[Super Neighborhood Alliance Meeting on November 13, 2023.]
[00:00:19]
ALL RIGHT, IF EVERYBODY CAN TRY AND HELP OUT, AMY, BY PUTTING YOUR AFFILIATION NUMBER NEXT TO YOUR NAME, UM, THAT WOULD HELP FOR THE PURPOSES OF ROLL CALL.AND IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT THREE DIFFERENT TIMES GOING ON, THREE DIFFERENT DEVICES IN MY HOUSE, SO I'M GOING TO GO WITH THE AVERAGE OF SIX THIRTY TWO AND CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
SO, AMY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START THE ROLL CALL? I CAN DO THAT.
SO THE WAY WE DO ROLL CALL IS THAT I CALL OUT, UH, THE ATTENDANCE FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN AT THE LAST THREE, UH, CONSECUTIVE SUPER, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE MEETINGS.
SO IF I CALL YOUR, UM, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, PLEASE SAY HERE AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF IF YOU CAN.
AND THEN, UM, FOR ANYBODY ELSE, WE'LL COVER THOSE IN THE CHAT.
SO WE JUST TRY TO GO THROUGH THE ROLL CALL WITH THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE THE LAST THREE MEETINGS.
UH, SO STARTING WITH, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD FIVE GREATER INWOOD.
ALL RIGHT, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
12 CENTRAL NORTHWEST NORTHWEST SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
14 LAZY BROOKSIDE, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, 15 GREATER HEIGHTS, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
16 MEMORIAL SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, 17 ELDRIDGE WEST OAKS HERE.
NICK CORN REPRESENTING GOTCHA.
22 2 WASHINGTON AVENUE, MEMORIAL PARK.
24 NEAR TOWN MONTROSE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD.
OKAY, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 36 BRAS OAKS, UH, NAOMI OSTFELD, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD WEST, UH, WEST, UH, 37 WESTBURY.
SUPER MARRIED, 41 FORT BEND, HOUSTON, SUPER MARRIED WITH 52 CASHMERE GARDENS.
KEITH DOWNEY HERE AND SUPER NEIGHBOR IN 64 AND 88.
OKAY, SO IF I DIDN'T CALL OUT YOUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU'RE HERE, I THINK WE CAN JUST PUT THAT IN THE CHAT.
CHERYL, DOES THAT WORK? THAT SOUNDS FINE.
SO IF YOU, UM, ARE ON THE PHONE, UM, I GUESS, AND YOU'RE WITH A SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, PLEASE I GUESS UNMUTE YOURSELF AND LET ME KNOW.
BUT OTHERWISE, IF YOU COULD PUT IT IN THE CHAT, THAT WOULD BE
JACKIE MAHORN, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 47.
AND I WAS AT THE MEETING LAST MONTH TOO.
SO IF YOU WERE AT THE LAST MEETING, I WAS THERE LAST MONTH TOO.
YEAH, I JUST MISSED LAST MONTH.
AMY, BUT YOU JUST TOMORROW BELL.
WE, WE DO THE LAST THREE CONSECUTIVE MEETINGS.
SO IF YOU WEREN'T, THAT'S HOW WE, SO OH, OKAY.
'CAUSE I DID MISS THE SEPTEMBER THE MEETING, THAT'S WHEN I HAD THE WRECK.
CHERYL, THE CONGRESSWOMAN IS ON THE MEETING.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO THE NEXT, LET'S MOVE ON NOW, UM, MINUTES.
DID EVERYBODY GET THE MINUTES FOR THE OCTOBER MEETING? I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES.
[00:05:01]
OKAY.ALRIGHT, DOUG, CAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UM, STEP UP AT THIS POINT? CHERYL, YOU CAN HEAR ME? OH YEAH, SORRY CONGRESSWOMAN, ARE YOU, YOU'RE AT THE AIRPORT, RIGHT? I AM ON THE LINE GREETING.
WE'D LIKE TO GET THROUGH OUR PRESENTATION IF WE COULD.
SO, DOUG, ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO INTRODUCE, ARE YOU SURE YOU DON'T WANNA LET THE CONGRESSWOMAN GO SPEAK IN FRONT? DEAR FRIEND.
ALRIGHT, IF THAT'S ALRIGHT, WE GO LET, SHE'S IMPORTANT THAN I CAN STAY ON AS LONG AS YOU NEED.
I WAS TRYING TO, TO BE RESPECTIVE OF YOUR TIME.
I WASN'T SURE IF YOU HAD ANOTHER MEETING THAT YOU WERE OKAY.
ALRIGHT, CONGRESSWOMAN, CONGRESSWOMAN, IT'S YOURS, MADAM PRESIDENT AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE.
UM, I WILL BE RIGHT TO THE POINT OF A GREAT APPRECIATION AND THANK YOU.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, GOTTEN THROUGH NOVEMBER 7TH AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE LOOKED AND DETERMINED THAT WE GOT VOTES FROM ALL OVER THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AS I EVIDENCED AND INDICATED TO ALL OF YOU, I WILL BE A NEIGHBORHOOD MAYOR, A CIVIC AND SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD MAYOR, A NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE MAYOR.
I CANNOT IMAGINE A MORE BETTER FOOTPRINT AND ROADMAP THAN TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE OF HOUSTON.
SO I WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL AND, UH, COMMIT AGAIN AS WE GO INTO THE RUNOFF, WHICH IS REALLY AROUND THE CORNER, LITERALLY, UH, THAT I'LL BE BACK OUT, UM, REACHING OUT, SPEAKING TO PEOPLE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, UM, AND EAST TO WEST.
I'M STUDYING THE PROPOSITION WHICH RUN BY 52%.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
UH, AND THAT IS ABOUT HA AND SO I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT WILL BE ABLE TO UNTANGLE THAT BETWEEN FEDERAL FUNDING AND OTHER FUNDING TO MAKE SURE HOUSTON GETS ITS FAIR SHARE.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THAT.
AND I GUESS FINALLY, AS I CLOSE, I'M EXCITED IF WE CAN HAVE A STRONG METRO FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN ADDITION TO THOSE, UH, POTENTIAL LINES THAT WILL TAKE US TO BOTH HOBBY, UH, AND TO, UH, BUSH, LIKE ANY OTHER MAJOR NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL CITY.
I I THANK YOU FOR YIELDING TO ME YOUR KINDNESS AND THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK YOU DO FOR THIS CITY.
I'M REALLY THE MAYOR THAT WORKS AND GETS RESULTS.
I MEANT I HAD MY, WAS HOVERING OVER THAT.
WE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND WE WELCOME YOU TO, I HOPE YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HANG AROUND AND LISTEN TO SOME OF THE MEETING AND MAYBE PARTICIPATE A LITTLE LATER IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL, UM, DETERMINE THAT.
BUT IF NOT, I KNOW THAT I'LL BE AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE TIME OF THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
DOUG, MIKE, DOUG, ARE Y'ALL READY? MIKE NICHOLS IS READY.
DOUG, WHAT HAP DID WE LOSE? DOUG? DOUG, ARE WE HAVING SOUND ISSUES WITH DOUG THAT HE'S INDICATES THAT HE'S MUTED? DOUG, YOU'RE MUTED.
UNFORTUNATELY, I'M, I'M UNABLE TO UNMUTE HIM.
LET'S JUST ROLL RIGHT ON IN WITH YOU.
MY NAME'S MIKE NICHOLS AND I AM THE CEO OF THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS.
AND I'M GONNA PUT UP SOME SLIDES, UH, HOPEFULLY VERY QUICKLY.
UM, I DON'T REMEMBER IF DOUG WAS SUPPOSED TO DO THAT, OR I'M SUPPOSED TO DO THAT, BUT, UH, IF YOU'LL, CAN YOU SHARE MY SCREEN OR YOU WANT ME JUST TO TALK? YEAH.
UM, JUST SHARE YOUR SCREEN, MR. NICHOLS, AND THAT WAY YOU'LL BE ABLE TO RUN THE POWERPOINT.
[00:10:01]
THINK YOU HAVE TO GIMME PERMISSION.NO, YOU, YOU SHOULD HAVE PERMISSION, BUT IF I, IF I HAVE TO, I CAN, UM, I CAN BRING IT UP HERE.
BECAUSE I CAN JUST START TALKING.
AND THEN CHOOSE THE SCREEN YOU WANT.
I'M SORRY, MY COMPUTER WENT ON AND OFF.
CAN YOU SEE, BRING EVERYTHING UP AGAIN? THERE YOU GO.
THIS IS VERY EXCITING 'CAUSE I'VE NEVER DONE IT BY MYSELF BEFORE.
AND, UM,
I CAME TO HOUSTON 42 YEARS AGO, UH, TO WORK FOR CISCO CORPORATION, THE FOOD COMPANY.
IT WAS A SMALL COMPANY WHEN I CAME, AND NOW OF COURSE, IT'S A LARGE COMPANY.
I SPENT 30 YEARS THERE AND THEN WENT ON TO WORK AND RUN GROCERY SUPPLY AND FIESTA STORES.
UM, DID THAT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, THEN RETIRED AGAIN AND MAYOR TURNER, UH, I'VE DONE WORK FOR BOTH MAYOR WHITE AND MAYOR PARKER VOLUNTEER.
AND MAYOR TURNER ASKED ME TO RUN THE HOUSTON PARKS BOARD, WHICH OF COURSE IS THE ENTITY, THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT HELPED BUILD OUT THE BIKEWAYS.
AND AFTER WORKING ON THAT A WHILE, I WAS INVITED TO BE THE CEO AT THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS BECAUSE IT TOO IS A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, JUST MUCH MORE, MORE COMPLICATED, AND WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT.
THE WAY I TOOK THE POSITION IS WHEN MAYOR TURNER CALLED ME, HE SAID, ARE YOU INTERESTED? AND I SAID, I HAD NOT BEEN INTERESTED IN HOMELESSNESS, BUT MY DAUGHTER, MY YOUNGEST OF FOUR HAS BEEN A CASE WORKER IN SEATTLE FOR ELDERLY HOMELESS WOMEN.
AND, UH, SHE WOULD CALL ME EVERY NIGHT AND YELL AT ME ABOUT WHAT KIND OF COUNTRY DID I LEAVE HER? THAT, UM, HOMELESS WOMEN WERE SLEEPING ON THE STREET AND THAT SHE'D CALL ME THE NEXT NIGHT AND YELL AT ME ABOUT WHAT KIND OF COUNTRY DID I LEAVE HER WHEN POLICE WOULD ARREST ONE OF HER CLIENTS WHEN SHE GOT THEM HOUSED ON A 2-YEAR-OLD WARRANT? SO I SAID, YES, AND FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS I'VE BEEN RUNNING THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS.
UM, THE CO LEMME JUST TALK ABOUT THE COALITION FIRST.
UM, AND THE COALITION IS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER NONPROFITS.
IT'S A NONPROFIT, BUT IT IS MORE LIKE THE, AN AIRPORT FOR THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
IT IS THE ENTITY THAT BRINGS IN FUNDING, UM, AND COORDINATES THE FUNDING AND COORDINATES THE STRATEGY FOR, UH, THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM.
AND BECAUSE I'LL, IF I DON'T, IF I DON'T SAY THIS NOW, I'LL FORGET LOOKING ON THE FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE ONLINE.
I WANNA SHOUT OUT TO COUNCILWOMAN ALCORN, WHO'S BEEN A REAL GREAT SUPPORTER AND THOUGHTFUL PARTNER, UH, IN THIS RESPONSE SYSTEM THROUGH MY TENURE THERE.
BOTH, UH, SHE'S A PERSON WHO'S TAKEN CARE OF HER NEIGHBORHOODS AND AT THE SAME TIME MADE SURE THAT WE HANDLED THINGS RESPONSIBLY AND MORALLY.
ALSO, SHOUT OUT TO COUNCIL, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE, WHO HELPED US BRING FUNDING INTO HOUSTON.
IF THE OTHER PEOPLE I MISSED, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, THE COALITION HAS MORE THAN A HUNDRED INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHO, UM, A HUNDRED, EXCUSE ME, A HUNDRED AGENCIES.
A HUNDRED AGENCIES WHO HAVE, UM, DUNNO, WHO HAVE A, A PART OF THIS COALITION.
THE AGENCIES OF THOSE WHO ACTUALLY DO THE HARD WORK.
THEY INCLUDE PRIVATE NONPROFITS AS WELL AS PUBLIC AGENCIES LIKE THE HARRIS CENTER, OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND IDD AUTHORITY AND PRIVATE ENTITIES THAT YOU KNOW OF, LIKE, UM, NONPROFITS, LIKE THE BEACON CATHOLIC CHARITIES, COVENANT HOUSE, UM, ONGOING.
SO IT IS A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
UM, SO FIRST, LEMME GIVE YOU A DEF.
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THE DEFINITION OF HOMELESSNESS IS.
THAT BY HUD AND BY OUR SYSTEM HOMELESSNESS IS SOMEONE SLEEPING OUTSIDE IN A PLACE NOT MEANT FOR HUMANS COULD, IT COULD BE A CAR IN AN EMERGENCY SHELTER OR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.
SO WHETHER SOMEONE'S SLEEPING OUTSIDE ON THE PAVEMENT IN A CAR IN AT A STAR OF HOPE OR SALVATION ARMY EMERGENCY SHELTER OR TRANSITIONAL
[00:15:01]
HOUSING, UH, THAT PERSON LIKE A, UM, UH, HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, UH, SOMEBODY WHO'S INVOLVED IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THAT PERSON IS CONSIDERED HOMELESS.WE HAVE ABOUT 550,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AGAIN, UH, THE LARGEST NUMBERS IN, UH, NEW YORK, HAWAII, CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON WASN'T ALWAYS TRUE.
THE ONE TIME HOUSTON WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST NUMBERS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, WHY DO PEOPLE FALL INTO HOUSING THE LACK OF HOUSING THAT THEY CANNOT, THAT THEY CAN AFFORD? UH, THIS IS THE KEY.
EVERYWHERE WE LOOK, PEOPLE WANNA BLAME IT ON, UH, DRUGS OR ALCOHOL.
THE DATA IS, IT'S A SIMPLE LACK OF HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, I'M A BIG PROPONENT OF HOUSTON, UH, BECAUSE HOUSTON IS A PRO HOUSING CITY.
UNLIKE LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK, OTHER CITIES, UM, INCLUDING OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR COAST CITIES IN AUSTIN.
WE LOVE HOUSING, WE LOVE APARTMENTS.
AND I WANT TO KEEP SAYING THAT, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE PEOPLE WHO RAN FOR MAYOR WHO ALL SAID, WE WANT THE PERMITTING DONE BETTER.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE BELIEVE IN.
WE DID A STUDY, AND IT'S ALL ECONOMIC LOSS OF JOB BILLS, MEDICAL BILLS, UM, DIVORCE, ALL ECONOMIC, VERY SMALL AMOUNT IS CAUSED BY DRUGS AND ALCOHOL.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT NO MATTER WHAT WE TELL PEOPLE, WE LOOK AT THE DATA.
WE ARE A DATA-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION.
UM, THE WAY WE DEFINE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS IF YOU'RE USING LESS THAN A THIRD OF YOUR INCOME ON HOUSING, THEN IT'S AFFORDABLE.
UM, THE AVERAGE MEDIUM INCOME IN HOUSTON'S ABOUT 82,000.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, UH, IF, UH, LOOKING AT INCOME LESS THAN 40,000 A YEAR, THERE ARE ONLY 47 AFFORDABLE UNITS PER 100 PEOPLE.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT EVEN LOWER INCOME AT 26,000, IT'S ONLY 19 PER 100.
WE STILL HAVE A HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING SHORTAGE IN HOUSTON, ALTHOUGH WE DO BETTER THAN OTHER CITIES.
UM, THE BEST METAPHOR FOR THIS IS, IS, UM, MUSICAL CHAIRS, UM, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SOMEBODY'S GONNA BE LEFT OUT.
AND IF THAT PERSON HAS A SPRAINED ANKLE OR SOME KIND OF OTHER THING THAT HOLDS THEM BACK, IT MAKES IT LESS UNFAIR.
BUT WE, AGAIN, THAT'S STILL THE OVERALL ISSUE THAT WE FACE.
UM, IN HOUSTON, ONCE A YEAR, THERE IS A POINT IN TIME COUNT.
IT IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF HOMELESSNESS, BUT IT'S THE SAME SNAPSHOT USING THE SAME, UH, EPI, EPI,
UM, LAST YEAR WE FOUND 3,200 PEOPLE WHO WERE HOMELESS, 38% LIVING OUTSIDE IN A PLACE, NOT MEANT FOR HABITATION.
A SAFE HAVEN ARE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.
AND A SHOCKING NUMBER, WHICH OF THESE NUMBERS, THIS DATA KEEPS COMING UP.
42% OF THOSE UNSHELTERED WERE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE DO HAVE STRUCTURAL RACISM IN OUR CITY, UH, WITH OUR HOMELESSNESS ISSUE.
UM, HOMELESSNESS, UH, IN OUR, IN OUR COUNT, UM, THREE COUNTY AREA FOR FORT BEND, HARRIS AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES, 55% OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS ARE BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN.
WHILE THEY ONLY CONSIST OF 20% OF THE POPULATION, UM, I KNOW THERE'S LOTS OF CONVERSATION ABOUT STRUCTURAL RACISM, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT NUMBERS LIKE THIS AND YOU LOOK AT NUMBERS SUCH AS THOSE IN THE, WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, YOU GET OUT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STRUCTURAL RACISM IN EDUCATION, THIS IS A BIG ISSUE.
UM, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME GOOD NEWS.
AFTER STARTING WITH THAT BAD NEWS.
IN 2011, WE HAD THE SIXTH LARGEST HOMELESS POPULATION IN THE COUNTRY.
ALMOST 9,000 PEOPLE WERE HOMELESS.
HOMELESS SERVICE AGENCIES WERE SPENDING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
AND THE NUMBER WAS ONLY GETTING WORSE THERE.
EVERYBODY WAS OPERATING IN SILOS, GOVERNMENT, NONPROFITS.
WE HAD A TERRIBLE RECIDIVISM RATE THAT PEOPLE RETURNED TO HOMELESSNESS AFTER THEY GOT OUT OF SHELTERS.
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, 2011, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS, BUSINESS PEOPLE,
[00:20:01]
UM, NONPROFITS, GOVERNMENT, UM, ALL CAME TOGETHER PHILANTHROPY TO SAY, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.AND THE WAY HOME WAS ESTABLISHED, AND THE BIG SHOUT OUT TO MAYOR PARKER, JUST LIKE MAYOR TURNER, EMBRACED THIS COMMUNITY EFFORT TO CHANGE THIS CONVERSATION.
THE WAY HOME IS THE EFFORT OF A HUNDRED DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
A STEERING COMMITTEE WAS SET UP OF GOVERNMENT FUNDERS, NONPROFITS, PHILANTHROPISTS, BUSINESS PEOPLE TO SET A STRATEGY TO CHOOSE A LEAD AGENCY.
AND THAT STEERING COMMITTEE STILL EXIST.
UM, AND THEY SET THE STRATEGY AND CHOOSE AND CHOSE THE COALITION.
AS THE LEAD AGENCY, AS THEY DO ANNUALLY.
THEY MADE A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT DECISIONS.
THE FIRST BIG DECISION IS THEY WANTED EVERYBODY WHO'S EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO BE ASSESSED, AND THAT TO THIS ASSESSMENT BE ON ONE TOOL.
EVERYBODY'S EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO BE GIVEN A NUMBER BASED ON THEIR VULNERABILITY.
VULNERABILITY IS DEFINED AS MOST LIKELY TO DIE.
AND THAT ASSESSMENT SET UP THE COORDINATION OF WHO WOULD GET HOUSING FIRST AND WHO WOULD GET NAVIGATED TO HOUSING FIRST.
I'M GONNA SAY IT ONCE AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN AT THE END.
THE AMAZING THING IS, EVEN THOUGH THE DECISION WAS MADE TO HOUSE THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE FIRST, MORE THAN 85% OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE SUCCESSFUL AND STAY OUT OF THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS.
THERE WERE ARGUMENTS AT THE TIME SAYING, NO, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO HOUSE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED.
WE NEED TO HOUSE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SOBER OR WITHOUT DRUGS.
AND THE DECISION WAS NO WAS MADE TO HOUSE THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE FIRST.
AND THAT HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE'VE DONE THINGS IN HOUSTON DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHER CITIES.
UM, WHAT WE DID IS WE SAID, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, STRATEGICALLY COORDINATE THE FEDERAL DOLLARS.
SO THE COALITION BECAME THE ENTITY THAT, THAT, UH, ASKED FOR THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT RAN THE RFPS FOR AGENCIES TO DO CASE MANAGEMENT.
THAT IN THAT, THAT TOOK THE STRATEGY THAT THE COMMUNITY GAVE US AND IMPLEMENTED THAT STRATEGY.
UH, THE DECISION WE MADE TO DO HOUSING FIRST, AS I SAID, FOCUS ON HOUSING, NOT ON TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, NOT ON EMERGENCY SHELTERS LIKE OTHER CITIES HAD DONE.
WE WORKED WITH NONPROFITS AND THEY WORKED AMONG THE EACH OTHER TO END DUPLICATIONS OF SERVICES.
IN 2010, THEY WERE DOING 10 OR 15 DIFFERENT SERVICES.
TODAY THERE ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL NONPROFIT FOCUSED ON NAVIGATION, OUTREACH AND CHILDCARE.
UM, THE COMMON AGENDA AND THE COMMON STRATEGY SAID, WE CAN DO THIS WITHOUT REGARD TO WHO'S THE PRESIDENT, WHO'S THE MAYOR.
AND WE WERE COMMITTED TO BEING DATA DRIVEN.
THE WAY HOME, THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP GREW AGAIN.
WE, WE, WE TOOK PHILANTHROPY, PLAYED A BIG ROLE BECAUSE THEY TOLD AGENCIES, EITHER YOU WORKED IN THE SYSTEM OR WE WEREN'T GONNA GIVE YOU MONEY.
UM, NOW THAT'S NOT, THAT'S A VERY TINY PART OF ALL PHILANTHROPY IN HOUSTON, BUT IT WAS AS FAR AS HOMELESSNESS, A REAL EYEOPENER FOR ALL THE AGENCIES.
UM, YOU SEE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER HERE, THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SYSTEM IS A PARALLEL SYSTEM TO THE HOMELESS SYSTEM.
WE APPLY FOR THE FUNDING, THEY RUN THE SYSTEM AND THE DATA BECAUSE WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING THEIR DATA SEPARATE AND WE'RE KEEPING THEIR DATA HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL.
UM, PARTNERS LIKE, UH, HARRIS HEALTH HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN OUR WORK.
HARRIS CENTER, UH, AGAIN, IS WHERE WE, UM, WHO HELPS IN THE MENTAL HEALTH AND, AND IDD ISSUES.
AND I DON'T WANNA FORGET THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES OF HOUSTON, PARTICULARLY IN HARRIS COUNTY THAT PAY FOR THE VOUCHERS THAT GIVE THIS HOUSING.
HOUSTON'S HAD GREAT PUBLICITY AS A RESULT OF THIS.
UM, NEW YORK TIMES WROTE A BEAUTIFUL ARTICLE ABOUT HOUSTON.
IT'S FUNNY, I GOT MORE COMPLIMENTS FROM THAT THAN I DID FOR, THAN WE DO FOR HOUSING PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY SAID NEW YORK TIMES NEVER WROTE ANYTHING NICE ABOUT HOUSTON.
I WANNA MAKE A IMPORTANT POINT HERE.
EVERY AGENCY IS ALIGNED ON ONE GOAL, HOUSING FIRST.
AND HOUSING IS NOT JUST HOUSING ONLY.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WHEN I WENT TO THE LEGISLATURE, THEY WANTED TO ARGUE THE STATE LEGISLATURE OF TEXAS THAT HOUSING FIRST WAS JUST HOUSING PEOPLE AND ALL, AND THEY WOULD COMPLETELY BE OUT ON THE STREET.
HOUSING FIRST IS A THREE LEGGED STUDENT.
THIS IS THE BEST JACKET YOU CAN PLEASE
[00:25:01]
PEOPLE.THE MUSIC MAY BE BETTER THAN ME, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, THE, THE
AND AGAIN, YOU'LL HEAR A LOT OF TALK ABOUT TINY HOMES.
YOU'LL HEAR A LOT OF TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN SAN SAN ANTONIO WITH HAVEN FOR HOPE IN HOUSTON, WE MADE A COMMITMENT TO REAL UNITS, A KEY AND A LOCK AND AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING, AND A BATHROOM AND A KITCHEN.
A PLACE WHERE A PERSON WHO'S EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS CAN, CAN THRIVE AND EVEN LIVE THERE ONCE THEY'VE OVERCOME THE TRAUMA OF HOMELESSNESS.
SECOND RENTAL SUBSIDY, GENERALLY IN THE FORM OF FEDERAL VOUCHERS THROUGH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, BUT OFTEN PRIVATE.
UH, REMEMBER THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO, UH, CERTAIN CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS, UH, WHO DON'T, CANNOT GET ANY FEDERAL SUBSIDIES.
SO WE HAVE TO RAISE MONEY TO GET THEM HOUSING AND LAST SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, NOT VOLUNTEERS, BUT PAID PROFESSIONALS WHO CASE MANAGE THESE INDIVIDUALS, WHO HELP THEM WITH INCOME DRUG ISSUES, UH, AND OTHER ITEMS. UM, WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS THIS IS FAR LESS EXPENSIVE THAN MODELS LIKE, UM, SAN ANTONIO'S, UH, HAVEN FOR HOPE MODELS LIKE NEW YORK CITY THAT PUT EVERYBODY IN HOTELS.
UM, THIS SYSTEM OF ACTUALLY GIVING SOMEBODY AN APARTMENT UNIT WITH THIS CASE MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN FAR LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THESE OTHER SYSTEMS, AND FAR MORE SUCCESSFUL IN THE SENSE THAT WE'RE, UM, WE ARE, UM, UM, UM, UH, THE FOLKS ARE STAYING THERE LONGER AND GETTING INCOME FASTER THAN THEY WOULD IN ANY OTHER WAY.
AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THE CASE MANAGEMENT.
UM, IT IS, IT IS INCLUSIVE AND IT IS AND IS WELL DONE.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE NOT SPENDING MONEY ON FOOD.
AND PEOPLE SAY, WHAT DO PEOPLE DO ABOUT FOOD WHEN THEY MOVE IN THESE APARTMENTS? WE USE THE FOOD BANK AND IT IN HOUSTON IS A TERRIFIC SERVICE.
AND BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESS OF THE FOOD BANK, THESE FOLKS ARE ABLE TO HAVE FOOD AND THE FUNDING CAN GO TO THEIR HOUSING AND TO THEIR CASE MANAGEMENT.
THERE IS A BUSINESS CASE FOR ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT IT COSTS TAXPAYERS, THAT'S YOU AND ME, 40 TO $60,000 FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS.
MOST OF THAT IS EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE.
AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR TAX BILL THIS YEAR AND SEE WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING ON, ON HEALTH, A BIG CHUNK OF THAT IS EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE.
AND A BIG CHUNK OF THAT IS ON THESE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
WHILE THE COST FOR A SINGLE PERSON FOR HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, BOTH OF IT, ALL OF IT INCLUSIVE, IS 20,000 A YEAR.
THAT MONEY IN HOUSTON IS A HUNDRED PERCENT FEDERAL MONEY.
THE COUNTY GIVES US $2 MILLION LAST YEAR.
THE REST OF ITS FEDERAL FUNDING THAT IS BROUGHT TO HOUSTON, UM, BY THIS SYSTEM.
UM, WE RAISED SOME MONEY FOR PHILANTHROPY, BUT IT'S A TINY PERCENT TO RUN THE COALITION FOR EVERY DOLLAR GIVEN DIRECTLY.
THE COALITION BRINGS IN $89 IN FEDERAL FUNDING.
UM, IT IS A MONEY WINNER FOR HOUSTON.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE LEGISLATURE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND US.
UM, UH, THEY SEEM TO OPPOSE THIS IN EVERY STEP.
AND LAST YEAR WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY CRIMINALIZED HOMELESSNESS, IT WAS JUST, AND WHEN WE, I WENT AND TALKED ABOUT HOW ABOUT FUNDING, THERE WAS NO INTEREST.
EVEN WHEN I EXPLAINED THAT IT'S COSTING THE CITY AND COUNTY MORE BECAUSE OF EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE, THEY HAD NO INTEREST IN IT.
I GIVE A SHOUT OUT FOR MEDICAID EXPANSION.
EVERY OTHER STATE THAT HAS MEDICAID EXPANSION USES THIS FOR THEIR SERVICES, UH, TO EXPAND THE WORK THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING.
AND OF COURSE, TEXAS WITHOUT MEDICARE EXPANSION, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T EXPAND.
AND IN TWO YEARS WHEN WE LOSE THIS COVID FUNDING THAT'S BEEN SO IMPORTANT TO US, WE HAVE TO EITHER HAVE THE CITY AND THE COUNTY COME UP WITH THESE FUNDING FUNDS THAT WE'RE USING, OR WE GOTTA GO BACK TO THE STATE AND SAY, GIVE US THE FAIR SHARE.
OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE WILL ARGUE THAT WE, THEY NEED HOUSING READINESS.
BUT WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS EVERY TIME YOU PUT THAT IN PLACE, IT'S EXPENSIVE, IT'S INEFFECTIVE, IT'S TRAUMA INDUCING, AND IT, AND IT DOESN'T MEET SCALE.
THE LOS ANGELES TIMES ASK WHAT LOS ANGELES COULD LEARN FROM HOUSTON.
AND THEY SAID, SCALE, PRAGMATISM, AND ORGANIZATION.
[00:30:01]
WE HAVE 9,000 PEOPLE IN PERMANENT HOUSING IN HOUSTON.UH, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TO THE COVID FUNDING, THOSE PEOPLE WILL REMAIN HOUSED BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL FUNDING.
THAT INCLUDES ALL THREE PARTS, ALL THE SERVICES, THE VOUCHER, AND THE OTHER.
UM, WHEN YOU HAVE THIS HOUSING READINESS, IT JUST DOESN'T WORK.
THERE'S AN AGENCY IN HOUSTON, TERRIFIC AGENCY THAT REQUIRES PEOPLE TO REMAIN SOBER, NOT SMOKE CIGARETTES, STAY IN THEIR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR TWO YEARS, A HUNDRED PERCENT SUCCESS RATE, BUT THEY CAN ONLY TAKE CARE OF 80 PEOPLE AT A TIME.
ABOUT 40 PEOPLE A YEAR SUCCEED.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN 9,000 PEOPLE.
MIKE, Y'ALL HEARD A LOT ABOUT FEEDING MIKE.
DOUG, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, DOUG.
UH, YOU HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LEFT.
I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY MORE SLIDES.
OKAY, LET ME GET TO THE BOTTOM.
OH, WE CAN TALK ABOUT FEEDING.
'CAUSE THAT'S A BIG PUBLIC ISSUE.
I, I'M A BELIEVER THAT IF YOU WANT TO HELP IN THIS SYSTEM, YOU WORK ON THE SYSTEM AND ONE-OFF FEEDING DOESN'T WORK.
UM, THE ONE IN ENTITY IN HOUSTON THAT'S BEEN WANTING TO FEED AT THE LIBRARY, BUT WHAT THEY SAID IS THEY'RE NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN HOMELESSNESS.
THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THE POLITICAL STATEMENT.
THE WAY HOME IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT.
IT IS A WAY TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF HOMELESSNESS.
60%, UH, REDUCTION SINCE 2011 IN HOMELESSNESS.
A VETERAN, IF A VETERAN SHOWS UP IN OUR SYSTEM, THEY WILL BE HOUSED IN 30 DAYS.
THAT SYSTEM IS WHAT WE CALL SUCCESS.
AND WE COULD GET THERE WITH CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO IF WE COULD CONTINUE THE FUNDING THAT WE'VE HAD.
30,000 PEOPLE BEEN HOUSED SINCE 2012, 90% SUCCESS RATE.
WE'RE DOING MORE WITH LESS THAN ANY OTHER CITY.
IT IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE, UH, IN TWO YEARS.
AND WE NEED TO KEEP PRESSURE ON OUR CITY COUNCIL ON TO, ON OUR COUNTY COMMISSION TO FIND THE FUNDING THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE SUCCESS.
WE NEED TO PUT PRESSURE ON OUR LEGISLATURE TO GIVE MONEY TO THESE SYSTEMS INSTEAD OF HOLDING IT OR WASTING IT ON OTHER PROJECTS THAT HAVE DO NOTHING.
UM, UM, IT IS AMAZING TO ME THAT FOLKS WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE WILL SUPPORT A LEGISLATURE WHO WASTE MONEY INSTEAD OF DOING THINGS THAT ARE ACTUALLY SUCCESSFUL AND HELP PEOPLE.
WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT TO BE DONE.
I'M GONNA GO THROUGH ONE OTHER THING ENCAMPMENTS REAL QUICKLY.
UM, DURING, WITH THE COVID FUNDING, WE WERE ABLE TO DECOMMISSION MORE THAN A HUNDRED ENCAMPMENTS.
WHEN WE GO TO AN ENCAMPMENT, MORE THAN 90% OF THOSE RESIDENTS ACCEPTED HOUSING OR SELF RESOLVED, THEY CONTINUE TO SUCCEED AT THAT 85 TO 90% RATE.
UH, WE HAVE A HUGE ENCAMPMENT THAT WE'RE BEGINNING TO WORK ON RIGHT NOW.
IT CAN BE DONE BECAUSE WE HAVE OPENED A NAVIGATION CENTER THANKS TO PHILANTHROPY AND TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN THE FIFTH WARD, AND THANKS TO THE FIFTH WARD FOR ALLOWING US TO BE THERE.
UM, IT WAS A, UM, IT'S, I THINK IT'S BEEN A SUCCESS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S BEEN A SUCCESS FOR HOMELESSNESS AS PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO ARE MOVING INTO THERE.
WE CAN HAVE, WE CAN CLOSE THESE LARGE ENCAMPMENTS TO DECOMMISSION THEM AND THEN HAVE FOLKS LIVE THERE OR MOVE INTO HOUSING IMMEDIATELY.
AND THAT'S BEEN THE REASON WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DECOMMISSION ENCAMPMENTS AND OTHER CITIES HAVE NOT.
THE THE WAY HOME DECOMMISSION THE ENCAMPMENT, THE ACTUAL CLOSING IS DONE BY THE CITY, THE COUNTY, OR TDOT.
POLICING ALONE ONLY DISPLACES PEOPLE.
IT DOESN'T MAKE, GET PEOPLE HOUSING.
WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS DO STRUGGLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE AS YOU AND I WOULD IF WE LIVED ON THE STREET.
IT'S NOT THE REASON THEY BECAME HOMELESS.
BUT IT ISN'T ISSUE ONCE THEY ARE HOMELESS.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THIS THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS AT HARRIS HEALTH.
BUT AGAIN, THE STATE OF TEXAS IS 50, IS 48TH IN EXPENDITURES ON MENTAL HEALTH.
THE MONEY THEY PUT IN MENTAL HEALTH THIS YEAR WENT TO PRISONS, WHICH ISN'T BAD, BUT NONE OF IT WENT TO THE COMMUNITY.
MENTAL HEALTH IS A CHRONIC CONDITION THAT NEEDS TO BE SERVED IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS IS A, AGAIN, BOTTOM LINE.
HOMELESS IS A HOUSING PROBLEM.
WE HAVE A COORDINATED APPROACH IN HOUSTON CALLED THE WAY HOME.
HOUSTON IS LEADING THE NATION IN THAT OUR WORK ISN'T DONE.
WE NEED YOUR HELP BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT MAYOR AND THE NEXT CITY COUNCIL AND THE COUNTY COMMISSION WILL TAKE THIS AS A HIGH PRIORITY.
INSTEAD OF SPENDING MONEY OTHER WAYS, THEN
[00:35:01]
YES, WE NEED THE HELP OF THE LEGISLATURE TO SPEND THIS MONEY WISELY.AND WE NEED THE HELP OF THE HELP OF THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM WHO ARE SPENDING MONEY ON EMERGENCY HEALTHCARE, AND THEY COULD SPEND LESS ON HOUSING.
AND IT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO GO.
I'LL STOP HERE FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
I KNOW PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE A LOT OF COMMENTS.
I'M SORRY THAT I, UH, HAD TROUBLE AT THE OUTSET, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY TWO THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, THE REASON I WANTED YOU TO COME ON TONIGHT WAS BECAUSE OF THE HUGE SUCCESS THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS HAS HAD AND ALL OF THOSE IN THE MEETING TONIGHT.
NOW, SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? UH, I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL OF THE NUMBERS, BUT SOME I DO REMEMBER IS HOMELESS PEOPLE WENT FROM 9,000 TO 3000 AND THERE ARE 30,000 PEOPLE IN PERMANENT HOUSING.
UH, THERE WAS ANOTHER FIGURE, I DON'T REMEMBER.
AND I JUST WANNA POINT OUT TO EVERYBODY, UH, THAT, UH, ANOTHER REASON I WANTED TO HAVE YOU ON TONIGHT IS THAT YOU ARE RETIRING AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND I CAN'T IMAGINE FINDING ANYBODY TO FILL YOUR SHOES GIVEN THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
BUT IN ANY CASE, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, DOUG.
IF I'VE DONE IT RIGHT, IT'S, IT'S SUSTAINABLE.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO JUST SAY TO THIS GROUP, WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S WORK.
WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT HARRIS COUNTY SUPPORT.
WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES OR HARRIS HEALTH OR HARRIS CENTER.
WE COULDN'T DO WITHOUT PHILANTHROPY LIKE THE, UM, UM, LIKE THE HOUSTON ENDOWMENT.
UM, IT'S, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND AGAIN, I WANNA THANK EVERY MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL WHO'VE BEEN THERE, WHO'VE WORKED WITH US.
I WANNA THANK THE FOLKS WHO WORK IN THE BUREAUCRACY, WHO DON'T YOU DON'T KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND, UM, UH, AND WHO'VE WORKED WITH US AND THE PEOPLE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO'VE WORKED ON THIS.
THIS IS A PROJECT THAT HOUSTON HAS DONE.
AND WHEN PEOPLE FROM LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK COME, THEY SAY, HOW DO YOU DO IT? HOW DO YOU GET THE COUNTY AND CITY TO WORK TOGETHER? HOW DO YOU GET POLICE AND, AND HOUSING TO WORK TOGETHER? IT IS, I'M WORRIED ABOUT IT BEING UNIQUE.
I DON'T TELL THEM THAT, BUT I WORRY ABOUT IT BEING UNIQUE.
AND OUR POLITICAL LEADERS HAVE REALLY DONE A HECK OF A JOB.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS.
AND, UH, FIRST UP IS, UH, SALLY ALCORN, SPEAKING OF THANK YOU CHERYL, AND THANK YOU MIKE, UH, AN AMAZING, UM, PRESENTATION AND JUST AN AMAZING JOB AND REALLY OPERATING AS A SYSTEM AND GETTING PEOPLE INTO HOUSING FIRST HAS JUST REALLY PUT HOUSTON ON THE MAP WITH THIS.
AND SO PROUD OF ALL YOUR WORK AND COMMITMENT, UH, ON THIS.
UM, DOLLY, I REMEMBER FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN WE MET THE FIRST TIME WHEN YOU HAD A, ALL MANY OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS MAD AT YOU.
AND, UH, IT WAS, AND I, AND WE MAKE SOME PROMISES, AND I'M GLAD WE'VE COME A LONG WAY.
I HOPE THEY KNEW THAT THAT SUCCESS, THAT SUCCESS RATE IS, IS AMAZING.
AND IT'S A GREAT STORY TO TELL ACROSS HOUSTON.
I I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TO TWO DIFFERENT EVENTS, UM, ONE EVENT DOWNTOWN IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN, AND ONE MORE RECENTLY AT THE INMAN GALLERY, UH, KIND OF IN MIDTOWN ACROSS FROM MATCH.
AND BOTH TIMES, I, UM, WHAT WORRIES ME, AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND HOW THE CITY AND COUNTY AND STATE NEED TO STEP UP TO REPLACE THE MONEY, THE COVID MONEY THAT'S BEEN SO INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS.
BUT WHAT WORRIES ME IS THE, THE KIND OF MORE OF THE STREET HOMELESS PEOPLE THAT NOT SO MUCH ENCAMPMENTS, NOT SO MUCH ORGANIZED, BUT THAT ARE REALLY DETERRING BUSINESSES THAT ARE REALLY IMPACTING BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN AND IN MIDTOWN.
AND WE WANT THOSE AREAS TO BE THRIVING.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S EVEN TALK OF MOVING OUT AND WE DON'T, WE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT THAT.
SO, SO WHAT'S THE, THE COALITION AND WHAT'S OUR POSITION ON AND MORE, NOT SO MUCH THE ORGANIZED ENCAMPMENTS, BUT THE, BUT THE BASICALLY STREET PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREET AND CAU, YOU KNOW, CAUSING, UM, CUSTOMERS TO NOT COME IN AND, AND PEOPLE TO HAVE TROUBLE OPERATING THEIR BUSINESSES.
IT IS, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.
AND WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE MIDTOWN ORGANIZATION AND WITH THE, UM, AND CHRIS LARSON AT, AT DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
UM, AND WE WORK DAY IN AND DAY OUT ON THIS.
UM, PART OF THE ISSUE, AND, AND I, AND I GIVE US A SHOUT OUT ON THIS IS THAT, BUT BY SAYING THAT WE, WE'LL, WE'LL PUT PEOPLE IN SCATTERED SIGHT.
OF THE 9,000 PEOPLE OUT WHO ARE LIVING IN HOME, WHO ARE LIVING IN PERMANENT HOUSING TODAY, UNDER OUR STRUCTURE, UM, ABOUT 6,800 ARE LIVING IN SCATTERED SIGHT, JUST APARTMENTS WITH FIVE TO 20 PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING, WHO HAD EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS AND THEM, UM, MANY LESS.
AND, AND, AND MANY OF THOSE IN WONDERFUL PLACES LIKE NEW OAK HOUSING OF THE 1200.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD SAY.
[00:40:01]
YOU HAVE A SERVICE AGENCIES AND WE HAVE SERVICE AGENCIES, LIKE GREAT ONES LIKE THE BEACON WHO ARE DOWNTOWN AND THEY SERVE PEOPLE.ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TRIED TO DO IS FOCUS THOSE ON HOUSING AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HANGING OUT THERE ARE THE ONES LOOKING FOR HOUSING AND NOT HAVE EVEN CRIMINAL UH, UH, ISSUES.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS ANYTIME YOU GO TO PEOPLE TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, SOME CRIMINALS COME TO THERE TO SELL DRUGS AND DO OTHER THINGS.
UM, SO IT'S, SO IT'S AN ISSUE.
UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT.
WE PARTNER WITH THE POLICE ON THAT.
UM, BUT COUNCILWOMAN, AND THIS IS WHERE IT GETS TOUGH.
WE HAVE A POVERTY PROBLEM IN OUR COUNTRY.
AND WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM IN OUR COUNTRY.
SO ONE OF THE ISSUES, AND I'LL SPEAK TO THIS, AND SO HER EYES, WELL, 15% WITH I KEEP SAYING 85% SUCCESS RATE.
I KEEP SAYING 85% SUCCESS RATE, 15% OF THESE PEOPLE WOULD BE HOUSED.
ABOUT 300 PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREET.
MANY OF THOSE WOULD HAVE A SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM.
WE NEED TO DO MORE BETTER WITH THAT.
UM, SO THAT'S A, THAT IS AN ISSUE WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO KEEP CRIMINALS AWAY FROM, FROM THESE FOLKS.
BUT I RECOGNIZE THAT, AND IT IS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT WHEN YOU GO TO SAN ANTONIO AND YOU SEE THAT THEY BUILT HAVEN AND FOR HOPE, AND THEY SPEND $20 MILLION A YEAR OF CITY MONEY ON THAT SPEND $120 MILLION BUILDING IT.
THEIR PROBLEM WITH THIS IS EVEN WORSE THAN OURS.
I, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER OTHER THAN BETTER SAFETY NET.
SO VICKI MARTIN, YOU HAD A QUESTION.
THAT WAS GREAT PRESENTATION AND I'M THANKFUL FOR ALL THE EFFORTS AND THINGS THAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
UH, I'M IN, UH, EAST HOUSTON CITY, GUYS.
SO CLAREMONT PLACE IS THE NEARING NEIGHBOR TO SET THE GAS MM-HMM
AND WE HAVE THE UNIQUE PROBLEM THAT PEOPLE ARE PUTTING UP SHEET METAL FENCES.
THAT'S, I CONTINUE TO SET THAT ON THESE MEETINGS.
AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE PLACING THE SHEET METAL FENCING AND BRINGING IN RVS AND TRAILERS.
AND THESE ARE NOT TRAILER PARKS BY DEFINITION.
THEY'RE JUST A OWNER THAT DECIDED I'M GOING TO PLACE SOME TRAILERS ON AN EASEMENT AND PUT UP A SHEET METAL FENCE SO NO ONE CAN SEE.
SO THE PEOPLE ARE LIVING THERE WITH AN EXTENSION CORD AND A PORTER TOILET ON ONE SIDE.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, THERE'S NO PLUMBING AND ELECTRICITY.
SO FAST FORWARD, IT'S A DE RESTRICTION VIOLATION BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ACTIVE DE RESTRICTION.
SO WE WERE JUST RECENTLY BLESSED WITH DE RESTRICTION REACHING OUT, AND I JUST WANNA CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT'S THE APPROPRIATE CONDUIT, BECAUSE THEY TOLD US THAT THEY'VE MAILED A LETTER TO THE OWNER, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING THERE, THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET IN TOUCH WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON'S HOMELESS, UH, UH, COALITION TO HOPEFULLY MOVE THE PEOPLE.
NOW, I'M OKAY WITH THAT BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO BE SHELTERED, BUT WE'VE BEEN MADE WAITING ALMOST THREE YEARS FOR THIS VIOLATION TO CLEAR UP.
SO WHAT IS THE TURNAROUND TIME THAT WE CAN EXPECT THAT IF THE HOMELESS COALITION STEPS IN? ARE WE WAITING ANOTHER THREE YEARS? YEAH.
I'M, I'M GONNA HAVE TO SAY, I'M GONNA, I NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE ISSUES ARE IS WOULD THAT CONSIDER, WOULD THAT PERSON BE CONSIDERED HOMELESS? AND I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
IF THEY'RE LIVING IN A TRAILER, TRAILER TRAILER IN A TRAVEL TRAILER, UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S A, NO, NOT A TRAVEL TRAILER.
I'M JUST, IT'S SO INTERESTING.
AND IT'S, AND IT'S A BIG PROBLEM IN OTHER CITIES IN LOS ANGELES.
THEY HAVE, UH, PARKS FULL OF THAT.
I, I WOULD, I, I I, I, I, I WOULD, I THINK THE DEED RESTRICTION FOLKS ARE PROBABLY THE BETTER FOLKS TO DO IT.
UM, AND THE CITY IS PROBABLY WHO, WHO SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THESE EASEMENTS, UM, SHOULD BE, IS THE RIGHT THING.
UM, AND, AND, AND THE REALITY IS THAT AS THIS GETS TO BE A BIGGER PROBLEM FOR PEOPLE LIKE THAT, IF THEY, MAYBE IT'S JUST MONEY THAT THEY, THEY WANT TO LIVE IN THEIR TRAILER, BUT IT'S JUST MONEY, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY DON'T WANNA PAY RENT.
UM, THERE PROBABLY ANSWERS TO THAT.
I'M NOT SURE IT'S FIRST THE COAL HOMELESS COALITIONS ISSUE BECAUSE, UM, I'M, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A CITY ISSUE.
UH, MAY I INTERJECT FOR A MINUTE AND SURE.
UM, SAY I'M, I'M TENDING TO AGREE WITH MR. NICHOLS'S, UH, LAST COMMENT THERE, THAT THAT'S MORE OF A CITY ISSUE.
[00:45:01]
SO CAN, CAN WE CIRCLE BACK TO YOU IN A FEW MINUTES? WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE QUESTIONS AND I THINK MIGHT BE A COALITION, BUT, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK, WE'LL ASK YOU TO RAISE YOUR HAND AGAIN SO YOU CAN GET BACK IN THE QUEUE.UM, 'CAUSE I'M KIND OF THINKING, AND I'M WOULD LIKE TO ALLOW TIME FOR LIKE, MAYBE CONGRESS, UH, UH, COUNCIL FOR COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, IF YOU COULD POSSIBLY KIND OF PUT YOUR THINKING CAP ON TOO, AND, AND SEE IF THIS WOULD BE A, A CITY ISSUE.
AND IF WE COULD MAYBE COME UP WITH AN ANSWER FOR VICKI AS TO WHERE TO GO.
AND VICKI, I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW EVERYTHING GOING ON BEHIND THOSE FENCES.
I'VE BEEN OVER PEERING OVER THEM IN MANY AREAS.
I'VE BEEN DRIVING AROUND AND SEEING THEM TRUCK LOTS AND HOMELESSNESS AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS GOING ON BEYOND THOSE FENCES.
SO, YES, I, I DO WANNA TACKLE THIS AND HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU MORE OFFLINE ABOUT WHAT THE CITY CAN DO.
UM, WIKI CARDENA, YOU WERE NEXT IN THE QUEUE.
UH, THIS IS RICKY CARDENAS WITH SECOND WARD SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 63.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK, UH, WITH THE, THE COST, THE AVERAGE COST OF YEARLY COST OF OWNING A VEHICLE IN TEXAS, BEING ABOUT, UH, $7,000 A YEAR, ARE THERE ANY STRATEGIES TO HELP, UM, HOUSE SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN NEED THAT MAYBE PUT THEM SOMEWHERE THAT IS ALONG A, UH, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ROUTE WITH, WITH, WITH FREQUENT, UH, BUSES PASSING BY OR POSSIBLY NEAR, UM, SOME SORT OF A BIKEWAY OR A BIKE ROUTE WHERE THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, CHOOSE TO RIDE A BIKE INSTEAD? UM,
SO IT'S, ALL OF OUR FOLKS ARE NEAR THERE.
THAT'S, IT'S AN ISSUE, UM, IN THAT, AND THIS IS JUST GONNA COME UP IN AUSTIN.
THEY BUILT THIS TINY HOMES PLACE FAR AWAY FROM THE CITY, AND IT'S JUST VERY DIFFICULT, UH, SALVATION.
I MEAN, STAR HOPE BUILT ONE BUILT THEIR, UH, CENTER IN AREA OUT AT 2 88 AND SIX 10 AND METRO WORKED WITH THEM TO SET UP BUS ROUTES FROM THERE.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A PROJECT THAT WE HAVE ALL ON ALL OF OUR HOUSING THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE ACCESS TO, TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
YOU CAN'T REALLY, YOU CAN'T REALLY PLACE SOMEBODY IN A, IN A HOUSE WITHOUT ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
JACKIE, JACKIE MAHORN WAS NEXT.
THANK MIKE FOR THE PRESENTATION AND WHAT I WANT TO SAY, I THINK EVERYBODY'S DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WANNA KNOW HOW, UH, THE COMMUNITY CAN HELP OR OTHER NONPROFITS THAT'S NOT CATHOLIC CHARITIES OR THESE BIG ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE I, I HELPED ONE PERSON, ONE FAMILY, AND IT TOOK FROM APRIL TO NOVEMBER TO GET THEM HOUSING.
AND I WANNA HELP WITH THE PROCESS PROCESSES.
MY, MY, MY, YOU KNOW, THE THING THAT I CAN HELP WITH.
UM, AND I THINK SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, UM, MAY HAVE CASE MANAGERS THAT IS OVERLOADED.
AND SO HOW CAN WE AS A COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, HELP WITH THAT? BECAUSE, UH, IT IS BARRIERS.
I KNOW IT TAKES A WHILE, BUT SEVEN MONTHS, AND THESE PEOPLE WERE LIVING IN CARS AND THEY DIDN'T GET HELP WITH HOUSING, UH, UNTIL MAYBE OCTOBER.
AND IT, IT WAS, IT, IT WAS A STRUGGLE FOR ME, BUT TO TRY TO WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO I HAD TO CONTACT THE MAYOR, UH, THEN HE GAVE ME A CONTACT, AND THEN I ENDED UP TALKING TO, UM, JUST A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE TO PUSH THE ISSUE, TO PUSH THE ISSUE OF FINDING THEM AN APARTMENT TO PUSH THE ISSUE OF GETTING THEIR HOUSING, UH, THROUGH THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
BUT, UH, I, I THINK, I WISH I, I WISH I COULD TELL YOU IT WAS EASIER.
WE KEEP REALLY GOOD DATA ON HOW LONG IT TAKES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT TO WHAT WE DO, BUT IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET THROUGH THAT BUREAUCRACY TO GET THROUGH THOSE INSPECTIONS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUT PRESSURE ON THAT.
UH, AGAIN, POLITICALLY, THIS GROUP'S A VERY POWERFUL POLITICAL GROUP,
[00:50:01]
AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL TELL THE NEXT MAYOR HOW IMPORTANT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS AND THAT WE'RE, AND WE WANT THINGS TO MOVE FASTER THERE.AND MAYBE THEY NEED MORE MONEY.
MAYBE THEY NEED, I THINK THEY HAVE THE RIGHT LEADER IN DAVID NORTHERN, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AS FAR AS SMALLER AGENCIES, UM, AGAIN, THE COALITION HAS A PERSON, RENEE EVASO, WHO WORKS WITH SMALLER AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE INVOLVED.
JACKIE, THE ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU IS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I'M TRYING TO BE VERY POSITIVE, BUT HUD IS REALLY HARD TO WORK WITH, UM, THE WAY THE FUNDING WORKS, AND THIS IS JUST, I CAN'T, I MEAN, THIS JUST MAKES ME, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THE FUNDING WORKS IS THE SERVICE PROVIDER HAS TO DO THE WORK, THEN THEY SEND THE COALITION OR THE CITY, OR THE COUNTY THE BILL, THEN WE HAVE TO PAY IT.
THEN WE SEND THE CITY AND THE COUNTY OUR BILL, AND WE GET PAID.
IT TAKES MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS TO DO THAT.
SO WE REALLY, SMALL AGENCY DOESN'T HAVE THE THREE MONTHS OF CASH FLOW TO DO THAT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, WHEN I TOOK OVER, IT WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH CASH FLOW.
UM, AND WE BARELY HAVE IT BECAUSE OF THIS PAY STRUCTURE IN BUSINESS.
I WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
HOUSING ANTI-POVERTY MONEY IS HIGHLY POLICED, IS HARD TO USE, HAS SHORT WINDOWS OF TIME YOU CAN USE.
IT HAS VERY SPECIFIC THINGS YOU CAN USE IT FOR.
AND SADLY, EVEN WITH SOMEBODY LIKE, UM, MARSHA FUDGE IS OUR, UH, SECRETARY OF HOUSING, URBAN AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED WITH THAT.
AND SO IF THE CONGRESSWOMAN'S ON HERE NOW, SHE'S, SHE'S READ MY LETTERS OVER THE YEARS.
YES, WE NEED TO HAVE BIG CHANGES IN HUD.
YES, WE NEED FUNDING FOR SMALLER AGENCIES.
YES, WE NEED NOT TO HAVE IT SO HIGHLY POLICED THAT MAYBE PEOPLE COULD GET PAID AS THEY DO THE WORK, NOT AFTERWARDS.
UM, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
AND AGAIN, WITHOUT INDIVIDUALS TRYING TO HELP OTHER INDIVIDUALS, IT DOESN'T WORK.
THE OTHER SIDE IS THAT SOMETIMES WE GET TO KNOW SOMEONE WHO'S HOMELESS AND THEY MAY NOT BE AS VULNERABLE AS THE NEXT PERSON IN LINE.
AND THAT'S JUST AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE TO FACE.
VULNERABILITY IS MOST LIKELY TO DIE.
I HAVE TO BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SOME VERY GOOD CONVERSATION.
WE ARE KIND OF AT THE END OF OUR, OUR TIMEFRAME FOR THIS.
UM, MAY I ASK THAT CONVERSATION BETWEEN VICKY AND JACKIE AND YOURSELF? UH, MR. NICHOLS.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO CUT OFF THAT, THAT CONVERSATION.
MY, MY CELL NUMBER, YOU READY? THAT'S MY REGULAR CELL NUMBER IS 2 8 1.
AND I'LL HAVE THAT AFTER I RETIRE.
AND MY, UM, EMAIL IS M NICHOLS, M-N-I-C-H-O-L-S, AT HOMELESS HOUSTON.ORG.
AND LOVE TO CONTINUE ANY OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, THE CONVERSATION ON THE TRAILERS IS ON THE RVS IS VERY INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN BROUGHT UP TO ME IN FIVE YEARS.
AND I WILL SAY IN OTHER CITIES, PARTICULARLY PLACES I VISITED LOS ANGELES, ST.
AND, UH, SPOKANE, IT'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
AND I, IT'S SOMETHING I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT.
AND AGAIN, I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
WE APPRECIATE GREATLY WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN YOUR TENURE LEADING THE COALITION.
UH, MY, MY SUCCESSOR KELLY YOUNG IS MUCH SMARTER THAN I AM AND, UH, YOUNGER.
AND, UH, SHE'LL DO A GREAT JOB.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO MEET HER.
UM, UM, YOU ARE WELCOME TO STAY ON AND FOR THE REST OF THE MEETING, WE'D LOVE TO, TO HAVE YOU.
UM, IF IT'S OKAY, I'M GONNA GO HAVE DINNER.
UM, MIKE, WOULD YOU CARE TO INTRODUCE YOU AND KEVIN CARE TO DO MIKE BIKE ADVISORY? Y'ALL ARE UP NEXT.
UM, I'M THE ALLIANCES REPRESENTATIVE ON THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND AT THE LAST GENERAL MEETING IN, UH, NOVEMBER, I'M SORRY, UH, OCTOBER, UM, KEVIN STRICKLAND, PRESIDENT OF SONET RIB 15, UH, BROUGHT FORWARD AN INITIATIVE TO HAVE SOME OF THE
[00:55:01]
EXISTING BIKEWAYS IN HOUSTON NAMED AFTER THE FORMER, UH, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, PAT WALSH.AND SO KEVIN, IF YOU'D LIKE TO STEP IN AND, AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THIS INITIATIVE ABOUT.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? YES, YES, YES, YES.
UM, PAT WALSH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WAS THE FORMER PLANNING, UH, DIRECTOR.
AND IN THE SHORT TIME HE WAS AT THE CITY, HE ACCOMPLISHED SOME SUPER IMPORTANT THINGS FOR THE CITY, ONE OF WHICH WAS ESTABLISHING THE BIKE PLAN, WHICH IS THE SORT OF FORMAL PLAN THAT THE CITY IS SLOWLY, UM, BUT CONSISTENTLY IMPLEMENTING.
WHEN PAT DIED AT HIS MEMORIAL SERVICE, UM, THE MAYOR COMMITTED TO NAMING A BIKE PATH FOR HIM.
AND SO OUR ASK TO THE CITY, WHAT WE WERE PROPOSING, A SMALL GROUP OF US IS WE PUT TOGETHER A SERIES OF BIKE PATHS, AND WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE RENAMED THAT PAT WALSH BIKEWAY.
AND SO OUR ASK FOR THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ADVISORY, UM, COMMITTEE COUNCIL IS A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THAT.
WE'VE GOT SEVERAL ALREADY, SO HAVING ONE FROM Y'ALL WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
UH, OUR PROPOSAL IS RENAMING EXISTING BIKE PATHS THAT STRETCH FROM SIX 10 AT NICHOLSON.
SO NICHOLSON'S A BIKE PATH ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE HEIGHTS ACROSS, UM, MEMORIAL PARK, THROUGH MONTROSE, THROUGH RICE UNIVERSITY, AND ENDING, UH, ROUGHLY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MED CENTER.
AND WHAT'S REALLY AMAZING ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL IS IN THIS CITY, WE DON'T HAVE MANY NORTH SOUTH CORRIDORS, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ON FOOT OR BIKE.
AND BY SORT OF RENAMING THESE, UM, PATHS, WE'RE CREATING A, A CONNECTION THAT CUTS ACROSS THE, UH, MOST OF THE INNER LOOP.
AND THEN, SO THERE'S NO CONSTRUCTION INVOLVED, SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR ANY MONEY FROM THE CITY FOR THAT.
SECOND, WHAT'S REALLY POWERFUL ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS THE ADDITION OF WAY FINDING.
SO ANYBODY WHO'S BIKED ON THE BAYOU PATH, SHE'LL OFTEN SEE LITTLE SIGNS THAT TELL YOU SORT OF WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
WE DON'T HAVE THE EQUIVALENT OF THAT ON THE BIKE PATHS THAT CUT THROUGH THE CITY.
SO AT SOME POINT, WE WERE, WE'RE HOPING TO GET SIGNAGE SO THAT PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE ON THE BIKE PATH WILL KNOW WHERE THEY, THEIR NEXT DESTINATION IS SIMILAR TO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A, A BUS MAP OR A SUBWAY MAP.
UM, WE'RE HOPING WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN BY THIS YEAR, BUT THESE THINGS TAKE TIME.
SO THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'RE GIVING US WILL, MAYBE IT'LL HELP US ACCELERATE THE PROCESS.
DID I KEEP TO MY FIVE MINUTES, MIKE? EARLY? I, I BELIEVE YOU PROBABLY HAVE, YES.
AND, UH, I WANNA THANK, UH, RHONDA SODER.
I HAD PUT TOGETHER A VERY SIMPLE GRAPHIC, WHICH IS UP ON THE SCREEN NOW.
UM, AND THIS IS FROM YOUR SLIDE DECK.
UH, IT'S KEVIN, IF YOU CAN'T SEE IT.
I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UH, THE POLICY OF THE ALLIANCE IS THAT WE DON'T ISSUE LETTERS OF SUPPORT UNTIL INDIVIDUAL, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW A PROPOSAL AND APPROVE IT.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKED, PRESENTING THIS TONIGHT, SO THAT IT CAN BE HOPEFULLY APPROVED AT OUR DECEMBER MEETING.
UH, YOU BRING THIS UP AT YOUR MEETINGS AND, UH, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY IT WOULDN'T BE APPROVED, FRANKLY, BUT, UH, THAT'S THE PROCESS WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.
THAT, THAT THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT.
UH, AND I WAS GONNA FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
UH, SORRY, THAT BYLAWS, THE REQUIREMENT IS TO HAVE A REQUEST COME FORWARD IN A MEETING AND THEN A VOTE TAKEN AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING.
AND THAT WILL BE, I THINK, IN THE, UM, DECEMBER LIVE MEETING, UH, DOWNTOWN.
AND SO, UH, AND I KNOW, UH, I, AND, AND MANY OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS WHO'VE WORKED WITH PAT IN THE PAST, AND HE IS BEEN VERY, HE WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, AND I BROUGHT THIS FORWARD TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO.
UH, IT WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE MAKING THE PRESENTATION TO MIKE.
SO, UM, WE ARE ASKING, THE, THE ASK IS FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE THIS BACK, AS MIKE SAID, TO YOUR
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SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, TALK ABOUT IT, AND WE WILL BRING IT UP AT DECEMBER.AND THE PROPOSAL MOTION WILL BE MADE AT DECEMBER ABOUT ISSUING A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR NAMING THE SPIKE PATH.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT, WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED? THE PROCESS OR ANYTHING? OKAY.
I'M GONNA ASSUME THAT PEOPLE OH, RICKY ASK AWAY.
SO IS, DOES, IS THERE JUST NEED TO BE LIKE A MAJORITY OF SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS, INDIVIDUAL SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT AGREE WITH THIS? OR IS THIS ONLY LEFT UP TO THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE BOARD? OR HOW DO YOU, HOW WOULD WOULD, WOULD WE GO ABOUT THIS? I BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A MAJORITY OF THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
NICK, YOU GOT A QUESTION? THANK YOU.
MY, MY QUESTION IS, UH, WE HELD OUR, OUR NOVEMBER MEETING LAST WEEK, AND WE DON'T MEET IN DECEMBER AS A, AS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 17.
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY ISSUE THAT THIS WOULD NOT GET SUPPORTED.
IT'S JUST WE DON'T HAVE A, A MACH, A MACHINE ISN'T SET UP FOR US TO GET THIS IN TIME FOR NEXT, YOUR NEXT MEETING, I WAS WONDERING, NICK, IF I COULD, UH, SUGGEST, I'M JUST GONNA THROW OUT WHAT WE DO IN BRA, IN BRASSWOOD WHEN WE HAVE THINGS COME UP BETWEEN MEETINGS.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, WE, UH, UNDER OUR BYLAWS CAN DO THINGS VIA EMAIL.
AND SO WE SEND THINGS OUT VIA EMAIL SOMETIMES AND VOTE THAT WAY.
I'M JUST THROWING THAT OUT AS, UM, A METHODOLOGY THAT WE USE.
YEAH, I'LL, I'LL WORK WITH JEFF AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANY, ANYBODY? OKAY, GREAT.
WE'LL, WE'LL BRING THIS UP AGAIN AT DECEMBER.
SO THAT KIND OF LEADS, THANK YOU.
OH, AND I, I REALLY, UH, I PERSONALLY AM IN FAVOR OF THIS, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, AS WE'VE NOTED ON THE MINUTES, AND WE TALKED AND AS WE WERE CHITCHATTING BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED, OUR NEXT MEETING ON DECEMBER THE 11TH, WE WILL BE HELD IN PERSON EXCITEMENT.
EXCITEMENT, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE EVERYBODY.
AND WE WILL BE MEETING BACK AT OUR PLACE, WHICH IS AT THE CITY HALL ANNEX.
UM, WE'LL HAVE DETAILS OUT ABOUT PARKING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE BEEN THERE.
AND, AND PEOPLE MIGHT NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT THE PARKING OPTIONS ARE AND THINGS.
WE WILL HAVE A BRIEF MEETING AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME SOCIAL TIME TO JUST, UM, KIND OF WING OUT THE OLD YEAR, GET READY FOR THE NEW YEAR, AND, AND, AND JUST ENJOY BEING BACK IN PERSON.
SO, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYBODY WITH THAT.
UM, AND THERE'LL BE SOME, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME PUNCH IN COOKIES AND OUT THERE, AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO KIND OF HELP US, UM, WITH SETTING UP AND, AND GETTING THAT READY, PLEASE JUST REACH OUT AND LET, UM, MYSELF, LET ME KNOW.
UM, YOU CAN SEND AN EMAIL TO THE GENERAL SNH, UH, UM, HOUSTON EMAIL ADDRESS, OR YOU CAN EMAIL ME PERSONALLY AND LET ME KNOW.
KEITH, YOU HAD SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO SAY ADD? YEAH, I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE.
IT'S JUST FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER FOR NOW.
BUT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE TALKED ABOUT PERIODICALLY, MAYBE QUARTERLY WE COULD MEET IN PERSON AT THE ANNEX, BUT JUST FOR NOW, IT'S JUST FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.
AND THEN WE HAD ANOTHER ORGANIZATIONAL MATTER, UH, DOUG.
UH, UM, THIS IS DOUG SMITH AND I, UH, WAS APPOINTED TO THE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE ALONG WITH MIKE VAN DUSEN AND MARK KLEIN.
AND WE ARE PROPOSING A SLATE FOR THE ELECTIONS AT OUR JANUARY 8TH MEETING TO INCLUDE CHERYL O'BRIEN AS PRESIDENT, UH, KEITH DOWNEY AS VICE PRESIDENT, AND AMY DEN AS SECRETARY.
AND IF THOSE NAMES SOUND FAMILIAR, THAT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THOSE EXACT POSITIONS RIGHT NOW AND CAN SERVE ANOTHER TERM.
AND AT THE JANUARY MEETING, NOMINATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED FROM THE FLOOR IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE THAT IS INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR ANY OF THESE POSITIONS.
AND AS HE JUST NOTED, ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 8TH, 2024.
IT'S THE JANUARY MEETING, SO NOTICE
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HAS BEEN PROVIDED OF THAT, AND WE'LL BE REMINDING PEOPLE OF THAT IN DECEMBER AS WELL.AND NOW, UM, YES, MIKE, UH, YES.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT IF ANYONE DOES WANNA RUN FOR THESE POSITIONS, UM, THEY CAN SEND AN EMAIL TO, UH, SCO@EMAIL.COM AND, AND LET, LET IT LET THE COMMITTEE KNOW, UM, THAT YOU HAVE A DESIRE TO RUN.
UM, NOW, AT THIS TIME, WE USUALLY RUN, UM, WE'RE RUNNING, UM, WE'RE RUNNING A LITTLE LONG TONIGHT, WHICH IS GOOD.
WE, UH, WE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE COALITION OF THE HOMELESS AND, UM, AND THAT THAT'S A GOING TO BE A BIG ISSUE FACING OUR, OUR NEW MAYOR TO CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM THE CITY HAS MADE WITH THAT.
UM, IF, UM, WE'RE, IF WE'RE GOING INTO THE OPEN FORUM, SO THIS IS THE TIME THAT I ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO SHARE WITH US WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, EVENTS, ACTIVITIES COMING UP, ISSUES OF CONCERN THAT YOU, YOU THINK THE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT.
SO KEITH, YOU'VE GOT YOUR HAND UP.
JUST WANT TO TELL EVERYONE THAT THE MEETING WITH TCEQ OPPOSING OUR, UH, WELCOMING THE ROCK CRUSHING FACILITY, UH, INTO OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH WE ARE OPPOSING AS THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL IS SCHEDULED FALL, UH, THURSDAY, DECEMBER THE SEVENTH AT 6:00 PM AT NEW CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH, UH, THERE ON KELLY STREET DOWN FROM LBJ HOSPITAL.
UH, ALL COMMENTS NEED TO GO IN TO TCEQ BEFORE DECEMBER 7TH BECAUSE TCEQ IS STATED, EVERY COMMENT MADE AT THE MEETING WILL NOT GO ON THE RECORD.
SO JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT TO EVERYONE.
AND EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND THIS MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND TCEQ.
DID ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE? SHIRLEY, THINGS ARE GOING ON IN OTHER SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS.
HEY, CHERYL, I WOULD ACTUALLY,
OH, I HAVE BEEN KICKED OUT FOUR TIMES TONIGHT, SO IT HAS BEEN A BATTLE FOR ME HERE.
SOMEBODY'S IN THE WAITING ROOM TOO, IF YOU GUYS CAN HANDLE THAT.
UH, I, I SEE, I SEE NOBODY IN THE WAITING ROOM, BUT I'M NOT SAYING THERE'S NOT SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY COMPUTER AT THIS POINT.
UM, SANDRA, IF YOU COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, THAT'D BE GREAT.
I JUST, I'M SORRY, IT WAS VICKY GORDON.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON IT, JACKIE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT THE DEPARTMENT NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD LIKE A FEW MINUTES AT, UM, THE DECEMBER MEETING, UM, BECAUSE WE WOULD, WE WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE NEW SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAM, THE GUIDELINES THAT WE'RE ROLLING OUT.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SET, I'VE ALSO INVITED THE MAYOR AND THE, UM, THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
I'LL LET YOU KNOW ON THEIR, UM, THEIR ATTENDANCE AS WELL.
SO SORRY TO KIND OF HIJACK THE MEETING, BUT
UM, IT'S THEIR, IT'S, IT'S HIS PROGRAM.
WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT HIM, SO, UM, IT'S ONLY RIGHT.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU ON THAT, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, SOMEONE ALSO ASKED ABOUT, UM, THE MAP BEING INCLUDED IN THE CORRESPONDENCE FOR, UM, THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE RENAMING.
AND, UM, SO IF YOU COULD JUST INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR MAIL OUT TO EVERYBODY, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO, TO SHARE WITH THE GROUP? ANY HOLIDAY UPCOMING HOLIDAY EVENTS GOING ON IN YOUR SUPER NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU WANNA ANNOUNCE OR OH, OR YOU'LL GIVE ANOTHER MINUTE OR TWO FOR PEOPLE TO SHARE IF YOU HAVE NEW BUSINESS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP, OR IF THERE'S UNANSWERED OLD BUSINESS YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS.
OH, ONE THING I WANNA ALSO LET EVERYONE KNOW, UM, THE RESILIENT SIDEWALKS
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PLAN, UH, PUT TOGETHER BY MIG AND THE RESIDENTS OF CASHMERE AND GULFTON, UM, WON THE GOLD AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION, UH, TEXAS CHAPTER.AND IT WAS AWARDED THIS PAST, UH, FRIDAY IN CORPUS CHRISTI.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A, UH, SIDEWALK TOOLKIT THAT CAN BE USED BY ANY COMMUNITY.
SO REACH OUT TO YOUR, UH, REPRESENTATIVES, UH, WHETHER IT'S YOUR COUNCIL OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND LET THEM KNOW YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS RESILIENT SIDEWALK PLAN BECAUSE IT TELLS YOU NOT ONLY THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT TYPES OF PAVEMENT OUT THERE THAT CAN BE INSTALLED, BUT ALSO POSSIBLE FUNDING STREAMS FOR THE CITY TO GO AFTER THE PAY FOR IT.
MR. RAINWATER, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP? YES.
I WAS JUST GONNA LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD 41 WILL BE DOING, UH, UH, WE HAVE A SANTA AT THE, UH, COMMUNITY CENTER AND THAT'S GONNA BE LIKE DECEMBER THE NINTH, UH, FROM 11 TO I THINK ONE 11 OR TWO.
NOT SURE ON THE END TIME, BUT I KNOW IT STARTS AT 11 AND WE'LL HAVE THE SANTA THERE AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING FOR KIDS AND STUFF, GIVE AWAY FREE PACKAGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW WE ARE DOING THAT.
THEY'RE SAYING THAT VICKI IS STILL IN THE WAITING ROOM, BUT YET VICKI WAS IN THE MEETING, SO DID SHE GET KICKED OUT? HMM.
CHERYL, DO YOU WANT TO ASK IF THERE ARE ANY ELECTED OFFICIALS OR REPRESENTATIVES? THAT'S WHAT I IS COMING UP TO NOW.
I'VE, I'VE WAITED ON TWO MINUTES AND NOBODY ELSE HAS RAISED THEIR HANDS.
NOW'S THE TIME FOR IC THAT WE'VE GOT.
UM, DISTRICT K IS OUT THERE AND SHE'S GOT HER HAND UP, SO DEEDEE
UM, MADAM PRESIDENT, I'M DEEDEE CHAVIS, CHIEF OF STAFF OF VICE MAYOR PRO.
TIM MARTHA CASTEX TATUM, COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT K.
I'LL SHARE MY INFORMATION IN THE CHAT, BUT ALSO WANTED TO SHARE, UM, OUR DISTRICT K UPDATE.
WE'VE GOT SOME TURKEY GIVEAWAY AND FOOD EVENTS THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT THIS WEEK AND ALSO NEXT WEEK.
AND I'LL PUT THAT INFORMATION IN THE CHAT.
BUT A GREAT MEETING THIS EVENING.
UM, NEXT WEEK IS COUNCIL BREAK WEEK, SO THERE WILL NOT BE A COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, AND ALSO WANNA WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN HAD TO LEAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER MEETING, BUT SHE SAID IF ANYBODY HAD ANYTHING THAT THEY NEEDED TO HELP HER HELP WITH, TO FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO HER OFFICE.
UM, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE THAT, UM, HAS THEIR HANDS UP OR THAT WOULD INDICATE THEY WANTED TO SPEAK.
UM, UH, PASTOR DEB IS YOUR HAND UP.
JUST QUICKLY, COULD YOU PUT, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN'S, UM, CONTACT INFORMATION IN THE CHAT PLEASE? THANK YOU.
ANYBODY ELSE? WELL IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S IT.
UM, LET ME GET THIS OUT THERE FOR YOU IN THE CHAT AND THEN WE'LL HAVE ONE LAST OPPORTUNITY AND THEN WE CAN, UM, SAY THE MEETING, UM, ENTERTAIN A MEETING TO, UH, MOTION TO ADJOURN.
DEB, DID YOU SEE THE, THE CONTACT INFO? OKAY, GREAT.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
AYE, Y'ALL HAVE A NICE THANKSGIVING.
REMEMBER DECEMBER THE 11TH IN PERSON WE WILL SEND OUT THE NOTICE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING
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EVERYBODY THERE.