City of San Leandro
Homelessness Update
Rules Committee
May 22, 2024
Human Services Director, Jessica Lobedan
Presentation
Outline
1. Update on Alameda County Board of
Supervisors Emergency Homelessness
Declaration
Staff recommend the City Council does
not adopt an emergency homelessness
declaration at this time.
2. Update on City homelessness response
efforts
Alameda County Board of Supervisors Emergency
Homelessness Declaration - Background
September 2023: Alameda County Board of Supervisors directed Alameda County Health: Homelessness & Housing (FKA Office of Homeless Care and Coordination) to lead the development of homelessness emergency response plan
Focus of emergency declaration:
• Accelerated hiring of additional employees to address homelessness and behavioral health needs • More effective and efficient use of funds
• Expedited procurement of critical items
• Faster and more streamlined creating of housing
• Expanded services
• The ability to request additional resources from the State and Federal governments October 2023: City of San Leandro Council referral received to declare homelessness declaration Emergency Response Plan:
Efficiency Recommendations & Resource Recommendations
Efficiency Recommendations:
• Hiring/Recruitment/Retention
• Procurement
• City Collaboration
• Land Use/Housing Development
Resource Recommendations:
• Home Together Needs (Prevention, Access, Shelter & Housing Inventory, Coordination/Infrastructure, Youth)
• Emergency Response/Unsheltered Homelessness (Climate response, hygiene/storage/safe parking, rapid response teams, homelessness mortality prevention)
Emergency Response Plan:
Potential Actions for Cities to
Consider
1. Encourage cities and other public entities to join county in establishing a land use working group to evaluate
publicly owned properties and properties offered for
housing and homeless use. Local government and
special districts should attempt to identify properties in their housing site inventory that would be dedicated to homeless use.
2. Encourage cities to use lands that cannot be
immediately developed for interim or permanent
housing as potential safe parking or safe camping sites
3. Encourage cities to use identified land or vacant
properties to convert to new interim or permanent
housing
4. Cities should evaluate programs that operate only
during winter for potential expansion to year-round
interim housing
City of San Leandro Staff Response
Recommendation City response
Encourage cities and other public entities to join county in establishing a land use working group to evaluate publicly owned properties and properties offered for housing and homeless use.
Local government and special districts should attempt to identify properties in their housing site inventory that would be dedicated to homeless use.
City staff will participate in the land use working group. City staff are currently identifying properties in their housing site inventory that would be dedicated to homeless uses. Additionally, Alameda County should clearly articulate how much land throughout the County is County-owned vs. City-owned vs. other public entity owned.
Encourage cities to use lands that cannot be immediately developed for interim or permanent housing as potential safe parking or safe camping sites
City staff are currently evaluating this option.
Encourage cities to use identified land or vacant properties to convert to new interim or permanent housing
City staff are currently evaluating this option.
Cities should evaluate programs that operate only during winter for potential expansion to year-round interim housing
City staff are currently evaluating this option and would need additional funding to support year-round operations.
City of San Leandro Staff Feedback
• Increase County shelter bed night rate to support nonprofit shelter operations • Increase data transparency to help Cities better communicate the need/resources/and length of time to access resources
• Explore County run programs (funded by the County and operated by nonprofits)
• Direct City companion declarations
• Provide Cities with direction/recommendations/ to help Cities better understand our expected resource contribution
• Explore County and City partner advocacy for increased resource allocation from the State or Federal level
Staff Recommendation
• Staff recommend the City Council does not adopt an emergency homelessness declaration at this time.
• Staff will City continue to work with Alameda County staff and await explicit direction with rationale/benefit on authorizing a local emergency declaration.
• Staff will participate in the Land Use Working Group.
Update on Homelessness
Response Efforts
Encampment Response Work-Flow
Lewelling Interim Housing and Drop-In Center
Safety Ambassador Expansion
RV Safe Parking
Next steps
Questions and discussion
Encampment Response Work-Flow
Human
Services
Coordinate
outreach
(nonprofit
providers)
Public Works
assesses Public
Health, Safety,
Environmental
considerations
and prioritizes
location
Public Works
coordinates
with Human
Services and
Police on
next steps
Human
Services
notifies
providers of
planned
actions
Public Works
Posts Notice
(72 hour
minimum)
Public Works
conducts
clean-up
Public Works
Posts Notice
of Collected
Property
Public Works
determines
need to
prevent reencampment
Police
Department
provides civil
stand-by
SeeClickFix “Homeless Outreach” inquiry submitted:
Public Works
holds
property for
minimum 14
days
No
Action
Notice to
Clean
Notice to
Vacate
Encampment Prioritization
• Alameda County Homelessness Technical Working Group encampment prioritization matrix
• Developed at the staff level
• Presented for endorsement by Alameda County Mayors’ Working Group on Homelessness on May 8th
• Will be circulated for endorsement by all Alameda County Mayors • Will be presented for adoption by Alameda County Continuum of Care Board • Lower priority, moderate priority, high priority, emergency intervention • Public Health, Public Safety, Environmental Considerations Nothing in these procedures will stop or pre-empt public safety officers (Police, Fire, or other) from responding to public safety calls for service City Program Updates
Lewelling Interim Housing and Drop-in Center
• Working with HCD on standard agreement
• Housing Consortium of the East Bay and Building Futures finalizing the operating agreement • Operations scheduled to commence December 2024
Safety Ambassador Expansion
• Finalizing negotiations with vendor, will seek Council authorization for approval of agreement • Program launch date, Q1 of FY25
Alternative Response Unit
• Finalizing negotiations with vendor, will seek Council authorization for approval of agreement • Program launch date, Q3 of FY25
RV Safe Parking
• Postponed due to staff capacity
• Staff are looking for viable locations (City owned land, parcels to lease or buy) Next Steps
• Receive direction from Rules Committee today on declaring a City homelessness emergency declaration
• Staff will seek Council authorization on various homelessness agreements