Agenda Item No. 6
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council DATE: February 15, 2022 FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
Bruce Buckingham, Community Development Director
Greg Ray, Public Works Director/City Engineer
John Peters, Chief of Police
Kathy Petker, Parks and Recreation Director
SUBJECT: Homelessness Response Update
RECOMMENDATION
Receive an update on the current status of the City’s response to homelessness in Grover Beach and actions the City is taking to address this issue and provide input and direction to staff.
BACKGROUND
This agenda item is an update on the City’s efforts to address homelessness issues in Grover Beach following a previous update provided to the Council on November 8, 2021. Homelessness continues to be a significant challenge not only in Grover Beach but throughout the entire county and state. The Council has recognized the importance of addressing this challenge with the selection of Housing and Homelessness as a Major City Goal for FY 2021-23 which states:
Housing and Homelessness. Update City codes and standards to encourage housing construction to meet diverse needs; collaborate with developers and non-profits in efforts to increase overall housing stock with a priority on affordable housing availability; and partner with regional agencies and organizations to address homelessness and related sheltering issues in the city and region.
This issue has strong resonance with the community as evident by the City’s recent community survey conducted in fall 2021. Homelessness was identified by respondents as the most important issue facing the city (cited by 35% of respondents) exceeding the next most cited issues of road and infrastructure improvements (27%), affordable housing (11%), and crime and safety (11%).
When asked if the City should do more to address homelessness, 70% of respondents indicated yes with the most supported activity to address homelessness being temporary or permanent shelter space for homeless individuals (46%) followed by outreach to homeless on accessing services and housing (39%) and clearing encampments and enforcing camping ordinances (28%).
As the Council is aware, the City has a long-standing record of working with partner agencies and organizations on addressing homelessness including securing over $1,000,000 in past years in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for eviction prevention and security deposits administered by the 5Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC) to prevent homelessness among Grover Beach residents. The City also received over $450,000 in additional CDBG funding in 2021 from the federal CARES Act to support the South County winter warming center, provide assistance to homeless individuals including mental health services, and expand child care Staff Report: Homelessness Response Update Page 2
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opportunities which supports employment. The City also declared a homeless shelter crisis in October 2018 along with other jurisdictions in San Luis Obispo County given the increased number of unsheltered individuals in our communities. San Luis Obispo County currently has one of the highest percentages of unsheltered homeless individuals in the nation with limited shelter space available in the county and none in South County. The updated Point In Time Count occurring in late February will provide further information on the current number of homeless individuals in the county. In addition to these actions by the City, the 5CHC has run a winter warming center for homeless individuals on a temporary basis in various locations in Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande over the past five years.
Access to housing is particularly critical yet incredibly difficult given low housing supply in the region especially with rental housing. As an example, as reported in November 2021 by 5CHC the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo County (HASLO) recently received more than 500 applications countywide in two months for securing one of 156 emergency housing vouchers which were fully leased in October. The City has taken a step forward in addressing this housing issue by approving a 53-unit affordable housing project by People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH) and HASLO on South 13th Street. Once built, this project will provide housing for those with low and very low-income levels who are often close to or experiencing homelessness.
However, given the increased challenges with homelessness in our community and in recognition of the related Major City Goal, staff is regularly updating the Council on current and pending actions the City is taking to address this significant community issue. These actions are not taken in isolation but are being carried out in coordination with the County, 5CHC, and other cities given the extent and impact of homelessness throughout our communities. The City’s overarching goals with addressing homelessness are to demonstrate compassion with enabling unhoused individuals to obtain needed housing and services while ensuring order with maintenance and cleanliness of public spaces including public parks. Homelessness is an issue much larger than the traditional role of cities and while cities did not create homelessness, we are having to address it and the impacts it creates in our communities. This is truly a regional issue with substantial engagement by the County in establishing safe parking areas, coordinating trash removal efforts, providing social and human services, and facilitating grant funding opportunities.
The City’s efforts and those of other public agencies are complicated by the legal ramifications of the Martin vs. Boise case. This case law from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals prohibits enforcement of camping prohibitions in public spaces if there is no designated shelter space or public space for unhoused individuals to go. This law governs communities throughout the western United States and has a profound impact on the ability of local government to legally address homelessness particularly in areas like South County that do not currently have available shelter space.
Temporary Emergency Shelter at County Property in Grover Beach First, staff wished to update the Council on the creation of a temporary emergency shelter on County property at 286 South16th Street in Grover Beach. On September 28, 2021, the Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance establishing local standards and procedures for the design, site development, and operation of emergency homeless shelters at public facilities which authorizes this shelter location. The County is serving as the lead permitting authority given the location on County property with support from the City as needed. This temporary shelter will be co-located with other public facilities including the County Public Health Clinic and Alcohol and Drug Services along with a Superior Court courthouse. The shelter concept involves installation of up to 20 “pallet homes” (also called cabins) roughly 100 square feet in size that would be connected with 24/7 case management and support to clients. Attachment 1 provides images Staff Report: Homelessness Response Update Page 3
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showing these pallet homes and Attachment 2 shows the location in relation to other public facilities along with the proposed site plan. These pallet homes have been installed in numerous communities in California in recent years including Sonoma, Redondo Beach, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Isla Vista as emergency housing though have not yet been used in San Luis Obispo County.
In addition to the 20 cabins, 5CHC will also install bathing and bathroom facilities, administrative offices, communal spaces, shaded eating and resting area, and a storage area as shown on the site plan in Attachment 2. The facility will be managed and monitored 24/7 with 5CHC staff with security cameras and privacy fencing installed. The Grover Beach Police Department will be lead agency in responding to safety issues as needed. The facility will house individuals on a reservation rather than drop-in basis and designed to provide temporary transitional housing for up to 90 days along with wraparound services. Homeless individuals from throughout South County are eligible to stay at the shelter though there would be specific outreach within Grover Beach including at Ramona Park.
5CHC is the lead agency for this temporary emergency shelter in partnership with the County and City. 5CHC is now working with the County on the final stages of the development review process to prepare the site for installation and operation of the units beginning this spring. Additional Information about the shelter is available on the 5CHC website at https://5chc.org/temporaryshelter/ with additional public communication to be shared as the facility is under construction. The shelter is scheduled to be operational through December 2022 unless the Board of Supervisors extends the enabling ordinance to allow this temporary shelter to continue depending on the success and impacts of this facility.
Additional Shelter Spaces
Despite the significance of this initial shelter space, it is just a temporary location and only provides 20 housing units towards meeting the need for shelter space in South County. Providing shelter space is critical to enable homeless individuals to secure stable housing and services while enabling the City to enforce camping prohibitions in public spaces. The City is working with other cities along with the County and 5CHC on potential sites in the South County area for additional shelter spaces both temporary and permanent. 5CHC has looked at potential sites for shelter space over the past 10 years throughout the South County area but has not been able to secure suitable and available property.
A potential site for transitional housing, a winter warming center, and case management services and administrative offices was identified by 5CHC and People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHH) in 2019 at the former Hillside Church in Grover Beach using approximately $2 million in Homeless Emergency Aid Program grant funding from the State. However, this site did not move forward given a property ownership dispute and the funds were reallocated to other homeless-related facilities including transitional housing for PSHH in Pismo Beach and case management and administrative offices for 5CHC in Grover Beach. However, the winter warming center facility was not addressed and remains an outstanding need.
5CHC is working diligently to locate suitable and available property for homeless facilities which could include an emergency shelter, youth and family shelter, adult transitional housing, winter warming center, day use shelter, and/or safe houses that are more residential in nature. 5CHC is assessing property options in the South County area and funding availability to purchase such property. As the Council is aware, the City has allocated up to $800,000 in the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) $1.6 million funding this year towards homeless facilities and services in Grover Beach in a flexible manner based on the needs with acquisition of any property for this Staff Report: Homelessness Response Update Page 4
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purpose requiring Council approval. If property was secured, 5CHC would seek additional funding for homeless facilities from State Homekey grant funds as well as from the County, other cities, and private sources and foundations.
Encampment Cleaning on Public Property
Lastly, in addition to the City’s work to help homeless individuals access services and housing and create temporary and permanent shelter space, the City is also taking action to clean and remove trash at homeless encampments on public spaces to improve the appearance and safety of these areas. The City has periodically taken such actions near the train station along Highway 1, wooded area near North 4th Street and El Camino Real on the Grover Beach/Pismo Beach border, and at Ramona Park. The Boise case law has placed significant limitations on actions that cities can take with regards to homeless areas on public property. Specifically, while a city can clean and remove trash from areas in public spaces where homeless individuals are located, a city generally cannot enforce camping prohibitions if there is no shelter or other public space nearby for homeless individuals. The City may by adoption of an ordinance impose prohibitions on camping or sleeping in limited public areas to the extent there are reasonably available public spaces elsewhere the homeless may use.
As the Council is aware, the City took action in November 2021 to clean and remove trash from homeless encampment areas in the wooded area near North 4th Street and El Camino Real. This area has had approximately 30-40 homeless individuals in recent years in densely wooded open space which is primarily City open space with some property in Pismo Beach and State Parks jurisdiction. A City contractor removed vegetation and carried out trash removal and cleaning of active encampment areas. All legal requirements regarding noticing of this work and disposition and storage of personal property were followed and 5CHC provided outreach in the encampment area to notify individuals of this work and connect them where possible to services and housing.
Additional cleaning and removal of trash near encampments is being done by the private property owner at 950 El Camino Real which is the site of a future hotel project currently in building permit plan review. The cost of this cleaning and trash removal work on the City’s public property was approximately $75,000 and will be funded through ARPA funds given the linkage to homeless services and outreach.
The next area of focus for encampment cleaning is Ramona Park where there is currently an encampment of approximately 20 homeless individuals. Ramona Park has historically been a place where homeless individuals have congregated given a lack of regular visitors to the park aside from special events along with a makeshift shelter area created by a gazebo and adjacent open space. Some members of the community also stop by the park and provide provisions and equipment to homeless individuals which goes beyond outreach provided by 5CHC to help individuals access services and housing. While the number of homeless individuals at the park has fluctuated over time, there has been a recent increase in this population which could be due in part to movement and displacement of homeless individuals from other sites. This has led to a noticeable deterioration in park conditions around the gazebo and restrooms and a related increase in public concerns expressed to the City particularly from nearby residents.
The City recognizes the need to improve park conditions despite the legal challenges of enforcing camping prohibitions with the lack of shelter space. The current conditions at the park are not acceptable for ensuring the park’s function as a public space for all to use. The Public Works, Parks and Recreation, and Police departments are working on cleaning the park on a more regular basis along with more significant actions including removal of the gazebo, potential closure of the restroom facilities, and more regular patrols with zero tolerance for code violations such as smoking or drinking. 5CHC would also continue to provide outreach to assist homeless individuals Staff Report: Homelessness Response Update Page 5
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in accessing services and housing. The City’s actions would begin in the coming weeks and are proposed to continue this spring in tandem with the opening of the temporary shelter at 16th Street which would provide needed shelter space to allow the City to enforce its camping ordinance at the park consistent with legal requirements. Staff would note that the estimated cost for significant cleaning at the park would be $5,000 with regular cleanings likely necessary on a weekly or biweekly basis which would quickly increase costs. While this work would be carried out by a contractor, Public Works staff time would still be necessary to oversee the work and administer the contract and Police staff time would also be needed to help clear the site. This staff time would displace time needed for other operations and maintenance work as well as Police patrol time.
Despite these efforts, there still may not be enough space available at the temporary shelter to carry out enforcement of camping prohibitions at the park. An approach the Council could consider is adoption of an ordinance that limits such enforcement to designated public parks until additional shelter spaces were available. Council could provide staff with direction to bring such an ordinance to the Council this spring for consideration.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for potential homeless facilities and services including encampment cleaning has been allocated as part of the City’s ARPA funds appropriated in this year’s operating budget. The cost for the encampment cleaning and trash removal work along El Camino Real in fall 2021 was $75,000 with an unknown cost for work at Ramona Park that will be determined based on the necessary level of cleaning frequency.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1. Receive an update on the current status of the City’s response to homelessness in Grover Beach and actions the City is taking to address this issue and provide input and direction to staff; or
2. Provide alternative direction to staff.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The agenda was posted in accordance with the Brown Act and a copy was provided to the 5Cities Homeless Coalition and to individuals who have contacted the City with concerns about homelessness.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Examples of Pallet Homes
2. Temporary Emergency Shelter Location and Site Plan
Examples of Pallet Homes
Attachment 1
Temporary Emergency Shelter Location
Attachment 2