Attachment 2 - Hope for Home Study Report — City Council / Housing Authority, October 16, 2023

LESAR

DEVELOPMENT

CONSULTANTS
The Hope for Home
Homeless Services Center:

A Holistic Approach to
Ending Homelessness
in Pomona
May 2023
Attachment No.2
2 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona This page intentionally left blank
Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 3 Contents
Executive Summary ....................................................................................................4 Introduction..................................................................................................................6 Methodology ................................................................................................................7 Interviews ..............................................................................................................7 Timeline: A Brief History of Hope for Home ........................................................8 Hope for Home: A Community Partnership .......................................................10 Envisioning a Way Home .................................................................................10 Designing the Future ........................................................................................12 Digging Into the Construction Process ........................................................ 19 Fostering a Collaborative Service Model .....................................................23 Navigating the Pandemic .................................................................................29 Fulfilling the Hope for Home ..........................................................................30 Key Drivers of Success: A Commitment to Collective Impact ....................... 32 Shared Vision and Agenda ...............................................................................32 Backbone Support from the City ...................................................................32 Partner Commitment to Collaboration .........................................................33 Mutually Reinforcing Activities Focused on Long-Term Solutions .........33 Ongoing Community Engagement ................................................................34 Valuing Lived Experience of Homelessness ................................................34 Transparency and Continuous Communication ......................................... 35 Using Data to Drive Continuous Improvement ..........................................35 Community Support and Volunteerism ........................................................35 Considerations for Local Planning ........................................................................36 Appendix A: Information Resources ....................................................................39 City Council Reports .........................................................................................39 Media Coverage .................................................................................................39 Appendix B: Hope for Home Milestones............................................................ 40 4 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona Executive Summary
The Hope for Home campus on the day of its Grand Opening.

Representatives from the Cities of El Monte, Baldwin Park, and South El Monte tour Hope for Home.

In January 2017, two years of collaborative planning by a diverse group of community stakeholders culminated in the City of Pomona (City) adopting “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless”—a community- wide plan to prevent and end homelessness. The plan’s adoption called for the development of a one-stop campus where people experiencing homelessness could access emergency shelter and services to secure affordable permanent housing and transform their lives.

The idea for this case study originated based on requests from other communities throughout California and nationwide to tour the one-stop campus—the Hope for Home Homeless Services Center (Hope for Home)— which opened with extensive community support in December 2018. This case study draws on interviews with City staff and key partners, planning documents, and reports to trace the origins of Hope for Home through its development and first few years of operation. The case study also provides information about the initiative’s partnerships, construction process, and project financing with the goal of helping other communities evaluate the potential of adopting a similar model as part of a broader strategy to address homelessness in their communities.

In addition, the case study illustrates how the City used the collective impact approach to foster collaboration between City officials and staff, partners and service providers, contractors, and community members to build and maintain support for Hope for Home. The collective impact approach engages stakeholders from different sectors to commit to working toward a common agenda to solve a problem.

Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 5 The closing section of the report provides 12 recommendations for elected officials and community leaders to consider when planning a similar initiative in their own communities:

1. Cultivate the support of local and regional leaders.

2. Offer shelter and wraparound services that eliminate barriers to housing in a single site.

3. Ensure that the project team has both program and construction expertise.

4. Wait until construction is complete to bring clients on site.

5. Build rapport and relationships with participants—and all people—and treat them with compassion and dignity.

6. Establish a program array that allows for equal treatment of participants across programs.

7. Finalize policies and procedures in collaboration with site partners and share them with all team members before moving on site.

8. Hold partner meetings at least once a month to keep operations running smoothly.

9. Use a case conferencing approach for shared clients.

10. Dedicate staff time to ongoing community education and engagement.

11. Continuously monitor housing outcomes and strategize ways to quickly move participants to housing.

12. Integrate the site into a holistic homelessness crisis response system.

Thank you to the many people who contributed to shaping and fulfilling the vision of Hope for Home and to the people who shared their insights as part of the case study so that other communities can benefit from Pomona’s experience. We also appreciate the elected officials and community leaders from more than 100 communities whose questions informed the content of this case study.

We are excited to share what we have learned to date about developing and operating a one-stop campus, and we look forward to sharing additional insights as we build out and strengthen our homelessness crisis response system so that homelessness—when it happens for anyone—is a rare, brief, and one-time occurrence. 6 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona Introduction
The City of Pomona (City) has taken a proactive approach to addressing homelessness since 1999, when two councilmembers established the Pomona Continuum of Care Coalition (PCOCC), creating a forum for local organizations to coordinate services. By 2015, however, City leaders recognized that rising rents, a limited number of affordable units, and other social factors coupled with no local access to year-round emergency shelter were contributing to an increase in unsheltered homelessness.

In response, the City formed the Homeless Advisory Committee to develop a community-wide plan to end homelessness. When the City adopted the strategy in 2017, “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless” focused on four key goals:
• Reduce the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Pomona.
• Reduce the negative impacts on community neighborhoods and public spaces through the coordination of services
• Balance the needs and rights of persons experiencing homelessness and the larger community through updated fair, legal, and enforceable policies and ordinances
• Have an engaged and informed community regarding homelessness and homeless solutions
The adoption of the plan marked a significant shift in the City’s approach to homelessness, laying the foundation for a crisis response system focused on preventing and ending homelessness. Several of the strategies outlined in the plan shaped the new frontline response, a campus with an emergency shelter and wraparound services to support people as they exit homelessness to a safe, affordable home.

This case study documents the evolution of Hope for Home from the visioning process through the first three years of operation with the goal of serving as a blueprint for other cities considering similar solutions. Sections

HOPE FOR HOME
Vision
Hope for Home maintains a
vision of ending homelessness
in Pomona—one person at a
time.

Mission
Hope for Home pursues a
mission of restoring hope,
creating opportunity,
and transforming lives of
individuals who are wanting
to break free from the cycle of
homelessness.

We bring this mission to life
every day by collaboratively
helping our participants
break barriers to obtaining
permanent housing, increasing
their income, improving
their health, and ultimately
achieving independence.

A panoramic view of the Hope for Home campus on the day of the Grand Opening.

Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 7 include a narrative and timeline covering Hope for Home’s development and operations, key drivers of success, and questions elected officials and leaders in other communities should ask when considering a similar solution in their jurisdictions.

Since opening Hope for Home in December 2018, more than 125 people have moved into permanent homes. 1 In addition, the comprehensive approach to services at Hope for Home has improved the quality of life of both housed and unhoused residents, helped to attract affordable housing to the City, and earned recognition from elected officials and other leaders at the regional, state, and national levels.

Methodology
This case study traces the evolution of the City Hope for Home services center, which was developed using a collective impact approach. 2,3,4 Sources used to inform the case study include planning documents, City Council and committee minutes, stakeholder interviews with City staff and key partners, a PCOCC meeting, reports to funders and the community, news articles and social media posts, and client demographic and outcomes data from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

Interviews
1 Data as of December 2022.
2 Collective Impact . John Kania & Mark Kramer. (Winter 2011). Stanford Social Innovation Review. 3 Understanding the Value of Backbone Organizations in Collective Impact: Part 1 . Shiloh Turner, Kathy Merchant, John Kania & Ellen Martin. (2012, July 17). Stanford Social Innovation Review. 4 Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work . Fay Hanleybrown, John Kania, & Mark Kramer. (2012, January 26).

Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Paula Lantz, former City Councilmember
Linda Lowry, former City Manager
City of Pomona Police Department
Lt. Anthony Catanese, Quality of Life Unit
City of Pomona Department of Neighborhood Services
Benita DeFrank, Director
Donyielle Holley, Homeless Programs Supervisor
George Montano, Housing Authority Manager
Samantha Piedra, Homeless Programs Coordinator
East Valley Community Health Center
Alicia Mardini, CEO
Goodwill Industries of Southern California
Sara Crane, Case Manager
PBK-WLC Architects
Mark Graham, Principal
Tri-City Mental Health
Dr. Kim Rioux, Supervisor
Eseoghene Oniwar, Adult FSP Clinical Supervisor
Isela Moreno, MHSA Program Supervisor
Volunteers of America Los Angeles
Denise Orosco, Assistant Director, Homeless Services
Reggie Clark, Program Manager
Julia Estrada, Program Manager
Aziza Manuel, Program Coordinator
Lidia Orozco, Research Analyst
8 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona Timeline: A Brief History of Hope for Home
Development and Construction
Program Development
Operations
Conceptual Design
Community Engagement
City hosts a community forum on homelessness
City establishes a Homeless Advisory Committee
City Council declares a shelter crisis
Dec 6, 2019 Hope for Home Grand Opening
December 5, 2018 Hope for Home opens
City issues site operator request for qualiﬁcations
City hosts Lived Experience Focus Group
Hope for Home adds 50 “Bridge Housing” beds
City holds a study session; begins to develop a strategic plan City Council unanimously adopts “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless” City Council approves the purchase of 1400 E. Mission Blvd. for the Hope for Home Service Center City Council approves proposed conceptual site plan for emergency shelter City Council approves the purchase of the adjacent property, 1390 E. Mission Blvd City Council approves appropriation of $4 million Housing Asset Fund for construction City issues design-build request for qualiﬁcations
City Departments conduct a walkthrough of the shelter site City demolishes existing structures and awards design-build contract Architectural design is ﬁnalized, City gives notice to proceed on construction City Council authorizes additional funding
City Council authorizes additional funding
City Council authorizes amendment to assist with the second phase of construction City signs engagement letter of agreement with Cumming Construction Management, Inc.

City Council approves contract for design-build services Adjacent parking lot is paved
Shade structures are added
Kitchen and access center open
Companion animal kennels open
Hope for Home groundbreaking
City contracts with Volunteers of America Los Angeles to operate Hope for Home Core Partners develop the Hope for Home Mission, Vision and Values Statement City hosts Lived Experience Summit at the Pomona Armory Completed Winter 2023
Projected Summer 2023
City Council accepts $3.4 million of Measure H Capital Cost for Crisis and Bridge Housing Funds Permanent shower and restroom facilities open
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 9 Timeline: A Brief History of Hope for Home
Development and Construction
Program Development
Operations
Conceptual Design
Community Engagement
City hosts a community forum on homelessness
City establishes a Homeless Advisory Committee
City Council declares a shelter crisis
Dec 6, 2019 Hope for Home Grand Opening
December 5, 2018 Hope for Home opens
City issues site operator request for qualiﬁcations
City hosts Lived Experience Focus Group
Hope for Home adds 50 “Bridge Housing” beds
City holds a study session; begins to develop a strategic plan City Council unanimously adopts “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless” City Council approves the purchase of 1400 E. Mission Blvd. for the Hope for Home Service Center City Council approves proposed conceptual site plan for emergency shelter City Council approves the purchase of the adjacent property, 1390 E. Mission Blvd City Council approves appropriation of $4 million Housing Asset Fund for construction City issues design-build request for qualiﬁcations
City Departments conduct a walkthrough of the shelter site City demolishes existing structures and awards design-build contract Architectural design is ﬁnalized, City gives notice to proceed on construction City Council authorizes additional funding
City Council authorizes additional funding
City Council authorizes amendment to assist with the second phase of construction City signs engagement letter of agreement with Cumming Construction Management, Inc.

City Council approves contract for design-build services Adjacent parking lot is paved
Shade structures are added
Kitchen and access center open
Companion animal kennels open
Hope for Home groundbreaking
City contracts with Volunteers of America Los Angeles to operate Hope for Home Core Partners develop the Hope for Home Mission, Vision and Values Statement City hosts Lived Experience Summit at the Pomona Armory Completed Winter 2023
Projected Summer 2023
City Council accepts $3.4 million of Measure H Capital Cost for Crisis and Bridge Housing Funds Permanent shower and restroom facilities open
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Development and Construction
Program Development
Operations
Conceptual Design
Community Engagement
City hosts a community forum on homelessness
City establishes a Homeless Advisory Committee
City Council declares a shelter crisis
Dec 6, 2019 Hope for Home Grand Opening
December 5, 2018 Hope for Home opens
City issues site operator request for qualiﬁcations
City hosts Lived Experience Focus Group
Hope for Home adds 50 “Bridge Housing” beds
City holds a study session; begins to develop a strategic plan City Council unanimously adopts “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless” City Council approves the purchase of 1400 E. Mission Blvd. for the Hope for Home Service Center City Council approves proposed conceptual site plan for emergency shelter City Council approves the purchase of the adjacent property, 1390 E. Mission Blvd City Council approves appropriation of $4 million Housing Asset Fund for construction City issues design-build request for qualiﬁcations
City Departments conduct a walkthrough of the shelter site City demolishes existing structures and awards design-build contract Architectural design is ﬁnalized, City gives notice to proceed on construction City Council authorizes additional funding
City Council authorizes additional funding
City Council authorizes amendment to assist with the second phase of construction City signs engagement letter of agreement with Cumming Construction Management, Inc.

Envisioning a Way Home
Like many cities throughout Southern California, the City saw a marked increase in the number of its unhoused residents in the years following the Great Recession (2007-2009). As homelessness became more visible and encampments grew,
the City Council and staff began hearing more frequently about its impact on business and community life.

While Pomona had been home to a County-funded winter
shelter operated by Volunteers of America Los Angeles
(VOALA) at the local Armory for over a decade, City leaders were initially not clear about how to respond because the County had always administered social services. However, as the population experiencing homelessness grew, City
leaders realized that they would need to find a community- based solution that balanced the needs of residents, business owners, and people experiencing homelessness.

In August 2015, the City partnered with Western University, the Pomona Unified School District, and Pomona’s
Promise—a collective impact collaboration focused on
improving community life—to host a community forum to
better understand the challenges and potential solutions to homelessness. The forum was attended by over 200
stakeholders who raised issues such as the potential for the City to become a nexus for people experiencing homelessness from other cities by funding its own facility and services. “A key part of the presentation was asking the community whether they thought it was time to build a solution that we had the power to implement,” said former City Manager Linda Lowry. “By the end of the day, it felt like we had a shared understanding of what workable solutions could look like.” A Way Home: Community
Solutions for Pomona’s
Homeless
Principles

1. Homelessness is a crisis in Pomona.

2. Make homelessness brief and one-time.

3. Homelessness is solvable.

4. Addressing our Fair Share.

Strategies
• Reduce the Number of Pomona’s
Unsheltered Homeless
• Reduce the Negative Impacts
on Community Neighborhoods
and Public Spaces through the
Coordination of Services
• Have an Engaged and Informed
Community Regarding Homelessness
and Homeless Solutions Goal
• Balance the Needs and Rights of
Homeless Persons and the Larger
Community through Updated Fair,
Legal and Enforceable Policies and
Ordinances
Figure 1: A Way Home Principles and Strategies
Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 11 The forum resulted in the formation of the Homeless Advisory Committee, a group of over 75 diverse stakeholders tasked with researching and developing a comprehensive community- wide strategy to end homelessness for presentation to City Council. Hosted under the umbrella of Pomona’s Promise, the Committee was organized into four working groups: 1) Housing and Facilities, 2) Programs, Services and Resources, 3) Community Perceptions and Public Relations, and, 4) City Policy. Over a 9-month period, the Committee and each
working group met once a month to develop a plan. The
working groups were tasked with developing specific strategies that addressed their area of focus. This was done through research in best practices, field trips, and conversations with experts. In addition, there were three community meetings held, which focused on residents’ concerns regarding homelessness. The information gathered resulted in the development of a strategic plan, which was initially brought to City Council in November 2016 and officially adopted in January 2017.
“I visited shelters in San Antonio and other parts of the country to find out how they were helping people move off the streets and into more stable living situations, and saw they were providing wraparound services and access to housing,” said former Councilmember Paula Lantz, who was an active proponent of the planning process. “I realized we should try a similar approach if we could secure the resources to make it happen.” Two additional factors fueled the sense of urgency to identify longer-term solutions. First, the City settled a lawsuit brought by Public Counsel on behalf of unhoused residents, which suspended enforcement of ordinances prohibiting tents, personal property, and overnight camping on public property. The City was also required to create storage lockers. 7 Further the California Department of General Services had notified the City of plans to sell the Armory, which necessitated moving the winter shelter program. 8 “These issues required us to become more informed and articulate about effective solutions to providing housing and services to people experiencing homelessness,” said Lowry. “At the time, we drew on Neighborhood Services’ experience with Section 8 programs, the winter shelter, and another local transitional housing program to create a public engagement process.”
The strategy was informed by an analysis of the City’s homelessness system, which was conducted by the Corporation for Supportive Housing. The resulting report recommended that the City shift its approach from providing homeless services to a crisis response system focused on preventing and ending homelessness. Specific recommendations included increasing the supply of permanent housing, strengthening support for people exiting institutions, providing housing navigation services, and embedding shelter diversion services in outreach teams. Through the process, the Committee helped balance the needs and priorities of all stakeholders.

When the plan was adopted in January 2017, the goals and strategies outlined in “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless” were Housing Story
“David” entered the Hope for Home
Homeless Services Center in August
2019. He had heard about the program
while he was residing on Skid Row. With
the help of his case managers, David was
able to earn a Continuum of Care housing
voucher. He moved into his apartment in
July 2020 and was excited to reconnect
with his children and grandchildren.
7 Pomona Settles Lawsuit Over Confiscation of Homeless People’s Property . Doug Smith. (2016, September 11). Los Angeles Times.
8 AB-2247 Armories . (2016, September 2016). California Legislative Information.

12 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona underpinned by four guiding principles. Two key provisions of the plan—developing a year-round, 24-hour shelter and centralized service center with a communal kitchen—shaped the initial vision of Hope for Home as a place where people experiencing homelessness could access shelter, services, and food while minimizing the impact of unsheltered homelessness on other aspects of community life.

Designing the Future
While the strategic plan was in development, the City had the opportunity to purchase a 2.61-acre site at 1400 E.

Mission Blvd., which had previously housed a taxicab dispatch company. To ensure the site would be feasible for its intended use, the City conducted a pre-acquisition site analysis to verify the land could accommodate its vision and provide adequate space to support best practice approaches to ending homelessness. The analysis, which was approved by City
Council in January 2017, outlined Hope for Home’s operating philosophy, program components, and conceptual design.

To support the City’s shift to a crisis response system, the operating philosophy included four key elements:
• Housing First Orientation: This approach prioritizes access to stable, permanent housing without prerequisites as a platform for providing services to address other quality of life barriers.
• Low-Barrier Entry Criteria: Access to shelter and services are offered with minimal prerequisites other than being over 18 years of age, homeless, and able to walk or
navigate independently without hospital or nursing care.

All services must be voluntary and should not require
sobriety. Programs can require that participants agree to Housing Story
”Maria” became homeless and began
couch surfing with different members
from her church. A community member
connected her to a Tri-City Community
Navigator. The Community Navigator
was able to assist Maria with multiple
resources and housing leads. With the
support of a Community Navigator, after
about 3 months Maria was able to obtain
permanent senior housing.

Ground level view of the site designated to become the Hope for Home Services center.

Aerial view of the property before redevelopment

Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 13 be nonviolent, treat others and property with respect, follow basic safety regulations, and not use drugs or illegal substances on site.
• Housing-Focused Approach: All programs and services should be centered around increasing access to permanent housing and be operated by staff who regularly talk to clients about obtaining permanent housing.
• Trauma-Informed Care Approach: Policies, procedures, and practices should be designed to foster healing and recovery from trauma and its impacts in ways that respect and empower survivors. Best practices include counseling approaches such as motivational interviewing, asking clients what physical safety looks like to them, ensuring that spaces are well lit, monitoring program entries and exits, and providing access to private space to store belongings.

The analysis further recommended that program development occur in three phases over a period of four or more years starting with the emergency shelter with mobile restrooms and showers, coordinated meal services, day use space, and access to outreach, document acquisition, and coordinated entry services. The program design (Figure 2) utilized a tent structure that could accommodate 175 people, exceeding the winter shelter capacity by 40 people, while providing 24-hour, year-round shelter access and minimizing the site development and construction timeline.

In addition to evaluating programmatic needs, the analysis examined the feasibility of using the site and its existing structures to fulfill City goals. Primary considerations for the evaluation included whether the site design provided a safe, welcoming, non-institutional environment that would encourage individuals to seek services while providing them space for privacy and solitude. The analysis also recommended creating designated areas for social services, meals, and shelter, allowing individuals to make their own choices about which services to access.

The existing structures included several single-story wood frame buildings and a single-story warehouse space in fair condition with potential for adaptation and reuse. For example, the wood-frame buildings could be used for offices or sleeping areas for program staff while the warehouse could provide space for a meal program. These buildings would have required general repair and the reconfiguration and electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems upgrades.

Aerial View of the Homeless
Service Center and Emergency
Shelter Campus
14 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona Program
Element
Description Partners
Emergency Shelter
Year-round 24-hour emergency shelter initially planned for 175 beds located in an all-weather fabric tent structure.

Final design included 16,000 sq ft structure accommodating 208 individuals, 114 male and 86 female divided in two
areas. Each area has 9 ADA-compliant beds. All the beds are commercial grade to ensure durability, and adjacent lockers allow for personal storage. The space can be reconfigured to accommodate changes in population demographics. Future
plan to convert to a brick-and-mortar solution, as needed.

Volunteers of
America Los
Angeles
Tri-City Mental
Health
Restrooms,
Showers, and
Laundry
Initial plan included mobile facilities divided in two areas— shelter guests and day use—beginning Year 1 with a
recommendation to integrate them into any brick-and-mortar solution. The final plan included a permanent structure that included a women’s bathroom with 9 toilet stalls and a men’s bathroom with 10 toilet stalls, including one ADA-compliant stall in each bathroom. The men’s and women’s bathroom
each have nine regular showers, an ADA-compliant shower, six sinks, and 10 lockers. The site also includes a gender neutral, ADA-compliant bathroom. The on-site laundry
facility contains 13 washer/dryer units and a utility sink.

Volunteers of
America Los
Angeles
Security
Planned to begin. Year 1 with staff organized in shifts to cover evenings and weekends
Volunteers of
America Los
Angeles
Essential Services
Office
The essential services building houses office space for VOALA staff, a lounge and conference room, a security
office, a maintenance and janitorial area, and staff
bathrooms, as well as a guest desk for program partners.

Volunteers of
America Los
Angeles
Communal Kitchen
The initial plan assumed 3 meals a day for 175 program
participants for a total of 191,625 meals using coordinated meal service in Year 1 with a transition to kitchen operations in Year 2. The kitchen has a walk-in refrigerator and freezer, dry storage space, and preparation areas. A covered
patio with tables and benches, as well as fans and space heaters, provide comfortable seating for up to 200 people.

Community volunteers had actively been supporting meal
services prior to COVID.

Volunteers of
America Los
Angeles
Figure 2: Hope for Home Program Description by Partner Role Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 15 Program
Element
Description Partners
Day Use and Park
Space
A day use area accessible to anyone seeking basic assistance includes 400 storage lockers, bike racks for 100 bicycles, cell phone charging stations, a dog walk/park area, additional seating areas, and a mail and computer center.

Volunteers of
America Los
Angeles
Coordinated Entry
System Access
Years 1-4 with long-term plans to subsequently integrate services into a permanent shelter. Planned services were initially offered in the tent structure until the essential services building, which sits at the main entryway to campus and includes a reception area and intake offices, was
complete. Clients can engage in case management, life skills classes, employment services, benefits advocacy services, and others in either private space or the large conference room.

Volunteers of
America Los
Angeles
Street Outreach Beginning Year 1 4 FTE
Document Services Beginning Year 1, potentially provided by a partner organization
1 FTE
Behavior Health
Care
The initial plan included behavioral health and substance use counseling offices and referral services beginning Year 2; brick and mortar Federally Qualified Health Center located in a supportive housing development after Year 4. The final plan included services beginning Year 1 at available space on site.

Tri-City Mental
Health Services,
Prototypes
Companion Animal
Kennel
In response to input from people with lived experience of homelessness, the campus includes 20 kennels, grooming
tubs, and space for veterinary exams. In compliance with the law, service animals are allowed in the shelter space with their owners.

Diversion Beginning Year 2 with long-term plans to integrate services into a permanent shelter
1 FTE
Primary Care Initially proposed as a mobile clinic beginning Year 2 with a brick and mortar Federally Qualified Health Center located in a supportive housing development after Year 4. The final plan included an on-site health clinic operated by a community partner and housed with other services beginning in Year 2.

East Valley
Community Health
Center
16 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona An undeveloped section of the site was identified as suitable for a shelter tent structure of 9,000-15,000 square feet to accommodate 175 people. The smaller structure allowed for a 6-foot square space per person whereas the larger structure allowed for an 8-foot square space per person. The analysis also identified locations for both visitor and shelter restrooms, and other areas provided adequate shade or had the capacity to accommodate shade structures to allow for seating and dining areas.

The conceptual site design options, shown below, were developed to help visualize what the space could look like once redeveloped. The analysis further recommended the formation of an ad hoc group from the public works, planning, and building and fire departments to confirm the efficacy of the adaptive re-use strategy.

Conceptual rendering of the entrance to the Hope for Home Service Center View of the restroom facilities and housing service building Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 17 Aerial view envisioning the
completed campus
Front entrance
View of communal kitchen and outdoor eating space.
18 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona In February 2018, the City also held a
Lived Experience Summit for people
staying in the winter shelter and living
unsheltered to share their insight on
the initial designs of Hope for Home
and the plan to shift to a crisis housing
model that provided shelter for 90 days
while the person identified permanent
housing. Their most immediate concern
was whether they would be able to
transition to the new site.

One participant asked, “What do people
do after 90 days in the shelter are done?
What happens if I have not found a
place to live?”
The City and VOALA fielded
participants’ questions, then refocused
the conversation on what participants would need to exit homelessness and how the City could help to meet those needs.

Summit participants articulated that expanded storage space, WiFi and high-speed internet, employment assistance and job training, and support finding housing were critical services that Hope for Home could provide.

Several participants suggested that the site have a kennel on site so people would not be forced to choose between shelter and their companion animal. Participants also expressed interest in obtaining assistance with first and last month’s rent, identifying landlords willing to accept vouchers or other rental assistance, and help navigating poor credit, outstanding loans, prior evictions, and criminal backgrounds or an undocumented status.

Most notably, participants struggled to envision what stable, permanent housing could look like, raising the importance of ensuring that Hope for Home was staffed with individuals trained in motivational interviewing and trauma-informed approaches. This process informed the array of services the City had identified as critical for supporting participants.

During the facility and program design phase, the City worked closely with VOALA, Tri-City Mental Health (Tri-City), and the East Valley Community Health Center (East Valley) to finalize the plan for on-site services and ensure that the designs would accommodate them. The City also sought input from the PCOCC, the Community Life Commission, various City
departments, local business, and faith-based organizations and community groups.

Finally, upon review, the original site design was changed to increase the capacity of the shelter. After reviewing the trends of the Point-In-Time (PIT) Homeless Count and the recommendations made in the City’s Housing Element, the shelter capacity was increased from 175 bed to 400 beds in an emergency. This increase in capacity informed an updated conceptual design of the shelter structure itself, which expanded to 16,000 square feet and increased the number of restroom and shower facilities.

Housing Story
“Carlos” entered the Hope for Home
Homeless Services Center in February
2020. He began experiencing
homelessness when he moved from Texas
to Los Angeles to be closer to his family.

With the supportive and consistent work
with his Housing Navigator and assigned
Case Manager, Carlos was able to earn a
Section 8 housing voucher. He moved into
his apartment in May 2020.

Reggie Clark talks with people at the Lived Experience Summit, February 2018
Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 19 Digging Into the Construction Process
Upon approval of the final conceptual site plan, the City formed a team to support the development, construction, and financing of the project. In March 2017, City staff conducted a walkthrough of the property to begin the next phase of planning and received clearance for site contamination with the goal of completing the project before the end of the year. By June 2017, the City had approved $4 million for construction and issued a request for design-build qualifications, which would allow the architect and contractor to collaborate on project design.
“Benefits of the design-build method include a guaranteed maximum not to exceed budget to minimize change orders and speed project delivery, but they tend to require detailed project specifications,” said Mark Graham, Principal at PBK | WLC.

The City received five project proposals ranging from $6 to $12 million, which required staff to split development into two phases. Core elements of the first phase included site excavation and grading, utilities installation, paving, and construction of a heated and air-conditioned insulated fabric tent structure, plus showers, restrooms, and laundry facilities. The second phase included the communal kitchen, offices for housing and health services, bike racks, a charging station, lockers, a dog kennel, and perimeter fencing and gates.

The City Council approved the revised approach in November 2017 with the intent to secure funding for the second phase from the 25-cent County of Los Angeles Measure H sales tax.⁹ Community concerns about the impact of homelessness combined with the pending closure of the Armory and state requirements for emergency shelter zoning were key factors in the decision. The City sought an extension for the winter shelter program at the Armory to align with a revised project completion date of March 2018. 9 Homeless Initiative and Measure H . (ND). County of Los Angeles Homeless Initiative.

Phased site plan for the Hope for Home Service Center.

20 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona Following Council approval, the project
experienced some additional delays
extending the forecasted completion
date. Time required to remove utility
meters delayed the demolition of existing
buildings. Undocumented landfill was
discovered during the site excavation
process. Utility lines needed to be
relocated to accommodate an existing
cell tower. As a result of these delays and
an increase in change orders, the City
brought on a construction management
firm to provide project oversight.
“Navigating the construction process
was a steep learning curve and having
someone who could translate our
programmatic needs into construction
requirements was instrumental,” said
Benita DeFrank, Director of Neighborhood
Services. “They took on the work of
coordinating meetings, providing direction
to the construction company, and
Reggie Clark, Benita DeFrank, City Manager Linda Lowry, Councilmember Gina Escobar, Mayor Tim Sandoval, and Councilmembers Rubio Gonzalez, Cristina Carrizosa, Elizabeth Ontiveros-Cole, and Adriana Robledo.

Cost Category Description Cost
Demolition of
Existing Site
Remove debris, excavate to 5-foot depth for the building pad, and final grading of site. Does not include soil remediation $270,900 Utilities Install sewers, storm drains, gas and water lines, electricity, and lighting and power $708,531
Paving, Fencing,
and Furnishings
Paving and striping, fencing and gates, trash and electrical enclosures, relocation of lockers from the Armory site, and purchase of tables, benches, drinking fountains, and bike racks
$870,610
Infrastructure
Coordination
Site layout and utility coordination, stackable laundry units, and framing, plaster, and drywall for wood structures $1,055,254
Shelter Fabric tent shelter structure, foundation, heating and air conditioning, fire sprinklers, partitioned office space, and beds and mattresses $949,050 Communal Kitchen Foundation, construction, roofing and flooring, plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning, fire protection, fly fan and exhaust hoods $676,756 Housing and
Medical Services
Building
Foundation, construction, roofing and flooring, plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning, and fire protection $2,024, 627 Landscaping and
Irrigation
Turf and ground cover, trees, park development, and pet kennel $298,100 Professional
Services
Preconstruction, general conditions, architect, overhead, bonds and insurance, and contingencies $1,318,337
T otal Costs $8,335, 609
Figure 3: Hope for Home Design-Build Costs
ensuring that all aspects of the project complied with building and safety regulations.”
On May 5, 2018, the project officially broke ground in a ceremony attended by City of Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval, Councilmembers and City staff.

Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 21 The City had a second opportunity to celebrate in July 2018, when the project was awarded $3.4 million of Measure H funding, a 25-cent County sales tax, to cover capital costs associated with the second phase of development.10
In November 2018, the first phase of Hope for Home was under construction when the City learned that the winter shelter at the Armory would officially close in early December. The City and its partners quickly made the decision to move people onto the unfinished campus, rather than forcing them back onto the street. More than 100 community volunteers responded to a call to help assemble cots and beds on the day after Thanksgiving 2018.

A significant La Niña weather pattern, marked by periods of cooler weather and rain, made the logistics of the move even more difficult.
10 Homeless Initiative and Measure H . (ND). County of Los Angeles Homeless Initiative.

A view from inside the tent structure while under
construction.

Aerial view of the Hope for Home Service Center
construction site looking toward tent structure.

Construction team begins building the emergency shelter structure.

The housing services building under construction.

Aerial View of the Hope for Home Campus Under
Construction
Construction of the emergency shelter structure and
housing services building, October 2018.

22 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona When Hope for Home first opened its doors on December 5, 2018, it was cause for celebration. City officials and staff, business owners, and the housed and unhoused residents of Pomona had come together to open the first year-round crisis housing in the eastern San Gabriel Valley. The 16,000 square-foot tent structure had beds to accommodate more than 200 adults, and each person had a place in their sleeping area to store their belongings. “We have always had a sense of social responsibility as a City, but it’s more articulated now that we have developed Hope for Home,” said Lowry. “We’re more clearly able to show what compassionate leadership looks like.”
Newly built shelter beds on the first day of operation, December 2018.

City staff welcome unhoused residents to newly opened Hope for Home Services Center, December 2018
Construction continued after the
first participants moved in, with
the installation of the heating and
air conditioning system and the
completion of the permanent shower
and restroom facilities by April
2019. The kennels opened later that
year, and the communal kitchen,
access center and services facilities
opened in March 2020. The City
also purchased an adjacent site to
construct a parking lot.
“It’s exciting to see the project built
so close to the original layout and
design,” said Graham. “We’re looking
forward to the installation of the
fabric shade structures to complete
the project.”
Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 23 Fostering a Collaborative Service Model
Even before site construction, the City sought opportunities to deepen its partnerships with the numerous health, education, and community-and faith-based organizations that had previously supported Operation Warm Heart, an inter-departmental City effort to help unhoused residents of Pomona move their belongings into storage lockers and access services at the Armory.

Two of these entities—VOALA and Tri-City Mental Health Center—became the first official on-site partners for Hope for Home. In July 2017, the City contracted with VOALA to serve as the primary site operator with round-the-clock oversight of programs and facilities. As the public mental health authority for the cities of Claremont, LaVerne, and Pomona, Tri-City not only committed to providing outpatient mental health services and behavioral health referrals to people on campus, but also initially funded 28 interim housing beds for their clients experiencing homelessness. Tri-City has since increased its funding to provide 31 interim housing beds.

In 2018, the partners began meeting regularly and collectively developed the Hope for Home Mission Statement, Vision Statement and Core Values. This process helped ensure that the document reflected the shared values of all partners and helped build buy-in for collaborative decision making and problem solving. The document has since become a touchstone for decision making throughout the operation, including the development of programs and services that would be offered once Hope for Home opened. Programming was also informed by suggestions the PCOCC and the Homeless Advisory Committee had contributed to the “A Way Home” plan.

Both VOALA and Tri-City had already worked closely with the City of Pomona Police Department HEART Team, which provided homeless outreach and support to public works teams in cleaning up encampments.

The City also established partnerships with East Valley for health services, Prototypes for substance use disorder services, and Goodwill Industries of Southern California for job training and employment services. “The City was intentional about bringing in partners who were committed to the vision of Hope for Home,” said Alicia Mardini, CEO of East Valley. “They sought our input on how to build out the health care suite and provided us space to meet with patients in exchange for providing services.” Figure 4: Hope for Home Leadership Structure
Eastern San
Gabriel Valley
Community
City of Pomona
Pomona Continuum
of Care Coalition
East Valley Community
Health Center
TriCity Mental Health
Goodwill Industries of
Southern California
Prototypes
City of Pomona Police
Department
Volunteers of America
Los Angeles
24 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona In July 2018, the City was awarded nearly $1.5
million in Measure H funding to operate crisis
beds through Hope for Home.
“We went through a year-long process to engage
the community in supporting a strategic plan that
included shelter, but all that happened before
Measure H,” said DeFrank. “Without the Measure
H funding, we would have been able to build the
campus, but not fund the programming.”
To set up the new program, the team worked on
policies and procedures, projections of the rates
at which clients would move into and out of the
shelter, and a performance management plan to
track participant outcomes consistent with the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Homeless Management Information System (HUD HMIS) requirements.11 During this period, the City hired a homeless programs supervisor to oversee the development and implementation of the homelessness crisis response program and manage related grants.

VOALA also began building buy-in among winter shelter program participants to transition to a more structured environment. The winter shelter had provided cots, three meals, and few rules or regulations. In contrast, Hope for Home provided similar amenities but focused on moving participants into permanent housing. Recognizing the human fears about change, VOALA assured winter shelter participants that they would have a bed while they focused on removing the barriers to housing.
“We asked participants what it would look like, and we were candid about the fact that ‘We’re partners in this, and we need you to help us help you,’” said Reggie Clark, Program Manager at the Hope for Home Service Center.

The 110 men and women transitioning from the
Armory were the first to stay at Hope for Home.

That first winter, Hope for Home housed the
seasonal shelter program and 134 beds for crisis
housing, which limited stays to 90 days while
seeking permanent housing. That limit was later
extended to 120 days. In the first year, Hope for
Home provided 25,291 nights of shelter to 238
individual people.

The rush to move people into the shelter,
however, made it difficult to provide services
efficiently and effectively. The ongoing
construction prevented VOALA from finalizing
policies and procedures. Staff needed to make
frequent adjustments to accommodate people with disabilities amid unfinished construction. Not having a full kitchen required more time to prepare meals. As a result, the site partners had less time available to coordinate services for program participants.
11 Homeless Management Information System (ND). HUD Exchange.

Donyielle Holley, Homeless Programs Supervisor, facilitates a meeting with partners.

Two men relaxing on their beds in the newly built tent structure.

Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 25 Housing Story
The City received a referral for “Jessica,”
a woman in need of rental assistance due
to loss of income because of the impacts
of the COVID-19 pandemic. The City
was able to provide homeless prevention
funds and assisted the woman in rental
arrears and provided utility assistance.

The City worked with the landlord to
ensure payments were received. The
woman remains in her housing today.

When tensions arose, the Hope for Home partners realized that they had underestimated how different it would be to share a working environment. They used different approaches to work with clients, make and communicate decisions, and solve problems, and they had unanswered questions about each other’s roles and contributions. For example, VOALA focused on getting people housed within 90 days, whereas Tri-City was much more focused on stabilizing individuals—even if it took longer.
“At first, each of the partners used a different approach to working with clients,” said Clark. “We realized we needed to understand why each of us did things so we could figure out how to work together as a team to support our clients. We’ve grown to respect each other’s strengths and we model that for clients by treating each other with dignity and respect.” At the organizational level, the designated leaders from each partner organization meet once a month to share information, review data and progress reports, celebrate successes, and work to address challenges as they arise.

Smaller groups met between the larger meetings to work on specific challenges or opportunities. In addition, the partners established a process for calling partners to the table to address disciplinary issues and invested in continuous training focused on the practical application of trauma-informed care and harm reduction.

At the individual level, the partners realized early on that the original staffing plan was not sufficient to meet the needs of clients experiencing chronic homelessness or other significant challenges. In response, VOALA added a senior program manager and licensed clinical social worker to its team. They also started holding joint case conferencing meetings with Tri-City to provide more holistic, interdisciplinary support to program participants.

East Valley started joining those case conferences when a participant had significant physical health challenges.

Last, they worked with Tri-City to revise the Hope for Home screening process so they could appropriately redirect individuals with the most severe challenges to other programs. “I’ve known Reggie and VOALA for a while because I worked in street outreach, so that made it easy to maintain open dialogue and hash things out when we needed to,” said Eseoghene Oniwor, Supervisor for Tri-City’s comprehensive mental health services program. “We helped them understand our process, figured out how communication should flow, and made sure we were all on the same page about our goals before going into case conferencing meetings.”
Collaborative problem solving also helped shift participants’ perceptions of the police department. Many participants complained that the police and paramedics treated them with disrespect and did not want first responders on campus.

Operating both the winter shelter and crisis housing program added to the tension. For example, the County- funded crisis housing program operated on a round-the-clock basis giving participants greater access to their personal spaces whereas the winter shelter provided more limited access. In addition, seasonal shelter participants had cots instead of beds. Frontline staff reported that these differences resulted in frequent disagreements between program participants and disciplinary measures, including being asked to leave the program. In response, the management team placed a greater focus on communicating with both frontline staff and participants to ensure that asking a participant to leave was considered a last resort. 26 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona “We met with the Chief and explained
that we couldn’t let officers treat people
that way in their own home where
they’re supposed to feel safe,” said Clark.
“We resolved it by providing educational
sessions about the program at patrol
briefings, and it’s been amazing to see
the difference in how participants—and
the police—respond.”
“Before we established the HEART
team, we tried to remedy homelessness
by pushing people along or arresting
them,” said Lt. Anthony Catanese, City
of Pomona Police Department Quality of
Life Unit. “Reggie and the VOALA team
helped us see the synergy between our
missions and the importance of building
relationships with people experiencing homelessness. Now my team and I know to start the dialogue by inviting people to campus and letting them know what services are offered rather than trying to force them to go to the shelter at the outset.”
In addition, the HEART team provides education to business owners and residents that homelessness is not a crime, the role of the police, and what they as community members can do to address issues such as litter and encampments.

Finally, to assist with this collaboration, the City provided Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding to establish 6 crisis housing beds with exclusive 24-hour access for the Pomona Police Department. This allows the police to assist people in need at the time they request shelter. Once the person experiencing homelessness is at Hope for Home, they are referred to other interim housing program beds, freeing up the police dedicated beds for more referrals.

The Hope for Home partners also learned that the crisis housing program, with its emphasis on exits to permanent housing, requires them to share data at both the aggregate and individual levels. For Hope for Home, this requires Tri-City to provide VOALA with data on shared clients for entry into HMIS, which tracks demographic information, program participation dates, benefits and services outcomes, and placement destination upon exit from the program.

Prior to opening Hope for Home, the City and its partners had developed a data collection strategy, protocol, and dashboards to report outcomes across all partners. Once on site, however, the partners realized that additional coordination was required to produce an integrated dashboard without duplicating data entry.

The City has since been using eligibility data to match participants with permanent housing opportunities. “By bringing program participants and partners together at a single location, we’ve been successful connecting people with housing vouchers and ensuring they have a place to live,” said George Montano, Housing Authority Manager.

City of Pomona Police Department Quality of Life Unit HEART Team Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 27 Figure 5: Hope for Home On-Site Partners
Partner Role Role Description
City of Pomona Backbone
Organization
• Guides vision and strategy
• Establishes and manages partnerships with service providers to provide a comprehensive homelessness crisis response system • Provides performance and compliance monitoring and
oversight
• Advances policy through City Council and advocates to governing bodies,
• Mobilizes City, regional, state, and federal funding resources • Purchased and provided the land for the shelter
Pomona Continuum
of Care Coalition
Collective Impact
Entity
• Provides a forum for 40 plus partner organizations, concerned citizens, and people who are formerly homeless to share information and collaborate to address homelessness
Volunteers of
America Los
Angeles
Site Operator,
Street Outreach
• Provides day-to-day management of on-site amenities, the process through which participants access shelter beds, and security monitors trained in conflict management, CPR, and shelter operations
• Provides case management services and conducts intake meetings, assessments, crisis intervention, and referrals • Manages outcomes data entry, client, and partner surveys • Coordinates and aligns on-site services across partners and works with them to establish and implement shared
measurement practices
• Manages volunteer registration, screening, training on Hope for Home policies, and site tours
Tri-City Mental
Health Services
Mental/Behavioral
Health Partner,
Street Outreach
• Provides outpatient mental health services and behavioral health referrals as the public mental health authority for the residents of Claremont, La Verne, and Pomona
East Valley
Community Health
Services
Physical Health
Partner
• Provides clinical health, mental health, dental, medical, community outreach, and HIV services
City of Pomona
Police Department
Street Outreach • Responds to homelessness and encampments through the Homeless Encampment Action Response Team (HEART), which is comprised of two officers partnered with public works, and designated liaisons from each patrol squad
Goodwill Industries
of Southern
California
Employment
Partner
• Provides employment services, job readiness, resume
building, interview preparedness, subsidized and unsubsidized employment, supportive services, and clothing, shoes, and bus passes
Prototypes Behavioral Health
Partner
• Provides outpatient rehabilitation services to individuals with substance use disorder
28 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona Program Name Funding Source Purpose Contract Amount
Crisis Housing

CITY OF POMONA
ESG
6 beds, Pomona Policy Department $57,000.00
LAHSA MEASURE H 100 beds $1,460,000.00
Tri-City MHSA 31 beds $396,025.00
Homeless Initiative
Measure H
6 beds
(2 each for Claremont, La Verne, Pomona) $131,760.00
Bridge
Housing

LAHSA COC HAPP
50 beds
$764,596.00
LAHSA Measure H $147,904.00
Access Center

CITY OF POMONA
ESG CV $200,000.00
LAHSA State HEAP Problem Solving Specialist & Financial Assistance $100,000.00
FY 2021-2022 Hope for Home Funding $3,257,285.00
Figure 6: FY 2021-2022 Hope for Home Site Operations Funding Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 29 Navigating the Pandemic
Although Hope for Home started 2020 with bed capacity for 205 individuals, the City and its partners have shifted gears and reduced capacity at Hope for Home due to pandemic safety, social distancing, and quarantine measures.

At first the City and its partners struggled to acquire personal protective equipment (PPE). By April 2020, they had installed hand sanitizer stations and instituted face covering requirements. Shelter capacity was reduced from 205 to 125 beds and participants alternated between top and bottom bunks to ensure safe distancing. The staff started cleaning common areas every couple of hours at minimum and conducted temperature checks among participants three times daily. Hope for Home lost several staff due to the increased workload coupled with fear and the need to take care of their own children.

Staff who remained on site with participants had to rapidly adapt to constant changes in compliance requirements. Recognizing that the mandated lockdowns were difficult for participants, the staff provided arts and crafts supplies and tried to engage them in activities. They also instituted a two-hour limited leave from the Hope for Home campus to allow people to run errands. “COVID required us to re-examine everything we did and how we were structured,” said Donyielle Holley, Homeless Programs Supervisor. “We were fortunate to have East Valley as a partner to help us put health and safety protocols in place.”
To protect participants with underlying health conditions, Hope for Home complied with the Safer at Home Lockdown Order in April 2020. The County contracted directly with VOALA to relocate qualified individuals to one of two Project Roomkey sites and, when possible, helped them transition to permanent housing. Project Roomkey was a temporary state-funded program to provide counties with resources to secure hotel and motel rooms for individuals experiencing homelessness who were not COVID-19 positive but had medical conditions that place them at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

When the County closed the site on February 5, 2021, the City assumed responsibility for housing 29 individuals with a nexus to Pomona. By December 31, 2022, the City had permanently housed 23 of the individuals and continued to work with those individuals who were not yet permanently housed.

During that same period, East Valley and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) provided COVID testing, and participants who tested positive were referred to the Sheraton Fairplex, Tri-City Mental Health or an isolated area at Hope for Home to quarantine. The partnerships the City had established proved a significant advantage, and they were able to move people who tested positive for COVID into quarantine in under 24 hours. The partners met frequently to discuss COVID management strategies and safety protocols to keep the shelter site as free of COVID as possible. Monthly partner meetings and the Pomona Continuum of Care Coalition also went virtual to minimize unnecessary risks. As a result, Hope for Home was able to avoid significant outbreaks until the more highly transmissible Omicron variant started circulating.

As vaccines became available and COVID became more of a fact of life, Hope for Home has once again started to ramp up its operational capacity after reducing services. Returning to normal operations created new challenges, and the management team increased its focus on mental health and wellness in addition to expanding service options and bringing volunteers back on site. Effective March 2023, the City has committed to maintaining 100% bed capacity as long as the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) COVID-related directives and policies support this effort.

Hope for Home
Capacity
• 50 H4H bridge beds
• 100 H4H crisis beds
• 31 Tri-City Mental Health
MHSA beds
• 6 Tri-City Cohort beds*
• 6 Police Department beds

* Shared among the Cities of
Pomona, Claremont, and LaVerne
30 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona Housing Story
“John” became unemployed after a
health condition made him unable
to continue his work as a healthcare
provider. He lost his housing and
began experiencing homelessness.

The program participant heard about
Hope for Home Homeless Services
Center through friends he met while
living on the street. After 3 years
of experiencing homelessness, the
program participant was housed
through a Continuum of Care voucher.

Fulfilling the Hope for Home
Since its opening in December 2018 through December 2022, Hope for Home has served 1,052 unduplicated persons, including 125 who secured permanent housing and more than 25 who
wanted to be reunited with family outside the area and received funding from the HEART team to cover transportation costs. Other people who could not live on their own were placed in a higher level of care, such as supportive housing.

During this period, the City saw a significant shift in the population experiencing homelessness. The unsheltered population
decreased 8.3% from 2019 to 2020 and the sheltered population increased by 24.5%. In 2022, Pomona was impacted by the pandemic like many other cities in Los Angeles County. The unsheltered Count increased by 4.1% and the sheltered count increased by less than 1% between 2019 and 2022.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that Hope for Home has also improved participants’ physical and mental health. “We never had a shelter nearby. People didn’t want to go all the way to Los Angeles,” said Isela Moreno, MHSA Program Supervisor at Tri-City. “They wanted to stay in Pomona where things were familiar.” “Patients used to wait to walk into the clinic until they were really sick,” said Mardini. “We haven’t yet quantified the reduced medical costs, but we’ve seen that patients are relying on us more for follow-ups—even on telemedicine—rather than going to the emergency room.”
VOALA and Tri-City report that it has taken time, but that they’re seeing more participants start to flourish. (56%), 450
(20%), 160
(5%), 43
(4%), 35
(0%), 3
(6%), 49
(9%), 71
All Homeless Households Receiving Housing Assistance
(Rental Assistance/Security Deposit)
December 5, 2018-December 31, 2022
Rapid Rehousing (RRH)
Permanent Supportive Housing
(PSH)
Mainstream Vouchers (MSV)
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
(Homeless)
Foster Youth to Independence
Veteran Affairs Supporting Housing
(VASH)
Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV)
Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 31 “We’ve been fortunate to have three City Councils that were committed to taking action to address homelessness,” said DeFrank. “Originally, Councilmember Paula Lantz brought it up and persuaded the Council to task staff with finding a long-term solution. The second adopted the plan, and the third approved the funding to build Hope for Home. We’re thrilled that Hope for Home has sparked interest from other communities in the region,” said DeFrank.
“Now people have a place to go, and we’re able to help them feel safe, shift out of survival mode, and be in a place to receive help,” said Eseoghene Oniwar, Tri-City Adult FSP Clinical Supervisor.

Aerial view of the Hope for Home Service Center nearing completion.

Meeting space within tent structure at the Hope for Home Service Center 32 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona Key Drivers of Success: A Commitment to
Collective Impact
The City of Pomona has a long history of leading collaborative initiatives to achieve community goals, including several that utilize the collective impact model. The model gained prominence in the field of social systems change following a series of articles in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. The following section highlights how the City and its partners have utilized the model to conceptualize, develop, and operate Hope for Home and how other communities could adopt a similar approach.

Shared Vision and Agenda
The vision for Hope for Home first began to take shape in November 2015, when the City established the Homeless Advisory Committee following a community forum on the impact and solutions to homelessness.

Over the next 9 months, Committee members representing various stakeholder groups worked collaboratively to develop a holistic plan to address the needs and priorities of both housed and unhoused residents. In January 2017, the City Council unanimously adopted the plan “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless,” which includes four key goals:

I. Reduce the number of Pomona’s unsheltered homeless.

II. Reduce the negative impacts on community neighborhoods and public spaces through the coordination of services.

III. Have an engaged and informed community regarding homelessness and homeless solutions.

IV. Balance the needs and rights of homeless persons and the larger community through updated fair, legal and enforceable policies and ordinances.

Hope for Home, with its shelter, communal kitchen, and other amenities, addresses several key strategies outlined in the first two goals.

Backbone Support from the City
The City—and primarily the Department of Neighborhood Services—has served as the backbone agency for both the homelessness plan and Hope for Home from conceptualization through implementation. They engaged a variety of partners, community members, and people with lived experience in the planning process to build buy-in to the vision of Hope for Home and oversaw the project’s development, including regular meetings with an ad hoc committee of City entities. They currently oversee the site operator and lead monthly meetings of the Pomona Continuum of Care Coalition and Hope for Home site partners to ensure effective collaboration and problem solving.

In addition, Neighborhood Services responds to grant opportunities, mobilizes City funding to support ongoing operations, and provides regular progress reports to funders and the community on how many people have been served and housed, among other criteria. The initiative has been supported by three different City Councils and two City managers who recognized that action was critical from a social, economic, and political perspective.

Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 33 Partner Commitment to Collaboration
The City engaged partners such as VOALA, Tri-City, and East Valley which had provided services at the Armory through Operation Warm Heart to serve as on-site partners at Hope for Home. During the planning phase, the partners worked together to create the Hope for Home Mission Statement, Vision Statement and Core Values and provided insight into the design of both the physical structure and programming to ensure that all aspects of the campus would meet their operating needs. Specifically, East Valley brought its experience building clinics into the project so that the space functions effectively and meets health care requirements.

Once on site, the multi-service campus required partners to work more closely together daily, necessitating the use of shared processes to encourage all team members to be proactive about raising issues and engaging in collaborative problem solving. While this approach presented some initial challenges, the City was intentional about bringing the partners together to resolve issues in a timely manner. Over time, the emphasis on collaborative problem solving has fostered a greater sense of understanding of each partner’s individual contributions to the work, which in turn improved partners’ capacity to work closely together.

Mutually Reinforcing Activities Focused on Long-T erm Solutions “A Way Home” created an opportunity to pivot toward a homelessness crisis response system that focused on housing as a platform for service delivery. Each of the partners involved in Hope for Home is committed to assisting people who are experiencing or at-risk of homelessness to remove barriers to accessing housing so that they can exit homelessness to a home. On campus, participants have easy access to meals and a variety of wraparound services in a 24/7/365 shelter. Essential components of the model include:
• Outreach teams focused on building trusting relationships and connecting individuals experiencing homelessness with housing and services.
• A campus environment that conveys a sense of safety, stability, and dignity for all people. Staff model this behavior with each other in one-on-one interactions, case conferencing, and large group meetings. • Housing-focused case managers who are trained in trauma-informed care, who understand mental health and addiction, and who treat people with compassion rather than operating from a place of judgment. Case managers involve participants in identifying the barriers to exiting homelessness, motivate them to develop a solutions-focused plan by sharing options and success stories, and assist them with tasks they are unable to manage on their own.
• On-site wraparound services that address barriers to permanent housing, such as document services, physical and mental health services, job training and employment services, and a kennel and veterinary clinic for companion animals.
34 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona Ongoing Community Engagement
Community engagement was closely intertwined with the development of a shared vision and agenda for developing a comprehensive plan to address homelessness. This process began in earnest with the formation of the Homeless Advisory Committee, which shaped the strategic plan and identified the need for a shelter that provided comprehensive wraparound services. The site eventually purchased by the City was identified by community members, and City staff provided ongoing updates to both community groups and City Council during the design and development phases. Community members were also invited to participate in selecting the Hope for Home name for the campus.

At the same time, outreach teams have worked to dispel myths about homelessness and educate people experiencing homelessness, business owners, and residents about different aspects of homelessness. Officers on the Quality of Life team also provide people with resources on how to handle solid waste and encampments and help community members to resolve issues that arise.

Prior to COVID, Hope for Home had an active volunteer base, including the 200 volunteers who joined staff the weekend before the campus opened to set up cots and beds for people who were transitioning from the winter shelter program. Hope for Home continues to collect donations of clothes, toiletries, food, and other items to distribute to program participants. Volunteers also helped in the communal kitchen prior to COVID.

Valuing Lived Experience of Homelessness
Hope for Home has engaged people with lived experience of homelessness since the very early stages of planning the campus, including site selection. In February 2018, the Lived Experience Summit hosted by the City served as a pivotal moment in creating buy-in for Hope for Home among people experiencing homelessness.

Of the 95 people who attended the forum, 88 completed surveys highlighting priorities such as on-site WiFi access and expanded storage space. A subsequent focus group of participants and alumni provided their insights on site operations as part of a process evaluation the City commissioned to gauge strengths and areas of improvement.

Hope for Home continues to solicit and respond to feedback from participants provided during one-on-one meetings and through

Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 35 a centrally located suggestion box. Individuals with lived experience also participate in monthly Pomona Continuum of Care coalition meetings. In addition, Hope for Home practices an inclusive decision making process in which program participants elect peer representatives to provide the perspective of people with lived experience during regular partner meetings.

Transparency and Continuous Communication
The Hope for Home partners recognize that a situation that affects one of them is likely to affect them all—and the program participants. The leadership group representing each partner organization meets monthly as a team to share participants’ progress, review data, and keep each other informed about what they are doing. When a situation arises, they bring everyone together to work toward a solution. Weekly case conferencing meetings provide a similar opportunity for partners to come together to support an individual client.

Using Data to Drive Continuous Improvement
Although the City and its partners began developing a data collection strategy and protocol prior to operations, the partners initially experienced unanticipated challenges sharing data, which prevented them from having an integrated dashboard to inform decision making. As healthcare providers, Tri-City and East Valley were initially hesitant about sharing personally identifiable information and other data with VOALA staff. In response, the City worked with the partners to develop a data sharing plan and instituted collaborative case conferencing sessions to encourage data sharing. Since resolving this challenge, the VOALA Data and Evaluation Team have produced monthly performance and compliance monitoring reports, which are shared at partner meetings to inform program decisions and priorities.

Tri-City and East Valley also expressed concerns about the staff time required to enter the same data on their internal data systems and HMIS. The partners resolved the issue by limiting double data entry and excluding HIPAA-related case notes that were entered in other systems from HMIS.

Each of these process improvements required ongoing conversation about what information needs to be shared and with whom, but was ultimately essential to building trust among the partners. More recently, the City received funding from the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments to develop a website with dashboards and story maps to highlight Hope for Home’s successes in serving and housing people experiencing homelessness.

Community Support and Volunteerism
Hope for Home Homeless Services Center follows the mission of restoring hope through creating opportunity and transforming the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness. Since the opening of Hope for Home, individuals have been provided quality, comprehensive, whole-person care made possible by the strong collaborative model first envisioned by the Pomona Continuum of Care Coalition and brought to life by Hope for Home partners and numerous community-based organizations. Addressing homelessness

36 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona Considerations for Local Planning
Since making the decision to open a campus to serve people experiencing homelessness, City leaders have received numerous questions from leaders in other jurisdictions who are exploring how to respond to homelessness in their own communities. This section offers specific suggestions about planning, developing, and operating a similar type of project based on Hope for Home partners’ insights on what worked well and lessons learned throughout the process.
• Cultivate the support of local and regional leaders . The idea for Hope for Home originated in response to local leaders recognizing the need to find a longer-term solution to the impact of homelessness within the City. City staff then developed a collaborative process that simultaneously educated and engaged the community in a decision-making process to identify viable solutions. Once the City had a plan in place, City staff was conscientious about managing expectations by providing regular updates and communicating changes to maintain the buy-in of City Council and local community groups. • Offer shelter and wraparound services that eliminate barriers to housing in a single site. The City was intentional about identifying partners with a shared commitment to helping people exit homelessness to housing. During the planning process, they talked with numerous stakeholders—including people who were currently or formerly homeless—to understand the most frequent barriers to housing and designed the campus with space for those services in mind. Essential services include a sleeping area, showers and restrooms, and meals. Wraparound services allow people to access physical and mental health care, participate in outpatient recovery programs, get support finding a job, care for their companion animals, and obtain the documents necessary to secure a job and a place to live. • Ensure that the project team has both program and construction expertise . The development of Hope for Home benefited from the deep experience the Neighborhood Services Director had working in housing and homeless services. The project team also would have benefitted from engaging staff or a consultant with construction experience to develop a budget, write design-build project specifications to inform the request for proposal, and select contractors with experience in institutional construction able to withstand heavy wear and tear. Having a team member with construction experience would also have informed the project timeline and contingency plans, including what steps to take to expedite the planning process. is complex and multi-layered, which requires different lens to be present at the table that consider areas such as primary health, mental health, substance abuse, case management, employment, and so much more.

Partnerships at Hope for Home include Volunteers of America Los Angeles (VOALA), Tri City Mental Health Services, East Valley Community Health Center, Prototypes Inc., Goodwill of Southern California, and Pomona Police Department, who are each responsible for providing and meeting a specific need of individuals experiencing homelessness. These various partnerships lend to the success of transitioning individuals from temporary shelter into permanent housing, as well as providing supportive services that are just as critical to an individual’s success in sustaining housing long-term. In addition to on-site partners, Hope for Home has welcomed and encouraged volunteers, such as local residents and faith-based organizations, to contribute to solving homelessness in Pomona. Volunteers enhance and strengthen supportive resources and services that are shared with individuals at Hope for Home (e.g. clothing, hygiene, food donations). Lastly, Hope for Home has built relationships with neighboring cities, which include City of Claremont and City of La Verne, and county offices such as Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors First District – Hilda Solis’ Office. In order to make a positive difference and witness lasting change, diverse entities, ideas, and perspectives need to be involved to address their fair share of what is required to solve and end homelessness.

Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 37 • Wait until construction is complete to bring clients on site . The closure of the winter shelter at the Armory accelerated the timeline for transitioning participants to Hope for Home so they would not be forced to return to the streets. As a result, the site was still under construction and some amenities were not yet available, which created additional, unnecessary stress for participants, the City and its partners, and the construction firm.
• Build rapport and relationships with participants—and all people—and treat them with compassion and dignity. City staff operationalized the values of compassion and dignity when communicating about efforts to address homelessness. These values informed decisions about the grounds and buildings, the Hope for Home name, and the use of the term “campus” rather than “shelter,” as well as decisions to provide electronic charging stations, kennels for companion animals, and access to storage in both sleeping areas and in lockers on site. Site partners also encourage people to greet each other when passing on campus and emphasize a problem-solving approach to challenges. By establishing rapport with participants through regular meetings, activities, and language about taking steps together, providers are better able to foster cooperation and participation. Trusting relationships are also essential when managing significant changes, such as the pandemic or the transition to housing.
• Establish a program array that allows for equal treatment of participants across programs . Operating two programs with visibly different rules created tension among some program participants, who felt that they were unfairly treated. For example, in the first year, winter shelter participants slept on cots while those enrolled in the crisis housing program slept on beds. After the first year, the City and VOALA worked to move the seasonal winter shelter program to neighboring La Puente. • Finalize policies and procedures in collaboration with site partners and share them with all team members before moving on site. When operating a site that houses multiple partners, clear policies and procedures that operationally define goals, outline the role of each partner, and clarify the flow of communication are critical. Other topics should include program eligibility criteria, staffing and training requirements, client maintenance of their sleeping area, grievance procedures, ADA compliance, problem-solving protocols, and partner involvement in decisions to exit a participant from the program. Sites that take donations should also have a donation acceptance policy and tracing system.
• Hold partner meetings at least once a month to keep operations running smoothly . Monthly meetings with all on-site partners provide a forum to share updates, celebrate successes, and resolve issues of concern.

Agendas can include educational components about each other’s programs, time to brainstorm new partnership, and work on ongoing efforts to improve site operations. • Use a case conferencing approach for shared clients. The Hope for Home partners discovered that differences in their training and operational philosophies created some initial confusion among frontline staff about how best to support program participants. Case conferencing typically brings together multiple service providers from different disciplines to review a participant’s progress and barriers, identify or clarify issues, resolve conflicts, and adjust current service plans. Mapping out each partner’s roles and responsibilities to the participant is an essential component of the case conferencing process. • Dedicate staff time to ongoing community education and engagement. The City proactively sought input from the community on the purpose, vision, and development of Hope for Home, and engaged VOALA to manage volunteer coordination. However, the pandemic significantly constrained volunteer access to the site and support has waned following a rise in homelessness. Regularly scheduled outreach and education activities targeting local business and residents, along with opportunities to volunteer, can help the community understand the root causes and complexity of homelessness and the benefits of the housing and services that are provided.
• Continuously monitor housing outcomes and strategize ways to quickly move participants to housing .

The Hope for Home program is grounded in the Housing First model, while also creating a safe, almost 38 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona family-oriented environment that participants are reluctant to leave. Motivational interviewing and publicly celebrating success stories about people who move and into their own places while staying connected to the community can help people overcome the fear of exiting the program. One way that Hope for Home celebrates housing success is to display pictures of participants who have moved into permanent housing throughout areas frequented by current participants.
• Integrate the site into a holistic homelessness crisis response system . The City recognizes that the long- term success of Hope for Home rests in both the local and regional capacity to provide safe, affordable housing for program participants. Hope for Home is intended to provide crisis housing for up to 90 days with the shelter serving as an opportunity to assess a household’s needs, or for bridge housing for mid- and high-acuity clients who meet specific criteria. To help ensure successful exits from shelter, the City of Pomona offers a number of housing options, including affordable housing with rental assistance, permanent supportive housing for individuals with chronic conditions, and Rapid ReHousing to provide short-term rental assistance, as well as innovative programs such as shared housing. While some of these programs are more feasible for cities with housing authorities, all cities can pursue opportunities to collaborate with other jurisdictions in their region to establish a holistic homeless crisis response system.

Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 39 Appendix A: Information Resources
City Council Reports
City of Pomona City Council (2017, November 6). November 6th Meeting of the City Council/Housing Authority/ Successor to the Redevelopment Agency. Retrieved from https:/ /pomona.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx City of Pomona City Council (2018, August 6). August 6th Meeting of the City Council/Housing Authority/ Successor to the Redevelopment Agency. Retrieved from https:/ /pomona.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx City of Pomona City Council (2019, February 4). February 4th Meeting of the City Council/Housing Authority/ Successor to the Redevelopment Agency. Retrieved from https:/ /pomona.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx City of Pomona City Council (2019, June 3). June 3rd Meeting of the City Council/Housing Authority/Successor to the Redevelopment Agency. Retrieved from https:/ /pomona.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx City of Pomona City Council (2020, April 6). April 6th Meeting of the City Council/Housing Authority/Successor to the Redevelopment Agency. Retrieved from https:/ /pomona.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx Media Coverage
Pomona sees a 4% increase in its homeless population in 2020 – Daily Bulletin How Pomona’s homeless shelter is keeping everyone healthy during coronavirus – Daily Bulletin Pomona’s homeless services center opened its doors one year ago, here’s what’s happened since – Daily Bulletin
Pomona Employment Partners tackle homelessness and unemployment one resume at a time - The Student Life (tsl.news)
Pomona miffed about being forced to find more places for homeless shelters – Daily Bulletin Pomona opens doors to its year-round homeless shelter, the first in the region – Daily Bulletin On Black Friday, some people shop; in Pomona, they prep the homeless shelter – Daily Bulletin In spite of delays, Pomona continues working towards creation of homeless shelter – San Gabriel Valley Tribune (sgvtribune.com)
Why only part of Pomona’s future homeless shelter is moving ahead – Daily Bulletin Pomona says yes to year-round emergency shelter for homeless – Daily Bulletin Pomona about to close escrow on property that will house homeless shelter tent – Daily Bulletin Governor signs bill that could help Pomona buy armory – Daily Bulletin 40 Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona Phase Date Milestone
Community
Engagement
August 2015 City hosts a community forum on homelessness November 2015 City establishes a Homeless Advisory Committee February 2016 City holds a study session on addressing homelessness and begins to develop a strategic plan
September 2016 City Council declares a shelter crisis
January 2017 City Council unanimously adopts “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless” 5
Conceptual Design
November 2016 City Council approves the purchase of 1400 E. Mission Blvd. for the creation of the Hope for Home Service Center
January 2017 City Council approves proposed conceptual site plan for emergency shelter with portable shows and restroom,
communal kitchen, and access to a mobile health clinic and other on-site services
August 2017 City Council approves the purchase of the adjacent property, 1390 E. Mission Blvd.

Development and
Construction
March 2017 City Departments conduct a walkthrough of the shelter site May 2017 City Council approves the appropriation of $4 million of Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Asset Fund for
construction
June 2017 City issues design-build request for qualifications August 2017 Design-build proposals due 6
September 2017 City demolishes existing structures and awards design-build contract
October 2017 Architectural design is finalized, gives notice to proceed on construction
November 2017 City Council approves contract for design-build services February 12, 2018 Hope for Home groundbreaking
April 2018 Previous Council Actions –
April 2018, - City signs engagement letter of agreement with Cumming Construction Management, Inc.

August 2018 - City Council authorizes amendment to assist with the second phase of construction

February 2019 - City Council authorizes additional funding

June 2019 - City Council authorizes additional funding
Appendix B: Hope for Home Milestones
Prepared by LeSar Development Consultants for the City of Pomona 41 5 A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless 6 Request for Proposals design-build services “Centralized Services Center/Emergency Shelter” Project No. 428-7144 (govaccess.org)
Phase Date Milestone
Development and
Construction
July 2018 City Council accepts $3.4 million of Measure H Capital Cost for Crisis and Bridge Housing Funds for the development of Hope for Home

City issues building permit for the construction of the emergency shelter and housing services building
April 2019 Permanent shower and restroom facilities open September 2019 Companion animal kennels open
January 2020 Kitchen and access center open
Completed Winter
2023
Shade structures are added to kitchen and day use areas Projected Summer
2023
Adjacent parking lot is paved
Program
Development
June 2017 City issues site operator request for qualifications July 2017 City contracts with Volunteers of America Los Angeles to operate Hope for Home
February 2018 City hosts Lived Experience Summit at the Pomona Armory April 2018 City hosts Lived Experience Focus Group
August 2018 Core Partners meet to collaboratively develop the Hope for Home Mission, Vision and Values Statement
December 5, 2018 Hope for Home opens
Operations
January 2019 Hope for Home adds 50 “Bridge Housing” beds for individuals who exceed 90-day limit while waiting for
permanent housing to be available
December 6, 2019 Hope for Home celebrates Grand Opening

City Council / Housing AuthorityOctober 16, 2023

City Council / Housing Authority
October 16, 2023