July 26, 2022
City Manager's Office
DATE: July 26, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM: Shasa Curl, City Manager
Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Louie Tirona, Assistant Police Chie,
Joe Leach, Director of Public Works
LaShonda White, Interim Director of Community Services
Subject:
Rydin Road Encampment Sunsetting Program
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The costs associated with the sunset of the Rydin Road encampment can be covered by funds allocated for
unhoused interventions (15061219-400201-RI160).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
March 16, 2021, December 7, 2021, June 28, 2022
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Rydin Vehicle Encampment was set to sunset at the
end of December 2021. City staff is presenting options to mandate a new permanent sunset date for the Rydin
encampment, and to consider approval of certain sole
source contracts associated with the selected option.
RECOMMENDED
ACTION:
MANDATE the sunset date of the Rydin Road encampment
as August 31, 2022; APPROVE a fifth contract amendment
in an amount not to exceed $135,966, with Housing
Consortium of the East Bay and extend the contract term to August 31, 2022, for a total not to exceed amount of
$695,966; AUTHORIZE the City Manager or her designee
to negotiate and execute contracts for the administration of flex funds with a community-based organization; and
CONTINUE collaboration with Contra Costa County (CCC)
H3 and C.O.R.E. programs to provide needed supportive
services to residents at Rydin Road prior to abatement – City Manager’s Office (Shasa Curl 510-620-6512).
AGENDA
REPORT
July 26, 2022
DISCUSSION:
The Rydin Vehicle Encampment was scheduled to sunset at the end of December 2021; however, prior to the planned sunset date, the City Council determined that additional time was needed to help transition residents to alternative housing options based on input received from the encampment residents. City staff is (1) presenting options to set a new sunset date for the encampment; and (2) requesting authorization for the City Manager or her designee to negotiate certain contracts associated with the selected option.
Moving forward, City staff will enforce all provisions of the Richmond Municipal Code to ensure all Richmond residents are treated in an equitable manner. In sum, the encampment continues to significantly impact adjoining businesses in the key Central Avenue Corridor, which is the gateway to Costco, Pt. Isabel Park, 7 Stars Holistic Healing Center, and Pacific East Mall. It also impacts water quality, service delivery in other areas, City resources, and access to the Bay Trail. Therefore, reestablishing a sunset date is required.
Background
On March 16, 2021, the City Council approved a sole source contract in the amount of $560,000 with the Housing Consortium of the East Bay (HCEB) to provide on-site management, housing navigation, security, and certain sanitation services through subcontractor, Safe Organized Spaces (SOS) Richmond. As stated above, the sunset and abatement did not occur; as such, this has caused the need for City staff to provide amendments for time to the HCEB contract four times with the most recent extension ending July 31, 2022 (see Attachment 1). City staff is proposing options for a mandated sunset date to be established to resolve this encampment and improve the Central Avenue corridor.
The current encampment has 25 registered participants (originally there were 40) and 26 vehicles related to these participants. It should be acknowledged that since the encampment is not fenced, there may be visitors or others staying in and around the site.
City of Richmond Resources: In addition to the resources allocated to HCEB, the City continues to invest a significant amount of staffing resources from various City departments including Community Development, Fire, Abatement, Police, Parking Enforcement, Streets, Code Enforcement, and City Manager’s Office.
The City continues to receive complaints from area businesses, residents, and park users regarding the encampment. Over the last three years, the City has experienced a significant increase in calls for Richmond Police Department service, with over an 100 percent increase occurring between 2020 and 2021. On average, two officers are dispatched per call with an average of one (1) hour on each detail. The estimated costs associated with the increase in calls for services was $6,208 in 2019, $25,237 in 2020,
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and $50,592 in 2021. The top calls for service in 2021 were disturbances, suspicious vehicle, parking violation, and security checks. In 2022, the top calls for service were parking violations, disturbances, and security checks. The table below illustrates the number of calls for service:
2019 2020 2021 % Change
53 216 433 100
The City’s Public Works Abatement crew estimates that they have spent over 840 hours and approximately $60,000 supporting major clean-up activities at the Rydin encampment. In 2021, staff spent 21 days and 630 hours, at a cost of $44,235, and in 2022, staff spent seven (7) days and 210 hours, at a cost of $14,745 at the site. City staff also collected and disposed of approximately 63 tons of materials from the site (36 tons in 2021 and 27 tons in 2022).
For the City’s Streets Maintenance Division, crews went out to Rydin Road a total of 12 times with at least two staff members each time. The total cost for one Equipment Operator and one Maintenance Worker II is $2,864.76 (2.5 hours average x 12 visits).
City staff left eight 10’ K-rails on site with an estimated cost of $530 each (total of $4,240) and seven 20’ K-rails on site estimated at $580 each ($4,060). The total estimated cost is $11,146.
Richmond/San Pablo Coordinated Outreach Referral Engagement (C.O.R.E.) Team:
The City of Richmond and City of San Pablo fund and share a dedicated Contra Costa County C.O.R.E. team in which Richmond pays for three (3) days of service, and San Pablo pays for two (2) days. There is also a West County C.O.R.E. team that is paid for by the Contra Costa County and provides services to all West County jurisdictions. The site is mostly served by the Richmond/San Pablo C.O.R.E team; however, the West County team may provide additional support, as needed to Rydin residents. The Contra Costa County C.O.R.E. program works to engage and stabilize homeless individuals living outside through consistent outreach to facilitate and/or deliver health and basic need services and secure permanent housing. C.O.R.E. teams serve as an entry point into Contra Costa's coordinated entry system for unsheltered persons and work to locate, engage, stabilize, and house chronically homeless individuals and families. The outreach teams identify individuals living on the streets, assess their housing and service needs, and facilitate connection to shelter and services.
These services include referrals, emergency supplies, benefit referral, housing coordination, and Health Care for the Homeless mobile clinic referrals. A summary of services provided at Rydin between May 2021 through May 2022 is listed below, posted online (Attachment 2).
July 26, 2022
Service Item Name Number of
Services
Medical Referrals or Coordination 9
Outreach Other - Benefits Referral (GA/SSI/etc) 41
Outreach Other – DMV 2
Outreach Other - Emergency Supplies 180
Outreach Other - Housing Coordination 83
Problem Solving/Diversion/Rapid Resolution intervention or service 1 Public Works- Garbage Bag Given 9
Referral to scheduled Coordinated Entry Housing Needs Assessment 3 Referral to Street Outreach project or services 1
Shelter Placement - County Shelter 2
Shelter Placement- NCS BACS Richmond Best Western PUI Site 2 Shelter Placement- NCS Marriott Richmond 2
Shelter Referral - County Shelter 18
Shelter Referral- NCS Marriott Richmond 42
TOTAL 395
The purpose of a Coordinated Entry System is to ensure that all people experiencing a housing crisis have equitable access to available resources. Clients are quickly identified, assessed, and connected to available homeless services and long-term housing. Coordinated Entry uses evidence informed tools and standardizes practices, incorporates a system-wide Housing First (no barriers to entry) approach, and prioritizes limited resources for the most vulnerable. While some residents have accepted housing or shelter options, many have not. The full continuum of homeless housing and services available through the Contra Costa Coordinated Entry System include:
• C.O.R.E. Outreach - serve as a Coordinated Entry access point to connect people experiencing unsheltered homelessness to the system of care, address their immediate health and safety needs, and assist them to move indoors • Prevention/Diversion - keep people from experiencing literal homelessness for the first time or returning to it after being permanently housed by providing housing problem solving and one-time financial assistance
• Emergency Shelter - provide Trauma-Informed, safe interim housing for people experiencing literal homelessness while supporting their access to permanent housing opportunities
• CARE Centers - serve as a Coordinated Entry access point for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness by providing a safe, accessible place for people to access basic needs such as showers, laundry, mail, meals, hygiene kits, information, referral, and housing focused case management • Rapid Exit - assist those who are literally homeless with an identified housing solution to exit the homeless services system to temporary or permanent housing (can be independent or with family/friends), using housing problem solving and one- time financial assistance if needed
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• Rapid Rehousing - permanently house vulnerable individuals and families who are unsheltered, with long histories of homelessness and severe service needs by providing housing location and move-in assistance, medium-term subsidy of rents that taper down over time, and trauma informed supportive services • Permanent Supportive Housing - permanently house the Continuum of Care’s most vulnerable individuals and families with long histories of homelessness by providing permanently subsidized housing and trauma-informed supportive services to ensure housing retention and improved quality of life for participants
Early in the program role out, Rydin residents completed assessments with C.O.R.E and HCEB to complete a housing needs assessment (called the VI-SPDAT) to obtain placement onto a Housing Queue, or a list of people searching for housing. Per County reports, on any given day, there are more than 1,000 households on the Housing Queue in need of permanent supportive housing (PSH) resources. Only 21 percent of households on Housing Queue meet the rapid rehousing (RRH) score range meaning most people do not qualify for certain housing programs. This is important to ensure that participants get placed in the right type of housing at the right time to achieve success.
Also, individuals on the list may be dealing with physical, mental and/or substance abuse issues.
In addition, the housing need exceeds supply, so many households on the housing queue need to be reassessed every six (6) months for accurate depiction of current needs. C.O.R.E. is the access point to coordinated entry, but it should noted that coordinated entry is just that -- a system of care that includes both public and non-profit providers with a needs-based process for entry. Residents were offered the option of shelter beds in November and December 2021 at Brookside Shelter.
Flex Funds: The City Council recently allocated additional flex funds to assist residents with vehicle repair, towing, storage, and registration services. The use of these funds was recently expanded due to a lack of responses to a Request for Qualifications from mechanics to do the repair work, lack of proof of ownership of the vehicles proposed to be repaired, and the cost of repairs exceeding the value of many of the vehicles. The City Council approved expanding the use of the funds at their June 28, 2022, meeting.
City staff members are currently working with Finance staff to discuss appropriate documentation for the disbursement of these funds. City Finance staff do not have capacity to support the administration of flex funds. To disburse these funds quicker, City staff recommend allocating the flex funds to a non-profit service provider for administration.
Rydin Resident Input: City staff and HCEB, with support from Collaborising and Faith in Action East Bay, have met with Rydin residents at least four times to listen to their needs and concerns, as well as to discuss the sunsetting of the encampment. A portion of the residents are requesting to be engaged in the sunsetting of the encampment and expressed the request to access to the Housing First program and/or relocation assistance while they are on waitlists for vouchers or other support programs via the Coordinated Entry System. In addition, the residents have informed the development of
July 26, 2022
the housing needs survey and at least one (1) resident has taken the survey to test the prototype for implementation. It is contemplated that providers would complete the new housing assessments within the first week of August to connect residents with housing options.
Potential Policy Options
As part of the sunset approach for Rydin, City staff is providing three (3) policy options for City Council consideration. The options vary by (1) sunset date with possible dates ranging from August 31, 2022 to September 30, 2022; and (2) contracts with service providers which have different not to exceed amounts that are based on the proposed sunset date. The amounts noted below do not include the full monetary requests received by City staff members as there is not a confirmed program model with metrics being implemented.
Options Firm Sunset
Date
Estimated Costs
(final amounts may be
reduced by hours actually
work)
Proposed Partners
1 August 31,
2022
$135,966 (HCEB contract
covering May - August)
Security Costs = $22,500
per month (the total above
includes security services,
but the City can determine if
security is needed)
HCEB - On-site management
and security services
CCCHS and C.O.R.E
2 September
30, 2022
$169,958 (HCEB contract
covering May - September)
Security Costs = $22,500
per month (see note above)
HCEB - On-site management
and security services
CCCHS and C.O.R.E
3 September
30, 2022
$187,355
$169,958 (HCEB contract
covering May - September)
o Security Costs =
$22,500 per month (see
note above)
$17,397 (HCEB
subcontract with
Collaborising covering
August and September)
HCEB - On-site management
and security services
Collaborising – Conduct housing
assessments, facilitate resident
meetings, and continue the
Clean Rydin program
CCHS and C.O.R.E.
July 26, 2022
It is important to note that none of the options above provide any post-abatement monitoring or services from external entities.
Potential Contractors
All of the options presented above include a contract with HCEB and information regarding their services is referenced below and included in Attachment 3. If option 3 is selected, HCEB would subcontract with Collaborising, and information regarding this vendor is also presented below.
Contract with HCEB: Per City Council direction, the City would have to enter into a contract amendment (No. 5) with HCEB to add additional funds to the existing HCEB contract (see Attachment 3) to extend on-site management and security services at the Rydin encampment. It is important to note that the contract amendment will not only extend the term past July 31, 2022, but will also add sufficient funds to allow the City to pay HCEB for past services rendered from May 2022 through the end of the proposed contract amendment. A list of HCEB expenditures can be found in Attachment 4. There is also a possibility of including the distribution of $50,000 in flex funds to a contract with HCEB.
Subcontract with Collaborising: Collaborising currently provides engagement and advocacy support to Rydin residents, which has aided in the establishment of trust with the residents. In addition, Collaborising, as a subcontractor to the Rebuilding Together East Bay North contract, has been operating the Clean Rydin program. The Clean Rydin program works with residents through incentives to purge their belongings to prepare for relocation into more permanent housing.
Synergistic Policies and Developments
Currently, Richmond hosts 27 stand-alone housing developments and 3,560 units.
There are also numerous affordable developments in the pipeline including Hacienda, Nevin, and Nystrom. In addition, City staff is working on developing a Request for Proposals for short-term emergency housing assistance.
In 2021, the Mayor’s Office began its partnership with Richmond Rotary to establish the Mayor’s Housing First Program. This program offers to pay one-year of rent for people experiencing homelessness. Housing First is a homeless assistance approach that prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, thus ending their homelessness and serving as a platform from which they can pursue personal goals and improve their quality of life. This approach is guided by the belief that people need basic necessities like food and a place to live before attending to anything less critical, such as getting a job, budgeting properly, or attending to substance use issues. Additionally, Housing First is based on the theory that client choice is valuable in housing selection and supportive service participation, and that exercising that choice is likely to make a client more successful in remaining housed
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and improving their life. The Housing First approach views housing as the foundation for life improvement and enables access to permanent housing without prerequisites or conditions beyond those of a typical renter. As part of the proposed program, supportive services will be offered by Contra Costa Health Services to support people with shelter and individual well-being. The program could include referrals to supportive services, as well as tracking of housing placement to ensure housing is not lost.
The Mayor’s Housing First program has been able to rehouse seven (7) families, many with children. Housing First has been successfully implemented by the Mayor’s Office in partnership with the Richmond Rotary Club using funds from the Mayor’s Community Fund, which are now essentially exhausted. The City Council allocated up to $425,000 in funds for Housing First programs in the FY 2022-2023 budget.
To develop and implement a Housing First Program that includes program guidelines, criteria, and metrics, and to ensure that the proper procurement process is followed, City staff is recommending that a Request for Proposals (RFP) be released by August 15, 2022, to (1) develop a program model and (2) implement and administer the program in collaboration with and on behalf of the City of Richmond. City staff understands that following this path will potentially not allow Rydin residents to partake of the Housing First Program by the recommended August 31, 2022, sunset date; however, taking this much needed time will allow for a comprehensive program to be established in partnership with a partner selected through a competitive procurement process. City staff will work expeditiously to develop this program so that all Richmond residents experiencing homelessness may participate from this service in the near term.
This process will delay this service until Fall 2022, at which time a contract can be brought to City Council for consideration.
Next Steps
While City staff has a responsibility to address the needs of those that are extremely disadvantaged, it is also important to take into consideration the broader impacts of policy decisions on all Richmond residents, businesses, and community-based organizations, as well as our colleagues. Moving forward, all workforce development contracts shall be managed within the Community Services Department – Employment and Training Division to help create career pathways out of poverty. City staff, in collaboration with Contra Costa Health Services, will work to provide as many options and pathways as possible to help Rydin residents receive access to essential services.
City staff will do this within available City and County resources and utilize existing programs. The City of Richmond thanks Contra Costa Health Services in advance for their continued commitment to collaboration, to providing access to County services, and to assisting with the relocation of residents given Richmond’s anticipated sunsetting of the Rydin Road encampment.
July 26, 2022
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Original HCEB Contract with Amendments 1, 2, 3 and 4 Attachment 2 – C.O.R.E Team Rydin Road Report – May 2021 – May 2022 Attachment 3 – Amendment No. 5 to the HCEB Contract
Attachment 4 – Summary of HCEB Expenditures