Hi. This is
>> That's right. Yeah.
That's what I say.
No,
you're right. Trust me.
They said this lesson.
» [snorts]
» You see something?
Just wait.
Sorry.
This is it.
>> Oh, that's all.
It's just
how are you?
» Oh sh
in the car.
I'm the age that really matters.
>> Good evening everyone. Thanks for
coming.
I would like to start by introducing
myself.
My name is Kim Wigginson. I'm the chair
of the housing committee and Miss
Patrick is the co-chair.
I just wanted to take a few minutes for
everyone to introduce theirelves so I
can put the names of the faces.
If you don't mind, you want to start.
Hello, I'm Monica Cook.
>> And I'm Bob Hoffman.
>> I'm Amanda Yarum.
>> Jackie Cook,
>> Harvey Andrew,
>> and Sean O'Brien, assistant corporation
counsel.
>> Welcome everybody. I'm glad everybody
could be here tonight.
Um
I would like everybody to know that um
we got work to do. So with that being
said, I would like to call the housing
stability task force into order.
We will stay on task
and first we're going to first thing on
the agenda is to review the enacting
legislation resolution
2025
138
» a resolution established a city housing
stability task force whereas the city of
Mr. Skenctity city council would like to
evaluate gaps and possible solutions in
tenant protection, housing
affordability, displacement and
neighborhood stability and comprehensive
approach. Whereas to assist in such
evaluation, the city council would like
to input
from stakeholders, including landlords
that own properties in the city, tenants
that live in the city, Skenctity based
housing advocates that serve the city,
residents and landlords, [clears throat]
Skenctity based non nonprofits that
serve the city residents and landlords
and developers that serve the city here
in and here here and after stakeholders.
We asked the city council wishes to
establish a housing stability task force
to conduct an exclusive evidence based
assessment of current housing
conditions, rental market trends,
evictions, eviction data, community
needs, and potential impact of
alternatives to opting in to good cause
eviction law in the city of Skenley.
Now wherefore be it resolved a housing
stability task force, it is established
which will be compromised
com
of nine volunteer stakeholders including
[clears throat] one member of the city
council who shall be the chair of the
task force. Be it further resolved the
housing that the housing stability task
force shall be charged with conducting a
review of the local housing trends,
eviction filings, rent burdens and
vacancy rates, hosting public forums and
engaging stakeholders with voices across
the housing spectrum and live perception
review and public input reporting within
[clears throat]
120 days of the first meeting.
the potential impact of the good cause
eviction and skinnity and recommending
short and long long-term strategies to
stabilize housing without increasing
regulatory burdens unnecessarily and be
it yet further resolved that the task
force shall com
[clears throat]
comprise nine members to the appointed
to be appointed
by the city council.
Be in debt further resolve that the
first meeting of those
the first meeting and those thereafter
of the housing stability task force
shall be called at least once at least
once city council members on notice to
the public via the city clerk in the
same manner that the city council's
meetings are published.
Okay. Um
discussions.
Um we wanted to um collaborations with
one skinnity
and um we have some literature here and
some data that um is going to be
presented by Miss Pertaining
to those
do you want me to just uh say it's about
so once meets the first Thursday of
every month um from 8 to 9. And this is
a presentation that you have in front of
you that I presented um in February. And
I just it was really a great um
collaboration and it talked about
housing issues and this is full of
statistics um regarding evictions but I
just wanted to tell you about one
strategy. Um their main purpose is
coming together as a whole um that aims
to connect, empower, and mobilize
tenants, homeowners, landlords,
neighborhood leaders, real estate
professionals, elected officials, and
staff in the city and county of
Skenctity to create and maintain quality
homes for all and neighborhoods where
everyone can thrive. And everyone who
attends is usually from the community,
nonprofit organizations, people who are
basically coming together like this
housing task force is as well.
[clears throat] And in here, it talks
about all of the statistics about um
evictions. It has really, you know, and
I'm not going to give everything, but if
you go through it, what you want to
know, the median household income in
city of Sket, unemployment in the city,
all things that contribute to evictions
um in Skenctity and the capital region.
Um so read through it. It talks also
about the rent burden in Skenctity.
um the vacancies in terms of housing and
schedules and what policy solutions have
been pursued
um so far. So again, I'm not going to go
through it, but it does talk about um
rental certificate program eviction
policies, exactly what is that, the nuts
and bolts. Um, and then it really goes
through and explains um the pros and the
cons about the good cause eviction
policy. Um so again, read through it and
if anybody's interested in attending um
the meetings that are once a month, you
can find them on Facebook um and can
click like there's a little link and
they'll send you the monthly Zoom call
um link and we attend via
» Okay. Thank you, Monica. Um I wanted to
we want to um have a discussion in the
areas of housing challenges to focus on
that we have to focus on being hotels
being used for temporary housing
identifying the local hotels. No sorry
hotels being used for temporary housing
that's becoming an issue that I find.
Do anybody have any output for that? I
know um there's been a number of people
that come to our pantries
and I have heard from them that there
are certain hotels that throw mothers
and children out during the day no
matter what the weather is so that they
can clean now things like that. I don't
know how anyone else feels, but I kind
of think that's atrocious to do that to
a family who's already in trouble and
you think to the street for hours while
you clean,
right?
Great.
Anyone else?
Okay. Identif we going to we want to
identify local hotels used by DSS
for housing. There's um there's an issue
with people being in hotels over a year
that living there like a state house
when it's not.
[snorts]
um
>> a year.
>> Yeah. [clears throat]
>> Living there a year or better.
>> Yes.
So, we definitely got to tackle what we
can do and what we can come up with
resources and datas for that. And also,
if anybody knows the list of hotels that
DSS is um working with
as far as housing, that would be great.
Can we just ask DSS for that
information?
>> We could do that also.
>> I get a lot of hopeless people at the
pantries.
>> Yeah, madam madam chair. Yeah, perhaps a
request for information from the county
department of social services regarding
these questions. What hotels?
>> Identify the hotels paid. Uh according
to this report that you were all given
tonight and the [clears throat] local
social services districts that's the
county uh county social services
who according to this state regulations
require them to inspect hotels and motel
housing homeless every six months and
further the new reg the regulations uh
also require them to file a six-month
inspection for hotels to OTAA office of
temporary disabilities insurance
assistance. So I think those points that
you had in the discussion are you know
requests for information for the for the
county to provide those numbers and
according to this they're if they're
housing if DSS is housing the you know
folks in in invable
list and according to this report they
be infecting the conditions every six
months. So, um,
>> but we know that's not that's not
happening.
>> Well, we should be asking also for the
inspection.
>> I mean, they they
>> the reports of the inspection.
>> Yeah. It requires them to do the
inspections every six months and uh so
probably should request the most recent
[clears throat] inspection reports to
hotels.
>> Maybe they should do them more often in
six months. Well, I' I'd be curious to
see how many hotels have the same
problems across the board.
>> You know, that would tell us a lot, I
think.
>> Or how timely the inspections are
because if the if it's they're supposed
to do it every six months given we're
coming out of the pandemic and short of
staff, are the inspections being done? I
think that's, you know, that's more
important.
>> And what the deficiencies are, are they
dangerous deficiencies, cosmetic
deficiencies? What are they exactly?
>> Depending on the turnover too determine
how often it's being done.
[clears throat]
>> So I think that that could be formulated
a request for information to the
commissioner of social services for give
them a, you know, time to report back.
You know, not a lot of time because your
suspense period for reporting back to
the council was kind of condensed.
[clears throat]
So
I don't think a 3 week at least some of
the information should be able to be
gathered rather quickly.
>> Thank you for asking.
» So um we can help draft letter next
week. you know.
>> Okay. Well, we'll work with the city clerk's office and you mad chair to formulate a letter
to the commission. [clears throat]
» Great.
All right. Another discussion I wanted
to have. I know DSS is paying a fair
amount for people to stay in hotels.
So
my whole thing with that is I think it
would be cheaper for them to get people
housing opposed to paying all the money
for these hotels
really. So
we need to come up with some kind of
ideas that we could pres present to see
how we can go about people
staying in the hotels for like 90 days
but then having some place to go after
that.
>> Then I guess we would have to look at
what the housing stock truly is in this
area especially uh the housing that's uh
been put aside for people of low income.
You know, if we know what how much how
many pieces are available, that might
help us uh find a way to accomplish what
you want to accomplish.
» I'm just trying to understand why would
someone be staying in a hotel for a
year? It's
>> quick and easy.
get them off the street immediately.
>> Yes.
>> Well, I understandable
» and then they they
>> is it that they get lost in the system?
Is it that you know maybe some sort of
disability whether it's physical or
mental
>> that you know apartments are not
>> usually they don't have jobs. They don't
have jobs.
>> And then being in those conditions, the
will to thrive is not good at all.
As a a followup to the question for
information, if you ask how long what's
the average amount of pictures staying
in temporary housing, hotels, hotels,
and what is the transition to permanent
housing? What's the, you know, what's
the plan? What does DSS I don't know. I
mean, does DSS have a plan to transition
folks to permanent housing? I don't I
don't know. And that's something I think
you're all want to find out.
>> Living living in a hotel is really hard
on a lot of these families. They come
and I can only have this kind of stuff
because I only have a microwave, so I'm
not really cooking. Can you please give
me a can opener provide it? There's a
lot of
>> There's no stove in the hotel. Yeah,
there's a lot of really bad points to
being in hotels compared to,
>> you know, a real atmosphere where you
can be a family or or have some personal
growth, right?
» Okay. Do the hotels meet the cold
standards? I know for a fact
I've seen seen some hotels
daily
[laughter]
and it's it's horrible for people to
have to live that way. So that's
something else that you know is my pet
peeve that I would like to you know get
some answers for and figure out how we
can move forward for that to so they can
be regulated and mandated to hold you
know inspections
» that's going to be a really long drawn
out process.
we got work to do
>> not just coming up with solutions
because you don't want to displace
anybody while they're doing renovations
and you don't want to create hardship.
Mhm.
>> So it's how do you fix it because it's
not something that you could and then
maybe you know a hotel is a business
they may not want to invest in fixing so
or they may not want to go through the
process
>> right
>> of the bureaucracy I guess the best way
of putting it. So what happens then what
happens to those uh residents that stay
in there? Well, I think we need to start
with DSS
>> informing them of, you know, what we're
considering and what we're trying to do
to make our community better. And then
we all have to put our heads together
cuz we have to start somewhere.
>> Oh, I agree 100%. I'm not disagreeing
with No,
>> I just um you know, it's definitely no
quick solution. That's
>> What about code enforcement? Checking
with them and finding out what their
standards are. Are they the department
that would regulate the hotels? Well, do
they regulate the hotel?
>> This part
to check every six months,
>> but not the city. Most of a lot of them
are not in the city. It's a county.
>> I mean, we can we can solve a lot of
these problems by having somebody from
DSS come as a speaker. We already had
that plan
>> previously
>> and then we all kind of went on vacation
for a number of months. Um, but we
should invite somebody from DSS here and
tell them these are the points we want
to talk about and bring all the
information. We kind of, you know, pedal
them backwards a little bit
[clears throat]
>> and then we have to state law will
supersede county laws. So, are we
infringing on anything? So, that's the
other thing that we have to look at.
Well, the the the county DSS is has to
comply with state regulations regarding
regard regarding the housing of that
existence. That's what this
report thinks out there is no they have
to responsibility make sure that the
with local code you know local codes as
well as the reports they have to submit
to office of temporary disorary
disabilities
that yes
» the majority of this falls on People
walk into the county DSS at 4:30 and
they have to find a place to stay that
night.
>> That's where your hotels come and then
it's a process for them to find a house.
And you can imagine as many different
kinds of people and family there are,
there's that many different stories and
paths that have to be followed. So, it's very complicated. I'm not sure it's
something that the county issues,
you know, we can address and I'm not
sure that that's why we're here to solve
the county issues. we should get
somebody from DSS in here and see where
we fit in the process.
>> Well, these were some ideas and
something that was on my heart that I
wanted to bring to the forefront that we
could start seeking and searching, see
what we can do and we're coming up with
suggestions. So, for our next meeting,
you know, hopefully we can reach out to
these people and they will come and we
can get some type of answers.
Okay.
So, we're going to let hotels meet the
goals we just talked about.
[clears throat] We also talked about
who's responsible.
Um, we have the city of Skenctity Fair
Housing event coming up April 21st.
Thank you. [laughter]
» I wouldn't been here all day.
>> Um, is anyone interested in going to any
of these workshops?
» It was great. It was a very informative
event. Last year I went this year. I'm
going to be um out of the area.
Unfortunately, I spoke to um
and I that would be the day I was could
be certainly informative and a good day.
Mrs. Le where is it at this show?
Yeah. So it's better than
>> and they also they have the workshops
come on and they also have the um they
have the award ceremony 6 to 9.
If anyone is interested in going they
can see me after.
Okay. Okay, we're going to do a little
delegation here.
I need some help and we really need to
get some answers by community. So we
have Monica who's collaborating already
with the um once connectity
who would be willing to um
see what our city regulations is as far
as the hotels
>> who oversees it speaking to code. Is
that what you're referring to? Yeah, I
need to point some points. So, I need to
take care of that.
>> I'll do that.
>> You'll do that.
Wow. We're getting in touch with someone
from DSS.
Um,
can someone identify the local hotels
that they know that are um unhoused
families are living in
that?
>> Absolutely.
>> Yeah.
So, um,
Jacqueline, you work at the you work
with the, um, food pantries.
>> I am the executive director of St.
Luke's uh, St. Henity
Shares.
>> Okay.
Would you know any names of these
hotels?
>> I have spies on the streets that tell me
that and I've asked a few because I know
they're working next week. Okay. Because
it's not guaranteed that we get
>> um social services.
>> You're never going to find outs
>> that hotels are throwing mothers and
children out in the day to clean. You're
never going to hear that anywhere up in
the mouths of people on the street,
>> right? So that's why trying to give
everybody a job here to do the see what
we can gather together so that when we
do get them here, we've got proof. This
is happening that's happening. You know,
we have a leg to stand on.
>> And I think Community Action would
probably know what they would know a lot
of.
>> Absolutely. They would know.
>> Yep.
» Yeah. We get a number of homeless people
every week coming signing up at the food
pantry and we ask them where they live,
where they're staying, and we ask them,
you know, what do you need? And they
always need the same. Oh, I only have a
microwave. It's a little thing, you
know.
Netflix offensive too.
>> They they like to complain and tell us
when there's a problem. [snorts]
>> And since I know Gary Hughes very well,
I have been known to pick up the phone
and tell him and he immediately jumps on
it. I can tell you that.
» Okay. So, Jacqueline, you'll be getting
us the list of names.
>> I will do my best, ma'am.
>> I appreciate that. Thank you so much.
Um,
Mr. Hoffman, would you be able to check
with our public reports to see or
somebody from the county to see how our
um how the hotels get inspected? I
thought I was doing
» Okay, sorry about that. That's right.
sphere. Um, we got our data done some of
the data.
So, I think really that's about it for now.
>> Kim, I have a couple things I want to
mention. I would love a roster of our
committee contact information. Sure. I
see the email addresses on if you search
for them on the emails, but I'd love a
roster
>> so I can start putting faces with names.
Sure. And and the second point is I'm
not on Facebook.
>> So, praise the Lord. [laughter]
>> So, I would love to give you my email
address. You can send me the link.
>> Oh, sure.
» And the other thing I'm going to
suggest, there's a terrific book out
there called Evicted.
>> The evicted
>> by Matthew Des.
He's won all kinds of awards, started a
not for profofit. It's anyone that deals
with eviction has to read it.
>> When I was on the bench, I made
everybody under me read it.
>> It's a great book. He's won pulled
surprises. He started not for profofits
to help the victim people.
[clears throat] And it takes you into
the lives of these people. It's going to
answer a lot of your questions
>> about what's going on. This is it's it's
in Milwaukee, which is a bigger city
than here, but it just it follows like a
dozen people's lives and how they get
evicted and what their lives are like.
And everybody should just It's just a
great book. You should read it. Evicted
by Matt Desmond. I'm sure it's in I have
two copies. I passed them around to my
staff. What's that?
>> What? Who's the author?
>> Matthew Desmond. Like the hotelically,
right?
>> Well, if I could borrow a copy, that
would be good.
Yeah, I'm sure they have it there, but
I'll try to bring mine to the next
meeting. Um, but you know, when I heard
some of the questions here, I'm like,
"Wow, I got to read the book."
[clears throat]
>> Uh, because it it gets you in some
empathetic, you know, uh, state of mind.
>> So, you kind of understand this a little
bit more.
>> Yeah.
>> You know, some people spend their entire
lives of avoiding addiction.
>> That's what they do.
And you can imagine how difficult. So if
they get an extra $200 $300, they're not
giving it to rent.
>> They're going out and buying a loss.
And this book brings this stuff home.
>> Um so I just think it's a great
resource. It's a good idea for everybody
to read that if you're involved in this
kind of thing. Um so I'll write down my
email.
>> Can you introduce yourself? I'm sorry.
>> I'm sorry. I'm walk school.
>> How you doing? Yeah. And um originally
from New York City. Um
been in Skenctity maybe while now a good
decade now. But um I know about
>> my dad lives in a rent state apartment.
His rents about maybe 700 relatively
>> and I can help in that area.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah. Some type of rent control. He has
connect me.
>> Okay. So you got that part.
>> Okay. Thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> Okay.
>> Yes. Yes.
>> Um anyone else have any input? Any
concerns?
>> Madam Chairman, I I would just add
chairman. Um I would just add that you
know a lot of the information in your
task force is is is charged to report
back to the city council is in this in
uh in this [laughter]
given
» [clears throat]
>> So I I would recommend that the group
look at it, digest it and if they feel
comfortable with the numbers and the
sources, etc. in that um then they would
use that as a base to make a you know
once you make your findings and
recommendations you can adopt some of
the information that's already contained
in here because you the eviction rates
and things like that. One of the things
in the resolution charging charging with
task force field.
>> So we're looking forward that
>> yes.
So take a look at that you know it's getting
what we want. We're happy with that and
that you know and following up on what
was you know it's it's it's not only the hotels but also transition housing
and affordable that
>> and as well as evictions it's that you
got the hotels what's the transition
plan for long-term housing
for that affordability. So,
>> okay,
>> those are those are areas you can focus
in on, [clears throat]
» but um
this was a lot of reading and I wish I
had time to prepare before I got here.
So, if you know I would appreciate it if
maybe we could get a little bit earlier.
>> Well, this this this is my first
meeting. Yeah. you know, I wanted to
bring everybody together, you know, and
I didn't expect anything to really get
done today, but just giving everybody an
idea of what we're facing and, you know,
>> yep,
>> everybody get familiar with everybody
and everybody put their input in and
>> it's going to become a lot more
complicated if you listen to the
administration no longer wants the
federal government to deal with
Medicaid. He wants to push it to the
cities. SNAP has changed as of FIBO
first. So, we're going to be dealing
with that three months down the road.
Um, health insurance, he wants, you
know, like I said, Medicaid, Medicare,
and housing. Housing, he doesn't want to
pay for people. He'd rather not do that.
I almost said some
but you know we have to look at the all
those things go along with housing every
bit of it you know whether they have
food whether they have medical
you know it's not just the roof over
your head hip because all three go
together so I think we're going to walk
into a lot more things than we think
we're going to walk in just trying to
deal with housing
» well I'm sure everyone here is dedicated
and feel the same way I feel. And
>> yeah,
>> we have a long road ahead of us.
>> Ahead of us,
>> but um
>> I have faith and I know we can conquer
some things.
>> Something has to be done. You're
absolutely correct.
>> Yes.
>> You know, I have had people come to the
panic who are living in dumpsters.
>> You know, I I' I've seen it all at this
point. Yeah. You know, I really it's
just beautiful things that happen to
people.
>> Yeah. Last time, the last meeting, I
think in October, I was telling God,
these people living in the cemetery.
>> Yeah. Well, that was street where street
soldiers started was the people living
in the cemeteries. They wanted to help
them. So, they gave them tents.
>> Tents kept gave them shelter. But the
tents also provided a place for bad
actors to go in and steal from them and
hurt them and raped them and did
terrible things. And the police
department, I've spoken with certain
police, highly placed police officers
who said they were trying to help, but
in a way they really didn't because
these people thought they were safe
until they realized they weren't safe.
[clears throat]
>> So, I mean, yeah, everybody needs a roof
over their head and when you're
desperate, you'll pretty much do
anything. No,
>> we have people sleeping outside St.
Luke's all the time. Right on right in
the door next to my office in the
pantry. I usually find people sleeping
and we feed them in the morning, give
them, you know, coffee, whatever we can
do. But you can only do so much.
>> Yeah. [clears throat]
» Okay. I have two tenative dates for our
next meeting.
I have April 28 at 6 or May 1st
at 6. How does that work for
>> April 28th at no?
>> Um, Tuesday is the 28th.
>> Oh,
>> and Friday is the May 1st.
>> I see.
>> May
>> I prefer May 1st?
>> May 1st.
>> I can do either. I can do May 1st. So,
>> neither of them work for me.
>> That's right. I zoom in or something.
Uh can any of these meetings uh be
virtual?
>> We don't have that capability. We
haven't adopted a local virtual
meetings. Okay. Meetings have in person
have inerson meetings. So we really do I
do a lot of Zoom meetings. It's not the
same.
Anyone else have any last minute
concerns or
>> no? But if anyone needs help with their
assignments, please feel free to reach
out.
>> Amanda, what what do you feel like you
should do? Because like I said, I'm new
at this. I appreciate any and all help
and we all going to work together. Um,
I can't think of anything right now, but
I mean if you know if you're having
issues getting through or making contact
with code enforcement or you know you
guys are having issues getting data that
you need, just reach out. I'll be
willing to help.
>> Okay. I'm going to be reaching out to
each each one of you from now until our
next meeting, putting our heads
together, let you know we're here. we
can share information and we're going to
get a roster out with everybody's email
so everyone can communicate back and
forth. Also,
>> when is our roughly deadline?
>> Um, our deadline for information to be
in is going to be July 6.
I have to have a
>> the full report together. Put
>> that over.
My next meeting is May. May
>> first right here.
We'll draft a letter to the commission
services requesting that
first
[clears throat]
» Daniel
pretty
All right. Um, meetings adjourned. Thank
you everyone.
» Matthew Matthew.
>> I'm gonna see if I can find
>> I'm sure it's in the library. I'm sure
it's on.
>> Maybe I find it on Amazon. or if the
audience
[laughter]
told me she I had