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DISCUSSION
City of San Bernardino
Study Session Meeting
Informational Report
Date: April 10, 2024
From: Charles A. Montoya, City Manager
Department: City Manager's Office
Subject: Homeless Initiatives Update (All Wards)
Executive Summary
The City’s response to addressing homelessness consists of both short-term and long- term strategies. In the long-term plan, a permanent navigation center named the San Bernardino Homeless Outreach Education and Prevention Campus (HOPE Campus) will be constructed, offering 200 beds and a range of services to connect unhoused individuals with housing and programs. The HOPE Campus is currently on track to begin construction in November of 2024, with completion estimated to be July 31, 2025.
During this timeframe, the City will utilize motel vouchers as a short-term, temporary solution of providing shelter. The City's ongoing efforts include homeless outreach services provided by Hope the Mission (HTM) and a mobile shower and laundry service program through Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC).
These initiatives aim to stabilize the unhoused population while efforts continue towards permanent housing solutions.
Background
The State of California is currently experiencing a homelessness crisis, where it accounts for 28 percent of all people experiencing homelessness nationwide and 49 percent of all people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. One of the causes is the cost housing, where prices have risen over 100% over a ten-year period. Compounding this issue is a decline in affordable housing availability, insufficient affordable housing vouchers, and a rising disparity in wages vs cost of living. Further exasperating the issue are increases in mental illness and substance abuse, which have risen by approximately 38% over the last 5 years in California according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
During the period of 2017 to 2023, homelessness has grown 175% in the City of San Bernardino, where 40% of the County’s homeless resides within City limits. To address this growing crisis, the Mayor and City Council adopted a Resolution declaring a Homelessness State of Emergency on February 1, 2023. Following the declaration, the 1 9
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Mayor and City Council adopted the Homelessness State of Emergency Implementation Plan on May 17, 2023, which outlined a series of steps and measures that the City would explore. This included expanding shelter bed capacity through various projects and partnerships, as well as establishing or expanding homelessness-related services, such as an outreach team and a mobile shower and laundry program.
Legal Landscape
The manner in which the City responds to the homelessness crisis is governed by the legal precedents established by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (“Court”) in the Martin v.
City of Boise (“Martin”) and Johnson v. City of Grants Pass (“Grants Pass”) cases. As a result of these rulings, the City cannot enforce anti-camping ordinances without providing adequate shelter nor can the City prohibit the homeless from using measures to keep themselves warm while they are exposed to the elements. Furthermore, for the purposes of enforcing an anti-camping ordinance, the City cannot direct homeless individuals to shelters that mandate a religious-based treatment program. In its ruling, the Court did clarify that: 1) their holding does not cover individuals who do have access to adequate temporary shelter; 2) even where shelter is unavailable, an ordinance prohibiting sitting, lying, or sleeping outside at particular times or in particular locations might well be constitutionally permissible; and 3) an ordinance barring the obstruction of public rights of way or the erection of certain structures may also be constitutionally permissible. The Court did not, however, provide a specific definition for what constitutes “adequate temporary shelter,” nor did they provide a specific outline on how to structure an anti- camping ordinance to be constitutionally permissible.
To help fill in the unanswered questions from the Martin and Grants Pass cases, the City uses various legal settlements as guidelines in how it approaches and navigates its response to the homelessness issue. It is important to note that legal settlements are not legal precedent, and they are only binding for the specific parties of the lawsuit; these settlements only serve as guidelines for the City to reduce its legal risk. The settlements agreements that involve the City and County of Los Angeles currently serves as guidance for the City of San Bernardino. Under these settlements, the City and County of Los Angeles must provide shelter beds for 60% of its unsheltered population, as well as case management, warp-around services, and supportive services. Per the settlement agreement, shelters may be government or privately funded, and can include, “tiny homes, shared housing, purchased or master-leased apartments, hotels/motels, or other buildings…”
Staff Analysis
As a response to the homelessness crisis, the City has developed a long-term plan that includes the construction of a permanent, City-owned navigation center and the implementation of ongoing services. Additionally, the City is working with community partners to bring additional emergency shelters online. Through this long-term plan, the City will be able to help stabilize its unhoused population and put them on a path towards 1 9
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permanent housing. Additionally, this will allow the City to enforce an anti-camping ordinance, which will need to be in alignment with recent court rulings.
In the interim period, the City has also established a short-term strategy that includes a motel voucher program and the implementation of encampment clean-ups. It is important to note that these programs are currently on pause due to a preliminary injunction against the City regarding its encampment clean-up operations. The reason the Motel Voucher Program is also being paused is because the City is aligning this program to coincide with the encampment clean-ups, as it provides a place of temporary re-location during the clean-up process. Once the injunction is lifted, the City will resume these programs to help improve the health and safety of the City’s public spaces.
Long Term Plan
The City’s navigation center, called the San Bernardino Homeless Outreach Education and Prevention Campus (“HOPE Campus” or “Navigation Center”), serves as the cornerstone of the City’s long-term plan. The HOPE Campus will provide 200 beds and offer interim housing, recuperative care, and comprehensive onsite services that will connect the City’s unsheltered population to a wide range of programs, services, and housing.
For the design and construction of the HOPE Campus, the City is using the design-build process to select a qualified developer. The first step of this process was the release of a Request for Qualification (RFQ), which occurred on January 3, 2024. The purpose of an RFQ is to establish a short list of qualified firms by evaluating their expertise and experience as it relates to the project. The second step of the design-build process was the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to the qualified firms, which occurred on March 18, 2024. Through the RFP, the qualified firms will submit their proposals for both the design and construction of the HOPE Campus, which will be awarded on a “Best Value” basis rather than “Lowest Bid.”
The proposals for the HOPE Campus are due May 13, 2024, and as part of the evaluation process, the City will conduct a series of panel interviews with the firms that submit proposals. The City anticipates bringing a recommendation for the Mayor and Council’s approval at the June 5, 2024, Mayor and City Council Meeting. If approved, the City estimates that the design will be completed by October 30, 2024, and construction will be completed by July 31, 2025.
The City is also a partner with Lutheran Social Services of Southern California (LSSSC) on the San Bernardino Community Wellness Center (Community Wellness Center), which will consist of 140 interim housing units and an onsite federally qualified health clinic, where case management, behavioral health treatment, and other services will be provided. On December 9, 2023, the City and LSSSC were awarded a $35 million Homekey grant award for this project, and City staff have been holding weekly 1 9
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coordination meetings with LSSSC to ensure that it remains on schedule. A groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled on April 15, 2024, and the interim housing units will be completed in December of 2024. LSSSC anticipates full project completion by the end of March 2025.
Short Term Strategy
The City’s Motel Voucher Program serves as a temporary, short-term measure to help address the City’s homelessness crisis while the Navigation Center is under construction.
The program was approved by the Mayor and City Council on December 6, 2023, and is aligned to operate alongside the encampment clean-up operations. The Motel Voucher Program serves as a way for the City to temporarily re-locate homeless individuals in order to help facilitate the clean-up efforts, while also connecting them to local non-profit agencies so that case management services can be provided. Staff previously examined several alternative interim shelter options; however, their costs and timeframes made them non-viable for an interim solution.
Currently, the City has agreements with four (4) local motels, all of which were selected through the RFP process and approved by the Mayor and City Council. All four (4) motels are in good standing with the City, as there are no outstanding business license or code enforcement issues associated with the properties. In total, 201 beds are available, and the program is funded through state and federal funds; there is no General Fund impact associated with the program. The Motel Voucher Program is currently on pause as a result of the preliminary injunction against the City’s encampment clean-up efforts.
Ongoing Programs
The City currently provides homeless outreach services through Hope the Mission (HTM), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The homeless outreach team was approved by the Mayor and City Council on May 17, 2023, and outreach services commenced in June 2023. During that time, HTM has enrolled 184 individuals in case management programs, and have successfully placed 65 in shelters, substances use services, and/or permanent housing. Once the Motel Voucher Program is resumed, HTM will also assist in providing referrals to the Motel Voucher Program and will coordinate with service providers such as the Pair Team and California University of Science and Medicine to provide wraparound medical and behavioral care on-site.
In addition to the homeless outreach team, the City also provides a mobile shower and laundry service program through Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC). The program was approved by the Mayor and City Council on May 17, 2023, and utilizes a 28-foot-long mobile unit that is equipped with three (3) full-service restrooms, two (2) washers, and (2) dryers. While the mobile shower unit can relocate as needed to different areas of the City, it requires a connection to the City’s water supply in order to operate. The mobile shower unit visits multiple sites every month as part of its standard rotation, which includes the following locations:
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•Benjamin Jones Resource Center
Seccombe Lake Recreation Area
160 W. 5th Street, San Bernardino
•Family Assistance Program
323 7th Street, San Bernardino
•San Bernardino Valley College
701 Mt. Vernon Ave, San Bernardino
The mobile shower unit has also been deployed for special events, such as the Veterans Standdown and Homeless Resource Event held at Perris Hill Park in October 2023.
Next Steps + Timeline
The table below provides the timeline for the design and construction of the HOPE Campus / Navigation Center:
Navigation Center Construction Timeline
May 13, 2024 Request for Proposals Due
June 5, 2024 Contract Award Date
October 20, 2024 Design Completion
July 31, 2025 Construction Completion
Future Fiscal Impact
There is no immediate General Fund impact associated with the Navigation Center, Motel Voucher Program, Homeless Outreach Team, or Mobile Shower Program. These programs and projects are currently funded through State and Federal funds. Beginning fiscal year 2026/2027, there will be an annual General Fund impact of $2 million to help sustain homelessness-related services, which was authorized by the Mayor and City Council on October 4, 2023.
2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
The Homelessness Initiatives update relates to Key Target No 3: Improved Quality of Life.