COUNCIL AGENDA: 11/01/2022ITEM: 8.3
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR ANDCITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTAND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENTPLAN FOR NEW QUICK-BUILD PROJECTAT BRANHAM & MONTEREY FROM:Councilmember Matt Mahan
DATE: 10/31/2022
Approved Date: 10/31/2022
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the staff recommendation and direct the City Manager to:
1. Partner with Council offices from Districts 2 and 10 to develop a high-level communityoutreach plan to share project milestones with surrounding neighborhoods to support thecommunity engagement handoff from District 10 to District 2.2. Require that LifeMoves share with the City and broader community an annual report detailing:a. The utilization of operating funds,b. Key performance metrics, including but not limited to the annual operating cost perclient and the proportion of clients successfully exiting to permanent housing,c. Progress towards qualifying units for HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program and thenumber of voucher-holders served, andd. Key learnings that can drive further optimization of site management.3. Set a date for staff to return to Council in the first quarter of 2023 with the completed EIHoperating costs study organized in partnership with the San Francisco Foundation.
BACKGROUND
Thank you to City staff and the LifeMoves team for working tirelessly over the last several months toenable the City’s largest quick-build site to date to move forward at Branham and Monterey. We areespecially grateful for John A. and Sue Sobrato’s generous contribution towards the project and theirincredible history of philanthropy in San Jose.
This project brings us one step closer to reaching our citywide goal of moving forward 1,000quick-build interim housing units by year’s end. As we collectively act with urgency to address ourhomelessness crisis, and especially to bring down the rate of unsheltered homeless residents, we needto identify rapid and cost-effective solutions for helping unhoused residents transition indoors. TheCity’s quick-build approach, which leverages prefabricated modular development on
government-owned land, allows us to provide safe, dignified individual housing in a matter of months -not years - and at a fraction of the cost associated with existing approaches.
As a result of our once-in-a-decade redistricting process, the Branham and Monterey site moved fromDistrict 10 to District 2. City Staff can help with the transition by outlining a community outreach planthat will keep neighbors apprised of project milestones and provide opportunities for questions andfeedback.
Aligned with the Housing Department’s current work plan, the City will benefit from annual reportingguidelines for this site and other quick-build sites. Standardized reporting will help us learn fromexperience and deliver greater impact per dollar of public investment over time. The City must alsoensure a sustainable operating model in order to scale up quick-build apartments without undulyburdening our General Fund. To that end, the City can defray the cost of operating by working withHUD to qualify quick-build apartments for the Housing Choice Voucher program.
Similarly, the City is working with the San Francisco Foundation and a third-party consultant toidentify proven best practices for reducing the operating costs of interim housing, moving participantsinto permanent housing, and engaging residents in the governance and operations of their communities.Bringing these insights back to Council early next year will help inform how the Branham andMonterey site is managed and will ideally help the City and LifeMoves increase client satisfaction andsuccess rates over time while exploring innovative methods of reducing costs.
We are looking forward to the City partnering with LifeMoves to support the thousands of individualswho will benefit from their services over the next several years. LifeMoves’ reported success rates forboth families and individuals is especially encouraging. In comparable sites that they operate in the BayArea, LifeMoves has been able to help 89% of families and 69% of individuals return to stable housingwithin 90-120 days. Their operation of 26 shelter and service facilities across the Bay Area speaks totheir expertise, strong management record, and rapport in the community.
Our team is also grateful to the individuals with lived experience–from both LifeMoves’ LivedExperience Advisory Board and Destination: Home’s Lived Experience Advisory Board–who have andwill continue to provide input on the design and operation of the site. Their insights will help ensurethat the Branham and Monterey community provides a welcoming and empowering environment.
Finally, we want to thank the many partners who will now take the Branham and Monterey projectfrom vision to reality over the coming months, including engineering firms BKF and Myers+, DevConConstruction, Sares Regis Group, and the Office of Charles F. Bloszies, FAIA.