Homeless Response Update
2nd Quarter 2023
September 5, 2023
Improve Communications
City website update
Water billing messaging
HB Downtown Business Improvement District efforts
Standardized definitions of terms
Monthly collaborative meetings between Homeless Task Force, Homeless & Behavioral Health Services staff, Police Department Records Bureau, OC Health Care Agency’s Outreach and Engagement Team, and the City’s Community Prosecutor Commenced quarterly Community Collaborative meetings
Participated in the Community Café – “A Neighborly Conversation About Homelessness” Introductory meeting with AltaMed to discuss cooperative efforts on 8/28/23 NAMI OC “In Our Own Voice” presentation on 8/31/23
Improve Communications
Business Outreach
Over 100 property and business owners contacted
Topics discussed:
Current issues
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Property owner’s rights and responsibilities
Between April 1 – June 30, 123 enforcement letters were received Currently, the Police Department has 272 active letters on file, a 50% increase over the previous year The letters authorize the police department to take action for certain crimes on private property which require a private persons arrest Filled electronically and valid for one calendar year
https://records.huntingtonbeachca.gov/Forms/Trespass-Letter
Regular case conferencing with Navigation Center staff.
Limited use of overtime to meet with clients to arrange for housing, medical appointments, and vital document appointments.
Filled two social worker vacancies to increase outreach efforts.
Worked with OC Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) to increase clinician staffing from 1 to 2 shifts per week.
Worked with OC Health Care Agency’s Outreach and Engagement Team to increase their availability from 1 to 1.5 shifts per week.
All Police Department Downtown Patrol Unit officers attended a Homeless Liaison Officer Course.
HB Cares now has 18 vetted and trained volunteers.
Met with CalOptima to discuss expansion of their Street Medicine Program.
Increased Focused Outreach Efforts
Audit Our Programs
Data Collection and Management
Outreach Grid Case Management System has been identified as a comprehensive solution.
Data management moved from Planning to Homeless and Behavioral Health Services division.
BeWell Mobile Crisis Response Teams
Staffing is down one team, but additional team members are in backgrounds.
Completed transports were being underreported.
Huntington Beach Navigation Center – Mercy House
Staff has had two meetings with Mercy House CEO and has re-established monthly meetings with Mercy House management to discuss issues such as:
Timely invoicing
Neighborhood Outreach Patrols
Increasing successful exits to housing options
Volunteer opportunities within the Navigation Center
Advocacy / Funding
SAMHSA Grant extension into Fiscal Year 23/24
$1.1 million in funding secured for Navigation Center operations by State Senator Dave Min through Council Member Kalmick.
Council Members are continuing to advocate for County, State and Federal funding for our programs.
2nd Quarter of 2023
The Police Department
Officers handled 1,881 calls involving individuals experiencing homelessness (11% of all calls for service), as compared to 1,906 in the first quarter.
Homeless Task Force Officers
Officers made 543 contacts with homeless individuals, resulting in 40 Navigation Center referrals, 10 referrals to other shelters, and 2 subjects transported to Crisis Stabilization Units.
Addressed 135 MyHB complaints, an 8% increase from the first quarter of 2023.
Homeless and Behavioral Health Services Staff - 2nd Quarter of 2023 Made 1,360 contacts, an 11% increase from the first quarter of 2023. 114 Navigation Center referrals, an 18% decrease from first quarter 2023. 49 referrals to other shelters, a 25% decrease from first quarter 2023.
City’s Social Workers facilitated housing for 6 individuals, a 200% increase from the first quarter of 2023.
Facilitated placement of 13 individuals into either a detox facility or Crisis Stabilization Unit, a 1,200% increase from the first quarter of 2023.
DEMOGRAPHICS
January
February
March
April
May
June
Homeless
164
172
194
205
209
187
Household w/Minor Children
12 17
8 18
11 10
Veteran
11 12
11 17
12 10
Over 62
28 34
30 42
37 28
Male
118
112
136
148
147
110
Female
55 77
73 93
103
99 Non-Binary
2 1
1 0
1 1
BeWell Mobile Crisis Response Team 2nd Quarter of 2023* Provided services 1,825 times, to 434 unique individuals. 486 dispatched calls for service
40% housed / 60% unhoused
1287 proactive contacts
7% housed / 93% unhoused
52 mobile follow-up calls
91% of BeWell services did not require a co-response.
* Includes services to entire community
Huntington Beach Navigation CenterOperated by Mercy House2nd Quarter of 2023 Averaged a 95% (166/174) daily occupancy rate
Served an average of 441 meals per day
Provided 2,742 supportive services
Staff called 9-1-1 a total of 16 times, for medical and police services Mercy House facilitated housing for 5 clients
Barriers
Finding support for the client while they assimilate back into society.
Lack of communication between outside organizations and accountability for follow-up.
Finding landlords willing to accept vouchers.
Some landlords still require the client to make 2 – 3 times the income of the base rent.
Credit scores are factored even with vouchers.
Individuals matched to Rapid Re-housing through a third party organization and then being told their income is not sufficient for the units the organization is sending the clients to view.
Success Stories
Senior Citizen / Veteran in poor physical health placed in a project-based opportunity.
Proactive engagement of a 73-year-old female sleeping on a bus bench in Sunset Beach resulted in housing within two weeks of first engagement.
Collaborative assistance between City and local faith-based groups to assist a formerly homeless adult at risk of eviction due to unpaid utilities.
Senior Center staff, Homeless Social Workers and local faith-based groups assisted a couple living in their vehicles with locating a housing opportunity.
Questions?