November 7, 2023
City Council
DATE: November 7, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Vice Mayor Gayle McLaughlin
Subject:
Accept $75 ,000 contribution from Prologis for LifeLong Medical Care’s Health Ambassador Program.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact to the City for receiving a $75,000 donation from Prologis that will help with
unhoused solutions
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
The City Council has not taken action on this donation
previously
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
LifeLong Medical Care has been implementing a Health
Ambassador Program to assist our unhoused residents
with health care and preventive care. Currently, Prologis (the new Hilltop Mall site owner) has offered to provide $75,000 to help us in our efforts to address the needs of the unhoused. The City has an opportunity to extend the LifeLong program by applying the $75,000 from Prologis
to LifeLong so that they can continue to hire and assign Health Ambassadors to help us in our “care approach” to serving the needs of residents in Richmond who are
unsheltered.
AGENDA
REPORT
November 7, 2023
RECOMMENDED ACTION: ACCEPT and APPROPRIATE a $75,000 grant from Prologis to the City of Richmond for unhoused services
and DIRECT staff to apply this funding to LifeLong
Medical Center to aid in funding Health Ambassadors
which will provide Client Care Liaison Services for
Richmond’s unhoused population - Vice Mayor Gayle
McLaughlin (510-620-6636)
DISCUSSION:
Over the past couple of years, Vice Mayor McLaughlin has talked with representatives from Prologis (the new owner of the Hilltop Mall site) several times, seeking a contribution from them to help with our unhoused work. They had previously committed to a contribution toward a Safe Park in Richmond. Although a Safe Park has yet to emerge, there are other efforts that are currently happening in Richmond to help our unhoused residents acquire services and housing, and Prologis has indicated a willingness to help. Based on discussions that the Vice Mayor had with Prologis, they have agreed to provide the City with an initial contribution of $75,000 toward unhoused services. They have also made it clear that they would be providing additional funding in the future.
Richmond has received some significant State grants over the last couple of years specifically to help us address homelessness. We are using these grants to provide people with the services they need, including placing them in housing, to help them advance with dignity and health in their lives. Mapping has been done of encampments throughout the City and more than 1,700 unhoused residents have been counted. It is clear we need to keep moving forward with solutions.
At this point in time, the new State-funded Encampment Resolution Fund #2 is focused on encampments scattered across Richmond, especially on or adjacent to Caltrans rights-of-way. Various efforts, projects and contracts will be forthcoming that will help allocate funding to various service providers who are well-positioned to help address the needs of our unhoused residents and assist them as they move into a new phase of their lives.
One major unmet need for unhoused residents is the lack of access to health care. LifeLong Medical Care, the provider of Street Medicine services in Alameda County, oversees the deployment of Street Medicine teams that provide entirely field- based care in our region’s largest encampments. Teams conduct proactive outreach by
November 7, 2023
keeping a consistent weekly outreach schedule to develop relationships and build trust with encampment residents.
To help overcome the lack of access to health care for unhoused residents in West County, LifeLong Medical Care has partnered with local service providers to bring its unique model to Richmond. In particular, LifeLong has hired and assigned two Health Ambassadors, funded by Sierra Health Foundation from January to December 2023, that have piloted new encampment engagement activities in Richmond. Since that piloting will soon be coming to an end, there is an urgent need for additional funding for LifeLong Medical Care to continue to fund Health Ambassadors. We know that people need to have their health care needs met, and engage in healthy decisions, as they take next steps in their lives, including steps such as job training, job placement and housing.
Vice Mayor McLaughlin has talked with Lucinda Brazile, Deputy Director of LifeLong Medical Care, who is very interested in keeping this program going. Since the pilot program was advanced by LifeLong and they currently have employees working directly with our unhoused residents, service providers and the County’s CORE program, it would be beneficial for the City to provide this 75,000 grant (from Prologis) to LifeLong as a contribution to their continuing this Health Ambassador program that is helping our unhoused residents overcome some of their health challenges and limitations.
These funds from Prologis would continue such activities during 2024 in support of Richmond’s Housing First initiative. The Health Ambassador(s) will support encampment residents to opt to make "healthy choices" and become more ready for employment to assist in the City's efforts to bridge people toward housing sustainability as they leave encampments into interim and permanent housing opportunities. They will work with existing providers such as SOS Richmond, Housing Consortium of the East Bay (HCEB), and the County’s Coordinated Outreach Referral, Engagement (CORE) to provide essential and accessible frontline support to encampment residents during these transitions. While LifeLong provides health-focused outreach with the support form Prologis, SOS will continue to provide access to the encampments and support to the encampment residents, HCEB will lead with housing navigation and other supports, and CORE will broker access to the County's interim housing opportunities to get people off the streets.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
None