS, AND IT'S GROWING FOR THOSE WHO EARN 14,000 A YEAR OR LESS.
AND WHEN WE LOOK TO THOSE WHO EARN 25,000 TO 40,000, THERE'S A GROWING GAP OF 2,400.
UM, SO TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, FINANCING OUR OWN DISPLACEMENT, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PRIORITIZE THOSE BRACKETS THAT THE MAYOR HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE HAS IDENTIFIED.
UM, WITH THE GAP FINANCING, UM, MOVING ON TO THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THOSE ARE RECEIVING ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
HOWEVER, THOSE ARE NOT BACK TO PRE C O V I, UH, FISCAL YEAR 2020, UH, BUDGET NUMBERS.
WE KNOW THAT FOLKS ARE RECOVERING FROM C OVID 19 AS WELL AS THE, THE WINTER STORM THAT IMPACTED THE FOUNDATION OF HOMES, THE HEAVY, THE SNOW IMPACTED ROOFS AS WELL.
UM, SO I THINK WE'RE AN IMPORTANT TIME WHERE WE MUST DOUBLE THE FUNDING FOR THESE PROGRAMS. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FUNDING, IT'S MAJORITY GRANT FUNDED, UM, TO, SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PRIORITIZE GENERAL FUNDING FOR THESE PROGRAMS. AND COUNCILMAN, I'D LIKE TO ADD THAT FOR THE UNDER ONE ROOF, IT IS BACK TO THE PRE PANDEMIC FUNDING LEVELS.
FOR GENERAL FUND, IT'S 3.25 MILLION.
IN 2019, WE HAD 2 MILLION, 1 MILLION COMING FROM THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, AND ANOTHER MILLION IN A PRIVATE DONATION FOR A TOTAL OF 5.25 MILLION MM-HMM.
BUT IT'S NOT THE 5.25 MILLION.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT BECAUSE THE OTHER 2 MILLION CAME FROM PRIVATE DONATIONS AND THE HOUSING TRUST.
UM, SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT AGAIN THAT WE PRIORITIZE THAT UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM THAT ONLY DOES IT SAVE OUR HOMEOWNERS ON THEIR UTILITY BILL.
IT'S BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WE KNOW THAT IT'S WHAT WE NEED NOW, AGAIN, AS WE RECOVER FROM C OVID 19 AND THE WINTER STORM.
UM, HOWEVER, I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING, UM, HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST PER ROOF.
UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, THE AVERAGE ROOF REPAIR WAS $9,072.
UM, BUT NOW WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE.
SO WHY ARE WE SEEING THAT INCREASE? WE KNOW CONSTRUCTION COSTS HAVE GONE UP.
AND THE PREVIOUS BUDGET TOOK THAT INTO ACCOUNT, BUT WHY ARE WE SEEING AN INCREASE? SO AGAIN, THE AVERAGE ROOF REPLACEMENT WAS ABOUT THAT 9,300 OR SO.
UM, AND WE HAVE SEEN CONSTRUCTION INCREASES.
ACTUALLY ALL OUR, UH, REHAB PROGRAMS, UH, DO FACTOR THAT IN, UM, NOT JUST US, BUT EVEN OTHER DEVELOPERS HAVE FACED A RISING, UM, LUMBER COST FOR A WHILE.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE VERY WORRIED BECAUSE THE, THE ROOFING
[01:40:01]
MATERIAL THAT WE USE THAT MAKES IT HIGHLY REFLECTIVE IS, UM, IT HAS COMPONENTS THAT ALSO GO INTO THE SPECIAL N 95 MASKS.I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE CALLED.
AND SO WE WERE WORRIED THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT MATERIAL WAS GONNA, UM, NOT ALLOW US TO HAVE ENOUGH SUPPLY FOR THAT.
HIGHLY REFLECTIVE, UH, I THINK IT'S CALLED THE FILAMENT.
UM, SO WE FOUND ANOTHER SUPPLIER, BUT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THOSE PANDEMIC RELATED RISING CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
WE DO HAVE LABOR ISSUES AS WELL.
UM, AND I'VE SEEN THIS NOT JUST IN OUR REHAB PROGRAM, BUT EVEN WITH OUR HOUSING BOND PROGRAM, UM, ALL THE RAIN HASN'T HELPED AS WELL.
UM, AND SO THE SAME THINGS THAT ARE IMPACTING HOUSING PRODUCTION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ARE HERE.
AND SO WE FACTOR THE INCREASING COST OF, THANK YOU.
I ONLY HAVE FOUR MINUTES LEFT, SO I WANNA MOVE ON WITH MY NEXT QUESTIONS.
UM, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MINOR REHAB PROGRAM, IT'S ROUGHLY $27,000 FOR THE MINOR REHAB.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE OWNER OCCUPIED, THAT'S 128,000.
THAT'S THE COST OF A NEW BUILD.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S SUCCESSIVE, THAT'S EXPENSIVE.
HAVE WE EXPLORED OPPORTUNITIES WITH LEVERAGING OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH UTSA'S ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT TO DRIVE DOWN THOSE COSTS? SO WE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, LOOK AT THAT.
UM, WE ARE USING THE NUMBERS BASED ON THOSE HOUSING CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
UM, OUR AVERAGE FOR THE OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB, CURRENTLY IT'S ABOUT $103,000.
AND REMEMBER, A LOT OF OUR FUNDING IS FEDERAL FUNDING.
THAT REQUIRES THAT IF WE TOUCH A HOME FIRST WE HAVE TO DO AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, WHICH ADDS COST AND UNFORTUNATELY ADDS TIME.
AND THEN SECOND, WE HAVE TO BRING WHATEVER STRUCTURE WE TOUCH UP TO CODE.
SO EVEN IF ALL THEY NEEDED WAS THE KITCHEN, IF THE WIRING FOR THE WHOLE HOUSE NEEDS TO BE REDONE TO BE UP TO CODE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON BECAUSE THE FEDERAL FUNDING DOES HAVE THOSE REQUIREMENTS AND THE HOME PROGRAM IS THE MOST STRICT OF OUR PROGRAMS. SO IT DOES ADD BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
UM, I KNOW THERE WAS CONVERSATION ABOUT USING UNDER ONE ROOF, UH, FUNDING FOR FOUNDATION REPAIRS.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE STICK PRIMARILY TO USING THOSE FUNDS FOR ROOFS.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT Y'ALL SAID THREE HOMES COULDN'T HAVE THEIR HOMES REPAIR THEIR ROOFS REPAIRED 'CAUSE OF FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S ENOUGH TO WARRANT A CHANGE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, IF WE'RE SEEING AN ISSUE WITH FOUNDATION, UM, WE SHOULD ALLOCATE MORE GENERAL FUNDING TO THE HOMEOWNER REHAB PROGRAM SINCE THAT PROGRAM EXISTS AND CAN ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM.
AND IN THE MINOR REPAIR PROGRAM, NOW THAT WE'RE GONNA, UH, HOPEFULLY HAVE THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WE'LL HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA RESTATE, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF RESTORING, UM, ALL THE FUNDING TO PRE COVID NUMBERS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AN ADDITIONAL 1.9 MILLION TO THE, UM, MINOR REHAB PROGRAM CAN SUPPORT AN ADDITIONAL 71 PROJECTS.
UM, AND I'M ALSO ASKING THAT WE EXPLORE ALLOCATING $1.5 MILLION FOR A PILOT PROGRAM FOR A DEMOLITION DIVERSION EFFORT, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN BETTER PARTNER WITH THE BUILDING AND STANDARDS BOARD TO CONNECT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO RESOURCES TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY CAN REHAB THEIR PROGRAM.
AND THERE'S POTENTIAL TO RESTORE THAT RATHER THAN DEMOLITION.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT BILL IS VERY EXPENSIVE, UH, FOR THE DEMOLITION AND THE CITY PUTS A LIEN ON HOMES.
SO WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF FOLKS LOSE THEIR HOMES DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO PAY FOR THAT DEMOLITION.
SO, UH, DEMOLITION DIVERSION PROGRAM'S VERY MUCH NEEDED.
UM, I WANNA MOVE ON TO, UM, LET'S SEE, THE RISK MITIGATION FUND.
I'LL JUMP IN IN THE NEXT ROUND.
UM, BUT I, I WANNA KNOW HOW MUCH FUNDING HAS BEEN ALLOCATED TOWARDS MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE AND RISK MITIGATION ASSISTANCE.
UM, JUST TO HEAR IT ONE MORE TIME AS WELL AS HOW MUCH DO WE CURRENTLY HAVE LEFT, BUT SURE.
I'M GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, VETO, I'M GONNA ASK YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO RENTAL ASSISTANCE, BERO, CAN YOU TELL ME, IS THE STATE STILL PROVIDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH THEIR PROGRAMMING? OR HAVE HAS THAT STOPPED? NO, SIR.
SO WE STILL HAVE THE TEXAS PROGRAM IS CALLED TECH TEXAS RENT RELIEF.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DID, UM, I DON'T KNOW, NOT AT THE BEGINNING, BUT A FEW MONTHS AFTER THEY STARTED WAS HAVE A DASHBOARD.
UM, AND I LOOKED AT THE DASHBOARD YESTERDAY.
SO, UH, IT TELLS US BY COUNTY, HOW MANY FAMILIES HAVE BEEN ASSISTED,
[01:45:01]
HOW MUCH HAS BEEN EXPENDED.UH, I BELIEVE THE NUMBER YESTERDAY WAS THAT OVER 10,000, UH, FAMILIES IN BEXAR COUNTY HAD BEEN ASSISTED.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE FUNDING AMOUNT.
UM, BUT IT ALSO SHOWED WHAT PERCENT OF THE STATEWIDE PROGRAM IT WAS.
SO THE STATE IS DOING A LOT BETTER.
UM, BUT THEY STILL HAVE FUNDING AVAILABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ON SLIDE FOUR, UH, YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS, UH, THAT WE'D LIKE TO WORK ON.
UM, HOW MANY HOMES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, UH, BENEFITING THROUGH THOSE THREE PROGRAMS? THE UNDER ONE ROOF, THE MINOR REPAIRS, THE MAJOR REPAIRS? HOW MANY DO WE EXPECT IN THE NEXT YEAR? SO 81 FOR OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB, THE 300 FOR UNDER ONE ROOF.
AND THEN THE MINOR REPAIR WAS THE, UM, IT WAS IN MY OTHER SLIDE, 1 75.
SO A THOUSAND HOMES, ABOUT A THOUSAND JUST FOR THOSE REHAB PROGRAMS. THE REHAB AND PRESERVATION, UH, PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
ARE, ARE WE DOING COMPETITIVE BIDDING FOR ALL OF THESE? FOR EXAMPLE, YOU SAID YOU HAD TO CHANGE, UH, SUPPLIERS FOR THE ROOF.
UH, ARE WE DOING COMPETITIVE BIDDING TO GO AHEAD AND GET THE BEST PRICE WE CAN FOR LET'S SAY ROOFS, WHICH IS ONE TYPE OF JOB, BUT ALSO FOR THE MINOR REPAIR OR THE REPAIRS? GREAT QUESTION.
I'M, I'M SMILING BECAUSE ON FRIDAY I GET TO GO IN FRONT OF THE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE WHERE, UM, THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING AND PROCUREMENT IS FOR THE, THE CONTRACTORS.
AND SO THE CONTRACTORS, WE SPECIFY, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM, THE KIND OF MATERIAL THAT IS NEEDED, THAT IS THE ONE THAT MEETS OUR ENERGY EFFICIENT STANDARDS.
AND SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ACQUIRE IT.
BUT OF COURSE THEY LET US KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WERE HAVING ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY.
SO WE DO HAVE A PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
SO WE HAVE A POOL OF QUALIFIED CONTRACTORS WHO UNDERSTAND NOT JUST THE PROGRAM, BUT IF WE'RE USING THE FEDERAL FUNDS, WHAT THE FEDERAL STANDARDS ARE AS WELL.
AND BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME OF WORK AND, AND THIS FUNDING AMOUNT, WE, IT IS A HIGH PROFILE SOLICITATION.
SO ON FRIDAY, UM, IF YOU'RE STILL IN THAT COMMITTEE, UM, I KNOW THE CHAIR IS, IS COUNCILMAN PERRY.
HE GETS TO, UH, CHAIR THE COMMITTEE THAT WILL HEAR ABOUT OUR COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR THE REHAB PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
NOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVE, HAVE REQUIREMENTS WHEN WE USE THEIR FUNDING FOR REHABILITATION PURPOSES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UH, WHEN THE CITY REQUIRES IMPROVEMENTS TO PROPERTY, WHERE PROPERTY OWNERS GET PRIVATE FUNDING, UH, WHAT KIND OF REQUIREMENTS DOES THE CITY HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO DOING MAJOR OR MINOR REPAIRS? SO THEN IT WOULD BE THE BUILDING CODE THAT DETERMINES WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
BUT LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
UM, YOU CAN REPLACE, UH, A WINDOW AND IF YOU'RE REPLACING IT WITH FEDERAL FUNDS, IT NEEDS TO BE A CERTAIN ENERGY STAR, UH, RATED WINDOW.
AND THAT WINDOW COULD COST MORE OR LESS THAN OTHER WINDOWS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT RATING.
BUT IF YOU'RE PAYING FOR IT WITH HUD FUNDING, IN ORDER FOR HUD TO REIMBURSE US, IT HAS TO BE THAT PARTICULAR ENERGY STAR RATING.
BUT THERE ARE WINDOWS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT MANY OF OUR HOMES HAVE THAT DON'T HAVE THAT READING AND, AND STILL FUNCTION WELL.
I KNOW YOU, YOU SAID WE'VE BEEN SPENDING ABOUT $103,000 ON EVERY MAJOR REHABILITATION PROJECT WE DO ON A HOME.
UH, BUT IF WE ARE HAVING TO, AS YOU SAID, DEAL WITH ELECTRIC OR WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH PLUMBING, THEN ANY MAJOR WORK HAS TO BE BUILT UP TO THE CURRENT BUILDING STANDARDS, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE BUILDING A BRAND NEW HOME.
YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO TAKE DOWN THE STUDS AND THE WALLS OR, UH, THE FLOOR.
BUT IF YOU'RE GONNA DO ELECTRIC, IT'S GOTTA BE TO MODERN STANDARDS.
IF YOU'RE GONNA DO PLUMBING, IT'S GONNA BE TO MODERN STANDARDS.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PUT ON A ROOF AND THEN A FOUNDATION, AND THEN YOU START DOING THE CARPENTRY AND EVERYTHING, RIGHT.
WE'RE TALKING OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OR MORE.
UM, SO IF A MINOR REPAIR OR OWNER-OCCUPIED REHAB SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDES REPLACING A ROOF, WE ALSO APPLY THE SAME STANDARDS AS THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM.
SO THOSE FAMILIES THAT HAPPEN TO NEED A NEW ROOF THROUGH THE OTHER PROGRAMS, NOT THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM, ALSO GET THAT ENERGY EFFICIENT ROOF THAT SAVES THEM MONEY IN UTILITY BILLS IN THE LONG TERM AS
[01:50:01]
WELL.SO IF WE WANTED TO DO A THOUSAND HOMES, IT WOULD COST A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A HOME, OR IT WOULD COST WHAT, $10 MILLION TO DO A HUNDRED HOMES? I MEAN, A THOUSAND HOMES.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A, ACTUALLY IT WOULD BE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS 'CAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND TIMES A THOUSAND.
SO I SEE THE CHALLENGE THAT WE FACE NOW, IF WE WERE TO, AS A CITY GO AHEAD AND APPROVE A HOUSING BOND PROGRAM, WOULD SOME OF THAT HOUSING BOND PROGRAM DO YOU THINK INCLUDE DOING MINOR REHABILITATION AND MAJOR, UH, YOU KNOW, REHABILITATION ON HOMES? UM, IS DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE PART OF A, A LONG-TERM GOAL AS WELL AS BUILDING ADDITIONAL UNITS? SO, UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND YOU'RE GETTING A LITTLE AHEAD OF THE WORK THAT'S, THAT'S COMING.
BUT I DO WANNA SAY THAT A LOT OF WHAT WE HAVE HEARD, NOT JUST FROM, FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT ALSO FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS, IS ABOUT THE NEED TO PRESERVE UNITS.
AND UNDER PRESERVATION, I WOULD COUNT EXISTING MULTIFAMILY APARTMENTS, BUT ALSO HOMES.
AND SO OUR OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB MINOR, ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE PRESERVATION HOME HOMEOWNERSHIP PRESERVATION PROGRAMS. AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT A, A HOUSING BOND SHOULD INCLUDE PRESERVATION IN WHAT IT DOES BECAUSE PRESERVING OF CURRENTLY AFFORDABLE HOMES IS ONE STRATEGY TO NOT MAKE OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING SITUATION WORSE.
UM, BUT, BUT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE GONNA BE A LOT OF FUN AND THEY'RE QUICKLY COMING UPON US.
UH, I HAVE, UH, ONE QUESTION ABOUT HOMELESS.
UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED WE HAVE 503 HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH INTERIM HOUSING THROUGH THIS YEAR.
UM, IT'S, UM, 503 PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PLACED IN PERMANENT HOUSING, UH, THROUGH THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
OKAY, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO ASK.
YOU KNOW, OUT OF THOSE 503 WHO WENT INTO THE APARTMENTS, UH, ALL OF THEM HAVE FOUND PERMANENT HOUSING.
AND SO, UM, A AN APARTMENT CAN BE PERMANENT HOUSING, A HOME, UM, THERE A PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, WHICH IS WHERE WE WRAP SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AROUND IT.
THERE, THERE'S DIFFERENT DIFFERENT TYPES.
SO THE, THE CONCEPT OF USING, UH, THE HOTEL RIGHT NOW HAS, HAS REALLY ENABLED US TO FIND MORE PERMANENT LONG-TERM HOUSING FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN THERE.
THEY HAVEN'T JUST BEEN THERE SIX MONTHS AND GONE BACK OUT IN THE STREET.
NO, AND THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, BOTH THE HAVEN FOR HOPE HOTEL THAT THEY'RE OPERATING IN NOW, THE SAM HOTEL, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT, IS TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO HOUSING AND, AND THE, WITH THE HAVEN FOR HOPE PIECE, THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN USING THAT AS A BRIDGE TO HOUSING AND, AND ALSO HOUSING OR LONGER TERM SHELTER, BETTER SHELTER SITUATIONS.
LET ME ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION I I JUST ASKED VETO, DO YOU THINK THAT, UM, A HOUSING BOND WOULD INCLUDE HOME, UH, HOUSING SUPPORT FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE? THAT'S CERTAINLY OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, UM, IT INCLUDES PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, WHICH ARE FACILITIES THAT, UM, HAVE SERVICE ON SITE AND SERVICES WRAPPED IN CASE MANAGEMENT WRAPPED AROUND THE CLIENT TO HELP THEM STAY HOUSED.
AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED THAT WITHIN THE CONFINES OF BEXAR COUNTY, I'LL, I'LL SAY WE'RE SPENDING ABOUT $70 MILLION A YEAR SUPPORTING ABOUT 12,000 HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS OR FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT, IS THAT CLOSE TO AN AVERAGE OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS, OR WHAT DO YOU THINK GOING FORWARD? UM, RIGHT.
PRE PANDEMIC, THAT WAS, THAT HAD BEEN 12,000, 13,000, PRETTY MUCH THE ANNUAL AVERAGE.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UM, I WANTED TO START OFF WITH, UM, MS. SOTO, AND MY QUESTION IS, HAS A NEEDS ASSESSMENT UH, BEEN CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY HOW MANY HOMES TOTAL ACROSS THE, ACROSS SAN ANTONIO WOULD QUALIFY FOR THESE PROGRAMS? UH, UNDER ONE ROOF, UM, OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB AND MINOR REPAIR? I THINK YOU'VE BEEN SHARING NOTES WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
UM, WE HAVE DONE ASSESSMENTS IN, WITH REGARDS TO THE NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT'S ACTUALLY, THAT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE RECALIBRATED GOALS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.
IN ADDITION, WE DO HAVE FROM, UM, THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT THE ASSESSMENT CONDITION OF THE HOME.
SO THEY HAVE, UM, ANYTIME THEY DO AN APPRAISAL AND A, UH, A REVIEW OF HOW
[01:55:01]
THEY E UH, VALUE THE, THE VALUATION OF THE HOMES, THE APPRAISERS ARE REQUIRED TO ASSIST THE CONDITION OF THE HOME.AND SO WE DO HAVE THE NUMBERS, NOW WE HAVE THEM, UH, COUNCILMAN COURAGE ABOUT HOW MANY HOUSES, AND THIS IS JUST SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES ARE CONSIDERED IN POOR CONDITION BY THE BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
SO WE HAVE OVER 5,000 HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE CONSIDERED IN POOR CONDITION.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 42,000 THAT ARE CONSIDERED FAIR.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT SOME OF THE ONES THAT FALL INTO THE FAIR CATEGORY COULD PROBABLY BENEFIT FROM MINOR REPAIR ASSISTANCE.
BUT WE DO HAVE THOSE NUMBERS THAT SHOW THE HOUSING CONDITION, UM, AS ASSESSED AND THEY HAVE TO DO IT EVERY TWO YEARS BY THE APPRAISERS THAT, YOU KNOW, DETERMINE HOW MUCH TAXES TO, TO CHARGE.
UM, SO YES, AS PART OF OUR ANALYSIS AND THE RECALIBRATED TARGETS, WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT AND WE DO HAVE THE NUMBERS, AND THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF WHAT YOU SEE IN THE SHIP AS WELL.
SO IF WE HAD ALL THE MONEY, UM, AND SAY 5,000 PLUS HOUSES WAS WHAT WE WANTED TO SERVICE WITH, UH, MAJOR REPAIRS, WE'D PROBABLY NEED ABOUT 13, 14, 15 YEARS.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE PROGRAMS AND HOW EXCITED I AM TO SEE, UM, US CONTINUE TO INVEST IN, UH, OWNER OCCUPIED REHAB, MINOR REPAIR, AND UNDER ONE ROOF.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO COUNCILMAN CASTILLO'S POINT, UM, FOR UNDER ONE ROOF, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US, UH, PUT IN 5.25 MILLION.
OR I WONDER, HAVE WE SOLICIT, HAVE WE, UM, SOLICITED INVESTMENT? HAVE WE ASKED FOR PRIVATE DONATIONS TO MATCH THAT, THAT NUMBER WE HAVEN'T THIS YEAR, BUT CERTAINLY IT'LL BE SOMETHING WE LOOK INTO.
UM, AND I KNOW SAN ANTONIO LOVES A GOOD PILOT PROGRAM, SO I WOULD ALSO BE INTERESTED IN A DEMOLITION DIVERSION PROGRAM.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO STATE THAT THESE THREE PROGRAMS, UM, OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL AND MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES TO RECEIVE CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES, UM, AS THEY NORMALLY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THE LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE OFTEN CONTRACT.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY SMALL AND MINORITY, OR WHAT PERCENTAGE OF CONTRACTORS ARE SMALL AND MINORITY WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES? I THINK ALL THE CONTRACTORS CURRENTLY, AND, AND AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA DO A PROCUREMENT SHORTLY, BUT I THINK ALL OUR CURRENT CONTRACTORS ARE MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES.
UM, I'LL HAVE TO CONFIRM, BUT, UM, I THINK THEY'RE ALL MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES.
THERE MIGHT BE ONE THAT, THAT ISN'T NOW I HAVE TO CHECK.
UM, WE ARE FOR OUR PROCUREMENT, UH, PUTTING TOGETHER A MARKETING PLAN SO THAT WE CAN INVITE, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT A LARGER POOL OF CONTRACTORS, BUT WE WISH TO FOCUS AND INVITE THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES, MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES, WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES TO PARTICIPATE IN, IN, UM, SUBMIT A BID FOR OUR WORK AND BE PART OF THAT POOL.
UM, SO WE'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I SAY ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENT IS THAT OUR WORK IS ROOTED IN EQUITY AND IT MEANS NOT JUST OUTREACH, BUT EVEN CONTRACTORS AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE THE OUTREACH TO THOSE BUSINESSES SO THEY CAN BE A PART OF THIS AS WELL.
UM, THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU MS. SOTO.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS NECESSARILY, UM, FOR D H S, BUT I SAW ON JANUARY 25TH, 2020, WE HAD 2,932 PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, AND ON THAT DAY WE HAD WEATHER IN THE FORTIES.
AND SO AT ANY POINT IN TIME, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE WOULD IDEALLY BE PREPARED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR NEARLY 3000 PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, AND I LOVE HEARING, UH, MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES SAY THAT OUR BUDGET IS A MORAL DOCUMENT.
UM, AND THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS IS ONE DIRECTLY RELATED TO, UM, A NUMBER OF COMPLEX ISSUES.
UM, OUR VETERANS WHO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS, SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WHO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS, UM, THOSE EXPERIENCING, UH, CHRONIC ECONOMIC HARDSHIP WHO THEN FIND THEMSELVES HOMELESS, THOSE WHO ARE SENIORS WHO BECOME HOMELESS, UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SPECIAL POPULATIONS WHO NEED IT, WHO NEED SPECIALIZED, UH, OUTREACH AND SUPPORT.
AND SO I WILL ALWAYS, I WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT FUNDING FOR, UH, HOUSELESS PROGRAMS, UM, AND WOULD NOT SUPPORT ANY DECREASE IN OUR CURRENT PLAN.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL BEDS IN THE RESIDENTIAL DETOX
[02:00:01]
PROGRAM.AND SO, UM, ONE, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU WERE, UH, CONDUCTING AN ASSESSMENT, SO I WOULD LOVE IF YOU COULD, UM, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SHARE FINDINGS ONCE THAT'S COMPLETE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN SEEING HOW WE CAN ALLOCATE RESOURCES IN THAT DIRECTION.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, YEAH, AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT ERIC TOUCHED ON, UM, OUR FOCUS ON RESILIENCY, UM, IN, IN, UH, KABE H'S IDEA FOR, UM, A RESOURCE FUND FOR FLOOD VICTIMS, ESPECIALLY IN RECOGNIZING THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL AND IT IS PRODUCING, UM, EXTREME CONDITIONS THAT WE MAY NEVER HAVE BEEN PREPARED FOR AND WE MIGHT NOT EVER BE.
UM, WE DO KNOW THAT WHEN WE GET FLOODS OR WHEN WE GET UNEXPECTED SNOW, THAT THAT'S GONNA PRODUCE DAMAGES THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO HELP SUPPORT OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, I THINK THAT WAS ALL FOR MY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL.
UH, THANKS, UH, TO THE TEAM FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
UM, I, UH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH, UM, MEL.
UM, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD, AND I'LL JUMP IN WHERE THE COUNCILMAN LEFT OFF REGARDING THE, THE BEDS.
UH, I NOTICED THERE WERE, UH, MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY BEDS, UM, IN THE SOBERING FACILITY FOR MEN AS FOR WOMEN, AND I THINK I'VE HEARD COUNCIL OLA MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, UH, THAT MAY BE BECAUSE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHO USES THEM MORE FREQUENTLY.
BUT AS FAR AS YOU'RE AWARE, ARE THERE EVER TIMES WHEN A WOMAN CANNOT GET A BED BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY EIGHT BEDS FOR WOMEN? THAT DOES HAPPEN.
UM, IT, I MEAN, IT HAPPENS FOR BOTH, YOU KNOW, MEN AND WOMEN THAT DON'T GET BEDS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO FEW WOMEN.
IF THERE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, A TIME THAT MORE THAN YOU KNOW, IT, THERE HAPPENS TO BE MORE WOMEN THAT NEED BEDS THAN THEY RUN OUT QUICKER.
UM, FOR THE MOST PART, THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES TELLS US THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE SEEKING DETOX ARE MALE.
THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE THE DIFFERENCE, UM, IN THE NUMBER OF BEDS.
SO I, I JUST WOULDN'T WANT US TO BE IN A CONDITION WHERE, UH, AN INDIVIDUAL IS DENIED SERVICE, BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR GENDER.
AND, UM, AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S RESOURCE LIMITED, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S BECAUSE OF THE GENDER THAT THEY CAN'T GET SERVICES.
SO, UH, CERTAINLY EXPLORE, UH, SUPPORT EXPLORING, UH, MORE FUNDING FOR THAT.
UM, THAT SAID, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, THE COUNTY HAS SOME LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROVIDING INDIGENT CARE, UM, THAT, UH, REQUIRES MAYBE A HOSPITAL.
DOES, DOES THAT ALSO APPLY TO SOBERING AND DETOX FACILITIES? UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY, UH, THE CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES IS A, A QUASI-GOVERNMENTAL SUB, UH, SECTION OF THE COUNTY, I GUESS.
UM, AND THE COUNTY GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, UH, RESPONSIBILITY FOR HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH GENERALLY RESIDE WITH THE COUNTY.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S IMPACTING OUR PROGRAMS, UM, WE TAKE THAT ON AS WELL.
SO, I DUNNO IF YOU WANNA, AND OF, OF COURSE, THERE, I MEAN, THERE ARE THINGS COUNCIL MEMBERS TAKE ON THAT, UM, SURE IF THEY IMPACT OUR CONSTITUENTS, WE, WE KNOW WE HAVE TO SPEAK FOR THEM AND, AND PROVIDE SOME LEVEL OF SOLUTION.
UM, MAYBE LONG-TERM, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AT THE FULL COUNCIL LEVEL OR, UH, A SUBSET OF INDIVIDUALS, BUT PERHAPS A JOINT, UH, MEETING BETWEEN, UH, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AS WELL AS, UH, OURSELVES TO ALMOST LIKE A, A MENTAL HEALTH AND DETOX SOBERING SUMMIT REGARDING WHERE ARE WE GOING AS A, AS A COMMUNITY AND, AND WHAT TYPES OF FUNDS WE'RE WILLING TO COMMIT TO THAT LONG TERM.
UH, JUST AN IDEA FOR YOU TO CONSIDER, MAYOR.
I, I'LL LET ERIC RESPOND TO THAT, AND I TOTALLY BLEW IT.
ERIC, YOU ASKED TO STEP TO, TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS AFTER, UH, JAYLEN SPOKE.
SO GO AHEAD AND WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD JUST REAL AND, AND PAUSE THE CLOCK.
I WON'T, I WON'T TAKE A LOT OF YOUR TIME, BUT, BUT, UH, AS I MENTIONED YESTERDAY, THE, AND AND MEL HAD IT IN HER PRESENTATION, THE COUNTY IS GOING THROUGH KIND OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN OF WHAT NEEDS ARE, AND THEY, THEY INITIATED THAT BECAUSE OF, UH, POTENTIAL INVESTMENT OF THEIR UPPER DOLLARS.
SO COUNCILMAN, I THINK YOUR IDEA IS, IS RIGHT ON THE POINT, BECAUSE IT IS CRITICAL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE INTERSECT WITH THEM AS THEY MAKE INVESTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT OPERATIONALLY, WHETHER IT'S HUMAN SERVICES, HOUSING, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MET METRO HEALTH, THAT AS WE HAVE THOSE MENTAL HEALTH, UH, INTERSECTIONS, THAT, THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING ON THE SAME PAGE, AND I CAN WORK TO ORGANIZE THAT.
THANK YOU, UH, MAYOR, UH, FOR ALLOWING THAT EXPLANATION IN THERE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE, UH, FANTASTIC.
A LOT OF WORK AND VERY STRESSFUL, BUT FANTASTIC.
UH, I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO QUESTIONS REGARDING, UM, HOUSING.
[02:05:01]
UH, THANK YOU.UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO ECHO THE, THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS REGARDING THE POSSIBLE NEED TO EXPAND THE EHA PROGRAM.
UH, COME, YOU KNOW, OCTOBER, IF, IF THE NEED BE, I KNOW THAT THE ESTIMATE IS THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO GET US THROUGH A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, UH, BUT LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, I, I THINK IT'S DIFFICULT, OR WHAT YOU ALLUDED TO IS IT'S DIFFICULT TO PREDICT WHAT THE DEMAND WILL BE AS THE MORATORIUM CLOSES, RIGHT? THERE MAY BE PEOPLE WHO THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE TIME OR, OR SOMETHING WILL WORK OUT.
SO I, I JUST THINK IT'S DIFFICULT TO PREDICT AND, AND I, I DO WANNA REMAIN OPEN TO POSSIBLY, UM, GROWING THAT IF NEED BE.
UM, UH, THE OTHER THING I WANT TO TO MENTION IS, UH, I WANNA THANK COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO FOR, FOR HER LEADERSHIP AND INVITING ME TO JOIN HER AND THE EAP OUTREACH EVENT THAT YOU JOINED US AT, IT'LL, THANK YOU FOR, FOR SHOWING UP.
I THINK WE WERE OVERWHELMED BY, BY THE DEMAND FOR, UH, ASSISTANCE REQUESTS.
SO WE ARE FOLLOWING UP WITH AN ADDITIONAL EVENT, UH, THIS AUGUST 28TH AT, IT'LL BE AT ST.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING YOUR STAFF, FOR COMMITTING YOUR STAFF THERE.
UH, WE'VE ALSO HAD, UH, METRO HEALTH WILL BE JOINING US THERE FOR A VACCINE CLINIC SAWS AND C P S WILL WILL BE THERE AS WELL.
AND WE WILL MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO DO SOME OUTREACH IN PRECINCT THREE, UH, THAT IS PART OF OUR DISTRICT, UH, NORTH OF, OF BANDERA ROAD, UH, PRECISELY FOR, FOR THE REASONS MENTIONED EARLIER WITH THE JP COURT.
SPEAKING OF THE JP COURT, UH, I SEE THAT WE ARE REDUCING THE AMOUNT FOR RIGHT TO COUNSEL AND, UH, I'LL TELL YOU THAT THAT ALARMS ME FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
UM, NUMBER ONE IS WE HAD AN EVICTION PROBLEM BEFORE C O V I D, RIGHT? AND WE DIDN'T BEGIN RIGHT TO COUNSEL UNTIL RIGHT ABOUT THAT TIME, AND I THINK IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO, THE EXPRESS NEWS REPORTED THAT THERE'S A 30% INCREASE IN EVICTIONS IN, IN BEXAR COUNTY BETWEEN 11 20 11 AND 2018.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME WHY THAT RECOMMENDATION? SURE.
SO YOU'RE ALLUDING TO SLIDE NUMBER FOUR.
AND ONE THING I NEED TO POINT OUT IN THAT IS THAT, UM, WE EXPANDED NOT JUST THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL, BUT THE LEGAL KIOSKS, AND THOSE ARE, UH, SUPPOSED TO BE COMING ONLINE SOON.
SO SOME OF THE MONEY THERE WAS SET ASIDE TO ACQUIRE THE KIOSK.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE REDUCING THE SERVICE, BUT RATHER IT WAS A ONE-TIME EXPENSE.
AND SO ONCE WE HAVE THE KIOSK, WE DON'T NEED TO BUY THEM AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
WHAT WE FOLDED INTO OUR RIGHT TO COUNSEL, UH, CONTRACTS IS THE SERVICES ALREADY.
SO THAT'S ALREADY BEING TAKEN CARE OF BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO GET THAT RIGHT, TO COUNSEL SERVICE, MEET WITH AN ATTORNEY, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE STAFF, THOSE ATTORNEYS THAT CAN DO IT THROUGH THE KIOSK.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE REDUCTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON, AND I KNOW COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE ALSO WAS AWARE, IS A GRANT OPPORTUNITY FOCUSED ON EV EV EVICTION PREVENTION.
AND IT REALLY HELPS US WITH OUR RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM.
SO IT'S A GRANT OPPORTUNITY THAT BECAME AVAILABLE.
THE DEADLINE'S COMING UP IN SEPTEMBER.
WE, OF COURSE, ARE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, HELPING WITH OUR RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM TO PURSUE THAT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY AND A GOOD SHOT AT GETTING THAT $3 MILLION GRANT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL BE SUBMITTING FAIRLY SOON.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE HAVE IN HERE, 3 MILLION.
I JUST WANNA BRIEFLY ADD, WE HAVE TWO CONTRACTS RIGHT TO COUNCIL.
ONE WAS SALSA AND ONE WITH T R L A.
THE ONE WAS SALSA WAS FUNDED, AND THEN IT CARRIES US THROUGH THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO YOU'RE NOT SEEING THAT REFLECTED IN THIS NUMBER.
SO ANYBODY WHO GETS REFERRED TO THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL, WE HAVE THE FUNDING AND THE SERVICES TO HELP THEM.
UM, AND SALSA, I FORGOT TO MENTION SALSA AND T R L A WERE ALSO AT OUR EVENT, UH, AND WILL WILL BE JOINING US AGAIN.
UH, IN MY PRE-BRIEFING WITH, UH, WITH MARIA AND ERIC, UM, I WONDERED IF WE COULD SEE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO GATHER THESE, BUT I WONDERED IF WE COULD SEE THE, SOME RESULTS ON RIGHT.
TO COUNSEL SO FAR, HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN HELPED? AND ANY, UH, INFORMATION YOU HAVE ABOUT THAT? I, I EXPECT THAT ON A DOLLAR PER DOLLAR BASIS, IT'S, IT'S MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS WE HAVE.
BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW, HOW IT'S PERFORMING AND, UH, AND IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF, UH, WELL, IN MY DISTRICT OF COURSE, AS WELL.
UM, I WANTED TO, UH, TALK VERY QUICKLY ABOUT THE, THE PROPOSED DEMOLITION DIVERSION PROGRAM, AND I'M ALREADY CALLING IT A THING.
SO, UH, SO IN OUR, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME DISTRICTS THAT UNFORTUNATELY
[02:10:01]
HAVE MORE, UH, PROPERTIES ON THE DEMOLITION LIST ON THE V S B AGENDA THAN OTHERS.BUT WHEN WE HAVE THAT, THAT ISSUE, WE HAVE STARTED A SORT OF AN INFORMAL WORKING GROUP WITH, UH, WE HAVE PD CODE.
OF COURSE, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO THE COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR'S OFFICE BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN WE CAN'T GET INFORMATION, UH, THEY CAN, AND WE COLLABORATE ON HOW CAN WE SAVE CERTAIN PROPERTIES.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT IN ADDITION TO SIMPLY SETTING ASIDE SOME MONEY, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT TOO, IS THAT WE PULL TOGETHER A TASK FORCE OR A WORKING GROUP BECAUSE SIMPLY CODE COMPLIANCE CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
AND B S B, THEY'RE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE A BODY, RIGHT? AND, AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY A HANDS-ON GROUP.
UM, SO I'D, I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND EXPLORING THAT BETWEEN NOW AND THE ADOPTION OF THE, OF THE FINAL BUDGET.
AND SPEAKING OF PILOT, OH, GO AHEAD.
JUST, UH, VERY QUICKLY, UM, THE DEMOLITION DIVERSION IS A TOPIC THAT IS PART OF OUR SHIP.
SO IT'S, IT'LL BE A STRATEGY THAT IS FULLY FLESHED OUT AND WILL INCORPORATE SPITTING UP THE TIMELINE TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT IT IS PART OF OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, DRAFT DOCUMENT.
UM, I DO HAVE A, A, A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS IN A POSSIBLE OTHER PILOT PROJECT TO, TO PROPOSE TO, TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, BUT I'LL, UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH THAT ONE.
WE SEE MINOR REPAIR, BUT WE KNOW A LOT OF OUR RENT BURDENED, UH, FAMILIES LIVE IN, UH, IN MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I, I FEEL ALMOST LIKE I'M BEATING A DEAD HORSE ABOUT INVESTING IN EXISTING MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
AND I, AND I UNDERSTAND, UH, GIVING AWAY THE MONEY TO SOMETHING THAT'S AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY MAY NOT BE THE BEST USE OF OUR DOLLARS.
I'M WONDERING IF WE COULD EXPLORE SOME LEVEL OF ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR, UH, LANDLORDS AND HELPING THEM FIND THE FINANCING TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS IN THE PROPERTIES SO THAT THEY DON'T LOSE THEM.
LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE TO, TO BUILD FROM SCRATCH.
WE ALSO HAVE AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY WITH THE PACE PROGRAM THAT WE ADOPTED TO FIND THEM FREE FINANCING, UH, TO DO THAT WHEN IT COMES AT LEAST TO THE ELECTRICITY OR WATER IMPROVEMENT.
SO I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE EXPLORE, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PAL.
THE FIRST IS THE DELEGATE AGENCY FUNDING.
UH, AN IDEA I'D LIKE TO THROW OUT THERE, UH, IT OCCURRED TO ME AS, AS I WAS LISTENING TO THE PRESENTATION, THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, UH, TO CONDITION RECEIPT OF THIS MONEY, UM, ON A COMMITMENT FROM THE DELEGATE AGENCIES THAT THEY WILL PARTICIPATE IN OUR WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS, UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY HIRE, THEY HIRE FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THIS PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO STAND UP, MELODY, IS THAT A CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD WITH 'EM? UM, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? SO WE DID INCLUDE IN THE R F P DOCUMENT, UM, A LIST AND READY TO WORK WAS ONE OF THEM OF, UH, CITY POLICIES AND PRIORITIES THAT WE WANTED THEM TO ALIGN WITH AND RESPOND TO.
AND SO WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT AT WHAT THEIR RESPONSES WERE.
UM, PART OF THE SCORING INCLUDED THAT, UM, AS FAR AS, UH, TAKING THAT AND TURNING IT INTO A CONTRACT, UH, REQUIREMENT, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
WE'VE, IN THE PAST, HAD WHAT WE CALL SPECIAL PROVISIONS ATTACHED TO CONTRACTS WHERE WE ASK AGENCIES TO DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION ON KINDER READINESS OR VITA.
UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT AT DOING THAT HERE.
AND, AND I'D LIKE TO, TO HEAR HOW, HOW THAT, THOSE CONVERSATIONS UNFOLD.
UM, VERO OR, OR LORI OR, OR ERIC.
I, I, I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE OF YOU WANTS TO, UH, TACKLE THIS ISSUE WITH ME, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MY, MY, AT MY LAW FIRM, WE TRACK, UM, THE PRICE OF WOOD, UH, PARTICULARLY, UM, WOOD FOR, UH, FOR ROOFS.
AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING OVER THE PAST STRAIGHT 14 WEEKS IS A, UM, I MEAN, AT TODAY'S PRICE IS A, JUST A HUGE NOSE DIVE IN THE PRICE OF WHOLESALE LUMBER.
AND SO TODAY IT'S AT $456 PER THOUSAND BOARD FEET, UM, AT THE HEIGHT OF, OF THE WOOD CRISIS, UM, TOWARDS THE END OF APRIL.
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON OUR END FOR, FOR OUR CLIENTS, 'CAUSE WE WORK WITH INDIVIDUAL ROOFERS, IS THAT THE COST OF WOOD FOR THE BUILDERS, UM, ISN'T COMING DOWN AS QUICKLY, UH, AS IT IS FOR, FOR THE WHOLESALER.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S STILL A LOT OF VERY EXPENSIVE WOOD IN THE PIPELINE, UM, THAT HAS TO, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT INVENTORY HAS TO BE SOLD OFF.
[02:15:01]
OCCURRED TO ME, UM, AS, AS I'M LOOKING AT THIS, THAT, UM, I, I RECOMMEND Y'ALL, THERE'S A REALLY GOOD INTERVIEW THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS DONE AND, UH, BY MARKET INSIDER OF THE C E O OF, UH, FROST INVESTMENTS, UM, ACROSS THE STREET FROM CITY HALL, UM, THEIR C E O MACE MCCAIN POINTS OUT THAT THE NEW PRICE OF WOOD TODAY, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT SHORT OF $500, IS THE FLOOR, UH, OF THE PRICE OF WOOD FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS.AND IF THEY'RE PROJECTING THAT OUT FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, THEN IT SEEMS TO ME THAT NOW IS THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT MAYBE BUYING WOOD IN BULK FOR OUR ROOF PROGRAMS FOR, YOU KNOW, UH, WHATEVER IT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA DO FOR HOME REPAIRS AND, AND ANY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN YEARS PAST, BUT I'VE BROUGHT IT UP, BUT VIA, UM, HEDGE BUYS ITS FUEL, UM, IN ORDER TO NOT TAKE HITS WHENEVER THERE'S, UH, INSTABILITY IN THE MARKET.
UM, AND SO THEY PRE-BUY, YOU KNOW, FOR YEARS OUT, UM, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FUEL THAT THEY KNOW THEY'RE GONNA USE, AND THEY, THEY ACTUALLY SAVE A LOT OF MONEY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WOULDN'T BE THAT HARD FOR US TO, UH, FORECAST OUT WHAT THE COST OF WOOD WOULD BE FOR, YOU KNOW, TWO, THREE YEARS OF UNDER ONE ROOF, UM, IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, ARE PAYING TODAY'S PRICES INSTEAD OF HIGHER TOMORROW PRICES IF, IF THIS PANDEMIC GETS WORSE.
AND WE SEE YET ANOTHER RUN ON, UH, THE WORLD'S WOOD SUPPLY.
AND SO, ERIC, UH, LORI, UH, MEADOW, CAN SOMEBODY ADDRESS THAT? WHAT I CAN SAY IS WE ARE SEEING A 30% INCREASE IN OUR HOUSING ROOF PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH LUMBER.
UM, WE WILL TALK TO THE CONTRACTORS ONCE WE SELECT THEM, UM, AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT WAYS TO LOWER THAT COST.
AND SO, SO THIS IS IT, IT'S THE CONTRACTOR WHO'S, AND THE, THE BUILDERS WHO ARE STILL HAVING TO BUY THE, THE EXPENSIVE WOOD IN THE PIPELINE, RIGHT? AND THE CONTRACTORS, I THINK MAY BE THE WRONG PEOPLE TO TALK TO.
I, I THINK THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO TALK TO ARE THE WHOLESALERS.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S LUMBER WHOLESALERS, YOU KNOW, IN TEXAS WHO MAY BE WILLING TO SELL THE CITY, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS OF WOOD, UH, FOR, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE CAN BUY THAT WOOD AND THEN SUPPLY IT TO THE CONTRACTORS AT OUR PRICE, AS OPPOSED TO BEING SUBJECT TO THE CONTRACTOR'S, UH, INABILITY TO BUY THE WOOD.
AND SO I, I'LL TELL YOU, THE SMALLER THE CONTRACTOR, THE MORE EXPENSIVE THE WOOD IS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIES OF SCALE WHEN THEY GO OUT AND BUY WHEN THEY BUY WOOD.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING ON THIS ONE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE, HOW VIA HEDGES FUEL, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW HEDGE BUYING WORKS, RIGHT? YOU GO TO THE WHOLESALER AND YOU BUY YEARS WORTH OF THIS MATERIAL.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE HEDGE BUYING, UH, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DO HEDGE BUY WOOD.
UM, SO BY THE WAY, I FEEL LIKE IT'S THE, HOW MUCH WOOD WOULD A WOOD CHUCK CHUCK CONVERSATION? BUT YOU, YOU GET IT, LORI, RIGHT? AND SO I'M, I'M HOPING MAYBE WE CAN SIT DOWN AND TALK TO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WHOLESALERS COUNCILMAN.
UM, THAT I THINK, I THINK, AND IT REALLY GOES BACK TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW, UH, VETO'S EXCITED ABOUT GOING TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE ON FRIDAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO RE-LOOK AT HOW WE'RE PROCURING THIS.
UH, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.
I MEAN, THE WHOLESALE PRICE OF WOOD IS WHAT IT IS, BUT THERE'S AN UPCHARGE WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE CONTRACTORS AND MAYBE IN, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF PRICING AND BEING ABLE TO DO MORE WITH LESS OR WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY, ESPECIALLY IN ADVANCE OF A POTENTIAL CO COUNCIL CONVERSATION ABOUT HOUSING BONDS.
UM, IT'S OUR OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING ABLE TO BE AS FIT, AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.
SO, UM, AND WE DO, WE DO DO THAT TYPE OF HEDGE BIND FOR OUR FUEL, UM, FOR THE CITY AS WELL, RIGHT? AND SO I, I THINK THAT, I THINK MAYBE WE WILL, WE WILL LOOK INTO THAT, UM, AND, AND MAYBE WE CHANGE THE WAY WE PROCURE IT.
I, IF WE CAN DO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF ROOFS WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY, THEN EVERYBODY WINS.
SO IT MAY REQUIRE US TO, TO BREAK IT AND PUT IT BACK TOGETHER, AND, UH, MORE THAN HAPPY TO TO DO THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND TO MAKE WHOEVER'S LISTENING TO THIS, UH, MORE UNCOMFORTABLE, THE PERSON WHO'S ULTIMATELY GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AND RESEARCH THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS DOESN'T JUST EXTEND TO WOOD OR FUEL.
I MEAN, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BUY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF REBAR AND CEMENT AND ASPHALT FOR BOND PROJECTS, UH, FOR THE $110 MILLION, UH, THAT WE'RE GONNA DO IN, UH, YOU KNOW, STREETS AND SIDEWALKS INTO THIS NEW BUDGET.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING TO STOP US FROM HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH ASPHALT WHOLESALERS AND, YOU KNOW, THE CEMENT WHOLESALERS ABOUT US PRE-BUYING,
[02:20:01]
YOU KNOW, YEARS OF CEMENT, UM, AT A MUCH LOWER PRICE, RIGHT? I MEAN, AFTER ALL, THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE DO WITH WATER, RIGHT? WHEN WE DO THE PIPELINE DEALS, IS WE BUY 50 YEARS OF WATER, UM, YOU KNOW, AT TODAY'S PRICES AS OPPOSED TO PRICES OF SOME, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM 50 YEARS FROM NOW.AND SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR HERE IS JUST FIGURING OUT A WAY TO BREAK IT, ERIC, SO THAT WE CAN REBUILD IT.
I LIKE THE WAY THAT YOU PUT THAT.
UM, ANYWAY, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, UH, MAYOR AND, UM, AND ERIC, THOSE, THAT'S SORT OF WHERE MY HEAD HAS TAKEN ME RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, MAYBE THIS IS A BETTER CONVERSATION FOR US, UH, YOU KNOW, OFFLINE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA CHALLENGE YOU GUYS TO, TO THINK ABOUT NEW WAYS OF, OF PROCURMENT.
UM, NOT TOO MANY QUESTIONS HERE.
UH, VERO, IF YOU CAN COME ON UP, SLIDE 12, IF YOU CAN PULL THAT ONE UP.
AND TAKING A LOOK AT THIS, AND, AND, AND I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE ALSO ON THE COST PER HOUSE, UM, THE SQUARE FOOT PER COST, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE BORDERING ON BRAND NEW HOUSING COSTS ON, ON SOME OF THESE TOTAL OWNER OCCUPIED REHABS.
AND WHETHER IT'S ON HOW WE CONTRACT IT, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE'RE CURRENTLY CONTRACTING THESE THAT WHERE THESE INDIVIDUALS INDIVIDUALLY CONTRACTED WITH AN R F P OR DID IT GO OUT TO A JOCK CONTRACT? AND HOW ARE WE BASING THESE COSTS? SO WHAT WE DID FOR THE CONTRACTORS IS THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE TAKING TO THE AUDIT AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE.
AND SO IT WAS THE, THE CONTRACTORS THAT GOT PROCURED.
SO OPEN PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO SELECT THEM.
WE USE RS MEANS THAT'S, UM, UM, ESTIMATING, UM, METHODOLOGY USED NATIONALLY, AND IT'S CALIBRATED FOR OUR MARKET.
AND SO WE MAKE SURE THAT THE CONTRACTORS DO NOT EXCEED WHAT THE RS MEANS, UM, NUMBER SHOWS US FOR OUR MARKET AS WELL.
BUT IT, IT IS AN OPEN IT, IT IS AN OPEN PROCUREMENT.
DO WE AWARD ONE CONTRACT OR IS IT A MULTIPLE AWARD CONTRACT? OR HOW, HOW DO, HOW DO WE GET THAT OUT TO THE FIELD? GREAT QUESTION.
IT'S A POOL OF QUALIFIED CONTRACTORS, SO IT MEANS THAT THEY CAN DO THE WORK THAT, UM, THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR THE HOMEOWNERS TO SELECT.
AND WE HAVE A POOL RIGHT NOW, AND WE WANT TO INCREASE THE, THE POOL OF CONTRACTORS.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING FOR PROCUREMENT.
'CAUSE WE NEED MORE THAN A DOZEN CONTRACTORS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO DO ALL THE VOLUME OF WORK PROPOSED.
WELL, I I'M CERTAINLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF GENERAL FUND DOLLARS THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO THIS PROGRAM, BOTH ON THE UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM AND THE, UH, TOTAL REHABS ON THESE HOUSES.
AND SOME OF 'EM ARE IN, IN VERY BAD SHAPE.
I'M ASSUMING THAT, UM, SOME OF THESE WOULD PROBABLY BENEFIT FROM, UM, A TOTAL KNOCKDOWN AND BUILD BRAND NEW VERSUS TRYING TO REHAB SOMETHING THAT IS IN VERY, VERY POOR CONDITIONS.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THAT.
AND AGAIN, I I, I'M NOT FOR INCREASING THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET ON THAT FEDERAL FUNDS.
UM, LET'S, LET'S USE THOSE TO THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT POSSIBLE.
BUT, UH, OUR GENERAL FUND, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, UM, THAT, THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE ON YOURS.
VETO, UM, MELODY ON THE SLIDE THAT HAS A COST RECAP OF THE HOMELESS PROGRAM ON HOW MUCH THE COST IS.
I DON'T RECALL WHAT SLIDE THAT IS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR OVER FOUR YEARS ABOUT HOW MUCH WE'RE INVESTING INTO THIS PROGRAM, BOTH AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND NOW LOCAL PROGRAMS ON WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO THIS.
AND TO ME, I, I, AND I KEEP ASKING THIS, THIS QUESTION, HOW MUCH MONEY IS ENOUGH? I MEAN, IF YOU DO THE MATH ON THE 2,900, WHICH WAS A POINT IN TIME COUNT LAST TIME, WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY, YOU
[02:25:01]
KNOW, WE WILL, WHEN IS OUR NEXT POINT IN TIME COUNT? WILL IT BE THIS COMING JANUARY AGAIN? YES.THAT, AND RIGHT NOW THAT'S PLANNED FOR JANUARY, PROBABLY THE 25TH, 26TH.
WELL, JUST LOOKING AT THIS SLIDE, AGAIN, I, I'M JUST AMAZED AT HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE PUTTING INTO THIS PROGRAM.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING.
WE, WE KEEP HEARING THE ANSWER IS WE NEED MORE MONEY.
AND I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THE ANSWER IS.
I THINK THE ANSWER IS A MORE FOCUSED APPROACH.
WE WALK, WORK ACROSS ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT, UH, PROGRAMS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PROVIDING HELP AND TARGET THE RELIEF WHERE IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE GOING.
AND, UM, I'M JUST NOT SEEING THAT HAPPEN.
AND, AND WE'VE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT PUTTING IN THE R F E PS JUST IN OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES ABOUT WHAT WORKING ACROSS, UH, THEIR LINES AND GETTING OUT OF ALL THESE STOVEPIPES ACROSS, ACROSS ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND HAVE MORE OF A LEVEL TYPE ORGANIZATION TO FOCUS IN ON, ON A PARTICULAR PROBLEM LIKE HOMELESSNESS.
AND, UM, I, I, I'M, I'M JUST AMAZED AT HOW MUCH MONEY THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO THIS PROGRAM THAT COULD BE GOING TO OTHER PROGRAMS OR FOCUS THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO WHERE THE PROBLEM IS AND HOW CAN WE HELP THOSE PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED THE HELP.
AND NOT ONLY THAT WANT THE HELP.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T WANT THE HELP AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH THOSE? THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME, AND WE'RE NOT EVER GONNA GET RID OF THIS ISSUE.
UM, CAN KEEP WORKING ON IT, BUT I DON'T THINK THE ANSWER IS TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE DOLLARS GOING TO THIS PROGRAM.
UM, JUST A SIDE NOTE, I DIDN'T, DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING, TALKED ABOUT PROJECT QUEST, AND I NOTICED THERE WAS A, A $500,000 INCREASE IN THEIR BUDGET FOR, UH, 22 GOING FROM 2.0 TO 2.5 MILLION MM-HMM.
THAT SHOULD BE, THAT'S IN THEIR WHEELHOUSE.
THAT'S WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY.
SO, UH, EXCUSE ME, UH, PROJECT QUEST IS PART OF THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CATEGORY FOR FUNDING, AND THAT'LL BE, UH, PRESENTED TO COUNCIL AS PART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT READY TO WORK, UM, PRESENTATIONS.
SO IT, YEAH, IT'S NOT PART OF THE HUMAN SERVICES PRESENTATION.
I, I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF.
SO THERE, THERE'S MY QUESTIONS ALREADY FOR PROJECT QUEST.
ANYWAY, UM, THOSE ARE MY TWO BIG ISSUES ON BOTH OF THESE PRESENTATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.
I APPRECIATE IT AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, UH, FLESHING THESE OUT A LITTLE BIT.
AND IF, IF THIS, UH, CONTRACT FOR THE HOUSING DOES COME BEFORE THE AUDIT COMMITTEE ON FRIDAY, I LOOK FORWARD TO TAKING A LOOK AT THAT, AND I'LL CERTAINLY BE HAVING SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR CONTRACT.
SO ANYWAY, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH.
WELL, I SEE MY, UH, COUNCIL COLLEAGUES FROM THE FAR FAR NORTH SIDE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME CATCHING A RIDE TO WORK.
AND SO I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT KIND OF PROPOSALS YOU ALL ARE GONNA BE MAKING FOR INCREASES IN FUNDING TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UM, ON NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES.
CAN WE BRING UP SLIDE SIX PLEASE? I SAW ON THERE, AND I WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY, OH, AM I NOT, OR IS THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSES? OKAY.
THE OTHER, UH, I'M SORRY IF IT'S FOR THE OTHER PRESENTATION.
D H, YEAH, D H SS, I GUESS SLIDE SIX, SORRY.
UM, I SAW THERE THAT LEVERAGE COVID FUNDING TO INCREASE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
AND I ALSO WANTED, BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT, I WANTED TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IF WE INVEST MORE IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, THAT'S GOING TO FREE UP LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO, UH, GO AFTER MORE SERIOUS TO GO AFTER SERIOUS CRIMES.
AND IT WOULD ALSO, UM, REDUCE, UH,
[02:30:02]
I GUESS FREE UP RESOURCES FOR, UH, NINE ONE ONE, UH, CALL CENTERS.AND SO ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE FASTER RESPONSE TIMES AS WELL.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THIS, UH, HOW WE'RE LEVERAGING COVID FUNDING TO INCREASE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING? RIGHT.
SO, UM, IN BOTH THE E S THE CARES DOLLARS THAT WE'RE RECEIVING FOR THE EMERGENCY SOLUTION GRANT, AND THEN THE HOME FUNDING THAT WILL COME IN THE FALL, AT SOME POINT WE'RE WAITING FOR HUD GUIDANCE.
UM, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO HOUSE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS.
AND SO WITH THE E S G CARES, WE'RE USING RAPID REHOUSING TO PUT AS MANY CHRONICALLY HOMELESS AND UNSHELTERED HOMELESS INTO HOUSING AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND REALLY IT'S MORE SCATTERED SITE, BUT WE ARE WRAPPING CASE MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES AROUND PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, RECEIVING RAPID REHOUSING SERVICES.
SO THERE'S THIS, THE SERVICE ENRICHED HOUSING PIECE THERE WITH THE HOME DOLLARS, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, LEVERAGE POTENTIALLY OWNERSHIP OR CONSTRUCTION OF PERMANENT SUPPORTS, SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FACILITIES THAT HAVE THOSE THINGS ON SITE.
SO THOSE ARE PART OF THE PROPOSALS THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED.
SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PUT PER, UH, TO PROPOSE PROJECTS FOR THE 2022 BOND ON PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
BUT IF WE PUT THESE, THESE PROJECTS ON THE 2022 BOND, THEN IT PASSES IN 2022, MAYBE IT TAKES US A YEAR TO BUY THE FIND LAND AND BUY IT, THEN WE HAVE TO PUT OUT AN R F P TO BUILD FOR THE DESIGN, AND THEN WE HAVE TO PUT OUT AN R F P TO BUILD IT.
AND SO MAYBE WE HAVE THE RESULTS OF THAT IN LATE 2024, MAYBE 2025.
SO IF THAT COULD BE MAYBE FOUR YEARS AWAY, IS THERE, SHOULD WE BE DOING MORE RIGHT NOW FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING? SEEN AS, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH, SO MANY, I GUESS, UH, STUDIES AND DATA ARE SUGGESTING THAT, THAT WE'RE GOING, THAT'S GONNA BE A GREAT INVESTMENT OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS, RIGHT? AND SO WE, WE CONTINUE TO USE THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE, WHETHER IT'S THAT COME THROUGH THE CITY OR, OR OUR OTHER PROVIDERS TO PLACE PEOPLE INTO HOUSING AND WRAP THOSE SERVICES AROUND THEM REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY ARE.
AND, UM, THE SAM HOTEL, THE HAVEN PRO HOTEL, THOSE ARE NOT PERMANENT HOUSING, BUT CERTAINLY IT'S, UM, SHELTER THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THOSE SERVICES AND STARTS TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT LONG-TERM CASE MANAGEMENT PIECE.
AND SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE NOW AND THAT'S WHAT WE CAN OFFER.
UM, THE HOME DOLLARS, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE WAITING FOR HUD GUIDANCE AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'LL BE AN INPUT PROCESS TO MAKE DECISIONS ON, ON HOW THAT'S USED AND, BUT THAT'S A, A POTENTIAL SOURCE.
AND COUNCILMAN, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FOUR YEARS.
I MEAN, THE BOND PROGRAM IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
SO WHEN THOSE BOND DONORS DO GET APPROVED AND IF THEY GET APPROVED, WE CAN HAVE PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE.
YEAH, I WOULD DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SIT DOWN AND SEE HOW WE CAN PLAN THAT OUT.
I KNOW FOR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES, I WAS WANTING TO KNOW, UM, I, I GUESS I WOULD JUST, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS NOW, BUT I'D, I WOULD LIKE TO SCHEDULE A BRIEFING TO LEARN SOME MORE SPECIFICS ABOUT THAT PROGRAM.
UH, I ACTUALLY, I USED TO, UH, RESEARCH AND PROMOTE, UH, REFLECTIVE ROOF, UH, SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES.
AND, UH, SO I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN, IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
UM, BUT I'M IN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I'M ALSO INTERESTED HAVE, HAVE YOU ALL EVER COUPLED, BECAUSE WHEN I TALKED TO C P SS ENERGY, AND THEY'VE HAD IN THE PAST, THEY'VE HAD THEIR SOLAR HOST PROGRAM WHERE THEY FOUND THAT, UH, IN THE PAST THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD THEIR C P SS ENERGY SOLAR REBATE PROGRAMS, BUT YOU, YOU HAD TO HAVE A LOT OF MONEY TO, TO BUILD THE SOLAR UP FRONT AND PUT IT ON YOUR ROOF, AND THEN YOU'D GO TO CCPS ENERGY AND HAVE TO GET THE REBATE.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE THAT KIND OF CASH HIDDEN UNDER THEIR MATTRESS THAT THEY COULD GO AND INVEST UP FRONT.
AND SO THEY CAME UP WITH A SOLAR HOST PROGRAM WHERE, WHERE SOME, YOU KNOW, C P S ENERGY WOULD PAY TO PUT THE, THE SOLAR PANELS ON YOUR ROOF, AND THEN THEY WOULD RENT THEM FROM YOU.
AND, UM, THEN YOU, SO IT ALLOWED PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T HAVE THAT CASH TO PUT UP FRONT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOLAR ON THEIR ROOFS.
AND THEY FOUND THAT A LOT OF LOW INCOME PEOPLE DIDN'T QUALIFY BECAUSE THEIR ROOFS WERE NOT IN GOOD ENOUGH CONDITION.
AND SO, I'M WONDERING, HAVE WE EVER HAD CONVERSATIONS ON HOW WE CAN WORK IN TANDEM WITH C P SS ENERGY AND THEIR, THEIR SOLAR HOST PROGRAM SO THAT AS SOON AS SOMEBODY GETS A NEW ROOF THAT WOULD BE A GREAT CANDIDATE FOR SOLAR, THAT THEY MAY, UM, WORK WITH C P S ENERGY TO DO THAT? THAT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH C P SS ENERGY ABOUT PARTNERING WITH THEM ON THEIR UNDER ONE ROOF PROGRAM, BUT WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, UM, IS SOMETHING NEW AND WE'LL DEFINITELY BRING THAT UP TO
[02:35:01]
'EM.I JUST HAD A COUPLE POINTS 'CAUSE MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAD LOTS OF GREAT THINGS TO SAY, BUT, UM, WHEN WE DO, WHEN WE SEND OUT OUR H HOUSING NAVIGATORS, THERE ARE THINGS I'M HOPING WE CAN CONSIDER, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE, UH, UM, VERO YOUR SIDE OR MELANIE YOUR SIDE, IS, IF WE ASK ABOUT THE VETERANS IN THE STATUS, WE KNOW WHERE IT IS NATIONWIDE.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE KEEPING TRACK OF THIS BECAUSE WE ARE MILITARY CITY, U S A.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SEE AS WE SEND PEOPLE OUT IS ASKING ABOUT THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE, ESPECIALLY IF THESE HOUSING NAVIGATORS OR SENDING THEM TO PROGRAMS WHERE THEY NEED TO GET ONLINE.
AND THEN HOPEFULLY CONNECTING 'EM WITH THE RIGHT AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW HOW TO USE THEIR, UH, THE TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY DO HAVE, WHETHER IT'S A SMARTPHONE AND, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN VERO, MY LAST QUESTION IS LED MITIGATION.
WHERE IS THAT PROGRAM IN OUR HOUSING? BECAUSE I, I HAVE A LOT OF HOMES THAT ARE OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
I KIND OF LAUGH WHEN MY NEIGHBORS TELL ME MY HOME'S OVER A HUNDRED YEARS BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, JOIN THE CLUB.
THAT'S THE SOUTH SIDE OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND, UH, I WANT TO SEE THEM REHABBED, NOT TORN DOWN, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS LESS EXPENSIVE DESPITE WHAT IT SAYS TO REHAB THESE HOMES THAN TO BUILD NEW, UM, BUT WHERE IS THIS PORTION? BECAUSE LEAD IS IS HUGE IN OUR AREA.
SO, SO THAT'S THE GREEN AND HEALTHY HOME PROGRAMS, THAT'S A LEAD HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT.
AND SO, UM, WE ALLOCATE RESOURCES IN THE YEAR IT WAS AWARDED, BUT IT WORKS FOR THREE YEARS.
UM, THE RESOURCES HERE ARE THE PART OF THE STAFFING.
UM, WHAT WE DO WITH THAT PROGRAM IS WE MITIGATE LEAD ISSUES IN A HOME.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A REHAB.
UM, IT COULD END UP BEING WINDOWS REPLACED IF, IF THE ISSUE IS THE PAINT AND THE WINDOWS.
SOMETIMES IT'S THE SOIL AROUND THE HOUSE THAT HAS TO BE REMOVED.
BUT WE DO HAVE OUR GREEN AND HEALTHY HOME FUNDED THROUGH A THREE YEAR HUD GRANT.
UM, IT'S NOT REFLECTED, WELL, PART OF IT IS REFLECTED IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUDGET, BUT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF A THREE YEAR GRANT, IT'S, IT'S NOT ALL OF THE AMOUNT IS, ALL OF THE AMOUNT IS NOT SHOWN HERE.
AND THAT'S THE, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
'CAUSE THE ONE THING I WANNA BRING UP IS WE, OUR CITY IS OVER 300 YEARS OLD.
THESE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE LEGACY NEIGHBORHOODS WITH HOMES OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AS MUCH AS WE WOULD LIKE SOME OF OUR GENERAL FUND TO JUST STAY ON, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY AND, AND SOLID WASTE IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS LIKE THAT, IS THAT HOUSING IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE PART OF OUR GENERAL FUND ISSUES.
COUNCIL MEMBER ILLA, GRAND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
SO IN 2020, SAN ANTONIO HAD 9,500 EVICTIONS, AND AUSTIN HAD 1,420.
AS OF TODAY, SAN ANTONIO HAS HAD 10,308 FILED EVICTIONS IN 2020.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO IS THAT AUSTIN TOOK THE LEAD AND, UM, IMPLEMENTED A RIGHT TO CURE ORDINANCE.
UM, AND I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT WITHIN THE NEAR FUTURE, BEFORE OCTOBER, THAT WE CONSIDER, UM, A RIGHT TO CURE TO ENSURE THAT THOSE FOLKS WHO MAY BE BEHIND ON THEIR MORTGAGE OR RENT HAVE SOME SENSE OF SECURITY.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I STRONGLY ASK MY COLLEAGUES WHO SIT ON THE TOURS AND HOUSING TRUST BOARD, UH, TO CONSIDER ALLOCATING FUNDS FROM THOSE ENTITIES TO HOUSING STABILIZATION PROGRAMS LIKE EAP.
UM, I ALSO WANNA GIVE THANKS TO STAFF FOR, UM, PRIORITIZING THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL.
WE KNOW THAT THAT PROGRAM CAN DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE OUTCOMES THAT LEAD TO DISPLACEMENT AND THEN MAKE IT VERY HARD TO FIND HOUSING WITH AN EVICTION ON ONE'S RECORD.
UM, AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S A 3 MILLION ASKS THAT WE'RE ASKING FROM THE THE EVICTION GRANT PROGRAM.
UM, AND I WANNA ASK, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, MANNY, THAT YOU AND YOUR IG TEAM DO ALL Y'ALL CAN TO SUPPORT THIS GRANT ASK.
UM, BUT MOVING FORWARD, HOW MANY UNITS BEING PRODUCED BY THE CITY AND HUD FUNDINGS WILL BE, UM, ATTAINABLE TO THOSE WHO EARN 30% OF THE AVERAGE AREA MEETING INCOME? THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THE WORK WE DO WITH OUR EQUITY SCORING.
UM, I CAN GIVE YOU THE NUMBERS FOR OUR CURRENT CLIENTS, BUT
[02:40:01]
WE DO SERVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR OWNER-OCCUPIED.WE HAVE OUR UNDER 50% A M I AND WE'RE ASKING, OF COURSE, THE AMIS, SO I CAN GIVE YOU THAT.
BUT UNTIL WE GET THE CLIENTS, WE WILL KNOW THEY'RE PRECISE.
UM, WE WILL GIVE YOU THE HISTORICAL, AND AGAIN, A M I IS SOMETHING WE'RE CONSIDERING TO SELECT THE CLIENTS, UM, GIVING POINTS TO LOWER INCOME FAMILIES.
UM, SO THEY HAVE THE, THEY GET THE, THEY GET THE REHAB.
UM, MY NEXT COMMENTS ARE FOR HUMAN SERVICES.
UM, I HAVE QUITE A FEW SENIORS WHO LIVE IN THE FAR WEST SIDE OF THE DISTRICT, UM, WHO DON'T HAVE A SENIOR CENTER ACCESSIBLE TO THEM.
UM, AND I KNOW MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUE IN D SIX, UM, HAS A SIMILAR CONCERN.
UM, SO I WANT STAFF TO KNOW THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WILL BE ADVOCATING FOR IN THE BOND.
UM, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, I NOTICED ON THE LINE ITEMS FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, EDGEWOOD I S D RECEIVES ONLY 12% OF THE FUNDING FOR THEIR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM THAN S E I S D.
UM, WHY IS THAT? SO PART OF THAT IS THE POPULATION IS SMALLER.
UM, WITH EDGEWOOD, I S D AND WE'VE HISTORICALLY FUNDED AGENCIES AT THIS LEVEL FOR AFTERSCHOOL CHALLENGE.
WE DID ACTUALLY MAKE SOME INCREASES THIS YEAR TO, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN OUT HOW MUCH EACH DISTRICT WAS RECEIVING PER CHILD.
BUT THEY CAN ALSO, UM, CHOOSE TO TAKE THAT INCREASE AND SERVE MORE CHILDREN IF THEY HAVE OTHER FUNDS TO LEVERAGE.
SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN A HISTORICAL PATTERN, BUT ALSO THE DISTRICTS ARE QUITE A BIT DIFFERENT IN SIZE.
AND REGARDING THE WEST SIDE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION NOW NAMED PROSPER WEST, UM, I'M HEARING FROM A LOT OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THE FUNDING THAT PROSPER WEST RECEIVES, UM, TO THE TOTAL THAT IT GOES ENTIRELY TOWARDS, UM, STOREFRONT GRANT LIKE THAT.
UM, THE OPERATION FACELIFT PROGRAM THAT WE HAD, UM, MANY OF OUR SMALL BUSINESSES ARE ALSO AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT ARE EX AND ARE EXPERIENCING CODE COMPLIANCE VIOLATIONS.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, JOE'S ALUMINUM OFF OF GUADALUPE RECEIVED, UM, CODE COMPLIANCE VIOLATIONS THAT EVENTUALLY LED TO AN INSPECTOR ISSUING A DEMOLITION PERMIT SO THAT WE LOST THAT GENERATIONAL BUSINESS.
UM, AND THAT FAMILY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW A PROGRAM SIMILAR TO OPERATION FACELIFT COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY MITIGATED THAT DISPLACEMENT.
AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR MICRO GENERALLY SMALL BUSINESSES, OUR MOM AND POP SHOPS ARE EXPERIENCING THESE CODE VIOLATIONS AS WELL.
SO IF WE COULD USE THAT PROSPER WEST FUNDING, UM, TO BRING BACK THAT OPERATION FACELIFT AND USE THOSE FUNDINGS ENTIRELY TO ASSIST OUR MICRO BUSINESSES IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, WITH OUR, UM, DELEGATE AGENCY, GOOD SAMARITAN, I'VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE KIDS WHO LIVE IN THE ANO COURTS.
UM, AND WHAT THEY WANNA SEE IN DISTRICT FIVE AND ACROSS THE COURTS IS A COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, AND I ASKED, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU BEEN INVITED TO THE GOOD SAMARITAN? 'CAUSE IT'S LITERALLY RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, AND THEY'VE SHARED THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BASKETBALL COURTS AND MANY OF THE SERVICES AREN'T ACCESSIBLE.
UM, SO IF WITHIN THE CONTRACT WE CAN WORK IN, UM, HAVING THE GOOD SAMARITAN ACCESSIBLE TO CHILDREN AT THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT.
UM, THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS FOR NOW.
UM, I WANTED TO GO BACK TO, UH, TO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I, UH, GOING TO DELEGATE AGENCIES, I SEE THE $50,000 CONTRIBUTION OR SUPPORT OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO GET THAT MONEY BEFORE, UM, THE BUDGET ACTUALLY GETS ADOPTED.
RIGHT? THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING IT TOMORROW.
IS IS THAT THE SAME $50,000 THAT WE'RE VOTING ON FOR THE, THE ITEM TOMORROW IS SEPARATE FROM THE DELEGATE AGENCY BUDGET.
IT'S THE SUPPORT MIGRANT SERVICES.
WELL, UM, ERIC WAS TELLING ME ABOUT THAT, AND I WAS, UH, REALLY GLAD TO SEE IT.
UM, SOMEONE PROVIDED ME SOME, SOME STATISTICS FROM A REPORT THAT CAME OUT A, A FEW YEARS AGO MM-HMM.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WERE, WERE THERE.
UM, SO IMMIGRANTS MAKE UP 13.5% OF OUR COMMUNITY'S POPULATION, YET THEY ARE 30% OF OUR SMALL BUS OF OUR BUSINESS OWNERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO THEY HAVE A HUGE ECONOMIC IMPACT.
UM, AS I'VE, YOU'VE OFTEN HEARD ME SAY I WAS NOT BORN IN THE UNITED STATES, SO, UM, THIS IS VERY, UH, IMPORTANT TO ME.
UM, I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE BUSINESS OWNERS.
UM, SO I JUST THINK THEY BRING A LOT OF VALUE TO OUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS, AND WE SHOULDN'T FORGET THEM IN OUR RECOVERY EFFORTS.
UM, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF IMMIGRANT ASSISTANCE ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT LOST A LOT OF FUNDING, UH, DURING, UH, THE COVID ECONOMIC, UH, DOWNTURN.
AND WE, WE HAVEN'T REALLY COORDINATED, UM, PROVIDING THEM ANY ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.
UM, I'VE RECENTLY MET WITH THE AMERICAN ORGANIZATION FOR IMMIGRANTS
[02:45:02]
AND ACADEMIA, UH, AMERICA, UH, HEADED BY MR. MARIO IAN, AND THEY PROVIDED ME A PROPOSAL AND I, I'VE JUST, UH, SHARED THAT WITH YOU.UM, MELODY AND I, I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT THEY WERE EXTREMELY EFFUSIVE OF DINO GALLEGOS AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT HE DOES.
WE HAVE AN OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT LIAISON, BUT IT IS REALLY JUST ONE PERSON.
AND IN THIS PROPOSAL THAT THEY GAVE ME, THEIR FIRST REQUEST WAS FOR TINO TO HAVE MORE SUPPORT FOR ALL OF THE WORK THAT, THAT HE DOES.
I DO HOPE YOU WILL, YOU WILL CONSIDER IT.
UM, GOING BACK TO, UM, HOUSING.
SO WE'RE HEARING FROM TWO DIFFERENT, UH, DIVISIONS.
IS THAT, SORRY, DO Y'ALL HEAR ANY TALKING? OH, OKAY.
OR IS IT JUST ME, UM,
SO IS THAT, IS THAT AN ADDITIONAL POSITION IN OUR BUDGET? IT'S NOT AN, UH, IT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL POSITION.
IT'S AN EXISTING POSITION, AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE RECRUITMENT AND NEGOTIATIONS OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO WE MIGHT BE SEEING A SHIFT IN DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE YOU WERE GOING TO CONSOLIDATE, UH, HOUSING AND, AND HOUSELESSNESS SERVICES.
NO, WE REMEMBER WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST YEAR WAS, UM, IT'S AN ADDED EXECUTIVE THAT'LL HELP REALLY KIND OF, UM, BOTH THE DEPARTMENTS HERE TODAY, BOTH FROM A HOUSING STANDPOINT, PARTICULARLY AS WE MOVE INTO THE, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNCIL ABOUT A POTENTIAL HOUSING BOND, THE SHIP THAT, UH, BOTH LORI AND VETO TALKED ABOUT, BUT ALSO OUR HOMELESS STRATEGY AND HOW THOSE TWO AREAS, UH, DOVETAIL FROM A PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FROM A SHELTER STANDPOINT, UH, AND FROM A, UH, HOUSING PRESERVATION STANDPOINT.
UM, UH, SPEAKING OF THE SHIP
WE'VE GONE OVER IT IN, IN DETAIL, AND I STARTED TO TALK ABOUT, UM, MULTIFAMILY, UM, PRESERVATION.
TECHNICALLY IT'S NOT LISTED HERE, RIGHT? ON SLIDE FOUR.
AND, AND I KNOW WE HAD THIS OTHER CONVERSATION BEFORE WHERE, WHERE I WAS TOLD, WELL, IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET APPLICANTS IN FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING PRESERVATION.
I'VE HEARD SOME COMMENTS ABOUT WHY THAT MAY BE IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
I, I WAS HOPING TO SEE THAT ADDRESSED WHEN WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ADOPTED THE, THAT FUNDING NOT, NOT LONG AGO, AND NOW WE'RE IN THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
TELL ME,
WE ARE GONNA CONSIDER SETTING ASIDE REHAB DOLLARS OUT OF THAT AMOUNT.
AND SO THAT'S HOW I HOPE WE ADDRESS IT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE IN, WE'RE STARTING THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR THAT, AND IT'LL BE THE, THE RENTAL GAP FINANCING THAT GETS DEVOTED TO THAT, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL SCORE IT TO PRIORITIZE.
SO, SO WHEN IT COMES TO, IF YOU GIMME A SECOND, UH, LORI, WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO SETTING ASIDE FUNDS FOR NEW HOUSING UNITS OR THE OTHER GAP FINANCING, I KNOW WE'RE DRIVEN A LOT BY OUR TARGET OF HOW MANY NEW UNITS WE WANNA HAVE.
I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE DON'T HAVE A BASELINE FOR HOW MANY, UH, UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING WE WANT TO PRESERVE THAT ARE ALREADY OUT THERE.
AND IT, I, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A HUGE GAP IN OUR KNOWLEDGE IN HOW WE PLAN, HOW WE SPEND THIS AFFORDABLE, UH, HOUSING FUNDING.
SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW, DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO ADDRESS THAT GAP? THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, GO AHEAD AND ANSWER IT AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON.
IT WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE SHIP.
HOUSING PRESERVATION IS A PRIORITY.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE 7.4 MILLION IN GAP FINANCING.
WHEN, UM, CITY MANAGER WALSH PRESENTED HIS BUDGET LAST WEEK, HE NOTED THERE'S $2 MILLION IN TOURS, THE INNER CITY TOURS AND THE MIDTOWN TOURS.
AND WE WOULD PUSH THAT TOWARDS GAP FINANCING FOR A TOTAL OF 9.4.
AND WHEN WE ISSUE THE SOLICITATION FOR THOSE PROJECTS, WE WERE GONNA PRIORITIZE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRESERVATION.
SO THOSE MULTI-FAMILY PROJECTS THAT ARE ABOUT TO COME TO THE END ON THEIR OWN FINANCING, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THAT WE HAVE FUNDING TO HELP THEM EXTEND THE LIFE OF THOSE PROJECTS AND MAKE THEM AFFORDABLE.
COUNCIL MEMBER SANDOVAL, GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBER
[02:50:01]
ROCHE GARCIA.AND I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP A CONSIDERATION FOR AN IDEA THAT IS OUT OF THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND IT'S THE REUSE INNOVATION CENTER.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT, BUT MANNY BROUGHT SOMETHING UP EARLIER, AND I KNOW COUNCILMAN CASTILLO BROUGHT SOMETHING UP, UM, AS WELL.
SO, IN THE PAST DECADE, THE DEMOLITION OF HOMES IN SAN ANTONIO HAS CREATED OVER 169,000 TONS OF WASTE THAT EQUATES TO APPROXIMATELY $1.5 MILLION WORTH OF SALVAGEABLE MATERIALS SENT TO LANDFILLS.
ANNUALLY, THESE MATERIALS COULD BE RECLAIMED AND REINTRODUCED INTO OUR LOCAL RETAIL MARKETS.
HOWEVER, COMPARED TO OTHER LARGE CITY, SAN ANTONIO LACKS A ROBUST SALVAGE INFRASTRUCTURE DESPITE A HIGH LOCAL DEMAND FOR RECLAIMED MATERIALS, LIMITING WIDESPREAD ACCESS.
THIS PROLONGS OUR COLLECTIVE DEPENDENCY ON LOW QUALITY NON-LOCAL REPLACEMENT MATERIALS, WHICH CREATE A CLIMATE INEQUITY ISSUE.
SO, UM, THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION HAS THIS PROGRAM.
UH, IT'S THE, THE SOLUTION IS TO CREATE A REUSE INNOVATION CENTER TO PROVIDE NOT ONLY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATIVE STARTUP ASSISTANCE, BUT A COMMUNITY EDUCATION WORKSPACE TO EXPAND LOCAL AND REGIONAL MARKET FOR RECLAIMED, REPURPOSED UPCYCLED AND RESCUED MATERIAL ALL WITHIN A CENTRALIZED HUB, WHICH BY THE WAY, WILL ALSO BE A LEARNING LAB FOR CONTRACTOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE TRADES ACADEMY.
UH, COULD BE A WORKSHOP SPACE FOR U T S A AND SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS TO LEARN HOW TO DESIGN AND BUILD WITH RECLAIMED MATERIALS IN A SMALL BUSINESS ACCELERATED ACCELERATOR FOCUSED ON TRANSFORMING RECLAIM MATERIALS INTO NEW USES.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MY COLLEAGUES ARE AWARE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE THAT THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION HAS BEEN WORKING ON THAT MIGHT HELP SOLVE SOME OF OUR PROBLEMS. WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE POTENTIAL, UM, TO DO THIS.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS.
WE'VE HAD ONGOING DECONSTRUCTION POLICY INITIATIVES.
WE HAVE THE CLIMATE ACTION ADAPTATION PLAN.
WE HAVE OCCUPANTS OF LEGACY NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH I'VE HEARD ADDRESSED TODAY ARE DEMANDING DECONSTRUCTION OVER DEMOLITION, AND WE NEED MORE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO REUSED MATERIALS AND GREATER INVESTMENT IN OUR HISTORIC HOUSING STOCK.
SO I THINK IT'S SIMPLE AND READY IN THAT WE SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROJA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER ELAS.
UM, FOLKS O OVER, UH, THE PAST MONTH, I'VE, UH, I'M, I'M GONNA GET PERSONAL WITH YOU.
I, I'VE BEEN SUBJECT, UH, TO SOME, SOME REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE MEDICAL PROCEDURES.
AND THE RESULT IS A DIAGNOSIS OF, UH, OF A CHRONIC IMMUNE SYSTEM DISORDER THAT I'VE GOT.
UM, I'VE MADE, UH, THE DIFFICULT CHOICE OF HAVING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME I SPEND AT A AND B SESSION, UM, THESE MEETINGS BECAUSE THEY ATTRACT CROWDS OF POSSIBLY UNVACCINATED PEOPLE.
UM, THERE'S OTHER MEETINGS IN MUCH SMALLER GROUPS WITH THAT, THAT I THINK I, I CAN ATTEND SAFELY.
UH, I'M, I'M NOT ATTENDING IN PERSON WITH YOU AT THESE MEETINGS BECAUSE OF THE DANGERS, UM, OF AN ELEVATED RISK OF ME CONTRACTING COVID.
UM, AND SO I'VE HAD TO MAKE A REALLY SERIOUS ADJUSTMENT TO MY LIFESTYLE BECAUSE OF, OF, UH, THIS DIAGNOSIS.
I THINK EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE OKAY.
I KNOW IT WAS JUST A JOKE, UH, AND IT WAS JUST A CRACK AT ME JOINING REMOTELY.
AND I, AND NO OFFENSE HERE, I'VE GOT REAL THICK SKIN AND I CAN HANDLE ALL THE RIBBING THAT COMES MY WAY, BUT THE JOKE DID RAISE THE ISSUE OF MY PHYSICAL ABSENCE AND IT, AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S THE RIGHT TIME, UH, TO TELL YOU ALL THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, UH, COMING BACK TO THESE LARGER MEETINGS ONCE I GET MY ARMS AROUND, UM, HOW TO BE LESS AT RISK AT CONTRACTING COVID.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT MY ABSENCE HAS FORTE STAFF, UH, TO ADJUST, UM, TO MY NEED TO JOIN REMOTELY.
AND I, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY BEING PATIENT WITH ME.
UM, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
UH, I DID WANNA CHIME IN THOUGH ABOUT THE T R L A RIGHT TO COUNSEL PROGRAM.
UM, I, I'M INTERESTED IN OBVIOUSLY FUNDING IT AND ALWAYS SEEING MORE AND MORE MONEY POURED INTO IT, BUT WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS RESULTS, RIGHT? SO IF WE'RE GETTING FOLKS, UH, ACCESS TO LAWYERS AND COMPETENT LEGAL ADVICE, I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW MANY FOLKS ARE SAVED FROM EVICTION OR HOW MANY FOLKS GET TO STAY LONGER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE LAWYER WAS ABLE TO IDENTIFY FAULTY, UH, OR DEFECTIVE PAPERWORK, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, VETO, ANDY, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TALKED ABOUT? AND, UM, IF NOT, CAN, CAN WE PUT SOME METRICS TO THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MEASURING SUCCESS? YES, SIR.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN UPDATE TO THE PLANNING AND COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, UH, ABOUT THAT.
AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THE METRICS ARE SHARED.
THAT'S, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, MAYOR.
[02:55:01]
I APPRECIATE THAT.AND, UM, ONE OF THE REASONS I'M NOT THERE TODAY IS BECAUSE I WAS VERY SICK THIS MORNING.
I'M FEELING A LOT BETTER TODAY, AND I ALMOST MADE THE DECISION TO COME DOWN TO B SESSION, BUT, UH, I SAID, NO, I'M NOT GOING TO CHANCE IT.
SO ANYWAY, UH, UH, I'M FEELING MUCH BETTER.
UM, I DID WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT, I'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT OF DISCUSSION AND COMMENTS ABOUT THE UPCOMING BOND.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH A BUDGET RIGHT NOW, UH, AND WE GOT A LOT ON OUR HANDS RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY, WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR, FOR A LONG TIME IS THAT WE DO HAVE A HUGE DEBT ON OUR HANDS OF OVER $3 BILLION OF INFRASTRUCTURE BILLS THAT ARE RIGHT OUT THERE TODAY.
AND I, I, I HEAR, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA BUILD ALL KIND OF HOUSING, WE'RE GONNA FIX ALL THIS HOUSING AND THAT KIND OF THING.
WELL, AGAIN, WE GOT A BIG PRICE TAG OUT THERE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY SOMETIME.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S NEVER GONNA GET SMALLER.
IT'S ONLY GONNA GET LARGER IF WE DON'T PAY MORE ATTENTION AND WORK REALLY HARD TO, UH, PAY DOWN THAT DEBT.
SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT THAT LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES OF BUILT INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHT NOW THAT THE CITY OWNS AND THE TAXPAYERS OUT THERE EXPECT A RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT ON GOOD ROADS, DRAINAGE, PARKS, LIBRARIES, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
POLICE STATIONS, FIRE STATIONS, ALL THAT STUFF.
AND AGAIN, A $3 BILLION PRICE TAG OUT THERE THAT WE CANNOT FORGET ABOUT.
SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY, AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO BEING BACK WITH EVERYBODY IN PERSON TOMORROW.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ.
UM, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS.
UH, ONE IS ABOUT THE SHEET THAT WE GOT THAT HAD THE LIST OF DELEGATE AGENCIES.
UM, I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE ONLY TWO THAT APPLIED, UM, THAT PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED FUNDING THAT WILL NOT BE THIS GO AROUND, AND IT WAS ELLA AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER AND SAN ANTONIO YOUTH LITERACY.
UM, ARE YOU ABLE TO GO INTO SPECIFICS AS TO WHY THEY DID NOT GET APPROVED IN BOTH CASES? UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A EVALUATION PANEL SET UP.
THE APPLICATIONS ARE SCORED, AND IN BOTH CASES THEY, THEY SCORED VERY LOW, UM, ON THE APPLICATION.
AND THEN, UM, WITH ELLA AUSTIN, THEIR FINANCIAL CONCERNS AS WELL ON THAT, THAT IMPACTED THEIR SCORE.
AND WITH, UH, SAN ANTONIO YOUTH LITERACY, UM, REALLY UNABLE TO SHOW RESULTS WAS REALLY THE BIG ISSUE.
BUT I CAN, I THINK WE HAVE ME, I HAVE MEETINGS SET UP WITH ALL OF YOU, YOU TO GO OVER DELEGATE AGENCIES AND I CAN BRING YOU MORE INFORMATION AT THAT TIME.
I DEFINITELY WANNA HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
AND, AND I WOULD SAY THERE IS, UM, QUITE A BIT OF CAPITAL DOLLARS THAT ARE SET ASIDE FOR ELLA AUSTIN IN THIS BUDGET.
AND SO, UM, WE FEEL LIKE WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET A, A GOOD HANDLE ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE, UM, IMPACTING, ESPECIALLY THEIR EARLY HEAD START PROGRAM AND, AND BRING THEM INTO COMPLIANCE THERE.
UM, I ALSO DID WANT TO, AT SOME POINT, I WOULD LIKE US AS A CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WHEN, UM, WE'RE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS VIRTUALLY, BECAUSE AT, AT SOME POINT IT'S A VIOLATION.
IT'S, UH, GOING TO BE CONSIDERED AGAIN, A VIOLATION OF THE OPEN, UH, MEETINGS ACT.
AND I WANT TO THANK COUNCILMAN PERRY AND COUNCILMAN PLY FOR STAYING HOME, NOT ONLY TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, BUT THEY'RE ALSO DOING THEIR PART TO PROTECT US.
UM, AND SO I THINK JUST A COUPLE DAYS AGO I HAD A, I HAD A MEETING THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT 10:00 AM AND AT NINE 15, WE WERE TOLD THAT, UM, THE PERSON WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HAVING THE MEETING HAD COVID EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE VACCINATED.
AND SO THERE'S STILL A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY OF US COMING HERE AND GIVING EACH OTHER C O V I D AND WE MEET HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE A WEEK, HUNDREDS, IF NOT SOMETIMES THOUSANDS, AND WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BE SPREADING THE VIRUS.
SO AT SOME POINT, I WOULD LIKE US TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
I, IF I MAY, MAYOR, JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, COUNCILMAN, UM, EVEN PRE C O V I, THERE WERE UNDER THE, THE, UH, OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THERE IS SOME ALLOWANCE TO HAVE SOME MEMBERS OF COUNCIL PARTICIPATE REMOTELY.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT, BUT NOT, CERTAINLY NOT A QUORUM THOUGH.
HOW MANY, UM, YOU CAN'T HAVE A QUORUM.
SO AS WE'RE SEEING RISES IN CASES, I WANT US TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER BRAVO.
[03:00:01]
THANK YOU.AND, UH, TO MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ON THE NORTH SIDE, I WASN'T LOOKING TO PRY INTO YOUR PERSONAL LIVES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND I KNOW MANNY, WHAT, SO BOTH OF YOU, I, I, UH, HOPE FOR RECOVERIES, HEALTHY RECOVERIES.
UM, AND MANNY, I KNOW YOU, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU GOT THICK SKIN AND YOU KNEW I WAS JOKING.
UM, BUT I AM GOING FORWARD, GONNA CONTINUE TO TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY.
I'M TO GIVE YOU A HARD TIME WHEN I HAVE A CHANCE.
UH, UM, BUT I DO, AND I DO WANT TO, UH, SAY THAT, UH, I DO HAVE A LOT OF CONCERN FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF THE SPREAD OF COVID.
UM, YOU KNOW, I GAVE GAVE ALL OF MY DISTRICT ONE COUNCIL STAFF A WHILE BACK THE OPTION OF WORKING REMOTELY.
AND, UM, WE GOT ACCESS TO SOME COVID RAPID TESTS.
AND I SAID, IF YOU ARE GONNA COME INTO THE OFFICE THAT YOU HAVE TO WEAR A MASK AT ALL TIMES PRIOR TO THE CITY'S MASK MANDATE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BUT IT ALSO GAVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO TEST REGULARLY, UM, IN OUR OFFICE.
BUT I'M, I SHARE YOUR CONCERNS, COUNCILMAN MCKEY RODRIGUEZ AND I, I WOULD WELCOME A CONVERSATION AROUND HOW WE CAN BE SAFER, UM, HERE AND, UH, PROTECT EVERYBODY.
AND WHETHER THAT BE WE ROTATE SO THAT FOUR OF US AT A TIME DON'T COME IN OR DO WHATEVER WE CAN GOING FORWARD, I WELCOME THAT CONVERSATION.
AND ANDY, ERIC, WHY DON'T WE SCHEDULE A MEETING, UH, AN EXEC, UH, NEXT WEEK TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE COUNCIL PROTOCOL WITH RE WITH REGARD TO TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS, ZACH, THAT RELATE TO COVID.
UH, WE CAN TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER THINGS.
UM, AND, UH, FOR THE RECORD, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HAS TO, UH, WONDER ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER PAPA'S SENSE OF HUMOR.
UH, THAT IS EVERYTHING ON OUR AGENDA.
THAT'S THE DURATION OF OUR DISCUSSION TODAY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE, ARE HERE FOR THE 5:00 PM UH, CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
WE'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST ONE SECOND.
UH, BUT THE TIME RIGHT NOW IS 5:11 PM WE'LL CALL OUR, UH, CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION ADJOURNED.
UM, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18TH, 2021, WE DID HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, WHICH WILL, UM, EXCUSE ME, WHICH WILL BE POSTPONED TILL TOMORROW.
SO WE WILL, UH, RESUME OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS THAT WERE POSTED FOR TODAY, UH, AT TOMORROW'S COUNCIL, A SESSION.
SO AGAIN, EVERYBODY WE'RE ADJOURNED FOR OUR WORK SESSION.
IF YOU ARE HERE FOR CITIZENS TO BE HEARD, IF YOU CAN JUST BE PATIENT, I'LL LET FOLKS WHO ARE NOT HERE FOR THAT FILTER OUT, TAKE ABOUT TWO MINUTES, AND THEN WE'LL GET RIGHT INTO, UH, CITIZENS TO BE HEARD.
SO IF COUNCIL CAN JUST REMAIN SEATED, UH, WE'LL, UM, WE WILL, UH, GET ON WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING IN JUST A SECOND.