Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 10 a.m. (Austin time), Austin City Hall
Committee: Public Health Committee
The Public Health Committee approved minutes from its March 4, 2026 meeting and heard a briefing from Elizabeth Baker, executive director of The Other Ones Foundation, on the Esperanza Two expansion and the foundation's workforce development programming, including funding outlooks that anticipate increased city operating support. Council members questioned Baker extensively about substance use services, coordinated entry, outcome metrics, and the comparability of the shelter's 58% positive exit rate. Austin Public Health staff then provided an update on the e-cigarette retail resolution, recommending a zoning ordinance restricting new tobacco and e-cigarette retailers within 1,000 feet of schools and childcare centers, along with public health code updates. The committee also noted a memo in the backup on the South Austin housing navigation center and discussed future briefing topics, with the chair indicating a Long COVID briefing and an HSO update are slated for May.
0:00 Everyone ready?
0:06 Good morning everyone. I called to order this meeting of the Austin City Council public health committee.
0:12 The time is 10:00 am on Wednesday, April 1st, 2026, and we are here in the City Council chambers.
0:18 Welcome everyone to our April 1st April fools committee meeting.
0:24 Um, we have a relatively short agenda today.
0:28 We'll start out with public commun public communications.
0:31 Then we'll move into approval of mi meeting minutes from March 4th committee meeting.
0:35 Next, we'll have a briefing on espanza two expansion and workforce programming from the other one's foundation.
0:42 From there, the committee will receive an update by Austin public health on the e-cigarette retail resolution.
0:49 Are there any questions or comments on the agenda today?
0:53 Okay. Seeing none, we will now welcome speakers from the community.
0:57 May the clerk office please start us off with the first speaker.
1:01 There's no speakers. Alright, very good.
1:05 Now we'll move on to the approval of previous meeting minutes for adam.
1:08 Number one, can I get a motion?
1:09 Motion by vice Duchen?
1:11 Seconded by Council Member Alter.
1:13 Um, this is for approval of the March 4th, 2026 meeting minutes as presented.
1:19 Any objection to the approval?
1:21 Seeing none, those stand approved.
1:23 Now we'll move on to item number two and we'll welcome elizabeth baker, executive director from the other one's
1:29 foundation for a briefing on espanza to expansion and workforce programming from the other ones foundation.
1:36 Welcome.
1:41 Thank you. Good morning.
1:43 Um, so my name is elizabeth baker.
1:45 I'm the executive director of the other ones foundation.
1:48 And, uh, I wanna take a few minutes of my time today to talk through a little bit
1:54 of the history of the other ones foundation, kind of what is the foundation of our work and,
1:59 and our philosophy. And then I'll move into, um, the evolution of our programming.
2:05 Uh, most recently, do I have control of the slides?
2:11 Yeah. Oh, wonderful. Alright.
2:14 So, um, the mission of the other ones foundation is, uh, strictly to transition people experiencing homelessness into
2:22 engaged community stability, um, and, uh, and a dignified way of living through shelter opportunity and support.
2:32 And what I wanna highlight is just the engaged community value that is so core to the work
2:38 that we do as an organization.
2:40 We, um, we take, we accept people as they are, as they show up to any of our
2:47 programs with all of their corks and figurative baggage, um, and mold our programs around their needs to,
2:55 uh, to improve outcomes.
2:58 We speak honestly and with clarity to the people that we serve.
3:02 Having that fierce authenticity really builds the trust that makes our program successful.
3:09 And, uh, we, um, sorry I lost my place.
3:15 And that, uh, that radical kinship and really building those relationships from the ground up.
3:21 So this is a little bit about the history of the other one's foundation and just how we
3:26 came to be. So we were founded in 2017, um, and started developing, uh, and providing services in
3:32 2018. And that was done through a fiscal sponsorship with family elder care.
3:38 And so I have to give big props to family elder care and their support of the other
3:42 one's foundation. Those three years where we were engaged in that fiscal sponsorship, uh, relationship with them, really
3:50 set up the foundation of our organizational structure and helped us mature the organization to a place where
3:56 we were really able to ramp up services, um, as the arpa dollars were coming down into our
4:02 community. So we launched a number of, uh, of new programs during that arpa uh, uh, influx of
4:14 funds into the community, including a mobile hygiene clinic, um, a diversion program, a rapid rehousing program, um,
4:24 and, uh, prevention services as well.
4:27 And we were really focused on what we do best as an organization in order to fill gaps
4:35 in a way that allows us to, um, to utilize the resources that are available in the community
4:40 deliver services, um, but are unique to our organization.
4:46 So as soon as those arpa dollars really started to dwindle in our community, you'll see that, that,
4:52 uh, reduction in staffing resources and financial resources from 2023 to 2025, that was us getting fiercely focused
5:01 on what we do best in the community and getting really rooted in our two service delivery methods
5:07 that set us apart in the community.
5:09 And that's non congregate shelter and workforce development services.
5:15 So I'll go into more detail about the history of the esperanza community in particular.
5:21 Um, but I do also just want to acknowledge, uh, the opening of the john paul dejoria skills center,
5:28 which I'll be talking about later in the presentation was in February of 2025, is when we launched
5:35 programming in that building.
5:38 So the history of the esperanza community, um, it is a non congregate shelter with 200, uh, individual
5:48 lockable shelter units. Um, we have wraparound case management, onsite workforce development services and a community engagement program
5:59 that really leverages that value that we hold so closely.
6:03 It started as an encampment in 2019, um, a sanctioned homeless encampment by the governor's office.
6:10 You guys have kind of, I'm sure, tracked our progress over that time to know that there's been
6:15 an enormous amount of construction and development on that site.
6:19 Um, so you have the, the pre and post comparison there to, to look at what it, uh,
6:23 currently looks like and what would made that possible in the beginning was a strong philanthropic investment in
6:30 this community. So the first 100 units that we were able to put on the site were, uh,
6:35 strictly philanthropically funded in 2023.
6:39 We had, uh, city county partners come to the table and support us in this next 100 units.
6:45 And then of course we'll talk about future expansion later on as well.
6:50 Um, tdot is a huge partner on this, um, on this site.
6:55 So in 2020, uh, we were introduced to txdot through our workforce development programming and were made aware
7:02 of the esperanza community and, uh, at that time known as camp rat.
7:06 And so we brought our mobile hygiene clinic out to that site and started to, to, uh, get
7:13 to know the people that were living out there and what their needs were.
7:17 And in 2020 we moved our office out to the esperanza community to just serve as a service
7:23 coordinator to communicate with other providers in the community and try to bring some resources.
7:29 Um, in 2021, the, uh, t-d-h-c-a released arpa funds, that allowed us to increase, um, the services available
7:37 on the site and really build the infrastructure as we see it today.
7:42 Um, so in 2023, we finished our, uh, first 100 units.
7:47 In 2024, we broke ground on the next 100.
7:51 And, uh, in 2025 really started work in earnest on the expansion project, um, and finalizing that application,
8:01 which was awarded in December.
8:04 So in, uh, this, uh, this coming summer, we'll be opening those next 100 shelter units, um, and
8:11 doing the finalization of our planning for the expansion.
8:17 So there is, um, a stated need for emergency shelter, um, capacity increases in our community.
8:26 It's stated in the hso strategic plan, it's stated in echo strategic plan.
8:31 Um, and of course, tooth is, uh, committed to bringing those resources to the community to achieve those
8:37 goals. In December, as I said, our uh, our, our award was issued by texas department of housing
8:45 community affairs. We will be going through the contracting process throughout this year, but that capital investment is,
8:53 uh, 98% funded by t-d-h-c-a, which is unusual for this, this particular funding source.
9:00 Um, and in February of this year, of course, council took action to express a committed support for
9:09 the operating expenses for espanza moving forward.
9:13 But, uh, what was stated in that commitment and what two is, has been working on and will
9:19 continue to be working on over the course of the next three years, is diversifying that funding model.
9:24 We don't want the city holding the bag for that full operating expense.
9:28 Um, and as I wanted to show the history of funding of the esperanza community, so you could
9:35 see that there really is a foundation of diversified funding that we're going into this planning with.
9:40 So there are some new partners we need to bring to the table, but primarily it's about deepening
9:45 those existing relationships that have been supporting the esperanza community up until this point.
9:54 So this is a rough timeline, very high level timeline of the esperanza two expansion.
10:01 Um, this year we will be, uh, finalizing the design and signing the contract by the end of
10:08 this calendar year. And then we'll go into site prep and permitting, um, with the plan of completion
10:15 of the all facilities in late 2029.
10:24 So, um, there, up to this point, there is still a lot to be learned around the program
10:31 design that will go into the esperanza community.
10:34 And so, actually, I'm gonna pause here 'cause I apologize.
10:37 I wanna make sure that I actually talk through the, the physical design 'cause that's what we do
10:41 know right now. Um, so the physical design of the shelter, it is a seven and a half
10:47 acre plot of land that is directly adjacent to esperanza as it currently stands, which is really exciting.
10:53 It allows us the opportunity to really get some economy of scale on the site.
10:58 So the large building that you're seeing on the right hand side is a four story building that
11:03 will include 100 residential units on the top two floors.
11:08 And on the bottom two floors will be, um, uh, community resources like an, uh, an industrial kitchen,
11:15 uh, medical facility library and computer lab, kind of general amenities that can be accessed across the esperanza
11:23 program. Um, we'll have collaborative space for co-location of partners, um, and as I mentioned, those residential units
11:32 will be individual non congregate shelter units.
11:36 Um, the remainder of the site is gonna be 225 individual cabins as we currently have at, um,
11:44 on our, on our site.
11:46 Um, there is some pending waivers and discussion to be had with hud around the design of those
11:52 units and how we might be able to, um, be most cost effective and, um, and utilize the
11:59 space, um, to the best of our ability within the, the regulations of the grant that was issued.
12:07 I just ask a quick, the residential units you're talking about, are those like permanent residential or like
12:17 on the shelter transition through residential?
12:20 Thank you for that question.
12:21 Um, they're all non congregate shelters, so it's not permanent housing.
12:25 The reason that we wanted to have those 100 units indoors is because we recognize that there are,
12:31 um, a spectrum of needs in the homeless community.
12:34 Um, and that individual lockable shelter unit could kind of, could be a challenge for some of the,
12:40 the folks that are needing shelter.
12:42 So that environment allows for more intensive, supportive services, potentially a little bit more oversight by staff, but
12:50 also it does have the ability to lock those units so that kinda general visitors can't access them.
12:58 So, um, in my vision it would be, um, wonderful to have an onsite substance use program where
13:05 people have that more supported environment and, and not exposed to that temptation.
13:14 Alright. So, uh, so programming though, we still have a lot of work to do in planning the
13:20 programming that will go into esperanza too.
13:22 I'm gonna use esperanza programming as it currently stands to, to give you a picture of what we
13:28 expect it to be.
13:29 Um, so there's a lot on this page.
13:31 I know I wanted to make sure to call out some of our partners 'cause that's one of
13:34 the most important things for us strategically as an organization.
13:38 We don't wanna be providing services that our partners are already doing really well.
13:42 We wanna bring them into that space.
13:44 And that's why structurally we designed a facility that allows for that co-location so we can have that
13:50 diversity in services, um, without the other one's foundation having to open new lines of service.
13:56 So these are some examples of the partnerships that we currently have at esperanza one.
14:01 But the key components section that's on the left hand side of the screen really highlights what we
14:06 do, um, as shelter operators and what we've really refined in terms of our approaches.
14:14 Um, so the, uh, intake is one of the most important pieces of that is making sure that