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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHomeless Task Force Recommendations Report City Council Stud 3/16/201r, HOMELESS TASK FORCE YF RECOMMENDATIONS �v. City Council Study Session March 21, 2016 FORMATION In March 2015 the City Council established a = seven (7) person Task Force to make recommendations to the City Council regarding Homelessness xx The Task Force began meeting in May 2015 1 3/16/2016 PROCESS ► Goal was to review Best Practices from Non-Profits/Cities/ County/etc. Presentations included: ► Huntington Beach Police Department ► Beach Cities Interfaith Services (BCIS) ► OC Health Care Agency - Behavioral Health Care ► Share Our Selves (SOS) ► Illumination Foundation ► Fresh Beginnings ► City of Pasadena/Orange - Police Outreach Programs ► City of Costa Mesa - Outreach ► Trellis - Faith Community Partnerships ► County Homeless Coordinated Entry Program/Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness ► Huntington Beach Affordable Housing Programs/Non-Profits TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS ► Task Force created six (6) Sub-Committees ► Police ► Housing (2) ► Coordination of Services ► Economic Self-Sufficiency ► Health Services ► The sub-committees met several times from December to February to develop recommendations ► In February the Task Force met to discuss and vote upon the recommendations to be forwarded to the City Council. Their recommendations are on the following pages. 2 3/16/2016 POLICE Bill Blair, Ron Kupferstein, Hek Valdez 1. Review City of Huntington Beach municipal code for opportunities to enhance, or develop, best practice ordinance addressing quality of life issues 2. Authorize the Chief of Police and City Attorney to explore the concept of a community prosecutor position to develop a Chronic Offender Program to best handle local x:Y. xxx;:. misdemeanor violations related to quality of life offenses x POLICE (cont. ) 3. Re-evaluate the implementation of a downtown ambassador program and/or other private security staffing to aid law enforcement efforts in the downtown business district as well as other major HB retail centers 4. Review opportunities to re-establish a Park Ranger program for visibility in City parks and to aid law enforcement efforts to regulate illegal camping 5. Provide dedicated outreach funding support for discretionary allocation by Police Department, to aid in emergency circumstances (also recommended by Housing 1 sub-committee) 3 3/16/2016 HOUSING 1 Ralph Bauer, Dave Moses, Joseph Sullivan 1. Short Term - Make more existing rental housing accessible to people in need. City Staff should be tasked (Homeless Services Coordinator) to cultivate rental property owners to accept third party payments. (Vouchers) 2. Medium Term - Support construction of additional low- income housing units. Recommend that all new housing developments designate low income housing units, solicit relationships with low-income housing builders to facilitate low income housing units. HOUSING 1 (cont. ) 3. Long Term - Develop temporary housing for homeless people, with associated services. Work with nearby cities to develop a temporary housing location with a significant number of shelter beds, like the Kraemer Multi-Service Center. This will provide temporary shelter that could be managed securely and paired with services to allow homeless people to begin improving their situations. 4 3/16/2016 Housing 2 Vicki Boatman, Ron Kupferstein, Hek Valdez 1. Require New Development (Housing and Retail Centers) in Huntington Beach to fund homeless housing - transitional and permanent 2. Acquire existing Huntington Beach Warehouses (lease, purchase bankruptcy, donation) for conversion to emergency/short term and transitional (60 day) living X: a) Unit size to range between 200 sq. ft. (studio) for X emergency/short term to 400/500 sq. ft. (1 bedroom) for transitional b) Reach out to Faith Based Organizations, Corps, Local Business and Trades people to provide labor and/or materials for build-out Housing 2 (cont. ) 3. Use city property to place "living" shipping containers a) Purchase shipping containers to be converted into temporary/emergent living quarter for homeless (code variances may be required). 5 3/16/2016 Coordination of Services Vicki Boatman, Dave Moses. Joseph Sullivan 1. Create a user-friendly data based that includes - organization, location, needs covered, resources available, gender served, etc. (also recommended by the Police sub-committee) a) Categories to include type of services offered (food, clothing, medical, families, singles, hygiene, etc ) b) Current helpful lists of services for the homeless X should be used as baseline data (Build Futures, 2-1-1) c) Build in database security levels, based on use (City, residents); make searchable and printable Coordination of Services (cont. ) d) Other Resources needed in Addition to Centralized Service Directory: i. List of resources not normally shared with public including affordable units, "felony friendly" landlords and private rentals ii. Create manageable list for quick reference and emergencies iii. City Staff need update and delete information on an on-going basis iv. Add Huntington Beach Services dropdown to 211 website, have HB residents receive priority v. Create a definition of a Huntington Beach homeless resident 6 3/16/2016 Coordination of Services (cont. ) 2. Create an information management system on all homeless persons a) Client Profile should include the following information - service resistant, substance abuse or in recovery, hours spent with individual, case notes and relevant individual data b) Information would be utilized as a management tool for outreach workers to ensure that all information is current regarding client profile and services offered - will assist in tracking clients and noting service resistant Coordination of Services (cont. ) 3. Organize a faith based community of volunteers and nonprofit organizations a) Monthly senior pastors from 13 churches meet, with 5 core churches present, incorporate a homeless focus to meetings, schedule City-authorized training for all volunteers who will interface with the homeless b) Once trained in mentoring homeless a formal reporting system to avoid duplication of services and coordination with City staff - Homeless coordinator and Police should meet regularly with volunteers, exchange and input into clients being served to avoid duplication, City outreach staff should interact to prioritize activities to ensure that services are offered to most vulnerable individuals on street 7 3/16/2016 Economic Self Sufficiency Ralph Bauer, Hek Valdez 1. Create a Job Center (site to be determined). Review what other are currently doing for job training. Train volunteers or contract employees to operate the Center. a) Determine if homeless person is ready to work, if not identify resources necessary to accomplish work readiness by referring the homeless to the appropriate resource. b) Identify a profile and skills of the homeless person and use this information in formal job applications 2. Work with the Chamber of Commerce and One Stop Program to create employment opportunities Economic Self Sufficiency (cont. ) 3. Create an employment bureau intake employee who can establish relationships and resources to find employment 4. Reach out to local businesses to devise a network of possible employers dedicated to employing people in need. These jobs would be entry level positions designed to help give these individuals a platform to build a better life from. We can motivate local businesses to participate via incentives including: promotion through advertisement, tax breaks and incentives, as well as helping to make their own community a better place 3/16/2016 Health Services Ralph Bauer, Vicki Boatman, Ron Kupferstein 1. Develop local HB free-standing Homeless Medical/Psych Clinic with assistance of local Acute Care Hospital as this will relieve Hospital cost and unnecessary utilization of Hospital Emergency Rooms. a) Lease space in retail strip mall, OR have local Hospital donate office space in Medical Office Building b) Staff with volunteers or Hospital support for front office (clerical, reception) and back office (clinical assistance -M.A.'s, WN, RN, P.A.) 2. Recruit local healthcare medical/psych providers (M.D., PhD.) to evaluate and treat Homeless patients on pro bono basis. Health Services (cont. ) 3. Arrange for HB located psych beds for direct admits and transfer of psyche Homeless Patients released "early" by County facility. 4. Arrange for beds for detox and subsequent treatment at Sober Living, Drug and Alcohol Rehab Facilities and Hospitals for Homeless requiring such services 9 3/16/2016 QUESTIONS for Task Force Next Steps 10 SUPPLEMENTAL The Honorable COMMUNICATION James Katapodis Mayor of Huntington Beach 2000 Main Street +`� �9 Date: / Huntington Beach CA 92648 Agenda Item No. Dear Mister Mayor I would like to express my concerns regarding the Homelessness Task Force's Recommendations Many of these recommendations will hinder the quality of life of actual residents of Huntington Beach I had no objections to the forming of the task force However,The Majority of Presentations were from Organizations providing assistance not punishment Only 3 City Police Departments in Orange County and 1 in Los Angeles County were consulted In addition, The Police Departments of The three Cities in Orange County with a larger population then Huntington Beach, Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Irvine,were not consulted It is of note that Santa Ana has a significant Homeless Enclave at The Orange County Civic Center Also, The Orange County Sheriffs Department was not consulted Also, no presentations relating to the victims of homelessness were heard I am also concerned about the use of Subcommittees Subcommittees are not required to comply with The Ralph Brown Act The use of subcommittees made much of the work of The Homelessness Task Force not transparent Wit that said, here are my opinions on the recommendations of The Homelessness Task Force Police Subcommittee 1 An Ordinance is needed to insure Homeless men and women are punished for committing crimes 2 A"Chronic Offender Program" is not needed If The City Attorney's Caseload is indeed high, perhaps an additional City Attorney should be appointed However, No Prosecutor should only handle cases from a certain group It would not be acceptable to have a prosecutor handle only cases with African- American or female defendants, for example For the same reasons,we should not have a program specifically for Homeless defendants 3 I would strongly discourage the elimination of The Downtown Ambassador Program This program has substantially helped the downtown community If lack of training to deal with The Homeless is a concern, perhaps the Huntington Beach Police Department could ask the Orange County Sheriffs Department to develop a training program for dealing with the Homeless, to be provided not only to the Sheriffs Deputies but to all law enforcement officers 4 I have no objections to a park ranger program, however I am concerned, based on the staffing levels of the Huntington Beach Police Department, that it will be difficult to find park rangers 5 I would prefer this funding be allocated for General matters relating to the Homeless This way, this funding could fund both outreach and penal measures 1st Housing subcommittee 1 I support a general voucher system However, The Vouchers must not be provided to those who have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor This rule should apply to all men and women, regardless of whether they homeless or not 2 I also support construction of additional low-income housing units However, those who have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor should not be allowed to live in these units This rule should apply to all men and women, regardless of whether they are homeless or not In addition the residents of these low-income housing units should be given no second chances when violations of their rent agreement are made 3 I do not support a temporary housing location It will create dependency and the Homeless will never move out We must instead insure we have enough houses 2nd Housing subcommittee 1 I support the funding of permanent housing, but not transitional housing 2 We do not need homeless men and women sleeping in warehouses That is not a civilized activity 3 We do not need homeless men and women, sleeping in "Shipping containers" That is not a civilized activity Coordination of services subcommittee 1 A database of organizations should be made However, It is my opinion that no landlord should be "felony-friendly"Also, The Homeless are not "residents" of any city Therefore, they should not be treated as residents of Huntington Beach 2 A database of all homeless men and women should be made and should also include information on felony and misdemeanor convictions 3 I do not believe it is appropriate for a "faith based community" to be authorized by the city It is a violation of the 1st amendment to the United States constitution I would support a concerned group of citizens, but it should not be limited to "senior pastors" Economic Self-Sufficiency subcommittee 1 Job training is important However, No Homeless person is "ready to work" You cannot work if you do not have an address Employees and Employers will be unable to send communications through the United States Postal Service 2 1 would prefer using the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce as a resource 3 If the city is going to have an 'Employment Bureau intake employee" It needs to provide equal employment opportunities to all men and women, regardless of whether they are homeless or not 4 Businesses should be helping all men and women, regardless of whether they are homeless or not, find employment Health subcommittee 1 A clinic will not be enough to provide care to The Homeless A second Hospital, run by the city of Huntington Beach is needed This Hospital should have a full psychiatric ward 2 We cannot not pay our physicians and nurses for their dedicated efforts 3 No early releases should be allowed at any hospital The Frank Lanterman- Nicholas Petris-Alan Short act requires a 72-hour hold, nothing more, nothing less 4 We must insure that drug abuse is treated as a legal problem and a healthcare problem I am hopeful that the City will represent the interests of actual Huntington Beach residents and insure a swift and effective resolution of the Homelessness problem Sincerely Yours, Mr Amory Hanson CC The Honorable David Sullivan CC The Honorable Barbara Delglieze CC The Honorable William O'Connell CC The Honorable Michael Posey CC The Honorable Erik Peterson CC The Honorable Jill Hardy CC Mr Fred Wilson CC The Honorable Joan Flynn