Agenda Item No. 12
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council DATE: May 9, 2022
FROM: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Matthew Bronson, City Manager
SUBJECT: Homelessness Response Update
RECOMMENDATION
Receive an update on homelessness issues in Grover Beach including recent actions by the County of San Luis Obispo to address homelessness from a countywide level.
BACKGROUND
This agenda item is an update on efforts underway to address homelessness issues in Grover Beach following previous updates provided to the Council on November 8, 2021 and February 14, 2022. Homelessness continues to be a significant challenge in Grover Beach and throughout the entire county and state. The Council has recognized the importance of 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.
Homelessness has strong resonance with the community as evident by the City’s 2021 community survey as homelessness was identified by respondents as the most important issue facing Grover Beach (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%).
Summary of City Actions
Below is a summary of actions taken by the City as shared previously with the Council:
• The City has secured nearly $1.5 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding in recent years for eviction prevention and security deposits administered by the 5Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC) to prevent homelessness among Grover Beach residents. These funds have also supported the South County winter warming center, provided assistance to homeless individuals including mental health services, and expanded childcare opportunities which supports employment.
Staff Report: Homelessness Response Update Page 2
May 9, 2022
• The City has supported 5CHC in its work to develop a temporary shelter of 20 “pallet homes” or “cabins” on County property at 286 South 16th Street. This temporary shelter would be co-located with other public facilities including the County Public Health Clinic and Alcohol and Drug Services along with a Superior Court courthouse. 5CHC will also install bathing and bathroom facilities, administrative offices, communal spaces, shaded eating and resting area, and a storage area. The facility will be managed and monitored 24/7 with 5CHC staff and will have security cameras and privacy fencing installed.
Additional Information about the shelter is available on the 5CHC website at https://5chc.org/temporaryshelter/. The shelter is anticipated to be open this fall through the end of 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. • In addition, the Council on March 14, 2022 approved an acquisition of vacant property at 955 South 4th Street for use as a homeless housing facility. The acquisition cost was $425,000 which was funded through the City’s allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funding. The facility would be developed and managed by 5CHC for non-congregate temporary housing that could serve as bridge housing or an emergency shelter. 5CHC would seek grant funding from various sources to construct and operate this project such as Project Homekey funds from the State. Staff will bring the ground lease with 5CHC for use of this site to the Council for approval at an upcoming meeting. • Lastly, the City continues to take actions to clean homeless encampments and remove trash and other debris. The City previously took action in November 2021 to clean areas and remove vegetation along El Camino Real and took additional action in Ramona Park in February 2022. The work at Ramona Park included cleaning the area around an encampment and removing the gazebo slated for future removal with other park improvements but in the meantime was serving as a makeshift outdoor shelter. The City is undertaking another cleaning project along El Camino Real later this month given a buildup in trash and debris in this area once again.
Taken together, this set of actions represents one of the comprehensive approaches to addressing homelessness among cities in San Luis Obispo County particularly for a small city.
The City’s overall approach is “compassion with order” to help provide opportunities for unhoused individuals to obtain needed housing and services while ensuring the maintenance and cleanliness of our public spaces.
County Homelessness Plan and Resources
The County of San Luis Obispo has recently taken a significant step in a countywide effort in addressing homelessness. On April 19, 2022, the Board of Supervisors heard an update on homelessness issues within the county and reviewed the status of a $1.2 million spending plan for homeless initiatives approved by the Board in August 2021. The staff report for this agenda item is shown as Attachment 1. The Board also unanimously approved the following recommendations of additional items as developed by County staff:
Approval of the San Luis Obispo Countywide Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness The Board approved this update to the previous San Luis Obispo Countywide 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness approved by the Board in 2009. The updated Plan identifies 12-month, 3-year, and 5-year objectives to reduce the number of homeless individuals in the county by 50% over the next five years. The Plan indicated that although year-round emergency shelter capacity has increased by 73%, the County currently has the capacity to shelter only 20-30% of the approximately 1,500 people observed as “homeless” in the 2019 Point-In-Time (PIT) count. The results of the 2022 PIT count will soon be released and will likely show an even greater number of homeless individuals within the county. The rate of individuals entering and remaining in Staff Report: Homelessness Response Update Page 3
May 9, 2022
homelessness has outpaced efforts to increase sheltering capacity over the past several years.
Below is a visual summarizing the key objectives of this updated Plan by phase:
The first-year goals are increasing sheltering capacity and temporary housing, expanding homeless prevention and housing support, and improving data to better track movement of unhoused individuals through the services/housing systems. These areas, which are described further in the County staff report, are critical to make progress over the next 12 months towards the objective of reducing the county’s homelessness population by half within five years. These goals are consistent with the City’s approach to homelessness particularly regarding increased sheltering capacity and homelessness prevention in Grover Beach.
Building on these first-year goals, the goals in years 2-3 involve expanding case management, mental health, and substance use services and developing a Regional Compact to ensure strategic coordination of efforts throughout the county and an overall commitment by each jurisdiction to addressing this critical issue. Goals in years 4-5 are longer-term in nature and focus on additional permanent housing and refining strategies through data on what is working and what is not. The concept of a Compact is similar to the San Luis Obispo Countywide Regional Compact to address housing and infrastructure needs approved in 2020 by the County and each city including Grover Beach on March 2, 2020. This new Compact regarding homelessness would also build on the work of a new Regional Homeless Action Committee comprised of City Managers along with County staff and nonprofit service providers as shown in the diagram below:
Establishment of County Homeless Operations Center
As part of this updated Plan, the Board approved the establishment of a new regional center for homelessness services located at 885 Oklahoma Avenue in San Luis Obispo. This facility is the current County animal services shelter and will be vacated this summer when the new animal shelter opens. The Homeless Operations Center would be designed to assist homeless individuals and families navigate the variety of services often required for returning to permanent housing. Such a facility would also allow other agencies including nonprofit service providers to Staff Report: Homelessness Response Update Page 4
May 9, 2022
provide information and services to help those in need beyond what these agencies can provide at smaller sub-regional facilities in the county. This space is also located next to the existing safe parking area on Oklahoma Avenue where there are approximately 80-90 individuals currently residing in vehicles.
Creation of Homeless Division within the Department of Social Services Lastly, the Board also approved the creation of a new Homeless Division within the County Department of Social Services under the management of a Homeless Services Division Manager.
This would be the first-ever County program and budget designated to address homelessness which brings greater organizational structure and stability from the County. Almost all of the positions for this nine-person division are existing positions within County government that would be brought together in a new division which would serve as the lead agency in carrying out homelessness initiatives for County government.
Homeless Services Oversight Council Chair and Atascadero Council Member Susan Funk along with County Administrative Officer Wade Horton and County Homeless Manager Joseph Dzvonik will attend the Council meeting to provide more information about the County’s recent actions and answer questions from the Council. City staff appreciates the work of the County and its efforts to provide countywide leadership in addressing homelessness within San Luis Obispo County in partnership with cities, nonprofit service providers, businesses, residents, and others.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the City from this action.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council has the following alternatives to consider:
1. Receive an update on homelessness issues in Grover Beach including recent actions by the County of San Luis Obispo to address homelessness from a countywide level; 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. April 19, 2022 Board of Supervisors Report
COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
AGENDA ITEM TRANSMITTAL
(1) DEPARTMENT
Administrative Office
(2) MEETING DATE
4/19/2022
(3) CONTACT/PHONE
Wade Horton / 805.781.5018
Joe Dzvonik / 805.781.5014
(4) SUBJECT
Request to: 1) provide direction to staff regarding the update on the August 10, 2021 Spending Plan on Homeless Initiatives; 2) provide direction to staff regarding the draft San Luis Obispo Countywide Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness; 3) provide approval for staff to evaluate development of a County Homeless Operations/Coordination Center; and 4) provide approval for staff to pursue the establishment of a Homeless Division within the Department of Social Services. All Districts.
(5) RECOMMENDED ACTION
It is recommended that the Board:
1. Provide direction to staff regarding the update on the August 10, 2021 Spending Plan on Homeless Initiatives;
2. Provide direction to staff regarding the draft San Luis Obispo Countywide Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness;
3. Provide approval for staff to evaluate development of a County Homeless Operations/Coordination Center; and
4. Provide approval for staff to pursue the establishment of a Homeless Division within the Department of Social Services.
(6) FUNDING SOURCE(S)
N/A
(7) CURRENT YEAR FINANCIAL
IMPACT
N/A
(8) ANNUAL FINANCIAL
IMPACT
N/A
(9) BUDGETED?
N/A
(10) AGENDA PLACEMENT
{ } Consent { } Presentation { } Hearing (Time Est. _______) {X} Board Business (Time Est.120 min) (11) EXECUTED DOCUMENTS
{ } Resolutions { } Contracts { } Ordinances {X} N/A
(12) OUTLINE AGREEMENT REQUISITION NUMBER (OAR)
N/A
(13) BUDGET ADJUSTMENT REQUIRED?
BAR ID Number: N/A
{ } 4/5th's Vote Required {X} N/A
(14) LOCATION MAP
N/A
(15) BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT?
No
(16) AGENDA ITEM HISTORY
{ } N/A Date 08/10/2021
(17) ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE REVIEW
This item was prepared by the Administrative Office.
(18) SUPERVISOR DISTRICT(S)
All Districts
Attachment 1
COUNTY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Administrative Office / Wade Horton / 805.781.5018 Administrative Office / Joe Dzvonik / 805.781.5014
DATE: 4/19/2022
SUBJECT: Request to: 1) provide direction to staff regarding the update on the August 10, 2021 Spending Plan on Homeless Initiatives; 2) provide direction to staff regarding the draft San Luis Obispo Countywide Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness; 3) provide approval for staff to evaluate development of a County Homeless Operations/Coordination Center; and 4) provide approval for staff to pursue the establishment of a Homeless Division within the Department of Social Services. All Districts.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board:
1. Provide direction to staff regarding the update on the August 10, 2021 Spending Plan on Homeless Initiatives;
2. Provide direction to staff regarding the draft San Luis Obispo Countywide Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness;
3. Provide approval for staff to evaluate development of a County Homeless Operations/Coordination Center; and
4. Provide approval for staff to pursue the establishment of a Homeless Division within the Department of Social Services.
DISCUSSION
The San Luis Obispo Countywide Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness is the first comprehensive update to Path to a Home – The San Luis Obispo Countywide 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness as approved by the Board in 2009. This Strategic Plan presented today is being built to identify and achieve 12-month, 3-year and 5-year objectives to reduce the number of homeless persons in the County of San Luis Obispo to 50% of the current level over the fiveyear period following its approval for implementation by this Board. The intent today is to: 1) provide an update and receive direction from this Board regarding the Aug 10, 2021 Spending Plan on Homeless Initiatives; 2) receive direction from this Board regarding the San Luis Obispo Countywide Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness; 3) receive approval from this Board for staff to evaluate the development of a County Homeless Operations Center; and 4) receive Board approval for staff to pursue the establishment of a Homeless Division within the Department of Social Services.
All requests for funding (and associated sources of funding) for the Strategic Plan will be identified after staff receives Board guidance and feedback from today’s presentation. Staff will return to the Board in July 2022 with a completed Plan for Board review and approval.
1. Review of August 10, 2021 Spending Plan on Homeless Initiatives. Below is a table that summarizes the status of the budget adjustment request for additional homeless initiatives as approved by the Board on August 10, 2021.
All funds allocated were General Fund contingency dollars.
Program Element Nature of
Funding $ Allocated $ Spent $ Remaining
1. Safe Parking Pilot Program One-time $500,000 $325,000 $175,000
2. Blue Bag Pilot Program One-time $225,000 $0 $225,000
3. Increase Housing Now Unit Increase
(from 70Now to 80Now) Ongoing $149,509 $0 $149,509
4. Additional Pilot(s) from 10 Year Plan Update TBD TBD - -
5. 1.00 FTE LT Program Manager II – Safe Parking 2-year Term $125,735.25 Both positions filled in Nov 2021 6. 1.00 FTE BH Case Manager via contract with Transitions-Mental Health Association (TMHA) Ongoing $111,540
7. Regional Communication Strategy One-Time $125,000 $20,000 $105,000
8. Maintenance and Multiagency Licenses for
Mapping Tool Ongoing $52,600 $0 $52,600
9. Encampment Abatement Measures Ongoing $250,000 $7,460 $242,540 • Item 1 - The Safe Parking Pilot Program. This program has served over 150 homeless individuals sheltering in their vehicles since its opening in August 2021. Although there have been challenges, the program continues to provide 80-90 homeless individuals living in vehicles with a stable environment and access to services and hygiene facilities. Since its inception, approximately 25 people have left the site at their own discretion to other locations, one person tragically died on site in an RV fire, and six others have been removed for violations of acceptable behavior. Groups that visit the site regularly are Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County (CAPSLO), SLO Bangers, TMHA, Salvation Army, Eckerd, County Workforce, County nurses and Public Health. Soon, food will be delivered regularly by the SLO Food Bank and CalFresh enrollment is ongoing. Efforts to expand the physical size of the site that will increase the capacity by up to 15-20 vehicles, are ongoing and will cost approximately $60,000. An additional $1M in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds were allocated by this Board on March 1, 2022 to support and expand safe parking operations to more locations throughout the County. Staff is working to expand the program to two additional sites within the County as directed by this Board in August and December 2021.
• Item 2 – Blue Bag Pilot Program. There have been no County-managed “Blue Bag” encampment cleanup efforts since the original pilot occurred in November 2019 under the direction of Public Works. To date, there have been no requests from the cities, or any areas identified in the unincorporated areas of the County, for Blue Bag operations. Staff recommends sunsetting this program and allocating the remaining $225,000 to other homeless programs that will be proposed to the Board in July 2022.
• Item 3 - Increase Housing Now (from 70 to 80 clients). Launched in 2014, Housing NOW (formerly 50Now and subsequent larger numbers) is a strategic attempt to address chronic homelessness head on, by identifying the most vulnerable homeless individuals in the County, placing them in permanent housing, and providing behavioral health treatment, case management, and other services that will help them stabilize and maintain their housing. Transitions-Mental Health Association collaborates with the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo and the Department of Social Services to successfully execute a "Housing First" model, the only program of its kind in San Luis Obispo County. Outcomes have been overwhelmingly positive, with significant reductions among participants in ER visits (100%), jail days (100%) and psychiatric hospitalizations (50%). The program currently serves 70 clients and will be expanded to 80 clients in the coming fiscal year. • Item 4 – Additional Pilot Program(s) identified in the 10 Year Plan Update. Additional pilot program(s) identified from the 10 Year Plan update will be proposed to the Board when the SLO Countywide Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness is presented to the board in July 2022. • Item 5 – 1.00 FTE Program Manger II – Safe Parking. In November 2021, this position was filled within the Department of Social Services. Jeff Al-Mashat serves as the County site management representative at the safe parking site on Oklahoma Avenue and is also working to expand safe parking operations to two other locations within the County of San Luis Obispo.
• Item 6 – 1 FTE Behavioral Health Case Manager, as contracted by TMHA. This pilot program was launched in November 2021 as a joint effort of TMHA’s Forensic Services and Homeless Services. The Case Manager currently visits areas throughout San Luis Obispo County, often collaborating in a Community Action Team model with the Atascadero Police Department, Morro Bay Police Department, and the San Luis Obispo Sheriff and Probation offices. The goal is to contact homeless individuals and connect them with services. To date, Jason Holland has made 184 unique contacts and 88 (48%) were referred to services offered by TMHA and partner agencies. • Item 7 – Communications Strategy –These funds were allocated for staff to develop and implement a consistent and understandable regional message and effectively communicate resources available for unhoused individuals and communities. The funds spent to date were in support of messaging platforms to better inform the citizens of Grover Beach regarding the establishment of the 5Cities Homeless Coalition’s (5CHC) non-congregate shelter project on 16th Street and Long Branch Avenue. Future plans for this funding include content creation for education campaigns and media buys related to homelessness for primary messaging: how the County is combatting homelessness.
• Item 8 –Maintenance and Multiagency Licenses for Mapping Tool. These funds were requested to increase operability of a GIS-based smartphone app and dashboard that allow select County employees to create, update and query information regarding homeless encampments throughout the County. The application has been used to collect information about 369 encampments to date, however data collection and program utilization have slowed due to COVID-19 as well as Sheriff’s Department Community Action Team (CAT) staffing changes.
Coordination between Admin, the County IT Department and the Sheriff’s Department have reconvened this month to reestablish this program and consider expanding it to include other agencies. • Item 9 –Encampment Abatement Measures. These funds were requested to clean up priority encampments, particularly those that pose health and safety risks to individuals and environments (e.g. threat of wildfire). This funding has and will continue to support multi-departmental efforts and vendor contracts that may be needed to carry out such clean ups.
2. The San Luis Obispo Countywide Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness:
This first section of the Strategic Plan begins with an analysis of homelessness in the County over the past 3.5 years.
Specifically, it reviews the expansion of regional capabilities to address homelessness in the form of shelter and service capacities in the context of a tightening housing market and the growing number of homeless individuals and families.
This analysis ultimately reveals:
• Although year-round emergency shelter capacity has increased by 73%, and the total maximum sheltering capacity (which further includes seasonal, weather-dependent shelters and safe parking capacity) has doubled over the past 3.5 years (once COVID-related capacity restraints are lifted), the County currently has the capacity to shelter only 20-30% of the number of people observed as “homeless” in the 2019 PointIn-Time (PIT) count. • Rapidly rising rents (13.5% increase in the past year and 46% since 2016) have increased the financial burdens of lower-wage workers, contributing to the assumption that the number of unsheltered persons has likely grown since the 2019 PIT count. (The 2022 PIT count numbers will be revealed in their aggregate form by May 1, 2022.)
Key takeaway: While efforts across the region to prevent and reduce homelessness have been honorable - as evidenced by the fact that sheltering capacity has doubled and other support services have grown in the past three years - the rate of individuals entering and remaining in homelessness has simply outpaced our efforts during this same period. This takeaway implies that a transformational change must occur in our approach to homelessness.
Figure 1. A visualization of The San Luis Obispo Countywide Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness by phase First Year Goals
Sheltering Capacity and Temporary Housing. In the first 12-months, this Strategic Plan intends to focus on rapidly expanding the “Continuum of Shelter” capacity in the region: non-congregate temporary shelters and nontraditional housing of all types – shelter cabins, prefabricated “tiny homes” - and safe parking. Non-congregate sheltering is preferred in our short-term rapid expansion efforts because homeless individuals and families are more likely to agree to the more private environment of non-congregate shelter than the mostly congregate sheltering currently available in the County, and because non-congregate solutions present fewer hazards for the transmission of communicable diseases.
Homeless Prevention and Housing Support. Another critical tactic that must run concurrently with expanding shelter capacity in efforts to rapidly reduce the number of unsheltered individuals is Homeless Prevention and Housing Support. While specific programs such as Rapid Rehousing and Family Reunification can be effective in addressing the needs of those already experiencing homelessness, efforts in Homeless Prevention are critical in reducing the growth of homelessness and do not require an increase in housing capacity. Further, effectiveness of current Homeless Prevention efforts has been high: of 242 individuals accessing Homeless Prevention as a first enrollment since 2018 per HMIS, 92% did not need any other type of homeless services (86% with one round of homeless prevention and 6% with a second enrollment).
Improving our Data and the link to Low-Income, Permanent Supportive and Special-Needs Housing. Our current data input, tracking and management systems for unhoused individual (i.e., HMIS and Coordinated Entry) must be significantly improved. These systems must expand beyond the minimum requirements of HUD reporting and enable data-driven oversight of program effectiveness and refinements to strategic plans and goals. Improvements to our data systems will allow us to see the movement of unhoused individuals more accurately through the service/housing “pipeline” while simultaneously helping us to quantify the various unhoused subpopulation and their specific needs.
There are numerous subpopulations within the homeless and at-risk populations. These subpopulations include:
youth entering adulthood from foster care; medically fragile elderly; mentally and/or physically disabled; financially overwhelmed families and individuals; recently discharged hospital patients and prison inmates still burdened with mental health issues, physical challenges, substance addiction, or a combination of the three; along with those still recovering from the financial devastation of the pandemic or simply having lived in poverty for lifetime. The optimal mix of long-term housing solutions for all these subcategories does not come from a “cookie cutter” approach, but an approach that quantifies these subpopulations and designs and builds specific housing solutions to meet that specific type of quantified need. This can only be accomplished from a regional approach with a unified vision and an environment where planning and resources are pooled and expended with the shared understanding and approach to the end goals.
A unified vision and effort are needed to avoid conflicting projects, ineffective overlaps, and missed opportunities to meet the needs of the homeless in our community. So, while expanding shelters, temporary housing, and safe parking are twelve-month goals, we must start now to regionally plan the construction of traditional and nontraditional low-income, permanent supportive and special-needs housing for these long-term solutions to be available in 5 years from the initiation of this strategy. The strengthened data systems and analysis will be needed to monitor trends in the extent and needs of these subpopulations, so that the solutions being implemented are aligned with current and emerging needs, for maximum effect.
The Lived Experience Perspective. Our approach to this Strategy will include the active participation of persons with lived experience of homelessness throughout the development, refinement, and execution of our plans.
Year 2-3 Goals
Case Management, Mental Health, Substance Use Disorder Services and Navigation / Coordination. A rapidly expanded shelter and temporary housing capacity would be ineffective without a simultaneous and equally intense focus on improving and increasing case management, mental health, and substance use disorder services in the region. It is well-known that a significant portion of unhoused people are afflicted with some level of physical disability or illness, behavioral health needs, or some combination of these, which make it more challenging for them to obtain and retain housing. Currently, new funding from the State of California is available for “brick and
mortar” solutions (e.g., building new facilities for behavioral health and other specific medical care-based operations), but very little is available to support the hiring, training and personnel costs for the professionals who administer these services - even if these facilities were, in fact, built. Again, any efforts to expand emergency shelters and temporary housing facilities must be accompanied by an equally focused effort to expand and improve case management, mental health and addiction services and keep those expanded services viable over time. The County must support its nonprofit partners in improving the case management of our homeless population by facilitating a training program that standardizes case management processes and policies across the region.
This implementation plan also includes the establishment of either a County Homeless Operations Center or a County Homeless Coordination Center at 885 Oklahoma Avenue in the City of San Luis Obispo (the current County of San Luis Obispo Animal Services Shelter). A Homeless Operations Center would be designed to assist homeless individuals and families to navigate the variety of services often required for returning to permanent housing.
While centralized navigation already exists at the three homeless shelters operated by our partners at 5CHC, CAPSLO and ECHO, the need for such services often exceeds their capabilities, and they are not fully postured to reach into the unincorporated areas far from their shelter base locations. We need to consider how to effectively conduct outreach in the unincorporated regions, far from our partner nonprofit shelter locations, while providing overflow support to their navigation efforts. Alternative plans for the structure at 885 Oklahoma Avenue include considering employing it as a County Homeless Coordination Center, where individuals from multiple County and City Departments, other public, and private agencies as well as nonprofits, could gather to plan and coordinate specifically on homeless issues and projects in our region without disturbing the operations of others or spending additional funding on a new or leased facility. Allocating a physical structure for a County Homeless Operations or Coordination Center would further demonstrate the County’s commitment to reduce unsheltered living while either bolstering our nonprofit partners in their continued efforts to reach out to those living on our streets, in parks, and the riverbeds and pull them back into our community more quickly or alternatively improving coordination efforts between the multiple entities it takes to effectively address homelessness at a reduced cost in real estate.
Over the past few weeks, staff has already been exploring the idea of converting the building at 885 Oklahoma Avenue, located directly next to the Oklahoma Safe Parking site, for its use as one of these purposes. If the Board approves further exploration of these concepts, including using 885 Oklahoma Avenue as a structure dedicated to homelessness in some fashion, staff will return with a more detailed evaluation of this concept’s feasibility, effectiveness, along with its cost and proposed budget solutions to meet this cost.
Countywide Regional Collaboration and a County Homeless Division. This Strategic Plan promotes a regional, strategically coordinated approach to addressing homelessness rather than disconnected and siloed jurisdictional efforts. A true regional effort cannot succeed without a mechanism that properly represents the interests of the entire region, has effective and agile planning methods imbedded within it, and uses appropriate, simple metrics to gauge the execution of the plan through time. The initial twelve months of the initiation of this Strategic Plan should be driven by an action committee that meets often, where all members have a shared understanding of the situation and a clear, unified view of the pathways to success. Below is a diagram (see Figure 2 below) to help visualize the placement of this action committee within the framework of the decision-making bodies that currently govern within the County of San Luis Obispo.
Figure 2. The placement of a Homeless Action Committee within the current government structure and how it links to governing bodies and advisory committees already focused on homelessness throughout the region
Within the 24-month period following the initiation of this Strategic Plan, the Homeless Action Committee, consisting of the County Principal Administrative Analyst on Homelessness (and select County staff as required) will meet with City Mangers (and select City Staff as required) and nonprofit leadership to develop and implement a formalized compact to be agreed upon by elected County and City leadership. City Managers can take the pieces of the plans that affect their cities back to the City Councils and Mayors for review and guidance, while the Principal Analyst takes these plans to Homeless Services Oversite Council (HSOC), the body which advises the Board of Supervisors (BOS) on homeless issues and will also bring items directly to the BOS as agenda items once vetted by the County Administrative Officer. Because these key players will spend significant time on a frequent basis at the same table, working from the same strategic blueprint and operational plan for the region on homelessness, a unified approach with aligned regional goals - and the tasks required to achieve those goals - can readily emerge. This structure and methodology results in rapid planning and action while readily eliciting elected official feedback and guidance along the way.
Simultaneously, during the first 24-months after initiating this Strategic Plan, we propose the establishment of a Homeless Division within the Department of Social Services (see Figure 3 below). No later than the 24-months following the initiation of this Strategic Plan, this body should be fully operational and representing all efforts toward homelessness as directed by this Board, and the County’s representation at the Homeless Action Committee and elsewhere. The formation of a division focused exclusively on homelessness will create a line item for homelessness in the County Annual Budget for the first time, bringing with it more stability and predictability in funding to allow more meaningful mid-term and long-term planning. Formation of this Division will also braid together a significant amount of planning, budgeting, and spending focused on homelessness.
HSOC
Regional Homeless
Action Committee:
County Staff,
City Managers and Nonprofits
Mayors and BOS
City Councils
Strategic Plan
Steering Committee
(Temporary Body)
Direct and Frequent
Communication
Direct Communication
as needed
Figure 3. Possible structure for a Homeless Division to be formalized within the Dept of Social Services Year 4-5 Goals
Housing Capacity and Data-Driven Refinements. Improvements in homeless data gathering and analysis targeted for the first twelve months of this plan will be critical in refining the specifics of permanent housing plans as time progresses. Projects currently in the pipeline with our Housing Authority and People’s Self Help partners (and others), will help achieve housing capacity goals, but acceleration, expansion, and development of additional projects will all need to be considered.
These efforts are clearly the best long-term and effective solutions to homelessness, but also come with the greatest cost and lead-times. Even with acceleration, the full impact of permanent housing efforts will not be realized until Years 4-5 after the initiation of this strategy. To ensure production of a mix of housing that meets evolving strategic needs, we must start now by integrating the abilities of our nonprofit builders into the Regional Homeless Action Committee planning so efforts can be coordinated with a unified vision and shared understanding of the needs. We also anticipate providing much more prescriptive strategic direction for grant applicants, which could include location- and purpose-specific Requests for Proposals.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT/IMPACT
Achieving these goals will require significant coordination across all departments/agencies of the County, seven Cities, HSOC, nonprofit organizations, healthcare, law enforcement, emergency service providers, business owners, Director of
Social Services
Admin Services Mgr
Homeless Services
Prog Mgr II
Grant Manager
Prog Mgr II
Safe Parking
Admin Services
Officer II
Prog Mgr II
HMIS
Admin Services
Officer*
Program
Review Spec
Admin Assistant
(Vacant)
* indicates new position
Division Manager*
Homeless Services
community advocate organizations and individuals, persons with lived experience in homelessness, and Cal Poly faculty and students. The establishment of a Homeless Division will also impact the Department of Social Services and may require the realignment of individuals currently working in various Departments throughout the County to realign more directly with the Homeless Division. Much of the planning discussed in this document includes much consideration and direct input from most of these groups already and this coordination will only continue to increase through time.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Once guidance and direction from the Board is provided during this agenda item, staff will return in July 2022 with an estimated cost and recommended funding strategies for:
1. Establishing a County Homeless Operations Center at Oklahoma Avenue to improve navigation of homeless individuals with the variety of services it often requires in overcoming homelessness, or developing alternate ways to increase County support to the efforts of our partner nonprofits in these efforts.
2. Establishing a Homeless Division within the Department of Social Services within 24 months.
RESULTS
The Board’s guidance and direction will: provide staff the ability to move forward in refining the overall strategy in alignment with the Board’s desired approach to address homelessness in the County of San Luis Obispo; allow staff to further evaluate the need, cost, and feasibility of a County Homeless Operations Center; and help implement this Board’s intent to address homelessness more efficiently by the establishment of Homeless Division within the Department of Social Services.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 - Homeless Update Presentation