HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-12-2013 homelessness other information relevant to homelessnessPath to a Hom e
San Luis Obispo Countywid e
10-Year Plan to End Homelessness
Table of Content s
Acknowledgements Pg 1
Executive Summary Pg 6
Plan Overvie w
Key Definition s
Priority 1 - Facilitating Access to Affordable Housing to Put an End t o
Homelessness Pg 1 4
Priority 2 -Stopping Homelessness Before it Starts Through Prevention and Effectiv e
Intervention Pg 2 7
Priority 3 –Ending and Preventing Homelessness Through Integrated, Comprehensive ,
Responsive Supportive Services Pg 4 0
Priority 4 -Coordinating a Solid Administrative & Financial Structure to Support Effective
Plan Implementation Pg 5 3
Implementation and Phase I Timeline Pg 64
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Path to a Hom e
The San Luis Obispo Countywid e
•
10 Year Plan to End Homelessnes s
Acknowledgments
Plan developed, drafted, and endorsed b y
Leadership Council Committee Participants :
David Edge, County Administrato r
Jim Patterson, Board of Supervisor s
Jerry Lenthall, Board of Supervisor s
Bruce Gibson, Board of Supervisors (alt .)
Lee Collins, Directo r
Star Graber, Division Manage r
Karen Baylor, Behavioral Health Administrato r
Julia Miller, Homeless Services Coordinato r
Kim Barrett, Chief Probation Office r
Dana Lilley, Supervising Planne r
Morgan Torell, Planner II I
Jim Guthrie, City Counci l
Chuck Fellows, City Counci l
Steve Adams, City Manager
Tom O'Malley, City Counci l
Mike Brennler, Mayo r
Wade McKinney, City Manage r
Valerie Humphrey (alternate )
Chuck Ashton, City Counci l
Bill Nicolls, City Counci l
George Hansen, Community Dev . Director
Betty Winholtz, City Counci l
Rick Grantham, City Council (alternate )
Andrea Lueker, City Manage r
Fred Strong, City Counci l
Ann Robb, Director Library & Rec . Service s
Ted Ehring, City Council
Shelly Higginbotham, Mayor Pro Tem
Joe Cortez, Police Chie f
Carolyn Johnson
Paul Brown, Vice Mayo r
Ken Hampian, City Administrative Office r
Brigitte Elke, Principal Admin . Analyst
Deb Linden, Chief of Polic e
John Lauffer, President ECHO Homeless Shelte r
Biz Steinberg, Economic Opportunity Commissio n
Dick Warren, Friends of Prado Day Center Boar d
Dave Smiley, President Friends of Prado Day Cente r
Path to a Home October 2008 1
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Bull Chaney, Gryphon Society
Carol Hatley, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of SL O
Vela Herrera, Director Housing Mgmt . Housing Authority of the City of SL O
Richard Margetson, Homeless Advisory Counci l
Jeanette Duncan, Executive Director People's Self Help Housing Corporatio n
Scott Smith People's Self Help Housing Corporatio n
Barry VanderKelen, Executive Director of San Luis Obispo County Community Foundatio n
Judie Najarian, Board President (ret .) Sunny Acres
Jill Bolster-White, Executive Director Transitions Mental Health Associatio n
Joe Madsen, Transitions Mental Health Associatio n
Rick London, Chief Executive Officer United Way of SLO Count y
Michael Madriaga, Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee's Offic e
Betsy Umhofer, Congresswoman Lois Capps' Offic e
Mike Whiteford, Congressman Kevin McCarthy's Office
Danielle Duboff, Senator Abel Maldonado's Offic e
Abby Lassen, California Rural Legal Assistanc e
Donna Lewis, Chamber of Commerce SL O
James M . Duenow, James M . Duenow Law Corporatio n
Jean Williams, Associate Professor & Chair, Political Science Departmen t
Jim Roberts, CEO, Family Care Network, Inc .
Ann Travers, Tri o
Lee Gulliver, Tri o
Committees :
Finance and Administration Committe e
David Kilburn, Aids Support Network (ASN )
Brigitte Elke, City of SLO
Dana Lilley, County Planning and Buildin g
Biz Stenberg, EOC
Dee Tones, EOC (Prado Day Center)
Joan Limov, EO C
Jody Smith, EO C
Bobbi Smith, EO C
Bobbi Scott, Family Care Network, Inc .
Patrick Zalamen, Family Care Network, Inc .
Dave Smiley, Friends of Prado Day Cente r
Richard Margetson, Homeless Advisory Counci l
Carol Hatley (co-chair), Housing Authority of the City of SL O
Cherri Neal, LifeSteps Foundation
Scott Smith, People's Self Help Housing Corp .
Rich Chubon, Stanislaus County Housing Authorit y
Richard Phillips, Sierra Vista Regional Hospita l
Judie Najarian, Sunny Acres Boar d
Denise Rea, Transitions Mental Health Associatio n
Ann Travers (co-chair), Trio Associate s
Lee Gulliver, Trio Associate s
Marianne Kennedy, Women's Shelter Program SLO
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Path to a Home October 2008 2
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Short Term and Permanent Housing Committe e
Scott Smith (co-chair), People's Self Help Housing Corp .
Denise Rea (co-chair), Transitions Mental Healt h
Jeanette Duncan, People's Self Help Housing Corp .
Greg Buscho, West Coast Housing at Chorro Cree k
Joe Madsen, Transitions Mental Health
John Lauffer, ECH O
Lee Gulliver, Consultant for EO C
Kim Murry, Deputy Director of Comm . Dev ., City of SLO
Della Wagner, EOC Homeless Case Manager So Co .
Vela Herrerra, Housing Authority of the City of SL O
Pamela Hughes, EOC Case Manage r
Pat Beck, Board of People's Kitche n
Kevin Selman, Transitions Mental Healt h
Shona Pruitt, Women's Shelter Program SLO Count y
Robb Koch, Department of Social Service s
Mary Lou Zivna, EO C
Shawn Ison, EOC — Maxine Lewis Memorial Shelte r
Paul Wolff, AFA & EO C
Pearl Munak, Transitional Food & Shelte r
Jody Smith, EO C
Carol Phillips, Transitional Food & Shelte r
Judie Najarian, Sunny Acre s
Kathleen Doneff, Clien t
Morgan Torell, County of SLO Planning & Buildin g
Prevention and Discharge Committe e
Tyler Brown (co-chair), Mental Health Boar d
Rod Younquist (co-chair), Health Car e
Don Dana, Duncan Grou p
Eric Michiellsen, Duncan Grou p
Al Gentle, PSHHC Supp . Services Coordinato r
Jeanette Duncan, People's Self Help Housing Corp .
Ray Fleming, EOC Health Service s
Jody Smith, EO C
Pamela Hughes, EOC Case Manage r
Chanel Channing, West Coast Housing at Chorro Cree k
Lee Gulliver, Consultant for EO C
Mike Ball, County Mental Healt h
Jackie Sebro, Loaves and Fishe s
Barri Dymott, Trio Associate s
Judie Najarian, Sunny Acre s
Phil Compton, SLO Mental Health MHS A
Dawn Latimer, CH C
Dee Torres, Prado/EO C
Ronnie Nevarez, EOC
Path to a Home October 2008 3
Biz Steinberg, EO C
Mary Cota, EO C
Lillian Bucton, Mental Healt h
Dolly Scruggs, EO C
Supportive Services Committe e
Stephen Lamb (co-chair), Cal Pol y
Joe Madsen (co-chair), Transitions Mental Healt h
Al Gentle, PSHHC Supp . Services Coordinato r
Jeanette Duncan, People's Self Help Housing Corp .
Joan Lawrence, People's Self Help Housing Corp .
Ronnie Nevarez, EOC (North County)
Mary Lou Zivna, EOC (San Luis )
Larry Feldt, EOC (South County )
Dee Tones, EOC (Prado Day Center)
Lee Gulliver, Consultant for EOC
Della Wagner, EOC Homeless Services Case Manager So Co .
Janet Amanzio, County Mental Health Service s
Mary Parker, People's Kitchen Chair
Lisa Delk, Work Training Programs
Barri Dymot, Trio Associatio n
Amber Tierney, Cal Pol y
Norma Mueller, ECH O
Hildy Gal, ECH O
Jody Smith, EO C
Dave Smiley, Friends of Prad o
Gene Bergman, Executive Director of PR City Housing Auth .
Julia Miller, Department of Social Service s
Patti Diefenderfer, CH C
Shawn Ison, EO C
Mary Cota, EO C
Susan Matherly, SLO Superior Cour t
Amanda Garcia, EO C
Stacy Lough, EOC
Pam Hughes,EOC
John Lauffer, ECH O
Edie Kahn, ASN/SLO Hep
Dorie Larson, Prado/People's Kitchen/Green Pasture s
Judie Najarian, Sunny Acre s
Ray Fleming, EOC
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Path to a Home October 2008 4
Path to a Hom e
The San Luis Obispo County 10 Year Plan to End Homeless '
Overview of Plan Recommendation s
Path to a Home October 2008
Homeless Governing Board : A countywide collaborative governing body overseeing and coordinating the s
•Staffed by a full-time Homeless Coordinator and 2 other full-time staff overseeing fundraising and data collection/p i
▪Providing leadershi p
▪Developing an annual work plan to guide plan implementatio n
▪Establishing funding priorities and overseeing allocation s
▪Facilitating communication and coordination between jurisdictions ,
governmental departments, providers, homeless people & advocate s
▪Organizing provider trainings
▪Promoting system integratio n
▪Overseeing & facilitating housing produ c
▪Fundraisin g
▪Carrying out a public communication ca r
▪Conducting advocac y
▪Overseeing systemwide program evalu a
• Use of
intake
at-risk
public<
•Disch E
collabc
care, i i
institu t
•Creatii
•Heme l
justice
•Evictic
service
•Perfo n
budg e
county
home y
Housin g
•Creation of regional Basic Housing Assistance Centers to
facilitate access to housing & housing-related service s
0ev AC )
ntywide Housing First Policy to get people int o
sing quickl y
elopment of a range of housing, including affordabl e
housing, permanent supportive, no-demand housing, an d
interim and transitional housing (for crisis situations o r
specific sub-population needs )
•Short term and shallow housing subsidies to help peopl e
regain & maintain housin g
•Services linkages for all housing provided throug h
Primary Responders & Human Services Campuse s
•Focus on facilitating and expanding affordable housin g
production through appointment of a point person ,
creation of a Pipeline Committee, increasing availabl e
funding and streamlining approval processes
Service s
•4 regional Human Services Campuses providing centralize d
access to comprehensive services
•Network of Primary Responders based on the campuse s
coordinating a single case plan for each client & facilitatin glinkage of services w/ housin g
•Use of triage approach to target services to those most i n
need
•Streamlined paperwork & single data system to suppor t
coordinated service provisio n
•Countywide Work Fast policy and homeless employment &
training programs to get people into employment, training o r
volunteer work as quickly as possibl e
•Streamlined access to benefits
•Development of profit–generating micro-enterprises to fund
service provisio n
•Promoting community participation and volunteering t o
support efforts to address homelessness
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Path to a Hom e
The San Luis Obispo Countywid e
10 Year Plan to End Homelessnes s
Executive Summary
In January 2008, cities, agencies and groups throughout San Luis Obispo county bega n
an important journey, aimed at improving the county's approach to homelessness . Th e
need for change was broadly recognized, as homelessness in the county wa s
continuing to grow . More individuals and families were losing their housing ; communit y
members were increasingly frustrated by the effects of homelessness on thei r
neighborhoods, city centers and public parks ; homeless programs were struggling t o
meet growing need with dwindling resources, and local leaders were searching fo r
solutions that were both effective and affordable .
Against this backdrop, and following a national trend to shift emphasis from "managing "
homelessness to working to "end" it, a broad-based planning group came together t o
reevaluate current efforts within the county, consider best practices and lessons learne d
around the nation, and develop a Plan for a new and more effective response, aimed a t
ending homelessness in ten years . This document,Path to a Home is the outcome o f
that process .
Path to a Home lays out a clear central vision that focuses on ensuring that everyon e
has access to appropriate and affordable housing and to the services they need t o
sustain it . It provides a clear "path" of :
1)what needs to be done to help people who are homeless or at-risk arriv e
"home" to stable housing and a place in the community as productive an d
participating members an d
2)the system, policy and program changes necessary for the Cities ,
Communities and County to arrive at their goal of ending homelessness in te n
years .
Altogether, it is a new approach, one that puts as much attention on preventin g
homelessness as on helping people who are already homeless, and which calls for a
variety of system level changes to facilitate integration and collaboration betwee n
mainstream and homeless agencies in their service provision . This new approach ca n
be described as :
•system-focused,promoting greater effectiveness and efficiency in resourceutilization;
•
Path to a Home October 2008 6
•collaborative,requiring all sectors of the county to contribute to this effort ;
•flexible and individualized,recognizing that each person in need is unique an d
requires a tailored response to his/her situation ; an d
•accountable,insisting on data collection and evaluation to document progress
made and guide ongoing revisions and improvements .
The Journey's Start -- Backgroun d
Recognizing The Need For Change :As with many other communities around th e
nation, efforts in San Luis Obispo county to address homelessness sprang up in the lat e
1980s as a response to what was seen as an emergency . A network of housing an d
service programs was created, parallel to the mainstream safety net system, to dea l
with the special needs of people who are homeless . However, twenty years later, it i s
clear that homelessness is much more than a short-term crisis, and that despite th e
hard work and commitment of many excellent programs, the current approach t o
homelessness is not working and must be changed .
Consider the following :
Homelessness Continues To Grow, Affecting More And More People, Includin g
Children :An estimated 2,408 people are homeless each night in San Lui s
Obispo county, and almost 2,800 experience an episode of homelessness eac h
year . Of these, almost half (44%) are people in families and 22% are childre n
under age 12 . Almost a quarter (23%) are victims of domestic violence .'
These numbers indicate not only untold human misery and forfeited dreams, bu t
for the children, it too often is a preview of a poverty-stricken and marginalize d
future . Children who are homeless are more likely to have health problems 2 , to
miss school and to have lower academic performance 3 . Those who are pre -
school age, are more likely to have one or more developmental delays .4 All i n
all, childhood housing instability and homelessness have been identified as on e
of the indicators of future homelessness s .
1 Sources : SLO County Homeless Enumeration Report, Spring 2006 & 2007 SLO County Continuum o f
Care Application, Exhibit 1 .
2 Weinreb, L ., Goldberg, R ., Bassuk, E ., & Perloff, J . N . (1998). Determinants of health and service us e
patterns in homeless and low-income housed children .American Academy of Pediatrics 102(3):554 -
562 .
3 Rafferty, Y . (1995). The Legal Rights and Educational Problems of Homeless Children and Youth .
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 17(1), 42-45 .
http ://webpage .pace .edu/yrafferty/yvonne/docs/Rafferty1995EEPA . pdf
° Bassuk, E . L . & Rosenberg, L . (1990). Psychosocial characteristics of homeless children and childre n
with homes .Pediatrics,85(3): 257-261 .
5 Burt, Martha R . "Demographics and Geography : Estimating Needs" for the 1998 National Symposiu m
on Homelessness Research .
Path to a Home October 2008 7
4,
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Many People Become Homeless Because The Mainstream Safety Net Has No t
Met Their Needs :In San Luis Obispo county, almost a quarter of homeles s
people are victims of domestic violence . 68% of homeless people are estimate d
to have a mental illness and 37% a substance addiction .6 Unable to access th e
help they need, they become homeless, and too often, their problems begin t o
exacerbate .
Some People Have Been Homeless For Years: Almost 10%'of people who ar e
homeless in the county are chronically homeless, having been continuall y
homeless for a year or more or having had at least four episodes o f
homelessness in the past three years . This extended homelessness is a n
indication of a breakdown in our systems of care, in that people are unable to ge t
the assistance they need to end this unhealthy and dangerous living situation .
The Current System Shelters Only A Tiny Fraction Of Those In Need:92% of
homeless people in the county are unsheltered, living outside or in vehicles .8
The current system clearly does not have the capacity to meet the volume an d
types of needs that exist in the county .
Homelessness Is Expensive :People who are homeless are high users o f
emergency services, including hospital emergency rooms, shelters, menta l
health crisis services, and substance abuse detox programs . A study o f
homeless people with severe mental illnesses found that each used an averag e
of $40,451 worth of publicly-funded services per year, including health an d
mental health services (86%), emergency shelter (11%) and incarceration i n
state prisons and local jails (3%).9
In San Luis Obispo county, a conservative estimate of the impact o f
homelessness on city services, including Police, Parks and Recreation, Publi c
Works and Library, yields a figure of $121,904 per year .10 In addition ,
communities also bear quality of life costs related to increased crime, reduce d
public safety, and problems due to the congregation of homeless people i n
downtown city centers and public parks .
Homeless Programs Cannot Solve The Problem On Their Own :Both the size o f
the homeless population as well as their multiple needs makes it impossible fo r
the homeless service system to resolve this problem in its own . Many peopl e
who are homeless need access to mainstream services, including health an d
6 2007 SLO County Continuum of Care Application, Exhibit 1 .
2007 SLO County Continuum of Care Application, Exhibit 1 .
8 Same as above .
9 Culhane, Dennis P ., Metraux, Stephen and Hadley, Trevor . (2002). Public Service Reductions
Associated With Placement of Homeless Persons With Severe Mental Illness in Supportive Housing .
Housing Policy Debate Vol 13, Issue 1, pp 107-163 . Fannie Mae Foundation .
10 This figure is based on a cost study conducted in Santa Barbara County . The per person cost figure s
from that study are applied to a San Luis Obispo County homeless population of 802, which is 1/3 of th e
homeless population documented in the Homeless Enumeration Report .•
Path to a Home October 2008 8
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mental health services, drug and alcohol treatment, subsidized housing ,
employment and training services, and benefits . As noted above, homeles s
people are already incurring costs in many of these systems, repeatedly cyclin g
in and out of these programs because their problems are not addressed in a
coordinated way .
Evidence From Around The Country Demonstrates That Re-Orienting Th e
Approach To Homelessness Works :Over 300 communities around the countr y
are engaged in federal government-promoted Ten Year Planning processes tha t
shift the focus of their service systems from "managing" homelessness t o
"ending"it ."This involves strategies such as making housing a central focus ;
increasing mainstream program involvement in preventing and endin g
homelessness ; linking services with housing in a comprehensive and coordinate d
package of care ; making prevention a priority ; and collecting data to guid e
decisions and monitor progress . Many of these communities have reporte d
significant reductions in the numbers of people homeless on their streets after
beginning implementation of their Plans, such as a 60% reduction i n
Philadelphia, 28% in San Francisco, and 20% in Portland .1 2
San Luis Obispo County Has Effective Programs Upon Which To Base Change :
While the current homeless system as a whole is not working to en d
homelessness, there are many excellent programs that have developed prove n
approaches to helping people regain and maintain housing throughout th e
county . Using these programs as a base and more fully involving mainstrea m
agencies, the Cities and County can construct an effective system of assistanc e
that will provide comprehensive and coordinated care aimed at helping peopl e
access and maintain housing for the long term .
The Homeless Outreach Progra m
A San Luis Obispo Count y
Success Story
The Homeless Outreach Program, operated by the County Behavioral Healt h
Department, Mental Health Services, serves homeless individuals with mental illnes s
through outreach services in the community where they congregate . HOP provide s
mental health counseling, medications, emergency assistance, transitional housin g
with case management, and assistance obtaining permanent housing .
2006-2007 Outcome s
• 92 clients serve d
90% received housing
11 http ://www .ich .gov/slocal/index .htm l
12 The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness e-newsletter, June 8, 2006 ,http ://www . ich . gov/news letter/a rch ive/06-08-06_e-newsletter .htm
Path to a Home October 2008 9
•
•63% involved in vocational developmen t
•40% have paid employment this yea r
▪7% are in educational program s
•Number of days homeless has been reduced by 13,346 day s
2006-2007 Costs Saving s
•$207,100 in cost savings from reduced incarceration of 2,071 day s
• $301,500 in costs savings from reduced acute hospitalization of 335 days
A Call To Action :Recognizing the need to change the county's approach to
homelessness, the County Board of Supervisors undertook the development of the 1 0
Year Plan as a framework for effectively addressing how the county can better meet th e
most basic needs of its poorest residents . A central goal of the 10-Year Plan is to assis t
the county in stabilizing and sustaining critical services to people who are homeless an d
at-risk by enhancing interagency collaboration and increasing systemwide efficiency i n
provision of services and utilization of resources . The County reached out to all citie s
and community partners to solicit their participation in the planning process . Staff
support was provided through the County Planning and Building Department, wit h
assistance from the Department of Social Services . Consultant services were provide d
by HomeBase/The Center for Common Concerns .
On The Road -- The Planning Process
The planning process was initiated in January 2008 . A Leadership Council wa s
convened with 60 seats, composed of key representatives from County and Cit y
government, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, the busines s
community, funders and people with experience of homelessness . The Leadershi p
Council's responsibility was to oversee the overall development of the Plan ; solici t
community feedback; develop an implementation and oversight body ; and facilitate pla n
adoption by the Board of Supervisors, City Councils and other relevant bodies .
Four committees were formed, corresponding to the four priority areas that the Pla n
needed to address .
•Finance and Administration (including oversight, data, coordination) Committe e
•Short Term (including emergencies shelter) and Permanent Housing Committe e
•Prevention and Discharge Planning Committe e
•Supportive Services (including Outreach, Health Care, Incomes) Committe e
Each committee met monthly, and strategies and action steps were developed base d
on general information about homelessness, its causes and solutions ; pertinent count y
data on need and on the housing and services currently in place ; and lessons fro m
current research on homelessness and best practices from around the country .
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 10
•
The final Plan is divided into four sections, each of which contains recommendation s
addressing one of the priority areas of action to end homelessness :
v Priority 1 . Facilitating Access to Affordable Housing to Put an End t o
Homelessness .
v Priority 2 . Stopping Homelessness Before it Starts through Prevention an dEffective Intervention .
v Priority 3 . Ending and Preventing Homelessness through Integrated ,
Comprehensive, Responsive Supportive Services .
v Priority 4 . Coordinating a Solid Administrative & Financial Structure To Suppor t
Effective Plan Implementation .
The Plan encompasses a series of strategies and action steps aimed a t
transforming existing homeless and mainstream systems and programs into on e
comprehensive and coordinated system of care aimed at both preventin g
homelessness for those at-risk and ending it for those who have already lost thei rhomes. These strategies and action steps are suggestions to guide County, Cit y
and Community partners in taking coordinated action to achieve this goal . While th e
Plan does not mandate action by any agencies, the strategies and actions steps i t
contains were developed through a countywide planning process and represent th e
strong consensus of the Leadership Council and its Committees on how San Lui s
Obispo county can best improve the effectiveness of its approach to homelessnes s
and achieve its goal of ending homelessness in ten years .
Reaching Our Destination – Plan Implementatio n
The Leadership Council will be the lead agency overseeing the start of Pla nimplementation, as it oversaw the development of the Plan . The implementatio ntimeline is at page 64 . Action steps will be implemented as funding is secured ,
redirected from existing funding streams or through the development of new federal ,state, local and private sector funding . The initial implementation can begin usin g
existing funding streams adjusted to be consistent with the plan . State and federa l
funding (See Appendix C) with local jurisdictions and private resources will be neede d
to access housing services and boost system capacity to the scale needed to en dhomelessness. A successor Homelessness Governing Body is proposed for Phase I .
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Path to a Home October 2008 11
To foster involvement of all sectors of San Luis Obispo county working i n
collaboration and partnership to create a comprehensive and effective syste m
of care that prevents and ends homelessness .
To provide oversight and leadership that will promote ongoing innovation ,
accountability for outcomes and maximum efficiency in resource utilization .
Mission of the Leadership Council
•
The following vision statement and guiding principles were used to guide th e
development of the Plan and will be used to guide its implementation .
Vision Statemen t
We envision a future in which the housing and comprehensive services necessary t o
remain housed are available for all, affording everyone maximum self-sufficiency ,
and the opportunity to be productive and participating members of our community .
Guiding Principle s
1 .Community Partners Workinq Together – Ongoing coordination an d
collaboration between the County, Cities and Community partners i s
recognized as the cornerstone of our efforts to build a comprehensive an d
seamless system of care that ensures that no one is left out of housing .
2.Sharing Responsibility through Education and Outreach To All – Achievin g
results that matter will require involvement of all sectors of the community ,
including the business community, faith-based organizations and citize n
volunteers . As such, education to build understanding of homelessness i s
essential in order to encourage broad involvement and cultivate support fo r
solutions .
3.Continuous Community Buildinq – Development of this system of care will b e
carried out through investment in affordable and supportive housing, treatmen t
and services for the benefit of All county residents .
•
Path to a Home October 2008 12
• 4 .Fostering Of Innovation & Excellence – Through continuing training, annua l
integration of lessons learned and emerging best practices, and openness to ne w
ways of doing things, we will create a model system of care that is equal to th e
challenge of preventing and ending homelessness .
5.Flexible and Individualized Attention – Ending homelessness will happen on e
person at a time ; as such, housing and service provision will be tailored to th e
specific needs of each individual or family .
6.Focus On Housinq – All service provision will include ensuring the client's
housing stability, whether by helping people to obtain housing quickly, linkin g
them with the services they need to sustain it, or identifying risk and intervenin g
early to prevent housing loss .
7.Comprehensive Solutions With A Systemwide Perspective - No matter where th e
client enters the system, comprehensive solutions will be provided throug h
access to the full range of care available within the system .
8.Strateqic Thinking & Efficiently Tarqeted Interventions – Data collection to allow
evaluation of emerging needs and program outcomes will enable us to targe t
interventions for maximum impact and continuously monitor results and adjust fo r
improvement .
Conclusio n
The planning process that produced Path to a Home,the San Luis Obispo countywid e
ten-year plan to end homelessness, involved a diverse group of stakeholders and built a
strong base of collaboration that can help to carry the Plan forward through th e
implementation process .Path to a Home provides a strong and compelling framewor k
for joint action that can guide County, City and Community partner efforts to effectivel y
address homelessness and utilize precious housing and service resources in the mos t
efficient and productive manner possible .
Path to a Home October 2008 13
Path to a Hom eThe San Luis Obispo Countywid e10 Year Plan to End Homelessnes s
Priority 1 : Facilitating Access to Affordable Housin g
to Put an End to Homelessnes s
The centerpiece of any effort to end homelessness must be housing – safe, decent an d
affordable housing . Experience from all over the country demonstrates that housin g
provides the essential base that allows people to recover from homelessness and th e
crises that provoked it . With housing, they are able to more effectively address health ,
mental health and addiction disorders that play a role in their economic marginalization .
They are also better able to access and maintain employment or enroll in education o r
job training activities to enhance their employability and earning potential . Equall y
important, housing enables them to provide a stable environment to foster the health y
growth and development of their children . It also facilitates their ability to take thei r
place in society as productive and participating members of the community .
Development of a Full Range of Housin q
As such, a key priority for the county's efforts to end homelessness is to expand it s
supply of housing . This involves the development of a full range of housing types t o
meet the need countywide . Of particular importance is making housing affordable t o
people who are homeless, as San Luis Obispo county has some of the least affordabl e
housing in the country .
Renters in San Luis Obispo county need to earn $20 .67/hour in order to afford a
modest two bedroom apartment; however, the average renter only earn s
$10.88/hour'.
• The median sales price of single-family homes in the county exceeded $600,00 0
in February 2006 . Less than 10% of the county's households can afford to bu y
housing at this price . In 2003, San Luis Obispo county had the fourth leas t
affordable housing market in the nation .2
San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund . "Rental Housing is 'Out of Reach- in Housing For All ,
April/May 2008 .
2 Data from the SLO County 2004 Housing Element and the SLO County Department of Planning &
Building website .
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 14
•
•
Also important is the development of permanent supportive housing to meet the need s
of people who are chronically homeless, experiencing extended homelessness an d
suffering from health, mental health and addiction disorders . Permanent supportive
housing links an array of services with the housing to facilitate ongoing residentia l
stability . This type of housing is a nationally-recognized "best practice" wit h
documented effectiveness, helping some of the most vulnerable and needy members o f
the homeless population to exit homelessness and improve their health and well-being .
At the same time, it has resulted in significant cost-savings for communities as, once i n
stable housing, use of expensive emergency services by this population drop sprecipitously.
Studies of permanent supportive housing programs show that about thre e
quarters of residents stay for at least two years, and about half retain the housin g
for three to five years!
A study in New York City documented a reduction in service use of $16,281 pe r
housing unit per year by homeless people with severe mental health disabilitie s
who are placed in supportive housing . More than 85% of the savings resulte d
from reduced usage of emergency and inpatient health and mental healt h
services .2 Importantly, the reduced costs from lower service utilization cove r
95% of the cost of developing and operating supportive housing .
Finally, interim housing, including both emergency housing and transitional housing ar e
needed for emergency situations and for certain special need populations .
•
Wong Yl, Hadley TR, Culhane DP, Poulin SR, Davis MR, Cirksey BA, Brown JL . Predicting Staying o r
Leaving in Permanent Supportive Housing that Serves Homeless People with Serious Mental Illness .U .S . Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research ,
Washington DC . March 2006 . and Lipton, F .R ., Siegel, C ., Hannigan, A ., et al . Tenure in supportiv e
housing for homeless persons with severe mental illness . Psychiatric Services 51(4): 479-486, 2000 .2 Culhane, Dennis P ., Metraux, Stephen and Hadley, Trevor . (2002). Public Service Reduction s
Associated With Placement of Homeless Persons With Severe Mental Illness in Supportive Housing .
Housing Policy Debate Vol 13, Issue 1, pp 107-163 . Fannie Mae Foundation .
Path to a Home October 2008 15
San Luis Obispo County Housing Needs5
Housing Type Estimated Unmet Nee d
Very Low and Low Income Housing (50 -
80% of median income)
524 unit s
Permanent Supportive Housing
425 family bed s
274 individual bed s
Transitional Housing
449 family bed s
401 individual bed s
Emergency Housing
174 family bed s
443 individual beds
Source : 2007 SLO County Continuum of Care Application, Exhibit 1, See Appendix A
Path to a Home recommends increasing the overall supply of housing available t o
people who are homeless or at risk .
For permanent affordable housing, it recommends streamlining the permit an d
approval process, facilitating production, exploring new cost-effective designs ,
and increasing the funding available from grants and other new sources .
For permanent supportive housing, it recommends developing strategies to lin k
housing with support services targeted to meet the specific needs of the clien t
population .
For interim housing, it recommends increasing the supply in order to provide a
supplement to permanent housing, not an alternative . Specifically, i t
recommends developing sufficient enriched interim housing to meet th e
countywide need for emergency housing and creating transitional housing t o
meet the needs of key target populations, including young people exiting foste r
care, victims of domestic violence, medically fragile, veterans returning from war ,
and those exiting prison .
Finally, it recommends conducting public education and outreach to build suppor t
for the development of housing for homeless people .
See Appendix C for projected unit and service needs, with associated costs an d
potential revenue sources .
5 Data from San Luis Obispo HUD 2007 Continuum of Care Exhibit 1 and from 2004 SLO County Housin g
Elemen t
Path to a Home October 2008 1 6
•
•
•
Rapid Re-Housin q
Path to a Home also calls for the adoption of a "Housing First" policy by the County .
Housing First is an approach that puts a priority on helping people to quickly re-acces s
permanent housing, thus minimizing the physical and emotional damage caused b y
homelessness and putting them in a position to recover more quickly . Under Housin g
First, people who are homeless will be assisted in obtaining housing as soon a s
possible, without any prerequisites such as spending time in interim housing o r
achieving sobriety . The housing provided will be linked with intensive cas e
management, treatment and wrap-around services, and while services are not required ,
people will be encouraged and assisted in accessing those they need . This low
demand approach has proven successful, even with people who are chronicall y
homeless and/or have a health, mental health or addiction disorder .
A HUD-sponsored study of three Housing First programs [New York City's
Pathways to Housing, Seattle's Downtown Emergency Services Center (DESC )
and San Diego's Reaching Out and Engaging to Achieve Consumer Health
(REACH)] serving people who are chronically homeless and have a menta l
illness or a co-occurring disorder found that 84% of clients were still house d
after 12 months6 .
Despite the fact that services are often not required in these programs, client s
still access assistance that addresses their needs . An evaluation of the Closer t o
Home Initiative found that 81% of tenants were receiving health care services ,
80% mental health treatment, 56% substance abuse treatment, 65% money
management, 51% benefits assistance, and 41% employment services .'
Facilitating Access To Housin q
Path to a Home also recommends strategies to help people access and maintai n
housing . This includes obtaining funding for additional housing vouchers/subsidies an d
creating a funding pool to provide rental and mortgage assistance to people a t
immediate risk of homelessness and deposit guarantees and initial move-in costs t o
homeless clients reentering housing . The Plan also calls for the development of 4
regional Basic Housing Assistance Centers to facilitate access to housing and housin g
supports for people who are homeless or at-risk . These Centers will allocate housin g
e Locke, G, Khadduri, J and O'Hara,A. Housing Models .Discussion Draft for the 2007 Nationa l
Symposium on Homelessness Research . p . 14 .
Barrow S, Soto G, Cordova p, Final Report on the Evaluation of the Closer to Home Initiative ,
Corporation for Supportive Housing, 2004 .
Path to a Home October 2008 17
assistance funds, help people in finding appropriate units, and provide a range o f
services to facilitate successful tenancy .
Short Term Housing Assistance Success Storie s
In Massachusetts, three pilot programs offering short term housing assistanc e
were implemented to test alternative approaches to family emergency shelte r
which had become very costly (average annual cost of providing shelter to a famil y
was $47,000 in 2004).
•The Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) progra m
provided flexible funding for first/last month's rent, security deposits an d
utility payments . 436 families were assisted at an average househol d
cost of $1,365 .
▪Similar assistance was provided to 476 eligible families through th e
State's TANF emergency assistance program to help them shorten a
shelter stay or avoid homelessness . The average cost per family wa s
$3,080 .
•207 families were assisted under the Shelter to Housing pilot with a
one-time subsidy of $6,000 to cover rent and some stabilizatio n
services .
Two years later 80% of the families were still housed . In addition, these thre e
programs were able to significantly reduce costs, housing 1,119 families for th e
same cost as 63 shelter rooms .8
•B One Family .Housing First: An Unprecedented Opportunity,Fall 2006 . http ://www .onefamilyinc .org/cgi-
script/csArticles/uploads/466/PolicyPaperFI NAL .pd f
Path to a Home October 2008 18
• The strategies and action steps outlined in the following pages are suggestion s
for how County, City and Community partners can improve the effectiveness o f
the county's approach to homelessness . They were developed through a
countywide planning process and represent the strong consensus of th e
Leadership Council and the Short Term and Permanent Housing Committee o n
how San Luis Obispo county can best achieve its goal of ending homelessnes s
in ten years .
Strategy 1 .1 :CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE PERMANENT HOUSING AN D
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELES S
ACHIEVE LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL STABILITY .
Action Step 1 .1 .1 :Increase the supply of affordable housing for homeless people ,
including through new construction, acquisition and rehab, master leasing, se t
asides in existing buildings/developments and dedicated units in new development s
(through inclusionary zoning and other strategies).
Action Step 1 .1 .2 :Identify properties (land, retail or commercial space, motels ,
apartments, housing units, mobile home parks) in the county that can be acquire d
and converted into affordable permanent housing and permanent supportiv e
housing for homeless people .
Action Step 1 .1 .3 :Develop strategies for linking permanent housing with supportiv e
services to meet the specific needs of the target subpopulation being served .
Strategies should address staffing and coordination among services and treatmen t
providers and may include clinically trained staff on housing property manager tea m
to coordinate and involve outside service providers . Individual case plans should b e
in place and integrated with provision of housing when the client enters the housing .
[See Action Step 2 .5 .3 ]
Action Step 1 .1 .4 :Explore creative new housing models for homeless people .
Conduct an annual review of best practices, emerging models, and ne w
concepts in housing design, particularly in use with homeless people .
Convene those working with homeless people, homeless people, formerl y
homeless current tenants, and affordable housing developers to discus s
possibilities . [See Action Step 4 .4 .1 ]
Path to a Home October 2008 19
•
Re-invent housing models to be smaller, less costly, to foster communa l
living, and meet what homeless people want . Explore Greenbuild model s
and concepts, and consider SROs . Any innovative models should be goo d
quality, politically feasible, meet funding criteria, be sustainable fo r
management and maintenance, and socially acceptable as fit for huma n
habitation .
Action Step 1 .1 .5 :Appoint a countywide "Point Person" for affordable housin g
production and funding to lead an Affordable Housing Production Pipelin e
Committee that will meet bi-annually in order to facilitate development of affordabl e
housing, including dedicated units for homeless people . The "Point Person" shoul d
be existing city/county staff . The Pipeline Committee members should be th e
affordable housing developers, the housing and community development staff o f
each city and the County, and other potential funders . [See Action Step 4 .2 .1 .]
The Point Person and Committee should :
For each city and the County, project the number of units needed over te n
years and the kind of units .
Assist potential projects to get off the ground by identifying sponsors, funding ,
land and service providers .
Annually, develop an overall matrix of projects "in the pipeline" to monitor an d
support their progress, including identifying and resolving barriers an d
providing assistance in accessing funding and in obtaining necessary permit s
and waivers .
• Explore mutually beneficial work with market rate developers, tap inclusionar y
zoning revenue, and stay abreast of all housing-related funding opportunities .
Action Step 1 .1 .6 :Identify secure, sustainable funding sources to create affordabl e
permanent housing and permanent supportive housing for homeless people ,
including funding for predevelopment, development, operations, administration, an d
tenant support services . Grant funds, as well as loans, are required to develo p
housing affordable for homeless people .
Create a dedicated source of revenue for the County Housing Trust Fund an d
expand its mandate to include long term, below market rate financing fo r
dedicated units of housing for homeless people, as well as for affiliate d
operations and services . [See Action Step 4 .2 .3 .]
Develop new sources of funding, such as in lieu fees, tax on commercia l
square footage . [See Action Step 4 .2 .3 .]
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 20
•Support the bill now pending on Housing Trust Funds in the Californi a
Legislature .
Support Housing CA efforts to identify a permanent source of funding fo r
extremely low income housing development .
Work to create private funding sources for housing development for homeles s
people . [See Action Step 4 .2 .3 .]
Implement mechanisms to document and capture cost-savings in mainstrea m
systems and programs due to reduced use of services by homeless peopl e
after implementation of Plan "best practices", and reinvest cost savings i n
affordable housing . [See Action Steps 2 .2 .4, 2 .4 .2 & 4 .2 .5]
Action Step 1 .1 .7 :Enact local government policies, and create administrativ e
procedures, that ease the process of developing permanent housing and permanen t
supportive housing for homeless people . Consider the following :
•Allowing more units per lot, waiving parking standards, school district fees ,
and other requirements that burden an affordable housing development fo r
homeless people .
Increasing the number of unrelated adults who may share a single famil y
dwelling without a conditional use permit .
Creating a replacement policy on any affordable units converted to marke t
rate housing .
•Assessing the opportunity for creation of affordable units and the maximu m
number that can be created whenever the General Plan is amended an d
opportunity for growth identified .
•Adopting design models/standards for permanent supportive housing tha t
allow automatic permitting .
•Appointing local government "affordable housing fast track specialists" as th e
"go to" desk for any proposed project to shepherd them quickly through th e
approval process .
Path to a Home October 2008 21
•Expected Outcomes
•Supply of affordable housing increases to meet nee d•Process of developing affordable housing is streamlined, through easie r
identification of sites, better and more efficient coordination of the productio n
process and simplified and more efficient approval processe s•Effective strategies in place to link housing and service s•New cost-effective and high quality housing model options developed fo rhomeless people
•Increased funding available for affordable housin g
Strategy 1 .2 :INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF SHORT-TERM "INTERIM" AN D
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AS A SUPPLEMENT, AND NOT AN ALTERNATIVE, T O
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING .
Action Step 1 .2 .1 :Create sufficient emergency housing capacity throughout th e
county using the enriched "interim housing" model . Permanent housing should b e
provided "first" when possible and appropriate to the individual's needs, and interi m
and transitional housing should be used only for targeted populations or as a sto p
gap measure for a system in housing crisis . Interim housing should be linked wit h
the Community Services Centers and structured so that it connects clients with dee p
support services and a case management plan to help them move toward greate r
stability . However access to permanent housing should NOT be conditioned on a
"stint" in interim or transitional housing .
Replace the current Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelter with interim housing t o
respond to current need . Interim housing should be developed with th e
vision of being able to convert facilities to other service and housing uses i n
the future as needs change .
Concrete performance measures should be established for all interi m
housing programs, such as fostering self sufficiency ; increasing housin g
stability ; developing or strengthening a community support network of friend s
and family ; and improving education, employment, and community
participation . [See Action Steps 2 .6 ., 3 .1 .1 & 4 .3 .2 ]
Action Step 1 .2 .2 :Create transitional housing targeted to specific life experience s
and offering appropriate services . Target populations include : young people exitin g
foster care, victims of domestic violence, medically fragile, veterans returning fro m
war, and those exiting prison .
•
Path to a Home October 2008 22
•Expected Outcome s
Adequate emergency housing available to those in need, including interi m
housing and transitional housing for those with special need s
Strategy 1 .3 :CULTIVATE AND FOSTER INCLUSIVE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIE S
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES .
Action Step 1 .3 .1 :Create and fund a group to promote affordable housing fo r
homeless people as part of the 10 Year Plan Homelessness Governing Bod y
activity . Membership should include local elected officials . [See Action Step 4 .2 .3]
This group should :
Conduct education campaigns about affordable housing and permanen t
supportive housing targeted to local government officials and staff and to th e
general public . Campaigns should develop a yearly calendar of activities ,
including awards and tours and should address the importance and need fo r
this type of housing, effective outcomes, process of development and th e
need for funding and neighborhood support .
Conduct outreach and community education on issues of NIMBY to facilitat e
siting of projects .
Promote the long-term financial advantage of affordable housing as a n
investment in the community and a community economic resource . Mentio n
the years of affordability built into projects .
Action Step 1 .3 .2 :Organize a peer support network of housing providers to facilit y
siting of housing for people who are homeless or at risk . This group can develo p
strategies to encourage community acceptance when a problem is encountered o r
predicted .
Expected Outcome s
• Communities willing to accept proposed affordable housing developmen t
Path to a Home October 2008 23
Strategy 1 .4 :IMPLEMENT A HOUSING FIRST MODEL OF SUPPORTIVE HOUSING .•
Action Step 1 .4 .1 :In concert with approval of this Plan, adopt "Housing First" as acountywide policy for ending homelessness . Encourage the use of mainstrea mdiscretionary funds to implement this policy .[See Appendix D for research an d
practice profiles on Housing First .]
Action Step 1 .4 .2 :Provide housing units without conditioning access to meetin gthreshold behavioral criteria to those with alcohol, substance abuse, mental health ,or personality disorders . These units should be linked with low case load intensiv ecase management, treatment and wrap-around services provided through integrate dservice teams linked with master-leased housing units, "landlord integrated services "by affordable housing developers, and other effective methods . [Primary Responde ragencies using the models contained in the Supportive Services Chapter wil lsupport success of this work — see Appendix D ]
Action Step 1 .4 .3 :Educate service providers and agencies on the importance o fusing a Housing First model . Provide ongoing staff training and develop a pee rsupport network to support consistent implementation . Assist agencies in makin gnecessary changes to streamline the process to and prerequisites for accessin ghousing. Look at redirecting services and treatment funds to support the conversio nto Housing First . [See Action Steps 2 .1 .5, 2 .2 .2, 3 .1 .7 & 4 .4 .2 ]
Action Step 1 .4 .4 :Educate the general public about the effectiveness of, cos tbenefits of, and need for a Housing First approach in order to build support for th epolicy and programs . This should be carried out as part of the overall county Publi cCommunication effort on homelessness . [See Action Step 4 .2 .3]
Expected Outcome s
•Rapid access to housing by homeless people with health, mental health an daddiction disorder s•Improved residential stability, health and well-being for the target populatio n•Reduced costs to emergency services due to access to housing and service s•Public support for Housing First approach
•
Path to a Home October 2008 24
.Strategy 1 .5 :GENERATE MORE SHORT-TERM AND SHALLOW SUBSIDIES THA THELP PEOPLE REGAIN AND MAINTAIN HOUSING .
Action Step 1 .5 .1 :Implement a system of housing vouchers, both tenant-base d
rental subsidies and project-based subsidies to support development . Tenant-base d
subsidies should be designed to be immediately accessible in times of urgency .
Action Step 1 .5 .2 :Create a substantial, new funding pool from which servic e
providers can provide rental and very low income household mortgage assistance t o
people at immediate risk of homelessness and deposit guarantees and initial move -
in costs to homeless clients reentering housing . [See Action Steps 1 .6 .1 & 2 .5 .1 ]
Expected Outcome s
• At-risk households are able to maintain housing and avoid homelessnes s• Homeless households quickly re-access housing through rental and other housin g–related assistanc e
•Strategy 1 .6 :FACILITATE AND STREAMLINE ACCESS TO HOUSING AN D
HOUSING SUPPORTS BY PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS OR AT-RISK .
Action Step 1 .6 .1 :Create from existing agencies regional Basic Housing Assistanc e
Centers to help people access housing and housing-related services . Thes e
designated Centers should serve people who are homeless, in shelters, transitiona lhousing or on the streets ; people who are discharging from hospitals, foster care ,
the corrections systems and other residential/custodial facilities ; and people who ar eat-risk of homelessness due to eviction from current housing . They should :
Maintain a database of affordable units and current availability .
Allocate housing assistance funds, including rental and very low incom e
household mortgage assistance funds, deposit guarantees, and move-i n
costs, and manage the first-time homebuyer program . [See Action Step s1.5 .2 and 2 .5 .1 ]
Forge relationships with landlords to encourage and support them i n
accepting homeless people as tenants . Landlords should be asked to accep t
housing vouchers and to waive credit review reports and housing applicatio n
fees for homeless people .
Path to a Home October 2008 25
Provide a range of services to facilitate successful tenancy, including housin g
skills for tenants, landlord-tenant dispute resolution, a repair fund, and direc t
rent payments to landlords when necessary to support residential stability .
[See Action Step 2 .5 .2 ]
With the Primary Responder network, create a support services plan for eac h
tenant placed in housing that provides linkages with community-base d
services . [See Strategy 3 .1 and Action Steps 2 .1 .3 and 2 .2 .1 ]
Be based at or closely linked with the Community Service Centers . [Se e
Action Step 3 .2 .1 ]
They should be developed in coordination with or by enhancing existin g
housing and social services assistance programs .
Expected Outcome s
•Coordinated access to housing assistance on a regional basi s
•Fewer people become homeless and those homeless regain housing mor e
quickly due to ease of access to needed services
•
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 26
•
•
Path to a Hom e
The San Luis Obispo Countywid e
10 Year Plan to End Homelessnes s
Priority 2 : Stopping Homelessness Before it Start s
through Prevention and Effective Interventio n
"...homelessness should be reframed, and rather than focusing narrowly o n
bouts of outright lack of shelter, should address the broader experienc e
of an imminent or existing housing emergency ."
Dennis P . Culhane and Stephen Metraux in "Rearranging the Deck Chairs or Reallocating the Lifeboats?"'
Effectively ending homelessness requires action not only to help those on the street s
and in shelters back into housing, but also to prevent those at-risk of becomin g
homeless from hitting the streets . Such prevention makes sense on two levels . First, i t
is humane, in that the experience of homelessness is devastating and debilitating ,
disrupting virtually every aspect of people's lives, damaging their physical and emotiona l
health, and interfering with children's education and healthy development . Second, it i s
cost-effective as it is far simpler and cheaper to help people maintain their housing tha n
it is to help them once they are homeless .
According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study o f
homeless prevention programs, the cost of preventing a homeless episode is
one-sixth the average cost of a stay in a shelter .2
The annual cost of an emergency shelter bed is $8,607 3 -- much higher than th e
$6,805 average annual cost of a HUD housing voucher .4
In addition, homelessness is expensive as people who do not have housing an d
supports tend to use costly emergency services, including hospital emergency rooms ,
shelters, mental health crisis services, and substance abuse detox programs . This is
'Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol . 74, No . 1, Winter 2008, p .112 .2 U .S . Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (1990).Homeless
Prevention Programs .[OIG : 07-90-00100]. Washington, DC : Author .
http : //www .o i g . h hs .g ov/oei/reports/oe i-07-90-00100 . pdf9The Lewin Group, 2004 .
15 Sard, B ., Lawrence, P . & Fischer, W . 2005 .Appropriations Shortfall Cuts Funding for 80,000 Housin g
Vouchers this Year:Congress rejected deeper reductions sought by Administrations . Washington, DC :
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities .
Path to a Home October 2008 27
especially true for people who are chronically homeless and suffering from health,•mental health and addiction disorders .
A major study of homeless people with severe mental illnesses found that eachused an average of $40,451 worth of publicly-funded services per year,includin g
health and mental health services (86%),emergency shelter (11%) an d
incarceration in state prisons and local jails (3%). When they were placed i n
supportive housing, there was a net reduction of $12,146 in health, correction s
and shelter services use per person per year.5
Path to a Home proposes action on two levels to help prevent individuals and familie sfrom becoming homeless : enhanced discharge planning for people being released fro mpublic institutions and facilities and early intervention to support people in retaining thei rhousing.
Discharge Plannin q
Many people become homeless after release from public institutions (hospitals, menta lhealth facilities, prisons and jails, substance abuse treatment facilities, and the foste rcare system). In addition, once homeless, the likelihood that they will return to thes efacilities is much higher .
In California, 10% of parolees are homeless,and in urban areas, such as Sa n
Francisco and Los Angeles, 30-50% of parolees are homeless .6
In New York City, more than 30% of single adults entering city shelters wer e
recently released from city and state correctional institutions .'
A study in a Florida metropolitan area found that 82% of repeat users of jail wer e
transient or homeless at jail intake .8
In Santa Clara County, a study of frequent users of hospital emergency room s
found that 62% lacked stable housing . 23% were on probation or parole an d
51% had incomes of less than $500/month . Many had a history of mental illnes s
or substance abuse, and 30% had co-occurring mental health and substanc e
abuse disorders .
e Culhane, Dennis P ., Metraux, Stephen and Hadley, Trevor . (2002). Public Service Reduction s
Associated With Placement of Homeless Persons With Severe Mental Illness in Supportive Housing .
Housing Policy Debate Vol 13, Issue 1, pp 107-163 . Fannie Mae Foundation .8 California Department of Corrections,Prevention Parolee Failure Program : An Evaluation (Sacramento :
California Department of Corrections, 1997).
NYC Department of Homeless Services, "Summary of DOC/DHS Data Match" (draft of data analysi s
submitted for review as part of the New York City Department of Correction and Department of Homeles s
Services Discharge Planning Initiative, January 22, 2004).
8 Ford, M .C ., "Frequent Fliers — High demand Users of Local Corrections ."American Jails 19(3):18, 2005 .
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 28
In San Luis Obispo county, it is estimated that over 55 people exit public institutions an d
facilities into homelessness each month . While some discharge planning is happening ,
more resources and coordination are needed to ensure that all people exiting thes e
facilities are linked with appropriate housing and support services so they can avoi d
homelessness .
Institution # of Homeless People Exitin g
County Jail 10/mont h
Mental Health Facilities 10/mont h
Substance Abus e
Treatment Facilities
10—30/mont h
Youth 18-25 years old 25-40/mont h
Hospitals, Inpatient 80/yea r
Emergency Room Constant cycling in and out
Path to a Home recommends enhancing current discharge planning efforts and makin g
housing status a central focus for all exit planning .
•In the corrections system, this means providing housing-focused discharg e
planning for inmates assessed as homeless or at-risk and initiating suppor t
services during incarceration to prepare for release . It also means developin g
.diversion strategies so that homeless people who commit petty crimes are linke d
with housing and services to address their needs and reduce likelihood of futur e
involvement with law enforcement .
•For hospitals, mental health facilities and substance abuse treatment programs ,
this means designating staff to conduct housing-focused discharge planning an d
supporting them in this role through training and care management meetings . I t
also means developing medical respite beds for people who are medically fragil e
and not able to enter permanent housing .
•For the foster care system, this means providing discharge planning that focuse s
on housing and acquisition of life skills needed to achieve independence an d
increasing the supply of specialized youth housing .
•In addition,Path to a Home also recommends the creation of an overal l
countywide Discharge/Transition Team to support the discharge efforts of eac h
system .
Path to a Home October 2008 2 9
Discharge Planning Success Storie s
Maryland's Shelter Plus Care program, which provides renta l
subsidies, case management and support services to persons wit h
serious mental illness coming from jails, has achieved low rates of bot h
recidivism to jail and homelessness . Less than 7% of clients return to
jail and less than 1% become homeless .9
The Thresholds Jail Program in Cook County, Illinois, which assist s
people with mental illnesses who are released from jail in accessin g
housing, mental health services, entitlements and a host of other socia l
services through Assertive Community Treatment, has resulted in a n
82% drop in the number of days clients spend in jail . For the first thirt y
clients who completed one year of the program, savings are estimate d
at $157,640 .1 0
Early Interventio n
In 2006, 13 .6% of San Luis Obispo county residents wer e
living below the poverty line .11 This is almost 35,000 1 2
people whose low incomes put them at-risk o f
homelessness in the face of an unexpected emergency ,
such as job loss, eviction, or a health crisis . Currently, 1 2
programs in the county provide eviction prevention / renta l
assistance services, but they are only able to serve a
portion of the demand .
Path to a Home recommends increasing the resource s
available to prevent housing loss, including creation of a
pool of resources that can be used to cover rent an d
mortgage payments for low income households at-risk o f
losing their housing ; hiring crisis workers to work wit h
these households to help them regain financial an d
housing stability ; and creating a countywide Suppor t
Services Coordinator to oversee services linked wit h
9 Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 2003 .How States Can Us e
SAMHSA Block Grants to Support Services to People Who are Homeless .
10 Dincin, J . et al . "Preventing Re-Arrests of Mentally III Persons Released from Jail", Thresholds Jai lProgram Study, 2007 . http ://www .thresholds .org/jailtables .as p" 2006 Community Survey .
12 Based on 2006 US Census Bureau population estimate for San Luis Obispo County .http :I/quickfacts .census .gov/qfd/states/06/06079 .html
San Luis Obispo County
Eviction Prevention /Renta l
Assistance Program s
1.SLO County Departmen t
of Social Service s
2.People's Kitche n
3.Salvation Arm y
4.EOCSL O
5.ECH O
6.AIDS Support Networ k
7.Catholic Charitie s
8.Green Pasture s
9.Housing Authority of SL O
City
10.St . Vincent De Pau l
Societ y
it Transitional Food &
Shelter Progra m
12 . TMHA
Path to a Home October 2008 30
• housing .
Early Intervention Success Storie s
The Transitions to Housing Program in Portland, Oregon has provided shor t
term emergency rental assistance to over 1,300 individuals and families wh o
are newly housed after homelessness or at-risk of becoming homelessness .
Twelve-month estimates show that 71 percent of households retaine d
permanent housing free of rent assistance, and the latest figures show tha t
households, on average, have increased their monthly income by almost 3 5
percent .1 3
Mediation with landlords under the auspices of housing court preserve d
housing for up to 85% of single adults with serious mental illness facin g
eviction in the Western Massachusetts Tenancy Preservation Project .
Compared to the housing outcomes of similar people who were waitlisted bu t
did not receive services, this project cut the proportion becoming homeless b y
at least one-third .14
Finally,Path to a Home recommends that government agencies and community-base d
organizations with public contracts align their efforts with the countywide goal of
preventing and ending homelessness . One approach for achieving this alignment coul d
be through the creation of performance mandates linked with budgeting an d
development of a data system to track program and client outcomes .
13 National Alliance to End Homelessness, "A New Vision : What is in Community Plans to En d
Homelessness?", November 2006,p .27 .
74 Burt, M, Pearson, C and Montgomery, AE . Community-Wide Strategies for Preventing Homelessness :
Recent Evidence, J Primary Prevent (2007)28 :213-228, p .219 .
Path to a Home October 2008 31
•
The strategies and action steps outlined in the following pages are suggestion s
for how County, City and Community partners can improve the effectiveness o f
the county's approach to homelessness . They were developed through a
countywide planning process and represent the strong consensus of th e
Leadership Council and the Prevention and Discharge Planning Committee o n
how San Luis Obispo county can best achieve its goal of ending homelessnes s
in ten years .
Strategy 2 .1 :CONDUCT HOUSING FOCUSED DISCHARGE PLANNING FO R
PEOPLE EXITING JAILS AND PRISONS IN ORDER TO PREVEN T
HOMELESSNESS AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM .
Action Step 2 .1 .1 :Develop and implement a comprehensive assessment tool tha t
will identify people who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness . Assessment
should include questions about housing options available upon discharge as well a s
other issues related to the individual's ability to maintain housing, includin g
employment, eligibility for benefits ; family relationship status ; and existence o f
health, mental health and/or drug and alcohol abuse disorders . The assessmen t
tool can be structured so that when a certain percentage of trigger factors are noted ,
the individual is automatically referred to assistance in linking with housing .
•Designate staff who will conduct the assessments . This could be by creatin g
and hiring for a new staff position or by expanding an existing position to fulfil l
this function .
•Develop protocols for using the tool and organize trainings with staff who wil l
conduct the assessments .
Assess all prisoners upon entry to county jail, including before transfer t o
state prison .
•As the release data approaches, use assessment information to guid e
discharge planning .
•The existence of a case plan and identified housing can be a factor fo r
consideration by county probation board .
•
Path to a Home October 2008 32
•Action Step 2 .1 .2 :Develop necessary systems to store assessment data an d
provide access to information as the release date approaches and discharg e
planning is initiated . [See Action Steps 2 .6 .2, 3 .1 .2 & 4 .3 .1 ]
• Consider data synchronicity with the California Outcomes Measuremen t
System (CaIOMS) to be sure information collected can be cross-compared .
(See Appendix E )
Action Step 2 .1 .3 :Conduct discharge planning focused on housing for al l
discharging prisoners identified in the assessment as homeless or at-risk .
•For state prison system releases, build on the existing PACT and Forensic s
Coordination Team work now underway, adding a specific emphasis o n
housing for those without stable housing options upon discharge .
•For local jail releases, create a local parallel program that builds upon th e
state models, such as the new ReEntry Teams being launched by the Menta l
Health Department and the Sheriff and make housing a core emphasis .
•All discharge planning efforts should include : identification of specific housin g
.opportunities, both short and long term ; linkage with needed support service s
and benefits ; and pre-release matching with a community-based agency t o
facilitate the transition to the community .
•While short term jail stays do not allow for extensive discharge planning ,
people who are homeless or at-risk should be offered assistance, includin g
signing up for agency meetings . An accountability mechanism should be buil t
in to assure follow through .
•Discharge planning should be conducted in coordination with the Primar y
Responders [See Strategy 3 .1] and Basic Housing Assistance Centers [Se e
Action Step 1 .6 .1 ] for linkage with housing .
Action Step 2 .1 .4 :Initiate services to prepare for and facilitate discharge whil e
inmates are still serving their sentence . Utilize the help of volunteers and faith -
based organizations to provide assistance, including mentoring, working wit h
inmates to develop individualized re-entry plans, and offering services to prepare fo r
release .
•Arrange for inmates to take classes on resources for re-entry, collaborativel y
make detailed housing and financial plans, prioritize meeting rehab needs ,
•
and conduct skills training .
Path to a Home October 2008 33
•
•Assist inmates in obtaining necessary identification so that they have it upo n
release . Consider creation of a temporary County identification card that ca n
be used immediately upon release until permanent identification is obtained .
(See Appendix E )
Assist inmates in applying for benefits pre-release so that they have them a t
discharge . Implement benefits suspension for those incarcerated, with re -
activation completed as part of re-entry process .
Action Step 2 .1 .5 ;Educate prison/jail staff, especially parole and probation officers ,
on the importance of housing focused re-entry support services . [See Action Step s
1 .4 .3, 2 .2 .2, 3 .1 .7 & 4 .4 .2 ]
•Consider using the "day in the life" experiential training process, as part o f
employee orientation and annual training .
•Explore feasibility of adding staff training to the San Luis Obispo Coasta l
Unified School District contract for life skills training .
Action Step 2 .1 .6 :Divert homeless people arrested for "quality of life crimes" (suc h
as sleeping in public areas, public urination, public inebriation, etc .) from the crimina l
justice system to case managed programs and housing . [See Appendix E ,
California's AB 2034 program and San Diego's Serial Inebriate's program .]
•Create diversion opportunity or specialized programs, such as homeles s
courts that understand and appreciate the unique needs and life
circumstances of homeless people . [See Appendix E ]
•Coordinate agencies involved (law enforcement, probation, District Attorney ,
Public Defender, Health Department) to provide the housing and service s
people need to avoid re-arrest and homelessness .
Expected Outcome s
•Elimination of releases into homelessness by the Corrections Syste m
•Reduced recidivism by people who are homeless or at-ris k
•Identification of people who are homeless or at-risk upon entry to jail or prison ,
and linkage with needed services during incarceration and with housing an dservices upon discharg e
•Better preparation of inmates to re-enter the community and achieve housin g
stability and maximum self-sufficiency
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 34
• STRATEGY 2 .2 :CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE, HOUSING FOCUSED DISCHARG EPLANNING FOR PEOPLE EXITING HOSPITALS, MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES ,AND ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG TREATMENT CENTERS IN ORDER T OPREVENT HOMELESSNESS .
Action Step 2 .2 .1 :Designate staff, such as nurse case managers, at all health -related facilities, including hospitals and mental health and alcohol and other dru gtreatment facilities, to execute routine client discharge plans with a housing focus .
•Discharge plans should include identification of specific housing opportunities ,both short and long-term and linkage with needed support services an dbenefits.
•The facility discharge planner should coordinate the discharge plans and lin kclients to their previous or current case manager at Primary Responder o rCommunity Safety Net agencies, if any, and with the county Basic Housin gAssistance Centers which will ensure appropriate housing placement an dlinkage with needed services . [See Strategy 3 .1 and Action Step 1 .6 .1 ]
•Action Step 2 .2 .2 :Support coordination of all the health facility discharge planner sthrough regular staff orientations, trainings, and care management meetings . [Se eAction Steps 1 .4 .3, 2 .1 .5, 3 .1 .7 & 4 .4 .2]
Action Step 2 .2 .3 :Create more comprehensive medical respite beds for those bein gdischarged from hospitals and mental health facilities who are not returning t opermanent housing . Include small apartments where people can pay 20% of thei rincome for rent .
Action Step 2 .2 .4 :Identify and secure the funding to support the discharge plannin gand related services and housing .
Advocate for the re-institution of AB 2034 as a funding stream to supportthese activities .
•Examine the dollars currently spent on the medically fragile, and investigat ewhere money could be saved if cost efficient discharge plans wer eimplemented. [See Action Steps 1 .1 .6, 2 .4 .2 & 4 .2 .5 .]
•Target Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) resources to support housin gfocused transition planning, treatment, respite beds, services and permanen thousing.
Path to a Home October 2008 35
Expected Outcomes
•Elimination of discharges to homelessness by health-related facilitie s
•Creation of medical respite and hospice beds for people who are medically fragil e
and without other appropriate housing option s
•Reduced recycling between health-related facilities and homelessness
•Reduced inappropriate use of emergency and crisis service s
Strategy 2 .3 :CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE, HOUSING FOCUSED DISCHARG E
PLANNING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE EXITING THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM I N
ORDER TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS .
Action Step 2 .3 .1 :For youth about to emancipate, age out, be discharged, o r
otherwise exit the foster care system or Juvenile Hall, create and implemen t
discharge planning that focuses on housing and life skills training . The social worke r
discharge/transition planner should coordinate the transition plan (aka Independen t
Living Program Plan), linking to any previous or current case manager a youth ma y
have .
Strengthen, support, and expand upon the ability of the TAY (transition ag e
youth -- 18-24 yrs) system, by dedicating housing units for them and adaptin g
the Basic Housing Assistance Centers to meet their needs . [See Action Ste p
1 .6 .1 ]
Form linkages to local colleges to orient this population to educationa l
opportunity . Work with workforce investment programs to target thi s
population .
•Develop mentoring program, provide life skills training and support for step s
to independence .
•Ensure that youth are linked with any benefits for which they are eligible .
Action Step 2 .3 .2 :Secure state and other funds to develop housing for thi s
population . Continue participation in California's Transitional Housing Placemen t
(THP)-PLUS program in an effort to increase the number of young adults served .
Action Step 2 .3 .3 :Develop housing assessments and interventions as needed fo r
young people at the continuation high school .
Path to a Home October 2008 36
•
Strategy 2 .4 :CREATE AN OVERALL DISCHARGE/ TRANSITION COORDINATO RTO SUPPORT AND COORDINATE THE DISCHARGE EFFORTS OF EACH SYSTE M(CORRECTIONS, HEALTH-RELATED PROGRAMS AND FOSTER CARE).
Action Step 2 .4 .1 :Create a central discharge or transition coordinator to facilitat emonthly case conferencing meetings involving discharge planning staff of eac hsystem and Primary Responders providing community-based care to people wh ohave been or are being discharged . Case conferencing meetings should facilitat e•identification of mutual clients and care coordination, including collaborativ edevelopment of post-discharge continuity of care plans that comprehensivel yaddress housing, income and other services needed to ensure stability . In addition ,case conferencing meetings should provide opportunities to problem solve, shar esuccessful strategies and identify common system level barriers to be addressed .
Action Step 2 .4 .2 :Collect data on "frequent users" of these systems to demonstrat ecost-savings from provision of supportive housing to these clients . [See Actio nSteps 1 .1 .6, 2 .2 .4 & 4 .2 .5]
Expected Outcome s
•Elimination of discharges to homelessness from publically-funded institutions an dfacilities•Reduction of recycling between the streets and these institutions and facilities
Expected Outcome s
•Elimination of discharges to homelessness from the foster care syste m•Development of special housing to help youth make the transition t oindependence after foster care•Increase in number of youth exiting the foster care system who are able t oachieve self-sufficiency and take their place in societ y•Reduction in number of people who are homeless or at-risk with foster car ehistory
Path to a Home October 2008 37
Strategy 2 .5 :CREATE EVICTION INTERVENTION STRATEGIES TO STO P
HOMELESSNESS .
Action Step 2 .5 .1 :Develop a pool of eviction intervention resources that can b e
used to meet rent or extremely low income household mortgage payments fo r
individuals and families who are at risk of being evicted from their homes int o
homelessness . [See Action Steps 1 .5 .2 & 1 .6 .1 ]
•Significantly expand the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA )
resources to meet the need for prevention .
•Provide support services along with any rental and mortgage assistance ,
including overall assessment, landlord mediation, behavior-related evictio n
defense, case management, and skills training in order to prevent a simila r
recurrence of homelessness vulnerability .
•Attach an information sheet regarding this resource to eviction notices, an d
put information sheets in places where needy clients can see the information .
Action Step 2 .5 .2 :Hire and train crisis workers to work with extremely low incom e
individuals and families who are at risk of becoming homeless owing to eviction .
Assist them to remedy not only the immediate crisis, but also help to avoid furthe r
incidents by cultivating continuity in the client-case worker relationship, providin g
assistance in developing peer networks, and offering life skills training, treatment ,
medications management, education and employment opportunity . [See Actio n
Step 1 .6 .1 ]
Action Step 2 .5 .3 :Create Support Services Coordinator positions to ensure tha t
housing units for people who are homeless or at-risk are linked with the services th e
tenants need to achieve stability and maintain their housing . These positions can b e
supported by landlords as they help ensure stable, rent paying tenants . Fo r
landlords, with a large number of units in their portfolio, the position can be in-house .
[See Action Step 1 .1 .3] Affordable Housing Developers, Community Servic e
Agencies, and Department of Social Services may serve as venues for thes e
positions .
•
Expected Outcome s
•Homelessness prevented for households who are at-risk of losing their housing
S
Path to a Home October 2008 38
•Strategy 2 .6 :CREATE PERFORMANCE MANDATES TO SUPPORT NE WCOUNTYWIDE POLICY FOCUS OF KEEPING PEOPLE HOUSED AND/OR GETTIN GTHEM QUICKLY RE-HOUSED .
Action Step 2 .6 .1 :Create performance mandates on preventing and endin ghomelessness that are linked with local government department budgets and wit hdepartment contracts with community-based organizations . [See Action Steps 1 .2 .1 ,3 .1 .1 & 4 .3 .2 ]
Action Step 2 .6 .2 :Put in a data system to track results in preventing and endin ghomelessness. [See Action Steps 2 .1 .2, 3 .1 .2 & 4 .3 .1 ]
Expected Outcome s
• County programs align with policy focus of preventing and ending homelessnes s
•
Path to a Home October 2008 39
Path to a Hom e
The San Luis Obispo Countywid e
10 Year Plan to End Homelessnes s
Priority 3 : Ending and Preventing Homelessnes s
through Integrated, Comprehensive, Responsiv e
Supportive Service s
Access to services is an essential component both of regaining residential stability afte r
homelessness and of avoiding homelessness in the first place . Many people who are
homeless, particularly those who are chronically homeless, have multiple needs i n
addition to their need for housing . Helping them to exit homelessness for the long ter m
requires not only assisting them in accessing housing, but also supporting them i n
obtaining the services they need to obtain ongoing health and stability . Likewise ,
people who are at-risk of losing their housing may be able to avoid homelessness if the y
can access assistance to address the crisis they are facing . The types of services
needed varies, depending on the specifics of each situation, but may include healt h
care, mental health services, alcohol and other drug treatment, rental assistance ,
education and job training, benefits advocacy, employment services, child care, and/o r
life skills .
Accessible, Comprehensive & Coordinated Car e
In order to be most effective, service provision should be accessible, comprehensive
and coordinated . This requires an integrated system of care, structured so tha t
individuals in need can enter the system at any point and still be assessed and referre d
to the full range of assistance they need . This ensures not only ease of access an d
comprehensiveness of care, but it also facilitates coordination so that services ar e
delivered in a manner that maximizes their effectiveness and minimizes unnecessar y
duplication . Key components of an integrated system of care include structures ,
policies and procedures that facilitate inter-agency communication and collaboration i n
meeting client needs, such as a single case plan, uniform assessment and dat a
collection instruments, inter-agency case conferencing, and common performance
standards and evaluation mechanisms .
Such integration in service provision has been found to produce positive clien t
outcomes :
A study of two supportive housing projects using inter-agency integrated servic e
teams found high rates of residential stability, with 81% of clients remaining in
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 40
their housing for a year and 62% for two years . In addition, after one year, clien t
use of emergency rooms fell by 58%; use of hospital inpatient beds fell by 57%;
and use of residential mental health programs disappeared !
The evaluation of the ACCESS (Access to Community Care and Effective
Services and Supports) demonstration program concluded that systems that ar e
better integrated have significantly better client housing outcomes .2
An evaluation that looked at nine National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcoho l
Abuse (NIAAA) demonstration projects to foster increased cooperation amon g
alcohol treatment, drug treatment, and housing and other supportive services ,
found that individuals served in sites with more inter-program cooperation and
formal linkages were significantly more likely to report improvement tha n
comparison clients in most other sites .3
In San Luis Obispo county, integration and coordination of service provision i s
underway through the Family Resource Centers 4 .
Path to a Home recommends the establishment of comprehensive, integrated an d
flexible system of care to meet the needs of people who are homeless and at-risk . To
do this, it suggests :
•▪Establishing common standards of care across agencies, the creation of a
single data system and systemwide staff training .
•Use of a single case plan for clients and improved interagency communicatio n
about clients, including regional case conferencing teams .
•Funding outreach workers throughout the county to facilitate and encourag e
access to care by people who are chronically homeless and outside of th e
service system .
1 Proscio, Tony . (2000). "Supportive Housing and Its Impact on the Public Health Crisis o f
Homelessness", Corporation for Supportive Housing . pp . 7 and 15-18 .2 Goldman, H .H .; Morrissey, J .P .; Rosenheck, R .A .; Cocozza, J .; Blasinsky, M .; Randolph, F .; and th e
ACCESS National Evaluation Team .Lessons From the Evaluation of the ACCESS Program.Psychiatri c
Services, August 2002 Vol . 53 No . 8, pp . 967-969 . http ://psychservices .psychiatryonline .org
3 Orwin, R . G ., Goldman, H . H ., Sonnefeld, L . J ., Ridgely, M . S ., Garrison-Mogren, R ., & O'Neill, E .
(1994). Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment of Homeless Individuals : Results From the NIAAA Communit y
Demonstration Program .Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 5(4):326-352 .
° The SAFE Family Resource Centers are collaboratively staffed from DSS, Probation, the Health Agency
(Drug & Alcohol, public health, mental health), EOC (our local anti-poverty agency), school districts an d
local non-profits such as the Literacy Council or Hospice (depending on the community). Some agencies
such as the Regional Center have parent resource centers also, as do some schools . Working wit h
parent shared leadership principles there is also some development of more generic community resource
centers but as far as I know there are no physical locations at this time . The intention is to integrate or at
least coordinate all of the abov e
Path to a Home October 2008 4 1
•
•
• Creation of four regional Community Service Centers to provide centralize d
access to a broad range of services .
Integrated Services Success Stor y
California's AB 2034 Program provided comprehensive services to adults wit h
serious mental illness who were homeless, recently released from a county jail o r
state prison, or at significant risk of incarceration or homelessness unless provided
with treatment . Meeting the multiple needs of this client population require d
integration of services within and across agencies, including outreach, supportiv e
housing and other housing assistance, employment, substance abuse, menta l
health and health care services .
AB 2034 outcomes include :
•Reduction in Prison and Jail Incarceration :number of client s
incarcerated decreased 58 .3%, number of incarcerations decrease d
45 .9%, and the number of incarceration days decreased 72 .1 %
•Decreased Homelessness :overall number of homeless day s
experienced by clients decreased by 67 .3 %
•Decreased Hospital Use :number of clients hospitalized decrease d
42 .3%, hospital admissions decreased 28 .4%, and the number o f
hospital days decreased 55 .8 %
•Increased Income Levels :number of SSI recipients increased b y
93 .1% and the number of people receiving wages from employmen t
increased by 279 .8%5 *
Community Participatio n
Homelessness represents a serious tear in the fabric of our communities in which som e
members fall through the cracks, not receiving the support and assistance they need t o
take their place or maintain their place as productive and participating members .
Repairing this rip requires communitywide support and participation . To this end,Path
to a Home recommends actions to facilitate community involvement and understanding ,
including community meetings, organizing volunteers and use of media to both recrui t
support and educate the community .
5 Effectiveness of Integrated Services for Homeless Adults with Serious Mental Illness, Report to th e
Legislature 2003 . California Department of Mental Health, Stephen W . Mayberg, Ph .D . Director. Ma y
2003 . pp . 9-13 .www .dmh .cahwnet .gov/AOAPP/Int Services/docs/Leg Report 2003 .pdf
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 42
Employment & Volunteeris m
Employment is an important aspect of preventing and ending homelessness as i t
provides an income stream allowing people to obtain housing and meet other needs .
Jobs as well as volunteer work are important as they provide people with a sense o f
purpose and value, offering opportunities to make a contribution to the community . Th e
enhanced sense of self-worth that comes from this is a crucial source of motivation fo r
making the changes necessary to achieve long-term health and stability .
Employment services have been shown to be effective in helping people who ar e
homeless to access employment, even those with serious barriers to employment .
Studies document that clients, even those with histories of homelessness an d
disability, who receive employment services as part of an integrated package of
care are able to access employment 6
Analysis of data from the ACCESS demonstration program suggests that use o f
vocational services is significantly associated with increased likelihood of pai d
employment ?In addition, receipt of vocational and rehabilitation service s
delivered through case management has been found to be associated with a
lower probability of shelter reentry after termination of ACCESS services .8
Path to a Home recommends actions to enhance access to employment and voluntee r
work by people who are homeless or at-risk through the creation of comprehensiv e
work training programs, including job mentoring / job shadowing programs and th e
development of a database of employment and volunteer opportunities . It als o
recommends the development of profit-generating microenterprises to provide bot h
employment and training opportunities for homeless people and income generation t o
support the work of key agencies in the system of care .
6 Cook, J .A ., Pickett-Schenk, S .A ., Grey, D ., Banghart, M ., Rosenheck, R ., and Randolph, F . Vocationa l
outcomes among formerly homeless individuals with severe mental illness in the ACCESS program .
Psychiatric Services 52(8):1075-1080, 2001 and Trutko, J .W ., Barnow, B .S ., Kessler-Beck, S ., et at .
Employment and Training for America's Homeless : Final Report of the Job Training for the Homeles s
Demonstration Program . Washington, DC : U .S . Department of Labor, 1997 .
Pickett-Shenk et al (2002) Employment history of homeless persons with mental illness, Communit y
Mental Health Journal, 38(3):199-211 .6 Nin, Wong and Rothbard . Outcomes of shelter use among homeless adults with serious mental illness .
Psychiatric Services, 56 :172-178, 2005 .
Path to a Home October 2008 43
•
Employment Services Success Stor y
In New York City, The Doe Fund's, Ready Willing and Able employment progra m
assists homeless people to secure housing and personal stability throug h
employment . 56% of all clients who completed the program obtained employment ,
either outside the Doe Fund or within it . 86% of the employed clients kept their job s
for at least 90 days, 57% for at least one year and 44% for two years .9
Enhanced Access to Benefit s
Some people who are homeless are unable to access employment due to seriou s
disabilities . For them, access to benefits is a means to obtain housing and maximiz e
their self-sufficiency . Unfortunately, many of those eligible for benefits do not acces s
them due to lack of information, difficulties in filing applications and other problems .
Benefits advocacy programs have been shown to increase access to entitlemen t
programs, and receipt of benefits to improve client quality of life .
The federal SOAR (SSl/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery) Project's trainin g
and technical assistance in 24 states and the County of Los Angeles hav e
dramatically improved homeless access to this important benefit . SSl/SSDI
application approval rates increased from 10-15% to 49-100% and the length of
time for an application decision decreased from an average of more than 12 0
days to an average of less than 96 days . In addition, fewer follow-up consultativ e
exams are being requested by DDS, evidence of better disability documentatio n
in the applications .1 0
A study of mentally-ill homeless veterans who applied for SS/ or SSDI found tha t
three months after the award decisions, those awarded benefits had significantly
higher incomes and reported higher quality of life . They spent more on housing ,
food, clothing, transportation and tobacco products, but not on alcohol or illega l
drugs.1 1
9 The Doe Fund, Inc.'s Ready, Willing and Able Program Client Profile and Outcomes 1999 — 2001 .Prepared March 2003 by Mika'il DeVeaux of Philliber Research Associates .hftp ://wvvw .doe .org/programslprogram_eval .cf m
1°Preliminary Outcomes from the SOAR Technical Assistance Initiative ,
http ://vvvvw .prainc.com/SOAR/about/SOARPreliminaryOutcomes .pdf
Long, D, Rio, J and Rosen, J .Employment and Income Supports for Homeless People .Discussio nDraft for the 2007 National Symposium on Homelessness Research . pp . 21-22 .•
Path to a Home October 2008 44
•
Path to a Home recommends actions to increase homeless access to benefi t
programs, including development of partnerships between service provider agencie s
and benefits programs, outstationing of eligibility staff at the Community Service s
Centers and fast-tracking of SSI/SSDI applications using national models such a s
SOAR .
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 45
•
The strategies and action steps outlined in the following pages are suggestion s
for how County, City and Community partners can improve the effectiveness o f
the county's approach to homelessness . They were developed through a
countywide planning process and represent the strong consensus of th e
Leadership Council and the Supportive Services Committee on how San Lui s
Obispo county can best achieve its goal of ending homelessness in ten years .
Strategy 3 .1 :CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE, INTEGRATED, FLEXIBLE SYSTEM O F
CARE WHICH OFFERS EFFECTIVE AND COORDINATED CARE TO THOSE I N
NEED .
The comprehensive system of care will be comprised of "Primary Responders"an d
"Community Safety Net" Agencies .ONE client-centered case plan will be develope d
that coordinates care by all agencies serving the client . This will include a clinica l
assessment and evaluation . [See Action Steps 1 .6 .1, 2 .1 .3, 2 .2 .1, 3 .4 .1, 3 .5 .1 and 3 .6 .1 ]
Primary Responders are those whose principal business is responding to housing ,
services, and treatment needs of extremely low income people, including those wh obecome homeless . They typically include emergency shelters, day centers, th e
Housing Authorities, the Department of Social Services, Health Department, Healt h
Care for the Homeless, Family Resource Centers and Outreach workers, and non profi thousing providers . Primary responders reach out to engage the homeless populatio n
and those at immediate risk, assessing needs and creating individual action plans .
Community Safety Net Agencies provide assistance to a much broader range of people ,
but routinely include homeless people . These include the emergency rooms, hospitals ,
alcohol and drug treatment programs, schools and food pantries . Community Safety
Net Agencies should participate in contributing information on needs, developing th eaction plan, and reporting on progress .
Regular case conferencing on individuals and families who are homeless should b econvened, to assure progress . For Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Ac t
(HIPAA) purposes, both groups of agencies may be legally permitted to participat e
pursuant to the client's informed consent, a business associates agreement or as a
multidisciplinary team under Welfare and Institutions Code section 10850 .1 .
It is recommended that the development of a comprehensive system of care take plac e
in phases, with the first phase (Years 1-3) focused on launching a pilot of coordinate dcare for people who are chronically homeless . As such, the following action step s
should be implemented in Years 1-3 with a focus on the chronic homeless sub -population . In subsequent years, the focus should expand to include other sub -populations to be served in the system of care .
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 46
•
•
•
Action Step 3 .1 .1 :For each County Department in contact with people who ar e
homeless or at-risk, establish standards of care to use in carrying out work unde r
this Plan and participating in the overall system of care . Involve homeless people i n
the development of the standards . [See Action Steps 1 .2 .1, 2 .6 .1 & 4 .3 .2]
Develop common standards for case management for all agencies in th e
system of care . Create a certificate program in case management at th e
CAL Poly continuing education center .
Action Step 3 .1 .2 :Create a single data system to support the new coordinate d
system of care .
•Streamline administrative paperwork for reporting data and outcomes ,
identify common data elements to be collected, and establish share d
standards and definitions for all participating agencies . [See Action Step s
2 .1 .2, 2 .6 .2 & 4 .3 .1 ]
•Create capacity for web-based case-conferencing (like Child Protectiv e
Services model).
Action Step 3 .1 .3 :Create an interactive system of communication that can be use d
by shelters, multi-service centers and other programs to communicate regardin g
clients appointments, schedules, and transportation needs, in an effort to ensure tha t
clients attend their appointments .
Action Step 3 .1 .4 :Create a "Homeless Case Management Brain Trust" to develop a
triage mechanism to ensure that those with the greatest or most severe needs ge t
immediate assistance .
Action Step 3 .1 .5 :Create case management case conferencing teams in each o f
the 4 primary geographic regions (North, South, SLO City, Coastal) of the county ,
with the Primary Responder agencies (above). Participation in the cas e
conferencing teams should be directly by Department or Agency heads or b y
designated staff with decision-making authority, so that solutions can be identifie d
and implemented at these sessions .
Action Step 3 .1 .6 :Develop a single case plan for each client, addressing the ful l
range of housing and services needed .
Path to a Home October 2008 47
Case plans should seek to maintain the involvement of all those alread y
engaged with the client and to create community support networks to support
progress of the individual/family in reaching housing stability . This include s
nurturing ties with friends, family, and commonplace community venue s
(grocery store, church, schools).
Case plans should address the need for life skills, including tenancy skills ,
conflict management, parenting skills, money management and budgeting ,
among others .
Action Step 3 .1 .7 :Offer an annualized staff training series, covering evidence -
based practices, best practices, and emerging and promising practices . Critica l
Time Intervention and Continuous Community Treatment will be model s
underpinning the new system of care, and should be taught in Year 1 . [See Actio n
Steps 1 .4 .3, 2 .1 .5, 2 .2 .2 & 4 .4 .2 ]
Action Step 3 .1 .8 :Re-fund the Adult System of Care Homeless Outreach Projec t
workers, the front line workers of the system of care, with 6 staff regionalized in 5
cities . "Outreach and Engagement Services" are the critical first step to endin g
chronic homelessness . Having sufficient workers to establish relationships wit h
people who are not in touch with services will reconnect people to communit y
agencies, thus facilitating their exit from homelessness . Outreach workers shoul d
function using national evidenced-based practices and promising practices, such a s
Assertive Community Treatment, and the Integrated Services Team model . (Se e
Appendix F)
Expected Outcomes
More effective care provided and greater efficiency in resource utilizatio n
Enhanced inter-agency communication about client car e
People who are homeless connected with housing and service s
Strategy 3 .2 :CENTRALIZE AND STREAMLINE ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE ,
COORDINATED SUPPORT SERVICES .
Action Step 3 .2 .1 :Create four centralized Community Services Centers, one i n
each region of the county, at which people can access a comprehensive range o f
support services in one location . Each Center should include the Primar y
Responders, linkages to the Basic Housing Assistance Centers as well as
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 48
•Community Safety Net Agencies and other agencies offering needed services . [Se e
Action Step 1 .6 .1, 3 .4 .1, 3 .5 .1 and 3 .6 .2 ]
•Centers should be designed to serve as a single point of entry to the syste m
of care, offering an "any door the right door to services" approach .
•Design the Center to serve as a mixed-income Community Services Cente r
that is an asset to the entire community, rather than segregating services fo r
homeless people away from services for the general community . Build upo n
what exists in the 4 geographic areas, working with jurisdictions and existin g
buildings or facilities . Partner with Family Resource Centers and othe r
existing programs to meet the needs of homeless people . Each should b e
unique physically, influenced and designed to fit what is in place, and ma y
include homeless-related services as well as other services needed by th e
general community, such as Detox Centers, sobering stations, drug an d
alcohol treatment, child focused development services, food services, an d
health care . Co-location of key County and community services will facilitate
meeting needs of homeless people .
•Mobile vans can supplement on site services with specialized care .
Action Step 3 .2 .2 :Design a transportation system that will bring county residents i n
need of services to one of the Centers . Work with the Ride-on for buses . (Se e
Appendix F)
Expected Outcome s
1 Accessible, coordinated services for those in nee d
Strategy 3 .3 :GENERATE GREATER COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN TH E
PROVISION OF COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT SERVICES .
Action Step 3 .3 .1 :Host community meetings at which the general community ,
service providers, homeless people, and those at risk of homelessness ca n
communicate and forge partnerships . This can be based on the Project Homeles s
Connect and Stand Down models (See Appendix F )
Action Step 3 .3 .2 :Establish a way of linking the many county residents who want t o
volunteer into a homeless-response system and mobilizing them to work at al l
Path to a Home October 2008 49
•
agencies . This can be centralized volunteer coordination using the Volunteer SL O
database .
Action Step 3 .3 .3 :Utilize all media including 211, web, radio, print, and publi c
broadcasting stations as a way to recruit volunteers and educate the community a s
to homeless interventions happening in their neighborhood . Link to Sprin g
Homeless Awareness Week at Cal Poly .
STRATEGY 3 .4 :FOSTER EMPLOYMENT, VOLUNTEERISM, AND A SENSE O F
PURPOSE AMONG HOMELESS PEOPLE, AS A CORE INTERVENTION T O
PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNES S
Action Step 3 .4 .1 :Expand or incorporate a comprehensive work-training progra m
for homeless individuals at the Community Services Centers to build confidence an d
skills . Primary Responder agencies should work with the Department o f
Rehabilitation, Vocation Rehabilitation, the One Stop Centers and others for who m
employment is their core focus . [See Action Step 3 .2 .1 and Strategy 3 .1 ]
•Employability assessments should include the impact of earnings on receip tof benefits .
Employment supports should be provided as needed, including child care ,
transportation .
•Preparation for employment may include education and training ; retraining ;
provision of tools and uniforms ; and paying union/apprenticeship fees an dworkers compensation coverage .
•Foster an expectation that everyone is able to contribute to the community ,
either by earning a wage or by volunteering .
•Build upon the work component of existing programs, considering suc h
examples as Growing Grounds Farms, Shoreline Industries, Senior Wor k
Training Programs, and others . (See Appendix E )
Expected Outcome s
Greater resources devoted to addressing homelessnes s
Increased public understanding of homelessness and support for actio n
1
1
•
Path to a Home October 2008 50
•• The Homelessness Governing Body should establish a Workforc eCommittee, and establish a formal relationship with the One Stop Centers .
Action Step 3 .4 .2 :Establish a "temp" employment agency, and target employmen tsectors with potential for growth, such as agriculture .
Action Step 3 .4 .3 :Create a database of all day labor job sites and job placemen tagencies, volunteer work, and community participation activity . Make thi sinformation available to clients .
Action Step 3 .4 .4 :Utilize volunteers to create a job mentoring and/or job shadowin gprogram for homeless people in order to help coach people to next step employmen topportunity. Assist as needed with forms, resumes and paperwork .
Strategy 3 .5 :SUPPORT CREATION OF PROFIT-GENERATING BUSINESSES T OPROVIDE RESOURCES TO HOMELESSNESS "PRIMARY RESPONDER "AGENCIES .
Action Step 3 .5 .1 :Partner retired Business Executive or University Professors wit hHomeless Service Agencies to explore fields of interest and develop business plans .
•Cal Poly Business School seniors could develop the Plans, as could RAMS ,Mission Community Services Corporation, SCORE, and the Economic Vitalit yCorporation.
•Business development could be linked to Primary Responder agencies an dregional Community Services Centers . [See Strategy 3 .1 and Action Ste p
3 .2 .1]
Expected Outcome s
Expected Outcome s
More homeless people achieving economic self-sufficiency and contributing to th ecommunity1
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 51
1 Greater sustainable resources devoted to addressing homelessnes s
STRATEGY 3 .6 :USE MAINSTREAM BENEFITS AND RESOURCES MOR E
EFFECTIVELY IN SUPPORT OF COUNTY GOAL TO END HOMELESSNES S
Action Step 3 .6 .1 :Develop partnerships between homeless Primary Responde r
providers and mainstream benefits provider organizations . [See Strategy 3 .1 ]
• This may include "deputizing" community-based agency staff to do intak e
interviews or preliminary eligibility assessments for benefits . Look at th e
Food Stamps in a Day model (se e
http ://homebaseccc .org/PDFs/More PDFs/Foodstamp%2OReport%20v%204 .Of)and the DVA increased involvement in meeting the needs of homeles s
people model .
Action Step 3 .6 .2 :Outstation intake eligibility staff from mainstream benefit s
programs at homelessness programs and at the Community Services Centers . [See
Action Step 3 .2 .1 ]
Action Step 3 .6 .3 :Facilitate access to SSI/SSDI by providing application assistanc e
and advocacy to help eligible individuals obtain this benefit . Use the emergin g
national models and practices that have successfully raised first-approva l
applications for homeless people above 60%. (See Appendix F )
Expected Outcome s
1 More homeless people accessing the benefits for which they are eligibl e1 Greater housing stability through access to benefit s
Path to a Home October 2008 52
Path to a Hom e
The San Luis Obispo Countywid e
10 Year Plan to End Homelessnes s
Priority 4 . Coordinating A Solid Administrative &
Financial Structure To Support Effective Pla n
Implementatio n
As can be seen in the previous chapters of this Plan, effectively responding to
homelessness requires development of a system of care that offers coordinate d
and seamless access to a comprehensive range of housing and services .
Formation of such a system entails significant integration across mainstream an d
homeless systems and agencies to create new configurations and models o f
service provision that enhance access to assistance, improve the quality an d
• comprehensiveness of care, and promote more efficient use of resources .A
centralized Homelessness Governing Body is needed to both facilitate th e
system change needed to achieve enhanced integration and to provid e
continuing systemwide oversight .
To this end,Path to a Home recommends the creation of a countywid e
collaborative Homelessness Governing Body to administer the county's
integrated systems of care, coordinate efforts to prevent and end homelessness ,
and oversee Plan implementation . It is suggested that the Governing Body b e
based in an existing non-profit entity, which can act as host and fiscal agent, an d
have formal Memoranda of Understandings (MOUs) in place with all public an d
nonprofit agencies involved in the effort to respond to homelessness . Thi s
Governing Body and its committees should evolve from the Leadership Counci l
and committees that developed the Plan . It should have the equivalent of full -
time dedicated staff to support its varied functions .
Implementation of the Plan will require significant resources that should b e
identified and developed in stages . The next three months (July-Septembe r
2008) focus on 1) gaining acceptance for the Plan from elected bodies and 2 )
launching strategic activities called for in the Plan . This second require s
engaging homeless housing and service providers in new ways to work, initiall y
focusing on mainstreaming and coordinating the response to homelessness an d
implementation of a Housing First approach . To this end, agencies should b e
engaged in identifying the changes they need to make in order to align with thes e
Path to a Home October 2008 53
•
two strategies and the resources they will need to support making thes e
changes . Adjustment of the use of existing resources, small investments fro m
local jurisdictions, and aggressive pursuit of state, federal, and private source s
can support moving forward . [See Appendix B for evaluation profiles to be filled
out by agencies .] Based on this information, a detailed budget and timelin e
should be developed for Year 1 of Phase 1 (Years 1-3) of implementation . Actio n
steps should be implemented as funding is secured, redirected from existin g
funding streams or through the development of new federal, state, local an dprivate sector funding . [See "The Map : Implementation Timeline" for descriptio n
of the phases of implementation and the Phase 1 Implementation Chart ,
identifying lead agencies and benchmarks for all action steps .]
To secure the funding needed to implement the Plan,Path to a Hom e
recommends :
•"Spending smarter" by ensuring that existing funding sources are use d
as effectively and efficiently as possible, thereby serving clients bette r
and maximizing positive impacts . Adjust these existing funds to carry
out the Plan . In 2007, San Luis Obispo county spent at least $1,513,47 1
on homeless shelter, housing and services . In addition, anothe r
$848,222 was awarded from HUD Homeless Assistance Gran t
Programs . (See Appendix C )
•Aggressively pursuing additional federal, state, local and private fundin g
opportunities . (See Appendix C for source location s
•Increasing local public and private investment in Plan implementatio n
and addressing homelessness .
•Exploring the development of Social Enterprises and revenue-generatin g
activity within non-profit organizations .
•Documenting and capturing cost-savings in mainstream programs, as i s
feasible, due to reduced use of services by homeless people afte r
implementation of Plan strategies .
In addition, in order to facilitate the ongoing effectiveness of the new system o f
care created through the Ten Year Plan,Path to a Home recommends :
•Collecting data on homelessness and program performance to guid e
planning, program development and funding decisions . This require s
the development of a Homeless Management Information System an d
the establishment of countywide performance standards to trac k
progress in preventing and ending homelessness .
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 54
•Promoting continuous quality improvement through ongoin gincorporation of lessons and best practices and through quarterly stafftrainings.
•
Path to a Home October 2008 55
•
The strategies and action steps outlined in the following pages ar e
suggestions for how County, City and Community partners can improv e
the effectiveness of the county's approach to homelessness . They wer e
developed through a countywide planning process and represent th e
strong consensus of the Leadership Council and the Finance an d
Administration Committee on how San Luis Obispo county can bes t
achieve its goal of ending homelessness in ten years .
Strategy 4 .1 :ESTABLISH A COUNTYWIDE COLLABORATIV E
HOMELESSNESS GOVERNING BODY TO COORDINATE EFFORTS T O
PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS AND OVERSEE PLA N
IMPLEMENTATION .
Action Step 4 .1 .1 :Create a centralized county Homelessness Governin g
Body . It is suggested that it be based in an existing, appropriate non-profi t
entity . As such, a non-profit agency sponsor should be identified to act a s
host and fiscal agent for the Governing Body .
Draft MOUs to define collaborative relationships between th e
Homelessness Governing Body and public and non-profit agencie s
serving people who are homeless or at-risk .
The Homelessness Governing Body should provide oversight for tw o
interconnected sub-regional homeless services systems : 1) San Lui s
Obispo/South County and 2) North County/North Coast . Each sub-
regional homeless system should operate the services and housin g
within its area and engage in fundraising efforts for its programs .
However, all data, outcomes and fundraising information should b e
reported to the countywide Governing Body .
Action Step 4 .1 .2 :Delineate the responsibilities of the Homelessnes s
Governing Body and its members . These should include :
•Providing overall leadership of the effort to prevent and en d
homelessness .
•Development of Annual Work Plan to guide Plan implementation .•Initiation of new projects .
•Establishment of priorities for funding and allocation of resources i n
line with the priorities .
•
Path to a Home October 2008 56
•Facilitating communication, coordination and collaboration betwee n
jurisdictions, governmental departments, providers, homeless peopl e
and advocates .
•Promoting integration of systems to more effectively and efficientl y
address homelessness .
•Implementing and maintaining Housing First model and philosophy .
•Approving contracts for services, treatment, housing as called for in th e
Plan .
•Securing grants, contracts and other resources to assure stability o f
funding to core agencies carrying out the new Plan .
•Promoting the development of affordable housing for people who ar e
homeless and at-risk and identifying funding for both the housing an d
services to be linked to it . [See Action Steps 1 .3 .2 & 4 .1 .5 .]
•Developing a Public Communication effort, working with the media ,
businesses, social and civic organizations, to provide information abou t
the causes of and solutions to homelessness and encourag e
volunteerism and donations to support efforts on homelessness .
[See Action Steps 1 .3 .1, 1 .4 .4 & 4 .2 .3 ]
•Advocacy for federal, state and local policy and funding changes t o
support efforts to effectively address homelessness .
•Overseeing all components of the system of care, includin g
systemwide program evaluation and quality improvemen t
Action Step 4 .1 .3 :Involve representatives from all sectors so th e
Homelessness Governing Body is broad-based and inclusive . Members
should be in positions of responsibility and able to make policy decisions an d
allocate resources .
•Membership could include representatives from :
-County Board of Supervisors, 2 rotating member s
Cities, 3 members rotating among 7 cities
-County Services, 3 members representing the seven cities rotat e
among Public Health, Behavioral Health, Planning, Social Service s
and Veterans Service s
-Non-Profit Service Providers, 3 regional members chosen by th e
Homeless Services Coordinating Counci l
-Affordable Housing Developers, 3 members
Business, 3 member s
-Schools, 1 membe r
Law Enforcement, 1 membe r
Academic, 1 membe r
Path to a Home October 2008 57
•
Action 4 .1 .4 :Adequately staff the Homelessness Governing Body so that i t
can fulfill its leadership functions . Consider 3 full-time staff— 1 Homelessnes s
System Director, 1 Fund/Resource Developer and 1 person overseeing dat a
collection and performance evaluation . Staffing may be contracted out to
existing non-profit sector staff or to consultants . The Homeless Syste m
Director should have standing to interact with all County and City Departmen t
heads .
Action 4 .1 .5 :Form Standing, Ad Hoc and Working Committees as needed t o
carry out the work of the Homelessness Governing Body and implement th e
Plan . Committee membership can be broader than that of the Governin g
Body and should involve key leaders and stakeholders, including Count y
agency staff, business leaders, philanthropists, law enforcement, housing an d
service providers, faith based organizations, community based organizations ,
formerly homeless persons, and consumers .
•HOUSING PRIORITY : The Short Term and Permanent Housin g
Committee should continue with an active role in implementing th e
Housing Priority of the Plan and in promoting the development o f
affordable housing for people who are homeless and at-risk .
•PREVENTION PRIORITY : The Prevention and Discharge Plannin g
Committee should coordinate with the Medically Fragile work group t o
implement the Prevention Priority of the Plan .
•SERVICES PRIORITY : The Homeless Services Coordinating Counci l
(HSCC) should play an active role in implementing the Service s
Priority of the Plan . A Workforce and Business Developmen t
Committee should be created to assist the HSCC with the employmen t
and revenue generating strategies .
•ADMINISTRATION & COORDINATION PRIORITY : The Plan Financ e
and Administration Committee should work as an Executive Committe e
with a Finance Sub-Committee to implement the new infrastructur eneeded to fully implement the Plan .
Co Chairs of each of these Committees should join the Executive Committe eof the Governing Body, along with co-chairs of that body .
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 58
•
Strategy 4 .2 :SUPPORT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION WITH DEDICATE D
REVENUE FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES .
Action Step 4 .2 .1 :Ensure that existing funding sources are used as effectivel y
and efficiently as possible, in accordance with the plan . This includes the use of
"best practices" and action to integrate systems, coordinate housing and servic e
delivery, streamline service delivery, and reduce unnecessary use of emergenc yand crisis services . The goal is to "spend smarter" so that the considerabl e
housing and service resources being invested in preventing and endin g
homelessness in the county have the maximum positive impact possible .
•Conduct annual presentations to City and County decision-makers o n
how existing funding streams are being utilized to respond t o
homelessness . Review funds available to the County and to loca l
jurisdictions, such as Department of Social Services, Healt h
Department, and other relevant sources . Include Redevelopmen t
Agency funds, Inclusionary Zoning fees, Prop 63, Housing Trust Fund ,
CDBG, FESG, ESG, Continuum of Care grants and other funding ,
followed by discussion of how to best use funding to support loca l
priorities and Plan implementation . (See Appendix C for initial list).
•Create a "Pipeline Committee" to meet bi-annually in order to promot e
and facilitate affordable housing development, including dedicate d
units for homeless people . The Pipeline Committee should b e
composed of affordable housing developers, the housing an d
community development staff of each City and the County, and othe r
potential funders . It should project City and County housing need s
over ten years, assist potential projects get off the ground b y
identifying sponsors, funding, land, and obstacles which should b e
addressed, and develop an annual matrix to monitor the housin g
production pipeline . [See Action Step 1 .1 .5 .].
•Review funding proposals and project synopses from agencie s
proposing homeless projects to any funding source within the county t o
Path to a Home October 2008
Expected Outcome s
•Countywide Homelessness Governing Body established and providin gleadership in addressing homelessnes s
•Improved cross-jurisdictional and cross-agency coordinatio n•Enhanced effectiveness and efficiency in provision of housing and services
59
•
ensure that they are aligned with Ten Year Plan priorities . Issu e
statement of "consistency with 10 Year Plan to appropriate project s
and advocate on their behalf .
Action Step 4 .2 .2 :Aggressively pursue additional federal, state, local an d
private funding opportunities to support efforts to address homelessness an d
quickly secure local funds whenever needed to leverage state and federa l
resources .
Action Step 4 .2 .3 :Increase local public and private investment to suppor t
Plan implementation and efforts to prevent and end homelessness .
•Consider implementation of annual proportionate share contribution s
by jurisdictions to support both operation and administrative costs o f
Plan implementation .
•Create a dedicated source of revenue for the County Housing Trus t
Fund and expand its mandate to include long term, below market rat e
financing for dedicated units of housing for homeless people, as wel l
as affiliated operations and services . [See Action Step 1 .1 .6 .}
•Systematically review feasibility of securing ongoing resources from a
combination of sources, including : [See Action Step 1 .1 .6 .]
•Taxe s
•Non-Tax Dedicated Revenue (E .g .: Assessments, Developer's
Fees, Recording Fees )
•Government Debt Mechanism (E .g .: Municipal Bonds, Stat e
Bonds )
•Existing Federal-State-Local Financing Streams (E .g .: Locall y
Controlled Federal Dollars, Local General Funds )
•Voluntary Sources (E .g .: Voluntary Business Improvemen t
District Agreement, Membership Dues)
•Redevelopment housing set aside fund s
•Inclusionary zoning in lieu fee s
•Increase in real estate transfer ta x
•Increase in hotel occupancy/transient ta x
•Implement strategies to collect private contributions, such as : [Se e
Action Step 1 .1 .6]
•Installing old parking meters with the homeless outreac h
number on city streets to collect donations .
•
Path to a Home October 2008 60
•Selling plastic cards at grocery stores with proceeds going to th e
effort to address homelessnes s
•Putting a surcharge on phone bill s
•Soliciting support from business and civic organizations .
•Develop a Public Communication effort, working with the media ,
businesses, social and civic organizations, to provide information abou t
the causes of and solutions to homelessness and encourag e
volunteerism and donations to support efforts on homelessness . [Se e
Action Steps 1 .3 .1, 1 .4 .4 & 4 .1 .2 ]
Action Step 4 .2 .4 :Aggressively pursue the development of Socia l
Enterprises and Revenue Generating activity within non-profit organizations ,
with profits dedicated to Plan Implementation .
Action Step 4 .2 .5 :Implement mechanisms to document and capture cost -
savings in mainstream systems and programs due to reduced use of service s
by homeless people after implementation of Plan "best practices". Reinves t
cost savings in affordable housing . [See Action Steps 1 .1 .6, 2 .2 .4 & 2 .4 .2 ]
Create a baseline of the costs of homelessness by tracking servic e
utilization by homeless people for first three years of Pla n
implementation . This should encompass costs incurred by police ,
hospitals, mental health and substance abuse crisis centers, socia l
service programs, and the corrections system/jail and prison .
Once best practices are implemented, track service utilization ,
document cost-savings, and reinvest savings in affordable housing .
Expected Outcome s
•Plan implementation fully funded, through reallocation of existing resource s
and securing of new funding source s
•Existing funding allocated congruent with Plan priorities and in a manne r
which maximizes efficiency and effectiveness of outcome s
•Development of county capacity to effectively pursue funding opportunitie s
as they aris e
•Innovative social enterprises generating funding for efforts to addres s
homelessnes s
•Mechanisms to collect local and public and private investment in plac e
•Mainstream cost savings documented and applied to affordable housin g
Path to a Home October 2008 61
Strategy 4 .3 :COLLECT DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND PROGRA M
PERFORMANCE TO GUIDE PLANNING, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AN D
FUNDING DECISIONS .
Action Step 4 .3 .1 :Develop and implement a MIS that includes meeting th e
requirements of a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) t o
allow countywide data collection, analysis and evaluation . [See Action Step s
2 .1 .2, 2 .6 .2 & 3 .1 .2 ]
Action Step 4 .3 .2 :Establish new system-wide performance standards t o
track progress towards preventing and ending homelessness and lin k
program outcomes with local government department budgets and wit h
community-based organization contracts funding allocation and contractin g
decisions . Standards should be developed for both homeless programs an d
mainstream programs serving people who are homeless or at-risk, an d
should consider what data is already being collected . [See Action Step s
1 .2 .1, 2 .6 .1 & 3 .1 .1 ]
Action Step 4 .3 .3 :Annually evaluate success in addressing homelessnes s
and progress in Plan implementation .
•
•
•Publish outcomes as part of communitywide indicators report or in a
"report card" format .
•Convene an annual "state of homelessness" conference, includin g
housing, treatment and service agencies working with homeless people ,
to discuss outcomes and progress .
•Develop each year's Annual Work Plan based on data and performanc e
evaluation and incorporating any necessary course corrections .
Consider whether agencies are effectively adapting to the new prioritie s
and ways of doing business called for in the Plan and identify how t o
support them in making necessary changes, including assistance wit h
strategic planning, development of new systems, and staff training an d
cross-training .
Path to a Home October 2008 62
•Expected Outcome s
•Enhanced understanding of homelessness, numbers, characteristic s
and need s
•Accurate information about system and program level effectiveness i n
addressing homelessnes s
•Planning and resource allocation carried out based on dat a
•
Strategy 4 .4 :ANNUALLY REVIEW NEW FINDINGS AND RESEARCH AN D
READILY INCORPORATE BEST PRACTICES TO PREVENT AND EN D
HOMELESSNES S
Action Step 4 .4 .1 :Stay abreast of emerging information from academics an d
practitioners around the country and improve existing efforts based o n
emerging findings . [See Action Step 1 .1 .4 ]
Action Step 4 .4 .2 :Sponsor quarterly staff training on best practice strategie s
and methodologies . [See Action Step 1 .4 .3, 2 .1 .5, 2 .2 .2, & 3 .1 .7]
Expected Outcomes
County's response to homelessness incorporates "best practice "
approaches and is informed by emerging finding s
Path to a Home October 2008 63
Path to a Hom e
The San Luis Obispo Countywid e
10 Year Plan to End Homelessnes s
The Map : Implementation Timeline —Phases o f
System Chang e
Implementation of Path to a Home will be a process of system change to create on e
comprehensive and integrated system of care aimed at both preventing homelessnes s
for those at-risk and ending it for those who have already lost their housing . The Plan's
strategies and action steps are designed to create this new integrated system b y
transforming existing homeless and mainstream systems and programs into a ne w
configuration that enhances access to services by those in need, improves th e
comprehensiveness and effectiveness of the assistance provided, and utilize s
resources in a more efficient manner .
Achieving such system change will be a piecemeal process involving new ideas, goals ,
resources and ways of doing things, each of which builds on and reinforces each othe r
until full system change is achieved . Full system change involves both integration at th e
staff level in how services are provided and coordinated and at the organizational leve l
through joint inter-agency policies, planning, staffing, funding, training, procedures an d
data collection . The goal is to achieve one countywide system of care, incorporating al l
key homeless and mainstream agencies .
Implementation of the Plan and the system changes it entails should be carried out i n
three phases . While the specific strategies and action steps in each of the four priorit y
areas vary, in general their implementation should follow the following pattern .
Phase I / Years 1-3 – Lavinq The Foundatio n
Implementation activities focus on :
•Education & Advocacy – to build support for the changes, among the genera l
public, line staff and decision-maker s
▪Data Collection – to make the case for the changes and gather a base line fo r
future evaluation effort s
Building A Leadership Team – to be the champions and advocates for change
•
10
Path to a Home October 2008 64
Building Staff Capacity – by empowering positions with new roles an dresponsibilities and through training to teach new skills and method s
Developing Infrastructure – drafting memoranda of understanding, designin gprogram models, policies and procedures, and drafting standard s
Identifying Barriers To Change & Developing Solution s
Launching Key Initiatives – through a pilot project or through a subset o fagencies which upgrade and reconfigure existing program s
Raising Revenue, both new sources and reallocating existing fund s
Phase 2 / Years 4-6 – Svstematizinq The Change s
Implementation activities focus on :
Expanding Changes Systemwide -- involving more agencie s
Continuing Key Initiatives Implementatio n
Promoting Policy & Regulatory Changes To Remove Barrier s
Data Collection And Evaluation – to document outcomes and direc tadjustments
Continued Training And Educatio n
Expanding Available Funding & Streamlining Access – investing system cost -savings in effective programs, facilitating renewals, targeting resources fro mcategorical programs to Plan priorities, pooling funding streams and/or creatin ga coordinated applicatio n
Instituting Performance-Based Funding – linking resource allocation wit hprogram outcomes and alignment with Plan prioritie s
Phase 3 / Years 7-10 – System Maintenanc e
Implementation activities focus on :
•Finishing Implementation of Key Initiative s
•Achieving Needed Policy & Regulatory Change s
•Evaluation and Continuous Quality Improvemen t
••Developing Sustainable, Reliable Funding – dedicated funding sources, such a spermanent line items, trust funds, etc .
Path to a Home October 2008 65
•
The strategies and action steps listed in the following table are suggestions fo r
how County, City and Community partners can improve the effectiveness of th e
county's approach to homelessness . They were developed through a
countywide planning process and represent the strong consensus of th e
Leadership Council and its four Committees on how San Luis Obispo county ca n
best achieve its goal of ending homelessness in ten years . In addition, th e
agencies listed as the lead and partners in carrying out the action steps ar e
suggestions based on consideration of who would be best placed to perform an d
support the work .
Implementation -- Priority 1 : Facilitating Access to Affordable Housing to Put a n
End to Homelessness
Strategy 1 .1 : CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE PERMANENT HOUSING AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIV E
HOUSING TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS ACHIEVE LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL STABILITY .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I /Years 1-3
Benchmark s
1 .1 .1 :Increase th e
supply of affordabl e
housing for homeles s
people, including throug h
new construction ,
acquisition and rehab ,
master leasing, se t
asides in existin g
buildings/development s
and dedicated units i n
new developments .
-Housing Authorities o f
City of San Luis Obisp o
and Paso Roble s
- County Housing Trus t
Fund (HTF)
-Non-profi t
housing
developer s
- Housing &
Economi c
Developmen t
Section of San
Luis Obisp o
County Plannin g
Department
Sites acquired, land us e
approvals obtained an d
financing secured for 13 2
units
• 132 units completed
1 .1 .2 :Identify propertie s
in the county that can b e
acquired and converte d
into affordabl e
permanent housing an d
permanent supportiv e
housing for homeles s
people .
- Housing & Economi c
Development Section of
San Luis Obispo Count y
Planning Departmen t
- City Planning an d
Community Developmen t
Departments
- Non-profi t
housin g
developers
- HASLO
List of properties completed
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 66
•
Strategy 1 .1 :CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE PERMANENT HOUSING AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIV E
HOUSING TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS ACHIEVE LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL STABILITY .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I I Years 1-3
Benchmarks
1 .1 .3 :Develop strategies
for linking permanen t
housing with supportiv e
services to meet th e
specific needs of th e
target subpopulatio n
being served . [Se e
Action Step 2 .5 .3]
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body
Targeted strategie s
developed for each of the
following populations :
1 Chronically homeles s
individual s
1 Chronically homeles s
familie s
]Transition-aged yout h
1 Ex-offenders at-risk o f
homelessnes s
1 .1 .4 :Explore creativ e
new housing models fo r
homeless people . [See
Action Step 4 .4 .1]
- Housing & Economi c
Development Section o f
San Luis Obispo County
Planning Departmen t
City Planning and
Community Developmen t
Departments
- County Housing Trust
Fund (HTF)
-Cal Pol y
-Non-profi t
housing
developers
- HSCC
Annual best practic e
reviews and discussion s
hel d
Variety of new housin g
designs adopted an d
accepted by Planning
Commission and fundin g
source s
1 .1 .5 : Appoint a
countywide "Poin t
Person" for affordabl e
housing production an d
funding to lead a n
Affordable Housin g
Production Pipelin e
Committee that will mee t
bi-annually in order t o
promote and facilitate
development o f
affordable housing ..
[See Action Step 4 .2 .1 .]
- County Board o f
Supervisors
- City Council s
- Housing & Economi c
Development Section o f
San Luis Obispo County
Planning Department
- City Planning an d
Community Developmen t
Departments
Point person appointe d
Pipeline Committee created
and meetings happenin g
City and County housin g
need projections develope d
First matrix of projects i n
development created, an d
revised annuall y
New funding source s
generated
Path to a Home October 2008 6 7
Strategy 1 .1 :CREATE MORE AFFORDABLE PERMANENT HOUSING AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIV E
HOUSING TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS ACHIEVE LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL STABILITY .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I /Years 1-3
Benchmark s
1 .1 .6 :Identify secure ,
sustainable fundin g
sources to create
affordable permanen t
housing and permanen t
supportive housing fo r
homeless people ,
including funding fo r
predevelopment ,
development, operations ,
administratio n
n, and tenant suppor t
services . [See Actio n
Steps 2 .2 .4, 2 .4 .2, 4 .2 .3
& 4 .2 .5]
- County Board o f
Supervisors
-Citie s
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body
-Philanthropi c
and faith-based
organizations
Dedicated source o f
revenue created fo r
homeless housin g
New sources of fundin g
reviewed for possible
implementatio n
State level advocac y
conducted to support
housing fundin g
Private funding source s
identified and created
1 .1 .7 :Enact loca l
government policies, an d
create administrativ e
procedures, that ease th e
process of developin g
permanent housing an d
permanent supportive
housing for homeles s
people .
_ County Board o f
Supervisors
- County Housing an d
Economic Developmen t
Department
-Cities
Reviews of existing zoning ,
permit and housin g
development policie s
conducted, and appropriate
changes implemented
Strategy 1 .2 :INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF SHORT-TERM "INTERIM" AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AS A
SUPPLEMENT, AND NOT AN ALTERNATIVE, TO PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I /Years 1-3
Benchmark s1.2 .1 : Create sufficien t
emergency housin g
capacity throughout th e
county using th e
enriched "interi m
housing" model .
- Homelessness
Governing Body
Performance standards fo r
interim housing developed ,
adopted and implemente d
1 .2 .2 : Create transitiona l
housing targeted to
specific life experience s
and offering appropriat e
services.
_ Homelessness
Governing Body Phase II & Phase II I
activities
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 68
•
•
Strategy 1 .3 :CULTIVATE AND FOSTER INCLUSIVE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT TH E
COUNTY FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I I Years 1-3
Benchmark s
1 .3 .1 : Create and fund a
group to promot e
affordable housing fo r
people who ar e
homeless and at-ris k
people as part of the 1 0
Year Plan Homelessnes s
Governing Body activity.
[See Action Steps 4 .1 .2
& 4 .1 .5]
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body
Group create d
Educational campaig n
designed, carried ou t
annuall y
1 .3 .2 : Organize a pee r
support network of
housing providers to
facility siting of housin g
for people who are
homeless or at risk .
- Homelessness
Governing Body
• Group create d
Strategy 1 .4 :IMPLEMENT A HOUSING FIRST MODEL OF SUPPORTIVE HOUSING .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I /Years 1-3
Benchmarks
1 .4 .1 :In concert wit h
approval of this Plan ,
adopt "Housing First" a s
a countywide policy fo r
ending homelessness .
Encourage the use of
mainstream discretionar y
funds to implement thi s
policy .
- County Board of
Supervisor s
-City Councils
Target units for homeles s
people linked to service s
• Mainstream fundin g
allocated for services linked
to housin g
1 .4 .2 : Provide housin g
units linked with intensive
case management an d
services (withou t
conditioning access t o
meeting threshol d
behavioral criteria) to
those with alcohol ,
substance abuse, menta l
health, or personalit y
disorders .
- Homelessness
Governing Body
Strategies for supportive
service delivery linked with
the housing developed
Path to a Home October 2008 69
•Strategy 1 .4 :IMPLEMENT A HOUSING FIRST MODEL OF SUPPORTIVE HOUSING .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I /Years 1-3
Benchmark s
1 .4 .3 : Educate servic e
providers and agencie s
on the importance o f
using a Housing Firs t
model and provid e
training and technica l
assistance . [See Actio n
Steps 2 .1 .5, 2 .2 .2, 3 .1 .7
& 4 .4 .2]
- Homeless Service s
Coordinating Council
- Cal Pol y
Continuin g
Educatio n
Center
Staff training designed an d
initiate d
• Peer support networ k
develope d
Internal agency policy,
procedures and fundin g
adapted to support Housin g
First approac h
1 .4 .4 : Educate th e
general public about th e
effectiveness of, cos t
benefits of, and need fo r
a Housing Firs t
approach . [See Action
Step 4 .2 .3]
_ Homelessnes s
Governing Body
• Schedule of activitie s
developed, annuall y
beginning in Year 1
Strategy 1 .5 :GENERATE MORE SHORT-TERM AND SHALLOW SUBSIDIES THAT HELP PEOPLE REGAI N
AND MAINTAIN HOUSING .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I /Years 1-3
Benchmark s
1 .5 .1 : Implement a
system of housing
vouchers, both tenant -
based rental subsidie s
and project-base d
subsidies to suppor t
development .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body
• Resources identifie d
through outreach to private
sector, faith-based group s
and employer s
1 .5 .2 : Create a
substantial, new fundin g
pool from which servic e
providers can provide
rental and very lo w
income househol d
mortgage assistance to
people at immediate ris k
of homelessness an d
deposit guarantees an d
initial move-in costs t o
homeless client s
reentering housing ..
[See Action Steps 1 .6 .1
& 2 .5 .1 j
_ Homelessness
Governing Body
• Resources identifie d
through outreach to private
sector, faith-based group s
and employers
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 7 0
•Strategy 1 .6 :FACILITATE AND STREAMLINE ACCESS TO HOUSING AND HOUSING SUPPORTS B Y
PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS OR AT-RISK .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I 1 Years 1-3
Benchmark s
1 .6 .1 :Create regiona l
Basic Housin g
Assistance Centers to
help people acces s
housing and housing-
related services .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body
4 regional centers created
•
Path to a Home October 2008 7 1
•
Implementation -- Priority 2 : Stopping Homelessness Before it Starts throug h
Prevention and Effective Intervention
Strategy 2 .1 :CONDUCT HOUSING FOCUSED DISCHARGE PLANNING FOR PEOPL E
EXITING JAILS AND PRISONS IN ORDER TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS AN D
REDUCE RECIDIVIS M
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I I Years 1-3
Benchmark s
2 .1 .1 : Develop an d
implement a
comprehensive
assessment tool .
- DSS Homeles s
Coordinator
- Cour t
Administrato r
- County
Administrato r
- County Sheriff
Parole
Probatio n
- Griffin Society &
other program s
servin g
prisoners
Assessment tool an d
protocols for using it
develope d
Staff to conduc t
assessments designate d
Staff training design an d
schedule established and
trainings initiate d
Prisoner assessments begi n
2 .1 .2 : Develop necessary
systems to store
assessment data and
provide access t o
information as discharg e
planning is initiated .
[See Action Steps 2 .6 .2 ,
3 .1 .2 & 4 .3 .1]
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body Dat a
Staff
Data storage syste m
designe d
Data collection, storage an d
access protocols develope d
2 .1 .3 : Conduct discharge
planning focused o n
housing for al l
discharging prisoner s
identified in th e
assessment as homeles s
or at-risk
- SLO Sheriff
- Parole
_ Probatio n
- DSS Homeles s
Coordinator
- PAC T
_ Forensic s
Coordinatin g
Tea m
_ ReEntry Team s
_ Primary
Responders
Basic Housin g
Assistance
Centers
Discharge planning policie s
and protocols for jai l
releases developed an d
discharge planning initiate d
Discharge planning policie s
and protocols for priso n
releases developed an d
discharge planning initiated
•
10
Path to a Home October 2008 72
Strategy 2 .1 :CONDUCT HOUSING FOCUSED DISCHARGE PLANNING FOR PEOPLE EXITING JAILS AN D
PRISONS IN ORDER TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS AND REDUCE RECIDIVIS M
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I /Years 1-3
Benchmarks
2 .1 .4 :Initiate services t o
prepare for and facilitat e
discharge while inmate s
are still serving thei r
sentence .
- DSS Homeles s
Coordinato r
- County Sheriff
_Programs suc h
as Friends
Outside ,
Captive Hear s
and Match 2
Memoranda of Agreements
in place for "in-reach "
service provisio n
Volunteer recruitment ,
training and placemen t
effort in place
Strategies in place to assis t
inmates in obtainin g
identification prior to releas e
Benefits suspension syste m
in place and assistance i n
reactivation provide d
Benefits assistanc e
provided to initiate first tim e
applications
2 .1 .5 : Educate prison/jai l
staff, especially parol e
and probation officers, o n
the importance o f
housing focused re-entry
support services . [Se e
Action Steps 1 .4 .3, 2 .2 .2 ,
3 .1 .7 & 4 .4 .2]
- DSS Homeles s
Coordinato r
- County Sheriff ,
- Probatio n
- Parole
Training design an d
schedule developed, an d
training initiate d
2 .1 .6 : Divert homeles s
people arrested fo r
"quality of life crimes"
from the criminal justic e
system to case manage d
programs and housing .
- Superior Cour t
- DSS Homeles s
Coordinator
• Intervention such as
Homeless Court planne d
and initiate d
• Agency coordinatio n
strategies in place
Path to a Home October 2008 7 3
Strategy 2 .2 :CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE, HOUSING FOCUSED DISCHARGE PLANNING FOR PEOPL E
EXITING HOSPITALS, MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES, AND ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUG TREATMEN T
CENTERS IN ORDER TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I 1 Years 1-3
Benchmark s
2 .2 .1 : Designate staff a t
all health-relate d
facilities, to execut e
routine client discharg e
plans with a housin g
focus .
- Public Health Office r
- Community-base d
organizations
-Primary
Responders
- Basic Housin g
Assistance
Centers
• Discharge planning staff
designated at all facilities
Discharge planning policie s
and protocols develope d
and discharge plannin g
initiated
Formal referral agreements
in place
2 .2 .2 : Suppor t
coordination of all th e
health facility discharg e
planners through regula r
staff orientations ,
trainings, and car e
management meetings .
[See Action Steps 1 .4 .3 ,
2 .1 .5, 3 .1 .7 & 4 .4 .2]
- Public Health Office r
- Community-based
organizations
Strategies for staff
orientation and trainin g
developed and initiate d
Schedule for car e
management meetings i n
place, and meeting s
initiate d
2 .2 .3 : Create mor e
comprehensive medica l
respite beds for thos e
being discharged fro m
hospitals and menta l
health facilities who are
not returning t o
permanent housing .
- Housing Authority
- Community-base d
organizations
Number of medical respit e
beds needed identifie d
along with types of services
neede d
60 medical respite bed s
created with supportive
medical services provide d
2 .2 .4 : Identify an d
secure the funding t o
support the discharge
planning and relate d
services and housing .
[See Actions Steps 1 .1 .6 ,
2 .4 .2 & 4 .2 .5 .]
- Health Departmen t
- Private hospital s
- Medical communit y
-Private industry
- Community Healt h
Centers
Meetings with Stat e
legislators carried ou t
• Financial study complete d
and recommendation s
developed
MHSA resources allocated
for transition planning and
related housing an d
services
Path to a Home October 2008 74
•
•
Strategy 2 .3 :CONDUCT COMPREHENSIVE, HOUSING FOCUSED DISCHARGE PLANNING FOR YOUN G
PEOPLE EXITING THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM IN ORDER TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I 1 Years 1-3
Benchmarks
2 .3 .1 : For youth about t o
emancipate, age out, o r
otherwise exit the foste r
care system, create an d
implement discharg e
planning that focuses o n
housing and life skill s
training .
-Director of Socia l
Services
- Probation Departmen t
- Family Care Networ k
- County Office o f
Education
- Primar y
Responders
- Basic Housin g
Assistance
Center s
-Local colleges
- Workforce
investmen t
programs
• Memorandum o f
Understanding in place with
workforce investment
program s
Specialized case
management underwa y
2 .3 .2 : Secure state an d
other funds to develop
housing for thi s
population . Continu e
participation i n
California's THP-PLU S
program in an effort t o
increase the number o f
young adults served .
- Director of Socia l
Service s
- Probation Departmen t
- Family Care Networ k
- County Office o f
Education
Sites for housing identified
and funding secure d
2 .3 .3 : Develop housing
assessments and
interventions as neede d
for young people at th e
continuation high school .
-County Office of Education
Path to a Home October 2008 75
•Strategy 2 .4 :CREATE AN OVERALL DISCHARGE/ TRANSITION COORDINATOR TO SUPPORT AN D
COORDINATE THE DISCHARGE EFFORTS OF EACH SYSTEM (CORRECTIONS, HEALTH-RELATE D
PROGRAMS AND FOSTER CARE).
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I 1 Years 1-3
Benchmark s
2 .4 .1 : Create a centra l
discharge or transitio n
coordinator to facilitat e
monthly case
conferencing meeting s
involving discharg e
planning staff of eac h
system and Primar y
Responders providin g
community-based care t o
people who have been o r
are being discharged .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Bod y
- DSS Homeles s
Coordinator
•Discharge / transitio n
coordinator hire d
Case conferencin g
meetings initiate d
Coordination strategies an d
agreements in place
2 .4 .2 : Collect data o n
"frequent users" of thes e
systems to demonstrate
cost-savings from
provision of supportiv e
housing to these clients .
[See Action Steps 1 .1 .6 ,
2 .2 .4 & 4 .2 .5]
- Homelessnes s
Governing Bod y
- DSS Homeles s
Coordinator
- Forensic Coordinatin g
Team
Data collection initiate d
Cost savings data analyze d
Strategy 2 .5 :CREATE EVICTION INTERVENTION STRATEGIES TO STOP HOMELESSNESS .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I /Years 1-3
Benchmarks
2 .5 .1 : Develop a pool o f
eviction interventio n
resources that can b e
used to meet rent o r
extremely low incom e
household mortgag e
payments for individual s
and families who are a t
risk of being evicted fro m
their homes int o
homelessness . [Se e
Action Steps 1 .5 .2 &
1 .6 .1]
-Housing Authorit y
- Superior Court
- Sheriff
- Health Department
Housing assistance fundin g
pool create d
Needs assessment too l
created for identifyin g
service need s
Information sheet
advertising this resource
developed and distributed
•
Path to a Home October 2008 7 6
•
•
Strategy 2 .5 :CREATE EVICTION INTERVENTION STRATEGIES TO STOP HOMELESSNESS .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I /Years 1-3
Benchmarks
2 .5 .2 : Hire and trai n
crisis workers to wor k
with extremely low
income individuals an d
families who are at risk o f
becoming homeles s
owing to eviction .
[See Action Step 1 .6 .1]
- Department of Socia l
Services
Crisis workers hired and
traine d
2 .5 .3 : Create Support
Services Coordinato r
positions to ensure tha t
housing units for peopl e
who are homeless or at -
risk are linked with th e
services the tenant s
need to achieve stabilit y
and maintain thei r
housing . [See Actio n
Step 1 .1 .3]
- Department of Socia l
Services
- Affordable
Housin g
Developers
- Community
Service
Agencies
Position created and fille d
Strategy 2 .6 :Create performance mandates to support new countywide policy focus of keeping people house d
and/or getting them quickly re-housed .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I I Years 1-3
Benchmark s
2 .6 .1 : Create
performance mandate s
on preventing and endin g
homelessness that ar e
linked with loca l
government departmen t
budgets and wit h
community-base d
organization contracts .
[See Action Steps 1 .2 .1 ,
3 .1 .1 & 4 .3 .2]
- County Administrator s
Office
- City Managers
- Homelessness
Governing Bod y
- County Plannin g
Department
Performance mandate s
developed and linked with
fundin g
2 .6 .2 : Put in a data
system to track results i n
preventing and ending
homelessness . [Se e
Action Steps 2 .1 .2, 3 .1 .2
& 4 .3 .1]
- County Administrator s
Office
Phase II activity
Path to a Home October 2008 77
Implementation --Priority 3 :Ending and Preventing Homelessness throug h
Integrated,Comprehensive,Responsive Supportive Service s
Strategy 3 .1 : CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE, INTEGRATED, FLEXIBLE SYSTEM OF CARE WHICH OFFER S
EFFECTIVE AND COORDINATED CARE TO THOSE IN NEED .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I / Years 1-3
Benchmarks
3 .1 .1 : For each County
Department in contact
with people who ar e
homeless or at-risk ,
establish standards o f
care to use in carryin g
out work under this Pla n
and participating in th e
overall system of care .
[See Action Steps 1 .2 .1 ,
2 .6 .1 & 4 .3 .2]
- Board of Supervisors
- County Departmen t
Heads of Social Service s
and Health Department
- Homelessnes s
Governing Bod y
- Homeless Service s
Coordinating Council
- Cal Pol y
continuin g
educatio n
center
Common standard s
developed for eac h
Department regardin g
caring for chronicall y
homeless peopl e
3 .1 .2 : Create a single
data system to support
the new coordinate d
system of care .. [See
Action Steps 2 .1 .2, 2 .6 .2
& 4 .3 .1]
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body
HMIS developed, tested an d
implemente d
3 .1 .3 Create a n
interactive system of
communication that ca n
be used by shelters ,
multi-service centers an d
other programs to
communicate regardin g
clients appointments ,
schedules, an d
transportation needs, i n
an effort to ensure tha t
clients attend thei r
appointments .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Bod y
- Homeless Service s
Coordinating Council
• Communication system an d
procedures developed fo r
chronically homeless client s
3 .1 .4 : Create a
"Homeless Case
Management Brain Trust "
to develop a triag e
mechanism to ensure
that those with th e
greatest or most severe
needs get immediat e
assistance .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Bod y
- Homeless Service s
Coordinating Council
• Triage mechanism an d
protocols developed fo r
chronically homeless clients
Path to a Home October 2008 7 8
•
Strategy 3 .1 : CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE, INTEGRATED, FLEXIBLE SYSTEM OF CARE WHICH OFFER S
EFFECTIVE AND COORDINATED CARE TO THOSE IN NEED .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I I Years 1-3
Benchmark s
3 .1 .5 : Create cas e
management cas e
conferencing teams i n
each of the 4 primar y
geographic areas of th e
county, with the Primary
Responder agencies .
(above).
- Homelessnes s
Governing Bod y
- Homeless Service s
Coordinating Council
4 regional cas e
management conferencin g
teams developed focusin g
on chronically homeles s
client s
3 .1 .6 : Develop a singl e
case plan for each client ,
addressing the full rang e
of housing and servic e
needs . Case plan s
should seek to maintai n
the involvement of al l
those already engage d
with the client, i n
particular friends an d
family .
- Regional case
managemen t
conferencing team s
- Case managers workin g
with primary responde r
and community safet y
net agencie s
3 .1 .7 : Offer a n
annualized staff trainin g
series, coverin g
evidence- based
practices, best practices ,
and emerging and
promising practices .
[See Action Steps 1 .4 .3 ,
2 .1 .5,2 .2 .2&4 .4 .2]
- Homelessness
Governing Bod y
- Homeless Service s
Coordinating Council
Annual training schedule
developed and training s
initiated focusing on servin g
people who are chronicall y
homeles s
3 .1 .8 : Re-fund the Adul t
System of Car e
Homeless Outreac h
Project workers .
Funding identified fo r
outreach workers to serve
people who are chronicall y
homeless
Path to a Home October 2008 7 9
Strategy 3 .2 :CENTRALIZE AND STREAMLINE ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE, COORDINATED SUPPOR T
SERVICES .
3 .2 .1 : Create fou r
centralized Communit y
Services Centers, one i n
each region of th e
county, at which peopl e
can access a
comprehensive range o f
support services in on e
location . [See Actio n
Step 1 .6 .1, 3 .4 .1, 3 .5 .1
and 3 .6 .2]
- Homelessnes s
Governing Bod y
- Homeless Service s
Coordinating Counci l
- SLO Council o f
Government
First center created as pilo t
for people who are
chronically homeles s
Systems chang e
infrastructure built
3 .2 .2 : Design a
transportation syste m
that will bring county
residents in need o f
services to one of th e
Centers .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Bod y
- Homeless Service s
Coordinating Counci l
- County Transportatio n
Agencies
Meetings with County
Transportation Agencie s
initiate d
Strategy 3.3 :GENERATE GREATER COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE PROVISION O F
COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT SERVICES .
3 .3 .1 : Host communit y
meetings at which th e
general community ,
service providers ,
homeless people, an d
those at risk o f
homelessness ca n
communicate and forg e
partnerships.
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body
-Cal Pol y
Communit y
Center
First community meetin g
hel d
3 .3 .2 : Establish a way o f
linking the many count y
residents who want to
volunteer into a
homeless-respons e
system and mobilizin g
them to work at al l
agencies .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body
Volunteer coordinatio n
system develope d
3 .3 .3 :Utilize all medi a
including 211, web, radio ,
print, and public
broadcasting stations a s
a way to recrui t
volunteers and educat e
the community as t o
homeless intervention s
happening in thei r
neighborhood .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body
- Cal Pol y
Communit y
Center
Announcements happening
on public broadcastin g
stations
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 8 0
•
•
STRATEGY 3 .4 :FOSTER EMPLOYMENT, VOLUNTEERISM, AND A SENSE OF PURPOSE AMON G
HOMELESS PEOPLE, AS A CORE INTERVENTION TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS .
3 .4 .1 : Expand o r
incorporate a
comprehensive work -
training program fo r
homeless individuals a t
the Communit y
Services Centers t o
build confidence an d
skills [See Action Ste p
3 .2 .1]
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body o r
Workforce Committee
- Department of
Rehabilitatio n
- Vocationa l
Rehabilitatio n
- One-Sto p
Center s
- Other
employmen t
service s
providers
• Homeless work trainin g
program created at firs t
Cente r
3 .4 .2 :Establish a
"temp" employmen t
agency and targe t
employment sector s
with potential fo r
growth, such a s
agriculture .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body o r
Workforce Committee
Temp agency create d
3 .4 .3 : Create a
database of all da y
labor job sites and jo b
placement agencies ,
volunteer work, an d
community participatio n
activity, and devise a
way to provide thi s
information to clients .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body o r
Workforce Committee
• Database create d
3 .4 .4 :Utilize volunteer s
to create a jo b
mentoring and/or jo b
shadowing program fo r
homeless people, t o
help coach people to
next step employmen t
opportunity .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body or
Workforce Committee
Volunteer progra m
developed at first
Community Services Center
S
Path to a Home October 2008 8 1
Strategy 3 .5 :SUPPORT CREATION OF PROFIT-GENERATING BUSINESSES TO PROVIDE RESOURCES T O
HOMELESSNESS "PRIMARY RESPONDER" AGENCIES .
3 .5 .1 :Partner retire d
Business Executive o r
University Professor s
with Homeless Service
Agencies to explore
fields of interest an d
develop business
plans.
- Workforce Committee o f
Homelessness
Governing Body
• Business plan developed fo r
one agency to launch a pilo t
projec t
STRATEGY 3 .6 :USE MAINSTREAM BENEFITS AND RESOURCES MORE EFFECTIVELY IN SUPPORT O F
COUNTY GOAL TO END HOMELESSNES S
3 .6 .1 : Develo p
partnerships betwee n
homeless Primary
Responder providers an d
mainstream benefit s
provider organizations .
[See Strategy 3 .2]
- Homeless Service s
Coordinating Counci l
- Homelessness
Governing Bod y
- Department of Socia l
Service s
- EOC
• Partnerships developed wit h
Food Stamps and Veteran s
Administration (VA)
3 .6 .2 : Outstation intak e
eligibility staff fro m
mainstream benefit s
programs a t
homelessness program s
and at the Community
Services Centers . [Se e
Action Step 3 .2 .1]
- Homeless Service s
Coordinating Counci l
- Homelessnes s
Governing Bod y
- Department of Socia l
Service s
- EOC
Eligibility staff outstatione d
for General Assistance and
MediCa l
3.6 .3 : Facilitate acces s
to SSI/SSDI by providin g
application assistance
and advocacy to hel p
eligible individuals obtai n
this benefit .
- Homeless Service s
Coordinating Counci l
- Homelessnes s
Governing Bod y
- Department of Socia l
Service s
- EOC
SSI and SSDI applicatio n
fast-tracking piloted fo r
chronically homeless people
•
•
Path to a Home October 2008 82
.Implementation -- Priority 4 : Coordinating A Solid Administrative &Financia l
Structure To Support Effective Plan Implementatio n
Strategy 4 .1 :ESTABLISH A COUNTYWIDE INTER-JURISDICTIONAL COLLABORATIVE HOMELESSNES S
GOVERNING BODY TO COORDINATE EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS AND OVERSE E
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase 11Years 1-3
Benchmark s
4 .1 .1 : Create a
centralized count y
Homelessnes s
Governing Body .
- County Board o f
Supervisor s
- Mayors
- City Council s
Community Leaders
• Governing Body create d
4 .1 .2 : Delineate th e
responsibilities of th e
Homelessnes s
Governing Body and its
members .
- County Board o f
Supervisor s
- Mayor s
- City Councils
- Community Leaders
•Responsibilities delineate d
4 .1 .3 :Involve
representatives from al l
sectors so th e
Homelessnes s
Goveming Body is broad -
based and inclusive .
- County Board of
Supervisors
- Mayors
-City Council s
- Community Leaders
Members nominate d
4 .1 .4 : Adequately staff
the Homelessnes s
Governing Body so that it
can fulfill its leadershi p
functions, including 3 full -
time staff .
- County Board of
Supervisors
- Mayors
- City Council s
- Community Leaders
• Staff hired
4 .1 .5 ; Form Standing ,
Ad Hoc and Workin g
Committees as needed
to carry out the work o f
the Homelessnes s
Governing Body an d
implement the Plan .
[See Action Step 1 .3 .2]
- Homelessness
Governing Body
• Committee structure created
Path to a Home October 2008 83
•Strategy 4 .2 :SUPPORT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION WITH DEDICATED REVENUE FROM MULTIPL E
SOURCES .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I /Years 1-3
Benchmark s
4 .2 .1 : Ensure tha t
existing funding source s
are used as effectivel y
and efficiently a s
possible . [See Actio n
Step 1 .1 .5]
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body Staff
Annual presentation &
discussion of fundin g
stream utilization initiate d
Pipeline Committee created
Proposal review process
implemente d
4 .2 .2 : Aggressivel y
pursue additional federal ,
state, local and private
funding opportunities to
support efforts to addres s
homelessness and
quickly secure loca l
funds whenever neede d
to leverage state an d
federal resources .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body Staff
Development of protocol s
fro pursuing funding an d
securing local leverag e
fund s
First new funding sourc e
secured
4 .2 .3 :Increase loca l
public and private
investment to support
Plan implementation an d
efforts to prevent an d
end homelessness . [Se e
Action Steps 1 .1 .6, 1 .3 .1
& 1 .4 .4]
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body & staff
- County Board of
Supervisors
-Cities
Proportionate share formula
developed and adopted by
jurisdiction s
Dedicated sources of
revenue identified an d
funding vehicle selecte d
Feasibility review of loca l
funding sources conducte d
First new strategy to secure
private contribution s
implemented
Public communicatio n
strategy develope d
4 .2 .4 : Aggressivel y
pursue the developmen t
of Social Enterprises an d
Revenue Generatin g
activity within non-profi t
organizations, with profit s
dedicated to Pla n
Implementation .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body Staff
- Workforce and Business
Development Committe e
of Homelessnes s
Governing Body
• Feasibility study conducte d
Pilot project initiated
•
Path to a Home October 2008 8 4
•
Strategy 4 .2 :SUPPORT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION WITH DEDICATED REVENUE FROM MULTIPL E
SOURCES .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I 1 Years 1-3
Benchmarks
4 .2 .5 ; Implement
mechanisms t o
document and captur e
cost-savings i n
mainstream system s
and programs due to
reduced use of service s
by homeless peopl e
after implementation of
Plan "best practices".
[See Action Steps 1 .1 .6 ,
2 .2 .4 & 2 .4 .2]
- Homelessness
Governing Body staff
- Cal Poly Publi c
Policy Progra m
faculty an d
students
• Baseline create d
•Service utilization tracked an d
cost-savings documented an d
reinveste d
Strategy 4 .3 :COLLECT DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND PROGRAM PERFORMANCE TO GUID E
PLANNING, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDING DECISIONS .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I I Years 1-3
Benchmark s
4 .3 .1 : Develop an d
implement a MIS tha t
includes meeting th e
requirements of a
Homeless Managemen t
Information Syste m
(HMIS) to allow
countywide dat a
collection, analysis an d
evaluation .[See Actio n
Steps 2 .1 .2, 2 .6 .2 &
3 .1 .2]
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body & Staff
o Cal Poly HMIS develope d
HMIS teste d
HMIS implemente d
4 .3 .2 : Establish ne w
system-wid e
performance standard s
to track progress toward s
preventing and endin g
homelessness and lin k
program outcomes wit h
funding allocation an d
contracting decisions .
[See Action Steps 1 .2 .1 ,
2 .6 .1 & 3 .1 .1 ]
- Homelessness
Governing Body & Staff
Performance standard s
develope d
Funding and contractin g
decisions linked with
performance outcomes
Path to a Home October 2008 8 5
Strategy 4 .3 :COLLECT DATA ON HOMELESSNESS AND PROGRAM PERFORMANCE TO GUID E
PLANNING, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDING DECISIONS .
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I / Years 1-3
Benchmarks
4 .3 .3 : Annually evaluate
success in addressin g
homelessness an d
progress in Pla n
implementation .
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body & Staff
Annual outcomes repor t
publishe d
Annual "State o f
Homelessness" conferenc e
hel d
Annual Work Plan s
develope d
Strategy 4.4 :CONTINUALLY IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EFFORTS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS B Y
INTEGRATING RESEARCH AND EXPERIENTIAL FINDINGS AND PROMISING AND EVIDENCE BASE D
PRACTICES INTO THE RESPONSE TO HOMELESSNES S
Action Step Lead Partners Phase I /Years 1-3
Benchmarks
4 .4 .1 : Stay abreast o f
emerging informatio n
from academics an d
practitioners around th e
country and improve
existing efforts based o n
emerging findings . [Se e
Action Step 1 .1 .4]
- Homelessnes s
Governing Body Staff
o Cal Pol y
Continuin g
Educatio n
Center,
Psychology an d
Huma n
Developmen t
Department ,
and Housing /
Architecture
Department
Minimum of tw o
conferences / workshop s
attended by Governing body
members and staff each
yea r
4 .4 .2 : Sponsor quarterl y
staff training on bes t
practice strategies an d
methodologies . [Se e
Action Step 1 .4 .3, 2 .1 .5 ,
2 .2 .2, & 3 .1 .7]
- Homelessness
Governing Body Staff
-
- Cal Pol y
Continuin g
Educatio n
Center,
Psychology an d
Huma n
Developmen t
Department ,
and Housing /
Architecture
Department
Staff trainings designed ,
schedule developed, an d
trainings begun
•
Path to a Home October 2008 8 6
Dynamics of Homelessnes s
Definitions
Ready (want tos):This group is ready and engaged t o
participate in available services and transition out o f
homelessness . This group has been homeless less than 2 .5
years .
Unable (Cannots):This group is constrained by menta l
illness, addiction or both and is unable to access or sustai n
involvement in available services . They are also defined a s
those that have been homeless for 2 .5 years or longer.
Resistant (will nots): This group is unwilling and resistant t o
access available services and homelessness is a choice . Thi s
group has been homeless less than 2 .5 years .
•
2012 Total population of Homeless,
City of San Luis Obispo
Category of
Homelessness
Tota l
Population
Percent of Total
Population
Total"1,592 100%
Source ; Community Action Partnership of Pan tui:Obispo Cu ., Inc., 1010 .
*Includes both children and adult s
•
s OF HO MEtEssiv
•
•
2012 Total population of Homeless,
City of San Luis Obisp o
Category o f
Homelessness
Total
Population
Percent of Tota l
Population
Total*1,592 100 %
Sout¢: Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo Co ., Inc., 2012 .
*Includes both children and adult s
•
•Source: Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo Co ., Inc ., 2012 .
*Includes both children and adults
2012 Total population of Homeless ,
City of San Luis Obispo
Category of
Homelessness
Tota l
Population
Percent of Tota l
Populatio n
Total*1,592 100%
637
•
2012 Total population of Homeless ,
City of San this Obisp o
Category of
Homelessness
Total
Population
637
Percent of Total
Populatio n
Total"1,592 100%
sourtt : Community Arbon Partnership of San Lois Obispo Ce ..irc., 2012.
'Includes both children and adult s
•
•Source : Community Action Partnership of ban Win Obispo Co ., Inc ., 2012.
*Includes both children and adults
READY
HOMELESS
(want LtS'S~:T
2012 Total population of Homeless,
City of San Luis Obisp o
Category o f
Homelessness
Tota l
Population
Percent of Tota l
Population
Unabl e
Total"
63 7
1,592 100%
RESISTAN T
HOMELES S
IRAs)
•
•
•
HOMELESS
(want tos )
READY
RESISTAN T
HOMELES S
!(veil(n*ts)
2012 Total population of Homeless,
City of San Luis Obisp o
Category of
Homelessness
Total
Population
Percent of Total
Populatio n
nable
Total•
637
1,592 100%
Source : Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo Co ., Inc, 2012 .
*Includes both children and adults
READY
HOMELES S
(war.itas2
2012 Total population of Homeless ,
City of San Luis Obispo
Category of
Homelessness
Unable
Tota l
Populatio n
637
Percent of Total
Populatio n
40%
Total e 1,592 100%
Macs OF H 'OMEEEss
RESISTAN T
HOMELES S
twill roots)
Sourte: Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispa Co ., Inc ., 201
Includes both children and adults
•
•
•
READ Y
HOMELESS ..(want tol l
2012 Total population of Homeless,
City of San Luis Obisp o
Category of
Homelessness
Total
Population
Percent of Tota l
Population
Total"1,592 100 %
637
RESISTAN T
HOMELES S
(Witt mats)
Bonne : Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo Co ., Inc ., 2012.
'Includes both children and adults
•taut.;Community Action Pannershipof San tuts Obispo Co .,ln[.,20 1
'Imludee both children and adults
READY>.
HONJ ;ELE55(want toy RESISTAN T
HOMELESS(wlu trots )
2012 Total population of Homeless ,City of San Luis Obispo
Category of
Homelessness
Tota l
Population
Percent of Total
Populatio n
Total"1,592 100%
637
•
•
•
•
•
•READ Y
HOMELESS
(wanf tosL 69:
of#{oMEt
Additiona l
Services
Programmati c
Changes
2012 Total population of Homeless,
City of San Luis Obispo
Category o f
Homelessness
Tota l
Populatio n
637
Percent of Tota l
Population
40% '';i
Total*1,592 100%
RESISTAN T
HOMELES S
{wi4Otgs)
Source: Community A.0 Partnership of San Lois Obispo Co ., Inc ., 2012 .
9nclud.r both children and adults
•
•
City's Role in Addressing Homelessnes s
•Support and strategically supplement efforts lead by th e
County .
▪Support housing and service agencies whose mission it is t o
develop programs for the City's homeless population .
•Provide funding assistance to social service providers .
•Support and implement the 10 Year Plan .
•Leverage grant and Affordable Housing Fund monies t o
assist with the development of affordable housing .
•City Efforts to Address Homelessnes s
•"Affordable Housing and Homeless Services"is identified b y
the City Council as an "other important objective" in th e
2011-13 Financial Plan .
•Grants-In-Aid – Approximately $126,000 annuall y
–Awards to homeless services and program s
•CDBG — Approximately $550,000 annuall y
—Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelte r
—Homeless Services Center Design & Drawing s
—Affordable housing project s
•General Fund —Approximately $165,000 annuall y
—Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelte r
—Prado Day Cente r
—Warming station at the Prado Day Cente r
—Safe Shelter Pilot Progra m
•
City Efforts to Address Homelessnes s
Cont .
•Affordable Housing Fund —$5 .8 M in awards that support th e
development of low income and transitional housing projects .
•CAPSLO Homeless Services Center support and collaboration .
•Police Community Action Team - Dedicated to homeless issues at ke y
locations throughout City (downtown, parks, creeks, etc .)
•Police Park Team — Coordinates with Public Works staff assigned to Cit y
parks to address homeless issues and complaints .
•Park Rangers — Coordinate with state and local officials to keep open spac e
and creek areas clean and safe .
•Serve on a variety of Boards and Commissions whose missions are t o
expand and improve affordable housing production and homeles s
services .
City Council has scheduled a workshop regarding homelessness with a
focus toward solutions on January 12, 2013 at 9 :00 am (location to b e
determined).
•
•
•2013 San Luis Obispo Count y
Enumeration Repor t
Purpose :
•Generate valid, accurate data regarding homeles s
individuals and families .
•Retain and improve County funding for homeless service s
and meet federal data reporting requirements .
•Increase community and jurisdictional understanding o f
homelessness .
•Link homeless data collection efforts to strategic, progra m
and policy planning .
•
2013 San Luis Obispo Count y
Enumeration Repor t
Enumeration report and data collection effort led by CAPSL O
Schedule :
•January 22 nd - Countywide Shelter Count to occur in evenin g
•January 23 rd – Rover counts throughout County to occur in mornin g
•January 24th – Survey questionaires in targeted areas (shelters ,
parks, creeks, etc .)
•June 1st –Enumeration report released to publi c
•CAPSLO is currently recruiting volunteers . Please contact Aaro n
Lewis at alewis@capslo .org or 805-541-6351 ext . 815 for mor e
information about volunteer opportunities .
•
•April 2012 thru September 201 2
Police calls for service in the downtown core= 281 1
911 -Abandon 3
Alcohol Offense 25 7
Animal Problem 2
Assault 9
Assist Request 1 2
Camping/Sleeping 1 9
Citizen Dispute 2
Controlled Narcotics 1 0
Disorderly 9 1
DUI 1
Forgery 1
Lost/Found Property 3
Loitering 5 7
Medical 1 2
Mental Subject 1 5
Misc. MC Violaions 10
Noise Complaints 3
Panhandling/Soliciting 5 3
Probation Violation 3
Resisting 3
Sex Offense 3
Smoking 5
Suspicious Activity 4 6
Theft 7_
Threats 7
Traffic Hazard 1 3
Trespassing 11 0
Vandalism 3
Warrant 1 0
Weapon Offense 1
Welfare Check 4 5
TOTAL (29%)81 6
•
•
S A N L U I S O B I S P O C O U N T Y
•
Continuum of Car e
2011 HOMELESS ENUMERATION REPOR T
•Sponsored by the San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services
Table of Contents •
Acknowledgements 2
San Luis Obispo Country Demographic Profile 3
Methodology 4
Report Summary 5
Count Totals 6
Count Demographics by Age and Region 7-8
Survey Data Overview 9
Age, Gender & Ethnicity 1 0
Language & Education 11
Employment 1 2
Residency 1 3
Nature of Homelessness 14-1 7
Families 1 8
Veterans 1 9
Income 20
Health & Healthcare 2 1
Job Training & Other Services 2 2
Qualitative Data 23
Appendix A Count Form & Appendix B Survey Form 24-33
•
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
•Acknowledgement s
The 2011 Homeless Enumeration is the third initiative of its kind for the County of Sa n
Luis Obispo . Service providers, community residents, AmeriCorps members, student s
and county and city staff joined together on January 26 to realize a "point in time" sur-
vey of those living among us who lack shelter . Each enumeration has been character-
ized by this richness of collaboration that though on the one hand is remarkable, is o n
the other a genuine characteristic of this place where we live . The significance of th e
enumerations is the portrait they collectively portray that suggests the wide and varie d
continuum of factors that propel people to homelessness . It is only through such find-
ings that solutions can be formulated .
This year the 2011 Homeless Enumeration Project welcomed Cal Poly Masters Studen t
in Public Policy, April Worley to the team . April's genuine enthusiasm for the projec t
and analytical ability were the driving force behind these findings . Dr. Jean Williams ,
Professor of Political Science and Interim Chair of the Women's and Gender Studie s
Department, once again provided research guidance and assistance . The service pro-
vider team of CAPSLO led by Dee Torres was quite simply remarkable in their profes-
sionalism and commitment to the project . A special thanks should also be extended t o
Julia Miller of the County of San Luis Obispo's Social Services Department for onc e
again securing financial underwriting .
Finally it is incumbent upon all who read and grapple with the complexity of these
findings that this report not be relegated to an office shelf, forgotten or dismissed . John
F. Kennedy reflected that "to those who are given much, much is expected," and thi s
report tells the story of those in our community who desperately need assistance .
Sincerely,
Stephan R. Lamb
Student Life and Leadership – Cal Pol y
Project Coordinator- 2011 Homeless Enumeration – San Luis Obispo Count y
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
2
•
San Luis Obispo County Demographic Profil e
Population': 273,23 1
Median household income 2 :$57,62 8
Individuals below poverty level :
SLO County : 13 .6%
Nationwide : 14 .3 %
Median rent : $1,09 7
Median mortgage : $2,190
Households spending more than 30% of income on housing :
Renters :
SLO County : 61 .1 %
Statewide : 54 .5 %
Nationwide: 50 .1 %
Homeowners with mortgage :
SLO County : 52 .6 %
Statewide : 51 .6 %
Nationwide: 36 .9%
Racial and ethnic background :
White (not Hispanic): 72 .6 %
Hispanic / Latino : 19 .6%
Asian: 3 .3 %
Other/ Two or more races : 2 .6 %
Black or African American: 2 .1 %
American Indian/ Alaska Native : 1 .1 %
Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander :.1 %
1 California Department of Finance January 2010 estimates
2 All other statistics from the U .S . Census Bureau American Community Survey 2005-2009 5-Year Estimate s
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
3
•Methodolog y
The 2011 San Luis Obispo (SLO) County Homeless Enumeration, like the 2005 and 2009 enu-
merations, was conducted following the guidelines of the Federal Department of Housing an d
Urban Development's (HUD)point in time snapshot count3.However, stakeholders felt it wa s
also important to capture the homeless population that may not fit HUD's strict definition o f
homelessness . Therefore, this report reflects the broader definition of homelessness used bu t
the Point in Time (PIT) count reported to HUD is a subset of this data because it follows HUD's
strict definition . The collection of data on the homeless population is limited to a 24-hour perio d
in order to get an accurate as possible portrait of those individuals who do not have a perma-
nent residence . The purpose of the snapshot count is to understand the extent and nature o f
homelessness, which allows our community to plan for needed programs and services, and t o
provide data for required reporting to HUD . Volunteers that counted unsheltered homeles s
could only count by sight, which is incredibly difficult since many homeless community mem-
bers do not fit the homeless stereotype .
The 2011 San Luis Obispo Homeless Enumeration began at 7 pm on January 25 and ended at 1
pm on January 26 . Enumeration volunteers, under the direction of their regional team captains ,
counted homeless individuals and families at homeless shelters, transitional housing, hospitals ,
parks, day centers and other locations mapped by homeless service providers and homeles s
volunteers who were familiar with popular camp locations . Shelters and hospitals were
counted the evening before . The school districts reported homeless children attending school .
Enumeration teams covered assigned geographic areas and locations starting at seven in th e
morning to avoid double counting those individuals who were less likely to be stationar y
throughout the day. Standardized count forms were used by each enumeration team member .
Like the previous two enumerations, the 2011 enumeration included a 26 question survey in or -
der to collect service specific information about homeless community members . The survey
also contained questions aimed at assessing the overall physical and mental health status of th e
respondents . The survey was administered in person by enumeration volunteers, and the targe t
was to survey every 5th adult homeless individual counted, if the individual chose to partici-
pate (if an individual chose not to be surveyed, the 6th person was asked, and so on).
The survey data serves two functions : to meet biennial reporting obligations to HUD in order t o
secure federal funding for homeless programs in San Luis Obispo County, and also to furnis h
the County of San Luis Obispo and local homeless service providers with statistics that can b e
used for their own analysis, reporting and funding purposes .
Due to the qualities of the point in time snapshot count,each enumeration may paint a differen t
picture of the homeless community in San Luis Obispo County, and strict comparisons in dat a
that span across the three reports ought to be made with caution .
3 h :tp//portal hud .ov
•
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
4
•Report Summar y
The U .S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) considers a person homeles s
when he/she resides in places not meant for human habitation (i .e . cars and parks), an emer-
gency shelter, or transitional housing . Additionally, HUD defines a chronically homeles s
household as an unaccompanied individual or a family with at least one adult member having a
disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more or has had a t
least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years .
Locally, the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness and stakeholders have also defined homelessnes s
by episodic and transitional homelessness . Episodic homelessness is characterized by bouts o f
homelessness, cycling between supportive and permanent housing as well as shelter stays .
Transitional homelessness is characterized by homelessness due to a catastrophic event such a s
the loss of one's family or sudden loss of employment .
These definitions allow us to examine homelessness in a comprehensive way that defines home -
less populations beyond single stereotypes . The 2009 enumeration reported that San Lui s
Obispo's homeless population included a "range of subtypes of homelessness". The surve y
data findings in this report reflect a similarly diverse profile .
Based on the data released by the local school districts, the county has an alarmingly high popu -
lation of homeless children, particularly in the North County region, who attend school despit e
the precarious nature of their living situations . Based on the survey results, some homeles s
community members manage to work seasonally, part-time or full time . Many suffer fro m
mental and/or physical disabilities . Additionally, many homeless use the emergency room fo r
medical treatment . Over half of those interviewed hold a high school diploma (or GED) or less.
Most of the surveyed population reported living in the county for more than five years, man y
grew up here . One third of the entire counted homeless population are women, many are
mothers . The relative percent of the surveyed Native American homeless population is almos t
eight times the percentage that is reported to reside in the county by the Census, making them a
vastly overrepresented minority within the homeless population . Blacks/African Americans ar e
doubly overrepresented . Asians are underrepresented by almost one-third . Over half of thos e
surveyed have been homeless more than one time.
When reviewing this report and using its data, please keep in mind the 'photographic' qualit y
of its findings . Being a point in time snapshot count,the data is indicative only of the small sam-
ple of people who granted interviews for the survey, and is by no means an absolute portrait o r
exact count of SLO County's homeless community members . As stated in the 2009 report, th e
homeless are, "a changeable and mobile population, and no single report or project can describ e
them exhaustively." That said, this report ought to be regarded as a portrait of a diverse loca l
minority population and used to strengthen our collective resolve to more thoroughly and effi-
ciently address service and policy approaches to continue to work toward the goal of endin g
homelessness in San Luis Obispo County .
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Report
•
5
•
Count Total s
Enumeration teams used a standardized count form to record homeless individuals at assigne d
geographic areas and locations guided by local homeless services providers and homeless vol-
unteers . These numbers reflect the total number of individuals reported by enumerators on th e
evening of January 25th (at shelters and hospitals) and the morning of the 26th (at all other loca -
tions including those counted by San Luis Obispo County school districts and Head Start pro -
grams). The enumeration form allowed for family units to be demarcated, but due to inconsis-
tencies in the way this data was reported, the Count figures represent individuals only .
The sum total of those counted without permanent housing in San Luis Obispo County over th e
24 hour period on January 26th and 27th is 3,774 .This number represents all individual s
counted who slept outside in parks or the creek, etc ., in automobiles, shelters or 'doubled up '
with another family in someone's home the night of the enumeration .
This pie chart represents the counted homeless population by region within the county : Coas t
(Northwest of San Luis Obispo from Los Osos to Ragged Point), North County (True North o f
San Luis Obispo from Santa Margarita to San Miguel), San Luis Obispo and South Count y
(Southwest of San Luis Obispo from Avila Beach to Nipomo).
Percent of 3,774 Counted Homeless By Regio n
i Coast
North County
South County
SLO
•
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
6
Count Demographics by Age & Regio n
This data is comprised of enumeration count data as well as data from the San Luis Obisp o
County school districts and Head Start programs as reported by individual districts on the da y
of the enumeration 4 . Children are individuals under 18 years of age . Seniors are individual s
over 65 years of age .
children under 18
I adults
seniors
Population Breakdown by Age of the Counted Total 3,774 Homeless
•
Table 1 : Count demographics by age and region
CHILDREN ADULTS SENIORS TOTA L
Coast 103 48 4 155
North County 954 342 45 1341
South County 301 616 52 96 9
San Luis Obispo 489 800 20 1309
4 School districts define homeless students broadly in accordance with McKinney Vento to include children who are
sharing housing due to housing loss or economic hardship .
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
7
Age & Region Continue d
The chart below shows the breakdown of homeless individuals by age and region to illustrat e
the differences within the overall counted population . As illustrated below, while children make
up 49% of San Luis Obispo County's total counted homeless population, this percentage is no t
equally distributed throughout the regions . The highest ratios of children to adults ranges fro m
2 .5 :1 in North County and 2 :1 in the Coastal region to 1 :1 .7 in the city of San Luis Obispo .
These ratios mean that in the coastal region, 66% of the counted homeless population are chil-
dren . In North County, 71% of their counted homeless population are children and Sout h
County, 31% children .
These figures on homeless children are most valid in their simple numerical value form . Ex-
trapolating percentages of homeless children as they apply to entire populations ought to b e
done with caution . It is far easier to get accurate counts of school children because the schoo l
districts are mandated by the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to track home -
less students . It is far more difficult to count adult counterparts with extreme confidence .
Children under 18
Adults
458 Seniors
1500
0
112 5
375
750
Coast
North County
South County
SLO
•
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
8
Survey Data Overvie w
The methodological goal of administering the surveys was to conduct a face to face intervie w
with every fifth adult or senior counted by an enumerator . On the day of the enumeration, o f
the 1,927 adults and seniors counted, 283 of them were surveyed . Of those surveys, 279 wer e
viable, which is roughly one in every seven individuals, the same ratio as the 2009 enumeration .
Enumerators were encouraged to maintain a strict adherence to the one in five goal when able ,
but were also cautioned to move to the sixth or seventh individual if a successful survey out -
come appeared to be unlikely.
Each team from the four regions supplied enough completed surveys to constitute a usefu l
sample size, ranging from South County enumerators who successfully surveyed one out o f
every six adults and seniors counted, to the Coast enumerators who surveyed one out of ever y
nine adults and seniors counted . Decimals were rounded to the nearest whole integer to ac-
commodate the reality of counting individuals .
Survey data will be presented in this report as countywide totals to aid in normalizing the dif-
fering ranges of the ratio of those counted to surveyed per region, and due to varying sampl e
sizes in each region .
Each demographic heading will be followed by a question in italics and a number in parenthe-
sis. This refers to the question on the survey in its exact wording to more clearly illustrate th e
quality of responses .•
Table 2 : Survey ratio and number of completed surveys by regio n
REGION NUMBER O F
ADULTS & SENIORS
NUMBER O F
COMPLETED SURVEYS
RATI O
SURVEYED :COUNTE D
Coast 52 6 1 :9
North County 387 52 1 :7
South County 668 107 1 :6
SLO City 820 114 1 :7
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Report
•
9
•
Age, Gender & Ethnicit y
Ethnicity/Race (check all that apply) (4 )
The basic demographic data captured in the survey reveal that the average homeless person i n
the county is 42, which is three years younger than what the data captured in 2009 . Wome n
comprise 32%, men 66% and male and female teens each 1% of total homeless individuals sur-
veyed . Seniors are categorized with the adults for this section .
men
women
male teens
female teens
The surveyed population was : 59% White, 15% Hispanic /Latino, 9% other, 8% Native American
5% Black/ African American and 2% Asian and Pacific Islander . Note : According to the Census
Bureau 2005-2009 American Community Survey, SLO County's ethnic population is 3 .3% Asian
and 1 .1% Native American .
Table 3 : Number & percent ethnicity of total surveyed homeless .'
Number of Surveyed Homeles s
White 59 %
Hispanic/Latino 15 %
Black/ African American 4 %
Asian 2 %
Pacific Islander 2 %
Native American 8%
1 0
Other/Multiracial 9%
14
0
50
100
150
200
5 Percentages are rounded to the nearest tenth in this report when possible .
5 Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
49
1195
5
p4w
10
Language & Educatio n
Is English your primary language? If not, what is your first language? (5-6 )
Of the surveyed homeless population, 11 responded that English was not their primary lan-
guage . Additionally,14 persons responded that Spanish was their first language .
English Primary Language
English Not Primary Languag e
Note : These results do not imply that the 4% of surveyed homeless that consider another lan-
guage as their primary language do not speak English also .
What is the highest level of education you have completed? (19 )
The results from the survey reveal that the largest proportion of those surveyed, 32%, held a
high school diploma or equivalent . Note: 65% of all respondents were at least high schoo l
graduates with 33% of all respondents having attended college or vocational training at som e
point in time . Of those 33%, 9% went on to graduate from college (8%) or graduate school (1%).
Table 4 : Number and percentage of total reported responses per educational leve l
0-8T H
GRADE
9-12T H
GRADE
HIG H
SCHOO L
GRAD /
GED
SOM E
COLLEGE /
VOCATIONA L
TRAINING
2-4 YR .
COLLEG E
GRAD
MASTER'S
DEGREE /
HIGHER
N O
RESPONS E
7 70 88 68 23 6 1 9
3%25%32%24%8%1%7%
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
1 1
•Employmen t
Do you have a paid job? (15 )
If yes, it is full-time, part-time or seasonal? (15a )
If no, what is the reason you are not working? (15b )
Of the 270 homeless individuals who answered this question, 46 reported having full-time (12),
part-time (33) or seasonal (5) employment creating an overall 17% worker population amongs t
those surveyed . This pie chart reflects employment type among all reported workers .
0 full-time
part-lime
seasona l
The most common reason for unemployment among the homeless individuals surveyed wa s
disability/illness (120 respondents), followed by cannot get hired (72 respondents). Of the 19 re-
spondents that replied other,two respondents specified that they were felons, one caretaker ha d
no childcare options and two suffered from drug addiction .
Reasons for Unemployment of Total Unemployed Homeless
cannot get hire d
in schoo l
wages too low
disability/illnes s
other
20%
30%
40%
50%
60 %
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
2 %
1 1 %
0%10%
33 %
12
Residenc y
How long have you lived in San Luis Obispo county? (9 )
Of the 270 responses to the question of length of time spent living in SLO County, 65% of indi-
viduals surveyed reported that they had lived in the county for more than five years,20%have
lived in SLO County for more than a year but less than 5 years, and 16% have lived in the county
for less than one year . These findings, when loosely compared with the 2009 enumeration find-
ings (in 2009 56% lived in SLO County for more than 5 years), illustrate the significant an d
growing percentage of SLO County's homeless individuals that are long time residents .
Number of individuals residing in SLO County
•
0
50
100
150
20 0
Why do you live in San Luis Obispo County? (10 )
According to those surveyed, being from the area and having friends and family here are the tw o
predominant reasons for living in San Luis Obispo County . Again, this points to a potentiall y
large portion of homeless individuals who are long time residents . Of the 58 respondents wh o
chose other,19 people cited the weather/love of area and 6 cited parole/legal issues as reasons for
residency within the county .
Table 5: Reasons for living in SLO County by number and percentage of response s
FROM AREA FAMILY /
FRIENDS HERE
JOB ATTENDE D
SCHOOL HERE
OTHE R
101 82 22 5 58
38%31%8%2%22%
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Report
•
>5 years 65 %
>1 year 20 %
7-12 months 4 %
71 4-6 months 3 %
v
1-3 months 6 %
<1 month 3%
1 3
Nature of Homelessnes s
Where did you sleep last night? (1a )
Of the 274 responses from homeless individuals pertaining to sleep location, 133 slept outside o r
in a vehicle . Seventy-two surveyed homeless people slept in a shelter, transitional housing or a
detox /halfway house . Thirty-seven spent the night as a guest with family and friends or dou-
bled up with more than one family. Twenty-two people slept in a motel, three of which used a
voucher.6 Ten spent the night in jail .
Reported number of individuals per sleeping locatio n
doubled up 4%
vehicle 21 %
outside 27%
motel 8%
transitional housing 4%
guest 9%
shelter 11 %
detox / halfway house 12 %
jail 4%
0
20
40
60
80
6 Motel vouchers provided by Transitional Food and Shelter, Inc . h_ptt :/ /www.nowhereto og co m
5 Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
•
14
•
•
How long has it been since you've had your own apartment/house to live in? (7 )
Of the 267 responses to the question regarding the duration of their most recent incidence o f
homelessness, 70% reported having been homeless for more than a year, 19% have been home -
less for more than three months, but less than a year, and 11% of respondents have been home -
less less than three months .
Table 6 : Duration of most recent stint of homelessness by number and percentag e
<1 WEEK 1-4 WEEKS 1-3 MONTHS 4-12 MONTHS >1 YEA R
2 6 21 50 18 8
1%2%8%19%70%
Is this the first time you've ever been homeless? (8 )
The purpose of these series of questions (8, 8a & 8b) on duration of homelessness is to mor e
clearly reveal how many people in SLO County experience chronic & episodic homelessness .
HUD defines one as chronically homeless if one suffers from a disabling condition while experi-
encing four or more bouts of homelessness within three years or is continually homeless for a
year or more . Of the total respondents to this survey question, 35% were considered chronicall y
homeless.Episodic homelessness refers to numerous bouts of homelessness over time .
0 151 people responded "No"
115 people responded "Yes "
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Report
•
15
•If yes [first time homeless], how long have you been continually homeless? (8a )
Of the respondents who were experiencing homelessness for the first time 7 ,26% had been
homeless for less than one year, 51% had experienced homelessness for more than a year bu t
less than five years and 23% of surveyed individuals reported being homeless for more tha n
five and a half years .
Percentage of homeless individuals per time spent continually homeless
< 1 yea r
1-2 years
2.5-5 year s
5.5-9 years
10+ years
0 5 10
15 20
25 30
If no, how many times have you been homeless in the last three years? (8b)
Of the respondents who reported that this was not the first time they had ever been homeless,7 5
(53%) reported $they had been homeless one other time within the last three years . Forty-fiv e
• (32%) individuals reported they had been homeless twice in the last three years, ten (7%) re -
ported three times, two (1%) people reported four and five times, six (4%) reported six time s
and one person reported being homeless ten times in three years (1%). This graph illustrates
how many people surveyed experienced episodic homelessness in the last three years, and t o
what degree :
Number of respondents who have been homeless more than once in 3 year s
once
twice
3 time s
o
4 time s
5 times
ioo 6 timesa,v
10 times
Z
0
20
40
60
8 0
7 15 surveys did not contain the relevant information needed to be counted in the analysis of this question .
9 10 surveys did not contain the relevant information needed to be counted in the analysis of this question .
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
75
4 5
1 0
2
2
6
1
16
•
What was the reason you had to leave your last permanent place?9 (11 )
unemploymen t
low wages
unable to pay rent/mortgag e
eviction/ foreclosur e
rent increas e
divorce/break-u p
domestic violenc e
illness self /famil y
alcohol/ substance abus e
no public assistance/welfar e
family rejected me/ threw me ou t
mental illnes s
jail/parole/warrants
other
0
25
50
75
100
Number of times each reason for homelessness was reporte d
Unable to pay rent/mortgage was by far the most common reason for homelessness . Of course,
there are many ways one arrives at the point where one can not pay their rent/mortgage, an d
many respondents listed multiple reasons that contributed to their current situation .
Of the written in responses under the other category, nearly half were reasons concerning lega l
issues including jail, restraining orders and warrants . Other reasons for homelessness included :
death of family, fire, medical bills, lost custody of children and simply just wanting to "take off".
9 The surveyor was instructed to check all that apply to illustrate the many reasons one becomes homeless .
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Report
•
17
•Familie s
Are you single, part of a couple, or family? (12 )
If a family unit, how many children accompany you and what are their ages? (13 )
Are you using any childcare services? (14a )
If not, why not? (14b )
The series of questions, 12-14, were designed to determine the number of surveyed individual s
who were single, in a couple or as an entire family unit with children in their care . If the famil y
did include children, question 13 aimed to determine their numbers and ages and question 1 4
addressed whether or not childcare was used . Like the 2009 report, the rate of those responding
"yes" to the question of childcare was very low, and most people with children who were sur-
veyed declined to describe why no childcare was used .
41 single=189
couple=35
single parent family=26
two parent family=20
Percent of singles, couples and families . Legend reflects number of each .
•
The survey results indicate that there were 41 children under the age of four and 59 childre n
age 5-17 who were part of a homeless family . Of these 100 children, eleven are in childcare . It
should be noted that the families associated with the school district count were not part of th e
survey pool . The reasons why childcare was not used included:
too expensiv e
not availabl e
lack of transportatio n
do not know of service s
other
0
5
10
15
20
25
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
18
•Veterans
Have you ever served in the armed forces? (16 )
Are you currently receiving veterans' services? (17a)
Veterans represent 16% of the total surveyed homeless population . Of the 44 homeless veteran s
surveyed throughout the county, eighteen, 41%, reported using veterans services . Note : Many
veterans used multiple services . The 2009 Enumeration Report found that 13% of all interview-
ees were veterans, with 40% using veterans' services .
If yes, what type of service are you receiving? (17b )
Eighteen homeless veterans reported using services for question 17a, yet 23 reported using spe-cific services for question 17b . This discrepancy may be due to confusion over what specificall y
qualified as 'veterans' services when the initial question was asked .
Number of veterans who used each sery ic e
medical
disabilit y
pension
0
5
10
1 5
Where do you go for veterans services? (18 )
Services used by Surveyed Veteran s
SLO County Veterans Services 25 %
SLO Outpatient Clinic 16 %
Vets Unemployment Services 2 %
Santa Barbara Co . Vets Services 16 %
Other 4%
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Report
•
19
•Incom e
Are you receiving income from any of the following sources? (20a )
Each person surveyed was asked if he or she received income from a list of possible sources .
Many individuals reported receiving income from more than one source . Thirty-eight percen t
of respondents identified Food Stamps as a, or their sole, source of income . Note : Food Stam p
allotment for one qualifying person is $200/month, for a two person household the benefit i s
$367/month, and a four person household can receive $668/month to purchase program man -
dated food items and seeds to grow food .1 0
Other sources of income included Social Security" Income (SSI) at 15% of surveyed total an d
11% cited General Assistance as an income source . For survey question 20b, 67 people reporte d
that they had a pending application for SSI or Social Security Disability Insurance .
Question 20c asks If you are not receiving assistance from any of the above, why not?Twelve peopl e
cited being denied benefits for various reasons, nine did not want assistance and three ha d
criminal records . Other responses were : "No ID", "Just want work" and "Can't do paperwork ."
The pension from employer option has been omitted due to the lack of any positive responses an d
the veterans benefits/disability option has been omitted due to lack of reliable data .
Number of respondents per type of income sourc e
Unemploymen t
TANF/CalWork s
General Assistance
SS retirement/ Survivors benefit s
SS I
State Disabilit y
SS Disabilit y
Child Suppor t
Food Stamp s
Employment
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
10 United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (SNAP )
http ://www.fns.usda .gov/snap/applicant recipients/BEN .HTM
11 On this page and throughout this report,SS refers to Social Security.
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
20
Health & Healthcare
•
Please indicate of you are experiencing any of the following [health issues]: (25)
Of the 279 viable surveys completed for this report, the most striking feature of the results is the
amount of illness, disability and substance abuse experienced by the homeless population i n
San Luis Obispo County. Many respondents reported suffering from more than one ailment .
The graph below indicates the number of survey responses per health issue :
Physical disability 38%10 7
Mental illness 31%= $7
Developmental disability 3%8
Chronic substance abuse 22%60
Chronic health condition 17%4 7
HIV /AIDS 3%7
Hepatitis C 3%9
Pregnant /2
Cancer 1
0
15
30
45
60
75
90
105
120
In the last year, have you used any of the following health services? (23 )
Table 6 : Number of respondents & percentage per health service used in the last yea r
ER HEALTHCARE FO R
HOMELESS (CHC)
PRIVAT E
DOCTOR
VA CLINIC CAPSLO CAL POL Y
COUNSEL-
IN G
121 92 46 17 19 4
43%32%16%6%6%1 %
Do you have health insurance from any of the following sources? (21)12
Private Insurance 5 %
Medi-Cal/ CenCal 31 %
Medicare 8 %
VA Clinic 5%
0
15
30
45
60
75
9 0
County Medical Services Program 8 %
CHC homeless grant 25 %
0Cl)
'r Thirty-one respondents reported getting health insurance from more than one source. Most common combinations were 10 peopl e
reported MediCal/CenCal and Medicare and 10 reported CMSP and Community Health Center Homeless grant .
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
21
•
Job Training and Other Service s
In the past year, which of the following services did you use? (22 )
This graph illustrates the services used throughout the county by those individuals surveyed .
The percentages are derived using the entire surveyed population (279) since many people use d
more than one service .l3
temporary shelter 41 %
food 67%
ra
healthcare/health van 37 %0
-cs clothing 38 %
a,
financial assistance 18 %
counseling 17 %
transportation 28 %
3
▪transitional/ supportive housing 9 %
case management 23%
u
mental health services 16 %
drug & alcohol services 14 %
day center 32 %
parole 1%
0
50
100
150
200
In the last year, have you used any of the following job training services? (24 )
Eighty-one individuals (29%) reported using one, or many different, job training services of-
fered throughout the county. Each job service is followed by the percent of job training user s
(81) that used each service .
North County One Stop 12%
South County One Stop 30 %
Shoreline / Goodwill 28 %
Vocational training 5 %
Job Club 12 %
Prado Day Center 47%
0
10
20
30
40
13 Job training services were omitted from the analysis based on incomplete data generated by this question .
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
22
•Qualitative Dat a
What do you need to change your life? (26 )
The purpose of this question was to be able to report on the needs of those surveyed in thei r
own words outside of the framework of a multiple choice question . Asking this question wa s
also a way to end a very personal, perhaps intrusive, interview process by respectfully offerin g
the last word to the interviewee . Common themes ran throughout the responses and are cate-
gorized below followed by direct quotes from a survey that captures the predominant them e
within each need category . Many people responded with more than one need .
Table 7 : Number and type of responses to the question,What do you need to change your life ?
CATEGORY QUOTE NUMBE R
low income
housing
"I long for a stable place to live . I don't want to be homeless forever ."
"I need opportunities for low-income housing,"
74
employment "I just want to find a job! Quick! In order to support my family!"45
money "I need steady income . This is my first time without a job ."2 6
support / help "I need someone to believe in me ." "I need friends ." "I need to catch a break ."2 9
SSI "I need SSI ."1 5
sobriety "I want to stay clean and sober and keep my serenity ."1 2
legal aid "I need a homeless court .""I need assistance with my court case ."8
law
enforcement
"Cops should be nicer about petty offenses like camping or trespassing ."
"Don't prosecute the homeless for camping or loitering ."
8
vehicle "I need a car ." (response from an unaccompanied teen)7
shelters "A Midnight Mission 24 hours a day!""A bigger shelter."5
medical care "I need doctors to pay attention to me and give me more than 5 minutes of time ."5
school "I need my GED to go to college and be self-sufficient .""Funding for school!"5
comforts "I need creature comforts .""A bathtub with hot water"9
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
•
Appendix A : Count Form
Name of Volunteer :
Name of Location :
Age, Individual or Family Group s
(Use One Line Per Person & Circle any Family Groups)
Sex Note s
0 Chil d
O Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 1
0 Chil d
0 Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 2
O Chil d
0 Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 3
O Chil d
O Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 4
0 Chil d
0 Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 5
O Chil d
0 Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 6
0 Chil d
0 Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 7
O Chil d
O Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 8
O Chil d
0 Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 9
0 Chil d
0 Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 1 0
0 Chil d
O Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 1 1
0 Chil d
0 Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 1 2
O Chil d
O Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 1 3
0 Chil d
O Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 1 4
O Chil d
0 Teen 13-17
0 Adult
0 Senior 65+O F O M 1 5
0 Chil d
0 Teen 13-17
0 Adult
O Senior 65+O F O M 16
Page Totals :Children 0-12 Adults Teensl3-17 Seniors 65 +
Families M F
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
24
Appendix B : Survey For m
Say : Hello, I'm collecting information about the housing and health situation of San Luis Obisp o
County residents . Your responses will be kept completely confidential . Some of the questions dea l
with your physical and mental health status, employment history, and housing situation . Please tel l
me if you wish to skip any particular question . You may also choose to end the interview at any time.
Surveyor : For questions 1-21, it is not necessary to read the list of responses aloud, though you may
ask the respondent to clarify.
If the respondent indicates that they slept in their own home, proceed to ask question 1 b. If
they answer "no" to question lb, it is not necessary to complete the interview Thank them for thei r
time and continue to the next respondent .
la .Where did you sleep last night (choose one)?
q 1 . in own home (rented/owned) (answer lb and continue )
q 2 . in a car, camper, or other vehicl e
q 3 . outside (tent, bush, etc )
q 4 . in a motel — If yes, did you have a motel voucher ?
q a . Ye s
q b . N o
q 5 . in housing provided by a transitional progra m
q 6 . as a guest with family or friend s
q 7 . in a shelte r
q 8 . in a detox or halfway hous e
b .Does more than one family live in your home ?
q 1 . Yes
q 2 . N o
2 .Gender (ask only if necessary )
q 1 . Mal e
q 2 . Female
3a.Age (write in):
b .If 17 years old or younger, are you accompanied by an adult ?
q 1 . Ye s
q 2 . No
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Report
•
25
•
4 .Ethnicity/Race (check all that apply)
q 1 . White
q 2 . Black/African-America n
q 3 . Asian
q 4 . Hispanic/Latin o
q 5 . Pacific Islande r
q 6 . American Indian/Alaskan nativ e
q 7 . Other
5 .Is English your primary language ?
q 1 . Ye s
q 2 . N o
6 .If not, what is your first language ?
q 1 . Spanis h
•q 2 . Native American/Mexican language (Oaxacan, etc )
q 3 . Other
7.How long has it been since you've had your own apartment/house to live in (choose one)?
q 1 . 1 week or les s
q 2. More than a week, but less than a mont h
q 3 . 1-3 month s
q 4. more than 3 months, but less than a year
q 5 . 1 year or longer
8 .Is this the first time you've ever been homeless ?
q 1 . Yes (answer 8a and continue)
q 2 . No (answer 8b and continue )
a.If yes, how long have you been continuously homeless?
b.If no, how many times have you been homeless in the last 3 years?
•
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
26
•
9 .How long have you lived in San Luis Obispo County ?
q 1 . less than one mont h
q 2 . 1-3 months
q 3 . 4-6 months
q 4 . 7-12 month s
q 5 . more than one yea r
q 6 . more than five year s
10 .Why do you live in San Luis Obispo County ?
q 1 . originally from (grew up in) this are a
q 2 . have family or friends here
q 3 . job opportunities
q 4 . attended school here
q 5 . other (please specify)
11 . What was the reason you had to leave your last permanent place ?
Surveyor: check all that apply.
q 1 . unemployment
q 2 . low wage s
q 3 . unable to pay rent/mortgag e
q 4 . eviction/foreclosure
q 5 . rent increas e
q 6 . divorce/breaku p
q 7 . domestic violenc e
q 8 . illness self/famil y
q 9. alcohol/substance abuse
q 10 . public assistance/welfare not availabl e
q 11 . family rejected me/threw me ou t
q 12 . mental illnes s
q 13 . other (please specify)
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
27
•
•
12 .Are you single, part of a couple, or family ?
q 1 . Single (skip to 15 )
q 2 . Couple (skip to 15)
q 3 . Family (Single Parent Family with Children)
q 4 . Family (Two Parent Family with Children )
q 5 . Under 18 and accompanied by sibling s
13 .If a family unit, how many children accompany you and what are their ages ?
q 1 .Age0-4
q 2 .Age5-17
14a.Are you using any child care services ?
q 1 . Ye s
q 2 . No
b .If no, why not ?
e
q 1 . Too expensiv e
q 2 . Not availabl e
q 3 . No information available/do not know of service s
q 4 . Too hard to access/lack of transportatio n
q 5 . Othe r
15 .Do you have a paid job ?
q 1 . Yes (answer 15a and continue )
q 2 . No (answer 15b and continue )
a .If yes, is it
q 1 . full-time
q 2. part-tim e
q 3 . seasona l
•
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
28
•
b .If no, what is the reason you're not working?
q 1 . cannot get hire d
q 2 . in schoo l
q 3 . wages too low
q 4 . disability/illnes s
q 5 . lack of childcar e
q 6 . other (please specify)
16 .Have you ever served in the U .S . Armed Forces ?
q 1 . Ye s
q 2 . No (skip to 19 )
17a .Are you currently receiving veterans' services ?
q 1 . Yes
q 2 . No (skip to 19)
b .If yes, what type of service are you receiving? (check all that apply )
q 1 . medical
q 2 . disability
q 3 . pension
18.Where do you go for veterans' services?
q 1 . SLO County Veterans' Service s
q 2 . SLO Outpatient Clini c
q 3 . Vets' Unemployment Service s
q 4 . Santa Barbara County Vets' Services (Santa Maria )
q 5 . Other
19 .What is the highest level of education you have completed ?
q 1 . 0 — 8 th grad e
q 2 . 9th —12th grade (non-graduate)
q 3 . High school graduate/GE D
q 4 . some college/vocational trainin g
q 5 . 2 or 4 year college graduat e
q 6 . Master's Degree or highe r
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Report
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29
•
Surveyor : For questions 20-24, read the list aloud.
20a.Are you receiving income from any of the following sources ?
q 1 . Unemploymen t
q 2 . TANF/CalWorks
q 3 . General Assistanc e
q 4. Social Security retirement /Survivors Benefit s
q 5 . SS I
q 6 . State Disability
q 7 . Social Security Disabilit y
q 8 . Child Suppor t
q 9 . Pension from employe r
q 10 . Food Stamp s
•
q 11 . Employment
q 12 . Veteran's benefits/disability
b .Do you have a pending application for SSI or Social Security Disability Insuranc e
q 1 . Ye s
q 2 . N o
C . If you are not receiving assistance from any of the above, why not ?
21 .Do you have health insurance from any of the following sources ?
q 1 . Private insure r
q 2 . MediCal /CenCal
q 3 . Medicare
q 4 .VA
q 5 . CMS P
q 6 . CHC Homeless grant
•
Continuum of Care
San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
30
•
•
22 .In the past year, which of the following services did you use ?
q 1 . temporary shelter (bed )
q 2 . food (shelter meals, food pantry, etc )
q 3 . health care/ mobile health va n
q 4 . clothin g
q 5 . financial assistanc e
q 6 . job training
q 7 . counseling
q 8 . transportation (bus passes, shelter van, ride from agency )
q 9 . transitional or supportive housin g
q 10 . case managemen t
q 11 . mental health service s
q 12 . drug and alcohol service s
q 13 . day center (mail, phone, laundry, showers )
q 14. other (please specify)
23 .In the last year, have you used any of the following health services ?
q 1 . E R
q 2 . Health Care for the Homeless Progra m
q 3 . Private doctor
q 4 . VA clini c
q 5 . CAPSLO health service s
q 6 . Cal Poly counseling service s
24 .In the last year, have you used any of the following job training services ?
q 1 . North County One Sto p
q 2 . South County One Stop
q 3 . Shoreline/Goodwil l
q 4 . Vocational trainin g
q 5 . Job Club
q 6 . Prado Day Center
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Report
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31
Say : The following question has to do with your physical and mental health status . If you're uncom-
fortable discussing your health, you can fill this page out yourself .If respondent chooses to fill out the questions themselves, ask them to fold the page in half and retur nit to you .
25 .Please indicate if you are experiencing any of the following :
q 1 . Physical disability
q 2 . Mental illnes s
q 3 . Developmental disability
q 4 . Chronic substance abus e
q 5 . Chronic health conditio n
q 6 . HIV/Aids
q 7 . Othe r
OPTIONAL :
The purpose of this question is to get information from the interviewee in his/her own words about•what he/she views as his/her most pressing personal need area . It is up to the discretion of the indi-vidual enumerator whether or not this question is asked . The responses are used for qualitative an dinformational purposes only.
26 .What do you need to change your life ?
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
32
A Special Thanks to Our Enumerators :•
Aaron Lewis, Abby Lassen, Abel Herrera, Amanda Sparks, Amy Gilman, Andrea Herrera, Andre w
Anderson, Ann Daley, Betsy Ehrler, Betty Winholtz, Beverly Abbey, Bud, Bull Chaney, Candace Gomez ,
Casey Weiss, Catherine Davenport ,
Chanel Channing, Chloe Tirabasso ,
Chris Long, Christina, Collee n
Ryan, Christie Horton, Darlen e
Mims, Dave Helwig, David Cool ,
David Cullen, David Ono, Davi d
Rodriguez, Dawn Latimer, Dell a
Wagner, Dee Torres, Dulce Rauirez ,
Erica Smit, Frank Perez, Fred Wolf ,
Gail Foos, Grace McIntosh, Gu s
Northcraft, Jason Derocher, Jame s
Walters, Jan Stone, Jan Lewis ,
Janine Saldana, Jared Kolar, Jean ,
Jeanine Shaffer, Jeff McMickell, Jen-
nifer Triggs, Jennifer Negrete, Jer-
emy, Jesse Torrey, Joey Morrow ,
Jorge Montezuma, Julia Miller ,
Karen Akre, Kathy Hartnell, Kath y
Lewis, Keri Schrader, Kim Lowery,
•
Larry Prober, Larry Feldt, Lauri e
Gutierrez, Leon Daniels, Lindse y
Collinsworth, Lisa Ray, Liz Kroll ,
Liz Marut, Lorena Gomez, M Meltz ,
Madison, Marci Sperlo, Mari a
Guerrero, Marina Morales, Mar k
Lamore, Mary Squellato, Marylou ,
Megan, Michael Hendrickson, Mi-
chell, Michelle Harris, Michell e
Myers, Mike Machado, Owen, Pa m
Hughes, Pearl Munak, Peti, Phi l
Aldred, Pierce, Rachel Grogg, Ra -
chel Robles, Randall Hunt, Re-
becca, Reginald Holmes, Rod Yon-
quist, Rolando Ramos, Roxy, Rube n
Moreno, Rupert, Ryan,
Sandr a
Pendell, Shawn, Shona Pruitt, Stacy,
Stella Medina, Stephanie Michel, Sue Huntley, Sunshine, Tabitha Smith, Theresa Johnson, Thomas Niel -
son, Tim, Tim Sullivan, Tina Salter, Todd Corgill, Tina, Tom Beem, Tom Mercer, Toni Flynn, Tracy Lang -
wood, Tyler, Vicki and Elizabeth Merson for her help as an enumerator and data analyst .
...and anyone we might have missed.
Continuum of Care San Luis Obispo County 2011 Homeless Enumeration Repor t
33
•
•
FACES OF HOMELESS IN SAN LUIS OBISPO CIT Y
As many as 3,800 people are homeless on any given day in San Luis Obispo County ; an estimated one- third are children .
An estimated thirty-five percent are adults caring for children ; 5% are seniors, 11% are veterans . These were some of th e
findings of a January 2009 snapshot survey of homeless in the County . The City of San Luis Obispo homeless have their ow n
story to tell .
Demographics of Homelessnes s
•36% of County's homeless are in the city of San Luis Obisp o
•75% were men ; 17% veterans ; 20% had children with the m
•This is not a transient group :
— 25% of the respondents were originally from the County ; another 24% ha d
friends or family in the Count y
-25% had been in the county over 1 year ; 48% over five years
•30% completed high school ; another 35% completed or had some college .
Falling into Homelessnes s
•49% were first time homeles s
•Those who had been homeless before :
—Experienced homelessness an average of 4 times
—Had had a home approximately 5 years before falling int o
homelessness again
Remained homeless for approximately 29 month s
•53% lost their home due to financial reason s
•31% lost their home due to health reason s
•A majority accessed services in the past year :
—73% day cente r
-53% shelte r
-53% health care
-26% case management services
Economics of Homelessnes s
•7% had a paying jo b
•56% were too disabled to find wor k
•36% were unsuccessful when trying to get hired
•30% had used job training service s
•Most received other mainstream assistance :
—43% food stamp s
-20% SS I
-15% general assistanc e
Health and Homelessness
•Many homeless have health challenges :
—43% reported a physical disabilit y
-33% reported a mental disability
-23% reported substance abuse issue s
-42% reported depression, anxiety or PTS D
•52% had MediCal, Medicare of Veterans Administration coverag e
•For health services :
—60% had used Community Health Center s
-44% had used emergency room s
-16% had used mental health
•
•
Dynamics of Homelessnes s
Definition s
Ready (want tos):This group is ready and engaged t o
participate in available services and transition out o f
homelessness . This group has been homeless less than 2 .5
years .
Unable (Cannots):This group is constrained by menta l
illness, addiction or both and is unable to access or sustai n
involvement in available services . They are also defined a s
those that have been homeless for 2 .5 years or longer .
Resistant (will nots):This group is unwilling and resistant t o
access available services and homelessness is a choice . Thi s
group has been homeless less than 2 .5 years .
•
•
2012 Total population of Hom e
City of San Luis Obisp o
Category o f
Homelessness
Tota l
Population
Percent of Tota l
Populatio n
Total`1,592 100%
Scarce; Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo Co. lnu. 2032.
°lntIudes both children and adult s
.5 .READY
HOMELESS
55.5 (WEAHIEMOHN i
2012 Total population of Homeless,
City of San Luis Obispo
Source: Community Action Partnership of San tuts Obispo Co.,Inc ., 2012 .
'Includes both children and adults
...(.15 1%55 5 5
5 5 ..5 .5 5
55 .55..5 .5 55,5 .5 „.55115 5515 .5515 .550L .:...555 .55
.55 5 .5,55 5 ,5
.515 :
„. %-55 555E,..055 .51555 1.11511..5...1551%. 5555 5155i :5 .5 5 5 .
5
:i .5 :5505 :'1111E:1 555 5 .5 ..555 .555 .5115 .555 :.EKE .: 15 5 .55 5..5555 .55P15 .5 EITIEE :15 .55 .%
.E
.5”.555 .5555 51 5 .510" 5555 .5155 1555 :55 .
5E .
5
55 .5 ..
55 ::.555"..
. 555ii . 5155 55
."55E5 15555 1 515 .511111 .5511115E 11551%.
NOW ::.55..51 .:15 5 5.:.5
EADNSI :5 .5a
H
5 .5 :..5
2012 Total population of Homeless,
City of San Luis Obisp
o
Percent of Total
Population
;....NOW .:..
aiONii
Total*1,592 100 %
Source; Community Action Partnership of San this Obispo Co .,inc ., 2012.
'Includes both children and adults
RESISTANT
HOMELES S
Hots)
2012 Total population
this Obisp o
of Homeless,City of Sa n
Source : Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo Co .,MA.ZDLZ .
"Includes both children and adults
".:...:..
2012 Total population of Homeless
, City
,,,,,
Category of
Homelessness
Percent of Total
Population
Total*
tud''teud:both children and adults
Action P d .,ts
100%
READY
HOMELESS niii .
(wtxi,t ,._..
RESISTANT
HOMELESS
(a;~i I ots )
2012 Total population of Homeless,
City of San Luis Obispo
Source: Community Action Partnership of San tuffs Obispo Co ., Inc., 2012.
'Includes both children and adults
•
•
READY ::
HO II :i(wars '
2012 Total population of Homeless ,
City of San Luis Obispo
RESISTANT
HOMELESS
inAilififfibTSE i i"in
Category of
Homelessne
Total Percent of Tota l
Population Populatio n
40%c
100%
.OF:HOM E
Community Action Partnership o f
'Includes both children and adults
..Lt .T.tg ....:
4h ,10iiiOS.''ORT :;4:14:.f..
.TLL ..L .L .TniLiELALL,.&....LLL .La....4TOLLL4,44L.4 r.LT......TT. TT TT : "TT. "T .:LT ..OL.
LL . i.''LL
T ILL.
Source : Community Action Partnership of San Cub Obispo Co ., Inc, 2012 .
"Includes both children and adults
T .Ls?Li. iiiLiLL .
...",
2012 Total population of Homeless ,
City of San Luis Obisp o
Category of
Homelessness
Tota l
Population
Percent of Tota l
Population
EZMIIMIEM Iooya
637
-"-
.....RESISTAN T
...HowtuEss .:*..
{w f~ls s }"'
2012 Total population of Homeless ,
City of San Luis Obisp o
Category of
Homelessness
Total
Population
Percent of Total
Population
Total*1,592 100 %
zto.yj;,
Source: Community Action Partnership of San leis Obispo Co., Mc., 2012 .
*Includes both children and adults
Additional
Services6:
.7
& 7.2 -
.'
,ii i.7'.T""T 4.4 -77
u:hid .
:j:'..
1
.
6..77:.....g ..'7 ,- '6
caa
Source: Community Acton Partnership or Sou t is Obhpo CO.,Inc ., 2012.
Includesboth children and adult s
Total s
Category of
Homelessnes s
2012 Total ofP05Ppuolal.tia''isn''bOf IHs :Pmeless 'City
100%1,59 2
637 tIOXic ditc h
Total Percent of Total
Population (Populatio n
2012 Tcoittayl otposoati
nL
o
is
no0bfIbis ;eiess '
Source : Convmmlty Action Phanenhip ad.UM Obispo Co ., Inc., COLL
Includes both children and adults
READ
Y "HOMELESS :c !"I ':
L .
(Vlant 1.01,11.'1 sll""IT":11 .1:""Ill RESISTAN T
HOMELESS
SS :.
Programmati c
Changes
2012 Total population of Homeless ,
City of San Luis Obisp o
Category o f
Homelessness
Tota l
Population
Percent of Tota l
Populatio n
Source: Community Action Partnership of San Lois Obispo Co ., Inc ., 2012 .
'IndutInboththildran and adult s
Total'
•
•
council memonanbu m
DATE :
December 2, 201 1
TO:
City Council
VIA :
Katie Lichtig, City Manage r
FROM :
Derek Johnson, Community Development Directo r
Michael Codron, Assistant City Manage r
BY :
Tyler Corey, Housing Programs Manage r
Brigitte Elke, Principal Administrative Analyst
SUBJECT :
Homeless Service s
The following discussion outlines the City's policy direction, financial commitment, support an d
intended approach for homeless services .
General Pla n
•The General Plan Housing Element contains policies and programs that support housing
and service agencies whose mission it is to develop programs for the City's homeless
population .
•The City's role is one of funding support to local and regional organizations to meet the
needs of the homeless .
•The City provides finding assistance from Community Development Block Gran t
(CDBG) and General Fund monies to Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obisp o
County (CAPSLO) for the operation of their Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelter and Prad o
Day Center programs as well as a site for the Prado Day Center facility .
2011-13 Financial Plan and 10 Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessnes s
•Affordable housing and homeless services is identified in the 2011-13 Financial Plan a s
an "other important" Council objective .
•This objective includes continued efforts to support and implement the "10 Year Plan t o
End Chronic Homelessness" (10-Year Plan), which was endorsed by Council an d
outlines strategies to coordinate homeless services and address housing and service
needs .
•The 10 Year Plan's top priority is to facilitate access to affordable housing . Since 2001 ,
the City has utilized CDBG and Affordable Housing Fund monies to implement the 1 0
Year Plan by assisting with the development and preservation of over 200 affordabl e
•housing units in the City .
•The 2011-12 fiscal year budget included $138,200 for the Maxine Lewis Homeles s
Shelter and $53,700 for the Prado Day Center . In addition, the City also provides "in -
kind" support for the Prado Day Center with free rent, water, sewer and trash services.
HomelesSerlves council metro f1-2-11 .docs
•
•CAPSLO Programs and Service s
•Maxine Lewis Homeless Shelter – In the 12 months ending June 30, 2011, 84 1
unduplicated persons received one or more nights of shelter for a total of 26,728 shelte r
nights . The shelter also served 62,910 dinner meals during this time period .
•Prado Day Center – provides breakfast and lunch to an average daily census of 8 4
persons and other services to a daily average of 132 persons .
•In 2010, the city amended the use permit for the Prado Day shelter to allow it to be use d
at night for a warming station during the winter months . The warming station was activ e
for the first time last winter and allowed those living outdoors during inclement weathe r
to stay at the center with access to sleeping bags, snacks and the center's amenities . The
warming station is activated based on Red Cross' forecast of weather emergencies . It
keeps the center open after regular hours and is operated with one Prado staff membe r
and volunteers attending the people seeking shelter . Unfortunately, there is no fixed
budget to run the warming station and currently CAPSLO does not have funding for it .
The Friends of Prado Board is actively seeking donations and is fundraising aggressivel y
to fill this void . The cost is estimated at $10,000 to run it throughout the winter month s
depending on the number of days it needs to be activated .
•On an emergency basis, the City and the County are working with Friends of Prado t o
open the warming station as soon as possible . The need for the warming station i s
compelling and growing, and with the County and Friends of Prado in partnership we ca n
help meet CAPSLO's financial needs . Funding for this purpose will come from th e
Ventures and Contingencies account in an amount necessary to operate the warmin g
station, but not to exceed $5,000 . Staff will recommend to CAPSLO that this need be
incorporated into its prioritization when considering grant proposals in the future .
•Last year, the Prado Day Center provided service when the warming station wa s
necessary to an average of 206 individuals per month. People that use the warming
station tend to be those that do not access services on a regular basis and generally sho w
no interest in partnering with a CAPSLO case manager to work toward self-sufficiency .
•CAPLSO prioritizes those who have chosen to be on case management and work toward s
self-sufficiency first, due to limited resources and accommodations .
•CAPLSO does not have the capacity or expertise to adequately assist those that have no t
volunteered to be in case management . Additional support is needed from mental healt h
and substance abuse professionals to assist this segment of the homeless population .
Intended Approac h
•Continue to direct the homeless to CAPSLO for services. CAPSLO has cas emanagement capacity to accommodate additional clients . Clients that are case manage dare guaranteed a bed at the shelter until they find permanent housing .•Redirect requests for changes in homeless services to CAPSLO and HSOC .•Continue to financially support local and regional agencies that implement the 10-YearPlan to End Chronic Homelessness .
r
•
•
"IL city of san tuts osispo community bevetopment bepaatmen tihomeless senvice s
The City partners with the County to provide programs to transition people out of homelessnes s
and advance goals outlined in the 10 Year Plan . The following talking points outline th e
respective roles the County and City have in addressing regional and local homeless servic e
needs.
County's Rol e
•Social services agency and regional leader in addressing the needs of the County's
homeless population .
•Receives federal and state funding from various sources to provide a wide range o f
programs and services aimed at enhancing self-sufficiency while ensuring that safet y
and basic human needs are met for the people of the County .
•Regional expert in social service needs and has several departments dedicated t o
providing services to the homeless . A list of some of these services include :
a .Case management f.Medical services
b .Mental health services g .Social service s
c .Education h .Transportatio n
d .Emergency assistance i .Drug and alcohol counselin g
e .Transitional and permanenthousing
••In June of 2009, the County Board of Supervisors created the Homeless Service s
Oversight Council (HSOC) as an advisory committee on homeless issues with th e
following roles and responsibilities :
a.Provide a forum for planning, service coordination and policy development with loca ljurisdictions and public and private service provider s
b.Compile and monitor data and information regarding the number of homeless an d
service utilization .
c.Advise service providers of opportunities and best practices to improve access t oservices.
d.Advocate and provide local jurisdictions with recommendations on public fundin g
allocations based upon local needs and prioritize objectives within the 10-Year Plan .
e.Work with public and private partners, donors and grant makers to establish financia l
resources for service coordination and implementation .
•The County Board of Supervisors recently announced it is hiring a full-time Homeles s
Services Program Manager to focus regional efforts . The position will coordinate efforts
among non-profits, volunteers and local governments to identify gaps in homeles s
services and find ways to fill service needs .
City's Rol e
•Support and strategically supplement efforts lead by the County .
•Support housing and service agencies whose mission it is to develop programs for th e•City's homeless population .
1
•
•
uqrlll city of san Luis osispo community Oevelopment Ocpaatmen t
•Provide funding assistance from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Grants -
In-Aid (GIA) and General Fund monies to social service providers .
•Support and implement the 10 Year Plan, which was endorsed by Council and outline s
strategies to coordinate homeless services and address housing and service needs .
•Leverage grant and Affordable Housing Fund monies, consistent with the 10 Year Plan ,
to assist with the development and preservation of affordable housing .
•Evaluating pilot parking program (set to launch June 1 s`)and will develop ordinance t o
allow expansion of program to other areas for Council consideration (December 2012 )
•
4,
2
•
•
HOMELESS SERVICE S
Patio Day Center (786-0617) (8 :30 em -4:00 pin, Every day) Showers, meals,
Laundry ; Case management -43 Prado Road,SLO :Cdtfor WanningStation Info
Housing support program : Walkin/No appointment (M, Tn, W: 1 :00 pm- 3 :00 pm )
is Memorial Shelter (781-3993)5 :00 pm -7:00 pm ONLYfor Check-
dinner, shower; case management - 750 Orcutt Road,aQ
Community Action Partnership South County Case Management (473-8210 )
1616 Manhattan Ave .,GroverBesch-Housing support program : Walk in/N o
appointment (Wed, 1 :00 pm-4:00 pm).
ECHO-El Camino Homeless Organiation (462-3663) 6370 Atascadet Ave .,
L4tascadero :COME at 4:30 pm -6:00 pm ONLY for check-in; Dinner at 5 put ,
shower,yeddina (if available)
San Luis Obisp o
Count y
Community Service s
'EMERGENCY ASSISTANC E
211 SLO County Hotline-Dial -I-1 (24 hrs ., Every Day) Free, confidential
information about Id al asltstance programs . English and Spanis h
Mental Health (S00-838.1381) (24 hrs ., Every Day)
CRISIS (Threatening)Suicide Prevention,Si .O Cnmw
SLO Hotline (T-MHA) (800-549 .4499) (24 hrs ., Every day) Mental health &
emotional support and Suicide Prevention :Confidential, free
National Suicide Prevention Hotline (800-273-TALK) (-8255 )
MEDICAL SERVICES
Community Health Centers of the Central Coast (CHC) (866-614-4636) fo r
service and site location information, 8 :00 am-5:00 pm. Medical clinics in variou s
locations annss SLO County .Primary care and some specialty services .
SLO Noor Foundation Clinic - By appointment (439 .1797) Vohmteer-based fre e
health care for anemia people ; 1428 Phillips Lane Suite B4, S
Clinic Hours
I :OOpm to 5 :00 pm (Fri . & Sat Only )
Public Health Department of SLO (781-5500) Inummizations ; High risk infant
follow-up; Communicable disease testing (Sexually transmitted, HIV,TB); Family
planning: WIC Food and Nutrition Probuem ; Tobacco cessaroq ;%191 Johnson Ave .,
SLO ; Selected services in Paso Robles (237-3050);Grover Beech '073-2050 )
County Medical Services Program (CMSP) (7814838) 2180 Johnson Ave ., SLR;
tinitaut a...
SOCIAL SERVICE S
SLO County Dept of Social Services (DSS) (781-1600) General Assistance ,
CaIWORKs, CalFresh, Mcdi-Cal; 3433 S. Higuera , SLO Nipomo,(931-1800);
(Arrove Grande (474-2000);Ataseadero(461-6000 ; &Paso Robles,(237-3110 )
Social Security Administration (885-207-4865) Social Security benefits an d
applications - 3240 S . Higuera, i1Q(Mon-Fri, 9 .am4 :00 pm)
S.A.F.E . Family Resource Center (474-2105) Serves children & their families ;
Case management; Connection to community resources in So. County: 1086 Gran d
Ave,Arrova Gcaade(474-2105)(Mon-Fri, 8 :00 am-5 pm); 1511 19° St,Oceaa g
(474-3690); 920 W. Tefft St, Ninnmp (473-5560) (Mon-Fri, 8 :30 am-4:00 pm)
Coastal Family Resource Ctr. (540.3365) Serves children and their families; Case
management; Connection to community resources . 880 Manrenita Dr ., Room 18,
)ms ()so>i.Mon-Thms, 9:00 am-Noon, & by appointment (also serves Moro Bay )
The LINK (466 .5404) Parents and guardians of children in North County schoo l
districts, Case management, Family assistance referrals ; 6500 Mono Rd, Ste . A,
Atascadero(9:00 am - 5 :00 pm, Mon-Fri )
SOCIAL SERVICES (Continued)
AIDS Support Network (781-3660) Referral services ; Emotional support, foo d
pantry; housing and financial assistance for those with HIV . 1320 Nipomo St.,a&
(Mon-Thurs; 9 :00 am-5 :00 pm; Fri, 9 am-3 pm)
SLOIIEPC Project (5434372) Health & benefit counseling ; Food penny for thos e
with HEPC . 1320 Nipomo St, ~LQ (Mon-Thurs . 9:00 am-5:00 pin; Fri, 9 am-3 pm )
Salvation Army - Call for available services, hours & locations : Atas s
(466-
7201);fambria,(927-4044);MaraRev(772-7062);Leta CuunN (48I-0278);Pe,os
a 1 (238-9591f,$JQ (544-2401 )
Catholic Charities (541-9110) Utilities and rental assistance when funds are
available; 751 Palm Street,ag (9:00 am-5 pm, Mon-Fri )
DISABILITY ASSISTANC E
Independent Living Resource Center (ILRC) (462-1162) Benefits, Aasisnve
technology, Housing assistance, Referral services ; 7425 El Camino Real, Ste. R,
Amscadero :(900 em-500 pm, Mon-Fr )
MENTAL HEALTH, DRUG & ALCOHOL SERVICE S
Mental Health Services - SLO County: For Appoinenents (800-838-1381) Clinic
locations and emergency referrals : 2178 Johnson Ave .,LW (781-4700); North
County : 5575 Hospital Drive,Atascadero (461 .6060); South County : 354 S . Halcyon
Rd.,ftrmvn Grande (473 .7060) (AO locations:Mon-Fri .,8:00 an-5 :00 pm)
Drug and Alcohol Services - SW County 2180 Johnson Ave,°S,rl Q (781-4275);
3556 El Camino Red as d (461-6080);1523 Longbranch Ave .,Ewa
ark (473-7080) (AO locations : Mon-Fri ., 8:00 em-5 :00 pm)
Transitions-Mental Health Association (T-MHA) (540 .6500) Eliminating stigma,
and promoting recovery and wellness for people with mental illness through work ,
housing, community and family support services. 784 High Sc,,,$~Q
North County Connection : (462-8600) Peer support drop-in recovery center .
Information, education, and refemis for treatment and recovery services . All
inquires are free, anonymous & confidential .www .aorthcounNCannection .eom
Alcoholics Anonymous (M1-3211) SW County Central Offic e
Call for county-wide meeting schedule orwww .elaea ore
Narcotics Anonymous (800 .549-7730)www.CENTRALCOASTNA .cor g
JOBS AND EMPLOYMEN T
Business and Career One Stop eaters (903 .1421) Multi-agency employmen t
shelter, case management ; and counselin g
Sexual Assault Recovery and Prevention Center (SARP) (545-8888) (24 hr .,
Every day) Crisis line and advocacy & counseling for survivors of sexual assault and
their loved ones . 51 Zee' Lane 4140, SiLQ(8.30 am-5 :00 pm,Mon-Fri)
--TIC VIOLENCE
ty Women's Shelter and Resource Center Off (2264400) 1030 Vine
bles - Emergency shelter, case management, and counselin g
e (24 hrs ., Every Day) (1-855-SSHELTE ; 1-855.574-3583)
Women's Shelter Program of San Luis Obispo (781-6401) (24 hr .) Emergency
•
•
•
CAPSLO Case Managemen t
Case Management Services are designed to provide clients with the assistance and guidanc e
needed to move from homelessness to self-sufficiency and eventually housing . Case Managers
partner with individuals and families to develop customized case plans which set achievabl e
goals that the client wishes to achieve, and connect them with appropriate services an d
referrals to help reach these goals .
All case plans are individualized to best meet the needs of the client, and no case plans ar e
exactly the same . All individuals have access and are strongly encouraged to take ful l
advantage of case management services .
Clients are encouraged and supported while they continue to make progress on their case plan s
in order to achieve their goals . However, progress for one person may not be the same as it i s
for another. Certain cases may involve an intensive level of case management for those wh o
need help with getting things started from the ground up, where others may already b e
connected with services and benefits and just need assistance with very particular pieces o f
their lives . As long as clients continue to make progress on their case plans, follow the cas e
management guidelines (to the best of the ability of the client), they will remain on cas e
management until they obtain self-sufficiency and housing . CAPSLO's experience is that client s
that remain in case management eventually become self-sufficient and find housing .
•
S
•
Homelessness: City Council Meetin g
Tuesday, February 21, 201 2
I am Reverend Cynthia Rae Eastman . In addition to being a former high school teacher, I am a n
ordained interfaith minister and the founder of a San Luis Obispo-based . nonprofit organization ,
Common Ground Worldwide . However, I have also had personal experience with homelessness and it i s
based on that experience that I am advocating for our brothers & sisters who are suffering due to bein gun-housed.
Rather than our city putting ourselves at risk of being cited by the United Nations for Huma n
Rights violations, which is what happened in Sacramento recently, and the possibility of San thi s
Obispo being sued for societal child and elder neglect, endangerment, and abuse, our community has a n
opportunity to create a model for the state, nation, & world concerning how we help our neighbors t o
transition from being un-housed back into housing .
I would like to suggest that people who are experiencing homelessness should actually be viewe d
as Internally Displaced Persons . The definition means people who are refugees in their own countries .
Usually, these groups of people have lost their homes due to natural disasters or wars . However, what
we are seeing right now are record numbers of people without access to housing due to the current stat e
of the economy . They are "Economic Refugees ."
I am asking you to shift your ideas of what it is to be "homeless" and realize that a disaster or
'is response is what is needed right now . People,who are Internally Displaced, for whatever reason,
require emergency humanitarian outreach efforts .
Citizens who are living in their vehicles need to have "Safe Parking" with a bathroom available .
This is not complicated and does not take a lot of time to create,simply open parking lots with restroom s
at night. Santa Barbara's "New Beginnings" program has had a system in place for several years.
hitrt/wswunewbeginningseounselimseenter .or nrourams .html
Clearly, there are not enough shelter beds for everyone who needs a place to sleep . Having
children, the elderly, and those who are physically or mentally disabled sleeping on the streets i scompletely unacceptable . It is dangerous and even life-threatening to be living outside . We must
provide shelter for our most vulnerable citizens, In addition to creating a Safe Parking program ,
emergency dwellings need to be set up until vacant buildings are re-appropriated for housing and/o r
affordable, sustainable, communities are established .
I'm extremely proud to be a member of a community that has been innovative with its vision fo r
creating a healthy safe environment for its residents, as witnessed by our "No Smoking" ordinance .
However, in order to actually fulfill our title as the "Happiest City in America" we need to step up ou r
response to ending homelessness . As a team, I know that we can do better! I hope that you will take
action now . Thank you for your support!
n xtzua Gratin tiro 't _.&d e
-Find fhe Common Gcounti -
txeverend Cynthia sae ~sstPtta a
iii,d''oun(LL,,..X -a Gvc id :ecn,
RECEIVED `
MAR 21201 2
Clart CLCfl I
----eFW: Fwd: letter to City Council re : Homeless Parking
2773_CO1.pdf
t mgtraat Message
From :Justesen, Erik P .
Sent :Tuesday, March 20, 2012 05 :58 PM Pacific Standard Time
To ;Lichtig, Kati e
Cc : Whalen. Susan M
Subject Fwd : Letter to City Council re : Homeless Parkin g
Hi Katie ,
We have some concerns related to the increasing homeless parking issue around our oce .Please see attached letter to the council w e
wish to be entered into the record . Cant be there tonight. but we will follow up w police depr. Who have been very good to work wit h
on this issue .
Th x
Goaduin,Heathe r
Subject :
Attachments :
rrm grou p
creating environments people enlay e
March 20, 201 2
Transmitted Via Facsimile : (805) 781-710 9
City of San Luis Obisp oAttn: Mayor Jan Marx, Vice Mayor Dan Carpenter, Council Members Andre wCarter, Kathy Smith, John Ashbaugh, and Police Chief Steve Gesel l
Re : March 20, 2012 City Council Agend aOvernight Camping in Vehicles in City of San Luis Obisp o
Dear Sirs and Madams ,
We are concerned with the increasing number of homeless living on and around our Corporat eHeadquarters on Hind Lane . As the numbers of homeless persons continues to grow, so do th eincidents of criminal behavior . We are more than concerned for the safety of our employees and ou rtenants. We have over 60 employees and 24 tenants who work in our building on Hind Lane .
We have dealt with theft and vandalism problems since late 2008 . The incidents that we have recorde dare:•21 incidents of theft including a vehicle, moped, camper shell, large BBQ Grill and 2computers•6 incidents of property damage to RRM and employee vehicles including siphoning ga s.2 incidents of illegal dumpin g•1 suspicious vehicle reporte d
en of these incidents were significant enough that we had to file a police report . After two straigh tyears of problems, our landlord installed a fence along the back parking lot closing off access t oMeissner Lane . We installed several cameras and increased our lighting in our back parking lot . Thi shas helped with most of our problems, however, as the homeless encampments continue to grow o nHind Lane and Long Street, we are alarmed at what might happen in the future with the proliferation ofthis trend .
During these tough economic times many of us are working longer hours and staying late . These toug htimes have also lead to more and more homeless RV owner's parking on Hind Lane and Long Stree tcamping out overnight . They are drinking, urinating, dumping feces in dumpsters, taking water an dleavingtrash. Not only do we no longer feel safe,but we are also forced to spend money to protec tourselvesaswellas cleaning up after them .
We all love working and living in San Luis Obispo . We have a soft spat in our hearts for the les sfortunate who have suffered economic misfortune during the current economic downturn . However, wecannot afford to have them negatively impact our small corner of the local economy .
We support the option under consideration of establishing a parking zone that prohibits parkin gcampers, motor homes and vehicles that people are living in within a certain distance of businesses .
Thank you very much for your consideration .
Sincerely ,
DESIGN GROU P
Isan WhalenDirector of Operations
COMMUNITY I CIVIC & PUBLIC SAFETY 1 RECREATION 1 EDUCATION l URBA N
ARCHITECTS I ENGINEERS 1 EXHIBIT DESIGNERS 1 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS 1 PLANNERS I SURVEYORS
AC.ffvmieC rpOetlon I Y,aor Montcau,cx Ndetea 0C11Qi0 I Pr,yr*naeLPEri68P3,LS 46276 I ,IsifFF c 82844
a1 Design Grou p
3765 S .Higuera St ., Ste. 10 2
;an this Obispo, CA 9340 1
(805) 543-179 4
(805) 543-4609
vww.rrmdesign.com
RECEIVED
•
MAR $0 .24112
20 march 201 2
SW CITY CLERK
AGENDA
COR RESPONDENC E
City of San Luis Obispo Date=-=
0 #.
Mayor Jan Mar x
Vice Mayor Dan Carpente r
Council Members Andrew Carter,Kathy Smith and John Ashbaugh
Police Chief Steve Gesell
Via facsimile (805) 781-710 9
Re : March 20, 2012 City Council Agenda .
Overnight Camping in Vehicles in the City of San Luis Obisp o
Dear Sirs and Madams,
•In order to protect the health and safety of our employees, customers and tenants grad the
protection of our business property from vandalism, I am writing to support the optio n
under consideration of establishing a parking zone that prohibits parking campers ;motor
homes and vehicles that people are living in within a certain distance of businesses .
Thank you very much,
Jane Hin d
Hind Properties, LL C
San Luis Obispo
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•
•
RECEIVED
MAR 2 0 2012
council memoRaanOu -CLER K
hard cnev emat►:
March 20, 201 2
FROM :
J. Christine Dietrick, City Attorne y
SUBJECT : Status of Overnight RV Camping Citations and Prosecution s
In connection with Agenda Item BI in tonight's agenda, staff received a question regarding th e
status of infraction citations recently issued to individuals found sleeping in their vehicles o n
public streets in the City, Additionally, the City has received a variety of correspondence an d
media . coverage regarding the recent issuance of citations . The purpose of this memo is t o
provide information in response to specific questions posed, but also to offer clarificatio n
regarding the role of the City Attorney's office as it relates to Municipal Code prosecutions .
Below are the answers to the specific questions posed and some information regardin g
obligations of the City Attorney as City Prosecutor and the limitations of Council's role in th e
criminal enforcement process .
Q :According to the Tribune,48 citations have been issued in recent weeks . Could we obtain
data about the disposition ofthose citations? Td like to know how many,if any,ofthese citations
resulted in fines imposed . Of these, how many were able to be collected? How many person s
chose to serve their time in County jail, or chose other options such as community service in
place of a fine or jail time?(Community Service can be and often is performed at CAPSLO sites ,
by mutual agreement),
A : Citations issued by the Police Department and directly filed with the court are generall y
issued with court appearance dates set four to eight weeks from the date of'issuance in order to
ensure the court has adequate time to process the citations and provide any required notices t o
the party cited . Thus, it is likely that many of the individuals cited over the past several week s
have not yet reached their court appearance dates and that there is not yet a final disposition i n
the cases .
The Court, rather than the City, maintains the disposition records and the City most frequentl y
does not receive notice from the Court of the disposition of infraction cases . Police Departmen t
and/or City Attorney staff would need to identify all citations issued for the relevant code sectio n
in the relevant time frame and conduct research of Court records in order to provide an y
definitive data on the infraction dispositions and the amount of fines, if any,that may have been
imposed .
Infraction cases are heard by Court Commissioners, similar to traffic citations, and the penaltie s
for infraction violations do not include jail time, but are limited to the payment of a fine
determined by the Court . The only instance in which an infraction defendant could face jail tim e
is where the defendant fails to appear in Court as ordered and a bench warrant is issued for the
non-appearance . However, it has been our experience over the past year or so that the Court i s
generally not issuing bench warrants even where defendants fail to appear for court as required
AGEND A
CORRESPONDENC E
TO :
City Council
DateY z0/t Ile #l31
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Page 2
•by the citation . As the Council is no doubt aware . Court resources have been cut dramatically ,
while demands on those resources continue to increase . As a practical matter, the Court's
overloaded dockets and staff workloads, limited jail resources, and the difficulties associate d
with contacting cited individuals who do not have fixed addresses render jail time for non -
appearances on Municipal Code violations a very remote possibility .
Limitations on Council's Participation in Prosecutorial Decisions
It should he noted that, as the City Prosecutor, the City Attorney is bound by specifi c
requirements for impartiality and is required to maintain objectivity and avoid even th e
appearance that the prosecutorial discretion to file or prosecute a criminal matter is subject t o
undue influence. The exercise of the prosecutorial discretion must be based solely on probabl e
cause and the interest of justice; the prosecutorial decisions of the City Attorney's office canno t
be subject to political direction or influence . As City Prosecutor, the City Attorney's office i s
acting on behalf of the People, similar to a District Attorney . Thus, my office cannot and wil l
not seek or accept the direction of the City Council when making decisions regarding the filin g
or prosecution of a criminal case .
To dale, the City Attorney's office has received only one challenge to an issued citation fo r
violation of Municipal Code Section 17 .16 .015 . The defendant in that ease filed a demurrer t o
the citation alleging that the City's ordinance is facially unconstitutional . This office filed an
opposition to the demurrer yesterday defending the facial constitutionality of the validly enacte d
ordinance. A copy of the Demurrer and the People's opposition are available upon request fo r
public review in the City Attorney's office .
FileMgenda.Sat Parking.2012320 .doc
•
.400 n,Heather
FW : Homeless Safe Parking--- VOTE YES !
AGENDA
From :stacey stack CORRESPONDENC E
Sent Monday, March 19, 2012 8 :40 PM Date31'20)1 z-Itern##5 1
To: Ashbaugh, Joh nSubjectHomeless Safe Parking--- VOTE YES !
Thank you for working as an advocate for the homeless in SLO -- I am in support of a safe parking location an d
hope that it will not come with too many strings attached ... We have a problem that is not going to go away an d
taking steps to solve the problems of bathrooms facilities, shelter, and food goes a long way towards remedyin g
this sad situation . A country as wealthy as the United States should view this homelessness as our own failing,
failing at providing the basic living conditions for the most needy in our towns and cities ... To think of all thes e
people in creeks and cardboard tents in our cold and rainy weather is pitiful and I consider it inhumane ... Please
help with this problem and stop the police harassment in the middle of the night . Thank you for your wor k
towards safe night parking . Stacey A . Stack, voter ...
Lard copy:email:
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•
1
Goodwin, Heathe r.
Subject FW: Letter to Council from Friends of Prad o
Attachments:Friends Letter to City Council .doc
RECEIVE D
MAR 19 2012
SLO CITY CLERK
•
_ ____
From :Bill Welter
Sent :Monday, March 19, 2012 4 :16 P M
€o :Council_ AL L
Cc :Lichtig, Katie
Subject Letter to Coundi from Friends of Prado
AGENDA
CORRESPONDENC E
bete ~X'R--1ten*lb )
Hi Everyone ,
Attached is a copy of the letter that will be presented to the Council tomorrow evening from Friends of Prado Day Cente r
concerning the "Safe Parking Program". Paul Wolff from Friends will be present at that meeting to present the letter .
Thank you for your consideration of this proposal.
Bill Welte r
Community Action Partnership of an Luis Obispo Co., Inc .
Admin Assistant I I
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•
This transmission is conrrdentaI and intended solely for the parson or organization to whom it is addressed . ft may contain privileged an dconfidential information . If you am not the intended recipient you should not copy . distribute or take any action in reliance on iL if you hav ereceived this transmission in error, please notify me immediately by email or call (805)544-4355.
•
Day Cente r
Officers:
Rey Rawling s
President
Community Representativ e
Alex GoughVicePresidentSWDowntown Associatio n
Representativ e
Carol Devot eSecretary
Community Representativ e
rim Ma rTreasurer
Community Representative
Boatel Members:
Mitch Ardantz
maturity Representativ e
Cory Black
Community Representative
Chuck Crotso;
Community Representative
Diana PochCommunity Representatv e
Mary Matakovich
Community Represerrtabv e
Curt Miner
Ministerial Assoaa6o n
Represe tati e
Anneka Scranton,PhD .
Community Representative
John Spatafote
San Luis Obispo Chamber o f
Commerce Representativ e
Paul M
Community Representative
&liaison to CAPSLO
Susan Devin e
San Luis Obispo County Liaiso n
Brigitte Elks
City of San Luis Obispo Liaison
Mary Parke r
Regis's Kitchen Lyon
•
City of San Luis Obisp o
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 9340 1
Dear Mayor and Council Members,
"Safe Parking" for homeless individuals and families in the city limits of San Lui s
Obispo has recently come under fire . For a variety of reasons, including th e
economy, lack of affordable housing, and limited shelter beds, motor homes ,
trailers and cars that line some of the city streets are the temporary "homes" fo r
some of the city's homeless population . Residents sleeping in vehicles with n o
oversight or restroom facilities create a wide variety of health and safety issue s
for themselves as well as the community at large .
On March 13, 2012 the Friends of the Prado Day Center Board of Directors vote d
unanimously to support the Prado Day Center Safe Parking six month pilo t
program . The proposed pilot program would create up to 5 "safe parking" space s
at the Pride Day Center on Prado Road . These spaces will he reserved for client s
to reside temporarily while they work with a case manager toward self sufficienc y
and permanent housing . The Prado Day Center currently provides services to
homeless individuals and families and it would be a natural fit to provide "safe
parking" at Prado to the homeless individuals who arc working toward permanen t
housing .
We believe that the City understands the significant need for the program and ha s
agreed to work with the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo Co . to
address this need . We believe that this would be a win-win-win situation for th e
city, local businesses, and the homeless population .
We support this program as an initial six month pilot . During this time th e
program will be evaluated and a decision will be made by the end regardin g
possible continuation . The decision will rely on a number of factors, includin g
safety and/or security issues during the trial period, funding, and client's succes s
in achievement of their goals .
Furthermore, our Board believes that the program described above is aligned wit h
the goals stated in our County's 10-year Plan to End Homelessness and i s
supported by the Resolution adopted by the Council which was tasked to overse e
that plan, and signed by Supervisor Adam Hill on March 21, 2011 .
Thank you for your careful consideration to this proposal and continue d
partnership in supporting the important services and those who provide them to
this vulnerable population .
Roy Rawlings, President
Friends of Prado Day Center
Goodwin, Heathe r
Subject :EW : Homeless Safe Parking-- VOTE YES !
AGENDA
From:Stacey stack
CORRESPONDENC E
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2012 8 :40 PM
Date I2 a)lti Item#'1
To ; Ashbaugh, Joh n
Subject Homeless Safe Parking---VOTE YES !
Thank you for working as an advocate for the homeless in SLO -- I am in support of a safe parking location an d
hope that it will not come with too many strings attached ... We have a problem that is not going to go away an d
taking steps to solve the problems of bathrooms facilities, shelter, and food goes a long way towards remedyin g
this sad situation. A country as wealthy as the United States should view this homelessness as our own failing ,
failing at providing the basic living conditions for the most needy in our towns and cities ... To think of all these
people in creeks and cardboard tents in our cold and rainy weather is pitiful and I consider it inhumane... Pleas e
help with this problem and stop the police harassment in the middle of the night . Thank you for your work
towards safe night parking . Stacey A . Stack, voter...
m*Zang,se ''—ate ('aitreia
STEW JENKIN S
ATTORNEY
RECEIVED
MAR 202012
SLO CITY CLER K
•
•
March 19, 201 2
Mayor Marx
Council Members Carter, Ashbaugh, Smith & Carpenter
City Hall, 990 Palm Stree t
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
By Hand Delivery & Emai l
Reference . March 20, 2012 "Safe Parking" in Prado Day Center Proposal – Agenda item fl-1
Dear Mayor Marx & Council Members,
My friends . For the first time since moving to San Luis Obispo in 1961 I am ashamed of my City . When and
how could it become acceptable to criminalize human existence based on poverty? That is what th e
implementation of the City's ordinance 17 .16 .015 and Penal Code Section 647(e) is doing. I do not believ e
any of you want or intend to criminalize people simply caught in hard economic times ; but that is the result o f
the recent direction given our police to systematically roust families, couples and individuals who hav e
nowhere to lay their head but the seat of a car or the bench in an RV .
The City's recent program of enforcement against the homeless has turned a planning ordinance into a n
unconstitutional vagrancy law ; particularly with the way that has been coupled with PC §647(e). Banishing
the impoverished members of the public from public spaces has been repeatedly struck down by America n
courts and dates back to the rights of even the poorest English citizens to use of "the commons ."
To make it plain, exempting 5 vehicles out of the 60 1 that City staff could find where people are forced t o
sleep on the street is not a solution . The City's implementation of the ordinance already violates Californi a
law, and the California and United States Constitution, by criminalizing human existence . Throwing out a
hone to give special privileges to those sleeping in 5 vehicles only makes the Constitutional disparity worse .
You are better than this . Our City and its citizens are better than this .
I urge you to revise the resolution being considered on agenda items B-I to do four important things :
1)Entirely and permanently suspend ordinance number 17 .16 .015 on San Luis Obispo City streets ;
2)Direct the City Attorney's office to dismiss all currently pending citations, court cases, an d
prosecutions of violations of that ordinance;
3)Make motion in the Superior Court to expunge any conviction on that ordinance obtained sinc e
November 1, 2011, and vacate any fines, penalties, punishments or warrants related to thos e
convictions.
4)Refund any fines paid by any individual to the City or to the Court based on that ordinanc e
since November 1, 2011 .
r Plainly, the survey of the City Staff concentrated on the Prado Road vicinity, and common experience tells us tha t
many more than 60 vehicles are being used as overnight refuge by families, couples and individuals in othe r
neighborhoods. In my own neighborhood, common respect yields a more effective remedy than 17 .16 .015 does .
nitendae" is in the Law the it of repentance ; a moment when a wrong can he called back before
ifeet . Adopting the 4 measures recommended above instead of the resolution sought by Staff
will put the City in locus poenitentine ;and reverse this public wrong . Any othe r
course will predic t ably result in legal challenges of the City's actions ,
you to consider spending the considerable savings the City will enjoy by avoiding such litigation t o
d have the police periodically distribute free vouchers to homeless families living in RVs on the stree t
the $10 sewage pump-out station identified in the staff report . You could consider using thos e
&+s to Alas c conveniently located honey-buts near where folks are congregating in creeks and in the scrub ,
or sleeping in cars. Having police contacting these impoverished families and individuals to help the
homeless know about pump-out vouchers and where sanitary facilities were available will positively chang e
the tone of relations between the homeless and the police . It will make it easier for the police to learn when
real crimes are committed in and near our homeless neighbors.
The fundamental nature of the issues at hand is as old as human existence, and is not simply enshrined in th e
Constitution, Other authors have addressed the bask duties of public action and restraint we owe each other .
Matthew 25 :31-46 (King Jan=Version): "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, y e
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world :JS For I was an
hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in : ss
Naked, and ye clothed me : I was sick, and ye visited me : I was in prison, and ye came unto me .3:Then shall
the righteous answer him, saying, Lord,when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave
thee drink?33 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in?or naked, and clothed thee?is Or when saw we
thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?ao And the King shall answer and say unto them,Verily I say
unto you. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the lent of these my brethren,ye have done it unto
me.4'Then shalt he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire ,
prepared for the devil and his angels:42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat ; I was thirsty, and y e
gave me no drink :43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in : naked, and ye clothed me not : sick, and in
prison, and ye visited inc not .44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a n
hungered., or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?45 Then shal l
he answer them, saying,Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye
did it not to me .44 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life etemai.
t thank you for your consideration, service, and t .l to you to serve all of the residents of our Cit y
including the "least of these" forced to live on the street
•
I'
March 16, 201 2
rayon Marx and Members of the City Council,.,
It is appalling that Humbolt County, Santa Barbara and the stat e
of Colorado and other bities .bounties and states give bus tickets to thei r
homeless folks and send them here and elsewhere :
This has to stop in SLO City :
I believe that our p olice Chief needs to screen our homeles s
and if they have been given a bus ticket to come here from somewhere els e
we need to give them-a bus ticket back to where they came from ;
This is not a case of not in my backyard, it is a ease that we
have thousands of our own to take care of .
Atascadero Elks Club sponsors the ECHO program Elks Club Homeles s
Outreach in which homeless folks are given a bus ticket to get back hom e
after they have been . screened for their need .
The "60 Minutes" TV Program had a segment about the homeless liv-
ing on the streets of Los Angeles . There were 11,000 in just one sectio n
of the city! What would we do if L .A . gave bus tickets to those folk s
o come here? SLO City needs to nip this problem in the bud NOW :
The Tribune and New Times reported that some homeless folks tha t
they interviewed had been given bus tickets from the above mentione d
places, to come here .
AGEND A
CORRESPONDENCE
Datei
ltem L_
Sincerely ,
herd come email:U CITYMGR COUNCIL p
rtmmmM pFtRSCHIE F
ATTORNEY pPWDlk
e ammo a PoucecHm ef1RBpgLPARRtIRECOHt
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MY AMR~~A
J CLeRK
Goodwin, Heather
Subject :
FW: Safe Parking Council Agenda Item - Support Lette r
Attachments-
SL0 City Council Safe Parking Letter .pd f
From :Scott Smith
Sent :Saturday, March 17, 2012 10 :54 A M
To :Marx, Jan ; Carpenter, Dan ; Carter, Andrew ; Smith, Kathy ; Ashbaugh, Joh n
Cc :Codron, Michael ; Lichtig, Kati e
Subject :Safe Parking Council Agenda Item - Support Lette r
Dear San Luis Obispo City Council Members ,
At our March 13, 2012 meeting the Housing Committee of the Homeless Service s
Oversight Council considered the Safe Parking item scheduled for this Tuesday's Cit y
Council agenda . Attached is a letter regarding this agenda item . We thank you for you r
thoughtful consideration of this matter, and encourage you to move forward .
Sincerely ,
Scott Smit h
Chai r
Housing Committe e
Homeless Services Oversight Counci l
Scott Smit h
Deputy Directo r
Peoples' Self-Help Housin g
Attention : Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the messag e
states otherwise and the sender is authorized to state them to be the views of any such entity . The informatio n
contained in this message and or attachments is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addresse d
and may contain confidential and/or privileged material . If you received this in error, please contact the sende r
and delete the material from any system and destroy any copies .
•
AGENDA
CORRESPONDENCE
Date :3/2 e`P-Item #Al
•
hard copy:
email:
Al COUNCIL 1CDDDI td CI YMGR DFlrD:A6ASSTCMdNRECtUB '
ATTORNEY
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1
March 16, 201 2
To : San Luis Obispo City Counci l
RE : March 20 City Council Meeting . Agenda Item 1 :
Pilot Safe Parking Program in the City of San Lui s
Obispo
Dear Mayor Marx and Members of the City Council of San Lui s
Obispo :
On behalf of the Housing Committee of the Homeless Service s
Oversight Council (HSOC), I would like to express ou r
appreciation that you are giving significant attention t o
establishing a pilot Safe Parking Program for Homeless Person s
in the Parking Lot of the Prado Day Center .
The need to initiate such programs has been a consideration o f
HSOC for some time, and worthy enough that we passed a
resolution in support of such efforts .
We have attached a copy of that Resolution, and hope that yo u
will consider our support for Safe Parking in making you rdecision. Please give me a call at 781-3088x453 if you have an y
questions or would like to discuss further .
Housing Committe e
Homeless Services Oversight Counci l
Path toa Hom e
10 .Year Plan to
EM Homelessness
We envision ci futur e
in which the housin g
and eamprehensiv e
services necesscny to
rennin housed are
available ford!.
affording everyone .
maximum self-,,.
sufficiency,and the
opportunity to be
productive an d
participating
members ofour
comsvuni y..
Path to a Hom e
10 Year Plan to
End Homelessness
We envision a future
in which the housin g
and comprehensive
services necessary to
remain housed are
availablefar sit
affording everyon e
maximum seiif
sufficiency,and the
opportunity to b e
productive an d
participating
members of ou r
community.
HOMELESS SERVICES OVERSIGHT COUNCI L
RESOLUTION
SAFE PARKING PROGRAM FOR HOMELE S
WHEREAS the incidence of homeless residents has increased in recen t
years due to the recessionary times .
WHEREAS a number of homeless residents sleep in their vehicle s
overnight, as their only form of shelter ;
WHEREAS residents sleeping in vehicles create : 1) a perceived threat t o
public safety; 2) a concern for one's personal safety when forced to use a
vehicle as night shelter ; and 3) a drain on law enforcement resources ;
WHEREAS a number of jurisdictions have established Safe Parkin g
Programs that provide a safe, designated location where homeless resident s
can park undisturbed for the night ;
WHEREAS a Safe Parking Program can facilitate outreach to homeles s
and can assist their transition to services and housing ;
WHEREAS the Homeless Services Oversight Council of San Luis Obisp o
County convened a discussion group who researched best practices of Safe
Parking Programs and prepared informational materials for local use ;
THEREFORE the Homeless Services Oversight Council endorses Saf e
Parking as a necessary and valuable interim housing opportunity, benefittin g
both the community and homeless residents .
FURTHER,the Homeless Services Oversight Council urges loca l
jurisdictions to seriously consider the establishment of Safe Parking project s
and to make their best efforts to support such interim approaches, using th e
identified best practices .
•
March
2011
Supervisor Adam Hill
Chair, Homeless Services Oversight Council
•
Homeless Services Oversight Council //P.O Box 12101 //San Luis Obispo, CA
Goodwin, Heather
FW; Response to SAFE PARKING PILOT PROGRAM AT PRADO DAY CENTER &
DIRECTION REGARDING PUBLIC STREET PARKING RESTRICTION S
From : Dee Torre s
Sent:Saturday, March 17, 2012 8 :40 PM
To:
Subject RE : Response to SAFE PARKING PILOT PROGRAM AT PRADO DAY CENTER & DIRECTION REGARDING PUBLI C
STREET PARKING RESTRICTION S
Hi Tim,
hat I haven't gotten to you sooner, I did ask Bill to give you a call and let you know that I wasn't ignoring you, jus t
swamped . To be honest a large chunk of my time as of late has been discussing these very issues with many intereste d
individuals . In actuality I am glad that we as a community are willing to discuss these very toug h
issues. These conversations are important and unfortunately very complicated . The RV/vehide encampment which ha s
developed out on Prado Road has brought up feelings and opinions from what feels like just about everyone in the City i f
not the County (I am probably being a bit over dramatic as it has been a long week and I'm a bit weary).
I'm assuming that you plan to attend the Council Hearing on Tuesday and I'd hate to take up precious time during th e
' g clarifying programmatic inaccuracies if they can be cleared up in advance, so I'll do my best here and welcome a
up conversation if needed .
In reading your comments about our proposed program I want to say that you seem to be at a disadvantage, as i t
appears you don't have all the information . You state that we will serve "5 lucky family groups" in another sentence yo u
refer to our program participants as "lottery winners". This couldn't be further from the truth, our program participant s
will be people who are temporarily sleeping in their vehicles due to a variety of circumstances, but have the desire an d
are willing to take appropriate actions to move into permanent housing . These people aren't "lucky"they are in toug h
situations and willing to partner with us to help get them out of it and into better ones .
You go on to describe the proposed program disparagingly by stating things like "it will NOT reduce the homeles s
problem in any statistically significant way", "will not even make a small dent in the problem", and again that it's a
"temporary place to sleep for 5 lucky homeless". Again, I'm not going to get into all of the details but I and my staff
believe that these statements are incorrect . We believe that by offering people a safe plate to park and the supportive
services needed to secure permanent housing, we are making more than a small dent in homelessness . The statistic s
that are collected from this program will be very valuable as we can finally stop speculating about this issue . Having facts
about why people are choosing to sleep in their vehicles rather than a shelter and what they're willing to do about it,wil l
help us todecide if more sites are needed . You state that our MLM Shelter is full and most nights this is correct, but T
should remind you that it's not full of "case managed" clients . If someone agrees to save their money for housing and
work on barriers/set goals they are guaranteed a bed until they are housed (out of the 80 or so beds available includin g
Over Flow less than 30 are choosing to save money andwork with a case manager to get a job etc).
I must admit I was saddened at the way in which you call into question our Case Management program statistics an d
outcomes, in your e-mail you state "I MAYBEDUMB, BUT I'M NOT STUPID : Sorry . but the statistic on pale B1-10 tha t
"CAPSLO has a 100% success rate transitionine people who remain in case management into permanent housino :' is
riding,self-serving, or both ." The "100% success rate" will always be 100%, since a client either drops out, stay in ,housingvoila! 100%juccess rate everytime - by definition . Lo g ically, the statement will always be true,This i s
tely not true, we could have clients who are doing everything right, working with a case manager and savin g
money, addressing substance abuse issues, looking for work etc, but due to the economy as you state either can't secur e
housing or employment . In these instances . to no fault of their own these clients aren't successful forcing us to drop
t
them from the program "voila our success rate would go down". This is not the cast/We have a 100% success rat e
despite the lack of affordable housing, the economy, job market, etc ..If someone agrees to case management and work songoals with their case manager we will house them . We often take people with $0 or very little income and get them
permanently housed . Once again if you want to have a discussion about the people who for whatever reason (mor e
often than not due to drug/alcohol and or mental health issues) choose not to work with a case manager or once ho u
stop paying their rent, get evicted or even voluntarily move out and onto the streets or back into the shelter that's a ver y
important discussion which deserves thoughtful conversations driven by evidence (you mention that we should kee p
these statistics, and we do).
I give you my word that we don't advocate for our Case Management program to be deceitful and/or self serving as yo u
state, adding more work to my staffs load only benefits our clients . as it adds to our workload . We advocate for this
because it's proven successful . All that being said nowhere in our proposal or in the staff report will you see that I o r
anyone affiliated with this proposal is stating that this program will solve all illegal parking in this County or even th e
City . How the City responds to people who for whatever reason(s) do not want to participate in any of our programs i s
not for me to answer . I can simply continue to develop programs, I can't force people to take advantage of them .
I hope I can clear up your stated "confusion" when you ask,"how can CAPSLO Guarantee soots for the willing? Aren't we
limited to 5 spots : "those who are willing to actively participate in the case management program will receive a
GUARANTEED PARKING SPACE until they are housed". How can this be guaranteed with only 5 spaces?Since this
program is brand new to our county all we can do at this point is speculate as to how many people will chose to tak e
advantage of it . One indicator could be our warming station . We allow people to park in our lot when the warmin g
station is activated . Since it's inception we've never had more than 5 vehicles at any one time . In fact a recent example
of utilization would be last night, as our warming station was activated and 3 vehides took advantage of this service . We
also look to the fact that all people currently living in their vehicles have access to our case management program an d
very few are actually taking advantage of it .
To clarify your correlation between, proposed regulations which may restrict parking in "extreme circumstances and ev e
close select city streets" and the Prado Road encampments . I can tell you that my staff and I have made it clear to th e
City and the Chief that the unregulated encampment on Prado Road has been extremely problematic for our staff an d
clients . The health and safety issues are extreme and include physical altercations, verbal threats o f
violence, drug/alcohol use, defecating/urinating/littering, among other behaviors . This encampment has not only ou r
staff/volunteers but many of our homeless clients report fear of walking down that street to get to our program and us e
services . We have also stated clearly our apprehension in developing and running a parking program inside the Prad o
gate while the behaviors described above continue at the encampment right outside . We've asked them to work with u s
on solutions and we believe that this program is an essential piece and a substantial solution again for those that ar e
willing to take advantage of it .
I am confused by your statement "Where should I go if I am homeless and Prado is full or will not take me?" as a
volunteer to the program I assumed you would know that in Prado's 15 year history we have never turned a client awa y
due to "over capacity". You also state that Prado doesn't allow animals and go on to state why they shouldn't b e
allowed into our parking program, in actuality Tim this is incorrect In an effort to be more accommodating and reduc e
another barrier for potential clients to access our services, several years ago we had on site kennels built in ou r
garden area . These kennels can and do accommodate up to 6 animals at any time . So far we have found this to be a
sufficient # as we have yet to turn any pets away due to over capacity . We are very proud of this program, we institute d
it on a leap of faith believing it was the right thing to do despite the liability issues . To this day we continue to manag e
our pet program as we do all others and we've achieved such success that we plan to not only continue but expand thi s
program to our new Center on South Higuera .
In regards to the trash in the creek you state, "YOU CALL IT 40 TONS OF TRASH - HOW MUCH OF IT WAS TH E
PERSONAL PROPERTY OF SOME HOMELESS PERSON (WHO COULDN'T CARRY IT AROUND ON THEIR BACK?"
Again I can only speak from experience Tim, as someone who regularly works with the rangers and does outreach to th e
people at the creeks, the Trash they discuss is TRASH .I,Shawn, and others have witnessed first hand the tras h
that's strewn around these camp sites and in our creek right next to the empty plastic trash bags that we're given t o
campers a few days prior by the rangers . Another complicated issue which deserves thoughtful discussions based o n
facts .
2
egards to your question regarding the correlation between the economy, and the rise in crime and/or police call s
c to the homeless, all I can do is speak from our experience and statistics ._ We are all in agreement that th e
y is tough it's hitting all of us in a variety of ways, but in order to come up with real solutions we need to b e
completely honest in regards to the problem . We In homeless services have not seen a dramatic rise in people bein g
displaced and actually on the streets/shelters due to the economy if you're equating that directly with ""job loss". For th e
most part with a few exceptions the majority of the people we work with and have the most difficult time housing ar e
those who have severe drug/alcohol, and or mental/physical situations and in this regard it could be that the economy is
exacerbating these issues as much needed services are cut . Again, this topic is too large to squeeze into an e-mail . I f
you're asking inc if our statistics show that there has been a spike In people who have been displaced due t o
unemployment the answer would be no .
Again, I appreciate your support for our programs and the fact that you obviously care about this issue . Please let m e
know if you have any further questions or comments as this is very tough stuff and in my experience there are no eas y
answers or villains to vilify, just a lot of caring people trying to do there best to help .
Best, Dee.
From :Tim Waa g
Sent:Saturday, March 17, 2012 10 :06 AM
To:
Subject : Response to SAFE PARKING PILOT PROGRAM AT PRADO DAY CENTER & DIRECTION REGARDING PUBLIC
STREET PARKING RESTRICTIONS
I ha
system .
SPP to.Safe Parking Program
SPP42 = The 42 page PDF file on SloCity .org titled "SAFE PARKING PILOT PROGRAM AT PRADO DA Y
CENTER & DIRECTION REGARDING PUBLIC STREET PARKING RESTRICTIONS".
Below is my analysis of SPP42 that is posted at w1vw.CitySLO .or g
(httpJ/slocity .org/cityclerk/ayendas/2012/032012/blsafeparkingpradodavicenterpublieparking .pdf).This eLetter
will be sent to the 5 SLO City Council Members, plus Police Chief Gesell . The so-called Pilot Safe Parkin g
Area at Prado Road Day Center will be discussed on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at the SLO City Counci l
Meeting (The City Council holds regular meetings at 7 :00 p.m . on the first, second and third Tuesdays of eac h
month in the Council Chamber of City Hall, 990 Palm Street).
In order to be brief, I will summarize my comments and address them in order from most to least important . My
apologies that this my letter is not more polished and brief.
SUMMARY :
In reviewing SPP42, I found numerous areas that I find disturbing . It appears that we are allowing 5 luck y
family groups to park on asphault overnight in exchange for onerous and expensive new restrictions on parkin g
throughout the entire city of SLO . I support increasing the vehicles in the SFP from 5 to 6 - we need provid e
arking for as many people as possible within the safety criteria suggested.
OULD BE US :
3
Those 'who are homeless in our city need a place to sleep TONIGHT - keep Malin mind . Put yourself in thei r
shoes ; most of us who support the transient population in finding permanent homes often utter "There but for
' the Grace of God go I" - you should too .
SUPPORT ALTERNATIVE 1 ON PAGE B1-16 :
[Page B1-16 ALTERNATIVES] I strongly encourage the adoption of the SPP as soon as possible ; therefore,I
support Alternative 1 . I OPPOSE the addition of new, costly and more restrictive parking ordinances that SPP4 2
proposes . Keep in mind that Pilot SPP does NOT reduce the homeless problem in any statistically significan t
way . However, it does provide a temporary place to sleep for 5 lucky homeless family groups .
NEW PROHIBITIONS ON RVS PARKING ON SLO CITY STREETS - PART 1 :
I STRONGLY oppose a city ordinance "that prohibits parking of RVS on city streets" [page B1-12, section 1 )
at top of page]. As an RV owner, I occasionally park my RV on the street, and strongly object to this provision .
Also, a permitting process is an UNNECESSARY CITY AND TAXPAYER EXPENSE, and creates one mor e
bureaucracy . I also STRONGLY oppose the other two provisions [2) and 3)] on the same page . Santa Barbar a
and San Luis Obispo are NOT the same city! I own a Dodge Diesel truck (a standard cab truck - seating for 2 -
with an 8 foot bed - it looks like a regular pickup truck) that I park on the street in front of my house that is a
3/4 ton, and I could no longer park it in front of my house (or at a friend's house) overnight? Really? Also o n
the same page : "Prohibits the parking of RVs within 500 feet of schools, churches, shelters and parks". Not
allowing detached trailers to park on city streets? Many contractors leave their utility trailers on the stree t
overnight at a job site - do we really want to outlaw this? I OPPOSE a new parking permit system for oversize d
vehicles! $400 per sign expense for the city - can we afford this? The massive bureaucracy proposed by SPP4 2
is jaw-dropping . Please do NOT direct staff to address street parking regulations . This is just an easy way fo r
the police to ticket every RV in the city parked on the street that does not have the magic and hard-to-ge t
PERMIT .
•
NEW PROHIBITIONS ON RVS PARKING ON SLO CITY STREETS - PART 2 :
I STRONGLY oppose efforts to "improve parking enforcement to address person sleeping in vehicles ..." [page
B1-1, Recommendation 3)]; [page B1-2, 2nd paragraph, last sentence]. The SPP should NOT result in mor e
restrictive laws for those who are not one of the 5 lucky ones that get a spot in the SPP . Keep in mind that th e
Pilot SPP will not make even a SMALL dent in the problem . Witness the 30+ RVs referrenced by the SL O
Police Department in SPP42 that are parking on Prado Road alone . The Pilot program should be done, but the
SPP solution is but a tiny drop in the bucket . SPP42 continues in this vein on page B1-14, where it seems t o
encourage new laws to restrict RV parking on public streets . SPP42 never comes right out and says why this i s
needed, except as a tool to remove people sleeping RVs from their vehicles permanently . It implies that there
would be a reduced need for 72 hour tagging, since the city could now drive through the city, writing R V
citations. Visitors staying in our city would need to get permits in order to park in San Luis Obispo ; note that
these permits would not automatically be granted, but would be given out based on an evaluation of the visitor !
What kind of evaluation? This sounds ominous and unfriendly to me . The number of permits and times woul d
be LIMITED . It also says that the reason for this restriction is to remove long term RV parking on city street s
and homeless people sleeping in their RVs . Most of the homeless that I know sleep in their CARS (if not the
creeks) and do not own an RV . Yes, it says all this and more! Please read the bottom of page B1-14 carefully .
NEW ABILITY TO CLOSE ENTIRE SLO CITY STREETS TO ALL PARKING WHEN THE HOMELES S
MOVE IN :
I oppose the proposal on page B1-15 item 2) that proposes to give the Police Chief unchecked power to clos e
select city streets to all parking under extreme circumstances . I assume that the "extreme circumstances" he i s
referring to is the recent situation on Prado where numerous homeless parked overnight when they had nowher +
else to go? Again, allowing 5 lucky homeless lottery winners to park at Prado will be justification for clampin g
down on all the other homeless who have nowhere else to go . Paragraph 3) on the same page warns the SL O
4
City Council to be prepared for "objections from residents who believe that stutter regulations are unnecessary "
I am one such resident .
ASE THE PARKING FROM 5 VEHICLES TO 6 :
site map clearly shows room for 6 vehicles in the Pilot SPP, yet only 5 will be allowed . Also, page B1-10 at
the top of the page in section a) indicates that the parking lot can SAFELY accommodate up to 6 total vehicles .
This will make a big difference for the 1 person who gets the 6th spot, but will not materially affect the succes s
of the Pilot SPP, in my opinion [page B1-1, Report-in-Brief section at bottom of page]. CAPSLO had originally
proposed 25 vehicles, and the program has been whittled down to 5! How about 1 more? Make it 6 please .
PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION : WHERE SHOULD I GO IF I AM HOMELESS AND PRADO I S
FULL OR WILL NOT TAKE ME ?
The city still needs to answer the question : Where should I go if I am homeless? The answer is NOT Prad o
DAY Center (its a day center). Maxine Lewis fills up and the Overflow does not accept single men ; a large
number of our homeless are men . The City's answer cannot be : you are breaking the law and you should leav e
and go back to wherever you came from . Since the city controls every aspect of our lives, it must answer thi s
question . Despite Chief Gesell's protests to the contrary, SLO has outlawed being homeless . Humans have t o
sleep to survive (ie, if you don't sleep, you will die - just like breathing), and if every spot the homeless sleep in
(ie, creek bed, car, RV) is against the law, you have essentially outlawed homelessness . To argue otherwise i s
disengenuous . Its not that different from outlawing breathing : you can't stop people from breathing, but you ca n
ticket them for it .
STOP KNOCKING ON THE VEHICLES OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT :
The policy by the SLO Police Department of banging on doors and if nobody answers, then they tag it with a
notice to move 500 feet within 72 hours . Alternatively, if they answer the knock, they receive an "Overnigh t
ing" violation. This policy encourages people to not open their doors to police when they knock . In m y
n, knocking on the doors of vehicles in the middle of the night without probably cause of a crime (excep t
for sleeping) should stop ; instead, knock on their doors in the morning (say lam or 8am) instead . Scaring
potentially unstable citizens in the middle of the night is NOT wise . Also, ticketing RVs creates fines that th e
homeless cannot pay, causing them to lose their RV to fines, and causing them to move into the creek camps .
ILL-DEFINED ISSUES STILL OUT THERE (PETS, VIDEO CAMERAS, OVERNIGHT SUPERVISION ,
RV BATHROOMS):
There are a number of ill-defined issues that are not addressed in SPP42 . Among the most glaring are that there
will not be a supervisor there during the time of the program, so what is to prevent unauthorized campers fro m
entering the facility or the authorized vehicles? etc . In my experience, parking without full-time supervisio n
may be problematic . When acting as overnight host at the Overflow, I have called CAPSLO and the Police o n
numerous occasions . Without this support, bad things may have happened. The incident are too numerous t o
detail here, but it would appear that the Prado parking lot is a less controlled environment than the inside of a
Church, yet we REQUIRE somebody to be awake all night at the Church . A possible solution would be to us e
volunteers overnight in much the same way that they are used at the overflow, but I believe that a superviso r
(volunteer or CAPSLO) must be onsite during the active hours of the SPP . Video cameras hooked to th e
Internet and monitored at Maxine Lewis should be MANDATORY, especially if there is no overnigh t
supervision . Also, I believe that having pets may be a bad idea as well . At the homeless shelter overflow, pets i n
vehicles on Church property are not allowed due to liability issues . Also, Prado Day Center itself does not allow
pets on its facility during operating hours . I personally assisted with giving birth to a litter of pups during one o f
the Prado's "Warming Station" nights. Being an RVer, I know that poorly maintained RV bathroom facilitie s
a problem (think leaking pipes or an overflowing tank), so clean-up facilities need to be ready in th e
of RV spillage . I agree that the 5 lucky SPP family groups need valid driver's license, registration and
insurance ; however, the current SLO Police Department ticketing for overnight sleeping effort puts sever e
financial pressure on the ability of the homeless to pay for insurance and registration . It is expensive to register
s
RVg due to the weight fee included with California state registration, and I have no idea how they find a n
insurance company to insurance their vehicle without an address or a job . Obtaining and keeping insurance m y
be a difficult hurdle, and I did not see it addressed in SPP42 .
YOU CALL IT 40 TONS OF TRASH - HOW MUCH OF IT WAS THE PERSONAL PROPERTY OF SOME.
HOMELESS PERSON (WHO COULDN'T CARRY IT AROUND ON THEIR BACK?)
The report notes repeatedly that 40 tons of refuse was disposed of by the city along creeks in 2011 . I wonder
how much of that material were personal posessions of the homeless? The homeless cannot carry all their
personal posessions on their back all day, so they must leave them in their camp homes while looking for wor k
or seeking food, I am skeptical about the scape-goating that comes from this 40 ton figure . I personally kno w
several homeless people that had their personal posessions (know as refuse to the City of SLO) taken in thi s
manner. I wonder where the 40 ton figure came from - did the Parks Department weigh all of it, or was it a n
estimate . Police Chief Gesell wields that figure like a sword, and uses it as an indictment of all homeless peopl e
in SLO . 1 believe that the homeless do need to properly dispose of their garbage, and if they don't, the litte r
laws should be enforced .
ITS THE ECONOMY, STUPID !
Attachment 5 on page BI-25 shows that calls for service with "Transient" increased when the Great Recessio n
hit the California economy . Yet Police Chief Gesell told me personally that none of our local homelessness wa s
caused by the weak economy, but instead was a lifestyle choice on the part of the homeless . I guess the rise i n
complaints was just coincidence? Came on, Police Chief! Also, he claimed that CAPSLO Director Dee Torres
confirmed this statistic. I put a call in to Ms . Torres, but I have not been able to confirm this with her yet .
I'M CONFUSED : HOW CAN CAPSLO GUARANTEE SPOTS FOR THE WILLING? AREN'T W E
LIMITED TO 5 SPOTS ?
On page Bl-9 of the Pilot SPP under "Target Clients", it states under item 2 . that "those who are willing t o
actively participate in the case management program will receive a GUARANTEED PARKING SPACE unti l
they are housed". How can this be guaranteed with only 5 spaces?
I MAY BE DUMB, BU '1 1'M NOT SUPID :
Sorry, but the statistic on page BE .10 that "CAPSLO has a 100% success rate transitioning people who remai n
in case management into permanent housing ." is misleading, self sewing, or both . The "100% success rate" will
always be 100%, since a client either drops out, stay in, or gets housing - voila! 100% success rate every time -
by definition. Logically, the statement will always be true . How about a better statistic, such as percent of thos e
in case management that drop out, percent of those in case management that obtain permanent housing, an d
among those who get permanent housing are once again returned to homelessness and CAPSLO case
management.
HOW DID OCCUPY SLO SEEM TO GET A PASS (POLITICIANS), AND THE HOMELESS NEVER DO ?
How many days did Occupy SLO get to sleep downtown on public property without getting cited fo r
"Overnight Camping"? I recall reading that the last of the encamping just packed up and left recently .
CONTACT INFORMATIO N
Tim Waag
•
&
A3OUT WAAG AND CO .
Waag and Co . is an Employment Law an d
Human Resources Consulting Services firm ,
working exclusively with employers .
This message (and any attached materials) is fo r
the sole use of the intended recipient(s) an d
may contain confidential information . If thereader of this message is not the intende drecipient, you are hereby notified that you hav e
received this document (and any attachments )
in error and that any review . dissemination ,
distribution, or copying of this material is
prohibited . if you have received this message i n
error, please notify us immediately by telephon e
or reply by e-mail, and delete the origina l
message and any attachments .
Dee Torres
Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo Co ., Inc .
Homeless Services Directo r
•
7
, Goodwin, Heathe r
Subject :FW :safe parking pilot progra m
From :Elaina Geltne r
Sent:Sunday, March 1B, 2012 2 :34 P M
To : Ashbaugh, John
Cc : Lichtig, Katie ; Codron, Michael ; Marx, Jan ; Carter, Andrew; Carpenter,DaniME
Subject :safe parking pilot progra m
bear Council Members and others ,
Re : item on March 20 City Council agenda that recommends approval of a proposal by Community Actio n
Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc . (CAPSLO)to implement a safe parking pilot program at the Prado Day
Center.
I would like to encourage you to find a way to begin providing safe overnight parking for our homeless people in th e
City of San Luis Obispo. Since I do not consider myself qualified to evaluate the proposal before you, I woul d
simply defer to the expert opinions of Staff and Legal . I do,however, strongly support solutions, and programs o f
this sort seem to be working well in other cities, like Santo Barbara . Thank you for the work you do !
Rev. Elaino &eltner, Director
Quietstar Center for Transformation
•
,Goodwin, Heather
t:FW: Safe Parking Progra m
From :Ashbaugh, Joh n
Sent :Sunday, March 18, 2012 2 :00 P M
To :Dee Torre s
Cc : Codron, Michael ; Hines, Charlie ; John Fowle r
Subject:FW : Safe Parking Progra m
i want to be sure that you received this communication from John Fowler as soon as I did ... John was just appointed t o
our Planning Commission .
I'm ccing this to John as well with a couple of suggestions for him :
1)Please check email for Dan Carpent e
2)Please be assured that Community Action Partnership, whose board I am on as City representative, does have a
working agreement with the City for Prado Day Center . The proposal on Tuesday would add the "safe parking area "
feature to the agreement, with the conditions stated (or as revised by our Council). These conditions were developed b y
a fairly large group of City staff, Community Action staff and volunteers . The City's advisory bodies will be consulted a s
this program is evaluated and, depending on its success, expanded to other sites . One of the questions that will b e
answered during this monitoring period is whether or not the limit of 5 spaces is appropriate . It's a start, however—an d
we do need to start somewhere . I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, or earlier — and feel free to call on me if you'd
like to chat about this further. Thanks !
: John Fowler
Sent:Sunday, Match 18, 2012 11 :55 A M
To :Ashbaugh, John;Carter, Andrew ; Lichtig, Katie; Marx, Jan ;
Subject :Safe Parking Progra m
I want to encourage and congratulate you on tackling and acting to establish a Pilot Safe Parking Program for ou r
City . Clearly, not only do we need to address this for the safety of those who find themselves in the unfortunat e
situation of having to park/live in their cars, but it needs our immediate attention for the safety and nuisance it posses s
to the community as a whole .
I think working to hammer out an agreement with SLOCAPS in the short run is a great idea . I recommend you conside r
addressing separately the Prado Road parking problem with how these managed overnight parking sites will work, whil e
they are certainly related they are two separate concerns with different urgencies to solve .
I would encourage you to not only hold open Council Meeting, with the traditional staff reports and public comments
but to work to bring all the various stake holders together for the best solution, likely with a professional facilitator (
possible city staff could do this) to guide the process . A . collaboration of the various City Depts (Police,Fire,Parks & Rec ,
etc) with Advisory Committees ( Housing Committees on Homelessness ), and Citizens, etc . will allow us to formula th e
plan best suited for our City as all have different paradigms which would be valuable to hear and consider . There are n o
easy answers and having those closest to the problems weighing in is critical .
I would also encourage you to try and expand the Pilot Parking at the Prado Center beyond 5 overnight spaces ( i n
on to finding other sites). I understand fire would like a turning radius requirement, while Fire is an importan t
eration,so is finding the overnight spaces beyond 5 as this is nowhere near enough ...so think outside of the bo x
and ask Fire to help with alternatives such as specific parking requirements where vehicles must park so as to be able
to exit quickly, working on possible second accesses for fire equipment, or mitigating measures which would reduce fir e
spreading or fire control measures . Challenge Fire to think outside the box on how to accommodate more vehicles .
SLOCAPS need to consider monitoring these parking lots more than twice a night to ensure everyone's safety,especia l
those overnight guests . Maybe Police could do a nightly visit as well . In addition to tenant agreements with SLOCAPS t o
enter their programs, there needs to be strict guidelines and enforcement of parking lot rules and someone needs to
monitor compliance routinely .
Good Luck,
John Fowler
Very Concerned Citizen
•
2
•
•
March 19, 201 2
RE : Prado Road Safe Parkin g
Dear Councilmembers .
I am one of the owners of the nine acre parcel at the corner of Prado and Elks Lane . W e
currently have two tenants, Uhaul and FirstSolar for carpool parking . We have owne d
the Property since the early 90's .
Over the years we have done our best to cooperate with the Police Dept ., Code
Enforcement, tenants and neighbors to address issues concerning trespass, illega l
dumping, unauthorized onsite parking, security and vandalism . In fact, at the
encouragement of the Police Dept . we installed a perimeter fence which alleviated man y
of these problems for the better part of four years . Unfortunately, the relative tranquilit y
and equilibrium has vanished in recent months as these problems have become wors e
than we ever experienced . In fact, a new critical safety issue has emerged as well .
Specifically, the new phenomenon of illegal camping and/or convoy daytime parking b y
large recreational vehicles and trailers along our fence line on Prado Road has created a
dangerous mixture of visual impairment for Prado drivers while substantially increasin g
indiscriminate pedestrian crossings of Prado . The high rate of speed customary for
vehicles traveling west on Prado or exiting 101, combined with this new heavy pedestria n
activity, unfortunately many of whom seem impaired, makes an accident likely,
especially after dark . We have already received reports of close calls attributed t o
blindness and thus lower reaction time .
The dangerous conditions are so prevalent, on a recent property inspection our insuranc e
carrier inquired whether the property used for this RV parking was within our propert y
lines or the City right of way . The obvious concern was responsibility for monitoring th e
users and liability for the inevitable accident .
We have been reluctant to voice concerns or make waves . We are torn because w e
support and understand that the Prado Day Center is providing an essential and valuabl e
service to the community and we do not want to make life more difficult for those hyin g
hard but legitimately down on their luck . On the other hand, however, in the past ou r
property and tenants have suffered threats of retaliation and vandalism at the hands of th e
other unsavory element of the "lifestyle" transient crowd when we have identifie d
ourselves by being justifiably proactive concerning legitimate abuses . Therefore, we ca n
not risk exposing our property and the safety of our tenants by making an appearance .
We need help and would appreciate Council assistance in addressing these concerns .
Sincerely,
Kevin. W . McGurty
RECEIVE D
MAR 15 .201 2
SLO CITY CLERK
•
From:Johnson, Derek
Sent Thursday, March 15, 2012 10 :36 AM
To :'Michael Multari'; Ashbaugh, Joh n
Cc :Lichtig, Katie; Codron, Michael ; Goodwin, Heathe r
Subject RE: Item on March 20 agenda : Create a pilot "safe parking area" at Prado Road Da y
Cente r
Hi Mike ,
Any amendments to establish a permanent program would require changes to the zoning ordinance and thus we are
statutorily required to run the amendments through the PC, we would do this anyways, even if the sections prohibitin g
people sleeping in vehicles was not in the zoning ordinance . Thanks for the comments, as Katie mentioned, we will pas s
them onto the City Council,
hard come small:
Goodwi, Heather
AGENDA
CORRESPONDENC E
Date 33/01i*t ite m #'s5
Thank s
Derek
o COUNCI L
o CrIYMDR
a ASSTCM
a ATTORNEY
a CLER*UOREO
o FIB
a TRIBUNE
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a stocrrYNER's
a CDDDIR
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o POLICECHDEP
o PARESEREC DIR
a UflUDIR
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a COUNCIL
o CITYMGR
o CLERK.
Original Message
From : Michael Multari _
Sent : Thursday, March 15, 2012 10:03 AM
To : Ashbaugh, Joh n
Cc : Lichtig, Katie; Codron, Michael ; Johnson, Dere k
Subject Re : Item on March 20 agenda : Create a pilot "safe parking area" at Prado Road Day Center •
John--thanks for asking my opinion ; I personally support the pilot program and hope the council moves ahead with it a s
soon as possible .
I would also suggest, that since this matter affects land use, parking and circulation, neighborhood wellness, housing an d
homeless issues -- all within the scope of the Planning Commission's purview -- that the results of the pilot program an d
any follow up recommendations from staff be run by the PC for review and comment prior to CC action (again, I don't
recommend this for the pilot program, only for any more permanent follow-up )
Katie/Michael/Derek, you may forward my comments to the entire council if useful and appropriate . I will be travelin g
on the 20th and unable to attend the meeting .
Thanks again .—Mike
---- Original Messag
e Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2012 9 :40:15 A M
Subject: Item on March 20 agenda : Create a pilot "safe parking area" at Prado Road Day Center
We have an item on March 20 City Council agenda that recommends approval of a proposal by Community Actio n
Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc . (CAPSLO) to implement a safe parking pilot program at the Prado Day Center .
The staff report for this item can be located at :
Please read this report at your convenience, and communicate your own insights, concerns, and/or support for this ite m
directly to the Council . You may reach me at iashbaugftslocitvorg,or all members of the Council as follows : Mayor Ja n
Marx jmarx@slocitv .org ;Andrew Carter ancarter@slocity .org ;Dan Carpenter dcaroent@slocity .org ;and Kathy Smit h
ksmith@slocitv .org . Please be aware that all correspondence to Councilmembers, including e-mails, are public record s
and may thus be made public . Finally, you are welcome to attend our meeting on Tuesday and testify on this item if yo u
wish .
Thanks,
John B. Ashbaug h
Member, SLO City Counci l
•
0 -
Goodwin, Heather
FW : Item Sion March 20 agenda : Create a pilot "safe parking area" at Prado Road D a
Cente r
3-19-12 Letter to Council .pdf
AGEND A
CORRESPONDENC E
Original Message Date'31201 t2-item#ta?1
From : Stewart
Sent : Monday, March 19, 2012 6 :01 P M
To : Marx, Jan ; Carter, Andrew ; Ashbaugh, John ; Carpenter, Dan ; Smith, Kathy
Cc : Lichtig, Katie ; Codron, Michael;SLO County Advocates for the Homeles s
Subject : Re : Item B1 on March 20 agenda : Create a pilot "safe parking area" at Prado Road Day Cente r
Dear Mayor Marx, Council Members, Ms . Lichtig and Mr . Condron ,
Please receive and consider the attached letter which summarizes my serious concerns related to the progra m
embarked on by the City which criminalizes the homeless under the guise of applying ordinance 17 .16.415 and pena l
code section 647(e). Item B1 on the March 20, 2012 Council agenda purports to remedy the temporarily unlawful an d
unconstitutional application of the ordinance and the statute ; but Si does not provide such . The attached lette r
contains a short alternative proposed four point resolution which I urge the Council to adopt instead .
All the Best,
Stew Jenkin s
Law Office of Stew Jenkins
Original Message
Sent : Thursday, March 15, 2012 9 :40:15 AM GMT -08 :00 US/Canada Pacifi c
Subject : Item on March 20 agenda : Create a pilot "safe parking area" at 'Prado Road Day Cente r
We have an item on March 20 City Council agenda that recommends approval of a proposal by Community Actio n
Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc . (CAPSLO) to implement a safe parking pilot program at the Prado Day Center.
The staff report for this item can be located at :
http ://www.slocity .org/citvcl er k/agenda s/2 012 /03 2 0 1 21b1safeaa rkin gp radodavicenterpub l icpa rking .pdf
Please read this report at your convenience, and communicate your own insights, concerns, and/or support for this ite m
directly to the Council . You may reach me at iashbaug@slocitv.org,or all members of the Council as follows : Mayor Ja n
Man imarx@slocitv .org ;Andrew Carter ancarteraslocityorg ; Dan Carpenter dcarnent@slocity .org ; and Kathy Smit h
ksmith@slocitv .org .Please be aware that all correspondence to Councilmembers, including e-mails, are public records
Subject :
Attachments :
hard copy:
a COUNCIL
a CITY MGR
q ASrrat
q ATTORNEY
q CLERK/MUG
ti
q TRIBUNE
o NEWTG(E S
q SLOCIITNEWS
C Y'rrrrDDi*&
t PIPEODEP
c PW DIR
a POLICEcRIEP
n PARKS&RRCDIR
0 UTD.DIR
a HR DIR0COUNCIL
a CTWMGI0CLERK
I think we have made a good start with the parking program at the . Prado Day Center and should stay alon g
those lines .
hardtom email:
a .£DU)CL
aCDDDW
o Cn'YMGR
D FnDIR
a ASTTCM
en:M 3u8E
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.
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San Luis Obisp o
RECEIVE D
MAY 0 2 201 2
SLO CITY CLER K
Goodwin, Heather
O ct :
FW:Enforcement of codes concerning living in vehicle s
EETll G AGEND AFrom: Marx, Jan
'+ ATE 514 12-ITEM #151
Sent :Tuesday, May 01, 2012 9 :5S PM -
To : meg evan s
Cc : Schroeder, Sheryll; Lichtig, Kati e
Subject :RE: Enforcement of codes concerning living in vehicle s
Thank you for your input . Council voted 5-0 to affirm staff recommendation to bring back draft ordinances addressin g
this problem . I am including our city clerk in this email, so that your message is included in agenda correspondence o n
this item .I hope you will be able to attend the council meeting when the draft ordinances come back for consideration .All the best,
Ja n
Jan Howell Mar x
From :meg evens [kandme1989@a yahoo .com]
Sent : Tuesday, May 01, 2012 7 :27 PM
To: Marx, Jan ; Carpenter, Dan ; Carter, Andrew ; Smith, Kathy ; Ashbaugh, Joh n
Subject : Enforcement of codes concerning living in vehicle s
unable to attend Tues . 5/1 council meeting . I would like to share the 3 points I would have made at th e
meeting . I apologize if this is a long email .
1.I support the city enforcing it's codes concerning people living in vehicles . If you allow people to live i n
their cars, how can you then enforce the codes that don't allow people to live in an illegally converted garage o r
better yet- how can you fine people he- parking their RV in their driveway if it's ok for an RV to be parked o n
the street if it is occupied ?
2.The city and all it's residents should remember that the issue of homelessness is a very complicated issu e
and that being compassionate does not mean that we should be a doormat or a pushover . There's is a smal l
group of people in every strata of society who will do their best to take advantage of any situation . Please, don't
let your noble and. humane tendencies blind you .
3.We are a small town . We simply cannot afford to make our town a place where people from all over th e
country come to get back on their feet. We will be inundated . We already have a reputation of being ver y
generous among people on the road .
or Marx and Council,
Goodwin, Heathe r
Subject:FW : Vehicle Camping in business park areas of Cit y
Attachments :Vehicle_Camping_and_City_Policy,docx
MAY 01201 2
SLC) CITY CLER K
Frost :Carter, Andrew
Sent :Tuesday, May 01, 2012 12 :34 PM
To : Schroeder, Sheryll
Subject :FW: Vehicle Camping in business park areas of City
For Public File .
Andrew Carte r
From :Andrew Carte r
Sent :Tuesday, May 01, 2012 12 :28 P M
To : Carter, Andre w
Subject:Fwd : Vehicle Camping in business park areas of City
Mayor and City Council members,•
Please read and consider the facts of my letter in making your decisions tonight at your council meeting . WE MUST NO T
allow vehicle camping and parking in our business parks from continuing . This is a huge problem for those of us i n
business . Do not let this problem continue .
Thank you in advance for your consideration and tough action . I know it is a difficult issue to grapple with, however yo u
must do the right thing.
Sincerely, Bill Thom a
Presiden t
Thorne Electric ,Inc .
•
Sent: Tue, May 1, 202 10 :31 am
Subject : Vehicle Camping in business park areas of City
hardco':a
RECEIVED
a COUNCIL a CUDDIRD ATYMGR a FIT DM
a AMP CM c FIRE CHIEFaATTORNRYa PWD!Ra CLEtRIORVO.a POLiCEC[IIIEFo PM a PARKS&RHCDII t6 TRSRrNE a trrâ,DIRa NEW?h IES 0HRDM R
a SLOt1WYNtWS a COUNCI L
a CTCYMG R
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email
1
enda item : Living in vehicles, sleeping in vehicle s
May 1, 201 2
Dear Mayor and City Council Members ,
I am writing you today as I am unable to be at the Council meeting Tuesday night . As you may or ma y
not know, I am dealing with a family health issue and am care giving for a family member and cannot b e
away for extended time especially in the evenings .
I wish to address this issue and our concern as a significant employer in this area of head of househol d
jobs for engineers, project managers, tradespersons, and administrative staff . Our headquarter office s
are located on Empleo Street in San Luis Obispo and have been there since building our facility in 1986 .
Over the past 10 years or so, we have experienced a change in our neighborhood off of South Higuer a
St . on Empleo and the nearby business areas off of Higuera (Prado, Short, Empressa, Sueldo etc .). Our
business is located in what is called the Commerce Park Industrial area and are zoned for Commercia l
Service primarily . The change has been the continuous camping or overnight parking of vehicles wit h
people living in them on our street and related questionable activities that surround these vehicles an d
Oeople occupying them . The vehicles are typically trailers, campers, vans, trucks, and sometimes car s
hat park on the street either in front of our place of business or just down the street . In general ther e
are 3 to 5 vehicles of this nature in and around the neighborhood (just on our street alone). There are
many more on the adjacent streets and surrounding areas (in the dozens). There are often sewer drai n
hoses directed to the gutter, a BBQ set up on the sidewalk or in an adjacent vacant lot, a few bicycle s
and sometimes a dog or two tied up outside and sometimes another old car for their loca l
transportation. During that same ten year period, our place of business has been burglarized o r
vandalized at least three times that we know of the most recent being within the past year . We hav e
had employee automobiles vandalized and broken into when they have had to travel out of town an d
leave their transportation in our parking lot . We have had our employees report fist fights in the stree t
between "residents", drug deals, arguments etc . We have found individuals washing their dishes wit h
our water faucet, using our employee lunch deck for smoking or "hanging out". We often find the
results of someone going through the waste bins looking for something most likely to recycle . We have
had female employees find notes on their cars upon return to their vehicles after work of a sexua l
nature . We also have had to institute a policy of not allowing female employees to work late alone a s
we fear for their safety and I can say personally, that I have felt uncomfortable on my own propert y
going to my car in our own parking lot as I hear noises coming from my garbage dumpster (which i s
located in our parking lot as required by City ordinances). We have had vehicle fuel siphoned out o f
their fuel tanks at night (now have locking gas caps). There is often trash left behind and one vehicl e
burned to the ground in December . If that fire had migrated to a building adjacent to it in the area, i t
Sould have been devastating to the owner of that business .
We also fuel all of our vehicles at JR Dewar card lock system on Prado Road and have all experienced a
person approach us while fueling our vehicles in the evening or for that matter even during the day tha t
has made us very uncomfortable with a solicitation for money . It happens routinely to all of ou r
employees . Since the station is unmanned, it is also a safety concern for our employees and us whil e
fueling, especially when that person walks up with a lit cigarette . It is not a safe situation and it is no t
fair to us or to JR Dewar that we be exposed to potential dangers so frequently . This is a seriou s
problem . I personally have given up money (felt like a robbery) when filling my vehicle and bee n
approached in the middle of that process by a so called "homeless person" soliciting money just to kee p
from an altercation .
I cannot tell you that these incidents are all directly related to those living in their vehicles on our street ,
but at the same time, they never seem to know anything about a burglary or never heard a thing a t
night when glass was breaking and alarms are sounding that help us seem to ever find a culprit . We
have witnessed the people, the vehicles, the aftermath of the camping for too many years to believ e
there is not a link between these activities and the people who live in the vehicles . I can't help but thin k
that some of our troubles in the neighborhood have something to do with the local transien t
"neighbors" that are living on the street in their vehicles . As a result of the last burglary we installed a n
elaborate camera surveillance system to hopefully catch the thieves next time, but it wasn't inexpensiv e
for us to do that . We are a business park, not an RV park . There is no zoning that allows for overnigh t
parking in our CS zoned property . These people do not belong on our street, in our parking lots ,
rummaging our garbage dumpsters, camping overnight, night after night and making our employees fee l
unsafe . We have an obligation to provide a safe environment for our employees, and due to thi s
situation, we have been limited on the hours of operation and the cost of procedures we must employ
to make it safe . This is not good for business for us or for anyone doing business in these areas . It
seems that because we are located "off the beaten path" and out of sight most of the time littl e
patrolling takes place and it has become a comfortable place for them all to hide ..
Our firm has long supported the homeless services within our community having helped donate money ,
volunteer services and donated materials for both construction and design of both Maxine Lewis an d
the Prado Day Center . We have donated money to People's Kitchen as well . We have done this for ove r
20 years. We have helped provide services through our church as well . The people that live in ou r
business park and leave their messes and contribute to the criminal element that I believe is going on i n
our area are not availing themselves of these services that exist for them .. If you allow these individual s
to continue to camp in our business park, you are going to continue to see empty and unleashe d
properties with no new City revenue being generated . This is one of basically two industrial areas of ou r
community. If you are not careful, you are going to kill the goose that laid the golden egg . A solution to
this problem is not going to be letting five vehicles, City wide, park at the Prado Day Center parking lot .
There are dozens of vehicles populating our business park areas . If you, as a council and we as a City ,
decide politically to accommodate these "squatters", then you need to also commit your money wher e
your mouth is and provide a parking site for them to legally park to camp over night, but not in the
business parks . There is absolutely NO relationship between our business park and these or any othe r
campers. They don't do business with us and they aren't working for us . The blight and the sanitation
•
•
issues that has occurred as a result of these activities is not insignificant and is a concern for the safet y
• of our work force as they walk to their vehicles . It is not legal to park and camp on the street in an y
other neighborhood,so why should it be ok to allow it to happen in our neighborhood because w e
aren't there to watch over things at night and see \what is going on . it is out of sight and out of mind fo r
everyone if we just don't say anything, but enough is enough . We have been inconvenienced lon g
enough over the past decade . it is time to enforce the laws that are in place and DO NOT be persuade d
to "soften" the ability for these transients to come make their messes on our streets and properties .
This is not just a recent problem although it has certainly gotten worse in recent years as the word is ou t
that you can live here in the industrial park and get a free meal down the road at Prado .
We encourage you to aggressively enforce the NO camping in vehicles policy and especially in ou r
business areas . The Police Chief understands the issue and knows what to do to get those that don't
want to avail themselves of services to get out of homelessness to move on . That is what should b e
done . Do not make it easier for these folks to camp in our industrial, commercial, and retail center s
much less our residential areas except on properly zones and uses that are compatible to them .
Camping in our business park is not compatible in any way . Please be responsible to the citizens of the
community that live here and pay taxes here .
Sincerely,
•Bill Thom a
Thoma Electric, Inc.
Goodwin, Heathe r
Subject :FW; RED FILE ITE M
Attachments :Red File Transients 5-1-12 .doc
From : Gesell, Steve
Sent:Tuesday, May 01, 2012 3:12 P MTo: Schroeder, Sheryl lCc: Lichtig, Kati eSubjectFW: RED FILE ITEM
prc1tiGn
MAY 01291 2
SW CIT( CLERK
MEETING AGENDA
DATE 11Iv ITEM it
From :Deborah Cash fmailto:dcashta"tdowntownslo .coml
Stephen Gesel l
San Luis Obispo Police Chief
hard cotry email :
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Sent :Tuesday, May 01, 2012 3 :11 P MTo: Elalna Can aCc: Gesell, Steve ; Lichtig, Kati eSubject:RED FILE ITEM
Elaina, h i
If you could include this memo in the Red File for tonight's meeting, I would really appreciate it .
Thank you ,
Debora h
Deborah CashExecutive Directo rSLO Downtown Association
•
1
May 2012
RED FILE
TO :
Mayor Jan Marx and City C o
FROM ;
Deborah Cash, Executive Directo r
SLO Downtown Associatio n
Re :
Transient Issues In Downtow n
The SLO Downtown Association Executive Committee at its meeting today d i
I communicate to Council regarding the continuing and growing issue of aggressive an d
problem behaviors occurring in Downtown by a primarily transient segment of th e
population .
It is a common daily occurrence now to hear stories from business owners, employee s
and visitors to Downtown that they have been intimidated, harassed, stolen from ,
vandalized and otherwise victimized by these behaviors, Today, one business owner told
me that `homeless' (or transient) persons have been seen on video cameras at night tryin g
to break into his business, turn on his outdoor heaters ; they have thrown umbrella stand s
into the creek, stolen food and products from his business and intimidated customers o n
the patio .
Currently, the Downtown Association employs a full-time private security patrol
keeps daily logs of problem and criminal activities in Downtown . These logs are fu
Our security guards are in frequent contact with PD . In addition, we have informed
Downtown businesses that they need to contact the security and PD every time they se e
these behaviors and follow through with a complaint .
The Executive Committee will be recommending to the Board that it forward a request t o
Council asking for relief in what is becoming an increasingly alarming situation i n
Downtown—a neighborhood of the City that could use a little 'wellness' help right now .
Because there is a meeting tonight at which time Council will be discussing an ancillar y
issue regarding RV parking, the Committee feels this is an appropriate time to apprise
Council of the critical nature of these problem behaviors and the impact they are havin g
on business and safety of those visiting and working Downtown .
Cc : Downtown Association Board of Director s
Katie Liebtig, City Manage r
Chief Steve Gesell, SLO PD
•
Goodwin, Heather
RECEIVE D
Subject:
FW : Overnight Parking in San Luis Obispo
MAY 01 201 2
SLO CITY CLER K
_ad $4€E-T-1Na_~„I GENDA
From :Johnson, Derek
DATE 5)►ii Z- ITEM #
Sent :Tuesday, May 01, 2012 4 :05 PM
To : Schroeder, Sheryll; Goodwin, Heathe r
Cc : Codron, Michael
Subject :FW : Overnight Parking in San Luis Obispo
From : Amy Foie
Sent :Tuesday, May 01, 2012 4 :02 PM
To : Johnson, Derek ; Gesell, Steve ; Lichtig, Katie; Ashbaugh, John ; Carpenter, Dan ; Smith, Kathy ; Carter, Andrew; Marx,
Ja n
Subject:Overnight Parking in San Luis Obisp o
May 1, 201 2
Dear Sirs and Madams ,
I am writing you this letter to communicate the impact the urban camping population has had on our
business and the surrounding area.
In the past 18 months we have experienced negative effects of the growing population of individnel s
residing in their campers in our business area . I understand that there are various situations resulting i n
homelessness and fully support assisting those who are willing to participate in structured programs designed t o
facilitate permanent housing solutions. On a regular basis, members of our staff contribute financially, with
volunteer hours, and food donations to support the homeless shelter, the food bank and other organization s
designed to help those less fortunate get back on their feet .
The actions of several of the campers are : costing us money, decreasing our customer traffic, making ou r
employees uncomfortable, creating potential sources of pest harborage, and compromising our food safety . We
have had trash dumped, multiple occurrences of defecation on our property, theft of water, and trespassers
removing food items from our trash compactor putting them in eminent danger .
One Monday when I arrived for work I noticed the fire riser had been tampered with and was leakin g
water . Someone had been using the bleed off valve to steal water. In doing this they broke the shut-off valve
causing water to pour out and be wasted . An unsuccessful attempt was make to repair this with a bicycle tube,a
torn up t-shirt and duct tape . Repairing this correctly was costly and the damage compromised the safety of ou r
building until it was repaired . Unfortunately these stories are becoming the norm in our business neighborhood
as we see more and more people permanently residing in their vehicles on our streets .
In an attempt to make our business safer, reduce the theft, and discourage illegal behaviors, we hav e
done the following items :
Locked out all of our water spigots
Locked out all or our back-flow bleed-off valves
1
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Installed extensiv exterior lightin g
Installed surveillance camera s
Installed locking devices on all doors requiring a code for entr y
Fenced in our entire property
• We are asking that you consider the impact these illegal activities are having on our local businesses .
We would like to see the parking ordinance revisited and prohibit overnight parking and living in vehicle swithin 500 feet of any business except for legitimate business purposes .
Mother option, would be to allow a certain number of campers to park overnight in the city provide d
they are currently participating in a program requiring regular visits, meaningful progress towards permanen t
housing, clean and sober living and must display a permit indicating their participation .
Although the police have been very responsive to our complaints, this is not enough . Please work wit hthe San Luis Obispo Police department to amend the current parking rules and support them in eliminatin g
illegal overnight parking in our city .
Thank you for your consideration of this important issue impacting the businesses in our city .
Sincerely ,
Amy FoleySr '
•
2
RECEIVE D
Goodwin, Heather MAY 0I 203 2
Subject:FW: Agenda Item B-1 ; Overnight parking and Sleeping in vehi ie$LO CITY CLEFT.
From : Ashbaugh, John
AGENDA
CORRESPONDENCE
Date 51 i IL !tern# '''1Sent:Monday, April 30, 2012 5 :31 P MTo:Schroeder, Sheryl lCc Lichtig, Katie; Clark, ClaireSubject: FW : Agenda Item B-1 : Overnight parking and Sleeping in vehicle s
Another for the Agenda Correspondence file for tomorrow's meeting .
From : Justesen, Eri kSent: Monday, April 30, 2012 4:42 PMTo: Marx, Jan ; Carpenter, Dan ; Smith, Kathy ; Ashbaugh, John ; Carter, Andre wCc: Whalen, Susan M .; Lichdy, KatieSubjectAgenda Item B-1 : Overnight parking and Sleeping in vehicle s
Dear council members ,
We continue to be concerned with the safety issues related to overnight parking and people sleeping in their vehicle s
in our business district . We have held two meetings at our office to gather with our business neighbors and discus s
the problems we are all experiencing and have reached out to Chief Gesell for advice and a more informatio n
regarding this topic. It turns out we all share similar experiences with regard to vagrancy, destruction of property ,
theft,and illegal behavior/activity .I would like to complement Chief Gesell, as he was very responsive and gav eexcellentguidance.I would also like to complement the Police Department in general for their quick response an d
high level of activity on this issue . It certainly has made a difference over the past few months .
We enumerated the problems we have been dealing with in a letter we submitted to you a few weeks back . While
we have seen the situation improve, it is only because the Police Department, our business neighbors and we
ourselves are regularly monitoring the situation (daily) and taking action .
Tomorrow night you will be receiving information from the Community Development and Police Department o n
options to change our municipal code so we as a community may better address these concerns . We urge you to take
in this information and make amendments to the municipal code that will address the issue of persons sleeping i nvehicles that are not participating in an authorized safe parking program and to ban overnight parking of RVs andunauthorized camping in vehicles within business districts of the city of San this Obispo.
Our Business neighborhoods and the safety for those who work there are very important to the economic health o f
this community . We are in the midst of preparing an economic development strategy . Let's get first things first an d
protect that which we already have .
Thank you .
Erik P . Justesen,ASLA, LEED A P
President -h CE Orrmdesigngroup
1
Goodwin, Heathe r
•ect:FW: Parking restrictions
RECEIVE D
MAY 01 201 2
SLO CITt'CI,ERI ,
From : Marx, Jan
Sent : Tuesday, May 01, 2012 9 :00 AM
To : Steve Potrat z
Cc : Schroeder, Sheryll ; Lichtig, Katie
Subject RE: Parking restrictions
AGENDA
CORRESPONDENC E
Date Wiltz-Jtern#17;,1
Thank you for your input on this issue, Mr . Potratz .I am including our city clerk and city manager in this reply, so that
your concerns can become part of the public record for tonight's city council meeting . Yes, this is a very hard issue fo r
our community deal with, and one council and staff take very seriously .
Sincerely ,
Jan Howell Marx
Mayor of San Luis Obisp o
Sent :Monday,April 30, 2012 3 :55 PM
To:Marx,Jan;Carter, Andrew; Smith, Kathy ; Carpenter, Dan ; Ashbaugh, Joh n
Subject :Parking restrictions
Council membe r
the Parable building on the corner of Empleo and Granada . Over the years we have had a
constant problem with people parking overnight around our building . The problems include :
bathroom issues, use of water, loss of staff parking, unsightly presence when customer/vendors visit ,
broken down vehicles, repairing vehicles with the associated oil spills, noise, cleaning vehicles an d
leaving the clutter behind, dumping liquid products and killing our grass and landscaping, ignorin g
parking restricted areas (yellow or red curbs), dumpster use and dumpster diving, safety — femal e
employees feeling safe especially in the darker winter months, etc .We regularly have six to eigh t
vehicles parked nearby.
I appreciate you taking up this issue and I know it's a hard one . We want to honor and help people i n
need but also recognize and balance that with the needs commerce - the need to have an attractiv e
and functional business park .
One suggestion : might you consider a business area parking district? I'm afraid the problem will onl y
get worse when the shelter is built on the county property . I think a parking district with associate d
permits might be a solution .
Thank you for your time and for taking on the hard issues .cumRtthlLO
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Sincerely,
Stew'
Steve Potrat z
President
1
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'=CORRESPOND ENCE RECEIVED
Date5bll~Item#6/APR 3 4 201 2
SLO CITY CLER KFW: Amendments to the municipal code to improve parking enforcemen t
Goodwin, Heathe r
Subject :0 1
From :Ashbaugh, Joh n
Sent Saturday, April 28, 2012 5 :00 PM
To :
Cc:Lichtig,Katie;Schroeder,Sheryll ; Marx, Jan ; Gesell, Steve ; I-torch, Robert ; Johnson, Derek; Dietrick, Christine;
Subject RE ; Amendments to the Municipal Code to improve parking enforcemen t
Dear Jane and Greg ,
I appreciate your input on this issue . Your business has obviously experienced the effects of an increased population o f
homeless persons in recent years, loitering or sleeping on our public streets, and (unfortunately) on private property .
It's helpful to know that people such as yourselves are keeping close track of this issue as it works its way through th e
staff and Council . Please be assured that the Council is studying this issue thoroughly . It's complicated . Addressing the
needs of our homeless population requires a long-term commitment from a variety of agencies and organization s
including, but not limited to, the City of San Luis Obispo . We'll do what we can, in concert with concerned citizens suc h
as yourselves, to maintain public safety and the security of homes and businesses in proximity to facilities that ar e
designed to accommodate the sheltering or feeding of homeless persons .
Again, thanks for writing and for your comments . Please feel to contact me on my cell phone, too, if you'd like to discus s
this further – or you may look for me in the Black Horse Coffee Shop (Foothill @ Chorro) on Monday at about 10 :3 0
during my "coffee house office hours ." Thanks !
John Ashb ugh, SLO City Counci l
From :Hank, Jan
Sent:Saturday, April 28, 2012 3 :05 PM
To:
Cc Lichtrg, Katie ; Schroeder, Sheryl !
Subject :RE : Amendments to the Municipal Code to improve parking enforcemen t
Thank you so much for your input on this important issue . I am including our city manager and city clerk in this reply, s o
that your letter can become part of the record and posted on the city website as Agenda Correspondence .
All the best,
Ja n
Jan Howell Max
Mayor of San Luis Obispo
-0
t Saturday, April 28, 20122 :34 PM
o:Marx, Jan ; Carpenter, Dan ; Carter, Andrew; Smith, Kathy; Ashbaugh, John ; Gesell, Steve ; I-torch, Robert ; Johnson ,
J
Derek;Dietrick, Christine;
parking enforcement
28 april201 2
San Luis Obisp o
At n : Mayor Jan Marx, Vice Mayor Dan Carpenter, Council Members Andrew Carter, Kathy Smith and John Ashbaugh ,
Police Chief Steve Gesell, Parking Manager Robert Horeb, Community Development Director Derek Johnson, City Attorney Christine Dietrick an dSLO Chamber of Commerce Director of Governmental Affairs Courtney Kienow.
Via emai l
Dear Sirs and Madams ,
I am writing to report the increasing problems that our business has had to deal with the past four years as a result of the increased extende dillegal overnight parking in our business district within the city of San Luis Obispo .
The problems include :
1.Property Damage and theft- Damage and theft of tenant personal property . Individuals taking water unauthorized from tenants' wate r
faucets into buckets and carrying them into RVs, Broken water hose bibs . Electricity theft -extension cords from RVs tappin g
unauthorized into tenant electrical sockets . Destruction of landscape being used as a bathroom .
2.Trespassing/Dumping- We have had to clean up and dispose of bags of human feces, bottles of urine, and kitchen trash from our parkin g
lot and dumpsters .
Loitering- Individuals living in vehicles and loitering on the sidewalks, street and in our parking lot during the day as well as th e
threatening presence of their dogs left unattended and tied to their RVs have created an Intimidating and unsafe atmosphere for ou r
staff, tenants and customers.
4 .Suspkious Activity- On four occasions a swarm of vehicles and individuals arrived, entered and left an RV within a few minute's time ,
picking up small parcels while cash exchanged hands in the middle of the day when our tenants' businesses were open . Our tenants hav e
also reported to us loud parties, public urination, defecation, drunkenness, fighting, camping and destruction of landscaping taking plac e
In front of their businesses in the evenings .
In order to mitigate the above we regularly monitor the presence of vehicles parked on the street in our business area and it has been ou r
experience that those who park illegally for more than 72 hours once notified by the police simply move 500 feet down the street and continu ewiththeir activities .
We have installed extensive fencing surrounding our commercial rental property . We also have increased lighting in the parking lots, installe d
video surveillance cameras, have posted "no trespassing "signs,"no dumping"signs and "premises under video under surveillance "signs. We
have installed locks on durnpsters . We have installed hose bib locks on all water faucets .
Even after these actions we have needed to repair locks on dumpsters and repair locks on water faucets that have been tampered with .
We appreciate the responsiveness of the San this Obispo Police department .
yet the problems continue .
We urge you to assist the San this Obispo Police Department and amend the municipal code addressing persons sleeping in vehicles that are
not participating in an authorized safe parking program and ban overnight parking of RVs and unauthorized camping in vehicles within busines s
districts of the city of San Luis Obispo .
Thank you very much for your consideration ,
Jane Hin d
Hind Properties, LLC, 37655 . Higuera-144 Hind Lane, San Luis Obispo, CA 9340 1
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Goodwin,Heathe r
To :
Subject :
Richardson, Apri l
Monday, July 16, 2012 7 :45 A M
Goodwin, Heathe r
FW: homeless emergency
RECEIVE D
JUL 16 2012
SLO CITY CLERK
AGENDA
CORRESPONDENC E
Date 1 f/oii2Item#. 3 I
Original Message
From : Council, SloCit y
Sent : Saturday, July 14, 2012 8 :18 A M
To : Richardson, Apri l
Subject: FW : homeless emergency
Fro m
Sent : Saturday, July 14, 2012 8 :15 :35 AM (UTC-08 :00) Pacific Time (US & Canada )
To : Council, SloCity
Subject : homeless emergency
Dear Mayor and Council Members ,
Your remarkable 4-1 action Tuesday demonstrates both disrespect for the law and lack of compassion .
Perhaps reading the linked article from Rolling Stone will help with the latter . Read it, then count your blessings . It's justluck, nothing else, that all of you aren't living in your cars too .
http ://www .rolline stone .com/culture/news/the-sharp-sudden-decline-of-a mericas-middle-class-2012062 2
Richard Schmid t
PS Thank you John for not falling in line on this .
•
Additional correspondence from last week's agenda .
April Richardso n
Administration Executive Assistan t
Visit our website at www .slocity .org
i
AGENDA
CORRESPONDENC E
Date -1 11 0l i?item#►
July 5
lwlayor Marx and Members of the City Council ,
I have been a resident of the City of 6LO for 35 years and I hav e
never been so angry and disgusted by the cities harsh treatment by ou r
police officers of the homeless sleeping in their vshicles i
3 fully realize that some of these folks have mental problems, som e
have physical problems, some are veterans, some just need a little help ,
some are moochers etc ., yet the city is treating; all of those folks a s
criminals and making them criminals by inipg them and putting them in jail ;
Why not clear the lot that the proposer 200 bed yet to be buil t
homeless facility and let those folks park on the lot? Supply Fort -a -
Pottys and trash receptacles, and gently monitor them ,
kr urther more there needs to be a big push to raise the money t o
build the proposed facility .
i believe that Budge Crandall is correct that the city just wante d
to run those people out of town, when there were more options tha t
could have been taken, and more resources available to help solve th e
situation .
Why don't the businesses put collection boxes in their businesse s
to collect money for the new homeless facility? Why don't they collec t
money at the Farmers Market for this cause if this is not already done ?
Why not have matching funds contests to raise money for the facility ?
All that the public hears is :we need $8,000,000 more c~oliars :.b'efore it .
can be started !
i don't want our city to be known as the meanist city in the stat e
for the way it treats its homeless population!
EnidCnPV:erns!
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To:
Subject:
Richardson, Apri l
Monday, July 09, 2012 1 :25 P M
Goodwin, Heather, Schroeder, Sheryl l
FW: Homeless Emergency
RECEIVED
JUL 0 9 2012.
SW CITY CLERK
April Richardso n
Administration Executive Assistant
AGEND A
CORRESPONDENC E
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----Original Message--
From : Council, SloCit y
Sent : Monday, July 09, 2012 11 :54 A M
To : Richardson, Apri l
Subject : FW : Homeless Emergenc y
From
Sent : Monday, July 09, 2012 11 :50 :53 AM (UTC-08 :00) Pacific Time (US & Canada )
To : Council, SloCit y
Subject: Homeless Emergenc y
In response to your late agenda item that you plan to adopt an "emergency "
ordinance to prohibit the homeless from sleeping in their motorhomes ...
Please consider the following :
1 . This is no emergency . This is simply another hermetic city hall legalistic steamroller of the sort residents are becomin g
all too familiar (and annoyed) with, in this case called an "emergency" solely for political reasons .
Z . It seems really stupid to further antagonize the judge by adopting an "emergency" ordinance to try to negate hi s
injunction. What do you suppose he will do in response if you poke his beehive with this stick? You will eventually hav e
to appear before him for trial . Just let it be till the trial .
3 . Use of the emergency ordinance provisions and associated Brown Act violations (29 hours prior to your meeting ,
there is still no staff report or ordinance text, and if that isn't a Brown Act violation, what is it?) to pass an "emergency"
or "nance to deal with a non-emergency situation, is government by depravity, not leadership .
faith in anyone who votes for this vindictive and ill-advised "emergency" charade will be so sufficiently shattere d
that I will not support his or her re-election .
5 . Any of you who vote for this should be ashamed of yourselves .
Richard Schmidt
2
0 council meroi nnou1i
Lulsoslspo, cityrGbuneys-d+ paltt ?
DATE :
July 10, 201 2
TO :
Mayor & City Counci l
FROM :
Christine Dietriek, City Ato m
SUBJECT :
Supplemental Materials for Item B 1
Mayor and Council :
Attached for your consideration in connection with the proposed emergency ordinance befor e
you tonight are the Declarations of Lieutenant Keith Storton and Officer Larry Edwards of th e
San Luis Obispo Police Department . The declarations are provided to give you som e
information about historic enforcement practices related to San Luis Obispo Municipal Code
Section 17 .16 .015 from long time officers with the City's Police Department, which may b e
helpful in informing your decision regarding the proposed emergency ordinance .
AGENDA
CORR PONDENCE
Date liz-ftem#5 1
•
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DECLARATION OF KEITH STORTO N
I, Keith Storton, hereby declare as follows :
I .
I have personal knowledge of the facts stated in this declaration . I could and
would testify competently to these facts if called upon to do so .
2 .
I have been a police officer for the San Luis Obispo Police Department for 1 6
years and have supervised or managed patrol staff for 9 years .
I am aware that the Recreational Vehicle as a Dwelling Unit ordinance has bee n
enforced both on public streets and on private properties throughout the City . I am aware o f
tames in which the ordinance has been enforced against both homeless individuals and agains t
esidents or guests of housed individuals within the City .
4 . It was my practice as an officer to advise and warn individuals who had not bee n
previously cited about the requirements of the ordinance before issuing citations and I a m
informed and believe that is the regular practice of other officers in . the Department .
S .
Enforcement is generally complaint driven and the majority of complaints, in m y
experience, have been related to visible and conspicuous conduct occurring in the public streets .
I declare under penalty of perjury, under the laws of the State of California, that th e
foregoing is true and correc t
Executed on this 10th day of July, 201
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DECLARATION OF LARRY EDWARD S
1, Larry Edwards, hereby declare as follows :
1.
I have personal knowledge of the facts stated in this declaration . I could and
would testify competently to these facts if called upon to do so .
2.
I have been a police officer for 13 years and have worked for the City of San Lui s
Obispo for 7 years . I am aware of the city ordinance regarding using a vehicle as a dwelling an d
have had to enforce the law on many occasions on private property and on public streets . As a
general rule in my enforcements contacts, I would check the SLOPD records system to see if th e
person has been contacted in the past regarding a violation of section 17 .16 .015 of the municipa l
code. If there were no documented contacts, I would typically give a verbal warning an d
complete a field interview card to document the fact that they were warned. If there were prio r
documented contacts, then I would either give a warning or issue a citation . On every contact,I
would ask the person to move the vehicle as soon as they were able to .
3.
I: have contacted people living out of their vehicles on private property as well a s
city streets . Many of these contacts were as a result ot'a citizen complaint to the polic e
department. I have contacted travelers stopping to spend the night in parking lots at Home Depo t
and Madonna Plaza, as well as people living out of their vehicles in the city on private property
and on city streets . I have also responded to reports of guests or residents having recreationa l
vehicles parked on the street in front of a residence with water and electrical lines attached fro m
the house, across the sidewalk, which is in violation of the ordinance . One was on 9/2108 at 1390
Fairway, where the recreational vehicle was registered to that address with family member s
staying in it . Some of my contacts were self-initiated if there was a growing problem wit h
multiple vehicles on the same street with people living out of them . Often, there was trash o r
other miscellaneous items around these vehicles and I have seen several leaking sewage on cit y
OAK k4S24-7225-9087 a l
_
OF OFFICER LARRY EDWARDS
7
streets, and in one instance the Trader Joe's parking lot at 3977 South Higuera . I also responde d
to an R,'V trailer that caught fire on 12123111 at Empleo and Bonetti at 11 :00 p .m .,which was
owned by a man who was living out of it there .
4 . In the last 7 years, I have issued many more warnings than citations for violations
of the ordinance, and I have seen violations both . on public and private properties, usually withou t
the consent or permission of the property owner .
8
9
1 0
1 1
1 2
1 3
1 4
1 5
1 6
1 7
1 8
1 4
2 0
2 1
2 2
2 3
2 4
2 5
2 6
2 7
2 8
ERE,WILHAMS do
RENSEN,LLP
T7Oitmi S Ae LAW
Mourv .tN View
I declare under penalty of perjury, under the laws of the State of California, that th e
foregoing is true and correc t
Executed on this z2 "day of July, 2012 at San Luis Obispo, California .
•
•
K848247225-9087 v1 -2 -
DECLARATION OF OFFICER LARRY EDWARDS
RECEIVE D
Goodwin,Heather
Lichtig, Katie
JUL 1020 1
Tuesday, July 10, 2012 4 :58 P M
To:Schroeder, Sheryll; Goodwin, Heathe r
Cc:'Michelle Tasseff '
Subject:RE Overnight Campin g
For distribution to the City Council .
BCC : CC
Katie E . Lichti g
City Manage r
City of San Luis Obispo, C A
ed to let you know that last month one of our neighbors confronted a homeless man wh ohad apparently set up residence for the last two days in the house next door to her (we
were in Kansas City at the time). The man told her that he comeover to check on a
bicycle that he heard they were giving away . Strange considering I never saw any of th e
boys who lived there riding a bicycle . He said when he discovered it was vacant h e
decided to try the doors and discovered that the former tenants (Cal Poly students} ha dleft one of the doors unlocked . My neighbor is definitely kinder than I would have bee n
and allowed him to leave without calling the police . Because my son maintains the yar d
for the property owners I would have definitely called and had him arrested fo r
trespassing . The house had only been vacant for a couple of days . Fortunately the ne w
tenants moved in the following weekend . We have had the unfortunate experience of seein g
several of our neighbors loose their homes . Because of our location across from Trade r
hoes/Food 4 Less (aka the homeless campground) and the creek we are experiencing a n
increase in "suspicious° people in the area . I am hoping tonight the city council will
do what is in the best interest of the residents of the city and pass the emergenc yordinance allowing the police to continue citing and towing people occupying vehicles onthe city streets .
I also hope the city works with commercial property owners and encourages them to pos t
their property (like the Food 4 Less/TraderJoe's} prohibiting overnight parking as wel l
as addressing people who using the parking lot as a campground . I hope in the future t o
be able to feel comfortable returning to my early morning walks downtown as well as t o
Kennedy Fitness on Tank Farm (at 5 a .m .). Due to the large number of homeless peopl e
camping on the streets in the area I have had to return to driving my car less than a
block . Seems like a waste of gas and certainly a waste of a good exercise opportunity !
s
again and see you tonight!
SLO CITY CLER K
AGENDACORRESPONDENCEDate1l~lt '-item#,3 !
www_siocity .org
From :Michelle Tass e
Sent :Tuesday, July 10, 2012 4 :45 PM
To: Carter, Andrew; Ashbaugh, John ; Lichtig, Kati e
et:Overnight Camping
1
Sam G . Rizzo
Attorney At Law
719/2012
Via Hand Delivery
Honorable Council Member s
it Christine Dietrich, City Attorne y
990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 9340 1
RE : Item H-1 On Council Agenda Par July 111 2012 - Em envy Ordinanc e
Dear Council . Members and City Attorney :
As you are aware on July 3, 2012, Superior Court Judge Charles Crandall . issued a
preliminary injunction against the City of San Luis Obispo's ("City") enforcement o f
SLMC Section 17 .16.015 to the public streets . In doing so he discussed three seriou s
issues he had about the applicability of the Property Development Standard 015 to publi c
s and the reasonableness of the City's ongoing enforcement efforts . From th e
_'I Agenda Report on Item B-1 discussing the proposed emergency before you
•
trnught appears that the City is trying to address the first two issues addressed by th e
Court relating to applicability to the streets and proper notice . 'l'o begin with, I hav e
it
serious doubts that the notice concern the Court had will be alleviated by placing th e
identical language of SLMC Section 17 .16,015 in Chapter 9,18 . Further, the propose d
ordinance completely fails to address the Court's concern with the reasonableness o f
enforcement efforts . Given this, I believe the City should not adopt the propose d
ordinance as written . If the City does adopt it, then I believe it behooves the City not t o
enforce it until. you have some assurances from the Court that doing so will not be in
violation of the current injunction . Not doing so unfairly places City employees and/o r
officers in unreasonable risk of being held in contempt of court for what can easil y
be construed as an end run around the current injunction .
•
STEW JENKIN S
ATTORNE Y
(%'4 aro,S 't ,date /hirntng
RECEIVE D
JUL 1 0 201 2
SLO CITY CLERK
AGENDA
CORRESPONDENC E
July 10,2012
Cats h!tpI l_Item#t3i . .
Mayor Marx
Council Members Carter, Ashbaugh, Smith & Carpenter
City Hall, 990 Palm Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
By Hand Delivery
Reference : July 10, 2012 "Emergency" Ordinance Agenda item B-1
SLO Homeless Alliance, Et Al . v City of San Luis Obispo,a Al ., Case liCV 12020 4
Dear Mayor Marx & Council Members ,
On March 20,2012,I warned the Honorable Council that municipal code § 17 .16,015 was illegal an d
unconstitutional, and that it had resulted in an inhumane enforcement practice against the poor . You were
urged to suspend enforcement on the public streets . Your staff advised you that the ordinance wa s
constitutional and lawful. On July 3, 2012, the Superior Court overruled the City's demurrer . Before orderin g
that the City be enjoined the Court found not only that the Homeless are likely to prevail in their civil sui t
against the City, but also that the potential damage to the City from issuing an injunction paled in compariso n
to the damages that would be done to homeless vehicle residents if the injunction was not issued .
"Locus poentrenriae"(the point of repentance) is the moment when a wrong can be called back before it i s
given full effect . Adding item B-1, to the City Council Agenda Friday after the Court's ruling is but a
transparent threat to flout the Court's order . The proposed resolution and ordinance expresses the intent t o
evade the order of the court . The City threatens by this ordinance to immediately recommence its illegal ,
unconstitutional and inhumane targeting of the homeless by repackaging the ordinance under public peace ,morals and welfare . Your staff advises you, as you were advised on March 20, 2012,that this is a lawful an d
constitutional move . It is not . This time your staff advises you that there is no fiscal impact . By flying in the
face of the Superior Court order adoption of the recommended ordinance guarantees higher litigation costs t o
the City, higher costs for enforcement, and opens the City to sanctions, contempt and other financia l
remedies . More importantly, adopting the recommended ordinance subjects the City's employees to risk i f
they take action to enforce in this obvious attempt to controvert the Court's order . This is the City's on e
chance to put itself in locus poenitentiae by rejecting the proposed ordinance under Agenda item B-1 .
There is no emergency . The sky-has not fallen since issuance of the court order . Attached are copies of
photos taken this morning showing only a few RVs and campers [5 our 6] on the streets targeted sinc e
February 2012 . Moreover, there is no evidence in the agenda report supporting any of the other finding s
proposed . Particularly lacking is any evidence to show that the readopting the ordinance will promote th e
success of the "safe parking program ."-?
Exhibit
SLO Homeless Alliac c
case #CV1202Q 4
Pradq Rd . / 7/10/1 2
Rd ., SIC - Pwo Namaie vehictea across f om Sewer Plant - Picture taken at 8 :33am on 7/1012012 by Diane
ii
4hibit
eless Alliance
e #CV12020 4
'ludo Rd. Alouth view : 7/M/1 2
f/
Short St. & Suburban Rd ., SLO - Picture taken at 8 :20am on 7/10/2012 by Diane Jenkins
fl3Clvvn
CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVE D
X8 -2 /of z item#fit--JUL 10 201 2
Sleeping/Parking SLO City CouncilMtgJuly 10 2012 SLO CITY CLER K
Rev. Cynthia Rae Eastman
The nation is in a state of crisis concerning record numbers of families who are homeless an d
many of our neighbors in SLO are experiencing this same financial disaster . In spite of curren t
upheaval concerning parking issues, I have ,great faith that our community can create a mode l
program to solve this situation, which could then be replicated across the country . By working
tpgether collaboratively, I know that our local government (such as the City Council),
businesses, the faith-based community, HSOC, & Cal Poly can create a self-sustaining syste m
that will be successful .
In reference to the parking situation in our community, the underlying issue is that as a result of a
shortage of funds, a lot of our neighbors are ending up un-housed and do not have a place t o
sleep . The reality is that the approximate 200 shelter beds in our county cannot even
accommodate the estimated 1000 + children under the age of 18 who are experiencin g
homelessness, let alone the women & men . People must have a place to sleep . (I brought m y
pillow to highlight that this discussion about parking is actually an issue of finding a place wher e
people can safely sleep).
If . there are to be . laws in place concerning. where people are . allowed tosleep then they need to'.
apply to ALL citizens . For example, no more permitting folks to campout on Black Fridays,—
waiting for the stores to open or kids lining up in tents hoping to get Harry Potter movie tickets .
. Personally, as someone who has experienced homelessness, I would suggest starting with a
sliding fee scale campground and from there begin working on building a sustainable Cottag e
Community Co-op . Because every person's situation and goals are different, case managemen t
needs to work closely with people concerning various housing options . These are not "one siz e
fits all" solutions . I .would also like to make the observation that many ?4rees choose the I W
lifestyle . However, in the case of RV owners who are living in poverty, tltty,. often cannot affor d
the current cost of lot rentals, thus they are actually landless rather than homeless & should not
arbitrarily be forced into saving funds for traditional housing .
If we had an earthquake or wildfire, a natural disaster that in an instant made nearly 4,000 men ,
women, & children homeless in our city, how would we handle that? Here's . our opportunity to
find out, by quicklyhousing the families who are experiencing homelessness now due to a n
economic disaster .
Ultimately ; our community needs more affordable housing options in the form of RV lots ,
apartments, and houses .
Let's be sure that we are all working together to create a SLO that is indeed the "Happiest City i n
America" for all of our residents regardless of socio-economic status .
•
CAPSLO Homeless Services Measurable Outcomes 201 2
AGEND A
ITEM
Safe Parkin g
In June 2012 our county's first safe parking program for the homeless began offering services to 5 households . occupy
vehicles at the Prado Day Center . Almost immediately, after its inception and with the support of case management s e
we began seeing tremendous successes :
•By October, case managers helped two participants move from their vehicles and into permanent housing and thre e
more (one couple and a single) are currently right behind them, with move in dates scheduled for January an d
February respectively .
•A chronically homeless, disabled, senior citizen female has saved $1,900 and is on a waiting list for low—income
housing. While in our program she has also begun addressing severe physical and mental health issues for the firs t
time .
• All clients in the program have developed their own financial plan, which includes a budget and are making progres s
in their savings goals .
SLOCase Managemen t
•From 1/1/12 through 11/30/12, SLO Case Management worked to get housing for 69 clients .This includes ,
permanent housing, transitional housing, or reconnecting clients with family who they could stay with . Currently ,
there are 78 clients active in case management . The case managers are working to help them to increase thei r
income, secure housing, address physical and mental health issues, enrolling children in school and/or childcare ,
etc.
South County Case Managemen t
•From 1/1/12 through 11/30/12, SC Case management worked to get housing for 57 clients (of which 25 wer e
children). Currently . there are 96 clients active in case management and the case managers are working to hel p
them to increase their income, secure housing, etc .
Permanent/Supportive Housing units in the North and South Count y
•Seven individual units serving the chronically disabled homeless many of which had been living on our streets for 20 +
years before engaging with our case managers .
•South County Units have served 5 people since the program started, and all of them are still in the program .
•North County Units served a total of 10 clients during the last program year .
Maxine Lewis Memorial Shelter
•In the first 3 quarters of 2012, a total of 713 unduplicated clients have used shelte r
services, of which 76 were children and 396 reported some type of disability .
Prado Day Cente r
Helps Client meet goal of self- sufficiency day center provides space for CHC to provid e
medical care, mental health, and medical case management, which has provided 2,58 9
service contacts from I/1/12 through 11/30/12 . The Dambly Fund ensures no homeles s
child in our services goes without necessities such as shoes, warm clothes, and backpacks . It has provided more than $5,000 i nassistance over the last two years . This fund is unique as it lets children shop for their clothes like all other kids rather tha nhaving to go through the donation tables .
g
ices,
Please put this email on the website along with other background material for the 1/12/13 homeless services coos€il workshop .
Original € lessage
F€om : Gesell, Stev e
Sent : Friday, November 30, 2012 9 :08 AM
To : Department Head s
Cc :'Dan Buc-kshi;'ahi @coslo .cca us':'To;res Dee (d+_q_rresjca €oAg.)Saba ;'Laurel~'Neir (€,rFtr coco_Ca_cs )
jhamm@co .s{o .ca_us';`Ermina@s?ochamber.org', PD_ALL; Amy Christey (achrsstev@m rro-bay.ca .us)grhughes@calpoe.e du ;
;parkinson@coslo .a .us ;James Copsey ;Je`E Norton ;jha€ey@atasadera .org;Robert Burton (Rburton(orcitv .com);Steve Anniba€i
Subject: Transient Probationers in SL O
County Chief Probation Officer Jim Salto was kind enough to provide me with the current number of probationers that lis t
themselves as "transient". Though I'm not surprised, the numbers are below by city . As you can see, SLO has roughly the equivalen t
number of transient probationers of all incorporated areas combined . The numbers are believed to be trending up which may als o
be reflected in the increase in probationers that Dee's staff is noticing. This is another illustration of the disproportionate impactio n
SLO within the county.
Here is the breakdown by city:
Arroyo Grande 4
Ataseadero 14
Grover Beach 9
Morro Bay 11
Paso Robles 21
Pismo Beach 1
Unincorporated 1 8
SLO 59
Stephen Gesel l
San Luis Obispo Police Chie f
1042 Walnut Street
San Luis Obis:" o CA 9340 1
•
•
•
Shelter Clients from the City of San Luis Obis ,
2008-201 2
50
45
a0 --
35 --
30 ------- — Clients fro m
25 SLO Cit y
20 —
1 5
10 --
5 --
0 -
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Prado Clients from the City of San Luis Obispo ,
2008-2012
s Clients fro m
SLO City
201 2
Prado Clients from the County of San Lui s
Obispo, 2008-2012
Shelter Clients from the County of San Lui s
Obispo, 2008-201 2
15 0
145 --
140 —
135 --
130 --
12 5
120 —
115 —
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Clients fro m
SLO County
Clients fro m
SLO County
2008 2009 2010 2011 201 2
10 0
90
80
70
60
5 0
40
3 0
20
10
0
•
•
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Shelter Clients from Outside the County o
San Luis Obispo, 2008-201 2
Clients from Outsid e
SLO County
rado Clients from Outside the County of
San Luis Obispo, 2008-201 2
Clients from Outsid e
SLO County
2008 2009 2010 2011 201 2
5-Year Comparison of Total Attendance, 2008-201 2
14,000 —
13,000
11,000 --
10,000 —
9,000 —
8,000 —
7,000 --
6,000 --
5,000 --
4,000 --
3,000 —
2,000 ---
1,000 —
0
P rado Attendanc e
Shelter Attendanc e
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
5-Year Comparison of Unduplicated Clients, 2008-201 2
Prado Tota l
Unduplicated Client s
Shelter Tota l
Unduplicated Client s
2008 2009 2010 2011 201 2
400
350
300
25 0
200
15 0
100
50
0
•
•
2008 2009 2010 201 1
Change*
%
Change*
%
Change*
%
Change*change""
Prado:
Total Unduplicate d
Clients 294 100.00%n/a 300 100 .00%2.04%340 100 .00%13.33%270 100 .00%-20.59%342 100,00%26 .6716
Clients from SLO City 42 14.29%n/a 51 17 .00%2 .71%"43 12 .65%-4.35%37 13 .70%1.06%55 18.08%2 .38%
Clients from SL O
County 146 49.66%n/a 131 43 .67%-5 .99%138 40.59%-3,08%128 47,41%6.82%140 4494%-6 .474E
Clients from Outsid e
SLO County 148 50 .34%n/a 169 56.33%5 .99%202 59.41%3,08%142 52.59%-6.82%202 5k),06%6 .47%
Attendance 11.291 n/a 13.108 16 .09%11 .676 -10.92%11.588 -0.75%13.106 13.10%
Shelter:
Total Unduplicate d
Clients 188 100.00%n/a 202 100.00%7 .45%207 100.00%2,48%186 100.00%-10.14%209 100,00%12.37%
Clients from SLO City 47 25 .00%n/a 23 11 .39%-13 .61%15 7 .25%-4,14%35 18 .82%11 .57%20 9,57%-9.25%
Clients from SL O
County 93 49 .47%n/a 73 36 .14%-13.33%87 42 .03%5,89%91 48 .92%6 .90%78 37.32%-11.50%Clients from Outsid e
SLO County 95 50 .53%n/a 129 63 .86%13.33%120 57 .97%-5,89%95 51 .08%-6 .90%131 62,68%11.60%
Attendance 6.855 n/a_7.410 8.10%6.754 -8,855%6.903 2 .21%.7.086 2.65%
S
•
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISP O
CltY O f.”L san Luis osisp o
Parkin g Meter Donat e
Evaluation of the utilization of parkin g
meters as a means to donate funds on behal f
of social service entitie s
City of San Luis Obispo White Pape r
Keith Storton, Police Lieutenan t
Robert Horch, Parking Services Manager
12/19/2012
•
Parking Meter Donation Station s
December 19,201 2
CURRENT SITUATION :
The City of San Luis Obispo has recognized an increase of homelessness in our community over
the years . Social service providers in SLO have indicated 50- 60% of their clients come fro m
outside San Luis Obispo County . Existence of a genuine compassion for those in need an d
willingness to provide meaningful services and money to a segment of this population has been a
variable making San Luis Obispo an attractive destination location for homeless individuals .
Although several public and private assistance programs are available to those who see k
assistance, a segment of this population utilizes solicitation or "panhandling" as a means t o
produce an income . This population frequently loiters in more populated areas such as shopping
centers and the downtown core to solicit funds from passing pedestrians and motorists . Social
service providers believe the majority of panhandlers are considered "program resistant",
meaning they are not willing to commit to positive life choices needed to transition out o f
homelessness . Many in this subset have severe substance dependencies and cash handouts man y
times support addictions, and consequently have adverse impacts on a community by creating a n
enabling environment, drawing more program resistant individuals from other areas .
Solicitation can take many forms to include passive verbal requests, the placement of sign s
requesting money or a more aggressive approach where the panhandler uses intimidating o r
threatening tactics to obtain money . Some of these panhandlers interfere with traffic, bloc k
sidewalks/benches and disrupt the operations of businesses . There are several laws that control
the act of panhandling as to specific locations or when conducted in an aggressive manner ,
however, generally it is a legal act that has limited enforcement options available to the polic e
department .
POLICE CALLS FOR SERVICE AND CONTACTS :
Since March of 2012, the police department has attempted to capture the number of calls fo r
service that are generated pertaining to the act of solicitation or panhandling . During the time
period covering March 1, 2012 through November 30, 2012 the police department has responde d
to approximately 169 complaint calls for panhandling and 103 complaint calls for loitering .
Other calls for service may have involved the act of solicitation or panhandling, however, the y
were not coded as such due to another crime or activity taking place . These are primarily citize n
complaint driven calls for service and the problem is much more wide spread than what is
reported and captured statistically.
Through numerous contacts and experience the police department has recognized that many o f
the individuals found panhandling have also been contacted for drug and/or alcohol relate d
crimes or other illegal activities . A successful panhandler can quickly make enough money t o
purchase more alcohol or drugs as a means to feed their addiction. The act of panhandling alon e
or coupled with the consumption of alcohol and/or drugs can further the adverse behavior that
can disrupt a business, or interfere with citizens and visitors to our city . This disruption ca n
initiate a call for service to the police department resulting in further contacts to includ e
aggressive panhandling, public drunkenness and drug influence .
1
•
•
Parking Meter Donation Station s
December 19,201 2
An unknowing or uninformed public rightfully feels a sense of duty and obligation to help thos e
in need . The act of providing money to a panhandler who appears helpless or "down on thei r
luck" creates a false sense of satisfaction that the money donated will be used by the panhandle r
to find a meal or better their situation. Frequently, the money is quickly spent to support a dru g
or alcohol habit .
Many people who choose to donate directly to a panhandler may be unaware they are alread y
receiving benefits from providers in the form of food, money, shelter and other services .
Some panhandlers, recognizing the profit opportunity of soliciting will prey off the sensitivitie s
and kindness of a donor even though they have no social service needs .
PARKING METER DONATION STATIONS :
A number of communities have examined the possibility of using parking meters as "donation
stations" for citizens that feel compelled to give money to help others in need . Money collecte d
at these donation stations can be earmarked for specific entities or causes depending on how th e
program is developed . It's recognized that the value of a dollar can go much further in the hand s
of a social services outlet as opposed to directly giving that dollar to a panhandler where there i s
no accountability to its benefit . This outlet allows a conscientious donor an immediate alternativ e
to provide assistance to a responsible entity that can facilitate adequate services for those wit h
legitimate needs and subsequently reduce the odds that a program resistant panhandler will b e
able to perpetuate their condition and/or addiction, strain local resources and detract from th e
quality of life in San Luis Obispo .
CITY OF DENVER - EXAMPL E
Several agencies in the Denver Area have teamed together to initiate and oversee a mete r
donation station program in their city . These entities included Denver Public Works, Denver's
Road Home (the entity that oversees Denver's 10 year plan to end homelessness), Denve r
Leadership (our Leadership SLO equivalent), Mile High United Way and other social servic e
and business entities .
The effort is twofold, to increase awareness about homelessness and make an effort to redirec t
money that the general population is giving to panhandlers . Like many other cities across the
nation, Denver is dealing with an increase of panhandlers and the adverse environment that i s
associated with that behavior . According to the Denver's Road Home website many panhandler s
in their community are not homeless and 1/3 of their homeless population has jobs . To educate
the public and raise money the Denver community has installed 86 donation meters and expect s
to generate an excess of $100,000 annually in sponsorships and donations . The funds frequentl y
provided as a hand outs on the street can now be used to provide meals, job training, substanc e
abuse counseling, housing and other programs for those in need .
2
•
•
Parking Meter Donation Station s
December 19, 201 2
CITY OF SAN DIEGO - EXAMPLE :
Parking Manager Robert Horch conducted research regarding parking meter donation station s
that were installed in the City of San Diego in 2011 and 2012 .To date nine of an anticipate d
twenty five meters have been installed . The City of San Diego has supported and promoted th e
program, however, the installation, service and collection of the funds are done privately throug h
a non-profit organization known as the Downtown San Diego Partnership. The meters ar e
installed on private property and have a different look as to not be confused with real parkin g
meters in the public right of way .
At this time the nine meters generate approximately $50 .00 a month in income, althoug h
program facilitators are currently working to improve their marketing campaign. But, in additio n
to the tangible donations a desired result is to educate the public and change perceptions abou t
panhandling and the adverse behavior associated with it . The campaign wants thoughtful donor s
to understand helping the homeless population through a social service provider generates mor e
buying power and service than a direct handout . The public education process has bee n
successful and has highlighted the issue even spurring an increase of direct donations to th e
sponsoring program .
The donation station meters in San Diego are similar to the exiting IPS (the meter manufacturer )
meters in the City of San Luis Obispo . They are capable of accepting coins or credit cards . There
is a great deal of community effort in making the program successful . The Downtown San Dieg o
Partnerships' Clean and Safe division manages the program and provides maintenance an d
collections . Another company completed installations at a reduced cost (approximately $150 .0 0
per meter). Some businesses welcomed the installation and placed meters on their own propert y
and absorbed some of the costs . IPS donated the 25 meters and waived their monthly fee which
earned them the Vic Kops Humanitarian Award in October of 2012 .1st Data, the company that
provides merchant credit services, waived their monthly minimum fee and offered lowered
merchant fees .
OTHER EXAMPLES :
Currently the City of Macon, GA and City of Athens, AL are considering similar projects . These
entities too are looking to non-profit groups that can manage a meter donation program . The
locations have like meters and anticipate working with IPS and 1 51 Data to provide reduced costs
or services to help their programs succeed .
As recently as December 10,2012 an article in the Los Angeles Downtown News revealed tha t
the City Council will be looking into converting old parking meters (they are replacing wit h
electronic meters) into donation stations for the homeless . Under the proposal "the devices woul d
be relabeled to indicate they are for collecting donations that the city would then distribute t o
homeless service providers . In theory, it could reduce panhandling because fewer pedestrian s
might give change if they can instead donate to a blanket of services ."
3
•
•
Parking Meter Donation Station s
December 19,201 2
The City of Laguna Beach, while developing its program, had local artists paint the outside o f
the meters to bring more attention to them . The City of San Luis Obispo has had a long standin g
appreciation for public art projects . A decorative meter concept can encourage communit y
involvement and awareness to the meter, but to the program as a whole .
An intemet search revealed there are several cities utilizing donation parking meters (o r
researching the idea) as a means to collect money for homeless services . These cities includ e
Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Little Rock, San Francisco and Seattle .
PUBLIC EDUCATION/ADVERTISING COMPONENT :
The success of a directed giving campaign through meter donation stations would be dependen t
upon a strong marketing plan . This plan would include an education component about th e
adverse results of providing money to panhandlers and the benefits of giving on behalf of a
social service agency .
Providing business owners, theft employees and public service personnel with the knowledge t o
pass this information on to those who may ask creates an environment that is unified in effor t
and consistent in the messaging process . Providing literature and flyers in key locations to
inform the giving public featuring QR code access and internet links to appropriate website s
where a citizen can become further aware, informed and involved would build in an additiona l
layer of success and credibility to the project .
RECOMMENDATION :
A unified directed giving campaign allows a concerned public the ability to give in a manne r
where those funds can be managed responsibly and productively . This shared message by th e
public, the city, business owners and the social service agencies that provide services ca n
discourage panhandling and the adverse behaviors associated with that activity . Moreover, such a
campaign helps demonstrate that SLO is a compassionate community, yet one that is committe d
to not perpetuating an enabling culture that is counter to the welfare interests for the individua l
and community as a whole .
There appear to be numerous meter donation station examples in which the City of San Lui s
Obispo can model . The concept is worthy of additional research and consideration fo r
implementation . Further discussion needs to take place to identify the proper entities to establis h
direction, oversight and continuing maintenance should a program be developed . Many meter
donation programs are operated through a private entity with supportive roles provided by th e
city in which the program is located . The facilitating organization could conceptually decide ho w
to disburse donated funds to social service outlets and homeless related causes, providing anothe r
opportunity to more effectively address the issue of homelessness and reinforce the benefit o f
giving to the appropriate agency rather than individual panhandler .
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Parking Meter Donation Station s
December 19, 2012
Donation Meter in Denver, Colorad o
Donation Meter in San Antonio, Texa s
Donation Meter in San Diego, Ca
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Parking Meter Donation Station s
December 19, 2012
Donation Meter in Iowa City, Iowa
Donation Meter in Nashville, T N
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