The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2021-03-23; City Council; ; Consider Possible Programs to Address Homelessness in the City of Carlsbad, Including a Hotel Voucher Program and a Subcommittee on HomelessnessMeeting Date: March 23, 2021 To: Mayor and City Council From: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Staff Contact: Holly Nelson, Senior Homeless Program Manager Holly.nelson@carlsbadca.gov or 760-434-3824 Jeff Murphy, Director of Community Development jeff.murphy@carlsbadca.gov or 760-602-2721 Subject: Consider Possible Programs to Address Homelessness in the City of Carlsbad, Including a Hotel Voucher Program and a Subcommittee on Homelessness District: All Recommended Action That the City Council: 1)Receive the staff report, consider the program options that are described and provide staff direction, as appropriate, and 2)If the City Council implements program option 7, adopt a resolution authorizing the formation of a standing city council homeless action subcommittee (Exhibit 1) Executive Summary This report is in response to a Dec. 8, 2020, minute motion (Exhibit 2) requesting staff to bring back a Carlsbad hotel voucher program for the homeless in the City of Carlsbad for future discussion (Exhibit 1). While a hotel voucher program may help reduce the unsheltered homeless population in the short term, long-term housing interventions and social programs must also be considered to have any meaningful impact on this issue. Using the goals developed by the city’s Homeless Response Plan (Exhibit 3), the North County Homeless Action Committee’s1 Homeless Action Plan (Exhibit 4), and some of the City Council’s recommendations discussed at its March 11, 2021 goal setting workshop, staff has prepared a menu of possible options available, including a hotel voucher program, for the City Council’s consideration. Each option includes a discussion on rationale, cost, benefits and drawbacks. This list of options is not exhaustive, as there are additional policy choices that were identified during the goal setting workshop. Those additional policy choices will be presented for further City Council discussion on April 20, 2021, as part of the work plan to address the City Council’s homelessness goal. 1 The North County Homeless Action Committee was formed in 2019. It is comprised of elected officials from North County cities, representatives from County Supervisor’s offices, state legislative offices and regional homeless service providers. The purpose of this committee is to create a common understanding of community challenges related to homelessness, discuss current practices in the region and identify gaps in services and resource needs. CA Review __RK__ March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 1 of 41 Discussion The issue of homelessness is a local, state, and national problem. Seventeen out of every 10,000 people or 567,715 total experienced homelessness in the United States in 2019 according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.2 California has the highest homeless population in the country with 151,278 people, and the counties of Los Angeles (58,936)3, Santa Clara (9,706)4, and San Diego (8,102)5 all rank in the top five across the United States. The number of people experiencing homelessness in the City of Carlsbad varies greatly based on the data source being reviewed. The 2020 Point-in-Time Count reflects 147 persons experiencing homelessness in the city, with 94 unsheltered and 53 sheltered, while the city’s Homeless Outreach Team encountered 507 unduplicated individuals in Carlsbad in 2020. 2-1-1 San Diego, a free and confidential resource that connects people to community, health, social and disaster resources, had 231 unduplicated callers experiencing homelessness. This data only reflects the minimum scope of the problem and we do not know the full magnitude of the pandemic and the potential impact on those at-risk or newly homeless. Recognizing the need for regional collaboration, leadership, and support on the issue of homelessness, the City of Carlsbad’s City Council formed the Ad Hoc City Council North County Homeless Action Plan Subcommittee in July 2019 to engage neighboring cities and determine whether there is regional support for participating in a collaborative effort to develop a North County Homeless Action Plan. In 2019, the city’s Ad Hoc Subcommittee met with the North County Homeless Action Committee, which includes six cities in North County, to complete a needs assessment of the number of people experiencing homelessness as well as resources and gaps in services throughout the region. In short, the assessment found there was a lack of temporary and permanent housing in North County to help individuals exit the cycle of the homelessness. 2 National Alliance to End Homelessness (2020). State of Homelessness: 2020 Edition. Retrieved March 13, 2021, from https://www.endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-of-homelessness-2020/ 3Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (2019). 2019 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count – Los Angeles County. Retrieved March 13, 2021, from https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=3423-2019-greater-los-angeles-homeless-count-los-angeles-county.pdf 4Santa Clara County Government (2019). Santa Clara County Homeless Census & Survey Comprehensive Report 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2021, from https://www.sccgov.org/sites/osh/ContinuumofCare/ReportsandPublications/Documents/2015%20Santa%20Clara%20County %20Homeless%20Census%20and%20Survey/2019%20SCC%20Homeless%20Census%20and%20Survey%20Report.pdf 5 Regional Task Force on the Homeless (2019). 2019: WeALLCount Data & Results: General Fact Sheet. Retrieved March 13, 2021, from https://www.rtfhsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Pages-from-2019-General-Fact-Sheet-0429199_final.pdf March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 2 of 41 Based on their findings, the committee members developed and adopted a North County Homeless Action Plan, which focused on three primary goals: • Reduce the unsheltered homeless population by 50% by Jan. 20226 • Increase short-term housing options needed for people experiencing homelessness • Increase long-term housing options to end homelessness for people In the sections below, staff present possible options on how to help achieve the goals identified by the committee, to implement the city’s Homeless Response Plan, and to address some of the goal- setting recommendations of the City Council, by listing the recommendations, rationale, implementation costs, and the potential benefits and drawbacks of each decision. GOAL 1 REDUCE THE UNSHELTERED STREET HOMELESS POPULATION BY 50% BY JAN. 2022 Option 1: employment and benefit specialist Hire one full-time position who will be able to help connect people to disability and social security benefits, general relief, CalWORKS, CalFresh, Veteran benefits, stimulus checks, employment programs, and other aid programs. Rationale The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness published a report in 2016 on “10 Strategies to End Chronic Homelessness.” One of its top recommendations was to help people increase their income through employment opportunities and connection to mainstream benefits. This need is often echoed by our local homeless residents and the Homeless Outreach Team and further supported by 2-1-1 data showing that behind housing resources, access to “income support and employment” was the second most-requested need by individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Carlsbad in 2020. This position would be mobile and have the capability to go into the field exclusively serving our Carlsbad residents. Implementation costs This would be a new full-time management analyst or program manager position, which would report to the homeless response program manager. The cost would be $118,795 a year. • Additionally, an annual operating budget of $20,000 would cover program costs such as client bus passes, postage and mailing expenses, credit checks fees, birth certificates and notary expenses and thrift store clothing vouchers for employment clothes. Benefits • Help provide vulnerable clients with an income source, access entitlements, or employment resources to help them meet their basic needs, access public benefits, and obtain permanent housing. 6 The term unsheltered from HUD is defined as “anyone whose primary nighttime residence – where they sleep is a place not designed or ordinary used for sleeping, including cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, airports, camping grounds, etc.” The North County Homeless Action Committee is using 2019 Point-In-Time Count data as their baseline. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 3 of 41 • This staff person would be a city employee and under city direction, adding longevity in staffing and the ability to build long-lasting relationships. • The benefits obtained by this employee for the client may offset costs and services provided by the city. • Staff will be able to leverage county housing resources through the Housing and Disability Advocate Program to help individuals applying for disability benefits with housing assistance. Drawbacks • Difficult and challenging to meet with clients in the field and collect documents. • Staff may receive a high volume of calls from clients experiencing homelessness in Carlsbad and surrounding communities. • Similar services are provided through other entities, such as nonprofits or the county. Option 2: Additional homeless outreach officers Two options are being proposed under this recommendation: • Alternative 1: Hire a second homelessness team made up of one police sergeant and four police officers who will complement the existing team. This team would be primarily deployed on bike and foot patrol as homeless outreach officers providing additional seven-day-a-week coverage. • Alternative 2: Hire one police sergeant and two police officers to be primarily deployed on bike and foot patrol as homeless outreach officers providing additional four-day-a-week coverage. Rationale (both alternatives): This would give the existing Homeless Outreach Team the ability to expand its outreach capabilities. The team currently consists of one sergeant and four officers, providing seven-day- a-week coverage for 10 hours per day. This additional resource is consistent with community- based policing practices and will enhance outreach to the homeless community while providing additional resources to be more responsive in addressing quality of life concerns for businesses and residents. The Carlsbad Police Department received 438 homeless-related calls for service in January 2021, a 20% increase from that same reporting period in January 2020. In February 2021, the team saw its homeless-related calls for service increase from the previous month to 452 calls, a 24% increase compared to February 2020. Having an additional homeless outreach sergeant would provide seven-day-a-week homeless outreach supervision for the team and allow officers on bike and foot patrol to respond to the community and business owners’ concerns, provide education, serve as liaisons for patrol officers and create a more consistent presence. If four additional officers are approved, two of the new officers would be deployed from Sunday-Wednesday and two of the new officers would be in the field from Wednesday- Saturday. The other four existing Homeless Outreach Officers would continue to work with the social workers and focus on homeless outreach, case management and encampment cleanups. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 4 of 41 If two additional officers were approved, the officers’ schedule would be determined and prioritized based on the homeless-related calls for service. Implementation costs (Alternative 1) The tables below breakdown the costs the first-year cost and ongoing costs for this alternative. Year one expenses Personnel Personnel costs Equipment, training Total 1 FTE sergeant $195,991 $90,700 $286,691 4 FTE officers $596,776 $366,800 $963,576 4 Electric bikes $6,000 $6,000 $1,256,267 Ongoing annual expenses Personnel Personnel costs Equipment, training Total 1 FTE sergeant $195,991 $38,200 $234,191 4 FTE officers $569,776 $136,800 $706,576 Bike maintenance $600 $1200 $941,967 Implementation costs (Alternative 2) The tables below break down the costs the first-year cost and ongoing costs for this alternative. Year one expenses Personnel Personnel costs Equipment, training Total 1 FTE sergeant $195,991 $90,700 $286,691 2 FTE officers $298,388 $183,400 $481,788 2 Electric Bikes $3,000 $3,000 $771,479 Ongoing annual expenses Personnel Personnel costs Equipment, training Total 1 FTE sergeant $195,991 $38,200 $234,191 2 FTE officers $298,388 $68,400 $366,788 Bike maintenance $300 $300 $601,279 Benefits • Additional support, visibility, and coverage to the downtown area. • Allow the Homeless Outreach Team to be more responsive to the needs of the community. Drawbacks • Added cost to the city. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 5 of 41 Option 3: Enhancing clinical services at La Posada Emergency Shelter Implement a three-year pilot program allocating $180,000 per year for additional resources at the La Posada Emergency Shelter to ensure it can operate as what is known as a “low-barrier” 7 shelter. As part of this program, the city would contract with La Posada to hire two licensed clinicians and provide the agency with additional training dollars for its staff. This program would be in addition to the city’s continued work with Catholic Charities to investigate into the feasibility of expanding its existing shelter facilities to accommodate more beds. Rationale During the 2018 Point-in-Time Count, volunteers asked unsheltered clients living in San Diego County about their barriers to accessing emergency shelter. Eighteen percent reported shelter restrictions, 12% reported separating from family, friends, or pets on the streets, 3% reported addiction to alcohol/drugs, and 10% reported being waitlisted. If La Posada could remove some of these barriers, it could enable more people experiencing homelessness to access the shelter facility. 2-1-1 San Diego reported 42% of its clients experiencing homelessness in Carlsbad requested housing, specifically community shelter, and 67% of those individuals identified that need as “immediate.” Creating a low-barrier, housing first shelter is a best-practice recommendation by homeless experts across the country. In the Regional Task Force on the Homeless’ Policy Guidelines in Addressing Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Throughout San Diego, the agency states, "stakeholders should address these common reasons for shelter avoidance through low- barrier approaches and message their policy changes to individuals residing in encampments during outreach and engagement efforts." The task force continues to recommend “system level training and certification opportunities should be made available to relevant staff and outreach personnel across the region on topics including Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, Crisis Intervention, Harm Reduction, Burnout, and Mental Health First Aid.”8 Shelter barriers screen out the most vulnerable individuals with identification requirements, animals, substance use and mental health disorders, length of stay, number of stays, chores, and case management requirements. These existing rules and regulations may be reduced or eliminated at La Posada, so the shelter can operate from a true housing-first approach to allow more individuals access housing. Asked what resources were needed to support this change, Catholic Charities staff recommended hiring licensed clinicians and providing additional training funding to the team. Implementation costs The average annual cost for a licensed mental health clinician is $75,000. Two clinicians are proposed for a total of $150,000 total. The city would also need to provide $30,000 for training each year. The total implementation cost would be $180,000 per year for three years. 7 “Low Barrier” refers to the best practices to reduce barriers to entry, and may include, but is not limited to, the following: the presence of partners if it is not a population-specific site, such as for survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault, women, or youth; pets; the storage of possessions; and privacy, such as partitions around beds in a dormitory setting or in larger rooms containing more than two beds, or private rooms. 8 Regional Task Force on the Homeless (2020). Policy Guidelines for Regional Response for Addressing Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Throughout San Diego County March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 6 of 41 Benefits • La Posada is established and can be a low-barrier, housing-focused emergency shelter, which would allow greater access for the unsheltered homeless population not only in Carlsbad, but also in North County. • This option would increase its staff’s knowledge of trauma, substance use disorders, mental health disorders and provide them with more coping skills to de-escalate situations. • Having more skills may reduce onsite crises, law enforcement involvement, and psychiatric hospitalizations. Drawbacks • The shelter serves only men. • Accepting individuals with lower barriers may generate more police calls for service, because the facility is serving a higher needs population. GOAL 2 EXPAND SHORT-TERM HOUSING OPTIONS NEEDED FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS Option 4: Hotel/motel voucher program California was the first state in the nation to secure hotel and motel rooms to provide non- congregate housing for the homeless in response to the COVID-19 public health crisis. The state developed Project Roomkey with Federal Emergency Management Agency funding and acquired 15,000 hotel rooms across the state for individuals who were at-risk, exposed, or unable to self-isolate from COVID-19. The County of San Diego acquired over 2,000 hotel rooms throughout the region for people who needed to be quarantined. The County identified a hotel site in Carlsbad to be used to serve this at-risk population. Interfaith Community Services was the contracted service provider, and the city reassigned their homeless outreach clinicians and their homeless outreach officers to work at this location from March – July 2020. The project served 59 individuals from the cities of Carlsbad, Oceanside and Escondido. Fifty of the 59 participants said they were from the City of Carlsbad. All individuals placed at the hotel site were 65 years or older or had an underlying medical condition. Out of 59 individuals served, 39 individuals or 66% had a positive discharge and moved into transitional housing, permanent housing, higher level of care (such as a skilled nursing facility, mental health program, or substance use treatment services), or to another at-risk hotel resource. Based on the research performed, an option for the City Council to consider is the allocation of $3.2 million to fund a 12-month hotel/motel voucher program in the City of Carlsbad that provides a low-barrier shelter focusing on permanent housing options to serve women, families, individuals living in encampments, high utilizers, individuals with an underlining medical condition, and age 65+. Upon direction, staff will work to identify a location(s) willing to participate with the program. The overall goal is to have 50% of the clientele get bridged to a permanent housing, 30% find an emergency or temporary housing placement, and less than March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 7 of 41 20% exit back to the streets of Carlsbad. Staff would evaluate the effectiveness of the hotel voucher program’s outcomes before making a determination whether to renew the contract for an additional year. As part of this program, the city would utilize the cooperative purchasing agreement (3.28.100) or the government agency exception under 3.28.110(F) and contract with the County’s Emergency Non-Congregate Care Sheltering Program with ResCare/Equus. This agency would be responsible for subcontracting out items such as security, laundry, food service, transportation, case management as well as carrying liability insurance for the project. The program would have a tentative start as soon as possible. It will be “housing-focused” in nature and individuals will be able to stay in the program up to 6 months. The program would also require the hiring of one full-time position (Program Manager level) to run and support the implementation and ongoing operations related to this program. Approximately 50% of the new position’s time would be dedicated to the new voucher program, while the remaining position would be utilized to help implement other homelessness related programs and responsibilities. The total fiscal impact of this position would be $118,795 per year. It will take time to recruit and hire for this position. In order to start this program, the current Homeless Response Program Manager will have to assume this responsibility. As such, this will likely delay the development and implementation of other homelessness related program options that are discussed in this report. Rationale There is a demonstrated need within the City of Carlsbad for such a program. The number of homeless individuals in the city far exceeds the number of existing shelter beds. The city currently has one emergency shelter La Posada which has 50 beds and serves men only. In 2019, 1,142 men, women, and children were served in 144 shelter beds in North County. Housing Inventory Count showed there was a 92% housing utilization of all emergency shelter beds during the Point-in-Time Count. The City of Carlsbad has no emergency shelter for women which make up nearly a third of our identified homeless population. The Coordinated Entry System continues to prioritize individuals staying in the non-congregate shelters with housing resources. Evidence shows during the pandemic that the unsheltered homeless population will accept housing if it is the right fit for them. Implementation Costs Funding a non-congregate shelter for people experiencing homelessness during COVID-19 is now 100% reimbursable through FEMA/Project RoomKey until September 30, 2021. A 12- month case management contract would be needed to help individuals find permanent housing resources. Staff has projected the total implementation cost without FEMA reimbursements, but they anticipate the total cost of operating the hotel voucher program to the city from October 2021 – May 2022 would be closer to $2 million out-of-pocket. A detailed budget and contract document would be presented to the City Council based on the contract with the hotel vendor and case management provider. The table below represents the estimated monthly operational costs associated with the operation of the at-risk hotel in Carlsbad between March 20, 2020 - July 31, 2020. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 8 of 41 Description Assumptions Approximate monthly cost 40 hotel rooms All amenities included $156,000 Services Meals, laundry, transportation, case management $63,000 Security Assumes two guards per location 24 hours/day $31,000 Case management Bridge individuals to housing resources $10,000 Totals Estimated monthly cost $260,000 Estimated annual cost $3,200,000 Note: The numbers in this chart do not reflect the $118,795 a year for the program manager position. Benefits • Impact on unsheltered homeless population would be immediate. • Adds more shelter for females and other vulnerable individuals. • Allows individuals to shelter with their pets, partners, and families. • Staff at the County of San Diego reported most individuals experiencing homelessness would meet one of the 23 conditions deemed “at increased risk” by the CDC and eligible for FEMA reimbursement.9 • The program manager position will help implement other homelessness related programs and responsibilities Drawbacks • Other homelessness roles and responsibilities will need to be suspended until the program manager position is authorized and hired. • General fund expense once FEMA-reimbursements expire. • May generate police-calls to the facility. • May attract more homeless individuals to Carlsbad. • If a hotel room is vacant and is unable to be filled for a night, it would not be reimbursable by FEMA and the cost would be incurred by the city. • There is potential liability risk when operating at-risk hotel program. • As the county public health restrictions begin to lift and hotels increase their occupancy rates, it may be difficult to find a hotel that is willing to partner with the city on hotel voucher program. Lessons learned In preparing this report, staff met with several different jurisdictions with experience operating hotel voucher programs. The cities of Encinitas, Oceanside and the unincorporated regions like Fallbrook and Valley Center have used hotel voucher programs to provide safer alternative to traditional congregant housing situations or encampments. Staff reviewed different hotel voucher program examples both pre-COVID and during COVID. All of the programs serve people experiencing homelessness, but how they operate varies greatly. Staff researched and 9 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021). COVID-19: People with Certain Medical Conditions. Retrieved March 3, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 9 of 41 evaluated each example to see what models would be most advantageous for the City of Carlsbad. It is important to note that nearly all of the hotel voucher programs staff encountered in their research were dedicated to finding clients permanent housing. Staff learned that a hotel voucher program should not be a stand-alone program. It is also important to contract with a service provider that has experience in case management, housing placement and who can subcontract with other necessary vendors and hold liability insurance. Additionally, staff found onsite security to be valuable along with having clients sign a program agreement upon entry to the hotel. Option 5: Bed prioritization Authorize a one-time amount not to exceed $200,000 to be donated to the Alliance for Regional Solutions to have bed prioritization for the Homeless Outreach Team to shelter homeless individuals, including women and families. Staff will evaluate the effectiveness of this program after the first year and will return to the City Council if additional funding requests are recommended. Rationale Other cities, including the City of Vista, are making donations to the shelter system to get prioritization for their jurisdiction’s clients. In 2020, the City of Vista donated $200,000 to the Alliance for Regional Solutions to gain bed prioritization at La Posada and Haven House. If the City of Carlsbad followed suit, the city would be able to expand its housing options for the homeless, again including women and families, when there is are shelter beds available. Implementation costs Not to exceed $200,000. Benefits • Increase housing options for women and families with children. • Help the Homeless Outreach Team get its clients into programs more quickly and efficiently. Drawbacks • Shelter capacity has been reduced at Haven House from 49 beds to 20 beds due to the COVID pandemic and currently there are only six beds allocated to women. • Limited availability. • May attract more homeless individuals to Carlsbad. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 10 of 41 GOAL 3 INCREASE LONG-TERM HOUSING OPTIONS TO END HOMELESSNESS FOR PEOPLE Option 6: Increased Community Resource Center services Authorize up to $450,000 to amend, increase, and extend the state Assembly District 76 contract with Community Resource Center to provide housing to those who are experiencing homelessness in Carlsbad. Rationale The city currently has a contract in place with Community Resource Center operating the Assembly District 76 contract with one-time funding from the state. This type of rapid rehousing program has been an effective model in reducing homelessness by providing permanent housing. Community Resource Center staff are familiar with the clients, landlords and Homeless Outreach Team in Carlsbad. The city has been pleased with their work performance and housing outcomes, because the program has housed 23 households experiencing or at-risk of homelessness from the City of Carlsbad and continues to actively support 26 residents secure or maintain their housing status. This program would nicely compliment the city’s Flexible Housing Pool Program being done with the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. Implementation costs The existing contract is currently funded at $237,500. To implement to option staff estimates an additional $212,500 is needed for a total contribution of $450,000 and extended to accomplish this goal. This is an annual cost. Benefits • Allows the city to build on an existing contract that is successfully serving the homeless community. • Provides additional resources and stabilization to clients currently in our program to avoid homelessness. • Allows the city to control its own rental subsidy program for individuals experiencing homelessness. Drawbacks • There are other county and regional programs that provide similar services that would not require city funding. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 11 of 41 REGIONAL COLLABORATION EFFORTS Option 7: Formation of a standing committee on homelessness Change the status of the North County Homeless Action Committee from an ad hoc subcommittee to a standing committee effective immediately in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act. Rationale The City of Carlsbad created the Ad-Hoc City Council North County Homeless Action Plan Subcommittee on July 23, 2019 (Resolution 2019-136). The purpose of this subcommittee was to determine whether there was regional support in participating in the development of a North County Homeless Action Plan with neighboring cities. The ad hoc subcommittee met several times and agreed upon three regional goals in December 2019. These goals recommended expanding temporary and permanent housing resources to help reduce the unsheltered population in North County. The group has been in existence for 18 months. It would be valuable to have a formal committee established as homelessness continue to be a top priority for the city and for north county. Implementation • Create a new resolution formally changing the Ad Hoc North County Homeless Action Subcommittee to the North County Homeless Action Committee. (Exhibit 2: North County Homeless Action Committee Resolution) Benefits • Changing the group from an ad hoc subcommittee to a committee acknowledges to the community that homelessness is an important issue to the City Council and conveys the council’s desire to work with neighboring jurisdictions to find solutions. • The committee will operate in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, which would allow for greater transparency with the public on issues related to homelessness. Drawbacks • Other jurisdictions may not see the need for a standing committee. Fiscal Analysis Costs associated with the above discussed options are listed below. A description of each funding source is provided in Exhibit 5. Option Description Year one cost Ongoing annual cost 1 Employment and benefit specialist $138,795 $138,795 2 Additional homeless outreach officers $1,256,267 $941,967 3 Enhancing La Posada Emergency shelter $180,000 $180,000 4 Hotel/motel voucher program $3,200,000 To be determined 4a. Program manager $118,795 $118,795 5 Bed prioritization $200,000 $0 6 Community Resource Center services $450,000 $450,000 Total costs $5,593,807 $1,829,507 March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 12 of 41 It should be noted that if Option 2’s alternative of hiring one sergeant and two officers is used, there will be a reduction of $484,788 in the first-year costs and a reduction of $340,688 in the ongoing annual cost. It is expected that most of these funds would come out the General Fund. Staff is continuing to analyze alternative funding sources including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, federal Community Development Block Grants, HUD’s Housing Trust Fund, and the American Rescue Plan Act among others, as described in Exhibit 4. Staff’s priority would be to use alternative funding sources to the greatest extent possible and, depending on the City Council’s actions, staff will incorporate the City Council’s direction into building the fiscal year 21-22 budget. Next Steps Staff will initiate the development and implementation of those options selected by the City Council and will return to the council with the appropriate resolutions. Environmental Evaluation (CEQA) In keeping with California Public Resources Code section 21065, this action does not constitute a "project" within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act in that it has no potential to cause either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment and therefore does not require environmental review and is not subject to CEQA under Section 15060(c)(3). This determination is predicated on Section 15004 of the guidelines, which provide direction to lead agencies on the appropriate timing for environmental review. It should be noted that future actions involving the options listed above may require preparation of an environmental document in accordance with the CEQA guidelines. Public Notification and Outreach Public notice of this item was posted in keeping with the state's Ralph M. Brown Act and it was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours before the scheduled meeting date. Exhibits 1. City Council resolution 2. Dec. 8, 2020, minute motion 3. Homelessness Action Plan 4. Homelessness Response Plan 5. Possible homelessness funding sources March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 13 of 41 RESOLUTION NO. 2021-070 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING THE FORMATION OF A STANDING CITY COUNCIL HOMELESS ACTION SUBCOMMITTEE WHEREAS, on July 23, 2019, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2019-136 authorizing the formation of the Ad Hoc City Council North County Homeless Action Plan Subcommittee to engage neighboring cities and determine whether there is regional support for participating in a collaborative effort to develop a North County Homeless Action Plan; and WHEREAS, on Oct. 22, 2019, the Ad Hoc City Council North County Homeless Action Plan Subcommittee provided a report on its efforts to the City Council; and WHEREAS, on Nov. 19, 2019, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2019-243 authorizing the extension of the Ad Hoc City Council North County Homeless Action Plan Subcommittee to engage neighboring cities and determine whether there is regional support for participating in a collaborative effort to develop a North County Homeless Action Plan; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California has determined that formation of a standing Homeless Action Subcommittee is needed to receive information and advise the City Council on the prevention, assistance and reduction of homelessness. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California, as follows: 1.That the above recitations are true and correct. 2.That a standing Homeless Action Subcommittee comprised of the following two City Council members is hereby formed: (a) Mayor Hall; (b) Councilrnember Schumacher 3.That beginning in 2022, and in each even-numbered year thereafter, members of the City Council shall be appointed to the Homeless Action Subcommittee upon reorganization of the City Council, pursuant to Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 2.04.100. 4.The purpose of this subcommittee is to identify and guide strategic local and regional solutions that prevent, assist and reduce homelessness in Carlsbad; coordinate and collaborate with North County leaders to leverage funding and resources; and March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 14 of 41 minimize the negative impact of homelessness to residents, businesses and governments. 5. That the duties of the subcommittee will be to: a.Receive information and advise the City Council on local and regional needs, policies, plans and recommendations to prevent, assist and reduce homelessness and impacts related to homelessness; b.Partner with other jurisdictions to effectively reduce the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in North County San Diego; c.Make recommendations to City Council on ways to: •increase emergency, transitional, permanent supportive housing and affordable housing inventory throughout the region; •increase and improve substance use resources and access to mental health care in North County; •coordinate and strengthen existing institutions, including but not limited to criminal justice, child welfare, education, and local hospitals to ensure sufficient resources are in place to prevent and divert the inflow of individuals entering the homeless system; •remove systematic barriers to increase equitable access for persons experiencing homelessness; •improve coordinated entry points and access to countywide resources for persons experiencing homelessness; d.Advocate to end homelessness through effective policy development and implementation at the federal, state, and local level using data-driven solutions and listening to individuals with lived experience. e.Review progress on the City Council goals related to homelessness. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 15 of 41 PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad on the 23rd day of March 2021, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Hall, Blackburn, Acosta, Bhat-Patel, Schumacher. NAYS: None. ABSENT: None. MATT HALL, Mayor 3_1011C—kgc. BARBARA ENGLESON, City Clerk ./ (SEAL) March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 16 of 41 December 8, 2020 Carlsbad City Council Regular Meeting Page 4 approving the contract documents, plans and specifications for the City Facility Safety and Parking Lot Lighting Project, CIP No. 6074, at Calavera Hills, Poinsettia and Stagecoach Community Parks and authorizing the city clerk to advertise the project for public bids. (Staff contact: Tim SeIke, Parks & Recreation) Council Member Schumacher commented that city projects that include public safety and lighting should involve representations from each district. She further commented that going forward she would like equal consideration given to all districts. Motion by Council Member Schumacher, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Blackburn, to adopt Resolution No. 2020-229. Motion carried unanimously, 5/0. ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION: None. ORDINANCE FOR ADOPTION: None. PUBLIC HEARINGS: None. DEPARTMENTAL AND CITY MANAGER REPORTS: 10. COVID-19 ACTIONS AND EXPENDITURES REPORT — Receive a report on recent actions and expenditures related to the city's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and provide direction as appropriate. (Staff contact: Geoff Patnoe, City Manager Department) City Manager's Recommendation: Receive the report and provide direction as appropriate. Assistant Director of Emergency Services David Harrison, Deputy City Manager Gary Barberio, Police Chief Neil Gallucci, Senior Program Manager Holly Nelson, Fire Department Chief Michael Calderwood, Chief Innovation Officer David Graham, Deputy City Manager Laura Rocha, and City Manager Scott Chadwick presented the report and reviewed a PowerPoint presentation (on file in the Office of the City Clerk). In response to an inquiry from Council Member Schumacher, Senior Program Manager Holly Nelson explained that the vouchers applied for are for permanent housing resources or Section 8 vouchers from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She further explained that beneficiaries would be able to use the vouchers in the City of Carlsbad and that it would be a subsidy and not a short-term voucher. She added that the County of San Diego does have a hotel placement program for homeless that are at risk or exposed to COVID-19. In response to an inquiry from Council Member Schumacher, Senior Program Manager Nelson explained that the City of Carlsbad does not currently have a hotel voucher program but the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) does help the homeless with housing resources. EXHIBIT 2 March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 17 of 41 December 8, 2020 Carlsbad City Council Regular Meeting Page 5 Minute Motion by Council Member Schumacher, seconded by Council Member Bhat-Patel, requesting staff to bring back a Carlsbad hotel voucher program for homeless in the City of Carlsbad for a future discussion. Motion Carried, 4/1 (Hall — No). The following individual called into the City Council Meeting and voiced their comment for the record: Pierre Cochet-Weinandt spoke about the recent stay at home orders by the State of California and the issues regarding the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic. City Council received the report. 11.APPROVAL OF COUNCIL POLICY NO. 90 - ADMINISTRATION OF THE CARLSBAD HOUSING TRUST FUND (ALL DISTRICTS) — Adoption of Resolution No. 2020-233 approving City Council Policy No. 90 — Administration of the Carlsbad Housing Trust Fund. (Staff contact: Jeff Murphy, Community Development) City Manager's Recommendation: Adopt the resolution. Community Development Director Jeff Murphy presented the report and reviewed a PowerPoint presentation (on file in the Office of the City Clerk). Council Member Schumacher requested a change in language for the Council Policy under Section 1. — Use of the Funds, Point H. She suggested to strike the wording of "As a general guide" and change "should" to "shall". Motion by Council Member Schumacher, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Blackburn, to adopt Resolution No. 2020-233 as amended. Motion carried unanimously, 5/0. 12.AMENDMENTS TO COUNCIL POLICY NO. 73 — CITY OPTIONS TO PURCHASE RESALE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND APPROVE NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING RESALE PROGRAM GUIDELINES — Adoption of Resolution No. 2020-234 approving amendments to City Council Policy No. 73 regarding the city option to purchase resale affordable housing and approving affordable housing resale program guidelines. (Staff contact: David de Cordova, Community Development) City Manager's Recommendation: Adopt the resolution. Housing Services Manager David de Cordova presented the report and reviewed a PowerPoint presentation (on file in the Office of the City Clerk). The following individual called into the City Council Meeting and voiced their comment for the record: March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 18 of 41 December 8, 2020 Carlsbad City Council Regular Meeting Page 6 Lyssa Qualls spoke in support of the program and advocated for low income housing. She also gave some future suggestions for funding of housing programs. Motion by Mayor Pro Tern Blackburn, seconded by Council Member Bhat-Patel, to adopt Resolution No. 2020-234. Motion carried unanimously, 5/0. Mayor Hall declared a recess at 4:43 p.m. Mayor Hall reconvened the meeting at 4:48 p.m. 13. HOTEL EMPLOYEE RECALL RIGHTS ORDINANCE — 1) Introduce an urgency ordinance amending Carlsbad Municipal Code Title 5, with the addition of Chapter 5.70, Hotel Employee Recall Rights; 2) Introduce an ordinance amending Carlsbad Municipal Code Title 5, with the addition of Chapter 5.70, Hotel Employee Recall Rights. (Staff contact: Cindie McMahon, City Attorney) City Manager's Recommendation: Introduce the ordinances. City Attorney Celia Brewer explained some procedural issues regarding the item. She explained that an urgency ordinance has two requirements to become effective. She explained that it requires that the City Council make the urgency findings that were set forth in the ordinance and it also requires a 4/5 vote of the City Council to pass. She further explained that in the event that an urgency ordinance findings are challenged, staff recommends adopting a traditional ordinance. She added that because an emergency ordinance becomes effective immediately upon adoption, the traditional ordinance would be introduced, adopted and become effective 30 days later. She further added that if the City Council cannot make the urgency findings, they should only adopt the traditional ordinance and not the urgency ordinance as the traditional ordinance only requires the majority of the City Council vote and would thus require the introduction, the adoption, and become effective 30 days after. Assistant City Attorney Cindie McMahon presented the report and reviewed a PowerPoint presentation (on file in the Office of the City Clerk). The following individuals called into the City Council Meeting and voiced their support for the item: Yusef Miller; Ian Seruelo; Cristina Diaz; Aleena Jun Nawabi; Erin Tsurumoto Grassi; and Lollie McIntire. The following individual called into the City Council Meeting and voiced their opposition to the item: Bret Schanzenbach. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 19 of 41 December 8, 2020 Carlsbad City Council Regular Meeting Page 7 Mayor Pro Tern Blackburn requested a change in language to the Ordinance for the following: 1.Under Section 5.70.020 - Definitions: Strike the word "two" and replace with "ten". 2.Under Section 5.70.030 - Right of Recall, Item C: Strike the number "10" and replace with 1/511 . Council Member Bhat-Patel requested a change in language to the Ordinance for the following: 1.Under Section 5.70.070 - Exemption for collective bargaining agreement: Strike the language "A collective bargaining agreement in place on the effective date of this chapter that contains a right of recall provision supersedes the provisions of this chapter. When the collective bargaining agreement expires or its terms are otherwise open for renegotiation or amendment" 2.Under Section 5.70.040 - Notification of Rights: Add language "laid off employees must be provided written notice by the employer of non-selection within 30 days of the date of hire documenting the reasons for the decision" Mayor Hall declared a recess at 5:50 p.m. Mayor Hall reconvened the meeting at 5:55 p.m. City Attorney Celia Brewer titled the urgency ordinance. Motion by Mayor Pro Tern Blackburn, seconded by Council Member Bhat-Patel, to adopt urgency Ordinance No. 387 as amended. Motion carried, 4/1 (Hall — No). City Attorney Celia Brewer titled the ordinance. Motion by Mayor Pro Tern Blackburn, seconded by Council Member Bhat-Patel, to adopt urgency Ordinance No. 388 as amended. Motion carried, 4/1 (Hall — No). COUNCIL REPORTS AND COMMENTS: Mayor Hall and the City Council Members reported on activities and meetings of some committees and subcommittees of which they are members. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS: None. CITY ATTORNEY COMMENTS: None. CITY CLERK COMMENTS: None. ANNOUNCEMENTS: None. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 20 of 41 EXHIBIT 3March 23, 2021Item #10 Page 21 of 41 March 23, 2021Item #10 Page 22 of 41 March 23, 2021Item #10 Page 23 of 41 March 23, 2021Item #10 Page 24 of 41 March 23, 2021Item #10 Page 25 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan Ccityof Carlsbad EXHIBIT 4 . ' ' ··i March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 26 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 12 Contents Mission Statement .......................................................................................................................... 3 Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Impact Statement ........................................................................................................................... 3 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Neighboring Cities Response ............................................................ : ............................................. 6 Community Partnerships ................................................................................................................ 7 Strategic Plan Development ........................................................................................................... 8 Measuring Success .......................................................................................................................... 8 City Departments Coordinated Work ............................................................................................. 9 Strategies ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Action Items & Status ................................................................................................................... 12 March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 27 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 13 Mission Statement Enhance the quality of life for all who live in Carlsbad by actively leveraging and deploying cityresources in a compassionate and effective manner, and by facilitating access to resourcesprovided by others. Purpose The Homeless Response Plan establishes key principles and system responses that the city willemploy to address the community impacts of homelessness. The plan identifies the role of theCity of Carlsbad in addressing homelessness and defines its function as distinct from other tiersof government and community partnerships. The plan provides strategies aimed at: 1.Preventing, reducing and managing homelessness in Carlsbad;2.Supporting and building capacity within the city and community to addresshomelessness; 3.Encouraging collaboration within the city, community partnerships and residents.4.Retaining, protecting and increasing the supply of housing. Impact Statement The Homeless Response Plan commits to reduce the impact of homelessness on city resourcesand the Carlsbad community while working to meet the complex needs of the homeless. Background In the past couple of years, the City of Carlsbad has experienced an increase in issues caused byhomelessness, including increased calls for emergency and police services and citizen complaints.Residents and other community members, including business owners, are requesting a responsefrom the city to address the increasing impacts associated with this challenging issue, both to thehomeless individuals themselves and to the surrounding community. The reasons for homelessness are many and often complicated and time consuming to resolve.To better understand the specific needs and the impacts of the homeless on the Carlsbadcommunity, Housing & Neighborhood Services convened a working group of staff from several· city departments, including Police, Fire, Library, Parks & Recreation, Public Works, and the CityAttorney's Office to share experiences and collaborate on potential strategies. This informalworking group, known internally as the Homeless Response Team (HRT), met several times with the goal of developing a proactive, solution-oriented program to address the challenge. While we will coordinate with other cities and other regional service organizations to meet the needsof the homeless, the Carlsbad HRT intends to start with a full assessment of our challenge inCarlsbad and stay focused on addressing the needs of our homeless residents as a first priority. We intend to work more closely with other cities to expand the model out to help other cities through an ongoing collaborative approach. There is potential negative impact to surroundingcities when one city begins putting pressure on their homeless residents to make changes. We March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 28 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 14 hope to resolve the crisis to the greatest degree possible for Carlsbad, and not just relocate it to another city. As part of this working group effort, a decision was made to participate actively in the annual Regional Task Force on the Homeless Point-In-Time Count which occurred on January 27, 2017. City staff and volunteers that know the city well went into the field and took the counts, and subsequently conducted interviews of a sample of the homeless as prescribed by the Task Force. It was very important to get a more accurate count of the homeless to allow staff to better understand the homeless population in Carlsbad specifically. With a more accurate count, it is anticipated that the City will have much better access to state and federal funding to help us to address the needs of the homeless in our community. The Regional Task Force on the Homeless released the 2017 WeA//Count/Point-in-Time Count results in late April, 2017. The total homeless count for Carlsbad is 160; 59 sheltered and 101 unsheltered. In addition to receiving the final counts from the Regional Task Force on the Homeless, the following tasks have also been completed since January, 2017: • Survey of local service, community and faith-based organizations to identify the resources and services currently being provided to Carlsbad homeless residents, and beginning to identify the gaps. • Developed a resource guide for city departments to help provide referrals and information to the homeless community. • Began effort to identify local social service agencies, churches, service groups, businesses and residents serving the homeless population and what each can do to help. • Ongoing research for alternative affordable housing and homeless shelter opportunities. • Learning from the City of Oceanside Homeless Outreach Team on its model for how to assess the homeless population and identify how to assist them from a range of solutions, and from the City of San Diego, through its City Attorney's Office. Overview The reasons for homelessness in Carlsbad and other cities throughout the nation are many, and often different for each individual. Some of the causes of homelessness are: • Poverty • Physical and/or sexual abuse • Unemployment • Victims of financial or identify theft • Lack of affordable housing • Escalating health care costs • Poor physical or mental health • Aging out of foster care system with no • Drug and Alcohol Abuse support • Gambling • Human trafficking • Family and relationship breakdown • Lack of transportation or access to • Domestic violence services for various reasons March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 29 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 15 A homeless person could be homeless for one, several or all of the above reasons. These factorsnot only cause a person to become homeless, but can be the reasons a person remains homeless.The solutions are not easy, and often require a multi-pronged and individualized response. Regional efforts have been made to present a unified response to homelessness in San DiegoCounty specifically, and considerable funding has been made available to address the needs.Unfortunately, these efforts have had limited success to date and the homeless populations inSan Diego County are continuing to grow. Because the reasons are many, the solutions whichwould allow a homeless person to be housed and remain successfully housed are difficult andcomplex to resolve; the solutions require a more comprehensive understanding of the individualneeds and take considerable time to case manage each person. It is staff's opinion that the current service environment to address the needs of the homelesshas not been more successful because 1) services have not been well-coordinated and there islimited collaboration among service agencies; 2) there is duplication of effort in many services due to overlapping organizational missions; 3) there is competition for available funding tosustain individual organizations rather than to expand services through partnerships; and 4)homeless have difficulty accessing the services for a variety of reasons, including lack oftransportation to the service locations. The 2016 Point-in-Time Count by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless indicated thatCarlsbad had 67 homeless in emergency shelters, 16 unsheltered homeless individuals, and 26homeless living in their vehicles (RV, car, truck, etc.). The 2017 Point-in-Time Count indicates thatCarlsbad has homeless in emergency shelters, homeless living in their vehicles or self-madestructures, and unsheltered homeless residents. The count indicates that there has been anincrease in homeless residents in Carlsbad. Based on Police records, there have been 769 callsfor service related to homeless individuals since August of 2016. The Police are averaging 240calls per month, 10 calls per day. These statistics indicate that the population could be larger inCarlsbad than reported by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. However, the official countdoes indicate an increase, even with all of the efforts to date to house the homeless throughoutSan Diego County. Based on data from emergency responders and medical service providers throughout the SanDiego region, it is estimated that it costs $45,000 to $50,000 per year to provide assistance to one homeless resident from a medical emergency response and care standpoint. Typically, the Fire Department responds to health crisis calls for the homeless. When you consider responsecosts for the Fire Department, transport to the hospital, and related hospital costs for individuals with no insurance, the cost per person adds up fairly fast. If we use the count of 100 unsheltered homeless residents in Carlsbad, this has a related medical response and service cost of$4,500,000 to $5,000,000 on an annual basis, which is significant. The Police Department estimates that it utilizes about 3600 police officer hours per year torespond to calls related to ·homeless individuals; these calls for service range from suspicious March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 30 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 16 individual, to disruptive behavior to criminal or threatening activity. When we consider the fully burdened hourly cost of a police officer at $99..79, the annual cost for police service calls is estimated to be about $360,000 per year. The homeless do use free public services and facilities, such as the library, senior center and city parks. Various service groups provide food to the homeless at city parks. There have, however, been some complaints about the behavior and/or "look" of the homeless residents frequenting these public facilities. Unfortunately, over the past few years, the city has also seen an increase in criminal activity associated with some of the homeless residents; this activity is generally drug or alcohol related and/or petty theft or other nuisance crimes (such as smoking in the parks, overnight parking/camping on the public streets). The city has experienced problems with homeless encampments in open space and habitat preserve areas, as well as in public facilities such as landscape medians or other areas, large storm water pipes or other utility pipes that are pending completion of construction projects, and storm drains and drainage channels. Homeless residents have been responsible for some damage to city properties and have illegally used electric to power RVs and other equipment. The clean-up of trash and debris, fecal matter, and other pollutants by Public Works staff and/or contractors has increased over time. This all has a cost to the city. Neighboring Cities Response Many of the neighboring cities in northern San Diego County are experiencing similar increases in their homeless populations, and are working to develop solutions that will be effective for their particular cities. For example, Oceanside is working their Homeless Outreach Team (HOT} primarily from the Police Department. Carlsbad police officers attended a training from the Oceanside HOT to learn more about what is working within their community to address the needs of the homeless, and is continuing to learn from other cities with emerging homeless response teams. As another example, Encinitas hired a Homeless Services Coordinator to work on their challenges associated with the homeless, and many other cities are developing city-specific programs as well. Because of the uniqueness of the needs of each homeless resident and the varying degrees of abilities to access services in each city, it appears that a community focused effort may be more successful than the regional approach at this time. These locally focused efforts may then be able to expand to regional solutions as each of the cities develop a better understanding of the specific needs of their homeless populations and respond accordingly to connect with resources and other longer term solutions to address those needs. It is also important to note that Vista, Oceanside, Escondido and the City of San Diego have had some success prosecuting illegal encampments -on both public and private property -as a misdemeanor. They have found that an infraction level offense has no impact on the homeless population while a misdemeanor level offense provides a "carrot stick" for individuals to accept resources and services as part of a plea agreement. The City of San Diego also has a very effective program that targets chronic offenders, a large subset of its homeless population. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 31 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 1 7 Community Partnerships To respond successfully to the challenge of homelessness in Carlsbad, the assistance of community members, service organizations, churches, caring residents, businesses, state and federal agencies and others will be needed to work in coordination to implement the strategies set forth below. This is not a challenge that the city will be able to implement alone. Without the assistance of many others with expertise in a va riety of areas of service to the homeless, the strategies and tasks set forth below can't be completed in a way that will allow for a successful response from the city. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 32 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 1 8 Strategic Plan Development This homeless response plan will serve as a fo undation to develop a more comprehensive, longer term strategic plan which will continue to shape the city's efforts to address the impacts of homelessness on the residents, the larger community and the city itself. The strategic plan will include an analysis of 1) this initial homeless response action plan as well as identify gaps and opportunities within existing homeless programs and services provided by the city, faith-based and community organizations; 2) benchmarks to track program progress; 3) timeline fo r project action items; and 4) resource and funding requirements to support the strategic plan for the longer term. Measuring Success A critical element of any plan involves monitoring progress and measuring success against established objectives. Using indicators to help gauge the impact of actions will also be important, helping the city and community to better understand where success is emerging or where efforts need to be re-evaluated. While the key measures noted below require more detail and clarification as well as consensus among policy makers as to "how to define success" they outline the expectations of this Homeless Response Plan if implemented in full. It is anticipated that these key indicators will be added to or changed over time based on review of the Homeless Response Plan and development of the longer term strategic homeless plan. The measures would include, but are not limited to: •Number of homeless residents assessed and action plans developed for each person and/orfamily.•Full implementation of a case management system, put into place to effectively collaboratewith city departments, service providers and community organizations to address theunique needs of homeless residents.•Increase in number of community and service partnerships to serve homeless residents.•Protocol developed and put in place and employees trained on how to impact change inbehavior and circumstances of homeless residents.•Increased housing opportunities for short and long-term housing for homeless residents. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 33 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 1 9 City Departments Coordinated Work HNS will take the lead in implementing the Homeless Response Plan in coordination with the city's Homeless Response Team. This multi-department effort to address the needs of the homeless will be more efficient and effective because it builds on the strengths and current work effort of the Homeless Response Team members. In addition to executing the developed protocol for addressing the needs of the homeless at city facilities and within the com munity, following are the current and anticipated roles for the Homeless Response Team members: Department Role on team Develop and maintain a community resource database for all to use in addressing the needs of the homeless; continue to provide insight to challenges and opportunities in meeting the needs of homeless library Library & Cultural Arts patrons to the homeless response coordinator. Evaluate facility and service offerings that can be incorporated into the ongoing plan to meet the needs of the homeless; continue to provide insight to challenges and opportunities in meeting the needs of homeless residents at the senior center, Pine Park and other city Parks & Recreation recreation facilities and parks. Continue to coordinate with the police department's Crime Suppression and Homeless Outreach Team on homeless encampment clean-up projects and other relate service needs; continue to provide insight to challenges and opportunities for addressing the impacts of homeless Public Works residents and their actions on public facilities. Provide life emergency services to homeless residents; acts as subject matter expert for emergency services best practices for homeless residents; continue to assist with interviewing homeless residents and helping the move forward to obtain assistance through the city's case Fire management program. Lead the Crime Suppression and Homeless Outreach Team {HOT}; Two dedicated officers will make consistent and frequent contact with the homeless and seek opportunities to move homeless residents towards the city's case management program in coordination with HNS and other Homeless Response Team members. The Crime Suppression and HOT will take the lead on addressing impacts of homeless encampments and working with the general public and regional partners on addressing Police their concerns and complaints regarding the homeless. Provides legal guidance, advice and insight around homeless related issues; assists with new policies and ordinances to address and limit, where necessary, homeless impacts on the community; prosecute City Attorney criminal offenses as appropriate. Develop planning documents and take lead on coordination of homeless HNS response project. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 34 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 1 10 Strategies Strategy #1: Prevent, reduce and manage homelessness in Carlsbad a.Continue to evaluate existing city services and programs that serve homeless residents. b.---Develop a plan for city departments to coordinate cross-functional homeless responsibilities in a more efficient manner.Compile homeless and/or transient related data from departments (transient camps cleaned up, number of homeless-related emergency C. calls) to set a benchmark to track success of plan efforts. Develop homeless encampment enforcement cleanup plan in coordination with the city's crime suppression and homeless outreachd.teams, other city departments and select service providers. Strategy #2: Support and build capacity within the city and community to address _homelessness a.Hire a Homeless Response coordinator to help support the development and implementation of the city's homeless strategy.Contract with one or more local service provider(s) for a homeless case manager(s) to work with homeless residents and city staff to b. develop individualized action plans for homeless residents. Develop a plan for a mobile office to be used in coordination with the Homeless Outreach Team to provide case management and other C. support services directly to the homeless within Carlsbad at their locations. Conduct a community analysis of existing homeless programs and services provided by the city, faith-based and communityd. organizations, and service providers to identify gaps and .opportunities. Implement efforts to address gaps in services. Implement the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) ServicePoint to collect information about homeless residentse. enabling the city to work collaboratively with service providers and other regional agencies. Develop a homeless strategic plan to define how the city and Carlsbad community will meet the needs of homeless residents and f. respond to the impact of homelessness on city resources in future years. g. Develop a city protocol to assist staff to serve homeless residents at city facilities or in the community. Evaluate existing city ordinances: Noise, property maintenance, open container, camping, parking, land use/zoning (e.g. church-es -souph. kitchens) that impact the.community and city response to homeless-related issues Engage the Housing Commission to serve as an advisory group for homeless services, programs and/or issues; sounding i. board/information gathering/information sharing for community. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 35 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 1 11 Strategy #3: Encourage collaboration within the city, community partnerships and residentsCoordinate with local services providers, (e.g. mental health, recovery, and housing) to support rapid rehousing and successful a. connection to needed services. -: Develop partnerships with service providers, faith-based and community organizations, residents and businesses to collaborate on b. homeless related issues and needs, extend the partnerships to the 5 cities which are part of the Innovate 78 Collaborative. Develop educational materials for residents and businesses on how to address or report homeless related concerns (e.g. homeless C. resident going through trash in a dumpster on private property-whose responsibility?) Develop working relationship with local DMV and Social Security Administrative offices to eliminate a barrier to housings or connection d. to support services, including jobs. Host a one-day resource fair that provides access to local services and programs, while allowing for a coordinated effort to have e. attendees assessed by a local service provider or case management team. Work with faith-based organizations to coordinate community outreach and service plan to reduce duplication of efforts and crime f. related issues (e.g. providing meals, clothes, bus passes) g; -Work with service groups and faith-based organizations to provide home items for newly housed homeless. Develop a plan with Tri-City Medical Center to address the cycling of Carlsbad homeless in and out of the center, which has a negative h.-_irn pact on homeless residents care and a drain on city emergency resources. leverage existing Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) or community partnerships to connect homeless residents to appropriate i.'community services or programs Strategy #4: Retain, protect and increase the supply of housing in CarlsbadWork with existing housing developments to consider voluntarily set-aside units for the homeless. Possibly provide incentive to pay a. person's rent for a period ohime or pay the deposit. b. lnclusionary housing policy: 10% set-aside units to serve the homeless residents and/or extremely low income for new developments. Evaluate alternate housing options to address high rent rates and limited housing inventory: Tiny homes, motel or apartment C. conversion, shared housing and shelters for women and families. Request authorizationfrom City Council to pursue the purchase of existing housing units to rehouse homeless fa milies, veterans and/or d. seniors as a priority, or to purchase beds in sober living facilities as may be appropriate and necessary. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 36 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 1 12 Action Items & Status Strategy #1: Prevent, reduce and manage homelessness in Carlsbad " ·-Action Status Continue to evaluate existing city services and programs that serve homeless residents. Active Develop a plan for city departments to coordinate cross-functional homeless responsibilities in a more efficient manner. Active Compile homeless and/or transient related data from departments (transient camps cleaned up, number of homeless-related emergency calls) to set a benchmark to track success of plan efforts. Active Develop homeless encampment enforcement plan in coordination with the city's crime suppression and homeless outreach teams, other city departments and select service providers. Active Strategy #2: Support and build capacity within the city and community to address homelessnessAction. Status Hire a Homeless Response coordinator to help support the development and implementation of the city's homeless strategy Pending Contract with one or more local service provider(s) for a homeless case manager(s) to work with homeless residents and city staff to develop individualized action plans for homeless residents. Pending Develop a plan for a mobile office to be used in coordination with the Homeless Outreach Team to provide case management and other support services directly to the homeless within Carlsbad. Pending Conduct a community analysis of existing homeless programs and services provided by the city, faith-based and community organizations, and service providers to identify gaps and opportunities. Implement efforts to address gaps. Active Implement the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) ServicePoint to collect information about homeless residents enabling the city to work collaboratively with service providers and other regional agencies. Pending Develop a homeless strategic plan to define how the city and Carlsbad community will meet the needs of homeless residents and respond to the impact of homelessness on city resources in future years. Active Develop a city protocol to assist staff to serve homeless residents at city facilities or in the community. Active Engage the Housing Commission to serve as an advisory group for homeless services, programs and/or issues. Pending Evaluate existing city ordinances: Noise, property maintenance, open container, camping, parking, land use/zoning (e.g. churches -soup kitchens) that impact the community and city response to homeless-related issues Pending March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 37 of 41 City of Carlsbad Homeless Response Plan 113 Strategy #3: Encourage collaboration within the city, community partnerships and residents Action Status Coordinate with services providers, (e.g. mental health, recovery, and housing} to support rapid rehousing and successful connection to needed services. Active Develop -p"artnerships with service providers, faith-based and community organizations, residents and businesses to collaborate on homeless related issues and needs. ActiveDeveldp-�ducational materials for residents and businesses on how to address or report homeless related concerns (e.g. homeless resident going through trash in a dumpster on private property-whose responsibility?} Pending Develop working relationship with local DMV and Social Security Administrative offices to eliminate a barrier to housings or connection to support services. Pending Host a one-day resource fair that provides access to local services and programs, while allowing for a coordinated effort to have attendees assessed by a local service provider or case management team. Pending Work with faith-based organizations to coordinate community outreach and service plan to reduce duplication of efforts and crime related issues (e.g. providing meals, clothes, bus passes} ActiveWork with service groups and faith-based organizations to provide home items for newly housed homeless. Pending Develop a plan with Tri-City Medical Center to address the cycling of Carlsbad homeless in and out of the center, which has a negative impact on homeless residents' care and a drain on city emergency resources. PendingLeverage existing Memorandums of Understanding {MOUs} or community partnerships to connect homeless residents to appropriate community services or programs Pending Strategy #4: Retain, protect and increase the supply of housing in Carlsbad Action Status Wo(k_Wjtn existing housing developments to consider voluntarily set-aside units for the homeless. Possibly provideincentive to pay person's rent for a period of time or pay the deposit. Pendinglnclusionary housing policy: 10% set-aside units to serve the homeless residents for new developments Pending Evaluate alternate housing options to address high rent rates and limited housing inventory: Tiny homes, motel orapartment conversion, shared housing and shelters for women and families PendingRe�:it,Je?t_ authorization from City Council to pursue the purchase of existing housing units to rehouse homeless families, veterans and/or seniors as a priority. Pending March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 38 of 41 2017 WeALLCount: City Totals . ···--Sheltered Unsheltered - City -.. San Diego City Carlsbad .. --· Chula Vista Coronado .. Del Mar El Cajon Encinitas Escondicfo .. Imperial Beach · La Mesa Lemon Grove National City Oceanside Poway San Marcos Santee Solana BeaGh Vista TOTAL ES 1,240 59 43 0 0 19 11 82 0 0 0 0 60 0 0 0 0 45 1,559 Updated on 4/18/2017 SH TH 30 1,118 0 0 0 62 0 0 0 0 0 46 0 22 12 175 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 0 110 0 0 0 59 0 0 0 0 0 278 42 1,888 Total In div V* 2}88 1,234 817 59 37 48 105 58 174 0 2 3 0 1 2 65 221 60 33 27 53 269 120 76 0 12 10 0 13 12 0 13 23 18 94 70 170 105 156 0 3 5 59 24 25 0 15 10 0 3 0 323 40 124 3,489 3,495 *For the 'Total' columns, vehicles and RBS/ tents were multip lied qy an occupanry fa dor between 1.66 and 1:75: ...: I H* 1180 16 30 0 0 42 4 58 0 0 0 112 100 0 3 24 0 42 Sheltered %of Total Total Total Unincorporated Ind iv 3231 5,619 61.6% Alpine 10 101 160 1.8% Bonita 6 0 262 367 4.0% Bonsall 2 5 5 0.1% Casa de Oro 15 3 3 0.0% Cres t-Dehesa 0 323 388 4.3% Fall brook 15 84 117 1.3% Hidden Meadows 0 254 523 5.7% amul/Dulzura 0 22 22 0.2% Lakeside 34 25 25 0.3% NC Metro 2 36 36 0.4% Otay 0 276 294 3.2% Ramona 0 361 531 5.8% San Dieguito 0 8 8 0.1% Spring Valley 31 52 111 1.2% Sweetwater 4 49 49 0.5% TOTAL 6 3 3 0.0% 206 529 5.8% ES -E1l'lergmry Shelter 5,301 8,790 96.4% SH -Safe Haven 5,621 9,116 TH -Transitional Ho11si11g Indiv -Indiuid11a/ V -Cars/Trncks/RV/Va11s H -Ha11d-B11ilt Stmct11res / Tents Unsheltered V* H* 0 9 0 0 15 0 13 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 38 5 10 2 0 0 61 4 3 0 26 4 8 5 Total % 19 0.2% 0 0.1% 17 0.2% 30 0.3% 0 0.0% 17 0.2% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 77 0.8% 14 0.2% 0 0.0% 65 0.7% 3 0.0% 61 0.7% 17 0.2% 320 3.6% 326 1 -9 )16 Total I Exhibit 3 March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 39 of 41 Potential Homeless Funding Assistance Opportunities Below provides a general overview of possible funding opportunities. Specific funding for each program option will be determined by the City Council at the actual time of adoption of the program. •American Rescue Plan Act – This bill includes $21.5 billion for emergency rental assistance for individuals and households at-risk of homelessness, $5 billion in one-time housing vouchers, $5 billion in HOME Funds for the affordable housing, supportive housing, and non-congregate care shelters. •Community Development Block Grant Funding – CDBG funds are limited as only 15 percent of the grant may be used for services. CDBG funding is also less attractive in this instance as much of the funding available to Carlsbad is already used by our community partners for existing homelessness programs. •County of San Diego – Staff spoke to the county about ways they could partner with the City of Carlsbad to support their homeless efforts. County staff said they could not provide the city with any tangible dollars, but they could leverage existing resources. They talked about providing the city with housing vouchers and staff resources. County discussed providing housing vouchers known as Housing and Disability Advocacy Program for people applying for SSI or Veteran benefits if the city hired a benefit specialist. They discussed other voucher programs such as Housing Our Youth (18-25), tenant based rental assistance (TBRA), rapid rehousing dollars, and other potential county programs for people who have once lived in an unincorporated region of the county. Staff talked about deploying a County Eligibility Worker to help clients with MediCal, CalFresh, and General Relief enrollments and the use of additional behavioral health resources. •Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - Funding a non-congregate shelter for people experiencing homelessness during COVID-19 is now 100% reimbursable through FEMA/Project RoomKey until September 30. Hotel costs, food, laundry, security, and onsite case management is eligible for reimbursement. The city may request expedited funding if there is an immediate need. If approved, the city could receive up to 50% in advance of the FEMA confirmed project cost based on the initial documentation. •General Fund - General funds could be utilized through reappropriation if desired by the City Council. • Governor’s FY21-22 Projected Budget – $2 billion is proposed for homeless funding. Project Homekey is expected to receive $750 million and will be administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). •Housing Trust Fund - The Housing Trust Fund was established to collect fees and related revenues in connection with the city’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance. The Housing Trust Fund may be used to support a variety of affordable housing development activities and services for lower income and homeless individuals and families, consistent with the General Plan Housing Element and Inclusionary Housing Ordinance (CMC 21.85). The City Council adopted Council EXHIBIT 5 March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 40 of 41 Policy 90 – Administration of the Housing Trust Fund on Dec. 8, 2020 to provide direction on effective administration of the fund. Section 1(i) of the policy establishes general affordable housing priorities, that includes the use of funds for homelessness programs. • Housing and Urban Development FY21 Budget – HUD has allocated $43 million in housing choice vouchers for individuals experiencing homeless or those at high risk of homelessness and $40 million in HUD-VASH which are housing vouchers for veterans experiencing homelessness. • Permanent Local Housing Allocation - The PLHA provides a fund for eligible housing and homelessness activities to local governments with the intention of providing a permanent, on- going source of funding for housing-related projects and programs that assist in addressing unmet housing needs. These funds are limited and there are restrictions on how much may be used to administer programs. • Recovery Package Priorities (Projected) - Homeless advocates are asking for universal vouchers for all individuals who are eligible. President Biden is very supportive of this idea. Homeless advocates also predict at least $26 billion in funding for affordable and permanent support housing. March 23, 2021 Item #10 Page 41 of 41 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Sent: To: Subject: kelly.leberthon12@gmail.com Saturday, March 20, 2021 10:54 AM City Clerk City Council Mtg March 23, 2021 Agenda #10 All Receive -Agenda Item # / 0 For the Information of the: fl"T)'_ ~OUNCIL Dat~CA Y CC " CM ~ACM .,-DCM (3) ~ Re: City Council Mtg March 23, 2021, Agenda Item 10. CONSIDER POSSIBLE PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD Sending the homeless to hotel rooms is not a sustainable option, nor is it in any way a solution to the homeless problem. The city council must address the mental health issues as well as the drug/addiction issues . What will the council do to help the homeless population by addressing these areas of concern. I would like a reply. Thank you, Kelly Le Berthon CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless ou reco nize the sender and know the content i safe. 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Dear Council Members: All Receive -Agenda Item# lJ2. Vino Pajanor <VPajanor@ccdsd.org> For the Information of the: Monday, March 22, 2021 1 :22 PM CITY COUNCIL City Clerk Date?J;J:jJ/ CA ✓ cc ~ Faith Espejo; Antoinette Fallon CM /ACM ------UCM (3) .,,,..-- City of Carlsbad Council Meeting -March 23, 2021 -Agenda Item 10 -CONSIDER POSSIBLE PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD I am writing to you in regards to your consideration and vote on agenda item number 10 for the City Council meeting scheduled for March 23, 2021. Catholic Charities' La Posada De Guadalupe Men's Shelter (La Posada) is committed to providing high quality shelter and support services for people experiencing homelessness in Carlsbad. Incorporating on-site behavioral health services into La Posada will make it possible for staff to accurately identify and address residents' mental health and substance use concerns and link them with the resources more appropriate to their individual needs. La Posada has existing partnerships with outside service providers, but they are not able to be present for the number of hours needed or when most residents are onsite at our shelter. To safely and effectively operate a low barrier shelter, 24-hour residential staff must have strong de-escalation, communication and conflict resolution skills. The training component of this request would provide shelter staff with the opportunity to learn best practices including Motivational Interviewing, Trauma Informed Care, and principles of harm reduction. Approving this request for behavioral health services and staff training will significantly increase the overall skill level of the team and the quality of services La Posada provides. Catholic Charities sincerely appreciate the continued partnership and support provided by the City of Carlsbad, and the dedicated team at the City who go beyond the call of duty in responding to our region's needs. Thank you, YOU ME BROUGNT TOGETl-/~R BY Appaswamy "Vino" Pajanor Chief Executive Officer Office: 619.323.2841 x1011 Direct: 619.323.2842 vpajanor@ccdsd.org www.ccdsd.org f @ ~in CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT' This email, including any attachment(s), is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable Jaw. If you have received this email in error, you are hereby notified that the Jaw strictly prohibits any disclosure, copying or distribution of these documents. If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and destroy the transmitted information including attachments immediately. 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Sent: To: Subject: Jean Walker <JeanWalker1@roadrunner.com> Monday, March 22, 2021 1 :57 PM All Receive -Agenda Item# lQ For the Information of the: . E'T'J'. COUNCIL Date~CA ~c - CM >AeM >BcAA (3)-=:;:- Matthew Hall; Cori Schumacher; Keith Blackburn; Priya Bhat-Patel; Teresa Acosta; Attorney; Manager Internet Email; City Clerk; Holly Nelson; Gary Marshall City Council Agenda items #9 and 10 https://patch.com/california/santacruz/santa-cruz-homeless-camping-law-passes-changes-are-coming Hi. My name is Jean Walker. I am a 16 year resident of Carlsbad. I am very interested in the homeless situation in Carlsbad and have specific issues with agenda items #9 and 10 on Tuesday, March 23 's agenda. Agenda item #9 provides a background regarding the legal issues surrounding homeless encampments. It is unclear to me why this update does not include anything the City of Santa Cruz did after the initial lawsuit in December 2020. A quick "google" search brought up the article above regarding Santa Cruz passing an ordinance that complies with both the Boise and Santa Cruz decisions. I would encourage all of you to read through the article and contact the Santa Cruz City Council, City Attorney and City Manager regarding what they did to address this issue in a legal manner. This ordinance in Santa Cruz was considered the week of March 10, 2021. As allowed under both the Boise and Santa Cruz decisions, the Santa Cruz City Council banned camping in public places such as beaches, public parking lots, their downtown area, and limited camping hours to nighttime. The ordinance allows camping only from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Some areas of Santa Cruz were specifically prohibited from all camping due to cleaning, health and safety, maintenance and environmental concerns. These areas including prohibiting camping at neighborhood and community parks, city owned oceanfront areas and beaches, downtown Santa Cruz, specific lagoon and canyon areas, areas within 75 feet of trails in open space areas, bike and pedestrian paths along a river area, areas that contain city equipment, areas that pose a safety hazard or accessibility issue for first responders, endangered species areas, and other areas, as necessary. Campers are prohibited from starting fires, must keep belongings within a 12x12 foot space per person, abide by trash limitations, are prohibited from leaving out needles, car tires, bike parts and gas or generators. Those who ignore the orders are subject to misdemeanor violations. The City of Santa Cruz reserves the right to sweep encampments, with storage provided for displaced homeless campers. These restrictions all also comply with CDC guidelines. There are many, easy actions that Carlsbad could take to deal with the homeless in our community. First, work with the Carlsbad Genealogical Society to find relatives of the homeless. Often, a distant family member will be willing to house a homeless relative, if the person is only made aware of the homeless person's situation. Similarly, many people are very willing to pay for a rehab bed for a family member who is experiencing homelessness, if they only knew about the situation. There is software currently being used to match foster youth with "long lost" relatives. Use that same technology to find "long lost" relatives of homeless people. The City could pay for additional resources to patrol the lagoon trails and work with the existing hiking groups in the area regarding reporting of homeless camping in that area. Regular maintenance of the vegetation in the lagoon area is a natural deterent to camping. · 1 The City of Carlsbad currently contracts with a vendor to provide landscape maintenance throughout the City. Work with those landscapers to thin out vegetation in areas known to attract homeless camping. This not only is a natural deterrent to homeless encampments, it creates healthier vegetation that requires less water and is therefore more environmentally friendly. Additionally, as regular maintenance of vegetation deters homeless camping, it also creates a much safer work environment for landscapers, who do not have to be concerned about mentally ill or drug addicted people who may be in the brush. Many cities, including Carlsbad, have for years deterred homeless from living in RV's on our streets. Currently, Carlsbad prohibits overnight street RV parking without a permit. There are other things Carlsbad could do to deter camping including replacing full size bus benches with ones that have a divider in the middle, which makes these benches uncomfortable for sleeping. Improved lighting, particularly in areas known to attract homeless camps is another natural deterrent. The City could contract with surrounding cities' homeless bed resources in order to comply with some of the restrictions under Boise. Father Joe's has beds for contract, as do many other organizations. It is my understanding that a legal analysis of what IS allowed has not been adequately provided to the HOT Team members. For example, a HOT Team member may identify a bed in Escondido for a Carlsbad homeless person, but the homeless person says they will only go to a bed in Carlsb;id. Does that mean that the bed in Escondido is now considered "unavailable" under Boise. It would be good for the City to request a legal opinion from the Attorney General's officer regarding this specific issue. Agenda item #9 provides an update of the legal issues via the Boise and Santa Cruz decisions, but it does not give a full picture of the liability created by allowing homelessness in the city. Recently, a homeless person set fire to the hillside on Park Drive. If someone's house burned down and the City was aware of fires being started illegally in the area by this same person, the City could potentially be sued by homeowners. Illegal fires are regularly reported in the lagoon area. If one of those fires gets out of control and bums down houses, the City very well could be found liable for not clearing out the homeless encampments where those fires are happening. The City should work with local business owners to improve lighting at local businesses where camping is happening. Koko Beach restaurant went out of business several months ago. There is a regular tent on the porch entry of that restaurant. The owner could improve lighting and take other action to deter homeless from camping there. Several years ago, there was a murder at the old Stag and Lion property. The property owner could easily have been held financially responsible for that death because it happened on their property, which they knew was hosting a homeless encampment. They lucked out and no relatives came forward to sue, but the liability was still there. The City of Carls bad also has no interest in increasing the numbers of homeless murders in our crime statistics, so why not work with these private property owners to make camping unattractive? Further, there is no reason to use funding for a homeless hotel voucher program. San Francisco tried a similar program and it led to an inordinate amount of overdose deaths. Hotel voucher programs do not provide the services and family connections needed by homeless people. All it does it shut the door on the problem. Additionally, it puts low income hotel housekeepers in danger, as they have to go clean those rooms after mentally ill and/or drug addicted people have used them. Further, many hotels that do accept vouchers in Carlsbad are located near schools, churches and other areas that many homeless people are legally prohibited from residing. People criminally convicted of sex crimes and required to register as sex offenders often become homeless because it is difficult to find housing. Without background checking every hotel voucher recipient, there is no way to tell if they are even allowed to be housed in hotels near sensitive uses such as schools, churches and day cares. 2 Santa Cruz allowed their homeless situation to become out of control before taking these necessary actions. Carlsbad should take note of what Santa Cruz has been doing in the last several weeks, get our homeless connected with the services and family resources they need to get on their feet and break their cycle of homelessness. Allowing people to live unhoused is dangerous for the whole community, including the homeless individuals. After Covid is over, and Carlsbad tries to return to it's tourist economy, the homeless situation will NOT assist in those efforts. Now is the time to act and put a plan in place to assist the homeless, but also keep our community safe. Jean Walker 3 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Dear City Council, president@friendsoflaposada.org Tuesday, March 23, 2021 9:16 AM Council Internet Email; City Clerk Vino Pajanor Council Meeting -March 23, 2021 -Agenda Item 10 All Receive -Agenda Item # It) For the Information of the: ~ITY COUNCIL Date Sl;JJ/J/ CA .-cc ..,,--- CM ~CM ...::::::_-ocM (3).:::::. The Board Members of Friends of La Posada recognizes and appreciates the tremendous efforts and priority that the Carlsbad City Council and the City of Carlsbad are taking to address the unsheltered population in the city. We stand ready to support and assist through our organization's work and resources. Please note that in February 2021, the Friends of La Posada Board approved an amendment to our Articles of Incorporation to focus more broadly on the issue of homelessness in Carlsbad and North County. Our purpose statement under Article 2 is below: This corporation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation and is not organized for the private gain of any person. It is organized under the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law for public and charitable purposes. The specific purpose of the corporation is to raise funds and awareness to provide temporary, transitional and transient housing to those in need in the Carlsbad/North County area. This includes agricultural workers, migrant workers, and families struggling with mental illness and economic hardships by working with social service agencies and other organizations. An additional purpose is to help educate the public as to the needs for such housing and services. We were founded in 1990 by a group of concerned Carlsbad residents and we have collaborated throughout the years with the City Council, state agencies, Catholic Services and other service providers to help the residents of the La Posada de Guadalupe Men's Shelter. It is our intent to continue to support the shelter as we broaden our scope and mission. We agree with Catholic Charities' recommendation to hire licensed clinicians for the men's shelter as part of a three- year pilot program. On the agenda for the March 23, 2021 Council Meeting, we recommend option 3 on agenda item no. 10 to help meet the City's goal of reducing the homeless population by 50% by Jan 2022. These additional resources will be valuable to meeting the increasing behavioral health needs of the residents. Friends of La Posada also supports Resolution No. 2021 authorizing the formation of a standing city council homeless action subcommittee. Thank you for your commitment to this important issue. Sincerely, Lela Panagides, MBA Board President Friends of La Posada Board Members: Brenda Mitchell, Pat Dalsin, Josephine Stoff, Nancy Busher, John Ranieri, Lisa Palutis, Mary Mazyck 1 Tammy Cloud-McMinn From: Sent: To: Subject: Mayor, Council, and City Staff, Teri Jacobs <tjacobs86@pacbell.net> Tuesday, March 23, 2021 9:40 AM City Clerk Agenda Item #10 Homeless Thank you for finally addressing the issue of homelessness here in Carlsbad. I do want to commend Holly Nelson and the entire HOT team for their service to our community. Until recently the city and council were under the assumption that our last PIT count portrayed a true and actual count. At a recent meeting (I think it was goal setting) the actual number became apparent. How do we measure success when we don't have an accurate starting point? What are we actually spending on homelessness ... $1.6 million for Hot, expenses for the 400 plus calls CPD takes, public clean up, theft, property damage, etc,? How can council make any decisions now regarding addressing this issue when we don't even know exactly what we are dealing with? Having read the entire staff report for this agenda item I don't see how any of these band aids will actually fix the problem ... and yes it is a problem. Where is the legislation that will tie services to personal responsibility? Many of the options should be taken care of by the county and_ not the City of Carlsbad. It seems to be that the county and city might be duplicating services. The hotel voucher program is not the answ_er. I can see an emergency situation for domestic abuse or a family in need but to allow someone experiencing homelessness a hotel room with "all amenities included, meals, laundry, transportation, and case management" for 6 months with them only having to sign a program agreement as being a magnate program to the homeless population. What are the terms of that agreement? Would any financial assistance they are receiving be prorated into reimbursing the program costs? How many occupants per room? If we use a figure of two per room for six months that is a p_otential of assisting only 160 individuals. What do we do with the remaining population? How would the homeless population be viewed by paying guests at a hotel? Why the need for 24 hour security guards when they are being housed with all of their needs met? What does that say about the community's safety when they are out on the streets? Many of our men and women in uniform live in barracks yet we are considering housing a segment of our population in hotel rooms. The city should look at a similar model that could accommodate more persons with lower costs. There are just too many questions unanswered with these recommendations. There has been more public outreach initiated by the city in regards to forming a police oversight review board for a perceived problem that doesn't exist than for homelessness a real issue here in Carlsbad. District 1 viewed homelessness as the umber 1 or 2 issue depending on the category with oversight as the last item of concern. Yes, we need to do something. It is heartbreaking and frustrating to see what this issue is doing to our community. Something needs to be done in conjunction with the county with more input for the community. Regards, Teri Jacobs Sent from my iPad CAUTION: Do not open attachments or click on links unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. 1 Program Options to Address Homelessness in the City of Carlsbad Holly Nelson, LCSW Senior Homeless Program Manager March 23, 2021 Background 2 •Homelessness is not a “new problem to Carlsbad” •Local, state and national crisis •Vulnerabilities and impact of COVID-19 Minute Motion On Dec. 8, 2020, city council requested staff to “bring back a Carlsbad hotel voucher program for the homeless in the City of Carlsbad for future discussion.” 3 Goals Reduce the unsheltered homeless population Expand short-term housing Increase permanent housing Enhance regional collaboration efforts 4 0 ~ -------- ~ -------- <if -------- 8 A 8 Goal: Reduce unsheltered homeless 5 Option 1: Hire a city employment and benefit specialist Rationale Cost Need voiced by homeless community and Homeless Outreach Team Second most requested resource by 2-1-1 callers Recommended by U.S.Interagency Council on Homelessness $138,795 Goal: Reduce unsheltered homeless 6 Option 2: Hire homeless outreach officers Alternative 1: Second homeless team unit|1 police sergeant| 4 police officers|7 days/week Alternative 2: 1 police sergeant|2 police officers|4 days/week Rationale Cost Increase calls for service Respond via foot and bike patrol Improve responsiveness in addressing quality of life concerns for residents and businesses Expand current outreach capacities and community policing practices Year 1: $1,256,267 or $771,479 Annual Operations: $941,967 or $601,279 Goal: Reduce unsheltered homeless 7 Option 3: Enhancing clinical services at La Posada Emergency Shelter Rationale Cost Shelter barriers and restrictions screen out our most vulnerable Best practice recommendation by RTFH and homeless experts in the country Housing was the most requested need by 2-1-1 callers $180,000/year for 3 years Goal: Expand short-term housing 8 Option 4: Hotel/motel voucher program Rationale Cost County and Interfaith successfully operated a hotel voucher program 100% reimbursable through FEMA until Sept. 30, 2021 Many other neighboring cities operate hotel voucher programs There are only 144 emergency shelter beds in North County $3,200,000* Goal: Expand short-term housing Description Assumptions Monthly Cost 40 Hotel Rooms All Amenities included ~$156,000 Services 3 meals per day, personal laundry, transportation, and light case management ~$63,000 Security Assumes two guards per location 24 hours/day ~$31,000 Case Mgmt.Bridge individuals to housing resources ~$10,000 Totals Estimated MONTHLY Cost ~$260,000 Estimated ANNUAL Cost ~$3,200,000 FEMA reimbursement (estimates $1.3M -$1M)~$1,300,000 Projected fiscal impact to the city ~$1,9000,000 9 Goal: Expand short-term housing 10 Option 5: Bed prioritization Rationale Cost Allow the Homeless Outreach Team to have bed prioritization No shelter options for women and families experiencing homelessness Shelter waitlists can be long and a barrier for people seeking help $200,000 Goal: Increase long-term housing 11 Option 6: Increase Community Resource Center services Rationale Cost Extend District 76 Contract with Community Resource Center Rapid rehousing has been effective model in reducing homelessness Program would nicely compliment the city’s Flexible Housing Pool $450,000 Goal: Regional collaboration efforts 12 Option 7: Formation of a standing committee on homelessness Rationale Cost The initial purpose of this ad hoc subcommittee The subcommittee’s existence for 18 months Homelessness continues to be a top priority for the city Staff’s time Implementation costs 13 Option Description Year One Cost Ongoing Annual Cost 1 Employment and benefit specialist $138,795 $138,795 2 Additional homeless outreach officers $1,256,267 $941,967 3 Enhancing La Posada Emergency Shelter $180,000 $180,000 4 Hotel/motel voucher program $3,200,000 TBD 4a Program manager $118,795 $118,795 5 Bed prioritization $200,000 $0 6 Community Resource Center services $450,000 $450,000 Total Costs $5,543,857 $1,829,557 The county’s role in homelessness 1)Serve the unincorporated regions of the county 2)Provide regional resources with behavioral health, child welfare, public health, jail system 3)Create the new County Department of Homeless Solutions and Equitable Communities 14 Staff’s recommendations 1)Consider the program options that are described and provide staff direction, as appropriate; and 2)If the City Council implements option 7, adopt a resolution authorizing the formation of a standing city council homeless action subcommittee. 15 Next steps Based on City Council’s recommendations, staff will: •Initiate the development and implementation of those options •Return to a future City Council meeting with resolutions and work plans •Implement strategies in FY 2021-22 16 Questions? 17 Suggested Edits to Resolution 18 WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, California has determined that formation of a standing Homeless Action Subcommittee is needed to receive information and advise the City Council on the prevention, assistance, and reduction of homelessness. Suggested Edits to Resolution 19 3.That beginning 20212, and in each even-numbered year thereafter, members of the City Council shall be appointed to the Homeless Action Subcommittee upon reorganization of the City Council, pursuant to Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 2.04.100. Suggested Edits to Resolution 20 4.The purpose of this subcommittee is to identify and guide strategic local and regional solutions that prevent, assist, and reduce homelessness in Carlsbad; coordinate and collaborate with North County leaders to leverage funding and resources; and minimize the negative impact of homelessness to residents, businesses, and governments. Suggested Edits to Resolution 21 5.That the duties of the subcommittee will be to: a.Receive information and advise the City Council on local and regional needs, policies, plans and recommendations to prevent, assist, and reduce homelessness and impacts related to homelessness; Suggested Edits to Resolution 22 5.c. Make recommendations to City Council on ways to: •Increase emergency, traditional, permanent supportive housing and affordable housing inventory throughout the region; •Increase and improve substance abuse resources and access to mental health care in North County; Suggested Edits to Resolution 23 5.e. Review progress on the City Council goals related to homelessness.