SR-14-C
.
~~~ \4-C
2..... 3-2'
RP:DTA:VR
February 3, 1987
Santa Monica, California
TO:
Mayor and City Council
FROM:
City staff
SUBJECT: Options for Consideration Related to the Establishment
of Emergency Shelters During the Winter Months
INTRODUCTION
This report provides Council with options for consideration
regarding the establishment of emergency shelter services for
homeless people during the winter months. A description of each
option and the feasibility of each is discussed.
BACKGROUND
On January 20, Council directed staff to develop plans for
housing people on a short term basis during the winter months as
has been carried out by the cities of Los Angeles and West
Hollywood. In consultation with local agencies and service
providers, and the Homeless Working Group, a number of city owned
facilities were reviewed for possible use as shelters.
Considerations included proximity to residential areas, late
night uses of City facilities by the public , the existence of
suitable fire exits, and access to other support services.
Discussion also involved the various programmatic approaches
available to the City in addressing emergency shelter for the
cold winter periods. Special attention was given to developing a
program that could be effectively managed and that would be
consistent with the city's committment to supporting emergency
- I -
.
.
services which are coordinated with related programs also serving
the homeless population.
Two meetings have been held to date to discuss these issues with
representatives of CLARE, Ocean Park Community Center, Salvation
Army, st. John's Hospital, Venice Family Clinic and st. Joseph's
Center in addition to involvement by members of the City's
Homeless Working Group. Numerous City staff meetings have been
held as well with representatives of the Police Department, City
Manager's Office, Recreation and Parks Department, and Community
and Economic Development Department.
The following outlines the two options evaluated during this
planning process and discusses the feasibility of each:
1. SHORT TERM FACILITY FOR PERIODS OF EXTREMELY LOW TEMPERATVRES
A short term facility would provide shelter only during inclement
weather for the evening and nighttime hours. Agencies would be
notified on the afternoon of a given day when the decision was
made to operate the shelter that evening. Clients in contact
with local agencies and the Police Department would then be
directed to arrive at the shelter at 9:00 pm. The only services
available would be restroom facilities (no showers). Clients
would be screened by private security guards, hired for that
evening, for weapons, drugs and indications of alcohol or drug
abuse.
Available Facilities
- 2 -
.
.
After an extensive review of city owned facilities, staff has
identified two which could be utilized for a short term emergency
shelter. One is the East Room of the Civic (which is available
on a very sporadic basis between now and the end of April) and
the other is the Miles Playhouse in Lincoln Park for use when the
East Room is not available. Both provide limited restroom
facilities and could sleep a sizeable number of people.
Shelter Operations
Generally these types of short term facilities have utilized
management staff for needed supervision and private security
guards to maintain order. This allows a city to hire staff on
very short notice. A local security agency with experience in
staffing a skid row shelter suggests it is able to provide
officers within three hours notice. (See budget breakdown
attachment #1.)
Threshhold for Opening Short Term Facility
staff is currently working with the Venice Family Clinic and the
County Health Department to identify climate factors which should
trigger the opening of emergency shelters to protect the health
of the homeless population. (A temperature of 44 degrees or the
presence of rain has tentatively been suggested for initiating
the opening of such a shelter.)
Feasibility of Short Term Facility
While this option provides a quick response to sheltering
individuals during periodS of intemperate weather, staff in
- 3 -
. .
consultation with local service providers, identified the
following potential problems:
-
1. Difficulty in notifying homeless people that the shelter is
open due to the unpredictability of weather conditions.
2. Possibility of individuals congregating at the facility
before the shelter opens and when the weather improves and the
decision has been made to close it.
3. Conflict with local residents and groups who utilize public
facilities frequently and often until very late hours (11:00 pm
in many cases).
4. Because of the lack of any agency referral system on such a
short as-needed basis, inability to screen clients for violent
behavior, drug or alcohol abuse, contagious diseases, and
anti-social behavior.
5. Because of lack of showers and client screening, the
difficulty of maintaining minimum health standards to prevent
the spread of disease.
6. Difficulty in acquiring staff with adequate training on very
short term notice for a very short duration
2. THREE MONTH SHELTER DURING WINTER MONTHS
In discussions with local professional service providers, an
alternative approach to that employed in Los Angeles and West
Hollywood was developed for winter emergency shelter. This
approach involves utilizing a City facility for a three month
- 4 -
.
.
period, during the cold winter months, and structuring a program
to allow for more controls of the client population, client
screening, and the availability of related services. The
approach also ties into the service network in Santa Monica which
provides access for homeless people to income assistance, medical
services, mental health screening, and job opportunities.
Available Facilities
A shelter could be set up in the Memorial Park Gym, five or seven
nights a week, from 10:30pm - 7:30am. (These hours would
minimize conflict with evening and morning uses of the gym by
members of the general pUblic and allow adequate time for cleanup
of the facility.)
Shelter Operations
Shelter clients would be admitted only with referral vouchers
from local agencies who would screen adult men and women for
admission. (This arrangement has been used successfully at
Turning Point Shelter to prevent potential clients from gathering
at the facility seeking admission.) Shelter clients would enter
the building from the olympic side only, while gym users exit
from the north (parking lot) entrance. The size of the shelter
would be limited to 50 persons.
The Salvation Army would continue to offer its early morning
breakfast program at Memorial Park where the st. John's outreach
Team visits Monday mornings to provide mental health services.
Both of these services would be accessible to shelter clients.
- 5 -
.
.
It is anticipated that the shelter clients would return to local
agencies during the day to continue their work on job search
andlor applications for public assistance.
The Health Department would be consulted before opening the
shelter to assure that it is run in a manner which meets basis
health standards.
The shelter would be run by a director who would be expected to
recruit volunteers and donations of supplies from area residents
and businesses. (See budget breakdown attachment #1.)
Feasibility of Three Month Program
While this option is more resource-intensive than the first and
provides for a more structured program, it offers the following
advantages:
1) It encourages homeless people to develop a relationship with
a local service agency as a condition of entry to the shelter
thereby screening and limiting those admitted and increasing the
likelihood that the person will receive needed help.
2) Because of pre-screening, it avoids the problem of clients
congregating at the facility seeking admission and decreases the
possibility of violence and anti-social behavior.
3) By providing showers, cleanliness can be maintained reducing
the possibility of disease for the individual client and the
shelter as a whole.
- 6 -
.
.
4) It provides continuity of staffing and experienced staff able
to handle the particular needs of homeless individuals.
However, the use of Memorial park, a heavily utilized City park,
will add to the numbers of activities which currently are held
and would require security to prevent conflict betwen those
activities. An active communication network would have to be
developed between park users and the shelter director to avoid
difficulties which could potentially arise.
SUMMARY OF OPTIONS FOR PROVIDING EMERGENCY SHELTER DURING PERIODS
OF COLD WEATHER
1. Provide very short term shelter on an as-needed basis at the
East Room of the civic (when available) or at Miles Playhouse,
utilizing supervisory staff and private security guards and
weather threshholds developed in consultation with the Health
Department.
2. Establish a three month shelter to be run during cold winter
months at Memorial Park Gym from lO:30pm-6:30am utilizing a full
time director, an overnight staff person or security guard, and
community volunteers
Prepared by: Vivian Rothstein
Assistant to the Director
Recreation and Parks
Barbara stinchfield
Manager, Community and Neighborhood Services
Dept. of Community and Economic Development
Attachment
- 7 -
.
.
BUDGET BREAKDOWN FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER PROGRAM OPTIONS
Option I: Short Term Emergency Shelter (45 nights)
Management/Supervision $ 7,500
Unarmed Security Guards
(2 per night, 11 hours/night, at $7.50/hour)
$165 x 45 nights (estimated) 7,425
Custodial Service ($20jday) 900
utilities ($20/night x 45 nights)
Mats 100 @ $4.00
900
400
Consumable Supplies
3,000
$20,125
option II: Three Month Emergency Shelter (90 nights)
Shelter Director $2,200jmonth x 3 months
Fringe Benefits
6,600
800
Shelter Assistants or Unarmed Security Guard
$7.50jhour x 10 hours/night
utilities $340/month
custodial $475jmonth
6,750
1,202
1,425
Mats 40 @ $4.00
200
Consumable Supplies
6,000
22,795
If contracted to service provider,
administrative overhead at 20% of total
budget
5,699
$28,493
- 1 -