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Home My WebLink About2024-01-25; Citywide Homeless Update: January 2024 (Districts - All); Barberio, GaryTo the members of the: CITY COUNCIL Date l/.ic;l2.4CA ✓ CC_L CM _~_ ACM ~DCM (3 ) ~ January 25, 2024 Cou ncil Memorandum {city of Carlsbad Memo ID# 2024006 To: From: Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services Mandy Mills, Director of Housing & Homeless Services Via: Re: Chris Shilling, Homeless Services Mana~Homeless Services Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager ~ Citywide Homeless Update: January 2024 (Districts -All ) Homeless Services and Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) Update • Housing & Homeless Services staff have been working collaboratively with the City of Oceanside on a joint application for State of California Encampment Resolution Funds to address homelessness on the border areas of the cities. If funded the project would 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. The majority of the application budget addresses encampments in Oceanside but would provide some resources for Carlsbad as well. Carlsbad city staff are assisting Oceanside city staff with the application, but the City of Oceanside would be the applicant. Applications are due on January 31, 2024, and award notifications are expected to be made in the Spring. • On August 24, 2023, the city submitted an application to the fiscal year 2023 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunity competition for $435,050. The funding would provide supportive services to people experiencing homelessness in Carlsbad who also have a housing choice voucher. On September 13, 2023, the city was notified it received the highest score of any new project application. Final funding award notifications from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are expected to be received in the next few months. The grant includes funding for a small portion of city positions, including half of the Housing Navigator, and could offset over $50,000 per year in costs to the General Fund. A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be released for services identified in the grant application on January 29, 2024. Staff expect to bring an item to request the acceptance of funds and approval of a professional services agreement to the City Council by June 2024 to begin July 1, 2024, if the grant agreement from HUD is received. • Housing & Homeless Services Department staff met with the Carlsbad Unified School District prior to the start of the 2023-24 school year and have now met with the San Dieguito Union High School District and the San Marcos Unified School District. Staff will be reaching out to the Encinitas Union School District soon. Relationships were 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: January 2024 (Districts -All) January 25, 2024 Page 2 established to connect families and school support services to existing resources in the City of Carlsbad for families experiencing homelessness. Staff are now also connected with the San Diego County Office of Education for support and collaboration on the upcoming opioid abatement activities within the districts. • In early September 2023 the Police and Housing & Homeless Services departments sent letters to Affirmed Housing, who is the developer of Windsor Pointe, and ConAm, the property management company, to share concerns about property operations. The Police Chief and Housing & Homeless Services Director continue to meet with management from Affirmed Housing and ConAm to identify and implement solutions. A meeting was also recently held with County Supervisor Jim Desmond to discuss the ongoing challenges and progress at the property. • 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 in June 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 and meets the settlement requirements for high impact abatement activities. On February 12, 2024, the city will release an RFP to identify a contractor to provide these services with an expectation that services will begin at the start of the next fiscal year. Initial funding for these activities has already been received and future payments will be received according to the schedule in the opioid settlement agreements. • The city's quality-of-life ordinances related to homelessness and public spaces went into effect on November 11, 2021. These ordinances and other federal, state, and local laws have helped the HOT hold the homeless community accountable while continuing to offer compassionate outreach and resources. In December 2023, Police Officers issued 2 written warnings, 36 citations, and 3 bookable arrests. Enforcement action of some sort was taken during 63% of 79 contacts. Emergency Shelter and Motel Voucher Program • In December 2023, the HOT placed 4 individuals into the Emergency Motel Voucher Program (1 adult with 3 children). 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. Council Memo -Citywide Homeless Update: January 2024 (District s -All) January 25, 2024 Page 3 • The Housing & Homeless Services Department began offering extended limited-term motel stays to bridge households from being unsheltered to finding a stable place to live. Between September 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, Housing & Homeless Services has provided 17 households with extended motel vouchers. Twelve have successfully transitioned into stable placements and one has a housing subsidy to obtain permanent housing and is in the process of locating an available unit. • The city continues to work with Catholic Charities on the La Posada de Guadalupe shelter expansion. Housing & Homeless Services Department staff assisted Catholic Charities in drafting a letter to the state requesting flexibility with the regulatory agreement for farmworker beds due to the reduced seasonal need for these beds. Staff continue to explore all options to provide expanded shelter space for single women and families as quickly as possible. Community • The 2024 Point-in-Time Count (PITC) was completed on Thursday, January 25, 2024, from 4 -8 a.m. Three staff members, four HOT officers and 45 community volunteers deployed from the Harding Community Center to count throughout the city. The Regional Task Force on Homelessness is expected to release the county-wide results in late Spring 2024. City staff will include this data in the next semi-annual report to be presented to City Council by the end of June 2024. • In December 2023 Housing & Homeless Services staff attended the Regional Task Force on Homelessness' second annual conference, "Peers, Partners, and Practices." Nearly one thousand people representing 165 organizations attended the local event. Staff were able to network with other local jurisdictions and service providers as well as attend sessions and trainings which covered national best practices and emerging innovations in ending homelessness. • Interdisciplinary working groups convened by the Outcomes Standards Board (PROS Board) of the San Diego Taxpayers Educational Foundation have reconvened and Housing & Homeless Services staff continue to attend. cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager Cindie McMahon, City Attorney Mickey Williams, Police Chief Michael Calderwood, Fire Chief Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services Zach Korach, Finance Director