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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-05-30; Citywide Homeless Update: May 2024 (Districts - All); Barberio, GaryTo the members of t he: {city of Carlsbad CITY COUNCIL _,,,, Dat e~CA v cc_ CM ~ _:::-"D CM (3) ..::::::, Memo ID# 2024040 Council Memorandum May 30, 2024 To: From: Via: Re: Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Mandy Mills, Director of Housing & Homeless Services Chris Shilling, Homeless Services Mana~Homeless Services Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager 'e! Citywide Homeless Update: May 2024 (Districts -All) Homeless Services and Hom_eless Outreach Team (HOT) Update • On April 18, 2024, the California lnteragency Council on Homelessness announced t hat Carlsbad's collaborative application with the City of Oceanside for State of California Encampment Resolution Funds (ERF-3-R) to address homelessness on the border areas of the cities will be funded. The total grant is approximately $11.4 million for three years and will target the area along the 78 Freeway and Buena Vista Creek which has been a concern for both cities due to the large number of people living unsheltered in that area. The City of Oceanside is the lead applicant and will provide Carlsbad with over $5 million in grant funds. These funds will be used to contract for services with Community Resource Center, Catholic Charities, and Whole Person Care Clinic. Funding will also be used to coordinate the grant and will offset a portion of general fund spending for Housing & Homeless Services staff. The cities are currently working on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and additional next steps. An item will be presented to the City Council in the summer for approval of the agreement and related contracts. • On March 13, 2024, Housing & Homelessness Services staff were notified by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) that the city was selected to receive a Resolutions Strategies grant in the amount of $100,000. Resolution Strategies is a flexible funding source that can be used to help divert people away from homelessness. Homeless Services staff will administer this funding directly and take eligible referrals from community partners. Administrative funding is not provided through the grant, but motel vouchers are an eligible expense which may provide a general fund savings within the motel voucher program. The grant is expected to be renewed annually. • The State of California Encampment Resolution Funds (ERF-2-R) grant to address unsheltered homelessness in the Village area around the Cole Library, Holiday Park, and Pine Park is now fully staffed and implemented. The grant provides approximately $2.3 million over a three-year period including a general fund offset for Homeless Services staff of approximately $417,000. Through the grant the city has been able to add an Outreach Social Worker, Peer Support Specialist, Rapid Re-Housing Case Manager, and Community Services Branch Housing & Homeless Services Department 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2810 t Council Memo -Citywide Homeless Update: May 2024 (Districts -All) May 30, 2024 Page 2 Housing Navigator (at the La Posada shelter). Interfaith Community Services is contracted to provide outreach and case management, Community Resource Center is contracted to provide rapid re-housing, and Catholic Charities is contracted to provide housing-focused shelter. Additionally, the city has contracted with Whole Person Care Clinic to provide street-based medicine to individuals living unsheltered and has developed a HIPAA-compliant process so that the street medicine team can take referrals directly from the fire department. The city is also administering additional bridge housing motel vouchers through this grant. The team is actively working with clients and making progress in moving people into interim and permanent housing. Housing & Homeless Services staff will be able to report outcome data related to the grant at the next semi-annual report on June 24, 2024. • On January 29, 2024, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the final fiscal year 2023 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunity competition awards. Carlsbad received a $435,050 grant to provide supportive services to people experiencing homelessness in Carlsbad who will also receive a homeless- dedicated housing choice voucher. Additionally, the grant includes funding for a small portion of city staff, including funding for half of the Housing Navigator, and will offset over $50,000 per year in costs to the General Fund. A Request for Proposals (RFP) for these services was released on January 29, 2024, and closed on March 8, 2024. Community Resource Center was selected as the best value proposal. Staff will bring an item to request the acceptance of funds and approval of a professional services agreement with Community Resource Center to the City Council on June 24, 2024. • The Housing & Homeless Services, Police, Fire and Finance departments collaborated to design a Substance Abuse Outreach and Education program for youth and people experiencing homelessness using National Opioid Settlement funding. The program is estimated to provide approximately $80,000 a year and meets the settlement requirements for high impact abatement activities. On February 12, 2024, the city r~leased an RFP to identify a contractor to provide these services. The RFP closed on March 22, 2024, and Interfaith Community Services was selected as the best value proposal. Interfaith Community Services has also committed to providing $79,679 in leveraged funds to implement the program. Due to the amount of funding being provided the contract will be administratively approved by the City Manager. The program will begin operations on July 1, 2024. • The city received a last-minute opportunity to apply for a state encampment grant that could help to address vehicle homelessness throughout the downtown area. Implementing strategies related to vehicular homelessness is an action item in the Homelessness Action Plan. Housing & Homeless Services staff submitted an application on April 30, 2024. This will be a very competitive grant with a small amount to award, so staff does not anticipate receiving this grant. Award notifications should be made in the summer. Council Memo -Citywide Homeless Update: May 2024 (Districts -All) May 30, 2024 Page 3 • The Housing & Homeless Services Department is continuing to work with the Innovation & Economic Development Department to identify and prepare the housing and homelessness data and metrics that will be shared on the city's website. An update on this project is expected to be shared with the City Council during the semi-annual homelessness update report on June 24, 2024. • In May 2024 there were several changes within the Police Department related to the staffing structure of the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT}. Lieutenant Shaun Lawton is now the Special Investigations Lieutenant and oversees HOT. Lt. Lawton was previously a Sergeant with HOT and is very knowledgeable about homelessness within the city. Additionally, Police and Homeless Services staff conducted interviews for a new HOT Sergeant and selected Sgt. Melissa Zavala. Sgt. Zavala is a Carlsbad Police Department veteran and brings a wide range of experience with public safety and community engagement to the team. The Police Department has continued to work collaboratively with the Housing & Homeless Services Department to ensure that these transitions are seamless with limited impact on the services being provided in the community. • Housing & Homeless Services staff worked collaboratively with Information Technology, Communication and Engagement, Public Works, and the Police Department to update the Carlsbad Connects App and develop a process so that Carlsbad residents can report non-emergency issues related to homelessness directly through the app. This addition will streamline homeless service operations and allow for better tracking and reporting of community reports. The new Carlsbad Connects App reporting capability was launched on April 29, 2024. Emergency Shelter and Motel Voucher Program • The city continues to work with Catholic Charities on the La Posada de Guadalupe shelter expansion. Housing & Homeless Services Department and Catholic Charities staff met with State of California Housing and Community Development (HCD} staff in November 2023 to discuss a request to rebuild one of the buildings to expand capacity and to lessen the regulatory agreement requirement for farmworker beds due to the reduced need for these beds. City staff met again with HCD on April 22, 2024, to continue the dialogue for HCD support of these requests. The State is requesting additional information from Catholic Charities regarding marketing and outreach efforts, decline in the housing need for farmworkers in this area, and data on occupancy. Catholic Charities is in the process of preparing a response. The State will complete their due diligence to determine if there is validity in forwarding the request for further approvals once the information is received. There is also a meeting and tour of the shelter scheduled with State Senator Catherine Blakespear on July 17, 2024. Staff continue to explore all options to provide expanded shelter space for single women and families as quickly as possible. Council Memo -Citywide Homeless Update: May 2024 (Districts -All) May 30, 2024 Page 4 Community • On April 30, 2024, Housing & Homeless Services staff attended a briefing with the San Diego Taxpayers Educational Foundation regarding a study they conducted to identify if there are any statistical relationships between public expenditures on prevention, diversion, or crisis management with the annual Point-in-Time Count. Based on the study, the San Diego Taxpayers Association is recommending that homelessness services funding be prioritized for prevention, diversion, and crisis management in that order. Housing & Homeless Services Department staff brought a recommendation forward that the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Community Development Block Grant Public Service funds again be used to support homelessness prevention programs. The city has also recently secured a Resolution Strategies grant for $100,000 which will increase funding towards diversion. Homeless Services staff will administer the Resolution Strategies funding directly and take eligible referrals from community partners. The funding will be used to divert people away from homelessness whenever possible through creative problem solving. • The 2024 Point-in-Time Count (PITC) was completed on Thursday, January 25, 2024. The Regional Task Force on Homelessness released the county-wide results in on May 22, 2024. City staff forwarded the data to City Council via memo and will include it as well in the next semi-annual report to be presented to City Council on June 25, 2024. • On May 2, 2024, at the Carlsbad Collaboration meeting community partners received a presentation and training from Impact Consulting Group on best practices in shared housing. Shared housing is when two or more people live in one permanent rental housing unit and share the costs associated with maintaining housing such as rent and utilities. Impact Consulting Group has been contracted by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness (RTFH) to implement shared housing solutions throughout San Diego County. Shared housing is an important strategy in reducing homelessness particularly in high cost of living areas. The city will continue to work with Impact Consulting Group to strengthen shared housing practices within the community over the next 18 months at no cost to the city. cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Cindie McMahon, City Attorney Christie Calderwood, Police Chief Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Zach Korach, Finance Director