Human Rights Commission Regular Meeting   7/20/2023

Here.

Mary?

Here.

Wolfgang?

Here.

Kathryn?

Here.

And Lyndele?

Do we have any?

Sorry.

Do we have anyone online?

We currently have no attendees.

Our regular meeting minutes from last meeting.

OK. Jessica?

Yes.

And Mary.

Yes.

Wolfgang.

Yes.

Yes.

Welcome.

Mr. Van Meter, you need to unmute your microphone.

It's the simple things, isn't it?

Are you able to hear me now?

Yes, we hear you and see you.

Are you able to see the picture?

Yes, we see it.

So with that, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions and let you just kind of explore what this is going to look like for our communities.

Thank you, Captain Van Martin for a meter for presenting to us and we have a commissioner with the question.

If you could talk about that, what commitment you have to that and how that will be clear to the community.

We want to make sure that this building services all individuals regardless of where they're at in life and we just want to be available to them.

My information's old, so you all may have rectified that a long time ago, but I know that historically that has been an issue, that gay families were more likely to be separated at the shelter, and I'm wondering if you could speak to that a little.

So we will work it out, make it work, and provide the services that the community wants us to provide.

So I'm sorry, that's why I kind of wanted to follow up there.

Sure, so that I'm very clear, yes, we will provide opportunities for families of any sexual orientation to stay together if that is what their need is.

Can you talk more about that?

Identifying as a male, then there are security issues, but we again have the transitional apartments available that we can secure for them if they are available for housing.

And then what of those policies, if any, because I don't really know how this works, are kind of Salvation Army as an organization that impose them and which policies are local and subject to being changed?

We do not want to be a journey so that they can just come and take up space and not move forward in their lives.

Well that's not the case.

Now obviously we deal with mental health issues and some physical illnesses and things but those are extenuating circumstances and even with those there are other resources not simply coming into a shelter and remaining there for over a year moving into a year and a half.

That's what I was looking for.

But in the coming years, our plan is to begin moving people through a plan to get them on their feet and help them to be productive individuals in our community.

I'm just trying to understand.

So it's a balance of being almost a low barrier shelter and a higher barrier shelter.

So a medium barrier shelter.

So this is going to be a very effective and proven model that we're going to try to establish here at the Salvation Army in Charlottesville.

What was the economic makeup of that area that you were in?

It just means that we are continuing to work through their hurdles.

I agree with that and that's kind of where I was kind of headed with that as well is how hard it is for people who are not homeless to find regular housing and you put that barrier of being homeless and everything else going on for them to try to find affordable housing in Charlottesville so my hat is off to you to find someone to connect with or organizations to connect with that people can find affordable housing.

And that is unfortunate, but that is a reality that we have to look at as well.

But I do worry about that.

where we are being successful but also where our shortcomings are.

Thank you, I appreciate that.

Is there a clear policy about that, about how transgender individuals are treated and where they are housed?

And so I will dialogue more with our headquarters, but I think we have to, again, engage with each individual per their needs.

Thanks.

And I apologize, I didn't catch which one was Victoria.

We have an email address that you could send.

Thank you, I appreciate that.

So I just wanted to say that.

You find it offensive or concerning that we are trying to move people out of a shelter?

It's concerning when you say that someone's just flopped and sitting there.

Well, and then, you know, I hear that we have individuals who have been in our shelter 14 months or so, and that causes me concern.

Maybe it was a poor choice of a first example.

And are there any limitations currently imposed by the way that the property is designed for future expansion?

In an emergency situation, we would be able to use our multi-purpose room for additional beds, but the transitional housing, the apartments will be pretty established once the building is built.

Thank you.

It's simply a design element and we do have an option if needed if the money was there to build upward and put additional beds in but to go towards 4th Street or Ridge Street it's just not going to be an option because of landlocked.

Or is there a way we could combine our services to make that 28 days seem like three months, I guess, but not as much?

Our partnerships are very important to us and we have probably neglected some of those handshake partnerships in the community and we can better ourselves by getting more engaged with the community groups.

Sorry, I wanted to switch to just another topic and I wonder if you could talk a little bit about how you serve non-English speakers and also whether you have a policy with regard to immigration status for people who get services there.

to assure the safety and security of children and individuals in our shelter.

Is that just on an emergency basis or on the same basis as other people are treated?

Well, there's no difference in how we treat people.

You said that people could come on an emergency basis, so it wasn't clear if you were making a distinction or if I was reading that into it.

So yes, currently I know that we have one family and I believe that we have two families that are undocumented and staying in our shelter right now.

I don't know if these are collaborations that the Salvation Army has been looking to cultivate throughout Charlottesville or in Albemarle?

Is that what you're referring to?

Or I don't know, just if there's anything that the Salvation Army knows about or has been trying to develop or is looking for collaboration opportunities.

So housing, secure housing, sustainable housing is something of a high priority for myself as I've moved here to Charlottesville.

That answers my question, thank you.

Can you just describe to us what it is that people need to complete and what you do?

We should be doing that for sure.

I'm sorry, I know we're piling on a lot here.

Help me out.

Is this applied equitably and equally like every single person that comes in there is subject to a background check or do you pick and choose who is subjected to a background check?

It cannot be targeted.

I think the majority is congregate now, with some small apartments, but any change in the makeup there?

You know, we have someone who could benefit from it but we don't have it, then it's just simply a full capacity for that section.

single beds because I do hear that is often a concern is that folks with, for example, like a mobility challenge may seek to get shelter, but there's only top bunks available.

And there'll be a series of those on each dorm floor.

I think it's four beds per room, two bunk systems, basically?

It had to be done this way in order to get the beds that we need for the capacity of the building.

Thank you.

So like what capacity is actually increasing?

I'm sorry, can you say the last thing?

But you're saying- Sure.

So we're changing the number of units, but we are not affecting the number of beds in total.

Will it be reduced in any way?

In the new shelter?

During construction, will the capacity decrease?

And then once construction is completed, all of our shelter guests will move into the new property, and we will then demo the old buildings.

concerns from the community and also potential needs with this project.

And so we are working through our options in making sure that our neighbors are not put out in any way with traffic flow.

The concern and the quality for the playground, is that something that's going to be still in consideration with your team and project?

Again, I'm very new to the community, but I think the closest playground is down on Cherry Street next to our thrift store, am I correct?

Yeah.

So if we can come up with the money, a grant for the playground, I have no issue writing that into our construction budget and making that happen as part of this project.

Is there anything else you want us to consider or be informed of as we make a decision to recommend this to city council?

We want to become the best partner to the city that we can be.

So I know there was some follow up with just our request for intake information and our concerns around how LGBTQIA individuals are supported within your shelter.

Yeah, one more second.

Did you want to write that down, or do you want me to?

Can you give that to me again, please?

Yeah, it's HRcommission at Charlottesville.gov

But we'll get to know that.

the needs and where these guests are at in their life.

We'll send you our updated.

I'll find your email and just send it to you to make sure that you have that.

Are there any other final questions of commissioners?

I look forward to meeting you and your wife in the future.

Thank you, I appreciate it.

What are y'all thoughts about recommending this expansion to City Council?

Are they a landlord?

And if there's a dismissal or a finding of no probable or no reasonable cause, sorry, not probable anymore, no reasonable cause, they could appeal to the commission at which point you would hold an appeal hearing.

So it seems like we really need to get those policies in writing and make sure we agree with them.

I mean, we obviously need more housing for unhoused people, but I feel like as a Human Rights Commission, we have to be committed to non-discrimination in the provision of that housing.

All right, so go ahead.

No, I was going to say, I feel exactly the same.

So how much time are we going to allow him to find out what gaps that we are asking him to fill before we decide to help support and write this letter to city council?

Happy to say our current concerns, but I want to ditto off of what Ernest is saying also.

as the Human Rights Commission insist on a commitment to non-discrimination as part of any support for expansion, which otherwise I would be delighted to support.

And I would not support something personally that was not clearly articulated in an equitable way.

What we asked was taken care of, but we have answers to those questions.

Do we know when it's going to see, oh sorry.

I think so.

It would be worth knowing if it's going to be on the agenda packet for the next city council meeting.

Okay, so I guess the question is do we support the special use permit for them to build the building?

That's what I'm asking.

And no one else seems to be stepping up to say that we're going to build more emergency shelter right now.

Do we agree on that?

But it's just me personally could not sign off on something that I felt was clearly inequitable.

And it's so hard for, because it's like, it's this somewhat, it's this like political lightning rod is the Salvation Army that is the entity who's getting ready to finally put beds into this community, and that's what I'm really struggling with right now.

I'm just kind of asking back to Ernest's point, like what do we need to move forward?

I don't disagree.

what we need clearly do we need like I want to be able to send a follow-up that's what we want to plan to do I don't know what we're planning to do but if it's a follow email that explicitly says that we need this statement that says da-da-da-da I guess so I'm just trying to get to it what do we need to do after this moment from a very practical point of view one I agree we can't support it if they're going to discriminate so we need to know they're not going to discriminate I don't think that we will get satisfactory answers in the time that we need to before

And we want to make sure you're in compliance with that.

What's that?

And language.

So just food for thought.

So I'm going to guess, and I don't know how we feel about that, but I just want to name that that is not something that I knew that the Salvation Army had put out, but it is part of their national, I'm not looking at the local right now.

That phrase is used by lots and lots of organizations who still discriminate quietly.

That's not enough for me.

I mean, I don't know about others, but that wouldn't do it for me.

Right.

And I will also point out that we are unlikely, I suspect, that that will be hard to get.

So you're concerned with the language of what she just read?

No, that language is pretty standard.

Okay, so what language are you

Can we march in there and go, hang on?

That's covered by state law and ordinance.

I would like to hear those specific examples, but yes.

get their procedures on that because it's one thing I think a policy statement is more of a blanket like of course we would do the right thing but you're saying how will you do the right thing that's what you're really asking is what are your procedures.

And I think in that letter that we actually say this is our expectation the Human Rights Commission this is what we expect and we will be watching.

Just because in the next, you know, before August 7th, I don't think we'll be able to get the levels.

So it's really, really clear, because I think we're fleshing things out even more during this conversation that he's not privy to right now, so that we're all on the same page and then he can be really clear about what this commission will be watching for and listening for and paying attention to.

Like languages.

But I don't think it undermines that to say, but we also expect a commitment to non-discrimination and to fair treatment for all.

They're not just sort of policies that are maybe somewhere but not publicly known.

So I think it's like the double, yeah.

and then the support potentially to City Council is that we do support this and we will be following up with them to ensure that they are following through with non-discriminatory practices.

I don't know if they can do that with a special use permit, but city council should be saying we hope you're not discriminating, right?

Go ahead, go ahead.

and so that is something that is not acceptable for them to be asking other residents to interpret for them since that is labor that's not compensated and you don't know the quality of that interpretation but also almost no social services in Charlottesville have Spanish speakers and that's not to say anything about like the many other languages that are like there's almost no diary speakers employed in any social services and that includes on the city's end

We can spell it out for sure.

I hope meeting with ICE is not really one of the goals he presents with us.

Now I hear that there are people that have heard stories or have information about things that have happened in the past within that space of salvation, but my hope is that we will get those questions to him, he will respond to us, and we will be able to send a letter without contingencies.

I said, that would be really lovely.

I just want to give him a chance.

I don't see how practically speaking that can happen.

I'm hoping it will work.

But here's what I'm saying, we won't have a meeting, like even if he sends the stuff, we will not be able to make a decision about whether or not it meets our criteria or not because there isn't a meeting in time.

Because we've said letters like that before.

And so what I'm trying to do is give Jessica language that we all agree on.

Within two weeks to turn that around and give him a chance.

You have a publicly noticed meeting August 3rd.

Winter materials for council packets to do?

What's that?

Winter materials for council packets to do?

It's kind of a thing where you can discuss and come to a consensus, but I think that you'd want to do that in a public process rather than over email.

I don't believe that's this one.

That's coming up later.

That's here.

And then if not, you have to think about it again.

The timing makes sense to me.

I can follow up with them.

And the intake stuff I'm interested in, but we don't need that.

Whatever is needed, if you can include that for me so I make sure I don't miss anything.

I had all the same questions and y'all can do it.

We got to be the quieter side of the table or the quieter side of the house over here.

If y'all think all is well, then we don't have to have that, but I just kind of wanted to know y'all thoughts about norms.

Jessica, was there anything in particular that brought this up for you?

I love that about our team, but we wanna do it in a respectful manner.

I agree and perhaps it's a

So maybe that's the in-between option, the medium.

If you want that, that's fine, but I also think you all have plenty of authority to tell us how to operate, and we have to live with that.

I agree, because I'm very bad at not raising my hand to talk, so I do apologize.

We all agree, so if y'all are saying I need to put some together and y'all are all going to agree, we can have some discussion, I'm happy with that.

You can bring yours and we combine them at the next working group.

Yeah, I think, so I'm gonna move on from this point and just like, in our next meeting, 15 minutes, I'll come with mine, y'all come with yours, we can agree to agree, hopefully, on them and just move forward, because I love our dynamic, we do really hard and intense work, and I just don't want that awkward tension to be there that I've felt really intensely the last couple of sessions that has made it really uncomfortable for me, so if we can agree upon that, then we're good, and we'll talk about this in the work session.

Over to you, Todd!

Thanks.

Would you like to start just talking about outreach things and then I can jump into what I have?

OK.

So

It's on Facebook?

I was trying to find it.

On Facebook?

Only on Facebook?

I didn't see it either.

You're totally right.

So you need someone for the table at West Haven?

I forget what the name of the organization is but it's like a step team did a really cool presentation prolific ran through so if anybody wants more information that's something that we'd be looking for if anybody wants to stand in on if not I will just ask another community partner to carry our literature so no pressure so that's my pitch for that I think that's it for updates for our office unless anybody has outreach questions

Do you have a digital copy?

I kind of thought maybe that might help inform your research as we enter kind of that whatever period.

It would be great to meet that person.

We can email Paul very easily, talk to him and invite him.

I don't set the agenda, but it would be a nice thing.

Oh yeah and I will be gone at the next workshop and so we'll have to, Victoria and I will have to kind of figure out a way to make sure that this meeting gets facilitated but we've done that before virtually it'll be the first time in person that we've had to do that so.

So you guys will not be here?

I don't think it's a that's that's no I think date wise in terms of what you've got going on as far as you told me I don't think you're gonna be on that one that week right yeah just just that weekend just the weekend yeah yeah

Oh yeah sure yeah I tried to click on it I was like it's not loading.

It's a very it's a very weird tech problem with OneDrive but yep we got it.

Are there any updates?

Interesting.

Who's the DSA?

Yeah, Democratic Socialists.

If you type in RVA Eviction Labs Evictors' Catalog, it's so cool.

I mean, I don't know if it's information.

I did not ask them about that in the meeting last night, but if there's any willingness or enthusiasm to partner with them, I could make that in-road.

It was just out of the country.

Todd has so kindly suggested that we should put together an expert panel to bring up legislative potential recommendations and he's provided us with a list that actually Lyndele had started about the community engagement like partners potentially so we'll stop talking and just hear your guys' thoughts about how we want to go about creating legislative recommendations and who we want to invite to our expert panel.

Yes, thank you.

Sorry, Wolfgang.

I'm sorry for that.

Brainstorm other people that you think might be able to bring something to the table and then we can invite them.

their priorities are because I don't think there's any point in us recommending things if there's not already a group working on it.

So again, rather than us having our own recommendations, what if we do look at those who are planning to do the same thing and look at their recommendations and then just say us too, right?

I'm not opposed to that, so who's the, who are the people that we want to reach out to gather their letter, their legislative recommendations?

Not very representative, I suppose.

Second clarifying question, would it also be helpful to maybe request a member of council who's working on the legislative priorities for council this year to come to your meeting and hear that and or tell you what they're working on?

It seems like there's an opportunity.

Yes, Victoria.

and has a long history of working in affordable housing, well long, he's like a very young person, but used to work in Habitat for Humanity and like has put all over his like campaign sort of plans and in his development affordable housing stuff, so if we had to liaise with somebody specifically about our housing kind of research project, maybe it would be good to connect with him.

So are we just saying everyone on the list that we currently have?

Were you able to make contact with every person on that list?

I think there were still some that were.

Karp, Rashkron, Josh something.

Is that reasonable, Tosh?

Seems like a great way.

I always look to you for assurance.

What support do you need to make that happen?

Helping me draft that letter and making sure some kind of documents are available for them.

Want to circulate a little letter?

I can't find where that document is, where emails are, but you have.

Why can't I find it?

But if someone could re-point me to wherever that is with the email contacts, that'd be helpful.

I think I have it.

I think this is this document.

Can you send me an email so I can make sure?

I think I'm asking this, yeah.

What my understanding is.

Does that sound accurate?

Any further follow up questions?

I won't hold you to the 10 or 15 minutes.

Next regular meeting, which is what date is that?

17th.

So let's, you and I touch base after the meeting, schedule some time to do that.

Any members of the public?

No attendees at this time.

That's usually me.

But especially you two.

And so I appreciate you guiding us through it.

And Victoria is going to send us the video that they've sent to us.

And details on West Haven.

And details on West Haven.

And then whatever, stating of the if anybody wants to be with me kind of thing.

OK, if that all is clear, we will be adjourning at 8.56 PM.