Administrative
Report
H.13., File # 24-0941 Meeting Date: 6/4/2024
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: MICHAEL W. WEBB, CITY ATTORNEY JOY FORD, QUALITY OF LIFE
PROSECUTOR
TITLE
APPROVE THE SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE
SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS FOR USE OF ALLOCATED COUNTY LOCAL SOLUTIONS GRANT FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT THE CITY’S HOMELESS COURT EXPANSION AND INTERIM BED PROJECT FOR AN ADDITIONAL $100,000 AND TO EXTEND THE TERM TO JUNE 30, 2025
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, funding for homeless related services, and five interim beds for bridge housing. On June 6, 2023, the City Council approved the first amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the SBCCOG to accept an additional grant of $80,000. The success of these programs contributed to a 60% decrease of the homeless population in Redondo Beach since 2020 with a 16.5% decrease from last year alone. The SBCCOG is now awarding the City an additional $100,000 to extend these programs. The recommended action will authorize the Mayor to sign the second 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 interim housing. As such, cities like Torrance, Long Beach, and Santa Monica are creating their own response to homelessness with programs that involve homeless court and non-congregate shelters.
In 2021, Redondo Beach submitted a joint proposal with Hermosa Beach to the SBCCOG 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 counseling, a 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 census nor ongoing costs of the Redondo Beach Homeless Court, all other requests were awarded. On January 11, 2022, the City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to accept the Innovations Grant of $306,299.
The City of Hermosa Beach contracts with the City of Redondo Beach for prosecution services for
H.13., File # 24-0941 Meeting Date: 6/4/2024
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.
On June 6, 2023, the City Council approved the first amendment to the MOU to accept an additional award of $80,000. The City also renewed the leases for five bridge housing units with Swami International last month.
The COG is now granting the City another $100,000 to continue these programs. Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council approve the Second Amendment to the MOU, accepting the additional $100,000 grant on behalf of the City and extending the MOU to June 30, 2025.
COORDINATION
The City Attorney’s Office coordinated with the SBCCOG to execute this amendment to the MOU.
FISCAL IMPACT
The additional award of $100,000 will cover interim housing beds in Wilmington, additional special services such as mental health and substance abuse counseling, and the expansion of the homeless court program to include Hermosa Beach cases that involve defendants experiencing homelessness.
ATTACHMENTS
- Second Amendment to the MOU
- First Amendment to the MOU
- MOU