[00:00:06] >> MUNGIA: GOOD AFTERNOON, THE TIME IS NOW 4:02 P.M. ON NOVEMBER 17TH, 2025, AND THE MEETING OF THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. >> CLERK: >> MUNGIA: AWESOME. OKAY. ON THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES, AND CAN I GET A MOTION? THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. (AYES.) >> MUNGIA: ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. PUBLIC COMMENT, MADAM CLERK, ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WOW. WE'RE JUST MOVING THROUGH THIS STUFF. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILWOMAN. GREAT. OKAY. SO NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE CONSENT AGENDA. DO I HAVE A MOTION ON THAT? THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR "R. (AYES.) (. >> MUNGIA: ALL OPPOSED? AWESOME. WE WELL MOIF ON TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR. MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE CAPTION. >> CLERK: ITEM NUMBER 4 IS INCREASING HOUSING SUPPLY FOR THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL POPULATIONS, VETERANS SEEKING TO UTILIZE HOUSING VOUCHERS WITHIN 5 MILES OF THE VETERAN'S AFFAIRS HEALTHCARE FACILITY, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, NOTABLY THE DEAF AND BLIND, OLDER ADULTS AND LGBTQ PLUS YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU, VERONICA, ARE YOU GOING TO LEAD US OFF? >> YES. THANK YOU, GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR, COUNCILMEMBERS. VERONICA GARZA DIRECTOR OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING DEPARTMENTS. TODAY I'LL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE WORK AS A TASK FORCE REALLY FOCUSING ON THE INCREASING THE HOUSING SUPPLY FOR TARGETED SPECIAL POPULATIONS. THE TASK FORCE WAS CREATED ON SEPTEMBER 23RD, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK MY FELLOW TRY CHAIRS WHO HAVE REALLY BEEN HELPING WITH OUR WORK. OUR FOCUS IS CLEAR, REALLY HELPING ON INCREASE HOUSING SUPPLY FOR ALL OF THE NAMED POPULATIONS THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE READ OFF. WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY TO IDENTIFY THE HOUSING NEEDS OF THESE GROUPS, WHICH WE UNDERSTAND ARE NUANCED, AND SO THERE'S MANY THINGS WE HAVE TO CONSIDER AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS. I WANT TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THE VALUABLE INPUT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM SERVICE PROVIDERS, DEVELOPERS, HOUSING PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THEIR VOICES ARE REALLY HELPING ENSURE THAT OUR WORK IS RESPONSIVE AND WE HAVE AN EQUITABLE APPROACH TO HOUSING SUPPLY IN OUR CITY. THE INITIAL FINDINGS OF THE TASK FORCE WILL BE SHARED IN A REPORT NO LATER THAN JANUARY 15TH, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A COMMUNITY DISCUSSION AT OUR ANNUAL HOUSING IN SAN ANTONIO EVENT ON OUR INITIAL FINDINGS ON JANUARY 24TH, WHICH MAY THEN HELP INFORM OUR FINAL REPORT THEREAFTER. THE TASK FORCE HAS SEVERAL APPROACHES TO THE WORK OF HOW WE CAN LOOK AT POTENTIAL STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING HOUSING SUPPLY. FIRST, WE ARE HOSTING SEVERAL PANEL DISCUSSIONS. WE ARE ALSO -- THESE PANEL DISCUSSIONS HELP OUR TASK FORCE MEMBERS HERE FROM PEOPLE CLOSEST TO THE ISSUES. WE KNOW THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADD TO THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS, SO WE'RE ALSO HOSTING -- HAVING SITE VISITS, REALLY LOOKING AT DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, FACILITIES AND DIFFERENT MODELS THROUGHOUT TOWN. THIS WILL ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS INTO THE WORK, AND ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING CONCURRENTLY OVERLAPPING, SO -- BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING ON A QUICK TIMELINE. LAST WEEK WE ALSO RELEASED A COMMUNITY SURVEY, REALLY TRYING TO HELP ENGAGE INDIVIDUALS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE AND REALLY BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF THESE GROUPS. FINALLY, WE HEARD FROM THE COMMITTEE LAST TIME AT OUR BRIEFING THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR WORK IS ALSO INFORMED BY DIFFERENT FORMS OF DATA AND RESEARCH, SO WE ARE LOOKING AT LOCALE DATA AS WELL AS NATIONAL INFORMATION AND ALSO FOCUSING ON HOW WE CAN LOOK AT OTHER HOUSING MODELS AND BEST PRACTICES FROM OTHER CITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. SO FIRST I'LL HIGHLIGHT, WE DID HAVE OUR FIRST PANEL DISCUSSION FOCUSING ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. THIS WAS HELD ON OCTOBER 23RD. MANY THANKS TO ALL OF OUR PANELISTS, INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING THE ARC OF SAN ANTONIO, THE SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION AND COLLECTIVE IMPACT, DEAF LINK, FRANKLIN APARTMENT MANAGEMENT, CHANGING SA, MORGAN'S INCLUSION INSTITUTE AND THE [00:05:03] NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE PLIEND OF TEXAS. WE HAD LOTS OF PANELIST ALSO JOIFNED OUR HOUSING COMMISSIONERS FOR THE CONVERSATION. WHAT WE HEARD, THEMES EMERGE FROM THE PANELISTS WAS REALLY LOTS OF INFORMATION ON BARRIERS EXPERIENCED BY INDIVIDUALS IN THIS POPULATION AS WELL AS THE SERVICE PROVIDERS AND FROM THE HOUSING BUILDERS. FOR THE INDIVIDUALS, WE HEARD A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE NEED FOR -- THERE'S NO CENTRAL RESOURCE TO HELP INDIVIDUALS SEARCH FOR ACCESSIBLE HOMES AND -- HOW ACCESSIBILITY IS DEFINED UNIT BY UNIT AND ACROSS DIFFERENT HOUSING COMMUNITIES. ON THE NOTE OF LACK OF CONSISTENCY, THERE WAS ALSO LOTS OF TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THESE GROUPS? THAT'S DEFINED DIFFERENTLY BY DIFFERENT HOUSING PROVIDERS. WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL ACCOMMODATIONS? HOW MUCH DO THEY COST? WHO'S SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR THEM? SO ALL OF THESE ARE CHALLENGES THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE AND IT'S REALLY -- IT REALLY VARIES ACROSS THE POPULATIONS AND EVEN FROM PARTS OF TOWN AND ACROSS DIFFERENT HOUSING COMMUNITIES. SO FROM THE BUILDERS, WE HEARD THAT THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL COSTS SOMETIMES TO MODIFY EXISTING BUILDINGS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS, AND EVEN ON NEW BUILDS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND WHAT THOSE COSTS ARE, WHAT ARE WE ASKING FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY BUILD TO, AND WHAT MORE INFORMATION CAN WE PROVIDE TO MAKE IT CLEAR ON WHAT THE TRADEOFFS AMONG THOSE COSTS COULD BE. AS WE LOOK FORWARD AT THE TAKEAWAYS THAT INFORMS OUR FINAL REPORT, WE HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PUSH TO BUILD BEYOND REGULAR ADA STANDARDS. WE'RE ASKED TO BUILD OFF OF THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST UNIVERSAL DESIGN STANDARDS THAT THEY'VE INCORPORATED FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENTS, AND WHAT WE CAN USE IN OUR PROPOSAL, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE REPRESENTATION FROM PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY THE DEAF AND BLIND COMMUNITY IN OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND OTHER HOUSING EVENTS. ANOTHER PANEL CONVERSATION WE'RE LEVERAGING THE WORK OF THE RENTAL ENGAGEMENT AND ASSISTANCE TO CONNECT HOUSING OR OUR REACH INITIATIVE. THIS GROUP HAS BEEN MEETING FOR OVER A YEAR ALREADY REALLY FOCUSING ON INDIVIDUALS UTILIZING HOUSING VOUCHERS, INCLUDING VETERANS, THIS GROUP INCLUDES HOUSING AUTHORITIES, VETERANS, GI FORUM, VETERAN AFFAIRS AND MILITARY AND VETERAN AFFAIRS AGAIN, ALL WITH THE FOCUS ON HOW DO WE MAKE MORE HOUSING AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WHO RELY ON VOUCHERS. IN THE LAST QUARTERLY MEETING THE GROUP TALKED ABOUT HOW VETERANS USING VOUCHERS HAVE A LEASE UP RATE OF 90%, BUT IN ORDER TO STAY HOUSED, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE CASE MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SUPPORTS AVAILABLE TO THESE POPULATIONS. OUR TEAM WAS ABLE TO VISIT VALOR HILL APARTMENTS, WHICH WE MENTIONED AT THE LAST PCDC MEETING, IT'S A NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY IN SAN ANTONIO, AND IT WAS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR VETERANS EXITING HOMELESSNESS. IT ALSO HAS UNITS THAT CATER TO YOUNG ADULTS EXITING FOSTER CARE. AND THE COMMUNITY HAS BOTH SAMMINISTRIES AND THE VA THAT OFFER SERVICES ON SITE. AGAIN, REALLY DEMONSTRATING A GREAT LOCAL EXAMPLE OF A HOUSING COMMUNITY BUILT-IN PARTNERSHIP, WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS THERE TO HELP INDIVIDUALS STAY HOUSED. WE ALSO HAVE HAD LOTS OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LGBTQ PLUS UNHOUSED YOUTH SERVICE PROVIDERS. WE WERE ABLE TO VISIT THRIVE YOUTH CENTER TO REALLY DISCUSS THE HOUSING NEEDS AND SERVICES OFFERED. WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH VARIOUS LOCAL OTHER ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING FIESTA YOUTH, SAN ANTONIO YOUTH COUNCIL, ALAMO AREA RESOURCE CENTER AND NEXT LEVEL AND WE HAVE SEVERAL ADDITIONAL SITE VISITS AND GROUPS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH. AS MENTIONED, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR REPORTS -- OUR REPORT IS INFORMED BY THE LOCAL CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAPPENING -- HOUSING NEED AND TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BARRIERS ARE AND HELP INFORM THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING. WE'VE ALSO GOING TO LOOK AT NATIONAL CASE STUDY EXAMPLES, INCLUDING HOUSING MODELS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS FROM NEW MEXICO, CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON, D.C., AND THOSE CASE STUDIES MAY BE INCLUDED IN OUR INITIAL REPORT AS WELL. ALL OF THIS WILL BE DONE IN PARTNERSHIP AND IN COORDINATION WITH OUR CONSULTANT WHO'S WORKING ON OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION FIVE-YEAR MIDPOINT REFRESH, SO WE'RE COLLECTING DATA FOR THAT, AND IT WILL ALSO HELP INFORM THIS PARTICULAR WORK. AS MENTIONED, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE PANELS, SO THE NEXT ONE IS ACTUALLY THIS WEEK ON NOVEMBER 20TH, FOCUSED ON HOUSING FOR OLDER ADULT [00:10:04] TS. I'LL THANK YOU IN ADVANCE TO OUR PANELISTS REPRESENTING A WIDE RANGE OF GROUPS INCLUDING THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONS, MEALS ON WHEELS, SUCCESSFULLY AGING AND LIVING IN SAN ANTONIO AND THE JOINT COMMISSION ON ELDERLY AFFAIRS, PROSPERA AND FRANKLIN DEVELOPMENT. OUR NEXT PANEL WILL BE FOCUSED ON HOUSING FOR LGBTQ PLUS UNHOUSED YOUTH ON DECEMBER 12TH AND WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION WITH OUR REACH INITIATIVE FOLLOWING UP ON OUR DISCUSSION WITH VETERANS WITH VOUCHERS. WE HEARD WITH THE GROUP LAST TIME TO MAKE SURE WE REACH OUT TO SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS AND MANY HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN EITHER SITE VIVISITS OR YOU MAY SEE THEM ON PANELS WE'RE CONSCIENCE TO REACH OUT TO MANY OF THOSE GROUPS AND INCLUDE THEIR VOICES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. SO THAT'S A BRIEF UPDATE ON THE WORK WE'VE DONE, SOME OF WHAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK ON, THE WORK AHEAD. WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU ON WHO EMS WE SHOULD -- ELSE WE SHOULD BE ENGAGING AND MAYBE WHAT OTHER SOLUTIONS YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE INFORMS OUR WORK. SO THANK YOU. . >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU, VERONICA, VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. AND WE HAD THIS ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE THIS IS THE MIDWAY POINT FOR THIS PLAN TO BE PRODUCED BY JANUARY 15TH FOR THE MAYOR'S CHARGE. SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE CHECK IN WITH FOLKS AND ALLOW COUNCIL TO, YOU KNOW, WEIGH IN AND GIVE SOME FEEDBACK ON WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON. SO WITH THAT, WE'LL START ON OUR COUNCIL DISCUSSION. DO ANY MEMBERS WISH TO SPEAK? HAVE QUESTIONS? VERONICA DID AN A PLUS JOB. COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND THANK YOU, VERONICA, FOR THE PRESENTATION, AS WELL AS THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR FACILITATING THESE PANELS. JUSTIN ON MY TEAM HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE PANEL DISCUSSION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND AS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE PRESENTATION, THERE'S A NEED TO MOVE WITH URGENCY ON MOVING BEYOND THE ADA STANDARDS AND REPLICATING WITH THE WORK THAT THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST HAS ADOPTED, SO I'M EAGER TO SEE WHETHER IT'S THROUGH THE CHAIR AGENDIZING -- ADDRESSING THAT ISSUE OR A CCR, I'M EAGER FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD. I KNOW JANE -- THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR HER, AND SHE'S MET WITH MY TEAM TO TALK ABOUT HOW CAN WE MOVE WITH URGENCY ON THIS ITEM IN TERMS OF AREAS AND FOLKS TO ENGAGE, I DO BELIEVE THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH BIG HOMIES, THEY WORK WITH THE FAMILIES AND FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS AND THEY HIGHLIGHT THE BARRIERS THAT FOLKS WITH FELONIES HAVE WITH ACCESS FOR HOUSING. I KNOW HAVEN FOR HOPE DOES HAVE A PROGRAM WHICH ESSENTIALLY CAUSES THE COST, LIKE AN INSURANCE ESSENTIALLY, TO HELP HOUSE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE CONSIDERED HIGH RISK, RIGHT, SO I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SUPPORT HAVEN IN THAT WORK OR EXPAND THAT WORK. BUT ALSO LOOKING AT UNCONVENTIONAL FUNDING SOURCES, RIGHT, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE -- NOT UNCONVENTIONAL, BUT NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING WHEN WE THINK OF HOUSING, AND THERE ARE SOME FEDERAL DPRANTS FROM THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT THAT I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HELP SUPPORT THE HOUSING WORK, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR US. AND I KNOW THERE'S STEVEN HUERTA WITH ALL OF US OR NONE, WHO I THINK WOULD BE A GREAT STAKEHOLDER TO ENGAGE -- I CAN'T SPEAK -- TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE TRENDS THAT WE'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF BARRIERS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS, BUT I'M EAGER TO SEE THIS WORK CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND, AGAIN, RIGHT, I THINK ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE AT THE HOUSING TRUST, AND WE HAD A SIMILAR CONVERSATION AND THIS IS JUST -- I THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING TO THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE THERE AND THIN, OF COURSE, WITH THRIVE AND THEIR WORK WITH FOSTER YOUTH IN PARTICULAR. I KNOW WE RECEIVED A FULL BRIEFING ON WHAT THAT WORK LOOKED LIKE AND SOLUTIONS THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY IMPLEMENT. SO THANK YOU, VERONICA. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU. >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. ANYONE ELSE? COUNCILMAN KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, VERONICA FOR THIS PRESENTATION. JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR THE ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGE TS YOU HAVE IN JANUARY IS IT GOING TO BE SIMILAR WHERE YOU HAVE PANELISTS. >> GARCIA: SO FOR THE DECEMBER 1, YES, WE HAVE THAT PLAN ELSELECTED, IT'S ABOUT EIGHT DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS ACROSS MULTIPLE ORGANIZATION. NEXT LEVEL, THRIVE YOUTH CENTER, THE SAM YOUTH OPPORTUNITY CENTER, ALAMO AREA RESOURCE CENTER, TRINITY UNIVERSITY POSSIBLY MAY PARTICIPATE, THE CLOSE TO HOME ADVISORY BOARD REPRESENTATIVE, SO WE HAVE A LIST OF ABOUT EIGHT PANELISTS THAT WILL BE INCLUDED. THE JANUARY EVENT IS ACTUALLY OUR ANNUAL SHIP UPDATE COMMUNITY EVENT, SO IT WILL BE MORE OF A DISCUSSION THAT PEOPLE [00:15:01] CAN PARTICIPATE IN. WE HAVEN'T REALLY SELECTED PANELIST YET, BUT OUR PLAN WAS TO BE SHARING THE INITIAL FINDINGS FROM THE TASK FORCE TO DATE AND THAT WOULD BE A CHANCE TO HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD THAT MIGHT BE MISSING. >> KAUR: AND WITH THE PANELIST, IS IT A PUBLIC MEETING AND THEN THOSE PANELISTS ARE SPEAKING ABOUT IT AND YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING OR IS IT A FOCUS GROUP STYLE. >> GARCIA: THINK OF IT LIKE A FOCUS GROUP, WE HAVE QUESTIONS THAT WE ASK THE PANEL, ENGAGE THEM BACK AND FORTH. IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SO ANYONE CAN ATTEND, AND IT IS A FACILITATED PANEL DISCUSSION WITH OUR TEAM. >> KAUR: OKAY. I THINK WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL IN THIS QUOFCONVERSATION IS LOOKING AT THE DATA FOR THE NEED. I THINK OFTENTIMES THE THING I HEAR IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE COME UP WITH THESE NUMBERS OF WHAT PERCENTAGE OF UNITS NEED TO BE ADA, BUT WHY DID WE COME UP WITH THAT NUMBER? AND SO IT'S HARD TO -- TA IT WOULD MAKE IT -- IT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR US TO DEFEND THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW ARE BEST PRACTICES IF WE HAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEED OF HOW MANY OF OUR LGBTQ PLUS YOUTH ARE UNHOUSED AND NEED HOUSING. AND SO IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN TRY TO FIND THAT, I DON'T KNOW -- I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S JUST TOO DIFFICULT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IS -- DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? >> GARCIA: WELL, WE DO HAVE THE COMMUNITY SURVEY WHICH WE'RE TARGETING -- ANY CAN TAKE OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY, BUT WE'RE SPECIFICALLY REACHING OUT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH THOSE SPECIALIZATIONS AND WE'RE UTILIZING THE NETWORK FOF ALL OF OUR PANELISTS BECAUSE ALL OF THEM ARE OUR SERVICE PROVIDER, THAT WILL REALLY HELP INFORM SOME OF THE BARRIERS AND SOME OF WHAT THOSE LOCAL NEEDS ARE. ALSO WE'RE USING CENSUS DATA AND PARTNERING WITH SACRED, WE WORK WITH THEM ON OUR HOUSING ONE-STOP SHOP, VIRTUAL ONE-STOP SHOP AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT DATA THEY HAVE THAT THEY CAN HELP SHARE WITH US AND OF COURSE WE'LL BE USING OUR HMIS DATA AND THE POINT IN TIME COUNT WITH OUR PARTNERS THERE. >> KAUR: DO THEY IDENTIFY WHAT THEY IDENTIFY IS IN THE HMIS? DO THEY IDENTIFY IF SOMEONE IS LGBTQ PLUS OR A PERSON WITH DISABILITY? >> GARCIA: I DON'T THINK THAT EXACT INFORMATION IS CAPTURED. >> KAUR: IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE ALLOWED TO INCORPORATE? >> SO COUNCILMEMBER, SOME OF THAT'S FEDERALLY MANDATED, SO ACTUALLY, IT'S A QUESTION RIGHT NOW OF WHETHER WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, WHETHER GENDER AND GENDER IDENTIFYING INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE ALLOWED IN HMIS COUNT, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO PIT, SO IT'S STILL AN OUTSTANDING QUESTION. BEFORE WE HAD NEVER REALLY ASKED FOR THAT INFORMATION BUT I THINK WE WERE LOOKING TO TO GET A BETTER INFORMATION OF WHAT THE DATASET LOOKED LIKE, BUT IT'S NOW A QUESTION OF FEDERAL POLICY AND THE IMPACT ON THAT. >> KAUR: WOULD DISABILITY FALL UNDER THE SAME? >> IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE THE NOFO JUST DROPPED FOR THE COC LAST FRIDAY, AND DISABILITY IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE REDEFINED. WHEREAS SOMEBODY WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER WOULD NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED A DISABILITY AS MUCH AS A DISEASE. IT'S KIND OF THE NEW LANGUAGE THAT'S IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS VERY CHALLENGING FOR US, ESPECIALLY AS WE THINK ABOUT OUR SYSTEM OF CARE. >> KAUR: ARE THEY GOING TO CONSIDER DEPRESSION A DISEASE, TOO, NOW? >> IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. >> KAUR: SORRY. OKAY. THE ONLY -- OKAY. SO THAT'S CHALLENGING. I GUESS THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE SPREADING THE SA SPEAK UP SURVEY, SO I SAW THAT THAT'S PUBLIC. IS THAT FOR EVERYONE OR IS THAT FOR FOLKS THAT IDENTIFY IN ONE OF THESE SPECIAL SUBGROUPS? >> GARCIA: ANYONE CAN TAKE THE SURVEY, BUT YOU WILL BE ASKEDDALITY THE VERY BEGINNING, DO YOU IDENTIFY IN ANY OF THESE GROUPS F YOU SAY NO, THERE WON'T BE A TON OF OTHER QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO ANSWER. >> KAUR: OKAY. COULD YOU SEND US THE LINK AND AN UPDATE ON HOW MUCH RESPONSE WE'VE GOTTEN SO WE CAN TRY TO SHARE IT AS WELL. >> GARCIA: ABSOLUTELY. >> KAUR: AND I'M SURE ALL OF THE GROUP'S ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH ARE SHARING THAT SURVEY. >> GARCIA: YEAH. THEY'RE OUR MAIN CONTACT LIST TO HELP SHARE THE SURVEY SINCE THEY WORK WITH THESE POPULATIONS. >> KAUR: AWESOME. THANK YOU. >> MUNGIA: COUNCILMEMBER GALVAN? >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, VERONICA FOR THE PRESENTATION. OVERALL, REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE WITH THESE COMMITTEES OR WITH THESE FOCUS GROUPS. HAPPY TO SEE THE KIND OF FOCUS PARTICULARLY AROUND THE HOUSING TRUST RECOMMENDATIONS ON UNIVERSAL DESIGN CHANGES AND STANDARDS. I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO RECONVENE THESE GROUPS AS WE GET CLOSER -- OR WHEN IT'S TIME FOR UDC AMENDMENTS, JUST SO WE HAVE THE UPDATED INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE -- OR MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE. AROUND THE LGBTQ UNHOUSED YOUTH, COUNCILMEMBER KAUR REMINDED ME ABOUT -- I THINK THE PRIDE CENTER HAS A SURVEY. I HAVEN'T READ THE [00:20:04] CURRENT ONE, THERE'S A. >> : ONE THAT CAME OUT FOR 2024, I KNOW THEY'RE ENGAGED IN THIS WORK ALREADY SO SEEING IF THAT'S ANYTHING THAT CAN HELP OUT WITH THE KIND OF DATA PORTION TO SEE WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT AND KIND OF WHERE -- IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC FOCUSES OR SPECIFIC TARGETS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, MAYBE CERTAIN ZIP CODES WE SEE HIGHER RATES OF LGBTQ PLUS YOUTH, AGAIN, TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILWOMAN, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO REACH HERE. ARE THERE ANY -- I REALLY, OF COURSE, LIKE THE VALOR PROJECT THAT'S COMING AROUND. ARE THERE ANY CURRENT OR OTHER STRUCTURES IN THE PIPELINE OR HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PIPELINE THAT ARE SIMILAR TO THAT THAT WE'RE HEARING ABOUT? >> GARCIA: NOT ONE THAT COMES TO MIND. >> GALVAN: OKAY. >> GARCIA: BUT WE DO HAVE A -- I MEAN, ALL OF OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS DO HAVE3 SERVICE PROVIDERS ON SITE, BUT THAT PARTICULAR VALOR HILL, IT TOOK FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, I BELIEVE, TO PUT TOGETHER AND MULTIPLE PARTNERS. I'M SURE PETE COULD TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THE JOURNEY TO GET THAT BUILT AND THE SERVICE PROVIDERS ON SITE AND THE VOUCHERS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED TO MAKE SURE THAT'S AFFORDABLE FOR THE POPULATION THAT IT WAS INTENDED TO SERVE, BUT ALL THAT TO SAY, WE DO HAVE A NEW ROUND OF GAP FUNDING COMING OUT, SO IT'S POSSIBLE WE MAY HAVE SOME MORE CREATIVE MODELS OUT THERE SEEKING FUNDING. >> GALVAN: MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING I CAN TAKE OFFLINE WITH EVERYBODY, BUT JUST WONDERING WHAT THAT PROCESS WAS, WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST BARRIERS THAT WE SAW. A COUPLE DIFFERENT ONES COME TO MY HEAD ALREADY, BUT WAYS TO SEE IF THERE'S KIND OF WAYS WE COULD CREATE THAT RECOMMENDATION LIST IF IT'S SOMETHING WITHIN OUR ABILITY, IF IT'S NOT STATE ISSUES -- AUDIO] -- BUT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CONTROL, THAT WE CAN GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN ADJUST THERE EITHER IN OUR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT LANDSCAPE OR OUR OWN DEVELOPMENT INTERNALLY TO SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE MORE OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS POSSIBLE IN A QUICKER FASHION, RIGHT, TO A POINT, FOUR TO FIVE YEARS IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE TOUGH, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TAKING CARE IN TIME, BUT WHAT WAYS WE CAN MAKE IT GO FASTER. BUT WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AS IT GOES AROUND. >> GARCIA: SURE. THANK YOU. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. ONE LAST QUESTION I HAD, WAS JUST AROUND THE -- AROUND -- I KNOW WE HAVEN'T HAD THE CONVERSATION YET WITH THE VETERANS BUT OF COURSE TEXAS IS HOME TO A LOT OF VETERANS AND ONE THING I WANTED TO ASK, I KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS THE CONVERSATION PARTICULARLY WITHIN MY DISTRICT, AROUND BASES, AROUND COUNCILMEMBER MUNGIA'S AS WELL, DO YOU SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT STRUGGLES WITH DEVELOPING HOUSING PARTICULARLY FOR VETERANS DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL OR FLIGHT PATHS, SOUNDS, FLIGHT PAT EVERYONES IN GENERAL? >> GARCIA: WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES. I'M LOOKING AT MY COCHAIR PETE, SINCE HE DOES THE WORK KIND OF ON THE MORE DEVELOPMENT SIDE. ANYTHING TO ELABORATE? >> THANK YOU, COUNCIL, WOULD YOU MIND RESTATING YOUR QUESTION SPECIFIC TO VALOR HILL OR VETERAN HOUSING IN GENERAL. >> GALVAN: IN VETERAN HOUSING IN GENERAL, DO YOU SEE ANY SPECIFIC BARRIERS RELATED TO FLIGHT PATHS OR -- >> NOT NECESSARILY FLIGHT PATHS. THE BIGGER ISSUE HAS TO DO WITH LOCATION TO HEALTH-RELATED SERVICES AND VA SERVICES. >> GALVAN: RIGHT. >> YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE DID VALOR HILL IN THE FIRST PLACE IS THE HOUSING COMMISSION MEETING VETERANS WERE COMING UP AND SAYING THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH PLACES THAT ACCEPTED THE VASH VOUCHER NEAR MEDICAL CENTER AND NEAR THE VA. SO WE LOOKED LONG AND HARD AT AN OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, IN TERMS OF ACCELERATING THAT TYPE OF PROJECT, THE REASON WHY ACTUALLY THIS PROJECT IN PARTICULAR WENT VERY QUICKLY COMPARED TO OTHERS, NUMBER ONE, BECAUSE IT WAS AN ACQUISITION AND CONVERSION OF AN EXISTING SITE THAT WAS VACANT, RIGHT? SO YOU DIDN'T HAVE A GROUND-UP CONSTRUCTION, IT WAS RENOVATION, WHICH SHORTENED YOUR TIME. ADDITIONALLY, THIS WAS NOT A HOUSING LAPS -- SO THE ABILITY FOR US TO ASSEMBLE THE FINANCING TOGETHER AND EXECUTE IT WAS A LOT QUICKER, BUT THE KEY TO VETERAN HOUSING IS THE VASH VOUCHER. >> GALVAN: RIGHT. >> AND WITHOUT THE VASH VOUCHER, THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE. SO WE CAN LOOK AT DIFFERENT WAYS ABOUT LOOKING AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE SMALLER LIKE THAT, BUT IF THERE AREN'T VASH VOUCHERS TO DO IT, WE CAN'T HAVE VETERAN HOUSING LIKE VALOR HILL, SO THAT'S REALLY THE KEY TO EVERYTHING. >> GALVAN: GOT IT. THANK YOU FOR THAT, PETE. I THINK THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, SO THANK YOU, AGAIN, VERONICA AND TEAM, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE CONTINUED UPDATES AS THEY COME AROUND. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. I HAVE A COUPLE QUICK NOTES. YOU SAID SOMEONE SAID THERE WAS NO CENTRAL PLACE FOR HOUSING QUESTIONS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE, SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS. YOU KNOW, THAT WAS IN THE SHIP ORIGINALLY WAS A [00:25:03] CENTRAL PLACE. I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE LAST ADMINISTRATION, WE, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T REALLY DO A PHYSICAL SPACE, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH EXPLORING THAT IN THE FUTURE, AND I THINK IT CAN BE SOMETHING, IF YOU LOOK -- IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE MAC ON DISTRICT 10, WHERE IT'S NOT JUST ONE OFFICE, IT'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT OFFICES IN THERE, SO JUST KIND OF KEEP OUR MINDS OPEN ABOUT THAT ONE. BECAUSE I THINK FOR SOME PEOPLE, BEING ABLE TO GO TO A CENTRAL SPOT TO ANSWER ALL YOUR HOUSING QUESTIONS IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND HELPFUL. SO, YOU KNOW, TO PETE'S POINT EARLIER, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO ALSO MENTION IN THE REPORT IS, YOU KNOW, PROXIMITY OR LOCATION PRIORITIES. SO, YOU KNOW, NEAR THE VA THAT'S IN DISTRICT SIX, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY LAND AVAILABLE, IF WE'VE IDENTIFIED ANY, YOU KNOW, COMPLEXES THAT COULD BE RENOVATED, DEPENDING ON THE QUALITY OF THAT. JUST MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY THE VETERAN POPULATION HAS SOME SORT OF ACCESS NEAR THEM. I KNOW THAT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT IN THE REPORT, AND, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I HOPE THAT WE NEVER DO HERE IS FILTER THE INFORMATION. SO I WANT THE REPORT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WHAT ALL THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO, RIGHT? NOT JUST MORE MONEY, RIGHT, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE NEED, BUT, YEURCH, IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE, YOU KNOW, UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN THE UDC PROCESS, THAT NEEDS TO BE IN THERE, LET US FIGURE THAT OUT. IF IT'S CHANGING, YOU KNOW, OUR RELATIONSHIP OR WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OPPORTUNITY HOME, WE NEED TO ARE HAVE THAT IN THERE, WE NEED TO PUSH FOR THAT. IF IT'S LOBBYING THE STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THAT IN THERE ALSO, SO WHATEVER -- FIGURE OUT WHAT NEEDS TO GO FORWARD OR NOT. AND THEN BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THAT AT THIS COMMITTEE, I THINK, WITH ALL THOSE IDEAS AND THROUGHOUT OUR TIME, WHETHER IT'S THE BUDGET OR THE UDC PROCESS, WHICH JOHN IS GOING TO HELP US WITH PRETTY SOON, TOO. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'LL SAY IT PUBLICLY, I JUST HAD A MEETING WITH SOME ADVOCATES ABOUT THE VASH VOUCHER, AND THEY'RE WANTING US TO PURSUE AN ORDINANCE, I THINK THEY MET WITH ALL OF US BY NOW ABOUT THAT, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE AN OFFLINE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT TO COME BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE, BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHERE THIS IS GOING, I LOVE HOW IT'S GOING TO TIE IN TO YOUR NEXT SHIP ANNUAL EVENT. I THINK IT'S SO COOL THAT IT'S JUST WITHIN A COUPLE WEEKS, SO I THINK IT WILL JUST ADD TO THAT AND IT WILL BE REALLY GOOD TIMING. SO I APPRECIATE THE TRICHAIR WORK ON THAT. ALSO, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE? COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, CHAIR, IN TERMS OF, AGAIN, ON WHO TO ENGAGE WITH, MY TEAM AND I HAVE RECENTLY HAD A TOUR OF THE BEXAR COUNTY REENTRY CENTER, AND THERE'S LOTS OF VALUE MEETING WITH THE SOCIAL WORKERS AND STAKEHOLDERS THAT HELP FACILITATE WORK AT THE REENTRY CENTER. AND AT ONE POINT, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAD THE UNLOCKED PROGRAM, WHICH WAS HOUSING THE REENTRY CENTER, BUT BECAUSE OF BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, THAT PROGRAM WAS CUT. BUT I DO THINK THERE'S VALUE IN MEETING WITH THEM AS WELL TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BARRIERS THAT THEY'RE SEEING AT THE REENTRY CENTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU. AND, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THAT -- I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE UNIVERSAL DESIGN, I THINK SOMETIMES I HAVE A TENDENCY TO THINK ABOUT THIS IN MY MIND, BUT IT'S NOT HOUSING YOU KNOW, JUST FOR UNHOUSED YOUTH OR HOUSING JUST FOR FOLKS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT, IT'S HOW WE'RE CREATING, YOU KNOW, A FACILITY -- NOT A FACILITY, AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, A COMMUNITY, THAT ANYBODY CAN PLUG INTO AND BE OKAY WITH. AND SO I THINK ULTIMA TALLY, WE'LL HAVE SORT OF AN IDEA OF WHERE WE NEED TO BE ON FEW CLEUR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, SO GOOD STU. ALL RIGHT. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. THAT IS IT FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR. WE WILL GO -- THAT'S JUST FOR BRIEFING PURPOSES. ITEM NUMBER 5, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE READ THE CAPTION. >> CLERK: ITEM NUMBER 5 IS A BRIEFING ON THE GOALS AND PRIORITIES FOR THE NEW HOMELESS SERVICES AND STRATEGY DEPARTMENT. >> MUNGIA: GREAT, MARK, TAKE IT AWAY. >> GOOD MORNING, CHAIR, MEMBERS, MY NAME IS MARK CARMONA, I'M THE CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER AND THE NEW DIRECTOR FOR THE HOMELESS AND STRATEGY DEPARTMENT. THE I MISSION OF OUR DEPARTMENT IS ENSURE THAT HOMELESSNESS IS RARE, BRIEF, AND NONRECURRING. OUR GOAL IS TO UPDATE YOU ON THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF. WE'RE A MONTH OLD AND SO WE WANTED TO WALK THROUGH WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED. WE WANT TO COVER OUR MISSION PRIORITIES, WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR SERVICES AND PARTNERSHIPS, SO STRATEGIC AREAS OF FOCUS, OUR BUDGET AND A LOOK AT OUR CHART. OUR MISSION IS REALLY AS I MENTIONED IS TO ENSURE HOMELESSNESS IS RARE, BRIEF, AND NONRECURRING. PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME SO FAR, LIKE WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE, WHY BRING THIS OUT A DIVISION INTO A DEPARTMENT? AND I THINK IT'S REALLY FOCUSED ON THE CREATING THE LONG-TERM STRATEGIES. HOMELESSNESS, PEOPLE THAT COME TO US OR COME TO [00:30:01] ANYBODY WORKING IN THIS SPACE IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY'RE COMING IN A CRISIS. AND IN A CRISIS, WE REACT, AND OUR SYSTEM HAS BEEN REACTIVE IN THAT SENSE OF TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE GET INTO HOUSING, GET INTO SHELTER, GET INTO SERVICES, BUT I THINK THE GOAL HERE FOR US IN THIS DEPARTMENT IS HOW CAN WE DO THAT AS WELL AS BEING PROACTIVE, CREATING LONG-TERM STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS GROWING NEEDS OF THE UNHOUSED IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE DO THAT IN DIFFERENT WAYS. SOME THROUGH STRATEGIC VISION. SO WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE ON THE STRATEGY SIDE WITHOUT DATA AND WITHOUT INNOVATION. HOW CAN WE BUILD THESE STRATEGIC VISIONS FOR THE ECOSYSTEM THAT WE WORK WITH. HOW DO WE DO THIS THROUGH COORDINATION? HOW CAN WE DO DEEPER WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ITSELF, SO WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, OBVIOUSLY CONTINUING WORK WITH DHS AND NHSD THAT'S BEEN ONGOING, BUT HOW DO WE BEGIN TO ELEVATE WORK IN SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY ITSELF, AS WELL AS CONTINUE TO ELEVATE OUR CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY THOSE WORKING IN THE HOME RESPONSE SYSTEM, BUT NEW PARTNERS AS WELL THAT WE NEED TO IDENTIFY AND BUILD CASES FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE WORK. WE DO THIS WHILE STILL CONTINUING TO PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY, SERVICES AND HOUSING OPTIONS, BUT WE WANT TO ASSURE THAT THOSE SERVICES AND HOUSING OPTIONS ARE ALIGNED WITH OUR LONG-TERM STRATEGIES, KIND OF MOVING FORWARD. THE GOAL HERE, IN MY MIND, IS HOW DO WE CREATE THIS STRATEGY AND THIS VISION AND HAVE EVERYONE PUSHING IN THE SAME DIRECTION ACROSS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY? SO PRIORITY AREAS FOR US IN THIS FISCAL YEAR ARE THREE: WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO REDUCE UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING ON THE STREETS, THAT ARE FACING SOME OF THE GREATEST HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS. WE SAW LAST YEAR THROUGH THE WORK P OF THIS COMMITTEE, A RISE IN FAMILY HOMELESSNESS, THAT WE WERE SEEING AT NOT ONLY THE HAVEN CAMPUS, BUT OUT IN THE COMMUNITY. HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO REHOUSE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN TO COUNCILMEMBER KAUR'S EARLIER QUESTION ABOUT THE NOFO, THIS IS GOING TO BE CHALLENGING WITH THE NOFO THAT'S BEING DROPPED RIGHT NOW. HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO UTILIZE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING NOW INSTEAD OF RAPID REHOUSING WHICH SEEMS TO BE DIMINISHING TO GET FAMILIES QUICKLY INTO HOUSING. BUT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO STAY FOCUSED ON THAT. AND THEN FINALLY ON PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS, THE LAST POINT IN TIME COUNT WAS ROUGHLY AROUND 3600 IN OUR COMMUNITY. ABOUT 1700 OF THOSE FOLKS LOOKING AT THE DATA WERE NEW ENTRANTS INTO THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM. THAT'S REALLY KIND OF KEPT MY ATTENTION, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHO IS THAT GROUP OF 1700? WHAT WAS THEIR STORY, WHERE ARE THEY COMING FROM, WHAT ISSUES CAUSED THEM TO BE A FIRST-TIME ENTRANT INTO THE SYSTEM, AND HOW CAN OTHER SYSTEMS BEGIN TO LINK INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, WORKFORCE SYSTEMS, OTHER SYSTEMS TO HELP KEEP PEOPLE FROM GETTING INTO OUR ECOSYSTEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE DO IN OUR DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE HOMELESS OUTREACH STRATEGY WHERE WE HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH COUNCIL OFFICES AND DEALING WITH SOME OF THE ISSUES RELATED TO THE UNHOUSED IN DIFFERENT COUNCIL DISTRICTS. WE WORK WITH NEIGHBORS, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, WE WORK WITH BUSINESSES, WE ALSO HAVE TIME FOR FIDELITY OUTREACH IN THE COMMUNITY. I WILL TELL YOU THAT I THINK OUTREACH IS EVOLVING IN THIS FIELD FROM WHEN WE STARTED, YOU KNOW -- WHEN I WAS AT HAVEN FOR HOPE WHEN OUTREACH FIRST STARTED TO WHEN THE CITY GOT IN, IT'S BEEN EVOLVING OVER TIME, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BE AWARE MORE NOW OF WHAT OUR CURRENT CAPACITY IS FOR THE GENERAL FIDELITY TO OUTREACH AS FOLKS START LOOKING AT DIFFERENT SPECIALIZED POPULATIONS THAT THEY'RE WORKING WITH. WE CONTINUE TO LEAD THE COORDINATION EFFORTS AROUND ENCAMPMENT ABATEMENT WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS LIKE SOLID WASTE AND FIRE AND PD. WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS HOTLINE, WHICH IS OUR SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY FOR HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE. FROM THE HOTLINE, WE'VE LEARNED AND HAD A NEED FOR CASE MANAGEMENT WORK, SPECIFICALLY FOR SPECIFIC POPULATIONS AS LISTED IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT AS WELL AS ALSO THE CREATION OF THE COMMUNITY COURT, WHICH HAS BEEN A GREAT RESOURCE FOR US TO GET FOLKS THAT ARE UNHOUSED INTO THE COURT SYSTEM, LOOKING AT SOME, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TICKETS OR WARRANTS THAT THEY HAVE FOR NOT SHOWING UP FOR A CASE OR THOSE KINDS -- WE WANT TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN SERVICES. AND SO THE COURT'S REALLY BEEN ABLE TO HELP WITH THAT. WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A LEAD IN THE INCLEMENT WEATHER RESPONSE THAT CAN BE ACTIVATED AT ANY TIME. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ALREADY PRETTY CLOSELY AND HAVE OUR PLAN IN PLACE FOR COLD WEATHER THAT'S COMING UP, AS WELL AS HOT WEATHER, FLOODING. WE HAVE A LONG-TERM GOAL THAT HOPEFULLY CAN ALSO INCLUDES OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS LIKE CORAZON THAT'S LOOKING TO BUILD AND GROW SOME OF THEIR CONVEOPERATION AS WELL AS WE LOOK AT THIS [00:35:05] INCLEMENT WEATHER RESPONSE COORDINATION THAT WE DO. AND THEN FINALLY, ALL OF THE CONTRACTS THAT WERE WITHIN DHS THROUGH THE DELEGATE AGENCY OR DESIGNATED AGENCY FUNDING HAVE MOVED OVER TO THE NEW DEPARTMENT. AND SO WE WILL -- WE WILL ADMINISTER THE FUNDING AND MANAGE THE REPORTING AND THE COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE DIFFERENT CONTRACTS. WE CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. AND THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF SOME OF THE PARTNERS THAT ARE INVOLVED. THERE'S A WHOLE ALLIANCE OF ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WORK -- HAVE SOME PART IN THIS WORK. OUR ROLE IS REALLY ON THE PLANNING SIDE CARRYING OUT POLICY THAT YOU ALL DEVELOP, WORKING CLOSELY WITH PD ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE OF IT, ESPECIALLY IN THE ENCAMPMENT SIDE. COORDINATION AND FACILITATION, THE INVESTMENT THE COUNCIL DECIDES TO MAKE AND HAVE BEEN MAKING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AS WELL AS THE DIRECT SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE. WE WORK WITH CLOSE TO HOME WHO IS THE HUD DESIGNATED CONTINUUM OF CARE AGENCY THAT DOES MONITORING AS WELL AS SYSTEM GOVERNANCE AND A LIST OF NONPROFIT PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNEDTY THAT ARE DOING QUITE A BIT OF WORK AND LAYS OUT HEALTH FUNDING, AGENCIES AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. SO SHELTER STRATEGY, HOW ARE WE GOING TO USE SOME OF THE COMMUNITY DATA TO QUANTIFY SOME SYSTEM NEEDS. WE NEED TO BETTER -- I GAVE THE EXAMPLE OF HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION BUT SHELTER DIVERSION AND RAPID EXIT. WHAT'S OUR CURRENT CAPACITY TODAY? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHERE ARE OUR GAPS? WHAT ARE THE COST ESTIMATES TO FILL THOSE GAPS? WHAT IS OUR NEED GOING TO LOOK LIKE LONG TERM? I THINK THIS GENERATED OUT OF OUR -- THIS YEAR THAT YOU ALL APPROVED IN THE BUDGET AROUND THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER AND PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THE LEASE AT THAT LOCATION, I THINK, DROVE THE NEED FOR MORE STRATEGY RELATED TO CREATING LONG-TERM STRATEGIES. AND I THINK OUR INITIAL CHARGE IS WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE LONG-TERM STRATEGY FOR SHELTER AND HOUSING FOR OUR COMMUNITY. TO DO THIS, WE NEED TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT DAY CENTERS, MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEMS, WHAT'S THE ACCESS TO BASIC NEEDS? HOW ARE WE MAXIMIZING OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT? WHAT IS OUR SHELTER CAPACITY LOOK LIKE, AND NOT JUST LOW BARRIER. I THINK WE HAVE TO CONSIDER NO BARRIER AS A WAY -- WE HAVE TO GET PEOPLE TO FEEL COMFORTABLE TO COME OFF THE STREET INTO SHELTER SYSTEM. I THINK WHAT'S CLEAR TO US, ONCE SOMEBODY IS IN SHELTER, THE PROBABILITY OF US BEING ABLE TO ENGAGE THEM IN A MEANINGFUL WAY INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY. AND SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? AND HOW ARE WE CREATING THIS CAPACITY IN THE COMMUNITY? LAST SUMMER NHSD FACILITATED BOND WORKSHOPS, STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, AND WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THAT WAS THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT WE NEEDED MORE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, BUT WHAT WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED WAS THE NEED FOR BRIDGE AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING. NOT EVERYONE THAT IS IN A SHELTER SITUATION IS IMMEDIATELY READY TO GO INTO HOUSING. SOME NEED MORE BRIDGE TIME, SOME NEED SOME TRANSITIONAL TIME. WE HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY IN THIS SPACE IN OUR COMMUNITY, SO THAT'S BEEN EMERGING. BUT HOW DO WE DEFINE THAT? AND WHAT ARE THE GAPS AND WHAT'S NEEDED IN THE COMMUNITY? AND THEN RAPID REHOUSING SLOTS AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SLOTS. I WILL TELL YOU AS I JUST MENTIONED EARLIER WITH THE NOFO DROPPING IT SEEMS THE ADMINISTRATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS MAKING A CLEAR MOVE FROM PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TO TRA TRANSITIONAL AND SHELTER. WE HAVE TO EVALUATE LOCALLY, WE WERE ON A CALL EARLIER TODAY WITH OUR CONTINUUM OF CARE, OUR COC, LOOKING AT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US IN TERMS OF HOW WE HAVE TO SHIFT AND ADJUST BASED ON SOME OF THESE CHANGES. SO I THINK, AGAIN, COMMUNITY DATA IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING ON THE STRATEGY SIDE. WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT ITSELF, I THINK WE HAVE TO DEEPEN OUR PRACTICE. WE HAVE TO MAXIMIZE ALIGNMENT, WE HAVE TO EVALUATE AN ALLIANCE PARTNERSHIPS, WHO ARE THE PARTNERS, WHERE ARE THEY WORKING WHO ARE THE POPULATION I THATTER OO WORKING WITH, WHAT CAPACITY DO WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BE ON THE STREET DOING OUTREACH WORK TOGETHER. I THINK WE HAVE TO REVIEW ENCAMPMENT RESPONSE, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT HOUSING FOCUSED ENGAGEMENT. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE'RE SPENDING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH PEOPLE AS WE SET ABATEMENT SCHEDULES TO SEE WHAT KIND OF -- WHAT'S THE SITUATION, WHAT ARE PEOPLE LOOKING AT, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT. WHAT KIND OF CAPACITY DO WE NEED? WHAT ARE THE SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED? THIS IS A GREAT SYSTEM ALIGNMENT POSSIBILITY IN MY MIND. AND THE TIMES THAT I'VE -- IN THE MONTH THAT WE'VE BEEN IN PLACE, I'VE BEEN OUT A FEW TIME WHERE OUR ABATEMENT TEAMS AND THE AMOUNT OF MENTAL HEALTH THAT I'M SEEING JUST ACROSS THE CONTINUUM IS VERY REAR REAL. REAL. AND SO HOW ARE WE ENGAGING NOT ONLY WITHIN THE CITY, BUT WITHIN THE COUNTY, OUR LMHA TO ACCESS SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS FOR MENTAL HEALTH ENGAGEMENT. THIS IS THE ALIGNMENT I THINK IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL IN OUR WORK MOVING FORWARD. [00:40:01] I'VE MENTIONED THIS TO VERONICA A COUPLE OF TIMES. THE SUCCESS OF THE SHIP IN MY MIND IS BECAUSE WE HAD ALIGNMENT OF OUR SYSTEM PARTNERS. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO NEED THE SAME KIND OF ALIGNMENT WITH SYSTEM PARTNERS IN THE WORK IN THIS SPACE. WE NEED TO MAXIMIZE OUR HOTLINE AND THE WORK WE'RE DOING THERE. I THINK THAT'S SOME WORK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT INTERNALLY. WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT DELEGATE AGENCY WORK, I THINK WE HAVE TO L LOOK AT THOSE -- WE HAVE TO IDENTIFY IN THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL WHAT AREAS THAT ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR FUTURE STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD AND THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE FEEL THAT CAN CARRY THAT OUT THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE DUPLICATION OF EFFORT. AS AN ORGANIZATION OR AS A DEPARTMENT, WE WANT TO SEEK GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, WE WANT TO BE AGGRESSIVE IN THIS SPACE. WE KNOW THAT TIMES ARE TOUGH AT THE CITY THIS FISCAL YEAR AND NEXT FISCAL YEAR, SO WE ALREADY ARE GOING TO BE GOING AFTER SOME FUNDING THROUGH THE TEXAS VETERANS COMMISSION, JUST BECAUSE WE NEED SOME ASSISTANCE IN THAT AREA, BUT WHAT ARE SOME OTHER AREAS, WAYS THAT WE COULD DO THAT THAT KIND OF BENEFIT THE WHOLE SYSTEM, BUT ALSO ELEVATE WHAT'S NEEDED IN OUR OVERALL RESPONSE. OUR DASHBOARD NEEDS WORK, AND I THINK WE -- YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO LOOK AT HOW CAN WE TAKE INFORMATION THAT'S GOING TO CONTEXTUALIZE AND GIVE POLICY DRIVERS THE INFORMATION THAT'S NEEDED TO CONSIDER POLICY IN THE FUTURE. WE'VE TALKED SO FAR UP TO THIS POINT ABOUT HAVING OTHER PARTNERS THAT ARE INVOLVED, HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, HOSPITALS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. WE HAVE TO BUILD TAILORED BUSINESS CASES FOR THOSE PARTNERS. YOU CAN'T JUST BE CHARITY ITSELF, BUT WHAT'S THE ROI FOR THEM TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS WORK AND TO BRING FUNDING AND SUPPORT? IT CAN'T JUST BE THE CITY, IT HAS TO ALSO INCLUDE THE COUNTY AND SOME OF THESE OTHER SYSTEMS. AND WE HAVE TO ALIGN OUR LONG-TERM SHELTER AND HOUSING STRATEGY LEVERAGING THE SHIP AND OTHER SOURCES ITSELF. JUST A QUICK REMINDER, SNAPSHOT OF WHAT WAS ADOPTED, WHAT YOU ALL APPROVED FOR THIS DEPARTMENT THIS YEAR, 26.1 MILLION. YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT'S BROKEN OUT IN GENERAL FUND, GRANTS AND OTHER FUNDS. WE HAVE 43 -- JUST OVER 40 IN OUR DEPARTMENT ITSELF. WHAT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THE 26.1 MILLION IS AN ADDITIONAL 4.4 THAT GOES TO SOLID WASTE AND ALSO IS WORKING WITH NHSD ON PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND THEN WE HAVE INDIRECT COST FOR POLICE AND FIRE. THE MAJORITY OF THE 26.1, ABOUT 21.5 OF THAT GOES TO OTHER CONTRACTS OUT IN COMMUNITY. AND THOSE CONTRACTS ARE FUNDING RAPID REHOUSING, PREVENTION, LOW BARRIER SHELTER, EMERGENCY SHELTER, THOSE KINDS OF AREAS. THAT'S THE PRESENTATION ON OUR DEPARTMENT TODAY, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, CHAIR. >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU, MARK, FOR THE PRESENTATION. SO THIS, AGAIN, IS A BRIEFING. WE WANTED TO HAVE MARK HERE AND TALK ABOUT THE NEW DEPARTMENT, A MONTH OLD, YOU SAID, RIGHT? >> YES. >> MUNGIA: SO GO EASY ON HIM. AND JUST TO SEE WHERE IT IS, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A HUGE, HUGE TOPIC IN OUR CITY AND SOMETHING THIS COMMITTEE IS DIRECTLY CHARGED WITH DOING ALSO. SO I JUST WANTED GET SOME INPUT AND MARK WILL BE A REGULAR FIXTURE HERE ALSO I IMAGINE, SO WE'LL START SOME DISCUSSION ON THE TOPIC. COUNCILWOMAN KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU, MARK, FOR THIS PRESENTATION. HOW BIG IS YOUR TEAM THAT YOU'VE PULLED FROM EACH -- LIKE FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS? >> THAT WE'VE PULLED FROM DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. >> KAUR: I ASSUME YOU HAVE A TEAM? >> WE HAVE A TEAM OF -- YEAH, 44 TOTAL. WE HAD PROBABLY ROUGHLY 38 OF THEM, COUNCILMEMBER, THAT CAME DIRECTLY FROM DHS, WHERE THE DIVISION WAS HOUSED, AND THAT DIVISION WAS MOVED INTO THE CREATION OF THIS NEW DEPARTMENT. >> KAUR: OKAY. I RESONATED WITH -- I APPRECIATED A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU MADE. WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF IS TO THE COMMENT AROUND GOING TO NO BARRIER HOUSING. I'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE OUTREACH WORKERS THAT THAT IS A CHALLENGE, THAT IN MY MIND LOW BARRIER WAS, LIKE, SUFFICIENT. AND I'VE NOW LEARNED THAT IT'S NOT. AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE FROM -- LIKE HEAR FROM THEM ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY'RE ACTUALLY HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY OF FOLKS THAT DON'T EVEN WANT TO GO TO THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT OUR PLAN IS TO KEEP THAT AFLOAT, BECAUSE I DO THINK IT HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE, THAT PLUS ADDITIONAL. SO I KNOW THAT WE FUNDED THAT IN THE GENERAL FUND THIS YEAR, BUT IS THAT GOING TO BE THE LONG-TERM PLAN FOR THAT AND WHAT THAT -- IT LOOKS LIKE? AND THEN IN ADDITION, I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THE WORK THAT WE FUND EXTERNALLY IN COMPARISON TO THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING INTERNALLY. AND SO WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS I'VE ALSO HEARD FROM SOME FOLKS ON THE [00:45:05] GROUND THAT BECAUSE SOME OF OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES DON'T HAVE THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE ARE -- OUR STAFF MAY HAVE AS CITY EMPLOYEES, THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO BUILD DIFFERENT TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR UNHOUSED FOLKS, SO LOOKING AT OUR RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT FOR BOTH OUR DELEGATE AGENCY WORK WHO IS GOING OUT AND TALKING TO COMMUNITY IN CONTRAST -- OR IN COMPARISON TO OUR STREET OUTREACH TEAM. SO LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE THERE METRICS ON HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS THEY ARE ABLE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND GET IN THE SYSTEM INTO HOUSING? AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE PER INDIVIDUAL? I KNOW THE DISTRICTS, SINCE WE ALL INDIVIDUALLY HAVE PEOPLE MIGHT CHANGE THE NUMBERS A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE THEY MIGHT LOOK DIFFERENT IN ONE DISTRICT VERSUS THE OTHER, BUT IT WOULD STILL BE GOOD -- I HAVEN'T SEEN, LIKE, AS A METRIC FOR OUTPUT ON THAT. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT DEPARTMENT WAS STARTED -- OR THAT INITIATIVE WAS STARTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO BECAUSE EACH COUNCILPERSON WOULD BE LIKE THIS WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO CALL, BUT WHAT IF THAT SOME PERSON TO CALL WASN'T WEARING A CITY SHIRT, WOULD THAT BE -- WOULD WE GET HIGHER RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT FOR THOSE DOLLARS, JUST BECAUSE OF RESTRICTIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE, YOU KNOW, UNKNOWINGLY. >> OKAY. >> KAUR: SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I HAVE HEARD COME UP AS AREAS THAT WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE. >> OKAY. >> KAUR: AND JUST BECAUSE WE WERE JUST IN PUBLIC SAFETY, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING A FIRE NEEDS ASSESSMENT -- PLAN OUR GROWTH IN TERMS OF SITE SELECTION, FACILITY ACQUISITION, SO WE HAD THAT LEVEL OF DETAILED ANALYSIS THAT WE'RE PERFORMING FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, SO I THINK WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING SIMILAR FOR -- WE SHOULD HAVE THAT SAME LEVEL OF THOUGHT. SO WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS PERMANENT, GIVEN THE CHANGE IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, WHAT OPTIONS DO WE HAVE? WHERE CAN WE FUND IT OUT OF? HOW DO WE ADD THAT TO OUR 20 WHATEVER BOND PROGRAM TO ENSURE THAT IT'S NOT JUST RELIANT ON FEDERAL DOLLARS AND NOT JUST RELIANT ON FUNDRAISING. SO SIMILAR TO HOW WE DO OUR OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS, I THINK WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT THIS AS WELL IN TERMS OF HOUSING. THAT'S IT, CHAIR. THANKS. >> CHAIR, IF I COULD, COUNCILMEMBER, I THINK YOU RAISED A GOOD POINT. PART OF THE CHARGE THE CITY MANAGER GAVE ME WAS THE CREATION OF THIS LONG-TERM STRATEGY, AND IT'S SPECIFICALLY TO YOUR POINT. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO RIGHT NOW, IN OUR MINDS THE WAY WE'RE DRAFTING THIS OUT IS ALL THE WAY FROM PREVENTION ALL THE WAY TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. IT'S -- WHAT'S THE CURRENT CAPACITY, WHAT'S OUR GAP? WHAT'S OUR COST ESTIMATE FOR THE GAP? AND THEN WHO'S FUNDING WHAT? AND I THINK THAT'S, IN MY MIND RIGHT NOW, THAT'S WHERE THE BUSINESS CASE IS MADE FOR OTHER SYSTEMS. BECAUSE EVEN WITH THAT, THERE'S STILL A GAP. AND SO WHO ARE THE OTHER POTENTIAL TARGETS TO BE ABLE TO BRING IN THAT, SO THAT'S THE BUSINESS CASE WE HAVE TO BUILD. AND SO SOME OF THESE METRICS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PULL ANYWAY, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL WANT TO STAY IN CONVERSATION WITH YOU ON, BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW. >> KAUR: AND -- SORRY. JUST -- AND COMPARING THAT TO THE COSTS THAT WE'RE SPENDING RIGHT NOW ON SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS, RIGHT? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT CASE IS GOING TO BUILD A BUSINESS CASE FOR SOMETHING THAT'S VERY COSTLY IN THE LONG TERM, BUT WE HAVE TO COMPARE THAT TO YEAR OVER YEAR SHORT-TERM COSTS THAT WE COULD THEN AVOID IN NATURE, YOU KNOW WHEY 'EM SAYING? >> AND I THINK BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GIVES U US SOME CLUE ESPECIALLY WITH STRAC THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM, AND WE'VE ALREADY STARTED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DO WE ADAPT PART OF THAT SYSTEM AS WE CONSIDER WHAT SOME OF THAT LOOKS LIKE. >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MARK. THANK YOU. >> MUNGIA: COUNCILMAN GALVAN. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, CHAIR. AND THANK YOU, MARK FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE THINGS LISTED OUT HERE. SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD FOR IT, DEFINITELY WANT TO ECHO WHAT COUNCILMAN KAUR, THE COST EVALUATION, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO SEE WHERE THE GAPS ARE, HOW WE FILL THEM IN, AS WELL AS RETURN ON INVESTMENT RIGHT. SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME, OF COURSE, I THINK GENERALLY WHILE WORKING AND/OR BEING ON COUNCIL, I -- THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF OUTREACH STAFF RETENTION ISSUES SO I WANTED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT WAYS WE [00:50:01] CAN CO DO THAT, INTERNALLY OR EXTERNALLY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE BEST OUTREACH SUPPORT OUT THERE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. WE OFTEN HEAR FROM RESIDENTS, DIFFERENT AREAS HAVE HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS, BUT EVEN PARTS THAT ARE FAR AFLUNG, SUCH AS DISTRICT SIX OR FAR FROM DOWNTOWN, WE KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT TO GET OUT THERE TO FOLKS THAT ARE -- IF WE'RE DISPLACING FOLKS FROM DOWNTOWN, IT'S NOT ONE INDIVIDUAL ROTATING IN AND OUT -- WANTED TO UNDERSTAND A BIT MORE AND MAYBE THAT COMES WITH A COST EVALUATION RIGHT, BUT WHAT ARE THOSE CURRENT STRATEGIES NOW LOOKING AT THE RETENTION PLANS FOR THOSE WORKERS -- OR WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE CURRENTLY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. >> MARK, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU -- > >> SORRY. YEAH, SO I THINK -- WELL, FIRST I THINK PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT JUST TO KIND OF WORK BACKWARDS, COUNCILMEMBER, IS I THINK IT STARTS WITH BED CAPACITY. SO OUTREACH WORKER IS WORKING OUT IN COMMUNITY FINALLY ENGAGING SOMEONE, AND THEN ARE WE ABLE TO GET THAT PERSON ONCE THEY'RE READY. >> GALVAN: YEAH. >> I THINK ON -- OVERALL, I THINK RETENTION-WISE, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT OTHER LEVELS OF SUPPORT -- THIS IS WHERE I WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW TO EVALUATE AND ALIGN ACROSS THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM. >> GALVAN: YEAH. >> SO LIKE WHEN I WAS OUT WITH THE ABATEMENT TEAMS, THERE WAS SOME OF OUR STAFF THAT WERE OUT THERE, THEY WERE WORKING HAND-IN-HAND WITH OUTREACH STAFF FROM SAMMINISTRIES. SO I THINK THE MORE THAT WE'RE LEARNING TOGETHER, THE MORE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING EACH OTHER, EVEN THE CONCEPT OF EVEN GOING IN PAIRS, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON WHERE THE ENCAMPMENT SITE IS, I THINK THAT'S AN ISSUE, I THINK TRAINING BECOMES AN ISSUE, AND HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO BRING TRAINING IN THE WORK AND THE SPACE. BUT I THINK ALSO, HONESTLY, HOW DO WE BEGIN TO CREATE PATH FOR PEOPLE IN THE DEPARTMENT THAT ARE WORKING IN THAT AREA. IF YOU'VE BEEN WORKING IN OUTREACH FOR A WHILE AND YOU LOOK AT TRANSITIONING WITHIN ANOTHER AREA WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND HOW CAN WE SPECIALIZE A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WELL. WE'VE GOT A CLINICAL TEAM OF TWO LMCWS, HOW CAN WE BETTER UTILIZE THEIR CLINICAL SKILLS IN PARTICULAR WHILE CREATING NEW PATHS FOR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO DO OUTREACH WORK. IN ADDITION TO THE PAY ISSUE, WHICH IS ALWAYS GOING TO COME UP AS THE QUESTION, AND TRYING TO WORK WITHIN THE REALITY BUDGETS WITHIN THE CITY BUDGET THIS AND NEXT FISCAL YEAR, TRYING TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES AND SPACES AND PLACES AROUND WAYS TO SUPPORT THE OUTREACH WORKERS MOVING FORWARD. BUT WHAT I WROTE DOWN WAS CURRENT STRATEGIES FOR RETENTION PLAN, AND IT COULD BE FROM THE DATA ANALYSIS THAT WE IDENTIFY SOME INFORMATION THAT COULD BE USEFUL IN THAT. WHAT I'M FINDING, COUNCILMEMBER, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M JUST GOING OUT AND SPENDING TIME WITH PEOPLE IN THEIR WORK WITH THEM. >> GALVAN: YEAH. >> AND I'M LEARNING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT ABOUT WHAT MOTIVATES THEM AND WHAT I'M FINDING ABOUT MIDWAY DOWN THE PACK IS PAY. IT'S MORE OTHER ISSUES. AND I THINK AS I LEARN ABOUT WHAT SOME OF THOSE OTHER ISSUES ARE, WHETHER IT'S FRUSTRATION WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO GET SOMEONE INTO A SETTING, LOSING SOMEONE WHO'S DECEASED, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE VERY REAL ISSUE FOR PEOPLE, I THINK THAT'S WHERE MAYBE WE CAN MAYBE MITIGATE SOME OF THAT AND IMPACT IT MORE DIRECTLY. SO THAT'S WHERE MY HEAD IS RIGHT NOW, I'M TRYING TO FOCUS ON THAT. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU FOR THAT. I THINK IT'S REALLY HELPFUL. I THINK ONCE WE GET THAT DATA, I THINK IT WITH BE HELPFUL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO. AND, OF COURSE, TO YOUR POINT, THE BUDGET CONVERSATION IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE TOUGH THERE. NOT BEING ABLE TO DELIVER THE SERVICES IS ALWAYS THE HARDEST PART, SO I THINK IT WILL BE HELPFUL TO CONTINUE THIS WORK, FIGURE OUT WHAT WAYS WE CAN HELP, MAKE THAT WORK EASIER, WHICH IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE. I ALSO THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE, AND MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING I CAN ASK FOR LATER ON, TOO, A CONVERSATION WITH OUR COUNCIL STAFF, TOO, A LOT OF OUR SERVICES, AT LEAST WITH MY TEAM FIELDS THOUGHS CALLS AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW DEPARTMENT CREATED MAKING SURE WE'RE DISSEMINATING THE INFORMATION TO THE RIGHT DEPARTMENT, WHETHER IT'S PREVENTION, HSD, IF IT'S SOMEONE WHO'S NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR PREVENTION SERVICES AND MAY BE FACING HOMELESSNESS SERVICES, SOON, DO WE PATCH THEM TO YOU, WHAT THAT WORK LOOKS LIKE, JUST TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FULL SCOPE OF THE DEPARTMENT IS, FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION, RIGHT, VERSUS THE TOP-LEVEL VIEW. >> SURE. AND COUNCILMEMBER, WE'RE HAPPY TO GO TO YOUR STAFF AND PROVIDE THIS PRESENTATION AND BRING OUR TEAM WITH US SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, BECAUSE I MEAN, I THINK WE CAN LEARN FROM YOUR STAFF THAT ARE DEALING WITH CONSTITUENTS DAY IN AND DAY OUT, THEY IDENTIFY AREAS FOR US, THEY PROBABLY END UP KNOWING SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT. >> GALVAN: YEAH. GREAT. SOME THINGS I THINK ALSO WITHIN THE LONGER COST EVALUATION, I EXPECT IT TO BE EXPENSIVE, SOMETHING I'VE HEARD FROM RESIDENTS PARTICULARLY AROUND AREAS AROUND MARBACH, MILITARY, OR [00:55:04] EVEN AROUND PLACES UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES WHERE THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FOLKS OR CONCENTRATION OF FOLKS THAT STAY THERE AND AREN'T ABLE -- HAVE MORE FOCUSED EFFORTS THERE, WHETHER IT'S FROM PARTNERS AND/OR OUR CITY STAFF, WHETHER IT'S KIND OF COMMUNITY HUBS OF SUPPORT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE FULLY, SO I THINK WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT LATER ON, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING -- FURTHER OUT IN DISTRICT SIX FROM DOWNTOWN SERVICES, HAVE WORKERS OUT THERE AT A GIVEN TIME F THERE'S SOMETHING CLOSER BY THAT THEY COULD GET TO OR EVEN IF IT'S SOMETHING FOR OUR TEAMS TO UNDERSTAND, IF THERE'S CERTAIN FAITH-BASE RESOURCES OR DAY CENTERS THAT WE CAN CONNECT PEOPLE TO, BUT THAT'S JUST SOMETHING BEEN FLOATING AROUND IN MY HEAD WHEN RESIDENTS TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS, I WISH THERE WAS SOMETHING CLOSER TO US THAT WE COULD CONNECT PEOPLE, TOO. I UNDERSTAND THE COST WOULD BE HELPFUL, TOO, TO SEE IF IT'S EVEN FEASIBLE TO INITIATE. >> I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT NOW ARE MOBILE HUBS, I MEAN CORAZON IS HAVING MOBILE MEDICAL CLINIC IS HAVING REAL SUCCESS. WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH GROUPS THAT ARE WORKING WITH FAITH COMMUNITIES, BUT IT'S A COMMITMENT FOR FAITH COMMUNITY TO SAY THAT WE WANT TO BECOME A HUB OR WE WANT TO BECOME THAT LOCATION, AND SO WE HAVEN'T HAD SUCCESS YET OF THOSE COMMUNITIES STEPPING FORWARD, SO IDEAS OR OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO FACILITATE OR CONVENE SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO TALK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE POSSIBILITIES, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT'S PRETTY CLEAR IN OUR WORK, IT'S VERY TRUST BASED, AND SO -- WHICH IS ANOTHER, I THINK, ASPECT TO THE OUTREACH PIECE. AND WE DO KNOW THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TEND TO BE UNSHELTERED AND OUTSIDE IN THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THEY GREW UP IN. >> GALVAN: RIGHT. >> AND SO THE CHURCHES PROBABLY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD PROBABLY, MORE THAN US INITIALLY, WOULD BE A TRUSTED SOURCE. SO WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THAT IS EXCITING TO ME. IT JUST A QUESTION OF HOW DO WE GET TO THE NEXT STEP. >> GALVAN: GOT IT. THANK YOU. LAST QUICK QUESTIONS -- I SAY QUICK, BUT WE'LL -- ANYWAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PART ABOUT LOOKING WITH THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND PROVIDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WAYS WE CAN CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THEM, I THINK IT'S JUST WORTHWHILE OF COURSE -- COMMUNITY OVERALL. WE KNOW MORE INTENSE CARE TO GIVE THEM PRIMARY CARE AND MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO ACCESS. I THINK UNDERSTANDING AGAIN JUST LIKE OTHER CONVERSATIONS WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO THOSE ACCESS POINTS THAT WE CAN REALLY DELIVER ON AS A CITY, WHETHER IT'S YOUR DEPARTMENT OR OVERALL, I THINK -- AUDIO] -- SO I JUST WANT TO SAY KEEP IT GOING. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK. >> THANK YOU. >> GALVAN: CORAZON OR OTHERS, OKAY, WE'VE GOT SOMEONE WHO TRUSTS US, BUT THERE ARE ALL THESE THAT WE CAN'T TAKE BECAUSE OF X, Y OR Z AND HOW DO WE GET THERE AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, ON ALL OF US TO FIGURE THAT OUT. I THINK THE SAME FOR UNIVERSAL ID, FINDING WAYS TO WORK WITH THAT. BUT ARE THERE CONVERSATIONS NOW ABOUT ID ACCESS, WHETHER IT'S RECOVERY EFFORTS, BUT CREATING A BETTER ID SYSTEM FOR INDIVIDUALS TO USE FOR SERVICES, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY ARE. >> THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION AROUND THIS, HOW DO WE BUILD MORE CAPACITY, I THINK, IS THE LARGEST POINT THAT COMES UP IN THE CONVERSATION. WE HAD TO CREATE OUR OWN DAY AT THE CLAUDE BLACK CENTER THAT WE'RE HOUSED, IT'S A DAY A MONTH THAT OUR FOLKS COME OUT AND WE'RE ABLE TO -- AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO SEE HOW WE CAN UTILIZE EVEN MORE OPPORTUNITIES WHILE PEOPLE ARE THERE, BUT IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING QUESTION, COUNCILMEMBER, SINCE THE DAYS THAT I WAS AT HAVEN, HOW DO WE INCREASE CAPACITY FOR ID AND ARE THERE NEW METHODOLOGY OF WHERE IDS CAN BE STORED SOMEHOW, BECAUSE EVEN IF THE COPIES ARE MADE, THEY'RE LOST. AND SO YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS AGAIN. WE THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME TECHNOLOGY THAT EXISTS, BUT WE HAVEN'T DUG -- I MEAN, I'M NOT AWARE YET THAT WE'VE DUG DEEP ENOUGH TO DO THAT. SO OPEN TO IDEAS ON -- AROUND HOW TO MAYBE DO THAT, BUT IT IS -- THAT -- IT'S KIND OF SIMILAR TO WHEN I THINK ABOUT -- THINKING ABOUT COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO CLOUDED TITLE, IT'S THE SAME TYPES OF ISSUE OF ID RECOVERY. THERE'S BEEN CONVERSATIONS, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A PERMANENT SOLUTION BUT I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN TRIED. WE STILL HAVE CAPACITY FOR IT, WE'RE STILL DOING IT, BUT I THINK WE NEED MORE OF IT. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU FOR THAT. THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> MUNGIA: COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, CHAIR. I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE NEW ESTABLISHMENT ESTABLISHING THIS NEW [01:00:03] DEPARTMENT, ONE THING I'M EAGER FOR IS THE SERVICE ALIGNMENT AND COORDINATION. ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, MY TEAM VISITED WITH OUTREACH TO TOUR THEIR DORMITORY. THEY CONDUCT OUTREACH WITHIN THE INNER WEST SIDE, UNDER ALL THREE OF THE BRIDGES ENTERING THE WEST SIDE AS WELL AS NEAR CATTLEMEN SQUARE AND THEY JUST OPENED UP -- NOT NECESSARILY OPENED UP -- 70 PLUS BEDS, THEY HAVE THE BUNKS THERE BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE STAFF TO STAFF THE NEW WING. I THINK THERE'S VALUE IN MEETING WITH THEM TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEIR WORK AND PARTNER AND ALSO SEEING HOW SUCCESSFUL THEIR PROGRAM IS. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY ALSO HAVE REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH LANDLORDS, SO IN TERMS OF CONNECTING FOLKS TO HOUSING, THEY HAVE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH LANDLORDS, ONCE THEY GRADUATE FROM THE PROGRAM, THEY HAVE SOMEONE THAT THEY CAN THEN CONNECT THE RESIDENT TO FOR A RENTAL UNIT. SO I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HELP SUPPORT THEIR WORK AND ALSO SEE HOW IT ALIGNS WITH THE OUTREACH WORK THAT YOUR DEPARTMENT'S DOING. AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE DISTRICT FIVE TEAM HAS BEEN TAKING DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENTS ON TOURS, RIGHT. WE TOOK THEM TO TOWN TWIN VILLAGE AS WELL AS CORAZON MINISTRY AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHERS IN THE KEURKS AND THERE IS A LOT OF VALUE IN THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION ON THE IMPACT OF WHAT IS LOW BARRIER HOUSING AND WHAT NO BARRIER HOUSING CAN LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THE NEEDS ARE. AND WHAT WE'VE HAD IS OUR CONSTITUENT THAT SHARE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WERE ALTERNATIVES TO HAVEN, FOR EXAMPLE, AND NOW UNDERSTANDING AND NOW WE HAVE ADVOCATES FOR KNOW BARRIER HOUSING, RIGHT? SO JUST THE PUBLIC EDUCATION PIECE, BRINGING RESIDENTS INTO THE PROCESS TO TOUR THE FACILITIES AND SPACES AND ASK QUESTIONS HAS BEEN VERY FRUITFUL. I THINK THE CONVERSATION ABOUT NO BARRIER HOUSING I THINK WILL REALLY HELP SHAPE THE PUBLIC NARRATIVE AROUND SHELTERS IN GENERAL. BECAUSE IN CONVERSATION WITH MY RESIDENTS, RIGHT, THE SENTIMENT TENDS TO BE, THERE'S A SHELTER, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO ACCESS IT. AND THEN WE EDUCATE THEM ON THE BARRIERS THAT EXIST AND WHY THEY CAN'T ACCESS HAVEN, FOR EXAMPLE. >> RIGHT. >> CASTILLO: AND THEY WALK AWAY THINKING, OH, WOW, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. I THOUGHT FOLKS JUST DIDN'T ACCEPT HELP. SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE HELPFUL IN REALLY MOVING CONVERSATION ALONG AND THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION AROUND, YOU KNOW, INVESTING DOLLARS INTO HOMELESS SERVICES AND OUTREACH. AND I'M SORRY, CLIFF, I WAS TALKING AWAY FROM THE MIC. THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, MARK. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> MUNGIA: SO JUST A COUPLE ADDITIONAL NOTES, YOU KNOW, WE -- IN 2020, WE HAD A STRATEGIC PLAN TO RESPOND TO HOMELESSNESS. I THINK THAT WAS A FIVE-YEAR PLAN. IT'S NOW THE FIFTH YEAR. SO I THINK IN THE FUTURE WOULD BE GOOD TO TAKE A REALLY HONEST LOOK AT THAT REPORT THAT CAME OUT AND, YOU KNOW, REPORT BACK ON THIS COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT EXACTLY WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T, WHAT DID WE NOT DO ENOUGH OF AT THE CITY AND ALSO WHAT WAS MAYBE SOME -- SOMETHING TOO AMBITIOUS. OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF FACTORS IN BETWEEN 2020, RIGHT? IT WAS DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN THE REPORT CAME OUT AND THAT WAS FACTORED INTO IT, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE ECONOMY HAS BEEN AN ISSUE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE, THE CITY FUNDING HAS BEEN AN ISSUE. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LIVING UP TO WHAT WE DO ON THESE PLANS BECAUSE THAT WAS A LOT OF MONEY AND I THINK I NEED A LITTLE BIT OF AN END POINT ON THAT PLAN JUST TO PUT A PIN ON IT. ARE YOU GOING TO DO ANOTHER STRATEGIC PLAN? >> RIGHT NOW, WORKING WITH CLOSE TO HOME, COUNCILMEMBER, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS A ONE-YEAR ACTION PLAN TO KIND OF IDENTIFY WHAT THE TARGETS ARE FOR THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THINGS ARE SO MUCH IN THE AIR RIGHT NOW, IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO CREATE A LONGER TERM PLAN. >> MUNGIA: YEAH. >> I THINK ONCE THE ACTION PLAN IS IN PLACE, I MEAN, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION. AND THEN LOOK AND SEE WHAT MAKES SENSE IN TERMS OF SOMETHING LONGER. BECAUSE WE'VE EVEN CONSIDERED FIVE OR EVEN 10-YEAR KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FASHIONED AFTER THE SHIP, IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT MADE SENSE. >> MUNGIA: YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. I DO LIKE THE STARTING OFF WITH A ONE-YEAR PLAN, JUST FOR IT NOT TO BE SO LONG TERM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE NEED TO START DOING NOW. YOU KNOW, I THINK MOVING THE DEPARTMENT WAS A GOOD IDEA OVER TO YOU, SO I'M HOPEFUL ABOUT THAT. I'M ALSO -- TO COUNCILMAN GALVAN'S POINT, MOBILIZATION OF RESOURCES IS SO IMPORTANT TO US, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN D1, RIGHT, HAVE SIGNIFICANT ACCESS TO THINGS IN THAT AREA OF TOWN, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE NEAR EAST OR WEST OR SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GET TO OUR DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, 410, 1604, IT IS NOT EASY OVER THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE WORKED WITH A LOT OF -- AS A STAFFER, THEY'RE DOING AMAZING WORK. I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT MORE OF A REGIONAL CAPACITY, RIGHT? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S PER DISTRICT. EVERYONE GETS ONE, I BELIEVE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE -- IN MY DISTRICT, WHEN YOU'RE OVER THERE ADDRESSING SOME FOLKS BY SEAWORLD, AND YOUR NEXT [01:05:07] STOP IS. A&M AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO GO BACK TO VALLEY HI AND INDIAN CREEK, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT DIFFERENTLY AND SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE IT EASIER FOR FOLKS OR MAKE IT MORE REGIONAL AREAS OF SERVICE, BECAUSE I THINK HAVING ONE PER DISTRICT WHEN YOU HAVE DISTRICTS LIKE OURS OUT -- WAY OUT THERE, IT'S JUST A LOT OF DRIVE TIME FOR THEM. SO JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ON THAT. >> OKAY. >> MUNGIA: AND I THINK OUTREACH IS DEFINITELY THE WAY TO GO. THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE MAKING THOSE CONNECTIONS, THE RELATIONSHIPS. THEY'RE PROBABLY THE ONLY ONES MAKING THOSE TYPES OF SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIPS AT THE STREET LEVEL, RIGHT OUTSIDE OF SERVICES. AND SO HOWEVER WE CAN ALSO HELP WITH FAITH-BASED GROUPS, BECAUSE LIKE I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, I THINK THAT'S THE WAY FOR THE MICROSITES BECAUSE WE'RE NOT EVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO A HAVEN AT MARBACH AND 410 AND CULEBRA, BUT THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES ARE AS MUCH NEEDED OVER THERE. AND I THINK YOU KNOW, I'M INTERESTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MEDICAL MOBILIZATION THAT YOU SAID CORASON IS DOING. I THINK THAT'S A WAY TO BUILD TRUST WITH FOLKS, WE'RE JUST HERE TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR INJURY AND ADDRESS THAT ON SITE I THINK IS REALLY, REALLY VALUABLE. SO IF WE CAN GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT AND SEE HOW THAT'S GOING. >> OKAY. >> MUNGIA: I'M ALSO REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT THE COMMUNITY COURTS. AND SO MAYBE IF THERE'S A DAY OR SOME DATES YOU CAN SEND US THAT IT'S HAPPENING, JUST FOR THE COMMITTEE MEN'S MEMBERS TO SEE ON OUR OWN INDIVIDUALLY, I WANT TO SIT DO DOWN AND SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. >> COMPONENTS ARE COMING TOGETHER AND THEY ADVOCATE FOR THE CLIENTS THAT GO INTO THESE PROGRAMS, SO WE CAN ELIMINATE THOSE BARRIERS AND GET THEM OUT. SO I WILL SEND IT OUT TO MARK TODAY SO HE CAN HAVE IT AND SEND IT OUT TO YOU GUYS. >> MUNGIA: >> JUDGE GUERRA, JUDGE OBLEDO, JUDGE IBARRA, RIGHT NOW WE ONLY HAVE THREE. BUT I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO COME. LIKE I SAID, I'M GOING TO SEND IT TO MARK AND I HOPE WE'LL SEE YOU GUYS THERE. >> MUNGIA: WE EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM US HAVING THAT SOFT-TOUCH APPROACH WHEN IT GETS TO THAT LEVEL, SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. >> I THINK THE KEY IS THAT THE PERSON WHO'S STANDING IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE KNOW HE'S GOT SOMEBODY TO HAVE HIS BACK, THAT ENCOURAGES THEM TO GO INTO THE PROGRAM, SO IF THEY SEE THE HELP AND ASSISTANCE, THEY'RE NOT UP THERE ALONE, WHAT THEY FEEL LIKE COULD BE AN ADMONISHMENT TURNS OUT TO BE A GOOD DAY FOR THEM. I'LL SEND IT OUT AND HOPEFULLY I'LL SEE YOU GUYS THERE. >> MUNGIA: KATHY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. YOU CAME OUT TO A SITE. I APPRECIATE YOUR WORDS OF WISDOM THAT YOU SHARED WITH US AT THAT MEETING. >> THANK YOU, TOO, FOR COUNCIL. PEOPLE PROBABLY DON'T SAY THANK YOU TO Y'ALL ENOUGH. BUT YOU GUYS ADVOCATE FOR US BY GIVING US ALL OF THE HARD THINGS WE CAN TAKE BACK LIKE IN IDENTIFYING THE GAPS. I COULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL IF YOU HAVEN'T TO DO A RIDE ALONG WITH THE ENCAMPMENT, NOT JUST YOUR STAFFERS, BECAUSE THEY SEE IT. BUT JUST COME OUT WITH US AND KIND OF SEE -- IN AUDIO] -- SOME OF THOSE GAPS AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT VERY MUCH. >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU. MARK, YOU WANT TO THANK US, TOO? JUST KIDDING. >> YES, THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> MUNGIA: WANT TO TAKE TURNS. >> DAILY. BUT, CHAIR, WE CAN GET THE DATES OUT, WE CAN COORDINATED WITH JOHN AND -- TO GET THIS TO YOU ALL. AND IF ANY OF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE RIDE ALONG, MAYBE SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE IT, BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, WE CAN FACILITATE THOSE AS WELL. >> MUNGIA: I THINK HAVING THE REFRESHER FOR STAFF BECAUSE I THINK AS NEW PEOPLE COME, AND I WANT TO REALLY EMPHASIZE THE SEPARATION BETWEEN ABATEMENT AND OUTREACH, AND THERE'S A TENDENCY WHEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE OUTREACH THAT WE SEND FOLKS IN ABATEMENT OUT THERE AND SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE THE FIRST -- THEY SHOULD NOT BE THE FIRST ONES ON A SITE LIKE THAT. SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF RETRAINING JUST TO LET FOLKS KNOW WHAT THE PREFERRED PROCESS IS. AND MAKING SURE WHEN THE OUTREACH FOLK -- WHEN THE ABATEMENT FOLKS GET THAT, THAT I'M SURE THERE ALREADY IS COORDINATION, BUT MAKING SURE OUTREACH IS ALWAYS OUT THERE FIRST, I THINK IS IMPORTANT. >> YES, CORRECT. >> MUNGIA: AWESOME. MARK, WELL, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU BACK HERE PRETTY SOON. YES, MA'AM, MRS. KATHY. >> MUNICIPAL COURT ON NOVEMBER 19TH AT 3:30 AT 401 SOUTH FRIO STREET, [01:10:06] AND WE'LL BE THERE. SO HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS CAN BE THERE TO JOIN US. >> BUT WE'LL GET YOU ALL THIS INFORMATION. >> THANK YOU. >> MUNGIA: ALSO I APPRECIATE THAT. ANY OTHER -- COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: AND HAVEN FOR HOPE ALSO AS A COMMUNITY COURTS GRADUATION AND IT'S JUST SO REWARDING IN THAT FOLKS ARE THERE IN A GRADUATION GOWN AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE FOLKS -- ALL THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND GRADUATING FROM THE PROGRAM. SO ALSO ONE WORTH VISITING. >> MUNGIA: ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES? ALL RIGHT. SO THIS AGAIN WAS JUST FOR BRIEFING, SO THE TIME IS NOW 5:14 P.M. AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANKS Y'ALL FOR STAYING LA * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.