Title
Staff Report for the San Leandro Homeless and Housing Task Force Report (Information Only)
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The San Leandro Homeless and Housing Task Force presents their full report to the City Council. The report outlines the short term plan the task force has developed to respond to the immediate homeless issues in the City. This report is for information only and no formal action is required.
BACKGROUND
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 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.
At the October 20, 2014 City Council meeting, the City Council appropriated $62,000 to provide various services for the homeless this winter. Out of this total funding, $47,000 was approved for Building Futures with Women and Children, which includes: $15,000 for the development of a pilot warming center program that will provide emergency shelter on evenings when temperatures fall below 40 degrees or on extremely rainy evenings, and $32,000 for a temporary Outreach Coordinator who will manage the implementation of the warming centers and provide outreach to the homeless, including screening warming center participants, connecting the homeless with rapid re-housing and other resources, and documenting unmet needs. The remaining $15,000 was approved to augment Davis Street Family Resource Center's Basic Needs Program, which provides comprehensive family support services, including food, clothing, counseling, medical assistance, and case management.
ANALYSIS
Homeless Needs Assessment
One of the vital needs the Task Force identified was the preparation of a Homeless Needs Assessment for the City of San Leandro as there is no central agency that identifies and tracks the homeless population in the City. A needs assessment would determine the number of homeless persons in the City, identify who and where they are, and identify the existing services and services gaps. Ultimately, this information will be beneficial as it will direct future efforts and assist in attracting funding for services. Currently, the City's needs are somewhat overshadowed by the needs of surrounding cities such as the Cities of Berkeley, Oakland and Fremont.
The attached Report of the San Leandro Homeless and Housing Task Force includes a compilation of data gathered from the following seven agencies who provide services or work with the homeless: Building Futures with Women and Children (BFWC); Davis Street Family Resource Center; Interfaith Homeless Network/April Showers; Alameda County Department of Housing & Community Development; the San Leandro and San Lorenzo Unified School Districts, St. Leander Church, and San Leandro Hospital. Each of these agencies collects data based on its own methodology. A description of the methodology and information regarding the individuals served are included in the report.
The agencies were also asked to identify the most critical service gap. The agency and service gap identified is included in the table below.
Agency Service Gap
BFWC Lack of affordable housing, inconsistent funding, lack of shelter for men
Davis Street Lack of housing resources, specifically for those at risk of becoming homeless
IHN/April Showers Access to services, such as comprehensive case management
School Districts Lack of housing for families experiencing extreme hardship
San Leandro Hospital Emergency housing for the frail and elderly
The work of the Outreach Coordinator will include street outreach to the homeless, including documentation which will be crucial in determining a more accurate number of homeless persons in San Leandro and the service gaps. This information will provide important data that will help direct future efforts.
Warming Center
Building Futures with Women and Children staff, with assistance from the Task Force, has been diligently working to secure a facility and identify volunteers in order to ensure the warming center is operational by December.
CONCLUSION
The San Leandro Homeless and Housing Task Force will provide a status report on the implementation of the warming center and an update on the Homeless Needs Assessment at the January 20, 2015 City Council meeting. The Task Force is concerned that the $15,000 in funding for the pilot warming center may be insufficient to meet anticipated needs. At that time, additional resources may be requested from the City Council in order for the warming center to continue to provide services during the remainder of the cold season.
ATTACHMENT
· San Leandro Homeless and Housing Task Force Report
PREPARED BY: Steve Hernandez, Housing Specialist II, Community Development Department