Vol. 2, Issue 34 – 10.08.21

Dear Friends,

Two weeks ago, we celebrated National Night Out. It was a considerable success in District F. We have activities in Westchase, Alief, Tanglewilde-Wesmont, and Carver Crest, the last remaining neighborhood of the historic Piney Point. I am thankful for the residents that organized and committed to engaging with their neighbors. Special thank you to Westside and Midwest Houston Police, Houston Fire 60,  Westchase Management District, Ashford Properties, Theta Chi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Agency on Aging, and more for your unwavering commitment to the community.

Over the last twelve months, I have collaborated with residents in Tanglewilde, Westmont, Carver Crest, and Midwest HPD DRT Division to finally resolve the dangerous and deadly activity at Chemistry Lounge on Clarkcrest and Blue Lagoon. Chemistry Lounge was evicted from the property and secured on 10/5/21. SUCCESS, but there is more work to do. More details on this later in the coming weeks.

I am happy to report an update on the animal sweeps conducted in July 2021 per your recommendations. BARC collected 43 dogs; 3 were adopted, one died, 15 dogs were returned to the owner (RTO), and 19 were transferred with a total of 6 citations being issued (dog running at large, require city license, and required rabies vaccine). Stray animals concerns continue to be an issue, and I have funds designated for additional sweeps in the future.

Many robust projects are happening throughout the district, and moving forward, we will prioritize those projects to inform and promote. Last week I included a listing of all scheduled public works projects and funding amounts. Please familiarize yourself with this information and feel free to share it with your neighbors, civic associations, and homeowners associations. The projects include deep investment within neighborhoods like Briar Meadow, Ashton Village, Westhollow, and street repairs on Richmond and Westpark.

As chair of the housing and community affairs committee, I want to keep you informed regarding the external investigation regarding our GLO/Disaster Recovery 2017 funds. The General Land Office is currently reviewing our DR17 applications and will present their findings next week. The city will then be able to respond to the results, which I will share with you.

Early voting started on October 18, and the turnout is super low. There are several voting locations throughout the district, including Alief ISD Administration Building, Tracey Gee Community Center, HCC-Alief Bissonnet, Mission Bend Islamic Center – all sites are open from 7 AM to 7 PM. Please pay attention to the constitutional amendments, the Alief ISD Bond Referendum details, and the Houston and Alief ISD Trustee positions. Election day is November 2, 2021; please take full advantage of your civic responsibility. Visit HarrisVotes.com for more information.

Lastly, I want to welcome and introduce our newest team member, Johnathan Johnson. He will fulfill the constituent services aide role we posted a couple of months ago. After reviewing dozens of applications, we are confident he will enhance our customer service experience and community relationships. He is a graduate of the University of Houston and speaks Spanish.

Daya Houston

https://www.dayahouston.org/gethelp

Legal, intervention and financial assistance to victims of domestic violence.

Day One

https://www.dayoneny.org/our-services

Provides free and confidential counseling and case management, as well as legal advice, information, and direct representation to young people aged 24 and under related to dating abuse.

Domestic Shelters in Houston

https://www.domesticshelters.org/help/tx/houston

This website provides information and location of domestic violence and abuse shelters in Houston.

Family Violence Program Center

https://hhs.texas.gov/services/safety/family-violence-program

The Family Violence Program promotes self-sufficiency, safety, and long-term independence of adult and child victims of family violence and victims of teen dating violence. Through a network of service providers, the program provides emergency shelter and supportive services to victims and their children, educates the public, and provides training and prevention support to various organizations across Texas.

Houston Area Women’s Center

https://hawc.org/services/what-is-domestic-violence/resources-for-domestic-violence/

Services for domestic violence such as immediate assistance, hospital accompaniment, counseling for domestic survivors, shelter, and training.
Click here for a comprehensive list of organizations.

Recently Houston Public Works completed sidewalk repairs for 3 locations including a block on Plumbrook Street and two blocks on Huntington Dale. See photos below of the completed project funded by council district service funds.

FINAL NOTICE
NEIGHBORHOOD MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM
CALL FOR APPLICATIONSGrants support neighborhood improvement and beautification projects

On October 12 Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the members of the 2021-2022 Mayor’s Youth Council (MYC). Seventeen high school students took the MYC oath of office administered by the mayor at an inauguration ceremony held at City Hall. We are proud that our youth conference lead and former intern, Tommy Wan, was chosen to represent the district.

The MYC members were selected from of pool of nearly 100 applicants consisting of students ages 14-18 who live and attend high school in Houston. The members were chosen through an application and interview process conducted by a selection committee. The MYC term of office runs from October 2021 to May 2022.

Congratulations Tommy!

More than 1,600 full- and part-time positions will be available at the Turnaround Houston Job & Readiness Fair, held virtually from Friday, Oct. 22 through Sunday, Oct 24. Job seekers can access the virtual portal to browse open positions anytime. Those wishing to chat live with hiring employers and resource organizations can log in from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Friday. The event is free, but registration is required to access the job portal – click here and choose “City of Houston Turnaround Job Fair” from the drop-down menu.

The last cycles of the 2021 Let Creativity Happen! (LCH) and 2021 City’s Initiative (CI) grant programs are open! Both city-funded grant opportunities are available to nonprofit organizations and individual artists. Visit the HAA website for detailed eligibility requirements and application guidelines for each grant. The deadline to submit your application is October 29, 2021 at 5 p.m. CST.

We are grateful to have been joined by Congressman Al Green, Council Member Thomas, Council Member Kamin, the Houston Health Department Director, Mi Familia Vota, and professors around Houston. On Saturday we hosted the 2nd Annual District F Youth-Led Conference on environmental justice

We sincerely appreciate our steering committee!Esha Garg
Tommy Wan
Grace Rustay
Ebenezer Appiah
Tom Thayyil Thomas
Matthew Lee
Nhung Huynh
Ella Rose