Regular Council Meeting RECEIVED
September 12, 2024 202� Sff i I P\ 1l: 57
CITY OF FRESNO
FRESNO c1Tv couNcrt.CLERK'SOFFICE
Public Comment Packet
ITEM(S)
9:15 A.M. (ID 24-1162)
Actions pertaining to the Program Year (PY) 2023 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Planning and Development (CPD) programs:
[TITLE TRUNCATED FOR SUPPLEMENTAL PACKET COVER PAGE]
Contents of Supplement: Public comment emails
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From:
Subject: FW: Public comment, 9:15am CAPER hearing
Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2024 9:59:32 AM
From: Brandi Nuse-Villegas >
Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2024 9:28 AM
To: Clerk
Subject: Public comment, 9:15am CAPER hearing
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
First, I would like to thank those who have been working on the Annual Action Plan and the CAPER for the work they are doing.
I am grateful to see services and progress that is outlined on this document including the new services included for human trafficking prevention efforts by the Justice Coalition. Prevention efforts are essential in housing as well as other safety efforts.
Comparing this to our Housing element progress report, I want to address an important issues that we need to focus on: the need for more investment in permanent housing and supportive permanent housing; the need for Housing first approaches to address homelessness and homelessness prevention
I am grateful to see the numbers of those who were prevented from losing housing and glad we have gained more affordable housing and that there are numerous developments in process.
The investment in rental assistance that helped WestCare help families stay in their homes is to be celebrated and I hope that rental assistance continues to be funded in the upcoming Annual Action Plan, as well as the funding to help with utilities and moving costs.
Every one of them is a new life for those who need it. I am also aware that these partially funding sources are not, in themselves, sufficient to provide adequate housing.
Our 2023 Housing Element progress report shows a lack of 9,000 housing units from extremely low, where the need is for those on fixed income and others who are unhoused, to moderate and it is important that all these be noted, because the lack of housing in higher income brackets means that those who may not be unhoused need to rent/buy from what is available, which affects out unhoused.
The document shows over two thousand contacts for service provision by our outreach team.
The greatest need of our unhoused is permanent housing. This is needed for those who are trying to keep or gain a job while unhoused, those who are going through treatment while unhoused, those in shelters. If there isn’t permanent housing, I’m afraid that services are being provided without reaching a solution.. Our homeless response teams and organizations need not only shelter options for those they serve, but even more so, need permanent options for our unhoused. While the Annual Action Plan cannot meet that need with the funding allocated, this document highlights a need tht must be priority, and we need to make Housing First a priority of the city.
I have encountered the need for more beds at domestic violence services and for more family shelters.
It is important and I am glad that additional funds were given to increase shelter bed capacity.
The numbers regarding those in the shelters are also concerning. Exceeding the goals of numbers of people in the overnight shelter do not feel like an accomplishment because of what we are experiencing, which are many, many people being exited back out onto the streets without permanent housing; people who were in the process of getting housing ready or are housing ready. Some of them are able to get back into the shelters, but are at risk of timing out again if they are protected and kept in the shelters until they have a permanent housing option.
One of our women noted that this cycle is traumatic to go into the shelter and then have to experience being back on the streets.
Very recently, one of our women, who has health issues, was exited while she was still in the process of getting on disability. There are many more stories that many people who are on the streets, who were in the shelters, can share. Shelters providing stability until people are in permanent housing is vital. Otherwise, it is a loss of an investment to helping people escape homelessness.
I recognize that the main issue is that we don’t have enough permanent housing. However, I would like to ask that in the planning for the upcoming annual plan, we also have greater accountability regarding our shelters. People have noted in recent city council meetings and have said that those who have health issues have been exited out and there are other circumstances that I believe make it imperative that each shelter is handling the cases for each occupant justly and fairly. We need adequate accountability for all programs, to ensure that what we are investing in is helping.
We need to continue the work of the mobile medical clinics, which have been vital and long asked for need and we are grateful for the assistance that UCSF and other providers have given.
Mobile showers are also greatly needed, and people in District 7 have been asking for these to be made available in that area.
I applaud the work of Fresno EOC to assist families through the Guaranteed Income program that helped out families in southwest Fresno.
Thank you as well for the street and facility improvement throughout the city.