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          >> GALVAN: ALL RIGHT. IT IS 10:01:00 A.M., AND WE'LL OFFICIALLY GET THE COMMUNITY HEALTH MEETING STARTED. MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. 
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          >> GALVAN: THANK YOU SO MUCH. CAN I GET A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM LAST MEETING? ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? GREAT. WE HAVE A COUPLE FOLKS 
          [Public Comments
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SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT HERE. EACH PERSON WILL GET THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. WE'LL START OFF WITH TYLER FERGUSON. 
          >> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS TYLER FERGUSON, AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BLUEPRINT MINISTRIES AND ALSO CHAIR METRO HEA HEALTH'S HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK HOUSING GROUP. AND I'M HERE THIS MORNING TO SHARE WITH YOU FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THE IMMENSE GOOD THAT THE NETWORK IS DOING TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY. IT MIGHT SEEM ODD THAT SOMEONE WORKING IN THE HOUSING SPACE IS INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN METRO HEALTH'S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY. THAT'S BECAUSE HOUSING, AS WELL AS OTHER SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH ARE ALL INNER CONNECTED. YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO FACE FOOD INSECURITY DO NOT DO SO IN A VACUUM. INSTEAD, THEY MUST MAKE DECISIONS IN THE FACE OF IMPOSSIBLE TRADEOFFS, DECIDING TO REMEDY MOLD IN THEIR HOUSE MEANS THERE'S NO MONEY LEFT FOR FOOD. BUYING LUNCHES FOR THEIR KIDS IN THE SUMMER MIGHT MEAN MOM SKIPPING HER MEDICATION REFILL. 
          THOSE NEEDS ARE ALL CONNECTED, EVEN WHEN THE ORGANIZATIONS HELPING WITH THEM AREN'T. THAT'S WHERE THE HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK HAS REALLY HELPED US. METRO HEALTH BRINGS ORGANIZATIONS ADDRESSING ALL OF THESE CONCERNS AND MORE TOGETHER SO WE CAN COLLABORATE IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO RECEIVE SUPPORT, NOT JUST IN RECEIVING FOOD FOR THE WEEK, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IN REMOVING THE BARRIERS THAT KEEP THEM IN THE FOOD INSECURITY CYCLE IN THE FIRST PLACE. IN JANUARY, WE BROUGHT A HOMEOWNER SITUATION TO OUR HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK PARTNERS. 
          WE COULD HELP WITH THE REPAIRS, BUT THERE WERE OTHER NEEDS, TOO, THAT KEPT THIS FAMILY STRUGGLING TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE. RELATIONSHIPS FORMED THROUGH THE NETWORK HELPED US IDENTIFY RESOURCES AND MAKE REFERRALS FOR CLOTHING, TRANSPORTATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT OURSELVES. TO, AND THAT MEANT WE COULD- OFFER THE HOMEOWNER MORE HELP THAN WE COULD ON OUR OWN. AND I WANT TO CLOSE ABOUT A THOUGHT ABOUT THE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS WE'RE SURE TO KEEP HAVING IN THE COMING YEARS ABOUT THE CITY'S ROLE IN FUNDING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. 
          I'M NOT HERE TODAY TO ARGUE FOR OR AGAINST FUNDING GOING TO INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS BUT RATHER, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO KEEP SUPPORTING COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS LIKE THE HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK AND TO LOOK AT HOW WE COULD REPLICATE THAT MODEL ACROSS DIFFERENT AREAS OF CITY GOVERNMENT. WHEN THE CITY HELPS ORGANIZATIONS WORK TOGETHER, ITS INVESTMENT CAN REACH BEYOND WHAT ANY ONE ORGANIZATION CAN DO ALONE. WE CAN DRAW ON EACH OTHER'S KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES TO HELP THE SAME FAMILIES IN A MORE HOLISTIC WAY. THAT'S A MEANINGFUL WAY TO MAKE THE CITY'S INVESTMENT GO EVEN FURTHER, AND FOR THE PEOPLE WE SERVE, IT MEANS WE HAVE MORE TO OFFER WHEN THEY COME TO US FOR HELP. THANK YOU. 
          >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE EL CELIE FERNANDEZ. 
          IF I MISTAKE THIS, GUDELIA RAMONE. >> THAT WAS VERY GOOD. 
          >> GALVAN: THANK GOD. >> GOOD MORNING, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH WITH FAMILY SERVICE. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SERVANT LEADERSHIP, IT IS NOT EASY TO SERVE IN PUBLIC OFFICE IN THIS POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AND YOU'RE GREATLY NEEDED AND APPRECIATED. 
          I'M HERE TO SPEAK AS THE HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK, I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THREE YEARS AND FOUND THE NETWORK TO BE INVALUABLE TO ME, IN A MOMENT YOU'LL HEAR FROM METRO HEALTH WITH A FORMER UPDATE AND HOW WE ADDRESS FOOD SECURITY AND MANY OTHER SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH THROUGH A COLLECTIVE MODEL. 
          BEFORE YOU HEAR THEM, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR SPECIFICALLY HOW MY PARTICIPATION AND THE H HEN, HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK HAS CATALYZED MY LEADERSHIP AND WHAT I REPRESENT, IE FAMILY SERVICE. I LIKE TO DESCRIBE THE HAND 
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AS THE HANDS AND FEET, THE PHYSICAL DEMONSTRATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND CITY SERV SERVICES. THEY HAVE CREATED A TANGIBLE RESOURCE FOR NONPROFITS TO CREATE MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS THAT INCREASE RESOURCES FOR SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS. I PERSONALLY HAVE BUILT RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER MEMBERS LIKE THE SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION, AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION, GAR DOPE YA GARDENS, AND SOCIAL HEALTH AND RESEARCH CENTER, THE FOOD POLICY COUNCIL JUST TO NAME A FEW. THESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE VITAL AND CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO SHARE UNLIMITED RESOURCES AND LESSONS LEARNED TO IMPROVE, SCALE, AND ACCELERATE IMPACT. ONE SUCH EFFORT THAT WAS BIRTHED WAS A POP-UP RESOURCE MARKETS. THESE ARE PRODUCE MAR MARKETS. THIS INITIATIVE -- WITH THIS INITIATIVE, FAMILY SERVICE WAS ABLE TO SERVICE 167 ZIP CODES IN A TOTAL OF 4 EVENTS. 
          WE REACHED ALL DISTRICTS OF THIS CITY. FROM THESE SUCCESSFUL MARKET S AND GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH ANOTHER HEN MEMBER, RIVER CITY PRODUCE WE SOUGHT OUT A MICRO GRANT FROM BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD. IN THESE TURBULENT FU FUNDING TIMES WE KNEW WE HAD TO SEEK AND MOVE TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE MODEL. 
          WE CREATED 50/50 PRODUCE MARKETS AT OUR LOCATION. AT THESE MARKETS WE'RE TEACHING OUR CLIENTS AND OUR STAFF BECAUSE WE ALLOW OUR STAFF TO PRE PURCHASE FROM THIS MARKET AS WELL, TO INVEST IN THEIR HEALTH AND PROVIDE RECIPES AND PRODUCE TIPS THAT GIVE THEM IDEAS ON HOW TO BEST USE THEIR PURCHASE. 
          WE'RE PROVIDING PRODUCE IQ CLASSES WITH THESE FUNDS. WITH THE SUCCESS OF THESE MARKETS WE HOPE TO CALL ATTENTION TO YOU, OUR CITY REPRESENTATIVES THAT MANY AREAS OF OUR CITY REMAIN A FOOD DESERT, MUCHLESS HEALTHY FOOD, AND HEALTHY FOOD IS VERY INACCESSIBLE TO MANY HOUSEHOLDS AS AN EMPLOYEE OF FAMILY SERVICE, A HEN MEMBER AND RESIDENT OF THIS GREAT CITY, DISTRICT 10, I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE, NO MATTER WHAT SOCIAL CLASS THEY BELONG TO, DESERVES THE RIGHT TO ACCESS NUTRITIOUS 
          AND AFFORDABLE FOOD. THANK YOU. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          NEXT WE HAVE JENNY CASTRO. >> HI, MY NAME IS JENNY CASTRO, AND I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT EMPOWER HOUSE WHERE FOR OVER 25 YEARS WE'VE PROVIDED TRANSFORMATIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH SER SERVICES, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES THAT EMPOWER WOMEN OF COLOR IN SAN ANTONIO. 
          WE HAVE OFFICES IN DISTRICTS 2, 4, AND 7 SERVE NEARLY 2,000 WOMEN AND GIRLS AND FAMILIES EACH YEAR. WE'VE BEEN PART OF THE HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK SINCE ITS INCEPTION. THE MAJORITY OF WOMEN, GIRLS, WE SERVE AT EMPOWER HOUSE LIVE AT HOUSEHOLDS AND IN MANY CASES ARE HEADS OF HO HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE CHRONICALLY FOOD INSECURE. OFTEN TIMES MAKING UNREASONABLE CHOICES BETWEEN RENT AND FOOD, LIGHTS AND FOOD. MEMBERSHIP IN THE HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK HAS EXPANDED OUR REACH, CONNECTING US AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH RESOURCES BEYOND WHAT WE CAN PROVIDES AS AN ORGANIZATION. STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN THE NETWORK HAS MADE IT POSSIBLE TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS THROUGH LAYERED SERVICES L LEADING TO LASTING CHANGE. TOO OFTEN, HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS SAN ANTONIO HAVE WORKED IN SILOS, WORKING TO SOLVE COMPLEX CHALLENGES WITH LIMITED RESOURCES. THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS BUILT ACROSS THE HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK, EMPOWER HOUSE HAS BRIDGED ACCESS TO SUMMER FOOD PROGRAMMING THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK AS WELL AS RESOURCES BARRIERS, SPECIALIZED SUPPORT TO GRANDPARENTS WHO ARE CAREGIVERS THROUGH OUR RESOURCE GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN, SUP SUPPORTIVE PERINATAL SERVICES WITH RELATIONSHIPS WITH YWCA AND EMPOWER HAS HAS ALSO SUPPORTED THE NETWORK WITH DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN FOOD AND RENT. FINALLY, THE HEN HAS EMPOWERED US WITH SKI SKILLS, TOOLS, AND ADVOCACY AROUND SHARED GOALS AND A COLLECTIVE VOICE TO SUPPORT POLICIES THAT IMPACT OUR FAMILIES. 
          AT EMPOWER HOUSE, WE WORK TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO THRIVING SO THAT WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE EMPOWERED TO LIVE THEIR BEST POSSIBLE LIVES. MEMBERSHIP IN THE HEALTH E EQUITY NETWORK EXPANDS POSSIBILITIES BOTH FOR INDIVIDUALS WE SERVE, IN THEIR PERSONAL PAST TOWARDS HEALTH AND WH WHOLENESS, AND FOR OUR COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY, INSPIRING SYSTEMS CHANGE FOR OUR COLLECTIVE GOOD. 
          THANK YOU. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE MARIO AB 
          ABLARO. >> GOOD MORNING, CHAIRMAN, AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. 
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CITY STAFF. FOR THE RECORD, MARROW ABRARO JR., CHIEF OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK, AND LET ME FIRST AND FOREMOST SAY ON BEHALF OF ERIC COOPER, OUR PRESIDENT, CEO OR BOARD, ORGANIZATION, TEAM AND MYSELF, THANK YOU FOR THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU PROVIDE TO YOUR DIST DISTRICTS AND TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AS A WHOLE. SOME GREAT COMMENTS THAT YOU JUST HEARD FROM SOME GREAT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. BEFORE YOU IS SOME INFORMATION THAT WE HA HANDED OUT, A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION AND TRIVIA ON THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK. FOR FEEDING AMERICA, SAFETY, AND FOR THE 20 FOOD BANKS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAT -- OUR STATE ASSOCIATION IS FEEDING TEXAS, THAT'S OUR STATE'S SAFETY NET, ALL 254 COUNTIES ARE COVERED BY A FOOD BANK SERVICE TERRITORY, AND DO KNOW THAT WE COVER 29 COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST TEXAS, SAN ANGEL LOW, UVALDE, AND NEW BRAN FELLS. AND SO REALLY, I'M JUST COMING TODAY TO SAY, LOOK, TIMES ARE TOUGH AND WE KNOW FOOD INSECURITY IS ON THE RISE, AND OUR SISTER FOOD BANKS AND US HAVE SEEN DEMAND IN SERVICES. WE WORK WITH YOUR OFF OFFICES AND YOUR STAFF. YOU HAVE GREAT STAFF THAT ARE OUT THERE IN THE FIELD, AND YOU KNOW US FAR TOO WELL WHEN IT COMES TO NOT ONLY THE DAILY DISASTER OF POVERTY, BUT ALSO NATURAL DISASTERS AS WELL. AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS A PHONECALL AND TEXT AWAY. I DO WANT TO COMMENT ON THE HEN, CLAUDE, METRO HEALTH. 
          I KNOW THERE'S OTHER DEPARTMENT STAFF HERE FROM HUMAN SERVICES. 
          LOOK, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS HERE AT CITY HALL AND IN DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE MAKING THINGS HAPPEN THAT THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T REALIZE, AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HARD WORK BY YOUR TEAMS, BY THOSE DEPARTMENTS, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, WE COULDN'T GET THINGS DONE, AND SO REALLY, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT INFORMATION, YOU'LL SEE HOW WE'RE WORKING AND SERVING, ERIC COOPER SERVES ON THE BOARD FE FEEDING AMERICA, AND I SERVE ON A NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR FEEDING AMERICA WHEN IT COMES TO POLICY AND ADVOCACY. HE DOES SERVE ON THE BOARD FOR FEEDING TEXAS, AND DO KNOW WE'VE BEEN STRETCHED THIN AT TIMES, BUT IT'S BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY, IT'S BECAUSE OF DONORS, VOLUNTEERS, AND GOVERNMENT COMING TO OUR AID TO HELP US GET THROUGH WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO MENTION THAT CLAUDE'S TEAM WITH THE HEN, ALL THE NONPROFITS WE PARTNER WITH AND THROUGHOUT SOUTHWEST TEXAS, A GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM TO FIGHT HUNGER, FEED HOPE, AND WE'RE ALONGSIDE THEM AND AL ALONGSIDE YOU TO GET THINGS DONE. 
          SO THANK YOU. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. OUR LAST SPEAKER IS MER SAID 
          KEYS BRISTOL. >> GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS MERCEDES BRISTOL, AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TEXAS GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDPARENTS, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SPEAK TO YOU ON BEHALF OF THIS UNHEARD POPULATION OR UNSERVED POPULATION, I SHOULD SAY. 
          WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE HELP WE HAVE GOTTEN FROM EACH DISTRICT. 
          WE'RE NOW STATEWIDE, SO WE BRANCH OUT. SO MY BIGGEST -- I'M GOING TO ECHO EVERYTHING MY PARTNERS SAID FROM THE HEN, AND ALSO I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE WORK THAT WE DO AT THE HEN IS A LOT OF WORK WITH, NOT WORKING IN SILOS, AND ALSO WORKING ON WHAT COULD WE DO AS WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR THESE U UNINFORMAL FOSTER CHILDREN. SO FOR EVERY ONE CHILD IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM, THERE'S 21 CHILDREN OUTSIDE THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM THAT DON'T GET ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, AND THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT GO TO MAYBE 3 OR 4 FOOD BANKS A WEEK TO TRY TO PUT FOOD ON THEIR TABLE. A LOT OF THESE GRANDPARENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD THEIR ST STORIES HAVE BEEN THEY CUT THEIR MEDICATION IN HALF JUST TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MONEY ENOUGH TO BUY THE CHILDREN SHIRTS, SHOES, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THE PARTNERSHIP HAS REALLY OPENED THE DOORS FOR A LOT OF NETWORKING AND BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD MEET THESE NEEDS, AND ALSO BEEN ABLE TO HELP US SUPPORT THE -- OUR ADVOCACY DAY AT THE CAPITAL. SO WE GO TO THE CAPITAL EVERY LEGISLATION TIME, AND WE'VE TAKEN ABOUT 160 GRANDPARENTS TO THE CAPITAL IN THE LAST THREE LEGISLATIONS TO BE ABLE TO TELL THEIR STORY, AND ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES. 
          SO WHAT WE DO ALSO IS WE EDUCATE AND WE EMPOWER THESE GRANDPARENTS TO BE ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES AND GO TELL THEIR STORIES OF HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO TAKE ON RESPONSIBILITY FOR GRANDCHILDREN AT THEIR AGE WITHOUT ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OR WITHOUT ANY LEGAL STATUS FOR THESE FAMILIES, WHICH MAKES IT VERY HARD TO ENROLL THEM IN SCHOOL AND GET THE BENEFITS -- THE STATE BENEFITS. 
          SO THIS HAS BEEN A VERY GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GROW HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND BEYOND. SO THE HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK BILLS THE COMMUNITY, AND 
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THEY AND HOW COULD WE ALL WORK ON THE SAME LEGISLATIVE ISSUES OF FOOD INSECURITY ALTOGETHER, INSTEAD OF WO WORKING IN SILOS AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
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          >> GALVAN: THANK YOU SO MUCH. WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE INTO ITEM NUMBER 2, THE FOOD INSECURITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIES PRESENTATION. OF COURSE WE HAVE A BIG SLEW OF PRESENTATIONS TODAY RELATED TO FOOD INSECURITY, POVERTY AND OF COURSE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT SO EXCITED TO GET INTO THE CONVERSATION. 
          WE'LL START THERE WITH METRO HEALTH. >> THANK YOU. 
          I'M JUNE DAWAOO MEDICAL DIRECTOR AT MEDICAL HEALTH. YOU'RE GOOD. 
          THANKS. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL START WITH HOW WE GOT HERE BACK WITH A CCR IN 2022 BY COUNCILMEMBERS MCKEE RODRIGUEZ AND SANDIBAL LOOKING FOR A ROAD MAP TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITIES IN SAN ANTONIO, BETWEEN THEN AND NOW WE'VE HAD HEALTH COLLABORATIVES, COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND A THREE PART COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT, AND THE ASSESSMENT IS FOLLOWED BY A COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN OR CHIP WE'LL TALK ABOUT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, AND IN 2022, METRO HEALTH CAME BACK AND RECOMMENDED FRAMING FOOD INSECURITY AS PART OF A COIS A WIDE PROCESS FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HELD FOOD SYSTEM SUMMITS IN TO IT 21, 2025, AND 26, AND WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IS A BODY OF WORK THAT IF WE TAKE A STEP BACK CONNECTS TO CLIMATE READINESS AND CLIMATE ACTION PLANS SO CONNECTS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RESILL YENS AND SUSTAINABILITY, HUMAN SERVICES, NHSD, AND CITY-SUPPORD URBAN FARMING AND COMMUNITY GARDENS, WIC SUMMER NEW TRANSITION PROGRAM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ET CETERA. AND I WAS GOING TO -- WELL, I WANT TO SHOUT OUT THE PARTNERS IN THE AUDIENCE, A LOT OF WHOM HAVE ALREADY COME UP AND SPOKEN BUT ALSO SOME CITY DEPARTMENTS AS WE WELL, SO THE ONES I'VE MENTIONED, WORLD HERITAGE SUSTAINABILITY, FOOD BANK, FAMILY SERVICE, BLUEPRINT MINISTRIES, TEXAS GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN, EMPOWER HOUSE , AND THE METRO HEALTH CENTER FOR POLICY AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENT STAFF LED BY SEAN GREEN SIAN EL MORE AND LIAM EPSTEIN. SO WE CAME BACK WITH A ROAD MAP THAT LEVERAGES ALL THE PARTNERSHIPS WE MENTIONED HERE AND SOME OF THE EVIDENCE-BASED SOLUTIONS WE LEARNED ABOUT THROUGH THE ASSESSMENT. FOOD INSECURITY, WHICH IS WHEN FAMILIES MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN HAVING ENOUGH FOOD TO EAT OR PAYING A MEDICAL BILL, RENT, ACTUALLY ROSE 1 14% -- I'M SORRY. ROSE FROM 14% IN 2021 TO 20.6% IN 2024. IT IS ONE OF THE FOUR PRIORITIES OF THE CHIP, AND YOU CAN SEE, I WON'T READ EVERYTHING ON THIS SLIDE, BUT YOU COULD SEE EVERYTHING IS MOVING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, AND WE'LL TALK IN THE END WHY THAT IS THE CASE DESPITE THE COORDINATED EFFORTS THAT WE'LL DISCUSS TODAY. 
          WHY THIS MATTERS TODAY IN JULY WE GOT NEW DATA FROM FEEDING AMERICA, AND YOU COULD SEE THAT 1 IN 4 TEXAS CHILDREN ARE FOOD INSECURE, 1 IN 4 TEXAS SENIORS ARE INSECURE, 1 IN 3 BLACK TEXANS ARE FOOD INSE INSECURE, AND SNAP PARTICIPATION IN BEXAR COUNTY DECLINED. ONE OF THE WAYS TO REDUCE FOOD INSECURITY IS SNAP. 
          SNAP PARTICIPANTS ARE 30% MORELESS LIKELY THAN NONPARTICIPANTS TO BE FOOD INSECURE. FEDERALLY SNAP IS BEING SYSTEMATICALLY ERODED AND THIS HURTS CHILDREN WHERE PARTICIPATION HAS DROPPED MORE THAN 20% IN SEPTEMBER, AND BLACK POPULATION AND SENIORS. SO YOU COULD SEE THAT NEARLY HALF OF BEXAR COUNTY HOUSEHOLDS ARE LIVING UNDER THE ALICE THRESHOLD, ASSET LIMITED INCOME CONSTRAINED AND 'EM EMPLOYED SO PEOPLE ABOVE THAT FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL BUT DON'T EARN ENOUGH TO SURVIVE, AND THE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES, YOU CAN IMAGINE, COULD INCLUDE CHRONIC STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT PEOPLE WHO NEED TO TAKE FOOD WITH THEIR MEDICATIONS WHO AREN'T ABLE TO. IT'S ESPECIALLY CONCERNING FOR SENIORS, PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS, ALSO IN PREGNANCY DUE TO MATERNAL AND INFANT RI RISKS. 
          SO THE POPULATIONS ARE -- THE HIGHER RISK ONES THERE, AND THEN ONE IN FIVE BEXAR 
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COUNTY HOUSEHOLDS EXPERIENCED FOOD INSECURITY. I WANT TO FLAG ALSO IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR THE USDA STOPPED TR TRACKING FOOD INSECURITY THROUGH ITS ANNUAL HO HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY REPORT THAT IT HAD BEEN USING FOR 30 YEARS, SO WE WILL NOT HAVE GOOD DATA FOR 2026. WE WILL STILL HAVE SNAP PARTICIPATION, BUT WHAT WE WON'T HAVE IS THAT QUESTION THAT GOES TO HOUSEHOLDS OF WHETHER PEOPLE WORRY THEIR FOOD WILL RUN OUT. IT'S JUST NO LONGER CONDUCTED NATIONALLY. SO THIS MAKES OUR LOCAL DATA COLLECTION EFFORTS MORE IMPORTANT FOR AN INFORMED COMMUNITY AND POLICY RESPONSE. 
          THIS IS THE ROAD MAP THAT WE PRESENTED IN 2022. SO YOU CAN SEE IT'S STARTED WITH BUILDING THE FOUNDATION OF CRE CREATING THE NETWORK, DOING A SERIES OF FOOD INSECURITY ASSESSMENTS IN '23 AND '24, AND NOW WE'RE IN PHASE 4. 
          THIS IS A LOT OF WORK THAT CAN'T BE DONE BY ANY SINGLE ORGANIZATION. 
          PUBLIC HEALTH CAN HELP GUIDE THE PROCESS, BUT THE PROGRESS HAPPENS WHEN WE HAVE MULTI MULTISECTORS LIKE HOSPITALS AND SCHOOLS AND NONPROFITS AND BUSINESSES TAKING RESPONSIBILITY AND TR TRACKING THEIR WORK TOGETHER IN A PROCESS THAT WE CALL COLLECTIVE IMPACT. GOING BACK TO PHASES 1 THROUGH 3 BRIEFLY, I MENTIONED THE FOOD INSECURITY ASSESSMENT THAT WAS COMMISSIONED. CONDUCTED BY YOU JUST T HOUSTON SCHOOL OF HEA HEALTH, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DID WAS IDENTIFY BEST PRACTICES TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY, SO IMPROVING HOUSEHOLDS FINANCIAL CAPABILITY BECAUSE REALLY FOOD INSECURITY IS SO OFTEN ABOUT ECONOMIC INSECURITY, PROTECTING THOSE NUTRITION BENEFITS, SNAP AND WIC PARTICIPATION, BUT ESPECIALLY THROUGH TRUSTED COMMUNITY PROGRAMS TO HELP PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH ENROLLING. 
          SUMMER EBT IS A SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM FOR LOW INCOME CHILDREN PROVIDING $40 FOR CHILDREN PER MONTH OR $120 OVER THE SUMMER. CHARITABLE ASSISTANCE FOR IMMEDIATE NEEDS BUT FOR EVERY MALE PROVIDED THROUGH FOOD BANKS, SNAP PROVIDES NINE, AND BUILDING -- SUPPORTING HOUSING STABILITY, TRANSPORTATION ACCESS, BUILDING SOCIAL CAPITAL, COMMUNITY VOICE, AND NOURISHING THOSE CROSS SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS. WE ALSO ESTABLISH THE HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK WHICH I THINK YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THIS MORNING SUPPORTED BY METRO HEALTH'S CE CENTER FOR POLICY AND HEALTH IMPROVEMENT, WE'RE WO WORKING TO REDUCE THE FOOD INSECURITY RATE BY 4 PERCENTAGE POINTS BY 2030. AND THIS IS A BUSY SLIDE, SO I'LL TALK YOU THROUGH IT. THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH METRO HEALTH ADDRESSES FOOD INSECURITY THROUGH DIRECT SERVICES. FOR EXAMPLE, METRO HEALTH'S RESOURCE CENTER DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 250,000 POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE IN THE MIDDLE, THE COALITION AND NETWORK EFFECTS, THE HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK PARTNERS DISTRIBUTED OVER 122,000 POUNDS OF FOOD AND 161,000 MEALS, AND THEY FOSTER THE ALIGNMENT THAT'S MENTIONED IN THERE WITH MORE THAN 70 PARTNERS, SHARED MESSAGING, WHICH COULD BE DATA STORY TELLING, DATA, PROJECT COORDINATION, FISCAL MANAGEMENT FOR THE FUNDED PROGRAMS SO THAT WE HAVE 34 FUNDED PARTNERS SUBMITTING DATA AND IMPLEMENTING CHIP INITIATIVES AND THEN FINALLY ON THE RIGHT, THE POLICY AND SYSTEMS CHANGE, WE SUPPORT THAT AS WELL, BUT THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT ON THE LAST SLIDE. TOGETHER, WE'RE C CREATING A COORDINATED ECOSYSTEM NOT WORKING IN SILOS OR DUPLICATING EFFORTS OR MOVING FROM ONE SHSHORT TERM FIX TO ANOTHER. SO PHASE 4. 
          IN PHASE 4, WE'RE COLLECTING DATA, TESTING STRATEGIES, SCALING UP. 
          THIS INCLUDES SCALING DATA, YOU COULD LOOK FOR A PUBLIC FACING PERFORMANCE TRACKING WEBSITE THIS FALL, TRAINING BENEFITS NAVIGATORS, COORDINATING POP-UP MARKETS, AND WORKING TO COORDINATE REFERRALS, ALIGNED COMMUNICATIONS MEANS THINGS LIKE OUR HOUSING HEALTH TOOL KIT, FOOD HEALTH TOOL KIT. CAMPAIGN LAST FALL, AND THEN COORDINATED ACTION THROUGH REDISTRIBUTING FUNDING TO SOME OF THE PARTNERS YOU'VE HEARD FROM THIS MORNING, FOR EXAMPLE. THESE EFFORTS ALL INFORM METRO HEALTH'S LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, WHICH INCLUDE INCREASED ACCESS TO FOOD ASSISTANCE AND NUTRITION PROGRAMS. THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE RIGHT NOW IS REDUCING THOSE SNAP ENROLLMENT DELAYS. BECAUSE OF NEW FEDERAL ELIGIBILITY AND ADMINISTRATIVE RESTRICTIONS, AND DELAYS, THE SNAP BACKLOG GREW 44-FOLD FROM H 4,000 TO 175,000 BETWEEN JANUARY AND DECEMBER. 
          MEDICAID ENROLLMENT DELAYS WERE EVEN GREATER THAN THAT. THE FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES HAVE GROUND THE LEGACY PLATFORM AT HHSC TO A HALT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED. 
          [00:25:03]
ONE STEP THE LEGISLATURE CAN TAKE IS SUPPORTING HHSC'S RECENT BUDGET REQUEST TO CONVERT TEMPORARY ELIGIBILITY WORKERS INTO FULL TIME STAFF. 
          REDUCING SNAP ELIGIBILITY BARRIERS REFERS TO THE CUMBERSOME FORMS AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED, SUMMER EBT, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT, THAT WAS ACTUALLY PASSED BY THE LAST LEGISLATURE BUT HAVE TOED DUE TO CONCERNS THE FEDERAL MATCH MIGHT NOT COME. IMPLEMENTING MEDICAID AND SNAP INVESTMENTS HAS TO DO WITH THINGS LIKE REDUCING THE ERROR RATE IN OUR STATE, WHICH IF IT'S ABOVE 6%, THEN THERE'S INCREASED COST SHARING FOR THE STATE, AND WE WERE AT 9.34% IN 2025, SO WE'LL BE PAYING AN ESTIMATED $709MILLION PENALTY. OBVIOUSLY PROTECTING SNAP FROM REDUCTIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO STATE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM REPORT AND CONTINUING TO SUPPORT CROSS SECTOR INITIATIVES THAT ADDRESS FOOD SECURITY AND ALL OF OUR CHIP PRIORITIES BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED CHARITABLE ASSISTANCE AND POLICY STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE NEED AND THE ROOT CAUSES. AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. 
          >> GALVAN: THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE FOLKS WHO ARE HERE WHO DO THIS WORK EVERYDAY IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE STAFF ON OUR SIDE, THE CITY WHO DO INCREDIBLE WORK COORDINATING SUPPORT AS WELL AS DELIVERING DIRECT SERVICES WE HAVE WITH THE CITY DIRECTLY. 
          BEFORE I GET TO COMMITTEE CONVERSATION, DR. WOO, COULD YOU GO OVER SOME OF THE DIRECT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OR THE DIRECT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS WE ADMINISTER THROUGHOUT THE CITY, I'M THINKING OF HEALTHY CORNER STORIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, HOW THOSE PROGRAMS -- I KNOW IT'S NOT THE FOCUS OF THIS PARTICULAR CONVERSATION BUT HOW THOSE VARY FROM THE RECENT BUDGET CYCLE, AND WITH THE -- WHAT'S THE GAP THAT WE'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF DELIVERY TO THE SERVICES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS WITH OUR BUDGET CONSTRAINTS. IF THAT'S TOO BROAD OF A QUESTION I COULD TRY TO 
          SCALE IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER. >> SO I'LL ANSWER THE BUDGET QUESTION REAL QUICK. 
          SO AS PART OF THE BUDGET THAT WAS ADOPTED THROUGH 2027, THERE WERE NO CUTS TO ANY OF OUR FOOD PROGRAMS THAT WE DO. I WILL SAY THE ONE THAT THE POR VIDA WAS CUT, THE PROGRAM WE WORK WITH RESTAURANTS TO DO A HEALTHY MENU OPTION, BUT IN -- BUT I GUESS THAT WAS THE ONE REDUCTION THAT WE HAD. 
          >> GALVAN: OKAY. AND ARE WE ANTICIPATING ANY CHANGES -- NOT JUST BUDGETARY BUT ANY CHA CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM ITSELF RELATED TO HEALTHY CORNER STORES OR PROGRAMS WE HAVE HERE FOR METRO HEALTH OR DHS AS WELL. 
          >> DR. JACOB METRO HEALTH, APPRECIATE THE QUESTION. IN SHORT WE'RE NOW IN THE FIRST MONTH OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR, CLEARLY WE HAVE A GLIDE PATH, THE LINE SHARE OF THOSE INITIATIVES SUPPORTED BY THE MEDICARE 11.15 WAIVER SO WE HAVE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO MAINTAIN STAFF. SO THE HEALTHY CORNER STORES HEALTH ANY NEIGHBORHOODS PROGRAM WE'RE INTEGRATING OUR DIABETES AND NUTRITION PROGRAM AND WE COULD COME BACK AND PROVIDE DETAILS ABOUT THAT, BUT WE'RE STAYING THE COURSE AND IT'S TOO EARLY TO TELL IMPACT BUT BIG PICTURE TICKET ITEMS T TIED TO FOOD INSECURITY AND 
          SUPPORTS BY OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS. >> GALVAN: GOT IT. 
          THANK YOU. THAT'S HELPFUL. ANYONE WANT TO START THE 
          CONVERSATION? COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO? >> ALDERETE GAVITO: THANK YOU. THANK YOU DR. WOO FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          IT WAS REALLY GOOD. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THESE NUMBERS ARE UNACCEPTABLE, AND WE ALL WANT OUR CITY TO DO AND BE GREAT -- TO DO GREAT THINGS, AND WE CAN'T EXPECT OUR RESIDENTS TO DO THAT IF THEIR BASIC NEEDS AREN'T MET. 
          SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS INFORMATION WITH US. 
          I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. DR. WOO, YOU HAD MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE DOING ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES, BUT THE NUMBERS ARE INCREASING, AND I'M -- I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY. I UNDERSTAND THE -- ON THE LAST SLIDE SOME OF THE SNAP DELAYS AND OTHERS, BUT I MEAN THIS IS A -- THIS IS A 
          PRETTY DRASTIC INCREASE. >> IT IS. AND IT GOES TO SHOW HOW INDIVIDUALLY-FOCUSED EFFORTS CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH AND POLICY IS WHAT PULLS THE BIG LEVER. SO IT'S OUTWEIGHED BY EVERYTHING HAPPENING ON NATIONAL LEVELS INCLUDING CHANGES TO SNAP JUST GENERAL ECONOMIC INSTABILITY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE FOOD INSECURITY IS SO OFTEN ABOUT AND ERIC COOPER LIKES TO 
          TALK ABOUT HOW THE RENT EATS FIRST; RIGHT. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: RIGHT. 
          SO, THEN, I MEAN, THE BIGGEST REASON WHY IS JUST THE ECONOMIC INSTABILITY 
          THAT WE'RE ALL FACING RIGHT NOW? >> CORRECT. 
          >> ALDERETE GAVITO: OKAY. THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. I'M CURIOUS ON SLIDE FIVE, YOU HAVE 44% OF BEXAR COUNTY HOUSEHOLDS WAS LIVING UNDER THE ALICE THRESHOLDS, DO WE 
          HAVE THAT NUMBER JUST FOR SAN ANTONIO? >> I BELIEVE IT'S COU 
          COUNTYWIDE, I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: I'M JUST 
          [00:30:01]
CURIOUS, I IMAGINE SAN ANTONIO WOULD BE LOWER, BUT I DON'T KN KNOW. 
          >> YEAH, WE ONLY HAVE IT BEXAR COUNTY, ACTUALLY YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THAT WITH 
          THE POVERTY REPORT THAT WILL BE PRESENTED LATER. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: OKAY. 
          SOUNDS GOOD. AND ON SLIDE 10, DEFERENTIALLY LOOKING -- WE'LL WORK WITH COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO PUSH THIS IN MAKING SURE OUR REPRE REPRESENTATIVES ARE LOOKING TO LESSEN DEL DELAYS, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING WE COULD DO I DON'T KNOW WHO SITS ON IGR, BUT MAYBE THERE'S A COLLECTIVE EFFORT MY COLLEAGUES AND I COULD DO TO PUSH OUR DELEGATION TO PUSH ON THAT. 
          SO IF THERE ARE OTHER POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS OR A OTHER WAYS YOU WANT US TO PUSH, LET US KNOW. THOSE ARE ALL OF MY QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE THOUGHTS 
          ON THIS? COUNCILMEMBER MEZA GONZALEZ? >> GONZALEZ: A QUESTION ON -- WHAT WAS IT? I'M TRYING TO FIND THE SLIDE I WAS LOOKING AT A MINUTE AGO. UP HERE. SORRY. 
          SLIDE 10. CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO STATE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM REPORT. THAT IS -- THAT'S HAPPENING NOW; RIGHT. 
          >> THAT IS THAT IS ON ONGOING EFFORT LED BY WORLD HERITAGE OFFICE, YET. 
          >> GONZALEZ: THE CONTRIBUTION WOULD BE WHAT EXACTLY? 
          >> TO CONTINUE TO CREATE THAT. YEAH. 
          >> OKAY. IN GENERAL. I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT WE WANTED TO -- IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT 
          WE'RE CONTRIBUTING? >> NO. >> GONZALEZ: NO. 
          OKAY. >> SUPPORTING IT. >> GONZALEZ: SUPPORTING. 
          OKAY. GREAT. NO, I THINK IT'S ALL GREAT WORK, SO I WOULD WELCOME THAT. , CONTINUE THAT CONTRIBUTION. 
          SO THE UT HEALTH HOUSTON FOOD ASSESSMENT, IS THAT SIMILAR TO THIS REPORT? 
          OR HOW... >> NO. THE FOOD INSECURITY ASSESSMENT, IT HAD THREE PARTS, LAW AND POLICY REVIEW, WHICH LED TO EVIDENCE-BASED POLICIES I WAS SHARING. IT HAD -- IT INCLUDED A SURVEY, FOCUS GROUPS, AND THERE'S A DATA PORTAL THAT YOU CAN GO TO ON THE CI NOW WEBSITE. 
          SO IT WAS JUST A REALLY THOROUGH LOOK AT ROOT CAUSES AND WHAT WORKS GOING FORWARD. 
          >> GONZALEZ: OKAY. AND ON SLIDE  3 -- IS IT SLIDE 3 -- THE DATA -- CAN 
          YOU WALK US THROUGH HOW THIS -- HOW IT WAS MEASURED? >> SO THIS USES THE DATA THAT WE WILL NO LONGER BE RECEIVING IN THE FUTURE, FEDERAL DATA FROM THE USDA AND QUESTIONNAIRES -- HO HOUSEHOLD QUESTIO QUESTIONNAIRES. 
          >> GONZALEZ: OKAY. THOSE ARE ALL OF MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW. 
          THANK YOU. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. 
          >> WHYTE: THANK YOU, CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. 
          THIS IS AN IMPORTANT T TOPIC, AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS OF COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ AND COUNCILWOMAN SANDIVAL FOR EVERYTHING THEY'VE DONE TO MAP OUT FOOD INSECURITY THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. I'M ALSO THANKFUL FOR ORGANIZATIONS OF COURSE LIKE THE FOOD BANK AND MEALS ON WHEELS FOR EVERYTHING THEY'RE DOING TO ENSURE SOME OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS HAVE THE ACCESS TO FOOD THAT THEY NEED. YOU KNOW, MY COMMENTS ON THIS ARE SORT OF SIMILAR TO WHAT MY COMMENTS WILL BE ON THE NEXT TOPIC, IS THAT TO ME, SOLVING THIS PROBLEM STARTS WITH ECONOMIC DEVEL DEVELOPMENT; RIGHT?  HOW DO WE -- HOW DO WE LIFT MORE PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY TO WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THESE ISSUES? AND WE HAVE A COMMUNITY WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE READY, WILLING, AND ABLE TO WORK, AND WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO HAVE EMPLOYMENT AND HAVE GOOD PAYING JOBS. 
          SO WITH THAT SAID, MY QUESTION IS REALLY HOW ARE WE SORT OF CONNECTING THESE FOOD INSECURITY EFFORTS WITH FINANCIAL EMP EMPOWERMENT. 
          >> I FEEL LIKE THAT -- THAT'S ALSO GOING TO BE DISCUSSED IN ONE OF THE 
          [00:35:01]
          OTHER PRESENTATIONS. >> WHYTE: YOU WANT TO WAIT UNTIL PRESENTATION NUMBER 
          2? >> COUNCILMAN, IF I COULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION. 
          JESSICA DEV LEE THAT, WE'LL BE TALKING LATER ABOUT THE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER. 
          WE MEET WITH CLIENTS, ASSESS WHERE THEY ARE, IDENTIFY RESOURCES THAT COULD MEET THE IMMEDIATE CHALLENGE, THE IMMEDIATE FINANCIAL CRISIS THEY'RE FACING, BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME THROUGH MULTIPLE SESSIONS WORK WITH THEM TO CONNECT TO RESOURCES, TO ADDRESS DEBT, TO ADDRESS BUILDING ASSETS, TO PLAN FOR FUTURE FINANCIAL EMERGENCIES , AND CONNECT TO RESOURCES WITH THE GOAL OF GETTING THEM ENROLLED IN HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE OR JUST BUILDING LONG-TERM FINANCIAL SECURITY. 
          >> WHYTE: YEAH. AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THESE PROGRAMS, I THINK THEY'RE IMPORTANT AND THERE ARE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE TO GET IMMEDIATE HELP TO RIGHT NOW. AND SO IS I WANT THAT TO BE CLEAR. BUT LONG-TERM, WE'VE GOT TO DO MORE TO GET THESE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, AGAIN, GET THOSE JOBS THAT WILL HELP LIFT THEM OUT OF THIS SITUATION WHERE THEY NEED TO RELY ON THESE PROGRAMS. AND IT'S SORT OF THE CONFLICT SOMETIMES BETWEEN DO WE INVEST IN THE IMMEDIATE VERSUS DO WE INVEST IN WHAT WE KNOW THE SOLUTION IS LONG-TERM, AND SO I JUST THROW THAT OUT FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO -- AS SOMETHING TO THINK AB ABOUT, NOT JUST AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH TODAY'S DISCUSSION, BUT AS WE MOVE INTO NEXT YEAR AND TALK 
          ABOUT FUTURE BUDGETS. THANKS, CHAIR. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU DR. WOO FOR THE PRESENTATION. I HAVE MORE COMMENTS, PROBABLY NO QUESTIONS, BUT RACHEL ON OUR TEAM, EVERY COMMUNITY HEALTH MEETING SHE'S SURE TO HAVE THIS WEST SIDE FOOD ANALYSIS BY JENNIFER LOPEZ WITHIN MY COMMUNITY HEALTH BINDER WHICH FOCUSES ON FOOD INSECURITY WITHIN THE WEST SIDE SPECIFICALLY, ASK WHAT SHE ARGUES IS THIS ISN'T A CONVERSATION ABOUT FOOD SCARCITY AND THERE NOT BEING ENOUGH FOOD IN OUR COMMUNITY, THIS IS ABOUT ACCESS, AS YOU'VE LAID OUT IN YOUR PRESENTATION; RIGHT?  COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTHCARE, HOUSING, AND OF COURSE STAGNANT WAGES AND HOW THESE ARE ALL KEY FACTORS ON WHY WE'RE SEEING SUCH HIGH FOOD INSECURITY IN OUR COMMUNITY COUPLED WITH THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE SEEING AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL WITH ACCESS TO SNAP BENEFITS. I WAS HELPING A CONSTITUENT NAVIGATE -- SHE DIDN'T KNOW I WAS A COUNCILMEMBER BUT SHE WAS SHARING HER EXPERIENCE WITH SNAP BENEFITS AND SHE HAD BEEN RECEIVING THEM, HAD TO RENEW HER PAPERWORK, MADE AN ERROR , AND HASN'T HEARD BACK SO WE CONNECTED HER TO THE SENATOR'S OFFICE TO HELP GET THAT EXPEDITED, BUT I KNOW THERE ARE MORE FAMILIES THAT JUST MADE AN ERROR; RIGHT? AND NOW THERE'S A DELAY IN TERMS OF FOOD ACCESS, AND SHE SHARED, SHE DID GET CONNECTED TO SOME FOOD PANTRIES BUT SHE'S TIRED OF BREAD AND WANTS A PROTEIN, SHE DIDN'T SAY IT THAT WAY, BUT ESSENTIALLY JUST PICKING UP BREAD. SO THERE IS A MUCH MUCH-NEEDED NEED IN TERMS OF ACCESS FOR SNAP BENEFITS AND THEN OF COURSE ADDRESSING THE STAGNANT WAGES NOT JUST IN SAN ANTONIO BUT ALL THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS. 
          I BELIEVE MAYBE ABOUT A MONTH AGO, UNITED WAY PROVIDED OUR COUNCIL OFFICES WITH AN ALICE ANALYSIS, AND I THINK THE VALUE OF THAT MAP DEMONSTRATES THAT IT'S NOT JUST CONCENTRATED IN THE TYPICAL AREAS WHERE WE SEE LOW INCOME FAMILIES; RIGHT? IT'S ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BEXAR COUNTY WHERE FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH THE BASICS. THAT MAY HAVE HEALTHCARE BUT CAN'T AFFORD THE COPAY OR DEDUCTIBLE, SO THEY GO WITHOUT ACC ACCESSING THAT HEALTHCARE. SO A LOT OF VALUING THE DATA THAT'S PRESENTED TODAY. 
          IN ADDITION TO THAT, I KNOW MANY OF YOU ALL AND MANY OF THE NONPROFITS HERE PARTICIPATED IN THE UT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH EXERCISE IN TERMS OF HOW TO MOVE POLICY FORWARD AND CONTINUE TO WORK AS A COLLABORATIVE TO IMPLEMENT CHANGE, AND JAMES FROM SAGE, HIM AND HIS GROUP PROPOSE HOW TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITY AND CIT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BY EXPLORING POTENTIAL AGREEMENT FUNDS TO HAVE MORE MICRO HUBS FOR FOOD ACCESS ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE IS ADDRESSING VACANT STORE FRONTS, ADDRESSING VACANT LOTS, SO JUST A LOT OF VALUE IN THE WORK AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THESE EXPERTS IN COMMUNITY HEALTH, PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD INSECURITY ARE BRAINSTORMING, AND I THINK THAT'S A CONCEPT THAT WE SHOULD EXPLORE AS A COMMITTEE. WHAT I MENTIONED TO THE GROUP IS THAT THIS IS A CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD BEFORE, AND COUNCILMAN GALVAN HAD DONE A LOT OF DEEP DIVE AND RESEARCH ON WHAT SOME OF THESE STORE FRONTS AND ACTIVATION WITH THESE VACANT LOTS COULD LOOK LIKE, SO JUST EAGER TO SEE IF THAT GROUP CONTINUES TO CONVENE AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD EXPLORE BECAUSE WE SHOULD, BUT JUST WA WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ALICE MAP IN PARTICULAR JUST DEMONSTRATES THE STRUGGLE ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND NOT JUST WHERE WE TALK ABOUT 78207 AND THAT DEMONSTRATES THE NEED TO INVEST IN AND SUPPORT A STRONG LEGISLATIVE AGENDA TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES YOU'VE LAID OUT. BUT THOSE ARE ALL OF MY 
          [00:40:01]
          COMMENTS. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. 
          ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY. A COUPLE OF THINGS ON MY END REALLY QUICKLY. DR. WOO ON SLIDE 5 WITH THE CHANGES TO THE FEDERAL DATA COLLECTION, WHAT IS THAT GAP, I GUESS, FOR OUR LOCAL DATA COLLECTION ON THAT ONE? DO YOU ANTICIPATE ANY WAY FOR US TO, I DON'T WANT TO SAY MAKE UP FOR BECAUSE IT'S TOO BROAD TO TRY TO DO THAT BUT ARE THERE WAYS WE'RE STILL TRYING TO COLLECT THE 
          DATA IN OUR OWN NETWORKS HERE? >> YEAH. 
          WELL I MENTIONED THE DATA THAT WE -- UT HEALTH HOUSTON HELPED US COLLECT, AND ACTUALLY THAT SHOWED A VERY DIFFERENT PICTURE BECAUSE THE NATIONAL DATA DO INVOLVE SOME MATHEMATICAL MODELING THAT THE MIND THE MEAL FOLKS DO AND WE CAME UP WITH A MUCH HIGHER NUMBER FOR FOOD INSECURITY BUT YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT, YOU KNOW, HYPOTHETICALLY, TO COMPARE APPLES TO APP APPLES, WE COULD GO BACK AND REPEAT THOSE KINDS OF SURVEYS; RIGHT? AND FOCUS GROUPS BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HYPOTHETICAL NOW. 
          I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO. WE'LL SEE. 
          >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. THAT'S HELPFUL. AND ON THE -- ON THAT REPORT, I KNOW THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE ON WAYS TO ADDRESS, AND I THINK THEY'RE SOME OF THE THINGS WE KNOW ARE FOUNDATIONAL, A LOT TO COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO'S POINT ABOUT HOW TO ADJUST POVERTY ULTIMATELY AT THIS LE LEVEL. ARE WE GOING TO TIE ANY OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THE STATE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM REPORT OR OTHER SIMILAR REPORTS ON HOW TO -- LIKE SA FORWARD PLANS AS WELL ON HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE WITH SOME OF OUR RESOURCES AS 
          WELL AS PARTNER RESOURCES. >> I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE STATE OF FOOD SYSTEM REPORT IN THAT THAT IS UNDER WORLD HERITAGE OFFICE BUT WILL IT ALL ALIGN? 
          YES. >> GALVAN: OH. GREAT. 
          OH, I SEE SOMEONE COM COMING. >> HI, EDISA, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR WORLD HERITAGE OFFICE. OUR OFFICE HAS BEEN WO WORKING, HOSTING THESE FOOD SUMMITS SO AFTER GATHERING THOSE AND REPORTING BACK ON SUMMITS WE'VE BEEN INTERNALLY GATHERING DATA ON WHAT WE CAN PUT IN A STATE OF THE FOOD SYSTEM REPORT, BY WORKING WITH MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS TO GATHER DATA ACROSS THE FOOD SYSTEM SECTOR. 
          >> GALVAN: THAT'S GREAT. YEAH, NO, I THINK IT'S HELPFUL , AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS THE OTHER DAY AT THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMITTEE, AND I THINK BOTH OF THESE -- IN THIS COMMITTEE TOO WE ASK FOR A LOT OF DATA AS PER USUAL BUT ESPECIALLY MAKING DECISIONS AT OUR BUDGET, BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS AT SOME OF THESE KEY ITEMS, WHETHER IMPROVING HO HOUSEHOLD FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES, INCREASING FOOD RESOURCES, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, BEING ABLE TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE FULL SCOPE AND WHAT THOSE INVES INVESTMENTS -- HOW THEY'RE MAKING -- MOVING THE NEEDLE; RIGHT?  BUT ALSO HOW PULLING THEM BACK IN SOME WAY COULD IMPACT THAT, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE BEING SERVED, HOW MANY FOLKS HAVE TO GO TO A DIFFERENT PROVIDER IF THERE IS ANOTHER PROVIDER, THINGS LIKE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT COULD HAPPEN WITHIN THIS SPECIFIC REPORT, BUT I THINK OF COURSE IF WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW TO SOLVE THE ISSUE, I GUESS IN A WAY, 
          THAT'S WHERE MY HEAD GOES. >> YEAH. THIS WILL BE A BASELINE REPORT, SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES ACROSS ALL FOOD SYSTEM SECTORS, FARMERS, GROWERS, RANCHERS, FOOD PRODUCTION, MANUFACTURERS, AND HOW IT AFFECTS OUR COMM COMMUNITY. LOOKING AT THOSE BAR BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES AND WHAT POLICIES WE COULD TIE TO THOSE. 
          IT WILL ALSO -- WE'LL LOOK AT HISTORICAL DATA ON THAT. SO IT'S A BIG REPORT, SO WE'RE HOPING TO COMPLETE IT THIS YEAR, BUT WE'RE SEEING WHAT DATA IS AVAILABLE NOW 
          AND WHAT WE NEED TO GET. >> GALVAN: GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          I REALLY APPRECIATE TH THAT. THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD ASK, I'M NOT SURE WHO HAS SOME OF THE DATA ON THIS ONE, BUT HOW MANY FOLKS WHO ARE UTILIZING SNAP OR SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS DO WE SEE -- AND I DON'T KNOW WHO COULD ANSWER THIS FULLY, ARE CURRENTLY WORKING OR CURRENTLY UNDEREMPLOYED? 
          >> IT'S -- GREAT QUESTION. AGAIN, I'LL DEFER TO THE POVERTY REPORT IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION, AND WE CAN DRILL DOWN AND PROVIDE A CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING, OUR WIC SITES, BUT JUST KNOW THAT WE'LL DEFER TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION. 
          >> GALVAN: PERFECT. THANK YOU. AND WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE INTO THE -- ITEM 3, WHICH IS THE STATUS OF POVERTY REPORT. 
          >> GOOD MORNING CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I'M THE CHIEF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AND I WILL BE PRESENTING A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THIS STATUS OF POVERTY REPORT, 2026, ALONGSIDE WITH ME IS THE DEPARTMENT WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE BEEN KEY TO THIS REPORT AND MANY OTHERS, AND BEFORE STARTING, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE DEPARTMENT DIRECT TOR FOR THE SUPPORT THAT MY TEAM HAS DONE IN CONDUCTING SOCIAL ANALYSIS. 
          WE LOOK AT SOCIAL ECONOMIC DISPARITIES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY TO TRY TO IDENTIFY 
          [00:45:05]
BEST W WAYS TO ADDRESS THOSE. TODAY'S PRESENTATION, WE'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS OF THE REPORT. WE'LL DISCUSS THE OVERALL POVERTY RATES AND THE KEY CONCEPT, THAT'S CALLED PERSISTENT POVERTY. 
          WE'LL PRESENT A CONCEPT THAT'S THE FINANCIAL INSTABILITY AND LOOK TO UNDERSTAND THE AT-RISK POPULATION, HAVE  AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THAT. WE WILL TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC INSTABILITY, WHICH IS A KEY DRIVER BEHIND THE POVERTY DATA, AND WE WILL DISCUSS SOME OF THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND WE'LL DO SOME DEPARTMENTAL RECOMME RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES CONDUCTS A STATUS OF POVERTY REPORT, THE FIRST WAS DONE IN 2019 IN COLLABORATION WITH METRO HEALTH. EVERY OTHER YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT DOES A DEEP DIVE ON SOME OF THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC DISPARITIES ACROSS THE REGION AND ESPECIALLY FOCUSING ON THE CITY. THIS DATA IS AVAILABLE ON THE REPORT YOU HAVE PRINTED BUT THERE IS ALSO AN ONLINE DASHBOARD THAT LIVES IN THE DHS WEBSITE UNDER THE "AB "ABOUT" SECTION, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE INTERACTIVE, IT HAS LESS ANALYSIS, BUT THE DATA, IT'S UPDATED. AND BEFORE I START JUMPING INTO THE DATA, I WOULD LIKE TO DO SOME METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS. THE MAJORITY OF DATA WE'RE PRESENTING IS BASED ON THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY. THE LAST SET OF DATA RELEASED WAS FOR 2024. THE 2025 DATA IS NOT PUBLIC YET. 
          WE HOPE TO SEE IT IN THE UPCOMING WE WEEKS. THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY, IT'S A SURVEY. SO WHAT IS MORE RELEVANT HERE IS TO LOOK AT THE TRENDS, NOT AT THE ROLE FIGURES; RIGHT?  THERE ARE SOME VARIABILITIES THAT WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AND THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEYS RELEASING DIFFERENT TYPES OF SETS, MAINLY KNOWN THE ONE-YEAR ESTIMATE OR THE FIVE-YEAR ESTIMATE, THE ON ONE-YEAR ESTIMATE IS MORE CURRENT, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE DATA, LOWER GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS WHILE THE FIVE-YEAR ESTIMATE HAS LOWER MARGIN OF ERROR AVAILABLE AT THE CENSUS AND TRACKING. WHEN WE LOOK AT TRACKING DATA, WE SEE THAT THE DATA MOVES AND DATA, THE FIVE-YEAR ESTIMATE, AND WE'LL BE COMPARING DATA COLLECTED BETWEEN 2015 AND 2019 THAT WILL BE BLOCK ONE VERSUS 2020 TO 2024, BLOCK TWO. THE ACS, THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY, IT WILL BE PRESENTED FOR DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIES AT DIFFERENT TIMES, I WILL TRY TO BE AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE, AND -- BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IS ABOUT HOW POVERTIES MEASURE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS TO ADDRESS OR RELATE TO POV POVERTY. THE DATA FOR PEOPLE, AND THE DATA THAT ALLOWS US TO COUNT HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN POVERTY IS BASED ON THE OFFICIAL POVERTY MEASURE, WHICH IS AN INCOME THRESHOLD THAT DETERMINES HOW MUCH MONEY DOES A HOUSEHOLD NEED TO MAKE TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR LIVING IN POVERTY OR NOT. IT DOES NOT GET ADJUSTMENTS BY GEOGRAPHICAL DATA. SO IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, THE DIFFERENCE OF THE COST OF LIVING, ONLY TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THE HOUSEHOLD SIZE, AND YOU SEE A TABLE OVER THERE SO FOR A FAMILY OF FIVE, SORRY, IF YOU MAKE BELOW $37,436, YOU ARE COUNTED AS LIVING IN POV POVERTY. 
          IF YOU MAKE ONE DOLLARS MO MORE, YOU ARE NOT COUNTED AS LIVING IN POVERTY. 
          THAT'S WHY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED OTHER WAYS TO DETERMINE PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY, AND THOSE ARE THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE AND THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME. 
          AT THE END OF THE PAPER REPORT, YOU HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE TABLE WITH A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS TO REFER TO POVERTY. 
          THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE IS CREATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY, AND IT'S OFTEN PRESENTED IN PERCENTAGES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, THE TERM  IF YOU MAKE VIEW% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE. 
          AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ALICE, A TERM CREATED BY UNITED WAY LATER ON. 
          THAT QR CODE TAKES YOU TO THE ONLINE DASHBOARD I BR BRIEFLY MENTIONED THAT CONTAINS DATA UPDATED ANNUALLY. I'LL WALK QUICKLY THROUGH THE KEY FINDINGS BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER IN EACH ONE OF THOSE, BUT MAINLY POVERTY IN SAN ANTONIO REMAINS PERSISTENT. 
          THERE ARE AROUND 250,000 RESIDENTS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS LIVING IN POVERTY, AND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR AROUND 17.1% OF THE POPULATION WITH THE POVERTY RATE THAT IT'S INCREASING AMONG OLDER ADULTS, THE ONLY AGE GROUP THAT HAS SEEN AN INCREASE IN POVERTY. AND POVERTY IS VERY CONCENTRATED IN THE CITY OF 
          [00:50:04]
SAN ANTONIO. 32% OF CENSUS TRACKS WITHIN CITY LIMIT HAS A HIGH POVERTY RATE THAT -- IT'S THE MORE CONCERNING ELEMENT THAT WE'LL TRY TO BRING TO THIS CONVERSATION THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE CENSUS TRACKS HAVE BEEN IN POVERTY FOR THREE DECADES, 30 YEARS. WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT FINANCIAL INSTABILITY THAT WAS REFERRED. THE ALICE POPULATION, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE DISPROPORTIONATE INCREASE IN HOUSING COST COMPARED TO INCREASES. WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST AS A RULE INITIAL GROUPS AND TALK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE POVERTY REPORT ABOUT SOME OF THE KEY COMMUNITY NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE POVERTY RATES ACROSS THE FIVE LARGER CITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND IN THE COUNTY OF BEXAR FOR 2024 USING THAT FI FIVE-YEAR ESTIMATE. THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS THE CITY WITH THE LARGEST RATE OF RESIDENTS LIVING IN POVERTY FOLLOWED BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. ONLY AUSTIN IN THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS A POVERTY RATE BELOW THE NATIONAL RATE, AND THE NATIONAL RATE IS 12.5%, AND THE STATE OF TEXAS IS 13.8%. WHAT IS MORE RELEVANT FOR US IS THAT COMPARING IT ACROSS TIME, THE LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY WHICH ONE OF THESE AREAS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY REDUCE POVERTY. DALLAS IS THE CITY IN THE SATE STATE THAT HAS MORE SIGNIFICANT POVERTY REDUCTION BETWEEN BLOCK 1 AND BLOCK 2, BETWEEN 2015 AND 2019 AND 2020, 2024, WITH MORE THAN 2 PERCENTAGE POINTS POVERTY REDUCTION. AND FORT WORTH AND AUSTIN HAVE ALSO SEEN POVERTY REDUCTION, ALSO BEXAR COUNTY HAS A STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF REDUCTION, HOWEVER, HOUSTON AND SAN ANTONIO NOT ONLY HAVE THE HIGHEST POVERTY RATE, BUT THEY ARE NOT REDUCING POVERTY, AT LEAST NOT IF WE ACCOUNT FOR THE MARGIN OF ERROR, SO NOT A STATISTICAL POVERTY REDUCTION. THIS MAP IS A LITTLE HEAVY ON DATA, IT HAS TWO SETS ON DATA. THE COLOR CODE TALKS ABOUT THE CONSE C CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE IN POVERTY. 
          SO WE'LL START WITHIN CITY LIMITS. SO LIGHT ORANGE, DARK ORA ORANGE, RED ARE REFLECTING THE AREAS WHERE MORE PEOPLE LIVE IN POVERTY BY CENSUS TRACK, ABOVE 20%, IT'S CONSIDERED BY THE CENSUS BUREAU, HIGH POVERTY CONCENTRATION. AND THE DOTTED AREAS ARE THOSE CENSUS TRACKS THAT HAVE HAD THAT HIGH POVERTY RATE ABOUT 20% FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS. 
          THAT'S THE PERSISTENT POVERTY. BUT WE KNOW THAT THE OFFICIAL POVERTY MEASURE AND THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS LI LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET, AND THAT'S WHERE THE CONCEPT CREATED BY THE UNITED WAY BECOMES VERY VALUABLE. THEY HAVE CREATED THIS CONCEPT OF ASSET LIMITED CONSTRAINTS BY LIMITATIONS USING SURVIVAL BUDGET. 
          THESE ARE HOUSEHOLDS THAT HAVE AN INCOME ABOVE THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE BUT THEY CANNOT AFFORD OR THEY JUST CAN AFFORD THE BASIC NECESSITIES, SO ANY CRISIS, ANY UNEXPECTED EXPENSE PUTS THEM AT RISK. THIS DATA IS CREATED AT A COUNTY LEVEL, AND IT HAS A GOOD ELEMENT THAT THE OFFICIAL MEASURE, THAT IT'S NOT HIGH, IT ACCOUNTS FOR THE COST OF LIVING, SO THE VERY GOOD THING ABOUT THE ALICE THRESHOLD IS THAT IT HELPS US IDENTIFY HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU NEED IN BEXAR COUNTY TO COVER YOUR BASIC NECESSITIES COMPARED TO LI LIVING IN OTHER COUNTIES ACROSS THE WORLD -- THE COUNTRY. THE TABLE SHOWS WHAT THE OFFICIAL POVERTY MEASURE U USES IN DOLLAR AMOUNTS TO COUNT YOU -- TO BE COUNTED AS AN INDIVIDUAL LIVING IN POVERTY, $16,000 FOR A FAMILY OF ONE, $21,000 FOR A FAMILY WITH ONE PARENT AND ONE TODDLER. THE ALICE BUDGET, INSTEAD, CONSIDERS THAT WITH $34,000, YOU ARE JUST COVERING YOUR BASIC NEEDS, AND IF YOU HAD A TODDLER IN CHILDCARE, YOU NEED AT LEAST $54,000. THE PIE CHART SHOWS -- AND THIS IS VERY CORE TO THE DEPART DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES BECAUSE MOST OF OUR CLIENTS COME FROM THE ALICE POPULATION, THE COMBINED DATA BETWEEN THE POV POVERTY PERCENT OF PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY, REMEMBER THE CITY IS 17%, THE COUNTY IS AROUND 15%, PLUS THE ALICE POPULATION, THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THAT 44% THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF METRO HEALTH ALREADY PRESENTED WHILE TALKING ABOUT FOOD INSECURITY. WE TALK ABOUT P PERSISTENT POVERTY AND POVERTY 
          [00:55:06]
CONCENTRATION WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS BUT THE REASON IT'S ECONOMICALLY DYNAMIC, THERE IS AN ECONOMIC PROSPERITY IN THE REGION. MOST OF THE ECONOMY CATERS AROUND THE METROPOLITAN STATISTIC ARE TALKING ABOUT LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, VERY STRONG ECONOMIC INDICATORS, SO WE DECIDED THIS YEAR TO LOOK AT THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE METRO AREA, WHAT YOU HAVE IN THIS TABLE ARE TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF DATA FOR BLOCK ONE, THAT'S THOSE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY THAT WE'RE COMPARING TO THE MOST RECENT FIVE YEARS, 2015, 2019, VERSUS 2020-2024, IN TWO DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIES, AND WHAT WE'RE MEASURING HERE IS THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME. IN THE METRO AREA, AND IN THE CITY LIMITS. 
          IN BOTH CASES, THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME GROW OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH IS THE GOOD NEWS. THE BAD NEWS IS THAT THE GAP IS ALSO GROWING, MEANING THAT THERE IS AN UNEVEN GEOGRAPHICAL TREND IN THE REGION WHERE PEOPLE WITH HIGHER INCOME PREFERS OR TENDS TO GO TO LIVE IN THE OUTER AREA OF THE METROPOLITAN REGION VERSUS THE CITY LIMITS; RIGHT?  AND WE ALL KNOW THAT MOST OF THE -- AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA IS VERY STRONG ABOUT THAT, HOW SOME OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES ARE REALLY INCREASING IN POPULATION, HOW MANY SMALL CITIES AROUND SAN ANTONIO, NEW BRAWN FELLS ARE REALLY INCREASING IN TERMS OF TOTAL POPULATION, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT GO TO LIVE IN THE AREA TEND TO HAVE A HIGHER MEDIAN INCOME THAN THE ONES THAT LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS. THERE IS A DISPROPORTIONATE DECREASE IN HOUSING COST COMPARED TO THE INCOME GROWTH. 
          SO THIS CHART, IT'S BASED ON ONE-YEAR ESTIMATE BECAUSE WE USE THE ONE-YEAR ESTIMATE OF THE AMERICAN SURVEY FOR THE CURRENT DATA, AND THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION AT THE 2,024-DOLLAR VALUE, AND WHAT QUESTION SEE HERE BETWEEN 2019 AND 2024, THE PERCENT WILL INCREASE IN CERTAIN COSTS VERSUS INCOME, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT; RIGHT?  WHY BUYING A HOUSE TODAY COSTS 25.4% THAN IN 2019, THE MEDIAN INCOME ONLY INCREASED 0.4%, AND RENTING A HOUSE IS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SIGNIFICANT TODAY THAN A FEW YEARS AGO. THIS IS A KEY CONCEPT BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE -- AND THEY MENTION THAT SENTENCE, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE, THE RENT EATS FIRST. IF YOU HAVE TO COVER -- IF YOU HAVE TO SPEND THE MAJORITY OF YOUR INCOME IN HOUSING COSTS, WHAT IS LEFT, RIGHT. 
          AND THEN THERE IS THIS CONCEPT CREATED BY THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU ABOUT COST BURDEN; RIGHT?  AND THERE ARE TWO WAYS OF MEASURING IT. 
          FOR THOSE HOUSEHOLDS THAT SPEND, AND THOSE THAT WHAT THEY MAKE TO THEIR HOUSE EITHER BECAUSE OF MORTGAGOR RENT LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGE OF RENTERS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO THAT ARE COST BURDENED. 
          HALF OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE RENTING AN APARTMENT IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAVE TO SPEND 30% OF THEIR INCOME IN HOUSEHOLD RELATED -- IN HOUSING ITEMS. THE SEVERE COST BURDEN, AND THIS IS GETTING CLOSER TO THE RISK OF HOMELESSNESS ARE THOSE HOUSEHOLDS THAT HAVE TO SPEND HALF OF WHAT THEY MAKE TO STAY HOUSED, ONE OUT OF EVERY FOUR RENTERS IN THE CITY ARE IN THAT SITUATION. THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS SOME OF THOSE DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS THAT ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY POVERTY. 
          WE LOOK IN THE ANALYSIS THAT WE DO, IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES. 
          WE LOOK AT POVERTY BY AGE BECAUSE IT'S VERY CORE TO THE SERVICES THAT WE PRO PROVIDE. SAN ANTONIO STILL HAS A HIGH POVERTY RATE FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE. THOSE ARE THE CHILDREN THAT ARE NOT IN SCHOOL YET, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE ARE MORE FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY WITH KIDS UNDER FIVE, BUT OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, THE CHILDREN -- THE CHILDREN POVERTY RATE HAS BEEN POSITIVELY AND STAY STAYTISTICALLY REDUCED HOWEVER, POVERTY AMONG OLDER ADULTS ARE INCREASING, AND THE TREND IS THE OPPOSITE. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HO HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION, THE MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS LI LIVING IN POVERTY ARE FAMILIES, FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, BUT HALF OF THOSE FAMILIES ARE SINGLE FAMI FAMILIES. MOST OF THEM, 86% OF THEM ARE SINGLE MOTHERS. 
          AND THERE ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT GENDER DISP DISPARITIES, AND WE RAN AN ANALYSIS THIS YEAR ABOUT THE POVERTY REPORT ABOUT THE DISTINCT EARNINGS BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN ACROSS DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS, GENERALLY SPEAKING, FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT A MAN DO DOES, A WOMAN IN THIS COMMUNITY MAKES 81 CENTS. 
          THERE ARE ALSO SIGNIFICANT RATE DISPARITIES. THERE'S THE AFRICAN AMERICAN 
          [01:00:07]
GROUP DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY POVERTY, 23% OF THE AFRICAN AMERICANS IN OUR COMMUNITY FACE POVERTY. AND THIS IS A KEY PREDICTOR OF POVERTY. 
          65% OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY JUST ACHIEVED A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR LESS, AND YOUTH ARE SIGNIFICANTLY VULNERABLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 64% OF THE STUDENTS IN THE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE ACCOUNTED FOR LIVING IN FAMILIES THAT ARE FINA FINANCIALLY LOW INCOME OR DISADVANTAGE USING THE TA LANGUAGE AND NOW THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME FOR SOMEBODY THAT'S 24 YEARS OR BELOW, IT'S 40% LOWER THAN THE MEDIAN HOUS HOUSEHOLD INCOME FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. 
          THIS IS COMMUNITY NEEDS, THAT'S 211 DATA, PUBLIC DATA BUT ALSO ON PRIVATE DATA, THE TEAM SHARED WITH US, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MAJORITY OF THE NEEDS OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE CALLING 211 OR DOING SEARCH ARE BASIC NEEDS. 
          HOUSING FIRST. HOUSING COST SECOND. FOOD IS A SIGNIFICANT NEED, AND ALSO HEALTHCARE AND MENTAL CARE. I KINDLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THAT SECTION OF THE POVERTY REPORT BECAUSE IT INCLUDES TESTIMONIES FROM OTHER PROGRAMS AND FROM SOME OTHER PROGRAMS ACROSS THE CITY WHERE YOU COULD BRING FACES TO THAT REALITY, YOU COULD SEE THAT 5278% OF THE APPLICANTS OF THE UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS ARE SINGLE MOTHERS. WE DO BELIEVE THAT STRE STRENGTHENING, COORDINATION, COLLABORATION IS KEY AND MAKING SURE WE STRENGTHEN REFERRALS ACROSS DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SOCIAL PROBLEMS ARE COMPLEX PROBLEMS, AND THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUALS ARE VERY COMPLICATED. 
          ONE SERVICE ALONE IS GOING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. IT'S HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER AS A STRONG COMMUNITY. COLLECTIVE IMPACT STRATEGIES ARE A KEY INSTRUMENT TO ADDRESS FRAGMENTED INTERVENTIONS. 
          WE DO BELIEVE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO PRIORITIZE SERVICES BASED ON CLIENT VULNERABILITIES. 
          REMEMBER THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, OLDER ADULTS, SINGLE FAMILIES, CERTAIN RACIAL GROUPS ARE FACING THESE PROPORTIONATE VULNERABILITIES. 
          EXPAND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. WE NEED TO LEVERAGE FUNDING TO ADDRESS POVERTY IN SAN ANTONIO AND PROMOTE INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP BU BUILDING THAT SOCIAL MOBILITY THAT HAS BEEN VERY LIMITED IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE TOWN FOR 30 YEARS. THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF I CAN, THANK 
          YOU. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND, AGAIN, FOR ALL WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE FOR THIS ANNUAL REPORT. 
          I THINK -- IT'S NO SECRET, RIGHT THAT OUR CITY STRUGGLES WITH THIS ISSUE IN PARTICULAR. WE HEAR IT FROM ANY ELECTED LEADERS, HEAR IT FROM ANY FOLKS ON PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS ABOUT HOW THIS CONTINUES TO BE A CRITICAL ISSUE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND IT CONT CONTINUES TO BE A FOCUS FOR US, AND I BELIEVE IN LOOKING AT HOW WE COULD MOVE THIS NEEDLE WILL BE CRITICAL. 
          AND I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION ON SLIDE 13 SHOWING THE VARIOUS WAYS TO DO THAT , AND I KNOW MOST OF THIS WE'RE DOING IN SOME FORM OR FASHION BUT I THINK AS WE'RE LOOKING AT PUBLIC SEC SECTORS BECOMING MORE AND MORE CASH FRAUGHT, FRANKLY, AS WE SEE DIFFERENT CHANGES IN OUR STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS RELATED TO TAXATION SYSTEMS, HOW WE CAN BE ABLE TO BE THE BEST COORDINATORS AS POSSIBLE AND TARGET INTERVENTIONS TO FOLKS WHO NEED IT THE MOST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE WILL BE A KEY WAY TO LOOK AT THIS AS MANY OF THE PROGRAMS LIKELY SHRINK. 
          BUT ANY WHO, I'LL GET OFF MY SOAP BOX FOR A SECOND. WHO WANTS TO START THIS 
          CONVERSATION? COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO? >> ALDERETE GAVITO: THANK YOU, DOCTOR. THIS WAS EXTREMELY HE HELPFUL. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIR, FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR -- TO ADDING IT TO OUR AGENDA. 
          ACTUALLY, I THINK IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT THAT ALL COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR HEAR THIS, SO MAYBE WE COULD PRESENT AT A B SESSION OR AN A SESSION. I JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS HAVE POCKETS OF POVERTY OR POVERTY, SO THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION, SO THANK YOU FOR ONE PRESENTING IT TO US, AND TWO I JUST WANT -- I THINK ALL OF US JUST NEED TO HEAR THIS AND TAKE IT SER SERIOUSLY. 
          I'M ALSO EXCITED -- THANK YOU FOR THE PRE RECOMMENDATIONS, TOO ON SLIDE 13, NEXT WEEK COUNCILWOMAN MEZA GONZALEZ AND I ARE PARTNERING WITH THE NONPROFITS TO SEE HOW WE CAN COLLECTIVELY MOVE THE NEEDLE, AND ALSO MEASURE 
          [01:05:04]
THAT WE'RE MOVING THE NEE NEEDLE; RIGHT?  WE KNOW THAT THE CITY FUNDS A LOT OF REALLY GREAT NONPROFITS, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S TIME FOR US TO TAKE A STEP BACK TO SEE HOW WE'RE MOVING THE NEEDLE, AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR REZ  RESIDENT'S TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING USED WIDELY AND REALLY JUST STRATEGIC, SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, AND JESSICA, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP WITH THAT TOO. 
          I THINK THAT THAT WILL HAVE SOME GOOD OUTCOMES. THOSE ARE ALL OF MY COMMENTS. 
          THANK YOU. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. 
          I THINK DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO BRING IT TO B SESSION. I THINK IF WE ARE TO DO THAT, IF WE CAN I GUESS COORDINATE WITH THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, I KNOW A LOT OF YA'LL DO THAT ALREADY, BUT AS WE ALWAYS HAVE THIS CONVERSATION; RIGHT?  WHAT'S THE -- I THINK COUNCILMAN WHYTE PUT IT WELL, DO WE LOOK AT SHORT-TERM OR WHEN I CAN DEVELOPMENT TO HELP ADDRESS ROOTS OF POVERTY IN SOME WAY AND BEING ABLE TO SHOW WHAT INV INVESTMENTS THE CITY IS MAKING, WHAT OUR PAR PARTNERS ARE DOING AND SEE WHERE THOSE NEEDLES ARE MOVING, WHETHER IT'S GETTING EDD ON BOARD, GET TING NHSD ON BOARD, SOME OF THE HOUSING INVESTMENTS AND SOME OF OUR BOND AND INFRASTRUCTURE INV INVESTMENTS AS WE THINK ABOUT -- I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS COMMITTEE, BUT NONETHELESS IT'S T TIED TOGETHER TO BEING ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE HOW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWS ECONOMIC INV INVESTMENT AS WELL, AND WHERE WE'RE SEEING THOSE DIFFERENT INVESTMENTS THROUGH DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY, THOSE THAT RECEIVE THOSE INVES INVESTMENTS , THOSE THAT DON'T, AND SEEING POVERTY, IF THERE'S A CORLATION AT ALL, I ARGUE THERE IS, AND I WANT TO LEAVE THAT AS BROAD AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THIS REPORT IS HELPFUL FOR SURE BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET LOST WHERE WE'RE ASKING YOU ON THE DICE, WHAT ABOUT THIS, THIS, AND THIS, THE FULL SCOPE HERE, BUT POINT BEING I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION ON YOUR END TO ASK THE QUESTIONS RELEVANT TO IT OR DON'T MAKE YOU GO BACK CONSTANTLY. ANYWAYS, THANK YOU 
          COUNCILMEMBER. COUNCILMAN WHYTE? >> WHYTE: ONE QUESTION. 
          HOW MANY DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS AND OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS ARE WO WORKING ON THIS ISSUE OF POVERTY, AND HOW DO WE KNOW WE'RE NOT DUPL 
          DUPLICATING SERVICES? >> THANK YOU, COUNC COUNCILMAN. 
          SO WE ACTUALLY -- AS COUNCILMAN ALDERETE GAVITO MENTIONED WE'RE WORKING WITH NONPROFIT FUNDERS ON THE INV INVESTMENTS WE MAKE FOR CONSOLIDATED INVESTMENT AGENCIES AND LOOKING AT THOSE PROGRAMS, WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER FUNDING THEY'RE LUN LEVERAGING AT OTHER SOURCES, SO WE'RE NOT FUNDING ANY AGENCY AT 100% OF THE SERVICES THEY'RE PROVIDING, WE'RE PROVIDING A PORTION OF THE WORK THEY'RE DOING, WE WORK WITH METRO HEALTH, PARKS AND RECREATION , SO DEPENDING ON WHAT DEMOGRAPHIC YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS WORKING WITH THE SAME POPULATION, READY TO WORK PARTNERS, FOR EXAMPLE RICHARD KEITH, READY TO WORK MAKES REFERRALS TO MANDATES FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT ENROLLMENT WITH OUR PARTNERS, SO THERE ARE MULTIPLE PARTNERSHIPS HAPPENING AMONGST DEPARTMENTS AND AMONGST DEPARTMENTS 
          WITH AGENCIES AND WITH EACH OTHER. >> GALVAN: GREAT. 
          ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? QUESTIONS? 
          COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. LOOKING AT THE ECONOMIC INSTABILITY HOUSING COSTS, I'M CURIOUS HOW WE'RE FACTORING IN OR CONSIDERING THE ERADICATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING , MY UNDER UNDERSTANDING IS THE HOME BOARD HAS TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO ESSENTIALLY REPLACE ALL PUBLIC HOUSING WITH M MIXED INCOME HOUSING, WHICH MEANS WE ARE NO LONGER GOING TO HAVE THOSE PUBLICALLY SUBSIDIZED HOUS ING UN UNITS, SO WE'LL THEN ADD TO POTENTIALLY THE COST BURDENED RENTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I'M CURIOUS, AS WE PROJECT OUR FUTURE AND HOW WE INTEND TO ADDRESS POVERTY WITH THE INITIATIVES LAID OUT TODAY, HOW ARE WE FAC FACTORING IN THOSE INITIATIVES THAT OPPORTUNITY HOME MAY BE TAKING, THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT; RIGHT?  SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE -- AS A BODY; RIGHT?  NOT CITY DEPARTMENT, WE'RE ARSONISTS AND FIREFIGHTERS, SO 51% OF RESIDENTS ARE COST BURDENED BUT THEN ERADICATE PUBLICALLY S SUBSIDIZED HOUSING SO ADDING TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COST BURDENED AND STRUGGLING SO I'M CURIOUS HOW WE FACTOR THAT IN, IF ANY, AND I'M CURIOUS AS WELL FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXPANDING THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AND AS WELL AS THE COLLECTIVE IMPACT STRATEGIES, IS THE H. H.E.N. GOING TO BE THE CONVENER OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS? OR WHAT IS THAT GOING TO LOOK AT? 
          >> I THINK WITH EACH -- I'LL ANSWER THAT FI FIRST -- WITH EACH SECTOR THAT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. WE HAVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING THAT -- THE BACKBONE OF THAT COLLECTIVE IMPACT BY EARLY CHILDHOOD. WE HAVE EARLY MATTERS. 
          [01:10:07]
WE'RE THE BACKBONE OF THE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS AROUND OPPORTUNITY YO YOUTH, AND SO LOOKING A AT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE HEALTH EQUITY NETWORK, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING THAT COLLABORATIVE WORK, BRINGING VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER GOVERNMENTAL OR NONPROFIT OR EVEN FOR, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER TO WORK ON THAT. AND SO MAPPING THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE A WAY OF DEMONSTRATING THAT BETTER, AND REALLY G GETTING AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S IMPACTING THE PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY IS PROVIDING. 
          AS FAR AS THE HOUSING, WE HAVE NOT NECESSARILY DIRECTLY LOOKED AT THE CHANGES COMING FROM OPPORTUNITY HOME AND IN THE CONTEXT OF THE POVERTY REPORT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD GO BACK AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND BRING A BETTER ANSWER. 
          >> CASTILLO: I APPRECIATE THAT; RIGHT?  BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS ARE CHILDREN AND LOOKING AT THE DATA HERE ON SINGLE MOTHERS HOW ARE WE, AGAIN, A ADDING AND FACILITATING POVERTY AND INSTABILITY WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND ANOTHER POINT ANOTHER POINT RAISED DURING THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATION WITH THE PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS WAS THE NEED FOR SUPPORT FOR CAPACITY BUILDING WITH MANY OF THESE NON-PROFITS THAT ARE DOING THE WORK. WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS, IS THAT WHAT YOU ALL ENVISION IS CAPACITY BUILDING WITH NON-PROFITS? AND AGAIN, WHAT WOULD BE THE FACILITATOR ON VISION FOR THAT? 
          >> WITH THE NON-PROFITS WE WORK WITH, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WE CAN BUILD IN. 
          BUT WE KNOW THERE'S OVER 1,000 NON-PROFITS IN SAN ANTONIO ALONE, SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THE NON-PROFIT COUNCIL COULD PARTNER WITH US ON. 
          AND THEN THE -- ALL OF THOSE COMMUNITY FUNDERS THAT WE WORK WITH AND PARTNER WITH THAT COUNCIL TALKED ABOUT, THEY'RE STRONG PARTNERS IN THAT WORK AS WELL AND THEY ACTUALLY DO A GREAT DEAL OF CAPACITY BUILDING. WE REFER AGENCIES TO THEM FOR THAT WORK. SO THERE'S A LOT OUT THERE. WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT. 
          >> CASTILLO: AND I MIGHT HAVE MISSED IT WITHIN THE REPORT, BUT I'M THINKING OF SOME OF THE WORK THAT THE SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST IS DOING WITH CALCULATION CATTLE S. 
          THE MAJORITY ARE JUSTICE INVOLVED. I'M CURIOUS IN TERMS OF WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS IN FUTURE REPORTS AND/OR DATA CAN BE COLLECTED TO IDENTIFY HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS MAY HAVE SOMEONE WITHIN THE HOUSEHOLD THAT MAY BE JUSTICE INVOLVED THAT MAY BE FACING BARRIERS TO INVOLVEMENT AND/OR QUALITY WAGES. 
          SO JUST SOMETHING THAT I HOPE TO SEE WITHIN FUTURE REPORTS. 
          >> OKAY. AND DR. SERRANO ALSO WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE HOMELESS STRATEGY AND SERVICES DEPARTMENT, SO THEY WOULD SHE WE ABLE TO LOOK INTO THAT DATA. 
          >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? >> JUST A QUICK COMMENT. 
          I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON SLIDE 13. 
          I MEAN, I THINK THIS GOES BACK TO THE WORK THAT WE HEAR ABOUT WHETHER IT'S RECORD TO WORK OR RECENTLY THE ECONOMIC MOBILITY FUND, ALL OF THESE PLUG INTO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. SO MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE COORDINATING IS JUST -- SHOULD BE A GIVEN AT THIS POINT. I KNOW IT'S NOT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PARTNERS AND PEOPLE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THAT IS TOP OF MIND FOR ME WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANYTHING THAT WE'RE APPROVING ON THURSDAYS, RIGHT, SHOULD AFFECT ALL OF THIS REPORT. SO WHETHER IT'S EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES -- AND I THINK FOR US I HAD A CCR I FEEL LIKE IT WAS A YEAR AGO, BUT RELATED TO CAFÉCOLLEGE AND HOW DO WE REALLY MAKE THAT THAT -- HOW DOES THAT CONNECT TO REALITIES OF OUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? AND THAT'S THE SAME THING FOR READY TO WORK? HOW DO WE CREATE THAT IN A WAY THAT MOVES THE NEEDLE? AND SO I DO THINK IT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO HAVE THIS SHOWN TO US AT A B SESSION, ESPECIALLY AS WE COME INTO THIS NEW FISCAL YEAR AND HOW ARE WE MOVING THE NEEDLE ON 
          [01:15:02]
ALL OF THIS WORK. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS ARE DOING. I LOOK FORWARD TO REALLY DISCUSSING THIS AT A B SESSION SOON. THANK YOU. 
          >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. I BELIEVE THAT CCR IS COMING THROUGH TO COMMITTEE SOON. 
          REALLY QUICK, A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS I HAD ON MY END. 
          I WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE THE DEEPER DATA THAT WE SEE WITH THIS REPORT. 
          I THINK Y'ALL ARTICULATE WELL THE FEDERAL DATA NOT ONLY IS CHANGING, BUT ALSO DOESN'T ALWAYS CAPTURE, FOR A LONG TIME HASN'T, HOW WORKING CLASS PEOPLE LIVE IN OUR CITY.  NOT ONLY HERE LOCALLY, BUT ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. 
          WHETHER IT'S LOOKING AT ECONOMIC DATA AND TRENDS IN TERMS OF THE SUPPLY CHAINS AND WHATEVER IT MAY BE, DOESN'T CAPTURE THE FOLKS WHO ARE UNDEREMPLOYED, WHO HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY EMPLOYED AS WELL AND ARE STILL UNDERPAID BECAUSE OF THE SECTOR THAT THEY'RE IN IS NOT VALUED, WHETHER IT'S THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR PUBLIC FUNDS THERE. IT ALL GOES BACK TO FOLKS WHO TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN DISADVANTAGED OVER GENERATIONS, CONTINUE TO BE UNDERPAID AND ARE DESERVING OF MORE. I'LL TRY TO GET OFF MY SOAPBOX AGAIN. 
          BUT APPRECIATE THE DATA HERE AND TO BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT IN MORE DETAIL IN OUR CITY. I DID WANT TO ASK ON THAT., I KNOW WE HAD THE PERSISTENT POVERTY MAP ON SLIDE 6. DO WE HAVE A SIMILAR ONE FOR THE ALICE SCORE THAT KIND OF SHOWS THE FOLKS WHO ARE JUST ON THE EDGE OF POVERTY AS WELL? 
          >> SO THE ALICE DATA IS PRESENTED AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. 
          SO THE UNITED WAY DOES THAT THE COMPLETE REPORT FOR THE -- FOR BEXAR COUNTY SO YOU CAN SEE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE VERY INTERESTING DATA ON DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLDS AND HOW THEY ARE FACING 
          FINANCIAL INSTABILITY. >> GALVAN: GOT IT. GREAT. 
          IT WOULD BE HELPFUL. I DON'T THINK THERE WOULD BE TOO MANY SURPRISES THERE, ESPECIALLY FOR US WHO REPRESENT A LOT OF THESE FOLKS AND WE HEAR IT FROM RESIDENTS AND KNOCK ON THEIR DOORS AND TALK TO FOLKS ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND HISTORY. I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT. 
          BUT THINKING ABOUT HOW SOME PARTS OF OUR COMMUNITIES, WHAT THE FOUNDATIONAL ECONOMIC DRIVERS WERE, IF IT'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THEN FOLKS WHO ARE RETIRED FROM A DIFFERENT TIME OF PUBLIC EDUCATION HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS THAN CURRENT EDUCATORS. THINK OF FOLKS WHO HAD OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE MILITARY WITH KELLY NO LONGER THERE, CONTINUING TO SEE THE CHANGES TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF OUR CITY. IT STILL WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ILLUSTRATE THAT AND SEE HOW THE ALICE SCORES IN PARTICULAR ARE MOVING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS HERE AND DO BACK TO THAT LARGER CONVERSATION AT A B SESSION ABOUT HOW SOME OF OUR INVESTMENTS HERE CAN BE POTENTIALLY BE TIED, WHETHER IT'S AN INFRASTRUCTURE OR IN SOCIAL SERVICE IN SOME FORM. I REALLY APPRECIATE SLIDE 9 AS WELL AND SHOWING THE CHANGES IN HOUSING COSTS OVER TIME. OF COURSE THOSE ARE ATTRIBUTED TO A WHOLE DIFFERENT SLEW OF REASONS. AS A RENTER MYSELF, I FELT IT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE WAGE GROWTH HERE IN OUR STATE, FRANKLY, HAS NOT KEPT UP. I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT STAYS IN MY MIND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CHANGES TO OUR SERVICES, BUT EVEN TO THE WAYS WE FUND OUR PROGRAMS HERE IS THAT EVEN THAT HAS NOT CHANGED OVER TIME AND WE STILL SEE POVERTY BEING PUSHED AND COSTS BEING PUSHED UP AT A DRAMATICALLY HIGHER THAN RATE THAN ANYTHING WE'VE SEEN HERE. 
          THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION ON THE CHILDCARE DATA POINT ON SLIDE 12 I KNOW IS A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF COMMUNITY NEEDS. SO OF COURSE IT'S ALWAYS STILL LOOKING AT TO GETTING FOLKS INTO THE WORKFORCE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BEING ABLE TO CUT COSTS WHO DO PAY FOR CHILDCARE ALREADY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A DEEPER DIVE IF WE CAN ON TO HOW MANY PARENTS IN THIS GROUP ARE, QUOTE, UNQUOTE, WORKING WILLING PARENTS WHO ARE ABLE TO WORK, WOULD LIKE TO, BUT SIMPLY CAN'T BECAUSE THEY ARE TAKING CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN BECAUSE THERE ISN'T SOMEONE ELSE IN THEIR LIFE WHO CAN DO THAT AND THE COST OF CHILDCARE IS TOO HIGH. I KNOW THE DATA IS IN THERE, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE. I KNOW WE HAVE IT IN PRE-K 4 SA SOMETIMES, THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. I THINK THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE OR MY THOUGHTS. ANY OTHER THOUGHT OR FEEDBACK ON THIS ONE? 
          ALL RIGHT, GREAT. WE WILL MOVE -- SORRY. >> ON THAT PIECE, WE'LL LOOK TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE, BUT WE WILL AT LEAST REPORT BACK ON IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN 
          PULL OR NOT. >> GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          ALL RIGHT. WE WILL MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER 4, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S 
          FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER PROGRAM. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THIS IS WHAT YOU HEARD FROM DR. WOO ABOUT FOOD 
          [01:20:04]
INSECURITY. YOU OBVIOUSLY HEARD FROM DR. SEE POVERTY SUPPORT AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THE COMMUNITY IS FACING. THIS IS SPECIFICALLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT A PARTICULAR INITIATIVE THAT WE'RE USING TO TARGET NOT ONLY PRESENTATION, BUT ALSO -- PREVENTION, BUT ALSO INTERVENTION WORK TO ADDRESS NOT ONLY IMMEDIATE CRISIS, BUT HOW DO WE MOVE FAMILIES TOWARDS FINANCIAL SECURITY, ASSET PLANNING AND EVEN LEGACY PLANNING. AND JUST TO SHARE, I'M JOINED TODAY BY RICHARD KEITH, OUR FAMILY ASSISTANCE DIVISION DIRECTOR, AND CHRISTOPHER MAYA WHO OVERSEES THIS GRANT. AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND/OR THE PRESENTATION. SO WE OPERATE THE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER MODEL. 
          THAT'S A MODEL THAT ORIGINATED IN NEW YORK ACTUALLY IN 2008 UNDER MAYOR BLOOMBURG. IT'S REALLY NOW BECOME SOMETHING THAT'S NATIONALLY ACCREDITED, REPLICATED IN AN EVIDENCE-BASED MODEL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 
          IN 2013 TO REPLICATE IT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE CITIES FOR FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT FUND WAS FOUNDED WITH SUPPORT IF IF BLOOMBURG PHILANTHROPIES AND IT LAUNCHED A MODEL THAT INCLUDED FIVE FOUNDING CITIES. 
          AND THEY PROVIDED THEM WITH A THREE-YEAR GRANT TO ESTABLISH THESE CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THOSE FIVE CITIES INCLUDED DENVER, LANSING, NASHVILLE, PHILADELPHIA, AND OF COURSE, SAN ANTONIO. THE MODEL AS IT IS CURRENTLY OPERATED, IS IN 52 COMMUNITIES NATIONALLY AND IT'S EXPANDED TO THREE OTHER COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS, WHICH ARE DALLAS, HOUSTON AND WACO. 
          TODAY THE PROGRAM HAS CONTINUED LOCALLY SINCE INCEPTION THROUGH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND OUR PARTNERS FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION. 
          AS MENTIONED, THE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER MODEL IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED MODEL AND REALLY THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE CUSTOMIZED INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT THROUGH COUNSELORS TO RESIDENTS WHO ARE FACING FINANCIAL CRISIS IN A WAY THAT'S SAFE AND CONFIDENTIAL. WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH FINANCIAL ISSUES AND FINANCIAL CRISIS AND WE WANT TO TRY TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE FOR FOLKS TO DEVELOP A TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR COUNSELORS SO WE CAN ASSIST THEM WITH NOT ONLY IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE, BUT CONNECT THEM TO LONG-TERM RESOURCES. AND WE REALLY FOCUS ON FOUR PRIMARY AREAS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON. ONE, WE'RE EITHER WORKING WITH THEM TO ESTABLISH CREDIT, IF IT'S A YOUNGER INDIVIDUAL WHO DOESN'T HAVE THAT ESTABLISHED. WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO IMPROVE THEIR CREDIT SCORES. 
          WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO REDUCE OVERALL DEBTS AS WELL AS DELINQUENT WRITEOFF ACCOUNTS THAT MAY BE IMPACTING NOT ONLY THEIR CREDIT SCORES, BUT OTHER ASPECTS OF THEIR LIFE. WE'RE ALSO WORKING TO CONNECT THEM TO BANKING RESOURCES THAT ARE SAFE AND AFFORDABLE. MANY TIMES WE SEE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE WORKING WITH HIGH PREDATOR INTEREST RATE LOANS LIKE PAYDAY LOANS OR AUTO LOANS THAT ACTUALLY SET THEM UP IN A DISADVANTAGE LONG-TERM. 
          LASTLY, ONCE WE GET INDIVIDUALS STABILIZED, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO REALLY BUILD SAVINGS AND START PLANNING FOR FUTURE. AS I MENTIONED, SERVICES ARE DELIVERED IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE COUNSELORS ARE WORKING TO BUILD A TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP. THE GOAL IS NOT TO HAVE SOMEONE COME IN FOR ONE-TIME ASSISTANCE OR ONE-TIME CONNECTION FOR RESOURCES BUT TO BUILD A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP SO WE CAN GET THEM PAST THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS, GET THEM CONNECTED TO RESOURCES, IMPROVE THEIR FINANCIAL STABILITY AND THEN PUT THEM IN A PLACE WHERE THEY'RE ABLE TO [INDISCERNIBLE] ASSET PLANNING. 
          AS YOU HEARD FROM DR. SERRANO AND WOO, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS VARYING. 
          THE REASON WHY SOMEONE IS IN FINANCIAL CRISIS VARY FROM INDIVIDUAL TO INDIVIDUAL AND THAT'S WHY THIS CUSTOMIZED INTO INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT IS SO IMPORTANT. 
          YOU WILL SEE IN THE POVERTY REPORT WHEN LOOKING AT COMMUNITY NEEDS THERE WAS AN OLDER ADULT WHO CAME IN BECAUSE HIS BENEFITS, HIS RETIREMENT BENEFITS, WEREN'T HITTING HIS BANK ACCOUNT. IT WAS A ONE-TIME STOPPAGE, BUT IT CREATED FOOD INSECURITY, MEDICATION INSECURITY. SO REALLY OUR TEAMWORK NOT ONLY TO WORK WITH THE BANK TO GET THAT RESOLVED, BUT IN THE MEANTIME HOW DO WE CONNECT HIM WITH SENIOR MEALS AT THE SENIOR CENTERS. HOW DO WE CONNECT HIM TO THE FOOD BANK FOR FOOD COMMODITIES WHILE THAT ISSUE IS BEING RESOLVED? SERVICES AT THE CENTER ARE DELIVERED BY PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED COUNSELORS WHO ACTUALLY THEN WORK TO INTEGRATE NOT ONLY SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER, BUT ALSO THROUGH SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS AND OUR PARTNERS. COUNSELORS ARE TRAINED AND CERTIFIED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER TRAINING STANDARDS AND IT FOCUSES ON SIX CORE COMPETENT SEIZE. ONE IS WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND POVERTY, CULTURAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS THAT LEAD SOMEONE TO A FINANCIAL CRISIS, SO REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT IS THE CYCLE OF POVERTY, WHAT ARE THE SYSTEMIC COSTS OF POVERTY AND WHAT ARE THE CULTURAL COMPETENCIES THEY NEED TO DO THIS WORK IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. LOOKING AT A RANGE OF FINANCIAL CONTENT, SO HOW DO YOU HELP SOMEONE WITH MONEY MANAGE AM? 
          [01:25:01]
HOW DO YOU HELP THEM WITH BUDGETING, WITH CREDIT RECOVERY, WITH LIABILITY COSTS ASSOCIATED? WITH CRISIS MANAGEMENT. MAKING SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS UNDERSTAND THEIR OWN RIGHTS AS CONSUMERS, AS WELL AS BUILDING FUTURE ASSETS AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. WE ALSO HAVE THEM UNDERGO COUNSELING, COACHING AND NEGOTIATION TRAINING AND THEY ALSO DO EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. 
          THAT'S WHERE THEY DO 20 HOURS OF PRACTICE UNDER OBSERVATION FROM OTHER TRAINED COUNSELORS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ADHERING TO THE MODEL AND IMPLEMENTING TO FIDELITY. COUNSELORS ARE REQUIRED TO ENGAGE IN CONTINUING EDUCATION. THAT'S 30-YEARS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT ANNUALLY, AND IT INCLUDES ONE MANDATORY HOUR ON ETHICS TRAINING. 
          ONCE COUNSELORS ACTUALLY COMPLETE THEIR TRAINING, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO PASS A CFE FUNDED MINISTERED EXAM AND THEN THE CFE TEAM IS AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO MEMBER CITIES ON AN ONGOING BASIS, BUT ALSO TO THE FINANCIAL COUNSELORS THEMSELVES AS THEY'RE DEALING WITH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2026 THROUGH JUNE, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FINANCIAL COUNSELORS HAVE HELPED NEARLY OF HUNDRED RESIDENTS TO INCREASE THEIR OVERALL SAVINGS BY MORE THAN 28,000 AND REDUCE A LITTLE MORE THAN $757,000 IN DEBT. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE DO PARTNER WITH FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION AND WE'RE THE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PROVIDING THIS WORK IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLECTIVELY SINCE 2013 WE'VE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH MORE THAN 20,000 CLIENTS TO REDUCE DEBT BY 45.9 MILLION AND BUILD 8.7 MILLION IN SAVINGS FOR RESIDENTS. MORE RECENTLY THE CITIES FOR FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT FUND INCORPORATED LEGACY PLANNING ASSISTANCE INTO THE MODEL. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED HERE LOCALLY AS WELL. WE BEGAN DOING THAT WORK IN 2025. AS A PART OF THAT WORK WE WORK WITH RESIDENTS TO CONNECT THEM TO WILL AND ASSET PROTECTION RESOURCES. THEY WORK WITH THEM ON HEALTHCARE PLANNING AS WELL AS FINANCIAL AND LEGAL PLANNING. 
          THROUGH THAT INITIATIVE FINANCIAL COUNSELORS BETWEEN FAMILY SERVICE ASSOCIATION AND OUR TEAM HAVE WORKED WITH NEARLY 200 RESIDENTS TO GET ACCESS TO THOSE PARTICULAR SERVICES:  IN FISCAL YEAR 2027 WE'RE FOCUSED ON INCREASING THE PROFILE AND AWARENESS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IN THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE DOING THAT IN A TARGETED WAY WITH OUR VULNERABLE POPULATION SO IT INCLUDES THE WORK WE'RE DOING WITH OLDER ADULTS THROUGH OUR FINANCIAL COUNSELOR IN THAT PROGRAM AND BENEFITS NAVIGATORS AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ENROLLED IN SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS LIKE HEAD START AND NEXT LEVEL AS WELL AS OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS. 
          BUT WE'RE ALSO BASED ON SOME COMMENTS AND SOME CONVERSATION THAT HAPPEN AT THE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES COMMITTEE, WE'RE ALSO TAKING A TARGETED APPROACH TO WORK WITH STUDENTS THAT ARE ENGAGED IN HIGHER EDUCATION SINCE FINANCIAL RESOURCES, FINANCIAL CRISIS AND FINANCIAL PLANNING HAS COME UP AS A TOPIC WITH THAT PARTICULAR POPULATION AND A HIGH NEED. THERE'S A COUPLE OF STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IMPLEMENTING. WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING FINANCIAL SUCCESSES ON OUR WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AS WELL AS INCREASING OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND ACTUAL TRADITIONAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT TO PROMOTE SERVICES. 
          WE'RE ENHANCING OUTREACH TO COLLEGE STUDENTS AND COORDINATING IN THE NEAR FUTURE WITH THE HIGHER EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD TO TALK ABOUT SOME TARGETED STRATEGIES. AND EXPANDING OUTREACH TO OUR INTERNAL DEPARTMENT FOLKS, HEAD START, NEXT LEVEL, SENIOR SERVICES, AS WELL AS OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS THAT ARE PROVIDING NON-PROFIT SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY. THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION. 
          WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THE PROGRAM. 
          >> GALVAN: THANK YOU SO MUCH. REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. A DEEPER DIVE ON THIS PARTICULAR THAT IS A SMALL PART OF OUR DHS BUDGET, FRANKLY, AND DOESN'T ALWAYS GET SUPER HIGHLIGHTED. 
          I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW SOME OF THE PROGRAMS AND WORK HERE AND TIE IT TO A LARGER CONVERSATION WE HAD EARLIER, WHICH CAN BE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS IN ON THE ONLY TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT ALSO HEARING ABOUT SOME OF THE TRENDS IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND GRATEFUL TO SEE SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT WORK WE'VE SEEN ON SLIDE 5 HERE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH THIS WORK. 
          BEING ABLE TO REALLY ALLOW FOLKS TO HAVE -- LESS DEBT IS INCREDIBLE FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO LIVE, FRANKLY, TO HELP MOVE THE NEEDLE ON NOT ONLY THEIR OWN SAVINGS, BUT MOVING INTO BETTER ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. I APPRECIATE SLIDE 7 AND THE STRATEGIES FOR THE NEXT STEPS. OF COURSE THE FOCUS ON EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND A YOUTH FOCUS TOO, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT THE EXPANDED OUTREACH, I WAS JUST WRITING A NOTE DOWN THINKING ABOUT HOW IT'S AN INTERESTING MODEL, THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM, AND BRINGING THESE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY AND TRYING TO CREATE A ONE STOP SHOP FOR THESE PARTICULAR SERVICES. 
          YOU HEAR ALL THE TIME ACADEMIC SERVICES TEAM AND OF COURSE I REMEMBER HEARING A LOT OF IT WHEN WORKING IN DISTRICT 5, RESIDENTS TALKING ABOUT WILLS AND CHANGE IN THEIR OWN LIVES AND HOW TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS. 
          THIS IS A KEY SERVICE WE WOULD REFER FOLKS OUT TO AND CONTINUE TO DO SO. 
          BUT IN PARTICULAR WE LOOK AT WHERE THEY'RE AT. AND IT'S NOT THAT ANY 
          [01:30:01]
COMMUNITY IS LESS DESERVING, BUT DUE TO CAPACITY AND OF COURSE BASED ON NEED. 
          WONDERING HOW TO EXPAND SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS OUT INTO THE EAST, SOUTHSIDE AND EVEN OUTSIDE LOOP 410 AREAS WHERE WE SEE CAPACITY AS WELL AND MOVING TO POVERTY FURTHER ON TO OUR DISTRICTS AND IN OUR CITY ON THE EDGES OF IT. SO INTERESTING TO SEE HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE BECAUSE I THINK OF HOW THE LIBRARY TAKES ON A LOT OF THOSE SERVICES SOMETIMES AND BECOMES A ONE TOP SHOP FOR FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          THE LIBRARY, I GO THERE FOR ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS. 
          FIGURING OUT HOW TO EXPAND SOME OF THIS WORK. I THINK THAT THE CCR ON CAFE COLLEGES AND OTHER WORK. ALL THAT BEING SAID, INTERESTED TO SEE HOW WE TIN BUILDING UPON THIS WORK. ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? 
          COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THIS INITIATIVE. IT'S REALLY KEY RESOURCE, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE DEBT THAT'S BEEN REDUCED. I THINK ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS --Y A SMALL BUSINESS. RAMÓN DEMOLITION FOR EXAMPLE IN OUR DISTRICT WE HAD ONE OF THEIR SUPERVISORS COME TO OUR IF IS TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE TRENDS THEY WERE SEEING, WHO THEY SERVE, THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE NEED. AND WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE IS HE SHARED THAT THEY ARE A SECOND CHANCE EMPLOYER. YOU CAN HAVE TWO FELONIES AND EARN UP TO $26 AN HOUR. BUT THE TREND HE NOTICED IS MANY OF HIS EMPLOYEES WERE JUST NEEDING A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION IN TERMS OF WHAT IS INTEREST. 
          HE HAD EMPLOYEES BUYING NEW VEHICLES, HOMES AND THEN LIKE YIKES, YOU CAN'T PAY FOR FOOD, ELECTRICITY, SO ON AND SO FORTH. HE SHARED A CURRICULUM THAT HE CREATES FOR HIS EMPLOYEES AT RAMÓN DEMOLITION AND HE SAID IF IT'S A TREND HERE I ASSUME IT'S GOING TO BE BEYOND OUR COMPANY AND THERE'S JUST VALUE IN ECONOMIC EDUCATION. ESSENTIALLY THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, BUT IT WAS PRIMARILY AROUND THE TREND WITH INTEREST AND FOLKS NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT MEANS FOR A HOME LOAN, FOR A CAR PAYMENT, SO ON AND SO FORTH. 
          SO IN SHORT REALLY APPRECIATE THE LEGACY PLANNING COMPONENT AS WELL. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK ALSO TIES IN TO SOME OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS, RIGHT? IF YOU FAIL TO HAVE A WILL, IT TURNS INTO A NUISANCE PROPERTY BECAUSE THERE'S NO OWNERSHIP, FAMILIES ARE FIGHTING OVER WHO IS GOING TO TAKE OVER OWNERSHIP AND IT'S A NICE WORK FOR THE NEIGHBOR UNTIL THAT GETS RESOLVED. REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK OF THE TRAINING AND THE COUNSELORS ARE DOING, OF COURSE, IN DISTRICT 5, BUT ALSO HOW THIS IS COUPLED WITH HOW WE NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR HIGHER WAGES. LOCALLY AND STATEWIDE, PARTICULARLY WITH CITY CONTRACTS. WHEN I THINK ABOUT PROJECT MARVEL, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE THAT THE FOLKS WORKING IN THAT FACILITY AND BUILDING IT CAN HAVE A LIVEABLE WAGE WHERE THEY CAN AFFORD THEIR FOOD AND THEIR COST OF LIVING AND THEN, OF COURSE, HAVE RESOURCES TO SIT DOWN AND TALK TO THE COUNSELOR ABOUT ON HOW THEY CAN BEST BE EQUIPPED TO NAVIGATE AND EXPAND THEIR RESOURCES. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, CHAIR. 
          >> GALVAN: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS ONE? 
          >> GONZÁLEZ: JUST A QUICK COMMENT. I LOVE THAT STORY YOU SHARED, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO, ABOUT YOUR RESIDENT EMPLOYER. 
          I WONDER IF IT'S WORTH IT REACHING OUT TO OTHER EMPLOYERS BECAUSE THEY -- 
          >> I WAS GOING TO SAY I TOOK A NOTE AND WAS GOING TO REACH OUT TO COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE TO GET THE NAME OF THE EMPLOYER. ALTHOUGH IT'S INDIVIDUALIZED FINANCIAL PLANNING WE'RE HAPPY TO GO OUT AND DO PRESENTATIONS ON GENERAL TOPICS AND GET FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THE SERVICES. 
          >> GONZÁLEZ: AND MAKE IT TO WHERE IT'S A PROACTIVE CONVERSATION, RIGHT, AND NOT NECESSARILY REACTIVE AFTER YOU'VE BOUGHT THE CAR OR EVERYTHING ELSE AND YOU'RE LIKE HOW DO I PAY FOR EVERYTHING ELSE? BUT MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS PROACTIVE IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE. AND I WAS CURIOUS ON SLIDE 5 THE CLIENTS ASSISTED. DO YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT DISTRICTS THOSE 
          REPRESENT? IF YOU CAN PROVIDE THAT. >> WE CAN WORK TO DISAGGREGATE THE DATA BASED ON ADDRESSES. WE CAN DO THAT. 
          >> GONZÁLEZ: THANK YOU, THAT'S ALL. >> GALVAN: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE? GREAT. 
          DEFINITELY SECOND GETTING THAT DATA BROKEN OUT A BIT MORE SO WE CAN SEE NOT ONLY THE DISTRICTS BUT THE ZIP CODES TOO. I WOULD IMAGINE FOLKS WHO ARE NEARBY OR ABLE TO USE IT MORE OFF, BUT ALSO WHERE WE'RE REACHING THESE FOLKS TO SAY THIS IS WHERE I'M GOING TO GET THE COUNSELING AND SERVICES IS REALLY CRITICAL. I THINK OF FOLKS WHO ARE NERVOUS ABOUT -- IF IT'S THEIR OWN BANK THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE FULL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BANK ITSELF. 
          IT'S DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CREDIT UNION AND NATIONAL BANKS AND HOW FOLKS PERCEIVE THOSE AND HOW THEY WANT TO DISCUSS WITH THEM. WHAT THINGS COST FOR THE SERVICE, TO GO THROUGH FINANCIAL PLANNING RESOURCES THERE. 
          AND SO I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW WE CAN NOT ONLY WORK WITH THE EMPLOYERS AS 
          [01:35:02]
COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO SHARED ON THAT, BUT ALSO TO WORK WITH CREDIT UNIONS AND LABOR CORNER I DON'T THINK SO TO PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE SERVICES AND SEEING WHERE IT ALL ALIGNS.  IF THERE'S WORK BEING DONE, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN BUILD ON IT, ESPECIALLY FOR THE YOUTH OR FOLKS WHO HAVE ENTERED JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS AND NOW GOING INTO REALLY GOOD SECTORS. I FULLY AGREE WITH THE FOLKS ABLE TO GET THAT REALLY GOOD PAYCHECK FOR THE FIRST TIME, SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES THERE, MAKE SURE THEY'RE USING IT AS WISELY AS POSSIBLE. BE ABLE TO ENJOY THEIR LIFE TOO. 
          IT REMINDS ME TOO ABOUT THE -- I ALREADY MENTIONED THAT ONE ALREADY. 
          MOVING ON. ONE THING I WANTED TO ASK WAS ON THE CITY'S FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT FUND WEBSITE, THERE WAS A NOTE ABOUT THE BANK ON COALITION. 
          CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT ONE AND HOW IT RELATES TO THIS? >> I'LL ACTUALLY ASK RICHARD KEITH, OUR ADMINISTRATOR, IF HE CAN COME UP AND SPEAK TO THAT. 
          >> GALVAN: THANK YOU. >> SO WE WORK WITH RIVER CITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, WHICH IS OUR SORT OF KEY PARTNER UNDER BANK ON. THE IDEA IS THAT WE WANT TO DIRECT FOLKS TOWARD MAINSTREAM FINANCIAL PRODUCTS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP THEM INSTEAD OF PREDATORY OR PAYDAY LENDING TYPE PRODUCTS, TITLE LOANS, MONEY, BUSINESSES, THOSE KIND OF THINGS. SO WE ARE WORKING WITH FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, MOST NOTELY RIVER CITY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, TO DO THAT. 
          >> GALVAN: GREAT. >> CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? >> GALVAN: HOW LONG HAS 
          THAT WORK BEEN GOING ON WITH RFCU? >> AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. 
          >> GALVAN: GREAT. I'M INTERESTED IN TALKING MORE ABOUT THAT OFFLINE AND SEE WHAT THINGS ARE GOING ON THERE, NOT ONLY FOR RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO SMALL BUSINESSES. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE LIFT FUND PROGRAM WE HAVE WITH EDD AND OPENING ACCESS TO CAPITAL, BUT [INDISCERNIBLE] ABOUT HOW FOLKS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO CAPITAL, WHETHER IT'S FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL ASSETS, HOMES, CARS, ET CETERA, AND HOW THOSE THINGS BECOME BIG TRAPS AS YOU MENTIONED FOR FOLKS WHO AREN'T AS KNOWLEDGEABLE ON IT, OR NEEDING IT IMMEDIATELY. 
          SO I'D BE INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW TO PARTNER WITH OUR CREDIT UNIONS IN PARTICULAR TO BUILD UPON THAT AND SEE WHERE WE CAN LEVERAGE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH SOME OF THE ONES HERE IN TOWN THAT HAVE SOME INCREDIBLE NETWORKS HERE, BUT MAYBE AREN'T FULLY INVOLVED IN THIS ONE OR WHAT THAT TREND HAS BEEN LOOKED LIKE. I THINK OF MY OWN AS TEACHERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND WANT TO SEE HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON THAT IN THIS LENS TOO IF THEY'RE UNDERSTOOD. I'LL STOP THERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION. AT 11:39 WE'LL OFFICIALLY ADJOURN THE COMMUNITY HEALTH MEETING.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.