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Home My WebLink About12/07/2021 03.A. Communication from Councilmember FunkI BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDA STATEMENT Item No. 3.A. For Meeting of: December 7, 2021 ITEM TITLE: Communication from Councilmember Funk SUBMITTED BY: Councilmember Kay Funk SUMMARY EXPLANATION: See attached documents. #1. Downtown Public Health and Safety Motion #2. Neglected Opportunities to Create Low -Cost, Secure, Temporary Alternatives for Unhoused Persons #3. 1/31/2018 Chamber of Commerce letter Getting Homeless People off the Streets ITEM BUDGETED: STRATEGIC PRIORITY: APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION: ATTACHMENTS: Description D Downtown Public Health and Safety D Low Cost Housing D 1/31/18 Chamber letter regarding homeless Upload Date Type 1213/2021 Co Memo 12/3/2021 CowrMerno 12/3/2021 Cover Memo Downtown Public Health and Safety motion - as related to persons experiencing homelessness Dec. 7th, 2021 Council meeting Kay Funk, MD City staff are directed to prepare an ordinance(s), for the Jan 4th Council meeting. Once the ordinance is passed, staff will report progress monthly. Secure parking lots for Homestead Act vehicles (people sleeping in cars). A. The city will designate City -owned parking lots for Homestead Act vehicles. B. The City will encourage private owners to volunteer parking lots for Homestead Act vehicles and provide support. C. Conditions for Secure parking lots for Homestead Act vehicles: 1. A secure perimeter fence is desirable though not required. 2. Video camera is highly desirable 3. Port -a -potties will be made available and checked periodically by Clean City staff. 4. Persons threatening others, committing illegal acts, creating noise/profanity problems, creating health risk, or spreading trash, will be excluded by no -trespass orders (private) or no -contact orders (public). 5. Other requirements of RC Ws ll. Yakima police officers will ask persons experiencing homelessness whether they would use A. A shelter space with a lockable door B. A secure parking lot if they are sleeping in their own vehicles lll. The City of Yakima will designate "no sit/no lie" Shelter Protection Area around downtown shelters. lV. The Yakima City Planning Department will initiate a rezone of all City and County owned land in the Pacific Ave Jail complex to a zoning category which will allow low -barrier shelter(s). Neglected Opportunities to Create Low -Cost, Secure, Temporary Alternatives for unhoused persons. Kay Funk, MD In the four years that I have been on Council, I have been distressed by our lack of progress in providing alternatives for unhoused persons on our streets. Specifically, we have no answer to this dilemma: "there has got to be something between a tent and a $300,000 apartment". The most basic need is safety and a defensible space for person and property. The cost escalates tremendously when providing plumbing and supervision. There are alternatives, and we have passed on multiple proposals: • In 2018, Transform Yakima had a plan to provide tiny homes (no plumbing) on church parking lots for approximately $2,000/unit. The planning department required sewer hookups, which increased the cost to $50,000/unit.Only 2 were built. Staff decision. • The city spent $238,000 of City's homeless funds to extend plumbing and electricity out to city -owned land just east of the old Kmart building. We then signed an agreement with the Greenway, which made that land unavailable for any housing other than bricks -and -mortar. Council decision promoted by staff. • The Justice Housing project, proposed tiny homes without plumbing. That was discouraged by staff; now they are planning tiny homes with plumbing, electricity, and air conditioning. The cost is probably in the $200,000+ range. Staff decision. • The Yakima County Commissioners proposed to create a low barrier shelter on the YCCC (Pacific Avenue Jail) property which, I believe, we had a tentative plan to rezone. Our own planning department told them that low -barrier shelters were not wanted by the neighbors. To my knowledge, no hearings of any kind were held. Staff decision. • The current YBOCC plan for the Pacific Ave Jail is office space for non-profit service providers. There will be no space for unhoused persons to sleep safely. There is no shortage of vacant office space in Yakima. YBOCC decision. • Another tiny homes project in Terrace Heights recently tanked because of resistance from neighbors. ("NIMBY") We can all dream of delux housing for ourselves an our vulnerable neighbors, but "if wishes were horses then beggars would ride."We need to deal with economic reality, and we have not been doing that. As long as we confine our planning to bricks -and -mortar units costing-$300,000/unit will not be able to provide an adequate number of units where unhoused people want to go. This is sad and wasteful. Conestoga Huts in Eugene and Walla Walla - presented at 2018 Association of WA Cities annual meeting $2500 for materials - 64 sqft interior space https://communitysunoortedshelters.org/conestoga-huts httpJ/www,communitysupportedshelters.org/ Community Supported Shelters 1160 Grant St., Eugene, OR 97402 541-683-0836 www.communitysupportedshelters.org Erik & Fay de Buhr, Co -Exec Directors/Founders Lowe's Garden Storage Shed $2652 - 96 sqft - 2 windows https://www.lowes.com/pd/Heartiand-Common-8-ft-x-1 2-ft-Interior-Dimensions-8-ft-x-1 2-ft-Hillsd ale®Gable-En ineered-Store e-Shed®Installation-Not-Included/999961887 $3174 -120 sqft - 2 windows https-//www.lowes.com/pd/Heartiand-Common-1 0-ft-x-1 2-ft-interior-Dimensions-1 0-ft-x- 12-ft-Hilisdale-Gable luded/999961917 Pallet Shelters This is an article regarding tiny homes for less than $6K (no plumbing) that unhoused persons actually want to live in. They are manufactured in WA state. Video tour: httns://maii.aooale.com/mail/u/0/#search/Dalletsheiter/Cg v mWVQwrzQk hLR`VxRnmt Cbct GVtcVsFWVtXR°BPhCZiHXpPkaQmNBsmXzJgdBxWMDXtIq ?projector=l Oakland unveils new, upgraded tiny homes for homeless Lake Merritt residents httns://www.megrcgurynews.com/2021 /11 /01 /oakiand-unveils-new-upgraded-tiny-homes-for-homel ess-lake-merritt-residents/?utm email=65EA24FDF4E9948B0415442314& 2i eui-°/62bBS zN wFzQkhlD7vekf La°E5C9etR%2f08& 2i source=newsletter&Ict=65EA24FDF4E9948B041544 MIMMMMM "milli JMIM t=122s CITY OF YAKIMA January 31, 2018 OFFICE OE CITY COUNCIL Mayor Kathy Coffey City of Yakima 129 North 2"d Street Yakima, WA 98901 Honorable Mayor and Members of Yakima City Council The Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Association of Yakima and Yakima Valley Tourism have been at the forefront of creating a healthy and vibrant downtown. The millions of dollars in public and private investment that went into revitalizing our downtown have paid huge dividends and brought new life to Yakima and its visiting guests. A major challenge Yakima and other cities have faced in recent years is the increase in homelessness — especially in downtown areas. As you know, business owners in Downtown Yakima voice many problems of loitering, litter public urination/defecation, destruction of property, drug deals, prostitution and other illegal activities which they believe have increased in the last five years. This has had a direct and negative impact on our local businesses and potential revenue, and action is needed now. We respectfully request that City of Yakima • Take a leading role in swiftly developing additional solutions that lead to real action in abating and minimizing these issues in the downtown area. • Establish zoning ordinances to create a 'buffer zone' to prevent homeless services on the main arterials of the city. • Encourage that existing homeless support providers with services in the downtown district be obligated to work collaboratively with local businesses, the city and our organizations to manage the mentioned negative results from the homeless population and those that prey on the homeless. We want to be part of the solution and will assist any way we can to create a safe place for all residents, customers, guests and visitors plus those currently dealing with homelessness. Please don't wait any longer to address this pressing matter. Signed, V" for De ng, Chair D wn't wn Association of Yakima John Baule, Chair Yakima Valley Tourism llu Rich Austin, Chair Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce