* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. YES. [00:00:02] COUNCILWOMAN ZENDEJAS. CHAIR ALLEN. COUNCIL MEMBER DUGGAN. HERE. COUNCILMAN SUBINA? HERE. COUNCILWOMAN KERR. PRESENT. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER URANGA. PRESENT. COUNCILMAN AUSTIN, VICE CHAIR RICK ODI. HERE. COMMISSIONER TORONTO. HERE WE HAVE A QUORUM. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. UH, CLERK, [ROLL CALL] CAN WE PLEASE READ THE FIRST ITEM? ITEM ONE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MEETING HELD TUESDAY, APRIL 9TH, 2024. WONDERFUL. WE'RE WAITING FOR, AND, OKAY, WE HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND. UH, ANY DISCUSSION ON THE FIRST ITEM? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE FIRST ITEM? IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO [1. 24-53381 Recommendation to approve the minutes of the Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach, California meeting held Tuesday, April 9, 2024.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW. NO PUBLIC COMMENT. CHAIR. ALL RIGHT. WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. UH, PLEASE READ THE NEXT ITEM. ITEM TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE REPORTS FOR FEBRUARY, 2024. CITYWIDE. [2. 24-53382 Recommendation to receive and file the Housing Authority Financial and Operational Performance Reports for February 2024. (Citywide)       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] I SEE A FIRST AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL? ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW. NO PUBLIC COMMENT HERE. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO AHEAD AND VOTE. MOTION CARRIES. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. UH, CAN YOU READ THE NEXT ITEM, PLEASE? ITEM THREE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION OF THE 20 22 20 23 HOUSING AUTHORITY FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY, GRADUATE CITYWIDE. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. WE ARE HERE THIS EVENING TO PRESENT TO [3. 24-53383 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation of the 2022-2023 Housing Authority Family Self-Sufficiency Graduates. (Citywide)       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] YOU OUR FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROGRAM GRADUATES. THIS IS OUR FIRST PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THESE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS SINCE PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR SUPERVISING STAFF MEMBER, PUJA BROWNELL, TO TAKE THE PODIUM TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW AND HIGHLIGHT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE TWO GRADUATES WHO HAVE ELECTED TO, WELL, ONE'S ON THEIR WAY, BUT, UM, OF ALL OF THE GRADUATES, UH, FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR, BUT HOPEFULLY THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TWO WHO WE HOPE WILL BE PRESENT. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. AS ALLISON SAID, MY NAME IS PUJA. I AM THE FSS SUPERVISOR AT LONG BEACH HOUSING AUTHORITY. UM, SO TODAY I WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION, UM, OF THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY GRADUATES OR THE FSS PROGRAM. SO I WANNA TAKE THIS TIME TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FSS PROGRAM. THE FSS PROGRAM HELPS FAMILIES IN THE HUD ASSISTED RENTAL HOUSING TO INCREASE THEIR EARNINGS AND BUILD FINANCIAL CAPABILITY AND ASSETS. AND IT DOES SO WITH TWO KEY FACTORS. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR PARTICIPANTS TO INCREASE THEIR EARNINGS IN THE FORM OF AN ESCROW SAVINGS ACCOUNT. THAT INCREASES THE PARTICIPANT'S EARNING AS, UM, AS THEY, I'M SO SORRY, , THAT IN THAT INCREASES AS A PARTICIPANT'S EARNINGS INCREASE. UM, THE CASE MANAGEMENT PORTION IS TO HELP THE PARTICIPANTS ACCESS SERVICES THAT THEY MIGHT NEED TO OVERCOME BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT, STRENGTHEN THEIR FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES AND ASSETS AND OTHER CHALLENGES HOLDING THEM BACK FROM ACHIEVING THEIR GOALS. SO HOW DOES IT ALL WORK? SO WE HAVE, ONCE WE HAVE A PARTICIPANT FAMILY THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED TO ENROLL INTO THE PROGRAM, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD EXECUTE A CONTRACT OF PARTICIPATION. UM, THIS CONTRACT IS THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF BOTH PARTIES. THE CONTRACT IS FIVE YEARS LONG, SO THE PARTICIPANT IS IN THE PROGRAM FOR FIVE YEARS WORKING TOWARDS THEIR GOALS. IT CAN BE EXTENDED FOR AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS, UM, DUE TO JUST CAUSE OR GOOD CAUSE. THE CONTRACT HAS WHAT'S CALLED AN INDIVIDUAL TRAINING AND SERVICES PLAN, OR THE ITSP, THE I TSPS. WHAT LISTS THE GOALS THAT THE PARTICIPANT IS GOING TO, UM, UH, THE PARTICIPANT IS GOING TO ACHIEVE IN THE FIVE YEARS THAT THEY'RE IN THE PROGRAM. UM, AND IT'S SMALL TERM GOALS SUCH AS, UM, GETTING A CAR OR TO SOME THAT MIGHT BE A SMALL TERM GOALS. SOME IT MIGHT BE LONG TERM. IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE PARTICIPANT AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ESTABLISHES A INTEREST BEARING SAVINGS ACCOUNT FOR THESE PARTICIPANTS WHILE THEY'RE IN THE PROGRAM. AS THEY EARN, [00:05:01] UM, AS THEIR INCREASE IN EARNED INCOME HAPPENS, THEY PUT THAT MONEY AWAY INTO THE, THE ESCROW SAVINGS ACCOUNT. AT THE END OF THE FIVE YEARS, THEY HAVE COMPLETED ALL OF THEIR GOALS. THEY GET ALL OF THAT MONEY PLUS INTEREST, SO THEY RECEIVE THIS FUNDS AND THEY CAN UTILIZE THESE FUNDS FOR WHATEVER THEY WANT. UM, AND THOSE, AND THESE FUNDS ARE ALSO TAX FREE. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS FOR 2022 AND 2023. TWO OF OUR PARTICIPANTS USED THEIR ESCROW FUNDS TO PURCHASE A HOME. THREE PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS. FIVE PARTICIPANTS ARE NO LONGER ON THE SECTION EIGHT PROGRAM DUE TO THEIR INCREASED EARNED WAGES. AND ONE PARTICIPANT ESCAPED AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP AND HAD AND AFTER SOME SETBACKS IS NOW EMPLOYED FULL TIME. AND I WANNA TAKE THIS TIME, LIKE ALLISON SAID, WE HAVE TWO PARTICIPANTS. ME, WELL, ONE WHO IS HERE, ONE WE'RE WAITING ON. UM, BUT I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, DIANA ASENCIO. SHE IS HERE. UM, SHE WAS ALSO FEATURED IN CENTURY HOUSING NEWSLETTER. UM, AND IF YOU GUYS GIVE HER A COUPLE MINUTES, I'D LIKE FOR HER TO SHARE HER STORY. ABSOLUTELY. UH, MY NAME'S DIANA AND I LANDED IN LONG BEACH IN 2014. I COME FROM THE CITY OF SOUTHGATE. I, I ESCAPED A DOMESTIC PARTNER RELATIONSHIP. I, UM, APPLIED TO HOUSING, UM, THROUGH MSC IN 2014. AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD, YOU KNOW, I GOT ACCEPTED TO THE VILLAGES OF CARRILLO. SO I, I, UM, BEEN AT THE VILLAGE OF CARRILLO SINCE 2015. SO, LIKE I SAID, I ESCAPED A, A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, YOU KNOW, AN ABUSER THAT, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT I WAS NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF. UM, I WAS, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN A, I'M A RECOVERING ADDICT. BEEN SOBER FOR 10 YEARS, AND, UM, I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOUND, TO SET A FOUNDATION WHERE I HAVE GAINED EMPLOYMENT. I LIKE TO BRI NO, I MEAN, I LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, SAY THAT I WORK FOR THE SPROUTS FARMER'S MARKET. I'VE BEEN THERE WITH, I'VE BEEN WITH THEM EIGHT YEARS. I'M ALSO GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY OF HIRING ME. AND, UM, YES, THAT'S WHAT I MEAN. THAT'S MY STORY. YOU KNOW, I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN, TWO, ONE MINOR, ONE, UH, STILL A TEENAGER, BUT SHE'S ALMOST GONNA BE 20. AND YES, I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND TO THE, THE HOUSING, THE HOUSING PROGRAM, AND TO THE VILLAGES OF CARILLO BECAUSE I HAVE SUCH A GOOD, UM, CASE MANAGER THERE THAT IT'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, UM, HELPING ME OUT AND, AND HOLDING ME UP WHEN, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE THAT I'M ALONE. I FEEL, I FEEL THAT I AIN'T ALONE TO MARTIN ANYMORE. SO, YES, I, UM, THANK YOU GUYS. . THANK YOU. SO I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE CERTIFICATES, A CERTIFICATE THAT WILL BE PRO, UM, PROVIDED FOR DIANA. IF WE COULD GET COUNCILMAN URANGA TO COME DOWN AND, UM, BE, BEFORE I COME DOWN, I HAVE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS. OH, SHARE PLEASE. COUNCIL MEMBER. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. UM, IT'S COMPENSABLE FOR THE PARTICIPANTS TO WANT TO GET INTO A PROGRAM LIKE THIS TO HELP THEMSELVES. AND I KNOW IT TAKES COURAGE TO APPLY AND TO GET INTO IT AND TO COMPLETE THE PROGRAM. THERE'S A BIG COMMITMENT AND YOU'VE SHOWN THAT YOU'VE DONE IT. YOU GRADUATED SUCCESS. THERE'S NOTHING THAT SPELLS SUCCESS, LIKE SUCCESS. AND YOU HAVE SHOWN THAT. AND I COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR WORK. AND BECAUSE OF THAT VERY SMALL TOKEN OF MY APPRECIATION, OUR APPRECIATION IN THE CIVIL DISTRICT AND THE CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR YOUR CONTINUING THIS PROGRAM AND TO BE A GOOD CITIZEN OF LONG BEACH. SOUNDS GOOD. MIGHT'VE BEEN FUN, BUT LONG BEACH IS BETTER. JUST FYA AND I HOPE YOU STAY HERE AND KEEP AT IT AND STAY STRONG. UH, AND THEN BEFORE WE GO DOWN AND TAKE A PICTURE, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, THE OTHER AWARDEE, WHICH WAS A BRIDGET SPIKES. CORRECT. UM, SO SHE'S NOT WITH US 'CAUSE SHE'S A FORMER NINTH DISTRICT RESIDENT. UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, I WAS, I HAVE A CERTIFICATE FOR HER AS WELL, AND I REALLY WANTED TO HONOR BRIDGET SPIKES AS A FORMER DISTRICT NINE RESIDENT. [00:10:01] I WAS SHARING, UM, WITH OUR NOW OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR, UH, THAT WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST BRIEFING ON HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, LAST YEAR AS A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, ONE OF THE PROGRAMS SHE SHARED WITH ME WAS THE SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER PROGRAM AND HOW THAT COULD BE UTILIZED TO PURCHASE A HOME. AND HOW IMPRESSED I WAS THAT THEY NOW HAD GRADUATES OF THIS PROGRAM, THIS FFS PROGRAM. AND, UM, MS. SPIKES DID JUST THAT. UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER BACKGROUND. UM, SO MS. SPIKE'S JOURNEY STANDS AS AN EXAMPLE TO THE POWER AND DETERMINATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM LIKE F-F-S-F-S-S IN EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS TO ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS THROUGH HARD WORK AND DEDICATION, SHE NOT ONLY REDUCED HER DEPENDENCY ON, UH, UM, REDUCED THE NEED FOR, UM, THE, THE VOUCHERS, BUT PAVED THE WAY FOR HOME OWNERSHIP. MS. SPIKES UTILIZED HER FSS SAVINGS TO ACHIEVE HOME OWNERSHIP WITH CAREFUL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. MS. PIKE SAVED ENOUGH TO MAKE A DOWN PAYMENT ON A HOME IN VICTORVILLE, A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT HER DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT. UM, AND WE REALLY JUST WANT US, UM, LIFT UP MS. PIKES TODAY AND HER REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT, UM, THROUGH A PROGRAM THAT IS FUNDED, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE SUPPORT PEOPLE, RIGHT? WE SUPPORT PEOPLE'S DREAMS AND WE SUPPORT PEOPLE NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR, IN THEIR STAGE OF LIFE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN, AGAIN, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT LONG BEACH BEING A CITY WHERE YOU CAN THRIVE. AND TO ME, THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE INVEST IN PEOPLE. SO I JUST WANNA CELEBRATE BOTH OF THE GRADUATES TODAY, UM, AND JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, LET US REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING PROGRAMS LIKE FSS THAT EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO BUILD BRIGHTER FUTURES FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. AND WITH THAT, UM, OH, AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER KERR, THE BUTTON'S NOT WORKING. THANK YOU. YES, CONGRATULATIONS. UM, AND I JUST WANNA THANK STAFF FOR BRINGING THIS TO US IN A PUBLIC FORUM TO BE ABLE TO LIFT PEOPLE UP AND LIFT UP THE STORIES, UM, AND THE GOOD WORK THAT OUR TEAM IS DOING. SO, AS YOU SAID, YOU HAD, UM, A GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM AND CASE MANAGER. SO WE KNOW FOLKS ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY, UH, WANTING TO ASSIST AND BEING OF ASSISTANCE. I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR HUD PROGRAMS AND SECTION EIGHT PROGRAMS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING PEOPLE CONJURE ALL KINDS OF IMAGES OF WHO THOSE FOLKS ARE. AND WE GOT TO HEAR YOUR STORY TODAY AND, AND AN AMAZING STORY, UM, AND OUR OTHER GRADUATE AS WELL. AND SO, CONTINUING TO PUT FACES AND STORIES TO THOSE PROGRAMS AND TO THOSE NAMES, UM, I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU HELPED YOURSELF, BUT IT ALSO HELPS US HELP AND EMPOWER OTHER PEOPLE TO CONTINUE THE WORK. SO THANK YOU FOR THE COURAGE TO SHARE YOUR STORY TODAY. CONGRATULATIONS COUNCIL MEMBER DR. SORROW. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO JUST ADD TO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION AND SHARING THE GREAT WORK THAT HOUSING AUTHORITY IS DOING. I THINK THERE IS A PERCEPTION THAT IT IS, UM, SOLELY ABOUT PROVIDING HOUSING WHEN IT'S SO MUCH ABOUT ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND UPLIFTING PEOPLE INTO WEALTH. NOT, I, I DON'T WANNA SAY WEALTH BUILDING, BUT IT IS ACTUALLY BECAUSE IT'S HELPING PEOPLE BUY A HOME. AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER LOOKED AT HOUSING AUTHORITY THAT WAY. AND I THINK THIS HAS HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO CHANGING THE STORY OF HOW WE AS A CITY ARE DOING THAT. UM, AND THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM TO DEMONSTRATE IT. SO THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS BY ANY OF THE COUNCILS MEMBERS? NO. OKAY. WELL, WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET'S COME DOWN AND TAKE A PICTURE. I, [00:15:18] OH, UH, ALMOST GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF. UH, OPEN. CAN WE DO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT? WE STILL NEED TO DO PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS ITEM. CHEER. I'M SORRY. WE STILL NEED TO DO OH, CALL PUBLIC ITEMS. CAN WE DO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT PLEASE? YES. IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW. NO PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS ITEM CHAIR. ALL RIGHT. UH, CAN WE MOVE TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT? WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A VOTE? OH, , PERHAPS? YES. OKAY. AND THE VOTE'S OPEN. AND COUNCILMAN SUBINA. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. UM, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT, IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON A NON AGENDA ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW. NO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. IF THERE IS NO, UH, ANYTHING ELSE FOR MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, SEEING NONE, I DECLARE THIS MEETING ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.