HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-03-28; Windsor Pointe - Letter to County of San Diego Regarding Actions (District 1); Barberio, GaryTo the members of the:
CITY COUNCIL
Date 3 bs /211-cA ✓ cc ✓
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March 28, 2024
Council Memorandum
{city of
Carlsbad
Memo ID# 2024022
To: Honorable Mayor Blackburn and Members of the City Council
From: Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Mandy Mills, Director of Housing & Homeless Services
Via: Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager @_
Re: W indsor Pointe -Letter to County of San Diego Regarding City Council Actions
(District -1)
This memorandum transmits a letter that has been sent to the County of San Diego regarding
the City Council actions approved on March 12, 2024, to address concerns about Windsor
Pointe.
Background
Windsor Pointe is a SO-unit affordable housing project with half of the units offering a priority
for lower-income military veterans and their families, including homeless veterans, and the
other half serving people,with severe mental illness who are experiencing homelessness. It has
been in operation almost two years. Concerns have been raised about the project, principally
regarding safety in the neighborhood. The City Council approved a number of action items on
March 12, 2024, to address concerns.
Discussion
The County of San Diego is a critical partner in the Windsor Pointe project through No Place
Like Home funding for development and ongoing operational support and through the
provision of behavioral health services. County of San Diego staff did not attend the
March 12, 2024, City Council meeting. Because some of the action items address the
County of San Diego, a letter was sent to advise County of San Diego staff of the action items
being pursued by the City of Carlsbad. The attached letter was recently sent to
Dr. Eric McDonald, t he Interim Director of the County of San Diego Health and Human Services
Agency.
Next Steps
City staff are in regular communication with County of San Diego staff about concerns and
potential solutions to address concerns.
Attachment: A. Letter to the County of San Diego, dated March 25, 2024
Community Services Branch
Housing & Homeless Services Department
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2810 t
Council Memo -Windsor Pointe -Letter to County of San Diego Regarding City Council Actions
March 28, 2024
Page 2
cc: Scott Chadwick, City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Mickey Williams, Police Chief
Laura Rocha, Deputy City Manager, Administrative Services
Paz Gomez, Deputy City Manager, Public Works
March 25, 2024
Eric C. McDonald, MD, MPH, FACEP
Interim Agency Director
County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency
1600 Pacific Highway, Room 206
San Diego, CA 92101
Dear Dr. McDonald,
Attachment A
(city of
Carlsbad
Thank you for your letter dated March 8, 2024, regarding Windsor Pointe. As you know, on
March 12, 2024, the Carlsbad City Council received an update on the Windsor Pointe affordable housing
project and directed city staff to pursue a number of actions, both immediate and long-term, to address
current concerns with the Windsor Pointe project. I want to bring your attention to one City Council
direction action item in particular that addresses behavioral health services provided by the County of
San Diego. The Carlsbad City Council voted to formally advocate for an increase in behavioral health
services available for Windsor Pointe residents that need and want it. The table below shows all City
Council directed action items and current status:
Actiori Status
Working with the City Council's Legislative County Housing & Community
Subcommittee, develop and implement a strategy to Development staff have confirmed
effectively advocate for the County of San Diego to authorization to use operating reserves for
release operating subsidy reserve funding for this onsite security. There is still a question of
project to cover the cost of additional onsite security at the maximum allowed within a five-year
both locations. period. The City of Carlsbad will advocate
to State HCD that the first five years of
permanent supportive housing tend to
have higher needs before reaching
stabilization and those projects should be
allowed to draw a higher percentage of
operating reserves.
Bring back an amended management plan to the City City staff, Affirmed Housing and ConAm
Council on April 9, 2024, that reflects an amended property management are working to
guest policy to require visitors to sign in and sign out develop new policies to be included in a
and the presence of an onsite security guard for each property management plan that will be
site when appropriate staff are not available. presented to the City Council on April 9.
Collaborate with the Property Manager to strengthen City staff, Affirmed Housing and ConAm are
the protocol to divert low-level issues to onsite working on a protocol for onsite personnel
personnel. to handle low level non-public safety
issues.
City Manager's Office
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive I Carlsbad, CA 92008 I 442-339-2820 t
Eric C. McDonald, MD, MPH, FACEP
March 25, 2024
Page 2
Develop and implement a plan within 45 days to urge
the County of San Diego to allow new Windsor Pointe
residents housed under the No Place Like Home
funding to start with a higher level of service with the
option to move to a lower level if appropriate, rather
than starting with minimal services and adding as
needed.
Working with the city's Director of Intergovernmental
Affairs and the city's contracted lobbyists, develop and
implement a legislative advocacy strategy within 60
days to effectively lobby for supportive housing to be
fully funded at the state and federal levels to provide
adequate levels of service.
Examine participating in a regional fair housing legal
analysis to determine if implementation of a local, or
subregional (i.e. North County), priority would be
consistent with federal and state fair housing laws and
other applicable laws.
Working with the city's Director of Intergovernmental
Affairs and legislative Subcommittee, advocate to the
Regional Task Force on Homelessness and the region's
Continuum of Care Board of Directors to make policy
changes that could provide a subregional priority in the
Coordinated Entry System referral process in certain
situations, such as when cities provide a significant
financial investment for a housing development.
Working with the city's Director of Intergovernmental
Affairs and legislative Subcommittee, develop and
implement a strategy for the state and federal
governments to allow veteran benefits to exceed
maximum income limits for permanent supportive
housing units to remove barriers to ending veteran
homelessness.
City staff, Affirmed Housing, ConAm and
County Behavioral Health staff (BHS) are
currently in active conversations to identify
ways to deliver additional and higher levels
of support to Windsor Pointe residents.
BHS staff did recently announce that they
have approved a part time behavioral
health clinician on site at Windsor Pointe
for 20 hours per week.
This action will be pursued in conjunction
with the city's Director of
Intergovernmental Affairs and City Council
legislative Subcommittee.
This action will be pursued by the city's
Housing & Homeless Services Department.
This action will be pursued in conjunction
with the city's Director of
Intergovernmental Affairs and City Council
legislative Subcommittee.
This action will be pursued in conjunction
with the city's Director of
Intergovernmental Affairs and City Council
legislative Subcommittee.
Carlsbad city staff have continued to work with all project partners to address concerns. We are
appreciative of the changes already approved by the County of San Diego such as the increase in onsite
supportive and behavioral health service hours and the ability to pay for security at both locations out of
the Capitalized Operating Subsidy Reserve. These changes will make a difference for project residents as
well as community members. City staff will continue to work with your department to ensure
appropriate treatment referrals are made based on the acuity levels of Windsor Pointe residents.
Thank you for your efforts to support collaborative solutions to ensure the safety, health and welfare of
tenants and the surrounding community. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact
Housing & Homeless Services Director Mandy Mills at (442) 339-2907, or mandy.mills@carlsbadca.gov.
Eric C. McDonald, MD, MPH, FACEP
March 25, 2024
Scott Chadwick
City Manager
cc: Sarah E. Aghassi, County of San Diego Interim Chief Administrative Officer
Courtney McDonald, County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency Chief of Staff
Geoff Patnoe, Assistant City Manager
Cindie McMahon, City Attorney
Mickey Williams, Chief of Police
Gary Barberio, Deputy City Manager, Community Services
Mandy Mills, Housing & Homeless Services Director