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DISCUSSION
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date: December 6, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From: Charles A. Montoya, City Manager
By: Mary Lanier, Director of Community, Housing, and
Economic Development
Department: Community, Housing, & Economic Development (CED) Subject: Approve Motel Voucher Program and Authorize
Professional Service Agreements with Local Motel
Operators to Provide Interim Shelter. (All Wards)
Recommendation:
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California:
1. Review and approve the Motel Voucher Program as presented or provide staff with modifications,
2. Approve the following Professional Service Agreements with local motel operators for the provision of motel rooms for homeless residents needing temporary shelter for a term beginning December 6, 2023 through December 6, 2024:
a. Century RSVP LLC to provide a minimum of 24 rooms at the Motel San Bernardino located in San Bernardino for a total not to exceed $604,800. b. Shiva SMt Inc. to provide a minimum of 20 rooms up to a maximum of 60 rooms at the Mayfair Inn located in Ontario for a total not to exceed $705,600.
c. Swami Shriji Investment Inc. to provide a minimum of 15 rooms up to a maximum of 80 rooms at the Super 8 Motel located in Redlands for a total not to exceed $604,995.
d. SB Express One LLC to provide a minimum of 28 rooms up to 75 rooms at the Super 8 Motel located in San Bernardino for a total not to exceed $1,008,000.
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to take any further actions and execute any further agreements or documents as necessary to effectuate the implementation of the Motel Voucher Program.
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Executive Summary
The City seeks to implement a Motel Voucher Program to temporarily house homeless individuals and families while providing an array of supportive services to help bridge individuals to long-term housing. Professional Service Agreements with local motel operators are a critical component of the program as they will enable the City to increase the number of shelter beds available to offer unsheltered homeless individuals. The increase in shelter bed capacity will also enable the City to more readily enforce its anti-camping ordinances.
The anticipated cost to operate the interim shelter for one (1) year is $3,044,280.
Expenses will be covered by the following funding sources: Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA), Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus (CDBG-CV), and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund.
Background
On December 7, 2022, the Mayor and City Council unanimously agreed to allocate $12.5 Million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding towards the development and operation of a low-barrier, non-congregate navigation center to help its unhoused residents, of which $4.5 Million was directed towards the Navigation Center’s operations.
On February 1, 2023, the Mayor and City Council unanimously voted to adopt a Resolution declaring a Homelessness State of Emergency in response to an ongoing statewide and regional homelessness crisis.
On May 17, 2023, the Mayor and City Council approved the City’s Homelessness State of Emergency Implementation Plan, which outlined the need for emergency and interim shelter as most of the City’s existing shelters are at or near full capacity.
On July 19, 2023, the Mayor and City Council approved an Amendment to Permanent Local Housing Allocation Funds to assist individuals experiencing homelessness.
On August 16, 2023, the Mayor and City Council approved a Substantial Amendment to Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Annual Action Plan associated with Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Relief (CDBG-CV) funds to support interim shelter activities.
Discussion
The City seeks to implement a temporary Motel Voucher Program and utilize local motels to increase shelter bed capacity and provide temporary shelter to homeless individuals. Once the City reaches a shelter bed capacity threshold of 60% plus 1, it can resume its anti-camping ordinances.
Shelter Bed Capacity
The City has identified several operational shelter beds within the City, which is used to determine the number of emergency shelter beds still needed to meet a 60% plus 1 1 7
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threshold outlined by US District Judge David Carter who provided guidance to cities residing in the 9th Circuit. Judge Carter approved a settlement agreement between the City of Los Angeles and homeless advocate plaintiffs, and the agreement can serve as a guideline to the City. Using the 2023 Point in Time Count (PITC) data, the City aims to provide an additional 200 shelter beds to fulfill its 60% plus 1 threshold capacity.
Table 1: Example of Shelter Bed Needs Based on 2023 PITC 2023 Shelter Bed Need
City’s Unsheltered 1017
60% Threshold Allowance 610
# of Active Shelter Beds 415
Shelter Beds Still Needed 196
Although the City currently has a reported 1017 homeless individuals, it only needs to increase shelter bed capacity for its unsheltered population (i.e., individuals not residing in shelters), which means 196 shelter beds are still needed. It is important to note that the 2024 PITC is scheduled to take place on January 25, 2024. Should the number of unsheltered individuals increase, the shelter bed threshold capacity required by the City would also increase.
Staff examined several interim shelter options including the use of City-owned vacant land with modular or tension membrane structures or the use of public/private buildings. Unfortunately, each option proved to be very costly and time-consuming.
After extensive study, staff determined that the most efficient pathway to establishing interim housing remains the use of motels, especially with the cold weather season upon us. Motel units are move-in ready and provide built-in comforts and amenities.
However, the City understands that in order to be successful it must work with multiple motel operators, not just one.
Motel Voucher Program
The City’s Motel Voucher Program is designed to assist unhoused homeless individuals who may become displaced due to City encampment cleanup efforts.
Priority will be given to unhoused City residents. The purpose of the Motel Voucher Program is to provide interim shelter during the development and construction process of the City’s navigation center, hereby referred to as SB-HOPE CAMPUS. The Motel Voucher Program will enable unhoused individuals assessed by the City’s Homeless Outreach Team to temporarily reside in a safe, non-congregate space while connecting to local non-profit agencies that can provide case management services to help individuals stabilize and exit homelessness.
The City’s Motel Voucher Program will be operated by the City’s Homeless Outreach Team, who will refer individuals or families to participating motels after the required intake form and validation of eligibility status is completed. Intake and eligibility status information will be collected and entered into the County’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Collected information helps the City qualify for additional funding when available and it highlights the level of service and types of assistance the 1 7
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City is providing to its unhoused community.
The Homeless Outreach Team will work in collaboration with the City’s Public Works Department. During encampment clean-ups, the outreach team will perform assessments and offer motel vouchers. This act will allow the City to perform public health and safety measures that benefit the entire community while offering services to displaced individuals.
•The Homeless Outreach Team will be responsible for verifying a person’s homeless status, performing assessments, directing unhoused participants to various contracted motels, and providing transportation if necessary. •The San Bernardino Police Department may also attest to the homeless status of individuals frequently found transient in the City and request a motel voucher from the City’s Homeless Outreach Team.
Eligibility Criteria
Individuals or households seeking to make use of any of these assistance types must meet the following criteria:
Participants must be “literally homeless,” as defined by HUD:
•Individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, meaning:
oHas a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not meant for human habitation; or
oIs living in a publicly or privately operated shelter designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate shelters, transitional housing, and hotels and motels paid for by charitable organizations or by federal, state, and local government programs); or
oIs exiting an institution where (s)he has resided for 90 days or less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human habitation immediately before entering that institution.
1. The San Bernardino Police Department may attest the homeless status of individuals frequently found transient in the City of San Bernardino, and whom the Police would consider to be San Bernardino residents for this reason.
2. The street outreach team is able to certify the homeless status of unhoused individuals they have engaged with and who meet one or more of HUD’s definitions for homelessness.
The Program’s intent is to prioritize services to individuals who are open and receptive to assistance such as case management services, which play a crucial role in helping people stabilize and break the cycle of homelessness. Motel Voucher Participants will be required to acknowledge a Code of Conduct (See Attachment 8) and must abide by motel policy rules.
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Case Management and Support Services
Case management plays a crucial role in helping unhoused people access services, health care, and housing connections. Any person referred to the City’s Motel Voucher Program will be required to participate and engage in case management services. The City is working with a couple of organizations that are willing to provide case management, support service connections and medical oversight to motel voucher participants at no cost to the City.
•Pair Team provides whole-person care as a free service by partnering with Medi-Cal plans and community networks. Pair Team offers wraparound medical/behavioral care and social resource coordination for underserved patients in San Bernardino and is willing to partner with the City’s Homeless Outreach Team to provide services to Motel Voucher Program participants at no cost to the city. Pair Team provides continuous care management and care coordination in the form of street medicine, specialists, and social resources (i.e., housing or food access).
•California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM) located in Colton, California has agreed to partner exclusively with the City’s outreach team to provide in-person medical services to homeless residents at no cost to the City.
Participants of the City’s Motel Voucher Program will be visited weekly by 2nd and 3rd year medical students placed in the motel by the outreach team. Also, they are 2nd and 3rd year local medical students who are taking classes and obtaining medical hours at Loma Linda Medical Center.
Length of Stay
Motel vouchers can be issued to individuals or families anywhere from one (1) day up to twenty-eight (28) days. The length of a motel stay will be determined on a case-by- case basis by the City’s outreach team. Motel voucher participants must participate in case management services. At times, it may be necessary to extend a person’s motel stay beyond twenty-eight days. The (28) day limit is due to situations when a person has secured some form of housing, but the individual needs a place to stay until their housing unit is ready for move-in, which could be in a few days or weeks. In cases like this, a homeless outreach worker can petition the City’s Housing Division for a motel stay extension. The Homeless Outreach Team will need to submit a written statement explaining the nature of the extended stay request along with verifiable documentation.
An additional 3 days can be granted by the Deputy Director of Housing and Homelessness, extensions beyond 3 days will require authorization from the Director of Community, Housing, and Economic Development.
Professional Services Agreements with Local Motel Operators Local Motel Operators are a critical component of the Motel Voucher Program as they enable the City to temporarily fill the current gap in available shelter beds. As such, the City released an RFP in search of motel operators who were willing to partner with the City to establish a Motel Voucher Program. Participants would have access to non- congregate emergency or interim shelters as well as access to case management and supportive services. Motel partners agree to accept vouchers in lieu of direct payment. 1 7
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The Motel Voucher Program RFP closed on October 16, 2023, with a total of four (4) proposal submissions. All submissions were vetted and accepted by the City.
Staff were successful in negotiating the use of 199 motel rooms, which will provide 259 beds as many of the motel units allow for either single or double bed occupancy. Only families, couples or friends will be asked to share rooms when appropriate. Some of the motel sites will be pet friendly. Most of the participating motels have entered into similar Agreements previously with the County and/or local non-profit agencies and are familiar with how the voucher system works.
Table 2 illustrates the number of motel operators, rooms, beds their respective facilities offer, and the total not-to-exceed amounts in their recommended agreements.
Table 2
Motel and Address
Single or
Double
Occupancy
# of
Rooms
Max #
of
Beds
Not to
Exceed
Amount
Motel San Bernardino
(Century RSVP LLC)
2528 W. Foothill Blvd.
San Bernardino, CA 92410
Single 24 24 $604,800
Mayfair Inn Ontario
(Shiva SMt Inc)
1120 E. Holt Blvd.
Ontario, CA 91761
Single or
Double 20 40 $705,600
Single 40Super 8 Motel Redlands
(Swami Shriji Investments)
1160 Arizona St.
Redlands, CA 92372 Double 40
120 $604,995
Super 8 Motel
(SB Express One LLLC)
205 E. Hospitality Ln.
San Bernardino, CA 92408
Single 75 75 $1,008,000
Totals 199 259 $2,923,395
Program Cost
The City has secured 199 motel rooms (259 beds) for a period of twelve (12) months, with the option to extend the contract on a month-to-month basis for up to six (6) additional months if needed. The overall cost of the program will be based on the number of rooms utilized daily and occupancy rate (one of the motels charges a higher rate for double occupancy). Should all of the motel rooms be utilized over a twelve (12) month period the cost could range from $2,936,196 to $3,010,596. The City will only be obligated to pay for rooms utilized by Motel Voucher Program participants.
The following funds have been identified to support the Motel Voucher Program Yr. 1:
•Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA): $ 925,570 1 7
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•Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV): 1,145,120 •American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA): 973,500
Total $ 3,044,190
Staff will continue to pursue various grants to help offset expenses associated with the Motel Voucher Program. If for some reason additional funding is not located, staff will return to Council to approve the allocation of non-obligated ARPA funds to cover expenses beyond Year 1.
2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
Establishing a Motel Voucher Program to increase shelter bed capacity and provide unhoused City residents with a safe, non-congregate interim shelter option by contracting with motel operators aligns with the City’s Homelessness State of Emergency Declaration and with Strategic Targets and Goal No. 3: Improved Quality of Life, which will help to reduce the loss of life for unhoused residents, increase access to mental health and substance abuse treatment, eliminate street encampments, promote long-term housing stability, and enhance the safety and hygiene of neighborhoods for all residents, businesses, and neighborhoods.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact to the General Funds for this action.
Conclusion
It is recommended that the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California:
1. Review and approve the Motel Voucher Program as presented or provide staff with modifications,
2. Approve the following Professional Service Agreements with local motel operators for the provision of motel rooms for homeless residents needing temporary shelter for a term beginning December 6, 2023 through December 6, 2024:
a. Century RSVP LLC to provide a minimum of 24 rooms at the Motel San Bernardino located in San Bernardino for a total not to exceed $604,800. b. Shiva SMt Inc. to provide a minimum of 20 rooms up to a maximum of 60 rooms at the Mayfair Inn located in Ontario for a total not to exceed $705,600.
c. Swami Shriji Investment Inc. to provide a minimum of 15 rooms up to a maximum of 80 rooms at the Super 8 Motel located in Redlands for a total not to exceed $604,995.
d. SB Express One LLC to provide a minimum of 28 rooms up to 75 rooms at the Super 8 Motel located in San Bernardino for a total not to exceed $1,008,000.
3. Authorize the City Manager or designee to take any further actions and execute any further agreements or documents as necessary to effectuate the implementation of the Motel Voucher Program.
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Attachments
Attachment 1 PSA for Motel Services- Century RSVP LLC Attachment 2 PSA for Motel Services- Shiva SMt Inc
Attachment 3 PSA for Motel Services- SB Express One LLLC Attachment 4 PSA for Motel Svc- Swami Shriji investment Attachment 5 Inner City Motels
Attachment 6 Outside City Motels
Attachment 7 Code of Conduct and Waiver Form
Ward:
All Wards
Synopsis of Previous Council Actions:
August 4, 2021 Mayor and City Council received a report and discussed the allocation of ARPA Funds.
December 7, 2022 Mayor and City Council approved a Homelessness Solutions Action Plan, and $24.5 million in ARPA funds to help
mitigate homelessness.
February 1, 2023 Mayor and City Council declared a Homelessness State of Emergency.
May 17, 2023 Mayor and City Council approved a Homelessness State of Emergency Implementation Plan.
July 19, 2023 Mayor and City Council approved an Amendment to Permanent Local Housing Allocation Funds to assist
individuals experiencing homelessness.
August 13, 2023 Mayor and City Council approved a Substantial Amendment to FY2020-2021 Annual Action Plan associated with
Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus Relief
funds to support interim shelter activities.