yes, before, oh yes, got it alright, good morning to the start again. Good morning. This is the Detroit Housing Commission Board meeting for July, 25 2024 Can we do a roll call vote for attendance?
Yes. Commissioner Seabrook,
present.
Commissioner Collin not present. Commissioner Williams, present. Commissioner Bailey, here we have four, five commissioners.
We have a quorum.
Three, yeah, three out of the three out of five. Richard pose Richard Posey to not present,
Alright, first order of business, or the agenda presented in the packet,
I get a motion to approve the agenda.
So move for a second,
any a second to approve the agenda. I'm sorry.
Am I supposed to do something? Could
you I need a second to approve you? Second
start at that motion,
and a second to approve. The agenda. There any comments on the agenda as presented?
All in favor. Aye.
Motions approved. Next we move to approval of the minutes as presented in the packet. These are the minutes from the regular and what two separate motions for them? If we take them to join them matter,
we'll do
them as two separate motions. First, we're going to take up the approval of the minutes for the regular board session on June 22 2027 or 2024 I have a motion to approve the regular minutes, please. So move second, all in favor, and next we'll move to approval of the minutes from the closed session on June 27 2024 I
have a motion to approve those minutes.
Thank you, Mr. Second. Any comments on the closed session? All in favor, aye. Motion passes. We will now move on to public comments on the agenda, action item, search script. I mean, we have that? Do we have a
script for Mr.
Screw it up.
Thank you. Thank you so much. Next,
I'll make two opportunities for members of the public to provide comments to the board. The first opportunity is now when any member of the public may comment on any engine agenda. Actual page comment is limited to three minutes for individuals and five minutes for group representatives to ensure the speakers adhere to the time limits. The timekeeper will get a One Minute Warning for persons with a three minute comment period and a two minute warning for persons with a five minute comment period. This morning will be by the means of its home. When the speaker's time is up, the timekeeper will disconnect the call. Later, there will be an opportunity for public comment on matters unrelated to agenda action items. Members of the public must sign up in order to address the board during either public comment period, you're appearing at the meeting virtually, you'll be able to sign up by calling the number specified on the DHCS website and or by raising your hand and identifying yourself within the Zoom app during the public comment, all of the persons may sign up if they are able to appear in the room provided a sufficient space to accommodate those who care to make a physical appearance, a person representing a group must identify him or herself and a group when calling. Please know that speakers may not pool their time or yield time to a speaker. Persons who have called in to sign up to speak during the public commentary will be recognized first in the order in which they sign up, then all others who have raised hands when the name, when your name is called. If you are in the room, please stand and say your name a clear audible tone. If you're appearing by zoom, when your name is called, please respond clearly and audibly after your microphone is unmuted. Okay. Do we have any one joining for public comment, virtually on agenda, action items only.
Mr. Rowe, we're
going to recognize you, and if you take yourself off of mute,
yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry. Good morning, Zachary with friends of Parkside, and I'm sorry I really do not have a comment for the action item because I thought was going to be on the endowment, but it's actually on something else. So thank you for recognizing me, and I will say my comments for the general comments. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ruff. Do we have anyone else in the virtual room for public comments on agenda action items? Take them one by one. Can you let me Miss Hayward? Do you have comments on agenda action items?
Please take yourself off on you.
Sorry, I could barely hear you. Oh, I'm sorry
that any better? Yes,
great.
Please proceed.
I am sorry. I'm the PHA at
the Connor. Friends of Parkside village of Parkside resident,
sorry, all over the place.
I was joining the meeting. It was some concerns that I have as far as about the management team that was talking about being put in place. I'm
sorry, that's right. So, so this comments time on the agenda is for items that are specifically on the agenda. We have general public comment at the end you have a comment for any of the of the action items on the agenda right now. Or do you want to save your comments for the end on general public comment?
Okay? Thank you.
Thank you, Miss hammer. We'll come back to more general public comment.
Joanne Underwood,
Miss Underwood, I think you're next. You have comments on agenda, action items.
Miss Underwood, could you take yourself off mute? There
you are. Yes, no, I didn't get a copy of the agenda today, but I don't know why I have a meeting I have to attend. What is the that time for the general public comment
on the agenda? Would the general public comments are scheduled for 1145 to 11:50pm you know, we always hope to make it to that point. But as you know, having joined meetings, sometimes it's later.
Wow. So when did so, yeah, when did y'all implement that? As long
as I've been here, Miss Underwood, I don't know when the when the sort of agenda, public action items and versus general public comments, was instituted? But as long as I've been
here, okay, so I think we'll then go to assuming you're going to see for comments, for public, general public comments. We'll go to the third individual,
Miss Cornell.
Hi. My
name is Elizabeth brown Cornell, and I'm a resident at the village of the Parkside safety has been a concern for many in the past two years, my vehicle has been broken into four times. Miss
Cornell, Miss Cordell, right now we're taking public comment on agenda, action items actually,
actually in the packet under summary, it does mention about the public safety issues within the village of the park side,
but ma'am is that I don't believe that that's an action item. So we're talking about action items on the agenda, one through four, the four resolutions, 3246, through 3249, okay, so we'll come back to you for for at the general public comment section, if that's alright with you. Okay,
okay, thank you.
Anyone in the room?
Navigator, okay. AP, navigator, did you come off of mute? Please. You have comments on agenda, action items?
Yes,
it's my understanding that on the agenda there is a property manager to be voted on. Is that not correct?
Are you speaking to resolution 3249, approval of the contract between continental management for the interim Property Management Services at Parkside?
Yes, I believe that was what Kanika Hayward wanted to speak on. But the question is, When will that take place? If it is approved, is the question, when will they go into effect?
It certainly I don't know the answer that question, do you want to wait until we get to wait until we get to that
resolution? We can wait to get to that resolution. We have to work out one once it's approved, then we would have to work through contractual terms, and at that point in time, we can release but also on July 31 there will also be a resident meeting, and all of that should be known at that time. Thank you.
Great. Thank you. You're welcome.
Okay, any other public comment on agenda? Action Items? Okay, I want to end the telepresence. Anybody in the room. Okay,
we will move on.
Then to our first DHC action item. This is resolution 3246, approval of attendance. Account receivable. Write off, Luke. I send it to you.
Hello. Good morning everyone. Good morning commissioners, staff, public, I'm here to present resolution number 3246, and approval of tenant accounts receivable, write off resolution for the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, ending June 30, 2024 and the staff does recommend the adoption of this resolution For the write out. And the total amount
is $223,728.44 $1,728.44, I will there's I have my wonderful colleague from Rand Bridget that will be happy to entertain follow up questions. There's any. Okay,
thank you. Why don't I take a motion? We'll go to discussion. So can I get a motion for resolution, 3246,
so moved to four
discussion.
I'll go last. Any questions from commissioners?
Can you pinpoint why such a decrease?
I am Bridget. I'm the Deputy Director of I think we talked weeks ago. Thank you. So the reasons for the fluctuation at this point is we are still pushing through eviction processes for people who have not paid, for people who have not certified. Oftentimes, when our residents are in a position where they can't or won't make a payment arrangement. They tend to skip between moving out without paying their basket pass balances. Sometimes they make payment arrangements that they are unable to fulfill with the court. So a majority of what's being written up now is due to these evictions for these people who have not paid rent for typically white sometimes we have probably about 30% of our cases through the court process now, so there are more to come, but some of our residents are getting additional help from other sources too. So I assume the numbers are going to stay above the same, at least for probably one more quarter while we figure out the rest of the legal processes, repayment processes. But a majority of these are people who have moved out and skipped and left the unit in such a way and not paid.
Now this is across the board Yes, Ma'am,
if all the property,
the comments from commissioners, I was going to challenge channel night in our Richard house. I anyways in my head. So, you know, a few of us get bottomed up about this over time, but understand what you're saying on the evictions are cleared through. We have done this in a rote way. I think I would like to serve us one more quarter. I'm not going to hold to that. But I would very much like to see a agenda item that is pulled up into the agenda that is specifically addressing where we are in vacancies, where we are in collections and the tail and, you know, I do want to see it's, I think, Lucas back into a report. I suspect you're just rolling forward. I would like the we've got a bunch of covid, like, hangover stuff. I want that off of that report. I don't want that like in the water screen anymore. Like we're, we are past that now. We have evictions that had pile up from it absolutely but this number remains, like, way unacceptably high, way, way, way unacceptably high. You can see in our collection reports our congressional third parties so and it is hampering our ability. I know I'm like preaching to the choir here, but you know, personally as Commissioner, I want to report on this every single month, and I want to see what was said last month in that, like, minutes notes, and then I want to hear what we did about it in the next 30 days, because, like, this is killing us, and I'm not going to complain you. I'm not mad at you, but if we are going to turn that corner in the next quarter, high degree of visibility as to how we are making it progress in the same way that we did with research, right? Well, we pulled it up. We're talking about it every single meeting. So that's my own personal preference. Commissioners, we feel differently about it, but like, we need to have turned the corner by next quarter, and like, be at a stabilized place where we're building back up.
That is my sense on this.
I totally agree.
Okay, sorry, don't hear that as a key. I remember frustrated as well
alongside but we're making progress come up.
So
any other Commissioner comments?
Okay, so we have a motion and a second. There's no further discussion. We take a vote on approving resolution. 3246, I six,
all in favor. Thank you.
Chair, Jose, would you take the gavel back?
Sure
I'm fumbling. Man,
wait so our next resolution is 3247,
good morning, commissioners and staff, 3247, is a request for the Housing Commission to adopt resolution 3247, so that the interim chief executive officer or her designee, may execute an agreement for general liability insurance with the housing authority. Just retention group, our ACC requires that the Housing Commission has general liability insurance. The increase this year is about 7.3% from last year, and the premium this year is 283,650 658 283,658
DHC has a waiver from pub, which allows them to purchase this insurance without soliciting a bid. If there is, however, there is any concern, there is a proposed proposal in procurement currently, and I don't know when it's going to go out, but this is the insurance company that we've had a relationship for a long time. However, it has been recommended in the past that we put out a solicitation for business make sure that the rates that we are receiving are competitive, even though this is the insurance company that was created by housing authorities. For housing authorities.
Miss Williams, can
you talk about the the program itself for the insurance company that was created for housing commissions, and the dividends that are shared
by correct there are dividends every year from our general liability insurance as well as from our other our other insurances for our real property. This company does provide a dividend at the end, at the end of the year based upon the number of claims that we have, I'm standing up. I can hear you. That's Thank you. Based upon the number of claims we have, we are provided a share because we are shareholders, so we did a dividend at the end of the year based upon the number of claims we have. So that's a benefit there. In addition to that, there are other benefits that this insurance company provides to us in terms of trainings, several different things, risk management,
that's things to that nature. Yes,
Miss players. Can you also talk about what DHCS claims have looked like in the last 18 months. The claims that on the general
liability side have been mental. They have not they have mental. We've
had a significant claims that have impacted
our rating, right? Those, however, those this that that involves the real property insurance, this insurance that we're asking for an increase. We're asking for the commission to grant the authority to execute some general liability claims. So they're pretty those claims are pretty much running consistent on a yearly basis, but just as a point when we do receive a share in a dividend, part the our significant dividend comes from the liability side. Which can I think? I think the most that we receive, maybe, is about 100 and $150,000
so just to put it in perspective, we're in general liability, which we usually get a dividend of 150 but then we have another property right insurance, which is and how many claims have raising, and how premium have raised. So does that dividend help offset it can overall? Okay, yes, looking at it from a holistic perspective, yes.
If there's any questions, any other questions, I'll be happy to answer them or somebody on staff.
So move comments.
Clear the premium of 20,000 that's the gross amount. You're not netting the dividend from that number.
This premium 20,000 right? That's more. That's the additional premium from last
so, 238, $20,000 more. But those numbers are gross. They're not net the dividend that we get back.
No, they haven't the no, that that number just reflects the increase in the premium. It has nothing to do with
the dividend. Okay? I mean, my only sense on this is, you know, 7% I think, is on the high side for liability insurance increase, but because it is gross of the dividend, I'm not surprised by that. I shocked my conscience that number. But Commissioner, how are you very more than anybody, have you seen this on any second or with what you would expect on other properties to happen on the liability side? Last
Last year's I think increase was 3.2% so it's a little it's significantly higher, but it's my understanding in the industry itself, premiums are all going up.
I think the fragile laws just like an asset. Six to seven was typical this year. So
shocked by that number. Okay. Thank you. Any more questions? Yeah, I have a question.
What is the public official's liability?
If what is that this is a, in case, say, for instance, member of the board or an employee consumed this would cover that, but we'll cover those claims. This is this protects the board and protects the employees and the officers of the commission. Firstly,
you have an employment practices, yes, we do.
That's where the employer is sued by perhaps, maybe, an employee. Public officials liability covers the employee themselves. The employment practices covers the employer. Gets claims from an employee.
So this is like our typical directors and officers, yes, obviously, because we're largely the board, and I think the CEO right would be, is there correct,
and also the employees of the agency. So,
yeah, that's our liability coverage, if we get individually named and assume that would be our coverage. So
hearing, none, all in favor. Aye, second resolution, 3247, is approved.
Thank you. I would just ask that after this meeting we could get a signature immediately so that I can get so to mention
this company,
thank you.
Thank you. Next, we have resolution 3248, approval of the MOU between the Detroit Housing Commission and the city, the city of Detroit housing and revitalization department to address homelessness.
So good morning again, Commissioner. So in our attempt to definitely help our Detroiters, we historically have had a memo of understanding with the city of Detroit to house in our public housing units up to 36 homeless families through the course and hard work diligence between the city of Detroit, our compliance department and our real estate management department, we're happy To say that we got really close in the month of June and beginning of July, housing over 21 homeless individuals, and with the graceness and of resident services and partnering with a nice partnership, MHT, was able to provide fur machines and different comforts for those individuals through further course of discussions, working with HUD Wayne State University was given a grant to help families who have been displaced for elevated blood levels well, City of Detroit stood up David Bowser and his team, working under Jeanie Snyder of the city of Detroit, said, Hey, we can help that the MOU if we increase that number. So working with our compliance officer, sherray, lastly, we have came together in our general legal legal counsel came up to update that memorandum of understanding from 36 to 100 and graciously, we've been able to, you know, fulfill that, and we feel we will be able to fulfill that one. And so we normally ask for just that change. Two changes happen. You know, you used to be through the health department of the city of Detroit. Now it's with HRD. And second is raising that number from 36 to 100 each fiscal year.
So So move second questions.
So I'm gonna say back to Irene says on the public housing side, what we're functionally agreeing to is a preference in leasing a wait list for these families up to 100 across the portfolio. It's not site specific. No, it's a portfolio. So anywhere that we have a vacant that is turning over, and we've got some of these, these folks must be on the wait list currently, or they basically get added to the wait list and jump up, and
we are allowed to give prevalence preference for homeless individuals, so they doesn't necessarily have to be on the wait list per our policy our ACOP, okay,
okay, so they functionally, and is this a this is functionally a tiebreaker, so we have a qualified tenant meets requirements for occupancy, etc, that in the event that that resident meets all other qualifications, and potential resident meets that other qualification, but they're designated by HRD as being eligible or so. HRD
sends it over as a pre qual. But we have to follow our acob Commission. What
HRD is pre qualifying, then they're selling, sending to us for us to do our own we have
to do our own qualification. Yeah, yeah. And then when
the unit becomes available, that this is functioning to tie breaker for move somebody and okay,
and I want to give shout out to the real estate management team, because many individuals worked late. These are, if you're homeless, it's an emergency situation. And so people were called back in to help, and they graciously did that, took pictures. It was just a wonderful feeling. It this is a very hard mission to work, but that really was very fulfilling. And we again, we had gracious partners with our current work management teams, DHC, as well as with the continental group going out, buying out of their own pocket supplies to make sure there were sheets and beddings for individuals to not just have a place to stay, but have a comfortable place to stay. So I want to personally thank Mr. Fox and Miss Jackie for that. And I know he doesn't like that, nor does Jackie, but I just want to say it was, it was very rewarding work. And thank you. Miss Bridget wells and again, Sheree Leslie and teams.
Just couple other questions. So you know, when I think about leasing, I typically think about it from a site specific so can you just say to me? So we are maintaining a master list of folks who are seeking public housing units,
absolutely. So we have automated that process. We have used smart sheets and at each site using the work management system. And we already we understand what units are available, when they will be available. And that changes, because going and the work might be more extensive than we thought. We have staff allocated to each site. We have a resource allocation sheet, and we understand where we have ups and downs. And in addition to that, we have we know where people are at in the wait list pipeline. So you can't just say, Oh, I got 12,000 people in this wait list. I'm gonna pull them all down. We take them in trances of what can be handled. Typically, it might be 1000 we send out notices. Give them 10 days to respond. They don't chance for our acob. Another 10 days. We want to really put usage of the rent Cafe, which is online, which can speed that process up. But once we get no response where they say, Hey, I don't need this anymore, we purge it and we go to the next so there is a process in place. We're happy to say, the infrastructure has been laid out. It has taken over 12 months, but we are working it now. It's just trying to make it happen and understanding what resource restrictions are, whether it be people or timing of supplies. We're really working through that. And I do believe, and I will put my personal name on it, a year from now, we'll be, if the world stays the same,
talking about something totally different
next year. So to I think you kind of lead, you know, to Aaron. So maybe my thought was, you know, many of our residents live tentative situations, right so, so, you know, we have to purge the list, because situations change right over time. So similarly so to the extent that somebody doesn't need to be on our wait list currently, but then it's pre qualified the city, and then kind of functionally jumps in line on this. Do we have a communication out to our existing weightless people who at the time when they travel the wait list with us, may not have been experiencing homelessness, but due to changes in condition they are now. Are we able to refer those folks over to HRD to make sure, functionally, that the people who have been waiting for public housing do not lose their place in line, particularly if they are now experiencing Does that make sense? It does. So
I'm on the wait list and I have a place to stay, but tomorrow I'm homeless. So am I reaching out to are we reaching out to people to actively be proactive with that? I would say I don't. I don't think so. We have enough. However, if they reach out to us, then we are referring them to the right channels, whether they be on our wait list for HCD or on for public housing, and we do get a lot of emails, maybe three or four days, inquiring about that, and again, what resources they can utilize. We work closely with the city. So in short, is there a venue? Absolutely, when people reach out, absolutely, are we being proactive? I don't think that we can be as proactive as we could. You know, we do attend fairs. We do, you know, have that information out, but we're not mailing everybody asking that, because we're talking, you know,
I guess is to consider that, yeah, absolutely. Is there a relatively low touch, but fair way to notify folks who are on our wait list who may not be aware of this resource through the city, who particularly are experiencing homelessness, who were not when we when they first joined our wait list, so they functionally don't lose their place. Because that makes sense. They're not losing their place in line. That seems fair to me that we live if they are in that situation, we should not put the burden of being aware of a new partnership on those residents who are already experiencing very difficult
next so the use of rent cafe, this will be a great rent Cafe moment. On HCB side, we have a big, you know, we have a big user group we're working and targeting, and this Bridget sent something to the finance team and say, on the back of the buildings. Can we add, you know, people applicants going to the rent cafe. Reason being, Aaron, that would be a good push out via email to say, hey, you know, the city of Detroit, have 100 slots from us. You know, we will coordinate that discussion with, you know, the city of Detroit and how that messaging should go out. Yeah,
they should be aware that they might absolutely yes, sir,
yeah, okay, so thank you. Noted rent Cafe, and we're tracking that KPI internally for us so we can make sure we increase that to help everybody.
Absolutely no, that's good idea. Any other questions? Comments? All right. Thank you all in favor.
Aye.
Thank you. Resolution number 3248, is approved. Thank you staff for doing all the work. Next, we have resolution 3249, approval to enter into a contract and count to continental management for interim property management services of the village at Parkside two and four hopes of grant agreements. Thank you. Aaron
commissioners,
DHC team members, good morning. VAN A company here by my boss, Miss Jackie. We have outlined a plan of action, a 12 point how to implement the immediate needs. We have outlined the security possibilities. We have done a comprehensive outline of how to manage delinquency collections, how to manage the recertifications, the curb appeal, recognizing, taking direction from the DHC team on how and what to expect with regard to the future. Re syndication, the future rad, the future redevelopment of Parkside. We recognize our in house security, how to work the green light, how to work with the local precinct, how to partner with the friends and families that surround our side, including the foundation, who we have already had direct contact with at Chandler Park. We recognize what the residents needs are. However, in the first 60 days, there will be a lot of communication, a lot of communication to the residents and the DHC team to organize. Yes, it will be a heavy lift. However, at or before end of August, there will be substantial progress to organize map out the locations of where the residents are take direction from the DHC team for relocation or work orders or security on how to appropriately manage the vision of Team DHC so the opportunity here to compliment the DHC team and our clients, the residents of Parkside, we are very eager to dial in, so I'm here to answer any and all questions. I do look forward to be meeting with the young Thundercat Williams after this meeting here to go through a number of other matters, but to start more dialog, to start taking the lead on some matters of concerns that she has, and then to report back to our executive director. So this is groovy, where I'm looking forward to be participating monthly and staying away from the sugar donuts, and to start caring for more of the DHC needs. We're going into a very irregular environment today, with a lot of uncertainty, with our residents housing, more than 30,000 people in our portfolio. We are we're in some very strange navigation, some very, you know, uncommon era. So friends, I'm here to answer any and all questions, and we just thank you for this opportunity.
Thank you for culture support, the comments,
questions. Um, first, are you gonna be able to
stick around for public comment? Because I think we're gonna have some. Because I
think we're gonna have some absolutely. I mean, I can already hear from the AP from Miss Cornell. Already took the notes, so I think to hear back directly from, but yes, Underwood, and that's going to be a key component, the communication, the intentional communication, strict communication,
Yes,
Ben, can you so you know that we're going through the redevelopment. I know that. You know. I mean, can you give us some thoughts on working with janasco, particularly on the relocation of the temporary relocation for residents. I know it's like a big
Oh, wow. Guys, I'm doing 400 units of RAD conversion with the flint Housing Commission right now. I just received Board approval with the Highland Park Housing Commission. With mishta, we're the Acting Executive Director of the Highland Park. Those 190 units. We're getting ready late September to go through the RAD on there. We just received verbal approval to do the same on 600 units with the Jackson Housing Commission, with our housing stock here in the city of Detroit, I've recently done a little over 540 8 million total development costs in the last 48 months in the city of Detroit. So it's easy to get DHC for relocation. It's easy to short term temporarily house while you do a demo, as you do a fair clock, as you do a reconstruction. It's easy to give anybody a tour of how we're doing in place right now in the city of Detroit on similar like housing, and what that means and what to expect when expecting it's easy to walk you through the mishta, the HUD approval yesterday, I had Miss fudge at my office for a couple hours, and she's aware of what we're doing, how she's going to be helping to assist on the ABB arena, on the RAD arena, and it's easy to complement DHC on what we've done with our relocation with mishta and Hud and the investors. So to the best satisfaction of the clients that are at the departments, it's easy to share how we can, short term, move into our communities, move back, how to do similar like unit size. Well, we would love to have that further conversation.
Ben, have you done? I assume that those, those conversions are all MHT development and continental management combined. So got a different scenario here, right, where you've got different entities, exactly you guys done? Adjust on the management side for somebody else's conversion, there's just a new partnership, okay,
easy peasy for us. All right.
Love your confidence. Yes, cool. Thank you.
Thank you. Any more questions, comments, hearing, none. All in favor, Aye. Resolution number 3249, so that's the end of our resolutions. Next. We're into DHC, informational items.
Woodbridge Commissioner, the Woodbridge estate was a formally mixed finance deal, one of the equity partners are going is going through a change in regards which has no impact to DHC, but just wanted to make sure that you are aware of that, or what do
you mean by that change? According, give me a little more specific.
There's three Equity Partners. I'm an equity partner and I want to sell or finance my position that I'm doing that within my own home, but we do have legal counsel. They should be on the call. Is she there? Have more questions you can go over there. Kavanaugh was a part of the original deal. This is just an informational update. I felt the board should just be aware of it, in case you hear it on the street. You should know first first hand.
Reno cavana on
there she goes, Julie, okay, can we unmute?
I think I'm unmuted now. Thank you so much for that introduction. Um, my name is Julie McGovern. I'm a partner with the law firm of Reno Kavanaugh. As you know, we represent DHC on web development matters, and you probably know my colleague, Melissa Warden pretty well. I've been working with the developer, owner of the woods Ridge transaction on a small refinancing, and you should have received materials containing a brief narrative and an extraordinarily detailed chart, not because this transaction is complicated, but because the underlying transaction itself was complicated. So in early 2000 DHC received the Hope Six grant to demolish and rebuild the public housing units at Jefferies West. The redevelopment is once done by a development partner in 10 phases so you could access low income housing, tax credit equity investments in a tax credit deal after about 15 years of operations, the tax credit investor typically withdraw. This transaction here relates to withdrawal of the investor for phases one and two of Woodbridge. They closed in 2003 the investor is exiting the Partnership for a very minimal amount, provided that the developer owner refinances the first mortgage loan on the property, which is currently held by a related entity. They want to be out their whole corporate system to be out, and in order to put a new mortgage on the property, HUD needs to approve. So in these transactions, DHC has three roles in the underlying, you know, the original financing, DHC has three roles. It's lease the land the developer on which they built the unit. It provided subordinate loans of hope, six funds to support the development of public housing units, because you cannot, they can't support that service. And finally, it provides an ongoing operating subsidy to those units. So a new mortgage requires HUD approval. The package is under review at HUD. We received the first set of comments, which were very minor, and resubmitted this week. So DHC financial position isn't going to change. It'll still have the ground lease, it'll still provide the subsidy, and it will still have the subordinate mortgage loan. The only changes with the size of the senior mortgage is it smaller than the earlier one, but DHCS right to debt service payments is DHC debt service payments aren't going to change, so the developer owner is going to be signing almost all the got the DHC will only sign two. So for each phase, it will amend the the original contract with pods for these days is called a mixed finance ACC amendment, and we're going to amend that mixed finance ACC amendment to document the refinancing here. So it just says we're going to refinance, how to prove this budget, that lender, etc. And then at the original closing, there was a subordination agreement signed where the DHC agreed that its loans would be subordinates to the private first mortgage loan. And we're going to that's going to be signed again the new lender. The current subordination agreement is exactly like the first one, except for updates regarding PARTY NAMES and years deletion of irrelevant information. So DHC part is very small in this, and I could go into the details of the underlying transaction, but I don't think you want to be here all that that's till we're done, but I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.
So the angel the answer, it's Commissioner cyber. The answer my question was, it's the syndicator exiting, and they're going for a nominal fee. That's the, that's the equity change.
Yeah, I didn't say exactly what it was, but I believe, I believe it's 150,000 per deal. That's nominal, for sure. This
is coming to the board
for is this the update you on this is happening behind the scenes, but if there's anything that DHC is supposed to sign that will come to this board for a movie, but just let you know what's happening right up front so that you can hear about it. That's
not a rabbit hole. No, no, no. I think it was good. Please go informational, right? But just also that you know the point of this, the sporting event, and the point of the leasing of the land is that there will always be these points where of contact, and that also allows us to make sure that's a good time to check into, are things going on with bridge and things that we would like to see going better, or any of those type of processes, and so not to miss this opportunity, right? So as as they're putting this thing together, to also think about things that that we would like to see going on or things that need to be corrected. And now's the time.
This is Woodbridge only.
Woodbridge, not
Woodbridge senior, but it's the mixed finance, the whole six.
Thank you very much.
Thank you. I'm going to sign off now appreciate the opportunity.
Thank you. Thanks, Shirley, thank you.
Next is just a collective bargaining update on our
destiny, negotiations. Good morning, commissioners and staff, we had talked about being hopeful and confident that we could wrap up the negotiations in approximately four weeks and that we're right at the four week mark today. We're meeting with ASPI on Monday, and we are also confident that we are close to selling that contract, and we'll have updates once it is completed.
Thank you. Any questions? Thank you very much.
Next, we have our department, good old monthly reports.
All right. Well, Happy New Year, commissioners. Our fiscal year started seven one of this month we're kicking it off. It's definitely a montage of of change, you know, of rebuilding and restoring to drastically improve our residents experience. And we know that we need to do that just a path going forward to be amazing to take the president, Commissioner, President. Word amazing is just really we got to continue on with our corporate hygiene. There's a lot of compliance. We got to make sure we get the data, the data's right. We have to make sure our leasing is right. Our programs are set up so that we can graduate more individuals from public housing or from a voucher to a homeowner, we have to meet our performance and so we have a lot of infrastructure laid out. I want to really thank the team, definitely our directors and managers and supervisors and our frontline workers, but especially our central office team, our performance officers, our compliance officers and and our project managers, because we're, we're making stride and we're we're putting the task out, and we're measuring ourselves against it. So stay tuned. More. More is on the horizon, and if you turn to page 64 you can see some of our departmental flash organizational goals, and again, it's five and a C map. I'm happy to see at this point, the research on both programs Felicia and on bridges are 90% that means we're 90% compliant with our recertification process. Inspections is a growing need. We've had some hiccups with our vendors, but we have other vendors that have stepped up to the plate, and we're getting and looking in our homes and units more faster, and then again, so that we can turn the units more faster. So that's just a little play. And as you can see, on 65 where we were, we got three greens. I want to count mighty because we were, you know, really red, and we, we, you know, trajectory has happened, but we still, as you know, have a problem with our occupancy, as well as what our rent collection. And we are leaving about $4 million on the table that is impacting, uh, definitely, our central office. But we have a plan in motion and more to come.
Are we talking to the to the city say, kind of lineup, particularly like with this new homeless housing initiative expanding and saying, we have these 100 units they need this amount of money to bring online? Can we get into today's no this, this No, for say, our funds, or something along those lines, go directly towards that. Are we in this, this last round of Nancy?
I would say the answer right now is no, we did do some of that last year. Um, but right now, I, as of today, next year is going to be a different story. So a couple things have been happening. Been happening. We have applied for a couple grants. I want to thank Emily O'Reilly of pulling that together for DHC team, Team DHC, which is also for the residents. So with the help and advice of key members, partners that we've been working with, we applied for over ten million in the last 45 days to help with capital needs. So so journal is one right that's up to a $3 million that we can take capital dollars and put them back to units that have been offline for several months. Historically, HUD had allowed housing commissions to take off units offline without having a contract. And I think that was being utilized year over year. Well now in the last eight to nine months, all of those units that were taken off for several months have hit and you know, rightly so, the only units now that we are allowed to take off our units that we have under contract, either be it rad, or we know that we're going to do something with it. So that's not many units. However, the capital Manager tab with us. She has digs which we know about, right, which is roughly almost 33 units that are going under contract. So we're happy to see that. But she also having a pipeline about we've identified roughly about 130 more units. And so if we get these capital grants that Emily applied on our behalf, that would allow for money to be spent more on those and so it's a constant, it's a montage. It's a lot of beautiful things glass. We see some light at the end of the tunnel, but at the glass half full. Apple, we see we got a lot coming down the pipeline, um, as well,
I just gonna say, the grand search of who it would be to us in terms of the grant money's coming from, where
it's coming from, uh, we're using it's coming from the fair Okay, yeah. So 3 million is first adjourned and specific, and we had a former DHC employee who graciously helped us walk us through the process to make sure we can do the application correctly. That was coordinated with our partnership through MHC. And then also, there was another $7 million grant on lead, which is a big thing, right? And so we applied for that. Again, we will walk throughout. I even took a was invited to take a tour of other properties that Mr. Van had, and his team was wonderful, and kind of walked through like what the doors look like, what different things look like, so that we can include all of that in the grant. So I'm very hopeful. That's why I said, year from now, I think we all going to be smiling and story
that's wonderful, definitely, and kind of constant conversation with the city. Always feel free to say, by the way, do you have any money to see? So
for the city, what we have been doing the CNI Choice Neighborhood. So for our digs force, we applied jointly. We talked about that at the last board meeting. Again, Emily was the project manager, but had to work closely with Denise Jones because engagement, engagement and all the directors to pull all the information together, and we successfully made the deadline and apply for half a million dollar planning grant, but we're co applicants for that. We're also working on a bright more project with David Walker, with the city of Detroit, which includes our Smith homes, and identifying land that the land bank owns right outside of Smith's home, so that we can maybe build that out. So when that portfolio, when the board charged us back in September to come up with a portfolio, rad, or repositioning of our assets, and include additional affordable housing, we now are finding venues and avenues, working with our partners, with the city of Detroit. HRD, Julie Snyder, we have a meeting at one today, and we met this morning. We working closely with the city, and I want to say the city has been phenomenal in partnership,
wonderful. So that's good to hear.
And thanks to and I have to go back, thanks to this commission. You guys have pushed that and you, you know, set up those relationships. I see a young lady here now because of what you've asked, and all of that is working. It's just right now we're we're drinking out of the ocean. It's not even a one border hose. It's definitely, quite honest. But we're pushing through with all the health and resistance. For me, so
that's a question.
Are you finding that the relationship is we've been working with the city is improving or
staying the same.
Always phenomenal for me. Since I've been here, it's always been phenomenal. I think we're, we could say it's improving. I think maybe some historical misconceptions might have been there, yeah, on both sides of the pond, and I think that's where it comes. Yeah, yeah. I think now everybody's welcome, like we just, you know, well, last end of May, we launched the garden view 200 development deal again, and we collaborated with the city of Detroit to help, you know, write the script, you know, make sure everything was right, because this was our third time to the table, and we weren't really getting a lot of response for a deal like that. Up to 200 homes on, you know, vacant land is kind of in one location. It's kind of a good deal. And just, it's just been overwhelming the garden. You Kip, when we sold the kip land, that was wonderful. Working with the planning department, the Tyler 2900 working with the planning department, our stuff is getting through Penny and her team. From the environmental perspective, we're so happy because we have three projects that's now sitting with Egle that collaboratively, the city and DHC work together. That's part side. That's Tyler 2900 and that's Brewster. So we're waiting on Egle. You know, they have to go through their process, but we're jointly going as one team. So for me, it has always been that way, but from what I'm hearing on both sides, for me, it's wonderful, because at the end of the day, I'm Team resident experience. So right there's no team DHC or city of Detroit or MHC, is van and I and others. It's team resident experience, and that's what we've been trying to promote with the lovely directors and their team and our frontline workers. That's
perfect, good man. We kind of just keep expanding that right? So pick up that type of relationship with nishta ego, so that everyone in the community is kind of constantly working together.
On page 66 Commissioner Steve were to ask for these are more follow up, and you can ask specifically response to the Friends of the hard side questions.
Would you like to go into that? Or,
I mean, maybe we can save it for public comments, for Mr. Rose going to have comment. I imaged that we got a number of itemized numbers that are sort of past due date, yes, so I was hoping that you could touch on those
after go through them for the legal opinion on the villages of Parkside funds. We did share that with the board. We have a couple follow up questions with some external individuals, but I am confident right Miss Williams that we should be able to publish this at our August board meeting. Correct. Miss Williams, okay, um, regarding the Harriet Tubman spring cleaning quote, the teams have worked together with Miss Bridget and Tiffany beard, along with Jackie, and we're going to go out and get another three quotes, and we're going to make that happen, working with the CFO. So it's just a matter of time. You know, when it's done, I think projectively, we'll probably say this will be done, hopefully by the end of the summer, you know, maybe August, maybe before then sometimes that'll line up the vendor. So we have been actively talking about that from a procurement perspective, item number three, outreach plans to increase bid responses. The CFO is planning to have a director hired by the end of August, and so at that time, the introduction we would, we would expect, you know, the discussion, but what is being done in interim? Just basic stuff, putting it in a free press, putting it in the news, you know, making sure we have a blast out, working collaboratively with our partners and and just and blasting it out, as well as putting it on LinkedIn and different things. So, but more to come on that. Luke,
yeah, we have a specific page called DHC procurement on LinkedIn. So if you like that page, you can repost any bit that I post or we post through procurement. So anybody can repost it. That way we can get more responses. So the nice part about that is free
drill downs on what parts of our process don't discourage contractors from being involved, like, are they proceeding, or are real things that they're they're missing, or that they worry about, that, that that near that number,
the feedback that I've got is just outreach like you know, was pushed back just to send it out to Detroit. Depressing, right? And so once those things start happening over the last six, two months, things have improved. I think drastically we're getting more, more responses.
I think
as we go forward, for example, we talked about Tabitha, our capital manager. She's roughly looking at over 130 units that she may take under her portfolio, and so she has spoken out. Well, the conversations we're having is, hey, let's bundle those, like we did the demo program, bundle those and hands, and push them all out at the same time. Now it becomes more, yeah, right, you know. So it's just the change up of our strategy as well, and then with the outreach, it should, it should be combined. So more to come. You know, on that, there's been, again, a lot of positive changes, and I again, a year from now, we, we're not going, we're going to talk about other stuff, the bare bone you know, want, you know, management, business, one on one type topics. When you asked about for number four, making sure that Miss Cowan and Commissioner C bird are included in the the discussions, as well as really the meals and reading of of the agreement. We did do that. They was very helpful. It was very good learning experience of leveraging off of their wealth of experience. I'll let Mister Siebert talk about that, if he likes to go further, sure. And then number five is just community engagement agenda for the resident leaders. You know, we've been talking about that. That's one of the key goals. Miss Denise Jones has to not only engage DHC owned properties, but also start looking into the mixed finance as well to keep our, you know, figure on the pulse, per se, and so we're trying to make sure from our restructuring that that she has that support. And then finally, just provide response to the board from the friends of Parkside questions, which we're going to defer to after public comment or during public comment. Commissioner,
actually, a quick question, Denise, do we have resident councils at each DHC property, or handful of them? Or where is that? Off the top of your head, how many councils do we have, and where they're at? If we have any,
we do not have any. Or Since 2021 we have engaged the third party to go out, and they have to go to each site and try to develop, you know, interest, and they have not been able to successfully do that. We've we've contracted twice, so we've done it, did it in 21 then we did it again in 22 and have found not enough engagement. So as an alternative, and which I did speak to,
put about that we
could not get engagement. So what I came up with instead was community advocates, which has caught on like fire. So we have community advocates at most, not all of our sites yet, but most of our sites, family sites, Sojourner, Smith, homes,
Brewster,
satellite at Park site. So we pay them a stipend every month. Not only that, we we have them part of the jobs. Plus program is to have community coaches. So it kind of tied off that. When we got that going, we're like, okay, they're really interested. Let me try it at other sites and just call them community advocates. And that caught on like wildfire, so that, because it seems to be the hierarchy system, they're not very happy about or working together as somebody, President, Vice President, but working on a level playing field each other, working together has been very
helpful. So we're kind of, we're doing this informally and under resident services, as opposed to the HUD prescribed like former formal resident Council sort of process. Okay, that's helpful vanity. So on your on your public housing manage sites, you have a sense of how many formal resident councils. You see,
they are very active, and they're very vocal for the site, just lightly mentioned about getting into that resident ambassadors, to get into those advocates for us. But
to be clear, are these, you know, a resident Council is a formal HUD, like prescribed, regulated thing? Do you have a lot of those formal ones, or is it more the informal?
We still have formal.
You still have the formal and informals. Yes, okay, I'm like, using that not as a term of art, but I have a better verb for it, right? There's, like, the hug and Stripe thing, and then there's the things that are not that okay, so you gotta mix All right, let's just upload them now. Thank you.
I mean, I mean, would you like to clarify
finances next? Thank you again. Specific, only a couple of things I'd like to find out one, obviously, for those who don't know, June 30 is our fiscal year end. So these numbers mostly definitely not, most likely they will definitely be changed when the auditors come and do some accruals and you know some other payables that make sure that we're not captured. That belongs to FY 24 will be captured then, but
the majority of figures are in this report. And one of the things I just wanted to say that
for the PLCC, during the last 12 months, without going into details, there was a lot of unusual payouts, just to say the least, for various things so for that once in a lifetime, expenses that not anticipate
to occur again, and they
pretty much add up to that the year to date loss that is presented under that department that a fair statement. I
That's I Have, quick questions.
Yeah,
we're still averaging. We're pretty much our same averages, our annuals have decreased a little bit first incomplete search, but we're still above 90. Right now, the sites, a lot of them, have been more focused on Inspire. That's been our big push, and some of that probably leads to Luke's financial woes, because we've had to spend some money to do some, some a lot of repairs. But our scores are coming out better and better with that being said, and now with DHC management homes, that's the last one that needs to be done. That's scheduled for, I believe, the end of August, maybe the middle of September, I don't remember, but once that's done, our inspires, all of our housekeeping inspections will be complete, and a majority of those repairs will be done as well. So
talk about your high score. We
did, but yeah, we got a 95
all within the same week of each other, or within two weeks of each other. So again, to me, that is just a team learning how Inspire is different than react and what the requirements now are, and with them learning that, as they learn that we want to teach, we have a inspire team, a maintenance test, and they go site to site and help, and as they're learning more, the inspection scores are getting better. And in the beginning, we heard a lot of grumbling, well, this isn't how react. Was it true? It's not. It's inspired now, but now that they've learned they know, they know what to look for, they know what to pre inspect for. And in working with the inspection group, with those pre inspections, it's really helping out. Our text, our EDRIC, our general manager maintenance, he is wonderful. Is things ordered, gets things on task, gets quotes in there. So we definitely learned from those few web stories in the beginning, but we are progressively improving. So we're very happy about that. I know that that focus is kind of off of Inspire as much as it was. Now we're down to the collections, annuals. We are not going to go home. That is, we've already cleared up about 20% of the late annuals that are listed on that report. We've already done about 20 of them, and my goal is having less than half by the end of the month. We have a lot of the information. It's just time. So I'm very proud of our team. They are pushing through a lot right now, as I'm sure Jackie's team is as well. But, yeah, we're learning from it. They're making progress. I'm proud of them every day. They are working hard.
Skip over three and four.
I real estate development. Real
estate development we talked about briefly we're pushing through.
So I don't have much to add from what our board report shows, but I just want to kind of echo Miss Tucker sentiments that a year from now, I know we'll be singing a whole different story with our HCD department. We have made such significant strides and improvements, just in the last three to four months, we have taken our delinquency number drastically down. Still not where we need to be, but we have a great we have a plan from the beginning, a very aggressive plan to attack our delinquents, and the team has been amazing in doing that. So I do anticipate that in a very, very near future, we will be under 5% delinquency. Our scores are continuing to improve. We are continuing to improve professional development, professional training with the staff we are working with, you know, multiple departments across the board, to improve our practices. It getting us more electronic and more efficient, because at the end of the day, I think the shared goal which makes it, you know, it makes it easy when we all have the same agenda, and the agenda is making sure that our families have the best experience that they can have with the DHC team. And that's what we are striving for.
Talk about the challenges. One of
the biggest challenges. But, you know, there's always a fight. But we went to a new inspection company, anticipating that, you know, it would, it would be wonderful. And it has been less than that, to say the least. But we had families who were depending on us to get into homes. And so I had to take my team, and I had to say, Listen, we have to go do inspections. And so for the past three weeks, ongoing, we have been in the field, and we have been doing inspections. And one of the things that I have seen is that I saw so much that it caused me to come back and say, We have to revamp our whole process where inspection activity and wrapped activity is concerned, because we have to hold our landlords to a higher standard. We have to make sure that our families are moving into HQs compliant properties. So I have come back. I'm changing our policies. I'm putting more ownership on the landlords. You must you must make sure this units move in right again, flying when our families come to you, and this rapid comes in. So while it has been very challenging, challenging to say the least, I think that getting out in the field gave me a whole new perspective of some things that we need to do to begin with some of our partners. The city has been a tremendous partner trust and, you know, it's been years in the making, but when I can come back and I can pick up the phone and I can get to BC and I can get to different departments within the city because of the relationships we have built and we are forming. It's a wonderful thing. So having said that, last week, I came back and I made a call to some people in the city, and I said, We gotta do something different with inspection. And I don't know if anybody saw news yesterday, but the city came out and they said, We're doing something different with inspection activity and landlords and certifications of compliance, and that was from a phone call saying we have to work together to make sure these families units are compliant. So it's challenging, but there's a silver lining that will come out, and in the end it was certified. So
now as of today, so there's probably been a lot of fun. Well, there was a lot of phone calls. You know, people couldn't get inspections. So commissioners heard it. We heard it. They got me cards. We also now have a new vendor.
We have a vendor that
has stepped in to assist us in the interim. Um, they started last week. They have been phenomenal. I have been quality controlling some of their their inspections, because, again, I have a standard that I don't see for this program, and I'm very happy that this, this inspector, seems to be doing the things that I need to be done. Um, at some point, when, at some point, eventually, we are working on the RFP to start this inspection process again. But they are doing a phenomenal job, right?
And our goal is to have 234,
yes, yes. We don't want to be in a position again, where, if an inspection company fails, we are now. You know, less left. You know, trying to scramble and find alternative options. So we absolutely want to have more than one vendor in place,
looking at
certifications, inspections, the whole kind of process Are we familiar with kind of the difference between what the Housing Commission has to do with saying what private development has to do in in a LIHTC program, is it? Is it so different? Is our process? Very different? Are we able to benchmark to, kind of what the private market is, is is achieving, and how they're achieved
so Absolutely, and that's a good point, especially from so we we have a MOU that we're working out with MHT to kind of help leverage that. But in addition to that, we have brought in outside wells to document our current process, literally, how in this screen, what do you hit? So to make those things clean seamless, so that we can be more efficient at that, so that we can spend a little bit more time on the resident and what they're experiencing instead of I gotta get this paperwork done. I don't have time to talk to you too. I can talk to you because we can move through the paperwork relatively easy. So we're trying to hit it on both ends. We're going to have some best quality and we're utilizing a partnership there. They're offering it for free. This board approved it. We're just working through through that, and we were able to leverage that off of, again, the capital grants, right? So that's one of the key points. The other is we brought somebody into document, Shari, brought in yardy representatives to show us how to better utilize the system, and it was an aha moment that we weren't utilizing all the bells and whistles. We do have someone here from procurement doing the same thing, working alongside with Erica blocker. They both are doing an amazing job to kind of help. How can we streamline this and then with the attitude of the director, because everything goes back down to procurement too, right? As you can see. So the answer is yes, that's why we keep saying it's going to be a different story. And we all hang in a longer it will be a different story,
you know, going forward, but we definitely look forward to it, you know, just kind of use it as a finish part. Are you seeing what type of outside of the AC in your portfolio, issues associated with research and that entire process and inspections?
The question is, regarding research and the importance of maintaining that communication, if we're providing the work orders, if we're providing the service that they're expecting. We're getting the cooperation so we're getting rid of years of poor performance, of communication, regaining trust. We're getting people to entice to come back into the office and to communicate about what's going on in their arena and other some of that is through our workforce program. Some of that is through the trust of our regional manager. Some of that is through the trust and communication. But to draw people in, it is difficult, but it is a challenge. There's a lot of after hour door knocking. There's constant reminder competition to get people in for the research and then to recognize the reason for that constant interruption into their home, for the Inspire inspections, for the municipal rental registration. But it all comes down to the communication. Love for you to shadow both Miss Williams and I when we're going to be doing the tours, and how Miss Jackson is managing all of that right now for the brigade.
Thank you. Thank you.
So anything in capital improvements,
hamatha, do
you have anything that you would like to say if you're on the line outside of what we said already, or just to introduce yourself to the team? Okay? She might be needed, but other than, you know, she's working hard and diligently, again, through that infrastructure we're looking at, you know, cleansing of the guards. You know, changing the guards would happen. So just trying to make sure the her departmental hygiene is there, reconciliations. But also looking at over 100 units to see if she can get them. We have under capital funding, and hopefully we have those out, you know, starting in October for your approval, as well as in September, you should see a lot of traction.
Alright, perfect. Anything from, any highlights from the General Counsel?
Oh, we have nothing to report.
Human Resources and, of course, connections, yeah, with any questions as we go through these lists now, anything to highlight, from information technology,
from the it, we just have a we have a new fiscal year now we have budgeted some additional funds for the security and that's what we are. The whole focus on this year is to improve what we have our overall security portfolio, both on the electronic data side and also on the physicals. Thank you.
Maybe chairman, um, you,
yes, procure them. Nothing really specific to the report. We are working diligently on some about four upcoming solicitations and multiple solicitations that were approved either in the past month board meeting or this Well, not this month, but prior month, we have our the procurement director we've been interviewing, so hopefully We're going to determine the candidate sooner than later, we have a new temporary help from Jefferson. Well, that's sitting here. Her name is Sharonda, Bray, right? Yeah, I present your name correctly. So if you want to add, or Eric is online, maybe she can add anything. Anyone ever does something you want to highlight. Okay, that's all I have to report.
Thank you. Any family resident
services, still, I do just want to highlight that we are working with 98 forward up here company and just trying to get some highlights on our home ownership right. Going forward, home ownership is the biggest thing going for resident services, and we do have one person that is getting ready to be interviewed, because she did just purchase her home. But we have other on the horizon as well as they're going to be coming out to all of our events. So this year, instead of having even every Friday, we've included Wednesdays as well. So we have even been on Wednesday at some of the sites and on Fridays, and they'll be coming to those to just talk to residents. And as you can see in the board report, we did at the end, give you three great success stories. So we want to get more and get them interviewed, and get them speaking, so maybe we can put them on the website, and we're hoping that it's going to encourage other residents to get involved.
So we do have a media strategy in the making, and we heard you positive stories, positive stories, so we'll be meeting with them again this week to talk about what that means for social media, trying to really definitely work that route. In addition to other things, we did some stuff last month. We want to do a lot more this month, so stay tuned.
Absolutely questions. Thank you very much.
Our next we have a general public comment. And so this is the opportunity for public comment on matters unrelated to agenda, action items limited to three minutes for individuals with five minutes from representatives to ensure speakers are here to the time limits. The timekeeper will give a One Minute Warning for the persons with a three minute commentary and a two minute warning for persons with five minute commentary. This morning will be by means of a tone, because time is up. Timekeeper will disconnect call it is online or or ask the speaker here to to stop it. If you are appearing at the meeting virtually, you will be able to sign up by calling the number specified on the AC website and or by raising your hand and identify during public comment, while other persons may sign up if they are able to appear in the room, provide their suspicious space to accommodate those who make a physical appearance. First, of representing a group, must identify themselves in the group when, please note that speakers may not pull their time or yield time to another speaker. First, who have called in to sign up to speak during public comment period will be recognized first in the order in which they signed up and all others who have raised their hands when your name is called, if you are in those in the room, please stand if they vote and state your name the clear audible tone. If you're a premium by zoom when your name is called, please respond clearly and audibly after your microphone
and Hello. My name is Zachary Rowe. I'm the
executive director of the prince of Parkside and a former resident of Parkside, the friends of Parkside started with residents for residents in 1991 and I would like to start by thanking all the Parkside residents, Parkside board members and supporters who are attended meeting virtually. They enjoyed that last time. So here are some updates from what's the June meeting. We have continued to host our weekly senior bingo on Tuesdays from one to 130 at Princeton Parkside, we held our monthly food distribution, provided food boxes to over 192 households and delivered food boxes to 18 seniors. We started our best our bright future Summer Youth Program, which included tennis, volleyball, computer, photography and field trip for kids. In addition, we are providing In addition, we are providing breakfast and lunch to Parkside children through the meetup and eat up program, we held our monthly Parkside community meeting. We had representative from planning and development to attend as guest speakers. And I would like to thank Miss Tucker and Miss Jones for attending the meeting as well. We continue to hold our computer classes on Mondays and Tuesdays for residents. We held our 15th annual Parkside adult safety and job fair on July 17. Our sponsors included Wayne, Metro, delantis, Blue Cross, mercy, Delta Dental, and we had about 400 folks to attend. In closing, I would like to ask about the status of the Parkside service endowment. As you know, there is 1.9 million that aside for services for Parkside, although you have submitted information to the DHC and we have not received a response yet that said, I'd like to thank you the Detroit housing commissioners and staff for all that you do, because it really does matter.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Any other comments? Go back to AV navigator, raise the hands over Okay,
gonna take responses to get them collected later that could be answered. Mr. Rose question on the
end. Now let's see just this is public comment, yeah, so probably we go through and then we can, we can answer those in our next one. So we're taking so next we have a navigator, alright?
I think you're able to unmute Your microphone now. I
we actually the
morning. Okay,
good when you can hear me, good morning, everyone. My name is Julita Goodwin, and I am one of the
resident reps at the villages of Parkside. And I just want to make a few things the board aware of. Um,
we are. We were asked about a month ago, we had a meeting with the
with the staff at DHC, some of the staff, the rest the, I can't think of our names, Parkside development team, and we had asked for a meeting in on that meeting, we felt that we were not being heard because we had sent out agenda, and the meeting was taken over anything on our agenda that we did not have a chance to discuss. I know recently we asked for it to be rescheduled, but due to my, due to illness of two of the representatives we did not, was not able to do it, and we felt that on that meeting that was we were on, that we were totally being disrespected and ignored with the things we once discussed and talk about. And also one of the things we want to discuss was that, as a community advocate, was being pushed upon us, instead of resident Council. You alluded to that earlier about resident Council, but we did form and organize a resident Council at the villages of Parkside. Since our roles as Resident rep had been diminished, we organized the resident Council, and hopefully within the next two to four months, we will be doing our nominations and our voting. And we just wanted to say that we learned a lot through this process, and we just wanted to make the border aware of some of the things, the issues that we went through, that we felt that was unfair for us to go through.
Thank you very much. What we will do is certainly highlight that we want to hear more reports and updates on how this process is going, and please continue to come back and let us know how you feel like is is going, so that we will keep on top of that. Thank you so much. AP navigator. Next we have AP navigator.
Hi. My name is Angela Pruitt. I am an advisor to the resident representatives that were appointed or put together or elected to go through the process of the red redevelopment. The reason why I'm making a comment is because when this was started, there were several advisors to the resident representatives at the villages of Parkside. With that said, I was an individual advisor, along with other entities, Alex Curtis, Michelle and we were included in emails originally, when Sandra was here as the head, and we were told that we would be continually included in the correspondences. We were asked for our for our information, our contact information. Yet, the resident representatives have told me that several emails have come through that as advisors, the advisors have not been privy to with that said, I witnessed firsthand the disrespect of the resident representatives, them being told to do things in an office in which there's no staffing. I come up to Detroit routinely once a week, and there's no office hours posted for resident services or DHC. There is no keys provided to the resident representatives to access an office in which they're told to access the printer and to do various things. It's almost like saying you have money in the safe, but I'm not going to give you the combination. So that's the first disrespect I've witnessed, and then also the disregard of the advisors that have been along and the misrepresentation regarding the advisors I did not come on as pro bono. And there was a document circulating in which I just found out about my nonprofit is not advising the resident representatives. I advised individually, having background in construction safety, having worked for Los Angeles County Construction Safety Department, having been an OSHA Institute authorized general industry and safety and health trainer, hazmat trainer, I went to school for environmental technologies, so I was brought on for lived experience and professional experiences as a advisor. My nonprofit is totally separate from what I do to assist the resident reps, and that was in trying to get them technology equipment, trying to train them in technology so that they can make meeting notices so that they can make agendas flyers and just have some technical support. That's where my nonprofit closing the digital gap does assist them. But me as an advisor, I am individual, and so the history and the information being disseminated is not entirely accurate. And also the resident reps had their last meeting that they called, kind of hijacked, and I witnessed it, because at the last minute, I was told about it again, being non included in the correspondence after being asked for my contact information so that I could be included going forward, along with the other advisors to the resident reps who were brought on to kind of go through this rad process, the development selection process and all of that. And so I just want to in support of the resident reps, bring that forth, because being left out is very hard to advise someone when you're not in the loop.
Thank you very much. We will dig deeply into that and answer what we can today, but also follow up going forward and look forward to hearing hearing more. Think one of the things so we want to do is have a process where the tone is more clear. And maybe there's a clock on on the for the before, before the speaking time, because, you know, it's it's hard for people to know how long they've been speaking, especially, you know, as things get more passion. And so having that clock helps us. It helps them. And kind of audible tone, I think the city has a process where, where they can include it. So if it's, is this help, if it's helpful to reach out to them and see what they did to put it on there, then that that will, that will work well for everybody, because we all see, they would be able to see, okay, yeah, thank you so much. And then any, any, thank you, Joanna. I knew it. Thank you. Mike. Well now,
hello. Can you hear me?
Yeah, we sure can welcome
Good evening. Board members. My name Joanna Underwood. I'm representing council member Mary waters office. We're going to send an email pertaining to a number of questions that we have related to the the process, I had got word that Mister is no longer admitting emitting the housing choice vouchers, and so they said they budget was cut, and the people in the waiting list have to go to other housing agencies. And I would like to know what is the status pertaining to Housing Choice Voucher Program, and related to the Detroit Housing Commission, did y'all receive the same kind of cuts? If so, how that's going to affect the people on the waiting list, exactly when the waiting list is going to open up, and the number of the people on the waiting list also would like inventory list of all the units under the jurisdiction of the Detroit housing condition commission, under job management that are compliant with the chapter eight certification of compliance also how many vacancies currently in Those units and when they expected to be filled. The um, it's so many questions that I have. Also would like to know when the terms of the board, current board member in, and the the major one I want to know is when is the waiting list is going to be open? And Do y'all have a date? And if so, what kind of community outreach that is going to be done to market and advertise that? So that's some of the questions that I have. Like I said, we will send a memo to you, Mr. Richard, and through our office, and also to the CFO of the Detroit Housing Commission. And thank you for your time and thank you for my question. If you can respond to them now, that's be fine. I will go. I will come to the next meeting in August in person, but I will send a memo today to your office with a list of questions. Yeah. So that's all the end of my comments. Thank you.
Thank you very much. So I think I'll definitely look forward to the memo. There's something that we highlight today a little bit, really we want to take that need not, you know, all your questions answered, and, and, and then, you know, kind of broadcast that out as well before the public. So thank you very much. I would say, you know, part of our building community, like we've been doing with the city, is also with city council and staff and making sure that that they understand our what we're doing and the like, and they can answer questions with their constituency of the same thing are used to. So I say definitely, let's, let's make that happen. And this is kind of the beginning of it. I know council member Vincent has some questions, you know, but, but didn't know each council member that process, yes. So thank you so much. And, uh, next miles, thank you all right. Here are no more speakers now we can, uh, answer a few questions. So what dig into some of the questions, specifically, starting with the maybe the Parkside
just read the follow up on the board requested. Is that what you like?
Let's see, I would say follow up on the board request, and then if it's, if it's any more guidance about when they'll have more information or where you're going, Yeah, okay,
I think ready to
discuss it at the Next meeting. Okay, sure, but that next meeting,
more we'll be ready for.
Yeah,
we have two more follow up questions that we trying to just solidify, and then we'll come back with a legal opinion and present it to the more and to the general public
at large. All right, perfect. So on that, you'll you'll hear more next month, and then is there anything that we can address this
month? Now we need that other information prior to releasing any further information. In addition to that, just a potential that, you know, we threatened with litigation on the matter. So okay, there may not be any information coming forward, depending upon where we are,
alright? So we'll go to your follow up and
see you are going to circulate that opinion before next month's meeting. Yeah, we can read it. Yes.
Thank you. And then then there was a outstanding question about, I guess, the idea of the office space and keys and office hours, do you guys have something to to
so definitely, as we always say, the resident experience is important, especially with our beloved Parkside resident. We have a meeting scheduled on July 1. It's not necessarily a rad meeting, but it's just July 31 year. July 31 just to go over where things are at, the commands of communication. It was already scheduled and plan specifically for the resident representatives. We have tried to reach out and meet last Friday and the Friday before, but there has been some sickness on their part, and so we that meeting is now rescheduled for noon on Friday, and we picked that time, because they say they're busy during the day, and so we try to be cognizant of their time. So we heard them loud and clear the meetings we thought went well, and so we definitely want this next meeting for them to voice their opinions that they go for. In regards to the office, I'll defer to Denise, the satellite resident office, yes. So what's been done to Dayton.
The office is open nine to five Monday through Friday. We have put in their laptop. Computers are in. Their furniture is in. There a printer, everything that was on their list, we pretty much have supplied from ink, pens. Everything is all set up. They are busy during the day, so that has probably been an issue with that. But it is available Monday through Friday. It's our satellite office, so we, particularly my staff myself, are there throughout the week. But yeah, it is available
speak to this key issue of the requesting keys, getting them in the feeling like that. So
we have access to the keys, but because they are not available during the daytime, we didn't want to give out keys to the building right
for off hours, right?
So I think definitely What's needed is a sit down meeting to discuss, you know, where we at? Where do we want to go? And initially, from the communication that I've seen written in regards to the whole entire Parkside redevelopment from 2021 22 was the startup of what resident representatives elected was to do when they said, to help select a developer following through that we wanted to definitely heard the resident rep spot and clear. You know, we have it in written communication. We're busy. We have day jobs we can't really support and that method, but, you know, I'm hearing right so at different now. So I think you need a definite sit down communication, make sure that all parties know we come to an applicable solution, because at the end of the day, it's for the residents. The whole repositioning is for the residents. You know, it's over $200 million that's being redeveloped right there on that site, and we have to follow a lot of regulatory rules, ego, state, federal, we want to make sure we do that, but we also want to make sure we do it at the comfort for the majority of the residents there. And so I think all questions are important, should be addressed, but coming up with a consensus and with the approval of a management company and rules of engagement, we have to sit down. We have to work out a contract. We have to let HUD know. We have to send a letter to HUD, because it still has that tier of Hope Six on there, right? And so we have to make sure we get proper approvals the funding or the request, and the contract is definitely within what we're paying on our other units. Just as a side note, we did have a third party who we were trying to go forth with. However, you know the the request was really high, and I know that was going to come back, but we went to go get that approval and today. But when you put it out for bid, what happened? So we did put it out for bid. We're going to come with all our partners. We have to give our current partner there at Parkside, our management company official notice. So all of that has not happened yet. So we're going to work out a plan over the next week to make sure Tiffany beard is working with Miss Bridget. She is also a good asset. She's going to lead the project on this to make sure we can make sure we cross all time from a compliance perspective, but also from a humanistic perspective, working with our residents and the rep, which includes the resident reps and their advisors, to make sure
we can come over the resident Council. What about the resident council?
So David, for the we only have is we're we don't do it as a kind of a back and forth, but so please reach out.
My apologies.
No problem at all. But so we're going to have that meeting. We're
going to have to come back and then make some some discussions and pause, because right now what we have is a process of folding, and we're trying to, you know, support that models where CDC is drinking out the ocean. And really the number one thing here is, especially for Parkside being the first redevelopment through rad, officially, is to make sure the residents are are comfortable. And so we thought we had a great plan not to disrupt lives. You know, daycares there that really would let you know, allow them to stay there and then move right to their new housing right on so it could be less disruptive. And so we're trying to work through all of that. So with that all said, I think first is to have a discussion, write down what's needed, and then walk away and try to form a way to the plan. So absolutely, that's going to work from a consensus plan. Yes, sir.
So because this is a large project, as you said, we agree with Almas, our first grad that we're looking into in this sort of next house, but we got more of these to cop bragging. So because part of the challenge not having, like, the formalized resident Council, which is has, like, prescribed rules around how they interact with us, again, why it's informal. Can't make people do it right. So, so we had to deal with that. But I will say that, because this is our first, eventually several, it is important to try to create a frame or a construct around how we want to do this. So we got a lot of moving pieces for our residents, right? We got a management company change, got a new owner, developer coming in. We got a large capital project. And we have, just like, everyday problems, and that, you know, who am I talking to about, like, when am I moving? But also my sewer line, and it is already going to be an unstable environment for our residents for a while. I think we owe it to them to bring as much stability to that as we can, so that if you have a problem with your current unit, here's the management company. This how it's voiced under the current ownership. If you have issues around redevelopment and this is not to say that you don't have this already, but I think that where we are moving through these large red redevelopments, it is probably incumbent upon us, both staff level, to say, Okay, this is how we want to structure this, because we're going to create a lot of instability. So there's at least clarity. I don't expect everybody to like it, but you know, if the answer is, we're gonna create an incentive to form a formalized Resident Advisor rule, because that gives us a construct. That's fine if we want to do something informal, but I think we need to try to standardize it as much as possible so that we can get better at it as we do them. And then I think anything that we are on active redevelopment, on, particularly on rad deals. Think we probably should pull it into the board agenda to get, like, a cadence of like, okay, this is what we had reminder. Here's the structure of resident Council, how we're getting resident engagement. This is the feedback we got. This is the cadence. So we can sort of see that over time, so we get better at, you know, understanding how to contextualize the feedback that we're getting from residents, and then we can replicate it across. And then, you know, I'd look to to Dan and some of our other third party managers who have done this, both formally and informally, so we have a better sense of it. And this also strikes me as the kind of thing where, if we were going to go after a HUD ta grant, this could be like, a really good use of that. So if we had a third party vendor that we could port across these rad developments, so they kind of staff it because you have lots of things that you are worried about, and I don't want, like core resident services, to suffer because you are stretched out too many things. But this strikes me as the kind of thing that like getting local HUD ta grant support, to hire a consultant for $50,000 for a period of time to administer their support list. It seems like something that they would be potentially supportive of. So it's not to like camera what you're doing already, but I know, like we have limited resources, limited time, people, we're not gonna make everybody happy, but I would like consistency and transparency up to the board on the deals that are active rad. I think at least as a starting point, maybe we drop that off because we get better at it. But there's a lot change right now right other commissioners may feel differently about it, but I want to say, get this right on our on our first radial. I agree,
and ideally, because this model of how we keep this constant communication going in a way that doesn't, you know, eat all staff sign, but instead makes it more efficient. And so, because it's, you know, I think there will be a lot of times when we are not able to provide people what they are requesting, but that communication is huge for them to, you know, not truly feel disrespected, but instead, just feel that they didn't give what they requested, but also understanding why and what's the process and and the like. And so having something where, you know, it starts with this process models it out. And while you guys are able to continue all the other work of resident services may actually make everyone's life easier and and expand it across the portfolio, having that offers.
Okay. Thank you.
Thank you. So we had actually, uh, one person that was left off of uh, public comment that we wanted to see if they were still we caught them. Elizabeth Cornell,
Hi, my name is Elizabeth Cornell, there has been some safety concerns within village at the park site, and I can advocate to that. In the past two years, my car has been broken into four times. I had reached out to the previous manager that we had from formidables, and she was supposed to head, did a form an incident report, which that went nowhere. So I think it's very crucial that additional green lights be put into place, not only for the safety of the residents, but their families as well, because this is an ongoing thing, and every time my car is broken into, that's a $500 deductible. So there should be either safety measures put into place, such as additional green lights security. So I mean, something need to be done, because this has been ongoing. So as DHC, what? What are your plans in regards to park site and additional safety measures.
Thank you very much,
something we can touch on today, and then kind of come back about what, what's the ongoing process.
Safety is definitely a concern. It's going to be a hot topic for us as we plan going forth, and so definitely, at the July 31 meeting, which is next week, we'll definitely have a point in working with our current management company. And also we're going to invite our new
encumbrance,
who's coming on board. Correct? There's seven steps that we initially outlined with implement journalism, deterrence, advertise, crime deterrence, educate residents on safety practices, criminal screening for future, to manage the research appropriately, police agreement, violation, enforcements, key component, this is not a popularity game, continuous awareness of training, finally, investigation of safety, crime concerns. We have many number of vacants out there to ensure proper lockdown, no squatting, to again involve ourselves with the local community development corporation at the table, to again, getting to know our neighbors on site, to take a look at the lighting, to take a look at the budget, in partnership with DHC so the security, to inspect the vacants, to inspect the occupied that's all devised in the first 30 days. Thank you. I
think it's a really
good example exactly what I was talking about, right? Because we're at because we're gonna what are we gonna do about the problem right now and then as part of the redevelopment, you think that the sort of security fabric would change, it's like the physical characteristic of site, so resident needs to understand, what are we gonna do now with this management relationship, but then what might change over time, as the site is really about like this a really good example, right? Communication,
yeah, communication, and so it's a, I think, you know, as we and through as many channels as possible, right? So I think for more agencies that gotten or authorities around the city have gotten into making sure that their social media is constantly updated. People are doing things, and they know where to go at different outlets to to get information about kind of what's going on in their community or with the organization as a whole, and really adding that on as part of our not just, oh, there was an email you missed it, but just kind of meeting them where they are and make sure that location is out there, besides just having the number to call,
any staff comments, All right, then a call for a motion or adjourn. So, second. Okay. Thank you, everyone here.