City Council
July 19, 2022
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Edward D, Reiskin FROM: Estelle Clemons
City Administrator Interim Director, Human
Services
SUBJECT: Encampment Resolution Funding
Grant From The State of California
DATE: July 12, 2022
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Accepting, Appropriating, And Authorizing An Agreement For Receipt Of An Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Grant From The State Of California In The Amount Of Four Million Seven Hundred Thirty-One Thousand Three Hundred Dollars And One Cent ($4,731,300.01) To Fund Interim Housing Construction, Operations And Services At 2601 Wood Street Through June 30, 2024.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Adoption of the proposed resolution will accept, and appropriate grant funds awarded to the City by the State of California. This grant will fund construction and operations at the City -leased property, located at 2601 Wood Street, and will provide interim housing to residents of neighboring encampments including the Wood Street encampment site.
.
The State has provided a strict timeline for services provided through these funds. Program completion is currently set at June 30, 2024. As site preparation, including construction, must take place at this site prior to program implementation, it is urgent to accept these funds and move forward with the necessary steps to prepare the site for services. Per the timeline provided to the State, site preparation is slated to conclude in August 2022.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The City Council has prioritized Homelessness in the City of Oakland to ensure efforts to solve homelessness remain at the forefront of the City’s priorities.
On February 26, 2019, City Council approved Resolution No. 87538 C.M.S. , declaring a local emergency exists due to the welfare and safety concerns of those who live in homelessness or at risk of homelessness and pursuant to Government Code section 8630.
Jul 21, 2022
Edward D, Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Encampment Resolution Funding Grant From The State of California Date: July 12, 2022 Page 2
City Council
July 19, 2022
City Council has continued to renew the declaration of a local emergency due to the welfare and safety concerns of those who live in homelessness or at risk of homelessness and pursuant to Government Code section 8630, including as recently as July 2022.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
In 2022, the City applied for grant funding from the State of California through the Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Program to fund construction and operations at this currently vacant lot. In April 2022, the State awarded the City four million seven hundred thirty-one three hundred dollars and one cent ($4,731,300.01) through this funding opportunity. On November 16, 2020, the City leased to parcels o f land from property owner Game Changers. Parcel A is located at 2201 Wood Street and Parcel B is located at 2601 Wood Street. In June 2021, the City opened an RV Safe Parking site for RV dwellers in the City of Oakland on Parcel A. To date, Parcel B remains vacant. The City plans to use funds through the ERF grant to provide interim housing to a minimum of 100 homeless residents in Oakland, relocating residents from homeless encampments to safe and stable shelter.
Shelter beds within the city remain at maximum capacity, prompting multiple declarations of a shelter crisis by the City Council, in addition to the declaration of a homelessness crisis. Given the immense shortage of interim and permanent affordable housing options in Oakland, the incidence of homeless encampments throughout the city has increased significantly.
The City has taken emergency action to provide expanded shelter and wrap- around services to the unhoused population as evidenced by expanded winter shelter efforts over the past few years, the implementation of the Community Cabins programs, and safe parking initiatives. These programs have created nearly 800 interim beds in Oakland alleviating concerns for hundreds of Oakland residents living on the street allowing people residing in enca mpments to relocate to secure shelter options. The implementation of additional interim housing options such as the Wood Street Cabin Site, in addition to increasing the affordable housing inventory, is critical to effectively mitigating the homeless crisis in Oakland. This funding will advance both goals, as the expanded site will provide capacity that will enable the closure of the encampment at 1707 Wood St, a City-owned parcel, which will allow a stalled permanent affordable housing development to proceed.
The proposed resolution will secure funding through June 30, 2024, providing up to an additional 100 beds for the homeless community potentially sheltering approximately 200 residents. The full site design is still under review, therefore exact numbers may change slightly. The resolution authorizes the acceptance and appropriation of funding awarded to the City by the State of California in the amount of four million seven hundred thirty -one three hundred dollars and one cent ($4,731,300.01) and authorizes an agreement with the State of California for receipt of such funds.
This intent is in line with the City of Oakland’s holistic community safety and housing, economic, and cultural security goals of providing a variety of alternative options for unsheltered residents living on the City’s streets. This project aids encampment management by relocating homeless residents currently residing in encampments to secure dignified shelter with services and goal to transition participants to long term and permanent housing. The Human Services Department and Edward D, Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Encampment Resolution Funding Grant From The State of California Date: July 12, 2022 Page 3
City Council
July 19, 2022
City Administrator’s Office will return to Council in the Fall of 2022 requesting authority to work with a contractor and provider to complete set-up of the site and implement the project.
FISCAL IMPACT
The State of California has awarded a grant to the City in the amount of four million seven hundred thirty-one three hundred dollars and one cent ($4,731,300.01) for construction, services, and operations at 2601 Wood Street from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024. These funds will be utilized to cover expenses necessary to stand up and run a community cabin site including site preparation, construction, and programmatic costs. These funds were previously included and allocated in the City’s 2022-23 Adopted Midcycle Budget.
The grant funds will be appropriated in the State of California Other (2159), Community Housing Services Organization (78411), Third Party: Grants Contract Account (54912), and in Project (1006324).
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
No additional public outreach was deemed necessary for this report, other than the standard posting on the City’s website.
COORDINATION
Preparation of this report included coordination with the Human Services Department , the City Attorney’s Office, the City Administrator’s Office and the Budget Bureau.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: These funds will provide interim housing and services to prevent, address, and end homelessness.
Environmental: The provision of housing and services for homeless persons is intended to address the environmental degradation caused by homeless families and individuals precariously housed or living on the streets and will support cleaner and safer city streets.
Race & Equity: Passage of this resolution will increase access to interim housing by those experiencing high rates of homelessness who shelter in recreational vehicles, including African- Americans, Latinx, and other people of color.
Edward D, Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Encampment Resolution Funding Grant From The State of California Date: July 12, 2022 Page 4
City Council
July 19, 2022
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt The Following Legislation:
A Resolution Accepting, Appropriating, And Authorizing An Agreement For Receipt Of An Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Grant From The State Of California In The Amount Of Four Million Seven Hundred Thirty-One Thousand Three Hundred Dollars And One Cent ($4,731,300.01) To Fund Interim Housing Construction, Operations And Services At 2601 Wood Street Through June 30, 2024
For questions regarding this report, please contact C’Mone Falls, Acting CHS Manager, at 510- 238-6186.
Respectfully submitted,
ESTELLE CLEMONS
Interim Director, Human Services Department
Prepared by:
C’Mone Falls,
Acting Manager, Community Homelessness
Services