1 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject: FW: ED TECH Meeting 06/01 Agenda Item 2
From: Areta Crowell < >
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 12:07 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Cc: Thyret, Pam <[email protected]>
Subject: ED TECH Meeting 06/01 Agenda Item 2
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Members of the Ed Tech Committee
I have been a resident of Pasadena for 7 years and I live in District 7. I am a member of Pasadena Presbyterian Church and share in our meal service to persons experiencing homelessness .That experience has shown the inadequacies of how our city treats its homeless residents. The motel vouchers were a valiant effort to provide shelter during bad weather and otherwise without increasing Covid exposure risks but it is not a good way to plan for the future. Tiny villages are a good way to provide needed interim shelter and so I I want to thank
the ED Tech Committee for agendizing the subject of tiny home villages at this meeting and for your consideration of creating a tiny home village in our City. With planning now, a Tiny Home Village could be in operation before the next time we should be providing bad weather shelter -and it would be there for all weather, not just those which meet the criteria for cold weather and rain!
According to the 2022 Homeless Count, 512 of our residents are still unhoused and 280 of these residents have no shelter at all. According to our Housing Department, it can take over one year for an unsheltered resident to move from life on the street to permanent housing. During that time, they face very substantial health and safety risks.
Tiny homes are better than motel vouchers because :
1.They provide temporary housing from the time one moves from sleeping on the street and in parks to permanent housing.
2. They provide shelter and personal safety for long enough that a person can calm down, and start to think about next steps for their lives.,
3.They provide safety for the person and their possessions- and with storage for the amount of “stuff” which prevents many homeless persons from accepting a ,motel voucher
4. They provide a site for efficient case management services to be delivered
5. They provide easy access to toilets, showers, - a vital need for persons on the streets
6. They provide other necessities for a person to be able to make plans for their future such as laundry facilities, three meals a day..
Tiny Homes can reduce the number of unsheltered people on t he streets of Pasadena -QUICKLY Permanent supportive housing is our “gold standard” for service to persons experiencing homelessness- but it takes years and over $500,000 to house 1 person!! And in the meantime – the option is most often the streets. A
Tiny Home village can change that scenario – it can really reduce the number of homeless persons on the streets where they are most visible and disturbing to the rest of the residents..
Our City has a duty to provide basic shelter and services for our unsheltered residents, who are among our most vulnerable residents. The City can fund the creation of a tiny home village and ongoing operations by I
2 appropriating funding from the City’s General Fund and by using some of the $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds our City is receiving shortly from the federal government. The City can also explore partnering with the state or county to create a tiny home village. Please ensure that our City creates a tiny home village and help our unsheltered residents have the best opportunity to transition from the street to permanent housing and wellness.
Please move now so that this resource may become available in months instead of years!
Areta Crowell,PhD
Retired Director, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
Sent from Mail for Windows
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1 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject: FW: For Tiny Homes agenda item
From: director Friends In Deed < >
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 11:47 AM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>; Kennedy, John J. <[email protected]>; Bell, Cushon <[email protected]>; Dyson, Darla <[email protected]>; Porras, Susana <[email protected]>; Sullivan, Noreen <[email protected]>; Morales, Margo <[email protected]>; Thyret, Pam <[email protected]> Subject: For Tiny Homes agenda item
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Please see my two op eds in the last 18 months about the subject of tiny home villages. I sincerely hope that Pasadena can find the political will to make one of these happen, just like many of our neighboring cities have.
https://www.pasadenanow.com/main/guest-opinion-rabbi-joshua-levine-grater-why-cant-pasadena-be-creative- on-transitional-housing
https://www.pasadenanow.com/main/guest-opinion-rabbi-joshua-levine-grater-executive-director-friends-in- deed-the-beauty-of-pallet-shelter-villages-why-not-in-pasadena
Thank you,
Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater
1 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject: FW: EDTech meeting 6/1/22: Agenda item #2
From: Ferne Hayes < >
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 10:37 AM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>; Wilson, Andy <[email protected]>; Rivas, Jose <[email protected]>
Subject: EDTech meeting 6/1/22: Agenda item #2
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Dear members of Economic Development and Technology Committee,
I want to express my appreciation to you for placing Tiny Villages on today's agenda.
I also wish to compliment Jim Wong and the Housing Department for the well researched report for today's meeting.
I support the concept of Tiny Villages as a strategy ri address homelessness and I believe the time is now to put that in motion in Pasadena.
The need is clear.
280 unsheltered residents per the 2022 Homeless Count, in which I participated.
An acknowledged waiting period of months or years to move a person from the streets to permanent supportive housing.
A current interim housing program which only offers occasional nights in motel rooms as available and without meals or social services.
Funding is possible.
American Rescue Plan Act funds are appropriate for solutions to a homeless crisis.
LA County Homeless Services division has expressed interest in a partnership with Pasadena.
New State of California funds for the homelessness crisis may be available this year.
General Fund monies to the Housing Department should be increased as Rose Bowl debt will not be paid off by the City this year.
A "naming rights" sponsor should be pursued. (e.g. Tetra Tech Tiny Village?)
Sites have been identified.
Two city owned sites are large and flat, helpfully secluded from residences by an arroyo and a plant nursery, yet on a bus line and a short walking distance to retail services.
Education of the community has already begun with the 5/20/21 "Who's Next Door?" webinar.
Community members who have been advocating for Tiny Homes should be available for facilitating
neighborhood discussions.
Agencies which can provide on-site supportive services and case management are known to Pasadena.
Union Station Homeless Services, Friends in Deed, Salvation Army have programs with the city.
An opportunity to hire locally for security and food provision. 2 Community support is building. Our unsheltered residents need our help.
Please move this from "Information Only" to "new business" soon.
Respectfully,
Ferne Hayes
Pasadena, CA 91106
resident for 50+ years
1 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject: FW: Support Tiny Homes!
From:
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 11:00 AM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: Support Tiny Homes!
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Dear Ed Tech members:
Thank you for considering Tiny Homes for Pasadena. I know that this is a departure from the city's practice of focusing on permanent supportive housing (PSH), which is what ends homelessness. Evidence shows that PSH is still the best practice, but Union Station and Friends Indeed recognize that the need for interim housing is critical and support Tiny Homes. I agree with them.
Our homeless count is not going down. Over 500 residents of our city remain unhoused. Many of them have been living in our city for over 20 years. They are not "transients," they are our neighbors.
They aren't going away. Many of them are seniors and suffering from health issues exacerbated by living on the street. They need safe interim housing so they can access supportive services and become permanently housed.
Our city has a duty to provide basic shelter and services for our unsheltered residents, who are among our most vulnerable residents. The city can fund the creation of a tiny home village and ongoing operations by appropriating funding from the City’s General Fund and by using some of the $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds our city is receiving shortly from the federal government. The city can also explore partnering with the state or county to create a tiny home village. Please ensure that our city creates a tiny home village and help our unsheltered residents have the best opportunity to transition from the street to permanent housing and wellness. Thank you.
Anthony Manousos
Co-founder of Making Housing and Community Happen
makinghousinghappen.org