HomeMy WebLinkAbout; ; Quarterly Report - Reducing Homelessness - July 1- September 30, 2021;QUARTERLY REPORT
Reducing Homelessness
{city of
Carlsbad
JULY 1 -SEPT. 30, 2021
This report details the progress the City of Carlsbad
has made during the first quarter of FY 2021-22
toward achieving its goal of reducing homelessness.
SUMMARY
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Transitioned to permanent housing
City Council goal
Reduce the homeless unsheltered population,
among those who want help, by 50% within five
years. Provide quarterly reports for five years or
until this goal is met, whichever comes first.
28
Shelter placements
253 [fil]
Unduplicated contacts
I I
Police Calls for Service I I
City laws
UPDATED 1,542 1 Per llllllllllllii month __ r• •
Encampment
CLEANUPS
FY 2021/23 Work Plan Progress
Work plan tasks were identified to be accomplished over various stages during the fiscal year. All work plan
tasks that were identified to be complete for Ql have been completed within the identified timeline and
budget.*
Employment and benefits specialist Progress on track
Work Plan Timeline
Ql Q2 Q3 Q4
Develop scope of work and budget for consultant services for a two-year contract
Issue request for proposals for contract services
Design program and informational materials
Additional homeless outreach officers and social workers Progress on track Ql Q2 Q3 Q4
Promote an additional sergeant to the Homeless Outreach Team 0
Recruit for two new Homeless Outreach Team officers 0
Create roles, responsibility and deployment model for enhanced Homeless Outreach Team 0
Develop and provide necessary training for new Homeless Outreach Team members 0
Identify metrics for data collection 0
Partner with social workers from the County of San Diego's contracts with the North 0 County Homeless Pilot Program and PATH
Enhancing clinical services at La Posada Emergency Shelter Progress on track Ql Q2 Q3 Q4
Develop scope of work for expanded consultant services to include two licensed clinicians 0 and additional training for staff
Research and analyze best practice emergency shelter programs 0
Design new program rules, expectations and outcomes 0
Develop a training schedule, courses, programs, and completion timeline 0
Re-evaluate the program practices, as necessary 0
Limited-term stay Emergency Hotel Voucher Pilot Program Progress on track Ql Q2 Q3 Q4
Identify and partner with hotel/motel vendors 0
Develop pilot program rules, policies and expectations 0
Train Homeless Outreach Team Officers and social workers 0
Prepare public informational materials 0
Create a new program manager position 0
Develop and implement a tracking system to assess program efficacy 0
Provide a report to the City Council (after first six months and following the 12-month 0 program) to determine if the program should be continued and/or modified
Develop and implement a contract with the San Diego Humane Society 0
Community Resource Center services Progress on track Ql Q2 Q3 Q4
Contract with the Community Resource Center 0
Develop scope of work for services 0
Two-year contract with three, one-year extensions 0
Revise policies and procedures based on lessons learned from year one 0
Reducing Homelessness 2
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021
Work plan progress continued
Create a new Housing & Homeless Services Department Progress on track
Create new positions (Director, Housing Services Manager and Management Analyst)
Develop budget and purchase resources
Advertise, recruit, hire for new positions
Prepare public informational materials
La Posada de Guadalupe Facility Expansion
Work with Catholic Charities to pursue opportunities to expand the number of shelter beds
within the existing facility
Work with Catholic Charities to pursue opportunities to expand the existing facility to
accommodate women and families
0
0
0
0
Project Homekey funds Progress on track
Develop a list of potential projects eligible for Project Homekey funding and develop a
specific proposal for the City Council's consideration and direction.
Pursue a Project Homekey funding application, if so directed by the City Council
* Some tasks have changed or been eliminated based on City Council direction.
Reducing Homelessness
Ql Q2 Q3 Q4
Ql Q2 Q3 Q4
Ql Q2 Q3 Q4
3
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 __________________________ _
Expenditures
The City Council approved $6.8 million in general funds and one-time reserve funds to support the homeless
goal during fiscal year 2021-22. A significant portion of the budget, $3.2 million, was initially allocated for an
emergency shelter hotel voucher pilot program. Based on initial research and feedback, the City Council
decided to pursue a different model, which is expected to require fewer resources.
TOTAL BUDGET EXPENDITURES TO DATE
$599,074
Spent to date
SPENDING BY CATEGORY
Portable toilets
$5,100
Police --
salaries
$426,261
Reducing Homelessness
~
$6,854,310
Total budget
$6,255,236
Remaining
Urban Corps
(Encampment and trash cleanup)
$17,800
I
Interfaith Community
/ Services
/ (Social workers)
$61 ,022
Community Resource Center
(Rapid rehous ing, other housing assistance)
$62,264
~ Housing & Homeless
Se rvices salaries
$48,482
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 _________________________ _
4
Point in Time Count data
160
152
140
carlsbad began to manage
120
100
94
80 78
60
40
20 21
19 21
0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
*The Point in Time Count did not take place in 2021 due to COVID-19 precautions. The City of Carlsbad took
over the Point in Time Count from an outside organization starting in 2017.
Reducing Homelessness
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 __________________________ _
5
Public Safety
Homelessness-related calls for service
Carlsbad Police received 1,542 homelessness-related calls for service, which made up 9% of all calls for
service received between July 1 to Sept. 30, 2021.
TOTAL
9%
Related to homelessness
HOMELESSNESS-RELATED STATISTICS BY CATEGORY*
Citations Arrests Mental health hold
* These statistics show the percentages of homelessness-related citations, arrests or mental health holds
compared to those of the general population.
OFFERS OF HELP
34%
Refused or
declined services
Reducing Homelessness
66%
Accepted services
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 _______________________ _
6
Quality of life
In late September the City Council introduced an ordinance that amended the city's municipal code to
address quality of life issues related to homelessness. This ordinance became effective Nov. 11, 2021.
Changes include:
• Amending the city's existing camping laws to prohibit camping on public, private and open space
property
• Requiring that a person be offered and refuse temporary shelter prior to being cited for camping on
public property
• Amending the city's existing camping laws to prohibit storing or leaving personal property
unattended in public areas during certain times of the day
• Adding a new law that prohibits fires and cooking on public property unless in authorized areas.
• Clarifying and adding to the city's existing prohibition on solicitation to people in vehicles, including
regulating aggressive solicitation
• Expanding and adding city laws that prohibit obstruction of property, trespassing and disorderly
conduct
• Adding Holiday Park and Pine Avenue Community Park to the list of areas where open containers of
alcohol are prohibited (with some exceptions)
All the above offenses are chargeable as a misdemeanor, although police officers will continue to use
their discretion to issue warnings and citations, including infraction level citations, instead of making
misdemeanor arrests.
Reducing Homelessness
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 __________________________ _
7
Public Outreach
The city recognizes homelessness is a top concern of the community and understands the importance of
outreach and engagement. Below is an overview of some of the outreach efforts implemented from July 1 to
Sept. 30, 2021, to help keep the community informed and engaged about the city's efforts to reduce
homelessness.
Three community group presentations
Nine community newsletter updates
Six virtual office hours
(small group community meetings)
37 participants*
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22,000+ reached via social media
*Some community members attended more than one small group meeting.
Members of the Homeless Outreach Team and Housing & Homeless Services Department have jointly
provided information presentations at several meetings with the downtown Carlsbad Village Association,
Chamber of Commerce and Housing Commission. Additionally, staff facilitated six small group community
meetings held virtually where community members had a chance to ask questions, share their concerns and
brainstorm ideas.
Staff also responded to hundreds of phone calls and emails from individuals experiencing homelessness,
business owners, social service providers and members of the public.
Reducing Homelessness
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 __________________________ _
8
Regional Partnerships
The City of Carlsbad believes in addressing homelessness with compassion and fairness. Here is a current list
of services created to help those experiencing homelessness as well as improve the quality of life of the
community for everyone.
San Diego Humane Society
The purpose of the San Diego Humane Society Contract is to provide individuals experiencing homelessness
with a safe place to temporarily board their animal when they are not able to bring them to treatment
facilities or services. Staff have found this has been a primary barrier preventing people from accessing
services. The contract will provide short-term emergency boarding and emergency medical care for
approximately 25 animals of persons experiencing homelessness -free of charge -so the individual could
access care and resources. This contract was approved on Sept. 28, 2021. No animals have been placed in the
program to-date.
Rocket John portable restrooms and handwashing stations
The Rocket John contract provides four portable restrooms and handwashing stations and routine cleaning
and maintenance in the Village. The city first added these public bathrooms in 2017 to combat the Hepatitis
A crisis in the homeless community. In response to COVID-19, the city has added more restrooms and
handwashing stations to promote health, sanitation and 24/7 access to clean water to individuals living
unsheltered.
Community Resource Center
The city currently has a contract in place with the Community Resource Center with one-time funding from
the state. This contract provides rapid rehousing funding to reduce homelessness by providing permanent
housing. From July 1, 2020, to present, the program has screened 79 households at-risk or experiencing
homelessness in Carlsbad and served 53 households. The center's staff have helped 22 households
experiencing homelessness move into permanent housing and prevented 17 households from failing into the
homeless system with deposit support, rental assistance, landlord advocacy, case management and financial
literacy training. The Community Resource Center has helped 14 individuals get bridged to a higher level of
care. Last quarter, the center screened and enrolled 36 new clients into its rapid rehousing program. Its staff
placed seven people into permanent housing and referred eight people to higher-level resources for long-
term supports. Staff will be bringing back a new, two-year $350,000 per year contract in January 2022 for the
City Council's consideration.
Interfaith Community Services
Interfaith Community Services is the current outreach and case management contractor for the City of
Carlsbad's Homeless Outreach Team. It provides two licensed or master's level clinicians and one part-time
licensed program manager. They provide seven-day coverage offering outreach and case management in the
field to individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Carlsbad. The clinicians engage, assess, plan and
refer individuals to resources such as housing, medical care, public benefits, mental health and substance use
treatment and places they can obtain basic needs. In the calendar year 2020, they engaged with 507
unduplicated individuals and provided 3,839 services. They referred and placed 133 individuals into
emergency shelter and 12 individuals into permanent housing. Staff issued a contract amendment and
extension on July 1, 2021, for one year. Last quarter, Interfaith Community Services and the Homeless
Outreach Team engaged with 256 unduplicated clients at-risk and experiencing homelessness. They bridged
Reducing Homelessness 9
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 __________________________ _
19 people to emergency shelter and nine individuals to permanent housing. Additionally, they referred 32
people experiencing homelessness to programs for mental health, substance use and health.
North County social worker
The new North County Social Worker Pilot Program has one dedicated full-time social worker providing
outreach in the City of Carlsbad. The county has been working very closely with the city on integrating this
program into existing resources. The city has facilitated several meetings inviting key stakeholders and
service providers to ensure continuity of care and clarity of roles, and to discuss resource management.
Urban Corps
A new contract was issued with Urban Corps of San Diego in September 2021 for trash abatement, litter and
encampment cleanup related to persons experiencing homelessness. Urban Corps works very closely with
Public Works and the Homeless Outreach Team and it is responsible for responding to and triaging any
incoming cleanup requests related to homelessness on city. The contractor has the capacity to request
additional staff for large encampment clean-ups or major city events. This year, Urban Corps will be collecting
and tracking data on encampment size, volume of litter, trash type and other useful information. Staff will
include this information in future updates.
Additional collaborations
The city collaborates with many stakeholders in the community to reduce homelessness. Homelessness
impacts all aspects of a community, so it takes a concerted effort to try to end it.
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Connecting North County
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Tri-City Medical Center
Reducing Homelessness
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Regional Task Force
on Homelessness
NORTH COUNTY
TRANSIT DISTRICT
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 __________________________ _
10
Success stories
Each quarter, staff will include one or more success stories of real people who were connected to community
services as a result of the city's homeless response efforts. These are two of their stories, which the subjects
have given the city permission to share.
Bryce
Male, age: 50
Years homeless: 13
Permanently housed: September 2021
Bryce grew up in Carlsbad, graduating from Carlsbad High School. When he injured himself on the job and
became unable to work, he collected unemployment, but eventually his benefits expired, and he lost his
home. He was able to stay with friends and family for a while, then stayed in motels. His money eventually
ran out. While living on the street, he sustained physical injuries that further limited his ability to work. Bryce
also developed a substance use disorder that caused him to be in and out of jail.
What worked
• Officers on the Homeless Outreach Team worked with Bryce, off and on, for four years.
• Because he trusted our team, Bryce was eventually willing to accept help signing up for disability
benefits, providing a small but steady income.
• City staff monitored Bryce's position on the city's Section 8 rental assistance program waiting list.
• When a rental voucher became available, the city's Housing Navigator helped Bryce obtain critical
documents, find apartments and fill out rental applications.
• Through the city's contract with the Community Resource Center, Bryce got help with his security
deposit, first and last month's rent, and furniture.
• He is now living in his first apartment in thirteen years.
• Bryce continues to meet regularly with his Community Resource Center case manager for long-term
housing stabilization and support as he adapts to his new life.
Reducing Homelessness 11
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 __________________________ _
Judy
Female, age : 63
Years homeless: 5
Placed in long-term care: August 2021
Judy is well known to Carlsbad residents who frequent the
Village, as well as business owners in the area. With severe,
undiagnosed mental illness, Judy was chronically homeless.
One way she coped with her mental health while living on the
streets was to self-medicate with illegal substances, soon
developing a substance use disorder. She was known to scream
at passersby, harass people eating at restaurants, steal from
businesses and defecate in public. The Homeless Outreach
Team frequently received complaints about Judy's behavior. In
2021 officers responded to 109 calls for service from residents
and Village businesses related to Judy.
Recognizing signs of mental illness, Homeless Outreach Team
officers transported Judy 11 times to psychiatric care facilities
so she could be assessed and transitioned into the high level of
care she likely required. Each time, however, she was quickly
In 2021 officers responded to 109 calls
for service from residents and Village
businesses related to Judy and
transported her 11 times to psychiatric
care facilities before ultimately placing
her in a long-term facility where she
could get the help she needed.
released, often the same day she arrived. Many long-term inpatient programs have significant backlogs due
to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Working with the city's Psychiatric Emergency Response Team, the Homeless Outreach Team was able to
refer Judy to a mental health program specializing in serious mental illness. However, her needs exceeded
the services provided, and she once again returned to the streets and her erratic behavior. The situation with
Judy's behavior eventually caused several businesses to reach out to the city, calling for a restraining order.
City staff continued to brainstorm potential options, reaching out to a social worker who had previously been
part of the city's Homeless Outreach Team. This clinician now works for an inpatient mental health facility for
older adults. Because the HOT officers had established a long history with Judy, they were able to provide the
necessary background information to qualify Judy for long-term placement into the facility. Judy has been
admitted and is finally getting the care she needs to treat her illness and is awaiting conservatorship. Her
story demonstrates the institutional barriers and challenges facing those who need mental health treatment.
What worked
• With a dedicated team sensitive to Judy's situation and the effect it was having on our community,
persistence eventually paid off.
• Because the Homeless Outreach Team officers and social workers had developed a long history with
Judy, they were able to be effective advocates, eventually getting her the help she so desperately
needed.
• Relationships with health care facilities and other providers played an important role in Judy with
the services she needed.
Reducing Homelessness
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 __________________________ _
12
Overcoming challenges
Staff have experienced several challenges around the implementation of the City Council's goal to reduce the
homeless unsheltered population, among those who want help, by 50% within five years. Some of these
include:
Multiple service providers
It has been a challenge to coordinate resources when multiple services providers are involved. As the city and
county continue to add more programs, it will be critical for all agencies to meet regularly to ensure outreach
efforts are being effectively administered and coordinated to ensure the most vulnerable individuals are
being prioritized and served.
Data collection
Staff will continue to look at better ways to refine the city's data collection to allow for more real-time
information. This is the city's first quarterly report and staff are working to develop better metrics to
measure progress towards the City Council's goal. Staff hope to get feedback from the City Council to refine
future reports.
There are challenges identifying and measuring service-resistant clients. Different outreach programs have
different philosophies. It may be hard to track who is working with whom and how many times people have
been engaged over a six-month period unless all of the providers are sharing and inputting data in the
Homeless Management Information System.
Limited housing resources
There is a limited number of emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing resources in San Diego
County.
Staff vacancies
There have been transitions and position vacancies on the Housing & Homeless Services Department,
Homeless Outreach Team and social worker team. These vacancies have caused an increase in workload on
the team. New programs have been slower to implement due to these limitations.
Reducing Homelessness
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 __________________________ _
13
Upcoming work
City staff have several new programs on the horizon:
• The Police Department and Housing & Homeless Services Department have designed a new single night
hotel voucher program and referral process. Training was provided, and the program launched in early
November.
• The city is enrolling as a participating agency in the Homeless Management Information System, which
will allow staff to see real-time, unduplicated data of individuals experiencing homelessness in Carlsbad.
This system will help staff help bridge households experiencing homelessness to resources such as the
Windsor Pointe housing project being built to serve low-income individuals and families and people who
are homeless or nearly homeless with mental illness, as well as other regional housing projects, and
monitor the data of the city-funded contractors.
• The Housing & Homeless Services Department is in the process of recruiting and interviewing for several
positions.
• The city will be hosting and organizing the 2022 Point-in-Time Count on Jan. 27, 2022. Volunteer
registration will begin in November. More information will be shared by the Housing & Homeless
Services Department.
• A new rapid rehousing contract will be signed with the Community Resource Center.
• City staff has updated the initiatives and objectives outlined in the 2021 homeless goal work plan
originally approved by the City Council on April 27, 2021, based on the latest direction received from the
City Council on Sept. 28, 2021. An updated work plan is being presented to the City Council to document
the City Council's September direction.
Reducing Homelessness 14
Ql Report: July-Sept. 2021 __________________________ _