HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-08-12; Citywide Homeless Update: August 2021 (Districts - All); Barberio, GaryTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
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Aug. 12,2021
To:
From:
Via:
Re:
Council Memorandum
Honorable Mayor Hall and Mem rs o the City Council
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manag
Mandy Mills, Housing and Homeless
Holly Nelson, Senior Homeless Prow c:~~~Ll!!i
Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manag
Citywide Homeless Update: August 2021 (Districts -All)
Homeless Outreach Team
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Carlsbad
Memo ID #2021153
• The Homeless Outreach Team continues to distribute hygiene kits, brochures, and trash
bags to our unsheltered residents. A County Public Health Nurse administers COVID-19
vaccinations in the field every Wednesday with the Homeless Outreach Team.
• The Homeless Outreach Team is cautiously resuming encampment cleanups, and
carefully evaluating each on a case '-by-case basis.
• The Homeless Outreach Team, Senior Homeless Program Manager, and Public Works
Senior Program Manager have been able to work with Caltrans and the California
Highway Patrol to address the community concerns about the encampments and people
living in their vehicles at the La Costa Park-n-Ride. The Homeless Outreach Team was
able to educate residents on how to call and go on line to file a complaint. Caltrans had
suspended their encampment cleanups during COVID-19, but they announced in late
June 2021 that they would be resuming deanups if there was a safety concern.
• The Homeless Outreach Team and Senior Homeless Program Manager continue to
monitor all downtown parks, especially Magee Park, on a daily basis. The Homeless
Outreach Team is working with Parks & Recreation staff to address the community's
concerns related to the cleanliness of the bathrooms, events and rentals, lighting, and
safety in the parks.
• The Senior Homeless Program Manager and Parks Services Manager are working with
GIS to conduct an internal study on the placement of the portable restrooms in the city
to see if they are geographically placed in the most beneficial locations.
Community Services Branch
Housing & Homeless Servcies Department
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 760-434-2810 t
Council Memo -Citywide Homeless Update: August 2021
Aug. 12,2021
Page 2
Emergency Shelter and Hotel Voucher Program
• The city is still in the process of identifying potential hotels to participate in a voucher
program that would provide stable housing to people experiencing homelessness.
• Staff will be returning to the City Council in September to discuss next steps.
• La Posada Emergency Shelter is working with the Community Development Department
to amend their Conditional Use Permit to allow for an expansion in their shelter bed
capacity from 50 beds to 100 beds.
Community
• Office hours with members of the city's Homeless Response Team have resumed.
During the month of July staff conducted two sessions and had 10 community members
in attendance. New dates have been announced for the month of August:
Monday, Aug. 16, 5:30-6:30 p.m., and Thursday, Aug. 26, 12-1 p.m.
• City staff recognize homeless issues continue to be a top concern for the community.
Staff put together a list of "common questions" on the city's website.
• The community has expressed positive comments about the enforcement of overnight
vehicles along Avenida Encinas.
• The Homeless Outreach Team continues to conduct outreach for individuals living in their
vehicle and offering them resources. They refer indivdiuals to Jewish Family Services, a
local nonprofit, that operates four safe parking lot programs throughout San Diego
County. In the last 15 months, the safe parking lot program has served over 46
households/vehicles from the City of Carlsbad.
Permanent Housing
• Ten homeless individuals were pulled from the Section 8 waiting list to receive a
permanent housing voucher. All of the individuals have a long history of homelessness
in Carlsbad, are age 50+, and have a disabling condition. To date, eight individuals have
attended the requisite briefings and submitted the required paperwork. Three of the
individuals have reached the point in the process to receive their Section 8 Voucher to
secure a unit. The first individual to progress through the permanent housing program
will be moving into a permanent housing unit on Aug. 14, 2021.
County
• The Senior Homeless Program Manager met with County of San Diego staff on
Aug. 9, 2021, to discuss the implementation of the 10 new social workers in North
County. County staff shared that at least one social worker will be dedicated full-time to
the City of Carlsbad. The social worker will provide more intensive case management to
Council Memo -Citywide Homeless Update: August 2021
Aug. 12,2021
Page 3
higher needs clients referred by the Homeless Outreach Team and Housing Navigator.
The social worker program has a tentative launch date of Oct. 1, 2021.
cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Celia Brewer, City Attorney
Mickey Williams, Acting Chief of Police
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services