HomeMy WebLinkAbout16. Adopt Downey Homeless Action Plan & Adopt ResoK�'l W
APPROVED 13Y
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COU NCIL CITY MANAGER
FROM: OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
BY: JUDDY MONTENEGRO, MANAGEMENT ANALYST
TATE: JULY 24, 2018
1 ) Adopt Downey's Homeless Action Plan and;
2.) Adopt the following titled resolution:
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY EXPRESSING
SUPPORT FOR EVERYONE IN, A COALITION OF PEOPLE WHO EMBRACE THE
COMMON GOAL OF ENDING HOMELESSNESS
DISCUSSION
In March 2017, Los Angeles County voters passed Measure H, a quarter cent sales tax to
generate funding for homeless services. During the first year of Measure H implementationi t
County created an opportunity for cities to develop city -specific plans to prevent and combat
homelessness.
The City of Downey applied for and was awarded a $50,000 Measure H Planning Grant from
the County to develop a local Homeless Action Plan. In January 20118� the City entered into a
agreement with PATH to assist with the development of this plan. For the last several months
City staff has worked closely with representatives from PATH to create a plan that addresses
the needs of people experiencing homelessness in the community, and the barriers that make
difficult for people to exit homelessness.
The goals of the City of Downey Homeless Action Plan are:
• Development of an inventory of existing governmental and non-governmental services
• Identify service gaps and develop a plan to address these gaps
Enhance the efficacy of existing services
0 Educate staff and community members on the resources available
o Create a framework for any future policy implementation
DOWNEY HOMELESS ACTION PLAN
JULY 24, 2018
PAGE 2
The City of Downey, in partnership with PATH, developed this collaborative plan through input
from elected City officials, City staff, faith communities in the City, and local homeless service
providers. Three stakeholder meetings were convened and expert interviews were conducted
with a_number of organizations, City departments, and individuals that had unique insight into
the state of homelessness in the City. Each stakeholder meeting and expert interview was
formatted to first discuss the challenges that exist in addressing homelessness in the City,
followed by a conversation about the possible solutions to each identified challenge. The Goals
and Supporting Actions listed in this plan are primarily influenced by the discussions that
occurred at stakeholder meetings and in expert interviews.
Aspartof the adoption of the Homeless Action Plan, cities are encouraged to adopt a resolution
in support of the "Everyone In" Campaign, which is spearheaded by United Way of Greater Los
Angeles. "Everyone In" is a campaign focused on ending homelessness across Los Angeles
County by providing critical services to those who need it most, and helping transition people
experiencing long-term homelessness with short-term and permanent housing solutions.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
Efficiency & Adaptability
Quality of Life, Infrastructure & Parks
Public Engagement
71WTUTIM
There is no fiscal impact associated with the adoption of both the Downey Homeless Action
Plan and resolution in support of the "Everyone In" Campaign.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A — Downey Homeless Action Plan
Attachment B - Resolution "Everyone In" Campaign
j
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ............................... ....... ..... .........
2
Background and Purpose ................... ...........
3
CityInfo ..................................................... - ....... ....................
3
Background on Plan Development .... .............. ............ .
4
Purpose of Developing Plan ........... --.- ..... .......... .......... ... .....w........
6
Plan Development Process ................... ....... ........ -
7
Goals and Supporting Actions .................... ........ ...... -- .... ---
8
Goal 1: Ensure City staff are equipped to address the intersection of homelessness and their
departments through training on proper engagement techniques and available services .......
8
Goal 2: Encourage the accessibility of supportive and affordable housing in the City____.........
9
Goal 3: Engage Downey residents and businesses around homelessness, services, and
housing....................... ..........................................................................................................
12
Goal 4: Increase the amount of homeless services offered in the region ...............................
15
Goal 5: Mobilize faith communities towards activities aligned with long-term solutions to
homelessness .......... ......... -- .................
17
Goal 6: Sustained commitment to ending homelessness from the Downey City Council ....,.:18
Goal 7: Prevent Downey residents from becoming homeless ........................................... —.20
PlanImplementation ............................................................................................................ -.21
Appendix A: Stakeholder Meeting Process and Notes ................................................... --22
Appendix B: List of Participating Organizations ..................................................................
26
Appendix C: Citizen's Guide to Engaging People Experiencing Homelessness....__._..,.... 27
Appendix D: Gateway Cities Council of Governments Homeless Action Plan, 2018
RegionalGoals ........................................................................................................................
30
Appendix E: County Homeless Initiative Alignment .......................................................... -.34
Appendix F: Description of County Homeless Initiative Strategies ................._...._____....,..3
Appendix G: Everyone In Resolution ............................................................................... ...
47
Appendix H: Potential Funding Opportunities ...................................................................49
Appendix1: SB 2 and SB 35 .............................................................................................. --51
Appendix J: County Protocol for Clean Ups of Homeless Encampments ..........................
52
AppendixK: Definitions .............................................. ..................................................... -.-56
Appendix L: Supportive Housing Information ................................................................ ---60
Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Executive Summary
Downey is a city of 114,181 people in Southeast Los Angeles County. The City of Downey's
Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness was created to outline the City's priorities as it
continues to address issues related to homelessness. Funding from Measure H through the
County Homeless Initiative made the creation of this plan possible.
The countywide increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness is a reflection of
the housing affordability crisis throughout the state. Downey's dedication to addressing this
crisis is reflected both in their prior investment and in the creation of this plan. The Goals and
Supporting Actions reflect the collaborative process involving stakeholder meetings, expert
interviews, and city policy document analysis. This process was conducted by City officials in
partnership with PATH and identified the challenges and solutions to ending homelessness in
the City.
The goals that follow are a reflection of that process and represent the City's priorities for
addressing homelessness, as well as opportunities for the City to pursue high impact policy
adoption. Detailed Action Items associated with accomplishing each goal are included in the
body of the Plan.
City of Downey's Goals
• Goal 1: Ensure City staff are equipped to address the intersection of homelessness and
their departments through training on proper engagement techniques and available
services
• Goal 2: Encourage the accessibility of supportive and affordable housing in the City
• Goal 3: Engage Downey residents and businesses around homelessness, services, and
housing
• Goal 4: Increase the amount of homeless services offered in the region
• Goal 5: Mobilize faith communities towards activities aligned with long-term solutions to
homelessness
• Goal 6: Sustained commitment to ending homelessness from the Downey City Council
• Goal 7: Prevent Downey residents from becoming homeless
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Background and Purpose
City Info
The City of Downey is a 12.5 square mile city in Southeast Los Angeles County and is home to
114,181 people as of 2016.
Image courtesy of Googie Maps
There are 55,048 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County, according to the
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority's (LAHSA) 2017 Homeless Count� From 2016 to
2017, Los Angeles County saw a 17 percent increase in the number of people experiencing
homelessness on a given night (2017 Homeless Count). While the 2017 Homeless Count
re�ywrted a decrease in the number of -
service providers and City staff cited a noticeable increase in the number of people in the City
who are in need of homeless sex/ices.
2017 Homeless Count Results
LA County 2017 Total
55,048
SPA 7 2017 Total
4,533
Downey 2017 Total
124
Unsheltered
124
Persons in Cars
30
Persons in Makeshift Shelters
21
Persons in RVs/Campers
10
Persons in Tents
20
Persons on the street
38
Sheltered
0
2016 Homeless Count Results
LA County 2016 Total
46,874
SPA 7 2016 Total
3,469
Downey 2016 Total
209
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Data limitations restrict access to detailed demographic information of people experiencing
homelessness in the City at any one time. However, this information is available at the Service
Planning Area (SPA) level. The following demographics for SPA 7 (which includes Downey and
other cities in the region) provide a more holistic understanding of who is experiencing
homelessness in the region.
Location:
76% of people were unsheltered and living outside
• 24% of people were in some form of temporary accommodations
Family Type.
67% of people were single adults
•- 14% of people were families
• 19% were transitional age youth
Gender:
66% of people were male
33% of people were female
0.3% of people were transgender
Ethnicity*
•
71% of people were Hispanic/Latino
17% of people were white
11% of people were African Americans
1 % of people identified as other
Age:
11 % of people were under the age of 18
18% of people were between the ages of 18-24
• 52% of people between the ages of 25-54
• 14% of people between the ages of 55-61
5% of people were age 52 or older
Other Demographics
3% of people were United States Veterans
• 23% of people have experienced domestic/intimate partner violence in their lifetime
18% of people were considered chronically homeless
11 % of people had a mental illness
• 10% of people had "a substance use disorder
1 % of people had HIV/AIDS
Background on Plan Development
In March 2017, Los Angeles County voters passed Measure H, a quarter cent sales tax to
generate funding for homeless services. During the first year of Measure H implementation, the
County created an opportunity for cities to develop city -specific Plans to Prevent and Combat
Homelessness ("the Plan").
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Before the opportunity to create a Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness became
available, Downey ("the City") worked to address homelessness in the following ways:
• The City is committed to partnering with the Housing Authority of the County of Los
Angeles (HACoLA), the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), and local
nonprofit agencies, including The Whole Child, Kingdom Causes Bellflower, and True
Lasting Connections, to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness in the
City.
Downey's zoning and municipal codes clearly define which zones allow for the
development of bridge, transitional, and supportive housing at increased density limits.
The City supports community efforts to address the needs of people experiencing
homelessness.
Below is a chart outlining some of the ongoing efforts to address homelessness in the City of
Downey.
Activity
Partner
Description
Assist with placing
The Whole
The Whole Child provides housing services to four
Downey homeless
Child
homeless families in Downey by providing
families in permanent
community based housing, re -housing families in
housing
Downey, providing stabilization and linking families
to supportive services to support families through
the stabilization process.
Housing Rental
The Whole
The Whole Child assists Downey families who are
Assistance Program -
Child
either homeless or at risk of homelessness secure
rapid rehousing,
and/or retain permanent housing.
preventative subsidies,
shallow subsidies
Housing Rental
Jovenes; Inc.
Jovenes, Inc. operates rapid rehousing - a
Assistance Program--
scattered -site housing first model where youth in the
rapid rehousing,
program will access market rate community based
preventative subsidies,
housing that meets the HUD quality and rent
shallow subsidies
reasonableness standards while receiving a time
`limited rental subsidy.
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Outreach Coast to Coast to Coast works closely with the Downey
Coast Police Department in their outreach to homeless
Foundation adults, both individually and in encampments. Coast
to Coast assists in encampment cleanup efforts and
will help organize supplemental assistance for those
outreach efforts, including coordinating community
volunteers and donations to help homeless
individuals. A portion of the funds will be for
emergency rehousing, mental health or drug
treatment services or transportation services for
individuals who need immediate help before there is
space available in the publicly -funded programs.
Environmental cleanup Ocean Blue Ocean Blue provides environmental cleanup for the
materials/articles left after an encampment area has
been cleared.
In addition to the above investments, the City of Downey invests staff time and portions of
department funding to activities related to homelessness.
• Downey Police Department — Officers on Homeless Detail
• Downey Fire Department
• Community Development
• Downey Library
• Parks & Recreation
• Office of the City Manager
Purpose of Developing Plan
The City's primary purpose in developing this plan is to address the needs of people
experiencing homelessness in the community and the barriers that make it difficult for people to
exit homelessness.
It is important to recognize that the larger housing affordability crisis in California and Los
Angeles County exacerbates the homelessness crisis at the City level. California holds 21 of the
30 most expensive rental markets in the nation and LA County needs 551,807 more affordable
rental homes for very and extremely low income households (Homeless Task Force Report, 1;
2017 Homeless Count). At the City level,-Downey's Housing Element recognizes that "very low-
income households would not be able to afford rental apartments in the City given the current
market trends" (68).
Downey acknowledges its role in addressing this crisis, both for the region the City. The
City is working to meet its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation for the
current cycle. The Downtown Specific Plan outlined in the City's General Plan identifies areas
most appropriate for building more multi -family housing. Unfortunately, a large hindrance to
meeting this goal is insufficient funding resources. While the City excels at interdepartmental
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
communication and collaboration, even projects indicated as high priority in the General Plan,
like increasing housing opportunities in the City, are suspended while the City seeks additional
funding and available resources (2015-2020 Consolidated Plan, 90)
Homelessness must be addressed as a regional issue for two primary reasons. First, the
majority of funding from the County and State levels is distributed in a regional way. Second,
people experiencing homelessness may travel between cities to access resources and avoid
interactions with law enforcement, for example. While this plan is specifically targeted to
address homelessness in Downey, the City is committed to participating in and supporting
regional efforts to address homelessness. Participation in the Gateway Cities Council of
Governments (GCCOG) efforts is a priority for City Council and the GCCOG Homeless Action
Plan 2018 Regional Goals have been included in Appendix D.
The City of Downey, in partnership with PATH, developed this collaborative plan through input
from elected City officials, City staff, faith communities in the City, homeless service providers
that operate in the City, and input from an individual who experienced homelessness in the City,
Three stakeholder meetings were convened to hear from specific stakeholders groups.
(Appendix A contains notes from the stakeholder meetings and Appendix B is a list of
stakeholders engaged in this process). Expert interviews were conducted with a number of
organizations, City departments, and individuals that had unique insight into the state of
homelessness in the City. Each stakeholder meeting and expert interview was formatted to first
discuss the challenges that exist in addressing homelessness in the City, followed by a
conversation about the possible solutions to each identified challenge.
The Goals and Supporting Actions listed in this plan are primarily influenced by the discussions
that occurred at stakeholder meetings and in expert interviews. Also included with each Action
Item is alignment with the City's current guiding policy, as it relates to homelessness and
funding opportunities, outlined in the following publicly approved documents:
• 2005-2025 Downey Vision General Plan
2014-2021 Housing Element
2016 General Plan Annual Report
2017 Annual Action Plan (used to apply Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
and Home Investment Partnership (HOME) grants)
2015-2020 Consolidated Plan (submitted to the Federal Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) and serves as a comprehensive housing affordability
strategy, community development plan, and submission for funding under HUD's
entitlement formula grant programs)
The City also recognizes its role in regional efforts to combat homelessness. As such, the
following regional documents were consulted in the development of this plan:
• Gateway Cities Homeless Action Plan
• Homelessness Task Force Report -Tools and Resources for Cities and Counties,
prepared by the League of California Cities, California State Association of Counties,
and the Institute for Local Government
• Local Zoning Best Practices for Shelter and Transitional and Supportive Housing,
prepared by Public Counsel
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Goals and Suppofting Actions
See Appendix K for the definitions of table categories and other industry specific words used in the Plan
Goal 1:_ Ensure City staff are equipped to address the intersection of
homelessness and their departments through training on proper engagement
techniques and available services
Goal 1 is included in Downey's Plan as a direct result of input received from City staff during
stakeholder meetings. Many staff are knowledgeable about the causes of homelessness and
ultimate solutions, but they also expressed feeling inadequately prepared to address
homelessness as it intersects with their jobs. The Action Items for Goal 1 work to empower
City staff to address homelessness, to de -stigmatize homelessness among City staff, and to
encourage resource sharing across City departments.
Revise staff training opportunities
At least 4 learning opportunities per year
6 months
City Manager's Office; Administration —Human Resources
Existing staff training events; Space at City facilities
General Fund
E4
2014-2021 Housing Element: Goal 3, Program 9 — "Section 8 Rental
Assistance": While the City is not responsible for the administration of
the Section 8 Program, the Housing Element states that staff can direct
residents to the County website while also providing program information
at City Hall, on the City website, and in public places. Staff training will
assist with the_obiective of the Housing Element Goal 3, Program 9.
Coordinate monthly meetings with different city departments to discuss
and provide updates on homelessness in Downey
Monthly meetings with City departments
12 months
Cit Mana er's Office
City staff time; Space at City facilities
Funding not required
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
• . E • - - • • • • • • f • . • • • -
—d -Ci nal deta
es ib e 0 people
The proven solution to ending homelessness is housing (see Appendix L for additional details
bout supportive housing). Goal 2 aims to increase the number of units accessible to people
ut
e e encing homelessness so they can move out of homelessness. Further, every
takeholder meeting cited the lack of affordable and supportive housing options as a
challenge that needs to be addressed.
City staff, including Police and Code Enforcement, acknowledged that interactions with
people experiencing homelessness were often with the same people. City staff cited
increasing the number of affordable and supportive housing units as the ultimate solution to
breaking the cycle of homelessness in the City.
In addition, the Regional Housing Need Assessment (RHNA) is required by State Housing
Law as part of the process of updating the Housing Elements in the City General Plan. The
RHNA's purpose is to quantify the housing needs within jurisdictions (See Appendix I for
additional information). For the current RHNA period, the CIN has not met the RHNA
Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
allocations for new housing units for people in the very low-income level (2016 General Plan
Annual Report, 24). Because of this unmet need, the City is subject to SB 35 streamlining for
proposed developments with at least 10 percent of units restricted for affordable housing
(California Department of Housing and Community Development SB 35 Statewide
Determination Summary, 3; Appendix 1).
JWNossociat of registered rental properties is gathered on a biennial basis and
ded toonths
Mana er's Office
time
HACoLA Homeless Incentive Program (HIP); CDBG; HOME
E7
2014-2021 Housing Element: Goal 1, Program 3 — "Monitor and
Preserve Affordable Housing": The Housing Element states that the
City will continue to keep an inventory of affordable units and ensure
landlords are compliant with deed restrictions and requirements to
preserve affordability (22).
During the 2016-17 fiscal year, more than 630 Section'8 Vouchers were
issued to Downey residents through the Housing Authority of the County
of Los Angeles (2016 General Plan Annual Report, 23). In 2006, Section 8
vouchers assisted approximately 450 households (2015-2020
Consolidated Plan, 86). The number of households assisted through
Section 8 has increased by approximately 30 households annually (2015-
2020 Consolidated Plan, 86). Therefore, more Downey landlords will need
to be enaaaed as the number of voucher holders continues to increase.
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Plan to Prevent and "Combat Homelessness
No associatedpolicy changes required
Report on feasibility created for the Council Subcommittee on
Homelessness
24 months
��� eviana er c office
Staff time
Ordinance No. 18-1394: In compliance with State law, the City of
Downey allows conversion of existing floor area to an ADU within any
single-family home in the City. Additionally, the City has 24 designated
areas in which a newly built ADUs can be constructed.
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
2014=2021 Housing Element: Goal 4, Program 11 — "Remove
Development Constraints": City staff are to review development
standards for residential zones to identify standards that may constrain
development of affordable housing and housing for special groups. The
Housing Element states that the City will provide "development standard
modifications, streamlined processing for applications related to the
creation of affordable housing, and will offer fee modifications for projects
proposing affordable units that are required to apply for variations to the
existing development standards" (31).
2014=2021 Housing Element: Goal 4, Program 16 "Planning and
Development Fees": The City conducts annual internal reviews of
planning and development fees. The Housing Element also states that
"Downey streamlines the permitting process for residential projects, to
minimize the holding and labor costs assumed by the project applicant"
(33).
Goal 3 aims to proactively engage residents around topics related to homelessness in the
City. Open and frequent discussion about what is being done to address homelessness in the
City increases resident knowledge about available services, situations that warrant calls to
law enforcement, and actions they can take to help address homelessness in the City.
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
No associated policy chi
Town Hall hosted annua
required
Cit�r Manager's Office
Space at City facilities; Staff time
Funding not required
E7
2014-2021 Housing Element: Goal 3, Program 10 — "Los Angeles
County Partnership": Through cooperation with the County, the City
committed to increasing resident awareness about County run housing
assistance programs (29). Community meetings would support Program
10 by promoting increased awareness about assistance programs.
Direct the establishment of a Down ay Homeless Coalition
Establish Coalition
12 months
Subcommittee On Homelessness (shifted to Downey community
member/s once established)
Space of City facilities; Time during City Council meetings; Social media
romotion
Funding not required
E7
No associated poligychanges required
Re-establish Business Watch group that discusses homelessness (among
other issues facing business owners); Jobs 2rogram created
24 months
Citv Council Subcommittee on Homelessness
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Funding not required
Choice Neighborhoods Grants
C2, C3
2014-2021 Housing Element: 5.1.3 — "Provisions for a Variety of
Housing Types": "The [Downtown] Specific Plan strategically aims to
facilitate the development of employment opportunities... neighborhood
services, and residential uses in close proximity" (78).
The existing City policy documents provide limited guidance related to
employment programs for the City's vulnerable populations, even though
the City acknowledges that "very low-income households would not be
able to afford rental apartments in the City given the current market
trends" (2014-2021 Housinq Element, 68).
No associated potic changes required
Strategy outlined
6 months
City Manager's Office
Staff time; City website
Funding not required
N/A
N/A I
No associated policy changes required
Event hosted in Downey
12 months
City Manager's Office
Space at City facilities
Everyone In Campaign (through resource partnership)
N/A
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Goal 4. Increase the _amount _of homeless services offered in the re ion
Helping people exit homelessness is a comprehensive process. This is why many people
experiencing homelessness seek the assistance of a case manager to help navigate various
resources and requirements. Increasing access to services and case managers in Downey
would clear some of the barriers faced by people experiencing homelessness in the City.
For those who work with people experiencing homelessness in the City, increased access to
immediate resources was a primary solution identified in stakeholder meetings. The Action
Items listed below seek to increase the resources available to people experiencing
homelessness in Downey.
No associated policy chap es required
Meet with State, County, regional public agencies, and nonprofit providers
as requested
36 months
Cit Mana er's Office
Staff time
HOME; HUD Continuum of Care Program; CDBG
Establish Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with local service
provider to allow use of offices ace
City departments are connected to service providers who could co -locate
staff at City facilities
12 months
City Manager's Office
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
ISpace at City facilities tNo funding required
N/
Sustained funding commitment for budgeted Contractual & Professional
Homeless Services
Additional outreach workers or case managers are regularly engaging
people experiencing homelessness in the City
12 months
-Ci ly Manager's Office
N/A
HUD Continuum of Care Program; Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion
(LEAD) Grant; General Fund
D5, E7
2014-2021 Housing Element: 4.3.8 — "Homeless Persons": The
Housing Element acknowledges that the City "provides the [homeless
persons] with homeless shelters and emergency food locations, but
typically this assistance is refused" (56). With additional outreach teams
who are trained on best practices for engagement and case management,
the concern indicated in the Housina Element could be addressed.
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Funding not required
N/A
N/A
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Plan Implementation
The Office of the City Manager is the primary point of contact for the implementation of
Downey's-Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness.
The Office of the 11111 Brookshire Ave (562) 904-7284 citymanager@downE
City Manager Downey CA 90241
Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Appendix A: Stakeholder Meet -Ing Process and Notes
Service Provider Stakeholder Meeting
• City Hall, March 13, 2018, 3-4:30pm
SWOT Analysis
1. Strengths
a. Community -City Champions (investment from City and faith communities)
b. Church/Faith Community
c. Desire of residents to be educated
d. Collaboration with major health care providers (Kaiser, PIH)
e. Business Support
f. PSH Integration
g. Law enforcement investment
h. Board of Supervisors investment in Downey
i. City investment in service providers
j. School District is very involved
k. Dedicated service providers with strong partnerships
2. Weaknesses
a. Housing Affordability 4 Rental Market (unanimously voted the greatest
weakness in service provision)
b. Shelter
c. Funding
d. Prevention Services
e. Mental Health Services
i. Reaching the people who need it
ii. Maintaining treatment
iii. Services after housing
f. Service Provider Capacity
i. $$ for ongoing services
ii. Funding limitations
g. State, County, Local
i. Complicated access, lack of streamlined access to and resource
h. Physical health needs in outreach services
i. Gap Care: not a one size fits all approach
i. Physical illness
ii. Substance use
iii. Chronically homeless
iv. Shelter/ER
v. TAY need closer services
3. Opportunities
a. Increase collaboration with faith community
b. Alternative housing types (I vote for biggest opportunity in service provision)
c. Creative funding (I vote for biggest opportunity in service provision)
i. Down payment assistance programs
d. Downey residents (3 votes for biggest opportunity in service provision)
i. Engagement
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
ii. Getting them to be allies in the cause to ending homelessness
e. Expanded prevention funding (2 votes for biggest opportunity in service
provision)
f. Drop in center
g. Property owners (2 votes for biggest opportunity in service provision)
h. Collaboration with City champions (1 vote for biggest opportunity in service
provision)
i. Regional collaboration (2 votes for biggest opportunity in service provision)
4. Threats
a. News/local media
b. "Not my problem" attitude
c. Community Push Back (NIMBYism) (unanimously voted the biggest threat
to service provision)
d. Continued investment of City Council after elections
e. People being ready to accept services, ready to move out of homelessness
Possible Goals
1. Approachable Goals
a. Landlord engagement
b. Land use assessment (rezoning to mixed use)
c. Regional collaboration
i. Written into Homeless Plan initiatives
d. Centralized hub of resources
2. Growth Goals
a. City land used for ADU/tiny homes
i. Zoning change required
b. Prevention funding
c. Year round shelters on church property
d. Landlord incentives, master leasing assistance
3. High Impact Goals
a. Increase stock of affordable rental unites
b. Permanent Supportive Housing!
City Staff Stakeholder Meeting
Downey Library Cormack Room, March 15, 2018, 10-11:30am
1. How does your job interest with homelessness
a. Criminal aspects/mental health concerns
i. Homeless Outreach Program in PD
ii. Calls from Residents
b. Youth homelessness at Senior Center
c. Visiting the library (looking for somewhere to belong)
d. Reactive to citizen requests
e. Informing people about clean uptime frames
i. Constant back and forth between riverbed and City areas
2. Challenges
a. Residents think it's a crime to be homeless and this generates a large number of
calls to law enforcement
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
b. People experiencing homelessness are resistant to services
c. Lack of long-term mental health care
d. Drug addiction
e. Parks and Recreation staff are unsure how to interact with people experiencing
homelessness. Instead, they avoid people until the situation escalates and PD
has to be called in
f. Cost of repeat cleanups and code enforcement because the encampments return -
quickly
3. Opportunities
a. Funding for long term solutions
b. More immediate access to resources (increasing outreach in city, service
providers accompanying city departments when interacting with people
experiencing homelessness)
I. Shelter
ii. Food
iii. Drug/Alcohol Treatment
iv. Health care
v. Hygiene Resources
1. Showers/Restrooms
2. Public Works Comment: include additional funding for
maintenance
c. Mental health care
d. Staff Training
I. Increase knowledge of resources available to better direct people
iii. Best practices in engagement
e. Monthly meetings with landlords/property owners
f. Improving shelter conditions so more residents are interested in utilizing
g. Other types of interim housing
h. More outreach teams in city
I. More housing for people experiencing homelessness
j. Landlord/Motel owner education
k. Increase capacity of case managers and allow for more work in retention after
housing
Downey
Anollo, Par
Intersection between Church and People Experiencing Homelessness
• Calvary Bellflower
o Showers and giving out clothes
• Desert Ranch
o Sleeping near/on church grounds
• Downey First — Food Help
o Food Bank, or rather, a Love Bank
o Engaging people in riverbeds
o Employment
o Flu shots
Page 124
Plan bmPrevent and Combat Homelessness
o Preventing homelessness
o Geniors/Fixedincome
n Former and current recipients are now volunteering
�
Our Lady ofPerpetual Help
o Skid Row Sandwich PpoQmgrn
o Respect Life Program
o Assisting at women's shelter
Challenges
m^ Vehicle homelessness
w Financial assistance
• Mental health concerns
• Communication with case workers
'•^ Training around how toengage
• Connection tnlonger term services
o How todirect people
o How does 'the PATH process work
° Landlords are unwilling tmrent, units are unaffordable
Solutions
w
Faith Community Solutions:
o Increased partnership ' service providers
o Creating community ofsupport for individuals experiencing homelessness
o Church community members could rent nmonnm at an affordable price, create lists
ofpeople willing borent from each church
o Safe parking
o Showers
o Employment
o Community service hours
o Language classes
o ReooverVhomee/ahe|ters
o Sponsoring Move -ins
o Youth volunteer opportunities
City Solutions
o Ongoing support for outreach staff dedicated to Downey
o Interfaith Council
o Prevention
o Employment program hmhelp the under/unemployed
i. Second chance jobs program
ii. Engage local businesses
o Supportive Housing
o Police engagement atfaith events, from o relationship building perspertive, not
enforcement
o Safe needle disposal
o Youth involvement
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~-
Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
A special thank you to all the City departments and community based organizations, listed
below, that contributed to the development of this Plan.
1:11111[1 1 111r, -•.
• Police
• City Manager's Office
• Code Enforcement
• Community Development
• Fire
• Libraries
• Parks and Recreation
• Public Works
• Calvary Baptist
• Care More
• Coast to Coast Foundation
• Desert Reign
• Downey First Christian, Food Help
• Downey United Methodist Church
• First Baptist Church of Downey
• Habitat for Humanity
• Helpline Youth Counseling
• Jovenes, Inc.
• Kingdom Causes Bellflower
• LAHSA
• New Season LA/Downey
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help
• PIH Health
•;' The Lords Grace
• The Whole Child
• Trinity; Our Fathers Hood; Downey Dozen
• True Lasting Connections
• Veterans Affairs
• Whittier First Day
Page 126
Appendix C: Citizen's Guide to Engaging People
Experiencing Homelessness
` PATH supports • • • •families• - off the
streets and into permanent homes every year. You can support our neighbors
experiencing homelessness by understanding how to best respond when
MAKING IT HO m E someone asks for help. These are just a few best practices, as shared by4
SayingThe Basics
hello, smiling, or noddingis always appropriate!
Agencies like PATH collaborate with other homeless
service providers. Outreach Teams are contracted by
local Councils of Governments (COGs), Supervisorial
Districts, and local city governments to engage people
still living on the streets. People that you see every day
may already be on the road to building relationships with
these local providers. This is called the Coordinated
Entry System (CES), and you are a big part of this
system as well!
T DO YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO IS HOMELESS?
HELLO.
Remember that no matter the circumstances, anyone can Make it Home when they're supported with the right
services. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, some people are distrustful of the system.
PATH's philosophy is to do whatever it takes to rebuild that trust and help people Make it Home!
People often ask for money. If you would like to support them with a resource other than money, acknowledge
them, and say that you don't have any cash to donate, but would like to assist them with some food or
clothing. If they decline, you can always offer them PATH's outreach hotline number listed below.
If a person seems receptive and you feel comfortable and safe, please share PATH's hotline:
This number can be called for PATH services in any of the
following areas: Artesia, Avalon, Bell, Bell Gardens,
Bellflower, Cerritos, Commerce, Compton, Cudahy,
Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, Huntington Park, Industry,
La Mirada, Lakewood, Long Beach, Lynwood, Maywood,
Montebello, Norwalk, Paramount,_ Pico Rivera, Santa Fe
Springs, Signal Hill, South Gate, Vernon, Whittier, and
Unincorporated Areas.
If there is a medical emergency, please call 9-1-1.
For resources like food, emeigencVr • translators and shower
• anaMir, 11EIRIeldoor,• 'r. • 11iii
Appendix D: Gateway Cities Council of Governments
HomelessActionisRegionalGoals
Please see the 2018 Regional Goals o the GCCOG Homeless Action Plan on the following
three pages.
Gateway Cities Council of Governments
FM"* Regional Goals to Prevent and I=
MAKING IT HOME Combat Homelessness GATEWAY CITIE
1. Goal: Increase coordination between homeless service providers and cities.
Approachable Action Items:
• Conduct consistent (quarterly/annually/by department) staff training
hosted by a local service providers to train staff and elected officials
throughout Gateway Cities
• Education on homelessness, regional resources available, and
engagement techniques
Growth Action Items
• Hold annual workshops of elected officials and city managers to
brainstorm regional solutions to homelessness
• Each city will designate at least one staff person who is the primary
contact for issues related to homelessness in the city.
High Impact Action Item:
o Increase availability of homeless services in the region through additional
investments from cities
Reasoning: Measure H has dramatically expanded services in the region, but cities
need guidance on how to access the resources and refer individuals and families.
Creating a "no wrong door" for service access is critical for service providers and cities
to be able to effectively, address homelessness. Cities have also expressed a need for
more coordination in the way trainings for their staff are made available, not just having
them at the city level, but at the regional level. Regional trainings would also ensure that
the efforts to address homelessness are more coordinated across the region, not just by
service providers, but by city staff as well.
GCCOG Homeless Action Plan, 2011: The original plan included a goal of enhancing
government -wide collaboration. Training city staff builds on the collaboration of elected
officials and city managers and ensures staff at all levels of government are
approaching homelessness using the same strategy.
Approachable Action Items:
• Conduct service provider and city co -hosted community meetings to
engage residents around the issues
• Use social media and city messaging platforms to educate residents
around the causes of and efforts to address homelessness.
• Hold regular gatherings of groups that are working to end homelessness
(faith communities, school districts, health care providers, etc)
• Coordinate faith communities in each city to better address the needs of
people experiencing homelessness in each city.
•
Gateway Cities Council of Governments
FW, Regional Goals to Prevent and
MAKING IT HOME Combat Homelessness GATEWAYI T I S
o Voice public support for the United Way Greater Los Angeles Everyone In
Campaign, aimed at siting additional units of supportive housing
throughout Los Angeles County.
Reasoning: Service providers and government agencies can't end homelessness on
their own, it requires everyone doing their park. Engaging and educating residents is a
necessary step in addressing their concerns and misconceptions to the point where
they become allies in addressing homelessness in their cities. It's also important to
ensure that the special groups, like faith communities, that are already addressing
homelessness be encouraged to continue their work and link their efforts to long term
solutions. This will also help toadivert calls for service from Law Enforcement to service
providers.
GCCOG Homeless Action Plan, 2011: One of the plan's original goals was to engage
various sectors of the community to foster support for the strategy and efforts. These -
action items build on the mindset and effort taken in the last seven years to create
community support for solutions to homelessness in the region.
3. Goal: Increase stock of interim, affordable, and supportive housing
Approachable Action Items:
o Engage property owners around the importance of renting to people
moving out of homelessness. Inform them of the various subsidies,
incentives, and risk mitigation programs available.
Growth Action Items:
o Conduct a land use assessment to determine where additional affordable
and supportive units could be built in the region.
o Expand interim housing capacity regionally by 10% of current stock.
Currently there are 1829 interim housing beds, so the goal is to add 183
additional shelter beds.
High Impact Action Items:
o Identify and engage the owner/manager of at least one site per Local
Coordinated Area (LCA) that is appropriate for supportive housing
development.
Reasoning: Housing is recognized as the only way to end the revolving door of
homelessness. The problem is compounded by the housing affordability crisis that the
State of California and the County of Los Angeles are facing. Increasing the stock of
affordable and supportive housing requires a multi -faceted approach because of the
diverse group of people experiencing homelessness, thus reflecting the diversity of
action items listed above. Some people need ongoing support because of the
challenges they face in their life. Others, however, only need short term support to get
Gateway Cities Council of Governments
Regional Goals to Prevent and
MAKING 1 HOME Combat Homelessness GATEWAY ITI ES
back on their feet after experiencing a financial set back in life that kept them from
paying their rent. It's important to note that cities do not need front the bill for these
developments. Measure H includes funding for the refurbishing of existing buildings.
GCCOG Homeless Action Plan, 2011: Goal 3 of the implementation goal is to
increase thestockof supportive housing, aimed at meeting the needs of the people
experiencing homelessness in the region. This goal gets at some of the challenges that
have arisen in the last seven years,_ specifically the increasing unaffordability of housing
in the region alongside the stagnant wages.
3
Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
The/u/following provides a uunnaryofthe'a�//g- nne~nz`ofArtkonkem|~ueidentified��-� 'm o`l'^/o� plan
with strategies of the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative.
C2 3c, 4c Employment Yes
C3 3c, 4c Employment No
C4 4c Benefits Advocacy "Yes
C5 4c Benefits Advocacy Yes
4c Benefits Advocacy Yes
D5 4c Homeless Case Managers No
E4 la, b First Responders Training No
E6 4c Outreach Yes
E7 1c, 2a, 3a,uk Enhancing the CES Yes
E8 5c, 6b Emergency Shelter Yes
F1 6b Affordable/Homeless Housing No
F3 2c Affordable/Homeless Housing No
F5 2c Affordable/Homeless Housing No
F6 2b Homeless Housing No
F7 2c Homeless Housing Yes
Page134
~~
Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
AppendixDStrategies
escription
The following are descriptions of County Homeless Initiative strategies that align `with strategies
in Paramount's Plan. The descriptions are taken directly from the County Homeless Initiative
Action Plan (I rlp-flh el ss lacou t��rg r k r on pl ).
Strategy C2: Increase Employment for Homeless Adults by Supporting Social
Social Enterprises are mission -driven businesses focused on hiring and assisting people who
face the greatest barriers to work. They earn and reinvest their revenue to provide more people
with transitional jobs to become job ready with the basic skills necessary to compete and
succeed in the mainstream workforce. They help people who are willing and able to work, but
have the hardest time getting jobs, including individuals with a history of homelessness and/or
incarceration, and youth who are out of school and out of work. Obtaining employment
increases income and improves the individual's overall well-being.
Alternate Staffing Organizations (ASOs) operated by Social Enterprises provide temporary
workers and act as intermediaries between employers and job seekers, helping employers
attract and retain reliable, motivated workers and linking job seekers to competitive
employment, opportunities for skills development and pathways to hire by employer customers. -
Unlike conventional temporary staffing companies, ASOs operated by Social Enterprises have a
dual mission to satisfy their customers and promote workplace success for people with
obstacles to employment, such as those with unstable housing history, criminal backgrounds, or
those participating in recovery programs.
Many services procured by local government could be provided, in whole or in part, by Social
Enterprises/ ASOs.
The County could utilize Social Enterprises/ASOs to help homeless/formerly homeless adults to
increase their income through increasing employment opportunities by taking the following
actions:
1. Enhance the procurement process to provide preferential treatment of Social Enterprises
by awarding extra points during the scoring process and by expanding the County's
existing Transitional Job Opportunities Preference Program to provide preferential
treatment to bidders that commit to subcontract with Social Enterprises;
2. Support the creation of Alternative Staffing Organizations (ASOs) operated by Social
Enterprise entities and designate them as the preferred staffing agency for County
Departments, contractors and sub -contractors to use for their temporary staffing needs;
3. Provide a Social Enterprise entity operating an ASO with a subsidy of $2 per hour
worked to reduce the markup passed on to the customer, thus making the ASO a more
attractive option. ASOs are able to be self-sustaining by marking up wage rates. For
example, a worker that is paid $10 per hour may be billed to the customer at $17. This
"mark-up" covers employment taxes, workers compensation, mandated benefits, and
any other margin needed to maintain the business. At the same time, the subsidies
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
could help ASOs fund the critical support services needed to ensure the employees'
success;
4. Leverage the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) transitional subsidized
employment program for CalWORKs parents/ relative caregivers, by placing some
program participants in an ASO for temporary employment as a step toward long-term
employment; DESCRIPTION continued
5. Develop and distribute a comprehensive inventory of the services currently being
provided in Los Angeles County by Social Enterprises and ASOs to County contractors/
sub -contractors and County Departments. The enhanced Transitional Job Opportunity
Preference Program/ASO Ordinance would encourage every contractor providing
services to the County to work with Social Enterprises/ ASOs to perform functions
consistent with its business needs, as part of its County contract; and
6. Encourage cities to adopt a Social Enterprise Agency Utilization Ordinance and provide
a sample ordinance for cities to use, modeled on the County's current Expanded
Preference Program.
111111 Pill Pill III III III ''III' III! iiiiiiiii, 1�1111 1111 ��11!111
• • •: i .. • •... :• •: ;.. •
• • 0 r.A (OR I I•: • • i.
There are three fundamental design features of Civil Service Employment`
1. examination for civil service positions are public, competitive and open to all;
2. they rely upon a testing methodology to establish rank -ordered lists for hiring
opportunities; and
3. there are often stringent background standards, including a job nexus assessment of an
applicant's criminal record.
Given the requirements of the civil service process, a targetedrecruitment and flexible job
requirements would acknowledge both the institutional barriers and the individual barriers often
experienced by those who are homeless or recently homeless. The targeted outreach,
recruitment and flexible job requirements would expand hiring opportunities for entry level
positions of those who are homeless or recently homeless. This is an expansion of what the
County currently does for GAIN/GROW participants and veterans.
Strategy C4: Establish a Countywide SSI Advocacy Program for People Experiencing
Homelessness or At Risk of Homelessness
The recommended countywide Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Advocacy Program would
provide assistance to eligible homeless individuals and those at risk of homelessness (including
all disabled GR participants) in applying for and obtaining SSI or other related benefits Social
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants. The
Program, modeled after DHS' former Benefits Entitlement Services Team (B.E.S.T), should be
overseen by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services because of its successful
management of B.E.S.T. and its achievement of high outcomes and experience with large-scale
contracting with homeless services agencies across the county. A Request for Proposals is
targeted for release by the end of June, 2016, to secure two or more contractors, who could use
subcontractors, as needed, to meet the geographic needs of the County.
Referrals to the Countywide SSI Advocacy Program should be received via a warm hand-off
from: (1) existing homeless entry points and systems of care, such as Housing for Health, the
Coordinated Entry System (CES), Homeless Families Solutions System (HFSS), and the Single
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Plan to'Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Adult Model (SAM); (2) the County Departments of Public Social Services, Mental Health; Public
Health, Military and Veterans Affairs, and Children and Family Services, the Probation
Department, and the Sheriff's Department; and (3) community-based organizations serving
individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
The necessary components of a successful SSI Advocacy Program include:
A. Benefits Specialist Resource Team(s) for each Service Planning Area (SPA) who will be
responsible for:
• Receiving referrals from the various above identified points of entry;
• Full-time co -location at DPSS' 14 General Relief offices;
• Conducting and/or leveraging outreach and engagement activities to identify eligible
homeless individuals;
• Providing assessment and screening to ensure candidates meet both non-medical
and medical requirements for SSUSSDI or CAPI;
• Coordinating subsidized housing for those individuals enrolling in the program with
existing homeless entry points, housing programs and housing subsidies;
• Coordinating record retrieval services with DMH/DHS/LASD based on client's
medical/ treatment history;
• Coordinating and leveraging Department of Mental Health, Department of Health
Services and managed care systems to secure health care, mental health care and
documentation of disability for clients completing a SSI/ESDI claim;
• Developing and filing high quality benefit applications;
• Coordinating and advocating with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and
California Department of Social Services Disability Determination Services (DDS)
regarding the status of pending benefit applications;
• Coordinating legal consultation for clients who have complex SSI/SSDI applications
DESCRIPTION continued
• Providing assistance for those at risk of losing, or requiring re -certification of their
SSI benefits,
• Coordinating Interim Assistance Reimbursement (IAR) with relevant County
Departments; and
• Coordinating benefits advocacy with the Veteran's Benefits Advocacy Team for
eligible veterans.
B. Ongoing training& technical assistance for Homeless Services Agencies, Federally
Qualified Health Centers, and County and other public agencies - Training and technical
assistance could be from the Benefits Specialist Team or through a subcontract to maximize
the reach to community organizations and clinicians. Training and technical assistance
builds the capacity of the system to access SSUSSDI and CAPI benefits at a faster and
greater rate countywide and facilitates the movement of Los Angeles County's homeless
disabled population onto federal/state benefits and off County general funds. Training and
technical assistance should incorporate the following:
• Leverage training resources provided by the National SOAR Team;
• Provide training regarding specific requirements for SSI/ESDI and CAPI applications
in the State of California;
• Incorporate' the lessons learned from the'B.E.S.T. project and other best practices;
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
• Develop and train homeless service providers and public agencies on the process for
assessment and screening to ensure candidates meet both non-medical and medical
requirements for SSI/SSRI or CAPI;
• Provide ongoing training and support to physicians and clinicians on identifying
potential applicants and completing SSI/ESDI or CAPI documentation;
Develop a plan for internal quality assurance reviews to ensure the submission of
high quality SSI/SSRI applications;
Provide coordination with the SOAR program;
Work with community stakeholders to develop a system of data collection for
SSI//SSDI applications in Los Angeles County;
• Aggregate and analyze data regarding benefit applications for Los Angeles County
• Track and report Los Angeles County SSI/SSDI outcomes to the national SOAR
program; and
• Pursue continuous improvement of training and coordination to assure high quality
benefits support for homeless residents.
Strategy,
Experiencing Homelessness or At Risk of Homelessness
The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will contract for one or more Homeless
Veterans Benefits Specialist Resource Teams to provide assistance to eligible homeless
veterans in applying for and obtaining income and/or health benefits from the Department of
Veterans Affairs. The program will be operated in partnership with community-based
organizations to: (1) provide wraparound case management, health, and mental health supports
to house enrolled veterans; and (2) acquire VA Service -Connected Compensation or VA Non -
Service -Connected Pension benefits. The components of the proposed Veterans Advocacy
Program include:
A. VA Benefits Specialist Resource Teams serving all Service Planning Area (SPA) of the
County, including VA will be responsible for the providing services including, but not limited
to the following:
• Conduct and/or leverage outreach and engagement activities to identify eligible
homeless veterans;
•i Receive referrals from DPSS, DHS, DMH and other County departments of veterans
who need assistance with veteran's benefits;
•: Provide assessment and screening to determine whether veterans meet
requirements for VA Service -Connected and Non -Service Connected benefits;
• Coordinate with existing homeless entry points and housing programs to arrange
subsidized housing or VASH Vouchers for those individuals enrolling in the program
• Access relevant medical records from medical providers based on the veteran's
medical treatment, military service, and VA claims history;
• Coordinate and leverage Veterans Health Administration, Los Angeles County
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs "Navigator" program, Department of
Mental Health, Department of Health Services, and managed care systems to assist
the veteran to access health care, mental healthcare, and documentation of
disability and, when applicable, its relationship to military service for veterans
completing a VA Service Connected and/or Non -Service -Connected claim(s);
• Develop and file high-quality benefits applications, including new and original,
reopened, and increased rating claims;
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
• Coordinate and advocate with the Veterans Benefits Administration regarding status
of pending benefits applications and appeals, as well as scheduling of compensation
and pension examinations;
• Coordinate legal assistance to assist veterans who have complex Service -
Connected/ Non -Service -Connected claims, including claims that require a character
of discharge determination, claims that have been denied and are eligible to enter
the appellate phase, and "clear and unmistakable error" claims; and
• Coordinate benefits advocacy with the proposed Countywide SSI Benefits Advocacy
team, as needed.
B. Ongoing training and technical assistance for veterans and homeless service agencies,
Federally Qualified Health Centers, and County and other public agencies — training and
technical assistance will be conducted by a VA Accredited Agent and/or Attorney, and could
be from the VA Benefits Specialist Team or through a subcontract to reach government and
community organizations and clinicians that serve veterans. Training and technical
assistance should incorporate the following:
•; Leverage training resources provided by the Supportive Services for Veterans
Families program;
• Train homeless service providers and public agencies on the identification of eligible
homeless veterans and the various veteran military discharge statuses;
• Train homeless service providers and public agencies on the process for
assessment and screening to ensure veterans meet the requirements for VA
Service -Connected compensation and Non -Service -Connected pension; and
• Provide ongoing training and support to physicians and clinicians on identifying
potential applicants and completing Service Connected and Non -Service -Connected
documentation. C. Provide quality assurance to ensure the submission of high
quality Service-Connected/IJon-Ser vice Connected applications:
• Access and monitor submitted veterans claims in VA database systems;
• Track and report programmatic outcomes; and
• Pursue continuous improvement of training and coordination to assure high quality
benefits support for homeless veterans.
The goal of the program would be to assist disabled, incarcerated individuals in completing and
submitting their SSI application prior to discharge or in securing reinstatement of their SSI
benefits, if the individual was receiving SSI prior to being incarcerated. This program should be
a collaborative with the Countywide SSI Advocacy Program, as described in Recommended
Strategy C4. The following would be components of the program: Pre -Release
A.Facility gathers list of release -eligible inmates at least three months prior to discharge, six
months is preferable.
B. Benefits eligibility specialists are assigned to screen for SSI and SSDI eligibility. Screening
encompasses:
• Checking each inmate's social security number, citizenship or eligible immigration
status and current benefit status;
• Meeting with inmate to complete a questionnaire to determine whether individual has
a severe mental or physical impairment or is aged (age 65) for potential eligibility for
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
SSL Also review work history and get earnings record to determine potential
eligibility for SSDI.
C. Inmates who are potentially eligible for SSI or SSDI will be invited to participate in the
advocacy program. Once the inmate decides to participate, he/she will be connected to the
countywide SSI advocacy contractor (as described in Strategy C6) who will meet with the
inmate in the jail to initiate a SSUSSDI application and the inmate will sign release of
information documents. Medical and mental health records are obtained from private
providers, public providers, incarceration facility providers and other identified providers:
• An assessment is made by the contractor to determine if medical evidence is likely to
be sufficient to prove disability according to SSA standards.
• If assessment determines that available records may not be sufficient to show
disability, refer individual to in-house or County medical and mental health providers
for assessments and reports.
D. Once sufficient medical evidence is gathered, forward eligible claims for disability to the
Disability Determination Services (DDS) office. The contractor maintains contact with DDS
and SSA to check on progress of the application.
E. DDS/SSA makes the initial determination regarding disability while individual is still
incarcerated.
F. The contractor collaborates with Jail In Reach staff (as described in Recommended Strategy
D2), who will work to locate interim or permanent housing to ensure an appropriate housing
placement upon the inmate's discharge. The cost of housing from the release date to the
SSI approval date can be recovered from the inmate's initial retroactive SSI benefit, through
the Interim Assistance Reimbursement process. Post -Release
G. If medical eligibility is approved, upon discharge the same contractor will work with the
individual to complete the application process. If medical eligibility is denied, the contractor
will pursue an appeal.
H. Once a formerly incarcerated individual begins receiving SSI or ESDI, an appropriate
agency will assist the individual in transitioning to appropriate permanent housing, if the
individual was placed in interim housing upon discharge. Disabled inmates with a jail stay
shorter than three months will be connected to the Countywide SSI Advocacy Program
(Strategy C4) upon discharge.
Homeless case managers, who generally work for community-based organizations and often
participate in the single adult Coordinated Entry System (CES) or Homeless Families Solutions
System, play a key role in combating homelessness, by engaging homeless families and
individuals, connecting them to housing, assisting them to navigate and access various public
services, and providing ongoing support.
County departments can play a key role in supporting homeless case managers by:
1. helping homeless families/individuals connect to a homeless case manager;
2. responding effectively to homeless case managers assisting homeless families/
individuals to access and navigate County services; and
3. participating, where appropriate, in CES regional case conferencing and coordinated
outreach meetings.
The specific role of each County department will vary depending on the extent and nature of the
Department's contact with homeless families/individuals.
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
To assist families/individuals connect to a homeless case manager, individual County
departments could:
• Provide space for homeless case managers to collocate at their facilities and
conduct in -reach with homeless families/individuals who go to the Department for
services. (This would only be applicable to departments which serve a very high
volume of homeless families/individuals.)
•; Implement a standardized protocol to contact homeless case manager (who could
be a domestic violence service provider) to come to the department's facility to
engage a homeless family/individual who wishes to see a homeless case manager.
• Transport a homeless family/individual to a location where they could meet with a
homeless case manager. (Few departments will have this capacity.)
• Provide a referral to a local homeless case manager to the homeless
family/individual.
To respond effectively to homeless case managers assisting homeless families/individuals to
access and navigate County services, individual County departments could:
• Establish a protocol for interacting with homeless case managers.
• Designate one or more homeless case manager liaisons at each location that
provides services to a significant number of homeless families/ individuals, plus a
departmental liaison. (For some departments, a departmental liaison may suffice, if
the frequency of contact with homeless families/individuals is low.)
• Facilitate relationships between local homeless case managers and the staff at
various facilities.
• Participate, where appropriate, in CES regional case conferencing and coordinated
outreach meetings.
Strategy E4: First Responders Training
The proposed training program would educate law; enforcement, fire departments, and
paramedics, i.e., first responders, about the complex and diverse needs of the unsheltered
homeless population and how to connect homeless individuals to appropriate services, so as to
better prepare first responders when interacting with people experiencing unsheltered
homelessness. The proposed training would emphasize awareness of, and strategies for
dealing with, situations that arise among unsheltered homeless individuals due to an array of
issues, such as, mental illness; alcohol and/or substance abuse/addiction (training in overdose
Narcan protection/prevention is one component for addressing substance abuse); co-occurring
substance abuse and mental illness; and/or physical health ailments. LASD and other police
agencies interested in participating in the training will develop the training and protocol based on
local and national best practices.
The proposed Countywide encampment/unsheltered homeless protocol would ensure that LA
County, and police forces across the County, are responding to the crises of encampments and
unsheltered homelessness in a manner that both improves efficiencies across jurisdictional
boundaries and achieves more effective outcomes and collaboration among police agencies
and homeless service providers.
At a minimum, the protocol must:
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
• provide first responders with real time information on service providers in the immediate
area where they are engaging people on the streets and encampments with the
desirable end result being a warm transfer to a homeless service provider who can
continue the engagement process, build rapport, and assist the homeless individual to
move into housing.
• address the needs of victims of domestic violence (DV) so that first responders are
prepared when they engage couples/DV victims on the street and in encampments.
• address the role of Adult Protective Services (APS) in addressing the needs of
endangered seniors and dependent adults.
• address best practices for serving the LGBT population.
• incorporate the concepts of Trauma -Informed Care, as applicable to first responders.
.;
There would beat least one team in each Service Planning Area (SPA) of the County and each
team should include the following staff: case manager(s), health outreach worker, mental health
outreach worker, substance abuse provider, and LA Homeless Services Authority Emergency
Response Team personnel As needed, the teams would include outreach personnel from
agencies that specialize in engaging TAY, Veterans, victims of domestic violence (DV) and
Families. The strategy requires a telephone hotline to connect to the street -based team(s) in
each SPA with staff trained and well -versed in the services and housing opportunities in their
respective SPA/region of the County. For this strategy to be successful, it is imperative that all
street teams operate with the same understanding of what it means to conduct outreach and
what it means to engage homeless on the streets or in encampments. Department of Health
Services' County +City + Community (C3) project, including a connection to Intensive Case
Management Services (ICMS), is an appropriate model to emulate. Additionally, the outreach
teams need to be aware of DV protocols and have a relationship with DV service providers. The
definitions are as follows:
Outreach
Outreach is the critical first step toward locating and identifying a homeless person who is not
otherwise contacting a government agency or service provider who can connect him/her to
available services and housing resources. Outreach is a means of educating the community
about available services, in this case for homeless individuals and families. Outreach is also a
process for building a personal connection that may play a role in helping a person improve his
or her housing, health status, or social support network.
Engagement
Engagement, when conducted properly, is a process that establishes a trusting relationship that
can lead to a homeless person's participation in services and housing. The process begins after
the initial street outreach contact or, for example, when a homeless person presents at an
agency such as DPSS, a CES provider agency, or an HFSS Family Support Center. The
engagement process can take weeks to months. There is no standard timeline for successful
engagement and an outreach worker/team should never be discouraged by initial rejections of
their offers to assist a homeless individual. If an agency's policies and resources do not allow for
this time and consistent/persistent effort, the worker will more often than not fail at building the
necessary relationship and the homeless person will likely not trust the next outreach
worker/team who tries to engage them and offer housing and services.
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
The move toward CES culminated with the implementation of the Federal "Opening Doors
Strategic Plan to prevent and end homelessness, the HEARTH Act, and the requirement that
Continuums of Care (CoC) create a coordinated or centralized assessment and housing
placement system. This system must be used to prioritize access to housing and services
based on service need in order for a CoC to be eligible for federal homeless assistance funding.
Coordinated entry is the process through which people experiencing homelessness or at -risk of
homelessness can easily access crisis services through multiple, coordinated entry points, have
their needs assessed and prioritized consistently, and, based upon those needs, be connected
with appropriate housing interventions and supportive services. For special sub -populations,
such as victims fleeing domestic violence or human trafficking, or those who are HIV-positive,
CES must ensure that data -tracking and matching protocols do not conflict with confidentiality
provisions to maintain individual safety and overall well-being. The County and City of Los
Angeles have come a long way in coordinating the delivery of homeless services and housing.
Over the last several years, there has been greater service integration and cooperation among
County departments, city agencies and community organizations. For example, in early 2013
CES for single adults roiled out in Skid Row and is now operational in all SPAS and coordinates
housing and supportive services not only with the County and City of Los Angeles, but with
networks of over 100 local housing providers as well CES could be strengthened through more
standardization and an enhanced administrative/ technology infrastructure for the coordinated
entry systems for single adults and families, as well as the youth system which is currently in
pilot. In fiscal year 2014-15, 9,720 individuals were assessed for homeless services and roughly
1,738 were housed.
The plan to strengthen CES and HFSS should include, but should not be limited to, the following
three elements:
1 Strengthen the network of housing locators in each service planning area (SPA) to
enhance communication, capitalize on best practices and housing/real-estate expertise
in securing units, increase efficiency, and minimize duplication of landlord contacts.
2. Develop and implement a common core curriculum training for outreach workers, case
managers and other staff participating in CES, inclusive of the various applicable
protocols and processes, as well as how others, such as local law enforcement, should
be directed to access CES.
3. Implement the following database improvements to the CES module within the
Homeless Management Information System (HMIS): A) Assess the CES/HMIS platform
to enhance functionality for local users, including the development of a system design
workflow; B) Review and evaluate new user training for CES/HMIS, including the time to
receive HMIS log -ins and identify process improvements to remedy deficiencies; and C)
Identify data software that can support a CES/HMIS report feature by service planning
area (SPA) and site specific reports, as well as a proposed budget for implementing this
reporting feature.
Strategy E8: Enhance the Emergency Shelter System
The emergency shelter system should be enhanced to be an effective point -of -access to and
component of an integrated homeless services system. An adequate crisis housing system
ensures that individuals, families, and youth have a safe place to stay in the short-term, with
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
access to resources and services that will help them exit homelessness quickly — optimally
within 30 days
The emergency shelter "system should be enhanced as follows:
1. Keep shelters open 24 -hours a day/7 days a week. This would enable the shelter system
to sere as a staging ground to triage/assess clients for housing, health, mental health,
substance use disorder, and social service needs, particularly for outreach and
engagement teams.
2. Transform emergency shelters and transitional housing into interim/bridge housing from
which homeless families/individuals/youth could transition to the best suited form of
permanent housing, such as rapid re -housing or permanent supportive housing. Housing
location search assistance should be provided at each shelter by community-based
housing locators, since such assistance is key to ensuring that the shelter system
operates as effectively as possible with enough "throughputs" to move people out of the
shelter system, thereby creating shelter capacity for additional homeless
families/individuals/youth, including individuals and families fleeing domestic violence.
3. Establish "low threshold" common criteria for shelter eligibility across the county so that
homeless families/individuals/youth can easily enter and remain in shelter without
restrictive requirements that either preempt entry into the shelter system or force people
to leave before they can transition to permanent housing.
4. Fully utilize the shelter bed assignment system in LAHSA's Homeless Management
Information System so that any provider seeking a shelter bed could readily identify any
available beds.
5. When possible, ensure that there is storage for belongings.
6. There needs to be confidentiality for those fleeing domestic violence and others who
require it.
7. If shelters cannot accommodate pets for homeless individuals and families seeking
shelter, have Animal Care and Control make alternative arrangements for pets. There
should also be a "diversion" component that helps at -risk households avoid entering
shelter if alternatives can be identified and implemented, e.g. remaining in their current
housing and/or placement into stable housing elsewhere, which might include living with
family/and or friends.
SB 2 (Cedillo) is enacted state legislation that requires each city and County (for the
unincorporated areas) to:.
1. identify at least one zone where emergency shelters are permitted as a matter of right;
and
2. treat transitional and supportive housing as a residential use of property, subject only to
restrictions that apply to other residential dwellings of the same type in the same zone.
SB 2 was crafted with the objective not only of ensuring that emergency shelters, transitional
housing, and supportive housing are permitted in each jurisdiction, but also to ensure a realistic
potential for development, when there is a willing, private developer with adequate funding.
While the County is in full compliance with S6 2 in the unincorporated areas, a number of cities
in the County are not in compliance with SB 2.
Strategy F3: Support Inclusionary Zoning for Affordable Housing Rental Units
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Inclusionary housing, also known as inclusionary zoning or mixed -income housing, is a policy
tool that requires or encourages private housing developers to include a certain percentage of
income -restricted units within new market rate residential developments. The Costa -Hawkins
Act, enacted in 1995, provides owners in rent control communities the right to establish initial
rental rates when there is a change in occupancy of a dwelling unit and exempts housing
constructed after 1995 from local rent controls. California courts have interpreted the Costa -
Hawkins Act to mean that inclusionary zoning is prohibited for all newly constructed rental units.
Specifically, in Palmer/Sixth Street Properties v. City of Los Angeles (175 Cal App. 4th. 1396
(2009), the Court of Appeals (Second District)) held that the Costa -Hawkins Act preempted local
inclusionary housing ordinances for new rental units.
Los Angeles County (LAC) could support amending or clarifying the interpretation of the Costa=
Hawkins Rental Housing Act (Costa -Hawkins Act) to allow an inclusionary housing requirement
for new rental housing. Such authority would apply to the County for the unincorporated areas
and to each of the 88 cities in the County within its own boundaries. Support for such a proposal
would be consistent with the County's State Legislative Agenda, section 5.1 Housing and
Community Development, which reads: "Support proposals that provide incentives to local
governments and/or developers to increase and protect affordable housing and flexibility for
counties to promote a diversity of affordable housing types through local policies."
Strategy FS: Incentive Zoning/Value Capture Strategies
Incentive Zoning (IZ)Nalue Capture (VC) is the concept that investments such as new
transportation infrastructure and planning actions such as a zone change or density bonus can
increase land values, generating increased profit opportunities for private landowners. Value
capture strategies seek to redirect some of the increases in land values for public good. Value
capture strategies include:
1. Public Benefits Zoning
2. Incentive Zoning/Density Bonus;
3. Housing Overlay Zoning;
4. Tax Increment Financing
5. Community Benefits Agreements
6._ Special Assessment Districts;
7. Development Agreements;
8. Infrastructure Financing Districts; and
9. Business Improvement Districts.
Incentive ZoningNalue Capture strategies could generate funding to support the preservation` of
existing affordable/homeless housing and/or construction of new affordable/homeless housing
units. Such funding could be used fora range of specific uses, from preserving existing Single
Room Occupancy (residential) hotels to construction of permanent supportive housing and
workforce housing.
In Los Angeles County, there are opportunities for using public land for affordable housing on
many different types of sites, including vacant publicly owned land, under-utilized sites, parcels
where existing public facilities are no longer needed, and as part of the development of new
public facilities such as community centers, libraries, fire stations, and police stations.
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Discounted public land can provide a valuable subsidy to the development of affordable
housing, as well as facilitate the development of affordable housing in transit -accessible,
amenity -rich locations. The joint development of public facilities and housing properties can lead
to infrastructure cost savings, better design, and more accessible public services.
Opportunities that support using public land for homeless housing include:
AB 2135, which provides affordable housing projects the right of first refusal to obtain
surplus land held by local governments, gives project developers more time to negotiate
the purchase of the surplus land, and allows the land to be sold for less than fair market
value as a developer incentive; and
Establishing a Joint Powers Authority to acquire, hold, and dispose of public land for
housing.
Various examples of discounted public land are available throughout the country. Examples of
Public Land being used for Affordable Housing in Los Angeles County include:
• Affordable Housing on Metro Joint Development Sites;
• Affordable Housing on Los Angeles Unified School District property;
• Homeless Housing on surplus Department of Motor Vehicle site in Hollywood
• Affordable Housing on land purchased by former redevelopment agencies; and
• Housing for Homeless Veterans on U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Property in
Westwood.
Strategy F7: Preserve and Promote the Development of Affordable Housing for Homeless
Families • Individuals
This Strategy proposes to promote the development and preservation of affordable housing for
homeless families and individuals by funding proposal(s) which expedite and/or lower the cost
of developing homeless/affordable housing through a one-time Housing Innovation Grant of
$5,000,000.
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
RESOLUTION NO. XXXX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
XXXX, CALIFORNIA, EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR EVERYONE
IN, A COALITION OF PEOPLE WHO EMBRACE THE COMMON
GOAL OF ENDING HOMELESSNESS
WHEREAS, the [insert city] and the County of Los Angeles is facing a growing
homelessness problem, endangering the health and safety of our homeless neighbors; and
WHEREAS, 1.5 million voters across the County, and XX voters in [insert city]
committed to ending homelessness by passing Measure H; and
WHEREAS, voters passed a comprehensive set of coordinated, well -funded solutions
providing the services, rental subsidies, outreach, housing, and prevention we need to bring our
homeless neighbors off the streets, for good; and
WHEREAS, accountability and transparency will be needed to give the public clear
picture of where progress is being made and where we need more action to meet the following
ambitious countywide goals by July 1, 2022:
• End homelessness for 45,000 families and individuals;
• Prevent homelessness for 30,000 families and individuals; and
• Approve 5,000 units of supportive housing for our most vulnerable neighbors.
WHEREAS, the Everyone In movement, powered by the United Way of Greater Los
Aneles, will help keep the promise to end homelessness by creating ways for the public to get
involved; tracking, measuring, and sharing progress; and lifting up successes and celebrating
wins.
NOW, - • - OF OF CALIFORNIAr • r DETERMINE AND RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION. The City Council finds that the foregoing Recitals are true and correct.
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
SECTION 2. The City Council of the City of XXXX supports, endorses and hereby
directs the City Manager to communicate this support of the Everyone in campaign to the Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors, XXXX residents, and the media.
SECTION 3. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its approval by the
XXXX City Council.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of XXXX at its regular meeting
on this DATE.
ATTEST:
City Clerk, City of X)=
Mayor, City of XXXX
Z-=
Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
According to Downey's 2014-2021 Housing Element and the Homelessness Task Force Report
prepared by the California State Association of Counties, League of California Cities, and
Institute for Local Government, the City and City residents are eligible to access the Federal and
State Funding Sources, Potential Future Funding Sources, and Local Funding Sources listed
below. While the City may not be an eligible direct recipient for all sources listed, knowledge of
available funding can assist with collaboration and advocacy efforts. For a complete list of
funding options recommended by the Homelessness Task Force Report, see pages 11-15 of
the Homelessness Task Force Report 2018.
Federal and State Funding Sources:
Provided by the Homelessness
Task Force Report 2018
Item
Funding Source
Shelters and Prevention
EmeMengy Solutions Grant ESG
Housing
HOME Investment Partnershi s Pro ram HOME
Housing and Services
HUD Continuum of Care Program
Housing
Communit Development Block Grant CDBG
Housing
__
Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
Housing
HUD -Veterans Affairs Su ortive Housin VASH vouchers
Behavioral Health
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SAMHSA Grants
Prevention
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Supportive Services for
Veteran Families SSVF
Prevention, Employment
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF /CaIWORKs
Housing, Case
CalWORKs Housing Support Program
Management
Youth
McKinne -Vento rants
Law Enforcement
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Grant
Prevention
Housing
Behavioral Health
Housing
CaIHFA Mental Health Services Act Funds
Rehabilitation
Services
Rental Assistance
2015-2021 Consolidated Plan: "The Low -Income Housing Tax Credit is a significant source of
equity for rental housing development. The credit serves as a valuable income tax benefit to
corporate investors. Investors will contribute cash for the development cost of a low-income
developent in order to obtain these dollar for dollar tax benefits from the federal government.
The City's 2012 50 -unit affordable housing development, Downey View, has received more than
$8 million in tax credit funding. The Downey View was one of only twelve developments in LA
County to have been selected by the CA Tax Credit Allocation Committee to receive $8.8 million
in 9% federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The Downey View will provide affordable high
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
quality rental units, which will include two and three bedroom apartments, a community center,
gardens, computer lab and controlled access gates" (52).
Potential Future Funding Sources
Provided by the Homelessness Task Force Report 2018
SB 2: Passed in 2017, the details related to SB'2 funding are still emerging. SB 2 creates a
permanent source of funding for affordable housing with 50 percent of the first year of funding
specifically for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. After the first year of funding, 70
percent of the funding will be allocated to local governments for uses including affordable
housing development, matching funds for programs that assist people experiencing or at risk of
homelessness.
SB 3: Passed in 2017, SB 3 places a $4 billion affordable housing and Veterans housing bond
on the November 2018 statewide ballot. Cities and counties are eligible to apply for various
programs that would be funded by the bond.
• Public safety funding and resources
• Local sales and use tax
• Animal care and regulation fees
• Transit or transportation assistance
• Development fees
• Transient occupancy taxes
• Bond proceeds
• General Fund
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Senate Bill 2: Definition and Expectations of Local Governments
Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) amended the State Housing Element Law and the State Housing
Accountability Act (HAA) to require local governments to remove zoning barriers that prevent or
discourage the development of emergency shelters, transitional housing, and supportive
housing (Public Counsel 2). Therefore, in General Plan Housing Element updates, local
governments are required to do the following:
• Assess the need for emergency shelter
• Identify zone(s) where shelters are permitted without discretionary approval (by -right)
• Treattransitional and supportive housing the same as other residential uses
• Include shelters, transitional housing, and supportive housing as protected by the HAA
(Public Counsel, 3)
While SB 2 does not require local governments to build or fund emergency shelters, transitional
housing, or supportive housing, it does require a local government's zoning code to encourage
the previously stated uses.
Senate Bill 2: The City of Downey
The City of Downey is in compliance with SB 2 Emergency Shelter Zoning,.
Senate Bill 35: Definition and Expectations of Local Governments
If a city fails to issue building permits for its designated share of the Regional Housing Needs
Allocation (RHNA), then SB 35 streamlines project approvals for eligible multifamily housing.
In California, all local governments are required to adopt a Housing Element as part of a
General Plan to show that the city plans to meet the housing needs of community members at
all income levels. According to the Southern California Association of Governments, the RHNA
"quantifies the need for housing within each jurisdiction during specified planning periods"
(scag.ca.gov). if the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)
finds that a city issued fewer building permits than the city's RHNA identifies, then the city is
subject to SB 35 streamlining (League of California Cities, 6).
Passed in 2017, SB 35 requires cities to approve qualified housing developments on eligible
sites as a ministerial act and without CEQA review or public hearings (League of California
Cities, 6). Under the streamlining, project approval is through "objective standards" and involves
"no personal or subjective judgment by a public official" (League of California Cities, 6).
Senate Bill 35: The City of Downey
Downey has made insufficient progress toward the City's Above Moderate Income RHNA and is
therefore subject to SB 35 streamlining for proposed developments with at least 10 percent of
units restricted for affordable housing.
For additional information about SB 2, see Public Counsel's Local Zoning Best Practices for Shelter and
Transitional and Supportive Housing.
For additional information about SB 35, see the League of California Cities 2018 Guide to New Housing
Law in California.
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Appendix County Protocol for Ups •; Homeless
Encampments
Memorandum
TO: The City of Downey
DATE: May 2018
SUBJECT: Overview of the LA County Homeless Encampment Protocol and the Guiding
Legal Decisions for the Treatment of People Experiencing Homelessness by Law
Enforcement
LA County Homeless Encampment Protocol
The Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office and Sheriff Department, and Los Angeles
Homeless Services Authority Protocol for Reporting and Responding to Homeless
Encampments or Concentrated Homeless Activities ("the Protocol") provides guidance for
addressing homeless encampments in the unincorporated areas of LA County, cities where the
Sheriff Department is the contracted law enforcement agency, County parks, and County -owned
property. This is included in Downey's Plan to provide an example of a best practice for
addressing homeless encampments legally.
According to the protocol, a series of steps must be executed when responding to a homeless
encampment where five or more people are identified (see the pages following the
Memorandum for the full Protocol). The Protocol requires time for outreach/engagement, CES
Assessments, posting of ordinance/trespassing signage, and collaboration with outreach teams
upon cleanup. During and after the cleanup, the Protocol requires any personal belongings that
cannot be taken with an individual from the encampment to be tagged and store d for 90 days.
Legal Decisions for the Treatment of People Experiencing Homelessness by Law
Enforcement
Allen v. City of Pomona (2016)
The class-action lawsuit challenged Pomona's practice of homeless cleanups, alleging that city
officials who confiscated property violated the constitutional rights of people experiencing
homelessness.
The settlement provides protection from enforcement of unlawful overnight camping until there
are more shelter beds available in the City, among other items in the settlement, including:
• The City must provide written notice of the City's intent to remove property at least 48
hours prior to collection of property.
• The City must securely attach written notice to the property that will be collected.
• The City must provide adequate post -collection notice within 10 feet of the location
where the property was collected.
• The Settlement prohibits the city from seizing personal property unless the property
poses a serious and immediate risk to human health and safety, among a few additional
exceptions.
(Allen v. City of Pomona)
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
The settlement required the city to pay $49,000 in damages to be distributed among the 15
plaintiffs in the case and no more than $160,000 in attorney fees. In the settlement, the City also
agreed to build 388 lockers for the property of people experiencing homelessness (LA Times,
Doug Smith).
The City of Los Angeles enacted an ordinance prohibiting any individual from sitting, lying, or
sleeping on a public street or sidewalk. The ACLU brought the suit against the ordinance on
behalf of six people experiencing homelessness who were arrested or cited for violating the
ordinance (ACLU). The Jones decision found that because the appellants may have become
homeless involuntarily and because the appellants did not have any options other than to sleep
on the street, criminalization of the appellants' presence on the street was in violation of the
Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The decision ordered the
District Court to stop enforcement of the Los Angeles City ordinance that allowed law
enforcement to arrest people for sleeping on the street when there are no available shelter
beds. The settlement agreed to permit sleeping on sidewalks between Spm and 6am until
additional housing could be built.
Filed in March 2016, the lawsuit alleged that people experiencing homelessness on Skid Row
have had personal property, including medication and legal documents, seized or destroyed by
law enforcement and city sanitation personnel. The U.S. district court judge ruled that the City of
Los Angeles needed to discontinue seizing property of people experiencing homelessness on
Skid Row and surrounding areas without notice.
Nine people experiencing homelessness on Skid Row claimed that the City of Los Angeles
violated their Fourth Amendment t and Fourteenth Amendment rights when the City seized and
destroyed their personal possessions, temporarily left unattended on public sidewalks (Lavan v.
City of Los Angeles). The injunction bars the City from:
• Seizing property in Skid Row absent an objectively reasonable belief that it is
abandoned, presents an immediate threat to public health or safety, or is evidence of a
crime, or contraband
• Absent immediate threat to public health or safety, destruction of seized property without
maintaining it in a secure location for a period of less than 90 days
(Lavan v. City of Los Angeles)
The Ninth Circuit held that the seizing and destruction of a homeless individual's personal
property, even if left temporarily unattended, was an unreasonable seizure and therefore a
Fourth Amendment violation. The Court also ruled that the failure to provide notice before
seizing and destroying personal property is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment right to
due process (ACLU). The City paid $822,000 to settle the case.
Please see the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office & Sheriff Department, and Los
Angeles HomelessServices Authority Protocol* for Reporting & Responding to Homeless
Encampments or Concentrated Homeless Activities on the following two pages.
Page 153
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Access Center: A brick and mortar facility where people experiencing homelessness or at risk
of experiencing homelessness can access supportive services
Affordable Housing: A housing unit that a household can obtain for 30 percent or less of its
income.
Bridge Housing: Safe, reserved, 24-hour emergency shelter to be utilized by eligible homeless
individuals, identified through the Coordinated Entry System (CES). The intention of this
emergency housing is to provide individuals with some stability, so they can more easily
maintain contact with their Housing Navigator, as they are assisted in their efforts to housing. -
Crisis Housing bed converts to a Bridge (Reserved Crisis) Housing bed if the program
participant does not self -resolve their episode of homelessness within 14 days. (LAHSA, 2017)
Case Management: Case management is defined by the Case Management Society of
America as "a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination,
evaluation, and advocacy for options and services" to meet individual needs. Case Management
in the context of the Coordinated Entry System (CES) should be voluntary and client centered,
with the goal of identifying strengths and client directed goals, while promoting"health,
recognition, and well-being" (USICH, 2016). Case management in CES should ultimately focus
on linking the client to permanent housing resource and providing necessary services needed to
promote housing stability. (LAHSA, 2017)
Chronically Homeless:
1,_ _An individual who:
a. Is homeless and lives in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or
in an emergency shelter
AND
b. Has been homeless and living or residing in a place not meant for human
habitation, a safe haven, or in an emergency shelter continuously for at least
twelve months or on at least four separate occasions in the last three years -
where those occasions cumulatively total at least twelve months
AND
c. Can be diagnosed with one or more of the following conditions: substance use
disorder, serious mental illness, developmental disability (as defined in section
102 of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance Bill of Rights of 2000 [42 U.S.C.
15002]), post-traumatic stress disorder, cognitive impairments resulting from
brain injury, or chronic physical illness or disability;
2. An individual who has been residing in an intuitional care facility, including a jail,
substance abuse or mental health treatment facility, hospital, or other similar facility, for
fewer than 90 days and met all of the criteria in paragraph (1) of this definition before
entering that facility
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
3. A family with an adult head of household (or if there is no adult in the family, a minor
head of household) who meets all of the criteria in paragraph (1) of this definition„
including a family whose composition has fluctuated while the head of household has-
been homeless. (LAHSA, 2017)
Continuum of Care (CoC): A community plan to organize and deliver housing and services to
meet the specific needs of people who are homeless as they move to stable housing and
maximize self-sufficiency. It includes action steps to end homelessness and prevent a return to
homelessness. In Los Angeles County, there are four CoCs. The Los Angeles Homeless
Services Authority serves all cities of the county with the exception of Long Beach, Pasadena,
and Glendale, who have their own CoC. (LAHSA, 2017)
Coordinated Entry System: CES is a regionally based system that connects new and existing
programs in to a "no -wrong -door network" by assessing the needs of individuals/families/youth
experiencing homelessness and linking them with the most appropriate housing and services to
end their homelessness. The goal of the CES is to streamline processes through which
communities assess, house, and support housing retention for individuals/families who are
homeless; to ensure all of our homeless neighbors are known and supported; to target and
maximize limited housing resources; and to comply with the federal mandate to adopt a
standardized intake and coordinate assessment process for housing. The essential components
of CES are: 1) a system that is low -barrier and'easy to access; 2) a system that identifies and
assesses people's needs; and 3) a system that prioritizes and matches housing resources
based on those needs. (LAHSA, 2017)
Families: A family unit composed of an adult head of household with a dependent minor child or
a woman in her third trimester of pregnancy.
Homeless: an individual who belongs to one of the following categories:
1. An individual who lacks a fixed regular, and adequatenighttime residence, meaning
a. An individual with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place
not designed for or regularly used as a regular sleeping accommodation for
human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, or
camping ground;
b. An individual living in a supervised publically or privately operated shelter
designated to provide temporary living arrangements (including congregate
shelters, transitional housing, and hotels or motels paid for by charitable
organizations or by federal, state, or local government programs for low-income
individuals
An individual who is exiting an institution where he or she resided for 90 days or
less and who resided in an emergency shelter or place not meant for human
habitation immediately before entering that institution;
2. An individual who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence, provided that;
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
a. The primary nighttime residence will be lost within 14 days of the date of
application for homeless assistance;
b. No subsequent residence has been identified;and
c. The individual lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith
based or other social networks, needed to obtain other permanent housing;
3. An individual who.
a. Is fleeing, or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual
assault, stalking, or other dangerous, life threatening conditions that relate to
violence against the individual that has either take place within the individuals
primary nighttime residence or has made the individual afraid to return to their
primary nighttime residence;
b. Has no other residence; and
c. Lacks the resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith -based or
other social networks, to obtain other permanent housing. (LAHSA, 2017)
Measure H: A voter approved quarter cent sales tax to generate funding for homeless services
in Los Angeles County.
Outreach: In the context of the CES system, outreach is defined as the activity of engaging a
homeless individual through the process of rapport building with the goal of linking the individual
to a permanent housing resource. Outreach and engagement is an ongoing process that
"involves creativity, flexibility, may take months or years, and involves establishing a
relationship" to connect a client to services (Olivet, Bassuk, Elstad, Kenny, and Jassil, 2010).
Outreach can be viewed as a "service in itself' and "a process of building a personal connection
that make play a role in helping a person improve his or her housing, health status, or social
support network" (Olivet, Bassuk, Elstad, Kenny, and Jassil,,2010). Outreach and engagement
should be approached in a client -centered and voluntary manner that does not create any time
constraints as to the alacrity in which the client voluntarily seeks permanent housing. Outreach
workers should have the capacity to refer clients to resources and services such as Crisis &
Bridge (Reserved Crisis) Housing and should regularly participate in a case conferencing to
ensure clients entering CES are matched to the appropriate permanent housing resource.
(LAHSA, 2017)
Prevention: The goal of Homeless Prevention is to provide a short-term targeted intervention to
address people's housing crisis before they become homeless. (County A5 strategy description)
Stakeholder: A person with an interest or concern in addressing homelessness in the
community
Supportive Housing` Long-term, community-based housing that has supportive services for
homeless persons with disabilities. This type of supportive housing enables the special needs of
populations to live as independently as possible in a permanent setting. Permanent housing can
be provided in one structure at one site or in multiple structure at multiples sites. (LAHSA, 2017)
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Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Supportive Services: Services that may assist homeless participants in the transition form the
streets or shelters into permanent or supportive housing, and that assist person with living
successfully in housing. (LAHSA, 2017)
Transitional Age Youth: An individual between the ages of 16 and 24. (LAHSA, 2017)
*For definitions with (LAHSA, 2017) at the end, the definition was taken from LAHSA's Homeless Services Delivery
System Glossary of Terms/Acronyms, May 2017,
Description of •. in the Goals and • Items table:
Plan to Prevent and Combat Homelessness
Please see the Supportive Housing information sheet provided by United Way's Everyone In
Campaign on the following two pages.
Photos above are of the Long Beach & 21St Apartments, a supportive housing development in
Long Beach, CA.
,*Residents of
supportive housing:
~ Have experienced long-term homelessness
and/or have physical/mental health orsubstance
abuse disorders.
`
Are people ofdifferent ages, backgrounds, cultures
and education levels who have struggled inthe past
1nfind stable housing.
^
Have gone through traumatic life events such aa
domestic violence, a debilitating injury orillness, or
asudden loss ofincome.
`
Are prioritized for housing based onvulnerability, such
aohaving aphysical disability.
In addition to safe, clean an
stable homes, residents receive:
°Physical
` and mental health services
^
Job training and life skills
~
Addiction treatment
^
Counselling and support groups
. And many other resources
iYARMWjffl'j* go] MU4 lama T zi LeAw1w
AIMA NOW M WO]MU4 lama T zi LeAw1w
NOW M K9]=j=[ 1:211=a T
WHEREAS, the City of Downey and the ountyo Lo Angele is acingagrowing
homelessness problem, endangering the health and safety of our homeless neighbors; and
WHEREAS, 1.5 million voters across the County committed to ending homelessness by
passing Measure H,- and
WHEREAS, voters passed a comprehensive set of coordinated, well -funded solutions
providing the services, rental subsidies, outreach, housing, and prevention we need to bring our
homeless neighbors off the streets, for good; and
WHEREAS, accountability and transparency will be needed to give the public clear
picture of where progress is being made and where we need more action to meet the following
ambitious countywide goals by July 1, 2022:
• End homelessness for 45,000 families and individuals-,
• Prevent homelessness for 30,000 families and individuals-, and
• Approve 5,000 units of supportive housing for our most vulnerable neighbors.
WHEREAS, the Everyone In movement, powered by the United Way of Greater Los
Angeles, will help keep the promise to end homelessness by creating ways for the public to get
involved; tracking, measuring, and sharing progress; and lifting up successes and celebrating
wins.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY DOES
RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 11. The City Council finds that the foregoing Recitals are true and correct.
SECTION 2, The City Council of the City of Downey supportsi endorses and hereby
4-m C -f &r -y
Angeles County Board of Supervisors, residents, and the media.
SECTION 3. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its approval by the
Downey City Council.
SECTION 4. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption C t is eso u on an ransmi
a certified copy thereof to the appointees.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED thls�. dayof� 12018.
nim
SEAN ASHTON, Mayor
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was adopted by the city ounc o
the City of Downey at a regular meeting held on the. day of _, 2018, by the
following vote, to wit:
AYES:
Council Members,
NOES:
Council Member:
ABSENT:
Council Member:
ABSTAIN:
Council Member:
MARIA ALICIA DUARTE, CMC
City Clerk