Administrative
Report
H.18., File # 23-6195 Meeting Date: 6/6/2023
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: MICHAEL W. WEBB, CITY ATTORNEY JOY ABAQUIN FORD, QUALITY OF LIFE
PROSECUTOR
TITLE
APPROVE THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE
SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS FOR USE OF ALLOCATED COUNTY INNOVATION GRANT FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT THE CITY’S HOMELESS COURT EXPANSION AND INTERIM BED PROJECT FOR AN ADDITIONAL $80,000 AND TO EXTEND THE TERM TO NOVEMBER 22, 2024.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On January 11, 2022, the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) awarded the Cities of Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach $306,299 for the expansion of the Redondo Beach Homeless Court. This resulted in Hermosa Beach taking over hosting duties for 4 of the 12 sessions per year to include their eligible misdemeanor cases in Homeless Court. This also included funding for homeless related services as well as for five interim beds for bridge housing in Wilmington. The success of these programs contributed to a 44% decrease of the homeless population in Redondo Beach. The SBCCOG is now awarding the City an additional $80,000 to extend these programs another seventeen months. The recommended action will authorize the Mayor to sign the first amendment to the MOU, accepting the grant on behalf of the City.
BACKGROUND
In February 2020, the SBCCOG awarded the City of Redondo Beach $245,287 of Innovation Funds for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 for the City’s Enhanced Response to Homelessness Pilot Program. At the time, the City was the only city awarded funds for being innovative in addressing people experiencing homelessness. Since then, the City of Redondo Beach has become a model for other cities to replicate, being the first to execute an outdoor homeless court and build fifteen pallet shelters for bridge housing. As such, cities like Torrance, Long Beach, and Pasadena are creating their own response to homelessness with programs that involve homeless courts and shelters.
In 2021, Redondo Beach submitted a joint proposal with Hermosa Beach for $390,269 for interim housing, a census and court services. The joint proposal requested funding for additional special services such as mental health and substance abuse treatment, an annual census of the Redondo Beach homeless population, rental of five interim housing beds, ongoing costs for the Redondo Beach Homeless Court, and expanding the homeless court program to include Hermosa Beach cases that involved defendants experiencing homelessness. While the SBCCOG did not fund the
H.18., File # 23-6195 Meeting Date: 6/6/2023
cases that involved defendants experiencing homelessness. While the SBCCOG did not fund the census nor ongoing costs of the Redondo Beach Housing Homeless Court, all other requests were awarded funding for a total award of $306,299.
Currently, the City of Hermosa Beach contracts with the City of Redondo Beach for prosecution services for misdemeanor violations that occur within the City of Hermosa Beach. Prior to receiving this grant, Hermosa Beach defendants who are experiencing homelessness were not included in the Redondo Beach Homeless Court.
In exchange for adding defendants that commit misdemeanor crimes in Hermosa to the Redondo Homeless Court, the City of Hermosa Beach agreed to host the homeless court four months out of the year. This reduces the number of times Redondo Beach hosts the homeless court to eight times a year. Last year, Homeless Court was held in Hermosa Beach from July to October. This year, Homeless Court will be held in Hermosa Beach from August to November.
As previously mentioned, the Grant Funds also included funding for rental of five interim housing beds from January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. The additional Innovation Funds granted in this amendment will allow us to continue rental of these units. While the SBCCOG did grant that request, they required that the units be made available to all Beach Cities, prioritizing Redondo and Hermosa Beach people experiencing homelessness. If this amendment is approved, the City Attorney’s Office will return with those leases for Mayor and Council approval.
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council approve the First Amendment to the MOU, accepting the additional $80,000 grant on behalf of the City and extending the MOU to November 22, 2024.
COORDINATION
The City Attorney’s Office coordinated with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments to execute this MOU.
FISCAL IMPACT
The additional Innovative Grant award of $80,000 will cover rental of five interim housing beds in Wilmington, additional special services such as mental health and substance abuse treatment, and the expansion of the homeless court program to include Hermosa Beach cases that involve defendants experiencing homelessness.
ATTACHMENTS
· First Amendment to MOU between Redondo Beach and South Bay Cities Council of Governments
· MOU between Redondo Beach and South Bay Cities Council of Governments