Life Enrichment Committee
May 23, 2022
City Administrator Approval Date: May 19, 2022
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Edward D. Reiskin
City Administrator
FROM: Sara Bedford
Director, Human Services
SUBJECT: Endorsing Home Together Plan DATE: May 10, 2022
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Endorsing The Home Together 2026 Implementation Plan, A Community-Wide Plan For Alameda County, Which Lays Out The Goals, Strategies, And Investments Needed To Dramatically Reduce Homelessness And Reduce Racial Disparities In The Homeless Population By 2026
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Home Together 2026 Community Plan Home-Together-2026_Report_051022.pdf (acgov.org) lays out the goals, strategies and investments needed to dramatically reduce homelessness in Alameda County by 2026 and combat racial disparities in homelessness through fully centering equity. The Home Together 2026 Community Plan has been informed by public comment, a Strategic Planning Committee representing people with lived expertise, County agencies and departments, local cities, community organizations, and homeless service providers. Home Together 2026 is also informed by and consistent with other state, local and regional efforts to address homelessness.
1 BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
In October 2019, the County, along with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) technical assistance providers began a Systems Modeling initiative, to perform a detailed analysis of homeless system data and conduct a series of in-depth interviews and focus groups with people experiencing homelessness, to determine the scope of the programs and resources that would be needed to significantly reduce homelessness and racial disparities in homelessness across Alameda County. In February 2021, this Modeling effort culminated in the release of the Alameda County Continuum of Care (CoC’s) Centering Racial Equity in Homeless System Design Report (CRE).
1 Alameda County, Health Care Services, Office of Homeless Care and Coordination website
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Endorsing the Home Together Plan
Date: May 10, 2022 Page 2
Life Enrichment Committee
May 23, 2022
This report sought to:
• Identify and address factors leading to the over-representation of people of color in the population of people experiencing homelessness.
• Understand how facets of the homeless system benefit or burden people of color and pinpoint opportunities to advance racial equity within the system. • Formulate key elements of a model homeless system, including optimal types and quantities of housing units and service programs
• Develop recommendations to more effectively and equitably allocate resources, prioritize investments, and advance proactive, targeted strategies to end and prevent homelessness2.
The CRE report was informed by both data (system modeling) and extensive interviews and focus groups with persons of color who have experienced homelessness. The CRE process modeled what an optimal system to respond to all homelessness and reduce racial disparities would look like and what gaps need to be filled. The Home Together Plan is built on the work of the CRE report.
Cities in Alameda County have been meeting to review and provide feedback to the Home Together Plan and have added language committing the County to supporting City homeless interventions that demonstrate successful outcomes. Each City in Alameda County either has or will be bringing the Home Together Plan to their City Councils for endorsement during the months of April and May 2022, which will strengthen the County and Oakland Homeless Housing Assistance Program (HHAP) applications as they are tied together by the shared overarching Home Together Plan.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The Home Together Plan and the Oakland Local Action Plan meet the State of California’s requirement as part of the Homeless Housing Assistance Program Three (HHAP-3) application.
State regulations require that jurisdictions submit local plans that are coordinated within their jurisdiction (coordination is required between the three entities which receive HHAP funding - City of Oakland, Alameda County, and the Alameda County CoC) and based on systemwide performance goals. The state has mandated that Oakland, the Alameda Continuum of Care, and Alameda County set the same countywide system performance goals based on countywide data. The plan needs to identify metrics and outcomes that, if met by June 2024, will unlock bonus funding from the state for all three local jurisdictions that receive HHAP funding.
In order to be eligible for future pass-through funding from the County, cities must have local action plans that are in alignment with the systems modeling and strategies of the Home Together Plan and it is strongly encouraged that each city within the county endorse the plan and commit to its shared vision and goals. The State of California also expects strong alignment of any overlapping jurisdictions as part of awarding Homeless Housing Assistance Program (HHAP) funding.
2 2020 Centering Racial Equity In Homeless System Response Design Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Endorsing the Home Together Plan
Date: May 10, 2022 Page 3
Life Enrichment Committee
May 23, 2022
Failure to endorse the plan could disadvantage or delay both the County and Oakland HHAP applications and/or put future funding from the State and County at risk.
FISCAL IMPACT
There are no immediate fiscal impacts from endorsing the Home Together Plan.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Changes and updates to the Home Together plan, resulting in The Home Together Community Plan 2026, were informed by a Strategic Planning Implementation Committee convened by Alameda County Office of Homeless Care and Coordination and EveryOne Home leadership, as well as city and county staff, people with lived expertise, service providers, nonprofit orgs, advocates, CoC Leadership Board members.
COORDINATION
This report and resolution have been reviewed by the Office of the City Attorney.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: The Home Together Plan is focused on strategies to provide housing and services to the homeless to eliminate and prevent homelessness.
Environmental: The provision of housing for at-risk and homeless persons is intended to address the environmental degradation caused by homeless families and individuals precariously housed or living on the streets.
Race & Equity: In Oakland, the drivers of homelessness fall most squarely on the backs of the African American community who, due to long standing structurally racist practices such as red lining and employment discrimination, are most vulnerable to losing their homes. Ending homelessness in Oakland must be defined by what works for African Americans first and foremost in order to reduce the racial disparities. These drivers of homelessness include:
• Structural racism
• Insufficient controls on the rental housing market that create vulnerability and housing instability for tenants
• Insufficient housing units that are affordable to households with the lowest incomes, including particularly those whose incomes are below 20 percent of Area Median Income (AMI)
• Systematic barriers that often prevent residents who are returning home from incarceration from living with family members and/or accessing both public and private rental housing and employment opportunities
The Home Together Plan seeks to center racial equity in the County’s response to homelessness and has reducing racial disparities as a primary goal of the plan.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Endorsing the Home Together Plan
Date: May 10, 2022 Page 4
Life Enrichment Committee
May 23, 2022
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Endorsing The Home Together 2026 Implementation Plan, A Community-Wide Plan For Alameda County, Which Lays Out The Goals, Strategies, And Investments Needed To Dramatically Reduce Homelessness And Reduce Racial Disparities In The Homeless Population By 2026.
For questions regarding this report, please contact Lara Tannenbaum, Community Homelessness Services Manager, at 510-238-6187.
Respectfully submitted,
SARA BEDFORD
Director, Human Services Department
Prepared by:
Lara Tannenbaum, Manager
Community Homelessness Services Division