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Home My WebLink About2022-03-31; Citywide Homeless Update: March 2022 (Districts - All); Barberio, GaryTo the members of the: CITY COUNCIL Date '='/'31 / cQCA __{_CC _{_ CM ✓ ACM ✓ DCM (3) ;L_ Council Memorandum March 31, 2022 To: From: Via: Re: Honorable Mayor Hall and Members of the City Council Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Mandy Mills, Director of Housing and Homeless Services Chris Shilling, Senior Homeless Program Manager Jessica Klein, Homeless Program Manager Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager @ Citywide Homeless Update: March 2022 (Districts -All) Homeless Outreach Team and Homeless Services Update {cityof Carlsbad Memo ID# 2022036 • City staff facilitated the second case conferencing meeting with service providers working with people experiencing homelessness in the City of Carlsbad. Case · conferencing meetings will be held on a monthly basis to continue to increase coordination and collaboration. A Case Conferencing Microsoft Teams Channel has also been created to allow partner communication between meetings. • On March 15, 2022, a Request for Proposals was released to solicit bids from organizations interested in providing Employment and Benefit Specialist Services within the City of Carlsbad. This is part of the updated Work Plan approved by the City Council on Dec. 7, 2021. Proposals are due April 15, 2022. • The rapid re-housing contract extension with the Community Resource Center was launched on Feb. 1, 2022. This contract provides assistance for securing housing for people experiencing homelessness in the City of Carlsbad through rental assistance and support services. This contract term runs through Jan. 31, 2024, with the option to extend for future terms. • The Police Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) has continued with an initiative to reclaim shopping carts and return them to the merchants that own them. When this initiative started, the HOT Officers provided large trash bags as an alternate means to carrying property before confiscating the cart. It was identified that this was not an effective solution, and large laundry bags with a shoulder strap and a draw string closure were ordered, which offers a positive solution. HOT Officers have been tracking this initiative since Dec. 21, 2022. To date HOT Officers have recovered and returned 68 shopping ·carts, issued 13 citations and 2 written warnings. Community Services Branch Housing & Homeless Services Department 1200 Carl.sbad Village Drive I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2810 t Council Memo - Citywide Homeless Update: March 2022 (Districts - All) March 31, 2022 Page 2 •The city's quality-of-life ordinances related to homelessness and public spaces went into effect on Nov. 11, 2021. These ordinanaces and other federal, state and local laws have helped the HOT hold the homeless community accountable while continuing to offer compassionate outreach and resources. To date, Police Officers have issued 132 warnings, 174 citations, and have made 42 bookable arrests. The issuance of Carlsbad Municipal Code (CMC) infractions is declining as compliance increases, but arrests have remained steady. •Chris Shilling started as the Senior Homeless Program Manager on Jan. 25, 2022. Chris previously worked as a Director with both the non-profit homeless services provider Home Start and the Regional Task Force on Homelessness. •Darbie Ernst was promoted to Lieutenant of the Special Investigations Division, which oversees the HOT. Lt. Ernst has been with the Carlsbad Police Department for 22 years. •Jessica Klein was promoted to the position of Homeless Program Manager. Jessica has been with the City of Carlsbad as a Housing Navigator for over 2 years. Previously Jessica worked in the homeless services field in the City of Seattle and King County since 2009. Emergency Shelter and Hotel Voucher Program •The HOT has placed 16 individuals and one household of three into the Emergency Hotel Pilot Voucher Program since November 2021. Participants are typically allowed to stay up to three nights. In rare cases, the HOT can increase the time if there are assured resources that are taking longer to secure. Of the 17 placements, 11 have been bridged to more permenant housing, while one is still awaiting long term aid. •On March 15, 2022, a Request for Proposals was released to solicit bids from consultants interested in providing training and technical assistance to help Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego operate the La Posada de Guadalupe Shelter as a housing-focused low barrier shelter. Shelter barriers can screen out the most vulnerable individuals. Creating a low-barrier shelter is a best-practice recommendation by homeless experts across the country. Staff has been working with Catholic Charities to reduce barriers at the La Posada de Guadalupe Shelter to allow greater access for the unsheltered homeless population. This is part of the updated Work Plan approved by the City Council on Dec. 7, 2021. Proposals are due April 15, 2022. •City staff are currently working with Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego to develop a Service Agreement for additional clinician services at the La Posada de Gudalupe Shelter as part of the updated Work Plan approved by the City Council on Dec. 7, 2021. Staff hopes to bring an agreement to the City Council for approval in May 2022. Council Memo -Citywide Homeless Update: March 2022 (Districts -All) March 31, 2022 Page 3 Community •The Housing and Homeless Services Department presented their second quarterly update report to the City Council on Feb. 22, 2022. •The 2022 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count was completed on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, from 4-8 a.m. Over 40 volunteers, elected leaders, and staff participated in this event. The City of Carlsbad was recognized by the Regional Task Force on Homelessness as the first city in North County to meet its volunteer goal. The data from the count will be available in the coming months. •The Housing and Homeless Services Department held two community meetings/ presentations with a local citizen's group and a group of property owners at the Grand Madison condominiums. cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Celia Brewer, City Attorney Mickey Williams, Chief of Police Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services