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F:\HSD\SHARE\CD PROGRAM-PROGRAM AREAS\Homeless Programs\Staff Reports\Annual Review 2003 (revised-2).doc
City Council Meeting: October 28, 2003 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Annual Review of the City’s Coordinated Plan for Homeless Services, and
Recommendation to Accept the Report and Hold a Public Hearing
Introduction
This report provides a review of the City’s Coordinated Plan for Homeless Services in
FY2002-03 and recommends the City Council hold a public hearing on the Plan pursu-
ant to Municipal Code Section 2.69.030.
Background
City policy provides a balanced approach that considers the need for assistance and
services for homeless people in a “continuum of care” model, extending from outreach
and day centers to shelters and supportive services intended to result in housed, self-
sufficient existence; provides for the health, safety and welfare of all people in Santa
Monica through a combination of ordinances and community strategies, such as public
education and law enforcement; and advocates for a regional response involving
county, state and federal governments. In 1991, City Council appointed a community-
based Task Force on Homelessness and adopted its “Call to Action” – a report detailing
16 priority recommendations to respond to the homeless crisis. The report outlined
strategies related to public health and safety, social services, shelter and housing,
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resources and funding, and advocacy and partnerships. These strategies continue to
provide relevant guidance to the City’s efforts.
In 1994, the City Council adopted the Public Safety Initiative (now Municipal Code
Section 2.69.010 through 2.69.030) requiring the closure of public parks from 11:00
p.m. to 6:00 a.m., prohibiting abusive solicitation (aggressive panhandling), and
solicitation from specified places, such as restaurants and bus stops. At the same time,
the City passed an emergency ordinance to fast track the development and opening of
a 100-bed emergency shelter, SAMOSHEL, at 505 Olympic Boulevard.
The Public Safety Initiative also calls for the City to adopt a Coordinated Plan for
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Homeless Services. As required, this plan is designed to “effectively assist the
homeless in returning to a self-sufficient status; monitor the progress of individual
recipients; eliminate unnecessary duplication of services; emphasize long-term
solutions to homelessness by combining housing, counseling and job training; provide
non-housing services for approximately the same number of homeless individuals as
can be temporarily sheltered in the City; prevent an increase, and wherever feasible,
reduce expenditures relating to homeless services; and impose reasonable time limits
on the provision of services to the same individuals.”
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The Coordinated Plan is incorporated into the City’s FY2003-06 Community Development Plan and in
The Consolidated Plan for FY2000-05 required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment.
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In addition, the Public Safety Initiative requires the City Council to conduct an annual
review of the Coordinated Plan to assess its effectiveness, as well as a public hearing to
receive comments and suggestions on:
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the impact of the City’s homeless population on housed residents and businesses
in the City,
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the effectiveness of the delivery of services to homeless persons by the City and
various social service agencies,
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the cost of these services, and
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changes that should be made in the plan in order to carry out its primary goals and
objectives.
This report discusses the outcomes of the City’s Coordinated Plan for Homeless Ser-
vices (which is based on a continuum of care model) and other strategies to address
homelessness, the continuing impact of homelessness in the City, and planned activi-
ties in FY2003-04 and beyond.
Notice of this public hearing has been sent to selected City Boards and Commissions,
the Chamber of Commerce, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, Santa
Monica College, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), City-funded
agencies, neighborhood organizations and other relevant community groups. Notices
and display ads were placed in the Santa Monica Daily Press, Santa Monica Mirror,
Surfsantamonica.com, and distributed electronically via the City’s Web Information Net-
work (WIN).
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Discussion
Coordinated Plan for Homeless Services
Homeless services funded by the City of Santa Monica are designed to help move
homeless people from the streets to permanent housing. The services are based on a
continuum of care model characterized by the following components: outreach;
emergency services; intake and assessment; emergency shelter; case management
and supportive services; transitional housing; permanent housing and aftercare; as
depicted below:
CONTINUUM OF CARE MODEL
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Outreach Emergency/ Intake & Emergency Transitional Permanent Aftercare
Day Services Assessment Shelter Housing Housing Services
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Food |____________________________________| |___________|
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Clothing | |
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Showers Coordinated Case Management Job Retention
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Lockers Intake and Assessment Support Groups
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Mailing Address Benefits Advocacy (e.g., GR, SSI) Counseling
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Crisis Intervention Mental Health Services Mentoring
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Information and Health Services
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Referrals Drug & Alcohol Intervention
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Money Management
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Job/Skills Training
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Employment Search Assistance
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Employment Placement
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Housing Search Assistance
Santa Monica is unique for a city of its size in having a comprehensive continuum of
care. In FY2002-03, ten City-funded agencies provided twenty-two programs ranging
from senior outreach to job retention for those who have stabilized with housing and
employment. Programs share a common computerized data bank to track participants
and their outcomes, as well as coordinate services within the system.
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City-supported agencies include Chrysalis, the CLARE Foundation, New Directions,
OPCC (formerly Ocean Park Community Center), St. Joseph Center, Step Up on
Second, The Salvation Army, Upward Bound House, the Westside Food Bank, and the
YWCA’s Transitional Housing Program. Each agency’s program plan, included in a
grantee agreement with the City, specifies how services will address this continuum and
effectively assist homeless individuals to obtain greater self-sufficiency. Each agency is
required to monitor the effectiveness of service delivery by generating regular progress
reports from the computerized case management system and evaluating client
outcomes. City staff monitors the delivery of services and clients’ progress toward self-
sufficiency through site visits and regular review of reports.
In FY2002-03, City funded agencies provided a total of 2,773 homeless persons with
support services such as case management, temporary housing, addiction recovery,
mental health services and employment assistance. A total of 1,592 people (57%)
received temporary or permanent housing during the year. A total of 460 homeless
people (17%) transitioned into permanent housing during the course of the year.
Through the support of the homeless services network, 682 people (25%) who were
unemployed when entering the system found and maintained jobs leading to self-
sufficiency. This number represents a significant achievement, as 63% of all homeless
people in the Santa Monica system experience one or more mental and physical
disabilities and many are not able to enter the job market.These statistics, and the
following table detailing service outcomes over the past four years, illustrate that the
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City’s continuum of care is effectively assisting a significant number of homeless
individuals in returning to self-sufficiency.
Homeless Services Outcomes
FY1999-2000 through FY2002-2003
FY2002-2003 FY2001-2002 FY2000-2001 FY1999-2000
No. No. No. No.
% Placed % Placed % Placed % Placed
Served Served Served Served
Total SM-funded Program Participants 2,773 ---2,566 --- 3,254 --- 2,953 ---
Placements in permanent housing 460 17%244 10% 373 11% 471 16%
Placements in transitional housing 409 15%337 13% 870 27% 743 25%
Placements in emergency shelter 723 26%436 17% 767 24% 931 32%
Placements in permanent employment 423 15%230 9% 369 11% 384 13%
Placements in temporary employment 259 9%208 8% 251 8% 213 7%
Given the different factors that contribute to successful housing and employment
outcomes (e.g. the economy, housing market, quality of services, program capacity,
clients’ health), it is difficult to make comparisons from one year to the next. However, a
review of the City’s placement record in FY2002-03 compared to FY2001-02 suggests
that in FY2002-03 outcomes for shelter, housing and employment are considerably
improved. In reviewing the past four years, outcomes from FY2002-03 are relatively
consistent with prior years and outcomes recorded during FY2001-02 appear to be an
anomaly. During FY2001-02, SAMOSHEL had 40% fewer beds due to facility
renovations, which may explain the decrease in shelter, housing and job outcomes for
that year.
City staff and service providers regularly monitor outcomes of services. While the Plan
is supposed to “provide non-housing services for approximately the same number of
homeless people as can be temporarily sheltered in the City,” City-funded agencies
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continue to provide “non-housing” supportive services to more people than are
sheltered because of the lack of available beds. The computerized network has
reduced duplication of services to clients and aided agencies in providing long-term
solutions to homelessness by effectively combining housing, counseling and job
training. Reasonable time limits, ranging from eight months to slightly over a year, are
being observed in such shelters as SAMOSHEL, Turning Point, Daybreak Shelter and
Upward Bound House. (The exception to this last requirement is the YWCA’s
Transitional Housing Program for young women who age out of the foster care system,
as their program allows participants to attend Santa Monica College until graduation
while working half-time.)
It should be noted that a number of non-City funded programs provide services outside
of the City’s continuum of care. These programs include the provision of meals and food
delivered by a number of private individuals or groups who do not share the City’s focus
on linking services to housing and employment. While ensuring that people in need
receive food is important, these types of programs often sustain people living on the
streets without getting the long term help they need.
While a small but highly visible proportion of the homeless population has demonstrated
resistance to the system of services and generated complaints from the community, the
success stories of people who have transitioned to self-sufficiency through the
continuum of care demonstrates its effectiveness. On September 26, 2003, the
Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition (WSHC) held its Eighth Annual Homeless
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Awards Breakfast: Celebrating Success. This event honors individuals who have
survived difficult hardships and successfully transitioned from homelessness to lives
filled with dignity and self-sufficiency. It also recognizes the organizations and members
of the community who have helped honorees rebuild their lives. See Attachment I to
read the stories of people who were honored by the WSHC and have been helped by
Santa Monica’s continuum of care.
In FY2002-03, City funds totaling $1,830,722 supported homeless services through the
General Fund
Community Development Program. For every dollar allocated to homeless service
providers from the City’s General Fund, these organizations leveraged an additional
$3.03 in non-City funding to support the continuum of care. In FY2002-03, the City also
administered an additional $391,175 in federal Supportive Housing Program funds to
homeless programs. As shown in the following chart, City General Fund support for
operating costs related to the continuum of care have not increased substantially over
the past decade.
HOMELESS CONTINUUM OF CARE
FUNDING SINCE 1993
$2,500,000
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$0
93-94-95-96-97-98-99-00-01-02-
94959697989900010203
Fiscal Year
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Other strategies
To complement the City’s Coordinated Plan for Homeless Services, the City also
implements a variety of strategies to address homelessness. For example, the City is
an active member in the Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition (WSHC), an
association of 30 local human service organizations, public agencies, and faith-based
groups engaged in advocacy, public awareness and education.
In addition, Santa Monica dedicates a team of five police officers—the Homeless
Liaison Project (HLP team)—to working with the homeless. The HLP Team distributes
Social Services Resource Guides, detailing available services (such as shelter, legal
aid, mental health and substance abuse services, and employment assistance) and
provides referrals to people on the streets in an effort to connect them to services. HLP
officers also respond to concerns of residents and businesses related to the impact of
homelessness, including calls about aggressive panhandling, camping, and
trespassing.
Three ordinances that address problems related to homelessness have been adopted
recently. In October 2002, the City Council adopted an ordinance to address the con-
cerns of residents and businesses about the public health and safety hazards associ-
ated with people camping in the doorways of businesses in the downtown area. The
new law restricts people from sitting or lying in doorways on the Third Street Promenade
and on Main Street from 11:00 p.m. till 7:00 a.m. and signs have been posted to that
effect. To date, 150 signs have been posted on the Third Street Promenade and re-
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lated downtown areas, and 52 citations have been issued. The Bayside District attrib-
utes a decrease in the number of people regularly camping in downtown doorways to
the implementation of this ordinance.
In October 2002, in response to the adverse impacts upon City parks and park users
resulting from a large and growing number of individuals and groups distributing food to
people in parks and other public spaces, Council adopted an ordinance regarding the
outdoor distribution of food to the public. The ordinance advises food distribution pro-
grams of County health and safety requirements to obtain health permits in order to dis-
tribute food to the public (Municipal Code Section 5.06), and to secure a City of Santa
Monica Community Events Permit if the number of people involved will be over 150 par-
ticipants. Though a lawsuit was filed against the City regarding this ordinance, outreach
and public education began. The City, in cooperation with the Los Angeles County De-
partment of Health Services, hosted two community meetings regarding the public
health requirements and distributed more than 70 packets of information in parks and
other public spaces. These efforts resulted in one outdoor food provider linking with
OPCC’s Access Center to provide three weekly indoor meals, and three of the outdoor
food groups applied for County health permits. Santa Monica Police Department and
Park Staff report that several smaller groups have discontinued food distributions, and
six groups continue to distribute food on a regular schedule at various City parks. The
County is continuing its efforts to reach those who have not yet applied for health per-
mits. In addition, the City has begun enforcement of the Community Events Ordinance.
Staff will continue to monitor and assess the impact of these efforts.
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The third ordinance, adopted in June 2003, prohibits persons being present on the
Santa Monica Palisades Bluff. A small community of people had been frequenting or
inhabiting the bluffs, which is unsafe for humans given its steepness, geologic composi-
tion, and potential for fire risk. “No Trespassing” signs will soon be posted in the Pali-
sades Park and the bluff.
Impacts of Homelessness
Issues relating to homelessness in Santa Monica remain a community concern. In Oc-
tober of 1999, the City undertook a census of the homeless population living within City
limits. A “point in time” (one-day) survey determined that there were approximately
1,037 homeless people per day living in the City, two-thirds of whom were not in shel-
ters. A similar study conducted by RAND in 1990 counted approximately 1,397 home-
less people.
Homelessness has been identified as the leading issue facing the City since 1998 in the
Residents’ Survey, a statistically valid telephone survey of over 400 residents con-
ducted for the fifth consecutive year in 2002. In 1999, and again in 2002, the City con-
ducted a comprehensive human service needs assessment, known as Community
Voices, which involved thousands of residents, community leaders and service provid-
ers in identifying and discussing the salient issues and needs of the Santa Monica
community. When asked to advise the City on how it would spend limited public funds,
over 1,400 survey respondents indicated they would “increase the number of affordable
housing units” as the top spending priority and “help homeless people secure housing
and employment” as the City’s third priority.
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Over the past year, the City has received input from the public expressing concerns
about the perceived growing number of homeless persons on the streets, antisocial be-
haviors of some, and the impact associated with food distribution in several public
parks. Because complaints and calls for service related to homelessness are received
and handled though multiple City offices in various locations, it is difficult to quantify the
total number of unduplicated complaints or inquiries received from residents and other
community members. The number of homeless-related complaint calls to the City Man-
ager’s and Council Offices and the Human Services Division remained stable from
FY2001-02 to FY2002-03, at approximately 100 total annually. These focused on per-
sons gathering in the downtown area, panhandling near restaurants, and sleeping in
public parks. Calls for information or referrals are not tracked. The most valid indicator
of calls for service in any given year are Santa Monica Police Department’s HLP team
and Santa Monica Fire Department Paramedics logs. During FY2002-03, the HLP team
received 770 calls for service involving homeless persons. Between October 1, 2002
and June 30, 2003, the Paramedics responded to 908 calls involving homeless per-
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sons.
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Paramedic calls related to homeless individuals were not tracked prior to October 1, 2002.
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This summer, a public debate related to homeless services and the impact of home-
lessness took place regarding OPCC’s proposed relocation of its Access Center, Day-
break Shelter and a new Safe Haven program to a property on Cloverfield Boulevard.
While many people expressed support for OPCC and its work in the community, a cam-
paign opposing the proposed project garnered support, with many residents expressing
concerns that the relocation of the programs, especially the daytime Access Center,
would increase homelessness and crime in the Pico Neighborhood and Sunset Park.
Finally, a collection of letters submitted to the City for the Annual Review is included in
Attachment II.
Next Steps (FY2003-04 and Beyond)
Providing the right balance of support to homeless people while still maintaining the
public health, safety and quality of life for all City residents and visitors continues to be a
challenge. Strategies planned for the coming year include:
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Increased Housing: The recent Council authorization of $7.4 million in housing
funds for OPCC’s Daybreak Shelter and new Safe Haven Program to locate at
1751 Cloverfield Boulevard will provide a significant and needed increase in
housing opportunities for homeless people in Santa Monica. This project will re-
sult in 35 new beds for homeless people for a total of 55 beds at the site, and
represents the first affordable housing project targeting homeless people since
1995.
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Improved Day Services: The City Council also directed City staff to assess the
opportunities for relocation of OPCC’s Access Center, considering community
and agency input. The Access Center, an “entry point” to the continuum of care,
may be housed and consolidated with the SWASHLOCK Program – which would
strengthen services provided at the entry-point of the continuum of care. Center
design will address the need for dedicated outdoor areas as will as improved in-
terior space.
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Address Public Inebriation: Staff, from several City departments, will assess the
viability of services to address public inebriation and related community con-
cerns. Proponents of a sobering center concept suggest that it could help home-
less people with substance abuse problems access recovery and other services
needed to facilitate a transition to housing and self-sufficiency while reducing the
time that police and paramedics spend on homeless calls. Staff will research the
impact of public inebriates in Santa Monica as well as best practices, possible
funding sources for addressing the issue and site locations that minimize com-
munity impacts.
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Effectiveness of Services: In collaboration with continuum of care agencies, City
staff will continue to refine the application of the computerized case management
system to improve referrals, coordination of services, tracking, and program
evaluation. These efforts will help guide difficult funding decisions, including
possible cuts to operating grants in the next two years.
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Management of Public Spaces: The City will continue to ensure balanced usage
of its parks by large groups through the Community Event Permit system. The
County will continue to work together on ensuring that all food distribution groups
comply with applicable food safety laws. Efforts will continue to link independent
outdoor food distribution groups with the indoor continuum of care.
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Regional Solutions: The need for a regional approach to homelessness is a top
priority for the City. City officials and non-profit leaders will continue to work with
the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to expand the two
Westside winter shelters to year-round. In 2003, the City and County of Los An-
geles convened a blue-ribbon committee to “end homelessness in Los Angeles
within ten years” and invited Santa Monica’s Mayor to participate. The Mayor,
along with City staff, will actively participate in this regional effort now called
“Bring LA Home, The Partnership To End Homelessness.” In addition, staff will
continue to participate in the Federal Interagency Task Force on Homelessness,
which was recently convened to develop an approach ending homelessness in
the United States within ten years.
Budget/Financial Impact
The recommendation presented in this report does not have any budgetary or financial
impact.
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Recommendation
City staff recommends that the City Council accept this report and hold a public hearing
to gain input on the FY2002-03 annual review of the City’s Coordinated Plan for Home-
less Services and related issues.
Prepared By: Barbara Stinchfield, Director of Community and Cultural Services
Julie Rusk, Human Services Manager
Tracy Scruggs, Human Services Administrator
Joel Schwartz, Homeless Services Coordinator
Attachment I: Celebrating Success, Westside Shelter and Hunger Coalition
Attachment II: Letters: Input from the Public and Service Providers
ATTACHMENTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY. AVAILABLE FOR
REVIEW AT THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE.
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