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Home My WebLink About09/27/2016 07 Homeless IssuesBUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDASTATEMENT Item No. 7. For Meeting of: September 27, 2016 ITEM TITLE: 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Homeless Issues SUBMITTED BY: Joan Davenport, AICP, Community Development Director Sara Watkins, SeniorAssistant City Attorney Joe Caruso, Code Administration Manager SUMMARY EXPLANATION: a. Update on YVCOG process b. Update on current homeless encampment status and timeline c. Update on Neighborhood Health Master Lease Program and other programs d. Council discussion and direction to staff e. 2:15 pm. to 2:30 p.m. afternoon break ITEM BUDGETED: NA STRATEGIC PRIORITY: NA APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL: '~City Manager cllv� STAFF RECOMMENDATION: BOARD/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date Type D YVCOG plan 9121/2016 Cowr Memo D YCOG and 5-Year Plan —memo 9121/2016 Cmer Memo D Encampment Timeline and Calendar's 9121/2016 Coxer Memo D legal memo on homeless 9/2112016 Co%er Memo Creating a State Coo� i.k can Fl iM111 across m=,), ,,State agen'4t16i,, ani So E 'c Develont to: 'ante a state !I I II I��;��,��b� �G,�I� E, in 2014 and 2015, as noted. The roved by the on and mttee Board on �ating a L&W -Inca me Housing capital projeeWand operations and mission is to align State policies and practices ds a single goal; red sdn g bomelessness. )ihmerce (formerly Community, Trade, and --as Housing Plans, with the goal to goals identified in these 10-year In 2004, more than 40 Service Providers and other homeless advocate organizations banded together to create the Homeless Network of Yakima County with the intention to end homelessness in Yakima County. The Homeless Network of Yakima County operated under Yakima County's Human Services Department. In 2005, a 10-year plan was written to increase -affordable housing and services known to be critical for successfully transitioning people out of homelessness. In summer of 2014, -after being under the authority of Yakima County for 10 years, the Yakima County Commissioners consulted with Yakima Valley Conference of Governments' General Membership to see if the program would be better located under YVCOG due to the close working relationship with its member cities. On July 1 2015, the program moved from the courthouse to the YVCO G office, 19 E d Helseth , 1' cllogg de Jorgensen Haley Needham , Penfold 0 .andard of living, the right to education, zy, the right to social security, the right rights provided to all U.S. Citizens. II M the homeless community M M I -et the needs of all homeless residents ted ability to expand and enhance ;, households with pets, and large tunity from jails, correctional are chronically unsheltered. and other high-needs I's anJ16ther systems of care Lt serve pe"b"ple experiencing goals with supporting strategies and s) and rate (prevention strategies) ksure safety among homeless community) to fund provider services) i Engagement Plan (leadership, planning, and .ectly, every day, in both our urban and community members. 0 MMMM� Source: U.S, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD�,'j here include Public Housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, Moderate Rehab 236, LIHTC, and other federally-subsidized multifiumly, Rusin g.) by national studies) that provide a brief manent housing as quickly as possible proven successful for households with has also recently become a focus; the )cal landlords to provide incentives for subsidized units counted of Subs izcd Housing, �d, 4. ccthm A -Now Construction/SIdIsatantial Rehabilitation, Section %p MM There are some s, id projects which The current contracts "f 6 'ad" to thelhomeless are as follows: ue l'I Local Filing Fee a (aka 2163 Funds) — Yakima Lour El 0 providers rely on a number of federal, rtes specifically "targeted" towards the -ect1v benefit homeless individuals and 0 IV. YAKIMA re o that it is very difficult to arrive at a defuritive about out homeless population. aumber of individuals and families that wercorne homelessness: Data about Yakima County homelessness is collected in two pritnai service and housing providers who work with people experiencing h 1E through the efforts of the social ■ ■ 12 1'e'ssness in Yakima is the Homeless dated and state-managed database of Ai 'ce providers about every client who th-'6 ased or privately- funded programs nose to1do so.) is also recorded in HMIS. tics and models. At the local level it 1. i lirnititkm is that clients, who are not using "Hih �f6 not included. Thus, it provides Clwrt 2. 3 — Sheltered Count IndividunIs ky Duration, of Homwlessnessr 1, nr-mth Or loszs - 1-6 month., 6,mos - I yoar 1-2 ye-qrs - 2 yoas-r ; or avire i CbatY 2.4 below summarizes participants in the shelter count by relevant period. Chart 2.4 — Shelter 4 In.dividuals M 200 a 0 19� MME Despite strong lei dership� a diversi County, illustrated by the c t. de m, represent some 9 a, z derlying cans of improving OU he each goal ar 1111z at)p Ut.,i more than 01 Fl in YaAima County so that it is It is human nature to want to feel "safe", and defined safe zones can provide this for any homeless people; however, the safe zones must be constructed in a way to serve the appropriate populations: women only, men only, families, treatment recovery clients, violence victims, etc. Safe zones allow the homeless to feel it is "okay" to be homeless safely and begin engaging in assistance systems. The also provide accessibility to the homeless making it an easier faster process for distributing services. im IVE SERVICES REITVANT 1. HOUSING FIRST For all households who experience homelessness, getting into emergency housing as quickly as possible is the goal. After they are stabilized, transitioning to permanent housing as quickly as possible ends their homelessness. �Mj t Rapid Reh8u"MWW` 0& - , g pro -h'xs![(perma*' nt markei-i�iic hews' g, with short shallow subsidies and case managera'Alt' t 1 .gave proved to success Ful. for many low-barrier households; however, funds are not available to help all ho'&8hollds who could benefit ft:6 this type of program. Some households need slightly longer subsidies to be suc essful. For households withIM in the HIP ",nore complex barriers, permanent supportive boos` g is answer. However, NN� ere inventory shortage. ,y op all subsidized housinj, there is a severe Em posed StKajggiga For households experiencing homelessness, easy access and appropriate connections to crisis response housing makes unsheltered homelessness brief Immediate shelter beds that meet the needs of all different household types and situations must be provided. Connections with tailored services should be integrated throughout the shelter network. 19 The goal is as quickly as possible to place all households into peffnanent housing as quickly as possible; for households with low barriers to self-sufficiency) short graduated subsidies with short term support services is appropriate; for households with complex and/or multiple barriers, permanent supportive housing is necessary. "MUNI UVC 'LIK U 11sculurVILIUals art: IwCkX(I. IMI QNWIIPIC, ZIUUZU119 I JXKL you are housing"'. using the harm reduction model, has been demonstrated to save money and lives in numerous other communities. One of the most cost-effective ways to decrease homelessness and families who become homeless from entering the system N .,., 1 People Re-enteu systems of care, 81 lack of housing o people who have, households at JUT01 Ii! than 30% of their i households at 50% homelessness. the endless flow of individuals requests for homeless uderlyine: social causes .I�ationalre sear Windicates that any actually be resilient enough to resolve be prioritized for assistance. .frequently discharged from other ter care, into homelessness due to few emergency housing beds for homeless households. To support development of more affordable housing, =new dedicated funding is required. Supportive Services: Expanding connections with supportive incorporating these resources into housing stability plans. In add, net and skill-building is needed to help households retain hourm"" Affordable Housing Policies: Market t seem inclined to create additional units. creation of affordable hour anal per success with adopting policies that ally Once households are stabM, self-sufficiency that caused housing, subs) IN" n I is needed, including consistently increased focus on personal safety for individuals re-enteting the ically homeless individuals and 11, derly and aging homeless that mill need specific types of Berent' itions of successful insufficient and developers do not land use policies that incentivize Many communities have found htional housing to be built. )Using, the'v can address the issues or barriers to ction with individually tailored services and are essentiaL In addition, developing resiliency s, including prevention of further episodes of anti a o rdable housi 'whether m a- e affordable oortive housing, are likely to spur development. This laces the likelihood of future homelessness for at-risk Advocacy at the state and federal level increases the likelihood of the needed funding streams to implement this plan flowing into Yakima County. W EXPAND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Community understanding and support for addressing homelessness is essential for generating the leadership and resources to be successful. It is also important to promote new provider outreach and increase the availability of services in all areas of the County. In 2016, the location of shelter count participants on the night of the count shows the vast majority of individuals, over 85%, staying within the city of Yakima on the night of the count. This is largely determined by the allocation of housing services, and as would be expected changed very little; prior counts showed 83% and 86% in 2014 and 2015, respectively. ,Current Needs and Gaps Citizens: Recognize the need for coordinated homelessness with the broader community: so increased, leading to greater community su ... I 019 . Planning Integration: I success of other sectors, just beginning to be recta the update to this Plan is and political involvement to homeless response system, it k "b tors and systems of care that IMMM an important component of the !4ting and integrating strategies is � systems of care. The timing of planning efforts. )-mmunity service providers to offer housing ,k`cif service providers in the lower valleys. allow us to better serve homelessness in the by out elected officials and representatives from across the homelessness is required to make the policy changes I engaging our community is essential to creating the community In addition, ensuring that planning for homelessness and affordable housing are integrated with other planning efforts and the evolution of other services delivery will provide a -more cohesive and comprehensive response. By focusing efforts on these strategies and specific action steps that support them, we can make homelessness Brief and Rare. in vi. CONCLUSION Ending Homelessness Requires Commitment. Making homelessness Brief and Rare must be one of our community's top priorities. It will requite us to meld specific strategies to decrease homelessness and to implement broader policy changes to achieve an overall increase in affordable housing. INMEZEM�� E regaining h6fi§ihg and too Plan proposes strAte 'es to successful pro ttrams'i' W a a1 r, —1. countywide system of The Future of Homelessness Many social and governmental factors beyond the control of Yakima County community members contribute to the epidemic of homelessness: low minimum wage, declining job market, lack of affordable housing, and high housing and rental prices. Huge efforts will be needed to meet the needs of people who become homeless. However, with a clear plan to reduce homelessness, the community's investment of resources, and an unwavering commitment to our community members in crisis, we can be successful in making homelessness Brief and Rare. Im MEMORANDUM To: Yakima City Council From: Joan Davenport, Director of Community Development Sara Watkins, Senior Assistant City Attorney Date: September 27, 2016 Roundtable Discussion Subject: Status and Purpose of YVCOG 2017- 2022 Homeless Plan The Yakima Valley Conference of Governments recently released the preliminary working draft of the "Homelessness in Yakima County, 2017 — 2022 Homeless Plan ". This Plan is required because: (1) Yakima County must have an adopted plan to qualify to receive various Federal and State Homeless funds under the Continuum of Care program; and (2) Adoption of this 5 -year plan is also a requirement by the Yakima Valley Conference of Government Executive Committee in order to release dedicated funds available to the community and service agencies for provision of programs and services to support Homeless issues. As stated in the Preliminary draft, there is over $2.6 Million in funding available for homeless programs in Yakima. The drafting of this plan was conducted primarily by the staff at Yakima Valley Conference of Governments, with the assistance of a 20+ person stakeholders committee, referred to as the "Homeless Planning and Policy Council (HPPC)." The City of Yakima representative to the HPPC has been Joan Davenport, Community Development Director. Elected representatives are also welcome at this committee's meetings. At this time, the Preliminary Draft is still under review and has not been circulated for general public comment. The HPPC will meet on September 30'h to discuss edits and additions to the Plan. A tentative review schedule has been proposed as follows: Oct. 12: Last day for HPPC to return comments /questions of plan Oct. 17: YVCOG Executive Committee given plan for review (HPPC- approved) Oct. 19: Plan posted on YVCOG website for public comment Nov. 15: Public Comments due Dec. 13: HPPC meeting; discuss public comments Dec. 19: YVCOG Executive Committee accepts final plan from HPPC As noted above, the plan will not be adopted before late December 2016. Some components, like the Cold Weather Shelter program have already been approved for funding. However, access for new programs and spending is constrained until this Plan is adopted. Emergency program funds are also restricted at this time, under a policy decision by the Yakima Valley Conference of Governments Executive Committee. While staff is working on specific edits and suggestions to the text of the draft plan, City Council may also wish to send a letter with official comments directly to the YVCOG director. The attached draft letter for your consideration expresses concern and urgency to accomplish the task of completing a final plan, ready to be implemented. DRAFT LETTER September 30, 2016 To: Larry Mattson, Executive Director of the Yakima Valley Council of Governments From: Yakima City Council Subject: Preliminary Working Draft of the Homelessness in Yakima County, 2017 to 2022 Draft Plan The Yakima City Council appreciates the hard work by the Homeless Planning and Policy Council to develop the 5 -Year Plan to end Homelessness. Over the past few months we have become intimately familiar with the challenges and complexities of homelessness in our community. We thank the YVCOG for stepping up to help the City with the current crisis by agreeing to repay the loan made by the Yakima Health District for sanitary facilities at the current temporary encampment. We look forward to continuing the conversation on this very important issue that has come to the forefront this summer and needs a coordinated response that can be both long term and nimble enough to address emerging issues. The Yakima City Council also appreciates the need to address the history of the program (from the Human Services division of the County to the YVCOG) and general needs of the community. Coordination of services, reliance on partnerships, as well as outreach and engaging the community are all critical steps that must be included in the Plan. The Plan also, however, must provide a roadmap to how homeless clients will be served, and how agencies, organizations and other entities working with the homeless can apply for and receive money for programming and projects that will serve and reduce the homeless population in this area. In our opinion, this draft 5 -Year Plan lacks a direct and clear approach to "Operationalize the Plan," nor does it establish the process and priorities for funding programs through the Continuum of Care (CoC) funds. There are urgent needs in this community that are awaiting the direction and clarity from this Plan and YVCOG. Action steps must be described for the Plan to be an effective tool moving forward. Priorities of the plan must be clarified and clear metrics articulated that will assist in the award of funding, as well as monitoring requirements in the future to ensure that money is being well- spent. We believe that the Plan should centralize the Strategic Goals and develop Implementation Tasks to address the following: 1. Creating a Centralized Entry Program for intake and referrals, including outreach measures, that can be used both in an office setting and in the field; 2. Creating a system for coordinated and predictable funding for Homeless Programs through a Request for Proposal process on a known calendar, with emergency funding protocols and procedures described; 3. Developing additional shelter beds with access to services, using partnerships, outreach and community engagement; 4. Creating additional Rapid Re- Housing options to provide transition from being homeless to being housed; 5. Prioritizing services and housing for chronic homeless families and individuals; and 6. Preventing homelessness when possible. We recognize there is significant need in this community and developing a program to address this complex need is a daunting task. Thank you for your efforts. We urge you to move quickly and carefully to develop a plan that will leverage funds for distribution and begin service implementation as soon as possible. We look forward to continuing this conversation and working with YVCOG in the future. Sincerely, CITY OF YAKIMA LEGAL DEPARTMENT 200 South T1urd Street Yakima, Washuigton %Rn MEMORANDUM September 21, 2016 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Cliff Moore, City Manager FROM: Sara Watkins, Senior Assistant City Attorney SUBJECT: Encampment timeline and attached calendars Honorable Mayor and City Council, (509)575 -RM Fax (509)575 -6160 This memo outlines the encampment closure timeline and also provides some things to think about as the winter progresses and the winter warming shelters set to close. It will likely be necessary to continue our conversation on services to the homeless throughout the winter months and work with local organizations to foster partnerships and determine how to best meet the needs of the homeless, as a community. 1. Closure of the encampment November is the proposed close date for the encampment located on South Street and East Walnut Avenue. It is believed that on November the winter warming shelters will be operational and there will be opportunities for homeless individuals to go to nearby churches for overnight shelter and evening meals. As such, it is necessary to start thinking about how the City is going to wind up the encampment and clean up the parking lot once the homeless individuals are transitioned to the winter warming shelters. The following timeline is proposed for closing the encampment on November , with clean -up starting on November : The encampment is operating by the permission of the Council, and, therefore, that permission and the permitted use of the parking lot as an encampment needs to be revoked so that it is clear that no one has permission to camp on the property after its closure. Memorandum to Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council September 21, 2016 Page 2 Legal staff will bring to Council a resolution that proposes to revoke the permitted use of the parking lot as a homeless encampment, for your discussion and determination regarding approval on October 18, 2016. If that resolution is approved by Council, City staff will provide notice to the encampment, by affixing notice on each tent and /or providing notice in person, indicating the day on which the encampment will be closed. During the time from the resolution and the ultimate closure date, the City is hoping to get service providers and outreach teams to the encampment to help those who are still camping to get into available services and /or shelter. It may be that staff can rely upon Yakima Neighborhood Health Services (YNHS) to do this work, and /or, staff may wish to contact additional providers to schedule time for outreach to the homeless individuals as well. There may be options for homeless individuals that are more permanent than the winter warming shelters. Ten days before the camp closes, on or about November , the City will provide a 10 day notice to those still in the camp that the camp is going to close. On November an additional 3 day notice will be provided serving as final notice to those still in the camp that the camp is closing. After the camp closes, and as soon as practical, the City will coordinate clean -up of the site including possible storage of personal items such as glasses, medication, identification, and other things of value if such things are left behind by those who formerly used the encampment. Storage locations will be provided so that the individuals can reclaim their property if it is left behind. Services will be removed the day after the camp is closed. Enclosed please find a calendar for October and November, 2016, outlining the procedure and timeline for closure of the camp, assuming that the final date of operation is November 15, 2016. 2. Continuing the conversation Throughout the winter months council members may wish to evaluate how to increase services on a community -wide basis, perhaps through expanding its relationships with the private and non - profit sector, to try to take a more team -based approach to aiding homeless individuals. Rather than the city providing resources, staff, facilities and place, working with other community members and groups could provide a more stable situation with community backing and support. For example, in many cities, encampments are only allowed on faith -based organizations' properties (leased or owned) pursuant to the state statute. As such, Memorandum to Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council September 21, 2016 Page 3 faith -based organizations step up to provide the place for the encampment. Other organizations then can volunteer meals, water and help pay for facilities and security. Outreach providers can be organized to visit the camp and provide services. These cities outline the basic rules and regulations for such encampments in ordinances that allow homeless encampments in these limited circumstances, in compliance with state law. This could be an approach the city takes, and if it wishes to do so, having a conversation with the faith -based organizations could be a first step in deciding if this approach will work. Other collaborative efforts could be taken during the winter season to have a plan in place for next spring so that homeless individuals will be able to find housing more effectively. Working with the providers who have housing and shelter space available, and coordinating responses for the City's public safety and codes divisions to use in the field, could help homeless individuals find housing more quickly. The City's police, fire, and code enforcement officers may come across homeless individuals daily. Having specific information and the ability to make a telephone call to get a homeless individual the help they need could help get people into housing. There are also a number of groups seeking to add low- income housing, or housing for the homeless in the City. Collaborating with these groups to increase the low- income housing stock, as well as providing support both in writing for grants, but also publicly in newsletters and other publications, could bring more awareness to the housing stock and rental market status in Yakima. More community awareness could bring more donors to non - profits' projects to add low- income housing and housing for the homeless. Finally, the City should objectively evaluate its response to the homeless encampment on East Chestnut, the movement of the camp to the parking lot at East Walnut and , and its coordination and facilitation of the encampment once it was moved onto City property. What did the City do well? What could it have done better? For the things that could have gone better, how could the City make things go better in the future if it is put in a similar situation? Having a conversation about what happened this summer will help prepare the City for future similar situations if they occur. City staff looks forward to working on these complex issues throughout the next few months with the City Council. October 2016: Encampment Closure Plan -4 2016 October 2016 , Sun Mon - Wed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 City Council Meeting Start contacting outreach Revoke Permission to Service providers to Use Parking Lot, effective Contact those still at the November 16, 2016 Encampment. 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Notice to those Remaining in the Encampment that the Camp's last day is Nov. 15th 30 31 More Calendars with US Holidays: 2016, 2016, PDF Calendar November 2016: Encampment closure plan -4 2016 November , Sun Mon - Wed 1 2 3 4 5 10 day notice of camp Closure served on Remaining people 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Follow up with service 3 Day notice of camp Providers? Closure served on Post notice of winter Remaining people stating Shelter information That the camp will be Closed Nov. 16th 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Last day of camp Camp closed Personal property left Send personnel out to Facilities removed Behind is transported Remind people in Clean up begins To storage area Person if necessary Signage placed on fence Indicating storage location 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Notes: Duirng this process if the number of users declines the City could start removing some portable toilets or one of the dumpsters. More Calendars with US Holidays: 2016, 2017, PDF Calendar ..... . . . ................................................ From: Watkins, Sara Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2016 11 -01 AM To: Moore, Cliff, Cutter, Jeff, Davenport, Joan Cc: Caruso, Joe Subject: Homeless: PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY CLIENT COMMUNICATION ffiRfl 1101 1111 ]riiilii� flici i press that could come up with regards to busing homeless people out of town. k7LE �Wsz= I !!! II 1I1I111 I I �iiiiii��ilill 11 I'll, 9 1 ii I & i�� M=111 1. w # $, 1 A Im Moore, Cliff . .................................. .............. ... ............. ................... ......... ..... .. . .......... .. ..................................................................................................................................................... . .......................... Fro`' ;s Watkins, Sara Sent: Monday, September 19, 2016 12:03 PM To: Moore, Cliff, Davenport, Joan; Cutter, Jeff Subject: FW- Justice Housing Project request: PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY CLIENT COMMUNICATION Dear Cliff, Here is the email I previously sent regarding City fees and the proposal from the Justice Housing folks. Sincerely, Sr. Assistant City Attorney City of Yakima so I ........... . . .......... Frorm Watkins, Sara Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2016 2:07 PM To: Cutter, Jeff, Davenport, loan Subject: RE: Justice Housing Project request: PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY CLIENT COMMUNICATION ill 11 ffll� 12 almtlg�l =-I I (509) 575-6030 Fax: (509) 575-6160 From: Davenport, Joan To* Watkins, Sara, Cutter, Jeff