* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:12] SUPPOSED TO WORK. THE GOVERNANCE THAT PEOPLE DEPEND ON IS WORKING IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. TODAY. I'M SO EXCITED WITH THE COMING TOGETHER OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, OUR STATE GOVERNMENT, OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT, AND OUR CITY GOVERNMENT. AND I'M CERTAIN OUR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IS WATCHING BECAUSE THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE SERVE THE PUBLIC. IT'S WHY WE RAN FOR OFFICE IS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND HAVE A CAN-DO ATTITUDE AND NOT ALLOW PARTISANSHIP OR COMMUNITIES OR LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT GET IN THE WAY. I COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF THE COMING TOGETHER OF CITY GOVERNMENT, OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR DIVERSITY, OUR PUBLIC PRIVATE COOPERATION IS JUST WHAT MAKES HOUSTON SPECIAL. AND IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING. WE WILL DO MORE OF THIS IN THE COMING DAYS. WE HAVE OTHER CHALLENGES, BUT TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FLOOD CONTROL. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE GETTING A LOAN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SO THANK YOU TO OUR LAND COMMISSIONER. I THINK IT'S HISTORIC THAT YOU HAVE A LAND COMMISSIONER, A STATEWIDE OFFICIAL ADDRESSING HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL WITH OUR HOUSING DIRECTOR MIKE NICHOLS. I CAN'T THANK HIM AGAIN. HE'S ON THE TEAM. WE WANT TO GET THINGS DONE. WE'RE GETTING THINGS DONE. AND TO MY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO SAID, NO, LET'S DON'T LIST A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WAS INTENDED FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING. LET'S REACH BACK OUT TO THE STATE LAND COMMISSIONER AND TO HUD AND SEE IF WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER, GET AN EXTENSION OF TIME, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, AND THAT'S WHAT'S BEING ANNOUNCED TODAY. BUT LET ME JUST TELL YOU, I'VE EMPHASIZED SINCE I GOT IN THE MAYOR'S RACE COLLABORATION AT EVERY LEVEL, PARTICULARLY WITH OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT, WE SERVE THE SAME PEOPLE. SO I'M GONNA YIELD SOME OF MY TIME TO COMMISSIONER RAMSEY BRIANIS TO OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT JUST WANT TO GET IT DONE. COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, WOULD YOU COME GIVE US YOUR BLESSING? WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GONNA PRAY, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS A GREAT DAY IN HARRIS COUNTY AND CITY. IT IS REFRESHING, AS THE MAYOR HAS SAID, TO SEE ELECTED OFFICIALS TRYING TO SIT DOWN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO, RATHER THAN GIVING YOU EXCUSES ON WHAT WE CAN'T DO. SO IT IS EXCITING AS WE GO TO WASHINGTON AND AS WE'LL HEAR IN, IN A MINUTE FROM COMMISSIONER BUCKINGHAM ON SOME DATES THAT MAY, UH, MAY BE EXTENDED. BUT AGAIN, WORKING WITH COMMISSIONER BUCKINGHAM AND HER OFFICE AND GETTING THINGS DONE, UH, WITHIN THE COUNTY TO THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY, I DON'T KNOW, A SINGLE FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT THAT'S BEING FUNDED THROUGH GLO MONEY THAT'S BEING FUNDED THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE, UH, WITH THE GLO THAT DOESN'T DIRECTLY IMPACT AND BENEFIT THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT TO CELEBRATE IN TERMS OF US TRYING TO FIND WHERE WE CAN BEST USE THESE TAX DOLLARS FOR THE BENEFIT OF FOLKS OUT HERE. SO AT LEAST FROM, UH, PRE, FROM PRECINCT THREE FROM HARRIS COUNTY, AND I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE COMMISSIONER BRIANIS WILL SPEAK IN JUST A MINUTE, BUT WE ARE ALL IN. WHEN Y'ALL WANNA DO SOMETHING FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL THE NEIGHBORHOODS, SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS AND INFRASTRUCTURE WERE INVOLVED. THANK YOU. OUTSTANDING. THANK YOU. FROM, FROM DAY ONE, COMMISSIONER RAMSEY SAID WE'LL SHARE THE COST ON INFRASTRUCTURE INSIDE MY PRECINCT INSIDE THE CITY OF HOUSTON. WE REPRESENT THE SAME PEOPLE. NOW, THE REAL ADDITIONAL BREATH OF FRESH AIR COMING FROM THE COUNTY IS MY DEAR FRIEND AND WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT COMMISSIONER BRION IS, IS GONNA SHARE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO AT THIS TIME, ONE OF OUR REALLY UP AND COMING PUBLIC SERVANTS, COMMISSIONER BRIANNA, THANK YOU SO MUCH MAYOR WHITMEYER, [00:05:01] THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE. THANK YOU ESPECIALLY TO COMMISSIONER DON BUCKINGHAM, OUR COMMISSIONER OF THE TEXAS GENERAL LAND OFFICE. MY COLLEAGUE COMMISSIONER RAMSEY, WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR IN PRECINCTS AND IN THE DAIS. AND I'M ESPECIALLY THANKFUL TO PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND TO HUD FOR THE FUNDING AND FOR THIS EXTRA TIME. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE HERE TO DELIVER PROGRESS. WE'RE HERE TO DELIVER PROTECTION AND WE ALL HAVE VIVID MEMORIES OF THE DEVASTATION CAUSED BY HURRICANE HARVEY. WE ARE STILL REELING FROM THE $125 BILLION IN DAMAGE. WE KNOW THE DEVASTATION. WE KNOW ALSO THAT METEOROLOGISTS ARE SAYING THIS COULD BE POTENTIALLY THE WORST HURRICANE SEASON YET. SO AS WE LOOK AT THE DATA, SEE THAT FEMA RATES THIS HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY REGION, THE 99TH PERCENTILE IN TERMS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE AREAS FOR NATURAL DISASTERS, I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT WE ARE GETTING THIS FUNDING FROM THE GLO, FROM HUD SO THAT WE CAN PUT IT TO WORK TO MAKE ALL OF OUR FAMILIES SAFER AND MORE PROTECTED FROM FUTURE STORMS. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE COUNTY HERE TODAY. AND I COULD NOT ECHO MAYOR WHIT MEYER'S WORDS AND COMMISSIONER RAMSEY'S WORDS MORE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, PEOPLE WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO WORK AND WHEN WE CAN WORK ACROSS PARTY LINES FOR SOLUTIONS, WHEN WE CAN WORK CITY, COUNTY, STATE, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL BEEN GRANTED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE SAME PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU FOR THE PARTNERSHIP. WE LOOK FORWARD TO PUTTING EVERY DOLLAR TO WORK WITH EXCELLENCE, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ALL OF OUR FAMILIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? THANK YOU COMMISSIONER AND EACH OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE PRESENT THAT SUPPORTED THE EFFORT AT THE HORSESHOE TODAY. OUR MAYOR, PRO DIEM, CASICK TATUM, OUR CHAIRMAN OF HOUSING, TIFFANY THOMAS WITH HER EXPERTISE AND HER COMMITMENT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND I COULD GO THROUGH THE LIST. UH, THE VICE MAYOR, PROTE, AMY TECH, AND I SAW, I DON'T WANNA SAY REVEREND DAVIS, HE IS REVEREND DAVIS. PASTOR DAVIS, AND I'M CERTAIN THERE ARE OTHERS. BUT EACH AND EVERY CITY COUNCIL MEMBER PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS AND THEY WILL PLAY ROLES GOING FORWARD. UH, I'M GONNA CALL UP OUR LAND COMMISSIONER AND DON BUCKINGHAM AND I SERVED EIGHT YEARS TOGETHER IN THE SENATE. AND WE WOULD SIT THERE AND WORK ON PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS. WE CAME FROM DIVERSE DISTRICTS. WE VOTED OFTEN TOGETHER, BUT WE OFTEN DISAGREED STRONGLY 'CAUSE WE HAVE OUR OWN POLITICAL POSITIONS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WORKED TOGETHER. I WATCHED HER LEAVE THE SENATE AND GO TO THE LAND COMMISSION OFFICE WHERE SHE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING DURING THE TERRIBLE FREEZE. SHE WAS OUT HELPING FARMERS AND RANCHERS AND URBAN CENTERS WITH THEIR CHALLENGES. SO FROM DAY ONE, WE KNEW WE WERE GONNA WORK TOGETHER. I'VE BEEN CRITICIZED FOR WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE THAT'S JUST PARTISAN, NITPICKING BY SOME OF MY FRIENDS. PICKING UP GARBAGE IS NOT A REPUBLICAN DEMOCRATIC ISSUE. AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I COULD GO THROUGH THE WHOLE LIST. THERE'S A TIME TO CAMPAIGN AND DISAGREE IN ELECTIONS, AND THEN THERE'S A TIME TO GOVERN. FROM THE MOMENT WE'RE SWORN IN OUR ASSIGNMENT, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO GOVERN. AND THAT'S WHAT'S ON DISPLAY TODAY. COMMISSIONER, I APPRECIATE THE TEAM YOU'VE BROUGHT WITH YOU TO HOUSTON. I ALREADY AM SEEING THE RESULTS, THE MORALE OF THE COMMUNITY, THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT ARE HERE. EVERYONE REPRESENTING THEIR PROUD COMMUNITIES IS ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER. THIS IS, THIS IS, I'M A BETTER MAYOR LEAVING HERE TODAY THAN THE ONE THAT GOT HERE THIS MORNING BECAUSE OF OUR COLLABORATION. SO LET ME YIELD TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING IN HOUSTON. WELL, THANK YOU MAYOR. UM, AS HE SAID, I'M DR. DON BUCKINGHAM, YOUR LAND COMMISSIONER. I HAPPEN TO BE THE FIRST WOMAN LAND COMMISSIONER. I HAPPEN TO BE LULAC, HIGHEST ELECTED OFFICIAL. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I AM SO HONORED TODAY TO BE HERE WITH SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE. I'D LIKE TO THANK MAYOR WHITMEYER. I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT I ALSO WANT YOU TO NOTICE WHO'S STANDING UP HERE WITH US. 'CAUSE WHAT I'M [00:10:01] ABOUT TO ANNOUNCE, IT'S BEEN HINTED TO BUT HASN'T ACTUALLY BEEN SAID YET. WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE WITHOUT A POLITICAL ADVOCACY FORCE. SO I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE OUR MEMBERS OF LULAC, MY MEMBER AND PASTOR, REVEREND WOOTEN AND THE PASTORS. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME NATURAL ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN THIS CITY THAT HELP US REACH PEOPLE WHO NEED HELP. AND WE'RE GONNA ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT IN A MINUTE. BUT FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO ANNOUNCE, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK HUD FOR AN EXTENSION OF TWO MORE YEARS FOR US TO BE SURE THAT THE HURRICANE HARVEY FUNDS GET DEPLOYED. AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE MAYOR, WITHOUT OUR GRASSROOTS GROUPS, WITHOUT COMMISSIONERS. BRIANNE GARCIA AND RAMSEY, THEY ARE THE ONES WHO CAME TOGETHER. CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER LED A DELEGATION AND A LETTER TO TRY AND GET IT DONE. AND THIS IS A REALLY BIG DEAL BECAUSE I SAY EVERY DAY THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE IS SUPPOSED TO SERVE THOSE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SERVE AND DO IT WELL. AND THIS TIME EXTENSION IS GONNA HELP US BE SURE THAT THESE FUNDS GET DEPLOYED. SO LET'S JUST CELEBRATE THAT AGAIN ONE MORE TIME. AND THEN ALSO I HAVE A LITTLE, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE NARRATIVE ON SOMETHING THAT I DO NEED YOUR HELP WITH BECAUSE WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO MEET SOME NEEDS THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MEET. SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE NARRATIVE TO TELL YOU WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM, END WITH AN ASK. AND, UM, BUT THAT'S ALSO PART OF WHY ONE OF OUR LULAC MEMBERS, OUR PASTORS HERE, BECAUSE THROUGH THEM WE HAVE A NATURAL NETWORK TO MEET THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO REACH YET. SO, UM, UNDER THE LAST MAYOR'S LEADERSHIP, WE HAD ABOUT 900 HOUSEHOLDS THAT WERE DISPLACED FROM LOW INCOME HOUSING. AND THE CITY AT THAT TIME FAILED TO PROVIDE DESERVED RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AS MANDATED BY FEDERAL LAW TO THE DISPLACED TENANTS. AND I TELL YOU THIS STORY SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THE COALITION WE ARE BUILDING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND HELP AND FIND THESE DISPLACED HOUSTONIANS. IN 2021, THE CITY OF HOUSTON USED FEDERAL DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDS TO BUY OUT FOUR APARTMENT COMPLEXES. THOSE COMPLEXES WERE BISCAY AT CITY VIEW, MONTICELLO SQUARE APARTMENTS, APPIAN WAY APARTMENTS, AND SPRING VILLAGE APARTMENTS. THE TENANTS WERE FORCED TO LEAVE AND NOT NOTIFIED AS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW THAT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE WAS POTENTIALLY AVAILABLE BY LAW. MONEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO THESE HOUSTONIANS TO PAY FOR MOVING EXPENSES, DEPOSITS, AND RENT INCREASES AFTER THEY WERE DISPLACED BY THE CITY'S PROGRAMS. NOW WE MUST FIND THESE TENANTS. WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THEM FOR MONTHS BECAUSE WE WANT TO PROVIDE THOSE RE RELOCATION AND MUCH NEEDED FINANCIAL STABILITY FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. SO TODAY, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND I ARE ANNOUNCING A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN THE GLO, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY LEADERS, WITH THE HELP OF, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, REVEREND WOOTEN, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY PASTORS, INFLUENTIAL COMMUNITY ADVOCATES LIKE LULAC, TO REACH OUT TO HUNDREDS OF HOUSTONIANS WHO WERE LIVING IN THESE APARTMENT COMPLEXES. WE WILL USE MANY RESOURCES TO FIND THESE HOUSTONIANS, INCLUDING OUTREACH THROUGH SCHOOLS, CHURCHES AND FAITH ORGANIZATIONS, HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, FOOD BANKS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. PLEASE JOIN US IN SPREADING THE WORD TO FORMER RESIDENTS WHO CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION AT OUR WEBSITE. IT'S RECOVERY.TEXAS.GOV/RA HOUSTON. OR BY CALLING OR EMAILING THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE BECAUSE AGAIN, WE WANT TO FIND THESE PEOPLE SO THAT WE CAN HELP THEM. THE CONTACT INFORMATION'S AVAILABLE ON OUR FLYERS AND ON THE DISPLAYS BEHIND ME, I WANT TO AGAIN, THANK MAYOR WHITMEYER, THE CITY COUNCIL, OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, OUR GRASSROOTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS FOR COMING TOGETHER TO HELP THESE INDIVIDUALS. AND AGAIN, LET'S CELEBRATE GETTING THOSE DISASTER RECOVERY DOLLARS TO THE FOLKS WHO NEED IT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CUTTING THE RIBBON AND BUNDLE. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. AND WHEN I SAY LET'S GO TO WORK, IT MEANS THERE'S A TEAM EFFORT AND IT'S GONNA BE LED BY OUR GREAT LEADERSHIP. MIKE NICHOLS, UH, HAS BEEN THE CHAIR OF THE HOMELESS CO COALITION DOING GREAT WORK. NOW WE'RE GONNA MAKE THE HOMELESS EFFORT PART OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO I WANT TO YIELD TO MIKE TO TELL US SOME SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM PLANS COMING FROM THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT. 'CAUSE I THINK HE'S ONE OF THE BEST APPOINTMENTS THAT I'VE MADE UP TO THIS TIME, AND THERE'S BEEN SOME REAL GOOD ONES. SO MIKE, AT THIS TIME, MAYOR WHITMEYER, I'M, UH, I'M HONORED TO EVEN BE A PART OF THIS GROUP. THIS IS A VERY EXCITING DAY FOR ME PERSONALLY. BUT FOR A LOT, A LOT OF FOLKS, WHEN YOU SEE GOOD GOVERNMENT, [00:15:01] WHEN YOU SEE HUD, STATE OF TEXAS AND THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE, HARRIS COUNTY CITY, YOU SEE THESE LEADERS WHO ARE STANDING TOGETHER DOING TWO IMPORTANT THINGS. THE BIG WORK, WHICH IS MAKING SURE WE CAN HAVE FUNDS AND U USABLE FUNDS DURING DISASTERS. AND THEN THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT IMPACTS INDIVIDUALS, THESE SEVERAL HUNDRED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IMPACTED BY THE HURRICANE. THIS IS WHAT CITY, THIS IS WHAT WE DO IN GOVERNMENT. THIS IS REALLY EXCITING. THIS IS HARD WORK. UH, MY GRAND, MY SON TOLD MY GRANDSON THE OTHER DAY THAT WE DO THE HARD STUFF. AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS THE HARD STUFF. IT'S COMPLICATED, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT MEETS INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND COMMUNITY NEEDS. UM, I'M VERY EXCITED TO BEGIN SERIOUSLY WORKING ON MAKING REAL HEADWAY IN HOUSTON AND CONTINUING BUILDING ON OUR SUCCESSES. UH, NOT ONLY JUST REDUCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT BEING THE FIRST CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO ESSENTIALLY END STREET HOMELESSNESS. WE HAVE SOME PLANS. IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME, AGAIN, HARD WORK, DOING THE HARD WORK BOTH FINANCIALLY AND INDIVIDUALLY. UM, BUT THERE'S LOTS OF EXCITEMENT. I'M VERY EXCITED BY THE MAYOR'S CHALLENGE TO MAKE HOUSTON THE MOST AFFORDABLE CITY AND HOUSING IN THE COUNTRY. UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE STATE AND THE COUNTY ON DOING THAT BECAUSE JUST LIKE ALL THESE EFFORTS, WE CAN'T DO IT OURSELVES. MY PARTNER T COSTAS FROM THE COUNTY IS BACK THERE AND, UM, SHE HAS MY, MY SAME JOB IN THE COUNTY AND WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER BEFORE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER. UH, THIS IS A BEGINNING. THIS IS A STEP OF A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FUTURE. THANKS SO MUCH. THANK YOU MIKE. WE'LL OPEN IT. I THINK WE'VE BEEN PRETTY COMPREHENSIVE UP HERE THIS MORNING, BUT UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'LL BE GLAD TO, TO ANSWER. YEAH. SO HOW MUCH DID THE CITY INITIALLY SET ASIDE FOR RELOCATION ASSISTANCE VERSUS HOW MUCH IS IT ACTUALLY NEEDED? WHEN WE HAD THE 900 UNITS, WE DIDN'T, WE AGAIN, WE DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH IT WOULD BE. UH, WE EXPECTED TO SPEND AND WE SPENT ABOUT $30,000 A UNIT FOR THESE 900 PEOPLE. THAT WAS EXPECTATION. SO WE WERE SPENDING THAT MONEY. BUT AGAIN, WITH THIS, WITH THE FUNDS THAT WE'RE TRANSFERRING BACK TO THE GS, SOME 40 TO $45 MILLION THAT WILL BE USED TO HELP FIND AND, AND RELOCATE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE NOT FOUND. OKAY, SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS BY SELLING THESE TWO TRACKS OF LAND, WE'RE GONNA USE THAT FUNDING FOR THE RELOCATION ASSISTANCE. TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW MUCH WE'RE EXPECTED TO MAKE OFF OF SELLING THOSE TWO TRACKS OF LAND. I KNOW YOU PROBABLY CAN'T GET AN EXACT NUMBER. AND IS ALL OF THAT GOING TO THE RELOCATION? ALL, ALL OF IT'S GOING TO THE RELOCATION ASSISTANCE, UH, THE TWO TRACKS OF LAND PLUS AN ESTIMATED ANOTHER $11 MILLION FROM UNUSED FUNDS, WHICH WILL GET US PRETTY CLOSE TO THE 45 MILLION. AND AGAIN, THE FUNDS WILL USE THOSE FUNDS AND IF THOSE FUNDS ARE NOT USED AND THE PEOPLE ARE, UM, ARE, ARE EVENTUALLY NOT FOUND, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE SAVE ENOUGH OF THOSE FUNDS. THE COMMITMENT IS THOSE FUNDS WILL GO BACK TO UNUSED FUNDS, WILL GO BACK TO HARRIS COUNTY'S FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT. SO IT WILL STAY WITHIN THE CITY AS FAR AS GOOD WORK IS BEING DONE. ANYONE ELSE? UM, THE FOLKS AT THESE FOUR APARTMENT COMPLEXES, SO DID THOSE PROPERTIES REQUIRE A LEASE? JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WAS THERE A PAPER TRAIL? WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO FIND THEM? UH, THERE WAS A, THERE, THERE WAS A ATTEMPTED, A PAPER TRAIL WHERE THE DEPARTMENT WAS UNDERSTAFFED WHEN THAT CAME THROUGH. WE BOUGHT OFF FOUR PROPERTY, FIVE PROPERTIES AT ONE TIME. MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE STAGGERED THOSE. UM, THERE WAS A ATTEMPTED PAPER TRAIL DEPARTMENT WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY. UH, SOME OF THE PEOPLE ARE INELIGIBLE, SOME WERE GONE ALREADY. UM, IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A, OF A DISASTER. NOW WILL SAY TO YOU, GOING FORWARD, WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE. WE, IF ANYTHING EVER HAPPENS LIKE THAT AGAIN, WE'LL KNOW HOW TO USE THE RE RELOCATION FUNDS AND USING PROPERLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE TO BE RELOCATED. SO DO YOU HAVE LIKE CELL PHONE NUMBERS FOR ALL THESE FOLKS? NO, I WISH WE DID. WE'RE SEARCHING FOR 'EM, AS WAS SAID EARLIER, WE'RE SEARCHING, WE'RE ASKING FOR EVERYONE'S ASSISTANCE. IT'S A JOB AND WE GOTTA GO TO WORK. OKAY. THANK YOU'ALL. JUST SEC. ONE SECOND. JOHNNY MATA, ONE OF THE ICONIC LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. HEY JOHNNY, I'M JUST, I'M JUST SO GLAD TO SEE YOUR HEALTH IS GOOD AND THANK YOU. YOU'RE CARRYING ON . LEMME TELL Y'ALL, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS ON GOING ON OVER 50 YEARS, CLOSE TO 60. I, SIR, [00:20:01] I WAS EMPLOYED BY THE POVERTY PROGRAM 32 YEARS. SO I SEEN MISERY, PAIN, PEOPLE CRYING, HOMELESS, YOU NAME IT. THIS IS HISTORICAL. IT IS A GOOD SIGNAL TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS LOST SO MUCH CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT BECAUSE GOVERNMENT IS BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE. HERE YOU HAVE TWO LEADERS COMING TOGETHER WITH DIFFERENT PARTIES AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY. AND I GIVE 'EM A VOTE OF COMPETENCE BECAUSE I, I'VE BEEN THERE I AM, UH, THE MAYOR SAID HE IS GLAD TO SEE ME BECAUSE OF MY HEALTH. I'M A TWO TIME CANCER SURVIVOR. MM-HMM THE LAST 1, 20 18. THE REASON I WENT TO WORK FOR THE POVERTY PROGRAM, I WAS IN A 66 OR 18 CAR PILE UP IN THE FREEWAY THAT SIDELINED ME. AND WHEN I WAS GOING BACK TO WORK, I WAS IN NASA AND SOMEBODY PULLED IN FRONT OF ME AND I WENT OVER A GUARDRAIL AND THEN I HAD TO SET ON THE SIDELINES. SO WHEN THE POVERTY PROGRAM CALLED, I WAS THERE. BUT YOU KNOW, I THANK GOD DES DESPITE ALL THOSE STRATEGIES THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED, I GOT TO SEE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HOPELESS, HOMELESS ON THE STREET AND HUNGRY. AND I GET TIRED OF SEEING THE POLITICAL B BICKERING IT AND POSTURING OVER THE EXPENSE OF THESE PEOPLE. SO HAVING SAID THAT, I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR AND OF COURSE THIS LOVELY LADIES FOR BEING HERE AND CARRYING OUT THE MESSAGE AND THE WORK. UH, MANY OF YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT THE MAYOR WAS THERE WHEN HE WAS SENATOR AND I AS CHAIRMAN OF THE GREATER HOUSTON COALITION FOR JUSTICE. WE CALL FOR CHANGES IN THE GRAND JURY. GIVE 'EM AN APPLAUSE FOR THAT. THANK YOU. WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE, BUT WE'VE GOTTA GO TO WORK. OUR PARTICIPANTS WILL BE HERE AND ANSWER ONE MORE QUESTION. , THE GLO IN THE PAST DENIED A REQUEST, UM, THAT WAS GRANTED BY HIRING FOR THE CITY TO HAVE AN EXTENSION ON THESE FUNDS. BUT I WAS CURIOUS WHAT CHANGED THERE. SHE JUST TOOK OFF. YOU KNOW WHAT THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS? NEW LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS MATTER AND YOU'RE WITNESSING IT TODAY. SO LET'S GO TO WORK. THANK Y'ALL. THANK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.