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GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, PATIENCE.
TODAY IS DEC UH, TODAY IS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19TH, 2023 AT 10:00 AM AND I AM THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE HOUSING COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
AND I OFFICIALLY CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
BUT BEFORE WE READ THE AGENDA, I, I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A POINT OF PRIVILEGE TO MY COLLEAGUE OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS, OUR VICE CHAIR, DAVID ROBINSON.
UM, IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS, I'D LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE ALL THE BEST OF THE SEASON OF LIGHT, UH, WHERE THERE HAS DARKNESS, THERE WILL BE A GREAT LIGHT.
AND IN THIS SEASON, UH, WE HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY, GRACE OVER, UM, CHAIR AND COUNCILWOMAN.
I WANNA SAY WHAT A PLEASURE IT'S BEEN TO SERVE WITH YOU, WHAT GREAT HOPES I HAVE, AND, UM, FEELINGS OF TRUST AND BLESSINGS, UM, FOR THIS GREAT CITY AND FOR THIS COMMITTEE FOR THE FUTURE OF HOUSING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND IF EVER THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP YOU, I HOPE YOU'LL LET ME KNOW.
AND WITH THAT, UM, LET THIS MEETING COMMENCE.
AND, UH, JUST TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU, UH, AS BEING A COLLEAGUE FOR ME FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, UH, NOT JUST AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT A VICE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE, AS YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAVE WEATHERED ALONG WITH THE DEPARTMENT, EVERYTHING FROM THE GLO, UH, AFFORDABILITY, HOMELESSNESS, EVERY ISSUE THAT HAS COME THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR BEING MY PARTNER, HAND IN HAND IN THIS, UM, AND LENDING YOUR EXPERTISE AS AN ARCHITECT.
I, I WILL FORGET, NOT HAVING SOMEONE SAY, AND CAN WE FIND, KNOW WHO THE ARCHITECT IS ON THIS DEAL? CAN YOU PUT THAT ON THE POWERPOINT? SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT MOVES FORWARD AS A PRACTICE, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
SO IF YOU'RE EVER SO BORED, UH, WATCHING HTV AND WATCHING COMMITTEE MEETINGS, YOU'LL, YOU'LL FOREVER SEE THAT NOTED ON THE PRESENTATION.
SO IT APPRECIATE THAT PAIN DOES MATTER.
TODAY'S, UH, TODAY'S PRESENTATIONS WE'LL HEAR FROM THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE'LL ALSO HEAR FROM THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, UM, AND THE DEPARTMENT WILL PRESENT THE FOLLOWING, UH, UH, COMPLIANCE AND GRANT REPORTING.
RECOMME RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AN AMENDMENT TO A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
PRESENTED BY THE DIRECTOR AND OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, KENISHA LONDON, UH, WE'LL HEAR FROM PUBLIC FACILITIES RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING AN ORDINANCE FOR A $1.78 MILLION FORGIVABLE LOAN BETWEEN THE CITY AND HOUSTON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INCORPORATED, KNOWN AS HBDI FOR THE BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER.
PRESENTED BY THE DIRECTOR AND THE DIVISION MANAGER, SHARONDA LIDDELL WILL HEAR FROM PUBLIC SERVICES REGARDING AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING A NEW AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND SARAH.
JOBS FOR OVER A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN HUD AND APA FUNDS AND AMENDMENT, AND NEW CONTRACTS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COALITION OF THE HOMELESS.
PRESENTED BY OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF MELODY BARR, WE'LL HEAR FROM FA, A SINGLE FAMILY DIVISION FOR RECOMMENDATIONS ON ORDINANCES REGARDING DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE HOME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, AND A LOAN FOR SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT PRESENTED BY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CEDRIC SAIN.
UM, IN CLOSING, WE'LL HEAR DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS PRESENTED BY DIRECTOR BYNUM, AND WE'LL INCLUDE A-C-D-B-G-D-R 17 UPDATE, UH, HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PRODUCTION REPORT FROM OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND CFO TAMIKA JONES, AND A PRESENTATION FROM THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DR. ASHLEY PAGE.
AT THIS POINT, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS SIGNED UP, UH, BUT IF YOU ARE PRESENT AND YOU CAN SIGN UP TO SPEAK AT THE END OF THE MEETING, I DO SEE DOUG SMITH, UH, ONE OF THE, THE, THE, WE CAN'T HAVE A MEETING WITHOUT DOUG SMITH.
SO DOUG SMITH IS IN THE HOUSE, AND I ASSUME HE'LL BE SPEAKING LATER TONIGHT.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, UH, WELCOME, UH, DIRECTOR AND HIS STAFF, UH, VICE MAYOR PRO TEM IN ATTENDANCE, AND WE HAVE STAFF FROM REPRESENTING OFFICES FROM COUNCIL MEMBER AMY PECK'S, OFFICE DISTRICT A COUNCIL MEMBER TARSHA JACKSON'S OFFICE, DISTRICT B STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ABBY CAYMAN, DISTRICT C STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ, DISTRICT D STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER ANNE HUFFMAN, DISTRICT G.
AND THEN WE HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER LETITIA PLUMMER AT LARGE FOUR.
AND WE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE STAFF AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AS THEY COME IN.
WE WILL START WITH OUR FIRST PRESENTATION, UH, FROM COMPLIANCE AND GRANT ADMINISTRATION, UH, FROM DEPUTY DIRECTOR KENISHA LONDON.
THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A NINTH AMENDMENT, EXTENDING THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE TEXAS, TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024.
THIS AMENDMENT WILL ALLOW FOR THE COMPLETION AND CLOSEOUT OF THE ST.
ELIZABETH PLACE REHABILITATION PROJECT, WHICH IS AN 85 UNIT MULTI-FAMILY RENTAL HOUSING COMPLEX IN THE LYONS AVENUE CORRIDOR IN HOUSTON FIFTH WARD.
THE NEXT PAGE, YOU'LL SEE A SLIDE OF ST.
ELIZABETH'S PLACE, UM, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
AND THE FINAL SLIDE IS A RENDERING OF WHAT ST.
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PLACE WILL LOOK LIKE UPON COMPLETION.THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT THIS EXTENSION IS? JUST FOR THIS ITEM? AND THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE ORIGINAL EXTENSION, THE SIX MONTH EXTENSION WE RECEIVED FROM GLO.
AND SO THIS IS WITH OUR HURRICANE, UM, IKE CONTRACT WITH THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE HAD ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UM, UH, FOR THIS AWARD AND, UH, THE ST.
ELIZABETH PROJECT NEEDED ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND SO THEY ALLOWED US TO USE FUNDS TO CLOSE OUT THIS PROJECT.
THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS PUBLIC FACILITIES.
THAT PRESENTATION WILL BE DONE BY DIVISION MANAGER SHARONDA LIDDELL.
GOOD MORNING FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER THREE.
THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS RECOMMENDING CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED IN A FORGIVABLE LOAN AGREEMENT, WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO A GRANT WITH CONDITIONS BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, INC.
THIS AGREEMENT WILL ALLOW FOR PHASE TWO CONTINUED RENOVATION IMPROVEMENTS AT 2,500 VICTORY DRIVE TO RENOVATE THREE BUILDINGS TO THE BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER.
THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDS E-D-I-C-P-F ARE CONGRESSIONALLY EARMARKED FOR THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT FISCAL YEAR 22 GRANT ACAP APPLICATION THAT WAS APPROVED FOR THE BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER, IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AMOUNT OF 1.78 MILLION.
YOU WILL SEE ULTIMATELY THE FACILITY RENOVATIONS WILL PROVIDE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, JOB TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND A CHILDCARE LEARNING CENTER.
RENOVATIONS AT THE SITE WILL INCLUDE NEW ROOF WORK, ROOF ABATEMENT, AND NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, AUDIO VISUAL AND SECURITY SYSTEMS. INTERIOR RENOVATIONS INCLUDE INSTALLATION OF NEW PLUMBING SYSTEM AND SPRAY INSTALLATION IN THE CLASSROOM CEILINGS.
EXTERIOR RENOVATIONS INCLUDE EXTERIOR HOLLOW DOORS, FRAMES, HARDWARE, AND WINDOW INSTALLATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM AREA.
FUNDING WILL BE COLLECTIVELY UTILIZED FOR RENOVATIONS TO FOUR OF THOSE BUILDINGS ON THE SITE.
UPON PROJECT COMPLETION, HBDI WILL ASSUME ALL OF THE OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE AGREEMENT AS THE MANAGER AND OPERATOR OF THE PROGRAM SERVICES OF BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER THAT WILL PROVIDE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ACRES HOME COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
PREVIOUS, PREVIOUSLY, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED ORDINANCE OF 1.5 MILLION IN CBG FUNDS AND COLLECTIVELY AMOUNT OF FOUR POINT MILLION IN GENERAL FUNDS FOR PHASE TWO RENOVATIONS OF THE BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER WITH THE ADDITION OF THIS 1.78 MILLION IN CPF FUNDS REQUESTED IN THIS COUNCIL ACTION AND 1.12 IN ADDITIONAL SPONSOR CON CONTRIBUTIONS.
THE TOTAL PROJECT BUDGET FOR PHASE TWO IS 8.4 MILLION.
THIS CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM.
AND WE DO HAVE, UH, MINISTER MARSHALL HERE REPRESENTING HBDI.
UH, TWO CLARIFYING QUESTIONS FOR ME.
SO, UH, THE FEDERAL EARMARK, THIS ITEM'S ON THE AGENDA TOMORROW FOR A VOTE, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO NOTE THAT COLLEAGUE, THIS IS WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA, SO YOU'LL SEE THIS.
SO, UM, THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY AUTHORIZED FOR BETHUNE, WERE THOSE USED AS MATCHING DOLLARS FOR THIS $1.7 MILLION? NO, MA'AM.
SO THEY'RE GONNA DO ALL THAT WITH $1.7 MILLION? YES.
SO THE FIRST MONEY WAS PHASE ONE.
THIS IS GOING TO PHASE TWO, BUT STILL WITH $1.7 MILLION, THEY'RE GONNA DO ALL THAT.
AND THEY ALSO HAVE OTHER SPONSORED CONTRIBUTIONS.
SO JUST A PHASE OF THE WORK IS GONNA USE THE CPF FUNDS.
AND THEN THE TOTAL CONTRIBUTION FROM THE CITY IS 8.4 PLUS THE FEDERAL EARMARK.
THAT INCLUDES ALSO THE 1.1 SPONSOR.
SO THE NEXT PHASE OF THAT, UH, WHICH THIS BREAKDOWN THAT'S ON THE SCREEN THAT KIND OF SHOWS THOSE DIFFERENT AMOUNTS FROM THE CITY.
SO ONLY THAT 1.1 IS SPONSOR CONTRIBUTIONS.
SO THE SPONSOR CONTRIBUTIONS, THAT'S NOT THE FEDERAL EARMARK, THAT'S CORRECT.
RIGHT? THESE ARE PRIVATE DOLLARS RAISED? THAT'S CORRECT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE.
SO IS IT POSSIBLE TO JUST KIND OF TALK THROUGH WHAT ACT ONCE THIS IS BUILT, UM, WHAT THE END GOAL IS FOR THE USE OF THE EMPOWERMENT CENTER? I KNOW IN GENERAL WHAT WILL HAPPEN HERE, BUT I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ALREADY SOME SPECIFICS IN PLACE.
UM, AND IF YOU CAN REMIND ME OF THE TIMELINE OF WHEN IT'S DONE AND WHAT THE END GOAL IS FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
SO ULTIMATELY THE END GOAL IS TO PROVIDE THE WORKFORCE
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DEVELOPMENT, SOME JOB TRAINING, EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AND A CHILDCARE LEARNING CENTER.NOW, I DO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM HB I FOR MD IF HE WANTS TO KIND OF COME UP AND SURE.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT A PROJECT THAT WE'RE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER.
SOME OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT WILL GO ON AT THE SITE WILL INCLUDE NOT ONLY, UH, DAYCARE CENTER, BUT ALSO BE TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN.
THERE'S GONNA BE A ROBOTICS LAB THERE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE LONE STAR COLLEGE IS ONE OF OUR FIRST TENANTS, AND THEY, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE A LOCATION THERE IN THE COMMUNITY, THEY WILL NOW HAVE A EV CHARGING STATION TRAINING FOR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT.
THEY'LL ALSO BE, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY, THERE'LL BE A EVENT CENTER THERE.
UH, IN, IN THAT WE ARE CONVERTING WHAT USED TO BE THE CATOR INTO THAT EVENT SPACE.
WE, AS YOU MAY KNOW AS HOUSTON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE A-C-D-F-I, WHICH IS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCE INSTITUTION.
AND WE WILL BE PROVIDING LOANS, SMALL BUSINESS LOANS TO THE COMMUNITY THERE.
WE CURRENTLY ARE HOUSED ON THE 20 ACRE SITE, WHICH IS AT PALM CENTER, WHICH IS AT THE INTERSECTION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING AND GRIGGS ROAD.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE SIMPLY REPLICATING THE SUCCESS WE'VE HAD IN SOUTHEAST HOUSTON AND NORTH HOUSTON.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN THERE FOR 30 YEARS.
AND FOR THE BODY, THIS BODY TO KNOW, WE WERE BORN OUT OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
OUR DIRECTOR, MARLON MITCHELL WAS A STAFF MEMBER HERE AND WAS, UH, ASKED TO GO OUT AND LEAD THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, UH, PHASE, UH, IN THE PALM CENTER AT THAT LOCATION.
SO JUST TO GIVE EVERYBODY A LITTLE BACKGROUND, WE WERE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARM OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON WHEN WE WERE PUT OUT AT PALM CENTER.
WE'VE SINCE BEEN DIVESTED OF THAT AND ARE NOW LOOKING TO EXPAND WHAT WE DO.
SO WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE BUILD OUT? SO THE BUILD OUT THAT YOU'RE TALKING TO NOW IS PHASE TWO.
THAT SHOULD BE, UH, DONE IN THE NEXT 90 DAYS.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING ON IT SINCE JUNE OF LAST YEAR, OR OF THIS YEAR RATHER.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A YEAR LONG, UH, DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
WE HAD THE RIBBON CUTTING, AND NOW WE'RE ON THE PHASE TWO.
AND THEN WHAT'S THE TOTAL TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT? SO THE ENTIRE PROJECT WILL BE DONE, UH, AT THE END OF THIS NEXT, UH, 90 DAYS.
WE'RE ALREADY IN, AS I JUST MENTIONED, WE ARE SIX MONTHS INTO IT.
SO THESE FUNDS THAT WE'RE BEING ALLOCATED NOW, UH, WE'RE ALREADY PRESUMED TO BE COMING OUR WAY.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN, OUT OF OUR OWN POCKET WITH OUR OWN RESOURCES.
SO THIS WILL BE ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS AND WE SHOULD BE DONE WITHIN THE NEXT 90 DAYS.
AND I'M ASKING THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE DID THE LEGACY TOUR THIS WEEKEND, WE RODE BY THE BETHUNE EMPOWERMENT CENTER, AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE PART WHERE THE LONE STAR COLLEGE IS CURRENTLY, IS THAT GOING TO GO INTO A RENOVATION? ARE THEY GONNA RENOVATE THAT? AND THEN WILL THAT BE USED AS RENTAL SPACE? HOW, HOW WILL THE GOOD QUESTION, EMPOWERMENT CENTER GENERATE INCOME FOR OPERATIONS? SURE.
SO YES, JUST AS WE'VE DONE AT THE PALM CENTER, IT WAS THE DILAPIDATED BUILDING THAT WAS IN DISREPAIR.
WE'RE DOING THE SAME THING THERE.
LONE STAR COLLEGE IS, IS OUR SECOND TENANT ACTUALLY.
AND THEY ARE BEING AND RENT, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, RENT PAYING TENANT.
SO WE'LL BE DOING THAT THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CENTER.
WE HAVE OVER 22,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE THAT WE'LL BE LEASING OUT FOR, FOR LEASE.
AND SO THAT WE CAN BE SELF-SUSTAINING.
SO, AND THE EVENT CENTER WILL BE, UH, ON A, A LEASE THAT PEOPLE CAN LEASE THAT EVENT SPACE FOR GEN GENERATING INCOME FOR THE CENTER? ABSOLUTELY.
THE, THE COMMUNITY WILL HAVE A PLACE TO CALL HOME.
WE WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT IF THEY WANT TO HAVE EVENTS THERE, THEY'RE FEELING COMFORTABLE THAT THEY CAN COME.
AGAIN, WE WILL BE STAFFED AND ON CAMPUS THERE, SO THEY CAN JUST SIMPLY WALK THROUGH THE DOOR, MEET WITH OUR STAFF, AND WE'LL BE MAKING THAT AVAILABLE TO THEM THERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE BEFORE WE MOVE ON? DISTRICT B? OKAY, COOL.
CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY THE SMALL BUSINESS LOANS, UM, HOW MUCH ARE Y'ALL PLANNING ON IN TERMS OF INVESTING IN MICRO, ARE THERE MICRO LOANS OR THE THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
CAN YOU COLOR IN THE LINES ON THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DO CURRENTLY.
SO YES, WE HAVE OUT OF OUR OWN RESOURCES, UM, WE HAVE OVER 220 CURRENT, UH, BORROWERS RIGHT NOW, UH,
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THAT WE DO LOANS TO.THOSE START AT $5,000 AND GO ALL THE WAY UP TO $500,000, DEPENDING ON YOUR CREDIT WORTHINESS AND THE TYPE OF BUSINESS THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOING.
WE ALSO HAVE WORKING, UH, WORKING CREDITS.
UM, WE DO, UM, NOT ONLY SMALL BUSINESS, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOME BUILDINGS, REAL ESTATE, UM, RESTAURANTS, I'M JUST GIVING YOU AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE TYPES OF LOANS THAT WE DO.
SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE, OF THAT 200 OR SO CLIENTS WE HAVE, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
WE, WE LOAN FOR, UH, TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NORMALLY NON BANKABLE FOLKS THAT DON'T QUITE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO INTO A BANK AND GET A LOAN, THEY CAN COME AND SEE US BECAUSE OUR, OUR PARAMETERS ARE A LITTLE SOFTER, SO TO SPEAK.
SO WE'LL BE MAKING THAT AVAILABLE TO THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND WE'LL HAVE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'LL HAVE A STAFF MEMBER THERE TO DO THAT.
UM, WE ARE, WE'VE ALREADY AUTHORIZED 2.1 FOR OPERATING COSTS, I BELIEVE.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE COMING BACK FOR A REAUTHORIZATION OF OPERATING COSTS OR NOT? WOULD YOU BE SELF-SUSTAINING AT THE TIME? WE DO NOT.
PART OF THE REASON THAT WE WERE COMING AT THE OUTSET WAS SO THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH THIS BODY THAT THE SAME SUCCESS WE'VE HAD AT PALM CENTER IS THE SAME SUCCESS THAT WE PLAN TO HAVE HERE.
WE HAVE, UH, AT ONE POINT WE WERE A PART OF THE CITY'S LINE ITEM.
WE WERE A $2 MILLION A YEAR LINE ITEM FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND AFTER THE TIME THAT MR. MITCHELL, OUR CEO HAS BEEN LEADING US, WE ARE NOW OFF THE CITY'S LEDGER ALTOGETHER.
SO WE PLAN TO REPLICATE THAT SUCCESS AND DO THE SAME THING THERE.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, UH, PUBLIC SERVICES, UH, PRESENT AND PRESENTING.
THAT WILL BE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MELODY BAR.
UM, ITEM FOUR A, THE DEPARTMENT IS PRESENTING AN AGREEMENT WITH SARAH JOBS FOR PROGRESS OF THE TEXAS GULF COAST, PROVIDING UP TO FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE, FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY $3,776 AND 58 CENTS, AND HUD COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDS OR HUD CPF AND $68,310 IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN AT CORONAVIRUS STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL RECOVERY FUNDS, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS ARPA FUNDS FOR THE HOUSTON FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER PROGRAM.
THIS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE SERVICES TO A MINIMUM OF 800 UNDUPLICATED INDIVIDUALS PER YEAR.
THESE SERVICES WILL INCLUDE FINANCIAL COUNSELING, COACHING, LIKE CASE MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL LITERACY EDUCATION.
ADDITIONALLY, OF WHICH 200 INDIVIDUALS SERVED WILL HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE AND AFFORDABLE BANKING PRODUCTS SUCH AS CHECKING AND SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AND ALIKE.
AND 50 OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE ASSISTED WITH INCREASING THEIR SAVINGS ACCOUNTS.
THE HOUSTON FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTERS ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO ANY RESIDENT AT NO CHARGE.
SARAH JOSS, OR PROGRESS WILL PROVIDE FINANCIAL COUNSELING SERVICES AT FOUR LOCATIONS WITH HOURS OF OPERATION ON WEEKDAYS FROM 8:00 AM TO 5:00 PM THOSE LOCATIONS INCLUDE ACRE HOMES, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, CASHMERE GARDENS, MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, MAGNOLIA PARK, MANCHESTER MULTI-SERVICE CENTER, AND SUNNYSIDE MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
THE TERM OF THIS AGREEMENT IS FOR 24 MONTHS, BEGINNING FEBRUARY 1ST, 2024, AND ENDING JANUARY 31ST, 2026.
COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING IS ALLOCATED BY THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS AS CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING OF FEDERAL FUNDS.
OUR DEPARTMENT IN COORDINATION WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, A COMPLETE COMMUNITY SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION TO HUD TO RECEIVE AN AWARD OF HUD CPF FUNDS FOR SARAH, JOBS FOR PROGRESS, BEING DESIGNATED AS THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE APPROVED APPLICATION.
TODAY WE HAVE ROBERTO HOWARD IN THE AUDIENCE WITH US.
HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES.
UH, JUST I JUST WANNA NOTE ON RECORD THAT DISTRICT B GETS EVERYTHING THEY HAVE BETHUNE AND THEY'RE ALSO GETTING THIS.
I JUST WANT THAT ON THE RECORD.
UM, AND ACTUALLY THE NEXT THREE ITEMS I'M GOING TO TAKE TOGETHER AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THE END.
UM, AS IT IS THE SAME ORGANIZATION, ITEM FOUR B, THE DEPARTMENT IS PRESENTING A THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS OF HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY.
WE COMMONLY REFER TO THEM AS THE COALITION, UM, TO PROVIDE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL $554,540 IN HOMELESS HOUSING AND SERVICES PROGRAM, ALSO REFERRED TO AS HHSP FUNDING AND $57,694
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AN ENDING HOMELESS FUND EHF FOR A TOTAL OF $612,234 TO BE UTILIZED AS PART OF THE OPERATIONS FOR THE NAVIGATION CENTER.NOW, YOUR, UH, AGENDA MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT ITEM OR A DIFFERENT AMOUNT FOR THE ENDING HOMELESS FUNDS.
THAT WAS 64,000 1 0 4 THAT WAS NOTED.
SO THIS IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT LESS.
THAT NUMBER ACTUALLY INCLUDED THE ADMIN COST THAT, UM, IS, UM, UTILIZED BY OUR DEPARTMENT.
THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING WILL SUPPORT ELIGIBLE ESSENTIAL SERVICES SUCH AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO FOOD SUPPLIES AND SECURITY SERVICES REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO THE USE OF PREVIOUSLY APPROVED CDBG CV FUNDS FOR OPERATIONS DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THE PURCHASE OF FOOD.
UM, HHSP FUNDING WILL, WILL BE USED TO ASSIST WITH PROVIDING THREE MEALS A DAYS TO CLIENTS RESIDING AT THIS FACILITY.
AND THE TERM OF THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE EXTENDED TO JANUARY 31ST, 2025 ITEM.
FORESEE THE DEPARTMENT IS PRESENTING A FIFTH AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT WITH THE COALITION TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR UP TO AN ADDITIONAL $151,005 IN BOTH EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT FUNDS, WHICH TOTAL $85,000 AND THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS FUNDS, WHICH IS $66,005 FOR THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM REFERRED TO AS HMIS.
THE HMIS SYSTEM ENABLES THE COMMUNITY TO TRACK HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVING ASSISTANCE THROUGH VARY THROUGH, THROUGH A VARIETY OF FUNDING STREAMS. THE SOFTWARE DESIGN ENABLES THE HOMELESS SYSTEM TO RECORD AND STORE INDIVIDUAL CLIENT DATA, TYPES OF SERVICES, UTILIZED OUTCOMES, REDUCED DUPLICATION AND PRODUCE REPORTS UTILIZED BY THE HOMELESS SYSTEM, AS WELL AS THE HOPPER PROGRAM AND OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMMING.
THIS AGREEMENT WILL PROVIDE FUNDING THROUGH APRIL 30TH, 2024.
THE COALITION BEGAN RECEIVING FUNDING FOR HMIS OPERATIONS THROUGH THE CITY IN 2012.
AND AS OF OCTOBER OF 2023, THE COALITION HAS OPERATED AND MAINTAINED HMIS, UM, AND THE LOCAL CONTINUUM OF CARE, UTILIZING 100% OF FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR WITH THEIR INITIAL CONTRACT AND AMENDMENTS.
THERE WERE NO FINDINGS IN MOST RECENT THERE.
ANNUAL COMPLIANCE AND MONITORING REPORT.
ITEM FOUR D THE DEPARTMENT IS PRESENTING A NEW CONTRACT, UH, FOR SERVICES WITH THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS TO PROVIDE UP TO $130,000 IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS, CDBG FOR STRATEGIC HOMELESS PLANNING ACTIVITIES.
THE CONTRACT PROVIDES FUNDING TO FINANCE THE ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION OF THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS AS THE LEAD AGENCY FOR THE WAY HOME HOUSTON SYSTEM.
THE COALITION IS THE SOLE SOURCE PROVIDER FOR DATA AND ANALYSIS ON HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM TREND THAT GUIDES A DEVELOPMENT, ADVOCACY AND COORDINATION OF COMMUNITY STRATEGIES TO PREVENT AND EFFECTIVELY END HOMELESSNESS.
THE COALITION WILL ADDRESS ISSUES OF HOMELESSNESS AND ASSIST IN PROVIDING SYSTEMATIC SOLUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE LAND THROUGH LANDLORD ENGAGEMENT, STAKEHOLDER RECRUITMENT, DATA ANALYSIS, DATA REPORTING, GAP ANALYSIS, AND A LIKE SUCH ACTIVITIES MUST BE PERFORMED TO LEVERAGE AND RECEIVE APPROXIMATELY $42 MILLION OF FEDERAL COC FUNDS TO COMBAT HOMELESSNESS.
THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS HAS RECEIVED FUNDING THROUGH THE CITY FOR A VARIETY OF CONTRACTS SINCE 1997.
THERE ARE NO FINDINGS AGAIN ON THEIR MOST RECENT COMPLIANCE AND MONITORING REPORT.
AND TODAY WE HAVE ANNA ROUSH, THE VICE PRESIDENT HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
CAN WE START ON PAGE 26, THE, UH, NAVIGATION CENTER OPERATIONS.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE FUNDING, WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING THE DEPARTMENT IS RECOMMENDING TO EXTEND THE CONTRACT THROUGH 2025.
WHAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS? IS IT GONNA TAKE THEM THIS, THAT TIME TO EXPEND THE MONEY? SO, UM, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE CHIP 2.0, UM, UM, PROGRAM, WHICH IS COMMUNITY COVID HOUSING PROGRAM, WE HAVE, UH, AS A SYSTEM HAVE AGREED TO END THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM TO JANUARY OF 2025.
SO, UH, SERVES AS A BRIDGE BRIDGE COMPONENT.
SO AS YOU SEE THE DECOMMISSIONING OF ENCAMPMENTS MM-HMM
THOSE INDIVIDUALS COME INTO THE NAVIGATION CENTER, THEY UTILIZE THOSE BREAD, THOSE BEDS, WHICH BRIDGES THEM INTO PERMANENT HOUSING MM-HMM
AND SO WE NEED THAT TIME IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
LET'S GO TO, LET'S GO TO PAGE 33, THE STRATEGIC HOMELESS PLANNING SERVICES.
I THINK SIMILAR ITEMS HAVE COME BEFORE COUNCIL BEFORE
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SUPPORTING THIS.SO THEN HOW DO, UM, THE COALITION IS THE LEAD AGENCY, HOW ARE Y'ALL MANAGING FEEDBACK FROM OTHER AGENCIES THAT WOULD OFFER THAT THERE MAY BE DELAY WORKING WITH A, A THIRD PARTY AGENCY VERSUS BEING A DIRECT PROVIDER OF THESE SERVICES IN THEIR AREA? SO THE COALITION IS NOT A DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDER IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT AS PART OF THE CONTINUUM OF CARE PROCESS, A VARIETY OF OVER A HUNDRED, UM, PLUS AGENCIES GET TOGETHER.
AND THEY MEET, I BELIEVE MONTHLY.
THEY REALLY, THEY, THEY, THEY COME AND THEY MEET MONTHLY.
THERE IS A STEERING COMMITTEE THAT GOVERNS THE, UM, THE LEAD AGENCY OR THE WAY HOME SYSTEM.
TWO PROVIDERS ARE SELECTED TO BE THE VOICE AND THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THOSE PARTICULAR AGENCIES.
SO WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS PARTICULAR GRANT IS IT ASSISTS IN HELPING PLAY, UM, PAY FOR THE POINT IN TIME COUNT THE POINT IN TIME, ALSO REFER, UH, REFERRED TO AS THAT NUMERATION COUNT, WHICH HAPPENS AT THE END OF JANUARY.
SO PLEASE LOOK AT YOUR EMAILS AND TRY TO VOLUNTEER.
UM, THAT DATA IS USED BY OUR OFFICE TO GO BACK TO HUD TO SAY, THIS IS WHY WE ARE SPENDING THE MONEY IN THIS WAY.
IT ALLOWS US TO SEE WHO'S SHELTER, WHO'S UNSHELTERED.
AND THOSE DIRECT SERVICE WRITERS THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT ARE THE ONES THAT ARE, UH, RECIPIENTS OF THE FUNDING RELATED TO THE DATA.
AND THEN, UM, SINCE YOU RAISED THE POINT ABOUT THE COUNT, I WOULD LOVE TO, UM, UNDERSCORE THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT THOSE LOCATIONS INCLUDE ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN IN THE PAST THEY HAVE NOT.
AND ANNA IS TAKING NOTE OF THAT.
SEND YOURSELF A TEXT, A TWEET ON THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN BECAUSE IT'S GROWING ON THAT SIDE.
AND IF WE WANNA HAVE A COMPELLING ARGUMENT TO HUD WHY WE NEED TO JUSTIFY FUNDS, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALSO INCLUDING ZIP CODES IN AREAS THAT, THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AS WELL.
AND AS, AND AS A NOTE, OUR TEAM OF CARE JURISDICTION IS MUCH LARGER THAN HOUSTON.
SO IT ENCOMPASSES HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY IN MONTGOMERY, SUGARLAND, UM, AND I BELIEVE IT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN A LITTLE BIT PAST PARA LAND.
NO OTHER QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE? ANYONE? ALRIGHT, WE'RE ROCKING AND ROLLING.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO, UH, FIVE, UH, SINGLE FAMILY, UH, THAT PRESENTATION, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CEDRIC SAIN.
I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE THE PUBLIC SPEAK, SO.
UM, GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'M PRESENTING ITEMS FIVE A AND FIVE B ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS COUNCIL APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON MIDTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, WHICH IS TURS TWO APPROPRIATING 2,300,000 OF UPTOWN TURS SERIES 2021, AFFORDABLE HOME FUNDS FOR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE HOME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
THIS, UH, INITIATIVE IS IN COLLABORATION WITH MIDTOWN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, CCPI, UH, UM, FURTHERING THEIR INITIATIVE OF THE SOUTHEAST HOUSTON AFFORDABLE H HOUSING INITIATIVE.
IT WILL BE $50,000 THAT WILL BE A AVAILABLE FOR HOME BUYERS UP TO 120% A MI.
UH, THIS WILL, UH, EIGHT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF 46 LOTS IN THE THIRD WARD AREA.
THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION FOR ITEM FIVE A.
UH, ITEM FIVE B, HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS COUNCIL APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UH, BENCHMARK, UH, ACQUISITION LLC PROVIDING A NON-AMORTIZING FORGIVABLE LOAN OF $2 MILLION IN UPTOWN TOURS SERIES 2021, AFFORDABLE HOME FUNDS TO FINANCE, ACQUISITION AND INFRASTRUCTURE CALLS FOR SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT LOCATED AT WAYSIDE VILLAGE AT, UH, 8,003 VANILLA ORCHARD DRIVE, HOUSTON, TEXAS, THROUGH THE AFFORDABLE HOME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
THIS $2 MILLION WILL BE UTILIZED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 40 HOMES OUT OF 75.
UH, UNDER BENCHMARK, ALSO KNOWN AS LEGEND HOMES UNDER CAMILLA COMPANIES HOMES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO HOME BUYERS UP TO 120% A MI.
AND THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION OF FIVE B.
A QUESTION ABOUT THE MRA ITEM.
I SAW THIS WHEN IT WAS COMING UP.
SO ONE, WHAT'S THE AFFORDABILITY PERIOD ON THIS? SO THE AFFORDABILITY PERIOD UNDER OUR PROGRAM IS FIVE YEARS.
SO THEY'RE GONNA AGREE TO THAT.
'CAUSE MIDTOWN, THEY HAVE A TYPICALLY OPERATE WITH A DIFFERENT AFFORDABILITY PERIOD THAN WE DO.
[00:30:01]
SO THEY ARE, ARE, ARE PUTTING A 20 YEAR AFFORDABILITY PERIOD ON THE LOTS THAT ARE THROUGH THEIR PROGRAM.SO THAT'S SEPARATE AND ABOVE, UH, OUR FIVE YEAR, UH, TERM BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S THEY'RE STANDARD OPERATING.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES THEM SIGNIFICANT.
AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT ITEM FROM ANYONE ELSE? AND THEN SECONDLY, I QUESTION WHO'S IN THE FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, EVAN SHABAZZ'S OFFICE.
UH, I'M LOOKING, I CAN'T READ THE PAGE, IT'S TOO LONG IN LIGHT, BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE MRA DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FUNDING PROGRAM FOR DISTRICT D.
UM, I'M ASKING YOU AT SOME POINT, MAYBE NOT TODAY, TO EXPLAIN TO US THAT AMOUNT AND THEIR SPECIFIC USAGE IN DISTRICT D.
LASTLY ABOUT, I'M SORRY I WASN'T DONE.
YOU AIN'T GONNA GET AWAY THAT QUICK.
AT THE LAST MEETING, CEDRIC LAER
SO I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION, UH, THAT THESE FUNDS WERE NOT INCLUSIVE OF ACQUISITION.
SO WE ARE SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT WITH HELPING THEM ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
IS THIS THE ONLY ONE WE'RE DOING LIKE THIS? UH, NO.
THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHERS, UM, THAT ARE COMING UP.
WE HAD ONE THAT CAME FOR CITY HOMES THAT WAS ACQUISITION.
UM, 'CAUSE THEY HAD ALREADY COMPLETED, YOU KNOW, THE INFRASTRUCTURE PORTION OF THINGS.
THEY ALREADY HAD THE INFRASTRUCTURE PIECE.
AND JUST TO NOTE THAT THIS IS DISTRICT B, I JUST HAVE TO DO THAT.
UM, AND THEN CEDRIC IS SAYING, WHERE'S MY MANDALAY? I'M GLAD YOU ASKED.
I'M NOT SURE IT'S GONNA BE THE NEWS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR, BUT I DO HAVE NEWS.
UH, NOW I'D LIKE TO BRING ON ASSISTANT DIRECTOR CFO TAMIKA JONES TO, UH, DO AN UPDATE AND OVERVIEW ON C-D-B-G-D-R 17.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE THE COMMITTEE WITH AN UPDATE.
UM, ALSO BASED ON LAST MONTH'S MEETING, IF YOU RECALL ALL OF OUR PROGRAM AREAS WERE EITHER CLOSE OR HAD MET THEIR BENCHMARKS.
I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT TODAY THAT ALL PROGRAM AREAS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BUYOUT THAT WE DO HAVE AN EXCEPTION FOR, HAVE EXCEEDED THEIR DECEMBER 31ST, 2023 BENCHMARKS.
AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE 1, 2, 3 FOURTH COLUMN, YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT BY WHICH EACH PROGRAM AREA HAS EXCEEDED THEIR BENCHMARK.
UM, JUST TAKING A LOOK AT SOME OF THE LARGER ONES AT THE MULTIFAMILY AREA EXCEEDED ITS BENCHMARK BY $20 MILLION.
UM, AND SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, HOPE, WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL EARLIER IN THE YEAR, UM, BY JUST ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MILLION.
SO KUDOS TO ALL OF THE PROGRAM AREA TEAMS AS WELL AS MY FINANCE TEAM FOR WORKING TOGETHER, UM, TO BE ABLE TO RESOLVE SOME OF THE RFIS AS WELL AS TO GET THE PAYMENT REQUESTS SUBMITTED AND REIMBURSED TIMELY.
CAN I INTERRUPT YOU HERE AND JUST SAY, UM, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THIS WAS NOT OUR STORY.
UM, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, UH, THE CREDIBILITY OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WAS ON THE TABLE.
UM, THE CREDIBILITY OF THE CITY'S INTENT TO RESTORE PEOPLE BACK TO WHOLENESS.
AND AS WE SEE TODAY, UM, GREEN LIGHTS, RIGHT? AND EVEN THE 81% RIGHT IN ANY OTHER ACADEMIC STANDING WILL BE CONSIDERED A PASSING.
SO I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE THAT, UM, HAVE, HAS ENDURED ALL OF THE HEAT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, STAYING LATE, THE REPORTING, UH, PIVOTING, UH, AND, UH, THE, FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT HAS CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THIS PROJECT.
AND I WISH WE WOULD HAVE A, YOU KNOW, FRONT PAGE ARTICLE AND MEDIA ATTENTION AROUND THIS.
BUT I JUST WANNA PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAS DONE.
THOSE THAT ARE NOT IN CHAMBERS, THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING THAT SUPPORT THIS EFFORT BECAUSE IT HAS DEFINITELY BEEN YEOMAN'S WORK.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS EFFORT.
AND IF I, AND IF I COULD, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UM, 81% REMAINING IN
[00:35:01]
THE BUYOUT PROGRAM.THE REMAINING EXPENDITURES ARE THE RELOCATION PAYMENTS.
AND SO ALL OF THE ACQUISITION HAS ALREADY BEEN REIMBURSED.
UH, AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT MEETING THE BENCHMARKS FOR THE REMAINDER, THIS IS DUE TO RELOCATION PAYMENTS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE REMAIN AND THOSE ARE THE ONLY THINGS THAT'S OUTSTANDING FOR THAT PROGRAM AREA.
AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO COVER BRIEFLY JUST SOME OF OUR PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS SINCE LAST MONTH.
AS WE LOOK AT OUR MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS, WE HAVE 10, I'M SORRY, EXCUSE ME, 19 PROJECTS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, AND THEN 10 CURRENT PUBLIC FACILITY PROJECTS.
SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD.
I BELIEVE YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH SEVERAL RIBBON CUTTINGS.
UH, AS WE CLOSE OUT THOSE PROJECTS, I KNOW DIRECTOR BYNUM HAS BEEN, UM, AT EACH OF THOSE JUST, WELL, AS WE WOULD SAY.
UM, AND THEN IF WE COULD, NEXT SLIDE, WE'LL HAVE OUR LAND, JUST SOME UPDATED METRICS ON THE COM, HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, AS WELL AS THE HOUSTON LAND BANK.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE FOR YOU.
ALRIGHT, BEFORE I MOVE TO OUR HIGHLIGHTS, COUPLE OF THINGS, UH, UH, ALL OF, YOU KNOW, UH, THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH, UH, I BECAME THE DIRECTOR RESULTING IN OUR FIRST YEAR OF US DIGGING OUT OF A HOLE.
HOWEVER, THE TEAM BEHIND ME STEPPED UP AND FACED EVERY CHALLENGE THROWN AT THE THROWN AT US.
I WANT TO THANK THEM, THANK THOSE THAT ARE HERE, AS WELL AS THOSE, UH, THE MEMBERS OF THE STAFF BACK AT 2100 TRAVIS FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING WORK AND DEDICATION, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEIR SUPPORT OF ME AS THEIR DIRECTOR.
SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THEM.
I COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT THEM.
ADDITIONALLY, LET ME THANK THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR TRUST AND FAITH THAT I COULD DO THE JOB ALONG WITH THIS BODY.
UH, MADAM CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR LEFT.
YOU UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES AND THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACED, UH, TO MAKE THESE PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD.
YOU HAVE BEEN OUR BIGGEST SUPPORTERS AND, UH, I, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR STANDING BY US.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, WITH THIS BEING OUR LAST HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION, AND WITH FOUR OF YOUR MEMBERS LEAVING PERMANENTLY, YOU, UH, THEY WILL TRULY BE MISSED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN MAKING, UH, HOUSTON A BETTER PLACE.
UH, IN THIS LAST YEAR, WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED MUCH, BUT, UH, WE CAME UP A LITTLE SHORT IN, IN SOME AREAS.
HOWEVER, ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN OUR PIPELINE, UH, UH, YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT TO SEE THEM COMPLETED.
WE HAD OUR CHALLENGES WITH THE GLO, BUT WE ARE BEGINNING AND HAVE BEGUN TO TURN THAT RELATIONSHIP AROUND THE GLO HAS BEEN TOUGH, BUT WE'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE GLO AND THEY'VE MADE US A STRONGER AND A BETTER DEPARTMENT MOVING FORWARD.
SO I'D LIKE TO THANK THEM AS WELL.
SO YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS EVERY MONTH WHEN WE COME HERE AND PRESENT.
UH, SO QUICKLY I'D LIKE TO MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE DON'T NORMALLY TALK ABOUT.
UH, WE'RE MIDWAY THE MAYOR'S 3000 HOME INITIATIVE.
WE'VE COMPLETED, UH, 72 MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS, WHICH CREATED 13,776 UNITS.
AND WE HAVE 27 PROJECTS THAT ARE SOME IN SOME FORM OF, UH, CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEY WILL DEVELOP, UH, 5,988 UNITS WHEN ALL SAID AND DONE, 99 PROJECTS WILL, UH, RESULT IN 19,764 UNITS SINCE 2016.
SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED AND VERY PROUD OF THAT, UH, THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
AND SO NOW WE'LL MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, AS ALWAYS, WE HAVE OUR, OUR VIRTUAL COMMUNITY OFFICE HOURS.
THAT'S EVERY WEDNESDAY FROM ONE TO FOUR.
WE DID OUR FALL PUBLIC HEARING DECEMBER THE FIFTH.
UH, WE HELD THAT, UH, MEETING AT EMANCIPATION PARK.
WE HAD, UH, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T HAVE GREAT NUMBERS, WE HAD A VERY ENGAGING CROWD THAT WAS THERE.
SO IT WAS VERY ENGAGING AND THEY PARTICIPATED AND GAVE US SOME INSIGHT ON, ON HOW THE DEPARTMENT CAN BE, UH, BETTER IN DEVELOPING, UH, AND PROMOTING OUR, UH, COMMUNITY, UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS.
WE DID A GROUNDBREAKING WITH, UH, RESPECT,
[00:40:01]
UH, REHAB AND REENTRY CENTER THAT IS WITH HARRIS CENTERS.UH, THIS MONTH, UH, YOU WILL SEE RENDERINGS OF WHAT THAT FACILITY WILL LOOK LIKE.
I'LL GO THROUGH THESE PRETTY QUICK.
THIS IS JUST, UH, GIVE YOU A QUICK INDICATION OF THE QUALITY OF THE HOMES THAT ARE BEING BUILT.
UH,
UH, UH,
UH, SO WE WANT TO CORRECT THAT.
UH, AND THEN IF YOU SEE THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU SEE THOSE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT ARE ALSO DONE BY MAYBERRY.
THOSE ARE IN DISTRICT D, MORE IN DISTRICT D.
AND THEN THIS IS A PROJECT THAT IS OST LOFTS DISTRICT I.
THAT PROJECT IS JUST GETTING STARTED.
WE HAVE A COMPLETED PROJECT WITH NEW HOPE HOUSING AT REED ROAD.
WE DID THAT RIBBON CUTTING ON THAT ONE.
UH, UPDATE ON ROSEMARY'S PLACE.
THIS IS ON 3,300 CAROLINE, UH, DISTRICT D.
UH, THIS WILL BE 149 UNITS, UH, COMPLETION ANTICIPATED, UH, SOMEWHERE AROUND APRIL OF 2024.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE RENDERINGS OF WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE.
UPDATE ON LOCKWOOD AT BUFFALO BAYOU.
UH, THAT PROJECT IS A LITTLE MORE THAN 52% COMPLETE.
WE'LL, WE WILL CREATE 80 UNITS.
UH, AND THAT, UH, COMPLETION DATE, IT WILL BE AROUND JUNE OF 2024.
AND NEXT SLIDE, YOU WILL SEE SOME RENDERINGS OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT AS WELL.
RICHMOND VILLAGE SENIOR APARTMENTS.
UH, THAT PROJECT IS OVER 65% COMPLETE.
WILL, UH, CREATE 125 UNITS FOR SENIORS, UH, WITH A COMPLETION DATE ALSO OF JUNE OF 24.
AND YOU'LL SEE SOME, UH, NOT RENDERINGS, BUT YOU'LL SEE ACTUAL SHOTS OF WORK IN ITS, UH, COMPLETION AS IT WORKS TOWARD COMPLETION.
AN UPDATE ON GALA ON, UH, GALA ON MCGREGOR.
THAT PROJECT IS ACTUALLY COMPLETED.
THEY'RE DOING SOME FINISHING TOUCHES ON THAT.
UH, THEY SHOULD BE READY TO DO, WE WERE HOPING THEY WOULD DO THEIR RIBBON CUTTING THIS MONTH.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY ROLL OVER INTO JANUARY.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE WHAT THAT, UH, FACILITY ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE, AS WELL AS AN UPDATE ON NEW HOPE HOUSING SEVO.
WE'VE DONE THE RIBBON CUTTING ON THAT.
UH, THAT WAS DONE OCTOBER OF THIS, THIS YEAR.
AND YOU'LL SEE SOME, UH, PICTURES OF THAT FACILITY.
IT'S A GORGEOUS FACILITY, AS YOU KNOW, NEW HOPE HOUSING.
UH, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO AND THAT'S HOW THEY, THE PROJECTS THAT THEY ALWAYS DELIVER.
IT'S, UH, THAT PROJECT ALSO IS COMPLETE.
WE WERE HOPING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO, UH, THAT RIBBON CUTTING.
THEY'RE DOING SOME TOUCHUPS ON THAT.
UH, THAT RIBBON CUTTING SHOULD BE COMING UP REAL QUICK, REAL SOON.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE SOME DRAWINGS OF THAT FACILITY.
THEN AN UPDATE ON TIMINOS PLACE.
UH, IT'S A LITTLE MORE THAN 97%.
WE WERE HOPING THAT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, COMPLETED BY DECEMBER.
IT WILL ALSO ROLL INTO JANUARY FOR ITS RIBBON CUTTING.
AND YOU WILL SEE, UH, RENDERING, UH, A PICTURE OF IT, UH, COMPLETION.
AS I ALWAYS STATE, YOU CAN'T MISS IT WHEN YOU'RE COMING DOWN PIERCE ELEVATED 'CAUSE IT IS A MOST COLORFUL BUILDING.
AND THEN NEXT SLIDE, AN UPDATE ON 2100 MEMORIAL.
IT IS A LITTLE BIT OVER 75% COMPLETE.
UH, COMPLETION IS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL OF 2024.
AND THAT IS A JOINT PROJECT WITH THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT THOSE PICTURES LOOK LIKE ON THAT PROJECT.
AND THEN AN UPDATE ON SUMMIT AT RENAISSANCE PARK THAT IS IN GREENS POINT.
DISTRICT B UH, COMPLETION IS A LITTLE OVER 76%, 325 UNITS.
AND AN ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE ON THAT WILL BE MARCH OF 2024.
AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE SOME PHOTOS OF WHAT THAT, UH, PROJECT LOOKS LIKE AS IT MOVES TOWARD COMPLETION.
[00:45:02]
AND THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE THE HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, WHICH IS, UH, JUST GETTING STARTED IS 30 30% COMPLETED.AND THAT PROJECT IS, IS, UH, ESTIMATED AT COMPLETION NOVEMBER OF 2024.
AND YOU SEE PHOTOS OF THAT AS WELL.
AND THAT WILL CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION.
BUT BEFORE I COMPLETELY DONE, WE UH, WOULD LIKE TO INVITE, UH, THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST TO DO A PRESENTATION.
ALLEN WILL COME UP AND GIVE A PRESENTATION ON, UH, AN UPDATE OVERVIEW OF HER PROGRAM.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AND COLLEAGUES AND, UH, STAFF.
UH, JUST TO, UH, COLOR IN THE LINES, WE INVITED THE, UH, COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IN THE HOUSTON LAND BANK, UM, BECAUSE THE CITY OF HOUSTON SUPPORTS THEM FINANCIALLY, THROUGHTS DOLLARS.
AND SO WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY ON RECORD TO SHARE THEIR SUCCESSES AND THEN ALSO SOME CHALLENGES THAT THEY'RE HAVING.
UM, SO AS WE MOVE THROUGH, UH, THE NEW YEAR, UM, HOW WE SUPPORT THEIR SUCCESS AND, AND, AND ALSO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO ACCESS THE HOUSING PROGRAMS THAT WE SUPPORT.
UM, SO YOU SHOULD HAVE A POWERPOINT, UM, AVAILABLE.
WE'LL GO THROUGH THIS AND DR. ALLEN WILL OF COURSE ALWAYS MAKE HERSELF AVAILABLE FOR ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
UM, AGAIN, DR. ASHLEY ALLEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST.
AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO COME AND PRESENT TO YOU, UM, TODAY ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON OVER THIS LAST FEW YEARS, UM, WITH THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST.
UM, AND A LOT OF YOU ALL WERE THERE AT THE VERY BEGINNING, UH, WHEN THE LAND TRUST WAS JUST AN IDEA.
AND NOW WE ARE ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING IN THE COUNTRY.
SO JUST FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST MODEL IS NOT NEW.
IT ACTUALLY STARTED BACK IN THE 1960S DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN FARMERS WORKING TO OWN COLLECTIVELY AS A WAY TO, AS A FORM OF RESISTANCE DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
UM, THE NEW COMMUNITY'S LAND TRUST IS STILL ACTUALLY GOING ON TODAY.
UM, AND THEY ARE PROVIDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND, UM, UM, SHARED OWNERSHIP OF FARM LAND FOR FARMERS IN ALBANY, GEORGIA.
AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST IS NOT NEW.
UM, THERE ARE OVER 300 ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND THE, AND IT IS ALSO AN INTERNATIONAL MODEL AS WELL, WHICH I'LL MENTION A LITTLE BIT LATER.
BUT WE WERE THE SECOND CLT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND NOW BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESS OF, UM, THE ONE IN AUSTIN AND HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, WE NOW HAVE SEVERAL CITIES IN TEXAS THAT ARE NOW LOOKING TO DO THE CLT MODEL.
UM, FORT WORTH ACTUALLY IS GOING TO BE DOING A VERY LARGE, UH, LAND TRUST THROUGH A FOUNDATION.
UM, DALLAS, WACO AND SAN ANTONIO ARE CURRENTLY IN THE MIX AS FAR AS TEXAS CITIES THAT ARE, UM, DOING THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST MODEL AND CREATING THEIR OWN.
SO HOUSTON COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, FOR THOSE OF YOU ALL WHO DO NOT KNOW WAS FOUNDED IN 2018.
WE ARE INDEPENDENT 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT.
AND OUR GOAL IS NOT JUST TO CREATE AFFORDABLE, UM, HOME OWNERSHIP AS WE KIND OF STARTED OUT IN HOME OWNERSHIP, BUT TO USE THE CLT MODEL TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL AND DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
THAT INCLUDES COMMERCIAL SPACES, RENTAL PROPERTIES, HOME OWNERSHIP, AND EVEN GREEN SPACES FOR PRESERVATION.
SO NEXT SLIDE, THE BENEFITS OF CLT HOME OWNERSHIP.
SO BUILDING EQUITY BY OWNING YOUR HOME INSTEAD OF RENTING LOWER MORTGAGE PAYMENTS, YOU ALL WILL SEE THE SIGNIFICANCE, UM, IN, IN MORTGAGE PAYMENTS BETWEEN A TRADITIONAL PURCHASE AND A CLT PURCHASE A LITTLE BIT LATER.
SO GET SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER PROPERTY TAXES, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF TIMES WHERE PEOPLE STRUGGLE THE MOST.
AND SO THROUGH THE CLT MODEL, WE'RE ABLE TO STABILIZE THE PROPERTY TAXES ABILITY TO PASS THE AFFORDABILITY DOWN TO YOUR HEIRS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST AFFORDABLE FOR YOU, BUT IT'S AFFORDABLE FOR YOUR FAMILY IN THE FUTURE.
AND ALSO IF YOU DECIDE TO SELL, IT'S AFFORDABLE FOR ANOTHER FAMILY.
ONE OF THE BEST BENEFITS OF THE COT FROM A GOVERNMENT STANDPOINT IS ONCE YOU SUBSIDIZE THAT HOME, IT'S AFFORDABLE FOR SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP PUTTING MONEY INTO THAT HOME.
AND NOW WE HAVE A NET GAIN OF AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES AND AFFORDABLE HOMES AND AFFORDABLE RENTALS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND AGAIN, NOT HAVING TO CONTINUE TO POUR MONEY INTO SUBSIDIES TO MAKE AFFORDABILITY HAPPEN POST-PURCHASE STEWARDSHIP, UM, IS ANOTHER BENEFIT.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THERE ARE SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE.
SO POST, POST-PURCHASE STEWARDSHIP IS MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE SUPPORT IN HOME OWNERSHIP.
WE DO A LOT TO GET PEOPLE INTO HOMES, BUT WHAT DO WE DO TO KEEP THEM IN THEIR HOMES? AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST MODEL IS ABOUT, IS THAT WE HELP YOU ON THE FRONT END, BUT ALSO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT ON THE BACK END THROUGH DIFFERENT EVENTS SUCH AS, UM, WORKSHOPS ON PROPERTY TAXES, WHICH WE HOLD EVERY JANUARY.
AND UNDERSTANDING HOW TO DO YOUR TAX EXEMPTIONS, YOU KNOW, YOUR SENIOR EXEMPTIONS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
OUR STEWARDSHIP TEAM IS VERY GOOD ABOUT THAT.
AND IN FEBRUARY OF 2024, WE WILL OFFICIALLY BE LAUNCHING OUR PROGRAM, UM, FOR HELPING WITH ESTATE PLANNING.
EVERY HOMEOWNER WILL BE QUIET, BE REQUIRED TO HAVE A TRANSFER ON DEATH DEED TO PROTECT THEIR ASSET.
[00:50:01]
WE'LL BE PARTNERING WITH, WE HAVE ALREADY PARTNERED WITH UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND WE'VE DONE THE, UM, INFORMATIONAL, UM, SESSION ABOUT A TRANSFER OF DEATH DEED AND, UM, HAVING YOUR WILL AND WHAT THOSE TWO THINGS MEAN AND WHY THEY'RE IMPORTANT.BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE PAYING THE COST OF FILING THEIR TRANSFER ON DEATH DEED.
AND THE LEGAL CLINIC AT U OF H WILL BE HELPING THEM DEVELOP THEIR TODD TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ON FILE SO THAT THERE'S NO ISSUES WHEN PASSING YOUR ASSET DOWN TO YOUR FAMILY.
OKAY, SO OUR CITY OF HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, THANKS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE GENEROUS, UM, OPERATING AND SUBSIDY DOLLARS THAT HELP SUPPORT THE DAY-TO-DAY ADMINISTRATION OF THE CLT.
WHILE WE DO RAISE MONEY OUTSIDE OF, UM, THE GOVERNMENT FUNDS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS OUR PRIMARY FUNDER UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST, 2023.
SO, UM, BUT WE, UH, COULD NOT HAVE BEEN HERE WITHOUT THEM.
OUR FIRST, UM, OUR FIRST KIND OF PROJECT WAS THE NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE 30 HOMEOWNERS, UM, THROUGH THAT PROGRAM.
AND WE ARE FOCUSED ON 80% AND BELOW.
SO, UM, THEY HAVE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO REACH AS LOW AS 40%, UM, A MI FOR SOME OF OUR HOMEOWNERS UP TO THAT 80% THRESHOLD.
THE SECOND PROGRAM WAS THE HOME BUYER CHOICE PROGRAM.
AND WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DONE, WE HAD FIVE CLOSINGS, WHAT FOUR CLOSINGS THIS WEEK, ONE LAST WEEK.
THE MONEY'S SPENT, THE PIPELINE IS CLEAR.
SO WE ARE, UM, HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE HAD OUR LAST CLOSING YESTERDAY AT LIKE 4:00 PM UM, TO CLOSE OUT THAT LAST ONE FOR THE HOME BUYER CHOICE PROGRAM.
SO BEFORE I GET TO THE SUCCESSES, I WILL GO AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE THAT I THINK WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER TO TRY TO SOLVE A LOT OF THEM.
UM, AND I DEFINITELY SEE A DIFFERENCE IN LIKE NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT.
OUR FIRST CHALLENGE WAS THE PRODUCTION COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH THE PIPELINE.
SO ONCE WE STARTED GETTING OUT THERE, HITTING THE GROUND AND DOING OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, OUR PIPELINE WAS REALLY LARGE AND THE PRODUCTION COULD NOT KEEP UP.
UM, THE HOMES AND WERE INITIALLY BUILT IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH WAS ACRES HOMES, AND WE LOVE ACRES HOMES.
IT HAS BEEN JUST A GREAT COMMUNITY FOR, UM, THE CLT BECAUSE I MEAN, WE HAVE HOMEOWNERS THERE THAT ARE REALLY LIKE SHOWING NEIGHBORLY LOVE AND LOOKING OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER.
UM, BUT PEOPLE NEED TO LIVE WHERE IT'S CONVENIENT FOR THEM.
AND WHEN WE WERE ONLY BUILDING IN ONE AREA, THAT WAS A CHALLENGE.
UM, THE BUILDERS THAT WERE INITIALLY CHOSEN WERE NOT THE MOST RELIABLE AND DID NOT PROVIDE THE BEST QUALITY PRODUCT.
THE, UM, NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT HOMES NOW, DEFINITELY MUCH BETTER BUILDERS.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOLD A HOME THROUGH HOME BY CHOICE.
UM, AND IT WAS A NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT BILL.
SO WE DEFINITELY SEE THE IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT AND THE BUILDERS THAT ARE LOCAL WHO CARE ABOUT COMMUNITY AND WHO ARE WORKING TO ACTUALLY BUILD A QUALITY PRODUCT EVEN THOUGH IT IS TECHNICALLY AN AFFORDABLE PRODUCT.
UM, THE REPAIRING OF THE HOMES WAS A CHALLENGE FOR US BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE HAD TO MAKE SURE OUR HOMEOWNERS WERE NOT PUT INTO A POSITION.
SO CLT DID COVER SOME OF THE COSTS AND THEN, UM, HCDD WAS, UM, GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO COVER SOME OF THAT REIMBURSEMENT THAT WE HAD TO PUT OUT TO, UM, REPAIR SOME OF THOSE HOMES.
SO THOSE WERE THE CHALLENGES WITH NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT, WITH HOME BUYER CHOICE.
UM, SO WITH HOME BUYER CHOICE, WE HAD, UM, THE WAIT WAITING PERIOD.
SO WE WERE SHARING THE TASK OF DOING ELIGIBILITY.
WE WOULD DO THE ELIGIBILITY FIRST, SEND IT OVER TO THE CITY.
THAT DELAYED OUR PIPELINE SIGNIFICANTLY.
UM, AND THEN THAT, THAT SLOWED, UM, SLOW DOWN THE PRODUCTIVITY THEN CAUSED OUR FUNDING TO BE REDUCED BECAUSE WE COULD NOT SPEND THE MONEY FAST ENOUGH.
AFTER THE MONEY WAS TAKEN, WE MADE SOME CHANGES AND THEN THE CITY ALLOWED US TO DO OUR OWN ELIGIBILITY, WHICH HELPED TO REDUCE THE, UM, THE PIPELINE TIME FROM ABOUT NINE MONTHS TO ABOUT 90 DAYS.
UM, SO THAT WAS REALLY, THAT'S FROM APPLICATION TO CLOSING.
SO ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO GET MOVING, WE WERE ABLE TO GET MOVING.
UM, AND THEN WE ENTERED INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH AN ORGANIZATION.
THE LAST LITTLE BIT OF MONEY THAT WE HAD, WE RESERVED THOSE FOR, WE RESERVE THOSE FUNDS FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS PARTNERING WITH, UM, WITH THE CITY AND WITH US.
AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PIPELINE OF PEOPLE, NOR DID THEY HAVE THE PIPELINE OF HOMES TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
SO WE WERE ON PAUSE FOR A FEW MONTHS, UM, AND THEN WE DECIDED TO JUST OPEN UP OUR APPLICATION AGAIN.
UM, 'CAUSE WE HAD CLOSED IT DOWN BECAUSE ALL OF OUR MONEY HAD BASICALLY BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR.
UM, SO WE ENDED UP HAVING TO OPEN THE APPLICATION BACK UP.
BUT OF COURSE WE ALREADY HAD A PIPELINE AVAILABLE SO IT WAS NOT THAT HARD TO FIND MORE PEOPLE TO GO IN.
SO THAT DID KIND OF PAUSE US A LITTLE BIT ON HOME BUYER CHOICE PROGRAM.
AND OF COURSE JUST WITH THE CHANGING, UM, LEADERSHIP AND CHANGING POLICIES.
AND I KNOW THAT THE CITY WAS REALLY MAKING AN EFFORT TO, UM, ALIGN ALL OF THEIR PROCESSES FOR EVERY PROGRAM.
AND SO WE HAD TO KIND OF MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ON OUR END SEVERAL TIMES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALIGNED WITH THE CITY AND WHAT THEY NEEDED TO GET THE JOB DONE.
BUT I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE AGAIN, THE PIPELINE IS CLEAR AND UM, THOSE WERE THE CHALLENGES.
BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESSES 'CAUSE WE HAVE QUITE A FEW.
SO WE HAVE 197 HOMEOWNERS BETWEEN BOTH PROGRAMS. UM, NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT AND UM, HOME BUYER CHOICE, THAT'S 197 PERMANENTLY AFFORDABLE HOMES THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM FOR GENERATIONS.
THE FIRST HOME WAS SOLD IN JUNE OF 2019 THROUGH NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT, AGAIN, 30 AND NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT.
[00:55:01]
AS OF YESTERDAY.UM, FOR HOME BUYER CHOICE PROGRAM, THE AVERAGE A MI THAT WE SERVE IS 61%.
UM, THE AVERAGE HOME HOUSING PAYMENT FOR NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING, UM, PROPERTY TAXES, INSURANCE AND THEIR COT FEE WAS $649.
THE AVERAGE PURCHASE PRICE WAS $75,134 COMPARED TO THE $180,000 MARKET RATE.
THE AVERAGE PRICE FOR A C, THE AVERAGE COT PURCHASE PRICE FOR HOME BUYER CHOICE PROGRAM IS $105,363 WITH A MONTHLY ALL IN PAYMENT OF $1,029.
AND THEN THE AVERAGE MARKET RATE HOME IN COMPARISON FOR HOME, UH, BY OUR CHOICE PROGRAM IS $245,174.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT REAL AFFORDABLE PAYMENTS HERE.
AND JUST REALLY QUICKLY SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE, UM, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR SOMEBODY TO PURCHASE A $230,000 HOME VERSUS A CLT HOME AND WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE AFFORDABLE.
SO WHILE 230 IS ACTUALLY ON THE VERY, VERY LOW END OF AFFORD, UM, AS FAR AS HOMES THAT ARE HERE, YOU STILL WOULD NEED ABOUT $2,000 WITH THESE CURRENT, UM, WITH THE CURRENT MARKET.
UM, AND 6.7 INTEREST RATE 3.5% DOWN.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, EVEN A HOME THAT WE USED TO THINK WAS REALLY AFFORDABLE, YOU ACTUALLY NEED QUITE A BIT OF MONEY TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT.
VERSUS WITH THE CLT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS PAYMENT, WHICH IS RIGHT AROUND WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WITH 1,029.
UM, AND THEN JUST VERY QUICKLY, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR THE ACTUAL MEDIAN HOME PRICE? NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A $230,000 HOME, WHICH IS VERY LOW, BUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MEDIAN PRICE OF A HOME, WHICH IS ABOUT $328,000, EVEN IF YOU DID FHA WITH 3.5% DOWN ONE, YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE DOWN PAYMENT OF $11,000 PLUS ALL OF THE OTHER, UM, UM, COST 6.7, 6.7% INTEREST IS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
LUCKILY IT USED TO BE WE WERE UP OVER SEVEN FOR A MINUTE, THEN LOOK AT WHAT IT ACTUALLY COST TO OWN A MEDIAN HOME HERE IN HOUSTON.
SO JUST UNDERSTANDING KIND OF WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ON OUR END 80% AND BELOW AND PEOPLE, AND AGAIN, OUR AVERAGE IS ABOUT 61%.
SO VERY QUICKLY WE'LL JUST SHOW YOU A FEW OF THE HOMES THAT ARE, UM, THAT OUR CLT HOMEOWNERS HAVE PURCHASED AND THE PRICES.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, 92 9, 90,000 84 7 WITH THE SUBSIDY THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO, UM, PROVIDE THROUGH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UM, AND THEIR SUPPORT.
NEXT SLIDE, JUST A COUPLE OF MORE.
AND YOU'LL SEE THE AREAS THAT YOU KNOW THAT THEY'RE IN ARE ALL OVER THE CITY.
WE ACTUALLY COVER EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO SOME CITIES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY BECAUSE THEY, UH, PAY TAXES TO HOUSTON AND TO HARRIS COUNTY.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, ALL OF A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE'RE IN, HUGE RANGE OF NEIGHBORHOODS ALL THE WAY TO HUFFMAN TEXAS, PORTER TEXAS, HUMBLE KINGWOOD, AND THEN ALL THE, UM, NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THE CITY IN BETWEEN.
WE HAVE DEFINITELY WORKED WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY HOUSING ORGANIZATION HERE IN THE CITY, CURRENT THIS PARTNERS, AND WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE ONE OF THAT TYPE.
THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE HOMEOWNERS AND HOME BUYERS AND PEOPLE WITH DREAMS OF OWNING HOME, AND THEY JUST CANNOT DO IT IN THIS CURRENT MARKET.
AND SO WE'RE MAKING SURE WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO BRIDGE THAT GAP.
OF COURSE, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ONE, HOUSTON LAND BANK, ALL OF THE CDCS UNIVERSITIES, FAMILY HOUSTON, HABITAT, UM, THE HOUSTON HOUSING COLLABORATIVE, THEY'RE ALL IN THERE BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE ALL AIMING FOR THE SAME THING AND THE SAME GOAL.
SO WE'VE DEFINITELY WORKED VERY WELL WITH OUR LOCAL PARTNERS.
NEXT SLIDE, CITIES THAT SUPPORT IT.
SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE TOGETHER AS A TEAM IS WE BECOME A NATIONAL MODEL.
WE HAVE PROVIDED ASSISTANCE AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND ADVISE CITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
NOT ONLY ARE WE THE FASTEST, UM, GROWING CLT IN THE NATION, WE ARE ONE AGAIN THAT OTHER PEOPLE WANT TO USE OUR MODEL BEFORE.
A LOT OF CLTS WERE TRYING TO BUILD FROM THE GROUND UP.
UNFORTUNATELY, YOU CAN'T BUILD YOUR WAY TO AFFORDABILITY BECAUSE WHAT THE WAY THINGS ARE NOW, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT INNOVATIVE WAYS.
AND SO OUR HOME BUYER CHOICE PROGRAM IS ONE THAT ALL OF THESE CITIES ARE TRYING TO, UM, EMULATE.
AND I TALK WITH THE NEW CITY EVERY WEEK.
AND MOST, UM, EXCITINGLY WAS MY TRIP TO RIO DE JANEIRO TO ADVISE, UM, HOUSING, UM, ADVOCATES AND HOUSING ORGANIZATIONS IN RIO.
THEY HEARD ABOUT WHAT WE WERE DOING, DOING, THEY WERE EXCITED ABOUT HOUSTON.
I SAT UP THERE, UM, WITH A CLT FROM LONDON, A CLT FROM PUERTO RICO.
AND THEN WE WERE REPRESENTING THE US UM, HERE IN HOUSTON, ALL THE WAY IN RIO DE JANEIRO.
JUST A QUICK, UM, VIEW OF, UM, THE TRICK TO RIO AND JUST UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY AND A LOT OF THE HISTORY THAT THEY HAVE THERE.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COLONIALISM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION AND RACISM, ALL OF THAT IS THERE.
THE IMPACTS OF, UM, SLAVERY IN RIO, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE EXPERIENCE HERE IN THE US THERE'S VERY SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO WE WERE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THOSE SIMILARITIES AND HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF HOUSING, UM, WITH THEM
[01:00:01]
AND SHARING IDEAS, BUT ALSO, AGAIN, THEM LEARNING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN HOUSTON.AND THE BIGGEST, UM, EXCITEMENT I THINK OF THE YEAR WAS WE RECEIVED $5 MILLION FROM MCKENZIE SCOTT, UM, FOR OUR WORK.
AND WE WERE ONE OF, I THINK THREE LAND TRUST ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT WERE, UM, AWARDED THESE FUNDS.
AGAIN, YOU CAN'T APPLY FOR IT, SHE JUST HAS TO HEAR YOU'RE DOING GOOD WORK.
AND SHE HEARD WHAT WE WERE DOING HERE IN HOUSTON AND DECIDED TO BLESS US WITH SOME FUNDS, UM, TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME NEW IDEAS WITH THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST MODEL, WHICH WE WILL BE DOING STARTING IN JANUARY.
AND SO JUST KIND OF THE PROJECT OVERVIEW, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING TO THINK ABOUT NEW WAYS TO USE THE CLT AND REALLY TRY TO HIT THAT UNDER 60% A MI, UM, BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT HOUSING, UM, IS JUST GETTING FURTHER AND FURTHER OUT OF REACH, BUT SO HOW DO WE SUPPORT, UM, THOSE UNDER 60%? SO THINKING ABOUT DIFFERENT MODELS, PARTICULARLY USING THE NEW ORDINANCE WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO SOME TINY, UM, HOME PROJECTS OR SMALL FOOTPRINT HOMES, DUPLEXES, ET CETERA.
AND SO THESE ARE KIND OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.
REHAB AND PRESERVATION IS ANOTHER ONE.
AGAIN, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE AFRAID TO, UH, ACTUALLY REPAIR THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEY'RE SCARED OF THE APPRECIATION THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ON THAT HOME.
THEY'RE SCARED THEY'RE GONNA LOSE IT IF THEY, UM, IF THEY REPAIR.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH FIFTH WARD, CRC TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN SUPPORT PARTICULARLY SENIORS THAT, UM, NEED HOME REPAIR, BUT THEY WANT TO LOCK IN THEIR CURRENT, UM, PROPERTY TAXES AND BE ABLE TO PRESERVE THE AFFORDABILITY OF THEIR HOME.
AGAIN, THE SMALL FOOTPRINT, SMALL PARCEL ACTIVATION BUILDING DESIGNS THAT WILL FIT INTO SMALLER PARCELS THAT AREN'T THE STANDARD LOT AFFORDABLE RENTALS AND CO-OPS IN A MIXED USE BUILDING.
SO BUSINESSES CAN ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE CLT MODEL BECAUSE YOU NEED TO HAVE TRUE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS NOT JUST ABOUT HOUSING.
SO HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE BUSINESSES IN NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL AS DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MOM AND POP SHOP WHEN THE STARBUCKS COMES IN? WE WANNA BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT THROUGH THE CLT MODEL AS WELL, BECAUSE YOU CAN PUT COMMERCIAL SPACES IN THE CLT AND THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IT.
UM, THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL HOUSTON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE RECOGNIZED AS A BEST PRACTICE CLT, NOT JUST HERE IN TEXAS, NOT JUST NATIONALLY, BUT INTERNATIONALLY.
AND OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS HAVE MADE ALMOST 200 PE HOUSTONIANS HOMEOWNERS, AND THEY WILL HAVE AFFORDABILITY TODAY, TOMORROW, AND IN 10 YEARS AND IN PERPETUITY.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I KNOW VICE MAYOR IS, UM, IN THE QUEUE.
ARE YOU IN THE QUEUE? I'M IN THE QUEUE, YEAH.
AND EVEN WHEN, UH, THE LAND, THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, AND THE DEPARTMENT AND THE ADMINISTRATION WERE AT ODDS, AND IT WAS A BATTLE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY FOR US TO, UM, NOT AGREE BECAUSE IT FORCES US TO BE DELIBERATE IN RESOLUTION, RIGHT? IT FORCES US TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE REALLY GET THIS RIGHT? UM, SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, UM, HOLDING THE LINE FOR THE LAND TRUST AND FOR THOSE UNDER THE 60% A MI THAT I'M LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS AND I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TODAY IF I DIDN'T PURCHASE MY HOME WHEN I CAN'T, I COULDN'T AFFORD MY HOME RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? IF I HAD TO DO THAT.
UM, UH, AND SO I, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOME, SOME POINTS, UH, THE, UH, TRANSFER OF DEED UPON DEATH.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN MY OTHER LIFE AT PRAIRIE VIEW, I HAD A GRANT WITH THE PAIN RESEARCH CENTER, AND WE JUST CONCLUDE, UM, UM, A GIS DASHBOARD ON, UH, HEIRS PROPERTIES IN BLACK LAND LOSS IN TEXAS.
AND WE LOOKED AT THE TOP 10 BLACK ZIP CODES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND MANY OF THEM DO NOT EVEN HAVE A, A DEED UPON DEATH.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT HURRICANE HARVEY OR ANY DISASTER THAT COMES, THEN IT IMPACTS NOT ONLY GENERATIONAL WEALTH, BUT COMMUNITY WEALTH.
AND THEN THE CITY'S UNABLE TO COME IN BECAUSE YOU HAVE MULTIPLE HEIRS.
UM, AND THEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTIONS, WHICH LEADS TO BLIGHT AND OTHER THINGS WE DEAL WITH ON A MICRO LEVEL AT COUNCIL.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT TRANSFORMATIONAL WORK.
UM, UH, UH, CEDRIC LISSE AND HIS TEAM HAS, UH, BEEN WORKING TO INTEGRATE THAT INTO OUR HOME REPAIR AS WELL, BECAUSE IT'S, WE'RE EVER SO CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE ACQUISITION OF THE PROPERTY, IT'S ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PROPERTY AFTER THE FACT, RIGHT? AND SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND THEN I WANNA BUMP UP TO, UM, EVERYONE IN CHAMBERS YOUR WORK WITH DEVELOPERS WITH OUR SINGLE FAMILY HOME INITIATIVE.
AND SO, UM, PARTNERING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THOSE UNITS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE IN THE PIPELINE.
SO THAT 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOME, THAT INITIATIVE, UM, SHE'S BEEN WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPERS AS THOSE ITEMS COME IN.
SO IT'S NOT JUST 120%, BUT THOSE UNDER THE 60% AS WELL.
AND THEN CONGRATS ON THAT 5 MILLION.
I MEAN, WHEN MCKENZIE SCOTT IS LOOKING AT YOU, AND THAT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT.
VICE MAYOR PRO TEM, THANK YOU CHAIR, UH, DIRECTOR ALLEN, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING.
UM, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IS AN ISSUE ACROSS THE NATION.
UM, WHEN WE ARE AT NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, AND WHEN WE GO TO OUR
[01:05:01]
TML CONFERENCES, THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY.AND THE MODEL THAT WE HAVE IN HOUSTON, OUR CHAIRPERSON HAS, UM, DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB ON HER COMMITTEE OF SHARING THE WORK THAT WE DO, UM, AT FORUMS. UH, AND PEOPLE ALL OVER WANT TO KNOW, THEY CLAMOR TO FIND OUT HOW IN THE WORLD ARE Y'ALL DOING THAT.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, PEOPLE DON'T APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN HOUSTON.
BUT WHEN WE GO OTHER PLACES, PEOPLE ARE ENAMORED WITH THE AMOUNT OF, UH, WORK THAT IT TAKES AND HOW WE ACTUALLY ARE FUNDING, HOW WE HAVE PUT OUR PLANS IN PLACE TO HELP MORE PEOPLE.
UM, AND WE DON'T CELEBRATE OUR SUCCESS ENOUGH.
AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AND SAY, OH, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A COUPLE FOLKS.
BUT TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE IMPACTED, WE HAVE IMPACTED GENERATIONS AND FAMILIES.
AND SO I DIDN'T WANT, UH, THIS YEAR TO PASS, UH, BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE, THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION AND, AND, AND OUR TRANSITIONS, UM, WITHOUT EACH OF YOU KNOWING HOW IMPORTANT THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE DONE DAY IN AND DAY OUT IS FOR HOUSTONIANS, FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND FOR US TO CONTINUE TO BE A MODEL ACROSS THE NATION.
UM, THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING US WHEREVER YOU GO.
UH, LOVE THAT $5 MILLION FROM MACKENZIE SCOTT AND HOPE THAT SHE WILL, UM, SEE FIT TO COME BACK AGAIN, UH, UH, TO, UH, DIRECTOR JONES.
YOU, YOU HAVE, UM, COME IN AND RESTORED FAITH AND TRUST, UH, IN THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING HERE IN THE, IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UM, TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT IS, THAT'S PLAYED A ROLE.
ROXANNE, I SEE YOU THERE, DIRECTOR BYNUM.
UH, I SEE HIM OUT IN THE CITY AND EVERYONE WANTS HIM ON THE PANELS.
EVERYONE WANTS HIM TO COME TO THE MEETINGS BECAUSE THEY WANNA KNOW HOW DO WE HOUSE PEOPLE? HOW DO WE MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO AFFORD? UM, AND IT, AND IT'S PERSONAL FOR ME.
MY SON BOUGHT A HOUSE THIS YEAR.
AND SO, UM, AND I, AND I'M A REALTOR FOR ME TO FIND A HOUSE FOR MY SON THAT HE CAN AFFORD.
HE JUST GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
HE LIVED AT HOME TO SAVE HIS MONEY SO HE CAN AFFORD TO BUY A HOUSE.
IT WAS VERY HARD TO FIND A HOUSE THAT A YOUNG PERSON WHO HAS A, A DECENT JOB MAKING A, A DECENT LIVING CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD TO LIVE IN AS OPPOSED TO GOING OUT AND PAYING $2,800 IN RENT EVERY MONTH.
BYNUM, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU.
UM, THE NEGATIVE STORIES WILL COME AND THEY'LL CONTINUE TO COME INDEED.
BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT WE SEE YOU, UM, WE SEE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND I KNOW THAT PEOPLE APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND TO THE CHAIRPERSON OF THIS COMMITTEE WHO IS IN HIGH DEMAND ON PANELS.
AND, UM, HER KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON SPEAKS VOLUMES BECAUSE NOT MANY PEOPLE WILL DIG IN AT THE LEVEL THAT SHE DIGS IN.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE DEPEND ON THAT DIGGING IN, THAT SHE DOES A LOT OF TIMES FOR THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE AROUND THIS HORSESHOE BECAUSE WE ALL INDIVIDUALLY ARE DIGGING IN ON WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO US.
AND SO TO CHAIRPERSON THOMAS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, UM, TO YOUR TEAM AND YOUR STAFF.
THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT THAT YOU PROVIDE TO US SO THAT WE CAN ALL MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF HOUSTONIANS.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY EVERYTHING TO ALL OF YOU.
I DO NOT HAVE A, A PRESENTATION.
ARE THEY IN THE AUDIENCE? NO, THEY'RE NOT.
AND THEY'RE NOT IN ATTENDANCE.
DIRECTOR, YOU HAVE CLOSING REMARKS BEFORE WE CLOSE THIS THING OUT? YES.
ONCE AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO THANK THIS GROUP, THIS BODY AND, AND, UH, VICE MAYOR, UH, PRO TEM.
YOU GET IT, YOU UNDERSTAND IT.
AND AS I SAID EARLIER, YOU ARE MY BIGGEST SUPPORTER AND WE REALLY DO LOVE YOU AND APPRECIATE THAT.
WE DO HAVE, UH, THIS WOULD NOT BE A HOUSING MEETING WITHOUT DOUG SMITH.
SO WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER.
TAKE IT EASY THOUGH ON US THOUGH, DOUG.
UM, YOU SAW 2100 MEMORIAL, UH, AND 70%, UH, COMPLETE, I THINK.
AND, UH, WHEN THAT BUILDING WAS TORN DOWN, WHEN I THINK IT WAS FLOODED
[01:10:01]
IN HARVEY, I'M NOT SURE, MAYBE IT WAS, I, I GET CONFUSED, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF A TENSION, UH, REGARDING THAT BUILDING AND I HAVE PAID SOME ATTENTION TO IT.AND, UH, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF CONFUSION.
IT'S A VERY DESIRABLE LOCATION, UH, 'CAUSE IT'S CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN, UH, VIEWS OF THE FIREWORKS WHEN THEY HAVE THE FIREWORKS.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE WANT TO LIVE THERE AGAIN.
BUT I THINK THERE'S CONFUSION, UH, ABOUT WHO CAN AND WHAT THE INCOME LIMITS ARE AND WHAT WERE THE INCOME LIMITS BEFORE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAS DONE REGARDING A COMMUNITY MEETING, UH, CONTACTING ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVED THERE BEFORE SAYING WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING.
UH, WE'RE ABOUT TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS PROJECT AND GET INFORMATION CLARIFIED REGARDING THAT.
I THINK IT'D BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
UH, SO IF THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
UH, THEN LAST MONTH WHEN I LOOKED AT, AT KEITH'S PRESENTATION ABOUT THE VARIOUS PROJECTS THAT WERE UNDER, UH, CONSTRUCTION, UH, IT SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE VERY EXPENSIVE FOR THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WERE BEING CONSTRUCTED.
UH, AND ROUGHLY WE'RE LOOKING AT AROUND $300,000 PER RENTAL UNIT.
AND, UH, THE MAYOR HAD, UH, A GOAL TO GET 3000 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
MY QUESTION IS, AND AND LOOKING AT WHAT THE HOUSTON LAND TRUST JUST PRESENTED, UH, A LOT OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES COULD BE PURCHASED FOR $300,000.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT GOING FORWARD, UH, TO SEE IF MAYBE MORE OF THE MONEY CAN GO TOWARD THAT VERSUS APARTMENT.
UH, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP, UH, IS A LOT GREATER IN YOUR OWN HOME.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT.
UH, I HOPE TIFFANY, THAT YOU'RE GONNA STAY IN THIS POSITION NEXT YEAR BECAUSE AS MARTHA SAID, UH, YOU'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.
UH, AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, AND THEN I COULDN'T CLOSE.
UH, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, COALITION OF THE HOMELESS WAS MENTIONED.
WE HAD A PRESENTATION AT THE SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE ABOUT THEM.
SO ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT THEM, UH, WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT.
AND OBVIOUSLY I'M ALWAYS GLAD TO SEE TOURIST FUNDS USED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT MY FEELING IS REGARDING THAT AND, UH, THIS PRESENTATION BY THE LAND TRUST, UH, IS VERY CONFUSING TO ME BECAUSE I HAD NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE, BUT I'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE.
SO, AND THEN I JUST HAVE TO CLOSE WITH, UH, KEITH'S REPORT, UH, THAT HE GAVE ME, UH, A MONTH AGO OR TWO MONTHS AGO, I GUESS.
'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING LAST MONTH.
AND I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I SAW.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THIS WAS NOT GOOD, TIFFANY.
ON PAGE, UH, 39 OF THAT REPORT, IT LISTS, UH, TOTAL HCDD FUNDING THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND DISTRICT F ONLY GOT $500 OUT OF, WHAT WAS THAT? I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE GRAND TOTAL THERE.
UH, AND, UH, I ALSO DIDN'T SEE ALE MENTIONED AS ONE OF THE COMMUNITIES IN THE, UH, THE, UH, LAND TRUST PRESENTATION.
IT'S ON PAGE, UH, 39 OF THE REPORT.
THEN ON PAGE 42, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT SOME GOOD THINGS.
UH, PAGE 42, UM, OH, IT'S PAGE 42.
UH, YOU DISPERSE FUNDS $322 MILLION IN RENTAL ASSISTANCE AFTER COVID.
UH, AND THAT I THINK IS AGAIN, UH, DUE TO YOUR WORK ALONG WITH A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE, BUT I JUST HAD TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND IT DESERVES, UH, MENTIONING.
AND THEN ON PAGE 50, UH, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT COVENANT HOUSE, BUT THEY SHOW A FANTASTIC PICTURE OF IT.
AND THEIR NEW HOUSING LOOKS FANTASTIC.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT STANDS, UH, AS FAR AS BEING COMPLETE, BUT IT'S JUST VERY IMPRESSIVE IN THIS REPORT.
AND FINALLY, ON PAGE 79, UH, TOTAL ANNUAL SPENDING FOR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, $409 MILLION.
UH, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN THE CITY REALIZES THAT.
BASICALLY THIS IS THE THIRD LARGEST DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY.
OF COURSE, A LOT OF THEIR, MOST OF THE MONEY COMES FROM THE GOVERNMENT, BUT $400 MILLION, UH, AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED, UH, MORE FREQUENTLY.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU, AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU HERE NEXT YEAR.
IT WOULDN'T BE A HOUSING COMMITTEE WITHOUT YOU, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU KEEP ADVOCATING FOR THOSE HOUSING DOLLARS IN DISTRICT F.
UM, BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
UH, AND I THINK THE REPORT, UM, AND THE LAND TRUST AND OTHER THINGS MOST
[01:15:01]
PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK MM-HMMUM, TO GET THIS INFORMATION TO THE STREET BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD QUALIFY.
THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS IN DISTRICT F.
SO WE HAVE TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, AND THAT'S WHAT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'M ALWAYS, UM, ASKING AGENCIES THAT ARE UNDER CONTRACT IN TERMS OF WHERE'S THEIR REACH.
BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE, THERE'S POCKETS OF THE CITY THAT A LOT OF AGENCIES DO NOT EXIST AND THEY DON'T HAVE A FOOTPRINT.
AND SO AS THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS CONTINUE TO COME TO THE CITY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THERE'S AN EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.
'CAUSE WE ALSO NEED RELIEF, UM, AND INVESTMENT IN CERTAIN THINGS.
SO WE WANNA APPRECIATE YOU FOR KEEPING YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE
UM, AND THE, AND THE GET GOOD COMMENTS FOR YOU.
THAT'S A, UM, THAT'S VERY HEARTWARMING.
UM, WE WILL HAVE JANUARY 20, 24 HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS MEETING SCHEDULE COMING OUT SOON, WHOEVER YOUR CHAIR MAY BE TO BE DETERMINED.