City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: February 23, 2021
Agenda Item: 8.A
1 of 35
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Lane Dilg, Interim City Manager, City Manager's Office Subject: Efforts to Address Homelessness including Local and Regional Strategies Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Affirm the City’s existing strategies to address homelessness in our community.
2. Affirm continuation of the City’s recent, added strategies to address homelessness, including Multidisciplinary Street Teams and Park Ambassadors, for consideration in the FY2021-23 biennial budget process.
3. Confirm that potential projects listed in “Four Pillars Roadmap – Next Steps” (Attachment G) align with Council’s vision for a safe and healthy Santa Monica, identify Council’s 3-5 top priorities among those projects, and direct staff to assess feasibility and develop cost estimates for priority projects for Council consideration during the FY2021-23 biennial budget process and direct staff to return with cost estimates for additional projects should these become feasible and further resources become available.
Executive Summary
Prior to the global pandemic, homelessness in Los Angeles County had been an ongoing crisis for decades, caused by factors including national and regional housing shortages and economic and social policies that have kept low-income and people of color in poverty for generations. For a year now, the emergence of COVID-19 has upended the daily life of every American, disrupting systems that people rely on for health, social wellness and economic stability. In the spring of 2020, the City was preparing to announce that local coordination and smart investments in effective practices had resulted in a local reduction in the annual Point-In-Time (PIT) homeless count. Instead, the City quickly joined government agencies around the globe in pivoting to focus on emergency response while adjusting to severely diminished revenue streams and grappling with social upheavals brought about by public health orders and calls for social justice.
2 of 35
While the regional stay-at-home orders led to the cancellation of the 2021 Homeless Count for Los Angeles County, it is clear that the regional homelessness crisis has been exacerbated by these multiple stressors. Public health orders have reduced availability of shelter beds in a county where 72% of the homeless population already lacked shelter. The closures of indoor dining and public facilities such as libraries have left even more people in public spaces with nowhere to go. The economic crisis has put previously stable households on the verge of homelessness. The impacts are sharply felt by those living without shelter and all who live, work, or spend time in Santa Monica and Los Angeles County.
This report provides a summary of the City’s Four Pillar strategy for addressing homelessness, which had succeeded in reducing homelessness in Santa Monica prior to the pandemic, as well as the changes that occurred after March 2020. It also offers a path forward for adapting the Four Pillar strategy in the midst of a still unpredictable public health and economic crisis. Introduced in 2019, the Four Pillars are:
1. Preventing housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increasing affordable housing opportunities;
2. Addressing the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents;
3. Maintaining equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open spaces; and
4. Strengthening regional capacity to address homelessness.
Staff seeks guidance from Council on priorities for addressing homelessness in FY2021-23 as outlined throughout this report and summarized in the Next Steps section. Staff seeks Council’s guidance in affirming continuing effective strategies already in place, committing to funding proven practices, and considering opportunities, if there is any ability for the City to use upcoming Federal or State stimulus funding, whether it is restricted for specific programming or discretionary, or consider tradeoffs within the City’s already very limited resources, for potential new investments. 3 of 35
Background
Santa Monica has a long history of investing in housing and supportive services to prevent and address the impacts of homelessness. Previous staff reports have chronicled key, interdepartmental initiatives. On May 8, 2017, staff presented an Information Item (Attachment A) describing the City’s evolution from a first-come, firstserved approach to strategic prioritization of limited housing and services based on vulnerability (an approach that served as a model across the County) as well as the City’s adoption of the Housing First approach and emphasis on permanent solutions.
On March 26, 2019, a staff report to Council (Attachment E) introduced the Four “Pillars” upon which the City’s homeless strategies are built:
1. Preventing housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increasing affordable housing opportunities;
2. Addressing the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents;
3. Maintaining equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open spaces; and
4. Strengthening regional capacity to address homelessness.
These strategies have been implemented through interdepartmental and community partnerships that contributed to a sustained reduction in homelessness in the downtown and beach areas, as well as an overall reduction in the City’s 2020 Point-In-Time homeless count. In contrast, the 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count (conducted pre-COVID) identified 66,436 experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles County – an increase of 12.7% from 2019 – with 72.3% living unsheltered on the streets. On the Westside (County Service Planning Area 5), homelessness increased by 14% from 2019, with 6,009 people experiencing homelessness in West Los Angeles County. These numbers mirror trends recorded in communities across California: of the 22 Continuums of Care (CoC) that conducted homeless counts in January 2020, 17 CoCs (77.3%) observed an increase in homelessness, and the number of people experiencing homelessness across the state increased 10.7% from 2019.
Despite these double-digit increases in homelessness on the Westside, across the County, and throughout California, coordinated efforts to advance the Four Pillar 4 of 35
Strategy in 2019 helped contribute to an 8% local reduction in the City of Santa Monica’s annual Homeless Count, where 907 homeless individuals were counted in January 2020. Steeper, sustained decreases were recorded in the Downtown and Beach areas where more intensive targeted interventions were focused. These efforts are most effective when there is participation and partnership from all segments of the community.
The City’s approach has been marked by a careful balance between providing compassionate services and housing options while enforcing applicable laws to address anti-social behaviors through consistent engagement by first responders and restorative justice alternatives as appropriate. The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) has been actively engaged in these successful initiatives. SMPD’s Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) team utilizes a regionally and nationally recognized model focused on outreach, education, enforcement, and collaboration with a variety of local and regional partners. For many years, a “stick and carrot” approach helped direct hundreds of people experiencing homelessness to housing and services, while addressing unsafe and illegal behaviors. The collaborative partnership between SMPD, the City Attorney’s Office (CAO), and the Community Services Department (CSD) has utilized the criminal justice system to leverage connections to treatment through alternative sentencing options and to manage disruptive behaviors through court-issued stay-away orders.
For the past several decades, increasing rents and stagnant wages across Los Angeles County have driven the number of people experiencing homelessness up nearly every year. Adding to this ongoing housing crisis, the pandemic and subsequent impacts on City revenues and the criminal justice system, as well as renewed calls for social justice reforms, have required the City to double-down on some strategies while re-assessing others, including the role of law enforcement, through the lens of public health best practices and racial equity. Even after the current public health emergency subsides and some system capacity is restored, lasting economic and social changes, coupled with the continued lack of affordable housing, will continue to shape the homeless services system in ways that will require the local and regional systems to bolster 5 of 35
strategies that were working pre-COVID while evolving to meet new challenges with creative solutions.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
5/8/17 (Attachment A) Council received Information Item: Local Homeless Efforts in a Regional Context
11/28/17 (Attachment B) Council received Annual Homelessness Report and endorsed Strategic Goal Action Plan
11/27/18 (Attachment C) Council received City Manager Report: Homelessness Update 3/22/19 (Attachment D) Council received Information Item: Response to SAMOSHEL Complaints
3/26/19 (Attachment E) Council received Annual Homelessness Report and approved the FourPillar strategy 5/26/20 (Attachment F) Council approved restoration of priority services not included in the May 5, 2020 restructuring plan
Discussion
This staff report is separated into sections for each of the Four Pillars of the City’s approach to preventing and addressing homelessness. Within each pillar, the report describes current efforts, as well as those interrupted or suspended due to COVID-19 or its economic impacts, and identifies opportunities to enhance effective strategies within each pillar and explore new ways to meet developing needs.
Homelessness is a pressing challenge regionally and locally, driven by a multitude of factors, including inadequate housing supply at all affordability levels and rising rents that have outpaced stagnant wages. These challenges are compounded by insufficient and inconsistent access to medical and behavioral healthcare, as well as other essential supportive services. Systemic racism reflected in, for example, discriminatory housing and employment policies, has further contributed to a disproportionate number of Black people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County while the proportion of other racial and ethnic groups are either under or equal to their prevalence in the general population, making it clear that homelessness is also a social justice issue. As the number of people experiencing homelessness in the City and County of Los Angeles 6 of 35
continues to rise, Santa Monica suffers the impacts of this very transient population, even while the local homeless count has gone down.
The 2020 Affordable Housing Needs Report by the California Housing Partnership showed that even prior to the COVID pandemic, Los Angeles County experienced a shortage of more than 500,000 affordable homes. Across the County, at least 79% of extremely low-income households were spending more than half of their income toward housing. The growing housing affordability gap, coupled with massive impacts of the pandemic and the imperative of social justice reform that began in the last quarter of FY2019-20, will have lasting effects on the availability of resources to address homelessness even after the COVID-19 crisis is over locally and regionally. In March 2017, Los Angeles County voters resoundingly approved Measure H – a ¼ percent sales tax increase that provided over $400 million last year to fund a comprehensive regional approach to homelessness, including services, rental subsidies, and housing; today, the County is struggling to keep Measure H funding commitments in the face of projected revenue gaps. Regional policy decisions and court orders placed upon the City of Los Angeles even before the pandemic are diverting housing and outreach resources that were previously available to the entire region. Criminal justice decisions at the Federal, State, and County level are impacting enforcement of local laws and misdemeanor prosecution. Within Santa Monica, COVID-19’s devastating impacts on the City’s tourism-based economy and the absence of meaningful federal stimulus funds directed to cities with smaller populations resulted in an adopted City budget for FY2020-21 that reflected substantial revenue losses resulting in expenditure and staffing reductions across the City, including but not limited to the loss of three of the four positions that were dedicated to homelessness coordination, policy, and administration of services. (One position was restored as part of the Mid-Year Budget adjustments.)
By July 2020, in response to alarming calls from local residents unable to pay rent and the sudden congregation of unsheltered people in parks, the City had redirected its reduced capacity and narrowed its homelessness efforts to focus on keeping people housed and maintaining clean and safe public spaces. As planning begins for the next 7 of 35
biennial budget and beyond, staff recommends that, as resources permit, the Council commit resources to continue longstanding interventions that have produced results, review programs suspended due to resource limitations, and discuss opportunities to implement new programs and activities, which, absent a substantial infusion of federal funds, would require tradeoffs or allocation of new resources to implement as well as sustainable funding for any on-going operations. Careful restoration of some capacity has already begun through the repurposing of vacant SMPD police officer positions to support service enhancements. Staff also recommends seeking ways to elevate opportunities to advance public-private partnerships while connecting residents and community members with meaningful ways to donate, volunteer, and advocate for local and regional solutions. In the midst of overwhelming challenges both old and new, disruptions offer an opportunity to review the City’s approach to addressing homelessness, recommit to those areas that show results in the face of these challenges, and alter and adapt the City’s approach where appropriate.
I. Pillar One: Prevent housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless and increase affordable housing opportunities
Despite housing more people experiencing homelessness than ever recorded in Los Angeles County, the regional homeless count numbers continue to rise as more people enter homelessness than the number of people re-housed. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), three years into Los Angeles County’s 10-year investment from Measure H sales tax revenues, the County’s homeless services system had doubled its number of annual housing placements. Still, increased inflow has outpaced the number of people moving off the streets: according to LAHSA, 207 people across the County exit homelessness every day, while 227 people become homeless. Locally, in order to mitigate inflow into homelessness while promoting a diverse and inclusive community, City efforts continue to focus on ensuring an adequate supply of affordable housing, while preventing evictions of vulnerable renters.
A. Affordable Housing Policy and Programs
8 of 35
Santa Monica has consistently sought to lead the way in adopting policies and programs to keep residents in their homes and produce affordable housing.
Santa Monica is one of approximately 16 rent control jurisdictions in the State of California. Santa Monica’s Rent Control Charter Amendment was adopted by the voters in April 1979 in response to a shortage of housing units, low vacancy rates, and rapidly rising rents. The law was intended to alleviate the hardship of the housing shortage. While rent control is one of the City’s overarching strategies focused on housing affordability, rent control regulations are adopted by the Rent Control Board, which bears responsibility for implementing and enforcing the Rent Control Law. The City has also taken strong action to preserve housing for use as residential housing through, for example, its Home-Sharing Ordinance, which prohibits short-term, vacation rentals of units that are not owner-occupied.
The Community Services Department maintains the City’s portfolio of affordable housing programs. In FY 2019-20, over $20 million was used to support 1,537 households with rental housing vouchers. Housing vouchers, which are mostly funded by the federal government and administered by the Santa Monica Housing Authority, pay a portion of each participant’s monthly rent. Most participants in the Housing Authority’s voucher programs are very low-income or extremely low-income households who would generally be unable to afford housing in Santa Monica in the absence of the voucher program. In FY 2019-20, the City committed over $49 million in housing trust funds for the preservation or development of 161 affordable residences. Housing trust funds are loaned to non-profit affordable housing organizations to either purchase existing apartments buildings, which are then rehabilitated and dedicated for occupancy by low-income households, or to purchase land upon which deed-restricted affordable housing can be built. Housing trust funds come from a variety of sources, including an allocation from the General Fund of 50 percent of the proceeds from Measure GSH, a half-cent transaction and use tax approved by Santa Monica voters in 2016. For FY 2020-21, $1 million of GSH funds are being transferred from the General Fund to the housing trust fund. The remaining funds are being used to address the City’s severe budget challenges related to COVID- 9 of 35
19. The uncommitted housing trust fund balance of approximately $14 million was also maintained to ensure sufficient funds for long-term continuity of the Preserving Our Diversity program (see below).
The City also seeks to provide and facilitate direct rental assistance where possible to keep Santa Monicans in their homes. The City provides “Flexible Funds” to help households move off the streets and/or prevent eviction by providing security deposits, furniture and emergency rental assistance. In FY 2019-20, the Housing & Human Services Division (HHSD) provided $111,457 in assistance to 79 households. In July 2020, the Community Services Department implemented the COVID Emergency Rental Assistance Program (COVID ERAP) using federal Community Development Block Grant funds (CDBG) ($2,549,979) and General Funds ($251,535) to provide an estimated 650 households economically impacted by COVID with three months’ rent up to $5,000. Funding for program administration came from CDBG and the re-purposing of a County homeless grant through the Westside Cities Council of Governments. More recently, Congress authorized $26 billion in federal rent relief funds in December of 2020, and the State of California has received $2.6 billion of these funds, to be used for state-wide rental assistance in the months to come.
The City’s Preserving Our Diversity (POD) program provides cash-based assistance to low-income, long-term rent control senior households to help them achieve a minimum monthly after-rent income. In FY 2019-20, the POD program assisted 51 lowincome, senior households. The Council maintained funding for the POD program throughout the pandemic as a budget priority in May 2020, and, as of January 2021, 145 low-income senior households have enrolled in the POD program, which is ongoing.
An interagency Senior Housing Task Force (led by the Community Services Department and comprised of representatives from the City Attorney’s Office, Housing Authority, Rent Control, SMPD, SMFD, WISE & Healthy Aging, LAFLA, Community Corporation of Santa Monica [CCSM] and Code Enforcement) helps vulnerable senior households avoid eviction and maintain stable housing. In FY 2019-20, the Task Force 10 of 35
helped 26 vulnerable senior households. After a brief suspension, the Senior Housing Task Force began monthly meetings again virtually in September 2020.
At the beginning of the pandemic, in March 2020, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health ordered regional congregate interim housing sites to reduce their maximum occupancy based on new physical distancing and safe meal and bathroom requirements to slow the transmission of COVID-19. This “decompression” reduced interim housing capacity in half, and has effectively halted new admissions to interim housing since that time. As of January 4, 2021, 4,578 people experiencing homelessness countywide had tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, while only two positive tests have been recorded among clients across The People Concern’s three interim housing sites in Santa Monica.
In April 2020, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority initiated its Project Roomkey program, which brought approximately 4,100 motel rooms online countywide to relocate people from congregate interim housing programs and offer safe sheltering for unsheltered people at high-risk of COVID. The City assisted the County in considering and pursuing a site in Santa Monica, but the state and county requirements created barriers for local motels. With only 187 Project Roomkey rooms located on the Westside, these resources quickly filled up, with little turnover of rooms. In partnership with The People Concern and The Palm Motel, the City implemented an emergency motel shelter program modeled after Project Roomkey beginning in May 2020 using existing multidisciplinary team (MDT) staff and repurposing $220,000 in public and private grants; 26 homeless individuals facing the highest risk of death due to COVID successfully sheltered in place during the 15-week program, with 18 individuals (69%) exiting the motel to destinations other than the street, and no participants or staff testing positive for COVID. This program ended in September 2020 when available funding was exhausted.
In July 2020, Governor Newsom made $600 million in funding available for Project Homekey, a program aimed at acquiring hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties, to convert them into permanent long-term housing for people 11 of 35
experiencing or at risk of homelessness. An additional $200 million was allocated to Project Homekey in October 2020, and at least 94 Homekey projects, including 10 in Los Angeles County, have closed escrow to date. The State has recently announced additional funding for Project Homekey, and a federal proposal pending in Congress would utilize an additional $5 billion nationwide for this purpose. In Santa Monica, high costs of real estate and a lack of City resources to support acquisition and development of a site limit the likelihood of a viable Project Homekey within the City. However, staff is exploring potential opportunities to collaborate with other Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG) members to identify a Project Homekey site to serve the Westside.
B. Tenant Protection and Legal Representation
The City has long been committed to protecting tenants from unlawful harassment or eviction. The City’s Tenant Harassment Law creates potential civil and criminal liability for landlords that unlawfully harass tenants. The City Attorney’s Office Public Rights Division brings affirmative litigation to enforce tenant-protection laws and also helps tenants and property owners understand their legal rights and responsibilities. The Division has recently filed actions, for example, against landlords who have or are alleged to have violated affordable housing deed restrictions, who have discriminated against potential tenants who seek to use affordable housing vouchers to obtain housing, who have engaged in price-gouging during declared emergencies, and who have tried to evict tenants unlawfully during the pandemic.
On March 14, 2020, the City was one of the first local governments in the nation to put in place a local eviction moratorium to keep renters who lost jobs or income due to COVID-19 in their homes. The City’s residential eviction moratorium protections for COVID-19 related nonpayment of rent were in effect through September 30, 2020, at which time they were replaced by State legislation.
The City has also long supported direct legal representation to senior, disabled and formerly homeless households through Human Services Grants Program (HSGP) 12 of 35
funding to the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA). LAFLA provides consultation and helps people fight discrimination, eviction and denial of benefits. In FY 2019-20, LAFLA served 695 households utilizing $506,149 in funding. After Council designated keeping tenants in their homes as a budget priority in May 2020, LAFLA maintained full City grant funding for this purpose for FY 2020-21 despite other cuts to HSGP grants as the City reduced expenditures to account for reduced revenues in the FY 2020-21 budget.
On January 26, 2021, Council authorized additional funding for a two-year pilot program to provide full-service legal representation by a non-profit provider to tenants facing eviction as a result of COVID-19, either during the eviction moratorium or after its expiration. Council authorized funding up to $120,000 for each of the two years of the pilot program; the City Attorney’s Office has issued a request for proposals for selection of a legal services provider in accordance with SMMC 2.24.080.
C. Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, staff recommends:
Continued investment in current efforts
• Continue to advance homelessness prevention efforts through strong affordable housing and tenant protection policies and programs, including maintaining funding for POD and other core services that promote housing affordability and help seniors, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable households remain in their homes. Continued funding for these programs is included in financial forecasts.
• Implement the approved two-year eviction full-service legal representation pilot program and study results to inform future eviction prevention interventions.
Potential opportunities/new projects (would require new resources) • Explore opportunities to collaborate with other WSCCOG members to identify a Project Homekey site to serve the Westside.
13 of 35
• Monitor Federal and State rental assistance funding and, if necessary to prevent evictions resulting from lost income due to COVID-19, consider directing We Are Santa Monica funds to or utilizing one-time funds if received from the federal government to keep residents in their homes.
II. Pillar Two: Address the behavioral health needs of vulnerable residents The City has developed and expanded collaborative partnerships to effectively address the complex behavioral health needs of residents – both housed and unhoused. Teams deliver integrated services right where people are – in their homes, in public spaces, and in jails, hospitals, and other institutions. New tools have been developed to further strengthen interdepartmental and interagency data-sharing and individualized service coordination for people experiencing homelessness. LAHSA estimates that 41% of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the County report substance use disorders (SUD) and/or serious mental illness. While behavioral health conditions may contribute to some individuals becoming homeless, many others develop illnesses resulting from the complex trauma associated with prolonged homelessness. Current state mental health laws make it very difficult to provide involuntary care for even the most vulnerable suffering on the streets. While long-term system changes will take time and the commitment of considerable resources, multidisciplinary teams deliver critical medical and behavioral health interventions directly to people right where they need them.
A. Multidisciplinary Street Teams and Alternative Response The City has utilized one-time funds to pilot three full-time multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) operated by The People Concern with specific areas of focus. Launched in 2016, the Homeless Multidisciplinary Street Team (HMST) serves a by-name cohort of 25 chronically homeless individuals identified by the City as the highest utilizers of local emergency services. Two C3 teams (“City + County + Community,” reflecting the 14 of 35
partnership between the City, Los Angeles County, and The People Concern) focus on the geographic areas of the city with the highest concentrations of homelessness. The City’s first C3 team started in 2018 with a focus on the Downtown Santa Monica area and adjacent parks. A second C3 team was added in FY2019-20 to extend operations to the Pier and beach. The MDTs go beyond traditional homeless outreach with staffing that includes mental health clinicians, substance use disorder specialists, housing case managers, licensed medical practitioners, and a peer with lived homeless experience.
HMST has permanently housed 90% of the initial client cohort, and maintained 94% housing retention for those housed, all while reducing clients’ interactions with emergency services. A June 2019 evaluation by RAND Corporation conservatively estimated that HMST yielded cost savings to the City that offset 17 to 43% of the City’s $600,000 annual investment in HMST. In FY 2019-20, the C3 teams provided direct services to at least 1,400 unduplicated people experiencing homelessness, offering an array of resources and street-based medical and behavioral health treatment. The two Point-in-Time homeless counts since the C3 teams were launched recorded reductions of 19% (2019) and 14% (2020) in the areas where C3 had been deployed.
Throughout the pandemic, the three City-funded MDTs operated by The People Concern have continued ceaselessly providing field-based integrated care but have also pivoted to take on new roles to address widespread hunger and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Through partnerships with Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Department of Public Health, LAHSA and Venice Family Clinic, the MDTs have distributed nutritious meals, public health education and personal protective equipment, and facilitated COVID tests and flu vaccinations to people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica.
While these three teams remain active today, they are funded with one-time funding that does not extend beyond June 30, 2021. Council will need to allocate $1.4 million in ongoing funding for these teams in the biennial budget process to ensure their continued operation beyond June 2021.
15 of 35
The City’s sworn personnel also seek to deploy the most effective combinations of resources to address behavioral and mental health concerns. The Police Department continues its partnership with Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH), with two full-time clinicians working alongside sworn SMPD officers. One DMH Clinician is assigned to assist patrol and the other is embedded with the HLP Team. These mental evaluation units combine resources and engagement techniques to assess a person’s need and eligibility for emergency mental health services, work with chronically mentally ill people (both housed and those experiencing homelessness), and assist external service providers with locating and identifying subjects enrolled in their services. In 2020, the DMH clinicians embedded with SMPD completed at least 189 crisis evaluations, resulting in 119 linkages to psychiatric urgent care or hospitalization. For 2021, the police department is continuing discussions with DMH to obtain an additional clinician for night and weekend coverage.
In FY 2019-20, SMFD responded to 2,946 homeless-related calls, representing over 18% of total Fire Department responses. SMFD attempted to address the behavioral health needs of individuals experiencing homelessness by providing information about services 756 times during those responses. A six-month SMFD Community Response Unit (CRU) pilot program from January to June deployed a two-person paramedic team, enhanced relationships between SMFD and social service providers, and provided training to SMFD personnel on how to connect vulnerable individuals to resources.
On October 27, 2020, Council approved the use of $400,000 in one-time CARES Act funds to support a potential partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) to support an alternative dispatch emergency response model to enhance mental health services and access to care for vulnerable populations and people experiencing homelessness. This model, which is the subject of active partnership conversations between City staff and DMH would integrate Los Angeles County mental health experts directly into emergency response by allowing the dispatch of vans operated by a Psychiatric Mobile Response Team to respond to individuals experiencing mental health crisis and rapidly initiate supportive case management. This 16 of 35
partnership would implement alternative dispatch recommendations made by the community-based Public Safety Reform Advisory Committee.
To support efforts to address homelessness across providers and responders, the City partnered with Akido Labs, a subsidiary of USC’S D-Health Lab and the Milken Institute to develop Santa Monica Project Connect. In February 2019, the Connect mobile application launched to link local homeless service providers and first responders in near-real-time to strengthen care coordination for people experiencing homelessness. The app securely integrates previously siloed data systems and allows first responders and care managers to communicate in near real-time directly to coordinate care plans for the highest users of police and fire services. Data from the initial Project Connect pilot found that arrests for the City’s top 120 high utilizers reduced by 37% in seven months, reinforcing that effective service coordination results in improved client-level outcomes while also reducing interactions with emergency services. Project Connect remains in place and its efficacy will continue to be assessed as the roles of first responders evolve.
Prior to COVID, in April 2019, the Santa Monica Public Library (SMPL) and the Community Services Department launched a new partnership, bringing two As-Needed Social Workers to the Library. These clinicians worked in close collaboration with SMPL staff (including Library Services Officers) and Community Outreach Specialist from The People Concern to provide effective interventions to individuals in need, while also addressing problematic behaviors to promote a safe and welcoming environment for all. Social workers met regularly with CSD and SMPL staff to develop the following:
1) Regular Drop-in hours to connect to resources in library study rooms 2) Outreach walks with Library Service Officers (LSO) throughout library buildings 3) Monthly and weekly programs to encourage art and writing therapy 4) Support for bi-monthly Resource Fairs connecting people experiencing homelessness to regional service providers and 5) Staff training around issues such as mental health and resource sharing for people experiencing homelessness. This multi-pronged approach in a library setting had positive impacts on both new and regularly visiting patrons experiencing homelessness. These joint efforts and inclusion of Library programs and services, in 17 of 35
addition to steady communication established between the Community Services Department, SMPD’s Homeless Liaison Program (HLP), and Library staff, resulted in an increased connection to case management services and housing placements for people experiencing homelessness. This Library-based program has not operated during the pandemic, when indoor Library services have been closed. With the reduction in staff and operational changes this past year, the Library no longer has the structural capacity to restore dedicated services for people experiencing homelessness. Staff and leadership will need to re-evaluate how to support our unhoused in light of limited resources, once public health restrictions are lifted and indoor Library services resume.
B. Recidivism Reduction and Diversion Programs
While the City and County are actively reimagining crisis response systems, people experiencing homelessness and either mental health or substance use disorders are still likely to have encounters with the justice system. The Santa Monica Police Department, City Attorney’s Office, and Community Services Department continue to collaborate to address behavioral health needs. Santa Monica’s Homeless Community Court (HCC) is a problem-solving court program that addresses the legal issues of homeless individuals with the purpose of connecting them to services and permanent housing. Since its inception, the Homeless Community Court program has helped move 120 program graduates into permanent housing. This program has continued during the pandemic with sessions held virtually via teleconference. As justice reforms reframe the use of criminal courts to address antisocial behavior, pre-filing diversion alternatives may supersede therapeutic court programs like HCC.
Prior to the pandemic, the City launched the Jail Outreach and Linkage to Treatment (JOLT) pilot program in January 2020 as a collaboration between Community Services Department (CSD), SMPD, the City Attorney’s Office (CAO), and substance use treatment provider CLARE|Matrix. Methamphetamine remains the dominant drug in Los Angeles County; due to its accessibility and low cost, it is also the most common drug 18 of 35
among the area’s homeless population. Both the SMPD and SMFD have observed a decrease in alcohol-related behavior and significant increase in methamphetamine use in recent years. Between 2014 and 2019, SMPD public intoxication arrests decreased 78%, while persons in possession of methamphetamine increased by 152% across all populations. In 2020, there were fewer total arrests for possession, but an increasing percentage of those arrests were of people experiencing homelessness. In 2015, 50% of methamphetamine possession arrests were homeless suspects. In 2018, people experiencing homelessness accounted for 69% of methamphetamine arrests, and 75% in 2020. Through JOLT, 27 individuals arrested for certain drug-related charges were outreached in the Santa Monica jail and offered an opportunity to divert their cases from the court system by participating in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Forty-eight percent of participants successfully completed a multidimensional substance use assessment, and 11% of participants graduated from the program and their criminal cases were never filed. Only 15% of JOLT participants were re-arrested by SMPD in the month following outreach. The JOLT pilot was halted in mid-March 2020 due to COVID Public Health orders that limited jail use for most misdemeanors, but conversations to revive JOLT or similar pre-court diversion within new parameters are ongoing.
State and County-led criminal justice reform measures, such as the Public Safety Realignment Bill (AB 109) in 2011 and voter adoption of Proposition 47 in 2014, have elevated behavioral health diversion programs from innovative options to imperative mandates. In 2020, the State Legislature limited misdemeanor probation to 12 months and reinstituted court-led diversion. Newly elected LA County District Attorney George Gascón also recently implemented a series of sweeping directives addressing justice reform and eliminating cash bail, decriminalizing drug possession, and implementing a presumption for diversion for all misdemeanors. In the past, people suspected of misdemeanor criminal offenses (e.g. trespassing, public intoxication, assault and battery) were often arrested and held in custody until their arraignment before a judge.
Under new State and County guidelines, the penalties for almost all of these behaviors are citations issued in the field, with a promise to appear at a future court date (in some cases, four months after the incident). These changes alter the effectiveness of long- 19 of 35
held City strategies that relied on coordination and partnership with SMPD to provide the motivation that criminal enforcement has on managing disruptive behavior.
The City Attorney’s Office (CAO) has responded to regional shifts by increasing opportunities to connect individuals to pre-plea diversion. During the pandemic, the CAO – in partnership with SMPD and Community Services Department – has provided quarterly POP (People, Outreach Providers) citation clearing events to create meaningful opportunities for homeless individuals to connect with a variety of resources in lieu of their criminal cases being filed; and the CAO and SMPD are also working with the County Alternatives to Incarceration Initiative (ATI) to implement a pretrial diversion program that would allow arresting officers, as necessary in consultation with the CAO, to provide arrestees with an immediate option to accept diversion to County-funded services through a full-time diversion coordinator.
C. Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, staff recommends:
Continued investment in current efforts
• Continue to invest in a spectrum of engagement tools, including the HMST and C3 multidisciplinary teams. Staff recommends that Council prioritize continued funding for the City’s existing three MDTs in the biennial budget process. This will require the dedication of $1.4 million in ongoing funding, likely using a portion of the additional $3 million staff has forecasted as available for ongoing programming beginning in FY 2021-22, as highlighted in the January 26, 2021 Midyear Budget Review. Expanding the capacity, including additional teams or extended hours, would require additional resources. Investments in the MDTs have shown not only to increase service connections, but also to reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness in the areas where they have been deployed. 20 of 35
• The Community Services Department, SMPD, and CAO will also continue to build off promising pre-trial diversion pilot programs (e.g. JOLT and POP) to create meaningful opportunities to connect vulnerable individuals to behavioral health treatment and other resources.
• Continue to develop and implement an alternative response pilot program with Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to provide an effective and cost-efficient model for responding to individuals in crisis. Funding of $400,000 is available for the first year of this program.
Continuation of the pilot after these resources expire would require identifying additional resources.
Potential opportunities/new projects (would require new resources) • Low Acuity Crisis Response - While alternative crisis response has focused on reducing law enforcement interactions, resources permitting, a specialized homeless response unit could also be implemented to divert SMFD calls for services. Based on a prior pilot program conducted by the Fire Department, such a program would require an ongoing commitment of $500,000 that is not currently included in the budget. There is also a need to revise state and local laws and directives that limit where paramedics can take individuals in need of mental health care and substance use disorder care to support alternative responses.
• Behavioral Health Triage Center - To address the growing need for 24/7 alternatives to hospital emergency rooms and jails, the City should explore the feasibility of partnering with a third party and/or converting an existing property to provide a behavioral health triage center in Santa Monica. Staff recommends that the City continue to advocate for legislation and policies that remove barriers to vulnerable individuals accessing appropriate care.
III. Pillar Three: Maintain equitable access to safe, fun, and healthy open spaces 21 of 35
According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), more than 70 percent of the 66,000 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County are unsheltered. The impacts of the regional homelessness crisis are felt sharply in Santa Monica’s parks, beach, commercial districts, and other open spaces. During the first half of FY2019-20, the City’s approach focused on consistent engagement of people living in public spaces by a variety of sworn and non-sworn City and non-profit staff. Before the pandemic upended daily life for everyone, the City had implemented several promising programs and partnerships to promote public health and safety. The number of homeless individuals counted on the beach and in the Downtown Santa Monica area decreased by 14% between 2019 and 2020, following a 19% decrease the prior year.
The pandemic brought new challenges that put enormous strain on public spaces, limited the resources available to maintain them, and diverted the focus of local enforcement. Guidance from Los Angeles County Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) significantly reduced local shelter capacity and discouraged the displacement of people living unsheltered to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Prior to the Public Health-directed decompression, Santa Monica was home to: 186 year-round interim housing beds for individuals, 67 interim housing beds for families with children, and 116 substance use treatment beds. The availability of local and regional interim housing options has been a key factor in the City’s ability to enforce local laws. Local businesses and residents have voiced concerns about safety and cleanliness related to homelessness in the Downtown Santa Monica area and throughout the city. While growing regional homelessness will continue to impact public spaces locally, the City’s targeted, coordinated efforts were demonstrating positive impacts, and will be the foundation of rebuilding those successes post-COVID.
A. Parks, the Beach, and Downtown
In addition to the treatment-based Multidisciplinary Teams discussed above, which operate in the beach and downtown areas, the City partnered with Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., in 2017 to bring their popular Ambassador program to Tongva and Palisades Parks. Based on the early success of this partnership, the City launched its Reed Park Ambassador pilot in August 2019. In FY2019-20, DTSM’s Park 22 of 35
Ambassadors provided more than 5,000 social service referrals to people experiencing homelessness in Palisades, Reed, and Tongva Parks; Referrals to date remain steady (1900 through January 2021) as the Ambassador program has continued operating during the pandemic. Ambassadors – in these parks and throughout the Downtown area - have also served as “force multipliers,” helping homeless outreach teams locate specific individuals to access follow-up care and housing opportunities.
The Police Department has also refocused its Public Service Officer (PSO) program to monitor the parks and coordinate, alongside the officers of SMPD’s Homeless Liaison Program (HLP) Team, to effectively engage more people experiencing homelessness and also respond to citizen complaints.
The HLP Team, budgeted for eight officers and a sergeant, is committed by the Police Department to focus its work exclusively on homelessness-related issues within Santa Monica’s city limits. Though the primary role of the HLP Team is daily interaction and problem solving in our City’s public spaces, HLP also coordinates livability operations in collaboration with various social services agencies, Public Works, Community Services, Code Compliance, the Library, and the City Attorney’s Office. As part of their work, the HLP Team assists people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica to navigate the DMV, Department of Social Services, and the Veterans Administration, among other programs. In the past month, the HLP Team helped a person experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica public spaces with registering at the West Los Angeles VA, making contact with family in Taiwan and Orange County, and obtaining a replacement DMV ID card with a voucher from The People Concern. In essence, the HLP Team is a critical juncture for partnerships between law enforcement, City departments and social service outreach providers.
With Los Angeles County at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, the indefinite closure of indoor seating at coffee shops, fast food locations, and public facilities, as well as capacity limits at homeless service agencies, have resulted in higher visibility of homeless people in parks and open spaces, straining the resources to maintain these spaces for all to enjoy. The drain on staff resources to constantly clean key hotspot 23 of 35
areas (e.g. the Pier, Third Street Promenade and Downtown Santa Monica, parks and public restrooms) takes away from other assigned activities and contributes to a gradual erosion in the quality of the City’s public spaces. The reality of a homeless population that depends on public spaces for shelter and restrooms contributes to a growing tension between the City’s ability to maintain the traditionally high expectations of the community and simply holding the line. The COVID emergency has significantly impacted court operations, and with that, the efficacy of using police and court proceedings to enforce consequences for municipal code violations. Criminal jury trials have essentially been suspended since March 2020, and courts were automatically rescheduling cases for many months in 2020. The State and County have implemented emergency bail schedules, meaning that all individuals except those arrested for serious and violent felonies are released within hours and ordered back to court no earlier than 120 days from the incident.
In the Spring of 2020, the City re-purposed staff to serve as Parks Safety Ambassadors, to share public health information and encourage compliance with public health orders (social distancing, mask compliance, etc.). As restaurants and other business re-opened, the City expanded COVID-19 compliance efforts by deploying Health Ambassadors to key areas. Health Ambassadors serve as force multipliers for the City’s Code Enforcement and Police Department, with a focus on education and compliance to protect community health. The City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) deployed portable toilets and handwashing stations throughout the city, including parks, the beach, and the downtown area. The City utilized $14,315 in grant funds from the Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG) to deploy seven additional toilets and three handwashing stations in areas of significant need.
These units were discontinued after six months when grant funds were exhausted due to costly maintenance related to repeated vandalism and misuse. Public Works staff have managed to continue daily maintenance of the Pier, parks, public restrooms and hundreds of trash cans throughout the pandemic. However, even with twice daily cleanings, the excessive dependence on, and frequent vandalism of, restroom facilities have overwhelmed staff and eroded public perception of safety. To this end, 24 of 35
interdepartmental teams are tightening coordination between park-based field staff, human services providers and Police to address these issues.
The City has long focused on activating its public spaces to ensure they remain healthy and desirable for all. The “Meet Me at Reed” program offered outdoor cultural and recreational programming at Reed Park throughout the Summer and Fall months of 2019. During the pandemic, the City has not been able to promote public gatherings but has sought to utilize public spaces fully for the public benefit when permissible under County public health orders through, for example, expanded outdoor dining on the Promenade, continued City youth recreation programs, and permitting of park spaces and even the Pier parking lot for outdoor fitness classes by local providers.
In an effort to enhance safety and cleanliness around the Promenade, the City contracted with Allied Universal to provide security patrol services for eight downtown Parking Structures (Structures 1-6, 9, and 10) to ensure safe public access and use of the parking areas, elevators, and stairwells. Additionally, the City is upgrading the refuse enclosures in parking structures 3, 5, and 6 by installing new perimeter fencing and replacing access gates. Promenade Maintenance in collaboration with Downtown Santa Monica Ambassadors continue to ensure the cleanliness and sanitary conditions of the Downtown District during the pandemic. City staff are on hand from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. to scrub, sweep, pressure wash all hardscape surfaces, empty all trash receptacles, sanitize trash enclosures, elevators, and stairways and maintain as well as remove graffiti from the downtown areas.
The City continues its longstanding partnership with West Coast Care, a local nonprofit that engages unsheltered people in public spaces that are newly arrived in Santa Monica with the goal of reuniting them with family or friends in their communities of origin. In FY 2019-20, West Coast Care recorded 1,174 contacts with people experiencing homelessness, with the goal of diverting individuals from the overburdened local and regional homeless services system by tapping into existing social supports whenever possible.
25 of 35
Due to the limited availability of shelter and affordable housing, sometimes the most cost effective and immediate option for a person who is unsheltered is to reconnect with loved ones who are willing to give them a place to live. The City’s Project Homecoming helps participants reconnect with hosts, and the City provides a Greyhound bus ticket or comparable transportation assistance. Agencies conduct follow-up calls to confirm arrival and again at 3 months and 6 months. In FY 2019-20, Project Homecoming housed 149 individuals with family and friends at an average cost of $308 per person. Funding for this program remains intact and to date in FY 2020-21, 46 participants have utilized Project Homecoming to secure housing and ongoing support.
B. Santa Monica Public Library and Big Blue Bus
Challenges in ensuring that the City’s beloved outdoor public spaces are healthy, safe, and accessible to all persist in other City facilities and services as well.
An expansion of the SMPL Library Service Officer team in 2019 allowed the Library to consistently address and better track behaviors and violations of the Rules of Conduct, empowering staff to hone in on specific problematic areas in and around library buildings. Through joint efforts and communication between the City Attorney’s Office, Public Works, and SMPD, the Library updated its Rules of Conduct to include stronger language around behaviors that are welcome and unwelcome in the library. In addition to updating the Rules, the consistency in the enforcement of these rules was addressed through: 1) Regular meetings and visits from SMPD, 2) Inclusion of CAO and Library Social Workers interventions for certain Library behaviors and situations, 3) Regular training and reporting to frontline staff and supervisors, and 4) Consistent engagement and explanation of Rules of Conduct by LSO’s, Supervisors and staff throughout the building. These strategies helped maintain a more welcoming and open environment in libraries while also strengthening the Library’s relationships with SMPD, CAO, and CSD.
26 of 35
In 2018, the Big Blue Bus (BBB) began tracking and reporting incidents involving passengers experiencing homelessness by upgrading its Operator Scheduling Software (Trapeze), updating its incident reporting form, and training Motor Coach Operators (MCOs) on how to document incidents and interactions. In 2019, BBB collaborated with SMPD on “Just Say Hello,” a pilot project designed to assist passengers experiencing homelessness that ride the BBB service with the goal of offering social service referrals and decreasing quality of life issues. With buy-in throughout the department, training was provided to all front-line staff and pamphlets that included information of local social and health services were placed on each bus that went into service. MCOs leveraged their ability to build positive rapport with riders to provide resource information to riders in need. The Big Blue Bus (BBB) adjusted its service to ensure the safety of its drivers and passengers during the coronavirus crisis. Suspension of fares reduced contact between Motor Coach Operators (MCO’s) and passengers, and MCO’s coordinated with the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to distribute face coverings to those needing assistance complying with safety guidelines, primarily riders experiencing homelessness.
C. Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, staff recommends:
Continued investment in current efforts
• Consistent Field-Based Engagement Tools – Staff recommends that the City continue to invest in a range of resources including SMPD HLP Team and PSOs, as well as Park Ambassadors to address the impacts of homelessness in public spaces, in addition to relying on police and fire personnel, as well as an alternative dispatch system when and as appropriately implemented, to respond to criminal and disruptive behaviors in public spaces. The Reed Park Ambassador Program will exhaust its one-time funding on June 30, 2021, and an additional appropriation of $0.52 million will be needed in FY 2021-22 and beyond to continue this program at its current level. As with the multi-disciplinary street 27 of 35
teams, the Council may elect to use a portion of the $3 million availablefor reopening and continuation of unfunded activities next year.
Potential opportunities/new projects (would require new resources) • Modifications to Open Spaces - Changes to enforcement protocols, budget cuts, and personnel shortages have reduced police support in addressing beach, park, and public restroom maintenance issues. With only four or five team members actually out in the field currently, HLP coverage is strained. In addition, officers are limited by COVID-related changes in enforcement and county court directives that eliminated bail and lessened the penalty for all misdemeanors and some non-violent felonies. Without the effectiveness of previously relied upon police interventions, City staff may need to look at alternative and costly measures to disincentivize the misuse of public spaces. To continue to provide foundational services for a clean and safe Santa Monica, certain modifications to public spaces such as lighting improvements, installing security cameras, adding fencing, and/or modifying park features may be explored to restrict entry during closed hours and reduce vandalism. Through the currently budgeted Park Safety Enhancement Project, the City is planning to install priority cameras and blue phones at Tongva, Reed and Palisades parks in addition to enhanced lighting inside Tongva Park and along the Olympic corridor. Pending Council direction, when staff returns to Council with a construction contract for the existing project, additional improvements can be budgeted for at that time with available funds. • Support Library Reopening - As the City seeks to resume indoor Library services in advance of the recovery of our revenues, additional resources will be needed to proactively address the needs of people who are homeless and reevaluate what support for our unhoused patrons looks like in a library environment. At a minimum, as-needed LSO hours and additional staff dedicated to programs and outreach would need to be restored. With potentially long waits for services, limited seating, and stricter rules in place for health and safety, these resources will be needed to manage compliance and provide pathways and connections to service for individuals both inside and outside of library buildings. 28 of 35
• Alternative Non-Congregate Shelter - To help restore and preserve the beach, parks and open spaces that have been overburdened by the impact of hundreds of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness the City could explore the feasibility of investing in alternate non-congregate sheltering options weighing pros and cons, community impacts and costs. The availability of these or other shelter alternatives may often be a prerequisite to enable enforcement of certain City ordinances. Any such solution would require community support and significant new sustainable resources beyond what is currently available, including one-time set-up costs and on-going operating expenses.
o Safe Parking/Sheltering models – Safe Parking models offer safe overnight parking to individuals and families living in their vehicles. Safe Shelter models offer similar areas for tent-based shelter. These programs are frequently operated in cooperation and by written agreement with local non-profit agencies, businesses, and/or faith-based organizations and have been employed in Santa Barbara and Goleta, among other cities. o Modular (“Pallet”) shelters – Other cities, including Los Angeles, Riverside, and Tacoma, Washington, have explored small, modular homes varying in cost from approximately $130,000 to $12,000 per unit.
IV. Pillar Four: Strengthen regional capacity to address homelessness For decades, Santa Monica has invested deeply in developing local infrastructure that supports the entire LA County Service Planning Area (SPA) 5 region (Westside). LA County Departments of Mental Health (DMH) and Health Services (DHS) and LAHSA partially fund beds and services at interim housing sites in Santa Monica operated by The People Concern, as well as providing access to county housing vouchers and support services.
A. Advocating for Regional Capacity
29 of 35
Bordered by the City of Los Angeles on three sides, Santa Monica faces the challenges of a regional crisis in addressing homelessness and must be part of a regional solution.
City staff have remained active participants in the WSCCOG Homelessness Working Group. Through 2020, the City’s Senior Advisor on Homelessness chaired a Homelessness Strategic Planning sub-committee of the Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG). This term limited City position was eliminated during the City budget cuts to address revenue reductions, and staffing cuts have reduced the City’s capacity to coordinate internal and external partners, as well as the City’s presence at policy discussions regionally. Some of this capacity will be restored after the hiring of a Senior Human Services Analyst, a position that was added through the City’s mid-year budget process. The WSCCOG remains committed to working with a variety of public and private entities to develop strategies that equitably distribute homeless services and affordable housing across the region. Efforts to increase the availability of interim housing throughout the Westside may reduce some of the regional reliance on Santa Monica-based programs. In February 2020, the City of Los Angeles opened its latest A Bridge Home shelter in Venice. The Pacific Sunset shelter, built on a former Metro bus lot, provides 100 beds for homeless adults and 54 beds for transitional age youth. This represents one of the largest year-round shelters on the Westside.
The County reported substantial reductions in Measure H sales tax revenue that supports regional homeless strategies and has projected additional substantial revenue reductions for FY2020-21, threatening the capacity of programs to prevent and address homelessness throughout the region. Federal and state assistance has helped fill immediate gaps to keep programs operating. Reduction in funding may impact the capacity of local programs, and subsequently impact the effectiveness of local strategies.
B. Interjurisdictional Collaboration and Coordination
City CSD staff regularly participate in meetings of the County’s Coordinated Entry System (CES), which manages and allocates resources to match vulnerable individuals 30 of 35
to available housing opportunities. City staff continue to advocate for policies and services that meet local needs. Regional housing resources have recently been diverted away from participants on the CES to those exiting the County’s Project Roomkey motels and, at the direction of U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, to people living near LA City freeways. This will result in longer waits for housing for other sheltered and unsheltered individuals, some of whom have been on the Coordinated Entry list for years.
In 2020, Santa Monica became the first city to participate in LA County’s Assembly Bill (AB) 210 implementation efforts. This state legislation provided the framework for the creation of interagency multidisciplinary teams and permits regional data-sharing and service coordination from previously siloed systems.
C. Looking Ahead
Continued investment in current efforts
• Advocate for Regional Fair Share – Staff recommends that the City continue to actively participate in the WCCOG, CES, and other spaces to advocate for local access to regional resources that address homelessness and provide effective and meaningful alternatives to incarceration (e.g.
County Measures H and J)
V. Supporting the Pillars: Homeless Services Infrastructure The strategies and programs of the Four Pillars are built upon a foundation of local and regional social services, coordinated through the Community Services Department’s Housing and Human Services Division. For decades, Santa Monica has been home to a robust service delivery infrastructure that is relied upon by the County and Service Planning Area 5 neighboring communities, providing interim housing, substance use treatment and recovery programs, a daytime Access Center with showers and other essential services, street outreach teams, care management and housing navigation teams, and permanent supportive housing. Local agencies receive the majority of their funding through non-City sources and are obligated to serve the wider region. This use 31 of 35
of non-City funds amplifies the impacts of local investments and ensures local people experiencing homelessness have access to county services.
The City supports this local service system with both one-time capital investments and ongoing annual support in the form of below-market leases of City property and, for over 40 years, with direct operating grants through the Human Services Grants Program (HSGP). In FY 2019-20, the HSGP distributed $8.4 million in grants to 20 nonprofit agencies and 39 programs that serve low-income families, vulnerable youth, seniors, people with disabilities and people experiencing homelessness. While all of these programs can be considered preventative measures against homelessness, and many programs serve people who are experiencing homelessness, five programs exclusively serve people who are currently or formerly homeless: The People Concern’s Interim Housing and Wellness (SAMOSHEL and Turning Point); The People Concern’s Cloverfield Services Center (Daybreak Women’s program and Safe Haven); The People Concern’s Access Center; Upward Bound House Family Transitional Housing; and CLARE/Matrix Coordinated Case Management. FY2020-21 funding for each of these programs was reduced due to Citywide budget reductions resulting from the economic impacts of COIVD-19: TPC funding was reduced by $198,031; Upward Bound House was de-funded due to the level of staff administration required for their small grant ($16,577); and CLARE/Matrix was reduced by $97,106 to align with their actual fee-forservice expenditure rates. An additional three programs provide support to prevent eviction of vulnerable residents at imminent risk of homelessness: Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’s (LAFLA) General Legal Services; St. Joseph Center’s Housing and Family Self-Sufficiency; and Step Up on Second’s Sanctuary. While Council action on May 26, 2020 (Attachment F) maintained funding to LAFLA’s program, FY2020-21 funding for Step Up was reduced by $15,888 and St. Joseph Center‘s housing retention program was reduced by $55,648. In total, these homeless-related programs received $2.9 million in HSGP grants in FY 2019-20, while collectively securing more than $1.9 million in non-City cash match funding to serve 1,431 Santa Monica program participants. In FY 2019-20, these programs:
• Served 111 Santa Monica program participants in interim housing, with only 17 (15%) exiting to the streets. By comparison, LAHSA reported that 31% of 32 of 35
participants exiting the City of L.A.’s “A Bridge Home” program returned to the streets.
• Retained permanent housing for 492 low-income and/or formerly homeless Santa Monica residents. Across HSGP agencies, 97% of program participants successfully maintained their housing. By comparison, LAHSA reported a permanent housing retention rate of 88% for people placed by the homeless service system in 2018.
• Provided legal services to 695 low-income Santa Monica residents.
Even before the economic crisis brought on by COVID-19, City resources have been insufficient to serve everyone who may be experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica.
Therefore, City-funded services are directed to a small subset of the population identified as Santa Monica program participants: people who were last permanently housed in Santa Monica; those who work in the city; people who have been homeless in Santa Monica for five years or more; and people who are high users of first responder services. Within this Santa Monica participant population, those who are identified as highly vulnerable based on the County’s universal assessment tool are placed on the City’s Service Registry. This by-name list of the most vulnerable individuals are prioritized for local housing and services, and are the focus of monthly coordinated case conferencing meetings to ensure agencies are working together to house and support these individuals. Of the 466 individuals currently on the Service Registry, 63% are permanently housed and another 14% are in interim housing.
The global pandemic and calls for racial justice put a spotlight on the plight of people experiencing homelessness who are uniquely vulnerable to communicable diseases and are disproportionately impacted by structural and institutional racism and poverty.
Addressing homelessness through collaboration and meaningful investments in staffing, resources and infrastructure is a critical component of maintaining a healthy, safe and equitable Santa Monica.
Next Steps
33 of 35
The arrival of vaccines provides hope that the social, civic, and public health impacts of the pandemic may be abating, with a slow economic recovery beginning thereafter as consumers begin to feel safer eating out, shopping, and, ultimately, traveling. However, homelessness is a lagging indicator, and the impacts of the economic devastation to low- and moderate-income households may not be evident in the number of people newly experiencing homelessness until well into 2022. In addition, social justice reform measures will continue to impact who and how marginalized populations, including people who are homeless and people suffering from mental illness and addiction, receive care, thus forcing innovation and opportunities to create new tools to address anti-social behavior and untreated behavioral health issues in public spaces. Over the next 18 months, the City’s strategies will be evolving and reacting to anticipated stressors. The future is still uncertain, and the City’s homeless strategies will need to be flexible in order to adjust to new local and regional priorities, resource availability and system capacity. Staff recommends continuing investments in efforts that have shown to be effective, such as the multidisciplinary teams, Ambassador program, and interdepartmental coordination. Continuation of these existing programs will require Council to dedicate $1.9 million of the $3 million available for reopening beginning in FY 2021-22. As City revenues ultimately recover, there will be opportunities for renewing investments or restoring programs that support a safe and clean Santa Monica for all.
However, City revenues are not anticipated to recover to pre-COVID-19 levels until FY 2024-25. Attachment G lists some of the immediate, medium- and long-term opportunities for which staff seeks Council guidance and prioritization.
Staff requests that Council review, discuss and prioritize the projects and opportunities outlined in this report and summarized in Attachment G. Staff seeks Council’s direction to specify those opportunities upon which staff should focus and return with proposals and specific recommendations as needed. In most cases, additional resources will be needed, and timelines for implementation will vary depending on the size and scope of each project. Visible, tangible change may take time to materialize beyond the implementation, especially against the backdrop of new and persisting challenges discussed above and an overwhelmed regional homeless services system. An 34 of 35
investment of staff resources to develop and implement new projects may result in a divestment of efforts in projects re-classified as lower priorities.
Finally, staff recommends that the City promote opportunities to strengthen publicprivate partnerships to advance solutions to homelessness that are creative, responsive, and scalable. Many of the City’s local nonprofit service provider partners have experienced declines in public and private funding sources since the COVID-19 pandemic began. While many opportunities to volunteer at local agencies are on hold due to Public Health guidance, people can donate directly to these agencies or the We Are Santa Monica fund to meet essential needs during this prolonged crisis. Residents and community members may be encouraged to advocate for local and regional housing opportunities, siting of programs citywide, and supporting state and federal efforts to prevent and address homelessness.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
While there are no immediate financial impacts or budget actions necessary as a result of the recommended actions in this report, any expansion of current services, as well as the continuation of services that are now operating with one-time funds (the MultiDisciplinary Street Teams and the Reed Park Ambassador Program) would require additional funding to be appropriated to the FY 2021-22 Budget. Without Federal stimulus funds or new State or County funding, the expansion of programming using General Funds is very difficult at this time. While the report mentions tradeoffs as a source of funding, the FY 2021-22 restructured budget is operating with a 20% decrease in staffing and ongoing operating costs, and this lower level of operations will soon be challenged as health restrictions are pulled back and facilities reopen. Staff has identified $3 million in ongoing funds beginning in FY 2021-22 to assist in the continuation of the most critical services that do not have ongoing funding, and to allow for an extremely limited reopening of City facilities as health restrictions are pulled back.
It should be noted that the use of $3 million, under current revenue assumptions, requires the City to delay the transfer of Measure GSH funds to Affordable Housing for an additional one-year. Without meaningful stimulus funds or the use of other resources 35 of 35
from the State or County, the City is not in a position to fund additional programs in the short term. However, Council’s guidance can assist in developing a strategy to commit new funds as they become available. Staff will return to Council if specific budget actions are required in the future to implement Council direction.
Prepared By: Anuj Gupta, Assistant City Manager
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. May 8, 2017 Information Item (Web Link)
B. November 28, 2017 Staff Report (Web Link)
C. November 27, 2018 City Manager Report
D. March 22, 2019 Information Item (Web Link)
E. March 26, 2019 Staff Report (Web Link)
F. May 26, 2020 Staff Report (Web Link)
G. Four Pillars Roadmap - Next Steps
H. Written Comments