[One Complete Houston: Understanding Our Equity Challenges and Opportunities]
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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
WELCOME TO THE NEW SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
UH, MAYOR TURNER IS ALWAYS ALREADY VISITED WITH THE SENIORS THAT ARE NEXT DOOR, WHO HAVE THEIR OWN ROOM HERE AT THIS, UH, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, AND ARE VERY CLEAR THAT THIS IS THEIR SPACE, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT THE SUNNYSIDE RESIDENTS ASK FOR.
AND THERE'S SO MANY SERVICES AND, UH, TRANSFORMATIONAL WORK THAT'S BEING DONE HERE AT THE SUNNYSIDE HEALTH AND MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR, UH, HAVING US HERE TODAY.
UH, LET'S BEGIN WITH, UH, TAKE A, UM, NOW A MOMENT TO SAY THANK YOU.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED THE BREAKFAST, THAT WAS THE INTENTION, BUT I DO WANT US TO START WITH A MOMENT OF THANKS.
SO, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND ITS RICH HERITAGE, EXPANSIVE CULTURE, DEEP DIVERSITY, AND DELIBERATE INCLUSIVITY, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR MAYOR TURNER AND OUR EQUITY CHAMPIONS AND ADVOCATES ON CITY COUNCIL AND COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND BEYOND.
WE ARE THANKFUL AND OFFER YOU OUR ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT TO CONTINUE YOUR GOOD AND NECESSARY WORK FOR EACH PERSON IN THIS ROOM AND ALL WHO PROUDLY LIVE IN THIS WORLD AS HOUSTONIANS, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR YOU FOR THE MEAL WE ARE ABOUT TO EAT, AND FOR THOSE THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE AND FOR THOSE WITH WHOM WE ARE ABOUT TO SHARE THIS MEAL WITH, WE ARE THANKFUL.
I AM DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER'S EQUITY INITIATIVE TO PUSH FORWARD ON ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT MAKE HOUSTON GREAT.
AND WHILE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM MAY BE AWARE OF DATA ON INEQUITY IN HOUSTON, WE ARE GATHERED TODAY BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS BEEN CATALOGED.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THIS WORK WAS FUNDED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR, ONE OF HOUSTON'S MOST PROMINENT CORPORATE CITIZENS.
SHELL, USA INCORPORATED INVESTED IN THIS WORK.
AND THAT UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS WORK IN THIS REGION AND THE IMPACT IT HAS ON OUR COLLECTIVE PROSPERITY.
WE ALL HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WORKING TO MAKE HOUSTON MORE EQUITABLE SO WE CAN ACHIEVE THE UNITED STATES ULTIMATE ASPIRATIONAL GOAL OF TRUE EQUALITY.
AND TODAY IS THE START OF A NEW ERA IN OUR CITY IN WHICH WE DON'T HIDE THE WORK OF EQUITY, BUT INSTEAD, LEAD WITH IT FRONT AND CENTER.
ANGELA BLACKWELL, FOUNDER OF THE EQUITY THINK TANK POLICY LINK ALWAYS SAYS, EQUITY IS THE SUPER GROWTH MODEL.
TODAY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A SUPER GROWTH MOMENT.
THAT IS WHAT ALL OF THIS IS, IS TO HELP US ALL BE ENCOURAGED TO KEEP DOING THIS INCREDIBLE FORWARD FACING, INNOVATIVE, TRANSFORMATIVE WORK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY.
AND NOW IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU CHRISTINA JONES, VICE PRESIDENT OF HR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AT SHELL USA INCORPORATED.
CHRISTINA HAS WORKED FOR SHELL FOR 18 YEARS AS AN HR PROFESSIONAL WITH A VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES, AND SHE HAS SERVED IN HOR ROLES IN TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, AND ABROAD IN OMAN AND THE NETHERLANDS.
HER EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN IN SUPPORT OF MULTIPLE SHELL BUSINESSES, INCLUDING SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION, LUBRICANTS, MANUFACTURING, UPSTREAM, NON-OPERATED JOINT VENTURES, AND A HOST OF OTHER THINGS.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HER HERE BECAUSE SHE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO A VAST ARRAY OF ROLES WITHIN THE HR SPACE AS WELL.
SHE'S ONE OF THOSE FOLKS LEADING ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.
SHE EARNED HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY AND A MASTER'S IN HUMAN RE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, BOTH FROM TEXAS A AND M UNIVERSITY.
AND WE THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHRISTINA JONES FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY.
IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY.
IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT AN EASY JOB,
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AND I WILL GO UNDER MY TIME ALLOTMENT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S HOW THAT WORKS.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY, AND SPECIAL THANKS TO MAYOR TURNER FOR BRINGING US ALL TOGETHER AND HELPING US TO SEE WHERE HOUSTON IS TODAY AND WHERE WE CAN GO IN THE FUTURE.
AS A HOUSTONIAN, I TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN HOUSTON BEING ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE CITIES IN THE US AND PROFESSIONALLY.
SHELL USA PROUDLY CALLS HOUSTON AND TEXAS HOME FOR DECADES.
AND WE KNOW THAT HOUSTON'S POPULATION OPENS UP A WORKFORCE OF DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES THAT ARE GOING TO BE WHAT WE NEED TO BRING MORE AND CLEANER ENERGY TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE.
THIS EQUITY INDICATORS REPORT IS A FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR HOUSTON, AND WE AT SHE OUR PROUD TO HAVE FUNDED THIS STUDY, WE BELIEVE TO UPHOLD A CITY AS DIVERSE AS HOUSTON.
DIFFERENCES SHOULD ALSO BECOME STRENGTHS, SO THAT TOGETHER WE ARE ALL HELPING MOVE HOUSTON FORWARD IN EFFORTS TO CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY GAP.
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR A DIVERSE RANGE OF PEOPLE IS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT.
MANY OF YOU HERE IN THE ROOM TODAY, ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITIES AND ULTIMATELY STRENGTHEN THE COMPANIES THAT LIKE TO CALL HOUSTON HOME.
MUCH LIKE SHELL, WE STRIVE TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES BY PROVIDING JOBS, BRINGING LOCAL BUSINESSES INTO OUR SUPPLY CHAIN, PROMOTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INVESTING IN EDUCATION, AND OFFERING SKILLS TRAININGS THAT WE BELIEVE THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY NEED.
WE UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY IS ON A JOURNEY, AND THIS REPORT'S FINDING SERVES AS INDICATORS FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA TODAY AND THE WORK THAT CAN HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
OUR GOAL IS TO THRIVE IN THIS CITY AND TO UPLIFT OTHERS TO THRIVE WITH US.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYONE FOR COMING TODAY, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED CONVERSATION ON HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS TOGETHER IN HOUSTON.
AND NOW IT'S MY PLEASURE TO, UH, BRING TO THE PODIUM A MAN WHO OF COURSE NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION.
LET LET ME SAY, UH, GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE.
AND, UH, BEFORE I GO ANY FURTHER, I DO WANT TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT D.
SHE'S GONNA BE CATCHING A FLIGHT VERY SOON.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN AZZ, SO I KNOW SHE'S HEADING TO ATLANTA FOR A FUNERAL OF A GOOD FRIEND OF OURS.
SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU.
AND IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE IN YOUR DISTRICT.
AND, UH, OF COURSE, THIS IS THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION
SO GIVE IT UP TO COUNCILMAN MC COUNTY FROM
ALL RIGHT, WELL, LOOK, LET ME JUST SAY, UM, IT'S, UM, I'M DELIGHTED TO SEE EVERYONE HERE TODAY.
I, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, SHANNON BUGS AND, UH, FOR HER LEADERSHIP, UH, IN THIS EFFORT FOR HELPING TO PULL ALL OF THIS TOGETHER, BEING THE, UH, UH, LEADING THIS EFFORT.
SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO SHANNON BUGS, UM, THE DIRECTOR OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
CHRISTINA, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
UM, I DO WANT TO, UH, CERTAINLY START OFF BY ACKNOWLEDGING, UH, SHELL ON MULTIPLE FRONTS.
UH, GOOD TO SEE CHRISTINA, DR. FRAZIER, GOOD TO, UH, HAVE YOU HERE AS WELL AND APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT, UH, EVEN BEFORE I BECAME MAYOR.
BUT CERTAINLY DURING, UM, BEING MAYOR, UH, WE HAPPEN TO BE MEMBERS OF THE SAME CHURCH TOO, UM, AND THE FRATERNITY, SO HEY, ON MULTIPLE LEVELS.
BUT, UM, UH, LAST WEEK FOR EXAMPLE, WE CELEBRATED, UH, SHELL FMO, TEXAS.
SO SHELL WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT, UH, AND I BELIEVE THE BEST THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
THEN AS, UH, SHANNON HAS INDICATED, UH, THEY HAVE UNDERWRITTEN OUR RESILIENT HOUSTON PLAN THAT CAME OUT IN FEBRUARY OF 2020, SO I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THAT AS, AS WELL.
UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WHO ARE HERE OR WILL BE COMING THROUGH.
IF YOU ARE A COUNCIL MEMBER WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, JUST STAND UP, SO, SO I CAN SEE YOU.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ROBINSON, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, COUNCIL MEMBER COUNTY EVAN SHABA.
LEMME THANK YOU ALL, AND YOU'LL BE HEARING
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MORE FROM COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS A. LITTLE BIT LATER ON.IF YOU ARE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, I THINK WE HAVE, UH, SOME STATE REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE HERE.
UH, PLEASE STAND UP SO I CAN SEE YOU.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE RON REYNOLDS IS HERE, AND REPRESENTATIVE REYNOLDS IS ALSO CHAIR OF THE TEXAS CHAIR OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS.
SO THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
IF YOU ARE A DEPARTMENT HEAD, A DIRECTOR, UH, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, LET ME ASK YOU TO STAND THIS.
WELL, ALL MY DIRECTORS STAND AND REMAIN AND REMAIN STANDING.
UM, JANICE WEAVER, WE HAVE, UM, UH, DIRECTOR KENNETH ALLEN.
UH, WE HAVE DIRECTOR BYNUM, UH, MARK WILFORD, CAROL HADDOCK, UH, MARY BENTON, UH, UH, UH, WALTER HAMRICK HAMRICK, AND I'M GONNA HAVE SOME SENIOR MOMENTS, JESSE BOUNDS, UH, AND NICOLE IRVIN, MARGIE WALLACE BROWN, PRIYA ZACHARIA T TASHA ASHA FRANCIS.
SHE WAS ONE OF MY STUDENTS IN LAW SCHOOL.
DID I MISS ANY WEST TED IRVIN, TED IMA, HTV.
PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO ALL THE DIRECTORS.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOMEONE WHO I, WHO I, UH, LOOK UP TO, UH, AND SOMEONE WHO'S JUST AN INSPIRATION IN OF, OF HIMSELF.
WHERE'S LARRY? THANK YOU, LARRY.
LOOK, THERE ARE SO MANY OTHERS, QUITE FRANKLY, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU REPRESENTING SPECIAL GUESTS, UH, HERE TODAY, VIP.
SO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING, FOR BEING PRESENT.
LOOK, HOUSTON IS A VERY DIVERSE CITY.
UM, AND WE OFTEN SAY WE'RE THE MOST DIVERSE IN THE UNITED STATES, WHICH I THINK IS TRUE OVER 145 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES THAT ARE, THAT ARE SPOKEN HERE.
UM, AND WE ARE DIVERSE ON SO MANY LEVELS.
IT'S NOT JUST IN TERMS OF ETHNICITY OR LANGUAGE OR RELIGION OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
UH, ITS IDEOLOGIES, UH, IT'S, YOU NAME IT.
WE ARE SO HIGHLY DIVERSE AND WE ARE SPREAD OUT OVER 660 SQUARE MILES.
UH, SO THERE'S A LOT WITHIN THAT.
WE ARE THE LARGEST, ONE OF THE LARGEST, UH, CITIES GEOGRAPHICALLY.
SO THERE'S SO MUCH HAPPENING IN OUR CITY, AND WE ARE THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY, AND WE CONTINUE AND WE CONTINUE TO GROW.
BUT AS WE HAVE GROWN, UH, THE HOUSTON JOB MARKET GREW BY 19% BETWEEN 2008 AND 2017.
BUT OUR INCOME INEQUALITY GREW BY 16% DURING THE SAME TIME.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU ARE NATIVE, HOW MANY ARE NATIVE HOUSTONIANS IN THIS ROOM? OH, A WHOLE LOT OF NATIVE HOUSTONIANS IN THIS ROOM.
AND THEN FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NATIVE HOUSTONIANS, YOU CAN CERTAINLY SAY TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT NATIVE HOUSTONIANS.
UH, THIS CITY HAS EVOLVED QUITE A BIT OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS, QUITE FRANKLY, OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
UH, AND WE ARE SO MUCH MORE DIVERSE TODAY, UH, THAN WE HAVE EVER BEEN.
BUT IF YOU ARE ALSO A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, UH, AND YOU HAVE DRIVEN AROUND ALL OF THIS CITY, YOU DO ALSO SEE COMMUNITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, THAT HAVE IN MANY WAYS REMAIN THE SAME.
AND IF THEY'RE NOT REMAINED THE SAME, IN SOME CASES, THEY HAVE GOTTEN SOMEWHAT WORSE, UH, OR THEY, IN MANY CASES, UH, GENTRIFICATION IS TAKEN PLACE.
IF YOU ARE A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN OR YOU JUST, OR YOU'VE BEEN HERE 10 YEARS OR LESS AT THE SAME TIME, YOU COULD GO AROUND OUR CITY.
AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE IN OUR CITY, THERE ARE AREAS WHERE THERE ARE FOOD DESERTS, UH, WHERE THERE ARE NOT QUALITY, UH, RE UH, GROCERY STORES.
UH, YOU'LL HAVE TO DRIVE OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMMUNITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, TO GET TO AN HEB OR TO A KROGER'S.
UH, AND I DON'T SAY THAT BA BASED ON WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME.
UH, I GREW UP AND STILL LIVE IN ONE OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THAT'S THE MAYOR CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, AS THE MAYOR CITY, UH, I HAVE TO DRIVE OUTSIDE OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD TO GET TO AN HEB.
UM, AS THE MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO DRIVE OUTSIDE OF MY COMMUNITY, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, TO GO TO A MAJOR BANK.
MY, WHAT I WILL SEE IN MY COMMUNITY AND IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT LOOK LIKE THAT, YOU WILL SEE, UM, UH, WHAT I CALL CHECK CASHING INSTITUTIONS, WHERE IN ORDER TO CHECK TO CASH YOUR CHECK, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY QUITE A BIT FOR IT.
UH, AND IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, THERE ARE ENERGY DESERTS, OR FOR EXAMPLE, THE HEAT INDEX
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IS MUCH HIGHER IN SOME OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAN ARE IN OTHERS.UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, UH, MARGARET WALLACE BROWN PROVIDED ME WITH A MAP THE OTHER DAY, UH, WHERE WHEN YOU LOOK AT CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE SUNNY SOUTH, THE ONE WE ARE IN, OR ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OR, OR IN THE NORTHWEST SIDE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HEAT MAP, IT IS CONCENTRATED IN MANY OF THESE COMMUNITIES THAT WE HAVE DESCRIBED AS COMPLETE COMMUNITIES ARE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERSERVED AND UNDER-RESOURCED.
AND WHERE YOU SEE CERTAIN DEVELOPMENT THAT'S TAKING PLACE, UH, THAT YOU WOULD NOT FIND IN OTHER AREAS WHERE THERE ARE DEED RESTRICTIONS OR THERE ARE MORE AFFLUENT, YOU SEE THIS DEVELOPMENT THAT'S OCCURRING TAKING PLACE IN THESE COMMUNITIES.
NOW, THAT'S NOT EQUITY THAT JUST FURTHERS THOSE DISPARITIES.
OR EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH DISPARITIES, I CAN TAKE YOU TO A ZIP CODE, FOR EXAMPLE, OUT IN NORTHEAST WHERE THE, UH, THE LIFE EXPECTANCY IS 20 YEARS LESS THAN THE NEIGHBORING ZIP CODE.
AND THERE ARE, UH, ECONOMIC DISPARITIES, THERE ARE HOUSING DISPARITIES.
AND THOUGH I WOULD LOVE TO STAND BEFORE YOU AND SAY THAT, UH, WE LIVE IN A COLORBLIND SOCIETY, THAT'S JUST NOT THE REALITY WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK EVEN IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND SO, UH, WE, WE ARE HIGHLY DIVERSE, BUT EQUITY STILL VERY MUCH ALLUDES US.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, IT IS SOMETHING THAT CANNOT JUST BE ADDRESSED UNDER ONE ADMINISTRATION.
IT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED OVER MULTIPLE GENERATIONS BECAUSE THE DISPARITIES THAT HAVE OCCURRED DID NOT OCCUR IN ONE YEAR TIME, OR 10 YEARS OR 20 YEARS.
THEY HAVE OCCURRED OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
AND IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THEM, YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT EQUITY, YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT IN REAL TERMS, AND YOU HAVE TO PEEL THE LAYERS OVER IT BECAUSE IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO HAVE IN EVERY FACET OF OUR LIFE, IN EVERY ASPECT, EVEN INCLUDING THE MEDIA ITSELF.
I DO NOT LEAVE THEM OUT BECAUSE THEY ARE VITAL PLAYERS IN ALL OF THIS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
THAT'S WHY I CANNOT THANK SHELL ENOUGH FOR, UH, UNDERWRITING THESE EQUITY INDICATORS, BECAUSE WE NEED TO HAVE, WE NEED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
UM, AND SO LEMME JUST SAY THAT, UH, WE STARTED, WE CAME UP WITH THIS, UH, PUT IT INTO PLACE, UH, 10 COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, UM, MAKING PROGRESS.
BUT WE A LONG WAY FROM WHERE, FROM WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
UH, SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE AND I HAD A WHOLE LOT OF NOTES HERE, BUT I WENT
AND WHEN YOU GO OFF SCRIPT, THAT'S NOT A GOOD THING.
SO EQUITY SITS AT THE HEART OF RESILIENT HOUSTON, THE UMBRELLA PLAN THAT SHELTERS AND ELEVATES THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, COMPLETE COMMUNITIES AND OTHER CITY EQUITY INITIATIVES.
IT'S FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE IS THAT WHEN WE BUILD CAPACITY AND ADDRESS AND EQUITY IN OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, WE BUILD CAPACITY AND RESILIENCE ACROSS OUR CITY AND OUR REGION.
HOUSTON LUNCH IS EQUITY INDICATORS PROJECT IN RESPONSE TO GOAL 12 IN RESILIENT HOUSTON.
ADVANCING EQUITY AND INCLUSION FOR ALL HOUSTON IS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY.
AND IN MANY WAYS, IT IS UNFORTUNATELY, THAT OPPORTUNITY FLOWS DIFFERENTLY TO SOME HOUSTONIANS BASED ON THEIR ZIP CODE AND THEIR RACE AND ETHNICITY OR THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
ONE, COMPLETE HOUSTON UNDERSTANDING OUR EQUITY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OUTLINES WHAT WE LEARNED IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S FIRST EVER EQUITY INDICATOR STUDY.
IT MEASURES DATA IN 63 TOPICAL AREAS.
THE DATA CO COALESCES INTO A, A SCORE CALLED AN EQUITY INDICATOR THAT WHEN COMPARED WITH SCHOOLS, AND ANOTHER EQUITY INDICATOR PROVIDES A PICTURE OF WHETHER OPPORTUNITIES ARE EQUALLY AVAILABLE TO ALL HOUSTONIANS.
THIS REPORT FUNDED BY SHELL, USA INCORPORATED AND DEVELOPED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN COLLABORATION WITH THE KINDER INSTITUTE FOR URBAN RESEARCH, USES METHODOLOGY DERIVED FROM THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK'S INSTITUTE FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE.
HOWEVER, COMMUNITY INPUT AND FEEDBACK WERE IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF OUR EQUITY INDICATORS PROJECT, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OFFICE OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES AND RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY, THE MAYOR'S
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OFFICE OF RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY CONVENE COMM COMMUNITY LEADERS TO PROVIDE HELP TO SHAPE OUR CITY'S DEFINITION OF EQUITY AND HOW TO BEST ENGAGE THE LARGER COMMUNITY.WE GATHERED INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC THROUGH A SURVEY AVAILABLE ONLINE AND DISTRIBUTED AT THE CITY'S COMMUNITY FACILITIES.
WE MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF CITY DEPARTMENTS TO ENLIST THEIR HELP IN IDENTIFYING RELEVANT DATA SETS.
AND TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE SCORES FOR 21 AND 2022.
THE CONSISTENT METHODOLOGY FROM CUNY COUPLED WITH THE CITY'S SPECIFIC DATA MEANS THAT HOUSTON'S EQUITY CAN BE COMPARED WITH OTHER CITIES.
HOUSTON'S OVERALL EQUITY SCORE IS 44.1 OUT OF 100, DELINEATING A DIRE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENTS COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE USED THE EQUITY INDICATORS METHODOLOGY.
OUR SCORE IS HIGHER THAN DALLAS 2021, SCORE OF 38 AND TULSA'S 2022, SCORE OF 42.63.
HOWEVER, HOUSTON FOLLOWS BEHIND ST.
LOUIS 2018 SCORE OF 45.57 AND PITTSBURGH 20, 20 18, SCORE OF 55.
I WANT TO CAUTION EVERYONE, EQUITY SCORES ARE NOT PASSED OR FAILED MEASUREMENTS OF PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR GOAL OF BEING A MORE EQUITABLE CITY.
EQUITY IS A LENS THROUGH WHICH WE ALL CAN ASSESS AND ADJUST CITY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, BUSINESS STRATEGIES, CORPORATE, ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE, PHILANTHROPIC INVESTMENT MODELS, NONPROFIT MISSIONS, AND A HOST OF OTHER EFFORTS THAT IMPACT HOUSTONIANS OPPORTUNITIES AND LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES.
I GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, THERE ARE OVER 350 LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS IN OUR CITY, OVER 350.
NOW, SOME MAY ASK ABOUT PARKS.
PEOPLE WHO ARE VISITING OUR CITY, HAVEN'T BEEN IN OUR CITY LONG, MAY NOT KNOW ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THEN WHEN IT COMES TO PARK, THEY MAY SAY, OH, HOUSTON HAS GREAT PARKS, AND WE DO.
AND SO THEY'LL FOCUS ON MEMORIAL OR THEY'LL FOCUS ON DISCOVERY GREEN OR LEVY PARK, A BUFFALO BAYOU PARK, A HERMAN PARK, AND THOSE ARE GREAT PARKS.
THOSE OUR SIGNATURE PARKS, OKAY? BUT THOSE 350 PLUS LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN SUNNYSIDE OR THIRD WARD, OR THE NEAR NORTH SIDE OR ACRE HOME, THOSE ARE PARKS THAT ALSO NEED A LITTLE LOVE AS WELL.
AND THOSE ARE PARKS THAT NEED TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED, AND THOSE ARE PARKS THAT DIRECTLY CAN TRANSFORM THAT STREET, THAT COMMUNITY, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO PUT A LASER FOCUS ON THOSE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS.
NOW, CITIES LIMITED IN, IN ITS RESOURCES.
I CAME UP WITH WHAT I CALL INITIATIVE CALLED 50 50, WHICH I WAS ASKING 50 CORPORATIONS BUSINESSES, FOR EXAMPLE, TO ADOPT 50 OF THESE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS.
NOT TO MAKE IN INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS, BUT TO TRANSFORM THESE PARKS FOR THE BETTER.
SO THAT WHEN KIDS WALK TO THOSE PARKS OR BIKE AT THOSE PARKS, OR THE FAMILIES GO TO THEY PARK, UM, THEY TOO FEEL AS THOUGH SOMEBODY HAS SEEN THEM, HEARD THEM, AND HELPING TO TRANSFORM THOSE COMMUNITIES.
WE WERE NOT ABLE TO DO ALL 50.
UM, THE PLAN NOW WILL, WE WILL DO 22 OF THEM.
11 OF THEM WILL BE DONE, UH, BEFORE I LEAVE OFFICE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
BUT WHEN WE INVEST IN THOSE 350 LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, THEN WE ARE CREATING EQUITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND WE ARE TRANSFORMING LIVES AND FAMILIES, AND PEOPLE FEEL NOW WILL FEEL THAT THEY'RE NOT LIKE SECOND CLASS CITIZENS.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH I WAS BORN IN RED FOR THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS FOR A BASEBALL FIELD, WE GOT THE PILLOWCASES, YOU GET YOU SOME SHOVEL, A SHOVEL, YOU PUT THE DIRT IN THE PILLOWCASES, AND THEN YOU CREATE YOUR HOME BASE AND YOU GO AND CREATE FIRST BASE, AND YOU GO AND CREATE SECOND BASE AND THIRD, AND THEN YOU JUST RUN AROUND AS MANY TIMES AS YOU CAN TO CREATE THE TRAIL.
AND THAT ESTABLISHED THE BASEBALL FIELD FOR THOSE OF US IN THE FOUR FOUR.
AND THEN WHEN THE CITY CREATED THE WEST LITTLE YORK PARK, THEY CREATED A PARK IN NAME, BUT NO QUALITY FACILITIES.
SO WHO TOOK OVER THOSE PARKS, THE FOLK THAT
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YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO HANG AROUND.AND SO THE KIDS AND OTHER FAMILIES STAYED AWAY, BUT THOSE, THAT CRIMINAL ELEMENT TOOK OVER.
AND THEN WHEN I CAME THROUGH AS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DECIDED THAT JUST, THAT JUST DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE.
SO WE RAISED THE MONEY, NOT THE CITY.
WE RAISE THE MONEY, JANICE WEAVER, TO TRANSFORM THAT PARK AND THEN BUILT BASEBALL FIELDS, PUT THE LIGHTING IN, PUT THE TRAILS AROUND IT, PUT ALL OF THE AMENITIES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN ANY PARK IN ANY NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN WHAT TAKES, WHAT THEN HAPPENS, THEN THE MAJOR LEAGUE COMES DOWN, THEY TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE HAD DONE AND DECIDED, OH, THIS FITS INTO OUR URBAN YOUTH BASEBALL ACADEMY.
AND FROM THAT, THE ASTRO STEPPED IN, AND NOW IT'S THE MA IT IS THE MAJOR LEAGUE ASTROS YOUTH ACADEMY AT THE SYLVESTER TURNER PARK.
NOT BECAUSE THE CITY PUT THE MONEY IN, BUT BECAUSE WE RAISED THAT MONEY.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS THE OTHER NIGHT, UH, SATURDAY NIGHT, THE ASTROS NUMBER ONE PICK.
BRYCE MATTHEWS PLAYED AT THAT ACADEMY IN AKERS HOME, NOW PLAYING MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WITH THE HOUSTON ASTROS.
WHEN YOU BUILD EQUITY, WHEN YOU BUILD EQUITY, THEN YOU GIVE ALL OF OUR CHILDREN THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE, TO PLAY, TO BE IN THE GAME, TO ELEVATE, BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE TALENT, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE EQUITY, YOU SIMPLY HAVE CHILDREN WALKING AROUND WITH TALENT AND NO OPPORTUNITY.
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE.
AND THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET THERE IS WHEN YOU HAVE THIS COME CONVERSATION BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO SEE THAT EQUITY STILL DOESN'T EXIST IN OUR CITY AT THE LEVEL THAT IT SHOULD.
RIGHT? LASTLY, AND I'LL BE DONE, WE ARE BUILDING THIS INNOVATION HUB.
I WANT TO THANK RICE FOR THE ION.
IT IS MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE ON SOUTH MAINE.
I WANT TO THANK THE COMPANIES THAT INVESTED IN TXRX IN HUG HOUSTON.
IT STARTED OFF AT 10 TO 12,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S NOW 300,000 SQUARE FEET AND A MAJOR INNOVATION HUB.
I WANNA THANK PEOPLE WHO INVESTED IN THE SPACEPORT, NOW ONE OF THE 10 IN THE COUNTRY, AND THE CANNON IN WEST HOUSTON.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NORTHEAST AND NORTHWEST, YOU DON'T SEE THAT INNOVATION HUB.
AND SO WE'VE TAKEN, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE UNE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT WAS ABANDONED BY AL DEAN, LEASED IT TO US FOR $1 FOR 30 YEARS.
AND NOW THE GOAL IS TO TURN THAT INTO AN INNOVATION HUB CONNECTED TO THE ION AND TXRX IN THE SPACE CENTER.
BUT RIGHT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOW WE ARE SEEKING PEOPLE TO COME AND INVEST IN THAT, BUT SOMETIMES PEOPLE HAVE TO SEE IN ORDER TO GIVE ON THE SAME LEVEL THAT THEY GIVE EVERY PLACE ELSE.
WELL, LEMME TELL YOU, ALL NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE VALUE AND ALL NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE PROMISED, AND ALL KIDS ACROSS OUR CITY CAN SECEDE.
IF WE GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY IN SIX MONTHS, I'LL NO LONGER BE MAYOR.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THINGS SHOULD STOP OR THE INVESTMENTS SHOULD NOT CONTINUE.
I AM MAYOR TODAY BECAUSE THAT WAS A SENIOR CITIZEN WHO AFTER EVERY CHURCH SERVICE WOULD FIND ME AND GIVE ME PLACE A $5 BILL IN MY HAND AND WOULD SAY TO ME, LITTLE BROTHER TURNER, SISTER ELINA MODULE DOESN'T HAVE MUCH.
BUT WHAT I HAVE, I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU.
SO TAKE WHAT I GIVE YOU AND I'M GONNA PRAY FOR YOU.
AND YOU RUN THIS RACE FOR SISTER ALINA MORU.
IT IS BECAUSE OF HER BELIEF AND FAITH IN ME THAT I'M NOW THE MAYOR.
[00:30:01]
OUT OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT I'M THE MAYOR TODAY BECAUSE SOMEBODY DECIDED TO INVEST IN ME AS MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, AS I PREPARE TO EXIT FROM THE OFFICE.IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS CITY TO INVEST IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN OVERLOOKED FOR TOO LONG.
AND IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MEDIA TRYING TO PULL PEOPLE DOWN WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND IT'S NOT ABOUT BUSINESS AND CORPORATIONS GOING AROUND THEM.
AND IT'S NOT ABOUT ALLOWING DEVELOPMENT TO TAKE PLACE IN THESE COMMUNITIES WHERE YOU WOULDN'T PUT IT ANYPLACE ELSE.
IT'S ABOUT LIFTING PEOPLE UP AND GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED REGARDLESS OF THEIR EXTRA SEXUAL ORIENTATION, REGARDLESS OF THEIR LANGUAGE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR FAITH, REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY LOOK, REGARDLESS OF THEIR SOCIAL ECONOMIC STAND STATUS.
GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BENEFIT 44 ON THE EQUITY INDICATOR SCALE IS NOT, SHOULD NOT BE REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR CITY.
AND SO AS WE ADVANCE, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO LIFT THEM UP.
I TOOK WAY TOO LONG,
I TOOK THE TIME BECAUSE THERE ARE KIDS IN OUR CITY THAT ARE DEPENDING ON US.
YOU INVEST IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT, NOT WORRY ABOUT SOMEBODY BREAKING IN YOUR HOME.
IF YOU WANT A BETTER CITY, THEN IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT EQUITY IS ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND YOU CANNOT BE COLORBLIND WHEN THERE, WHEN THERE ARE INTENTIONAL DEFICIENCIES, SOMETHING DOESN'T ADD UP AT ALL.
YOU DON'T WANT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, THEN ELIMINATE THE DEFICIENCIES.
BUT AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE DEFICIENCIES, THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS.
SO AGAIN, I CANNOT, AND I, I CANNOT THANK SHELL ENOUGH FOR THE INVESTMENTS THAT YOU HAVE MADE IN THIS EQUITY INDICATOR STUDY BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, WE ALL NEED TO HEAR IT AND SEE IT, WHETHER WE LIKE WHAT THE SCORE SAYS OR NOT.
YOU MAY NOT LIKE 44, AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THEN YOU NEED TO IMPROVE IT.
OKAY, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER FOR GIVING US THE CALL TO ACTION, THE CHARGE TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK.
UH, THERE WAS ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HE DIDN'T ASK TO STAND UP THAT WE AS A CITY ARE INVESTING IN TO BE OUR CHAMPIONS OF EQUITY FOR THE FUTURE.
SO COULD ALL OF OUR HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH INTERNS ALSO STAND UP SO THAT YOU CAN BE RECOGNIZED? THESE, THESE STUDENTS REPRESENT THE BEST OF HOUSTON.
MAYOR TURNER HAS CHALLENGED US OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN HIS ADMINISTRATION TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS CITY FOR SUMMER EMPLOYMENT, AND TO GIVE THEM A BASELINE OF WORK EXPERIENCE THAT HELPS THEM TO ACHIEVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE LIMITED TO HIM AND TO SO MANY OTHERS.
UM, IT IS OUR WORK THAT AFFIRMATIVELY SAYS TO ALL OF OUR YOUTH, YOU HAVE A PLACE HERE IN THIS CITY AND WE WILL HELP YOU TO GROW.
SO WE DO THANK MAYOR TURNER FOR ALL THAT HE DOES.
NOW WE WILL HEAR FROM, UH, DAN POTTER, THE, UH, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AT THE KINDER INSTITUTE OF URBAN RESEARCH AT RICE UNIVERSITY.
UM, DAN HAS BEEN WORKING, UH, WITH US ON, UH, THIS EQUITY INDICATORS REPORT AND ALL OF THE WORK.
AND THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK, AND HE HAS A
[00:35:01]
PRESENTATION TO GO FURTHER INTO HOW WE GOT TO THAT SCORE OF 44%.UH, NORMALLY I'M THE ONE WHO IS PRETTY FIERY DURING MY SPEECHES, BUT I WILL NOT TRY TO MATCH THAT ENERGY.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH MAYOR TURNER FOR THAT, UH, UH, CALL TO ACTION.
AND, AND THANK YOU, SHANNON, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR RESULTS.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING AND SHOWING WITH YOUR FEET THAT THIS IS A TOPIC THAT MATTERS AND THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS A CITY NEED TO BE, UH, PAYING ATTENTION TO HERE.
AND SO, UH, AS MAYOR TURNER, UH, SAID, OUR SCORE, 44.1, UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF NUMBERS THAT GO INTO THE BACKGROUND OF IT, AND I AM GOING TO TALK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS TODAY.
DON'T NECESSARILY GET HUNG UP ON THE NUMBERS.
PLEASE KEEP HEARING THE CALL TO ACTION.
RECOGNIZE THAT THESE NUMBERS AREN'T GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO, BUT THEY MAY GIVE YOU A ROADMAP ON WHERE YOU NEED TO BE LOOKING.
AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND, UH, LET'S GET INTO THIS REPORT.
UH, SO THE REPORT IS COMPOSED OF SEVEN BROAD THEMES.
THOSE SEVEN BROAD THEMES CONTAIN 21, UH, TOPICS, UH, WITHIN THEM.
AND THEN WITHIN EACH OF THOSE TOPICS, THERE ARE THREE INDICATORS.
AND SO IF YOU PICK UP THE REPORT AND YOU THUMB THROUGH IT, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF LOOKING AT 63 TOTAL INDICATORS.
UH, THESE INDICATORS, UH, ARE OFTENTIMES COMPARING ACROSS OUR RACE AND ETHNIC GROUPS, AGAIN, QUITE THE DIVERSE CITY, UH, THAT WE HAVE HERE.
UH, AND SO, UH, IT IS ALLOWING FOR US TO LOOK AND SEE, UH, WHO HAS AND WHO HAS NOT, AND HOW DO WE CALL ATTENTION TO THAT? UM, AND THAT IS WHAT WE USE TO COME UP WITH OUR INDICATOR SCORE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
AND SO, UM, ONE THING FOR US TO KEEP IN MIND WITH THIS IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE NOT TALKING WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A DISPARITY, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY, WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EQUALITY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE GOTTA BE SURE THAT WE ARE CENTERING IN THIS CONVERSATION IS THE ISSUE OF QUALITY.
THERE'S A VERY EASY WAY TO CLOSE EQUITY GAPS, IS TO MAKE EVERYTHING AWFUL THAT GOOD.
AND SO, AGAIN, WHEN WE HAVE THIS CALL TO ACTION, WHEN WE ARE MAKING THESE EFFORTS TOWARDS WANTING TO IMPROVE EQUITY, AND WHEN WE LOOK AT INDICATORS, BY THE WAY, WE'RE GONNA SEE INDICATORS THAT WE AS A CITY CAN GO, WOW, LOOK, THERE IS, THERE IS AN ABSENCE OF DISPARITY.
THERE'S EQUITY IN THAT SPACE, IN THAT INDICATOR, PLEASE ASK YOURSELF THE QUESTION, IS THERE QUALITY? IS THERE QUALITY? SO WE HAVE HOUSTON CURRENTLY AT 44.1.
WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK, UH, WE, UH, AND THAT IS OUR OVERALL SCORE.
AND SO WE CAN BREAK THAT SCORE DOWN BY OUR SEVEN DIFFERENT THEMES.
AND THESE THEMES ARE ORDERED FROM THE THEME IN WHICH WE HAD THE HIGHEST SCORE.
AND AGAIN, A HIGHER SCORE INDICATING MORE EQUITY, MORE PARITY IN WHERE WE ARE AS A CITY, LOWER SCORES INDICATING WHERE WE'VE HAVE MORE GAPS, WHERE WE HAVE MORE DISPARITIES.
AND SO WE HAVE, UH, OUR HIGHEST SCORE WAS WITHIN INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND AGAIN, UH, THIS SHOULD CLUE US IN TO CHALLENGE OURSELVES WITH THIS QUESTION OF EQUITY AND QUALITY.
AND SO WHEN WE HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE, WE HAVE A SCORE FOR OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OF 85.3, CONNECTIVITY AND MOBILITY, UH, THINGS LIKE ACCESS TO CARS, THINGS LIKE, UH, ROADWAYS 63, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GREEN AND RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 85.
NOW, THERE'S MULTIPLE SCORES THAT ARE BEHIND THESE.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANNA KEEP IN MIND HAS TO DO WITH WHAT ARE THOSE SCORES POINTING TO? ONE OF THE SCORES THAT WE HAVE THE HIGHEST ON IS DRAINAGE.
IS, IS, IS IS OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE A 98 9 8 THAT'S PRACTICALLY PURE PARODY.
WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE 40% OF OUR CITY'S DRAINAGE IS FAILING.
IT HAS, IT HAS BELOW IS RANKED AS A FAILING IN FAILING CONDITIONS, RIGHT? AND SO DO WE LOOK AT THAT PARODY? DO WE LOOK AT THAT EQUITY AND SAY, CONGRATULATIONS, HOUSTON.
OR EVEN IN THAT SUCCESS RECOGNIZED, THERE'S ROOMS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND SO, AGAIN, WITHIN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SPACE, CHALLENGING OURSELVES TO NOT BE SATISFIED WITH THE 85, BUT LOOK BEHIND IT AND LOOK FOR WHERE WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW AND SUCCEED MORE AS A CITY.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE RISK.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS OUR MIXED BAG FOR POLLUTION.
56 DISASTER RISKS, 46.3, TEMPERATURE RESILIENCE.
WHY IS POLLUTION A 56? WELL, THAT IS BECAUSE OUR AIR QUALITY IS WORSE THAN 80% OF THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
WE ARE EXPOSED TO MORE CANCER AIR TOXINS THAN 88% OF THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING TO PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK FOR PARITY FOR EQUITY, BUT TO CHALLENGE OURSELVES TO HOLD HOUSTON, TO HOLD OURSELVES TO A HIGHER
[00:40:01]
STANDARD TO IMPROVE ALL OF OUR AIR QUALITY.YES, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THERE BEING A LEVEL OF EQUITY.
LET'S CHALLENGE OURSELVES ON THIS QUESTION OF QUALITY AS WELL.
ACCESS AND INCLUSION IS ANOTHER THEME.
AND HERE WE START TO SEE WHERE SOME OF OUR DISPARITIES SHOW THEMSELVES REPRESENTATION SCORE OF 24, SUGGESTING.
WHILE WE HAVE QUITE A DIVERSE LEADERSHIP IN AND AROUND THIS AREA, NOT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS SEE THEMSELVES IN THAT REPRESENTATION.
COMMUNITY AMENITIES, AGAIN, HERE'S WHERE OUR PARKS IN OUR GREEN SPACE IS SUCH A WONDERFUL ASSET FOR THIS AREA, BUT WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES, MAYBE I'VE GOT THAT PARK THAT'S A HALF A MILE AWAY.
I'VE BROKEN OUT INTO A GYM SWEAT, WALKING A HUNDRED YARDS ON MY CAR TODAY, THAT, THAT HALF A MILE AWAY PARK DOESN'T QUITE GIVE US THE ACCESS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT DOESN'T TELL YOU ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THAT PARK.
AGAIN, HEARING THIS STORY THIS MORNING FROM SYLVESTER, UH, MAYOR TURNER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TRANSFORMATION OF PARKS THAT CAN BE BROUGHT UPON.
AGAIN, IF THAT CHALLENGE OF HOW DO YOU NOT JUST SAY, WELL, YOU'VE GOT A GREEN SPACE, ISN'T THAT ENOUGH? IT'S A QUALITY GREEN SPACE.
IT'S A SPACE THAT'S OPENING UP OPPORTUNITIES TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, QUALITY OF LIFE ASSETS, 46.3.
UM, AND SO NOW WE'RE GONNA, THESE, THESE ARE PERHAPS THE AREAS WHERE WE CAN LOOK AROUND 'EM AND GO, OKAY, HOUSTON, UH, ASPECTS OF SUCCESS LEVELS, LEVELS AND DEGREES OF, OF EQUITY SUCCESS.
UH, WE'RE NOW GONNA TALK THROUGH SOME OF THE THEMES WHERE SOME OF OUR SCORES CAME BACK AND REALLY DO PUT US FRONT AND CENTER OF HAVING TO BOTH GRAPPLE WITH THIS QUESTION OF EQUITY.
AND THIS QUESTION OF QUALITY HOUSING IS THE FIRST ONE WE CAN LOOK AT HERE WITH HOUSING, UH, HOME OWNERSHIP AND AFFORDABILITY OF 46, HOUSING QUALITY 24.7, TALKING ABOUT HOUSING RISK.
WHERE WHERE ARE PEOPLE FINDING THEMSELVES IN, IN THE WAY OF MOTHER NATURE? UH, 53.3.
UH, THIS POINTS TO SOME OF THE LARGE GAPS IN HOME OWNERSHIP BETWEEN PEOPLE OF COLOR AND WHITE RESIDENTS HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
THIS QUESTION OF HOUSING QUALITY TALKS ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH OUR MEDIAN, UH, RENTER PROPERTY HERE IN HOUSTON IS OVER 38 YEARS OLD AT THIS POINT.
UH, WE, WE, WE HAVE CHALLENGES, UH, THAT ARE NOT THE, IN OUR HOUSING STOCK THAT ARE NOT BEING EQUALLY EXPERIENCED.
NEXT, WE HAVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
AND AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS TO ALSO KEEP IN MIND IS WE'RE LOOKING THROUGH HERE.
THESE ARE ALL INTERCONNECTED IN SOME WAYS.
AND SOME OF THESE THINGS YOU CAN THINK OF AS THE, THE CATALYST AND SOME OF THESE PERHAPS AS OUTCOMES.
AND HERE I WANNA POINT TO A CATALYST.
IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT WAYS OF TRANSFORMING THE CITY.
IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT WAYS IN WHICH INVESTING, IF I'M LOOKING AT THAT ROADMAP TOWARDS EQUITY, AND I WANNA KNOW WHERE CAN I HAVE THE BIGGEST BANG FOR MY BUCK, UH, PERHAPS HERE IS WHERE WE NEED TO START.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND WHEN SEE OUR EMPLOYMENT SCORE OF 21, WE SEE EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF 47 SCORE INCOME AND POVERTY OF 35.
THIS IS SCREENING OUT THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT LIVED EXPERIENCES HERE IN HOUSTON.
AND I'M NOT TELLING YOU ANYTHING YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW.
I'M JUST GIVING YOU A NUMBER THAT POINTS TO YOUR REALITY.
I'M JUST GIVING YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE DATA SPEAK FOR YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCES IN THIS REGARDS.
UM, WE CAN DO MORE IN THIS REGARD.
ANOTHER ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT IF I DON'T HAVE IT, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT AREN'T GONNA COME OUT OF IT, UH, THAT AREN'T GONNA COME OUTTA ME, HAS TO DO WITH HEALTH.
IF I'M NOT WELL, WHETHER THAT BE A PHYSICAL, WHETHER THAT BE A MENTAL, IF I AM NOT, WELL, I AM NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE, WE TALKED ABOUT FOOD DESERTS EARLIER TODAY.
THERE ARE HEALTHCARE DESERTS IN OUR CITY.
UH, THERE IS NOT A DOCTOR IN SIGHT.
UH, AND, AND SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR A COMMUNITY? WHAT IS THAT DOING? WHAT IS THAT SIGNALING TO THAT COMMUNITY ABOUT THE VALUE OF THEIR HEALTH? WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHILD AND MATERNAL HEALTH, THERE IS A CRISIS RIGHT NOW WHEN IT COMES TO MATERNAL HEALTH IN OUR AREA.
WE HAVE RATES OF MATERNAL MORTALITY THAT PARALLEL THAT OF A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY.
WE ARE NOT A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY.
AND YET SOMEHOW WE LOOK AROUND AND WE ARE WILLING TO TOLERATE THAT.
AND LET'S JUST BE PERFECTLY CLEAR, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT EVERY, UH, UH, EXPECTING MOTHER FACING THIS RISK.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN PARTICULAR AROUND BLACK EXPECTING MOTHERS.
THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT JUMPS OFF THE CHART.
THAT'S THE NUMBER YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT.
AND YET, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE NUMBER THAT WE JUST HUSH HUSH, BRUSH UNDER THE RUG AND MOVE ON.
WE HAVE TO CHALLENGE OURSELVES, RECOGNIZE THIS INEQUITY, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY, WE CAN LOOK AT PUBLIC SAFETY.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, ONCE AGAIN, EXPERIENCING TWO DIFFERENT HOUSTONS HERE.
UH, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT VICTIMIZATION, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ARRESTS, UH, AND THE USE OF FORCE, UH, BY LAW, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND RESPONSE TIMES, ON THE ONE HAND, YOU CAN STAND UP AND YOU CAN SHOW THAT THAT
[00:45:01]
TYPE OF RESPONSE TIME IS QUITE EQUITABLE.BUT WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT OTHER ASPECTS OF HOW WE EXPERIENCE OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES AND HOW WE FEEL SAFE, OR WE FEEL THE ABSENCE OF SAFETY, UH, OUR NUMBERS TELL US THE FACT THAT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSTONS THAT PEOPLE ARE OFTENTIMES EXPERIENCING.
AND SO WE CAN CALL OUT PARTICULAR AREAS OF CONCERN, UH, TO GET US MORE, UH, ATTUNED TO WHAT IS IT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE AREAS OF CONCERN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CERTAIN INDICATORS THAT HAVE A SCORE OF LESS THAN 20.
AND AGAIN, A SCORE CLOSER TO ONE INDICATES QUITE A LARGE EXTREME, ALMOST THE MOST INEQUALITY YOU COULD POSSIBLY THINK OF.
A SCORE OF 100 INDICATES PARODY.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SCORE OF LESS THAN 20, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SCORE, UH, WHERE YOU SEE QUITE A LOT OF INEQUALITY.
AND WE SEE THAT INEQUALITY WHEN IT COMES TO EPA PENALTIES.
WE SEE THAT INEQUALITY WHEN WE HAVE THE, THE COMMENT MADE EARLIER ABOUT THOSE, THE, THE, THE, THE BANKING DESERTS, UNBANKED, UNDERBANKED, CHECK, CASH, UH, CHECK CASHING FACILITIES, UM, UH, THE VARIOUS INTER PAYDAY LOANS, TITLE LOAN COMPANIES, IF THESE ARE YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, YOU DO NOT HAVE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
AND YET THAT'S WHAT SO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE FORCED TO RELY ON BECAUSE OF WHERE OUR BANKS ARE PUTTING THE BRICK AND MORTARS.
UH, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY WITHIN OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHETHER THAT BE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND FIRST RESPONDERS, OR H-P-D-P-H-P-D, UH, YOU HAVE DIVERSITY IN WAYS THAT WHEN YOU STAND IT UP AGAINST OTHER CITIES IS ACTUALLY QUITE IMPRESSIVE.
BUT THOSE OTHER CITIES AREN'T HOUSTON.
THOSE OTHER CITIES DON'T HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL DIVERSITY THAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND DIVERSITY IS NOT REFLECTED IN OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT LOW VALUE HOUSING STOCK.
THESE ARE HOMES THAT ARE VALUED AT LESS THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THESE ARE CONCENTRATED IN YOUR EAST HOUSTON, IN YOUR NORTHEAST HOUSTON, UH, SPACES IN WHICH, UH, ARGUABLY YOU STILL HAVE AFFORDABILITY.
BUT WHAT IS THE QUALITY OF THE HOMES THAT ARE AFFORDABLE ANYMORE? BUSINESS OWNERSHIP.
THIS IS ONE OF THE LOWEST SCORES WE SEE IN THE ENTIRE THING.
WHY IS IT THAT SMALL BUSINESSES SEEM TO BE OPEN ONLY TO CERTAIN RESIDENTS AND NOT OTHERS? THAT PROBABLY HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH YOUR ACCESS TO CAPITAL.
HOW DO WE BEGIN CONNECTING SOME OF THESE DOTS TO BOTH ELEVATE AND ADDRESS CERTAIN SHARED CHALLENGES OF OUR HOUSTON AREA MATERNAL HEALTH? I'VE ALREADY GIVEN YOU MY RANT ON THAT ONE, SO I WON'T MOVE PAST IT.
BUT JUST CALLING IT OUT ONCE MORE IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
AND NOTICE MENTAL HEALTH, WHETHER, UH, AGAIN, JUST RECOGNIZING HEALTH IN GENERAL, NEEDING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING CARE OF THINGS, ADULT FELONIES, JUVENILE MISDEMEANORS, TRAFFIC STOPS EACH OF THESE THINGS ON THIS LIST, WHILE ON THE ONE HAND WE MIGHT HAVE A MOMENT TO GO, WELL, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT THAT? BUT THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.
WHAT IS IT THAT WE AS HOUSTON CAN DO? AND WHETHER THAT'S A WE PRIVATE CITIZEN, WE, WHETHER THAT'S A WE PHILANTHROPIC WE, OR WHETHER THAT IS A WE PUBLIC, WE, THIS IS A CHALLENGE.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN BEGIN ADDRESSING THAT ARE GONNA HELP ELEVATE OUR CITY SO THAT I'M NOT HAVING TO SIT HERE AND TRY TO CONVINCE YOU THAT WE'RE ALMOST ST.
LOUIS BECAUSE WE'RE WAY BETTER THAN ST.
LOUIS, SORRY FOR ANY NATIVE ST.
UM, UH, BUT, BUT WE, WE DON'T NEED TO STAND OURSELVES UP AGAINST OTHER CITIES TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT OURSELVES.
WE CAN STAND OURSELVES UP AGAINST OURSELVES AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO US.
WHAT IS IT WE WANT OUR CITY TO BE? UM, AND SO AGAIN, OUR CHALLENGE IS AS WE ARE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT EQUITY, RECOGNIZING THAT THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF EQUALITY THAT HAS TO GO IN THAT.
BUT WHETHER YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY, WHETHER YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT EQUALITY, YOU CANNOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE QUALITY COMPONENT TO IT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU CAN ACHIEVE EQUALITY THROUGH A RACE TO THE BOTTOM.
BUT I WOULD CHALLENGE US TO BOTH CHASE QUALITY WHILE NOT LOSING SIGHT OF THE EQUITY THAT WE ARE AFTER ALONG THE WAY.
UM, AND SO, UH, THAT IS THE REPORT.
UH, I, I, I THINK IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THESE DATA POINTS ARE NOT THE END.
THEY ARE INTENDED TO BE A BASELINE WITH WHICH WE WILL BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO AND HOLD OURSELVES AS A CITY ACCOUNTABLE, HOLD OURSELVES AS AN AREA ACCOUNTABLE.
AND IT CANNOT BE EMPHASIZED ENOUGH.
THERE IS NOT A LIGHT SWITCH THAT ANY OF US ARE FLIPPING TO TURN THIS 44 INTO A 66 OR A 77.
THESE ARE DECADES, IF NOT CENTURIES LONG INEQUITIES THAT ARE BUILT INTO A STRUCTURE THAT ARE BUILT INTO A SYSTEM.
AND UNLESS YOU ARE ADDRESSING THAT STRUCTURE, AND UNLESS YOU ARE ADDRESSING THAT SYSTEM, YOU'RE NOT GONNA MOVE THESE NUMBERS.
YOU'RE GONNA PUT ALONG BAND-AIDS THAT ARE GONNA PUSH ALONG THIS PROBLEM TO THE NEXT GENERATION.
AND SO LET'S ALLOW FOR THIS 44 TO SIT WITH US.
LET'S ALLOW FOR THAT 44 TO CHALLENGE US AND LET'S ALLOW FOR IT TO MOTIVATE US TO CARRY ON TO NOT JUST THE NEXT MAYOR, BUT THE MAYOR AFTER THAT, AND THE ONE AFTER THAT.
AND THAT IS THE WAY YOU WILL HAVE SUSTAINED SYSTEMATIC CHANGES THAT WILL BRING ABOUT THE EQUITABLE HOUSTON THAT WE CAN, CAN HAVE, THAT WE CAN BE.
[00:50:06]
THANK YOU, DAN.WELL, WE CAN SEE THAT THE LEGACY OF DR.
STEVEN KLEINBERG AT KINDER INSTITUTE IS GOING TO BE WELL PROTECTED AND THERE'LL BE AN ENTHUSIASTIC AND ENERGETIC CONTINUATION OF THE WORK.
COULD YOU BRING THAT SLIDE BACK UP THOUGH, THAT SHOWED THE AREAS OF CONCERNS? PLEASE.
I DO WANT YOU ALL TO NOTE THAT EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THIS LIST, THE TURNER ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN ADDRESSING EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THIS LIST.
WE HAVE ONE CLEAN HOUSTON THAT'S, UH, HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, RESIDENTS WITHOUT BANK ACCOUNTS, THAT IS ALSO BEING ADDRESSED BY THE HOUSTON FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER PROGRAM, THE DIVERSITY IN HFD AND HPD.
WE'VE HAD MORE CADET CLASSES IN THIS ADMINISTRATION THAN ANY OTHER ADMINISTRATION, AND WE MAKE SURE WE RECRUIT A DIVERSITY OF CANDIDATES FOR THAT, THE LOW VALUE STOCK HOUSING.
UM, WE HAVE WORKED HARD TO REPAIR HOMES IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM, UM, BETTER AND GET THEM WEATHERIZED AND PREPARED FOR RESILIENCE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE MAYOR TURNER'S 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, UH, CHALLENGE.
WE'VE ALREADY MET THE CHALLENGE OF BUILDING 7,000 NEW MULTIFAMILY HOMES.
OUR OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY HAS SPENT, UM, OVER A 2 BILLION, I BELIEVE IT IS AT THIS POINT, WITH MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES.
WE'VE BEEN ADDRESSING THE HEALTH CONCERNS.
AND IN OUR COVID-19 RESPONSE, THE MAYOR SET UP THE HEALTH EQUITY RESPONSE TASK FORCE TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS COVID-19.
WITHIN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SOCIALLY VULNERABLE, THE MATERNAL MORTALITY HAS WORK THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
TRAFFIC FATALITIES, WE HAVE VISION ZERO THAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING TO, IN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF, UH, TRAFFIC FATALITIES.
BROWN TRAFFIC FATALITIES BY WHAT YEAR? MARGARET? 2030.
SO WE'RE GETTING THIS WORK DONE.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ONE SAFE HOUSTON THAT IS ADDRESSING EVERYTHING ON THAT LIST OF PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNS.
IT IS NOT THAT EQUITY IS A NEW THING TO US.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK, AND I HAVE TO HAVE RIGHT NOW, MARGARET WALLACE BROWN AND PRIYA ZACHARIA STAND STANDUP BECAUSE THEY ARE OUR PARTNERS IN DOING THIS WORK ALONGSIDE US IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
AND THEN THERE IS ALSO TASHA FRANCIS, THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS, IF SHE'LL ALSO STAND UP.
AND SHE'S ALSO BEEN DOING THIS WORK BECAUSE THESE ARE THE OFFICES, THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WITH THE LEAD PLANNERS THAT, UM, WORK ON OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
THESE ARE FRONTLINE OFFICES FOR WHERE RESIDENTS GO WHEN THEY HAVE A PROBLEM, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HELP US IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS OF CONCERN AND COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO SOLVE THEM.
SO I JUST HAD TO TAKE THAT MOMENT TO TELL YOU THAT THIS IS NOT NEW.
OKAY, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
NOW IT IS MY PLEASURE TO PLEASE, UH, INTRODUCE YOU TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO DOES NOT NEED INTRODUCTION, BUT I DO NEED YOU TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHY IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO MAYOR TURNER AND ALL OF US TO HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, BE OUR MODERATORS FOR TODAY AS HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT DFDI KNOW.
AND I SO APOLOGIZE THAT I WOO, WE, AND YOU KNOW, I SO GOOD THAT COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN SHABA HAS GONE ON TO HER AIRPLANE SO THAT SHE DID NOT GET THAT.
WE GONNA ELIMINATE THAT FROM THE TAPE.
BUT ANYWAY, DISTRICT F SHE HAS HELPED ME VITALIZE NEIGHBORHOODS AND PARTNER WITH CORPORATIONS AND NONPROFITS TO SOLVE COMMUNITY ISSUES AND HAS INSPIRED FUTURE GENERATIONS OF CIVIC LEADERS TO GET INVOLVED.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS IS A PRODUCT OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM AND A LIFELONG PUBLIC SERVANT REPRESENTING HOUSTON'S MOST DIVERSE PART OF TOWN.
SHE LIKE MAYOR TURNER, LIVES IN A COMPLETE COMMUNITY, GREW UP IN A COMPLETE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS I DID FORT BEND HOUSTON FOR ME, A LEAF FOR HER AFTER SERVING A TERM AS ALE, ISD, TRUSTEE POSITION SEVEN.
SHE WAS ELECTED TO HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL IN 2019 AS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN IN PERSON UNDER 40 TO SERVE IN THIS ROLE.
SHE PROUDLY SERVES ALE WESTCHASE, TANGLE WILD BRIAR MEADOW WESTMOUNT, AND THE HISTORIC PINEY POINT COMMUNITIES.
AS CHAIR OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS FOR THE COUNCIL FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, THOMAS OVERSEES PRIORITIES RELATED TO HOUSING, VETERAN AFFAIRS, HOMELESSNESS, AND SOLID WASTE.
SHE REMAINS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE LIVES OF HOUSTONIANS BY MAKING A LASTING IMPACT ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF ITS RESIDENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, IF YOU'LL PLEASE JOIN
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US, AS WELL AS OUR DIRECTORS FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICES.I MEAN, I'M SORRY, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
NICOLE IRVIN, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR CAROL HADDOCK AND PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR KENNETH ALLEN.
AND WHILE THEY GET THEMSELVES SEATED, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMPSON, I DID WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
UM, OUR MAJOR, UH, CHAMPION OF THIS WORK WITH ON SIDE MAYOR TURNER HAS BEEN CHIEF OF STAFF.
BARBARA HUNTER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING STAFF.
SO IT'S HARD TO COME BEHIND MAYOR TURNER.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, UM, POTTER ANN POTTER.
THAT WAS VERY TOUGH, BUT I'M GONNA SEE IF I CAN HOLD MY WEIGHT THIS MORNING.
UM, BEFORE I GET STARTED, AND, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING MY BIO.
I JUST WANNA SHARE WITH ALL OF YOU IN THIS ROOM THAT I HAVE JUST COME TO THIS WORK AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
BUT I COME TO THIS WORK AS A SCHOLAR AND A PRACTITIONER AS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AT PRAIRIE VIEW A AND M UNIVERSITY.
PRAIRIE VIEW IS THE ONLY HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE WITH THE COMM ACADEMIC COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, AND THE ONLY INSTITUTION IN TEXAS WITH THIS PROGRAM NOTED AS ONE OF THE OLDEST IN THE NATION.
SO I COME TO THIS WORK AND THIS CONVERSATION WITH THIS BEYOND PASSION, BUT EXPERTISE.
AND I WANNA SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THE DATA AND WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS, AND THIS IS A PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK OF MAYOR TURNER.
SO WHAT THE DATA SHOWS, PARTICULARLY FOR YOU AS BLACK MAYORS, THAT BLACK MAYORS IN OUR COUNTRY LEAD WITH A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT LENS.
THEY CENTER COMMUNITIES IN THEIR INVESTMENTS WITH THEIR FINANCES, RESOURCES, AND PUTTING THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPACTED THE MOST AT THE HEART OF THAT WORK.
AND IT IS EVIDENT IN MAYOR TURNER'S ADMINISTRATION.
I BELIEVE THAT ONCE GENERATIONS FROM NOW, DECADES FROM NOW, CASE STUDIES WILL BE DONE ON WHAT YOU LED, WHAT YOU ENVISIONED, WHAT YOU'VE IMPLEMENTED.
AND PEOPLE WILL SPEAK TO THE, UH, THE BENEFITS OF WHAT THEY'VE, UH, BENEFITED FROM BECAUSE OF DECISIONS THAT YOU'VE MADE.
A COUPLE OF DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE MOST RECENTLY, AND I KNOW DIRECTOR BYNUM LEFT THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING GOOD COMMUNITY AFFAIR DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, BUT PARTICULARLY TO HOUSING.
AND I KNOW WE'RE GONNA SPEAK TO SOME OTHER AREAS, UM, BUT THE 7,200 UNITS THAT WERE MENTIONED, BUT ALSO MOST RECENTLY AT THE CITY'S BUDGET, ALLOCATING AN ADDITIONAL $20 MILLION TO LOCAL DRAINAGE PROJECTS TO ADDRESS COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN DIVESTED FROM, UH, UH, WHEN A HURRICANE COMES, THEY ARE MOST IMPACTED.
UM, AND THAT WAS SO SIGNIFICANT, AND WE MAY NOT SEE THE BENEFITS OF THAT TODAY, BUT IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, PEOPLE WILL SAY THAT A HURRICANE CAME THROUGH MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND I WAS ABLE TO KEEP MY HOME.
YEAH, I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN MY PROPERTY BECAUSE OF THE DRAINAGE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S HAPPENING.
I'M SURE DIRECTOR HADDOCK WILL SPEAK TO THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE YOU AND JUST GIVE HIM APPLAUSE FOR THAT WORK.
IT IS NOT EASY TO LEAD WITH AN EQUITY LENS.
AND OFTENTIMES, UH, IN THE DOMINANT CULTURE, UH, LANGUAGE CAN BE ADOPTED, BUT THE PRINCIPLES ARE REMOVED.
AND SO, UM, EQUITY CAN BECOME A TALKING POINT AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT BECOMES HIP AND TRENDY, BUT WE FORGET THE WORK THAT IT'S REQUIRED TO DO AND MOVE FORWARD.
SO I WANNA GO AHEAD AND LET'S GET STARTED.
UM, THAT WAS MY LITTLE MONOLOGUE FOR YOU.
SO, UH, WE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, AND, AND GET READY TO THE WORK.
SO I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH, UH, SOME OF THE, THE BEST DIRECTORS IN THE CITY.
AND I, AND I'M NOT BIASED AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY ACCURATE.
MANY PEOPLE, UM, WITHIN THE MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION AND THROUGHOUT THE HALLS OF CITY HALL, WHATEVER BUILDING THEY'RE IN, THEY'RE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME AND MY FATHER AND PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE CITY HAVE ACCESS TO WHAT IS DUE TO THEM, UM, TO WHAT THEY ULTIMATELY DESERVE AT THE BASE LEVEL.
SO I'M REALLY HONORED TO, UM, MODERATE THIS CONVERSATION.
I WANNA INTRODUCE CAROL HADDOCK.
SHE'S THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, THE LARGEST AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATED ACCREDITED AGENCY IN THE NATION.
SHE LEADS NEARLY 4,200 EMPLOYEES IN TRANSFORMING THE CULTURE AND OPERATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAS AN ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET OF 2.7 BILLION IN AN ANNUAL CAPITAL BUDGET OF OVER A BILLION DOLLARS.
'CAUSE WHEN YOUR DRAINS NEED WORK, YOU GOTTA GET TO HER.
SO Y'ALL BETTER GIVE HER ALL OF THE APPLAUSE.
NEXT I WANNA INTRODUCE DIRECTOR NICOLE IRVIN.
UH, LAST YEAR SHE WAS APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR TO LEAD HIS OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
WELL, SHE SERVES AS THE CHIEF CULTURAL POLICY ADVISOR TO THE MAYOR.
[01:00:01]
SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR, SHE'S RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE CITY'S ARTS AND CULTURAL PLAN AND ADVOCATING FOR HOUSTON'S CREATIVE COMMUNITY.LET'S GO AHEAD AND ACKNOWLEDGE HER.
LAST AND DEFINITELY NOT LEAST, DIRECTOR KENNETH ALLEN.
HE WAS APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IN 2021 BY MAYOR TURNER.
AND HE COMES WITH 36 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE PARK AND RECREATION FIELD.
HAVING WORKED IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR OVER 28 YEARS WITH, WITH THE LAST 11, I DON'T HAVE MY NOTES, BUT WITH THE LAST 11, HE WAS DOING A GOOD JOB.
SO I WANNA, I WANNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
AND I TEACH INTRODUCTION, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AT PRAIRIE VIEW.
SO I'M GONNA OPEN THIS, UH, A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH THE ONE QUESTION I OFFER TO ALL OF MY STUDENTS.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO INVEST IN A NEIGHBORHOOD BEFORE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD REACHES ITS TIPPING POINT AND STARTS TO GENERATE WEALTH AND EQUITY ON ITS OWN? HOW MUCH? THAT'S NOT A QUESTION YOU'RE GONNA ANSWER TODAY 'CAUSE MY STUDENTS NEVER GET IT.
UH, THEY NEVER GET TO ANSWER THAT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I WANT YOU TO PONDER WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AREAS.
HOW MUCH IS THE COMMITMENT WE MUST MAKE TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT HOUSING BEFORE WE MAKE SURE THAT THE DRAINS ARE AVAILABLE AND, UM, THAT THEY'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER.
WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT, UH, UH, AN ECONOMY WITHOUT MAKING SURE OUR ARTISTS, OUR CREATIVE COMMUNITY HAS A SPACE IN THAT.
AND THE THINGS THAT WE BOAST ABOUT IN OUR CITY ARE SUSTAINED.
WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT, UM, INVESTING IN NEIGHBORHOODS WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT QUALITY OF LIFE AND, UM, HOW IMPORTANT OUR PARTS TO US, SO OUR PARTS ARE TO OUR CITY.
SO I WANNA OPEN WITH THAT QUESTION AND THEN TO YOU TO PONDER ON HOW MUCH DOES IT TAKE BEFORE A NEIGHBORHOOD STARTS TO RE REGENERATE ON HIS OWN.
AND THEN I WANT TO OPEN UP WITH SOME QUESTIONS AND DIRECTOR HAD IT.
YOU KNOW, IT IS KNOWN THAT HOUSTON HAS, WE'VE HAD SEVEN FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTERS.
AND SO MAYOR TURNER, NOT ONLY HAS HE BEEN TURNING THE SHIFT ON EQUITY, BUT HE'S ALSO BEEN MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN STAY IN PLACE AND THAT WE CAN, UM, REPLACE THE UNITS OF HOUSING THAT WAS LOST, THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT, UH, SIMPLE DRAINAGE PROJECTS HAPPEN, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
SO WITH YOU, YOU, WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD EQUITY, CAN YOU SPEAK DIRECTLY TO SOME OF THE DIRECTIONS YOU'VE TAKEN AS DIRECTOR IN HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS IN TERMS OF STRATEGIES AND SOME OF THE RESULTS THAT HAVE COME FROM THAT? SO, GOOD.
UM, SO, SO GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING, UM, SITTING ON THE STAGE AND CHATTING WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, EVERY DAY IN THIS JOB IS THIS.
AND WHAT I KNOW TODAY IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I KNEW FIVE YEARS AGO.
PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF HOW WE BEGIN TO EVEN JUST TALK ABOUT SOME OF, SOME OF THESE, THESE TOPICS AND, AND BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND, UH, THE LEGACY OF WHAT, UH, WE AT, AT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, WHAT WE AT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AT THE STATE, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL HAVE, UM, DONE POLICY-WISE THAT HAS RESULTED IN WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
UM, 'CAUSE OUR INVESTMENTS MATCH OUR POLICY.
AND THEY HISTORICALLY HAVE DONE THAT.
UM, SO, SO WHEN YOU ASK ON, ON, ON WHAT WE'VE DONE, UH, FIRST OFF, I, I WANT, I WANT TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT SCORE, BUT REMINDING US THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT, THAT EQUITY IN A NOT, UM, GOOD QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT THE RIGHT ANSWER.
RIGHT? OUR PURPOSE AT, AT HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS IS TOGETHER WE CREATE A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR HOUSTON TO THRIVE.
AND THAT IS, IT IS ASPIRATIONAL, BUT IT IS ALSO DELIBERATE.
UH, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE NOT YET THAT STRONG FOUNDATION.
WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR THE THINGS THAT, THAT HOUSTON HOUSTONIANS OUR COMMUNITY, DEPEND ON EVERY SINGLE DAY.
OUR WATER, OUR WASTEWATER, OUR STREETS, OUR STORM DRAINAGE, AND THE, THE PERMITTING OF THOSE STRUCTURES THAT WE LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY IN AND AROUND, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE FOR THEIR PURPOSES.
AND SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU ASK ME WHAT IT IS THAT WE'VE DONE, I, I WILL SAY THAT OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I'VE, I'VE CONTINUED TO BE CHALLENGED ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND, AND I WILL USE THE ROADSIDE DITCHES AS THE EXAMPLE.
I, IT WAS NOT TOO LONG AGO, AND UNFORTUNATELY, I'LL SAY IT WAS NOT TOO LONG AGO, IT WASN'T FIVE YEARS AGO, UH, THAT I WAS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, AND I MADE THE COMMENT, I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE HOLDING ME ACCOUNTABLE FOR THINGS THAT ARE ON THE GROUND FROM BEFORE I WAS IN THIS POSITION FROM BEFORE I WAS IN THIS CAREER, FROM BEFORE I WAS ON THIS EARTH
AND THE RESPONSE I GOT WAS, I AM.
[01:05:01]
AND THAT TOOK ME BACK A LITTLE BIT.AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS THE ROADSIDE DITCHES IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
THE ROADSIDE DITCHES ARE, ROADSIDE DITCHES IN AND OF THEMSELVES ARE NOT BAD.
THEY'RE NOT INFERIOR INFRASTRUCTURE BY THEMSELVES.
UM, THEY, THEY, IN FACT, MANY AREAS OF TOWN WE, WE EMBRACE AND LOVE, AND THEY, THEY FILTER STORM WATER.
THEY DO MANY GOOD THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WHERE ROADSIDE DITCHES AREN'T GOOD IS WHEN THEY PREVENT US FROM HAVING, UM, ADEQUATE SIDEWALKS AND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND WHEN THEY, THEY PREVENT US, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO DEEP, AND THEY PUT A BURDEN ON THE COMMUNITY FOR MAINTAINING THOSE DITCHES THAT, THAT, THAT IS NOT, YOU KNOW, I, I MOW OUT TO THE EDGE OF, WELL, ACTUALLY, I DON'T, I USED TO, I MOW OUT TO THE EDGE OF MY CURVE, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A FLAT AREA.
AND SO THOSE, THOSE ROADSIDE DITCHES ACTUALLY DO CREATE, UM, INEQUITIES IN HOW WE PUT BURDENS ON THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WHEN WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, AND MAYOR TURNER RECENTLY, UM, PUSHED BACK ON US AND SAID, WHY SHOULDN'T WE DO THESE THINGS? AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, OUR DEPARTMENT'S LIKE, WELL, WE SHOULD, BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD THE FUNDING YET.
AND SO THE QUESTION BECOMES, HOW DO WE GET CREATIVE? HOW DO WE FIND THESE DIFFERENT THINGS? AND IN THIS CASE, HE CAME TO US AND SAID, I'M WILLING TO TAKE SOME OF THE GENERAL FUND SURPLUS, RIGHT? AND YOU NEED TO MATCH IT.
AND SO WE TOOK SOME OF OUR, OUR FUNDING AND, AND AGREED TO MATCH THAT, TO DO A CATCH UP.
AND THEN TO TRANSFER THAT, THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY SUCH THAT WE ARE TAKING BACK ON SOME OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT HAD THROUGH CUP BUDGETS AND THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PULLED THOSE OFF THE TABLE, IS THAT, AND THAT WAS NOT THE RIGHT ANSWER.
AND SO WE ARE ONE STEP AT A TIME TACKLING EACH OF THOSE ISSUES AND TAKING THEM FORWARD.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, IF WE HADN'T BEEN CHALLENGED WITH THAT QUESTION, I'M NOT SURE MY DEPARTMENT WOULD'VE ON ITS OWN, STOOD UP AND DONE THAT.
AND SO MY, MY CHALLENGE IS HOW DO WE LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE THING WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR AND NOT NEED A MAYOR TURNER TO ASK ME THE QUESTION, HOW DO WE LOOK AT EACH ONE OF THOSE THINGS AND SAY, HOW DO WE FIND THESE, THESE WHERE WE HAVE INEQUITABLE OUTCOMES BECAUSE OF OUR LONG-TERM PRACTICES AND POLICIES, AND HOW DO WE WRITE THAT SHIP AND NOT NEED, I, I, I LOVE MARY TURNER, BUT NOT NEED HIM SITTING THERE TO CHALLENGE US TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND THAT'S GOOD, AND I WANNA STAY THERE, BUT I WANNA PIVOT TO, UH, DIRECTOR ALLEN, BUT I THINK THERE'S AN IMPORTANT POINT THAT DIRECTOR HAD MENTIONED.
SHE SAID THAT SHE'S STILL LEARNING.
THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT SHE, WHEN SHE GOT IN THIS POSITION, BECAUSE SHE'S TRAINED IN THIS ROLE, BUT AS THE CITY GROWS, OUR LEARNING CHANGES.
AND FOR MANY OF US IN THIS ROOM, WE DO THIS WORK, WE'RE CLOSE TO IT, WE HAVE PROXIMITY, OR THIS IS OUR INTRODUCTION TO THIS WORK.
AND I THINK WE ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP IN FRONT OF US OF OUR OWN, UM, INSTINCT, RIGHT? THAT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE INSTRUCTED TO DO THIS WORK.
WE SHOULD HAVE INSTINCT FOR THIS WORK.
THERE'S, WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING, WE SHOULD SAY SOMETHING.
WE SHOULD OFFER UP AN ALTERNATIVE TO WHAT WE'RE ALREADY SEEING.
SO I THINK YOU, YOU RAISED A GOOD POINT, AND IT'S A REMINDER FOR ALL OF US, UM, TO THAT POINT, DIRECTOR ALLEN, UH, HOW CAN COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS, AND, AND MAYOR TURNER ALLUDED TO THAT, RIGHT? IT WASN'T THAT THE CITY INVESTED IN THAT PARK.
IT'S THAT, UH, HE HAD THE INSTINCT TO KNOW THAT IF WE INVESTED IN THIS PARK ON THE NORTH SIDE, IF WE PUT IN THE RESOURCES ON THIS NORTH SIDE, IT WILL YIELD FOREVER MORE.
SO WHAT COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS HAVE YOU ENVISIONED, AND YOU ARE ENVISIONING BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LIMITED BUDGET AS WELL.
SO YOU HAVE TO, UH, MAKE BRICK WITHOUT STRAW AT TIMES.
BUT YET THERE'S SUCH A HIGH DEMAND ON THE RESOURCE THAT YOU MANAGE.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS LEADING IN THAT AREA? CERTAINLY.
THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PARKS AND EQUITY, YOU KNOW, PARKS ARE SPECIAL PLACES THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO IN TIMES OF LEISURE, IN TIMES OF RELAXATION, IN TIMES OF PEACE.
AND SO EQUITY IS ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON IN MULTIPLE AREAS.
IN TERMS OF COLLABORATION, JUST THE DIRECTORS IN THIS ROOM INTERNALLY, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS, ACCESS TO PARKS, IN TERMS OF OUR, YOU KNOW, ENTRY, SIDEWALKS, CURVES.
WE'VE WORKED ON MULTIPLE PROJECTS INTERNALLY.
YOU TALK ABOUT DIRECTOR NICOLE IRVIN, AND ART.
YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE ART DISPLAYED ACROSS THE CITY, ESPECIALLY IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT NEED IT MOST.
SO KIDS CAN ENVISION, YOU KNOW, THAT WHOLE PROCESS ABOUT ART AND CULTURE, AND MANY OTHER DIRECTORS IN THIS ROOM WE PARTNERED WITH JUST TO GET THINGS DONE AND UNDER-RESOURCED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT LIBRARIES, WHEN YOU THINK
[01:10:01]
ABOUT, ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND DUMPING, YOU THINK ABOUT SOLID WASTE.ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO WORK ON, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK INTERNALLY WITH, WITH OUR PARTNERS.
OUR MAYOR HAS CHARGED US TO ACTUALLY DO THAT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT EXTERNAL PARTNERS, I'VE CALLED EXTERNAL PARTNERS, ALL THE NONPROFITS, ALL THE CONSERVANCIES, ALL THE, YOU KNOW, PARKS, BOARDS, ALL THE ENTITIES THAT SUPPORT OUR PROFESSION.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARKS ASSOCIATION IN TERMS OF EQUITY.
IT'S ONE OF THE KEY PILLARS OF EXISTING AS A PARK SYSTEM.
SO JUST NOT THINKING ABOUT INTERNALLY, BUT EXTERNALLY, UH, WE ARE ABLE TO DO SOME AMAZING THINGS THAT IMPACT PARKS ACROSS THE CITY.
MAYOR MENTIONED OVER 350 PARKS.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN EXACT NUMBER.
383 OVER 640 MILES OF ACREAGE.
WE MAKE MAINTAIN 40,000 ACRES OF LAND THROUGHOUT THIS CITY.
NO WAY WE CAN DO WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING WITHOUT PARTNERSHIPS.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE'VE HIT, WE HAVE ACTUALLY COMPLETED 21 PARTS IN THE 10 COMPLETE COMMUNITIES OVER TIME.
WE HAVE 22, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER TWO COMPLETED THIS MONTH, MS. BUGS.
SO, BUT IT'S JUST THE COLLABORATIONS INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, WHICH EXTENDS OUR, UH, SERVICE AND OUR OPPORTUNITIES AND, AND DELIVERING EQUITY ACROSS THE CITY.
AND I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT THE, UH, A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, UM, FOR Y'ALL MAY NOT KNOW IT'S A PHENOMENAL CENTER.
UH, DIRECTOR LAWSON, IS SHE, WHERE IS SHE? SHE, I BELIEVE, OH, SHE DID.
BUT I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, YOUR COLLEAGUES AS WELL.
DIRECTOR OF RAY LAWSON WITH THE HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, UM, DIRECTOR, UH, STEVEN WILLIAMS WITH THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UH, ALL OF THEM, UM, HAPPY INSTINCT TO INVEST IN NEIGHBORHOOD AND DEDICATED, UM, DOLLARS FROM THEIR ACCOUNTS TO INVEST IN A PHENOMENAL FOOTPRINT ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN.
SO IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, DEFINITELY GET THERE.
TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS, YOU KNOW, 383 PARTS SIGNIFICANT, UM, AND PARKS ESSENTIALLY BELONG TO THE PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO WHAT'S THE CALL OF ACTION FOR INDIVIDUALS? HOW DO, HOW DO PEOPLE PARTNER WITH THE PARKS DIRECT, UH, DEPARTMENT? WHAT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY, UM, TO MAKING SURE THAT THOSE ASSETS ARE MAINTAINED IN OUR COMMUNITY? 'CAUSE THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY IN MANAGING 40,000 ACRES OF GREEN GREENSPACE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE FORUMS AND WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SPEAK TO US IN, IN TERMS OF ADVISORY COUNCILS, IN TERMS OF CIVIC CLUBS, SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, SURVEYS THAT WE SEND OUT.
UM, WE LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE NONPROFIT ARM IS A MAJOR PART OF THAT IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO, UM, WHETHER IT'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO LISTEN TO COMMUNITIES, UH, WHETHER IT'S CITY COUNCIL, WHETHER IT'S A SURVEY, WHETHER IT'S A NONPROFIT GROUP, UM, WE ENTER, WE ENTERTAIN AND ENCOURAGE MEETINGS SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS EACH AREA SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH JUST IN A LEAVE ALONE.
UM, A GREAT FACILITY, UH, A, A, A CULTURAL MO, A MELTING POT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE SOME SPECIFIC NEW, UNIQUE CHALLENGES AS YOU OPERATE A FACILITY OF THAT MAGNITUDE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT NEED IT MOST? WELL, WE HAVE SEVERAL.
UM, I WOULD, I WOULD CALL 'EM CHALLENGES THAT, THAT THE COMMUNITY IS BRINGING TO US.
SO WE SIT DOWN, WE LISTEN TO THOSE CHALLENGES, AND WE WORK TOGETHER, UM, TO, TO MAKE THINGS, UH, BETTER.
UM, SO, UM, WE HAVE STUDIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE DONE, UH, WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HIGHLIGHT, UM, EQUITY SCORES, UM, OTHER BALANCES IN TERMS OF PARK LAND.
UH, THAT'S ANOTHER WAY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO JUST TAKE THIS INFORMATION, PROCESS IT, AND DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS THE SHORTCOMINGS, ESPECIALLY ON NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS.
AND WE NEED A LOT OF HANDS ON DECK FOR THAT.
AND I WOULD JUST OFFER THAT BRENDA PARKS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
SO, ALTHOUGH YOU MAY BE IN THIS WORK AND YOU HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD PARK IN YOUR COMMUNITY, AND YOU'RE PROBABLY ALWAYS ASKING, UH, SOMEONE SHOULD, UH, BE PICKING UP THAT TRASH.
THEY NEED TO, UH, BUY A NEW SIGN FOR THAT PARK.
THEY NEED TO ADD NEW LIGHTING.
AND SO, UH, THAT PERSON IS YOU, UH, THAT PERSON IS YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBOR, AND THE OTHER PERSON THAT IS CALLING TO COMPLAIN.
AND THERE'S A WONDERFUL WAY TO FUNNEL THAT ENERGY AND EFFORT TO SUPPLEMENT THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING AT THE DEPARTMENT
[01:15:01]
LEVEL, UM, IS TO ADVOCATE AND HAVING FRIENDS OF PARKS.THERE IS NO BETTER INVESTMENT IN MAKING SURE AND TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THE ASSET THAT GIVES BACK TO YOU.
AND ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN PARKS WAS SUCH A HUGE RESOURCE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND FOR GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE AND JUST, YOU KNOW, CALMING OURSELVES DOWN.
AND WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE HIGH ACTIVITIES.
SO I WANT TO ENCOURAGE, UH, ALL OF YOU AND OUR INTERNS THAT ARE IN THE ROOM THAT YOU, YOU TWO CAN TAKE ROLE IN YOUR ACTIVE COMMUNITY BY, UH, PARTICIPATING, UH, FRIENDS OF PARKS.
I WANNA PIVOT TO DIRECTOR URBAN, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES HOUSTON IS KNOWN AS HAVING ONE OF THE BEST CULTURAL CITIES.
WE HAVE MORE SEATS IN, YOU KNOW, THEATER SEATS THAN NEW YORK.
UH, WE ARE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT OUR MUSEUMS AND THE PLAYS, BUT THERE IS AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS AND AN ENTIRE CREATIVE COMMUNITY THAT OFTEN DOESN'T GET THE SAME ATTENTION.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW, IN YOUR RECENT ROLE AS DIRECTOR, HOW YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO UNDERSCORE AND REALLY AMPLIFY A LOT OF THESE ARTISTS INTO THE WORK OF THE CITY? SURE.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU DIRECTOR ABOVE, UH, FOR INCLUDING ME IN THIS PANEL.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, SO I'M SITTING HERE NEXT TO DIRECTOR HADDOCK.
SHE TALKED ABOUT THE BILLIONS IN INVESTMENT AND THAT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE THINK ABOUT ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND THEN ON MY OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE, UH, DIRECTOR ALLEN AND HIS 40,000 ACRES, ACRES OF LAND.
UM, AND SO SOMEONE MIGHT SAY, AND THE ARTS, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? WHAT'S HAPPENING? WELL, I SAY YES AND THE ARTS.
AND THE ARTS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CREATIVE ECONOMY, IT IS AN ECONOMY.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOUSTON, WE TALK ABOUT THE ARTS.
RIGHT? MAYOR TURNER TALKS ABOUT, IT'S A PART OF OUR DNA, RIGHT? WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR CHILDREN, FOR YOUTH, UM, THE ARTS ARE A SPARK.
THEY ARE AN ENTRY POINT, RIGHT? WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ARTS AND EDUCATION, IT HELPS US, IT HELPS OUR STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE, TO ADVANCE.
UM, WHEN STUDENTS CAN GO TO A FIELD TRIP, THEY SEE BEYOND THEMSELVES, RIGHT? THEY SEE POSSIBILITIES.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ARTS, WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE SEE IN SPACES.
WE MIGHT SEE A STATUTE THAT LOOKS LIKE US.
WE MIGHT SEE SOMETHING THAT TALKS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF OUR SPACE IN PLACE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ARTS, WE TALK ABOUT PEOPLE, WE TALK ABOUT CREATIVES, UM, THAT DO WORK ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND SO OFTEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ARTISTS AND CREATIVES, WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY PROVIDE FOR US.
WE TALK ABOUT THEIR PRODUCT, RIGHT? THAT WE'VE SEEN THIS BEAUTIFUL PAINTING, OR WE WENT TO THIS AMAZING PLAY.
UM, BUT THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PRACTICING THEIR PROFESSION.
AND THAT PROFESSION IS A SKILLSET THAT THEY HAVE, UM, INFORMED THEMSELVES IN, AND THAT THEY ARE CREATING NOT JUST FOR THEMSELVES, BUT FOR US, AND INTO OUR AUTONOMY, RIGHT? SO THAT'S THAT PAINTER, THAT'S THAT ART TEACHER, THAT'S THAT MUSICIAN.
UM, I COULD GO ON AND ON, SO STOP THERE.
UM, AND I, I REALLY WANTED TO LIFT UP, UM, SOMETHING THAT DIRECTOR HADDOCK SAID, RIGHT? SO THE MAYOR HELD HER ACCOUNTABLE FOR THINGS THAT HAD HAVE BEEN HAPPENING GENERATIONALLY.
AND SO WHEN I CAME INTO THIS SPACE, THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IS NEW.
WE HAD A ARTS AND CULTURE PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED IN 2015, THE VERY END.
AND WHEN MAYOR TURNER CAME INTO OFFICE, HE SAID, WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THIS PLAN.
AND THAT PLAN HAD 27, UM, AREAS THAT COMMUNITY SAID WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.
AND ONE OF THEM WAS THAT WE WANT A FAIR AND EQUITABLE SYSTEM IN WHICH OUR GRANTS ARE DISTRIBUTED.
AND SO WE GOT TO WORK IN DOING THAT BECAUSE WE SAID, WE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT WHAT THE OUTCOMES ARE.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SYSTEM, RIGHT? WE SAW THAT, UM, WHEN WE LOOKED ACROSS ZIP CODES, ACTIVITIES, ACTIVATIONS, UM, ART, WE'RE IN FEW ZIP CODES, BUT IT DID NOT COVER THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC DOLLARS, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE ARE USING THOSE DOLLARS FOR ALL RESIDENTS? AND SO WE CHANGED THE SYSTEM UP.
THAT CHANGE BROUGHT ABOUT A, A LITTLE BIT
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OF CHANGE IN REALITY SO THAT NEIGHBORHOODS ACTUALLY STARTED SEEING THINGS HAPPENING IN THEIR COMMUNITY THAT WAS FUNDED BY THE CITY.BUT THAT CHANGE IN SYSTEM WAS A STEP, RIGHT? IT WAS A STEP THAT MOVES US ALONG THIS JOURNEY.
YESTERDAY, I HEARD SOMEONE TALK ABOUT BEING IN A TUG OF WAR, AND THAT, AND IT, IT, IT HIT ME REALLY VISCERALLY BECAUSE WE CAN ALL BE PULLING TOWARD EQUITY, BUT IF WE'RE NOT PULLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION, WE ARE NOT GOING TO WIN.
AND DATA HELPS US TO KNOW THE DIRECTION THAT WE NEED TO PULL IN, AND IT HELPS US TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE IN THE FRONT AT THE, THE TUG OF WAR, OR WE ARE IN THE BACK, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND I SAY FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE ECOSYSTEM, WE'RE STILL IN THE FRONT.
THERE IS A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN OUR SYSTEM, WHAT WE ARE SEEING.
SO YOU'LL SEE IN THE ACCESS AND INCLUSION SECTION, UM, RX IS THERE, AND OUR NUMBER IS EXTREMELY HIGH.
RIGHT? AND IT DOESN'T SPEAK TO QUALITY.
UM, BUT THAT NUMBER IS HIGH BECAUSE WE BEGAN LOOKING AT DATA OF WHERE PUBLIC DOLLARS WERE GOING IN ZIP CODES, AND WE CHANGED THE SYSTEM.
AND SO WE NOW HAVE MORE PUBLIC DOLLARS THAT ARE GOING INTO MORE ZIP CODES.
BUT THAT, AGAIN, IS AN INITIAL STEP, AND I APPRECIATE YOU SPEAKING TO THAT.
AND I, TO ME, I CONSIDER THAT INSTINCT TO BE ABLE TO LIFT THAT INFORMATION FROM THE DATA AND TAKE THAT REPORT AND SAY, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO REDESIGN A, A NEW SYSTEM.
AND I THINK PARTICULARLY IN WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, AND I REPRESENT AND LIVE IN A EAF, AND MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE CREATIVE GENIUSES DON'T EVEN CONSIDER THEMSELVES AN ARTIST.
SO WHEN WE PUT OUT THOSE CALLS AND THOSE RFPS FOR THEM TO APPLY, THEY DON'T EVEN SEE THEMSELVES, UH, BEING A PART OF OUR CREATIVE ECONOMY.
AND I THINK THERE'S MORE WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO WITH INDIVIDUALS SEEING THEMSELVES IN THAT VISION, SEEING THEMSELVES AS A PARTNER IN OUR CREATIVE ECONOMY.
AND WHAT A GREAT EXAMPLE, AGAIN, OUR POINT TO THE AV COMMUNITY CENTER, AND YOU CAN ALSO POINT TO THE HALLWAY WHERE YOU SEE IMAGES OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE, UH, WALKED THIS COMMUNITY, SPENT TIME IN THE CENTER.
THEY HAVE STORIES, THEY HAVE CONNECTION, THERE'S HERITAGE HERE.
ALL OF THAT IS FROM OUR CREATIVE ECONOMY.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING SURE THAT, UH, PEOPLE CAN FULLY PARTICIPATE AND FEEL SEEN IN THE WORK, IN THE DOLLARS THAT WE, THAT WE DO.
I DO KNOW THAT I AM LIMITED ON TIME.
AND SO I WANNA OFFER THIS QUESTION TO ALL THREE.
UM, SO YOU CAN SHARE WITH ALL OF US YOUR PLANS.
AND HOPEFULLY THIS IS, AGAIN, A REMINDER TO MANY OF YOU THAT ARE A, A PART OF THIS WORK.
AND I DO WANNA SHOUT OUT, SHELL, AGAIN, FOR UNDERWRITING THIS.
UM, IT'S NOT EASY TO, UM, DO HARD THINGS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING YOUR BRAND NEXT TO THE CITY AND ALSO AROUND THIS WORK IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
SO I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AS WELL.
SO, IN, IN A FINAL REMARKS FOR EACH OF YOU, IN WHAT WAYS CAN THE STUDY CONTRIBUTE TO ONGOING CONVERSATIONS AND INITIATIVES? LIKE, AS WE LOOK FORWARD, HOW CAN WE GET REAL FOCUSED ON THIS AND MOVING FROM JUST HAVING A CONVERSATION FOR BUILDING AN INFRASTRUCTURE AND HAVING LONG TERM IMPACT? SO I'LL JUMP IN AND START.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE HAVE USED OVER THE LAST DECADE, A LITTLE MORE THAN A DECADE ON, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE ON OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN WAS CITYWIDE DATA ON THE CONDITION AND THE CAPACITY OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, AND THE DATA WAS, WAS AS GOOD AS THE DATA WAS.
UM, BUT IT WAS NOT THE COMPLETE PICTURE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS DATA ON EQUITY.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT THERE YET, THAT WE STARTED, BUT THAT, THAT, BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE DATA THAN THERE WAS.
AND SO WE NEED TO COMMIT TO, UM, REVIEWING HOW WE CREATE THAT, THAT THAT DATA DRIVEN, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE INVESTING TO INCLUDE THIS DATA FROM THE EQUITY, UH, FROM FROM THE EQUITY STUDY, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCLUDING THAT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING.
AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I WANT TO TIE THIS TO, UM, AND, AND MAYOR TURNER, YOU DID THIS TO OUT, YOU TOOK US TO OUTCOME BASED BUDGETING.
WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT OUTCOMES BASED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING.
WHAT IS THE OUTCOME THAT WE'RE SEEKING, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT IS THE INPUT THAT'S DRIVING US? AND WHEN WE START LOOKING AT THOSE OUTCOMES, THIS, THIS EQUITY DATA IS GOING TO CLEARLY DEFINE A PATH FOR US OF WHERE WE SHOULD BE INVESTING THESE LARGE CAPITAL DOLLARS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT EQUITY AND THE NEEDS ACROSS THE CITY, YOU KNOW, THIS STUDY ALONG WITH OTHERS ARE WHERE WE CAN COLLECT THIS DATA AND ACT ON IT.
[01:25:01]
REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT OUR TREE CANOPY ACROSS THE CITY.YOU KNOW, THERE'S TOOLS THAT WE CAN USE IN GSI MAPPING THAT WILL GIVE US A, A COMPLETE PICTURE ON WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, AFFLUENT COMMUNITIES, LESS FEW AFFLUENT COMMUNITIES, AND THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, LIKE WITH OUR PARTNERS.
YOU KNOW, APACHE, UH, EVERY YEAR WE HAVE AN ARBOR DAY, AND GUESS WHAT? THEY'RE PUTTING DOWN THOUSANDS OF TREES IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
UH, I BELIEVE IT'S OVER 25,000 TREES IN, IN HOUSTON, OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
WELL, ACTUALLY IT'S OVER 4 MILLION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY THAT THEY'VE, UH, UM, PUT AN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK JUST USING THE DATA, CONTINUAL, CONTINUAL, CONTINUAL TO PARTNER, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL, UM, AND USING RESEARCH, UH, TO HELP US DETERMINE WHERE WE SHOULD GO AND, UM, HOW WE GET THERE, UH, BECOMES A DAY TO DAY PROCESS, UH, FROM AN EQUITY STANDPOINT, UH, MEETING WITH PARTNERS AND THE COMMUNITY, UM, TAPPING IN THE RESOURCES BEYOND OUR BUDGET.
UM, THANK YOU, SHELL, ONCE AGAIN.
UM, YOU'RE AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHER COMPANIES TO FOLLOW, YOU KNOW, AND THEN OUR ADOPTION PROCESS, UH, IN TERMS OF TREES, ESPLANADES AND PARKS, AND THAT COMMUNITY INPUT, UM, AS A, AS A TACTICAL TOOL TO REACH BEYOND WHAT WE CAN WITH OUR CURRENT RESOURCES.
YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEERISM IS PARAMOUNT ACROSS OUR INDUSTRY.
SO, UH, FORMS LIKE THIS, UM, AND A PUBLIC, UH, CAMPAIGN ON WHERE WE NEED THIS HELP TO ADDRESS EQUITY AND OTHER ISSUES.
THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE, THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY PEOPLE DON'T GET INVOLVED IS BECAUSE YOU DON'T ASK THEM, RIGHT? SO, UM, BASED ON THIS FORM, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM AND ANYBODY LISTENING, UH, INVEST IN OUR CITY IN UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS WHILE VOLUNTEERING, ADOPTING A PART, UM, GIVING US INPUT.
UM, SO THOSE ARE, UH, SIMPLE WAYS TO ADDRESS.
UM, I'M GONNA ENCOURAGE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM, FOLKS LISTENING, UM, AND ALL RESIDENTS TO DEMAND SERVICES.
ASK US, WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THIS SPACE? HOW ARE WE USING OUR PUBLIC DOLLARS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IN YOUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO WE ARE GATHERING DATA.
WE ARE, WE HAVE PLANS, WE HAVE REPORTS.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T SIT ON THE SHELF, BUT THEY ARE PART OF OUR DAILY STRATEGY AND OUR OPERATIONS? UM, WE MADE A COMMITMENT AROUND CIVIC ART.
SO THE ART THAT YOU SEE IN PUBLIC SPACES, UM, WE LOOKED AT WHAT WAS IN THE CITY'S COLLECTION.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON OWNS OVER 800 WORKS OF ART.
YOU SEE IT IN OUR AIRPORTS, YOU SEE IT AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND OUR LIBRARIES AND OUR PARKS ALL OVER THE CITY.
UM, WE LOOKED AT, WE, WE SAID, WE WANNA LOOK AND SEE WHO'S IN OUR COLLECTION, WHAT ARTISTS ARE THERE, WHAT MEDIUMS ARE THERE, AND WHAT STORIES ARE BEING TOLD.
AND WE SAID, WE'RE GONNA COMMIT TO LOOKING AT THIS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO AS WE MAKE CHANGES IN OUR PROCESS, WE WANT FOLKS TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE SO THAT THE COLLECTION BEGINS TO LOOK MORE LIKE HOUSTON.
UM, IN TERMS OF, UH, ONE CRITICAL, UH, STRATEGY, UH, THAT WAS PASSED BY ORDINANCE, OUR NATURE PRESERVE ORDINANCE, 26 PARTS, 7,000 ACRES OF LAND PROTECTED FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
UM, PRESERVING, UH, WHAT WE HAVE, UH, ALONG WITH ENHANCING IT, UM, THAT NATURE PRESERVE ORDINANCE WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT GENERATIONS TO COME.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND GIVE OUR PANELISTS ROUNDING APPLAUSE.
SO I HEARD THREE THINGS IN CONCLUSION, WHICH IS A CALL TO ACTION, AND HOPEFULLY, UH, JUST REMINDERS.
'CAUSE ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM, WE'RE DOING THIS WORK AND WE'RE DEEPLY COMMITTED, UM, TO HAVING, UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT WE ALL DESERVE.
NUMBER ONE, UH, WE NEED TO LEAD WITH DATA INFORMED, UM, OUTCOMES, RIGHT? HOW WE DO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, HOW WE, UM, INVEST IN HOUSING, HOW WE, UM, EVEN CRAFT ORDINANCES, RIGHT? IT'S LED WITH, UH, DATA AND INFORMATION AROUND EQUITY.
UH, NUMBER TWO, DEMANDED, UM, AS HOUSTONIANS, UH, WE, UM, WE LIVE HERE, WE WORK HERE, WE'RE RAISING OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN HERE, AND WE DESERVE TO HAVE SAFE STREETS.
WE DESERVE TO SEND OUR KIDS TO THE PARK AND PLAY AND KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA COME HOME SAFELY WHEN THE LIGHTS COME ON.
UH, WE DESERVE TO KNOW THAT WHEN IT RAINS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO EVACUATE OUR HOME.
UH, WE DESERVE TO HAVE ALL OF THOSE THINGS WHEN WE
[01:30:01]
GET UP IN AGE.AND WE MAY NEED ASSISTANCE WITH WALKING.
WE CAN WALK DOWN THE SIDEWALK BECAUSE WE HAVE A DA COMPLIANT RANKS, VERY SIMPLE THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO START DEMANDING IT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S WHAT YOU DESERVE.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, UM, I THINK YOU SAID EVERYTHING RIGHT? DID I SAY EVERYTHING?
AND SO THE OTHER PIECE WITH THAT IS THAT THIS WORK IS NOT DONE.
UM, THE CONVERSATION AND THE DATA THAT WAS SHARED WITH US TODAY PROVES TO US THAT, UM, NO MATTER IF YOU ARE ELECTED, UM, AN APPOINTED PUBLIC OFFICIAL, THE MAYOR OF THE CITY, A COURT RESPONSE SPONSOR, WE ALL HAVE WORK AND A RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A SERIES OF NOT JUST CONVERSATIONS, BUT ACTIONS.
AND AGAIN, THE NEXT 10, 20 YEARS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO POINT TO, UH, THE GENESIS OF THIS WORK AND HOW OUR CITY HAS TRANSFORMED.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO MODERATE, AND I'LL BRING BACK UP, UH, OUR HOSTESS WITH THE MOSES DIRECTOR SHANNON BUZZ.
UH, NOW THE MOMENT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR, WE'RE GONNA GET TO THE RELEASE OF THE REPORT, AND THAT IS ON A QR CODE.
WE ARE BEING EFFICIENT WITH THE CITY'S RESOURCES, MICHELLE'S DOLLARS AS WELL.
YOU CAN, UH, SEE THE OVERVIEW OF THE REPORT AT THAT SITE.
YOU CAN ALSO, UH, GET THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND THE FULL REPORT.
WE WILL ALSO, UM, IT IS VERY EASY TO FIND@HOUSTONTX.GOV SLASH ONE COMPLETE HOUSTON AS WELL.
UM, THANK YOU TO MEMBER THOMAS.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE CALLS TO ACTION FOR DOING THE WORK.
THANK YOU FOR THE HONESTY OF OUR DIRECTORS HADDOCK, ALLEN, AND IRVIN, FOR TELLING THE TRUTH OF HOW HARD THIS WORK IS TO DO ON A DAILY BASIS.
ARTURO MICHELLE, OUR CITY ATTORNEY, HAS JOINED US AND HE MAKES EVERYTHING LEGAL THAT WE GOTTA GET DONE TO MAKE THIS EQUITABLE WORK HAPPEN, BECAUSE WE ARE PUSHING BACK AGAINST THOSE GENERATIONS OF POLICIES THAT BUILT THESE INEQUITIES INTO OUR CITY.
AND IT TAKES EXCELLENT LEGAL MINDS, BRILLIANT MANAGEMENT, VISIONARY LEADERSHIP, TO DO THE WORK, TO DO THIS WORK.
I KEEP GETTING, UM, OVERWHELMED BY THIS MOMENT, RIGHT? I'M SO PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS ADMINISTRATION, AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES ARE TOO.
WE ARE PROUD TO BE DOING THIS WORK, AND WE THANK SHELL SO MUCH FOR INVESTING IN THIS ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT IT IS DOING TO ADVANCE OUR CITY.
IT'S NOT EASY AS A CORPORATION IN THE ENVIRONMENT WE'RE IN TO SAY, YES, THIS IS STILL IMPORTANT AND IT WILL REMAIN IMPORTANT TO US.
WE THANK ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE COME TODAY.
UM, IT WAS SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR LEADERS TO BE HERE AS WELL, OUR STUDENTS, BECAUSE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO LEARN AT THE START OF THEIR CAREERS ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF DOING THIS WORK.
AND NOW WE'RE GONNA HEAR AGAIN FROM MAYOR TURNER.
LET ME, UH, AGAIN, AS WE, AS WE PREPARE TO CLOSE, I WANT TO THANK, UM, UH, SHANNON BUGS FOR HER, FOR HER LEADERSHIP AND, UH, COMPLETE COMMUNITY.
AND SO THANK YOU, SHANNON, TO HER TEAM.
UM, I WANT, AGAIN, PERSONALLY, THANK ALL OF THE DIRECTORS, UH, WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED, UH, UH, THOSE WHO ARE HERE, THOSE WHO ARE NOT HERE.
UH, BUT THE WORK DOESN'T GET DONE WITHOUT THE DIRECTORS.
SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH, UH, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU, THAT YOU ALL DO TO THE COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO ARE HERE.
SANDRA HINES, THE MAYOR OF SUNNYSIDE.
UH, PLEASE GIVE IT UP TO SANDRA HINES.
LET ME, LET ME PERSONALLY THANK YOU AND ALL OF THE, UH, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN SUNNYSIDE AND IN ALL OF, UM, THESE COMPLETE COMMUNITIES, QUITE FRANKLY, THE CITY AS A WHOLE, UM, BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT THEM, UH, TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, I DO WANT TO REALLY EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR PARTNERS, UH, WITHOUT, UH, UH, THE COLLABORATION.
A LOT OF THIS WORK SIMPLY WOULD NOT GET DONE AT THE LEVEL IN WHICH IT HAS TAKEN PLACE, AND THAT NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO TAKE PLACE.
SO, AGAIN, A HEARTFELT THANKS.
UH, WE DIDN'T MENTION, UH, SHELL WITH RESPECT TO OUR, UH, BACK TO SCHOOL INITIATIVE.
[01:35:01]
YES.BUT SHELL HAS BEEN A, A STRONG CRITICAL PARTNER FOR OUR BACK TO SCHOOL, 25,000 KIDS, UH, IN OUR CITY THAT ARE SERVICED BY OUR BACK TO SCHOOL PROGRAM.
SO I CERTAINLY WANTED TO UN HIGHLIGHT THAT ON NAIROBI, WHO, UH, WAS WITH, UH, BLOOMBERG, UM, WHO IS NOW A CONSULTANT AND IS, UH, BEEN INSTRUMENTAL WITH OUR MY BROTHER'S KEEPER PROGRAM.
AND THEN OF THE HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PART OF OUR EQUITY MATRIX.
UM, WHEN WE STARTED SOME EIGHT YEARS AGO, 450 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN OUR HIGHER HOUSTON PROGRAM.
UH, NOW, UH, THIS SUMMER AS WE CURRENTLY SPEAK, UH, THAT PROGRAM HAS GROWN FROM FOUR 50 TO 20,000, UH, HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH PAID SUMMER JOBS.
NOW LET ME EMPHASIZE, ONLY 450 OF THOSE JOBS ARE BEING PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
THE OTHER 19,500 ARE THROUGH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, OVER 500 BUSINESSES THAT ARE NOW PARTNERING WITH US.
SO ANY OF OUR HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH, IF YOU AFFILIATE, IF YOU ARE PART OF IT, JUST STAND UP.
SO I CAN SEE IF YOU ARE HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH, JUST STAND WHERE YOU ARE.
'CAUSE I WANT YOU TO LOOK AROUND AND SEE THE DIVERSITY OF THOSE WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN OUR HIGHER HOUSTON YOUTH PROGRAM.
UH, THEY ARE A REFLECTION, THEIR REFLECTION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, THESE ARE OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST.
UH, THESE STUDENTS, UH, REPRESENT NOT ONLY OUR OUR FUTURE, BUT THEY ARE OUR TODAY.
AND SO, UH, UH, I DO WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, THOSE PERSONS THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN.
THEY ARE OUR KIDS, AND THEY LIVE IN OUR CITY.
UH, AND THEY'RE PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM THAT ARE BENEFITING US TODAY.
AND YOU ARE LOOKING AT FUTURE LEADERS, UH, IN SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS.
SO I PERSONALLY WANT TO THANK THEM, APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT.
AND AGAIN, UM, EQUITY IS NOT JUST ON A PIECE OF PAPER, BUT IT LIVES IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF ALL OF THESE, OF ALL THESE STUDENTS.
AND THEN LASTLY, I WANT TO THANK MY CHIEF OF STAFF, MARETTE HUNTER.
BEEN A DRIVING FORCE IN ALL OF THIS.
ALL RIGHT? UM, NOW I, YOU KNOW, I'M IN MY LAST SIX MONTHS.
I COULD STAY AS LONG AS I WANNA STAY.
UM, BECAUSE LARRY, AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, FOR SEVEN PLUS YEARS, YOU KNOW, YOU RUSH, YOU RUSH, YOU FINISH ONE THING, AND THEN YOU GO TO THE NEXT ONE, STORM GO.
YOU GET READY FOR THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, SO YOU GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO.
WELL, I'M AT THE POINT IN MY LIFE WHERE YOU JUST KIND OF NEED TO PAUSE AND TAKE IT ALL IN AND APPRECIATE THE MOMENTS.
SO, UM, UM, SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, UM, FRAZIER AGAIN, THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, SO VERY, VERY MUCH, YOU KNOW, APPRECIATE YOU ALL OF OUR, UH, BANKER FRIENDS AND CORPORATE FRIENDS, UH, YOU NAME IT.
UH, MEDIA FRIENDS, UH, STYLE MAGAZINE, FRANCIS PAGE, ALL OF YOU.
NOW, HAVING SAID THAT, HAVE I LEFT OUT ANYTHING? NO, SIR.
OH, YOU'RE TRYING TO GET ME OFF THIS STAGE? THAT'S WHAT
YOU WANNA STAY HERE UNTIL FIVE MINUTES?
AGAIN, THANK, THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH, UH, TO THE KENNEDY INSTITUTE.
UH, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE WORK Y'ALL CONTINUE TO DO.
HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, UH, ENJOY.
AND, UM, WE'LL SEE YOU AS WE MOVE FORWARD.