I love this.

Good afternoon, everyone.

And welcome to the general government committee meeting and welcome to our new digs.

Back into the committee room.

I want to thank everybody for being here today.

A lot of you, I know why you're here.

I saw the postings and everything.

And uh we're going to go ahead and start.

We only have we have two parts our agenda.

We have a consent and we have a general.

And we only have uh one item on our consent agenda today.

And uh City Clerk, would you please call the role?

Chairperson, Mayor Pratim Adams?

Here.

Councilmember Joyner.

President Councilmember Burke here, and Councilmember Hall.

Present.

The first item, would you go ahead and call that, please?

Consent.

And we can get that out the way.

Yes, the consent agenda is the approval of the General Government Committee summary of minutes.

Move to approve.

Second.

I have a motion to move and approve item C1 of the consent agenda.

All those in favor we're doing voice vote.

Please let me know my saying I.

Aye.

Thank you very much.

And it passes.

Would you go ahead and call the first item of the general agenda, please?

Item G1 presentation regarding Oak City CARES Multi-Service Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Thank you.

Dr.

Angel Wright Lanier will be uh introducing the speaker for the presentation.

Good afternoon.

Uh Miracle Tim Adams, Mr.

Joins and City Council members.

Um I'm here to introduce Rick Miller Haraway.

He holds a master's degree in social work from the UNC from the University of North Carolina, and he's an assistant clinical professor at the UNC School of Social Work.

He dedicated over two decades as the director of Catholic Charities Raleigh Regional Office, leading community and homelessness efforts.

Rick to help establish the Oak City CARES, a collaborative multi-service center supporting over 6,000 people experiencing or at risk of homelessness each year.

A founding board member of Raleigh Wade Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness.

He also served on Raleigh's leadership council to end homelessness and is the immediate past chair of the Oak City CARES Board.

I want to thank Rick for agreeing to speak with us today.

This is the second time Rick has presented to a city council for me.

He made a presentation in January 2020.

He presented down in Fayeville, North Carolina.

And I'm happy to say we successfully built a multi-service center there based on the Oak City CARES model.

Rick, thank you for joining us today.

Would you please, again, for the record, state your name and address?

Yes, Rick Miller Haraway 1700 Holt Place, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Thank you.

And I'd like to thank Dr.

Wright Lanier for such a wonderful introduction and the opportunity to be here.

I'm honored to be here today speaking to the leaders of Winston-Salem about something that is very near and dear to my heart, and that is doing the best that we can as a community to serve our most vulnerable neighbors.

And I use the word neighbors because we're talking about human beings.

We're not talking about homeless folks.

We're talking about our neighbors.

And I'm so I'm very happy to be here today to speak to you about Oak City Cares, which is a multi-service center in Raleigh.

And before I talk about Oak City Cares, I want to be very clear about what Oak City Cares is role is in addressing the issue of homelessness.

At the risk of simplification, there are two main challenges we face as communities when we're addressing homelessness.

One is affordable housing and having enough housing that people can afford who are low-income folks that to live in.

Oak City Cares does not address that issue.

The second issue that is most important to us in serving people experiencing homelessness is uh coordinating services in an effective, cost-effective way that respects the dignity of the people being served and effectively connects them to services that help them not only to get housed but also to alleviate some of the suffering that they experience while they're while they're homeless.

And that's what Oak City Cares is about.

Um that's a long way of restating our mission.

Uh Oak City Cares is a public private partnership, and I'll talk about that public private part later.

And I'll talk about that public-private part later.

And it exists to support the self-determination.

Very important.

We are there to support the self-determination of our neighbors experiencing homelessness through trusting relationships.

If any of you in this room have experienced homelessness, you know how difficult it is to trust people.

And the neighbors that we are serving have been failed time and time and time again by our homeless services system.

So they are not walking in the door with an idea that, hey, these people are trustworthy.

So that's a really important part of our mission at Oak City Cares is to build that trust.

And we are there to provide connections to coordinated services, not just services, but coordinated services offered in the right order at the right time.

Just a real simple example.

If we refer somebody to go get SNAP benefits from the benefit provider that is on site, and they don't have an ID, we just wasted everybody's time.

So we find out what do people need?

Do you have an ID?

We make sure they have that ID, then we make that referral.

And we do that over and over and over again in our care coordinated services.

So our goals at Oak City Care are long-term, sustainable self-sufficiency for individuals and families.

You notice where I start.

And we want better coordination among our service providers.

And lastly, we want the opportunity for focused volunteer opportunities for our businesses, for our faith communities, and for individuals and community organizations.

Kind of the you build it, they will come.

It's amazing how many thousands, literally thousands of people have come out of the woodwork in Raleigh saying we want to be a part of the solution.

And so part of our challenge is providing meaningful opportunities for them to participate in the solution.

So there this is a different way of providing services.

This picture on the left is before Oak City Cares.

You if if you walked into Catholic Charities office that I directed for 20 plus years and said you needed help, I'd pull out a piece of paper and I'd say, well, I think maybe you should go over to the Salvation Army for this.

I'd give them the number, and then they go out the door, they get to the Salvation Army and think, well, you really don't qualify for our services.

And I felt good because I made a connection, but I really didn't make a connection.

And so the person experiencing homelessness is going to all of our town, being referred here, there and yonder to something that may or may not serve them.

So at Oak City CARES, we do care coordination services, I'll explain in a minute, that connect the people to the right services in the right order.

And you can see all the different services that we offer: housing, food and nutrition, health, mental health, employment, basic needs, substance use, and many more services.

We're open seven days a week, Monday through Friday is our care coordination services and our basic needs services, which I'll explain in a minute.

In the weekends, we provide uh meals on weekends.

Now, people always ask me, well, why don't you do meals during the week?

Because we have already many other op uh organizations in the community providing meals during the week.

We are not about duplicating services, we're about more efficient services.

And on weekends, all the churches that are doing meals during the week, what are they doing on weekends?

They're doing worship.

And so their spaces are filled on the weekends.

So we have three primary programs: basic needs, showers, laundry, cell phone services, computer access are our basic needs services.

Our coordinated care services, we have care coordinators on site.

When somebody walks in the door, uh we ask them if they would like to talk to one of our care coordinators, invariably they say, no, I'm just here for a shower.

But on visit three or four, they realize, hey, these folks are trustworthy.

Yeah, I do want to talk to one of your care coordinators.

And so then we sit down and we do an assessment of that person's needs.

We ask them what their goals are, and then we develop a plan to connect them to our over 30 on-site service partners who help them get the services they need to move out of homelessness.

And then I talked about uh, and we have over 30 on-site partners.

We have domestic violence services, we have veteran services, we have services for people coming out of the justice system, uh, we have street outreach services, housing services, employment services, education services, and more.

Um our weekend meals, we're providing meals for when we opened our doors uh six years ago, we provided meals to about a hundred people per meal.

We're now serving about 250 people per meal.

One of the ironies is the more successful your community is economically, the likelihood is you're going to have exponentially increasing homelessness.

You ask why.

What is happening to the cost of housing as you have more people moving in than you can build houses for?

And so housing prices go up, housing prices go up, you have more homeless folks.

So last year, fiscal year 24-25, Oak City Care served 500 5400 unduplicated people.

We have a um a point in time count of about 1,500 people on any given night experiencing homelessness.

This does not include people, children who are in schools and their families who are living in motels at 1,500 people.

We made 37,000 plus connections to on-site service partners.

We housed 194 households using some of our rapid rehousing services and money.

We provided 4753 primary care medical appointments, 304 individual uh individuals participated in education, job training, 1,400 individuals registered for SNAP.

500 plus people receive their mail on site.

That is a critical critical service.

That's really one of our basic needs services.

If you don't have an address, you don't exist.

And uh 84 showers uh a day and 50 loads of laundry daily and 1,200 meals served per weekend.

This is a picture of the inside of our building is 20,000 square feet.

I just want to point out the colored areas, the the uh pink area is our welcoming area.

We do not have a waiting area, we have a welcoming area.

The green area is our our guest services area where our partners meet with our guests.

We have three primary care medical rooms there where our medical providers can meet with people just like uh you and I get to meet with our physicians and our doctors' offices.

The tan area is our office space where our partners can work when they're not meeting with our guests, and the blue area is our multi-service room, which serves as classroom space during the week and uh and cafeteria space on weekends.

How did we get here?

Oak City Cares is a collaboration, as I said, it was a public-private partnership.

Several years ago, about 10 years ago now, we had a crisis in Raleigh.

A police officer showed up in downtown Raleigh and threatened to arrest a church that was providing food for people uh who were homeless.

Uh the minister uh, as the police officer was arresting him, took out his phone and said, Would you mind repeating that?

He filmed it, and he was on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News that night, and the citizens of Raleigh crashed the voicemail system and the email system of the City of Raleigh that weekend saying we don't want to be the city.

And there were about five or six hundred of us who showed up at a city council meeting that week, uh, that uh that week, and the city formed a task force to say how can we do a better job of serving people experiencing homelessness?

And they came up with a recommendation of a multi-service center.

And through the leadership of a couple of uh key city council members, Mary Ann Baldwin being the key person who is the woman who just uh retired as our mayor after eight years on six or eight years on the job as our mayor, was really the person who made that happen.

Um but the county also got on board in a major way.

Uh and uh and we also had our COC lead agency, uh, which is the Raleigh Wake Partnership to end prevent homelessness.

Those three agents, those three groups put out a request for proposals for someone to develop and run a multi-services center.

And Catholic Charities was chosen to do that.

I'm I'm honored to say.

Um, and uh it was the greatest honor of my life to be a partner with the City of County, the City of Raleigh in Wake County to do this.

We set up a private, uh separate 501c3 organization with the idea that we were going to give birth to Oak City Cares, not to continue to run it and control it.

And I'm happy to say that after a year and a half of operation, Oak City Cares went out on its own because the community support was overwhelming.

We thought it would take five years, but the fundraising went through the roof, and we were able to do it in a year and a half.

Um to make that happen, it took courage of leaders like the four of you to make that happen.

And it also took the courage of some uh nonprofit leaders to say, we're gonna come together, we're gonna stop operating in our own silos.

We had nonprofit leaders who said, boy, with 10 million dollars, think well, man, our agency could do this, this, and that.

And I and our response was just think of what we could do together with that 10 million dollars.

Now, not every multi-services center is gonna cost 10 million dollars.

Um, and and not every community has that kind of resources.

Um, public-private partnership.

Um the city and the county put in 10 and a half million.

Catholic charities raised two and a half million on on the on behalf of Oak City Cares, a million of that to get us started, a million and a half to do the first three years of operation.

I mentioned our fundraising was so successful, we have yet to touch that million and a half dollars.

It sits in a reserve fund uh so that we now have a year's reserve fund on uh in in hand.

Wake County owns the building that we l uh uh operate out of, and they provide that building free of charge.

They also provide all the utilities, all the maintenance uh and the security services on site.

This allows Oak City Cares to provide our space to our 30 on-site partners free of charge.

If you're operating an agency over here and you say come over here and provide a service here a day a week or two days a week, they're gonna say, Well, I can't afford to pay you rent over there, I'm paying rent over here.

So by being able to offer our space rent-free, our partners are free to come and do that and happy to do that.

Um the other thing about the private partnership, um, I mentioned to you we have over 30 on-site partners doing the the social services, the health services, and the education services, employment service.

We also have 60 faith, more than 60 faith communities involved representing over 20 different faith traditions.

We have 20 plus community groups uh that are also participating.

We had last year we had over 250 businesses come on site and do a tour and/or a volunteer opportunity.

We have 55 businesses that donated money, and we had 25 businesses that do uh regular in-kind donations of things like uh um uh soap and shampoo and and and tolletry items.

So our total budget, we opened our total budget was a million and a half, it's now three million.

Uh we get in-kind support from Wake County, as I mentioned, of about 456,000 for rent utilities maintenance and security.

The City of Raleigh and Wake County provide $609,000 in grants, some of that coming through federal grants, some of that coming from state grants.

Um, and Oak City Care has raised the remaining two million dollars.

So one of the things I've encountered when we've talked to cities, it's like, oh my God, we can't afford this.

But how often does a city or a county have the opportunity to say we're gonna put in one piece and we're gonna get two more pieces put in by a nonprofit agency?

And the two and the the two million from nonprofit agencies does not count the the uh the value of our 30 on-site partners.

That's just the two million dollars that Oak City Cares is raising for our care coordination services, our basic needs services, and our weekend meals.

Our 30 on-site partners are also donating their services, and we estimate that to be about another two million dollars.

So the city and county are put in a million and they're getting five million dollars back in in uh in value.

Last I want to say, and I know you have a busy schedule, so I don't want to take a lot of your time.

Radical hospitality is at the core of who we are at Oak City Cares.

We want you to walk in uh um looking around the room, most here are old enough to remember the the show cheers.

Uh and when people walked in the door, hey Norm, how are you doing?

You want your blah blah blah beer?

And so that's the kind of atmosphere we're trying to create uh at Oak City Cares is that radical hospitality.

And and lastly, I want to say something in terms of one of the reasons that that one of the things if you all decide to do this.

One of the reasons that Catholic Charities was chosen uh to be the lead agency was we we when I became director of Catholic charities in 1990 something, we were two percent of the Catholic population.

I said, we're not gonna accomplish anything with just a bunch of Catholics.

So we got to do we got to collaborate, we gotta do in partnership, we got to do this ecumenically.

And so we had a reputation of being very collaborative in what we did, and and people didn't see us as a threat.

And and so nonprofit agencies do fabulous work, but we also can kind of get entrenched in what we do.

Um I'm sure this isn't news to you all.

Uh so if you were to choose this kind of model, and I'd be happy to come back and talk to people about how to do this model, it's really important to find an agency that is well respected in the community by your other homeless service providers as well as your political leaders.

So with that, I'll any questions or comments.

Thank you.

Yes.

Any council member, council member clock.

You said you have 30 different agencies over there.

Can you tell me what types of agencies we have?

So we have a primary medical care provider, we have five behavioral health care providers doing mental health services, substance use services, we have our domestic violence service provider on site.

We have an organization that works with people coming out of prison.

We have WakeMed has their street outreach team that uh uh works with the uh permanently and severely mentally ill folks.

They work out of Oak City Cares.

We have an outreach team uh that works uh works with at-risk youth that work out of Oak City CARES.

We have an outreach team that works with adults and and while we serve anybody experiencing homelessness, uh we're really focused on the the chronically homeless, the people that are that are costing our communities hundreds of thousands of dollars in in medical care and emergency rooms and and jails uh and in our nonprofit agency.

So those are the people who are really focused on.

So our street outreach teams are really important.

Uh we just had a pilot project with the city of Raleigh this year where instead of just going down and shutting down encampments when when encampments get too big or the neighbors get upset about having an encampment instead of just scattering them, so they just go to other encampments.

The city actually provided a grant for Oak City Cares to partner with Healing Transitions to actually house people.

And so when they decided they were going to close an encampment on Dorothy Adicks Park, which I'm sure you all have heard about, uh, we went in and in a two-month time period, we housed 46 individuals.

It can be done.

And these were the most difficult people to house.

These are people living in tents, going from here, there to yonder, and I knew many of these people from previous encampments that have been closed and they just moved there.

Um so I hope that kind of gives you a flow.

And uh Wake Tech is there providing uh education classes.

Uh we have um uh uh classes coming in doing uh substance use support.

Uh we have dental clinics that come on a periodic basis, we have vet clinics that come on a periodic basis.

Um yeah, I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting.

Thank you.

Any other council member Jordan and Councilmember Hall.

Thank you, Chair.

Um out of those 30 different agencies, have any of those relocated permanently to this space and left the other space that they were housing?

Uh no, ma'am, they haven't.

And and part of, I mean, if we had 40,000 square feet, maybe, but but part mainly what they're doing when they're on site is they're connecting with people initially.

And and once that that trusting relationship is formed, people are going to be much more inclined to travel a mile or two, and we'll provide the Uber services to get them there.

Um so uh so that mostly it's the intake and the and the assessment and the triage and and making sure that we're connecting people to the right service, and and then they can begin accessing those services off site.

That's a fabulous question.

I work that into my presentation from now on.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Councilmember.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

I do have a question for you around just to make sure that I'm understanding everything correctly.

So this is more wraparound services and services to make sure that the individual is whole.

However, the actual lodging and housing of the individual is still left to other agencies in the Wake County area.

You did mention something about the 46 individuals who were relocated from staying at Dorothy Adicks Park.

So that was basically Oak City CARES connecting them with other agencies who do provide the housing, or was that you all making space at the center?

Yes.

Okay.

Well, well, well, no, not in the center.

We we do not have any housing at the center.

We are located next to the men's shelter that Wake County operates.

So it is a bit confusing.

So uh we do get some funds for rapid rehousing where we can directly house people working with landlords.

Um and and so when we relocated people from the encampment, we worked with some of the landlords we have relationships with.

Wake County has a landlord engagement unit, and and they referred some landlords to us, and we also referred people to uh CASA, which uh provides uh housing for uh disabled folks.

Um and so it's kind of but but our primary mission is not housing, although people keep coming to us and say, here's a hundred thousand dollars, go house people, and we're like well uh yeah, we'll take it.

Uh but our primary mission is that wraparound service on the front end.

Now, many of our people need wraparound services on the back end once they're housed.

Uh you know, so uh and better known as permanent supportive housing.

Um, and uh which is a HUD HUD-funded maybe um program.

Uh yeah.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

First of all, I want to thank you for coming to speak with us today.

Um we are, I guess, like Wake or Raleigh was, or many cities right now, we're all looking for real solutions.

You know what I mean?

Yes.

And we have to be willing to benchmark and thank you, uh ACM right lanier for uh helping us to find this wonderful organization.

Uh I had had other peers to tell me about you uh from Raleigh, some of the other council members.

Yeah, it was good.

Uh but everybody thinks that this issue is gonna be solved overnight.

It's gonna take many hands, it's gonna take a lot of money and resources, and again, as you mentioned, as we all mentioned, collaboration with others and partnerships and cohorts and things like that.

Um ACM right lanier, I would hope that we will bring him back.

Uh and anybody else that we can talk to and have meetings to discuss.

I'm interested, as you know, you and I, when you got hired, I I told you we are looking for real solutions, and I thank you, because in our community right now, we do have a lot of philanthropic uh folks and and organizations that do good work and people, but we're really not working like a well or machine, and that causes and creates other issues that we're seeing now.

Uh as you said, if we if we decide that we're not gonna face the issues head on, then all it does is is continue to grow other issues and make the issues that we previously had bigger issues.

And we again, like other cities, where the people in Winston, as I say, want to know it.

Some of us we travel the all of these cities, meetings, seminars, and we get to do tours of cities that are dealing with the same issues that we are dealing with.

And if again, we're not willing to try to come together as a community to understand that there are many parts to the solution.

Yes, sir.

And one of them is again researching initiatives that can help to make it better for not just the folks that need the services, but the whole city as itself.

So looking at where we are right now, and I know people are saying all of a sudden we're trying to rush through different things.

Sometimes to find the solution, you gotta try new things, and they gotta come at rapid fire sometimes in order for us to even land on anything that we all can buy into.

So whether that's uh Bethesda Center, Samaritan, Home Edministries, whether it's churches, whether it's nonprofits, whether it's re-entry, whether it's goodwill.

And and again, just like Raleigh, we got a whole lot of organizations that are doing the work.

Yeah, it's just about coordinating everybody.

And and no one feeling like, well, this is mine, and and I'm doing this on my own.

We are at a point now we can't do it like that anymore.

So again, I'm looking forward to the next conversation.

Uh I hope the committee and the council and staff will.

The mayor, I'm gonna go ahead, Mayor Joins.

I'm sorry, I didn't see you.

Go ahead.

I hope that we can come together on this again, as we some of us have met, staff and uh councilmember Clark and I'm trying to put something together that we can present to the community as well as the council of how we can move forward again.

I just need everybody to have an open mind.

Uh I I need everybody to try to work together.

What do you call it?

Radical hospitality.

We need some radical hospitality.

Well, everybody just know we're working to try to find, we don't know everything.

Yeah.

And neither does everybody else.

So if we can just get together, we might find one or two or three quick step solutions that we can start to work on immediately.

Mayor Jones.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dr.

Miller, for being here today.

I was really interested in your comment that uh my good friend Mayor Baldwin later put pulling that together.

How important was the gravitas that she bought brought to the situation?

How did that work?

Well, if you know Mary M.

Baldwin.

She she got some folks behind closed doors.

And I won't quote her directly, but uh I mean, I think she basically said we need to do this.

It also helped that Charles Meeker, who was our longest running mayor, uh had always had a focus on on affordable housing and serving the homeless in a bit more effective way.

He actually co-chaired our fundraising committee.

Uh and along with, and and that's another key thing.

I mean, that's getting further down into the weeds, but really finding your community champions.

I mean, you need community champions here right now, but if you're gonna raise the money, you need community community champions out there that have some money to rub together and some influence to to bring to bear on it.

And one of the questions I got from city council when we did this presentation uh was well, if we build it, won't they come?

And I said, well, you know, we're 30 miles from I-95, they're coming now.

Yeah, you guys are one mile off I-40.

They're coming, they're here.

And I suspect if you did a survey of your homeless votes, many of them are from the rural counties surrounding Wincesale that have no resources.

So the question is how do you want to deal with it?

And and I don't think people come here just because they know, you know, that yeah.

So yeah, so um, and and then it was also the key thing, you know, getting city manager, county manager on board, uh, city managers and county managers are are so important to the work that we do in cities and and getting the head of the county commissioners on board, uh Sig Hutchinson was a big uh major voice for us, and and uh um so yeah.

Thank you, Councilman Wall.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

Um, you may have already spoken to this, at least essentially with making sure that um you have elected officials on board and then other community champions to make sure that you can move forward with this in a way that truly brought together both um public and private partnerships to get this done.

But other than realizing that there was just you know um a big challenge in uh the Wake County area with this, what was one other crucial step that maybe you would identify as just kind of getting the ball rolling outside of having having elected official support?

So, what we did once the city and the county decided they were gonna do this, and the nonprofits were not necessarily on board.

Um and so the the partnership didn't prevent homelessness and catholic charities convened a series of six, seven meetings, uh town town hall meetings.

We had 125 people come and and first of all, we did a survey of 150, an hour-long survey of a individual interviews of 150 people experiencing homelessness and say, what do you want in a in a multi-services center?

The answers weren't particularly surprising.

I mean, we kind of you know it it's pretty much common sense, but that gave us a roadmap.

So when we called the community partners together and said, okay, any of you who are interested in dealing with substance use and mental illness, you're in a group over here.

Anybody interested in dealing with uh uh food insecurity over here, anybody interested in dealing with transportation here, et cetera, et cetera.

So we broke people into five, six groups and said, All right, city and the county are giving us this gift.

How can we make the most of it?

This center doesn't belong to Catholic charities, doesn't belong to the city, or the county it belongs to us.

And so what what what what do we want in the center?

And then here was the critical question after they answered the question, and what is your agency willing to do to help make that happen?

That's where the rubber met the road.

And then I went out in the parking lot after those meetings and met with the people out in the parking lot who were like because that always happens.

Um the people in the room are excited.

The people out in the parking lot talking are the ones that you need to get talked to, and you need to hear from them and ask, you know, what what's your problems?

You know, what what let's talk about this?

How can we come together?

How can we improve this?

You have legitimate issues and concerns.

So we do we so we spent a year talking about that with people.

But the city and the county had already committed the money, so you know that that helped because it wasn't like they were gonna, you know, that they were competing for that money.

They they were, you know, are they gonna get on board this train or not?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Harway.

ACM right linear, you have any closing comments or anything?

Follow-up.

No, I just want to take the opportunity to thank Rick again for coming down to provide us with this information.

You're welcome.

We'll look forward to seeing you again.

And I hope the uh accident that was on I-40 East is cleared by the time I go home.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Our next uh presentation kind of goes hand in hand with this.

City clerk, would you call for the next agenda item?

Um we I apologize.

We are when we are doing this now.

For me, we need to connect the dots and help the community understand that again it's not a one item thing.

It's it's wrap around services, it's uh a care center.

It's housing, it's unhoused, and and you gotta show the public and the community we do over how all of this is connected.

So when we're presenting these presentations to you, or we're having these items on the agenda, particularly in this committee.

My job along with staff is to try to connect it so that you can see how all of this works together.

Uh, next slide, I apologize, Clerk.

Item G2 update on neighborhood services, homeless initiatives.

We have uh Ms.

Floyd.

Yes.

Would you please tell people a lot of people don't know your title and what you do, please?

I am the housing programs manager.

I oversee the housing and community services division, where we oversee um gap financing for affordable housing, as well as our um continuum of care programs and federal funds around housing and community services.

Thank you.

No problem.

So this is our Winston Salem for Tide County Homeless Initiative update for 2025.

Um this is around the continuum of care.

Our continuum of care is North Carolina 500.

Um the COC is not a 501 CO3 organization.

This is a group of agencies, medical providers, advocates, um, city county officials that get together to try to solve and create programs around homeless services.

Um, everyone in the COC is not a funded agency, less than 15% of those who attend these COC meetings or who help around the continu of care are actually funded.

Um, it is one of the most important activities that we are required to do at the COC of the COC is our biannual count or our point in time count where we go out and we count how many people are experiencing homelessness on one given night.

And then we mainly coordinate prevention strategies and homeless assistance programs to assist those who are experiencing homelessness.

So the city's role in the continuum of care, the city is an entitlement city of federal funds.

So the entitlement funds you see in the blue box are funds that we receive automatically as being an entitlement city.

Um in the yellow box, so you see that we are a collaborative applicant, meaning that we apply on behalf of all of the agencies within the COC and the COC each year in a competitive process to receive funding around homeless services.

Um the COC funds, which we'll get into a little bit later, do not cover emergency shelter or street outreach.

These are funds that are strictly around housing services.

So the COC, the city is responsible for acting on behalf of the COC when applying for federal grants.

So that can be the continuum of care funds, and there was a COC bills application that came out.

The agencies all go through the city to apply for those funds.

I have a question.

Yes.

Could you go back to that slide?

And I apologize.

My laptop went down.

It's it's whatever.

Anyway, um, this is the city, what we do, uh, but the county does something as well.

Is that not correct?

So yes, we'll talk about that a little later.

I added that for you.

No, you're fine.

So I added it afterwards.

Um, so four parts of the COC.

So each COC, um, there are COCs in every state in North Carolina.

You are required to have a COC in order to receive federal funds.

There are 12 here in North Carolina.

Each of them are required to be broken out into these four categories.

So coordinated entry.

Um, coordinated entry is that first point of contact that you have with individuals experiencing homelessness.

So this is the area you receive information about intakes and assessments where you can go in and get food, where you can go in and um get assistance, we're getting an ID, birth certificate.

So they're trying to connect before they even get to the case managers to make sure that um you're able to rapidly go into housing.

This is also where our street outreach teams are housed under.

Interim housing is usually where you get your emergency shelter services.

So this is to provide shelter to individuals in an interim basis, and then you have transitional housing, transitional housing at this time is not supported by any federal grants.

Um, but this is where we have transitional housing, which is a little more long term than our interim.

Our interim, we're looking at usually 90 days, 120 days, or transitional, it's usually six months, it can go up to two years.

Permanent housing is our rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing programs.

So you'll hear a lot of RRH or PSH.

Rapid rehousing is short-term assistance, so it is up to 24 months of rental assistance, utility deposit assistance to get someone on their feet once they obtain housing or find housing.

There's also case management services connected to that.

Permanent supportive housing is for our chronically homeless, someone that has been homeless for more than one year with a disability, or three to four times in one year with a disability will go into our permanent supportive housing.

So these are individuals who need long-term care, who, if we were not to be able to provide them case management or these rental assistance services, they would fall back into homelessness.

So our system shifts.

So this is from October 1st to September 30th.

HUD runs on a separate calendar year than the city.

So we serve $1,244 households within the COC.

Number of people is the actual number of people, that's $1,582.

Average days homeless was 117, and the rates of exits to permanent housing is 18%.

And then our point in time count for 2025 was 478.

You can see that as a drop from 2024 from 627.

This year we did estimate that to be volunteers.

A lot of volunteers are getting older.

We don't have as many volunteers volunteering as we did before.

So we have been trying to strengthen the number of volunteers.

And then you would see in 2020 when that rates of excess to permanent housing right after COVID that started to die down.

And we have looked into the amount of housing, how that could contribute to that.

So our funding for homeless services initiatives.

So we have our continual care funds, which are from HUD, our community development block grant funds or CDBG, and then we have ESG, we receive CD ESG as well as state ESG.

So for our continuum of care, this is the competitive process.

We receive $3,000,656.

Some of this money is for permanent supportive housing.

So these are housing choice vouchers that we utilize.

So that's $616,000 is for housing choice vouchers.

So we have that set aside for that as well as case management is included in that amount.

Rapid rehousing is another 40% of $841,000.

Our coordinated entry system, so that is the frontline staff that we discussed.

So that staff is three city employees.

There are three city temp employees, there are employees at Citywood Dwellings, and then there's also family services.

We'll go a little more in detail into what that looks like.

And then a planning rant is for training.

So the city is responsible for training and TA on behalf of the agencies.

So that is the grant to cover those costs.

HMIS, the city is the HMIS lead, and we have a staff member who is covered in this grant as well as her supplies, training, and things that she's required to have.

And then the admin costs, which is split across all agencies as well as the city as well.

Under the COC, we're able to do acquisition, rehab, new construction.

We did get a rehab contract for 375,000.

That is being utilized at a project that we'll talk about a little later as well.

Leasing, rental assistance, supportive services such as case management, life skills, legal aid, operating costs, and HMIS.

These funds cannot be used for emergency shelter or for street outreach services.

This is a breakdown of what this looks like.

That $375,000 acquisition and rehab grant does not count towards that $3.1, that $3 million because we did apply for that about a year and a half ago.

We have about four years to spend it, so we are in the process of spending that down.

The housing choice vouchers take up $508,000.

There is a project-based program.

So the difference between housing choice vouchers and project base is that the housing choice vouchers go with the tenant, the project base stays with the unit.

So if we have someone that moves into a unit and it's project based, whether that person moves out, we still have access to that unit as well as the subsidy tied to that unit.

What we have been trying to do over the last few years is figure out a way to increase our project-based program since housing choice vouchers have been very hard to utilize within our community.

And then we pay for case managers, so there's about six to eight case managers in that 293,000 bucket.

Rental assistance for DV, so there is a program, DV only.

So the HIPAA program is a program that is provided only for domestic violence.

So every year HUD releases another RFB where we have to apply, and it is bonus funds only for domestic violence victims.

So anyone experienced in desktop domestic violence will fall into this pot, it's $449,000 for rental assistance, and then their case management program is a little more robust because they have less case managers with a less population, so they're able to do things such as case management, they have legal aid, they have life skills, child care, utility deposits.

They are a little more robust at that end.

And then a rapid rehousing, which is that 24 month program.

That has actually been revamped.

So we have two kind of programs within that program.

We have a light touch program.

So those are for individuals who are working, may have just filled in hard times and become homeless.

They no longer have to wait to be attached to a case manager.

The city now has a case manager that provides light touch rapid rehousing services.

So if they only need a deposit or a first month rent, they don't have to wait for them to be connected.

We are able to provide at light touch as soon as they find a place.

So state ESG, this is the pot that we utilize for emergency shelter and street outreach services.

So only 60% of this funding is allowed to be utilized for emergency emergency shelter.

So $93,000 is for our emergency shelters.

Street outreach program is $33,000.

And then our data entry, we are there has been a larger emphasis from HUD on data.

So what we did was we included data entry workers at each facility.

We only pay about $11,000 for them.

So the agencies usually have to kind of cover the rest, but we asked for at least a part-time worker to assist with data insurance.

There has been a huge emphasis on data lately.

And then rapid rehousing.

So this assists with items that the COC cannot assist with.

So we see a lot of back rent for halls.

If you owe back rent for halls, you can't get us a new Section A voucher.

You can't move into a new Section A unit.

So that can assist with that, and then some other deposits and utilities that we can assist with COC.

And then the same is for City ESG.

We've received 177,000.

Again, only 60% of that can be used for emergency shelter and street outreach services.

So emergency shelter was split between our shelters.

We have $92,650.

That data entry part is $21,500, and then that rapid rehousing rental assistance pot is $63,000.

And then we have six our community development block grant.

So part of our coordinated entry, we improved that.

We'll talk about that a little bit later.

With expanding and improving, it costs money.

So we are using our CD BG pot to fund the city staff on that end of $243,708.

And then we have our city street outreach worker who's been here for about two or three years.

She is funded through CDBG as well with $72,000.

So we were asked to do a graph to show how much city funds compared to county funds are utilized for these services for as not utilizing non-federal dollars.

And we are comparing this to other CLCs within the area.

So we met with and talked to other COCs, a total of about seven to eight to see what they were doing.

And what we got is Greensboro.

So they utilize their money.

This is an estimate of $895,000.

Is used for a SOAR program, a day labor program, and day centers.

So a SOAR program, right now we only have two employees that are source certified.

SOR allows you to apply for Social Security on behalf of a client.

So you are able to assist them with their social security applications.

So the City of Greensboro was able to show that they do $895,000.

We did not get the numbers from Guilford.

That initiative is also county-led.

They have a point-in-time count population of 20 in 2024 of 665.

Charlotte Mecklenburg, they have COC funds of $7.9 million, but they can they contribute $17 million in non-federal dollars between the city and the county.

They have $12 million that is contracted services for aftercare.

So once someone moves into housing, those case management, rental assistance, as well as prevention services.

They also provide money for shelter.

They create different initiatives and programs that can't be federally funded, such as their keeping families together project that is for individuals and families who are coming out of the justice system or who are coming out of the foster care system.

So that is their keeping families together project that they also fund out of that.

The Wilmington, New Hanover County, so they are actually they have actually a Cape Fair Council of Government.

So this is a council that is made up of city and council leagues as well as individuals from the different cities within there to include 44 municipal and county governments, and they utilize an independent nonprofit foundation to run their COC.

It was established in 2021.

And I'm sorry, the endowment was established in 2021.

So in 2024, they received 118,000 in local funds, and then in 25, it dropped down to 91,000.

They use these programs to enrich their current COC programs, housing, outreach, and shelter, and then they have an endowment that was given to them after the sale of the hospital, Novant Hill County Hospital.

So that is the funding that they use to fill any gaps and that they can use for needs as they arise.

Chapel Hill in Orange County.

So they are county led and they have 1.2 million dollars in COC funds.

1.3 million is donated in COC and City and County money.

They divide theirs by a formula.

So they uselize the population of homeless in each city and county.

And 39.77% is divided to Chapel Hill.

Orange County is 39.5%, Carborough is 14.3%, and Hillsboro is 6.5%.

Their point in time count is 148, and they use that to do shelter, street outreach, coordinated entry, and any housing specific programs that they feel they need.

Durham County and Durham City is actually city led.

They approximately do $300,000.

This is just for their shelters.

Some of their stuff she said she couldn't put a dollar to.

They have a landlord engagement program that they've started, a street outreach, white flag shelter, permanent supportive housing, and emergency shelter.

Their landlord engagement program is ran by the city, and they match their city ESG dollars with local money.

So any money they receive from City ESG or from federal, they match that with the local.

They had 992 homeless on pit count.

They received 6 million in the COC funds, and they wanted to highlight their Durham Community Safety Department as of July 1st, 2025.

Was a department that was created to provide additional services around homelessness.

So it's two parts of that department: a 911 crisis response and a stabilization response that houses street outreach, reentry services, homeless services, Office of Survivor Care for Domestic Violence, and at least our Durham team of care.

They were given 1.7 million dollars additional funding around that, and then a $5 million local funds for the Bring in Neighbors Home Initiative, which is a program they are starting to provide housing resources, financial assistance, health care and job training for individuals who are strictly from homeless camps to get them ready for permanent housing.

And then the last one was Asheville, Boncombe County.

They are the lead at Asheville, the City of Asheville is the lead agency.

They have 739 people experiencing homelessness on point-in time count with 1.9 in continuum of care funds.

They donate about $300,000 of city money for street outreach, coordinated entry, winter overflow shelter, and then they have an encampment response team that they have in response to homeless encampments that pop up.

So what we have done since the last time we were here.

And then we have some City of Winston Salem collaborations.

We have the Winston Salem Police Department who assists in street outreach and in-cont support with food and supplies.

The Bear team provides outreach and strong collaboration with case management services, especially on the weekends when they're needed.

Our Department of Transportation assists us with traffic control, parking, and signage when we have events such as our Project Homeless Connect, our park and recreation assists with table chairs, stage supplies, locations, and anything for its manpower in regards to we have Project Homeless Connect.

We're going out for outreach, and there's some things that we need.

Our code enforcement assists with the cleanup of encampments.

They also go out with our outreach worker when there's additional manpower needed for that, and any setup there may need that there's needed.

And sanitation department, when there comes to events for those experiencing homelessness, they pick up trash and they come and support Project Homeless Connect each year.

And then utilities helps us each year to figure out the connections for shower trucks and laundry trucks and whatever needs to be set up to make these services available.

They are there just to call away.

And these are just some pictures from the point in time count that was this year in September.

Our city and county partnership.

So the city gives 181,194 to local agencies in funding for shelter operations and for the winter shelter.

So this is split between multiple agencies.

We do have a county commissioner, Commissioner Woodbury, who is our commission on ending homelessness.

After speaking with a lot of our commissioner, Commissioner Ending Homelessness Representatives, also Councilmember Joyner as well.

They wanted to know how what more can they do.

So we have we meet this week to talk about the redevelopment of that commission on ending homelessness and how we can strengthen that partnership.

They also appoint four individuals on that commission, so they appoint an education representative, I'm a social service representative, and a few more representatives from their department.

And since the I would say in the last year and a half, our we have increased our partnership with the directors of public health, the community and economic development director, and the social services, as well as their staff.

They currently manage the homeless caucus on behalf of the city and the CLC.

So the homeless caucus is individuals who are experiencing homelessness.

They meet the first Monday of the month and they go over what their needs are.

And we're able to get feedback on your programs are just not working, or you guys did this, but it makes no sense, or hey, this is working well.

So it gives us a chance to reflect on what we're doing.

Also, they have the chance to choose who they want to come present so that they can get more information or education around available programs.

So the county has a staff member that manages that on behalf of the city and the COC.

And then they have ongoing assistance with events and needs.

So point in time count, they always show up with volunteers, supplies, they're giving out free flu shots for Project Homeless Connect.

Um winter shelters, so they are assisting us with finding a location for our rental shelter for this year.

Um we have had trouble locating buildings.

So Commissioner Dan Besse and Commissioner Woodbaver have been very helpful and Denise with finding a location for us to utilize this year.

And then they have been a large part of our one-stop shop conversations, our day center conversations.

We went to visit Oak City CARES.

Um we went to visit a few locations to see what a day center could look like.

And then the attendants and all of our Catima care meetings and initiatives, um, they have increased the attendance.

Um they are at every meeting, which has been very helpful, so we have more knowledge of the available programs, the increasing programs that they have created, and it has created a partnership where we now have their number and we can just call and get things and learn more about what is needed.

So that has changed a lot as well.

Going into winter shelter 2025.

So these plans are still pending as of now.

The dwelling overflow shelter and warming is um one of the locations.

We will be doing um multiple locations this year due to it possibly being a wet winter.

Um we do we will have conversations with the commission on ending homelessness about this this week.

Um, but our winter shelter will be ran by the dwelling and will be um utilized at six different locations.

So um they are all CDBGCV funded, except St.

Timothy, which is non-city funded.

That um was the funds for that is raised by them themselves.

So we have the dwelling overflow shelter and a warming space.

That will only open if all of these facilities, as well as Bethesda Center and every other facility has been reached this capacity.

Calvin Moravian will do a family shelter.

We only have one family shelter locally, which cannot take the majority of families that we have, especially during the winter.

The new story overflow shelter, so new story church, we'd be doing 20 beds for men.

St.

Timothy would do 20 beds for women only.

And then Maple Springs is looking at doing a possible 20 beds for men.

The location for this one is still to be determined.

And then this is just information for anyone who wanted to either sign up to help set up the beds or to bring dinner or help with check-in.

Those are available.

So things that we have done, our coordinated entry, we did revamp our coordinated entry.

So we partner with Citywood Dwellings, City of Winston Salem, and family services to offer these service in person.

So beforehand, you would call the United Way hotline and you would leave a voicemail and someone would call you back.

Now, as of September of last year, there are three city staff located at the Dream Center.

We were at first department of the county for a few months.

Once the Dream Center opened up, we moved to the Dream Center.

We have staff that are at City Wood Dwellings has staff at their location, and then family services on is on that for Sythe County campus where they are at the Bridges to Hold program.

So those services have moved in person.

You are able to go in person if you need those basic needs services, you're able to call.

We have a website, you're able to email.

We're just making it that those services are accessible.

From the COC, we had a COC review that was done in 2022, 2023.

And from that COC review, the individuals that were experiencing homelessness that we just don't know where to go.

So this was done as well as a marketing team was created to say how do we figure out how to educate individuals on where to go if they're experiencing homelessness.

This also brought up the 24-7 phone line, the call center that is contracted with North Carolina 211 to provide call center and resource connection.

So when we're closed at five, those services continue.

Also in partnership with the Bear Team and Winston Salem Police Department.

So when our street outreach team goes home, bear team and Winston Salem Police Department take over those calls.

We had a revision of prioritization policy.

So instead of using what used to be called the VSPDAT, which was the vulnerability assessment, we got rid of that and we created our own prioritization.

So we looked at okay, what matters to us locally?

The length of time is what we utilize now.

So we no longer do a V C Vaspid Act.

It decreased the wait time.

So we have had 80 batches.

Matches is when you are matched or you are connected to a housing program.

So in the last year, we have had 80 matches, which is increased drastically.

We are sending a decrease in wait time for assistance, and it's increasing the number of people who are served who are long-term homeless.

It also helped us create that light touch assistance program.

So if you have a Section 8 voucher and you only need deposit assistance, you no longer have to wait.

So we have that city case manager who's able to provide that deposit so that you can move right into your apartment.

And then marketing, we have brought back Project Comeless Connect.

That had been gone since about 2017.

So that was brought back to continue to educate individuals in the community about hey, this is where you can find us, this is what we do.

And it increased our sponsors and local partnerships.

So when I first started, we had about 15 or 16 people who came to the meetings, all the same people.

So now we have over 42.

So it's been a task keeping up with everyone, but it has been great just delivering all of those services.

We have community health workers who come to our meetings and how to state, hey, let's educate you guys on what we do, and then we can go educate the clients.

And this is what this looks like for you guys if we were to do some of these programs.

So that has been very beneficial as well.

And then certain events, such as our connections over coffee, some monthly events that we have where individuals are able to meet at a local coffee shop, and it is hosted by Samaritan and Citywood Dwellings, and they are there for two, three hours.

And even if it's a decompression talk, or even if it's just, hey, let's just figure out what you know where is the brokenness in the system and what can we do to fix it, those monthly connections over coffee are helpful for that, as well as weekly meditation on Wednesdays at four o'clock at Dream Center.

Um Karen from United Way provides trauma informed meditation, rejuvenation services for everyone who works within the COC.

And that's just to keep the burnout down for those that we're working with.

Um we have an enhanced training and increased our membership and participation.

So education of best practices.

We have moved from using for COC only, this isn't eligible for rapid um for ESG.

We have moved from using the fair market rent to rent reasonableness.

So beforehand, we will only use FMR.

If it wasn't FMR, we could not utilize it.

Rent reasonable still give us some hesitation.

So rent reasonableness is if you can find three units within the area, and considers that it is reasonable, it can be over the FMR, but we can move someone into the unit.

Well, the issue with that is even though those three units in the area are affordable, that person that may be going into that unit may not be able to afford that unit, especially if you're on social security or a fixed income.

So those are still some of the issues that we're having.

Um we've moved from we moved to a progressive engagement approach.

So we no longer give you 24 months of assistance right out the bat.

That is not happening.

So now you have to work your case plan.

So you may receive six months of assistance because if you're working, you've stabilized, there is no need to stay in the program for 24 months.

It allows us to help more individuals, and it allows us to teach people self-sufficiency.

So we have done a lot of training around best practices.

We actually have HUD coming in in about two weeks.

We hope with the government shutdown, they still come.

But we have them coming in about two weeks to continue to train monthly on what progressive engagement looks like and how it will be effective in this community if we keep pushing that progressive engagement approach.

And then we've been advocating around the housing first model.

So house people first, and then you surround them with all the wraparound services.

We do not want to keep people on the streets and try to provide them mental health or substance abuse from the streets.

We want to place them in a house and then provide them with the services.

Um, usually when you place someone in a house, you kind of figure out there's other physical ailments going on, you have a time to focus, sit back, and see what else is needed.

And then trauma informed care, making sure that all these services are provided in a trauma-informed manner so that we are not re-traumatizing anyone that we come into contact with.

And then again, we have increased our membership.

Um, Novine Health, Ball Run Properties allows us to lease some of their properties through our programs, the Department of Social Services.

Um, we have increased our local religious organizations to come on board, and the Goodwill is also back on board.

They are providing case management services again, um, which has been great.

And then again, um we have moved to in-person meetings for the continuum of care council.

Um, that increases our participation, um, not only the number of people, but the feedback and the conversations that we have.

And then we have created action groups around different needs that we have.

Ms.

Floyd?

Yes.

You know I'm a fan.

Yes.

And again, everybody thinks that we make these decisions that we make in a vacuum without information and education.

What good is it if the community doesn't know what you and your co your co-workers do?

And I know they like I can see it on your faces, folks.

I know.

But this is important.

This goes back to that learning piece, and I know most of you are here for the housing pieces next, but I need for this to get done and to be put out there in the atmosphere for the community because these are the folks like most of you that are boots on the ground.

They out there doing the work.

And when we don't acknowledge them or give them an opportunity to be acknowledged, that's not right because they're helping the people that most of us advocate for, but they're actually doing the FaceTime real time with people, meeting with them where they are.

So, what we're gonna do, because I do got I do we do have to get through these houses.

I'm gonna let you get to like where we do the get to the master leasing.

No, get to what do we do next.

Stop at the current needs, and I'm gonna bring you back.

And see, you all need to understand, I already don't put this off a couple of months already.

I need to get this done, and I need for the staff and employees to be heard when they do the work.

Okay, let's go.

Okay, current needs.

Um, we did a wage study.

$35,000, $6 is the average wage that our frontline staff working in the shelters doing case management.

That's the average pay that they are receiving.

So we need to figure out what first find a way to increase the pay so that we can increase staff.

Um, we need to increase the development of interim housing, so we have limited shelter for families and single women, so that's 30 beds for women, one shelter for families, um, and then a creation of non-congregate shelter options for those with high barriers.

And then a creation of non-congregate shelter options for those with high barriers.

So those with severe mental health, substance abuse, who can't stay in dormitory style shelter.

We need options for those.

And then supportive services, so figuring out a ways to increase our mental health and substance abuse providers and increase and strengthen those wraparound services that we have available for clients.

We've talked about affordable housing.

So we even if we place someone in shelter, it's short-term, 90 days.

So what do we have after that?

And then just recognizing it costs more to house a household rather than to provide them emergency shelter.

So we have tried increasing our housing opportunities, but we need to figure out a way to increase our housing opportunities to utilize our housing choice vouchers, and then also our rapid rehousing funds, as well as any affordable housing opportunities for households who are making at or below the 80%.

And then housing retention.

So a lot of the times we have individuals who come to us before they get home, they become homeless, but there are no unrestricted dollars to prevent households from becoming homeless.

So if we are able to stabilize and prevent individuals, especially families from experiencing homelessness in the first place, our system wouldn't be overburdened.

And then you want me to come back for that, right?

And next month you come back again, and we're gonna finish it.

Okay.

Because I need staff to put this out on the website so people can see how valuable this is because the next things that she would be talking about is rehab and on existing city-owned properties and purchases and all of that.

And again, I know everybody thinks this is a one, let's get it done.

It's not like that.

And I know that you know it's not on you, Ms.

Floyd.

Again, you guys do the work.

And and I've told you often that I'm gonna make sure the community knows what you all do because I hear the voices and the noise that says that we don't do anything.

Our staff doesn't do anything.

But one of the things that you notice if you go back is the piece where it says increase staff and agency capacity.

Wage study stone, 60% of the frontline staff, you know, earn below a living wage.

And all of that means that there's another layer of budget sessions coming in a few months.

How we understand that your tax dollars help make all of this happen.

And if we're not willing to understand all of this before it gets to us to vote, well, we need to go up on the taxes again.

Because you all need to at least for us to put it out there, so you can say that you didn't know.

But these people deserve to be paid just like everybody else.

I thank you so much.

And I look forward to seeing you next month.

No problem.

Councilmember Hall.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

I want to have gotten up there and judgment.

I want to thank Ms.

Floyd.

You you can go to the city.

You don't have to.

But I do want to echo your comments.

And you stood up there for quite some time without water.

And um you did an excellent job in explaining that for something that was so important.

And I hope that we all were able to see and hopefully can highlight in our heads the expanded city-county partnership.

That oftentimes people don't think that the city and the county do work together.

So I I applaud you in being able to put that on your screen and actually showing what that expanded partnership is, and now that you do have the relationship to be able to pick up the phone and staff and call folks.

And so thank you for that.

Thank you for all of your hours that you put in as a city employee to make sure that we are looking out for some of the city's most vulnerable populations.

Thank you.

Uh, city clerk, would you please call the next item?

Item G3, consideration of resolutions related to affordable housing development and disposition of city-owned property.

Miss McLean.

I'm a little bit taller.

Tell the audience listening on this in your name and what your job title in your yes, my name is Chantel McClam.

First of all, good evening, Mayor Pro Tim, Mayor Jones, member of the committee and council, Chantel McClam.

I am the neighborhood service director, and for a while I've been serving interim as housing development director.

And before I get started, I wanted to extend a warm welcome to our new housing development director, Michael Blair.

I don't want to put you on the spot, Michael, but I want to make sure we've got a lot of developers in the room and we got a lot of community in the room, and I just wanted them to see who's going to be leading the charge when it comes to affordable housing.

I have had the privilege and the honor over the last year.

But you ready to give it away.

So you're just ready to give it up, right?

But I mean, I feel good because we successfully laid the foundation and put in a process that is transparent, that is consistent, and it's equitable.

So I look forward to seeing what Michael's expertise and knowledge does to you know catapult this program to another level.

So welcome, Michael.

Okay.

So cycle two.

So what we're gonna do, what I'm gonna go over is an overview of cycle two, um, just a brief review of our evaluation process just for those who are not sure how we evaluate these proposals, um, then take a deeper dive into the the proposals submitted by our developers.

We do have all of our developers that are being recommended.

They are in the room this evening.

So if we want to stop after each uh after I go through each proposal, we can stop, you can talk to them, ask them questions, and not necessarily wait till the end.

So while it's fresh on your mind, um we'll we I included the evaluation team and the coalition feedback and recommendations for you all to see, and then we'll talk next steps and any questions that you all may have.

Ms.

McLaren, okay.

Yes, ma'am.

That's uh city attorney, city manager and the committee.

Uh, can I get some more time to this meeting today?

Because we need to get through it.

Committee, are you okay?

If we I think it's cities, the committee agrees that they would like to send a time, you'll be fine.

Do we need a motion?

No, no in agreement.

For the record if you'd like.

Thank you all so much.

If you agree, she can recognize well then go ahead.

You're not on the committee anyway.

You used to be.

Anyway.

I will not hold you to 8 a.m.

in the morning.

We won't keep you that long, Council McClellan.

Go ahead, Mrs.

Clark.

Thank you so much.

No problem.

Okay, of course, I want to extend a special thank you to all the people who utilize their time to help us with our evaluation team.

Of course, we've got subject matter experts from very important departments, Bill Brewer from Utilities, Matthew Burchak from Planning Inspections, Kelly Garvin from Transportation, myself, Dr.

Shailen Miller from sustainability, uh, John Kirills from housing development, and Jacura Westbrook, who's in our economic development.

Then, of course, our housing development coalition, who are members of the community that volunteer their time to actually come in and help us with evaluating these proposals as well.

So, cycle two, we've we've been here almost a year and we have completed two cycles of affordable housing.

So, cycle two opened up in on June 23rd, 2025, and it closed on August 1st.

This was only the city owned lots and gap financing that we did this cycle.

The previous cycle we did both just because we were pressed for time and wanted to get them both out and in the streets.

And but this time it was just city-owned lots and gap financing.

Um, the way we advertised, we did we now have 60 plus developers in our developer database.

I mean, and and I added just seven over the last two weeks.

So people are interested in developing affordable housing in the city of Weston Salem, which is awesome.

But our direct email, I think is the way that we get most of the developers.

We send the RFP or the NOFO directly to their email address, and that's how we get those applications in.

We also do newspaper and the city's website, of course.

So this time we received 28 responsive proposals from six developers.

Each time we have a cycle, we learn something new.

So there was a lot of different variety of proposals we received this time.

So we have two multifamily complexes who are requesting site control, and I'll talk a little bit more about the site control when I go through that proposal.

Um we had 20 city-owned parcels requested for single family homes, and then this time we had city um single-family home rehabilitation.

The city owns several parcels that have existing structures, and we have we receive proposals for those houses to be rehabbed either for sale for affordable home ownership or for affordable rental.

So just a brief overview of how we evaluate the proposals.

So when the proposals come in, we have a first pass by housing development staff in the future.

We have a first pass to where we look to see if they're responsive, meaning, did they provide all the documentation that we've requested to be considered responsive?

And in order for us to utilize that evaluation criteria to score them, they have to provide us with all of the information in order to do so.

And so we do a first pass, and then we get together with the internal team and do the quantitative scoring, which you can see here.

We utilize development quality, which is made up of three different pieces.

We've got location score, amenity score, and AMI unit mix just in that development quality, and that's why it's it's rated so high at 35 points.

Then we have uh leverage resources, financial feasibility, meaning how many resources are you leveraging as it as opposed to what you're asking of the city, and so that ratio is what gives you your leverage resources uh score.

Then we have the knowledge and skills of your development and management team.

So we look at that in order for you to receive uh the points as it relates to development and management team.

MWBE participation, you can receive it either by being a certified MWBE or signing a document that states that you're gonna make a good faith effort to utilize MWBE contractors.

And then the additional points you can receive for providing supportive services, either in typically we find this in the multifamily complexes.

So out of the proposals that we received, these are the different these are the six different developers that I spoke of, and this is how they ranked as it relates to their score in all of those categories.

And I'll show you on the next page where is a little more breakdown of how they weighed it in each category.

Now for uh Vencino Group and Affordable Housing Management, those are our two multifamily that are coming for site control.

So they have communicated that they are going to apply for low income housing tax credits.

They're gonna have to come back through our cycle in the fall because they they have also communicated that they're gonna request some gap financing from the city.

So you will see them again, and then they will get scored on that minority in business because at that point they will be required to either sign the form, the good faith form, or tell us that they're not going to use MWBE.

Okay, and this is just a little breakdown of the proposals that we received.

We've got Vencino Group, affordable multifamily rental, affordable housing management, also affordably affordable multifamily rental, prosperity alliance.

They submitted for affordable townhomes for home ownership, but they also submitted to construct some single family homes as well.

Then we have Moravian Church in America, they've requested 12 parcels, but they intend to build 15 single family homes for home ownership, and then we've got home own home administries who requested one of the homes with the existing one of the parcels with the existing structure to rehab for home ownership and Bell's property to rehab three of the parcels within existing structures for affordable rental.

So each one of the proposals, we did a map for it just so you can see where they fall on the map.

The first one we're gonna start with was the our our group that ranked the highest, um, it's then Vencino Group.

They want to build, I'm gonna go ahead and to their proposal.

I tried to provide a little less information, but all of the important information this time on the slide as to not have too much going on.

So Vencino Group is looking to build a multifamily complex at zero Mock Street, which is located in the East Ward.

The acreage of the land is 8.91 acres.

They are uh proposing to purchase that parcel from us for 250,000.

The parcel is the mark current market value is 486,400.

As you can see, the total development costs is going to be 12.5 million, and there um it's gonna be four two-story.

It says town homes here, but I'm that's a typo, it's actually a four two-story rentals.

It's gonna have a clubhouse, fitness center, community room playground, walking trails, community garden on-site laundry.

Right now, this is what they're considering to be their first phase, um, but they are gonna all be 60% and below AMI.

So we're gonna have 42 units in this first phase, which is the darker blue down here, and um it'll be 12 one bedroom, 242 bedroom, and six three bedroom.

Location score for this location was a 49, and they are proposing to set aside some permanent supportive units, and so and to collaborate with Citywood dwellings for permanent supportive services.

Um they are proposing future, you see the the the two other buildings, they are proposing to add a future two future buildings to this.

I know that 42 seems low.

However, if anybody has been out to this location, the topography on at Zero March Mock Street is very difficult, and so they have utilized, although it says it's 8.91 acres, they have utilized as much space as they could as feasively possible.

Both the evaluation team, the internal valuation team, and the affordable housing coalition are recommending this proposal for approval.

And I do have Mr.

Wesley Brown here from Vencino Group.

If you would like to meet him and ask him any questions, no, no, Mr.

Brown, no, no, okay.

So our let's get through the process.

You've lined them up in your Hallpoint, but you've also lined them up according to the agenda.

So let's get through those.

Okay, we'll do so.

Affordable housing management, they are seeking to build on zero Peters Creek Parkway.

Zero Peters Creek Parkway was a contested parcel, and so I'm going to follow up this one directly with the developer who was looking to develop on this parcel as well.

So Zero Peters Creek Parkway in the Southeast Ward, um, a multifamily complex.

They are looking to build three three-story garden style buildings with a community building, community center, computer center, fitness center, playground, multiple picnic areas, community garden, walking trails, um, includes 84 units, also 60 percent and below area median income.

Um they will have 21 one-bedrooms, 42 two bedrooms, and 21 three bedrooms.

The acreage is 5.33 acres.

Um, they are uh looking to purchase this property for a dollar.

They are also looking for conditional conveyance of this property, and the location score here was 43.70.

The location score was a little bit lower, well, a lot lower on on this parcel because the closest transportation is further up the street.

Um, location is rated higher on our location score, and it's your proximity to important services such as transportation, hospitals, uh grocery stores, that type of thing.

However, this uh proposal, if you can see over here in the corner near the Peters Creek Parkway, they are proposing a bus shelter.

And you know, we have those key individuals on our panel so that they can take these type of proposals back to their departments and say, hey, they are proposing a bus shelter.

Can we put a bus stop here?

And so uh both the internal team and the coalition are recommending that this developer gets this site as opposed to the next developer that I'm going to show you.

Prosperity Alliance also submitted a proposal for zero Peters Creek.

Um, however, they were proposing modern two-story, three-bedroom, two and a half bath town homes for a home for affordable home ownership.

This would be um 80 percent AMI, 46 of them, uh, three bedrooms.

And so the evaluation team and the coalition believe that the increased density that affordable housing management is offering, as well as the diverse unit mix and the affordability being 60 percent and below AMI would be more suited for this parcel than the um affordable home ownership townhomes.

Can I ask yes, sir?

Is this the land decided all the time?

Yes, it needs to be resolved.

I have I did cannot answer that.

Probably we leave that to them.

This is the land out of the all single family, and you will have majority money.

Oh if this is the auto land, it's zone single family.

And I know we've had several zoning requests in my 25 years here, and you're gonna have major opposition to anything because it backs up to single family.

And I think that needs to be taken into consideration on what we suggest there.

Okay.

And I believe this joiner, is this your land?

You're sure.

No, sir, it's Mr.

Taylor.

Okay.

I bring up point.

This is the land I think beside the otter tank.

Which is zoned single family.

The land I think it is, and you're gonna have major opposition or anything other than single family.

And I think we need to take that into consideration when we make our decision when you make your decision.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Clark.

And we do recommend to all of our developers when there's when we know that there's going to be opposition or contention when it comes to a parcel to do your community outreach during those phases of trying to develop.

And for us, this would just be recommending that they are conditionally conveyed the parcel so that they are able to apply for the low income housing tax credits.

Our next proposal was also from uh Prosperity Alliance.

They are seeking to build at 82 East Rhine Avenue.

Um again, they want to build a modern three-story, three-bedroom, two and a half bath, approximately thirteen hundred and eighty-six square foot town homes, um the to provide much needed housing for families.

It includes 33 units for affordable home ownership, targeting 80 percent area media income.

The sales price would be no more than 240,000.

The uh parcel is 4.9 acres, and they're requesting to purchase the property for one dollar.

They are not seeking any um additional financing from the city, they are just seeking the parcel, and as you can see here, the total development costs would be 2.3 million dollars.

Uh both the coalition and the internal um team recommend approval of this proposal.

Prosperity Alliance again, um, and I meant to say that Prosperity Alliance is in collaboration with True Homes.

True Homes has built several homes in the city.

Um they have a good product as you can see here at the bottom of the screen of copy uh a view of their elevations, but they are seeking eight city-owned lots located in the east ward, and um to build three-bedroom, two-bath, single-family homes, um, anywhere from 1340 square feet to two thousand sixty-nine square feet with either porches or carages, and again, they are committing to more than no more than two hundred and forty thousand dollars as the sale price.

Of course, we know when it comes to single-family homes, the market will dictate the price, but they are committed to no more than 240,000 for the the selling price of these homes.

Um, again, they will be targeting 80 percent AMI, and they will be building constructing eight homes, eight single family homes.

The equitable home ownership project is a collaboration between the Moravian Church in America and uh Fine Line Homes.

They are requesting 12 city-owned lots in the north, northeast, and south, southwest, and east wards.

They want to construct 15 out of the 12 city-owned lots they're gonna construct.

Uh 15 single-family homes for affordable home ownership, targeting 80 percent AMI.

Um, they are requesting 35,000 in gap financing per home with for a total of 525,000.

Uh, the value of the city-owned land is a combined 196, 200 with the total development costs across the homes at 2.8 million dollars.

The homes will all be three-bedroom, two and a half bath, uh, two-story single-family homes, approximately six, hundred square feet, and they are committing to no more than a hundred and ninety-four thousand per home for these homes.

Home and ministries.

Uh, this is the home located at 1033 Claremont Avenue.

Home and Ministries is looking to uh purchase this home for one dollar.

It sits on 0.27 acres.

It is um a blighted home that the city owns.

They are requesting 35,000 to assist them with the rehabilitation.

The parcel and the home together are currently valued at 97,600.

They believe that they can rehab it at 99,000.

Uh, this is a three-bedroom, one and a half bath ranch style family home, approximately 1,395 square feet, and they're looking to uh sell for no more than 275,000.

And our last proposal was Bell's property management.

They are seeking to rehab three city-owned lots with with structures, existing structures.

One located at 1206 is Celsier Street, one at 122 North Graham, and one at 2713 and Sonia, which are in the east and northeast wards.

They are seeking 35,000 in gap financing in order to uh rehab these homes.

Uh the total value of the land and the structures is 174,300, with approximately total total development cost of 304,200.

Uh, this the home on Excelsior is a two-bedroom, one bath, 950 square feet.

And the homes, this is the home on Ansonia and Graham.

Um, Ansonia is 1,008 square feet, and it's a two-bedroom, one bath, and the home on Graham is a three-bedroom one bath with approximately 1,104 square foot.

Uh, Bell's property management is proposing to acquire these properties from us for a total of $73,000.

And they and there you'll see the rental rates that they are recommending for each one of the homes, $1,100, $1,100 per month for Excelsior, $1250 for both Graham and Ansonia.

And the next slide is just a map of where all of the proposed projects will be located within the city.

Thank you.

Any questions for the City over customer call.

My question is um number five.

Vincenzo group on Mock Street.

Uh-huh.

Can you um yes, ma'am?

I'll go back to it.

That was I think one.

So we can talk about it.

Oh right there.

Yeah.

Yes.

So it's planned to rent for what is the rental that we're looking at according to AMI.

Uh 60% AMI and below.

The rental rates, I do not have the exact rental rates here, but they are in line with the the 60%.

They're below 80.

Yes, I see.

And um what is the relationship with city with dwellings?

What is the concept?

Vencino is offering to set aside some units for permanent supportive housing and then collaborate with City with Dwellings to provide supportive services in those supporter permanent supportive housing units.

All right, and their power lines there.

Uh, we don't have an idea of what they might look like where the other uh companies have shown us some elevations and site plans.

Um I'm familiar with this particular piece of property.

Um I am more concerned about we are reinovating or rehabbing Happy Hill to be a place that offers home ownership opportunities to go back to what it was culturally specifically.

So I've much more in favor of having home ownership opportunities, more as opposed to so many mask rental, because that's what's been that was what was torn down in the first place with the original vision in uh 2000 was to bring it back to really affordable but more with home ownership.

I'm just concerned about are we rebuilding Happy Hill with all of the rental units that are being built there now as we look to the future, what will it become?

That's my biggest concern.

Um and I don't know anything about the company, and I would very much like to know more about who they are and their expertise and what they bring to the party.

Good evening.

I'm Wesley Brown.

I'm the director of development for the Vicino Group Southeast Region.

Um our company is a predominantly affordable housing development company.

We are vertically integrated, so in-house we have uh development construction, um, asset management, property management, and design all in-house.

We are about a hundred strong across the country with offices in Atlanta, Springfield, Missouri, uh, uh Utica, New York, and Salt Lake City.

It's a smattering of cities that really don't make sense on paper, but the the consistent um theme between all of our offices is we've gone to where the communities want affordable housing and are willing to work with us.

We have heard the challenges that you spoke of of this moving poverty around, and it's something that we certainly understand and don't want to move towards.

Our properties are professionally managed by our team, and so we look to um we look to compete with market rate developments.

Many of our developments house uh house the the lowest of low, deeply affordable, as we spoke um or chantels mentioned earlier, we're looking at bringing folks in um off the streets with the wraparound services provided with by city with dwellings.

Um, but in oftentimes when we create these developments, we have folks that are coming in to fill out an application and they are looking for a market rate apartment, and we don't have that service, but the the visual confusion is that our apartments present as though this is a market rate, and it is with great pride that we're often able to turn those folks around.

Thank you.

And you're headquartered where Springfield, Missouri.

It's the home, sub birth place of the low-income housing tax credit.

Springfield, thank you.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tim Adams.

Um, Ms.

McClam, if you would uh walk me back for clarity.

It appears that the Prosperity Alliance was one of the developers that was competing for Zero Peters Creek that that was not elevated to the top for recommendation of that particular site.

Okay.

However, they were recommended for Prosperity Alliance, was recommended for uh single family homes with Happy Hill.

Or no.

Yes.

Okay.

R.

Yes, good.

And also the property on Rhine Avenue for townhomes for home ownership.

Okay.

And sticking with um the Happy Hill site, those are eight lots, I think.

Was where was and I know you remember, I remember just with Southeast Ward that that was contested with the zero Peters Creek.

Was there any um contesting with the Happy Hill lots?

Were there any other applications that that were submitted for these uh lots?

Okay.

There were not.

This was the only the the zero Peters Creek was the only parcel that was contested.

Oh and we didn't receive any at we didn't receive any responsive proposals for those other parcels.

Okay, and then back to Northwest Ward.

Um this is the Equitable Home Ownership Project.

Okay.

And um there are 12 city-owned lots, and this is between North, Northwest, Southwest, and East Ward.

Um, I think the average price would the sales price they're looking at is around one nine one ninety-four.

You got it, okay, one ninety-four.

Um, these, unlike the ones that would be um projected for Happy Hill, do not have the option of either a garage or a or a long porch.

I see the long porch in the picture here, but they don't have the garage option, or do they?

I just can't see from the rendering.

They do not have the garage option.

The difference here is a difference of 46,000.

So, you know, they're the prosperity alliance homes are committing to no more than 240,000.

They're committing to a deeper, yeah, a deeper discount at 194.

And so it doesn't really allow for the garage.

For the garages.

Gotcha.

Thank you.

Oh, I'm sorry.

We we have Mr.

Ron Staley here from True Homes.

How's everybody doing this evening?

Thank you so much for your time.

Um Ron Staley with True Homes.

I'm the operation partner of affordable housing.

Just so you can know about True Homes, we're the largest private builder in the Carolinas.

We built about 2400 homes a year, 400 in this region alone.

Um our founders have decided to tithe back 10% of their volume towards affordable housing, selling at costs.

So everything that we're talking about today is true home selling at cost.

And so we partner with Prosperity Alliance, who is a local minority developer, land developer.

Um we're building their capacity as part of our entree path program to help out minority contractors build capacity and and and get a better understanding to make sure they don't fail.

Um we've had great success within Western Salem in May of 2024.

Um we were awarded Ridgewood Place with you guys where we built 31 single family homes in 20 months, built and sold at 80% AMR below.

So we have a pretty good track record here, and we just want to do more.

Um we believe it takes a village, not only our product, but you know, there's a multifamily product needs as well.

Thank you.

Council of Scipio and Costco.

I just wanted to um give some thank you to uh Ron and True Homes and their investment uh in the community, but also in Happy Hill, because they are also going to be building a considerable number of homes uh in Happy Hill that are adjacent to the town to those um eight properties that are on Alder Street.

Uh so we're looking forward to uh their participation in building homes for residents in Happy Hill.

Um I also wanted to speak to um Bell's property and the home man's ministry, Bell's properties doing rehab.

Uh if we could rehab all of the houses in this city that are vacant because they need to be refurbished, we probably would not have a major housing issue uh if we could just rehab, but I am looking forward to what they're going to be doing in the East Ward on Excelsior Street and on Graham.

Um, and the whole man's ministry is on Claremont.

So I'm really uh gung-ho about rehab of homes, saving property, and investing uh for homeownership.

Uh the East Ward is in dire need of people who want to make neighborhoods stable by investing and staying there and maintaining the properties that they live in.

And so I'm certainly in favor of both of those three.

Thank you.

Council Rujo.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, to uh both prosperity alliance as well as the other um developers, I would encourage.

Um I I know everybody has a really nice car and they want it out of the weather, but porches create community.

I would encourage a porch.

Maybe you can have a a little carport, but a porch is the thing that creates community.

As we talk about Happy Hills, as we talk about those types of communities that were, as we think about just five years ago, if you didn't have a porch, you were out of luck.

You either had a porch, a backyard, or you were just sitting at the window looking sad.

Porches saved our lives five years ago.

It's not been that long.

We can all sit here and talk about the the pandemic that we survived.

And porches saved our lives.

Garages didn't do nothing for nobody.

I was getting the tennis balls.

Mayor Pro Tim, can I have just one comment?

Um, just as an advocate for rental, um, I understand that we do want to build wealth through home ownership.

Um, however, as Mayor Pro Tem stated earlier about connecting the dots, as we set and you know, we listen about Oak City cares and we listen to Ms.

Floyd regarding how we don't have enough housing for that grouping of 60 percent and below area media income.

We want to provide that that range, that income range, a better source of living.

And so by bringing a good mix of both homeownership and affordable rental, we think that that's the best use of these affordable housing dollars.

So I just wanted to say that as an advocate for rental because we have such a huge homelessness issue in the city of Winston-Salem, and these are working homeless, these are folks that are maybe living in their cars, maybe sleeping on couches, they need affordable rental.

Not all are looking to purchase.

Any more comments or questions?

All right.

So did we get through everything?

Um, I think the the last slide was just going to be kind of communicate what the the coalition's feedback, and I kind of talked about that um during the proposals on which uh proposals they recommended and why they were recommending as such, uh, but I won't go through and and read all of the the recommendations.

Um as it relates to next steps, um city council approval of or the general government approval of the recommendations, of course.

City council approval on November the third, we would get out our conditional award notification, or Michael Blair would get those going November 14th, and then hopefully the next cycle would be early December.

Thank you.

Yes.

Ums McClane, which ones were the LITA projects?

The which it was just two that that are requesting conditional uh site control, and of course, we would we would convey these properties upon the condition of them actually being awarded the 2026 low-income housing uh tax credit, them obtaining all of the financial um income that's required to complete the project.

Um, also they would have to secure all of the financing by a certain date, and then if they did not receive the award, the property will be reconveyed to the city, and if there were any type of rezoning that occurred, they will be responsible for putting it back to the original zoning.

So it would be a conditional, like I said, but it was two affordable um housing management, which was the zero Peters Creek and then Zero Mock Street, then Signal Group.

There are three.

No, they were it was just two of them, two of them.

Yes, the Mock Street and Zero Peters Creek.

Zero Peter.

Prosperity Alliance, True Homes Collaboration, they're not seeking any LITEC credits, nor are they seeking uh city gap financing.

Thank you.

Council Member Clark.

This is the second batch we've done.

It would be helpful, I think, for all the council members if we could get an update on the first batch, kind of where we stand, what's going on, et cetera.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Um thank you again.

We would just stay out for uh bailing through it the past year and a half to get two years to get the plan done, the process changed, and from what I'm hearing across the state from our colleagues, there are people benchmarking us now as to how we're doing this.

Again, like we said at the beginning of this process, it's a process.

And this is our first whole year basically of getting through rounds one and round two.

Uh, as I was telling the city manager and others, we will, as we move forward and we finish this, as Ms.

McClane knows, we will tweak it.

We will take recommendations from you.

Uh, we will figure out or help get away, and and I think that way for the community to have their voice heard, much like the planning and zoning before it gets to us.

That needs to come through the affordable housing coalition.

They meet.

They're the body that that's where they used to take the record of projects that maybe that communities didn't want to like or had great commentary about why they wanted them.

So I will be asking the city manager and staff to look into that, that there be a pathway for the citizens to have a voice before it gets to us.

If we if we I don't know whether any of you knew or remember, we were stuck a couple of years ago or more.

Am I right, Mr.

Clay?

We were stuck.

We weren't doing anything because we couldn't find a pathway to collaborate and to get a plan and a process in place.

We're talking about 229 units of housing today.

And I think we had that more than that in the first round.

So we are actively building houses and moving and trying to put families and people in housing.

But I think that we're on the right path to where we're trying to go with this.

November 3rd?

November 3rd.

So there is public comment in a couple of weeks.

You get to come and you get to, you know.

Next week.

Yeah, you get to come and you get to talk to us.

The the pros and the cons.

But again, don't just tell us what you don't like.

Come with us with a solution or an idea of people that okay, uh D.

We like the fact that we need to be able to say something before it gets to committee.

This group or any of the committees, because they're four.

And we need that from you.

You know, and and that's to say again, think about how serious and committed we are as a city to get housing done, versus being stuck for so long that other cities are wondering how we're getting now, we're cranking it out.

So that's that's that's a great, you know, um, you know, commentary to have with all of what's going on in the world and in our city and county right now.

That those folks that working going to work at Toyota or over the to the airport, that they can see that Winston Salem is building houses and we want to come in there.

And don't worry, though, your other leaders, we're gonna work on those other issues that we got right now that's pressing us as well.

So, with that in in mind, city manager Mr.

Pay.

Well, if you're gonna take a vote, I said I said one comment afterwards, but I can do it now.

I I just wanted to reiterate because we have had so a couple of folks asking, but I just wanted to have counsel continue to reiterate that your intent is for projects that were affording as affordable homeownership or or these projects to come through these processes that you've established to do that.

And so we we've told other folks that we're not taking things outside of the process at this point in time.

The process would keep continue, as uh I think you said, Madam Chair, just wanted to quit make sure that was thank you, Mr.

Pate, because we need to understand that too as a community like what you saw in the the last committee meeting.

Change is inevitable, it happens, and with the world the way it is, we gotta be able to change and adapt and try to do the best we can along all of us working together.

Again, uh this is a process.

We voted on it, you know, whether all of you liked it or not, but we needed it because we had small, we got small developers in here that are wanting just to do one house.

We got developers that want to do hundreds of units.

We got people that want to do all types of housing, but that wasn't happening before we got this process.

So again, the process it is, but we're gonna you know come back, staff all of us, you we're gonna ask for your input how we make it better.

But right now, I need a motion.

Councilmember Clark.

Yeah, I was just gonna welcome.

We have two of our Raleigh representatives representative Brown and Baker.

Thank y'all for being here today.

And we had we had three county commissioners.

Uh Mr.

Bessie was here.

Yeah, he's still there.

Tony McDaniels and Miss Woodbury, but I think they just slipped out.

Yeah, anyway, thank y'all for coming.

If you like this, come tomorrow at four o'clock finance.

We have a lot of funding too.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you.

Mayor Pro Tim.

Mayor Pro Temp, do we need to do this as a blanket vote or do we need to go down?

How do you want us to put it?

I can do this as a voice vote for all of them.

We can do all G3, because that's why it's G3.

Okay.

And then 3A3 baby.

We can do G3 in itself entirely.

Okay.

Move to approve item G3.

I second.

It has been moved and properly seconded that we approve item G3.

All those in favor, let it be known by saying aye.

Aye.

Thank you so much.

Any other