Housing Committee Meeting Transcript – 12/4/2018 Title: City of Austin Description: 24/7 Channel: 6 - COAUS Recorded On: 12/4/2018 6:00:00 AM Original Air Date: 12/4/2018 Transcript Generated by SnapStream ================================== [10:09:20 AM] >> Casar: We're ready to get started. Good morning, everyone, I'm Greg Guernsey, chair here -- Greg Casar, chair at the housing and planning committee. I'm joined by councilmember Anne Clark, councilmember Flannigan and councilmember Renteria. Councilmember alter, who is vice-chair, is running a little behind, but she will join us shortly. I'm convening the meeting at 10:09 A.M. We are in city council chambers and it's Tuesday, December the 4th. The first item is approving the minutes from our September meeting S there a motion to do so, approved by councilmember Renteria, seconded by councilmember Flannigan. All in favor raise your hand? That passes unanimously. The second item on our agenda is citizen communication where we can take up to five speakers in case there is anyone to talk on items not on the agenda. Is there anyone here for that? Okay. Then we'll move on to the third item. Actually, before we go into the third item I just want to have a congratulatory moment on the dais that not only did the bonds across the city pass, but the housing bonds passed at such record levels, I remember whichever meeting, the March or February meeting, where we had folks show up and really push us to ask for more. It was a scary moment to wonder whether that was going to happen and I'm so glad that it did. And moving forward -- first of all, I would like to thank our staff for having professionally put toes what it would take and what it would look like and that it would be possible for us to put such a large bond on the ballot. I thank the voters for putting their trust in us and now it is the work of the council and the community that we get all of the benefit for thousanding that we can out of that. So now we can move back into business. We have a lot more business to do and this business is much more weighty now that [10:11:27 AM] there is more to do now that we have more funds to allocate for housing: The first item is the update on rental housing development assistance and home ownership development assistance programs. Does staff want to make their presentations and we can ask questions next. >> Good morning, James may, neighborhood housing and development. We are here to update on the rental housing development assistance program and the home ownership development assistance program. The first update I would like to note is the home ownership development assistance program used to be known as accuse with a sis and development, but since that term didn't mean anything, and it meant everything, we've changed it rhda and home ownership development assistance, what we call rhda and hda. They're a fun team. The second update I would like to make is we've now transitioned to a quarterly review process for all of our development assistance programs. That means that we are collecting all of the applications at once reviewing them as a group and grading them against each other so we can make sure our funds are directed in the most effective and efficient manner possible. That also gives developers some forecasting so they know when they need to turn in an application and when to expect to have a loan signed by our department. >> Casar: Will you tell us what that is compared to the system we've had previously? >> The previous system was a rolling application where an application would come in, we would review it and then kind of time it to your council meeting so that we could have that loan approved in a timely manner. This way we can approve applications as they come in. This also helps dedicate staff time in a much more efficient manner. We expect with as you mentioned with the bonds, we expect to have a dramatic increase in applications so we needed to make sure that we were ready and had a system in place to review all of those and score them [10:13:32 AM] efficiently. We've also revised our application. The previous application was a bit of an he is Kay test. It had about 20 to 25 questions. Each one requiring a narrative statement which is fine, however, again, that takes a lot of staff time. And there's a lot of subjectivity that goes in that. We've taken the data points that we actually want to judge in terms of the number of units being provided and the location of those units and compared those in a quantitative fashion. So now your initial I intake score, your threshold score is based on quantitative metrics. Those metrics are based on the Austin strategic blueprint and also the implementation plan that is now under public comment. So we're using all of our previous comments to make sure that our funds are being directed in the best place possible. After you have your threshold score we have a panel review from our department. That panel develops the underwriting report which then goes to the housing bond review committee, which is our second name change. Now we're the housing investment review committee, hrirc. We've got rhda, hda and hirc. And hirc asks more questions about the applications and dives deeper into the comments and then those conversations are forwarded to our executive team that makes the ultimate recommendation to the council and the council also makes the final decision as to which projects are funded. And our commitment to the development team is that throughout this process we will have the loan documents under preparation so that theoretically assuming that everything goes to plan, we can have loans ready for signature the day after council acts. So that's kind of our process and I'd be happy to answer any questions about that. >> Casar: Councilmember kitchen. >> Kitchen: I would like to get more information around the criteria that's used to score. Maybe you can point me to [10:15:35 AM] that or just -- and give me an idea of what the components of that are. >> Absolutely. Our scoring criteria and our rubric is under development right now. We've extent to a few of our development partners for them to test and we will have a stakeholder meeting on December 17th where we will put out our entire application, the guidelines and the standard operating procedures that we've developed for both programs. Essentially the scoring rubric is based entirely on the Austin strategic housing blueprint. We are assigning points based on the location of developments. We know that one of the goals in that blueprint was geographic disbursion, so if you're in an area that has a lot of 14 then you will get fewer points than in an area that has a need for affordable housing. We've also judged based on the geographic criteria that are on the blueprint, including within a quarter mile of high frequency transit, within a half mile ever imagine Austin centers and corridors and high opportunity Zones as defined by opportunity 360. We're also looking at all of our initiatives. Those include the supportive housing or housing for those exiting homelessness. Also family friendly developments and accessible developments. So there's a wide variety of points that a developer can receive. And based on where those units are located, are. For example, we would want family friendly development to be in an area con duties active to family development and we would want a supportive development to be near transit. So we're trying to marry our initiatives with our locational goals. >> Kitchen: Okay. So December 17th is when the stakeholder review process for that, for the criteria [10:17:36 AM] and the application process? >> That's when we have our public grand opening, yes. And any comments that we receive following that will be incorporated into the review process. We're hoping to go live with the final application on January 1, but we know that that is not going to be a final product. We know that we're going to have to review this every quarter to ensure that we are addressing all of the needs that we have. >> Kitchen: Okay. How would we -- will that be posted somewhere? Will it be sent to our offices or how would we look at that? >> We send out a press release and we will send a press release to all of your offices as well. >> And I wanted to add, Mandy de mayo, neighborhood housing and community development. We started the stakeholder process actually last January so we had a large -- there were 50 plus folks. This was before Jamie's time. 50 plus folks who attended an open meeting where we talked about our current process and our current criteria, what worked, what didn't work. And since then we have solicited feedback from stakeholders and we've received consistent feedback. So the December 17th meeting really is an opportunity to unveil the specifics based on that feedback and highlight a few areas where we're still kind of struggling in terms of assigning weight within our -- within our application process, within our scoring criteria. >> Kitchen: Okay. >> Casar: Are there other questions on this particular point because I do have some? >> Kitchen: I have a different point so go ahead. >> Casar: On this particular point, I do think that getting buy-in from the stakeholders, but also buy-in from the dais and the full council I think will be really important just so that we can best understand why it is staff is bringing some projects forward. And if we get to a place where we're saying no to to some that we can have a clear sense of why we're [10:19:36 AM] saying no to some and yes to others. What I would really like to get us to a point of is the dais approving the projects that staff brings and if there is any concern about which ones are coming or which ones aren't for us to actually try our best to change the criteria as we go as opposed to getting too much into individual projects. Now, of course, if there is some exceptional project that we could never have anticipated and fell through the cracks of our matrix, then there should be room for exceptions and for the dais to do that, but the more we can really understand the system by which you're doing the filtering, then hopefully as we implement the bonds, we can modify the system that does the filtering, rather than focusing so much on projects. And to do that a big question for me is what makes something not make the list? Because there seems to be a bit of a paradox there where if you decide it's going to be the best five projects always make the list and they need to compete and you have to get it in the best five, then what happens if one year there is just is an exceptional year and seven people do an amazing job putting together great things? That may not be the best system, but then at the same time if we don't have some form of cutoff then how it is that we drive competition? I'm sure this is something you've been grappling with quite a bit. You don't have to answer it now, but I think what would be helpful would even be as you test it, to even have -- let's say these were seven applications that we got and let's make them up. These were applications in gentrifying areas, near transit, some in high opportunity areas. Here are some producing a ton of units, but aren't in the right area and aren't near transit. Which ones would -- how would they score? So that we would understand before we implement the system what are we encouraging and what would we be turning down? >> So Jamie and his team have been running these iterative tests through this [10:21:37 AM] scoring criteria, kind of through a screen. And seeing which projects we internally thought definitely were worthy of funding and met all of them, whether it's gentrifying area. Another is running through the UT uprooted study, whether it's located in a census tract that is either susceptible or stage 1, stage 2 or in terms of gentrification. So Jamie and his team have been running those traps and what we haven't done just yet is set what our threshold will be in terms of scoring. We want to -- we want to have a very transparent scoring criteria so that developers who come to us, they can run their own test and determine whether or not something actually would be eligible for funding? Because we want that -- we want to drive development, the type of development that we as a community want, that we've dermined are the highest priority developments. And so if we can have all that information out there, transparent, I think it will be better for all of us across the community. >> I really look forward to seeing that and I totally recognize how hard it is because the higher opportunity it is, the fewer units you're going to get, the more gentrifying it is, the more units you're going to get, the more it is probably in about the places we want it less. You're going to get likely even more units if -- if these are all folks putting together a really strong proposal. And so how that all shakes out, I'm really interested in seeing. And I think it will be critical for the dais to understand before we go full blast, full steam ahead. Do you have a question on this point? >> Kitchen: Yeah. The other thing I want to point out is with regard to the transportation credit criteria. I think it would be -- you guys may be already doing this, but for certain parts of town that -- to meet our criteria, to be all over the city and particularly high [10:23:38 AM] opportunity areas, you're going to run into areas that don't -- that aren't within that distance of transit. So I think it's important to define that criteria broadly enough to account for other kinds of transit and transportation options. So, for example, in some parts of the city, cap metro is working on pilot programs that are actually connectors to get people, you know, from the -- from their home areas closer to the transit. The other thing to consider, and you might consider adding in criteria for this, sometimes these -- not sometimes. There are potential options for rental complexes, apartment complexes, to actually create transportation options. So if they have a b-cycle on their campus, if they have a car2go on their campus, if they have other kinds of options on their campus that can help people get that first and last mile to transit. Because I think if we just apply the transportation criteria without allowing for some area of transportation, there are some areas that are never going to score well. So I would encourage you to think broadly in terms of that criteria. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Renteria: You also have mentioned you're going to have a public grand opening. What is your expectation in this public grand opening? >> So that was just a term. Basically I was talking about the stakeholder meeting on the 17th where we would solicit as much feedback as we can. We've tried to publicize it as far as we could. I've tried to reach out to our developer partners and some of our non-profit agencies. We would like -- I'd like to fill the room, get the fire [10:25:40 AM] marshal involved, but I know that's going to be difficult. >> So it's -- just so you all know, it is at 9:00 A.M. At our offices, 1000 east 11th street, suite 11-a. We've booked it for two hours. It will be an opportunity to go over the new process, which will be new to all of our existing stakeholders. As family mentioned we've also reached out to a variety of advocacy groups who have an interest in -- they may not be developers like the commission on seniors, the mayor's commission on people with disabilities, adapt, a variety of different groups, Basta, the tenants' council. These are partners that we have worked with. Echo, did I forget them. Have worked with throughout the tweaking of the scoring criteria and the processes. We'll make sure that it gets to your council offices as well, the press release for the meeting on the 17th. >> And speaking of the tenants issues, have we come to any decisions yet about if -- what level of increased tenants' protections might be included as far as scoring as a baseline requirement or as an incentive. >> We're exploring it right now. >> As part of our review of the guidelines we've gotten comments from Basta and echo and some of our other agencies. And that information is going to be incorporated into the guidelines, kind of as a threshold marker. We currently have tenant protections in the rhda program. How we improve those or how much strengthening we apply is part of the conversation we're looking at. >> Casar: Are you all going to be releasing that before the meeting on the 17th or are you releasing it on the 17th? >> If we can, we will. We are working on it as we speak. If we can, we certainly will. But I do want to be clear that -- there is concern [10:27:40 AM] about putting it out there without any context, so one thing we'll be doing at the meeting is actually going through the application and the scoring live. So I that will be helpful for folks, particularly our non- profit, for profit development partners, and see if they can get certain things that they will end up with that sort of score. If they do other things it will admin initial their application and what the application requirements are. But if we can get it early we will certainly get it out there. >> Casar: Okay. Councilmember kitchen. >> Kitchen: Just one more question. Can you help me understand the housing investment review committee, is there -- I understand that committee, but I'm just trying to remember if there's any relationship between the review process that they go through and the review process that the bond oversight committee goes through. Or are they related. Do all the housing oversights just go through the -- >> It's a separate entity. It's the housing -- it's formerly known as the housing bond review committee. We're actually changing the name because previously the housing bond review committee, which consisted of five members who had experience, who have demonstrated experience in affordable housing or affordable housing finance, they're appointed by the director of the department. Previously the housing bond review committee, which was called for as part of the -- I believe the 2006 ordinance for the housing bonds, previous hi they also reviewed our housing bond investments. And you all may recall that we used federal funds for creation of affordable housing. We also use our housing trust fund, other local funds for creation of affordable housing. So rather than siloing our housing bond investment, we wanted to wrap all of our [10:29:40 AM] housing investment, have it go through, as Jamie mentioned, kind of the internal process. We have a staff review, then we have a multidivision staff review. Then it goes to what's now known as the hirc, which is this committee that is going to be meeting quarterly. And there's an opportunity for public comment, I should also mention at the hirc. And then it goes to the executive team, then it goes to council. So it's going through multiple layers of review. I want to be clear. But it is the housing bond review committee will now be expanded to clue all of our housing, all of our affordable housing investments. >> Kitchen: Okay. So that helps me understand that. I'm trying to understand the relationship between that process and the council appointed -- >> Those are separate. >> Kitchen: I'm not suggesting there needs to be a relationship. I'm just trying to understand if there is because the council has an appointed body that's responsible for review of all the bonds that we do. Do y'all report to them periodically or update them? What's the relationship there? >> So the housing investment review committee is not related to the bond oversight committee. So separate processes. We do report periodically to the bond oversight committee. And we're actually in conversations, kind of across the city with all of the folks associated with the bonds that passed about what that's going to look like. So we anticipate that we'll continue to periodically update the bond oversight committee on activities that are occurring with the affordable housing bonds. >> Kitchen: Is that how you'll did it with the previous bond? >> Yes. >> Casar: Other questions? Okay. I think that answers it. For me my main question is who are we saying no to and why. Without an urging to say no to people, but I just want to understand. We'll get there. And for those of us that can be there on the 17th or send your staff, I think that can [10:31:42 AM] be useful. The next item is the update on HPD a. >> Good morning, councilmembers. I'm Travis prone with the neighborhood housing department. So I'm going to walk y'all through basically the status of the HPD, what work has been done since we met with all last January and provide you an update. And then also discuss next steps. That need to be taken in order for us to spend the dollars. If you'll recall at the previous meeting in January, y'all passed a motion which ultimately became a resolution that was approved by council for us to do some financial analysis on the tax increment that would be required to fund 500, 1,000, 1500 units by 2030. We provided back a memo with that analysis at the end of August. And then since then we've been working on taking some further steps, like I said, to spend the funds. So the next steps that need to be taken, and we've discussed this previously as well, is a interest board of directors for the zone needs to be created by the city council. And then that board needs to approve a project and financing plan for the zone that basically says how we're going to spend those funds. And then subsequently that plan also needs to be approved by the city council as well. Since January we've worked with the law department budget office and drafted a project and financing plan which y'all have in your backup. That's ready to go pending any changes that y'all may suggest to be approved by the board of directors. Once the board is created. The next thing that needs to be done is we actually need to create the board. We're currently working with the law department at this [10:33:43 AM] time to draft an ordinance to create that board and we expect to come back in February or March with that ordinance to create the board. So I think that is the last step. If you had any questions, and I don't know if y'all have had a chance to look at the project and financing plan that we provided. If you have any questions specific to that or if you have any questions about the analysis that we provided to y'all at the end of August, I'm happy to try and answer any of those. >> Casar: Any questions on this point? >> Renteria: I'm just -- I'm really excited about the whole preservation district. This has been a long time in the making, over 14 years. So this is one of the milestones that I've been hoping for. And also I wanted to let my colleagues know that I have a resolution here that is going to be asking to increase the tax increment from 10% to 20%. You know, we were -- when I brought this three years ago, it was with the intention of having the 20%, but because there was potential of having other districts in which we were very close to last year, almost two years ago, but the governor vetoed that. And so we decided to go up and do -- raise it up from 10 to 20%, which was the original proposal. We were just afraid that the tax rates were going to be expanding out to other districts, so we decided that, you know, to keep it at 10. Since it didn't happen, I think that there's a lot of potential now to increase that to 20% so that we can [10:35:45 AM] provide a lot more supportive housing that we can do with this money. So that's going to be my proposal once we get through answering questions. >> Casar: Thank you, councilmember. To be clear, right now it's at 10% and I think it's saying it's generating, you know, $700,000 a year and in the next few years closer to one or a million and a half at the -- at the 10% rate. Is that the dollar figures you have? >> So it's anticipated that we'll have 1.4 million in revenue that's deposited into the fund this fiscal year. Those funds can be budgeted for next fiscal year or we can do a budget amendment obviously. I think over the course of the Zones so that the zone dissolves at the end of 2025, it's anticipated to generate 11.6 million at the 10% increment. >> Casar: So then if we increase it to 20%, it would double the rate -- it wouldn't necessarily double that number because it spends a few years at 10%, but I think from the information that you guys gave us, it was something like at like 17% if we used it at gap financing we could generate 1500 units, but at the same time that's probably a Rosie picture thinking that we're going -- not you, Rosie. It's a more conservative estimate, might mean we need more of an increment if we want to get to a thousand or 1500 units in that area. >> That's true. And it's a small geographic area and we are right now anticipating spending those funds through a competitive process through the programs like rental housing development assistance, rhda and hda and HPD as well, so it depends on what projects, what opportunities come up in the zone that can be funded. So the analysis that we provided has a lot of -- it's a crude analysis, has a lot of assumptions in it and it depends on what opportunities present [10:37:45 AM] themselves. >> Casar: And while I feel really good about the bond distributing housing all over the city, we hear a lot about how this area, because of its history, it's really important for us to step up and provide extra help to bring affordability to this very particular zone. It's just -- it's something that everybody on the dais I think feels and supports. And so I -- I agree with councilmember Renteria that when we were first looking at the increment that we put in each district, we started this one off at 10% because we thought we would do two or three or four of these at about 10%, but now that the governor has vetoed the ability for Austin to add more districts, I think that changes some of the calculus. And thankfully now with the housing bond and with our -- and with the housing trust fund increase I think we can still really address a lot of citywide issues, but I think this area has really been harmed through -- and a lot of families have been lost. And I think a special focus on this area makes sense to me. So if you end up making that motion, I'd be comfortable moving the increment up to 20%. >> Renteria: And I really want to thank you. This whole area, 15 years, 20 years ago we saw that was going to come down to this, especially in the north part of my district and then the southern part of district 1 where there were so many people that was being displaced. And there was -- we had to sound the alarm years back, 20 years ago, that this was going to happen and that we needed to invest more funds into this particular area. And as you can see now, you can drive up and down 12th street, manor, and you can see the need. And you can see a lot of empty lots down there. [10:39:45 AM] I mean, it just breaks my heart to see that we could bring people back, the right to turn, and that's another thing that we're looking at. And we can develop and create a lot more affordable units there that we desperately need. >> Casar: Councilmember Flannigan and then councilmember alter. >> Flannigan: I have a couple of questions about this, maybe not for today, but for staff to think about. You know, councilmember Casar, I agree that the calculus is changing and it's going to keep changing through the legislative session. So I'm not sure I'm ready to support the change until there's more stability in the future of our tax revenues generally speaking. And then am I understanding correctly that the funds raised from this can only be spent inside those boundaries? >> That's correct. >> Flannigan: So I have a concentration of housing question. I'm not sure how we balance those issues. So that's just kind of what's floating around in my head at this point. >> Casar: Councilmember alter and then councilmember kitchen. >> Alter: Thank you. First of all, I just wanted to acknowledge councilmember Renteria's leadership on this. And it's a good thing that we got this done before they made it so we couldn't do more. So I'm glad that we have the opportunity to make these investments. I haven't had a chance to go through the full packet, but there was one point that you raised about it expiring in 2025. And I just -- I don't know when the appropriate time is to think about extending that, and I don't know the legislative environment for doing that, but I think -- I'd like to hear a little bit about the thoughts about when it would be appropriate to extend if this is the only tool that -- place that we can do this in the city, and we have it within our power to extend the time. You could also extend the time either in addition to or instead of the percentage [10:41:49 AM] as an option. Moving forward. So could you speak to that timing part, please? >> Sure. So we have, I guess, seven years until it expires. Theoretically it's something that we could do now if we wanted to via an ordinance or something we could do in the future. I think I have one question which would be we no longer meet the applicability requirements under the state statute. I don't think that would be an issue in this case because we would just be amending the current HPD, but that would be a legal question that we would have to check with law on. But in terms of the actual timing, we could do it. We could do it this year, we could do it several years before its expiration. I don't right now have a strong feeling one way or the other, but I think the idea of extending it, I think we would certainly support that. >> Alter: I think that would be something that would be great for legal to look into and maybe have a conversation with our governmental affairs office on the appropriate timing. This may not be the appropriate time to do that as we go into a legislative session, but just thinking forward so that we do take advantage of it at the right time I think would be useful. >> Okay. >> Kitchen: I also want to -- thank you for saying that, councilmember alter. I want to thank councilmember Renteria for his leadership on this. This is one of the tangible things that we can do for this particular area. And with the challenges that we're facing it can be difficult to point to some tangible improvements. I just have a couple of questions that relate to - - I know we've talked about these things in the past, but if you can remind me. So what happens if the funds are not used. I imagine that that's really not a realistic question because we're not talking about a huge amount of dollars even though it's a [10:43:50 AM] relatively small area. But can you just help me with that? That could be an issue maybe later on. When there's not so much in the fund. Can you help me with that? >> I don't know the answer to that, if the funds aren't used. Like you said, I don't anticipate -- >> Kitchen: If you don't know that you can provide it later. >> There's a geographic restriction on them so they would be held probably in perpetuity until a use, an acceptable appropriate use was found for those funds. >> Kitchen: All right. And then when do you anticipate starting to -- starting to use the fund for competitive projects? >> I think we've discussed budgeting those funds, the funds we have now, the anticipated $1.4 million for the next fiscal year. So for 2020. Richard right away. >> Our goal is to get the necessary steps to the council agenda in the early part of next year, February, March, depending on what the agendas look like, with the goal of trying to get things programmed and out the door for the next year. >> Casar: Councilmember kitchen, could I hop in on those two questions, two quick follow-ups? A tif is just an ordinance that we establish, right? So in the end if for whatever reason there are unexpended funds we could dissolve the tif and by our own ordinance, I think? >> Kitchen: Can we and use the funds? >> It's a question that I would have to ask folks smarter than me on those issues. Because when we were receiving the funds and holding the funds it was for a specific geographic location. I would want to make sure that yes, you could dissolve the tif tiny point and then you would be collecting the funds. I assume the funds that would be held would be held for appropriate activity in the actual boundaries of the active. >> I doubt they would -- my recollection from the prior conversation, and I could be wrong, is if in fact we had dedicated those funds to a purpose like paying back [10:45:53 AM] audited or being allocated to a project that we can't take them away, but if they are unallocated funds we can dissolve the tif is my recollection. I don't anticipate us doing that, I advocate for us spending the dollars. And then councilmember kitchen's second question and then I'll hop over to you, councilmember Flannigan, and I'm sorry that I will have taken councilmember kitchen off her track. The second question you had asked was about -- I may have lost my train of thought. >> Kitchen: Well, I don't think hi asked it yet. I had another one. Did I ask it? >> Casar: And you had a second answer. But I'll remember it later. That was the most more important one. You. >> Kitchen: I do have question about the scope of the use. >> Casar: Councilmember Flannigan, did you want to hop in on a question that we were on? >> >> Flannigan: Yeah. It would be my expectation that the funds were restricted only as much as much as as we were obligated to bondholders. Typically we did a 400-million-dollar bond like waller creek, that is guaranteed against the future revenues. Are we doing affordable housing projects, the bonds behind which are guaranteeing the future revenues from the tirz? Is that how this will work? >> We're not issuing bonds for this. >> This would be pay as you go. >> Flannigan: So there is no restriction on this except for us undoing our own ordinance. >> Casar: Sorry for slowing you down. >> Kitchen: I wanted to ask about the scope. I can see in the financing plan you've got some language about what this would be used for. So -- and -- it talks in terms of funding programs through nhcd's programs. I guess I'm trying to understand if there's income restriction. >> The state statute is its self, I think the language was pulled from the state [10:47:55 AM] statute verbatim so I think it's essentially for the development, preservation of affordable housing and so really it's just the income restrictions that would have that. >> Kitchen: So can it be used for permanent supportive housing, for example, for housing he wanted to homelessness individuals, things like that? Shelters? >> I think the question would be is it going to actually develop a project? If we were talking about like something like a -- to pay rent or something, that may be -- that may be a question that we would want to run by -- >> Kitchen: I'm sorry, I don't mean the operational aspect of it. I mean to develop the project. >> Sure, it could be. >> Yes, it could be. >> I'm not presuming to know what's needed specifically in the area, but I wanted to ask -- it could be used for the whole range of services -- the whole range of the development of the the building and the housing. >> Sticks and bricks. >> Kitchen: All the way from permanent supportive housing to other types of rental assistance or ownership programs, right? Okay. >> Casar: Councilmember alter, did you have something? >> Alter: I wanted to make sure I was understanding correctly because we aren't using this to leverage bonds for funds that are not yet collected, we can just change our ordinance should something arise where we feel like we need to spend those tax dollars on something else, we can just amend our ordinance and change that from moving forward and any money that had been in that fund would still have to be spent on housing. In that area. >> But moving forward you could certainly amend it and change the requirements. >> Alter: So we would have some flexibility in some other situations should the need arise. So I will support this motion. >> Casar: And now I remember what councilmember kitchen's second question [10:49:55 AM] was. [Laughter]. Which was about a programming of the funds and when you were going to put them on the street. But it is possible, though, that once we create the board you could either wait for the budget to program them or we could have a budget amendment on the dais to say now we have a board of directors so just go ahead and let's unshack he will classroom LE you from our own process. >> That's true. It would be what we currently have in revenue associated with the tif. >> Casar: But if, for example, through our first round of bond projects there's a really great one in this area and the gap on top of our funds is a couple thousand more dollars to make it really good, it might be great for us to already have these funds available. >> Correct. >> Casar: Is there any reason why it would not be good to have the funds available? >> No. I don't know that we would issue -- we wouldn't probably issue a notice of funding availability or a nofa until we have the anticipated revenue from next year just that it would be a larger amount. But we could certainly use the funds if an appropriate project came forward that met the criteria? >> Casar: It's just that there might not be enough -- >> That's one of the reasons why we have waited until this point because we wanted to have sufficient funds to actually be able to attract some appropriate development. >> Casar: Okay. Last question. >> Kitchen: Last question. Just help me understand the process for appointing a board? How does that happen? >> So previously y'all created the board through an ordinance and appointed the members through a resolution. I don't know if we can do that through the ordinance itself or if we have to come back with a separate resolution to appoint the members. >> Kitchen: That's why I was asking. I thought we already had a board, but we don't. >> I think you have a board for a different tif and I [10:51:55 AM] think there needs to be one specifically called together to support homestead preservation district one or the homestead district 1. >> The board needs to be created through an ordinance and the members need to -- either need to be appointed through the ordinance or through a separate resolution. >> Kitchen: Okay. >> Casar: So -- and the board tends to be us. >> And the board tends to be the full city council. >> Casar: Okay. Anything else? >> Based on what historically has been done. >> Casar: Do you want to go ahead? >> Renteria: Yes. And this is the resolution that says be it on resolved that the housing and planning committee of the city council should establish the board of directors adopt the final project and financing plan and increase the tax increment from 10 to 20% for the homestead preservation reinvestment zone 1. >> Casar: Is there a second to that? Seconded by councilmember kitchen. All those in favor say aye? Any opposed or abstaining? That motion passes on a motion of 4 in favor, with councilmember Flannigan opposed? Opposed. So that recommendation goes -- passes along to the council. And I'll have councilmember Renteria work with the staff to figure out whether -- sort of how that appears on the agenda since y'all, my understanding, are developing the board of directors' work if we can have that sort of sync up on one agenda, I think that would probably be easier than us passing a recommendation. >> Yes. >> Casar: -- At council and then y'all have another item. >> That would be our preference. We have a draft resolution -- a draft of the rca over in law so we're working to get it ready to submit. >> Casar: And then if you could bring with that the recommendation -- [overlapping speakers]. [10:53:55 AM] >> Casar: The percentage number in activity ordinance would be helpful -- in the tif ordinance would be helpful. >> Renteria: I want to thank this committee. There's a lot of non-profits right now in my district and district 1 that are sitting in vacant lots ready to go and there's no funding for that. I really want to thank you. We've got some wonderful projects, the non-profits that are -- that we've got haca, we've got -- we have just all kinds of non-profits out there that are really just building wonderful projects. And this fund is going to go a long way. And I'll be very surprised if there's any funds left. >> As will I, yes. >> Casar: To councilmember Flannigan's point, which is a really thoughtful take that I've thought about within this as well, you know, I just think that we have a unique geographic -- a really unique geographic challenge and pain within the area of hpda where I think we need to show as a dais that we're going to pay extra attention to the gentrification that has occurred there. And I think that for our affordable housing initiatives to be successful citywide we need to take really seriously what I feel like so many of us hear about the most, which is much of the historic loss of community and diversity in that area. So I think that this -- that this motion and this increase today, recommended increase today, responds to that while still recognizing that we have a statewide affordable housing challenge. So I do think that in my view that we have to avoid concentration of affordable housing in any one place, but in this particular area I can -- we have to struggle [10:55:56 AM] with that tension, but I can get around to that point. And that's the way that I think about it and I want to sort of respond to you and to that issue because I understand your point entirely. >> Flannigan: Well, I think as a city and as councilmembers we're all fighting over who gets the most affordable housing and it's a really good symbol for what this city represents. I think it's a really good thing. >> Casar: Well, thank you so much for the staff for continuing to work on this issue as it chugs along. >> Thank you. >> Casar: Okay. We only have two items to go and they should be quick. Approval of our committee schedule for next year. I think we've passed this along and it's in backup, but I wanted to make sure here on the dais that it still makes sense to everyone. And if folks want to take a moment, you can, or if your staff has already told you you're good to go, we can move on. Any of the members have questions or does anybody need time to look at it? Sounds like everybody is good. And can I have a motion for us to adopt the schedule for next year? Moved by councilmember Flannigan, seconded by councilmember alter. Those in favor say aye? That schedule passes unanimously. And does anybody want to identify any future items for discussion for next year? Councilmember kitchen? >> Kitchen: I think that we need to coordinate our discussions around the implementation of the housing bond with the number of mobility activities that are occurring, the implementation -- the continued implementation of the 2016 mobility bond, the corridor planning as well as the project connect. [10:57:56 AM] And cap remap from cap metro metro. And I don't know how we want to handle that. And there's coordination with snap. And there's ad number of major transportation initiatives that are going on at the same time as our housing bond and our housing blueprint, for that matter. And I think we need to think about what's the appropriate way to have those conversations together. >> Casar: Director truelove do you have a comment on that point? >> No, but I did want to give an overview of what we plan to bring from the housing perspective. To just give some perspective on what we're working on that related to the implementation of the housing blueprint as well as an implementation for the affordable housing bonds. We had a briefing, a couple of meetings ago, where we talked about a lot different pieces that are kind of coming together and that in addition to the strategic housing blueprint we have a number of other studies that have been released and become public that contained some really good information that we want to take into consideration and factor into our implementation. Because ally it's all implementation of the strategic housing blueprint. That's kind of the big overarching thing, even though some of it will be focused on anti-displacement and some of it will be focused on gentrification mitigation as outlined in the uprooted study and the anti-displacement task force recommendations. So what we have that we're working on right now is a fairly comprehensive set of documents that's going to be coming to you in February. The first is going to be a summary of the work that's been done with our consultant, who has been helping us with the implementation plan for the strategic housing blueprint, the 50 some odd recommendations that were in that document. They're currently out for [10:59:57 AM] public comment. When I'm done I'll have someone from staff come and lay out, folks that might be watching from home or seeing us on the web can access information and provide us information on that. Our goal to take that and couple that with the other recommendations that have been made through those various other plans and come up with a set of what we think are readily available short- term/near-term next one to three years kind of strategies and then arabic that's more midterm and then a bucket that's longer term. We will definitely have that prioritization done for all of the recommendations that are in the strategic housing blueprint, those 50 some odd. For some of the other ones we've also been working -- if you laid all those out on a whiteboard, there are 300 sticky notes. We actually had an exercise that we went through yesterday or this week where we took all of those 300 sticky notes and we started coming up with, you know, the unique ideas, where we know that this concept about land development is in, you know, these two or three different plans but really it's all the same thing. So we're coming up with our unique set of recommendations and we'll try from that to come up with our prioritized one to three years that we'll be working on as our -- kind of our work plan for the near term. There are some that are gonna come forward somewhat later than that because when we looked at the recommendations that have come forward from the anti-displacement task force we really want to get some public input on that and so we're gonna be working that into our community outreach and stakeholder process for our consolidated planning process so that we can get input on both how we should deploy our federal funds and then what -- because of the populations that we hope to be reaching we want to tap into that same conversation to get input on the highest priority of the anti-displacement recommendations that have come forward. So some of those might come in and we might amend that [11:01:59 AM] near-term strategy in a handful of months but we're going to bring to you what we plan on definitely working on for the next one to three months. Included in that will be a comprehensive listing or matrix of all of the recommendations so that folks can track things throughout, right? So you'll know if there was a recommendation that came up say in the people's plan and because of the similarities to things that were already in some of the other things it got lumped and there's two or three recommendationses lumped into one recommendation so you'll be able to track how things are disposed of. We're conscientious of the fact that there's been a number of studies is that have been done in the past and the concern that staff has not done anything with them so we'll be tracking what our plans are to do with every recommendation that's coming forward to us. So included in that big list of information that we're gonna be bringing to you, that overall large matrix of recommendations we're gonna be bringing to you our displacement mitigation strategy or at least our plans, we talked about a little bit of getting additional information and how that's gonna be become a displacement mitigation strategy. Our preservation strategy and criteria, development siting strategy, Austin housing finance corporation development strategy, right, how are we gonna take the property that we either hold now or plan to acquire and what's gonna be our guidelines for how we dispose of that, what gets put for rfp for development and how we're gonna go through that process. We want to make sure that we're getting good input on our community engagement strategy so that's gonna be something that we're gonna be taking to the community development commission in January to get their input on and then to you guys in February, as well as looking at for the items that we already know of that have been identified as needing some legislative work, what some strategies around that would be. For those we want to try to address this session, if any, and those that would be maybe in the next session. Then of course our bond implementation strategy, which will clue include our [11:04:00 AM] land acquisition strategic, updates we're making to Roda and Hoda and home repair program. We want to make sure you have a good understanding of where all the funding comes from that is used for these particular housing projects so we have a funding matrix that we're gonna share with you, as well as additional information on the plan for the consolidated plan for creating the consolidated plan, index of all our council resolutions and then our strafing strategy and time lines. It's gonna be a lot and that's coming to you at your February meeting. >> Casar: So we're gonna get out of here quick so that we can - - you guys can get ready. >> Mm-hmm. [ Laughter ] You see us all with glazed eyes, it's because we have got a lot of things in our heads right now. >> Casar: I think that may merit -- we'll check with members but I think that may merit us -- a two and a half hour meeting as opposed to a hour meeting from what it sounds like. >> There was a conversation I want to mention when we were briefing on the anti- displacement task force's recommendations that this eventually go to full council or that the same similar kind of presentation go to the full council. I don't know that they could devote two and a half hours to it but our goal is to really kind of lay you had very concretely to the housing and planning meeting and full council and to the public what we're going to be doing over the next couple of years. >> Casar: And if you could send me that agenda, I think what we'll do is post it to the message board and continue to let folks know that if they want to spend that two and a half hours with us that it will be posted and that the dais can all come. But I think, to councilmember kitchen's question and point, have y'all at mobility adopted your calendar yet for next year? >> Kitchen: We have. And, you know, I don't have it in front of me, but we can align those. Three of us are on the committee. So we can -- and we can align those and maybe we can have an off-line discussion about when it would be [11:06:00 AM] appropriate. We're mapping out for mobility the upcoming meetings in the spring about when we'll be taking up quarter issues, bond issues, and asmp issues. So we could see when that might align. And we could either do a joint meeting and talk about housing at the same time or we can, you know, stair step them, the meteddings. >> Casar: When are we adopting the rhda guidelines? >> They don't actually require adoption by city council. >> Casar: When are you adopting -- >> We would like to get them in place so they're able to be used for the first round of applications that would come in. Do we have a time frame on -- we'd like to launch January first, and that's primarily because we want to make sure that folks know what they're gonna be working with with respect to the upcoming tax credit projects. So they know what kind of criteria they're gonna have to comply with on our standpoint. But as Jamie mentioned they are amendable and so that would be what we launch with on January first, will be in place for that first quarter. Then we can update when we need to as we need to. >> Casar: So it might make sense sometime during that first quarter for us to figure out whether we have some transportation people come or if some of us go to mobility to just get an update on how it is we're scoring around the corridors. >> Kitchen: Okay, mm-hmm. I have another thought, too. >> Casar: Yes, please. >> Kitchen: Different thought. At some point during the year, I think it would be helpful for us to have a meeting that focuses on our strategies with relation to housing for -- homeless individuals. >> Yes. >> Kitchen: In particular the more immediate temporary shelter, which is one of our biggest issues right now. So, you know, we're in the process -- the city is in the process of hiring a homeless strategy officer so [11:08:04 AM] I would ask at one of our meetings, I'm not sure which will be the appropriate one, but perhaps sometime in the spring we could have a more focused conversation on what our strategies are related to homeless individuals. >> And I did want to add, we will make sure that the folks working in transportation and on the strategic mobility plan are aware of how we are structuring our scoring criteria for housing development assistance and invite them to the stakeholder meehat's happening on the 17th. If they can't come we'll try to have a one-on-one with them. >> Kitchen: Okay. >> Casar: And I think that April meeting, it may be a good time for us to really look at some of that stuff so I've got that noted here. >> Kitchen: April would be. >> Casar: And I also think that obviously when we have that more thorough conversation on Tuesday if we can also really highlight -- obviously the bulk of the bonds does go to, you know, working class and low-income housing, but there is a significant -- obviously our permanent supportive housing and other work has been supported by the bond so if we make sure we can pull that out for the February meeting and then maybe April -- I think this is the second time you've requested it so I think it's important for us to do and April may be a good time for us to take a deeper look into that work. Councilmember alter. >> Alter: So councilmember Casar, my office have conferred on some other items. I'm not going to mention those right now but I did want to attention attention to my colleagues not on the audit and finance committee, we have an audit coming back tomorrow about the home repair program, which is worth reviewing and depending upon how that conversation goes it may or may not be important for the next step to come to the housing committee. We haven't seen the response from th department yet. So I want to leave that open, but I just want to flag that there may be some follow-up the want to do to shore up that program. [11:10:04 AM] >> Casar: Thank you foraying that. Anything else? Okay. Then we will adjourn today's meeting at 11:09 A.M. And save ourselves the time that we'll need come February. Thanks to everybody for your work coming up to this and we'll get ready to work on the -- doing these bonds right next year. >> Before we adjourn quickly, can I ask Erica to come up and make sure that folks know how to access the current strategic housing blueprint implementation stuff? >> Casar: Yes. >> So if folks will go to the city's housing department website, which is austintexas.gov/housing, there's a news release that let's people now how they can comment on the blueprint implementation plan. >> Casar: And the blueprint implementation plan is also scheduled for February review? Was that on the long list? >> Correct. So it's really -- really you can think of everything that Rosie mentioned, all of that is part of the blueprint implementation plan. So there is a draft that's on the street and it doesn't include all of the pieces that Rosie mentioned, but really everything that she mentioned is implementing the blueprint. And so we're gathering all the various additional pieces to present to you all in February. >> Casar: And so you now have an update from what you presented to us a few months ago? >> Correct. >> Casar: Okay. With the schedule for us to adopt implementation, the implementation plan shortly after that February meeting? >> If council desires. >> Casar: Yeah. >> And we might want to have a discussion about that. And I should probably have a discussion with folks behind me. I mean, I think there are pros and cons to adopting it because, I mean, we're going to have a short-term strategy looking at, you know, what we are foc on in the first three years, [11:12:05 AM] and then, you know, looking at things beyond that time frame as well. And so I think it will be a good discussion, maybe, for all of us to decide whether it makes more sense to have that be something that is adopted or whether we just think of it as, like, this is our plan. >> Casar: No. And -- >> And I don't know the answer to that. >> Casar: I think that's an interesting conversation, around how living of a document it can be because if we have to -- if any time you want to do something different you have to come back for council permission I think that is tricky but let's keep thinking about that. Sounds like councilmember kitchen -- >> Kitchen: Yeah, I think we should adopt it now. I think there's a way to do that that allows for the changes so it doesn't become too cumbersome. One of the reasons I think we should do that, you know, when we passed a resolution to create the implementation plan, we did that really with the thinking in mind that it was a part of the plan. And we have adopted the plan. So let's think through how we can do that in a way that doesn't impede the ability to be nimble. But I do think it's important for the council to adopt. >> Casar: We'll review the new version and look forward to talking to you about it come February and to hopefully raising that ters amount as well come February. I think 2019 will be a big year for housing and thanks for all your preparation and for your work with this committee this year. >> Absolutely. >> Casar: We'll adjourn instead at 11:13. Thanks. >> Thank you. [ Adjourned ]