[00:00:01]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER ON JANUARY 8TH AT 10:03 AM UH, LET'S SEE.IRENE, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL ROLL MICHELLE VALENCIA.
SO FOR THE RECORD, COMMISSIONER GIBBONS AND GOLDSTEINS ARE EXCUSED TODAY.
UH, AND LET'S MOVE ON TO THE, UH, P PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE.
IF EVERYBODY WOULD PLEASE RISE.
YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND P INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY.
COMMISSIONER HINES, CAN YOU PLEASE READ OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT? YES.
WE, THE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AGING RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ON TRADITIONAL AND SACRED LANDS OF MANY INDIGENOUS GROUPS WHO CALL THESE GROUNDS HOME.
WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR STRENGTH, PERSEVERANCE, AND RESILIENCE IN THIS, IN THEIR SPIRIT.
MAY WE STRIVE TO ALWAYS HONOR AND RESPECT THE WISDOM OF OUR ELDERS? THANK YOU.
AND COMMISSIONER SCHMIDT, CAN YOU PLEASE READ OUR MISSION STATEMENT? YES.
WE ADVOCATE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR LONG BEACH, LONG BEACH'S, CULTURALLY DIVERSE, OLDER POPULATION BY EXTENDING KNOWLEDGE AND SERVICES RELATED TO EDUCATION, HEALTH, HOUSING, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, SAFETY, TECHNOLOGY, AND LANGUAGE ACCESS.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SCHMIDT.
AND MOVING RIGHT ALONG, IT LOOKS LIKE I NEED A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON THE AGING MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9TH, 2024.
AND DO IS DO, WOULD WE LIKE TO TAKE A VOTE ON IT OR DOES ANYONE WISH TO DISCUSS ANYTHING ABOUT IT? VOTES.
ALL IN FAVOR OF PASSING THE OCTOBER MINUTES.
THE OCTOBER MINUTES? YEAH, WE DIDN'T HAVE A CORPSMAN.
SHOULDN IT BE DECEMBER MINUTES BECAUSE WE WERE, WE HAD A MEETING, WE HAD A MEETING IN DECEMBER.
AND THEN THERE'S THE DECEMBER UM, MINUTES.
OH, WE'RE GONNA APPROVE THE DECEMBER MINUTES RIGHT NOW.
WHAT IS YOUR AGENDA DATED AT THE TOP DECEMBER 11TH.
SET UP, LIKE, SHOULD WE READ IT AGAIN? I THINK WE HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN.
MAY I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR DECEMBER? SO MOVED.
LET'S TAKE A VOTE ON APPROVING THE DECEMBER MINUTES.
THE DECEMBER MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
UH, AND LOOKS LIKE HEIDI WILL BE SPEAKING TO US NOW.
ALRIGHT, WELL, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
UM, HOPEFULLY YOUR THOUSAND 25 IS GOING WELL SO FAR.
UM, SO JUST A COUPLE, UM, UPDATES ON OUR PROGRAMMING FOR OLDER ADULTS.
UM, ONE UPDATE I WANT TO GIVE IS THAT WE DO HAVE A VACANT POSITION ON OUR, UM, MISSION.
AND WE, THERE IS SOMEONE IN THE PROCESS.
UM, BUT DURING THE PROCESS THERE IS SOMEONE THAT HAS BEEN NOMINATED OR SELECTED AND, UM, WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THEM TO DO SOME FINAL DETAILS BEFORE THEY'RE APPROVED TO ACTUALLY ATTEND THE MEETING.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THE NEXT MEETING THAT THEY WILL BE HERE WITH US.
UM, SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT.
UM, ONE VACANCY THAT IS CURRENTLY PRETTY MUCH FILLED.
WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR ALL THE, UM, THE BEFOREHAND STUFF FOR YOU.
[00:05:01]
NOW.SHOULDN'T THERE BE NINE? YES, IT SHOULD BE NINE.
BUT, UM, SO, SO TWO ARE APPS STILL.
AND YOU SAID FIELD ONE? SO WE HAVE ONE MORE VACANCY.
SO ONE IS IN THE PROCESS, SO WE'RE HOPING NEXT MEETING TO ACTUALLY HAVE THEM FOR US.
AND I FORGOT THE ACTUAL, OH, JUDY CLARK, THE LADY THAT WILL BE JOINING US.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE A FORUM WHEN YOU DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE FILLING THE POSITION? CAN'T YOU CHANGE THE FORM UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES TO THE POSITION THAT ARE ACTUALLY FILLED? NO, YOU CANNOT.
I DID ASK THAT QUESTION AND THEY SAID IT'S ALWAYS LIKE, THERE'S NINE, SO IT HAS TO BE HALF PLUS ONE, WHICH IS FIVE.
AND SO ALSO I WANTED GIVE YOU A COUPLE UPDATES OF, UM, OUR PROGRAMMING.
UM, ON DECEMBER 30TH, I THINK I MENTIONED LAST MEETING.
WE HAD A NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION ACTUALLY HERE AT THE SENIOR CENTER WHERE WE INVITED ALL OF OUR OLDER ADULT PROGRAMS, UM, TO COME TO IT.
UM, WE HAD ABOUT 230 PEOPLE HERE.
UM, AND IT WAS A FESTIVE EVENT WHERE WE DID A LITTLE TOAST.
WE HAD, UM, OUR FOOD WAS, UM, BEEF LIKE, UM, LIKE IT WAS KIND OF LIKE A CASINO AS WELL AS LIKE DANCING.
WE HAD A BAND, WE HAD A, UM, PARTY PAVERS AND STUFF, BUT WE HAD SOME CARVED BEEF STATION WITH MASHED POTATOES.
WE HAD JUGA, MARCELLA AND RICE, AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT SALADS AND BREADS.
UM, EVERYONE ENJOYED THEMSELVES.
SO WE'LL PROBABLY BE DOING AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
UM, WE BUSED IN SOME OF THE SENIOR SITES AND, YOU KNOW, SOME TRAVELED BY PUBLIC TRANSIT OR THEIR PERSONAL CARS, BUT IT WAS A GREAT EVENT FOR EVERYONE.
UM, HERE, UM, ALSO COMING UP THIS MONTH IS THAT, UM, WE HAVE THE UUTR, WHICH IS UTILITY USERS TAX REFUND, WHICH IS A PROGRAM THAT, UM, GIVES SOME REFUNDS TO DIFFERENT, UM, PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN CERTAIN BUILDINGS OR APARTMENT BUILDINGS.
UM, AND SO THAT IS HAPPENING HERE AT, UM, THE LONG BEACH CENTER CENTER AS WELL AS THE OTHER SITES.
WE ARE TRAINING THE OTHER STAFF, THE OTHER SITES, SO PEOPLE CAN COME GET THEIR, UM, REFUND, UM, FOR, UM, IF YOU QUALIFY.
AND ON OUR NEWSLETTER, IT HAS ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT THEY NEED TO BRING.
THEY NEED TO BRING SOME, UM, RENT RECEIPTS, RENT SUBSIDY RECEIPTS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT TO, UM, QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN ALSO EXCITING WITH, UM, NEW YEAR, YOU KNOW, TAXES ARE COMING AROUND, WHICH THAT'S NOT ALWAYS EXCITING, BUT WE DO OFFER TAX, UM, PREPAREDNESS HERE.
INCOME TAX PREPAREDNESS WITH A A RP.
AND SO THAT WILL BE STARTING, UM, ON THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS IN FEBRUARY.
OH, APRIL, UH, APPOINTMENTS FOR THAT CAN START BEING MADE AT OUR FRONT DESK IN JANUARY ON THE JANUARY 27TH.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, BUT IT'S A GREAT SERVICE.
IT'S FREE FOR, UM, YOU, OUR, OUR OLDER ADULT POPULATION, SO CAN GET THEIR TAXES.
SO THAT'S JUST A COUPLE THINGS.
DOES IT HAVE A, UM, INCOME LIMIT? NO.
SO, UM, THAT IS JUST A COUPLE THINGS.
WE ARE, UM, JUST FYI ONE THING, UM, WE HAVE, UH, UM, UH, IN 1 0 7 WE HAVE A ROOM THAT WE PROVIDE LIKE, UM, DIFFERENT NECESSITY, HYGIENE NECESSITY, BASIC NEEDS, UM, NECESSITIES TOO.
SO SOME OF 'EM ARE LIKE WIPES OR DEODORANTS OR SOME LIKE INCONTINENCE WIPES.
SO WE DO ASK IF YOU GUYS KNOW OF ANY OR HAVE KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE DONATING THAT THEY, THEY'RE MORE THAN THAN WELCOME TO DON HERE BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE'RE IN NEED OF THAT FOR OUR POPULATION.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU.
SO FOR THE NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION HERE, YOU SAY YOU HAD THE TOAST, WAS THAT AT MIDNIGHT? NO.
SO OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE EVENT FROM THREE TO SIX 30 BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MUCH MORE REGIONAL OUT MADE IS, UH, IS A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES AND STUFF.
SO WE HAD A LITTLE EARLY, WE HAD THE TOAST AT 6:00 PM OKAY.
BUT WE HAD A LITTLE, LITTLE DROP WE COUNTED DOWN, WE GAVE THEM THE LITTLE, UM, CHA NOT CHAMPAGNE, APPLE CIDER.
UM, AND HAD PARTY PAPERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO IT WASN'T EXACTLY ON THE YEAR'S.
WELL, IT MUST HAVE BEEN NEW YEAR'S IN LIKE AUSTRALIA, SO.
MY THOUGHT IS LIKE, I MADE IT TILL NINE O'CLOCK, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, NEW YORK CARD FOR DAY CELEBRATION, BUT IT WAS, IT WASN'T MUCH BEYOND THAT.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU HEIDI.
UH, CAN I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION
[00:10:01]
TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE, UH, UPDATE FROM HEIDI? I HAVE A QUESTION THOUGH.CAN YOU FIND OUT IF THEY WILL BE PREPARING SCHEDULE C ALSO AND THE PERSONAL INCOME TAX RETURNS FROM A A RP? I WILL FIND OUT.
SO, UH, CAN I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE UPDATE ON C CITYWIDE SENIOR PROGRAMMING FROM RECREATION SUPERINTENDENT HEIDI MAAS? I MOVE.
UH, DO, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT OR CAN WE TAKE A VOTE? OKAY.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING HEIDI'S REPORT.
ANYONE OPPOSED? THAT MOTION PASSES AND NOW WE ARE ON TO, UH, LET'S HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM SENIOR ABOUT THE SENIOR POLICE FROM LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'M MET SUMMER, BUT SHE'S WAS OUR COORDINATOR.
I'M ONE OF THE OFFICER OFFICERS THAT WAS, UH, PROMOTED TO OFFICER ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
AND WHAT WE DO IS, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, SENIOR POLICE PARTNERS, WE GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND WE REPRESENT THE LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS NEEDED, IF EVER THEY COULD RUN ON, UH, COME UP TO A SENIOR WHO THEY THINK NEEDS SERVICES.
THEY WRITE A BLUE SLIP UP FRONT THE BUS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE PROVIDE.
AND WHAT WE DO IS WE FOLLOW UP WITH THE SENIOR.
AND WE TRY TO GIVE THEM SERVICES THAT WE KNOW LONG BEACH HAS THAT THEY MAY NOT KNOW, UM, FOR WHATEVER THEY, WHAT MIGHT BE.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS.
WE GO OUT, UH, FOR FOUR HOUR, UH, PATROLS EVERY DAY OF THE MONTH OF THE WEEK, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
AND WHAT WE, WHAT WE'LL DO IS IF WE COME IN CONTACT WITH A SENIOR THAT NEEDS SOMETHING, WE HAVE A LOT OF SERVICES THAT WE KNOW ABOUT THAT THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
AND WHAT WE DO IS WE PROVIDE OUR PHONE NUMBER, OUR WEBSITE, AND IF THEY, WE CAN HAVE THEM IMMEDIATELY, WE WILL DO THAT.
WE'LL HAVE, UM, INFORMATION FOR THEM.
THE OTHER THING IS, UM, WE WILL GO OUT ON OCCASION AND, UH, WRITE TICKETS FOR A POLITIC FOR, UM, HANDICAP PARKING.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO.
UM, OR WE JUST GIVE A WARNING SAYING DON'T PARK HERE, OR YOU INSPIRED THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE MOST MOSTLY A SUPPORT SYSTEM.
WE HAVE ACCESS TO, UH, HEALTHCARE SERVICES, WE HAVE ACCESS TO HOUSING, WE HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, IT'S CALLED WISE, WISE.
AND WE CAN PUT GIVE YOU INFORMATION FOR THAT IF YOU WANT FURTHER INFORMATION.
BUT WHAT IT IS, IT'S A, UH, IT'S A COMMISSION THAT WORKS TO GET SENIORS IN TOUCH WITH LEGAL, UH, ANY RESOURCES THEY NEED.
IF THEY'RE BEING, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD EXPERIENCES WHERE THEY'RE THREATENED BY THEIR FAMILY, THAT TYPE OF THING.
WE ALSO GO OUT AND DO VACATION CHECKS.
IF SENIORS ARE GOING ON, UH, GOING ON VACATION AND THEY WANT THEIR HOUSES CHECKED, THEY LET US KNOW.
THEY CALL THE NUMBER, LEAVE A MESSAGE OR TALK OR SEND AN EMAIL, AND WE WILL GO OUT AND CHECK THEIR, UM, THEIR HOMES TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S GOOD.
UH, WE HAVE A CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THEY'RE GONE WE'LL KNOW, WE'LL CHECK THEM.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, UM, ANYTHING, UH, IF YOU'RE OUT OF TOWN, LET'S SAY, OR SOMEBODY, A DAUGHTER, SON, COUSIN, WHATEVER, OUT OF TOWN, THEIR FAMILY WORRIED ABOUT THEIR FAMILY, THEIR SENIOR FAMILY, THEY CAN LET US KNOW AND WE WILL GO CHECK ON THEM FOR THAT, FOR THAT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OKAY, THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD COMMUNICATION.
PEOPLE CAN REACH OUT TO US AND WE WILL FIND OUT WHAT TO DO AND HELP.
THAT'S, I KNOW THERE'S A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS, WE HAVE A, I LEFT, UH, WE HAVE FLYERS OUT THERE FOR YOU.
AND AT THE BOTTOM YOU WILL SEE A PHONE NUMBER AND AN EMAIL, UH, EMAIL ADDRESS AND JUST RESPOND TO SEND AN EMAIL TO US AND WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GET, IT GETS TO PEOPLE THAT WILL, THEY WILL NOT LET IT GO BY THE WAYSIDE.
UH, WELL FIRSTLY, CONGRATULATIONS, UH, ON YOUR PROMOTION, RENEE, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
SO, UH, WHO HAS QUESTIONS FOR RENEE? GO AHEAD.
MR. SMITH, YOU MENTIONED SERVICES.
CAN YOU TALK TO US ABOUT THE MOST TYPICAL TYPES OF SERVICES THAT YOU, UM, REFERENCE OR HELP THE SENIORS GUIDE AND, AND WHERE ARE MOST OF YOUR CLIENTS AT? UM, MOST OF THE CLIENTS ARE ANY, ANY SENIOR IN LONG BEACH, MEANING THAT WE WOULD GO, WHAT WE DO IN A, IN A PATROL TYPE OF SITUATION FOR FOUR HOURS ONE DAY A WEEK.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL, WE HAVE FIVE, UM, GROUPS THAT CAN GO OUT.
SO IT'S, IT'S QUITE A FEW HOURS.
SO YOU HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT VEHICLES? FIVE DIFFERENT VEHICLES? WELL, WE HAVE, I SEE TWO OR THREE DIFFERENT VEHICLES.
[00:15:01]
WE HIT EVERY PART OF LONG BEACH, EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH, EVERY, EVERY TRY TO REACH EVERYBODY.AND WE WILL, WE WILL DO STUFF LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY, IF IF A FAMILY MEMBER, LET'S SAY SAYS MY, MY MOM IS NOT ANSWERING THE PHONE, WE, THEY WILL CONTACT US.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL CONTACT US.
EITHER GIVE US A BLUE SLIP, WHICH A BLUE SLIP MEANS THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THEIR FAMILY TO GET IN CONTACT WITH SOMEBODY.
WE GO OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOOD.
IF THEY'RE, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE HEAT, WATER, ALL OF THAT.
AND WE HAVE RESOURCES WHERE WE CAN, IF THEY DON'T HAVE HEAT, WATER AND THAT TYPE OF THING, WE CAN GET THEM IN TOUCH WITH HOW TO DO IT, ON HOW TO GET THAT OUT TO GET THAT SERVICE.
'CAUSE ESPECIALLY WITH COVID, PEOPLE WEREN'T PAYING THEIR RENT 'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO.
AND THE LANDLORDS, ONCE THEY SHIFTED BACK TO NORMAL, THE LANDLORDS WERE TRYING TO GET THEIR, YOU KNOW, SITUATION HANDLED.
AND EVEN THE, I'VE HAD AN EXPERIENCE, WE'VE GONE OUT THE WATER DEPARTMENT TURNING OFF PEOPLE'S WATER BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T PAID THEIR BILL.
WELL, NOW WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS WE TRY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE THAT CAN TELL ME TO HOLD OFF OF IT, YOU KNOW, A MONTH AND, UM, TRY TO SAVE THEIR WATER FROM BEING TURNED OFF OR THEIR ELECTRICITY 'CAUSE THEY HAVEN'T PAID THE BILL.
IT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK, BUT WE JUST TRY TO HELP.
SO WHAT WOULD YOU, YOU KNOW, WE AS A SENIOR COMMISSION THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT MORE SENIORS HERE IN LONG BEACHES WITH THE AGING POPULATION.
SO HOW DOES THAT AFFECT YOUR OPERATIONS AND, AND, UM, WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON, UM, COMPLAINT OR REASON THAT YOU WOULD COME IN CONTACT WITH THESE SENIORS? WELL, IT'S, I DON'T GET, WE DON'T, I MEAN, FOR ME PERSONALLY, I DON'T, WE DON'T GET A LOT OF CO COMPLAINTS.
WHAT WE DO IS IF A POLICE OFFICER GOES TO A HOME FOR CALL, SOMEBODY CALLED IN SOMETHING AT A HOUSE AND THEY SEE A SITUATION WHERE, UH, SENIORS NOT LIVING LIKE THEY'RE A LOT OF STUFF OR THEY DON'T, LIKE I SAID, WATER OR POWER OR OUT OF FOOD, THEY THEN WILL WRITE A BLUE SLIP UP.
THAT'S ONE OF, I THINK, THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE DO.
AND WHEN THEY WRITE UP THE BLUE SLIP, THEY ITEMIZE EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT THEY SEE.
AND THEN WE GET IT AND WE TAKE OUR TEAM AND GO OUT AND SPEAK TO THE SENIOR PRETTY QUICKLY AS SOON AS WE GET A BLUE SLIP WITHIN, USUALLY WITHIN A WEEK.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AM I AM? YEAH.
ALSO, THERE MUST BE CAREGIVERS INVOLVED IN THAT SITUATION SOMETIMES.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE CAREGIVERS? WELL, WE DON'T DO ANYTHING WITH THE CAREGIVER.
WHAT WE DO IS MAKE SURE THE CAREGIVER IS DOING THEIR BEAUTY, WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
I'VE HAD AN EXPERIENCE WHERE TWO GOOD, YOU KNOW, REALLY AMAZING EXPERIENCE WITH CAREGIVERS AND THEN I'VE HEARD OF NOT SO GOOD.
SO WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING, THE SENIORS ARE GETTING THE SERVICES THEY REQUIRE AND THEY DESERVE WHAT IF THEY'RE NOT? WE, WHAT WE DO IS WE HAVE TO FOLLOW UP.
AND, UM, THERE'S A, UH, A NURSE THAT COMES OUT WITH US ON OCCASION.
SHE ACTUALLY IS HERE, UH, JANINE AND SHE WILL COME OUT WITH US.
SHE'S, UH, VERY TRAINED IN THIS AND WE WILL FOLLOW, SHE FOLLOWS UP MY, MY PARTNER DEAN WHO'S ON VACATION.
WE'VE TAKEN HER OUT AND VISITED HER CLIENTS WITH HER.
AND SO WE FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE ONES WHERE, YOU KNOW, UH, RECENTLY, UH, A LADY'S BED WASN'T WORKING HER, SHE COULDN'T GET IN HER BED, SO SHE HAD TO SIT ON SLEEP ON HER CHAIR.
WELL, AND WE ENDED UP FINDING OUT WE, MY VISIT MY PARTNER AND, UH, ME
SO WE WENT DOWN THE STREET, GOT SOME BATTERIES, PUT 'EM IN.
BUT IT WASN'T THE CAREGIVER'S RESPONSIBILITY PER SE, BECAUSE THE CAREGIVER WAS DOING EVERYTHING.
WE COULD SEE THAT THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT JANINE OBSERVES AND DEAN, I, I'M LESS EXPERIENCED THAN THEM, BUT I'VE BEEN REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT PART BECAUSE THIS IS A, THEY'RE LIFELINE.
THE CAREGIVERS ARE A LIFELINE FOR THESE PEOPLE, THE SENIORS.
AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE SENIORS ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
WHAT ARE THE, UM, REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTION FOR WHAT YOU DO AND WHAT'S THE TRAINING LIKE? OKAY, WE, UM, I WENT THROUGH SIX MONTHS OF TRAINING AND UH, WE HAVE A BACKGROUND CHECK.
JUST LIKE EVERY POLICE OFFICER, UH, GOES THROUGH.
THEY HAVE THE BACKGROUND, THE FBI BACKGROUND CHECK.
THEY HAVE TO, UH, THEY CHECK YOUR REFERENCES, THEY CHECK YOUR EXPERIENCES.
I WENT THROUGH TWO INTERVIEWS, OR TWO SEPARATE INTERVIEWS.
UH, AND I, LIKE I SAID, THE TRAINING, WE ARE WITH A SPEC, ONE OR TWO SPECIFIC PARTNERS FOR, UH, UH, EACH MONTH SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT ONE PARTNER DOES AND ANOTHER EXPERIENCED PARTNER THEY'VE BEEN WITH THE PROGRAM FOR, FOR YEARS.
AND MYSELF, I HAVE TWO SEPARATE PARTNERS NOW.
I HAVE A PARTNER I PARTNER PARTNERED UP WITH FOR A YEAR.
[00:20:01]
AND AT THAT END OF THAT YEAR, I WILL HAVE THE EXPERIENCE NEEDED TO START TRAINING OTHER PEOPLE WHEN WE GET MORE PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM.SO YOU HAVE TO, THEY SEND OUT INFORMATION TO INVITE YOU TO BE IN THE PROGRAM.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TRY TO DO TOO, IS GET SENIORS TO JOIN INTO THE PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S REALLY A NICE VOLUNTEER SITUATION WHERE WE CAN HELP GO OUT AND REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
I HAD NO IDEA ALL THE SENIOR SERVICES THAT LONG BEACH OFFERS.
SO WE TRY TO PRESENT THAT TO EVERYBODY, ALL SENIORS.
DO YOU HAVE TO BE A SENIOR TO BE IN THE PROGRAM? YOU DO.
I THINK IF THE AGE IS 50 PLUS.
SO YOU GO OUT ON PATROL WITH ANOTHER SENIOR POLICE OFFICER.
THEY DON'T WANT US TO GO BY OURSELVES.
AS AS OPPOSED TO LIKE, LET'S SAY, UM, AN ARMED POLICE OFFICER.
CORRECT? NO, WE HAVE HAD EXPERIENCES.
MY PARTNER AND I, AND JANINE WAS WITH US 'CAUSE WE WERE, WE WOULD GO OUT WITH WHAT SHE'S INVOLVED IN AND WHERE THERE WAS A DETECTIVE THERE AND SHE WAS ARMED BECAUSE IT WAS A SITUATION WHERE A YOUNG MAN WAS DOING DRUGS AND THAT KIND OF OUTTA CONTROL.
SO WE HAD TO, HAD, WE WERE WITH HER.
BUT IT WAS COMMON ENOUGH WHERE WE WOULD SIT.
I WOULD SIT THERE AND TALK TO HIM AND SEE WHERE HE'S AT.
AND THEY WERE, WELL JANINE WAS OUT THERE DOING, FINDING SOLUTIONS TO GET HIM HELP.
SO THE REASON WE WERE CALLED OUT THERE NOT 'CAUSE OF A SENIOR, ALTHOUGH THE MOM WAS A SENIOR, IS THE SON WAS HAVING PROBLEMS AND HE WAS HAVING APPARENTLY HAD TO LIVE AT THE HOUSE AND THEY COULDN'T, YOU KNOW, HAVE HIM GO.
AND THAT'S WHAT JEANNE DID IS SHE GOT, SHE GOT THEM HIM HELP.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR RENEE? I HAVE ONE MORE.
SO DO YOU HAVE A COP CAR? NO, WE DON'T HAVE COP CARS.
WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, SUVS THAT HAVE LIGHTS ON EM.
OH, WE DON'T HAVE THESE SIRENS.
SO, BUT, UH, WE, THEY KNOW THAT WE ARE WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
'CAUSE WE, I USUALLY WEAR THIS.
THIS BADGE WAS PROVIDE, UH, UH, PRESENTED TO ME WHEN I WAS PROMOTED.
IT HAS LONG BEACH, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON IT.
AND THEN OUR PATCHES ARE ON THE SAME.
AND WHAT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE CHANGED IS WHAT BEEN EXPLAINED TO ME AS LONG BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEER WILL BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND WHEN PEOPLE SEE US KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'VE SEEN US A COUPLE TIMES IS WHY WE COME AND GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND VISIT ALL THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF LONG BEACH IS BECAUSE THEY CAN RELAX AND KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE.
ALTHOUGH WE'RE, I, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT POLICE DEPARTMENT, I'M WHEN I'M DONE.
BUT THEY CAN ASK US SITUATIONS.
WE DO WHAT WE CALL WALK AND TALKS.
WE JUST FINISHED IT WHERE A A GROUP OF BUSINESSES, BECAUSE OF ALL THE MIGRANCY AND THE PEOPLE SLEEPING IN DOORWAYS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS ESTABLISHED A PROGRAM THAT IS CALLED A TRESPASSING, NO TRESPASSING PROGRAM.
BUT A LOT OF BUSINESSES DON'T DO THAT.
SO WHAT WE DO ON WALK AND TALKS, EACH OF US WILL GO OUT AND PRESENT THOSE BUSINESSES.
WE VISIT BUSINESSES IN OUR AREAS OR IN THE AREA OF LONG BEACH, WHEREVER THE WE ARE, UH, ASKED TO GO.
AND WE WILL PRESENT THEM WITH THIS TRESPASSING INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE SIGN UP, THE BUSINESSES SIGN UP FOR, NO TRESPASSING.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN, ONCE IT'S DONE, THEY'LL PUT A NO TRESPASSING SIGN IN THEIR WINDOW AND THE POLICE CAN PICK UP THE VAGRANTS OR SLEEP PEOPLE THAT ARE SLEEPING AND MOVE, REMOVE THEM.
UNTIL THEN, THERE HASN'T BEEN A WAY TO REMOVE THEM.
THE OTHER THING ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, THE LAW AND ORDER HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT TO ME.
I'M SURE EVERYBODY FEELS THE SAME, BUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT I'VE MET, I'VE MET A LOT OF THEM ARE FANTASTIC PEOPLE.
AND THEY CARE ABOUT OUR, OUR OUR, UH, OUR TOWN LONG BEACH.
I'VE HAD, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT VOLUNTEER, THERE'S POLICE OFFICERS THAT VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME ALL THE TIME.
AND IT'S REALLY KIND OF WONDERFUL.
I, I DIDN'T KNOW IT UNTIL I GOT INTO THIS.
SO I WAS REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT.
SO, SO DO LIKE FOR, UM, SOMEBODY SLEEPING OR SETTING UP CAMP AT A BUS STOP? DO YOU SUPERVISE THE BUS STOPS? NO, BECAUSE THAT'S PUBLIC.
UM, PROPERTY, WE CAN ONLY DO PRIVATE PROPERTY.
NOT WE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN ONLY DO PUB, UH, PRIVATE PROPERTY.
PUBLIC PROPERTY IS THE, UM, BUS STOP.
BUT IF YOU, IF SOMEONE WAS TO CALL THE, AND I WOULD PROBABLY, UNLESS THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING REALLY BAD, LIKE LIGHTING IT ON FIRE, I WOULD CALL THE, UH, THERE'S TWO LINES.
SO THE 9 1 1, AND THEN THERE'S A NON-EMERGENCY, UH, NON-EMERGENCY, NON-EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER.
BUT I WOULD CALL THAT AND THEY'LL COME OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE AND EVERYBODY AROUND IS SAFE.
I KNOW IT'S NOT COMFORTABLE, BUT UNLESS IT'S ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, I KNOW THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN'T TAKE THE PEOPLE AWAY.
[00:25:01]
YOU BET.UM, SO I NEED A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE, UH, RENEE'S PRESENTATION.
SO WE, WE HAVE WHO MOVED IT? HE MOVED IT.
SO COMMISSIONER SMITH MOVED IT AND WISHER HIN SECOND IT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS OR SHOULD WE TAKE A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR OF RECEIVING AND FILING, UH, RENEE'S DISCUSSION ON THE SENIOR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THAT MOTION PASSES, WHICH LEADS US TO OUR NEXT, UH, PRESENTATION WEEK PRESENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
SO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION IS GONNA BE REGARDING THE LONG BEACH GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROJECT BY C-S-U-L-E-B, PROFESSORS OF, SO SOCIOLOGY, DR.
UM, THIS IS CARRIE, MY COLLEAGUE CARRIE.
AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS, UM, WITH THE PROJECT PILOT PROJECT THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN LONG BEACH, A GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROGRAM.
UM, AND WE WERE TASKED BY THE CITY TO DO AN ASSESSMENT OF HOW WELL THE PROGRAM WORKS, UM, AND POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS AND, UM, IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
SO WE WANT TO DO TWO OR THREE THINGS THIS MORNING.
ONE IS TO SHARE WITH YOU EXACTLY WHAT GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAMS ARE, UM, WHAT THE PROGRAM IN THE CITY LOOKS LIKE, AND WHAT WE FOUND ABOUT HOW THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND ALSO TASK YOU WITH, UM, A POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SENIOR POPULATION IN LONG BEACH.
SO WITH THAT MORNING, EVERYONE.
I'M JUST GONNA FOCUS THIS, UM, I DUNNO IF I KNOW HOW TO USE THIS.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO START THIS MORNING WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
VERY, VERY SHORT ABOUT ECONOMIC SECURITY OR PERHAPS MORE ACCURATELY ECONOMIC INSECURITY AMONG SENIORS.
SO IN LA COUNTY, 18.7% OF ADULTS AGE 65 AND OVER LIVE IN POVERTY.
THIS IS USING, UM, A MEASURE OF POVERTY THAT, UH, THE CALIFORNIA MEASURE OF POVERTY THAT ACCOUNTS FOR BENEFITS.
SO IT INCLUDES THE BENEFITS THAT PEOPLE ARE RECEIVING AND ADJUSTS FOR, UH, LOCAL COST EQUIPMENT.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE A SENIOR? I'M SORRY.
UH, AND, UH, AMONG DIFFERENT RACIAL GROUPS, UH, LATINO LATINAS, UH, HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF POVERTY.
WOMEN HAVE HIGHER RATES OF POVERTY THAN, UH, THAN MEN AT, AT ALL AGES ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS.
AND AS AGE INCREASES, THE POVERTY RATES ALSO GO UP.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE OVER 75, UH, POPULATION, POVERTY RATES ARE EVEN HIGHER.
SO THE, THESE STATISTICS ARE SPECIFIC TO LA COUNTY.
IF WE LOOK NATIONALLY, WE WANNA LOOK A LITTLE BIT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, MEASURES OF, OF HARDSHIP.
SO, UM, POVERTY IS OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, MEASURED VERY NARROWLY.
MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE ABOVE THE PAR, THE OFFICIAL POVERTY MEASURE, EVEN THE SUPPLEMENTAL POVERTY MEASURE, ALSO ARE ECONOMICALLY INSECURE.
AND SO IF WE LOOK AT, AT, UH, THOSE UP TO, UH, TWICE THE POVERTY RATE, UH, OR THE POVERTY THRESHOLD, THEN YOU GET A MORE ACCURATE COUNT.
AND IN THAT CASE, ALMOST ONE IN THREE SENIORS NATIONALLY MEET THAT THRESHOLD OF BEING ECONOMICALLY INSECURE.
ABOUT 7 MILLION SENIORS ARE FOOD INSECURE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND THAT'S USUALLY DEFINED AS, UH, NOT BEING SURE IF THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH FOOD OR NOT BEING ABLE TO, UM, NOT BEING ABLE TO, TO EAT AT A WELL-BALANCED DIET.
UM, AND IN SOME CASES, OF COURSE, ALSO HAVING TO CUT BACK ON MEALS OR, OR NOT, UH, THAT ACTUAL HUNGER IS INCLUDED IN THAT, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY INCLUDE THAT, UM, MEDICATION.
RIGHT? AND, AND MEDICAL HEALTHCARE COSTS ARE OBVIOUSLY, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE, ARE OF GREATEST CONCERN FOR OLDER ADULTS.
AND, UH, RESEARCH SHOWS THAT ONE IN FOUR SENIORS HAVE TO CUT BACK ON OTHER EXPENSES IN ORDER TO PAY FOR
[00:30:01]
THOSE HEALTHCARE COSTS.SO WE JUST WANTED TO START BY KIND OF PROVIDING, UH, A QUICK PICTURE OF THE OVERALL SITUATION, UM, FOR, FOR SENIORS IN TERMS OF THEIR ECONOMIC SECURITY.
AND NOW WE WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAMS. SO GUARANTEED INCOME, THE IDEA OF A GUARANTEED INCOME ISN'T A NEW IDEA.
IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, ONE OF THE MORE COMMON PLACES TO SORT OF TRACE ITS BEGINNINGS IS THE LATE 1960S.
EVEN NIXON SUPPORT OF THE FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN.
THAT WAS, UH, MORE OR LESS, UH, THE BEGINNING OF A, OF A, THE THOUGHT OF A GUARANTEED INCOME.
IT DIDN'T PASS, BUT IT WAS VERY SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED AT THE TIME.
UM, AND SO THESE ARE NOT A NEW IDEA.
THEY CAME BACK INTO RESURGENCE AROUND 2018.
AND NOW THERE ARE OVER 150 GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROGRAMS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN THE US.
AND ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS TARGET, THEY TARGET DIFFERENT GROUPS, BUT WHAT THEY DO IS FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, PROVIDE A PARTICULAR AMOUNT OF INCOME THAT IS, UH, THAT'S GUARANTEED, RIGHT? THAT THERE'S NOTHING THAT FAMILY CAN DO TO LOSE THAT INCOME DURING THAT TIME.
IT DOESN'T GO AWAY IF THEIR INCOME INCREASES.
UM, IT'S NOT TIED TO, UH, ANY, YOU KNOW, CHANGES IN THEIR FAMILY STRUCTURE.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO WORK TO GET IT.
UM, AND OF COURSE, BECAUSE THESE ARE PILOT PROGRAMS, THEY'RE ALL TIME LIMITED, MOST HAVE BEEN SHORT TERM, ONE TO TWO YEARS IS, IS TYPICAL.
AND EACH IS AIMED, UM, AT A DIFFERENT GROUP OF PEOPLE.
SO SOME OF THE, THE COMMON GROUPS HAVE BEEN PARENTS WITH CHILDREN, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST WITHIN A PARTICULAR LOCALITY, AND IT'S BASED ON INCOME ACROSS HOUSEHOLDS.
UM, SOME OF THE PROGRAMS FOCUS ON FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE.
OTHERS FOCUS ON FORMERLY, UH, FOSTER KIDS.
UM, AND SO EACH ONE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
NONE, HOWEVER, HAVE FOCUSED SOLELY ON SENIORS OR OLDER ADULTS.
AND SO, UM, WE WANNA SORT OF THINK, UH, TODAY AND, AND MOVING FORWARD ABOUT WHAT, UH, WHAT COULD A PROGRAM LIKE THAT MEAN FOR AGING ADULTS, UM, AND, AND WHAT MIGHT SOME OF THOSE BENEFITS BE.
AND SO WE WANNA NOW SORT OF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE FOUND THROUGH THE, THE LONG BEACH PROGRAM, UM, AND HOW SOME OF THOSE FINDINGS MIGHT BE APPLICABLE TO OLDER ADULTS.
SO TO START OUT WITH, WE WANT TO TELL YOU AGAIN JUST BRIEFLY ABOUT THE LONG BEACH PLEDGE AND WHO'S BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM, THE AMOUNT OF INCOME THAT THEY'VE BEEN RECEIVING THROUGH THE PROGRAM, ET CETERA.
SO LONG BEACH MADE THE CHOICE TO FOCUS ON SINGLE EARNER FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN.
SO WE'RE LOOKING MOSTLY AT SINGLEHEAD, UM, HOUSEHOLDERS.
UM, MOSTLY THESE HAVE ENDED UP BEING WOMEN WHO LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY THRESHOLD, AND THEY FOCUSED ON RESIDENTS THAT LIVE IN SOME OF THE POOREST AREAS IN LONG BEACH.
SO THIS WAS THE SORT OF CITY'S DECISION TO TRY TO REACH SOME OF THOSE MOST IN NEED AND MOST VULNERABLE, THE SCOPE OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, TO DATE, LONG BEACH HAS PROVIDED 450 FAMILIES WITH $500 PER MONTH FOR A 12 MONTH PERIOD.
SO AGAIN, OUR TASK HAS BEEN TO ASSESS THROUGH SURVEYS, BUT ALSO TALKING TO PEOPLE MOST IMPORTANTLY, ABOUT HOW THESE PROGRAM, THIS PROGRAM HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, WHEN WE TALK WITH FOLKS IN GENERAL, THERE'S A LOT OF STEREOTYPES ABOUT POVERTY.
AND IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE MONEY, RIGHT? IN THIS COUNTRY, IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE MONEY FOR, FOR NOTHING, QUOTE UNQUOTE, THAT THEY'LL USE IT TO, YOU KNOW, SMOKE AND DRINK AND WASTE MONEY.
WELL, WHAT WE FOUND RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX IS, OF COURSE, THAT'S NOT TRUE.
POOR POPULATIONS IN LONG BEACH ARE INCREDIBLY VULNERABLE.
AND SO WHAT WE FOUND, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THAT MOST PEOPLE, IN FACT, 82% OF PEOPLE RECEIVING THE BENEFIT ARE, ARE BUYING FOOD, RIGHT? THE ISSUE OF FOOD SECURITY, BUYING FOOD, UH, COVERING RENT, PAYING UTILITY BILLS.
AND THIS ONE'S REALLY INTERESTING TO ME.
64% OF PEOPLE WERE USING THE MONEY TO PAY BACK BILLS.
AND WHEN WE TALKED TO PEOPLE, THAT WAS RENT THAT WAS
[00:35:01]
PAYING BACK RENT, AND THAT WAS PAYING, UM, BACK UTILITIES.SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST DAY-TO-DAY SURVIVAL NEEDS THAT PEOPLE ARE USING THE, THE, THESE INCOMES FOR.
AND THE NEED IS OBVIOUSLY REALLY GREAT, WHICH WE FOUND OUT AS WE DELVE MORE INTO OUR DATA.
SO IN TERMS OF SOME OF OUR PRELIMINARY FINDINGS, UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST IMPACTS WAS NOT SURPRISINGLY THEN, GIVEN HOW PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MONEY ON FOOD SECURITY.
SO TO ECHO WHAT CARRIE SAID, THIS HAS TO DO WITH, UM, RESULTING IN PEOPLE HAVING MORE FOOD, BUT ALSO BETTER QUALITY FOOD.
WHEN WE TALKED TO PEOPLE, THEY TALKED ABOUT, I CAN GIVE MY KID BETTER FOOD, YOU KNOW, I CAN PROVIDE MORE NUTRITIOUS MEALS.
BUT ALSO IT, IT, UM, UH, WE SAW A SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN PEOPLE WHO WERE SKIPPING MEALS, RIGHT? JUST DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FOOD.
THE DEBT ISSUE, UM, AGAIN, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THAT REALLY HAD TO DO MORE WITH NOT, NOT PAYING DOWN DEBT AS MUCH AS GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THE HOLE IN TERMS OF JUST DAILY EXPENSES, RENT, FOOD, UTILITIES, AND THESE THINGS HAVE A REAL SIGNIFICANT RIPPLE EFFECT, RIGHT? BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK TO PEOPLE, WE ALSO FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THEN TENDED TO FEEL MORE SECURE ABOUT THEIR HOUSING SITUATIONS, LESS VULNERABILITY TO, TO HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE THEY HAD THIS EXTRA PADDING, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE HOLE.
AND ALSO EVEN THINGS LIKE PEOPLE FELT LESS VULNERABLE TO, UH, LANDLORDS, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU WERE ABLE TO CATCH UP ON YOUR RENT AND BE, YOU KNOW, BE EVEN WITH YOUR RENT AS OPPOSED TO, UM, MAYBE BEING BEHIND IN YOUR RENT, GOING TO THE LANDLORD AND SAYING, I NEED MY TOILET FIXED.
AND HIM SAYING, EH, WHY SHOULD I, WHY SHOULD I DO THAT FOR YOU? YOU'RE BEHIND IN YOUR RENT.
WHY SHOULD I BOTHER? RIGHT? SO EVEN THOSE KINDS OF VULNERABILITIES ON A DAY-TO-DAY LEVEL, UM, REALLY SIGNIFICANT.
SO AGAIN, HOUSING SECURITY AND SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE FOUND THAT I THINK ARE REALLY INTERESTING AND AND RELEVANT TO THIS CONVERSATION FOR OLDER ADULTS TOO, HAS TO DO WITH ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.
WE SAW PEOPLE, UM, GOING TO THE DOCTOR MORE, MORE REGULARLY, BEING ABLE TO AFFORD MEDICATIONS AND HAVE CONSISTENCY OF CARE.
AND THAT INCLUDED THINGS THAT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT THINK ABOUT.
NOT JUST HEALTHCARE, BUT ALSO THINGS LIKE DENTAL CARE, VISION CARE, THAT PEOPLE TEND TO CUT BACK ON IMMEDIATELY.
UM, NOT SURPRISINGLY, UH, COMING FROM, FROM ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE IMPROVED, PEOPLE EXPERIENCED A LOT LESS STRESS AND LESS WORRY.
UM, THEY REPORTED A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T PUT ON THE SLIDES BECAUSE WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON THINGS THAT WERE DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO OLDER ADULTS.
BUT IN REALITY, WE WERE TALKING TO PARENTS.
AND SO THEY HAD A LOT OF THINGS TO SAY ABOUT, UH, FEELING BETTER ABOUT, UH, THINGS WITH THEIR KIDS, HAVING MORE PATIENCE WITH THEIR KIDS, BEING ABLE TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, BEING ABLE TO GIVE THEIR KIDS LITTLE TREATS, GOING OUT FOR ICE CREAM, THINGS LIKE THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND SO IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH, WE SAW REALLY CLEAR IMPACTS, BUT WE ALSO SAW IMPACTS ON PHYSICAL HEALTH AND PHYSICAL PAIN.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST SURPRISING THINGS TO US, ALTHOUGH IT MAKES SENSE, BUT IT WASN'T WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS KIND OF THE OBVIOUS FINDINGS.
UM, SO PEOPLE REPORTED EXPERIENCING LESS PAIN, UH, PEOPLE WHO WERE RECEIVING THE INCOME AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE, THE WAYS, AND OF COURSE WE KNOW THAT STRESS IS RELATED TO PAIN, STRESS IS RELATED TO INFLAMMATION, ALL OF THAT.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO PEOPLE REPORTED THAT THEY HAD MONEY TO BUY OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS.
SO THEY WERE ABLE TO MANAGE THEIR PAIN IN THOSE WAYS, UM, AS WELL.
SO I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SORT OF MULTIPLE ASPECTS TO IT.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, RELATED TO ALL THAT, WE, PEOPLE ALSO REPORTED THAT THEIR KIDS WERE DOING BETTER.
THEIR KIDS HAD BETTER ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.
THEIR KIDS, UM, WERE LESS WORRIED, LESS STRESSED BECAUSE ESPECIALLY TEENAGERS, UM, COULDN'T, ARE OFTEN VERY AWARE OF THE ECONOMIC STRUGGLES IN A FAMILY.
AND SO, UM, THAT, THAT PLAYED OUT FOR THEM.
AND THEN ALSO FOR YOUNGER KIDS, THE PARENTS SEEM TO HAVE MORE PATIENCE AND THEY ACTUALLY WOULD SAY IN OUR INTERVIEWS WITH THEM THAT THEY WERE HAVING MORE PATIENCE.
UM, AND THEY PARENTS ALSO TALKED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SEND THEIR KIDS OFF IN A NEW OUTFIT AND NOT JUST HAND ME DOWNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, AND THE IMPACT THAT, THAT
[00:40:01]
HAD FOR, UM, FOR THEIR KIDS AS WELL.AND OF COURSE, THAT THEN FALLS BACK TO THE PARENTS FEELING BETTER PARENTS, UM, MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVING AS A RESULT OF ALL OF THAT AS WELL.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME REAL QUICK HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT WE FOUND THAT IN REFLECTING, WE THINK MIGHT BE RELEVANT TO SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT YOU DISCUSSED IN HERE AND MOVING FORWARD.
AND WE WANTED TO KIND OF, UM, PROVIDE YOU WITH AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'VE RECENTLY LEARNED ABOUT, WHICH IS THAT THE, IN THE STATE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR, THERE HAS BEEN $5 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR A GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROGRAM FOR, UH, OLDER ADULTS.
UM, IS THAT IN CALIFORNIA? IN CALIFORNIA.
SO, UM, AGAIN, THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS ARE GONNA BE, AND I'VE GOT SOME INFORMATION FOR YOU HERE THAT I'LL SHARE, BUT THE, UH, REQUIREMENTS OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO DO WITH, UM, THIS BEING A MEANS TESTED PROGRAM, RIGHT? SO WE'RE LOOKING AT LOW INCOME ADULTS, AND THIS SPRING THERE'S GONNA BE A CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR, UM, LOCAL ENTITIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS CITIES TO APPLY FOR SOME OF THIS FUNDING AND PUT PROGRAMS LIKE THIS INTO EFFECT FOR OLDER CALIFORNIANS.
SO WHAT WE SEE NATIONALLY IS THAT, UM, THE RESULTS WE'RE FINDING HERE ARE PRETTY UNIVERSAL.
THE EFFECTS OF GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAMS OVERALL ARE REALLY DRAMATIC.
AND WE'RE THRILLED TO SEE NOW THAT WE'RE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT HOW THESE PROGRAMS CONSERVE, UH, OLDER ADULT POPULATIONS.
'CAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS REALLY SORT OF A NEW FRONTIER.
UM, WHAT CARRIE AND I HAVE DONE TO DATE IS, UM, WELL FIRST I THINK WE'D LIKE TO KIND OF THROW IT OUT TO YOU AND TALK ABOUT WHERE YOU THINK A PROGRAM, IF A PROGRAM LIKE THIS DO YOU THINK WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
IN WHAT WAYS IN PARTICULAR DO YOU THINK IT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT? POSITIVE IMPACTS IN TERMS OF, UM, AREAS OF GREATEST NEED? AND THEN ALSO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MAYBE STRATEGIZING, MAYBE STRATEGIZING TOGETHER ABOUT A ROLE THAT THE COMMISSION COULD TAKE IN ADVOCATING WITH THE CITY TO APPLY FOR, APPLY FOR PROGRAMS, UM, LIKE THIS ONE AND, AND MOVE FORWARD.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND WHAT QUESTIONS DO WE HAVE FOR DR.
CHRIS? SO WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY IS EVERYTHING IS FOR 60 AND OLDER, RIGHT? IT SAYS 60 AND OLDER, BUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE TO RECEIVE IT HAVE TO HAVE CHILDREN UNDER 18.
SO IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S FOR SENIORS.
IT LOOKS LIKE SENIORS THAT HAVE, UH, DEPENDENTS YEAH.
AND THEN MY QUESTION IN THE CONCERN IS, IN THE COUNTY, AREN'T THE CHILDREN ALREADY ELIGIBLE FOR RECEIVING COUNTY BENEFITS, CALFRESH AND ALL THAT? AND THEN THE SENIOR, IF THEY'RE OVER 60, LET'S SAY TWO OR FIVE AND THEY GET AN SSI OR AREN'T THEY ALREADY ELIGIBLE MEDICARE AND ALL THOSE OTHER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FROM THE COUNTY? OR IF THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF A GRANDKID AND THE GRANDKID CAN QUALIFY, THEY CAN TAKE THE GRANDKID ON AS A FOSTER CHILD AND GET COUNTY FUNDS TO TAKE CARE AND RAISE THE GRANDKID, THEN THE $500.
TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE IT ELIMINATES SENIORS WHO ARE OLDER WITH MAYBE MARGINAL SSI.
AND THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE KIDS.
THEY'RE NOT LIVING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT TAKING, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WITHOUT, THEY NEED $50 A MONTH MORE JUST TO HAVE WIFI.
SO, UH, LET ME, LET'S, LET ME UNPACK THAT FOR A SECOND.
UM, AND I'M, I'M SORRY IF I WASN'T CLEAR WHEN I TRANSITIONED TO THIS.
SO THE PROGRAM WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE, THE INFORMATION WE WERE GIVING ABOUT HERE ARE THE IMPACTS, THOSE ARE THE IMPACTS OF THE CURRENT PROGRAM THAT'S IN PLACE IN LONG BEACH, WHICH IS CURRENTLY GIVING THE FIVE, SUPPLYING THE $500 A MONTH TO FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AND ARE 18.
THIS PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM THAT'S BEING PROPOSED AND FUNDED BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA THAT'S UPCOMING.
THAT IS GONNA FOCUS JUST ON PEOPLE THAT ARE 60 AND OLDER.
BUT IF I'M STILL, WELL THE ONE THAT WE ARE GIVING 4 52 NOW, 500, 450 FAMILIES GETTING $500 AND THEY HAVE KIDS, THEN WHY THE KIDS GET MONEY FROM THE COUNTY, WHY AREN'T THEY ALREADY ON THE COUNTY, UH, GAIN AND GROW OR WHATEVER THEY CALL THAT.
ABOUT HALF OF THE FAMILIES, UM, THAT WE ARE SERVED, THAT ARE BEING SERVED, UM, BY THE GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM RIGHT NOW ARE RECEIVING CALWORKS, WHICH IS CASH AID.
ABOUT 80% OF THEM ARE RECEIVING FOOD STAMPS.
UM, BUT EVEN IF YOU RECEIVE CALFRESH AND FOOD STAMPS,
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YOU ARE STILL BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE AS A FAMILY.IT DOES NOT LIFT YOU ABOVE THE POVERTY LINE.
SO THE $500 IS TO HELP, UM, THOSE FAMILIES THAT ARE ALREADY, UH, THAT ARE IN THOSE SITUATIONS.
AND AGAIN, ONLY ABOUT HALF OF THEM ARE RECEIVING CALWORKS.
CALWORKS OR CASH AID IS TIME LIMITED.
YOU CAN ONLY RECEIVE IT FOR SO MANY YEARS AS A PARENT.
KIDS CAN RECEIVE IT FOR LONGER, BUT IT'S VERY SMALL AMOUNT.
SO IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T SOLVE ISSUES OF FOOD SECURITY AND HOUSING SECURITY.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE I WAS TOLD BY THE COUNTY THEY GET $250 PER PERSON, 250 MAX PER PERSON.
SO I GOT FIVE KIDS IN THE HOUSE PER PERSON PLUS MYSELF.
I'M ELIGIBLE TO EAT PER PERSON.
AND THEN I GET WHATEVER CASH AID THAT COMES WITH THAT.
AND THEN I AM, NOT ONLY AM I ELIGIBLE, I CAN WORK, I'M OVER 60, BUT I CAN STILL WORK, EVEN IF I'M GETTING SSI, I CAN BE EMPLOYED AND I CAN GET CHILDCARE TO TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS AND ALL OF THAT STUFF FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT I TOOK.
BUT FOR A PERSON WHO'S MILDLY DISABLED, MAYBE CAN'T WORK OVER 62, OVER 65, OVER 62 AND NOT RECEIVING SSI YET, OR MEDICARE, THOSE TO ME, EVEN IN LONG BEACH, THAT'S, TO ME THE PRIORITY WOULD BE TO HELP A INDIVIDUAL OR A COUPLE WITH JUST AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF CASH AID TO HELP THEM OVER SUPPORTING SOMETHING THE COUNTY ALREADY HELPS PEOPLE WITH, WITH FAMILIES.
AND I, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT AND THAT IN MY, MY PERSONAL STRUGGLE IN THIS MM-HMM
UM, AND LIVING IN A SENIOR APARTMENT WHERE ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I'M IN THE LONGEST SENIOR ARTS COLONY AND THEN THE TWO BUILDINGS NEXT TO ME ARE ALL SENIOR.
SO ALL OF THREE OR 400 PEOPLE AND UNITS THAT ARE ALL SENIORS, MOST INDIVIDUALS, AND JUST ONE OR TWO, MAYBE $200 A MONTH COULD HELP SOMEBODY BECOME UNHOUSED.
BECAUSE THERE'S A HUNDRED DOLLARS RENT INCREASE.
THAT'S WHAT THIS NEW PROGRAM FROM THE STATE IS, IS GONNA START EXPLORING IS HOW THOSE, UH, THAT POPULATION THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OVER 60.
UM, AND, AND LOW INCOME AND OBVIOUSLY EITHER NOT RECEIVING THE SUPPLEMENTAL INSURANCE OR, OR NOT, OR DISABILITY OR, OR WHAT THEY ARE RECEIVING ISN'T ENOUGH MM-HMM
BUT THE 5 MILLION IS FOR THE ENTIRE STATE.
FOUR PROGRAMS. THEY'LL THEN BE STUDIED AND THEN THE HOPE IS WITH ALL OF THESE THAT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THE RESULTS SHOW THAT IT'S REALLY BENEFICIAL THAT, UH, THAT IT CAN BE EXPANDED.
WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DO WE HAVE FOR DR.
CHRIS BILL? UM, COULD YOU DESCRIBE THE IMPACT THAT HAPPENS AFTER THE TWO YEARS? SO YOU'VE GOT THIS, THIS IMPLEMENT ALL OUR GUARANTEED INCOME FOR TWO YEARS, RIGHT? AM I CORRECT? ONE YEAR CALL THAT IT ONE YEAR.
AND THEN WHAT
I MEAN WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING INTERVIEWS WITH, WITH PEOPLE AT, AT VARIOUS POINTS ACROSS THE YEAR.
AND, UM, AS WE GET TO THE END, THAT'S PEOPLE'S CONCERN.
I MEAN, EVEN IF, EVEN AFTER RECEIVING BENEFITS FOR SIX MONTHS, PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO ANTICIPATE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN SIX MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD WHEN I DON'T HAVE THIS.
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW PEOPLE ARE NEEDING TO USE MONEY TO GET OUT OF DEBT, RIGHT? TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN MAKE THEIR MONTHLY PAYMENTS TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR THEIR KIDS.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW THE, THE POVERTY IS SUCH THAT PEOPLE ARE NEEDING TO USE THIS FOR IMMEDIATE NEEDS.
THEY'RE NOT SAVING THE MONEY, THEY'RE NOT, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO INVEST.
ALTHOUGH WE SAW SOME EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INVESTING IN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE GETTING A CREDENTIAL SO THEY COULD GET A BETTER JOB.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IMMEDIATE NEEDS TRUMPS EVERYTHING.
AND SO IN WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE IS WE TALK TO PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM IS INCREDIBLE ANXIETY THAT'S BEING CAUSED BY THIS PILOT PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S GONNA END.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, UH, WE DIDN'T NEED YOU FREE GIFT CARD.
SO THE LONG BEACH PLEDGE, IS THAT STILL HAPPENING OR IT YEAH, THE SECOND PHASE OF THE PROGRAM, UM, 200 FAMILIES IS, UH, IS UNDERWAY NOW AND WILL BE COMING TO AN END IN EIGHT.
AND THEN WHAT IS THAT POVERTY LEVEL IN LONG BEACH? THE POVERTY RATE'S ABOUT 13.5%.
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THE OLDER ADULT POPULATIONS, ABOUT 14%.WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF DOLLARS? IT'S THE DOLLAR AMOUNT.
SO FOR, UM, FOR A FAMILY OF THREE, IT CHANGES EVERY YEAR.
THE, THE OFFICIAL POVERTY MEASURE, WHICH IS WHAT'S BEING USED FOR ELIGIBILITY INTO THE GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM, UH, FOR A FAMILY OF THREE, IT'S SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY OF 25,000.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE POVERTY AND I MEAN, YEAH.
AND THESE ARE SOBERING, RIGHT? MM-HMM
'CAUSE WE, WE TALK ABOUT THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL ALL THE TIME.
THOSE ARE THE OFFICIAL MEASURES.
THOSE ARE THE STATISTICS THAT WE SEE WHEN YOU READ THE NEWSPAPER, WHEN YOU READ REPORTS.
BUT WHEN YOU START TO REALLY LOOK AT WHAT THE NUMBER IS, $25,000 FOR A FAMILY OF THREE IN LONG BEACH, HOW ARE PEOPLE LIVING? MM-HMM.
NOT RIGHT? AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT POVERTY, I, YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN TALK ABOUT HIDDEN POVERTY, RIGHT? IT'S LIKE WE DON'T SEE 'EM IN THE STATISTICS, THE OFFICIAL STATISTICS, BUT REALISTICALLY, I HAVE A QUESTION, JIM.
UM, SO I REMEMBER AT THE PRESENTATION OF THE SENIOR CENTER PLANS, KAREN BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT, UM, EVEN THE EXISTING SENIOR PROGRAMS DON'T REALLY REACH OUT TO THE, THE MASS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SENIORS WHO ARE LOW INCOME AND, AND, UH, AND DISPROPORTIONATE PEOPLE OF COLOR.
BUT DO YOU THINK THAT EVEN THOUGH, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT APPLY AND NOT GET, UH, ONE OF THESE GRANTS, OR IF WE GET ONE OF THESE GRANTS, IT MIGHT JUST HELP A TINY GROUP OF PEOPLE AND IT'S A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE STILL WORTHWHILE AS A WAY OF BRINGING ATTENTION TO WHAT'S MISSING FROM EXISTING PROGRAMS? IT SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT REALLY BE EDUCATIONAL FOR BOTH US AND, AND THE CITY AND ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD BE A PARTNER.
LIKE COULD WE HAVE LIKE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WOULD BE PART OF OUR GRANT IF WE DID ASK FOR ONE.
TO ME, ANYTHING, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, UM, ANYTHING WE CAN DO IN LONG BEACH THAT BRINGS ATTENTION TO THIS IS, IS, IS, IS WORTHY OF, OF PURSUING.
AND, AND CAROLYN, I ACTUALLY, LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ALLUDED TO WAS TALKING ABOUT OLDER ADULTS, SENIORS THAT ARE TAKING CARE OF GRANDKIDS, YOU KNOW, AND MULTIGENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLDS AND THE, AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE ROLE THAT THE OLDER ADULTS ARE PLAYING IN CHILDCARE TAKING AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, RIGHT? I MEAN, THERE'S JUST, THERE'S A WHOLE, I MEAN, SORT OF SEPARATE FROM THIS ISSUE, BUT IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU START TO THINK ABOUT POVERTY, YOU START TO THINK ABOUT SURVIVAL STRATEGIES OF FAMILIES, THE WAYS THAT FAMILIES COME TOGETHER AND THE INTERGENERATIONAL COOPERATION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN TERMS OF CHILDCARE, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, FAMILY MEMBERS LOANING MONEY TO EACH OTHER TO GET BY ALL THOSE SURVIVAL STRATEGIES THAT PEOPLE ENGAGE IN.
UM, THE, THE QUESTION OF POVERTY IS REALLY COMPLICATED AND MUCH MORE MULTIDIMENSIONAL THAN IS, IS VISIBLE TO MOST PEOPLE THAT DON'T EXPERIENCE THAT.
ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE $5 MILLION TO THE STATE.
ONLY BECAUSE WE ARE IN THIS POLITICAL CLIMATE.
IF IT COMES FROM THE FED AND THEY CHOOSE NOT TO FUND IT, 'CAUSE WE CALIFORNIA AND THEY ARE, WE GOT THIS THING WITH THEM, WILL CALIFORNIA AND OR LONG BEACH HAVE THE FUNDS TO FUND IT? MINUS WHATEVER WE COULD GET FROM WHOEVER HAD IT.
LIKE MAYBE, MAYBE WE HAVE A RESOURCE OR SOMETHING BECAUSE I THINK WE ALREADY KNOW POVERTY GONNA LEAD TO CRIME.
LET'S GO THERE AND INCREASE POVERTY, INCREASE CRIME.
SO WHY DON'T WE TAKE SOME MONEY FROM, UM, JUSTICE INVOLVED PROGRAMMING, COUNTY JAIL, FEDERAL, WHATEVER, AND PUT THAT INTO THIS TO AVERT THE, THE CRIME PIECE.
SO NOW WE HAVE EVERYBODY IN JAIL FOR SHOPLIFTING AND STEALING 'CAUSE THEY TRYING TO SURVIVE.
AND WE COULD JUST FIND ANOTHER FUNDING SOURCE TO SUPPLEMENT THAT AND MAKE IT 10 MILLION FOR LONG BEACH.
AND THEN, OR, AND, OR FIND ANOTHER OPTION AND SEE IF WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S SUSTAINABLE IN THE EVENT THAT WE JUST LOSE THAT JUST BECAUSE, YEAH.
SO I THINK, UM, IN ANSWER TO THE LONG BEACH QUESTION, BECAUSE AGAIN, CARRIE AND I ARE DOING, WORKING ON THIS ASSESSMENT PIECE.
SO WE'RE THE ONES THAT ARE OUT TALKING TO PEOPLE, GETTING A SENSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE CONNECTED WITH IN THE CITY WORKING IN THE PROJECT IN THAT ROLE HAVE FLAT OUT SAID TO ME THAT LONG BEACH WILL NOT DO ANOTHER GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE.
[00:55:01]
HOW, HOW, HOW, SCREW IT.AND THEY PROFESS TO BE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR COUNTY MONEY AND STATE MONEY TO FUND THESE PROGRAMS, BUT THEY'RE NOT LOOKING INTERNALLY ABOUT USING LONG BEACH RESOURCES TO DO THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS. AND, UM, WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S DOING THAT.
WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S DOING THE LOOKING.
SO EVEN WITH THIS, I MEAN, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WILLING TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU IN WAYS THAT WE CAN, UM, BUT EVEN THIS GRANT OPPORTUNITY, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO OUR POINT PERSON AT THE CITY WHO WE'RE WORKING ON THIS PROGRAM WITH THE CURRENT PROGRAM TO SAY, HEY, HERE'S THIS OPPORTUNITY AT THE STATE.
AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND I, AND WE SAID, WELL, CAN YOU GIVE US A POINT PERSON OR GIVE US AN OFFICE IN THE CITY WHO WOULD BE APPLYING FOR SUCH A THING? WHO WOULD BE A LEAD ON APPLYING FOR THIS SUCH A THING? I DON'T HAVE A NAME YET, BUT AS SOON AS I GET ONE AND AS SOON AS I GET AN OFFICE, THE INFO'S COMING TO YOU BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU FOLKS PICK UP THE PHONE.
AND LIKE NORMA SAID, $5 MILLION MAY NOT BE MUCH, BUT ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO HELP EVEN A FEW PEOPLE, ONE, BUT SECOND BRING ATTENTION TO THIS AND PRESSURE THAT THESE ARE WHERE NEEDS ARE.
AND PEOPLE DON'T SEE, AND PEOPLE DON'T SEE ELDERLY POPULATIONS.
PEOPLE THINK, AND RIGHTLY SO, PEOPLE THINK CHILDREN AND RIGHTLY SO.
CHILD POVERTY IS RAMPANT IN THIS COUNTRY, BUT OLDER ADULTS ARE INVISIBLE.
YOU KNOW THAT BETTER THAN I DO.
WELL,
THE ONLY THING I'VE DONE SO FAR, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM IN TERMS OF THIS IS HOW YOU APPLY, THESE ARE THE REQUIREMENTS.
I I'M GONNA LEAVE THIS WITH YOU.
THIS IS KIND OF THE PRINTOUT FOR THE WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN GO TO AND FOLLOW UP ON.
I'M GONNA KEEP AN EYE ON WHEN THIS, UM, IS RELEASED FOR PEOPLE TO APPLY, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO TALK TO PEOPLE IN THE CITY TO SEE IF THE CITY IS WILLING TO SORT OF TAKE THIS UP TO DO IT.
UM, AND WE CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU.
BUT YOU CAN START MAKING PHONE CALLS TO, TO FIND OUT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I CALL THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND GO, HEY, WE KNOW HERE'S WHO WE ARE.
HERE'S THIS PROGRAM THAT WE KNOW ABOUT.
HERE'S THE WEBSITE, HERE'S THE INFORMATION.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE CITY'S? SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO IT WITH WHAT LITTLE CONNECTION WE HAVE.
START ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, GET IN THEIR FACES ABOUT IT.
IS THIS FOR ANY UNHOUSED PEOPLE OR IS THIS FOR RESIDENTS? THEY HAVE TO BE RESIDENTS, RIGHT? LIKE IN AN APARTMENT OR IN A, IT SHOULD BE UNHOUSED PEOPLE.
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT YOU, THE PROPOSAL THAT THE CITY COULD PUT FORWARD COULD INCLUDE UNHOUSED PEOPLE IF THEIR GENERAL LOCATION WAS LONG BEACH.
CERTAINLY OUR, UH, THE PROGRAM THAT WE'VE BEEN EVALUATING INCLUDED UNHOUSED FAMILIES.
IF THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS WERE GOING TO LONG BEACH SERVICES.
BUT HERE'S THE WEIRD THING ABOUT IT.
WHEN WE STARTED THIS, WHEN THIS PROGRAM FIRST STARTED, THE CITY ALLOCATED WHAT I ALWAYS CALL IT THE COVID MONEY, BUT IS IT THE MM-HMM
THEY, THEY ALLOCATED SOME OF THAT MONEY, UM, AND MADE THE ARGUMENT THAT THE IMPACTS OF COVID, THAT THE GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM WAS A GOOD WAY TO GO.
THAT'S WHERE THE FIRST LEVEL OF FUNDING WENT FROM AFTER THAT WAS COME.
WHEN THAT STARTED TO COME TO AN END, UM, WE TALKED TO PEOPLE IN THIS COUPLE, AGAIN, OUR POINT PEOPLE IN THE CITY AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE FROM OUR SURVEYS, FROM OUR INTERVIEWS THAT THE HOUSING SECURITY PIECE IS, IS HUGE, RIGHT? PEOPLE ARE, PEOPLE ARE REALLY USING THIS MONEY TO ENSURE HOUSING SECURITY.
AND HOW ABOUT WE GET SOME OF THAT HOMELESS MONEY IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW TO FUND ANOTHER, A SECOND PHASE OF THIS? AND THE RESPONSE WAS, WELL, NO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE.
IT'S LIKE, WELL, NO, IT'S NOT A DIFFERENT ISSUE.
RIGHT? IT'S RELATED TO PREVENTION.
SO, LONG STORY SHORT, THERE WAS SOME ADVOCACY AND THE SECOND PHASE OF THIS PROGRAM THAT WENT TO ANOTHER 200 PEOPLE CAME OUT OF SOME OF THE CITY HOMELESS EMERGENCY FUNDS.
BUT I THINK THAT'S AS FAR AS IT'S GONNA GO IN TERMS OF, IS THE CITY WILLING TO PUT RESOURCES FORWARD TO CONTINUE THINGS LIKE THIS? THE RESPONSE THAT WE'VE ALWAYS GOTTEN IS TOO EXPENSIVE.
IT'S AN EXPENSIVE PROGRAM TO RUN AND WE'RE NOT DOING IT.
BUT THEY MIGHT BE WILLING TO WRITE THE GRANT
[01:00:01]
TO PULL IN MONEY FROM THE STATE AND THIS MONEY, UM, THE STATE MONEY, THIS $5 MILLION IS NOT FEDERAL MONEY.UM, MY GUESS IS THAT THIS MONEY IS SECURE GIVEN WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
BUT OBVIOUSLY THE OVERALL STATE BUDGET IS GOING TO BE IMPACTED, WHICH WILL IMPACT THINGS.
AND I ACTUALLY THINK TO MAXIMIZE THIS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE DO, ADVOCATE THAT THE CITY OR CITY AGENCY APPLY FOR THIS FUNDING AND, AND PUSH THE CITY FOR MATCHING MATCHING FUNDS.
PUSH 'EM, PUSH 'EM, YOU'RE THE COMMISSION.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT APPLY FOR THIS
BUT WE ALSO WANNA SEE THAT THE, THAT THE, THAT THE CITY HAS A COMMITMENT TO OLDER ADULT POPULATION.
14 AND PERCENT OF US LIVE IN POVERTY.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE THE PRESENTATION REGARDING THE LONG BEACH GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT PROJECT.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS OR DO WE HAVE A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, RECEIVING AND FILING THIS PRESENTATION? SAY AYE.
UM, AND NOW IT IS TIME TO RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE ON THE SPEAKER OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2025.
IRENE, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE FOR US? SO WE HAVE ONE FOR FEBRUARY, AND THEN WE ARE NOT HAVING ONE IN MAY OR DECEMBER.
SO I NEED TO FIND OUT WHICH COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO TAKE, UM, THE OTHER MONTHS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
SO I DID SEND SOMETHING OUT, BUT I REALLY RECEIVED NO RESPONSE EXCEPT FOR, UM, COMMISSIONER GIBBONS.
SHE'S, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, HINES.
SHE LET ME KNOW SHE WAS TAKING FEBRUARY.
SO YOU SAY ONLY MAY AND DECEMBER ARE AVAILABLE? NO, THEY'RE NOT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO SPEAK AT ALL.
SO FEBRUARY, MAY AND DECEMBER ARE NOT AVAILABLE, SO WE NEED MARCH, APRIL, AND, YOU KNOW, YES.
I'LL DO ANOTHER ONE, BUT I'M DOING FEBRUARY.
SO BILL, HAVE YOU I HAVE, I GOT ZERO RESPONSE, BUT MY EMAIL'S BEEN A LITTLE WELL, YES.
IN ANY CASE, ANY CASE I'VE BEEN SENDING YOU EMAILS, SO SOME PROBLEMS WITH THAT, BUT YEAH, I, I HAVE INQUIRIES AND UM, SO IF YOU WANT TO GIVE ME A COUPLE, I, I KNOW I CAN.
I MEAN, I'M STARTING, STARTING OFF AT THE TOP TIER, SO JULY FIVE.
DO YOU WANT TO GET ME ANOTHER ONE? I GET TWO, RIGHT? I'LL TAKE APRIL.
ARE THERE TIMES WHEN YOU GUYS HAVE IDEAS THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT? LIKE FOR SPEAKER? I MEAN, MAYBE.
NO, THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE COMMISSION.
WELL, I, I KNOW, BUT THE THING SUGGEST SOMEBODY AND THEN WE WOULD SEE IF WE COULD GET SOMEBODY FOR THAT.
I, I JUST MEANT IN YOUR DAY, IN ALL YOUR MEETINGS AND STUFF, YOU MIGHT COME ACROSS PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE KNOWLEDGE THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO US.
WE'RE WE WOULD BE THE ONES STILL, BUT IF I FEEL LIKE SOME OF US DON'T HAVE OUR CLINICALS OUT VERY FAR, WE COULD PROBABLY, LIKE, IF YOU GUYS HAVE, UM, LIKE, LIKE A TOPIC, OH, I WANT SOMEONE ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
EITHER WAY, PERSON OR A TOPIC.
YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS WHERE OTHER GROUPS ARE YEAH.
SO IF WE COME ACROSS THEM, I LIKE SEND SOMEONE'S WAY OR IF YOU HAVE A TOPIC, MAYBE IN THE CITY, YOU REACH OUT TO THAT LARGE MEETING.
AND THE GUY WHO WAS REPRESENTING THE CITY ON THE SENIOR CENTER, I'D LOVE HIM TO SPEAK.
I CALLED AND TALKED TO HIM, BUT HE, I THINK HE'D BE A GOOD SPEAKER.
WHAT WAS HIS NAME? GARY? YEAH, THE PROJECT MANAGER.
SO YEAH, AT SOME POINT SOMETIME THIS YEAR WE NEED AN UPDATE ON THAT.
BUT I WAS THINKING LIKE MAYBE LATER JUNE, WHICH LATER THIS YEAR, JUNE OR JULY, LIKE OCTOBER, AUGUST.
WOULD YOU LIKE MARCH, JUNE, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER.
[01:05:01]
SEPTEMBER MARK IS FINE.I I'M OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS THE REST OF YOU.
WELL, I MEAN, THE THING IS THE SPEAKERS IS EVERYBODY HAS THEIR DIFFERENT INTERESTS REGARDING THE SENIORS.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS? AND THEN CAN YOU BRING US SOMEBODY TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT? I THINK WE SHOULD, WHATEVER YOUR INTERESTS ARE.
YEAH, SO SO IT'LL GIVE YOU TIME.
UM, I'D LIKE THAT SPEAKER FROM UH, SENIOR WHAT MONTH? OKAY.
AND THEN COULD YOU TAKE SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, ONE OF THOSE, WHENEVER WE COULD GET HIM FOR SEPTEMBER? OH NO, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET HIM FOR AUGUST, BUT YOU NEED TO PICK TWO.
OH, SO SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER.
WOULD THAT GIVE YOU ENOUGH TIME TO TRY TO GET ANOTHER, WHICH ONE? I'LL TAKE SOMETHING IN SEPTEMBER AND THEN WE WILL KEEP MARCH, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER FOR SHEILA TO DECIDE AND THE NEW COMMISSIONER THAT COMES ABOARD.
SO WHAT DO YOU STILL HAVE OPEN IRENE? WE HAVE, UM, MARCH, OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.
SO THIS WAY WE CAN, UM, ASK THE NEW COMMISSIONER AND THEN SHEILA'S OUT TODAY.
SO THIS'S TWO MONTHS AND THEN, SO WE HAVE THREE FUNDS THAT THREE MONTHS.
AND SO, WELL, CAN YOU GIVE ME MARCH THEN? YOU GAVE ME JULY? YEAH.
I MEAN IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S THE ONE.
I WAS GIVING YOU TIME TO FIND SOMEBODY, BUT IF YOU LIKE MARCH, WELL I HAVE PEOPLE, I MEAN TO SORT, I MEAN IT SEEMS LIKE MARCH IS THE ONE AND GREATEST PARALLEL SINCE IT'S SO QUICK.
YOU SAID WE EACH GET TWO, RIGHT? YES.
WELL, I MEAN, IT JUST, JUST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IN REACHING OUT, I WAS LIKE, I GAVE THEM, THERE'S MARCH, THERE'S APRIL, I MEAN, SO THERE WAS TOO MANY TO BOGLE THEIR MIND.
AND SO I'M HAPPIER WITH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, IT IS THE SECOND WEDNESDAY OF, OF, UM, OF MARCH AND JULY.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING.
IT'S JUST MORE SPECIFIC AND RIGHT.
SO NOW WE HAVE OCTOBER, NOVEMBER.
SO I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO IS JUST ASSIGN SHEILA MAYBE TO OCTOBER.
AND THEN THE NEW COMMISSIONER, SHE'LL HAVE NOVEMBER.
SO SHE'LL HAVE A COUPLE OF MONTHS TO GET SOMEBODY TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT PERFECT.
SO I'D LIKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND FILE AN UPDATE ON OUR SPEAKER OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2025.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND ON THAT? SECOND.
AND IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT? AND LET'S TAKE A VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING OUR SPEAKER OPPORTUNITIES, SAY AYE.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON AGING ON NON-AG AGENDA ITEMS. EACH SPEAKER IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES TO MAKE THEIR COMMENTS.
I THINK I, UM, KAREN, THIS REPORT IS SO IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE DONE SURVEY WORK WITH THE ADULTS HERE THAT THE SENIOR CENTER.
90% OF THEM ARE LIVING ON A THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH FOR RENT.
OUR $25 GIFT CARDS MAKES A DIFFERENCE WHAT THE LOT OF THEM EAT AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
AND, UM, EXCUSE ME, MEDICARE HAS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS ANY NON AGENDA ITEMS? WELL, THIS TIES IN TO, UM, THE SENIOR COMMISSION BECAUSE WE HAD A DISCUSSION YESTERDAY ON EXACTLY THIS TOPIC.
WE ARE LOOKING TO POSSIBLY APPLY TO BE ONE OF THE AGENCIES.
UM, THERE'S A SURVEY GOING AROUND THAT NOW YOU CAN GO, UH, TO THE WEBSITE AND THERE'S A SURVEY.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT $500 A MONTH FOR SIX MONTHS FOR SENIORS.
AND, UM, THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK IN THE SPRING AND ASK FOR APPLICATIONS.
I'M SURE THERE'S, UH, AT THE, OUR ORGANIZATION OF, UH, OLDER ADULT NON-PROFITS.
I'M SURE THERE'S A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WILL APPLY.
BUT AS PART OF THIS, YES, 5 MILLION IS NOTHING.
MEDICARE IS TAKING HOW MANY COMMENTS UNTIL THE 28TH OF THIS MONTH.
JUSTICE IN AGING IS DRIVING A CAMPAIGN FOR PEOPLE TO SUBMIT COMMENTS TO MEDICARE.
WE ARE TRYING TO GET HOUSING ASSISTANCE INCLUDED IN MEDICARE AND MEDI-CAL.
[01:10:01]
SO WHAT YOU ALL CAN DO IS YOU CAN GO TO JUSTICE IN THE AGING, YOU CAN CLICK ON THE LINK TO SUBMIT MEDICARE COMMENTS AND YOU, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS THEY'VE GOT INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO IT AND SUBMIT COMMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MONEY, MEDICARE AND MEDI-CAL BE ABLE TO BE USED FOR THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS TO BENEFIT SENIORS.IN THE AGING JUSTICE THAT'S INA AGING JUSTICE.
THEY'RE A REALLY CRITICAL ORGANIZATION FOR OLDER ADULTS.
THEY, UM, ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF ALL THE LEGAL ISSUES.
KARA, WE'RE HAVING A SPEAKER FROM KARA KARA'S, THE SECOND LARGEST OLDER ADULT LOBBYING ORGANIZATION.
THEY'RE GONNA COME TO OUR MEETING NEXT MONTH.
WE HAVE A, UM, ZOOM OPTION IF THEY WANNA COME IN PERSON AND THEY'RE GONNA BE ADDRESSING SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
UM, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PRESSURING TO START DOING SOME RESOLUTION FOR OLDER ADULTS.
THEY CAN NO LONGER RUN WITH US.
UM, WE HAD AN OLDER ADULT THAT CAME TO THIS BUILDING THAT DIED TWO WEEKS AGO.
AND PART OF THE REASON WAS BECAUSE SHE WASN'T HOUSED IN LIVING OUT IN THE OPEN.
SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUGHT FOR WAS, UH, WE'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN SURVEYS WITH LA COUNTY ON WHAT LA COUNTY NEEDS TO DO TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.
SO DPSS IS GOING TO BE OPENING OFFICES ON THE 21ST OF JANUARY AT 1500 USE WAY, WHICH IS WHERE OUR ASSEMBLY PERSON IS LOCATED.
AND OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE IS LOCATED.
UM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION IS TAKING COMMENTS ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
SO ONE OF THE ISSUES WE HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR IS THEY NEED TO INCLUDE JOBS FOR OLDER ADULTS.
UH, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF SURVEY WORK WITH THE OLDER ADULTS.
THEY DON'T WANNA WORK MORE THAN 10, 15 HOURS A WEEK.
THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN, NOT STAND UP FOR THE WHOLE TIME, AND THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO HAVE FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULES.
YOU COULD SUBMIT COMMENTS ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN STATING SUCH THAT'S WHAT SENIORS WANT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, FOOD STAMPS.
I GET, I LIVE ON MY $1,700 A MONTH SOCIAL SECURITY.
I GET $15 A MONTH FOOD STAMPS TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE BENEFITS THAT PEOPLE GET.
UM, CAN'T BUY ANYTHING FOR $15, BUT IT HELPS.
UM, THEY'RE GONNA BE MAILING NEW EBT CARDS BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH FRAUD IN FOOD STAMPS.
WE HAD SOMEBODY HERE AT THE BUILDING THAT HAD $2,000 WORTH OF FOOD STAMPS STOLEN FROM HER.
UH, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE CHIP CARDS SO THEY CAN'T, UM, THEY'LL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SECURE.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT TIES IN WITH THIS IS THE BUDGET HEARINGS ARE GOING TO START FOR THE CITY OF LONG BEACH.
AND WE NEED TO SHOW THOSE BUDGET HEARINGS.
SOME OF THEM ARE VIRTUAL AND HAVE THE SENIORS, WE DID THIS, WE DIDN'T DO IT LAST YEAR, BUT WE DID IT BEFORE.
WE NEED TO HAVE A MEETING WHERE THE SENIORS CAN COME IN AND WATCH THE BUDGET PRESENTATIONS BECAUSE THEY ARE INTERESTED AND THIS DIRECTLY IMPACTS THEM.
AND THERE'S NOT GONNA, THEY'RE ALREADY SAYING THERE'S NOT GONNA BE MONEY FOR SENIORS.
SO, WHICH MEANS THE SAME MONEY PARKS AND RECS WANT PARKS AND RECS DESPERATELY TO HAVE MORE MONEY.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE MAYOR ALL YEAR AND THERE'S A NEW MOVEMENT IN SENIORS TO, UM, BOSTON IS GONNA BE ONE OF THE FIRST CITIES.
THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING CALLED OLDER ADULT HUBS.
AND THEY HAVE, UM, AND CAL STATE LONG BEACH.
MOST OF THE PATENTS THAT ARE BEING, UH, PATENTED NOW ARE FOR PRODUCTS FOR OLDER ADULTS OR CARE RELATED.
WE HAVE AI COMING IN THAT'S GONNA BE A MAJOR SHOCK.
THEY'RE SHIFTING ALL THE MEDICAL SYSTEMS TO AI.
LOW INCOME ADULTS ARE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET PERSONAL VISITS WITH DOCTORS.
WE'RE ALREADY SEEING PROBLEMS WITH THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO WE HAVE TO LOBBY AND YOU HAVE TO LOBBY.
YOU HAVE TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
LAST NIGHT, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE SANCTUARY CITY.
THEY REINFORCED SANCTUARY CITY AND OUR MEETING, WE HAVE MEETINGS SATURDAY.
WE ASKED, UM, THE 52 OLDER ADULTS THAT ATTENDED VARIETY OF ETHNICITIES, WHAT WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES? NUMBER ONE WAS IMMIGRATION.
[01:15:01]
THEY ARE SCARED TO DEATH THAT THEY ARE GONNA GET REPORTED.SO, AND WE'RE HAVING NO CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT IN THE OLDER ADULTS.
AND THEY'RE GONNA BE THE LARGEST GROUP IMPACTED AND THEY'LL BE THE ONES THEY GO AFTER FIRST.
SO, UM, ALL THESE ISSUES ARE STARTING TO COME TOGETHER.
IT'S IMPORTANT WE ALL LEARN ABOUT THEM.
AND, UH, FROM PEOPLE THAT KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUES AND THAT WE WRITE EMAILS, WRITE LETTERS, GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
THAT'S WHY I GO TO CITY COUNCIL EVERY WEEK.
THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL NEED TO BE DOING.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS TIME FOR OUR ANNOUNCEMENT.
DID ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR US? WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST SAY THAT THE, UH, THE COUNTY HAS JUST GOTTEN A PROP FOR MONEY AND IT'S GONE TO THE, UH, COUNTY.
AND YESTERDAY, APPARENTLY AT THE COUNTY, UH, SUPERVISORS MEETING, THEY WERE PUTTING TOGETHER A LIST OF PROJECTS TO USE THIS MONEY.
AND IT'S $10 BILLION THAT HAVE COME IN THAT WE VOTED FOR APPARENTLY STATEWIDE.
SO, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT GETTING OUR NAME ON THAT LIST.
I WOULD LIKE TO DO IT OBVIOUSLY FOR THE SENIOR SAFE HOUSE, BUT I THINK FOR THE GUARANTEED INCOME, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING.
KAREN, YOU WERE AT THAT MEETING? YES.
AND, UM, THERE'S JOINT PUBLIC HEARINGS.
I'LL LEAVE THIS MEETING WITH MY, THIS NOTICE WITH IRENE AND WE GOT TO HOST ONE OF THESE LAST YEAR.
NATHAN, KAREN, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, DO THAT, KAREN.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS HERE? UH, UM, YES, GO AHEAD.
I DON'T QUITE KNOW WHERE TO, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
HOW DO WE FORM NEW AD HOC GROUPS IN OUR, YOU COULD PUT IT, UH, ASK IRENE COULD PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
ON THE AGENDA, AND THEN WE COULD ON THE AGENDA, AND THEN WE COULD DISCUSS IT.
I'LL PUT IT ON THE NEXT AGENDA.
SO I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT AND THAT IS ALSO THAT THE CITY'S BUDGET MEETINGS ARE STARTING NOW.
IT'S GONNA BE FROM NOW THROUGH ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY.
SOME OF THEM ARE IN PERSON AT PARKS OR THE LIBRARIES.
UM, DO WE HAVE A LIST OF THEM POSTED HERE SOMEWHERE LIKE DOWNSTAIRS OR SOMETHING? UM, I'M NOT SURE IF WE POSTED, BUT THEY'LL BE POSTED.
SO WE COULD ATTEND THOSE TO ADVOCATE FOR MONEY FOR OUR PEOPLE'S.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS HERE TODAY FROM THE COMMISSION? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS, UM, COME TO YOU TO MAKE SURE THEY GET THEIR PARKING PASS AND ALSO TO FILL OUT, UM, THE ANNUAL VOLUNTARY RULE AND MAKE SURE YOU TURN THAT IN SO I CAN GET IT ALL OVER.
AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 11:21 AM UNLESS THERE'S ANY OBJECTIONS.