201 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Suite #1003
Anaheim, CA 92805
Tel: (714) 765-4300
Fax: (714) 765-4630
www.anaheim.net
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
City of Anaheim
HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT
DATE: JANUARY 23, 2024
FROM: HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE COUNTY
OF ORANGE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COLD
AND INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER
ATTACHMENT (Y/N): YES ITEM # 18 GOVERNMENT CODE § 84308 APPLIES: NO
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council, by Motion, approve a Memorandum of Understanding, substantially in the form attached, with the County of Orange for the Cold Weather Emergency Shelter Program to receive $137,500 for the implementation of the Cold and Inclement Weather Shelter Program effective February 1 to April 15, 2024; and authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute all agreements and documents related to the implementation and administration of the program, and further authorize the modification of the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Housing and Community Development budget to reflect the use of these funds.
BACKGROUND:
Regional cold weather shelters in Orange County which had been in operation since 1987, were discontinued in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2020, the County of Orange (County) operated cold weather shelters at the California National Guard Armories in Santa Ana and Fullerton. Each facility had the capacity to hold up to 200 beds for a countywide total of 400 beds. However, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the National Guard facilities were not available to serve as temporary shelter.
Consequently, people who previously used the armories for cold weather shelter were diverted to the Salvation Army thrift store on West First Street in Santa Ana and the Independence Park gymnasium on West Valencia Drive in Fullerton.
In 2021, the Orange County Cold Weather Emergency Shelter Program was offered at the California National Guard Armory in Santa Ana at a reduced bed capacity (80 beds) from December 1, 2021, through Thursday, March 31, 2022. The Fullerton Armory was not activated because the County cited that the opening of the Fullerton Navigation Center provided additional shelter beds in the City of Fullerton.
MOU with Orange County for Cold and Inclement Weather Shelter January 23, 2024
Effort to continue to use the Santa Ana facility for this purpose for the 2022-23 winter season were strongly opposed by the City of Santa Ana citing that the City had created a significant number of year-round shelter beds and was doing its fair share in addressing the homeless situation in the County. As a result, in 2023, a temporary cold weather shelter was only available from February 1 through the end of April. The 90-bed shelter was offered at Independence Park in Fullerton. In February 2023, during a significant weather event, the City of Anaheim was advised of the critical need for additional beds and assisted by temporarily lifting requirements to demonstrate ties to Anaheim as a condition of admission into the Salvation Army shelter. Approximately 30 individuals were admitted to the Anaheim shelter that weekend.
DISCUSSION:
On December 5, 2023, the cities in the County received the County’s Commission to End Homelessness written request to assist the County’s most vulnerable population by providing inclement weather shelter in 2024. This request came after the ad hoc committee determined that no city would host a countywide shelter. It should be noted that Anaheim’s City Manager Jim Vanderpool sits on the County’s Commission to End Homelessness and participated in the ad hoc Cold Weather Shelter Committee tasked with regional planning for inclement weather shelter.
In response to the County’s request for assistance, Anaheim has proposed a new pilot program for cold and inclement weather shelters. Under the new pilot program, the City will partner with faith-based organizations and churches to host small overnight respite shelters. The cold and inclement weather shelters would host a few beds from February 1, 2024 – April 15, 2024. The City will rely on Love Anaheim to coordinate activation of the cold weather shelters. The cold and inclement weather shelters would be activated during overnight rainstorms, high winds, wind chill, severe thunderstorms, and temperatures below 45 degrees from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Transportation to sites will be provided from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. by the Community Care Response Team (CCRT). Five to fifteen beds will be available at each location and each participating organization will choose a specific demographic to serve i.e., women, men, families, couples etc.
Additionally, each site will provide a light breakfast before participants depart for the day. All beds will be available through a prescribed intake system, wherein CCRT will confirm Anaheim ties prior to transporting participants.
The Better Way Anaheim program operated by Love Anaheim will supplement staffing for cold and inclement weather shelter as necessary. The Better Way Anaheim Program aims to provide basic work experience to people with lived experience.
The specific locations for the scatter site shelters will be dispersed throughout the city.
The goal is to provide shelter for people near the areas in which they already dwell. Love Anaheim has identified possible locations in Districts 1 through 4. When the Cold and Inclement Weather Shelter Bed Program is activated, the City and Love Anaheim will make announcements on their respective web pages, and the City will inform the public and other stakeholders on the Homeless Collaborative electronic mail distribution list.
MOU with Orange County for Cold and Inclement Weather Shelter January 23, 2024
As proposed, the program would host up to 50 beds total, each organization will be compensated for costs associated with administering the program, including supplies, and start-up costs to expedite implementation, for the period of February 1, 2024, through April 15, 2024. The funds necessary to cover the cost of supplies and program (cots, dividers, utilities, etc.) will be provided by the County. The agreement for funding by and between the City and County will be memorialized in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) along with the attached budget. It is currently anticipated that this item will be heard by the County Board of Supervisors at their meeting on January 23, 2024.
The City and County will use data gathered during the Cold Weather Shelter Bed Pilot Program to better understand the number of cold weather shelter beds needed during cold and inclement weather, the barriers to access the service, and to assess the benefits of continuing such a program in the future.
It should be noted that implementation of the Cold Weather Shelter Program will not result in a reduction or change to other programs already in place in Anaheim.
Specifically, the Salvation Army shelter will continue to operate at full capacity and City Net will continue to offer homeless outreach services on an ongoing basis. Furthermore, the Cold Weather Shelter offering is different from other shelter options in that it will only be operated as overnight shelter and only in cold weather months during cold and inclement weather episodes. Anyone choosing to transfer to the Salvation Army or other longer term shelter offerings will be assisted in doing so by the operational partners.
IMPACT ON BUDGET:
The Housing and Community Development Department’s FY 2023/24 budget will increase by $137,500 upon the approval of the MOU.
Respectfully submitted,
Grace Ruiz-Stepter
Director of Housing & Community Development
Attachments:
1. MOU with County of Orange for Cold and Inclement Weather Shelter Program
2. Exhibit A - Budget