1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: April 5, 2022
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Patrick Prescott, Community Development Director VIA: Simone McFarland, Assistant Community Development Director BY: Marcos Gonzalez, Housing Development Manager
SUBJECT: A pproval of the City of Burbank Five-Year (2022-2027) Homelessness Plan
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the City of Burbank (City) Five-Year (2022-2027) Homelessness Plan (Plan) to further efforts to assist people experiencing homelessness or those at -risk of becoming homeless.
BACKGROUND
The City has taken considerable steps in the past few years to address and reduce homelessness within our community. S ignificant investments have been made in outreach, housing, shelter, mental health, storage, prevention, and public health. The City’s methodology consists of a holistic, humane approach in supporting people experiencing homelessness by acknowledging that homelessness is an extremely complex social dilemma that impacts the quality of life in our community.
Staff made several important strides in implementing the 2018-2021 Homelessness Plan with measurable outcomes with more work still ahead of us . These were presented to City Council in the annual update on March 15, 2022, ( Attachment 1) . As cities like Burbank continue to make progress in addressing homelessness, the challenges facing the entire region are rapidly increasing. D uring the last three years , our region experienced the highest number of people experiencing homelessness in decades. 1 The number of people who are homeless is clearly unacceptable and Burbank continues to address homelessness with limited resources and a small amount of funding from the
1 There are currently at least 63,706 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County, according to a count by LAHSA in 2020 – a 13% increase from 2019.
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
ATTACHMENT 2
2 Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority ( LAHSA) and the Los Angeles County Measure H Initiative.2
As directed by Council, staff launched the development of an updated P lan (Attachment 2) in partnership with Lesar Development Consultants (LDC) . The process of updating the Plan included community outreach and input sessions from various stakeholders (the public, nonprofit groups, service organizations, residents, businesses, health providers, local government agencies , an d others ). Moreover, staff incorporated the 2018-2021 Homelessness Plan strategies that remain relevant and continue to support underlying social and systemic challenges and inequalities around homelessness into the new Plan.
As Burbank’s governing body, City Council approved seven guiding principles to help lead the planning process for updating the Plan. The guiding principles are embedded in the new Plan.
1. Burbank takes a holistic, humane approach in supporting people experiencing homelessness by acknowledging that homelessness is an extremely complex social dilemma that impacts the quality of life in our community.
2. Burbank’s response to homelessness requires being Compassionate & Smart: Compassionate by understanding that individuals experiencing homelessness are human beings and as such, a part of our community who may need help, and Smart by protecting the City and its residents through legal enforcement as needed.
3. Burbank supports a variety of pathways to housing for people experiencing homelessness including shelters, transitional housing, and motel vouchers along with navigation centers and permanent supportive housing.
4. Recognizing that homelessness has no jurisdictional boundaries , Burbank will help alleviate the homeless crisis by supporting federal and regional homeless strategies that are aligned with our Homeless strategy and listed within our Legislative Platform including advocating for legislation and funding for homelessness and mental health services.
5. The City of Burbank is committed to working closely with the Burbank Unified School District to address the needs of our student ’s experiencing homelessness.
6. The City of Burbank is committed to providing annual updates and making information accessible so the public can be informed of the City’s current efforts to address homelessness and our progress in meeting our objectives.
2 A quarter cent sales tax a pproved by County voters in 2017 to fund an unprecedented 10- year effort to address and prevent homelessness. Burbank contributes an estimated $9 to $11 million to Measure H annually. The City has received just over $1 million in Measure H grants since 2017. 3 7. In accordance with the policy statements described above, and while acknowledging that there are significant legal and financial obstacles, the City of Burbank is committed to reducing the number of Burbank’s unsheltered homeless population identified in t he 2022 Los Angeles County Homeless County by 50% before the end of 2027 . (Example: If the unsheltered homeless during the 2022 Homeless Count is 200, Burbank will find housing, shelter, and/or return to their loved ones 100 people by 2027.)
DISCUSSION
A person who is living on the street has an impact on the community. A person facing a homeless crisis without adequate housing and supportive services is pron e to theft, unsanitary conditions , and must overcome the challenging outdoor elements . These conditions threaten the physical and mental health and safety of those experiencing homelessness. Further more, the broader community of residents, businesses, and neighborhoods, while concerned with the well-being of the homeless population, are also frustrated with some of the negative impacts caused by the systemic challenges around encampments, enforcement, and housing the homeless.
Creating the Plan
To identify the City’s strengths and challenges in our homeless response, LDC examined homeless system data to identify performance outcomes, trends, and gaps in services.
This data was used in tandem to assess the quality of the overall homeless system by hosting community stakeholder meetings for feedback , an 11 -question survey sent to housing providers, public health partners, and social service agencies, and a 10-question survey completed by City of Burbank Departments . In addition, an i ndividual 30-minute interview was conducted with public organizations identified by LDC and City staff who serve people experiencing homelessness.
A component of the analysis included a wide- reaching community engagement process to solicit input from the extensive array of stakeholders mentioned above including our residents, community leaders, and faith-based groups.
Staff recognizes that there are still significant gaps in resources, services, and capacity for homeless services that require continued focus. With the help of community input and evidenced-based best practices that are solution- oriented and centered around a person’s needs, staff concluded with the creation of six homeless goals. Under the new Plan that align with the City Council’s adopted Policy Statements , Burbank will address homelessness utilizing the g oals during the implementation period. Each goal requires strategic actions that will require a collective network of services and partnerships. Many of those actions are highlighted below. Further, the goals closely align with those of Los Angeles County’s Homeless Initiatives (Measure H 10- Year Homeless Strategies) and the California Governor’s homeless blueprint
https://www.gov.ca.gov/
The proposed five-year goals for Burbank include:
1. Capacity Building
2. Advocacy
3. Access, Outreach, & Engagement
4 4. Shelter & Housing Accessibility
5. Health & Stabilization
6. Homelessness Prevention
Goal 1: Capacity Building
To successfully achieve the goals stated in the
Plan, the City will look to increase our capacity to
coordinate with regional and cross-sector partners,
integrate data more effectively, and support
provider capacity. These efforts are an integral part
of our overall efforts to end homelessness and will
require shifts in orientation, investments in funding
and time, and a commitment to strengthening
partnerships. Increasing the City ’s capacity to
respond to the homelessness crisis will ultimately
lessen the impact to public resources and
strengthen the response.
Goal 2: Advocacy
The City understands the important role it plays as
a regional leader in supporting the access, service,
and housing needs of people experiencing
homelessness in the City and the region. Within our
Legislative Platform that is updated each year, staff
will continue to advocate for sensible legislation that provides a balanced approach, requests more
funding for services , and supports programs that
incorporate best practices.
Highlighted Actions for this Goal
Increasing Data Integration and
Coordinated Access
Provider Capacity Building
Develop reporting structures and
public facing dashboards
Continue attending various regional
coordination & collaboration groups
Highlighted Actions for this Goal
Advocate for more direct funding to
cities related to homelessness
Outreach and education campaigns to
garner community support
Actively pursue input and support in
the development of homeless
programs from people with Lived
Experience
5 Goal 3: Access/Outreach/Engagement
Various challenges exist for people
experiencing unsheltered homelessness,
including meeting physiological, shelter,
safety, and psychological needs. The City will
further enhance street outreach and access
services, creating a unified approach
centered around engagement, connection to
services, and harm reduction strategies.
To reduce entries into chronic homelessness
and increase the number of people to housing
placements, the City will continue to
implement proactive, coordinated, and
human-centered responses in our outreach
that includes access to services. The City will
expand on the successes of our storage
facility and navigation site, consider the
implementation of innovative homeless
solutions, and effectively engage and educate the community on the health, safety, and service needs of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Goal 4: Shelter & Housing Accessibility
Shelter and housing are critical to ending
homelessness. Accessibility to housing is a
challenge across the region and more so with
high prices for rent and the purchasing of
homes in greater Los Angeles County . Not
only does this make it more difficult for
individuals to move out of homelessness, but
it also increases the number of people who are
precariously housed or on the verge of
housing instability.
To add to this, Burbank does not have adult
shelters or interim housing options within city
limits. This requires people in need of these
services to relocate to options outside of
Burbank. The City will explore all possible
options to increase interim housing by pivoting
to a shelter first approach, expand housing
support, increase housing access, and
develop new affordable and permanent supportive housing. By strengthening shelter and housing options, the City will make significant strides in reducing inflows into homelessness and increasing successful outflows. Stakeholders have highlighted the critical importance for cities to develop these resources in their community.
Highlighted Actions for this Goal
Continue to expand homeless street
outreach services
Utilize Homeless Management
Information Systems to track and
manage data
Continue expanding accessibility and
strengthen linkages to housing at the
SAFE (homeless storage and help
center)
Provide frequent, consistent, and
accessible communication to the
public
Highlighted Actions for this Goal
Explore the possibility of creating
more crisis housing
Continue exploring a Tiny Homes
project
Explore unique funding opportunities
for shelter and interim housing sites
Explore the possibility of master-
leasing and shared housing on a larger
scale
Explore feasibility and identify
strategies to increase the affordable
housing and Permanent Supportive
Housing stock
6 Goal 5: Health & Stabilization
One key point mentioned in stakeholder
feedback was the lack of supportive services to
address the mental health, substance use
disorder, and income needs for people
experiencing homelessness. Point -in-Time
Count data suggest significant increases in
mental health and substance use disorder
among individuals experiencing homelessness
during the past three years, with services and
support unable to meet the need. As average
rental rates continue to rise, the City will renew
its emphasis on employment and income
support for individuals and families, supporting
them in achieving long term stability. To
address the stabili zation needs, the City will
look to expand services and cross -sector
partnerships to meet these challenges.
Goal 6: Homelessness Prevention
All strategies and interventions discussed so far
have been to meet the needs of people
experiencing homelessness. Ultimately, the way
to ensure that the number of people entering the
homeless response system is less than the
number of people exiting is to focus on
preventative measures upstream at the point of
homeless inflows.
To address the new inflows into the homeless
response system, the City is committed to
focusing on homelessness prevention
whenever possible and on providing housing
focused services. This will move us toward
ensuring that when homelessness does occur,
the experience is rare, brief, and non-recurring.
Preventative approaches to homelessness result in better outcomes for individuals and families and lower costs associated with healthcare, correctional services, and emergency services. Shifting investment away from reactive, emergency solutions toward a strengthened focus on preventative strategies will be critical to reducing the flow of people becoming homeless. This includes homeless prevention programs, housing problem solving approaches, early identification tools, and cross -sector partnerships.
Stakeholders highlighted i ncreasing homelessness preventions strategies as the most critical need for the City of Burbank to address.
Highlighted Actions for this Goal
Consider the creation of housing
stabilization service options, targeting
high-risk populations
Advocate for region-wide strategies
and flexible funding to develop
expanded homeless prevention
programs
Encourage service providers,
nonprofits, and cross-sector partners
to be trained in housing problem
solving strategies
Highlighted Actions for this Goal
Develop strategies for
mental/behavioral health
professionals to serve as first
responders instead of, or alongside,
law enforcement
Explore the possibility of creating
homeless mobile health services
Increase employment/income
resources located at coordinated entry
points
7 Implementation Plan
The City, with the support of our partners, is committed to implementing the goals and actions during the five-year implementation period. The implementation timeframe is vital for us to reach certain milestones and report on our annual progress. Those milestones and goals will be provided on a standardized progress report ( Attachment 3). Annually, staff will provide a progress update to City Council at the end of each calendar year.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact related to adopting the Homelessness Plan and Strategies.
There will be associated fiscal impact s to the City of Burbank in implementing some of the strategies, this will be presented in future reports to Council.
CONCLUSION
The five-year Homelessness Plan reflects the City’s ambition to create and implement action-oriented, measurable solutions to meet the needs of people experiencing homelessness and for people at -risk of becoming unhoused. By setting the goals and actions embedded in the Plan, this will help us continue to create strategic partnerships and collaborations across various systems as we work together to make homelessness rare, brief, and non- recurring. Staff recommends City Council approve the F ive-Year Homelessness Plan.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1: 2018-2021 Annual Progress Report
Attachment 2: 2022-2027 Homelessness Plan
Attachment 3: Annual Progress Report Template