[00:00:01]
MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.COUNCIL MEMBER RIDGE PRESIDENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY AND CHAIRMAN TREVINO HERE.
ALRIGHT, WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED, UH, WITH, UH, LOOKS LIKE, WELL
[Public Comment]
FIRST WE HAVE, UH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT OR ANYTHING, UH, RELATED TO, UH, ANY CITIZENS SIGNED UP? YES, SIR.ONE, THE FIRST ONE IS FROM LINDA ORTEGA.
SHE SAYS, I FULLY SUPPORT RECOMMENDATION 1 29 21 $0.9 MILLION TO FUND ADDITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANT AND MODIFIED PROGRAM.
AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN HELPING APPLICANTS WITH THEIR RENTAL MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS, I KNOW THE NEED IS STILL THERE.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING WILL BE VERY HELPFUL AND WILL HELP THEM AVOID BEING HOMELESS.
MS. ORTEGA, LINDA ORTEGA ALSO SUBMITTED A LETTER, A BRIEF LETTER, AND, UH, SHE SAYS, MS. SOTO, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONVEY MY APPRECIATION.
HER AND LUPE VALDEZ ARE LEADERS WITH COPS SA WITH COPS, MENTOR OF SACRED HEART.
AND, UM, MS. SOTO MET WITH THEM AND THEIR, UM, CLIENTS THAT DAY.
THEY WERE, SHE SAID, YOU CAN PREPARE TO HELP.
WE HAD AT LEAST 16 APPLICATIONS, MAJORITY WOMEN SPANISH SPEAKING, DESPERATE FOR HELP THAT DAY.
YOU LET US, ALL THE WOMEN CAME PREPARED.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY 99% OF THEM ALWAYS COME PREPARED.
THEY, THEY HAD ALL THE DOCUMENTS THEY NEED TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
WE STAYED UNTIL 6:00 PM WITH YOU.
UM, AFTER THE APPLICATION WAS SUBMITTED, THEN CAME THE HARD WORK.
WE DID NOT JUST SUBMIT APPLICATIONS AND FORGET THE WOMEN.
WE CONTINUED TO GAIN COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.
WE CONSTANTLY ASKED YOU TO HELP US SOLVE PROBLEMS AND KEEP THEM UPDATED.
AND YOU WERE KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE YOUR, YOU WERE KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE US YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER AND AS YOU KNOW, WE USED IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE OVER 100 PEOPLE WERE HELPED ARE GIVEN INFORMATION.
NOT ONE OF THEM EVER COMPLAINED UNTIL THE LANDLORD WE PAID DIRECTLY, NOT ONE, THEY DID NOT COMPLAIN WHEN WE TOLD 'EM TO GO BACK AND GET A SIGNED AND DATED COPY OF THEIR RENTAL CONTRACT OR TALKED TO THE LANDLORD ABOUT SUBMITTING A VENDOR FORM OR W NINE, YOU WERE AMAZING.
THIS, IT SAYS, AS AN ACTIVIST ON THE WEST SIDE, SOMETIMES I HAVE OPPOSED MS. SOTO ON SOME ISSUES AND I HAVE BEEN VOCAL ABOUT IT, BUT ON THIS ISSUE, I ONLY HAVE PRAISE FOR WHAT SHE HAS DONE.
AND, UH, THANK YOU TO THE WORK OF N H S D AS, AS YOU HEARD A LOT OF, LOT OF GREAT SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS.
OKAY, LET'S GET ON WITH ITEM NUMBER ONE.
DO WE HAVE MINUTES TO APPROVE? OH,
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE MINUTES FOR THIS MEETING.
WE FROM FROM A PREVIOUS MEETING.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY MINUTES TO APPROVE.
WE DON'T HAVE MINUTES TO APPROVE FOR THIS MEETING FROM.
ALRIGHT, WELL, WE'LL SAVE IT FOR THE NEXT ONE THEN.
[1. 20-5534 Briefing and discussion on public education and enforcement efforts related to the CDC’s Moratorium.]
UH, THE C D C EVICTION MOR MORATORIUM OUTREACH AND ENFORCEMENT.THIS IS LORI HOUSTON, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, IAN BEDA, WHO IS OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT WE HAVE LIZ PROVENCIO WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WHO WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ALONG WITH IAN.
IAN, I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO YOU.
YOU GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND JUMP STRAIGHT INTO THE PRESENTATION.
I'M GONNA DO A QUICK RECAP OF THE C D C EVICTION MORATORIUM.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING AT THE COURTS, TALK ABOUT OUR OUTREACH, AND THEN TALK ABOUT ENFORCEMENT.
SO, TO START THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT ISSUED A NATIONWIDE MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 4TH THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID 19.
THIS APPLIES TO EVICTIONS FOR NONPAYMENT OF RENT.
ONLY OTHER EVICTIONS WILL BE ABLE TO PROCEED.
IT APPLIES TO A LANDLORD OR PROPERTY OWNER OF A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY WHO HAS A RIGHT TO PURSUE THE EVICTION COVERED RESIDENCE.
INCLUDE A TENANT WE SEE OR RESIDENT OF A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
AND THOSE INCLUDE A HOUSE BUILDING, MOBILE HOME, OR LAND ON A MOBILE HOME PARK.
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE A HOTEL, MOTEL, OR GUEST HOUSE.
SIMILAR TO AIRBNBS, THE RESIDENT MUST HAVE AN ANNUAL INCOME OF NO MORE THAN 99,000 AS STATED IN THEIR TAX FILINGS FOR A SINGLE PERSON OR 198,000.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE FILING JOINTLY, THEY MUST PROVIDE A SIGNED DECLARATION GIVEN TO THE LANDLORD OR THE OWNER, STATING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY C OVID 19 AND HAVE TRIED TO RECEIVE LOCAL,
[00:05:01]
UH, RENTAL ASSISTANCE.IT DOES NOT RELIEVE THE TENANT OF THE OBLIGATION TO PAY RENT OR TO COMPLY WITH THEIR LEASE.
THEY MUST MAKE BEST EFFORTS TO MAKE TIMELY OR PARTIAL PAYMENTS, AND THE LANDLORDS CAN CHARGE FEES, PENALTIES, OR INTEREST UNDER THE CONTRACT.
SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY IS THAT THE FILINGS THAT WE'RE, UM, THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING SINCE THE CARES PREVENTION HAVE INCREASED APPROXIMATELY 87% AFTER THE CARESS ACT, UH, MORATORIUM LIFTED.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN, UM, JUST RECENTLY GOT THIS DATA TODAY THAT LAST WEEK AFTER THE C D C MORATORIUM WAS PUT IN PLACE, THAT THOSE EVICTION, UH, FILINGS ARE DOWN TO.
SO THEY ARE SUBSTANTIALLY DOWN.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS ONLY ONE WEEK OF DATA AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO TRACK THAT AS WE GO FORWARD.
THE IMPACTS ON THE LOCAL JP COURTS IS THAT WHILE THEY HAVE NO CLEAR GUIDANCE FROM THE STATE ON HOW TO PROCESS OR ENFORCE LOCALLY, THE JPS ARE AWARE OF ORDINANCES THAT WERE ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND BEXAR COUNTY.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE A LITTLE BIT LATER.
THE JPSS ARE ACCEPTING DECLARATIONS AND RESETTING CASES UNTIL AFTER THE MORATORIUM AND SOME JPS ARE ONLY HEARING EMERGENCY CASES.
AND ON THE TABLE BELOW, WHICH YOU'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, WE ADDED A TABLE, I MEAN, A COLUMN UNDER STATUS THAT SHOWS WHICH PRECINCTS AND PLACES ARE ONLY DOING EMERGENCY HEARINGS.
AND EMERGENCY HEARINGS WOULD ONLY BE THOSE THAT ARE RELATED TO CRIMINAL LIFE AND SAFETY.
UM, AND NOT DUE TO NON-PAYMENT OF RENT.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT AND UPDATE COUNSEL.
AS THAT CHANGES, STAFF CONTINUES TO BE IN COURT AND TO SUPPORT THE RESIDENTS WHO ARRIVE.
WE'RE PROVIDING INFORMATION NOT ONLY ON EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE, BUT NOW THE C D C ORDER.
WE HAVE DECLARATIONS AVAILABLE TO SIGN ONSITE AT THE COURTS, AND OUR FOCUS IS NOW REALLY TURNING TO OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.
THE COURTS TEAM, LIKE I SAID, HAS BEEN THERE AND WE HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN 273 RESETS OR DISMISSALS WITH A HUNDRED WITH ANOTHER 61 CASES IN QUEUE PENDING EVICTION HEARINGS.
OUR FIRST STEP IN OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAFF WAS TRAINED AND ABLE TO DIRECT RESIDENTS TO THE BEST AVAILABLE INFORMATION AND COORDINATION WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE TRAINED COSA CALL CENTER AND FINANCIAL HOUSING RECOVERY STAFF, AND THESE TRAININGS WERE RECORDED AND SHARED WITH OUR PARTNERS WHO ASSIST THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING 3 1 1 BEX COUNTY, SAM MINISTRIES, AND ST.
STAFF IS READY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM RESIDENTS AND DIRECT 'EM TO MATERIAL THAT WAS PLACED ON OUR N H SS D AND COVID 19 WEBSITES.
THIS MATERIAL INCLUDES AN INFORMATIONAL FIRE FLYER THAT CAN BE SHARED OR DISTRIBUTED THROUGH OTHER NETWORKS.
A DECLARATION FORM THAT WAS SOURCED FROM THE C D C ORDER ITSELF FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS PAGE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THESE MATERIALS ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AND WILL BE TRANSLATED INTO ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
AND THOSE LANGUAGES INCLUDE ARABIC, BURMESE, CHINESE, VIETNAMESE, FRENCH, AND KOREAN.
WE'VE SOUGHT PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO ASSIST WITH THE OUTREACH.
THOSE INCLUDE OUR CHODOS AND OUR D H SS DELEGATE AGENCIES.
AND THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN SHARED THROUGH OUR, UH, NETWORKS, INCLUDING BARE NECESSITIES COMMUNITY DATABASE, T R L A AND SALSA, WHO ARE OUR RIGHT TO COUNCIL PARTNERS.
USING THOSE DOCUMENTS WE HAVE CREATED, UH, WE'VE STARTED OUTREACH EFFORTS, LEVERAGING OUR DATABASES, OUR MOST VULNERABLE AND HARD TO REACH POPULATIONS.
THESE INCLUDE MAILOUTS TO FEDERALLY SUBSIDIZE OUR CARES PROPERTIES, SPECIFICALLY THE MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES, SMALLER LANDLORDS FROM DATA WE'VE COLLECTED THROUGH HELP WITH B A UP TO QUADPLEXES, FREQUENT EVICTS THROUGH OUR DATA COLLECTED THROUGH OUR 4 0 1 HOME ANTI DISPLACEMENT INITIATIVE, REGISTERED MOBILE HOME PARKS THROUGH OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND THEN THROUGH EVICTION FILINGS THAT THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY JP COURTS, THIS INCLUDES NEW WEEKLY FILINGS AND ALSO THOSE IN THE PAST WHO HAVE YET TO HAVE THEIR EVICTION HEARINGS HEARD.
WE'RE SENDING OUT THE INFORMATION ALONG WITH THE DECLARATION FORM.
WE HAVE EMAILED ALL E EAP APPLICANTS AND REGISTERED LANDLORDS, REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, CITY COUNCIL OFFICES, UH, CITY CONTACT LISTS THROUGH THROUGH N H S D AND G P A AND OVER 1900 AGENCIES THAT INCLUDE NONPROFITS, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THROUGH OUR BARE NECESSITIES, UH, PARTNER OUTREACH PARTNER.
OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, STAFF WILL BE LAUNCHING AN INFORMATION CAMPAIGN THROUGH VARIOUS LOCAL DIGITAL MEDIA SOCIAL PLATFORMS. THE INFORMATION CAMPAIGN WILL BE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH, AND WE'LL DIRECT RESIDENTS TO OUR WEBSITE AND PHONE NUMBERS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE C D C ORDER AS WELL AS EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
FEDERAL FINES AND PENALTIES WILL BE STRESS, AND WE'LL ALSO CONNECT THEM WITH OUR RIGHT TO COUNSEL ATTORNEYS AS NEEDED.
MANY OF THE SAME PLATFORMS THAT WERE USED TO DISTRIBUTE OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WILL BE USED.
THOSE INCLUDE THE SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS, SAN ANTONIO OBSERVER, SAN ANTONIO CURRENT LAA, SOUTHSIDE REPORTER, IHEARTMEDIA, AND OF COURSE, ALL OF OUR DIGITAL PLATFORMS. NEXT DOOR, TWITTER
[00:10:01]
OR FACEBOOK.WE WILL ALSO UTILIZE OUR RESOURCE CENTER BLOCK WALKING EFFORTS TO DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION TO OUR HIGHEST SCORING, UH, EQUITY CENSUS TRACKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH T R L A TEXAS RIO GRANDE LEGAL AID, WHO IS OUR RIGHT TO COUNSEL.
ATTORNEYS WILL BE HOSTING A COMMUNITY INFO SESSION ON SEPTEMBER 24TH IN BOTH ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.
THE SESSION WILL BE RECORDED AND AVAILABLE ONLINE AFTER THE MEETING PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
T R L A WILL RECORD SHORT EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS THAT WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE AND SHARED WITH OUR CONTACT LIST AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
LASTLY, N H S D WILL COORDINATE WITH G P A TO LOBBY THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT TO ISSUE AN ADMINISTRATIVE RULE SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS DONE DURING THE CARESS ACT MORATORIUM THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT REQUIRE THE SWORN PETITION.
UH, WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING TO PETITION THE, UH, TEXAS SUPREME COURT TO REQUIRE THE DECLARATION THROUGH, UH, EVICTION HEARINGS.
ENFORCEMENT, PER THE C D C ORDER INCLUDES FINES OF UP TO $250,000 FOR AN INDIVIDUAL AND UP TO $500,000 FOR AN ORGANIZATION.
THESE VARY BASED ON THE SEVERITY OF THE, UH, OF THE VIOLATION.
AND THE C D C ORDER SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MAY INITIATE ITS APPROPRIATE, BUT OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL WORK WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS ON HIGHER LEVELS OF ENFORCEMENT FOR EGREGIOUS VIOLATIONS.
LOCALLY, THE CITY AND COUNTY HAVE ADDED ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS IN OUR EMERGENCY ORDERS.
THE CITY'S WAS ENACTED THROUGH MAYOR'S ADDENDUM NUMBER NINE.
THIS STATES THAT COMPLAINTS ARE VIOLATIONS THROUGH THE C D C ORDER CAN BE ENFORCED WITH UP TO PENALTIES OF UP TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
I MEAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER VIOLATION, APOLOGIZE.
COMPLAINTS ARE VIOLATIONS OF THE C D C CAN BE REPORTED TO D S D CODE ENFORCEMENT RESIDENTS CAN CALL 3 1 1 OR TWO ONE ZERO TWO ZERO SEVEN 6,000, AND CODE ENFORCEMENTS WILL THEN INVESTIGATE IF VIOLATIONS ARE FOUND.
THEN CITATIONS WILL BE ISSUED FOR EITHER MUNICIPAL OR JP COURT, DEPENDING ON IF A VIOLATION IS WITHIN THE CITY OR WITHIN THE COUNTY.
STAFF WILL ALSO CHECK FOR COMPLIANCE WITH RESIDENTS WHO ARE APPEARING FOR COURT OR ASKING FOR HOUSING ASSISTANCE, AND SUSPECTED VIOLATIONS WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO CODE TO CODE ENFORCEMENT.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
AS LORI SAID, WE'RE AVAILABLE TO AN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ALONG WITH ELIZABETH PROVINCIO WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THANK YOU TO YOUR TEAM, UH, FOR HELPING US OUTLINE SOME OF THIS.
UM, I THINK I WOULD NOTE THAT COUNCILMAN ARAN IS, IS NOW JOINING US.
I I GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, TOSS IT TO MY COLLEAGUES.
UH, DID WE EVER RECEIVE ANY ANSWER OR CLARIFICATION ON, UH, FOR RESIDENTS WHO SPEAK SPANISH OR ANY OTHER LANGUAGE FOR THAT MATTER, UH, WHETHER THEY CAN SUBMIT THEIR DECLARATION IN THEIR PREFERRED LANGUAGE? WE, WE, WE SHOWED THAT WE, WE, IT'S OFFERED THAT WAY, BUT THE DECLARATION ITSELF, CAN IT, UH, CAN IT BE OFFERED IN THAT LANGUAGE? COUNCILMAN, THIS IS LIZ PROVENCIO AND THE, THE PREFERRED WAY, WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION, AND THEY'LL WORK WITH THEIR VARIOUS LEGAL PROVIDERS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR FILE IS, IS APPROPRIATELY, UM, IS TYPICALLY WHEN IT'S, IT'S TRANSLATED, IT'LL BE ATTACHED TO THE ENGLISH VERSION SO THAT ANYBODY RECEIVING THOSE COURT RECORDS CAN SEE THE ENTIRETY OF THE COURT FILE BECAUSE THE FILINGS WILL BE IN ENGLISH BEFORE THE COURT.
UM, AND SO THEY WILL HAVE THE DECLARATION SHOWING THAT IT MATCHES THE, FOR INSTANCE, IN YOUR HYPOTHETICAL, THE SPANISH TRANSLATION.
AND SO THE, THE APPLICANTS CAN SIGN THE SPANISH TRANSLATION.
THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT IT BE ATTACHED TO THE ENGLISH VERSION SO THAT BOTH OF THOSE CAN BE SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE COURT'S RECORD.
SO AGAIN, SINCE WE ARE TALKING HYPOTHETICAL AND 'CAUSE SOMETIMES THESE THINGS CAN'T HAPPEN, AND LET'S JUST ASSUME THAT THE, THIS PERSON ONLY HAS, UH, A FOREIGN LANGUAGE THAT THEY SIGNED AND HANDS THAT TO, TO THE LANDLORD.
I IS, IS THAT A DISQUALIFICATION? IS THAT A TECHNICALITY? HOW WOULD WE VIEW THAT? WE WOULD VIEW IT AS SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S GONNA BE UP TO THE JP TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE REQUISITE PROOF IS ON FILE.
BUT OBVIOUSLY IF IT'S TRANSLATED, UM, FROM THE C D C DECLARATION, WE WOULD VIEW IT AS SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE.
WE WOULD COULD HELP DOUBLE CHECK, MAKE SURE THAT THAT MATCHES WHAT THE C D C, UM, LANGUAGE IS AND COULD PROVIDE THAT AS A SUPPLEMENT ULTIMATELY TO THE JP TO DECIDE.
[00:15:01]
WE ALSO MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE A FINES FOR ANY VIOLATIONS.WOULD, WOULD WE NOT PURSUE A FINE IF A LANDLORD PROCEEDED IN, UM, IRRESPECTIVE OF, OF THE DECLARATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THEM? UM, I WOULD BE VERY MUCH COULD DETERMINE THAT TO BE A VIOLATION IF A LANDLORD VIOLATED AND ATTEMPTED TO PROCEED OR SOUGHT EVICTION WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE PROPER PROCESS.
WELL, I I JUST, I I, I WANNA BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I MEAN, I, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COVERING ALL THE GAPS HERE.
AND IF SOMEBODY HAS, UH, TURNS IN ONE THAT'S IN SPANISH AND DOESN'T HAVE AN ENGLISH, THE ENGLISH VERSION ATTACHED, I JUST, I'D HATE FOR THEM TO GET CAUGHT ON A TECHNICALITY.
UM, SO, UM, I I, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE WOULD, WE WOULD CONSIDER IT, UH, A, A SOMETHING THAT WAS FULFILLED AND WE WOULD THEN MAYBE EVEN CONSIDER A FINE FOR ANYBODY THAT DIDN'T HONOR THAT DECLARATION.
IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT, SIR.
AND COUNCILMAN, WHAT WE CAN DO, UM, UNTIL THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE GUIDANCE AT THE JP COURTS, IS THAT WE WILL PROVIDE THE ENGLISH ON THE FRONT OF EVERY TRANSLATED VERSION, AND WE WILL JUST MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE PASSING OUT THERE WILL INCLUDE THE ENGLISH AND WHATEVER ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE IT IS IN THE BACK.
SO THAT WAY AT LEAST WE'RE COVERING OUR BASES FROM OUR END.
UM, CAN, CAN STAFF PROVIDE EACH COUNCIL OFFICE WITH, WITH A LIST OF THE FREQUENT, UH, IF VICTOR'S IN THEIR DISTRICT, UH, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT EARLIER, I KNOW COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBERS IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE HELD EVENTS WHERE THEY WENT TO PLACES OF NEED IN THEIR DISTRICT.
UH, KNOWING WHO SOME OF THESE VICTORS ARE COULD HELP US TO BE MORE PROACTIVE.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN, UM, STAFF CAN PROVIDE? ABSOLUTELY.
UH, I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE, UH, MEDIA CAMPAIGN.
AND IT, IT WOULD BE A GREAT PARTNER WITH, IT'S A GREAT PART TO PARTNER WITH SOME OF THE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS OR INFLUENCERS WHO, WHO COULD HELP, UH, EXPAND THE MESSAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
ALSO, I'M NOT SURE IF WE DO THIS ALREADY, BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD PROVIDE FLYERS ON THE MORATORIUM, UH, TO THE FOOD BANK AND MEALS ON WHEELS TO GIVE OUT TO THEIR CLIENTS.
YES, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.
WE DID THAT WITH, UM, WITH OUR RIGHT TO COUNCIL EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE.
AND SO WE CAN DO THAT AGAIN WITH THIS.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, I'M, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE EFFORTS, UH, OF THE, THE CITY TO, UH, HAVE PUT FORTH REGARDING THE EVICTION MORATORIUM IN A, IN A DIVERSITY THAT IS DIVIDED BY INCOME, WHERE MANY RESIDENTS FALL WITHIN THE DIG DIGITAL DIVIDE.
WE MUST BE PROACTIVE AND CREATIVE WITH HOW WE EDUCATE RESIDENTS ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT POLICY.
UH, SO, UH, THIS IS WHY I WAS GLAD TO SEE THE DIGITAL LEGAL KIOSKS CONCLUDED IN THE BUDGET AMENDMENT LIST.
UH, THESE KIOSKS SET UP, UH, IN HIGH TRAFFIC LOCATIONS IN EACH DISTRICT CAN HELP VULNERABLE RESIDENTS IN NEED OF LEGAL ASSISTANCE WHO DO NOT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS.
UH, HAVE YOU ALL BEEN WORKING TO KIND OF HELP, UH, WITH THAT COMPONENT OR THAT, THAT REQUEST? YES.
WE'VE BEEN IN, UH, COORDINATION, UH, WITH THE MUNICIPAL COURTS, WHICH I THINK IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THIS OKAY.
AS WELL AS OUR RIGHT TO COUNSEL ATTORNEYS.
SO, YEAH, AND I WANTED, SO I WANT TO THANK, UH, SAN ANTONIO LEGAL SERVICES ASSOCIATIONS ALSA TO, FOR BRINGING, UH, THIS IDEA FORWARD.
UH, THEY SAW THE WILLINGNESS FROM THEIR MEMBERSHIP TO HELP, UH, THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED AND WHILE RESPECTING THE NEED TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE.
SO I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE A, A GREAT, GREAT PROGRAM.
UH, I HOPE MY COLLEAGUES CAN, CAN SUPPORT AS WELL.
UM, WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN UP TO, UH, UH, COUNCIL, UH, DISCUSSION.
I'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THE LEGAL KIOSK, UM, TO THE FOREFRONT.
AND WE LOOK SO MUCH TO SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS SITUATION AND FOR YEARS TO COME.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILMAN TREVINO.
UM, THANK YOU, IAN, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD SEVERAL RESIDENTS WITHIN OUR DISTRICT THAT HAVE REACHED OUT ABOUT EVICTIONS AND EVEN SOME OF THE LANDLORD CONCERNS DURING THIS PROCESS.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FACILITATE WHERE THEY NEED TO GO, WHO THEY NEED TO TALK TO, AND WE HAVE MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE GRATEFUL TO STILL HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
UM, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, IAN, IS ON SLIDE NUMBER THREE, UM, WITH THE DEFAULT JUDGEMENTS, UM, HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO FOLLOW UP WITH ANY OF THOSE DEFAULT JUDGEMENTS? UM, WE MAIL OUT AND WE HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE'VE BEEN AT THE COURTS INFORMATION
[00:20:01]
ON EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND OUR RIGHT TO COUNSEL SERVICES TO EVERYBODY.SO WE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE DEFAULT UNTIL THEY DON'T SHOW UP.
SO WE'VE BEEN SENDING 'EM OUT, UM, AS AN ADDITIONAL OUTREACH MEASURE.
WE COULD SEND OUT ALSO TO THOSE PAST INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY HAVE DEFAULTED.
UM, THEY MAY NOT BE AT THEIR RESIDENCE ANYMORE, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE ONLY CONCERN, UH, I WOULD HAVE, BUT WE COULD DO IT AS AN ADDITIONAL OUTREACH METHOD.
BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT PRECINCT FOUR, AND I'M JUST CONCERNED WITH THE NUMBER OF DEFAULTS THAT WE HAD.
UM, WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, ONCE THEY GET THE EVICTION NOTICE THAT THEY JUST UP AND LEAVE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING, UH, WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE.
AND SO I REALLY WANT US TO, TO LOOK AT THOSE FAULT NUMBERS AND SEE HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FAMILIES FOUND ADEQUATE HOUSING, UM, AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO THE MEDIA AND OUTREACH, UM, CAMPAIGN, I KNOW WITHIN THE DISTRICT, UM, WE HAVE LIKE THE SAN ANTONIO OBSERVER, AND THEN WE HAVE A SMALL GOSPEL RADIO STATION, UM, THAT A LOT OF OUR OLDER, UM, AND OUR MORE SENIOR, UH, RESIDENTS LISTEN TO, AND THEY GET THEIR INFORMATION THAT WAY.
UM, AND BECAUSE, UM, THEY'RE NOT TAPPED INTO A LOT OF TIMES IF I DON'T GO ON THE STATION TO PRESENT IT, IT'S NOT PRESENTED.
BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS A GREAT WAY ALSO TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT, UM, THROUGH OUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS OR INTERNET RADIO STATIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
AND EVEN USING SOME OF OUR LOCAL, UM, RESOURCES SUCH AS THE TC APPRENTICE, WHICH IS A MEDIA OUTLET ONLINE THAT DOES A LOT OF OUTREACH TO COMMUNITIES SUCH AS THE SOUTH SIDE, THE EAST SIDE, AND THE WEST SIDE, WEST SIDE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT IF WE TAP INTO THOSE INDUSTRIES AS WELL, THAT WE CAN HAVE A GREATER OUTREACH WITH THAT.
UM, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE WORK THAT, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES IS DOING.
AND THEN THANK YOU AGAIN, COUNCILMAN TRI.
I'LL NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER
I'M CATCHING UP ON THE POWERPOINT RIGHT NOW, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION, UH, HERE AND NOW FOR THE C D C, UM, UPDATE.
AND THEN WE ARE ALSO, LIKE WE DID FOR OUR FOOD BANK AND OUR SERVICES FOR THE RIGHT TO COUNSEL, UM, ARE WE ALSO GOING TO ALLOW IT, UM, GIVE SOME PATH HANDOUTS, UM, AT OUR COVID TESTING STATIONS, LIKE AT FREEMAN AND AT THE WALKUP STATIONS AS WELL? CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THAT? YES.
COUNCIL, I'LL MAKE SURE TO DO THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT THIS WAS A, A GOOD PROCESS THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED.
THIS IS BASED ON A, A FEDERAL MANDATE.
AND, UH, A LOT OF TIMES WE GET, UH, MANDATES THROWN AT US, AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO WORK IT OUT.
UH, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD, GOOD PLAN.
I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS EDUCATION AND NOTIFICATION, UH, SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS GONNA WORK.
UH, AND I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
I THINK WE'VE GOT, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME GOOD THINGS GOING ON THERE.
AND, UH, THANKS FOR, FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND CLARIFICATION.
I THINK WE DO HAVE, THERE WERE SOME, UH, QUESTIONS THAT, UH, WE GOT SOME CLARITY ON AND SOME GOOD SUGGESTIONS AS WELL.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO
[2. 20-5541 Briefing and discussion on the proposed amendments to the COVID 19 Emergency Housing Assistance Program.]
ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHO'S GOT THAT? UM, ITEM NUMBER TWO IS AN UPDATE AND BRIEFING ON THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE EDWARD GONZALEZ, UM, WHO IS HERE TO PRESENT THAT.
UH, THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN AND COUNCILMAN, UH, EDWARD GONZALEZ HERE.
AND I, UH, TODAY I WANT TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR C OVID 19 EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UH, A LITTLE DETAILS INTO PHASE THREE.
UH, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I'D LIKE TO, TO SHARE SOME PERFORMANCE METRICS ON PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO.
SO, AS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2020, UH, OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HAS ASSISTED OVER 15,441, UH, INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS.
NOW, THESE RESIDENTS ARE IN ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS, UH, ONE THROUGH 10.
THE AVERAGE AGE FOR, UH, UH, A, A MEMBER IS A RESIDENT
[00:25:01]
IS 39.NOW, THIS AGE IS THE AGE OF THE APPLICANT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO THIS IS THE AGE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL APPLICANT.
UH, THIS IS NOT THE TOTAL AGE OF THE, THE HOUSEHOLD OR THE HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS.
SO, UH, BASED ON EACH INDIVIDUAL APPLICANT, THE, AND THEIR HOUSEHOLD, UM, HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD, THIS IS WHO IS APPLYING, UH, THEY'RE MOSTLY WOMEN THAT'S, THAT ARE APPLYING, UH, THE AVERAGE A M I IS 29% FOR ALL FOR THE HOUSEHOLD.
SO THIS IS THE, WE TAKE THE AVERAGE, THE A M I BASED ON THE TOTAL HOUSEHOLD SIZE.
AND THIS SHOWS YOU, UH, THE AVERAGE ASSISTANCE, UH, FOR, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
UH, THE AVERAGE ASSISTANCE FOR EACH OF THOSE 15,441, UH, RESIDENTS THAT WE'VE ASSISTED IS $2,851 PER, UH, HOUSEHOLD.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE PROVIDING, UH, AS YOU REMEMBER, WE'RE PROVIDING A PACKAGE, UH, TO RESIDENTS.
SO WE'RE PROVIDING, UH, RENTAL AND OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.
WE'RE PROVIDING, UH, UTILITY ASSISTANCE, AND WE'RE PROVIDING A SMALL CASH ASSISTANCE, UH, AS PART OF THE PACKAGE.
NOW, 85% OF THE PE OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'VE ASSISTED SO FAR OF THE 15,000, UH, ARE RENTERS, UH, WITH 15% OF THAT BEING THE MORTGAGE, UH, HOLDERS.
SO THIS IS A BREAKOUT OF THE 15,000, UH, UH, THOUSAND RESIDENTS.
THIS IS THE, UH, FUNDING THAT'S GONE TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
37.3 MILLION, UH, IS GOING TO MORTGAGE, $2.9 MILLION IS GOING TO C P S ASSISTANCE, UH, 500,000 IN SAWS ASSISTANCE, UH, A LITTLE BIT, UH, ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN INTERNET AND $3.3 MILLION IN CASH ASSISTANCE.
NOW, THE, UH, INTERNET, UH, OFFERING IS ACTUALLY STARTING TO PICK UP.
SO WE ARE SEEING THAT A LOT OF RESIDENTS ARE, ARE BEING AWARE OF THAT.
UH, THEY'RE ALSO PRIORITIZING THAT AS, AS THEY, AS THEY, UH, FILL OUT APPLICATIONS FOR US.
WE DID SEE THAT THAT WAS A LITTLE LOW, UH, EARLY IN THE PROGRAM IN PHASE ONE, WE WERE SEEING, WE REALLY WEREN'T SEEING A LOT OF, UH, APPLICANTS, UH, REQUESTING THAT INFORMATION.
SO WE'VE DONE ADDITIONAL, UH, OUTREACH AND NOTIFIED, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT THAT'S PART OF THE PACKAGE AS WELL.
SO AS OF, UH, AS OF TODAY, WE'VE SPENT $44.1 MILLION IN ASSISTANCE, AND WE HAVE $1.8 MILLION THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR NON FEDERALLY ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.
WE ALSO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL $5 MILLION THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR FEDERALLY ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.
SO THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE, UM, ASSISTED INDIVIDUALS PER COUNCIL DISTRICT.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT WE LAUNCHED A, A DASHBOARD EARLIER IN JULY, AND AS OF LAST WEEK, WE ACTUALLY, UH, MADE AN ENHANCEMENT TO THAT DASHBOARD.
SO WE ARE NOW SHOWING COUNCIL DISTRICT, UH, UM, WE'RE BREAKING DOWN THE ASSISTANCE BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO YOU'LL SEE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE FOR YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT, UH, HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS THAT WE ARE APPROVED HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE, THE AVERAGE A M I, UH, FOR EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS ASSISTED, WE DO NOT HAVE AT THIS POINT THE AMOUNT APPROVED.
UH, BUT WE ARE GOING TO ADD THAT, UH, TO THE DASHBOARD THIS WEEK.
SO BEFORE THE END OF THE WEEK, YOU WILL HAVE THIS EXACT SLIDE.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THIS EXACT SLIDE, UH, ON THAT DASHBOARD.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE AVERAGE A M I IS IS IT'S VERY LOW.
IT'S ACTUALLY BELOW RIGHT AROUND 30%.
UH, WE, SO WE ARE HELPING THOSE MOST IN NEED.
THIS IS REALLY, UH, THIS REALLY SHOWS THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE EITHER, UM, WITHOUT INCOME OR THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED INCOME.
THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIZE THAT WE'RE SEEING IS ABOUT THREE.
UH, AND THAT'S TYPICAL FOR, FOR WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE SEEING, UH, UH, AROUND, UH, OTHER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. AND THEN THIS AMOUNT APPROVED THE, UH, TOTALS TO THE $44.1 MILLION.
SO, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A, A BRIEF UPDATE ON, UH, ON THE TOTAL FUNDING.
SO PHASE ONE WAS DOLLARS, PHASE TWO WAS $26.9 MILLION MILLION DOLLARS.
THAT WAS PRIMARILY THE ADDITION OF THE, THE COR CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS.
AND THEN PHASE THREE, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS $21.9 MILLION.
SO THIS WOULD BRING OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM TO $74.4 MILLION.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE WILL SHOW A, A BREAKOUT OF THOSE FUNDS.
[00:30:04]
SO, PHASE ONE, UH, AS, AS YOU, UH, RECALL, THIS IS A DETAILED, UH, BREAKOUT OF THOSE FUNDS.UH, $5 MILLION WAS FROM THE HOUSING TRUST.
WE HAD ANOTHER $5.8 MILLION IN C D B G PROGRAM INCOME AND SAVINGS THAT WE REDIRECTED TO THE PROGRAM.
WE ALSO HAD THE CARES ACT, C D B G FUNDING, UH, AND THE AMOUNT OF $7.7 MILLION, UH, THE TAX INCREMENT FUNDS OF $4 MILLION, AND THEN GENERAL FUNDS OF $2.8 MILLION.
WE ALSO SHOWED SOME, UH, OUTSIDE CONTRIBUTIONS.
THESE ARE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT WE START, WHEN WE STARTED THE PROGRAM, UH, WE WORKED WITH, UH, A NUMBER OF FUNDERS TO PROVIDE, UH, A CAMPAIGN TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO THIS.
AND WE DID RECEIVE, UH, TWO LARGE DONATIONS, $150,000 AND ANOTHER $50,000 FROM, UH, THE AREA FOUNDATION AND UNITED WAY.
SO PHASE TWO FUNDING HERE, THIS IS, UH, PRIMARILY THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS.
UH, WE HAD $26.9 MILLION THAT WERE ADDED TO THE PROGRAM.
AND PHASE THREE, THIS IS THE BREAKOUT OF THE PROPOSED PHASE THREE FUNDING.
SO IT'S $21.9 MILLION, $5 MILLION OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND OF THE F Y 21 HOUSING BUDGET.
UH, $5.8 MILLION IN C D B G FUNDS, $10 MILLION IN CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS.
AND THEN ANOTHER ADDITIONAL $1 MILLION FROM THE HOUSING TRUST OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO, ALONG WITH THAT, WE, AS YOU RECALL, IN, UH, THE SEPTEMBER 9TH BRIEFING, WE PROPOSED SOME CHANGES TO THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.
UH, WE'VE SINCE REVISED THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THE INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED AT THAT MEETING.
UH, I WANT TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME GOING OVER THIS, UH, THIS CHART HERE.
SO OUR CURRENT ELIGIBILITY, UH, REQUIREMENTS ARE THE RESIDENT OBVIOUSLY HAS TO RESIDE WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO LIMITS.
THAT DOESN'T CHANGE FROM OUR, UH, SEPTEMBER 9TH RECOMMENDATION.
AND IT, IT ALSO DOESN'T CHANGE FOR OUR REVISED RECOMMENDATION.
UH, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE INDIVIDUALS HAS TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION OF HARDSHIP DUE TO THE COVID 19.
OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS CREATED THE PROGRAM.
WE, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO RECOMMEND THAT AS BEING PART OF THE, THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF RENTAL AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.
OBVIOUSLY, I, I MENTIONED EARLIER WE HAVE ASSISTED OVER 15,441 INDIVIDUALS WITH RENTAL AND OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.
OVER 85%, UH, ARE, ARE RENTAL, UH, OCCUPANTS.
IN OUR SEPTEMBER 9TH RECOMMENDATION, WE WERE WANTING TO FOCUS ON THOSE RENTAL, UM, RESIDENCE.
BUT WE, WE HAVE SINCE REVISED THAT RECOMMENDATION BASED ON YOUR FEEDBACK TO, TO ALSO INCLUDE MOVING FORWARD RENTAL AND MORTGAGE.
THE OTHER, UH, OUR CURRENT RECOMMENDATION, OUR CURRENT ELIGIBILITY IS UP TO 100% OF A M I.
NOW, WE DID HEAR, UH, SOME FEEDBACK REGARDING THAT.
OUR PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION ON, ON, ON THE NINTH WAS UP TO 50% OF A M I.
WE HAVE SINCE, UH, REVISED THAT TO BE UP TO 80% OF A M I WITH A TIERED APPROACH.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THESE ARE THE, THE REVISED PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, OUR CURRENT PROGRAM, UH, IS UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF A M I.
THIS CHART SHOWS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BREAK THIS INTO, UH, TIERED APPROACH BASED ON YOUR, ON YOUR, UH, FEEDBACK.
AND THAT WOULD BE FOR ANYONE MAKING LESS THAN 50% OF A M I, WE WOULD PROVIDE, UH, INDIVIDUAL RESIDENT WITH RENTAL AND OR MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE, UH, C P S ASSISTANCE, SAS ASSISTANCE, INTERNET ASSISTANCE, AND UP TO A CASH GRANT UP TO $300.
NOW, THE CASH GRANT IS BASED ON FAMILY SIZE.
SO WE START WITH, IF YOU'RE A FAMILY HOUSEHOLD OF ONE, YOU GET $150, TWO, YOU GET 200, UH, AND THREE, UH, I'M SORRY, A HUNDRED, A HUNDRED FIFTY TWO, TWO FIFTY, AND 300.
SO, UH, FAMILY OF FOUR, THE MAXIMUM THEY CAN GET OR FOUR OR MORE IS, IS $300.
SO, SO NONE OF THAT WOULD CHANGE.
UH, IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT STILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, THEN WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT YOUR SECOND MONTH BE A CASH GRANT OF $500.
SO WE WOULD PROVIDE, UH, A REDEEMABLE CASH CARD THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH F I I, THE FAMILY INDEPENDENCE INITIATIVE, AND THEY WOULD PROVIDE THAT $500 CASH GRANT FOR ON OUR BEHALF.
THAT WOULD BE FOR ANYONE THAT'S
[00:35:01]
COMING IN THAT'S UNDER 50% OF A M I.NOW, ANYONE THAT COMES IN, UH, REQUESTING ASSISTANCE AT 51 TO 80% OF A M I, WE WOULD GIVE THEM OBVIOUSLY THEIR FIRST MONTH'S RENTAL OR MORTGAGE.
WE WOULD NOT BE COUPLING THAT WITH SAUCE C P S INTERNET OR THE CASH GRANT.
AND THEN IF INDEED THEY REQUIRED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, WE WOULD GIVE THEM, UH, WE WOULD PROVIDE THEM WITH $250, UH, SECOND MONTH OF ASSISTANCE.
NOW, I KNOW THIS IS, SO THIS WOULD BE PHASE THREE.
IT'S ALL PART OF THE EXTENSION OF THE PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO.
NOW, I WILL SAY THAT I WANNA MENTION THAT IF A RESIDENT HAS RECEIVED ASSISTANCE IN PHASE ONE OR PHASE TWO UNDER THIS PROPOSAL, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL MONTH OF CASH ASSISTANCE IN PHASE THREE.
NOW, THIS ALLOWS US TO CONTINUE TO ASSIST FO UH, RESIDENTS, UH, NEW RESIDENTS THAT, AND CONTINUE TO, UH, TO HELP RESIDENTS THAT HAVE NOT YET APPLIED OR HAVE NOT BEEN IN IMPACTED, UM, BY COVID YET.
THIS IS, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL DATA THAT I, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE.
I KNOW THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT ADDITIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION.
NOW WE'VE BROKEN OUT THE 15,144 APPLICATIONS BY RENTAL AND MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE.
WE'VE ALSO BROKEN THIS OUT BY, UH, A M I.
SO AS A REMINDER, A FAMILY OF FOUR, UH, AT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF A M I IS MAKING $72,000.
UH, THIS, THIS KIND OF SHOWS YOU ON WHAT THAT IS.
SO 30% OF THAT WOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU DO THE MATH AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN TELL WE HAVE 7,844 RENTAL, UH, RESIDENTS.
THAT MAKES UP 59% OF THE TOTAL RENTAL, UH, POPULATION THAT WE'VE ASSISTED.
I THINK CONVERSELY, WITH THE MORTGAGE ASSISTANCE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO THE, THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE APPLYING FOR THIS ASSISTANCE ARE, ARE WELL UNDER THE 30% OF A M I.
SO WE HAVE 46% OF APPLICANTS THAT ARE UNDER 30% OF A M I.
SO THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE TO AMEND, UH, APPROPRIATIONS WITHIN OUR RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE AND HEALTH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
AND THEN WE WOULD GET, UH, COUNSEL'S APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE FUNDS ON SEPTEMBER 17TH.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING OUR PROPOSED CHANGES OR ANY OF THE, UH, ASSISTANCE THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED IN PHASE ONE OR PHASE TWO.
COUNCILMAN, I WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING.
I WANTED TO ADD THAT, UM, WE ARE GETTING MARKETING, THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING TO ALL EAP APPLICANTS.
UM, WE HAVE ALREADY PROVIDED THE EMAIL ADDRESSES AND INFORMATION TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO THOSE THAT WHO PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED ASSISTANCE ARE GETTING INFORMATION.
BUT AS THEY APPLY, WE WILL GET THEM INFORMATION AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ASK THEM, ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS BENEFIT? AND WE GET THEM OVER TO THE RIGHT PERSON.
THE OTHER THING I WANNA ADD IS THAT ALTHOUGH WE'RE ONLY OFFERING ONE MONTH OF FULL BENEFITS, AND THEN THE CASH ASSISTANCE THIS SECOND MONTH, IF YOU END UP AT THE EVICTION COURTS, LIKE WE HAVE SO MANY THAT ARE STILL WAITING FOR THEIR HEARING, UM, AND THEY ARE STILL, THOSE, THOSE CASES ARE STILL BEING HEARD, WE WILL HELP FOR THOSE CASES THAT ARE IN ARREARS.
SO THE CURRENT RISK MITIGATION FUND POLICY ALLOWS FOR UP TO $5,000 IN ASSISTANCE.
SO IF THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THE EVICTION COURTS BEFORE THE C D C MORATORIUM WAS ISSUED, UM, WE WOULD STILL HELP THEM AND PAY FOR THOSE, UM, MONTHS THAT ARE IN ARREARS.
SO I WANTED TO MENTION THAT AS WELL.
SO I APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING, BUT I THOUGHT THOSE WERE TWO IMPORTANT POINTS TO MAKE.
UM, AND COUNCILMAN TRAVINO, I'LL PASS IT BACK OVER TO YOU.
UM, YEAH, AND, AND SO YOU BRING UP A A POINT ABOUT WE'RE ONLY GONNA HELP THEM FOR ONE MONTH.
HOW, HOW DID THAT GET DECIDED? I, THE DECISION FOR ONE MONTH AND THE CASH ASSISTANT WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WORKFORCE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY IS NOW LIVE.
UM, THERE ARE JOBS THAT ARE NOW OPENING UP.
WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, UM, SEEK UNEMPLOYMENT.
AND THE WORKFORCE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY PROVIDES THAT FOUR $50 CASH, UM, ASSISTANCE PER WEEK OR UP TO FOUR 50 PER WEEK.
AND WE ARE GONNA BE PUSHING THAT.
AND SO, UM, PREVIOUS PHASES, UM, THE ECONOMY WAS STILL, UM, CLOSED.
THERE, THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES, BUT NOW THOSE ARE OPENING UP.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GO THROUGH OUR WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS AND THEN PROVIDING THAT ONE MONTH OF FULL BENEFITS AND THE ONE MONTH OF CASH ASSISTANCE.
I, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T, I'M NOT CONVINCED OF THAT.
[00:40:01]
AGAIN, I JUST, I THINK THAT, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS, IS GONNA TAKE SOME TIME AND, AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA GET, UH, CAUGHT IN THE REARS AS YOU, AS YOU MENTIONED, NOT ONLY THAT FACE POTENTIAL, UH, PROBLEMS WITH EVICTION.UM, I, I, I'LL NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE I, I, THAT DOES CONCERN ME, AND I HEARD, I'VE HEARD IT LOUD AND CLEAR THAT WE'RE GONNA USE THIS PROGRAM TO TRY TO MARKET AGGRESSIVELY THE, THE, UH, OR AGGRESSIVELY MARKET, THE, THE WORKFORCE PROGRAM.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHILE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO OFFER, UH, THAT POTENTIAL PROGRAM, UM, NUMBER ONE, I, I HAVE, I, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT AGGRESSIVELY MARKET SOMETHING MEANS, AND I ALSO JUST DON'T WANT TO CUT SOMEBODY OUT, UM, OF, OF EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE IF THEY NEED IT.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE NOW CALLING THESE PHASES AS, AS THEY'RE, AS THEY'RE HAPPENING.
AND THEY'RE NOT PLANNED PHASES.
AND I, AND I, I THINK WE NEED A, WE NEED A PLAN FOR A PHASE FOUR, MAYBE A PHASE FIVE.
AND, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, WINTER IS COMING AND, UH, THAT'S, I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE A CAME OF THRONES JOKE.
AND, AND, AND BY THE CALCULATIONS THAT WE SEE WITH, WITH, WITH THIS FUNDING LEVEL, UH, WHICH AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THAT WE DID MOVE IT UP FROM WHERE IT WAS, UH, IS ONLY GONNA LAST US, UH, TILL JUST BEFORE WINTER ITSELF.
AND SO WE'RE NOT, THESE, THESE FUNDS ARE NOT MEANT TO COVER THE WINTER MONTHS.
UH, AND, UH, UNLESS I'M, I'M COMPLETELY OFF HERE.
I, AGAIN, MY MATH SHOWS THAT THIS MONEY RUNS OUT, UH, FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER.
AND, UH, AND SO I JUST, I WANT US TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL, UH, ABOUT OUR, ABOUT FUNDING AND, UH, AND OF COURSE WHAT WE ANTICIPATE MOVING FORWARD WITH, WITH, UH, WITH, WITH THE REPORTS THAT WE'RE GETTING.
UH, I'M ALSO, I WANNA SAY THAT I, I'M SUPPORTING SUPPORTIVE OF, OF, OF LEAVING THE, UH, ELIGIBILITY, ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AS THEY CURRENTLY ARE, UH, THE MORE TIME CO COVERS FOLKS WITH INCOME UP TO, I THINK IT WAS 99 OR 98,000.
UH, SO I, I THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CRITICAL, SO OUR SYSTEM NEEDS TO, UH, ALSO MATCH, UH, UH, FAMILIES SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THEY DON'T RUN OUT OF, OR THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT LEFT OUT OF, UH, UM, GETTING, GETTING, UH, SOME OF THIS ASSISTANCE.
BUT I DO, I DO, UH, CONCUR WITH, WITH THE NUMBERS, UH, AS THEY'RE NOW ADJUSTED.
UM, I DO APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL'S FEEDBACK FROM LAST WEEK AND MAKING SOME OF THESE CHANGES.
UH, AND I'M SURE THAT, UH, THE EMERGENCY, UH, UH, ASSISTANCE, AS I MENTIONED IS, IS GONNA LAST AT LEAST THROUGH, UH, NOVEMBER.
UH, BUT I'M, I'M JUST CONCERNED, UH, ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THE MONTH OF DECEMBER AND, AND ARE WE PLANNING FOR THAT IS MY QUESTION.
CURRENTLY WE ARE ONLY PLANNING THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST.
UM, BUT AS WE HAVE DONE THROUGHOUT THIS PROGRAM, WE'LL ANALYZE THE FUNDING LEVELS AND HOW MUCH IS BEING EXPENDED, AND WE'LL ALSO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE EVICTION COURTS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE CAN'T BE EVICTED, BUT FILINGS MAY STILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT AS WELL.
AND THAT'LL INFORM US IF WE NEED TO EXTEND THE PROGRAM AND IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL FUNDING, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STATE FUNDING THAT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN SEEKING.
SO WE HOPE TO GET MORE FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM AS WELL.
SO WELL CONSIDER THIS MY REQUEST TO START PLANNING FOR A PHASE FOUR, UH, IN, IN THE WINTER MONTHS.
UH, I'D LIKE FOR US TO, TO GET THAT EVALUATION.
AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I'VE USED, I'M USING MY MATH, AND THIS IS IN WORKING WITH THE CITY AUDITOR, UH, THAT, THAT REPORT SHOULD COME, A DRAFT SHOULD COME OUT LATER THIS WEEK, WHICH I'LL SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
AND I THINK AGAIN, UH, IT, IT WILL, UH, HELP TO IDENT TO, UH, SHOW THAT, UH, THIS FUNDING IS GONNA GET US THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER.
AND SO WE NEED TO START PLANNING NOW.
I I DON'T WANNA BE WAITING UNTIL DECEMBER TO, TO BE, TO BE MAKING, UH, DECISIONS THEN.
UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RULE OF OF OF HAVING THE FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE RULE, UH, HAS MADE IT EASIER FOR SOME APPLICANTS.
UH, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS WHEN I LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS, UH, THAT WERE PROVIDED TO US, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE HAS TO ASK, UM, HOW, HOW SOME OF THESE NUMBERS, UH, MATCH UP WITH WHAT WE IMAGINED, UH, SOME OF THESE DISTRICTS MIGHT LOOK LIKE, UH, IN TERMS
[00:45:01]
OF THE KIND OF HELP AND SUPPORT, UH, THAT THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN.AND, AND FOR, FOR THAT MATTER.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND OUR APPLICATION PROCESS.
IS IT, IS IT WORKING OR IS IT HELPING, UH, AREAS THAT ARE, THAT ARE MORE AFFLUENT THAN OTHERS? UH, SO FOR EXAMPLE, I, AND I MEAN, I THINK WHEN I LOOK AT DISTRICT FIVE, UM, REALLY SEEING KIND OF BE ONE OF THE LOWEST IN, IN RECEIVING SOME OF THIS ASSISTANCE.
UM, BUT IN DISTRICT, IN DISTRICT TWO, I THINK IT'S, UH, 5.5 MILLION AWARDED, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE MISSING HERE IN, IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATION AND WHAT MORE CAN WE, CAN WE LEARN ABOUT THIS TIERED SYSTEM APPROACH THAT, SO THAT WE CAN PRIORITIZE SOME OF THESE, THESE AREAS WE KNOW ARE LOW INCOME.
AND SO I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE REACHING ALL OUR VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
AND I MEAN, I THINK, UH, COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ IS NOT IN THIS COMMITTEE, BUT I, I, I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT SHE WOULD, SHE WOULD AGREE WITH, WITH ALL OF THAT, THAT I JUST SAID, UH, AS, AS HER DISTRICT IS, IS SHOWN TO, TO NOT HAVE BENEFITED FROM, FROM, UH, FROM THIS PROGRAM AS MUCH AS OTHER DISTRICTS.
UH, WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ.
UM, EARLY ON WE WERE LOOKING AT THOSE DISTRICTS THAT HAD LOW PARTICIPATION LEVELS, UM, SPECIFICALLY DISTRICTS FOUR AND FIVE, ASKING HOW WE COULD BETTER MARKET THE PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE WE'RE REACHING THE MOST VULNERABLE.
UM, AND IN DISCUSSIONS WITH MISS, UM, COUNCILMAN GONZALEZ, WE DO THINK THAT A LOT OF THE ISSUE HAS TO DO WITH, SHE HAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF INDIVIDUALS ON SECTION EIGHT VOUCHERS AND IN PUBLIC HOUSING.
SO THEY MAY NOT NEED AS MUCH ASSISTANCE BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY BEING PROVIDED THROUGH THOSE OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMS. UM, BUT WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH HER ABOUT HOW WE CAN BETTER DO, DO BETTER OUTREACH.
VERONICA IS IN HER DISTRICT QUITE A BIT WITH THE, UM, INTAKE PROGRAMS AS WELL, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL DISTRICT SPECIFICALLY TO SEE HOW WE CAN, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
BUT YOU'RE, IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU, YOU NOTICE THAT, AND WE NOTICE THAT AS WELL.
RIGHT? AND SO, AGAIN, I, I THINK THAT, UH, WE CAN SEE THIS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE MORE AFFLUENT AREAS OF OUR CITY, UM, ARE CERTAINLY, UH, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM.
UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE REACHING EVERYBODY.
AND SO I, I'D LIKE FOR US TO, TO, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TIERED SYSTEM AND SEE IF IT CAN BE HELPFUL IN ADDRESSING SOME OF THESE, THESE, UM, CONCERNS OR ISSUES THAT WE ALL HAVE.
UM, WHAT IS IN THE TOTAL POT FOR DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE, COUNCILMAN? SO ON, ON FA IN PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO, WE HAVE $52.5 MILLION.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT, UH, 1.6 MILLION OF THAT IS ACTUALLY ADMINISTRATIVE.
SO THAT LEAVES US $50.9 MILLION, UM, FOR DIRECT ASSISTANCE.
THAT'S IN PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO.
NOW, PHASE THREE, WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING THE FULL AMOUNT BE DIRECT CASH ASSISTANCE.
SO THE $29.1 MILLION WOULD BE DIRECT CASH AS I, I'M SORRY, DIRECT, UM, UH, ASSISTANCE.
SO, UH, RENT, MORTGAGE, UTILITIES, VERY LITTLE, IF ANY ADMIN IS, IS, IS PART OF THAT BUDGET.
THAT THAT'S CORRECT, COUNCILMAN.
SO WHAT, WHAT ARE THE, WHAT, WHAT'S SOME OF THE, UH, MEDIAN STATS FOR, FOR THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE, UH, UH, FOR, UH, EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, UH, AND WHAT ARE THE AVERAGES THAT CAN, THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE, UH, WATERED DOWN BY OUTLIERS? UH, CAN, CAN WE KINDA GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW, HOW THOSE STATISTICS ARE, ARE SET OUT? ABSOLUTELY.
COUNCIL MEMBER, I CAN, WE CAN WORK WITH YOU ON DEVELOPING SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, METRICS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE PER COUNCIL DISTRICT.
I MEAN, I THINK, UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DATA, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY SPREAD ACROSS, SPREAD PRETTY EVENLY ACROSS DISTRICTS.
I, I'M NOT FINDING ANY REALLY OUTLIERS IN THERE, UH, IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT WOULD BE IN, OF CONCERN, UH, PRIMARILY AROUND SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU'VE ALREADY MENTIONED, LIKE OUTREACH.
YOU KNOW, INITIALLY WE DID, WE DID OUR INITIAL OUTREACH JUST BASED ON, UH, OUR EQUITY METRICS, RIGHT? SO WE KNOW BASED ON THE EQUITY INDEX, THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE TO,
[00:50:01]
WE HAD TO GO TO AND ADDRESS THROUGH BLOCK WALKING, ET CETERA.NOW, UH, IN TERMS OF THE DATA, UH, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH, UH, WITH AN AUDITOR'S OFFICE ALSO.
SO, UH, THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE HAS REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID THEY'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE DATA AS WELL.
SO I'LL BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH THEM, UH, TO PROVIDE SOME WHATEVER TYPE OF DETAIL THAT YOU WOULD LIKE BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
UH, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE OVERALL AVERAGES THAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT, UH, I'LL TELL YOU THAT THE ONE THING THAT THAT WILL, THAT IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IS THAT MORTGAGE, UH, PEOPLES WITH MORTGAGES, OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE A LITTLE HIGHER ASSISTANCE NEED.
SO INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE MORTGAGES ARE IN THE THOUSAND DOLLARS RANGE, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND DOLLARS, $1,200, UH, PER MONTH.
UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN THE, UH, RENTER'S RANGE ARE A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN THAT.
SO THEY'RE IN THE NINE 50, UH, TO $1,200 RANGE.
AND DEPENDING ON, UH, THE, THE AMOUNT OR THE, THE MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE THAT YOU NEED, THEN THAT'S WHERE THE AVERAGE COMES FROM.
I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE HELPING INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ALSO GETTING A SUBSIDY.
SO, UH, WE'RE HELPING, UH, SOME SAHA CLIENTS.
THOSE RENTS, OBVIOUSLY, THEIR PORTION OF THEIR RENT IS MUCH LOWER.
SO YOU'LL SEE RENTS THAT ARE IN THE 400 AND 600, UH, DOLLARS RANGE IN THAT, IN THAT AREA.
NOW WE ARE NOT HELPING, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE IN HOUSING, BUT WE ARE HELPING INDIVIDUALS THAT, UH, ARE, ARE WITH VOUCHERS THAT HAVE VOUCHERS.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY REALLY OUTLIER THAT I CAN SEE, UH, BASED ON THAT COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND AGAIN, INCREASING THE FUNDING FROM 5.25 TO 21.9 WAS A BIG STEP.
UH, BUT I DO FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO START PLANNING NOW FOR THE WINTER MONTHS.
UH, WE NEED TO GET, UH, START TALKING ABOUT THAT, UH, AS A COMMITTEE, AS A COUNCIL, UH, ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA BE PROCEEDING, UH, NOT ONLY THAT, UH, IN JANUARY, THE, THE MORATORIUM FROM THE C D C ENDS, IS THAT CORRECT? ELIZABETH IS, YES, SIR.
THE MORATORIUM IS THROUGH END OF DECEMBER, SO WE NEED TO KEEP ALL THAT IN MIND IN TERMS OF, OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT, UH, TO OUR CITY.
SO WE'LL GO NOW TO, UH, COUNCIL, UH, COMMENTS.
I'LL GO BACKWARDS THIS TIME WITH STARTING WITH COUNCILMAN COURAGE.
YEAH, I SHARE YOUR CONCERN ABOUT, UH, A CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRAM BEYOND RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE DON'T SEE ANYTHING FORTHCOMING FROM CONGRESS IN THE WAY OF ADDITIONAL RELIEF, AND SO THAT REALLY DOES PUT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON THE SPOT FOR PROVIDING THE KIND OF ASSISTANCE, ASSISTANCE THAT'S GONNA BE NEEDED IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER.
SO YEAH, LORI, I RECOMMEND TOO, AS THE COUNCILMAN DID THAT, WE START LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE THIS.
YOU MENTIONED SOME STATE FUNDING THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE.
UH, WE'D CERTAINLY LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT IT, IT REALLY IS AN IMPORTANT PROGRAM.
AND AS BAD AS IT WAS THAT WE WERE THINKING, WE MIGHT SEE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREET, UH, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMERTIME, IT CAN BE JUST AS HAZARDOUS IN WINTER.
SO I'M WITH YOU ON THAT, COUNCILMAN.
UM, ON SLIDE FOUR, YOU HAVE THE BREAKDOWN OF THE COUNCIL DISTRICT AND THE AVERAGE A M I WITH THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIDE.
UM, AND THE APPROVED, SO DO WE KNOW, DO YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF HOW MANY OF THOSE PER COUNCIL DISTRICTS, UM, HAVE BEEN REPEAT REQUESTERS? DO WE HAVE THAT BREAKDOWN AS WELL? THAT DATA? SO COUNCILWOMAN, THESE ARE ALL UNIQUE, UH, INDIVIDUALS.
THESE ARE ALL UNIQUE, UH, HOUSEHOLDS, BUT I WILL SAY THAT, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THESE ARE MULTIPLE MONTHS.
SO YOU'LL SEE IF YOU, YOU SEE THE AVERAGE THAT I MENTIONED, UH, 28 50, SO THAT A HOUSEHOLD IS COMING ONCE, A RESIDENTS COMING ONCE, AND THEY ARE NEEDING, THEY WERE NEEDING MAYBE ONE MONTH OF ARREARS AND THEN THE CURRENT MONTH OF ASSISTANCE.
SO THEY WOULD GET MULTIPLE, THEY WOULD GET IN THAT CASE, TWO MONTHS.
SO, UH, BASED ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN AND WHAT WE SAW WAS WE HAD A LOT OF ASSISTANCE IN JUNE.
WE HAD A NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT WE PROCESSED IN JUNE AND JULY, AND THAT IS WHY WE HAD THE MULTIPLE MONTH WHILE WE HAD THE MULTIPLE MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE.
[00:55:01]
WE'RE GOING, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO GO TO THE, THE SINGLE MONTH OF ASSISTANCE IS BECAUSE THE THOUGHT IS NOW THAT SOME OF THESE OTHER, UM, PROGRAMS ARE IN PLACE, THEN THOSE, THOSE NEEDS ARE, ARE DWINDLING, RIGHT? SO WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE DATA TO SUBSTANTIATE THAT YET, BUT THAT IS REALLY OUR, OUR THOUGHT PROCESS AROUND THE SINGLE MONTH OF ASSISTANCE.SO YES, COUNCILWOMAN THAT THE, THESE ARE ALL UNIQUE HOUSEHOLDS WITHIN YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT, BUT THEY ARE, UH, RECEIVING MULTIPLE MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE.
SO THE MAXIMUM, UH, MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE THAT YOU COULD GET UNDER OUR CURRENT PROGRAM IS THREE MONTHS, AND THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT WAS, UH, WAS $5,000.
SO I THINK, AND, AND, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT'S CONCERNING ABOUT THIS IS, YES, WE'RE VERY HAPPY THAT THERE'S NOW A MORATORIUM.
THE C D C HAS ISSUED THE MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THIS PAST OR LAST WEEK, UM, THE 300, THE EXTRA $300 HAS ALSO STOPPED WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE, THAT WERE RECEIVING THE UNEMPLOYMENT.
SO IT'S, IT'S A BALANCING ACT OF ALL OF FEES.
SO OF, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE DATA, BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW OF THE MULTIPLES, THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVING MULTIPLES, WHAT HAS THEIR, AND I SEE THE AVERAGE A M I HERE IS, WELL, I'LL JUST TAKE DISTRICT 3, 28 0.8.
UM, IS THE AVERAGE A M I, IS THAT THE CASE WITH THE OTHERS WITH, UM, THE RENTAL, UH, THE 80 TO A HUNDRED PERCENT, THE EIGHT OR THE MORTGAGES, 82, A HUNDRED.
OF THOSE 138 THAT WERE APPROVED FOR MORTGAGES, WERE ANY OF THOSE 138 THAT WERE IN SLIDE NUMBER NINE, WERE THEY, DID THEY RECEIVE MULTIPLE MONTHS OF HELP? YES, THEY DID COUNSELING.
I WOULD SAY THAT THEY, THEY DID, THERE'S A CO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, JUST BASED ON THE TOTAL POPULATION, WE'RE AT ABOUT 90%, UH, THAT WERE MORE THAN MULTIPLE MONTHS, MORE THAN ONE MONTH.
AND, AND, BUT I ALSO WANNA ALSO IN SLIDE NUMBER FOUR, WHAT THAT SLIDE ALSO TELLS ME IS THAT PEOPLE LIVING IN THE 30% OF A M I IS ABSOLUTELY ACROSS THE CITY AND NOT JUST IN ONE AREA OF THIS CITY.
SO WE HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALL OVER THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
I'LL JUST PUT THAT STATEMENT OUT THERE.
UH, BUT I THINK THIS IS A PRETTY IMPORTANT DATA POINT FOR US TO HAVE AS WE'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS.
AND, AND SO IS THAT WHY YOU'RE ALSO MAKING THE, WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THIS MONEY IS GOING TO RUN OUT SOONER, AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE MAKING THE CASE TO HAVE THIS TIERED APPROACH WITH THE 80%, SO WE CAN HAVE MORE OF IT TO LAST A LITTLE LONGER.
IS THAT RIGHT? WELL, LET ME ADDRESS YOUR FIRST QUESTION THEN, AND, AND MAYBE JUST COMMENT ON YOUR FIRST COMMENT.
THERE IS POCKETS OF POVERTY ALL ACROSS OUR CITY.
AND WE ALSO KNOW, I WILL TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE ADMINISTERED A LOT OF SOCIAL SERVICES PROJECTS AND, AND LOOKED AT THE DATA IN MY, YOU KNOW, MY TENURE WITH THE CITY.
I'M SEEING IN THIS PROGRAM THAT THERE ARE, IT'S REALLY A COVID PANDEMIC PROGRAM RESPONSE PROGRAM BECAUSE I'M SEEING PEOPLE THAT WERE MAKING, UH, WELL OVER, OR LET ME REPHRASE THAT.
I'M SEEING PEOPLE THAT WOULD TYPICALLY NEVER APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM IN YEARS PAST, APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM, OR WE GET, WE'RE GETTING TESTIMONIALS FROM INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SAID, I DON'T, I'VE NEVER APPLIED FOR ASSISTANCE IN MY, IN THE PAST.
RIGHT? UM, AND THIS IS MY FIRST TIME DOING THAT.
SO THERE IS SOME, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WITHOUT THE PANDEMIC THAT'S AFFECTED ALL HOUSEHOLDS, SOME, UH, WORSE THAN OTHERS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, UM, THERE'S POCKETS OF POVERTY EVERYWHERE, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S ALSO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE REALLY IMPACTED BY COVID, WHETHER YOU WERE, UH, IN PO LIVING IN POVERTY BEFORE THIS OR, OR NOT.
SO I WILL SAY THAT THAT, THAT THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE THING THAT I HAVE SEEN AS PART OF THIS, UH, THAT THERE IS JUST PEOPLE AT ALL INCOME LEVELS THAT MAY NOT HAVE, UH, APPLYING FOR THE ASSISTANCE BEFORE THAT ARE APPLYING.
NOW, EDWARD, CAN YOU CALL THE COUNCIL BY DEVELOPING THE A M I? SO HOW, HOW IS THE A M I DETERMINED FOR ALL THE APPLICANTS? SO IT IS BASED ON THE PAST.
SO IF YOU ARE, IT'S BASED ON THE ASSESSMENT DATE.
[01:00:01]
INCOME, UH, AND WE CALCULATE THAT BASED ON HOUSEHOLD SIZE, UH, AND YOUR INCOME AT THE TIME OF ASSESSMENT.SO IF AT THE TIME OF ASSESSMENT YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY OUT OF WORK AND ONLY RECEIVING, UM, UH, THE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, THEN WE TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AND THAT'S YOUR, WE ANNUALIZE THAT THROUGH THE YEAR, AND WE TAKE THAT AS YOUR ADJUSTED MEDIUM OR AVERAGE MEDIUM INCOME.
NOW, IF YOU HAVE A, A REDUCTION IN WAGES, LET'S SAY YOU WERE MAKING MAYBE $80,000 OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND YOU HAVE BEEN, UH, LAID OFF, THEN WE TAKE THE LAST, THE WAY THAT THE CALCULATION WORKS IS IT TAKES YOUR LAST 60 DAYS OF INCOME AND WE ANNUALIZE THAT OUT, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH, THROUGH THE YEAR.
SO YOU COULD HAVE MADE, BEEN MAKING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LAST WEEK AND BE UNEMPLOYED TODAY, AND YOUR A M I WOULD BE MUCH LOWER BASED ON YOUR PAST TWO WEEKS, THE LAST PAYCHECK.
AND SO, AND THAT ASSESSMENT IS IS EVEN.
UM, SO IF THE ASSESSMENT FOR THE THIRD TIME, THEY'RE COMING FOR THE THIRD TIME AND NOW THEIR $300 IS GONE, DO DO, DO YOU DO A NEW ASSESSMENT OR IT'S JUST STILL BASED ON THE ORIGINAL ONE THAT YOU MADE? SO THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
SO MOST INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'VE ASSESSED IN MULTIPLE MONTHS ARE, HAVE BEEN, UH, PROVIDED ONETIME ASSISTANCE, RIGHT? SO WE'VE GIVEN THEM AS THEY'VE APPLIED ONCE, AND WE'VE GIVEN THEM TWO MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE IN THAT ONE APPLICATION.
THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE COME LET, LET'S SAY, AS AN EXAMPLE OF APRIL, IF THEY COME BACK IN SEPTEMBER, RIGHT NOW, THOSE INDIVIDUALS, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO A NEW INCOME ASSESSMENT BECAUSE TYPICALLY WE TRY TO KEEP IT 30 TO 45 DAYS.
SO IF YOU HAD AN APPLICATION ON FILE, UH, LAST MONTH, THEN IT, IT, IF IT'S WITHIN 30 DAYS, IT WOULD STILL BE, UM, VALID.
BUT WE DO A ASSESS WE WOULD MAKE, WE WOULD, OUR PRACTICE IS TO DO A NEW INCOME ASSESSMENT, UH, EVERY, IF IT'S OVER 30 DAYS.
UM, YES, THANK YOU FOR, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE REQUESTED MULTIPLE MONTHS, THEY'RE THE PRIME AUDIENCE THAT WE NEED TO MOVE OVER TO OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM AND GET INVOLVED WITH THAT, UH, WORKFORCE PROGRAM.
AND I THINK THAT'S AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WAY FOR US TO, TO CONTINUE TO, TO HELP THEM IN THEIR NEED TO, TO TRAIN AND TO PIVOT TO A NEW, UM, OCCUPATION AND A NEW JOB.
UM, AND TO THE POINT OF, OF THE, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE APPLYING FOR, UM, ASSISTANCE AND WHERE THEY'RE APPLYING.
I THINK ONE, THERE ARE POCKETS OF, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, POCKETS OF POVERTY EVERYWHERE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND PEOPLE ARE FINDING THEMSELVES IN ALL PARTS OF SAN ANTONIO IN A PREDICAMENT THAT THEY NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD SEE EACH THEMSELVES.
UM, AND I THINK IT HAS TO ALSO BE JUST VARIOUS REASONS WHY PEOPLE AREN'T ASKING OR AREN'T COMING FOR ASSISTANCE.
IT'S NOT JUST, MAYBE THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, MAYBE THEY DON'T KNOW AND WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB.
BUT THEN MAYBE THEY DO KNOW, AND FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS, UM, THEY DON'T WANT TO, THEY DON'T WANT ANYTHING FROM THE GOVERNMENT OR THEY ARE AFRAID OF APPLYING AND WHAT THAT MEANS IF THEY APPLY FOR THIS, UM, THIS ASSISTANCE.
SO IT'S A LOT OF TRUST THAT WE STILL NEED TO BUILD UP IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THOSE ADVOCATES OUT THERE AND DOING OUTREACH HAVE TO BUILD THAT TRUST WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, CONTINUE AND THANK YOU EDWARD, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING AND, AND EVERYONE, UM, A PART OF THIS.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AS WE CONTINUE TO, TO MOVE FORWARD.
COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, SO THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE ARE WITH THOSE THAT ARE WITHIN THE 51 TO 80% A M I THAT UM, MAY BE ABLE TO PAY THE RENT AND MORTGAGE, BUT ARE STILL LACKING WITH UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
UM, UNDER THIS PHASE THREE, ARE THEY NOT ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR JUST UTILITY ASSISTANCE? THEY WOULD BE, UH, COUNCILMAN.
SO WHAT WHAT WE WOULD DO IS IF THEY WERE A NEW RESIDENT, A RESIDENT HAS NOT, UH, WE HAVE NOT ASSISTED THEM BEFORE WITH PHASE ONE OR PHASE TWO FUNDING, WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY HELP THEM WITH THEIR RENT MORTGAGE, AND THEN WE WOULD ALL, WE WOULD GIVE THEM THE CASH ASSISTANCE OF $250 AND THEN WE, WE COULD MAKE THOSE REFERRALS TO, UH, THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT FOR THE UTILITIES UTILITY ONLY.
[01:05:01]
SO COUNCILMAN, THERE'S A SEPARATE PROGRAM UTILITY, SO OFTENTIMES PEOPLE WILL CALL US AND THAT'S ALL THEY NEED.AND SO WE REFER THEM TO THAT PROGRAM.
AND SO IN THIS CASE, WE WOULD DO THE SAME OR EDWARD MENTIONED THAT MAYBE WE JUST HELP THEM WITH A RENT AND MORTGAGE, AND IF THEY NEEDED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE AND WE FELT THAT THEY, IT COULD NOT BE MET THROUGH THE CURRENT PROGRAM, BY US PROVIDING THAT OFFSET AND THAT RENTAL MORTGAGE PAYMENT, THEN WE WOULD DO THE REFERRAL AS WELL.
SO IF THEY'RE ABLE TO COVER THE RENT MORTGAGE, THEY'LL JUST BE REFERRED OUT FOR UTILITIES.
AND THEN, UM, WITH ALL OF THE BUSINESSES THAT WE HAVE SEEN, UM, LAYING OFF AND FURLOUGHING EMPLOYEES SUCH AS C WORLD MARRIOTT, AND, UM, UH, MOVIES THAT IS CLOSING, DID WE LOOK AT OR TAKE INTO THE ACCOUNT HOW MANY OF THOSE EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN LAID OFF OR FURLOUGHED THAT MIGHT BE LOOKING TO THIS ON THIS PROGRAM? WE'RE LOOKING FOR THEM.
COUNCILWOMAN, WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING, UH, SOME I'VE BEEN, UH, I ALWAYS WATCH KIND OF THE, THOSE LAYOFFS FROM THE MAJOR COMPANIES AND WE TRY TO DO SPOT CHECKS.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATIONS COMING IN, WE HAVE SEEN A FEW APPLICATIONS COME IN FROM WORKERS THAT WERE PART OF THOSE, UM, COMPANIES.
SO WE, WE, WE ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE UNTIL OCTOBER ONE AND WE'RE SEEING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WANTING THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO APPLY SOONER THAN LATER, RIGHT? OBVIOUSLY WE, IF YOU HAVE THE NEED RIGHT NOW AND YOU CAN, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN, UH, AN ISSUE MAKING YOUR NEXT MONTH'S PAYMENT.
WE'RE ASKING THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, APPLY RIGHT NOW.
UH, BUT OBVIOUSLY YES, WE ARE, WE ARE, UH, ACCOUNTING FOR, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MAY BE APPLYING THAT DID NOT APPLY, UH, IN THE PAST, AND THAT WOULD BE THE NEW ASSISTANCE, RIGHT? SO THEY WOULD GET RENTAL BASED ON THEIR E M I, THEY WOULD GET RENTAL MORTGAGE UTILITIES AND THE CASH ASSISTANCE.
AND HAVE WE DONE, UH, WAGE ANALYSIS ON THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT MIGHT BE
UM, AND I KNOW THAT DISTRICT TWO, UM, I, I JUST KNOW THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE TRULY THANKFUL.
UM, SOME OF THE INCREASE IN, AND THE REASON WHY WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUR RESIDENTS, SOME OF THE ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEEDED WAS THAT WE PUSHED, PUSHED, PUSHED, WE PUSHED THROUGH ALL OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA SITES.
WE EVEN REACHED OUT TO OUR FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY.
WE EVEN REACHED OUT TO OUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS AND WE HAD A LOT OF INPUT, UM, FROM OUR EMAILS THAT WE RECEIVED THROUGH OUR DISTRICT OFFICE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO RELAY DIRECTLY OVER TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES AND RELAY DIRECTLY OVER TO LORI.
UM, SO THAT SHOWS THAT WHEN YOU ACTUALLY PUT THE INFORMATION OUT THERE ON ALL DIFFERENT FORMS, WE'RE ABLE TO GET THIS INFORMATION.
AND A LOT OF THE BLOCK WALKING THAT WAS DONE WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOODS REALLY ASSISTED OUR RESIDENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAD A MEANS TO, UM, ACCESS THE EMERGENCY HOUSING FUND.
UM, THAT IS ONE THING THAT WE KNOW, UH, WAS NEEDED MOST, WAS CONTINUAL AND CONTINUOUS, UM, EDUCATION OF WHAT THE EMERGENCY HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WOULD DO.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO GET WITH ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THE COUNCILWOMAN GONZALEZ, TO ASSIST HER WITH MAKING SURE THAT HER RESIDENTS ARE ALSO TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND THEN ALSO TO DO AN ANALYSIS OF HOW MUCH FEDERAL FUNDING IS NEEDED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS THERE ARE UNDOCUMENTED, UM, BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT FALL WITHIN THIS CATEGORY TO LOOK AT WITHIN THE LAYOFFS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THESE OTHER ENTITIES.
UM, SO THAT IS ONE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN, AND I THINK THAT THAT WILL GIVE US A FULL AWARENESS OF EXACTLY HOW MUCH MORE WE NEED TO HAVE INTO THIS EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE BEFORE WE GET INTO THE LATTER MONTHS OF, OF NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER.
UM, THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
AND CHAIRMAN, CAN I JUST GIVE YOU A SHOUT OUT? A LOT OF THE COUNCIL WOMEN'S REFERRALS TO US, WE END UP USING, KICKING THEM TO THE RIGHT TO COUNCIL PROGRAM.
AND A LOT OF THE REFERRALS THAT WE GET HAVE TO DO WITH RIGHT TO COUNSEL.
AND SO THAT LEGAL ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN PROBABLY MORE VALUABLE SOMETIMES THAN THE CASH ASSISTANCE.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UM,
[01:10:01]
THE COUNCILMAN'S BEEN ABLE TO GET US THOSE ISSUES EARLY AND WE'RE ABLE TO GET THEM THE ASSISTANCE NEEDED BECAUSE WE HAD A PROGRAM ALREADY STOOD UP.SO THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN TRAVINO.
IT HAS BEEN A GODSEND FOR A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS, SO THANK YOU.
UM, AND I JUST, JUST A QUICK POINT.
UH, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OF UNDOCUMENTED, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER, OR I SHOULD SAY, WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET THAT, UH, ESPECIALLY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE FOR OUR UNDOCUMENTED POPULATION.
AND, UM, AND SO THEY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THEY DO NOT QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING, WHICH IS WHY I'M ALWAYS PUSHING FOR MORE OF OUR CITY DOLLARS TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS FUNDING WHEN WE DON'T INCLUDE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS.
WE'RE NOT INCLUDED UNDOCUMENTED, AND I'LL KEEP PUSHING ON THAT.
UM, I WILL ALSO SAY THAT I AM NOT IN AGREEMENT THAT, UH, WE'RE TO ONLY PROVIDE ONE MONTH OF ASSISTANCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, THIS IS, WE, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT, UH, WE SHOULD BE EXPECTING A PHASE FOUR, PHASE FIVE, CALL IT WHATEVER YOU WANT.
UM, BUT THESE WINTER MONTHS ARE COMING, UH, AND, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
AND, AND I'LL JUST SAY I HEARD, WHAT I HEARD WAS, UH, EDWARDS SAY, WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA, WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA.
UH, QUITE FRANKLY, PEOPLE ARE GONNA NEED ASSISTANCE AND WE SHOULD PROVIDE IT FOR THEM.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE, UH, FORCING THEM INTO A WORKFORCE PROGRAM IF THEY WANT TO HAVE CONTINUED ASSISTANCE OFFER IT.
YES, IF THEY WANT TO TAKE IT, THAT'S FINE, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE THEIR ONLY OPTION IF THEY, IF THEY'VE PASSED A ONE MONTH OF ASSISTANCE.
I THINK THAT'S JUST EGREGIOUS.
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE I STAND ON THAT.
I, I EXPECT TO GET REGULAR DATA ON THIS BECAUSE I, I'M NOT, I'M NOT GONNA STAND STILL ON THIS.
THIS IS, THIS IS PEOPLE'S LIVES AND HOUSING IS HEALTHCARE.
SO, UH, I HOPE HOPEFULLY YOU GUYS CAN KEEP US UP TO DATE.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THESE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE.
I, AGAIN, I THINK THESE ARE POLICY DECISIONS AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, WE NEED TO BE HELPING PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, UM, AS THIS PANDEMIC IS POTENTIALLY GONNA SPIKE AGAIN WITH THESE WINTER MONTHS COMING.
UH, WITH THAT, UH, I GUESS IF ANYBODY HAS ANY COMMENTS, UH, REGARDING ANY FUTURE ITEMS, COUNCIL MEMBER ANDREW SULLIVAN.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK ONE OTHER QUESTION AS IT RELATES TO THE HOUSING.
UM, IF WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON, UM, WHEN ADDITIONAL VOUCHER ASSISTANCE, UM, WOULD BE ABLE TO BE ADDED TO ASSIST US WITH FINDING OUT HOW MUCH MORE WE CAN AID, UM, WITH THOSE THAT ARE ON VOUCHER PROGRAMS. UM, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
I APOLOGIZE, CHAIRMAN, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAD, SO THANK YOU.
UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT DATA.
OH, LIZ, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.
I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY COLLEAGUE, JAMINE WILLIAMS, WHO'S AT THE, IN THE MEETING, IF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN HER BEFORE.
UM, SHE SUPPORTS, UH, THE CLIENTS THAT WORK ON THESE PROJECTS STAY IN AND DAY OUT, AND OBVIOUSLY OFFERS EXPERT OPINION, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH, UM, THE VARIATIONS OF, OF ALL THE WORK AHEAD.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE SHAMINE.
WE REALLY RELY ON HER A LOT, UM, AS WELL AS ANOTHER COLLEAGUE OF HER, SCOTT ZIMMER.
SO WHILE SHE WAS ON, I WANTED TO BE SURE I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE HER AND THANK HER.
AND, AND, AND THANK YOU JAMINE FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
UH, VERO, THANK YOU FOR, UH, ALL YOUR WORK.
UM, AND IAN, EDWARD, UH, LORI, THANK YOU ALL.
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS A TOUGH TIME, BUT UH, WE ALL GOTTA CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER, UH, TO GET US THROUGH THIS.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS VERY MUCH AND WE'LL SEE YOU AT THE NEXT MEETING.