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Home My WebLink About02/18/2025 09.C. Discussion regarding homelessness issues and positive solutionsItem No. 9.C. For Meeting of: February 18, 2025 ITEM TITLE:Discussion regarding homelessness issues and positive solutions SUBMITTED BY:Sara Watkins, City Attorney BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDA STATEMENT SUMMARY EXPLANATION: City Council directed staff to bring to them at a study session examples of projects that provided housing for people experiencing homelessness. The presentation also includes the statistics for Yakima County per the 2024 Point in Time Count. ITEM BUDGETED: N/A STRATEGIC PRIORITY 24-25: A Safe and Healthy Yakima RECOMMENDATION: ATTACHMENTS: housing.examples.pdf 220 HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING Yakima City Council Study Session 221 AGENDA ■ DATA FROM RECENT POINT IN TIME COUNTS ■ OTHER COMMUNITIES’ EFFORTS AND SUCCESSES –City of Walla Walla Sleep Center –Milwaukee Housing First –Olympia, WA –Spokane, WA ■ QUESTIONS 222 An overview of data 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 2021 2022 2023 2024 PIT Totals Unsheltered Emergency shelter Transitional Housing Total homeless counts: 2021: 553 2023: 520 2022: 554 2024: 453 This data is from the Point in Time counts conducted by Yakima County. The 2024 count was done throughout Yakima County, including reaching people staying at Camp Hope and the UGM. The PIT counts and reports can be found here: https://www.yakimacounty.us/2867/Annual-Point-in-Time-InformationData 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 2021 2022 2023 2024 Chronically Homeless Unsheltered Emergency Shelter Chronically homeless in the PIT is defined as an individual with a disability who lives either in a place not meant for human habitation or in an emergency shelter. 223 Selected PIT Data 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Job Loss Family Crisis Alcohol or Substance Abuse Evicted/Loss of Housing 2024 Top 4 Reasons Cited as Cause for Homelessness Participants could select more than one 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Evicted/Loss of Housing Alcohol or Substance Abuse Family Crisis Job Loss YA 18-24 Adult 25-64 Senior 65+ 2024 Top 4 Reasons Cited by Age Group Participants could select more than one 224 HUD DEFINITIONS Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) What is Permanent Supportive Housing? (§ 578.37(a)(1)(i)) Permanent Supportive Housingௗ(PSH) is permanent housing in which housing assistance (e.g., long-term leasing or rental assistance) and supportiveௗservices are provided to assistௗhouseholds with at least one member (adult or child) with a disabilityௗin achieving housing stability. Transitional Housing (TH) What is Transitional Housing? (§ 578.37(a)(2)) Transitional Housing (TH) provides temporary housing with supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness with the goal of interim stability and support to successfully move to and maintain permanent housing. TH projects can cover housing costs and accompanying supportive services for program participants for up to 24 months. Participants in a TH project must have a signed lease, sublease, or occupancy agreement with the following requirements: •An initial term of at least one month •Automatically renewable upon expiration, except by prior notice by either party •A maximum term of 24 months 225 OTHER COMMUNITIES’ EFFORTS 226 CITY OF WALLA WALLA SLEEPING CENTER https://www.wwallianceforthehomeless.com/ The City of Walla Walla initially spent $150,000.00 to provide the foundations for 31 conestoga huts, located on City-owned property. The City of Walla Walla contracts with the Walla Walla Alliance for the Homeless (W2AH) to operate the City’s Sleep Center. Currently there are 37 conestoga huts at the property. In 2021 the shelter community provided 16,651 nights of care to 221 individuals. https://subscribe.kitsapsun.com/restricted?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kitsapsun.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2F2023%2F07%2F 14%2Fhow-a-nonprofit-focused-on-homeless-succeeded-in-walla-walla%2F70402551007%2F&gps- source=CPROADBLOCKDH&itm_source=roadblock&itm_medium=onsite&itm_campaign=premiumroadblock&gca- cat=p&slug=restricted&redirect=true&offer=W-M7&gnt-eid=control 227 CITY OF WALLA WALLA: The conestoga huts https://www.wwallianceforthehomeless.com/ ■ The huts are 6 feet by 10 feet inside with standing head room, and have a covered porch. ■ The door is lockable, providing privacy as well as an important measure of safety. ■ An operable window in the rear wall provides ventilation. ■ The huts are completely weatherproof, even in strong winds, heavy rain or snow. They are insulated on all sides, but not heated. ■ The huts were designed in Eugene, Oregon and were in use there for four years before moving to Walla Walla. 228 Other amenities available: The shelter community has two modular buildings for office space and a common room, and restrooms and showers. There are no cooking facilities at the shelter. Hot water and coffee are always available. Local groups often provide prepared meals to serve the community. Staffing: W2AH provides volunteers 7 days a week until 10:00pm. Security is on site between 10:00pm and 9:00am. Volunteers register clients, provide them with bedding and go over rules. When clients leave, volunteers clean the huts for the next client. How does it work? Once a hut is assigned to an individual or couple it remains theirs as long as they are on site at least five days per week. What if there aren’t any huts available? If there isn’t a hut available, there are overflow beds which are assigned on a first-come daily basis while a person is waiting for a hut assignment. 229 CITY OF WALLA WALLA https://www.wwallianceforthehomeless.com/ The Exit Homelessness Program ■ In January 2018, the Walla Walla Alliance for the Homeless, with support from the City of Walla Walla, began a pilot program called “Exit Homelessness.” ■ Started in the basement of City Hall, it moved to one of the buildings at the Shelter Community and continues as a formal program today. ■ It is an intensive program for individuals who are ready and motivated to improve their lives. In many ways it is job-like, helping them prepare to keep a regular schedule and show reliability. ■ Participants work on their own personal progress goals, such as obtaining ID, preparing resumes, looking for a job and housing. ■ Social workers, Peer Support Specialists, and Alliance volunteers assist participants in these efforts. ■ W2AH is seeking to expand the shelter to include a Transitional Shelter Addition to further aid people in exiting homelessness. 230 CITY & COUNTY OF MILWAUKEE, WI https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/DHHS/Housing/Housing-First A HOUSING FIRST APPROACH The Housing First philosophy provides housing to those most in need without pre-condition. This is because the most vulnerable in our community can only solve one life- changing problem at a time. When you are living outside, without a roof over your head or knowing where your next meal will come from, that instantly becomes your most important problem. Demanding the chronically homeless demonstrate sobriety, a clean bill of mental health, employment or anything else is, from what we have seen, putting the cart before the horse. However, when you remove that housing problem, suddenly the next problem facing that individual becomes "most important," whether it be starting the road to recovery from undiagnosed mental health problems or substance abuse. Between 2015 and 2023 Milwaukee County saw a 92% decrease in unsheltered population. --https://badgerherald.com/news/wisconsin/2023/09/20/milwaukee- county-focuses-on-housing-first-approach-to-homelessness/ Housing First in action video: https://vimeo.com/315450541 231 CITY & COUNTY OF MILWAUKEE https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/DHHS/Housing/Housing-First A HOUSING FIRST APPROACH Example: Thurgood Marshall Apartment building. The building contains 24 one-bedroom units of permanent, supportive housing for low-income adults who are chronically homeless and suffer from chronic alcoholism. Round-the-clock on- site social services, including mental health services, are available seven days a week, 365 days a year. The housing with support services follows a harm-reduction strategy aimed at reducing the risks and harmful effects of substance use and guiding an individual’s recovery. http://www.wiscs.org/programs/behavioral/thurgood_marshall_apartments/ A Milwaukee County Innovation Grant in the amount of $500,000, a City of Milwaukee Housing Trust Fund award in the amount of $385,000 and $300,000 from the Milwaukee County Housing Division for services were leveraged along with the low-income-housing tax credits awarded by WHEDA ($275,000) and purchased by PNC Bank, and a $1.2 million construction loan with First Business Bank to create this innovative model. 232 CITY & COUNTY OF MILWAUKEE https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/DHHS/Housing/Housing-First A HOUSING FIRST APPROACH Other Local Initiatives ▪ Airport donation bins The Milwaukee Airport has bins near TSA security where you can make donations (like the spare change in your pocket) before going through the metal detectors. ▪ Parking Meter Donation sites Key to Change key-shaped parking meters in high-visible areas raise awareness and offer an opportunity for people to give to programs making an impact. ▪ Film Screening of 30 Seconds Away A feature length film was made featuring chronically homeless men in Milwaukee and their relationship between homelessness and the justice system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gz3jahFXWU 957bigfm.iheart.com; fox6now.com 233 CITY OF OLYMPIA TINY HOME VILLAGES https://www.olympiawa.gov/community/housing___homelessness/tiny_home_villages.php The City of Olympia funds 3 tiny home villages: Franz Anderson, Plum Street, and Quince Street Franz Anderson (50 Units) is operated and staffed by Olympia Mutual Aid Partners, a 501(c)(3) independent organization with a mission to support equitable access to safe, just, and warm places to call home for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Thurston County. Olympia Mutual Aid Partners also runs a Hotel Program called “Stability Stays” which provides temporary hotel stays ranging from 72 hours to 6 weeks for unsheltered. Qualifications for that program include having a medical need that requires shelter and sanitary conditions to recover, or someone who has a confirmed date for a treatment bed but needs a place to stay while they await the transition. Only 3-6 households can be accommodated at a time due to funding. 234 CITY OF OLYMPIA TINY HOME VILLAGES https://www.olympiawa.gov/community/housing___homelessness/tiny_home_villages.php Plum Street Village (29 units) is managed by VALEO Vocation, a 501(c)(3) workforce development organization. Employment training is provided through its Transitional Employment Pathways program providing basic work and skill development for residents. Case management is also provided. Quince Street Village (100 units) is managed by Catholic Community Services. Site and case management focus on finding housing, coordinating medical care, and connecting individuals with services. 235 CITY OF OLYMPIA CRISIS RESPONSE https://www.olympiawa.gov/services/police_department/crisis_response.php CRISIS RESPONSE UNIT (CRU) The CRU is an alternative response team offering voluntary and confidential assistance to people in Olympia. CRU will respond to any person within the City experiencing urgent mental health distress, poverty, unhoused persons, substance use, resource needs, and more. Calls go through 911 Communications and Olympia PD dispatches to minimize safety concerns for the unarmed crisis responders. Operates 7 days a week 7am—2am. Downtown Walking CRU operates Tuesday through Saturday 11am—7pm FAMILIAR FACES The Familiar Face program employs certified peer specialists to assist those experiencing complex behavioral and physical health issues. Outreach specialists serve the highest users of emergency services. They provide empathetic support in overcoming barriers related to behavioral health, housing, legal issues and system navigation in a non-judgmental way. Operates Monday through Friday 8am—6pm 236 CITY OF OLYMPIA FAITH PARTNERSHIPS https://www.olympiawa.gov/community/housing___homelessness/faith_community_partners.php Like Yakima, Olympia has an ordinance allowing religious organizations to operate temporary emergency shelters on their property to temporarily house individuals experiencing homelessness. Two local faith community organizations host small tiny house villages on their property through the City and Faith Community Pilot Partnership. One location has 8 tiny homes, and the other has 6. The City has committed funds for sanitation support, water, sewer and garbage services, as well as a contract for case management for the residents. 237 CITY OF SPOKANE SCATTER SHELTER MODEL https://my.spokanecity.org/news/releases/2024/05/13/shelter-audit-points-toward-scattered-site-model/ After a Shelter Audit in early 2024, the City decided to move towards a shelter model that provides for smaller, scattered shelter sites rather than large congregate shelters. Smaller sites would have 20-30 beds. Churches were used as small shelter sites during the winter and served as a pilot project for the scattered site model. The model includes a Navigation Center which acts as an entry point to assess the needs of individuals and then select the most appropriate placement for them. Different sites would specialize in different resources, such as medically fragile individuals. https://www.kxly.com/news/spokane-prepares-to-move-to-scattered-homeless-shelter-model/article_96021cbe-59c9- 11ef-b407-83141e9a156b.html 238 CITY OF SPOKANE SCATTER SHELTER MODEL https://my.spokanecity.org/news/releases/2024/05/13/shelter-audit-points-toward-scattered-site-model/ Goals of the scattered shelter model include being more cost-effective and efficient, help people get into a steady environment and become part of the community, and not have all people experiencing homelessness concentrated in one area. The Housing Navigation Center launched in October of 2024, with partners Empire Health Foundation and Revive Counseling Spokane, at the Cannon Street Shelter. It will connect residents with immediate shelter, health care and housing placement. The Center originally opened as a pilot project and served 39 people. 23 exited to transitional housing, 7 entered sobering services, 2 went to emergency housing, and 3 were awaiting housing placement. The City approved $3.9 million for homeless services for the scattered site model. The City closed the congregate TRAC shelter of 200 beds in November. https://www.kxly.com/news/spokane-prepares-to-move-to-scattered-homeless-shelter-model/article_96021cbe-59c9-11ef-b407-83141e9a156b.html https://my.spokanecity.org/news/releases/2024/10/11/city-of-spokane-launches-housing-navigation-center/ https://www.bigcountrynewsconnection.com/news/state/washington/spokane-approves-3-9m-for-homeless-services-ahead-of-new-scattered-site-model/article_f86fba4c-b874-58c5-853a-3ced254e1cd3.html https://www.kxly.com/news/spokanes-scattered-shelter-system-receives-mixed-responses/article_f5cd385a-a158-11ef-b0ad-0f052ae2fc50.html 239 Collaboration & Education ■ City Council and staff participate in the Yakima County Homeless Coalition including upcoming work on the 5 year plan ■ City Council and staff participate in the Homeless Network of Yakima County ■ Website additions: Pages for resources and information about homelessness in Yakima ■ Education campaign regarding homelessness and non-profits helping the homeless? ■ Education to the community regarding their opportunities to donate? 240 Questions? 241