Title
Staff Report for Update on the San Leandro Homeless and Housing Task Force
Staffreport
SUMMARY
The co-chairs of the San Leandro Homeless and Housing Task Force will be providing an update to the City Council on their discussions to date and a recommendation for immediate funding needs.
At the direction of the City Council, a San Leandro Homeless and Housing Task Force was created to develop a plan to respond to immediate homeless issues in the City of San Leandro based on the priorities outlined in the new Housing Element. The Task Force consists of the following individuals and organizations:
· Moira Fry, Interfaith Homelessness Network (IHN)/April Showers
· Rose Johnson, Executive Director, Davis Street Family Resource Center
· Ronald Keeney, Interfaith Homelessness Network (IHN)/April Showers
· Dan Martinez, Congregations Organizing for Renewal (COR)
· Liz Varela, Executive Director, Building Futures with Women and Children (BFWC)
The Task Force has convened four meetings to date, beginning in early September 2014, and will likely have two additional meetings on October 21st and November 5th.
The mission of the San Leandro Homeless and Housing Task Force is to develop a short term plan, by acting as a catalyst and leadership resource, to bring the community together to promote affordable housing, end homelessness and improve the situation of those who are homeless.
In pursuit of this mission, the Task Force will:
· Determine need, existing services and services gaps for homeless and those in housing crisis;
· Identify resources to support development of an implementation plan;
· Ensure stakeholder involvement; and,
· Develop timeline and identify next steps to achieve mission.
The Task Force will bring a full report to the City Council later this year. However, three immediate needs have been identified and action must be taken now in order to provide needed services. Specifically, the Task Force recommends development of a pilot warming center program this winter in order to provide emergency shelter on evenings when temperatures fall below 40 degrees and on extremely wet evenings. The lead agency which will be organizing the warming centers is BFWC. Details regarding the location of the emergency shelter(s), services to be offered and outreach are still being developed. The projected budget for this pilot program, which would operate November 2014 through March 2015, is up to $15,000.
The Task Force is also requesting $32,000 for an outreach coordinator who will manage the implementation of the warming centers and provide outreach to the homeless, including connecting the homeless with rapid rehousing and other resources.
Lastly, the Task Force is requesting $15,000 to enhance the Basic Needs Program that Davis Street Family Resource Center currently administers. The existing comprehensive family support services, which includes food, clothing, counseling, medical assistance, and case management, will supplement the warming centers and other existing homeless services.
The City Council placed $150,000 in Community Assistance Grants in the FY 2014-15 budget to keep the Building Futures with Women and Children San Leandro Shelter open and operating. BFWC was successful in obtaining State funding for the shelter. The Task Force recommends, and staff concurs, that $62,000 of these funds should be redirected to serve the homeless as detailed above. A motion is included as a consent item should the Council choose to redirect the funds accordingly.
A final report with recommendations from the Task Force will be forwarded to the City Council later this year. Additional programs being considered include affordable housing assistance for homeless, funding for a grant writer to apply for the $2 million in grant funds available in FY 2014-15 from Alameda County Housing and Community Development to support rapid rehousing, and matching grant funds for a Shelter Plus Care program.
It is important to note that a broader discussion of social services is recommended. Services such as domestic violence prevention, mental health, food, and housing, should be a part of this conversation.
Fiscal Impacts
$62,000 of the $150,000 included in the FY 2014-15 budget (account number 010-14-010-8513) for support of the Building Futures with Women and Children San Leandro Shelter would be redirected to support the three programs identified by the San Leandro Homeless and Housing Task Force in need of immediate funding. $47,000 would be granted to Building Futures for Women and Children for warming center operations and an outreach coordinator and $15,000 would be granted to Davis Street Family Resource Center for enhancement of their Basic Needs Program.
PREPARED BY: Steve Hernandez, Housing Specialist II, Community Development Department