Speaker 0: And we have this queued up for a vote. So. Council Member Cashman, would you please put Resolution one, two, three, four on the floor for adoption?
Speaker 1: Yes, Madam President, I move that council resolution 20 dash one, two, three, four, be adopted.
Speaker 3: I get.
Speaker 0: Thank you. It's been moved and seconded. Sorry, we went a bit out of order there. As you might imagine, there's a lot of back chatter about making sure that we've got the translation services up and running correctly. And so thank you, Councilwoman Sayed Abarca, for sharing with us your reasoning for voting against it. We've got a we've got councilwoman can reach up for questions or comments.
Speaker 4: Thank you, Madam President. You know, my office looked into this topic a couple of months ago at the request of community partners who were asking about why some of the assistance wasn't being used and about it. And we actually spent an extensive amount of time with the clerk's office who is not seeing foreclosures occurring. There are numerous federal moratoriums and things like that. I didn't call this bill out, so I didn't invite those departments. But I guess I was first going to ask whether or not anyone from the clerk's office who processes the foreclosures and tracks that information or from any other department is here to just kind of answer some questions about it for those, you know, so we can kind of dig in a little bit to the to the concerns that have been raised.
Speaker 0: Sure we have Melissa Totty on the line to answer questions.
Speaker 4: Okay. I'll wait till she's here. Oh, there she is. You're here. So, Melissa, I don't know if you heard my my comment question, but can you speak a little bit to what is impacting the demand for foreclosure assistance right now, just so we can kind of get a sense of what the pipeline of need looks like and what might be impacting it?
Speaker 2: Yeah. So, Melissa, today with the Department of Housing Stability.
Speaker 4: I don't have the foreclosure.
Speaker 2: Data pulled up, but I certainly have heard from and reporters similar as well as we fund five different housing counseling agencies throughout the city who are working with residents who may be facing issues with foreclosures or needing assistance with mortgage assistance payments. And they just aren't seeing a lot of folks coming in requesting or needing that assistance. They we also looked into the data from two one, one and 311 that they also aren't just they just aren't seeing kind of the volume of calls or requests. A lot of residents are able to get forbearance through their servicers or lenders, which has been great, I think. And I'll take Councilwoman CdeBaca point, certainly concerns about what's going to happen next year. However, these funds are coronavirus relief funds and they have to be spent by December 30th. And so the concern is keeping them in this fund where they're going to be under utilized means that they would have to go back to Treasury, whereas by reducing this contract, we're able to move those funds to areas where we're seeing a really high demand, like the rental and utility assistance programs. And then the last thing I'll add, Councilman, can you just it's just that we did check in with the state division of Housing, who has the emergency housing assistance program that also provides mortgage assistance, as well as rent assistance. And they are similarly not seeing the kind of demand that we all kind of anticipated when COVID hit for mortgage assistance.
Speaker 4: Thank you for that information. That is. And I just want to clarify the difference between people not being aware of a service and versus not needing it. Can you speak a little more to the federal programs that are in place right now, perhaps suppressing the need or delaying the need? Just if you can just add a little more detail, I think that might be helpful for people to understand and people may not know about these options. You know, the few people we do have calling, I know we're sending them to these options as well. So can you just talk about that for a minute, please?
Speaker 2: First. So in terms of I'll try to use. So there are kind of large scale organizations like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac who oversee a lot of mortgages and there is a foreclosure. Moratorium or less for many of those loans. And so residents are able to go through their servicer or lender in order to receive a forbearance, meaning that payments won't be due ideally until it will get wrapped into the loan and payments will be made over time. I think, you know, something that we're still tracking is what may happen with some lenders who would require payments at the end of the forbearance, but certainly not what we've been seeing so far. To that end.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I just want to be a little more pointed. Sorry, but it's people have always been able to ask for forbearances. These lenders are under a national mandate to provide such forbearance right now. It's not just like, is your lender feeling friendly today? There's actually some extra policy in place right now. I just want to. Am I understanding that? Remembering that correctly?
Speaker 2: That's right. Yeah. Okay.
Speaker 4: So people have a right to certain forbearance and certain things. The other question I want to go back to, and you went over this really quickly is if some if these dollars get moved to a different purpose, if someone does have a need for mortgage assistance tomorrow. Right. Is that available? And from what types of sources would Denver residents be able to get that assistance? Yes.
Speaker 2: So there is still going to be plenty of funds remaining in this locally local program. So this is through Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation, also known as Check City and County of Denver. Residents can get access to this program by calling 311 and pressing six. Or they can call check directly. That number is 3035729445. Extension 17. Also the state program, again, the emergency housing assistance program, also known as IH. HAP also has mortgage assistance available and residents.
Speaker 4: Can connect to that.
Speaker 2: Program by calling 211 mile High United Way going to their website or the state division of Housing also has information about that program. So both of those programs are available and have mortgage assistance for residents ready to go tomorrow. Today.
Speaker 4: Thank you. So I got a number of e emails today from people who did not have some of the facts that we just talked about, which is that they're you know, I think the perception was out there that this is eliminating mortgage assistance. It is not. There are two programs that people can continue to access that both have funds available because they, too, have been underutilized. Secondly, there is the bank option and some of the federal protections that are in place. Third, these dollars go away at the end of the year. So we can't we don't just have, you know, months more to to see if there's a pent up demand in January. We have to spend them. And so I'm very supportive of spending them where they're needed most. Knowing that there are other mortgage assistance programs available, that those are, you know, and we should be you know, we got some of the data back from the true a program on the rental side and our residents are probably using that state program a little less because they're relying on our local dollars. And we are residents of Colorado. Our residents of Denver deserve to be able to access statewide programs just like other residents of other communities. We shouldn't have to do it all of ourselves in Denver. So I'm glad to know there is a state program there in addition to our other local programs. So we have three programs. We'll still have two of them, plus the federal protections. And these dollars can be put to more immediate use immediately. So I'm very supportive of this tonight, and I appreciate you answering my questions, Melissa. Thank you. Thank you, Madam President.
Speaker 0: Thank. Thank you, Councilman. Councilman Flynn.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Madam President. I was going to pursue the same line that councilwoman connected with Melissa, but I want to point out that it would be very counterproductive to our ends to vote this down. It would. Voting us down would lock in another $800,000 into a program that's not being utilized. And it would and then we would lose these dollars on December 31st. And if one had read the resolution request that was submitted with this week or so ago, it spelled all this out that this is not being utilized. We lose the money December 31st. The of the $800,000 in gain in relief funds, $500,000 of it is going to be reprogramed into the rental and utility assistance program. It would be very short sighted to vote this down and then lose the money by having it locked up in a program that's not being used. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this. Thank you.
Speaker 0: Thank you. Councilman Flynn. Councilwoman CdeBaca, you're back up.
Speaker 4: Thank you, Madam President. Just a quick question for Melissa, because we know we've been having challenges with true and getting that out fast enough to people and to all of the people needed. So is there a guarantee that the 600 is going to move over? Definitely to true. And do we know which provider in truth will get it?
Speaker 2: Or how does.
Speaker 4: The split work? Thank you for your question.
Speaker 2: So it's of 500 of the 800 that's going to go over to the Temporary Rental Utility Assistance Program. These are part of the larger pot of coronavirus relief funds. So as you've seen, I think last week, the Northeast Denver Housing Center contract amendment was before you all, which included an additional $1.2 million in coronavirus relief funds and then brother's redevelopment. The other agency who administers TRIA will be coming forward with a contract amendment with additional 300,000 and coronavirus relief funds. So while I don't know kind of on the back end who got what kind of money in total we are providing an additional I'm sorry, 1.5 million in coronavirus relief funds, 500 of that coming from this program.
Speaker 4: Thank you. And that's just, you know, call out. The issue that we've had with sugar is that we don't have enough capacity to get it out fast enough to the people who need it. And so if the expiration date is the concern, I still have that concern with that moving over to true and only having a month left to get it out, knowing what we've gone through to get out what we've currently been getting out. So thank you for that.
Speaker 0: All right. Next up, we have Councilman Hines.
Speaker 1: Thank you, Madam President. Miss, today I am going to ask you a question that is a little out of my depth and it might be out of yours. And if you don't have the answer, that's fine. I do. Are you familiar with some of the programs that are providing mortgage assistance that are unrelated to the city, that are, you know, some of the nonprofits in the city, say, for example, the 50 to 80.
Speaker 2: So I have I read the article on that program, but less less familiar with that. More familiar with the city programs. In the state programs.
Speaker 1: I totally understand. Of course you are. You are meant to know a lot about the city programs. And. And so I. Like I said, I understand that I might be asking you a question. That's that's a bit outside of your your wheelhouse. I just I wonder if if there are other nonprofit run programs that appear to also have be distributing funds, but the city doesn't see a demand. But again, I'm asking you a question you may not have the answer to, but and if you don't, that's fine. But I'd rather ask it. Do you do you know if. If there. Do you know why that of a totally community led program might be giving out funds where our program might not be?
Speaker 2: I don't think I'm following the question.
Speaker 1: Okay. And and it might be because I don't know exactly what question to ask, because I'm not I'm not totally familiar with some of the community run programs. So I guess I'll just I'll just leave it at that. And so I apologize for putting you on the hot seat for a question that is outside of your house. And. Madam President, thank you for your indulgence. And I apologize for wasting everyone's time.
Speaker 0: No worries. No worries, Councilman Hines. All good. Want to take a quick second here and just remind folks again, too, to speak slowly and make sure that we're giving time for our translators to do their jobs. And so, Madam Secretary, roll call on council resolution. One, two, three, four, please.
Speaker 2: CDEBACA No. Clark.
Speaker 1: I.
Speaker 4: Flynn.
Speaker 1: I.
Speaker 2: Herndon.
Speaker 3: I.
Speaker 2: Hi.
Speaker 1: Hi.
Speaker 2: Cashman.
Speaker 1: I.
Speaker 2: Janet, I. Ortega, I. Sandoval. I swear. I. Torres. I. Black I. Madam President.
Speaker 0: I. Madam Secretary, close the voting and announce results.
Speaker 2: One May 21.
Speaker 0: May 12 EIS Council Resolution 1 to 3 four has been adopted. The next item up is Council Bill 1229. Council Member Hines, please go ahead with your questions on Bill 1229.
A resolution approving a proposed First Amendatory Agreement between the City and County of Denver and Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation (CHAC) to amend the scope of services and budget, reduce the maximum contract amount, and modify certain other terms to operate the Coronavirus Temporary Mortgage Assistance Program.
Amends a contract with Colorado Housing Assistance Corporation by reducing the contract by $800,000 for a new total of $200,000 to operate the Coronavirus Temporary Mortgage Assistance Program, citywide. No change to contract duration (HOST-202054968-01). The last regularly scheduled Council meeting within the 30-day review period is on 12-7-20. The Committee approved filing this item at its meeting on 11-4-20.