EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: April 5, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Jaime M. Fontes, City Manager
BY: Rachel Horst, Housing and Economic Development Manager Patrick Heisinger, Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT: Proposed Strategy for Providing Housing for the Unhoused Currently Residing at Bell Street Park
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
1) Accept the staff report; and
2) Provide staff with direction regarding the proposed strategy for housing the unhoused individuals currently residing at Bell Street Park.
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Priority No. 6: Create a Healthy and Safe Community
Background
Since June 1, 2021, staff has provided the City Council with updates regarding the homeless encampment located at Bell Street Park. Through these discussions, the City Council has directed staff to implement several actions to improve the conditions, while restoring traditional community use, at Bell Street Park, including:
1) Installing temporary bathroom facilities;
2) Providing regular litter/debris removal for park inhabitants; and 3) Enhancing coordination with the County of San Mateo and homeless service providers to ensure that the individuals living at Bell Street Park have access to wrap-around services and gain entry into the County’s Coordinated Entry System.
As of the date of this staff report, there have been the following successes at Bell St. Park1 :
• At least 8 individuals secured housing placements by working with LifeMoves, Project WeHOPE, and County outreach teams
• Six individuals completed paperwork for their emergency housing vouchers and had appointments to view their housing before setting a move-in date • Virtually all individuals living at Bell St. are CES-assessed, and more individuals are accepting shelter or hotel placement while awaiting housing On February 1, 2022, the Mayor and Vice Mayor stated they would partner with staff to engage with the County to address the issues facing the City’s unhoused residents.
Elsewhere on tonight’s City Council Agenda, the City Council will consider approaches that may be used to house homeless residents. The purpose of this staff report is to provide recommendations specific to supporting the unhoused individuals currently residing at Bell Street Park.
Analysis
Since the City Council meeting on February 1, 2022, representatives from the City and County, including the Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Supervisor Warren Slocum, have met to discuss ways in which the two entitles could partner to house the City’s unhoused residents. In the case of Bell Street Park, these efforts will have the added benefit of ensuring the community has access to outdoor recreation facilities.
The County has worked with several jurisdictions to establish specific action plans which aim to provide housing opportunities to homeless individuals living in a specific encampment. After several discussions with the County, staff recommends the City advance the approach described below.
Proposed Approach
Key elements of the proposed approach are detailed in Table 1:
TABLE 1
Proposed Approach to Restoring Community Use at Bell Street Park Element Rationale
Lead Organization City of East Palo Alto
Partners County of San Mateo and designated homeless service providers including Project WeHOPE
Target Date May 23, 2022
Housing Assistance All residents of the Bell Street Park encampment will be offered a type of housing subsidy
Storage of Personal
Property
City will coordinate efforts to store any personal
property left at Bell Street Park
Debris Removal City will be responsible for providing the necessary 1 Had the City dismantled the encampment at Bell Street Park back in June of 2021, none of the outcomes above would have been realized.
tools and ensuring that all debris at the park is removed on or before May 23, 2022
Next Steps
If the City Council is supportive of the proposed approach, City staff will immediately work with the County and service providers to begin notifying the unhoused at Bell Street Park about 1) the housing subsidies that are available to them, and 2) the park use transition that is planned for May 23, 2022. In addition, staff will begin preparing the detailed plan to ensure that the Bell Street Park clean-up/transition activities are managed appropriately.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with this staff report.
Public Notice
The public was provided notice by making the agenda and report available on the City’s website and at the San Mateo Co. Library located at 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto.
Environmental
The action being considered does not constitute a “Project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378 (b)(5), in that it is a government administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.