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HomeMy WebLinkAbout55C - RESO HOMELESS EMERG AID PROGREQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: AUGUST 21, 2018 TITLE: ADOPT RESOLUTION DECLARING A SHELTER CRISIS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR STATE ONE-TIME HOMELESS EMERGENCY AID PROGRAM GRANT FUNDS {STRATEGIC PLAN NOS. 1,6; 5,4; 5,6} CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDED ACTION CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: APPROVED ❑ As Recommended ❑ As Amended ❑ Ordinance on 111 Reading ❑ Ordinance on 2nd Reading ❑ Implementing Resolution ❑ Set Public Hearing For CONTINUED TO FILE NUMBER Adopt Resolution declaring a Shelter Crisis for the City of Santa Ana in accordance with Government Code Sections 8698, et seq. to be eligible for State one-time Homeless Emergency Aid Program grant funds. DISCUSSION The Governor's FY 2018-2019 May Revision, released on May 11, 2018, includes $350 million in State General Fund monies for emergency homeless aid one-time block grants to cities and counties via the Continuum of Care (CoC) and $150 million direct allocation to cities participating in the Big 11, to address homelessness through construction or operation of emergency shelters, rapid rehousing, emergency housing vouchers, use of armories to provide temporary shelters, among other activities. Eligibility requirement for funding mandates that cities and counties participating in the CoC must declare a Shelter Crisis pursuant to Government Code Section 8698.2(a)(1), in addition to demonstrating city and county collaboration. The HEAP grant application will be received through an online portal with supporting attachments submitted via email. There are separate applications for the CoC's and large cities. The applicant must submit with the application proof that a resolution declaring a shelter crisis has been approved. The submitting entity must demonstrate coordination with stakeholders, homeless services and housing providers, law enforcement, and homeless advocates. CoC's and large cities must demonstrate that a local collaborative including letters of support, adopted homeless plan, adopted budget and participation from homeless task force meetings with a wide range of consulted participants. 55C-1 Resolution — Declaring a Shelter Crisis to be Eligible for State one-time HEAP Grant funds August 21, 2018 Page 2 The California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council will provide program guidance, timeline and technical assistance on sample applications and instructions in the month of August 2018, to prepare for applicants for the first round of Notice of Funding Availability that will be released on September 5, 2018. Round 2 is planned for release on February 2019. The State has estimated that Santa Ana will receive approximately $3.5 to $3.7 Million during the standard distribution of funds beginning in April 2019. The HEAP statute mandates that 50 percent of the awarded funds must be contractually obligated by January 1, 2020 and that 100 percent of the funds must be expended by June 30, 2021. Administrative costs are capped at 5% of the funds. Additionally, the HEAP statue requires a minimum investment of 5% of all awards set aside for emergency assistance for homeless youth. The City of Santa Ana is currently experiencing a homeless crisis as one of the most urgent issues concerning public health and safety. Specifically, the City finds that a significant number of persons within the City are without the ability to obtain shelter, and that the situation has resulted in a threat to public health and safety. As the County seat, Santa Ana has experienced the overwhelming impact of homelessness from the entire County of Orange. According to the 2017 point -in -time homeless count, the City accommodates over 13 times its fair share of the unsheltered homeless population, nearly seven times its fair share of the sheltered population, and in total, carries 22 times the portion of the homeless population of other cities in the County. Santa Ana has been addressing homelessness for several years using Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) to fund non-profit service providers. It is estimated that Santa Ana spends approximately $17.4 million per year to address homelessness related issues which includes public safety (Police and medic services), Quality of Life Team (QOLT), Homeless Evaluation Assessment Response Team (HEART), maintenance of public right away and public facilities, street outreach, and administrative support services. In addition, Santa Ana hired a Homeless Services Manager dedicated to coordinating collaborative efforts with City and County stakeholders, enhance affordable housing and permanent supportive housing, and coordination of services and resources as a lead City within the Central Service Planning Area (SPA). Eligibility to receive one-time Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) grant funds is contingent on the City declaring a Shelter Crisis. Staff recommends adoption of the Shelter Crisis Resolution which will position the City to receive an estimated $3.5 to $3.7 million in one-time HEAP grant funds to address the unsheltered homeless population. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT The activities covered by this report allow the City to meet Goal # 1 — Community Safety, Objective # 6 (enhance Public Safety Integration, communication and community outreach); Goal # 5 - Community Health, Livability, Engagement & Sustainability, Objective # 4 (Support neighborhood vitality and livability) and # 6 (Focus projects and programs on improving the health and wellness of all residents). 55C-2 Resolution — Declaring a Shelter Crisis to be Eligible for State one-time HEAP Grant funds August 21, 2018 Page 3 FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. Upon award and receipt of HEAP grant funding, staff will bring forward for City Council consideration an appropriation adjustment to recognize and appropriate funds. Steven A. Mendoza Robert C. Corte Executive Director Deputy City M Community Development Agency City Manager's Office Exhibits: 1. Resolution Declaring Shelter Crisis 2. HEAP Overview Program Guidance 55C-3 55C-4 RESOLUTION NO. 2018- A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA DECLARING A SHELTER CRISIS RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY OF SANTA ANA BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana hereby finds, determines and declares as follows: A. California Governor Jerry Brown, and the members of the California Legislature, have recognized the urgent and immediate need for funding at the local level to combat homelessness. B. The Governor and Legislature have provided funding to local governments under the Homeless Emergency Aid Program as part of SB 850 and the 2018-2019 Budget Act (Chapter 48, Statues of 2018). C. The Governor and Legislature require jurisdictions seeking an allocation through the Homeless Emergency Aid Program to declare a Shelter Crisis pursuant to Government Code section 8698.2. D. The City of Santa Ana has developed a homelessness plan and undertaken multiple efforts at the local level to combat homelessness. E. The City of Santa Ana is currently experiencing a homeless crisis as one of the most urgent issues concerning public health and safety, wherein the City became the first City in the County of Orange to pass a Resolution declaring a Public Health and Safety Crisis related to homelessness in September 2017 (Santa Ana Resolution No. 2016-073). F. As the County seat, the City has experienced the overwhelming impact of homelessness from the entire County of Orange. According to the 2017 Orange County point -in -time homeless count, the City had 466 unsheltered homeless individuals, and the City accommodates over 13 times its fair share of the unsheltered homeless population, nearly seven times its fair share of the sheltered population, and in total, carries 22 times the portion of the homeless population of other cities in the County. G. The City of Santa Ana finds that the unsheltered number of homeless is significant, and these persons are without the ability to obtain shelter. H. In September 2017, the Santa Ana City Council approved the Homeless Prevention, Intervention and Mitigation Plan to address homelessness and the impact of Resolution No. 2018 - Page 1 of 5 55C-5 homelessness on Santa Ana residents including investments in four sections: law enforcement; affordable housing; outreach and case management; and, coordination of additional resources and services. I. The City continues to fund Emergency Solutions Gants (ESG) to non-profit providers supporting the work of street outreach, emergency shelter, rapid rehousing and homeless prevention, wherein the City has administered $429,526 in total ESG dollars for fiscal year 2017-2018. J. In January 2018, the City created the Quality of Life Team (QOLT), consisting of multi -disciplinary members of city departments comprised of the Public Works Agency, the Community Development Agency, Community Preservation, the City Attorney's Office, the City Manager's Office and outreach works from the County of Orange Mental Health to model a field based team to implement a coordinated response to requests for services by the community due to impacts of homelessness and health and safety concerns. K. The QOLT team has contacted 1,370 homeless individuals, responded to 847 locations, addressed 929 number of encampments, stored 69 homeless individual's property, disposed of 533 shopping carts, disposed of 231 tons of trash and debris, and has assisted 176 private properties from January 2018 to July 2018. L. In March 2018, the City completed the 2018 Homeless Draft Plan, outlining the City's current plan and recommendations to address homelessness, including: addressing housing needs; outreach and supportive services; strategic planning and policy development; and, active regional coordination and collaboration with agencies, neighboring communities, faith based organizations, the County of Orange, and the other 33 cities within the County. M. In April 2018, the City conducted a Citywide Point -in -Time Count, and found that over 50% of the population arrived in Santa Ana from other parts of Orange County, creating a 121 % increase from last year's homeless count and further validating the City being negatively impacted by the County's clearance of the Flood Control Chanel in March 2018. N. The 2018 Point -In -Time count also indicated that Santa Ana is home to an estimated 587 sheltered homeless and 1030 unsheltered homeless, for a total estimated homeless population of 1617, including individuals, youth and families, and that 82% of the unsheltered population reported chronic homelessness and over 30% reported mental health disability, medical health disability, substance abuse, and domestic violence as barriers to attaining housing on their own. 0. In April 2018, the City, in collaboration with the Santa Ana Police Department and the County of Orange health Care Agency, completed assessment of the Civic Center Plaza of the Flags, offering services to 234 individuals, of which 135 declined services. Resolution No. 2018 - Page 2 of 5 55C-6 P. In April 2018, the City, in collaboration with the County and other cities, submitted a letter to Governor Jerry Brown and the California National Guard to extend the Cold Weather Armory for an additional three months due to the overwhelming unsheltered homeless population. Q. In May 2018, the City Public Works Agency staff and QOLT partook in a two-day intensive cleanup effort of the Santiago Creek, removing 14 truckloads of debris, 50 hypodermic needles, and encountering 20 homeless individuals. R. In June 2018, the City submitted a letter to the California Department of Public Health strongly opposing the approval of the Orange County Mobile Needle Exchange to operate in Santa Ana due to the public health risk caused by lack of appropriate monitoring of discarding needles, and provided over 100 pages of narrative and pictures of uncapped dirty needles found near schools, libraries, businesses and residential areas compiled from 2017 to present. S. In July 2018, the Fullerton and Santa Ana Cold Weather Armories closed, creating greater impact of unsheltered homeless individuals in the City of Santa Ana. T. The County of Orange lacks sufficient emergency shelter facilities to provide safe shelter to the homeless unsheltered population. U. The County of Orange has the largest low barrier homeless shelter in the City of Santa Ana called "the Courtyard." The County also has the largest multiservice center for the homeless and mentally ill in the City of Santa Ana, called "MHA." The County also has the only Crisis Stabilization unit, a facility to evaluate 72 -hour psychiatric holds, in the City of Santa Ana. V. Homeless encampments are prevalent throughout the City, exposing individuals experiencing homelessness to hazardous elements, including severe weather, traffic, crime, communicable diseases, lack of sanitation, injury, risk of death and other conditions that are detrimental to health and safety. W. The impact of homeless individuals lodging in public parks, railroads, parking lots, sidewalks, near schools, businesses, churches, senior centers, and libraries, has an adverse effect on the City and its resources, including the use and enjoyment of these public spaces by the public at -large. X. Such overnight lodging in residential zones also has an adverse effect on the health and safety of the residents in the City's communities, including the Delhi Center, Floral Park, and Santiago neighborhoods, among several others. Y. The Governor's FY 2018-2019 May Revision, released on May 11, 2018, includes $350 million in State General Fund monies for emergency homeless aid one- time block grants to cities and counties via the Continuum of Care (CoC), and $150 million Resolution No. 2018 - Page 3 of 5 55C-7 in direct allocation to cities participating in the Big 11, to address homelessness through construction or operation of emergency shelters, rapid rehousing, emergency housing vouchers, and use of armories to provide temporary shelters, among other activities. Z. Eligibility requirements for funding mandate that cities and counties participating in the CoC must declare a Shelter Crisis pursuant to Government Code Section 8698, et seq., in addition to demonstrating city and county collaboration. Section 2. The City Council hereby finds and adopts the recitals above as findings and determinations. Section 3. The City Council hereby finds and declares the existence of a shelter crisis in the City of Santa Ana pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of Government Code section 8698.2(a)(1) because a significant number of persons in the City are without the ability to obtain shelter, resulting in a threat to the health and safety of those persons. Section 4. In accordance with this declaration of a shelter crises, the City Council hereby authorizes the City's participation in the Homeless Emergency Aid Program. Section 5. The City Council herby finds that the activities described in this resolution are not a project as defined in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) section 15378 and, therefore, are not subject to CEQA pursuant to section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines. Section 6. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by the City Council, and the Clerk of the Council shall attest to and certify the vote adopting this Resolution. Resolution No. 2018 - Page 4 of 5 55C-8 ADOPTED this day of 2018 Miguel A. Pulido Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: Sonia R. Carvalho City Attorney By: Ry O. 14odge Assistant City Attorney AYES: Councilmembers NOES: Councilmembers ABSTAIN: Councilmembers NOT PRESENT: Councilmembers CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY I, MARIA D. HUIZAR, Clerk of the Council, do hereby attest to and certify the attached Resolution No. 2018-_ to be the original Resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Ana on Date: Resolution No. 2018 - Page 5 of 5 Maria D. Huizar Clerk of the Council City of Santa Ana 55C-9 55C-10