[0:06] Oh, I love
[0:50] Hallelujah.
[2:16] Are you
[3:28] Good one.
[4:13] » [clears throat]
[5:32] » It's fine.
[5:52] Good evening everyone.
[5:54] Thanks for coming.
[5:58] Glad to see everyone's doing well.
[6:07] » All right, we got to get started. Um,
[6:09] first thing, can everyone introduce
[6:10] theirel?
[6:15] » I'm Amanda.
[6:17] begin.
[6:17] >> I'm Amanda Yoda. I am a committee
[6:20] member.
[6:21] >> Monica Cook. I'm a real estate agent
[6:24] against city council, chair of the
[6:27] housing task force.
[6:28] >> M the city clerk,
[6:31] >> Carlen Andress,
[6:33] >> uh Lamar Council, originally from New
[6:35] York City and been here for a decade.
[6:38] Just trying to use my expertise to help
[6:41] out.
[6:43] >> Substance abuse counselor, choice
[6:46] recovery center, reintegration service
[6:48] coordinator.
[6:51] >> Sean Ryan, city assistant city operating
[6:55] council.
[7:03] » All right. I I'm I'm calling this
[7:06] meeting of the housing task house
[7:10] housing stability task force to order.
[7:13] I'm Kim Wiggins, chair. Thank you all
[7:16] for being here
[7:18] and for the work you do every day in the
[7:21] housing field.
[7:25] Okay, our agenda,
[7:29] we're going to recap over the April 10th
[7:33] um April 10th meeting
[7:36] reaffirming the expectations of this um
[7:39] meeting
[7:41] um professionalism
[7:43] and focused participation.
[7:48] Member assignment reports. Presentation
[7:50] of members updates including assigned
[7:54] focus areas. Key findings data and or
[7:58] identified challenges. Blend
[8:01] preliminary recommendations.
[8:05] Public testimonies.
[8:07] Invite speaker
[8:09] identifying what we bring to the table
[8:11] next. Actions items and adjournments.
[8:15] Okay. We're going to start with um two
[8:20] members want to talk about
[8:23] the information that was
[8:26] [snorts]
[8:28] 44
[8:31] for my last meeting the assignment
[8:33] everyone had. Want to start with you?
[8:36] >> Okay. So this information I obtained
[8:38] from a current um
[8:42] child protective services worker who's
[8:44] worked there for 36 years and he used to
[8:48] do the after hours pager to place
[8:51] individuals who needed housing after
[8:53] hours and this was the information that
[8:56] he provided to me. Um, okay. So, hotels
[9:00] are typically used only after available
[9:03] placements at local facilities have been
[9:05] fully exhausted, such as the Skenctity
[9:09] Mission, which houses single males. The
[9:12] Booth Home um houses single women, and
[9:15] the YWCA houses women and children. Um,
[9:19] but it's the hotels in the area are not
[9:22] just specific to Skenctity County. Other
[9:24] counties can call in like Albany. um to
[9:28] see if area hotels have um vacancies for
[9:33] them and it's basically due to capacity
[9:37] um and they fill up fast. Um and the
[9:41] hotels that he provided he said the
[9:43] Imperial Motel is being used to house
[9:45] single males, occasionally couples and
[9:48] individuals with sex offender status.
[9:52] the Empire Motel, the Skenctity in, the
[9:55] Belvadier, and the Executive Inn are
[9:58] generally used um to accommodate couples
[10:01] with children, women with children, and
[10:04] single females. Um but he did indicate
[10:06] that definitely the Department of Social
[10:08] Services has more in-depth stats that
[10:12] they could definitely provide, but
[10:13] that's what he gave me on.
[10:25] Oh yeah. Well, Kim had her own set of
[10:28] questions that we we asked uh
[10:31] Commissioner
[10:32] uh Brandy Hillard Balden about from DSS
[10:37] and I have my own questions. I wanted to
[10:40] know specifically because they were what
[10:44] the point was referenced here. What what
[10:46] were the basic reasons for evictions?
[10:49] and she told me the majority of
[10:51] evictions are non-payment. They also
[10:53] have landlords, she said that will call
[10:56] quote on themselves, which is new to me,
[10:59] uh in order to circumvent the eviction
[11:02] process. Um and she they would call po
[11:07] call because they had something that
[11:09] they knew code would not pass and then
[11:13] they would code would issue an order of
[11:15] vacate. That solved their problem. They
[11:18] got pretend to tell they didn't have to
[11:19] pay a lawyer and uh and then they would
[11:22] leave the apartment vacant. And I I for
[11:25] I neglected to say when we all were in
[11:28] shooting. So I own a property management
[11:30] company and my business is housing and
[11:34] leasing and working with tenants and
[11:35] landlords. So this is new to me that I
[11:39] had no idea this was done.
[11:40] >> I asked the
[11:42] you
[11:44] prevalent. Um,
[11:47] I guess I want the better landlords than
[11:50] ever. [clears throat]
[11:51] What role does city code enforcement
[11:54] play in the inspection of the
[11:55] facilities? And uh, Miss Helard Bolan
[11:59] told us that no role played. She said if
[12:02] there's an issue, we will notify them
[12:04] and they will come out when needed. This
[12:06] does not often happen often. So, I
[12:09] believe DSS must This still doesn't
[12:12] answer all the questions. How often does
[12:14] DSS go in there and actually do
[12:17] inspections themselves? That I don't
[12:19] know. Are there And I asked, are there
[12:21] ongoing periodic pest control treatments
[12:23] at these motel? She said, yes,
[12:26] >> this is a requirement and we verify
[12:28] that, but pointing to this
[12:33] terrific
[12:35] >> not doing a good job. Um, is there a
[12:37] point of contract a contact for motel
[12:40] residents to lodge concerns or
[12:42] complaints? I'm referring I'm referring
[12:45] to residents who feel that they've been
[12:46] mistreated slash disrespected or that
[12:49] the level of customer service they are
[12:51] experiencing is not equal to that of
[12:55] someone who might check into a hotel on
[12:57] a self-pay basis. and she said yes, they
[12:59] have two investigators that go out
[13:01] weekly in the evenings to the motel
[13:03] hotels to touch base with the recipients
[13:07] and receive complaints/ concerns that
[13:09] they may not have been comfortable
[13:11] sharing with a hotel motel staff. And
[13:14] she said DSSM follows up on those
[13:17] concerns to touch base with the
[13:20] recipient to close the loop. And she
[13:22] said she follows this process closely.
[13:25] And those were my questions in addition
[13:28] to the ones that Kim had. And Kim,
[13:30] you've got your own stuff that you you
[13:33] asked her about the hotel utilized, the
[13:36] stay, the reasons for the causes of
[13:39] homelessness,
[13:41] who conducts the inspections.
[13:44] Um, there are still a lot of questions
[13:46] to be asked and to be answered.
[13:51] » I'm going come back around. Okay.
[13:55] I'm sorry.
[13:56] >> Oh, you didn't have anything else?
[13:57] >> Go ahead. Okay. I got something else.
[14:00] >> Okay. Go ahead. [clears throat]
[14:01] >> I do. Are you ready?
[14:03] >> Yeah.
[14:03] >> Oh, okay. Um I just want to, you know,
[14:07] just do a little summary of the eviction
[14:10] data I got from Princeton University.
[14:14] And um uh they said come back if you um
[14:17] need more data on the um eviction and um
[14:21] other legal uh case that's going on in
[14:24] the uh housing court. It's connecting
[14:27] city court. Um it covers uh cases from
[14:31] 2017 through 2025. But um let's go over
[14:34] the key findings.
[14:37] Uh one of the key findings I found was
[14:39] the um high volume of nonpaint cases. Uh
[14:43] the most alarming figure in the uh sheet
[14:46] is from um December 2017
[14:50] uh which is um the cases were 1,122
[14:55] of non-payment cases which these are
[14:58] cold months and um Christmas uh holiday
[15:01] month. So that that was disturbing to me
[15:05] and it was um in 2022
[15:09] uh the numbers were around maybe two 300
[15:13] non-payment cases but came October it
[15:17] rises to 419
[15:19] and it just constantly rise and um just
[15:23] saw a pattern repeatedly um um exceeding
[15:27] 200 cases of nonpayment.
[15:30] Um and this is like indicating that a
[15:33] widespread issue of tenants unable to
[15:35] meet their rent obligations
[15:38] and um other legal uh proceedings were
[15:42] hold over cases
[15:45] um
[15:47] hold over cases were substantial as
[15:49] well. Uh for instance in December 2022
[15:53] there were 151 hold over cases.
[15:57] >> What do you mean by holdover?
[15:58] >> I have hold over cases. Um when the
[16:01] tenants uh lease expires then um the uh
[16:04] landlord wants a possession of the uh
[16:06] property back sometime the tenants
[16:09] monthto month and um
[16:11] >> so there's no lease and
[16:13] >> sometime sometimes six months lease
[16:15] sometime one year lease uh from my
[16:17] experience they only give you month
[16:20] >> state is only supposed to land
[16:23] >> um well it's supposed to be one or two
[16:25] year leases
[16:27] um but a lot of depend month on month
[16:31] and [clears throat] they can kick out
[16:32] the tenant at any time.
[16:34] >> Okay.
[16:35] >> And
[16:37] I'm sorry lost where it's all right.
[16:40] >> No, because I saw the article 7D and I'm
[16:42] not familiar with that.
[16:43] >> I'll get to that. I'll get to that. I'm
[16:45] sorry.
[16:46] >> Yeah. All right. In some months, the
[16:49] hold over cases reached uh over 100
[16:53] >> uh reflecting ongoing disputes over what
[16:56] I just said um uh tendency status. um
[16:59] where the landlord wants his property
[17:01] back since the tenants lease it has
[17:03] expired and doesn't want to renew it.
[17:07] And
[17:08] just um while I was looking over the
[17:11] data, the the volume of cases fluctuated
[17:15] but remained constantly high over the
[17:17] years, especially in 2023 and in 2024.
[17:22] The numbers remain high with monthly
[17:24] non-payments uh frequently exceeding 300
[17:28] and hold over cases often surpassing 80
[17:32] and um I saw in August 2025 which is
[17:36] last year's uh there was cases of 448
[17:40] nonpayment cases
[17:43] uh this is uh in August and you know
[17:45] children trying to get back to school
[17:48] and um that um you know affects the
[17:51] children and it's um housing instability
[17:54] for them as it affects their school
[17:56] enrollment attendance
[17:59] and uh even their learning
[18:02] and um most times it's the causes of
[18:06] widespread economic challenges affecting
[18:08] families such as unemployment, low
[18:11] income and further ex excavated the
[18:14] difficulties of children attending
[18:17] school and um there was other cases
[18:21] Whereas article 7D where the tenants um
[18:26] well was just a single margin not much
[18:28] cases cuz uh this is when the tenant
[18:31] could uh start legal proceedings on the
[18:34] land but not being a compliance with
[18:36] like not doing repairs
[18:39] maybe um um just rent heights for no
[18:43] reason and not updating the uh property
[18:47] and um any harassment. the tenant feels
[18:50] the landlord is doing. Uh there's been
[18:54] like um only maybe three, four, six
[18:57] cases. If you go look uh do out in here
[19:02] in the uh chart, that's probably because
[19:05] of tenants lack awareness of their
[19:08] rights, unable to afford uh legal fees
[19:12] or court course and um just not having
[19:16] um um a shortage of legal aid lawyers to
[19:19] defend them and don't have the money to
[19:22] or pay attorney. And just a recap what I
[19:26] just uh went over. Uh there was over
[19:29] 100,000 nonpayment cases in uh 2017 in
[19:34] the month of December
[19:36] and um
[19:39] and monthly nonpayment cases just
[19:41] exceeded 300 which peaked over 400 in
[19:45] the months of u uh 2022 and 2023.
[19:50] Those years were uh for non-payment
[19:52] cases
[19:54] and and during those uh years you've
[19:57] seen several months peing over 400
[20:00] non-payment cases uh consistently uh
[20:04] present or over 80 hold over cases
[20:07] monthly indicate ongoing legal disputes
[20:10] and in August 2025 there was a 448
[20:14] nonpending cases when kids are about to
[20:17] attend school and just in Um these figures to be um there's a
[20:24] pressing problem with tenants and non
[20:27] with non-payment um uh situations and
[20:30] sketches and the volume of cases
[20:33] especially non-payment highlights
[20:35] ongoing economic and social um um excuse
[20:38] me uh struggles faced by tenants and
[20:42] underscores the urgent need for this
[20:43] policy intervention and support system
[20:46] to address housing insecurity and at
[20:50] this moment.
[20:57] » No problem.
[20:59] >> Yeah.
[21:01] Thank you.
[21:06] » And I had talk. Did you have anything
[21:07] you wanted to say or share?
[21:09] >> I got to this. I'm just I'm listening
[21:12] though. I'm have
[21:14] >> Okay.
[21:17] All right. I had spoke to the
[21:18] commissioner. I spoke to her and sent
[21:21] her some questions and these were the
[21:24] answers to my question. Um, I asked her,
[21:28] "What was the longest that a family has stayed in a hotel shelter
[21:33] hotel/shelter
[21:34] before getting housed?" And her response
[21:37] was, "The longest we have housed a
[21:39] family is 2.5 years and that was a
[21:43] family of nine. The second largest was a
[21:48] family of 10, and that was two years."
[21:51] And I asked what were the requirements
[21:55] towards housing stability and job
[21:57] placement
[21:59] or and her reply was all re all
[22:02] recipients of the THAA has to comply
[22:06] with the regulations as defined by OTDA.
[22:11] There is not a one-sizefitit all to the
[22:14] questions as not everyone who gets THAA
[22:18] temporary assistance and
[22:21] um temporary assistance to the needy and
[22:24] elig elig eligible families.
[22:28] And I asked the second question, another
[22:31] question, what goals are in place to
[22:33] help people
[22:35] help get the people the clients
[22:37] self-sufficient?
[22:39] And she says, um DSS set goals for
[22:43] clients to become self-sufficient. And
[22:46] we refer to job programming and case
[22:49] management for apartment searches.
[22:54] I asked I also asked you know what was
[22:56] some incentives and they don't have
[22:59] incentives.
[23:01] Um, and I asked like what was the cap? I
[23:04] wanted to know like what is the length
[23:07] that they give people to get their act
[23:09] together and move forward or to see if
[23:13] people making progress to want to move
[23:15] forward and she said she didn't
[23:17] understand the question. So, I'll get
[23:20] back to her on that. Wow.
[23:24] >> Well, the thing about it is the
[23:25] requirements are changing with the new
[23:27] administration in place, right?
[23:28] >> [clears throat]
[23:29] >> the six-month rule is going into effect
[23:31] for housing and for food stamp. So,
[23:34] OTAA, they have to meet those
[23:35] requirements now. So, that's something
[23:38] that's coming into play and a lot of
[23:41] these consumers
[23:44] are not may not meet the eligibility
[23:47] requirement to get the support they need
[23:50] through DSS and OTAA.
[23:54] that comes from that you know it change
[23:57] it will have some sort of effect and it
[23:59] will change the numbers
[24:03] >> and I think that goes into effect in
[24:05] June
[24:06] >> in June
[24:06] >> I think so many things are going into
[24:08] effect I'm losing track of what is what
[24:11] >> yeah they're also doing a cut with um
[24:14] the food stamps what people can buy what
[24:16] they can't buy supposed to be all
[24:18] healthy stuff no soda
[24:20] >> no sugary stuff
[24:21] >> no sugary yeah So, a lot's going to change.
[24:28] >> I have a question for you. If you were
[24:30] able to come across it with your data,
[24:32] did is there any way to tell based on
[24:35] these data how many of these tenants
[24:39] have been evicted multiple times like
[24:42] maybe they were evicted in 2018 then in
[24:47] 2021 and now we 2021 would have happened
[24:50] because of the THE. But then it's
[24:52] hypothetically spike and then 2024 are
[24:56] these numbers are they repeated tenants
[24:59] that is because there are some just like
[25:02] the landlord is doing these things.
[25:03] There are some tenants that have these
[25:05] habitual behavior and they will pay the
[25:09] first month rent and the deposit get
[25:11] into the apartment and live there and go
[25:15] through the whole process not pay a
[25:18] dime.
[25:19] So,
[25:20] >> kind of like abusing the system and
[25:22] taking advantage as well. So, there's
[25:23] that double-edged sword.
[25:25] >> Well, possibly they just couldn't afford
[25:28] it. I mean,
[25:30] >> I I helped a client of mine. Um, he's a cook and, you know, they started
[25:36] out as with good hours, then all a
[25:39] sudden they just sliced down his hours,
[25:41] but he just couldn't make up the rent.
[25:44] And then he called me to see if I could
[25:46] reach out to Pedesta House. There's a
[25:48] lot of red tape. So, we used to high ups
[25:51] and they were able to pay us back on,
[25:54] but um started a new job at another cook
[25:57] place at another restaurant. Same thing.
[26:00] And this time he wasn't able to um you
[26:04] know get the assistance with Pedesta
[26:06] House or any other could say cuz didn't
[26:09] have the funds and um now he's just uh
[26:11] living with his friend now.
[26:13] >> Well, that's that's the thing, right?
[26:14] Because people are barely making ends
[26:17] meet, especially with the utility cost
[26:19] and every other things that's going up.
[26:22] If you're barely making minimum wage,
[26:24] how are you supposed to survive when
[26:26] your rent is double your salary? I
[26:29] >> I don't know where electric bill comes
[26:31] where it's a,000,000
[26:33] or more cuz coming from New York, we we
[26:35] only pay about 300 maybe not even less
[26:38] than $300 an electric bill.
[26:41] that nobody has a large besides the
[26:45] person who owns a large ambience.
[26:50] » It would be interesting though to know
[26:52] how many of these people
[26:54] >> are, you know,
[26:57] have been evicted multiple times.
[26:59] >> But that's now you're getting into names
[27:01] and personal information. I will look it
[27:03] up.
[27:05] Still have that information
[27:08] >> and they they kept it and now then I
[27:11] believe in 2019 when everything tenant
[27:14] protection act was uh passed
[27:16] [clears throat] that stopped but that you could see that here's
[27:21] >> the Jones family whatever
[27:24] >> have been I wasn't really looking for
[27:27] specific I was just looking for like an
[27:29] average figure.
[27:30] >> Yeah. I don't know where that exists.
[27:33] >> I didn't know if that's something they
[27:34] checked in the stats.
[27:36] >> Yeah. I don't think the eviction lab
[27:37] would have that like people name like
[27:40] she just
[27:41] >> still have to keep track of names
[27:43] ultimately to know who was repetitive.
[27:46] >> Yeah. They just keep track of numbers.
[27:48] >> Yeah.
[27:49] >> Okay. I have some um information cuz
[27:53] Jacqueline wasn't able to be with us
[27:55] tonight.
[27:56] Um he did some
[28:01] talking to her, you know, the clients
[28:03] that comes to food pantry or whatever
[28:06] and got some information from them.
[28:10] And um she was supposed to get us
[28:13] information about the various hotels and
[28:16] what people thought. And um 27 State
[28:20] Street
[28:22] um hotel is um very drug infested.
[28:26] um blatant prostitution, drama, lights
[28:29] almost every day, not clean. The
[28:32] executive end 759
[28:35] state
[28:37] um hotel is very strict. They're doing a
[28:40] good job of keeping the drugs out and no
[28:43] visitors allowed,
[28:45] not cleaning them.
[28:47] Um,
[28:49] Empire Empire Hotel 1616 stage fe
[28:55] um people are told these rule told she
[28:59] said people are told these rules in the
[29:02] um they're saying that it comes from DSS
[29:04] which they know better. Um, women and
[29:07] children have to vacate
[29:09] from the property at 10:00 a.m. until
[29:12] 100 p.m. so the hotel can be clean.
[29:15] Summer or winter makes no difference.
[29:18] >> Is this the hotel across from the OTB by
[29:20] itself?
[29:21] >> Yes.
[29:21] >> Okay. So, this I see going by I see this
[29:26] and they are there after 1:00. They're
[29:29] there at 3:00 in the afternoon, 4:00 in
[29:31] the afternoon. Dead of winter. I've
[29:33] witnessed this myself. I always wonder
[29:35] why they were there.
[29:37] >> Yeah.
[29:37] >> But they don't have a community room or
[29:39] somewhere.
[29:42] » But has that been reported to DSS? This
[29:45] is where where I asked if there was a a
[29:48] point of contact that someone could call
[29:50] and and let them know that this is going
[29:53] on.
[29:54] >> Well, see, then there's also
[29:57] maybe an enforcement issue. How much can
[30:01] DSS do? they're paying the bills, but at
[30:04] the same time,
[30:06] maybe this might not be within their
[30:08] scope.
[30:10] So, it might this is where code
[30:12] enforcement comes in.
[30:13] >> Well, the other side of the coin is if
[30:15] I'm paying for a room and I can check in
[30:18] at 11:00 a.m. to 4 in the afternoon and
[30:20] check out at 11:00, then where would it
[30:22] be written if I were a suffocate that I
[30:24] had to leave,
[30:25] >> right,
[30:26] >> for four hours? I'm paying for that four
[30:28] hours.
[30:29] >> I six hours, whatever it was. I agree.
[30:32] But then
[30:33] >> they're justifying it behind cleaning
[30:35] the room and because what we stay at a
[30:39] hotel, we put up our historic sign.
[30:41] >> We don't want our room to be clean,
[30:43] >> right? But if
[30:44] >> Yeah. But they don't have that.
[30:45] >> DSS is paying for these
[30:48] >> residents to be in living at that that's their home temporarily. So I
[30:55] don't feel that they should be uprooted
[30:57] from where that where they call that
[30:59] room to for anybody to clean their room.
[31:02] They should be given towels. They should
[31:03] be given sheets and they clean their own
[31:05] room especially in the winter time.
[31:08] >> I agree.
[31:12] » I don't know how much DSS
[31:14] my question would be was how much can
[31:17] DSS assist with?
[31:22] >> They're paying them. They should be able
[31:23] to some. We have to find out who
[31:26] >> then they should be got
[31:28] be there for them.
[31:30] >> But that's why I was asking if they have
[31:31] a community room or something because if
[31:33] you're doing this and I get it, you
[31:35] know, you want you have to spray for bed
[31:38] bugs or you have to clean the bathroom
[31:40] or something like that. And I I
[31:42] absolutely get it because it's part of
[31:43] the services that they need to provide.
[31:46] >> You cannot put people out in the cold,
[31:49] right? So if you then you need to find
[31:51] an alternative place or you take a room
[31:53] and you convert it because you're
[31:55] cleaning one room at a time and you have
[31:57] a whole room over so that this family
[32:00] can go in and wait until the room is
[32:02] finished. You have to find a workar
[32:04] around and I'm looking at the spaghetti.
[32:08] I just don't understand like how are
[32:11] they able to use the food stamp to
[32:14] provide a meal for them? That's the part
[32:16] like it's mindboggling and I know that's
[32:19] an O to that issue. That's not a but at
[32:21] the same time it's like
[32:24] none of this this whole thing doesn't
[32:26] make sense to me as to how people are
[32:29] >> you're paying you're using your food
[32:32] stamp.
[32:33] >> I think this is fraud. That's what I'm
[32:36] thinking. But I don't know how they're
[32:38] able to use
[32:39] >> noing facilities in your room and now
[32:41] your food seats are not going to go very
[32:43] far at the local convenience store.
[32:46] >> But they're charging the food stamp to
[32:48] provide spaghetti meals.
[32:50] >> Yeah, I don't understand.
[32:51] >> You know, I get that the um they're
[32:53] getting a voucher.
[32:55] >> We're going to move on. Um the skity end
[33:00] at 167. Um no, well, we just had that
[33:03] conversation right there. Um the um
[33:06] Skenctity N or 67 N Street. Um the hotel
[33:10] is clean and is and is inspected two
[33:14] times a year by DSS.
[33:16] Um never put the kids out and there is a
[33:19] 8:30 curfew.
[33:23] No food offer cash or food stamp shoes
[33:26] for the restaurant or give toilet paper.
[33:32] So they don't give toilet paper. I guess
[33:34] they have to buy their own toilet paper,
[33:35] buy their own food or whatever. And
[33:38] housekeeping is there once a week. You
[33:40] said once a week. Yeah. Housekeeping
[33:43] once a week.
[33:45] >> Mhm.
[33:48] The state end 921 State Street, no
[33:52] problems. Imperial end said it's said to
[33:56] be the worst.
[33:58] >> Where is that? Then pero is um upper
[34:02] stage upper stage state the family
[34:05] dollar and the
[34:07] >> libraries.
[34:08] >> Oh, okay.
[34:09] >> Um
[34:11] state and twins is better.
[34:14] Um, America's best executive end, bed
[34:18] bugs, skinkity end, reports of bed bugs,
[34:22] infested rooms so bad that the children
[34:24] in the room get bit up so badly that the
[34:27] parents have photos. Heavy drug use,
[34:30] passing of drugs in front of the
[34:31] people's rooms, random people banging on
[34:34] the doors, prostitution and roaches.
[34:41] Domest domestic violence reports, door
[34:45] locks broken. When asked for repairs, it
[34:48] takes too long or not done at all. Wear
[34:51] wheelchair entrances are blocked.
[34:54] um lack of toilet paper in the rooms as
[34:56] well as towels and basic necessities.
[35:00] People refuse housing because the motel
[35:02] are so bad and they don't want their
[35:05] children in that environment around
[35:07] prostitution and people sleeping outside
[35:10] the motel doors. Then they are denied
[35:13] services and no and have nowhere to go.
[35:16] Some staff target the mental ill.
[35:20] Persons being persons being placed that
[35:23] are females are vulnerable. A lot of
[35:26] people complain that DSS are paying
[35:28] these motel all this money and that we
[35:31] get treated so poorly.
[35:35] >> Let me ask you who who came up with all
[35:38] this the information.
[35:43] And that people
[35:45] >> I wonder where she got there.
[35:47] >> Yeah.
[35:48] >> She deals she deals with the residents
[35:51] and everything that comes to the food
[35:53] pantry, the community people. So she had
[35:56] the conversation with several of them
[35:58] and that was her report on all of that.
[36:06] Okay. Um we have an invited speaker
[36:09] here, Miss Latoya James.
[36:13] That's all you can come stand up.
[36:15] >> Standing here.
[36:24] » Thanks for coming.
[36:31] » I was asked to speak on my personal
[36:33] experience, but before doing so, I just
[36:35] want to address some of the things that
[36:36] you guys spoke about to me. So, um, you
[36:39] asked where the information come from.
[36:41] Um, I can speak firsthand that that is
[36:45] the case in most cases. And I don't know
[36:48] who you guys speak to in terms of
[36:50] addressing these issues, but I can say
[36:53] that they're not being addressed. when
[36:55] you raise an issue of maybe the
[36:58] conditions of where you're being asked
[37:00] to stay, you're often uh belittled or
[37:04] threatened that if you choose not to
[37:06] stay there, your family will be, you
[37:08] know, uh placed under CPS or, you know,
[37:11] so I feel like for most families, you
[37:13] don't have a choice. You have a deal
[37:14] with those conditions with which they
[37:16] won't address, they refuse to address.
[37:20] And earlier you asked, how could it be
[37:22] addressed? funding, not more funding,
[37:25] lack of it. If you stop the flow to
[37:27] these to these landlords, whether it be
[37:31] uh um hotel owners or land slum lords,
[37:36] whatever they are, if you if these
[37:37] agencies stop funding them, if you stop
[37:41] blowing money into their pockets, they
[37:43] will be more less likely to do the
[37:45] things that they are. But when when laws
[37:47] are set in place where they can fall
[37:48] through the cracks and take advantage of
[37:50] the population and take advantage of
[37:52] people in those situations, of course
[37:54] they're going to do so. And when people
[37:56] are put in position to make change and
[37:58] they don't, right? They don't. How can
[38:03] change be put forward? Stop the funding.
[38:06] Stop paying them to mistreat the
[38:09] population in which you pay them to take
[38:11] care of.
[38:12] >> Simple as that. I don't think it should
[38:14] be like a big meeting or or or like it's
[38:16] not rocket science. Stop funding these
[38:19] people. If they don't provide the
[38:21] conditions in which you give, it's fair
[38:22] exchange because me as a tenant
[38:25] personally, I felt that if I was paying
[38:27] my rent on time every month, I was
[38:29] entitled to repairs. I was entitled to a
[38:31] healthy space. I was entitled to a
[38:33] certain level of a certain condition of
[38:35] life. And that's not the case. the
[38:38] lawying provided with the cushman to
[38:40] make sure my landlord held up his end of
[38:42] the bargain. So when these agencies are
[38:45] put in place and they want to throw
[38:46] their hands up and don't play their part
[38:48] and makes it easier for these people to
[38:50] victimize populations like ourselves and
[38:54] more than 50% of the population is
[38:55] connected are renters. meaning that you
[38:58] give them a position to take care of to
[39:00] take advantage of half of the population
[39:03] whether it's you me your friend your
[39:05] neighbor it affects all of us so we all
[39:10] effectively have to do something more
[39:12] than meeting in these rooms and
[39:14] discussing or saying I don't know how
[39:16] you know how you don't know how because
[39:17] you didn't experience it so I'm speaking
[39:19] firsthand from someone that experience
[39:21] it they're not concerned with the bed
[39:23] bugs or the blood stains or the drug use
[39:26] or the abuse of or the things that's
[39:29] going on right side outside of the door
[39:30] of the hotel or the conditions that
[39:33] their family is subjected to when you're
[39:35] asking these agencies for help. It's
[39:38] unfair. It's beindling. It's saddening.
[39:42] Right? So, when you I I personally want
[39:45] to know who are you speaking to when
[39:46] you're getting these answers? Who are
[39:48] you speaking to when they say they're
[39:49] doing something or they're addressing
[39:51] the issue? Each agency passes the
[39:53] responsibility to another.
[39:56] when at any given time if anyone played
[39:58] their role or did their job, we wouldn't
[40:00] be sitting here meeting over these
[40:01] issues.
[40:05] » I agree with what you're saying. I hear
[40:07] what you're saying because I feel like
[40:09] you're just so directed. No, I'm not
[40:11] [laughter]
[40:17] from
[40:19] a lot of your questioning is from
[40:20] ignorance. It's from lack of experience.
[40:22] >> You do not know me.
[40:23] >> No, no. respectfully. I'm not saying
[40:24] that I'm speaking. Don't take it. Don't
[40:26] take it.
[40:27] >> It's not personal. Please, this is not that. What I'm saying a lot of
[40:32] your questioning is coming from someone
[40:34] who has not experienced this. So, I'm
[40:36] giving you a personal insight of why
[40:40] things are the way they are and possibly
[40:42] how we can bring forth change. And I
[40:45] understand where you're coming from, but
[40:46] as our discussion with the last meeting
[40:48] is something that I said like you
[40:50] mentioned is the retaliation and then
[40:53] the hotels were going to say we don't
[40:55] want to participate with these agency
[40:57] anymore. Their rules are too strict.
[40:59] Where are these
[40:59] >> why would they do that when these
[41:01] agencies are the bulk of their income?
[41:03] In fact, they wouldn't be able to
[41:04] survive without the income of these
[41:06] agencies. Did you know that?
[41:08] >> Did you know the right to not run their
[41:11] rooms? Amanda, we're going to hold the
[41:14] questions. We're gonna let her continue.
[41:17] >> Go ahead, Latoya.
[41:19] >> Um,
[41:21] I lost track of thought, but um I think
[41:24] it just basically boils down to a
[41:27] necessity, a basic need for everyone to
[41:30] work cohesively with the same goal,
[41:34] right? Which is fair housing, fair law.
[41:37] I mean, and and and above everything,
[41:39] right? holding these people accountable.
[41:42] It's about accountability on all parts.
[41:45] Whether you're being victimized, whether
[41:48] you're taking advantage of the system,
[41:50] whether you're the landlord or taking
[41:51] advantage of your relationships in the
[41:53] business, whatever it may be, these
[41:57] landlords seek particularly seek out
[42:00] people in this population, seek out the
[42:03] particular group in this population to
[42:07] take advantage of. earlier when you
[42:09] spoke about repeated offenders in terms
[42:12] of um eviction. This this there there
[42:15] may be numerous reasons for that but a
[42:17] real reason would be just as he
[42:19] mentioned struggle right cost of living
[42:22] is increasing while race pay arm right
[42:26] most of us don't qualify for the housing
[42:28] that the very little housing that there
[42:30] is out there right we do not as you me
[42:33] you mentioned yourself we do not make
[42:34] two to three times worth what they're
[42:36] asking in rent we do not have 750 credit
[42:39] score right we do not have the landlord
[42:43] rent because we may have experienced a
[42:45] slumlord
[42:47] or a holdover eviction,
[42:49] meaning you did nothing wrong. You paid
[42:51] your rent, you did everything wrong, but
[42:53] the landlord may have realized that he
[42:54] could get twice as much for that unit,
[42:57] whether it's from a paying person or a
[43:00] program who is going to ignore every
[43:03] wrong that he does and allow him to
[43:06] victimize
[43:08] this particular person. Whether it's a
[43:10] minority, what whatever
[43:12] your situation may be, it is not right.
[43:14] It should not be so. And we need to
[43:16] address that.
[43:22] Let me speak on for landlords. So, for
[43:26] them and there is no excuse not to
[43:28] maintain your property. There is no
[43:30] excuse. If you pay the rent and you've
[43:32] got a leaky sink or a hot water tank,
[43:35] I'm going to fix it. There's that. It is
[43:37] a two-way street. But on the other hand,
[43:40] when somebody goes through bad times and
[43:42] they lose their job, that's awful.
[43:45] However, the landlord still has the
[43:46] mortgage to pay in many in there are
[43:49] lots of good landlords and they are
[43:51] running a business and you are their
[43:54] customer. So, what is the answer for the
[43:56] landlord when
[43:59] you go into a store and you can't afford
[44:02] the $300 dress and that's what they're
[44:05] charging? That's not a good example,
[44:08] right?
[44:13] » Contract and that you would pay X amount
[44:15] of dollars and they would maintain the
[44:17] property and now the rent is not coming
[44:20] in and they still have to maintain. They
[44:22] still have property taxes or perhaps
[44:24] mortgage. What is the answer then to
[44:28] having a meeting of the minds between
[44:30] the landlord and Ken in that case?
[44:33] I mean unfortunately like there that's a
[44:35] case by case situation still
[44:38] there's what he said was your your
[44:42] friend who was a dishwasher and lost a
[44:44] job and then another one was
[44:45] >> unfortunately that's the situation for
[44:47] most of us but again affordable housing
[44:50] is the answer to that when when a rent
[44:53] increases
[44:55] >> 40 50fold over the last how many years
[44:58] when incomes have not
[45:00] >> I understand that
[45:01] >> you understand what I'm And also as a
[45:03] landlord, you are, as you said, a
[45:05] business owner. For you, you're in it
[45:07] for profit. When we're all just trying
[45:08] to survive.
[45:10] >> Well, that's never
[45:12] >> But I [clears throat] can tell you
[45:13] mentioned national grid bills. One of my
[45:15] landlords sent me his national grid bill
[45:19] for two months was and he only has a
[45:21] house meter, which is the outside
[45:23] lights, was over $1,000. So, I'm looking
[45:26] into that. Imagine
[45:28] right when you don't repair the window
[45:30] and my heating is going out of the
[45:32] window right now. So DSS isn't going to
[45:36] consider that. National Grid isn't going
[45:38] to consider that. Right? But because it
[45:41] passed the inspection, now I as a tenant
[45:44] who already struggled to make ends meet,
[45:46] I have to supplement for that. I have to
[45:48] supplement for the $1,000 that's going
[45:50] out the window every month because you
[45:51] neglected your job as a [clears throat]
[45:54] >> That's true. In some cases, brother
[45:56] Shannon have to put plastic up because
[45:59] it is. Yes, you're right. New windows
[46:01] should be put in on time.
[46:02] >> All repair.
[46:03] >> I get shame on me because I assume that
[46:06] if I paid my rent on time and you didn't
[46:08] have a hassle out of me that I would
[46:11] receive the same in return and have a
[46:14] stable place, conditions where I didn't
[46:16] have to complain about, conditions that
[46:18] wouldn't cause um issues with my
[46:20] children's health. You know what I mean?
[46:23] when I had when you know and for some
[46:25] families you know the weird thing is for
[46:26] some families you have to choose in
[46:28] between living in those conditions and
[46:31] going to DSS and living in those
[46:32] condition that they would subject you to
[46:35] that's the reality for most families you
[46:38] have to deal with living with the
[46:40] landlord that treat you like scum
[46:43] right getting convincing co to come in
[46:47] is a whole another story but convincing
[46:49] them to come in and actually do their
[46:50] job and hold that landlord accountable
[46:52] That process in itself is is
[46:54] challenging,
[46:56] right? By the time they grieve the
[46:58] relationship that they have and and use
[47:00] extensions and you go through the whole
[47:02] entire court process, you have subjected
[47:04] yourself and your family and your
[47:06] children to months, possibly years
[47:09] of those living conditions.
[47:13] And also when a tenant doesn't pay the
[47:15] rent, the landlord is losing several
[47:19] months of rent because it takes a long
[47:20] time for the eviction process.
[47:22] >> So it's not a win-win situation for
[47:25] landlord and tenant. And that's I think
[47:28] that's why we're here to try to learn
[47:29] how we can bridge the gap and make it
[47:32] better for everybody.
[47:33] >> Very true.
[47:35] >> I think one you got to start by
[47:36] listening to concerns, right?
[47:39] I'm sure you like as you mentioned you
[47:41] have your issues but
[47:44] you guys you have to start by listing
[47:46] like if I'm expressing what the issue is
[47:49] you have to start there
[47:51] I think you'll get a better quality of
[47:55] um renters we have better to choose from
[48:00] >> well the city was we were in a meeting a
[48:04] couple years ago with the mayor trying
[48:06] to create a program that there would be
[48:07] landlords that
[48:09] qualify, for lack of a better word, as
[48:12] premium landlord. So that you as a
[48:14] tenant would look through a list of
[48:16] landlords that have a good reputation,
[48:18] that are in compliance with code, that
[48:20] are following the rules. So it's not
[48:22] such a random search for a tenant, but
[48:25] just say, okay, well, excellent idea.
[48:27] >> You have some frame of reference.
[48:30] >> I think the same should go for some
[48:32] land, right? If there was more like um
[48:36] cross communication amongst the
[48:37] agencies, there would be less um
[48:39] possibilities for some, right? If one
[48:42] commun one agency was communicating to
[48:44] the other like I was having an issue
[48:46] with this guy, did he pass inspection or
[48:48] how do he do or what can I do or how can
[48:51] we address this issue or and in at any
[48:54] level then I think it would be less
[48:57] likely for them to
[49:00] you would have the option I'm quite sure
[49:02] to find out if there was a rental or you
[49:03] would if there was a rental certificate
[49:05] on your property that you were if the
[49:07] landlord had rental certificates on your
[49:10] apartment. I can test if many of the um
[49:13] inspections regardless of the agency are
[49:15] superficial
[49:18] on record saying that. So um I've
[49:23] witnessed my landlord to repairs minutes
[49:25] before the inspection
[49:27] >> because they won't if if an apartment
[49:30] doesn't pass inspection, they won't get
[49:32] that remarkable certificate.
[49:33] >> Yeah. But then where's the concern? Is
[49:34] the concern for my well-being or for
[49:36] your passing me inspection?
[49:39] your for your wellbeing
[49:42] and you would do it whenever needed to
[49:44] be done and not when the inspector
[49:45] showed up.
[49:47] >> But isn't there a requirement for these
[49:49] um inspections? The tenant has to be in
[49:52] the apartment.
[49:53] >> Yes.
[49:54] >> So it's like you can't do it beforehand.
[49:56] >> You can't do it on an empty apartment.
[49:58] >> No, you can do it. If I made a
[50:01] complaint, you can do typically they're
[50:03] given 30 days and then they're given in
[50:05] um extensions in some cases
[50:11] certificate. If I own an apartment
[50:13] building and I had a vacant apartment in
[50:15] and you were ready to move into I can
[50:18] only get the rental certificate on the
[50:20] one that's already got a tenant in it. I
[50:22] they're not going to inspect the vacant
[50:24] apartment. They wanted name associated
[50:27] that you got somebody living there
[50:29] >> and that's when they wanted to inspect
[50:30] it.
[50:33] >> That's the photo. You want to move on
[50:35] and continue to share with us your
[50:36] experience?
[50:38] Um so in my experience uh with my
[50:45] landlord in particular we went back and
[50:48] forth for over two years um
[50:53] with repairers I involved
[50:57] many of them as I said were superficial
[51:00] when done often they were um ignored
[51:03] which led to other issues but when he
[51:06] did do repair they were often
[51:07] superficial.
[51:08] or moments before um inspection came. It
[51:11] was just enough to pass inspections and
[51:14] regardless of my complaints, various
[51:17] agencies would say or refer, hey, well,
[51:20] it passed inspection. Although I would
[51:22] show videos or photos of current issues
[51:26] or things happening in real time,
[51:28] regardless to what my issue were, they
[51:31] just passed it off to other issu um to
[51:33] other agencies or gave suggestions that
[51:36] I should call other people or do other
[51:39] No one took it personal. No one took the
[51:43] help or well-being of my family and I
[51:46] personal. And it was disheartening to me
[51:48] that at the least no one felt the need
[51:50] to do their job. Right? I look I thought
[51:54] as I said earlier if I paid my rent on
[51:57] time and if I was a good tenant I will
[51:59] get those services in return. And that
[52:01] wasn't the case. And when I called on
[52:03] the agencies put in place to do so they
[52:06] didn't help me either.
[52:08] So it became it was on me and what I
[52:12] decided to do is started I I I I didn't
[52:14] call I started emailing and documenting
[52:17] and CCing and and writing letters to
[52:20] everyone that I thought that would
[52:22] listen. And it didn't help in my case,
[52:25] but I realized while speaking to others
[52:27] that my case wasn't
[52:31] significant. You know what I mean? It
[52:32] happened more often than not. And it's
[52:35] it hurts because it shouldn't, right? My
[52:38] family and I, we left living with mold
[52:41] for over two years. And we complained.
[52:43] We sent pictures. Agencies came in, they
[52:45] took pictures, they witnessed it and
[52:48] documented it themselves and did nothing
[52:50] about it.
[52:52] We had leaks that led to electrical
[52:55] fires and eventually, like you said, the
[52:57] apartment was red taped. And I got I
[52:59] didn't even mention it during the
[53:00] meeting earlier. I noticed that was his
[53:03] intentions all along
[53:05] >> or to what
[53:06] >> to have coated and renate the apartment
[53:10] because I complained on another platform
[53:12] on how the agencies that I reached out
[53:15] to that I thought was put in position to
[53:17] do exactly what I was asking them to do
[53:19] didn't help. Someone said to me, you
[53:22] know, well, maybe Latoya, they were
[53:24] doing you a favor because had they did
[53:26] go into action or did they had they
[53:28] taken action, you and your family would
[53:30] have been homeless. Sad to say that did
[53:32] end up being the case. However,
[53:35] I feel like if at any given case dummy
[53:38] time any agency would have stepped in on
[53:41] my behalf. Anyone anyone would have
[53:43] advocated for my kids and I, it wouldn't
[53:46] have come to that.
[53:48] Maybe landlords would be less likely to
[53:51] take advantage of people in situations
[53:53] like myself because they know that they wouldn't get paid.
[53:58] And to me, that's the biggest threat.
[54:00] because that's the only thing you
[54:02] mention
[54:04] is the lack of income you won't receive.
[54:06] >> Right.
[54:07] >> Well, for a landlord in a business that
[54:09] is the fact
[54:12] I respect you for your business, but for
[54:14] many
[54:16] families, you understand what I'm
[54:18] saying? And yes, there are programs put
[54:21] into place to help. But then when they
[54:23] are not passionate about doing exactly
[54:25] that, that's not they they more likely
[54:28] to do more damage than anything. And
[54:29] that's that's that's what we're going to
[54:31] sit here today.
[54:33] When people don't step up and play their
[54:34] roles and do their parts, we end up in
[54:38] situations like this while we're
[54:40] explaining the obvious.
[54:42] Section 8, for instance, if a landlord
[54:45] doesn't pass section 8 and continues to
[54:47] fail, they have 30 days to correct a
[54:49] problem. Section 8 will cut the uh the
[54:54] landlord off. They won't pay.
[54:56] >> Yeah, but the inspections are done once
[54:58] a year. No, I I don't I don't know.
[55:00] Section
[55:01] >> section 8 inspection is done once a year
[55:03] and again it's superficial
[55:05] >> but us attendant can certainly cause
[55:07] section 8 and I
[55:08] >> and that's my experience. This is what
[55:10] I'm explaining to you and it's not until
[55:12] I started documenting CCing calling out
[55:16] names telling these people what my
[55:18] intentions were that I was going to
[55:20] obtain legal counsel. [snorts] I was
[55:23] going to take this all the way. And
[55:24] that's part of the problem here. I I I
[55:27] think a lot of tenants aren't aware of
[55:30] their rights. And that's a big issue.
[55:32] Community awareness.
[55:34] You know what I mean? That's something
[55:35] we need to address. Not just knowing
[55:38] your rights, but having an agency or
[55:40] someone put in place that will advocate
[55:42] for you. Because that's what I didn't
[55:44] have in my case. I didn't have an
[55:45] advocate. I didn't have someone to tell
[55:47] me what to do or what mistakes not to
[55:50] make or what to avoid or what to expect.
[55:53] Right? It's simply doing the research
[55:57] and and and I think that's the issue for
[56:00] most. It's resources. We lack resources.
[56:03] We're not aware of our rights. We're
[56:05] notware aware of what we're entitled to.
[56:07] And and furthermore, I think for
[56:09] landlords that are not doing their part,
[56:13] they should be held accountable. Yes,
[56:15] there should be a process, but a process
[56:17] in which a tenant has to wait years,
[56:19] maybe even, you know, for something to
[56:22] occur or happen, it is not right. And I
[56:25] think the only way that something could
[56:27] immediately happen if you stop the
[56:30] funds,
[56:32] when you stop the funds, there's no need
[56:34] for middlemen. There's no need for
[56:35] talking or conversations. I promise you
[56:38] if you stop the funding to these
[56:40] programs and to these as I call them bad
[56:43] lords right [clears throat]
[56:45] you you will have no issue I promise you
[56:48] because majority of their funding is
[56:50] coming from government programs.
[56:53] So if the government or the people put
[56:56] into place to protect these programs or
[57:00] the population in which they serve at
[57:02] any given moment put their foot down or
[57:04] put foot to neck to these landlords
[57:06] there will be no issue and if you are
[57:09] the exception to the rule I appreciate
[57:11] you but that's not what they discussing
[57:13] here.
[57:14] >> I think you're right. If the if the
[57:16] everything pays attention when the money
[57:19] stopped landlord tenant should all pay
[57:22] attention.
[57:23] >> Right. Right. Right. So when everyone
[57:25] asks what should we do? What can we do?
[57:26] power. You they either do the right
[57:29] thing or you stop the funding. There's
[57:30] no rarity. Period.
[57:35] I'm good.
[57:52] » So, what what are some of the resources
[57:54] that you use to help you out of your
[57:56] situation that you were successful in?
[58:02] » Um,
[58:03] Seriously, I um I reached out to SCAP,
[58:07] uh Donna and Kevin Zowski and Scap. They
[58:10] were great, but again, they don't
[58:13] although they they had good intentions,
[58:14] they don't have the resources, they
[58:16] didn't have the manpower. A lot of the
[58:18] advice and um things they gave me were
[58:21] in the middle of handling other
[58:22] situations. So, I just took the
[58:24] information they gave me and, you know,
[58:26] ran with it. But like I said, for most people, they're not
[58:32] they don't have the resources I have and
[58:34] they they don't have they're not aware
[58:36] of their rights. They're not aware of
[58:38] their the programs that's out there.
[58:39] They're not aware that they're even
[58:41] being violated in any way. And that, as
[58:44] I said, is concerning to me because why
[58:46] aren't these people being held
[58:47] accountable? I felt like I was screaming
[58:50] below water and no one heard me. But I
[58:53] know for a fact I contacted the right
[58:55] people because I did the research. You
[58:57] understand what I'm saying? So I I it's
[58:59] concerning to me the lack of compassion
[59:02] above everything. You know what I mean?
[59:04] The lack of uh
[59:08] it it's just a disservice, you know? I
[59:11] just felt like no one involved felt the
[59:13] need to do at the least their job, you
[59:17] know, or or or or the or
[59:22] to to do what they were hired to do and
[59:26] put in position to do.
[59:30] I think I felt like no one took it
[59:32] personal and for me it was personal. My
[59:35] family got suffered for like I said over
[59:37] well over two years and it was
[59:39] concerning because again why was he
[59:43] allowed
[59:44] to get away with that and I and and like
[59:48] I said I know my story is not one
[59:53] it's saddening
[59:56] and I don't want my family suffer to be
[59:57] in pain. I I feel like, you know, above
[1:00:01] us meeting in this room, things need to
[1:00:02] be done.
[1:00:05] And tell me how, where, who I speak to
[1:00:08] because I'm willing to do that. I don't
[1:00:10] want to see another family go through
[1:00:12] what my family experienced.
[1:00:16] It's unnecessary.
[1:00:21] » Thank you, Lorie, for sharing.
[1:00:24] >> Appreciate you being here.
[1:00:26] Be sure.
[1:00:31] I know this.
[1:00:39] Okay. So,
[1:00:45] we have work to do. This It's a lot. It
[1:00:49] is a lot.
[1:00:52] Muel, I see it. I want to hear it.
[1:01:01] » Like some people in it for the money and
[1:01:03] some people in it for a passion too, you
[1:01:05] know. Um
[1:01:08] I know for me I'm sorry for that.
[1:01:12] I think that what I what I'm getting
[1:01:15] from it is that it needs whoever's doing
[1:01:18] the funding needs to be here. That
[1:01:20] person needs to be here from ESS. uh to
[1:01:24] speak on their behalf. Uh also also um
[1:01:27] you know looking through I work with the
[1:01:30] homeless population and people with
[1:01:31] substance abuse. You know, I say uh last
[1:01:34] year we had 425 people coming home. Only
[1:01:38] 163 of those people were placed, right?
[1:01:40] But 163 of those people were placed due
[1:01:42] to
[1:01:44] following the requirements that are
[1:01:47] given through DSS, whatever that may be,
[1:01:50] you know, woman to a woman's program in
[1:01:53] the city and coming back and being in
[1:01:55] compliance. Um but then I also, you
[1:01:58] know, um I also see
[1:02:02] the county sometimes goes to Veil
[1:02:04] Cemetery and they they get people who might need a park but they don't
[1:02:10] know how to live.
[1:02:12] >> You know, there's a big difference,
[1:02:14] right? And sometimes I see people who
[1:02:16] are struggling families and whatnot and
[1:02:19] you know, they're doing what they got to
[1:02:20] do. they're in compliance or whatever
[1:02:22] DSS is having them do and a person got
[1:02:25] we could send the person to a 20-day
[1:02:27] program and then they come out and got
[1:02:29] an apartment and then what happens is
[1:02:31] they they damage the apartment because
[1:02:33] they don't know how to live in the
[1:02:34] apartment and next thing that and that
[1:02:36] ruins it.
[1:02:38] >> So then I feel like at some at some
[1:02:40] point it's just like okay why am I going
[1:02:42] to continue to keep fixing this? But
[1:02:45] is is it I just feel like if a person is
[1:02:49] doing the right thing and being in
[1:02:51] compliance,
[1:02:54] >> they deserve to live.
[1:02:56] You know, it doesn't matter if they get
[1:02:58] DSS or whatever the case may be, right?
[1:03:00] They're human being,
[1:03:02] >> right?
[1:03:02] >> You understand what I'm saying? Um and
[1:03:04] housing is very important.
[1:03:05] >> Yes,
[1:03:06] >> housing is very important. But I do
[1:03:08] think that like, you know, all the
[1:03:10] information is right here, right? Like
[1:03:11] for the people that are still in hotels,
[1:03:13] right? They're saying what's going on.
[1:03:15] So maybe someone from the police
[1:03:17] department needs to come here as well.
[1:03:23] » Um
[1:03:25] yeah, I'm just processing everything.
[1:03:28] >> I'm a little bit familiar with New
[1:03:30] Choices and if I remember correctly, New
[1:03:34] Choices do do inspections for the
[1:03:36] apartment periodically, right?
[1:03:38] >> Yeah. So we have
[1:03:38] >> done like every three or six months. We
[1:03:40] have Yeah, we have a um we have three
[1:03:42] housing programs. We have shelter plus
[1:03:45] care,
[1:03:46] >> we have MRT housing, we also have um
[1:03:51] transitional housing.
[1:03:53] >> Um the transitional housing program is
[1:03:55] for those people who um may not have
[1:03:58] they might have been doing good, have a
[1:04:01] trade and so forth so on their credits
[1:04:03] all messed up, whatever. So we created a
[1:04:05] program where it gives them an
[1:04:07] opportunity to build renters's report um
[1:04:10] build their credit score back up and we
[1:04:12] support them for anywhere up to 18
[1:04:14] months a case by case situation. Um but
[1:04:17] I also do see that um I also do see that
[1:04:21] so I'm a I'm a I'm a very high I have a
[1:04:25] very high value of referrals that I send
[1:04:29] out for the sky county amongst all the
[1:04:32] other counties drug courts probations
[1:04:34] parole CPS
[1:04:37] um ATC courts um family treatment court
[1:04:40] they all contact me when they have a
[1:04:41] situation where someone needs to go away
[1:04:43] into treatment right and what I'm seeing
[1:04:46] what I what I see is that we have we
[1:04:50] have a lot of people in Skenctity County
[1:04:52] that are not from Skenctity County,
[1:04:56] >> right? And and it goes it goes into
[1:05:00] saying is that
[1:05:03] Skenne County is the only county
[1:05:08] that basically it's easy to get an
[1:05:11] apartment out here. So a lot of people
[1:05:13] are coming out here just to get housing,
[1:05:17] right? And some people aren't ready for
[1:05:19] housing. But when you got someone like
[1:05:21] you sitting here, family, motivated and
[1:05:24] passionate, right? Unfortunately, those
[1:05:27] are the ones that suffer,
[1:05:29] right? But and also the good landlord
[1:05:31] suffer too,
[1:05:33] right? So, um,
[1:05:36] yeah,
[1:05:39] we'll have some stuff for you next time.
[1:05:43] >> All righty. Thank you for sharing.
[1:05:45] >> I appreciate you.
[1:05:46] >> Um, yes, this was a very, very
[1:05:49] interesting meeting. I'm excited to move
[1:05:52] forward and making some changes. Um
[1:05:58] so
[1:06:01] our hour is mere and um I just want to
[1:06:05] um out of everything that we've
[1:06:08] discussed today Monaco to get um more
[1:06:11] clarification
[1:06:13] on some things. What would what would be
[1:06:15] your pick from this?
[1:06:18] my pick from
[1:06:19] >> the conversations and the answers we
[1:06:21] need as far as um
[1:06:25] the fair housing laws, the um different
[1:06:29] programs. And
[1:06:31] >> I would say that it would be nice to
[1:06:34] have the commissioner if she was I think
[1:06:37] that would be great. I feel that um was
[1:06:40] it Jaclyn that gave the sheep? Yes. I
[1:06:44] think that that's problematic especially
[1:06:47] the legal activity happening at the
[1:06:52] uh hotels. So, I feel like
[1:06:55] um having the conversation with the
[1:06:57] police, are they patrolling that? Are
[1:07:00] they doing things? I mean, it just kind
[1:07:03] of makes it seem like it's just
[1:07:04] happening all out in the open and
[1:07:06] everything goes. Um, but I do also agree
[1:07:10] about the funding um that when people
[1:07:13] aren't in compliance in terms of um if
[1:07:17] they're receiving money from DSS, if
[1:07:19] they have contracts, if they're
[1:07:21] receiving money from section 8, uh, you
[1:07:24] know, all of that, that funding should
[1:07:26] stop and they should be mandated to do
[1:07:28] things. I don't think it should go on
[1:07:30] for long periods of time. Definitely
[1:07:33] things have to change. that that's kind
[1:07:35] of like my out. It's [snorts] not an
[1:07:38] easy fix. But
[1:07:42] Amanda,
[1:07:44] >> there's so much. [laughter] It's like
[1:07:47] you can't focus on one thing. You have
[1:07:50] to just there's so many different
[1:07:55] things that's entwined with everything.
[1:07:57] So it's like having the commissioner
[1:07:59] here is not
[1:08:02] a bad idea but I also think we need to
[1:08:04] speak to someone in code enforcement. We
[1:08:07] need to understand
[1:08:08] what the policy is and how from the
[1:08:11] beginning to the end and what what the
[1:08:14] mechanism is in that sense from the
[1:08:18] landlord perspect what the landlords are
[1:08:20] obligated to do and even from like the
[1:08:23] tenants what are the tenants rights with
[1:08:25] regards to code enforcement.
[1:08:37] for me.
[1:08:39] >> You're right. It's a huge problem. Well,
[1:08:41] I think we kind of have to decide. Are
[1:08:43] we're going to focus on hotels, motel,
[1:08:45] or apartments? And I realize that that
[1:08:50] when people are at depths of despair,
[1:08:52] they're in the in these temporary
[1:08:54] housing. That definitely needs to be
[1:08:56] addressed because that is much different
[1:08:58] than than what we were told. That's why
[1:09:00] I asked about the point of contact than
[1:09:03] my email to her. Uh and if this was
[1:09:06] being dealt with on a a closed basis as
[1:09:11] they indicated, then some of these
[1:09:13] issues you would think would be resolved
[1:09:16] about the women and children being taken
[1:09:19] out for hours in a day. I mean
[1:09:23] I I would like to hear I agree with you.
[1:09:25] I would like to hear or Muel from
[1:09:29] someone from BSS to answer these
[1:09:31] questions
[1:09:34] if that that's where we started this
[1:09:36] conversation last week was the hotels.
[1:09:39] Um and then what I believe too is
[1:09:44] education on the local landlord and the
[1:09:47] tenants part on what the expectations
[1:09:49] are for each and how again we can bridge
[1:09:53] that gap. Um
[1:09:57] He was the
[1:10:00] commissioner told me about that
[1:10:01] gentleman Jeff Jackson who owns one of
[1:10:04] the hotel motel. She didn't tell me
[1:10:06] which one. She gave me his number. I
[1:10:08] will be happy to contact him. Yes. Who
[1:10:11] knows which one he owns. Um, but he
[1:10:15] also, what I was intrigued with is that
[1:10:17] he offers courses to those people that
[1:10:19] are temporary residents on how to get an
[1:10:23] apartment on what a landlord looks for.
[1:10:25] I was fascinated by that. I would like
[1:10:28] to know more about those classes he
[1:10:30] offers, how often, what does he cover.
[1:10:33] Um, so I think he would be an
[1:10:36] interesting guest if he would consent to
[1:10:38] that.
[1:10:40] I would follow up and find out more
[1:10:41] about North.
[1:10:43] >> That's awesome that he's provided that
[1:10:45] education.
[1:10:46] >> I said it's awesome that he's provided
[1:10:47] that education.
[1:10:48] >> Education. Yes. That that is amazing as
[1:10:51] a a hotel owner that's [clears throat]
[1:10:53] housing
[1:10:54] >> uh temporary residence that he would do
[1:10:56] that. That to me is passion.
[1:11:01] » Okay. Um
[1:11:07] and once I talk to him if he's agreeable
[1:11:09] I'll connect with you to find out what
[1:11:10] date you would actually want him to come
[1:11:12] if he would come.
[1:11:14] >> Okay. We have some tenative dates to
[1:11:16] see. I think there's also different
[1:11:18] segments of housing because I feel that
[1:11:20] yes, there there is a need for
[1:11:22] affordable housing and I think there are
[1:11:24] people that are gainfully employed but
[1:11:27] can't afford certain types of housing
[1:11:29] but I also feel that there's people that
[1:11:31] don't fit in the category where they can
[1:11:33] actually get into apartments. So that's
[1:11:37] why
[1:11:38] >> because
[1:11:39] >> I was made aware that
[1:11:42] when they speak about affordable
[1:11:44] housing, they're going by the county
[1:11:47] medium. They're not basing it on the
[1:11:49] city medium.
[1:11:50] >> So that's why we're in this situation
[1:11:53] also because the housing and stuff
[1:11:56] that's coming up now, people still can't
[1:11:58] afford it. It doesn't fit the criteria
[1:12:00] of our city
[1:12:05] » right.
[1:12:07] >> Okay. So, [clears throat] um
[1:12:10] really you got to reach out to Jeff.
[1:12:14] >> Okay. Um
[1:12:19] I reach out to these two here.
[1:12:24] Amanda, could you reach out to somebody
[1:12:26] from section 8?
[1:12:30] and we'll see if we can get them in and
[1:12:32] we'll use the day that um everybody
[1:12:36] based on after this.
[1:12:39] Um
[1:12:43] the education piece.
[1:12:46] Um, Muel, you can find out
[1:12:51] or you have somebody somebody that can
[1:12:54] come in and talk to us about the
[1:12:55] education piece of the housing
[1:12:59] or
[1:13:00] >> as far as um
[1:13:04] we're we're the resource somebody with
[1:13:06] resources who can answer some of these
[1:13:09] questions along with DSS and
[1:13:13] section 8 and
[1:13:16] Okay.
[1:13:19] Um,
[1:13:20] that falls under the
[1:13:25] » Lamar.
[1:13:30] » Where did you say you got the stats
[1:13:32] from?
[1:13:33] >> Um, the Princeton University eviction
[1:13:35] letter. Thank you. Do
[1:13:36] >> you need anything from there? No, I just
[1:13:38] want to go look. [laughter] Okay.
[1:13:49] Um,
[1:13:51] can you reach out to um somebody from
[1:13:53] section 8?
[1:13:54] >> Yeah, sure.
[1:13:59] » Get the commissioner of DSS to comment.
[1:14:01] >> Oh, yeah.
[1:14:03] >> I think I contacted her before. What?
[1:14:05] >> Okay. You contact the commissioner.
[1:14:10] » Okay. on the educational piece.
[1:14:20] without
[1:14:26] we need
[1:14:32] ask them see if they can come to our
[1:14:34] next meeting to talk about to to discuss
[1:14:38] the tenants responsibilities landlord
[1:14:41] >> responsibilities okay
[1:14:43] >> and how the inspections and things were
[1:14:47] no
[1:14:51] Okay. I have um
[1:14:55] three tenative dates.
[1:15:23] Okay. I have 512, which is a Tuesday.
[1:15:27] >> May 12th.
[1:15:28] >> Oh, May 12th.
[1:15:30] >> I have um May 15th, which is a Friday.
[1:15:41] » What's the other one?
[1:15:43] the 12th and the 15th.
[1:15:44] >> Oh, two days. Two days. No, I have I
[1:15:47] have 5:22 if there's a discrepancy, but
[1:15:50] I would like to come back in two weeks
[1:15:53] cuz time is getting near and going to
[1:15:56] have to pack all of this up into a
[1:15:58] report and I want to get start nailing
[1:16:02] stuff down.
[1:16:03] >> I prefer the 15th.
[1:16:06] I think country
[1:16:15] » I think I'll be in ad
[1:16:20] » that's a Friday.
[1:16:23] >> Yes, I will.
[1:16:26] » You could forward me your information
[1:16:28] and concerns
[1:16:30] before.
[1:16:33] Okay. So, we'll talk.
[1:16:35] >> Yeah, cuz you're going to be away.
[1:16:37] >> I'm going to be away. Yes.
[1:16:39] >> So,
[1:16:40] >> son's graduation.
[1:16:41] >> Nice. Nice.
[1:16:45] » Okay.
[1:16:47] That was a lot. So, the 15th at six.
[1:16:49] >> The 15th at six.
[1:16:51] >> The 15th. 15th. That's six.
[1:17:04] I would like to say thank you for
[1:17:05] everyone that came out tonight. Um,
[1:17:10] keep up the great work. It's very
[1:17:12] appreciated. It's very needed. And um,
[1:17:16] see you in two weeks meeting,
[1:17:20] you know.
[1:17:38] Yes, that's fine.
[1:17:48] [laughter]
[1:17:48] >> One second.
[1:18:03] Thank you so much.
[1:18:08] I don't know what I did, but