Report to City Council and Housing Authority
Wednesday, July 05, 2017
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER A CONTRACT WITH THE PEOPLE ASSISTING THE HOMELESS (PATH) TO PROVIDE HOMELESS SERVICES WITHIN THE CITY OF CARSON (CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY)
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I. SUMMARY
The purpose of this agreement is to provide funding for homeless services within the City of Carson (City). People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) is a large regional nonprofit organization that specializes in providing services for the homeless and is also selected as the South Bay Cities Council of Government’s (SBCCOG’s) partner in addressing regional homeless needs. The attached agreement provides for comprehensive homeless services for Carson’s homeless population.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. APPROVE a one-year service agreement for the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 in the amount of $31,000 to PATH.
2. AUTHORIZE the Mayor to execute the agreement following the approval as to form by the City Attorney.
3. AUTHORIZE the City Manager to execute the optional extensions provided for in the services agreement in one-year increments.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
1. TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate; OR
2. APPROVE a one-year service agreement for the period of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 in the amount of $31,000 to PATH; AUTHORIZE the Mayor to execute the services agreement, following approval as to form by the City Attorney; YET, DO NOT AUTHORIZE the City Manager to execute the optional extensions and REQUIRE any election to extend the services agreement beyond the initial one year term be submitted to Council for approval.
IV. BACKGROUND
As homelessness continues to be a pressing issue for the City and Los Angeles County (County) as a whole, the City Council has chosen to be proactive in addressing this issue. The Carson City Council is a partner in the County’s effort to combat homelessness and has directed staff to collaborate with Los Angeles County, the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (“SBCCOG”) and local organizations to identify and enhance support available for community members who are experiencing homelessness.
While every City’s homeless population fluctuates over time, the latest annual point in time survey identified 192 homeless individuals in Carson. The largest numbers of homeless individuals in the South Bay reside in unincorporated Los Angeles County areas (814) and City of Los Angeles areas (1,151) as well as Inglewood (502), Redondo Beach (216) and Gardena (186).
The County of Los Angeles Homeless Initiative has identified 47 strategies to combat homelessness, with many of them providing cities access to County resources, such as mental health services, outreach workers, and supportive housing. The City continues to partner with local organizations: Los Angeles County Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), South Bay Coalition to End Homelessness, SBCCOG’s Homeless Initiative and PATH.
The City’s homeless working group has been working together for the past few years to identify resources for Carson’s homeless and homeless veteran population. Moreover, Staff was directed to explore and identify resources and strategies to address homelessness in Carson. The resources and strategies identified include:
• Contributing City funding toward the cost of rapid rehousing for homeless City residents;
• Dedicating housing funds to provide supportive housing and services for chronically homeless individuals in the City;
• Ensuring that law enforcement and other first responders effectively engage homeless families and individuals; and
• Using land use policy to maximize the availability of funds for the homeless and affordable housing
Under the attached proposed 1-year contract with PATH (Exhibit No. 1), the City will receive the following services:
• Convening and facilitating three (3) community meetings focused on community education.
• Connect twenty (20) people experiencing homelessness in Carson to interim housing.
• Contact twenty-five (25) unduplicated and one hundred-fifty (150) duplicated contacts with persons experiencing homelessness in Carson.
• Perform Carson-specific work in Carson for eleven (11) hours per week.
The PATH outreach teams have provided an invaluable resource to the City, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies who are asked to respond to deal with the homeless. Based on Carson’s current homeless population of one hundred ninety-two (192), Staff believes this level of service is both adequate and necessary. Finally, PATH is to provide the City with monthly reports which will be presented to the City Council and community on a quarterly basis.
V. FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact is $31,000 which will come from the Housing Authority Budget and will not impact to the General Fund. The Housing Authority has limited funds available from the dissolution of redevelopment in 2011. Eventually these funds will be exhausted.
Los Angeles County voters recently approved Measure H, which collects and additional ¼ cent local sales tax to implement homeless programs, to be implemented by the County Board of Supervisors. Carson, along with a number of cities, requested that the County Board of Supervisors allocate funding to be made available to the cities for funding homeless program. The Board of Supervisors recently adopted the funding guidelines for the upcoming year and they did not establish a local return program to the cities. The Board has made limited funding available through the Council of Governments. Carson will continue to work with the cities and the South Bay COG to apply for funding for our homeless programs.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Proposed agreement with People Assisting The Homeless (pgs.4-29)
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Prepared by: Cecil C. Flournoy, Project Manager