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Home My WebLink About2017/03/27-Minutes-Joint Meeting CC w/ Homelessness CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS JOINT FORT WORTH CITY COUNCIL AND FORT WORTH ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ENDING HOMELESSNESS MEETING MARCH 27, 2017 Present: Mayor Betsy Price Mayor Pro tem Dennis Shingleton, District 7 Council Member W.B. "Zim" Zimmerman, District 3 Council Member Cary Moon, District 4 Council Member Jungus Jordan, District 6 Council Member Kelly Allen Gray, District 8 Absent: Council Member Salvador Espino, District 2 Council Member Gyna Bivens, District 5 Council Member Ann Zadeh, District 9 Fort Worth Advisory Commission on Ending Homelessness: Donald Boren, Chair Jesse Aguilera, Position 2 Jason Hall, Position 6 Andy Taft, Position 8 James Tapscott, Position 10 Patricia Ward, Position 11 Carol Klocek, Position 12 Dawn Zieger, Position 13 Sherly Kenny, Position 15 Absent: Monnie Gilliam, Position 3 Gregory Scott, Position 4 Naomi Byrne, Position 5 Ted Blevins, Position 7 June Davis, Position 9 Melinda Veatch, Position 14 Staff Present: David Cooke, City Manager Sarah Fullenwider, City Attorney Ronald P. Gonzales, Assistant City Secretary Richard Zavala, Director, Park and Recreation Department Aubrey Thagard, Director,Neighborhood Services Department CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS JOINT FORT WORTH CITY COUNCIL AND FORT WORTH ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ENDING HOMELESSNESS MEETING MARCH 27, 2017 Page 2 of 4 I. Call to Order—Mayor Betsy Price and Chair Don Boren With a quorum of the City Council Members and Commission members present, Mayor Price and Chair Boren called the Joint Fort Worth City Council and Fort Worth Advisory Commission on Ending Homelessness Meeting to order at 6:36 p.m. on Monday, March 27, 2017, in the Great Hall, First Presbyterian Church, 1000 Penn Street, Fort Worth, Texas. II. Welcome and Introductions—Mayor Betsy Price and Chair Don Boren Mayor Price and Chairman Boren provided opening comments. III. Briefing on Status of Homelessness in Fort Worth and Implementation of Directions Home Plan—Tara Perez Ms. Tara Perez, City Manager's Office, provided a PowerPoint presentation that provided information on homelessness in the area, what is being done and what needs to happen. She advised that overall homelessness has declined in the past 10 years but unsheltered homelessness has actually doubled during the same period. She provided a breakdown of the impact of homelessness costs for specific City departments and completed her presentation by reflecting the status of the Direction Home Strategies. IV. Presentations and Discussion A. Fiscal Year 2017 Budget for Directions Home—Don Boren,FWACEH, Chair Mr. Don Boren presented an overview of the Directions Home Budget and provided comparative data from FY 2016 to FY 2017 with emphasis on rapid rehousing. He advised of major changes to the budget and stated that looking forward the Commission would be addressing strategic plans to consider the use of funds for rental assistance, case management and production of permanent supportive housing. B. Affordable Housing Opportunities—Carol Klocek, FWACEH,Member Ms. Carol Klocek provided a PowerPoint presentation titled, "Housing: A Solution for Homelessness". She stated that HUD defined homelessness as "People who do not have a permanent place of residence". She provided information on sustainable housing and stated that there is not a sufficient supply of sustainable housing in Tarrant County. She discussed the causes of homelessness and options for those individuals who lose their housing and become homeless, progress of the Directions Home program, provided information on 10-year projections of housing needs by type and concluded her presentation with information on how to solve homelessness over the next 10 years. CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS JOINT FORT WORTH CITY COUNCIL/FORT WORTH HOUSING SOLUTIONS BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING MARCH 27, 2017 Page 3 of 4 C. Alignment of Resources—Dawn Zieger, FWACEH, Member Ms. Dawn Zieger provided a PowerPoint presentation titled, "Homeless Coordination Organizations". She provided information on the structure of the Continuum of Care Board and the Tarrant County Homelessness Coalition Board and their associated committees. She advised that an Ad hoc Committee was formed to assess how to more effectively engage chief elected officials and community leaders in casting the vision for ending homelessness, streamline operations and accountability by eliminating redundant board processes and provide direct, corporate oversight and strategic direction to staff. She summarized challenges with the current structure of the program and displayed a slide with the proposed board structure, reflecting the proposed changes of a Vision Leadership Team and a Board of Directors. - Council Member Allen Gray —No real numbers provided to reflect progress; would like to have conversation to add substance to the homelessness plan. - Commissioner Ward — Lancaster is a huge problem; "Hidden Homeless"...why are they moving back to where they cannot be found? - Mayor Price — Where is info on veterans and children? Count needs to cover entire County and City. - Commissioner Tapscott—All options need to be placed on the table including the cost of prevention and cleanup by the City. Suggested having controlled camp sites for the homeless. - Council Member Zimmerman — Distressing that there is no significant accomplishments have been made in nine years. $20-70M spent annually and not getting anywhere because we are not working together; need someone to determine how we are managing our resources; how to effectively manage and find a way to define the problem and solve collectively. - Commissioner Hall — Accepted responsibility for the program as it stands now because there's still not any place for put homeless; need policy makers to reexamine. V. Citizen Presentations - Mr. Thomas Hamilton, 3101 View Street: Advised that FEMA had 60,000 trailers for sale and suggested the City purchasing some of those to house the homeless; quick but not permanent fix. Suggested renovating the historic school on Vickery and stated that case workers were needed for homeless camps. - Ms. Elizabeth Becker, 800 West 5th Street: Chair, Tarrant County Homelessness Coalition. Coalition supported merger of two boards as presented by Commissioner Zieger; beneficial to do so. - Ms. Allison Butz, 2108 Oak Hill Road: Not a one size fits all solution. Suggested development of tiny home villages; create cooperative villages where residents contribute to the village. CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS JOINT FORT WORTH CITY COUNCIL AND FORT WORTH ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ENDING HOMELESSNESS MEETING MARCH 27, 2017 Page 4 of 4 - Mr. Chris Durham, 5208 Cordova Avenue: One homeless veteran is too many. Has created an organization, Military Incorporated, that will launch on July 4, 2017. - Mr. Mike Phipps, 4451 Normandy: Dealing with problem much larger than in the past; City property being used by the homeless; City needs to sell these properties to inhibit use by the homeless; need an improved method to obtain a better count and pay attention to fragments of the population; quality of life on the East side of the City declining; motels on East Lancaster a problem. - Mr. Edward Sakerkt, 4451 Normandy: Large number of sex offenders on the East side; other cities in the County drop off their homeless in Fort Worth; time to move them back; all cities need to find homes for the homeless, not just Fort Worth. - Mr. Darin Hoppe, 3200 Mount Vernon: Homelessness will never end; City is too compassionate of a City; need more police enforcement; sidewalk camping during the day is an issue; house homeless together. - Mr. Richard Vickers, 2001 Aden Road: Represented Health and Community Collaborative, how are other homeless organizations having success; need to work with other organizations and have compassion. - Ms. Wanda Conlin, 1755 Martel Avenue: Summarized issues on the East side of the City and stated that more funding was needed to address the problem city wide. At the request of Council Member Allen Gray, Aubrey Thagard, Director, Housing and Neighborhood Services, provided comments regarding the Affordable Housing 101 Open House initiative and she challenged all Council Members to have one of the summits in their districts. VI. Adiourn There being no further business, Mayor Price and Chair Boren adjourned the Joint Fort Worth City Council and Fort Worth Advisory Commission on Ending Homelessness Meeting at 7:58 p.m. These minutes approved by the Fort Worth City Council on the l 8th of April, 2017. Attest: Appr ved: ary J. K ennis Shingleto City Secret y Mayor Pro tem