SR-301-004 (26)~_
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Santa Monica
City Council Report
City Council Meeting: June 27, 2006
Agenda Item: ~ "'~
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Barbara Stinchfield, Community and Cultural Services Director
Subject: Regional Assistance to Preserve the St. Joseph Center Homeless
Services Center in Venice, California
Recommended Action
This report recommends that the City Council participate in a regional effort to preserve
St. Joseph Center's Homeless Services Center by appropriating $75,000 in one-time
funds to match contributions from the City of Los Angeles and County of Los Angeles,
and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute appropriate documents.
Executive Summary
St. Joseph Center has operated a homeless service center in Venice since 1982, but
recently lost its lease and is unable to adequately fund relocation to a proposed new
location nearby. The Center, which is the only center other than the OPCC Access
Center on the Westside, serves 3,000 homeless individuals per year, of which 1,600 or
53% are from Santa Monica. In recognition of the need for regional solutions in
reducing homeless and the need to retain the Center in Venice, City staff has been
working with the City of Los Angeles and County of Los Angeles and with St. Joseph
Center staff to identify a viable site in Venice and to jointly fund the costs of relocation.
$75,000 in City funds have been identified for this effort, contingent upon funds from the
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County of Los Angeles and City of Los Angeles. Contributions from the City of Los
Angeles ($100,000) and County of Los Angeles ($86,000) have been recently
committed.
Background
St. Joseph Center's services are a key component of the Westside's homeless delivery
system and serve homeless individuals in Santa Monica, Venice and other areas in
West Los Angeles. St. Joseph Center conducts outreach to homeless persons;
provides emergency services such as referrals for immediate shelter and eviction
prevention assistance; offers basic support services and reservations for Bread and
Roses cafe, St. Joseph Center's homeless meal program; and provides long-term case
management designed to place people into housing and assist people to obtain benefits
and access mental health services. St. Joseph Center also offers crisis intervention,
case management and advocacy, housing placement and assistance, job training and
employment assistance, and information and referral services to 130 families as part of
the Family Self Sufficiency program through the Housing Authority. Additionally, St.
Joseph Center provides intensive case management to 43 formerly homeless persons
who are placed in permanent housing through the Federal Shelter Plus Care Program.
The Center's outreach workers and case managers are primary players in the City's
Chronic Homeless Project. The City currently provides annual funding through the
Community Development Program, proposed in FY 2006-07 at $204,784 from the
General Fund and $60,758 in Federal grant funds.
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Discussion
The new location of the St. Joseph's Homeless Service Center is located on Lincoln
Boulevard in Venice. The new location requires significant tenant improvements
including new accessible bathrooms and showers, laundry area, updating of plumbing
and electrical systems, roof repairs, floor replacement, construction of offices and a
conference room, and installation of work stations and cubicles. Construction costs of
$323,200 include leasehold improvements ($223,000) and overlapping lease costs of
the old and new sites ($100,200). St. Joseph Center also faces $72,400 in additional
operating costs through June 2007 as a result of the relocation and is raising the
remaining funds needed from private sources. Their move-in date is scheduled for
September 2006.
Budqet/Financial Impact
Funding in the amount of $75,000 is available from funds restricted for homeless
services designated by developer agreements approved in the 1980s. The funds are
available at account #012628.56114A.
Prepared by:
Mona Miyasato, Acting Human Services Division Manager
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
~~~~ ~ ~` ~
Barbara Stinchfield nt Ewell
Director, Community and Cultural Cit anager
Services
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