Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, July 02, 2019
Consent
SUBJECT:
Title
CONSIDER AMENDMENT NO. 2 WITH THE PEOPLE ASSISTING THE HOMELESS (PATH) TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE HOMELESS SERVICES WITHIN THE CITY OF CARSON (CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY)
Body
I. SUMMARY
On July 5, 2017, City Council approved a contract agreement to provide funding for homeless services within the City of Carson (City) (Exhibit No. 1).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 executed amendment no.1 to the agreement will expire June 30, 2019. (Exhibit no. 2.) Staff would like to recommend exercising the option to extend the contract for one year with an Amendment No. 2, as approved by City Council on July 5, 2017.(Exhibit No. 3).
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. APPROVE a one-year Amendment No 2 for the period of July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020, in the amount of 31,000.00.
2. AUTHORIZE the City Manager to execute the amendment no. 2 to be approved to form by the City Attorney.
1.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
1. TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate.
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 currently 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 homeless count surveyed in 2018 identified 452 homeless individuals in the City The largest numbers of homeless individuals in the South Bay reside in unincorporated Los Angeles County areas (719) and City of Los Angeles areas (1,612) as well as Inglewood (505), Redondo Beach (154) and Gardena (47).
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 five 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:
• Ensuring that law enforcement and other first responders effectively engage homeless families and individuals;
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a. Currently the city of Carson has two dedicated sheriff officers to handle homeless encampments, individuals sleeping on benches and addressing individuals living in RV’s.
• Using land use policy to maximize the availability of funds for the homeless and affordable housing
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a. Veterans’ Village Development to be completed fall of 2019.
b. Carson Arts Colony Development to be completed fall of 2019.
Under the proposed Amendment No. 2 with PATH, the City will receive the following services:
• 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 2019 homeless count population of Three Hundred Twenty Three (323), 105 fewer people than 2018, proves this service is warranted. 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 $31,000.00 which will come from the Housing Authority Fund account no. 215-70-720964-6004,.and will not impact to the General Fund. The Housing Authority has funds that is eligible for extremely low families and homelessness in the city.
Los Angeles County voters 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. PATH Contract Agreement (pgs. 4-30)
2. Amendment No. 1 PATH July 1, 2018. (pgs. 31-37)
3. Proposed Amendment No 2, with PATH. (pgs. 38-43)
Prepared by: David Roberts, Assistant City Manager