Introduction of
Encampment Ordinance
SEPTEMBER 3, 2024
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National City’s Efforts
to Assist Persons
Experiencing
Homelessness
Homeless Point In Time
Count
2020 – 125 UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS
2022 – 149 UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS
2023 – 159 UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS
2024 – 174 UNSHELTERED INDIVIDUALS
OF THE 174:
18 VETERANS
14 WOMEN
9 YOUTH
Homeless Outreach Funded
Year Partner Funding Source Amount Description
2016-2019 Alpha National City $120,000
30 month contract. 2-person full time
outreach team, referrals and requests from
NC
2020 Alpha HEAP $430,000
3-party agreement with NC and CV. Outreach,
case management, housing navigation, hotel
vouchers, TBRA (Tenant Based Rental
Assistance)
2021
Alpha
HHAP $179,000 3-party agreement with NC and CV. Outreach, case management, housing navigation, hotel
vouchers, TBRA PLHA $60,000
McAlister PLHA $313,532 Outreach, case management, emergency housing
2022
Alpha PLHA $60,000 Outreach, case management, emergency housing
McAlister PLHA From 2021 Outreach, case management, emergency housing
2023-2024 McAlister PLHA From 2021 Outreach, case management, emergency 4 housing
Homeless Housing Programs Funded
Year Program Funding Source Amount Description
2014 TBRA I HOME $162,480.00 30 month program. Housing navigation, rental assistance, case management
2015 TBRA II HOME $200,000.00 30 month program. Housing navigation, rental assistance, case management
2017 TBRA III HOME $169,713.00 30 month program. Housing navigation, rental assistance, case management
2019 TBRA IV HOME $334,268.00 30 month program. Housing navigation, rental assistance, case management
2020 TBRA V HOME $557,941.00 30 month program. Housing navigation, rental assistance, case management. Included COVID-19 rental arrears.
2021 TBRA VI HOME $415,116.00 30 month program. Housing navigation, rental assistance, case management
2023 TBRA VII HOME $400,600.00 30 month program. Housing navigation, rental assistance, case management
2023-
present
EHV HUD $656,000.00 32 vouchers for homeless. Number represents annual disbursement
2026-2046 VASH HUD $647,424.00 24 units for Union Tower. Vouchers for homeless veterans.
Number represents estimated annual subsidy 5
San Diego Rescue Mission
• SOUTH COUNTY
LIGHTHOUSE
• A thirty day shelter with
162 beds that assists
families with children and
adults
• Opened in July 2024
• Currently has the staff
capacity to house 77
individuals
• Serves County of San
Diego
Encampment Resolution Funding
(ERF-3) Grant Application
Total Request- $15.5 million
Expenditure categories- Outreach/Case Management: $5 million Interim Housing: $1.5 million
Permanent Housing: $8 million
Grant Partners- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), PATH (People Assisting the Homeless, SBCS, Family Health
Centers, San Diego Rescue Mission, National City
Police Department and HOME (Homeless Outreach &
Mobile Engagement) Team
50% of the grant for permanent housing subsidy is needed due to higher rent -2019 Section 8 Fair Market Rent for 1 bedroom: $1250
-2024 Section 8 Fair Market Rent for 1 bedroom: $1740
7 ERF-3 Grant Objectives and Outcomes
Primary Objectives: To provide housing resources to encampment residents and promote health and safety of both residents and community.
Target Population: Approximately 180 encampment residents. Expected 120 additional inflow over grant period.
Encampment Location: 5, 805, and 54 freeway corridors. Encampment intra-migration observed throughout.
Strategy: A by-name outreach approach alongside service provision and referrals, with a robust rapid-rehousing component of both interim and permanent housing.
Outcomes: Up to 300 encampment residents contacted by outreach and case management staff. 250 to enter interim housing and 120 placed in permanent housing. Reduction in calls for service related to this population and less reliance on City resources. 8 Funding for Substance Use Disorder
• High need for medical beds to treat substance use disorder. • Currently there are only “social” detoxification beds offered in the South Bay. • City is receiving ongoing funding from a State of California Opioid Settlement Fund. • To date, $405,930 has been received.
• The City will put out an RFP in the next quarter for the provision of medical detox beds.
• Staff will work with the County of San Diego and other agencies to prioritize SUD treatment and longer-term case management.
9 National City’s Homeless
Encampment Response
Team
Neighborhood Services- HOME Team
National City Police Department
National City Fire Department
Public Works
Homeless Outreach
Mobile Engagement
(HOME) Team
HOME Team
• The City of National City established a Homeless Outreach & Mobile Engagement (HOME) team designed to help with the calls for service associated with quality of life issues our officers typically handle on a daily basis.
• The HOME Program is structured to have an outreach coordinator, and a code enforcement officer working together in our community.
• Both members of the HOME team were brought to the City in May 2023. • The HOME team responds to non-emergency calls for service related to homelessness that come into the National City Police Department.
• As appropriate and safe, the HOME team works directly with those experiencing homelessness and offers them an array of services such mental health and substance use services, case management and housing opportunities.
13 HOME Team Outcomes
Discharge Destination # of Clients Percentage
Place not meant for habitation (e.g., a vehicle, an abandoned building, bus/train/subway station/airport or anywhere outside) 2 1.13% Emergency shelter, including hotel or motel paid for with emergency shelter voucher, Host Home shelter 12 6.80%
Safe Haven 1 0.56%
Hospital or other residential non-psychiatric medical facility 1 0.56% Long-term care facility or nursing home 1 0.56%
Psychiatric hospital or other psychiatric facility 2 1.13% Substance abuse treatment facility or detox center 1 0.56% Transitional housing for homeless persons (including homeless youth) 3 1.70% Staying or living with family, permanent tenure 7 3.95% Staying or living with friends, permanent tenure 2 1.13% Rental by client, no ongoing housing subsidy 11 6.21%
Rental by client, with ongoing housing subsidy 12 6.78% No exit interview completed 116 65.53%
Other 1 0.56%
Deceased 2 1.13%
Data not collected 3 1.70%
Total 177 100.00%
Total discharged to housing: 35 19.77%
National City Police
Department
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Homeless Related Calls for Service
• In March 21, 2022, the National City Police Department started using a new CAD system to record calls for service data. • Due to this change, data needed to be pulled from both the old and new system to cover the desired timeframe of 3 years. • However, since we are dealing with data from two different systems, there are some limitations and potential inconsistencies.
• Therefore, the data presented below should be viewed as an estimate rather than a precise figure. • From 1/1/2021 – 8/24/2024, there have been at least 5,327 calls for service containing the word ‘homeless’ or ‘transient’ in the narrative of the call for service.
• Our HOME Team officially began on October 1, 2023. As a result, the calls for service information presented below includes data on incidents where our two HOME Team members were either dispatched by the department or chose to create a selfinitiated call. This data reflects their activities and responses since the program started. • HOME Team members were dispatched to 1,291 calls for service since they started in October 2023. • 1,064 are self-initiated calls
• 90 calls were for officers requesting assistance from the HOME Team • 137 calls were police related calls that the HOME Team was dispatched to (ex: Disturbance & Check the Welfare calls) Homeless Related Crime Cases & Arrests
Common Homeless Related Issues (as Suspect) Common Homeless Related Issues (as Victim) • Mental Issues (5150)
• Outside Agency Warrants
• Drunk in Public
• Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance
• Burglary
• Vandalism
• Possession of a Controlled Substance
• Restraining Order Violations
• Theft
• Robbery
• Battery
• Domestic Violence
• Assault with a Deadly Weapon
• Battery
• Robbery
• Theft
Notes
• From 1/1/2021 – 8/24/2024, there have been at least 1,283 crime cases (listed as victim, suspect, witness, other, etc.) in which ‘transient’ was listed in the address section of the report. • During this same time frame, there have been at least 748 arrests in which ‘transient’ was listed in the address section of the report.
16 National City Fire
Department
Homeless Encampment Fires
• Vegetation, Commercial and Residential
Incidents encountered as a result of these
types of fires.
• Incidents range from single unit response to
multiple alarm incidents.
• Disrupts freeway and surface street traffic
• Resources, time and money are utilized to
mitigate incidents.
• Hazardous material, waste and debris left on
properties or into waterways-quality of life.
• Danger to Firefighters, Police Officers and
other city and county workers responding to
service requests/clean ups.
• Danger to business and residential
properties.
18 Homeless Encampment Fires
• Stardust Inn 1st Alarm Fire: 152 Hrs. of
personnel time on one incident alone
• August 2019 Vehicle Fire as a result of
suspicious fire – 36 vehicles lost
estimated value of $1,000,000
• Units respond to multiple incidents of
warming and cooking fires daily,
especially in winter months
• Civic Center Drive/Interstate 5
Underpass Fire
19 Public Works
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Public Works
• Public health, safety and environmental impacts
• Diverts critical resources from preventative maintenance responsibilities • Weekly cleanups in parks, greenways, drainage channels and other public spaces • Debris removed in FY 2024 estimated at 60 tons
• Costs for clean-ups in FY 2024 estimated at $400,000
21 Proposed Encampment
Ordinance
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• Martin v. City of Boise (2019)
• The court found that criminalizing the act of sleeping outside where no shelter space is available is a violation of the Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment)
• As a result, ordinances that completely prohibit the act of sleeping on public property when an individual has no other option have been deemed unconstitutional
• Provides limitations on how municipalities can regulate sleeping in public, but it does not amount to a total ban on a city’s right to regulate • Cities can continue to impose reasonable time, place and manner restrictions even on individuals that are unsheltered
• Johnson v. City of Grants Pass (2023)
• The court’s decision upheld and expanded its decision in the Boise case by determining that the prohibition of sleeping accessories (e.g. cardboard, blankets & pillows) and the administrative enforcement of sleeping in public is unconstitutional
Update to the Law on Homelessness
• SCOTUS overturned the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in the Johnson case by ruling that enforcement of generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property does not constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” prohibited by the Eighth Amendment
• The rule from the Martin case, which was expanded by the Johnson case, is no longer applicable
• Jurisdictions are now allowed to enforce laws regulating camping on public property and shelter bed availability is not required
The Supreme Court’s Grants Pass Decision
• State agencies and departments that are subject to the governor’s authority are directed to adopt policies that include:
• Site assessment to determine whether an encampment poses an imminent threat to life, health, safety or infrastructure
• If an imminent threat is present, provide as much advance notice to vacate as reasonable • When no imminent threat is present, post notice to vacate at least 48 hours prior to removal
• Contact service providers to request outreach services for those residing in the encampments
• Collect, label, and store for at least 60 days the personal property collected a the removal site that does not pose a health or safety hazard
• Additionally, it encourages local governments to adopt policies consistent with the Executive Order and to use all available resources and infrastructure to remove encampments from public spaces
Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-1-24
• In order to protect the health and safety of all people in National City, the proposed ordinance will:
• Make it unlawful for any person to camp in or upon any public property • If an encampment poses an immediate threat or unreasonable risk to any particular individual or to public health or safety, the ordinance will be enforceable at all times
• Additionally, the ordinance would make it unlawful, at any time, for any person to camp or to have unauthorized encampments in the following locations:
• Within two blocks of schools
• In any waterway or natural area abutting a waterway
• Within any transit hub, on any trolley platform or along any trolley tracks Proposed Ordinance
Comments and Questions
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