TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
George Gabriel, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Report on City of Redondo Beach’s Exploration of Pallet Shelter Transitional Housing at Locations in Redondo Beach Including Aviation Park (City Manager Moe).
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction regarding the request by Mayor Pro Tem Hadley and Councilmember Napolitano to discuss the City of Redondo Beach’s exploration of pallet shelter transitional housing at locations in Redondo Beach including Aviation Park. Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action. However, should the City Council direct staff to perform additional research, staff time and resources may be expended to accommodate the direction.
BACKGROUND:
At the September 15, 2020, Redondo Beach City Council meeting, a report was provided with the title, “Discussion and Possible Direction to Staff Regarding Pallet Shelter Transitional Housing” (Attachment #1). In summary, the Redondo Beach City Attorney sought City Council direction regarding an opportunity to install a pallet shelter to house homeless individuals. One location that was being considered was at Aviation Park in Redondo Beach.
Given the proximity of Aviation Park to Manhattan Beach, concerns have been raised regarding adverse impacts a potential pallet shelter may have on residents in Manhattan Beach.
DISCUSSION:
At the September 15, 2020, City Council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Hadley and Councilmember Napolitano requested that an item be placed on a City Council meeting agenda to discuss Redondo Beach City Council’s action on placement of pallet shelters in Redondo Beach. At the time this was requested, the Redondo Beach City Council had not concluded their meeting and questions were raised by the Manhattan Beach City Council regarding: 1) what action the City of Redondo Beach took, 2) impacts of Project Room Key disbanding, and 3) any potential impacts on the Homelessness Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach.
City of Redondo Beach Action
Following discussion on September 15, 2020, the Redondo Beach City Council directed staff to pursue the pallet shelter transitional housing opportunity and return with information on additional potential locations, security, ongoing costs, funding, procedural aspects of ‘in-taking’ homeless individuals, legal considerations and more. The Redondo Beach City Attorney did not commit to a date to return to Council but we have requested that Redondo Beach update us when a date is determined.
Following the meeting, staff received information that the location at Aviation Park is highly unlikely to be chosen as a site to provide a pallet shelter.
Project Room Key
City Council may recall that at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, a collaborative effort by the State, County and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to secure hotel and motel rooms for vulnerable people experiencing homelessness was established called “Project Room Key.” The program provided a way for people who don’t have a home to shelter inside in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In the report provided by the City of Redondo Beach, a motivating force behind the action to pursue a transitional housing was concern over the expiration of the Project Room Key program. The report states, “Some of the nearby locations of Project Room Key are set to end in early October and it is not certain if the County will be able to find other locations for all of the people in that program. We currently have over 30 people in that program from Redondo Beach. It will be a significant setback if individuals currently making progress towards becoming ‘housing ready’ for permanent housing end up back living on the streets of Redondo.”
Upon further research into the matter, staff has received additional information from Harbor Interfaith Services regarding the ending of Project Room Key. In summary, across the beach cities of Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, there are 29 homeless individuals that have participated in Project Room Key. Of the 29, twenty are still residing in Project Room Key with only three of the individuals who consider Manhattan Beach to be their home base.
Based on discussions with HIS, Project Room Key participants are given an option other than returning to the streets once Project Room Key sites end. In fact, HIS has had a high degree of successfully transitioning the program participants into an interim or permanent housing option. At a previous Project Room Key location that recently ended in Lomita, HIS obtained temporary or permanent housing for 100% of clients countywide. Thus far, 4 clients from the beach cities have transitioned from Project Room Key to interim/permanent housing.
Memorandum of Understanding
At the August 4, 2020, meeting, City Council adopted Resolution No. 20-0031 approving a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Manhattan Beach, the City of Redondo Beach and the City of Hermosa Beach regarding the implementation of the South Bay Beach Cities Homelessness Project for homeless coordination, housing navigation and training services.
To fully execute the agreement, the City Councils of each City must approve the agreement first. As of September 30, 2020, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach have approved the agreement, while the Redondo Beach City Attorney’s Office is still reviewing it to present to the Redondo City Council.
The goal of the MOU is for the cities of Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo to work cooperatively to address issues related to homelessness or persons at risk of homelessness. Based upon conversations, it appears that this goal is still shared by Redondo Beach. Redondo officials have emphasized that the discussion on September 15 was preliminary and upon receiving a City Council consensus to on whether to proceed to further explore the concept, they would engage with the other beach cities to determine next steps.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive this report and provide direction, if any.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
1. City of Redondo Beach Staff Report on Pallet Shelter (September 15, 2020)