[Housing and Homelessness Solutions on October 22, 2024.]
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GOOD MORNING. IT IS OCTOBER 22ND.
FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
AYE. ANY CORRECTIONS? NO. OKAY. ITEMS APPROVED.
GOOD MORNING CHAIR, COUNCIL MEMBERS CHRISTINE CROSSLEY, OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR.
AND TODAY WE ARE HERE TO DO OUR QUARTERLY ALL NEIGHBORS COALITION REPORT ON OUR HOMELESSNESS SYSTEM.
AND OF COURSE, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH CEO DIRECTOR KHAN.
SARAH? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, I'LL TURN IT ON. HEY, GOOD TO BE BACK WITH YOU GUYS TODAY.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT WITH SOME VERY CLOSE COLLEAGUES IN THIS WORK.
DARILYNN BEILER WHO IS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE MEADOWS MENTAL HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE, AND MATT ROBERTS, WHO'S THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER WITH THE NORTH TEXAS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AUTHORITY.
THEY'VE JOINED ME TODAY BECAUSE WHILE I'LL BE PROVIDING A BIT OF A RECAP ON THE FIRST PHASE OF THE STREET TO HOME INITIATIVE, WE WANTED TO SPEND A LARGE PORTION OF OUR TIME TALKING ABOUT, REALLY, THE GROUND BREAKING PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE CREATED TO INTEGRATE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM INTO OUR REHOUSING RESPONSE.
AND SO THEY'LL JOIN ME FOR THE SECOND PART OF THAT PRESENTATION.
SO IF WE COULD GO TO THE FIRST SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO IN 2021, AS WE'VE REPORTED TO THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE, THAT REALLY MARKED THE YEAR THAT WE REALLY CHANGED THE WAY THAT WE DO BUSINESS AS A SYSTEM AND ALIGNED AND COORDINATED AROUND STRATEGIES THAT COULD HAVE THE MOST DRAMATIC IMPACT ON REDUCING HOMELESSNESS FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
AND WE JOINED UNDER A UNIFIED STRATEGY WITH SUPPORT FROM THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS THROUGH THE REAL TIME RAPID REHOUSING INITIATIVE THAT THE CITY WAS A CHAMPION AND INVESTOR IN TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE MOVING PEOPLE OFF THE STREET AND INTO PERMANENT HOUSING WITH SERVICES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND AS A COALITION, WHILE WE'VE MADE PROGRESS, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND WE CONTINUE TO KNOW THAT NOT EVERYONE IS FEELING THAT PROGRESS BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF VULNERABLE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING OUTSIDE.
AND WE ARE GOING TO DO THAT WITH THIS $30 MILLION STREET TO HOME INITIATIVE, WHICH IS TWO PRONGED.
THE FIRST PRONG IS WE MUST CONTINUE REHOUSING AT THE HISTORIC PACE THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO HOUSE OVER 12,700 INDIVIDUALS SINCE 2021. SO AS REAL TIME DOLLARS WIND DOWN STREET TO HOME REALLY PICKS UP WHERE THAT HAS LEFT OFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T MISS A BEAT IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO HOUSE EACH MONTH TO KEEP PACE WITH THOSE FLOWING IN, WHICH MEANS WE'RE DIRECTLY HOUSING OUT OF SHELTER AND OFF THE STREET.
THE SECOND COMPONENT IS MORE STRATEGICALLY TARGETING STREET HOMELESSNESS IN PUBLIC SPACES ACROSS DALLAS AND COLLIN COUNTIES. AND SO TODAY WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EARLY RESULTS OF THAT EFFORT.
WE'VE PRACTICED WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS AND DDI FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT THIS NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS TOGETHER REALLY ANSWERS THE CALL FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR BUSINESS PARTNERS TO REALLY ADDRESS PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS BY TARGETING LOCATIONS WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE SLEEPING OUTSIDE AND FAST TRACKING THEM BACK INTO PERMANENT HOUSING WITH COMPREHENSIVE CARE.
AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF FEATURES THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS.
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TAKES APPROACH TO THIS PROBLEM.CHRISTINE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ONE OF THE KEY FEATURES MOVING FORWARD IS THE CITY OF DALLAS HAS MADE A RENEWED COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT AFTER WE HAVE REHOUSED EVERYONE IN A SPECIFIC LOCATION, THAT THOSE LOCATIONS ARE NOT REPOPULATED WITH PEOPLE SLEEPING AND CAMPING IN THEM.
AND WE CAN OPEN UP THOSE PUBLIC SPACES AND KEEP THEM OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AFTER WE HAVE CLOSED A SITE.
YEAH. THANK YOU. SO IN ADDITION TO, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR STREET OUTREACH TEAM THAT HAS A DEDICATED CONTINGENT THAT WORKS IN TERMS OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT WITH SARA'S TEAM ON THIS.
OFFICE OF CRISIS RESPONSE I THINK IT'S EMERGENCY AND CRISIS RESPONSE.
THEY JUST MERGED. SO IT WAS OIPSS AND OEM UNDER DIRECTOR ODEN THAT IS NOW REALLY ABLE TO PULL ALL OF THE DIFFERENT FACETS TOGETHER THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR EFFECTIVE CLOSURE MAINTENANCE, WHICH IS NOT JUST OUTREACH, BUT THERE'S ALSO AN ENFORCEMENT CONTINGENT, SOME CONTINGENT MOBILE CRISIS CONTINGENT, SOMETIMES A RIGHT CARE CONTINGENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE REGULAR THERE'S REGULAR MONITORING AROUND THE CLOCK OF THESE DOWNTOWN AREAS, AND THAT WILL CONTINUE WITH OTHER STREET TO HOME SITES. AND THAT HAS REALLY BEEN CRITICAL IN NOT ONLY CLOSING THE SITES, BUT KEEPING THEM CLOSED.
THAT'S GREAT. THANKS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THE FIRST PHASE OF STREET TO HOME LAUNCHED IN JULY THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS DDI HOUSING FORWARD AND OUR PARTNERS IN THE ALL NEIGHBORS COALITION.
WE SET OUT ON AN OPERATION TO HOUSE OVER 100 PEOPLE IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE.
WE HOUSED 107 PEOPLE ACROSS THREE ZONES IN 86 DAYS, WHICH IS REMARKABLE.
AND THE WAY THAT WE DID THAT WAS FIRST IN THE EARLY PARTS OF THE SUMMER.
DDI, THE CITY, AND HOUSING FORWARD HAD TEAMS OF PEOPLE GOING OUT AT FIVE IN THE MORNING TO ASSESS WHERE THERE WERE THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS OF REGULAR SLEEPERS AND PEOPLE CAMPING OUTSIDE IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE.
AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME, THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE REALLY SURROUNDED THREE ZONES.
THE FIRST ZONE WAS THE AREA IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
ZONE TWO WAS THE AREA BETWEEN YOUNG AND CANTON STREET, AS YOU SEE ON THE MAP, AND ZONE THREE WAS THE AREA FROM CANTON TO GRIFFIN STREET, WHICH ALSO THEN EXTENDED INTO THE STRIP ALONG I-30 NEAR THE LORENZO HOTEL.
SO WE SET OUT TO CLOSE EACH OF THOSE ZONES BY HOUSING PEOPLE IN THOSE AREAS.
WE CLOSED EACH ZONE WITHIN SIX WEEKS, AND WE EXPEDITED THAT CLOSURE BY REALLY RECOGNIZING THAT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE REGULAR SLEEPERS IN THESE AREAS, WE NEEDED TO BRING THE WHOLE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TO MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY WERE AT OUTSIDE.
SO WE HAD WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT, DIG INTO A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE HAD BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE COORDINATORS, PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS, OUTREACH STAFF, HOUSING NAVIGATORS, HOUSING CASE MANAGERS.
WE HAD PARKLAND STREET MEDICINE TEAM ALL JOINING ON SITE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE DAILY TO GET THEM CONNECTED TO CARE AND TO SUPPORT THEM TO NAVIGATE ALL OF THE STEPS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO MOVE BACK INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.
SO THIS WAS THE FIRST THREE LARGE ZONES THAT WE'VE TACKLED.
WE'RE ONTO THE NEXT THREE ZONES, AND WE WILL SYSTEMATICALLY TARGET LOCATIONS ACROSS DOWNTOWN AND ACROSS THE CITY OF DALLAS TO ENSURE THAT NO ONE HAS TO SLEEP OUTSIDE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THE EXCITING NEW FEATURE OF OUR SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION THAT WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS REALLY BECAME THE BACKBONE OF THE STREET TO HOME EFFORT, WHICH IS OUR ABILITY TO INTEGRATE THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND THE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEMS. AND WE WANT TO SORT OF HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THAT WORK WHICH INCLUDED A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN NORTH TEXAS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AUTHORITY, MEADOWS MENTAL HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE, AND SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE ALL NEIGHBORS COALITION.
WHEN I FIRST GOT TO DALLAS, STARTED WORKING IN DALLAS IN 2021.
WHAT WE HEARD FROM PROVIDERS IS THAT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, WE HAVE BEEN LEAVING IT UP TO SERVICE PROVIDERS, OUTREACH WORKERS AND HOUSING PROVIDERS TO PIECE TOGETHER ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT SOMEONE NEEDS.
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15 TO 20 DIFFERENT RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE CARE THAT'S COMPREHENSIVE ENOUGH FOR THAT POPULATION.FIRST, WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE PROVIDING BETTER ACCESS INTO COMPREHENSIVE CARE.
SECOND, WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE PROVIDING A STANDARD, SYSTEM WIDE RESPONSE AND NOT LEAVING IT TO PROVIDERS TO FIGURE THIS OUT ON THEIR OWN, WHICH IS HISTORICALLY WHAT HAD HAPPENED. AND THIRD, WE NEEDED TO ACCESS MAINSTREAM RESOURCES SO THAT THESE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES COULD BE FUNDED SUSTAINABLY AND VIABLY.
AND SO TO DO THAT, WE EMBARKED ON INTEGRATING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE IN THREE IMPORTANT WAYS.
I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT TWO OF THEM AND CHRISTINE CAN DIG INTO THE THIRD ONE.
THE FIRST IS OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT.
THE THIRD LEVEL IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING CRISIS RESPONSE.
AND THIS IS AN AREA WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A VERY SMALL BUT IMPORTANT GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING OUTSIDE WHO HAVE SUCH SEVERE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE ISSUES, THAT NEITHER OF THOSE LEVELS OF CARE ARE EQUIPPED TO SUPPORT THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE.
AND SO IN THAT INSTANCE WHERE SOMEONE IS NOT PRACTICING SELF-CARE OR IS A THREAT TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS, THE CITY HAS DONE GREAT WORK TO BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE THE RIGHT CARE TEAM AND OTHER CRISIS RESPONSE EFFORTS FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY PERSPECTIVE INTO THIS RESPONSE, SO THAT WE CAN BE BETTER COORDINATED AS A HOMELESS RESPONSE TEAM.
CHRISTINE, DO YOU WANT TO TALK AT ALL ABOUT RATE CARE BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE OTHER PHASES OF INTEGRATION? JUST THAT THAT IS SOMETHING I KNOW IT'S BRIEFED AT PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CROSSOVER HERE THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN BEFORE.
AND AT THAT POINT THEN RIGHTCARE IS STEPPING IN.
AND BUT THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE ITERATIONS OF CARE TRIED BEFORE THEN SOMETIMES THROUGH THIS GROUP HERE, SOMETIMES THROUGH MOBILE CRISIS. BUT THAT'S REALLY THE CITY'S ROLE IS AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ME SAY THAT BEFORE, IS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY PORTION OF THIS OUTREACH AND THE CLOSURE MAINTENANCE.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY EMBRACING AND STEPPING INTO.
THAT'S GREAT. THANKS, CHRISTINE.
AND IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'M EXCITED TO PASS IT OVER TO MATT ROBERTS WITH NORTH TEXAS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AUTHORITY, WHO'S GOING TO DIG IN AND BRING LIFE TO WHAT THAT INTEGRATION ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE.
THANK YOU SARA. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IF I MAY, LET'S ZOOM IN TO TWO ELEMENTS OF THE COORDINATION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT ONCE WE'VE MADE CONTACT AND CONNECTED THE ONGOING SERVICES.
SO FOR THE OUTREACH TO THE UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, THAT STARTS WITH COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, PEER SERVICE PROVIDERS, CARE COORDINATORS, OUTREACH WORKERS.
AND I'VE SEEN THAT INTERACTION START WITH, HEY, CAN I COME OVER AND TALK WITH YOU? AND THAT INITIAL CONVERSATION LEADS TO WORK WITH A CARE COORDINATOR AND THE CARE COORDINATOR.
THEIR JOB IS TO HELP CONDUCT THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WANTS SERVICES OVER TO A CONNECTION WITH THE PEOPLE WHO CAN PROVIDE ONGOING SERVICES, BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S A TASK TO GET CONNECTED.
THOSE STAFF ARE PROFESSIONALS AT HELPING PEOPLE GET CONNECTED AND STAY ENGAGED ALONG THE WAY.
NOW, WHEN THEY GET OVER TO ONGOING SERVICES, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE PROVIDED BY NAMES THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF THAT'S METRO CARE, CHILD AND FAMILY GUIDANCE CENTER, SOUTHERN AREA BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
AND THOSE ARE THE FOLKS WHO WILL PROVIDE THE TEAM BASED SERVICES AS THEY GO FORWARD.
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AND THOSE SERVICES, THE ONGOING SERVICES ARE INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT AND ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT AND THE ADDED LAYER OF SERVICE WITHIN THE NEW PROJECT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS MORE CASE MANAGEMENT, SO THAT THERE'S MORE ATTENTION GIVEN TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO IS IN SERVICES TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S EASIER FOR THEM TO STAY ENGAGED.SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, MAYBE MORE OFTEN VISITS FROM A MEMBER OF THE CARE TEAM, AN INTEGRATED CARE TEAM THAT HELPED THE PERSON STAY ENGAGED AND STAY IN THE SERVICES THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.
I'LL ADDRESS ONE PARTICULAR CASE WE HAD.
SO THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS LIVING UNHOUSED.
THEY HAD BEEN UNHOUSED FOR AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME.
THEY EVEN FROM A YOUNG AGE, THEIR FAMILY TOLD THEM THERE'S JUST SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU.
THEY WERE NOT TRUSTWORTHY OF PEOPLE.
THEY DIDN'T LIKE BEING AROUND PEOPLE.
OUR CARE COORDINATOR MET THEM AT THE ENCAMPMENT AND OVER A SERIES OF FOUR DIFFERENT MEETINGS WITH THEM, FOUR DIFFERENT ENCOUNTERS WITH THEM WAS ABLE TO BRING FORWARD SOME TRUST WITH THE INDIVIDUAL.
AND FINALLY, THE INDIVIDUAL SAID, OKAY, I'LL GIVE THIS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH THING A TRY.
THE INDIVIDUAL GOT A DIAGNOSIS OF MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER.
STARTED MEDICATIONS AND WAS ABLE TO BUILD ON THAT RECOVERY.
AND THEY WERE OF COURSE THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
THEY GOT HOUSING. AND TO DATE THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR HOUSING.
AND THEY SAID THEY ENDED UP TELLING THEIR SERVICE PROVIDER IT WASN'T SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME.
I JUST NEEDED A LITTLE EXTRA HELP.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PROGRAM DOES, IS PROVIDE EXTRA HELP FOR THE INDIVIDUAL BY MAKING SURE THAT WE AGENCIES WHO HAVE SORT OF OPERATED SEPARATELY, HAVE NEW TOOLS AND MECHANISMS TO BETTER COMMUNICATE.
WE TRACK PEOPLE ACROSS THE SYSTEM AND MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE GET INTO CARE.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND NOW DARILYNN'S GOING TO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN THIS AREA ABOUT WHY, AS A COMMUNITY, WE'VE DECIDED TO MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SARAH, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO HOUSING FORWARD AND ENGAGE THE MEADOWS MENTAL HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE A LITTLE BIT OVER A YEAR AGO TO COMPLETE A SYSTEM SCAN AND A FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT, RECOGNIZING THAT THERE WAS A SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION THAT CONTINUED TO STRUGGLE, MEANING THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS, SUBSTANCE USE CONDITIONS OR COMORBID CONDITIONS, INCLUDING CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS AND COMPLEX NEEDS.
OUR TEAMS ENGAGE WITH HOUSING FORWARD NEPA STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND COMPLETED A SIGNIFICANT SCANNING OF THE REGION.
AND IT WASN'T TO OUR SURPRISE, BUT IT REALLY BROUGHT TO LIGHT WHAT HOUSING FORWARD THOUGHT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO DEDICATE THE EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THIS POPULATION IN WAYS THAT HAD NOT BEEN DONE BEFORE, BY CREATING A COLLECTIVE IMPACT PROJECT TO BRING SERVICES FOR THIS POPULATION.
WHAT WE FOUND DURING THAT SCAN WAS THAT OF THOSE UNSHELTERED IN DALLAS, 40% EXPERIENCED SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS, 32% EXPERIENCED SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS, AND 14% OF THE UNSHELTERED POPULATION HAD BOTH.
AND JUST TO BRING SOME PERSPECTIVE TO THE NUMBERS THOSE WITH SMI, WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS, AMONG THOSE INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, IT'S EIGHT TIMES HIGHER THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION AND THOSE WHO ARE UNSHELTERED AND THOSE EXPERIENCING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS IT'S DOUBLE THAN WHAT IS OBSERVED IN THE GENERAL POPULATION.
SO RECOGNIZING THAT NEED, WE LOOKED INTO HOW MANY OF THIS POPULATION WAS ENGAGED IN SERVICES.
AND WE FOUND THAT APPROXIMATELY 55% OF THIS POPULATION WAS ALREADY SERVICE CONNECTED.
HOWEVER, A GOOD NUMBER, ABOUT 45% OF THIS POPULATION WAS NOT SERVICE CONNECTED, NOT BECAUSE THE SERVICES WERE NOT IN PLACE, BECAUSE THE SYSTEM IS WELL EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES, BUT BECAUSE THE SERVICES WERE NOT YET FULLY COORDINATED IN A FASHION THAT COULD ADDRESS ALL NEEDS
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FOR THIS VERY SPECIFIC SEGMENT SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION.THE OTHER CHALLENGE THAT WE NOTED IN THE SCANNING OF THE SYSTEM IS THAT ONLY PERCENT OF THIS POPULATION HAS MEDICAID, WHICH MEANS THAT IT REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT FROM NEPA AND INDIGENT CARE PARKLAND AS THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT AND THE STATE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THIS VERY SPECIFIC POPULATION.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE CRISIS, UTILIZATION WAS HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER AMONG INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND WE BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO DECIDE WHAT WAS THE BEST APPROACH.
AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE PROVIDED WAS TO BRING TOGETHER ALL SERVICE PROVIDERS AND REALLY REMOVE THE BARRIERS BETWEEN HOUSING, HEALTH CARE AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TO FULLY INTEGRATE AND CREATE SPECIALTY TEAMS. SO WHAT MATT IS TALKING ABOUT THE SPECIALTY TEAMS THAT HAVE BEEN RIGHT NOW ROLLING OUT, I LIKE TO CALL THEM THAT.
THEY'RE LIKE THE NAVY SEALS OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
SO THESE ARE SPECIALTY TEAMS THAT ARE FULLY DEDICATED JUST TO SERVING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE USE CONDITIONS. THEY ARE TRAINED TO MANAGE THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS POPULATION IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY NEED IT THE MOST.
SO WE'RE CONNECTING THESE INDIVIDUALS DIRECTLY INTO ENCAMPMENT, DECOMMISSIONING AND THE CRISIS RESPONSE ALL THE WAY THROUGH HOUSING WHILE PROVIDING THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO CHOOSE.
WE HAVE TO THE FIRST PART OF THIS WORK IN ENGAGING THIS POPULATION IS TO ENSURE THAT THEY TRUST THEY TRUST THE PROVIDERS, AND THEY TRUST THAT THEY WILL GET THE CARE THEY NEED WHEN THEY NEED IT.
SO ENGAGING FROM ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING ALL THE WAY TO HOUSING ON A CASELOAD OF 1 TO 10.
SO HISTORICALLY, CASE MANAGERS IN THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF RESOURCES, COULD HAVE ANYTHING UP TO 25-50 CLIENTS IN ONE CASELOAD. THIS SPECIALTY TEAMS HAVE A CASELOAD OF 1 TO 10.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS THAT WHEN THE SPECIALTY TEAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED IN THE COMMUNITY AND WELL COORDINATED, WE SEE A REDUCTION IN HOSPITALIZATION, A REDUCTION IN SERVICE UTILIZATION FROM THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, INCARCERATIONS, AND ULTIMATELY IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE. SO IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THIS MOVING FORWARD.
AND I KNOW WE KNOW THAT WE WILL SEE GREAT OUTCOMES OVER TIME.
JUST TO WRAP UP JUST AS AN UPDATE, WE FINALLY HAVE THESE TEAMS ROLLING OUT.
AND SO THERE ARE NEW TEAMS ON THE GROUND THAT LAUNCHED WITH STREET TO HOME IN JULY.
AND WE HAVE, I THINK, NOW ABOUT 115 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SERVICE CONNECTED.
WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE WHITE HOUSE AND WITH HUD, AND WE RECEIVED A FIRST OF ITS KIND WAIVER FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT TO BE ABLE TO VERY CREATIVELY COMBINE FEDERAL RESOURCES WITH LOCAL STATE RESOURCES, TO EXPAND CAPACITY FOR THESE TEAMS, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FOLKS WHO OFTEN GET LEFT OUT OF CARE, HAD DIRECT ACCESS INTO THESE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE.
SO IT'S REALLY SORT OF CUTTING EDGE, EXCITING WORK THAT'S HAPPENING.
HUD IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
SO AS THE WHITE HOUSE, BECAUSE IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE CAN CUT THROUGH RED TAPE AND MAKE SURE ON THE GROUND, WE'RE ADAPTING OUR SYSTEMS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS VERSUS HAVING THEM ADAPT TO US, WHICH IS HISTORICALLY WHAT'S HAPPENED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
I WILL SAY THE LAST THING ABOUT THAT, THE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT WITH THIS NEW PAYMENT STRUCTURE IS WE IMMEDIATELY THE END GOAL HERE IS TO IMMEDIATELY GET MORE OF THIS POPULATION ON MEDICARE.
THE GOAL WITH THESE TEAMS IS TO IMMEDIATELY INCREASE THAT PROPORTION.
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AND THEN THE LAST SLIDE IS JUST A QUARTERLY UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE IN OUR SYSTEMWIDE HOUSING PLACEMENTS.SINCE 2021, WE'VE HOUSED OVER 12,700 INDIVIDUALS.
WE INTRODUCED SYSTEM WIDE DIVERSION IN APRIL OR MAY.
TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU FOR QUESTIONS, CHAIR.
THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO START TO MY RIGHT WITH COUNCILMAN DIDN'T WANT TO SKIP YOU.
I'M SORRY I MISSED THE BEGINNING OF THIS, BUT I DID REVIEW IT.
SO I REALLY AM INTERESTED IN THE HOME BASED STABILIZATION PROGRAM.
SO YOU SAID THERE ARE 115 SERVICE CONNECTED PEOPLE.
SO THIS MEANS THEY HAVE BEEN PLACED IN HOUSING BUT HAVE THIS INTENSIVE HOUSING, HEALTH CARE, MENTAL HEALTH PACKAGE SURROUNDING THEM? YES. SO THESE TEAMS ARE VERY, VERY NEW.
WE'VE JUST DEVELOPED THIS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
BUT THE IDEA IS WE WANT NO WRONG DOOR.
SO YES, THEY HAVE BEEN REFERRED THROUGH CARE COORDINATORS THAT NORTH TEXAS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AUTHORITY HAS INTEGRATED INTO OUR HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM, AND THEN THEY ARE BEING CONNECTED TO THESE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE TEAMS, WHICH ARE MULTIDISCIPLINARY HOUSING FIRST ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT AND INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT TEAMS. AND THE FUNDING IS STATE AND FEDERAL.
SO THE WAIVER THAT WE RECEIVED ALLOWED US TO CREATE A PAYMENT STRUCTURE THAT MATCHED THE STATE PAYMENT STRUCTURE SO THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY DO COST SHARING BETWEEN THE TWO RESOURCES AND EXPAND THE CAPACITY OF THESE TEAMS ON THE GROUND TO SERVE OUR POPULATION.
OKAY. SO 115 HAVE BEEN SERVED SINCE JULY, THE INCEPTION.
SO WHAT IS THE TARGET FOR A YEAR? SO THE TARGET FOR THE YEAR WOULD BE JUST THE IDEA IS WE WANT TO WE ARE WORKING TO TO MAKE THIS SERVICE AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE WHO'S ELIGIBLE FOR IT, WHO NEEDS IT.
THIS FIRST PILOT IS WITH THE 480 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BEING PLACED IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
I THINK STARTING IN JULY, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE DATE THAT WE STARTED JANUARY TO JANUARY.
OUT OF THE 480 I WOULD SAY THAT PROBABLY ABOUT 50-55 WILL NECESSITATE A TEAM LEVEL OF CARE, AND THE REMAINDER WILL REQUIRE SOME LEVEL OF SUPPORT THROUGH INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
SO WHAT ABOUT THOSE THAT ARE BEING PLACED THAT MAY BE KIND OF ON THE BUBBLE THAT COULD REALLY USE THIS SORT OF CARE TO STAY PLACED AND BE STOOD UP AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT.
I MEAN, WILL THIS BRIDGE INTO THAT AS WELL? AND WILL YOU PULL THAT MIC UP CLOSER TO YOU IF YOU NOT YOU [INAUDIBLE] DARILYNN, I THINK THE EXCITING THING THAT WE'VE LEARNED, WE WENT INTO THIS EFFORT REALLY WITH A LASER FOCUS ON CREATING THESE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE TEAMS IN HOUSING.
THANK YOU. I THINK WHAT WE QUICKLY REALIZED IS THERE WERE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTEGRATION.
AND SO WHILE WE'RE STARTING WITH PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK, FOR US TO REALLY THINK ABOUT SEAMLESS CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE ENTIRE REHOUSING SYSTEM AND THE DEGREE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING HAND IN HAND HOURS A DAY FOR MANY, MANY DAYS NOW, I THINK JUST CREATES THE PARTNERSHIPS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THIS WITH REGARD TO MAYBE THOSE 55 OUT OF THE 480 THAT HAS THE MENTAL HEALTH COMPONENT, I MEAN, THOSE 55 ARE THEY MAY BE NEEDIER THAT THEY HAVE TO GO. THIS HAS TO GO OVER AND ABOVE WHAT A NORMAL PSH ENVIRONMENT WOULD BE PROVIDING JUST TO.
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SO THEY COORDINATED.AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE MET WITH ALL OF THEM LAST WEEK.
WE BROUGHT TOGETHER THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING CASE MANAGERS AND THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TEAMS TO CREATE THE FRAMEWORK AND THE STRATEGY IN HOW TO WRAP INDIVIDUALS WITH SUPPORT AS ONE TEAM.
HISTORICALLY, THIS PROJECT, THIS PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN SILOED.
AND WHAT WE WANTED REALLY TO DO WAS FOR THE TEAMS TO WORK AS ONE AND FOR THE INDIVIDUALS TO KNOW THIS IS MY TEAM, NOT THIS IS METRO CARES TEAM, AND THIS IS THE BRIDGE TEAM.
AND A LOT OF INSTANCES WE'VE HEARD FOR 20 YEARS NOW, RIGHT FROM PROVIDERS WHEN YOU DO THAT, OFTEN THEY'RE HAVING TO PIECE TOGETHER 15 TO 20, SOMETIMES 30 DIFFERENT RESOURCES TO MAKE A CARE PACKAGE THAT WORKS.
AND WHEN WE DO THAT, WE OFTEN FALL SHORT OF WHAT PEOPLE NEED.
OKAY. I MEAN, I'M EXCITED TO HEAR THIS BECAUSE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS AND THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THAT USUALLY PRESENTS, I MEAN, THIS SEEMS LIKE IT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD ACTUALLY HELP MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THAT TO BRING SOME STABILITY.
AND I LOVE THAT THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, TOO.
GREAT PRESENTATION. GREAT UPDATE AS ALWAYS.
SO CAN YOU CLARIFY ON THE MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE.
HOW DOES THE MEDICARE WAIVER WORK? WHAT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FUNDING PROCESS OF THIS? LIKE I NEED TO JUST CLARIFY THE FUNDING STREAMS HERE.
SO FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS INITIATIVE, WE DID A FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT LOOKING AT WHAT THE STATE RESOURCES CURRENTLY ALLOCATE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES AND THE GAP THAT EXISTED TO ENHANCE THE SERVICES NEEDED IN NORTH TEXAS.
AND WE BROUGHT TOGETHER A A RATE OF WE LOOKED ALSO AT THE MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE SERVICES.
THE MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE SERVICES IN THIS REGION IS VERY LIMITED.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ONLY 8% OF THIS POPULATION HAS MEDICAID, WHICH MEANS THAT FOR MOST OF THE RESOURCES, THE STATE NEPA, THROUGH THEIR INDIGENT FUNDS, HAVE BEEN MANAGING THE PROVISION OF CARE BY BRAIDING HUD'S RESOURCES REALLY INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE SYSTEM TREMENDOUSLY.
SO CURRENTLY WE EXPANDED SERVICES TO 480 INDIVIDUALS.
SO IT'S LOOKING AT THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM HUD, THE RESOURCES THAT NEPA ALREADY HAS, THE LITTLE BIT THAT WE HAVE FROM MEDICAID TO BRAID IT INITIALLY, THE GOAL IS TO INCREASE MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT AND MAXIMIZE THE HEALTH CARE FUNDING THAT COULD BE BROUGHT TO BEAR TO SUSTAIN THE TEAMS. THAT'S VERY INTERESTING.
AND IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY COMMON, COMMONLY DONE NATIONWIDE, OR IS THIS KIND OF PACKAGING WITH THE MEDICARE PIECE NEW? I HADN'T HEARD OF IT BEFORE.
SO THIS INITIATIVE IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND.
[LAUGHTER] THANK YOU ARE DOING INCREDIBLE WORK BRINGING TOGETHER HUD, STATE LOCAL FUNDING, PRIVATE FUNDING TO CREATE SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THIS PROJECT CAN REALLY HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN REDUCING UNSHELTERED POPULATIONS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS.
YOU'RE REALLY AHEAD OF THE CURVE.
I THINK THE INNOVATION HERE, THOUGH, IS REALLY ABOUT USING THESE HUD DOLLARS THAT WERE COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY AS INITIAL SEED FUNDING TO GET THESE TEAMS GOING, SO THAT WE CAN IMMEDIATELY GO TO MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATIONS AND GET A MORE VALUE BASED STRUCTURE, AND TO GET MEDICAID PAYING FOR MORE OF THESE TEAMS, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE WANT THE HUD DOLLARS OBVIOUSLY PAYING FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER SERVICES.
SO THE INNOVATION WAS LET'S USE THE HUD DOLLARS COMBINED WITH STATE DOLLARS AS SEED FUNDING, TO THEN QUICKLY NEGOTIATE WITH MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATIONS WHO REALLY, I THINK, UNDERSTAND NOW THE MINUTE WE PUT SOMEONE INTO HOUSING WITH THIS TYPE OF SUPPORT, IT REDUCES HEALTH CARE COSTS.
[00:35:10]
OUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES TO MAKE SURE THIS CONTINUES TO GET SUPPORT AND HOPEFULLY MORE SUPPORT AS YOU'RE ASKING FOR.WHAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE, SARAH, IN THIS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INITIATIVE IN MEETING THE 50% TARGETED GOAL BY 2026.
SO THE 50% GOAL IS A COMBINATION OF CONTINUING THE RATE AT WHICH WE'RE HOUSING PEOPLE AT THE HISTORIC PACE THAT WAS STARTED IN THE REAL TIME AND TARGETING ENCAMPMENTS VERY STRATEGICALLY OUTSIDE.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS INTEGRATION IS WE ALL KNOW THAT AS WE START TO HOUSE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNSHELTERED, THERE ARE POPULATIONS OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE WHO NEED VERY COMPREHENSIVE CARE, AND WE HAVE TO BE EQUIPPED AS A SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT CARE WHEN, AND WHERE IT'S NEEDED SO THAT WE'RE IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES AND HOUSING OUTCOMES.
SO YOU SEE THIS AS A KEY PIECE TO HELPING MEET THAT GOAL.
AND IT'S A GREAT IT'S JUST THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR TRANSFORMATION WHERE WE'RE WORKING ON BEHALF OF OUR PROVIDERS FOR THE SYSTEM TO PROVIDE A RESPONSE AND NOT LEAVING IT UP TO OUR PROVIDERS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PIECE RESOURCES TOGETHER.
AS WE AS A COUNCIL, ANTICIPATE FUNDING PRIORITIES FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK MOVING FORWARD, WHERE SHOULD WE, IN YOUR OPINION, BE FOCUSING OUR EFFORTS ON ON USING GENERAL FUNDS FOR FOR HOMELESSNESS PROJECTS AND OUTREACH? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THE CRITICAL WAYS WHERE THE CITY HAS ALREADY PLAYED AN INCREDIBLE ROLE IN WHERE WE NEED THE CITY TO CONTINUE PLAYING A ROLE ARE IN TWO PLACES.
ONE IS THE 16 OUTREACH WORKERS THAT HAVE HELPED FILL OUT OUR COORDINATED OUTREACH TEAM ARE ESSENTIAL TO ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, AND THEY'RE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH CARE COORDINATORS FROM THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN A SEAMLESS WAY.
AND THE SECOND PART IS REHOUSING.
SO AS REAL TIME RESOURCES RAMP DOWN, CONTINUING TO FILL IN THE GAPS IN THE REHOUSING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T MISS A BEAT ON THE NUMBER OF PLACEMENTS THAT WE ARE DOING EACH MONTH.
THE WHAT? CLOSURE MAINTENANCE.
LET'S SEE. I THINK I GOT SLIDE TWO.
I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT EARLIER OVER FOUR DIFFERENT ENCOUNTERS.
WHAT WAS THE TIME FRAME FOR THAT? I THINK YOU MENTIONED.
I THINK YOU SAID YOU MENTIONED THERE WAS FOUR DIFFERENT ENCOUNTERS.
WHAT WAS THAT TIME FRAME BEFORE THEY FINALLY BEFORE YOU FINALLY GAINED THAT TRUST.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT A MATTER OF WEEKS TO GAIN THAT RAPPORT.
AND THEN WHERE I GUESS WHERE WERE THEY HOUSED.
MANY OF THESE, THESE 115 OR SO WHERE? SO WE HOUSING FORWARD, WE HAVE A TEAM OF FIVE HOUSING LOCATORS AND THEIR ENTIRE JOB CENTERS AROUND BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH LANDLORDS ACROSS DALLAS COUNTY.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO GROW MORE PARTNERSHIPS IN COLLIN COUNTY AS WELL.
AND SO WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE PLACED SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
HOW MANY OF THEM WERE HOUSED IN ANY OF THE CITY FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE? IN THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE.
AND I THINK I MAY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT I WANT TO HEAR IT FIRST.
ONE OF WHICH THE VANTAGE POINT JUST GOT THEIR VOUCHERS ONLINE.
SO I'M NOT SURE I KNOW WHERE YOU GUYS WERE WORKING TO PLACE PEOPLE THERE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, FAMILY GATEWAY.
THAT IS NOT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR FAMILIES THEY DO WORK WITH PSH WHEN NEEDED, BUT THAT'S MORE TEMPORARY SHELTER FOR FAMILIES, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO PULL IN NUMBERS TO SEE HOW IN THE SYSTEM, THE SAINT JUDE BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THEY TRACK IT BY FUNDING SOURCE.
[00:40:01]
I THINK IT'S JUST THEY RUN PSH AND PEOPLE MOVE IN WHEN THEY MOVE IN.AND DO WE TRACK SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SAINT JUDE BUILDINGS HOW MANY HAVE COME FROM THESE PROJECTS? I DON'T THINK WE DO.
AND I GUESS I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PROCESSES OF SOMEBODY THAT'S ON THE STREET THAT GOES AND GETS PERMANENTLY HOUSED VERSUS SOMEONE.
AND I JUST KEEP USING MISS ZENA AS THE EXAMPLE THAT KEEPS COMING BACK.
AND I'M NOW STARTING TO SEE MORE AND MORE OF THOSE FOLKS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS PHASE ONE IN THIS ZONE, BUT FOR PEOPLE LIKE MISS ZENA, WHAT DOES THAT PROCESS LOOK LIKE FOR THEM? AND WOULD THIS TEAM BE THE TEAM THAT WOULD ADDRESS SOMEONE LIKE MISS ZENA? DARILYNN, YOU'VE RUN THESE TEAMS BEFORE.
DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT? SO I DON'T KNOW THIS PERSON, BUT I KNOW THIS PERSON.
[LAUGHTER] YEP. SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT THEY ARE OUR FAVORITE CLIENT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP AND ADDRESSING THEIR GOALS GETTING TO KNOW THEM AS PEOPLE AND ULTIMATELY HELP THEM WITH HOUSING STABILITY.
INDIVIDUALS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS OFTENTIMES FIND THEMSELVES IN A CYCLE OF CRISIS, AND IT TAKES THEM SOME TIME TO STABILIZE, TAKE MEDICATIONS ONCE THEY ARE CONNECTED TO A SERVICE PROVIDER THEY TRUST.
SO MY GOAL IS THAT FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL THAT, YOU KNOW, AS MANY AS I HAVE KNOWN THROUGHOUT MY CAREER THAT THIS TEAM WILL PROVIDE THE CARE THAT THEY NEED TO STABILIZE AND ULTIMATELY THEN NOT NEED CRISIS SERVICES.
STATISTICALLY, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, 92% OF INDIVIDUALS THAT MOVED INTO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WITH THIS LEVEL OF INTENSITY OF SUPPORT SERVICES REMAIN HOUSED FOR A YEAR OR LONGER.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT HE OR SHE WOULD BE PART OF THE 92%.
AND SO NOW THAT THAT'S KIND OF EXPANDING, THERE'S THE ABILITY TO FLAG THE TEAM, AND I BELIEVE THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN FLAGGED WITH SOME OTHER OUTLYING AREAS AND PEOPLE LIKE THAT WHO REALLY, REALLY NEED THIS HELP.
AND THEN I JUST YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT BUILDINGS.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PERMANENT HOUSING, THAT CAN EITHER BE A VOUCHER PAIRED WITH A MARKET RATE UNIT, OR IT CAN BE A PROJECT BASED BUILDING WHERE EVERY UNIT IS PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
AND THEN AS FAR AS THE TIMELINE IN TERMS OF EXPANDING OUT INTO SOME OF THOSE OTHER AREAS THAT I TALKED ABOUT IN DISTRICT THREE IN PARTICULAR, I'VE SEEN THEM IN DISTRICT FOUR AND, AND, THEY'RE SPOTTY, BUT THESE ARE THE ONES THAT THE COMMUNITY BASICALLY KNOWS.
I SAW HER THIS MORNING, AND SHE WAS JUST UP BY TACO CABANA PROBABLY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
AND SHE'S JUST SLOWLY MIGRATING.
SO WE'RE WONDERING WHAT THE TIMELINE WOULD BE TO EXPAND TO MEET SOME OF THOSE NEEDS OUT THERE.
SO THERE'S TWO TRACKS TO ENGAGING THOSE FOLKS.
ONE IS THROUGH THE ENCAMPMENT RESPONSE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, WHICH IS A VERY TARGETED EFFORT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ARE THOSE SITES THAT ARE CAUSING THE BIGGEST PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES, WHERE WE HAVE A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VULNERABLE, WHO ARE SLEEPING OUTSIDE.
BUT THE OTHER OPPORTUNITY IS THROUGH THE COORDINATED OUTREACH TEAMS THAT THE CITY INVESTED IN.
AND IT'S THAT CONSISTENCY THAT GETS TO WHAT DARILYNN WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE ABILITY TO BUILD RAPPORT AND ENGAGE IN A WAY WE HADN'T BEFORE, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT STRUCTURE IN PLACE WHERE WE HAVE THE SAME PEOPLE GOING TO THE SAME GEOGRAPHIC AREA CONSISTENTLY DAY AFTER DAY TO ENGAGE THE SAME PEOPLE.
[00:45:06]
SO THAT'S WHAT ELSE IS NEW ABOUT THIS.OKAY. WELL, I WANT TO SAY AGAIN, LIKE YOUR STAFF, CHRISTINE, THEY HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL AND THEY HAVE BEEN GOING OUT AND BUILDING THESE RELATIONSHIPS. AND I THINK I'M GOING TO SPEAK ON THE COMMUNITY SIDE ON THE COMMUNITY SIDE IS A LITTLE BIT FRUSTRATING THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY SEE THE RESULTS.
AND WE GET THE NUMBERS AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
AND THEN WHEN WE DO SEE THE RESULTS AND THEY COME BACK, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING.
SO FOR ME, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO PROCESS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING AND WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND HOW THE OUTCOME WILL BE DIFFERENT.
I'M STILL NOT PROCESSING THAT COMPLETELY, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK.
AND THEN FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, TRYING TO PROCESS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.
I DON'T REALLY SEE IT JUST YET.
YEAH. I MEAN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT.
WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO YEAH, AND A LITTLE BIT OF THE DIFFERENCE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHOW AS WE COME FORWARD IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE THIS TEAM IS NOW ROLLED OUT AND IS TRIED AND TESTED, IS THE RESOURCES FOR WHERE PEOPLE GO.
AND THE AS WAS SAID, I THINK THE BEHAVIORAL RESOURCES THAT KEEP THEM THERE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN PIECING THOSE RESOURCES TOGETHER, BUT IT'S REALLY HAVING THIS DEDICATED TEAM THAT CAN BE THERE EVEN BEFORE THEY MOVE IN AND HOLD THEIR HAND THE ENTIRE WAY.
THAT'S GOING TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THAT VERY NICHE POPULATION THAT'S VERY VISIBLE.
THANK YOU. I HAVE QUITE A FEW QUESTIONS ACTUALLY.
SO CHAIR, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STOP ME IF NEEDED.
I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS GOING TO BE CHRISTINE A COUPLE OF TIMES YOU'VE MENTIONED THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND THE ITEM EITHER BEING BRIEFED OR MORE OF A CONCERN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SURE. AND I CAN TALK TO KEVIN ABOUT THAT BEING BRIEFED.
TRYING TO ORGANIZE IT IN MY HEAD.
WHEN? SO WHEN WE ARE MOVING INTO THE CLOSURE PHASE WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY AND CRISIS RESPONSE, IF I'M SAYING THAT CORRECTLY, FOR MULTIPLE WEEKS, TALKING ABOUT THE AREA THAT'S GOING TO BE CLOSED, AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED 24 OVER SEVEN COVERAGE OF THE AREA.
AND ALL OF THAT IS RUN THROUGH DIRECTOR ODEN'S OFFICE.
AND THEN HE ALSO ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE IS WORKING NOT ONLY WITH DDI AND THE HEART TEAM, BUT ALSO WITH DPD, DFR AND ANY OTHER SECURITY PERSONNEL WHO ARE GOING TO BE UTILIZED TO GUARANTEE THAT COVERAGE.
AND HE HAS PULLED ALL OF THAT TOGETHER.
AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO THESE OTHER DECOMMISSIONINGS, HE WILL BE ON THOSE CALLS ADVISING US ABOUT THE DIFFERENT CONCERNS THAT HE HAS IN DIFFERENT AREAS AND HOW BEST TO PULL RESOURCES TOGETHER TO GUARANTEE CLOSURE MAINTENANCE.
OKAY. WELL, WHAT YOU'RE OUTLINING, THOUGH, SEEMS TO BE THE PROCESS OF CONDUCTING THE CLOSURE.
AND MY QUESTION AND WHAT YOU HAD STATED EARLIER WAS ABOUT CLOSURE MAINTENANCE.
[00:50:07]
LONG TERM, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE STANDING GUARD SOMEWHERE.THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING SOMETHING ACTIVELY.
AND SO I APOLOGIZE IF THAT WASN'T CLEAR.
WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE CLOSURE MAINTENANCE.
YES, HE IS HELPING US PLAN FOR THE ACTIVE DAY OF CLOSURE.
BUT THEN THOSE 24 THAT 24 OVER SEVEN COVERAGE CONTINUES FOR UP TO 90 DAYS OR MORE AS NEEDED.
SO IT IS ACTUALLY ACTIVELY GOING ON NOW.
AND KNOW WHAT WE DON'T OBVIOUSLY WANT DPD TO BE JUST STANDING GUARD, BUT WE ALSO DO NEED THE AMALGAMATION OF ENFORCEMENT THAT DIRECTOR ODEN PULLS TOGETHER.
AND AGAIN, I CAN TAKE THESE QUESTIONS DOWN FOR HIM.
HE WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE WITH US THIS MORNING.
OKAY, WELL, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU SAY THE MARSHALS, BUT I DON'T SEE DPD WITH A ROLE IN GUARDING AN AREA THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT, AND I APOLOGIZE, THE MARSHALS ARE IN THAT MIX.
OKAY I GUESS THE LARGEST QUESTION I'M GOING TO ASK IS, ARE WE ACTUALLY EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES NEEDED TODAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING A SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE OR DEALING WITH A SIGNIFICANT ADDICTION ISSUE.
OH, THERE YOU GO. AS WE MENTIONED, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING OUTSIDE WHO HAVE SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES CAN BE CARED FOR THROUGH THE TWO LEVELS OF INTEGRATION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THROUGH OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT ON THE STREET AND THROUGH OUR HOME BASED CARE TEAMS IN THE COMMUNITY.
AS WE MENTIONED, THERE IS ALSO A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT GROUP OF PEOPLE, A VERY SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE WHOSE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AT A PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME ARE SO SEVERE AND PEOPLE ARE FACED WITH ILLNESS AND NOT POTENTIALLY NOT PRACTICING IN SELF CARE, POTENTIALLY A THREAT TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS. AND IN THAT SITUATION WE ARE, YOU KNOW, VERY GLAD TO BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE WITH WHAT CHRISTINE TALKED ABOUT, WHICH IS THE RIGHT CARE RESPONSE AND OTHER CRISIS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE RESPONSE.
OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO PAUSE YOU THERE.
SO IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO HAS ONE OF THESE VERY SIGNIFICANT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WHO ARE A DANGER TO THEMSELVES OR OTHERS WHO AREN'T, AS YOU SAY, PRACTICING SELF-CARE.
SURE, THE RIGHT CARE TEAM COMES OUT.
MAYBE THEY'RE EVEN COMPELLED TO THERE'S AN APOWW.
THEY'RE GOING TO GO TO HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH HOLD.
BUT GENERALLY, AREN'T THEY BEING RELEASED THE SAME DAY? AND I THINK THE OPPORTUNITY, WHICH I THINK DARILYNN AND MATT COULD PROBABLY TALK MORE, IS THROUGH THIS INTEGRATION.
WE NEED TO WORK ON HOW WE MOVE BEYOND THAT.
AND AS WE HAVE THOSE, AS WE'RE ABLE TO COMPEL THOSE INDIVIDUALS INTO CARE.
MEETING THEM WHERE THEY'RE AT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ONGOING ENGAGEMENT.
SO ARE YOU SAYING YOU HAVE THIS TODAY OR ARE YOU SAYING THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE ASPIRING TO? SO, MATT, DO YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT CRISIS RESPONSE LOOKS LIKE TODAY? SURE SO WE HAVE CURRENTLY CAPACITY TO DO THE SERVICE WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.
SO WE HAVE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES PRESENTLY.
OKAY. BUT SO CAN I JUST PAUSE FOR A SECOND.
YES. WELL, THESE ARE THESE ARE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS WITH A RANGE OF DIFFERENT PRACTITIONERS PROVIDING HEALTH CARE, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE, PRIMARY CARE, PSYCHIATRIC MEDICATION MANAGEMENT.
BUT YOU SAID IT WAS ONCE A WEEK.
RIGHT. DARILYNN DO YOU WANT TO DIG INTO WHAT THE ACT TEAMS LOOK LIKE ON THE GROUND? SO THE ACT TEAMS ARE COMPOSED OF 10 TO 12 CLINICIANS, AND IT'S A MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESPONSE TEAM.
IT'S AN EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE THAT INCLUDES PSYCHIATRISTS, NURSING, LICENSED CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY COUNSELORS, PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE WORKING AS CERTIFIED PEERS, CASE MANAGERS, AND LICENSED CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.
THESE TEAMS ARE NEW TEAMS. THESE ARE NOT THE SERVICES THAT EXISTED BEFORE.
[00:55:07]
HOUSING. THE SYSTEM HAD CASE MANAGEMENT BEFORE AND ACT TEAMS BEFORE.HOWEVER, THESE ARE NEW TEAMS AND NEW RESOURCES COMING INTO THIS COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS.
YOU HAVE REALLY ONE OF THE LARGEST LOCAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AUTHORITIES IN THE STATE WITH HUGE REACH THAT MATT REPRESENTS, AND HE CAN SPEAK FOR THAT.
BUT THE RESOURCES ARE STILL LIMITED BASED ON THE DEMANDS OF THIS POPULATION.
AND I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO NOTE, TOO, THAT THE REASON THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND NOW THE INNOVATION THAT WE ARE USING WITH HUD PAYS FOR A CASE RATE FOR THESE TEAMS IS BECAUSE THEY ARE REQUIRED THROUGH THEIR CONTRACT WITH NEPA TO PROVIDE AS MANY HOURS AS IS REQUIRED THROUGH TREATMENT PLANS THAT ARE CREATED WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL, SO THAT THOSE TEAMS CAN REALLY TAILOR THE AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL GETS BASED ON WHAT IS CLINICALLY RECOMMENDED FOR THAT PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL.
SO I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER PART OF THE INNOVATION IS NOT SAYING IT'S A ONCE A WEEK AND WE'RE DONE, BUT MORE HOW THIS ACTUALLY ROLLS OUT IS YOU ARE CONTRACTED TO PROVIDE WHAT HAS BEEN CLINICALLY RECOMMENDED FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL.
CAN YOU CLARIFY HOW MANY INPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH BEDS THERE ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE HOMELESS? SO THE QUESTION IS HOW MANY INPATIENT BEDS ARE AVAILABLE? THE COMMUNITY HAS A ROUND NUMBER, A COUPLE OF HUNDRED OF TOTAL INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC BEDS.
AND OF THOSE NEPA HAS IS CONTRACTED FOR AROUND 50 SOMETHING BEDS A DAY.
AND THOSE WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE BY A PROCESS, BUT INDEPENDENT OF THEIR HOUSING STATUS.
ARE ALL THOSE BEDS FULL RIGHT NOW? TYPICALLY MOST BEDS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE FULL.
BUT WE ALSO DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLACE PEOPLE EACH DAY.
YES, BUT WE CAN MOVE PEOPLE INTO BEDS EACH DAY.
IF THEY'RE MUCH LONGER, THEN THEY TYPICALLY GET IN LINE TO MOVE OFF TO THE STATE HOSPITAL, BUT IT DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL AND THIS CAN BE FOR VOLUNTARY AND INVOLUNTARY.
AND IT'S WHETHER THEY'RE ON MEDICAID OR NOT.
NO. SO THE BEDS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT ARE THE NON MEDICAID JUST THE INDIGENT BEDS THAT MANAGES THE MEDICAID BEDS THOSE WOULD BE ASSESSED ON TOP OF THAT. OKAY.
AND THEN WHAT ABOUT FOR ADDICTION SERVICES? HOW MANY INPATIENT BEDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THAT? I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
OKAY, SO I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR THIS NUMBER ACTUALLY, FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
CAN YOU PROMISE ME YOU'LL GET IT TO ME? I CAN. YES OKAY.
OKAY. AND CHAIR MENDELSOHN, WE ALSO HAVE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER LINA HERE, SO I'LL MAKE SURE SHE GETS THAT I'VE ALREADY ASKED HER FOR IT TOO, SO.
OKAY, SO YOU'VE GOT THESE 480 THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT ARE GOING TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING THAT ARE PART OF THIS COHORT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO TARGET. BUT WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THE ONES THAT ABSOLUTELY ARE GOING TO REJECT HOUSING.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO GO OUT, YOU'RE GOING TO MEET WITH THEM.
YOU'RE GOING TO TRY OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THEY DON'T WANT HOUSING.
NOW WHAT? WELL, THANKFULLY OUR EXPERIENCE HAS TOLD US THAT THAT'S A VERY SMALL PERCENT.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP TRYING AND KEEP ENGAGING.
AND THAT'S REALLY I THINK THE NATURE OF THESE TEAMS IS, YOU KNOW, WE SEE PEOPLE MOVING INTO HOUSING AFTER BEING ON THE STREET FOR 20 YEARS AND BEING VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THAT ENVIRONMENT AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE COMPREHENSIVE CARE TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT PEOPLE.
[01:00:05]
STAY THERE. WELL, I THINK ACTUALLY I'M TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENT POPULATION, BECAUSE IT'S NOT PEOPLE WHO'VE NECESSARILY BEEN ON THE STREET FOR 20 YEARS.MANY OF THE PEOPLE I'M SEEING NOW ARE IN THEIR 20S, AND THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT ADDICTION ISSUES.
THEY'RE POSSIBLY DEALING DRUGS.
THEY DO NOT WANT MENTAL HEALTH CARE.
THEY WANT TO CONTINUE THEIR LIFE LIVING UNDER BRIDGES AND IN THE CREEKS AND BEHIND SHOPPING CENTERS.
AND I DON'T SEE HOW YOU'RE ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES, AND THEY'RE VERY PROBLEMATIC FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE'VE GOT BUSINESSES LEAVING TOWN.
WE'VE GOT RESIDENTS WHO FEEL UNSAFE.
THERE ARE ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES HAPPENING.
THERE'S PEOPLE PASSED OUT ON SIDEWALKS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE CHRISTINE IS SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING ME TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE MIGHT BE REMOVED, BUT THEY'RE BACK THE NEXT DAY.
AND SO I DON'T SEE A STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH THAT AT ALL.
SO I THINK THE NEW TOOL, WHAT'S NEW ABOUT THIS VERSUS HOW WE'VE ADDRESSED HOMELESSNESS AND ENCAMPMENTS PRIOR TO THESE EFFORTS, IS THAT WITH THE OFFER OF HOUSING, THAT HAS BEEN A NEW TOOL OF ENGAGEMENT, WHERE PEOPLE ARE SAYING YES TO WORKING WITH US ON HOUSING, EVEN IF THEY DO NOT WANT TO GO TO SHELTER FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, WHICH I THINK EVERYONE ON THIS PANEL COULD SPEAK TO.
BUT WITH THE OFFER OF HOUSING, WE'RE NOT ONLY ABLE TO ACTUALLY END SOMEONE'S HOMELESSNESS, BUT WE'RE RESOLVING THAT ENCAMPMENT INSTEAD OF, TO YOUR POINT, GOING, MOVING PEOPLE ALONG, OFFERING A SERVICE THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO ACCESS, AND THEN THEY'RE COMING BACK TO THAT SITE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF IF THEY DON'T WANT HOUSING.
AND SO, YES, COUNCIL MEMBER, AS I THINK YOU AND I ARE VERY FAMILIAR WIT.
THERE IS A POINT AT WHICH IT NEEDS TO BE A BEHAVIOR CHANGE, AND THAT'S WHERE THE CITY OUTREACH AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, CODE AND PUBLIC WORKS. AND OUR MOBILE CRISIS AND RIGHT CARE SOMETIMES DO COME IN AND IT REALLY IS ABOUT WE ARE GOING TO HELP PEOPLE AS MUCH AS WE CAN. BUT THERE ALSO IS AN EXPECTATION OF WHAT THE PUBLIC LAND AND OCCUPATION WILL LOOK LIKE.
AND WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO, BECAUSE WE REALIZE, AND I HEARD YOUR FRUSTRATIONS AS WELL, THAT WE CAN'T DO THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND AGAIN TO NO EFFECT.
I KEEP HEARING THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SITE HARDENING ON THE TOLLWAY AND IT STILL HASN'T HAPPENED.
CAN YOU SHARE WITH US HOW MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE LOST THEIR HOUSING, WHERE THEIR LAST PERMANENT HOUSING WAS FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS, AS OPPOSED TO SOMEWHERE ELSE? AND ALSO HOW MANY OF THOSE MIGHT BE MIGRANTS? COULD YOU REPEAT THE FIRST QUESTION? SO OUT OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN HOUSED SINCE 20[INAUDIBLE].
RIGHT. SO YOU'RE SHOWING THAT YOU'VE HOUSED 12,713 SINCE 2021.
ARE YOU ASKING THE QUESTION OF WHAT THEIR LAST PERMANENT ADDRESS WAS? WE DO NOT.
IT USED TO BE A STANDARD QUESTION WE DON'T CONSISTENTLY TRACK LAST ADDRESS.
CAN WE ASK YOU TO DO THAT? SO THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS CONTRACTUALLY REQUIRED BECAUSE LAST ADDRESS IS NOT A GOOD INDICATOR OF WHERE SOMEONE HAS ACTUALLY BEEN.
THEIR LAST ADDRESS COULD HAVE BEEN SIX MONTHS AGO, IT COULD HAVE BEEN THREE MONTHS AGO.
FOR MIGRANTS, WE ACTUALLY DON'T DEAL WITH THAT.
THE SYSTEM IS NOT SET UP TO DEAL WITH THOSE DIFFERENT LEGAL ISSUES AND BARRIERS.
SO WE PATCH THEM THROUGH TO THE OFFICE OF WELCOMING COMMUNITIES WHO WORKS WITH IMMIGRATION ISSUES.
OKAY. WELL, I'M HAVING PROVIDERS TELL ME THAT THEY MOST CERTAINLY ARE DEALING WITH MIGRANTS.
AND NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO.
[01:05:01]
I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT POLICY QUESTION FOR US IF WE FIND THAT THE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS, THE LAST PERMANENT ADDRESS PEOPLE HAVE HAD HAS BEEN OUTSIDE OF TEXAS VERSUS IN TEXAS, OR IF EVERYBODY'S COMING FROM GARLAND.MAYBE WE NEED TO BE DEALING WITH THAT ISSUE.
AND I THINK AND I'M JUST USING GARLAND AS AN EXAMPLE.
LET ME ASK YOU ON PAGE THREE THERE'S A LINE THAT SAYS MAINTAIN CLOSURE LONG TERM WITH PARTNERS.
OTHER THAN DDI, WHAT PARTNERS ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING WITH TO MAINTAIN CLOSURES OR ARE THERE ANY OR WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DEVELOP? HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED OTHER PARTNERS? SO THAT DRAWS BACK TO WHAT I TALKED ABOUT.
IS GOING THROUGH DIRECTOR ODEN IN TERMS OF THE SITE CLOSURE, MAINTENANCE.
HE RUNS THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT KEEP THE SITES CLOSED DOWN.
AND THEN PULLS IN OTHER OUTREACH PROVIDERS THROUGH OHS.
SO I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO NEED MORE ATTENTION.
ON PAGE FOUR, WHERE YOU'VE GOT THIS FIRST PHASE THAT WAS LAUNCHED DOWNTOWN, I'M WONDERING WHAT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO ABOUT SOME OF THE AREAS THAT ARE NOT AS CONCENTRATED, MEANING, YOU KNOW, ARAPAHO AND TOLLWAY.
THERE'S A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT.
THAT DUDE'S BEEN THERE AT LEAST THREE YEARS.
HE'S RUNNING OFF OTHER BUSINESSES IN THAT AREA AND NOTHING'S HAPPENING FOR THAT.
SPRING VALLEY AND THE TOLLWAY, LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE I KNOW.
IN THE PAST 2 OR 3 WEEKS, THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING OUT THERE.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALLER THAN IT'S BEEN.
FRANKFORT AND THE TOLLWAY ONGOING PROBLEM.
MOCKINGBIRD AND 35 ALL ALONG 35 FOREST AND 75, YOU KNOW, POPS BACK UP EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
BUT, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT PROBLEMS ALL ACROSS THE CITY.
AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ADDRESS THIS IN OTHER PLACES? SO THERE'S TWO THERE ARE TWO STRATEGIES FOR RESOLVING STREET HOMELESSNESS.
ONE IS THE ENCAMPMENT REHOUSING RESPONSE, WHICH IS INDICATED ON THE ZONES THAT YOU SEE HERE.
WE CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY AND WORK ON ZONES AND WILL BE REPORTING BACK TO YOU AS THOSE LARGE ENCAMPMENTS CLOSE AND ARE REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC. THE OTHER WAY IS THROUGH OUR NOW FULLY IMPLEMENTED COORDINATED OUTREACH TEAM, WHICH IS WHERE WE HAVE 30 PLUS OUTREACH STAFF THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS WORKING WITH PEOPLE, THE SAME PEOPLE WORKING THE SAME AREA, TALKING TO THE SAME PEOPLE TO ENGAGE THEM IN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT GETTING CONNECTED WITH CARE THROUGH THIS NEW PARTNERSHIP AS WELL AS HOUSING.
CHAIR MENDELSOHN, ABOUT TWO MORE MINUTES.
THAT'S FINE. SO I'LL ASK YOU ON THIS ONE FOR ZONE ONE, WHICH YOU HAVE AS THE LIBRARY IN CITY HALL.
WHEN YOU CAME IN TODAY, DID YOU NOTICE THE HOMELESS? SO AS I HAVE SAID, THERE IS CLOSURE MAINTENANCE THAT MOVES PEOPLE ALONG.
SO IF YOU NOTICE, THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT THERE 24 OVER SEVEN.
I THINK THAT WAS FAIRLY OFFENSIVE WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH ANYBODY, NO MATTER WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE SITTING AND ENJOYING THE WEATHER.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
WHAT KIND OF GROWTH IS METRO CARE GOING TO UNDERTAKE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? SO THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
WE HAVE A NETWORK OF PROVIDERS.
SO THEY'RE INDIVIDUAL PROVIDERS LIKE METRO CARE HAVE GROWN TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW SERVICES.
AND FOR MOST OF THE SERVICES RECEIVED, ARE THEY GOING TO YOUR FACILITY IN LAKE HIGHLANDS AREA OR ARE THEY ALL OVER THE CITY.
HOW IS THAT WORKING? SO FOR THE ONGOING SERVICES THEY CAN CHOOSE ANY PARTICIPATING MEMBER IN OUR NETWORK.
[01:10:07]
BUT FOR THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE TEAMS, THE IDEA IS THAT WE MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT IN THE COMMUNITY.AND SO THESE ARE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS. AND DEPENDING ON WHICH SERVICES ARE CLINICALLY RECOMMENDED FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL, THOSE PRACTITIONERS WOULD MEET PEOPLE IN THEIR HOMES OR IN PLACES THAT ARE CONVENIENT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE INTEGRATE INTO THEIR COMMUNITY.
BUT THE CLIENT IS STILL MANAGING APPOINTMENTS AND HAVING TO GET THEMSELVES TO AN APPOINTMENT.
SO FOR THE MOST PART, THE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THEY ARE THEIR COMMUNITY BASE OR HOME BASE, THAT'S WHAT SARAH WAS REFERRING TO.
SO CLINICIANS WOULD GO TO THE INDIVIDUAL'S HOME TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE.
AND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF HOUSING STABILITY.
AND FOR SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED TO ARE PROVIDED BY THE PSYCHIATRIST THAT CAN BE PROVIDED VIA TELEHEALTH OR ALSO IN CLINIC.
BUT MOST SERVICES ARE PROVIDED IN THE HOME.
SO THE CASE MANAGER IS GOING TO THE HOME, BUT THERE'S NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL GOING TO THE HOME, CORRECT? ACTUALLY, NO NURSES GO TO THE HOME.
LICENSED CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY COUNSELORS GO TO THE HOME.
LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS AND SOME PSYCHIATRISTS DO THAT, TOO.
FOR THIS TEAM, FOR THIS PARTICULAR POPULATION THEY ARE IT'S INNOVATIVE IN THAT IT'S REMOVING THE WALLS OF THE CLINIC AND JUST BRINGING THE CLINIC TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE.
HOW MANY PSYCHIATRISTS DO YOU HAVE THAT DO HOME VISITS? YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HERE IN NORTH TEXAS, BUT I KNOW WHERE I COME FROM.
SO YOU HAD THREE IN TRAVIS COUNTY? DO WE HAVE AN ANSWER FOR METRO CARE? I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER FOR METRO CARE.
OBVIOUSLY, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 12,713 PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HOUSED IN PLACEMENTS.
CAN YOU GIVE ME A DEFINITION OF DIVERSION, RAPID REHOUSING, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND THE POPULATION THAT WE'RE SPEAKING TO? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT CHRONICALLY HOMELESS? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE VERGE OF HOMELESSNESS? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE THAT'S BEEN HOMELESS FOR A WEEK? AND IF WE CAN GET THOSE NUMBERS AS WELL.
BUT IF YOU CAN JUST GIVE ME THE DEFINITIONS OF HOW PEOPLE ARE CLASSIFIED.
ONE OF THE NEW INNOVATIONS THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED BETWEEN, I GUESS, MARCH AND TODAY WAS REALLY ROLLING OUT SYSTEM WIDE DIVERSION TO ALL OF OUR MAJOR ACCESS POINTS.
SO ACCESS POINTS ARE TYPICALLY OUR SHELTERS OR OUR OUTREACH TEAMS. AND DIVERSION IS NOW A PROBLEM SOLVING CONVERSATION THAT WE WANT ANYONE ACCESSING EMERGENCY SHELTER TO HAVE THEIR FIRST CONVERSATION BE A DIVERSION PROBLEM SOLVING CONVERSATION WHERE IDEALLY WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, AS PEOPLE ARE, HAVE JUST BECOME HOMELESS AND ARE ACCESSING SERVICES ON DAY ONE, WE WOULD LIKE TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT MEANS THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A LONG STAY IN SHELTER, BUT WE CAN IMMEDIATELY SUPPORT THEM TO GO LIVE WITH A COUSIN OR MAYBE MEDIATE THE RETURN TO THEIR PREVIOUS HOUSING SITUATION.
AND SO A LOT OF OUR EVIDENCE TO DATE IS WITH THE FAMILY POPULATION.
WE WILL NOW GET NEW EVIDENCE FOR WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE WITH SINGLE ADULTS AFTER THIS YEAR OF ROLLING OUT, BUT IN THE FAMILY'S SPACE FAMILIES ARE STAYING FOR, YOU KNOW, ON AVERAGE 4 OR 5 NIGHTS IN SHELTER BEFORE THEY'RE REHOUSED.
SO THAT'S A QUICK, RAPID EXIT FROM THE SHELTER.
AND IDEALLY, WE WANT TO GIVE THAT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S THE CHEAPEST INTERVENTION.
IT'S THE INTERVENTION THAT THAT HELPS FAMILIES AVOID THE TRAUMA OF LONG STAYS IN CRISIS.
[01:15:07]
FOR ANYONE WHO IS NOT RECEIVING A DIVERSION INTERVENTION AND DOESN'T LEAVE SHELTER ON THEIR OWN, WE WANT TO RESERVE RAPID REHOUSING, WHICH IS AGAIN, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC REASONS WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM RENTAL ASSISTANCE, TYPICALLY UP TO 12 MONTHS WITH CASE MANAGEMENT TO HELP PEOPLE GET BACK ON THEIR FEET. AND THEN FOR ABOUT 15% OF OUR POPULATION WHO'S EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS, THIS IS A POPULATION WHO HAS SHOWN US THAT THEY CAN'T LEAVE ON THEIR OWN, AND THEY NEED SOMETHING THAT HAS MORE COMPREHENSIVE CARE.AND SO THAT'S THE SMALLEST, MOST INTENSIVE, MOST EXPENSIVE INTERVENTION FOR THAT GROUP.
OKAY. SO I MEAN OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM GOING INTO HOMELESSNESS AS WELL.
THE CHALLENGE THAT I HAVE IS THAT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OF HAVING 1856 INDIVIDUALS WHO MEET THAT CRITERIA AND REALLY WANTING TO SEE THAT NUMBER GROW AT THE SAME TIME WE'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT PRACTICING SELF-CARE OR ARE A THREAT TO THEMSELVES.
DO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THAT POPULATION? I MEAN, I WOULD SAY, WHAT, LESS THAN 100 PEOPLE? I MEAN, I DON'T WE DON'T HAVE DATA ON THAT SPECIFIC POPULATION, DO WE? I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK FURTHER IN AND PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
I WOULDN'T WANT TO COME UP WITH A FIGURE.
WE CAN MAKE THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE.
AND WE SAID THAT THOSE WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
IS THERE A REASON WHY YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE LOCATIONS OF WHERE INDIVIDUALS ARE BEING HOUSED? IS IT ARE THEY BEING HOUSED? SO THAT'S NOT A CONTRACTUALLY TRACKED DATA POINT BECAUSE THESE ARE THEN JUST NORMAL CITIZENS LIVING IN THEIR HOUSING.
SO IT WOULD BE AN INVASION OF PRIVACY TO TRACK THEIR ADDRESSES.
BUT REGARDLESS, I MEAN THE MAIN GOAL OF OUR HOUSING LOCATION TEAM IS TO DIVERSIFY A PORTFOLIO OF UNITS SO THAT WE GIVE EVERY PERSON, WHETHER YOU'RE ON THE STREET OR IN SHELTER, OPTIONS FOR WHERE YOU WANT TO LIVE.
SO AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY, AND WE SEE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, BUT WHEN WE'RE GOING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITIES, IT'S VERY CHALLENGING TO SAY, YES, WE KNOW THAT THIS PERSON HAS BEEN HOUSED.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST GOING ON ON DATA THAT'S BEING PROVIDED TO US.
WHERE IS THE MEASURE? HOW DO WE REFERENCE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING ANY SORT OF INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US, WHETHER THAT IS INTERNAL OR FORWARD FACING? SO THE CONTRACTUAL MEASURE IS THAT THEY ARE WITHIN THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.
AND WE HAVE A COMMUNITY WIDE DASHBOARD.
AND THAT'S WHAT PULLS INTO THE DASHBOARD TO LOOK AT MONTHLY PLACEMENTS.
SO THIS IS JUST A VERY HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF THE DATA.
BUT ON THAT DASHBOARD YOU CAN KIND OF DRILL DOWN INTO, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS.
YOU CAN LOOK AT IT BY MONTH, BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, GENDER, ALL OF THOSE DRILL DOWN.
AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STREET TO HOME.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU ALL SOME CREDIT THERE.
I THINK WE'VE SEEN SOME SUCCESS.
WE'VE ALSO SEEN SOME MOVEMENT INTO FOUNDERS PLAZA, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF ZONE ONE, WHERE WE HAD THE PARK WITH ZERO HOMELESSNESS.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STREET TO HOME, YOU SAID PUBLIC SPACES, OUTDOOR SPACES.
DOES THAT INCLUDE INDOOR PUBLIC SPACES AS WELL OR EXCLUSIVELY OUTDOOR SPACES? SO STREET TO HOME, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE TARGETING STREET HOMELESSNESS IN A PARTICULAR WAY THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, BUT WE'RE ALSO HOUSING PEOPLE OUT OF SHELTER.
[01:20:07]
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? FOLKS, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET AT OUR LIBRARY WHO WHO ARE SLEEPING INSIDE THE LIBRARY.YEAH, I MEAN, THOSE SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE ALREADY ACCESSING OUR SHELTERS.
SOME OF THEM ARE LIVING IN OTHER UNSHELTERED LOCATIONS.
SO YOU GUYS ARE GOING PHYSICALLY INSIDE PUBLIC BUILDINGS AS WELL? YEAH. OKAY.
SO AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
MY QUESTION IS, WHY HAVEN'T WE BEEN DOING THIS? WHAT HOW DID WE GET HERE TODAY WITH BEING ABLE TO HOUSE 100 INDIVIDUALS, 107 INDIVIDUALS IN 100 DAYS? WHY DIDN'T WE SEE THIS TWO FIVE YEARS AGO? SO A LOT.
OUR SYSTEM HAS DONE A COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE IN THIS WAY.
AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT POINT, BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REFLECT ON THE HUGE SHIFTS THAT WE'VE MADE AS A COMMUNITY AND THOSE KEY INGREDIENTS THAT HAVE LED TO THIS SUCCESS. FIRST IS MAKING IT A TOP PRIORITY.
I COULD NAME ALL OF THEM, BUT ALL OF OUR PROVIDERS REALLY SPEAKING UP TO SAY WE'RE READY TO WORK IN A COORDINATED WAY, AND WE'RE READY TO HAVE A LEAD AGENCY THAT CAN BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AROUND A SHARED VISION THAT CAN HELP US RAISE FUNDING AND DESIGN A SYSTEM THAT CAN TACKLE THIS PROBLEM.
AND IT'S JUST BEEN AN INCREDIBLE SHOWING FROM OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE NOT WERE UP FOR THAT CHANGE, BUT NOW ARE LIVING THAT CHANGE BY SHOWING UP AND WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH EACH OTHER TO MOVE PEOPLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR PARTNERS.
ONE IN PARTICULAR, DDI HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE AND A BIG CHAMPION.
HOW DO WE MOVE THESE PROJECTS, THESE INITIATIVES TO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T HAVE A PAIR OR A GROUP THAT CAN ASSIST IN HOW DO WE LEVERAGE THE WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THAT SUPPORT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES? SO I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO OUR SYSTEM WIDE OUTREACH.
THAT'S BY QUADRANT THAT NOW HAS THESE GROUPS ATTACHED TO IT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED ACROSS ALL OF DALLAS FOR THE PAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
BUT IN TERMS OF HAVING THIS DEDICATED, HEY, WE'RE JUST GOING TO FOCUS ON THOSE WHO ARE OUTSIDE WITH THIS CHRONICITY AND WITH THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TEAMS. THAT IS NEW.
AND SO THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND I DO WANT TO STATE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM FIRST IN THE NATION.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
BUT AS SARAH SAID, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, BY NO MEANS IS THIS EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO.
AND THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
AND SO I WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT FIRST STEP.
THIS SUMMER HAS BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL.
AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT RAMPING IT UP.
SO YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT COMING TODAY SAYING WE'VE SOLVED THE PROBLEM.
WE'RE SAYING THAT THIS IS A NEW ERA OF PROBLEM SOLVING.
WHILE IT MIGHT LOOK GOOD TODAY, WHAT'S THE PLAN IN THE EFFORTS SIX MONTHS, A YEAR DOWN THE ROAD? I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THE MONITORING OF THE SITES AND THE MARSHAL'S EFFORTS.
CAN YOU SPEAK ON WHAT RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS SHOULD BE DOING IF THEY SEE A TENT POP UP IN ONE OF THESE ZONES, WHO SHOULD THEY BE REACHING OUT TO? IS THAT 311? IS THAT THE CSA APP.
WHO SHOULD WE BE REACHING OUT TO? WHEN A BUSINESS OWNER SEES A TENT POP UP IN FRONT OF THEIR SIDEWALK? AND IT'S BOTH OF THOSE.
IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A ONE AND DONE.
SO THERE WILL BE TIMES THAT THEY NEED TO COME BACK ONLINE FOR THIS SITE AND FOR NEW SITES.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, YES, CESA APP 311.
[01:25:01]
WE ALSO THROUGH OHS AND OUR OTHER PARTNERS ARE VERY, VERY ACTIVE WITH BUSINESS OWNERS TO TRY AND GIVE THEM THAT TRANSPARENCY INTO WHO WE ARE AND HOW THEY CONTACT US, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE THAT AGENCY TO GET IN CONTACT AND VOICE THEIR FRUSTRATIONS.AND CHRISTINE, WITH STAFFING CHANGES THAT JUST NATURALLY OCCUR.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT IN THE 311 SYSTEM THAT DESIGNATES THAT THIS IS A CLOSED ZONE OR A ZONE THAT'S BEEN DECOMMISSIONED? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WHEN AN ADDRESS IS PULLED IN THAT TRIGGERS THAT IT'S ONE OF THESE LOCATIONS TO ALERT THE CLEAN TEAM OR WHATEVER DEPARTMENT IT MIGHT BE THAT THERE'S A ZERO TOLERANCE IN THAT PERIMETER.
SO 311 IS CURRENTLY OVERHAULING RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PUT IN.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I WILL DEFINITELY LOOK AT.
THANK YOU. AGAIN, CHRISTINE CROSSLEY, OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS.
HAPPY TO HAVE DANIEL ROBY, CEO FOR AUSTIN STREET, WITH ME HERE TODAY.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO DO A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW AND TRY TO GIVE MOST TIME BACK TO QUESTIONS.
JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON THIS.
THANK YOU. THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN LONG IN THE MAKING.
AND REALLY CAME TO BE THROUGH CHAPTER 45, WHICH WAS APPROVED.
I KNOW IT CAME THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE AND ALSO THROUGH THE CHC AND WAS APPROVED IN DECEMBER OF 2020.
SO VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND OF COURSE, CITY MANAGER AND CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO NOT ONLY HAVE THE FINANCIAL AND CITY CODE STRUCTURE TO ENACT INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER RESPONSE, BUT ALSO TO HAVE CONTRACTS WITH PARTNERS, WHICH I BELIEVE.
SO VERY VERY GRATEFUL FOR THOSE.
AND BOTH OF THOSE ARE FOR THREE HOURS OR LONGER BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 4 P.M.
BUT I KNOW THAT'S ALWAYS A QUESTION OF WHEN DOES INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER GET TRIGGERED.
SO PHASE ONE AS WE TALKED ABOUT, IS THE CONTRACT THAT ALLOWS AUSTIN STREET TO TAKE OVER WITH THEIR SITE, WHICH IS THE OLD AUSTIN STREET BUILDING, AND THEN PULL EVERYBODY TOGETHER.
PHASE TWO IS WHERE WE'RE REACHING CAPACITY THERE AND MAYBE OTHER SITES OPEN.
AND DANIEL IN A MINUTE CAN TALK ABOUT SOME BEST PRACTICES WE'VE FOUND THAT REALLY JUMP OVER THAT MIDDLE GROUND AND TAKE US STRAIGHT TO PHASE THREE, WHICH IS THE SHORT TERM LEASE WITH FAIR PARK THAT THE CITY STILL THE CITY HAS WHERE WE SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO OPEN UP ONE OF THE FAIR PARK BUILDINGS, AND THEN IF THEY HAVE ONE THAT'S OPEN, WHICH THERE'S A REASONABLE EXPECTATION THAT THEY WILL BECAUSE IT'S A SLOWER SEASON WHEN IT'S COLDER IN THE WINTER MONTHS.
THEY WILL OPEN UP SPACE FOR US.
AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME CONCERN ABOUT FAIR PARK.
THAT CONTRACT IS STILL ONGOING.
WE HAVE VERY GOOD STAFF CONTACTS OVER THERE.
AND SO WE ARE NOT WORRIED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO USE THAT SPACE THIS WINTER.
AND SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO DANIEL.
AND THANK YOU CHAIR MORENO, VICE CHAIR MENDELSOHN, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THIS TIME.
I'LL TRY TO GO OVER THIS BRIEFLY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ROOM FOR QUESTIONS.
SO BASICALLY, AUSTIN STREET CENTER IS MANAGING A LEASE AGREEMENT A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP OUR SITE AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT RESOURCES.
SO YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
OUR PRIMARY ROLE HERE IS A COORDINATOR ROLE.
[01:30:04]
RESOURCES THAT WE NEED, THAT EVERYTHING IS SET UP IN TERMS OF THE SHELTER LOCATIONS THAT WE'RE DOING INTAKE ACCORDING TO HMIS AND PULLING IN PARTNERS THERE, AND THAT WE'RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATION.AND THAT MEANS BOTH INTERNALLY TO THESE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, CITY DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR REPORTING BACK.
THIS IS A BRIEF PICTURE OF AUSTIN STREET.
AND IT SHOWS YOU THAT WE HAVE EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED AT THAT LOCATION STAGED RIGHT NOW.
SO WE ARE PREPARED TO GO YOU KNOW, AS A WITH OUR AGREED UPON TIMELINE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO TO OPEN WITH JUST A HANDFUL OF HOURS. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE ARE WORKING WITH MULTIPLE CONTRACTORS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH SECURITY CONTRACTORS, OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
WE HAVE A MINIMUM RATIO FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE PER CLIENT POPULATION.
WE ARE WORKING WITH ANIMAL SERVICES AND SPCA FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE KENNELS AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE THREE MEALS A DAY FOR FOLKS DURING THE INCLEMENT WEATHER EVENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO PROVIDE THIRD PARTY JANITORIAL CONTRACT AS WELL.
THIS REVIEWS OAKLAND UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
SO WE HAVE THEY TYPICALLY DO 75 TO 80.
THEY CAN EXPAND IF WE NEED TO.
BUT WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO OPEN THERE AT THAT LOCATION WHICH THIS INCLUDES NORTH TEXAS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AUTHORITY, HAVING QUALIFIED MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AT EACH LOCATION TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS.
SO WE'RE ALREADY KIND OF REVIEWED.
AND THEN WE OPEN UP MORE FACILITIES AS NEEDED.
SO THAT MAY INVOLVE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE LIBRARY TO HER POINT, WE ARE TRYING TO LIMIT THE USE OF THE LIBRARY FOR MULTIPLE REASONS, PRIMARILY THE IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO OPERATE SHELTER AND THEIR DAILY OPERATIONS DURING COLD WEATHER.
SO REALLY, UNLESS THE LIBRARY IS CLOSED DOWN, IT'S DIFFICULT TO USE.
AND EVEN THEN, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR SHOWERS, ETC..
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO FAIR PARK IS WHERE WE NEED TO GO IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MULTI-DAY EVENT.
CHRISTINE'S BEEN GREAT AS WE WORK WITH HER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT FACILITY IS OPEN WHEN WE NEED IT TO BE, DEPENDING UPON WHICH FACILITY, THAT COULD BE AS MANY AS, YOU KNOW, 1200 OR MORE FOLKS IN A BUILDING LIKE THE AUTOMOBILE BUILDING.
OR IT COULD BE A SMALLER BUILDING, YOU KNOW, WE'VE OPERATED THAT HAS CLOSER TO 800 CAPACITY.
SO DEPENDING UPON WHICH FACILITY THAT WE'RE IN.
A TRANSPORTATION PLAN, AUSTIN STREET OPERATES ITS CONNECTOR PROJECT, WHICH IS A 40 PASSENGER BUS, AS WELL AS WE HAVE A NEW SHUTTLE BUS THAT WE WILL USE TO FACILITATE INCLEMENT WEATHER PICKUP LOCATIONS KIND OF ACROSS THE CITY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR.
AND THEN WE ALSO WILL WORK WITH THE FOLKS THAT HAVE VANS.
THE OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OUR CALLING, THE STEWPOT, SOME VOLUNTEER CHURCH PARTNERS WHICH ALL OPERATE VANS TO GO PICK UP PEOPLE YOU KNOW AT THEIR UNSHELTERED LOCATION AND BRING THEM TO THE INCLEMENT WEATHER SITE.
AND THEN DALLAS FIRE RESCUE PICKS UP.
AND THEN I JUST WANT TO SAY ON THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS A MOCK UP OF WHAT THE ZONES LOOK LIKE.
WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ALREADY.
I KNOW WITH THE CHAIR ABOUT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND CONCERNS.
AND SO THESE WILL BE DYNAMIC AS WE GO, WHICH IS WHY IT'S ALWAYS SO IMPORTANT, AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE COMMUNICATION PLAN TO GO BACK TO THE OHS WEBSITE WHERE THESE ARE LISTED, BECAUSE THINGS MAY CHANGE FROM SITUATION TO SITUATION.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT THIS IS A CRISIS RESPONSE.
AND SO ESSENTIALLY WE ARE OPERATING WITH WHATEVER THE INFORMATION IS, YOU KNOW, LIVE ON THE GROUND.
BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER LOCATIONS WHERE WE HAVE A NEW POPULATION OF FOLKS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET TO THEM SO THAT THEY CAN ACCESS THE INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER.
THIS IS PRIMARILY ABOUT LIFE SAFETY.
THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.
SHE MENTIONED DALLAS FIRE AND RESCUE AS WELL AS THE OTHER NONPROFITS.
AND SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS OUR COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE.
[01:35:02]
AS CHAPTER 45 LISTS OHS HAS TO ACTIVATE INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER, AND THAT ALLOWS THIS ENTIRE STRUCTURE TO ROLL DOWN TO DANIEL. AND THEN ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ROLL THROUGH TO EVENTUALLY FAIR PARK IF IT IS NEEDED.AND WHAT THAT'S LOOKED LIKE IN THE PAST IS A PRESS RELEASE THAT GOES OUT AT 4 A.M.
FROM THE OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS THE DAY OF REFLECTING A DECISION THAT'S BEEN MADE BY MYSELF AND DANIEL AND THE OTHER STAKEHOLDER PROVIDERS THE DAY BEFORE TO ACTIVATE INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER.
AND THEN THAT TRIGGERS THIS ENTIRE OPERATION.
IT DOES DEPEND ON WHAT FACILITY AT FAIR PARK WE'RE ABLE TO OPERATE.
YOU KNOW INITIALLY AS CHRISTINE MENTIONED YOU KNOW IT GOES FIRST INFORMATION IS THE CITY OF DALLAS WEBSITE, THE OFFICE OF HOME SOLUTIONS WEBSITE AND THEN THERE'S A CORRESPONDING SERIES OF COMMUNICATIONS THAT TAKE PLACE.
AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM TEXT ALERTS, YOU KNOW, FROM BOTH THE CITY OF DALLAS AND FROM OTHER NONPROFITS THAT HAVE TEXT RECORDS OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, INVOLVES A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU KNOW, SHARING.
WE ALSO ARE ABOUT TO BE STARTING A COAT DRIVE.
WE CAN SKIP THROUGH THIS NEXT SLIDE REAL QUICK.
BASICALLY, WE HAVE MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AT EACH SITE AS MENTIONED.
IN THE PAST, THAT'S BEEN COVID SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT ARE NEEDED.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE JUST HYGIENE AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AS NEEDED.
IN TERMS OF METRICS, NEXT SLIDE, I MENTIONED THAT WE ARE YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBLE FOR REPORTING OUT.
I HAVE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION TODAY.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IT CHANGES BASED UPON THE LENGTH OF AND SEVERITY OF THE WEATHER.
AND WHAT FACILITIES WE'RE ABLE TO OPEN.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE X NUMBER OF BEDS TO UNIQUELY IDENTIFIED PEOPLE.
THIS IS HOW MANY PEOPLE WE SERVED.
AND THEN DO THE DEMOGRAPHIC BREAKDOWNS.
SO IT'S REALLY A MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATED NOW THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SUBCONTRACT IT OUT TO AUSTIN STREET.
VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
AND WITH THAT, WE WILL HAND IT BACK OVER FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIS.
I APPRECIATE HOW QUICKLY YOU ALL MOVED THROUGH.
[LAUGHTER] YEAH. SO YOU MENTIONED THE PRIMARY FUNCTION HERE IS LIFE SAVING.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT DANGEROUS WEATHER CONDITIONS.
BUT SECONDARILY, I LIKE TO LOOK AT THE CAPTIVE AUDIENCE.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE BY WORKING WITH AUSTIN STREET.
WE'RE GOING TO GET THOSE BENCHMARKS OF THE CORE DEMOGRAPHICS AND START GETTING SOME INFORMATION.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO A TON OF DEPTH, BUT WHILE WE HAVE THAT CAPTIVE AUDIENCE, WHAT ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH ME THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LEARNING SOME MORE ABOUT FOLKS SO THAT IT'S ALSO LIFE SAVING, MAYBE NOT IN SUCH AN ACUTE WAY, BUT THAT BY GETTING INFORMATION, WE'RE SAVING A LIFE BY HELPING THEM ALONG. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
SO EVERY PERSON WHO RECEIVES INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER SERVICE IS GETTING ENROLLED INTO HMIS.
SO, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO SEEK SHELTER DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER AND THEY DON'T ANY OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR, RIGHT? SO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.
WE WANT TO MAXIMIZE IT WHILE RECOGNIZING THAT, YOU KNOW, STAFFING IS LIMITED.
AND SO THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS TO WHAT WE CAN DO IN TERMS OF GETTING PEOPLE ACTUALLY ENROLLED IN THE HOUSING PROCESS, BUT WE INITIALLY WERE ABLE TO AT LEAST GET ALL THE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION INTO HMIS FOR FUTURE FOLLOW UP FROM OUTREACH AND OTHERS TO MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT WE BASICALLY KNOW WHO FOLKS ARE AND WHAT THEIR SITUATION IS.
[01:40:07]
SO, IT'S BRIEF, BUT IT'S A LOT BETTER THAN WE WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE.RIGHT? IF YOU'VE BEEN SHELTERED FOR A WEEK, THE WEATHER IS COLD.
IT MAY BE IS NOW ABOVE FREEZING, BUT YOU KNOW YOU'VE GOTTEN USED TO SHELTER AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
WE FIND A LOT OF PEOPLE ACCESS SHELTER THAT WAY, SO USUALLY POST AN INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER EVENT.
YOU KNOW, UPON THE TEAR DOWN OF ANY INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER THAT WE'RE OPERATING.
SO I SEE YOU'RE CALLING FOR VOLUNTEERS.
WHAT ARE SOME ROLES? I MEAN, DO THEY NEED TO BE TRAINED AND MAYBE COULD THEY HELP GET MORE PEOPLE INTO HMIS, OR IS THAT A PRIVACY ISSUE OR WHAT WOULD A VOLUNTEER DO IF THEY SIGN UP? WELL, LET ME SAY HMIS VOLUNTEER.
YES, VOLUNTEERS CAN COME THROUGH TO US, BUT REALLY WE TRY TO BE THE CONNECTIVE TISSUE THAT PUSHES THEM TO THE ORGANIZATIONS ALREADY DOING THE WORK, SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH US. YOU CAN CONTACT AUSTIN STREET DIRECTLY.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO GO TO OUR CALLING WHO GO TO OAK LAWN DIRECTLY.
SO WE'RE JUST HERE TO TRY AND ROUTE PEOPLE TO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, MR. ROBY, WHAT IF SOMEONE SIGNS UP? WHAT MIGHT THEY DO? YEAH. SO IDEALLY, WE'RE CERTAINLY CONTACTED IN ADVANCE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER EVENTS.
SO WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO SOME TRAINING BEFOREHAND.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE TYPICALLY HAVE A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS THAT SHOW UP KIND OF YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A WHILE TO BE ABLE TO TRAIN AND ENROLL TO BE ABLE TO USE THE HMIS SYSTEM.
BUT THAT SAID, WE STILL NEED LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS AND THAT MEANS IN-KIND DONATIONS WITH PEOPLE THAT CAN DONATE, YOU KNOW, CLOTHING AND, YOU KNOW, COATS, BLANKETS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF SWEATPANTS AND SWEATSHIRTS AND, YOU KNOW, HATS AND GLOVES AND THAT SORT OF THING.
DANIEL, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS YEAR AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE PREVIOUSLY.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT DFR EARLIER SO THAT WE CAN GET A HARD NUMBER ON OUR CAPACITY IN MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN SERVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
CHRISTINE, THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THE LIST OF PICKUP LOCATIONS.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU WORK WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED.
BUT IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO PULL THEM INDOORS, THAT SHOULD BE WHERE ALL OUR EFFORTS GO.
AND THEN ONCE THEY ARE INDOORS, GETTING THEM INTO HMIS AND GEARING THEM TOWARDS THAT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING THAT WE STRIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL GETS, GETS HOUSED.
SO SO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU ALL ARE GOING TO BE DOING.
AND HOPEFULLY WE DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH OF AN EXTREME WEATHER THIS SEASON.
BY MEMOS. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING ON C? C IS ONE THAT KEEPS COMING UP.
THIS IS ON MEMO C ON THE THE PSH NOFA WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY SUBMISSIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY INSIGHT ABOUT THAT? AND I SEE THAT WE'RE REOPENING IT.
SO DID WE MAKE ANY MODIFICATIONS TO ENCOURAGE SUBMISSIONS? DARWIN WADE, ASSISTANT HOUSING DIRECTOR.
GOOD MORNING, CHAIR AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
WE THE FIRST ROUND OF THOSE APPLICATIONS WERE DUE IN SEPTEMBER.
WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY APPLICATIONS.
WE DID NOT MODIFY ANY OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NOFA.
WE BASICALLY PROVIDED INFORMATION BACK OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
WE SOUGHT OUT ADDITIONAL DEVELOPERS AND SO FAR THOSE EFFORTS HAVE PROVED SUCCESSFUL.
I DO EXPECT WE WILL HAVE APPLICATIONS ON NOVEMBER THE 18TH FOR THE SUBMITTAL.
[01:45:03]
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO NOW TAKE ITEMS. THE NEXT TWO ITEMS COLLECTIVELY CHAIR WEST.
OKAY. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON THIS.
ON THESE TWO. SO I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, READING THE MEMO THAT THIS WAS ORIGINALLY GOING TO COME IN NOVEMBER TO THE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS SOLUTIONS COMMITTEE, BUT HAS BEEN MOVED UP DUE TO SCHEDULING ISSUES. SO WE GOT THESE MEMOS ON FRIDAY EVENING.
I GUESS I'M GOING TO ASK COLLECTIVELY.
SO THESE ARE BOTH HFC RELATED PROJECTS.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK ALL OF US UP HERE ARE ENCOURAGING OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
CERTAINLY WHAT KIND OF STRUCK ME AS IS AND BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THESE ITEMS IS A LOT OF TIMES WE APPROVE NEW CONSTRUCTION DEALS UP HERE. SO WHEN WE'RE TAKING SOMETHING OFF THE TAX ROLLS, IT'S USUALLY JUST VACANT LAND.
IT'S NOT A MARKET PERFORMING PRODUCT THAT'S CURRENTLY HELPING US WITH OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENSES.
THIS IS A SITUATION THAT STAFF IS PROPOSING WHERE WE'RE TAKING A A TOTAL OF, I WANT TO SAY 675, $768,000 COLLECTIVELY OFF THE TAX ROLLS.
I MEAN, THAT PAYS FOR QUITE A BIT AT THE CITY IN EXCHANGE FOR SOME AFFORDABILITY.
SO I'M GOING TO DIVE INTO MY QUESTIONS IF I CAN GET ORGANIZED HERE.
SO THE DEFINITION OF THE HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION PROGRAM THAT I TOOK FROM THE CITY'S HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE IS THAT THE DHFC PROVIDES TAX EXEMPT MORTGAGE REVENUE, BONDS AND OTHER SUPPORT FOR THE ACQUISITION, CONSTRUCTION OR SUBSTANTIAL REHAB OF MULTIFAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS FACILITATED BY THE DALLAS HOUSING FINANCE CORP..
FINANCING PROVIDE HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES EARNING 60% OR BELOW AMI.
SO IF THAT'S OUR POLICY AND WE'RE STICKING TO IT FIRST, HOW CAN WE JUSTIFY OFFERING BOTH TAX EXEMPT BONDS AND ALSO TAX ABATEMENTS FOR PROPERTIES? I WILL ASK ERIN WITH HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION TO COME UP AND ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
BUT LET ME ALSO SAY SOMETHING TO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED.
THE HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION HAS TAKEN MULTIPLE PROPERTIES OFF THE TAX ROLL FOR THIS TYPE OF REFINANCING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION.
I APPRECIATE THAT, DEFINITELY.
YOU'VE HEARD THAT CONVERSATION A MILLION TIMES.
CHAIR WEST. SO, AARON, IF YOU CAN JUST GIVE US YOUR NAME AND YOUR TITLE.
OH. YES, SIR. I'M AARON EAQUINTO.
I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE DALLAS HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION.
SO OUR CORPORATION IT HAS MULTIFACETED PROGRAMS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PROGRAMS ARE GEARED TOWARDS LIHTC DEVELOPMENT AND REHABILITATION, WHICH SERVES MUCH LOWER INCOMES.
THERE ARE VERY SPECIFIC TIMES WHEN THE BOARD OF THE HFC WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, AND THESE TWO ARE SOME OF THOSE EXAMPLES, MAINLY BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT AFFORDABILITY AND WHAT OUR MISSION IS, WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE AFFORDABILITY WHERE THERE CURRENTLY ISN'T THAT ACCESS.
RIGHT. AND SO ON THESE ACQUISITIONS WHERE IT IS A A PERFORMING MARKET RATE PROPERTY, YOU ARE GIVING UP THOSE TAXES IN EXCHANGE FOR ACCESS OF AFFORDABILITY IN A VERY TARGETED AREA.
AND SO THE BOARD LOOKING AT THESE SPECIFIC PROJECTS THEY WANTED TO EXPAND THEIR REACH TO THESE SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE CITY, NAMELY IN OAK LAWN, WHERE I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN THE SUBMARKET REPORTS, BUT A LOT OF THE NEW STUFF GOING UP IS RENTING FOR MORE THAN $5 A SQUARE FOOT.
THIS IS VERY, VERY UNAFFORDABLE TO ANYONE, MUCH LESS, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE MAKING 60 OR 80% AMI.
[01:50:07]
AFFORDABILITY INTO THESE SMALL AREAS.NOW, AGAIN, I'LL EMPHASIZE THE FOCUS OF THE HFC IS NOT TO DO THESE ACQUISITIONS, BUT IF GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES AT THESE VERY SPECIFIC INSTANCES, THEY'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THEM AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND TRY TO CONVERT SOME OF THESE UNITS TO AFFORDABLE UNITS, WHERE IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE THROUGH REGULAR MARKET FORCES AND THROUGH OUR OTHER PROGRAMS TO BUILD, LIKE YOU SAY, ANYTHING AFFORDABLE TO THAT LEVEL.
WOULD YOU AGREE THAT THE DEFINITION OF THE HFC INCLUDES A FOCUS ON 60% OR BELOW AMI CATEGORY? I DON'T THINK IT'S STATED CORRECTLY THERE BECAUSE THEIR FOCUS IS AFFORDABILITY.
SO WHETHER THAT BE 60% OR 80% OR SOME OTHER LEVEL IS THAT ON THE CITY WEBSITE? IT'S THE FIRST PARAGRAPH UNDER WHEN YOU PULL UP THIS PAGE.
AND I WASN'T TRYING TO WALK YOU INTO THE TRAP, I JUST PULLED IT UP MYSELF.
AND SO IF WE'RE GOING TO BE STRAYING FROM THAT WHICH THESE, PROJECTS, OAK AND ELUM IS ONLY PROVIDING 20% OF THE UNITS AT 60% OR BELOW. THE REST ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT.
AND THE WYCLIFFE IS ONLY 10% OF THE UNITS AT 60% AND BELOW.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO BE STRAYING FROM THAT, WE NEED TO AMEND OUR MISSION, I THINK.
BUT I WANT TO CHANGE THE POLICY INSTEAD OF JUST DOING ONE OFFS.
YOU KNOW, I'LL BE HONEST, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT STATEMENT HAS BEEN UP THERE OR.
CAN I JUST JUMP BACK IN HERE? LIKE, HOW DO WE I MEAN, AS I CAPTURE THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE GREAT ABOUT SENDING ME YOU KNOW, THE UNDERWRITING REPORTS A LITTLE BIT AGO.
I WANT TO LOOK AT THOSE IF THIS IS SET FOR AGENDA TOMORROW FOR US TO VOTE ON IF WE DELAY THAT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, IS THAT GOING TO KILL THESE DEALS? THAT'S GOING TO I MEAN, IT MAY HAVE TO, BUT I NEED MORE TIME.
NO, THAT'S COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD.
NOW, ORIGINALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE A WIDER LOOK AT ALL THE OPERATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT THE COUNCIL WILLS US TO DO, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, YOU GUYS ARE IN CHARGE OF THE HSC THROUGH YOUR BOARD AND THROUGH YOUR APPOINTEES.
AND SO WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE TO ANY FEEDBACK THAT YOU ALL WANT TO GIVE US.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, ONE OF THESE PROJECTS IS SET TO CLOSE AND HAS A CONTRACT DATE, I THINK, OF THE 26TH MARCH, THE CLOSING DATE. YEAH.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THERE WAS A BIT OF A PUSH TO GET THIS SEEN BY YOU ALL AND BY THE COUNCIL BEFORE THEN SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE CERTAIN HARD MONEY CONTRACT DATES AND THEY'VE PUT IN QUITE A BIT OF TIME AND INVESTMENT INTO GETTING THIS DEAL PUT TOGETHER.
AND SO. WELL, THE LAST IS UNFORTUNATE.
THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROGRAMS. AND SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
I'M SORRY FOR PROBABLY CAUSING ALARMS TO GO OFF IN EVERYONE'S HEAD OVER HERE, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT LIKE OUR POLICY IN US GETTING A STRING FROM IT. AND THEN ALSO ON OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT, ON AFFORDABILITY FROM OUR TAX ABATEMENTS HERE.
BUT IF NOT, YOU KNOW, I'LL LET YOU KNOW IN THE MORNING IF I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS.
COUNCILMAN IF I CAN CLARIFY, THESE ITEMS ARE SCHEDULED TO GO ON THE NOVEMBER 13TH COUNCIL AGENDA.
THEY'RE NOT SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW.
SO I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THAT PURPOSE HERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE DEFINITION.
I MEAN, WE DON'T RENT CONTROL.
SO THIS IS SORT OF BETTING ON THE COME WHAT IS THIS AREA GOING TO BE LIKE.
WHAT'S THE NEW DEVELOPMENT LOOKING LIKE.
WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO TURN OVER.
AND HOW DO WE PROTECT AFFORDABILITY.
SO I THINK THAT WHAT MAKES THAT STING A LITTLE SOMETIMES IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION SIDE, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S HEART FOR THAT AT THE COMMITTEE. I MEAN, IS THERE ARE WE JUST WHY ARE WE NOT SEEING THAT? I MEAN, YOUR COMMITTEE, I MEAN THAT THAT CORPORATION HAS ABILITY TO FINANCE THINGS IN INTERESTING WAYS THAT COULD MOVE THE NEEDLE.
AND WE ACTIVELY LOOK AT WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT TRYING TO GET NEW CONSTRUCTION FINANCED.
[01:55:01]
BUT IN THESE PARTICULAR AREAS, SAY IN OAK LAWN OR IN DOWNTOWN, I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THOSE.I'M TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE THAT WOULD MAKE THIS, YOU KNOW, ABOUT NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AND MAYBE THAT'S A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION THAT WE SHOULD HAVE.
I MEAN, I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT.
SO WE'RE NOT ADDING TO THE STOCK.
RIGHT. SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO DO.
BUT THEN AS I GO BACK TO THE DEFINITION, I MEAN, I WOULD BE HESITANT TO CHANGE THIS.
BUT AS WE LOOK AT PFC DEALS AND PULLING THINGS OFF OF THE TAX ROLLS, YOU KNOW, WE YOU KNOW, IT'S 80%, IT'S 120% OF THE MARKET RATE. AND SO OR THE AMI RATHER.
I'M LOOKING AT THIS PROJECT AND IT LOOKS LIKE 20% ARE AT THE 60%.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT DOES SEEM A LITTLE ASKEW FROM WHAT THE INTENT IS.
RIGHT. AND AGAIN, LET ME EMPHASIZE OUR MISSION.
WE DO VERY LITTLE OF THESE PROJECTS.
THE VAST MAJORITY ARE, YOU KNOW, 60% AND BELOW.
PURE LIKE 100% AFFORDABLE DEALS, RIGHT? BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN INJECT AFFORDABILITY INTO THESE AREAS, THAT IT'S JUST SO VERY HARD TO DO THROUGH OTHER PROGRAMS, LIKE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO BUILD A HIGH TECH DEAL, WHICH IS MOSTLY 60% AND BELOW AT ANY ONE OF THESE LOCATIONS.
AND NOW AS YOU I UNDERSTAND THAT I GUESS THIS IS MY CHARGE TO YOU RIGHT.
NEW CONSTRUCTION AND HOW WE BEGIN TO I MEAN I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU. I GET THE DEAL HERE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S GREAT. WE'RE GOING TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS BEFORE NOVEMBER 13TH.
BUT ON THE MORE BROAD SCALE IS TO BRING MORE OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION SIDE SO THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ADDING TO THAT HOUSING STOCK IN THAT AREA THAT WE KNOW WE'VE GOT SUCH A DEFICIT IN.
SO THAT IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
AND I SEE SOME VACANCIES ON THE COMMITTEE.
IS THAT AFFECTING THE WORK? I THINK THERE'S ONLY THREE CURRENT VACANCIES, BUT YOU'RE ABLE TO HAVE A QUORUM AND YOU'RE ABLE TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS.
BUT WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
WHEN I SAW ITEM E, I HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON IT.
THE NUMBERS WERE EVEN WORSE BECAUSE THERE WAS A MISPRINT ON THE THE MARKET RATE AND THE THE 60% AMI THEY WERE BASICALLY THE SAME FIGURES.
AND SO I'VE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THESE PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY IN DISTRICT TWO, BECAUSE I SEE THE TRENDS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN DISTRICT TWO AND KNOW THAT THESE LAND VALUES ARE GOING TO ONLY CONTINUE TO RISE, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE PROJECTS PENCIL OUT AND WORK IN THE FUTURE.
BUT THE MINIMAL RENT SAVINGS THAT I'M SEEING JUST DO NOT JUSTIFY NOT RECOVERING THAT TAX THAT WE'RE OFFSETTING.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING ABLE TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE IN LOOKING AT THE AMI MIX.
I BY NO MEANS WANT YOU TO GO AND JUST REWORD WHAT'S OUT THERE.
I MEAN, THIS IS THE THESE ARE THE POLICIES AND PRIORITIES THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS SET.
AND SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF GREAT DISCUSSION.
WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING ACROSS THE STATE.
AND SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BRINGING THESE FORWARD.
WITH THAT I JUST LOST MY BOOK.
WAS THAT THE LAST ITEM? YEAH, I THINK SO.
YEAH, WE'RE GETTING A NOD OVER.
D. CAN WE PUT D OFF OR NOT D THE MONTHLY REPORT AND WE CAN GET THAT.
[02:00:01]
AND WITH THE COMMITMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE PIPELINE, THEY'LL JUST CONTINUE TO GROW.SO I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE END RESULT OF THE YEAR.
WITH THAT, THE TIME NOW IS 11:09 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.