[00:00:01]
SEE, I SEE.WE HAVE, UM, OUR, THE REST OF OUR QUORUM PRESENT AS WELL.
UM, LEMME JUST MAKE SURE I'VE GOT MY AGENDA, OKAY.
TIME IS 10:04 AM ON THIS 15TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2021.
I'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE, UH, OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU START WITH THE ROLE COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE PRESENT.
UH, WE HAVE ONE ACTION ITEM, OR ACTUALLY TWO ACTION ITEMS, INCLUDING THE MINUTES, UM, ON OUR AGENDA TODAY.
WE'RE GONNA GET RIGHT INTO OUR INTERVIEWS IN JUST A MOMENT.
UM, AND I DO HAVE, UM, SOME ITEMS I JUST WANTED TO UPDATE ON THE ORDER OF THOSE INTERVIEWS.
UH, BUT FIRST LET'S TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER
[Approval of Minutes ]
ONE, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY COUNCIL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 17TH.I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR THOSE MINUTES.
THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 17TH, 2021.
ANY DISCUSSION, CHANGES? CLARIFICATION, HEARING NONE.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[Briefing and Possible Action on ]
NOW INTO THE CONSIDERATION OF OUR APPLICANTS TO THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST BOARD OF TRUSTEES.UH, WE HAVE THE, UH, RESPONSIBILITY TO FILL FOR RECOMMENDATION SIX SEATS, THREE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES, THREE HOUSING EXPERTS.
YOU HAVE THE PACKET OF APPLICATIONS.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED INTO THOSE INTERVIEWS IN JUST A MOMENT.
LET ME MAKE NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT THREE APPLICANTS WITHDREW FROM CONSIDERATION.
THEY ARE PATRICK SHEER, CYNTHIA SPIELMAN, AND BRIAN JARVIS.
ALSO, UM, UH, WE HAVE NOT EVERYONE IS HERE TODAY.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF MEMBERS, OR EXCUSE ME, A COUPLE OF APPLICANTS WHO SUBMITTED, UH, WRITTEN STATEMENTS.
UM, MOLLY COX, PAUL DI, AS WELL AS RONALD RUGGIERO, IF I PRONOUNCE THAT CORRECTLY.
THOSE WRITTEN STATEMENTS ARE PROVIDED IN YOUR PACKET AS WELL FOR THE RECORD.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA GET NOW INTO THE INTERVIEWS OF THE APPLICANTS WHO ARE HERE AND PRESENT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GO MOSTLY IN ORDER, BUT DUE TO SCHEDULING CONFLICTS, I'M GONNA CALL A COUPLE OF OUTTA ORDER.
UH, SO, UH, JUST FOR PROCESS PURPOSES, LEMME JUST PAUSE FOR A MINUTE, UH, SEE IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR PREFERENCES WITH REGARD TO PROCESS BEFORE WE START CALLING OUR APPLICANTS FORWARD.
AND THEY'RE WAITING, UH, IN A DIFFERENT ROOM AND WE'LL CALL 'EM ONE AT A TIME BEFORE WE, WE CONVENE INTO EXEC SESSION TO DISCUSS THE APPLICATIONS AND, UM, DELIBERATE ON A RECOMMENDATION.
ANY QUESTIONS ON PROCESS? I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION, MAYOR.
ARE WE, UM, GONNA GO AROUND AND ASK THEM YEAH.
SO I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO IS JUST GIVE, HAVE EVERYBODY A TWO MINUTE OPENING STATEMENT, AND THEN WE'LL JUST DO ROUND ROBIN, UM, Q AND A, UH, AT YOUR, AT YOUR LEISURE.
SO, UM, I'M GOING TO, UH, ONE PERSON, UH, ONE APPLICANT HAS A, HAS ASKED TO BE PUT TO THE LAST BECAUSE, UH, SHE HAS A MEDICAL APPOINTMENT THAT SHE'S CURRENTLY AT THAT'S MARELLA MARILLO.
SO WE'LL JUST MAKE SURE THAT SHE, UM, IS LAST.
UM, JORDAN GOEY IS ASKED TO BE INTERVIEWED FIRST, UM, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOTHER APPOINTMENT.
UH, AND SO OTHER THAN THAT, EVERYTHING ELSE WILL BE IN ALPHABETIC ORDER.
SO, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START THE INTERVIEWS AND COUNCIL MEMBER PAL, CAN YOU HEAR US OKAY? ALRIGHT, GOOD.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND BRING JORDAN GALLWAY BACK.
MAYOR, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
MR. GALLWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR APPLICATION FOR THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST BOARD.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO BE INTERVIEWING EVERYBODY IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE REQUESTED, UH, ALTERNATES BECAUSE OF, UM, SCHEDULING CONFLICT.
WE'RE GONNA ASK EVERYONE TO GIVE A TWO MINUTE OPENING STATEMENT.
YOU'RE FIRST, UH, AND THEN WE'LL GO AROUND WITH COMMITTEE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE CONVENE INTO EXEC SESSION AND, AND DISCUSS AND DELIBERATE.
SO, UH, WITH THAT YOU HAVE THE FLOOR AND, UH, OPENING STATEMENT.
[00:05:01]
SO I'M GONNA BE QUICK, BUT, UH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.I'M HERE THIS MORNING AS ONE OF SIX COMMUNITY MEMBERS OR COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE APPLICANTS FOR THE HOUSING TRUST.
I APPRECIATE BOTH THE PAST VOTES OF CONFIDENCE FROM THE J T C AND THE AD HOC COMMITTEE TO MOVE MY NOMINATION FORWARD.
UH, I CAN DISTINCTLY RECALL THE FIRST TIME I WAS EXPOSED TO THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS.
I WAS A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC IN A LOWER INCOME PART OF THE REGION AND RESPONDED TO A MEDICAL EMERGENCY WHERE THE CALLER REFUSED NEEDED TRANSPORT AND TREATMENT BECAUSE IT WOULD PREVENT THEM FROM PAYING THEIR NEXT MONTH'S RENT.
SINCE THAT NINE ONE ONE CALL SAN ANTONIO, LIKE MOST OF THE NATION HAS FALLEN DEEPER INTO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS.
AND JUST AS WE CAN'T REST OUR WAY OUTTA HOMELESSNESS, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO BUILD OURSELVES OUT OF AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS.
INCOME INEQUALITY, COUPLED WITH HOUSING COSTS THAT HAVE OUTPACED WAGES FOR DECADES HAS FACILITATED A CRISIS WHERE 95,000 OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE COST BURDENED.
HISTORIC TIMES REQUIRE HISTORIC MEASURES, WHICH IS WHY I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE A, UM, ENGAGED AND PASSIONATE SAN ANTONIO THAT SHOWED UP AT THE COMMUNITY BOND MEETINGS FOR THE HOUSING, AS WELL AS A SHIP DOCUMENT THAT PRIORITIZES THE PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRESERVATION BEING AN IMPORTANT TOOL BECAUSE AS WE KNOW THROUGH THE CITY'S 2019 OF OPPORTUNITY AT RISK STUDY, THAT MOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS THE HOUSING THAT ALREADY EXISTS.
I APPLIED FOR THE HOUSING TRUST BECAUSE I KNOW THAT HOUSING AND HEALTH ARE INTRINSICALLY LINKED, AND THAT THE PRODUCTION AND PRESERVATION OF ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS WILL HELP IMPROVE OUR HEALTH EQUITY ACROSS THE CITY.
AS SOMEONE WITH COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF OPERATING UNDER A PRINCIPLE OF RADICAL INCLUSION AND TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT SEATS AT THE RIGHT TABLE.
AND THAT NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES ARE AN INTEGRAL PART, UH, AND CRITICAL CONSIDERATION IN THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF FUTURE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
THIS HAS BEEN A TENANT TO OUR APPROACH IN THE MAYOR'S REMOVING BARRIERS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE.
A FOUR YEAR APPOINTMENT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I TAKE LIGHTLY.
THIS APPOINTMENT IS NOT JUST A COMMITMENT TO THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, BUT TO THE 95,000 OF OUR NEIGHBORS THAT ARE DESPERATELY SEEKING RELIEF.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO AN EXPANDED OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE.
AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
UH, MR. GOI, UH, FOR YOUR APPLICATION, UH, AND ALSO FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, I'LL START WITH A QUESTION THEN WE'LL GO AROUND.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING ENCOMPASSES SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS.
WHAT, WHAT ARE THOSE THAT YOU CONSIDER MOST IMPORTANT IN MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SAN ANTONIO? AND WHAT WOULD YOU BE, WHAT WOULD BE, UH, YOUR PRIORITY? UH, PURSUING ADDITIONAL LITECH CREDITS, UH, PURSUING, UH, MORE WORK WITH OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS.
WE HAVE SOME GREAT NON-OP, NON-PROFIT PARTNERS IN THE CITY THAT ARE WILLING TO COME TO THE TABLE.
AND, UM, EVEN I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED TO BE FRANK WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE WHEN THEY TOOK OUT SOME OF THE HOMEOWNER, UM, CREDITS THAT WERE IN THERE.
THEY REDUCED THE FUNDING FOR THAT BECAUSE WE ALSO KNOW THAT, UH, PROVIDING, UH, FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS ASSISTANCE AND OTHER THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES WILL HELP BUILD GENERATIONAL WEALTH.
SO I THINK REALLY IT'S ABOUT WORKING WITH ACTIVISTS, NON-PROFITS, UH, THE FOR-PROFIT SECTOR TO ADDRESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS AS A WHOLE.
UM, I'LL OPEN UP TO THE COMMITTEE NOW.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU MR. GALLEY FOR YOUR APPLICATION.
ALSO ON THE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE.
YOU'VE HAD REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS.
UM, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ADDRESS THE INCREASE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO, UH, TIER ONE IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION THAT IS VERY HELPFUL.
UM, THE HISTORIC WEST SIDE ALSO HAS SOME VERY WELL PLUGGED IN, UH, PEOPLE THAT WOULD HELP US GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THE NEEDS ARE IN THE COMMUNITY AND HOW WE CAN DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT, UM, DOES NOT NEGATIVELY OR ADVERSELY IMPACT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
BECAUSE IT DOES NEED TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE BUY-IN ACROSS THE REGION.
UH, SA SPEAK UP THROUGH G UM, G P A IS ANOTHER TOOL THAT I WOULD WANNA LEVERAGE BECAUSE, UM, THEY'RE VERY WELL EMBEDDED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN VERY IMPORTANTLY WOULD BE VERO AND HER TEAM AT N H S D WITH THEIR COMMUNITY REGISTRY, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD REGISTRY, UTILIZING THEM AND THEIR LISTS TO ENGAGE OUR, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ENGAGE RESIDENTS LIKE THE ONES THAT I I REPRESENT WHO DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO SA SPEAKUP WHO DON'T HAVE REPRESENTATIVES ON THE TIER ONE, UM, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION? YOU GO TO THEM, UH, HOW DO WE DO THAT TO, I THINK YOU GO TO THEM.
UH, WE CAN'T JUST EXPECT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DIGITAL DIVIDE THAT'S AFFECTING ONE IN FOUR SAN ANTONIANS, THAT THEY'RE GONNA COME TO US IN A DIGITAL PLATFORM.
SO WE HAVE TO GO TO THEM, MEET THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT, AND ASK THEM THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ASKED ABOUT, UH, WHERE THE NEED IS AND HOW WE CAN GET THAT, THAT NEED ADDRESSED WITHIN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAB H.
AS THE CHAIR OF THE TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, I FEEL REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT CONNECTING HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION TO ENSURE THAT SAN ANTONIO CAN LIVE AND WORK ANYWHERE IN THE CITY.
HOW DO YOU SEE TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING RELATING TO ONE ANOTHER? UH, AGAIN, IT'S INTRINSICALLY LINKED, LIKE HOU HOUSING AND HEALTH.
UH, AT LEAST IT SHOULD BE PUTTING TRANSPORT, PUTTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALONG EXISTING TRANSPORTATION ROUTES OR ENSURING THAT TRANSPORTATION ROUTES ARE BUILT ALONG WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING WILL BE CRITICAL TO MAKING THIS SUCCESSFUL.
WE SEE A LOT OF OUR, OUR LOWER INCOME SANTON THAT ARE WORKING ON THE FAR NORTH
[00:10:01]
SIDE AND THEN HAVING TO TAKE TRANSPORTATION BACK TO OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY.SO, UH, A MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, WHICH I KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON AT, AT, AT BREAKNECK SPEED, IS GONNA BE CRITICAL TO HAVE ALONG THE ROUTES OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEO, HARVARD COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, I NOTICED THAT YOU'VE SERVED ON THE TASK FORCE FOR REMOVING BARRIERS.
COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT SOME OF THOSE BARRIERS ARE THAT YOU THINK, OR YOU IN THE COMMITTEE FEEL, UH, NEED TO BE REMOVED OR ADDRESSED? SO THE ONE THAT I'M REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT WOULD BE OUR ADU, OUR ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.
UH, IF WE CAN FIND A WAY, IF WE CAN FIND ADDITIONAL WAYS TO REMOVE THE BARRIERS TO BUILDING ADUS IN BACKYARDS LIKE GRANNY FLATS, UM, IT, IT SERVES IN A MULTIFACETED WAY.
ONE, WE'RE HELPING BUILD SOME WEALTH FOR THE HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE BUILDING THESE AD, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE CAN HAVE ADUS AT BE BELOW MARKET RATES IN MORE DESIRABLE PARTS OF, OF THE CITY WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY WORKING.
SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, REMOVE BARRIERS AND BUILD ADUS, AND ESPECIALLY IF WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT WITH LIKE DECONSTRUCTED MATERIALS, WHICH I KNOW THE, THE BODY IS LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW WITH SOME OF THE DECONSTRUCTION ORDINANCES, WE CAN TAKE HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED OR DECONSTRUCTED WITHIN THESE REGIONS, USE THAT MATERIAL TO THEN BUILD ADUS AND WE'RE HELPING, UH, ADDRESS SOME OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS THERE.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT WAYS TO REDUCE, UH, TAXES AND OTHER, UH, FEES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, OR AT LEAST THE CONSTRUCTION OF IT.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE FINALIZING THOSE AND WE'RE ALREADY PUSHING THAT TO THE HOUSING COMMISSIONS, UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT GROUP TO HELP US GET ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC.
HAD YOU MADE SOME TIME TO GO AND WATCH ANY OF THE, UH, PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BOND $150 MILLION BOND ISSUE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT? YES, SIR.
I WAS AT EVERY MEETING, BUT ONE WHEN I WAS OUT OF TOWN.
UH, ARE THERE ANY OBSERVATIONS FROM THAT THAT YOU THINK ARE RELEVANT TO BEING ON THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST BOARD? YEAH, WE SEE A, A, A VERY ENGAGED GROUP OF SAN ANTONIO THAT IS COMING OUT AND SAYING THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE MOST VULNERABLE PARTS OF, UH, THE 95,000.
WE SAW THAT AS A, AS A CALLING OUT FROM, UH, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THOSE THAT CAME TO SPEAK.
AND I DO SUPPORT THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SHIP, IT'S THE LARGEST SUBSET OF PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS THE 30% A M I.
BUT I ALSO REALIZE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADDRESS OTHER LEVELS OF A M I, BECAUSE JUST LIKE STREETS, UH, A B STREET, IF NOT ADDRESSED AFTER YEARS, WILL QUICKLY BECOME AN F STREET.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL LEVELS OF A M I AND HOW WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THOSE COMPREHENSIVELY.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE COMMITTEE? SIRI, THANKS SO MUCH FOR STEPPING FORWARD WITH YOUR APPLICATION.
UM, I KNOW YOU HAVE A TIGHT SCHEDULE, BUT WE ARE GONNA DELIBERATE AN EXEC BEFORE WE COME OUT WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION.
IN ORDER, UM, OF OUR NEXT APPLICANT, UM, THEN BE, UH, I THINK ERIC COOPER IS, I'M SORRY, UM, ANTOINETTE RUM FIELD IS NEXT.
OH, I'M SORRY, I MISSED, SORRY.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SEE THE A'S RICH ACOSTA IS NEXT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR APPLICATION, UH, TO THE HOUSING TRUST BOARD.
UH, THE COMMITTEE IS INTERVIEWING APPLICANTS GENERALLY BY ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
SO, UH, YOU ARE OUR SECOND APPLICANT.
WE'RE GIVING EVERYBODY TWO MINUTES FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT, THEN WE GO INTO COMMITTEE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO AND DELIBERATE, UH, AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, SO WITH THAT, UH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, UH, YOU'LL GO, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
UM, I WANT TO THANK THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, UH, JOINT TRANSITION COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERING ME FOR THIS POSITION.
UM, IN MY LAST DAYS IN THE AIR FORCE, I WAS THE BUDGETARY CONSULTANT FOR ONE OF THE LARGEST MILITARY CONSTRUCTION SQUADRONS IN THE WORLD.
I BUILT AND MANAGED CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN THE US AND OVERSEAS.
I'M NOW A LICENSED GENERAL CONTRACTOR, LICENSED REAL ESTATE AGENT, AND A VICE PRESIDENT OF A COMPANY THAT SELLS CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL AND RENTAL EQUIPMENT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS THE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT I WILL BRING TO THE TABLE UNDER MY COMMUNITY HAT, UH, WHERE I HAVE WORKED WITH REAL ESTATE AGENT VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OVER A THOUSAND HOMEOWNERS THUS FAR, PROTESTING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, LOWERING OVER $14 MILLION IN, UH, INFLATED VALUES ACROSS SAN ANTONIO AND SERVING OVER 500 LOW INCOME RENTERS AND FINDING HOUSING.
I'M ALSO HERE BECAUSE I HAVE FAILED TO HOUSE 147 RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO AND HAD TO DIRECT SENIORS, VETERANS, AND FAMILIES TO HOMELESS SERVICES.
[00:15:01]
TWO SOULS IN THE PROCESS.ONE PASSED AWAY BEFORE WE COULD FIND THEM HOUSING ANOTHER SOUL HAS PASSED AWAY.
EVEN THOUGH OUR PARTNERS FOUND THEM HOUSING, THEY PASSED AWAY ON THE FLOOR BECAUSE WE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET 'EM FURNITURE YET.
THEY WERE ALONE AND FORCED TO THE STREETS FROM A CLOSURE OF AN UNHEALTHY GROUP HOME AND THEY HAD BAD HEALTH AND WAS BLIND IF SELECTED, I WILL SEEK TO SERVE THE LOWEST AFFORDABILITY LEVELS POSSIBLE, AND I'LL ALSO SEEK TO PROMOTE THE USE OF SMALL BUSINESSES AS THEY EMPLOY OVER 90% OF SAN ANTONIO'S WORKFORCE, ENSURING OUR TAX DOLLARS NOT ONLY HELP TO HOUSE THOSE IN NEED, BUT ALSO IS REINVESTED INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. COSTA.
UH, LET ME START WITH A QUESTION.
UM, HOW CAN SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST IMPROVE COORDINATION WITH OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS AND FOR-PROFIT PARTNERS, UH, TO INCREASE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY? WELL, SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST WITH THE WORK WITH SAN ANTONIO SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO ALL OF THE NON-PROFITS, UH, CONTACT INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING AND, UH, TRANSPORTATION, UH, FOOD AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO TARGETED CAMPAIGNS TO SELECTED SECTORS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WORK OF SACRED, UM, HAS ALREADY MANAGED THAT, UM, UH, DIRECTORY AS WELL.
SO YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY, UH, SIMPLE TO REACH OUT TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
WHAT APPROACHES DO YOU THINK, UH, THE TRUST COULD TAKE TO INCREASE INVESTMENT, UH, IN, IN HOUSING REHABILITATION, UH, TO PRESERVE HOUSING STOCK TO INCREASE INVESTMENT? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I HOPE TO SEE IS JUST THE USE, MORE USE OF THE, UH, THE LAND TRUST, UH, MEASURES OF BEING ABLE TO, UM, PURCHASE LAND AND DEVELOP IT IN A WAY THAT WILL, UH, INCREASE, UM, SAVINGS FROM PROPERTY TAXES AND HELPING LIKE SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERS IF WE CAN GET INTO COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT AS WELL TO HELP HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS BE ABLE TO, UM, AFFORD THEIR LIVING SPACES AS PROPERTY TAXES CONTINUE TO INCREASE.
UM, WE'LL GO AROUND TO COMMITTEE NOW.
SO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU MR. COSTA FOR YOUR APPLICATION AND THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING WILLING TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, IN YOUR OPINION, UM, CAN, CAN BETTER UTILIZE TO ADVANCE, UM, WHAT, WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AS A DECADE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WHAT CONTRIBUTIONS DO YOU THINK THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST CAN MAKE TO ADVANCE, UM, A A DECADE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD? SO IF, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE MEETING, UM, TRYING TO GET HELP WITH LOW INCOME, UH, RENTERS, I MEAN, SPECIFICALLY, UH, I WOULD REALLY WANT TO TARGET, AND I HOPE, AND I'VE SEEN THEM DO IT WITH SET ASIDES OF GOING TO 30% A M I AND BELOW.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE DEFINITELY NEED THE HOUSING, UM, PROCESS.
I WOULD REALLY HOPE TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY TO WORK OUT INCOME-BASED HOUSING, UH, SPECIFICALLY INTO SET ASIDE UNITS, IF THAT WAS GOING TO BE OUR FULL ON INCOME-BASED HOUSING, UH, ABILITIES, IF, IF THE FUNDING HAPPENS.
BUT ALSO IN ANY DEVELOPMENT THAT'S EVER DONE, THERE NEEDS TO BE A TARGETED RESPONSE TO THE HOMEOWNERS IN THAT AREA TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, THEIR SENIOR FREEZE, AND SO ON.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING.
'CAUSE NO MATTER WHERE YOU PUT A DEVELOPMENT, IT'S GOING TO INCREASE THE VALUES INDIRECTLY OF THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU.
AND SO WE HAVE TO FIRST TAKE CARE OF OUR HOMEOWNERS AND THE, OUR POPULATION SO THAT THEY CAN ENJOY ANY OF THE AMENITIES THAT IS DEVELOPED IN THE AREA.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA.
UM, HOW DO YOU ENVISION HELPING, HELPING TO CREATE AFFORDABLE AND ATTAINABLE HOUSING IN SAN ANTONIO? UH, BY LEVERAGING THE, UH, THE LAND TRUST, THE AVAIL AVAILABILITY OF SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, PURCHASE THE LAND AND HELPS, UH, WORKS WITH DEVELOPERS TO, TO WORK ON THE LAND SO THAT WAY IT CAN SAVE MONEY ON THE PROPERTY TAXES AND EVERYTHING GOING FORWARD FOR THE 15 TO 30 YEARS, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THE CONTRACT LASTS.
AND, UM, HOW DO YOU SEE TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING RELATING TO ONE ANOTHER? AS LONG AS WE CAN DEVELOP AN AREAS THAT'S GOING TO BE, UH, ALLOWING VIA TRENDS AND EVERYTHING INTO THE AREA, THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
MANY OF, UH, MY CLIENTS IN THE NONPROFIT WORLD, YOU KNOW, TAKE BUS.
AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYTHING THAT WE DO WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR ANY, ANY MULTIPLEX, YOU KNOW, HOUSING IN GENERAL JUST NEEDS TO HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, THE BUS TRANSIENT SYSTEM.
UH, IN YOUR, UH, BRIEF STATEMENT, YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE AREA OF DEVELOPING,
[00:20:01]
UH, AND, UM, I GUESS, UH, WORKING WITH, UH, CONTRACTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AND THAT'S KIND OF, UH, THE BUSINESS OF PROFESSIONAL SIDE OF, OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE.UH, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY SIDE OF THINGS? WHAT HAVE YOU INITIATED? WHAT HAVE YOU PROMOTED? WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON, UH, TO HELP PEOPLE RELATED TO HOUSING? SO RIGHT NOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED HIGH OPPORTUNITY NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY ARE, UH, AN INVESTMENT COMPANY THAT PURCHASES RESIDENTIAL HOUSING IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND SO THEY'VE WORKED WITH OUR NONPROFIT TO, UM, HOUSE ONLY VOUCHER HOLDERS INTO THOSE, UH, UNITS.
AND ALL OF THESE PROPERTIES ARE IN DISTRICT EIGHT, DISTRICT NINE, DISTRICT 10 AREAS, THE NORTH SIDE, UH, MAINLY, UH, LOOKING AT HIGH OPPORTUNITY AREAS AND, AND INCREASING THOSE THINGS.
SO THAT IS, UH, WE'VE DONE OVER, WELL, THEY HAVE DONE OVER 30 HOMES AND LOOKING TO DO ANOTHER A HUNDRED HOMES.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY THE PUSH IS TO SHOW THAT SECTION EIGHT IS NOT A SCARY THING.
SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER HOLDERS ARE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THEM OUT THERE.
AND, UM, THEY'RE, THEY, THEY'RE LOOKED AT AS A BLIGHT ON, ON THE ECONOMY, AND IT'S, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
AND, UH, UH, WORKING WITH, UH, AN ORGANIZATION LIKE, UH, LIKE THE INVESTMENT COMPANY IS TO, IS, IS A GREAT WAY TO SHOW WHAT, UM, IS POSSIBLE.
I THINK YOU INVOLVED IN OTHER WAYS WITH RENTERS.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE INVOLVEMENTS? WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO RENTERS, WHAT WE DO IN THE ORGANIZATION IS THAT WE GET, UH, REAL ESTATE AGENTS ONLY.
SO THE NONPROFIT ONLY WORKS WITH LICENSED REAL ESTATE AGENTS ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCESS AS REAL ESTATE AGENTS TO SOFTWARE THAT THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, UH, IT JUST TAKES A PUSH OF A BUTTON TO LOOK FOR PRO APARTMENTS THAT ACCEPT PAST EVICTIONS.
UH, SECTION EIGHT FELONS, MISDEMEANORS, EVERYBODY NEEDS A HOME, BUT YET REAL ESTATE AGENTS ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT REALLY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT FILTERING ABILITY TO FIND HOUSING.
SO ALL OF OUR AGENTS, WHAT WE DO IS WE HAVE, UH, AS THEY, AS CLIENTS GO INTO OUR WEBSITE AND ASK FOR HELP FOR HOUSING, UH, A REAL ESTATE AGENT WILL MONITOR THAT LIST AND SHOOT THEM, UH, HOUSES AND APARTMENTS AND EVERYTHING THAT MEETS THEIR CRITERIA.
OH, ONE OTHER QUESTION IF I MAY.
UH, HAVE YOU ATTENDED ANY OF THE BOND COMMITTEE HEARINGS, UH, ON HOUSING, AND WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS? I WAS ON THE BOND COMMITTEE AND, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MCIR FOR THAT APPOINTMENT.
AND YEAH, I MEAN, UH, I'M VERY HAPPY WITH, UH, WHAT RESULTED AT THE BOND COMMITTEE HEARING.
UM, UH, THE STAFF REALLY WORKED HARD TO, TO, TO GET A CONSENSUS AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING THAT WE WANTED, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WITH THE, WITH CITY STAFF AND WITH THE COMMUNITY, WORKED TOGETHER WITH A, A GREAT PRODUCT, UH, FOCUSING MOST OF THE FUNDS TO THE LOWEST, UH, AVAIL, UH, LOWEST, UM, UH, AFFORDABILITY.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE NEEDS NEEDS TO BE.
I MEAN, JUST LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS, IT WAS LIKE 90, UH, OVER 90,000 HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE OVER, UH, OR PAYING MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME TOWARDS HOUSING, AND 44,000 OF THOSE HOUSEHOLDS WERE RENTERS AND, UH, AND HOMEOWNERS THAT MADE LESS THAN 30% A M I.
AND SO THAT WAS MY FOCUS WHEN I WAS ON THE, ON THE COMMITTEES TO PUSH FOR FUNDING TOWARDS THOSE DIRECTIONS.
MR. KOSA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR APPLICATION, BEING WILLING TO STEP UP TO SERVE.
UM, THE NEXT APPLICANT, UH, IN ORDER OF INTERVIEW, UH, WILL BE ANTOINETTE BRUMFIELD IN THE HOUSING EXPERT CATEGORY.
ANTOINETTE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY, UH, ERIC COOPER.
UM, WE ARE TAKING APPLICANTS IN OR IN ALPHABETIC ORDER GENERALLY, UH, AND WE ARE PROVIDING EVERYBODY TWO MINUTES FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT.
THEN WE GO AROUND WITH QUESTIONS.
UH, COUNSEL WILL DELIBERATE IN EXEC, UH, TO COME UP WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS FOR US, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
MY NAME IS ANTOINETTE BRUMFIELD.
I AM THE AREA MANAGER OF PLANET HOME LENDING.
UM, I LIKE TO TELL EVERYONE I HAVE THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD.
I GET TO GIVE AWAY MONEY FOR A LIVING
UM, LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF, THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING, UM, THEY BUILT THE BLUE RIDGE PROJECT.
[00:25:01]
I AM THE ONE WHO BEHIND THE SCENES WROTE THE PROGRAM FOR THAT DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.WHY? BECAUSE I CAN SEE THE GAP OF WHAT YOU GUYS ARE BUILDING AND WHAT THE HOMEOWNERS CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD.
SO WHEN THAT PROJECT WAS COMING ALONG, BELL AND LORI CALLED ME AND THEY'RE LIKE, TONY, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS PROJECT WORK? AND I DID ALL THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE SCENES, HELPED THEM COME UP WITH THE PRICING OF THE HOUSING AND WHAT EACH HOMEOWNER NEEDED TO QUALIFY FOR THOSE HOUSES.
I'M ALSO KNOWN IN SAN ANTONIO AS THE D P A LADY
I KNOW WHAT PEOPLE REALLY NEED, HOW MUCH THEY HAVE TO MAKE TO GET IN A HOME.
AND THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF.
I LOVE WHAT I DO, SORRY, A LITTLE NERVOUS
AND I'M THE VICE PRESIDENT OF WOMEN'S COUNCIL, AND OUR GOAL IS TO GET PEOPLE HOME.
SO THAT'S WHAT I DO BEHIND THE SCENES IN SAN ANTONIO FOR THE HOMEOWNERS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. BRUMFIELD.
UM, AND MY QUESTION IS, UM, HOW CAN THE HOUSING WITH BOTH OUR NON-PROFIT AND OUR FOR-PROFIT PARTNERS TO INCREASE, UH, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN OUR COMMUNITY? I THINK COMMUNICATION'S KEY.
UM, IF EVERYBODY IS ON THE SAME PAGE AND ACTUALLY CAN SEE THE NUMBERS THAT I CAN SEE, SEE WHAT ACTUALLY PEOPLE ARE MAKING AND WHAT THEY TRULY CAN AFFORD IN TODAY'S WORLD, IT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER.
SO COMMUNICATION WITH THE HOMEOWNERS AND THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS MAKES IT AFFORDABLE.
AND HOW CAN WE, UH, IMPROVE INVESTMENT IN HOUSING STOCK TO STOCK, TO PRESERVE AND REHABILITATE THE EXISTING HOUSING THAT IS HERE? SO I'M GONNA GO BACK TO, UH, BLUE RIDGE.
WHEN THAT PROGRAM WAS BEING BUILT, NOT ONLY DID SAHA REACH OUT TO THE LENDERS, THEY REACHED OUT TO THE HOMEOWNERS AND THEY HAD THE LAND, AND WE HAD TO BRIDGE, BRIDGE THE GAP AND TALK TO EVERYBODY TO MAKE SURE THESE NUMBERS WORK.
SO IT'S BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN REALITY AND WHAT CAN HAPPEN.
UH, WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER R GARCIA.
THANK YOU MR. ENFIELD, FOR YOUR, UM, INTEREST IN THE POSITION.
AND ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THE FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS PROGRAM, UM, SPECIFICALLY THROUGH BLUE RIDGE.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, FOCUSING ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF THE DECADE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I'M JUST WONDERING HOW YOU THINK THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST COULD MAYBE FURTHER THE GOALS OF, UM, A DECADE OF NEIGHBORHOODS? I THINK WE HAVE TO GET THE WORD OUT.
UM, UNTIL I START DOING MY RESEARCH, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU GUYS EXISTED.
AND SO UNTIL EVERYONE KNOWS THAT YOU EXIST, IT DOES NO GOOD.
ONLY THE SMALL FEW GET TO KNOW.
AND THEN JUST TO, UM, FURTHER, UH, ELABORATE ON, ON THAT COMMENT.
THE RESIDENTS THAT I REPRESENT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, A WHOLE LOT OF, UM, TECHNOLOGY, INTERNET CONNECTION, BEING ABLE TO APPLY ONLINE, ET CETERA.
HOW DO YOU, UM, RECOMMEND, RECOMMEND THAT THE HOUSING TRUST MOVE FORWARD AND THEY'RE PLANNING TO REACH THESE HARD TO REACH POPULATIONS? THAT'S WHEN WE GOTTA GET OUR BOOTS ON AND GET IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I'M THE OLD SCHOOL LENDER WHO STILL MEETS EVERYONE IN PERSON, EVEN DURING COVID, YOU'RE GONNA SIT OVER THERE, I'M GONNA SIT OVER HERE AND WE'RE GONNA TALK THIS OUT, AND WE JUST GOTTA GO BACK TO THE OLD WAYS OF DOING IT.
EVERYONE DOES NOT HAVE A COMPUTER.
AND I KNOW THAT IN MY INDUSTRY WHEN I NEED A DOCUMENT AND THEY CAN'T FAX IT TO ME, WE MIGHT HAVE TO GET IN OUR CAR AND DRIVE AND GO GET IT.
SO WE, WE GOTTA DO IT THE OLD SCHOOL WAY AND WE'LL MEET REACH MORE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. BRUFORD.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER DEO.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
HOW DO YOU ENVISION HELPING CREATE AFFORDABLE AND ATTAINING ATTAINABLE HOUSING IN SAN ANTONIO? AGAIN, IT'S EDUCATION.
BLESS, UM, BLESS YOU IN MY SPACE.
I'M THE ONE WHO CAN SAY YES OR NO TO YOUR LOAN, BUT IF I SIT IN FRONT OF YOU AND I EDUCATE YOU AND SHOW YOU THAT THIS IS ATTAINABLE, MAYBE NOT TODAY, BUT TOMORROW WE COME UP WITH A PLAN ON HOW TO GET IT.
AND I CLOSE ABOUT 125 LOANS A YEAR.
75 OF THOSE ARE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, NOT EASY.
HOW DO YOU SEE TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING RELATING TO ONE ANOTHER? WE NEED, I LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE BUSES JUST CAME
WE NEED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO THOSE HOUSES,
SO I THINK THAT IS, THAT IS KEY.
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION? UM, ONE, JUST A BUS.
I LIVE IN THE STONE, OAK AREA.
THEY JUST GOT BUSES THAT RUN UP.
[00:30:01]
A BUS WOULD HELP.I'M FROM THE BAY AREA, UM, CALIFORNIA WHERE WE HAD BART, I NEVER DROVE UNTIL I CAME TO SAN ANTONIO.
WE ALWAYS TOOK PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
UH, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN MORTGAGE LENDING.
AND SO PART OF WHAT THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST HAS DONE IS TO PARTNER WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPERS OR NONPROFIT DEVELOPERS TO TRY AND GO AHEAD AND DEVELOP PROPERTIES, MOSTLY APARTMENTS, BUT WITH SOME HOMES.
UH, AND A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE, UH, FROM THE COMMITTEE THAT'S LOOKING AT THE $150 MILLION, UH, ISSUE THAT MAY COME BEFORE VOTERS WAS THAT THEY WANTED TO FOCUS ON 30% A M I, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, CAN, CAN WE BUILD A LOT OF PROJECTS AT 30% A M I? IS IT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY? UH, OR DO YOU THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A, A BROADER WAY OF, OF DOING IT THAN JUST FOCUSING ON 30% A M I, 30% A M I IS HARD.
THEY HAVE CAR NOTES, THEY HAVE CREDIT CARD BILLS, AND SO THERE'S A SMALL LITTLE WINDOW WHEN YOU BUILD 30% A M I THAT PEOPLE FIT INTO.
YOU DON'T WANNA PUT SOMEONE INTO A HOME AND MAKE 'EM HOUSE POOR, WHERE THEY CAN'T LIVE OUTSIDE, THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
ALL THEY CAN DO IS PAY A MORTGAGE.
SO IF WE CAN BROADEN THAT JUST A LITTLE, WE CAN COUPLE IT WITH WHAT THE CITY GIVES AWAY WITH THEIR D P A PROGRAM.
AND WHAT I USED TO DO IS PAY OFF ALL THEIR BILLS.
SO WHEN THEY WENT INTO THE HOUSE, THEY HAD NO BILLS.
I USED THE CITY'S MONEY, PAY OFF THE BILLS, PAY THE DOWN PAYMENT.
SO NOW THEY, ALL THEY HAVE IS A MORTGAGE PAYMENT, BUT THAT 30% A M I, THERE'S A VERY SMALL WINDOW, AND WE MAKE THEM HOUSE SUPPORT WHEN WE DO THAT.
HAVE YOU BEEN ATTENDING ANY OF THE, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS ABOUT THE $150 MILLION BOND PROJECT? I HAVE NOT BEEN ATTENDING THOSE.
UM, ONE, MY OFFICE IS JUST OPENING UP DUE TO COVID, AND SO MY FOCUS HAS BEEN ON SAN ANTONIO ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE BROKERS.
SO I'VE BEEN DOING D P A CLASSES OUTSIDE OF THAT.
MS. BROMFIELD, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR APPLICATION, BEING WILLING TO STEP UP TO SERVE.
UH, WE HAVE FURTHER DELIBERATIONS, THEN WE'LL COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT, UM, APPLICANT IN ORDER, UH, WILL BE ERIC COOPER, AND THAT IS IN THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE CATEGORY.
ERIC WILL BE FOLLOWED BY MONICA CRUZ.
UM, I DON'T THINK YOU NEED MUCH OF AN INTRODUCTION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR APPLICATION.
UH, WE'RE TAKING EVERYBODY IN RELATIVE ORDER.
UH, UH, ALPHABETICALLY, WE'RE GIVING EVERYBODY TWO MINUTES FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT BEFORE WE GO AROUND WITH QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, WE WILL BE DELIBERATING FOR RECOMMENDATION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT, UH, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE.
UM, I THINK MY LIFE, I'M TRYING TO BE USEFUL, BUT WHEN YOU THINK OF FOOD AND SHELTER, UM, THERE'S NOTHING MORE BASIC.
AND WHEN I THINK OF THE FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE AT THE FOOD BANK, UM, THEY FIT INTO THE ALICE POPULATION.
WHEN YOU THINK OF THE ACRONYM ASSET LIMITED, INCOME CONSTRAINED, BUT EMPLOYED, UM, THAT IS THE PROFILE OF OUR CLIENT.
AND, UM, I THINK THE PANDEMIC IS, HAS SHOWN A LOT OF THE FRACTURES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO MEETING BASIC NEEDS, OFTENTIMES FAMILIES ARE CHOOSING BETWEEN PAYING THEIR RENT OR BUYING FOOD.
AND SO, AS WE THINK OF THIS POST PANDEMIC ENVIRONMENT, I THINK, MAYOR, I'VE HEARD YOU SAY AND POINT OUT THE REALITY OF, YOU KNOW, THE FOOD BANK, WE FED 60,000 PEOPLE A WEEK.
WE WENT TO 120,000 PEOPLE A WEEK.
WHEN YOU THINK POST PANDEMIC TO GO BACK TO FEEDING 60,000 PEOPLE A WEEK IS WRONG.
THAT ISN'T THE DESTINATION WE WANT TO GO BACK TO.
AND SO AT THE FOOD BANK, WE'RE FOCUSING IN, UM, FOUR PILLAR AREAS OF FOOD,
[00:35:01]
HOUSING, EDUCATION, AND EMPLOYMENT.AND HUMBLY, IF, IF, IF IT MAKES SENSE THAT I SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY, WE WOULD LIKE TO DIAL IN MORE OF OUR RESOURCES INTO HOUSING PARTNERS AND, AND, AND STRATEGIC, UM, PARTNERSHIPS THAT CAN MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY TO HELP THEM BUILD ASSETS.
UM, FOR, FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING A HOMEOWNER.
PERSONALLY, IT'S BEEN A PART OF MY WEALTH.
AND TO WANT THAT FOR EVERY RESIDENT OF OUR CITY, WHERE, WHERE YOUR HOME IS A PLACE OF SAFETY, OF COMFORT, OF GATHERING, UM, BUT A PART OF YOUR FINANCIAL JOURNEY.
AND SO, YEAH, JUST WANNA BE HELPFUL.
SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I'LL START WITH QUESTIONS AND, AND THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMES TO SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS AND, AND YOU NOTICED SOME OF THOSE.
WHAT ARE THE ASPECTS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, TO YOU ARE MOST IMPORTANT? AND HOW WOULD YOU BEGIN TO PRIORITIZE TO NARROW THE AFFORDABILITY GAP? SAVE TIME.
YEAH, SO I, I DO THINK THAT DIVERSITY OF GEOGRAPHY IS, IS CRITICAL, RIGHT? SO THERE'S AREAS OF OUR CITY THAT I THINK PEOPLE ASSUME NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THEN THERE'S OTHER AREAS WHERE, UM, MAYBE THE COMMUNITY SUFFERS FROM SOME NIMBY AND, YOU KNOW, NOT IN OUR BACKYARD.
BUT, BUT KNOWING THE DATA, I MEAN, WE, WE SEE POVERTY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND SO I THINK BEING MINDFUL OF, OF THE GEOGRAPHY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, AND THEN JUST, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT SUSTAINABLE, RIGHT? THAT THE NUMBERS HAVE TO WORK IN THE END, AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DIVERSITY OF HOUSING STOCK, THE DIVERSITY OF RENT, UM, THE, THE, THE MIXED INCOMES OF THOSE IN ANY GEOGRAPHICAL AREA TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT CONCENTRATING POVERTY AND CREATING PROJECTS OF OLD, WHERE NOW OTHER ISSUES MIGHT CREEP IN BECAUSE OF, UM, THAT STRATEGY.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER
THANK YOU, UM, ERIC FOR APPLYING.
AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOUR, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UM, AND, AND I WAS, UM, HAPPY TO HEAR YOUR, UH, APPOINTMENT TO THE WORKFORCE, UM, BOARD AS WELL.
AND I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO BRIDGE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SO THAT WE CAN GET FOLKS AHEAD.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE THERE.
MY QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS? I KNOW YOU'RE ALREADY, UM, THE C E O OF THE FOOD BANK, WHICH DOES A LOT, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO, TO LEVERAGE THAT? WELL, I THINK ANY, IT STARTS WITH LISTENING, RIGHT? AND I KNOW YOU GUYS KNOW THAT WELL, IS, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKING THE TIME TO, TO, TO STOP TALKING AND, AND LISTEN.
UM, AND I THINK LEVERAGING THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT, THAT WE KNOW ABOUT AND HAVE, AND THEN SEEKING THOSE, THOSE NEW PARTNERSHIPS.
AND I THINK FOR, FOR ME, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS AN ORGANIZATION, UM, I THINK I'M COVETING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GET BETTER CONNECTED, UM, TO, TO NEW PARTNERS IN THE AREA OF HOUSING WHERE OUR ORGANIZATION CAN BRING RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP COMPLEMENT THE COLLECTIVE STRATEGY.
I THINK OFTENTIMES WE WORK IN THESE SILOS AND, UM, IT'S TIME TO BUILD, YOU KNOW, BRIDGES AND, AND, AND INCREASE CONNECTIVITY.
HOW DO YOU REACH, UM, POPULATIONS LIKE THE ONES THAT I REPRESENT IN DISTRICT FOUR, WHICH ARE HARD TO REACH BECAUSE THEY, OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, UM, HOW DO WE GET TO THEM? YEAH, SO STREET CREDIBILITY, NUMBER ONE, BEING A PLACE AND, AND, AND AN ENTITY THAT CAN BE TRUSTED.
UM, AND THEN YOU'VE GOTTA BE THERE.
YOU GOTTA MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT.
AND SO YOU CAN'T JUST RELY ON, UM, HEY, GO TO OUR WEBSITE OR, UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN CALL CENTERS, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST CALL, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE LANGUAGE MIGHT BE A BARRIER WHERE, UM, FEAR OF AUTHORITY OR, YOU KNOW, JUST ALL OF THOSE, UM, BARRIERS THAT KEEP PEOPLE FROM CONNECTING, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHE GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO.
UM, HOW DO YOU SEE TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING RELATING TO ONE ANOTHER? YEAH, SO CRITICAL, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK FOR ALL RESIDENTS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SINGLE LARGEST EXPENSE, UM, IS GENERALLY HOUSING.
UM, SECOND TO THAT IS USUALLY, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION, IF THEY HAVE IT, UM, UTILITIES, THEN WHAT MONEY'S
[00:40:01]
LEFT OVER IS USUALLY WHAT THEY'RE BUYING FOOD.UM, AND SO THE CRITICAL NEED FOR, UM, STRONG PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK VIA DOES A GREAT JOB, BUT THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE AND TO THINK ABOUT THE LOCATION OF WHERE ASSETS MIGHT BE BUILT, UM, IN, UM, YOU KNOW, A TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR THAT CAN GET THEM TO, TO MEET BASIC NEEDS, RIGHT? SO I MEAN, WHERE YOU, YOU, YOU SHOP WHERE YOU LIVE, UM, AND THEN WHERE YOU WORK AND WHERE THERE'S POTENTIAL, UM, FOR EMPLOYMENT.
SO, UM, I THINK TRANSPORTATION'S A A HUGE ISSUE, UM, ESPECIALLY ON KIND OF THE OUTSKIRTS OF, OF THE CITY BOUNDARIES, YOU KNOW, THE FARTHER YOU'RE AWAY FROM THE, THE CORE, DEPENDING ON WHAT SECTOR YOU WORK IN.
UM, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION'S A A HUGE CHALLENGE.
COUNCIL MEMBER KIO, HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
UH, I KNOW THAT YOU SERVE ON A LOT OF BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, SO MY, MY BIGGEST WONDER IS WOULD YOU REALLY HAVE THE TIME IT MAY TAKE TO SERVE ON, ON THE HOUSING TRUST, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE RESEARCHED WHAT GOES ON OR MEETINGS THAT THEY'VE HAD BEFORE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE RESTRUCTURING IT TO HAVE 11 MEMBERS, UH, WE'RE BRINGING IT TOGETHER INSTEAD OF THERE BEING FOUR SEPARATE, SO TO SPEAK, DEPARTMENTS TO IT, THERE'S GOING TO BE ONE.
UH, BUT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE VERY COMMITTED TO OTHER OBLIGATIONS THAT YOU'VE MADE.
SO HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR TIME BEING AVAILABLE FOR THIS? YEAH, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ADAGE OF IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DONE, GIVE IT TO A BUSY PERSON.
UM, UH, TIME IS THAT COMMODITY THAT WE'RE ALL HAVE THE SAME ACCOUNT BALANCE.
UM, BUT, UH, WE'RE REALLY SHIFTING AND I'M PERSONALLY SHIFTING TO THOSE, THOSE FOUR AREAS OF, OF FOOD, HOUSING, EDUCATION, AND EMPLOYMENT.
AND SO, UM, FREEING UP SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN THAT, THAT AREN'T FOCUSED ON THAT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING IT A PRIORITY.
AND THE WORK THAT I'VE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO BE A PART OF AT W SS A HAS CREATED SOME, SOME, I THINK, AWARENESS AND, AND WHERE WE CAN FOCUS SOME OF OUR ENERGY AS AN ORGANIZATION AND, UM, AND MEET THE NEEDS OF RESIDENTS.
SO, UM, UH, SOBERED WITH THE REALITIES OF TIME, BUT, BUT I THINK FREEING UP MY SCHEDULE TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT I CAN FULFILL THE COMMITMENT AND, AND DO A GOOD JOB.
THE OTHER, UH, QUESTION I'VE, I'VE BEEN ASKING YOU, HAVE YOU BEEN FOLLOWING THE BOND DISCUSSION ABOUT THE $150 MILLION, UH, THAT WE MAY BE USING FOR HOUSING? AND DO YOU HAVE ANY OBSERVATIONS TO MENTION ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE SEEN OR HEARD ABOUT THAT? YEAH, I MEAN, I, I HAVE, AND I THINK THAT THE, UM, YOU ALL NAVIGATE THAT WORLD EVERY DAY, UM, NEEDS, WANTS AND HOW TO PRIORITIZE AND, AND, AND THEN LISTEN.
AND, AND OFTENTIMES THE MAJORITY ARE, ARE, ARE FAIRLY SILENT.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE STRUGGLING IN THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND, UM, THE VOICES THAT AREN'T THERE.
AND SO I THINK, UH, MY OBSERVATION WOULD BE IS TO, TO REALLY SORT THROUGH, UM, SOME OF THE NOISE, UM, OF MAYBE JUST A FEW TO, TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE, WHERE THE HEART OF THE NEED AND INTEREST AND DESIRE IS.
UM, AND I THINK WE'LL BE ALL RIGHT, BUT I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY, UM, AND I THINK IT'LL MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE.
ERIC, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, STEPPING UP WITH YOUR APPLICATION.
UH, WE'LL BE DELIBERATING SHORTLY.
ALRIGHT, UM, NEXT, IN ORDER OF INTERVIEWS, UH, WE HAVE, UH, MONICA CRUZ, WHO IS IN THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE CATEGORY.
UH, MONICA WOULD BE FOLLOWED BY RACHEL HATHAWAY, ALSO COMMUNITY REP.
MS. CRUZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR APPLICATION.
UM, WE ARE TAKING, UM, APPLICANTS IN GENERAL ORDER, UH,
[00:45:01]
ALPHABETICALLY.UM, EVERYONE IS BEING GIVEN TWO MINUTES FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT.
THEN WE GO AROUND, UH, WITH QUESTIONS.
SO UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, UH, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
TO EXPRESS MY INTEREST IN SERVING AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY ON THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST.
I BEGAN CLOSELY FOLLOWING AND PARTICIPATING IN HOUSING ISSUES IN OUR CITY.
WHEN THE MAYOR LAUNCHED THE HOUSING POLICY TASK FORCE BACK IN 2017, I ATTENDED MEETINGS AND WITNESSED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE COME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS THE CHALLENGES THEY WERE FACING AROUND HOUSING INSECURITY AS HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS.
PEOPLE GATHERED NOT ONLY TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS, BUT CAME TOGETHER TO DREAM AND TO SHARE A VISION AND EXPLORE SOLUTIONS TO WHAT MOST OF US WOULD AGREE IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT ACCESS TO QUALITY, SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WHEN INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN OUR CITY EXPERIENCING EXPERIENCE HOUSING INSECURITY, THEY CANNOT REACH HIGHER LEVELS OF DEVELOPMENT, SUCH AS EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EMPLOYMENT, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL TO THE CITY'S ECONOMIC VITALITY.
I'M A, I AM AN APPLIED DEMOGRAPHER AND TRAINED, I'M TRAINED AS A, AN APPLIED DEMOGRAPHER.
AND MY RESEARCH AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION IS GROUNDED IN MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN OUR CITY.
MOREOVER, I BELIEVE THAT DATA SHOULD BE WHAT DRIVES OUR PRIORITIES AND POLICY DECISIONS AROUND HOUSING.
I HAVE SERVED AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER IN THE FOR EVERYONE HOME INITIATIVE, AS WELL AS THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS OCCURRING IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE BOLD, VISIONARY, AND INNOVATIVE IN OUR EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES.
THE GOAL OF THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST IS CLEAR TO FOCUS ON UNDERSERVED AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
I WISH TO SERVE AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO MEET THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS IN SAN ANTONIO, BECAUSE I BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT EVERYONE IN OUR CITY SHOULD HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME.
UM, WHILE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY ENCOMPASSES A, A GREAT NUMBER OF THINGS, UH, AND A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE TO OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WHAT ARE, WHAT ASPECTS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DO YOU CONSIDER MOST IMPORTANT, AND HOW WOULD YOU BEGIN TO PRIORITIZE THOSE, UH, TO ADDRESS THE GAP IN AFFORDABILITY AND THE SUPPLY OF AFFORDABILITY? WELL, I THINK MAYOR, UM, I THINK A LOT OF OUR POLICY DECISIONS SHOULD BE BASED ON DATA.
I THINK WE HAVE THE REPORT THAT CAME OUT IN 2018, IN ADDITION TO OTHER PREVIOUS REPORTS AND ONGOING REPORTS THAT ARE CERTAINLY OUTLINED IN THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT SHOW AND DEMONSTRATE THE, THE BIG NEED AND THE GAPS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT MORE RECENT DISCUSSIONS AND DELIBERATIONS WITHIN THE SOUTH HOUSING TRUST, UM, HAVE GONE IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THE STAFF AND THOSE WHO CURRENTLY SIT ON THE HOUSING TRUST ARE ASKING, UM, THE CRITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT AFFORDABILITY AND LOOKING AT INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS, UM, TO DO, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THAT.
AND I, I, I APPRECIATE RECENT DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT OCCURRED WITH THE CAVAS LOFT AND THE, UH, NEGOTIATIONS MOVING TOWARDS, UH, AFFORDABILITY FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME, AND ALSO THE RECENT, UM, UH, POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT ON THE CREEKS, UH, ON THE DISTRICT TOO, AND WHAT MAYBE THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST CAN DO.
SO I, I BELIEVE THERE'S, UM, PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER.
THERE'S A LOT OF DEEP INTEREST AMONG LEADERS.
AND, UM, AND THEN I THINK WE NEED TO COLLABORATE MORE WITH, UH, PHILANTHROPY AND OUR COMMUNITY TO REALLY LOOK AND ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
BECAUSE I THINK COLLECTIVELY WE ALL HAVE A SHARED INTEREST IN, UH, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, PEOPLE DO NOT, YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE HOUSING INSTABILITY SO THEY CAN TAKE PLACE AND PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY IN OUR JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS AND EDUCATION AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR CITY.
UM, GO NOW TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. CRUZ, FOR YOUR INTEREST IN, IN, UM, IN SERVING.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE, THE FACT THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT HOUSING IS HEALTH, AND I, UM, APPRECIATE HOW CAREFUL YOU WERE IN CHOOSING YOUR, UH, INTRO THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I, UM, HAVE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT.
HOW, UH, DO YOU PLAN IF YOU SERVE ON THIS, IF YOU WERE CHOSEN TO SERVE ON THIS, TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS? UM, BUT
[00:50:01]
SPECIFICALLY WITH RESIDENTS, LIKE THE ONES THAT I REPRESENT IN DISTRICT FOUR THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY, UM, I BELIEVE, UM, THERE'S LOTS OF INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AND ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY, UM, CONVERSATIONS AROUND THESE THINGS.UM, PRIOR TO STUDYING, UH, MY, AND GETTING MY DEGREE IN APPLIED DEMOGRAPHY, I WORKED IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND WORKED VERY, I WAS VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH, UH, CIVIC LEADERSHIP AND WORKING WITH OUR UNIVERSITIES.
SO I THINK THAT ONE OPTION COULD BE THAT WE ENGAGE OUR UNIVERSITIES INTO REALLY LOOKING AT STUDYING THESE ISSUES, THOSE, UH, STUDENTS INVOLVED AND ENGAGED IN GRADUATE STUDIES TO REALLY, UM, COLLABORATE AND, UH, DO MORE OUTREACH, UM, AND, AND DO THIS MORE COMMUNITY WORK.
I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT AND, AND ENGAGE WITH THEM.
'CAUSE I KNOW STAFF DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE TIME, BUT HOW CAN WE LEVERAGE, YOU KNOW, INTEREST IN COMMUNITY AND ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP AMONG, UM, DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING IS ONE WAY, I THINK.
AND I JUST REALIZED I, UM, I FORGOT TO CALL YOU DR.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER KIO.
HOW DO YOU SEE TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING RELATING TO ONE ANOTHER? UM, TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I MEAN, CERTAINLY WE, WE NEED TO HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AROUND VENUES AND AREAS THAT HAVE, ARE ACCESSIBLE TO, UH, VIA TO THEIR VIA AND, AND OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY KEY.
SO, UH, HOW WE BALANCE HAVING AND BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AROUND THESE CORRIDORS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AT THE SAME TIME, BEING VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHERE WE BUILD HOUSING SO THAT WE ARE NOT BUILDING HOUSING AND ALONG HIGHWAYS THAT CERTAINLY CAN ALSO BE A PUBLIC HEALTH RISK FOR OUR FAMILIES AND LOW INCOME FAMILIES.
UM, SO PUBLIC CANCER STATIONS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, I REGULARLY RIDE THE VIA BUS, UM, AND I RIDE IN THE BUS AND I SEE PEOPLE IN THE BUS WHO, UM, WHO USE THAT AS A MODE OF TRANSPORTATION FROM OUR SENIORS TO THOSE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING PHYSICAL DISABILITIES.
AND I ALSO SEE HOW, SO THOSE THAT ARE ENCOUNTERING HOUSING INSTABILITY IN THE SHELTER LIST, GET ON THE BUS WITH THEIR BELONGINGS TO, UM, GET FROM ONE PLACE TO THE CITY TO THE OTHER.
SO I THINK TRANSPORTATION IS CRITICAL, UH, AND BEING ABLE TO CREATE HOUSING AND DEVELOP HOUSING WHERE INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN, IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND JOBS THAT THEY, THAT THEY HAVE.
SO WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH VIA, AND REALLY LOOKING AT THAT AND USING DATA, UH, GEOGRAPHICALLY THROUGHOUT OUR CITY IS IMPORTANT.
COUNCIL MEMBER KEEO, HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
THANK YOU MS. CRUZ FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND OFFERING YOURSELF.
YOU, UH, WERE WORKING ON THE SHIP, UH, AS, UH, A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE COMMITTEES WORKING ON THAT.
WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF, UH, WHAT'S COMING FORWARD WITH THAT SHIP PLAN RIGHT NOW? WELL, I CAN SPEAK, UH, TO THAT.
I READ THROUGH THE DOCUMENT PRETTY CLOSELY AND I PROVIDED COMMENTS AND THROUGH PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, SUBMITTED A DOCUMENT OF MY OWN ANALYSIS ON THE SHIP, UH, REPORT.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERNS ME A LITTLE BIT WITH THE SHIP IS THAT WE, UH, CURRENTLY, AND EVEN AS IT STANDS NOW, UM, AS COUNCIL GETS READY TO CONSIDER THE INFORMATION IN THERE, UH, WHAT'S DISCONCERTING TO ME IS WHEN I SEE THE DATA, YET WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR HOUSING TARGETS, THEY DON'T REALLY MATCH TO REALLY MEET THE NEED THAT IS EXPRESSED IN THE DATA.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S, UH, REALLY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL.
SO, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE 95,000 AND THE BREAKDOWN BY AMIS AND THEN WE LOOK AT OUR HOUSING TARGETS, THERE'S A MISMATCH IN MY OPINION.
SO I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THAT, AND I HOPE THAT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE AS A MEMBER OF, UH, THE HOUSING TRUST, YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT SOME WAY? I, I, UH, I HOPE SO, YES.
I THINK, UH, PETE'S REALLY BEEN, UH, TRYING TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK, UH, AND I SEE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE, THE BOARD CURRENTLY TRYING TO, TO PROACTIVELY ADJUST THESE ISSUES.
SO I, I DO FEEL THAT SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST CAN BE A, A CRITICAL PLAYER IN ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES AND, AND THINKING, UH, BEING BOLD AND INNOVATIVE WITH ADDRESSING THE NEEDS.
HAVE YOU BEEN FOLLOWING THE $150 MILLION BOND COMMITTEE MEETINGS, AND DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THAT? I HAVE BEEN CLOSELY FOLLOWING THE HOUSING BOND, YES.
AND, UH, I AM ON, UM, UM, IN THE CAMP WHERE I FEEL THAT HOUSING BONDS, UH, NEEDED
[00:55:01]
TO SUPPORT, UM, THE EXTREME LOW INCOME POPULATIONS BECAUSE BASED ON, UM, NEED AND ANALYSIS, IT SEEMS THAT THAT IS A POPULATION WITHIN GROWING NEED THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REALLY ADDRESS THROUGH SOME OF OUR DEVELOPMENTS AND CITY INCENTIVES.AND SO THE HOPE IS THAT, UH, WE WILL KIND OF BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT ADDRESSING THAT, BECAUSE AS I SAID, I DO BELIEVE HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT.
AND IF, UH, WE DON'T ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE, UH, EXPERIENCING EXTREME, UH, HOUSING IS, UH, INSTABILITY THAT WE WILL, IT'S GONNA AFFECT OUR OVERALL ECONOMIC VITALITY IN OUR CITY.
CRUZ, FOR YOUR APPLICATION BEING WILLING TO SERVE.
UM, WE DO HAVE SOME APPLICATIONS TO GET THROUGH AND, UH, THEN DELIBERATIONS.
ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT APPLICANT IN ORDER OF INTERVIEW, UH, WILL BE RACHEL HATHAWAY, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE CATEGORY, AND SHE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JANE PATONI.
UH, AND FOR YOUR APPLICATION, WE ARE GOING THROUGH OUR APPLICANT'S IN GENERAL ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
UH, AND THEN COUNSEL WILL DELIBERATE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION BEFORE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, UH, YOU'LL HAVE THE FLOOR FOR, UH, TWO MINUTES FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT.
I'M A NATIVE OF SAN ANTONIO, CURRENTLY RESIDING IN DISTRICT TWO I, AS YOU HAVE SEEN IN MY APPLICATION, AM A PREVIOUS RECIPIENT AND PARTICIPANT IN THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY SECTION EIGHT PROGRAM.
I CURRENTLY WORK IN PHILANTHROPY AT THE KONKOWSKI CHARITABLE FOUNDATION AND RETIRED FROM BANK OF AMERICA AFTER OVER A DECADE IN PHILANTHROPY.
MY, UM, INTEREST IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS COMPLETELY PERSONAL.
I HAVE MY OWN PERSONAL PASSION ABOUT HELPING OTHERS CYCLE OUT OF LIVES OF POVERTY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS ONE OF THE BEST AVENUES BECAUSE I KNOW THAT PERSONALLY WHEN MY CHILDREN AND I WERE TRYING TO BECOME IN-HOUSING COST BURDEN, WE WERE WORKING TO NAVIGATE THE COST OF HOW MUCH WE HAD FOR FOOD, UM, RENT AND SO FORTH.
SO AS AN ADVOCATE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I PLAN TO USE BOTH MY PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIVED EXPERIENCES TO APPLY TO THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST BOARD IN ORDER TO SERVE.
I'M CURRENTLY A GRADUATE STUDENT AT U T S A, AND I'M ALSO STUDYING FOR MY CERTIFICATION IN URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DO KNOW THAT IT TAKES BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR, UM, COLLABORATION TO ADDRESS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND AGAIN, AS PART OF MY GRADUATE STUDIES, I AM ACTUALLY STUDYING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, INITIATIVES THROUGH THE SHIP WORK THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IS DOING CURRENTLY.
LOCAL, OH, EXCUSE ME, THE LOCAL INITIATIVE SUPPORT CORPORATION, LISC IN ONE OF OUR FOCUS AREAS FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS ALSO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO WORKING TO INCREASE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AGAIN, IS A PERSONAL PASSION OF MINE THAT WHILE I WOULD LOVE TO SERVE ON THE HOUSING TRUST, I CAN BRING A LENS OF, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND LIVED EXPERIENCES.
UH, MS. HATHAWAY, UM, AND YOU ALLUDED TO THIS, THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ENCOMPASSES A GREAT NUMBER OF CHALLENGES WITHIN, EXCUSE ME, AFFORDABLE HOUSING ENCOMPASSES A GREAT NUMBER OF CHALLENGES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WHICH DO YOU FIND MOST IMPORTANT AND HOW WOULD YOU BEGIN TO PRIORITIZE IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE SUPPLY GAP IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING? I, I FIND THAT, UM, THE MOST IMPORTANT IS WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
I MEAN, IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE ABLE TO NOT BE COST BURDEN.
HOWEVER, I THINK THAT IT TAKES THE FULL COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THE, THE LIVES OF THOSE HAVE, THAT HAVE BEEN LIVING IN RE UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES FOR A WHILE.
UM, PERSONALLY WHAT I'VE FOUND IS THAT I THINK THE INFIELD DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE A VERY PROBABLY LOW HANGING FRUIT APPROACH IN ORDER TO LOOK AT THE HOUSING STOCK THAT WE HAVE IN SAN ANTONIO CURRENTLY.
UM, THE FUNDING THAT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SHIP AND THE, THE BOND DOLLARS GIVES SOME LEVERAGE ABOUT FOR REHABILITATION.
AND I THINK THAT MAY BE ONE OF THE QUICKEST WAYS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT BUILDING OUT SOME INVESTMENT, UM, FUNDING WITHIN OUR PRIVATE SECTOR BECAUSE THE, THE BANKING PRODUCTS DON'T NECESSARILY
[01:00:01]
ALIGN IN A WAY THAT IS LUCRATIVE FOR DEVELOPERS TO, TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.SO WE NEED TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT IS BOTH BENEFICIAL FOR THOSE RESIDENTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE, OUR NEIGHBORS THAT WE'RE HELPING, BUT WE HAVE TO BE, UM, MINDFUL OF THE RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT THAT OUR, THAT OUR DEVELOPERS NEED.
SO MY, MY THOUGHT IS A INFIELD DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE A PRIORITY.
HOWEVER, OF COURSE, THE, THE NEED OF MORE UNITS IS HELPFUL AS WELL.
AND ALSO I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT TAX REDUCTIONS OR TAX, UM, ABATEMENTS FOR THOSE THAT ARE MAYBE ELDERLY LIVING IN HOMES THAT ARE IN UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES WHERE THE ACTUAL HOUSING COSTS AND THE VALUES HAVE GONE UP, BUT IT'S NOT KEEPING PACE WITH THE TAXES.
SO THAT'S SOME OF MY PRIORITIES THAT I THINK COULD TRULY ADDRESS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU MAYOR, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. HATHAWAY, FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS AND YOUR SERVICE TO OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ARE AN ADVOCATE FOR BREAKING THE CYCLE OF GENERATIONAL POVERTY.
UM, MY QUESTION IS IN REGARD TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND INCREASING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS SPECIFICALLY IN HARD TO REACH AREAS LIKE THE ONES THAT I REPRESENT AND LIKE THE ONES IN DISTRICT TWO WHO HAVE A, UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE WERE, THERE EXIST A DIGITAL DIVIDE? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I, IN MY WORK AT PHILANTHROPY, I HAVE THE FORTUNATE BENEFIT OF KINDA LEARNING ABOUT CONNECTING AND FINDING WHO CAN COLLABORATE, FINDING THE STRIPS OF OUR VARIOUS NONPROFIT PARTNERS HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
UM, QUITE HONESTLY, BECAUSE OF MY STUDIES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, I KNOW THAT THE COLLABORATIONS WITH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS IS REALLY THE WAY THAT WE CONNECT NOT ONLY THE VOICE OF OUR PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THE WORK, BUT THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO BE ADVOCATING FOR.
AND SO FOR ME, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT I STAY CONNECTED WITH, I'LL, I'LL SHARE THIS REALLY QUICKLY.
UM, I WORKED ON THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM FOR BANK OF AMERICA.
I WAS ABLE TO SEE, I HAD TO ADVOCATE FOR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES FROM THE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, BUT I ALSO HAD TO HELP ALIGN, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET MONEY OUT OF THE DOOR FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO I SEE WHY THE NONPROFIT BUSINESS NEEDS TO BE SUPPORTED IN A WAY THAT, UM, THEY HAVE THEIR BUSINESS MODEL WHERE THEY CAN RISE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO DO.
AND AS A PHILANTHROPIST, I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS AN ADVISORY IN THAT SPACE.
SO JUST CONTINUING TO USE THE AVENUE THAT I ALREADY HAVE.
SO I'M KIND OF UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO DO THAT, AND I AM DOING THAT WORK, BUT JUST BEING ABLE TO ALIGN IT TO THE WORK WITH THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST IS REALLY THE OPPORTUNITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER KIO.
AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND APPLYING.
UM, HOW DO YOU SEE TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING RELATING TO ONE ANOTHER? UM, IT'S EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
I JUST FINISHED MY URBAN PLANNING CLASS, SO I FEEL EXTREMELY READY FOR THIS.
BUT WE KNOW THAT TRANSPORTATION, LITERALLY FROM, FROM THE BASIC STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, IF I'M ON THE EAST SIDE AND I HAVE TO WAIT FOR, UM, AN HOUR TO GET A BUS TO MY JOB ON THE NORTH SIDE, THAT'S NOT GOOD LIVING CONDITIONS.
AND SO WE ARE NOT SUPPORTING OUR NEIGHBORS IF WE'RE NOT CONSIDERING BOTH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS OF THOSE NEIGHBORS IN THAT COMMUNITY.
SO IT'S GONNA, AGAIN, JUST KIND OF PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE, BUT IT'S A COMBINED EFFORT FOR BOTH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AS WELL TO BRING ALL OF OUR, OUR RESOURCES TOGETHER BECAUSE WHILE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS THE, THE VEHICLE THAT WE MAY ADDRESS A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES THROUGH, UM, TRANSPORTATION HAS TO BE THOUGHTFUL AS WE SUPPORT OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM WITHIN SAN ANTONIO, SPECIFICALLY IN THOSE UNDER-RESOURCED AREAS.
FOR STEPPING UP AND WANTING TO SERVE.
I APPRECIATED A COUPLE OF YOUR OBSERVATIONS ABOUT WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
UH, AND YOU MAY KNOW SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH PARTNERING WITH OTHER NONPROFITS, AND ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS A LOT OF TIMES IS THAT THERE ARE ADDITIONAL SERVICES PROVIDED BESIDES JUST THE AFFORDABILITY FACTOR.
YOU ALSO MENTIONED SOMETHING ELSE THOUGH, ABOUT THE FACT THAT TRYING TO DEVELOP EVERYTHING AT VERY LOW, UH, LOW A M I LEVELS MAKES IT PRETTY CHALLENGING FOR DEVELOPERS, RIGHT? UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, HOW DO YOU FEEL THE HOUSING TRUST CAN MOVE FORWARD IN THE AREA OF DEVELOPING, LET'S SAY MULTI-FAMILY UNITS, UH, BUT STILL PROVIDING AFFORDABILITY, BUT BEING ABLE TO WORK IT OUT WITH A PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO BE
[01:05:01]
ABLE TO, TO BUILD THOSE KINDS OF THINGS? UM, MR. KJ, I THINK THERE'S REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO STEP UP.QUITE HONESTLY, JUST THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SAY THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A CRISIS IN SAN ANTONIO OVERALL.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY'S ISSUE, IT'S NOT JUST THE DEVELOPER'S ISSUE.
WE HAVE TO FIND A FUNDING MECHANISM TO FILL THE GAP.
UM, THROUGH MY WORK WITH LISC AT THE LOCAL INITIATIVE SUPPORT CORPORATION, THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ARE HAVING TO SAY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT IF, IF THEY'RE TRYING TO GET A 4% RETURN, UM, ON THIS INVESTMENT, THAT WE FIND THE, BECAUSE THEY WANT A 9%, WE FIND THOSE FUNDERS THAT ARE ABLE TO PUT IN THAT 5% DIFFERENTIAL.
SO REALLY JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW WE LOOK AT THE FUNDING AVENUES IS THE WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE CREATIVE, AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE MORE THAN JUST THOSE IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SPACE.
SOME OF US FUNDERS AND PHILANTHROPISTS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOK AT HOW WE'RE INVESTING IN OUR CITY AND, UM, KIND OF RISING THE TIDE THROUGH THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARENA.
HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE BOND COMMITTEE LOOKING AT $150 MILLION FOR HOUSING? DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS, OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THAT? YES.
I'M VERY SAD BECAUSE I WAS ASKED BY SEVERAL PEOPLE TO SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
BUT, UM, DUE TO TIME AND CAPACITY OBLIGATIONS, I HAVE LOTS OF INPUT.
UM, BECAUSE I SERVE WITH VERONICA SOTO ON THE LOCAL INITIATIVE SUPPORT CORPORATION, I FOLLOW THE INFORMATION VERY CLOSELY.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A OPPORTUNITY, THERE'S A, I'D SAY A, A WELL-VERSED GROUP, UM, THAT IS LOOKING AT THE FUNDING, LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS.
I KNOW THAT THE PROJECTS WILL LIKELY BE KIND OF DISPERSED, UM, OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, BUT KNOWING THAT, UM, THERE'S MONEY, THERE'S MONEY THAT HASN'T BEEN THERE BEFORE.
SO I THINK IT JUST OPENS UP THE DIALOGUE.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN A SPACE WHERE WE'RE BUILDING OUT THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF WHAT THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING SHOULD, SHOULD BE GOING FORWARD FOR OUR NEIGHBORS, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
SO BASICALLY JUST THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE BOND MONEY AND THE CONVERSATION IS STARTING, I, I EXPECT TO KIND OF KEEP FOLLOWING IT.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING, UM, ON, IN MY CORRIDOR OF IH 35, BUT, UM, I HAVE MORE, MORE OPINIONS THAN I CAN ACTUALLY SHARE AT THIS PODIUM TODAY.
WELL, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND ME ANY OF THOSE OPINIONS.
UM, AND WE APPRECIATE, UH, YOU STEPPING UP AND, UH, WE'VE GOT SOME DELIBERATIONS BEFORE WE GET BACK WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO NOW TO, I ACTUALLY CALLED THE NAME OUT OF ORDER.
UM, UH, MARELLA MARILLO IS HERE.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND TAKE MARELLA NOW, AND THEN SHE'LL BE FOLLOWED BY JANE PATONI.
MARELLA IS IN THE HOUSING EXPERT CATEGORY.
UM, UH, WE ARE GIVING EVERYONE, UM, WE'RE TAKING APPLICANTS IN GENERALLY ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
UH, WE'RE GIVING EVERYONE A TWO MINUTE OPENING STATEMENT, THEN WE GO AROUND WITH QUESTIONS.
UH, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONVENE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DELIBERATE BEFORE OUR RECOMMENDATION.
SO UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, YOU, YOU'RE, UH, UH, WELCOME TO TAKE THE PODIUM AND, AND YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
MY NAME IS MARELLA MURILLO, AND I AM, I AM GRATEFUL TO BE HERE TODAY.
SAN ANTONIO HAS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING INVENTORY CHALLENGE.
I ATTENDED SEVERAL HOUSING 2022 BOND MEETINGS WHERE THE PUBLIC VOICED OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND IF OUR WORKING FAMILIES WITH MODEST INCOMES CANNOT AFFORD A HOME, SAN ANTONIO'S ECONOMY IS GOING TO SUFFER.
THIS CITY COUNCIL HAS RESPONDED TO SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES BY IMPLEMENTING INITIATIVES THAT CREATE BETTER PATHWAYS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY, SUCH AS JOB SKILLS TRAINING AND THE ESSAY READY TO WORK
[01:10:01]
PROGRAM COLLABORATIONS WITH THE ALAMO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT FOR FREE COLLEGE TUITION.AND AN EMPHASIS ON SMALL BUSINESS THAT HAS FUELED AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT LIKE NO ONE HAS SEEN BEFORE, CREATING MANY ECONOMIC PRODUCERS.
BUT ALL OF THIS STARTS WITH HOUSING BECAUSE EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A SAFE HOME AND A WARM BED TO PUT THEIR HEAD ON AT NIGHT.
AS A LABOR UNION LEADER, I WANNA BE A VOICE FOR WORKING FAMILIES.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE LABOR AS A PARTNER BECAUSE THE SAN ANTONIO, A F L C I O SUPPORTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THAT SUSTAINS NEIGHBORHOODS AND EMPOWERS PEOPLE.
JUST LIKE THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST.
LAST OCTOBER, THE CITY SIGNED OFF ON A $63 MILLION GRANT FOR GRANADA SENIOR APARTMENTS REHABILITATION PROJECT IN DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO WITH FINANCING IN PART FROM THE AFL'S HOUSING INVESTMENT TRUST.
ALL 265 UNITS WILL BE AFFORDABLE FOR OVER TWO, FOR OVER 35 YEARS.
THE AFL CIO'S HOUSING INVESTMENT TRUST HAS CHAMPIONED AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY FINANCING, DEVELOPMENT, REHABILITATION AND PRESERVATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARY ELLEN.
WE'LL GO AROUND NOW WITH QUESTIONS.
UH, LET ME GO AHEAD AND START, AND THIS MIGHT, UH, LEAD INTO SOME OF YOUR CLOSING STATEMENTS AS WELL, UH, WHICH IS THAT THE, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING CHALLENGE IS, UH, VERY BROAD, VERY DIVERSE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF ASPECTS TO IT.
HOW WOULD YOU, UH, WHICH PARTS OF THOSE, UH, ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU, AND HOW WOULD YOU BEGIN TO PRIORITIZE, UH, WITHIN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CHALLENGE, UH, IN ORDER TO MEET THE SUPPLY GAPS? WELL, HAVING, HAVING SIT IN ON AND PARTICIPATED ON THE, AND INCLUDING THE ARPA FUNDING FOR DISTRICT SIX, I WAS THERE FOR THAT.
THERE IS A SEGMENT OF THE FUNDING THAT'S GONNA GO FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, THERE IS, THERE IS, UM, DIFFERENCES OF OPINION IN TERMS OF WHAT AFFORDABLE MEANS, AFFORDABLE FOR THE HOUSING.
UM, HOUSING BOND 2020 ENDED UP BEING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND 60% OF THE A M I DEPENDING UPON WHAT AREAS WERE FOCUSED ON.
AND THAT WAS A VERY, VERY INTERESTING SET OF, OF TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT I WAS ABLE TO, UM, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN.
AND I WOULD'VE RECOMMENDED EVERYBODY BE ABLE TO GO TO THAT.
SO THEY HAVE SOME PRIORITIES THERE THAT I HOPE THAT ULTIMATELY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, UM, UH, CITY COUNCIL WILL GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON AND ULTIMATELY IMPLEMENT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
AND THANK YOU MARLA FOR, UH, FOR YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING.
UM, MY QUESTION RELATES TO, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE DECADE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, AS YOU HAVE PROBABLY, UM, BEEN AWARE THROUGH YOUR NUMEROUS PARTICIPATION IN, IN OTHER, UM, MEETINGS AND, UM, JUST BEING ON THE COMMUNITY, HOW CAN YOU, OR HOW DO YOU THINK THAT THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST CAN FURTHER THE GOALS OF SOMETHING LIKE THE DECADE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD? WELL, THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST BOARD OF DIRECTORS WILL OVERSEE FOUR SEPARATE, UM, UH, SUBSIDIARIES OR, UM, SEPARATE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN ITS UMBRELLA.
AND FROM EACH ONE OF THOSE, THEN COMES THE, THE TASK OF DETERMINING AS A GROUP FOR ME, MYSELF AND I, I WANNA BE, AS I STATED BEFORE, THE VOICE OF WORKING FAMILIES AND WORKING FAMILIES.
THE GAP TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD HOUSING HAS BECOME WIDER AND WIDER.
SO MY FOCUS IS GOING TO BE ON SEEING HOW THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, HOW RESILIENT WE CAN BE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PROGRAMS TOUCH ALL FACETS OF OUR COMMUNITY, ALL SECTORS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND ALL INCOME RANGES.
IN THE PAST, UH, THE, UM, HOUSING, UM, THE HOUSING TASK FORCE SURVEY SH DEMONSTRATE OR REFLECTED THAT THERE WAS A GAP OF, I BELIEVE 26% THAT HAS GROWN.
AND WE NEED TO FIND, UM, OTHER ALTERNATIVES, OTHER WAYS TO BE ABLE TO SHRINK THAT GAP.
AND IF IT MEANS PUTTING MORE MONIES INTO SHRINKING THAT GAP, THEN SO BE IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER KEO HD.
THANK YOU FOR BEING THANK YOU.
UM, NO, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MANDALE.
HOW DO YOU SEE TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING RELATING TO ONE? OH MY GOODNESS.
THAT, THAT IS THE NEXUS IS THERE.
DON'T, UH, DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON TRANSPORTATION.
[01:15:01]
I'M, LET ME WHIP OUT MY VIA BUS PASS, MY SENIOR BUS PASS MY DAD.UM, BUT, UH, I WAS VERY, VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE WORKED AND WITH THE CITY TO GET THE, UM, BONDING PASSED FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION IN, IN VIAS, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, TAX, UH, UM, UH, DOWN THE ROAD, THAT ONE 8 CENTS SALES TAX TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO IT.
BUT IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION, TRANSPORTATION BEING TIED TO, IT'S NOT JUST TRANSPORTATION.
YOU'VE GOT A WHOLE SET OF, YOU'VE GOT NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES THAT NEED TO BE TIED TO AND BE ABLE TO BE NEAR THOSE HOUSING, THE, EITHER THE HOUSING FOR, UM, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
SO TRANSPORTATION TIES IN JUST LIKE GREEN SPACE, TIES IN HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION NEED TO BE TIED IN TOGETHER.
AND HAVING BEEN IN COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DURING MY TENURE AT HUD, THAT WAS, IT WAS ALWAYS AN NEXUS THERE.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, SOME POINTS THAT YOU'VE MADE THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT IN THIS DISCUSSION.
WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT 30% A M I, 30% A M I IS SOMEBODY EARNING 2120 2000 A YEAR.
THEY VERY WELL MAY BE WORKING, OR THEY VERY WELL MAY NOT, BUT CERTAINLY THERE'S, THANK YOU.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING, UH, WHO ARE EARNING $35,000 A YEAR, $40,000 A YEAR, $50,000 A YEAR.
THESE ARE WORKING FAMILIES AS WELL.
UH, AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, THE HOUSING TRUST AND ITS ROLE, UH, AND ALSO WE CONSIDER WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM DISCUSSIONS ON THE BOND COMMITTEE, UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE, IS THE, THE MARKET FOR WORKING FAMILIES WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WELL, THE PANDEMIC REALLY CHANGED A LOT OF EVERY, A LOT OF PEOPLE'S PERSPECTIVES.
UM, YOU HAVE, YOU'RE RIGHT, UH, THE, IT'S $22,000 FOR FAMILY OF THREE.
UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UH, THEORIES AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UH, INDIVIDUALS AS REFLECTED IN THE, IN THE HOUSING BOND 2022, UH, UM, TASK FORCE AND MEETINGS THAT I ATTENDED THAT SEE, THAT'S, THAT HAVE DIFFERENT STARK DIFFERENT VIEWS ABOUT THIS.
AND YOU COULD SEE IT BASED ON THE WAY THAT VOTES WERE TAKEN ON THESE ISSUES.
UM, THERE IS A NEED, UH, A, A TREMENDOUS NEED AT THE 30%.
THAT IS WHERE THE GAP IS THE GREATEST.
BUT THEN IT ALSO TOO, YOU HAVE THOSE FOLKS THAT AS THEY MOVE UP THE ECONOMIC LADDER, THEN THEY, THERE NEEDS TO BE ALSO OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM.
NOW, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THROUGH THE HOUSING, UH, THE, UM, TASK FORCE THEY HAD IN THERE, THE RECOMMENDATION BACK IN 2017 OR 2018 WAS UP TO 120% OF A M I.
WELL, THAT NEEDS TO, IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, KIND OF NEEDS TO GO DOWN.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE OTHER ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT ARE PLAYING INTO THIS.
MORE PEOPLE COMING INTO SAN ANTONIO.
MORE JOBS, MORE HIGHER PAYING JOBS.
THESE FOLKS ARE CREATING A MARKET THAT IS DRIVING AWAY DEVELOPERS FROM WANTING TO WORK WITH OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING SECTOR, BECAUSE THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY WITH THE MORE, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHER END LUXURY APARTMENTS AND LUXURY HOMES.
THAT'S WHY I WAS SO GLAD WHEN I WANTED TO BRAG ABOUT OUR AFL CIO'S GRANADA HOMES INVESTMENT, BECAUSE WHEN THE MAYOR SIGNED OFF ON THAT, IT OPENED UP, IT SHOWS THAT THAT SAN ANTONIO DOES HAVE RESILIENCY.
THAT WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE, BE OUT THERE AND HELP OUR, OUR, OUR WORKING FAMILIES AND OUR, AND OUR SENIOR CITIZENS, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ON FIXED INCOMES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AND MAINTAIN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, MARELLA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR APPLICATION.
UH, WE ARE GONNA DELIBERATE BEFORE WE COME OUT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, OUR NEXT, UM, INTERVIEW, IT WILL BE JANE PAONE AND THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE SLOT.
AND IF I COULD ASK US TO, UH, SLOW WALK THAT ONE.
I'M GONNA RUN TO THE RESTROOM REAL QUICK.
[01:21:13]
YOU ARE NOT GONNA LEAVE NOW, ARE YOU, ANDY? JUST MOVING TO THE OTHER SIDE.STRETCHING YOUR LEGS, GETTING A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
OKAY, MS. PATONI, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
UM, WE ARE INTERVIEWING APPLICANTS IN GENERAL ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
UM, WE'RE GIVING EVERYONE TWO MINUTES FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT THAT WE GO AROUND WITH QUESTIONS.
UM, COUNSEL WILL DELIBERATE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
SO UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, UH, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
I'VE HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME THIS MORNING BACK THERE WITH THE OTHER INTERVIEWEES, AND I CAN JUST TELL YOU, YOU'VE GOT A WONDERFUL SELECTION OF WONDERFUL PEOPLE DOING AMAZING WORK.
SO I KNOW YOUR DECISIONS ARE GONNA BE VERY HARD.
SO ANYWAY, LET ME GET TO MY WRITTEN STATEMENT BECAUSE I TEND TO TALK TOO MUCH.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION TO COME HERE.
THROUGH MY WORK AT THE SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION, I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO WORK ON HOUSING ISSUES DIRECTLY AFFECTING OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
THOSE IN MOST NEED, THE INITIATIVE I LEAD, UM, SUCCESSFULLY AGING AND LIVING IN SAN ANTONIO IS A COLLECTIVE IMPACT MODEL, WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER STAKEHOLDERS IN A STRUCTURED WAY TO ACHIEVE SOCIAL CHANGE.
BELIEVING THAT NO ONE ORGANIZATION CAN SOLVE OUR COMMUNITIES' COMPLEX CHALLENGES LIKE HOUSING, SALSA'S, HOUSING WORK GROUP HAS BEEN A PART OF THE HOUSING CONVERSATIONS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON AWARENESS, EDUCATION, ADVANCING PRACTICES AND POLICIES THAT IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, TOGETHER WITH THE SAN ANTONIO, UH, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO DISABILITY ACCESS OFFICE AND DISABILITY, S A, WE'VE BEEN HOSTING A SERIES OF PANEL DISCUSSIONS, SHARING THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES FROM A DIVERSE PERSPECTIVE OF THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY.
THE PANELISTS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES IN FINDING AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HOUSING AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE.
THESE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN RICH AND THEY'VE HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THE LIVED EXPERIENCE AT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION STAGES.
I BELIEVE THE HOUSING TRUST IS AT THE POINT WHERE MY EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE LIVED, EXPERIENCE, AND PASSION WOULD BENEFIT THE ORGANIZATION.
I BELIEVE IN PROGRESS AT THE SPEED OF TRUST.
I HAVE BEEN TOLD MY STRENGTHS LIE IN BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND TRUST AMONG PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS.
I AM READY AND EAGER TO ROLL UP MY SLEEVES AND GET TO WORK ON ADDRESSING OUR COMMUNITY'S HOUSING ISSUES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. PATONI.
UM, UM, AS YOU'VE DESCRIBED, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CHALLENGE IS VERY BROAD AND INCLUDES A LOT OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
UH, WHAT, WHICH AMONG THOSE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU AND HOW WOULD YOU BEGIN TO PRIORITIZE TO ADDRESS THE SUPPLY GAP AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING? UH, THE ACCESSIBILITY SIDE OF HOUSING.
WE HAVE SUCH, UH, LIMITED ACCESS FOR OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND OLDER ADULTS WANT TO AGE IN PLACE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE ACCESSIBILITY SIDE OF THE HOUSING PUZZLE DONE, SO WE NEED TO REALLY BE FOCUSING ON EVERYTHING WE DO.
WE NEED TO BE LOOKING THROUGH THAT LENS THAT WE CAN HAVE BARRIER FREE HOUSING, UM, THAT JUST MAKES SENSE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
MOVE NOW TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU MS. MS. PAONE FOR, UM, YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AND FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR, UM, OUR COMMUNITY.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD START OFF BY JUST GIVING ME, UH, FURTHER ELABORATION.
UM, WE ASK YOU TO PROVIDE A NARRATIVE OUTLINING THE REASONS FOR
[01:25:01]
SEEKING THE APPOINTMENT.AND IT WAS ONE SENTENCE THAT YOU WROTE AND YOU SAID, I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT BARRIER FREE HOUSING FOR ALL.
UM, BARRIER FREE HOUSING FOR ALL IS WHAT, WHAT IT SAYS.
I CAN COME VISIT YOUR HOUSE, YOU CAN COME VISIT ME.
WE DON'T REALIZE THAT HOUSING, WHEN WE BUILD THESE LITTLE BARRIERS, EVEN IF IT'S A STEP ONE STEP INTO A HOME, I CAN'T GET THERE.
I CAN'T COME VISIT YOU INDEPENDENTLY.
SO, BARRIER FREE HOUSING, NO MATTER WHAT DISABILITY OR WHAT AGE YOU ARE, UM, THERE IS AN ARTICLE CALLED THE CURB CUT EFFECT.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS HAVE READ THAT, BUT IT'S AMAZING.
WE MAKE CURB, CURB CUTS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO NAVIGATE STREETS.
BUT GUESS WHAT, WE ALL BENEFIT FROM THAT.
WE ALL BENEFIT FROM CURB CUTS, BIKE RIDERS, UM, PARENTS WITH CHILDREN.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M TALKING ABOUT WHEN I TALKED ABOUT BARRIER FREE HOUSING.
AND THEN, UM, MY QUESTION, UH, MY SECOND QUESTION IS IN REGARD TO ENGAGEMENT, HOW DO YOU PLAN TO INCREASE COMMUNITY, UH, ENGAGEMENT SPECIFICALLY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE TRADITIONALLY BECAUSE OF THE DIGITAL DIVIDE? THE DIGITAL DIVIDE? YES.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
I BELIEVE THAT WE KNOW WHERE THOSE POPULATIONS ARE AND WE NEED TO ACTIVELY GO OUT AND DO IT.
JUST LIKE THE EVENT I TOLD YOU ABOUT WITH THE PANELS WE'VE BEEN HAVING WITH A LIVED EXPERIENCE.
WE NEED THEM FRONT AND CENTER IN THE CONVERSATION AND TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS HEARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER CAB ERDA.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND FOR APPLYING.
HOW DO YOU SEE TRANSPORTATION, AFFORDABLE HOUSING RELATING TO ONE ANOTHER? OOH, THEY ARE SO RELATED.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN ME STARTED ON TRANSPORTATION.
THAT'S WHERE I, I RAN A SMALL NONPROFIT THAT WAS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION.
SO YOU CAN'T HAVE ACCESSIBLE HOUSING OR, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT CONNECTION TO, UM, TRANSPORTATION.
BECAUSE AS AMERICANS, WE OUTLIVE OUR DRIVING ABILITIES BY SEVEN TO 10 YEARS.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE THAT PERFECT HOUSE AND NO TRANSPORTATION? YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY ISOLATED.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING GO HAND IN HAND.
UH, THANK YOU MS. PAONE FOR STEPPING UP.
AND I WANTED TO ASK, HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING THE DISCUSSION ON THE, UH, $150 MILLION BOND ISSUE THAT'S BEEN GOING ON? WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND THE GENERAL DIRECTION THEY'RE GOING IN? I THINK THE DISCUSSIONS ARE GOOD.
I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THE UNIVERSAL DESIGN, UM, MONIES USED FOR BUILDING.
WELL HAVE THAT UNIVERSAL DESIGN A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT AND ADVOCATED FOR THAT.
SO I'M, I'M REALLY OPTIMISTIC THAT THE TIME IS NOW AND WE JUST NEED JUST THAT BUNCH OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THE BACK ROOM THERE.
THEY'RE PASSIONATE AND READY TO GO.
'CAUSE OUR TIME IS NOW AND HOUSING CAN'T WAIT ONE MORE MINUTE.
DO YOU FEEL THE SHIP PROGRAM THAT THE CITY'S LOOKING AT ADDRESSES THAT SAME NEED ON ACCESSIBILITY? I DO.
THEY'VE BEEN VERY, UM, FRONT AND CENTER.
WE'VE BEEN PART OF THE SHIP CONVERSATIONS.
I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT WITH THE PLAN WE'VE GOT.
I'M JUST READY TO GET THIS GOING.
UH, MS. PAONE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR APPLICATION BEING WILLING TO SERVE.
UH, WE HAVE FEW MORE DELIBERATIONS AND THEN WE'LL COME UP WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
OUR NEXT APPLICANT, UM, IN THE HOUSING EXPERT CATEGORY IS SHIRE SKA.
UM, AND THEN SHIREEN WILL BE FOLLOWED BY GABRIEL VELAZQUEZ.
DID I PRONOUNCE THAT CORRECTLY? YOU SURE DID.
UM, WE, YEAH, YOU CAN TAKE THE PODIUM.
[01:30:02]
WE'RE TAKING EVERYBODY IN GENERALLY ALPHABETICAL ORDER.WE'RE GIVING EVERYONE TWO MINUTES, UH, FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT.
THEN WE GO AROUND WITH QUESTIONS.
UH, COUNSEL WILL DELIBERATE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION SESSION BEFORE WE COME OUT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO IF, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, UH, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
I'M A REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL WITH 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN AFFORDABLE AND SUBSIDIZED HOUSING.
AND I'VE WORKED IN SEVERAL MAJOR CITIES AS WELL AS WITH A VARIETY OF FEDERAL AND STATE SUBSIDY PROGRAMS. SAN ANTONIO IS MY HOMETOWN, AND I'M EXCITED TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY SERVE LOCALLY AND SHARE SOME OF MY IDEAS WITH YOU TODAY.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE FACING AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS, THE LIKES OF, OF WHAT WE HAVE NOT REALLY SEEN BEFORE.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, I THINK THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF STRATEGIES OUT THERE THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
UM, BUT WE CAN ALSO LEARN FROM WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE EXPERIENCED AND, UM, AND SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES.
SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE EXAMPLES.
YOU KNOW, LAND BAKING, WHICH MEANS BUYING THE LAND AND HOLDING IT FOR THE PURPOSE OF, UH, DEVELOPING OR RETAINING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE CAN EXAMINE IS UNDERLIE UNDERUTILIZED REAL ESTATE ASSETS THAT MAY ALREADY BE OWNED BY THE CITY.
UM, WE CAN USE THOSE ASSETS TO HELP MEET OUR HOUSING GOALS.
THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL POLICIES THAT WE COULD LOOK AT, LIKE INCLUSIONARY ZONING, UH, THAT REQUIRE DEVELOPERS TO SET ASIDE A PERCENTAGE OF THE HOMES THAT THEY'RE BUILDING FOR, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND WE HAVE A TON OF DEVELOPMENT THAT'S OCCURRING RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, I THINK THAT WE CAN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE LEVERAGE THAT DEVELOPMENT AND HOW, UM, CONDITIONS THAT WE CAN PLACE ON TAX BREAKS OR OTHER INCENTIVES, UM, THAT ARE BEING OFFERED, UM, TO BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND OR RELOCATE TO SAN ANTONIO.
SO ONE, ONE THING I'VE LEARNED OVER MY 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IS, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE WANT TO FIX A, A PROBLEM, IF WE AREN'T PREPARED TO MOVE AT THE SAME PACE AS OTHER PLAYERS IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET, WE'RE GONNA FALL BEHIND.
IF WE'RE SKEPTICAL OF WORKING WITH, UH, PRIVATE DEVELOPERS, WE'RE GONNA BE FALLING BEHIND.
IF WE DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT POLICIES AND PROTECTIONS IN PLACE IS, WE'RE GONNA FALL BEHIND.
ALRIGHT, WELL, UM, WE APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR APPLICATION AND SO, UH, WE'LL GO AROUND WITH QUESTIONS NOW.
I, I'LL, I'LL START AND, OKAY.
AND I THINK YOU WERE STARTING TO, TO GET INTO THIS, UM, BUT WHAT ARE THE WAYS THAT WE CAN ENHANCE OUR COORDINATION WITH NON-PROFIT AND FOR-PROFIT PARTNERS TO INCREASE INVESTMENT IN HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN SAN ANTONIO? WELL, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT ALL THE POLICIES THAT ARE IN PLACE CURRENTLY.
LIKE ALL THE PROCEDURES THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE FOR THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO ACCESS FUNDING OR TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE CITY AND, AND MAKE AN ASSESSMENT OF WHETHER ADJUSTMENTS NEED TO BE MODIFIED TO, UH, UH, CAN BE MADE TO MAKE IT EASIER TO, TO WORK WITH THOSE PARTNERS AND, AND STREAMLINE THE PROCESS, MAKE, MAKE THE APPROVALS QUICKER, MAKE DECISIONS FASTER SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF KEEP PACE WITH WHAT'S GOING ON, UM, IN THE REST OF THE REAL ESTATE MARKET.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
THANK YOU MR, FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS.
UM, MY QUESTION WILL CENTER AROUND, UM, HOW YOU THINK THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST CAN FURTHER THE DECADE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, INVESTING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND PROTECTING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW YOU WOULD HELP WITH THAT.
WELL, I THINK I, I OUTLINED SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT, THAT I THINK COULD BE INTERESTING TO LOOK AT.
UM, AND I'M, I'M SURE YOU KNOW THAT SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
UM, BUT I, I THINK THAT THE, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT ALSO NEEDS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IS A LOT OF WONDERFUL THINGS.
IT'S EASY TO, WELL, IT'S EASIER TO GET SOMETHING OFF THE GROUND AND TO GET SOMETHING UNDERWAY, BUT IT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT HOW WE KEEP THAT GOING FOR THE LONG TERM.
SO HOW DO WE MANAGE THAT AND MAINTAIN IT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE TO MEET OUR GOALS LONG TERM, NOT JUST TODAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER VEO.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
HOW DO YOU SEE TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING RELATING TO ONE ANOTHER? WELL, YEAH, THEY ARE RELATED, UH, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE HOUSING IN PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACCESS THEIR, YOU KNOW, EITHER THEIR, THEIR WORK, THE SCHOOL, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER OTHER ACTIVITIES OR SERVICES THEY NEED TO ACCESS.
[01:35:01]
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE, UM, TO LOOK AT TRANSPORTATION AND IS PARTICULARLY WHEN LOOKING AT WHERE TO LOCATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MAKE SURE THAT THE NEEDS OF THE FAMILIES AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA OCCUPY THAT HOUSING CAN ACTUALLY BE MET.THANK YOU MR. RUKA, FOR MAKING YOURSELF AVAILABLE TODAY.
BASED ON, UH, YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE MARKETPLACE WITH, UH, PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MARKET IN SAN ANTONIO FOR DEVELOPING, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOT OF PROFIT AS WELL AS NON-PROFITS FOR THE KIND OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE HEAR PEOPLE ASKING ABOUT, LIKE A LOT OF 30% A M I HOUSING.
UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK PRACTICALLY ARE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR THAT? WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS FOR THAT? WELL, PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE BARRIER IS, IS FINANCING.
UM, AND I, I, THAT'S MY BACKGROUND, AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE.
UM, SO IT TAKES A LOT OF MONEY TO BE ABLE TO SUBSIDIZE THAT TYPE OF HOUSING.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE STRATEGIES THAT I TALKED ABOUT IS LIKE, WHAT CAN WE DO TO EXPAND OUR FUNDING SOURCES? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING ACROSS THE CITY TO MEET THESE GOALS? UM, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY COMING INTO THE CITY, AND SO THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL.
HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE, UH, BOND COMMITTEE LOOKING AT THE $150 MILLION BOND PROJECT? UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY OBSERVATIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE DIRECTION THAT'S GOING IN OR WHAT YOU'RE SEEING? NOT SPECIFICALLY.
UM, I, YEAH, I THINK IT'S A GREAT DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, UH, AGAIN, TO, TO LOOK AT HOW ALL THAT FUNDING IS STRUCTURED AND LOOK AT HOW IT IS, UM, A AWARDED, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PROTECTIONS AND POLICIES IN PLACE SO THAT WHATEVER IS ULTIMATELY ACCOMPLISHED WITH, WITH THAT FUNDING IS, IS ACTUALLY GOING TO MEET THE NEEDS.
DO YOU THINK THAT'S STILL THE DIRECTION THAT THE HOUSING TRUST SHOULD TAKE? ABSOLUTELY.
YEAH, I THINK, YEAH, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A COMBINATION OF STRATEGIES, AND I THINK I, I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT THE HOUSING TRUST IS ALSO PARTICIPATES IN SOME OF THAT DEVELOPMENT, BUT YES, YOU NEED THE HELP OF AS MANY PARTNERS AS YOU CAN FIND.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. DUKA FOR, UH, STEPPING FORWARD AND BEING WILLING TO SERVE.
UH, WE HAVE FURTHER DELIBERATIONS, THEN WE'LL COME OUT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
ALRIGHT, OUR NEXT AND I BELIEVE LAST INTERVIEW TODAY IS GABE GABRIEL QUEZ.
UM, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS, BUT I, I WILL REITERATE, UM, WE ARE GIVING EVERYONE TWO MINUTES, UH, FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT THAT WE'LL GO AROUND WITH QUESTIONS.
COUNSEL WILL, UH, CONVENE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DELIBERATE, AND THEN WE'LL COME OUT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, UH, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
WELL, I, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
I, UH, GOTTA TELL YOU THAT IN THE, IN THE ROOM THERE, I WAS INTRODUCED TO QUITE A BIT OF, UH, WONDERFUL PEOPLE AND, UH, JUST VERY HONORED TO BE INCLUDED IN THAT, IN THAT GROUP.
I'M, UH, BORN AND RAISED IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
WENT TO DALE HIGH SCHOOL AND HAVE A DEGREE IN ARCHITECTURE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO.
CURRENTLY, I'M THE PRESIDENT, C E O OF THE AVE GUADALUPE ASSOCIATION.
THAT'S A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IN THE WEST SIDE.
HE'S BEEN AROUND FOR SOME 40 YEARS.
UH, INSIDE OF, UM, THE EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THAT ORGANIZATION, I, UM, UM, ALSO THE PRESIDENT, C E O OF THE VE GUADALUPE SAR SENIOR HOMES, AND THE VE GUADALUPE DEVELOPMENT INCORPORATED THAT ARE THE HOSTS OF TWO HUD 2 0 2 HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS
[01:40:02]
THAT OPERATE AT, UH, 30% A M I.UM, WE ALSO HAVE ONE, UH, T D H C A SENIOR HOUSING, UH, COMMUNITY THAT OPERATES SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND 50% A M I.
SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH, UH, NOT ONLY THE, THE MANAGEMENT OF, OF THE HOUSING, BUT ALSO WHAT IT TAKES TO, UH, OPERATE, WHICH I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT'S LEFT OFF OF, UH, UM, MUCH CONSIDERATIONS, UH, WITH RESPECT TO WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO ACTUALLY, UH, MAKE SURE THE DEPARTMENTS REMAIN, UH, IN GOOD CONDITION AND THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE, ARE WELL TAKEN CARE OF INSIDE OF THE WORK THAT I DO PROFESSIONALLY, MY A A A STRONG MAJORITY OF MY, UH, PROFESSIONAL CAREER HAS BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY OF ARCHITECTURE.
SO I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME, UH, IN DEVELOPMENT.
BUT I THINK IT ALSO GIVES A PARTICULAR, UH, CAPABILITY, UM, UH, WITH RESPECT TO PROBLEM SOLVING, BECAUSE MANY TIMES WE LOOK AT WHAT DO WE DO, WE THINK THE BEST SOLUTION IS, BUT THE ARCHITECTURAL INDUSTRY TEACHES US, WHICH IS A VERY ARROGANT, UM, OUTCOME THAT SOMEHOW WE CAN IMAGINE WHAT THE UNANTICIPATED CONSEQUENCES OR BENEFITS ARE OF AN IDEA, WHICH I THINK IS A REALLY IMPORTANT THING WHEN IT COMES TO PROBLEM SOLVING, PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT TO HOUSING FOR THE FUTURE.
NOW, MUCH OF MY TIME IN, IN, IN, UH, IN COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SPENT, UM, UH, ORGANIZING AND BUILDING CAPACITY.
I WAS A CONSULTANT FOR THE N E E K C FOUNDATION FOR QUITE SOME TIME ORGANIZING IN THE MOST, UH, CHALLENGING COMMUNITY.
SO I'VE, I'VE GOT A LONG HISTORY IN COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. VELAZQUEZ.
UM, I'LL, I'LL START OUR QUESTIONS AND, AND, UM, I THINK YOU, YOU WERE ALLUDING TO SOME OF THIS, BUT I, I WANT TO MOVE BACK HERE, WHICH IS, UM, INVESTMENT IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS CRITICAL, UH, AND WE NEED TO INCREASE INVESTMENT IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND IN THE ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE, UH, I WOULD SAY THAT ARE HOST TO THE MAJORITY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SAY IN THE WEST SIDE OR IN THE EAST SIDE, THAT THOSE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT REALLY SHOULD FOCUS ON REDEVELOPMENT AS OPPOSED TO, UH, NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO UNDERSTANDING THAT, I THINK IS THE, THE FIRST, UH, LINE OF, OF, UM, OF, OF, OF, OF BEGINNING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RIGHT DEVELOPERS, THE DEVELOP THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE, ARE FOCUSING IN ON, SAY, THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECTS VERSUS DEVELOPERS THAT ARE LOOKING AT THE CONSTRUCTION OF HIGHER DENSITIES.
UH, AND, AND, AND MOST DEFINITELY, UH, UH, UH, BEING THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHO THE RIGHT PARTNERS ARE WITH, WITH THE RIGHT KIND OF, UH, PROJECTS.
UM, WE'LL GO TO QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, MR. MAYOR, BUT I'LL, I'LL, UM, THANK YOU MR. VELAZQUEZ.
THANK YOU MR. VELAZQUEZ, FOR YOUR APPLICATION AND, AND FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M GONNA START OFF BY, UM, TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD A FOCUS ON THE DECADE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I'M JUST WONDERING HOW YOU AS A MEMBER OF THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST WOULD BE ABLE TO FURTHER THE GOALS, UM, THAT HAVE KIND OF BEEN SET OUT BY THE PLANNING COM, UH, COMMITTEE AND BY OTHERS AND FOCUSING MORE ON OUR NEIGHBORHOODS? WELL, I, I, UM, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED AS MUCH AS I POSSIBLY CAN WITH RESPECT TO THE MASTER PLANNING EFFORTS OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO, UH, THERE ARE MANY LAYERS THAT, THAT I THINK WE CAN DO, UH, A, A BETTER JOB OF INTEGRATING THE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS COMING FROM ALL OF THE MINES THAT ARE, UH, DECIDING WHAT IT, WHAT, WHAT, UH, REALLY CREATES FUNCTIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, I THINK AT ONE LEVEL IT'S UNDERSTANDING, UH, WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP IS BETWEEN HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION OR HOUSING AND SERVICES.
UM, I, I, I'M A STRONG, UH, PROPONENT THAT, UH, THERE ISN'T A NEED TO INCREASE DENSITIES WHERE HIGH DENSITIES OF, OF, UH, OF, OF, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING EXISTS.
THOSE ARE ENVIRONMENTS THAT I THINK REALLY NEED REDEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO REALLY HASN'T BEEN, UH, UM, ACTIVELY AWARE AND WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF, UM, OF, I DON'T WANNA SAY, UM, UM, UH, OF, OF THERE NOT BEING DEVELOPMENT IN, IN AREAS THAT SAY ARE 30, 40 YEARS OLD, RIGHT.
WITH RESPECT TO, WE LOOK AT THE ANA APACHE, WE'RE TALKING ALMOST 80 YEARS, RIGHT? WE LOOK AT THE VI VIE MEN THERE, THE CASTANO,
[01:45:01]
AS OPPOSED TO LIKE THE WHEATLEY, RIGHT? UM, SO I, I, I, I'M A STRONG BELIEVER THAT THAT, UM, ATTENTION HAS TO BE BROUGHT TOWARD THE, THE, THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THESE, UM, OLDER COMMUNITIES BECAUSE, UM, THEY HAVE, UH, THE, THE LACK OF DEVELOPMENT HAS CONSEQUENCES TO OUR COMMUNITIES.WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, THERE ISN'T A BALANCED GROWTH WITH RESPECT TO WHERE DO OUR LOW INCOME FAMILIES, UH, FIND, UH, FAIR HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE EXTENDED SAN ANTONIO.
SO I, I THINK THAT, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH RESPECT TO THE SIMPLE QUESTION, UM, UH, THAT, UH, UH, IT'S SMART TO, TO FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON LOW INCOME, BUT I THINK THE MORE COMPLEX, UM, ANSWER IS THAT, UH, WE, WE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF WHERE WE ARE AS A CITY AND, UH, THAT THE CONSEQUENCES WITH RESPECT TO SAY THE, UH, YOU KNOW, SAN ANTONIO BEING, BEING KNOWN AS A ECONOMICALLY SEGREGATED CITY, RIGHT? UH, ONE OF THEM IN THE CITY, THAT THAT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT WHERE, UM, TO INCENTIVIZE INVESTMENT, WE HAVE TO REALLY BE SMART ABOUT GROWTH.
COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
HOW DO YOU SEE TRANSPORTATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING RELATING TO ONE ANOTHER? WELL, THEY'RE VERY RELATED TO ONE ANOTHER.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT WHERE THE DISCONNECT IS, IS THAT, UM, THERE, THERE'S NOT A, UH, UH, I GUESS A GOOD ENOUGH EFFORT TO DOVETAIL, UH, EXISTING, UH, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PLANNING.
SO WHETHER IT'S SAY, TOMORROW OR, OR WHETHER IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR UNDERSTANDING OF, UM, UH, WHERE WHO HAS A RIGHT TO, TO, TO LIVE AFFORDABLY IN WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD AS WE SEE CITY AS, AS WE SEE SOME OF SAN ANTONIO'S INNER CITIES, THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN HOME TO THE POOR, DEVELOP, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS OF THE ATTITUDES OF THE HI HIDDEN, UM, DISCUSSIONS OF NIMBYISM AND, AND, AND, UM, THE KIND OF THE, UH, UH, THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, MENTALITIES BECAUSE THE, THE LINES TO TRANSPORTATION ARE, UH, IN AREAS THAT ARE BECOMING, UM, UM, MORE DESIRABLE AS PEOPLE RETURN TO THE INNER CITY.
SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH WHETHER OR NOT OUR TRANSPORTATION IS ACCESSIBLE TO OUR HOUSING STOCK, IT'S REALLY MORE WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE WHO HAVE, UH, WHO LIVE IN THE LOW INCOME ENVIRONMENTS ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REAP THE REWARDS OF GOOD PLANNING.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UH, THE DISCONNECT IN, IN, UM, IN THE MASTER PLANNING AND MAYBE EVEN SOME OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE THAT WE USE THE LANGUAGE TO SUPPORT SMART GROWTH, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A FOUNDATION THAT BACKS UP THAT PEOPLE OF LOWER INCOMES ARE GONNA GET TO BENEFIT FROM THAT SMART GROWTH.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN EASY ANSWER.
UM, UM, BUT IT BEING A COMPLEX ANSWER DOESN'T MEAN THAT, THAT IT'S, UM, IMPOSSIBILITY.
IT'S JUST THAT I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT MINDS AT THE TABLE AND A COMMITMENT TO THAT ACCOUNTABILITY BECAUSE, UH, TO ME, IT'S NOT WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, PROXIMITY TO GOOD HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND, AND TRANSPORTATION.
IT'S WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE BRAVE ENOUGH TO MOVE AGAINST THE TREND THAT THE ONLY ONES THAT HAVE ACCESS TO THE, TO THE BETTER ASPECTS OF, UH, CITY PLANNING ARE GONNA BE THE ONES THAT CAN AFFORD TO LIVE NEAR THAT GOOD TRANSPORTATION.
WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS MISSING FROM THE FOUNDATION? WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S ON ONE, I, ON ONE END, I WOULD THINK THAT MAYBE TRANSPARENCY, BUT I WOULDN'T SAY THAT THE ORGANIZATION IS NOT TRANSPARENT.
IT, IT MAY BE THE WAY THAT IT'S COMMUNICATED, BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO A GOOD RESEARCH ON THE TRUST AND YOU LOOK AT THE HOUSING INVESTMENTS AND, AND THE, THE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED, OR AT LEAST THAT, THAT ARE, THAT ARE PRESENTED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF, OF, OF THE HOUSING TRUST, IT SEEMS THAT THERE, THERE ARE GOOD EFFORTS TO HAVE, UM, UH, INVESTMENT IN A BROAD, UH, RANGE OF, UM, OF AREAS AMIS THAT ARE 80%, AMIS THAT ARE 60%.
THERE SEEMS TO BE QUITE A BIT AT 30%.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE, THAT, THAT SOMETIMES THE CITY GETS INVOLVED IN HIGH PROFILE ARGUMENTS THAT, THAT IT, FOR INSTANCE, YOU TAKE THE FREDERICK LOFTS, IT, IT, IT CAN SOUND LIKE THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT THE HOUSING TRUST WAS DOING, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT IT WAS DOING, IT SEEMS THAT THERE'S A BIT MORE BALANCE THAN, THAN WHAT IS PRESENTED.
[01:50:01]
UH, AM AWARE OF CO CONVERSATIONS THAT COUNCIL THAT SURROUND THE AREA OF 30% A M I ZERO TO 30% A M I NOW IN THE, IN THE ROLE THAT I, UH, I HOLD PROFESSIONALLY, UH, WE ARE IN THE ZERO TO 30% A M I COMMUNITY.THERE'S A REALITY TO ALL OF IT.
I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE OF THE PAST PARTICIPANTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT THEY CONSIDER, UM, IMPORTANT TO, UM, TO THE CITY FOR THE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT STRATEGIES THEY, THEY POSES FOR THE, FOR THE FUTURE GROWTH OF HOUSING.
BUT I MEAN, I, I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT, UH, IT COULD DO A BETTER JOB OF COMMUNICATING TO THE CITIZENS, UH, REAL KNOWLEDGE OF HOW, UH, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT HOW YOU GET LOW INCOME PEOPLE INTO ZERO TO 30%, BUT THAT THE, THE OWNER OR THE MANAGERS THAT THEY CAN'T POSSIBLY BE THE DEVILS BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THOSE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE FUNDED TODAY THAT LOOK PRETTY AND NEW NOW DON'T BECOME THE SLUMS OF THE FUTURE.
BECAUSE IF A, IF A, IF, IF THE, IF THE, IF THE PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS ARE NOT MANAGED PROPERLY, OR, OR, OR THE EXPECTATIONS ARE SET TOO HIGH, IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF WHETHER WE CAN GET PEOPLE IN HOUSING, IT'S WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO STAY IN THAT HOUSING BECAUSE THE HOUSING IS SUCH A CONDITION THAT THEY WOULD WANNA STAY IN THAT HOUSING.
SO DISPLACEMENT IS CAUSED BY MANY DIFFERENT THINGS, RIGHT? UM, I, I, I DON'T WANT TO, UM, UH, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE TO SAY ANYTHING, UM, UH, N NEGATIVELY ABOUT, UM, WHAT THEY CAN DO BETTER.
I CAN ONLY TELL YOU THAT THE ROOM OF PEOPLE THAT I WAS SITTING WITH RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE ALL WONDERFUL PEOPLE, AND THEY ALL, UH, SEEM TO BE VERY, UM, KNOWLEDGEABLE.
UM, THE BEST THING THAT I, I, I WOULD SAY IS CHOOSE WISELY AND CHOOSE LONG TERM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, JUST AS A PERSONAL NOTE, UM, CHOOSE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WHAT I HAVE, UH, TAKEN IN FROM NEWSPAPER OR FROM, UH, CONTROVERSIES OF THE HOUSING TRUST, UH, HAVE ALL SURROUNDED THAT.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A, AS AN OLD ACTIVIST, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ARE NOT NECESSARILY THINGS THAT, THAT YOU DO, THEY'RE THINGS THAT YOU DRAMATIZE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CAB HDA, COUNCIL MEMBER COURAGE.
THANK YOU MR. VELASQUEZ, FOR OFFERING YOURSELF TO SERVE ON THE BOARD AS, UM, AS A LEADER IN THE AVENUE, AVENUE GUADALUPE ASSOCIATION.
HAVE YOU AND THE PEOPLE IN YOUR GROUP LOOKED AT THE SHIP PROGRAM RIGHT NOW, AND DO YOU THINK IT'S TENDED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY? UH, NO, WE HAVEN'T, SIR.
UH, HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING AT, UH, THE ONGOING DISCUSSION ABOUT THE $150 MILLION BOND PROJECT? YES.
UH, WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR OBSERVATIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT WHERE YOU THINK THAT'S GOING? WELL, LET, LET ME, UH, LET YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IN MY RESUME, BUT IN, IN THE, UM, THE PREVIOUS HOUSING COMMISSION THAT WAS THE HOUSING COMMISSION TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT, UM, UH, SAN ANTONIO'S NEIGHBORHOODS, I WAS A MEMBER OF THAT COMMISSION.
I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST, UM, ITERATIONS OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
AND, UM, THE FIRST $20 MILLION, I THINK THAT WAS, THAT WAS PUSHED FORWARD WAS, COMES FROM THAT.
UM, FROM THAT TABLE, UH, I'VE STAYED INVOLVED, UM, AND AWARE OVER THE COURSE OF MANY YEARS, UM, BEING CER BEING A COMMUNITY SURROUNDED BY THE ANA APACHE COURTS AND NANO, UM, GIVES YOU A REALLY STRONG PERSPECTIVE OF, OF, OF WHERE DOLLARS ARE NEEDED WITH RESPECT TO HOUSING WHEN IT COMES TO THE $150 MILLION BOND.
I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, FROM THE REDUCTION TO THE, TO THE, UH, DISCUSSION, I WATCH COUNCIL REGULARLY TO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, WHERE THE, THE A M I SHOULD BE.
I'VE, I'VE, UH, UM, HAVE YOU BEEN A BIG FAN OF YOUR COMMENTS? UH, BECAUSE I FIND THEM VERY SOBERING WITH RESPECT TO, IF, IF, IF WE SAY THAT WE'RE GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF THIS COMMUNITY, UH, IT'S LOWER ECONOMIC COMMUNITY SEEKING HOUSING OR NEEDING HOUSING, THAT, THAT THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE TO, UH, PLACE OUR ATTENTION.
UM, AND I'VE GOTTA TELL YOU, EVERY DAY I GO TO WORK, I GO TO WORK IN A COMMUNITY SERVING SENIORS AT 30%, AND KNOWING THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND ME IS ZERO TO ZERO TO 30, BUT I, I DO SEE HOUSING AS A, AS A OVERARCHING, RIGHT? AND, AND THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY CONSIDERATION OF ECONOMICS.
EVERYBODY HAS A RIGHT TO LIVE IN THE HOUSING THAT THEY WANNA LIVE IN,
[01:55:01]
AND, UM, THAT, UM, THE CITY INCENTIVIZES HOUSING AT ALL LEVELS.SO, WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE OF, UM, OF, UM, HOW THOSE DOLLARS ARE EMPLOYED, I LIKE TO LOOK AT THE CITY AS A SHIP THAT'S OUT BALANCE.
THAT JUST MEANS TO ME THAT WHEN IT'S IMBALANCE THAT THE, THE LOWER TIER WILL BE RAISED AND, BUT THAT THE HIGHER TIER IS STILL INVOLVED, THEY'RE STILL, THEY STILL HAVE ACCESS.
AND IF, UM, IF RAISING IT MEANS THAT THERE HAS TO BE, UH, DOLLARS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT OF, I, I'LL GIVE YOU ONE STRONG, UH, PERSONAL EXAMPLE, REDEVELOPMENT OF THE NDI, THE APACHE, THE CASTANO, THE LINCOLN, ALL WITHIN THE CONSTRUCT OF THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY, RIGHT? WHICH IS A, WHICH IS A STRANGE ONE CLIENT, RIGHT? THAT SOMEHOW THE SITUATION THAT WE FIND OURSELF IN WITH $150 MILLION IS THAT IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO BEGIN WITH, RIGHT? BUT IT MOST DEFINITELY IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO I THINK THAT, THAT WITH RESPECT TO CONVERSATIONS, UM, WE REALLY HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES WHAT THE CAPABILITY OF THE UPPER TIER DEVELOPMENT IS TO DEVELOP ON THEIR OWN.
AND, AND WHEN THE CITY'S GONNA UNDERSTAND THAT THE OUTCOMES OF THE OVERARCHING ECONOMIC IN THIS CITY IS DRAMATICALLY IMPACTED BY THE SEGREGATION ERA HOUSING THAT OUR POOR LIVE IN TODAY, THAT THERE'S A PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE THAT, THAT WE DON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR, THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO BEGIN TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR.
SO IF WE LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE ANA APACHE COULD GET REDEVELOPED, UM, THAT COULD ONLY LEAD TO OTHERS THAT REALLY LEVELING OUT THE SHIP FOR OUR CITY AS A WHOLE WOULD ALMOST MANDATE THAT THE LION'S SHARE OF INVESTMENT IN THIS ERA WILL GO TO THOSE ENVIRONMENTS THAT HAVE, UM, THAT, THAT ARE JUST, I JUST AS IMPORTANT ECONOMICALLY AS THE BUSINESSMAN THAT COMES IN AND SAYS THAT, UH, I'M GONNA HOUSE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, UH, TURNING THE BUSINESS WHEELS OF THIS CITY, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT ONE OR THE OTHER, BUT ADDRESSING THE CONSEQUENCES OF PAST, UM, UM, THINGS THAT WE'VE IGNORED IN THE PAST, THAT THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO THE CITY AS A WHOLE IS, UM, UM, BALANCING THAT SHIP.
UH, MR. VELAZQUEZ, WE HAVE, UH, DELIBERATION NOW AND, UH, WE'LL COME OUT WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, LET ME GET MY SCRIPT HERE.
[Executive Session ]
IS NOW 12:02 PM ON THIS 15TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2021.THE CITY COUNCIL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEET IS MEETING RE IS RECESSING IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DELIBERATE THE APPOINTMENT OF THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST MEMBERS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.074 PERSONNEL MATTERS AND DISCUSS RELATED LEGAL ISSUES PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.071 CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY.
WE'RE GONNA STAY IN THIS ROOM.
UH, SO, UM, FOLKS WHO ARE NOT PART OF THE EXECUTIVE, UM, COMMITTEE, IF YOU COULD EXIT NOW, UM, AND IF WE CAN CUT OUR TRANSMISSION FOR THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UH, THE TIME IS NOW 12:26 PM ON THIS 15TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2021.
THE CITY COUNCIL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE WILL NOW RECONVENE AN OPEN SESSION.
NO OFFICIAL ACTION WAS TAKEN IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, FIRST LEMME JUST SAY, UM, THE GENERAL CONSENSUS, I, I CAN SPEAK FOR THE COMMITTEE IS THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST POOL OF APPLICANTS WE'VE EVER SEEN.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYONE WHO STEPPED FORWARD.
UH, THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT DELIBERATION AND WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYONE WHO IS NOT SELECTED TODAY TO STAY ENGAGED IN THE HOUSING PROCESS BECAUSE THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO ENGAGE AND WE NEED YOUR EXPERTISE AND INPUT IN THAT PROCESS.
UM, BUT AT THIS TIME, UM, LET ME TURN IT TO COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO RECOMMEND A SLATE OF APPOINTMENT FOR APPOINTMENT BY THE FULL CITY COUNCIL AT AN UPCOMING A SESSION.
SO, COUNCIL MEMBER ROCHA GARCIA.
I MOVE THAT ANTOINETTE BRUMFIELD AND THE HOUSING EXPERT CATEGORY AND ERIC COOPER AND JANE PAONE AND THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE CATEGORY BE RECOMMENDED TO SERVE FOR A TERM ENDING MAY 31ST, 2023
[02:00:01]
ON THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, AND THAT MARIA MURILLO AND ROCHELLE HATHAWAY IN THE HOUSING EXPERT CATEGORY AND JORDAN GOOEY IN THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE CATEGORY, BE RECOMMENDED TO SERVE A TERMING MAY 31ST, 2025 ON THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, AND FOR RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE CONSIDERED BY FULL CITY COUNCIL AT THE JANUARY 16TH, 2021, A SESSION MEETING.THERE WAS A MOTION AND A SECOND, UH, FOR THE RE RECOMMENDED SLATE OF APPOINTMENT, UH, FOR THE HOUSING TRUST BOARD.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE.
UM, NOT AN EASY ONE TODAY, BUT, UH, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
THE TIME IS NOW 12:28 PM ON THIS 15TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2021.
CITY COUNCIL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE IS NOW ADJOURNED.