CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
October 16, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: James Makshanoff, City Manager
Submitted By: Benita De Frank, Neighborhood Services Director SUBJECT: RECEIVE AND FILE THE STATUS UPDATE ON THE CITY OF POMONA’S 2021-2022 “A WAY HOME: COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS FOR POMONA’S HOMELESS” STRATEGIC PLAN AND HOPE FOR HOME CASE STUDY RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council receive and file a status update on the City’s 2021-2022 “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless” strategic plan document and Hope for Home Homeless Services Center’s Case Study.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Adopted on January 9, 2017, the Pomona strategic plan on homelessness, “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless” was drafted utilizing recommendations provided by the Homeless Advisory Committee. The plan originally contained four goals, thirty strategies and over 200 activities that provide solutions to the four areas of concern. The strategic plan update (Attachment No. 1) provides an overview of accomplishments in the area of homeless services between 2021 and 2022 as well as an introduction to a fifth goal with five strategies focusing on housing stabilization.
Since the adoption of the strategic plan, City staff and local community agencies have worked collaboratively to develop and open a year-round, 24-hour shelter, an access center, a communal kitchen, transitional storage locker program, and have implemented programs that provide supportive services to reduce the impacts of homelessness throughout Pomona. The City took a further step to partner with LeSar Development Consultants to document a case study specifically on the Hope for Home Homeless Services Center (Attachment No. 2). The case study includes a narrative and timeline covering Hope for Home’s development and operations, key drivers and metrics of success, and interviews with stakeholders including City staff, the Pomona Continuum of Care Coalition (PCOCC), local service providers, community members, and lived experience.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
PREVIOUS RELATED ACTION:
On January 9, 2017 the City Council authorized the implementation of the City’s “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless,” including the goals, strategies and activities contained therein. In the same year, on December 17, 2017, the City Council accepted $70,000 of Measure H City Planning Grant Funds and awarded a contract to LeSar Development Consultants to assist the City in developing components of the Measure H City Plan.
During the July 2, 2018 meeting, the City Council authorized the submission of the “City of Pomona Enhanced Strategic Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness” to Los Angeles County, Chief Executive Office, outlining enhancements to the City of Pomona’s “A Way Home” Strategic Plan. Most recently, on April 19, 2021, the City Council received and filed a status update on the City’s “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless” strategic plan, covering the years between 2018 and 2020.
DISCUSSION:
2021-2022 A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless Report On January 9, 2017, the Pomona City Council adopted “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless”, a strategic plan document outlining recommended solutions to address homelessness within City of Pomona. The plan was created utilizing recommendations provided by the Homeless Advisory Committee who met in 2015 over a nine month period from November 2015 to July 2016. The Pomona City Manager, in coordination with the Pomona’s Promise Healthy in Pomona subcommittee, convened the ad hoc committee following the Community Summit on Homelessness that was held in August 2015.
The strategic plan continues to provide the blueprint to the City’s approaches to addressing and ending homelessness. The City commits fully to using the most effective, data-driven approaches to support Pomona’s residents experiencing homelessness, quickly moving them into permanent housing and assisting them in achieving self-sufficiency. The strategic plan originally included four goals, thirty strategies and over 200 activities that provide solutions to reduce the number of unsheltered persons. The four goals of the plan are:
Goal A
Reduce the Number of Pomona’s Unsheltered Homeless
Goal B
Reduce the Negative Impacts on Community Neighborhoods and Public Spaces through the Coordination of Services Goal C
Have an Engaged and Informed Community Regarding Homelessness and Homeless Solutions Goal D
Balance the Needs and Rights of Homeless Persons and the Larger Community through Updated Fair, Legal and Enforceable Policies and Ordinances However, since the adoption of “A Way Home,” Pomona has made significant strides in addressing homelessness, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, one being the implementation of various homeless prevention efforts. Therefore, City staff introduced a new goal, Goal E: Housing Stabilization, including five new strategies.
Goal E
Housing Stabilization
E1
Introduce New Policies and Implement New Grant Funding to Support Homeless Prevention Efforts E2
Partner with a Legal Service Agency to Provide a Weekly Legal Clinic to Inform Community Residents of Tenant and Landlord Rights E3
Present and Offer Financial Literacy Services and Housing Resources to Individuals and Families At-Risk or Experiencing Homelessness E4
Administer a New and Existing Rental Assistance Program E5
Engage and Expand Relationships with and Incentives for Landlords in Pomona with the Objective of Assisting Individuals and Families Experiencing Homelessness or Have High Risk of Housing Instability Between 2021 and 2022, City staff worked with households who were at-risk of falling into homelessness due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. loss of employment, falling ill, decrease in income, etc.). The City administered rental assistance programs to prevent mass evictions, established landlord incentives, and oversaw a legal clinic in partnership with Neighborhood Legal Services Los Angeles (“NLSLA”). City staff also ensured to follow new policies that were passed by the City Council that affected housing, such as the Emergency Rental Stabilization Ordinance. Furthermore, the City prioritized expanding partnerships with local agencies such as the Pomona Unified School District (PUSD), Just Us 4 Youth, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Sycamores, and many more.
The expansion of partnerships has been critical to helping subpopulations who are unhoused such as families with minor children and transition age youth (16-24 years old) and understanding their unique needs. Furthermore, under this reporting period, the City has assisted single adults, families and youth experiencing homelessness with motel vouchers, housing navigation, and housing voucher programs.
The Hope for Home Homeless Services Center: A Holistic Approach to Ending Homelessness in Pomona Case Study Report Several of the original strategies included in the “A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless” focused on the construction and development of a homeless shelter and centralized services center. The City has taken a proactive approach to addressing homelessness and in response to the increasing number of unhoused residents, adopted a plan that would essentially lay the foundation for a crisis response system with the goal of preventing and ending homelessness. On December 5, 2018, the City officially opened the Hope for Home Homeless Services Center, and since then has opened a communal kitchen, transitional storage locker, access center, health clinic, pet park, and free-clothing closet.
The City has accomplished several milestones, and has assisted more than 125 unhoused individuals with their transition into permanent housing. In order to capture these successes, the City partnered with the consulting agency, LeSar Development Consultants, to write and present a Hope for Home case study.
The case study documents the evolution of Hope for Home from the visioning process and throughout the first three-years of operations. The case study also highlights the City’s collective impact approach, and includes interviews that were hosted with key stakeholders who were involved in either one or more of the steps it took to make Hope for Home a reality and what it is today. Interviews included City staff, former council members, Pomona Police Department, Volunteers of America Los Angeles (VOALA), Tri-City Mental Health Services, East Valley Community Health Center, Goodwill of Southern California, and PBK-WLC Architects. The case study will also serve as a blueprint and drivers of success for other cities considering similar homeless solutions in their jurisdiction.
Hope for Home has improved the quality of life for individuals experiencing homelessness and helped to promote and encourage affordable housing developments in the City. Hope for Home has earned recognition from elected officials and other leaders at the regional, state, and federal levels.
COUNCIL PRIORITIES & GOALS: This action supports City Council Goal K – to reduce the unsheltered homeless population by 10% annually and take actions to mitigate the impacts of homelessness on the community.
Prepared by:
________________________________________
Donyielle Holley, Housing Stabilization Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment No. 1 – 2021-2022 A Way Home: Community Solutions for Pomona’s Homeless Strategic Plan Report Attachment No. 2 – The Hope for Home Homeless Services Center: A Holistic Approach to Ending Homelessness in Pomona Case Study Report Receive and File City of Pomona Homeless Strategic Plan and Hope for Home Case Study
Receive and File City of Pomona Homeless Strategic Plan and Hope for Home Case Study