TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
George Gabriel, Assistant to the City Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Update on Homelessness Initiatives and Consideration of Resolutions Awarding Agreements to the Following Regarding the City’s Homelessness Initiatives:
a) Harbor Interfaith Services in the Amount of $66,390 to Provide Dedicated Housing Navigation/Case Management Services; and
b) Emotional Health Association (doing business as SHARE! Self Help and Recovery Exchange) in the Amount of $19,320 to Provide Housing Placement Services (City Manager Moe).
A) ADOPT RESOLUTION NOS. 21-0102 AND 21-0103
B) APPROPRIATE FUNDS
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution Nos. 21-0102 and 21-0103 approving agreements for dedicated housing navigation/case management and housing placement services. Additionally, staff recommends City Council appropriate a total of $85,710 from the General Fund unreserved fund balance to fund these initiatives.Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Funds for both agreements are not budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Annual Budget. If City Council approves both agreements, funds in the amount of $85,710 will need to be appropriated from the General Fund unreserved fund balance.
BACKGROUND:
At the direction of the City Council, staff continues to explore solutions to address homelessness in Manhattan Beach and in the region.
At the September 9, 2021, City Council meeting, Council directed staff to return to the City Council with the necessary agreements and funding appropriations to contract for a dedicated homeless outreach housing navigator. Additionally, City Council directed staff to lease two beds minimum, to serve the City’s homeless residents, for a period of one year from the SHARE! Collaborative Housing Program. .
Additionally, at the September 21, 2021, City Council meeting, in an effort to add homeless court services, Council authorized staff to negotiate a contract with Redondo Beach for prosecution and homeless court services, seek the Los Angeles County D.A.'s consent to prosecute state misdemeanors, and explore options with the City of Hawthorne and private firms for prosecution services during the period of negotiations. Furthermore, staff continues to follow direction provided at the July 20, 2021, City Council meeting which included the desire for staff to pursue the opportunity to provide homeless court services with Los Angeles County.
DISCUSSION:
Case Management and Housing Placement Services Agreements
Consistent with Council direction, staff has negotiated and prepared two agreements for City Council consideration and approval.
The first contract is with the City’s existing homeless services provider, Harbor Interfaith Services, for a dedicated homeless outreach case manager. The one-year agreement is valued at $66,390 and funds one contracted case manager/housing navigator. The scope of services for Harbor Interfaith Services (HIS) is largely similar to what HIS does for the City as part of the South Bay Cities Homelessness Project with the cities of Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach. One key difference is the contracted case manager/housing navigator will be dedicated to serving the City of Manhattan Beach’s homeless population and will not be a shared resource amongst other cities. The contract employee will assist homeless individuals in Manhattan Beach and conduct business Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM. However, hours may be flexed to conduct outreach in early/late hours or attend important meetings as needed. Additionally, the City will provide a suitable working space on City premises for the consultant to conduct necessary business and work in close coordination with the City’s homelessness liaison and the Police Department.
The second agreement is with Emotional Health Association, a California non-profit corporation, doing business as SHARE! the Self-Help And Recovery Exchange. The agreement allows for a pilot program that will fund a collaborative housing program in the amount of $19,320 to maintain and provide two housed beds for one year in and around Service Planning Area 8 for individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Manhattan Beach. SHARE!’s Collaborative Housing program is an evidence-based program that houses adults experiencing homelessness immediately with serious mental health issues - 41% within 24 hours of first contact compared to 260 days elsewhere. Each house is fully-furnished including a well-equipped kitchen, cable TV, support services and computers with high-speed internet. Additionally, SHARE! will coordinate services with the City’s existing homeless services provider, Harbor Interfaith Services, to ensure street outreach can result in a housing placement.
Homeless Court Update
Following Council direction at the September 21, 2021, and July 20, 2021, meetings, staff continues to explore models to provide homeless court services utilizing the County of Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office or the Redondo Beach City Attorney's Office. Given both directions provided by City Council, staff is attempting to ensure a cost-effective method for homeless court services remains a possibility.
The District Attorney providing homeless court remains a possibility. Following the District Attorney’s visit to homeless court in Redondo Beach in October and positive reception to adopting the homeless court model in other areas in the County, District Attorney staff continue to research the possibility.
Alternatively, at its September 21, 2021, meeting, the Redondo Beach City Council directed its City Attorney to continue exploring the possibility of providing prosecution and homeless court services to the City of Manhattan Beach. Although we have not yet received consent from the District Attorney to prosecute state misdemeanors through a different prosecutor (e.g. Redondo Beach), the Redondo Beach City Attorney is open to presumptively negotiating the form of a contract with the City of Manhattan Beach which will include participation in Homeless Court if the City can provide a hosting site for homeless court within the City two times a year. Staff will provide a draft contract with the City of Redondo Beach with this understanding in mind. District Attorney approval to prosecute state misdemeanors will still be needed before this contract can go into effect.
The City continues to engage with the City of Redondo Beach and District Attorney’s office regarding both homeless court models. Staff also continues to impress upon the District Attorney’s Office the need to resolve this matter quickly and get a firm commitment.
Staff will continue to keep City Council apprised of any other pertinent updates.
Homeless Count
Last year, the 2021 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count was cancelled due to significant COVID-19 transmission occurring at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (January 2021). Following tremendous progress in combatting COVID-19 and vaccination rates, the County will resume the homeless count. The City will host a deployment site for the 2022 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count at the Joslyn Community Center at 1601 N. Valley Drive on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, from approximately 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) will require health precautions to keep everyone safe for the 2022 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. LAHSA will require volunteers to wear masks at all times, maintain social distancing and provide personal protective equipment. Volunteers will also be encouraged to be vaccinated. Additionally, volunteers will be asked to organize a team of trusted individuals and sign up together. On the night of the count, volunteers can arrive as a team and stay within their team as they count homeless individuals in Manhattan Beach.
The City has previously hosted deployment sites at Joslyn Community Center for the county-wide 2018, 2019 and 2020 Homeless Counts. Within those counts, 15 individuals were counted in 2020, 21 individuals were counted in 2019 and 41 individuals were counted in 2018.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution Nos. 21-0102 and 21-0103 approving agreements for dedicated housing navigation/case management and housing placement services. Additionally, staff recommends City Council appropriate a total of $85,710 from the General Fund unreserved fund balance to fund these initiatives.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has approved the agreements as to form.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 21-0102
2. Agreement - Harbor Interfaith Services
3. Resolution No. 21-0103
4. Agreement - Emotional Health Association (SHARE!)
5. Homeless Count Flyer