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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTRC Agenda 10 17 2024 Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission Thursday, October 17, 2024 Regular Meeting 7 PM – Emma Harvat Hall, City Hall 410 E. Washington Street AGENDA: 1.CALL TO ORDER. 2.READING OF NATIVE AMERICAN LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. 3.PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA (COMMISSIONERS SHALL NOT ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION WITH THE PUBLIC CONCERNING SAID ITEMS.) 5 MINUTE MAXIMUM FOR EACH SPEAKER. Only in-person comments will be allowed for Public Comment. Public comment for specific agenda items, which must be directly related to that agenda item, may be made in-person or remotely. 4.APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 3, 2024. 5.ACTIONS FOR PHASES THREE AND FOUR: A.MEET AND GREETS. B.FINAL REPORT. C.PRESENTATION TO CITY COUNCIL. D.DOCUMENTARY. E.OTHER. 6.ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMISSIONERS. 7.ANNOUNCEMENTS OF STAFF. 8.ADJOURNMENT. In order to encourage input from the public, the Commission intends to offer the opportunity to participate in the meeting remotely. However, this meeting is in-person, and those wishing to ensure their ability to participate should attend the meeting in-person. If you instead wish to participate remotely, you may attempt to do so by joining the below link. First Thursday Meetings ID: 867 2424 8095 Third Thursday Meetings ID: 895 3695 0485 If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you can call in by phone by dialing (312) 626-6799 and entering the meeting ID when prompted. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all City of Iowa City-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in these events, please contact the Office of Equity and Human Rights at 319-356-5022 or humanrights@iowa-city.org. 1 October 3, 2024 Draft Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Minutes Emma Harvat Hall Commissioners present: Amos Kiche, Wangui Gathua, Commissioners on Zoom: Chad Simmons, Lubna Mohamed, Chastity Dillard, Lauren Merritt. Commissioners not present: Cliff Johnson, Kayla Rossi. Staff present: Stefanie Bowers. Recommendation to City Council: No. Meeting called to order: 7:09 PM. Reading of Land Acknowledgement: Gathua read the Land Acknowledgement. Public Comment of Items not on the Agenda: Annie Tucker spoke on how some communities in California have structured their Truth and Reconciliation Commissions. Approval of the Minutes from September 19, 2024: Merritt moved, and Gathua seconded. Motion passed 6-0. Presentation from Johnson County Public Health: Jamie Gade presented to the commission on behalf of Johnson County Public Health. The presentation discussed housing data in Johnson County. Their a team of five. There are three phases in their framework of the Community Status Assessment, of which they are in phase three, continuously improving the community. The group has 4 health priorities including access, mental health, housing, and food security. Focusing on their 2022 Community Status Assessment on housing, the presentation reports that 63% of respondents own their home while 33% rent, and 4% have other living arrangements. The data proves the racial disparities, there are racial disparities in homeownership and housing quality. It is reported that 23% of non-Hispanic Black or African American respondents and 21% of Hispanic or Latino respondents own their homes compared to about 75% of white non-Hispanic participants. As for housing quality, about 17% of Black respondents reported housing quality as poor while 5% of non-Hispanic white respondents reported their housing as fair. Hispanic and Latino respondents had the highest rate of dissatisfaction with 34% reporting their housing as fair to poor. The data in the presentation also shared that non-Hispanic Black respondents are experiencing larger rent increases compared to both non-Hispanic white and Hispanic/Latino respondents. The racial disparities in relocation patterns were seen with 42% of non-Hispanic Black respondents being more likely to have moved and 35% of Hispanic and Latino respondents having moved in the past 24 months compared to about 22% of white respondents. Some of this data on relocation also shared some groups had moved more than twice in those 24 months and reasons for moving including life changes and unaffordable rent. The final data presented recorded instances of eviction. Two percent of respondents experienced eviction in Johnson County. Of those reported, Agenda Item 4 2 86% had no permanent home after eviction and 58% said it took more than a month to find more permanent housing. Hailey Wilson, presented on current initiatives and the objectives pertaining to each goal. Goal number one is to provide consistent public messaging and support from Johnson County Public Health for ongoing housing initiatives/ programs/ work groups. The objectives to this goal are to understand and assess current community housing program initiatives, assess community members who are unhoused, and to implement a Health in all Policies approach by December 2027. Goal number two is to empower community members with information and advocacy on housing as healthcare. Objectives under this goal, pertain to creating and promoting neighborhood education programs, coordinating and supporting active education/ awareness programs, and assessing gaps in community participation. Their final goal is to reduce financial barriers for renters. Objectives for this goal are to propose and advocate for local system and policy changes and establishing relationship with local landlords and promoting ethical treatments of tenants. After the presentation the floor was open for discussion. Mohamed asked how the survey was distributed and if it focused on any area(s) of Johnson County. Wilson shared that the survey was distributed on site, where employees of Johnson County Public Health and students in the College of Public Health provided tablets with the survey on them that individuals could then fill out in real time. They also promoted the survey online and through word of mouth. Wilson also shared that through the online survey they were able to see different demographics participating and visiting their dashboard as well as accessibility efforts with providing the survey in multiple languages. Mohamed also asked if the survey was distributed during Covid. It was said that this survey was distributed after Covid, however there is data on housing during that time through different surveying efforts. Gathua thanked the presenters for their work and acknowledged the work it takes to collect and provide the data reported. Gathua was curious to see mental health and immigrant/ refugee statistics in these reports. Merritt shared her interest in seeing new results from a more up-to-date survey and how increased housing costs may affect these numbers reported in 2022. Tucker asked if the work includes research on systemic or policy solutions. It was shared that there is work being put in to collect data and information on policy and solutions, however the current goal is to build a strong foundation for that data to then later be shared and hopefully implemented into policy change. Tucker also asked how fair/ poor housing can be reported when they city has housing inspectors who are supposed to uphold a certain standard of living. Kiche asked if there were disparities of eviction by race. Due to the small number of respondents who had experienced evictions (2%) further disparities were not recorded in effort to avoid statistical error and maintain anonymity. Kiche asked if the group dove any further into the barriers of homeownership. They answered that they had not gotten additional answers on those barriers faced but would be interested to explore those in their next round of surveys. Kiche also asked if there was any effort to understand the experiences of discrimination and if it was reflected in the data. That information was not statistically recorded, however those doing the survey learned by word-of-mouth some of the barriers and instances of discrimination. 3 Kiche asked if Johnson County Public Health worked with the City of Iowa City and its Housing Community and Development Commission. It was answered that yes, they work together, and they are continuing to try and include a variety of housing sectors with different housing concerns around the community. Kiche questioned the work being done regarding homelessness. It was answered that there were no direct questions in the survey that acknowledged homelessness but there is potential for that to be included in the future. Presentation from Iowa City Catholic Worker: Emily Sinnwell presented to the commission regarding fair and just housing for essential immigrant workers. The presentation started with data maps that broke down the neighborhoods of Iowa City by. The Iowa City Catholic Worker in collaboration with the U of I College of Nursing, Johnson County Public Health and Escucha Migos did a survey titled Salud, Techo, y Trabajo (Health, Housing, and Work) where they were able to survey 481 immigrant workers in the area. The survey collected data from 200 Black, African refugees, 281 Hispanic, Latino immigrants. Surveys took place face to face and over the phone. Questions included where they worked, access to health insurance, and housing costs. Some data shown included essential worker roles, living conditions, and legal status. The presentation went over the Catholic Worker House which is described as permanent supportive housing. March of 2024 was the start of an effort to track the work done by the Catholic Worker group. Some of the work recorded includes housing and health services like transportation, housing, school/ childcare, ELL, medical assistance, and much more. The presentation continued to the Pro Housing initiative and the Catholic Worker recommendations. The Pro Housing fund is to promote fair housing by addressing and removing barriers that perpetuate segregation. Through this fund, priority would be given to applicants who demonstrate progress toward overcoming local barriers to affordable housing, and who have an acute demand for affordable housing. Iowa City was 1 of 20 cities nationwide to win the grant that made this possible. The grant was 3.7 million dollars to be used towards housing solutions. Escucha Mi Voz recommends a new affordable housing project that advances racial equity by including previously excluded workers in the decisions and outcomes. It was mentioned that the city has plans to offer rent and utility assistance however many immigrant workers are excluded from existing rent and utility assistance programs, and for racial equity new types of programs must be made. It is recommended to rezone the city for high density housing to end segregation and allow ethnic minorities and excluded workers to live in the heart of the city not just south of Highway Six and in trailer parks, eliminate unfair and unjust housing barriers that prevent immigrant workers from equally accessing aid and assistance, and better enforcement of existing laws to protect tenants from predatory landlords. Ninoska Campos read the recommendations for the Consolidation Plan for the city: add Escucha Mi Voz to the list of Legacy Aid to Agency organizations, rezone the city for high density development, include the definition of permanent supportive housing services and eligible populations in all city planning documents, update the city’s definition of homelessness in order to serve more people in the community, presume single immigrant workers and immigrant families with children are low to moderate income and accept self-certifications for all housing assistance, consider all mobile home park residents living in unincorporated Iowa City to be city residents to have access to aid services (or incorporate the land and use it to build more housing), allocate a 4 percentage of Federal housing funds each year to ethnic minorities who have been left out of previous housing aid initiatives, allocate a percentage of Federal housing funds each year to ethnic minorities who make up the majority of residents in the previously mentioned segregated areas, negotiate the 20% developer donation on all new affordable housing development projects, and work with member organizations with a demonstrated base of support. After the presentation the commissioners asked questions and responded to the presentation. Mohamed asked if she could meet with the members outside of the meeting to further discuss their work. Gathua thanked the presenters for their work and shared that she recognizes a lot of the barriers they are working to solve. Kiche asked where the main source of funding comes from for this group. It was said that most of the funding comes from individual donors. Kiche also asked if there are mixed-family households they must work with and if there are issues of access to resources. It was answered that yes, they often work with mixed-family households and their access to resources is affected by the status of those living in the home. Action Items for Phases Three and Four: Kiche reported on a meeting with NISAA attended by himself, Simmons, Dillard, and Gathua where NISAA discussed the work, they do include sexual assault, human trafficking services, and housing services and resources. They also discussed that the group is funded by the state of Iowa and that the organization is struggling financially. Kiche believes that the local government could help smaller resources like NISAA that help their communities directly. Gathua wanted to take the time to remind commissioners that NISAA serves state-wide, and they came about to fulfill an issue in the area of sex violence. She believes it was beneficial for the commission to meet with the organization because of their work with Black youth and the organizations work with police encounters. Dillard agreed with what Gathua shared about their time speaking with NISAA. Staff let commissioners know that for the upcoming event at the library there will be light refreshments available and handouts to advertise the next event. Gathua asked Dillard what is to be expected from the meet and greets and who will be facilitating the events. Dillard said that the commissioners attending the meet and greet will be the facilitators and will also determine what is discussed. Gathua reiterated that anything that has to do with the mission of the commission was open for discussion which was confirmed by Dillard. Kiche confirmed it would be Tassinary, Gathua, Kiche, and Mohamed attending the first meet and greet at the library. Dillard reminded the commissioners that only four can be in attendance. The next topic discussed was the final report commissioners agreed to meet in subcommittees to start working on possible recommendations for the final report. Kiche expressed concerns that the TRC has not engaged in reconciliations. He suggested trying to make an attempt to reconcile with different communities and allow different community members to speak with and engage with the commission. Kiche suggested to invite the other groups to engage with the commission and how they would like to see the commission engage with the community. Dillard is satisfied with the work put forth by the commission regarding outreach and community connection. With only five meetings remaining Dillard suggests keeping focus on the deadline and what is left to be done. Gathua suggested for Kiche to invite these particular groups to attend the meet and greets. There was a brief discussion on whether the term meet and greet was appropriate for how these meetings are held and what is discussed. It was thought the meet and greet could serve a similar purpose as the truth telling events. Kiche suggested an event that reaches all communities in Iowa City 5 including non-BIPOC communities along with the communities the commission continues to focus on. It was suggested to revisit the topic of reconciliation at the next meeting and to gather thoughts and ideas on the topic in the meantime. Announcements of Commissioners: Kiche shared his experience at the African Festival of Arts and Culture representing the commission along with Gathua. Kiche reported having the highest number of contact sign ups yet. Gathua shared it was exciting to see community members interested in the TRC and their work. Kiche spoke about a webinar he attended regarding Human Rights and Social Justice at Duke University. The University is gathering data on TRC groups across the country. Announcements of Staff: Staff asked commissioners to send agenda items to both her and Chair Dillard. Staff also asked for Gathua and Kiche to pass on the information of the person they spoke to re: writing a final report. The meeting adjourned at 9:42 PM. The full meeting video can be viewed at this link. AD HOC TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD YEAR 2024 (Meeting Date) NAME TERM EXP. 3/18 3/20 3/21 4/4 5/2 5/16 6/20 7/18 8/1 8/15 9/5 9/19 10/3 Dillard 12/31/24 P P P P P P P P P A P P Z Gathua 12/31/24 P P P P A A Z Z Z A Z P P Kiche 12/31/24 P P P P P P P P P P P P P Johnson 12/31/24 P P P P P P P P P P P A A Merritt 12/31/24 P P P P P A P P P P Z A Z Muhamed 12/31/24 - - - - - Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Simmons 12/31/24 P A P Z P P A P A A A Z Z Tassinary 12/31/24 P P P A P P P A P P A P A Rossi 12/31/24 - - - - - - A Z A A A A A P = Present in person A = Absent Z = Zoom 1 Stefanie Bowers From:Wangui Gathua <wanguigathua@yahoo.com> Sent:Thursday, October 10, 2024 2:56 PM To:Stefanie Bowers Subject:Re: TRC Report Writing Facilitator Potential Candidate - Brief Bio Frankline Matanji, Ph.D. ** This email originated outside of the City of Iowa City email system. Please take extra care opening any links or attachments. ** Hi Stefanie! Please forward the following requested information to my fellow Commissioners. TRC Report Writing Facilitator Potential Candidate - Brief Bio Frankline Matanji, Ph.D. Frankline Matanji is currently an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Iowa. He holds a PhD in Mass Communication from the University of Iowa, a master’s degree in Media and Communication from Bowling Green State University, Ohio, and a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media from Kisii University, Kenya. As an associate research scientist, Frankline works as the lead evaluator where he is involved in carrying out research, data analysis, and writing reports to funding agencies about projects’ progress as well as overseeing other evaluators. Furthermore, he is a global scholar who continuously strives to share and expand his theoretical understanding of the global environment through service and practice. As a graduate student at the University of Iowa, Frankline continuously advocated for international students’ needs aimed at improving their experiences by creating a more inclusive campus environment. He served as a member and the communications director on the International Students Advisory Board, a member of the Graduate and Professional Students Government – International Affairs Committee, as well as serving on several DEI-oriented committees on campus. It is because of his commitment to voicing international students’ concerns and his efforts to globalize education that he was awarded the 2022 University of Iowa Global Student Award. The award recognizes one graduate student who is a leader deeply involved in supporting international education. Frankline’s work focuses on international relations, health communication, political communication, misinformation and media literacy, and the empowering role of digital media and participatory communication for directed social change. He currently has published six peer-reviewed manuscripts in academic journals and four book chapters. Previously Frankline served as the managing editor for the Journal of Communication Inquiry housed in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa. Agenda Item 5B 2 Google Scholar Account: Google Scholar -Frankline Matanji Thank you. Wangũi Wangũi Gathua, Ph.D., LPSC Counseling Faculty, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Arizona wangui.gathua@gcu.edu 602-639-8838 Website: https://www.gcu.edu/ Coordinator & Multilingual Advocate Nisaa African Family Services wanguigathua@nisaa-afs.org 319-333-2453 Website: nisaa-afs.org/ Personal Phone: 319-621-2810 Personal Personal email: wanguigathua@yahoo.com