HomeMy WebLinkAbout55E - RESO DECLARING OPPOSTION TO YALE ST SHELTERREQUEST FOR
COUNCIL ACTION
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE:
JANUARY 21, 2020
TITLE
ADOPT A RESOLUTION DECLARING
OPPOSITION TO THE COUNTY OF
ORANGE'S CONSTRUCTION AND
OPERATION OF A HOMELESS SHELTER
ON YALE STREET AND ANYWHERE ELSE
IN SANTA ANA UNTIL THE COUNTY OF
ORANGE IS OPERATING A
PROPORTIONAL AMOUNT OF SHELTER
BEDS IN THE SOUTH SERVICE PLANNING
AREA AS EXISTS IN THE CENTRAL AND
NORTH SERVICE PLANNING AREAS
CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY:
❑
As Recommended
❑
As Amended
❑
Ordinance on V Reading
❑
Ordinance on 2i1 Reading
❑
Implementing Resolution
❑
Set Public Hearing For_
X61►II110%111101111107
/s/Kristine Ridge FILE NUMBER
CITY MANAGER
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Adopt a resolution declaring opposition to the County of Orange's construction and operation of a
homeless shelter on Yale Street and anywhere else in Santa Ana until the County of Orange is
operating a proportional amount of shelter beds in the South Service Planning Area as exists in the
Central and North Service Planning Areas.
BACKGROUND
On November 19, 2019, the County of Orange Board of Supervisors took formal action to establish
the Yale Transitional Center ("Yale Street Shelter"), to be located at 2229 S Yale Street, Santa Ana,
CA 92704. According to the County of Orange, the Yale Street Shelter will provide shelter for up to
425 individuals experiencing homelessness from the Central Service Planning Area (which includes
Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Seal
Beach, Tustin, and nearby incorporated areas). For more details regarding the Yale Street Shelter
facility, visit the County of Orange's website: http://www.ocgov.com/gov/ceo/care/vtc.
At the January 21, 2020 meeting, the City Council directed the City Manager to present a resolution
opposing the County of Orange's construction and operation of the Yale Street Shelter and any
homeless shelter in Santa Ana until the County of Orange operates a proportional number of shelter
beds in the South Service Planning Area. The resolution is attached for consideration by the City
Council (Exhibit 1).
DISCUSSION
Homelessness in Santa Ana
The City of Santa Ana has a long history of providing services to combat homelessness for Santa
Ana individuals and families. When seeking solutions to homelessness, the City considers both the
immediate need for homeless support services, as well as the on -going need for permanent solutions.
55E-1
Adopt a Resolution Opposing the Yale Street Shelter
February 18, 2020
Page 2
To articulate the City's efforts to address homelessness, on October 1, 2019 the City Manager
introduced a Homeless Strategic Plan that includes a four -step action plan:
1. Clean: reduce negative impacts to the community and ensure that Santa Ana is clean and safe
2. Outreach: be persistent in our contact with anyone experiencing homelessness
3. Housing: reduce the number of Santa Ana's unsheltered homeless
4. Communication: have an engaged and informed community regarding homelessness and
homeless solutions
Although the Homeless Strategic Plan was only recently announced, the City has taken an active role
to support ending homelessness in Santa Ana. For example, in January 2018, the City formed the
cross -departmental Quality of Life Team (QOLT), a multi -disciplinary working group consisting of
various City departments and external organizations to increase the effectiveness of homeless
support services through real-time collaboration. The QOLT is based on a framework of best practices
utilized by several cities throughout the United States. The QOLT began as a 30-day pilot and has
since proven to be effective. In January 2020 alone, QOLT has accomplished the following:
0 725 contacts with individuals experiencing homelessness
0 495 of these individuals were not from Santa Ana; 230 were from Santa Ana
0 369 individuals walked away from QOLT representatives
0 305 citations were issued
0 155 arrests were made
0 21 individuals entered The Courtyard Shelter
0 15 individuals entered The Link Interim Emergency Homeless Shelter
In addition to providing homeless support services, the City hosts 785 emergency shelter beds (in
addition to a 200-bed winter shelter), 408 units of homeless supportive housing, and as of last fall
2019, approximately 1,600 units of affordable housing (with 857 more to be completed in the future).
Further, Santa Ana is home to several nonprofit organizations that provide homeless support services.
These include, among others, the following: WISEPlace, a women's transitional housing program that
provides 60 beds along with supportive services for women experiencing homelessness; the
Salvation Army Hospitality House, a 75-bed residential emergency shelter for homeless men located
in Santa Ana; and City Net, a nonprofit social services provider that actively seeks out homeless
individuals and works to place them in housing and connect them with resources to help them get
back on their feet.
Homelessness in Orange County
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires local jurisdictions to
complete a biennial count of all individuals experiencing homelessness in their community on a single
point -in -time during the last ten days of January. Orange County's 2019 Sheltered Point -In -Time
Count took place on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 and the Unsheltered Point -In -Time Count took place
on January 23 and 24, 2019. The 2019 Point -In -Time Count produced the following results:
55E-2
Adopt a Resolution Opposing Yale Shelter
February 18, 2020
Page 3
2019 Point -In -Time Count
Unsheltered
Individuals
Sheltered
Individuals
Total
Individuals
North Service Planning Area
1596
1169
2765
Central Service Planning Area
1827
1505
3332
South Service Planning Area
538
225
763
Total
3961
2899
6860
As of 2019, there are 2,539 emergency shelter beds in Orange County. Of those, 960 are in Santa
Ana —or approximately 38 percent all emergency shelter beds in the county. However, according to
the 2019 Point -In -Time Count, the total count of homeless individuals in Santa Ana is 1,769—or
approximately 26 percent of all individuals experiencing homelessness in the county.
According to the County of Orange's website (http://www.ocgov.com/gov/ceo/care/shelters), the
County operates four shelters in the following locations:
Shelter
Capacity
# of beds
Location
Service Planning Area
The Courtyard
450
Santa Ana
Central
Bridges at Kraemer Place
200
Anaheim
North
Armory Emergency Shelter -
Santa Ana
200
Santa Ana
Central
Armory Emergency Shelter -
Fullerton
200
Fullerton
North
WISEPlace
60
Santa Ana
Central
It is important to note that the County of Orange does not operate any homeless shelters in the South
Service Planning Area (which includes Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills,
Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente,
San Juan Capistrano, and nearby incorporated areas).
Santa Ana City Council's Opposition to the Yale Street Shelter
While it is evident that homelessness exists throughout Orange County, there is a disproportionate
concentration of homeless support services, including shelter beds, in Santa Ana. By establishing a
new and permanent shelter that is located within city limits, such as the proposed Yale Street Shelter,
the County of Orange will continue to further concentrate homeless support services in Santa Ana.
Members of the Santa Ana City Council have respectfully expressed their opposition to the County of
Orange continuing to further and disproportionately concentrate its homeless support services in
Santa Ana, particularly the Yale Street Shelter. To memorialize the City Council's sentiments, staff
has prepared the attached resolution for consideration by the City Council.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
Approval of this item supports the City' s efforts to meet Strategic Plan Goal # 5 - Community Health,
Livability, Engagement & Sustainability, Objective # 2 (support neighborhood vitality and livability).
55E-3
Adopt a Resolution Opposing the Yale Street Shelter
February 18, 2020
Page 4
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
Exhibit: 1. Resolution
55E-4
CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE SANTA ANA CITY COUNCIL DECLARING ITS
OPPOSITION TO THE COUNTY OF ORANGE'S CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION
OF A HOMELESS SHELTER ON YALE STREET AND ANYWHERE ELSE IN SANTA
ANA UNTIL THE COUNTY OF ORANGE IS OPERATING A PROPORTIONAL
AMOUNT OF SHELTER BEDS IN THE SOUTH SERVICE PLANNING AREA AS
EXISTS IN THE CENTRAL AND NORTH SERVICE PLANNING AREAS
WHEREAS, the growing homelessness crisis is a countywide and regional issue
for which every city in throughout the County of Orange must take responsibility; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana has been spending nearly $17 million annually
on homelessness -related matters and expects to increase that amount to about $25
million as the Santa Ana City Council has made finding solutions to this problem a top
priority; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana's shelter, The Link, provides 200 beds for those
experiencing homelessness, along with resources for housing, employment and social
services; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana hosts the 200-bed winter shelter at the National
Guard Armory and the operation of that facility continues to have negative impacts on the
City of Santa Ana, its business owners, and residents; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana is contracting with City Net, a nonprofit social
services provider that actively seeks out homeless individuals and works to place them in
housing and connect them with resources to help them get back on their feet; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana has funded programs resulting in over 100
homeless individuals being placed in permanent housing this past year; and
WHEREAS, Santa Ana is home to nonprofit organizations such as WISEPlace
women's transitional housing program, which provides 60 beds along with supportive
services for women experiencing homelessness, as well as the Salvation Army Hospitality
House, which is a 75-bed residential emergency shelter for homeless men; and
WHEREAS, the County of Orange has proposed a regional homeless services
concept where the County of Orange would concentrate its efforts to locate shelters and
provide services in the North, Central and South Service Planning Areas; and
WHEREAS, certain elected representatives and residents in the Central and South
Service Planning Areas protested the construction and operation of homeless shelters in
their communities, and as a result, the County of Orange staff and Board of Supervisors
have made no further efforts to invest resources in locating shelters or services in those
areas: and
55E-5
City Council Resolution No.
Page 2
WHEREAS, City of Santa Ana officials, Santa Ana Unified School District
Governing Board members, and residents have all expressed opposition to the Yale
Transitional Shelter, also known as the Yale Street Shelter, and have not received the
same response as representatives from the cities of Huntington Beach, Irvine and Laguna
Niguel expressing opposition, leaving Santa Ana and its residents to believe that the
County of Orange Board of Supervisors is more responsive to affluent cities such as
Huntington Beach, Irvine and Laguna Niguel, at the expense of socioeconomically
disadvantaged cities such as Santa Ana; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana has for too long suffered the negative impacts of
the County of Orange disproportionately locating homeless support services in Santa Ana,
thereby creating nuisance and adverse health and safety impacts, as well as causing the
City of Santa Ana to suffer social and financial impacts in disproportion to other cities in
Orange County; and
WHEREAS, it is time for the Orange County Board of Supervisors to recognize that
the City of Santa Ana has gone above and beyond to do its part in addressing the
homeless crisis in the County of Orange by hosting nearly 1,000 shelter beds, contributing
funding for supportive and affordable housing programs and spending millions of dollars a
year to provide services and combat the impacts of homelessness; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana deserves to be treated fairly and equitably by the
County of Orange, whereby the County of Orange proportionately locates homeless
support services in all three Service Planning Areas, including the South Service Planning
Area.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Santa Ana City Council does hereby resolve as follows:
Section 1. The challenge of confronting homelessness requires the active
engagement and leadership of all levels of government, including all 34 Orange County
Cities, and especially the County of Orange.
Section 2. The City Council hereby opposes the County of Orange's
construction and operation of the Yale Street Shelter and any homeless shelter in Santa
Ana, and demands that the County of Orange proportionately locate homeless support
services in all three Service Planning Areas, including the South Service Planning Area.
Section 3. The City Council requests that the County of Orange take
immediate action to not proceed with construction of the proposed Yale Street Shelter.
Section 4. The City Council directs the Clerk of the Council to distribute a copy
of this Resolution to the County of Orange.
Section 5. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
55E-6
City Council Resolution No.
Page 2
Section 6. The Mayor shall sign this Resolution, and the Clerk of the Council
shall attest and certify to the passage and adoption thereof.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this day of 2020.
ATTEST:
Clerk of the Council
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Attorney
Mayor
55E-7