To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors and Board of Commissioners of the Community Development Commission
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services and Sonoma County Community Development Commission
Staff Name and Phone Number: Barbie Robinson, 565-7876; Geoffrey Ross, 565-7505
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Emergency Housing, Shelter, and Support Service Options
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Provide direction to staff regarding the two proposed options to address the homeless emergency on the Joe Rodota Trail including the purchase of congregate housing, entering into master leases, the establishment of an indoor-outdoor shelter, and the provision of behavioral health, medical, and social services.
B) Adopt concurrent resolution of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Sonoma and the Board of Commissioners of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission 1) Delegating Authority and Making Findings for Services Contracts Needed in Support of the Declared Homelessness Emergency; 2) Making Findings with Regard to Certain Development Codes as to Public Homeless Facilities and Enacting Emergency Standards as to Those Facilities; and 3) Directing Staff to Pursue and Prioritize Establishment of Shelter and Low-Barrier Navigation Centers and Outdoor Shelter Alternatives.
C) Adopt a resolution amending the Allocation List for the Department of Health Services, adding 7.00 full-time equivalent positions, effective December 23, 2019.
D) Authorize the Director of Health Services and the Executive Director of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission to select a site(s) consistent with the criteria set forth in Attachment 2.
E) Approve use of General Fund contingencies up to $2.1 million to finance $20,000 of housing equipment leased spaces and $2.08 million for indoor/outdoor multi-site preparation, support services and 1 year operations.
F) Adopt resolution delegating authority to the County Administrators Office and Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector to execute all budget appropriations increases and adjustments up to $11.68 million to implement the Board’s direction.
G) Adopt resolution delegating authority to the Director of General Services Department, the Director of the Transportation, and Public Works Department to lease and license real property for use by the county and to amend real property leases for improvements of alterations pursuant to Government Code Section 25350.51.
(4/5th Vote Required)
end
Executive Summary:
On December 17, 2019 the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution declaring a Homeless Emergency on the Joe Rodota Trail (JRT). This item provides the Board with the two options regarding the development of housing/shelter and support services for the current occupants of the JRT.
Discussion:
On December 17, 2019 the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution declaring a Homeless Emergency on the Joe Rodota Trail (JRT) due to the threat to health and safety of those experiencing homelessness and to the natural environment, public health, and well-being of the community.
Homelessness is an all-consuming crisis for those experiencing it and a societal emergency for communities battling it. Currently in Sonoma County there are approximately 3,000 individuals experiencing homelessness, including 210 occupants on the JRT. Since 2011, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County has been reduced by 1,500. While Sonoma County has made progress, including over the last three years successfully housing more than 3,000 individuals, the homeless situation on the JRT presents a public health crisis requiring immediate action.
In response to the crisis, the Department of Health Services, Community Development Commission, Parks, Law Enforcement, and others are taking the following steps to address public health issues on the JRT including measures to address rat and pest control, placement of additional hand washing stations and bathroom facilities, trash removal, security services, and providing needle disposal bins on site.
At the direction of the Board of Supervisors on December 17th, this item provides your Board with the two options regarding the development of housing/shelter and support services for current occupants of the JRT. The options identified represent a multi-faceted approach that includes permanent supportive housing, indoor-outdoor shelter site(s) including a Navigation Center, and an array of behavioral health, social, and medical services that will support individuals on the JRT and as they are transitioned into housing/shelters.
Given the significant need and urgency of the situation on the JRT, the congregate housing and master lease strategies included in both options will be implemented within approximately 100 days - with the outdoor-indoor shelter(s) being operational within 60 to 180 days.
Summary of Two Options
The following provides your board with a summary of proposed options including a description of the housing/shelter strategy, an estimate of the cost and potential funding stream, the number of clients the strategy will serve, and the projected time to implement.
While the options discussed below include various strategies, the work to bring them to fruition will not be carried out in a linear fashion. Instead the County will concurrently work on all strategies with the goal to ensure their implementation as soon as possible.
For additional information regarding Option A and Option B please see Attachment 1 (Joe Rodota Trail Housing/Shelter and Support Services Recommendation).
Option A:
The components of Option A consist of congregate housing, master leases, support services, and a single site indoor-outdoor shelter.
Congregate Housing - Congregate living is a type of housing program that allows each individual to have a private bedroom but shares common areas with other tenants. Group living provides for mutual support from peers allowing staff to tailor levels of support within the living situation to promote independence with a focus on growth and recovery. This option proposes the acquisition of 6 multi-bedroom houses within 100 days or less at a projected cost of $4-5 million that will include 30 units able to serve 60 clients. Clients will be provided wrap-around services based on their level of acuity that will include behavioral health, social, and medical services. Funding for congregate housing will be No Place Like Home non-competitive Round 1 funds. With the assistance of General Services, Real Estate Division, Health Services and CDC have already toured potential houses currently on the market.
Master Leases - The master lease model is an arrangement in which a service provider can lease an entire rental property from the owner and then subleases it to third parties. This strategy allows for a provider to directly rent an individual unit, or block of units, or an entire structure for housing people who may not be able to secure housing due to a lack of or adverse rental history. The CDC will solicit nonprofit partners to submit proposals to lease units currently available on the market and utilize those units to house homeless individuals on the JRT. This option proposes the lease of 6-7 units within a 100 days or less at a projected annual lease cost of $750,000. The master leases will be able to serve 20 clients from the JRT. Clients will be provided wrap-around services based on their level of acuity that will include behavioral health, social, and medical services. Funding for the on-going master leasing costs will be Reinvestment and Revitalization funds ($130,000), Housing and Disability Advocacy ($120,000), and CalWORKs Eligible Support ($500,000).
In order to facilitate maximum flexibility and authority, staff also proposes to increase delegated leasing and licensing authority for County departments, consistent with State legislative updates to such authority levels.
Single Site Indoor-Outdoor Shelter - Option A includes a single indoor-outdoor shelter site that is a modernized shelter structure that can accommodate the needs of those who are unable to stay in congregate living quarters. The proposed site may include a combination of on-site structures, RV hook-ups, and safe parking. Selection of any such site will become an extension of the existing shelter system, and will provide access to sanitation, food, and will be able to accommodate individuals, families and groups and their pets. A single site will be able to accommodate 50-60 homeless individuals at a cost of approximately $1,310,000. Funding for the indoor-outdoor shelter site will be funded with general fund contingencies.
The Department of Health Services and CDC request your Board approve the following set of criteria that that will guide the County’s site selection process including accessibility; site characteristics; transportation; proximity to services; utilities and cost. (Please see Attachment 2 for a complete list of criteria). The County will engage the community in key components of a proposed shelter site.
Given the urgency of the situation, the County’s efforts to stand up the indoor-outdoor shelter site will begin immediately upon Board approval with a projected completion within 60 to 180 days.
Support Services - This proposal envisions an array of supportive services including the implementation of a new Interdepartmental Multi-Disciplinary Team (IMDT) cohort focused on the JRT population that will conduct outreach and engagement on the JRT to assess the need for services and housing, assessing vulnerability and risk factors and coordinate the appropriate set of individualized services and housing placement. For the most acute JRT occupants with mental health and substance use needs, the Department will contract with a provider that will offer intensive wrap-around and treatment services tailored to each individual’s needs. Ongoing services, ranging from intensive to moderate, will include a comprehensive array of behavioral health treatments and supportive interventions. JRT occupants requiring less intensive services will be provided case management and other support services.
Support services are integral to the success of the proposed housing/sheltering strategies, providing clients with the support needed to maintain successful housing. Services will initially focus on assessing occupants on the JRT but will follow clients in congregate housing and the in-door/out-door shelter. Upon transition into housing/shelter, the IMDT will work to align clients with a medical home. In addition, because many of the occupants on the JRT are in need of substance use services, including detox and residential services, Health Services proposes contracting for approximately 15 substance use beds at an annual cost of $465,000.
To implement the new JRT IMDT cohort, this item requests authorization to add 7.0 full-time equivalent positions to the Department of Health Services allocation list at a total annual cost of approximately $1.074 million which will be funded with Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) one-time grant funding recently signed into law by Governor Newsom this year. CDC anticipates HHAP funding will be replaced, backfilled or substituted year over year with new state funding streams. (Please see Attachment 4 for a complete list of proposed allocations.)
The total one-time costs for Option A is approximately $6,560,000 with total ongoing costs of approximately $4,299,000 (including support services costs).
Option B: Congregate Housing, Master Leases, Multiple Site Indoor-Outdoor Shelter, Support Services
Congregate Housing - Congregate housing under this Option B is the same as set forth in Option A above.
Master Leases - Master leases under this Option B is the same as set forth in Option A above.
Multiple Site Indoor-Outdoor Shelter - Unlike Option A, which includes a single indoor-outdoor shelter site, Option B includes multiple indoor-outdoor sites structured to accommodate the needs of those who are unable to stay in congregate living quarters. Similar to Option A, the proposed sites may include a combination of on-site structures, RV hook-ups, and safe parking. Under a multiple site structure, each site will be able to accommodate approximately 40 homeless individuals at a total annual lease cost of approximately $2.08 million. The indoor-outdoor shelter site will be funded with general fund contingencies.
Support Services - Support services required for Option B are the same services required for Option A.
The total one-time costs for Option B is approximately $7,210,000 with total ongoing costs of approximately $4,419,000 (including support services costs).
Next Steps.
Upon receiving Board direction to pursue a particular housing and sheltering strategy to address the homelessness crisis on the JRT, the County will continue efforts to identify housing resources and a location for a sheltering site, as well as continue to serve and protect occupants on the JRT with outreach, housing navigation, and wrap-around social services; and to ensure health and safety concerns impacting the surrounding community are addressed with increased sanitation and trash services and vector control.
Health Services will move immediately to contract with required providers and work in concert with County Human Resources to hire staff to support the IMDT.
Return to your board to obtain required authorizations to implement the Board direction, including site approvals, any required environmental analysis, approvals of leases and purchase and sale agreements, and any additional budgetary actions required.
In addition to the housing strategies included in Options A and B above, recognizing the urgent need for additional transitional/permanent supportive housing, the CDC will pursue the acquisition of additional properties over the next couple months with new units to come on line over the next 24-36 months.
Finally, Health Services and CDC will continue to update your Board and the CAO on the status of their efforts to implement housing and sheltering and health and safety strategies for the occupants of the JRT.
Prior Board Actions:
October 9, 2018, Item 27: Board of Supervisors and Board of Commissioners declared a shelter crisis in the County of Sonoma and authorized participation in the State Homeless and Emergency Aid Program; December 17, 2019: Board of Supervisors received a report on emergency measures to address homelessness; authorized $25,000 for expanded homelessness outreach; and adopted a resolution proclaiming homeless emergency on the Joe Rodota trail.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY 20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The total costs for the housing/shelter and support services will depend on the option approved by your Board. The total one-time costs for Option A is approximately $6,560,000. The total one-time costs for Option B is approximately $7,210,000 a difference of $650,000. The total projected ongoing costs are approximately $4,299,000 for Option A and $4,419,000 for Option B (including support services).
Funding includes a combination of grant funding (HHAP; NPLH; Whole Person Care) and general fund contingencies. Required revenue and expenditures will be added to the FY 19-20 budget via a separate budgetary adjustment resolution or through the consolidated budgetary process. FY 20-21 revenue and expenditures will be included in the FY 20-21 budget.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
|
Behavioral Health Clinician |
6,291 - 7,646 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
|
AODS Counselor II |
5,268 - 6,402 |
2.0 |
0.0 |
|
Client Support Specialist |
3,659 - 4,447 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
|
Public Health Investigator |
4,623 - 5,621 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
|
Senior Eligibility Specialist |
4,773 - 5,800 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
|
Health Program Manager |
7,128 - 8,663 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Requests authorization to add 7.00 full-time equivalent positions, effective December 23, 2019 as set forth in the attached resolution.
Attachments:
1) Summary of Joe Rodota Trail Housing/Shelter and Support Services Options; 2) List of Indoor-Outdoor Shelter Site Selection Criteria; 3) Delegated Authority, Findings, and Direction to Staff Resolution and Attachments; 4) Personnel Resolution; 5) Delegated Lease and License authority; 6) Budget Resolution.
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None