1 MEMORANDUM
DATE: May 16, 2023
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: Budget Discussion Paper: Expansion of Homeless Outreach Services
INTRODUCTION
At the City Council Meeting on May 9, 2023, Council Member Mullins requested a budget discussion paper on the feasibility of expanding the social outreach services provided by Streetplus Company L.L.C (Streetplus). Streetplus is a purveyor of services that ensure the City maintains clean, safe, and hospitable neighborhoods through business district ambassadors and social outreach support.
BACKGROUND
Various challenges exist for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, including meeting physiological, shelter, safety, and psychological needs. As described in the Council approved five-year (2022- 2027) Homelessness Plan, acces s, outreach, and engagement is a multi-layered strategy to reduce the number of Burbank’s unsheltered homeless population identified in the 2022 Los Angeles County Homeless Count by 50% before the end of 2027. To reduce entries into chronic homelessness and increase the number of people in housing placements, the City continues to implement proactive, coordinated, and human- centered responses in our outreach that includes access to services. Currently, the City relies heavily on new and renewal funding to meet these expectations through Streetplus and other homeless service partners.
DISCUSSION
Streetplus Service Overview
Burbank’s homeless outreach strategy implemented by Streetplus encompasses consistent outreach to people experiencing homelessness. This strategy attempts to develop a rapport by offering services as many times as necessary. C urrently the City has three contracts with Streetplus. One of these is paid for by the Downtown Business
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
2 Improvement District as part of their Ambassador Program. The hours of operation include Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. During the hours of operation, there are two Ambassadors that patrol the Downtown areas, helping visitors, ensuring cleanliness of tables and seating areas, and providing general assistance to the businesses. The second contract is through our Transportation D ivision, funded by Proposition A - Local Return, which funds one Public Safety Ambassador who patrols our Downtown Burbank Metrolink Station 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and may act as a back up to Downtown if necessary. Lastly, Streetplus is also contracted to provide two Homeless Services Liaisons that provide outreach, intakes, and support to housing and services to people experiencing homelessness citywide Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday through Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Homeless Services Liaisons are funded by a grant and the General Fund. The total cost for all these services is $583,121 annually.
The City can consider two options in expanding outreach services to cover longer hours on weekdays/weekends, and/or concentrate efforts in hot spots known for encampments or frequent calls for service. The options include either hiring: 1) a third-party subrecipient like Streetplus or 2) a contractor (a sole proprietor). The services associated under each option would be enhanced to include the delivery of a case management to the unhoused that are service resistant, chronically homeless, and/or with underlying health and behavioral diagnosed or undiagnosed conditions. Regardless of the option, the goal is to have more boots on the ground, monitor our progress, and make any necessary adjustments when needed.
Option One: Homeless Outreach Expansion – Streetplus
Streetplus has the ability to hire, train, and supervise a third full- time Homeless Service Liaison. The work hours and days could be negotiated to cover the gaps in services. The total cost of adding a Homeless Services Liaison is approximately $100,000, which includes salary, benefits, overhead, and training.
Option Two: Homeless Outreach Expansion – Contractor
The second option is the hir ing of a contractor (a sole proprietor) to supplement the existing outreach services and fill the coverage gaps. Under a contractor position, the City would have the ability to hire an experienced case manager for the expanded outreach services. The total cost is approximately $114,000. The responsibilities and duties would focus on outreach as supervised by City staff.
Under each option there are advantages and disadvantages to consider. Below is a comparison of services and the ramp-up that comes with each option. The purpose is to help assess a suitable option now or in the future.
3 Homeless Outreach Expansion Comparisons
Services Streetplus Contractor
Flexible work schedule X X
Limited liability to the City X X
Ability to quickly hire and
train
X
Direct supervision of the
individual by City Staff
X
Access to the City’s system
network
X
Lower overhead for
equipment and training
X
Communication privileges
with City Departments
X
Staff would recommend hiring a contractor as they would be more closely embedded with the existing city staff and gain a more global understanding of City services, our standing relationships with outside agencies, and outreach methods.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funded out of the General Fund, the cost of the expanded outreach services ranges from $100,000 to $114,000 for fiscal year 2023-2024. Either funding option can be limited to 12 months in one- time money, but up to five years , to be in sync with the City’s Homelessness Plan. Furthermore, when the Homelessness Plan is updated in 2028, the expanded homeless outreach services can be re- evaluated as part of the new plan. To recruit a suitable and experienced case manager, projected funding for this service should range anywhere from three to five years.
CONCLUSION
The expansion of homeless outreach will further enhance the City’s ability to meet people where they are by deploying trained professionals quickly. Through consistent outreach and collaboration with our nonprofits and regional partners, we can all work together for a safe, beautiful, and thriving community for all residents of Burbank.