(insert date of meeting)
Department
DATE: November 26, 2024
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Councilmember McLaughlin, Vice Mayor Jimenez and
Councilmember Robinson
Subject:
Agreement with Tiny Village Spirit
FINANCIAL IMPACT: $300,000
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
September 12, 2023, RPAL Lease Amendment
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Richmond Tiny House Village Farm and Garden
Project at 175 23rd St. has raised and will continue to raise significant private funds for developing this tiny youth village and is seeking a City contribution of
$300,000 to help finalize its start-up costs.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
DIRECT City staff to work on an agreement with Tiny
Village Spirit (TVS) to allocate $300,000 as a City
contribution toward the Tiny House Village Farm and
Garden Project to include $166,332 for operational start- up funds as well as $133,668 to be used in finalizing the construction of the Village, slated to open on July 1,
2025; DIRECT staff also to bring the agreement back to
City Council for approval by February 4, 2025 – Vice
Mayor Claudia Jimenez (510-620-6565),
Councilmembers Gayle McLaughlin (510-620-6636) and
Doria Robinson (510-620-6568).
AGENDA
REPORT
(insert date of meeting)
DISCUSSION:
The Richmond Tiny Home Village, Farm and Garden project is a dynamic collaboration between local community organizations creating Richmond, California's first Tiny House Village.
The City Council directed staff to complete a Richmond Police Activities League (RPAL) lease amendment on September 12, 2023, to allow this village to be built at 175 23rd St.
This lease amendment allows for the construction of a tiny house village with 7 tiny houses at the site to be inhabited by six Richmond unhoused youth and one unit for a resident manager. Later, another six tiny houses are planned.
Subsequent to this, all permits and approvals have been acquired by Tiny Village Spirt (TVS), a local community non-profit and coordinator of the project. TVS and its partners are constructing this tiny house youth village as an innovative model for addressing the housing crisis, focused specifically on youth. They are registered as a 501(c)(3) non- profit organization. Their EIN is 99-2684195.
The following attachments were submitted to the City and approved by City staff:
Attachment 1 Completed Signed Sublease and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between RPAL and TVS, and
Attachment 2 Richmond Tiny House Village Supportive Services Agreement between TVS and Hope Solutions.
These agreements were required by City staff in order to get the permit for this project.
City staff required TVS to come up with an agreement with an operational service provider and that agreement is Attachment 2, a supportive services agreement between TVS and Hope Solutions.
Hope Solutions (formerly Contra Costa Interfaith Housing) is a well-known, long- standing supportive housing services provider in Contra Costa County and will be the operations provider for this project. https://www.hopesolutions.org/
The young people who will be living in the village will be identified through the County’s Coordinated Entry system. Sadly, too many young people, ages 18-24, are living on the streets and in tents. However, this project is a step in the right direction and will help to address the encampment issue we deal with daily in Richmond.
The development of this Tiny Village has been moving forward, with support from the City Council, City Staff, and various volunteers throughout the community. It is on track to become an amazing and beautiful village for unhoused youth. The village is sited right next to what will become the RPAL Farm and Garden project.
The Project will include on-site services for the youth, and the project team has obtained buy-in from the surrounding Neighborhood Councils, as well as from RPAL, Greater Richmond Interfaith Program (GRIP) and many other community organizations. TVS
(insert date of meeting)
has previously set up a youth tiny house village in Oakland that is successfully operating. Richmond is on track to do the same. The City Council set as a goal the implementation of two to three tiny villages. This small village will be a great start towards achieving this goal. There has been a lot of progress and momentum on the project.
While TVS has raised and continues to raise significant funding, having the City make a contribution to the start-up will be most appreciated and will give the City an opportunity to show its commitment to what will be a beautiful village. TVS is a partner with Richmond Renaissance, our new Arts District project, which will be using the arts as place-making for our downtown area as the City focuses on re-imagining and renovating downtown both culturally and economically.
It is important to keep the work going on this village in order to have the doors of the tiny homes available for habitation by the youth on July 1, 2025. TVS has requested a $300,000 contribution from the City of Richmond for completing the construction and to begin operations.
The funding source for the $300,000 City contribution is the Reimagining Public Safety budget. One million dollars was put back into the Unhoused Intervention portion of that budget bucket on Oct. 1, 2024. As discussed at the Council meeting, this amount should be used to help GRIP fill a budget gap ($500k) and the remainder for tiny village development, a City Council-identified goal.
See Attachment 3, which is a slideshow that includes the project overview, accomplishments to date, work schedule and budgets.
Slides 2-4 of the slideshow show the Project Overview and Key Assumptions
Slides 5-7 of the slideshow show the Accomplishments to Date
Slides 8-16 of the slideshow show the Master Plan (renderings of the village, and renderings of the farm and garden just to give the big picture)
Slides 17-18 gives the layout of the build-out for Year One.
Slides 19-22 show Budgeting (including Capital budget, sources of funds for Capital budget, and the 3-year Operating Budget.
Slide 24 is the Request to the City of Richmond ($133,668 to help with Capital expenses for final construction and $166,332 to help with 1st year Operating funds for a total request of $300,000).
TVS is working with Richmond YouthWorks, along with RPAL youth, to bring in young people as designers and youth artists for this village. TVS has been working diligently with pro bono architects, engineers, and City staff. Community Development
(insert date of meeting)
Department, including Building Division, has approved the permit package. Permits and approvals from PG&E and EBMUD have also been acquired. TVS’s leadership work for almost 2 years in coordinating this project, its community engagement process and collaboration with neighborhood councils and support throughout the community, including from Richmond long-time institutions such as GRIP and RPAL has been exceptional. All the partners on this project have given a lot of time, effort and volunteer work to bring this project into fruition. This City contribution and agreement with TVS will be welcomed by all.
This item is directing staff to come back to the Council by February 4, 2025 with an agreement for approval. We request that the City Manager assign an appropriate staff person to work on this agreement with TVS.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Completed Signed Sublease and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between RPAL and TVS
Attachment 2 - Richmond Tiny House Village Supportive Services Agreement between TVS and Hope Solutions
Attachment 3 – Village slide show