Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10041994 - IO.3 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS5....• o O. -;'3 A ontra FROM: INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE �► Costa x� `•�•-�� ,�z September 26, 1994 County ��"`~' T� DATE: r�r••.... �� SUBJECT: DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE, INTEGRATED PLAN FOR ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATIONS)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. ENDORSE the attached framework for the preparation of a comprehensive, integrated plan for addressing homelessness in Contra Costa;� County. 2 . ASSIGN to the County Administrator the responsibility to coordinate- • all County Departments that have a role in addressing the problems of homelessness and the cure of the underlying causes of homelessness, • all advisory committees which have a role or interest in addressing the problems of homelessness, • all service providers in the community who provide services to the homeless, and • other appropriate government jurisdictions, including the cities in Contra Costa County and the Mayors ' Conference in the preparation of the comprehensive, integrated plan for addressing the problem of homelessness in Contra Costa County, as is outlined in the attached repp.rt. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: _YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF NTY MI STR OR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE E , SIGNATURES ACTION OF BOARD ON APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT „y- ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED 0 ,g4 :ontact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF IC: See Page 3 SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY DEPUTY A I .O.-3 3. REQUEST the:; County Administrator to report to the Internal Operations Committee on October 31, 1994 on: • the cost of at least one full-time equivalent staff member '>;to coordinate, .under the direction of the County Administrator, the preparation of a comprehensive, integrated plan for addressing the problem of homelessness in Contra Costa County, • a source of funding for such a position, • a process by which the County can recruit an appropriate individual for this task as soon as possible, • the possible composition of a Task Force representing all involved County Departments, advisory groups and service providers concerned with homelessness in the County which can serve as a coordinating or steering committee to oversee the entire preparation of the plan. BACKGROUND: On June 28, 1994, 'the Board of Supervisors asked the Public Health Director, Dr. Wendel Brunner, to take the lead on working with other involved departments to try to design a more comprehensive approach to homelessness . In particular, the Board asked that Dr. Brunner develop a "medical model" approach to homelessness which recognized that i'being homeless is a symptom of one or more different problems which cause or at least contribute to the symptom of being homeless. Treating the symptom by simply admitting an individual to a homeless shelter often does not address the underlying problem that has caused the individual to be homeless . Unlessthat underlying cause is treated, the symptom of homelessness is likely to reoccur. This issue was referred to the Internal Operations Committee and Dr. Brunner was asked to report to our Committeewith the framework for an integrated plan for addressing homelessness in the County. On September 26, 11994, our Committee met with Dr. Brunner and a wide variety of ', County staff, service providers and advisory committee representatives, all of whom are concerned with addressing the problem of homelessness in Contra Costa County in a comprehensive and integrated manner. Dr. Brunner reviewed the attached report with our Committee. The report provides the framework for the preparation of a comprehensive, integrated plan for addressing homelessness, with a target date of June 30, 1995 for the completion of the plan. The report: ❑ describes why an integrated plan should be developed, ❑ suggests some of the goals of the plan, ❑ begins to define who the homeless are, ❑ describes how homelessness is presently being addressed in the County, ❑ identifies some of the gaps in services, ❑ notes the variety of government and non-profit agencies and other concerned groups that are involved, ❑ identifies some of the strengths on which the plan can be built, ❑ outlines thesteps that need to be taken, ❑ suggests some of the areas which need to be addressed by the plan, ❑ outlines the';process which should be followed to develop the plan, 2 I .O. -3 ❑ suggests the need for adequate staff resources and for clear authority to be vested in one agency in order to properly prepare the plan. We heartily agree with the direction this plan is taking. There is a clear need to provide a single point of responsibility to insure that the necessary coordination takes place. As was noted at our meeting, we have'' all of the right people involved, but there are too many committees working on the problem and services are too fragmented. We believes that it is a sound investment of our limited resources to fund the equivalent of one full-time staff person to work with all of the County Departments, advisory groups and service providers in the community in preparing this comprehensive, integrated plan. '; If the plan works as we anticipate, there should be long-term savings from the implementation of the plan which will make the initial `up-front investment worthwhile. We want .to insure4, that we do not try to "reinvent the wheel" in the preparation of this plan. We believe that this community has all of the necessary knowledge, commitment, dedication and expertise to prepare and implement the type of plan we envision. What is needed is central direction and coordination to pull together all of the disparate groups , and individuals into a cohesive, unified task force which can agree on what needs to be done and how it should be accomplished. We believe that by having the County Administrator bring together the involved County Departments, service providers and using as the core the Homeless Advisory Committee, it will be possible to accomplish what clearly needs to be done, as is outlined in the attached report. We also believe that it is critically important to involve the cities and their police departments since the majority of people in the County live "in cities and since the majority of incidents involving the homeless occur within cities . We also believe that it is important to take note of and involve the "semi-homeless" who may be living in ', severely overcrowded conditions, may be staying with friends or family temporarily or may be on the verge of being evicted and becoming homeless . . One suggestion made was the possibility of one or more "drop-in" centers, which might even be set up in a mobile van, as the Health Services Department has done with portable medical clinics . Doctors, nurses'.' mental health workers, alcohol and drug counselors, eligibility workers, food, showers and other resources might be made available in the same mobile van which could move from one area of the County to another. We will make a further report to the Board of Supervisors following our October 31, 11994 meeting. cc: County Administrator Chief Assistant County Administrator Health Services Director Public Health Director Mental Health Director Substance Abuse Program Administrator Social Services Director Executive Director, Housing Authority Community Services Director Executive Director, Private Industry Council ' Veterans Service Officer Community Development Director Deputy Redevelopment Director Executive Director, Shelter, Inc. Members, Homeless Advisory Committee (Via CAO) 3 S L Contra Costa County Health Services Department •; ;y PUBLIC HEALTH DIVISION Administrative Offices p 597 Center Avenue Suite 200 Martinez,California 94553 Sr4 (df6 TO: Internal Operations Committee Supervisor Jeff Smith Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier FROM: Wendel Brunner, M.D Assistant Health Services Director, Public Health DATE: September 23, 1994 SUBJECT: FRAMEWORK FOR INTEGRATED HOMELESS PLAN The attached document describes a framework for developing a integrated plan to address homelessness in Contra Costa County. Although this report has been prepared at the request of the Board of Supervisors, there are a number of additional factors which make it especially timely: ♦ The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Community Development and Planning (CPD) today begins the implementation of its new Consolidated Plan with a week-long training session. The new plan, required for Contra Costa County to receive federal funds for a number of formula grants (CDBG, HOME, HOPWA, and ESG), focuses on integrated services. ♦ HUD is also working both to double funding for and reorganize McKinney Act programs to provide more local flexibility and address the special needs of our local homeless population through a continuum of care strategy. This restructuring will bring together previously fragmented funds to address homelessness in unified manner. In order to be eligible to receive funding for FY 95, we must have a integrated plan to address homelessness in our county. Many other Bay Area counties developed these plans as long ago as 1987. ♦ Today HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros is in San Francisco to announce special funding for a Bay Area Homeless Initiative which will develop a regional strategy for addressing gaps in the current network of services for the homeless. Contra Costa County will be an active participant in this initiative. Establishing a plan and funding priorities will provide integrated direction for the county's involvement. ♦ Social, economic and public health implications, including increased tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS among the homeless population, make the need to cross categorical kj program lines and address homelessness in an effective way, a priority for all Contra Costa residents. This document describes additional reasons for developing such a plan, a recommended methodology and an outline for what would be included in the plan. Underlying this repor(lis the assumption that while the County has made significant strides in attracting funding for various components of a program to address homelessness, these efforts are somewhat hindered by fragmentation that exists in County programs, in categorical funding, and between public and private sector activities. There is no adequate and long-term strategy,!for developing;programs or monitoring resources and no central responsibility for directing an integrated program. Laudatory progress has been made in developing a model for a continuum of care, but now the same thorough approach must be applied to the continued planning, development, coordination, implementation and funding of services for the homeless. There is currently a sense of frustration about the existing structure, the outcomes it produces, and the substantial gaps that exist. It is hoped that the development of a more integrated homeless plan will address those problems while at the same time establishing a working partnership among County Departments, City governments, service providers, community organizations, and the community. In order to implement ;this process, the Board of Supervisors should commit the resources necessary to bring together all of the players to create a meaningful plan and provide clear Inter-departmental authority to obtain the cooperation and information needed. With those requirements met, I feel confident that a integrated homeless plan can be developed and a local decision making process can be established by June 30, 1995. WB:jf:ah cc: Mark Finucane, Health Services Director FRAMEWORK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT 4. OF AN INTEGRATED PLAN FOR DELIVERING HOMELESS SERVICES IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY September 1994 FRAMEWORK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED PLAN FOR DELIVERING HOMELESS SERVICES IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY September 1994 I. Why Develop A Integrated Homeless Plan? This document describes a framework for developing a integrated plan to address homelessness in Contra Costa County. The process will create a document which will build on existing planning efforts, such as the Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS), developed for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to qualify for grant funds. The integrated homeless plan which will be created by the process described here will go much further than the CHAS, bringing together all elements of the County's service delivery to the homeless to create an integrated system. It will also create a decision making process involving all segments of the community and establish a consensus among them about how best to address homelessness in the County. There are a number of factors which make it particularly timely to create such a plan for the county now: ♦ At least for the federally funded McKinney programs, there is a significant shift from the federal level to local areas related to the control of funds. In the past, program development was driven by the fragmented availability of those funds. With the shift, there is an opportunity on a local level to bring more rationality to the process of allocating funds. In order for Contra Costa County to qualify for the maximum amount of those funds, the County must have developed a comprehensive plan to address homelessness. This is especially important since there may be as much as twice as much funding available within the next year as exists now. ♦ If the County fails to develop such a plan within the next six to nine months, it will not only lose the opportunity to create a more integrated approach and expand existing programs, but it could compromise existing efforts as the County is forced to get in line behind other, better prepared applicants who have had some form of comprehensive plans for more than five years. ♦ The establishment of an advisory board to assist in developing a comprehensive homeless plan and the process used to obtain input into the plan will fulfill HUD requirements to establish a Local Board. ♦ While it is difficult to quantify whether the actual size of the homeless population is growing, providers are becoming increasingly frustrated with their inability to have a meaningful impact on decreasing the numbers, despite the resources available to address the problem. The chronic nature of homelessness is now becoming an established fact. Framework for Development of Integrated Plan for Homeless Services Page 2 ♦ Because of the growing incidence of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and other communicable disease among the homeless population, the public health implications are significant. Without a integrated plan that considers the health of the County, these problems could increase. For this reason and others, homelessness should also be considered a public health issue. ♦ With more experience, providers have come to understand that the problems facing the homeless are complex and cross the categorical borders which characterize the funding sources, and therefore the County's delivery system. To effectively address and reduce the problem, an integrated approach needs to be created. This approach would be consistent with strategies used to address such problems as infant mortality and violence in'the County. ♦ Key to developing this strategy, and consistent with the direction of federal and state funding agencies, the process of developing a plan will forge a formal partnership between government, cities, business, service providers, community organizations, homeless individuals and families, homeless advocates, and the community. The basis for this comprehensive collaboration has already begun with the establishment of the Homeless Advisory Committee (HAC), the Association of Homeless and Housing Service Providers, and the ProActive Community Team (PACT). ♦ The public input process will operate to create a consensus about the direction of homeless services and what Contra Costa's priorities should be. ♦ Without a comprehensive approach, it is difficult to identify the gaps which continue to exist in service delivery, to establish priorities and to plan a coherent approach to 11 obtaining funding to address them. ♦ Evaluation of individual services components will address how each one can be strengthened and how each can be structured to complement the other. II. What Would the; Goals of the Plan Be? There are a number ofd outcomes which could be achieved by developing a integrated homeless plan: ♦ Increased clarity about the scope of the homeless problem and the roles of the existing structure of services in the County. ♦ Identification of gaps in service and priorities for addressing them. ♦ Opportunity for',elected officials and the community to examine what is already being done to addres&1the problem and to build consensus. ♦ Recommendations for the most appropriate structure to achieve an integrated and effective homeless delivery system. Framework for Development of Integrated Plan for Homeless Services Page 3 ♦ Recommendations about how to strengthen individual components and how to cross categorical funding and program barriers to maximize funding and effectiveness. ♦ Position the County to meet the HUD requirements for McKinney funding. III. Who are the Homeless? Although defining the homeless population is beyond the scope of this report, it is appropriate here to provide a brief summary of how the population has changed and what problems exist in trying to define the scope of the problem. The integrated plan will attempt to define the population more quantitatively. ♦ Various estimates of the size of the homeless population exist, ranging from the County's Department of Social Service count of 3,350 families receiving AFDC Homeless Assistance Program funds to other data which implies that the number of homeless are much higher. ♦ The largest population of known homeless in the County are one or two parent families with children, a number as high as 1,900. ♦ The second largest group are single men (18%) and single women (8%). ♦ The population is changing. Today the elderly, women with children and families are a significant part of the homeless population. Runaway youth are estimated to be 10% 11 of the population. These figures suggest that the kinds of services needed are also changing. ♦ Providers who deal with the homeless recognize their needs are complex and compelling. Homelessness is not caused merely by a lack of shelter, but involves a variety of underlying other social, physical and economic needs, resulting in a pressing need for an interlinked and integrated service delivery system. ♦ Recent studies in the Bay Area indicate 35% of homeless men and 27% of women show evidence of TB infection, the same rate as in underdeveloped countries. Some studies indicate that as many as ten percent of homeless men and 4% of homeless women are infected with HIV. ♦ Experts estimate the number of homeless with mental health or substance abuse problems could be as high as 70%, indicating that simply finding housing or employment is only a part of solving the problem. ♦ Defining homelessness often presents a problem, because it can include not only those already living on the street, but those doubling up with relatives and friends and those at risk for becoming homeless. Framework for Development of Integrated Plan for Homeless Services Page 4 IV. How is Homelessness Currently Being Addressed? Contra Costa County has risen to the challenge of providing shelter, food and other services to the homeless in a variety of ways. A number of attachments to this report describe a continuum of services, from information and referral, food and emergency shelter to affordable housing, available through not-for-profit organizations as well as the County and other public agencies. The County's integrated plan for addressing homelessness should include a thorough inventory, designed to identify the gaps as well as any duplication of efforts. Here are some,highlights: ♦ The Contra Costa County Comprehensive Affordability Strategy (CHAS), published in December 1993, inventories facilities and services for the homeless and persons threatened with]homelessness. According to the CHAS, there are 16 facilities providing nearly 500 shelter beds throughout the county. ♦ There are also 17 transitional housing programs, providing 400 beds and 11 facilities which provide 1160 beds for the homeless and special needs population such as the disabled, battered women and recovered substance abusers. ♦ Federal, state, and local funds provided to the Contra Costa County Housing Authority to address homelessness were approximately $1.3 million for FY 93/94. An additional $175,000 million in federal funds are also provided to the Health Services Department for the Health Care for the Homeless Project. Other County Departments and agencies which receive homeless funds include Community Development, Social Services, Community Services, Veterans Services as well as the Office of Education. ♦ The federally fiinded Health Care for the Homeless program had 4,700 patient contacts in its second year, up from 3,500 the first year. ♦ Several non-profit organizations in the County have also received substantial funding to addressing homelessness; last December, Rubicon Programs and Shelter, Inc. were awarded over $7 million dollars in funding for two new supportive housing programs. ♦ Some cities are or have been involved in homelessness. V. What Are the Gaps? Despite inadequate funding, Contra Costa has made significant efforts to address homelessness. These efforts have been adversely impacted by a loss of revenue, a shift in state taxes away from counties, mandates that have been implemented without adequate funding and a lack of county discretion over program initiatives. For these and other reasons, a number of gaps exist in serving the homeless. Although a complete description of the gaps which exist in'.addressing the homeless problem will be part of the integrated plan task, there are some known ones. 5 F)�amework for Development of Integrated Plan for Homeless Services Page 5 ♦ Lack of designated responsibility for coordinating the funding and programs which fall under the umbrella of the County. ♦ Need for improved program coordination, between County departments and among service providers, resulting in individual programs with separate, multiple funding streams. ♦ Because there is no integrated homeless plan and funding availability has dictated much program development, service delivery does not necessarily address some of the most pressing priorities and needs. ♦ There is insufficient Section 8 housing to provide permanent shelter to homeless people and others. ♦ There are insufficient funds to provide appropriate affordable housing such as single room occupancy. ♦ There are insufficient emergency shelter beds and insufficient funding for emergency motel vouchers.` But even more telling is the lack of drop-in shelter where a homeless person can obtain a bed in a crisis situation without other services. ♦ There are insufficient multi-service centers for general use to provide a range of services from showers, mail pick-up, social service and information and referral under one roof. This need is particularly critical for a population which has no transportation and significant other access barriers. ♦ There are insufficient shelter beds for families, youth, women with children, and the elderly. ♦ Transportation, especially in East County, is inadequate to bring some homeless people to services which would meet their needs. ♦ A larger portion of the homeless population is not accessing services for reasons which are not fully known, but which include lack of transportation and inadequate information. ♦ Because of the multiple and complex needs of the population, there is a greater need for increased outreach, assessment, crisis intervention, and case management. i ♦ Mental health services and substance abuse services are insufficient. County residents sometimes must leave Contra Costa to access detox services. Although the process of developing an integrated plan must examine gaps in delivering services, it is also important to recognize in advance that there will be insufficient resources to address all the gaps, even with additional federal funding. Priorities must be established during the development of the plan. Framework for Development of Integrated Plan for Homeless Services Pae 6 VI. Who is Involved? Addressing the problem of the homeless population in Contra Costa County has created an impressive level of cooperation among County agencies and nonprofit organizations. Some, but certainly not all, of them are listed below. Yet despite the involvement of a large number of public and private service providers, there is no central authority within the county for coordinating and guiding the resources. County: Housing Authority; Community Development; Social Services; Health Services, Veterans Services, Community Services, Office of Education, the Homeless Management Team (HMT); the HMT Operations Committee, General Services. Collaboration: The Homeless Advisory Committee (HAC); ProActive Community Team (PACT); Contractors Alliance, Association of Homeless and Housing Service Providers; Contra Costa,County Interfaith Coalition (CCIC); Greater Richmond Interfaith Coalition (GRIP); Loaves & Fishes; Interfaith Ministerial Alliance of Pittsburg. Nonprofits: Rubicon Programs; Shelter, Inc.; Battered Women's Alternatives; Phoenix Programs; Richmond Rescue Mission; Love-A-Child, Pittsburg Preschool Coordinating Council; CC Food Bank; Cambridge Community Center. Cities: Some cities are providing or have provided homeless services or funding. These groups and others, as well as homeless individuals and families and homeless advocates will be encouraged to participate in the development of the integrated plan and to become members of the advisory board. Additional groups, including the business sector and city officials, will !be brought into greater participation. VII. What Are Our Strengths? Despite the continued problem and the need to develop a more coordinated approach, Contra Costa County has a number of strengths on which this integrated plan can build: ♦ The very compelling need of the homeless population has fostered informal collaboration and formal partnership efforts between the County and private providers that are unprecedented. These relationships can be used to development a more formal structure and create the integrated plan. ♦ County and community staff working to address the homeless problem have shown a high level of creativity and flexibility in designing strategies for service delivery which can be expanded upon and incorporated into the integrated plan. ♦ Both the private; sector and the County have been extremely effective in the past year in developing innovative programs and new sources of funding for the homeless program. Fiamework for Development of Integrated Plan for Homeless Services Page 7 ♦ The Community Development Department's development of the CHAS can serve both as a model and a foundation for crafting this integrated plan. VIII. What Process Will Be Used to Create the Plan? To create an integrated delivery system, improve collaboration among providers, maximize resources, and identify the gaps in service the following steps are recommended: ♦ Conduct a comprehensive examination and assessment of the current resources and service delivery system. ♦ Review existing, plans describing strategies for addressing homelessness in the County. ♦ Examine and develop strategies and models for `replacing fragmented, categorical programs with an integrated delivery system. ♦ Create a decision making process, including establishing a Local Advisory Board to make funding recommendations, monitor and evaluate the implementation of services and fiscal goalsof the integrated plan. ♦ Develop a process for obtaining input and comments about the plan from homeless individuals and families, service providers and other segments of the community. ♦ Draft and adopt a integrated plan. ♦ Create a community input process to comment on the plan. It is assumed that enhanced cooperation and coordination between County agencies would be accomplished as a part';of this process even in advance of the formal adoption of a final integrated plan. IX. What Would the Plan Include? Although the final draft of the integrated plan would reflect the planning process which is developed, the following areas are proposed as sections to be addressed: • Who are the homeless? • Why are,they homeless? • Definition and Estimated Number of Homelessness • Impact of the Homelessness on Contra Costa County • Public Response to Homelessness • Evolution of Homeless Services in the County • Inventory of Existing Resources • Description of Players/Providers • Identification of Who Isn't Involved • Unique Strengths of Contra Costa • Identification of Gaps in Service and other Needs Framework for Development of Integrated Plan for Homeless Services Page 8 • Barriers! to Providing Services • Mission, Statement • Recommendations • Funding;Strategies (Priorities, Needs, Sources, Criteria) • Strategies for Maximizing Resources X. How Will The Plan be Developed? The following process is tentatively recommended for developing the plan: ♦ The Board of Supervisors determine which agency should be responsible for overseeing the development of the plan and for temporarily coordinating resources. This is important because the development of the plan not only creates a document but also establishes a process for partnership and collaboration. 4' ♦ The Board of Supervisors allocate resources for developing the plan. ♦ A time frame, consistent with HUD requirements, is established. ♦ Groups/individuals which need to be involved in providing input are identified. ♦ An advisory board (Local Board), consistent with HUD requirements, is convened to assist in developing input to the plan (forums, questionnaires, interviews) and what the content of the plan will be. ♦ Various models,I of service delivery are reviewed. ♦ Interim reports;,to the Board on the status of the plan development are provided. The final plan is adopted, including a plan of action with clear priorities, and a restructuring of',the way in which service delivery is directed. XI. What Barriers Are Anticipated? Coordinating the existing information about resources and programs both within the county and in the nonprofit sector, obtaining community input, establishing a permanent planning body and drafting a integrated plan will be a considerable undertaking, but the two biggest barriers anticipated are the need for adequate staff to develop this collaborative process and draft the plan in partnership with the community and the need for clear authority vested in one agency to promotecollaboration among County agencies. This plan cannot become a truly integrated document and the tool for developing the collaboration required by funding sources without adequate authority and resources to move forward.