SR-301-004 (23)
Council Meeting: November 8, 2005 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Annual Review of the City’s Coordinated Plan for Homeless Services and
Actions Related to HUD Grant Award.
Introduction
This report reviews the City’s Coordinated Plan for Homeless Services in FY 2004-05
and recommends that the City Council hold a public hearing on the Plan pursuant to
Municipal Code Section 2.69.030. It is also recommended that the Council accept grant
funds in the amount of $948,907 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) for activities in support of chronically homeless individuals addicted
to alcohol.
Background
In 1991, City Council appointed community members to serve on a Task Force on
Homelessness to study the issues and make recommendations to the City Council on
strategies to address homelessness in Santa Monica. This effort resulted in a report, A
Call to Action, that laid out specific strategies that have become the blueprint for the
development of homeless services in the City for the last decade and continue to guide
the City’s efforts.
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In 1994, the City Council adopted the Public Safety Initiative (now Municipal Code
Sections 2.69.010 through 2.69.030) calling for the City to adopt a plan for
homeless services, based on the following goals:
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Effectively assist the homeless in returning to a self-sufficient status;
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Monitor the progress of individual recipients;
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Eliminate unnecessary duplication of services;
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Emphasize long-term solutions to homelessness by combining housing,
counseling and job training;
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Provide non-housing services for approximately the same number of
homeless individuals as can be temporarily sheltered in the City;
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Prevent an increase, and wherever feasible, reduce, overall City
expenditures relating to homeless services; and
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Impose reasonable time limits on the provision of services to the same
individuals.
The City’s current Plan is incorporated into the City’s FY 2003-06 Community
Development Plan and in the Consolidated Plan for FY 2000-05 required by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The Public Safety Initiative also requires the City Council to conduct an annual review of
the City’s progress in meeting the goals established by the Initiative, and hold a public
hearing to assess:
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The impact of the City’s homeless population on other residents of the City;
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The effectiveness of the delivery of services to the homeless by the City and
various social service agencies;
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The cost of those services; and
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The changes which should be made in the Plan in order to carry out its primary
goals and objectives.
Notice of a public hearing for November 8, 2005, was placed in the Santa Monica Daily
Press, Santa Monica Mirror, www.surfsantamonica.com, and posted on the City’s
website.
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Discussion
Strategies in Place to Achieve the Initiative Goals
The City of Santa Monica funds a comprehensive range of homeless services that:
assist homeless people in transitioning from the streets to self-sufficient status through
permanent housing and employment; eliminate unnecessary duplication of services;
and emphasize long-term solutions to homelessness. This continuum of care model
begins with outreach and emergency services, includes intake and assessment (which
encompasses case management and supportive services), and leads to emergency
shelter, transitional housing and permanent housing. The continuum concludes with
aftercare services that build in the supports needed so that individuals can sustain the
significant progress they have made.
CONTINUUM OF CARE
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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
In FY 2004-05 the City funded nine homeless agencies: Chrysalis, the CLARE
Foundation, New Directions, Ocean Park Community Center, St. Joseph Center, Step
Up on Second, The Salvation Army, Upward Bound House, and the Westside Food
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Bank. As a condition of City funding, these agencies develop Grantee Program Plans
that specify how delivered services will address the continuum and effectively assist
homeless individuals in obtaining greater self-sufficiency. City staff monitors the
delivery of services and client progress through site visits and the regular review of
reports including program outcomes.
A computerized case management system also advances the goals of the Plan by
tracking clients’ progress at the individual, program and aggregate levels; monitoring
unnecessary duplication of services; measuring the unduplicated number of persons
served; and tracking outcomes across programs to determine aggregate benchmarks of
self-sufficiency, e.g., permanent housing and employment placements.
Effectiveness of the Continuum of Care
In FY 2004-05, a total of 2,861 homeless persons in Santa Monica were provided with
case management, temporary housing, addiction recovery, mental health services, and
employment assistance through the homeless programs funded by the City. Of those
who received services, slightly over half (52%) were male and 48% were female. 613
(21%) were children. Of the 2,248 adults, 459 (20%) were identified as chronically
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homeless. Through the support of the City-funded services, 874 homeless persons
(39%) received emergency or transitional housing, and 309 people (14%) transitioned
into permanent housing during the course of the year. In addition, 547 adults (25%)
found and maintained jobs leading to self-sufficiency.
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A chronic homeless person is defined by HUD as an unaccompanied individual with a disabling condition who has
been continually homeless for one year or more; or, has been homeless more than 4 times in 3 years.
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Homeless Services Outcomes
FY 2001-02 through FY 2004-05
FY 2004-05 FY 2003-04 FY 2002-03 FY 2001-02
No. % No. No. % % No. %
Served Placed Served Served Placed Placed Served Placed
Total SM-funded Program Participants
2,248 N/A 2,188 N/A 2,773 N/A 2,566 N/A
(A participant is an adult)
Placements in permanent housing 309 14% 339 15% 433 16% 244 10%
Placements in transitional housing 342 15% 405 19% 413 15% 337 13%
Placements in emergency shelter 532 24% 626 29% 474 17% 436 17%
Placements in permanent employment 351 16% 397 18% 437 16% 230 9%
Placements in temporary employment 196 9% 210 10% 245 9% 208 8%
The decrease in the annual number of persons placed in permanent housing continued
in FY2004-05 (309:339, 9%), but was not as steep as the decline from FY2002-03 to
FY2003-04 (339:433, 22%). This decrease continues in spite of the diligent efforts of
homeless service providers to find permanent housing for clients, underscoring the
competitive rental housing market in Santa Monica and the Westside. New initiatives
such as the Chronic Homeless Project prioritize permanent housing placements for a
smaller, targeted group of clients.
Transitional housing and emergency shelter placements were down slightly as well,
reflecting longer stays in those types of facilities due to the difficulties in finding
permanent housing. The proportion of persons placed in permanent and temporary
employment (25%) remained comparable to levels in FY 2003-04 (28%) and FY 2002-
03 (25%).
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New Strategies in FY 2004-05
In FY2004-05, steps were taken to identify and implement new strategies in the
continuum of care, recognizing that while the continuum of care is assisting significant
numbers of homeless persons, the chronically homeless continue to live on the streets
for extended periods of time despite the services available. This has been the
experience across the region and nationwide, and this realization has shaped Federal
policy and funding for homeless programs for the last several years. The prevalence of
chronic homelessness in Santa Monica – estimated to be 20% of the adult homeless
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population – has resulted in challenges to meeting two of the goals set out by the Plan.
The City of Santa Monica provides non-housing services to more persons than can be
temporarily housed in the city; and, while individual programs may place reasonable
time-limits on the provision of services to the same individuals, some chronically
homeless persons are accessing services for extended periods of time.
In FY2004-05, the following new strategies were identified, advanced or implemented to
improve homeless service delivery and address the issue of chronic homelessness in
Santa Monica. These initiatives are more fully described in Attachment I.
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The Chronic Homeless Project was initiated to more effectively target service to
those chronically homeless persons most difficult to reach. To date, 25 people
have been enrolled and 13 persons are off the streets.
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Best Practice Research was conducted regarding a range of approaches
established across the country to serve the chronically homeless population. This
research has already led to program innovations.
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The U.S. Inter-Agency Council on Homelessness estimates that the chronically homeless make up 10%
of the homeless population nationwide. The proportion in the City of San Francisco is approximately
20%, and the findings of the 2005 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count conducted by LAHSA place the
County-wide figure at 42%.
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Regional Efforts to Address Homelessness included the Bring Los Angeles
Home planning process spearheaded by the Los Angeles Homeless Services
Authority; planning efforts to create housing for chronically homeless veterans at
the West Los Angeles VA Campus; planning for a regional psychiatric urgent
care center; and bringing issues related to homelessness before the Westside
Council of Governments.
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Funding Applications for Additional Resources for Permanent Supportive
Housing in the amount of over $2.6 million dollars were submitted by the City in
FY 2004 – 05.
Impacts of Homelessness
In spite of the significant achievements made by homeless persons availing themselves
of Santa Monica’s network of services, the impact of homelessness in Santa Monica
remains a top community concern. In the Santa Monica 2005 Resident Survey
conducted in January, 2005, 39% of residents listed homelessness as the most
important issue facing the City, making homelessness the top concern cited in the
survey. Fifty three percent said the City was spending too little or the right about on
services for the homeless, 17% said the City was spending too much, and 25% didn’t
know.
Calls for service and complaints related to homelessness are received and handled
through multiple City offices in various locations. During FY 2004-05, the Santa Monica
Police Department’s Homeless Liaison Project (HLP) Team made 2,575 contacts with
homeless persons and the Fire Department’s paramedics responded to 1,392 calls
involving homeless persons (both of these numbers represent duplicated contacts).
Homeless-related complaints to the City Manager’s Office, City Council Office and the
Department of Community and Cultural Services focused on persons gathering in the
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downtown and beach areas; prolonged and heavy use of some parks by homeless
people; people using public restrooms for bathing and washing clothes; people roaming
alleys to gather cans and bottles from recycling containers; and people sleeping on
private property, and in public parks, parking structures and alleys. Concern about
public parks - particularly Reed, Palisades and Memorial Parks - has focused on the
inability of the broader community to access open space due to the significant
monopolization of scarce open space by homeless people with their belongings.
In FY 2004-05, progress was made on issues relating to the impact of homelessness on
public health and safety and open space, including: adopting ordinances regarding rules
for using community meeting rooms and public restrooms; coordinating efforts to
encourage homeless persons using parks and open space to avail themselves of
services and encouraging feeding programs to relocate to indoor service locations;
establishing a Council-approved Community Priority and Work Plan regarding
homelessness that includes the authorization of new HLP team officers, park rangers
and Human Services staff; and releasing a Request for Qualifications for “Leadership on
Homeless Initiatives”. These actions are more fully described in Attachment I.
Cost of Services
In FY 2004-05, the City budgeted $1,823,391 to fund existing non-profit homeless
services. (This does not include a HUD Supportive Housing Program grant, as the City
acts as a pass-through agent for those funds, but does include Community
Development Block Grant and Prop A funding.) This amount is the same as that
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budgeted in FY 2003-04. For every dollar allocated to homeless service providers from
the City’s General Fund, the non-profit organizations leveraged an additional $2.87 in
non-City funding. Additional programs within the continuum of care operate without
financial support from the City. As shown in the following chart, City General Fund
support for operating costs related to the continuum of care has not increased
substantially over the past decade.
HOMELESS CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDING SINCE 1993
$2,000,000
General Fund
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$0
93-94-95-96-97-98-99-00-01-02-03-04-
949596979899000102030405
Fiscal Year
The Chronic Homeless Project, and staff efforts regarding best practice research,
planning for a psychiatric urgent care facility, working on regional approaches,
addressing open space and public health and safety issues, and grant writing to secure
additional resources occurred without the allocation of additional resources in the City’s
FY 2004-05 Budget.
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Strategies for FY 2005-07
The key strategies to address homelessness for the next two years are summarized
below:
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Expansion of the Chronic Homeless Project – It is anticipated that an additional
40-50 participants will be added to the Chronic Homeless Project over the next
two years (for a total of 65 – 75 participants by the end of FY2006-07), with the
goal of placing 30 – 40 persons into permanent housing by June 30, 2007 (in
addition to the 10 already placed). Service expansions include the Serial
Inebriate Outreach Project, which was implemented in July, 2005. Through this
program, CLARE Foundation staff is conducting jail outreach and voluntary
substance abuse counseling at the Santa Monica Jail to serial inebriates. When
successfully stabilized, many of these persons will be eligible for the rental
assistance funded by the HUD award described below. A “Housing First”
approach may be piloted for a limited number of Chronic Homeless Project
participants. This approach immediately provides permanent housing for
chronically homeless individuals with ongoing assertive case management. In
FY2005-06, the City Council approved a General Fund enhancement of
$256,554 to expand the Project, and $178,560 in existing HOME funds were re-
allocated for rental subsidies.
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Housing for People Who Are Homeless and Addicted to Alcohol Grant – The
expansion of the Chronic Homeless Project will be further facilitated by a
$948,907 grant awarded to the City in September, 2005 from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grant will provide rental
subsidies for 30 of the Project’s chronically homeless individuals who are
addicted to alcohol. This funding was awarded through a highly-competitive
national application process. Proactive efforts in FY2004-05 to establish the
Chronic Homeless Project, and the City Council’s subsequent allocation of
additional resources to expand it in FY2005-06, were fundamental to the success
of the City’s application. The grant is renewable annually after the initial 24-
month term.
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Comprehensive System and Program Evaluation-City staff will be conducting a
comprehensive, quantitative and qualitative evaluation of homeless service
delivery in Santa Monica to bolster existing strengths, fill gaps, improve
coordination and leverage resources at the system level. Integrating new and
innovative approaches to serving the chronically homeless into the existing
service delivery system and recommending a five-year action plan is also a goal
of the evaluation. In August, City staff met with homeless service providers to
solicit input on the evaluator’s scope of work. Service providers will be informed
and involved throughout the process. A Request for Qualifications was released
in October 2005 and a final report will be completed by the summer of 2006.
Because this evaluation will be important for informing future funding decisions,
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and evaluations of other grantee programs are occurring along a similar
schedule, staff has proposed that City Council extend the City’s grant funding
cycle for local non-profit organizations for an additional year.
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Regional Approaches to Homelessness: The City will continue to build on
regional efforts to address homelessness. This includes participating in the
planning process for a psychiatric urgent care facility; working closely with the
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to complete the Bring Los Angeles
Home Report and begin the implementation of recommended strategies;
following through on the next stage of the development of long-term, therapeutic
supportive housing for chronically homeless veterans at the West Los Angeles
VA Campus; working with the Westside Council of Governments; and advocating
for a regional, year-round shelter on the Westside. The City Council approved
$200,000 in FY2005-06 to support the creation of effective and aggressive
leadership to support these and other regional efforts.
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Review of Ordinances/Coordination of Service with First Responders, Law
Enforcement and the Criminal Justice System: Staff from various City
departments, including the City Attorney’s Office, Police, Community and Cultural
Services and Environmental and Public Works Management continue to review
City ordinances for effectiveness and enforceability, consider revisions or new
ordinances as appropriate, and assess application of ordinances to ensure public
safety and the balanced use of public spaces. Key areas of focus include: the
outdoor public distribution of food; intensive and exclusive use of open space
areas by homeless people; access to community facilities such as Miles
Playhouse and the Senior Recreation Center; unattended property in parks and
parkways; and camping in parks.
An outcome of the Chronic Homeless Project has been better integration of and
coordination between first responders such as the HLP Team and paramedics
with Human Service Division staff and homeless service providers. This
increased coordination has lead to better service delivery to chronically homeless
clients, better communication between stakeholders, and the coordination of
outreach and enforcement approaches to open space issues. This continued
coordination will be crucial to the success of the Chronic Homeless Project as
well as the enforcement of City ordinances. Focusing on increased enforcement
in the City’s open spaces, the Council approved 2 new HLP Team Officers and 7
additional Park Rangers in the current year’s Budget. The integration of the
criminal justice system into this framework has already begun through linkages
with existing drug courts. The expansion and implementation of a homeless court
and mental health court are also strategies to be pursued throughout the next
two years.
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Increased Supportive Housing:Within the next two years, at least two new
supportive housing developments are scheduled to open in Santa Monica. The
OPCC Cloverfield Boulevard project, approved by the Council in August 2003, is
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tentatively scheduled to open in 2006, and will provide up to 55 beds for
chronically homeless people. In December 2004, Step Up on Second acquired
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property at 1548 5 Street for a proposed 46-unit residential development similar
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to their existing facility on 2 Street. In FY2004-05 the City applied for $1.7 in
new Shelter Plus Care funding through LAHSA for this project. Step Up on
Second is currently proceeding with community outreach and design
development. These new housing resources will address Santa Monica’s most
chronic and disabled homeless population.
In addition, the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) has agreed to provide
technical assistance, at no cost to the City, to the Community and Cultural
Services and Resource Management Departments to identify best practice
models of permanent supportive housing that would be appropriate for the City-
owned property such as1616 Ocean Avenue. CSH will also provide
recommendations regarding the specific action steps to implement appropriate
housing models.
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Improved Access Center: In conjunction with the renovation of the Big Blue Bus
campus, the OPCC Access Center now located on Colorado Avenue will relocate
next to SAMOSHEL on Olympic Boulevard. The successful transition of
operating responsibility for SAMOSHEL from the Salvation Army to OPCC was
completed in September, 2005. The Access Center will combine with the
SHWASHLOCK Program (showers, washers, lockers) to ensure a very well
organized point of entry for homeless services. This new facility for existing
services will enable OPCC to link to volunteer food distribution groups as well as
provide space for mental health and other County public services staff to more
efficiently provide stabilizing services to homeless clients.
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Best Practice Research: Staff will continue best practice research that will
enhance the implementation of all of the strategies above. Specifically, staff will
focus on methodologies for measuring the cost savings related to moving
homeless persons from the streets into housing. In addition to improving the
measurement of City costs relating to police and fire, other service delivery costs
(including costs to the health and mental healthcare systems) can be measured
and compared for individuals before and after placement in permanent
supportive housing. Other areas of focus will include best practices regarding
the balanced use of open space; linking feeding programs with services; potential
changes in Federal, state and regional laws, regulations and systems, as well as
incentives, that will lead to a fair share approach across jurisdictions; and other
new programmatic approaches, especially to assisting the chronically homeless
in moving into stable, supportive housing. Two additional Human Services
Division staff positions were funded in the current year’s Budget to increase the
City’s capacity for regional planning, implementation of best practices and
support for the Council’s legislative and advocacy directives.
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Budget/Financial Impact
Reviewing this report and holding the public hearing does not have budgetary or
financial impact.
The first annual payment under the $948,907 funding award to the City from U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development Housing for People Who are Homeless
and Addicted to Alcohol grant must be incorporated into the City of Santa Monica
FY2005-06 Budget. Revenue of $474,453 for year 1 should be recorded in account
20262.403720. Expenditures in the amount of $474,453 should be appropriated to the
following accounts:
012627.561501 $433,440
012627.561502 21,672
012627.561503 19,341
TOTAL $474,453
Expenditure and revenue budgets in the amount of $474,454 will be appropriated into
the City of Santa Monica FY2006-07 Budget.
Recommendation
City staff recommends that the City Council:
1) hold a public hearing to gain input on the FY2004-05 annual review of the City’s
Coordinated Plan for Homeless Services and receive and file this report;
2) accept the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Housing for
People Who are Homeless and Addicted to Alcohol grant of $948,907; and,
3) approve the revenue budget changes and appropriate the expenditure budget
increases as outlined in the Budget/Financial Section of this report.
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Prepared by: Barbara Stinchfield, Director of Community and Cultural Services
Mona Miyasato, Acting Human Services Manager
Stacy Rowe, Human Services Administrator
Setareh Yavari, Senior Administrative Analyst – Homeless Services
Julia Brown, Administrative Analyst – Homeless Services
Attachment I: Accomplishments in FY2004-05
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Attachment I – Accomplishments in FY2004-05
The following provides detailed information on the strategies that were identified,
advanced or implemented to improve homeless service delivery and address the issue
of chronic homeless in Santa Monica in FY2004-05:
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Chronic Homeless Project - City staff (Human Services, Police, Fire, Housing),
service providers (OPCC, CLARE, St. Joseph Center, Step Up on Second, New
Directions) and the County Department of Mental Health (Edelman Mental Health
Center and County staff) developed this project to more effectively target
services to those most difficult to reach who have been on Santa Monica’s
streets for an extended period of time. The goal of the project is to reach these
chronically homeless people with a well coordinated, strategic, interdisciplinary
and sustained effort - and get them off the streets permanently. This project
began in June, 2004 and to date, 25 people have been enrolled and 13 are off of
the streets (10 in permanent housing, and 3 in temporary housing looking for a
permanent unit). One participant is homeless but ready to enter housing and
looking for a unit, 8 are homeless and in the process of engagement with a case
manager, 2 are in jail or in the hospital and one has passed away.
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Best Practice Research – Staff has researched sobering center best practices in
communities in California and Oregon, and looked at diversion programs such as
the Streets or Services program in Los Angeles. This research led to the July
2005 implementation of the Serial Inebriate Outreach Program, in which CLARE
Foundation staff is conducting jail outreach and voluntary substance abuse
counseling at the Santa Monica Jail. Staff has also conducted research
regarding innovative approaches to chronic homelessness that has informed the
implementation of the Chronic Homeless Project. Staff has also examined best
practice research relating to homeless, drug and mental health courts and to
conducting analyses of the cost-savings associated with housing chronically
homeless persons.
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Regional Approaches to Homelessness – City staff assisted City
Councilmembers on several, on-going regional planning efforts, including Bring
LA Home, the regional report and strategy to end homelessness spearheaded by
the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. City staff has participated on the
Chronic Homeless and Resource Development Groups, and assisted LAHSA
with the County-wide homeless count. The completed plan is expected to be
released in February 2006.
In FY2004-05, City Councilmembers and City staff also participated in regional
planning efforts to create housing for chronically homeless veterans at the West
Los Angeles VA Campus. These efforts culminated in a proposal for long-term,
therapeutic supportive housing for homeless veterans from four service providers
- New Directions, Inc., The Salvation Army, U.S. Vets, and Volunteers of America
- that was incorporated into the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) land use
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(CARES) process for the campus. The final land-use determination by the VA
Secretary is anticipated in early 2006.
Staff from Community and Cultural Services, Police, Fire and the City Attorney’s
Office worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH),
local hospitals, and non-profit service providers to examine the potential for a
regional out-patient psychiatric urgent care center. Planning efforts included a
survey of local hospital emergency rooms to determine how many emergency
room visits over the course of one week could have been redirected to
psychiatric urgent care if such a facility had been available. The planning
process was put on hold during the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA - Prop
63) Stakeholder Process since MHSA funds will be the likely funding source for
this project. Now that the Los Angeles County MHSA plan has been submitted to
the State, it is anticipated that regional planning efforts for a psychiatric urgent
care facility will resume soon.
Staff also continues to work with the Westside Council of Governments (COG) on
regional issues relating to homelessness. In FY 2004-05, each of the COG cities
passed a resolution on homeless issues that included a call for the creation of a
regional year-round shelter. A Homeless Sub-committee was also formed and is
on-going.
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Funding Applications for Additional Resources for Permanent Supportive
Housing: In FY2004-05 the City of Santa Monica submitted a funding application
to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for over
$948,907 in funding for rental subsidies and other costs over a two-year period.
This funding will provide permanent housing with supportive services for 30
persons who are chronically homeless and addicted to alcohol. The City was
subsequently awarded $948,907 for FY’s 2005-07. In addition, staff submitted a
request to LAHSA for $1.7 million in new Shelter Plus Care funding to support
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the new Step-Up on 5 permanent supportive housing project. The outcome of
this application will be announced in late 2005 or early 2006.
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New Ordinances - At the November 23, 2004 City Council meeting, Council
adopted Ordinance No. 2146 amending the Municipal Code regarding rules for
City libraries and meeting facilities. Under the newly amended ordinance, the City
Manager is granted the authority to establish rules to protect and preserve City
meeting facilities as shared resources by limiting disruptive behavior including
noise, blocking aisles with personal belongings, and bathing in restrooms. To
ensure compliance, the ordinance requires the posting of rules, individual notice,
and a separate warning before violators can be told to leave the library or facility.
At the March 22, 2005 City Council meeting, Council adopted Ordinance No.
2155 authorizing the City Manager to establish rules for the use of public
restrooms and to make those rules enforceable. Under the newly adopted
ordinance, rules for the use of public restroom were formulated to promote
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cleanliness, safety, access and availability to all for the restrooms’ intended
purpose.
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Parks and Open Space -A coordinated effort by the Community and Cultural
Services Department, the Santa Monica Police Department Homeless Liaison
Program (HLP), and homeless service providers has addressed community
concerns regarding open space use issues at Reed and Memorial Parks.
Outreach teams continue to engage individuals who stay around the perimeter of
Reed Park, and have been able to assist about a dozen individuals who are now
going to the OPCC Access Center during the days. In an effort to promote a
variety of activities and shared use of the open space, staff has contacted local
schools and neighboring churches to encourage their use of the space on a first-
come, first-served basis. Staff plans to closely monitor and evaluate the activities
and use patterns at Reed Park.
In order to further implement the Council policy of ensuring a strong linkage
between basic support services (food, showers) and assistance in moving off the
streets, the showers located in Memorial Park, the City’s principal youth sports
venue, were closed in September. Alternative locations are available for
showers, including SHWASHLOCK, which also offers linkages to additional
services for those interested in making the transition out of homelessness. Staff
will evaluate this arrangement in early 2006 to determine if the closure should
continue.
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Food Distribution Programs - The 1991 policy framework adopted by Council
called for food distribution to be linked with social services and to occur indoors.
In 2002, the City Council passed Ordinance 2055 serving to notify all providers of
food in public places that they need to receive permits from the Los Angeles
County Department of Health Services. To provide a meaningful linkage
between access to food and services, the OPCC Access Center continues to do
extensive outreach to food distribution groups in City parks and encourage them
to relocate their meal distribution operations indoors at the Center. As a result,
Feed the Soul currently serves three meals per week at the Access Center as an
alternative to Palisades Park; and Loyola Marymount serves one meal per week
at the Center as an alternative to Reed Park. Staff continues to investigate
approaches to successfully create stronger linkages between charitable food
distribution efforts and case management with job and housing placement
services.
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