[Housing and Affordability Committee on March 18, 2025.]
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AT 10:00 AM ON OFFICIAL CALL, THIS HOUSING AND AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE AN ORDER.
UM, JUST AS A REMINDER FOR THE COMMITTEE, UH, QUESTIONS WILL BE RECEIVED AFTER EACH PRESENTATION THROUGHOUT THE MEETING.
IF COUNCIL OFFICES HAVE REQUESTS, MY OFFICE WILL WORK WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT OF FACILITATOR.
UM, WITHIN 72 HOURS, PLEASE ALLOW US THE TIME TO DO SO.
TODAY'S AGENDA, UM, IS FULL YET BRIEF.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE WILL HEAR FROM, UH, PLANNING AND GRANT REPORTING.
WE'RE GONNA REVIEW OUR HUD ANNUAL ACTION PLAN FOR 2025.
WE'LL HEAR FROM COMPLIANCE AND GRANT MANAGEMENT.
WE'LL ALSO HEAR FROM PUBLIC FACILITIES.
WE'LL HAVE TWO ITEMS FROM PUBLIC FACILITIES, AND WE HAVE A SERIES OF ITEMS FOR, UH, ONE ITEM FOR SINGLE FAMILY.
UH, I'M SORRY, TWO ONE ITEM FOR SINGLE FAMILY.
I'M LOOKING AT MY ORIGINAL AGENDA.
THEN WE HAVE A SERIES OF ITEMS FROM MULTIFAMILY.
I DO WANNA MAKE NOTE FOR THE RECORD, UM, FOR MULTIFAMILY, SECTION A AND B FAIR LAKE COVE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE DEVELOPER HAS REQUESTED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA, SO THERE WILL NOT BE A PRESENTATION OF THAT.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE COMMENTS FROM OUR, UH, DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR NICHOLS IN CHAMBERS.
TODAY WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CARTER, COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM.
WE HAVE STAFF REPRESENTING COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO.
ARE WE READY TO BEGIN? MADAM CHAIRMAN, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME YOU'RE TAKING THIS MORNING.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS AND CLEARLY, UH, DELINEATING WHAT THE ISSUES ARE.
UM, THIS IS A ALWAYS AN IMPORTANT MEETING FOR US, A LEARNING MEETING FOR US.
WE'RE, UM, VERY ENTHUSED WITH THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR'S INTEREST IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARD THAT.
LET'S START WITH THE PLANT AND GRANT PLANNING AND GRANT REPORTING.
WHO DIRECTS THAT, UH, THAT DIVISION FOR US.
AS DIRECTOR, NICOLE SAID, I WILL BE PRESENTING THE ITEM FOR THE PLANNING AND GRANT REPORTING DIVISION.
WE WILL BE, UH, SEEKING AND RECOMMENDING COUNSEL APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE SUBMISSION OF THE 2025 THROUGH 2029 CONSOLIDATED PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES THE 2025 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN.
UM, AND WE WILL BE SUBMITTING TO THAT TO HUD LATER THIS SPRING.
FUNDING PRIORITIES INCLUDE AFFORDABLE HOME DEVELOPMENT, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND NEIGHBORHOOD FAC, FACILITIES, AND, EXCUSE ME, INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
OUR, UH, GENERAL FUNDING PRIORITIES IN THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
THE GOAL OF THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN IS TO PROMOTE STRATEGIES THAT WILL PRESERVE AND EXPAND THE SUPPLY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, EXPAND HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO PERSONS AFFECTED BY HIV AIDS, REDUCE HOMELESSNESS, AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS.
WE'LL ALSO, UH, LOOK AT PRIORITIZE, OR EXCUSE ME, REVITALIZING COMMUNITIES AND PROMOTING HEALTH AND SAFETY.
THE FORMATTED INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE 2025 THROUGH 2029 CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND THE 2025 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN CONTAINED THEREIN ARE BASED ON FEDERAL GUIDANCE AND REQUIREMENTS.
THE 2025 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN IS THE FIRST ANNUAL ACTION PLAN OF THE 2025 CONSOLIDATED PLAN PERIOD.
THE APPLICATION ESTIMATES $49,840,591 IN FEDERAL FUNDS, AND $185,646 AND 8 CENTS IN PROGRAM INCOME TO BENEFIT ELIGIBLE RESIDENTS DURING THE HUD PROGRAM.
YEAR 20, UH, 2025, WHICH STARTS JULY 1ST, 2025, AND ENDS JUNE 30TH, 2026.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT HUD HAS NOT ANNOUNCED THE FINAL PROGRAM YEAR 25 ALLOCATIONS AND ESTIMATES ARE BASED ON THE 2024 ALLOCATED AMOUNTS.
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ALLOCATIONS ARE ANNOUNCED BY HUD, THE LINE ITEM BUDGETS PRESENTED TODAY WE'LL BE INCREASED OR DECREASED PROPORTIONALLY BASED ON THE PERCENTAGES SHOWN FOR EACH LINE ITEM.THE TABLES SHOW BUDGET AND FUNDING FOR THE FOLLOWING FORMULA GRANTS IN THE IN PROGRAM YEAR 25, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS GRANT, THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS GRANT AND THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT, HCD IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE, THE ALLOCATION OF $24,581,197 IN, HOLD ON HTVS MOVING QUICK.
MS. ANGELA, WHERE ARE YOU? WHAT PAGE ARE YOU ON? I'M ON, I'M ON MY PAGE TOO.
SO ARE WE ON CDBG? THIS, WE'RE ON HOME FUNDS.
YEAH, THAT'S PAGE TWO, I BELIEVE, UH, IN THE INITIAL PART.
PAGE EIGHT, I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE MY GLASSES.
THAT'S, I HAD SOME INITIAL INFORMATION UP FRONT FOR SETTING CONTEXT.
AND NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE INDIVIDUAL GRANT BUDGETS.
SO WE ARE ON, UH, PAGE EIGHT IN YOUR, ON YOUR PACKET COMMITTEE.
AND SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING ADD THE ALLOCATION OF $24,647,300 AND 8 CENTS IN CDBG FUNDS AS FOLLOWS, WE WILL HAVE 3.6 MILLION IN PUBLIC SERVICES, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, THOSE SUPPORTING HO THE HOMELESS SOCIAL SERVICES, YOUTH, SPECIAL NEEDS AND ELDERLY.
WE WILL BE, UH, PROVIDING ESG MATCHING FUNDS AND, AND FIVE AS 500,000 HOME OWNERSHIP ASSISTANCE IN JUST UNDER A MILLION SINGLE FAMILY HOME REPAIR AT 3 MILLION LEAD-BASED PAINT.
192,000 MULTIFAMILY FOR REHABILITATION, 11.3 MILLION AND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION OF 4.9 MILLION.
MOVE ON TO THE HOME FUNDS AND WE WILL BE, UH, ALLOCATING $9,000,009.6 MILLION AS FOLLOWS.
MULTI-FAMILY ACQUISITION REHABILITATION, NEW CONSTRUCTION, RE RELOCATION AND PROGRAM DELIVERY AT 5.3 MILLION.
AND SINGLE FAMILY ACQUISITION REHABILITATION, NEW CONSTRUCTION, RELOCATION AND PROGRAM DELIVERY AT 3.3 MILLION WITH JUST UNDER A MILLION IN PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.
UH, MOVING ON TO THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH AIDS OR HOPWA, WE ARE ALLOCATING $13,527,833 AS FOLLOWS, UH, TO JUST A LITTLE OVER 2 MILLION IN OPERATING COSTS, 2.8 MILLION TOWARDS SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, 4.6 MILLION IN PROJECT OR TENANT BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE, AND 2.9 MILLION IN SHORT TERM RENT, MORTGAGE, AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE.
UH, RESOURCE IDENTIFICATION AT 67,000 GRANTEE ADMINISTRATION AT JUST A LITTLE OVER 400,000 AND SPONSOR ADMINISTRATION AT JUST OVER 500,000.
THE NEXT GRANT IS THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS SOLUTIONS GRANTS.
WE HAVE 2.1 MILLION TO ALLOCATE TOWARDS HOMELESS, THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM AT 87,000.
THE EMERGENCY SHELTER, UH, AT ONE, JUST OVER 1 MILLION HOMELESS PREVENTION AT A LITTLE OVER 362,000 RAPID REHOUSING AT ALMOST 524,000 AND ADMINISTRATION AT 163,743 AS STIPULATED BY FEDERAL REGULATIONS.
AND IN CONFORMITY WITH THE CI, THE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN RESIDENTS WILL HAVE 30 DAYS TO COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED 2025 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN BEFORE CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.
THE 30 DAY REVIEW PERIOD EX EXTENDS FROM MARCH 15TH THROUGH APRIL 14TH.
HCD WILL ALSO, UH, COLLECT INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY DURING TWO PLANNED, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
ONE ON THURSDAY, MARCH 27TH, 2025, WHICH IS A VIRTUAL MEETING, AND ANOTHER ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2ND, 2025, WHICH WILL BE HELD AT THE HIRAM CLARK MULTI-SERVICE CENTER.
AND I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
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BEFORE I CALL ON MAYOR PRO TEM TEX TATUM DOES COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF, THE DEPARTMENT SENT A, UM, INVITATION TO THE PUBLIC MEETING.SO IF Y'ALL CAN MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL SHARE THIS, I THINK LAST WEEK, LAST FRIDAY, THIS WAS SHARED OUT FOR THE PUBLIC MEETING.
SO IF YOU CAN GET THIS IN YOUR NEWSLETTERS AND LET RESIDENTS KNOW, UM, UH, TO PARTICIPATE, THAT'D BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM.
I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT, UM, WHERE CODE ENFORCEMENT WOULD FALL UNDER, UM, THE CDBG ENTITLEMENT FUNDS.
UM, MY DISTRICT DEPENDS ON CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, WE'RE A, A BEDROOM COMMUNITY.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, SO I WAS LOOKING TO SEE, I KNOW WE HAD, UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT UNDER CDBG DOLLARS BEFORE, ARE WE NO LONGER GOING TO BE FUNDING CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS? UH, SO, UH, THROUGH, UH, THE EVALUATION OF OUR FUNDING OF THAT ACTIVITY AND HUD CPD NOTICE 1416, WHICH RAISED SOME CONCERNS AROUND THE CODE ENFORCEMENT THAT WE WERE FUNDING RELATIVE TO THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION TO CODE ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES.
AND SO IT, IT, IT APPEARS TO BE AT THIS POINT, UH, APPROXIMATELY A TWO TO ONE RATIO OF CDBG FUNDING TO THE AMOUNT OF GENERAL FUNDS THAT ARE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS.
AND, UH, STATES THAT IF THE USE OF CDBG FUNDING APPEARS AS EXCESSIVE IN RELATION TO A COMMUNITY'S OVERALL CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM, UM, THIS CAN RAISE CONCERNS FROM HUD AND CREATE A RISK OF, YOU KNOW, A REPAYMENT SITUATION IF THEY DEEM THAT WE ARE NOT AS A CITY, UH, FUNDING THAT IN, UH, A, YOU KNOW, UH, AN EQUAL OR, UH, REASONABLE RATE.
AND SO WE HAVE DEVELOPED OVER TIME INTO, UH, A MUCH GREATER AMOUNT OF CDBG FUNDING CODE ENFORCEMENT THAN THE CITY IS FUNDING IN WHOLE.
AND THAT CREATES A REPAYMENT RISK.
I, I GUESS SO WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE A, A GOOD RATIO FOR US TO FUND CODE ENFORCEMENT UNDER THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM WHEN, WHEN THIS WAS RAISED, A DECISION WAS MADE TO ELIMINATE IT? UH, DIRECTOR NICHOLS, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK MORE FULLY TO THAT.
SO WE WENT TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND TOLD THEM OUR CONCERN ABOUT THIS CONCEPT, THAT HUD WOULD COME BACK AND SAY THAT WE ARE SUPPLANTING LOCAL FUNDS WITH CDBG FUNDS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE, AND I, I I, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE DONE SINCE I'VE COME ON BOARD IS TRY TO REDUCE THESE RISK.
UH, THE, THE ADMINISTRATION AGREED WITH US THAT, THAT WE REDUCE THE RISK AND THEY'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS ABOUT HOW TO REPLACE THIS FUNDING.
SO NOW, SO HOW DO WE REPLACE THE FUNDING RIGHT NOW? IT'LL BE IN GENERAL FUNDS OR, BUT IT WONT NOT BE IN FEDERAL FUNDS.
SO THE GENERAL FUNDS THAT WE ARE 320 MILLION.
SO, SO IS THERE NOT A WAY TO, BECAUSE CODE ENFORCEMENT IS IMPORTANT FOR NEIGHBORHOODS MM-HMM
UM, HOW DO WE PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS? I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE THE GENERAL FUNDS TO HIRE AND REALLY PAY THESE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHAT THEY SHOULD BE RECEIVING SO THAT WE CAN DEPEND ON THEM TO PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITIES STEM FROM, THERE'S NO ENFORCEMENT.
UM, WHEN WE PULL THE DOLLARS FROM CDBG FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND THEN WE SAY WE'RE GONNA DO IT IN GENERAL FUND, I MEAN, WHAT LINE ITEM ARE WE GONNA GET THAT FROM? HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR THOSE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO HELP US PROTECT NEIGHBORHOODS? BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE CALL MY OFFICE, THEY WANT THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS TO COME OUT AND DEAL WITH THOSE ISSUES THAT CREATE NUISANCES IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, AND CODE ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, IS A CITY FUNCTION SEPARATE FROM THESE GRANT FUNDS.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER CONCERNS THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED WITH THE CURRENT RATIO IS THE TARGETING OF CODE ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES INTO LOW AND MODERATE INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY SPEAKING, LOOKING AT THOSE RISKS, THAT THAT WAS THE DECISION, AND HOPEFULLY THE CITY WILL BE ABLE TO REEVALUATE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM A CODE A CITY CODE ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE.
I, THAT'S A, THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S ABOUT THE BEST ANSWER WE HAVE.
YOU KNOW, WE, UH, WE WILL WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT
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OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT ITEMS, UM, TERRORIST FUNDINGS OR OTHER ITEMS. BUT OVERALL, UH, WE, THE, THE INDICATION WE'RE GETTING FROM HUD IS THAT WE WILL BE HAVING TO REPAY THESE DOLLARS, UM, BECAUSE OF THE SUPPLANTING ISSUE.AND WE JUST THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO REDUCE THAT RISK.
AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE THAT WE'VE HAD THROUGHOUT, UM, AND WE'RE TRYING NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD, WHICH MEANS USING FEDERAL FUNDS AND THEM COMING BACK AND SAYING, OH, YOU GOTTA REPAY IT BACK, AND US GOING BACK AT THAT TIME.
UM, BUT SO DOES THIS GRANT NOT ALLOW US TO PAY FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS? IT, IT ALLOWS US TO PAY FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
IT DOES NOT ALLOW US TO DISPROPORTIONATELY FUND THE CITY'S CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS WHERE THE CHALLENGE HAS COME UP, IS THAT OVER TIME, THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING BEING FUNDED THROUGH CDBG IS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER THAN THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION, AND THEREFORE THE ACTIVITY IS OCCURRING AS REQUIRED IN LOW AND MODERATE INCOME AREAS, DISPROPORTIONATE TO THAT IN NON LOW AND MODERATE INCOME AREAS, WHICH CAN, SO DOES THAT NOT MEAN THAT LOW TO MODERATE INCOME AREAS HAVE A GREATER NEED FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT? IT DEPENDS ON WHICH ASPECT, I SUPPOSE, OF THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
CAN, CAN YOU SEND ME THE NUMBERS ON THAT? BECAUSE YES, IT'S CONCERNING TO ME, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF CALLS WE SEND THROUGH CODE ENFORCEMENT, UM, FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND, UH, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AND DIRECTOR.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, DIRECTOR EARLIER THIS YEAR, YOU EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR THE LAND TRUST MODEL IN, UH, TRYING TO, UM, GET, UH, AFFORDABLE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
AND, UH, REGARDING THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND THE ACTION PLAN HERE THAT, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT IS HOUSING GONNA DO TO PROMOTE THE LAND TRUST MODEL? WELL, GENERALLY SPEAKING, OUR CONSOLIDATED PLAN INCLUDES ACTIVITIES BOTH FUNDED WITH THESE GRANTS AS WELL AS OTHER PRIORITIES AND OTHER ACTIONS THAT ARE OCCURRING.
THE LAND TRUST MODEL AT PRESENT IS, HAS NOT, WE HAVE NOT FOUND A MECHANISM TO CREATE AN ELIGIBILITY PATHWAY FOR LAND TRUST FUNDING, WHICH IS WHY OUR FUNDING HAS GENERALLY BEEN THROUGH OUR TOURS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING SET ASIDE DOLLARS.
SO THAT IS WHY THIS PARTICULAR BUDGETING AND ACTIVITIES DOES NOT DIRECTLY TIE INTO THE LAND TRUST MODEL.
BUT WE HAVE IN THE PAST SUPPORTED THE LAND TRUST QUITE A BIT WITH OURT AFFORDABLE HOUSING SET ASIDE DOLLARS, AS WELL AS THET BOND FUND DOLLARS THAT WERE ISSUED.
I DON'T, I THINK WE ARE WITH THE LAND TRUST, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY DIRECT FUNDING WITH THE LAND TRUST, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY DIRECT FUNDING WITH THE LAND TRUST.
CURRENTLY, THE LAND BANK, WE HAVE FUNDED OVER TIME AND WE'RE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THEM CURRENTLY ABOUT THEIR DIRECTION AND WHAT THEY SHOULD, COULD, SHOULD BE DOING.
IN FACT, ONE OF THE IDEAS COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ YOU HAD IS HAVING THE LAND BANK WORK CLOSELY WITH THE HISD ON SCHOOLS.
AND WE, I DISCUSSED THAT WITH THEM YESTERDAY ABOUT IDEAS THAT WE MAY HAVE TO USE THAT LAND AGAIN.
IT'S A, UM, WE HAVE FUNDED THEM IN THE PAST, UM, BUT WE HAVE NOT FUNDED THE LAND TRUST IN RECENT YEARS.
AND, AND WHEN YOU SAY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A PATHWAY FORWARD, IS IT NOT ALLOWED UNDER THE HUD GUIDELINES OR, UH, NO, AND WE HAVE NOT FOUND A MODEL TO, UH, IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH HUD THAT WOULD CREATE A PATHWAY FOR ELIGIBILITY.
AND IN RELATION TO YOUR, UH, COMMENT, UH, DIRECTOR, UH, THAT WAS IN, IN, UH, RE RELATION TO, UH, A TEXT YOU AND I WERE HAVING ABOUT HISD POTENTIALLY CLOSING A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS AND WHETHER OR NOT THOSE COULD BE REPURPOSED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR, UH, HOMELESS, HOMELESS HOUSING, UH, LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THE SINGLE FAMILY DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE GUIDELINES AND SEE AGAIN, THE TIMELINE IS FIVE TO 10 YEARS.
UM, WHAT, WHAT CAN BE DONE TO EXTEND THAT TIMELINE TO ENSURE THE, UH, LONGER AFFORDABILITY PERIOD FOR THOSE THOSE HOMES? I'M GONNA GIVE MY SEAT TO MR. SAIN WHO'S THE EXPERT IN THAT, AND THEN
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HE'LL ANSWER THAT QUESTION.UH, SO LOOKING AT THE LONG-TERM AFFORDABILITY, UH, WE'VE KIND OF ALIGNED ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS TO MODEL AROUND THAT 10 YEAR PERIOD, UH, TO KEEP TO AFFORDABILITY AS A SET STANDARD ACROSS THE BOARD.
ONLY DIFFERENCE THAT YOU HAVE IS WITH HOME FUNDS.
THERE IS A BREAKDOWN BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY THAT IS PROVIDED TO THE HOME BUYER, AND THAT GOES UP TO A 15 YEAR PERIOD.
AND, AND WHY IS THE 10, 10 YEARS, EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, IF THIS IS SINGLE FAMILY RE REMAIN, RE RELATED, CAN WE WAIT UNTIL THE SINGLE FAMILY SECTION TO GO INTO THAT? 'CAUSE WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR HU PLAN.
WE CAN SPEND TIME ON A SINGLE FAMILY.
UH, THANK YOU BROTHER, DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I HAVE ONE CONCERN UNDER THE, UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ON THE PUBLIC SERVICES, YOU HAVE HOMELESS SOCIAL SERVICES, YOUTH, SPECIAL NEEDS IN ELDERLY.
IS THERE, IS THERE A LINE ITEM THAT INCLUDES VETERAN SERVICES FOR HOUSING AND OTHER ENTITIES? IS THERE, DOES IT FALL ON ANY ONE OF THOSE CATEGORIES TO, YOU KNOW, WITH A LOT OF THE VETERAN, YOU KNOW, ISSUES THAT WE HAVE IN HOUSTON RIGHT NOW WITH THE LARGEST VETERAN POPULATION, UH, FOR ME IS ALWAYS A CONCERN IN REGARDS TO THAT.
IS THERE A LINE ITEM IN THAT FOR, FOR THOSE SERVICES? WHAT, UH, SO THE PUBLIC SERVICES, THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF THE TYPES OF PUBLIC SERVICES THAT, THAT MAY BE FUNDED, UM, OTHERS AS WELL.
BUT FOR VETERANS SPECIFICALLY, NOT NECESSARILY A, A LINE ITEM, BUT THESE FUNDS ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH A NOFA PROCESS AND ARE BASED ON THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES.
AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT PREVENTS SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, THAT SERVES THE VETERAN POPULATION AND THAT THEY ARE SERVED THROUGH ANY OF THESE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES.
THERE'S NO EXCLUSION, AND THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM IS QUITE ROBUST.
AND AS PEOPLE FEED INTO THAT SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE DIRECTED TOWARD THE SERVICES THAT ARE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR THEM.
AND SO I DO THINK THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR THE VETERAN POPULATION.
MIKE, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UM, AGAIN, THE BEAUTY OF THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM IS THE BRAIDING OF FUNDS.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE BRAIDING OF FUNDS, IT'S NOT JUST THE CDBG FUNDS, CDBG DISASTER FUNDS, IT'S, IT'S THE, UM, VOUCHERS, UM, FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, IT IS THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM WORKS REALLY AS, AS WELL AS AS ANY GROUP WITH VETERANS.
UH, TODAY WE'RE AT WHAT WE, WHAT WE WE'RE AT, UH, STABLE STABILITY WITH VETERANS, WHICH MEANS IF A VETERAN COMES INTO THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, HE WILL BE HOUSED IN 30 DAYS.
NOW, THERE'S STILL, SADLY, VETERANS ON OUR STREETS DURING THE WINTER FREEZE.
WE MET WITH A NUMBER OF VETERANS, BUT THE SYSTEMS AND SERVICES ARE THERE.
UM, WE DO NEED TO INCREASE OUR WORK WITH THE, UM, WITH MENTAL HEALTH PARTICULARLY.
BUT AGAIN, THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN A REAL PARTNER IN THE SERVICES.
UM, AND THERE ARE MENTAL HEALTH BEDS THAT THEY PAY FOR.
SO OVERALL, I THINK THAT IS A VERY GOOD SYSTEM.
IF YOU HAVE A VETERAN, WE CAN CALL INTO THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM AND HAVE THEM HOUSED IN 30 DAYS.
UM, THERE ARE ISSUES WITH SOME VETERANS ABOUT, UM, ABOUT HOW THEY WERE, UM, DISCHARGED, BUT EVEN THAT, WE HAVE SYSTEMS FOR THAT.
AND, AND OF COURSE, I WORK WITH THE OFFICE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERAN AFFAIRS AND, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT, SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE COULD ADD SOME OTHER THINGS IF YOU, IF THAT WAS SOME OTHER AREA THAT CAN BE ADDED TO.
AND AGAIN, THROUGH THESE NOFA, WE EXPECT THE VETERANS ENTITIES TO JOIN US TO HELP BRAID THEIR DOLLARS THAT THEY MAY GET FROM THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION WITH THESE DOLLARS.
CAN WE GO TO PAGE EIGHT ON THE SLIDE PAGE, UH, SLIDE EIGHT AND NINE, UM, FOR THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING RE REHAB, I KNOW THIS IS A NEW LINE ITEM FOR OUR ANNUAL ACTION PLAN, AND I'M NOT SAYING I'M OPPOSED TO IT.
WE WORKED DILIGENTLY AS A COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT REHAB WAS, HAS BEEN PRIORITIZED WITH MULTIFAMILY, UM, THROUGH SPECIFICALLY OUR 9% ROUND AND OUR 4% DEALS.
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UM, CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT, UH, THE INTENTION OF THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING REHAB, AND THEN WHY ARE WE ADDING THIS TO MO, UH, HUD ANNUAL ACTION PLAN AND NOT DR.24? AND THEN, UM, AND I'LL WAIT UNTIL MR. SAIN, UH, GETS UP HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE SENIOR FAM SINGLE FAMILY HOME REPAIR IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF HOMES WE CAN EXPECT TO BE REPAIRED, UM, WITH THREE, $3 MILLION.
AGAIN, UH, JUST, UH, THANK YOU, JUDGE THOMAS.
THE TOP OF THE LINE RESPONSE IS THAT WE HEARD, WE HEARD YOU AND YOUR, YOUR, YOUR CONCERNS AND THE NEED FOR REHABILITATION IN THE MULTI-FAMILY SPACE.
AND, UH, CDBG DOES ALLOW FOR MULTI-FAMILY REHABILITATION.
SO WE ARE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE THIS TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE SOME IMPACT HERE.
AND SO THAT IS THE REASONING FOR INCLUDING AND MAKING THIS SHIFT.
UM, THIS ALSO TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THE FUNDING FROM D 21 THAT IS GOING INTO SINGLE FAMILY HOME REPAIR THAT ALLOWS FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME RE RESHIFTING OF THE FUNDING UNDER THE CDBG BUDGET MM-HMM
TO ALLOW US TO PRIORITIZE AND STILL MAKE, UH, INROADS IN BOTH SPACES.
THAT MADAM, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN, THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING REHAB IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY WAS HIGHLIGHTED DURING, UH, HURRICANE BARREL WHEN WE SAW, UM, FACILITIES THAT WE HAD FUNDED.
SOME OF 'EM ARE MORE THAN 20 YEARS OLD, AND THEY'RE UNIQUE FACILITIES THAT, UM, ONE WE WENT TO THAT WAS DAMAGED WAS, UH, THE AVERAGE RENT WAS BETWEEN 300, $500 A MONTH.
UM, BUT IT WAS IN JUST REPAIR MM-HMM
AND THE QUESTION IS, HOW CAN THEY RETAIN THOSE LOW RENTS RIGHT.
BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA LOSE THOSE BUILDINGS.
AND REALLY THIS WAS IN RESPONSE TO WHAT WE LEARNED ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT AMOUNT.
LIKE A LOT OF THINGS, IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
UM, WHETHER IT'S CODE ENFORCEMENT, IT'S NOT ENOUGH MM-HMM
BUT WE TRY TO MATCH, MIX AND MATCH AS WE DO THIS PLAN.
AND AS YOU SEE, THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PROGRAMS BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED.
UM, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD IT IN THE OTHER PROGRAMS. SURE.
NO, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO SHARE.
AND I'M GLAD THAT'S PRONOUNCED ON SLIDE NINE.
UH, THE MULTIFAMILY ACQUISITION FOR THE HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP, IT'S, UH, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN HALF OF THE ALLOCATION OF HOME FUNDS.
IT'S FOR REHAB, NEW CONSTRUCTION AND RELOCATION.
UM, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE, UH, TENTATIVE, I GUESS, PERCENTAGES Y'ALL ANTICIPATE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH NEW CONSTRUCTION, HOW MUCH IN ACQUISITION, HOW MUCH, AND, AND TALK ABOUT THE RELOCATION, UH, PIECE OF THIS, AND IF THIS IS CONNECTED TO FLOODING, MITIGATION, THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE QUEUE.
SO THE, THE ITEMS, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR THOMAS.
THE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED, THE ACQUISITION, REHABILITATION, NEW CONSTRUCTION RELOCATION ARE ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE FUNDED WITH THIS FUNDING IN, IN THE MULTIFAMILY SPACE.
UM, THIS FUNDING IS SIMILARLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGH A NOFA PROCESS, AND PROJECTS ARE SELECTED BASED ON THE CRITERIA.
SO WE, WE DON'T GO INTO IT WITH A PRESET DETERMINATION OF HOW MANY OF EACH TYPE.
WE WANT IT TO BE BROAD THAT WE CAN CONSIDER ALL OF THE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED AND USING THE SCORING CRITERIA, IDENTIFY THE BEST PROJECTS.
AND SO THAT IS WHERE WE ARE THERE.
AND, AND SO I, AND I'M SORRY, COULD YOU PLEASE REPEAT YOUR QUESTION REGARDING THAT? NO, YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
IT WAS ABOUT, UM, IF WE HAD AN INTERNAL PRESCRIPTION IN TERMS OF WHAT WE WERE WILLING TO DO, BUT THIS IS JUST ALLOWING THOSE WHO ARE GONNA PARTICIPATE IN THE NOFA TO SEE THE BROAD RANGE OF ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ALLOWABLE FOR POSSIBLE BRIDGE FUNDING FOR NEW, UM, ACQUISITION, REHAB, NEW CONSTRUCTION AND RELOCATION AND PROGRAM TO DELIVERY COR.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT COUPLED WITH OUR HUD ANNUAL ACTION PLAN WITH THE SIZABLE MULTIFAMILY REHAB AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WE'LL HAVE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES ON THE STREET AROUND MULTIFAMILY REHAB.
IN ADDITION TO SINGLE FAMILY FROM BOTH PRODUCTS.
THE, THE, THE CONCEPT AGAIN IS TRANSPARENCY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN IMPACT THE MOST PEOPLE WITH THESE LIMITED DOLLARS.
AND SO, SO MUCH OF IT IS HOW DO YOU, WHAT MONEY ARE, ARE THE DEVELOPERS BRINGING IN THIS? SURE.
WHAT IS NEEDED? UM, THE, THE KEY ELEMENT HERE IS THE SCORING SHEET, WHICH IT'S, AGAIN, WE HAVE THAT APPROVED BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND THEN WE BRING IT IN.
THE NOFA PROCESS IS A FORMAL PROCESS, BUT WE FEEL LIKE YEAR IN, YEAR OUT, IT'S BROUGHT BEST PROJECTS FORWARD.
[00:30:01]
FOR OUR HUD ANNUAL ACTION PLAN.NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS COMPLIANCE AND GRANT ADMINISTRATION DEREK SELLERS, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, UH, IS HERE TODAY TO DO COMPLIANCE ADMINISTRATION RAMIREZ, UH, KENISHA LONDON IS NORMALLY DOING THIS IS TIED UP WITH A TWO DAY MEETING, UH, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH HUD, UM, ON DR 24, TRYING TO LEARN EVERYTHING WE CAN ABOUT THIS QUICKLY MOVING PROCESS AND THE QUICKLY MOVING PROCESS AT HUD.
DEREK, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS ON.
AND, UH, AND WE WILL, BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, WE'LL TRY TO DO IT AS WELL AS POSSIBLE.
SO FOR AGENDA ITEM TWO, THE HOUSE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS RECOMMENDING CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE ACTION PLAN FOR 2015 FLOOD EVENTS TO TRANSFER $3,291,180 TO THE PUBLIC FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ACTIVITY.
PER THE CITY'S CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN, SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENTS ARE REQUIRED WHEN THERE'S AN INCREASE OR A DECREASE IN A BUDGET, UH, LINE ITEM BY 25% OR MORE.
SO SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT, WE'RE TRANSFERRING $3,291,180 FROM THE PROPERTY BUYOUT ACTIVITY, WHICH WAS A SINGLE FAMILY BUYOUT ACTIVITY WITH HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT TO THE PUBLIC FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ACTIVITY WITH THE FUNDING.
AND WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS OVER THE YEARS TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL FLOOD PREVENTION PROJECTS FOR THIS PROGRAM, FOR THE PUBLIC FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ACTIVITIES THAT ASSIST AREAS THAT WERE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE 2015 FLOOD EVENTS, UH, TO DATES WE THREE OF THESE PROJECTS, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND THEN WORK ON THE SPELMAN DETENTION BASIN IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED LATER THIS YEAR FOR THE FUNDING THAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED HERE.
UM, WE SOUGHT AND RECEIVED AN EXTENSION FROM HUD ON THIS GRANT TO ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TWO ADDITIONAL FLOOD PREVENTION PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BY HOUSTON PUBLIC WORKS, UH, SPECIFICALLY THOSE PROJECTS OR THE EDGEWOOD MULTI-USE PARK AND DETENTION PROJECT AND THE EP HILL MULTI-USE PARK AND DETENTION PROJECT.
AND I BELIEVE BOTH ARE IN SUNNYSIDE, UH, BOTH, UH, WE SHOWED IMPACTS TO THE HOMES, UH, DIRECTLY SURROUNDING THOSE TWO PARK SITES.
UM, SO THIS ENDS MY PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM.
NO QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE FOR THIS ITEM.
IT'S PUBLIC FACILITIES PUBLIC.
UNLESS MR. LAE, YOU WANT TO GET IT CRACKING RIGHT NOW? HE'S A, HE'S A MAN OF ALL SEASONS.
HE, HE HATES PUBLIC SPEAKING, SO THAT'S WHY I WOULD TRY TO CALL HIM TO THE FRONT
ARE, ARE YOU GONNA DO PUBLIC FACILITIES TOO? NO, SIR.
WE'LL DO SINGLE FAMILY AND COME BACK.
GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN, VICE CHAIR, UH, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'M PRESENTING ITEM FIVE ON BEHALF OF HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
A TDD RECOMMENDS COUNCIL APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED AND REVISIONS TO THE SINGLE FAMILY HOME REPAIR PROGRAM GUIDELINES.
THAT WILL INCLUDE ADDING A PROVISION TO THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA REQUIRING APPLICANTS TO OWN AND OCCUPY THEIR PROPERTY AS THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENT FOR A MINIMUM OF FIVE YEARS PRIOR TO SUBMISSION OF A PROGRAM APPLICATION.
ALSO ADD A CAP AMOUNT, UH, TO THE DELINQUENT TAXES AND ALSO THE UTILITY PAYMENT PLAN AMOUNTS.
NUMBER TWO, UPDATE THE FLOODPLAIN REQUIREMENTS TO ALIGN WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF HUD, THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS.
THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
AND THEN I WANNA DEFER TO COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ FOR HIS PREVIOUS QUESTION RELATED TO SINGLE FAMILY.
AND THE, UM, THE QUESTION ACTUALLY PERTAINED TO DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, BUT I THINK YOU GENERALIZED AND SAID WE'RE TRYING TO BE CONSISTENT AT, UH, 10 YEARS.
AND SO I THINK I WAS ASKING, UM, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE MAGIC ABOUT 10 YEARS? WHY, WHY CAN'T WE GO LONGER? SO, SO, SO THERE WAS A 20 YEAR PERIOD THAT WAS SET IN PLACE.
UH, AND THEN WE HAD ISSUES WITH THAT, WITH THE GLOS PROGRAM THAT ONLY REQUIRED A THREE YEAR PROGRAM, UH, I MEAN A, A THREE YEAR AFFORDABILITY PERIOD.
SO WE FOUND, TRIED TO FIND A BALANCE BETWEEN THE TWO, AND THAT'S HOW THE 10 YEAR WAS KIND OF, UH, SETTLED UPON.
WE LOOKED TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, AS FAMILIES GROW AND FAMILY SIZES CHANGE, IT ALLOWS FAMILIES THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO GO TO A LARGER HOUSE IF NECESSARY.
10 YEAR IS A LITTLE BIT OVER THAT
[00:35:01]
SWEET SPOT.UM, HOUSES IN THE HOUSTON MARKET GENERALLY TURNS OVER IN THE SIX AND A HALF TO SEVEN YEAR PERIOD.
UH, NOW THE, THE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, UH, SOME OF THOSE, UM, HOMES, THE TIME PERIOD IS, IS FIVE YEARS, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
UH, IS THERE, SO IT DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT THAT IS BEING PROVIDED.
IS THERE ANY IMPEDIMENT TO MAKING 'EM ALL 10 YEARS? UM, SO IT'S GONNA VARY BASED ON THE AMOUNT.
SO WE TRIED TO CREATE A TIER STRUCTURE TO CREATE SOME TYPE OF EQUITY ACROSS THE BOARD FOR EVERYONE.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO ADD, UM, THERE ARE GONNA BE MULTIPLE ITEMS THAT CONTINUE TO COME AS REFERENCE TO THE GUIDELINES, UH, WITH ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS, HA 2.0, HOME REPAIR, UM, OUR DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO EVOLVE IN CREATING A BETTER PROCESS, UH, AND IMPROVEMENT OVER TIME.
UM, AND JUST WANTED TO JUST PRO PROVIDE AN UPDATE.
I KNOW THAT THE ITEM THAT WAS ON THE AGENDA PREVIOUSLY WAS IN REFERENCE TO THE DR 21, UH, THAT IS COMING ONLINE.
UM, THAT ORDINANCE WAS ORIGINALLY PASSED, UH, 2023, ITEM 3 0 8 ON 5 3 20 23.
SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS THAT.
SO IF Y'ALL DID SEE IT IN YOUR PACKETS, UH, THAT ITEM WAS ORIGINALLY, UH, PASSED, BUT WE WERE JUST TRYING TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO THE COUNCIL.
UM, THERE IS GONNA BE SEVERAL ITEMS THAT COMES AS SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENTS, UH, THAT'S RELATED TO D 21, WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE CHANGING THE AMOUNT FROM $6,000 IN REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES TO 10,000 IN REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES.
AND THEN, AND, AND THEN AS ALWAYS, WE'LL JUST MAKE SURE THAT ONCE THAT THAT CHANGE COMES TO COUNCIL AND IT TURNS OVER, THAT THE DEPARTMENT GETS THAT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS SO THEY CAN PUSH THAT TO THE, TO THE CONSTITUENTS SO THEY CAN KNOW THAT IF YOUR INSURANCE TOLD YOU NO, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE A REIMBURSEMENT UP TO $10,000, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT, UM, FOR VARIOUS REPAIRS.
AND THEN ALSO WANTED TO ADDRESS, UM, THE QUESTION ABOUT THE AMOUNT THAT IS BEING ALLOCATED IN THE ACTION PLAN.
AS Y'ALL KNOW, WE HAVE THE D 21 FROM, FOR WHICH ITEM? FOR WHICH ITEM? SINGLE FAMILY.
3 MILLION, RIGHT? FOR THE TOTAL NUMBER, RIGHT? FOR THE $3 MILLION, YES.
SO WE ARE ESTIMATING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 12 TO 17 HOMES THAT BE, WILL BE ABLE TO BE ASSISTED.
NOW REMEMBER THAT THERE'S D 21 FUNDS THAT TOTAL OUT TO $38 MILLION.
SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE TWO PROGRAMS THAT SORT OF KIND OF OVERLAP WITH EACH OTHER AND SOME LOCAL TURS TOO THAT SUPPLEMENTS HOME REPAIRS.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, JUST IN TERMS OF CONTEXT OF WHAT THAT, UH, THAT MOVEMENT WOULD BE.
AND THEN IF THIS IS A, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHEED UP OUR BACKLOG.
WE NO LONGER HAVE THE BACKLOG.
SO THESE WILL BE FRESH HOMES ON THE STREET, SO WE CAN MOVE QUICKLY AT, UM, WITH THIS REPAIR PROCESS.
NEXT WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC S PUBLIC FACILITIES.
RYAN BIBB, OUR DE OUR DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
RYAN OVERSEES BOTH PUBLIC FACILITIES AND, UH, MULTIFAMILY.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, CHIEF OF STAFF.
UH, THIS NEXT ITEM IS WE ARE REQUESTING AN AMENDMENT TO A LOAN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND EDISON ARTS FOUNDATION.
UH, OUR GOAL HERE IS TO MODIFY THE SCOPE OF WORK PERTAINING TO THE CITY'S FUNDING.
UM, INITIALLY OUR CITY FUNDING WASN'T GONNA GO TOWARDS ACQUISITION, WHICH WAS THE FIRST PHASE.
THE SECOND PHASE HAD THREE STAGES.
AND, UH, THOSE THREE STAGES WERE SITE WORK, DEMO, UH, CONSTRUCTION, AND PERFORMING, UH, AND DOING THE PERFORMANCE ART PIECE OF IT.
WE'RE JUST GONNA MODIFY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS MODIFYING THIS LOAN.
NO MORE MONEY FROM THE CITY, NO EXTRA MONEY IS GOING INTO THIS MODIFICATION AND PUT THIS LOAN IN REAL TIME.
SO THE CITY'S FUNDING IS GONNA BE FUNDING, UH, NOT ALL OF THOSE STAGES, BUT EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE PERFORMING ARTS PIECE.
SO HERE'S JUST DISCUSSING HOW MUCH THE CITY HAS INVESTED, WHICH IS FIVE, UH, MILLION DOLLARS OF CDBG FUNDS.
UH, IT'S 56% COMPLETE AT THIS MOMENT, UH, PROJECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
IT'S A FANTASTIC PICTURE OF THE PROPERTY.
[00:40:01]
THIS PROPERTY IS GOING TO INCLUDE A PERFORMANCE ARTS CENTER, A CLINIC, UM, IS GOING TO INCLUDE A SPACE FOR, UH, AFTERSCHOOL, UH, SPACE FOR AFTERSCHOOL CARE.ALSO, UH, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE.
AND HERE, UM, IS, UH, NEXT PROPERTY.
SO THAT WAS MY, I'M SORRY, THAT WAS THE, MY PRESENTATION FOR EDISON ARTS.
I, I, I WANT TO THANK THE, THE FOLKS WHO RUN EDISON ARTS AS WELL AS OUR TEAM, UH, FOR GOING THROUGH AND TRYING TO BE VERY CREATIVE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.
THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BE RAISED.
THEY HAVE, COULD NOT RAISE THAT MONEY, BUT THIS ALLOWS US TO FINISH THE PROJECT AND NOT BE IN ANY RISK TO REPAY HUD AS A RESULT OF THE TIMELINE.
SO THE, THIS WAS A VERY CREATIVE SOLUTION.
UH, MAYOR PROTO, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I WISH WE HAD A BEFORE PICTURE OH YES.
AND I WANNA JUST KIND OF SET THE STAGE A LITTLE BIT ON THIS SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND AND DON'T FORGET FROM ONCE WE CAME.
UM, BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY WAS AN ABANDONED KROGER SHOPPING STRIP.
THAT WAS A TREMENDOUS COMMUNITY NUISANCE.
UM, IT WAS BLIGHT, UM, GANG GRAFFITI DRUG ACTIVITY.
ACTIVITY, UM, ILLEGAL DUMPING.
UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT WAS OUT THERE EVERY WEEK.
CODE ENFORCEMENT, WHAT IS OUT THERE.
UM, MAKING SURE WE WERE TRYING TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY SAFE.
UM, THE CARTERS CAME FORWARD BACK WHEN COUNCIL MEMBER GREEN WAS ALIVE WITH A PLAN.
THEY, DIRECTOR NICHOLS, YOU SAID THEY DIDN'T, UH, RAISE THE MONEY THAT THEY WERE EXPECTED IN THE TIME, BUT THEY'VE RAISED OVER $23 MILLION.
AND SO I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, UM, WHICH IS THESE ARE INDIVIDUAL CONSTITUENTS.
THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT, UM, DEVELOPERS, PROFESSIONAL FUNDRAISERS.
THEY'RE NOT PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES.
THEY'RE NOT, UM, BIG BUSINESS OWNERS.
THESE ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SAW A PROBLEM AND CAME UP WITH A PLAN AND BROUGHT TOGETHER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE FORT BEND COUNTY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOUNDATIONS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND HAVE ALREADY RAISED $23 MILLION.
UM, SO MANY TIMES PEOPLE LOOK AT THE CITY AS THE CALVARY WHO'S GOING TO COME AND SAVE US.
AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE CARTERS IS THEY DIDN'T WAIT FOR THE CALVARY.
THEY HAD AN IDEA AND THEY PUT IN THE WORK.
AND IF YOU HAVE NOT GONE BY TO SEE THIS PROJECT, YOU SHOULD, BECAUSE IT'S TRANSFORMATIONAL.
AND I'M GOING TO SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS, EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAVE, BECAUSE THIS PROJECT WILL BE A MODEL FOR THE COUNTRY.
AN OLD DILAPIDATED SHOPPING CENTER THAT IS GOING TO TRANSFORM A COMMUNITY.
THIS IS DEFINITELY REVITALIZATION WITHOUT GENTRIFICATION, AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, A COMMUNITY, UM, FACILITY, A PARK, RESTAURANTS, A MEDICAL FACILITY, RETAIL, AND A STATE OF THE ART PERFORMING ARTS THEATER IN A BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THANK YOU TO THE TEAM, UM, FOR THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT AN EASY LIFT.
AND THE CARTER SHOULD BE COMMENDED.
I WANT TO CELEBRATE THEM EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT I HAVE, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WERE DAYS WHEN THEY WERE EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE FEDERAL MONEY, COUNTY MONEY, CITY MONEY, IT'S BUREAUCRATIC.
AND I KNOW WE GOT ON THEIR NERVES, BUT THEY DID THE HARD WORK.
AND I HOPE THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL SEE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A $7 MILLION GAP THAT WE ARE STILL WORKING TO RAISE.
AND I HOPE PEOPLE SEE THIS STORY AND THINK ABOUT THE FUNDERS THAT THEY KNOW THAT COULD HELP US GET PHASE THREE COMPLETED.
BECAUSE THIS PROJECT WILL BE A MODEL FOR THE COUNTRY TO SEE RIGHT HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, BY TWO CONSTITUENTS THAT SAW A NEED AND DID THE HEAVY LIFT.
UM, DIRECTOR NICHOLS, THANK YOU TO THE HOUSING TEAM FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING.
UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO TO HELP MAKE SURE THIS PROJECT COMES TO FRUITION IN DISTRICT K.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GRAND, GRAND OPENING, SO BE READY.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION AND AMPLIFICATION.
AND AGAIN, I AGREE WITH YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
[00:45:01]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.THE CARTER ARE WITH US TODAY, ALSO IN THE AUDIENCE.
CARTERS RIGHT? YOU WANT ME TO MOVE ON CHAIR TO THE NEXT? OKAY.
NEXT ITEM HERE IS, UH, FIFTH WARD, CRC AMENDMENT ON THIS ITEM.
HERE WE ARE AGAIN, NO FUNDING FROM THE CITY.
UH, WE ARE, UH, AMENDING, UH, THIS AGREEMENT TO ALLOW THE, UH, DEVELOPER TO, UM, TAKE ON A $1.2 MILLION LOAN.
UM, IT'S CLOSE TO BEING COMPLETED.
AND, UM, NO, NO FUNDING FROM THE CITY, JUST, THEY JUST WANT, UM, APPROVAL FROM US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A, WITH A LOAN TO GET THE PROJECT COMPLETED INITIALLY.
THIS SLIDE HERE IS INITIALLY JUST SHOWN, BUT THE CITY DID IN INVEST 750,000 INITIALLY OF CDBG FUNDS.
UH, LOCATED AT 2,602 STREET, 16,000, UH, SQUARE FEET.
THIS IS A, UH, UH, FIFTH WARDS, UM, UH, TECHNOLOGY CENTER, WHICH IS A GREAT PROJECT.
IT'S, UH, A GREAT WAY, UH, FOR, UM, FOLKS TO, UH, SET UP SMALL BUSINESS SPACES.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY GOOD PROJECT.
IT'S A PICTURE OF IT RIGHT THERE IN PROGRESS.
AND HERE IS THE SOURCES AND USES.
YOU'LL SEE ON THE LEFT ALL OF THE SOURCES THAT WAS PART OF THIS PROJECT.
UH, THE BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LENDER IS THE, IS THE, UH, NEW LOAN THAT'S GOING INTO THIS DEAL.
AND THE INCREASE, UH, IS MAINLY ON THE, UM, MAINLY ON, ON THE HARD COST.
OVER TO THE RIGHT, THAT $4.9 MILLION.
NO QUESTIONS RELATED TO PUBLIC CERT FACILITIES.
NEXT WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO MULTI-FAMILY.
THIS NEXT SECTION HERE, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, DISCUSS OUR, UM, THAT WE HAVE.
SO ONE DEAL HAS FELL, FELL OUT OF THE, THE, UH, QUEUE HERE.
CHAIR, AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, FAIL A COVE.
BUT, UM, THESE DEALS ARE 4% DEALS AND THEY ALL ARE LOOKING FOR A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION.
A RONO TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR 4%, UH, TAX CREDIT APPLICATION.
UH, THE STATE, UH, UH, RUNS, RUNS THIS AND ADMINISTERS THIS PROGRAM, UH, 4% TAX CREDITS.
THEIR DEVELOPERS ARE LOOKING FOR THIS DOCUMENTATION TO SUBMIT TO THEIR, UH, ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT, UH, CODE SECTION 26 23 0 6.
THEY NEED THIS INFORMATION TO MOVE FORWARD.
NEXT, UH, MOVE BACK ONE, ELI, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO THIS IS ALL OF THE ITEMS FROM WITHIN THE CITY THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD, MINUS, UH, FOR FAIR LAKE CLUB CO.
UM, WE HAVE ITEMS IN DISTRICT H, D, AND E.
THREE OF TWO OF THOSE ARE GONNA BE REHABS, AND ONE IS NEW CONSTRUCTION, BUT THEY'RE ALL FAMILY DEALS.
THIS SLIDE HERE IS SHOWING THAT WE DO A THOROUGH REVIEW OF DEALS ALL THE APPLICANTS SUB SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION TO, TO US.
WE REVIEW TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT IN A FLOOD ZONE AND, AND, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY MEET ALL OF OUR CRITERIA, INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS, NOT IN A FLOOD ZONE.
UH, SUN SUNFLOWER TERRACE IS PRESERVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, REGENCY PARK, UH, PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS WELL.
SO THE PROCESS HERE IS THERE ARE THREE STEPS AFTER HOUSING COMMITTEE ONE.
THE FIRST STEP IS REQUESTING A HEARING.
SECOND STEP IS YOU'LL HAVE YOUR HEARING, AND THEN A THIRD STEP IS WHEN YOU VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION.
SO THERE ARE, UH, FOUR IN THE CITY, AND THEN THERE'S TWO LOCATED IN THE ETJ.
ON YOUR PREVIOUS SLIDE, IT SAYS, WAS HELD ON APRIL 9TH, 2025.
IT SHOULD, IS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD ON APRIL 9TH.
UH, THIS SLIDE SHOWS ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THE ETJ.
UH, I BELIEVE LANCASTER IS CLOSE TO DISTRICT B AND SUGAR CREEK IS CLOSE TO DISTRICT A, ALL THEIR REHABS AND ALL THEIR FAMILIES.
UH, THESE AS WELL WILL NEED A THREE STEP PROCESS, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD IS IN PARK ROW CLOSE TO 10 I 10
[00:50:04]
PARK ROW.A YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S A IT IS PARK ROW IS A, NOT D IT IS.
SO I'LL HAVE IT SWITCH A SURE, SURE.
A YEAH, THE LANCASTER IS CLOSER TO A, YEAH, BOTH OF THOSE SHOULD BE A AND SUGAR CREEK.
AND FOR THE CLOSER, THAT'S THE CLOSEST DISTRICT TO THOSE TWO PROJECTS.
NEXT SLIDE HERE IS JUST SHOWING THAT WE PERFORMED A REVIEW ON THESE PROJECTS AS WELL.
UM, THEY, EVERYONE TO SUBMIT THEIR INFORMATION THROUGH OUR APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND HERE AGAIN, IT'S THREE STEP PROCESS HERE.
WE'RE JUST SHOWING THAT THIS, THIS IS A SLIDE TO SHOW THAT WE'LL NEED A, UH, VOTE ON OUR RESOLUTION AS WELL.
SO THREE STEPS, REQUEST, HAVE THE HEARING AND THEN VOTE ON YOUR RESOLUTION IS A THIRD STEP.
THE, UH, INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS DEAL IS REQUESTING WE'LL NEED A ONE MILE, THREE YEAR, UH, WAIVER.
THEY'RE CLOSE TO ANOTHER DEAL CALLED LOST OAKS, AND THE STATE REQUIRES, UM, A ONE MILE, THREE YEAR WAIVER IF THE TWO, UH, PROJECTS ARE THE SAME, SAME TYPE OF POPULATION LOCATED AT 222 CROSS TIMBERS, 221 UNITS.
UH, PROJECT IS GOING TO BE, UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
NEXT, THE DEVELOPER IS COLUMBIA RESIDENTIAL.
VERY WELL KNOWN, UM, DEVELOPER, 80 PLUS AFFORDABLE UNITS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE A, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ IN THE CUBA.
BEFORE I, I TALK TO, I'M EXCITED TO SEE THE PRESERVATION OF AFFORDABLE UNITS MM-HMM
WITH THESE FOUR PERCENTS, WHICH IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH REHAB.
I MEAN, IT'S IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN PUSHING.
AND I'M, I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS TWO ON THE AGENDA, UM, LONG AWAITED PROJECT.
UM, AND I WOULD OFFER, IF, IF THE TIMELINE WAS NOT OVEREXTENDED, THEY WOULDN'T NEED THE ONE MILE THREE YEAR RULE IF WE WERE, UH, TIMELY, UH, GETTING THIS ACROSS THE LINE.
BUT THESE UNITS ARE DEFINITELY NEEDED AND I APPRECIATE THE DEPARTMENT'S, UM, AGGRESSIVE AGGRESSIVENESS IN GETTING THESE MULTIFAMILY PROJECTS, UH, TO COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ.
AND POINT OF CLARIFICATION, WHAT, WHAT PROJECT WAS IT THAT WAS PULLED AT THE BEGINNING? FAIR COVE.
AND, UH, WHO'S THE DEVELOPER ON THAT, IF YOU KNOW? UM, I DON'T HAVE THE BACKUP ON, I DON'T HAVE MY ORIGINAL AGENDA, BUT, UH, UH, RYAN CAN GET YOU THAT FOR SURE.
AND, UM, AND UNLESS WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM FAIR LAKE, DO WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE HERE? THEY PULLED ALREADY.
I TALKED TO HIM RIGHT BEFORE THE CALL P RIGHT.
THEY WERE SCHEDULED TO COME, BUT WE CAN GET YOU THE CONTACT INFORMATION.
AND, UH, JUST A FEW QUESTIONS.
UH, THANK YOU DEPUTY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
UH, ON SLIDE 30, UH, WE HAVE FOUR PROJECTS LISTED AND INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS.
THE DEVELOPERS ARE LISTED, UH, A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT AS TO THE OTHER THREE, CAN YOU TELL US WHO THE DEVELOPERS ARE? SURE.
LET'S SEE, WHICH ONE ARE SUN LAKE REGENCY PARK REGENCY? YES.
IS IT IN THE BACKUP? IT'S IN MY BACKUP.
YOU CAN, YOU WANT ME TO? OKAY.
WELL, LET, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
UM, ARE ANY OF, UM, BEING DEVELOPED BY, UH, APRIL HOUSING? APRIL HOUSING? DOES THAT RING A BELL AT ALL? LET ME DOUBLE CHECK.
I THOUGHT FAIR LAKE WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WAS GONNA BE DEVELOPED BY APRIL.
BE BECAUSE IF IT IS, WE, WE'VE ASKED, UH, A COUPLE TIMES FOR A LIST OF THEIR EXISTING PROJECTS OKAY.
JUST TO CHECK TO SEE HOW, HOW THEY'VE BEEN MAINTAINED.
AND, UH, WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THOSE.
SO IF SOMEONE COULD FOLLOW UP, THAT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.
AND, UM, WITH REGARD TO INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, I JUST WANNA SAY, I KNOW THERE WAS SOME CONTROVERSY A FEW WEEKS AGO ABOUT, UH, FEAR THAT THIS PROJECT WOULD BE CANCELED.
I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, BOARD CHAIR OF JODY ER WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY YESTERDAY, AND HE WAS TELLING ME THAT, UM, THERE WAS, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, TEARING UP THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THE PROJECT WAS REBID.
AND AFTER THE REBID, UH, THE PRICE CAME IN AT 10 TO $12 MILLION LOWER THAN ORIGINAL.
SO, UH, GOOD NEWS FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, I COMMEND THEM FOR SAVING THE TAXPAYERS MONEY AND ALSO, UH, LEAVING MORE
[00:55:01]
RESOURCES FOR THE FAMILIES IN THE AREA WHO NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.AND, AND JUST BEFORE I GIVE UP THE MIC, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, PRIORITIZING THE REHAB OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING SO WE CAN KEEP THOSE UNITS AFFORDABLE.
COUNCILMAN RAMIREZ, WE ASK ALL THE DEVELOPERS WHO HAVE, UH, PROJECTS TO COME TO THE MEETINGS.
UH, TODAY WE HAVE NEIL RADCLIFFE, WHO IS A, CURRENTLY A SENIOR CONSULTANT AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, NEIL AS HE WAS THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING CITY OF HOUSTON AND AT HUD.
BUT WE, VERY FORTUNATE, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, OUR WORK WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BETWEEN THE, UH, DEPARTMENT AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS THE BEST IT'S EVER BEEN.
UH, JAMIE BRYANT, WHO IS THE NEW CHAIR, WHO'S THE NEW CEO, ALONG WITH NEIL, WHO'S WORKING CLOSELY WITH HIM, HAVE BUILT A, BUILT OUR BUILDING, AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM.
UM, AND WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE THEM.
THIS WORK THEY DID ON INDEPENDENCE HEIGHT, ON INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS WAS TYPICAL OF THE GOOD WORK YOU'RE GONNA SEE GOING FORWARD.
UM, THESE ARE VERY, VERY SMART FOLKS WHO HAVE THE, UM, THEIR, THEIR RESIDENTS IN MIND AND THEY'RE GONNA DO A GREAT JOB.
UM, AGAIN, WE WENT FRIDAY FOR A LONG, LONG MEETING ABOUT VOUCHERS AND I, I WILL SAY THAT IT WAS THE BEST PRESENTATION I'VE EVER SEEN IN SIX YEARS ON HOUSING VOUCHERS.
AND, UH, THINGS ARE LOOKING UP OVER THERE AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND, UH, DUE CREDIT GOES TO MAYOR WHITMEYER FOR MAKING SOME CHANGES IN THAT ORGANIZATION LAST YEAR.
I THINK YOU'LL SEE EVEN GREATER THINGS AND GREATER PARTNERSHIPS ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE, UH, NEIL RATCLIFFE HERE.
HE IS A REAL EXPERT IN THIS AREA.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THE FAIR LAKE COVE WAS THE PROJECT THAT WAS GONNA BE DE DEVELOPED BY APRIL.
I'M, CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? FAIR LAKE COVE.
LAKE COVE IS THE PROJECT FAIR THAT WAS GONNA BE DEVELOPED BY APRIL HOUSING.
AND SO I ASSUME WE'LL BE GETTING THAT INFORMATION SOON.
HOPEFULLY I CAN SEE YOU THE SUMMARY.
BUT THEY DID REMOVE THEIR, THEIR PROJECT.
OH, IT FROM REMOVED FORWARD FAIR IS REMOVED.
AND JUST SO, UH, LANCASTER, THE DEVELOPER IS RESOLUTION COMPANIES, SUGAR CREEK RESOLUTION COMPANIES, UH, SUNFLOWER STEAD, AND THEN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, COLUMBIA RESIDENTIAL, AND THEN REGENCY PARK RESOLUTION COMPANIES.
AND I CAN GET YOU THE SUMMARY SENT OVER TO YOUR OFFICE.
THANK YOU MUCH NO OTHER QUESTIONS RELATED TO MULTIFAMILY IN THE QUEUE.
I'M GONNA ASK, I'M GONNA ASK TAMIKA JONES TO JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM, UM, TO GO THROUGH A CON CONTRACT OVERVIEW AND BENCHMARK PROGRESSES.
I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT MS. JONES, WE ALL CALL TJ IS A NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
THIS IS A, A, AN IMPORTANT MOVE FOR ALL OF US.
UM, IT REALLY IS IN LINE WITH THE MAYOR AND THE ADMINISTRATION'S DRIVE TO TIE OPERATIONS AND FINANCE TOGETHER.
UM, I THINK YOU'LL SEE SOME EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE WORK COMING OUT OF OUR DEPARTMENT WITH THIS LEADERSHIP EDITION.
I DO HAVE SOME UPDATES FOR YOU.
APOLOGIES FOR BEING UNDER THE WEATHER.
UM, I, I MANAGED TO CATCH A COLD SOMEHOW, SO, UM, STRESS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
UM, SO SOME UPDATES FOR YOU ON OUR D 17 CONTRACT.
WE ARE MAKING CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS.
THE LIGHT IS GETTING BRIGHTER TOWARDS THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
WE SEE IT, WE ARE MARCHING FEVERISHLY TOWARDS THAT END OF THE TUNNEL.
SO SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, WE HAVE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF CLOSEOUT OF TWO ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS. AND SO THE PLANNING PROGRAM AS WELL AS OUR HOME BUYERS.
AND THIS IS THE ORIGINAL HOME BUYER'S ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THAT PROGRAM WAS THE ONE THAT PROVIDED $30,000 OF DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
THAT PROGRAM IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED OUT WITH THE GLO, ALONG WITH THE PLANNING PROGRAM AND OUR ORIGINAL PUBLIC SERVICES PROGRAM.
SO THREE OF OUR ORIGINAL PROGRAMS ARE OFFICIALLY CLOSED WITH GLO ALL OBLIGATIONS MET.
NO ADDITIONAL REPORTING WILL BE REQUIRED.
YES, WE ARE IN THE CLOSEOUT PHASE FOR OUR HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WAS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST PROGRAMS THAT STARTED.
UM, WE HAVE MET A LOT OF THE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAVE SOME LAST FINAL DRAWS THAT ARE SUBMITTED TO THE GLO.
WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW IS MOVING AROUND SOME BUDGETS.
YOU'LL SEE THAT, AND, AND I MENTIONED AT THE LAST TIME, WE'RE JUST MOVING AROUND BUDGETS, TRYING TO GET SOME LAST FINAL TICKS AND TIES DONE.
[01:00:01]
UM, THE GLO HAS GRACIOUSLY AND I SAY GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO REVIEW, UM, AND HOPEFULLY APPROVE SOME DRAWS WHERE THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT.THEY HAVE NOW SAID THAT THEY WOULD RE-REVIEW THOSE.
AND SO IN DOING THAT, THEY'RE GOING TO NOW, UM, ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW SOME BUDGETS AND REVISE SOME BUDGETS TO MOVE SOME THINGS AROUND.
SO THIS WILL STAY, UM, IN PROGRESS UNTIL WE GET ALL THOSE BUDGETS MOVED AROUND AND FINALIZED.
AND ONCE ALL THAT IS DONE, THEN THIS PROGRAM WILL MOVE FROM CLOSEOUT AND PROGRESS TO CLOSEOUT COMPLETE.
BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DAY AS WELL.
THAT IS JUST ONE OF THE BIG, THIS IS THE ONE THAT PROBABLY GOT THE CITY IN THE NEWSPAPER THE MOST.
IF WE REMEMBER THOSE DARK TIMES.
UM, AND THEN THOSE THAT WE HAVE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE REST OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES OF OUR MULTI-FAMILY PROGRAM, SMALL RENTAL.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE STILL IN CONSTRUCTION.
CONSTRUCTION WILL BE WRAPPING UP HERE TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN BUYOUT, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE DEMOLITION CONTRACTS.
YOU'LL SEE THOSE APARTMENT COMPLEXES, UH, FINALLY CELEBRATING THE DEMOLITION OF THOSE COMING DOWN.
AND SO WE HOPE BY THE END OF THE YEAR OR SO THOSE WILL BE WRAPPING UP.
AND THEN, UH, WE WILL BEGIN THE CLOSEOUT WORK OF THOSE AS WELL.
AND THEN ADMIN WILL REMAIN UNTIL THE END.
AND THEN I DO WANNA POINT OUT WITH OUR SINGLE FAMILY PROGRAM.
SO OUR SINGLE FAMILY PROGRAM, IF YOU REMEMBER, THESE WERE THE THREE LOTS.
THIS WAS THE HARDY YARDS LOT THAT WAS, UH, SOLD TO HARRIS COUNTY, OUR STELLA LINK LOT, WHICH WE PURCHASED WITH OUR TOUR BOND FUNDS.
AND I DO WANNA REPORT A SMALL UPDATE FROM, WELL, A BIG UPDATE.
UH, WE HAVE SETTLED WITH THE GLO, OUR OBLIGATION FOR THE CITYSCAPE FUNDS AS WELL.
AND SO THAT OBLIGATION HAS BEEN FULLY MET.
THE CITY HAS FULFILLED ITS OBLIGATION AND PAID FOR THE CITYSCAPE.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT ANOVA WILL BE FORTHCOMING, UH, FOR THE CITY AND THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP THOSE INTO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY AS WELL.
UH, CITYSCAPE WILL BE A MULTIFAMILY PROJECT.
AND SO ONCE ALL THAT IS DONE AND SETTLED, YOU'LL SEE THAT LINE ITEM AND PROGRAM WILL COME COMPLETELY OFF.
AND WE WILL AGAIN, MOVE BUDGETS AROUND.
AND THEN ON THE, THE LAST PAGE JUST SHOWS EVERYONE AN UPDATE OF WHERE OUR DRAWS ARE.
AND YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE BEEN MOVING, UH, QUICKLY TO THE END AND WHERE THINGS ARE AND WHERE THINGS STAND.
AGAIN, GLO HAS BEEN A VERY GRACIOUS PARTNER WITH US.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF DOCUMENTS THAT ARE NOT REFLECTED HERE, BUT GLO HAS ALLOWED US TO SUBMIT THEM WHILE STILL NOT BEING COUNTED HERE, JUST BECAUSE BUDGETS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.
SO EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY NOT SEE IT, WE'VE SUBMITTED PROBABLY AN ADDITIONAL 20 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS THAT ARE NOT REFLECTED IN THE NUMBERS THAT THE GLO IS ACTUALLY REVIEWING FOR US.
UM, JUST IN, IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE SOME OTHER DOCUMENTATION REVIEW.
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A POINT OF PER PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO SAY, UM, WHAT A GREAT MOVE TO, UM, HAVE TJ SERVE AS OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND SAY CONGRATULATIONS.
I REMEMBER WHEN YOU FIRST JOINED THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND YOU STARTED GIVING THESE REPORTS TO COUNCIL.
IT IS, UM, A POIGNANT TIME THAT I REMEMBER BECAUSE WE ALL FELT A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE IN WHAT YOU WERE REPORTING.
AND I THINK WE CAN'T LET THAT BE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG.
I WANTED TO JUST PUBLICLY TELL YOU HOW MUCH CONFIDENCE YOU HAVE GIVEN US IN THE NUMBERS, IN THE COMPLIANCE AND IN THE PROGRAM.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND HOUSTON.
WE ARE IN GOOD HANDS WITH OUR DIRECTOR AND OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, SO CONGRATULATIONS.
ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION, YOU ARE NOT, YOU'RE NOT DONE YET,
SO, UM, WHAT ARE THE, THE LINE ITEMS, THE GLO THAT THEY'RE REVIEWING FOR US TO, UM, LOOK AT REALLOCATION OR RATHER, IT'S NOT A REALLOCATION, BUT THEY'RE LOOKING AT WHAT'S ALLOWABLE FOR SPEND.
IS THAT ACCURATE? IT IS GOING TO BE WHAT'S A REIMBURSABLE OKAY.
WHAT'S REIMBURSABLE, RIGHT? YES.
AND THOSE WERE GOING TO BE SOME OF OUR EARLY ON PERSONNEL COSTS.
SO PERSONNEL COSTS THAT WERE REVIEWED.
SO WHEN I JOINED, UH, BACK IN 2020, THERE WAS A POINT IN TIME WHERE PERSONNEL COSTS HAD NOT YET BEEN SUBMITTED.
AND SO WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT, PROBABLY AROUND $30 MILLION OR SO.
AND PROJECT DELIVERY COSTS THAT HAD NOT BEEN SUBMITTED.
SO WE SUBMITTED WHAT WE COULD, AND THEN THERE WAS A CHUNK OF COST THAT WAS NOT ABLE TO BE SUBMITTED FOR A MYRIAD OF REASONS.
[01:05:01]
ABLE TO DISCUSS WITH THE GLO AND GOT THEM TO RECONSIDER ONCE WE GOT TO A SUFFICIENT POINT IN THE CONTRACT, AND BY MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD SUFFICIENT BUDGET ALLOWED THAT THESE EXPENSES WERE ELIGIBLE, WE WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THE DOCUMENTATION AND JEN LO IS REVIEWING THAT UP TO TODAY'S STANDARDS, AND NOW THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT DOCUMENTATION, AND IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO NOT ALLOW US TO HAVE TO REPAY THE CITY $22 MILLION OF PERSONNEL COSTS.AND THAT'S GOING TO BE BETWEEN THE HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, THE HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND ADMIN.
AND SO OF THOSE FOUR CATEGORIES, THEY'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY APPROVED JUST UNDER A MILLION DOLLARS OF HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE COSTS.
THEY'VE ACTUALLY APPROVED SOME OF THE HOMEOWNER COSTS AND SOME OF THE ADMIN COSTS AS WELL.
SO WE'VE PROBABLY ALREADY SEEN APPROVALS OF ABOUT $3 MILLION, AND WE'RE JUST WAITING ON THE OTHER 18 MILLION.
BUT MY TEAM IS ACTIVELY RESPONDING TO THE RFIS AND THE GLO IS ACTIVELY WORKING WITH US TO GET REIMBURSED FOR THAT 22 MILLION THAT OTHERWISE WE WOULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR, FOR HAVING TO REPAY AS AN INELIGIBLE COST.
AND THEN THE DELTA OF THAT WOULD BE, WHAT? 8 MILLION OR SO? THAT WOULD BE OUR OKAY.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, UH, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE TO GET US UP OUTTA HERE.
NO OTHER QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE FINANCES OF DR.
I, I DON'T KNOW HOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THESE PICTURES.
FIRSTLY, WE DO HAVE, UH, ONGOING VIRTUAL COMMUNITY HOURS.
I WAS LOOKING AROUND FOR MS. SIMON.
I KNOW WE HAVE SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS.
WE HAD A FIRST MEETING ON OUR RUSH FUNDING, UM, LAST, EARLIER THIS WEEK OR LAST WEEK.
THERE IS A IN-PERSON MEETING ON APRIL 2ND.
UM, YOU'LL SEE SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, MEETINGS AS A RESULT OF THE, UH, DR 24 FUNDING.
AGAIN, MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY, BEING PART OF THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
I KNOW WE HAD FOLKS COME HERE TO PUBLIC SESSION WHO WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THAT.
UM, I, I WISH I COULD SAY THIS WAS SIMPLE, UM, BUT IT IS A VERY MUCH A PUZZLE TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
UM, WE ARE PROUD OF OUR, UH, CONTRACT COMPLIANCE TEAM WHO GOT A STRATEGIC PARTNER AWARD.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT EASY.
NEXT SLIDE, OR I GUESS IT'S GETTING A NO, HE IS GOT A STRATEGIC NEXT SLIDE.
UH, THIS IS A PICTURE OF A NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT FROM A, THE SUTTER GAS TOTO.
I'M A BIG FAN OF THE SUTTER GAS COMMUNITY AND THINK IT IS A, UH, NORTHEAST HOUSTON HAS TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO LIVE CLOSE IN.
UH, WE HAVE AN ACRES HOME COMMUNITY ON ARABELLE A, UH, NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FROM NHDP IN AKERS HOME.
AGAIN, UH, THIS IS A, UH, MAYBERRY PROPERTY.
UM, NEW HOME DEVELOPMENT, AGAIN, ANOTHER AT THE SUTER GAS, UH, CHOTO, UM, HEART OF HOUSTON.
CDC HAS A BEAUTIFUL HOME THERE AT, IN DISTRICT D IN THE THIRD WARD.
AGAIN, I LOVE SEEING THIS, UH, AGAIN, I LIKE SEEING THE SO FOR SOUL SIGN.
THAT MEANS THAT SOMEBODY'S COMING IN AND THEIR FAMILY IS LIVING THERE, AND IT REALLY IS A DREAM COME TRUE.
UM, AGAIN, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN, I THINK YOU AND I JUST WISH WE COULD DO IT ABOUT 10.
AND, AND THAT'S PART, UM, NEXT IS A PICTURE OF THE HAY CENTER.
UH, THAT'S A JOINT PROJECT AFTER THAT.
UH, THE HAY CENTER, WHICH IS A JOINT PROJECT WITH HARRIS COUNTY.
UH, THIS HAS A BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
UM, I WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF HOUSTON PERMITTING DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS FOR GETTING SOME THINGS DONE MORE QUICKLY.
UM, THIS IS GOING TO BE A TERRIFIC CENTER FOR, UH, YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS.
CAN DO A COUPLE MORE PICTURES THERE OF THE HAY CENTER.
UM, THE NEXT ONE IS ON HILLCROFT, UH, CONNECT HIGHSTAR AND DISTRICT J, UH, JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED.
AND AGAIN, A, ANOTHER GREAT PROJECT FOR THE COMMUNITY IN THAT AREA, IN THE HILLCROFT AREA.
UH, FOLLOW THAT IS, UM, THE SAME ONE.
ONE OTHER SIDE, UM, ON ELLA GRAND ON SOUTH GESNER, AND JUST ALSO IN DISTRICT J.
ANOTHER NEW FACIL, UH, PROJECT.
AGAIN, I WISH WE COULD GO SEE THOSE, TAKE A BUS AND GO SEE ALL OF THESE
[01:10:01]
PROJECTS THEY SEEM TO TAKE FOREVER.UM, BUT WHEN YOU WALK IN THERE, AND AGAIN, SEE THE INSIDE OF ONE OF THESE AND SEE HOW PEOPLE CAN LIVE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT'S REALLY REMARKABLE.
UH, THE NEXT PROJECT IS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROJECTS THAT RECENTLY OPENED, UH, HARRIS HARRIS CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH.
AND IDD HAS 20, I CAN'T REMEMBER, 24, 26 UNITS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, WHO GO, GO ON TO LIVE IN PERMANENT HOUSING.
AGAIN, THESE ARE BEAUTIFUL FACILITIES ON THE CAMPUS OF THEIR, UM, EAST LOOP FACILITY.
AGAIN, UH, A TERRIFIC PROJECT.
SHOUT OUT TO WAYNE YOUNG, ONE OF MY HEROES WHO STEPS UP AND BELIEVES THAT HEALTHCARE, THAT HOUSING IS HEALTHCARE AND, UH, WISH WE HAD MORE PEOPLE WHO WOULD DO WHAT HE'S DONE.
AND IT'S A VERY EXCITING PROJECT.
I HOPE ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS GET A CHANCE TO DO IT.
UM, THE NEXT IS, UM, HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER.
I GOT A CALL FROM EMILY WHITEHURST.
I THINK THAT THAT GRAND OPENING IS NEXT WEEK, UM, OR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
UM, UM, SHE WAS TRYING TO FIND MY SEP MY WORK NUMBER.
UM, BUT, UH, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE A BIG MAJOR GRAND OPENING THERE.
AND THIS IS REALLY HOUSTON'S PREMIER, UM, CENTER, UM, FOR, UM, UM, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING OUT OF, UM, ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS.
AGAIN, THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE.
THAT GOES BACK, I KNOW A DECADE.
AGAIN, THIS ADDITIONAL PICTURE HERE, UH, ALONG WITH THE INSIDE OF THAT ON EL CAMINO.
UM, THIS IS JUST THE FUNDING THAT CAME OUT OF THAT.
AGAIN, A, A MAJOR PROJECT FROM A HCD OF HOME, A $15 MILLION.
UH, THIS IS, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PROJECT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND SOMETHING WE'LL BE VERY PROUD OF.
C ON, ON AVENUE C IS A BEAUTIFUL, ANOTHER BEAU, BEAUTIFUL NEW HOPE FACILITY.
UM, WE'RE CONTINUING TO PUSH NEW HOPE TO BUILD MORE FASTER.
UM, WE OF COURSE LOVE THE, UH, QUALITY OF THEIR WORK.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A, UH, MAJOR PROJECT.
AS YOU SEE, HC FUNDING WAS 3 MILLION FOR NEW HOPE HOUSING.
THIS IS 120 UNITS, UM, AT VERY LOW MLMI, 30 TO 60 A MI, EXCUSE ME.
UM, OST LAWSON, SPANISH OLD SPANISH TRAIL IS NEXT.
130 UNITS, AGAIN, 30 TO 80% A MI, UM, HCD FUNDING FOR SOME DR 17 OF 19 MILLION.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WISH THE NEWSPAPERS WOULD GET AS WE GO THROUGH THIS IS JUST TO SEE HOW THIS $625 MILLION WAS SPENT.
AND YES, IT'S TAKEN A LONG TIME WHEN YOU LOOK BACK TO DR 17, BUT HOUSTON HAS MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAN IT DID.
UH, ROSEMARY PLACE AT 3,300 CAROLINE, UH, 97%, UH, COMPLETE.
UM, THIS IS A, UH, PART OF MAGNIFI HOUSE.
UM, AND, UH, THEIR, I THINK THEIR GRAND OPENING IS IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO ALSO.
AND A, AGAIN, A, A IMPORTANT FACILITY, 149 UNITS, VERY LOW A MI 30 TO 80%, AND WILL PLAY A BIG ROLE.
AGAIN, GLAD TO SEE MAGNIFIC HOUSE STEPPING UP, UM, TAKING LAND THAT THEY OWNED.
AND AGAIN, LIKE COUNCILWOMAN CASTEX TATUM SAYS, WHEN THERE ARE FOLKS IN HOUSTON WHO TAKE RISK AND GET WORK DONE, AND THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT TOOK BIG RISK AND GOT WORK DONE, UH, CONNECT SOUTH AT, AT 64 40 HILLCROFT, I THINK WE SAW THAT ONE.
UM, THIS AGAIN, IS 97% COMPLETE, VERY LOW A MI, UH, RICHMOND SENIOR VILLAGES IN DISTRICT J, UH, ON RICHMOND.
AGAIN, A ANOTHER, A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY FOR SENIORS, 125 UNITS LOW, A MI 30 TO 80%, UH, 15 MILLION IN C-D-B-D-R FUNDS.
UM, AS I LOOK AT THESE, YES, YOU KNOW, 17TH TO EIGHT YEARS, THAT'S A LONG TIME.
UM, BUT SOMEHOW WE NEED TO STOP AND SAY CONGRATULATIONS.
UH, LAST, UH, UH, I THINK WE'RE GETTING TO THE END LAST, ONE OF THE LAST PROJECTS IS A SUMMIT AT RENAISSANCE AT GREENS POINT.
[01:15:02]
UH, IT'S AGAIN, A, A BIG PROJECT, 166 UNITS.AND WE'RE GETTING NEAR THE END OF THAT.
WE'RE PUSHING, PUSHING, PUSHING.
WE NEED TO GET THAT COMPLETED QUICKLY AND BEHIND US.
I, UM, APPRECIATE, UH, THOSE PROGRESS SLIDES.
AND ALTHOUGH IT MAY SEEM MUNDANE TO REVIEW PHOTOS, I THINK IT REFLECTS BACK TO US THE WORK THAT THE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY IS LEADING, UM, OVER TIME, QUIETLY IN SEASON.
MANY OF THOSE PROJECTS CAME TO COUNCIL IN 20 21, 20 22.
I THINK SOME OF THE, SOME OF THOSE ARE 20, 29% DEALS.
SO TO SEE THE, UH, FRUITION OF THEM COMING ONLINE IN FIVE YEARS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE MARKET SHIFTING, IS INCREDIBLE.
AND I THINK IT'S A STORY THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO TELL WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL INVESTMENT WE'RE MAKING IN THESE PROJECTS TO PRESERVE AFFORDABILITY.
SO THANKS FOR SHARING THAT AND KEEPING THAT BEFORE US.
UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX STADIUM.
OF COURSE, I WANTED TO, UM, SAY CONGRATULATIONS.
UH, THE, THE PROGRESS SLIDES ARE MY ALWAYS MY FAVORITE PART OF THESE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, UM, BECAUSE WE REALLY GET TO SEE THE FRUIT OF THE LABOR.
AND SO I WANTED TO CONGRATULATE THE ENTIRE, UM, HOUSING TEAM, UH, EVERYWHERE THAT WE TRAVEL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT HOUSING AT OBTAINABILITY, HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, AND IT SEEMS TO BE THE NUMBER ONE PROBLEM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AT NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES AT TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.
ANYWHERE WE GO, PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE SHORTAGE OF HOUSING AND HOW DO WE KEEP HOUSING AFFORDABLE, UM, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT THEY REPRESENT.
AND SO WE CANNOT GROW TIRED OF TELLING OUR STORY AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE.
AND WE ALSO CANNOT GROW TIRED OF CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR AVENUES TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, CITIES HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE PLACES FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THEIR CITIES TO, TO LIVE A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND THEN I WANNA UPLIFT OUR CHAIR.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER TIFFANY THOMAS, WHO HAS REPRESENTED US AT THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES ON THEIR, THEIR NEWLY FORMED HOUSING, UM, FORUM.
SHE HAS, UM, SERVED ON PANELS.
SHE HAS BEEN ON THE BIG STAGES, UM, AND THE COUNTRY IS WATCHING HOUSTON.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE, UH, A BETTER STORY TO TELL.
I MEAN, IT IS, IT IS IMPRESSIVE.
UM, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS, UH, WORK TO DO.
MY PARENTS USED TO ALWAYS TELL ME, YOU CAN ALWAYS IMPROVE ON YOUR BEST.
AND SO WE MUST CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK, UM, THAT THE PEOPLE EXPECT US TO DO.
SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO LIFT UP OUR CHAIR BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY TO, UM, HOLD DOWN YOUR DISTRICT.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, CHAIR ONE OF THE LARGEST COMMITTEES, MOST COMPLEX COMMITTEES, AS WELL AS, UM, REPRESENT THE CITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR HOUSING CHAIR.
UM, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENTIRE HOUSING, UH, TEAM BECAUSE YOU ARE MAKING HOUSTON A MODEL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR SELLERS.
AND I JOINED THE MAYOR'S IGR TEAM IN WASHINGTON TO VISIT WITH.
BUT OFFICIALS, UM, WE, WE, WE MADE OUR PITCH.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S ANXIETY AND CONCERNS MM-HMM
UM, WE HOPE THAT THE NEW, UH, SECRETARY WILL COME TO HOUSTON AND SEE THE GOOD THINGS WE'VE DONE.
UM, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE THE PITCH THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS AN AMERICAN ISSUE THAT WE CAN HANDLE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY.
AND I THINK WE'RE A GOOD STORY TO TELL.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, AGAIN, THANK OUR DIRECTOR AND CERTAINLY, UH, DITTO SOME OF THE COMMENTS FROM OUR MAYOR PRO TEM CONCERNING OUR CHAIR.
THIS IS, UH, A LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND CERTAINLY FOR ME, BUT I DO WANT TO COMMEND OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS OUR CHAIR.
I REMEMBER THE YEARS WHEN, UH, HOUSTON DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION ABOUT, UH, BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT WE'RE GOING IN A, IN A GOOD DIRECTION, UH, OF BUILDING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LOOK FORWARD TO.
I THINK IT'S AN ASSET TO OUR CITY.
UH, HOW WE, YOU KNOW, AND MOVED AND OVER THE YEARS, UH, TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS JUST, UH, COMMENDABLE, UH, TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND ALL OF THE WORKERS,
[01:20:01]
AND CERTAINLY TO OUR CHAIR AND THOSE WHO, UH, SUPPORT IT.UH, WE'LL MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE HAVE TWO SCHEDULED PASTOR CAMILLA, JOSEPH, AND OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS HAVE THREE MINUTES.
GOOD MORNING, UH,
AND I AM WITH KINGDOM WORKS MINISTRIES, AND OUR MINISTRY IS CALLED CONGREGATIONAL LAND DEVELOPMENT, GREATER HOUSTON.
UH, I'M JUST HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, THOMAS FOR, UM, THE WONDERFUL CONFERENCE THAT YOU DID FOR FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN OCTOBER, UH, FOR HOUSING.
IT WAS EXCELLENT, UH, GREAT PRESENTERS, AND, UH, REALLY A GOOD, GOOD TURNOUT FOR IT.
SO JUST WANT TO MAKE YOU, UH, AWARE OF THAT.
WE ARE HERE IN HOUSTON, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH CHURCHES ON BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON LAND THEY OWN.
UM, OCTOBER, 2022, I WAS AT THE CHRISTIAN DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, AND CHARLOTTE AND A FRIEND OF MINES TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE DOING THIS WORK IN CALIFORNIA, AND I SAID, WE NEED IT IN HOUSTON.
SO WE CAME BACK AND SHARED IT WITH OUR PRESIDENT OF OUR, UH, MINISTER'S CONFERENCE, THE METROPOLITAN BAPTIST MINI MINISTER'S CONFERENCE.
AND WE WERE ALLOWED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT AND APPEAL FOR HELP.
AND GOD HAS ALLOWED US TO BUILD A GREAT TEAM TO DO THIS WORK.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH SEVEN CHURCHES HERE IN THE CITY NOW, TWO IN INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS AND, UH, ONE IN, UH, SUNNYSIDE THAT ARE SMALL DEVELOPMENTS.
THERE'LL BE SMALL MULTIFAMILY, ABOUT EIGHT UH, UNITS, EIGHT TO 12 UNITS IN EACH.
AND THEN WE HAVE THREE, UH, LARGER MULTI-FAMILIES.
ONE IN THIRD WARD, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE ABOUT 66 UNITS.
AND ONE IN, UM, CASHMERE GARDEN, WHICH, UH, WE ANTICIPATE ABOUT 101 INLINE THAT WOULD HAVE A HUNDRED TO 200 UNITS.
AND IN CASH BEAR GARDEN, WE ALSO HAVE A, A SECOND PROPERTY WHERE WE'RE DEVELOPING SEVEN HOUSES FOR SALE AND SEVEN FOR RENT.
AND THE SALE AND THE RENTAL WILL ALSO BE AFFORDABLE TOO.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT WE'LL, UH, HAVE YOUR ASSISTANCE AS WE'LL BE APPLYING FOR 4% TAX CREDITS FOR THE MULTIFAMILIES.
UH, AND WE ARE, UM, OUR JOB IS TO EDUCATE THE, THE CHURCH TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF.
AND WE DO FOUR CLASSES WITH THEM ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THEN WE ASSIST THEM IN DEVELOPING THEIR VISION FOR WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT LOOK LIKE ON THEIR PROPERTY, AS WELL AS WHO THEY WANNA SERVE.
AND WITH THE LARGER PROPERTIES, THEN WE CREATE AN RFP FOR, UH, DEVELOPERS TO, UM, RESPOND TO AND ASSIST THEM IN MAKING A DECISION ON THE DEVELOPER.
AND AT THAT POINT, THE DEVELOPER WILL TAKE OVER FOR US.
WE HAVE A DEVELOPER FOR TWO OF OUR PROPERTIES AT THIS TIME.
AND, UH, THE SECOND, THE THIRD ONE, UH, WE'RE STILL WORKING TOWARD THAT.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
AND AGAIN, WE JUST WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE THAT WE ARE HERE.
OH, ANOTHER THING ALONG WITH THAT, WHEN WE CREATED CONGREGATIONAL LAND DEVELOPMENT, GREATER HOUSTON GOT IMPRESSED ON US THAT WE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT ECONOMIC MOBILITY.
SO ALONGSIDE THAT, WE CREATED CHURCHES UNITED FOR ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, WHERE WE'RE HELPING THE CHURCHES TO DISCERN WHAT THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES ARE THROUGH TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS.
AND THEN HELPING THEM TO, UH, PROVIDE THIS, UH, CAPACITY BUILDING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP THEM WITH THAT.
AS YOU KNOW, MANY OF OUR CHURCHES HERE ARE IN DECLINE, UNFORTUNATELY.
AND, BUT YET THEY OWN A LOT OF LAND.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, IT'S A, WE, WE'D LIKE YOU TO SEE US AS A WONDERFUL PARTNER IN BEING ABLE TO DEVELOP SOME OF THIS LAND IN OUR LAND IN MANY CASES, OR IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE OUR LOW INCOME FAMILIES ARE.
AND WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BECOME HOMELESS OR ALSO DISPLACED, THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO SEE YOU AND HAPPY TO HEAR THAT, UM, THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD.
I JUST WANTED TO COME WITH SOME OF MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PASTOR JENKINS, MR. ASBURY EL, UM, WE, WE SAW YOU A FEW WEEKS AGO WHEN WE MOBILIZED BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THIS PROJECT WAS UNDER THREAT.
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TO SEE IT GOING FORWARD.AND I WANTED TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'VE BEEN WITH US ON THIS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GREAT NEED FOR HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, SO YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
UH, AND I'M GONNA OFFICIALLY CLOSE THIS MEETING.
WE HAVE ONE MORE ADDED TO THE SURE, PLEASE.
THANK YOU FOR THE INTRODUCTION.
I JUST WANTED TO VERY BRIEFLY SAY THANK YOU TO DIRECTOR NICHOLS FOR THE VERY KIND AND GENEROUS REMARKS HE MADE ABOUT MY PARTICIPATION AT THE HOUSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UH, I'M WORKING AS A SENIOR ADVISOR THERE TO THE NEW CEO ON ABOUT A 20 HOUR WEEK PER PER WEEK BASIS, UH, CONTINUING MY LEGAL PRACTICE IN ADDITION TO THAT.
BUT I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT OUR NEW CEO.
HE IS INCREDIBLY GIFTED IN TERMS OF REAL ESTATE, FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT, AND HE IS GOT A HEART FOR THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
SO WHILE MOST OF THE WORK HE'S DONE HAS BEEN IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR ON, ON MAJOR PROJECTS LIKE THE EAST RIVER AND CITY CENTER AND THE HEB OUT ON WASHINGTON, HE'S ALSO BEEN ON THE BOARD OF, UM, AVENUE CDC FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS.
HE'S DONE A FEW DIFFERENT TAX CREDIT DEVELOPMENTS AND HE REALLY CARES ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE.
SO WE LOVE THE FOLKS THAT WE SERVE.
THE REASON I GOT INVOLVED WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS WE SERVE ABOUT 60,000 PEOPLE IN THIS CITY, AND WE NEED TO DO AN EVEN BETTER JOB OF HELPING THEM.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
WE'RE GONNA BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING.
IF YOU'VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL, DON'T HESITATE TO ASK.
UH, I'M GRATEFUL FOR, UH, MIKE NICHOLS PARTNERSHIP, AND I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER SEEN A BETTER FUNCTIONING LEADERSHIP TEAM AT HOUSING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
I THOUGHT WE DID PRETTY GOOD WHEN I WAS THERE, BUT I THINK THEY'RE KICKING OUR BUTTS.
SO, UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER WITH YOU AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I'M GONNA CALL THIS, WE'RE GONNA CONCLUDE THIS MEETING.
THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE ON APRIL 15TH.
IF THAT'S NOT A BREAK WEEK, IF IT'S A BREAK WEEK, WE'LL CHANGE IT AND WE'LL SEND THAT INFORMA INFORMATION OUT.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, THIS MEETING'S ADJOURNED.