Fullerton Homeless Plan Committee
Strategic Plan for Addressing
Homelessness
Report to the Fullerton City Council
January 24, 2020
1 Fullerton Homeless Plan Committee
Strategic Plan for Addressing Homelessness
Report to the Fullerton City Council
Table of Contents
PAGE
Acknowledgements 1
Executive Summary 2
Comprehensive Recommendations 3
Key Findings 5
Homeless Plan Committee Process 9
Acknowledgements
City Council
Jennifer Fitzgerald, Mayor
Jesus Silva, Council Member
Ahmad Zahra, Council Member
Bruce Whitaker, Council Member
Jan M. Flory, Council Member
Ken Domer, City Manager
Homeless Plan Committee Members
Rusty Kennedy, Chair, Fullerton Resident, former Chair of Fullerton Mentally Ill Homeless Task Force, retired non-profit CEO.
Allison Howell –Fullerton Resident, Local Business Owner Barbara Johnson –Fullerton Resident, Pathways of Hope Founder, Full. Interfaith Ministerial Assn.
Barry Ross -Providence St. Joseph Health Regional Director, Fullerton Collaborative Board David Gillanders, -CEO Pathways of Hope, Executive Comm. Family Solutions Collaborative Deacon Richard Doubledee- Deacon, St. Philip Benizi, Tri-Parish Homelessness Collaborative Harry Langenbacher -Fullerton Resident, Housing Is a Human Right OC Rev. Jason Philips -Fullerton Resident, Fullerton ACT, Full. Collaborative Homeless Task Force Rev. Jay Williams -Fullerton Resident, Executive Director of OC United Karen Sharma -Fullerton Resident, Substitute School Teacher, FJUHSD, Business Owner Lisa McPheron - Director of Campus Communications, Fullerton College Matt Bates -VP, City Net, Continuum of Care Board, Commission to End Homelessness Board Mitch Fierro -Fullerton Resident, Fullerton Free Church, OC United Board Member Rev. Dr. Mandye Yates -Pastor of First Christian Church Fullerton, Chair, Fullerton Interfaith Ministerial Assn, Fullerton Collaborative Task Force on Homelessness Theresa Harvey/Natalie Nuesca -North OC Chamber of Commerce
City Support Staff
Briana Stickney, Homeless Resources Coordinator
1 Executive Summary
Introduction
Throughout Orange County and the State, local governments are struggling with how to best address rising homelessness. According to the 2019 Point in Time Count, the City of Fullerton has an estimated 473 homeless residents with 308 unsheltered on a given night. On July 2, 2019, the City Council declared a “shelter crisis” due to the lack of emergency shelters and has embarked upon a series of efforts to best address the issue.
Homeless Plan Committee Created
City Council authorized the City Manager to appoint a committee focused on creating a comprehensive strategic plan on how to address homelessness in Fullerton in coordination with the region. The Fullerton Homeless Plan Committee (FHPC) was comprised of a spectrum of individuals ranging from residents, service providers, faith leaders, business community, hospitals, and colleges. The Committee met every other week between 8.20.19 and 11.26.19.
The FHPC identified the basic causes of homelessness, learned of the interdependent actions that would need to be taken to address those causes, called out emergency recommendations that should be taken, and identified a more comprehensive set of recommendations for Fullerton City Council. The Committee believes that to impact homelessness significantly it is critical to not only address emergency shelter but to ensure there is adequate affordable housing for those coming out of emergency shelter, otherwise many will be back on the street.
Causes of Homelessness in Fullerton
1. Lack of housing affordable to very low-income residents.
2. Lack of Permanent Supportive Housing for individuals living with mental illness.
3. Growing numbers of opioid addicted individuals reduced to living on the streets.
4. Lack of jobs with sufficient pay to afford food and shelter in our community.
Interdependent Actions Required to Address Homelessness in Fullerton Emergency Shelter/Navigation Centers
Permanent Supportive and Affordable Housing
Prevention and Diversion Programs
Public Safety and Outreach Programs
Emergency Recommendations
1. Support emergency shelter/navigation beds for Fullerton homeless individuals at:
a. Buena Park 150 & Placentia 80 Shelter beds for North SPA. b. Fullerton/Illumination Foundation 90 Shelter and 60 Recuperative Care beds. c. Orange County Bridges at Kraemer 200 shelter beds and multi-service center.
2. Approve use of city land for the development of Permanent Supportive housing and/or Very- Low & Low-Cost housing, and fast track the planning and approval process.
3. Develop an affordable housing plan by March 2020 with zoning to permit “by-right” development of Very Low-Income, Low-Income, and Permanent Supportive Housing to meet our RHNA goals of 312 units by 2021.
4. Amend the Fullerton Municipal and General Plan Land Use Designation, to allow properties containing religious institutions to develop permanent supportive housing and/or affordable housing on those properties “by right”.
2 Comprehensive Recommendations
Emergency Housing/Navigation Centers
1. Provide sufficient emergency shelter/navigation beds to meet the minimum requirement to allow enforcement of the anti-camping ordinance. (The Court set 60% of our 308 Point In Time estimated unsheltered homeless individuals, which is about 185 beds, as the minimum required additional shelter beds for Fullerton). It is our understanding that Fullerton will have 75 beds in the Placentia and Buena Park Shelters scheduled to open in 2020. The Illumination Foundation’s Navigation and Recuperative Care Center planned for Fullerton should add at least another 110 beds bringing Fullerton to the required number of beds until those beds all fill up.
2. Fast track the Illumination Foundation Navigation and Recuperative Care Center and include their site in the SB2 “by-right” zoning for shelters in March 2020.
3. Continually enforce the anti-camping ordinance as long as shelter beds are available and develop permanent housing to relieve the shelters when they fill up.
4. Support the Safe Parking Pilot Program that started 11.12.19 in Fullerton.
5. Ensure that all shelters follow non-discrimination policies to prevent discrimination against individuals based on Race, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Gender, Disability, or other basis.
Permanent Housing
1. Develop and implement an affordable housing plan with milestones to:
a. Meet the 2021 Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) goal of 146 Very Low- Income units, and 166 Low Income Units by 2021.
b. Meet the 2029 RHNA (Projected) goal of 2, 973 Very Low and Low-Income housing units by 2029 with quarterly milestones.
c. Identify city and other public land to encourage development of Very-Low and Low- income housing by March 2020. As developments are proposed, ease permits and density requirements to meet the RHNA goals.
d. Fast Track development of permanent supportive, Very-Low and Low-income housing as developments are proposed, to meet the RHNA goals. e. Approve an Affordable Housing Incentive Overlay Zone that increases the density and “By Right” development of mixed use with Very-Low and Low-income housing requirements in areas throughout the city to meet the RHNA goals by March 2020.
2. Amend the Fullerton General Plan Land Use Designation, to allow properties containing religious institutions to develop permanent supportive housing and/or affordable housing on those properties “by right”.
3. Adopt a Mixed Income Housing Ordinance for all new developments to provide housing for all Fullerton residents’ income levels. Require new developments to include 20% Very Low or Low-Income units or pay an “In Lieu of Fee” when the low-income housing is not feasible, creating a funding source to subsidize Very Low-Income housing units.
4. Promote Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU or “Granny Flats”) development by waiving fees, fast tracking development, and providing prefab plans.
5. Encourage hotel/motel conversions into low income housing.
6. Pass a rent stabilization ordinance for mobile home parks to prevent the loss of this affordable housing, and the loss of homes by low income owners who cannot move their older units.
3 Comprehensive Recommendations Continued
Prevention/Diversion
1. Collaborate with non-profits and faith-based organizations to develop funds with a “No Wrong Door” system of access for emergency assistance and prevention of homelessness.
2. Actively encourage non-profits and educational institutions that provide job training and placement programs for the homeless in Fullerton.
3. Welcome re-entry programs in Fullerton that assist individuals coming out of jail to get housing, treatment if needed, and employment.
4. Encourage and facilitate public and private programs in Fullerton that assist those living with mental illness, such as the Be Well Center in Orange.
5. Promote public and private programs that assist those suffering from substance abuse to provide services and locate in Fullerton.
6. Require all organizations adopt non-discrimination policies to prevent discrimination based on: Race, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Gender, Disability, or other basis.
Public Safety/Outreach
1. Applaud Fullerton Homeless Liaison Officer Program’s collaboration with Orange County Health Care Agency professionals and City Net community workers and consider enhancing it.
2. Ensure that all Fullerton Police are trained in dealing with the mentally ill and homeless.
3. Create a Fullerton Homeless Oversight mechanism to take suggestions and complaints about the shelters and homeless issues.
4. Recognize the Fullerton Collaborative’s Homeless Task Force to monitor the implementation of the report recommendations, hold public forums in collaboration with the city, and evaluate the efficacy of homeless and affordable housing programs.
Regional Collaboration
1. Support a North County SPA oversight initiative to:
a. Act as a resource to the SPA cities, sharing best practices and encouraging regional collaboration,
b. Take suggestions and complaints from residents in shelters and the public, c. Evaluate the efficacy of the homeless and affordable housing programs, and d. Monitor the implementation of these recommendations and others.
2. Contribute to a staff position to support the North County SPA oversight effort that is funded by the SPA cities.
3. Support a countywide system of data sharing to increase the coordination of services between the County, cities, non-profits and faith-based organizations.
4. Support the OC Continuum of Care in their initiative to set standards for the operation of shelters. Understanding the need for flexibility to accommodate different approaches.
4 Key Findings
The three-month process of the Committee composed of important learning opportunities, exchange of information and ideas, and much discussion and deliberation. Here are some of our key findings.
1. Cost Benefit Analysis: Housing a homeless individual is less expensive than leaving them on the street. United Way of OC – Homelessness in Orange County: The Cost to Our Community 2017. (See graphs below)
Prevention and Diversion are cost effective strategies for addressing homelessness.
5 Key Findings Continued
2. The Anti-Camping Ordinance cannot be enforced until Fullerton can provide year-round shelter for 60% of the unsheltered homeless population.
North SPA Federal Court Settlement Agreement
3. After the Buena Park, Placentia, and Fullerton Navigation Center shelter beds are all available, the City of Fullerton should be able to enforce the Anti- Camping Ordinance.
Ken Domer –City of Fullerton: City Manager
4. Homelessness cannot be solved through arrests and requires a system of care.
Robert Dunn –City of Fullerton Police Chief
Source: Orange County Point-In-Time Report 2019
6 Key Findings Continued
5. Bridges at Kraemer Place, the only available year-round shelter accessible to Fullerton, is close to or at capacity the majority of the year.
City Net –City of Fullerton Outreach Contracted Agency
North Service Planning Area Demographics
Source: Orange County Point-In-Time Report 2019
7 Key Findings Continued
6. Shelters are important, but affordable housing is critical to solving homelessness.
Cesar Covarrubias –The Kennedy Commission
7. Fullerton is falling behind in the Low and Very Low Regional Housing Needs Assessment goal for 2021.
SCAG, Regional Housing Needs Assessment
8 Committee Process
To provide a foundation for understanding the current efforts on a city, region, and county level, guest speakers were invited to address the FHPC, members of the public were invited to share their ideas and opinions at each meeting, recommendations were brainstormed with the committee members and public, recommendations were prioritized, and a report was issued.
August 20th, 2019 –Topic: Fullerton Homeless Effort
Rebecca Leifkes, City of Fullerton (Housing and Homeless Resources Manager) –Presented information on the efforts the City of Fullerton has worked on around homelessness. The presentation included an overview on the context of homelessness in Fullerton, current funding available, potential funding, the North Service Planning Area, housing progress and the anticipated Navigations Centers.
September 17th, 2019 –Topic: Fullerton Police Department and Homelessness Robert Dunn, Fullerton Police Chief –Presented on the Fullerton Police Department’s involvement around homelessness. Chief Dunn spoke on how the Police Department cannot arrest their way out of the issue and have had to relearn how to engage with the homeless population. The presentation included information on the no-camping ordinance, changes the police department have implemented, and the challenges that have come with losing the ability to enforce of anti-camping ordinance as well as, minor drug and loitering misdemeanors.
October 1st, 2019 – Topic: Homeless Lawsuit Settlement
Ken Domer, Fullerton City Manager –Presented information on the Settlement Agreement the City of Fullerton entered into with the Federal Court. Ken Domer spoke on regional efforts, Navigation Centers, police enforcement, Federal Judge Carter and upcoming resources.
October 15th 2019 – Topic: Affordable Housing in Orange County Cesar Covarrubias, Kennedy Commission –Presented on affordable housing in Orange County and information on Fullerton’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment. During the presentation Cesar Covarrubias provided insight on the unique challenges and opportunities around affordable housing.
October 29th 2019 – Topic: Homelessness in Orange County Susan Price, OC Director of Care Coordination –Presented on the current status of homelessness in Orange County. In her role she worked to develop a countywide System of Care to help address homelessness with a holistic approach. In addition to a System of Care, Susan Price spoke on the County the Point in Time Count, the Service Planning Areas, and setting the goal of ending Veterans Homelessness. The strategies the County is focusing on to end homelessness are the following:
Implementing prevention and diversion
Employment
Housing Development.
November 12 and November 26 – Topic: Developing Recommendations In the last two meetings the committee focused on discussing the strategies for addressing homelessness and agreed upon a series of recommendations to the Fullerton City Council as well as next steps. The Chair was authorized to edit the final draft to reflect the committee’s agreements and request a Study Session with the City Council to present the report.