HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-05-20; The City of Carlsbad's Hotel Program and other Voucher Assistance Programs (District - All); Gallucci, NeilTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
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Council Memorandum
May 20, 2021
To: Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council
From: Neil Gallucci, Chief of Police
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Holly Nelson, Homeless Program Manager
Via: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID #2021104
Re: The City of Carlsbad's Hotel Program and other Voucher Assistance Programs
(District -All)
Staff have received an increase in questions from the community regarding the city's new hotel
voucher program. The purpose of this memo is to clarify the facts and improve transparency on
this topic.
The City of Carlsbad approved a 12-month hotel voucher pilot program to serve individuals
experiencing homelessness on March 23, 2021. The goal is to reduce the homeless unsheltered
population, among those who want help, by 50% over the next five years.
The hotel program has not started but it has a tentative launch date of June 2021. City staff is
having active discussions with multiple hotel properties in multiple districts of town. No
contracts or agreements have been signed or executed. The City Council will need to approve
and execute a contract with a service provider before the program can begin. At this point in
time, it has not been decided whether the city will directly contract with a hotel provider(s) or
the selected service provider will be contracting with the hotel provider(s).
Staff is planning to secure a hotel location(s) and rent approximately 20 -45 rooms. The goal is
to have these rooms grouped together in one section of the hotel for ease of service delivery
and to minimize the impact to other hotel guests staying at the facility. The service provider
that the city contracts with will be providing intensive case management, security, food,
laundry, and transportation.
The city's hotel voucher program will be a low-barrier shelter that will serve women, families,
individuals living in encampments, high utilizers of emergency room services, individuals with
underlying medical conditions, and people age 65+. This program is designed to serve the most
vulnerable people living on the streets in Carlsbad. The program will serve our homeless
population and remove barriers that prevent them from accepting help like sobriety or
background checks. This type of approach is known as "Housing First" and it helps people
access their basic needs first-like a safe place to live and food to eat -before being asked .to
achieve other personal goals.
Police Department
2560 Orion Way I Carlsbad, CA 92010 I 760-931-2170 t
Council Memo -Hotel Program and Other Voucher Assistance Programs
May 20, 2021
Page 2
"Housing First" is a best practice, evidence-based model in the field of homelessness since the
1990s and was signed into California Law in 2016 under Senate Bill 1380. This intervention
challenges the traditional "treatment first" and "housing readiness" models that state a person
needs to be clean and sober and manage their psychiatric symptoms in order to be successful in
housing.
In a reputable study At Home/Chez Soi (2012) more than 2,000 participants who were homeless
with a serious mental illness and a co-occurring substance use disorder were randomized into
two groups: "Housing First" with intensive case management or (ltreatment as usual" which
was defined as group homes, congregate supportive housing, and mental health services. The
results showed people who were in the "Housing First" group had more time in stable housing,
improvements in community functioning, quality of life, and decrease in mental health
symptoms compared to the treatment as usual group. Studies like this have been replicated
many times and the "Housing First" model has been adopted by large government
organizations, like the Veterans' Administration, which serves over 85,000 people in supportive
housing.
It is important to point out that "Housing First" does not mean that an individual will "get to live
in a hotel room without any expectations or accountability." The hotel voucher program will
have rules. All participants must agree to follow and sign a program agreement in order to
participate in the city's program.
Here are some of the rules and expectations:
1) All participants in this program must be "housing-focused." Participants are expected
to check-in with their assigned case worker and create a housing plan. If they do not
demonstrate concrete progress towards their housing plan or turn down multiple
housing options, then it will lead to termination from the program.
2) Participants cannot possess any illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia, or use drugs in their
room or on the hotel property.
3) No physical violence or threats of physical violence towards other guests, hotel/motel
staff or family members will be tolerated.
3) Participants may smoke only in designated smoking areas.
4) No unauthorized or unregistered guests.
Additional program rules are being developed and will be shared at a future date. Staff would
like to solicit the feedback of individuals with lived experience, residents, and the hotel staff to
help co-create these rules. Staff is open to community input and feedback.
Council Memo -Hotel Program and Other Voucher Assistance Programs
May 20, 2021
Page 3
A person's length of stay in the program will vary based on their housing plan and behavior.
Housing takes time. It takes time to find a place, obtain critical documents, connect to
resources, and save up money. The program will have built-in flexibility and allow participants
to receive individualized care. Staff anticipates the program will serve 100 participants
experiencing homelessness in the City of Carlsbad over the life of the one-year pilot program.
The program will accept referrals from the Carlsbad Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), city staff,
community partners, nonprofits, self-referrals, etc.
To qualify, Participants must be:
1. Homeless; and
2. Experiencing homelessness in the City of Carlsbad. This information can be verified
verbally by a provider, self-certification, employment, HOT, Homeless Management
Information System, bank statements, or a verified mailing address.
Staff is in the process of creating a "critical incident report." A critical incident is defined as a
death, overdose, interpersonal yiolence, property destruction, hospitalization, fire, violence, or
police call. The service provider and hotel staff will be expected to notify city staff of a critical
incident that happens with a program participant within 24-hours of the incident. Staff will
notify the appropriate city officials.
In addition to the city's new voucher program, staff is aware of three different hotel voucher
programs that are operating and serving the homeless population within the boundaries of
Carlsbad. These programs are being run by nonprofits that are independent of the city. Two
hotels are located in District 1 and they serve 8 -40 individuals and families. The third hotel
program is located in District 3 and serves 8-10 veterans. Staff spoke to the General Manager of
this hotel and they reported they have not had any issues with the hotel guests. None of these
existing programs are taxpayer funded.
Staff will be returning to the City Council on a quarterly basis to provide updates on the hotel
voucher program and other homelessness objectives to help reduce the unsheltered homeless
population in the City of Carlsbad.
CC: Celia Brewer, City Attorney
Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager