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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - February 7, 2018 I-02TM CITY OF LODI COUNCIL COMMUNICATION AGENDA ITEM I-2 AGENDA TITLE: Consider Request from San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors that Lodi Fund a Portion of a County Homeless Coordinator Position Beginning in Fiscal Year 2019- 20 and Adopt the County Supervisor's Homeless Priorities MEETING DATE: February 7, 2018 PREPARED BY: City Manager RECOMMENDED ACTION: Consider request from San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors that Lodi fund a portion of a County Homeless Coordinator position beginning in Fiscal Year 2019-20 and adopt the County Supervisor's Homeless Priorities. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors requested a joint meeting with the City Council on June 17, 2017. At the meeting the Board requested that the Lodi City Council consider funding a portion of the cost for the County to hire a Homeless Coordinator to pursue grants for homeless funding and coordinate efforts to resolve the homeless crisis across the County. The County also requested that the Council consider adopting the County Homelessness Priorities to present a unified approach to fighting homelessness. Staff initially had significant reservations about considering the funding request. We disagree fundamentally with the idea that homelessness is a City problem because homeless live in the cities. The concept is both factually and economically false. Many of Lodi's homeless in fact live in the County jurisdiction under the Mokelumne River overpass on Highway 99. Economically the statement ignores the fact that counties receive funding for services relied upon heavily by the homeless population including criminal justice, mental health, county hospitals and social services. However, the County has shown significant leadership in working on the homeless crisis. To date, County Staff have applied for and received three different grants totaling over $21.4 million dollars. The first project, "Progressive Housing," will spend $6 million over five years. This project adopts the Housing First model for those who are homeless and have serious mental illness. The County will establish a system that will determine an individual's probable development through stages of recovery and create four levels of services: pre/post assessment, engagement in mental health services, recovery support, and permanent housing. The second project, "Assessment and Respite Center," will invest more than $11 million over five years. This project will develop a Screening, Assessment and Referral Center that will address barriers that block service access from their target population of people with serious mental illness and those at high risk of homelessness. Under this project, the County will create more consumer - focused and culturally responsive services. San Joaquin County has also been a leader in supporting the Ready to Work Program. The program is aimed at converting the now closed County Honor Farm into housing for a work force training program APPROVED: Manager Consider Request from San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors that Lodi Fund a Portion of a County Homeless Coordinator Position Beginning in Fiscal Year 2019-20 and Adopt the County Supervisor's Homeless Priorities February 7, 2018 that would house and employ homeless in San Joaquin County. CalTrans has reached out to Lodi and Stockton hoping to use our communities as a conduit to employ Ready to Work clients cleaning up CalTrans rights of way in both of our communities. While the specifics of the program remain to be ironed out, if fully implemented it could provide significant relief to the homeless crisis, county wide and result in improvements to our Highway Rights of Way that we have been seeking from CalTrans for years. The Homeless Coordinator position job description requires the position to coordinate and administer the County homeless initiatives, including the Continuum of Care; facilitate the formation of a Countywide strategy of homelessness prevention and housing initiatives; monitor and report on the effectiveness of homelessness programs and initiatives, and strategic plan; work collaboratively within the Continuum of Care to address all aspects of homelessness prevention and service delivery; develop and implement comprehensive policies and procedures regarding homelessness funding; and provide training on homelessness related issues. The initial request included a range of funding depending on the County Success with securing grant funding. Since the grant was secured Lodi's share is on the low range at $7,502 as set forth below. The County's success with Continuum of Care grant funding has postponed the need for the City to participate until the 2019-20 budget year. Stockton Lodi Manteca Tracy Total of homeless • population Range of requested contribution (year one) Pia •07931 7,502 �r44� 24,507 10.5% 5,395 17,625 100.0°% $51,383 $167,856 This level of funding can in fact be provided long term through the Community Development Block Grant Program under our Administrative Services Cap. It will of course limit availability of CDBG funds for other services. However given the nature of the crisis and the delayed need for funding until 2019-20 Council could choose this one as a top priority for CDBG funds. Staff and the Committee on Homelessness all suggest that the Council require representation on the Continuum of Care as a condition of its funding. If agreeable, Staff will return with an item to appoint a representative. The County also requested that the City Council consider adopting their five point homeless priorities list. Part of the County's success can be attributed their adoption of the Housing First model which focuses on housing first and the following up with supportive services as compared to the traditional model which focuses on social services first to make a person eligible for housing. One can debate the merits of housing first but there is no question that grant dollars are forcing communities to accept it if they want to be successful in securing grants. The list is set forth below: • Foster collaboration between private and public agencies to ensure that collection of data regarding the number and demographic makeup of the homeless population is accurate and shared among agencies engaged in homelessness prevention activities. • Adopt a "Housing first" model, working collaboratively to reduce or eliminate upfront barriers to housing. Consider Request from San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors that Lodi Fund a Portion of a County Homeless Coordinator Position Beginning in Fiscal Year 2019-20 and Adopt the County Supervisor's Homeless Priorities February 7, 2018 • Unified discharge policies to prevent individuals from being discharged into homelessness. • Adopt a "No Wrong Door' approach, wherein the homeless or individuals facing homelessness can receive information regarding available services regardless of which agency they are in contact with. • Foster public/private partnerships for the development of new strategies and the enhancement of existing programs to prevent homelessness before it occurs. Lodi's committee on homelessness adds one additional element to the housing first point. They would add that Housing First must come with supportive services, not simply a roof over ones head. FISCAL IMPACT: $7,502 annually beginning in 2019-20 FUNDING AVAILABLE. CDBG funds are available to be programmed toward the position beginning in Fiscal Year 2019-20. Svabauer, 't�M,anager