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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 12a - Ad Hoc Homelessness Advisory Committee DATE: June 1, 2021 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Dominic Lazzaretto, City Manager By: Michael Bruckner, Deputy City Manager Candice Cheung, Assistant Director of Recreation & Community Services SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF PAUSING THE STUDY OF THE TINY SHELTERS PROPOSAL AND ESTABLISHING AN AD HOC HOMELESSNESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Recommendation: Direct the City Manager to: (1) Create an Ad Hoc Homelessness Advisory Committee that would provide a report and recommendations within 60 days, and (2) not proceed with any shelter options until such report is available SUMMARY Individuals experiencing homelessness are increasing throughout Los Angeles County. Over the past several years, the number of homeless in Arcadia has also grown to levels not seen in recent memory. In 2017, Los Angeles County voters approved Measure H to help fund services to prevent and combat homelessness. The City has adopted a Homelessness Plan, partnered with neighboring cities and other agencies to address the crisis, and implemented first-in-kind programs like the Homeless Resource Hub to assist those experiencing homelessness. More recently, the City submitted a letter of intent to examine the possibility of developing a Tiny Shelters pilot project in Arcadia. Due to increasing community concern about homelessness and the Tiny Shelters pilot program, on May 18, 2021, the City Council requested that an item be placed on the June 1 agenda to consider halting further investigations into the Tiny Shelters pilot program. The City Council also requested that the City Manager place an item on the same agenda to discuss empaneling an advisory committee on homelessness to gain further insight into community concerns and to develop comprehensive recommendations to address this issue. It is recommended that the City Council direct the City Manager to: (1) Create an Ad Hoc Homelessness Advisory Committee that would provide a report and Creation of an Ad Hoc Homelessness Advisory Committee June 1, 2021 Page 2 of 5 recommendations within 60 days, and (2) not proceed further with any shelter options until the Committee returns with its recommendations to the City Council. BACKGROUND Recognizing the impact of homelessness on individuals and communities throughout Los Angeles County, in 2017 voters approved Measure H to fund services to prevent and combat homelessness. Throughout the past five years, Arcadia has applied for multiple homelessness grants to prevent and combat homelessness. On August 7, 2018, the City Council adopted the Five-Year Homelessness Plan. The Homelessness Plan addresses homelessness through several strategic goals, including training first responders, strengthening the Coordinated Entry System, enhancing the Emergency Shelter System, partnering with other cities to expand rapid rehousing, and expanding the Countywide Outreach System. On October 15, 2019, City Council approved and accepted a multijurisdictional implementation grant with the City of South Pasadena for case management, including a case manager, motel vouchers, and rapid rehousing in the amount of $292,200. This partnership was developed out of necessity, as the cities did not meet the individual service demand threshold to receive funding for homeless services alone. Throughout 2018 and 2019, as it became apparent that the County was unable to address the service needs of the San Gabriel Valley, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (“SGVCOG”) took a more proactive and coordinated roll in applying for Measure H funds and revising funding protocols so that monies more fairly flowed to all areas of the County. On October 20, 2020, City Council approved and accepted a grant from the SGVCOG from Measure H funds to address homelessness in the City in the amount of $380,000. The grant included encampment clean up, first responder outreach, emergency resources, a full time Housing Navigator, administrative costs, prevention and diversion funds, and the launch of the Homeless Resource Hub. The Homeless Resource Hub, located in the Par 3 Golf Course parking lot, provides free showers, laundry facilities, resources, first aid, meal, job training, and onsite case management one day per week and has been successful at connecting clients to housing and other services needed to get the unhoused off of Arcadia streets. Providing case management and resources has helped individuals experiencing homelessness; however, housing is still the primary means to help get individuals experiencing homelessness off the streets. On February 16, 2021, the City Council voted to submit a letter of intent to examine the possibility of developing a Tiny Shelters pilot project in Arcadia. At the time, the City Council did not vote to proceed with the project, but rather just to examine the viability of Tiny Shelters in Arcadia at the Peck Park access road site. The Tiny Shelters pilot program would study the efficacy of adding 15 or so shelters, food, restrooms, showers, possible laundry, case Creation of an Ad Hoc Homelessness Advisory Committee June 1, 2021 Page 3 of 5 management, security, and other wrap around services individuals experiencing homelessness need. In addition, it would be possible to relocate the Resources Hub to the Tiny Shelters site. All program costs would be paid by grant funds. On May 6, 2021, the City of Arcadia held a virtual Community Forum on Homelessness to discuss the issue more broadly, and to hear community feedback on how to address the issue holistically in Arcadia. During the forum, and in the days and weeks since, the City received numerous questions and emails about the Tiny Shelters pilot program. The City Council recognized that community concerns surrounding homelessness and the Tiny Shelters pilot program are complex. Therefore, on May 18, 2021, the City Council requested that City Manager place an item on a future agenda to discuss pausing the investigation into the Tiny Shelters pilot program. In addition, the City Council asked for an agenda item to consider empaneling an advisory committee on homelessness to gain further insight into community concerns and develop comprehensive recommendations to address this issue. DISCUSSION The Ad Hoc Homelessness Advisory Committee would be empaneled to study the issue of homelessness in Arcadia and address a wide variety of programs and services, as well as funding available from federal, state, and local sources. While the Committee would surely discuss the Tiny Shelters pilot program as part of its work, they would also look at other programs and policy alternatives to provide recommendations on a comprehensive strategy for addressing this difficult issue. It is expected that various City Staff would assist in the Committee in its investigations, including the Police Chief, Fire Chief, City Attorney, and any others needed to provide background information on the magnitude of the issue in Arcadia and the options that might be available for the Committee to consider. The City Manager and Director of Recreation & Community Services would facilitate the discussions and attend every meeting. In order to ensure that the City is addressing this issue with urgency, it is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to appoint members to the Committee. The City Council would be encouraged to make recommendations of people that they would like to see represented on the Committee. The City Manager would make all efforts to ensure broad representation so that all points of view and various levels of expertise on the issue of homelessness are included. This would mean having representatives who have spoken out in favor and against the Tiny Shelters pilot program as well as other homelessness programs in the City. It would also mean finding residents from all parts of the City with as many age groups and backgrounds possible so that it is truly representative of Arcadia. The Committee will be subject to the Brown Act to provide the fullest extent of public transparency possible and all Committee agendas and minutes will be made available on the City’s website. The meetings will be open to the public for viewing the Creation of an Ad Hoc Homelessness Advisory Committee June 1, 2021 Page 4 of 5 proceedings. If the Committee is interested, their work could also include surveys and other data gathering efforts to obtain input from the larger community. The Committee would have approximately 15 members in order to have a large enough group to have all viewpoints represented, while remaining small enough to work quickly. It is expected that all members would need to be City of Arcadia residents; however, if the City Council wishes to expand membership to residents in the County unincorporated areas surrounding the City of Arcadia, it can certainly do so. To further ensure expediency, it is recommended that the Committee take no more than 60 days to study programs, services, alternatives, funding, and other strategies to address the issue of homelessness in Arcadia. This will require commitment from the Committee members as well as City Staff to meet regularly and turn information around rapidly. This can be accomplished; however, if more time is needed, the Committee can provide initial insights and seek additional time from the City Council to complete its efforts. At the conclusion of the Committee’s work, a summary of their findings along with any supporting recommendations would be submitted to the City Council for review and consideration. Any programmatic proposals recommended by the Committee and considered by the City Council will be studied in greater detail and shared with the community for feedback to the greatest extent practical before adoption and implementation. During the period that the Committee would be doing its work, it is recommended that the City refrain from taking any further actions on the Tiny Shelters pilot program. Once the recommendations are known, the City Council can then decide whether to conduct further study of the Tiny Shelters pilot program, abandon the idea, or approve it. It is expected that the Committee will request information on the Tiny Shelters pilot program as part of their work; staff would gather that as part of the mission of the Committee if desired, but would not advance any applications with the SGVCOG while the Committee is empaneled. It is very possible that the window for being able to accept the current cycle of grants may pass during this 60-day period; however, it is far more important for the community to have a unified vision for addressing homelessness and it is also expected that future grant opportunities will be available in the near future to address whichever approaches the Committee and the City Council ultimately approve, so there is very little risk in delaying. The issue of homelessness will not go away on its own and it requires local solutions that are tailored to this particular community’s desires. The causes of homelessness are as complex as the very real concerns surrounding them and a thorough, open, and compassionate dialogue is the best approach to making strides in this area. Pausing the review of the Tiny Shelters pilot program and establishing an Ad Hoc Committee on Homelessness will make this possible. Creation of an Ad Hoc Homelessness Advisory Committee June 1, 2021 Page 5 of 5 FISCAL IMPACT The costs to empanel the Committee are likely to include staff time and some materials. Sufficient funding is available in the City Manager’s Office and Recreation & Community Services Department budgets to effectively resource the Committee. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council direct the City Manager to: (1) Create an Ad Hoc Homelessness Advisory Committee that would provide a report and recommendations within 60 days, and (2) not proceed with any shelter options until such report is available.