Correspondence
From 6/1/2022 Ed Tech Committee Item #2
Stevenson, Garrett
'bject:
rtttachments:
FW: 6/1/2022 ED Tech Meeting Agenda Items ##2, 3
6.1. ED Tech ##2, 3 Tiny Homes & hlousing Budget.pdf; Request for Information re Housing Dept FY2023 Budget.pdf; 1st housing PRA Response-Motel Vouchers FINAL.pdf
From:Sonja Berndt< >
Sent: Monday, May 30, 2022 4:08 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>; Rivas, Jessica <[email protected]>; Wilson, Andy <[email protected]>
Cc: Hawkesworth, Matthew <[email protected]>; Huang, William <[email protected]> Subject: 6/1/2022 ED Tech Meeting Agenda Items ##2, 3
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Dear Members of the ED Tech Committee:
Please see the Attached letter I am submitting for Agenda Items 2 (tiny homes) and 3 (Housing Dept FY2023 Budget). There are two attachments to the letter: Attachment #1 is a request for information I sent to Director luang last week about the Housing Dept's FY2023 Budget. Attachment #2 is the Housing Dept's response to my PRA request from July 2021. Please ensure that these are made part of the public record on these agenda items. Thank you for your consideration of this correspondence.
Sonja Berndt
Pasadena
u
1 SONJA K. BERNDT
Pasadena, CA 91107
May 30,2022
Chairperson Tyron Hampton and
Members of Pasadena's Economic Development &
Technology Committee
By Email
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Re: 6/1/2022 ED Tech Committee Meeting - Agenda Item #2 Discussion on Tiny Homes as a Strategy to Address HomeLessness and,#3 Follow-up from May 17, 2022 ED Tech Meeting re:
Housing Department's FY2023 Proposed Budget
Dear Members of the ED Tech Committee:
The purpose of this letter is to request clarity and transparency regarding the discussion of the FY2023 Recommended Housing Department Budget, including the discussion of "Homeless Funding" in the June 1, 2022 staff memorandum submitted for agenda item #3 of this meeting ("staff memo"). I raise this issue given this Committee's critical discussion, at its June 1, 2022 meeting, of the subject of the tiny homes interim housing model as a strategy for homelessness in our City. In order to meet the housing needs of our unsheltered residents, there needs to be clarity and transparency regarding what the unmet housing needs of our unsheltered residents are, the extent of funding the Department is appropriating/earmarking for interim housing, and additional funding needed to provide interim housing for our unsheltered residents.
On May 23, 2022,1 sent a request for information to the Housing Department seeking clarity on the FY2023 proposed Housing Department budget as related to our unsheltered residents. A copy of that request is attached to this letter for your reference. I respectfully request that this Committee not make any recommendation on the proposed FY2023 Housing Department budget until the questions raised in the request for information and in this letter are answered.
A. "Lumping" Funding for Persons Experiencing Homelessness with Homelessness Prevention, without more, is Unhelpful
The staff memo states that "[tjhe [Housing] Department currently has just over $6.8 million budgeted to serve residents who are experiencing and at risk ofhomelessness in the upcoming fiscal year." Providing services to both those experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness is critical. But while the $6.8 million sounds like a lot of money, that is for the entire Supportive Housing Division, which provides a whole host of services for both unhoused persons and persons who are in housing, but are at risk of losing it.
Simply citing the figure $6.8 million provides no insight into how much will be spent on the various functions of the Supportive Housing Division. What amount of this $6.8 million does 1 c
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the Department intend to "earmark/appropriate" for providing effective interim housing (with onsite case management services) for those neighbors we see on a daily basis, sleeping in the parks, seeking donations on street corners, and pushing their shopping carts full of items they use to survive the harsh life on the street?
Why is this important? Our Housing Department staff has stated "It's very unsafe on the street.
People don't sleep much." (12/8/2021 ED Tech Mtg., timestamp 1:16:00.) Unsheltered persons are extremely vulnerable due to substantial chronic health conditions; undiagnosed and untreated mental illness; substance use disorders; malnutrition, and/or other substantial problems, including threats to their personal safety. (See 2020 Homeless Count Report, pp. 23-25; see also, 2022 Homeless Count Report, p. 15.) Interim housing (temporary housing between living on the street and permanent housing) provides personal safety, security for belongings, toilets, showers, laundry facilities, meals, assistance with medical needs (such as onsite nurses who monitor blood pressure), linkage to benefits (such as health insurance, SSI, etc.), etc.
B. The Department Needs to be Transparent about What Funding is Proposed to be Earmarked/Approoriated for Interim Housing in FY2023, Especially Since Federal Grant Funding is Expected to be Sienificantlv Lower than in FY2022 In the FY2022 adopted budget, $8.25 million was appropriated for the Supportive Housing Division. The FY2022 Revised is $8.05 million. For FY2023, the recommended appropriation for that division is decreased to $6.93 million. Does this mean that the Department will spend less on interim housing?
In response to my July 12, 2021 Public Records Act request, the Department stated that out of its entire FY2022 Adopted Budget of $40,657,914, "[h]ypothetically, $1,194,244 of grant funding within the budget could be used for motel vouchers or other interim housing." The Department stated "[c]urrently, $835,344 is earmarked for interim housing, primarily for motel vouchers specifically." (See Attachment 2 to this letter.) That figure is a mere 2% of the Housing Department's FY2022 adopted budget. Moreover, of the total funds "available" for interim housing for FY2022, the Department noted $500,000 as having been received in ESG-CV (CARES Act) funding from the federal government, just under 60% of the total dollars the Department "earmarked" for interim housing. (See Attachment 2.) Why is this important? The proposed FY2023 Housing Department budget notes as follows on page 7: Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) FY2022 Budget = $2.049 million; FY2022 Revised = $1.743 million; FY2023 = $423,000. So the ESG funding for FY2023 is only 20.6% of the adopted FY2022 budget and 24.3% ofFY2022 Revised. What are the consequences of this significant decrease in funding from the primary funding source for interim housing in FY2022? Slide 7 of the Department's May 17, 2022 FY2023 Budget Powerpoint Presentation states "Federal ESG funds are significantly reduced due to the ESG CARES funding ramping down.' Emergency Shelter Grant funds are noted in Slide 5 to be decreased by over $1.5 million in FY2023 while Continuum of Care funding is increased by barely over $400,000. 51 2
c
Slide 10 of the presentation noted that a FY2023 priority related to homelessness is "[s]ustain existing programming created by county Measure H, federal CARES and prior rounds ofone- time state funding." First of all, "sustaining existing programming" related to the unsheltered clearly will not meet the housing needs of our unsheltered residents. The current primary method of sheltering these folks is through the motel voucher program, which is inadequate, expensive, inefficient and provides brief stays for a fraction of our unsheltered residents. Aside from this, the Department needs to explain how it can even sustain the existing programming as related to our unsheltered residents if, as stated in Slide 7, the "Federal ESG funds are significantly reduced due to the ESG CARES funding ramping down." 55 C. The Housing Department Needs Significantly More Money to Meet the Interim Housing Needs of our Unsheltered Residents
Our City has nearly 300 residents who have no shelter at all and who struggle daily just to survive. Our City can no longer ask these most vulnerable residents to "hang out" on the "very unsafe" street for another year or more. Our Housing Department states in the FY2023 budget narrative that "[a]lthough Pasadena continues to receive one-time increases in funding from the State, a reliable source of ongoing funding is needed to support high priority needs such as supportive services for existing and new supportive housing programs and increasing shelter capacity." So the Department is telling you it does not have sufficient funding to meet the need for increased shelter capacity.
At the June 1, 2022 ED Tech meeting, the Committee will discuss the subject of tiny homes as a strategy for homelessness in our City. Community members have been requesting this discussion for well over a year and are grateful for this opportunity. A tiny home village can be funded with some of the $26 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding our City will receive shortly, $20 million of which is not yet appropriated.1 Additionally, the City Council can find funding to provide basic shelter for our unsheltered neighbors just like it found funding for a helicopter camera surveillance system to replace a functioning system, to replace a functioning mobile command center, and $21.5 million to cover the debt on the Rose Bowl the past two years. Yes, the City is responsible for the Rose Bowl debt. The point is, the City found the money to cover the very substantial annual debt payments.
D. Conclusion
There needs to be more clarity and transparency in the Housing Department's FY2023 proposed budget. It is unclear from the information provided thus far what the unmet housing needs of our unsheltered residents are (quantified), what funds are available to meet those needs and what ' While the Housing Department is receiving $3 million in ARPA funding, that funding is earmarked for affordable housing projects, not interim housing. Moreover, without that $3 million appropriation from the federal government, the FY 2023 Recommended Housing Department Budget of $39,307,500 would be $4.35 million lower than the FY2022 adopted budget instead of the lesser amount of $1.35 million. It must also be understood that with last year's ARPA funding, more funding was appropriated for the traffic signal at Orange Grove and Craig than for interim housing for our unsheltered residents. 3 additional funding can, and should, be provided to meet those needs. Please ensure that all information relevant to meeting the unmet housing (with services) needs of our unsheltered residents is provided and considered. Then, please instruct staff to prepare a proposal for a tiny home village in our City.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this letter.
Sincerely,
/s/
Sonja K. Berndt
Pasadena
Cc: William Huang, Director
Pasadena's Housing Department
Matthew Hawkesworth, Director
Department of Finance
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SONJA K. BERNDT
Pasadena.CA 91107
May 24, 2022
William K. Huang, Director of Housing
Pasadena, California
By Email to whuang(%citvofpasadena.net
Request for Information Related to : (1) the Recommended FY2023 Housing Department Budget and C2) the 6/1/2022 Economic Development & Technology ("ED Tech") CommLttee Meeting on Tiny Homes
Dear Mr. Huang:
A. Introduction
The purpose of this letter is twofold: First, it seeks critical information related to providing for our unsheltered residents that is not explained in the Housing Department's budget presentation.
It is unclear from the information provided what the extent of the unmet needs of our unsheltered residents are and how the City intends to meet those needs throughout FY2023. Second, the information requested will be important for the ED Tech Committee to consider as its members evaluate the need for more interim housing through more effective housing models such as tiny homes.2 The information requested is consistent with Mayor Gordo's desire, in considering departmental budgets this year, to allow assigned Committees to take a longer-term approach and "deep dives" into more detail regarding departmental programs, services and budgets. ((
B. Request for Information
1. FY2023 Operating Budget Document
The Housing Department's recommended FY2023 total operating budget is $39.3 million. Of that total amount, what is the current total funding anticipated to be allocated/used for interim housing for our unsheltered residents? Please identify the amounts by program and source of funding.
* "Unsheltered residents" refers to persons located in Pasadena whose primary nighttime location is a public or private place not designated for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (i.e., the streets, abandoned buildings, vehicles, or parks). 2 "Interim housing" refers to temporary housing between life on the street and permanent housing and includes the following: a congregate shelter that provides for lodging overnight inside a structure; or a "tiny shelter," aka "tiny home; or an entire motel, hotel or similar structure re-purposed for housing persons experiencing homelessness; or motel vouchers issued for use at motels/hotels in "scattered sites;" or a single-family or multi-family residence; or group home. 1 c
The total General Fund appropriations sought for the Housing Department is $1.6 million. Of that amount, what is the total amount anticipated to be allocated/used for interim housing for our unsheltered residents?
2. Housing Department's 5/17/2022 Powerpoint Presentation on Recommended FY2023 Operating Budget
Slide 2: As you know, according to the 2022 Point-in-Time Homeless Count, Pasadena has a total of 512 unhoused persons, with 280 of those persons being without any shelter at all.3 Slide 2 has a list of housing projects. For the projects Salvation Army Hope Center, Concord Senior Apartments and Heritage Square South, please provide the following information for each:
Anticipated (approximate) date for residents to move into the project.
The number of units set aside for unhoused persons located in Pasadena. Will unhoused persons located in jurisdictions outside of Pasadena be eligible to occupy the units? Slide 2: For the "244 inclusionary units permitted, under construction or completed," what is the anticipated (approximate) date for residents to move into each of these units? How many of these units will be available solely to unhoused residents located in Pasadena? Will unhoused persons located in jurisdictions outside of Pasadena be eligible to occupy the units? Slide 3: This slide mentions that 37 households were permanently housed through "City-funded program" as of March 31, 2022. Were those households sheltered or unsheltered immediately prior to when they became permanently housed? Please identify the specific source of "City funding" used to permanently house these persons.
Slide 3: "270 formerly homeless households provided supportive housing." Are any of these households included in the 512 total unhoused persons per the 2022 Homeless Count? In other words, do we still have approximately 512 unhoused persons despite these 270 households that were provided supportive housing?
?;
Slide 3: Please explain the reference to "[e]xpanded HOPE Team Services Liaison program." Specifically what expenses of the HOPE Team are funded by the Housing Department and what are the specific duties of personnel funded by the Housing Department? Slide 5: "Other Housing Funds:" Housing Department staff mentioned that this line item includes the $3 million the Department is receiving in one-time federal American Rescue Plan Act ("ARPA") funding. Of this amount, how much is anticipated to be used for interim housing? Slide 7: "Federal ESG funds are significantly reduced due to the ESG CARES funding ramping down." For FY2022 thus far, what is the total amount of Federal ESG funds the Department has L.
3 Given that it was raining on the night of the Count and persons who received shelter only for that night were classified as "sheltered," community members believe our unsheltered count is an undercount. 2 expended to provide interim housing for our unsheltered persons, included services for that housing?
Slide 7: "Federal CoC funds have increased due to the award of additional grant funding for rapid rehousing." Are any of those funds anticipated to be used for interim housing for our unsheltered residents and, if yes, how much?
Slide 7: "Additional one-time state funding will likely be utilized to sustain existing programming created by earlier rounds of one-time state funds." As of the date you respond to this letter, what is the total amount of this state funding guaranteed to be received by Pasadena? Of this amount, how much is anticipated to be allocated for interim housing for our unsheltered residents?
Slide 9: "Complete homeless PCC student interim housing." This project was appropriated $400,000 in FY2022 ARPA funding. Please identify what other funding is being used for this housing project. What type of interim housing is being provided (type of housing model) and for how many residents? Also, what will be the source of funding for ongoing operations for this interim housing project?
Slide 10: This slide states that a FY2023 priority related to homelessness is "[s]ustain existing programming created by county Measure H, federal CARES and prior rounds of one-time state funding."
Please identify the "existing programming created by county Measure H." Is any Measure H funding anticipated to be used to provide interim housing for our unsheltered residents and, if so, how much?
As for sustaining existing programming created by federal CARES, how will this be possible if, as stated in Slide 7, the "Federal ESG funds are significantly reduced due to the ESG CARES funding ramping down?" Significantly, Emergency Shelter Grant funds are noted in slide 5 to be decreased by over $1.5 million in FY2023 while increased Continuum of Care funding is increased by barely over $400,000.
The Housing Department states, in the narrative portion of its recommended FY2023 budget, that its core values include "decent, safe, affordable housing as an equal right for all Pasadena residents." This includes our unsheltered residents. Given the significant decrease in federal funding anticipated, and the continued severe underfunding of the Housing Department, the recommended budget does not appear to meet the needs of our nearly 300 residents who have no shelter at all. During the budget discussion on May 17, 2022, Councilmember Rivas asked you how the Department might spend additional General Fund appropriations if provided. Increased General Fund appropriations as well as significantly more ARPA funding could provide much more interim housing for our unsheltered residents.
In an article addressing underfunding in Pasadena's Public Health Department, it is reported that Councilmember Tyron Hampton "was supportive of the city using general fund dollars in the health department, but he criticized its officials for not flagging the issue earlier. 'If they knew this had the potential to happen, then they're the professionals who should've said we're underfunded,' Hampton said." (Whittier Daily News, 3/26/21, "Pasadena Officials Want More Funding for the 3 Health Department, but not from the City.") The ED Tech Committee as well as the City Council need the Housing Department to flag the critical and urgent issue of severe underfunding of interim housing for our unsheltered residents. Additional General Fund appropriations as well as significantly more ARPA funding could help meet the needs of these most vulnerable community members and could fund a tiny home community in our City.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this correspondence.
Sincerely,
/s/
Sonja K. Berndt
Pasadena
Cc: Chairperson Tyron Hampton and
Members of Pasadena's ED Tech Committee
Cynthia Kurtz, Interim City Manager
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Department of Housing - 649 N. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 202,Pasadena, CA 91103
RESPONSE TO PUBLIC RECORDS ACT (PRA)REQUEST
PRA case number: #16336
Submittal date: 7/12/21
Submitted by: Sonja Berndt
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1. QUESTION: The number of unsheltered in Pasadena as of the January 2020 homeless count was 295. Since we did not conduct a homeless count in 2021, what is the Department's current best estimate of the number of unsheltered persons in our City, recognizing that some unsheltered persons have received shelter this past year and other persons have become unsheltered this year? RESPONSE: The Housing Department does not maintain an ongoing estimate of the number of unsheltered persons in our City at any given time. The most recent tally we have of the unsheltered homeless population is from the 2020 Homeless Count. We will be conducting an unsheltered homeless count again in late January 2021.
2. QUESTION: Approximately how much of the Housing Department's entire FY 2022 operating budget is available for motel-voucher interim housing (or other types of interim housing) for our unsheltered residents, recognizing some funds in the Department are restricted for certain purposes? Please identify the source of those funds (e.g., government or other grant) as well as the particular fund (e.g., Community Development Block Grant). (See, e.g., Slide 6 from your budget Powerpoint presentation on June 21st which has a list of "Expenses by Fund.") RESPONSE: The Department's FY 2022 Adopted Budget is $40,657,914.
Hypothetically, $1,194,244 of grant funding within the budget could be used for motel vouchers or other interim housing. Currently $835,344 is earmarked for interim housing, primarily for motel vouchers specifically. City staff take many factors into consideration when determining what type of homeless services to fund including grant terms such as expenditure deadlines and set eligible activities, current system and provider capacity, and the current landscape of existing homeless services funded by both the City and other entities such as County departments. The Department and the Pasadena Continuum of Care continue to prioritize the creation and expansion of new and existing permanent housing resources in addition to providing interim housing. Ultimately permanent housing ends a person's homelessness, unlike interim housing. Additionally, 1 r
a balanced system of services, which includes both interim housing and permanent housing resources, is necessary to move people out of homelessness quickly.
3. QUESTION: Of the total amount in Question 2, how much does the Housing Department currently intend to use for motel-voucher interim housing (or other interim housing) for unsheltered persons as opposed to other Housing Department initiatives such as rental assistance, affordable housing, etc.? RESPONSE: The Department's FY 2022 Adopted Budget of $40,657,914 includes $835,344 for motel vouchers and other interim housing. The very large majority of these funds are for motel vouchers, and a smaller portion (under $100,000) is for the Bad Weather Shelter. It is important to note that the adopted budget is revised several times throughout the fiscal year. The budget that is initially approved by City Council is staff's best estimate for the upcoming fiscal year. Particularly for the Supportive Housing Division, which oversees homeless services grant funding, these numbers are subject to change significantly because the City has not usually received its grant allocations for the upcoming fiscal year at the time budget is initially drafted. Staff utilizes figures from the current fiscal year to estimate the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, but these figures often need to be revised considerably.
Adopted FY2022 Housing Department Budget Available for Interim Hous^
FUNDGRANTSOURCEINTERIM
HOUSING
224Emergency Solutions Grant
(ESG)- annual allocation
224 | ESG-CV (CARES Act)
U.S Dept. of
Housing and Urban
Development
(HUP)
$70,559
238Measure H
U.S Dept. of
Housing and Urban
Development
(HUD)
$500,000
LA County tax
revenue
$101,313
238Homeless Housing, Assistance,
and Prevention
State of California
Business,
Consumer Services
and Housing
Agency (BCSH)
$209,031
L
4. QUESTION: Significantly, it was just announced publicly that California will provide funding for income-qualified persons to cover rent that accrued, but was not paid, due to COVID-19-related reasons. Does this mean that more of the Housing Department's budget can now be used to shelter our unsheltered population through interim housing? If not, why not?
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RESPONSE: Yes, this is correct. The Department currently has $500k of ESG-CV funds set aside for homelessness prevention activities. In response to the availability of federal funding for emergency rental assistance administered to Pasadena residents by the State of California, the Department intends to reprogram this funding for mote! vouchers. A portion of this funding will transferred to the Public Health Department to be utilized for motel vouchers by the PORT team in addition to the GEM and TAY Link programs. The remainder will be reprogrammed to augment existing motel voucher contracts with local non-profit service providers.
5. QUESTION: What is the daily rate, per person, the Housing Department uses to determine funding needs for the motel-voucher interim housing program? RESPONSE: The Department utilized $100 per room per night as the rate to calculate the budget for the Scattered Site Emergency Motel Program, which has provided shelter for vulnerable individuals throughout the last year of the pandemic. This figure was roughly the average of nightly rates found in invoices submitted to the City by multiple non-profit agencies for other contracted motel voucher programs. However most motel voucher programs are selected through an RFP or similar process, in which proposers submit their own budget. Some agencies have established relationships with local motels that have allowed them to secure lower nightly rates than other agencies.
6. QUESTION: You mentioned in your budget presentation to the City Council that Pasadena is expected to receive $3 million in HOME funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Is this $3 million part of the $26 million the City of Pasadena recently received in ARPA funding or is it in addition to the $26 million the City received?
RESPONSE-6: The $3 million of HOME funds authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (HOME-ARP) is distinct from the $26 million that the City will receive from American Rescue Plan Act which was allocated to various uses at the August 16 City Council meeting.
7. QUESTION: You mentioned in your budget presentation that the $3 million in HOME funds referenced above are to address homelessness in general. Does the Housing Department intend that any of these specific funds will be used for interim housing such as motel vouchers and, if so, approximately how much? RESPONSE-7: The Department has not yet determined how the HOME-ARP funds will be utilized. We are awaiting final guidelines from HDD regarding the specifics of these HOME funds, which were authorized by the American Rescue Plan and will have different eligible uses and restrictions.
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Stevenson, Garrett
bject:FW: 6/1/22 ED Tech Meeting -- Discussion on Tiny Homes From: Sonja Berndt < >
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2022 8:00 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: 6/1/22 ED Tech Meeting - Discussion on Tiny Homes Hi Garrett:
Please see that this email is posted publicly for Agenda Item #2 for ED Tech's 6/1/2022 meeting. Thanks! Sonja Berndt
—-—— Forwarded message ———
From: Sonja Berndt < >
Date: Tue, May 24, 2022 at 11:50 AM
Subject: 6/1/22 ED Tech Meeting — Discussion on Tiny Homes To: Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>, Madison, Steve <[email protected]>, Rivas, Jessica <[email protected]>, Wilson, Andy <awilson(%cityofpasadena.net> Dear Committee Members:
I am sending the links below to video tours of two tiny home communities operated by Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission: (1) Chandler Park in North Hollywood (the first tiny home community operated by Hope of the Valley); and (2) Arroyo Seco Tiny Home Village (right next to our city, off of the Arroyo Parkway). Hope of the Valley operates 6 tiny home communities.
Community members are looking forward to the discussion of tiny homes at the ED Tech meeting on June 1st. No one believes that tiny homes are the solution for homelessness - permanent housing is the solution. But it can take over a year for an unsheltered person living on the street to obtain permanent housing. During that time, these residents lose hope and are subject to all sorts of safety and health risks.
While they are in a tiny home community waiting for permanent housing, clients have the following: a lock on the door to their unit to provide personal safety; easy access to showers and toilets; three meals a day; heating and air conditioning in their unit; laundry facilities onsite; an address to use when applying for benefits; onsite case managers for easy access to all of the services they provide; a dog run for any pets; 24 hour security; a sense of community; and consistency and continuity, which develop trust.
As Ken Craft, Founder/CEO of Hope of the Valley often says: "The streets shouldn't be the waiting room for permanent housing."
'ittps ://www.voutube. com/watch?v=RKEeCdsmBRc&t=2s
https://youtu.be/caofz5 cbOY
1 Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sonja Berndt
.sadena
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2 Stevenson, Garrett
bject:FW: Tiny Homes: Last year's Community Webinar on Bridge Housing, including Tiny Homes
From: Sonja Berndt < >
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2022 8:02 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: Tiny Homes: Last year's Community Webinar on Bridge Housing, including Tiny Homes Hi Garrett:
Please see that this ADDITIONAL email is posted publicly for Agenda Item #2 for ED Tech's 6/1/2022 meeting. Thanks!
Sonja Berndt
——— Forwarded message ———
From: Sonja Berndt < >
Date: Tue, May 24, 2022 at 1:57 PM
Subject: Tiny Homes: Last year's Community Webinar on Bridge Housing, including Tiny Homes o: Hampton, Tyron <thampton(%cityofpasadena.net>, Madison, Steve <smadison(@cityofpasadena.net>, Rivas, Jessica <[email protected]>. Wilson, Andy <awilson(a>citvo fpasadena.net> Dear Members of the ED Tech Committee:
As you consider a tiny home community in our City, I thought you might like to know what community members have done thus far in educating our community about the tiny home option.
Below is a link to the "Who's Next Door? Building Bridges: Solutions to Homelessness" community webinar held on May 20, 2021 that was sponsored by Union Station, Making Housing & Community Happen, and Pasadena for All. We had 75 registrants and over 60 attendees. The purpose was to educate our community about homelessness in our City (including myths), the substantial obstacles our persons experiencing homelessness face while living on the street, and tiny homes as an interim housing model for the long waits to permanent housing.
The speakers included Laurie Craft, Program Director from Hope of the Valley; a representative from Pallet, a company that manufactures the tiny homes; and persons with lived experience.
After the webinar, community members gathered signatures on a petition for a tiny home community in our City. We obtained over 200 signatures. I will be sending those to you before your June 1st meeting.
Meeting Recording:
nttDS://unionstationhs.zoom.us/rec/share/rziXiOOOhBvv3oLVOXoKeGY23pDA6DCtAMZnU fxzr23DVY06di 7dnDRm7J7vOnt.fdiv3 ObJdi 9Rfl ED
1 Access Passcode: whosnextdoor520!
*t me know if you have any problem accessing the recording. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sonja Berndt
Pasadena
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Stevenson, Garrett
bject:FW: Support for Tiny House Initiative
From: Jordan Vannini < >
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2022 7:15 AM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: Support for Tiny House Initiative
To Whom It May Concern,
I am a longtime resident of Pasadena and live in Dstrict 5.
It has come to my attention that on Wednesday. June 01, the Economic Development & Technology Committee will consider a Tiny Home Village development as Agenda Item #2.
I wish to register my full support for this initiative and urge its speedy approval.
Thank You.
Jordan Vannini
^o-President Washington Square Neighborhood Association Pasadena, CA 91104
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1 Stevenson, Garrett
bject:FW: Small homes
From: Christie Balvin < >
Sent: Monday, May 30, 2022 10:44 AM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: Small homes
Dear Mr. Stevenson:
I strongly support the idea of small homes within our Pasadena/Altadena community. There are so many people in need of shelter but cannot afford it. As fellow human beings we need to help those who are in need of a roof over their heads. Many people do not need much but they do need a roof over their heads and a bathroom.
What we are building in Pasadena are condos created by developers for people willing and able to afford larger condos or homes. We are paying almost no attention to the growing number of people living in the streets. Many people really do not need much. But land values in Pasadena/Altadena are so expensive that few people can live here anymore. We must change this dynamic and create small homes that at least allow people to have a space of their own, even if it is just a small room with a bath and a place to make meals. Let's not continue to avoid the subject. Let's get on with it and create places for our fellow human beings to live and oerhaps, with some luck, eventually prosper.
I have grown up in Pasadena At one point, the Arroyo was dotted with small shacks. But right now the big developers have discovered us and seem to rule the roost. They are building more and more expensive condos and homes. This is not what is needed. What is needed are smaller homes like the ones that once dotted the landscape throughout Pasadena. If we do not address the issue, we will eventually find ourselves overrun by people with nowhere to go and more tent cities. Is this what we want? Please City of Pasadena, help me as a resident contribute to the solution and no longer ignore the problems. Let's create more Heritage Partners. Let's help our fellow citizens and not ignore nor denigradfe them.
Thank you for the work you do to try to make Pasadena more livable for all our citizens.
Christie Balvin
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Stevenson, Garrett
bject:
Attachments:
FW: Tiny Homes Agenda #2-6/1/2022 ED Tech Meeting
Tiny Homes Agenda #2 6.1.22 ED Tech.pdf
From: Sonja Berndt < >
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2022 10:18 AM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>; Hampton, Tyron <[email protected]>; Madison, Steve <[email protected]>; Rivas, Jessica <[email protected]>; Wilson, Andy <[email protected]>
Cc: Huang, William <[email protected]>
Subject: Tiny Homes Agenda #2-6/1/2022 ED Tech Meeting
Dear Members of the ED Tech Committee:
Please review the attached letter related to the 6/1/2022 ED Tech discussion of tiny homes and ensure that it is made a part of the public record.
Thank you.
SonjaBerndt
( asadena
0 1
SONJA K. BERNDT
Pasadena, CA 91107
May 31,2022
Chairperson Tyron Hampton and
Members of Pasadena's Economic Development &
Technology Committee
By Email
L
Re: 6/1/2022 ED Tech Committee Meetin£_^-_Agenda Item #2 Discu_ssio.non Tiny Homes as a Strategy to Address HomeLessness in our City
Dear Members of the ED Tech Committee:
I want to thank you for agendizing the subject of tiny homes as a strategy for addressing homelessness in the City of Pasadena. I also want to thank the Housing Department for the informative, balanced staff report and Powerpoint presentation on the subject for the meeting.
As you know, many community members are very passionate about providing effective and efficient interim housing for our nearly 300 unsheltered residents. We are very supportive of creating a tiny home community in our City. Our Housing Department staff has said "It's very unsafe on the street. People don't sleep much." (12/8/2021 ED Tech Mtg., timestamp 1:16:00.) Unsheltered persons are extremely vulnerable due to substantial chronic health conditions; undiagnosed and untreated mental illness; substance use disorders; malnutrition, and/or other substantial problems, including threats to their personal safety. (See 2020 Homeless Count Report, pp. 23-25; see also, 2022 Homeless Count Report, p. 15.) Interim housing (temporary housing between living on the street and permanent housing) provides personal safety, security for belongings, toilets, showers, laundry facilities, meals, assistance with medical needs (such as onsite nurses who monitor blood pressure), linkage to benefits (such as health insurance, SSI, etc.), etc. The staff report states "[t]he 'tiny home villages' model ('tiny villages') as it is commonly known, offers one potential option to address this issue. The model has become popular nationwide and locally, and regulations for tiny villages have been adopted by several jurisdictions in California." (Staff Report, p. 1.) I have personally seen the amazing difference shelter with intensive onsite case management services makes in the life of a person some would have labeled as "service resistant." My friend has been sheltered in a re-purposed motel for 18 months. During that time, he has made excellent progress toward wellness and self-sufficiency. He is finally obtaining permanent housing after 18 months. He has told me many times that he had given up hope while living on the street, but he is now looking forward to having his own apartment and attending computer classes.
1 c
There are various funding options available for a tiny home community in our City. The City can fund a tiny home community through our General Fund. Since the City will not have to cover the Rose Bowl debt this year, that very substantial amount of money should be available to create a tiny home community. Historically, our City has appropriated very little funding for our Housing Department and almost nothing for interim housing. Now is the time to change that.
As stated in my letter to you dated May 30, 2022, the Housing Department has advised you that it does not have sufficient funding for increased shelter capacity in our City. Housing Department staff state in their June 1, 2022 staff report that the need for new, non-congregate interim housing "has grown more urgent." (Staff Report, p. 1.) Additionally, we have $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding coming to the City shortly that has not been appropriated. The City allocated more money for the traffic light at Orange Grove and Craig than for interim housing with last year's $26 million in ARPA funding.
Funding a tiny home community is an eligible use for these funds and would be a step forward in achieving social equity in our City.
The City can also look for opportunities to partner with the State and County to create a tiny home community in our City. The City did not participate in either round 1 or round 2 of the state Homekey funding, the program that providing very substantial state funding for interim and permanent housing for those experiencing homelessness. However, Governor Newsom is seeking substantial new funding to address homelessness with the state budget surplus.
Additionally, a coalition of community members recently met with Tyler Cash, Supervisor Barger's Homeless Services Policy Deputy, and he is willing to meet with the City and community members to discuss a potential partnership to create a tiny home community in our City.
Our nearly 300 unsheltered residents need your help. Community members stand ready to help the City to establish a successful tiny home community in our City, but we need the City to provide the resources to make that happen. Please direct staff to provide a list of all possible sites for a tiny home community in our City and upon this Committee's further direction, to prepare a proposal for a community on a particular site. Please recommend the creation of a tiny home community to the City Council and sufficient funding for upfront costs and ongoing operations.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this letter. u
Cc: William Huang, Director
Pasadena's Housing Department
Sincerely,
/s/
Sonja K. Berndt
Pasadena
2 Stevenson, Garrett
/''
bject:FW: agenda item #2
From: Eloise Kaeck < >
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2022 10:49 AM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: agenda item #2
Please support the Tiny Homes program as one of the practical solutions for people experiencing homelessness. I helped with the count before the pandemic and personally saw the suffering on the streets. This morning on my walk through the Arroyo Seco, I saw the same 50 year old man sleeping by the Colorado bridge. Getting people into their own space with appropriate services is a cost saver, too! thank you for your consideration to this urgent matter. eloise kaeck
district 3
c
u
1 Letter to Ed Tech committee of City of Pasadena
May 31,2022 3:13pm
-Fprsyrpn
2822 JUN-1 ftM8^t3
0 My name is Aviva Rosenbloom. I am a member of the
Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, and I want to applaud your Committee for considering a village of tiny homes to help move Pasadenans from the street and into safe and
more secure housing..
This development will provide a more dignified alternative to the encampments and freeway overpasses where far too
many of our less fortunate neighbors must now live without privacy, dignity and the access to regular hygiene. A door and a key, a place to sleep, and a fixed location accessible to social services and other support, will be a wonderful benefit to our entire community. As a member of the Social Justice Committee of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, I commend you for pursuing this essential facet of housing justice.
u
Stevenson, Garrett
bject: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
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 "•asadena.
Union Station Homeless Services, Friends in Deed, Salvation Army have programs with the city.
An opportunity to hire locally for security and food provision. 1 Community support is building. Our unsheltered residents need our help. 3ase move this from "Information Only" to "new business" soon.
Respectfully,
Ferne Hayes
Pasadena, CA 91106
resident for 50+ years
u
2 Stevenson, Garrett
oject:FW: Support Tiny Homes!
From:
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 11:00 AM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: Support Tiny Homes!
Dear Ed Tech members:
Thank you for considering Tiny hlomes 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 PShl 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 ecome 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
u
1 Stevenson, Garrett
bject: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
Members of the Ed Tech Committee
I have been a resident of Pasadena for 7 years and I live in District 7.1 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! -ccording 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 1 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 i 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
0 2
Stevenson, Garrett
bject:FW: Written public comment for today's Economic Development and Technology Committee meeting —Agenda Item 2
From: Wendy Wang < >
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 12:58 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: Written public comment for today's Economic Development and Technology Committee meeting -Agenda Item 2 To Whom It May Concern,
I wish to submit the following written public comment regarding Agenda Item #2 for today's Council Economic Development and Technology Committee meeting.
Thank you.
Public Comment:
^ear Chairperson Hampton and members of the Economic Development and Technology Committee, My name is Wendy Wang, the Chief Public Policy and Advocacy Officer for Sycamores. As a local community- based nonprofit organization. Sycamores is the lead organization for the Youth Coordinated Entry System in LA County Service Planning Area 3 (SPA 3), a region that includes Pasadena. Since the modest beginning of our Transition Age Youth (young people ages 16-25) Housing Division in the early 2000s, Sycamores has been committed to assisting young people who experienced homelessness, some of whom emancipated from the foster care system. By braiding funding streams and philanthropic dollars. Sycamores offers critical mental health treatment, case management, affordable housing options, educational and vocational services, and other support to these young people. These services are instrumental in helping young people towards greater self-sufficiency and well-being.
I want to thank the Committee for placing tiny homes on the agenda for today's Committee meeting and for your future consideration of establishing a tiny homes village in the City of Pasadena.
According to the City of Pasadena's 2022 Homeless Count, 512 of the City's residents are still unhoused and 280 of these residents have no shelter at all. According to City's Housing Department, it can take over one year for an unsheltered resident to move from being on the "streets" to permanent housing. During this time, unsheltered residents face very substantial health and safety risks, especially since the threat ofCOVID-19 has not ended.
Tiny homes provide temporary housing from the time an individual moves from sleeping on the local streets or local parks to permanent housing. Tiny homes provide basic shelter, personal safety, efficient on-site case lanagement services, easy access to toilets, showers, and laundry facilities, three meals a day, and heating and dir conditioning.
1 The City of Pasadena has a responsibility to provide basic shelter and services for our unsheltered residents. We recognize that the tiny homes model is temporary and interim housing; however, it represents another important strategy in the local Continuum of Care (CoC). If we are to truly end homelessness, we must invest in strategies mg the entire Continuum of Care.
Pasadena can fund the creation of a tiny home village and on-going operations by appropriating funds from the City's General Fund and by dedicating a portion of the $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act monies granted to Pasadena from the federal government. Additionally, Pasadena can identify and explore deeper partnerships with the state, county, or philanthropic organizations to create tiny homes.
Thank you for your consideration of my comments.
Sincerely,
Wendy Wang
Wendy Wang, MPP (she/her). Chief, Public Policy and Advocacy Officer Mobile:
[email protected]
Sycamores
a better life
100 W. Walnut Ave. Suite 375
Pasadena, Ca, 91124
www.svcamores.org
This email message and any accompanying data is intended only for the use of the named recipient(s), and may contain information that is privileged and confidential and is subject to applicable law. If the reader of this .essage is not the intended recipient, or the employer or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender at the email address above, delete the material from your computer, and destroy any copies immediately. Thank you for your cooperation.
2 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: Letter for Agenda Item for Econ Devot& Tech Committee meeting 6/1/2022 — Forwarded message —
From: Bonnie Skolnik < >
Date: Wed, Jun 1, 2022 at 2:43 PM
Subject: Letter for Agenda Item for Econ Devot& Tech Committee meeting 6/1/2022 To: <[email protected]>
As a 46.5 year Pasadena resident, I welcome your Committee's Recommendation of a well-designed Tiny Houses village within our city.
This development, which might even charm Pasadena Heritage, could welcome a joint effort of designers, including a neighboring agricultural college, to research smart landscaping.
As a member of the Social Justice Committee of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, I thank you for examining the contribution of a tiny village to housing justice.
Bonnie Skotnik
Pasadena, CA 91107
u
1 Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: In support
From: Donna Sider< >
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 3:33 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>
Subject: In support
Agenda #2.1 support tiny homes in our city!
District 2
Donna
0 1
c
Stevenson, Garrett
Subject:FW: Letter of support for Tiny Homes today
From: Jill Shook <>
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 3:35 PM
To: Stevenson, Garrett <[email protected]>; interfaithquaker <[email protected]> Subject: re: Letter of support for Tiny Homes today
Dear Ed Tech,
When Anthony and I were engaged in 2011 we participated in a homeless survey to find those most likely to die on the streets. I will never forget meeting Caeser Brantley who slept on the steps of the library. He said to us, "May the angels of heaven play harps at your wedding" and so we invited him to attend. I was a joy to dance with him on our special day. The day we met Caeser; he was our angel. He knew all the unhoused who stayed in the area, and made sure that we meet them for the survey. Caeser helped us to quickly help us build bridges of trust. He took us to a man who was on dialysis next to the City Hall and several others. Anthony met an angry African American woman who was totally justified in her rage—she was blind and had just been raped the night before, unable to see to defend herself. I had no idea that we had so many Pasadena residents carrying so much pain and suffering all within steps of the City Hall.
Such neighbors deserve a tiny home with a key and privacy, and so much more as they heal from so much emotional and physical pain. That day made an even deeper committed to do all I could to address the many barriers and obstacles on the path to permanent housing, to assure that these vulnerable citizens get a home that they deserve. I hope that you too will do all you can today. In this time of ongoing pandemic, I believe that tiny shelters are one very important part of the answer to real help. Please support tiny homes! Thank you! Jill Shook Jill Shook, D.Min. Missions Daar, http://www.missionsdDar.arg/missionarjBS/shDak-jill Ca-Faunding Director: makinghDusinghappen.arg
Authar/Editor: Making Housing Happen: Faith Based Affordable Housing Models My zoom room link
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