Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCORRESPONDENCE - 85A ayued S s� xx { i SEPTEMBER 6, 2016 City Council Meeting Correspondence 85A - CONSIDER RESOLUTION DECLARING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY HOMELESS CRISIS & COUNTY OF ORANGE TO PROVIDE HOMELESS SERVICES Date of Sender/ Agency Comments Corresp. Representative 1. 04/22/16 Edgar Hernandez Riverview neighborhood Concerned with growing resident homeless in riverbed area. 2. 04/25/16 Nancy Gallardo Riverview neighborhood Concerned with homeless at resident Riverview park. 3, 08/23/16 Anonymous Oppose a Santa Ana Armory conversion to a full-time shelter 4. 09/05/16 Tish Leon Downtown Neighborhood Oppose the use of the Santa Association. Ana Bus terminal for homeless. 5. 09/05/16 Jennifer Rojas Reject resolution declaring a Public health and Safety Crises 6. 09/05/16 Eve Garrow ACLU of SoCal Dignit for Reject resolution declaring a All Project Public health and Safety Crises 7, 09/05/16 Edith Lozano Reject resolution declaring a Public health and Safety Crises 8. 09/06/16 Angie Blas Oppose the use of the Santa Ana Bus terminal for homeless. 9. 09/06/16 Judson Brown City of Santa Ana, Community Development Agency Housing Manager. 10. 09/06/2016 Joel Cazares, Santa Ana Building Healthy Program Coordinator Communities 11. 09/06/2016 Ugochi Anaebaere- Public Law Center Nicholson, Directing Attorney Additional correspondence (7) from Riverview Neighborhood Residents pertaining to budget regarding Riverview Park received is filed in Council Action file and is available upon request. I:Agendas12018 Agendas\Exhibits 2016-Current Mee8ng1207609-06_Exhibits_Correspondence 85A.docx Mitre-Ramirez, Norma From: Edgar Hernandez < Sent: Friday,April 22, 2016 1:42 PM To: eComment Subject: Riverbed area To those responsible for our parks and bike trails, My concern is what's being done about the growing homelessness problem in the riverbed areas under freeway and street overpasses. Specifically through the bike trails. Drug use and trash are more and more visible each time I ride through it. I'm a Riverview neigborhood resident and every time i use the bike trail between 17th st and Memory Lane, I notice there's more and more homeless in the area. This cannot lead to anything good, and I believe this to be a huge health issue for the homeless and a safety issue for everyone. there's a new bike rest stop/park adjacent to the memory lane, city drive corner and it boggles me how this million dollar project is being built literally 15 feet away from a homeless camp that seems to "shelter" about 20 homeless people. This means that this new park will be contested between the bikers and the homeless that will use it to probably bathe, sleep, and do drugs. If the city and the SAPD don't do anything about it, I can predict the homeless will win over this park. I would like to know what is being done about this, for the sake of our residents, and all our children, we need to maintain the parks safe. Best Regards, Edgar Hernandez 1 Mitre-Ramirez, Norma From: Gallardo G. < Sent: Monday, April 25, 2016 1:02 PM To: eComment Subject: Riverview Neighborhood Categories: Important, Correspondence Hello Mr. Cavazos & City Staff of Santa Ana, I hope you find yourself doing good this morning. Let me begin by thanking you for your commitment to Santa Ana residents, and improving the city. We trust in our officials. On behalf of this letter, I write to you to petition improvements in our neighborhood. My name is Nancy Gallardo, and I reside in the west part of Santa Ana in the Riverview Neighborhood (17th St &Alona). Our neighborhood Association "RIVERVIEW" has been active in the past few years. We fundraise for our yearly "4th of July block party" and other small events for the neighborhood. Additionally, our neighborhood has meetings and use "Yahoo Groups" to communicate w/ each other pertaining to dumpster days, fundraising events, suspicious behavior in our streets, etc. This year with the help of residents, we were able to voice our need and get our sidewalks ADA approved for wheelchair bound folks. This was a success because indeed we have many residents with walking disabilities and benefit from ramps. With funds being a crucial step to improve our park, among the following are items we would like to see implemented: 1. Concrete Trash Bins in the Picnic Area & Baseball Stands. (a total of 5-6) *The current trash collectors are "plastic", very flimsy, and outdated. *SA Pony Baseball is the heart of our park where kids/families gather on the weekdays/weekends. *We definitely need sturdy trash bins there,they will last a long time as well. 2. Park Signs w/Bask Rules to Follow- I've seen park signs at other parks w/the rules, but for some reason not at Riverview Park. Park Rules will give park users guidelines to follow and not abuse park privileges. We want to make the park safe, and currently homeless frequent there and make it they're living quarters. I know we have a city wide "homeless problem", but we also are tax payers and want to build property value in our neighborhood to attract buyers. Some Rules can be: -Picnic area- Reservations are highly recommended- please call (714)571-4233. 1 -Trash- Place all your trash in the bins and keep it clean for the next user. -Call Police or Park Ranger if you see any Illegal/Suspicious Activity. 3. Restrooms- The Restrooms unfortunately are in a very "poor state". I've lived in Riverview since I was a young child (30 years in the area), and very few improvements have been made. Being that its a public restroom, you get the homeless and careless teens vandalizing it. The restroom is very old looking, could possibly be mistaken for a "prison restroom". What it needs is literally a facelift: new sinks, new wall partitions, new hand dryers, new lighting, new toilets, fresh paint. Restrooms should be locked in the night so that they don't get vandalized as well. Signs inside the restroom that say "you will be fined if caught vandalizing" would be a great suggestion. *Again, making the park an ideal place to visit for our neighbors will improve Supporting us with Park improvements is Ron Ono from Parks & Recreation whom has given us estimates and projected times. He has met with a resident in our neighborhood and have discusses some key elements. This is how serious we are about wanting Riverview Park to be improved. We know it may take some time to get the aforementioned in effect; however, we are willing to work with city staff officials. Thank you and I hope to hear from you. Regards, Nancy Gallardo 2 C G \ August 17, 2016 City Council City of Santa Ana 22 Civic Center Plaza, 2016 AUG 23 AM 9; 08 Santa Ana, CA 92701 CITY OF SANTA AMA CLERK OF COUNCIL Subject: Please read this letter at council meeting Do not allow the Santa Ana Armory to be converted to a full time shelter for the homeless Please stop allowing the distribution of services to the homeless from our public facilities Dear City Council: I am again writing to The City of Santa Ana as a concerned citizen again. I have lived on the east side of Santa Ana for almost 20 years. Until the past year or so,I have felt safe and happy here. That is no longer the case. Our streets are covered in the homeless every single day. There are numerous homeless people living in their cars and on our streets. They are not harmless. They are mentally unbalanced,high on drugs, aggressive,rude and frightening plus there is a huge CRIMINAL element mixed within them including what appears to be a car theft ring. The Santa Ana Pd is awesome when you call them,and they are very responsive;but there are far too many homeless for their staff, This problem must be addressed by our local officials, and I am reaching out to you to please IMMEDIATELY provide additional support to our police as our immediate way of defense. I am also reaching out to you to stop or greatly reduce the benefits that are being distributed from our civic center. Santa Ana can not be the primary area for homeless to seek benefits. If Santa Ana is going to continue to allow charities (most of whom are based outside of our city)to distribute from here, our officials must reach out to other cities and make sure that those cities have similar programs in place; otherwise, all the homeless will come here. It is clear that our neighboring cities are not providing the same services (because it increases the number of homeless in the city) because of the huge crime, debris and costs that are associated with a city full of homeless people not to mention the threat to the safety of the law abiding citizens of this city. It is also clear that re-development of the Civic Center is resulting in the homeless being driven from that part of the city and into the eastern half of the city. There is so much concern for the homeless. Where is the concern for the business owners? Where is the concern for the law abiding citizens of Santa Ana? Where is the concern for Santa Ana's future? I have been researching why so many of the homeless are choosing Santa Ana; and I believe the reason is that Santa Ana is making them so welcome and comfortable with all the benefits that are being distributed from the downtown Civic Center. It is my understanding that private charities are funding this distribution of goods and services,but the homeless problem central/ground zero is at the Civic Center and because of the charitable work there,the problem is GROWING EVERY SINGLE DAY all over Santa Ana. The benefits for the homeless being distributed from our CIVIC CENTER appears to be the draw/incentive that is turning our once beautiful city into a third world country style of living. Trash, alcohol bottles, needles,horrible old and run down vehicles are taking all of the public and even private property parking. The fact that these un-maintained, often no plates or unlicensed vehicles are onour streets puts the citizens of Santa Ana at further risk. August 17, 2016 Page 2 I am not heartless or unsympathetic to the plight of the homeless but what is going on in Santa Ana is truly unfair to the law abiding,tax paying and hard working honest and upstanding citizens of Santa Ana. The homeless refuse to follow the laws or the instructions of the police so my sympathy is diminishing and my fear of living here is growing daily. The homeless will actually follow you and threaten you. No other city seems to have the level of free services that are being distributed from our public buildings. If the City of Santa Ana continues to be the primary distribution center for services and goods to the homeless,we are going to continue to be GROUND ZERO for all the crime, problems and costs associated with homelessness. This is not right. Our representatives should do not have the right to allow this to happen by making our public facilities open to private charities without a mechanism in place to stop what is happening in Santa Ana. Our representatives have a responsibility to do everything within their power to protect us and to put policies and procedures in place that stop this. If these charities want to provide services to the homeless, ask them to do it from their offices,their buildings,their churches so they can see first hand what happens when the homeless are invited and encouraged to come to their businesses and homes. This approach to helping the homeless,while the effort is admirable, is causing a centralized location for the homeless without any protection for the citizens who live here. Please represent the law abiding citizens and business owners here in Santa Ma. If something is not done,you will see businesses and citizens leave Santa Ma for Cities that make the safety of law abiding citizens their top concern. A Concerned Citizen of Santa Ana who is seriously considering relocation Mitre-Ramirez, Norma From: Tish Leon < Sent: Monday, September 05, 2016 8:55 PM To: Huizar, Maria Subject: 85A Hi Maria I am writing to oppose the use of the SA Bus terminal to be used as a service center for the homeless. As much as I would like to find a solution to the homeless problem in the city, using the terminal is not one of them. With the new school in the downtown, this facility would be within the 500 feet requirement. Please let City Council, that as the President of the Downtown Neighborhood Association I oppose the use of the SA Bus terminal to be used as a service center for the homeless. Thank you Tish Leon President Downtown Neighborhood Association 714-401-8312 1 Mitre-Ramirez, Norma From: Magallon, Becky Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2016 9:02 AM To: Huizar, Maria Cc: Cavazos, David; Castro-Cardenas, Julie; Soto, Daniel Subject: FW: Reject the Resolution Declaring a Public Health and Safety Crisis Related to Homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center Attachments: SA_draft.resolutioncivic center.pdf Maria, I'm forwarding an email related to item 85A.Thanks. Becky Magallon I Secretary to the City Manager City Manager's Office bmagallon@santa-ana.org 714.647.5200 120 Civic Center Plaza I Santa Ana, CA 92701 This email and any files or attachments transmitted with it may contain privileged or otherwise confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient,or believe that you may have received this communication in error, please advise the sender via reply email and immediately delete the email you received. From: Jennifer Rojas [mailto:rojas.jen.renee@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, September 05, 2016 7:53 PM To: Pulido, Miguel; Sarmiento, Vicente; Martinez, Michele; Amezcua, Angelica; Benavides, David; Reyna, Roman; Tinajero, Sal Subject: Reject the Resolution Declaring a Public Health and Safety Crisis Related to Homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center Dear Santa Ana Mayor and City Council Members, We urge you to reject the resolution declaring a public health and safety crisis related to homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center. The proposed resolution recommends moving people living in the Civic Center to a now-shuttered bus terminal and increasing law enforcement presence and enforcement of code violations and nuisance ordinances in the Civic Center. The resolution cites public health and safety concerns as the justification for the proposed strategy. It should be rejected for the following reasons: First, we recognize the public health concerns in the Civic Center. However,these issues arise not from the people living in the Civic Center but from city and county governments that have for decades neglected their basic needs for housing, adequate restroom facilities, showers, food, and other necessities. The resolution does not address any of these concerns. Second, we reject the presumption that people living in the Civic Center create a public safety threat for workers or pedestrians. Good public policy should be based on reality, not misperceptions. There is no question that society views homeless people through a lens that presumes dangerousness and deviance. In reality,people living in the Civic Center are our neighbors who happen to be too poor to afford a market-rate apartment in one of the most expensive rental markets in the country. The Civic Center has been and remains a safe place for workers and the general public, in spite of the heated rhetoric. 1 Third, we reject the call for a heavy-handed law enforcement approach to homelessness in the Civic Center. People living in the Civic Center need protection, not police harassment. They live outdoors, unprotected, because the county and its cities have failed to provide enough affordable housing or even emergency shelter to meet the need. Because they have nowhere else to live, they cannot comply with the city ordinances that prohibit sleeping and lying down in public. Enforcement of these ordinances violates their civil rights. Further, heavy-handed enforcement of municipal codes and nuisance ordinances leads to confrontational interactions with law enforcement that can needlessly threaten the health, safety, and even lives of those living in the Civic Center. On August 1, for example, Santa Ana police officers approached Mr. Swihart, a homeless individual who violated a nuisance ordinance by riding his bicycle in the Civic Center. Mr. Swihart struggled with officers, prompting one of them to fire multiple rounds at him. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and died on August 14. Nowhere in the attached resolution is this recent death, or the city's response to it, mentioned. Fourth, moving people from the Civic Center to the bus terminal, by threat of citation, may violate their rights. This bus terminal was designed to house buses. It is a concrete structure that lacks wrap-around walls, wind barriers, showers, or heating, and therefore fails to meet the basic requirements for adequate shelter. Moreover, people with mental and physical disabilities may not be able to tolerate the crowded and congregate conditions that will arise when hundreds of people are packed into the terminal. If the bus terminal is opened for use as a living space, it will need to be retrofitted for human habitation and made accessible for people with disabilities. Use of the terminal should be strictly voluntary. Fifth, we urge the Santa Ana City Council to support true solutions to homelessness. The county has a Ten- Year Plan to End Homelessness. The centerpiece of this plan is a "housing first" model which provides affordable and permanent supportive housing to people as an immediate response to their needs. This is the federally recommended and proven solution to homelessness. Yet although the county approved the plan in 2010, homelessness is on the rise. This is because the county has failed to fund the plan, instead relying on stagnating or disappearing federal and state funds that don't come close to meeting the need. The City of Santa Ana and all other cities in Orange County should encourage the county to create a housing trust fund—a dedicated source of funding for affordable and permanent supportive housing. They could also contribute to the housing trust fund, to support the creation of affordable and permanent supportive housing throughout the county. Thank you, Jennifer Rojas (714)-625-5100 rojas.jen.renee@gmail.com 2 Mitre-Ramirez, Norma From: Magallon, Becky Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2016 8:47 AM To: Huizar, Maria Cc: Cavazos, David; Castro-Cardenas,Julie; Soto, Daniel Subject: FW: Oppose: Resolution declaring a public health and safety crisis related to homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center Maria, Forwarding another communication regarding item 85A.Thanks. Becky Magallon I Secretary to the City Manager City Manager's Office! bmagallon@santa-ana.org 714.647.5200 120 Civic Center Plaza I Santa Ana,CA 92701 This email and any files or attachments transmitted with it may contain privileged or otherwise confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient,or believe that you may have received this communication in error, please advise the sender via reply email and immediately delete the email you received. From: Eve Garrow [mailto:EGarrow@ACLUSOCAL.ORG] Sent: Monday, September 05, 2016 12:34 PM To: Pulido, Miguel; Sarmiento, Vicente; Martinez, Michele; Amezcua, Angelica; Benavides, David; Reyna, Roman; Tinajero, Sal Cc: Madeleine Spencer Subject: Oppose: Resolution declaring a public health and safety crisis related to homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center Dear Santa Ana Mayor and City Council Members We are writing today to urge you to reject the resolution declaring a public health and safety crisis related to homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center. The proposed resolution recommends moving people living in the Civic Center to a now-shuttered bus terminal and increasing law enforcement presence and enforcement of code violations and nuisance ordinances in the Civic Center. The resolution cites public health and safety concerns as the justification for the proposed strategy. We oppose the resolution for the following reasons: First, we recognize the public health concerns in the Civic Center. However, these issues arise not from the people living in the Civic Center but from city and county governments that have for decades neglected their basic needs for housing, adequate restroom facilities, showers, food, and other necessities. The resolution does not address any of these concerns. Second, we reject the presumption that people living in the Civic Center create a public safety threat for workers or pedestrians. Good public policy should be based on reality, not misperceptions. There is no question that society views homeless people through a lens that presumes dangerousness and deviance. In reality,people living in the Civic Center are our neighbors who happen to be too poor to afford a market-rate apartment in one of the most expensive rental markets in the country. The Civic Center has been and remains a safe place for workers and the general public, in spite of the heated rhetoric. 1 Third, we reject the call for a heavy-handed law enforcement approach to homelessness in the Civic Center. People living in the Civic Center need protection, not police harassment. They live outdoors, unprotected, because the county and its cities have failed to provide enough affordable housing or even emergency shelter to meet the need. Because they have nowhere else to live, they cannot comply with the city ordinances that prohibit sleeping and lying down in public. Enforcement of these ordinances violates their civil rights. Further, heavy-handed enforcement of municipal codes and nuisance ordinances leads to confrontational interactions with law enforcement that can needlessly threaten the health, safety, and even lives of those living in the Civic Center. On August 1, for example, Santa Ana police officers approached Mr. Swihart, a homeless individual who violated a nuisance ordinance by riding his bicycle in the Civic Center. Mr. Swihart struggled with officers, prompting one of them to fire multiple rounds at him. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and died on August 14. Nowhere in the attached resolution is this recent death, or the city's response to it, mentioned. Fourth,moving people from the Civic Center to the bus terminal, by threat of citation, may violate their rights. This bus terminal was designed to house buses. It is a concrete structure that lacks wrap-around walls, wind barriers, showers, or heating, and therefore fails to meet the basic requirements for adequate shelter. Moreover, people with mental and physical disabilities may not be able to tolerate the crowded and congregate conditions that will arise when hundreds of people are packed into the terminal. If the bus terminal is opened for use as a living space, it will need to be retrofitted for human habitation and made accessible for people with disabilities. Use of the terminal should be strictly voluntary. Fifth, we urge the Santa Ana City Council to support true solutions to homelessness. The county has a Ten- Year Plan to End Homelessness. The centerpiece of this plan is a "housing first" model which provides affordable and permanent supportive housing to people as an immediate response to their needs. This is the federally recommended and proven solution to homelessness. Yet although the county approved the plan in 2010, homelessness is on the rise. This is because the county has failed to fund the plan, instead relying on stagnating or disappearing federal and state funds that don't come close to meeting the need. The City of Santa Ana and all other cities in Orange County should encourage the county to create a housing trust fund—a dedicated source of funding for affordable and permanent supportive housing. They could also contribute to the housing trust fund, to support the creation of affordable and permanent supportive housing throughout the county. We look forward to working with the Santa Ana City Council on true solutions to homelessness. Sincerely, Eve Garrow, ACLU of SoCal Dignity for All Project Madeleine Spencer, Project Homelessness 2 Mitre-Ramirez, Norma From: Magallon, Becky Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2016 8:46 AM To: Huizar, Maria Cc: Cavazos, David; Soto, Daniel; Castro-Cardenas, Julie Subject: FW: Homeless population @ civic cen Maria, I'm forwarding a communication that the City Council received related to item 85A.Thanks. Becky Magallon I Secretary to the City Manager City Manager's Office I bmagallon(ansanta-ana.org 714.647.5200 120 Civic Center Plaza I Santa Ana, CA 92701 This email and any files or attachments transmitted with it may contain privileged or otherwise confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, or believe that you may have received this communication in error, please advise the sender via reply email and immediately delete the email you received. From: Edith Lozano [mailto:edith.mdlp@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, September 05, 2016 2:09 PM To: Pulido, Miguel; Sarmiento, Vicente; Benavides, David; Martinez, Michele; Reyna, Roman; Amezcua, Angelica; Tinajero, Sal Subject: Homeless population @ civic cen Dear City Council Member We urge you to reject the resolution declaring a public health and safety crisis related to homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center. The proposed resolution recommends moving people living in the Civic Center to a now-shuttered bus terminal and increasing law enforcement presence and enforcement of code violations and nuisance ordinances in the Civic Center. The resolution cites public health and safety concerns as the justification for the proposed strategy. It should be rejected for the following reasons: First, we recognize the public health concerns in the Civic Center. However, these issues arise not from the people living in the Civic Center but from city and county governments that have for decades neglected their basic needs for housing, adequate restroom facilities, showers, food, and other necessities. The resolution does not address any of these concerns. Second, we reject the presumption that people living in the Civic Center create a public safety threat for workers or pedestrians. 1 Good public policy should be based on reality, not misperceptions. There is no question that society views homeless people through a lens that presumes dangerousness and deviance. In reality, people living in the Civic Center are our neighbors who happen to be too poor to afford a market-rate apartment in one of the most expensive rental markets in the country. The Civic Center has been and remains a safe place for workers and the general public, in spite of the heated rhetoric. Third, we reject the call for a heavy-handed law enforcement approach to homelessness in the Civic Center. People living in the Civic Center need protection, not police harassment. They live outdoors, unprotected, because the county and its cities have failed to provide enough affordable housing or even emergency shelter to meet the need. Because they have nowhere else to live, they cannot comply with the city ordinances that prohibit sleeping and lying down in public. Enforcement of these ordinances violates their civil rights. Further, heavy-handed enforcement of municipal codes and nuisance ordinances leads to confrontational interactions with law enforcement that can needlessly threaten the health, safety, and even lives of those living in the Civic Center. On August 1, for example, Santa Ana police officers approached Mr. Swihart, a homeless individual who violated a nuisance ordinance by riding his bicycle in the Civic Center. Mr. Swihart struggled with officers, prompting one of them to fire multiple rounds at him. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and died on August 14. Nowhere in the attached resolution is this recent death, or the city's response to it, mentioned. Fourth, moving people from the Civic Center to the bus terminal, by threat of citation, may violate their rights. This bus terminal was designed to house buses. It is a concrete structure that lacks wrap-around walls, wind barriers, showers, or heating, and therefore fails to meet the basic requirements for adequate shelter. Moreover, people with mental and physical disabilities may not be able to tolerate the crowded and congregate conditions that will arise when hundreds of people are packed into the terminal. If the bus terminal is opened for use as a living space, it will need to be retrofitted for human habitation and made accessible for people with disabilities. Use of the terminal should be strictly voluntary. Fifth, we urge the Santa Ana City Council to support true solutions to homelessness. The county has a Ten- Year Plan to End Homelessness. The centerpiece of this plan is a "housing first" model which provides affordable and permanent supportive housing to people as an immediate response to their needs. This is the federally recommended and proven solution to homelessness. Yet although the county approved the plan in 2010, homelessness is on the rise. This is because the county has failed to fund the plan, instead relying on stagnating or disappearing federal and state funds that don't come close to meeting the need. The City of Santa Ana and all other cities in Orange County should encourage the county to create a housing trust fund—a dedicated source of funding for affordable and permanent supportive housing. They could also contribute to the 2 housing trust fund, to support the creation of affordable and permanent supportive housing throughout the county. We are praying for you and asking for God's wisdom and counsel to be your guide as you lead. Blessings, Amistad OC-SA Edith.mdlp@a,gmail.com 3 Mitre-Ramirez, Norma From: Angie Blas < Sent Tuesday, September 06, 2016 9:57 AM To: eComment Subject: Business Calendar on Agenda 85A Attachments: OC bus terminal v4.JPG; OC bus terminal v3.JPG; OC bus terminal.pdf Categories: DONE, Correspondence Hello, Concern citizen from Memory Lane/Bristol, I believe that transferring the homeless shelter one block down will not solve this crisis. You are relocating the crisis closer to the downtown area. What will happened during our close events at downtown Santa Ana? What is the impact on the business around the area and the neighborhood and work/living studios? By relocating the homeless people to an abandon island does not fix this problem and it will create additional problems. This abandon bus terminal is located between 5th St. &Santa Ana Blvd.Both of these streets are one way directions and many cars pass by at fast speeds, if homeless people are trying to cross the streets with their materials,they can be an interference to traffic or even worst, they can be involved in fatal accidents. Has there been a safety survey around the area that you are trying to relocate these homeless people?If so,what are the concerns of the business around the downtown area? This quick idea will not only create additional issue but many fatal accidents as well. Please consider other plans that can help the whole community not only the area in front of Civic Center. Thank you, Angie Blas BUSINESS CALENDAR COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM-Pursuant to Santa Ana Charter Section 411, any member of the City Councilmay piaci 85A. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING ITEMS AS THEY RELATE TO HOMELESSNESS—Mayor Pro Tern Sarmieni RECOMMENDED ACTION: 1. Adopt a resolution declaring a Public Health and Safety Homeless Cris services at the Santa Ana Transit Terminal that the County owns and controls. 2 Approve letter from the support of said action. MATERIALS`=?, 1 ' I 1.., , '-*ttlitcWegt,4 i 11.11 -7 I II, : 1 r ii; : 0. $ "•.•:Tk.- '. ' '0, . 720SINaire.:4 .:L *-:,, , 1 , .•.,- • •\isxklroomiwil.; ,I r • - . . .. . ..A .,,,. .,; ','. v -4,,,:...,..,..,••. - - • '1,-.g...:, )v, i 11 01 Os 3-31A7z1 ,,,,,c; ,.-..- . --,•,,It'.'.: ..•.'."A. • -....-i',:.-,-'' i';'•••• • 4. . .._ • _. • -... k4-4— - i . ' . •1 i 7 ttg . • , -. 4E, ,-;!,--L. • 7-10-, , .- - . --,..:- ... .., , . _... ''‘'-i• ,,,_. '11'. ' ' s . -----f--- 0 • ..._.__....... __,.. ,• . 4141 — - ‘ _ . . . ------------ _ ---r.----7, . . . . . ,• ....... -•- 7...• , r----- : i ....._...---- .. -ft... . . I _.--, • a 1.-- ....„.... am ‘ ..... , . . , • •,: .•;44,,,,,. 1 ,. .4 e • , • ',,.,•=:-,,,:- , , w. . ,••,.%.• , , N, . -.6....„.. 441111111111111111ho ..:--: .....l 5ioitil let "*iliti Iliep;• . 3% '" `.' . •. .4r4... ''' ,' . ., s `. 44, 4• r 17. ____ li -- I ,, , , . ..... •. . \ --..- ..__ t77 . • ,..,--- ,k / „ ',.,.... 7.. . •.. .../' \ .. 7i.... A, - - l* t IL .-,,.j.' . _ . .....1, Ick ......•.. , . ,”/I' .... . . ,...• * . -. / I .....,: ...... **:* • . , II ll . **4 ...!..-. Talki--....; -.-- *--. ..*:.%.2." torrW;4- * • ; i .P. '' 4. II / 6 _—.,., _ ,- .......• . ., • . , .-•', -",_ - •fr,..* '..1 .,. ..,. -..., • •• s , • - A:- 410,t -2 / / .--7--C•-•-•:.>": >•• ' ? ,....- ...., , . . o 6 • VI . - : iett6- •-•,3 ...•J... • - . - , - -. • 4 7-, itrAgitt.,.., " *-7. I . ..4, • 1 ?t . • O ... . -. I 1 A - , ..... ,./• ..,.., . s 41111'!: 4 \Nt. .....- ..,7 \ •,, • le \ ' .'• t. .. s.. frii . is .• -,,,s\ ,,..,,,,..••• i (2 . . g , -, ••)''''',..,,,‘„ilk._ •. s " s 1 •, s ..-, . ....---- , • ,. -- -7,- \ \ .,. •1 --- . 0) , 0 a i •t- ' * .'w ...-:_..... 0 - • . t 41. --- - • 0 I• 3 0 C=- - ...- ...ersie, —.. , .., 0. WI INS '3 - 111E1 VII • ; 211 ' IIIIl le .. . . -43.03 • • s... ,...- ,. — , . . - - -I 1 -,11 --1I - . , . ..• . ' . ....... , ' , .0 , I :::. 16.• I- ., e. i t . ,. • • 1 •.# '1, tr • II - • .:.",.'1, • _•ir?_!,.1?is 44 1 'I - .;101,c ...7 . '"-.7ii.• ' '‘.., - cl... , , .. . ...1_ , • _ - - . . . v• ,'tit Ilk,. .- low ..,....---- es k "in\, . .. ,. ' •-, . ... ... , 1 .....„._,.. . . , . ,...., , 4 • ._... . . 1'1 -:- • I •_ • .., ' 1 -.I'' , . I. „. . _ ' Is. e•. . 1 ! Mitre-Ramirez, Norma From: Cavazos, David Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2016 12:21 PM To: Brown, Judson Cc: City Council; EMT Subject: FW: Check-in Center at SATT Thank you for the background. Yes, I recommended and concur that the Check in Center locations is best suited for the Santa Ana Transit Terminal. Best, david David Cavazos/City Manager City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza, M31/Santa Ana,CA 92701 From: Brown, Judson Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2016 11:10 AM To: Cavazos, David Cc: Cortez, Robert Subject: Check-in Center at SATT Mr. City Manager, In April, I met with Larry Haynes from Mercy House, the Civic Center Roundtable, and Project Homelessness to discuss our plan to implement a Mobile Check-in Center on Ross Street. All three parties were not in favor of the Mobile Check-in Center for the following reasons below: 1) The mobile check-in center would only serve 40 individuals and funds would not be sufficient to cover additional vehicles and bathrooms. 2) Not enough restrooms would be provided to serve everyone. 3) Restrooms and bathrooms directly in front of the library would cause more concern than already exists from library staff and patrons. 4) There would be a violation of trust if belongings are taken and removed from the area. 5) It cannot be done with one single service provider. 6) Residents have too many belongings to store in a mobile check-in center. 7) There is not enough space for a mobile check-in center on Ross Street. 8) There would be a traffic problem in the morning and afternoon. 9) Waking up residents early to store their items will not work or be used. 10)There would be inequity and discontent in the selection process to serve 40 individuals out of the total population with the limited available space. After further review with Mercy House and the County of Orange, staff recommended that we continue discussions with the County to use the Santa Ana Transit Terminal as the location for a Check-in Center in alignment with the resolution being considered by the Mayor and City Council tonight. Thank you, Robert, our Mayor and City Council for your leadership and direction, Judson Brown Housing Division Manager 1 Community Development Agency Housing and Neighborhood Development Division 20 Civic Center Plaza (M-26) Santa Ana, CA 92701 T: (714) 667-2241 F: (714) 647-6549 www.santa-ana.orq/cda This email and any files or attachments transmitted with it may contain privileged or otherwise confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient, or believe that you may have received this communication in error, please advise the sender via reply email and immediately delete the email you received. 2 Mitre-Ramirez, Norma Subject: FW: SABHC: No to Resolution Declaring Public Health and Safety Crisis regarding homelessness in the Civic Center Attachments: No to resolution declaring a public health and safety crisis regarding homelessness in the Civic Center.pdf Importance: High From: Huizar, Maria Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2016 9:12 AM To: Mitre-Ramirez, Norma Subject: FW: SABHC: No to Resolution Declaring Public Health and Safety Crisis regarding homelessness in the Civic Center Importance: High Good morning Norma! Please enter letter into the record. Thank you. From: Joel Cazares (SABHC) [mailto:joel.cazares©sa-bhc.orq] Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2016 6:21 PM To: Pulido, Miguel; Sarmiento, Vicente; Martinez, Michele; Amezcua, Angelica; Benavides, David; Tinajero, Sal Subject: SABHC: No to Resolution Declaring Public Health and Safety Crisis regarding homelessness in the Civic Center Importance: High Greetings Mayor Pulido and City Council Members I hope this email finds all in great health! Please see the attached letter on behalf of Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities and its recommendation for city council to reject the resolution declaring a public health safety crisis related to homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center. Thank you for your time and attention. Best, Joel Cazares Program Coordinator Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities 1505 E. 17th Street, Suite 111 Santa Ana, CA 92705 Tel: 714.617.8891 ext. 116 Fax: 714.647.0901 ioel.cazares(a sa-bhc.org www.sa-bhc.org www.facebook.com/sabhc1 www.twitter.com/sabhcl 1 �PANq N S 4 ,.. Building Healthy Communities Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities 1505 E 17th St,Suite 111, Santa Ana, CA 92705 PHONE: (714) 617-8891 I FAX: (714)647-0901 www.sa-bhc.org September 6,2016 Mayor Miguel Pulido and Members of the City Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza P.O. Box 1988,M31 Santa Ana, CA 92701 RE: Resolution Declaring a Public Health and Safety Crisis to Homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center Dear Mayor Pulido and Members of the City Council: We write this letter on behalf of Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities (SABHC). SABHC is a community health initiative that brings together dozens of local non-profit organizations as well as youth and adult resident stakeholders to collectively problem-solve and address health related issues in our city. As such,homelessness is a critical issue to our initiative. Collectively, we urge you to reject the resolution declaring a public health and safety crisis related to homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center. The proposed resolution recommends removing people living in the Civic Center, by use of force if necessary, to a now-shuttered bus terminal, which currently does not meet high health and regulatory standards. The resolution would additionally increase law enforcement presence in order to monitor and increase the filing of municipal code and nuisance ordinance violations in the Civic Center. Although the resolution cites public health and safety concerns as the justification for the proposed strategy,it should be rejected for the following reasons: First, we recognize the public health concerns in the Civic Center. However, these issues arise not from the people living in the Civic Center, but from the historic city and county negligence of this particular demographic within our communities. City governments and county departments have for decades neglected the basic needs of the homeless population. Resources for housing, adequate restroom facilities, showers, food, and other necessities have not been allocated effectively. Instead, police departments from neighboring cities have been complicit in creating this problem. It is common knowledge that police officers from South County will often times drive their homeless population over to Civic Center. The resolution does not address any of these concerns. Second, we reject the presumption that sound and effective health and public safety policy begins with punitive enforcement measures. Effective public policy should be data-driven and balanced in its approach. As it stands, the resolution would earmark additional funds for security and police officers that would patrol the area without allocating equal amount of resources to address the needs of the people living there. The resolution fails to propose an effective approach that involves working with the homeless population and homeless serving organizations in order to reach solid solutions. Instead, the resolution further stigmatizes the homeless community by labeling it a health and safety threat when the real threat is the ever increasing rent fees and housing prices, lack of adequate mental health supports and services among other factors. Third, the resolution would increase the likelihood of confrontational interactions between law enforcement and the homeless community. People living in the Civic Center need protection, not police harassment. They live outdoors, unprotected, because the county and its cities have failed to provide enough affordable housing or even emergency shelter to meet the need. Because they have nowhere else to live, they cannot comply with city ordinances that prohibit sleeping and lying down in public. Effective public health and safety policy is not supposed to increase the likelihood of potentially confrontational interactions between law enforcement and the community the policy seeks to help. On August 1, for example, Santa Ana police officers approached Mr. Swihart, a homeless individual who violated a nuisance ordinance by riding his bicycle in the Civic Center. Mr. Swihart struggled with officers, prompting one of them to fire multiple rounds at him. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and died on August 14. Nowhere in the attached resolution is this recent death,or the city's response to it,mentioned. Fourth, moving people from the Civic Center to the bus terminal, by threat of citation,may violate their civil rights. This bus terminal was designed to house buses. It is a concrete structure that lacks wrap- around walls, wind barriers, showers, or heating, and therefore fails to meet the basic requirements that constitute an adequate shelter. Moreover, people with mental and physical disabilities may not be able to tolerate the crowded and congregate conditions that will arise when hundreds of people are packed into the terminal. If the bus terminal is opened for use as a living space, it will need to be retrofitted for human habitation and made accessible for people with disabilities. Use of the terminal should be strictly voluntary. At no point in history has forced relocation been good or effective public health and safety policy. Fifth, we urge the Santa Ana City Council to support effective and balanced solutions to homelessness. The county has a Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness. The centerpiece of this plan is a "housing first" model, which provides affordable and permanent supportive housing to people, as an immediate response to their needs. This is the federally recommended and proven solution to homelessness. Yet, although the county approved the plan in 2010, homelessness is on the rise. This is because the county has failed to fund the plan, instead relying on stagnating or disappearing federal and state funds that do not come close to meeting the need. We recommend that the City of Santa Ana and all other cities in Orange County encourage the County Board of Supervisors to create a housing trust fund—a dedicated source of funding for affordable and permanent supportive housing. Each city could also contribute to the housing trust fund, to support the creation of affordable and permanent supportive housing throughout the county. Sincerely, 4+— Joel Cazares Program Coordinator Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities Mitre-Ramirez, Norma To: Huizar, Maria Subject: RE: Opposition to Resolution Declaring a Public Health and Safety Crisis Related to Homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center From: Huizar, Maria Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2016 9:12 AM To: Mitre-Ramirez, Norma Subject: FW: Opposition to Resolution Declaring a Public Health and Safety Crisis Related to Homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center Importance: High Please enter this letter too. Thank you. From: Ugochi Nicholson Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2016 5:47 PM To: Pulido, Miguel Subject: Opposition to Resolution Declaring a Public Health and Safety Crisis Related to Homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center Importance: High Dear Mayor Pulido: With reference to the attached. Sincerely, Ugochi Anaebere-Nicholson Ugochi Anaebere-Nicholson Directing Attorney, Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit Public Law Center 601 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701 T: 714-541-1010, ext. 280-Direct F: 714-541-5157 Email: unicholson@n,publiclawcenter.org www.publiclawcenter.org Confidentiality Notice: E-mails from this firm normally contain confidential and privileged material, and are for the sole use of the intended recipient. Use or distribution by an unintended recipient is prohibited, and may be a violation of law. If you believe that you received this e-mail in error,please do not read this e-mail or any attached items. Please delete the e-mail and all attachments, including any copies thereof, and inform the sender immediately at 714-541-1010, ext. 280, that you have deleted the e-mail, all attachments, and any copies thereof. Thank you. 1 • I PUBLIC LAW CENTER PROVIDING ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR ORANGE COUNTY'S LOW INCOME RESIDENTS September 6, 2016 VIA EMAIL TO mpulidoga,santa-ana.org and VIA HAND DELIVERY Mayor Miguel Pulido and Members of the City Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza P.O. Box 1988, M31 Santa Ana, CA 92701 RE: Opposition- Resolution Declaring a Public Health and Safety Crisis Related to Homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center Dear Mayor Pulido and Members of the City Council: The Public Law Center is a non-profit pro bono law firm in Orange County that provides access to justice for low-income and vulnerable residents. Our practice includes providing representation to low-income families in housing-related matters, preventing homelessness, and advocating for affordable and inclusionary housing. We write to express our strong opposition to the proposed Resolution declaring a public health and safety crisis related to homelessness in the Santa Ana Civic Center. The Resolution cites public health and safety concerns as the justification for the proposed strategy. It should be rejected for the following reasons: First, we recognize the public health concerns in the Civic Center. However, these issues arise not from the people living in the Civic Center, but rather from city and county governments that have for decades neglected their basic needs for housing, adequate restroom facilities, showers, food, and other necessities. The Resolution fails to mention or identify in any way how the City plans to address these needs. Second, we reject the presumption that people living in the Civic Center create a public safety threat for workers or pedestrians. Good public policy should be based on reality, not misperceptions. There is no question that society views homeless people through a lens that presumes dangerousness and deviance. In reality, people living in the Civic Center are our neighbors who happen to be too poor to afford a market-rate apartment in one of the most expensive rental markets in the country. Many of our clients are working families in Santa Ana that face a housing affordability crisis and they are in desperate need of decent, affordable housing. In Santa Ana, there is a significiant need to address and provide housing opportunties for all economic segments of the community. As residents struggle to find available and affordable housing in Santa Ana, rents have contnually increased. In the City of Santa Ana, the average rent for a large rental complex in 2016 was $1,786.00, which represented a 3.7% 601 Civic Center Drive West•Santa Ana,CA 92701-4002• (714)541-1010• Fax(714) 541-5157 increase from the year before.' These rents are far out-of-reach for many lower income working families in the City, which includes the homeless. Orange County officials estimate that nearly 15,300 people will experience homelessness at least one night over the course of the year. That's a 20 percent increase compared with the 2013 estimate of 12,707.2 The City should focus its attention on fixing this embarrassing crisis rather than taking draconian and punitive steps as proposed in the Resolution to address the homelessness crisis in the City. Third, we reject the call for a heavy-handed law enforcement approach to homelessness in the Civic Center. People living in the Civic Center need protection, not police harassment. They live outdoors and are unprotected because the county and its cities have failed to provide enough affordable housing or even emergency shelter to meet the need. Because they have nowhere else to live, they cannot comply with the city ordinances that prohibit sleeping and lying down in public. Enforcement of these ordinances would be tantamount to violating their civil rights and instead operate to criminalize homelessness. Further, heavy-handed enforcement of municipal codes and nuisance ordinances leads to confrontational interactions with law enforcement that can needlessly threaten the health, safety, and even lives of those living in the Civic Center. On August 1st, for example, Santa Ana police officers approached Mr. Swihart, a homeless individual who violated a nuisance ordinance by riding his bicycle in the Civic Center. Mr. Swihart struggled with officers, prompting one of them to fire multiple rounds at him. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and died on August 14th. Nowhere in the attached Resolution is this recent death, or the city's response to it, mentioned. Fourth, moving people from the Civic Center to the bus terminal, by threat of citation, may violate their rights. This bus terminal was designed to house buses, not people. It is a concrete structure that lacks wrap-around walls, wind barriers, showers, or heating, and therefore fails to meet the basic requirements for adequate shelter. Moreover, people with mental and physical disabilities may not be able to tolerate the crowded and congregate conditions that will arise when hundreds of people are packed into the terminal. If the bus terminal is opened for use as a living space, it will need to be retrofitted for human habitation and made accessible for people with disabilities. Use of the terminal should be strictly voluntary. Fifth, we urge the Santa Ana City Council to support true solutions to homelessness. The county has a Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness. The centerpiece of this plan is a "housing first" model which provides affordable and permanent supportive housing to people as an immediate response to their needs. This is the federally recommended and proven solution to homelessness. Although the county approved the plan in 2010, homelessness is on the rise. This is because the county has failed to fund the plan, instead relying on stagnating or disappearing federal and state funds that don't come close to meeting the need. The City of Santa Ana and all other cities in Orange County should encourage the county to create a housing trust fund—a dedicated source of funding for affordable and permanent supportive housing. They could also ' Tiny Spaces No So Cheap:Studios are O.C.'s Priciest Rentals, Orange County Register, April 16, 2016. 2 Head Count shows growing homeless population in Orange County, 89.3 KPCC, June 30, 2015. 601 Civic Center Drive West•Santa Ana,CA 92701-4002• (714)541-1010• Fax(714) 541-5157 contribute to the housing trust fund, to support the creation of affordable and permanent supportive housing throughout the county. There is a scarcity of quality affordable housing units in the City. Rather than hastily trying to push for this Resolution, which is incomplete and fails to address the true needs of the homeless population, such as the creation of affordable and permanent supportive housing, the City should direct its efforts and propose a better solution than this Resolution that will achieve the goal of ending homelessness. For the reasons stated in this letter, we urge the City Council to vote against this Resolution. Sincerely, Ugochi L. Anaebere-Nicholson Directing Attorney, Housing and Homelessness Prevention Unit 601 Civic Center Drive West•Santa Ana,CA 92701-4002• (714)541-1010•Fax(714)541-5157