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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE JOINT MEETING: GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL AND
GLENDALE HOUSING AUTHORITY
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Approval of the Glendale Homeless Action Plan (GHAP)
1. Council Motion to approve the Glendale Homeless Action Plan (GHAP) presented by the Glendale Continuum of Care, and direct staff to initiate implementation of the plan according to the outlined priorities and strategies.
2. Housing Authority Motion to approve the Glendale Homeless Action Plan (GHAP) presented by the Glendale Continuum of Care, and direct staff to initiate implementation of the plan according to the outlined priorities and strategies.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for September 17, 2024 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On May 1, 2022, the City of Glendale initiated the homeless strategic planning process to produce a Glendale Homeless Action Plan (GHAP). This plan builds on the existing homeless response system and funding, addressing both immediate and long-term needs. It incorporates community feedback to guide strategic priorities and enhance investments, partnerships, and programs.
The GHAP serves as a comprehensive guide for improving the City’s homelessness response, detailing priorities, strategies, and next steps. Its implementation will adhere to principles such as housing first, racial equity, resource optimization, lived expertise, shared responsibility, and accountability, aligning with local, county, state, and federal practices.
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RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council and Housing Authority approve the Glendale Homeless Action Plan presented by the Glendale Continuum of Care, and direct staff to initiate implementation of the plan according to the outlined priorities and strategies.
ANALYSIS
On May 1, 2022, the City of Glendale began developing the Glendale Homeless Action Plan (GHAP) through its Continuum of Care (CoC), which collaborates with citywide and regional entities to address homelessness. Through extensive community engagement sessions, the CoC gathered insights to create the GHAP, a detailed roadmap, highlighting priorities, strategies, and next steps, all aimed at enhancing Glendale’s Homeless Response System.
The City of Glendale Homeless Response System is made up of the following.
1. The CoC, one of thirteen in Southern California recognized by HUD.
2. Coordinated Entry System (CES) for unhoused individuals operated by Ascencia, a local non-profit homeless service provider.
3. Family CES, operated by LA Family Housing (SPA 2) and Home Again LA.
4. Youth CES, operated by Village Family Services SPA 2.
The CoC is governed by a Board of Directors, a CoC Committee, and CES Sub- Committees, focusing on strategic planning and funding. It partners with a range of organizations including healthcare providers, domestic violence and veteran services, faith-based groups, and public agencies to combat homelessness. The CoC receives funding from local, county, state, and federal sources to support programs such as homeless prevention, emergency shelters, transitional and permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and outreach.
The CoC operates within the San Fernando Valley Service Planning Area (SPA 2) of Los Angeles County. It borders SPA 3 (Pasadena) to the east, and SPA 4 to the south (Los Angeles) and west (West Hollywood). Glendale’s population makes up 2% of the County’s total population. The CoC is part of the territory with one the nation’s largest numbers of persons experiencing homelessness; therefore, Glendale is significantly impacted by trends and policies in the City and County of Los Angeles. The CoC continues to participate in regional collaboration with other CoCs and organizations like the San Fernando Valley Council of Governments and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to shape regional policies. By developing the GHAP, the City will contribute positive change not only within city limits, but the region as well. The goal is to ensure a more cohesive and comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness, avoiding duplication of efforts and filling gaps in service coverage.
Priority Areas & Strategies
Throughout a series of online and in-person community engagement and feedback sessions, with the help of stakeholders, five (5) priority areas and corresponding 3{{section.number}}1
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strategies have been identified for City officials, departments, service providers, strategic partners, and constituents to collectively advance and enhance their collective responsiveness to the City’s unhoused population. Some of the strategies identified will be easy to complete, while others will require having strong systems in place to implement (Exhibit 1).
1. Interim Housing, Permanent Supportive and Affordable Housing
2. County & Citywide, Inter-departmental and Community Coordination & Engagement
3. Intensive Case Management and Expanded Outreach
4. Homeless Prevention & Diversion
5. Streamlining Coordinated Entry System and Clarifying Roles/Responsibilities.
Each priority area and its associated strategies are intended to do the following:
•Increase transparency.
•Increase participation among constituents, departments, providers, and funders. •Leverage existing investments in homeless services and partnerships. •Plan and invest in long-term service delivery infrastructure. •Enhance and align public resources.
Goals:
In addition to the funding priorities, the CoC has identified the three (3) goals below to achieve within the next three years. Taken together, the overall aim is to achieve “functional zero” homelessness. This means ensuring that, at any given time, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness does not surpass the community’s demonstrated capacity to house them within a short period of time. Function zero represents a state where homelessness is rare and brief.
1. Decrease unsheltered homelessness by 30%
2. Increase shelter bed capacity by 80%
3. Increase Rapid-Rehousing bed capacity by 60%
The GHAP outlines a collaborative strategy to address homelessness, requiring robust leadership, teamwork, and discipline from the City, the CoC, partnering agencies, individuals with lived experience, and community stakeholders.
The ensure accountability and assess long-term impact, progress under this plan will be monitored and reported. The CoC will employ both quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate outcomes. This evaluation will leverage the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), uniformly adopted across all CoC projects, participants, and service providers along with a comparable database for victim service providers.
Reports generated by the CoC will encompass critical metrics such as the quarterly and annual progress reports, Housing Inventory Count (HIC), Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA), Stella, and System Performance Measures. These 4{{section.number}}1
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reports comprehensively track the CoC’s progress in managing the Homeless Response System within Glendale.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The City of Glendale held a total of five Community Engagement Sessions. Outreach materials were translated into multiple languages and distributed throughout the community via email, the Homeless Services website, social media, and posted at community centers. Additionally, flyers were handed out during homeless outreach efforts. These flyers included a survey link for individuals who were unable to attend the meetings in person or online, allowing them to provide feedback on the homeless response system. Surveys were also distributed to unhoused individuals during the 2023 Homeless Point-In-Time Count to gather valuable feedback from those currently experiencing homelessness.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fiscal impact associated with this report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
This item is not a project as defined in CEQA Guidelines section 15378, given that it constitutes general policy and procedure making, and thus, is not an activity subject to CEQA. (CEQA Guidelines § 15060(c)(3).)
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: The City Council and Housing Authority may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Onnig Bulanikian, Director of Community Services & Parks Prepared by:
Arsine Isayan, Homeless Programs Manager
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
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EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1 Glendale Homeless Action Plan (GHAP)