* 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. [Quality of Life Committee ] [00:00:15] WELCOME TO, UH, YOUR CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS. MY NAME IS JULIAN RAMIREZ. I AM AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBER POSITION ONE, ALSO CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE, THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, COMMITTEE. WE HAVE A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT THAT I WANNA RECOGNIZE. COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MARYANNE HUFFMAN TO MY RIGHT. COUNCIL MEMBER, JOAQUIN MARTINEZ TO MY LEFT, AS WELL AS VICE, UH, CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE. UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PECK. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A QUORUM. UH, DOESN'T REALLY MATTER BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY VOTES, BUT WE WILL PROCEED ANYWAY. THIS IS LARGELY AN INFORMATIONAL COMMITTEE MEETING. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS HERE, UH, AND WE'LL TAKE UP ANOTHER OF MATTERS. A NUMBER OF MATTERS ALL HAVING TO DO WITH THE ISSUE OF HOMELESSNESS. VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC IN HOUSTON TODAY. AT THE OUTSET, I WANNA SAY IT IS A FULL AGENDA. UM, AND ALTHOUGH WE HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS OVER THE LAST DECADE HERE IN HOUSTON, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WE CAN ALL SEE, UH, THAT OUR, THOSE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN INCREASING RECENTLY. THAT IS A NATIONWIDE TREND, NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT IS UNIQUE TO HOUSTON, AND IT'S INCUMBENT ON ALL OF US TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO REDUCE THOSE NUMBERS AND TRY TO PUT MORE FOLKS INTO HOMES. AND OF COURSE, MAYOR WHITMEYER ADMINISTRATION HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, A NUMBER OF LOCAL EXPERTS AND BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO COME UP WITH A PLAN. AND SO WE'RE HERE TO HEAR ABOUT THAT PLAN, MORE DETAILS ABOUT IT, AND TO CONSIDER ALSO SOME COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE'LL BE HEARING, UH, UH, COMING UP SOON. I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE STAFF MEMBERS FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT. WE HAVE STAFF FROM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, OFFICE, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN'S, OFFICE COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S OFFICE, AS WELL AS COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MAYOR PROAM, CASTEX TATUM, AND COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO'S OFFICE AS WELL. SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE WILL PROCEED WITH THE AGENDA. FIRST UP, WE WILL HEAR, UH, PRESENTATIONS REGARDING A NUMBER OF PUBLIC SERVICE CONTRACTS THAT WILL BE PRESENTED BY FOLKS FROM OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT. AND I SEE MELODY BARR HAS TAKEN A SEAT AT THE PODIUM. AND SO, MS. BARR, WHENEVER YOU ARE READY, YOU ARE WELCOME TO PROCEED. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, FOR, UH, CLARIFICATION, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO PRESENT ALL OR ONE AT A TIME? UM, I'D GO AHEAD AND GO ONE AT A TIME. I CAN DO THAT. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU. UM, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, UM, PRESENTING THAT THIS COMMITTEE. SO, UM, BEAR WITH ME TODAY. WE HAVE ABOUT SEVEN ITEMS. THEY'RE ALL, UH, RELATED TO EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT, AND ALL OF THEM HAVE CDBG FUNDS. AND THERE'S A COUPLE THAT HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER GRANTS, AND I'LL EXPLAIN THOSE AS WE GET TO THEM. IF I COULD INTERRUPT FOR JUST A SECOND, JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SALLY ALCORN IS PRESENT AS WELL. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. OKAY. SO ITEM TWO A. THE DEPARTMENT IS PRESENTING A FIRST AMENDMENT WITH HARRIS COUNTY HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO EXTEND AND PROVIDE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL $143,750 IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, OR CDBG AND EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT FUNDING, ESG FOR THE CONTINUED ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION OF A HOMELESS PREVENTION PROGRAM SERVING APPROXIMATELY 25 HOUSEHOLDS AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS. THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES HOUSING CASE MANAGEMENT AND CONNECTIONS AND OR REFERRALS TO RESOURCES SUCH AS JOB SKILLS PROGRAMS, AND TENANT EDUCATION AMONG OTHERS. THIS AMENDMENT WILL EXTEND THE TERM OF THE SERVICE UNTIL JUNE 3RD, 2026. HARRIS COUNTY HAS SERVED APPROXIMATELY 68% OF THEIR GOAL AS OF DECEMBER, 2024, AND UTILIZE 60% OF THEIR FUNDING. THE COST PER PERSON, IT COMES OUT TO ABOUT 2200 A YEAR OR 189 A MONTH PER, UH, FOR 12 MONTHS. TODAY WE HAVE BAILEY GOMEZ, THE PROGRAM MANAGER, AND YEP, THAT'S IT. BAILEY GOMEZ, PROGRAM MANAGER IN OUR AUDIENCE. I CAN TAKE QUESTIONS OR I CAN MOVE ON. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. LET'S GO AHEAD AND PROCEED. OKAY. ITEM TWO B IS A THIRD AMENDMENT WITH THE SALVATION ARMY TO EXTEND AND PROVIDE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL $334,689 [00:05:03] AND 86 CENTS IN CDBG AND ESG FUNDING FOR THE CONTINUED ADMINISTRATION OPERATION OF A HOMELESS PROGRAM, SERVING APPROXIMATELY 775 HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE EITHER EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS. THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES DIVERSION SERVICES, HOMELESS PREVENTION, AND EMERGENCY SHELTER, ALONG WITH HOUSING CASE MANAGEMENT. THIS AMENDMENT WILL EXTEND THE TERM OF THE SERVICE UNTIL JANUARY 31ST, 2026. AND AS OF NOVEMBER, 2024, THE SALVATION ARMY ACHIEVED OVER ITS GOALS SURPASSING TO 157%, AND EXTENDED APPROXIMATELY 82% OF THEIR FUNDING. THE SALVATION ARMY BEGAN RECEIVING FUNDING THROUGH THE CITY OF HOUSTON IN 2012, AND THERE ARE NO FINDINGS, UH, ON THE ANNUAL COMPLIANCE MONITORING REPORT. AND TODAY WE HAVE MAJOR ROBERT REB WEBB, WHO IS THE AREA COMMANDER AND ALMOST NEVER TELLS ME NO IN AN EMERGENCY TO HELP SOMEONE. AND WESLEY MARTIN, THE BUSINESS MANAGER, AS WELL AS KENNETH KINS, WHO IS INSTRUMENTAL IN OUR WARMING CENTERS. I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT, UM, IN OUR AUDIENCE IN CASE THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. ITEM TWO C, THE DEPARTMENT'S PRESENTING THE FIRST AMENDMENT WITH HARRIS COUNTY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COORDINATING COUNSEL TO EXTEND AND PROVIDE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL $944,657 AND 15 CENTS IN CDBG AND ESG FUNDING FOR THE CONTINUED ADMINISTRATION OPERATION OF A HOMELESS PROGRAM. HARRIS COUNTY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COORDINATING COUNCIL SERVES AS A LEAD AGENCY PROVIDING ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES TO NONPROFIT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROVIDERS THAT WILL SERVE A MINIMUM OF 228 ADDITIONAL HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE HOMELESS OR AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS, AND MAY BE SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND OR HUMAN TRAFFICKING. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES INCLUDE THE PROCESSING OF REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS, MONITORING PROVIDERS FOR PERFORMANCE AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS, AND PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING. THIS AMENDMENT WILL EXTEND THE TERM OF SERVICE UNTIL MARCH 31ST, 2026. AS OF NOVEMBER OF 2024, THE AGENCY HAS SERVED 93% OF ITS GOAL AND EXPENDED A LITTLE OVER 50% FUNDING. IS THAT LIKE CHIEF? DID YOU HAVE A CHIEF? SHE HAS A CHIEF. THE CHIEF USED TO BE LEANING DOGGO CHIEF, UH, WHAT'S HER NAME? SAM. A WHAT? SAM . UM, THE AGENCY HAS RECEIVED, UM, FUNDING FROM THE C OF HOUSTON SINCE 2022, AND THERE WERE NO FINDINGS ISSUED FOR THIS PROGRAM. TODAY WE HAVE BARBIE BRASIER, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HERE IN OUR AUDIENCE. MOVING ON, UM, ITEM 2D. THE DEPARTMENT IS PRESENTING A FIRST AMENDMENT WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GALVESTON HOUSTON TO EXTEND AND PROVIDE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL $264,705 AND COMMUN IN CDBG AND ESG GRANT FUNDING FOR THE CONTINUED ADMINISTRATION OPERATION OF A HOMELESS PROGRAM SERVING APPROXIMATELY 70 HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE EITHER EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS. THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES HOMELESS PREVENTION AND RAPID REHOUSING SERVICES ALONG WITH HOUSING CASE MANAGEMENT. THIS AMENDMENT WILL EXTEND THE TERM OF THE SERVICE UNTIL MARCH 31ST, 2026. AND AS OF NOVEMBER OF 2024, CATHOLIC CHARITIES HAS EXPENDED 66% OF THEIR FUNDING AND SERVED 58% OF THEIR CLIENT GOAL. THERE WERE NO FINDINGS IN THEIR LAST MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE REVIEW. AND TODAY WE HAVE BROOKE WESSINGER, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF HOUSING SERVICES HERE IN OUR AUDIENCE. THANK YOU. IF I COULD INTERRUPT FOR JUST A SECOND, JUST TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, WILLIE DAVIS IS PRESENT AS WELL. ITEM TWO E, THE DEPARTMENT'S PRESENTING A FIRST AMENDMENT WITH COVENANT HOUSE TEXAS TO EXTEND AND PROVIDE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL $341,541 IN HOMELESS HOUSING SERVICES PROGRAM WITH THIS, WHICH IS YOUTH DOLLAR. SO THIS IS HHSP YOUTH DOLLARS, UM, CDBG AND ESG FUNDING FOR THE CONTINUED ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION OF A HOMELESS PROGRAM SERVING APPROXIMATELY 80 HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS. THIS, UM, FOR THIS FUNDING YOUTH ARE CONSIDERED ADULTS THAT ARE 18 TO 24 YEARS OF AGE. THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES EMERGENCY SHELTER FOR INDIVIDUAL YOUTH, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES. THIS AMENDMENT WILL EXTEND THE TERM OF SERVICE UNTIL MARCH 31ST, 2026. AS OF NOVEMBER OF 2024, COVENANT HOUSE TEXAS EXCEEDED THEIR GOAL AND UTILIZED APPROXIMATELY 89% OF ITS TOTAL FUNDING. AND I'M NOT SURE IF SHE'S MADE IT IN YET, BUT TODAY WE SHOULD HAVE FELICIA BROUSSARD, THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER. [00:10:02] NOPE, NOT YET. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE. WE HAVE TWO MORE. UM, ITEM TWO F, THE DEPARTMENT'S PRESENTING A FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT WITH THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS OF HOUSTON HARRIS COUNTY TO PROVIDE FUNDING UP TO $153,335 IN EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT AND IN HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS FUNDS FOR THE OPERATION MAINTENANCE OF THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM. WE COMMONLY REFER TO THIS AS HMIS. HMIS IS A SYSTEM THAT ENABLES THE COMMUNITY TO TRACK HOMELESS HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVING ASSISTANCE THROUGH A VARIETY OF FUNDING STREAMS. THE SOFTWARE IS DESIGNED TO ENABLE THE HOMELESS SYSTEM TO RECORD AND STORE INDIVIDUAL CLIENT DATA, TYPES OF SERVICE UTILIZED OUTCOMES, REDUCED DUPLICATION AND PRODUCE REPORTS UTILIZED BY THE HOMELESS SYSTEM, AS WELL AS THE HOPWA PROGRAM AND OTHER FEDERAL PROGRAMMING. THE COALITION HAS RECEIVED FUNDING SINCE 2012. THIS AMENDMENT WILL EXTEND THE TERM OF SERVICE UNTIL MAY 31ST, 2026. THERE WERE NO FINDINGS ON THE MOST RECENT ANNUAL COMPLIANCE AND MONITORING REPORT. AND TODAY, OF COURSE, WE HAVE KELLY YOUNG, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER HERE IN OUR AUDIENCE. SHE'LL ALSO BE SPEAKING LATER. AND OUR FINAL ITEM IS ITEM TWO G. WE ARE PRESENTING A FIRST AMENDMENT WITH SEARCH HOMELESS SERVICES TO EXTEND AND PROVIDE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL $376,669 IN CDBG AND ESG FUNDING FOR THE CONTINUED ADMINISTRATION OPERATION OF A HOMELESS PROGRAM SERVING APPROXIMATELY 100 HOUSEHOLDS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. THIS PROGRAM INCLUDES THE RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM, ALONG WITH THE HOUSING CASE MANAGEMENT. THIS AMENDMENT WILL EXTEND THE TERM OF SERVICES UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST, 2025. AND AS OF NOVEMBER, 2024, SEARCH ACHIEVED 96% OF ITS GOAL AND EXPENDED APPROXIMATELY 93% OF ITS FUNDING. SEARCH BEGAN RECEIVING FUNDING THROUGH THE CITY FOR VARIOUS CONTRACTS, UM, IN 1996, AND THERE WERE NO FINDINGS ON THEIR ANNUAL MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE REPORT. TODAY WE HAVE ALEXIS, LOVING THE PRESIDENT, AND CEO, LARRY KRAUS, THE VICE PRESIDENT GOVERNMENT GRANTS, AND PHOEBE WONG, THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING IN OUR AUDIENCE. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THANK YOU ALL, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR RESPECTIVE, UH, VENDORS FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. UH, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE QUEUE. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU CHAIR. UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR BARR. UM, I WAS ABOUT TO SAY MELODY 'CAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE SO COOL. UM, BUT REAL, REAL QUICK, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS KIND OF WORK? I HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR 19 YEARS, UM, AND DIRECTOR, THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, KEEPING TALENT LIKE THIS AROUND. UM, SO IT, IT SHOWS, RIGHT? AND, AND I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN WE START LOOKING AT UNHOUSED FOLKS AND WHAT ARE WE DOING, HOW HAVE WE BEEN DOING IT? AS THE CHAIR MENTIONED, THERE'S BEEN AN INCREASE IN, UM, WE CAN ATTRIBUTE IT TO A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS, RIGHT? WHETHER INCREASE, UM, IN HOUSING, UH, DE UH, STAGNANT IN PAY. UM, OF COURSE THEN THERE'S MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. DRUG SUBSTANCE ABUSE IS ISSUES AS WELL. UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK ONE, ONE THING THAT IS KIND OF FOR ME AS YOU'RE READING THROUGH THESE, THE PARTNERS THAT ARE TOGETHER WORKING TO ADDRESS, UH, THIS CONVERSATION OF HOW WE, WE MAKE SURE FOLKS, UH, FIND HOUSING, AND THEN FROM THERE, HOW DO YOU DO THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO MAKE ENSURE THAT THEY'RE HEALTHY? UM, BUT ULTIMATELY WE NEED HOUSING FIRST. UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT A A IT'S NOT A EASY LIFT TO GET ALL THESE FOLKS AND ALL THIS MONEY, UM, FROM DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT THAT HAS ITS OWN RESTRICTIONS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS DOING, WE'RE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. NOW, I'M, I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S COMING NEXT TOO, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE AS A CITY. UH, WE DEFINITELY NEED THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UH, AND, AND WE NEED TO SEE OTHER, OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, UH, BRINGING, BRINGING, UH, RESOURCES. I WAS EXCITED TO SEE ON THE MAYOR'S, UH, LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR MENTAL, MENTAL HEALTH DOLLARS, RIGHT? UH, THE STATE OF TEXAS, WE KNOW IS, IS IT POORLY FUNDS HEALTH? UM, AND SO IT, IT'S A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE CONVERSATION THAT WE SHOULD BE HAVING AND AN HONEST AND TRANSPARENT ONE. I SAY THAT A LOT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, SOMETIMES WE FEEL THAT, UM, THE, THE LARGER COMMUNITY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THIS CONVERSATION, RIGHT? THAT IT'S ABOVE THEIR HEAD. UH, BUT AS WE WERE, AS I WAS SPEAKING TO FOLKS DURING THE FREEZE AND THE, UH, BEFORE THE SNOWSTORM, UM, SOME REAL CONVERSATIONS ACTUALLY HAPPEN WHEN YOU START TALKING TO THOSE THAT ARE UNHOUSED OR THOSE THAT HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, LITERALLY A DEGREE AWAY FROM, UH, THAT ARE UNHOUSED AS WELL. AND SO, UM, AGAIN, JUST REALLY JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE CONTINUING TO DO. UH, DIRECTOR, UM, I, I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY IN THE BUDGET IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? BUT, UM, JUST KEEP THE TALENT, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS A HEAVY LIFT FOR US ALL. AND, UH, MELODY, UH, SINCERELY, JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING HERE FOR 19 YEARS. THANK YOU. UM, BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED THE FREEZE, I DO [00:15:01] WANNA POINT OUT THAT, AND I, 'CAUSE I MENTIONED SALVATION ARMY AND THE AMAZING WORK THAT THEY DID, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SEARCH IN HERE. AND THEY DID A HUGE LIFT STARTING, YOU KNOW, THE WEEKEND, THE FRIDAY BEFORE, AS WELL AS THE COALITION TO GET THE WORD OUT TO OUTREACH TO OUR UNHOUSED, UM, NEIGHBORS, TO LET THEM KNOW THERE IS A PLACE COMING, THERE IS WARMING CENTERS AVAILABLE. AND I WILL SAY THAT THAT WORK THAT THEY DID TRULY SAVED LIVES. IT, IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THE CAPACITY NUMBERS IN EACH OF THOSE WARMING CENTERS AND HOW WE ALL PLAYED A PART IN IT. AND IT REALLY IS VERY COMPLEX ISSUE. IT IS, UM, IT IS HARD. UM, BUT THE WORK, IT, IT, IT'S ALWAYS SO, LIKE I TELL MY MOM ALL THE TIME, WE JUST HAVE TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT. AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORDS. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ ALSO WANT TO NOTE THE PRESENCE OF, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO HERE AND ONLINE. WE HAVE STAFF, UH, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS'S OFFICE AS WELL. AND SO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. I WANTED TO SECOND WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ SAID IN REGARDS TO PERFORMANCE DURING, UH, THE WINTER STORM THAT WE JUST HAD. I KNOW A LOT OF EFFORT WAS EXPENDED, UH, BY SOME OF THE, A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE HERE THIS AFTERNOON, OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, OF COURSE, THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, UM, AND, AND EVERYBODY. AND SO I WANNA, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, THE SERVICE THAT YOU RENDERED. UM, WE GOT THROUGH RELATIVELY UNSCATHED, UH, AND I THINK A LOT OF IT IS DUE TO THE WORK OF A LOT OF PEOPLE, UH, MANY OF WHOM ARE PRESENT TODAY. BUT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR BARR, BEFORE I LET YOU GO, I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO US WHEN WE EVALUATE CONTRACTS, PUBLIC SERVICE CONTRACTS IN GENERAL. NOT JUST THE ONES THAT WE HAVE, UH, HEARD, UH, FROM YOU ABOUT. BUT, UH, A LOT OF THESE CONTRACTS ARE RENEWALS. IN OTHER WORDS, THESE VENDORS HAVE HAD CONTRACTS WITH THE CITY BEFORE. SO THERE'S A HISTORY OF PERFORMANCE. UH, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT REPORTS, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO, TO DO SOME TRACKING AND FIND OUT HOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AFFECTED, HOPEFULLY POSITIVELY AS A RESULT OF THE SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED. AND SO, WHEN WE GET TO VOTE ON THESE AGENDA ITEMS AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, CERTAINLY I FEEL AS COUNCIL MEMBER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE GOOD INFORMATION. I THINK MY VOTES ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE TO EVALUATE, UH, WHAT I SHOULD DO ON A PARTICULAR ITEM. UM, AND SO CAN, CAN YOU COMMIT THAT ON ITEMS SUCH AS THESE GOING FORWARD, WE WILL HAVE PAST PERFORMANCE DATA, UM, ACCESS TO REPORTS AND SO FORTH SO THAT WE CAN PROPERLY EVALUATE HOW WE SHOULD VOTE ON A GIVEN ITEM. YEAH. SO I BELIEVE THAT IN NOVUS, WHEN WE PRESENT THIS TO CITY COUNCIL, THERE'S ALSO A FACT SHEET THAT IS ALSO ADDED AS ADDITIONAL BACKUP DOCUMENT. THAT FACT SHEET GIVES THE AGGREGATED DATA OF WHAT THE SCOPE OF SERVICE FOR THAT PARTICULAR CONTRACT IS AND WHAT, UM, THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES ARE, UM, ARE COLLECTED FOR THAT PARTICULAR CONTRACT. SO THAT IS PROVIDED, IT'S PROVIDED FOR ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS SO THAT THERE IS A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT, UM, IS COMING BEFORE YOU, WHAT THE AGENCY HAS DONE, RIGHT? AND SPEAKING NOT JUST A SCOPE OF WORK, BUT ACTUAL DATA INDICATING HOW SUCCESSFUL THE, THE CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHERE INFORMATION HAS BEEN SHARED, THAT PARTICULAR VENDORS, AND NOT SAYING ANY OF THE ONES THAT ARE PRESENT TODAY, BUT PARTICULAR VENDORS HAVE NOT, UH, HAVE NOT MET, UH, STANDARDS THAT, THAT HAD BEEN HOPED FOR. UH, AND YET WE ARE CALLED UPON TO VOTE. AND SO I WOULD JUST ASK YOU GOING FORWARD, UH, TO TRY TO WORK WITH, WITH US AND WITH ME IN PARTICULAR, IN PROVIDING INFORMATION REGARDING HOW THEY'VE ACTUALLY DONE, UH, THE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN SERVED, WHAT SORT OF PROGRESS THEY, THAT THEY'VE MADE, AND SO FORTH. SO WE CAN MAKE INTELLIGENT VOTES. DOES THAT, DOES THAT SOUND REASONABLE TO YOU? I, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE FACT SHEET AND SEE HOW THAT DATA THAT WE PROVIDE HELPS YOU AND THEN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR. BECAUSE EACH OF THESE CONTRACTS, THERE ISN'T STANDARD METRICS FOR EACH CONTRACT THAT SAY THIS IS SUCCESSFUL VERSUS THIS, RIGHT? IT COMES FROM HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU SPENDING, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU SPENDING ON, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK IN TERMS OF HUMAN RESOURCES? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK IN TERMS OF SUCCESS FOR THAT PARTICULAR CLIENT, FOR THAT PARTICULAR SERVICE? MANY OF OUR SERVICE, ACTUALLY ALL OF THE, THE PRODUCTS THAT I PRESENTED TODAY, NONE OF THEM ARE 100 EXCLUSIVELY FUNDED WITH OUR DEPARTMENT DOLLARS. SO SOME OF, I, I BELIEVE THAT SOME OF WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IS OUTSIDE OF THE SCOPE IN TERMS OF WHAT I CAN PROVIDE, UM, BECAUSE IT'S JUST A SMALL SEGMENT OF THE PROGRAM VERSUS THE ENTIRE, UM, I GUESS LIKE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING. SO WE NEED TO TALK MORE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF THE DATA. 'CAUSE I CAN THROW NUMBERS, BUT THEY MAY NOT MEAN ANYTHING. WELL, SURE. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A DISCUSSION, I GUESS WE'LL CONTINUE GOING FORWARD. YES. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES BEFORE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN PRETTY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT WE'VE, WHAT [00:20:01] WE'VE REQUESTED, AND FRANKLY, WE, WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED IT. AND SO JUST GOING FORWARD, I HOPE WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK AT IMPROVING THAT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE, THE INFORMATION WE FEEL WE NEED IN ORDER TO, TO MOVE FORWARD. ABSOLUTELY. WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK. THANK YOU. CONTINUE TO TALK. YES. ALRIGHT. WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT PORTION OF THE AGENDA DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS. AND SO I'D ASK DIRECTOR NICHOLS TO COME FORWARD AND WE'LL HANDLE, WE'LL HANDLE THE PRESENTATION AS YOU WISH. UH, DIRECTOR NICHOLS, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME, UH, SOME FOLKS HERE WHO ARE, UH, VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THIS HOMELESS PLAN THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO PRESENT. AND SO HOWEVER YOU WANT TO, UH, DIVVY THIS UP IS, IS FINE WITH ME. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. UM, THE SLIDE DECK WAS, I DEVELOPED AND OUR TEAM DEVELOPED A SLIDE DECK. SO I'M GONNA TAKE A MINUTE AND JUST GO THROUGH THAT. BUT, UM, BUT IF YOU GIVE, IF I CAN HAVE A POINT OF PRIVILEGE HERE, YES. UH, JUST TO, FIRST I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THOSE OTHER ORDINANCES. UM, I THINK WHAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE ORDINANCES IS THE BEGINNING OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE FUNDING THAT THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT MUST WORK WITH IN ORDER TO MOVE THE SERVICES FORWARD. UH, THE FUNDING THAT YOU DISCUSSED TODAY WAS ALL FEDERAL FUNDING THAT THE COUNCIL DOES APPROVE, BUT IT IS, COMES WITH LOTS OF STRINGS AND ATTACHMENTS. UM, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ, THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT MS. BARR. SHE IS ONE OF THE HEROES IN CITY GOVERNMENT BECAUSE SHE ACTUALLY IS ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE I KNOW WHO CAN TAKE THIS FEDERAL MONEY AND FIND WAYS TO BE USEFUL WITH IT. IT IS A SECRET FOR HOUSTON, AND SHE'S OUR SECRET WEAPON. UM, I WISH IT WAS SIMPLER. UM, SHE HAS A, UH, A VARIETY OF ISSUES THAT SHE HAS TO DEAL WITH IN ORDER TO PUT THAT MONEY OUT. AND JUST, JUST, AGAIN, EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THIS. UH, WHEN YOU HAVE, WHEN YOU PUT THIS FEDERAL MONEY OUT, A COUPLE OF THINGS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN AGENCY THAT CAN SUPPORT THE MONEY, WHICH MEANS THREE MONTHS OF SERVICES, UH, IN THEIR BANK TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS REIMBURSED. UH, SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN AGENCY THAT HAS STAFF ON HAND TO DO THAT. AND THIRD, IT HAS TO BE SPENT WITHIN A VERY SMALL TIMEFRAME. SO, SOMETIMES THE, UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH, UH, COMPLEXITIES THAT, UH, THAT GO AGAINST, UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET DONE. BUT WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE THESE SERVICE PROVIDERS HERE AND THESE FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE FROM THE COALITION OF SALVATION ARMY SEARCH, UH, AND A NUMBER OF THE OTHER ENTITIES ARE REALLY THE HEROES WHO GET THE WORK DONE. UM, WE'RE GLAD THAT THAT'S NOT DONE BY THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON 'CAUSE THEY HAVE OTHER THINGS THEY NEED TO DO. SO THIS IS A GOOD SYSTEM. BUT THE WEIGHT OF MAKING SURE THIS IS DONE AND THE REPAYMENT GOES TO THESE, UM, NONPROFITS WHO DO THIS WORK. UM, I'M INTRODUCED TO MY WRIGHT, UH, CHIEF LARRY SATTERWHITE. UM, I'M, AS YOU KNOW, I'M A BIG FAN OF MAYOR WHITMEYER, BUT PART OF IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS TEAM HE PUT TOGETHER TO DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS. UM, HOMELESSNESS IS A HIGH, HIGH PRIORITY FOR THE MAYOR. AND THE WAY HE'S DONE THIS IS, UH, IS REALLY REMARKED BY LOOKING AT THIS TEAM, UH, AS, AS, AS WHAT IT IS AS A TEAM. UH, CHIEF LARRY SATTERWHITE AND HIS ROLE IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY HAS BEEN FRONT AND CENTER OF DEALING WITH A NUMBER OF THE ISSUES THAT, THAT ARE ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, WHETHER IT'S SECURITY POLICE, OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, SANITATION, UH, CHIEF SATTERWHITE HAS BEEN COORDINATING THAT. UM, SOME OF THE GREAT WORK THAT WAS DONE DURING THE FREEZE BELONGS TO CHIEF SATTERWHITE. UH, ALONG WITH THAT IS KELLY YOUNG, WHO'S HERE. KELLY IS THE CEO OF THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS. THAT'S THE ORGANIZATION THAT IS THE LEAD AGENCY FOR THE CONTINUUM OF CARE, AND IS ALSO REPRESENTS MORE THAN A HUNDRED NONPROFITS WHO WORK ON HOMELESSNESS. AGAIN, ANOTHER SECRET IN HOUSTON'S SUCCESS, UM, WITH US TODAY IS ALSO PACE. TINA IS THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT THE HARRIS CENTER. UM, THE HARRIS CENTER IS THE, UM, UH, ENTITY THAT SUPPORTS PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. AND IDD ISSUES, UH, TREATS 90,000 PEOPLE A YEAR. UM, MOST OF THE FUNDING COMES FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT. UM, BEFORE KENA PACEON, HER AND THE CEO, WAYNE YOUNG CAME TO, UH, THE HARRIS CENTER. THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN HOMELESSNESS. THE HARRIS CENTER THOUGHT HOMELESSNESS WAS AN ISSUE THAT THEY COULDN'T DEAL WITH. WAYNE YOUNG AND KENA PACE HAD STEPPED UP. AND AS WE RECOGNIZE TODAY, MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ISSUES ARE SUCH A MAJOR PART [00:25:01] OF THE SOLUTIONS TO HOMELESSNESS. AND THEN ALSO AS PART OF THIS PARTNERSHIP IS CHRIS LARSON. CHRIS IS THE CEO OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON PLUS, AND HAS BEEN A LOT OF THINGS. HE'S A REAL THOUGHT PARTNER. 'CAUSE HERE'S A GUY AND A, UH, AND A TEAM THAT HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE STREETS IN HOMELESSNESS, WORKING ON SANITATION, WORKING WITH BUSINESSES, AND HE'S A TERRIFIC THOUGHT PARTNER. BESIDES THAT, WHEN WE BEGAN THIS PROGRAM, UH, DOWNTOWN PLUS WAS THE FIRST GROUP THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO PUT UP A MILLION DOLLARS TO WORK ON OUR PROGRAM. SO WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE CHRIS HERE. THIS THIS PROCESS WILL WORK BEST WHEN I QUIT TALKING AND YOU HEAR FROM THEM, UH, ALLOW ME JUST TO GO THROUGH THE SLIDES FAIRLY QUICKLY, UH, THAT WE WILL MAKE SURE ALL OF YOU HAVE. UM, TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT, UM, WHERE WE ARE WITH, UM, HOMELESSNESS, UH, THE FIRST THING IS WE DO HAVE NATIONAL RECOGNITION. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF IT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE CURRENT CHALLENGES. KELLY YOUNG AND HER TEAM, AND MORE THAN 400 VOLUNTEERS JUST FINISHED THE POINT IN TIME COUNT. UH, THIS LAST YEAR, UH, SHOWED ABOUT 3000 INDIVIDUALS FACED NIGHTLY HOMELESSNESS, 1100 UNSHELTERED, THE REST IN TRANSITIONAL OR TEMPORARY SHELTERS. UM, MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS PUT TOGETHER A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT HAS A NEW FOCUS ON ADDITIONAL FOCUS, WHICH IS NOT ONLY HOUSING PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, BUT ALSO NOT FORCING PEOPLE TO WAIT ON THE STREET WHILE THEY'RE WAITING FOR HOUSING. IT IS A HUGE ISSUE THAT WILL IMPACT THE CITY. IF WE CAN END STREET HOMELESS AND BE THE FIRST MAJOR CITY TO DO THAT, IT'LL BE A TERRIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENT AND BE VERY MEANINGFUL. AND THEN THE LAST IS THE DUAL BENEFITS OF ENHANCING PUBLIC SAFETY AND MAKING COMMUNITY SPACES WHERE PEOPLE FEEL MORE, UM, AT EASE, AND ALSO WHERE WE OFFER HOPE AND SUPPORT FOR THE VULNERABLE POPULATION. UM, NEXT SLIDE. SO YOU SEE THIS ROBUST, UH, THE ROBUST, ROBUST COLLABORATION I'VE MENTIONED, UH, CITY OF HOUSTON AND ALL THE DEPARTMENTS PHILANTHROPY DOWNTOWN HOUSTON PLUS, UM, THE HARRIS CENTER COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS. UH, THE TWO OTHERS THAT ARE NOT, THAT WE NOT HAVE NOT DISCUSSED ARE METRO AND HARRIS COUNTY. UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THEIR FUNDING AND THEIR HELP. UH, HOMELESSNESS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE FOR BOTH OF THE ENTITIES. UM, I MET WITH HARRIS COUNTY'S LEADERSHIP THIS MORNING. WE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS, PROBABLY TWICE A MONTH, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT CAN BE DONE AND HOW HARRIS COUNTY CAN HELP FUND THIS PROCESS. AND THE SAME THING WITH METRO. AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING FOR FUNDING, BUT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP. WHAT WE UNDERSTAND IS THAT METRO SPENDS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY ON SECURITY, UM, AND IT KEEPS RIDERSHIP DOWN, UH, WHEN PEOPLE FEEL CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR COMFORT AND SAFETY. AGAIN, GRATEFUL FOR CHIEF SHADOW WHITE, WHO'S WORKED CLOSELY WITH THEIR SECURITY TEAM AT BOTH METRO AND HARRIS COUNTY. UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. AND AGAIN, I'M MOVING FAIRLY QUICKLY. UM, BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN BUILD A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO IN STREET HO HOMELESSNESS. UM, ONE IS PERSONALIZED CARE. AND AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, EVERY, EVERY PERSON WE MEET HAS A UNIQUE SITUATION, WHICH REQUIRES UNIQUE CARE. UM, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE CAN BE HOUSED, AND THAT SOLVES MOST OF THEIR ISSUES WITH WRAPAROUND HOUSING. HOWEVER, SOME PEOPLE NEED DIFFERENT KIND OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE, SUBSTANCE USE CARE, AND THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO, WHO, UM, HAVE CRIMINAL ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT INVOLVED. UM, BUT WE DO NEED THIS UNIFIED HOUSING RESOURCES. THAT'S BEEN THE KEY TO HOUSTON SUCCESSES IS LEVERAGING CITY, COUNTY, AND FEDERAL FUNDS TO ENSURE SUSTAINABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HOUSING FOR ALL RESIDENTS. UM, THE GOAL IS NOT TO HAVE JUST TEMPORARY RELIEF, BUT PERMANENT STABILITY FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. NEXT SLIDE. UH, MY JOB, WE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANT JOB OF CHIEF SATTERWHITE AND, AND KELLY YOUNG AND WAYNE YOUNG, UH, HAIR CENTER. UH, MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THE MONEY'S THERE. AND I WISH I COULD SAY THIS WAS AN EASIER TASK. IT IS NOT AN EASY TASK. UM, BECAUSE AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IF WE COULD HAVE ALL GENERAL FUND, THAT'D BE THE BEST. THAT'D BE THE EASIEST, AND WE'D BE MOVING AHEAD QUICKLY. BUT GENERAL FUNDS ARE THE HARDEST TO COME BY. AND WITH THE, UH, WITH THE REVENUE CAP, IT IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON GENERAL FUND [00:30:01] DID ALREADY PUT IN $3.5 MILLION TO FUND THE OPERATIONS AT THE NAVIGATION CENTER. UH, THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT, THEY WERE ONE OF THE FIRST, FIRST AVAILABILITY OF GENERAL FUNDS. IT WAS URGENT. SO WE APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL APPROVING THAT. UH, MORE THAN $700,000 OF CITY HHSP FUNDS WERE REPURPOSED BY THE COALITION, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DATE. OTHER THAN THE $1 MILLION, UH, FUNDS FROM, UH, DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE HOUSTON FIRST FUNDS OF 2.6 MILLION, WHICH YOU DISCUSSED IN THIS CHAMBER WHEN WE, THEY WERE DISCUSSING LIGHTING OF BRIDGES. WE HOPE THE BOARD OF HOUSTON FIRST WILL APPROVE THAT. UH, NEXT MONTH, UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, UM, FOR AN 8 MILLION TO $16 MILLION GRANT OF ARPA FUNDINGS. UM, AGAIN, IT'S VERY POLITICAL. A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE THAT MONEY. WE THINK THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT, UM, WITH CHRIS LARSON'S HELP, UH, MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, AND WITH THE MAYOR'S HELP T WE WILL BE HAVING A SIGNIFICANT FUNDING CHARGE TO THEM. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. AND AS I SAID, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO FUNDING FROM METRO. UH, WE WORK ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH PHILANTHROPY AND CORPORATIONS. UH, WE WILL JUST SAY THAT THAT'S NOT EASY TO COME BY BECAUSE PHILANTHROPISTS IN HOUSTON ARE ALL ABOUT LEVERAGING THEIR FUNDING AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR OUR SUSTAINABLE, OUR PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE FUNDING, WHICH WE THINK WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN. WE HAVEN'T FULLY BAKED IT YET. UM, AND, UM, WE CAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GREAT IDEAS, BUT IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO COMPLETE THAT PLAN AND HAVE IT IN PLACE. AGAIN, PHILANTHROPY THAT WE'VE SPOKEN TO, CORPORATIONS REALLY WANT TO FUND THIS, BUT THEY WANT THEIR MONEY TO BE LEVERAGED WITH LOCAL MONEY. UH, NEXT SLIDE. UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT SOMETHING JUST TO MAKE SURE THE $70 MILLION, WHAT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE. UM, THE ONE THING IS, I DON'T THINK, OH, YEAH. THE FIRST THING, UM, HUD GRANTED AN ANNUAL CONTINUUM OF CARE GRANT OF $55 MILLION TO THE COALITION, UH, THAT WAS ANNOUNCED RECENTLY. UM, FOR FY 25, THAT MONEY IS A FUNDS THAT COME IN EVERY YEAR. IT'S HIGHLY COMPETITIVE. IN 2012, WE WERE, UH, GRANTED ABOUT 19 MILLION. SO IT'S GROWN TREMENDOUSLY. WE WERE, WE GET GRANTS THAT NO OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES GET BECAUSE OF THE WORK WE DO AND THE SUCCESS IN HOUSING, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. UM, MUCH OF THAT MONEY WILL GO TO MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE IN HOUSING CAN STAY IN THEIR HOUSING WITH WRAPAROUND SERVICES. UM, CITY AND COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT IS NOT PART OF THE $70 MILLION. UH, THE MAYOR AND HIS TEAM HAVE PUT TOGETHER EXTRA MONEY FOR OVERTIME FOR OUR PROJECTS AND WORK THAT CHIEF SATTER WHITE'S DOING. UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THIS PROGRAM, THAT ONCE WE DECOMMISSION AN ENCAMPMENT, THEN WE HAVE TO CALL ON SOLID WASTE PUBLIC WORKS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ENCAMPMENTS ARE CLEANED AND WE HAVE TO CALL ON LAW ENFORCEMENT TO MAINTAIN THOSE AREAS. SO THIS IS PART THAT'S NOT IN THE FUNDING. UH, WE HAVE, UH, HUD DISASTER RELIEF FOR, FOR 2024 FROM THE, UM, BARREL IN REIO. WE'RE HOPING TO GET SOME PUBLIC SERVICE MONEY FROM THAT. UH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT YET, BUT THAT'S ONE OF OUR HOPE. AND THE OTHER PARTS OF THE SUPPORT FOR THE HARRIS CENTER, WHICH IS ALL THE MENTAL HEALTH, HARRIS HEALTH, WHICH HAS A HUGE BURDEN, TAXPAYER BURDEN FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WHO LIVE ON THE STREET, BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR, UM, UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THEIR, UH, UH, EXITS OF FIRST, UH, WHEN THE FIRST, UH, FIRST CHANCE IS THEY GET SICK, OFTEN THEY END UP IN THE EMERGENCY ROOMS OF HARRIS HEALTH AND THE HOSPITALS, WHICH ARE NOT PART OF THIS. AND OF COURSE, HOUSING VOUCHERS, WHICH HAS BEEN A HUGE PART OF OUR SYSTEM THROUGH THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY. THEY'RE NOT, THEY DON'T EXIST TODAY. THAT'S PART OF WHERE THESE FUNDS WILL GO TO, WHICH WILL BE ON THE FUNDING OF THE, UM, OF THE, FOR THE HOUSING, FOR THE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. UM, WE CONTINUALLY, UH, ARE, AND WE ARE DILIGENT PURSUING THIS FUNDS FOR YEAR ONE AND TWO OF OUR PLAN, AND ALSO SIMULTANEOUSLY, ACCORDING TO THE STATE AND COUNTY, TO CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS BEYOND THE PLAN TO, UM, FOR SUSTAINABLE FUNDING. AND WE EXPECT TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THAT PROGRESS IN [00:35:01] THE NEAR FUTURE. UM, I GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. UM, AND YOU, YOU MAY WANT LOOK AT THIS, AND WHEN KELLY YOUNG COMES UP HERE, YOU MAY WANT TO ASK FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. QUESTION IS, WHERE'S THE $70 MILLION GOING? UM, 3.3 MILLION IS PLANNED FOR OUTREACH. AGAIN, THESE NUMBERS ARE NOT HARD AND FAST FOR SEVERAL REASONS. ONE IS WE MAKING SURE WE CAN GET TO THE 70 MILLION. TWO, IS THAT DEPENDING HOW THE MONEY COMES, HOW IT, HOW IT ARRIVES IN WHAT FORM OFTEN TELLS YOU HOW THE MONEY CAN BE SPENT. AGAIN, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT NEEDS TO GO TO RAPID REHOUSING. 45 MILLION, ABOUT 11 MILLION FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. THOSE OF THAT'S HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DISABLED NEED LONG-TERM CARE. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT REOPENING THE DIVERSION PROCESS, WHICH WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL DURING THE COVID FUNDING, UH, WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE WHO NEED A TANK OF GAS, A TICKET SOMEWHERE, UM, SOME SPECIAL NEEDS TO HELP THEM MOVE ON AND STAY OUT OF THE HOMELESSNESS SYSTEM. UM, WE FOUND THAT IT'S MUCH MORE COUNSELING THAN IT IS DOLLARS. AGAIN, THE NAVIGATION CENTER, WHICH, UH, HOUSES 80 PEOPLE AS THEY MOVE INTO HOUSING. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'LL SEE AS THIS FUNDING COMES FORWARD, WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE THE RAPID REHOUSING AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DOLLARS TO HOUSE THOSE PEOPLE IN THE NAVIGATION CENTER, WHICH WILL OPEN UP BEDS THERE FOR THE NEXT GROUP WHO, WHO MOVE INTO HOUSING. AND THEN, UH, HUB AND SHELTER FUNDING. WE HAVE 3.8 MILLION. TRADITIONALLY, WE HAVE NOT FUNDED THE SHELTERS. THOSE ARE FUNDED BY PRIVATE RELIGION, MAINLY RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE SALVATION ARMY AND STAR OF HOPE. UM, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTERS ARE PART OF THAT, BUT WE DO NEED TO ADD SOME FUNDING TO THAT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE LOW BARRIER SHELTERS, UM, SUCH AS EXPANDING SHELTER AT THE SOBERING CENTER TO MOVE PEOPLE FROM THE STREET INTO HOUSING. AND AGAIN, I THINK YOU'LL HEAR FROM CHIEF SATTERWHITE WHEN YOU GET THERE. THE NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING AS A WAY TO LEVERAGE THE, UM, UH, THE GOVERNMENT FUNDING. VERY IMPORTANT. IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT DURING THE COVID YEARS, UH, BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH LIMITATIONS TO THE, UM, GOVERNMENT FUNDING. UH, THE LEASE, THE FUNDING WITH THE LEASE LIMITATIONS IS GENERAL FUNDS, WHICH COMES THROUGH THIS BODY. BUT EVEN WITH THAT, OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO HAVE COUNCIL APPROVAL ON SPECIFICS OF HOW TO USE THAT. UM, NEXT SLIDE. UM, AND AGAIN, SUSTAINING LONG-TERM IMPACT. UM, STATE COLLABORATION. WE'RE WORKING WITH THE STATE LEGISLATOR LEGISLATURE. UM, JOSH SANDERS AND I GO TO AUSTIN NEXT WEEK, UM, WITH THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP TO WORK WITH THEM ON LOOKING FOR MORE STABLE FUNDING. UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A SPECIAL HOMELESSNESS ASSESSMENT. OUR RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE PUBLIC IS VERY INTERESTED IN THAT, BUSINESSES INTERESTED IN THAT. UM, CITY COUNTY S AND MANAGEMENT DISTRICT FUNDING, AGAIN, IT'S, WE THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE AND THAT CAN BE VERY POSITIVE. AND THEN MAKING THE ANNUAL ALLOCATIONS FROM METRO WOULD BE A TERRIFIC AND SUSTAINABLE IMPACT. SO THE $70 MILLION, HOPEFULLY IS NOT MORE THAN TWO YEARS, BECAUSE AT THAT TIME, WE NEED AND EXPECT A SUSTAINABLE LONG-TERM PROGRAM. NEXT SLIDE. AND AGAIN, THIS JUST GOES TO AMPLIFYING IMPACT BEYOND FEDERAL LIMITATIONS. UM, FOR THE FLEXIBILITY WE NEED THE SUCCESS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BRAIDING THESE LOCAL FUNDS, UM, FOR SPECIFIC HOUSTON NEED, UH, CHALLENGES AND NEEDS. UM, LEARNING TO USE MONEY SWIFTLY AND EFFECTIVELY. EVERYBODY'S FRUSTRATED BY HOW SLOW THIS PROCESS IS. UM, I GUESS I'M FRUSTRATED BY HOW SLOW THE MONEY'S COMING IN, BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE. AND LAST, EXPANDING DIVERSION BECAUSE THAT IS SUCH AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS. UM, I AM INTERESTED IN OUTCOMES CHAIRMAN RAMIREZ, LIKE YOU. UM, THE OUTCOMES THAT I WILL BE LOOKING FOR IS THE, UM, ENDING STREET HOMELESSNESS, WHICH MEANS MOVE ALL THE REMAINING INDIVIDUALS WHO FROM ENCAMPMENTS, SOMEWHERE AROUND A THOUSAND INTO HOUSING WITH SUPPORTIVE SERVICES OR INTO SPECIAL, UH, INTO, UH, WHATEVER IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEM. UM, BE IT, UH, MENTAL HEALTH OR OTHER, [00:40:01] UM, SUBSTANCE PROGRAMS THAT CAN HELP THEM MOVE FUR FURTHER ALONG. UH, DIVERSION, REHOUSING, HUBS. IT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA TO ESTABLISH HUBS AROUND THE REGION OF THE CITY TO OFFER SUPPORT AND SERVICES. A WAY TO HAVE FACILITATING SEAMLESS TRANSITION FROM THE STREETS TO STABLE HOUSING. AGAIN, A PLACE FOR BOTH, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUTREACH AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO HELP PEOPLE MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR HOUSING. AND THEN THE THIRD TARGET IS TO RECLAIM PUBLIC SPACES. UM, ALL OF YOU KNOW THAT IT'S DIFFICULT IN HOUSTON. UM, WHEN, UM, THE ENCAMPMENTS, UM, KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF PUBLIC SPACES AND THAT'S THE TRUTH, METRO OR OTHER, OTHER PLACES, I BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL BE A PROGRAM THAT WORKS FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND THOSE WHO ENHANCE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO WANT TO USE THESE PUBLIC SPACES NEXT. OKAY, WE, WE'LL JUST MOVE ON FROM HERE TO A, UM, WHAT HAPPENED IN ALLEN'S LANDING AND CHIEF, IF YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THAT. AND KELLY, MAYBE YOU'LL COME UP, OR CHRIS, WHOEVER WANTS TO DO, TALK MORE ABOUT ALLEN'S LANDING. AGAIN, YOU'LL LEARN MUCH MORE LISTENING TO THIS GROUP THAN YOU HAVE TODAY. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR NICHOLS. YOU'RE VERY KIND. UH, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU, KELLY FIRST AND LET YOU START, AND THEN I'LL PICK IT UP FROM THERE. I KNOW THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN. QUESTIONS MY WAY TOO, BUT, UH, YES, GO AHEAD. WELL, FIRST THANK, THANK YOU ALL. UH, NICE TO SEE YOU HERE TODAY. UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANNA TALK ABOUT WITH ALAN'S LANDING IS THAT THE, THE METHODOLOGY FOR DETERMINING WHAT HAPPENED AT ALLEN'S LANDING IS A PART OF WHAT THE PLAN INTRODUCED. SO TWO THINGS HAPPEN. FIRST ONE ALWAYS HAPPENS WITH THE COALITION IS WE GO OUT AND WE ACTUALLY GATHER DATA ON EVERYBODY WHO'S ON THE STREET AND UNDERSTAND THE POPULATION THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH. ALLEN'S LANDING HAD BEEN A LONG TIME, LONG STANDING ENCAMPMENT THAT HAS BEEN A PLACE, UH, MULTIPLE TIMES. WE'VE HAD PEOPLE THERE BECAUSE IT'S COVERED, IT'S RELATIVELY SAFE, IT'S EASY ACCESS. AND SO IT WASN'T THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE VISITED AN AREA AND IT CERTAINLY WASN'T THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD INDIVIDUALS THERE. WHAT WAS DIFFERENT WAS IN INITIATING MORE OF THIS MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH IS WE ACTUALLY GATHERED A GROUP OF PEOPLE TOGETHER, UH, U OF H UM, BAYOU PARTNERSHIP, EVERYBODY, AND SAID, WHAT ROLE DO YOU ALSO PLAY IN THIS? 'CAUSE I CAN COME AND I CAN MOVE ALL THESE INDIVIDUALS INTO, INTO HOUSING, BUT THAT JUST KEEPS THAT SPACE VERY OPEN FOR ANYBODY ELSE WHO MAY DECIDE THAT THEY WANNA HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO BE. AND SO I MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE I DO THINK UNDERSTANDING THAT ASSET MAPPING OR LOOKING AT WHO NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED AT THE TABLE WHENEVER YOU'RE CLOSING A PARTICULAR AREA IS ONE OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING THIS TIME VERSUS WHAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE. SO AT THAT TABLE, EVERYBODY HAD TO OWN THEIR PIECES OF THAT PIE. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF, IF BAYOU PARTNERSHIP WAS NOT GOING BACK AND FIXING THE LIGHTS EVERY TIME THEY GOT BROKEN, THAT WAS JUST GONNA CREATE A PROBLEM. WE ACTUALLY HAD TO FIGURE OUT THE JURISDICTION OF WHO OWNED WHAT PARTS. AND DOWNTOWN HOUSTON STEPPED IN AND FIGURED THAT PART OUT FOR US. U OF H CAME IN AND DECIDED, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO AS A SCHOOL? WOULD SOCIAL WORKERS WANNA COME DOWN AND DO INTERNSHIPS? LIKE EVERYBODY AT THE TABLE OWNED THEIR PART, WERE ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR PART, AND THEN HELD TO THE WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO. THE NORMAL PROCESS FOR CLOSING, ENCAMPMENT THEN TOOK PLACE. SO THAT'S LAW, THAT'S OUTREACH. GOING IN AND SAYING, THIS IS GONNA BE CLOSED. THERE'S GONNA BE NOTICE FOR THIS. WE'VE GOT PLACES FOR YOU TO GO. 'CAUSE WE HAD SOME LEFTOVER DOLLARS WE COULD USE TO, TO START THIS PROCESS. AND THEN LAW ENFORCEMENT COMES IN WITH A SOFT OUTREACH, HEY, YOU REALLY WANNA TAKE THESE ADVANTAGE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA COME AND CLOSE THIS AREA. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE OUTTA THE 36. SOME WOULD NOT TALK TO US, WHICH IS A REALLY NORMAL OCCURRENCE. NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO TALK WITH ANY OF OUR OUTREACH WORKERS OR STAFF OR ANYBODY ELSE. WE HAD SOME THAT ACTUALLY SELF RESOLVED. THEY'RE LIKE, YEAH, I'M JUST DOWN HERE MESSING AROUND AND I, I, I'LL MOVE ON. WE HAD SOME PEOPLE WHO, ONCE WE GOT MORE ENGAGED WITH THEM, SOME OF THEIR ISSUES BECAME CLEAR AND THEY WERE LESS WILLING TO ENGAGE. BUT OUT OF THAT, WE HAD 17 PEOPLE. WE MOVED STRAIGHT INTO HOUSING. SOME OF THEM WENT TO THE NAVIGATION CENTER 'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE PAPERWORK. SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR ID AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, WE NEED TO GET YOU SET UP FOR THAT. THAT NUMBER IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S NOT ACTUALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS. 'CAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN DO. IF YOU HAVE HOUSING DOLLARS AVAILABLE, YOU, YOU, THAT IS THE OUTCOME. BUT WHAT WAS IMPORTANT WAS AFTER THAT WAS THAT AREA MAINTAINED CLOSURE. AND THE REASON IT MAINTAINED CLOSURE IS BECAUSE YOU HAD EVERYBODY WHO WAS ORIGINALLY AT THE TABLE THEN STILL AT THE TABLE TO MAKE SURE THEY DID THEIR PART. SO THE LOVELY DOWNTOWN, UH, HOUSTON [00:45:01] PLUS HAD GREAT DISPLAYS AND THINGS FOR PEOPLE TO DO THAT MAKES THAT AREA INTERESTING. THE FEEDING GROUPS THAT WERE COMING DOWN ALL OF A SUDDEN REALIZE, OH, THERE ISN'T ANYBODY TO FEED HERE. SO WE WEREN'T ATTRACTING MORE PEOPLE TO COME HERE BECAUSE THEY STOPPED COMING. WE DID ALMOST RUN INTO A PROBLEM WITH THE PEOPLE WHO RUN THE BOATS BECAUSE WE WEREN'T, WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THEM . AND SO ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAD PEOPLE USING THE, THE LAUNCHING PIECE AGAIN, THE 17 GOT HOUSED 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO IN TERMS OF THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS. BUT THE AREA BECAME USABLE FOR EVERYBODY ELSE. AND IT BECAME CLEAR THAT IF YOU WENT THERE, YOU WERE EITHER GONNA GET INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE YOU NEED TO GO OR IF WE HAVE HOUSING AVAILABLE, WE COULD GET YOU INTO HOUSING OR YOU CAN'T BE HERE UNTIL THIS DAY. I THINK FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS I DROVE BY THERE EVERY NIGHT. 'CAUSE I WAS WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS TESTING, THIS IDEA OF A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING TO THE TABLE. UM, AND TO THIS DAY, I THINK IT'S STILL CLEAR. UH, IT HAS NOW BECOME A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE DO NOT FEEL LIKE THEY CAN GO AND BUILD UP AN ENCAMPMENT. NOW, FROM THE COALITION STANDPOINT, I WANNA HOUSE EVERYBODY. SO THAT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THE BIGGEST WIN. BUT I DO KNOW FROM A COMMUNITY STANDPOINT IT IS. AND WHEN THE COMMUNITY FEELS SAFE AND COMFORTABLE, THEN THEY STOP TARGETING THE MOST VULNERABLE AND THE MOST WITHOUT RESOURCE AS THE PROBLEM. AND SO, TO ME, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT'S PART OF HOW YOU BALANCE THIS. THE SECOND PIECE THEN WAS THAT'S NORMAL ENCAMPMENT CLOSURE. WHEN YOU HAVE FUNDING, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE FUNDING OR YOU HAVE MINIMAL FUNDING, OR YOU'RE GONNA CLOSE A PLACE THAT IS NOT A PARK, YOU HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT TACTIC YOU HAVE TO TAKE BECAUSE THAT IS A, THAT IS A CLOSURE WHERE YOU CAN'T SAY, I'M GONNA FENCE THIS OFF, OR THERE'S A SIGN OR THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE. AND SO THAT'S THE SECOND PIECE OF WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW, WHICH IS THIS SECOND LAYER TO THE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WE RECEIVE. 'CAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAVE FLEXIBILITY WITH THOSE DOLLARS. AGAIN, THIS IS LOOKING AT WHO NEEDS TO BE AT THE TABLE, INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SAYING, OKAY, HOW DO WE GO IN TOGETHER AS A TEAM? HOW DO WE SOLVE THIS AS A TEAM? BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE HOUSING DOLLARS. I CAN'T HOUSE PEOPLE. WE'RE GONNA SEE AN INCREASE IN OUR, IN OUR NUMBERS THIS NEXT YEAR BECAUSE WE, WE WENT DOWN IN FUNDING. I MEAN, THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF IT. BUT IF WE ALL COME AT IT AT THE SAME APPROACH, WE ALSO MIGHT FIND THAT THE DATA'S TELLING US SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT ABOUT, ABOUT THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. ONE THING WE NOTICED ABOUT DOWNTOWN AND WHY WE USE DATA FIRST THIS'S WHY WE GO OUT AND DO OUTREACH. IT'S WHY WE DO ENGAGEMENT IS WHEN WE ENTER THEM INTO THE SYSTEM, THEN WE CAN ALSO START TO DEFINE A BETTER INTERVENTION. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE FIND IS THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE DOWNTOWN THAT ARE HERE DURING THE DAY, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY NOT SPENDING THE NIGHT OVERNIGHT. AND SO IF WE WANNA TARGET THOSE THAT ARE OVERNIGHT, WE HAVE TO ADJUST THE WAY THAT WE ACTUALLY ADDRESS PEOPLE WHO ARE SLEEPING ON THE STREET, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN I AM PRECARIOUSLY HOUSED AND I'M DOWN HERE GETTING SERVICES DURING THE DAY, WHICH I WOULD GUESS THAT ALL OF US ARE IN AGREEMENT IS A GOOD THING. WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET WHAT THEY NEED. UM, SO IN KNOWING THAT, YOU START WITH THE DATA AND YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE BEST INTERVENTION. AND IN THIS CASE, WHAT WE'RE NOTICING IS THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES AROUND DIVERSION. SO THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT HERE FOR A GOOD PART OF THE MONTH AND THEN THEY'RE HERE FOR A COUPLE WEEKS AND SO SOMETHING'S HAPPENING IN THEIR LIVES DURING A MONTH. THEY'RE RUNNING OUTTA MONEY, SOMETHING'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING IS HAPPENING AND THEN THEY'RE ENDING UP AND THIS IS WHERE THEY KNOW TO GO, 'CAUSE IT'S COVERED, IT'S SAFE, I KNOW I CAN GET FOOD. ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT DIFFERENTLY AND WHAT THE DOLLARS WOULD DO, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, IS TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE THAT ENHANCED AND MORE COMPLEX OUTREACH AND INTERVENTION BECAUSE THE FEDERAL DOLLARS WON'T LET US DO THAT. SO GREAT THAT THE FEDERAL DOLLARS HOUSE, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT IT HOUSES AND IT DOES ALL THE STUFF IT DOES, IT WON'T ALLOW US TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY AND PARTICULARLY BETWEEN ALL OF THE PARTNERS TO COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT INTERVENTION FOR EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS. ONE OF THE THINGS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT IS I, I FEEL REALLY LUCKY. UM, I WORK IN A CITY WHERE JUST LIKE I WILL SAY THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A HANDFUL OF THOSE THAT ARE NOT, MOST OF THE INDIVIDUALS I HAVE WORKED WITH AROUND LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE REALLY TRYING TO DO THE BEST BY UM, THE PEOPLE WE'RE SERVING. THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN PUTTING THEM IN JAIL. THEY DON'T WANT THEM TO GO , THEY'RE NOT TRYING TO DO THAT. BUT THEY ALSO HAVE SAFETY CONCERNS AND PUBLIC, UM, PERCEPTIONS THAT THEY HAVE TO ADDRESS. SO ONE OF THE INTERVENTIONS BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND IN THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM IS REALLY COORDINATING THAT DOWN. OKAY, SO YOU'RE GONNA GO IN AND DO THE SOFT TOUCH, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO SOMEWHERE. THAT'S WHY WE OPENED THE SOBERING CENTER. WE WENT TO LEONARD AND SAID, COULD YOU REPURPOSE WHAT YOU DO BECAUSE YOU'RE CLOSE, YOU'RE AN OVERNIGHT, YOU'RE VERY LOW BARRIER. THAT PERSON COULD GO SPEND THE NIGHT. THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE ON THE STREET TONIGHT AND GO SPEND THE NIGHT, GET UP THE NEXT MORNING. THEY STILL [00:50:01] MAY BE AROUND AND HANGING OUT UNTIL WE CAN GET THEM THE INTERVENTION THEY NEED, BUT THERE'S SOMEWHERE SAFE FOR THEM TO BE THAT NIGHT. LAW ENFORCEMENT IS A BIG PART OF THEIR, THAT ABILITY TO GO TO THEM AND SAY, YOU REALLY DON'T WANNA BE HERE TONIGHT. WE DON'T WANNA GO THROUGH THE RGA AND ROLL OF THE CITATIONS AND ALL THAT NONSENSE. LET'S GET YOU WHERE YOU NEED TO GO AND WE CAN GET YOU TO THE SOBERING CENTER. MM-HMM WE TESTED THAT OUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO SEE WHETHER IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA WORK OR NOT. BEFORE WE GO INTO A FULL LAUNCH. HERE'S A HUB IN EVERYBODY'S DISTRICT AND HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. PLUS WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THAT . SO SO WE START SMALL IN VERY SPECIFIC PRAGMATICALLY AND DATA DRIVEN THAT ALLOWS LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ACTUALLY HAVE A TOOL TO BE ABLE TO SAY, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE HERE. WE'VE GOT A PLACE WHERE YOU GO, I KNOW OUTREACH CAME OUT LAST WEEK. I KNOW JAMES WAS OUT HERE. I KNOW SEARCH WAS OUT HERE. I KNOW EVERYBODY WAS OUT HERE. LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT'S A BETTER PLAN FOR YOU TONIGHT. ONLY TONIGHT THAT STARTS TO LESSEN THE BARRIER ON THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THEIR ENTIRE LIVES. WE'RE ONLY TRYING TO CHANGE YOUR NEXT 12 HOURS AND SOMETIMES THAT'S ALL ANYBODY CAN RELEASE STOMACH AT THAT POINT. SO ALAN'S LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE 17 PEOPLE THAT GOT HOUSED AND MAYBE SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD OTHER HOUSING, YOU KNOW, GONE ON WITH THEIR LIFE AND DID OTHER THINGS. BUT IT TESTED THE THEORY OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS. IT STRENGTHENED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE HOMELESS, UH, RESPONSE SYSTEM. AND THEN IT ACTUALLY TESTED THE IDEA THAT YOU COULD HAVE A PLACE OPEN OVERNIGHT THAT WAS SUPER EASY FOR PEOPLE TO GO IN AND LEAVE. UM, I KNOW THAT WASN'T, THAT WAS MORE THAN THE ALLEN'S LANDING, BUT I WANTED TO CLARIFY WHY ALLEN'S LANDING WAS IMPORTANT AND NOT JUST FOCUS ON THE NUMBER. BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE REALLY TESTING IS THIS WHOLE NEXT LEVEL OF INTERVENTION AND CARE THAT WE ACTUALLY CAN GIVE TO THE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IS IN OUR CITY. AND WE WILL BE THE FIRST CITY WHO ACTUALLY PULLS THIS OFF AND ACTUALLY DOES WHAT WE CAN DO IF WE CAN GET THAT SECOND LAYER OF FUNDING IN, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THOSE DOLLARS WILL DO. AND, AND WHAT'S THE STATUS OF ALAN'S LANDING NOW? CAN YOU UPDATE? I HAVE NOT DRIVEN BY IT. CHRIS LARSON SAYS I CAN'T DRIVE BY IT ANYMORE. . I WAS WORRYING HIM FOR A WHILE THERE. UH, THE LAST TIME I WAS DOWN THERE WAS NO ONE DOWN THERE. AND PART OF THAT IS THE CLOSURE PIECE OF THAT IS ANYBODY WHO GOES DOWN THERE, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SAYS YOU CAN'T STAY HERE. YOU'VE GOT A PLACE YOU CAN GO, YOU CAN DO THIS. BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY ISSUES SINCE THEN. UM, SO AND IS THERE A SUCCESS STORY YOU WANTED TO TELL US ABOUT? I WOULD ACTUALLY LOVE FOR THE LOVELY KENA TO TELL THAT STORY 'CAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY HER CLIENT. UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND US DOING A LITTLE SHIFTING OF PEOPLE'S ABSOLUTE. ABSOLUTELY. UHHUH . SORRY LARRY, YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. I THINK I GET SOME DINNER FOR THAT I'LL SHARE WITH LARRY BECAUSE I THINK LARRY ACTUALLY REFERRED THIS PERSON TO US. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON AND IT WAS REALLY HARD TO PICK ONE. AND CAN I'M SORRY, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN OH, I'M TINA PACE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER WITH THE HARRIS CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND IDD. UM, SO WE WERE TRYING TO PICK ONE THAT WAS VERY IMPACTFUL OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, UM, THAT OUR PARTNERS HAD REFERRED TO US. SO WE'VE SELECTED JANE JANE'S JOURNEY FROM HOMELESSNESS TO STABILITY AND JANE WAS A FORMER TRUCK DRIVER. SHE WAS WORKING REALLY, REALLY HARD. LIFE WAS GOING REALLY, REALLY WELL. AND THIS WAS EARLY ON IN COVID AND SHE FELT TERRIBLY ILL, UM, AND LOST HER JOB. AND AFTER LOSING HER JOB, SHE BECAME CHRONICALLY HOMELESS AND WAS ON THE STREETS FOR OVER TWO OR MORE YEARS, UM, BEFORE ACTUALLY GOING BACK TO LIVE FOR THREE MONTHS AT A TRUCK STOP, UM, NORTH ON 45. WHERE THEN WE WERE OUTREACHED BY OUR PARTNERS, I THINK MAYBE LARRY MAYBE, UM, AND SAID, HEY, WE THINK WE NEED A BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT HERE. THAT, UM, THERE WERE BEHAVIORS AND ALSO PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS WHERE SHE WAS NEEDING ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IMMEDIATELY. UM, SHE STRUGGLED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. OUR, UM, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESPONSE TEAM AND TEAMS WERE ABLE TO MEET WITH HER AND, UM, DEESCALATE AND BEGIN TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY. AND, UM, SHE ENGAGED AND ENJOYED THE PROACTIVE SUPPORTS. SHE GOT WRAPAROUND THERAPIES, TRAUMA AND REALLY, REALLY WORKED ON HER ANXIETY AND TRAUMA. UM, AND THEN GOT SOME IMMEDIATE CERVICAL SURGERIES AND, UM, WAS, WAS COMPLIANT WITH SERVICES OR PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENT CARE. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, YOU GUYS ALL KNOW AND UM, IS THAT SHE WAS THEN ABLE TO CONNECT WITH HER FAMILY AND, UM, HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE CHOICES, LOST LOTS OF WEIGHT, UM, AND GOT MANY OF HER HEALTH SYMPTOMS UNDER CONTROL. AND SHE NOW IS IN A PERMANENT AND SUPPORTED HOUSING SLOT AND DOING VERY, VERY, VERY WELL. AND, UM, SO FOR THE MANY, MANY, THE THOUSANDS OF JANES THAT WE GET TO WORK WITH IN THIS INITIATIVE, I AM JUST SO PROUD THAT, UM, TO LIVE IN A, A CITY AND BE WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT IS SO PROGRESSIVE, SO INNOVATIVE, UM, SO SMART [00:55:01] IN THE APPROACH THAT WE'RE REALLY PUTTING, PUTTING FORWARD. AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE THE MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER IN THIS INITIATIVE. YOU BET. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT SUCCESS STORY. UM, SO ONE OF THE EARLIER SLIDES SAID 3,280 INDIVIDUALS FACING HOMELESSNESS EVERY DAY. THAT LAST YEAR, OF COURSE IS PROBABLY HIGHER NOW. SO THAT'S 3,280 DIFFERENT STORIES, RIGHT? THESE ARE EACH AN INDIVIDUAL. AND SO, SO I'M COMING BACK FOR EVERY MEETING. THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR SHARING THAT. YES. THANK YOU GUYS. . YES. STAND AROUND. SAME WITH THIS KING. I'M GOING STAY, I'M GONNA ASK YOU A OKAY. SO, UH, SO I'LL SAY A FEW WORDS VERY QUICKLY. HOMELESSNESS IS, IS NOT A LAW ENFORCEMENT PROBLEM SPECIFICALLY. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SOCIETY PROBLEM. IT'S AFFECTING THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. AND YOU ARE, YOU'RE RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER HOMELESSNESS IS UP ABOUT 18% ACROSS THE NATION. UM, WE WE'RE BEING IMPACTED. OTHER PARTS OF THE NATION ARE BEING IMPACTED EVEN WORSE. SO IT IS A REAL CHALLENGE. WHAT I CAN SAY, UM, IS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS, IS IS A PARTNER TO THE HARRIS CENTER, WHICH IS HELPING US WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, UH, TO THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS WITH KELLY AND HER TEAM. WITH THAT KIND OF OUTREACH WITH DIRECTOR NICHOLS, UM, I'M VERY PROUD OF, OF THE WAY LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONDS, UH, TO THIS ISSUE. THEY DO. ABSOLUTELY. I GET TO SEE MEN AND WOMEN EVERY DAY. I GET TO SEE IT MY TIME WHEN I WAS HPD AND I GET TO SEE IT NOW. THEY, THEY TRULY CARE AND THEY TALK TO ME ALL THE TIME ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A REAL CHALLENGE, BUT THEY'RE GONNA KEEP WORKING AT IT. SO I JUST, I JUST REALLY WANT TO COMMEND EVERYBODY EVEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH LAST WEEK, UM, AND THE WEEK FOUR WITH THE, WITH THE FREEZE AND HOW EVERYBODY RESPONDED AND STEPPED UP AND, AND THE CITY AS A WHOLE, HOW IT STEPPED UP TO TAKE CARE OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE. WE HAD ABOUT 1300 PEOPLE IN OUR WARMING CENTERS AT ONE POINT. UH, AND PROBABLY ABOUT 85 TO 90% OF THEM WERE PROBABLY HOMELESS. UH, SO THAT WAS AN EYE-OPENING THING. AND SO MANY SUFFER FROM MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE. I HAD, KENA WAS SO GREAT TO SEND HER MOBILE OUTREACH TEAM, UH, TO THE FONDE, UH, CENTER TO, UH, THE WEST, GREATER METROPOLITAN INTO OTHERS. THEY WERE VERY RESPONSIBLE. EVERYBODY WAS VERY RESPONSIBLE. WE GOT A LOT. THE SALVATION ARMY IS BEHIND US. THEY WERE THERE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, IT'S A TALL, TALL MOUNTAIN DECLINE. THERE'S NO, NO QUESTION OF THAT. BUT YOU DO HAVE COMMITTED PEOPLE ALL AROUND THAT ARE IN, THAT ARE, THAT ARE WILLING TO STEP UP AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE. OBVIOUSLY WE NEED FUNDING. DIRECTOR NICHOLS TALKED HEAVILY ABOUT THAT. FUNDING'S GONNA DRIVE A LOT ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE FOR THE LAWS THAT WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO, HE MENTIONED GOING TO AUSTIN. WE'VE BEEN THERE THREE TIMES NOW. I THINK, UM, IT'S, IT'S GONNA TAKE EVERYTHING. AND ONE OF THE MAYOR'S PRIMARY, UH, INITIATIVES RIGHT NOW, UH, AS KIND OF A FIRST MAJOR STEP. IT'S JUST TO END SLEEPING OUTSIDE. UH, BECAUSE WHEN YOU WERE SLEEPING OUTSIDE, UH, YOU WERE AT TERRIBLE RISK OF ALL KINDS OF THINGS, UH, EITHER MANMADE, YOU KNOW, PREDATORY BEHAVIOR, THE ELEMENTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. LAST YEAR WE LOST 175 PEOPLE I WENT TO, UH, LONGEST NIGHT. IT'S ON DECEMBER 21ST, UH, APPROXIMATELY EVERY YEAR. UH, IT'S CONSIDERED CALLED THE LONGEST NIGHT. IT'S, IT'S A MEMORIAL SERVICE THAT'S HELD OVER AT THE BEACON, AND THEY READ OFF 175 NAMES, A HOMELESS THAT WE LOST THIS 2024 OUTSIDE. AND THAT'S NOT THE TRUE NUMBER BECAUSE THAT'S JUST THE NUMBER THAT THEY HAD. SO WE WANT TO END SLEEPING OUTSIDE AS A FIRST MAJOR STEP ALONG THE PATH OF GETTING EVERYBODY INTO HOUSING, BEING ABLE TO STAND ON THEIR OWN TWO FEET AND PURSUE A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, KEENA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU AND, AND YOUR COHORTS DO AT THE HARRIS CENTER. HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR IT, AND WONDERFUL THINGS ARE GOING ON. THEIR LIVES ARE BEING CHANGED. AND SO, UH, HAP HAPPY TO SEE THAT. UH, CAN WE ADDRESS THIS LAST SLIDE? THERE'S SOME, SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON THIS SLIDE. HOW DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT? UH, DIRECTOR. YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. THE CHAIR DOESN'T MOVE. AND I WANT TO NOTE PRESENCE OF, UH, LAST, MAKE SURE I SEE IT. YEAH. REAL QUICK, PRESENCE OF COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, VIRTUALLY AS WELL. THANK YOU. UH, THIS IS THE SLIDE OF THAT TAKEAWAYS. MAKE SURE, SAME SLIDE KEY TAKEAWAYS. YOU, LARRY, YOU SHOULD BE UP HERE FOR THIS . UM, SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, YES, HE, HE NEEDS TO BE THERE, OR BOTH OF YOU. I DON'T KNOW. UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE AND THAT YOU HAVE IS, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ISLAND LANDING BEING A PARK, AND IT'S DIFFERENT ON THE STREET AND CON. CURRENTLY THERE'S [01:00:01] A CITY ORDINANCE 43 52 THAT SAYS THAT, UM, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, REGULATES SITTING AND LYING ON PUBLIC SIDE SIDEWALKS. AND THE QUESTION IS, WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE CURRENTLY, UH, UNDER THE ORDINANCE, PEOPLE CAN SLEEP ON CITY SIDEWALKS BETWEEN 11 AND SEVEN. YES. 11 AND SEVEN. AND THAT'S, THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW. UH, AGAIN, THE, IF, IF YOU AMENDED THAT AND ARRESTED EVERYBODY WHO'S ASLEEP ON THE SIDEWALKS, THAT WOULDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL. UM, IF YOU CAN THINK ABOUT WHAT IT COSTS TO KEEP SOMEBODY IN JAIL, ESPECIALLY SOMEBODY WHO'S EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, THAT'S, DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. UH, SO WE HAVE TO GET OUR HOUSING AND RESOURCES IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. UH, THE SECOND ITEM IS STATE MENTAL HEALTH COMMITMENT LAWS. UH, CURRENTLY, UM, AS I READ THE STATE, UH, MENTAL HEALTH LAWS, YOU HAVE TO BE A, UM, A DANGER TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS TO FACE COMMITMENT. UM, THE REALITY ON THAT IS THAT THERE IS NO DOLLARS RIGHT NOW FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE, DON'T HAVE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO FACE COMMITMENT. AND THE STATE NEEDS TO FIND WAYS TO FUND THAT AND OPEN UP SOME MENTAL HEALTH BEDS, UH, NOT ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, UH, DEALING WITH COMPETENCY HEARINGS FOR TRIALS, BUT ALSO FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. UM, ONE OF MY, UH, TAKEAWAYS FROM WAYNE YOUNG IS THAT THEY'RE INDIVIDUALS WHO SUFFER FROM WHAT'S CALLED ANNA SEGOVIA SGO SGO. UM, AND THEY DO NOT PARTICULARLY POSE A LONG TERM, UH, A SHORT TERM DANGER TO THEMSELVES, BUT THEY DO HAVE A LONG-TERM DANGER TO THEMSELVES. 'CAUSE THEY COULD BE SITTING IN, IN THEIR OWN EXCREMENT OR, UH, BEING IN THE COLD. AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY CAN BE COMMITTED. SO THE TWO PARTS OF THIS IS, YES, WE NEED SOME MENTAL HEALTH REFORM ON THE LAWS, AND YES, WE NEED MENTAL HEALTH REFORM ON THE FUNDING FOR THE STATE. UM, AND AGAIN, THE HARRIS CENTER'S BEEN A FOREFRONT OF THIS, A LEADER IN THIS, AND WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. UM, AND THE LAST IS ENHANCEMENT OF STATE RESOURCES. AND AGAIN, UM, AS I SAID, IT'S ALLOCATING ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH BEDS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THAT DOESN'T EXIST TODAY. AND WE'RE HOPING THAT SOME BEDS WILL BE PAID FOR, FOR THE FUTURE, BECAUSE CURRENTLY IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH BEDS ARE FULL OF PEOPLE AWAITING COMPETENCY HEARING FOR TRIALS. OKAY. LET, LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INFORMATION ON THIS SLIDE AND THEN WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER QUESTIONS. SO, FIRST BULLET POINT, CITY ORDINANCE 40 DASH 3 52, THAT'S COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE, IS THAT RIGHT? AND SO THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT EXPANDING THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE, WHICH APPLIES TO CERTAIN AREAS, DESIGNATED AREAS OF THE CITY. RIGHT NOW THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT EXPANDING AT CITYWIDE. CAN YOU, CAN YOU ADDRESS, UM, HOW THAT WOULD FIGURE IN, UH, WHAT, WHAT SORT OF TOOL WOULD THAT OFFER? WELL, WE, WE'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH ABOUT TRYING TO DO THAT, AND IT OBVIOUSLY HASN'T COME BEFORE COUNCIL YET, BECAUSE THE IDEA IS YOU NEED TO HAVE A REHOUSING PLAN AND A MENTAL HEALTH PLAN IF YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO ENFORCE THIS AND MAKE IT, UM, UM, EFFECTIVE. 'CAUSE AGAIN, AS I SAID, TAKING PEOPLE TO JAIL, TICKING THEM, DOESN'T DO ANYTHING. UM, SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT. UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH COUNSEL ABOUT COULD YOU DO THAT ON A, UH, A GEOGRAPHIC REGION, GEOGRAPHIC PORTION? AND WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT. WE DO NOT HAVE ANSWERS YET. UH, CHIEF SADDLE WHITE, YOU'VE BEEN ON. WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY. YOU NOT ADD TO THAT. UH, SURE. SO CURRENTLY, I THINK THERE ARE 12 CIVIL ZONES AROUND THE CITY, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY YOU ALL AS COUNCIL. UH, AND I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR HAS MENTIONED THE WHOLE CITY, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND HIS INTENT, WHICH IS WE WANNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, UM, BECAUSE EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE THIS PROBLEM SOLVED. SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. THE PROBLEM AS, UH, DIRECTOR NICHOLS HAS, HAS SAID IS THAT FUNDING AND RESOURCES ARE LIMITING, ARE A HUGE LIMITING FACTOR AS FAR. SO WE'RE HAVING TO MOVE MUCH MORE METHODICALLY, MUCH MORE STRATEGICALLY. UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW, WE COULD MOVE A LOT FASTER. WE SIMPLY DON'T. AND SO WE'RE MOVING AT, AT THE SPEED OF OUR RESOURCES, UH, WILL ALLOW US TO TAKE CARE OF MANY, AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. SO THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. UH, IT'S KIND OF A TBD, BUT THOSE CON THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING, UH, WITH A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS AROUND THE CITY. AND, UH, I THINK CHANGE IS COMING AND, UH, IT'S JUST TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. BUT WE WANNA MAKE, WE REALLY DO WANNA SOLVE THIS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE, [01:05:01] AND THE MAYOR REALLY WANTS TO END SLEEPING OUTSIDE ON OUR SIDEWALKS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE DANGER THAT IT PRESENTS TO THE PERSON'S DOING THAT AND EVERYBODY ELSE. OKAY. NOW, AS TO THE SECOND BULLET POINT, I LEARNED A NEW WORD LAST NIGHT. I'M NOT SURE I CAN PRONOUNCE IT. ANAS ALRIGHT. CAN YOU? HE DID BETTER THAN US. YOU CAN, YOU GENTLEMEN SPEAK TO THAT. WELL, KING IS PROBABLY THE BEST PERSON TO SPEAK TO IT, . UM, IF YOU AND I I SAY IT ENOUGH, I'LL BE GLAD TO DO IT. I KNOW IT'S, AND DON'T, DON'T SAY IT. AND WAYNE IS OUR STATEWIDE EXPERT, UM, IN THE WORK GROUP THAT'S WORKING AT THE STATE LEVEL. BUT ESSENTIALLY THERE'S, UM, THE FIRST AND SECOND CRITERIA, DANGER TO YOURSELF OR DANGER TO OTHERS. AND THEN IF PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERED GRAVELY DISABLED DUE TO THEIR CONDITIONS, AS MIKE WAS, WAS TO DISCUSSING, UM, AND SO, BUT WE CAN BRING INFORMATION BACK TO THAT. I THINK I, I LOVE THE WORD BECAUSE, UH, THE PEOPLE I KNOW THAT CAN'T MAKE YOU SAY IT, I KNOW PEOPLE WHO FIT INTO THIS WELL, THAT ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS OF OTHER MENTAL ILLNESSES LIKE SCHIZOPHRENIA AND OTHERS IS AN SEGOVIA, WHICH IS NOT BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM. AND THAT'S, THAT IS AN ISSUE. AND, AND IT IS COMPLICATED DURING THE FREEZE. UH, KELLY YOUNG WAS VISITING WITH A, UH, YOUNG WOMAN, 39 YEARS OLD, MARINE IRAQ VETERAN, UM, TERRIFIC PERSON. AND SHE WAS LISTENING TO HER TO 10 MINUTES WITH HER. YOU WOULD THINK SHE'S FINE. AND THEN WHEN YOU SPENT 30 MINUTES WITH HER, YOU RECOGNIZE THE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM SHE WAS DEALING WITH. AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET HER SOME DIRECTION AND HELP. BUT IT'S A, UM, IT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT'S MENTAL HEALTH IS NOT A LINEAR ISSUE. IT COMES BACK AND FORTH. OKAY. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE, SO WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND START, UH, START WITH THEM AND WE'LL START WITH THE VICE CHAIR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PICK. THANK YOU CHAIR. AND THANK YOU, UM, EVERYONE FOR THE PRESENTATION. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GREAT PLAN. I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FINANCES. UM, AND THE $70 MILLION. SO WHAT IS THE LONG TERM YEARLY COST? IS THAT ALSO GONNA BE $70 MILLION OR IS THERE A DIFFERENT NUMBER THAT AFTER KIND OF THE INITIAL THAT'S, THAT IS WE, WE FEEL LIKE THAT IS THE LONG TERM YEARLY COST. BUT AGAIN, IT COULD BE LESS, UH, DEPENDING ON, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE WERE HOUSING VOUCHERS AND WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL COME BACK THAT REDUCED THAT COST SIGNIFICANTLY. 'CAUSE YOU CAN USE THOSE HOUSING VOUCHERS. UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE THINK THE ANNUAL COST WILL BE, AND THAT'S THE EXPECTATION THAT'S NEEDED ON AN ONGOING BASIS. AGAIN, IN ADDITION TO, AS I SAID, THE CO'S CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDING, LAW ENFORCEMENT FUNDING. OKAY. SO IT'S, SO IT'S $70 MILLION EVERY YEAR, NOT JUST THE INITIAL COST. OKAY. UM, AND THEN THE INITIAL $70 MILLION, DOES THAT INCLUDE, UM, ACTUALLY BUILDING THE DIVERSION HUBS AND THE RAPID REHOUSING? OR IS THIS MORE JUST THE COST OF OPERATING THAT YEARLY? IN, IN HOUSTON, OUR PHILOSOPHY HAS BEEN, WE HAVE SPACE, WE HAVE UNUSED SPACE, WE HAVE EMPTY APARTMENTS, AND WE THINK WE CAN HOUSE PEOPLE IN THESE UNUSED SPACES. NOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE HUBS, WE THINK THE SAME THING. WE THINK OUR PARTNERS, UH, WHO OPERATE CERTAIN FACILITIES AND SOBERING CENTER IS ONE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUILD SOMETHING. NOW, SOME OF THESE MAY BE, UH, A LEASED CENTER, UM, IN A LOCATION, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S NOT AN EXPECTATION OF BUILDING. WE LEARNED, UH, THE NAVIGATION CENTER WAS, IS TERRIFIC FACILITY, BUT TO BUILD SOMETHING, EVEN TO REHAB SOMETHING, IT'S EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. OKAY. SO, BUT THAT INCLUDES THE COST OF, UM, CONVERTING ANYTHING THAT'S ALREADY THERE THAT NEEDS TO BE CONVERTED? THAT'D BE CORRECT. GOT IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, AND I'M GONNA GIVE SOME QUICK SHOUT OUTS. FIRST, UH, KENA, UM, I HAVE TO SAY THIS 'CAUSE MY WIFE IS, UH, LCSW AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. I WAS GONNA ASK HER WHAT THAT DEFINITION WAS, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL, UM, THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AS A SOCIAL WORKER. UH, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OF Y'ALL. UM, AND THEN KELLY, UH, WANT TO GIVE YOU A SHOUT OUT ON YOUR TEAM. JOSH AND ANGEL. I WAS AT THE PIT COUNT, UH, THIS PAST WEEK. UM, WE WERE ABLE TO JOIN THEM AND, UH, I, I DON'T THINK WE HAD ENOUGH HOURS OF THE DAY, UH, ONCE WE HIT PARK PLACE AND BROADWAY. UH, WE HAD JUST LEFT, UH, OR ACTUALLY WE'RE HITTING THE BAYOU. WE CAME UP, UH, TO THE, WHERE THE FREEWAY INTERSECTS. AND, UM, FOLKS FROM ST. PAUL EPISCOPAL WHO HAVE, UH, THE CROSSROADS, WE, I'M THANKFUL, I THINK WE'RE GONNA RECONNECT THEM TO, TO YOU ALL. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SEVERAL FOLKS AND WE JUST SAT OUTSIDE AND THEY WERE COMING OUT AND WE WERE DOING THE SURVEY WITH THEM. SO I WANT TO THANK, UH, JOSH AND ANGEL AGAIN FOR, UH, UH, BEING WITH US THAT DAY. [01:10:01] UM, SO, UH, ONE THING, AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE DIVERSION OF THE REHOUSING HUBS, UM, AND Y'ALL MIGHT NOT HAVE THIS ANSWER ALREADY, BUT, UH, WHERE, WHERE THESE HUBS ARE GOING TO BE, I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE TO BE STRATEGICALLY PLACED, UH, BUT I DO WANT TO VOICE PUBLICLY THAT, UM, AND WE HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME, I HEAR THIS ALL THE TIME GROWING UP, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OPEN DOOR MISSION IN THE EAST END. WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, HOMES AS WELL WHERE, WHERE FOLKS COME IN AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING HOUSED IN ROOMS AS WELL IN THE EAST END. AND, AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UNDERSTANDING THAT A LOT OF THE, THE UNHOUSED POPULATION IS CENTRALIZED FOR THE MOST PART. BUT AS WE START LOOKING AT, UM, OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT ONCE THEY GET HOUSED, AND ONCE WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, WHAT MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES THEY MIGHT BE HAVING, UH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES THAT WE ALSO LOOK AT WHERE THESE HUBS CAN BE, WHERE THERE'S, UM, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO GET TO WORK SOMEWHERE AS WELL. AND SOMEWHERE WHERE THERE'S A HIGH DENSITY IN OPPORTUNITY, UH, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE IF YOU PUT A, A HUB SOMEWHERE AND, AND THEY CAN'T GET TO IT, OR THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION BECOMES ANOTHER BARRIER. SO, UM, AS Y'ALL LOOK AT THOSE, IF Y'ALL HAVE NOT, UH, SELECTED THOSE, AND I WANNA BE, UM, SUPER ENGAGED AND INVOLVED IN THIS BECAUSE I WILL GET THOSE CALLS. UM, HISTORICALLY, LIKE I SAID, THE EAST END HAS, HAS BEARED A, A BIG BRUNT OF THE, THE UNHOUSED POPULATION. UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ALL GOTTA DO THIS TOGETHER. AND, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO PAWN OFF ON ANY OTHER DISTRICT, BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE DO THIS TOGETHER, UM, AS A CITY. UM, THE, UH, SPECIAL HOMELESS ASSESSMENT. UM, AND IT SAYS CONDUCTING COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATIONS TO INFORM AND OPTIMIZE HOMELESSNESS INTERVENTIONS. UM, WHO'S PARTICIPATING IN THAT ASSESSMENT? UM, WHEN DID, WHEN DID IT START OR HAS IT STARTED? SO THAT'S A FUNDING MECHANISM. AND THE QUESTION IS, COULD YOU FUND, UH, THESE, THIS HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM THROUGH, UM, UH, A VARIETY OF ASSESSMENTS THE SAME WAY YOU FUNDED HOUSTON FIRST, OR OTHER, OTHER ENTITIES. IT'S REALLY JUST A ALTERNATIVE. UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S A FIRST ALTERNATIVE, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ALTERNATIVES WERE THERE. THANK YOU. AND, AND THE LAST ONE, AND IT'S, IT'S, UH, SIMILAR TO, UH, WHAT, WHAT MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER PEG IS MENTIONING, RIGHT? SO WE, WE LOOK AT AN ANNUAL OF $7 MILLION, UM, AND THAT OUTREACH, RAPID REHOUSING, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING DIVERSION, NAVIGATION CENTER. AND THAT'S WHAT THE NUMBER ULTIMATELY COMES FROM AS YOU, AS YOU PROVIDE, UH, DOLLARS TO EITHER BUILD OUT SOMETHING OR, UH, UM, MY, WHAT I, WHAT I WOULD, UM, I, I BELIEVE, RIGHT, BUT Y'ALL CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. SO THE $7 MILLION, UH, THAT IT'S A HEAVY LIFT ALREADY, UH, DOES THAT BEGIN TO KIND OF TAKE, TAILOR OFF A BIT? WHERE, WHERE, UM, NOW YOU ARE DOING MORE WITH THE, UH, IF YOU'VE ALREADY HOUSED THEM, THEN WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP? AND, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A SOBERING CENTER. UH, THE OTHER THING THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED IN, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS A DETOX CENTER AS WELL. UM, AND I, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE GOING TO AUSTIN, UH, FOR THESE DOLLARS, UH, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AS YOU ARE ASKING RIGHT NOW IN THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH $22 BILLION AT, AT, I DUNNO IF IT'S CHANGED, UM, THAT WE ASK FOR EVERYTHING, UH, REALLY. AND SO, AND I KNOW Y'ALL ARE DOING THAT, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, AND Y'ALL ARE Y'ALL THE EXPERTS. UM, BUT Y'ALL ARE, Y'ALL ARE ASKING FOR EVERYTHING IN A COMPREHENSIVE LEVEL. UM, I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE, UH, THE, THE HUGE PUSH FOR MENTAL HEALTH DOLLARS, UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, AS I WAS OUT AND YOU MENTIONED DIRECTOR, UM, AS YOU HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE INDIVIDUALS, THERE'S SOME REAL STORIES. UH, ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN THAT WE SPOKE TO LAST THURSDAY, HE FOUND A JOB AND HE NEEDED WORK BOOTS. UM, AND, AND WITH THOSE WORK BOOTS, HE CAN NOW HAVE A, A JOB, UM, AND GET HIMSELF BACK INTO SOME NORMAL, NORMAL, UH, UM, UH, SITUATION, RIGHT? HIS GIRLFRIEND THAT, THAT, THAT WAS WITH HIM, UM, DIDN'T MAKE IT TO HER, HER, HER, UH, TO GET HER HOUSING VOUCHER, HER APPOINTMENT. UM, AND SO AGAIN, UH, THESE REAL SITUATIONS ARE IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW AND DEFINITELY DO NOT WANNA CRIMINALIZE HOME HOMELESSNESS. I WAS A PART OF THE, UH, UH, HARRISBURG, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, ORDINANCE, UM, CIVILITY ORDINANCE. WE GOTTA FIND SOME TOOLS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I, I THINK IT REALLY IS, UH, A INCUMBENT ABOUT OUR, UH, OF OURSELVES TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE WHOLE STORY WITH EVERYBODY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I'LL JUST CLOSE WITH THIS, UM, BECAUSE IT, THERE, IT, IT'S NOT AN EASY FIX AND THE MORE THAT COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS AND KNOWS AND THEY COULD BE HELPFUL IN, UM, ENSURING THAT IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR YOU ALL TO DO THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING AS WELL. SO, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ALCO YOUNG, DO YOU HAVE A, HAVE YOU LOOKED OUT OUT AFTER THREE YEARS BE I SAID IT PRETTY QUICKLY SAYING, WELL, IT'S BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON A [01:15:08] TAG TEAM . UM, SO IT WAS ORIGINALLY MODELED OFF OF ESTELLA MODEL, WHICH IS A HUD TOOL THAT YOU USE, UM, ABOUT A YEAR AGO. AND SO WE USE IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE STARTED WITH. I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA LEARN OVER THE NEXT YEAR IS WE'RE INTRODUCING SOME OF THESE DIFFERENT INTERVENTIONS THAT, THAT, THAT NUMBER'S GONNA FLUCTUATE. WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND JUST SET ONE SO THAT WE COULD GO FULL FORCE AND SAY, THIS IS EVERYTHING WE WOULD NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE WANNA DO FOR THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT THE TYPE OF INTERVENTION, WE THINK. UM, BUT BECAUSE WE'RE DATA DRIVEN AND WE'RE PRETTY SMART ABOUT IT, IF THAT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S GONNA CHANGE, WE'RE GONNA KEEP EVOLVING IT AND MOVING FORWARD, THE 70 MILLION BASICALLY GUARANTEED THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO FALL INTO HOMELESSNESS AND THE TYPES THAT WE TYPICALLY SEE AND THE INTERVENTIONS THEY NEED, THAT, THAT ALIGNED WITH THAT TYPE OF INTERVENTION, WE MAY SEE IN A YEAR THAT THAT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT. BECAUSE THE EXAMPLE YOU GAVE IS A PERFECT DIVERSION, RIGHT? SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN INSTEAD IS INSTEAD OF HAVING TO SPEND, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS WORTH OF RAPID REHOUSING DOLLARS, THEY REALLY ONLY NEED THREE MONTHS. UM, AND THE BEAUTY OF THIS PLAN IS THAT LOCALLY, FROM A COMMUNITY STANDPOINT, WE GET TO DETERMINE THE FOCUS OF THOSE DOLLARS. WE MAPPED IT OUT THE WAY WE DID 'CAUSE WE NEEDED TO SET IT ON SOMETHING. UM, BUT WE MAY FIND THAT IT LOOKS REALLY DIFFERENT. SO I WANNA SAY 70 MILLION BECAUSE WE NEED TO HAVE A GOAL. AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA COST FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, AND THAT'S WHAT I NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GENERATING. UM, WE MAY FIND THAT ONE YEAR IT'S A LOT MORE BECAUSE WE HAD A HURRICANE AND WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THE DISASTER DOLLARS TO COME IN, BUT WE WOULD HAVE THE DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO RESOLVE THAT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND NOT WAIT UNTIL THERE'S 4,000 PEOPLE ON THE STREET AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE IT. SO THAT WAS A REALLY VAGUE ANSWER, UH, TO TELL YOU IT COULD BE ANYTHING, BUT I FEEL LIKE 70 MILLION IS A GOOD PLACE TO START. . I, I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT, UH, JUST, AGAIN, IT IS VAGUE, BUT IT, IT GIVES US A PICTURE, RIGHT? RIGHT. AND WE'RE STILL COLORING THE LINES, AND I JUST FAILED TO THANK CHRIS. CHRIS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A HUGE PART OF THIS. THANK YOU FOR THE HEAVY LIFT OF BRINGING MONEY IN. UH, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS SUPER IMPORTANT IN THIS, IN THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION. SO THANK YOU, CHRIS, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS. UM, KELLY, I ALSO DID THE PIT COUNT. I MEAN, KUDOS TO YOUR STAFF. THEY'RE SO PROFESSIONAL. THOSE OUTREACH TEAMS ARE AMAZING. AND THE PEOPLE WE GOT TO TALK TO, I, I LEARNED A LOT. I LEARNED A LOT. IT RAN, IT RAN THE GAMUT OF SOMEBODY WHO GOT KICKED OUTTA THEIR HOUSE TO SOMEBODY WHO HAD, UM, SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES. SOMEBODY WHO JUST LOST TOUCH WITH THE FAMILY, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL KINDS OF THINGS. MM-HMM . UM, EVERYBODY'S STORY'S DIFFERENT. AND SO THE PERSONALIZED APPROACH, UM, AGAIN, YOUR STAFF IS SO CARING AND ALSO VERY PROFESSIONAL, INCREDIBLY, UM, INCREDIBLY KIND. AND AND THEY WERE GREAT. UM, WE WERE KIND OF OVER ON ALDEAN IN 59, KIND OF THAT AREA. YEAH. UM, I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE MONEY TOO. UM, ON THE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, FEDERAL FUNDS 14 MILLION, IS THAT JUST OUR, WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WITH MELODY AND ALL THE DIFFERENT FEDERAL FUNDS, ESG AND HOPWA AND ALL THAT? IS THAT WHAT THAT 14 MILLION IS THE MOST? IT'S CDBG FUNDS, BUT THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S THE REGULAR, OUR REGULAR FUNDING THAT MELODY WENT AND, AND, AND SHOOK EVERY BAG AND SAID, RIGHT. OKAY. BUT THAT, THAT'S NOT ANY OF THE DR FUNDING. OKAY. SO THAT WOULD BE EXTRA ON THE TS AND MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS. THANKS, CHRIS. A MILLION THANKS, BY THE WAY. AND, UM, AND ON THE T YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE TAX DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, SUPPOSEDLY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, BUT I DO KNOW WE COLLECT A MUNICIPAL SERVICES FEE FOR THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO. IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT THAT'S WOULD BE CONSIDERED A PART OF A MUNICIPAL SERVICES FEE FROM THET? THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. THAT'S HOW IT WORK. AND AGAIN, UH, WITH THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, CESAR FUNDS THAT WE'VE JUST BEGUN, AND A SHOUT OUT TO CHRIS WHO'S TEACHING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THEY DO THAT AND BECOMES SPEAKING TO RIGHT. BUT THET SPECIFICALLY, T IS YES, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK ATT MONEY AS REALLY INFRASTRUCTURE MONEY. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, THAT, I MEAN, I, I AGREE IT'S A GOOD SOURCE, BUT I, WE WOULD ROLL THAT INTO THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES FEE. I MEAN, DO YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT, CHRIS? THANK YOU, CHRIS. OF COURSE. SO THOSE ARE, UH, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT. THOSE DOLLARS, UH, BY NATURE ARE DIFFERENT. UH, SO THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, WHICH IS WHAT WE USE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE INITIAL ROLLOUT OF THE PLAN, UH, THOSE ARE THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARDS OF INDIVIDUAL MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS. IT STILL NEEDS TO BE LISTED, UM, AS AN ELIGIBLE USE OF SPECIAL ASSESSMENT DOLLARS IN, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS. I, I'M TALKING, I'M TALKING ABOUTT. YEAH. UM, BUT EVEN WITH TS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING EXEMPTION. AH, I'M STARTING TO THINK ABOUT, OKAY, THE PORTABILITY OFTS DOLLARS AS A MECHANISM TO SUPPORT THE HOUSING PROJECT. SO NOT MUNICIPAL SERVICES FEE, BUT PART [01:20:01] OF THE THIRD AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOLLARS. IT'S, IT'S AN, AND IT'S AN AND AND IT'S AN AND. OKAY. RIGHT. OKAY. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, THE CITY APPLIES SOMETHING, WE CALL IT THE SHARED SACRIFICE IN THE TOUR WORLD. UM, BUT AS A CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLIC SAFETY, IT WAS ENACTED A COUPLE OF MAYORS AGO. UH, SO THAT IS A MECHANISM FOR THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO LEVEL MORE OUT OF T IN ADDITION TO THAT THAN THERE'S ALSO THE PORTABILITY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS THAT TOURISTS COULDN'T GET. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT EXPLANATION. ON THE, UM, THE PHILANTHROPIC AND INCORPORATION, WHO'S LEAD, IS THAT YOU, MIKE, LEADING THAT CHARGE? YES, THAT'S, YES, THAT'S, I'M LEADING THAT CHARGE, TALKING TO THE GROUPS. BUT WE, WE HAVE REALLY HAD GREAT MEETINGS WITH, AND PARTICULARLY HELP FROM THE, UH, HOUSTON ENDOWMENT, UH, FROM THE KINDER FAMILY. UM, AND THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF INTEREST IN THIS, AND I FEEL VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THAT PART. THE CORPORATE PART WILL BE LED. CHRIS WILL OBVIOUSLY PLAY A BIG ROLE IN THAT. UH, HE'S HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP. WE WANT TO HELP US WITH THAT. AND OF COURSE, THE MAYOR WANTS TO BE VERY HELPFUL IN RAISING THOSE FUNDS, TOO. WELL, WE ARE A, AN EXTREMELY GENEROUS CITY, AND AND I, I SUSPECT AS, AS WE GET MORE SUSTAINABLE SOURCES OF FUNDING IN THAT, THAT WILL GROW. I, I WOULD LIKE TO GET BACK IN. SO OBVIOUSLY FUNDING IS KEY TO ALL OF THIS AND APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS ON THIS. BUT, UH, DIRECTOR, I KNOW YOUR PLAY IS FULL ALREADY, AND SO I, AND, AND THANK YOU, UH, CHRIS, FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND TRYING TO RAISE MONEY AS WELL. UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY THOUGHT GIVEN TO DESIGNATING A CHAMPION TO REALLY GET OUT THERE AND, AND HUSTLE TO TRY TO RAISE FUNDS OR ABSO ABSOLUTELY. WE, WHO WE'VE TAPPED RIGHT NOW IS BOB URI, WHO WAS, UM, CHRIS'S PREDECESSOR AND HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS HOMELESSNESS ISSUE SINCE HE SHOWED UP IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, SINCE RED RUNNING HIS, UH, PRACTICE RUNS FOR THE MARATHON. HE IS WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW. BUT AGAIN, THE, THE PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP WILL ALSO COME FROM THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY ITSELF. AND THE PHILANTHROPY SIDE, MEANING ANN STERN OF ENDOWMENT AND, AND PROBABLY NANCY KINDER, IF WE CAN GET HER THERE. MM-HMM . ALRIGHT. ANY, ANY OF CORPORATE, CORPORATE, WE HAVE NOT REALLY GOTTEN THAT DONE YET. ANYTHING THAT WE, I CAN DO TO HELP, YOU KNOW, PLEASE, PLEASE LET US KNOW. OKAY. OH, I ACCEPT YOUR, I ACCEPT YOUR OFFER OF HELP. ABSOLUTELY. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HUFFMAN, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS ROBUST COLLABORATION WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HOUSTON FIRST, HARRIS COUNTY METRO, THE PRIVATE PARTNERS. UM, BUT WE SEE A LOT OF THESE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS GOING UP AROUND, YOU KNOW, UNDERPASSES UNDER THE HIGHWAY AND THINGS LIKE THAT. IS TEXDOT PART OF THIS COLLABORATION? ARE YOU WORKING WITH TDOT, OR WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT? COUNCILWOMAN TDOT SHOULD BE PART OF THE CONSIDERATION, AND I WROTE A LONG LETTER THEM FIVE YEARS AGO SAYING, YOU PAY FOR WATER, YOU PAY FOR HOUSING, UH, BUILDINGS, YOU TAKE, TAKE DOWN, YOU NEED TO BE PART OF THAT. THEY HAVE NOT SHOWN ANY INTEREST IN THAT, BUT YOU MAY KNOW SOMETHING NEW. YEAH. UH, I HAVE A MEETING WITH GLEN ALBRITTON ON WEDNESDAY. THANK YOU. UM, HE'S A NEW DISTRICT ENGINEER TO HAVE THIS VERY CONVERSATION. UH, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT ALAN'S LANDING AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CLOSURE MAINTENANCE PIECE. SO ASSUMING KELLY AND HER TEAM GETS EVERYBODY HOUSED, LARRY AND HIS TEAM COMES IN TO HELP TO SECURE THE AREA, WHAT WE DO FOR THE MONTHS, THAT FOLLOW IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL FOR BEING ABLE TO RESTORE PUBLIC COMFORT AND ENJOYMENT OF THOSE SPACES. AND SO TEXT DOT WILL NEED TO BE A PARTNER. AND WHEN WE START TO TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE THE CHARTRES ENCAMPMENT, UM, WHICH IS JUST EAST OF DAIKIN PARK, UM, YOU KNOW, MASSIVE BIG, UH, UH, ENCAMPMENT, IT WAS DECOMMISSIONED JUST ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, HAS ALREADY COME BACK. UM, YOU KNOW, SOME WOULD SAY EVEN BIGGER THAN IT WAS PRIOR. UM, AND SO WE NEED TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH TDOT IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE DID WITH BBP AND THE CITY'S PARKS DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS AT ALLEN'S LANDING, BECAUSE WE NEED THOSE OTHER AGENCIES TO BE PARTNERS ON THE CLOSURE MAINTENANCE SIDE. WE'RE NOT ASKING THEM NECESSARILY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE HOUSING PROCESS. IT'S ENABLE US AND PARTNERS TO COME IN AND BE ABLE TO TURN THOSE SPACES INTO SOMETHING ELSE THAT DON'T TRANSFORM BACK INTO AN ENCAMPMENT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, UM, OR I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WE NEED A REPRESENTATIVE FROM TEXDOT TO SIGN A TRESPASS AFFIDAVIT UNDERNEATH SOME OF THESE UNDERPASSES, OR, UM, SO WHENEVER YOU MEET WITH THEM, IF YEAH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DISCUSS THAT AND SEE WHAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, CONTACT WE CAN HAVE OR GET THESE TRESPASS AFFIDAVITS ON FILE SO THAT WAY LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN DO SOMETHING UNDER THE UNDERPASSES. AND THEN ALSO TOO, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF, UM, UNDER THESE UNDERPASSES, IF WE PUT UP FENCING OR THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY, THAT MAY HELP WITH THE PROBLEM TOO. AND IF TDOT DOESN'T NECESSARILY WANNA PAY FOR THE FENCING, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS I THINK WOULD BE WILLING TO USE THEIR COUNCIL DISTRICT SERVICE FUNDS. HOWEVER, WE [01:25:01] NEED PERMISSION FROM TXDOT TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THE FENCING UNDER THAT UNDERPASS. THAT, THAT'S FANTASTIC, BECAUSE AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE PARTNERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE REQUIRED, YOU KNOW, IN DOWNTOWN, WE CAN UTILIZE THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT AND THE TOUR TO DO CERTAIN THINGS. BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF PLACES IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON THAT DON'T HAVE THOSE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO THEM. AND SO, THINKING ABOUT DISCRETIONARY FUNDS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER TYPES OF RESOURCES THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO BE ABLE TO REMEDY AND, AND INTERVENE IN THOSE CHALLENGING SPOTS, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IS A DESIGN SOLUTION THAT MEETS A SYSTEMIC FAILURE. AND WHAT WE HAVE IS AN ENCAMPMENT THAT GROWS THERE BECAUSE IT'S A POORLY MANAGED SPACE. AND WE HAVE TO OVERCOME THAT AFTER WE HOUSE THE FOLKS. AND ALSO, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE AMENDMENT TO ORDINANCE 43 52, AND THAT'S TALKING ABOUT RESTRICTING PUBLIC SIDEWALK USE, I'M ASSUMING THIS WOULDN'T APP APPLY TO THE UNDERPASSES, WOULD IT? THIS IS CITY RIGHT OF WAY. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU. UM, COUNCILMAN, I JUST WANNA ADD ONE OTHER ITEM AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT TECH STOP, WHICH I'M, I'M GRATEFUL THAT CHRIS IS INVOLVED. 'CAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, IT TAKES THIS TEAM TO REALLY GET THROUGH IT. UH, I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH HARRIS COUNTY TODAY THAT THEY'RE ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, WHO WOULD LIKE TO FIND WAYS THAT THEY CAN BE SUPPORTIVE IN THIS EFFORT. UH, I'M OF COURSE INTERESTED IN THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT, BUT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, IN MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE PART OF THE, UH, SOLUTION. SO THAT'S ANOTHER FUNDING ENTITY, POLITICAL ENTITY WHO WE'RE ENGAGING. AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT. YOU KNOW, BEING OUT IN DISTRICT G WHERE BUFFALO BAYOU RUNS THROUGH THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, WE DO SEE HOMELESS PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, USING THE BAYOU AS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WAYS TO GET FROM NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD. SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL COULD HELP WITH ALSO. GOOD IDEA. THANK YOU. GREAT INSIGHTS, CHRIS. AND I LOVE THE WAY YOU EASILY TRANSITION TO DAIKIN PARK, BY THE WAY, . NICE. WE HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS ONLINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. HELLO, COLLEAGUES. UM, REALLY GOOD PRESENTATION. THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS, UH, TO COUNCIL FOR REVIEW. MY QUESTION IS FOR CHIEF SATELLITE. CAN HE COME BACK TO THE MIC, PLEASE? YES, MA'AM. HELLO. MY FAVORITE. HOW ARE YOU? I'M GOOD. GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU. SO HERE I AM AGAIN. WE'VE HAD ANOTHER WINTER OCCURRENCE AND THERE WAS NO WARMING CENTER ON THE WEST SIDE. HERE I AM AGAIN. SO I, I THINK ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT. HOWEVER, I THINK IT'S MISSING INFORMATION BECAUSE, UM, UH, THE ENTIRE WEST SIDE OF HOUSTON STILL DOES NOT HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ANY OF THIS TO APPLY. SO FOR THE WINTER FREEZE, UM, I WAS ABLE TO PUT MY HANDS ON EIGHT TO 10 ENCAMPMENTS. I CAN PUT MY HANDS ON THEM TODAY. UH, WE PROVIDED HOT MEALS MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY, BREAKFAST AND LUNCH. UM, THERE WAS NO REACH OUT FROM OEM, UH, THERE WAS NO COORDINATION. THIS WAS COMMUNITY POWERED WITH A CHURCH AND THE YMCA. SO THAT'S THAT. IF THAT'S THE CARD, IF THOSE ARE THE CARDS I'M DEALT, I'M GONNA JUST PLAY MY HAND AND WE'LL DO IT WELL. HOWEVER, UM, I HAVE RESISTANCE TO MAKING POLICY AND FINANCIAL DECISIONS, UH, WITH INCOMPLETE INFORMATION. RIGHT? SO THERE'S NO INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, I, I, I WAS NOT ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE POINT IN TIME COUNT, UM, I IN 2025, BUT WE HAVE AN ENTIRE CITY, UH, THAT IS NOT A PART OF THE CONVERSATION. UM, AND, UM, I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN WHEN OEM IS GONNA REACH OUT TO COUNCIL OFFICES. SO WE CAN, YOU CAN GATHER THAT INFORMATION. SO THIS CAN BE BUILT INTO A PROPOSED PLAN, BECAUSE AS IT STATES RIGHT NOW, LIKE I, I'M, I, I AM NOT, I'M NOT FEELING, UM, HAVING HPD WALK UP ON EIGHT TO 10 ENCAMPMENTS, UM, IN SIGHT AND REMOVE PEOPLE FOR SIMPLY EXISTING IN A PUBLIC SPACE. AND WHAT I LEARNED BY VISITING THESE LOCATIONS IS THAT MANY OF THEM FEEL SAFER IN AT PUBLIC INTERSECTIONS, BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE HIDDEN, THAT'S WHEN THEY'RE MOST VULNERABLE. UM, SO I AGAIN, WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR THIS TO BE A PRIORITY, AT LEAST ON THE WEST SIDE, AND, UM, TO, SO WE CAN HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS. UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE TALK IS JUST WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CORE OF THE CITY. UM, BUT MIND YOU, A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE BEEN PUSHED OUT. WEST SIDE IS THE LARGEST COMMAND CENTER IN, IN, IN, IN THE HPD STRUCTURE. YOU KNOW THIS VERY WELL. AND WE'RE LEANING A LOT ON THOSE RESOURCES. AND I WOULD RATHER DIRECT THOSE RESOURCES ELSEWHERE, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE GREAT PARTNERS, UM, IN WITH THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM. UM, SO CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT [01:30:01] THE TOTAL INFRASTRUCTURE? WHY DOES THERE CONTINUE TO BE A GAP ON THE WEST SIDE? AND THEN WHAT CAN I ANTICIPATE MOVING FORWARD AS WE TRY TO CREATE AN INFRASTRUCTURE? CAN WE, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE OR TO AT LEAST SUPPORT MY EFFORTS THAT I HAVE ON THE WEST SIDE? YES, MA'AM. I'LL, I'LL SAY BY ALL MEANS, ABSOLUTELY. THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION. AND THE WEST SIDE IS NOT BEING, UM, AVOIDED. IT IS, WE WE'RE LIMITED ON RESOURCES, AND WE'RE REACHING AS FAR AS WE CAN. I THINK WHEN WE CAME UP WITH THE, THE 10 LOCATIONS FOR THE WARMING CENTERS, UH, THOSE WERE BASED ON PAST, UH, USE AND VIABILITY TO GET PEOPLE TO THEM EITHER IN TRANSIT OR BY, BY, UH, BY WALKUP. AND A LOT OF 'EM WERE LONG WORK WALKUP. THEY, I I, I, I HATE TO HEAR THAT. I MEAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REACHING OUT TO THE, THE ENCAMPMENTS. YOU DID. WE, WE, WE DID REACH OUT. WE WERE HOPING THAT ANYBODY THAT WANTED INTO A WARMING CENTER, IT'S, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, I, I DON'T KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT WAS TURNED AWAY, BUT NO DOUBT THERE WERE VICTIMS. NO. WE SENT THEM TO, YEAH, WE SENT THEM AFTER SIX O'CLOCK. WE SENT THEM TWO. AND IT'S NOT, I'M NOT EVEN REALLY TRIPPING ABOUT NOT HAVING ONE. 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT HAPPEN ON THE WEST SIDE. HOWEVER, IF WE'RE STANDING SOMETHING UP INDEPENDENTLY OR TO COMPLIMENT THE CITYWIDE STRUCTURE, THEN FOR ME, I WOULD AT LEAST APPRECIATE IN CONNECTION WITH OEMI, LISTEN, THERE'S NO EGO IN SERVICE, RIGHT? SO YOU CAN'T OUTSERVE ANYONE. SO I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT WHO GOT IT AND WHO DOESN'T. WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT HAPPEN. BUT IF THERE ARE RESOURCES THAT OEM THEN AT LEAST LET WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE WEST SIDE FEED HER INTO THAT. SO WE JUST PROMOTED THE 10, THE PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM EIGHT TO EIGHT TO EIGHT, EIGHT TO SIX DID WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO. AND THEN WE GOT THEM TO THE SOUTHWEST MULTIPURPOSE CENTER, RIGHT? WE DID THAT WITH THE Z TRIPS. BUT JUST IN TERMS OF PLANNING, EVEN WITH IDENTIFYING THE 10 AND NOT HAVING ONE, THERE'S STILL NOT A CONVERSATION OF LIKE, HEY, WE DON'T HAVE ONE, BUT THIS IS SOME RESOURCES THAT Y'ALL CAN HAVE OUT HERE IF YOU'RE DOING THIS. AND BY NOW, YOU KNOW, I'M PRETTY TACTILE, LIKE I'M GONNA GET OUT THERE AND HANDLE BUSINESS. BUT IT'S THAT, THAT'S THE COMMUNICATION GAP AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE GAP THAT WE DON'T HAVE. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $70 MILLION AT A STARTING SPOT, AN ASSESSMENT, A FEE MANEUVERING, TURS TO ADDRESS SOME THINGS, IT'S INCOMPLETE TO ME, UM, CHANGING THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE BECAUSE THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO REAL ENGAGEMENT OUT HERE, OR AT LEAST FEEDBACK FROM ME AND, AND MY COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THAT AND INFORMATION THAT THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO KNOW. YES, MA'AM. I, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT I'LL, FIRST, I'LL MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO YOU. WE, WE DO KNOW EVEN WITH THE 10 LOCATIONS, UH, THAT THERE WERE POPULATIONS THAT, THAT MAY NOT HAVE MADE IT TO THAT. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR EXPANSION. IT'S JUST ABOUT THE RESOURCES WE HAD AND TRYING TO DO THE VERY BEST WITH WHAT WE HAD AT THAT TIME. UH, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. AND I'LL MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO YOU TO HEAR ALL THAT. I WILL TELL YOU ALSO THAT THIS, THIS PLAN FOR ENDING HOMELESSNESS IN HOUSTON, UM, AND THE PRICE TAG TO THAT, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S HIGH. I KNOW, BUT, UH, RIGHT. BUT IT, IT IS ABOUT THE WHOLE CITY. IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT ANY SPECIFIC PART. OBVIOUSLY THE, THE HEAVIER NUMBERS ARE PROBABLY TOWARDS, UH, THE, THE CENTRAL PART OF THE CITY. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU AREN'T GETTING CRUSHED OUT THERE. AND WE TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. SO THIS IS ABOUT THE WHOLE CITY, BUT I'LL MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO YOU. UH, JUST LET ME KNOW AND I'LL, I'LL COME TO YOU AND WE CAN TALK. I'M GONNA SHOOT YOU AN E I'M GONNA SHOOT YOU AN EMAIL AND A TEXT MESSAGE. I MEET RIGHT NOW IMMEDIATELY. YOU GOT IT. I KNOW YOU GOT MY NUMBER. YES, MA'AM. I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE IT. AND I KNOW YOU DO GOOD WORK. YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE GOOD WORK AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN READILY ACCESSIBLE. BUT JUST FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, EVEN JUST AS HOUSING CHAIR, AND WHEN CONTRACTS COME BEFORE, AND THEY SAY ALL DISTRICTS, RIGHT? IT'LL SAY, OH, WE'RE SERVING ALL DISTRICTS. AND THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY COMPLAINT. BUT THEN WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO PINPOINT THE OUTREACH THAT'S HAPPENING IN PARTICULAR CORRIDORS, IT, THEY'RE AB IT'S ABSENT, RIGHT? SO WHEN I HEAR ALL CITY, THE ENTIRE CITY, BUT YOU DON'T HEAR THE CONVERSATION, THE DATA, THE OUTREACH, NONE OF IT'S INCLUDED. AND I'M NOT EVEN JUST TALKING ABOUT FI MEAN, THE ENTIRE WEST CORRIDOR, THERE WAS NOTHING THERE. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOUSTON, WE HAVE TO THINK OUTSIDE OF SIX 10, LIKE OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY. EIGHT IS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND WE'RE JUST THAT LARGE. AND THAT'S JUST, UM, THAT'S THE THORN IN MY SIDE THAT I'VE BEEN RAISING WITH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS THAT DO THIS WORK, UH, WITH OUR DEPARTMENTS THAT COLLABORATE. AND THEN ALSO AS WE LOOK AT HOW WE REALLY ADDRESS THIS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE THESE TYPE OF CONVERSATIONS OVER TIME TO KIND OF GET IT RIGHT. WE GOTTA TRY A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING. I, I, I'M JUST EXPRESSING THAT I WANT [01:35:01] TO BE WITH YOU IN THAT, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ENTIRE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY THAT'S STILL EXPERIENCING SOME LEVEL OF GROWTH THAT'S NOT BEEN COUNTED IN THAT. AND SO, UM, I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU DIRECTLY AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE. BUT THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT WAS DONE. THOUGHT IT WAS A, UM, A, A PHENOMENAL, UH, SEAMLESS, A TRANSITION. PEOPLE LISTEN, GREAT RESULTS, GOOD NUMBERS. UM, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE WEST SIDE OF HOUSTON IS INCLUDED. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS. AND GREAT POINT ABOUT OUTREACH DATA. WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THAT AS WELL. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. THANK YOU, CHAIR. UM, LET ME TAKE THE MOMENT TO, FIRST OF ALL, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS RAISED THE ISSUE IN REGARDS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES COMING OUTTA OEM. AND IF MANY WOULD RECALL, ONE OF THE THINGS I DID IS I BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT, UH, ON LAST YEAR, EARLIER WHEN WE HAD THE PROBLEM, AND I MADE THE SUGGESTION BEFORE YOU CAME ON, UH, DIRECTOR, YOU WERE CHIEF INTERIM AT THE TIME, HPD, AND I MADE THE SUGGESTION TO COUNCIL THAT WE NEEDED TO ADD CHURCHES TO THIS LIST. I SAID THAT TO PEOPLE BACK THEN. 'CAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING PRIOR TO 2024. BUT, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT COUNCILMAN THOMAS HAD SOME, AND SHE MENTIONED SOME CHURCHES AND OTHER RESOURCES, THEY'LL, AND I, AND, AND APPLAUD HER FOR IT. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF AREAS IN THE CITY THAT ARE, THAT ARE LACKING RESOURCES. NOT JUST THE WEST, BUT ALL OVER OUR CITY AND CERTAIN AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE OR DIDN'T HAVE THE WARMING CENTERS. AND HOPEFULLY THE MINISTRY ADVISORY BOARD THAT WE PUT TOGETHER, THAT WE INITIATED IS IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW. AND YOU AND I, UH, DIRECTOR HAS TALKED ABOUT IT. IT'S A PLAN. YOU GOTTA PUT IT TOGETHER, NOT ONLY FOR THE WARMING CENTERS, BUT DISTRIBUTION AS WELL. WE ALWAYS HAVE PROBLEM WITH GETTING IT OUT. WHEN WE NEEDED THE WATER AND THE ICE LAST YEAR, UH, THE CITY HAD TO GO OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, PAY $200,000 FOR ICE OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY. I ALSO MADE A SUGGESTION WHEN I FIRST CAME ON, WHY DID WE NOT USE THE RESOURCES BY GOING TO CONVENIENCE STORES, HAVING AN ORDINANCE, THAT THEY HAVE ICE MACHINES AT THESE LOCATE, THERE'S CONVENIENCE STORES AND EVERY COMMUNITY IN THIS CITY, EVERYONE SO THEY CAN MAKE ICE. WE, WE HAVE TO THINK PROACTIVE AND NOT REACTIVE. SO I, I, I, I CERTAINLY SUPPORT WHAT COUNCILMAN THOMAS IS SAYING, BUT ALSO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO LOCATE PASTORS AND CHURCHES IN EVERY AREA, NORTHWEST, EAST, AND SOUTH OF THE CITY. WE WANT IT EVERYWHERE SO THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE 10 WARMING CENTERS THAT THE CITY HAVE. YOU ALL ARE BURDENED WITH THAT AND WITH VERY LIMITED DOLLARS. SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE, THAT WE ARE WORKING ON THAT. YES, SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER. AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD. AS WE BOTH HAVE TALKED ABOUT OUR, OUR, UM, OUR INSTITUTIONS OF FAITH ACROSS THE CITY YES. ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE OUR BEST FORCE MULTIPLIER IN TAKING CARE OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE, BECAUSE IT, IT'S NOT JUST MONEY THAT WE NEED, BUT WE, WE NEED MORE PEOPLE ENGAGED ABSOLUTELY. AND WORKING WITH US AND GOING INTO PULL IN THE SAME DIRECTION, UH, SO THAT WE CAN TRULY GET THEM THEIR KIND OF HELP. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. SURE. AND YOU KNOW, UM, LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS, I AM AVAILABLE AT ANY TIME AND I WILL COME TO YOU. UH, WE REALLY WANNA SEE THIS OVER THE FINISH LINE. YES, FOR SURE. FOR EVERYBODY. WELL, I, I, I, I, I CONCUR. AND REAL QUICKLY, LET ME JUST SAY TO DOC, UH, DIRECTOR NICHOLS AND YOU, UH, DIRECTOR SADDLE WHITE, THE GREAT JOB YOU GUYS ARE DOING, AND ALSO TO KELLY AND ALSO TO, TO, UH, MS. YOUNG, UH, MISS, MS. YOUNG MS. PACE, AND CHRISTOPHER COMMEND YOU GUYS FOR DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. THE HOMELESS ISSUE, AS WE KNOW, WE ARE NOT CALIFORNIA. WE ARE SOME PLACES. IT'S, IT'S IN THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. OKAY. SO I KNOW THIS. $70 MILLION ASK THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO REACH THAT GOAL. THANK THE MAYOR FOR HIS INITIATIVE AND HIS APPROACH. UH, I ALSO WANT TO MAKE THE MENTION THAT WE, MOST OF US KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF VETERANS THAT ARE OUT THERE HOMELESS. AND I, I, I'M, I LOOKED AT THE CHART, I SEE ALL THE AREAS. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE SOME DOLLARS ALLOCATED TO THOSE VETERANS. WITH THE VETERANS IS A LARGE NUMBER OF HOMELESS OUT THERE WITH ALL THE OTHER ISSUES TIED WITH IT. UH, ALSO I WOULD THINK THAT NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO ASK TDOT, BUT ALSO THE STATE VETERAN SERVICES, WHETHER DEPARTMENT, UM, OF A VETERAN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, TO HELP OUT IN THE CITIES WITH ALLOCATING THESE DOLLARS. [01:40:01] A LOT OF THE, THE PHILANTHROPISTS MONEY THAT WE ARE SEEKING. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THAT. THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT I'M TALKING TO AS WELL, THAT ASK THEM TO STEP UP. HOUSTON'S GOT A LOT OF MONEY IN IT. A LOT OF MONEY, AND ALL OF US KNOW THAT. SO OUR VETERAN SERVICES BY THE STATE AS WELL AS OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WITH VETERANS DEPARTMENT OF THE, UH, UH, VA, THEY NEED TO STEP UP. UH, I'LL BE WORKING WITH ONE OF THE GROUPS HERE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS UNDER, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR BUCKINGHAM. AND SO, UH, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE MAKE THAT AN EMPHASIS, AND I'LL BE WILLING TO WORK AT ANY TIME WITH THEM TO SEE THAT WE CAN REACH THAT GOAL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. SO WE HAVE, UH, COUNCILMEMBER, ALCORN AGAIN, THANK YOU, CHAIR. IS THE IDEA TO BRING THE CHANGES TO THE CIVILITY ORDINANCE AFTER THIS IS FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD WHEN WE HAVE MORE RESOURCES IN PLACE? OR IS THERE ANY KIND OF TIMELINE SET FOR THAT? THE DISCUSSIONS ARE ONGOING ON TIMING. OKAY. THE, THE CHALLENGE IS, IS A, A, IF WE SAY YOU CAN'T SLEEP OUTSIDE, AND, AND TO BE CLEAR, WE HAVE SOME RECENT RULINGS, UM, BOTH, UH, IN FROM THE STATE IN TERMS OF THE CAMPING ORDINANCE. UH, WE HAVE THE SUPREME COURT RULING GRANTS PASS, THE, UH, OREGON, UH, OR JOHNSON, I THINK. BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S ACTUAL TERM TITLE OF, BUT ANYWAY, UM, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY INQUIRE A, AN A PLACE FOR THEM TO GO. UH, YOU CAN STILL ENFORCE, BUT AS A CITY, IF WE'RE GOING TO, UH, TRY TO START, IF WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE ORDINANCE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, WELL, WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO GO? OKAY. AND SO THAT'S THE, THAT IS THE CHALLENGE. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HOLISTICALLY AND POSSIBLY, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE MOVE EVERYBODY AND WE DON'T LET THEM LAY DOWN, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHTTIME, UM, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHEN THEY'RE REALLY AT RISK, UH, AND ASLEEP AND IT'S DARK AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS, AND THAT'S WHEN THE TEMPERATURES DROP, OR ALL THE BAD THINGS START TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN THAN OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO AND, AND IF WE SAY YOU CAN'T SLEEP HERE ANYMORE. SO THAT'S, THAT IS A CHALLENGE. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING. THEY HAPPENED LAST WEEK. THEY'RE HAPPENING THIS WEEK. OKAY. UH, WHAT'S THE CAPACITY OF THE SOBERING CENTER? SO IT'S ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT KELLY WOULD PROBABLY THE BETTER ANSWER, BUT I WOULD SAY IT'S APPROXIMATELY 70. AND, AND, AND I WAS GONNA SAY 80, UH, BUT YEAH. OKAY. IT'S SIX WOMEN AND THEN 70. YEAH. SO RIGHT AT 80. YEAH. SO I MEAN, BESIDES THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING THERE FOR RE PUBLIC INTOXICATION AND STUFF, AND IS THAT, THERE'S, THERE'S ROOM USUALLY. YEAH. AND COME ON, KELLY. TWO THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABILITY FOR THE SOBERING CENTER TO EXPAND, BECAUSE IT'S JUST OVERNIGHT, RIGHT? SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A HUGE MM-HMM . UH, SETUP FOR THAT. AND THEN ALSO ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO 61 60, UM, AS A PLACE FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO NEED A, A HIGHER LEVEL OF SIXTY ONE SIXTY, SORRY, I JUST CALL IT 61. RIGHT? RIGHT. AND HOW, HOW MANY, HOW MANY BEDS HARRIS CENTER, HOW MANY BEDS, MENTAL HEALTH BEDS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON? IS THAT IT? WELL, WE HAVE OTHER RESIDENTIAL OPTIONS, BUT THEY'RE AT THAT RESIDENTIAL FACILITY. UM, IS HUNDRED AND IN THE STATE, HOW MANY MENTAL HEALTH BEDS? OH, THAT'S OKAY. I CAN GOOGLE IT OR ASK SOMEBODY. YEAH. UM, IN THE STATE, BUT I KNOW NOT ENOUGH. IT'S NOT NEARLY ENOUGH. YEAH. , UM, UM, KELLY, ON THE CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDING, THE 55 MILLION IS, THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE MONIES YOU GIVE OUT TO YOUR NONPROFITS, RIGHT? SO THE WAY HOME, ALL OF THE AGENCIES THAT HAVE CURRENT, UM, APPLICATIONS TO HOUSING, RIGHT? SOME OF THAT HOUSING THAT INCLUDES HOUSING THAT THEY DO, ALL OF THAT INCLUDES HOUSING, ALL OF THAT IS HOUSING FOR THE MOST, YEAH. AND SERVICES. YES. OKAY. UM, THE ASSESSMENT, UH, THAT WAS MENTIONED, HOW, HOW, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT'S NOT BEEN DEVELOPED, CHRIS, BUT LIKE, HOW, HOW WOULD THAT, WHAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT MIGHT LOOK? BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT SOME KIND OF SUSTAINABLE WAY OF YEAH. FUNDING E EXACTLY. AND I THINK, UH, A, A GOOD ANALOG WOULD BE THAT, LIKE THE HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD DISTRICT, AND THINKING ABOUT, UH, SOMETHING AT A MACRO LEVEL, MAYBE AS LARGE AS THE COUNTY THAT WOULD LEVY A VERY SMALL A VALOREM TAX OKAY. ON PROPERTY. OKAY. THE STATUS OF VOUCHERS OBVIOUSLY IS, I MEAN, DO WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON VOUCHERS AND WHEN THAT MIGHT IMPROVE AND WHEN WE GET, MIGHT GET, I MEAN, THE LAST THING WE HEARD ON THE VOUCHERS IS THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY AVAILABILITY OF JULY, JUNE, OR JULY OF THIS YEAR. AND IT'S STILL GONNA BE A LASTING NUMBER BECAUSE NOW THE, THAT GONNA GIVE US A . OKAY. [01:45:01] I THINK THAT IS IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN. FEW MORE QUESTIONS, UH, ABOUT FUNDING. SO, SO WHAT HAPPENS IF WE FALL SHORT? HOW WILL THAT AFFECT, UH, THIS PLAN? UH, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO, WE'LL HAVE TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO HOUSE SOME PEOPLE. IT WILL NOT BE AS EFFECTIVE. I'M VERY CONCERNED, OBVIOUSLY. AND IF WE DO FALL SHORT, THERE IS AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE COMING IN. UM, WE'LL BE GOING BACKWARDS. IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR ANYBODY. IT IMPACTS, UH, BUSINESSES, IT IMPACTS GOVERNMENT ENTITIES LIKE METRO. SO I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS. WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL ROOTING FOR THIS TO SUCCEED. UH, IF HOUSTONIANS WANT TO PITCH IN AND HELP AND DONATE, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR THEM TO DO THAT? AND THE WAY I THINK AT THIS POINT IS TO DO IS DONATIONS ARE OPEN AT THE LEAD AGENCY, WHICH IS THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS. THEY HAVE A TERRIFIC WEBPAGE UNDER THE WAY HOME AND FUNDING IS GOING THROUGH THERE. THAT IS THE COORDINATING BODY FOR PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING. AND I VERY MUCH ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THAT WEBPAGE AND CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT. SO, SO THEY CAN FIND THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS AT THE WAY HOME, IS THAT RIGHT? YES. IS THAT HOW WE DO IT NOW? THAT WOULD BE FINE. GREAT. UM, SO I, I BELIEVE DIRECTOR, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT, UM, IN THE FUTURE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE SUSTAINABLE LONG-TERM SOURCE OF FUNDING. YES. CAN YOU, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT? AGAIN, THAT'S OUR, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ONGOING EFFORT ON OUR PART AND WE'RE LOOKING, WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO LOOK AT THE VARIETY OF ISSUES. SOME OF THAT COULD COME AT THE STATE LEVEL. UH, SOME OF THAT COULD COME THROUGH, UH, AS WE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS. UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M OPTIMISTIC ABOUT IS THROUGH, UH, PARTICIPATION, UM, IN, UM, UH, WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY ALSO. SO I WOULD SAY I DO NOT HAVE A PLAN FOR YOU, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'LL BE BRING, BRINGING BACK TO YOU, LIKE I COMMITTED TO BRING BACK TO PHILANTHROPY. AND I'M VERY CONFIDENT IN THE ADMINISTRATION, THIS IS THEIR TOP PRIORITY MOVING FORWARD, BESIDES THE FUNDING OF THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF. ALRIGHT. NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE QUEUE. WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, WRAP IT UP OR ADDRESS ANYTHING ELSE THAT, UH, CAME UP DURING THE MEETING? I, I, I THINK THE MAIN THING IS THIS IS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS, MEANING THAT IT WILL CHANGE AND GROW. AND PARTLY IS BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE FUNDING. UH, UNLIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE CAN'T JUST WRITE A, A, PRINT SOME MONEY TO DO A EVEN A GOOD THING. AND THIS TAKES COORDINATION. UM, UM, VERY PLEASED AGAIN WITH THE MAYOR'S COMMITMENT TO SOLVING THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE IN HOUSTON. I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THIS PARTNERSHIP. UM, AS YOU SAW WHEN I, AS I SAID AS YOU HEARD CHRIS LARSON, LARRY SATTERWHITE, KELLY YOUNG KENA PACE, UM, THIS IS QUITE A REMARKABLE AND MELY BAR QUITE A REMARKABLE TEAM. I'M VERY FOCUSED ON THE ISSUES. SO I SEE, I SEE SUCCESS. THIS IS HOW SUCCESS HAS LOOKED TO ME THROUGHOUT MY CAREER. UM, IT'S NOT QUITE ALL BAKED YET. THAT'S WHY I'M GLAD TO HAVE THIS MEETING AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING AND ONGOING SUGGESTIONS AND, AND CRITIQUE. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO WHAT WE'RE DOING. ALRIGHT. AGAIN, CAN'T THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH FOR THE WORK YOU'VE PUT IN ON THIS. AND WE ARE, UH, ALL WILLING TO HELP YOU OUT. SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO, PLEASE, PLEASE REACH OUT AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO HELP. BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. THANKS SO MUCH. SO AT THIS POINT WE'LL MOVE TO THE LAST PORTION OF THE AGENDA, WHICH IS PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE HAD A FEW PEOPLE, UH, SIGN UP TO SPEAK. WE WILL START WITH DOMINIC MAZAK AND DOMINIC, IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE A DIRECTOR A MINUTE TO, UH, DIRECTOR. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT, HERE WE GO. YOU'RE UP. YOU'RE UP DOMINIC. THANK YOU. NOW I AM. I'M DOMINIC NAZA IN THE CHA COUNCIL CHAMBER ROOM, THERE WAS TALK DURING THE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT METRO, AND I THINK YOU NEED TO HEAR [01:50:01] WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE CUSTOMERS OF METRO. AND IT HAPPENED TO ME TODAY. I WAS ON THE RED LINE AND THERE WAS A PANHANDLER ON THE TRAIN IN THE CAR. AND SO WHAT I DID WAS I GOTTEN TO KNOW CHIEF TAM AT METRO. HE'S, WE'VE BEEN WORKING, HE WANTS TO HEAR WHAT I'M TALK, WHAT I'M SEEING ON THE STREETS TO MAKE METRO MORE COMFORTABLE FOR EVERYBODY. BUT THE MOST OF METRO'S CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE THE PARKING RIDES. WE ARE DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY MAYBE ONE ABOVE HOMELESSNESS. IF YOU, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO KNOCK PEOPLE DOWN HERE, IT'S THE FACT THEY DON'T NEED, YOU KNOW, THEY ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS IN THEIR THING. THEY NEED TO BE LEFT ALONE. MY THING IS, IF YOU CAN'T GO WITHIN 250 FEET OF ABORTION CLINIC, I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE IN PUBLIC TRANSIT. UH, ANOTHER THING, ANOTHER THING IS WE'RE HAVING THESE, YOU WANNA BUILD PLACES WHERE THERE'S, UH, THESE PEOPLE CAN GO TO SLEEP AND, AND BE HOUSED AND SO ON. I THINK THE THING WE ALSO NEEDS TO BE, WHEN THEY COME UP WITH A PLACE TO DO IT, SEE WHERE METRO GOES. I HAVE BEEN TO TOO MANY METRO BOARD MEETINGS AND THE WILLIE IS STARTING TO GO. THANK YOU. UH, AND YOU'VE BEEN ACTIVE. YOU'VE TPC THANK YOU. MY THING IS THEY PUT THIS PLACE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NEEDING, YOU KNOW, PLACE TO STAY NOWHERE NEAR A METRO BUS LINE. AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS. IF ALL POSSIBLE TO, OR THE PLACE THAT HAS THE, THE TAKEN CARE OF THE, OF OUR POOR HAVE A SHUTTLE VAN THAT CAN TAKE PEOPLE TO THE LOCAL BUS STOP. AND THERE'S A, THERE'S AN MOU OF METRO THAT THEY CAN, UH, THAT FIRST MILE, LAST MILE THEY WOULD PROVIDE. UH, I THINK THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF, UH, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S THE BONITA CENTER ON PARKER ROAD, WHICH IS A CORE OF A MILE FROM THE JENSEN ROUTE, YOU KNOW, AND FOUR WOMEN IF THEY WANNA TAKE THE BUS TO JENSEN, THAT'S A LONG WAY TO WALK. SO I THINK PART OF THE THING IS METRO NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT IN EARLY. ALSO TOO, I'VE BEEN WORKING, I'VE BEEN GOTTEN TO BE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE OF, WITH CHIEF TAM AT METRO. HE WANTS TO WORK WITH YOU. SO WHEN YOU HAVE A MEETING LIKE THIS, ASK HIM TO COME. AND SO WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER. WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, COLLABORATION IS NEEDED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR COMMENT. DOMINIC, WE HAVE KELLY GASKIN NEXT. KELLY GASKIN. ALRIGHT. BRADLEY SULLIVAN, IF YOU'D COME FORWARD. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, REVEREND BRAD SULLIVAN, THE VICAR OF LORD OF THE STREETS, EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN MIDTOWN. AND, UM, VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS PLAN FOR, UH, HOUSING FOLKS WHO ARE HOMELESS IN HOUSTON. UM, I'M HEARTENED BY THE APPROACH, BY THE RESOURCES THAT ARE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT ARE NEEDED, THE COLLABORATION. AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE PLAN IS TO TRULY CARE FOR, UH, IN, IN A SUBSTANTIAL WAY THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY, LIVING ON THE STREETS. UH, SO THANK YOU FOR LOOKING HARD AT THIS AND, AND FOR THE SUPPORT THAT I'M HEARING FOR IT. UM, WE ARE WORKING TO HOUSE FOLKS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AT LORD OF THE STREETS AS WELL. WE'VE DONE THIS VARIOUS TIMES IN THE PAST. AND, UH, THE FIRST TIME THAT MY FIRST TASTE OF THIS WAS TWO WEEKS AGO DURING THE HARD FREEZE AND WE HAD 10 OF OUR HOMELESS NEIGHBORS, UM, STAY WITH US OVERNIGHT FOR THOSE FOUR NIGHTS AS WELL AS TUESDAY DURING THE DAY. 'CAUSE I JUST COULDN'T SAY LEAVE IN THE SNOW. SO I JUST STAYED THERE WITH EVERYBODY THAT DAY. THESE WERE ALL PEOPLE THAT WE KNEW FROM OVER THE YEARS OF THEM BEING A PART OF OUR CHURCH, OUR COMMUNITY, UH, RECEIVING SERVICES, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER AND, AND SOME JUST RECEIVING SERVICES. BUT WE KNEW THOSE FOLKS AND, UH, WE HAD SECURITY THERE EXCEPT FOR ONE NIGHT WHEN THE SECURITY GONNA GET THERE 'CAUSE OF THE WEATHER. AND I JUST SAID, EH, WE'LL BE FINE. AND WE WERE, UM, BECAUSE THE FOLKS WHO WERE THERE DID KNOW EACH OTHER. AND AT 1.1 OF OUR, UH, GUESTS ENDS UP SHOUTING AT PEOPLE WHO AREN'T THERE, WHICH SHE DOES SOMETIMES. AND, UM, NO ONE ELSE GOT UPSET. SHE WOKE UP, SHE WOKE SOME PEOPLE, I KNOW SHE DID, BUT IT WAS OKAY AND IT WORKED OUT. AND, UH, AFTER SHE WAS BETTER, SHE APOLOGIZED AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE TRAUMA IN HER PAST. THAT IS THE REASON WHY SHE DOES THAT. UM, AND I OFFER THAT STORY TO ILLUSTRATE THE BEAUTY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY, UH, THAT [01:55:01] CAN BE FORMED EVEN IN TEMPORARY SHELTERS. AND WHEN PEOPLE HAVE THIS WAY OF LIFE, OF RESPECT, OF KNOWING AND CARING FOR ONE ANOTHER, UM, IT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE FOR US. UH, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND WORKING WITH THE COALITION AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK TO HOUSE PEOPLE AND SERVE FOLKS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AS WELL. THANK YOU. LISTEN, I, I REALLY HAVE TO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO THERE AT LORD OF THE STREETS, AND I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS WORKING WITH YOU BEHIND YOU. ONE OF WHOM IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, BILL FRASER. YES, SIR. SO, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, LORD OF STREETS HAS SOME EXPANSION PLANS. DO YOU WANNA, DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT? YES, SIR. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, RIGHT NOW WE ARE PROVIDING MEALS, UH, MAIL SERVICE, CLOTHING. UM, WE'VE GOT A VISION CLINIC. UM, HARRIS COUNTY HAS A, A HEALTH CLINIC, ONE OF THEIR HEALTHCARE FOR THE HOMELESS CLINICS IN OUR BUILDING. BUT WE HAVE UNUSED ROOMS UPSTAIRS THAT AGAIN, HAVE BEEN USED TO, UH, HOUSE PEOPLE IN THE PAST. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, HOUSE FOLKS IN THOSE ROOMS. UH, WOULD LIKE TO START WITH 10 PEOPLE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN START DOING AS WELL AND THEN MOVE TO AS MANY AS 30 WE CAN, UH, BY CODE. IT LOOKS LIKE WE COULD PROBABLY HOUSE AS MANY AS 80, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE COULD DO THAT. WELL, AND I'D RATHER NOT HAVE PEOPLE BE SARDINES. SO WE'D RATHER DO IT WITH 30 AND HAVE A GOOD COMMUNITY OF FOLKS, EVEN IF FOLKS ARE THERE FOR JUST A WEEK, UM, THEY'RE COMING TO A PLACE WHERE THEY KNOW THEY CAN BE WELL CARED FOR AND WHERE THIS, THIS, UH, THIS CULTURE OF CARE AND RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER. AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD DO, I THINK BETTER WITH 30 THAN 80. UM, SO WE'RE IN THE, UH, PLANNING PROCESS FOR THAT. LOOKING AT OUR BUILDING ITSELF, LOOKING AT, UM, LEARNING THE HOW TOS FROM NAVIGATION CENTER, FROM, UM, OPEN DOOR MISSION AND TALKING WITH OTHERS TO LEARN WHAT TO DO AND THEN BEGIN HIRING AND GETTING THINGS GOING. WE, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE OPEN BY DECEMBER. UM, THAT'S A, UH, PRETTY AMBITIOUS TIMELINE, BUT, WE'LL, WE'LL SHOOT FOR IT. AND THEN IF WE FALL SHORT, THAT'S JUST FINE. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHT. WE HAVE DEBORAH MORAN HAD SIGNED UP TO SPEAK BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT AND SO SHE HAS OFFERED, UH, SOME WRITTEN COMMENTS AND WE WILL SHARE THOSE WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AFTER THIS MEETING. IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO OFFER PUBLIC COMMENT BUT WHO HAS NOT SIGNED UP? YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME FORWARD AND, AND OFFER SOME COMMENT IF YOU WOULD LIKE. ALRIGHT. HEARING, HEARING NONE, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS MEETING. IT IS 3 59. WE WILL MEET AGAIN ON MARCH THE THIRD AT 2:00 PM IN THE AFTERNOON. THAT'LL BE THE NEXT TIME WE MEET AS A QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING DOWN AND THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. * 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.