Beverly Hills City Council
March 18, 2024

AGENDA REPORT
Meeting Date: March 18, 2024
Item Number:

To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Christopher Paulson, Human Services Administrator Enisha Clark, LCSW, Human Services Outreach Manager
Stephanie Harris, Director of Community Services
Gregory Barton, Fire Chief
Subject: ADOPTION OF RECOMMENDATION BY THE CITY COUNCIL

UNHOUSED SERVICES AD HOC COMMITTEE TO RECEIVE AND

FILE THE UPDATE ON THE ENHANCED SERVICES TO THE
UNHOUSED; AND

REVIEW AND ADOPT THE HOMELESSNESS PLAN AS
PRESENTED; AND
AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AMENDMENT NO.
3 TO THE AGREEMENT WITH STEP UP ON SECOND FOR
EXTENDED OUTREACH HOURS; AND
APPROVE A FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024 CHANGE PURCHASE

ORDER FOR STEP UP ON SECOND IN AN AMOUNT OF
$121,194.00 FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF
$227,643.00; AND

APPROVE A ONE-TIME GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATION OF
$121,194.00; AND

AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A THREE-YEAR
AGREEMENT WITH SOCIAL SOLUTIONS GLOBAL, INC.

COMMENCING ON DECEMBER 1, 2024 AND TERMINATING ON
NOVEMBER 30, 2027 FOR A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF
$230,341 FOR THEIR APRICOT SOFTWARE SYSTEM; AND
APPROVE A FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024 ONE-TIME GENERAL FUND
APPROPRIATION OF $69,800.00, FOR THE APRICOT SOFTWARE
SYSTEM; AND
Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AMENDMENT NO.
3 TO THE AGREEMENT WITH NASTEC INTERNATIONAL, INC. FOR
AN ADDITIONAL $55,500 IN FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024 AND $530,000 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024-2025, FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED
AMOUNT OF $1,884,336; AND

APPROVE A ONE-TIME GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATION FOR
$55,500 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024; AND
APPROVE A FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024 CHANGE PURCHASE
ORDER WITH NASTEC INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Attachments: 1. Homelessness Plan

RECOMMENDATION
It was recommended by the City Council Unhoused Services Ad Hoc Committee at their January 26, 2024 meeting that the full City Council consider the homelessness plan, implementation requests, and approval of the following requests by the City Council.

It is requested that City Council:

A. Receive and file this update on the enhanced services for the unhoused; and B. Review and adopt the Homelessness Plan as presented; and C. Approve the Homelessness Plan implementation requests:

1. Authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 3 to the agreement with Step Up on Second for extended outreach hours; and Approve a fiscal year 2023-2024 change purchase order for Step Up on Second in an amount of $121,194.00 for a total not to exceed of $227,643.00; and
Approve a fiscal year 2023-2024 one-time General Fund appropriation of $121,194.00, to maintain the expansion of the Beverly Hills Outreach Team from three members to five; and

2. Authorize the City Manager to execute a three-year agreement with Social Solutions Global, Inc. commencing on December 1, 2024 and terminating on November 30, 2027 for a not to exceed amount of $230,341 for their Apricot software system; and
Approve a fiscal year 2023-2024 one-time General Fund appropriation of $69,800.00, for the Apricot software system; and

3. Authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 3 to the agreement with Nastec International, Inc. for an additional $55,500 in fiscal year 2023- 2024 and $530,000 in fiscal year 2024-2025, for a total not to exceed agreement of $1,884,336 for the provision of overnight transportation of the Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

unhoused in addition to answering the Beverly Hills Outreach and Assistance hotline; and
Approve a fiscal year 2023-2024 one-time General Fund appropriation of $55,500 to add the overnight transportation; and
Approve a fiscal year 2023-2024 change purchase order with Nastec International, Inc. for overnight transportation services.

INTRODUCTION
It was recommended and supported by the City Council at the November 15, 2022 City Council meeting that staff move forward with recommendations for enhanced services for the unhoused in Beverly Hills.

Then-Mayor Bosse formed an Unhoused Services Ad Hoc Committee at the November 15, 2022 Council meeting comprised of herself and then-Vice Mayor Dr. Gold. The Unhoused Services Ad Hoc Committee met on January 27, 2023, June 22, 2023, and January 26, 2024.

At the January 26, 2024 Unhoused Services Ad Hoc Committee meeting, Mayor Gold and Councilmember Bosse received an update on the enhanced services to the unhoused over the previous year, received a presentation of the proposed Homelessness Plan from consultant Abby Arnold, and received several requests for appropriations to implement the Homelessness Plan. The Unhoused Services Ad Hoc Committee recommended that the full City Council adopt the Homelessness Plan as presented and related implementation requests as discussed more thoroughly in this report.

DISCUSSION
Update on Enhanced Services for the Unhoused & Scattered Site Housing Program with Step Up on Second
Implementation of a centralized 24-hour phone number:

It was the desire of then Mayor Bosse and Council to have an easy to remember phone number that residents could call 24/7 to report non-emergency issues regarding individuals experiencing homelessness or for those who may be in need of mental health services.

The Beverly Hills Outreach and Assistance line (310-285-2468) was launched immediately following the City Council’s approval on November 15, 2022. As calls are received through the Outreach and Assistance line, information is gathered, and teams are deployed to provide assistance to those in need throughout the City. The Beverly Hills Park Rangers are deployed to Parks and Facilities, Ambassadors are deployed to areas of the business district while Nastec provides assistance throughout the City overnight. The teams are able to refer individuals in need of assistance to members of The Beverly Hills Outreach Team, contracted through Step Up on Second, for services.

Below are monthly totals for the calls received through the Beverly Hills Outreach and Assistance line (310-285-2468) since the implementation through February 29, 2024, with a total of 932 calls and 23 emails.

Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

Monthly Volume
Month Calls Emails
February 2024 49 2
January 2024 54 2
December 2023 47 1
November 2023 54 0
October 2023 72 2
September 2023 86 4
August 2023 99 0
July 2023 67 0
June 2023 46 1
May 2023 58 2
April 2023 58 3
March 2023 54 7
February 2023 60 3
January 2023 44 0
December 2022 55 3
November 2022 29 1
Implementation of Software system:

City Council approved the implementation of a software system through a contract with Social Solutions Global, Inc. (“SSG” dba Bonterra) for their Apricot 360 product. This software solution provides real-time information from the field allowing the outreach team to view previous case files, provide new updates as situations evolve, and expedite the process of connecting an individual to resources and shelter.

The City implementation team was comprised of the Community Services Department outreach teams of Ambassadors, BHOT, Park Rangers, and Human Services staff.

There were twice-weekly design, build, and implementation meetings with Bonterra, with the goal of the software going live by March 1, 2023.

The team met the goal of a live software system on March 1, 2023. Currently, the outreach teams of Ambassadors, BHOT, Park Rangers, and Human Services staff are all using the software, as well as Nastec’s overnight outreach team and the two new Beverly Hills Police Department Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET) officers, for a total of 56 active users. Beverly Hills Fire Department and the Nurse Practitioner program will be coming onboard the Apricot platform as well.

Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

At this time, we have a full year of data that the various teams have entered into the system. To summarize some of the data gleaned, please see the following statistics for the period of March 1, 2023, through February 29, 2024:
• Total Number of Unduplicated Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: 1,582 o Race: White (664 or 41%); Black (516 or 32%); Latino (343 or 21%); Asian (39 or 2%); Native American (20 or 1%)
o Males make up 1,284 (81%), Females account for 301 individuals (19%) o The following chart shows the distribution of encounters to individuals, with the vast majority (57% or 908 people) only having 1 interaction with outreach before exiting Beverly Hills. Whereas we do have 33 well-known individuals that each have 100+ encounters.

Encounter Range Quantity Percentage
1 908 57%
2 265 17%
3 102 6%
4 42 3%
5 36 2%
6 to 10 76 5%
11 to 20 49 3%
21 to 50 40 3%
51 to 100 31 2%
101 to 200 20 1%
200+ 13 1%
TOTAL 1582 100%
• Total Number of Times 1,582 Individuals have Encountered Outreach: 16,677 o The top 33 individuals account for 10,262 Encounters (61%) • 230 Subway Sandwich gift cards and Metro TAP cards were distributed by BHOT during the past year.
• Frequent BHOT requests: transportation, shower/hygiene, assistance with public benefits.
• Top Locations for Encounters with Staff
o Parks: 3,871
o Library: 2,214
o Beverly Gardens Park: 1,770
The outreach teams meet on a weekly basis to discuss the data entered into Apricot, strategize, and share information. This data helps the outreach teams design more effective approaches and resources to further assist the unhoused.

Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

Expansion of Outreach Coverage: Step Up on Second
In an effort to provide continuous and robust outreach services, City Council approved the expansion of services by the Beverly Hills Outreach Team. Step Up on Second has expanded BHOT hours to provide coverage 16 hours per day, Monday through Friday, from 5am to 9pm. An additional Outreach Specialist position was hired to work on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 5pm. To fulfill these additional hours of coverage, Step Up on Second has recruited two new staff members who began work at the end of January 2023; this expands the BHOT team from three members to five.

Since expanding to five members, BHOT has seen additional successes in their outreach work. The City launched BHOT in 2015. Since then, the team has placed 26 individuals into permanent and supportive housing, of which two have passed away and one was evicted. Of the 23 placed into housing, two were veterans and were placed in VASH Housing with the Veterans Affairs Administration, eight were placed in Step Up on Second properties, and thirteen were placed in additional scattered-site housing.

Additionally, since 2014 the City has contracted with PATH for five shelter beds, with 61 individuals accepting shelter and entered one of the contracted beds at the PATH facility on Madison in Los Angeles. Since the start of 2023, BHOT was able to place additional people in the PATH shelter and all five beds have been occupied for most of 2023. In addition to the PATH shelter, Human Services along with the Beverly Hills Outreach Team continuously works to expand their network of shelters, interim housing, and permanent supportive housing options to place individuals experiencing homelessness in Beverly Hills into housing. These options include Transitional Age Youth shelters (TAY) that focus on preventing homelessness for young adults aged 18 to 24. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) provides cold weather shelters, shared housing opportunities, and other regional options as they become available.

BHOT also operates the Home Again program in collaboration with Community Assistance Grant Funding (CAGF) partner, All Saints Church. The program works when a person experiencing homelessness informs BHOT that they are not from the Beverly Hills area and would like to return home where they may have a stronger support network of family and/or service providers. At that time BHOT and All Saints worked together to arrange travel plans to send the individual home via bus or flight. The program has reunified individuals with their home of origin, which included areas as close as San Bernardino County reached by bus, to the Bronx, New York by plane, and places in between. Since 2015, BHOT has reunited 34 people with their families in other communities, and of the 34, eight have been reunited with family in 2023, since the expansion of the BHOT team, which represents 24% of all Home Again placements.

Since the City Council approved enhanced services in November 2022, the Community Services Department has simultaneously worked with Step Up on Second to contract for 30 units of scattered-site permanent supportive housing units and motel stays for up to 20 individuals annually for the unhoused for 10 years. Additional updates on the status of the permanent supportive housing project will be provided in this report under section six below.

Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

Expansion of Outreach Coverage: Nastec International, Inc.

In order to provide 24-hour outreach coverage, the City partnered with Nastec as part of a six-month pilot program for an overnight and weekend response team. In order to align with the forthcoming Homelessness Plan, the six-month pilot program with Nastec was extended an additional four and a half months into the 2023-24 fiscal year, at the July 6, 2023 Council meeting, and then through the end of fiscal year 2023-24 with an amendment on November 21, 2023.

This team consists of two outreach and security individuals who answer The Beverly Hills Outreach and Assistance line. Nastec receives and responds to non-emergency calls to the hotline throughout the City nightly, from 5pm to 8am, and 24 hours on the weekends. Nastec will dispatch calls to Rangers at the park when overnight outreach is provided as well as to the Ambassadors in the business district. Since the launch of both the hotline and Nastec’s contract, a total of 932 calls have come in on the hotline. Of those, Nastec answered 449, which is 48% of the calls. Nastec patrols the areas of the City outside the Golden Triangle, where Ambassadors are not located, as well as the residential areas of the community.

Consultant & Homelessness Plan:

Abby Arnold and Jenny Swan were hired to develop successful strategies and action items to identify gaps in services related to engagement, placement, and support of those in need and experiencing homelessness within the community.

Staff began working with Ms. Arnold and Ms. Swan in January 2023, and a substantial draft report was developed by the summer of 2023; however, the plan took longer to work on and finalize because staff was simultaneously working on the scattered site housing program with Step Up on Second. Having launched the housing program in November 2023, staff has since returned to working on the plan with the consultants, including updating to reflect the new housing program.

Additionally, the consultants had to further revise the plan in December of 2023 to reflect the organizational changes within the City that saw the Human Services Division moved from the Community Services Department to the Fire Department. The homelessness plan is being presented to Council Liaisons as the next item on this agenda, for their review and consideration.

Additional Service Enhancements and Collaboration – MHET:

On May 24, 2022, City Council authorized the City Manager to negotiate and execute a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the County of Los Angeles Department of Mental Health for two licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs). The goal was to have these two LCSWs work alongside BHPD Officers forming our MHET (Mental Health Evaluation Team) Team.

In April 2023, the Beverly Hills Police Department assigned Officers Adam Falossi and Lowell Rose to the MHET team, and they began their new assignment as partners, responding to those in crisis, experiencing homelessness, or otherwise in need of mental health treatment alongside the rest of the City’s outreach teams. In August 2023 the County provided the first of two LCSWs, and the second clinician joined the team in September 2023. Due to personnel issues, one clinician has departed from the team and the County is working on providing a replacement.

Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

The MHET team tracks their statistics on a quarterly basis and for the first quarter of 2024, between January 1, 2024 and March 8, 2024, MHET applied a 5150 W.I.C. application for involuntary psychiatric hospitalization to 15 individuals. Nine of those individuals were transferred to an emergency room, while six were transferred to Exodus Urgent Care for mental health treatment. While 15 people were transported on an involuntary hold, another 64 people were evaluated for a 5150 hold but did not meet the criteria at the time. Additionally, 91 contacts were with unhoused individuals while another 28 contacts were with housed people. MHET provided referrals to BHOT, County mental health clinics, and the County HOME Team, for another 8 individuals, and made 4 arrests.

The officers and the clinician have been an invaluable addition to the City’s overall homelessness response team in the eleven months they have been active. They also have joined the weekly homelessness collaboration debrief with the outreach teams to share information, strategies, and plans to provide specific assistance.

Scattered Site Housing Program with Step Up on Second
At the June 22, 2023 Unhoused Services Ad Hoc Committee, Mayor Gold and Councilmember Bosse gave initial support for staff to bring forward a complete proposal for consideration by the full City Council to contract with Step Up on Second for 40 units of scattered-site permanent supportive housing units for the unhoused for an initial 10- year term.

Following the June 22, 2023 Unhoused Services Ad Hoc Committee meeting, staff had numerous conversations with Step Up on Second and have determined that a more complete program would need to address the needs of both the chronically homeless and the non-chronically homeless populations. As a result, the program would require 30 units of scattered-site permanent supportive housing units, down from 40, and motel stays for up to 20 individuals annually.

Over the 10 years of the program, Step Up will be able to assist 230 individuals, including permanently housing 30 of the most chronically homeless individuals and moving up to 200-non-chronic homeless individuals off the street and into temporary housing, with Step Up case managers ensuring each individual receives case management and other support services. Scattered site means that tenants are placed in community-based apartment units owned by independent landlords.

The Step Up Housing Case Management staff offer Case Management and Individual Rehabilitative services to the tenants. The frequency of tenant visits will vary depending on level of need; however, most tenants require a minimum of one (1) face-to-face visit per week during initial engagement. To provide this level of service, Step Up has hired three (3) full-time staff whose training and experience aligns with housing location, housing retention, and supporting newly housed individuals.

After housing move in, the focus of the services is to support Independent Activities of Daily Living, (i.e., living in your own apartment), housing retention, and increasing selfsufficiency. Individualized rehabilitative services may include focus on grooming/hygiene, laundry, household chores, meal preparation/planning, shopping best practices, budgeting, developing “Good Neighbor” practices (noise reduction, healthy boundaries, conflict resolution), and support in finding constructive and meaningful use of time.

Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

Since Step Up has contracts with LA County Department of Mental Health (DMH), Step Up is able to provide linkage to these DMH programs to leverage additional support that include therapy, psychiatry, nursing, medication management, and Representative Payee Services (Money Management). Step Up will screen each client for eligibility and link to DMH whenever appropriate.

The City Council approved the 10-year, $14,177,026 agreement with Step Up on Second on August 15, 2023. Three months from Council approval, and exactly one year since Council authorized the above enhanced services, Step Up started to move the first tenants into their new permanent supportive housing on November 16, 2023.

Currently, there are 10 individuals residing in the permanent supportive housing program, leaving another 20 units available. Four of the 10 were previously housed at the PATH shelter using the five beds the City contracts. Once they were stabilized, they were moved into permanent supportive housing first. Staff have since moved another three individuals into PATH from the street, leaving two available beds. Step Up staff continues to work on a list of approximately 30 individuals identified for housing, working daily with the Human Services Division team to ensure the most vulnerable individuals are provided the opportunity of supportive housing.

Homelessness Plan
At its November 15, 2022 meeting, the City Council approved the execution of an agreement with consultant Abby Arnold, to develop successful strategies and action items to identify gaps in services related to engagement, placement and support of those in need.

Abby Arnold and Jenny Swan were hired to develop successful strategies and action items to identify gaps in services related to engagement, placement, and support of those in need and experiencing homelessness within the community.

Staff began working with Ms. Arnold and Ms. Swan in January 2023, and a substantial draft report was developed by the summer of 2023; however, the plan took longer to work on and finalize because staff was simultaneously working on the scattered site housing program with Step Up on Second. Having launched the housing program in November 2023, staff have since returned to working on the plan with the consultants, including updating data and information to reflect the new housing program.

Additionally, the consultants had to further revise the plan in December of 2023 to reflect the organizational changes within the City that saw the Human Services Division moved from the Community Services Department to the Fire Department.

The Homelessness Plan (Attachment 1) is the culmination of their findings and recommendations for the City of Beverly Hills. The report is attached in its entirety and Ms. Arnold will review the plan with the City Council and answer questions. The beginning of the plan’s Executive Summary is included below to give a brief overview of the process and the six key goals being recommended.

Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

Executive Summary
The City of Beverly Hills addresses the humanitarian crisis of homelessness through the dedication of significant City financial and human resources. City departments and contracted services provide a robust and humane response to the needs of people who are unhoused in Beverly Hills, but gaps remain, and unhoused people continue to be found in City parks, business districts, and residential areas. The consultants analyzed all available data and conducted extensive interviews, focus groups, and surveys of residents, businesses, government officials, and City employees to inform the Plan to Address Homelessness.

This report provides detailed recommendations for immediate actions and additional resources to achieve six key goals:

1. Strengthen coordination among all the City departments and City-funded entities conducting outreach and response to unhoused individuals.

2. Ensure community safety.

3. Maximize the effectiveness of Police and Fire response.

4. Educate community members about best practices and how to connect most effectively with City services.

5. Improve and expand regional homeless services in collaboration with other cities and Los Angeles County.

6. Prevent homelessness among Beverly Hills residents.

Homelessness Plan Implementation Requests & Recommendations Should the City Council adopt the Homelessness Plan, several requests are recommended in order to properly effectuate the plan. It is recommended that the City Council consider and approve the following homelessness plan implementation requests.

Continue BHOT Outreach Expansion:

In an effort to provide continuous and robust outreach services, City Council approved the expansion of services by the Beverly Hills Outreach Team in November 2022. Step Up on Second has expanded BHOT hours to provide coverage 16 hours per day, Monday through Friday, from 5am to 9pm. An additional Outreach Specialist position was hired to work on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 5pm. To fulfill these additional hours of coverage, Step Up on Second recruited two new staff members who began work at the end of January 2023; that expanded the BHOT team from three members to five.

Funding for the expanded outreach was initially approved at the November 15, 2022 City Council meeting, in which Council approved a Fiscal Year 2022-2023 change purchase order for Step Up on Second for extended hours in the amount of $121,194.00, raising the total not to exceed amount from $106,449 to $227,643.00.

Step Up has continued to provide these enhanced services into fiscal year 2023-2024, however, the contractually authorized amount for the fiscal year is the previous amount of $106,449. An appropriation of $121,194.00 is requested for fiscal year 2023-2024, for a total not to exceed of $227,643.00. This would increase the total not to exceed agreement amount from $440,541.40 to $561,735.40.

Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

As such, the Unhoused Council Liaisons recommended the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute amendment number 3 to the agreement with Step Up on Second for extended outreach hours; and approve a fiscal year 2023-2024 change purchase order for Step Up on Second in an amount of $121,194.00 for a total not to exceed of $227,643.00.

Additionally, an ongoing appropriation of $227,643.00 is requested for fiscal year 2024- 2025 and beyond to maintain the expanded outreach from Step Up. Staff will bring forward a request for an agreement for fiscal year 2024-2025 at a later date.

Continue Apricot Software System:

City Council approved the implementation of a software system through a contract with Social Solutions Global, Inc. (“SSG” dba Bonterra) for their Apricot 360 product in November 2022. This software solution provides real-time information from the field allowing the outreach team to view previous case files, provide new updates as situations evolve, and expedite the process of connecting an individual to resources and shelter.

The team met the goal of a live software system on March 1, 2023. Currently, the outreach teams of Ambassadors, BHOT, Park Rangers, and Human Services staff are all using the software, as well as Nastec’s overnight outreach team and the two new Beverly Hills Police Department Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET) officers, for a total of 56 active users. Beverly Hills Fire Department and the Nurse Practitioner program will be coming onboard the Apricot platform as well. The outreach teams meet on a weekly basis to discuss the data entered into Apricot, strategize, and share information. This data helps the outreach teams design more effective approaches and resources to further assist the unhoused.

The Apricot software system agreement was renewed for a second year on December 1, 2023 in the amount of $69,800.40. Additionally, the data plan required for the field teams to use the Apricot software system is $13,356 annually for 25 devices. Staff recommends adding a 10% contingency per year to the Apricot system to account for the need for additional user licenses in the amount of $6,980. This brings the combined total for software and mobile data plan to a grand total of $90,136.40.

The Unhoused Council Liaisons recommend the City Council approve an ongoing appropriation of $90,136.40 annually for the Apricot software system and mobile data plan. Additionally, since better pricing is obtained through a multi-year agreement rather than single-year, it is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to execute a three-year agreement with Social Solutions Global, Inc. commencing on December 1, 2024 and terminating on November 30, 2027, in an amount not to exceed $230,341. This amount is based on the annual price of $69,800.40 plus a ten percent contingency in the amount of $6,980 for each of the proposed three years.

Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

Continue Nastec Overnight Hotline Management and Authorize Transport:

In order to provide 24-hour outreach coverage, the City partnered with Nastec as part of a six-month pilot program for an overnight and weekend response team, in the amount of $420,836. In order to align with the forthcoming Homelessness Plan, the six-month pilot program with Nastec was extended an additional four and a half months into the 2023-24 fiscal year in the amount of $363,000 at the July 6, 2023 Council meeting, and then through the end of fiscal year 2023-24 with an amendment on November 21, 2023 in the amount of $515,000, for a total not to exceed of $1,298,836.

This team consists of two outreach and security individuals who answer The Beverly Hills Outreach and Assistance line (310-285-2468). Nastec receives and responds to non-emergency calls to the hotline throughout the City nightly, from 5pm to 8am, and 24 hours on the weekends. Nastec will dispatch calls to Rangers at the park when overnight outreach is provided as well as to the Ambassadors in the business district. Since the launch of both the hotline and Nastec’s contract, a total of 932 calls have come in on the hotline. Of those, Nastec answered 449, which is 48% of the calls. Nastec patrols the areas of the City outside the Golden Triangle, where Ambassadors are not located, as well as the residential areas of the community.

In addition to continuing to answer the hotline and patrol, Nastec has been asked to provide overnight transportation of unhoused individuals. Overnight transportation of unhoused individuals is needed when a person is found in a park or parking garage overnight in violation of the City’s municipal code, they can be transported to the City’s available motel room for a safe overnight stay and an assessment with BHOT the following morning to determine the person’s level of need, rather than receiving a citation or arrest for the violation. The need to transport to an available motel room is due to the cases of Martin v. City of Boise and Blake v. City of Grants Pass, in which the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals declared that a city cannot criminally prosecute a homeless individual for sleeping in public unless that city offered a place for that homeless person to sleep.

BHOT is able to provide this service during daytime business hours but not overnight, which is where Nastec is able to assist.

Staff would like to begin the transportation service by approximately April 1, 2024.

Nastec is requesting an increase in the hourly rate of the existing agreement to provide the transportation service in addition to the existing scope of work. It is estimated that an appropriation of an additional $55,500 is required for the period of April 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024 to add the transportation service to the agreement.

Additionally, staff is recommending the transportation service be viewed as a pilot program to be implemented from April 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024, to allow staff time to review the data to determine if the transportation service is needed on an ongoing basis. To fund an agreement with Nastec for the period of July 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 requires an appropriation of approximately $530,000, which includes a 10% contingency. The total additional cost to add the transportation services through December 31, 2024 costs approximately $585,500.

It is recommended that the Unhoused Council Liaisons recommend the City Council appropriate $55,500 in a fiscal year 2023-2024 change purchase order with Nastec, and appropriate $530,000 in fiscal year 2024-2025, for a total not to exceed agreement of $1,884,336 with Nastec International, Inc. for Support to the Unhoused; and authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 3 to the agreement with Nastec International, Inc. for $55,500 in fiscal year 2023-2024 and $530,000 in fiscal year 2024- 2025, for a total not to exceed agreement of $1,884,336.

Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

FISCAL IMPACT
Staff had previously identified the costs to implement a twelve-month pilot program for increasing services to assist the unhoused. However, the twelve-month pilot program has become a fifteen-month pilot program and those costs are reflected in the column below. The ongoing costs to continue these services being recommended in this report, is reflected in the third and fourth column below for a total of $987,824.

Description Costs for 15 Month
Pilot Program
Required Costs
for FY2023-24 Ongoing Costs
Social Solutions Global, Inc. (“SSG” dba Bonterra)
Software System OneTime Cost (Apricot 360) $13,495.00 $0.00 $0.00 Twelve Month Cost $57,556.68 $69,800.00 $69,800.00
Contingency $12,000.00 $0.00 $6,980.00
Subtotal Software Costs $83,051.68 $69,800.00 $76,780.00 Mobile Device to Access Apricot 360
25 Mobile Devices $1,521.00 $0.00 $0.00
Annual Cost for Data Plan $8,356.00 $0.00 $13,356.00
Subtotal Mobile Device
Costs $9,877.00 $0.00 $13,356.00
Consultant for Developing Needs Assessment and Service Design Consultant $30,000.00 $0.00 $0.00
Subtotal Consultant $30,000.00 $0.00 $0.00
Step Up on Second (BHOT)
Twelve Month Cost $121,194.00 $121,194.00 $121,194.00
Subtotal Step Up on
Second $121,194.00 $121,194.00 $121,194.00
Nastec Overnight/Weekend Outreach Response
14 Month Pilot Program $1,298,836.00 $0.00 $0.00
Outreach & Transport $0.00 $55,500.00 $530,000.00
Subtotal Nastec Program $1,298,836.00 $55,500.00 $530,000.00 Total Costs $1,542,958.60 $246,494.00 $741,330.00
Meeting Date: March 18, 2024

Staff is requesting the City Council approve an appropriation of $246,494.00 from General Fund reserves to support the ongoing additional assistance to the unhoused.

The appropriation would be distributed as shown in the following table. Ongoing funding will be brought forward to City Council as part of the FY24/25 Budget process.

Department Organization Code FY23-24
Community Services - Nastec 00108803-731230-UNHS $55,500 Community Services - Step Up on Second 00108803-731220 $121,194 Fire Department – Apricot Software 00103401-731220 69,800 Total $246,494
General Fund Appropriations
The table below summarizes additional Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2023-24 General Fund appropriations activity after budget adoption. To date, additional appropriations total $17.3 million, and it is estimated that $11.7 million of unassigned reserves will be required to support them.

Additional appropriations for the remainder of the fiscal year will likely require the use of reserves.

Date Agenda Item Council Mid-Year
Appropriations
8/15/2023
Agreement with Step Up on Second to Provide 30 Units of Scattered-Site Permanent Supportive Housing for the Unhoused and 40 Motel Stays $ 1,798,065
9/19/2023 Approval of Salary Schedule and Associated Appropriation 26,700 10/3/2023 JPA Agreement + CCTV Purchases/Installation 4,012,215 11/7/2023 Tourism and Marketing True-Up (from FY 2022-23) 1,117,365 11/21/2023 Nastec International, Inc. Unhoused Support 515,000 11/21/2023 Property Purchase (111 North Gale Drive) 8,419,000 12/5/2023 Miscellaneous Groups - MOU Cost Increases 660,000 12/5/2023 Executive Compensation Plan - Cost Increases 35,970 1/23/2024 Flag Display and Shabbat Table 92,628
2/6/2024 Afterschool Program Instruction 200,000
3/8/2024 Flag Display/Security 150,000
3/18/2024
Approval of Salary Schedule and Associated Appropriation (pending Council approval) 23,000
3/18/2024 Unhoused Programming Updates (pending Council approval) 246,494 Fiscal Year 2023-24 Mid-Year Appropriations Approved by Council $ 17,296,437 Jeff S. Muir
Director of Finance
Stephanie Harris
Director of Community Services
Approved By Approved By
Attachment 1

CITY OF BEVERLY HILLS

PLAN TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS
2024
Executive Summary
The City of Beverly Hills addresses the humanitarian crisis of homelessness through the dedication of significant City financial and human resources. City departments and contracted services provide a robust and humane response to the needs of people who are unhoused in Beverly Hills, but gaps remain, and unhoused people continue to be found in City parks, business districts, and residential areas. The consultants analyzed all available data and conducted extensive interviews, focus groups, and surveys of residents, businesses, government officials, City employees to inform the Plan to Address Homelessness.

This report provides detailed recommendations for immediate actions and additional resources to achieve six key goals:

1. Strengthen coordination among all the City departments and City-funded entities conducting outreach and response to unhoused individuals.

2. Ensure community safety.

3. Maximize the effectiveness of Police and Fire response.

4. Educate community members about best practices and how to connect most effectively with City services.

5. Improve and expand regional homeless services in collaboration with other cities and Los Angeles County.

6. Prevent homelessness among Beverly Hills residents.

Three new initiatives are in the process of being implemented at the time of this report. (1) The Beverly Hills Police Department has recently established a dedicated Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET) of two officers who have specialized training to engage with unhoused individuals. (2) A County mental health clinician has joined the MHET and the City is awaiting assignment of a second mental health clinician within the next weeks. With two clinicians in place, there will be mental health coverage five days per week. (3) The City has approved a new ten-year contract with Step Up on Second to provide 30 units of Permanent Supportive Housing and up to 280 nights of motel stays per year, in addition to the five beds reserved for City-referred individuals at PATH’s interim housing program. These service enhancements reduce the barriers preventing the resolution of the unhoused status of those who reside in the parks and on streets of Beverly Hills.

Regional context
The scale of the housing crisis in Los Angeles County is immense: over 75,000 people were unhoused at a point in time in January 2023, and less than one-third (20,363) had a shelter bed, motel room, or other interim housing option. The current number of unhoused people is a humanitarian crisis that presents challenges to those who are housed and those who work in communities where unhoused people spend time.

Public safety: The goal of public safety is to protect all people and their communities from being in danger and to guard their wellbeing. Public safety personnel patrol the community, respond to calls for assistance, and intervene as appropriate to prevent or stop behavior that negatively affects the wellbeing of community members. Both housed and unhoused people are protected by the public safety system.

Public health: The goal of public health is to protect and improve the health of all people and their communities. This goal is the foundation for rules about sanitation, food safety, traffic control, and other behaviors that affect the health of community members. People who are unhoused do not have reliable access to basic tools of public health (restrooms, showers, refrigeration, a safe place to sleep) and often have or develop physical conditions that threaten their own wellbeing and those of others.

Business environment: Retail stores, restaurants, and other businesses have the expectation that customers and employees will be able to access them with a reasonable expectation of freedom from harassment. Some desperate people see businesses and their customers as a source of food and funds.

Access to public services: Public services including libraries, parks, transit stations, and other facilities are, by definition, open to the public. They therefore become places where unhoused people can use restrooms, charge their phones, and sit in safety. Those who are housed are sometimes uncomfortable among those who are unhoused, especially if a person’s hygiene or behavior is outside of typical social norms.

Compassion for those in need: Those who have resources are often motivated to help those in need, but do not know effective ways to be of help.

Local context
The City of Beverly Hills experiences all these challenges. Residents, City employees, City contractors, and businesses described how they are affected by unhoused people.

Public safety: Residents, businesses, and visitors report that the presence or behavior of unhoused people in their environment threatens their safety and wellbeing, and they expect a rapid and effective response from police or others in the public safety infrastructure that includes the Police Department, Fire Department, Park Rangers, Block by Block Ambassadors, and contracted NASTEC security patrols.

Public health: Many of the interactions between members of the public and unhoused people involve public health issues. These may include symptoms of mental illness, symptoms of medical conditions, hygiene issues, or other behavior. Beverly Hills has a partnership with Step Up On Second to staff the Beverly Hills Outreach Team (BHOT) to provide evidence-based interventions to unhoused people in the City.

Business environment: Business leaders believe that the presence and behavior of unhoused individuals or those who appear to be unhoused negatively impacts the experience of visitors and customers in a city with branding that reflects upscale, high quality, personalized services and shopping opportunities. The City’s Ambassador program contracts with Block by Block to provide staff in the business district to patrol and respond to a wide variety of needs, including assistance

with wayfinding for tourists, disruptive behavior, aggressive panhandling, and blocking access to a business.

Access to public services: Beverly Hills has an extensive network of parks and other public spaces that are visited by residents, tourists, people who live in other communities, and people who are unhoused. The safe atmosphere in Beverly Hills parks offers a refuge for unhoused people who are seeking safety and relief from exhaustion. The City’s Park Rangers patrol the parks, the Beverly Hills Library and other public spaces, working directly with unhoused individuals and disruptive patrons to conform to acceptable standards of behavior so as not to jeopardize their ability to use public facilities.

Compassion for those in need: Faith communities, service groups, and individuals offer food or supplies to unhoused people who are in Beverly Hills. These generous actions could be more effective if they were coordinated with the social services provided by City staff and through contracts with service provider organizations.

Legal issues
In general, laws must apply equally to all people regardless of their housing status. A city may not prohibit unkempt clothing, poor hygiene, or presence in public facilities. Ordinances and rules must address behavior such as shouting or smoking.

Under federal law, cities are limited in their options for addressing the presence of unhoused people in their communities. In 2018 the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in the case of Martin v. City of Boise that cities may not enforce laws prohibiting sleeping in public if they do not have an alternative available for those who are sleeping on public property. “The government cannot criminalize indigent, homeless people for sleeping outdoors, on public property, on the false premise they had a choice in the matter,” according to the Court’s opinion.

The decision interpreted the 8th Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment to include forcing someone to stay awake when they have no other place to sleep. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the decision, leaving it standing in cities within the jurisdiction of the Ninth Circuit, which includes California.

Cities may prohibit behaviors such as erecting a shelter or tent, storing belongings on City property, loitering, blocking a thoroughfare, or being in a park after closing. People must be allowed to sleep in public somewhere unless the individual is offered “appropriate and available shelter” and the offer is declined.

Description of process
Over a five-month period, in January, February, March, April, and May 2023, the City’s consulting team conducted 28 meetings1, which gave community stakeholders the opportunity to identify problems and solutions relating to homelessness in Beverly Hills. A citywide mailer, along with posts on social media and the City’s website, invited residents and businesses to inform the Plan 1 Three meetings were held with business associations, nineteen were held with City officials and other governmental employees, two were held with organizations contracted to support community safety, and three meetings were held with outreach workers, including the faith community.

via an online survey that was open from May through August. Responses were obtained from 853 individuals. Those participating included members of the business community, people affiliated with faith communities, Beverly Hills residents, and City contracted service providers. A separate survey of City employees yielded 46 responses. The population of Beverly Hills is 31,896. Similar surveys in Redondo Beach (population 69,781) and Manhattan Beach (population 34,688) drew 169 and 79 responses respectively.

Public response to survey
The 853 members of the public who responded to the online survey were primarily homeowners (65%) who stated that their lives were impacted by contact with unhoused individuals (85%). Sixty six percent felt that their experience with unhoused people in Beverly Hills was better or the same than in other cities. Several common themes were detected among the responses:

Safety and fear: Feelings of fear, discomfort, and anxiety are experienced when encountering the unhoused. Concerns about personal safety, especially when unpredictable or aggressive behavior is observed, are common.

Mental health and drug issues: The impact of mental health issues and drug addiction among the unhoused is a prominent theme. Respondents often mention encountering individuals who appear mentally distressed, on drugs, or in need of mental health support. Many associate unhoused individuals with unstable behavior, which contributes to feelings of unease.

Empathy and compassion: Several respondents expressed empathy and compassion for the unhoused. They have a desire to help, sadness for the situation, and frustration with the lack of resources available to support those in need.

Impact on environment and community: People had concerns about the negative impact of the unhoused such as increased crime, property damage, and overall deterioration of the neighborhood. The presence of unhoused individuals in public spaces is seen as diminishing the quality of life and affecting local businesses.

Sanitation and health concerns: Many respondents mentioned concerns about sanitation, hygiene, and the spread of diseases due to the unhoused population. The lack of access to proper facilities and personal hygiene is seen as a potential health risk.

Avoidance and uneasiness: Respondents mentioned avoiding areas or altering routines to steer clear of encountering the unhoused, and feeling uncomfortable around unhoused individuals.

These themes highlight the complex emotions and concerns that individuals experience when encountering the unhoused, especially in urban areas like Beverly Hills. The responses also reflect the need for a balanced approach that addresses both the well-being of the unhoused population and the safety and concerns of the community.

Respondents were asked about ways the City of Beverly Hills could improve its response to homelessness. Over 60% expressed support for City efforts to perform outreach and engagement, provide temporary, permanent, and affordable housing outside of Beverly Hills, mental health services including mobile care, medical care, substance use treatment, access to jobs. More than half of respondents said that all unhoused people should be relocated to neighboring cities or removed from Beverly Hills. About 45% suggested increasing number of police, rangers, and Ambassadors to patrol the City in residential and business areas to assure that sidewalks, alleys, and parks are clear of unhoused people. One in ten respondents were concerned about public transportation bringing in the homeless. One third of respondents called for zero tolerance regarding pan handling and loitering and stated that existing laws should be enforced and if needed new laws created.

Survey respondents offered a number of suggestions to the City.

Provide housing and services: Many respondents emphasized the need for the city to offer affordable housing, temporary housing, mental health resources, drug rehabilitation programs, and social services to help the unhoused population get back on their feet. Respondent encouraged a compassionate approach to offer help and support to those willing to accept assistance.

Enforcement and safety: A significant number of responses suggested stricter enforcement of laws related to loitering, panhandling, camping, drug abuse, and public disturbances. This approach involves increasing police presence and taking action against individuals engaging in problematic behaviors.

Coordination and collaboration: Many respondents mentioned the need for collaboration with neighboring cities, county services, churches, synagogues, and other organizations to address homelessness on a larger scale and across the region.

Mental health and addiction treatment: Respondents emphasized the importance of providing mental health assistance and drug addiction treatment for the unhoused population, and that involuntary treatment or intervention in certain cases might be necessary to address mental health issues that prevent individuals from seeking help voluntarily.

Prevention and outreach: Respondents stressed the importance of proactive measures, including education and outreach, to prevent homelessness from worsening. They suggest initiatives such as educating the public not to give money to panhandlers and working to address issues before they escalate.

Relocate unhoused individuals: Some respondents suggested moving unhoused individuals outside the city limits or finding locations where they can camp without impacting residential areas.

These themes reflect the variety of perspectives shared in the responses and may not represent a consensus on the best approach. The issue of homelessness is complex and multifaceted, and addressing it effectively requires a combination of strategies that take into account both the immediate needs of the unhoused population and the concerns of the community.

Overview of current status
The January 2022 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count2identified 39 unsheltered homeless individuals living in Beverly Hills. The 2023 Count data is not being released at the individual municipal level, so a number for Beverly Hills is not available. While this point-in-time annual snapshot provides valuable benchmark data for Los Angeles County cities, it does not quantify the true number of unhoused individuals who pass through Beverly Hills on a more regular basis.

From March 1 – December 31, 2023 the City’s outreach teams made contact with 1,450 unduplicated unhoused individuals through 14,261 encounters. Many of these individuals do not spend the night in Beverly Hills, and many come through the city on their way to another destination. Of those who spend the night in Beverly Hills, almost all are living outside with no tents or vehicles. From March 1 – December 31, 2023 there were approximately four separate individuals living in their cars, and no tent dwellers. The majority of the unhoused are male and between the ages of 25-69.3
Characteristics of unhoused population
Those who interact with unhoused individuals in Beverly Hills describe them as diverse with a variety of needs.
• Chronically homeless individuals have a disabling condition, and have been homeless for a year or more, or have had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years.

These individuals are well known to the Beverly Hills Police Department patrol officers, Park Rangers, outreach workers, librarians, businesses, and the faith community, and are often the source of calls received by the City’s Ambassadors, Rangers, Police, and outreach team. They usually have co-occurring substance use disorders and mental illness, and many have been unwilling to take advantage of services when they are offered.
• Non-Chronically or recently or situationally homeless people have lost their housing during the past year for reasons such as losing a job, medical bills, marital breakdown, or a property owner’s decision to go out of the rental business. • Transients often find their way to Beverly Hills and use services such as meals and food pantries offered by the faith community inside the City or in adjacent cities. Some of these 2 The Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count is conducted annually across LA in an effort to gather as much information about the region’s current homeless population as possible and assist in making informed decisions and designing creative solutions (https://www.theycountwillyou.org/). 3 Encounters with 1,450 unduplicated unhoused individuals between March 1 – December 31, 2023 revealed that 17% identified as female, 0.5% as Female (Trans), 72% as male, and 1% Male (Trans), with 9.5% Unknown . 1.5% identified as American/Alaskan Native, 2.5% Asian, 30% Black/African American, 19% Hispanic/Latino/a/x, 40% White, and 7% unknown.

people may be willing to return to their home outside of Los Angeles County or out of state if resources are available.
• People at imminent risk of homelessness are City residents who have experienced life changes that affect their ability to remain housed. Interventions, including rental assistance and case management, can prevent an increase in homelessness among City residents.

Unhoused individuals have many different reasons that contribute to their status. They may be unable to hold a job, or their job does not pay enough to afford rent. They may have aged out of foster care without the skills to maintain employment at a wage that is enough to pay rent. Mental illness symptoms may propel individuals away from housing opportunities. Even for those people who were physically and mentally healthy when they lost their homes, a short time of sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, and poor hygiene negatively affects mental and physical health.

Without medical care and a place to wash, blisters become infected. Without a place to safely store prescriptions and maintain daily routines that include taking medication, compliance with medical regimens becomes lax. Without a good night’s sleep, a person forgets the plans for the day, loses important belongings, and becomes less able to regulate their emotions. Drugs treat physical pain and mental health symptoms, and may be used to stay awake or fall asleep.

Current Services
The City of Beverly Hills has comprehensive services in place to engage unhoused people, make effective referrals for services, and reduce the impact of an unhoused population on residents, businesses, and visitors. Resources are in place, some on a 24/7 basis, and include:
• Human Services Division, staffed with two full-time Licensed Clinical Social Workers and an experienced Administrator, who coordinate services, track data, and offer direct intervention to unhoused individuals. The Division manages contracts for medical care and showers, services for vehicular residents, and individualized assistance, family reunification, and daytime respite. The Division also has responsibility for the City’s Aging in Place initiative and a variety of agreements under the City’s Community Assistance Grants Funding (CAGF) program that support for other social services for City residents along with resources for regional services.
• Beverly Hills Outreach Team (BHOT), a five-member team from Step Up on Second, with expertise in mental health outreach, operating Monday through Friday 5:30am to 9pm and Saturday and Sunday 8am to 5pm.
• PATH, which reserves five interim housing beds in its Hollywood facility for people referred by the City of Beverly Hills.
• Park Rangers, who patrol the City’s parks and enforce park rules. Park Rangers also staff the security function at the City Library during all open hours and assist library staff in managing library privilege restrictions and reinstatements due to patron behavior. • Ambassadors, operated through a contract with Block By Block, engage with visitors and unhoused individuals and respond to businesses, and parking garages, in the Central Business Triangle area 24/7.

• Beverly Hills Police Department, responding to complaints and patrolling city-wide 24/7.

The department has recently dedicated a two-officer Mental Health Evaluation Team deployed Sunday through Friday 6am to 6pm to respond to reports, provide backup to non-sworn outreach, and offer evidence-based interventions. In August of 2023, a licensed clinician from Los Angeles County’s Department of Mental Health joined the two officers to form a Mental Health Emergency Team (MHET), a second clinician should be provided to the City in the first half of 2024.
• Beverly Hills Fire Department, responding to emergencies with paramedics and fire engines. The Department also has direct contracts with five nurse practitioners (NPs) who follow up with patients, who are either released on scene or who are transported to an emergency room. NPs work closely with Partners In Care Foundation to connect clients to social workers who provide social services as well as support to NP case management.

This program primarily serves elderly and disabled residents, and recently became integrated with unhoused services.
• NASTEC, a contracted company that patrols the City during overnight and weekend hours and responds to calls for assistance on the City’s homeless assistance helpline, (310) 285- 2468. The NASTEC patrol team consists of two security individuals who receive and respond to non-emergency calls Monday through Friday from 5 pm to 8 am. Additionally they provide 24-hour coverage on the weekends and holidays. • Public Works Department, which operates a 24/7 hotline (2468) dedicated to responding to non-emergency calls for service, primarily focused on unhoused people. The hotline is answered by NASTEC during weekday nights, weekends, and holidays. The department also tracks and repairs damages to City property in parks and other public places.

The City has recently implemented a data collection system allowing all partners to coordinate information that helps track specific unhoused individuals and enhance the effectiveness of each encounter. Nationally-accepted best practices recognize that engagement of unhoused individuals typically requires up to 50 encounters, or more, in order to build the trusting relationship that allows the individual to offer the deeply personal information needed for entry into interim or permanent housing.

Homeless Outreach & Response Services Coverage Schedule Monday - Friday Saturday - Sunday
Services AM PM AM PM
12-4 4-8 8-11:59 12-4 4-8 8-11:59 12-4 4-8 8-11:59 12-4 4-8 8-11:59 2468 Hot Line
BH Human Svcs.

BH Outreach Team
BHPD (911)

BHPD MHET
BHFD/EMS (911)

BHFD NP
Rangers
Nastec
Ambassadors

Additional Interim and Permanent Housing
Step Up on Second: In August, 2023, the City Council voted to enter into an agreement with Step Up on Second to provide 30 units of permanent supportive housing for people engaged by BHOT, along with up to 280 nights of motel stays per year as interim and emergency housing. This new initiative is a solution to the challenge identified by police, fire, BHOT, park rangers, and Human Services staff that when an unhoused person is willing to accept housing there is no place to take them. The program was launched in mid-November 2023 and as of January 1, 2024 ten of the 30 units have been occupied.

Goals and Recommended Actions
Recommended actions are categorized as “immediate” or “requiring resources”. Immediate actions can be implemented quickly with existing or moderately increased resources. Actions that require resources entail establishing additional staff positions or significant additions to the City budget.

Goal #1: Strengthen coordination among City and City-funded entities conducting outreach and response to unhoused individuals.

The importance of addressing homelessness in Beverly Hills is illustrated by the number of people who are involved on a daily basis in services for those who are unhoused.

The City’s Human Services Division is the primary responsible entity assigned to address the impact of unhoused people on residents, businesses, visitors, and the City infrastructure, with management of multiple human services contracts (Step Up On Second for Beverly Hills Outreach Team, mental health and case management services, interim housing beds at PATH, provision of meals and supportive services, Saban Community Clinic for healthcare and dental services, Safe Parking for secure places to sleep in cars and supportive services), management of the City’s database for tracking services to unhoused people, and the City’s Social Workers whose work assignment includes unhoused services. Seniors who live in Beverly Hills receive services, including homeless prevention services, from two social workers through a contract with Jewish Family Services. At the end of 2023, the Human Services Division was transferred from the Community Services Department to the Fire Department, in order to centralize the city’s physical and mental health services together with social services within one department. The Fire Department responds to life/safety incidents requiring paramedics, and the Department also has a contracted Nurse Practitioner service that follows up after paramedics provide emergency care and after patients who are transported are released from the hospital. This program was initially focused on serving housed residents including frail seniors, as part of the City’s commitment to supporting aging in place. The nurse practitioner service is in the process of being integrated into the unhoused services multidisciplinary outreach team to add primary medical treatment as an engagement tool. The Police Department responds to reports of incidents and provides

important backup to BHOT, Rangers, Ambassadors, and NASTEC. The Police Department manages the County contract for mental health clinicians. The Park Rangers patrol the City’s 64.3 acres of parks, enforcing City ordinances and educating housed and unhoused City residents and visitors about service availability. The Library interacts with unhoused patrons who use services throughout all times the library is open. The Public Works Department responds to calls to the 2468 line during business hours and staff members interact directly with unhoused people when they are collecting refuse, cleaning streets, managing storage facilities, and operating parking lots.

The Ambassadors patrol and respond in the business triangle, and the Beverly Hills Outreach Team (BHOT), a contract with Step Up on Second, conducts direct, individualized outreach to unhoused people throughout the City. NASTEC patrols the City and responds to 2468 calls during non-business hours. The City Prosecutor decides whether to pursue prosecution of citations and violations of the municipal code.

With this commitment of City resources, coordination is essential. All City-funded entities should work as a team, sharing information, supporting each other, and moving toward the shared goal of resolving the housing status of those who are living on the streets.

Immediate recommended actions
1a. Assign overall coordination to the Human Services Administrator or their designee. A single individual should be assigned to lead collaborative efforts to develop or change policies and procedures within and across departments and contractors. It is expected that new and expanded regional initiatives will increasingly require ongoing participation by a consistent City staff representative who will coordinate and communicate among City team members. 1b. Continue to hold a short mandatory weekly meeting among all entities. Complex organizations are adopting the practice of holding a short “huddle” to share information, identify needs for deeper work to create and implement consistent policies and procedures, conduct case conferences about specific individuals, and coordinate response to events and conditions. The City’s complex roster of responding entities requires a short, mandatory huddle at least once each week.

1.c. Train to establish consistent knowledge and practice while building a City team. Develop a six-month curriculum of in-service training on national and local best practices and policies that will be required for personnel from all departments and contractors in multi-agency, multidisciplinary groups. The goals of the training will be to have consistent knowledge and practice, and to build group cohesiveness among all on the Beverly Hills team who interact with unhoused individuals.

Evidence-based practices in trauma-informed care recognize that regularly interacting with unhoused individuals is traumatic for team members themselves, and that this trauma should be addressed as part of in-service training and employee services. Trauma-informed care for team members could be integrated into training and team-building.

Recommended actions requiring resources

1.d. Expand the Human Services Division to add a licensed program manager and a program specialist or program associate specifically assigned to unhoused services, creating two teams within the Division, with a licensed social worker on each team. One team would focus exclusively on addressing homelessness, and other department staff members would work on seniorservices, family services, commission priorities, and other Human Services responsibilities.

Implementation of this plan and expansion of services will require significant additional work by City staff; the new housing contract with Step Up on Second and the approaching Metro subway expansion already require additional staff time at the manager level. The implementation of the new motel voucher program will require a staff member to coordinate placement and services for people engaged through BHOT, BHPD, Rangers, and others with Step Up to facilitate rapid placement and ongoing services with the goal of permanent housing. The new staff members will have considerable assignments to manage contracts, research and write staff reports, coordinate internal meetings, respond to City departments and requests for service from the public, coordinate training of City staff and contractors, evaluate programs, manage reporting on additional county and state funds, coordinate and conduct community education, represent the City at regional meetings, and other internal and external responsibilities.

Goal #2: Continue to strengthen City’s response to homelessness while ensuring community safety.

The residents, business community, City staff, and contractors of Beverly Hills are notable for their sympathy and concern for unhoused community members, particularly unhoused individuals living with severe mental illness. The City and its stakeholders are willing to devote considerable resources to services that are effective in moving unhoused individuals into safe housing alternatives where they can recover with dignity, improve their health, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. At the same time, stakeholders consistently report that they experience fear when confronted by people exhibiting severe mental health symptoms and antisocial behavior in public spaces, most of whom appear to be unhoused.

Stakeholders noted that more resources for interacting with unhoused people are directed to the business areas, while neighborhoods bordering the City of Los Angeles appear to have an increased presence from nearby encampments as Los Angeles has changed its enforcement practices. Some observers think that the presence of unhoused people in Beverly Hills increases on Sundays when Los Angeles libraries are closed and outreach is limited.

Across the board, all those who interact with people who are unhoused expressed a need for a safe place where unhoused individuals can be sheltered, receive services, and begin their journey to recovery. The City currently contracts for five beds at PATH’s facility in Hollywood, and those beds are consistently full. Outreach teams and law enforcement, until recently, were not able to offer alternatives to those who are unhoused in Beverly Hills. The City’s new agreement with Step Up on Second for 30 units of Permanent Supportive Housing and up to 280 nights of motel stays per year for 10 years now provides an appropriate alternative.

Those engaged in direct contact with unhoused individuals stressed the need for qualified mental health clinical support on outreach teams. Mental health practitioners can help with deescalation in the field, and can provide descriptions of symptoms and diagnoses that support admissions to psychiatric treatment, psychiatric holds, approval of disability benefits including permanent housing vouchers, and applications for conservatorships.

Many of those interviewed identified the value of a street medicine team member who can provide wound care and other urgent medical care during outreach. This evidence-based model is effective in engaging people when they are in physical distress and are therefore more willing to accept services. A health care practitioner who has developed a trusting relationship with a patient can recommend treatment regimens that can best be practiced in an indoor setting. An interim stay in a shelter, hospital, or treatment facility can allow an unhoused person to stabilize medically, get some consistent sleep, and be in a position to make better decisions about next steps.

Immediate recommended actions
2a. Continue the integration of County mental health clinicians into outreach teams. One County clinician joined the BHPD’s Mental Health Evaluation Team in August of 2023, and a second County-employed clinician is expected to be assigned to Beverly Hills in the first half of 2024. The Police Department team is planning for the integration and effective deployment of this important new resource for the City.
2b. Develop a protocol for managing response overnight and on weekends when services are not available. Response to unhoused individuals is available 24/7 through the 2468 line and through police and fire dispatch. Police and NASTEC encounter unhoused individuals on overnight patrol when no services are available. The recently approved agreement with Step Up on Second now provides the City with the option of up to 280 motel stays per year that can be used at all hours of the day and night to immediately get people off the streets, but protocols must be established to allow the smooth integration of these new resources into response and practice.

City staff should be thoroughly trained so they understand how access to motel rooms is managed and make deployments appropriately.
2c. Continue to identify and contract for permanent supportive housing options so that once they are engaged, unhoused individuals can move rapidly through interim housing and successfully achieve permanent housing status. The City’s new agreement with Step Up on Second is an innovative model that is expected to offer an accessible and acceptable path to permanent housing with services that support ongoing stability for participants. The City should work with Step Up to plan for the ongoing needs of unhoused people in Beverly Hills so that individuals using the interim housing placements will move on to permanent placements, making interim housing continuously available.

Implementation of this plan will provide the assurance that outreach and engagement of unhoused individuals in Beverly Hills will rapidly lead to permanent housing placement and will

likely lead to a model that could include enforcement of status offenses that is now prohibited by court rulings.

Recommended actions requiring resources
2d. Maintain a clear picture of the unhoused populations and its needs. In addition to continuing to build out the Apricot data system, the City should consider conducting a quarterly point-intime count to measure changes in the population over time, geographically and seasonally. The quarterly count can be conducted by the various outreach partners and City department staff on a regular day and time each quarter, for example the start of the early shift at 6 am on the last Friday of each quarter. Another option might be to conduct a count at a busy time of day, such as 2 pm on a Wednesday near the end of the quarter.
4 2e. Incorporate nurse practitioners or other street medicine specialists to the City’s outreach resources. “Street Medicine” is a best practice in engagement of unhoused persons: medical practitioners provide street-based care for urgent medical needs, and accompany individuals to community clinics, emergency rooms, or other service partners, serving as an advocate for the care needed. The Fire Department has a contract for nurse practitioner services which were not previously integrated into MHET or BHOT, but can provide medical services to unhoused individuals in street settings. County DMH clinicians assigned to Beverly Hills can make referrals for psychiatric services through the County’s HOME (Homeless Outreach and Mobile Engagement) team. Other alternatives for consideration would be to contract for Street Medicine through Saban Clinic or another medical institution for deployment with MHET, BHOT, and other City outreach efforts.
2f. Consider expanding Park Ranger hours to 24/7, with Rangers responding to overnight calls in parks, and expanding Ambassador assignments to respond to overnight calls beyond the business district. Calls to the 2468 number could be handled by the Police Department’s Dispatch after hours on weekdays and 24/7 on weekends. An analysis of calls to 2468, currently managed overnight by NASTEC, shows an average of two calls per day, and only one or two calls overnight. (The City’s Public Works Department answers calls during business hours). PD Dispatch can assign calls to Park Rangers since City parks are accessible at night and could continue to be patrolled by Park Rangers. The Rangers could also respond to calls to the City’s 2468 hotline during non-business hours regarding unhoused people in parks. Residents and businesses expressed an interest in having Ambassadors patrol commercial corridors that fall outside of the “business triangle” in the evenings and able to respond to calls for service during the day. The City should explore expanding this contract.
2g. Reorganize Community Assistance Grant Funding (CAGF) process to increase efficiency, consistency, and responsiveness. At the present time, nonprofit agencies seeking City funding are required to respond to an annual proposal process. Preparing a competitive grant annually is costly for the nonprofit organizations while requiring considerable City staff time to manage the 4 The end of the month is chosen because those who receive benefits may rent a motel room at the beginning of the month and therefore not be counted.

process. Many cities have moved to multi-year funding for nonprofit partners who have proven records and provide community services that the city considers essential parts of its resources. A multi-year contract, as opposed to a single-year grant, can strengthen the partnerships between the City and the non-profit agencies implementing City programs.

We recommend that the City consider reorganizing its CAGF portfolio into contracts and grants.

Contracts would be negotiated for multi-year periods (up to five years) with the agencies providing foundational services, including those to unhoused individuals, seniors, people with legal service needs, and those with trauma or other mental health issues, with contract amounts geared to utilization and the cost of providing the service to Beverly Hills participants. A competitive grants process would be available for new service providers, services that have been underutilized in the past contract period, and for services that may not be long-term City priorities. We note that there are some grantees on the CAGF schedule that may be more appropriately assigned to another department or division, such as Arts & Culture or the Fire Department. We encourage City management to review the portfolio of the Human Services Department and consider reassignments as appropriate.

Goal #3: Maximize the effectiveness of Police and Fire response through clear policies and procedures for deployment.

The Beverly Hills Police Department has recently established a Mental Health Evaluation Team (MHET) consisting of two officers who receive special training and are deployed to respond to incidents involving unhoused individuals. This is an important step in aligning law enforcement response with community needs and expectations regarding homelessness in the City. People are accustomed to calling the police when they believe a crime has been committed or when they feel unsafe. Outreach teams, park rangers, ambassadors, and City staff want police backup when they engage with a person who is behaving unacceptably or unsafely. Police reports are helpful in documenting behavior that is harmful to oneself or others. However, police are not social workers and cannot be expected to solve deep societal ills such as homelessness and mental illness. When law enforcement officers respond to non-criminal events, they are removed from their patrol or other assignment and are not available to respond to serious crimes. If they are asked to transport an individual to a hospital for a mental health assessment they are away from the City for hours. Most interactions with unhoused individuals can be handled effectively by outreach teams, but workers often need police backup to assert their authority with an individual who is agitated, hearing voices, uncooperative, or violent.

Paramedics have a similar challenge in responding to unhoused individuals who may be in physical distress. A person sleeping on the sidewalk during the day may appear to be ill or deceased but is usually just sleeping after an unsheltered night. Intoxication may make it more difficult to rouse the individual, or may cause them to have symptoms of illness. Paramedics have an important role in public safety as the emergency medical responders who save lives by providing on-site medical interventions and transporting people to the emergency room. They are not social workers, nor are they primary care providers. Recognizing this, the Fire Department

has added contracted nurse practitioners to their resources and is developing protocols for deploying these licensed health care professionals as part of the City’s homeless outreach efforts.

Team members whose primary assignment involves outreach to unhoused individuals include BHOT, park rangers, ambassadors, and NASTEC, with staff from Public Works, Library, and other departments regularly encountering unhoused people in the course of their work. They count on Police and Fire to support them when they feel they are in danger or when they believe a crime is in process. Residents, visitors, and businesses similarly expect immediate police response to perceived danger or crime. The transfer of Human Services to the Fire Department is expected to reduce barriers to sworn response to emergency situations involving unhoused people.

Police officers are very effective in educating community members about the law and the proper role of police and fire personnel in addressing social problems such as homelessness. This is an important role for the Beverly Hills Police Department, which is highly respected in the community. The Department’s participation in implementation of Goal #4 could significantly increase the impact of the proposed community education activities.

Immediate recommended actions
3a. Continue to foster collaboration among the team members responding to calls and engaging with unhoused individuals. The City’s commitment to addressing homelessness involves many diverse City departments and contractor partners who are interdependent and count on each other for support at times when quick and appropriate response is crucial. Ongoing communication and teambuilding should result in more consistent response to calls for specialized assistance and backup. Collaborative training and cross-training, along with continued regular group huddles, will provide opportunities to reach common understanding on (1) prioritization of a call for backup or assistance; (2) response when MHET officers or BHOT are not on the schedule; (3) response to mental health emergencies and criteria for transport; and (4) officer role in communicating with residents, businesses, and visitors. 3b. Work with Step Up on Second to develop protocols for use of the BHOT vehicle to transport unhoused people who do not require an ambulance to psychiatric emergency care, interim housing, and other destinations to replace the use of police officers and police vehicles for these purposes. Protocols should cover all entities (police, fire, rangers, BHOT, ambassadors, NASTEC, Human Services staff) and require that transport is conducted by a two-person team. 3c. Enhance the data collected by the Police and Fire Departments by adding “incident with unhoused person” to their online reporting systems and establish a protocol to transfer this information to the Human Services Division on a weekly basis. This information can be incorporated into the Apricot system for planning, evaluation, and targeted outreach. The integration of information from the City’s first responders will add to the effectiveness of the weekly huddle (see 1.b above) and strengthen the response of all City-affiliated team members.

Goal #4: Expand community education efforts around homelessness and raise awareness about available resources and best practices.

The number of partners with some responsibility for responding to unhoused people in Beverly Hills creates expectations and confusion among residents, businesses, visitors, and City staff members who are seeking assistance and interventions. The City’s financial investment in addressing homelessness may lead people to expect that they will not see or interact with unhoused individuals in Beverly Hills. Nearly every person has ideas about solutions and who might be responsible for implementing them. Many people do not have the nuanced understanding of government powers and organization in California and the variety of authorities within Los Angeles County alone. While stakeholders do not need comprehensive civics lessons, they do need basic knowledge about the causes of homelessness in Los Angeles County, how to support government policies to end homelessness, what law enforcement can and cannot do to intervene with people who are unhoused and/or mentally ill, and how to respond when they encounter unhoused people who may frighten them or who they may want to help.

Most urgently, Beverly Hills should promote the use of the Unhoused Hotline at (310) 285-2468 as the best way to get appropriate response when it is needed. A comprehensive, ongoing community education campaign should be initiated to increase knowledge and understanding of homelessness among Beverly Hills residents, businesses, and visitors.

Immediate recommended actions
4a. Actively promote (310) 285-2468 as the number to call for intervention with people experiencing homelessness. The success of this approach to centralized dispatch requires broad adoption of the number as the single point of entry for services and response. The City should plan a multi-platform public adoption campaign to remind all stakeholders to call 2468 for assistance on issues related to unhoused individuals. The plan should include monthly goals for increased numbers of calls to the centralized dispatch number, with goals for reduction in inappropriate calls to 911 or non-emergency dispatch at the Police Department. The effectiveness of this transition will depend in part on the ability of the 2468 dispatcher to facilitate a timely response to the caller’s needs, whether it be a rapid intervention by an outreach team, cleanup of a public space, or a law enforcement response. This will reserve police and fire response for calls that are judged by the 2468 dispatch as appropriate for first response and life safety transport.

The use of 2468 could be promoted through all City publications, the City website, and social media. The Chamber of Commerce and other business organizations, schools, faith communities, service clubs, and neighborhood organizations can be asked to publicize 2468 through their communications channels. The City should provide templates (a short narrative and a variety of graphics) for use by these organizations. In addition to the business cards that are now used by outreach staff, the City should consider creating posters or stickers for posting in City locations such as parks and parking structures, and for distribution to businesses and property owners.

Recommended actions requiring resources
4b. Increase public understanding about what government, law enforcement, and first responders can and cannot do in response to homelessness. We suggest the City engage a public relations firm to design and implement a campaign that will raise awareness about the causes of homelessness, the characteristics and needs of those who are unhoused in Beverly Hills, and how homelessness can be prevented, what police and the City can and cannot do in response to unhoused individuals in its midst. The campaign should be multi-platform and could be implemented over the course of at least a year, with a different theme each month. Some questions for consideration include:
• How many unhoused people are there in Beverly Hills?
• Are they from other cities or states, or are they local? • Are they all living with mental illness or drug addiction? • How difficult is it to convince people to go to a shelter? • What does it take to get an unhoused person into permanent housing? • Why can’t the police just take them to another city and drop them off? • If it is illegal to sleep in the park in Beverly Hills, why not arrest people who commit this crime?
• Can’t they just get a job and earn money to live on?
• How have other states succeeded in significantly decreasing their unhoused population? • What treatment options are available for mental illness associated with homelessness, and how effective are they?
• How can I help someone who appears to be unhoused?
Local and national authorities could be asked to participate in this educational campaign, starting with experts from the RAND Corporation, UCLA, and USC.

Goal #5: Work with other cities and with Los Angeles County to improve and expand regional homeless services.

Homelessness is a regional issue that cannot be solved by any jurisdiction by itself. The City of Beverly Hills is an active participant in the Westside Cities Council of Governments (COG), working with other westside cities to coordinate services and share resources when possible.

The COG advocates for increased behavioral health response through the deployment of mental health clinicians, workforce development opportunities to improve job quality for homeless outreach workers, and other regional priorities detailed in its Strategic Work Plan. Cities share effective interventions and collaborate on strategy, planning, advocacy.

Active collaboration through the COG provides a mechanism for addressing regional problems by creating regional solutions. In particular, Beverly Hills has the opportunity to collaborate with West Hollywood, Culver City, and West Los Angeles to establish an Access Center where unhoused people could obtain services daily. The COG can also coordinate discussion among cities about best practices to implement as the Metro Purple Line opens two stations in Beverly Hills during the next two years.

The County of Los Angeles controls the federal housing vouchers available to unhoused individuals engaged in Beverly Hills. The County is also the provider of last resort for medical and mental health care services for Medi-Cal recipients and other low-income people without health insurance. Ongoing advocacy with the County should continue to focus on securing County services for those who are unhoused in Beverly Hills.

Immediate recommended actions
5a. Partner with West Hollywood, Culver City, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica to develop and implement services that engage unhoused people to increase their self-determination and move them into permanent housing. A short-term project might include re-starting an annual Homeless Connect Day in Westwood Park, where local nonprofits and community members offer a variety of services to unhoused individuals. A longer-term project could be to establish a permanent Access Center, open daily, where unhoused people can rest inside, use restrooms, charge their phones, get a meal, and enroll in case management leading to permanent housing.

City representatives should ask the COG to consider using its resources to fund programs across Westside cities, such as Safe Parking, that are not specific to a single jurisdiction. 5b. Work with COG partners to plan for the potential impact of the new Metro stations. Other cities have stations in place and can advise Beverly Hills about design and service strategies that could make the new transit option an asset to City residents, businesses, and visitors and minimize the potential for bringing additional unhoused individuals into Beverly Hills. Research, dialogue, and planning in 2024 could result in new approaches that produce different results from those experienced in other Westside cities.

Recommended actions requiring resources
5c. Advocate with Los Angeles County for additional County housing vouchers. Rental assistance continues to be essential to securing permanent housing for unhoused individuals.

County-issued vouchers may be allocated to individual cities, nonprofit service agencies, and housing developers. Beverly Hills should continue to work to secure vouchers to meet the permanent housing needs of those who are engaged through its outreach system and interim housing beds. The City’s robust outreach services may serve as leverage to obtain housing vouchers from the County.

With the recently approved agreement with Step Up on Second for 30 units of Permanent Supportive Housing and up to 280 nights of motel stays per year for 10 years now provides an appropriate solution to the City’s lack of county housing vouchers. As part of the agreement with Step Up on Second, Step Up staff will continuously work to refer individuals or families to appropriate programs, services, and/or housing vouchers throughout Los Angeles County using its extensive network, which would free up additional City-subsidized units for additional unhoused individuals.

Goal #6: Prevent homelessness among Beverly Hills residents.

The City of Beverly Hills has adopted several strategies aligned with prevention of homelessness among City residents. The City’s rent stabilization program covers 7,784 housing units, and a pandemic-linked Housing Assistance Program helped to subsidize rents for low-income households. The City has an inclusionary housing requirement for new multi-family developments, and is approving 20 to 25 new accessory dwelling units (ADUs) annually under state laws that encourage these additions to the housing stock. Tenants at risk of eviction have the services of Bet Tzedek Legal Services available through City contract. The Human Services Division works with the Fire Department, Code Enforcement, other City departments, and Jewish Family Services to proactively address hoarding among vulnerable residents. Although cleanup is costly, it is an essential component of homelessness prevention as well as community safety.

Menorah Housing Foundation, a nonprofit affordable housing developer, partnered with the City to create 150 apartments for low-income senior households in 1987, and these units remain affordable today. Other affordable housing developers are considering the development of deedrestricted projects in Beverly Hills. The ability of people to stay in their community as their income changes is an important factor in preventing homelessness. For those who are unhoused, the availability of permanent supportive housing in or near their community increases the likelihood of successful re-housing and the prevention of a relapse into homelessness.

Beverly Hills also provides a robust suite of services to seniors, many of which support housing stability, income maintenance, and aging in place. The Beverly Hills School District has a designated staff member who connects unhoused or at-risk families to supportive services.

Recommended actions requiring resources
6a. Build partnerships with affordable housing developers to establish dedicated, deedrestricted permanent supportive housing near Beverly Hills. Lack of housing options prevents people living in interim housing from moving on to a permanent home, reducing the availability of interim beds for unhoused people who are successfully engaged by City efforts. New permanent supportive housing will increase the availability of housing options so that people who are engaged can stabilize and thrive in a permanent home, with services in place to ensure that residents remain stable in housing. The City has just entered into negotiations with West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (WHCHC) for the development of affordable housing for seniors at the city-owned site at Third Street and Foothill Boulevard. WHCHC has local experience in the provision of permanent supportive housing and affordable housing for special populations.

The City’s recently approved agreement with Step Up on Second for 30 units of Permanent Supportive Housing and up to 280 nights of motel stays per year for 10 years now provides an inventory of permanent supportive housing available to unhoused individuals from Beverly Hills.

Additional affordable housing units and permanent supportive housing units will need to be identified and developed to continue to serve the need of the community.

6b. Identify local properties whose owners are willing to rent to people with housing vouchers. Many people who have been unhoused have difficulty adjusting to living indoors, especially if they must move to a completely different area. A challenge for those charged with locating housing for people holding housing vouchers is finding apartments close to the services that help move people out of homelessness. The City should seek partnerships with property owners who have apartments for rent in the vicinity, where those with vouchers can remain in proximity to the services they need to maintain stable. 6c. Maintain strong prevention services and support for vulnerable City residents. The City’s senior services team should continue its effective work to prevent older residents from losing their housing. The team approach, with involvement of Jewish Family Services, Fire Department, Human Services Division, Code Enforcement, and others, is a key element of homelessness prevention among older and vulnerable residents.

The Human Services Division should also continue to support the Beverly Hills School District in identifying resources for families at risk of losing their homes.

When funding is available, the Human Services Division should facilitate the use of available rental assistance funding for residents who are vulnerable to losing their housing.

City of Beverly Hills
Plan to Address Homelessness
January 2024
Summary of Recommendations
Goal 1: Strengthen coordination among all City departments and City-funded entities conducting outreach and response to unhoused individuals
Immediate actions Associated actions and resources Timeline 1a. Assign overall coordination to the
Human Services Administrator or their
designee.

City manager consultation with other
departments and divisions
Immediate
1b. Continue to hold a short
mandatory weekly meeting among all
entities.

Immediate

1.c. Train to establish consistent
knowledge and practice while building
a City team.

Human Services Administrator
establishes list of topics that others
may supplement. HSA schedules
trainings.

March 1, 2024
Actions requiring resources

1.d. Expand the Human Services
Division to add a licensed program
manager and a program specialist or
program associate specifically assigned
to unhoused services.

Cost of staffing
HS Outreach Manager = $188,263
HS Specialist = $174,415
Total = $362,678/year
Include in 2024-
2025 budget
Human Resources
process
July 1, 2024
Goal 2: Ensure community safety
Immediate actions Associated actions and resources Timeline 2a. Continue the integration of County
mental health clinicians into outreach
teams
Maintain County focus on completing
task
Ongoing
2b. Develop a protocol for managing
response overnight and on weekends
when services are not available
Establish a working group within the
team to draft protocol
Completed by
March 1, 2024
2c. Continue to identify and contract
for permanent supportive housing
options
Continue implementation of Step Up
on Second contract
Fully
implemented by
February 1, 2024
Actions requiring resources
2d. Quarterly point-in-time counts. Use existing outreach teams with coordination and data entry
Annual Apricot Software = $71,415
1/1/24 and
quarterly
thereafter
2e. Expand street medicine practitioner
capacity, with shifts aligned with the
MHET team, to the City’s outreach
resources.

Contract costs in 2024-2025 budget July 1, 2024

2f. Consider expanding Park Ranger
hours to 24/7 and expanding
Ambassador assignments beyond the
business district. Route 2468 calls to
Police Department’s Dispatch after
hours on weekdays and 24/7 on
weekends.

Consultation with departments, budget
realignments, changes to contracts
with outside agencies
Expand Rangers to 24/7 =
$363,522/year
Expand Ambassadors ~ $250,000
July 1, 2024
2g. Reorganize Community Assistance
Grant Funding (CAGF) process to
increase efficiency, consistency, and
responsiveness.

Three-month project for an
administrative staff person; revisions to
contracts; revisions to divisional
assignments. Will result in decreased
staff time for fewer CAGF proposals.

July 1, 2024
Goal 3: Maximize the effectiveness of Police and Fire response Immediate actions Associated actions and resources Timeline 3a. Continue to foster collaboration
among Beverly Hills team members
Ongoing collaboration, communication,
training
Ongoing
3b. Work with Step Up on Second to
develop protocols for use of the BHOT
vehicle to transport unhoused people
who do not require an ambulance
One or two meetings followed by
training for all affected City staff and
contractors
March 1, 2024
3c. Enhance the data collected by the
Police and Fire Departments and
transfer this information to the Human
Services Division on a weekly basis
System modification and assignment of
responsibility for transfer of
information to an individual
March 1, 2024
Goal 4: Educate community members about best practices and how to connect most effectively with City services
Immediate actions Associated actions and resources Timeline 4a. Actively promote (310) 285-2468 as
the number to call for intervention
with people experiencing
homelessness
Engage City communications team May 1, 2024
Actions requiring resources
4b. Increase public understanding
about what government, law
enforcement, and first responders can
and cannot do in response to
homelessness
Hire a PR firm to develop and
implement a citywide awareness
campaign
March 1 through
June 30, 2024
Goal 5: Improve and expand regional homeless services in collaboration with other cities and Los Angeles County
Immediate actions Associated actions and resources Timeline 5a. Partner with West Hollywood,
Culver City, Los Angeles, and Santa
Monica to develop and implement
services that engage unhoused people
Continue active participation in Council
of Governments
Immediate and
ongoing

5b. Work with COG partners to plan for
the potential impact of the new Metro
stations.

Participate in and offer leadership to a
COG task force on Metro.

January 1-
December 31,
2024
Actions requiring resources
5c. Advocate with Los Angeles County
for additional County housing vouchers
Grant writer to respond to requests for
proposals from County; City advocates
with County policy makers in Health
Services, Mental Health, and Board of
Supervisors
June 1, 2024 and
ongoing
Goal 6: Prevent homelessness among Beverly Hills residents Actions requiring resources Associated actions and resources Timeline 6a. Build partnerships with affordable
housing developers to establish
dedicated, deed-restricted permanent
supportive housing near Beverly Hills
Housing Trust Fund contributions As projects are
proposed
6b. Identify local properties whose
owners are willing to rent to people
with housing vouchers.

Obtain vouchers and conduct outreach
to property owners
March 1, 2024
and ongoing
6c. Maintain strong prevention services
and support for vulnerable City
residents.

Funding for hoarding abatement and
temporary rental assistance
March 1, 2024
and ongoing;
inclusion in 2024-
2025 budget

Glossary of Terms
At-Risk of Homelessness – People who are not homeless, but whose current economic and/or housing situation is precarious or does not meet public health and safety standards.

Affordable Housing – Deed-restricted housing for which the occupant(s) is/are paying no more than 30 percent of his or her income for gross housing costs, including utilities.

Case Management – A collaborative and client-centered approach to service provision for persons experiencing homelessness. In this approach, a case worker assesses the needs of the client (and potentially their families) and when appropriate, arranges coordinates and advocates for delivery and access to a range of programs and services to address the individual’s needs.

Chronically Homeless – An individual or family that is homeless and resides in a place not meant for human habitation, an emergency shelter, or interim housing, and has been homeless and residing in such a place for at least one year or on at least four separate occasions in the last three years. The head of household must have a diagnosable substance use disorder, serious mental illness, developmental disability, post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injury, or chronic physical illness or disability.

Coordinated Entry System (CES) – A process through which the most vulnerable homeless residents of Los Angeles County are matched with the available and appropriate housing resources.

Councils of governments (COGs) – Regional governing and/or coordinating bodies that work together on issues of mutual interest to their constituents.

Diversion/Prevention – Service programs that divert persons who are at imminent risk of losing their housing from entering the homeless system.

Emergency Shelters (Non-Disaster Related) – Temporary shelter and services designed to facilitate homeless individuals and families’ transition from the streets to appropriate housing.

Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count - The Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count gives a snapshot (or a Point-In-Time Count) of homelessness in Los Angeles. It shows us the amount of people experiencing homelessness, the demographics, the distribution across the County, and where they are staying.

Homeless – (a) People who are living in a place not meant for human habitation, in emergency or transitional housing, or are exiting an institution where they temporarily resided. (b) People who are losing their primary nighttime residence, which may include a hotel or a doubled-up situation, within 14 days and lack resources or support to remain in housing. (c) Families with children, or unaccompanied youth, who are unstably housed and likely to continue in that state,

defined as no lease or ownership interest in a housing unit in the last 50 days, have had two or more moves in the last 60 days, and who are likely to continue to be unstably housed. (d) People who are fleeing domestic violence, have no other residence, and lack resources to obtain permanent housing.

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) – Is a local information technology system used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to homeless individuals and families and persons at risk of homelessness. Each Continuum of Care is responsible for selecting an HMIS software solution that complies with HUD's data collection, management, and reporting standards.

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Interim Housing – Beds or rooms for people who are in the process of obtaining permanent supportive housing. Interim Housing typically offers a 60 to 90 day stay, with extensions when needed. In recent years, stays in interim housing are often extended for months as clients obtain identification documents and establish benefits, and then work to find a housing placement that meets their needs. Interim Housing may be in a dedicated facility (shelter or transitional program), a motel, or a hybrid program.

Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Commission – The governing body for LAHSA.

It is politically appointed, ten-member board with five members selected by the County Board of Supervisors and five members chosen by the Mayor and City Council of Los Angeles. The Commission has the authority to make budgetary, funding, planning, and program policies. For more information visit https://www.lahsa.org/
MHET Mental Health Evaluation Team – Often composed of mental health clinicians, outreach workers, and law enforcement representatives, a MHET offers trauma-informed mental health assessment, treatment, and care to people experiencing homelessness.

Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) – A housing intervention with indefinite rental assistance and supportive services to assist homeless persons with a disability achieve housing stability.

Point-in-Time (PIT) Count – A count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons on a single night in January. HUD requires that Continuums of Care conduct an annual count of homeless persons who are sheltered in emergency shelter, transitional housing, and Safe Havens on a single night. Continuums of Care also must conduct a count of unsheltered homeless persons every other year (odd numbered years). Each count is planned, coordinated, and carried out locally.

Recovery – A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.

Safe Parking Program – A program that provides a safe parking environment and supportive services for transitional homeless individuals living in their vehicles for overnight stays. Onsight service providers work with participants to help develop a plan with a final emphasis on permanent housing, employment and training.

Service Planning Area (SPA) – A specific geographic region within Los Angeles County. These distinct regions allow the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to develop and provide more relevant public health and clinical services targeted to the specific health needs of the residents in these different areas.

Sheltered Homeless – A homeless person that resides in an emergency shelter, including temporary emergency shelters only open during severe weather; or in transitional housing for homeless individuals who originally came from the streets or emergency shelters.

Supportive Services– The supportive services provided in supportive housing are what distinguish supportive housing from other types of affordable housing. To the extent possible, the supportive services available in a supportive housing project should be customized with the needs of the tenants in mind. Supportive housing support services are intended to help ensure housing stability and to maximize each tenant’s ability to live independently.

Trauma-Informed Care or Trauma-Informed Services– An approach to intervention and care that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma on an individual that may have contributed or that continues to contribute to their current state. Trauma-informed care integrates knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practice; and actively avoids re-traumatization. This evidence-based practice also recognizes that those providing intervention and services experience trauma as part of their work.

Unsheltered Homeless – A homeless person that resides in a place not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, or on the street.