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[Dallas Area Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness Local Government Corporation on May 2, 2024.]
EVENING EVERYONE.THIS IS THE DALLAS, DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP IN AND PREVENTED HOME HOMELESSNESS LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD MEETING FOR THURSDAY.
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS MEETING WILL NOW BE RECORDED.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING, JOINING US.
THANK YOU, ANITA, FOR STARTING OUR OFF.
THIS IS THE DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP ON ENDING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, MONTHLY MEETING TODAY IS MAY 2ND.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF MEMBERS THAT HAD A CONFLICT AND COULD NOT BE IN ATTENDANCE TODAY, BUT WE DO JUST BARELY HAVE A QUORUM.
AND I KNOW THAT MANY OF THE MEMBERS SAID THAT THEY WOULD COME BACK AND, UH, WATCH THIS RECORDING.
SO I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY THAT WAS ABLE TO ATTEND FOR BEING HERE.
AND, UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND CALL A ROLE ANITA? YES, YES.
YOUR, FOR ALL OF ALL OF ALL OF THE, UH, BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE ONLINE, PLEASE, UM, HAVE, HAVE YOUR CAMERAS FACE VIEWS SO THAT I CAN SEE YOUR FACE TO SHOW THAT TO, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'RE IN THE MEETING.
WHEN I, I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'RE PRESENT.
UH, CAN YOU UNMUTE YOURSELF, PLEASE? DR.
COMMISSIONER, DO YOU SEE THAT? MIKE IS ON? MIKE, YOU WANNA SAY HELLO? SAY PRESENT.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR US? COMMISSIONER, CAN YOU HEAR US? YEAH, PLEASE RESPOND.
THERE'S A LOT OF FEEDBACK, SO SOMEBODY MAY NEED TO TURN OFF A MICROPHONE OR SOMETHING.
WELL, OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A PUBLIC COMMENT.
I DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE ANYBODY WHO WAS REGISTERED TO SPEAK.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, PLEASE KNOW THAT IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK AT ANY OF OUR MEETINGS, YOU JUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE, UH, WITH A FIVE O'CLOCK DEADLINE OF THE DAY PRIOR.
AND, UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO, UM, INVITE YOU TO SPEAK.
SO THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 4TH MEETING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES TO THE MINUTES? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, APPROVAL, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN UPDATE ON VETERAN HOMELESSNESS.
WE'RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE A COMMISSIONER WHO WORKS FOR THE VA.
AND SO, LAA, YOU HAVE, UM, BEEN ON THIS COMMISSION, I THINK THREE YEARS NOW.
AND, UM, YOU'RE GONNA PROVIDE THE SUB TO US, IS THAT RIGHT? EXACTLY.
UM, I AM EVOKE BEHALF COUNSELOR WITH THE DA DALLAS VETERAN AFFAIRS.
AND, UM, JUST TO GO OVER BRIEFLY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UM, THE HOMELESS PROGRAM AT THE DA, UM, IF YOU ALL ARE AWARE, THE HOMELESS, THIS ITIATIVES HAVE STARTED, LIKE BACK IN 2009.
UM, AND THE GOAL WAS TO GET OUR
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THEM INTO A HOME.AND, UM, SO THE VA WAS COMMITTED TO THAT.
THEY DEVELOPED SEVERAL PROGRAMS, UM, AND SIGNED THE VA TO HELP WITH THAT.
UM, AND I'LL JUST BE BRIEFLY GOING OVER THE ITEM OF THE AREA THAT I WORK IN.
THERE ARE SIGNS OF HOMELESS PROGRAMS UNDER THE, THE VA.
UM, AND I'LL JUST MENTION THE ONES THAT I'M REALLY OLD HAND WITH.
UM, SO JUST TO BEGIN, AS I STATED, VA HAS SEVERAL PROGRAMS UNDER THE HOMELESS INITIATIVE.
UM, WE PARTNER WITH HUD, WHICH IS THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND THEN WE PARTNER WITH THEM, WHICH WE COLLABORATE AND HAVE THE VETERANS OF THEIR VETERAN AFFAIRS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
THAT'S, THAT FALLS UP UNDER OUR COMPREHENSIVE HOMELESS CENTER PROGRAM.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, I'M SORRY.
WHAT HAPPENS IS, UM, THE VETERAN IS A, IS A TEAM APPROACH.
IT'S A HOLISTIC APPROACH THAT WE, UM, TRY TO ASSIST THE VETERAN.
UM, ONCE THE VETERAN IS IDENTIFIED AS HOMELESS, WE, UM, WE WORK WITH THEM.
WE DO A SCREENING WITH THEM, AND, UM, THE SCREENING IS DONE COLLECTIVELY TO FIND OUT, UM, WHAT PART OF HOMELESSNESS ARE THEY IN.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE SOME INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HOMELESS, THEY MAY, THEY ARE HOMELESS, BUT THEY MAY RECEIVE SOME INCOME, UM, FROM THE VA.
THEY'VE NEVER BEEN TO THE VA, DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE VA.
AND SO WE DO THE SCREENING TO JUST KIND OF NARROW THAT DOWN TO SEE WHAT SERVICES BEST FIT THEM, FIT THE INDIVIDUAL.
AND SO IN THAT, THERE ARE SEVERAL, UM, AREAS THAT THE VETERAN MAY FALL IN.
WE HAVE OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING, WHICH IS THE, UM, DORMIT STYLE HOMES, I MEAN STYLE ROOMS, I'M SORRY, IN THE EMERGENCY SHELTER.
SO YOU MAY HAVE HEARD LIKE THE, UM, VETERAN PARTNER WITH SALVATION ARMY.
SO THAT'S OUR EMERGENCY HOUSE.
SO IF A VETERAN COMES IN AND THEY, YOU KNOW, BASED OFF THE CRITERIA THEY NEED EMERGENCY SHELTER, WE REFER THEM TO THAT.
THEN WE HAVE OUR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.
AND THAT'S A GRANT PER DIEM PROGRAM.
THAT'S THE SEMI-PRIVATE OR DORMITORY STYLE HOME ROOMS. IT'S ALSO EMERGENCY SHELTER ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.
UM, BUT THERE'S TWO PARTS TO THAT BECAUSE IF A VETERAN HAS SOME TYPE OF INCOME, THEY MAY FALL IN THE INDEPENDENT SIDE OF THAT WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE, UM, RENT OUT ONE ROOM, RUN OUT OF SPACE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEN WE ALWAYS ALSO HAVE AT THE VA, THE
UM, THE AREA THAT I WORK IN, THAT'S PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE, UM, HOMELESS PROGRAM IS HU DASH.
AND AS WE KNOW HUS SAYING FOR HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AS YOU KNOW, THE, UM, GOVERNMENT HAS ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPE OF ACRONYMS. SO YOU MAY HEAR ME SAYING
UM, THE HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN AS I STATED BEFORE, PREVENTION AFFAIRS, SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, WHICH FALLS UNDER THAT, THAT WHOLE UMBRELLA.
UM, OUR MISSION IS TO OFFER PREVENTION TO OUR HOME IS A CHANCE TO REJOIN THEIR COMMUNITY AND LIVE TO THE FULLEST
UM, UNDER THAT UN HUD UMBRELLA, UM, WE, WE HAVE A JOINT, UM, RELATIONSHIP WITH HUD AND THAT'S HOW WE RECEIVE THE HOUSING VOUCHER.
SO ONCE THE VETERAN IS, UM, ON THE HOUSING PROGRAM, THEY RECEIVE A HOUSING VOUCHER.
NOW WE, UM, AS I STATED BEFORE, THE HOLISTIC APPROACH.
SO WE WORK WITH THE VETERAN FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END.
SO WE HAVE A TEAM THAT, AND INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM THAT WORKS WITH THE VETERAN.
THEY HAVE A CASE MANAGER, THEY HAVE A SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR, THEY HAVE, UM, LOCAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS, A PEER SUPPORT.
THEY ALSO HAVE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANCE, UM, A NURSE, A OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST, AS WELL AS A HOUSING SPECIALIST AND A RECREATIONAL THERAPIST BECAUSE WE LOOK AT, AS I STATED BEFORE, THE HOLISTIC COMPULSION OF THE VETERAN.
SO NOT ONCE THEY'RE HOUSED, WE JUST DON'T LEAVE THEM THERE.
WE MAKE SURE THEY GET, WHEN THEY WORK WITH THE, UM, HOUSING SPECIALIST TO GET THE RIGHT SUITABLE HOUSING PROGRAM.
AND THEN ONCE THEY'RE HOUSED, IF THEY NEED, UM, PEER SUPPORT, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANCE, A NURSE, WHATEVER, EXCUSE ME, SERVICES THAT MAY, THEY MAY NEED, THAT'S WHO WE WORK WITH THEM FOR.
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SO AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, UM, WE USED THE HOME DATABASE TO CAPTURE THESE VETERANS AND HOME STAND FOR HOMELESS OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT EVALUATION SYSTEM.UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 13 TO 1400 VETERANS THAT'S IN OUR PROGRAM THAT ARE HOUSED, WE'RE WORKING WITH, AND THEY'RE STAYING HOUSE.
UM, WE COVER THE AREA OF DALLAS, GEORGIA, SHERMAN AND TYLER, TEXAS.
THAT'S THE AREA THAT, UM, A DASH COVERS IN THE DALLAS AREA.
SO IT'S DALLAS, FORT WORTH, SHERMAN, AND TYLER DALLAS IS THE BIGGEST PET AREA.
UM, AND SO THAT'S THE AREA THAT WE COVER.
IT'S LIKE, LIKE I STATED, IT IS RIGHT NOW ABOUT 13, ALMOST A 1400 VETERANS THAT WE WORK WITH.
UM, WHEN WE WORK WITH THESE VETERANS, UM, THE VA OFFERS A LOT OF SERVICES, BUT WE ALSO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS, AS I STATED BEFORE, LIKE SALVATION ARMY FAMILY ENDEAVORS IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH.
'CAUSE WHEN THE VETERAN IS PLACED IN HOUSING, THEY MAY NEED DEPOSITS AND YOU KNOW, UPON ADJOURNED, DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S WHEN THOSE SERVICES COME IN AND WE NETWORK WITH THEM TO HELP THE VETERAN.
WE ALSO WORK WITH, UM, SSEF WITH STAFF FOR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR FAMILIES AND AMERICAN DIA.
UM, AND THOSE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF THE SERVICES THAT WE WORK.
WE WORK WITH A VARIETY OF SERVICES.
UM, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF LIKE A OVERVIEW OF, UM, THE HOUSING PROGRAM AT THE DALLAS VA.
UM, WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING AND STRIVING TO, UM, FIND OTHER AVENUES OR BE CREATIVE OF HELPING OUR VENTURE OFF THE STREET AND GETTING THEM TO STABLE HOUSING.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WE KNOW I DO
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, UM, IF THERE'S A VETERAN WHO'S HOMELESS, HOW DO THEY CONNECT IN WITH VA? LIKE WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO TAKE THE GUYS ON THE STREET OR IN AN ENCAMPMENT AND SAY, LOOK, THE VA CAN HELP YOU? WHERE DO THEY CONNECT? WELL, EITHER THEY COME TO THE VA, UM, JUST WALK IN THE FRONT DOOR.
THEY JUST WALK IN THE FRONT DOOR.
NORMALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE TIME THEY GO THROUGH THE OFFICE RECEPTION DESK, YOU KNOW, OR WHOEVER'S BRINGING THEM THERE.
AND THEN THEY WILL REFER US TO OUR, UM, THE HOUSING PART, THE HOMELESS, WHICH WE'RE, WE HAVE A
STILL ON THE VA CAMPUS, BUT IT'S IN ANOTHER BUILDING.
SO MOST OF THE TIME WE'LL GET IN CONTACT, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WILL CONNECT THEM WITH A SOCIAL WORKER, WHICH WE WILL FIND OUT WHAT THE EXACT NEEDS ARE AND THEN DEVIATE FROM THERE.
SO OBVIOUSLY YOU HELP DISHONOR, HELP HONORABLY CHARGE THIS CHURCH THAT THERE, OTHER THAN HONORABLY DISCHARGE.
SO IT CAN BE, UM, HONOR OTHER THAN HONORABLE, HONORABLE DISHONORABLE TO BE ON THE PROGRAM.
IT'S JUST THE ONLY THING ELIMINATES A VETERAN FROM GETTING THAT, UM, THE VOUCHER FAIR SEX OFFENDER OR, AND, AND SO IT DEPENDS BECAUSE THEY DO DO A BACKGROUND CHECK ON THEM.
OTHER THAN THAT VETERAN, THE, I'VE SEEN THEY JUST GOT, BUT THEY'RE STILL OPTIONS.
THEY'RE STILL ABLE TO GET ON THE PROGRAM.
NOW THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM MEDICAL SERVICES.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HOUSING.
SO, UM, YES, THEY'RE STILL THERE.
SO THE 13 TO 1400 THAT ARE, UM, UTILIZING THE BASH VOUCHERS, UM, DO YOU STILL CONSIDER THEM HOMELESS OR THEY'RE NO LONGER HOMELESS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A VOUCHER AND HOUSING? EXACTLY.
THEY'RE NO, NO, NO LONGER HOMELESS ME.
BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSIDERED NO LONGER HOMELESS BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE VOUCHER.
AND THEN, UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, SO FOR EMERGENCY SHELTERING SERVICES, YOU'RE USING THE NONPROFIT CONTINUUM THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE? THERE'S NOT AN EMERGENCY SHELTER THAT'S JUST DEDICATED FOR VA? NO, WE HAVE NOT THE, THE COMMISSARY, BUT THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, LIKE I SAID, IT'S A HOSPITAL SETTING, SO YOU KNOW, IT'S BASED ON HOW MANY IT'S AVAILABLE AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE DO HAVE HIM, THE VA, BUT WE USE THE OUTSIDE OF THOSE SERVICES AS WELL.
AND THEN, UM, ARE YOU AWARE OF SUPPORTIVE HOUSING THAT'S VETERAN ONLY WITHIN THIS LARGE AREA THAT YOU GUYS ARE SERVING? WHAT DO YOU MEAN ABOUT, UM, I MEAN THERE'S A 10 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT IS SPECIFICALLY
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JUST FOR VETERANS.WHETHER THEY'RE USING THE
THAT'S A, THAT COMES UP UNDER THE GRAND PER DAM PROGRAM.
THEY, WE HAVE, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT IT, AND I MAY BE WRONG, TWO OUR FIVE HOMES THAT WE HAVE UNDER.
IT MAY BE MORE THAT I CAN, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT, THAT THAT'S, THAT DOES THAT, BUT IT FALLS UP UNDER OUR GRAND PER DAM, THE TRANSITION HOUSING.
BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE, THOSE VETERANS MAY BE, YOU KNOW, JUST NEED THAT, THAT TRANSITION BEING THAT TRANSITION PIECE TO TRY TO GET TO THEIR OWN STABLE HOUSING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO THEY JUST HELP THEM FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO THEY CAN TRANSITION FOR THEIR OWN HOUSING.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A QUESTION? DOES ANYBODY WAVING AT ME ONLINE? DAN? YES.
JUST, UH, TO KIND OF PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, UH, IN TERMS OF THE, THE NUMBERS, CAN YOU, CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF HOW MANY, UH, VETERANS YOU SERVE, HOW MANY VETERANS YOU THINK ARE OUT THERE AND WHERE THE, WHERE THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS VETERANS FIT INTO AS A PERCENTAGE OF ALL HOMELESS? THAT'S A HARD QUESTION, BUT IT, I CAN, UM, I'VE BEEN IN HER DASH FOR THIS YEAR WILL MAKE MY 15TH YEAR AND I TRANSFERRED FROM, UM, UP NORTH IN MICHIGAN.
AND SO I CAN SAY SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM, IT HAS INCREASED A HOMELESSNESS ION HAS INCREASED.
I CAN'T GIVE YOU THAT INITIAL NUMBER, BUT IT'S A PROBLEM.
WE KNOW THAT IT'S A BIG, UM, AND I MEAN, JUST ALONG IN OUR PROGRAM, THAT'S 1300.
SO, AND THAT'S JUST ONE THAT I'VE OBVIOUSLY ACCOUNTED FOR IS KNOW TELLING HOW MANY MORE THAT'S OUT THERE, YOU KNOW.
I, I'M WONDERING, WE FIND SOME STATS.
I I DO REMEMBER BACK IN THE, ABOUT 2010, 2011 TIMEFRAME WHEN THE STATE BAR OF TEXAS BROUGHT FORTH A PRO BONO INITIATIVE FOR VETERANS.
AND, UM, BUT ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE KEY, UH, POINTS THAT, THAT HE MADE WAS THAT HOME HOMELESS VETERANS, UH, CONSTITUTE THE LARGEST GROUP OF, UH, HOMELESS PEOPLE IN TEXAS.
NOW I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE EXACTLY WHAT THE DATA WAS, BUT, BUT IT WAS, IT WAS SHOCKING AND IT DID, IT, IT ALSO MOBILIZED A LOT OF PEOPLE TO WORK ON THOSE PRO BONO PROJECTS.
SO I I'M QUITE SURE IT'S OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION THAT'S OUT THERE, I, YOU KNOW, I COULD TRY TO, I CAN GET SOME INFORMATION.
UM, BUT I'M, I'M QUITE SURE IT'S OUT THERE.
I, I, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT MISS PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, VETERANS ARE, ARE GETTING CALLED, SO THE WORK IS STILL THERE.
SO I THINK THE EASIEST PERSON TO HOUSE THAT IS HOMELESS IS A VETERAN BECAUSE THE BACK VOUCHERS ARE SO AVAILABLE.
AND I DO THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF, UM, INCREDIBLE ADVOCACY.
MANY GROUPS INCLUDING OUR ASSOCIATIONS.
UM, HOWEVER, THE POINT IN TIME COUNT, UM, I DO HAVE A TRACKING OF HOW MANY VETERANS THEY COUNTED.
OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I'M CONSTANTLY SAYING THIS IS AN INACCURATE ACCOUNT.
AND SO, UM, THE NUMBER HAS GONE UP THE NUMBER OF TIMES.
NOW WE HAD REPEATEDLY SAID THAT WE HAVE A GOAL TO END VETERAN HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO THEN 2020.
THAT WAS, I THINK THE LATEST TIME WE DECLARED IT.
AND I THINK THEY DECLARED AGAIN THAT THEY'RE ABOUT TO DO IT.
BUT THEN THE REALITY IS THAT WE HEAR FROM THE VA THAT ACTUALLY THINK HOMELESSNESS IS INCREASING.
AND SO THIS IS THAT MISMATCH BETWEEN WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GET OUT HERE AND CALL ON ONE DAY, ONE NIGHT FOR JUST A COUPLE HOURS WITH VOLUNTEERS WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY TRAINED OR PREPPED WITH MAPS AND THE REALITY OF WHAT WE ALL SEE ON THE STREETS AND THAT COME THROUGH THE DOORS OF THE VA.
BUT I DO THINK WE'RE A VERY IMPORTANT POPULATION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TRAGICALLY HAVE OBSERVED NATION AND HAVE BEEN AFFECTED SO NEGATIVELY.
SO, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT UPDATE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I DO.
APPRECIATE THE UPDATE AND YOUR WORK.
OKAY, I'M GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO SHARES THE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE, AND HE'S PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED ON, UH, WHAT HAPPENED AT THE COMMITTEE WITH THE HOPE REPORT AND SORT OF WHAT THE COMMENTS AND OUTCOMES FOR THAT HAVE BEEN SO FAR.
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TALKED ABOUT THE HOPE REPORT FOR QUITE A WHILE HERE.UM, BUT WHAT I'VE ASKED HIM TO DO IS, OKAY, SO WE'RE HAVING A QUORUM ISSUE.
ASHLEY, ARE YOU ABLE TO TURN YOUR CAMERA ON IN LIKE FOUR MINUTES? I WILL.
AND CHIEF FURLEY, I THINK YOU MIGHT BE ON MY PHONE IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE ON WITH A CAMERA, THEN YOU COULD ALSO HELP US WITH OUR QUORUM ISSUE TODAY.
HEY GUYS, A LITTLE, SO WE'RE JUST GONNA PAUSE FOR A MOMENT, SEE IF WE CAN, IT'S A LITTLE GET ASHLEY TO BE ABLE TO TURN HER CAMERA ON OR WE EARLY COULD SIGN IN THROUGH WEBEX.
HEY GUYS, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO HEAR.
SO COULD YOU ALL MUTE ALL OF THE MICS IN THE ROOM, INCLUDING YES.
I HOPE THAT'LL HAPPEN, INCLUDING MS. GREG READY TO GO THE MAIN ROOM.
'CAUSE WE'RE HEARING THE VOICES THROUGH HER MICROPHONE AS WELL AS THE CITY HALL MICROPHONE.
SO I JUST TEXTED ASHLEY TEXTED CHIEF.
OKAY, WELL JUST HANG ON A MINUTE, PLEASE.
FOR OUR MEMBERS, I'LL JUST SAY WE HAVEN'T HAD A QUORUM ISSUE IN WELL OVER A YEAR,
UM, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS SEND JUST SORT OF A WRITEUP OF THE REMAINING AGENDA TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT'LL BECOME PART OF THE RECORD FOR, UM, OUR NEXT MONTH.
AND SO IF I COULD ASK OUR CITY ATTORNEY, ARE WE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE WITH THE BRIEFING WITH CHAIR MORENO WITHOUT A FORM IF WE DON'T ASK QUESTIONS? UM, THIS IS TIM PATEL.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA RECESS FOR FIVE MINUTES.
UM, WE ARE HAVING A TECHNOLOGY ISSUE WITH, UM, ONE PERSON TRYING TO GET ON.
SO WHAT THE ATTORNEYS HAVE DETERMINED IS THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE PRESENTATION, UH, BY CHAIR MORENO, BUT NOT BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, WE'LL CONCLUDE THE MEETING AFTER THAT AND, AND JUST FOLLOW UP ON ALL THE REST OF THIS, UM, WITH, WITH ONE ANNOUNCEMENT.
AM I ALLOWED TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT? OKAY.
SO AS LONG AS WE'RE NOT TAKING ACTIONS, WE CAN ACTUALLY CONTINUE THE MEETING, SO EVEN BETTER.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I'M GONNA CALL THE MEETING BACK.
IT'S 1232, BUT OF COURSE I TOLD EVERYONE 1235 AND WE HAVE SOME OTHER PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE THEIR CAMERA ON NOW.
SO, MIKE, THANKS FOR POPPING BACK ON.
UM, CELESTE, IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO TURN YOUR CAMERA BACK ON, WHO ELSE ARE WE MISSING HERE? FRED, THANK YOU FOR TURNING YOURS BACK ON.
OKAY, WELL, WITH THAT CHAIR MORENO, IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE IT AWAY, UM, WE WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR UPDATE.
UH, FOR THE RECORD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JESSE MORENO FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS, UH, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS CHAIR FOR THE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE FOR JUST UNDER A YEAR.
UM, USING THE MAYOR'S HOPE REPORT AS MY GUIDING, UH, PRINCIPLES, AS WE, UM, WORK ON IMPROVING OUR UNSHELTERED SITUATION IN THE CITY OF DALLAS JUST
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EARLIER THIS WEEK, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN IN AND PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE OF HOMELESSNESS ADDRESS.WHILE SOME OF THOSE TRENDS OR WERE DOWN USING THE POINT IN TIME COUNT, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, ESPECIALLY IN ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH, CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS, AND THE VISIBLY HOMELESSNESS.
UH, WITH ONLY ADDRESSING 262, UH, THAT SUBPOPULATION.
UM, I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'VE HAD THUS FAR, UH, WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR VARIOUS PARTNERS AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE ALL AT THE TABLE.
UH, WE STILL HAVE SOME CHALLENGES THOUGH, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE OUR PARTNERS, UM, COOPERATION THAT WE'RE, UM, SHARING DATA THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, INQUIRE ABOUT DATA WITH THE HMIS AND OTHER OR, UH, ANOTHER, UM, DATA THAT WE'RE TRYING TO COLLECT.
UH, BUT RECENTLY MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT OTHER CITIES AND LOOKING AT THEIR PRACTICES AND MODELS.
UH, WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO TOUR AUSTIN, LOS ANGELES, AND MOST RECENTLY ATLANTA WITH FUTURE TRIPS PLANNED TO HOUSTON, DENVER, AND SAN ANTONIO.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ADDRESSING THAT WHAT I'M CALLING FROM A, WHICH ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ON THE STREET UNDER OUR BRIDGES IN OUR CREEKS, WHO ARE ON OUR SIDEWALKS AND ALLEYS TO THAT LONG-TERM, UH, SUSTAINABLE HOUSING.
WHAT I WANNA WORK ON AND HAVE CHALLENGED STAFF IS ADDRESSING PART B, THAT TRANSITIONAL PIECE, UH, WITH THOSE WRAPAROUND SERVICES, WITH PUBLIC SAFETY IN MIND, WITH MENTAL HEALTH WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
UH, WE KNOW THAT IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, WE ARE FACED WITH ABOUT A 90%, UH, VACANCY RATE, MEANING IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE AND, UH, TO GET UNITS ONE AND TO BUILD NEW UNITS TAKES TIME AND DOLLARS.
AND SO THE IDEA IS TO HAVE THIS, UH, SANCTIONED TRANSITIONAL HOUSING MODEL THAT ENCOURAGES, UH, PEOPLE, UH, WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH, WITH HOUSING TO HAVE A PLACE TO GO IN THE INTERIM WHILE THEY'RE WAITING FOR SUSTAINABLE HOUSING, RATHER THAN CONTINUING TO ALLOW PEOPLE SUFFERING ON OUR STREETS, ON OUR SIDEWALKS, AND KNOW, AND THAT NO LONGER BEING OUR WAITING ROOM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS TO, UH, WAIT WHILE THEY'RE SEEKING THAT LONG-TERM HOUSING AND THE MODELS IN LOS ANGELES.
UM, I WAS, UH, REALLY ENCOURAGED BY THE SCALE THAT THEY HAVE.
UM, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OUR DISTRICTS, UH, FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO, UM, BE ON BOARD AND TO WORK WITH OUR, UH, DEPARTMENT OF OHS TO ADDRESS, UM, THESE TYPES OF COMMUNITIES IN THEIR DISTRICTS.
AND I BELIEVE IF WE ALL TAKE THAT CHALLENGE, WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS MODEL, BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO ENSURE THAT, UH, WE ARE HAVING TO WORK WITH HOUSING FORWARD AND THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO, UH, LOOK AT THIS MODEL AS A, UH, UM, COMPLEMENT TO WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING.
THIS BY NO MEANS, MEANS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO TAKE DOLLARS FROM THOSE INITIATIVES OR THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, DERAIL THE WORK, THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
THIS IS AN ADDED, UM, COMPONENT TO WHAT'S ALREADY IN THE PIPELINE.
AND SO I'LL, I'LL WRAP UP BY SAYING, UH, THE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING THAT WE'VE SEEN THUS FAR, UM, HAS IMPRESSED ME, HAS IMPRESSED MY COLLEAGUES, AND WE JUST NEED TO ENSURE THAT ALL OUR PARTNERS AND PROVIDERS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH ARE ON BOARD AND THAT THEY, UH, ARE WILLING TO COOPERATE AND, AND NOT CHALLENGE THE WORK THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I HAVE, UM, UM, ASKED OUR, OUR CITY STAFF TO LOOK INTO.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE AN ONGOING ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.
WE HAD A, AN UPDATE, UH, BACK IN, UH, IN APRIL.
WE'LL HAVE THE SAME THING IN MAY MOVING FORWARD UNTIL WE COME UP WITH A SOLID PLAN TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE HELPING THOSE THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO, TO BE HOUSED OR WAITING TO BE HOUSED WHO WILL HAVE AGREED TO GO INTO HOUSING.
BUT THOSE UNITS ARE, ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE MOMENT.
UM, SO IT REALLY SOUNDS LIKE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A LITTLE BIT OF A DEPARTURE FROM WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING, WHICH IS A HUNDRED PERCENT HOUSING FOR HOUSING FIRST MODEL.
WHERE ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS INTO HOUSING IF THEY'RE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS? RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT SO MANY DIFFERENT SUBPOPULATIONS
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WITHIN HOMELESSNESS, PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST LOST THEIR JOB A WEEK, TWO WEEKS AGO, PEOPLE WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS AND WHO HAVE BEEN ON OUR STREETS FOR YEARS, INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE, MENTAL HEALTH, OR ARE SEEKING A REFUGE FROM A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SITUATION.AND WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT POPULATIONS WITHIN HOMELESSNESS.
SO WE CAN'T HAVE A ONE SOLUTION FITS SAW.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A, UH, AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION FOR THOSE THAT ARE POTENTIALLY EITHER NOT READY FOR, FOR, FOR HOUSING FIRST OR WHO, UH, ARE WAITING TO BE PLACED IN, IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
AND SO, YES, MY, MY CHALLENGE IS TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE GETTING SOMEONE HOUSED, MAKING SURE THEY'RE READY TO BE HOUSED AND, AND IN GUIDING THEM THROUGH, UH, THROUGH THAT REHAB PROCESS SO THAT, SO THAT THEY ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL WHEN, UH, THEY'VE, UH, GONE THROUGH THROUGH THAT TRANSITIONAL PERIOD.
AND HOW DO YOU THINK THIS WILL IMPACT, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THAT ARE ON THE STREET THAT WON'T GO TO SHELTER? I MEAN, WHEN THERE'S SHELTER BEDS AVAILABLE AND OUTREACH WORKERS HAVE APPROACHED THEM AND THEY SAY, I'M NOT INTERESTED, HOW WOULD WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFECT THAT SITUATION? SO NUMBER ONE IS WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE FOR SOMEONE TO GO.
AND ONCE WE REACH THAT GOAL OF NUMBER OF BEDS OR NUMBER OF, UH, PROVIDERS TO, TO HELP US ACHIEVE THAT, THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO EXPRESS OR EXPLORE DIFFERENT, UM, UH, METHODS TO ENSURING THAT PEOPLE, UM, GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED, UH, VOLUNTARILY OR, UM, OFFERING, UM, ALTERNATIVES.
WHO ELSE HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS DIRECTION THAT THEY'RE TAKING? CAN YOU, HI, THIS IS ASHLEY BRENDA.
WELL THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UM, HAVE YOU, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT YOU ARE AN INTERESTING PIECE OF OUR COMMITTEE AND COME BESIDE YOU, UM, OR DOVETAIL IN WITH SOME OF THE WORK THAT, AND I'LL JUST ADD CHAIR.
UH, WE ENCOURAGE, UH, MEMBERS FROM THIS COMMITTEE OR FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO COME SPEAK AT ANY ONE OF OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, UM, THAT HAVE TAKE PLACE EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 9:00 AM AND INVITE THE, UH, THE PUBLIC TO, UH, COME DOWN AND, UH, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
AND I'LL JUST CHAIR CHAIRMAN BENON.
I, I BELIEVE, UM, UH, MS. MS. GLOVER HAD, UH, A COMMENT AND GREAT.
MAY, MAYBE MS. BRUNDAGE, I CAN, I COULDN'T TELL, BUT I SAW A LOT OF HANDS.
SEE THE WAITING ARM FLYING ON THE SCREEN HERE.
UM, UH, CELESTE, YOU WANNA GO FIRST? SURE.
WE WERE, WE WERE DOING LOTS OF, UM, NO GESTURING.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME ON THE CHAT? IS THERE A SOUND? YES.
WE CAN HEAR YOU NOW IF YOU WANTED TO GO, CELESTE? OH, YES.
UM, APPRECIATE, I'M GLAD YOU GUYS CAUGHT THE, THE FRANTIC WAVING ROOM.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING, UM, THE UPDATE AND, AND WHERE YOU GUYS ARE.
I WAS WONDERING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS, UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MORENO, HOW THE, HOW THE, IF IT'S A RESEARCH PROJECT, OR SORRY, MAYBE RESEARCH PROJECT IS THE WRONG TERMINOLOGY, BUT I'M THINKING OF, UM, UNDERSTANDING HOW, LIKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE HOUSING FIRST AND, UM, LIKE, UH, GOSH, WHAT WAS THE WORDS THAT WERE USED REHAB FIRST, HOUSING FIRST OR THE REHAB FIRST, AND THEN THAT EXAMPLE.
UM, HOW, HOW DO YOU GUYS ENVISION THAT PROCESS TAKING PLACE OR THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE? SURE.
WELL, OR SUCCESS FOR, FOR WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME IS WHEN WE ARE, UH, SEEING A DECREASE IN OUR VISIBLY HOMELESS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND WHEN WE'RE GETTING THESE UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS INTO WHAT I CALL AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS, UM, A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THESE PEOPLE WHO TOO MANY TIMES BECOME VICTIMS ON OUR STREETS WHO BECOME EITHER EXPLOITED OR, UH, ASSAULTED OR, OR BECOME VICTIMS. UM, AND SO THIS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SUCCESS OF SEEING A DECREASE IN THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT GET, UM, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF ON, ON OUR STREETS.
AND SO WHEN WE SEE VIS, UH, A REDUCTION IN OUR VISIBLY HOMELESSNESS, I, I THINK THAT WILL BE A STRONG MEASURE IN THE, UH, SUCCESS THAT WE'RE HAVING AS FAR AS THE PROCESS.
UM, LIKE I'M NOT A, UH, EXPERT IN, IN HOMELESSNESS.
[00:35:01]
MY FIELD.UH, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I DO GET THE PHONE CALLS, THE EMAILS, UH, FROM BOTH THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND THOSE WHO ARE, UH, AFFECTED BY, UH, THE UNSHELTERED.
AND SO I, I WILL CONTINUE WORKING WITH, UH, WITH STAFF IN, IN THE, UH, THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING TO, TO ACHIEVE, UM, UM, THIS, UH, PHASE OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.
CAN YOU HELP EXPLAIN LIKE HOW IT'S NOT DIVERTING RESOURCES AWAY FROM WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SHOWING THAT IT'S WORKING, WORKING, BECAUSE HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PAY FOR IT THEN? THAT THAT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S BEING, UM, LOOKED AT.
UM, I, AND I'VE SAID THIS MANY TIMES, THIS IS NOT, UH, A, UM, A DIVERSION OF FUNDS FROM HOUSING, UH, FORWARD.
THIS IS, OR FROM ANYONE IN, IN THE OC IT, THIS IS ABOUT, UH, ALTERNATIVES.
AND WE, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL BE, UH, CHARGED FROM A OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS.
THIS IS GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE DRIVEN BY, UM, OUR PARTNERS BY, BY OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, BY THE PHILANTHROPY, UH, SIDE, BY NONPROFITS TO, UM, COME UP WITH, WITH THAT FUNDING AND NOT NECESSARILY FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND WE'VE LOOKED AT OTHER CITIES, UM, WHO ARE PART OF THE, UM, UM, UH, ALL IN PROCESS, UH, WHO ALSO HAVE, UM, HOUSING, UH, FIRST AND WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IN THESE CITIES IS THAT THEY'RE SEEING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE COMING OFF OUR STREETS.
UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT ANYONE WHO IS TRYING TO MOVE THIS, UH, NEEDLE AND, AND REALLY HELP THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE, ARE, UH, STRUGGLING TO, TO GET HOUSED, UM, IT'S JUST NOT OKAY FOR, FOR US TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO CONTINUE LIVING ON OUR SIDEWALKS, TO CONTINUE LIVING IN THE CONDITIONS THAT THEY ARE.
AND IF SOMEONE ARGUES OTHERWISE THAT WE SHOULD ALLOW THEM TO CONTINUE TO BE ON OUR STREETS WHILE THEY'RE WAITING FOR, UM, HOUSING, THEN, UM, I I JUST HAVE TO DISAGREE THAT THAT IS THE, THAT THAT'S OKAY.
THAT IT'S BETTER TO LEAVE SOMEONE ON OUR STREET THAN TO GET 'EM INTO TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.
UM, I WILL JUST ARGUE THAT I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT.
BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS, RIGHT? WHICH ARE TENTS JUST IN A PARKING LOT SOMEPLACE NOT ON THE STREETS.
UM, THAT IT'S, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT I'LL CALL TINY HOMES.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT, UM, UH, OPTIONS.
AND SO, UM, I, I WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT.
SO I, I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY WHO IS TRYING TO SOLVE HOMELESSNESS WANTS TO SEE PEOPLE ON OUR STREETS AND NOBODY'S ARGUING TO LEAVE THEM THERE.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS IS MOVING PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS INTO A PERMANENT HOUSING SOLUTION IS WHAT WORKS BEST.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF RESEARCH PUT BEHIND THAT, AND WE'RE SEEING THE RESULTS OF THAT HERE IN DALLAS, WHERE WE MOVE PEOPLE FROM THOSE ENCAMPMENTS, FROM UNDER BRIDGES, THINGS LIKE THAT, INTO PERMANENT HOUSING VERSUS PUTTING THEM INTO SOME SORT OF TINY HOME OR SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENT, WHICH IS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION.
AND WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING OUT TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS, YOU ARE SPENDING OTHER RESOURCES THAT COULD BE PUT TOWARDS PERMANENT SOLUTIONS, UM, TO HOUSE OUR HOMELESS FOLKS.
UM, I THINK THAT IT'S ALSO, UH, IT, YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER HOW YOU WOULD EVEN GET FOLKS TO MOVE INTO THOSE, UH, SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS OR TINY HOMES, BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY CANNOT FORCE ANYBODY TO GO SOMEWHERE THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO BE.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THE CITIES THAT WE'VE TOURED HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT OCCUPANCY.
THEY HAVE MUCH SUCCESS IN GETTING INDIVIDUALS INTO THESE TEMPORARY HOUSING.
AND THE SUCCESS RATE WHEN THEY DO BE, THEY GO INTO, UH, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IS MUCH HIGHER.
AND WE CAN, WE CAN DISAGREE OR WE CAN AGREE TO WORK TOGETHER.
UM, THE CITY IS COMING TO THE TABLE, MY COLLEAGUES ARE COMING TO THE TABLE BECAUSE WE WANT SOLUTIONS.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT, UM, SAYING THAT WHAT'S OUT THERE, UM, ISN'T WORKING.
THIS IS ABOUT IMPROVING WHAT'S OUT THERE.
AND SO, UM, I I HOPE THAT YOU COME, UH, TO THE TABLE WITH US TO TRY TO GET, UM, AS MANY PEOPLE HOUSED AS AS POSSIBLE.
AND, AND I THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU ALL.
WELL, I THINK THAT THE CITY HAS ALREADY COME TO THE TABLE AND IS PARTNERING WITH
[00:40:01]
THE CONTINUUM OF CARE, UM, TO REHOUSE FOLKS.AND SO AGAIN, I THINK THAT WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS DIVERTING RESOURCES AWAY FROM THE SYSTEM THAT'S WORKING TOGETHER TO REHOUSE FOLKS INTO A PERMANENT SOLUTION WHERE WE ARE SEEING SUCCESS.
THE STATE OF THE HOMELESS ADDRESS THIS WEEK WAS JUST SHOUTING OUT ALL KINDS OF GREAT DATA THAT SAYS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WORKING THE UNITED STATES INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS IS RECOGNIZING DALLAS, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WORKING, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GOING OUT AND RAISING MONEY, ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FROM PHILANTHROPY OR TELLING NONPROFITS THAT THEY GOTTA FIND THE MONEY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THAT'S TAKING AWAY RESOURCES FROM WHAT'S WORKING.
WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED ON WHAT WE KNOW IS WORKING AS A CONTINUUM OF CARE THAT HOUSING FORWARD IS CHAMPIONING AND YOUR OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS IS CHAMPIONING AND HUD IS CHAMPIONING BECAUSE IT WORKS.
I'M, I'M, I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO, UH, WORK THROUGH THIS, UM, BECAUSE I'M COMMITTED TO, UM, LOOKING AT ALL OPTIONS.
AND MY GOAL AT THE END OF THE DAY IS TO HOUSE AS MANY PEOPLE, UM, AS POSSIBLE AND TO GET THEM READY FOR, UH, SUCCESSFUL LONG-TERM HOUSING.
UM, AND I'M WILLING TO COME TO THE TABLE AND STAY HERE AT THE TABLE, AND I JUST HOPE THAT OUR PARTNERS ARE WILLING TO HAVE THAT SAME COMMITMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER MORENO, MAY I ASK A QUESTION, UM, ABOUT THE CITIES THAT YOU WERE VISITING.
UM, I'M THINKING OF OF HOW, OR WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT JUST REDUCING NUMBERS AND INCREASING THE SUCCESS OF FOLKS ONCE THEY'RE HOUSED.
UM, THE CITIES THAT YOU VISITED, ARE THEY SEEING LOWER NUMBERS THAN DALLAS'S POINT IN TIME COUNTS? UM, OR DOES, IS IT A, I KNOW THERE'S A VISIBILITY NOW WHERE, WHERE FOLKS FEEL LIKE THEY SEE IT, UM, OR LIKE CONGREGATIONS OF, OF FOLKS TOGETHER, MAYBE IN DOWNTOWN OR IN NEIGHBORHOODS ALL OVER, YOU KNOW, NORTH TEXAS.
I'M JUST WONDERING NUMBER WISE, WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE POINT IN TIME COUNT OF DALLAS AND COLLIN COUNTY, YOU KNOW, TRENDING DOWNWARD WHERE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS TRENDING UP, THE PLACES THAT YOU WENT, ARE THEIR NUMBERS LOWER THAN OURS? YEAH.
ARE THEY LOWER THAN THE, THESE TWO COUNTIES? UM, OR ARE THEY SEEING THE SAME TREND DOWNWARD? YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY LOS ANGELES HA HAS A, A MUCH BIGGER, UH, CHALLENGE THAN PROBABLY ANY ONE CITY IN, IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, ATLANTA I THINK IS, IS MORE COMPARABLE TO THE NUMBERS THAT, THAT WE'RE SEEING.
UM, THEY'RE JUST STARTING THIS TRANSITIONAL, UH, HOUSING, UM, RELATIVELY NEW.
AND SO IT'S STILL HARD TO LOOK AT THE DATA THAT THEY'RE COLLECTING.
BUT IN ALL LOS ANGELES, UM, I BELIEVE THAT, THAT THE NUMBER IS, UM, GOING DOWN CONSIDERABLY.
AND THAT'S JUST FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO, TO MEET WITH.
AND, UM, AND SO, YEAH, I MEAN, I, I THINK LOS ANGELES IS, UH, SHOWING US THAT YOU CAN HAVE MULTIPLE METHODS, UH, IN ADDRESSING THAT.
AGAIN, ATLANTA JUST, JUST, JUST KIND OF KICK STARTING THIS.
SO IT'S, UH, I THINK IT'S STILL HARD TO TELL.
I ACTUALLY THINK IN LA THEY'RE SEEING HOMELESSNESS RISE AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL, UM, ARTICLES COME OUT ABOUT HOW SANCTIONED ENCAMPMENTS HAVE CAUSED THAT AND NOT HELPED THAT.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM FOLKS HERE? WELL, YOU CAN SEE WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS DIALOGUE AND UPDATE.
UM, WHAT, WHAT I'LL SAY IS THAT I DO THINK THE CITY'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE PARTNER IN THE CONTINUUM OF CARE AND IN THE SYSTEM OF ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS.
BUT OF COURSE, THE CITY IS, UM, HAS TO TAKE DIRECTION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, AND IT APPEARS THERE'S A PIVOT THAT'S HAPPENING AS COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BECOME OVERWHELMED WITH INCREASING HOMELESSNESS COMPLAINTS.
UM, AS I DROVE IN FROM DISTRICT 12, WHICH IS THE FARTHEST NORTH DISTRICT IN THE CITY, I PASSED BY MORE THAN A DOZEN PEOPLE WHO WERE VISIBLY EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THAT DIDN'T USED TO BE.
AND, UM, AS I WAS COMING INTO DOWNTOWN, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE 40, 50 PEOPLE THAT I DROVE BY SOME, RIGHT ON OUR OWN CITY HALL PLAZA IN FRONT OF THE LIBRARY BEHIND CITY HALL, THERE'S, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT, UM, VISIBLE HOMELESSNESS HAS INCREASED.
AND IT'S NOT JUST IN ONE PLACE IN THE CITY.
AND SO WITH POLICY DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL
[00:45:01]
MEMBERS, IT APPEARS THAT THERE MAY BE POLICY CHANGES, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE EXPRESSING.UM, HAVE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS GONE WITH YOU ON THESE TRIPS? UM, YES.
UM, MEMBERS WHO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE AS WELL AS NON COMMITTEE MEMBERS, 'CAUSE THEY SEE, UH, WHAT YOU AND I SEE, THEY SEE WHAT THE ENTIRE COUNCIL SEES.
AND, UM, THAT'S AN INCREASE IN THE VISIBLY HOMELESSNESS.
UM, SO CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? UM, SURE, GO AHEAD.
WHY ARE WE NOT, WHY ARE WE NOT CONSIDERING FIRST? OH, SORRY.
ASHLEY, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES, I'LL GO AFTER ASHLEY.
WHY ARE WE NOT CONSIDERING PUTTING, UH, RESOURCES AND EFFORTS BEHIND PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM FALLING INTO HOMELESSNESS? IF THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO CONSIDER OTHER SOLUTIONS, WHY DON'T WE INVEST IN RENTAL ASSISTANCE THAT WE SAW KEPT PEOPLE HOUSED OR PUT MORE MONEY BEHIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS? UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THE COMMITMENT THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS DONE IN, UH, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, BUT I'LL BE SURE TO GET THAT INFORMATION OVER TO YOU.
AND WE'VE DONE MULTIPLE ROUNDS IF YOU, IF YOU'RE UNAWARE.
AND SO, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL GO ON TO DR.
YEAH, I JUST, UM, I GUESS I WANT TO ECHO, ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW IS CLEARLY ENOUGH ABOUT THE TACTICS AND THE STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THIS.
UM, BUT I HAVE SEEN THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE WITH HOUSING FORWARD AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WITH JUST THE, THE LAST POINT IN TIME ESTIMATE IN IN, IN THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE.
AND SO, AND I KNOW A LOT OF THAT HAS BEEN BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DIRECT OUR, OUR DISPARATE EFFORTS AND FOCUS MORE, UM, KIND OF IN UNISON OR, OR IN, IN A MORE COORDINATED FASHION THAT'S BEEN SHOWN, REFLECTED IN, YOU KNOW, SOME INCREASED SUPPORT FROM HUD AND OTHER PEOPLE TO, TO, TO SUPPORT THE WORK.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I DO NOT, NOT UNDERSTANDING ALL THE, THE APPROACHES, BUT I THINK THERE'S REAL VALUE INTO THAT.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ROLE OF THIS GROUP IS AND ASSESSING THAT, BUT THE, THE MORE WE CAN SUPPORT SORT OF A CONSISTENT EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH TO THIS THAT'S COORDINATED, THAT HAS SEEMED LIKE, HAS BEEN GETTING, NOT SEEMED LIKE THAT HAS BEEN GETTING SOME REAL MOMENTUM OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I THINK MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO KIND OF MAINTAIN THAT, UM, THAT, UH, FOCUS RECOGNIZING, I, I RECOGNIZE YOU GUYS AS ELECTED OFFICIALS.
YOU, YOU, YOU GET IT FROM ALL ANGLES, BUT I DO THINK WE, WE'VE GOT A GOOD STORY GOING IN TERMS OF THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEING MADE AND, AND CERTAINLY WOULD SUPPORT CONTINUING TO TRY TO FOCUS EFFORTS IN PLACES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING SUBTRACTION HAPPEN NOW BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE INCREASED COOPERATION WE'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
UM, AND REALLY I THINK WHAT I HAVE HEARD, AND CHAIRMAN MORENO, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN, IS THAT, UM, THERE'S NO EFFORT TO TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM WHAT'S CURRENTLY WORKING.
AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN, UH, A BIG APPLAUSE FOR THE COORDINATION THAT HAS IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY IN, IN, ESPECIALLY IN DALLAS.
UM, BUT I THINK THERE'S AN INTEREST IN ADDING OPTIONS, SO EXPANDING WHAT THE CHOICES ARE, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO BE PART OF, UM, EITHER THE SHELTER SYSTEM OR DON'T HAVE IMMEDIATE HOUSING OR EVEN DON'T WANT THAT KIND OF HOUSING.
SO I THINK WHILE THERE IS DATA THAT'S BEING PRESENTED, THE REALITY OF WHAT THE COMMITTEE THAT THAT CHAIR MORENO, UM, LEADS AS WELL AS OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IS THAT THERE'S DATA SHOWING A DECREASE IN HOMELESSNESS, WELL, JUST THIS YEAR AND A 4% DECREASE LAST YEAR.
BUT THAT IS A STORY OF PROGRESS.
THAT IS NOT THE REALITY OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING HEARING IN OUR OWN DISTRICTS IN OUR OWN STREETS THAT WE DRIVE EVERY DAY FROM OUR OWN COMMUNITIES OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND SO I KNOW I HAVE HAD PEOPLE SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU GONNA LOOK AT THE DATA? ARE YOU GONNA LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, INCIDENTAL STORIES? BUT THE TRUTH IS THE DATA IS BASED ON A POINT IN TIME COUNT THAT IS HIGHLY INACCURATE FROM VOLUNTEERS THAT GET 30 MINUTES WORTH OF TRAINING, MAYBE GET A MAP, BUT THE MAP MAY OR MAY NOT ACTUALLY SHOW THE VERY LIKELY PLACES
[00:50:01]
OF ENCAMPMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, IMPACTED BY WEATHER, IMPACTED BY THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS.I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY VOLUNTEERS ARE SENT INTO DISTRICT 12, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY FEW.
WHEN I'VE DONE THE POINT IN TIME COUNT WITH DALLAS DISTRICT 12 IS BARELY EVEN AN OPTION.
I WAS SENT TO DISTRICT 11, SO I JUST, I JUST WILL SAY THAT WE HEAR IT DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
I MEAN, EVERY SINGLE DAY I HEAR ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IN MY DISTRICT, I HEAR ABOUT HOMELESSNESS IN OTHER DISTRICTS, CHAIR MORENO, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE FLOOD THAT YOU GET.
UM, SO I, I DO APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
WE ALLOCATED A LOT OF MONEY, A LOT OF MONEY.
I MEAN, THE TOTAL PACKAGE WAS $72 MILLION, BUT THERE WAS NO GROUP THAT PUT IN MORE DOLLARS THAN DALLAS.
AND WHAT WE GOT WAS A 4% DECREASE IN HOMELESSNESS.
AND WHILE THERE ARE CERTAIN SEGMENTS THAT WENT DOWN FURTHER, WE ALSO DON'T YET KNOW THE OUTCOME DATA ON HOW LONG THAT LASTED.
AND SO DID THEY RETAIN HOUSING FOR 12 MONTHS? WELL, YEAH, BUT WE PAID THEIR RENT FOR 12 MONTHS.
SO NOW TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS A YEAR LATER AFTER WE NO LONGER HAVE PAID IT.
AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA YET.
BUT WHAT I KNOW IS, AGAIN, I PASSED BY A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS JUST THIS MORNING.
AND SO I'M ONLY ONE PERSON, TERRANO, I KNOW ALL OF THE COUNCIL HAS TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS INDIVIDUALLY, THEIR OWN FRUSTRATION.
BUT IT IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION HERE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT ROLE WE'LL PLAY, WHETHER IT'S JUST AWARENESS, WHETHER IT'S SOME WAY WE CAN ASSIST, I DON'T KNOW.
I DO THINK WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THAT AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL AT OUR, UM, RETREAT.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S IN THE KNOW OF REALLY THE DYNAMICS THAT ARE HAPPENING, BOTH BECAUSE OF THE HOPE REPORT AS WELL AS SORT OF EVOLVING POLICY IDEAS WITHIN THE COUNCIL.
SO I WOULD INVITE YOU TO COME BACK AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.
UM, WAS, WERE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST WANT TO THANK, UM, CHRISTINE, KIM, SARAH, AND PETER FOR, FOR JOINING US, UH, IN ATLANTA TO, UH, BE OPEN.
AND JUST TO WHAT YOU SAID IS HAVING THESE COMMUNICATIONS WITHOUT BEING, UM, YOU KNOW, SAID THAT, WHY ARE WE LOOKING AT THIS? UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT ALL OPTIONS AND I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, THOSE WHO HAVE COME TO THE TABLE.
AND I BELIEVE YOU ALSO HAD, UM, STAFF GO WITH YOU TO CALIFORNIA, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND TAKING THE TIME TO COME AND BRIEF US AND FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO INVITE YOU BACK.
OKAY, SO, UM, MOVING ON AHEAD, I WANNA GO BACK TO NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS A BRIEFING MEMO ON THE HOMELESS PROPERTIES UPDATE.
AND CHRISTINE, WOULD YOU MIND JUST PRESENTING THAT ITEM? YOU CAN COME SIT UP HERE WITH THE MICROPHONE OR UP THERE, HOWEVER IT'D BE EASIEST FOR YOU.
CHRISTINE CROSLEY, OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS MANAGER AT DIRECTOR.
AND, UM, JUST GOING OVER THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS DONE AT HOUSING HOMELESSNESS SOLUTIONS AND IS BEING DONE AGAIN AT DALLAS AREA PARTNERSHIP, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT FORT WORTH AVENUE, INDEPENDENCE DRIVE AND HAMPTON ROAD AS THE THREE CITY PROPERTIES THAT ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT RIGHT NOW.
UH, I ALSO HAVE DARWIN ONLINE WHO IS FROM HOUSING TO ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
SO THIS IS JUST, UM, A, UM, REPORT THAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO BY CHAIR MORENO MOVING FORWARD EVERY MONTH THAT UPDATES ON WHERE WE ARE ON THE VARIOUS PROCESSES FOR EACH PROPERTY.
UM, SO ANY PARTICULAR QUESTIONS? I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
SO THESE ARE THE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN PURCHASED AT VARIOUS TIMES, UM, AND HAVE BEEN VACANT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
THERE'S A FOURTH PROPERTY, UM, IN DISTRICT 10.
DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT ONE? I KNOW IT'S NOT OUT OF OHS, IS THAT A HOUSING? YES.
WELL, AT VANTAGEPOINT IS, UM, OWNED AND OPERATED BY, IT WAS BOUGHT BY CATHOLIC HOUSING INITIATIVE, OPERATED BY CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SERVICES.
AND, UH, 3 MILLION WAS CONTRIBUTED THROUGH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT IS THREE FOURTHS FULL.
THEY'RE WORKING ON THE THIRD BUILDING AND IT SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL.
DARWIN, I BELIEVE YOU SAID JUNE? CORRECT.
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DARWIN, ARE YOU ABLE TO UNMUTE? WELL, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S THIS SUMMER.THEY'LL DO THE FORMAL RIBBON CUTTING.
AND, BUT RIGHT NOW YOU THINK THERE'S UM, THREE QUARTERS OF IT IS FULL? YES, THEY HAVE STARTED LEASING AND THEY ARE FILLING UP.
SO I PUT THAT ON THERE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FREQUENTLY ABOUT, WELL, WHY AREN'T WE OPENING THIS, THAT, OR THE OTHER THING.
AND SO JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE ARE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HOUSING THAT THE CITY HAS SIGNIFICANTLY INVESTED IN AND IS WORKING TO, UM, TO OPEN SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE PEOPLE HOUSED.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CHRISTINE ABOUT THE PROPERTIES? YES, MICHELLE, YOU WANNA GO FIRST? I JUST, I DIDN'T GET THE, WHAT WAS THE FOURTH PROPERTY? I'M SORRY, VANTAGE POINT IN DISTRICT 10 AND THAT'S, UH, WAS PURCHASED BY, UM, CATHOLIC HOUSING INITIATIVE AND OPERATIONS GO THROUGH CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF DALLAS AND IT, AND IT WILL BECOME PERMANENT SUPPORT OF HOUSING.
YES, DAN? YEAH, I, I WAS TRYING TO GET A FEEL FOR HOW THESE LOCATIONS ARE SELECTED.
IS IT, UH, IS IT, YOU KNOW, A STRATEGIC INVESTMENT BASED ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE IDEAL PLACE THAT THEY COULD BE LOCATED? OR IS IT PROPERTY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE, UH, ACQUIRED IN SAY A TAX FORECLOSURE OR SOMETHING AND YOU PICKED THE BEST ONE? I MEAN, HOW, HOW DO YOU, HOW ARE THE LOCATIONS CHOSEN? I WILL SAY IT HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I CAME ON BOARD IN 2021, WE HAD ACQUIRED TWO PROPERTIES EARLIER.
UM, THERE WAS FUNDING WITH A TIGHT TURNAROUND AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE PROPERTIES DURING COVID WHEN, UM, HOTEL VACANCIES WERE VERY HIGH.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT GIVEN THE CHARACTERISTICS NEEDED FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OR EVEN RAPID REHOUSING AT TEMPORARY HOUSING AT THE TIME, UM, THAT THAT WAS RUN THROUGH WITH THE REAL ESTATE OFFICE LOOKING AT WHAT WAS AVAILABLE AND DIFFERENT PROPERTIES WERE VETTED, UM, SINCE THEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN SOMETIMES, HEY, IF A PROPERTY LOOKS LIKE IT'S INTERESTING AND HAS BEEN LOOKED AT BY THE CITY PREVIOUSLY, UM, IT MIGHT BE LOOKED AT AGAIN IF IT'S A MUCH LOWER PRICE.
UM, BUT THEN ALL OF THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY MOVED INTO A PHASE WHERE WE PREFER TO BE GAP FINANCING FOR PROJECTS.
AND SO THEN WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS WHERE SOMEONE IS APPLYING TO A NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY, UM, WITHIN THE HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN THERE'S STANDING, THERE WILL BE STANDING FUNDING THERE FOR EITHER PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING GAP FINANCING OR JUST THE REGULAR NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY.
AND THAT'S MUCH MORE IN LINE WITH VANTAGE POINT, WHICH NEEDED SOME FUNDING TO CLOSE THE GAP.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE, UM, THE CITY STEPPED IN, NOT IN BUYING AN ENTIRE BUILDING.
AND I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU WERE HERE FOR THE FIRST TWO.
IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD, UM, THE INITIAL STRATEGY INCLUDED, UM, HAVING A HOMELESS FACILITY IN EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE FIRST TWO PURCHASES INCLUDED IN MY DISTRICT, WE PURCHASED THE HOTEL THAT, UM, NOW FAMILY GATEWAY OPERATES AND, UM, AND OPERATED FROM DAY ONE ACTUALLY JUST IMMEDIATELY CONVERTED.
AND THEN OVER TIME HAS BEEN DOING, UH, REHAB WORK AND, UM, MAKING IT BETTER SUIT THEIR NEEDS.
UM, SINCE THAT TIME, VOGEL ALCOVE HAS MOVED INTO CO-LOCATE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR, UM, INFANTS, TODDLERS, UH, PRESCHOOL AND AFTERSCHOOL CARE FOR ALL THE STUDENTS THAT ARE THERE.
UM, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY IN THE COLLIN COUNTY, PART OF THE CITY OF DALLAS.
UM, THE SECOND PROPERTY THAT WAS PURCHASED ON THE SAME DAY IS, UM, THIS FORT WORTH AVENUE PROPERTY.
THIS FIRST ONE LISTED ON THE MEMO AND IT'S STILL NOT OPEN.
AND SO THIS WAS PURCHASED IN 2020 AND, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DID WE CHECK FOR ASBESTOS BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT? NO, NO WE DIDN'T.
UM, OTHER KINDS OF ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP.
AND SO BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SO LONG, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS MAY NOT BE OUR BEST EXAMPLE OF EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT.
AND I THINK THERE ARE QUESTIONS ON THE COUNCIL ABOUT, WELL, WHEN IS IT GONNA OPEN? AND SO THIS IS WHY I THINK TUR MORENO HAS ASKED FOR A RUNNING UPDATE OF THE PROGRESS FOR THE PROPERTIES.
SO THESE THREE, UM, I THINK WE'RE UNDER OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS.
THERE'S A FOURTH ONE THAT WENT DIRECTLY UNDER HOUSING
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SINCE IT REALLY, ALTHOUGH WILL PROVIDE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE CURRENTLY HOMELESS.WELL, AND THEY'RE HOMELESS BY GOING INTO, UM, TO THIS LOCATION.
UM, THE, THE FUNDING THAT WAS NEEDED REALLY IS THE MODEL OF WORK THAT'S BEING DONE THROUGH HOUSING.
THAT'S REALLY THEIR SPECIALTY AS OPPOSED TO OHS, WHICH IS REALLY MUCH MORE OF A, UM, UH, OUTREACH AND COORDINATION SERVICES, GRANTS FOR SERVICE PROVIDING AS OPPOSED TO FINANCING AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHY THIS MEMO'S HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO PAUSE AND GO, WOW, WHY DO WE HAVE THREE EMPTY FACILITIES? RIGHT? AND I THINK COUNCIL IS TRYING TO DO ITS GOVERNANCE ROLE OF SAYING, WE GOTTA GET THESE OPEN, LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE PEOPLE OFF THE STREET AND HERE IS THE ANSWER, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY HOUSING WILL END HOMELESSNESS FOR THESE PEOPLE, RIGHT.
THAT, THAT CAN GO THERE AND HAVE THE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
SO, UM, I DO THINK THAT THERE'S PLANS IN PLACE NOW TO MOVE IT FORWARD AND, UM, I I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A MONTHLY UPDATE.
SO I'M APPRECIATIVE THAT THAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, COMMISSIONER DANIEL, UM, HAD TO, UH, GLADYS TOWN AND SO SHE'S NOT HERE TO PRESENT THE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, BUT I KNOW SHE WOULD WANNA MENTION THE, UM, POINT IN TIME COUNT THAT WAS RELEASED, THE REPORT ON THIS WEEK.
AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GO ON THE HOUSING FORWARDS WEBSITE.
UM, WE REALLY DO TRY TO NOT HAVE DUPLICATION, UM, OTHER THAN MAKING SURE EVERYBODY KIND OF KNOWS A GENERAL WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO, UM, THEY DO HAVE DATA SHOWING DECREASES AND I THINK YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY WATCH THAT AND READ IT.
UM, THE NEXT THING I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS NUMBER 10 JUNE SUMMIT.
SO LAST YEAR WE DID A RETREAT AND UM, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK ABOUT IT.
I'M LOOKING AT THE DATES OF JUNE 27TH AND 28TH, AND IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND LOOKING AT YOUR CALENDARS AND PROVIDING FEEDBACK, IF YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE, IF YOU LOVE THOSE DATES, HATE THOSE DATES, LET ME KNOW.
THE IDEA WOULD BE, AGAIN, TO DO A RETREAT WOULD BE SLIGHTLY MORE STRUCTURED THAN WHAT WE DID LAST TIME.
UM, WE WOULD INVITE PARTNERS TO, UM, JOIN US AND, UM, FROM THIS SOLICIT SOME FEEDBACK ON VARIOUS ITEMS AS WELL AS DEVELOP A WORK PLAN FOR THE YEAR.
IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC THOUGHTS OR IDEAS AND YOU'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT 'EM NOW, THAT'S GREAT.
IF YOU WANNA THINK ABOUT IT AND SEND ME A NOTE OR CALL ME, THAT WOULD BE GREAT TOO.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S WHERE IT'S HEADED AND, UM, I'M GONNA ASK STAFF TO REACH OUT TO YOU TO REALLY CONFIRM THOSE TWO DATES AND SEE IF THERE'S ONE THAT'S BETTER THAN ANOTHER OR IF WE NEED TO LOOK AT A DIFFERENT, UH, DATE ALTOGETHER WITH THE IDEA BEING THAT, UM, WE DON'T WANNA INVITE THE PARTNERS UNTIL WE KNOW THAT WE CAN BE THERE.
SO, UM, SO EXPECT THAT CALL OR EMAIL FROM STAFF.
UM, WE ARE AT ONE 12 AND I'M GONNA WRAP THIS UP AND SO WE'RE GONNA SKIP THROUGH A COUPLE THINGS AND JUST SAY THAT OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR NEXT MEETING, UM, ON JUNE 6TH.
AND THEN WE WOULD ALSO HAVE THAT RETREAT IN JUNE, BUT WE WOULD NOT HAVE A REGULARLY SCHEDULED JULY MEETING.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT MY INTENTION IS TO DO WITH THE MEETINGS AND, UM, HOPEFULLY THAT'S, UM, AMENABLE TO EVERYBODY.
IS THERE ANY INPUT ON FUTURE MEETINGS OR HOW WE'RE SETTING UP THE RETREAT AT THIS POINT? ANYTHING YOU WANNA SHARE RIGHT NOW? NO.
WELL, I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY SIGNING ON.
UM, THIS WAS, WE KNEW THIS WAS GONNA BE TIGHT WITH QUORUM AND SO, UM, I THINK WE LOST IT FOR FIVE MINUTES, BUT I TRULY, TRULY APPRECIATE YOU STAYING ON AND HAVING YOUR CAMERAS ON.
UM, WE'LL BE BACK IN TOUCH TO, TO CONFIRM THESE DATES AND, UH, WHAT NEXT STEPS ARE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE BEING HERE.
IT IS ONE 13 AND WE'RE GONNA END THIS MEETING.