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SO THAT WE CAN CONVENE THE, UH, AND I HEAR BY JUNE CONVENE THE, UH, AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION HERE ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2020, UM, AND, AND COMING TO MEET ME HERE ON SEPTEMBER 17, 20 TRY COUNCIL MARKETS ARE, WHERE WERE YOU PRESENT FOR THAT VOTE? NO, SORRY.UH, THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEETING HERE ON SEPTEMBER, THEY ALSO HAS SOME FINANCE CORPORATION BOARD MEETING HERE AT OUR FEBRUARY ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2020.
UH, THIS IS BEING HELD BY VIDEO CONFERENCE.
UH, WE HAVE SOME SPEAKERS THAT ARE HERE TO SPEAK ALMOST ALL ON ITEMS. NUMBER ONE, AND NUMBER TWO, UH, BEFORE WE GO TO SPEAKERS, I JUST WANT TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO, TO STAFF, TO, TO LAY OUT AT LEAST THOSE TWO ITEMS. ALL THOSE SPEAKERS ARE GOING TO BE INVITED TO SPEAK ON ALL ITEMS ON THE AGENDA AND COLLEAGUES, ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO ADDRESS IT BEFORE WE GET TO SPEAKERS.
I JUST WANTED TO, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AS WELL.
SO STAFF, YOU WANT TO LAY OUT AT LEAST THOSE FIRST AND SECOND ITEMS. ABSOLUTELY.
AS YOU MENTIONED, CAN WE TELL MANDY THAT HER MICROPHONE FIDELITY IS NOT THE BEST HARD TO HARD TO UNDERSTAND YOU? SORRY, MANDY, ANY BETTER? MAYBE JUST TALK INTO YOUR SCREEN INSTEAD OF THEM'S OKAY.
I DON'T NEED TO TAKE A 15 MINUTE BRAIN BREAK.
AND SO I THOUGHT MAYBE HE MIGHT NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME TO FIX HER SPEAKER, BUT IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO LISTEN TO DAVID EDUCATORS.
I'M JUST SAYING, WELL, I THINK A BREAK HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.
WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND GIVE US OUR REPORT.
SO AGAIN, MAYBE CAMILLE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION, NOW THAT MY MICROPHONE IS WORKING, UM, I WANTED THERE SIX ITEMS ON YOUR AGENDA.
I WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME HISTORY AND CONTEXT ON THE TWO ITEMS THAT ARE GENERATING A LOT OF INTEREST TODAY.
ITEM NUMBER ONE OF COURSE IS TO AUTHORIZE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT, UH, OR THE DISPOSITION OF A PARCEL AT 900 GARDNER.
UM, IT'S APPROXIMATELY SIX ACRES THAT'S BEEN OWNED BY HFC SINCE 2013.
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS TO AUTHORIZE THE NEGOTIATION EX EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT, UH, OR THE DISPOSITION OF A ASSEMBLAGE OF PROPERTIES AT 1127 TILLERY.
UM, AND THAT IN TOTAL IS APPROXIMATELY 5.15 ACRES, JUST AS A REMINDER IN OCTOBER OF 2019, UM, BASED ON A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT, UH, OUNCE OF DIRECTIONS, WE PROVIDED THE H S C BOARD, UH, A MEMO THAT, UH, LAID OUT ALL OF THE PROPERTIES OWNED BY H FC AND OUR PLANS TO DEVELOP THEM.
WE IDENTIFIED REEF AWKWARD GAMES THAT WE PLANTED WITHOUT FACILITATION.
TWO OF THOSE ARE HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY.
THAT MEMO IS FROM OCTOBER FOUR, 2019 TWO OF THE PROPERTIES WE LAID OUT AT THE SCHEDULED, UM, OR DISPOSITION, WHICH INCLUDED, UH, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT IN THE SPRING OF 2020, UH, A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS IN LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER.
SO JUST SO YOU KNOW, UM, WE ENGAGED, UH, SHARANDA ROBINSON COMMUNICATIONS TO ASSIST US WITH OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
WE DID THAT EARLY IN 2020, AND THEN OF COURSE WE'LL HAVE AT 19, WE HAD TO QUICKLY PIVOT FROM IN-PERSON TO VIRTUAL STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ON APRIL 21ST.
WE HAD OUR FIRST PUBLIC INPUT SESSION.
UH, WE DISCUSSED A VARIETY OF THINGS, INCLUDING THE SITE DETAILS FOR BOTH PROPERTIES, UM, BENEFITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SUCH AS HELPING LONGSTANDING NEIGHBORS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN OUR DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES.
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THAT GATHERING OF PUBLIC INPUT.UM, WE DID A SURVEY, UH, DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES FOR EACH OF THOSE SITES.
AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO GATHER PUBLIC INPUT VIA TEXT EMAIL PRINTED PACKAGE IS, UH, PACKETS OF MATERIALS THAT WERE AVAILABLE AT THE WALGREENS ON AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
WE SOLICITED INPUT, SPEAK UP AUSTIN AND THREE, ONE, ONE.
AND AS I MENTIONED, WE ALSO HAD AN ONLINE SURVEY ON MAY 14.
WE CONDUCTED OUR SECOND PUBLIC MOVING AGAIN, VIRTUALLY FOR BOTH PARCELS.
UM, AND THERE WE, UH, UNVEILED THE RESULTS, UH, UH, THE PUBLIC INPUT THAT WE HAD RECEIVED THUS FAR, AND WE PRESENTED A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT SCENARIOS, NOTHING THAT WAS REQUIRED, BUT JUST OPTIONS THAT WOULD BE POTENTIAL ON THE SITE THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS ENGAGEMENT.
WE WERE VERY CLEAR THAT OUR DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES, THESE TWO PARCELS WERE FOUR THINGS.
ONE WAS TO MAXIMIZE THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS.
THE SECOND WAS TO MAXIMIZE THE NUMBER OF DEEPLY AFFORDABLE UNITS.
THE THIRD WAS TO MAXIMIZE THE NUMBER OF MULTI BEDROOM UNITS FOR FAMILIES, WITH CHILDREN AND OR CONTINUUM OF CARE UNITS OR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
AND THEN THE FOURTH AND FINAL DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE WAS TO MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF SYDNEY SUBSIDY.
OUR RFP WAS RELEASED ON JUNE 15TH.
WE CONTINUED ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDER INPUT THROUGH OUR ONLINE SURVEY, UM, THE BEGINNING OF JUNE.
AND THEN WE RELEASED THE RFP ON JUNE 15TH, THE RFP, JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW INCLUDED DETAILED SITE DESCRIPTION.
YOU HAD BACKUP MATERIALS THAT HAD OUR SURVEY, UH, ZONING INFORMATION, PHASE ONES FOR BOTH PROPERTIES.
PLUS WE PROVIDED DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING THE SITE AND THE GENTRIFICATION HYPOLOGY FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WAS IDENTIFIED UPROOTED REPORT.
WE HELD PRE SUBMITTAL MEETINGS.
THAT MEANS WE'RE VIRTUAL ON JUNE 21ST FOR BOTH PARTIALS WHERE WE LAID OUT.
UM, BUT THE RF REQUIREMENTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES, AND ONE THING I WANT TO, UM, REALLY REITERATE, CAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAD STAFF WORK DID ABOUT ONE OF THE GATE WERE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS RFP TO RESPOND TO THE SOLICITATION.
AND THIS WAS DISCUSSED AT THE CREEK'S SUBMITTAL MEETINGS, AND IT WAS EMBEDDED IN THE ACTUAL RFP WAS A MANDATORY REQUIREMENT THAT ANY PROPOSER NEEDED TO MEET OUR HOUSING PREFERENCE POLICY CRITERIA.
UM, AND JUST AS A REMINDER, UH, WE PROVIDED A MEMO TO CITY COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 6TH OF 2019, THAT LAID OUT WHAT THAT HOUSING PREFERENCE POLICY WOULD LOOK LIKE, UM, AND HOW IT WOULD BE.
SO, AS A REMINDER, THE HOUSING PREFERENCE POLICY HAS THREE COMPONENTS.
UM, ONE IS ENSURING THAT ACCESSIBLE RULES GO TO PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES.
THE OTHER IS ENSURING THAT LOCAL BEDROOM WARTS, UM, GO TO FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN OR MULTI GENERATIONAL HOUSING ACTUALLY RIGHTSIZING OUR UNITS.
AND THE THIRD, AND THIS HAS BEEN A LONG STANDING PRIORITY WAS ENSURING THAT PREFERENCE OR PRIORITY GROUP WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED GENERATIONAL EYES TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, OR HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF DISPLACEMENT.
SO THAT WAS EMBEDDED IN THE RFP AND IS A REQUIREMENT.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR, UM, REGARDING THE SCORING AFTER THE RFP, UM, THAT THE APPLICATIONS, UH, WE RECEIVED SIX APPLICATIONS FOR THE SALARY SITE AND FIVE PER GARDNER OF THE, UH, SIX FOR ARTILLERY, FIVE ARE CONSIDERED RESPONSIVE.
SO THEY ALL THROUGH, UM, A SCORING PROCESS BY A PANEL, A STAFF PANEL, UM, WHAT THE ITEMS THAT WERE SCORED WERE OF COURSE, THE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT.
YOU HAVE THE MATRIX, THE BACKUP DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT TIMEFRAME, THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND FINANCIAL CAPACITY THAT DEVELOPMENT.
AND THE TOP TWO OR THREE, WE HAD SAID THAT WE WOULD MOVE UP TO THREE APPLICANTS, UM, TO A SECOND PHASE OF ANALYSIS.
UM, AND WE DID FOR BOTH SITES FOR GARDNER TWO APPLICANTS WERE MOVED, UM, TO THE NEXT PHASE.
AND PARTICULARLY THREE APPLICANTS WERE MOVED TO THE NEXT PHASE, UM, WHERE WE CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW.
SO THERE WERE SCORING BASED ON THE APPLICANTS, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, AND WE ALSO CONDUCTED AN ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY OF PROJECT AND UTILIZE A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT TO DIVE INTO THE FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY OF THE PROJECT.
UH, THAT BASICALLY BRINGS US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
YOU'LL SEE WITH THE MATRIX FOR YOU THAT WE HAVE TWO
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RECOMMENDATIONS, THEY OBSERVED THE TOP SCORING RECOMMENDATIONS.THE FIRST ONE FOR THE GARDNER TRACK IS DMA DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP WITH BIG, MEDIUM, UM, THEY'RE PROPOSING 219 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, ON THAT GARDNER TRACK WILL ALL BE 100% RENTAL.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE MORE DETAILS.
WE ALSO HAVE THE APP WORKING ON THE LINE SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE TILLARY TRACK.
THE TOP SCORING, UM, APPLICATION WAS M R IN CAPITAL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IMAGINE ART.
UM, AND FOR THAT PROPERTY, THEY PROPOSED 62 UNITS, UM, OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND AGAIN, ALL OF THAT NEEDS A RENTAL HOUSING, UM, AT, UH, I'M SORRY, 64 UNITS OF RENTAL HOUSING AT VARIOUS INCOME LEVELS.
SO WE HAVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE YOU, UM, WHEN YOU FELT LIKE THESE, UH, OP SCORING APPLICANTS, UM, MET THE DEVELOPMENT CRITERIA AND OBJECTIVES THAT WE LAID OUT THERE BEFORE THE UNITY.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN UNITY.
WE'VE HAD A VARIETY OF COMPENSATIONS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, UM, AND EAGER TO HEAR YOUR INPUT AND, UH, SOLICIT ANY QUESTIONS.
ANDY, COULD YOU ALSO DESCRIBE THE, WHAT THIS NONPROFIT IMAGINE ART REALLY WORK WITH A CLIENT? WHAT KIND OF CLIENTELE? ABSOLUTELY.
AND I SHOULD SAY THAT IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, DEBBIE TISER, WHO'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IMAGINE, OR IS, UH, ON THE LINE.
SHE MIGHT BE, I THINK SHE'S SIGNED UP AS A SPEAKER AND SHE IS MUCH POSITION TO DO THIS THAN I AM.
UM, BUT THEY, UH, ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, AND THEY'RE FOCUSED ON ART AND LOW INCOME PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PARTICULARLY PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
UM, AND SO PART OF THE VISION THAT WAS PUT FORWARD, UM, WAS AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, AND INTEGRATED HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES ON THE TILLARY SITE.
AND THEY DID PROPOSE THAT 25% INTO UNITS, WHICH IS ABOVE AND BEYOND.
UM, OUR REQUIREMENTS, FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS WERE OUR REQUIREMENTS, UM, WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE.
THAT'S ALL RIGHT, MINDY, ARE YOU ABLE TO SHARE WITH US OKAY.
PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE UNITS IS, UM, AND HOW THE AFFORDABILITY IS FOR THE TOP SCORING PROJECTS, JUST SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MATRIX, WE CAN SEE WHY PEOPLE SCORED A CERTAIN WAY, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW MANY MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS SOMEONE IS PROVIDING AND HOW MUCH DEEPER THE AFFORDABILITY IS.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'RE ABLE TO SHARE TO THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO LET'S START WITH THE GARDNER TRACT.
UM, WE NEED, UH, RECOMMENDED PROPOSAL, WHICH IS ADVAN DMA DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED 219 OR DEVELOPMENT WITH 219 UNITS.
AND IT INCLUDES A LITTLE OVER 26,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE.
SO STUDIO ART SPACE OF THE 219 MINUTES, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS OUR PRIORITY.
WE DID NOT SCORE, UH, FOLKS ON ANY OF THE COMMERCIAL ASPECT.
UM, WE WERE SOLELY INTERESTED, AS I MENTIONED IN THIS WAR DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES, UH, WHICH WERE, UH, RELATED TO INCREASING, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO OUT OF THE 219 UNITS, UM, WE, THEY PROPOSED 30 UNITS, 30% MEDIAN FAMILY, 60 UNITS AT 50% MEDIAN FAMILY, 80 UNITS AT 60% MEDIAN FAMILY, 35 UNITS AT 80% MEDIAN AMYLIN, AND THEN 14 MINUTES AT MARKET RATE NEXT.
UM, THE SECOND, UM, UH, HIGH-SCORING APPLICANT.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE THE ONLY TWO APPLICANTS THAT NEED TO THAT.
SECOND AID WAS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN, UH, THE CASINO GROUP, WHICH IS A NATIONAL, UM, UH, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT DEVELOPER, UH, NGN DC, LOCAL DEVELOPMENT RATION.
UH, THEY PROPOSE 134 UNITS IN TOTAL AND OF THOSE 26 WOULD BE OWNERSHIP UNITS AND THE REMAINING WOULD BE RENTAL.
SO IN TERMS THE INCOME LEVELS FOR THAT, UH, 28 OF THE UNITS AT 30% MEDIAN FAMILY, TWO UNITS AT 50%, 80 AND FAMILY
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35 UNITS AT 60% MEDIAN FAMILY, 14 UNITS AT 80% MEDIAN FAMILY, AND FIVE AT 120%.SO I WILL SAY OUR, UM, OUR INTERNAL INTEREST, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE'LL DO SUBSIDIZE OR THOSE UNITS AT, OR BELOW 50% MEETING FAMILY, THE REST OF THE UNITS ARE IMPORTANT.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY OUR FOCUS IS ON 50% MEDIAN FAMILY, THE DMA DEVELOPMENT, UM, UH, HAD 90 UNITS AND THE CNO GNPC HAD 80 UNITS.
I SHOULD ALSO, SO THAT'S GARDENER.
UM, AND I SHOULD MENTION FOR BOTH OF THESE, THE NEXT STEP IS TO GO INTO AN EXCLUSIVE NEGOTIATION PERIOD, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE WILL NOT TAKE LONGER THAN TWO MONTHS.
UM, AND WE PLAN TO BE, UH, ONE OF OUR NEGOTIATING, UM, ITEMS IS OF COURSE THE NUMBER OF MYTHS, UH, AND THE BREAKDOWN OF THOSE UNITS.
UH, OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS TO MAXIMIZE NOW GOING TO TILLERY, RIGHT? THERE WERE THE TOP THREE APPLICANTS WERE INTERVIEWED AND THEY EACH PROPOSED SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, THE TOP APPLICANT WITH M ART AND IMAGINED ART, AND THEY PROPOSED A TOTAL OF 64 UNITS OF RENTAL.
12 OF THOSE WERE AT 30%, 24, WHERE 50% MEDIUM FAMILY AND 23 WERE AT 60%.
AND THEN THERE WERE FIVE THAT WERE MARKET RATE.
AND WHAT THIS APPLICANT PROPOSED WAS A 9% LYTEC OR COMPETITIVE LYTEC PROJECT, THEN A HUNDRED PERCENT RENTAL.
THE SECOND HIGHEST SCORING WITH HTG IS JUST HOUSING TRUST GROUP.
AND THEY'RE AGAIN, A NATIONAL, UM, TECH DEVELOPER.
UH, THEY PROPOSED A HUNDRED PERCENT OWNERSHIP AND THEY PROPOSED A MIX OF 42 OWNERSHIP MOVE A MIX OF HALF THE 21 AT 80% OR BELOW, AND THEN 21 UNITS AT MARKET RATE.
SO OUR AFFORDABLE, UH, LIMITS THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN 21 UNITS ARE INCOME RESTRICTED UNIT.
THEN THE THIRD, UM, UH, HIGHEST SCORE WAS, UH, GNPC GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
THEY PROPOSED IN TOTAL 51 30 OF THEM WILL RENTAL.
AND THEY PROPOSED DOING A SMALL 9% LIGHT TECH, NO COMPETITIVE 9% AND 21 OF THOSE WERE OWNERSHIP.
SO, UM, IN THAT SITUATION, NINE OF THE UNITS WORK, 30% UNION FAMILY, 19 OR 50% MEDIAN FAMILY, NONE AT 60%, 19 AT 80%, AGAIN, FAMILY AND FOUR AT MARKET RATES.
AGAIN, THAT WAS A MIX OF OWNERSHIP AND RENTAL, BUT IN THAT PARTICULAR PLACE WITH RESPECT TO THE BELOW 50%, WE WERE GETTING ZERO FROM HTG, THEY'RE DOING OWNERSHIP.
SO IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT, WE WERE GETTING 28 FROM GMDC AND THOSE ARE THE RENTAL UNITS.
AND THEN, UM, FROM MRE, IMAGINE ART, THAT WOULD BE MY QUICK MATH, 36 UNITS AT OUR BELOW 50%.
AGAIN, ALL OF THIS WILL BE NEGOTIATED WITH THE RECOMMENDED, WHOEVER ENDS UP BEING SUCCESSFUL.
I KNOW YOU GAVE US A LOT OF NUMBERS.
IF THERE'S A SPREADSHEET THAT COULD BE SHARED, I'M SURE YOU'RE READING OFF OF, THAT'D BE USEFUL, A BIG ASTERISK NEXT TO MY MATH HERE, BUT, UM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IN ONE OF THE PROJECTS, THE TOP, UM, THE TOP APPLICANTS IN Y'ALLS SCORING WAS PROPOSING ABOUT 37% MORE HOMES FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE.
AND THEN IN THE OTHER PROJECT, THAT TOP SCORE WAS PROVIDING ABOUT THREE TIMES MORE THAN NUMBER TWO, AND THEN 20% MORE THAN NUMBER THREE, AS FAR AS HOMES FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE, EXCLUDING THE MARKET RATE ONES.
UM, UM, AND SO, BUT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE SPREADSHEET TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE NUMBERS ARE RIGHT DOWN MATCH AND MAKE SENSE.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO CLARIFY, AND THIS IS ONE THING I HAD ASKED THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT BEFOREHAND WAS WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE CHOOSING BETWEEN HOUSING FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE OR JUST HOUSING FOR, UM, FOR NON LOW INCOME PEOPLE OR FOR, UM, AND ALL OF THEM, EVERY APPLICATION AS YOU JUST DESCRIBED AS ALL HOUSING FOR LOW INCOME PEOPLE.
UH, AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I RECEIVED WAS IS, ARE SOME OF THESE APPLICATIONS FOR
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HOUSING, FOR HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR HOUSING ARTISTS AND OTHER ONES HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR HOUSING, PEOPLE FROM DISPLACED AND GENTRIFYING CENSUS TRACKS.AND THE ANSWER IS NO, AT LEAST AND CONFIRM THIS FOR ME.
NO, THE CITY POLICY FOR ALL OF THESE WOULD BE THE PREFERENCES FOR ON EVERY SINGLE ONE, NO MATTER WHICH ONE WE CHOOSE THE PREFERENCES FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED FROM CENSUS TRACKS THAT ARE GENTRIFYING PEOPLE IN GENTRIFYING, CENSUS TRACKS, FAMILIES, AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND THAT APPLIES FOR EVERYONE.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT, UH, SUCCESSFUL, BUT THE, UM, SUCCESSFUL ENDS UP BEING THEY'RE REQUIRED.
AGAIN, THAT WAS A GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT.
THEY ARE REQUIRED TO CONFORM TO OUR HOUSING PREFERENCE POLICY, WHICH WAS LAID BEFORE YOU ALL IN NOVEMBER 29TH DOES INCLUDE THOSE THREE CATEGORIES THAT YOU MENTIONED, MAKING SURE WE RIGHTSIZE OUR UNITS, MAKING SURE ACCESSIBLE UNITS ARE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THEN THERE'S BIRD.
AND AGAIN, THE ONE THAT HAS GENERATED THE MOST INTEREST IS ENSURING THAT PEOPLE WHO, UM, HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY BOTH GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT ARE GIVEN PRIORITY IN OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO THEY ALL HAVE TO FOLLOW THE ANTI DISPLACEMENT RULES, UH, THE RIGHT TO RETURN RULES THAT YOU ALL JUST PUT OUT AND THEY ALL ARE PERHAPS TO PROVIDE LOW INCOME HOUSING.
UM, AND THEN WE JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT THE NUMBER OF UNITS AND WHO IS BUILDING THEM AND THE DEPTH OF AFFORDABILITY.
UM, SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, KASASA ASKING LITERALLY ALL OF MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MATRIX AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THAT SPREADSHEET ALSO, CAUSE IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONS AND HOW THEY SCORE IT IS, IS LARGE.
UM, THE ONE LAST QUESTION I WOULD HAVE MANDY IS, UM, WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION AROUND AN ORGANIZATION SORT OF, I GUESS, FINANCIAL CAPACITY, THEIR ABILITY TO ACTUALLY COMPLETE THE PROJECT? SO THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT CRITERIA WHERE THAT WOULD COME INTO PLAY.
UM, THE FIRST WAS IN THE FIRST ROUND OF, UM, OF SCORING.
UH, THERE IS A CATEGORY CALLED ORGANIZATIONAL AND FINANCIAL CAPACITY.
SO WE WERE INTERESTED IN HOW, UM, ROBUST YOUR ORGANIZATION IS AND HOW READY YOU ARE TO TAKE ON THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE MATRIX, UM, AND HOW THE VARIOUS PARDON SCORED.
UM, WHEN, ONCE APPLICANT'S MOVED TO THE SECOND PHASE, WE LOOKED AT THE FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY OF THE PROJECT.
SO WHAT WE DIDN'T WANT WAS SOMEBODY PROPOSING, I'M GOING TO DO A THOUSAND UNITS AND I'M GOING TO RENT THEM ALL.
OR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEEDED TO DIG INTO WHAT THEY WERE POSING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS IN FACT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THERE.
AND THAT WAS ABOUT THE PROJECT, NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT SO TWO DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE THAT CAME INTO PLAY.
CAN YOU SEE THE LAND, MY HAND? I JUST COULDN'T SEE MY MUTE BUTTON.
SO MAYBE, UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO, UM, THE CONCERNS THAT ARE BEING RAISED IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, ONE ASPECT OF THAT MAY HAVE TO DO WITH THE, THE LEVEL OF NUMBER OF UNITS THAT ARE FOR, UH, OWNERSHIP.
IS THAT YOUR SENSE OF THE, UH, WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE THAT ARE BEING RAISED OR IS IT SOMETHING ELSE? THERE ARE MULTIPLE CONCERNS BEING RAISED AND I WOULD SAY THE UNDERLYING, BUT I WANT, OBVIOUSLY I WANT TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES THE UNDERLYING, UM, SENTIMENT THAT I'M HEARING IS THAT CONCERN, THAT THE PROCESS, UM, BASICALLY FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL RACISM THAT WE DID NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THROUGH OUR PROCESS, IT COMMUNITY PREFERENCE, UM, FOR A LOCAL NONPROFIT.
UM, AND AGAIN, YOU'LL HEAR FROM A LOT OF SPEAKERS WHO WILL HAVE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT, UM, UH, PERSPECTIVES.
UM, BUT WE HEARD THAT WE HEARD, UM, UH, CONCERN ABOUT
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HOW THE ARTS EDUCATION, UH, AND THEN WE ALSO PULLED SOME CONCERN ABOUT OWNERSHIP VERSUS RENTAL.UH, AND THAT WAS NOT THOSE CONCERNS WERE NOT NECESSARILY RAISED DURING OUR STAKEHOLDER PROCESS.
UM, SO SOME OF THEM ARE NEW AND SOME OF THEM OF COURSE, ARE, ARE THE ENVIRONMENT, THE LANDSCAPE IN WHICH HE LIVED, UM, AND CERTAIN THINGS WE WANT TO ADDRESS, UM, NOW AND GOING FORWARD.
AND THEN COULD YOU JUST, UM, SPEAK TO WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, OR IS THERE A DIFFERENCE AND I APPRECIATE THE REQUEST FOR A SPREADSHEET AND SAY, THANK YOU, COUNSELING WORKER SULFUR, BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO FOLLOW IT IN MY HEAD, BUT CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO THE, IS, IS THERE A TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THERE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE, UM, PROJECTS IN TERMS OF OWNERSHIP FOR LOWER INCOME FOLKS AS OPPOSED TO, WELL, THE MODEL? UM, SO, BUT THE TWO DIFFERENT PARCELS, UM, COULD YOU JUST GIVE ME THE NUMBERS? I MEAN, BUT TRYING TO GET AT IS IF IT IS THERE IN, IN THE PROPOSALS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT FORWARD FOR SELECTION, UM, IS THERE A LOWER NUMBER OF MINUTES FOR, UM, FOR LOWER INCOME PEOPLE, A LOWER NUMBER OF UNITS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR THEM? YES.
AND I WILL SAY IT'S A TRADE OFF, RIGHT.
AND, UH, IN BOTH, LET'S TALK ABOUT TILLERY.
UM, WE RECOMMENDED PROPOSER MRE, UH, IS ENVISIONING 64 RENTAL UNITS.
MANY OF WHICH ARE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE.
UM, THE, UH, UH, SECOND, UH, HIGHEST SCORING HTG, UH, RECOMMENDED 42 OWNERSHIP UNIT WITH 21 OF WHICH WOULD BE, UM, AFFORDABLE.
AND THEN, UH, THE GMDC PROPOSAL OFFERED, RECOMMENDED OR ENVISIONED A TOTAL OF 51 UNITS AND 21 A BOATS WOULD BE AFFORDABLE OWNERSHIP.
SO THERE IS AN AFFORDABLE OWNERSHIP COMPONENT IN THE SECOND AND THIRD, UH, HIGHEST SCORING APPLICATIONS.
THERE WAS NO OWNERSHIP COMPONENT IN THE MRE, IMAGINE ART THAT'S FOR TILLERY.
AND THEN FOR GARDNER, UM, ENVISIONED DEVELOPMENT OR DMA DEVELOPMENT, THE RECOMMENDED PROPOSER WAS 219 UNITS.
UM, AND THEY'RE ENVISIONING A 4% LYTEC TAX CREDIT, UH, AND A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT PLUS RENTAL AT A VARIETY OF INCOME LEVELS.
UH, THE ALTERNATE PROPOSAL WITH, UH, THE CNO GROUP GNPC IS A TOTAL OF 134 UNITS, SO SMALLER, AND THEN THEY HAD 26 AFFORDABLE OWNERSHIP UNITS BEDDED IN IT, BUT THEY'RE, IT, IT'S A DIFFERENT CONCEPT IN BOTH OF THOSE SITUATIONS.
THERE'S DIFFERENT FINANCING, THERE'S DIFFERENT SUBSIDY REQUIRED BY HFC, UM, A DIFFERENT PROPOSAL IN ALL CASES.
P S MANNY ON THE HOME OWNERSHIP.
AND I, I'M REALLY EXCITING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOME OWNERSHIP, BECAUSE KNOW, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF APARTMENTS BEING BUILT IN THE GOLD VALLEY AREA AND, UH, UH, REALLY WHAT SIZE, UH, HOME FOR DAY PLANNING ON BUILDING BUILDING THERE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE, I'M SORRY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE TRAVIS CHROMIN, UH, WITH AN HCV ON THE LINE WHO MAY KNOW THAT, BUT, UM, WE ALSO HAVE SPEAKERS, UM, FROM, UH, DIFFERENT ROOTS WHO MAY BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT AS WELL.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT THAT I HEARD ABOUT OWNERSHIP AND, UH, AND I'M VERY INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE A METRIC ON HOW MANY BEDROOMS AND, UH, WHAT KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST THE, HOW THE DESIGN WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, OR IS IT TALENT, SO
BASED ON THE SIZE AND CONFIGURATION
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OF THE SITE, UM, I BELIEVE THEY WERE ATTACHED.UM, I BELIEVE THEY WERE ATTACHED PRODUCT, UM, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO THE APPLICANT AND I WILL SAY REGARDING, UM, SIZE AND CONFIGURATION AND ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.
THESE ARE ITEMS WE WOULD LIKE TO NEGOTIATE DURING OUR EXCLUSIVE NEGOTIATION PERIOD, UM, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE WILL BE THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.
WELL, THE REASON I WAS MENTIONED OF HOME OWNERSHIP, BECAUSE THAT, THAT LASTS FOR ALMOST A JUST GENERATIONALLY PASSED BY PASSED ON, AND WE WILL ALWAYS OWN IT ON A SHIP, SO IT WILL BE DEEP AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO, UH, I WAS KINDA, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN TORN ON THESE TWO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW, UH, THE GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD CORPORATION, THE WORK THEY DO, AND IT'S REALLY EXCELLENT AND PEOPLE ARE VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT.
SO I WONDER IF WE'VE LISTENED TO THE SPEAKERS AND THEN RESERVE THE RIGHT TO ASK FOR A POSTPONEMENT MAY BE UNTIL WE CAN REALLY LOOK AT THE METRIC PART OF IT, BUT I REALLY WANT TO HEAR THE SPEAKERS FIRST.
THAT'S WHERE I, OF A TURBO, UH, I, I DIDN'T WANT THE MOMENT TO GO BY WITHOUT JUST APPRECIATING THE FACT THAT I, AS I UNDERSTAND, THESE ARE THE FIRST PROJECTS, THE FIRST CITY PROJECTS TO REQUIRE THE HOUSING PREFERENCE POLICY.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I HEARD ABOUT THIS, UM, IT WAS FROM HEATHER WAY WHO PUT IT INTO A 2003 FAMILIES AND FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN TASK FORCE REPORT.
AND SHE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RYAN DRIVE PROPERTY THAT I'M, I MAY BE CONFLATING A FEW THINGS, BUT ANYWAY, IT WAS IN THAT REPORT WHERE SHE TALKED ABOUT, SHE HAD US, UM, SHE GOT SOME DATA FROM THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT AND LOOKED AT HOW SOME OF OUR, OUR HFC UNITS WERE, UM, WERE KIND OF WHAT THE RESULTS ARE.
AND, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE HOUSING PREFERENCE POLICY, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS EXPRESSED AS A GOAL IN THAT REPORT.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE HEATHER WAY AND HER LAW CLINIC, UM, I KNOW G AND D HAS OFFERED US HELPFUL INFORMATION, AND I WANT TO ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE ASHLEY RICHARDSON ON MY STAFF, UM, AND TRISH IN OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT, WE'RE REALLY WORKING ON WORKING ON THIS ISSUE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, UM, SO THAT WE COULD BRING FORWARD THE POLICY.
AND THANK YOU, OF COURSE, TO OUR HOUSING STAFF ARE NOW IMPLEMENTING IT.
AND IT JUST, IS IT JUST, DOES IT TOOK A LONG TIME? YES, IT DID MENTION OF HEATHER WAY TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, BUT I'M JUST DELIGHTED THAT, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF WHO IS SELECTED TO DEVELOP THESE PROPERTIES, THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A KEY, A KEY COMPONENT OF IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT, TO HAVE THOSE POLICIES IN PLACE THAT WILL REALLY, UM, ENSURE THAT, THAT, UH, OUR RESIDENTS, OUR NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE BEEN DISPLACED OR AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT, UM, AS WELL AS FAMILIES AND CHILDREN, FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN ARE PRIORITIZED FOR HOUSING.
THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF THOSE FOLKS AND, AND OTHERS WHO HAVE MADE IT HAPPEN.
ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE HEAR FROM THE SPEAKERS? YES, VERY PRO TEM AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MEDICINE.
I JUST HAD ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOME OWNERSHIP.
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG, A BIG DIFFERENCE THAT I CAN SEE.
I KNOW THAT WHEN WE'VE, WHEN I'VE TRIED TO WORK ON DEVELOPMENTS IN MY DISTRICT, IT'S USUALLY, UM, OWNERSHIP ON THE, UH, AFFORDABLE ON THE FIRST.
I KNOW, TO FIGURE OUT THE, THE CONTINUOUS, AND THEN THERE'S ALWAYS LIKE THAT.
IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE GETTING, UM, UH, THE REGULAR EQUITY THAT, THAT OTHER HOMEOWNERS WOULD BUILD.
THEY GET LIKE A PERCENTAGE OF EQUITY.
SO IT'S NOT THE SAME, UM, KIND OF GENERATIONAL WEALTH BUILDING THAT BEING SAID.
I, I DO LIKE THE IDEA THAT ONE OF THE PROJECTS DID INCLUDE OWNERSHIP, BUT I GUESS THAT GOES TO MY QUESTION FOR MR. MAYA, IS THERE, YOU SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE EXTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS, UM, JUST NOT KNOWING WHERE THIS IS HEADED AND WHAT RECOMMENDATION WILL BE SET FORTH.
SO WHOEVER IS AWARDED THE PROJECT, COULD THOSE, THE, COULD THAT NEXT STEP NEGOTIATIONS INCLUDE, UM, HAVING AN OWNERSHIP OPTION THAT WASN'T THERE OR IS THAT NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD ADD? CAUSE IT WASN'T AN INITIAL RFP OF PROPOSAL.
SO THAT COULD CERTAINLY BE PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
AS I MENTIONED, I WOULD WANT, UM, THE TWO RESPONDENTS WHO ARE HERE, ONE IS EMERY CAPITAL WITH MAGIC ART.
AND WHETHER IT'S DNA DEVELOPMENT, I WOULD WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM TODAY, UM, ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY A BAT BEFORE I COMMIT TO ANYTHING.
BUT, UM, MY MIND, UH, EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE.
[00:35:02]
OKAY.SO YEAH, FOR THE SPEAKERS, THAT WOULD BE NICE TO HEAR THE, THE PLANS FOR THE SPECIFICS ABOUT THE AFFORDABILITY PORTION OF IT.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, EVERYTHING'S BEEN ADDRESSED ABOUT THE CONCERNS I HEARD.
I FEEL LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF UNFORTUNATELY MISINFORMATION ABOUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE AMOUNT OF AFFORDABILITY AND THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION OR, OR THAT THERE WAS NO AFFORDABILITY IN THE, IN THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
WHEN IN FACT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S MORE, UM, IT HAS THE MOST, UH, UNITS.
UM, BUT ONE THING I, AND I'M SORRY IF I MISSED THIS LITTLE INTERRUPTION FOR A SECOND, BUT, UM, BUT ONE CONCERN I DID HEAR WAS ABOUT WHEN, I GUESS THE MARKETING OF, OF WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING FOR RESIDENTS AND HOW, YOU KNOW, I, I COULD SEE WHERE, UM, AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD DOES HAVE THE, UM, CONNECTION SO TO SPEAK.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO STAND AND FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT PROCESS IS, IS COULD, COULD THAT BE AN ADVANTAGE THAT ONE, UM, APPLICANT HAS OVER THE OTHER IS THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF, OF, OF THE AREA OR OF THE, YOU KNOW, UM, FAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA AND HOW THEY MARKET THE, THE PROJECT.
THERE CERTAINLY COULD BE, UM, AN ADVANTAGE OR A LOCAL, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD BASED, UH, NEW DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WITHOUT A DOUBT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REALLY EXCITING THINGS AS COUNCIL MEMBER TOBER MENTIONED ABOUT THE HOUSING PREFERENCE POLICY IS IT IS ESTABLISHING AN EXPECTATION.
UM, WELL, ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE LAUNCHED THIS HOUSING PREFERENCE POLICY.
AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH WHOEVER, UM, THE SUCCESSFUL ATWORK MEANS, UM, TO LAUNCH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, A REALLY NEW WAY AND JUST REAL QUICK CLASS, I THINK YOU, I THINK YOU ANSWERED THIS WITH COUNCILMEMBER COSARA, BUT ONE CONCERN I HEARD WAS, UM, SOMEBODY IN ANOTHER PART OF TOWN THAT CAN NO LONGER AFFORD, YOU KNOW, RENT IN THAT AREA NOW, BUT COULD POSSIBLY QUALIFY FOR AN AFFORDABLE, UM, IT HAS TO BE THE, THE, THE, THE CRITERIA INCLUDES, UM, COMING FROM A GENTRIFYING, UM, CENSUS TRACK.
IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT I HEARD CORRECTLY? IT'S FROM A GENTRIFYING CENSUS TRACT, UM, UH, UH, THE DATA GOES BACK TO THE YEAR, 2000 WITH YOU THAT WAS CHOSEN.
SO YOU NEED TO HAVE LIVED, UM, A GENTRIFYING CENSUS TRACK HAVE FAMILY TIES TO THE AREA.
MEDICINE, MINE WAS ACTUALLY JUST GOING TO BE A TECHNICAL THING.
I JUST START ONE OF A COUPLE OF MESSAGES THAT I'VE RECEIVED TODAY THAT SAYS WE ALL LOOK BLURRY ON ATX.
JUST FORGET TO GIVE YOU THAT FEEDBACK.
AND FOR SOME REASON, I THINK I KEEP FREEZING AND ALL KINDS OF ODD, BUT POSES.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP.
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND THEN CALL SPEAKERS? YOU'RE DOING TO GO RIGHT INTO SPEAKERS.
PEOPLE WANT TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
PEOPLE WANT TO GO RIGHT INTO SPEAKERS.
EVERYBODY'S TIRED, RIGHT? NOBODY'S LIKE MOVING AT ALL.
LET'S TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
WE'RE GOING TO SPEAKERS, BUT LET'S COME BACK HERE AT FIVE O'CLOCK SPEAKERS.
WE'RE GOING TO GO AND WE WILL STAY WITH YOU UNTIL EVERYONE'S HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK TWO MINUTES TO SPEAKER, AND WE CAN START.
SO BACK FROM BREAK HERE AT FIVE OH THREE.
UH, IF THE CLERK IS WITH US, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND HERE FOR SPEAKERS.
HOW MANY SPEAKERS DO WE HAVE QUEUED UP 21 CURRENTLY.
IF YOU GO AHEAD AND START, EVERYBODY HAS TWO MINUTES FOR ALL OF THE SPEAKERS IN QUEUE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T PRESSED ZERO, PLEASE DO SO NOW THANK YOU.
UM, MAYOR FOR THIS FIRST SPEAKER, HE IS, UM, HE REQUESTED AN INTERPRETER.
HE IS SPEAKING ENGLISH AND WE HAVE THE INTERPRETER
[00:40:01]
TO INTERPRET HIS COMMENTS TO SPANISH.UM, HOWEVER IT STAFF ARE STILL ON BREAK.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO BRING IN THE INTERPRETER, SO I WILL BEGIN WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? HELLO? YES, PLEASE.
I'M A MEMBER OF DISTRICT FIVE FOR BLACK LIVES.
I'M ASKING CITY COUNCIL AND SPECIFICALLY MY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE AND KITCHEN TO VOTE AGAINST AGENDA ITEMS, A H F C ZERO ZERO ONE AND ZERO ZERO TO THE PROCESS OF GRANTING CONTEXT TO WHITE OWNED ORGANIZATIONS WITHOUT TIES OR RELATIONSHIPS TO THE EAST AUSTIN COMMUNITY, FURTHERS, GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT OF LONGTIME RESIDENTS.
THIS DECISION HAS A DISPROPORTIONATE AND NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BLACK AND BROWN FAMILIES IN EAST AUSTIN.
I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE SUPPORT THE POSITIONS OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR UNITED FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AND THE GO VALLEY JOHNSON TERRACE, NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, CONTACT TEAM AWARD, THOSE PROJECTS TO THE GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORP.
IN ADDITION TO ADJUST THE CRITERIA FOR FUTURE HOUSING PROJECTS ON PUBLIC LAND TO BE MORE EQUITABLE.
I'M LIKE HER AND FOLLOW THE RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FIVE AND KITCHEN IS MY COUNCIL PERSON.
I'M ALSO A CANDIDATE FOR THE AT-LARGE SEAT AND THE ALSO TRUSTEES REPRESENT THE DIVERSITY.
I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT A BIT, IF YOU CAN GO PHRASE BY PHRASE SO THAT THEY CAN INTERPRET.
AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE THIS STORY FROM ENGLISH INTO SPANISH IS THAT THERE'S A TOTAL OF TWO MINUTES FOR BOTH WHAT'S BEING SAID AND FOR THE TRANSLATION.
KIRSCHENFELD A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FIVE AND KITCHEN IS MY COUNCIL PERSON.
NO, WHEN IT'S MIKE
MY COMMENTS THIS EVENING ARE FOR BOTH ITEMS ONE AND TWO ON YOUR AGENDA REGARDING THE WINNING PROPOSALS COULD DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
I IMPLORE YOU TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS A PRIORITY PLACED ON THE NUMBER OF ACCESSIBLE MULTI BEDROOM UNITS, SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR FAMILIES, WITH STUDENTS.
WE'RE LOOKING INTO THE DEMO
THEN YOU ARE NEGLECTING TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR CITY'S LONG HISTORY OF RACIAL AND ECONOMIC SEGREGATION.
I RECOMMEND THAT YOU POST TURN YOUR VOTE ON BOTH OF THESE ITEMS UNTIL YOU CAN BE MORE TRANSPARENT WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO TO THEM.
AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT VARIABLES FOR BREAKING CYCLES OF POVERTY.
[00:45:08]
THANK YOU.THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE COUNCIL.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY AND ASKING YOU TO, UH, AWARD THESE CONTRACTS WITH GNPC.
I AM THE NEAR YANNIS PART, EUROPE PARK, FIRST NATION, AND I SPEAK TODAY IN A RACIST SOCIETY THAT TELLS ME THAT I'M A PERSON OF COLOR IN A RACIST SYSTEM THAT PERPETUATES AND MAINTAIN WHITE SUPREMACY.
THE SYSTEM THAT EVERYONE IS IN A SYSTEM THAT IS SO USED TO A WHITE SUPREMACY AND RACISM THAT IT THINKS IT'S OKAY.
A SYSTEM THAT KILLS OUR CHILDREN WITH THE BLUE SHIELD OF IMPUNITY, A RACIST SYSTEM THAT FORCED THE BIRTH OF EAST AUSTIN AND OUTCOMES.
TAKE THE LAND, NOT WITH WHITE SUPREMACY OF, OF OLD GENOCIDE, LYNCHINGS CLIPPINGS AND CHAINS, BUT WITH WHITE SUPREMACY OF TODAY WITH ORDINANCE REGULATION AND MATRIX INTRINSICALLY FRAUD FROM THE START FAVORING QUITE INTEREST BY DEFAULT, THE MATRIX USED FOR THESE PROJECTS DID NOT.
IT DID NOT INCLUDE A HOME HOMEOWNERSHIP SCORING, AND IT DID NOT INCLUDE A RIGHT TO STAY, UH, UM, RIGHT TO RETURN, UH, MAKE PART OF THE MATRIX IF IT HAD G AND D SCHEME WOULD HAVE WON HANDS DOWN G AND D C HAS A WAITING LIST OF 850 PLUS HOUSEHOLDS OF COLOR DISPLACED FROM EAST AUSTIN WAITING TO RETURN.
IMAGINE US IMAGINE ART AND BIG, MEDIUM, AND THE PARTNERS DO NOT.
THEIR PROPOSALS WOULD ACCELERATE THIS PLACEMENT.
GNPC HAS TO SUPPORT THE NEIGHBORHOODS HERE AND GO VALLEY.
IMAGINE ART AND BIG MEDIUM DO NOT SEE IN D C HAS A 40 YEAR TRACK RECORD OF PROVIDING REAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM EAST AUSTIN.
IMAGINE ALL ART AND BIG MEDIUM DO NOT GNPC HAS SUBSTANTIAL HOMEOWNERSHIP ELEMENTS IN THEIR PROPOSALS.
THE AUSTIN OF OLD CREATED A SITUATION OF WHITE SUPREMACY, WHICH STILL LIVES WITH US TODAY.
THE AUSTIN OF TODAY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ONE MORE STEP TOWARDS A MORE JUST AND MORAL AUSTIN.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT REAL ESTATE PROJECTS.
THIS IS ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM AND THE SYSTEM THAT FLAWS THAT HAS FLAWS AND FAVORS THE INTEREST OF WHITES BY DEFAULT G AND D C IS THE BEST POSITIONED TO TAKE US ONE STEP FURTHER AWAY FROM OUR RACIST LEGACY IN THE MEMORY OF JOHNNY THE MONTH, ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF, OF GMDC AND A MEMBER OF THE GROVE, VALERIE JOHNSON, MARY BIRD CONTACT TEAM.
I ASKED YOU TO AWARD THESE CONTRACTS TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
YOU'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
MY NAME IS CARRIE PFEFFER VICKERY, AND I'M AN ARTIST AND HOMEOWNER IN EAST AUSTIN, DISTRICT THREE.
I'M ASKING THE COUNCIL TO MOVE FORWARD ON ITEMS ONE AND TWO IF AND ONLY IF THEY DO SO WITH THE GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH BIG, MEDIUM AND IMAGINED IS TO CONTINUE THE LONG HISTORY OF BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES BEING UPROOTED AND DISPLACED AT THE HANDS OF WHITE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND MORE SPECIFICALLY ARTISTS, YOU HAVE COMMUNITIES OF COLORS HAS BEEN WORKING AT THIS LAND FOR OVER 15 YEARS, WHICH IS DECIDED BEFORE THE LAND WAS HIP ENOUGH TO BE SPOTTED BY THE WHITE ORGANIZATIONS WHO HISTORICALLY DIDN'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE EAST SIDE, UNTIL IT BECAME PROFITABLE FOR THEM.
SO YOU HAVE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
WHO'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS LAND FOR 15 YEARS AS A PRICE FOR REAL R E A L LOW INCOME HOUSING WITH PATHWAYS, THE OWNERSHIP FOR THE COUNTLESS DISPLACED FAMILIES OF COLOR ON THE EAST SIDE TO HAND, A FRIEND OVER TO WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS IS TO CONTINUE THE CRUSHING WAVE OF GENTRIFICATION THAT IS WASHED OVER THE EAST SIDE, ALL BETTER RACING, THE LONGSTANDING RICH HISTORY WITH THE BLACK AND BROWN FOLKS WHO MADE THE EAST SIDE, WHAT IT IS TO GRANT THIS LAND TO WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS IS TO CONTINUE AUSTIN'S TRADITION ABOUT REALLY PROGRESSIVE, BUT ULTIMATELY COMMITTED TO UPHOLDING WHITE SUPREMACY IN OUR CITY.
THE EQUITY OFFICE IS NOT BAD IN ON THIS DISCUSSION AND I CAN'T HELP, BUT FEEL LIKE THAT IS INTENTIONAL.
YOU KNOW, THE EQUITABLE ANSWER IS NOT TO TURN THIS LAND OVER TO WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS WITH NO LONGSTANDING TIES COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
WHO'VE BEEN ON THE EAST SIDE FOR YEARS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT THE EQUITABLE ACTION AS A WHITE ARTIST RESIDING ON THE EAST SIDE.
IT IS MY DUTY TO THIS COMMUNITY TO VOICE THE URGENCY AND IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING ORGANIZATIONS LED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR AT THE HELM OF LAND AND HOUSING ISSUES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, NO WHITE SAVIOR NECESSARY.
WE NEED TO TRUST BLACK AND BROWN ORGANIZATIONS SNOWED AS BEST FILL IN AND PEOPLE ALSO I'VE BEEN ONLINE SINCE THREE 15 COUNSEL.
[00:50:01]
I THANK YOU FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME, OBVIOUSLY THAT YOU SPEND LISTENING TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS, BUT IT FELT WILD TO BE ON THE PHONE FOR TWO HOURS BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED TAKING COMMENTS ON ITEM ONE AND TWO.UM, AND I FEEL VERY GRATEFUL THAT I WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO GUYS, BUT THAT'S PART OF THAT.
WAIT, TIME IS PART OF WHAT MAKES IT SO UNACCESSIBLE FOR, UM, FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE TIED UP IN WORKING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO I HAVE GRATITUDE FOR BEING ABLE TO SPEAK AND TO GUYS FOR LISTENING, BUT I REALLY URGE TO COME UP WITH A WAY TO MAKE THIS MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL PEOPLE.
HI, CAN I HELP YOU? YES, GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING ME BACK A BIT, ANY CONTRACTS.
THIS WOULD BE SUCH A CELEBRATION FROM OUR PEOPLE, TRUST PEOPLE WITH ADD, BRING IT BACK, BRINGING IT BACK TO OUR PEOPLE AND HAVING THAT RIGHT TO RETURN.
WE HAVE A DEADLINE THAT'S GOING TO BE TO BE MET, BUT WE CAN'T DELAY THIS THE PRISON TOO LONG, BECAUSE IF THEY CAN GET THE FULL CREDIT, I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE GETTING.
AND SO WE CAN'T USE THAT LONG TO CONTINUE TO DO THIS.
THE NDC HAS BEEN DOING SUCH GREAT WORK ACCORDING TO THE COMMUNITY, ACCORDING TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS AND HAVE THEY BEEN WORKING ON IT, THEY ALREADY HAVE A LIST OF 800 PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN VETTED OUT TO ALREADY COME BACK AND RETURN EVEN DOING THIS WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO COME AND TALK TO ME, THIS IS THE BIGGEST THING.
THE TYPES OF OFFERS FROM EVERYBODY ELSE IS THAT WE DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
YOU HAVE THIS GROUP THAT'S DOING IT.
THEY ALREADY, THEY HAVE THE LIST OF 800 PEOPLE READY TO GO.
WE'VE GOT A DEADLINE TO MEET, BUT THEY CAN GET FULL CREDIT FOR THIS.
THIS HAS TO GO THROUGH SUCH AN HONOR, BUT CAME BACK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR MY, UM, MY STUDY LEADER HONORABLE TO, I KNOW HE UNDERSTANDS WHERE I'M COMING FROM HERE AS WELL.
I WAS GOING TO SIT ON IT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT, SO MY NAME IS CALVIN COLBERT AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL, NO ON AGENDA ITEMS ONE AND TWO, UNLESS THE DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTS ARE GIVEN TO THE GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IN LINE WITH THE STANCE OF THE ORGANIZATION, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR UNITED.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, FIRST OF ALL, THANK THE FOSTER CITY COUNCIL FOR THEIR WORK ON FURTHERING SUPPORT FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES.
AND THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN DISPLACED BY GENTRIFICATION.
AND I ASKED IF THEY CONTINUE THIS WORK BY AWARDING THE CONTRACT THAT HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY AT HEART, GIVE YOU THESE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTS TO IMAGINE OUR BIG, MEDIUM BMA DEVELOPMENT COMPANY AND MRE CAPITAL IS AGAINST THE WILL OF THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING TO PROTECT.
THESE LANDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE SYSTEMIC DISPLACEMENT OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND BY HAND AND THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP THEM TO WHITE LED COMPANIES WITH NO CONNECTION TO OR HISTORY WITH THE COMMUNITY THAT THE LAND RESIDES IN WOULD BE, WOULD BE FURTHER HARMING THESE MARGINALIZED GROUPS.
IN ADDITION, THE SELECTION OF THESE COMPANIES IS DONE WITHOUT THE INPUT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN EQUITY OFFICE AND OVER THE PROPOSAL OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH SEEK TO CREATE RIGHT TO RETURN LOW INCOME HOUSING IN AN EFFORT TO AID THOSE ORIGINAL DISPLACED.
IF THE CONTRACTS ARE NOT GIVEN TO THE GMDC, THEN THESE ITEMS ARE NOTHING BUT GENTRIFICATION AND ACTION.
AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THIS SPECIFIC HARM AND ATTEMPT TO FIX THE DAMAGE ALREADY DONE BY SYSTEMIC RACISM IN AUSTIN.
IT'S THE CENTER OF THE VOICES OF THE COMMUNITIES MOST EFFECTIVE.
AND YOU CAN DO THIS BY GIVING THESE CONTRACTS, THE GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, ERIC.
HI, MY NAME IS ERIC RAMOS OR OVER AT MARTIN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND FIRST OFF I WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING I DO FIND IT COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS THAT MANY OF THE DETAILS OF SOME OF THESE CONTRACTS WERE NOT GIVEN UNTIL THIS MEETING HAD BEGUN.
AND IT'S HARD FOR THE PUBLIC TO PROPERLY GIVE YOU OUR OPINION.
WHEN WE HAVE, BEFORE WE HAVE TO SIZE UP TO SPEAK.
NEXT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW I'VE SEEN MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS SPEAK OUT EITHER ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR BE AT RALLIES AGAINST THE CLOSURES OF AN AUSTIN ISB.
SO NOW YOU'D HAVE A CHANCE TO ACT ON THAT AND NOT JUST SPEAK ON IT.
I PERSONALLY HAVE SEEN HOW MANY KIDS MID YEAR HAS
[00:55:01]
TO LEAVE BECAUSE THEY, WHERE THEY LIVE AND SEEING THEM IN TEARS IN THEIR FRIENDS, GOODBYE IS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS TO DO.AND SO I'M SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING TO AGENDA ITEMS ONE AND TWO, BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T LOSE OUT ON THE CHANCE OF PROPER AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ROOMS IS AFFORDABLE.
ARE THEY GOING TO BE FIT FOR A FAMILY? ARE THEY GOING TO GO APARTMENT OR ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT? WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AFFORDABLE TO ARE NOT AFFORDABLE FOR WHAT THE AREA OF MARKET RATE IS LIVE THERE NOW, OR THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN FORCED OUT, CANNOT AFFORD THEM.
WE WILL NOT HAVE A STABLE ENROLLMENT AT THE EAST SIDE MEMORIAL VERTICAL TEAM SCHOOLS.
THE CLIENTS WE'VE SEEN THINGS LIKE THE DEVELOPMENT THAT BROUGHT ORACLE TO RIVERSIDE, COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED SOME ATTENDANCE FOR SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT.
PLEASE DO NOT VOTE FOR ANYTHING.
UNLESS YOU CAN ASSURE THAT THE DEVELOPMENT WILL HAVE PROPER AFFORDABLE HOUSING, NOT THE VAGUE TERM OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE AND ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT CONTINUE TO GET TESTS.
WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR FAMILIES CAN AFFORD TO LIVE IN EAST AUSTIN.
I DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO LOSE THE FAMILIES THAT I SERVE AT MY SCHOOL.
HI, MY NAME IS RACHEL AND I LIVE IN DISTRICT ONE.
I AM GOING TO PLAY TESTIMONY FROM SOMEONE WHO, UM, WASN'T ABLE TO SPEAK TODAY DURING DUE TO THE HONOR'S DEMANDS OF PROVIDING TESTIMONY AT THESE HEARINGS.
MY NAME IS CINDY ELIZABETH, DONALD AND I AM A RESIDENT BORN AND RAISED IN EAST AUSTIN.
I AM ALSO AN ARTIST ARTS ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SIX SQUARE.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY CREATED TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY AND THE CULTURE OF EAST AUSTIN AND SUPPORT THE BLACK ARTS NO LONGER HAS PHYSICAL SPACES TO WORK FROM TO THE SPIKES IN MY PANDEMIC OR NO PANDEMIC.
SIX SQUARE HAS NO CHOICE, BUT TO OPERATE FROM THE HOMES OF THE DIRECTOR AND ITS EMPLOYEES.
THESE ARE THE ORGANIZATIONS, BUT ONES THAT EXISTS TO PRESERVE THE SUPPORT, THE HISTORICAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT SHOULD BE GIVEN PRIORITY OVER THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE NO VESTED INTERESTS OR NO TIES TO THE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY THEY'RE ANSWERING AND TAKING UP SPACE.
AND THIS WOULD JUST BE ANOTHER WRONG IN A LONG LIST OF WRONGS THAT HAD BEEN INFLICTED UPON THE COMMUNITIES OF EAST AUSTIN, BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ILLEST OFFICIALS.
IT IS ASSISTING IN OUR CONTINUED OR GLACIER LIDO.
I'M GOING TO QUICKLY SAY I'M SPEAKING TODAY AS PART OF UNDOING RACISM, AUSTIN, AND THE EASTERN CRESCENT RATE TO STAY COALITION.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED AT THE PROSPECT OF THESE TWO PROPERTIES BEING DEVELOPED, WHICH I WILL REMIND YOU ALL THAT THE COMMUNITY WORKED AND PRESSURED THE CITY WITH LAURA MORRISON TO IDENTIFY AND CATALOG THESE PUBLIC ON PIECES OF LAND THAT WE COULD DEVELOP FOR HOUSING.
THERE'S 20 YEARS OF PLANNING BEHIND THIS.
THERE WAS A LAWSUIT OVER THE ANIMAL SHELTER MOVING TO THIS SITE BECAUSE WE WANTED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE'RE ABSOLUTELY IN SUPPORT OF THAT, BUT YOU NEED TO GIVE THESE TO GMDC.
NACD HAS ADMITTED HOW MUCH THEY ARE LEARNING THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
THEY HAD TOLD US THIS RESULT WITH THIS VERY DRY AND UNOBJECTIVE, IT'S VERY SUBJECTIVE.
SCORING MATRIX IS UNINTENTIONALLY GETTING US THESE RESULTS.
WE HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL WHEN WE ADDRESS SYSTEMIC RACISM AND DOING THE RIGHT THING.
THE EQUITY OFFICE DIDN'T SEE THIS UNTIL WE GOT THESE PROBLEMATIC RESULTS AND THEY TOO HAVE COMMENTED THAT THIS PROCESS WAS A HISTORICAL, NO COMMUNITY CONTEXT THAT MATRIX DOESN'T VALUE, HOME OWNERSHIP AND HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, PRETEND FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION, THAT FAMILIARITY WITH THE DOES HELP TO IMPLEMENT OUR PREFERRED POLICY.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO FOR EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT IT, BUT WHEN THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO HAS ADVANCED THIS SMALL PIECE OF THE PEOPLE PLANT PUBLIC LAND.
AND WHAT HAPPENS TO IT IS ALSO PART OF THE PEOPLE'S PLAN VISION WHO IS LEADING IT.
THE WORK IS IT THE DIRECTLY IMPACTED PEOPLE ROOTED WITH A BOARD OF DIRECTORS FROM EAST BOSTON, WITH RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAS ALSO HELPED NEWCOMERS TO EAST AUSTIN WHO ARE MARGINALIZED GMDC WILL SET THE STANDARD FOR OUR RIGHT TO RETURN POLICY BEING ROOTED.
YOU HEAR WHAT BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE ARE TELLING YOU.
LAST THING I JUST WANT TO SAY IS THAT I
[01:00:01]
KNOW THIS PROCESS IS VERY LONG, BUT THIS INFORMATION IS NOT NEW TO YOU.ALL OUR HOUSING REPRESENTATIVES HAVE WALKED THE AREAS.
THEY KNOW THAT HOME OWNERSHIP IS IMPORTANT.
ALL HOUSING IS NOT GOOD HOUSING, AND WE CAN'T JUST LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF UNITS.
YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE SOME LAND BACK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, TAMMY ALI JOBY YES, GO AHEAD.
MY NAME IS TAMMY AND I'M A COMMUNITY MEMBER RESIDING IN LESLIE POST DISTRICT SEVEN, UH, CALLING LIKE SO MANY VOICES ABOUT, AND I'M JUST WANTING TO, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT I BELIEVE THE PROJECT SHOULD NOT GO FORWARD UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF IMAGINED ART AND BIG MEDIUM, BECAUSE DEVELOPERS FOCUSED ON MAKING TRENDY AND NOT ACTUAL AFFORDABLE RENTING UNITS AND HOUSES FOR GENTRIFIERS SHOULD NOT BE AT THE LEAN DEVELOPMENT, SHOULD NOT BE LEADING TO DEVELOPMENT.
WE INSTEAD NEED LOCAL ORG LIKE GMDC WHO HAVE A HISTORY OF PROVIDING REAL AFFORDABLE, LOW INCOME HOUSING FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR IN EAST AUSTIN FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS TO BE GIVEN THIS PROJECT TO LIVE AND WORK ART SPACES.
AND THE RENTAL UNITS THAT IMAGINE ARE IN BIG, MEDIUM, OR GOES IN, WILL NOT PROVIDE HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISPLAY BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IT WILL ONLY AMPLIFY EVEN MORE DISPLACEMENT MOVING FORWARD.
THE EQUITY OFFICE NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING THIS PLAN TOGETHER.
AND THAT PROCESS SHOULD BE TRANS AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING, HAVING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF A LOT OF THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THESE DEVELOPERS, BUT THAT INFORMATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO US.
NOT ONLY MINUTES BEFORE WE GET TO SPEAK.
LASTLY, EQUITY AND HOUSING IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO SUPPORT PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND LOW INCOME HOUSING SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY FOR BLACK BROWN FAMILIES WHO ARE CURRENTLY LIVING IN EAST AUSTIN.
AND THOSE WHO WANT TO RETURN TO EAST AUSTIN.
YES, YOU'RE IN A LOT OF THINGS THAT THINGS SAID ABOUT AMERICAN ART.
YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS PROPOSAL CAME TO MY OFFICE, MARK, ROGER, AND IMAGINE ART, WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD THIS NEXT USE WHERE HOME OWNERSHIP AND LOW INCOME RENTAL HOUSES FOR THE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY, LET ME KILL YOU.
UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE JUST REALLY PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE GOING TO BE DISPLAYED ONE OF THESE DAYS AND NOT HAVE A PLACE TO GO.
YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT HOME OWNERSHIP, THE RIGHT TO RETURN, BUT PLEASE DO NOT.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, MAPPING IT'S A GOOD ORGANIZATION GET WORK, BUT I DO SUPPORT A WHILE NEIGHBORHOOD CORPORATION, BUT THEY WERE WORKING.
THE ONLY REASON THEY COULDN'T MAKE IT WORK OUT IS BECAUSE OF THEIR, UNTIL I READ WITH DATA BECAUSE OF THE OTHER YEAR, BECAUSE GROVE ONE, ONE WAY TO CUT DOWN ANY ADULTS BECOME COUNTRIES AND THEY HAVE PLANNED TO TRY TO MAKE IT IN BETWEEN THESE TWO, UH, IN BETWEEN THE TREES AND THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED, THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SO, UH, THESE ARE TWO GOOD, GOOD, UH, ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, I DO, I, I LOVE THEM BOTH AND I SUPPORT GMC ALL THE TIME.
EVERY TIME I, I COULDN'T, UH, LOCATE ANY KIND OF FUNDING.
UM, I TRY TO DO, YOU KNOW, GET IT TO GNC BECAUSE I KNOW THEY PROVIDE PARAMEDIC BEAUTIFUL, DEEP, AFFORDABLE HOUSING SO THAT BOTH OF THESE GROUPS ARE, ARE REALLY GOOD ORGANIZATION.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DOING GOOD WORK.
JESSICA MORENO, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
MY NAME IS JESSICA MORENO AND I'M A CONSTITUENT OF DISTRICT FIVE AND WAS FORMERLY A RESIDENT OF USE AUSTIN UNTIL IT BECAME TOO DIFFICULT TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR MYSELF AND HOUSEMATE.
UM, BUT MY EXPERIENCE IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE INDIGENOUS EAST AUSTINITES MANY OF WHOM ARE AUSTINITES OF COLOR WHO HAVE CONTINUED TO BE DISPLACED FROM THEIR COMMUNITY OVER THE YEARS.
AND I'M CALLING IN TODAY WITH THOSE FOLKS IN MIND TO EXPRESS MY CAUTIOUS SUPPORT FOR THE AHF SEES AGENDA ITEMS ONE AND TWO REGARDING THE LAND DEVELOPMENT IN EAST AUSTIN.
ONLY IF THE GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS APPOINTED AS THE DEVELOPER, DID YOU, NDC HAS A HISTORICAL CONTEXT, THE VISION AND THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY MOST
[01:05:01]
HISTORICALLY IMPACTED IN EAST AUSTIN AND THEIR PROPOSAL INCLUDES A MIXTURE OF AFFORDABLE RENTAL AND HOME OWNERSHIP.AND GUESS WHAT SOME OF US BROWN FOLKS DO ACTUALLY ASPIRE TO OWN HOME SOMEDAY AND NOT JUST RENT.
SO I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE HAVE AN EQUITY FOR A REASON.
FRIENDS SHOULD INCLUDE THEM IN ANY DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES MOVING FORWARD, NOT JUST AT THE LAST MINUTE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE HISTORIC EQUITY ISSUES, ANY THOUGHTS IN, BUT SO MANY OF US ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, AND WHILE I APPRECIATE THE OUTREACH TO COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER, IT'S A PANDEMIC Y'ALL AND THAT MAKES ENGAGEMENT REALLY HARD.
SOME OF US HAVE A HARD TIME BEING ON THIS CALL RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I REITERATE THAT WE MUST, THIS PROCESS MUST CENTER INDIGENOUS EAST.
AUSTINITES BOTH ONES WHO REMAIN ANY SAWSAN AND THE ONES WHO'VE BEEN DISPLACED BECAUSE THEY HAVE LONG EXPRESSED THEIR VISION FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO I SUPPORT AGAIN, ITEMS ONE AND TWO SO LONG AS THESE KEY PARTNERSHIPS ARE IN PLACE.
AND THAT GNC IS THE APPOINTED DEVELOPER.
THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRUST IN OUR CITY RIGHT NOW.
Y'ALL AND IF YOU PUSH THIS PROJECT FORWARD, WITHOUT THESE PARTNERSHIPS, I FEAR THAT DISTRUST IS ONLY GOING TO GROW.
WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN HEALING, A FRACTION OF THE HISTORICAL HARM THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS EXPERIENCED.
AND I HOPE WE DO RIGHT BY OUR EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
I KNOW WITH THE, TURN IT INTO MONICA GUZMAN.
I'M MONICA LOOSE LAWN THIS AFTERNOON.
I SPEAK TO YOU AS A NATIVE AUSTINITE DISTRICTS, OUR RESIDENTS, EASTERN CRESCENT RIGHTS, A STATE COALITION MEMBER AND HOUSING ADVOCATE ON ITEMS ONE AND TWO.
I ORIGINALLY REGISTERED IN OPPOSITION TO THE ITEMS, BUT NOW THANKS TO UPDATING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION BY ADDING OR OTHER QUALIFIED RESPONDENTS.
I SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THEM BECAUSE WHAT A LUPIN NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS THE OTHER QUALIFIED RESPONDENTS G AND D C IS THE ONLY APPLICANT THAT I KNEW OF WITH HOME OWNERSHIP.
AS PART OF THEIR PLAN, BUILDING EQUITY THROUGH HOME OWNERSHIP IS THE PATH TO FINANCIAL STABILITY.
A PAST LONGER NIGHT, THE PEOPLE OF COLOR BECAUSE OF RED LINING AND THE 1928 MASTER PLAN RED LINE, HE MAY NOW BE ILLEGAL, BUT IT WAS REPLACED WITH ECONOMIC SEGREGATION, DISPLACING RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF COLOR LIKE BIG, MEDIUM.
IMAGINE ART THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD ORGANIZATIONS, BUT LONG STANDING SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES ALLOW THEM AND OTHER WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS TO FLOURISH WHILE THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE.
EVEN NOW IN THE 21ST CENTURY FOR 10 PLUS YEARS, THE COMMUNITY SURROUNDING THESE PUBLIC PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN DEMANDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THE JOHNSON GOES BY A TERRACE CONTACT TEAM ARE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT COMMUNITY PLANNING MEANS.
LEADING THE PLANNING GMDC IS THEIR CHOICE FOR A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BECAUSE THEIR WORK MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR DISPLACED RESIDENTS TO RETURN BEING AND SAYING YOU'RE OKAY WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMES OFF AS SOUNDING FLIPPANT AS IF THE HOUSING FOR THE MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY IS AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
INSTEAD START LOOKING BACK AT AUSTIN'S RACIST HISTORY.
YOU MUST BE INTENTIONAL WHEN DECIDING ON HOW BEST TO ENSURE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, BOTH RENTAL AND HOME OWNERSHIP FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS AT OR BELOW 80% MFI.
I URGE YOU TO APPROVE AND EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH WHAT A LOOP IN NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
I'M RESIDENT AT DISTRICT FOUR AND A NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES OF COLOR UNITED.
I DON'T WANT HIM TO, UNLESS YOU GO FORWARD WITH THE BOTTOM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WHICH IS THE BEST OPTION FOR HOME OWNERSHIP.
THERE'S AN OBVIOUS FLAW IN THE PROCESS FOR PUBLIC LANDS AND HISTORICALLY BLACK AND BROWN NEIGHBORHOODS WITH THOSE COMMUNITIES SPOT TO HAVE ALLOCATED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS THERE BY AWARDED TO WHITE LED ORGANIZATION IN EAST AUSTIN AND THE FAMILIES WHO HAVE LOST THEIR HOMES TO GENTRIFICATION WITH NOW RESIGNED THEMSELVES TO FURTHER VULNERABILITY BY BEING VENTURES, WHERE WE PUT HISTORICAL AND EQUITY LENS IN THE MATRIX.
HOW IS EQUITY IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, ADDRESSING RACISM AND A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
ISN'T JUST ABOUT DEFUNDING POLICE AND ADDING MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS.
IT'S AN HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT DECISION LIKE ITEM RUN INTO THAT SHAPE.
OUR CITY, IN FACT, RIGHT, ART ORGANIZATIONS ARE KNOWN TO BE BEACONS OF GENTRIFICATION.
AND WHILE YOU DIDN'T CONSIDER WHAT THEY WOULD DO WITH THE COMMERCIAL SPACE OR COMMERCIAL SPACES, DETERMINE WHAT SIGNALS TO A NEIGHBORHOOD PIECES FOR THEM EXPECTATION DOESN'T EQUAL ETHICACY.
AND IF IT DOES NOT CARRY THE WEIGHT OF BUILT TRUST, WHAT I HEARD DESCRIBED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING
[01:10:01]
WITH A DIVERSITY LENS, NOT A RACIAL EQUITY LENS, GIVING PUBLIC LAND TO WHITE LED ORGANIZATIONS WITH NO TRACK RECORD IN DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS OR TRUST THE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES IS GENTRIFICATION.WE WERE ABLE TO SERVICE PETS AND ANIMALS BEFORE HUMANS AND NOT LOCATION WITH YEARS AND YEARS OF BLACKING.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THIS DONE, BUT NOW IT'S BEING GIVEN TO ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR DRIVING GENTRIFICATION ON THE EAST SIDE.
SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GO FORWARD WITH GNPC.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, JESSICA, ELLIE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GO AHEAD.
UH, MY NAME IS JESSICA ELEY ON THE CO-CHAIR OF THE GOLD VALLEY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I COULD TALK FOR A VERY LONG TIME ABOUT A HOST OF THESE PROJECTS, UM, BUT TO GET RIGHT THE POINT, WE WERE ONLY APPROACHED BY TWO APPLICANTS FOR TILLERY THAT WAS, IMAGINE ART AND G AND D C THAT PROPOSED THE TOLD US WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO PROPOSE.
AND AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING, WE COULD NOT COME TO A CONSENSUS.
I MEAN, THESE PROJECTS, THEY'RE KIND OF VERY SIMILAR EXCEPT FOR THE HOME OWNERSHIP COMPONENT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE INCLUDED IN OUR LETTERS OF SUPPORT WAS A QUALIFYING PARAGRAPH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS WITH IMAGINE ARCH BECAUSE THE DEVELOPER EMORY CAPITAL IS FROM OUT OF STATE AND WE'RE NOT SURE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE PROJECT THAT THEY PROPOSED.
AND G AND DC WORKS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
FATHER, JOE IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
THEY HAVE ALL THE TRUST FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE WORLD.
YOU KNOW, I, WE ENDED UP WRITING LETTERS FOR BOTH, BUT REALLY YOU COULD KIND OF PICK OUT THE ONE.
AND I PERSONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE G AND D C THERE, GIVEN THAT THEY'RE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, WE KNOW THEY CAN GET THE JOB DONE.
AND, UM, THERE'S A TRUST ISSUE BECAUSE THIS IS ALSO THE SITE WHERE THE STONE HOUSE WAS DEMOLISHED, RIGHT AFTER LETTER NEIGHBORS GOT LETTERS THAT IT WAS CONSIDERED FOR A HISTORIC SITE.
UM, IT WAS A BIG MESS UP IN THE PROCESS, BUT IT HFC HAS KIND OF, UH, SO SOME ILL WILL IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND BY CHOOSING GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, YOU REALLY CAN'T GO WRONG.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ADD IS TALKING WITH
AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT IS AN ELEMENT OF THE GMDC PROPOSAL FOR GARDNER.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S ALSO SOMETHING YOU SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
ALSO, JUST REMEMBER, THIS IS SO NEW IN THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, 64 UNITS FOR IMAGINE ART VERSUS 51 FOR G AND D C.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO ALL THE SPEAKERS IN QUEUE.
IF YOU HAVE NOT PRESSED ZERO, PLEASE DO SO NOW.
AFTER MAYOR ADLER IN THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY DMA AND BIG NEED FOR GARNER STREET.
AND I SUPPORT GSEC FOR TILLERY.
BIG, MEDIUM, AND DMA WILL CREATE A UNIQUE COMMUNITY WHOSE VISION IS TO LEAVE UNITY AND FOSTER COMMUNITY.
THESE BROUGHT OUT OVER THE YEARS, THEY'VE SHOWN THEY STARTED FROM THIS WRITING HEAD GROUP AND THEY'VE, UM, SUCCESSFULLY, UM, OPENED UP THE ARTS AND ART AND HAVE CLASSES THAT PEOPLE CAN PUT AUSTIN ON THE MAP IN TERMS OF BEING AN ART, THE CREATIVE ARTS AND ARTS FOR I'M OFF TRACK, UM, ARTS FOR, UM, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
DNA HAS A VERY STRONG RECORD, A TRACK RECORD OF MAKING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND WE ALL KNOW MARK ROGERS, WE ALL LOVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND TILLERY, I BELIEVE IS A VERY STRONG FIT FOR THEM AND DNA AND BIG, MEDIUM AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, THEY'RE PLANNING COMMUNITY, AND IT'S GONNA BE MORE LIKE THE PLACE ON FIFTH STREET WITH THE EMBEDDED YMC, WHERE THERE'S
[01:15:01]
GOING TO BE PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES AND FOR PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER AND TO DO THINGS.AND I REALLY FEEL THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT GMDC COME TO THE TABLE AND LET'S SIT DOWN AND TALK TOGETHER ABOUT WHAT HIS PLAN AND HOW WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER.
AND THAT LIFTED 800 PEOPLE, 800 PEOPLE ARE WELCOME AT 900 GARNER, ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
WE WANT EVERYBODY ARTISTS FOR ARTISTS IT'S FOR THE COMMUNITY.
HELLO? CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES, PLEASE PROCEED.
I AM HERE TO SPEAK, UH, AGAIN, AGENDA ITEMS ONE AND TWO, UNLESS THE LAND IS GOING TO BE AWARDED TO GMDC.
SO HEARING THE PRICING FOR THE UNIT, UH, AND HOW IT WAS GOING TO BE DETERMINED WAS ONE OF THE MOST ILLUMINATING THINGS ON THIS LONG CALLS.
UM, IT'S THE CRITICAL CONCERN IS THAT THESE ARE FOR QUOTE UNQUOTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE FOR QUOTE UNQUOTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THEY SHOULD BE FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING HOUSING THAT IS MADE WITH THE NEEDS OF EAST BOSTON.
I IN MIND WITH THE COMMUNITY EFFORTS IN MIND THAT HAVE THOUGHT THIS LAND FOR 15 PLUS YEARS, THEY DON'T NEED A SELECTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.
THEY NEED HOUSING MADE WITH THEM IN MIND.
THIS IS A PART OF WHY HOME OWNER, THE HOME OWNERSHIP COMPONENT IS CRITICAL BUILDS WEALTH FOR THE COMMUNITIES DIRECTLY, NOT THROUGH THE MIDDLEMAN OF WHITE LED COMPANIES WOULD PROFIT FROM THE LAND.
IF THOSE, IF THOSE THREE MANDATED CONCERNS ARE YOUR CONCERNS FOR THE LAND REGARDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND RATE OF RETURN, THEN YOU WOULD AWARD THE LAND TO GNPC AND TO GET ADDITIONALLY A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
I BELIEVE I MENTIONED THAT IMAGINE ARTS AND BIG MEDIUM ARE GOOD COMPANIES AND DO GOOD WORK.
THE CONCERN IS THAT EAST OFF NIGHTS HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THIS HOUSING FOR 15 YEARS.
YOU NOW HAVE D AND D SEEN MAKING A PROPOSAL FOR THIS LAND TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.
AND ORACLE ALREADY HAS AN 800 PLUS LONG WAIT LIST OF DISPLACED PEOPLE AND FAMILIES WHOSE NEEDS WOULD BE MET BY THAT CONCERN.
THAT THAT'S THE CONCERN, NOT WHETHER A BIG MEDIA COMPANY, STACY SMITH GREETINGS.
I'M A RESIDENT IN JOHNSTON TERRACE, AND I'VE ALSO BEEN AN EDUCATOR IN EAST AUSTIN FOR OVER 12 YEARS.
MY KIDS GO TO GO VALLEY ELEMENTARY AND EAST SIDE MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL JUST KNOW THAT THE ATTENDANCE ZONE IN THESE ZIP CODES AND THE EAST SIDE MEMORIAL VERTICAL TEAM IS ENTIRELY, UH, 90% OR MORE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED FAMILIES.
AND WE'RE JUST SEEING A UNBELIEVABLE DISPLACEMENT PART OF MY JOB DESCRIPTION IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAS BEEN HELPING, HELPING SINGLE MOMS FIND AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE, UM, HELPING DRIVING KIDS FROM THEIR NEW HOME, WHICH IS OUT OF OUR ATTENDANCE ZONE TO GO VALLEY EVERY DAY BECAUSE THE HOLLYWOOD MYTH THAT WE DRIVE KIDS OUT TO THEIR PRIVATE SCHOOLS OR THEIR, TO THEIR WHITE SCHOOLS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN ACTUALLY WORKS IN REVERSE SOMETIMES.
AND WE HAVE KIDS THAT WANT TO STAY AT OUR SCHOOLS, BUT THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THEY GREW UP.
SO I'M REALLY UPSET THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THIS PROPOSAL AND THE DETAILS OF THIS PROPOSAL.
AND I'M LISTENING TO NUMBERS UPON NUMBERS AS I SAT HERE FOR TWO HOURS.
AND ALL I CAN SAY IS, UM, OVER THE YEARS WHERE I'VE HAD TO KIND OF DIG INTO WHAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOOKS LIKE IN THE CITY, GMDC HAS BEEN THE GROUP THAT HAS REACHED OUT TO OUR GO VALLEY COMMUNITY AND HAS ACTUALLY DUG IN THESE ISSUES WITH US.
AND I JUST, THIS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN DUPED SO MANY TIMES, LIKE IT'S REALLY HARD TO TAKE A CHANCE ON BIG, MEDIUM.
AND IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SAY THIS BECAUSE I DO THINK THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE, BUT THE EAST AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR HA HAS, UH, REALLY OUR FAMILIES DON'T FEEL A PART OF THAT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE KNOWN THE MEDIUM
[01:20:01]
FOR.AND SO WHEN I SEE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO HOUSING, I DON'T KNOW IF OUR FAMILIES ARE CENTERED IN THIS PROJECT.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S STUDIO SPACE FOR THE MEDIUM, BUT IT COULD IT BE STUDIO SPACE FOR A MOTTO GUSTO, THE THIRD WHO GREW UP IN WINTER GO VALLEY, COULD IT BE FOR WELL, RAUL VALDEZ, COULD IT BE FOR ALL THESE EAST AUSTIN ARTISTS? LIKE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FOR THEM.
SO I REALLY FEEL STRONGLY THAT, UM, YOU CAN'T VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT AND YOU REALLY NEED TO GO BACK TO THE TABLE.
AND I WOULD OUR FAMILY THAT WE'RE LOSING EVERY DAY.
THANK YOU, JANINE, MAYOR YOU FOR ONE SECOND, PLEASE.
UM, I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE HOW DIFFICULT AND COMPLICATED THIS CONVERSATION IS, AND I'M BLOWN AWAY BY THE PASSION AND THE COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT OUR SPEAKERS ARE SHOWN.
BUT IF I MAY TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER SOME SUPPORT FROM MY COLLEAGUE, WHEN HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO SAY, IS THAT IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO VILLAINIZE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE YOU PREFER ONE OVER THE OTHER.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATION THAT PRIORITIZES THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND PUTS THEIR VOICES FRONT AND CENTER.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT'S ARTISTS LED AND FOCUSES ON ARTS.
AND SO I THINK ALL HE WAS TRYING TO SAY IS WE DON'T HAVE TO VILLAINIZE THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN ORDER TO SAY THAT YOUR PREFERENCE IS FOR G AND DC.
WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT THE LAW FOR G AND DC IS ENTIRELY VALID AS WELL.
THE WORK THAT THEY DO IS INCOMPARABLE.
NOBODY HAS SAID ANYTHING CONTRARY TO THAT.
SO I JUST REALLY DON'T APPRECIATE PEOPLE ATTACKING MY COLLEAGUES FOR WHAT HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO SAY.
WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO SAY IS, WE DON'T HAVE TO VILLAINIZE THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT'S NOT NECESSARY.
THEY STILL DO GOOD WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY ON THE EAST SIDE, BY THE WAY, THIS IS JANINE.
AGAIN, JANINE FROM DMA DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, AS MANDY MENTIONED, WERE THE LEAD DEVELOPER RECOMMENDED BY STAFF FOR THE GARDNER WEBSITE.
DMA IS A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, LOCAL TO AUSTIN SINCE 1984, THAT SPECIALIZES IN HIGH QUALITY INFILL, AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE HAVE DEVELOPED MORE THAN 1100 AFFORDABLE HOMES IN AUSTIN OVER THE PAST 11 YEARS.
MOST OF WHICH ARE IN EAST AUSTIN.
AND I THINK MOST OF THE PEOPLE ON THE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH OUR WORK.
TWO OF THESE PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HFC, SIMILAR TO HOW WE PROPOSE GARDNER ROAD BEFORE SUBMITTING OUR PROPOSAL IN RESPONSE TO THE RFP, WE READ THE RULES AND THE CRITERIA CAREFULLY MAKING NOTE OF THE CLEAR MAJOR OBJECTIVE, WHICH WAS PROVIDING A LARGE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT DEPEND ON A LARGE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY.
IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, WE SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL FOR 219 OF DEEPLY AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS ON THE SIX ACRE SITE.
AS MANDY SAID, WE PROPOSE 90 UNITS FOR VERY LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
WE PROPOSE A LANDLEASE STRUCTURE SO THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN COULD RETAIN CONTROL OF THE UNDERLYING REAL ESTATE.
AND IT ALSO PROVIDES A SIGNIFICANT UPFRONT LEASE PAYMENT FUNDS, WHICH THE CITY CAN REINVEST IN MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN TOWN.
WE ALSO PROPOSED AFFORDABLE CREATIVE STUDIO SPACE ON A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE SITE AND AN AMOUNT LESS THAN 25% OF THE RFP REQUIRED AS THE LEAD DEVELOPER.
WE IDENTIFIED BIG MEDIUM AS A PROGRAM PARTNER SO THAT WE COULD OFFER ART SPACE PROGRAMMING TO RESIDENTS OF THE SITE AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY, INCLUDING AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING.
OUR COMMUNITY SPACES WILL BE USED FOR PROGRAMMING FOR ALL COMMUNITY RESIDENTS.
ARTISTS WILL NOT HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR HOUSING, BUT WE HAVE INCLUDED A LARGE NUMBER OF FAMILY FRIENDLY UNIT, WHICH MORE WITH MORE THAN 30% OF ALL OF OUR UNITS BEING TWO AND THREE BEDROOM UNITS.
SO SPECIFICALLY 68 FAMILY-FRIENDLY IN IT.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WHEN THE CITY REQUESTED COMMUNITY INPUT FOR THE SITE, 60% OF THE RESPONDENTS INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE ART AND CULTURAL OFFERINGS AT THIS LOCATION.
IT WAS THE NUMBER ONE MOST DESIRED AMENITY, EVEN MORE DESIRED THAN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
OF COURSE, THIS RFP WAS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THAT
[01:25:01]
IS WHAT GM IS PROPOSING.FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE ADDITION OF ART SPACE PROGRAMMING AND AFFORDABLE CREATIVE SPACE ON SITE IS IMPORTANT THOUGH, BECAUSE IT CREATES A MORE VIBRANT AND SUSTAINABLE MIXED USE ENVIRONMENT WITH BOUNDARIES THAT ARE OPEN TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE COMMIT TO WORKING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS AND NEIGHBORS, AND WE WILL DEVELOP AN IMPLEMENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING PREFERENCE PLAN CONSISTENT WITH THE TAX CREDIT RULES SO THAT WE CAN REACH PEOPLE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO GENTRIFICATION.
I'M A LATE WOMAN AND A MEMBER OF
COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN REPRESENTS THE DISTRICT IN WHICH I RESIDE.
HOWEVER, BEFORE EITHER OF US WERE HERE OVER 600 NATIVE AND INDIGENOUS GROUPS LIVED ON THE LAND.
THAT'S NOW TEXAS AND NORTHEASTERN, MEXICO AND MEXICO.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT OCCUPIED UNSEATED AND SEIZE TERRITORY OF THE APACHE ALABAMA FREE SHADOW TRIBAL SEXIST.
HIS LETTER DOES SERVE BY BOTH THE LIPAN MESCALERO, APACHE TONKAWA AND TEXAS BAND OF YANK YAKI INDIAN, AS WELL AS THE WICHITA, KAREN CARROLL AT THE COLLEGE CHICKASAW, SHEILA CADDO CLINIC, CRUDO, COMANCHE, AND WACO NATIONS BEYOND.
THIS IS AN EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE FOR THE STEWARDSHIP AND CARE THAT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES HAVE GIVEN THE FRIEND FOR ENDLESS GENERATIONS AND CONTINUE TO FOSTER TODAY.
MAYBE CARRY THIS WORK FORWARD.
WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT LAND, USE MY ASK TODAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH COMMUNITIES OF COLOR UNITED AWARD, THESE PROJECTS TO THE GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPS DO IT NOW.
SO THEY HAVE TIME TO MEET THE NOVEMBER DEADLINE FOR TAX CREDITS.
THE GMDC HAS A PLAN, A PLAN TO PRIORITIZE HOUSING FOR DISPLACED FAMILIES.
THEY HAVE A PLAN TO INTERRUPT GENTRIFICATION TO PRIORITIZE HUMAN LIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OVER CAPITAL ACCUMULATION.
USE CITY COUNCIL GET TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY.
PLEASE LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
WHO'S MOST INFORMED ABOUT WHAT THEY NEED.
IN ADDITION, I ASKED COUNCIL TO WORK ON THE FUTURE PROCESS FOR PUBLIC LAND.
THAT INCLUDES THE EQUITY OFFICE, BUT CHALLENGES LONG STANDING, INSTITUTIONAL RACISM AND THE CONSIDERATION OF COMMUNITY PREFERENCE.
BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, VICTORIA.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M A RESIDENT IN DISTRICT TWO AND I'M CALLING TO ADDRESS THE ITEMS RUN INTO, I ORIGINALLY SIGNED UP AGAINST THESE ITEMS, BUT I'M NOW IN FAVOR.
AS LONG AS THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS AWARDED THESE PROJECTS.
I'M A FORMER EAST AUSTIN, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER AND RESIDENT THAT HAS BEEN DISPLACED DUE TO THE RAMPANT GENTRIFICATION IN EAST AUSTIN.
I WAS BORN HERE IN AUSTIN AND HAS NEVER LEFT MY HUSBAND.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO BUY A HOME IN AUSTIN ONE DAY, BUT WITH THE EVER-INCREASING HOME PRICES, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS DREAM WILL COME TO FRUITION AS A 13 YEAR OLD SON, WHO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ONE DAY RAISE HIS OWN FAMILY IN THIS CITY THAT I LOVE SO MUCH.
BUT AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WILL BE AN OPTION FOR HIM IN 10 OR MORE YEARS ON JULY 26TH.
THIS COUNCIL DECLARED RACISM, A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS, EMERGING COUNCIL TO WALK THE WALK AND TO CONTRACT THE GUADALUPE AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WITH BOTH OF THESE PROJECTS.
GBMC IS THE ONLY OPTION THAT HAS, THAT PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY OF HOME OWNERSHIP FOR OUR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS.
DEVIANCY HAS A 40 YEAR PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF PROVIDING LOW INCOME HOUSING AND FIGHTING DISPLACEMENT.
THEY ALSO HAVE A ROBUST LIST OF THIS PLACE.
RESIDENTS READY TO RETURN TO THAT YOU SAW JUST GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY BIG, MEDIUM, AND IMAGINE ART DO NOT HAVE THE EXPERIENCE IN DEVELOPING LOW INCOME HOUSING OR FIGHTING AGAINST GENTRIFICATION AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
SPECIFICALLY EAST AUSTIN GBMC WAS FOUNDED BY ORIGINAL EAST AUSTINITES AND HAS DEEP ROOTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT JUST ENOUGH TO CREATE MORE LOW INCOME HOUSING WITH NO CONSIDERATION TO WHO IS BUILDING IT.
IF RACISM IS TRULY A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS IN AUSTIN, THE MUST LOOK AT AWARDING THESE PROJECTS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE ANTIRACISM OR WANTING THESE PROJECTS TO GROUPS THAT ARE PREDOMINANTLY WHITE LED AND ONLY PROVIDING RENTAL OPTIONS IS RACIST.
BLACK AND BROWN RESIDENTS WILL NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD MULTIGENERATIONAL WEALTH THROUGH HOME.
OWNERSHIP OF THESE PROJECTS ARE AWARDED TO ANYONE OTHER THAN A GBNC COUNCIL.
LET THESE PROJECTS BE AN EXAMPLE OF DEVELOPMENT AND BY THE COMMUNITY OR THE COMMUNITY, PLEASE AWARD BOTH OF THESE PROJECTS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
HI, MY NAME IS MONTANA AND I'VE BEEN AN AUSTIN RESIDENT FOR SEVEN YEARS, BUT I CURRENTLY RESIDE IN DISTRICT NINE, EVEN THOUGH I DON'T RESIDE IN A DISTRICT ON THE EAST SIDE, I DO JUST WANT TO JOIN THOSE WHO HAVE SPOKEN BEFORE ME AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY IN COLORADO SOLIDARITY TO ASK THAT CITY COUNCIL ONLY VOTE YES.
ON ITEM ONE AND TWO, IF YOU ALSO MOVE FORWARD WITH G AND D C AS THE DEVELOPER, THIS LAND SHOULD BE
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USED WITH OPPORTUNITY FOR RIGHT TO STAY AND RIGHT TO RETURN POLICIES THAT MITIGATE THE HARM WITH DISPLACEMENT LOW INCOME HOUSING PROJECTS SHOULD BE CLEAN AND COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY WHO IS MOST INFORMED ABOUT THEIR OWN NEEDS.THIS PUBLIC LAND CAN AND SHOULD BE USED TO IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY DRIVEN, RIGHT TO RETURN HOUSING FOR OWNERSHIP, NOT JUST LEASING, BUT COMMUNITIES OF COLORS HAVE FOUGHT FOR IT FOR DECADES.
BIG, MEDIUM, AND IMAGINED ARE OUR GREAT ORGS DOING GREAT THINGS FOR THE ART COMMUNITY AND FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE WITH DISABILITIES, BUT WE NEED TO DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S ALIGNED WITH THE NEEDS OF THE LONG STANDING COMMUNITY.
AND GNPC IS THE MOST EQUIPPED TO DEVELOP.
MY TIME VINCENT, HELLO CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS VINCENT COVAD AND, UH, I'M A PARENT, UH, OF A RESIDENT AS WELL.
I LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M IN THE JOHNSON TERRACE NEIGHBORHOOD.
INTERNATIONAL IS CO-LOCATED WITH EAST SIDE MEMORIAL AND I'M A PARENT AT EAST SIDE AND I'D GO VALLEY ELEMENTARY.
AND I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT I WANT YOU ALL TO VOTE NO ON ONE AND TO VOTE NO ON IMAGINE ART AND VOTE.
UH, TO PURSUING THESE PROJECTS WITH GN DC, BOTH OF THOSE LOTS, UM, ARE ACTUALLY LOCATED IN GO VALLEY ELEMENTARY, THE ATTENDANCE ON BOTH OF THEM, BUT GO VALLEY ELEMENTARY.
WASN'T ENGAGED AT ALL WITH THIS DECISION, WITH THESE PROJECTS, ZERO ZERO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH GO VALLEY ELEMENTARY.
WE HAVE A CAMPUS ADVISORY COUNCIL, WHICH IS A SITE BASED DECISION MAKING GROUP, UH, REQUIRED BY THE TEXAS BY TEXAS EDUCATION CODE.
UH, BUT ZERO, UH, INVITE ZERO.
ANYBODY COMING TO THAT, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THIS PROJECT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS AND TO GO VALLEY PARENTS EVERY YEAR, SHE A KID, A PARENT, A MOM, A LEADER, MOM.
WHO'S LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING TO LIVE NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO RAISE THE RENT, UH, WHERE WE LIVE NOW.
I CAN'T, IT'S THE TRAIL OF TEARS.
IT IS THE TRAIL OF TEARS LIKE MS. SMITH SAID, UH, LIKE MR. I ALMOST SAID SEEING THOSE TEARS, IT IS OUR CURRENT DAY TRAIL OF TEARS AND WE NEED TO DISRUPT THAT, BUT WE CONTINUE THAT.
UH, SO EITHER DISRUPT, UH, RACISM, UH, OR WE JUST PERPETUATE RACISM DURING THE, THESE ELECTIONS, UM, DISTRICT TWO, UH, TRUSTEE, JIMMY MATTHIAS ANNOUNCED THAT HE'S NOT RUNNING AGAINST.
AND I, I FOUND THREE CANDIDATES THAT WERE WANTING TO RUN TO REPLACE THE SEAT ON THE BOARD, BUT GUESS WHAT? ALL THREE OF THEM CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN DISTRICT TWO, BUT THEY HAVE THEIR KIDS IN DISTRICT TWO AND TALKING ABOUT AISD AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.
IT LOOKS LIKE FAMILIES LEAVING.
IT LOOKS LIKE MEDS CLOSING BECAUSE ORACLE TOOK OVER.
WE HAD A PROPOSAL IN 2016 WHEN HE ASKED, HE PUT UP ABOUT A DOZEN LIGHTS UP FOR SALE, OR AT LEAST WE PAID FOR THE PROPOSAL, NEED A COY.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T IT'S, WE FEEL VERY POWERLESS AND THAT, AND THAT BEEPING.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR GOING OVER TIME, BUT THAT BEEPING SYMBOLIZES THAT TIME IS UP FOR OUR FAMILIES THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN THIS CITY.
UM, I DO WORK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT TODAY DURING THIS COUNCIL MEETING TIME, I'VE BEEN WAITING HERE TODAY.
I'M STRICTLY HERE IN A PERSONAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS AN EMPLOYEE, UH, SPEAKING ITEMS ONE AND TWO UNDER THE AUSTIN FINANCE HOUSING CORPORATION DECISION OR CITY ON PROPERTIES.
AND I JUST RECENTLY MOVED OUT FAR TO DISTRICT EIGHT AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED WITH VARIOUS COMMUNITY BASED GROUPS AND PEOPLE, A PART OF THE GROWTH FOR VALLEY JOHNSON AND CREDITS CONTACT TEAM, THE EASTERN CRESCENT RIGHTS, THE STATE COALITION AND THE COMMUNITY OF COLOR UNITED COALITION FOR RACIAL JUSTICE.
I SUPPORT THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO SPEAK TODAY DURING THIS TIME, TYPICALLY ON LAND SHOULD BE USED FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DISPLACED FROM IT.
I AM FOR THE ITEMS ONE AND TWO.
IF THE DECISION WAS FOR THE G G, D, AND C AS A DEVELOPER, COMESA COLOR HAVE IDENTIFIED AND ADVOCATED FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND I'VE SOUGHT DEVELOPMENT BY GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO CREATE HOME OWNERSHIP FOR THE LONG WAITING LIST OF DISPLACED EAST AUSTIN FAMILIES WAITING FOR A LOW INCOME HOUSING THROUGH IT, TURN TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
THIS PUBLIC LAND CAN AND SHOULD BE USED TO IMPLEMENT COMMUNITY DRIVEN, RIGHT TO RETURN HOUSING FOR OWNERSHIP THAT CAN USE A COLOR HAVE FOUGHT FOR FOR DECADES.
AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN HEAVILY GENTRIFIED AND WHERE COMPANIES HAVE BEEN DISPLACED.
THE SELECTION SHOULD NOT IGNORE THE LONG STANDING COMMUNITY PROPOSALS FOR THESE SITES.
AND AS PART OF REAL SOLUTIONS, LOW INCOME HOUSING, NOT JUST AFFORDABLE HOUSING SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY.
THE LAND SHOULD BE USED AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RIGHT TO STAY AND RIGHT TO RETURN POLICIES THAT MITIGATE THE HARM OF DISPLACEMENT LOW INCOME HOUSING PROJECT SHOULD BE PLANNING COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY, WHICH
[01:35:01]
IS CONSISTENT WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE UPROOTED REPORT.AND THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TIME TODAY.
HEY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? HELLO? YES, GO AHEAD.
HEY, MY NAME IS CYNTHIA
WHEN I WAS DISPLACED OUT TO SEVEN EIGHT, SEVEN FOUR, FOUR ANOTHER HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES FACING THE DESTRUCTION OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
THE DAM REPPING THE EASTERN CRESCENT, RIGHT TO STAY COALITION.
SPEAKING ON ITEMS ONE AND TWO AND FURTHER USE OF YOU SAW SOME PUBLIC LAND FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO LONG AS THE WATER LUTHER NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS AWARDED THAT CONTRACT WORK.
DAN SEEN IT SERVES THE COMMUNITY FOR FOUR YEARS WITH THE TRUE AND TRIED PROCESS.
THAT INCLUDES EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND TRUST.
AND LET'S NOT FORGET HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW INCOME AUSTIN FAMILY COUNCIL.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF NACD.
YOU CAN INSTEAD STAY LOYAL TO THE WORK AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE SPENT THEIR LIVES DEVELOPING THAT AREA FOR ADEQUATE LIVING.
I DO NOT STAND HERE TODAY, OPPOSED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I STAND HERE TIRED AND JUST TIRED OF OUR COUNCIL.
CONTINUING TO IGNORE THE DECADES OF WORK RELATIONSHIPS AND EFFORTS OF GENERATIONS OF OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES IN EAST AUSTIN.
YOU WANT TO AWARD CONTRACTS TO CORPORATIONS WHO HAVE YET TO BUILD HERE IN AUSTIN COMMUNITY SUPPORT COMPONENTS AND PROVIDE A HUNDRED PERCENT ZERO HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES.
I WONDER WHERE ALL THE ENERGY WENT FROM ONE WEEK TO ANOTHER COUNCIL.
SOME OF YOU HAVE TAKEN A FRONT ROW SEAT AND STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES AND EQUITY TOPS TAKING A STAND YET, DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH FOUR, YOU ALLOW IT, YOU ALLOW THINGS LIKE THIS TO CONTINUE.
AND SOME OF YOU SIMPLY SHUT THIS OFF AS SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS WE JUST NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT HOUSING.
IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIP IS BEING INTENTIONAL.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO GO WITH ANOTHER CORPORATION, INSTEAD OF GMDC, THAT IS INTENTIONALLY HANDING OFF PUBLICLY OWNED LAND GEARED TOWARDS HOMEOWNERSHIP FOR HUNDREDS OF VERY LOW INCOME BLACK AND BROWN FAMILIES TO CORPORATIONS WHO DO NOT, AND HAVE NOT PROJECTED OUTCOMES LIKE THIS, OUR CITY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HEALING AND FIXING.
I THOUGHT WE VALUED THE PROCESS OF EQUITABLE OUTCOMES.
HOW DOES A CONTRACT LIKE THIS FALL FROM THE HANDS OF BLACK AND BROWN GENERATION COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS INTO THE HANDS OF PREDOMINANTLY WHITE OWNED CORPORATIONS DURING THIS HISTORIC MOMENTUM TO IMPACT AND FLIP SYSTEMIC RACISM.
THE NDC IS FOR THE PEOPLE AND WAS CHOSEN BY THE PEOPLE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME COUNSEL FOR ALL THE SPEAKERS IN QUEUE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T PRESSED ZERO, PLEASE DO SO NOW.
UM, SO MY NAME'S CRAIG CAMPBELL.
I'M A RESIDENT OF TEXAS FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS.
I'VE LIVED IN A VALLEY AS A HOMEOWNER FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS.
UM, A DECADE I'VE ACTIVELY BEEN INVOLVED IN WORKING WITH THE GO VALLEY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND WE'VE STRUGGLED, UH, SINCE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED AND SINCE BEFORE TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF GENTRIFICATION AND GO VALLEY, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE, UH, EFFORT TO HELP KEEP OUR BLACK AND HISPANIC NEXT COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE CALLED GOLD VALLEY HOME HERE FOR GENERATIONS.
AND OF COURSE, WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE DISPLACEMENT.
THAT'S AT THE HEART OF CAMPUS LOCATION, BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER ELEMENT OR GENERATIONS, THE MOSTLY BLACK AND LET NEXT COMMUNITIES IN EAST AUSTIN BUILT UP AND FOUGHT FOR A CULTURAL ASSET.
HE'S INCLUDED COMMUNITY CENTERS, DANCE HALLS, MINORITY OWNED, BUSINESSES, CHURCHES, PARKS, ET CETERA.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE HERE AND GO VALLEY.
SO AS AN INSULT TO INJURY, THEY WERE FORCED TO LIVE IN THIS PART OF AUSTIN.
IT TOXIC WASTE DUE TO RACIST SEGREGATION POLICIES, WHICH ARE DETAILED AND LOTS OF ACADEMIC STUDIES AFTER TIRELESS COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND FIGHTING, WHICH OF COURSE IS UNPAID WORK GROUPS LIKE PUT AIR MANAGED TO CLEAN UP THIS AREA GO VALLEY IS BEAUTIFUL.
AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF LATIN X AND BLACK NEIGHBORS.
AND I URGE YOU TO HELP US KEEP AS MANY HISTORIC RESIDENTS HERE AS POSSIBLE.
AND THIS IS THE REASON THAT I'M FIGHTING AND CALLING FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO SUPPORT THE GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS PROPOSAL, TO DEVELOP A PROJECT ON THE TILLARY STREET PECAN GROVE.
I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT GMDC AND EMPLOYEE TO WORK TOWARDS ENSURING THAT THE RIGHT TO RETURN.
AND FINALLY, I WANT TO SAY THE RIGHT QUESTION ABOUT VILIFYING THE PROPOSALS.
I'VE JUST GOT TO SAY THAT THESE GROUPS NEED TO DO BETTER WORK, TO RECOGNIZE DISPLACEMENT AND TO WORK TOWARDS A RIGHT OF RETURN.
THESE ARE OUR STANDARDS AND OUR EXPECTATIONS.
THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT THEY SHOULD KNOW THE SITUATION.
AND AGAIN, I SUPPORT GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE SPEAKERS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COLLEAGUES.
[01:40:01]
UM, I WANT TO SUGGEST WE TAKE A DINNER BREAK AND THEN COME BACK.UM, NOW HAD ALL THE SPEAKERS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN LET STAFF GO.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION WITH RESPECT TO ITEM NUMBER 65? IT'S A NON-CONSENT CONDEMNATION ITEM.
IS THERE A MOTION TO DEFECT CITY COUNCIL OF AUSTIN AUTHORIZES THE USE OF THE POWER OF EMINENT DOMAIN ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY SET FORTH IN DESCRIBED IN THE AGENDA OR THE CURRENT MEETING FOR THE PUBLIC USES DESCRIBED THERE IN, UH, KATHY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TOBO MAKES THE MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER SECONDS.
IT DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THOSE OPPOSED IT'S UNANIMOUS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CASAR, UH, OFF THE DIOCESE.
I THINK HE'S IN A FORUM, OTHERS VOTING.
I, I DON'T THINK WE CAN NECESSARILY GET THROUGH ANY OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT FAST, UNLESS, UH, YOU ALL HAVE THOUGHTS THAT WE CAN LET STAFF GO.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU THINK MIGHT MOVE THAT FAST YOU'RE MUTED? YES.
BUT ON THE OTHER AGENDA ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WAS REALLY GOOD POINT, CAUSE I JUST TOOK THAT VOTE IN THE WRONG AGENDA.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO AT, AT SIX OH FIVE, I'M GOING TO RECESS THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION MEETING.
ALRIGHT, SO I SEE A COUNCIL MEMBER, ALL THUR KITCHEN FLANIGAN POOL, OPER MADISON ELLIS, RENT THAT A YEAR AND A VETO VOTE.
AND I HAD SEEN RICK SAR BEFORE AND HE'S JUST GONE THERE.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, HERE AT, UH, 10 48, I AM RECONVENING THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION MEETING TODAY, UH, SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2020, UH, 10 48.
WE'RE GONNA PICK THIS BACK UP EARLIER IN THE DAY WE HEARD FROM EVERYONE WHO HAD SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, UH, ON THESE ITEMS. SO NOW WE'RE AT A PLACE WHERE WE CAN TAKE, UH, ACTION.
UM, LET'S BEGIN WITH ITEMS ONE AND TWO.
UM, PO I THINK THESE ARE BOTH IN YOUR DISTRICT.
DO YOU, DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION ON THESE TWO ITEMS? YES.
THE ONE I MOVED TO AUTHORIZE THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT WITH WILD LOOP AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ON ITEM ONE, FOR THE FOLLOWING REASON, THEY'RE GOING TO PROVIDE A MIX OF OWNERSHIP AND RUN ON THEIR PROPOSAL, MULTI BEDROOM UNITS.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IMPLEMENTING PREFERENCE POLICY AND THERE ALSO BE 27 UNITS DEEPLY CONNECTED TO THE HISTORIC COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S A, I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION AND THEN I'LL MAKE A MOTION ON NUMBER TWO ON, UH, TO APPROVE.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON ONE, YOU'RE MAKING THE MOTION FOR THE GMDC AND ON TWO, YOU'RE MAKING A MOTION FOR THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT? COUNCILOR COSARA WILL SECOND THOSE, ANY DISCUSSION ON THESE ITEMS, CHECKING THEM TOGETHER OR SEPARATELY, OR I'D TAKE THEM TOGETHER AND LET'S SEE HOW THAT GOES.
IF WE NEED TO SPLIT THEM ALL, WE'LL DO THAT.
UH, PEOPLE THAT WISH TO, TO TALK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER COSAR, I APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNTRY AS MOTION.
UH, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT ALL OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, UH, AND WORK WITH YOU WORK CLOSELY WITH ALL OF THEM.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T EASY, BUT I THINK THAT COUNCIL MEMBER DID, HE HAS A MOTION.
IT IS, IS RIGHT WHERE, UH, BETWEEN ITEM ONE AND TWO, THEN GETTING A HOUSING, REALLY ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, FOCUSING ON THAT.
ALSO FOCUSING ON MULTI BEDROOM AND FAMILY SIZED UNITS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A CONTINUUM OF CARE UNITS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UH, SO I REALLY THINK IT PROVIDES THAT THAT STRONG MIX AND WE HAD REALLY GOOD APPLICATIONS, SO IT'S NOT EASY, BUT I THINK, UH, HE'S PICKED THE TWO THAT RISE TO THE TOP.
I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR WHAT THE MOTION WAS.
THE MOTION IS TO PICK AN ESSENCE, THE
[01:45:01]
SECOND PLACE, BETTER GNC ON ITEM NUMBER ONE.AND ITEM NUMBER TWO IS TO TAKE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON CELERY.
UM, SO I, I AM, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S IN A BIGGER CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT WHEN WE GO FOR THE SECOND BETTER, THIS ONE FELT A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT FELT MUCH MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, REALLY, REALLY SEEKING A SCENARIO WITH HER SEEMS TO ALMOST HAVE A SOLE SOURCE BITTER.
THAT MIGHT BE WHAT WE WANTED TO ENTERTAIN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I I'D BE INTERESTED IN A CONVERSATION WITH AN HCD, UM, AND IT COULD BE A ONE ON ONE ABOUT IF THE COMMUNITY REALLY IS DEMANDING A CERTAIN TYPE OF, OF VENDOR, THEN, THEN I WANT TO HELP FIGURE OUT HOW TO STRUCTURE OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
THAT GETS US TO A PLACE WHERE WE'RE NOT FINDING, YOU KNOW, THE TYPES OF CHALLENGES THAT CUSTOMER WHERE YOU'RE SO ELOQUENTLY DESCRIBED EARLIER DURING THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY WHERE, YOU KNOW, BITTERS WERE COMING IN AND THEN HAVING VERY CHALLENGING SITUATIONS PRESENTED WITH THEMSELVES, NOT A TYPICAL PROCUREMENT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN THAT CONVERSATION AT A LATER FINE.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SUPPORT, UH, THE, THE, THE MOTION, UH, AS WELL COMING FROM, UH, FROM COUNCIL MEMBER RENTERIA.
UM, I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HAD, UH, AND TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCES ON THIS, EVERYBODY IN THIS ARE GREAT.
AND THE GOOD THING IS, IS THAT THE CITY IS PUTTING A LOT OF RESOURCES AGAINST AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES, UH, TO DO THIS, AN INCREASING DEGREE, WHICH WE DESPERATELY NEED IN THE, IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, LIKE THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UH, WITH, WITH CARITAS AND, UH, THAT ARE GOING TO CARRY A FORWARD.
UH, SO I'M GOING TO, TO, TO SUPPORT US, UH, AS, AS WELL, UH, FURTHER DISCUSSION COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, UM, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS AS WELL.
AND I JUST WANT TO, TO CITE THAT I, WHAT I SEE, UM, THAT IS OF IMPORTANCE TO ME IS IN ADDITION TO THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED BY THE COMMUNITY, I CAN ALSO SEE THAT WE ARE TAKING THIS APPROACH.
WE, UM, WE DO GET SOME MORE EMPHASIS ON THE COC UNITS FOR FOLKS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN BOTH INSTANCES.
UH, WE ALSO GET, UH, AN EMPHASIS ON, UH, A BEDROOM COUNT IN BOTH INSTANCES.
AND SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THEN I WOULD JUST COMMENT THAT, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER, FINALLY, I SHARE YOUR COMMENT.
AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
I THINK IT'D BE INTERESTING TO HAVE MORE OF A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THE SCORING MECHANISMS FOR, UM, AND, UM, TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH, UM, OR THE WAY PERHAPS THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY MIGHT REFLECT, UM, OR WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS THINKING.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT AT SOME POINT I CAN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER THAN COUNCIL MEMBER POOL.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO VOTE, UM, FOR THE FIRST ONE AND ABSTAIN ON THE SECOND.
SO IF WE CAN DIVIDE THE QUESTION, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, THANKS FOR THAT MARTIAN.
I THINK IT WAS RESOLUTION TO CHICKEN.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE, VOTE THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION ON NUMBER ONE, JUST GNC, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
UH, AND THEN, UH, ANYBODY ABSTAINING COUNCILOR FLAT AGAIN? ABSTAINS.
HOW DO YOU VOTE IN COUNCIL MEMBER HOPPER, MADISON? I'M ASKING FOR CLARITY.
HE DID COUNCIL MEMBER GNC OR THE FOUR LETTER ACRONYM.
THE APPLICANT IS ACTUALLY THE CASINO GROUP IN COLLABORATION WITH GE IN D C THE GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD G AND D C AND G AND C.
THAT'S THE MOTION'S BEEN SECONDED.
I HAVE EVERYONE VOTING IN FAVOR OF EXCEPT COUNCIL MEMBER FLAT AGAIN, AND ABSTAINS IT PASSES.
THAT'S NOW MOVED ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
THOSE OPPOSED POSE ABSTAINING.
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A COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER ABSTAINS, THE OTHERS AND COUNCIL MEMBER TOVO ABSTAINS AND THE OTHERS VOTING.UH, IT PASSES, UH, EIGHT ZERO TWO.
I THINK THE REMAINING THREE ITEMS, FOUR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA ITEMS THREE, FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX CAN BE TAKEN UP ON CONSENT TOGETHER.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS? THREE, FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX ON THE AGENDA BY WAY OF CONSENT.
I NEED EMOTION COUNSELING THROUGH ALTER THAT'S.
CATHERINE, ALICE SECONDS, THOSE FOUR ITEMS ARE IN FRONT OF US.
ANY DISCUSSION COUNCIL MEMBER OFF? YOU SAID THE OTHER BOAT WAS EIGHT ZERO TWO.
I CALLED THAT FROM NINE ZERO TWO WAS THE VOTE ON NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR ITEMS THREE, FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX.
ANY DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THOSE OPPOSED THOSE ABSTAINING.
IT'S A UNANIMOUS VOTE IN FAVOR.
JUST TO CONFIRM MAYOR PRO TEM GARZA IS NOT ON THE SCREEN.
SO THE VOTE THAT ON NUMBER ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN NINE ZERO ONE.
THE VOTE ON THE SECOND ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT ZERO TWO, UH, WITH COUNCIL WITH THAT MAYOR PRO TEM OFF ON BOTH OF THOSE, THE VOTE ON THE CONSENT ITEMS, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX WOULD HAVE BEEN 10 VOTING IN FAVOR WITH THE MAYOR PRO TEM OFF THE DICE WITH THAT.
WE HAVE TAKEN CARE OF ALL THE BUSINESS BEFORE US THIS EVENING.
SO I AM GOING TO ADJOURN THE MEETING OF THE AUSTIN HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION MEETING AT 10 58.
WE ARE DONE FOR OUR MEETINGS THIS WEEK.
EVERYBODY BE SAFE AND TAKE CARE.