Interdepartmental
Homelessness Response
Strategy
CITY COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 13TH, 2023
JESSICA LOBEDAN, HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR KEVIN HART, INTERIM POLICE CHIEF
SHEILA MARQUISES, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TOM LIAO, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Presentation Outline
2 Context Setting
Limitations
Current Strategies
Discussion and Feedback
Background
3 Alameda County, 2022 Point-in-Time Count
73% from 2017 to 2022
San Leandro, 2022 Point-in-Time Count
275% increase from 2017 to 2022
76% of San Leandro’s Homeless
Population are Unsheltered
4 2022 Point-in-Time Count
Alameda County Homelessness
Response System
• Only an estimated 36% of those experiencing homelessness can be supported to end their homelessness with local resources or are able to find housing on their own • Each year, thousands of people remain homeless and new people who become homeless join them
• Without significant effort and investment this trajectory will continue, and homelessness will continue to grow in Alameda County
• The homeless population is getting older, sicker, and more disproportionally people of color 5 Shelter Needs
• Reducing unsheltered homelessness will require growth in shelter availability • Alameda County homeless system of care is split into 6 resource zones • 427 individuals in Mid-County West (San Leandro, Alameda) on the “crisis queue” – shelter waitlist
• Mid-County West average length of time on crisis queue is 274 days • There are two shelters in San Leandro
• San Leandro Shelter (women and children)
• Sister Me Home (domestic violence)
6 Housing Needs by 2026
7 4,195 Supportive housing units
3,190 Supportive housing units for older/frail adults
10,070 Dedicated affordable units or subsidies
5,240 Shallow subsidies
1,645 Rapid rehousing slots
24,340 Total units & subsidy slots
Investments Needed
• The total cost of scaling up both the shelter and housing inventory over the coming five years is an estimated $2.5 billion • These estimates include the ongoing operations of programs and buildings, and the services and subsidies to help people rent • They do not include the onetime development costs for constructing or acquiring new buildings
8 Limitations
Resources Legal Operational
9 Multiple
competing
responsibilities
Limited
authority Staff vacancies Reorganization
Current
Strategies
10 Encampment Resolution
• The City recognizes that there is a regional housing and shelter shortage and that public encampments can have significant community health and safety issues • While the City works towards permanent solutions to address homelessness, staff have developed guidelines to help prioritize encampment resolution • With a majority unsheltered homeless population (76%) and considering the limitations presented above, it is not possible to address everything • Encampment Condition Guidelines
• Health and Safety Standards
• Violations that will likely result in enforcement
• Staff will use encampment condition guidelines to prioritize locations for encampment resolution
11 Human Services
Coordinate
services
Public Works
Coordinate clean
up
Police
Department
Keep the peace &
enforce the law
Community
Development
Promotes the
economic vitality
of the City
Goals
Address the holistic health and safety needs
of the community
Connect unsheltered individuals to services
Maintain the safety and preserve the San
Leandro community
Interdepartmental Response Strategy
12 Encampment Resolution Workflow
13 Reporting/
Investigation
Public Works -
Maintenance
Mobile311
Services
Human Services
Prioritization
Interdepartmental
Enforcement
Police Department
Clean
Public Works -
Maintenance
Private Contractor
Deter & Secure
Public Works -
Engineering
~4 FTE responding to homelessness across Human Services, Public Works, Police, and Community Development ~3.5 FTE supporting encampment resolution (coordination, cleaning, and enforcement) Policy & Protocol
• Homeless Resource Guide: 7/27 Rules Committee
• Homelessness & Housing Work Plan: 10/16 Council update • Alameda County Homelessness Technical Working Group
• Alameda County Emergency Homelessness Crisis resolution • Formalizing partnerships with Union Pacific Railroad and CalTrans
14 In progress
- Filling critical staffing vacancies to support this work - Formalizing interdepartmental encampment response team - Implementing encampment response protocol
- Implementing Housing and Homelessness Work Plan
◦ Open Winter Shelter (11/15/23 – 4/30/24)
◦ Open Nimitz Motel (Q1 FY25)
◦ Expand Safety Ambassador Program (D4 and/or D2)
◦ Explore Safe Parking Program (TBD launch)
- Preparing for January 2024 Point-in-Time Count
- Building strong partnerships with City and County partners - Exploring additional shelter/Navigation Center capacity in the City 15 Interim Measures to Address Growing Needs
Opening Winter Warming Center (11/15/23 – 4/31/24)
• Seeking Council authorization 11/20
• Funding identified
Expand Safety Ambassador Program (FY24 Q3 launch)
Increase Downtown program to include morning safety ambassador services • Exploring funding
Pilot District 4 and/or District 2
• Provide de-escalation, connect with outreach, triage as necessary • Provide on-the-ground presence
• Partial ARPA funding (exploring full funding through use of PD salary savings) Safe Parking program – developing concept
• Partial ARPA funding
Human Services Department staffing enhancements (January 2024) • Delivery of programs contingent on staffing
• Long-term funding requests as part of Mid-Year budget
16 Discussion and
Feedback
17 ENHANCEMENTS
SAFETY & SECURITY
INTERIM CHIEF KEVIN HART
SAN LEANDRO POLICE DEPARTMENT
CONTENT
01 02
03 04
POTENTIAL CRIME PREVENTION ENHANCEMENTS
RECRUITMENT EFFORTS
CURRENT APPLICATIONS/BACKGROUNDS
COMMUNITY SAFETY GRANTS-IDEAS TO CONSIDER
05 COST ANALYSIS
06 CITY COUNCIL COST SHARE DISCUSSION
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
07 3 recruits in academy 178th-Graduate February 1, 2024 1 recruit in academy 179th-Graduate April 2024
1 Police Lateral. Currently with OPD.
2 Police Recruits. Projected to start to February/March academy. 3 Dispatcher Trainees
1 Dispatcher received conditional job offer and needs psych (11/10) and medical 1 Support Services Manager expected to be completed in two weeks 1 Police Lateral. Polygraph scheduled for 11/15.
2 Dispatch (11/16 polygraph and 11/14 polygraph)
2 new officers who recently graduated from the academy are currently in Field Training.
1 Lateral from Marin County starts Field Training the week of November 13th.
Currently in the ACSO Academy:
Currently in background process:
Waiting for Polygraph:
New Hires:
CURRENT APPLICATIONS/BACKGROUNDS
RECRUITMENT
EFFORTS
Weekly applications reviewed
Bi-weekly interviews of applicants
Attend Recruitment events/
Marketing Strategies-Fresh Eyes
Recruitment Videos
Social media posts
Conduct site security surveys for residential &
businesses
Replace old signs and expand with new signs
Neighborhood meets to discuss security measures
Strive for more active public awareness
Hire Part-Time Crime Prevention AssistantExpand Sign Program for Neighborhood Watch Programs Market and Expand Neighborhood Watch Programs
Market “See Something, Say Something”
POTENTIAL CRIME
PREVENTION ENHANCEMENTS
COMMUNITY SAFETY GRANTS
Expand Flock Cameras for
Associations/Neighborhoods
Create Security Lighting assistance/Monitoring
System
Assist in Doorbell Ring Cameras purchase
Assist security cameras purchase for residential or
businesses
Assist in unarmed uniformed Security Guards
Deployment
Assist in Purchase of Security Fences/Energized
Fencing (zoning change required)
COST ANALYSIS
Part-time Crime Prevention Assistant-$70,000 per year
Flock Cameras- $3,000.00 each per year
Doorbell Ring Cameras- $100.00 each
Create Security Lighting assistance/monitoring System- $1500-$25,000 Assist security cameras purchase for residential or businesses/monitoring services- $1,500-$25,000
Assist in purchase of Security Fences/Energized Fencing (zoning change required)- Cost Varies depending on size
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT
PROGRAM
$85,000 to help small businesses improve safety measures with small individualized grants.
Crime Prevention Seminar - tips to prevent and respond to common problems Security Assessments - in-depth physical assessment and info about potential upgrades
Security Grants - up to $5,000 for security improvements Appx. 20 businesses could receives grants
Could Includes:
CITY COUNCIL COST SHARE
DISCUSSION
Criteria for one time grant opportunities for business and/or resident owners Setting cost limit for security assessment assistance-$85,000 available Allocating additional funds to meet the demand
Funding considerations
QUESTIONS
AND
DISCUSSIONS
BEAUTIFY SAN
LEANDRO
SAN LEANDRO CITY COUNCIL
NOVEMBER 13, 2023
American
Rescue Plan
Act of 2021
Reallocation of
ARPA Funds
$800,000 - Clean Streets Team
Funding envisioned to hire Downtown Streets
Team members to help clean San Leandro streets
and beautify the community. This program
aimed to assist homeless and low-income
individuals with jobs to rebuild their lives.
Council directed this funding to Beautification
and community preservation in July 2023.
2 $1.6 m from Two Programs
$800,000 - Enhanced
Street Cleanliness
Unspent funds, including
$500,000 for public restrooms
found to be unnecessary when
stores reopened, can be
reprogrammed to further
beautification efforts.
Only high priority
projects were
recommended
for funding
New projects,
funding of
existing
programs and
program
shortfalls
Projects that
could be
delivered by
current staff
Criteria
An interdepartmental team
evaluated potential Beautification
programs and projects
3 IMPACT BALANCE DELIVERABLE
The $1.6 million in funds are recommended to be reassigned to projects focused on beautifying San Leandro Enhanced Pick
up of Illegal
Dumping
Pick up of illegal
dumping throughout
the City including
other agency’s rights
of way
Volunteer San
Leandro
Staffing, start up
costs, grant program,
outreach, volunteer
website and litter
pickup kits
Downtown
Enhancements
Improvements to
breezeways and
landscaping, artistic
enhancements;
purchase of
decorative streetlights
Median
Maintenance &
Rehabilitation
Funding of shortfall in
median maintenance
contract and new
rehabilitation projects
Mural
Funding for one
additional mural
4 In the Near Term…
New Tree
Watering
Contract to water the
1,000 new trees for 3-
years
Proposed Funding
$1.6M
5 Illegal
Dumping
28%
Mural 2%
Volunteer San
Leandro
16%
Downtown
Enhancements
14%
Median
Maintenance
& Rehab
34%
New Tree Watering 6%
DISCUSSION
AND
FEEDBACK
6