Susana Alcala Wood, City Attorney Jorge Oseguera, City Auditor Mindy Cuppy, City Clerk Howard Chan, City Manager John Colville, City Treasurer City Council Report
915 I Street, 1st Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2021-01458 January 11, 2022 Consent Item 17
Title: Continuation of a Local Declaration of a Shelter Crisis
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution: 1) declaring a continuing shelter crisis exists in the City of Sacramento, pursuant to Government Code sections 8698 et seq., and will continue through February 1, 2023; and 2) directing the City Manager to submit an annual report required by California Government Code section 8698.4 to the Senate Committee on Housing and the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development by January 1, 2023.
Contact: Danielle Foster, Housing Policy Manager, (916) 808-1869, [email protected]
, Office of Innovation & Economic Development
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Resolution
File ID: 2021-01458 Consent Item 17
January 11, 2022
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City of Sacramento
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The crisis of unsheltered homelessness is one that impacts an entire community, both those experiencing homelessness and the broader community of housed residents, businesses, and neighborhoods. Over the past several years, the City has made significant investments to increase access to and availability of shelter, services and permanent housing for people and families experiencing homelessness. Despite these efforts, homelessness and its impacts continue to rise:
• In 2019, the last time the community completed a Homeless Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, the Sacramento region saw a 19% rise in homelessness overall with 70% of the population unsheltered. Based on current program data, it is likely that this number has continued to increase as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. While a 2021 PIT was not conducted due to the pandemic, a 2022 PIT will be conducted at the end of January 2022.
• According to data published by Sacramento Steps Forward from the Sacramento region’s Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS), 3,025 people were experiencing unsheltered homelessness at the end of 2019 and had been homeless, on average, for 29 months.
• According to the most recent Sacramento County Homeless Deaths Report, there were 138 deaths among the homeless population in 2019.
• Through data from the City’s recently concluded Pathways to Health + Home program, the City is seeing the aging of the homeless population; over 40% of the participants in the program are over the age of 55, and 60% present with co- or tri-morbid health, substance abuse and mental health conditions.
In addition to the rise in homelessness, Sacramento is experiencing a continued housing emergency. Housing costs in Sacramento have increased at twice the rate of the country since the COVID-19 pandemic. Residential rents are climbing, and many citizens face the threat of homelessness due to lack of access to affordable housing. Local costs of housing have been impacted more significantly with recent migration of residents from areas with higher costs of living, like the bay area, with the COVID-outcome of increased ability to work from home.
Higher earning households are pushing out local households in the rental market that make up the local working class and who have been housing insecure. Many cities throughout the state are also facing great challenges in having adequate affordable housing and services to reduce homelessness, further exacerbated by the impacts of COVID. Numerous other jurisdictions have declared and continue to declare a local shelter crisis, including Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco, and Berkeley, all of which identified homelessness as a first-priority issue.
File ID: 2021-01458 Consent Item 17
January 11, 2022
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City of Sacramento
The City and County have made significant strides in adding capacity in the homeless response system, allocating funding in recent years to add almost 400 new shelter beds and made significant investments to transform almost 300 existing shelter beds to low-barrier, service-rich programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the City, County and Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF) collaboratively stood up and operated over 580 motel rooms and trailers to provide preventative quarantine and medical isolation for people who are experiencing homelessness and are vulnerable to or infected by the COVID-19 virus. The City and SHRA also stood up programs to bring additional permanent supportive housing units and interim housing units online quickly through Project Homekey, and SHRA has administered rental assistance in hopes of helping to stabilize local at-risk households. And, most recently, the City Council adopted the Comprehensive Siting Plan in August 2021 to further coordinate and expand plans to respond to this crisis. Despite these efforts and due to the increased need resulting from the pandemic, there is insufficient capacity to shelter and house everyone experiencing homelessness in Sacramento.
Homeless encampments are increasing across the city within public rights of way, exposing individuals experiencing homelessness to traffic hazards, crime and victimization, risk of death and injury, lack of adequate sanitation and debris services, and other conditions that are detrimental to each person’s health and safety. Evidence demonstrates that providing low- barrier access to decent, safe, and stable housing and shelter combined with crucial support services in line with “housing first” principles is the most effective and efficient way to help end homelessness, while respecting client choice and autonomy. 1 Studies have also demonstrated
how housing is the first step towards improved individual physical and emotional health, as well as reconnection with the community.
State law allows the governing body of a city to declare a shelter crisis when a significant number of persons are without the ability to obtain shelter, resulting in a threat to their health and safety. (Cal. Gov. Code § 8698.2.) Upon the declaration of a shelter crisis, State law protects the city with statutory immunities in the provision of emergency housing, provides regulatory flexibility to expedite the construction of shelters, and allows the city to shelter persons unable to obtain housing in designated public facilities. (Cal. Gov. Code §§ 8698.1- 8698.4.)
Policy Considerations: On October 16, 2018, the Council held a workshop on Homeless Sheltering Policies and adopted a resolution embracing Housing First principles for City-funded shelters. At this meeting, the Council acknowledged the need for other shelter and service approaches, especially for vulnerable populations, including transition age youth and women and families and has since funded and opened projects aligning with this direction, including the Scattered Site Shelter Program, Emergency Bridge Housing at the Grove, STEP Youth
1 https://endhomelessness.org/what-housing-first-really-means/
File ID: 2021-01458 Consent Item 17
January 11, 2022
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City of Sacramento
Shelter and the Meadowview Triage Shelter. The City Council has also provided support to sheltering and services by Saint John’s Program for Real Change and City of Refuge, and funding for permanent supportive housing and interim housing unit development and motel conversion.
City Council first adopted a resolution declaring a shelter crisis on November 8, 2018 for the period between December 1, 2018 and March 1, 2019. On January 14, 2020, the Council adopted a second resolution declaring a shelter crisis for the period between January 14, 2020 and January 14, 2021. On January 12, 2021, the City Council again adopted a resolution declaring a shelter crisis. That shelter crisis declaration is currently in effect and expires on January 12, 2022. The recommended action extends the declaration of a shelter crisis for an additional year and will facilitate provision of faster and expanded shelter and service approaches, subject to review prior to the end of the period. This action further supports the actions envisioned by the City Council’s adopted Comprehensive Siting Plan, as approved in August 2021, that may require utilization of the City’s code flexibilities under this shelter crisis declaration.
Economic Impacts: No funds are being requested as a part of this report. However, the recommended declaration may help facilitate receipt of public and private funds to alleviate homelessness.
Environmental Considerations: This declaration is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15061(b)(3) (it can be seen with certainty that no significant effect on the environmental would occur) and 15269(c) (relating to specific actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency), and California Government Code sections 8698.4(a)(4) (actions taken by a local agency to lease, convey, or encumber land owned by a city, county, or city and county, or to facilitate the lease, conveyance, or encumbrance of land owned by the local government for, or to provide financial assistance to, a homeless shelter constructed or allowed by the Shelter Crisis Law) and 65660(b) (low barrier navigation centers).
The City Council has reviewed and approved several shelter proposals, and has concluded, in each case, that the design, construction and operation of such shelters would have no significant effect on the environment. Design of the shelters includes consideration of health and safety concerns, security lighting, sanitation and noise. The community concerns regarding those experiencing homelessness include health, safety, security and sanitation, and the establishment of safe and secure environments has a beneficial environmental effect that has been recognized by the City.
File ID: 2021-01458 Consent Item 17
January 11, 2022
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City of Sacramento
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: None.
Rationale for Recommendation: Homelessness is one of the biggest issues facing the City, and the City Council has made significant investments over the past years to increase services, shelter capacity and housing supports for people experiencing homelessness.
Despite these efforts, homelessness is on the rise, and is affecting communities throughout the City and the County of Sacramento. Declaring a shelter crisis will enable the City to shelter people experiencing homelessness more quickly in designated public facilities and suspend certain housing, health, and safety standards, the strict compliance with which may prevent, hinder, or delay using those facilities for shelter.
Financial Considerations: No funds are being requested as a part of this report. However, the recommended declaration may help facilitate receipt of public and private funds to alleviate homelessness.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
«{select('select RTF from Events where Events = ^'+EventsQuery.Events+'^ ')}» RESOLUTION NO.
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
DECLARING A SHELTER CRISIS IN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO
BACKGROUND
A. According to the 2019 Sacramento Point-in-Time Report, at any point in time, approximately 2,800 persons within the city are experiencing unsheltered homelessness. This population includes veterans, women, children, persons with disabilities, seniors, and other vulnerable groups. There is a significant threat to the health and safety of the number of people experiencing homelessness.
B. While there was not an updated Point-in-Time Count conducted in January 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, locally there appears to be a rise in homelessness as a result of the impacts of the pandemic and the resulting economic and housing- market impacts. Housing prices continue to increase based on the scarcity of available housing.
C. Many of those unable to obtain shelter reside on the streets, in alleys, in doorways, along the rivers, and in unauthorized encampments throughout the City.
D. These individuals lack adequate sanitary facilities and are vulnerable to theft, crime, and extreme weather. These conditions threaten the physical and mental health of those experiencing homelessness. They also present a threat to the public health and well-being of the community.
E. The City Council has heard extensive testimony on the impacts of homelessness on persons without shelter as well as on the community at large. The City Council is also working hard to address this crisis and adopted the City’s Comprehensive Siting Plan in August 2021.
F. Strict compliance with the provisions of state and local regulatory statutes, regulations, and ordinances prescribing standards of housing, health, safety, and environmental-impact assessment may prevent, hinder, or delay the mitigation of the effects of the shelter crisis.
G. When a significant number of persons within the city of Sacramento are without the ability to obtain shelter and the situation has resulted in a threat to the health and safety of those persons, the City Council is authorized to declare a shelter crisis. (Cal.
Gov. Code § 8698.2.)
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H. Upon the declaration of a shelter crisis, State law protects the city with statutory immunities relating to emergency housing, provides regulatory flexibility to expedite the construction of shelters, and allows the city to shelter people in designated public facilities. (Cal. Gov. Code §§ 8698.1-8698.4.)
I. If the city declares a shelter crisis, the city is required to submit an annual report to the Senate Committee on Housing and the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development by January 1 of each year. (Cal. Gov. Code § 8698.4.)
J. The City Council first adopted a resolution declaring a shelter crisis in the City of Sacramento on November 8, 2018. (Resolution No. 2018-0436.) That resolution declared a shelter crisis for the period between December 1, 2018 and March 1, 2019.
On January 14, 2020 the City Council adopted a second resolution declaring a shelter crisis that expired on January 14, 2021. (Resolution No. 2020-0017.) On January 12, 2021, the City Council again adopted a resolution declaring a shelter crisis. (Resolution No. 2021-0007.) That shelter crisis declaration is currently in effect and expires on January 12, 2022.
BASED ON THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE BACKGROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City Council finds that paragraphs A through J, above, are true.
Section 2. The City Council finds that a significant number of persons within the City are without the ability to obtain shelter and this situation has threatened the health and safety of those persons.
Section 3. The City Council, pursuant to California Government Code sections 8698 et seq., declares a shelter crisis exists in the City of Sacramento and will continue through February 1, 2023.
Section 4. The City Manager is directed to submit the annual report required by California Government Code section 8698.4 to the Senate Committee on Housing and the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development by January 1, 2023.