Agenda packet, first session — Fremont City Council, May 21, 2024

City Council Chambers
3300 Capitol Avenue
Fremont, CA

Fremont City Council

Lily Mei, Mayor
Yang Shao, Vice Mayor
Teresa Keng, District 1
Desrie Campbell, District 2
Jenny Kassan, District 3
Raj Salwan, District 5
Teresa Cox, District 6

City Staff

Karena Shackelford, City Manager
Rafael Alvarado, Jr., City Attorney
Christina Briggs, Assistant City Manager
Brian Stott, Assistant City Manager
Allen DeMers, Deputy City Manager

Kim Beranek, Community Services Director
Geneva Bosques, Communications and
Legislative Affairs Director
LaShawn Butler, Interim Maintenance
Operations Director
Zoraida Diaz, Fire Chief
Tina Gallegos, Human Resources Director
Susan Gauthier, City Clerk
Hans Larsen, Public Works Director
Donovan Lazaro, Economic Development Director
David Persselin, Finance Director
Dan Schoenholz, Community Dev. Director
Suzanne Shenfil, Human Services Director
Sanford Taylor, Information Technology Director
Sean Washington, Chief of Police
Fremont City Council Agenda and
Report
May 21, 2024

General Order of Business

1. Preliminary
• Call to Order
• Salute to the Flag
• Roll Call
• Announcements-Mayor and/or City Manager
• Report Out of Closed Session (if applicable)

2. Consent Calendar

3. Ceremonial Items

4. Public Communications

5. Scheduled Items
• Public Hearings
• Appeals
• Reports from Commissions, Boards and
Committees

6. Other Business

7. Items Referred by Councilmembers
• Council Referrals
• Appointments to Boards, Commissions,
Committees
• Legislative Actions
• Report on Committee Assignments

8. Adjournment

Order of Discussion
Generally, the order of discussion after introduction of an item by the Mayor will include comments and
information by staff followed by City Council questions and inquiries. The applicant, or their authorized
representative, or interested citizens, may they speak
on the item; each speaker may only speak once to each
item. At the close of public discussion, the item will be considered by the City Council and action taken. Items
on the agenda may be moved from the order listed.

Consent Calendar
Items on the Consent Calendar are considered to be
routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one
motion and one vote. There will be no separate
discussion of these items unless a Councilmember or
citizen so requests, in which case the item will be
removed from the Consent Calendar and considered
separately. Additionally, other items without a “Request to Speak – Speaker Card” card in opposition may be
added to the consent calendar. The City Attorney will
read the title of ordinances to be adopted.

Spoken Public Communications and/or
Public Comment is limited to speakers
attending the meeting in-person in
City Council Chambers.

Agenda and Report - Fremont City Council Meeting - May 21, 2024

May 21, 2024 Fremont City Council Page 2
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

The live stream of the meeting may be viewed on the City of Fremont’s website at www.Fremont.gov/Channel27, which provides a link to the live stream; or, via Comcast Channel 27.

Please note at this time, Channel 27 is only available to Comcast cable subscribers. The public may also view the meeting via Zoom, or attend in-person in the Council Chamber. The lobby doors open approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. The public is strongly encouraged but not required to wear masks.

Attending May 21, 2024 City Council meeting online via Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/s/87060467868 Meeting ID: 870 6046 7868

Addressing the Council

Spoken Public Communications / Public Comment is limited to persons attending the Council Meeting in the City Council Chambers.

How to submit Public Communications / Public Comment by email prior to the meeting:

Send an email to [email protected] by 4:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Please identify the agenda item number & letter, and meeting date in the subject line of your email or specify that it is not related to an agenda item. Emails will be compiled into files by agenda item number/letter, distributed to the City Council and staff, and published in the City's Agenda Center on www.fremont.gov. If you wish to share an attachment/exhibit, submit the pdf formatted document(s) to the email above by the noted deadline.

Electronic comments on agenda items for the City Council meeting may only be submitted by email. Comments via text and social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) will not be accepted.

How to provide Spoken Public Comment during the meeting for items on the agenda:

Attend meeting in-person in the Council Chamber, fill out a “Request to Speak – Speaker Card” with the agenda item number & letter, and submit to the City Clerk. When the Mayor calls for the item on which you wish to speak, step to the podium to address the City Council. Please limit your remarks on matters related to the agency and to the time limit allotted.

How to provide Spoken Public Comment during the meeting for items not on the agenda (Oral Communications):

Any person desiring to speak on a matter which is not scheduled on this agenda may do so under the Oral Communications section of Public Communications. Attend the meeting in-person in the Council Chamber and submit your speaker card to the City Clerk prior to the commencement of Oral communications. Only those who have submitted cards prior to the beginning of Oral Communications will be permitted to speak. Please be aware the California Government Code prohibits the City Council from taking any immediate action on an item which does not appear on the agenda, unless the item meets stringent statutory requirements. The Mayor may limit the time allotted for public speakers, and each speaker may only address the Council once on each agenda item.

The City Council Agendas may be accessed online: https://www.fremont.gov/government/agenda-center

Availability of Public Records
All disclosable public records relating to an open session item on this agenda that are distributed by the City to all or a majority of the City Council less than 72 hours prior to the meeting will be available for public inspection in specifically labeled binders located in the lobby of Fremont City Hall, 3300 Capitol Avenue during normal business hours, at the time the records are distributed to the City Council.

Information about the City or items scheduled on the Agenda and Report may be referred to:

Address: City Clerk
City of Fremont
3300 Capitol Avenue, Bldg. A
Fremont, California 94538
Telephone: (510) 284-4060

If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable modification or accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, or if you do not have access to email or the internet, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (510) 284-4060 or [email protected] at least two working days prior to the meeting for assistance.

Your interest in the conduct of our City’s business is appreciated.

May 21, 2024 Fremont City Council Page 3
Agenda
Fremont City Council Regular Meeting
May 21, 2024
City Council Chambers, 3300 Capitol Avenue, Building A
7:00 PM

1. Preliminary
A. Call to Order
B. Salute the Flag
C. Roll Call
D. Announcements-Mayor and/or City Manager
E. Report Out of Closed Session (if applicable)

2. Consent Calendar
Items on the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion and one vote. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Councilmember or citizen so requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Calendar and considered separately. Additionally, other items without a “Request to Address Council” card in opposition may be added to the consent calendar. The City Attorney will read the title of ordinances to be adopted.

A. Motion To: Waive Further Reading of Proposed Ordinances (This permits reading the title only in lieu of reciting the entire text.) B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – for the Regular Meeting of May 7, 2024 and the Regular Meeting of May 14, 2024
Contact Persons:

Name: Susan Gauthier
Title: City Clerk
Dept: City Clerk's Office
Phone: 510-284-4076
E-Mail: [email protected]

RECOMMENDATION: Approve minutes.

C. CENTERVILLE COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT - Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Park Engineering, Inc., in the Amount of $1,170,000 (Including 20% Contingency), for Construction Management Services for the Centerville Complete Streets Project (PWC8946); and Make Findings of CEQA Exemption.

Contact Persons:

Name: Jeanne Suyeishi Hans Larsen
Title: Principal Civil Engineer Public Works Director
Dept: Public Works Public Works
Phone: 510-494-4728 510-494-4722
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

May 21, 2024 Fremont City Council Page 4
RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the following actions related to the Centerville Complete Streets Project (PWC8946):

1. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Park Engineering, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $1,170,000 for construction management services.

2. Find that the actions are exempt from environmental review as a separate and independent base for CEQA compliance, under CEQA Guidelines, Section 15378 (administrative and funding activity not a “project” under CEQA) and Section 15061 (no possibility the activity may have significant effect on the environment).

D. PURCHASE OF MOBILE DATA COMPUTERS - Authorize the City Manager, or her Designee, to Issue a Purchase Order with Stommel Inc, dba LEHR in the amount not to exceed $714,727.23 for the Purchase of Panasonic Mobile Data Computers and to Execute Any Implementing Documents and Take Any Implementing Actions as Necessary.

Contact Persons:

Name: Matthew Snelson Calvin Tang
Title: Police Captain Police Lieutenant
Dept: Police Department Community Policing
Phone: 510-790-6874 510-790-6875
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to issue a purchase order to Stommel Inc, dba LEHR in the amount not-to-exceed $714,727.23 (including applicable sales tax and shipping charges) for the purchase of Panasonic mobile data computers, printers, and accessories and to execute any implementing documents and take any implementing actions as necessary.

E. CITY BACKUP AND RECOVERY SOLUTION - Authorize the City Manager, or her Designee, to Issue a Purchase Order to Eplus Technology, Inc., in the amount of $236,743.06 for the Purchase of an additional Appliance for the Rubrik Enterprise Backup and Recovery Solution.

Contact Persons:

Name: Jeremy Huynh Sanford Taylor
Title: Management Analyst II IT Director
Dept: Information Technology
Services
Information Technology Services
Phone: (510) 494-4847 510-494-4802
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

RECOMMENDATIONS: Authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to issue a purchase order to Eplus Technology, Inc. in the amount of $236,743.06 (including applicable sales tax and shipping charges) for the purchase of an additional appliance for the Rubrik Enterprise Backup and Recovery Solution and to execute any implementing documents and take any implementing actions as necessary.

F. PURCHASE OF A PIERCE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS VEHICLE - Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Purchase Order and Utilize the Sourcewell Contract with Golden State Fire Apparatus to Purchase a Pierce Hazardous Materials Vehicle
Contact Persons:

Name: Corina Campbell Heather Mozdean
Title: Business Manager Deputy Fire Chief
Dept: Fire Department Fire Department
Phone: 510-494-4200 (510) 494-4200
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]
May 21, 2024 Fremont City Council Page 5

RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the City Manager or designee to issue a purchase order to Golden State Fire Apparatus for a Pierce Hazardous Materials Vehicle in a total amount not to exceed $1,778,567 using the terms of the Sourcewell contract to be paid through the Fire Capital Replacement Fund (Fund 615).

G. FREMONT BOULEVARD MULTIMODAL IMPROVEMENTS - Accept and Appropriate Grant Funds from the Safe Routes to BART Program in the Amount of $3,000,000 for the Fremont Boulevard Elevated Bikeway Project (PWC9100-B) Located in the Downtown Fremont Area; Make Finding of CEQA Exemption
Contact Persons:

Name: Lilian Ayala Hans Larsen
Title: Senior Transportation
Engineer
Public Works Director
Dept: Public Works Public Works
Phone: (510) 494-4766 510-494-4722
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the following actions related to the Fremont Boulevard Elevated Bikeway Project (PWC9100-B):

1. Authorize the City Manager or designee to accept the SR2B grant and to execute any associated grant agreements or documents.

2. Appropriate $3,000,000 in SR2B grant funds to PWC9100-571 (Fremont Boulevard Elevated Bikeway Project).

3. Find the action is exempt from CEQA review per CEQA Guidelines, section 15061 9(b)(3).

H. PURCHASE OF TWO UTILITY TERRAIN VEHICLES - Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Purchase Order and Utilize the Sourcewell Contract with Polaris Sales Inc. to Purchase two Polaris Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTV)
Contact Persons:

Name: Corina Campbell Heather Mozdean
Title: Business Manager Deputy Fire Chief
Dept: Fire Department Fire Department
Phone: 510-494-4200 (510) 494-4200
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

RECOMMENDATION: Authorize the City Manager or her designee to issue a purchase order to Polaris Sales for two UTV’s in a total amount not to exceed $111,057 using the terms of the Sourcewell contract to be paid through the Fire Capital Replacement Fund (Fund 615).

May 21, 2024 Fremont City Council Page 6

3. Ceremonial Items
A. Certificate of Recognition: League of Women Voters – Youth Vote Movement

4. Public Communications
A. Oral and Written Communications
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY - None.

PUBLIC FINANCING AUTHORITY - None.

CONSIDERATION OF ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT CALENDAR

5. Scheduled Items - None.

6. Other Business
A. UNION SANITARY DISTRICT UPDATE
Union Sanitary District (USD) general update to Council including highlights of current initiatives.

Presentation by USD General Manager Paul Eldredge
B. HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE STRATEGIC PLAN - Presentation and Recommended Adoption of a Draft 5 Year Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness in Fremont
Contact Persons:

Name: Laurie Flores Allen DeMers
Title: Homeless Services Manager Deputy City Manager
Dept: City Manager's Office City Manager's Office
Phone: 510-574-2040 510-494-4651
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

RECOMMENDATION: Receive the report and adopt this Citywide Homelessness Response Plan.

7. Items Referred by Councilmembers
A. Councilmember Referrals - None.

B. Appointments to Boards, Commissions, Committees - None.

C. Legislative Actions - None.

D. Report on Committee Assignments

8. Adjournment
May 21, 2024 Fremont City Council Page 7

ACRONYMS

ABAG Association of Bay Area Governments GIS Geographic Information System ACE Altamont Commuter Express GPA General Plan Amendment ACFCD Alameda County Flood Control District HARB Historical Architectural Review Board ACTC Alameda County Transportation
Commission
HBA Home Builders Association
HRC Human Relations Commission
ACWD Alameda County Water District ICMA International City/County Management Association ARB Art Review Board
BAAQMD

BART
Bay Area Air Quality Management
District
Bay Area Rapid Transit District
JPA Joint Powers Authority
LLMD Lighting and Landscaping Maintenance
District
BCDC Bay Conservation & Development
Commission
LOCC League of California Cities
LOS Level of Service
BMPs Best Management Practices MOU Memorandum of Understanding BMR Below Market Rate MTC Metropolitan Transportation
Commission
CALPERS California Public Employees’ Retirement
System
NEPA
NLC
National Environmental Policy Act
National League of Cities
CBC
CDD
California Building Code
Community Development Department
NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System
CC & R’s Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions NPO Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance CDBG Community Development Block Grant PC Planning Commission CEQA California Environmental Quality Act PD Planned District CERT Community Emergency Response Team PDA Priority Development Area CIP Capital Improvement Program PUC Public Utilities Commission CNG Compressed Natural Gas PVAW Private Vehicle Accessway COF City of Fremont PWC Public Works Contract
COPPS Community Oriented Policing and Public
Safety
RFP Request for Proposals
RFQ Request for Qualifications
CSAC California State Association of Counties RHNA Regional Housing Needs Allocation CTC California Transportation Commission ROP Regional Occupational Program dB Decibel RRIDRO Residential Rent Increase Dispute
Resolution Ordinance DEIR Draft Environmental Impact Report DU/AC Dwelling Units per Acre RWQCB Regional Water Quality Control Board EBRPD East Bay Regional Park District SACNET

Southern Alameda County Narcotics
Enforcement Task Force EDAC Economic Development Advisory Commission (City)
EIR
EIS
Environmental Impact Report (CEQA)
Environmental Impact Statement
STIP State Transportation Improvement
Program

ERAF
(NEPA)
Education Revenue Augmentation Fund
TCRDF Tri-Cities Recycling and Disposal Facility
TOD Transit Oriented Development
EVAW
FAR
Emergency Vehicle Accessway
Floor Area Ratio
TS/MRF Transfer Station/Materials Recovery
Facility
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency UBC See CBC
FFD Fremont Fire Department VTA Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
FMC Fremont Municipal Code WMA Waste Management Authority FPD Fremont Police Department
FRC Family Resource Center ZA Zoning Administrator
FUSD Fremont Unified School District ZTA Zoning Text Amendment

May 21, 2024 Fremont City Council Page 8

UPCOMING MEETING AND CHANNEL 27

BROADCAST SCHEDULE
Date Time Meeting Type Location
Cable
Channel
27 May 21, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council
Chambers Live
May 28, 2024 5:30 p.m. CC/FUSD Liaison Committee
Meeting City Hosts Live
June 4, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council
Chambers Live
June 11, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council
Chambers Live
June 18, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council
Chambers Live
June 25, 2024 5:30 p.m. CC/FUSD Liaison Committee
Meeting FUSD Hosts Live
July 2, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council
Chambers Live
July 9, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council
Chambers Live
July 16, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council
Chambers Live
July 23, 2024 CANCELLED: CC/FUSD
Liaison Committee Meeting
July 30, 2024 No 7PM City Council Meeting
(5th Tuesday)
August Recess Council in Recess until
September
September 3, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council Chambers Live
September 10, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council Chambers Live
September 17, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council Chambers Live
September 24, 2024 5:30 p.m. CC/FUSD Liaison Committee
Meeting City Hosts Live
October 1, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council
Chambers Live
Monday,
October 7, 2024 5:30 p.m. CC/FUSD Joint Meeting FUSD Hosts Live October 8, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council
Chambers Live
October 15, 2024 7:00 p.m. City Council Meeting Council Chambers Live
October 22, 2024 5:30 p.m. CC/FUSD Liaison Committee
Meeting FUSD Hosts Live
October 29, 2024 No 7PM City Council Meeting
(5th Tuesday)

Fremont City Council Meeting: 05/21/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: City Clerk's Office
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Approval of Minutes

SCHEDULED
Sponsors:

COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5179) DOC ID: 5179
Updated: 5/16/2024 7:17 AM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
APPROVAL OF MINUTES – for the Regular Meeting of May 7, 2024 and the Regular Meeting of May 14, 2024
Contact Persons:

Name: Susan Gauthier
Title: City Clerk
Div/Dept: City Clerk's Office
Phone: 510-284-4076
E-Mail: [email protected]

APPROVAL OF MINUTES – for the Regular Meeting of May 7, 2024 and the Regular Meeting of May 14, 2024.

ATTACHMENTS:
• Draft Minutes

RECOMMENDATION: Approve minutes.

2.B
Packet Pg. 9

*Consent Items

Page 1 ends

MINUTES

FREMONT CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MAY 7, 2024

FREMONT CITY HALL AND

VIRTUAL MEETING VIA ZOOM
7:00 P.M.

1. PRELIMINARY

A. Call to Order: Mayor Mei called the mee ting to order at 7:01 p.m.

B. Flag Salute: Councilmember Salwan led the salute to the flag.

C. Roll Call: Present: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox

D. Announcements by Mayor/City Manager

Mayor Mei announced the Boards and Commissions vacancies.

City Manager Shackelford shared information regarding items of Council/community interest.

E. Report Out of Closed Session – None.

2. CONSENT CALENDAR

* A. Waive Reading of Ordinances: The City Attorney read the titles of ordinances to be considered.

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council waived further readings of proposed ordinances.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* B. Mayor Mei opened consideration of Approval of Minutes

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council approved minutes for the Special and Regular Meetings of April 2, 2024, the Regular Meeting of April 9, 2024, and the Regular Meeting of April 16, 2024. This includes a correction to the April 16 minutes, as noted by the City Clerk during the meeting.

2.B.a
Packet Pg. 10
Attachment: Draft Minutes (5179 : Approval of Minutes - 2024-05-07 - 2024-05-14)

*Consent Items

Page 2 ends

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* C. Mayor Mei opened consideration of Approval to Adopt a Reso lution Calling and Consolidating the 2024 November Election

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024-15 that:

1. Calls for the General Municipal Election.

2. Requests the services of the Alameda County Registrar of Voters to conduct the election on behalf of the City of Fremont.

3. Calls for a Special Electi on to be conducted in the case of a tie vote for the elected officers as a result of the November 5, 2024 election.

4. Limits the candidate stateme nt to be published in the Voter Sample Ballot to a maximum of two hundred (200) words and requires a candidate to make a deposit of $3,000 to pay for costs at the time his/her nomination papers are filed.

5. Allows for rebuttals for the a rguments in favor and the arguments in opposition for each ballot measure.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* D. Mayor Mei opened considera tion of Approval to Authorize the City Manager to enter a contract with The Hoffman Agency for Public Relations Services (Renewal of Public Relations/Communications Contract)

This item was removed from the Consent Calendar. Mayor Mei opened the public comment period. The following person commented: Kelly Abreu. There being no additional speakers, Mayor Mei closed the public comment period.

On a motion by Councilmember Cox, seconded by Councilmember Salwan, the City Council authorized the City Manager, or her designee, to execute a contract with The Hoffman Agency for public relations, marketing, written communications and web-site maintenance services at a not-to-exceed amount of $240,840 per year for a three-year term.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

2.B.a
Packet Pg. 11
Attachment: Draft Minutes (5179 : Approval of Minutes - 2024-05-07 - 2024-05-14)

*Consent Items

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* E. Mayor Mei opened consideration of the Annual Review and ad option of a resolution approving the military equipment possessed and utilized by the Fremont Police Department (FPD) for the reporting period of April 2023 to March 2024 and approval of the purchase of two Unmanned Arial Systems (UAS) (Military Equipment Annual Report)

This item was removed from the Consent Calendar. Mayor Mei opened the public comment period. The following person commented: Public Member. There being no additional speakers, Mayor Mei closed the public comment period.

On a motion by Councilmember Cox, seconded by Councilmember Keng, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024-16 approving the Military Equipment Use Policy, Department April 2023 to March 2024 Annual Military Equipment Use Report, and purchase of UAS (aka drones).

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* F. Mayor Mei opened consideration of Approval to Adopt a Reso lution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a FY 2024/25 Contract with the California Department on Aging to Provide Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP) and Making Findings of CEQA Exemption

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council:
adopted Resolution No. 2024-17 authorizing the City Manager or her designee to execute the contract MS-2425-37 with the California Department on Aging to provide MSSP services for FY 2024/25 in an amount not to exceed $546,312.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* G. Mayor Mei opened considera tion of Approval to Authorize the City Manager, or her Designee, to Issue a Purchase Order and to Execute Implementing Documents with ePlus Technology, Inc., for the Annual Software Licenses of the Crowdstrike Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Solution.

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council:

1. Authorized the City Manager, or her designee, to issue a purchase order and to execute implementing documents with ePlus Technology, Inc., for the Annual Software Licenses

2.B.a
Packet Pg. 12
Attachment: Draft Minutes (5179 : Approval of Minutes - 2024-05-07 - 2024-05-14)

*Consent Items

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of the Crowdstrike Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Solution in the amount not- to-exceed $115,692.73.

2. Authorized the City Manager or her designee to renew the Annual Software Licenses of the Crowdstrike Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Solution for two additional one-year periods in an amount not to exceed a five percent (5%) increase over the prior year’s costs.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* H. Mayor Mei opened consideration of Approval for Authorizati on to Execute a Fourth Amendment to a Master Service Contract with Alameda County Probation Department (ACPD) for Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) Grant Funded Programs Supporting At-Risk Youth and Families, through December 31, 2024; and a Second Amendment to a Subcontract with Seneca Family of Agencies (Seneca), and Make Findings of CEQA Exemption.

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council:

1. Authorized the City Manager or her designee to execute a fourth amendment with ACPD for the additional amount of $55,479, increasing the total not to exceed amount from $341,700 to $397,179, for the City to continue to provide youth groups and parenting programs.

2. Authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute a second amendment to a sub- contract with Seneca, for the additional amount of $36,451, increasing the not-to-exceed amount to $191,449.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* I. Mayor Mei opened considera tion of Approval to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Amendment to Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank and Warehouse Flooring and Door Replacement Project Agreement and Making Findings of CEQA Exemption (Federal CDBG Agreement Amendment)

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council authorized the City Manager or her designee to execute a $235,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) amendment with Tri-City Volunteers to support its Food Bank and Warehouse Flooring and Door Replacement project, for a new Agreement total not to exceed $507,000.

2.B.a
Packet Pg. 13
Attachment: Draft Minutes (5179 : Approval of Minutes - 2024-05-07 - 2024-05-14)

*Consent Items

Page 5 ends

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* J. Mayor Mei opened consideration of Approval for Authorizati on to Execute a Service Agreement with PestMaster Services, L.P. for Pest Control Services at City Owned Buildings in the Amount Up to $375,000 for a Five-Year Period; Make Findings of CEQA Exemptions

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council authorized the City Manager or designee to execute a Service Agreement with PestMaster Service L.P. to provide Professional Pest Control Services for a five-year term from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029, with a total not to exceed compensation amount of $375,000.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* K. Mayor Mei opened consideration to Adopt a Resolution Autho rizing Fiscal Year 2024/2025 Application for Transportation Development Act Article 3 (TDA3) Grant Funds and Acceptance of $405,771 in TDA3 Funds for the 2024 Pedestrian Crossing Enhancement Project (PWC9078); Appropriation of Funds; and Make Findings of CEQA Exemption

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council:

1. Adopted Resolution No. 2024-18 a uthorizing the City Manager, or her designee, (a) to apply for Transportation Development Act Article 3 (TDA3) Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Funds in the amount of $405,771 for the 2024 Pedestrian Crossing Enhancement Project; and (b) to accept any awarded grant funds for the Project and to execute any necessary implementing documents.

2. Appropriated any TDA3 grant f unds received to the 2024 Pedestrian Crossing Enhancement Project (PWC9078-521).

3. Found the action is exempt from CEQA review per CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061 9(b)(3) as it can be seen with certainty that application for grant funding is not an activity that in itself has the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

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3. CEREMONIAL ITEMS

A. Proclamation: National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Da y, May 9, 2024

B. Proclamation: Asian American , Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

C. Proclamation: Affordable Housing Month

D. Proclamation: Fremont Bike Month

E. Proclamation: Jewish Heritage Month

4. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS

A. Oral and Written Communications

Communications submitted to the City Clerk were compiled, distributed to the City Council and staff, and published in the City's Agenda Center on fremont.gov, and were placed on file.

The following people commented: April V. Lampkin (Delta Sigma Theta Sorority), Jason Chiu, Golden Shao, and Salim Mastan.

5. SCHEDULED ITEMS

A. Mayor Mei opened consideration of a Public Hearing (Publish ed Notice) to Consider an Amendment to Master Fee Resolution 8672 (Master Fee Schedule) to Update Building and Planning User Fees to Reflect Updated Hourly Costs, Address Recent State Law Changes for Certain Fees, Establish New Fees for New Services, and Simplify Fee Descriptions and Methodology. The Proposed Action is Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per CEQA Guidelines 15378 and 15061(b)(3)

Community Development Business Manager Jennifer Craven shared a presentation. Staff responded to questions from Councilmembers. Mayor Mei opened the public hearing. There being no speakers, Mayor Mei closed the public hearing. Councilmembers provided comment.

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2024-19 approving an amendment to Master Fee Resolution 8672 (Master Fee Schedule) as drafted.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

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B. Mayor Mei opened consideration of a Public Hearing (Publish ed Notice) on the Use of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-26 Federal Community Development Block Grant and Emergency Solutions Grant Funds, and FY 2019/20 Federal CARES Act Funds; Adoption of a Resolution Approving the FY 2024/25 Annual Action Plan, Amending the FY 2019/20 Action Plan; and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute Agreements with the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development and Grantees and Making Findings of CEQA Exemption (Federal Action Plans)

CDBG Administrator Robert Lopez and Human Services Director Suzanne Shenfil responded to questions from Councilmembers. Mayor Mei opened the public hearing. There being no speakers, Mayor Mei closed the public hearing. Councilmembers provided comment.

On a motion by Councilmember Cox, seconded by Councilmember Keng, the City Council:

1. Held a public hearing on the proposed FY 2024-26 Federal Funding Program Final Statement of Community Development Objectives and projected Use of Funds and FY 2024/25 Action Plan.

2. Allocate CDBG funds for FY 2024/25 and FY 2025/26 in the amo unts stated herein, and contingent upon adoption of the FY 2024/25 budget by the City Council.

3. Allocate ESG funds for FY 2024/25 in the amounts stated herein, and contingent upon adoption of the FY 2024/25 budget by the City Council.

4. As required by CDBG regulati ons, approve the reallocation of $561,329 in CDBG CARES Act funding to the following projects:
a. $512,344 for Homeless Non-Congregate Shelter
b. $48,985 for BACS Wellness Day Center Hygiene and Dignity Services

5. Authorize staff to:
a. Allocate additional funds to public service projects should the City receive additional program income in FY 2024/25 or a greater entitlement in FY 2025/26 b. Reserve unallocated funds to provide gap funding or fund projects that meet emerging needs.

6. Adopted Resolution No. 2024- 20 and Resolution No. 2024-21:
a. Amending the City’s FY 2019/20 CDBG Action Plan as recommended by staff in the amounts stated herein.
b. Approving and authorizing the City Manager or her designee to submit the FY 2024- 26 CDBG Program Final Statement of Community Development Objectives and Projected Use of Funds, and the City’s CDBG FY 2024-25 Annual Action Plan, as recommended by staff in the amounts stated herein.
c. Authorizing the City Manager or her designee to execute CDBG and ESG Entitlement and funding agreements with HUD.
d. Authorizing the City Manager or her designee to execute agreements effective July 1, 2024, with the grantees recommended for funding by staff in the amounts set forth herein, contingent upon a finding of no significant impact in the corresponding environmental assessments and completion of the required public comment period. e. Making findings of CEQA exemption.

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Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

6. OTHER BUSINESS – None.

7. ITEMS REFERRED B Y COUNCILMEMBERS

A. Council Referrals – None.

B. Appointments to Boards, Commissions, Committees – None.

C. Legislative Actions – None.

D. Report on Committee Assignments

Councilmembers reported on their various meetings.

8. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, Mayor Mei adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m.

A t t e s t : A p p r o v e d :

_____________________________ ___________________________ S u s a n G a u t h i e r , C i t y C l e r k L I L Y M E I , M a y o r

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MINUTES

FREMONT CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MAY 14, 2024

FREMONT CITY HALL AND

VIRTUAL MEETING VIA ZOOM
7:00 P.M.

TELECONFERENCE NOTICE

Pursuant to Government Code Section 54953(b), the following meeting will include teleconference participation by Councilmember Kassan from:

Bay Club Hotel
Quarter Deck Room
2131 Shelter Island Drive
San Diego, CA 92106

1. PRELIMINARY

A. Call to Order: Mayor Mei called the mee ting to order at 7:00 p.m.

B. Flag Salute: Vice Mayor Shao led the salute to the flag.

C. Roll Call: Present: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox

D. Announcements by Mayor/City Manager

Mayor Mei announced the Boards and Commissions vacancies.

City Manager Shackelford introduced colleagues.

E. Report Out of Closed Session – None.

2. CONSENT CALENDAR

* A. Waive Reading of Ordinances: The City Attorney read the titles of ordinances to be considered.

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council waived further readings of proposed ordinances.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

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* B. Approval of Minutes – None.

* C. Mayor Mei opened considera tion of Approval to Authorize the City Manager, or her Designee, to Enter into Agreements with ECS Imaging, Inc. for Implementation Services and Software Licenses and Maintenance and Support of the LaserFiche Software System. (Replacement Software for the City’s Document Management System (Cimage/DM Desktop))

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council:

1. Authorized the City Manager or her designee to execute an Agreement with ECS in the amount of $151,419 to provide implementation and professional services, and Year 1 of ongoing annual maintenance and support for the Document Management Software System, LaserFiche.

2. Authorized the City Manager or her designee to execute a Maintenance and Support Agreement with ECS for the LaserFiche Software System, in an amount not to exceed $54,789.50. This amount includes subscription costs in the amount of $26,973.75 for Year 2; and $27,815.75 for Year 3. These amounts include the maximum annual 3% escalator.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* D. Mayor Mei opened consideration of Approval of Plans and Sp ecifications; Award of Contract to VSS International, Inc. in the Amount of $5,767,000 (Including 5% Contingency) for the 2024 Cape and Slurry Seal Project (PWC8195-W2); Appropriation Actions; Make Findings of CEQA Exemption.

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council approved the following actions related to the 2024 Cape and Slurry Seal Project (PWC8195-W2):

1. Approve the plans and specifications for the project.

2. Accept the bid and award the construction contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, VSS International, Inc. in the amount of $5,493,000, allocate a 5% construction contingency in the amount of $274,000 for a total construction contract amount of $5,767,000, and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute the contract.

3. Appropriate unallocated fund balance in ACTC Fund 515 ($325,000) to PWC8195.

4. Appropriate unallocated fund balance in ACTC Fund 520 ($75,000) to PWC8195.

5. Reallocate $80,000 from PWC9037-531 to PWC8195-531.

6. Find this project is exempt from CEQA review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301 as the repair, maintenance or minor alteration of existing facilities involving no or negligible expansion of the use beyond that presently existing.

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Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* E. Mayor Mei opened consideration of Transmittal and Acceptan ce of Fiscal Year 2022/23 Audit Reports

On a motion by Councilmember Cox, seconded by Councilmember Campbell, the City Council received financial audit reports for Fiscal Year 2022/23 and filed.

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

* F. Mayor Mei opened consideration of Authorization to Receive Federal Grant Funds and Reallocate Local Matching Funds for Design Work Related to the “East Bay Greenway:

Irvington to Fremont BART” Project (PWC9101) for a Combined Total Funding Amount of $320,000; Appropriation Actions; Make Findings of CEQA Exemption

On a motion by Councilmember Salwan, seconded by Councilmember Cox, the City Council approved the following actions related to the East Bay Greenway: Irvington to Fremont BART Project (PWC9101):

1. Recognized and appropriate $37,449 in federal funds to PWC9101-522.

2. Reallocate $282,551 from PWC9041-515 to PWC9101-515.

3. Find that the actions are exempt from environmental review as a separate and independent base for CEQA compliance, under CEQA Guidelines, Section 15378 (administrative and funding activity not a “project” under CEQA) and Section 15061 (no possibility the activity may have significant effect on the environment).

Ayes: Mayor Mei, Vice Mayor Shao, Councilmembers: Keng, Campbell, Kassan, Salwan, and Cox
Noes: None

Absent: None
Abstain: None

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3. CEREMONIAL ITEMS

A. Proclamation: Arbor Day, May 14, 2024

4. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS

A. Oral and Written Communications

Communications submitted to the City Clerk were compiled, distributed to the City Council and staff, and published in the City's Agenda Center on fremont.gov, and were placed on file.

The following person commented: Allen Clark Pierce (Music Hall Freeing Towns, non-profit).

5. SCHEDULED ITEMS – None.

6. OTHER BUSINESS

A. Mayor Mei opened consideration of a Presentation of Fiscal Year 2024/25 Proposed Operating Budget for the City of Fremont

Finance Director David Persselin shared a presentation and responded to questions from Councilmembers. Mayor Mei opened the public comment period. The following person commented: Kelly Abreu. There being no additional speakers, Mayor Mei closed the public comment period. Finance Director David Persselin responded to additional questions from Councilmembers.

The City Council accepted the budget presentation and provided comments.

7. ITEMS REFERRED B Y COUNCILMEMBERS

A. Council Referrals – None.

B. Appointments to Boards, Commissions, Committees – None.

C. Legislative Actions – None.

D. Report on Committee Assignments

Councilmembers reported on their various meetings.

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8. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, Mayor Mei adjourned the meeting at 9:00 p.m.

A t t e s t : A p p r o v e d :

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Attachment: Draft Minutes (5179 : Approval of Minutes - 2024-05-07 - 2024-05-14) Fremont City Council Meeting: 05/21/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Public Works
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts

SCHEDULED
Sponsors:

COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5162) DOC ID: 5162
Updated: 5/16/2024 7:15 AM by Dina Lewis Page 1
CENTERVILLE COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT - Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Park Engineering, Inc., in the Amount of $1,170,000 (Including 20% Contingency), for Construction Management Services for the Centerville Complete Streets Project (PWC8946); and Make Findings of CEQA Exemption.

Contact Persons:

Name: Jeanne Suyeishi Hans Larsen
Title: Principal Civil Engineer Public Works Director
Div/Dept: Public Works Public Works
Phone: 510-494-4728 510-494-4722
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to facilitate the construction and construction management of the Centerville Complete Streets project.

BACKGROUND: The Centerville Complete Streets project is located along portions of Thornton Avenue (between San Pedro Drive and Fremont Boulevard), Fremont Boulevard (between Alder Avenue and Mattos Drive), and Peralta Boulevard (between Fremont Boulevard and Sequoia Road.) The scope of the project was approved by the City Council on February 8, 2022, following an extensive community engagement process which began in December 2019. The project has received a grant of federal funding by Caltrans in the amount of $7.7 million, an Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Grant in the amount of $2.8 million, and an Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) grant in the amount of $2.0 million. The weblink below provides information on the project scope, history, and status.

The design of the Centerville Complete Streets Project is near completion and the project will soon be moving into the construction phase. Construction is estimated to take approximately twelve months. Prior to initiation of the construction phase, staff recommends engaging a construction management (CM) firm to establish processes and procedures for administering the construction program, to assist the City in pre-bid and pre- award processes, and to provide a secondary constructability review and cost estimate of the project to improve the accuracy of construction documents, thereby reducing change orders during construction. During the construction phase, the CM firm will provide comprehensive construction administration, management, and inspection services and provide documentation in conformance with federal funding requirements.

DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: On February 1, 2024, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for CM services for the Centerville Complete Streets Project. Four proposals were received on February 27, 2024, from the following firms, listed alphabetically: Associated Engineering Consultants, Inc., Consor PMCM, Inc., MNS Engineers Inc., and Park Engineering, Inc. The proposals were evaluated by a selection panel comprised of City staff based on criteria that included completeness of response, qualifications & experience, organization & approach, scope of services to be provided, schedule of work, local presence, and references. Interviews were conducted on April 12, 2024, with three firms, Consor

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PMCM, Inc., MNS Engineers Inc., and Park Engineering, Inc. The consultant team led by Park Engineering, Inc. was selected as the top-ranked firm based on their proposal, interview presentation and responses to panel questions.

FISCAL IMPACT: The consultant fee for the construction management of the Centerville Complete Streets Project is $975,000 with an additional $195,000 of contingency for a total fee amount of $1,170,000. There are sufficient funds in the adopted capital budget to award the construction management consultant contract for the Centerville Complete Streets Project (PWC8946).

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Environmental review is not required because award of this agreement is not a project within the meaning of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 (b)(3) and 15378(b) as it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that award of the contract will have a significant effect on the environment and the award is an administrative activity that will not result in an effect on the physical environment.

Environmental review for the project was performed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). A Categorical Exclusion (CE) with technical studies was prepared, and on July 11, 2022, the State determined that the project does not individually or cumulatively have a significant impact on the environment as defined by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and is excluded from the requirements to prepare an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement.

ATTACHMENTS: None.

WEBLINK: https://www.fremont.gov/government/departments/public-works/public-works- projects/centerville-complete-streets

RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the following actions related to the Centerville Complete Streets Project (PWC8946):

1. Authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Park Engineering, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $1,170,000 for construction management services.

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Fremont City Council Meeting: 05/21/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Police Department
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts

SCHEDULED
Sponsors:

COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5156) DOC ID: 5156
Updated: 5/16/2024 3:39 PM by Dina Lewis Page 1
PURCHASE OF MOBILE DATA COMPUTERS - Authorize the City Manager, or her Designee, to Issue a Purchase Order with Stommel Inc, dba LEHR in the amount not to exceed $714,727.23 for the Purchase of Panasonic Mobile Data Computers and to Execute Any Implementing Documents and Take Any Implementing Actions as Necessary.

Contact Persons:

Name: Matthew Snelson Calvin Tang
Title: Police Captain Police Lieutenant
Div/Dept: Police Department Police Department
Phone: 510-790-6874 510-790-6875
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

Executive Summary: The purpose of this staff report is to recommend that the City Council authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to issue a purchase order to Stommel Inc, dba LEHR in an amount not to exceed $714,727.23 (including applicable sales tax and shipping charges) for the purchase of Panasonic mobile data computers, printers, and accessories, and to execute any implementing documents and take any implementing actions as necessary.

BACKGROUND: Mobile Data Computers (MDCs) have been in use at the Fremont Police Department since 1990. These computers affixed to the interior of patrol vehicles provide high-speed digital communications between field units, the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, and the Records Management System (RMS). Field units rely on the police radio in conjunction with an MDC to be dispatched to calls for service. Through our CAD system, communication dispatchers relay critical information related to potential hazards, any previous calls for service, or if individuals known to the area are considered wanted.

The development of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and mapping systems integrated with CAD allow MDCs to work as a local atlas. Software integrated within the MDC allows personnel to author police reports and review evidence in the field. This convenience allows field personnel to remain available throughout the City without the need to return to the Police Department.

The Fremont Police Department is taking an active role in digitizing forms associated with patrol operations. The ability for personnel to complete forms electronically speeds the processing of citations, reports, and evidence. On-board printers create an option for personnel to print documents when needed by a victim, offender, or a medical/holding facility, and serve as a safeguard for field personnel.

The existing Panasonic CF-33 MDCs and CF-20 tablets, which are on board Fremont Police patrol vehicles, community service officer vehicles and traffic motorcycles have reached the end of their lifespan. The in-vehicle MDCs have been upgraded on a five-year cycle, but the manufacturer of the equipment only provides a five-year warranty.

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DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The new Panasonic CF-33 MK3 MDCs and FZ-G2 tablets are equipped with faster computer processors, faster memory, and larger hard drives. Intel Corei5 and Core i7 processors excel at multitasking and processes which call for demanding workloads. Both options were added to accommodate the growing needs of the police officers in the field. During the normal course of duty, personnel operate a series of software, to include among others: CAD, report writing software, and an AXON fleet camera (license plate readers).

Currently, the Police Department’s Traffic Unit utilizes the Panasonic CF-20 tablet. They are smaller versions of the CF-33 MDC and can be secured inside the back of a police motorcycle. Traffic officers have access to the same programs and databases made available to patrol officers. Panasonic no longer manufactures the CF-20, but replaced it with a new model, the Panasonic G2. Like the CF-20, its specifications are similar to a CF-

33. In addition to the MDCs and tablets, the recommended purchase includes the Brother PocketJet8 printer which is compact and ideal for the limited interior space within patrol vehicles. The PocketJet8 printer is compatible with the Panasonic MDCs and is easy to operate.

Based on the compatibility, continuity of use and past positive experience with the existing Panasonic MDCs, staff is recommending the authorization to purchase the desired equipment and warranty through a cooperative purchasing agreement.

Use of Another Agency’s Contract Terms

Pursuant to the City’s Purchasing Ordinance, Section 3.20.310(b), the City is authorized to “piggyback” and enter into a contract to buy equipment or services based on the terms of an existing contract between the contractor and another public agency without competitive bidding. To qualify, the terms of purchase in the City’s proposed contract must be materially the same as those of the existing contract, and the contract must have resulted from procurement methods similar to those required by the Purchasing Ordinance.

The Cooperative Purchasing Program NASPO ValuePoint is a national cooperative procurement program offering its member agencies access to publicly solicited contracts. As a member of NASPO ValuePoint, the City has the opportunity to realize cost savings by utilizing existing NASPO ValuePoint contracts.

Pursuant to a public solicitation in 2020, NASPO ValuePoint entered into a contract with Panasonic Connect North America for the purchase of computers, tablets, and other products. The solicitation method meets the requirements of the City’s Purchasing Ordinance and the terms of purchase in the recommended City contract with Panasonic Connect North America are materially the same as those of the contract with NASPO ValuePoint. As specified in the Purchasing Ordinance, the Finance Director and the City Manager have approved the proposed use of the NASPO ValuePoint contract with Panasonic Connect North America.

The recommended purchase order is with Stommel Inc, dba LEHR, as Panasonic has authorized LEHR to sell and deploy its equipment purchased through the NASPO ValuePoint

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contract. The total not-to-exceed amount for the purchase of 101 MDCs, 101 printers, 14 tablets, and hardware is $714,727.23, including a 5-year warranty and applicable sales tax.

FISCAL IMPACT: Funds for this purchase have been appropriated in the Information Technology Services Capital Replacement Fund (Fund 625) and in the Police CAD/RMS Systems Replacement Project (PWC 9017-501) in the Capital Improvements Fund (Fund 501).

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:

The purchase of computer hardware and software maintenance services is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(3) in that the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.

Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.

ATTACHMENTS: None.

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Fremont City Council Meeting: 05/21/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Information Technology Services Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts

SCHEDULED
Sponsors:

COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5159) DOC ID: 5159
Updated: 5/16/2024 3:19 PM by Susan Gauthier Page 1
CITY BACKUP AND RECOVERY SOLUTION - Authorize the City Manager, or her Designee, to Issue a Purchase Order to Eplus Technology, Inc., in the amount of $236,743.06 for the Purchase of an additional Appliance for the Rubrik Enterprise Backup and Recovery Solution.

Contact Persons:

Name: Jeremy Huynh Sanford Taylor
Title: Management Analyst II IT Director
Div/Dept: Information Technology Services Information Technology Services Phone: (510) 494-4847 510-494-4802
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

Executive Summary: The Information Technology Services Department uses the Rubrik Enterprise Backup and Recovery Solution to provide backup and recovery capabilities to the City. As the operational needs for the City have grown over the years, an augmentation to the Rubrik Enterprise Backup and Recovery Solution is necessary. The purchase of an additional appliance for the Rubrik Enterprise Backup Solution is available under the NASPO ValuePoint AR2472 Cooperative Purchasing Master Agreement contract, which the City participates in. The total purchase amount which includes three years of Hardware and Software Support and Maintenance is $236,743.06, exceeding $100,000 and requires City Council approval.

BACKGROUND: Since 2020, the Rubrik Enterprise Backup Solution supports the City’s effort for disaster recovery, archive, protection, and cybersecurity. Over the past few years, backup and recovery demands have increased, and the current Rubrik Enterprise Backup and Recovery Solution capacity is nearly exhausted, requiring an augmentation through the purchase of an additional appliance.

DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The Rubrik Enterprise Backup and Recovery Solution that the City implemented provides backup and recovery capabilities that are aligned with ITS’ Cybersecurity Backup and Recovery Control requirements as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Rubrik’s enterprise backup solution addresses malware and ransomware by building capabilities into the platform for recovering from single files to entire servers. The Rubrik user-interface is easy to use and manage. The City leverages the solution’s Cloud Computing capabilities for disaster recovery, archive and protection. For example, Disaster Recovery features allow the Rubrik appliance to run a limited number of City applications on the appliance itself, as well as exporting applications to the cloud to run applications off-site. With growth in City operational needs over the years, an augmentation to the Rubrik Enterprise Backup and Recovery Solution is necessary. This augmentation will ensure that the City can continue to protect and recover critical data in the event of a catastrophe or cybersecurity breach, as well as ensure business continuity. The purchase of an additional appliance is available under the NASPO ValuePoint AR2472 Cooperative Purchasing Master Agreement contract, in which the City participates. Therefore, the purchase is a cooperative purchase authorized under Fremont Municipal Code section 3.20.310. The ITS Department recommends the purchase of an additional appliance for the Rubrik Enterprise Backup and Recovery Solution, allowing the

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City to continue to protect and recover critical data in the event of a catastrophe or cybersecurity breach.

FISCAL IMPACT: The one-time purchase of an additional appliance for the Rubrik Enterprise Backup and Recovery Solution is $236,743.06, including applicable sales tax and shipping charges. There are sufficient funds appropriated for the hardware, software, implementation services, and three-year support costs in the Information Technology Services Capital Replacement Fund (Fund 625).

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The purchase of computer hardware and software maintenance services is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as defined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(3) in that the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.

ATTACHMENTS: None.

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Fremont City Council Meeting: 05/21/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Fire Department
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Property Acquisitions & Dispositions

SCHEDULED
Sponsors:

COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5160) DOC ID: 5160
Updated: 5/16/2024 7:28 AM by Dina Lewis Page 1
PURCHASE OF A PIERCE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS VEHICLE - Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Purchase Order and Utilize the Sourcewell Contract with Golden State Fire Apparatus to Purchase a Pierce Hazardous Materials Vehicle
Contact Persons:

Name: Corina Campbell Heather Mozdean
Title: Business Manager Deputy Fire Chief
Div/Dept: Fire Department Fire Department
Phone: 510-494-4200 (510) 494-4200
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a purchase order and use the terms of the Cooperative Sourcewell contract with Golden State Fire Apparatus (GSFA) to purchase a Pierce Hazardous Materials Vehicle in a total amount not to exceed $1,778,567.

BACKGROUND: The Fire Department has established a standardized fleet of fire apparatus.

At the organizational level, apparatus with identical operating and performance features allow Fire Department senior staff to take a consistent operational approach to an incident regardless of which company responds. Standardized training/outfitting based on a single equipment type also allows Fleet Maintenance Services to stock a smaller inventory of replacement parts and minimize maintenance costs. These benefits to the City, including both higher performance and lower cost, make compatibility with the existing fleet an overriding procurement consideration.

The replacement schedule for Fire Department apparatus has been established based on service life, reasonable maintenance costs, technology advancement and safe operations.

The Fire Department’s 2002 Hazardous Materials Vehicle has a service life of 20 years.

There is currently an estimated three to four year construction process to build the new vehicle, which means replacement apparatus ordered within the next month would not be available for service until FY2027/28.

DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The Fremont Fire Department deploys a variety of specialized vehicles to meet our response needs. The City of Fremont has a significant amount of industry that utilizes hazardous materials in their operations. In addition, daily hazardous materials are transported throughout our jurisdiction via railroad and highways. Although heavily regulated, these hazardous materials do have the potential for emergency incidents.

In order to respond to hazardous materials incidents, the department currently deploys a hazardous materials unit. The hazmat unit and team were recently recertified by CAL-OES as a Type 2 team. The typing reflects the level of training of the hazmat team members and the required inventory on the hazmat unit.

The current hazmat vehicle was purchased in 2002, and the projected lifespan for a specialized vehicle of this nature is 20 years. The diesel motor in our current vehicle does not meet emission standards and cannot be retrofitted with a new motor. The vehicle also

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requires increased maintenance as the components age. Replacing our current hazmat vehicle with a new Pierce apparatus will provide a modern version of our current unit but with increased reliability and reduced carbon emissions.

Use of Another Agency’s Contract Terms
Pursuant to the City’s Purchasing Ordinance, Section 3.20.310(b), the City is authorized to “piggyback” and enter into a contract to buy equipment or services based on the terms of an existing contract between the contractor and another public agency without competitive bidding. To qualify, the terms of purchase in the City’s proposed contract must be materially the same as those of the existing contract, and the contract must have resulted from procurement methods similar to those required by the Purchasing Ordinance.

The Cooperative Purchasing Program Sourcewell is a national cooperative procurement program offering its member agencies access to publicly solicited contracts. As a member of Sourcewell, the City has the opportunity to realize cost savings by utilizing existing Sourcewell contracts.

Pursuant to a public solicitation in 2021, Sourcewell entered into a contract with Golden State Fire Apparatus (GSFA) for the purchase of fire apparatus, which included Pierce Hazardous Materials Vehicles. The solicitation method meets the requirements of the City’s Purchasing Ordinance and the terms of purchase in the recommended City contract with GSFA are materially the same as those of the GSFA contract with Sourcewell. As specified in the Purchasing Ordinance, the Finance Director and the City Manager have approved the proposed use of the Sourcewell contract with GSFA.

FISCAL IMPACT: The total price quote from GSFA includes a total discount of $90,688 and a prepayment discount of $146,340. The sales/use tax for the purchase of $164,972 will be paid directly by the City to the State of California though a direct use tax payment upon delivery of the apparatus. This direct payment will benefit the City because the total amount of the City’s share of the sales tax will be allocated back to the City, rather than being shared with all Alameda County cities through the countywide sales tax pool. Funding for this project is allocated in the Fire Capital Replacement Fund (Fund 615).

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The actions recommended in this report are not projects subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per CEQA Guideline section 15378(b)(2) as they are administrative activities of government.

ATTACHMENTS: None.

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Fremont City Council Meeting: 05/21/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Public Works
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Grants

SCHEDULED
Sponsors:

COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5169) DOC ID: 5169
Updated: 5/16/2024 7:36 AM by Dina Lewis Page 1
FREMONT BOULEVARD MULTIMODAL IMPROVEMENTS - Accept and
Appropriate Grant Funds from the Safe Routes to BART Program in the Amount of $3,000,000 for the Fremont Boulevard Elevated Bikeway Project (PWC9100-B) Located in the Downtown Fremont Area; Make Finding of CEQA Exemption Contact Persons:

Name: Lilian Ayala Hans Larsen
Title: Senior Transportation Engineer Public Works Director Div/Dept: Public Works Public Works
Phone: (510) 494-4766 510-494-4722
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to facilitate the receipt of grant funding from the Safe Routes to BART (SR2B) program for the construction of multimodal transportation improvements along Fremont Boulevard, located between Country Drive and Walnut Avenue. The Project includes elevating the existing street-level bike lane to the level of the adjacent sidewalk. The Project seeks to improve bicycle and pedestrian connectivity, safety, and comfort within the Fremont BART Transit Priority Area and the Downtown/City Center Priority Development Area. Together with the Walnut Avenue bikeway, the Project will establish enhanced active transportation connections between various Downtown shopping centers, upcoming affordable housing development sites, and the Fremont BART station.

BACKGROUND: The Bicycle Master Plan, Pedestrian Master Plan, City Center Community Plan, and Downtown Community Plan all identify Fremont Boulevard and Walnut Avenue as core components of a high-quality urban bikeway network along major commute corridors in the Downtown Fremont area to encourage residents to use alternative transportation modes to access jobs, housing, schools, retail, regional transit, and other services.

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) administers the SR2B grant program, which utilizes a portion of the 2016 voter approved Measure RR bond funds to fund projects that improve active transportation access to BART stations for current and potential BART riders. The City was successful in securing SR2B funds from the first two programming cycles for the construction of the Walnut Avenue Bikeway Phase II Project, consisting of a new protected intersection at Walnut Avenue and Liberty Street intersection (completed in the Fall of 2023) and the construction of a sidewalk-level bikeway along both sides of Walnut Avenue from Paseo Padre Parkway to Fremont Boulevard (scheduled for construction in Spring 2026). The first phase of the Walnut Avenue Bikeway Project was completed in 2020 and was named one of America’s Best New Bikeways of 2020 by the People for Bikes organization, resulting in a steady increase in bicyclists of all ages and skill levels along the Walnut Avenue corridor.

In October 2023, BART released a call for projects for the third and final programming cycle of the SR2B program. The City of Fremont applied for and was awarded $3 million in funds for the construction of sidewalk-level bikeways along Fremont Boulevard between Country Drive (near Washington High School) and Walnut Avenue.

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DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The Project will expand the enhanced active transportation infrastructure featured along Walnut Avenue to Fremont Boulevard, which will greatly increase the viability, convenience, and comfort for residents and visitors to walk and bike within the Downtown area and to the Fremont BART station. The Project will continue the sidewalk-level bikeway currently along Walnut Avenue to Fremont Boulevard between Walnut Avenue and Country Drive. The Project will also install intersection safety improvements at the Fremont Boulevard and Beacon Avenue intersection. Other Project elements include enhanced bus stops, pavement resurfacing, new pavement striping, storm drain modification, traffic signal upgrades, and landscape beautification to complement the new bikeway and pedestrian improvements along Fremont Boulevard.

The Project strongly supports the region’s equity goal by improving last-mile connections within the Fremont Downtown and City Center areas, which includes a large number of medical, government, social, and family service destinations for disadvantaged residents in the South County region. The Project also provides the appropriate bikeway and pedestrian infrastructure to support various upcoming affordable housing developments in the Downtown area and connect future residents to local schools, social services, commercial centers, grocery stores, regional transit, and recreational destinations.

Project design is scheduled to begin in Summer 2024 with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in Spring 2027.

FISCAL IMPACT: The $3 million in SR2B grant funds will be used to fund the Project construction, and the City is required to provide a minimum of $3,151,000 in matching funds. Project design is fully funded through a prior Measure BB grant that the City secured from the Alameda County Transportation Commission in 2022. The total project cost is estimated to be approximately $8 million, and the City will be working to secure additional grant funding from various federal, State, or regional sources over the next two years to fully fund the project implementation. Additionally, the City receives annual funding from the State and Alameda County Transportation Commission that is dedicated toward bicycle and pedestrian projects, which can be used as matching funds for grants.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Environmental review is not required because the recommended action to receive grant funds is categorically exempt under Section 15061 9(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in that it is not a project which has the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. A separate environmental clearance will be provided for the Fremont Boulevard Elevated Bikeway Project during the project design phase.

ATTACHMENTS: None.

RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the following actions related to the Fremont Boulevard Elevated Bikeway Project (PWC9100-B):

1. Authorize the City Manager or designee to accept the SR2B grant and to execute any associated grant agreements or documents.

2. Appropriate $3,000,000 in SR2B grant funds to PWC9100-571 (Fremont Boulevard Elevated Bikeway Project).

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3. Find the action is exempt from CEQA review per CEQA Guidelines, section 15061 9(b)(3).

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Fremont City Council Meeting: 05/21/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: Fire Department
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Property Acquisitions & Dispositions

SCHEDULED
Sponsors:

COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5170) DOC ID: 5170
Updated: 5/16/2024 7:43 AM by Dina Lewis Page 1
PURCHASE OF TWO UTILITY TERRAIN VEHICLES - Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Purchase Order and Utilize the Sourcewell Contract with Polaris Sales Inc. to Purchase two Polaris Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTV) Contact Persons:

Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to authorize the City Manager or her designee to execute a purchase order and use the terms of the cooperative agreement with Sourcewell to purchase two Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTV) for the Fire Department in the amount of $111,057.

BACKGROUND: Fremont Fire provides emergency response to over 6,500 acres of designated recreational land and often utilizes the UTVs to transport critically ill or injured patients from areas with limited access. The UTVs currently being used have limited capabilities and newer models can provide enhanced responses and service delivery.

DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: The Fremont Fire Department is responsible for large geographic areas that are open to the public for recreation. These areas include local, regional and federal lands: Mission Peak Regional Preserve, Coyote Hills Regional Park, Vargas Plateau Regional Park, Quarry Lakes Regional Park, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Alameda Creek Trails, Fremont Central Park and Fremont Park Golf Club. Access to remote areas within some of these parks is often only accessible with a Utility Vehicle (UTV) especially during the rainy season when trails are too muddy for pickup trucks or fire apparatus to travel.

Currently the Fremont Fire Department utilizes two UTVs that have been modified for EMS/Rescue operations. The UTVs are cross staffed by the crews at their respective stations. These UTVs are underpowered for the steep terrain, and too small for patients, crew, and gear. The UTVs being recommended for purchase have improved suspension, braking, drivetrain and increased weight rating capacities and would be better suited for the response areas. Our current UTVs could then be relocated to fill in the response area gaps in the flatter portions of jurisdiction.

Use of Another Agency’s Contract Terms: Pursuant to the City’s Purchasing Ordinance, Section 3.20.310(b), the City is authorized to “piggyback” and enter into a contract to buy equipment or services based on the terms of an existing contract between the contractor and another public agency without competitive bidding. To qualify, the terms of purchase in the City’s proposed contract must be materially the same as those of the existing contract, and the contract must have resulted from procurement methods similar to those required by the Purchasing Ordinance.

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The Cooperative Purchasing Program Sourcewell is a national cooperative procurement program offering its member agencies access to publicly solicited contracts. As a member of Sourcewell, the City has the opportunity to realize cost savings by utilizing existing Sourcewell contracts.

Pursuant to a public solicitation in 2020, Sourcewell entered into a contract with Polaris for the purchase of utility vehicles. The solicitation method meets the requirements of the City’s Purchasing Ordinance, and the terms of purchase in the recommended City contract with Polaris are materially the same as those of the Polaris contract with Sourcewell. As specified in the Purchasing Ordinance, the Finance Director and the City Manager have approved the proposed use of the Sourcewell contract with Polaris.

FISCAL IMPACT: Funding for this project is allocated in the Fire Capital Replacement Fund (Fund 615).

ATTACHMENTS: None.

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Fremont City Council Meeting: 05/21/24 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: City Manager's Office
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Agreements and Contracts

SCHEDULED
Sponsors:

COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5176) DOC ID: 5176 C
Updated: 5/17/2024 9:24 AM by Susan Gauthier C Page 1
HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE STRATEGIC PLAN - Presentation and Recommended Adoption of a Draft 5 Year Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness in Fremont
Contact Persons:

Name: Laurie Flores Allen DeMers
Title: Homeless Services Manager Deputy City Manager
Div/Dept: City Manager's Office City Manager's Office
Phone: 510-574-2040 510-494-4651
E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected]

Executive Summary: The consultant contracted by the City has completed a final draft City of Fremont Homelessness Response Plan for City Council review and potential adoption.

The plan provides an analysis of current efforts by the City to respond to Fremont’s growing unhoused population and provides a roadmap for general, long-term strategic action to best address the issue. Key strategies in the recommended plan include:

1. Enhancing investment in homelessness prevention

2. Encouraging additional housing solutions

3. Enhancing efforts to connect unhoused people to housing and other resources

4. Further investing in activities that will reduce the environmental and health impacts of encampments on Fremont residents and businesses.

5. Strengthening coordination and capacity within the City and amongst the regional homelessness resource providers

This plan is distinct from the strategy outlined in the City Council adopted County of Alameda’s Home Together Plan by virtue of its local focus on the City of Fremont’s specific approach to mitigation and direct investments to fund homelessness response activities.

This staff report also provides analysis and explanation of how the report’s recommendations will be translated into action and outlines a general philosophy with regard to funding new services and unmet needs identified in the plan. Adopting this plan, either as presented or with modification, will provide staff with strategic direction as it continues to plan and execute the City’s response to homelessness in Fremont.

BACKGROUND: The City of Fremont City Council adopts and amends long-term strategic plans from time to time to validate and direct work on substantial issues that occur over the course of several years or decades. Examples of long-standing strategic plans include the City’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan and its Active Transportation Plan.

At the May 3, 2022, City Council meeting, the Council accepted and endorsed Alameda County’s Home Together 2026 Community Plan to end homelessness. Home Together 2026 is Alameda County’s strategic alignment plan which prioritizes funding for effective programs that prevent, address and end homelessness. City of Fremont services addressing homelessness generally align with the Home Together plan, pursuant to Council’s adoption,

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and that plan served as a starting point for the development a Fremont-specific Response Plan.

After a competitive procurement process, EdeColigny Consulting, LLC was selected to develop Fremont’s Homelessness Response Strategic Plan. This consultant was selected in large part based on practical experience in the field and demonstrated knowledge of Alameda County’s resources, regional resource availability, and Homeless Management Information System. Construction of the Homelessness Response Plan began on June 16, 2023 and was phased in three main components: 1) landscape analysis and data collection, 2) robust community engagement with diverse stakeholders, and 3) incorporating community feedback with proven best practices to develop the report.

The consultant conducted extensive community engagement for this project consisting of qualitative data collection and analysis, including a community survey, interviews, focus groups, community meetings, meetings with City staff, and presentations to various Cit y boards and commissions between October 2023 and January 2024. Staff created and maintained a MyFremont webpage dedicated to the Plan to keep the community informed of progress, offer options for engagement and actively seek participation in community meetings and surveys. Staff worked closely with the consultant to ensure that diverse stakeholders were invited into the process. Two general community meetings were held in October. The consultant interviewed 17 individual stakeholders including elected offi cials, service providers, community advocates, the school district, hospitals, and neighborhood associations. Of the five focus groups, two were held with business leaders, two with unhoused residents, and one with housing providers and renter associations. Throughout the course of the engagement process, staff solicited feedback from City Boards and Commissions including the Recreation, Planning, Citizen Advisory, Economic Development, Human Relations, Senior Citizen, Family Resource Center Leadership, and Police Chief’s Youth Advisory boards.

DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: Key elements of the plan are summarized in this staff report which characterizes the current state of homelessness in Fremont, details the City’s direct spending on homelessness response, and outlines the HRP’s goals and recommendations.

The consultant focused recommendations on building on existing programs to increase effectiveness and identify the most critical gaps in services, which are prevention support and re-housing solutions. Staff also recognize the Council’s related interest in minimizing the impacts of RV and over-sized vehicle parking and confirms staff’s intent to pair recommended strategies in the prospective Response Plan with additional large vehicle enforcement.

The Current State of Homelessness in Fremont
The number of people experiencing homelessness in the City of Fremont went down between 2022 and 2024, but limited data is available about the details of the reduction at this time. Between the 2019 and 2022 Point-in-Time (PIT) counts, Fremont’s homeless population grew 69% from 608 to 1,026 people. This trend was driven by the growth in unsheltered homelessness, which accounted for almost 85% of all homelessness in the City of Fremont in 2022.

On May 15, 2024, after finalization of the HRP draft, new 2024 Point in Time Count data was released. This data indicates that the City of Fremont now has at least 809 people experiencing homelessness, with 195 sheltered (24%) and 614 unsheltered (76%). This is

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a 21% reduction in overall homelessness in the City over the last two years. This data suggests that the increased investment in shelter and prevention are working. No additional demographic data about the City of Fremont’s homeless population in 2024 has been released. Further detailed analysis of demographics and methodology of the Point in Time County will be available later in the summer. The analysis in this staff report and the attached Homeless Response Plan is based on the data included in the detailed 2022 PIT count explanation.

More people are living in vehicles. Most of the 2022 growth in the City of Fremont’s unsheltered homeless population is reflected in a growing number of people living in their vehicles, including cars, vans, and recreational vehicles (RVs). In 2022, 573 people were counted living in vehicles, up from 238 in 2019, a 141% increase. Now 66% of all of City of Fremont’s unsheltered residents and 56% of all people experiencing homelessness are living in a car, van, or RV.

Racial disparities persist in Fremont’s unhoused population. Black/African American people are overrepresented in the City of Fremont’s homeless population, representing 2% of the City of Fremont’s general population but 31% of those in the 2022 PIT Count and of those receiving services. Native people are also overrepresented, with Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander individuals four times more prevalent in the homeless population than the general population, and American Indian/Alaskan Native individuals six times more prevalent. Whites are also overrepresented among the homeless population, constituting 47% of the City of Fremont’s homeless population and 18% of its general population.

New homelessness is outpacing exits from homelessness. The number of people becoming homeless in 2022 in the City of Fremont was more than double the number exiting homelessness into housing. For every person whose homelessness is resolved, there are 2.25 people entering the homeless response system as newly unhoused. This highligh ts the critical need for services that prevent people from becoming homeless.

Once unhoused, it is more difficult to return to housing. An estimated 2,050 people experienced homelessness in the City of Fremont between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.

Over 92% of those served by HMIS-using providers remained homeless at the end of that year. 72% percent of respondents to the 2022 PIT Count Survey reported being homeless for a year or longer. It is taking longer to resolve people’s homelessness. 72% of respondents to the 2022 PIT Count Survey reported being homeless for a year or longer.

Unhoused residents are becoming more vulnerable. Seniors make up a growing share of the overall homeless population, representing 18% of PIT Count survey respondents in 2022 and up from 10% in 2017. Of those surveyed for the 2022 Count, nearly 1 in 5 respondents were 61 or older. Homelessness ages people prematurely and exacerbates disabilities present at the time of housing loss. A large proportion of people receiving services from HMIS-using providers and/or surveyed in the PIT Count reported chronic health conditions and/or mental health disorders. For those that received a housing assessment through coordinated entry in the South County Resource Zone, 92% indicated that they had a disabling condition and 61% had a score of 80 or above, which indicates a vulnerability level suited for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH).

Are unhoused residents from Fremont? A common concern among stakeholders was that people experiencing homelessness in the City of Fremont are not from the City of

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Fremont. After analysis of all available data, the consultant determined that there is no clear evidence to support or disprove the theory that the City of Fremont is attracting people from other parts of the region. Part of the challenge is defining what it means to come from the City of Fremont. There is no established formula for how long someone must live in a place to be considered from there, or what it means if someone moves away for a time or loses their housing and must leave. As a result, the plan’s recommendations focus on preventing Fremont residents from becoming newly homeless and resolving the homelessness status of those people who are currently experiencing homelessness in the City of Fremont.

The City’s encampment mitigation work is showing promising reductions in cost and crises. Early data on number of calls and expenditures related to encampment mitigation indicates that as the City of Fremont implements a more proactive approach, costs and crises are declining. Generally speaking, encampment mitigation consists of clean - up operations including fire and environmental harm reduction like trash, waste, or vehicle abatements, site monitoring and other enforcement actions.

Fremont’s Homelessness Response Resource Allocation
The HRP concludes that the City of Fremont’s spending is somewhat out of alignment with strategies that will reduce and end homelessness. The current allocation of resources is not optimized in its attempt to balance resolving and managing homelessness. • The City is spending 79% of its overall homelessness response on a combination of shelter/interim housing operations, hygiene and meal programs, outreach, and drop-in programs, referred to as “crisis supports” and “mitigation activities” that reduce or alleviate environmental and health impacts such as clean-up operations, site monitoring, and enforcement, compared to 6% for rapid rehousing, flex funds or housing-focused case management. For every dollar spent on pathways to housing, the City of Fremont spends $17 on crisis support and mitigation activities, though the report acknowledges that a substantial portion of the City’s funding for these activities is use restricted. While mitigation activities are a city mandate, without greater investments in services that resolve homelessness, the mitigation burden will continue to grow. • Despite the critical need, funding for prevention is shrinking as a result of reduced federal support. The All Home Regional Plan recommends that for every interim housing/shelter bed created a system should add two permanent housing opportunities and four prevention slots. Prevention was 34% of the FY 2022/23 budget and has declined to 12% in the current fiscal year, with a further decline anticipated in FY 2024/25. This is due to the end of Federal COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program funding, which was only available during the pandemic. Without prevention services, the number of households becoming homeless is expected to continue to outpace those leaving homelessness.

The table below illustrates City of Fremont budgets for the last, current, and upcoming fiscal years. This budget consists of a mixture of General Fund, Special Fund, and regional funding sources. Currently, the City of Fremont directly controls spending of over $7.5 million addressed at homelessness, including roughly $5.35 million in funding for housing, interim

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shelter and non-shelter crisis supports, $1.95 million in mitigation activities, and $300,000 on adminstration.1

The City of Fremont’s direct investment in homelessness response is braided among multiple funding sources with variable flexibility. Mitigation services, funded primarily by Integrated Waste Management fees, are the most inflexible and are required to fund environmental preservation and waste management specifically. Whereas the City -Funded Affordable Housing and Homeless Services Fund has the most flexibility and can support programs from prevention through interim shelter and non-shelter crisis supports, to housing pathways. The City should evaluate its expenditures of non-use-restricted funding to determine how it can better align its spending with activities that most directly resolve or prevent homelessness.

City of Fremont Homeless Response Budgets Over Three Fiscal Years Funding Category FY 2022/23
Actual
FY 2023/24
Budget
FY 2024/25
Budget
Preventing
Homelessness
$3,306,536 $883,825 $443,294
Pathways to Housing $325,161 $359,879 $362,691
Crises Supports--
Interim
Housing/Shelter
$2,287,084 $2,414,222 $3,004,665
Crises Supports—
other services2
$1,531,185 $1,693,708 $1,528,507
Mitigation Activities $1,908,336 $1,946,076 $2,361,655
Administration $356,849 $295,495 $304,487
TOTAL $9,715,152 $7,593,205 $8,005,299

The funding detailed above includes only those City resources that are designated specifically for people experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness, and only those that are controlled directly by the City of Fremont. The funds are, in part, use restricted and largely cannot be allocated to enforcement activities. Programs that serve a general population (such as food pantries) are not shown here, although people experiencing homelessness would typically be eligible for those resources.

The funding chart above also excludes programs and resources in Fremont that are designated for people experiencing homelessness but not funded or controlled by the City.

Such programs include “scattered site” housing subsidies and permanent supportive housing unit operations that may be funded by the State, Federal programs, Housing Authority, or County of Alameda. Other County-funded portions of shelter and outreach services are also excluded.

1 This includes only those city resources that are funded or managed directly by the City of Fremont and are designated specifically for people experiencing homelessness. Programs that serve a general population (such as food pantries) are not shown here, although people experiencing homelessness would typically be eligible for those resources.
2 Crisis supports in this context refer to services such as street outreach, food/meals, drop-in centers, safe parking, hygiene stations, and case management services.

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Recommended Goals and Strategies in the Plan
The Homeless Response Plan analyzes three scenarios to set the framework to develop a comprehensive, realistic approach for Fremont to support resolving homelessness. The consultant determined that maintaining the status quo of investment, from all available sources and activities from the City and its partners, would result in an extremely undesirable outcome consisting of an increase of more than double the number of people experiencing homelessness over the next five years in Fremont. Conversely, getting to a functional zero would require a fiscally unachievable action of quadrupling investment in services. Neither situation is feasible. Therefore, a third scenario was developed to improve system results and the lives of people experiencing homelessness within a more reasonable budget by making targeted investments and increasing system flow.

The HRP’s recommendations are crafted to reach the following goals over the next five years:
• Goal A: Stop the 23% annual growth rate of homelessness by reducing the number of people becoming homeless and increasing the number exiting for permanent housing.
• Goal B: Double the proportion of people who are well served by the homeless response system, meaning they are on pathways to housing, stay homeless less than a year, and do not exit services to unsheltered homelessness. • Goal C: Reduce the impact of homelessness on those with and without permanent homes in Fremont by decreasing the number of people living unsheltered and the amount of city resources and infrastructure deployed to managing encampment crises.

The HRP proposes five broad strategies, which include specific actions and investments that could guide City staff’s actions over the next several years in an attempt to meet the identified goals. They are summarized below along with the broader plan goals they support.

Strategy 1: Prevent homelessness. (Goal A)
a. Invest local funds in 60 homelessness prevention slots and grow numbers assisted in future years.
b. Leverage existing prevention infrastructure (Keep Fremont Housed program) with improved targeting to most at-risk households and other modifications. c. Strengthen tenant-landlord relations to prevent displacement and eviction.

Strategy 2: Increase housing solutions. (Goals A, B)
a. Expand the supply of rapid rehousing from 35 to 75 slots in Year 3, and to 140 slots in Year 5.
b. Launch a Shallow Subsidy Program to serve up to 145 households by Year 5. c. Support local and state initiatives to increase affordable housing, including streamlined approvals, increased set-aside units for formerly homeless households and increased density.

Strategy 3: Connect people to shelter, housing, and other resources. (Goals B, C) a. Expand the Winter Relief program from 5 months to 12 months. b. Expand intake hours at interim housing sites and increase connections between outreach teams, Coordinated Entry, and interim housing.

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d. Expand the City’s support of regional flexible housing funds, “Flex Funds”, to increase system flow and shelter bed turnover.
e. Increase services to people living in their vehicles including those in RVs, such that they have safe places to stay and pathways to housing. This can include, but not be limited to expansion of safe parking options.

Strategy 4: Mitigate the impact of homelessness on the community. (Goal C) a. Manage RV parking to better meet community needs, including the needs of those living in vehicles. Consider safe parking options or other places for vehicles to be in conjunction with new parking restrictions. b. Expand field staff available for encampment assessment, outreach, and triage response, in alignment with current practices of the Mobile Evaluation Team c. Implement and refine structured encampment response to reduce health and safety hazards, resolve complaints, and connect people to services.

Strategy 5: Strengthen coordination and capacity within the homeless system. (Goals A, B, C)
a. Increase accountability with monitoring and reporting on HRP goals and progress, community engagement, and increased involvement of people with lived experience.
b. Enhance coordination with the County’s land use task force to identify and plan for sites that could serve as interim or permanent housing. c. Coordinate service delivery with adjacent systems such as school districts and hospitals, and across city Departments to meet households’ needs more quickly and avoid duplication of efforts. Increase information sharing across providers.
d. Improve community knowledge by improving data collection and reporting and improving public access to data, including program demographics, unmet need, and program outcomes.
e. Expand system capacity by exploring all possible revenue streams and housing/program sites.

Alignment with County and State Goals
Strategies in the HRP reflect and scale goals and strategies proposed in Alameda County’s Home Together Community Plan. The County’s plan was endorsed by the Fremont City Council on May 3, 2022. The State of California has authorized the community plan as compliant to continue to receive critical funding dedicated to homelessness and permanent housing. Adherence with County goals allows the City of Fremont to participate in regional programs and maintain eligibility for funding allocations to further progress on reducing homelessness in the region.

Alignment of HRP Recommendations with Related Council/Community Encampment Concerns

While the HRP provides long term strategic direction and near-term programmatic options, staff continue to work on more immediate interventions to address encampment impacts and address the needs of unhoused residents. Over the course of plan development, staff have conducted a number of activities that increase enforcement while balancing the impacts to unhoused and housed community members by increasing shelter alternatives and mitigating health and safety hazards:

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• Enforcement of Park ordinances pertaining to camping and overnight lodging, focused on the most impacted parks;
• Closure of and encampment resolution at Vallejo Mill Historical Park • Expanding Winter Relief to double the number of units from 30 rooms to 60 rooms;
• Established and implemented a site index tool for staff to evaluate site conditions at known and reported encampment sites to determine appropriate and legal response options to mitigate health and safety hazards; • Implementing large vehicle parking restrictions and school drop off/pick up zones adjacent schools determined to be most impacted by large vehicles in established Safe Route to School zones; and
• Staff continue to analyze additional large vehicle enforcement. Staff will develop additional sensitive sites for large vehicle enforcement and develop a phased enforcement approach, adding enforcement areas over time to the extent allowed by the resources and the law.

FISCAL IMPACT: Adoption of this Homelessness Response Plan’s strategic direction does not have an immediate fiscal impact. If adopted by the City Council, staff would seek to fund its recommended activities in the following priority order:

1. Continue to aggressively seek State, federal and regional funding for projects.

Staff would assess public support for a bond measure to dedicate a new funding stream to the activities.

2. Review and realign current non-restricted expenditures to prioritize funding for activities that are consistent with the strategies outlined in this report.

3. An additional allocation of General Fund revenue would be considered to fund priorities outlined in the plan only if all other options were exhausted and the prospective expenditure was of the highest priority.

If all program recommendations are implemented within a five-year timeframe, the consultant estimates that an additional $7 million would need to be identified and allocated as the plan indicates. However, as noted above, those funds could come from a variety of internal and external sources. Fiscal impacts related to individual implementation activities that are not yet adopted or that require a new appropriation will be analyzed and will be vetted/authorized via regular budget processes as those measures are considered. In all cases, staff will be proactive in seeking cost-effective implementation and strategic funding opportunities and developing partnerships to lessen those impacts.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: N/A

ATTACHMENTS:
• DRAFT - Fremont Homelessness Response Plan for City Council Consideration

RECOMMENDATION: Receive the report and adopt this Citywide Homelessness Response Plan.

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FREMONT

HOMELESSNESS RESPONSE PLAN

Prepared for City of Fremont
May 2024
By EdeColigny Consulting LLC
Elaine de Coligny, Principal

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Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................. 4 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 10 HOMELESSNESS IN FREMONT ..................................................................................... 14 FREMONT’S HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM ................................................................ 20 SYSTEM MODELING .................................................................................................... 25 STRATEGIES AND INVESTMENTS .................................................................................. 31 SOURCES ................................................................................................................... 36 GLOSSARY ................................................................................................................. 38 APPENDIX A: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT .................................................................... 40 APPENDIX B: HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM COMPONENTS DETAIL ............................ 41

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Acknowledgments

EdeColigny Consulting drafted this Homelessness Response Plan (HRP) on behalf of the City of Fremont and worked closely with the City Manager’s Office in all phases of the project. The project would not have been possible without the support of Deputy City Manager Allen DeMers, Homeless Services Manager Laurie Flores, and Communications Management Analyst Luciana Torres. They each contributed immeasurably to the team and the final product.

The entire project team would like to thank Fremont’s Mayor and City Council for commissioning this plan and ensuring that it was the result of a community planning process. Hundreds of thoughtful, passionate people contributed their insights, shared their hopes and frustrations, provided data, gave interviews, responded to surveys, attended meetings, and brought their best thinking to the question of how the City of Fremont could improve its response to homelessness.

Thank you to 631 community survey respondents, dozens of community meeting and webinar participants, those who participated in focus groups, and those who gave one-on- one interviews. Multiple City commissions and advisory boards informed the process. The Alameda County Office of Homeless Care and Coordination briefed the team on the modeling and analysis of their Home Together 2026 Plan, which aligns with the HRP.

Fremont providers were generous with their time, knowledge, and data.

The plan also benefited from the consulting support of four lived-experience experts who helped facilitate the focus groups with unhoused community members and reviewed the plan’s recommendations. Their insights improved the analysis and the resulting strategies.

Thank you to Sabrina Abong, Krsna Hare, Phebe Kemp, and Marlena Stevensen.

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Executive Summary

Background
Homelessness is a growing problem in Fremont. Based on the 2022 Alameda County Point-in-Time Count, the number of people experiencing homelessness in Fremont increased by 69% from 2019, growing from 608 to 1,026 people. This rate of growth was higher in Fremont than in Alameda County as a whole, which saw a 22% growth rate during the same period. The increase in Fremont was driven by unsheltered homelessness, which grew by 78% during this time (from 485 to 866 people) and accounted for almost 85% of all homelessness in Fremont. This is reflected in the number of people living in vehicles, which increased from 238 in 2019 to 573 in 2022, a 141% increase.

For many years, the City of Fremont (City) has pursued a multi-disciplinary effort to address homelessness through services, affordable housing production, and encampment mitigation. However, this system cannot keep pace with the problem, and for every person whose homelessness is resolved, there are more than two people entering the homeless response system as newly unhoused. There are substantial gaps in the system, such that many people experiencing homelessness remain disconnected from available resources.

Less than 8% exit homelessness each year.

Purpose of the Plan
Fremont’s Homelessness Response Plan (HRP) offers a roadmap for addressing homelessness through coordinated and data-driven solutions that remove barriers to assistance, expand housing opportunities, and improve quality of life throughout the community.

The City set forth specific goals to guide the plan’s proposed strategies:
• Goal A: Stop the growth of homelessness. Eliminate the 23% annual growth rate of people experiencing homelessness by reducing the number of people becoming homeless and increasing the number exiting to permanent housing. • Goal B: Increase pathways to housing. Double the proportion of people who are well served by the homeless response system, meaning that they are on pathways to housing, stay homeless less than a year, and do not exit services to unsheltered homelessness.
• Goal C: Reduce the impact of unsheltered homelessness. Benefit those with and without permanent homes in Fremont by decreasing the number of people living in unsheltered conditions and the amount of City resources needed to manage encampment crises.

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In acknowledgement of the regional nature of the problem and the central role that Alameda County plays in funding and coordinating homeless services in Fremont and throughout the region, the HRP aligns with the Alameda County Home Together 2026 Plan (2022) and the All Home Regional Action Plan (2021). More specifically, the HRP seeks to expand permanent housing opportunities, prevent homelessness whenever possible, and otherwise build a system that ensures homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.

Plan Development Process
The HRP was developed over the course of three phases, summarized in the table below.

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Data Analysis Community Engagement System Modeling &
Plan Development
This phase consisted of
quantitative data collection
and analysis1; review of
county, regional, and other
local plans; and a survey of
best practices and trends in
homelessness response.

Information was gathered
from June to September
2023, and findings were
presented to City staff and
community members in
October 2023.

This phase consisted of
qualitative data collection
and analysis, including a
community survey,
interviews, focus groups,
community meetings,
meetings with City staff,
and presentations to
various City boards and
commissions from October
2023 to January 2024.

This phase consisted of the
system modeling exercise
that yielded the
recommended strategies
and investments included
in the plan. It was
conducted in the first
quarter of 2024 and
informed by the data
collected in Phases 1 and 2.

Two Additional Questions
The City also sought to explore two additional questions.

1. Are Fremont’s unhoused residents from the city? The analysis of the current population experiencing homelessness did not yield any evidence to support or disprove the theory that the City’s resources attract people experiencing homelessness from elsewhere in Alameda County. The plan focuses instead on how best to serve those currently here.

2. Are the City’s current investments being directed as effectively as possible? The analysis of the current homeless response system inventory and expenditures indicates that 79% of the City’s spending to address homelessness goes to crisis support services and mitigation activities. For the purposes of this report, “crisis

1 The analysis was constrained by data collection and reporting limitations discussed in the methodology section of this report.

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support” refers to those services that assist people while they are experiencing homelessness. In the chart below, crisis support services are divided into emergency shelter/interim shelter and other services such as street outreach, food/meals, drop-in centers, safe parking, hygiene stations, and case management.

Mitigation activities are connected to reducing the environmental, health, and safety impacts of unsheltered homelessness, such as trash removal, vector control, encampment cleaning, and parking enforcement. Crisis support services and mitigation activities manage homelessness rather than prevent or solve it.

A much smaller proportion of the City’s spending is allocated to prevent homelessness and ensure people return to permanent housing, resulting in high levels of unmet need, which only compounds the burden of homelessness on everyone.

The assessment indicates that the City’s current homeless response is not scaled or balanced to achieve its goals. As noted above, the City spends far more on crisis support services and mitigation activities than it does on prevention and pathways to housing. While acknowledging portions of the City’s spending are restricted to these activities, the strategies in this plan require a greater focus and investment on prevention and housing. The City may contemplate the re-allocation of the least restrictive funding sources away from crisis support services and mitigation and shift them towards prevention and housing solutions.

The strategies and recommended investments contained within the HRP stem directly from the research described above. They also reflect the results of a modeling analysis that examined three scenarios that the City could pursue over the next five years.
12%
5%
32%
22%
25%
4%
FY 2023-24 Budget by
Component Type*
Homelessness Prevention (12%)
Pathways to Housing (5%)
Crisis Supports--Interim Shelter and Housing (32%)
Crisis Supports--other services (22%)
Mitigation Activities (25%)
Administration (4%)

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Scenario 1: Maintain the Status Quo: What if the City delivered housing, shelter, and services at the current capacity and spending level over the next five years? In this scenario, the City made no significant changes in the system capacity and budget grows by 5% per year from FY 2023-24 levels, totaling an estimated $9.2 million by year five. Demographic trends are assumed to remain the same. As a result, homelessness doubles and the unmet need for housing and services increases significantly. This scenario did not achieve any of the HRP goals.

Scenario 2: Eliminating Unmet Need: What if the City fully invested in the housing, shelter, and services needed to solve the problem of homelessness and bring the community to “functional zero?” This scenario draws directly upon the system analysis conducted in the Alameda County Home Together 2026 Plan, which estimates the resources needed to achieve a system where there is no unmet need or unsheltered homelessness, and all people experiencing homelessness are served with a pathway to housing. In this scenario, homelessness decreases dramatically, there is no more unsheltered homelessness, and the effectiveness of the system is greatly improved. However, the estimated cost of this scenario is greater than $32 million per year, which would constitute more than 7% of the City’s entire FY 2023-24 operating budget and is more than four times the City’s current budget for this issue. This scenario was not financially viable.

Scenario 3: Improving Results: What strategies and investments are needed to achieve the goals of the HRP, even if they do not fully solve homelessness? If the Status Quo (Scenario 1) is unacceptable and Eliminating Unmet Need (Scenario 2) is unattainable, what steps can be taken to advance the goals of stopping the growth of homelessness, increasing pathways to housing, and reducing the impact of unsheltered homelessness on the community? With targeted investments totaling an estimated $15 million by year five and other improvements, this scenario presents the opportunity to significantly improve the system efficiency and reduce unmet need at a feasible cost. This scenario yielded the strategies and investments recommended in the HRP. The results of the three scenarios are compared below.

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Strategies and Recommended Investments
The HRP proposes five broad strategies, which include specific actions and investments.

They are summarized below along with the broader plan goals they support.

Strategy 1: Prevent homelessness. (Goal A)
a. Invest local funds in 60 homelessness prevention slots and grow the number of households who are assisted in future years.
b. Leverage existing prevention infrastructure (Keep Fremont Housed program) with improved targeting to most at-risk households and other modifications.

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c. Strengthen tenant-landlord relations to prevent displacement and eviction.

Strategy 2: Increase housing solutions. (Goals A, B)
a. Expand the supply of rapid rehousing from 35 to 75 slots in year three and to 140 slots in year five.
b. Launch a Shallow Subsidy Program to serve up to 145 households by year five. c. Support local and state initiatives to increase affordable housing, including streamlined approvals, increased set-aside units for formerly homeless households, and increased density.

Strategy 3: Connect people to shelter, housing, and other resources. (Goals B, C) a. Expand the City’s Winter Relief program from 5 months to 12 months. b. Expand intake hours at interim housing sites and increase connections between outreach teams, Coordinated Entry, and interim housing. c. Expand the City’s support of regional flexible housing funds, “Flex Funds”, to increase system flow and shelter bed turnover.
d. Increase services to people living in their vehicles, including those in RVs, so they have safe places to stay and pathways to housing. This can include, but not be limited to, expansion of safe parking options.

Strategy 4: Mitigate the impact of homelessness on the community. (Goal C) a. Manage RV parking to better meet community needs, including the needs of those living in vehicles. Consider safe parking options or other places for vehicles to be in conjunction with new parking restrictions. b. Expand field staff available for encampment assessment, outreach, and triage response in alignment with current practices of the City’s Mobile Evaluation Team.
c. Implement and refine structured encampment response to reduce health and safety hazards, resolve complaints, and connect people to services.

Strategy 5: Strengthen coordination and capacity within the homeless response system. (Goals A, B, C)
a. Increase accountability with monitoring and reporting on HRP goals and progress, community engagement, and increased involvement of people with lived experience.
b. Enhance coordination with Alameda County’s land use task force to identify and plan for sites that could serve as interim or permanent housing. c. Coordinate service delivery with adjacent systems such as school districts and hospitals and across City departments to meet households’ needs more quickly and avoid duplication of efforts. Increase information sharing across providers. d. Improve community knowledge by improving data collection and reporting and improving public access to data, including program demographics, unmet need, and program outcomes.

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e. Expand system capacity by exploring all possible revenue streams and housing/program sites.

Conclusion
In making recommendations that improve the state of homelessness without solving it, the project team acknowledges that homelessness causes tremendous suffering for those who experience it and diminishes the quality of life for the entire community. The extraordinary cost of housing in California and the profound state of inequity are decades in the making and cannot be undone by one local jurisdiction or over the course of five years. This plan seeks not to abdicate responsibility but to do better than what has been done to date and reduce the problem throughout Fremont.

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Introduction

Mission
Fremont’s Homeless Response Plan (HRP) will provide a roadmap for addressing homelessness through coordinated and data-driven solutions which remove barriers to assistance, expand housing opportunities, and improve quality of life throughout the community.

Goals

The HRP’s recommendations are crafted to reach the following goals over the next five years:
• Goal A: Stop the growth of homelessness. Eliminate the 23% annual growth rate of people experiencing homelessness by reducing the number of people becoming homeless and increasing the number exiting to permanent housing. • Goal B: Increase pathways to housing. Double the proportion of people who are well served by the homeless response system, meaning that they are on pathways to housing, stay homeless less than a year, and do not exit services to unsheltered homelessness.
• Goal C: Reduce the impact of unsheltered homelessness. Benefit those with and without permanent homes in Fremont by decreasing the number of people living in unsheltered conditions and the amount of City resources needed to manage encampment crises.

Context
Homelessness is a regional and national problem. No single unit of local government is equipped to solve the problem alone. In fact, local government agencies are closely reliant upon one another to address homelessness. County agencies typically oversee key mainstream systems that are central to homelessness response, including health and hospital systems, human services/social services agencies, housing authorities, and other key departments. In addition, federal and state funding often flows through counties for local programs, with the expectation that it will be regionally coordinated.

City departments also play a fundamental role, typically responsible for essential front-line and first-responder services like Police, Fire, Public Works, and other departments. Many cities—including the City of Fremont—also devote General Fund and other local dollars to support programs addressing homelessness. They may receive their own allocations of federal and state resources and like the City of Fremont, they may establish human/social services departments of their own. Cities are also responsible for local land use planning

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and housing development approvals. Some have their own housing authorities. These roles are overlapping and interrelated, requiring close collaboration and alignment of goals across different government agencies and jurisdictions.

In recognition of this interrelatedness, the HRP aligns with the Alameda County Home Together 2026 Plan (2022), which emphasizes expanding permanent housing options, as well as the All Home Regional Action Plan (2021), which champions preventing homelessness. Both plans emphasize building regional and local housing crisis response systems that operate at “functional zero,” meaning the response system ensures homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring. Homelessness is prevented whenever possible and, when it does occur, people are sheltered immediately and assisted to quickly regain a permanent home. A homeless response system operating at functional zero can shelter all who are unhoused and permanently rehouse them within a year. Those becoming homeless and those exiting homelessness are in balance.

The Bay Area region is not at functional zero. The number of people experiencing homelessness is growing, and fewer unhoused people are on a path back to a permanent home. This is especially true in Fremont. Even though the City has pursued a multi- disciplinary effort to address homelessness through services, affordable housing production, and encampment abatement, homelessness increased by 69% between 2019 and 2022. This rate of increase was higher than the rest of Alameda County and most of the Bay Area over the same period.

As the number of people experiencing homelessness has increased over the last five to seven years, particularly those who are unsheltered, all levels of government have struggled with how to fund and manage their response. Municipalities, like Fremont, are stepping up in ways their budgets and departments were not originally equipped to do. The federal government and state of California have recognized this in part by increasing funding, including providing some funds directly to cities either as an entitlement allocation or as a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for which cities can compete. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is an example of the former. The Encampment Resolution Fund is an example of the latter. Alameda County has also adjusted to the growing need for city resources, by allocating some state funds, such as the Homeless Housing Assistance Program (HHAP) that funds Fremont’s Housing Navigation Center, to cities according to their Point-in-Time Counts. Other cities have added local revenue streams to the voting ballot. Approaches and solutions will vary depending on the jurisdiction and what is currently in place, but there is no question that the feeling of being under resourced, ill equipped, and overwhelmed by the magnitude of this problem is broadly shared by cities and counties across the region.

The City of Fremont determined it needed a plan to guide its comprehensive response to homelessness and issued a Request for Proposals for a qualified consultant to lead a local process that would include best-practice recommendations aligned with the Alameda County Home Together 2026 Plan and a framework to respond to the community impacts

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of homelessness. EdeColigny Consulting LLC was selected and started work in June of 2023. The team included six consultants and four lived experience experts. The consulting team had decades of experience addressing homelessness in Alameda County and the Bay Area, as direct service and housing providers, municipal employees, policy makers, and Continuum of Care Directors and consultants. The lived experience experts had more than a decade of combined experience without permanent homes.

Methodology
The HRP was developed over the course of three phases, summarized in the table below.

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Data Analysis* Community Engagement System Modeling &
Plan Development
This phase consisted of
quantitative data collection
and analysis; review of
county, regional, and other
local plans; and a survey of
best practices and trends in
homelessness response.

Information was gathered
from June to September
2023, and findings were
presented to City staff and
community members in
October 2023.

*The analysis offered by this report looks at performance at the system level using data available through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Services to unhoused people in Fremont are not captured in a common database, leaving gaps in information and hampering the ability to identify duplication of services or compare the effectiveness of a given program compared to another. Not all programs contracted and delivered by the City are documented in HMIS, nor are many of the services the City does not fund. Getting more components of the response system entering data into HMIS would help the City evaluate ongoing performance.

Structure
The resulting HRP consists of the following key sections, which are followed by reference documents and pertinent appendices.
• Homelessness in Fremont: This section offers a summary of the state of homelessness in Fremont, including key growth trends, special populations, and other demographic factors.

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• City of Fremont Homeless Response System: This section summarizes the current array of services and resources available to people experiencing homelessness in Fremont, including an analysis of unmet need and City spending. • System Modeling: This section explores three different scenarios for the City’s overall approach to addressing homelessness to highlight some of the challenges, limitations, and possibilities associated with different investment strategies. • Strategies and Investments: This section translates the results of the system modeling into a set of concrete strategies to address homelessness in Fremont, each of which is accompanied by a set of specific action steps.

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Homelessness in Fremont

Participants in every community engagement setting that informed the HRP expressed grave concern about homelessness in Fremont. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of online survey respondents described homelessness as a very serious problem, and many expressed the belief that the problem is worsening, with more people unhoused, unsheltered, and living in cars parked near schools, parks, and businesses. People without housing report feeling increased hostility, diminished safety, and the inability to find basic resources like food and restrooms. Business owners described having to spend more in recent years to address vandalism and blight associated with encampments. One unhoused participant described having a cup of hot coffee thrown at her from a passing car. The sense that homelessness in Fremont is getting worse is supported by data. This section provides a summary of the state of homelessness in Fremont.

Homelessness Increasing in Fremont2
The number of people experiencing homelessness in Fremont has increased dramatically since the 2019 Alameda County Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, growing 69% from 608 people in 2019 to 1,026 people in 2022. This contributed to an overall 114% increase since 2017 (479 to 1,026).

Fremont Homeless Point-in-Time Counts (2017-2022)

2 The information cited in this section comes from the City of Fremont and Alameda County Point-in-Time Homeless Counts. Applied Survey Research (2022). 2022 Alameda County Homeless Count and Survey Comprehensive Report. Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024. Applied Survey Research (2022). 2022 City of Fremont Homeless Count and Survey Comprehensive Report. Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024.

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In 2022, the rate of growth was higher in Fremont than in Alameda County as a whole, where homelessness grew by 22% from 2019 and 73% from 2017. This trend was driven by the growth in unsheltered homelessness in Fremont, which increased by 207% from 2017, from 282 people in 2017 to 866 people in 2022. In 2022, unsheltered homelessness accounted for almost 85% of all homelessness in Fremont, up from 59% in 2017.

Fremont and Alameda County Point-in-Time Counts (2017-2022) 2017
Count
2019
Count
% Change
2017-19
2022
Count
% Change
2019-22
Fremont 479 608 27% 1,026 69%
Alameda County 5,629 8,022 43% 9,747 22%

More People Living in Vehicles
Most of the growth in Fremont’s unsheltered homeless population is reflected in a growing number of people living in their vehicles, including cars, vans, and recreational vehicles (RVs). In 2022, 573 people were counted living in vehicles, up from 238 in 2019, a 141% increase. In 2022, 66% of Fremont’s unsheltered residents and 56% of all people experiencing homelessness were living in a car, van, or RV. In 2017, only 23% (65) were counted as living in these locations.

The proportion of people staying in vehicles is higher than Alameda County as a whole. In 2022, 3,918 people were counted as living in vehicles in Alameda County, which represented 40% of the County’s total population of people experiencing homelessness.

Types of Unsheltered Homelessness in Fremont Over Time

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Racial Disparities
The table below compares the racial and ethnic composition of people served by the City of Fremont’s existing homeless response system in 2022-22; the people counted in the most recent Alameda County Point-in-Time (PIT) Homeless Count; and the overall Fremont population from census data.

Race and Ethnicity in Services, PIT Count, and General Population Race/Ethnicity White
Black/
African
American
American
Indian/
Alaska
Native
Native
Hawaiian
Pacific
Islander Asian
Multiple
Races
Hispanic/
Latin
(x)(o)(a)
Served by the Fremont
Homeless Response
System3
45% 31% 5% 2% 7% 7% 28%
2022 PIT Count Data4 47% 31% 6% 4% 2% 10% 21%
Fremont Census Data 18% 2% 1% <1% 64% 8% 13%

Black/African American individuals are overrepresented in Fremont’s homeless population, representing 2% of Fremont’s general population but 31% of those in the PIT Count and of those receiving services. Native individuals are also overrepresented, with Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander individuals four times more prevalent in the homeless population than the general population. American Indian/Alaskan Native individuals are six times more prevalent in the homeless population. The sample size is very small for these two groups and should be interpreted with caution. These racial groups are also over- represented in Alameda County’s homeless population, although to a lesser degree than in Fremont.

In a striking difference from Alameda County as a whole, White individuals are also overrepresented among the homeless population, constituting 47% of Fremont’s homeless population and 18% of its general population. 5 They are the largest racial group among those experiencing homelessness because since its founding in 1956, Fremont was a predominantly White community that has experienced gentrification in recent decades.

The City of Fremont’s Residential Displacement Study Report from June 2021 notes that Fremont has become wealthier than the rest of Alameda County; with 60% of its households having above moderate incomes, compared to Alameda County with 44% above that range. According to the study, rents and home prices are also higher and increasing faster in Fremont than in the rest of the County. These gentrifying conditions often correlate with displacement of low-income residents and a rise in homelessness. In

3 This information comes from an HMIS report of persons served by Fremont -based agencies disaggregated by race and ethnicity.
4 Applied Survey Research (2022). 2022 City of Fremont Homeless Count and Survey Comprehensive Report.

Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024. 5 Applied Survey Research (2022). 2022 Alameda County Homeless Count and Survey Comprehensive Report. Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024.

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Fremont’s case, the lower and moderate-income residents were White, some of whom ended up homeless. As one longtime resident from the unhoused focus group put it, “I am 63 years old. I have lived in Fremont my whole life. We have been priced out.

Where else am I going to go but the streets.”

Are Fremont’s Unhoused from Fremont?
A common concern among stakeholders was that people experiencing homelessness in Fremont are not really from Fremont. Some people theorize that Fremont’s service offerings and less punitive parking enforcement attract people—particularly those living in their cars—from other parts of the region.

There is no firm evidence to prove or disprove that theory. According to the Alameda County 2022 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count:
• 81% of people experiencing homelessness in Fremont became homeless in Alameda County, but the precise location in the County is not specified. • 44% of those surveyed consider Fremont their home, but that does not confirm whether they are originally from Fremont, their last known address was in Fremont, or how much time they may have spent there at some point in their life. • 72% said they had been homeless a year or more but did not specify what amount of that time was spent homeless in Fremont.

Some providers report the opposite phenomenon, whereby the high cost of housing makes it difficult to find housing for people experiencing homelessness to stay in Fremont. One program offering rental assistance specifically for people from Fremont reports that they were only able to find housing for 23% of participants within the city, with the remaining households moving to nearby jurisdictions. However, this data does not represent the entire universe of people experiencing homelessness in Fremont.

Part of the challenge is defining what it means to come from Fremont. There is no established formula for how long someone must live in a place to be considered from there, or what it means if someone moves away for a time or loses their housing and must leave. For instance, unhoused participants in one focus group discovered that they all attended different Fremont high schools, although their last permanent residences were not necessarily in Fremont.

With no clear evidence to support the theory that Fremont is attracting people experiencing homelessness from other parts of the region and no practical means of determining who is and is not legitimately from Fremont, this plan does not include strategies meant to deter people coming to Fremont or to send them to other jurisdictions.

Instead, recommendations focus on serving those people who are currently experiencing homelessness and seeking services in Fremont.

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New Homelessness Outpacing Exits to Housing
The number of people becoming homeless in Fremont is more than double the number exiting homelessness into housing. In the 2022-23 program year, providers that entered data into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) assisted 77 Fremont households experiencing homelessness to exit to permanent housing. In the same year, 174 people entered the homeless response system for the first time. For every person whose homelessness is resolved, there are 2.25 people entering the system as newly unhoused. This highlights the critical need for services that prevent people from becoming homeless.

Once Unhoused, Few Return to Housing
An estimated 2,050 people experienced homelessness in Fremont between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.6 Over 92% of those served by HMIS-using providers remained homeless at the end of that year. They continued to be served by emergency shelters, Fremont’s Housing Navigation Center, the Wellness Center, and street outreach, or they exited services back to unsheltered homelessness. It is taking longer to resolve people’s homelessness. Seventy-two percent (72%) of those who responded to the 2022 Point-in- Time (PIT) Count Survey reported being homeless for a year or longer.

Rates of High Vulnerability Increasing
Seniors make up a growing share of the overall homeless population, representing 18% of PIT Count survey respondents in 2022 and up from 10% in 2017. Of those surveyed for the 2022 Count, nearly 1 in 5 respondents were 61 or older, while the percentage of people served by Fremont-based HMIS providers aged 55 or older is 43%. Homelessness ages people prematurely and exacerbates disabilities present at the time of housing loss.

Unhoused people often experience disabling health conditions similar to those of housed people who are 15, 20, even 25 years older.
7 A large proportion of people receiving services from HMIS-using providers and/or surveyed in the PIT Count reported chronic health conditions and/or mental health disorders. For those that received a housing assessment through Coordinated Entry in the South County Resource Zone, 92% indicated that they had a disabling condition and 61% had a score of 80 or above, which indicates a vulnerability level suited for permanent supportive housing (PSH).
8 To qualify for PSH, a member of the household must have a disability of a

6 This estimate multiples the Point-in-Time Count Total of 1026 by 1.97, which is the Home Together 2026 factor for converting PIT Counts to annual numbers experiencing homelessness. 7Brown, Rebecca, et al. (2022) “Factors Associated With Mortality Among Homeless Older Adults in California: The HOPE HOME Study.” Journal of the American Medical Association: Internal Medicine:
182(10):1052-1060. Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024. 8 This information comes from an HMIS report for South County Resource Zone program year 2022 -23.

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permanent or long-term duration that impacts their ability to maintain housing and employment, and they must have been homeless for a year or more.

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Fremont’s Homeless Response System

As a community member, I do not know what the City does to respond to people who are homeless. When I shop or go to restaurants or stop at an intersection near freeway overpasses or similar spaces, it seems that there are increasing numbers of people who are either sitting there or camping in tents or makeshift shelters.

Whatever the City is doing is not visible to me.”
Online Survey Respondent

I have been assessed so many times. Each time, I dare to hope it will be different…then nothing!
Unhoused Focus Group Participant

Overview
An effective homeless response system is designed to ensure that homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring. This requires a balance of:

1. Prevention resources to keep at-risk households from becoming unhoused

2. Pathways to housing, with permanent housing and other interventions that resolve homelessness

3. Crisis support services for people experiencing homelessness, such as outreach, shelter, and supportive services

4. Mitigation activities to minimize the impact of homelessness on the community

Defining Fremont’s system of care is difficult given the limitations of the information available:
• Not all programs dedicated to serve unhoused people enter data into the County’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
• The City of Fremont does not fund all the services provided to unhoused people in Fremont. For example, the City budget supports initial capital investment for supportive housing but funds no permanent supportive housing ongoing operations and only portions of emergency shelter and supportive services located in Fremont. • Not all services utilized by unhoused people are designated specifically for people experiencing homelessness, such as food pantries and programs offered at the Fremont Family Resource Center.
• There is no way to account for the services that unhoused people from Fremont use outside city borders, including any shelter, service, and housing programs in nearby jurisdictions in both Alameda and Santa Clara Counties.

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In general, the response system discussed here only analyzes programs in Fremont that enter data into HMIS and are dedicated to people experiencing homelessness, plus prevention services.9 The financial analysis is limited to the City’s spending.

The available data demonstrates that Fremont’s homeless response system is not to scale or balanced to achieve its goals. Fremont spends far more on crisis support services and mitigation activities than it does on prevention and pathways to housing. Examples include:
• Forty-six percent (46%) of community survey respondents who had experienced homelessness reported that they had used none of the system’s services. • HMIS data reports serving 1,237 of the estimated 2,050 people who experienced homelessness between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.
10 • Only 18% of those served were sheltered and just 8% exited homelessness. • Fifty-six percent (56% or 695 of 1,237 people) were served by services only or street outreach programs, which provide valuable information, support, and resources but do not provide housing or resolve homelessness.
• While 211 persons were housed in permanent supportive housing (PSH), just 10 were newly housed in 2022-23. The remaining 200 moved into housing in prior years. • The interim housing inventory now totals 129 year-round beds and another 60 winter beds. Fewer than 1 in 5 people get sheltered while homeless. • Fewer than 1 in 30 households living in vehicles have a safe place to park.

Components of Fremont’s current response are described in Appendix B including the role of each in the system, the current need, performance results, cost, and where HMIS and budget data is available.

City Spending
The table below illustrates the City of Fremont’s budgets for the last, current, and upcoming fiscal years. The City currently spends over $7.5 million addressing homelessness, including roughly $5.35 million in funding for housing and services, interim housing/shelter, and non-shelter crisis support services; $1.95 million in mitigation

9 Prevention services do not technically serve people who are experiencing homelessness, as they are designed to prevent homelessness. They serve people at high risk of homelessness and have been included in the analysis for that reason.
10 This data comes from a consolidated Annual Progress Report pulled from HMIS for all Fremont-based providers. The count of people served is unduplicated for each program type. However, some people may have received services from more than one program type (e.g. they may have moved from a shelter into a rapid rehousing program). Thus, the total across programs is not unduplicated and may not represent 1,237 different people. In addition, SAVE’s domestic violence shelter, which does not enter data into HMIS for privacy/safety reasons, served another 126 people for a total of 1,363 people served.

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activities; and $300k on adminstration.11 The City’s direct investment into homeless response is braided among multiple funding sources with variable flexibility. Mitigation services, funded mostly by Integrated Waste Management fees, are the most inflexible and required to fund environmental preservation and waste management specifically. Whereas the City’s Housing and Homeless General Fund has the most flexibility and can support programs from prevention, through interim shelter and non-shelter crisis support services, to housing pathways. The City can evaluate the investment of Housing and Homeless General Fund dollars.

The current $7.5 million budget respresents a $2 million dollar reduction from last fiscal year, accounted for by the end of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) prevention funding, which assisted over 1,500 households to maintain their housing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
12 With the sunsetting of that federal program, the City’s FY 2024- 25 budget has no resources to provide prevention financial assistance to any new households.

City of Fremont Homeless Response Budgets over Three Fiscal Years Funding Category FY 22-23 Actual FY 23-24 Budget FY 24-25 Budget Preventing
Homelessness
$3,306,536 $883,825 $443,294
Pathways to Housing $325,161 $359,879 $362,691
Crises Supports--
Interim Housing/Shelter
$2,287,084 $2,414,222 $3,004,665
Crises Supports—other
services
$1,531,185 $1,693,708 $1,528,507
Mitigation Activities $1,908,336 $1,946,076 $2,361,655
Administration $356,849 $295,495 $304,487
TOTAL $9,715,152 $7,593,205 $8,005,299

11 This includes only those City resources that are funded or managed directly by the City of Fremont and are designated specifically for people experiencing homelessness. Programs that serve a general population (such as food pantries) are not shown here, although people experiencing homelessness would typically be eligible for those resources.
12 All ERAP financial assistance has been fully utilized. The remaining funds in the program are for supportive services and administrative costs.

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The chart below illustrates spending in the current homeless response system by component.

*For the purposes of this plan, “crisis supports” are those services that assist people while they are experiencing homelessness. Crisis support services are divided into emergency shelter/interim shelter and other services such as street outreach, food/meals, drop -in centers, safe parking, hygiene stations, and case management. Mitigation activities are connected to reducing the environmental, health, and safety impacts o f unsheltered homelessness, such as trash removal, vector control, encampment cleaning, and parking enforcement.

Analysis of Spending
The City of Fremont’s spending is out of alignment with strategies that will reduce and end homelessness. The balance between resolving and managing homelessness does not advance the City’s HRP goals.
● The City is spending 79% of its overall homeless response on crisis support services and mitigation activities, compared to 6% for rapid rehousing, flex funds, or housing-focused case management. For every dollar spent on pathways to housing, the City spends $17 on crisis support services and mitigation activities. While mitigation activities are a City responsibility, without greater investments in services that resolve homelessness, the mitigation burden will continue to grow. ● Despite the critical need, funding for prevention is shrinking. The All Home Regional Plan recommends that for every interim housing/shelter bed created, a system should add two permanent housing opportunities and four prevention slots. Prevention was 34% of the FY 2022-23 budget and has declined dramatically to 12% in the current fiscal year, with a further decline anticipated in FY 2024-25. This is due to the end of Federal COVID-19 ERAP funding, which was only available during the pandemic. 12%
5%
32%
22%
25%
4%
FY 2023-24 Budget by
Component Type*
Homelessness Prevention (12%)
Pathways to Housing (5%)
Crisis Supports--Interim Shelter and Housing (32%)
Crisis Supports--other services (22%)
Mitigation Activities (25%)
Administration (4%)

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Without prevention services, the number of households becoming homeless will continue to outpace those leaving homelessness.
● Encampment mitigation is showing promising reductions in cost and crises. Early data on number of calls and expenditures related to encampment mitigation indicates that as the City implements a more proactive approach, costs and crises are declining.

More time and data are needed before drawing conclusions.

Non-City Controlled Resources Addressing Homelessness
Concerns were raised during Phase 2 that the City of Fremont was bearing a disproportionate share of the cost burden for addressing homelessness between the City and the County, and that as a medium-sized, wealthier city, it was not getting its fair share of county, state, and federal resources when compared to neighboring cities in Alameda County. A detailed comparative analysis of Fremont versus its neighboring cities was beyond the scope of this project but during the team’s research and analysis, relevant information came to light that underlines how Fremont participates in a regional funding system. Programs funded through other sources constitute a substantial portion of Fremont’s homeless response system. Examples include:
• As noted above, the City does not fund operating support for the 229 permanent supportive housing (PSH) units located in Fremont. That comes from federal sources managed by Alameda County.
• The City provides approximately 7% of the operating funds for the 36 Rapid Rehousing slots currently managed by Abode. The remaining $1.1 million comes from federal sources managed by Alameda County.
• The Housing Navigation Center (HNC) is funded with a combination of City General Fund, County general fund, and state grants, such as the Homeless Housing Assistance Program (HHAP). In FY 2022-23, the County general fund awarded $330,000 to the HNC compared to $168,000 from the City’s General Fund. • According to the Home Together 2026 Plan, County funds support roughly 60% of the overall system of care. This implies that that the City’s $5.35 million in funding for housing and services is matched with approximately $8 million in County resources, although the ratio may vary between budget categories.

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System Modeling

System Scenarios
The HRP strategies result from modeling the impact of three different scenarios. The scenarios emerged from sentiments and questions raised throughout the community engagement process.

• Scenario 1: Maintain the Status Quo: What if the City of Fremont delivered housing, shelter, and services at the current capacity and spending level over the next five years? In this scenario, the City made no significant changes in the system capacity and budget from FY 2023-24 levels. Spending grew at 5% per year and demographic trends also remained the same.
• Scenario 2: Eliminating Unmet Need: What if the City of Fremont fully invested in the housing, shelter, and services needed to fully solve the problem of homelessness and bring the community to “functional zero”? This scenario draws directly upon the system analysis conducted in the Home Together 2026 Plan, which estimates the resources needed to achieve a system where there is no unmet need or unsheltered homelessness, and all people experiencing homelessness are served with a pathway to housing. In this scenario, homelessness decreases dramatically, there is no more unsheltered homelessness, and the effectiveness of the system is greatly improved. • Scenario 3: Improving Results: What strategies and investments are needed to achieve the goals of the HRP, even if they do not fully solve homelessness? If the Status Quo (Scenario 1) is unacceptable and Eliminating Unmet Need (Scenario 2) is unattainable, what steps can be taken to advance the goals of stopping the growth of homelessness, increasing pathways to housing, and reducing the impact of homelessness on the community?

The following sections explore each scenario in depth.

Scenario 1: Maintain the Status Quo
In Scenario 1, the City of Fremont continues to respond to homelessness as it currently does, with no significant changes in the system capacity and budget from FY 2023-24 levels. The scenario also assumes no changes in the demographic trends, with growth rates in the homeless population consistent with recent years. Homelessness is projected to grow at an annual rate of 23%. Inflows continue to outpace exits to housing by a rate of 2 to 1.

What results? The population experiencing homelessness at a point in time and annually more than doubles. People becoming homeless for the first time also doubles. The

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proportion of people who remain homeless without a path to housing increases from the current 92% to 94% or 5,175 people as represented by the last bar on the chart below.

In this scenario, homeless-specific expenditures are relatively contained, increasing at a rate of 5% annually, as the budget graph below indicates. What is not captured is the added costs of so many people living outside without access to sanitation and hygiene services, in addition to added emergency resources like food and medical care. Those costs may not be supported by the homeless response budget, but they will impact the city.

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Scenario 2: Eliminating Unmet Need
Scenario 2 presents an estimate of what it would take to get to “functional zero” in five years. This was drawn directly from the Alameda County System Modeling, with the City of Fremont’s resources needed, defined in proportion to the City’s share of the County’s homeless population. The Home Together 2026 Plan estimates the increased investments and capacity needed to have a system with no unmet need and no unsheltered homelessness. All people experiencing homelessness are served with a pathway to housing. As the graph below indicates, homelessness is significantly reduced in this scenario. The Point-in-Time Count and annual numbers are less than half what they are today. Even though more people are becoming unhoused in this scenario, the system is equipped to respond such that all people are rehoused within a year, and none are sleeping outdoors or in vehicles.

The annual operating budget required to meet this desirable vision is unrealistic given current resources available locally and from state and federal governments, both of whom are reducing COVID-19 level investments related to addressing homelessness. As the chart below indicates, fully implementing the Home Together 2026 Plan is estimated to cost the City upwards of $32 million per year. That is more than four times what is being spent this fiscal year and is likely not feasible for the City’s budget, absent new revenue streams.

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Scenario 3: Improving Results
In recognition that Status Quo (Scenario 1) is unacceptable and Eliminating Unmet Need (Scenario 2) is unattainable, Scenario 3 identifies the steps that can be taken to advance the goals of stopping the growth of homelessness, increasing pathways to housing, and reducing the impact of unsheltered homelessness on the community. While this scenario will not end homelessness in Fremont, it presents the opportunity to improve system results and the lives of people experiencing homelessness and within a reasonable budget by making targeted investments and increasing system flow. In this scenario, the Point-in- Time Count remains roughly the same, but fewer people become homeless in a year and more move to permanent housing, reducing the unmet need from where it is today (92%) to 81% (and lower in future years). Expenditures increase from roughly $7.5 million to $15 million over that time period. See Strategies and Investment section for details.

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In making recommendations that improve the state of homelessness without solving it, the project team acknowledges that homelessness causes tremendous suffering for those who experience it and diminishes the quality of life for the entire community. The extraordinary cost of housing in California and the profound state of inequity are decades in the making and cannot be undone by one local jurisdiction or over the course of five years. The HRP seeks to do better than what has been done and reduce the problem throughout Fremont.

Comparing the three scenarios in the charts below illustrates that Scenario 3 makes an impact with a more reasonable investment. To achieve the results modeled in Scenario 3, the increased investment is strategically targeted to specific system interventions as detailed in the next section.

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Strategies and Investments

The strategies and investments detailed below are designed to reach the HPR’s goals and achieve the outcomes modeled in Scenario 3: Improving Results. They reflect the recognition that Status Quo (Scenario 1) is unacceptable and Eliminating Unmet Need (Scenario 2) is unattainable. While this scenario will not end homelessness in Fremont, by making targeted investments and increasing system flow, it presents the opportunity to improve system results and the lives of people experiencing homelessness within a reasonable budget. Scenario 3 starts to shift City of Fremont investments to strategies that solve homelessness rather than manage it. Unless the City begins to stem the number of people becoming homeless and increase the numbers of people returning to permanent housing, the demands for mitigation and crisis response will continue to increase and homelessness will grow. The cost estimates in all three scenarios assume a 5% cost of living adjustment (COLA) and that the City would pay the 40% share of the increase for activities envisioned in the Home Together 2026 Plan and that the County would allocate the other 60% through its resources. Increases to interim shelter and mitigation are not envisioned in Home Together and are assumed to be supported by the City in Scenario 3.

The increased investments detailed below total $7-8 million annually. The $15 million annual expenditure in Scenario 3 assumes these investments can be achieved through additional funding and some reallocation of existing spending. It further assumes that the rate of increase in mitigation costs will slow as the number of people living unsheltered decreases. The City should seek state/regional funding and should evaluate internal allocation of resources in order to make funding the following new/enhanced strategies more achievable.

HRP Goals
• Goal A: Stop the growth of homelessness. Eliminate the 23% annual growth rate of people experiencing homelessness by reducing the number of people becoming homeless and increasing the number exiting to permanent housing. • Goal B: Increase pathways to housing. Double the proportion of people who are well served by the homeless response system, meaning that they are on pathways to housing, stay homeless less than a year, and do not exit services to unsheltered homelessness.
• Goal C: Reduce the impact of unsheltered homelessness. Benefit those with and without permanent homes in Fremont by decreasing the number of people living in unsheltered conditions and the amount of City resources needed to manage encampment crises.

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These strategies align with those in the Alameda County Home Together 2026 Plan but have been updated. Strategy #4 (which is not in the Home Together Plan) has been added to account for the specifics of the homeless response in Fremont.

1. Prevent homelessness

2. Increase housing solutions

3. Connect people to shelter and needed resources

4. Mitigate the impact of unsheltered homelessness

5. Strengthen coordination, communication, and capacity

Strategy 1: Prevent Homelessness
Actions and Investments that help to achieve Goal A: Stop the growth of homelessness. a. Fund 60 homeless prevention slots at a cost of $825,000 in year one. Double slots by year three to 120 slots and maintain that number in years four and five for an estimated cost of $1.2 to $1.5 million over current spending.
b. Use and update the infrastructure of the City’s Keep Fremont Housed program to target services so that they are more likely to prevent homelessness. • Cap assistance to 30% of the area median (AMI) .
• Conduct outreach to households most at risk of becoming unhoused: non-lease holders, disabled, seniors, and those with a history of homelessness. • Conduct outreach in neighborhoods with higher levels of rent burdened and overcrowded households.
• Rapidly resolve episodes of homelessness with housing problem solving and flexible financial assistance.
c. Use infrastructure of the City’s Rent Review Board to strengthen tenant/landlord relations and housing stability.
• Offer mediation services for landlords and tenants.
• Consider landlord liaison services and incentives.
• Ensure landlords understand and are supported to comply with the updated California Renter Protection Act (AB1482
), which takes effect in July 2024.

Consider adopting additional local measures to prevent displacement of low- income residents or households at risk of homelessness, like those in nearby cities such as Hayward, Alameda, Berkeley, and San Jose.

Strategy 2: Increase Housing Solutions
These recommendations help achieve Goal A: Stop the growth of homelessness and Goal B: Increase pathways to housing.
a. Expand the supply of Rapid Rehousing (RRH) from 35 slots to 70 slots in year 3 and 140 slots by year 5, for an estimated cost of $1.4 to 1.8 million additional spending annually.
b. Launch a Shallow Subsidy Program that can serve up to 145 households by year 5 for an estimated additional cost of $1 million annually.

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c. Support local and state initiatives to increase affordable housing. • Streamline development requirements.
• Add or increase requirements for units dedicated to unhoused individuals. • Allow for more density in developments.

Strategy 3: Connect People to Shelter, Housing, and Services These recommendations help achieve Goal B: Increase pathways to housing and Goal C:

Reduce the impact of unsheltered homelessness.
a. Expand the City’s Winter Relief Program from 5 months to 12 months for an increased annual cost of $1.2 million.
b. Increase the number of people moving from encampments into shelter and housing by expanding intake hours at interim shelters and increasing connections between street outreach teams, Coordinated Entry, and interim housing. c. Expand the Housing Flex Fund (HHF) services, like those available at the Wellness and Navigation Centers, to assist people from all programs serving unhoused residents:
emergency shelters, interim housing, and street outreach. This approach should support having more system flow and enable moving people out of shelters more quickly so beds turn over three times per year instead of two times, as they do now for an estimated increased annual cost of $1.8 million by year five. d. Increase services to people living in their vehicles including those in RVs, such that they have safe places to stay and pathways to housing. This can include, but not be limited to, expansion of safe parking outlined in the three-pronged strategy proposed to the Fremont City Council several years ago.
• Continue to use private host sites.
• Develop a City-owned safe parking site that could be lower barrier, open 24 hours, and include RVs.
• Allow sanctioned parking of individual vehicles on a case-by-case basis. Any model used should include access to Rapid Rehousing and the Flex Fund described above. City staff will need to design the specifics of these program types based on sites, budget, and other parking regulations under consideration. Targeted services to additional vehicles would likely cost $500,00-$700,000 annually depending upon the program structure.

By investing in any of the Strategy 3 recommendations, more shelter and housing will become available and allow the City more flexibility to resolve encampment concerns.

Strategy 4: Mitigate the Impact of Unsheltered Homelessness This strategy helps Goal C: Reduce the impact of unsheltered homelessness. a. Pair expanded safe parking options with implementation of parking restrictions. b. Expand field staff available for encampment assessment, outreach, and triage response, in alignment with current practices of the City’s Mobile Evaluation Team. Pair

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with access to the Flex Funds that can be used creatively from prevention and diversion support services so people can remain in their homes, to transportation services for people to reunite with family or friends, or to temporary hotel vouchers so people can move indoors.
c. Continue implementation and refinement of the structured, proactive encampment response to reduce health and safety hazards, resolve complaints, and connect people to services.
d. Continue to adequately support trash removal and hygiene stations to protect sensitive environmental areas around existing encampments.

The objective of mitigation activities is to result in:
• decreased need for emergency service calls to encampments from fire, police, and medical transportation;
• fewer unsheltered people and smaller encampment populations and footprints; and
• decreased impact on infrastructure such as utilities, water, and structures; includes code enforcement cases and debris removal.

Strategy 5: Strengthen Coordination and Capacity of the Homeless Response
This strategy helps achieve all three goals.
a. Ensure accountability to broader community for the HRP’s progress. • Establish clear metrics for all three goals, set baselines for year one, and report out annually.
• Engage community members in successful implementation of the HRP through a subset of existing commission seats.
• Develop a mechanism to directly engage and receive feedback from those with lived homelessness experience.
b. Coordinate implementation at all levels.
• Participate in County’s land use task force recommended as part of Alameda County’s Emergency Declaration on Homelessness action plan. • Enhance information sharing and collaboration between providers facilitated by executing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for non-City funded programs and convening a common table to share challenges and prevent duplication of efforts.
• Expand connections to school districts and hospitals to better identify and serve families and the medically vulnerable.
c. Improve partner knowledge of implementation efforts and progress. • Enhance data collection and reporting for information not collected in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
• Improve public access to data, including race, ethnicity, other demographics, unmet need, and program outcomes.

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d. Increase the system’s capacity with new resources.
• Consider adopting a local revenue stream dedicated to addressing homelessness.
• Enhance City staff’s ability to identify and quickly respond to opportunities to obtain more direct state and federal resources, such as the following. o Develop and maintain an inventory of potential sites for interim or permanent housing programs.
o Track and pursue all available revenue streams from county, state, and federal sources.

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Sources

As noted in the Introduction, EdeColigny Consulting referenced multiple sources of primary data, provided by the City, including but not limited to:
• Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data
• Other demographic and performance data
• Housing and services inventories, current and under development • City contracts and spending dedicated to addressing homelessness • Staff reports to the Fremont City Council
• Annual reports from Fremont providers

Published Sources
Alameda County Office of Homeless Care and Coordination (2021). Home Together 2026 Community Plan. Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024.

All Home (2021). Regional Action Plan. Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024.

Applied Survey Research (2022). 2022 Alameda County Homeless Count and Survey Comprehensive Report. Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024. (This source includes links to Executive Summaries of city reports and prior PIT Count reports referenced in this analysis.)

Applied Survey Research (2022). 2022 City of Fremont Homeless Count and Survey Comprehensive Report. Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024.

Bay Area Economics (June 2021). Fremont Residential Displacement Study Report.

Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024.

Brown, Rebecca, et al. (2022) “Factors Associated With Mortality Among Homeless Older Adults in California: The HOPE HOME Study.” Journal of the American Medical Association:

Internal Medicine: 182(10):1052-1060. Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024.

California Department of Real Estate (2022). Alameda County California Tenants: A Guide to Residential Tenants’ and Landlords’ Rights and Responsibilities. Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024.

City of Tacoma Homelessness Strategy (2022). Available online through this link , last
accessed April 11, 2024. No authors cited.

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Homebase (2021). Let’s House Hayward! 2021 City of Hayward Homelessness Reduction Strategic Plan. Available online through this link, last accessed April 11, 2024.

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Glossary
Alameda County Office of Homeless Care and Coordination: This office coordinates the County’s homeless response across departments and between the County and the fourteen cities within Alameda County including Fremont. A large portion of state and federal funds to address homelessness are managed by the County.

Continuum of Care (CoC): A regional or local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless families and individuals.

Coordinated Entry System: Alameda County’s Coordinated Entry System is used to connect residents experiencing homelessness to resources in the County’s homeless response system.

Encampment Cleanup: The removal of debris and waste created by people living outdoors on public or private property and the reclamation of the site.

First time homelessness (or new homelessness): A person or household who has lost housing and become homeless for the first time.

Functional Zero: A state where any person starting a new homeless episode has immediate access to shelter and a permanent housing intervention. This acknowledges that homelessness will never fully disappear from a community.

Instead, it aspires to making it rare, brief and, when it happens to someone, they do not experience it again.

Homeless: People who are residing in emergency shelter, transitional housing, on the street, or in another place not meant for human habitation.

Homeless Management Information System (HMIS): 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.

HUD: The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is a federal agency that provides much of the resources dedicated to solving homelessness. They set and monitor the federal requirements communities must meet in order to access those resources, including the requirement to have Homeless Continuum’s of Care, Coordinated Entry, and HMIS.

Mitigation: Alleviating and/or reducing the health and safety impacts on people living in encampments and those who live or work in surrounding areas. Can include code enforcement and legal intervention.

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Pathway to Housing: The set of programs and resources expected to be used by a household experiencing homelessness in order to be temporarily sheltered and to become permanently housed.

Point-in-Time (PIT) Count: An unduplicated one-night estimate of both sheltered and unsheltered homeless populations (to be distinguished from the number of people experiencing homelessness annually).

Sheltered homelessness: A person experiencing homelessness who is living in a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide a temporary living arrangement.

Unsheltered homelessness: A person with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or campground.

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Appendix A: Community Engagement

From October 2023 through January 2024, consultants sought input from a wide range of interested parties using multiple outreach methods including the following:
• Launch meeting with City staff from all City departments engaged in homeless response, including Police, Fire, Public Works, Economic Development, Community Services, Community Development, City Attorney, Human Services, and City Manager’s Office
• Two in-person meetings open to the public to present initial data findings and hear recommendations and concerns; attended by 55 people
• Fifteen individual interviews with the Mayor, Vice-Mayor, Council members, key homeless service providers, leaders from Kaiser and Washington hospitals, community advocates, and the school district
• Five focus groups: two with people currently unhoused in Fremont, two with business owners, and one with housing providers
• A widely advertised online community survey that had 639 responses from the community including people with lived experience of homelessness, renters, businesses, and homeowners
• Eight presentations to City boards/commissions and advisory groups:
o Senior Citizen Commission
o Police Chief’s Youth Advisory Board
o Recreation Commission
o Planning Commission
o Economic Development Advisory Commission
o Human Relations Commission
o Citizen Advisory Committee
o Family Resource Center Leadership Board
• Individuals and groups also submitted recommendations via email The EdeColigny Consulting team is very grateful for the thoughtful, passionate, and candid input received from all these sources. The hope is for participants to see their aspirations, insights, and concerns reflected in these recommendations.

Draft recommendations were presented in two community webinars on February 29, 2024 and March 2, 2024. The sessions were open to the public and approximately 40 people participated.

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Appendix B: Homeless Response System Components
Detail

The City of Fremont’s current response is detailed below and organized according to the four components of a homeless response system:

1. Prevention resources to keep at-risk households from becoming unhoused

2. Pathways to housing, with permanent housing and other interventions that resolve homelessness

3. Crisis support services for individuals experiencing homelessness such as outreach, shelter, and supportive services

4. Mitigation activities to minimize the impact of homelessness on the larger community

The descriptions include the role of each in the system, the current need, performance results, and costs when Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and budget data is available. Cost estimates for each intervention were developed using Home Together 2026 Plan numbers, City of Fremont budget numbers, cost estimates publicly available from other communities and programs, and estimates from local providers. They are meant to provide an approximate range, as there is a lot of diversity across providers and models and such costs typically increase over time.

1. Prevention Resources
Homelessness prevention is targeted financial assistance and housing problem solving support for households at greatest risk of becoming homeless.13 The City of Fremont’s 2024-25 budget calls for spending $443,294 on prevention. This represents the last of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds provided by the federal government to prevent evictions during the COVID-10 pandemic. All financial assistance funds have been distributed. This amount is for services and administration only. It will not assist additional households. ERAP funds were not spent exclusively on people at greatest risk of experiencing homelessness.
• Assisted in 2022-23: This is unknown because the program served a broader population.
• Current Need: An estimated 200-300 households enter homelessness each year in Fremont.
• Current Cost: The estimated cost of homelessness prevention support is $12,500 per household served.

13 At risk of homelessness means that the person/household will lose their primary nighttime residence within 14 days and has not identified a subsequent residence nor has the resources needed to obtain other housing on their own. Some known risk factors include fixed income below 15% of the area median; being a non-lease holder, couch surfing, staying with family or friends ; being senior and/or disabled; and prior experience of homelessness.

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2. Pathways to Housing
Ensuring unhoused individuals return to a permanent home is a primary goal of any homeless response system. Unfortunately, only 8% of the 2,050 people, or approximately 200 people, who were unhoused in Fremont during the 2022-23 program year resolved their homelessness. Interventions that assist people to obtain stable housing vary in approach and cost and depend on the needs of a household.

Rapid Exit Flex Funds
Both the Fremont Wellness Center and the Housing Navigation Center have housing flex funds that fund one-time or short-term assistance to help unhoused people exit homelessness quickly. Flex funds can be used on items like move-in assistance (first month’s rent or security deposit), clearing rent or utility arrears, moving costs, or other barriers to housing like parking tickets or auto repairs. • Assisted in 2022-23: 100 households have been assisted. • Current Need: It is estimated that 10-25% of Fremont’s homeless population (200-450 households per year) could resolve their homelessness with one-time assistance, leaving a gap of 100-350 households per year.14 • Current Cost: The cost of one-time assistance varies widely, but current programs report an average cost of $900 and a range of $10 to $6,000.

Rapid Rehousing
Rapid rehousing (RRH) is a form of permanent housing that provides 6-24 months of rental assistance and supportive services focused intently on increasing income and self- sufficiency. Households initially pay a small portion of their income toward rent but over the course of their time in the program, they gradually assume a greater portion of it. When they “graduate,” rental subsidies and services phase out, and they hold their own lease to an apartment. Unlike permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing assumes regular program turnover, as households graduate off the assistance. It is generally not appropriate for people with the highest needs, as households must be able to increase their income during the time in the program. Fremont’s two RRH programs can assist 36 households at a time. 100% of households exited with at least one form of income, and most (71%) households exit successfully into permanent housing. • Assisted in 2022-23: 36 RRH slots assisted 55 people last program year, for an average of roughly nine months.
• Current Need: Using the first year of the Home Together 2026 Plan inventory estimates, Fremont needed 108 RRH slots to meet the need for this intervention.
• Current Cost: The approximate cost of rapid rehousing is $28,000 to $35,000 per household per year.

14 This estimate is taken from a system modeling conducted by EveryOne Home prior to the modeling completed in the County’s 2026 plan. The County’s 2026 plan does not provide this estimate, so it was taken from the earlier version.

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Permanent Supportive Housing
Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is affordable housing that comes with a range of supportive services. It is designed for people with the highest level of need, who are likely to require some level of services for the rest of their lives. Fremont had 169 units of PSH in four different HMIS projects during the 2022-23 program year. Since then, two developments have been completed, adding 60 units to the inventory. PSH is tremendously successful. Ninety-six percent (96%) of the people enrolled in permanent supportive housing reach the 12-month benchmark of housing stability, and the average length of stay is 7.5 years. PSH provides an excellent model for supporting people with complex needs and has a long track record of success. Unfortunately, the supply is very limited, with just seven units turning over in a typical year. • Assisted in 2022-23: 169 units assisted 211 people. Only 10 of those units turned over.
• Current Need: Using the first year of the Home Together 2026 Plan inventory estimates, Fremont needed 61 PSH units to open and 36 more for frail seniors. The addition of two affordable housing projects, Doug Ford Senior Apartments (45 units) and Granite Ridge Apartments (15 units), meets a substantial portion of the year-one need. There are 68 units in the pipeline. • Current Cost: PSH is a resource-enriched and expensive model, costing $35,000 to $40,000 per year.

Shallow Subsidies
Shallow subsidies provide fixed levels of rental assistance for individuals and families that need longer term but more limited support than PSH or another permanent subsidy. This program model was introduced in the Home Together 2026 Plan and is being implemented on a small scale in several cities around the Bay Area, including Oakland and Berkeley.

Like prevention, shallow subsidies can be a cost-effective intervention to reduce and prevent homelessness.
• Assisted in 2022-23: This resource is not currently available in Fremont. • Current Need: Using the first year of the Home Together 2026 Plan inventory estimates, Fremont needed 59 shallow subsidy slots to meet the need for this intervention.
• Current Cost: The Home Together 2026 Plan budgets shallow subsidies at up to $10,000/year for single adults and $15,300 for families with minor children.

3. Crisis Supports for People Experiencing Homelessness Interim Housing/Emergency Shelter
Interim housing includes all programs providing time-limited housing assistance, often paired with supportive services and other resources for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The aims of interim housing are typically to provide a safe

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place to stay to alleviate the immediate crisis of homelessness and to support residents to move on to permanent housing. Fremont has three year-round interim housing programs offering 129 beds, including 18 for those fleeing domestic violence and human trafficking, plus the City’s 60-bed Winter Relief Program. The average length of stay in emergency shelter in 2022-23 was 189 days (just over 6 months) and has increased over time, meaning Fremont’s shelters serve fewer people as the “flow” slows down. Forty-six percent (46%) of the people served by Fremont shelters in HMIS exited into permanent housing. Twenty- nine percent (29%) exited to unsheltered homelessness.
• Assisted in 2022-23: A total of 336 people were sheltered, 240 people documented in HMIS, another 126 served by SAVE, but not recorded in HMIS to protect domestic violence survivors’ confidentiality. • Current Need: Assuming the objective of no unsheltered homelessness, the need in 2022-23 would have been 1,025 beds to serve 2,050 people. Only 18% of the need was met.
• Current Cost: The approximate cost of emergency shelter is $24,000 to $31,000 per bed per year. If people stay an average of six months in shelter, the per person cost would average $12,000 to $15,500.

Safe Parking
Safe parking provides a sanctioned place where people can live in their cars without risk of incurring other losses or penalties. It also makes it easier for people to be connected to other essential resources, including housing, as it provides a “home base.” By offering basic services like bathrooms, handwashing stations, trash bins, and security, it can reduce some of the hardships associated with living in a vehicle. Such programs can reduce the impact of unauthorized parking elsewhere in the city. There is one Safe Parking program in Fremont which offers roughly 15 parking spots. • Assisted in 2022-23: 15 parking slots assisted 36 people. • Current Need: There are 573 people in Fremont living in vehicles. Without more shelter or permanent housing capacity, the City would need to add up to 280 additional sanctioned parking spaces to have no unmet need. The need for safe parking has an inverse relationship to shelter capacity. If the latter increases, the need for safe parking goes down.
• Current Costs: The approximate cost of the City’s current safe parking program is $15,000 to $16,000 per car/spot per year or $5,000 per person served. That cost would increase if more substantial services were provided.

Street Outreach Services
Street outreach offers essential non-housing support to unsheltered households who are largely disconnected from care. Outreach focuses on building trust, connecting people to the resources/supplies required to address their immediate needs and mitigate crises, while also helping people access shelter and housing. There is even less “flow” from street

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outreach into shelter than there is from shelter to housing. Only 15 or 4.5% of those served by street outreach exited unsheltered homelessness15.
• Assisted in 2022-23: 329 people were assisted per HMIS. • Current Need: Of the estimated 1,730 people spending a portion of the year unsheltered in Fremont, 1,300 were not served by outreach. For street outreach, the need is better defined by the gap in resources outreach staff has to offer those staying outdoors and in vehicles. If staff could more quickly connect people to shelter and housing resources, each staff person could serve more people more effectively for less time. Unsheltered homelessness will decrease as prevention, housing, and shelter capacity increase.
• Current Cost: The City spent $393,000 on street outreach through its Mobile Evaluation Teams16.

Other Supportive Services
This category includes meal programs, shower and laundry services, and drop-in programs. In a system like Fremont’s, with very few opportunities to exit homelessness or even move indoors, these services can help ensure survival, but without permanent housing options, they do little to solve homelessness. Only one “support services only” (SSO) program entered data into HMIS. The South County Wellness Center provides meals, drop-in services, laundry, showers, and case management in addition to the flex funds described above. Other programs funded by the City did not use HMIS. The Department of Human Services also provides case management services that assist unhoused people, including helping them to find housing, but they are not exclusive to homeless people and did not enter data into HMIS at the time of this analysis. • Assisted in 2022-23: 359 people were assisted per HMIS, with only 2 recorded exits.
• Current Need: HMIS data records that 18% of the 2,050 people experiencing homelessness in Fremont were assisted by services only. Even assuming another 360 were assisted by services outside of HMIS, that still leaves hundreds of people untouched by even basic survival support while homeless.
• Current Cost: The City spent $1.3 million on other supportive services.

4. Mitigation Activities
The category of mitigation activities includes actions taken by the Fire and Police Departments, including the Mobile Evaluation Team (MET), abatement services, and responses to the City’s Customer Relationship Management tool, Fremont App, for encampment related service requests. The City spent $1.9 million on mitigation response in FY 2022-23. These services included abating 409 metric tons of debris, dispatching the

15 These outcomes are for street outreach programs that enter data into HMIS; they are not funded by the City of Fremont.
16 No housing or shelter exit data for City funded outreach services were available for this analysis.

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Fire Department 958 times, the MET 295 times, and addressing 194 service requests by Fremont residents related to encampments and the unhoused. City staff monitors 200 encampment sites and conducts regular mitigation activities. In 2022, staff implemented a tool at high impact sites to help quantify site conditions. In the last year, the number of Fremont App service requests has decreased, as illustrated in the table below. While there could be numerous factors leading to that decrease, it is hoped that the proactive approach and site condition index tool are beginning to demonstrate a reduced impact of encampments on City costs and services.

City of Fremont Encampment Related Service Requests through Fremont App

ALL YEARS 6/4/21 - 6/30/22 7/1/22-6/27/23
Number
% of
Requests Number
% of
Requests Number
% of
Requests
% Change
FY21 to FY22
Total 543 100 349 100.0% 194 100.0% -44.0%

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Fremont City CouncilMay 21, 2024

Fremont City Council
May 21, 2024