May 2, 2023
Police Department
DATE: May 2, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Bisa French, Chief of Police
Michelle Milam, Crime Prevention Manager
Subject:
Contra Costa County Health, Housing, and Human
Services Contract for Coordinated Outreach Referral and Engagement (CORE) Homeless Outreach Services
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Funding for the contract between the City and County for CORE will come from the Police Department’s approved
budget in the amount of $144,333 for Fiscal Year 2022-
2023, account string 01193021-400201.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
n/a
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Police Department and Community Development are
requesting that the City Council authorize a contract with Contra Costa County (“County”) for Coordinated
Outreach Referral and Engagement (CORE) services for
fiscal year 2022-2023. CORE provides outreach and
support to unhoused people who reside in homeless
encampments.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RATIFY and APPROVE a sole-source contract with
Contra Costa County for Coordinated Outreach Referral
Engagement (CORE) services retroactive to July 1, 2022, with a term expiring June 30, 2023, for a total contract compensation amount not to exceed $144,333 – Police
Department (Chief Bisa French 510-621-1802).
AGENDA
REPORT
May 2, 2023
DISCUSSION:
Contra Costa County (“County”), through its Coordinated Outreach Referral and Engagement (CORE) service has been utilized to support existing efforts at homeless encampment sites. The CORE program provides direct access for unhoused individuals and facilitates access to the County’s various programs and other nonprofit systems of care. The CORE Homeless Outreach team provides onsite case management, coordinated entry and housing navigation, health care referrals, shelter placement, assessments, mental health, alcohol, and other drug treatment referrals and placements for the City’s unhoused population.
Contractual services for the Richmond/San Pablo CORE team are split between the City of Richmond and the City of San Pablo (60/40, respectively). From the reporting period of 1/2/2022 through 12/31/2022, CORE provided the following services:
CORE CONTACTS IN 2022
In 2022, CORE made a total of 3,198 contacts with unhoused individuals. Of that amount, 1,094 were unduplicated, 681 or 62.25 percent reported losing their housing in the City of Richmond, 81.08 percent indicated the last city they slept in was Richmond,
53.84 percent indicated they grew up in Richmond, and 34.55 percent indicated that they have friends and family in Richmond.
OTHER HOUSING LOSS LOCATIONS
23.76 percent reported losing housing in another city within Contra Costa, 13.9 percent reported losing their housing outside of Contra Costa County, and one client refused to provide an answer. The remaining 62.25 percent lost their housing in Richmond.
PRIOR LIVING SITUATION
The highest percentage of clients (93.33 percent), responded that their prior living situation was a place not meant for habitation (eg., A vehicle abandoned building, anywhere outside).
HEALTH INDICATORS
70.20 percent indicated that they have a disabling condition. Those disabilities are (Chronic Health Condition, Developmental Condition, HIV/AIDS, Mental Health Problem, or physical disability.) The most common disability listed was a mental health disorder, followed by a physical health disorder.
RACE/GENDER/ETHNICITY/STATUS – Notable figures
32.99 percent were families, 69.74 percent were single 55.58 percent identified as male, 44.15 percent identified as female, and .18 percent identified as multi-gender
May 2, 2023
18.28 percent were domestic violence survivors
54.84 percent were African American followed by 23.95 percent white 21.94 percent were Hispanic/Latin(a)(o)(x)
CORE serves as a nexus to the Contra Costa System of Care which includes county shelters, residential treatment facilities, rapid rehousing, independent living, COVID-19 testing and treatment, transportation, mental health and AOD services, identification services, shelter and housing placement, and health and basic needs.
CORE works in tandem with other services that the City has invested in within the city and provides additional support and connection for the unhoused. CORE also assists in emergencies such as severe weather and the pandemic.
The CORE team is available to City staff to provide services directly to the population and works closely with various departments including police, fire, planning, code enforcement, public works, the City Manager’s office, CORE, and others to provide outreach services. CORE also collaborates with other unhoused city service contractors.
Although attempts were made to seek approval of this contract earlier, the approval process by both the County and the City required extensive back and forth reviews, updates, and changes. The draft contract was initially created in May 2022 and final County approval was received in February 2023. City staff were then able to start their contract approval process to seek approval at the next available City Council meeting.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – One-year Contract Between the City and CORE Attachment 2 – Sole Source Agreement
Attachment 3 – After the Fact Form