* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [City Pulse] [00:00:18] WELCOME TO CITY PULSE. I'M TRAVIS LEMONS, YOUR HOST. THE THEME OF THIS WEEK'S EPISODE IS THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. NOW, HAPPINESS COMES IN MANY FORMS AND SHAPES. IT CAN BE WEALTH, IT CAN BE COMFORT, IT CAN BE A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD. UNDER MAYOR TURNER'S LEADERSHIP, HE HAS PUSH FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ALL WHO SEEK IT. HTV SHAVON HARDIN OFFERS AN UPDATE TO THE CHALLENGES THE CITY'S HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAS ENCOUNTERED IN TRYING TO FULFILL MAYOR TURNER'S VISION. WHEN MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER TOOK OFFICE, HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WANTED HOME OWNERSHIP ATTAINABLE FOR ALL, REGARDLESS OF INCOME LEVEL. I TOLD MY TEAM AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A PRIORITY. IN MY FINAL YEAR, THE PLAN IS TO BUILD AND OR DESIGN ON 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, BUT 7,000 APARTMENT UNITS, AN AGGRESSIVE PLAN THAT IS COMING TO FRUITION, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENT IN, IN MANY WAYS FOR A, FOR OWNING A HOME IS LESS THAN RENTING ONE. SO WHERE IS MAYOR TURNER IN TERMS OF THIS VISION? AS IT STANDS NOW, TURNER'S ADMINISTRATION IS APPROACHING THE MIDWAY POINT WITH BUILDING 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. ACCORDING TO KEITH BYNUM, THE DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, THE PANDEMIC SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND HIGH INTEREST RATES SLOWED DOWN SINGLE FAMILY HOMES FROM BEING BUILT. HOWEVER, PLANS ARE IN PLACE TO HELP COMPENSATE FOR THOSE CHALLENGES. SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE HELP THE DEVELOPER AND THE BUILDER TO HELP BRING THE COST OF THE HOUSE DOWN. AND THEN FOR THOSE, UH, POTENTIAL BUYERS, WE HELP WITH THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE TO HELP EVEN BRING THE MORTGAGE, UH, DOWN. AS FOR THE 7,000 MULTIFAMILY UNITS, WE EXCEEDED EIGHT, 8,000. WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO, UH, APPROACHING 10,000 UNITS. BOTH ARE EXPECTED TO FINISH BY 2024. HOWEVER, BASED ON THESE, ON THE PROGRAMS THAT MAYOR TURNER PUT IN PLACE AND THE COMMITMENTS THAT WE'VE ALREADY MADE, AND THOSE COMMITMENTS ARE ALREADY BEEN SOLIDIFIED, THAT IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIMING FOR THOSE CONTRACTORS TO GET THOSE PRO GET THOSE HOUSES BUILT. GOOD NEWS, INDEED, ONE THAT TURNER SAYS WILL BE INSTRUMENTAL FOR ALL WHO SEEK TO HAVE THE AMERICAN DREAM. ONE OF HOUSTON'S BEST QUALITIES IS ITS DIVERSITY, BUT WITH DIVERSITY COMES CHALLENGES. CHALLENGES SUCH AS ENSURING EVERYONE HAS AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO CALL HOME. AND WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ONE SIZE FITS ALL. UH, THAT IS WHY WE HAVE VOWED TO INCREASE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING INVENTORY IN OUR CITY. FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, I'M SIOBHAN HERNDON. AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS JUST ONE OF THE WAYS MAYOR TURNER IS HELPING LOW INCOME FAMILIES FIND HAPPINESS. ANOTHER WAY HE'S HELPING IS IN IMPROVING THE PARKS WHERE CHILDREN CAN PLAY AND COMMUNITIES CAN BE ENGAGED. RECENTLY, FOREST WEST PARK EMBARKED ON A NEW CHAPTER AS PART OF THE 50 50 PARK PARTNERS INITIATIVE. THIS IS A LONG AWAITED OCCASION TO CELEBRATE THE REVITALIZATION OF THE FOREST WEST PARK. THIS INITIATIVE WAS FOUNDED ON THREE GOALS, EQUITY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE IMPACT, WHERE RIBBON CUTTING ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT TOOK PLACE HERE OVER MONTHS. THIS COMMUNITY IS A HIGH USER OF THIS PARK FROM ADULTS TO YOUTH. THEY FAVOR THIS PARK, AND THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HERE. SO SOME WONDERFUL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE MADE IN THIS PARK. TWO, THREE, WOO. EVERYTHING WE VOTED FOR, YOU'VE GOT. SO JUST LOOK AROUND. EVERYONE WANTED LIGHTING. WE HAVE LIGHTING NOW. PARK IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE A NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AND SHADED SWING SET. NEW FENCING, NEW SOLAR LIGHTING THROUGHOUT THE PARK, THE MULTI-PURPOSE SPORTS FIELD. THE BASKETBALL COURT WAS RESURFACED AND NEWLY LINED. A NEW GOAL IN VENTURES WERE INSTALLED. SO WE'RE DELIGHTED. THIS BRINGS NEW LIFE TO THE COMMUNITY GATHERING PLACE AND A PLACE WHERE WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER AND ENJOY TIME OUTDOORS. SO COME USE IT. COME WALK IN THE MORNINGS. THERE'S ALL KINDS OF THINGS YOU CAN DO HERE. THE BENEFIT OF A PLAY, USING YOUR IMAGINATION FROM A COGNITIVE AS WELL AS A MENTAL STANDPOINT. KIDS THAT USE THAT PLAYGROUND, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A BALL. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS SERVE AS HUBS FOR COMMUNITY PRIDE AND OFFER A SAFE PLACE TO EXERCISE, PLAY, AND EXPLORE [00:05:01] NATURE. AND THE OUTDOORS COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ LOVES TO PRAISE HER DISTRICT AS THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. THIS MAY BE TRUE, BUT FOR OUR NEXT STORY, DESTINATION BECOMES EDUCATION. AS DISTRICT D OPENS THE FOURTH BEZOS ACADEMY LOCATED WITHIN THE NEW HOPE HOUSING REED FAMILY CENTER IN SOUTH HOUSTON. THAT GUY, UH, TODAY IS ALL ABOUT THE KIDS, OKAY? THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE KIDS AND, UH, BUILDING A BETTER ENVIRONMENT, UH, FOR THEM IN THIS CITY, IN THIS COUNTY, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IS IMPORTANT. EVERY PERSON IS IMPORTANT, WHETHER YOU ARE AN ADULT OR WHETHER YOU ARE THE YOUNGEST KID. AND WE HAVE TO INVEST IN OUR CHILDREN, AND I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH OF FOR JOY IN HER ENTIRE TEAM, NEW HOPE HOUSING, UH, TO MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE. OUR CHILDREN ARE REALLY OUR FUTURE. THAT'S NOT JUST A CLICHE. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY, REALLY TRUE. AND HOW BETTER TO HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND AN EDUCATIONAL FACILITY IN THE SAME PLACE. AND I'M TELLING YOU, BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT PARENTS HAVE ARE GETTING THEIR KIDS TO THE DAYCARE. IF YOU DO JUST A TINY LITTLE RESEARCH INTO WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT, 90% OF WHO WE ARE RIGHT NOW HAPPENS BETWEEN BIRTH AND SIX YEARS OLD. SO THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST LEVERAGED, IMPORTANT TIMES TO INVEST IN CHILDREN. SO WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS WE'VE BEEN CHARGED NOW WITH, WITH GIVING CHILDREN WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS TO A HIGHEST QUALITY PRESCHOOL EDUCATION AND AN OPPORTUNITY, A GREAT PRESCHOOL EDUCATION, AND THE ADVANTAGES THAT THAT THAT BRINGS, IT HELPS THE COMMUNITY FOR NUMBER ONE, FOR NUMBER TWO, MY KID IS, IS LEARNING HERE. UM, I LIKE THE FACT OF THE HANDS ON, UM, THING THAT THEY HAVE IN THE CLASS FOR THE, FOR THE CHILD, FOR THE CHILDREN, HANDS ON ACTIVITIES. OH, SHE LOVES IT. SHE GET HER EDUCATION. SHE PLAYS VERY WELL. SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING. THE SCHOOL IS VERY GOOD. I LIKE IT. I LIKE IT. REALLY? YEAH, THEY, FOR STAFF, IT, THEY PAY FOR THEIR STAFFING. THEIR PARENTS DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING. AND QUITE FRANKLY, THERE ARE JUST NOT ENOUGH VENUES FOR PRESCHOOL, UH, FOR KIDS IN THE, IN THE HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY AREA PROVIDING BREAKFAST, LUNCH, SNACK. AND THEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY GIVE THE KIDS A TAKE HOME DINNER. UH, SO THIS IS A TREMENDOUS PLUS, UH, FOR NOT JUST THE KIDS, BUT FOR THE PARENTS WHO REALLY CAN'T AFFORD, LET'S SAY, LIKE DAYCARE. SO THIS ALLOWS THE KIDS TO BE, UH, IN PRESCHOOL FROM EIGHT UNTIL 5:00 PM THEY CAN WORK AND THEN, UH, THE KIDS BENEFIT. SO IT'S, IT REALLY BENEFITS THE ENTIRE FAMILY. UP NEXT ON CITY PULSE, WE SHOWCASE HOUSTON'S CREATIVITY AND HIGHLIGHT THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE LARGEST MEDICAL COMPLEX ON THE PLANET. SEE YOU SOON. WE COULD START BY TELLING YOU HOW SLEEK IT IS, HOW IT'S AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION IN ITS INDUSTRY, THAT IT MAKES CONNECTIONS FASTER AND MORE CONVENIENT. WE COULD PROMOTE THE FACT THAT EVEN TRAFFIC SIGNALS GIVE IT THE GREEN LIGHT AND THAT IT MOVES SO QUICKLY. WE HAD TO GIVE IT ITS OWN LANE. OR YOU COULD JUST RIDE, DISCOVER WHERE THIS RAIL LIKE RIDE IS GOING NEXT. VISIT RIDE METRO.ORG/METRO. NEXT, WELCOME BACK. NOW, [00:10:01] BEFORE WE GET TO OUR NEXT STORY, I FEEL I NEED TO CONFESS SOMETHING. BEFORE I STARTED HOSTING CITY PULSE, I WAS TOLD I SHOULD DRESS FOR THE JOB I WANT, BUT NEWSMAN CHIC ISN'T REALLY WHO TRAVIS LEMON IS. NO, I NEED A NEW WARDROBE THAT WILL GET ME SOME FRINGE BENEFITS. WAIT, I HAVE AN IDEA. YOU MIGHT THINK THIS IS FOR HALLOWEEN, BUT THAT'S FOR, YOU'RE WRONG. I'M NO LONGER TRAVIS LEMONS. I'M JUST KEN. DON'T FREAK OUT EVERYBODY. OKAY, GOOD. NOW LET'S GO TO THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER'S NEWEST EDITION, THE HELIX CENTER. WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO AND WHY ARE WE EXPANDING TMC AND THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER? WE'RE EXPANDING TO SAVE PEOPLE'S LIVES. TMC DOES MORE THAN JUST SU SAVE LIVES. HOWEVER, THIS IS A, AN EXTRAORDINARILY IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE ROBUST AND THRIVING ECONOMY OF TEXAS. THEY WILL EMPLOY MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND TEXAS. NEVER IN OUR 75 PLUS YEAR HISTORY HAVE WE EVER BUILT A BUILDING TOGETHER. HAVE WE EVER FINANCED A BUILDING TOGETHER? UM, AND THAT ADDS A LOT OF COMPLICATION WHEN YOU HAVE SOME STATE INSTITUTIONS AND SOME PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS. WHEN WE LOOK, UH, AROUND THIS BUILDING, WHEN WE LOOK THROUGH THIS COMPLEX, WE CAN SEE THE FUTURE OF HOUSTON. WE CAN SEE THE IMPACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE. MAYOR TURNER AND I ALSO SHARE SOMETHING ELSE. UH, AND THAT IS WE'RE MORE THAN JUST ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE. HE AND I BOTH SPEND A LOT OF TIME GETTING HEALTHCARE HERE. IT'S IN ALL OF OUR INTERESTS, UH, TO CREATE INSTITUTIONS THAT BENEFIT THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE. IF YOU ARE A HOUSTONIAN, YOU ARE A TEXAN. AND, UH, A HEALTHY HOUSTON MAKES A HEALTHY TEXAS. ORIGINALLY, THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER, ONE OF THE HELIX CENTER TO BE TMCS MOJO DOJO CASA HOUSE. BUT THE MATTEL LAWYER SAID, NO, I'M JUST KIDDING, KIDDING. BEFORE I MOSSON BACK TO BARBIE LAND, I HAVE TO SHOW YOU THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF THIS YEAR'S BAYOU CITY ARTS FESTIVAL, AN EVENT WHERE EVEN MAYOR TURNER WAS A PERFECT KIN. THIS IS, UH, AN INCREDIBLE FESTIVAL. OBVIOUSLY WE'RE IN OUR 51ST YEAR, STARTED AS THE WESTHEIMER ARTS FESTIVAL BACK IN THE SEVENTIES, AND NOW WE'VE, WE'VE EXPANDED TO THIS SPECTACULAR SPOT HERE ON ALLEN PARKWAY. UM, YOU KNOW, THE FALL IS ALWAYS ONE OF OUR MORE, UH, URBAN DOWNTOWN FESTIVALS. UH, 20, 25,000 FOLKS WILL COME DOWN HERE THIS WEEKEND. WE'VE GOT, UH, 19 DISCIPLINES OF ART, 250 ARTISTS DOWN HERE. IT'S REALLY A PHENOMENAL EVENT, UM, SUPPORTING ABOUT FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT CHARITIES THAT WE HAVE, AND WE'VE GIVEN AWAY ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN OUR HISTORY. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE EVERY EVERY YEAR. WE GOT BEAUTIFUL DON EVERY YEAR. MY WORK IS COLLAGE AND ACRYLIC. I USE ALL KINDS OF OLD PAPERS, VINTAGE PRINTS FROM ARTISTS FROM THE 18 HUNDREDS. I USE OLD POSTCARDS, MY PAINT ON TOP OF ALL OF THE PAPERS SO THAT ALL THOSE IMAGES ARE HIDDEN IN THERE, BUT FROM A DISTANCE YOU DON'T SEE THEM. AND THEN IT JUST PULLS YOU IN AND IT HELPS TELL THE STORY OF THE PIECE. I NOTICED THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOT A LITTLE TIME. HE'S BACK THERE. THIS WAS INSPIRED BY TEXAS. I LOVE HISTORY. THE EARLY DAYS WERE, YOU KNOW, THE LONGHORNS PLAYED SUCH A, A, A BIG ROLE IN, IN THE OLD CATTLE DRIVES. THEY BRING UP CATTLE FROM MEXICO AND TAKE THEM TO KANSAS VEGETABLES. WE USE IT FOR THIS. WE HAVE, UH, ONIONS, CELERY, AND CARROTS. TODAY IS ABOUT THE BEST WEATHER YOU CAN HAVE HAD GOTTEN, UH, ESPECIALLY IN AF AFTER THE IS BEAUTIFUL SUMMER. WE ACTUALLY ALSO TWEETED TO A PARTIAL, UH, SOLID ECLIPSE. HOUSTON IS A VERY ART TOWN. UH, WE'RE PROUD TO DO THIS BOTH IN THE FALL AND THE SPRING, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THIS AS LONG AS, UH, THE FOLKS WANT US HAVE US OUT HERE, HOPEFULLY ANOTHER 50 YEARS. THAT WILL DO IT FOR CITY PULSE THIS WEEK. UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M TRAVIS LEMONS LEAVING THE GUISE WITH SOME GOOD ADVICE. NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU, YOU ARE ENOUGH. UNTIL NEXT TIME, DO BETTER AND BE KIND. AND COME ON BARBIE, LET'S GO PARTY. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.