ACTION:
____________________________
Clerk/Secretary
Department: City Manager Item No: D4
Prepared by: Amanda Lee, Assistant City Manager Meeting Date: August 9, 2022 Approved by: Patrick Johnson, City Manager Agenda Location: Discussion SUBJECT: RESOURCES AND SERVICES FOR UNSHELTERED VETERANS RECOMMENDATION: Discuss resources and services available to unsheltered veterans and provide direction to staff.
CORRELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS: (1) Homelessness and Housing, and (2) Public Safety.
PRIOR ACTION: None.
STATEMENT ON THE SUBJECT: Deputy Mayor Franklin requested the City Manager place a discussion item on an upcoming City Council meeting agenda to discuss City resources and services available to support unsheltered veterans. To assist with the discussion, staff is providing an overview of Vista’s unsheltered population and possible strategies to address veteran homelessness.
Vista Unsheltered Profile. The unsheltered population is constantly changing, and it is necessary as a community, to identify who is unsheltered in the community to tailor resources and services to those experiencing homelessness. The City relies on three different metrics to enumerate homelessness within Vista; 1) the Social Worker program, 2) Point-in-Time data, and 3) Emergency Shelter Network data. Below is a snapshot of the data points in relation to veterans.
Social Worker Program: The City contracts with Exodus Recovery to provide a full-time social worker to conduct outreach throughout the City, including hard-to-reach areas. The social worker works in close coordination with the City’s Code Enforcement, Public Works, Stormwater, and Housing staff; the Sheriff’s COPPS unit; California Highway Patrol; CalTrans; County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA); medical providers; substance abuse resources; social services; and shelters. From October 2020 through March 2022, the social worker program engaged 289 unsheltered individuals, and ten of those individuals identified as a veteran (3.4 percent). 2022 Point-in-Time Count: Each year in January, cities nationwide conduct an annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count to estimate the number of individuals who are experiencing homelessness on a specific night. The PIT count is a snapshot of homelessness on one night; however, the overall number of those experiencing homelessness fluctuates throughout the year. The unsheltered PIT count surveys people who are most visible; it does not include individuals living in hard-to-reach areas, such as canyons and riverbeds. In 2022, the PIT count identified 76 unsheltered individuals in Vista. During the 2022 PIT count, volunteers and outreach workers engaged and attempted to survey unsheltered individuals. Forty individuals participated in the survey and eight individuals (11 percent) identified as a veteran.
AGENDA
REPORT
CITY COUNCIL
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
SUCCESSOR AGENCY
BUENA SANITATION DISTRICT
JOINT POWERS FINANCING AUTHORITY
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Discussed resources and services available to unsheltered veterans and provided direction to staff to return with an agenda item including public opinions for future discussion. Vote: 5-0
MEETING DATE: August 9, 2022 PAGE 2
SUBJECT: RESOURCES AND SERVICES FOR UNSHELTERED VETERANS Emergency Shelter: The City is in the second year of a contract with the Alliance for Regional Solutions (ARS) to prioritize up to ten shelter beds per night in ARS' existing low-barrier shelters for unsheltered Vistans. From October 2020 through March 2022, ARS sheltered 50 unsheltered Vistans and three of the individuals identified as veterans.
Existing City Resources. The City has several affordable housing developments throughout the City and often the developments include preferences for certain demographics. In February 2022, the Paseo Artist Village affordable housing, 501 S. Santa Fe Avenue, was completed and included a preference for veterans. The development includes 60 affordable housing units and six of those units have been rented to veterans. Additionally, the City is considering financially supporting a 54-unit affordable housing development located at 414 N. Santa Fe Avenue. The development will have two units' set-aside for unsheltered veterans, and the rent for those units will be funded with Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers, known as VASH vouchers.
As stated in the report, the City has a full-time social worker that conducts outreach and case management for unsheltered individuals. Over the course of 18 months, the social worker engaged with 10 unsheltered individuals who identified as veterans. Out of the ten individuals, three are actively engaged in case management and working towards housing goals, one individual continues to decline services, and the other six individuals are no longer known to be in Vista.
In addition to the social worker, the City has a housing navigator that builds relationships with landlords, housing providers, and other networks to secure housing for individuals who are ready to move into housing. This work includes securing VASH vouchers for veterans through the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, building relationships with non-profit agencies, and other veteran focused organizations.
Possible Strategy. The City does not have resources specifically set-aside to assist any targeted population, including unsheltered veterans. The City's Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness (Strategic Plan) is a comprehensive plan with an overarching goal of preventing homelessness whenever possible or, if it cannot be prevented, ensure homelessness is a rare, brief and a one-time experience.
Target Population: Homelessness is not unique to Vista; however, each person experiencing homelessness is unique and resources available in communities often vary. Over the last few years, studies have shown that communities can reduce homelessness by targeting one population at a time. The primary populations targeted are those experiencing chronic homelessness and veteran homelessness.
Ending homelessness does not mean the population will never be unsheltered, rather there are fewer cases of the targeted population experiencing homelessness than entering into homelessness. To be successful in targeting a population and ending their homelessness, a community must develop a system-wide approach that includes engaging and forging relationships with federal, state, and local agencies, philanthropic agencies, and landlords. To create an effective targeting approach, it is recommended the City:
• Identify each individual within the targeted population who is experiencing homelessness (this work is being done by the City's social worker)
• Identify and quickly secure permanent housing for each unsheltered person within the targeted group
• Identify and secure available resources i.e., housing vouchers, permanent housing • Create benchmarks and a tool to review the work on an ongoing basis If City Council directs staff to develop a veteran targeted approach, staff will need to:
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MEETING DATE: August 9, 2022 PAGE 3
SUBJECT: RESOURCES AND SERVICES FOR UNSHELTERED VETERANS • Research best practices
• Define the program
• Conduct meetings with interested community members, businesses, faith-based organizations, service providers and other stakeholders
• Collaborate with federal, state, and local agencies, philanthropic agencies, and landlords • Create criteria to target the population
• Create a tool to evaluate work
Following the work identified above, staff will recommend suggested amendments to the Strategic Plan. It is estimated the process will take six months to complete.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact associated with the discussion item. Any future fiscal impacts will be based on direction received by the City Council, which will be identified in future agenda reports.
EXHIBITS: None
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