Austin Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) Transcript – 2/13/2025 Title: ATXN-1 (24hr) Channel: 1 - ATXN-1 Recorded On: 2/13/2025 6:00:00AM Original Air Date: 2/13/2025 Transcript Generated by SnapStream ================================== Please note that the following transcript is for reference purposes and does not constitute the official record of actions taken during the meeting. For the official record of actions of the meeting, please refer to the Approved Minutes. [10:46:01 AM] And I will now call to order at 10:46 A.M. The board of directors meeting of the Austin housing finance corporation. We have one agenda item. We have an agenda item. And I'll turn to the city staff. Folks, I appreciate everybody's excitement, but if you could take your conversations outside. Thank you. You're recognized. >> Good morning, Mr. President. Madam vice president, board of directors, my name is James may. I'm the housing and community development officer for the housing department, for the housing finance corporation board of directors meeting. You have seven items on your agenda. >> I misspoke, I said one, I was thinking something else. Go ahead. >> That's the next meeting. You have seven items on your agenda. I'd like to walk through all seven of them with you, if you don't mind. >> Please. >> First, the first item is to accept $750,000 grant from saint David's foundation to support the 5900 pleasant valley development. This is again [10:47:02 AM] development. This is again accepting money. We don't do this very often, but we will be investing the money directly into a partnership at 5900 south pleasant valley for homeownership development. Items number two, three and four are all winding up and terminating a nonprofit corporations. These are three corporations that are no longer necessary for hfc to manage. So we are winding them down. That is hfc Avalon nonprofit corporation a. Village on little Texas nonprofit corporation and hfc pecan park nonprofit corporation. All of these any assets or holdings that these nonprofits corporations have will revert to ownership by hfc. General. The fifth item on your agenda is the approval of the December hfc board meeting minutes number. Item. Item number six is authorization of the acquisition of four parcels on the 2900 block of south congress avenue. [10:48:05 AM] block of south congress avenue. There is late backup that just that details all four of these parcels. That would be a total cost of $10.5 million plus closing costs and funding is available in the 2024 2025 budget for hfc. Finally, there is a we have a request to authorize and execute a contract with guidehouse incorporated to assist and to assist in the implementation of the recommendations made for our rental housing development assistance programs and ownership housing development assistance program. We've worked with guidehouse over the last year to come up with several recommendations. This would be to implement those, and I offer all seven of these items on consent. >> Thank you very much. Members. You have any questions of staff with regard to those items? That being the case, the chair will entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda as read board member vela seconded by council member Velasquez. Let me turn to the city clerk and ask if we have anyone signed up to speak [10:49:06 AM] have anyone signed up to speak on items on the consent agenda. >> Yes, we have one speaker, Zenobia Joseph, on hfc four and she is heading down. >> Thank you mayor council. I'm Zenobia Joseph. While I certainly appreciate this. >> Item. >> I actually am for the termination of this pecan park nonprofit. I just want you to know there's a little history to it. It was opaque. >> At one point. >> The women's shelter was going to be there. This is in district six, the former candlewood. Suites hotel. But I did want to call to your attention more broadly a quote from your homeless strategy officer, David gray, where he said that rapid rehousing is not the most effective tool to use for people who are chronically homeless. And so I just want you to revel in the celebration today, but to recognize that African Americans [10:50:08 AM] recognize that African Americans are over six times more likely to be homeless in Austin than our white counterparts. So my comments, as they always are in the context of title six of the civil rights act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, I would ask you to recognize that one of the things that consistently continues to happen, even at this property, is that it's income discrimination. So I would ask you to recognize your smart policy, mayor, and to recognize that it's safe, mixed income, accessible. It's supposed to be reasonably priced and transit oriented. And so mixed income does not mean to continue to put people who are of the same category in one space. And so I recognize that this is a good thing. But I would ask you to recognize as well that at 1934, as Farrell Rutland, I understand eight people have been killed there. So when you are creating permanent some type of nonprofit to oversee these developments, [10:51:10 AM] to oversee these developments, it would be helpful to put it where people are most in need. So not necessarily here. So I support you terminating this particular nonprofit. And if you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them at this time. It's in D six. >> Thank you, miss Joseph. >> Thank you members. >> Those are all the people that have signed up to speak on the consent agenda for the Austin housing finance corporation board of directors meeting. Is there anyone wishing any board member wishing to recuse themselves from a vote on the consent agenda? Is there anyone wishing to abstain from voting on any item on the consent agenda? Anyone wishing to be shown voting no on any item on the consent agenda for the board of directors meeting of the Austin housing finance corporation. That being the case, without objection, the consent agenda is adopted. Members. Without objection, we will adjourn the meeting of the board of directors of the Austin housing finance corporation at 10:52 A.M. We are now adjourned.