HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 12042001 - C.164 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Contra
FROM: William Walker,M.D.,Health Services Director - -s Costa
C
DATE: December 4,2001 ^ �/�Unty
SUBJECT: Adoption of the Homeless Continuum of Care Advisory Board's Five-Year Homeless Plan
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Adopt the Homeless Continuum of Care Five-Year Strategic Plan 2001-2006. _
FISCAL IMPACT:
No County funds are required. The Homeless Continuum of Care 5-year strategic plan is the planning
tool in which homeless services are developed for Contra Costa individuals,youths,and families. It also
sets the framework for funding priorities within the County's continuum of services for the homeless
population.
BACKGROUND:
In July 1996, Contra Costa County adopted its first Five-Yeas Strategic Plan to address the increasing
phenomenon of homelessness. During the past eleven months, the Homeless Continuum of Care
Advisory Board has worked diligently to develop a comprehensive plan to lead the County into the next
five years. Development included conducting five community meetings in each one of the Supervisorial
Districts to garner input from community members concerning homeless issues and solutions. As a
result of the Community Meetings and many hours of work by the Homeless Continuum of Care Advisory
Board's Five Year Plan Committee, a comprehensive plan to address the needs of the homeless in
Contra Costa County was produced. The Five-Year Plan is consistent with the requirements of the
Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide continued funding for Contra Costa County's
Consolidated Application recipients. Each year, this HUD funding brings millions of dollars to Contra
Costa that enables us to provide services to our homeless citizens.
ATTACHMENT: SIGNATURE: i
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMEND O OARD COMMITTEE
✓APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S): �1 [1
ACTION OF BOAR O .IJPC'C�aY1)2y- � _ 3-,-Zg APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTMER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE I
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT O- A-P.i) 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.
Contact Person_ Keith Bussey 5-6574
CC: Health Services Administration
Health Services Contracts and Grants
Health Services Homeless Program L
ATTESTEDo+-
JO N SWEETEN,CLERK OFTAE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ADMINISTRATOR
BY ,DEPUTY
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
HOMELESS
CONTINUUM OF CARE
PLAN
July 1, 2001 — June 30, 2006
A Five-Year Strategic Plan
For Preventing & Reducing Homelessness
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................i
Executive Summary .......................................................................................... ....ii
................
I. Introduction......................................................................................................................... 1
ThePlanning Process.................................................................................................. 1
GuidingPrinciples.......................................................................................................2
Previous County Planning Efforts...............................................................................4
Compliance with HUD Planning Requirements.......................................................... 5
If. Homelessness In Contra Costa County..........................................................................G
Dataon Homelessness......................................................................................... 9
Statementof Need.............................................................................................. 23
III. Recommendations.........................................................................................................35
Employment, Assels &Incomes...........................................................................40
Outreach & Health Set-vices.............................................................................. 51
SupportServices.........................................................................................................61
Housing& Prevention...............................................................................................71
Administration, Coordination, Funding....................................................................81
I.V. Summary Charts of flan Action Steps ............................................................... 94
Acknowledgments
The 2001-2006 Contra Costa Continuum of Care Homeless Plan was developed through
a community-based planning process coordinated by the Contra Costa County Homeless
Continuum of Care Advisory Board(CoCB). Staff support was provided by the County
Office of Homeless Programs(COHP).
The Homeless Plan would not have been possible without the dedication of those who
participated on the CoCB and the staff of the COHP.
Homeless Continuum of Care Advisory Board
• Jennifer Baha, Shelter, Inc. • Mary Lou Laubscher
• Sharon Bernhus, St. Vincent de Paul • Lloyd Madden,County Employment&
• Janet Bruce, GRIP Human Services
• Tom Conrad,CC Interfaith Trans. • Ginger Marsh, Citizen
• Dean Coons, Citizen • Megan Monahan, Shelter, Inc.
• Nesbit Crutchfield, Phoenix Programs • Michael Shimansky
• George Evans,Crisis Center • Michael Starks, Association of Homeless&
• Kathleen Hamm, County Community Housing Service Providers and St. Vincent
Development Department de Paul
• Benita Harris, Rubicon Programs • Theresa Talley-Wilkerson, City of
• Paul Helier, City of Antioch Richmond
• Teri House, City of Concord • Bobbi Vann, Deliverance House
• Kathy Lafferty, Cambridge Community • Gwen Watson, Alliance for the Mentally Ill
Center
Contra Costa Office of Homeless Programs
• Cynthia Belon • Lavonna Martin
• Keith Bussey • Trish Cargile
Their generous commitment of time and expertise over the past year is greatly
appreciated. In addition,special thanks is given to all those who participated in
community and subcommittee meetings that provided essential input to guide the
development of the recommendations made in the 2001-2006 Contra Costa Continuum of
Care Homeless Plan. This includes the many citizens who attended the community
meetings, the housing and service providers who attended the Five-year Planning
Subcommittee meetings,and most especially, the clients who attended the community
meetings and shared their first-hand observations and experiences about what is needed .
to prevent and reduce homelessness.
HomeBase,a legal and technical services provider on homelessness concerns conducted
the planning process and drafted this document. Thanks to Martha Fleetwood,Tony
Gardner, Lynn Nesselbush, David Pilotti, Jessica Flintoft, and Joy Jaeger.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan I
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY -
The Contra Costa Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 2001-2006 lays out a
comprehensive, strategic response to homelessness—a strategy developed in
collaboration with the entire community. This plan seeks to improve and expand
efficient programs in homeless services of all types,creating a single, unified system of
care free from unnecessary duplication. This document is an update of the first county-
wide Continuum of Care Homeless Plan,which was adopted in 1996. Many of the
developments envisioned here are built on the solid foundation of that document.
A comprehensive review and update of the county homeless service system has
revealed three important developments in the local Continuum of Care.: The first
development is the rapid rise in rental values. According to a January 2001 HUD report
on housing fair market rents, the price of a two-bedroom apartment in Contra Costa
County is $1,155 per month. The local FMR has been on the rise for the past five years,
with the latest figures showing a 25% increase above what they were in 1999.
The second development has been the record low level of unemployment due to a
rapid increase in the number of low-paying jobs. According to the state's Employment
Development Department, unemployment in the county is as low as 2.5%. Many of the
new job opportunities are in the service and retail sectors—jobs that usually pay little
more than the minimum wage. As a result, homeless people can find work but are still
barred from the local housing market.
The final development concerns the number of homeless people in the county.
On any given night, as many as 4,828 people were homeless; as reported in the 2001
Contra Costa County Continuum of Care Application. The county's Health Services
Department, which keeps records on client's housing status, reported 14,757 incidents of
homelessness over the last year among health service clients alone.
One of the major tasks of this Plan is to document and explain the important new
features of the Continuum of Care in the four areas of homeless response—employment,
housing, health, and supportive services. Because self-sufficiency must be the crux of
a feasible response to homelessness,the Plan emphasizes new provisions for employment
opportunities and income supports for homeless people. The hope is that the services of
the Continuum of Care will enable many homeless people to afford housing and retain
employment.
The section on employment and incomes focuses on expanding programs that
enable people to address issues that have prevented them from maintaining employment.
Regional multi-service centers will be staffed to provide employment services. There are
recommendations for exploring connections with employers, for services helping people
learn on-the-job, and for removing barriers that often keep people from being successful
employees. Also included here are recommendations to help homeless people access
income supports that can supplement incomes.
A major focus of the Plan is the aid that can be given to help homeless people
avoid health crises. Without support, homelessness alone may be too much for many
people to overcome, but homelessness coupled with an illness or a chemical addiction
can be truly insurmountable. The recommendations on health programs address the need
to expand the accessibility of existing services to help people avoid the threat of illness.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan ii
This includes expanding the number of mental health professionals and combining the
regional mental health clinics with the regional inulti-service centers. This section also
calls for greater access to drug and alcohol treatment programs for people within the
homeless service system. In addition, new efforts must be made to alleviate the
conditions that lead to a high incidence of disease and infestation among homeless
people.
This Plan details a strategy to use all existing services as they were envisioned.
The local Continuum of Care has a full array of programs for homeless people—it is a
model of comprehensive service; but it can benefit from careful improvement and
expansion. This Plan focuses on expanding key support services that enable people to
address the issues that interfere with their ability to maintain stable housing without
delay. The goal.is both to help prevent homelessness as well as to assist those already
homeless to regain their housing. The regional multi-service centers will be developed to
coordinate client access to the full service continuum. Subsidized childcare and free and
low-cost transportation coordinated through the multi-service centers will be expanded.
Also included here are recommendations to provide for the many needs of homeless
runaways and youth.
The need for affordable housing options, which shaped much of the original
Continuum of Care Plan, has never been more critical than it is today. Every section of
the Plan reflects this need, and directs energy to helping homeless people to secure
stability in housing. Employment, health, support services—each segment of the
Continuum of Care is integrated to eliminate the barriers a person may have in
maintaining a place to live.
The housing recommendations focus on the development of a range of housing
options that meet people's income and service needs, thereby enabling them to achieve
stable housing and maximum self-sufficiency. Included in this Plan are
recommendations for developing more permanent housing affordable to people with the
lowest incomes and expanding the supply of permanent supportive housing for homeless
people with on-going service needs. Also included is a recommendation aimed at
addressing the barriers to the development of housing and services for people who are
homeless or who have low incomes.
The Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan seeks to establish a
homeless service system that enables homeless and formerly homeless people to live
independently and to afford housing within their communities. The Plan divides this
strategy into these four substantive topics (in addition to a fifth topic of administration)
for efficiently ending homelessness for each individual who reaches the system. These
action steps are built upon the strength of the existing service delivery system, the best
developments that are taking place today, and a set of attainable objectives that are cost
effective and make sense in the existing system.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan
I
I. INTRODUCTION
On November 8, 1994, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors mandated that a
comprehensive, integrated plan for homeless services be developed for the County. Shortly
after, the Ad Hoc Homeless Task Force was created to coordinate a countywide planning process
and write the county's first Homeless Plan. Five years later,the Contra Costa County Homeless
Continuum of Care Advisory Board met to oversee the planning process to review the original
plan and update it as the 2001-2006 Contra Costa Continuum of Care Homeless Plan.
When the Board of Supervisors originally mandated the creation of a long-term plan for
responding to homelessness,the Board endorsed certain goals recommended in a 1994 report by
the Health Services Department. These goals included:
• Increase clarity about the scope of the homeless problem and the roles of the existing
structure of services in the County;
• Identify gaps in services and priorities for addressing them;
• Provide an opportunity for elected officials and the community to examine what is
already being done to address the problem and to build consensus;
• Recommend the most appropriate structure to achieve an integrated and effective
homeless delivery system;
• Recommend how to strengthen individual components and to overcome barriers in
categorical funding and program to maximize funding and effectiveness; and
• Position the County to meet the HUD Continuum of Care requirements for future
McKinney funding.
A. THE PLANNING PROCESS
Beginning in September 2000,Contra Costa County began the process of developing a new five-
year Homeless Continuum of Care Plan. Based on the previous five-year plan, the planning
process reviewed progress in housing and service development, evaluated current needs and
established new priorities for action. The planning process was coordinated by the countywide
Homeless Continuum of Care Advisory Board (CoCB), with support from the County Office of
Homeless Programs(COMP)and consulting assistance from HomeBase, a legal and technical
service provider on efforts to address homelessness.
Designed to be inclusive, the planning process included five community meetings, held in each
of the supervisorial districts. These meetings solicited input on homelessness and its solutions
from community members, providers, faitli-based organizations, the business community,
government staff,and people who are homeless or formerly homeless. Based on this input and
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Ilomeless Continuum of Care Plan 1
on countywide homelessness data, the CoCB Five-Year Plan Subcommittee met seven times
with key service providers and stakeholders to identify priorities and develop action steps for
each of the Plan's five chapters. A draft of the Plan was released for comment by jurisdictions
and service agencies in April 2001 and then opened to public comment in the following months.
The final version was submitted to the.Board of Supervisors for approval in the fall of 2001.
B. GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The following principles guided the development of the Contra Costa County Homeless
Continuum of.Care Plan 2001-2006. They also offer a point of reference for the implementation
of the Plan and future planning efforts.
• Preservation of Existing Levels of Service is a Top Priority
Preserving the operation of existing affordable housing and services in the face of budget
cuts and changes in public policy is a top priority and all efforts should be undertaken to
do so. While the current level of services is by no means adequate to meet the volume of
need, it provides a base level of care that should be maintained as long as the need exists.
To allow needed programs to close their doors due to lack of funding,only to scramble in
the future to open new programs to address the same need, is inefficient and a waste of
resources.
• A Comprehensive& Integrated Service System Is Essential To Preventing& Reducing
Homelessness
Generally, homelessness arises because of the intersection of a variety of factors in an
individual's life and unless all the causes are addressed in a timely and coordinated
fashion, long-term stability cannot be achieved. Therefore, each program within the
service system must have linkages with other programs and all components of the
Continuum of Care and social services safety net—from prevention to permanent
affordable housing—must be in place. The goal is to create an integrated system of care
that allows people to move easily within the system,obtaining the full range of services
they need in order to acquire permanent housing, maximize their self-sufficiency and
move beyond the risk of homelessness.
• Homelessness Can Be Effectively Addressed Only Through Collaborative Efforts
Involving All Jurisdictions and All Segments of the Community
The responsibility for addressing homelessness rests with all of us, and not just with
those communities that currently have the largest numbers of people who are homeless.
This means that the cities,county, region, state and nation must work together to develop
and coordinate their policies and programs across jurisdictional lines. It also means that
all sectors—public, private, faith-based, and non-profit—must be involved and
contributing to the effort to develop and maintain the continuum of housing and services
needed to prevent and reduce homelessness in Contra Costa County.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 2
• Prevention is the Most Cost-Effective& Humane Strategy for Addressing
Homelessness
Prevention means providing people who are at-risk of homelessness, including those who
have low incomes,are disabled, or face unexpected crises, with the assistance they need
to avoid losing their housing. This requires a comprehensive and integrated network of
support services that can help people address their needs, while they still have their
housing. In addition, in order to facilitate early and therefore more effective
interventions, all social service programs should incorporate a homelessness prevention
focus by training staff to recognize early warning signs and provide appropriate referrals
and follow-up.
• Advocacy is Needed to Change the Public Policy and Economic Decisions that have
Helped to Produce Homelessness
It is vital to recognize the relationship between public policy decisions to reduce or
eliminate critical support services, such as benefit programs and mental health services,
and the rising number of people without homes in our communities. Likewise, it is
important to see the connections between the increasing economic pressures felt by the
"middle-class"and the economic forces causing homelessness for those whose income
level places them closer to the edge. Advocacy to affect public policy decisions is
essential in order to reverse the forces causing homelessness and creating economic
insecurity in our society.
• Public Education is a Key Aspect of the Effort to Address Homelessness
Increased awareness and understanding of the causes and extent of homelessness is
essential to building the support necessary for siting and operating programs and is
critical to countering the stigma that makes it difficult for people to fully reintegrate
themselves back into the community. Ultimately, homelessness cannot be solved without
a deep commitment on the part of society that none of its members be without the
opportunity to meet personal, basic needs.
• People who are Homeless are Full and Equal Members of Our Community
People who are homeless enjoy the same rights and share the same responsibilities as
other members of the community. Acknowledgment and respect for their civil rights
should infuse all public policies and program regulations. Likewise, homeless people
have a responsibility to take advantage of available opportunities and work to maximize
their self-sufficiency.
• Planning Should Produce Concrete Results in the Lives of Those it Aims to Reln
This Plan will be effective only if it results in greater opportunities for people to address
the core issues that led to their homelessness or placed them at-risk of becoming
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 3
homeless. The end result should lead to actions that improve the quality of people's lives
in ways that are real and lasting.
C. PREVIOUS COUNTY PLANNING EFFORTS
This Plan builds on previous efforts that have taken place in Contra Costa County. Documents
that were reviewed for assessing needs and developing recommendations include the following:
• A Beginning Plan for Dealing with Homelessness in Contra Costa County, 1986
• Report to the Board of Supervisors on Homelessness in Contra Costa County and
Recommendations for Action,by the Task Force on Homelessness, July 1987
• Long Term Affordable Housing Solutions to Homelessness, by the Community
Homeless Action&Resource Team(CHART), April 1989
• Strategic Plan on Homelessness, by the Social Services Department,November 1989
• Symposium on Homelessness in Contra Costa County, Planning Session Summary,
October 1991
• A Homeless Prevention Plan: Creating Options and Opportunities for the Homeless of
Contra Costa County(1992-1995), by the Association of Homeless & Housing Service
Providers
• Report of the Contra Costa County Mental Health Advisory Board Ad Hoc Planning
Committee,June 1993
• Housing Report of the Contra Costa County Mental Health Commission, June 1994
• Contra Costa Consolidated Plan, FY 1995-1999
• Richmond Consolidated Plan, FY 1994-1997
• Contra Costa County Continuum of Care Homeless Plan 1996-2001.
• Contra Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated Plan.
• Contra Costa County CalWORKS Housing Assistance Action Plan& Implementation
Strategy 2001-2006.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 4
D. COMPLIANCE WITH HUD PLANNING REQUIREMENTS
This planning process, while oriented to addressing the needs of Contra Costa County, was also
designed to fulfill the recommendations set by the United States Department of Housing and
Urban Development(HUD). The Department has recommended the adoption of a Continuum of
Care plan in its administrative publications including The Guide to Continuum of Care Planning
and Implementation. A long-range strategic plan can unite regional responses by articulating
clear goals for shared situations and by receiving endorsements from public figures with the
influence to affect mainstream spending. This Plan will be the basis for developing annual
strategies to respond to homelessness for federal funding applications.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 5
II. HOMELESSNESS IN CONTRA COSTA
COUNTY
Overview of the Causes of Homelessness
Contra Costa County community members are not immune from the threat of
homelessness. Rather, at least 14,757 people in our county experience homelessness
each year. More than two-thirds of them are members of a family, including almost
7,000 children. On any given night, more than 4,800 people are homeless, living on the
streets or in temporary accommodations, such as an emergency shelter,a motel,or a
relative's couch. In addition, many others are at-risk of becoming homeless, such as the
nearly 17,000 extremely low-income households in the county who are paying over 30%
of their income for rent and struggling to make ends meet.
As elsewhere in the nation, homelessness is usually the end result of multiple factors that
converge in a person's life. The combination of loss of employment, inability to find a
job because of the need for retraining, and the high housing costs in this county lead to
some individuals and families losing their housing. For others, the loss of housing is due
to chronic health problems, physical disabilities, mental health disabilities or drug and
alcohol addictions along with an inability to access the services and long-term support
needed to address these conditions. Regardless of personal circumstances, three root
factors allow for people to become homeless:
• SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING: The lack of affordable housing in
Contra Costa County is both one of the factors pushing people into homelessness
and one of the barriers making it difficult for people to regain housing, once
homeless. With some of the highest housing costs in the nation and a two-
bedroom market rate rent of$1,155/month,' many people arc unable to find
housing that is within their means. In 1999,only 45% of renters at all income
levels in the county could afford a two-bedroom unit at the then Fair Market Rent
of$861." Almost 2,000 people"'are currently homeless and in immediate need of
permanent housing. However, according to the Consolidated Plan,'the county
has a severe shortage of rental housing affordable to people with extremely low
incomes. Further fueling this crisis is the loss of precious affordable housing
stock, an estimated 212 units of affordable Section 8 housing in the county in only
the last few years! The county population soared in the last five years but
residential construction tapered off during the same years, according to a report of
the Association of Bay Area Governments.'i
All people who are horncless share the need for access to housing that is
affordable. Ultimately, once other service needs are addressed, access to housing
affordable for one's income is the only way out of homelessness.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Ifomeless Continuum of Care Plan 6
• LACK OF ACCESS TO SUPPORT SERVICES: Access to key support services is
paramount and must be addressed in order to facilitate the move back into
permanent housing. These support services include: case management, health
care, mental health services, drug and alcohol treatment, employment and training
services, childcare, transportation, housing placement assistance, and more. The
.following provides some indication of the need for these services:
• In April 2001, it was estimated that 637 individuals and 475 members of
families, or 23%of the total homeless population, were chronically
abusing substances."
• Over 67%of homeless individuals and almost 10% of homeless people
in families are in need of mental health care.""' The need for mental health
care for children is known to be grossly underestimated within this 10%
need figure.
• Thirty-four percent"`of women who were homeless in one year reported
that they had experienced domestic violence at some point in their lives.
An estimated 233 individuals and 394 family members were estimated to
be victims of domestic violence in 2001."
• Physical disabilities and health problems, including HIV/AIDS, are a
factor in many people's homelessness. Tile county has the 11"' highest
incidence of AIDS in California, with 80% of those with HIV/AIDS
possessing a monthly income of less than $900.'i
• Families constitute 66%"'of the people that are homeless in Contra
Costa County. Child care is essential to their being able to obtain
employment, attend job training programs and access other support
services to help them regain housing and address issues contributing to
their homelessness.
e Low INCOMES: In a 1995 survey of the Contra Costa homeless community,
90% of people had a gross monthly income of$1,000 or less, over 60% had a
gross monthly income of$500 or less.'iii The disparity between incomes and
rents for low-income people has only grown greater. A person working 40 hours
a week needs to make$18.94/1-tour, or 329%of the minimum wage, to afford a
two-bedroom Fair Market Rent unit in Contra Costa County."' Families in
Contra Costa need to earn even more to achieve a decent, modest standard of
living: a single-parent family needs to earn $21.24/hour, 369% of the minimum
wage.'"Not only low wages, but also low benefit levels and limited eligibility
make it less possible for low-income people to house themselves.
Over 15% of the homeless.,population is employed,"' but low wages still put
housing and self-sufficiency out of reach. The trend continues to worsen, as more
2001-2006 Contra Costa County liorneless Continuum of Care Plan 7
working people become or remain homeless. For those without jobs, barriers to
finding and keeping employment include: the lack of access to showers and
telephones, lack of job skills, limited employment options in today's poor
economy, and discrimination by employers who are reluctant to hire homeless
people.
Strategies aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness must address each of these
three root causes in order to be effective.
The following two sections provide more in-depth information about homelessness in
Contra Costa County. Section A outlines the data available on the number of people who
are homeless,their demographics and their service needs. Section B lays out a
comprehensive statement of homeless-related need derived from meetings with people
who are homeless or formerly homeless,providers and community members. It
encompasses both what was identified as being needed to prevent homelessness as well
as what is needed to help those already homeless back into housing.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County I lomeless Continuum of Care Plan 8
A. Data on Homelessness
This section presents the available data on homelessness in Contra Costa County.
Unfortunately, data on the number of people who are homeless, their
demographics and their needs is extremely limited due both to the difficulties in
obtaining this information and to the lack of resources available to conduct such
data gathering and analysis. However,a picture of the magnitude of the homeless
population in Contra Costa County and their needs was derived based on the
following five data sources:
• A series of community meetings conducted by the Contra Costa County
Continuum of Care Board in 2000-2001;
• Contra Costa County Health Services Department data on all county services
provided to homeless people;
e Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department data on the
CaIWORKS""and the General Assistance (GA)program;
* A survey of homeless people conducted by the Contra Costa County Health
Services Department; and
Year-end reports and other statistics from county programs and non-profit
providers of services to people who are homeless.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 9
Estimated Number of People Who Experience an Episode of -
Homelessness Each Year in Contra Costa County
•Homelessness is not an isolated circumstance in Contra Costa County. Rather,
it affects over 14,700 people per year.
• The majority of people who are homeless are members of a family. Over half
are children.
Population Breakout
• At least 14,757 people were
homeless at some point .
during the year
• 66% (9,814) were family ': `'` `' 34%
S:
members
..1 KTC h
•ET�gy
• 34% (4,944) were
individual adults
66% `",y n w.. ■ Individuals
❑ family
Source: Derived from Contra Costa County
Health Services Department data ie Members
The preceding estimates of the number of people who experienced an episode of
homelessness were derived frotn data from the Contra Costa County Employment and
Human Services Department and County Health Services Department.""' The number of
homeless families is based on the number of families who received assistance from the
Aid To Families With Dependent Children Homeless Assistance Program (CalWORKS).
According to CalWORKS,applicants are considered homeless if they do not have
pennanent housing, including those who are living in a temporary shelter, residing on the
streets or in a place not designed for human habitation,or living temporarily doubled up
with friends or family. The number of individuals who were homeless for one year is
derived from data on the number of people who applied for General Assistance(GA) and
the percentage of recipients who self-declared that they were homeless. The Health
Services Department maintains an unduplicated count of all people accessing services
who declare themselves homeless. These figures were used as a baseline figure frotn
which proportions of family members and individuals were derived.
These numbers are a recognized undercount; they are minimum figures since they
represent only people known to have been homeless because they declared themselves to
be homeless and accessed services from the Health Services Department. These numbers
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan to
do not include all of the family members and individuals who did not need or access
services through the County Health Serbices Department during the year.
Estimated Homeless Population by Region
•Homelessness is a significant problem in all regions of the county.
Homeless Population
Regional Breakout
Central
22%
_f Fact
==r:
31%
West ; ;
Source:Derived from Contra Costa
"�,l'1�-- County Social Services Department
47°/ -' * data on CaMORKS recipients&GA
o -
recipients-22
A breakout of the estimated number of people who are homeless in each region was
derived from the estimated yearly count using Contra Costa County Social Services
Department caseload data for Cal WORKS and GA.19
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 1 I
Estimated Number of People Who Are Homeless Each Night in -
Contra Costa County
•Each night in Contra Costa County, at least 4,829 people are living on the
streets or in temporary accommodations, such as an emergency shelter or on a
friend or relative's couch.
• The majority are members of a family. Almost half are children.
Estimates of the number of people homeless on any given night in Contra Costa County
were derived based on data from the Contra Costa Employment and Human Services
Department, Health Services Department,and surveys conducted by the Contra Costa
County Health Services Department Homeless Program.20 Those considered homeless
are people who do not have permanent housing, such as those living in a temporary
shelter or transitional housing program,residing on the streets or in a place not designed
for human habitation, or living temporarily doubled up with friends or family.
Data on Homeless Sub-Populations
The following data is based on year-end reports and other statistics from public and non-
profit providers of homeless services. It is supplemented with data from a survey
conducted by the Contra Costa County Office of Homeless Programs and the year 2000
community meetings. This survey was conducted as part of an outreach effort to people
who were homeless in order to obtain input to guide the development of the Homeless
Plan. As part of this outreach effort, focus group interviews were conducted with over
200 people at fifteen programs, including emergency shelters, transitional housing
programs, soup kitchens,drug and alcohol detox and residential treatment programs, and
a multi-service center for people with mental health disabilities. (See Appendix It for a
listing of the programs where focus groups were held.) At the close of each focus group,
participants were asked to fill out surveys. A total of 192 people filled out the surveys,
76% were homeless, 10%were formerly homeless and 14% had never been homeless but
considered themselves at-risk of homelessness.
Given that the people who filled out the survey were not selected by a random or
scientific process, the survey results are not statistically representative and cannot on
their own be used to depict the needs of the county's overall homeless population.21
However, in combination with the other provider-based data, a picture of the needs of
people who are homeless in this county can be discerned.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 12
1. PEOPLE WITH DRUG OR ALCOHOL ADDICTIONS
•Drug and alcohol addiction is a problem for a significant number of those who
are homeless.
•Residential detox programs and long-term residential treatment are the types of
drug and alcohol services most often used by people who are homeless.
•Drug and alcohol addiction affects both individuals and families.
• In year 2000, 1,882 homeless people in Contra Costa County accessed some type of
drug or alcohol treatment through the Health Services Department.22
This is a minimum figure because it does not include those who received treatment but
chose not to declare themselves as homeless, and it does not include people with drug or
alcohol problems who were homeless, but did not access any type of treatment. Given
that the demand for alcohol and drug treatment is greater than the supply, the number of
people with a drug or alcohol problem cannot be determined solely by looking at the
number of people who access these services.
• Over 1,000 homeless people in the county are estimated to be chronically abusing
substances, with over 1,300 needing some level of substance abuse treattrhent.23
• Estimates of the proportion of the homeless population in Contra Costa County with
drug or alcohol problems range from 23% to 59%, with a mid-point of 41%. Sources for
these estimates include the following:
✓ Dividing the 1,882 people who accessed drug or alcohol treatment in one year
by 8,251,24 the overall estimate of the number of homeless adults in that year,
yields a percentage of 23%.
✓ Fifty-nine percent 25 of those surveyed by the Contra Costa County Office of
Homeless Programs reported that they had a drug or alcohol problem.
✓ Fifty-nine percent of the adults served at Shelter, Inc. Reach Plus Program
during 1999 had a problem with drugs and/or aleolhol.26
• Of the national homeless populattion, it is estimated that 38% have an alcohol problem, and
26%have a drug problem.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County I lomeless Continuum of Care Plan 13
2. PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITIES
• Almost 25%of those who are homeless have a mental health disability.
•Both individuals and families need access to mental health services.
• In one calendar year, 2,740 people who were homeless were served in the county
mental health system.28
This is a minimum figure because it does not include those who received services but did
not declare themselves as homeless and it does not include those who were homeless and
had a mental health disability but did not access any type of services. Given that many
people who need mental health services are unable to access them,the number of people
with mental health disabilities cannot be calculated solely by looking at the number of
people who access services.
• In a year's time, at least 33%of the adult homeless population in Contra Costa County
was estimated to have a mental health disability. Sources for this estimate include the
following:
✓ Dividing the 2,740 people who accessed mental health services by the 8,25129
adults estimated to be homeless in a year yields a percentage of 33%.
✓ Seventeen percent 30 of the people surveyed by the Contra Costa County Health
Services Department Homeless Program indicated that they had a mental health
disability.
• At any point in time in year 2001,an estimated 1,376 homeless people, or 28%, were
estimated to need menuil health care, with 461 being seriously mentally i1L31
• Nationally,the rate of mental health issues in homeless people is much higher,an
estimated 39%.32
3. PEOPLE WI{O ARE DUALLY DIAGNOSED
•Over 10%of the homeless population have both a mental health disability and a
problem with alcohol or drug use.
•Almost 75%of homeless people tvho have a mental health disability also have a
problem with alcohol or drug use.
e Twelve percent33 of those surveyed by the Contra Costa County Health Services
Department Homeless Program indicated that they had both a mental health disability and
a problem with drug or alcohol use.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 14
• In the survey, 72%of those who indicated that they had a mental health disability also
said they had a drug or alcohol problem. Twenty percent of those who indicated that they
had a drug or alcohol problem also said they had a mental health disability.34
• The April 2001 analysis estimated that 325 homeless people had both a mental health
issue and a substance abuse problem.35
4. VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
•Domestic violence is a significant aspect of their homelessness:for many women
and their children.
• Thirty-four percent 36
of the women surveyed by the Contra Costa County Health
Services Department Homeless Program indicated that they had experienced domestic
violence at some point in their lives, either as a child or as an adult.
• Now, an estimated 627 homeless people are victims of domestic violence.37
• Nationally, about 4%of homeless individuals/households became homeless because of
abuse/violence in their immediately previous home.38
5. PERSONS WITH HIV/AIDS
• There are approximately 720 people currently living with AIDS in Contra Costa
County,and over 4,900 people with HIV/AIDS.39
• 623 people living with HMAIDS were in need of homeless services in 2001.40
• A 1996 County survey of no-/low-income people with HIV/AIDS found that 4%of the
respondents were currently homeless, 18% were in temporary housing, and that 31% had
ever experienced homelessness since learning of their HIV infection.41
• rorty-one percent of the clients recently served at the Contra Costa AIDS Program were
hotneless.42
6. YOUNG ADULTS
•Almost 1/4 of homeless individuals are young adults (age 18-24).
• After outgrowing or being released from foster care,juvenile detention facilities,
psychiatric facilities, or criminal justice facilities, many young adults graduate into
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 15
homelessness. Nationally, between 21%and 53% of foster care youth move into
homelessness.43
• Nationally, it is estimated that 7.6% of youth aged 12-17, or 1.6 million, experience
homelessness in a given year.44
• At any point in time in Contra Costa County, there are an estimated 130 homeless youth
on their own in need of services. 45
7. PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AND HEALTH PROBLEMS
•Physical disabilities and health problems are a factor in many people's
homelessness.
• Nationally, homeless people have age-adjusted mortality rates three to four times
expected. 46
•Twenty percent of those surveyed by the Contra Costa County Health Services
Department Homeless Program indicated that they had a physical disability.47
• Twenty percent of those surveyed by the Contra Costa County Health Services
Department Homeless Program indicated that they had health problems and 10% of those
surveyed said that they had stayed in the hospital during the past 12 months.49
• Five percent of the adults served at Shelter Inc., Reach Plus during 1999 had a chronic
health problem.49
8. PRISON DISCHARGEES
• Many people leave prison and jail and enter homelessness. Often, they are
discharged without any resources for housing, and thus, must use homeless
shelters.
• Twenty percent of those surveyed by the Contra Costa County Health Services
Department Homeless Program reported that they had spent time in jail during the
previous 12 months.50
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 16
9. HOSPITAL DISCIIARGEES
• Significant numbers of people who are homeless report that they were
discharged from a hospital in the past year.
• Nationally, homeless people utilize inpatient hospitalizations over three times
the rate of the general population, and almost twice the rate of the poverty
population.5�
10. VETERANS
•Over 10%of the homeless population are veterans.
• Sixteen percent of those surveyed by the Contra Costa County Health Services
Department Homeless Program indicated that they were veterans.52 That is significantly
less than the 33% recorded across the nation.
• An estimated 434 veterans were homeless at any point in time in 200 1.53
Data on Income Level, Education and Employment
1. INCOME LEVEL
• The majority of people who are homeless have a gross monthly income so low
that it makes it nearly impossible for them to find housing that is affordable.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County 1-lomeless Continuum of Care Plan 17
Gross Monthly Income (Note: 1994 Dollars)
70 _
60
s0
v 40
u
C,, 30 Ic
20
10
0
<S500 $500-1000 $1000-1500 $1500-2000 $2000-2500 >$2500
Source: Contra Costa County Health Services Department survey of homeless people
• In 1994,eighty-seven percent of homeless people surveyed by the Contra Costa County
Health Services Department Homeless Program had a gross monthly income of$1000 or
less, 62% had an income of$500/month or less.54
• The ratio of all low-income renters to all low-income units is about 2:1 in Contra Costa
County and around the Bay Area.ss
• The Section 8 Program is increasingly overburdened and under effective in high-cost
housing areas such as Contra Costa County. The Contra Costa County Housing
Authority maintains a Section 8 housing voucher wait list that has been closed for the
past four years, but still includes over 2,000 names.56
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 18
2. EDUCATION LEVEL
•People who are homeless have a varied educational background. A significant
number, at least 1/3, have completed some college or obtained a degree.
14% Education Level Attained
33%
22% 0 Not Completed High School or GED
0 Completed High School or GED
■Some College
31% o AA or BA Degree or Graduate School
Source: Contra Costa County licallh Services Department survey of homeless people 32
• In the survey conducted by the Contra Costa County Health Services Department
Homeless Program,47%of the respondents had completed some college or obtained a
degree, 31% had completed high school or the GED, and 22% had not completed high
SCIloo1.57
• National levels of education of homeless people estimate that 62% of homeless people
have a high school degree/GED or higher, 22% with some college, and 2% with a
bachelor's degree or more.58
3. EMPLOYMENT DATA
•Despite the obstacles, over 15%of those who are homeless are employed.
• Seventeen percent 59 of those surveyed by the Contra Costa County Health Services
Department Homeless Program were currently employed.
Additional Data on Homelessness
• The majority of people who are homeless have had at least one previous
experience of homelessness.
•Public transit is the predominant means of transportation for most people who
are homeless.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 19
• Sixty-four percent60 of those surveyed by the Contra Costa County Health Services
Department Homeless Program had been homeless more than one time. About half of
homeless people nationally have been homeless at least once before.61
•
Eighty percent62 of those surveyed by the Contra Costa County Health Services
Department Homeless Program said they use the bus or BART to get to appointments or
to work.
• In the survey conducted by the Contra Costa County Health Services Department
Homeless Program, respondents indicated that during the previous twelve months63(The
percentages do not add up to 100%because the survey respondents were able to give multiple responses to the question.):
✓ 43% had lived on the streets,
✓ 22%had lived in a vehicle,
✓ 59% had been in a shelter or transitional housing, and
✓ 45% had stayed with a friend.
Data on the Population At-Risk of Homelessness
•Almost 17,000 extremely low-income households are paying an excessive
portion of their income for rent and are therefore at-risk of homelessness.
•Many people's incomes are so low that they are unable to meet their basic
needs, including food and medical care.
•Due to cutbacks in benefit programs, many current recipients may lose their
only source of income and the only thing standing between them and
homelessness.
• Of all renters in Contra Costa County,42% are unable to afford a one bedroom at FMR,
52% unable to afford a two bedroom FMR,and 67% unable to afford a three bedroom.64
• For low-income renters, the situation is dire: a person working for minimum wage in
Contra Costa County would have to work 105 hours/week to afford a FMR one bedroorn
unit, 132 hours/week to afford a two bedroom, and 181 hours/week (which is actually
impossible)to afford a three bedroom.65
• The new CalWORKS benefits programs eliminated or reduced the benefits available to
many households under AFDC, including those dependent on CalWORKS, GA, SSI and
Medi-Cal. Without these benefits, the number of'people at risk of homelessness has
grown.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 20
✓ Between FY 1994-95 and FY 1999-2000,the county's average monthly caseloads
decreased from 4,600 single adults and 14,977 families to only 693 single adults and
10,919 families.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 21
B. Statement of Need
This statement of need is the product of the voices of homeless people and community members
at community meetings in 2000-2001 and similar meetings field in 1995. These voices have
been integrated here to form a comprehensive statement of homeless related need. A series of
community meetings were held between October and January 2001 with the goal to:
* Identify the unmet service and housing needs of people who are currently homeless or
at-risk of homelessness;
* Solicit input about the concerns of the larger community in relation to homelessness;
e Obtain feedback about how the service delivery system is presently operating; and,
• Solicit program and policy recommendations about how to best prevent and alleviate
homelessness.in Contra Costa County.
As part of the first Contra Costa County Homeless Plan, meetings had been held with people
representing diverse viewpoints, including members of the community, service providers and
people who are currently or formerly homeless. In preparation for the new, updated Homeless
Plan, five community meetings were held, each co-sponsored by one of the County Supervisors
and held in the local district. These meetings were attended by over 200 people including
community members, members of the business community, people who were homeless, and
local service providers.
The feedback from all the meetings and all the viewpoints was synthesized to yield a
comprehensive statement of homeless-related need, encompassing both what is needed to
prevent homelessness as well as what is needed to help those already homeless back into
housing. This statement of need formed the foundation for the development of the
recommendations in this Plan. The needs have been organized into two categories:
♦ Overall Needs,and
♦ Sub-Population Perspectives&Additional Needs.
Overall Needs
Certain needs were raised as being important to all segments of the homeless and at-risk
population—to single adults, families, those with a mental health disability or a drug or alcohol
addiction, and youth. These needs were identified as being essential to preventing people from
falling into homelessness and/or assisting those already homeless to regain and maintain
housing.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 23
AFFORDABLE HOUs[NG
The principle barrier to moving out of homelessness is the scarcity of affordable housing.
Rental units in Contra Costa County are priced far beyond the reach of people with
extremely low-incomes or anyone who depends on General Assistance(GA), Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families(TANF),or Supplemental Security Income(SSI). An
estimated 1,700" `homeless households are in need of permanent affordable housing.
Nearly 17,000 households with extremely low-incomes are,at-risk of homelessness
because they are bearing an excessive housing cost burden(total housing costs exceed
30%of the gross household income).' The size of the need is also demonstrated by the
over 2,000 households on the waiting list for Section 8 Rental Assistance(awaiting new
number)." Many community members expressed their fear that governments fail to see
the need for new affordable housing for people with extremely low-incomes. The
situation is exacerbated by the number of neighborhoods that can delay the construction
of affordable housing with local zoning laws and environmental regulations.
To end an episode of homelessness, a person requires a stable income to cover their rent
and other living costs. For many homeless people, this income stream, at least initially, is
General Assistance(GA). However, there is virtually no housing that is affordable at this
income level. The median rent in Contra Costa County averages$1,155/month for a two-
bedroom apartment,"" while a GA grant only slightly more than$300 a month. For
those who are employed, high rental costs still pose a significant barrier. The average
wage earned by those who graduate from TAN is$6.61/hour,""' a number far below the
salary that is necessary to cover the county's median rent of$1,155 and be left with
enough money to support a family. For those whose housing costs are excessive, the
threat of falling back into homelessness will continue to be present. Many providers and
members of the community spoke of the need for shared housing programs that would
match potential roommates and provide training in successful shared living so that people
can better afford housing. They also identified housing linked with support services as an
important housing arrangement for people with disabilities.
In addition to the lack of low-cost housing, many people are unable to obtain housing
because of bad credit histories, previous evictions and because they cannot come up with
the steep move-in costs necessary to enter housing(first and last months' rent plus
security deposit).
2001-2006 Contra Costa County lionteless Continuum of Care Plan 24
EMPLOYMENT AT A LIVING WAGE
Access to stable employment at a living wage was identified as an essential aspect both
of preventing future homelessness, helping those currently homeless to regain self-
sufficiency, and strengthening the community. For those already homeless, a spectrum of
employment-related needs was identified. The lack of help in developing resumes and
polishing interview skills were stressed as a barrier to getting jobs that pay a living wage.
For others,a lack of job skills poses the main barrier; they need education,
apprenticeships, vocational training and re-training. In regard to training, many people
stressed that they thought training programs should be tightly linked to actual jobs, and
that those who finish programs should receive assistance in lining up employment.
Finally,an overall lack of stable jobs at a living wage was identified as a significant
issue. Given the high cost of housing and the sinking wages of low paying jobs,
strategies to promote job creation in positions with a likelihood of advancement were felt
to be particularly important.
DIGNITY
There was a near consensus in each of the community meetings that the dignity of
homeless people should be acknowledged in every segment of the homeless service
continuum. When accessing services, many participants expressed their desire to see
everyone treated with respect, and for case managers perform their jobs with
professionalism. Several people described various experiences during which they felt
mistreated or simply ignored when accessing services. Suggestions included dignity
training for all shelter and program staff, including social service providers—staff in
einergency.rooms, WIA One-Stops, and at the Social Security Agency—serving people
who are homeless.
TRANSPORTATION
Lack of transportation was consistently raised as a barrier for people trying to move out
of homelessness. People are unable to get to job interviews and to jobs because they do
not have a car or gas money to drive their car. Others find it difficult to access services
or keep their appointments with their Social Services caseworker. The size of the county
and the limited public transportation makes it difficult to get from one area to another
without taking the whole day. The problem is especially severe in East County where
there are communities that are not served at all by public transportation. Suggestions
included operating a van service between programs, developing a discount bus pass for
people with low incomes and creating volunteer ride programs-
2001-2006 Contra Costa County homeless Continuum of Care Plan 25
EARLY INTERVENTION: TIMELY PREVENTION & EMERGENCY SERVICES
In the meetings of 2000 and 1995, early intervention to prevent homelessness was
stressed as a way to keep neighborhoods together, avoid the most expensive services, and
provide a humane solution to homelessness. While providers and clients saw prevention
as an important priority, they also expressed frustration about the limited availability of
services that can reach people before they become homeless. Many social service
programs do not ask people about their homeless status to identify those at risk of
homelessness.
Many providers cannot even serve people until they hit a crisis that is certain to cause
homelessness. For instance, rental assistance programs do not provide assistance until
people receive an eviction notice and consumer credit counseling programs do not help
until people are already behind in payments;too often this is too late to prevent
homelessness. Providers stressed the importance of identifying people at risk of
homelessness early and then providing services to them immediately after identification.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION, INVOLVEMENT& ADVOCACY
Providers and community members felt that community education is an important way to
increase the public's understanding of homelessness and build support for programs that
prevent and alleviate homelessness. Mobilizing public opinion and conducting advocacy
in support of safety net programs was seen as essential in the current political context.
Homeless people spoke of the need for further community education to counter the
stigma and discrimination they run into from prospective employers and landlords. In
addition, participants at all the meetings acknowledged that the larger community has an
important role to play in addressing homelessness and that government and the non-profit
sector would not be able to do it all.
Sub-Population Perspectives & Additional Needs
As with the general population, the homeless population is composed of many diverse sub-
populations. Each group has different perspectives on what is needed and how it should best be
provided. The following is an overview of some of the different perspectives along with a listing
of any additional needs that were identified for that sub-population.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 26
1. INDIVIDUALS
It is estimated that over 4,944 individual adults experience an episode of homelessness at
some point during the year and that over 1,618 are homeless on any given night..'iv
The most important needs for many individuals are an adequate and stable income stream
and a place to live. Many expressed frustration about the difficulties of paying the rent U
on two or three jobs and focused on the need for services to help them obtain more
profitable jobs. Others focused more on problems with General Assistance(GA)and
Section 8,which are so low that it makes it practically impossible for them to find
housing and get back on their feet. For many individuals, independence and control over
their lives is of paramount importance and this affects how or if they access services.
Those individual adults choosing to use the shelters expressed hope about providing more
services at the shelters. They expressed the desire for longer periods to remain in the
shelters, to give them the time they will need to line up new housing and find strong job
training programs. Many people thought the need was there because there are very few
options available once their time is up at the emergency shelters. Others thought that the
shelters should be more flexible for people looking for jobs. The early curfew may make
it more difficult to work for employees on the swing and graveyard shifts.
Single men also expressed some frustration about the overall lack of resources and
assistance available to them. While they felt that families need and deserve assistance,
they thought that the focus on families and children results in their getting short shrift,
and that they too need a break in order to get back on their feet.
Additional Needs
* More Emery Shelter Beds:Beds: There are not enough shelter beds for all the individuals
who are homeless. A need for more emergency shelter beds for individual adults was
identified, especially in East County. Some people were interested in places they could
stay for an extended period of time and receive other services (like the Central County&
Brookside shelters), while others were more interested in shelter that could be accessed
for three or four days at a time to provide some respite from the streets and allow them a
chance to clean up.
2. FAMILIES
It is estimated that over 10,000 parents and children in Contra Costa County experience
an episode of homelessness each year. On any given night, it is estimated that over 900
families are homeless, including an estimated 1,700 children."' While the majority of
homeless families are single women with children, providers report that intact families
and men with children are also part of the mix.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 27
Affordable childcare and affordable housing were identified as the two most important
needs for families and the two hardest needs to meet. Women in transitional housing
talked about their fear of not being able to find housing they can afford in
neighborhoods where they would choose to raise their children. Even with job training
to increase their skills and earning capacity,women were nervous about their ability to
be self-sufficient given the combined costs of rent and childcare. They worried about
not being able to make it now that there is a limit on Section 8 rental assistance
vouchers;part of the success of the women who had previously moved out into
permanent housing was attributed to their having had Section 8 assistance.
Employment services and job training were also raised as important to families because
these services enable parents to increase their earning capacity. In addition to money
management skills,parenting classes were identified as being vital,especially by
younger women interested in not repeating patterns from their own family histories that
they felt contributed to their homelessness. They felt that parenting classes were a form
of homelessness prevention for their children.
Other issues raised included the need for more services for intact families. At several of
the meetings,men spoke of having been forced to separate from their families so that
they all could access services. Also, the need for drug and alcohol and mental health
services which are oriented to serving the whole family and not just the disabled adult
was reiterated.
Additional Needs:
• Affordable Childcare:The lack of affordable childcare offered on a flexible schedule
was identified as a major barrier to women leaving welfare and returning to work. As
long as women are on welfare,their income will be low enough that they will be
perpetually at risk of homelessness. For much of the employment they can find, few
childcare programs offer services during their work hours. Lack of childcare was also
seen as a barrier to women attending job-training programs that can help them to raise
their earning capacity. In addition, many said that a lack of childcare inhibits their
ability to access other services to help them regain housing and address the issues
contributing to their homelessness.
• Prenatal Care:
There was strong concern that adequate health care has not been provided for mothers
during pregnancy and with children ages 0-5. Many expressed a need for expanded
integration among service providers. Prenatal care providers may not be integrating
programs with county providers in the fields of mental health and substance abuse, or
with HHISN. Programs should develop a virtual continuum of care where the different
providers work in close contact with one another sharing expertise and services to better
serve homeless clients with complex needs. County institutions have no system for
transitioning pregnant women into services when they are released. It was suggested that
2001-2006 Contra Costa County t{orncicss Continuum of Care Plan 28
an outreach worker be placed in the county jails to identify pregnancies among women
being released, to bring them into prenatal services.
It was suggested that service providers advocate for increased Medi-Cal coverage for
pregnant women and teenage girls. Under the current Medicaid system, many homeless
women are not covered for medical care after childbirth or at anytime before pregnancy
begins. Women are only covered while they are in term and up to 60 days proceeding
childbirth. Once the 60-day time period has elapsed,coverage terminates unless the
client is enrolled in TANF. It was further suggested that public advocacy organizations,
such as the Healthy Families Program, raise the issue of extending Medicaid coverage at
the state level, with the support of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.
3. PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITIES
It is estimated that 28%of people who are homeless have a mental health disability. On
any given night,this is over 461 households. Over 70% are believed to be dually
diagnosed with a drug or alcohol problem in addition to their mental health disability." 'i
People with mental health disabilities, providers and community members all stressed
the need for expanded availability of mental health services. Many people felt that
parks,general homeless shelters, hospitals and jails are currently functioning as de facto
trental health programs because so many people end up in these places due to the lack
of other options for them. The situation is more severe according to many, because key
services have been cut back or denied funding, including the ACCESS program.
The need for more supportive housing was stressed by both clients and providers. In
addition, many people felt that they needed help in finding housing. They also identified
the need for on-going services, once housed, to help them manage bill paying and other
responsibilities. Many stressed the importance of representative payee services that help
clients manage their funds and pay their bills, thereby helping people to maintain their
housing.
Currently, the number of supportive housing beds available for those with mental health
disabilities falls short of the need. It is anticipated that this shortfall will be exacerbated
in the near future due to pending budget cuts that will decrease the number of available
beds. In addition,the Contra Costa County Mental Health Commission's Housing
Report found that 1,700 people with mental disabilities are currently living with care
giving parents who are over age 65; many of these individuals will need supportive
housing in the near future when their aging parents can no longer care for them.
Some mental health clients were comfortable obtaining assistance through programs like
the Phoenix multi-service centers which only serve people with mental health
disabilities. However, others wanted to be able to access the help they need through
mainstream programs where they do not have to identify themselves as having a mental
health disability. Finally, a great deal of anger, frustration and paranoia was expressed
about the system. In reference to General Assistance(GA) and Supplemental Security
2001-2006 Contra Costa County 1lomcless Continuum of Care Plan 29
Income(SSI),people felt there is"too much red tape for too little assistance." Many felt
the rules were set up to stop people from getting aid, rather than to help them get the
assistance they need.
The concern of internal barriers to treatment services,such as fear and denial,was also
raised regarding this population. Studies have documented the persistence of people
denying the severity of health problems."" Many have explained their reluctance to
undergo medical treatment as fear of losing control of their lives,others have more
specific fears of being arrested, of mistreatment at the hands of service providers,and of
losing their children to Child Protective Services.
Additional Needs
e More Emergency Shelter Beds:A need for more emergency shelter beds was
identified. Many wanted to see more emergency beds through shelters that serve the
general population but have capacity,through staffing and program structure,to serve
people with mental health issues.
* Outreach: It has been suggested that the programs developed in the next five years
focus on engagement through intensive outreach and by establishing trust with clients
unlike anything done in Contra Costa County in the past. This new continuum of care
will also increase communication and teamwork among providers and agencies that
handle housing needs, mental health services,and alcohol and drug problems.
Homeless people with comorbidity issues will no longer be left on their own, and the
continuum of care will provide one place to come for many kinds of treatment.
• Supportive Housing: The need for affordable housing linked to support services was
identified as a primary need for this population. While the level of services needed will
vary over time, there is a long-term need for some level of service connection. It was
felt that supportive housing is the best way to ensure that people can retain their housing,
avoid homelessness,and diminish their need for crisis services. The array of support
services linked to supportive housing will vary depending on the specific needs of the
population served,but may include mental health services, representative payee/money
management services, drug and alcohol treatment,peer support groups,and employment
and training.
• Expanded Access To Mental Health Services:There is a need for expanded access to
mental health services for both people who have a severe and persistent mental health
disability and those with less serious disabilities, including those who have situational
disorders due to a particular life crisis. Services that are needed include counseling and
therapy,case management, independent living skills, peer support groups, and crisis
services.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County t{omcless Continuum of Care Plan 30
4. PEOPLE WITH DRUG& ALCOHOL ADDICTIONS
It is estimated that at least 41%of the homeless population has a drug or alcohol
problem. On any given night,this is over 830 households. Sixty-one percent are
believed to be in adult-only households and 39% in family households. Over 66%are
believed to be dually diagnosed with a mental health disability or HIV/AIDS in addition
to their drug or alcohol problem(awaiting new data)."v...
Many people expressed frustration about the difficulty in accessing drug and alcohol
services,especially residential treatment programs. People in detox complained that the
lack of access to residential treatment means that there is `no next step from detox' and
that it is just a revolving door-they will soon be back out on the streets and probably
using again. While most agree that it is appropriate that people go through some hoops
in accessing programs in order to demonstrate their motivation and commitment to
getting clean, they also felt that the length-of the waiting lists(3 months- 1 year) make it
excessively difficult for anyone to succeed. People in detox programs spoke
emotionally about how hard it is to stay organized and motivated to make the weekly
call necessary to stay on waiting lists when you are homeless, on the streets, and
surrounded by drugs and alcohol. Because of the nature of homelessness,there was
consensus that residential treatment is generally the best form of treatment for homeless
people.
People in drug and alcohol programs emphasized repeatedly that their primary goal is to
stay clean and sober. In addition, they are focused on finding employment and a place
to live in a clean and sober environment. Some people expressed concerns that their
years of addiction had left large gaps in their work history, which could interfere with
their ability to find work. This was especially a concern for young adults who felt that
they lacked both work history and skills. Others raised concerns about not having
anywhere to go when they finish the program except back to the streets or to their old
neighborhoods where the odds of their being able to stay clean are greatly diminished.
Many expressed a need for assistance in helping them to secure housing and other
services for when they leave the program. The need for drug and alcohol programs to
incorporate a stronger ancillary services component, including life skills, housing
advocacy, mental health services, employment services and case management, was
raised repeatedly. Some providers noted that people are entering programs in worse
condition than ever before, many with dual and triple diagnoses. This makes the
ancillary services component as well as longer treatment times absolutely essential. In
addition, many stressed the need for after-care and follow-up services to help clients stay
clean and sober outside of the program.
People in residential treatment programs did not think that the mainstream homeless
programs effectively serve people with addictions, saying that,"it is too easy to put one
over on the staff." Many stressed over and over that drug and alcohol treatment has to
be provided first;otherwise the other services will not help and provision of them will
just be a waste of resources.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 31
Finally,many expressed frustration with the fact that, despite the obvious need, many
drug and alcohol programs are cutting back on services because of loss of funding. It
was felt that all steps should be taken to keep programs open since it is more cost-
effective to keep a program going than it is to start a new one in the future.
Additional Needs
•More Residential Treatment Programs: More residential treatment beds are needed for
all population groups. While this has remained a priority over the last five years,the
number of beds has fallen since that time. In particular,the need for programs that treat
the whole family and that can address issues of domestic violence were identified. Also,
single women and those with a dual diagnosis were identified as being especially in
need of programs to serve them.
• Intensive Case Management: Intensive case management was identified as an
important component of treatment. It is needed to help clients access ancillary services
to address their other needs,such as employment services, life skills, medical care,
mental health services and permanent housing. It was also identified as a vital after-care
component that helps to facilitate the client's successful adjustment outside of the
treatment program. Because of the particular issues posed by addiction,case
management staff working with these clients must understand addiction, the process of
recovery and how to deal with relapse.
•Transitional Clean & Sober Housing: Many people,after finishing residential
treatment,still need structure and support in order to remain clean and sober and achieve
long term self-sufficiency. Facilitated clean and sober shared living was identified as a
successful program model.
5. YOUTH& YOUNG ADULTS
It is estimated that almost 700 young adults(ages 18-24)experience an episode of
homelessness each year. An estimated 131 youth(ages 14-18)are homeless on any
given night.""
Youth ages 14-18 who have clear evidence of physical or sexual abuse are served by Child
Protective Services(CPS)and put into the Foster Care system. However,because of a lack
of resources,CPS accepts only children and youth whose abuse is severe. Some of those
interviewed complained that those who do enter the system are not adequately served and
that many who leave the foster care system at age 18 or 19 do not have skills or a support
network to sustain themselves. Too many are believed to fall into homelessness.
Youth who do not meet the CPS criteria for abuse, yet who are in crisis and have left their
homes have virtually no access to assistance. Previously, Sherman House provided short-
term residential services but the program was closed due to funding constraints.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 32
It was felt that ensuring that youth graduate from high school and have basic living skills
and job skills is a priority. A need for places where youth can go for recreational activities,
to socialize and which foster their self-esteem was also identified as important.
There are not many services targeted for the needs of young adults(18-24 years of age) who
are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless, many of whom are believed to have come
out of the foster care or the juvenile justice systems. As they are not permitted access to
adult emergency shelters, they rotate from place to place, live in vehicles and end up on the
streets after they burn-out their support networks. Many have trouble finding and keeping
employment because of poor job skills, inadequate social skills and low self-esteem.
Special programs are needed to serve this population as employment and training programs
geared to adults who already have some job skills and life experience do not meet their
needs.
Additional Needs r
• Youth Shelter: It was recommended in every district that a youth shelter be provided for
runaways and homeless teens. Young people who experience homelessness are not
permitted into the adult emergency shelters, and they rotate from place to place, living in
vehicles, and finally ending up on the street after their support networks are burnt out.
• Better Preparation for Youth Leaving Foster Care:The foster care program needs to put
more emphasis on ensuring that youth complete high school and have basic living skills
before they leave foster care.
• Prenatal Care: Many pregnant teens living on the street have very little access to
prenatal health care. This population numbers among the most vulnerable in the
community and the possibility of a medical emergency is very high. Many see the value
of expanding SSI services to cover prenatal teens or creating a county funded program
that can extend basic medical services for young teenage women.
• School Programming It was suggested that service providers advocate for the proper
use of the Title 1 federal set-aside in school districts. Title I funding for school districts
mandates an allocation of part of the school budget for children of homeless families. It
was further suggested that advocacy be made for McKinney Child Education funding to
support existing education prograrns in East and Central County. This could ensure that
the county is applying for all available funds and that it allocates funds appropriately.
• Emancipation Programs and Life Skills: Many see the need for life skills services
designed especially for homeless youth living on their own. This could include the
creation of a complete continuum of care for homeless youth. Expand homeless
youth services so all organizations provide vocational assessment and counseling,
educational counseling, and life skills training to help young people overcome the
causes of homelessness. Special programs would include emancipation services
available to homeless youth, such as informational flyers describing the significance
of being emancipated and legal aid that the youth can use to become emancipated.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County homeless Continuum of Care Plan 33
6. PEOPLE WITH IRWAIDS
It is estimated that 18%of people living with HIV/AIDS in Contra Costa County are
homeless. This is over 460 people. Many of them are believed to be dually diagnosed
with a mental health disability and/or a drug or alcohol problem in addition to their
HIV/AIDS diagnosis. Sixty-seven percent are believed to be in adult-only households
and 33% in family households.'
According to the Contra Costa County AIDS Housing Plan (December 1996), low
incomes, the expense of on-going medical care and the high housing costs in Contra
Costa County combine to make many people with HIV/AIDS homeless or at-risk of
homelessness. Many people receive their income from Supplemental Security
Income(SSI) or General Assistance(GA)and it is not enough to cover rent, medical
care and other costs of living. In addition, those who are dually or triply diagnosed,
having a mental health disability and/or a drug or alcohol problem in addition to a
HIV/AIDS diagnosis, face even greater difficulties obtaining and maintaining
housing. Access to a variety of support services, including case management, drug
and alcohol treatment, mental health services, money management, transportation,
attendant and home health care, and nutrition services is needed. It was also noted
that people who are discharged from hospitals who are homeless and still in need of
medical care are not being served in existing emergency shelters_ Facilities with
appropriate services are needed for this population until they can get back into
permanent housing.
Additional Needs
• Service-Enriched Emer-ency/Transitional Housing_Emergency/transitional housing
with on-site medical services for people with a variety of illness, including HIV/AIDS,
is needed. People being discharged from hospitals who are homeless and still in need of
medical attention would be served here until appropriate permanent housing can be
arranged.
• Supportive Housing Low cost housing linked to support services was identified as a
primary need for people who are disabled with HIV/AIDS. This was felt to be
especially important for people who are dually or triply diagnosed(have a mental health
disability and/or drug or alcohol addiction in addition to a HIV/AIDS diagnosis)and for
those who have families and/or young children. It was felt that supportive housing is the
best way to ensure that this population can maintain stable housing.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County I Iomeless Continuum of Care Plan 34
III. RECOMMENDATIONS
OVERVIEW
The recommendations in this Plan are organized into five broad issues that reflect the
overarching areas of need identified through the planning process. The recommendations on
each issue outline the priority actions for achieving specified goals. The five issues, which cut
across every aspect of preventing homelessness and responding to the needs of homeless people,
include employment and financial assistance, support services and basic needs, medical care and
outreach,temporary and permanent shelter opportunities, and planning and public education.
PRIORITIES
All of the recommendations in the Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan
2001-2006 address prevention and such basic human needs as housing, hygiene, medical and
mental health care, and access to adequate income to support oneself. Prioritization among these
basic necessities and between the various sub-populations, each of which have significant and
compelling levels of need, is extremely difficult. The realities of the homeless crisis have made
almost all of the needs a priority. If the system of care let too many of the gaps in services go
ignored, Contra Costa County could face a more serious and persistent problem in the future.
However, it is also true that the resources available to address these needs are limited and that the
system's short-term capacity to expand and implement new programs is finite. Therefore, in
order to help guide the implementation of the Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of
Care Plan 2001-2006 and the allocation of resources over the next year, the Contra Costa
County Homeless Continuum of Care Advisory Board has identified a number of
recommendations as high priorities. This high priority designation means that these
recommendations address high priority needs and should be addressed in the short-term (Years
1-2). Annual priorities will be identified each year to guide the on-going implementation of the
Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 2001-2006. Annual priorities will also
be set for the County's consolidated NOFA application.
Relative priorities of Low, Medium or High were attached to each category of need based on an
evaluation of the following:
• the magnitude of the unmet need for the sub-population
• the unmet need as a relative percentage of the overall need for that sub-
population
• the project is ongoing or soon to be implemented as part of the Continuum of
Care
• how addressing the need accomplishes the following six objectives:
• Promotes Coordination
• Feasibility Over Time
2001-2006 Contra Costa County 1{omeless Continuum of Care Plan 35
• Is Cost Effective
• Addresses the Shortage in Affordable Housing
• Prevents Homelessness
• Addresses a Basic Need.
The support services and system priorities were identified by considering the services and system
needs identified through the needs assessment process and evaluating how addressing them
would accomplish the objectives outlined above.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONTINUUM OF CARE PLAN
Upon adoption by the Contra Costa Homeless Continuum of Care Advisory Board(CoCB), the
Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 2001-2006(Plan) was forwarded to the
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors and to each of the eighteen cities for approval. The
COCB is responsible for the implementation of the Plan and on-going planning and oversight for
the homeless services system. The COCB will provide a formal structure to facilitate on-going
coordination and collaboration among all the components of the homeless services system for
purposes of service delivery, planning and resource management, fund-raising, and policy and
program development. The Office of Homeless Programs (CORP) will staff the COCB and play
a central role in coordinating the County's overall response to homelessness.
Each of the action steps for years 1-2 in the Plan contain the following information in the form of
a chart to facilitate their implementation:
• Status (existing-planned)
• Responsible entities
• Potential funding sources.
High priority action steps should be implemented in Years 1-2. Medium priority action steps
will be implemented during Years 3-4 and Low priority action steps will be implemented in
subsequent years. Several action steps that were not made High priorities may be completed in a
shorter time if they involve minimal resources to implement,are already underway to some
extent, or are part of the work assigned to the CORP.
The Plan includes a range of action steps, some of which are already operational and others that
need further planning as a first step in their implementation. This further planning will include
all the involved parties and will focus on fleshing out the details of program structure, operation
and funding.
Preventing and reducing homelessness in Contra Costa County requires an on-going and
substantial effort. Just as homelessness did not arise in our communities overnight, it will not be
solved overnight. Rather, real and lasting solutions will come about through sustained and
concerted efforts over the long run that seek to address the underlying causes of the problem.
The magnitude of the need and the fiscal realities of the county, its cities, the state and the nation
mean that obtaining the funding necessary to implement the Plan will require an aggressive,
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 36
creative and collaborative effort involving public agencies,business, congregations, non-profits
and the general community. This process has already begun; housing and services proposals
have been submitted for the HUD 2001 Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance Competition,
and to Department of Health and Human Services SAMHSA for mental health outreach and
substance abuse treatment, as well as youth programs. Funding has recently been received from
the California Department of Mental Health through the Supportive Housing Initiative.
HOW TO READ THE PRIORITIES AND ACTION STEPS
Many of the action steps in the Plan are interrelated and therefore several may be listed under
one priority statement. In addition,many action steps may relate to more than one priority
statement,therefore,one action step may be addressed under several priority statements
throughout the Plan. The action steps are also labeled with one of three priority levels (HIGH
PRIORITY, MEDIUM PRIORITY, Low PRIORITY). These categories were established by the CoCB.
DEFINITIONS(Terms as used in this Plan.)
At-Risk of Homelessness, refers to people who have extremely low incomes who are paying
more than 30% of their gross monthly income for housing; have a disability, physical, mental
health, drug or alcohol addiction, or medical, that threatens their housing stability; are in foster
care, hospitals or the corrections system and have nowhere to go upon discharge; or are
threatened with the loss of their benefits due to cutbacks and policy changes in federal, state and
local benefit programs.
Continuum of Care, refers to the full service delivery system including prevention, outreach and
assessment, emergency shelter, support services, transitional housing and permanent housing.
Dually-Diagnosed/Co-occurring disorder or Comorbidity, refers to people who have a
combination of two of the following diagnoses: mental health, drug or alcohol addiction and
HIVIAIDS.
Extremely Low Income, refers to incomes, which are at or below 30%of the area median
income.
Family Household, refers to households that include at least one adult and children.
High Priority, refers to those recommendations targeted to be addressed in the short-term (Year
1-2). (see Implementation Priorities definition)
Homeless, refers to people who do not have permanent housing, including people living on the
streets or in parks, in shelters and transitional housing, in sub-standard housing, and in vehicles
or other places not designed for human habitation. This conforms to the federal definition
published in the HUD Continuum of Care and HOPWA Programs Application of 2001, which is
as follows: -
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum or Care Plan 37
A homeless person is a person sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation or in an emergency
shelter;a person in transitional or supportive housing for homeless persons who originally came from the .
street or an emergency shelter.
The following is the definition of homeless from the McKinney-Vento Act, 42 USC Sec. 11302
(1999):
In general...the term'homeless'or'homcless individual or homeless person'includes-...(1)an individual
who lacks a fixed,regular,and adequate nighttime residence;and(2)an individual who has a primary
nighttime residence that is (A)a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide
temporary living accommodations(including welfare hotels,congregate shelters,and transitional housing
for the mentally ill);(I3)an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be
institutionalized;or(C)a public or private place not designed for,or ordinarily used as,a regular sleeping
accommodation for human beings.
Implementation Priorities. HIGH PRIORITY means the action step should be implemented in
Years 1-2, MEDIUM PRIORITY means implementation during Years 3-5 and Low PRIORITY means
implementation in the future. These will be reviewed annually by the CoCB; and separately for
consideration in the annual NOFA process.
Low Priority, refers to those recommendations targeted to be addressed in six years or sometime
in the future. (see also Implementation Priorities definition)
Mainstream Programs. The federal block grant-supported social safety net and community
service programs available to the community at large and poor people. This includes but is not
limited to health, social service, and employment programs funded through the following grants:
• Medicaid(Medi-Cal)
• State Children's Health Insurance Program
• 7ANF(Cal WORKS)
• Food Stamps
• Mental Health Block Grant
• Substance Abuse Block. Grant
• Workforce Investment Act
• Welfare-to-Work Program
• Community Development Block Grant
• Community Services Block Grant
Medium Priority, refers to those recommendations targeted to be addressed in three to five years.
(see also Implementation Priorities definition)
Youth/Young Adult refers to emancipated people between the ages of 14-25. The definition
also includes all youth under 18. Youth also refers to any child aged out of foster care.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 38
ABBREVIATIONS
BOS—Board of Supervisors
CAO—County Administrator's Office
CBOs—Community-Based Organizations
CDD—County Community Development Department
CoCB—County Homeless Continuum of Care Advisory Board
COHP—County Office of Homeless Programs
CRA—City Redevelopment Agency
CSAS—County Community Substance Abuse Services Division
FBO—Faith-Based Organization
HA—Housing Authority
HHISN—Health, Housing, and Integrated Services Network
HICC—Homeless Inter-Jurisdictional Coordinating Council
HSD—County Health Services Department
MHD—County Mental Health Division
WIB /WIA—Workforce Investment Board/Workforce Investment Act
SSD—Social Services Department
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 39
A. EMPLOYMENT, INCOME, AND ASSETS
"With the wonderful economy in the Bay Area, [the homelessness] situation is getting
better, right? No. It's getting worse."
John Gioia, Contra Costa County Supervisor
OVERVIEW
For someone earning minimum wage in Contra Costa County, 138 hours of work a week would
be required to rent a two-bedroom unit(that's nearly 20 hours of work a day). A gap this wide is
a recipe for homelessness. To rent the same apartment on forty hours a week,a tenant must
make at least$18.94 an hour, what would be equivalent to 329 percent of the minimum wage
(National Low Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach, 2001). In recent years, many jobs no
longer pay enough to cover local housing expenses. Earnings trends suggest that the situation, if
it is left alone, may get much worse. The earnings of the lowest-paid workers have continued to
fall in the last twenty years(while those making the highest salaries increase their earnings every
year). In 1979, workers at the bottom tenth percentile of all wage earners made$6.52 an hour.
By 1998, the hourly wage had dropped to$5.84." Families receiving welfare are also in an
unsustainable position. According to the Contra Costa County CaIWORKS Housing Assistance
Action Plan &Implementation Strategy, the 2,483 families enrolled in the CalWORKS program
earn $897.16 a month on average. That amount is less than 30 percent of the Area Median
Income, placing the county's CalWORKS families squarely into the category of extremely low-
income earners.
Contra Costa County is committed to providing employment and income services that will result
in positive outcomes for people who are homeless in the form of higher wages and a stronger
purchasing power. Preparing homeless people for work and, at the same time, developing new
job opportunities will remain significant elements in the county's strategy over the next five
years.
This Plan will build on the strength of current efforts in Contra Costa County funded by several
sources and involving numerous programs. In 1995, the Contra Costa Economic Partnership was
created to take steps to set county policy, improve the existing infrastructure, and to develop new
jobs. Employment programs that make up a part of the social service safety net should identify
the clients who are at risk of homelessness. CalWORKS gives job placement support and post-
hiring training to welfare recipients who face the most serious barriers to work such as illiteracy,
mental and physical disabilities,drug addiction,and the lack of work experience. However,
CalWORKS programs have only limited services for clients who become homeless. Yet, such
mainstream programs—like Cal WORKS—have not begun to work with clients who become
homeless, and until they do, the homeless service providers will be forced to manage
homelessness and neglect concerted efforts to end it.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County i-fomeless.Continuum of Care Plan 40
EMPLOYMENT AND INCOMES: COHESIVE STRATEGY
Provide Employment Opportunities and Income Supports to Homeless People in Order to
Enable People to Afford Housing and Retain Employment.
These recommendations focus on expanding key employment services that enable people to
address the issues interfering with their ability to maintain stable employment. The goal is both
to help prepare homeless people for work as well as to assist them in finding and retaining
profitable employment. The regional multi-service centers will be staffed to provide
employment services. This includes recommendations for exploring connections with
employers,services helping people learn on the job, and removing barriers that often keep people
from being successful employees. Also included here are recommendations to help homeless
people access income supports that can supplement incomes. Finally, it is recommended that the
homeless service providers assist local public social support systems to track the number of
clients who become homeless.
Objectives: To enable homeless, and formerly homeless,people to find well paying
employinent and save enough money to afford housing within their communities.
To access all available incoine supports and provide any additional support that
community-based organizations have not utilized.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
OVERVIEW
Job training and work placement are county priorities in its strategy to provide homeless people a
chance to enter the workforce and become economically self-sufficient. Workers in very-low
income occupations earn less now then they did ten years ago, and consequently, service
providers are seeing higher numbers of working people seeking homeless services. The incomes
of people in the bottom 20% of earners have always hovered on the brink of inadequacy. Yet, up
to ten years ago, the average wage of this group improved along with the entire workforce over
the years. Things changed in the 1990s; between 1995 and 1997, incomes of the poorest 20%
fell while incomes of other earners continued to rise.
An increase in the number of available positions, if they pay the same wages, will not boost the
position of working homeless people—better skilled workers will. If a homeless person with a
job can gain experience and develop marketable skills, they will be more likely to demand better
pay. With unemployment hovering near to 4.0% for the last five years, a skilled, formerly
homeless person could find a welcoming reception in the job market.
STRATEGY:
Strengthen efforts to prepare homeless people for employment that will be sufficient for
living independently by integrating life skills and vocational training with job programs
and by providing support to clients.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 41
Priorities:
A. Strengthen and expand efforts to prepare homeless people to enter the workforce.
B. Expand County programs that reinforce the connection between housing and
employment.
C. Maintain and expand adult learning and literacy programs.
PRIORITYA:
Strengthen and expand efforts to prepare homeless people to enter the workforce.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:'
1. Strengthen vocational training first. Options include training for jobs in childcare,
machine operation, cooking, welding, computer repair, and heating and air conditioning
repair. Give educational vouchers for vocational school —such as truck driving school,
welding school, travel agent school, and real estate sales school.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
2. Maintain and expand in-house job programs. In permanent supportive housing across
the county, offer more in-house jobs with rigorous clear job descriptions. Strengthen the
residential culture to prepare formerly homeless unemployed individuals for a successful
transition into the competitive job market. These jobs should be the entry point into three
tiers of jobs. The first tier, for the individuals with the most barriers, will include in-
house jobs connected to supportive housing with a strong residential culture. The second
tier will include positions at agency businesses. The final tier will be placement with
case management in the competitive job market.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
3. Give pre-employment support. Provide intensified pre-employment support including
work culture orientation and literacy training provided by volunteers and current staff.
Expand services on resume preparation,job search and placement support, and design a
mentor system to track job retention. Provide homeless workers special services such as
instructions for filing applications and creating resumes and mock interviews.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
4. Ensure WIA/WIB One-Slops provide information and referrals,job listings, resume
services and linkages to life skills support and basic education.
1 Implementation Priorities. HIGH PRIORITY means the action step should be implemented in Years 1-2,MEDIUM
PRIORITY means implementation during Years 3-5 and LOW PRIORITY means implementation in the future.
2001-2006,Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 42
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
5. Offer workplace training for formerly homeless and at-risk TANI• recipients. Track
people eligible for TANF and provide pre-employment skills education and workplace
culture training so they can realistically achieve work readiness and employment goals
adequate for self-sufficiency.
PRIORITY B:
Expand county programs that reinforce the connection between housing and employment.
ACTION STEPS
MEDIUM PRIORITIES:
1. Increase the use of pre-employment training in tandem with temporary and permanent
housing developments.
2. Create a rental subsidies program that is administered as part of employment training
programs and offer access to employment training and placement services.
PRIORITY C.-
Maintain
.Maintain and expand adult learning and literacy programs.
ACTION STEPS
NIGH PRIORITY:
1. Maintain adult education services. Maintain the level of adult education offered in the
transitional shelters. Maintain the funding of the Adult Homeless Education program of
the County's Office of Education.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
2. Expand adult education and increase flexibility. Create new education and
educational programs for adults who are illiterate or left high school without graduating.
Any new adult education must have the flexibility and accessibility to allow for
individualized and small group instruction. Instructors will teach students with respect to
foster a strong sense of self-esteem in each student.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
3. Increase strength of existing case management programs. Link literacy programs
with case management services to include needs assessment, to set educational goals, to
access other services, and to monitor clients' progress. The providers will continue to use
managers who were previously homeless.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
4. Incorporate life skills into literacy. Use individual learning plans to document student
needs,education goals, and plan activities_ Computer-assisted instruction, emphasizing-
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Ilomeless Continuum of Care Plan 43
life skills and critical thinking should be included in programs that provide wrap-around
services for dually diagnosed homeless individuals. Wake County,North Carolina has
published examples of their lesson plans, which combine life skills and literacy.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
5. Connect literacy programs with services. Use staff from other local services and from
non-profits to help in literacy instruction. Link courses with shelters. Contact libraries to
coordinate training with library staff.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
OVERVIEW
Contra Costa County is devoted to developing new employment opportunities for low-income
and homeless individuals. Most of this work,however, is limited to urban areas in West County.
As part of the strategy to expand the employment base, local redevelopment agencies offer
resources and technical assistance to existing businesses in redevelopment areas. The county
initiates redevelopment by adopting a community plan,which can cover code enforcement,
housing rehabilitation,new construction, and improvements in the infrastructure. A successful
employment development program assists homeless people in small but profitable
entrepreneurial ventures. Other job opportunities have been explored with private businesses
that agree to take on people who are homeless and people with physical disabilities.
STRATEGY:
Expand well paying employment opportunities for people who are currently or formerly
homeless by planning with employers and integrating advancements into job placement
services.
ACTION STEPS
Low PRIORITY:
1. Maintain Employer-Agency Relationships. Approach the largest employers in
Pittsburg, Martinez and Concord and propose that they take a lead in forming a nonprofit
organization to train unemployed or underemployed homeless people in local trades
where the demand for labor is high. Use work currently done with Chevron as a model of
future relationships. Explore the feasibility of hiring staff to work as employment
brokers to stimulate interest in the local industry for training programs designed for
homeless people. Provide support for supervisors, including links to nonprofit case
managers to assist with difficulties between the employer and the employees. Provide
financial incentives for the first three to six months of employment to encourage
participation and training. Interview the heads of manufacturing companies in the
county's urban areas to learn about manufacturers' hiring priorities. This work would
supplement rather than duplicate efforts already made by local offices for Economic
Development. Contact and create an early warning system to identify firms that are at
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 44
risk of going out of business or relocating outside of the County. Assist manufacturers to
find appropriate sites for operation or expansion and securing building permits. Design
agency funded training programs with manufacturers to provide the company a reliable,
industry-trained labor pool.
Low PRIORITY:
2. Integrate job advancement into job placement services. Expand the current job
placement services to include a range of internship and apprenticeship opportunities,
encouraging private businesses to train and employ homeless people in the county.
Adopt a progressive model of employment for people who are homeless consisting of no
less than three tiers of job placement. For the individuals with the most barriers, offer in-
house job programs connected to supportive housing with a strong residential culture.
Track in-house employees until they are ready for agency businesses before being placed
in the competitive job market.
HIGH PRIORITY.
3. Offer financial incentives to businesses that hire and train people who are homeless.
Offer wage and tax credits and grants to employers who will hire people enrolled in
services by paying the costs of training and supervising workers without experience.
Offer a stipend of$500 after the first six months and provide a $1,000 stipend if the term
of employment lasts twelve months. All funds will be given to the employer to pay to the
employee, thereby promoting the relationship at the workplace.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
4. Expand the number of livable wage jobs for very-low income and homeless people
through additional social-purpose businesses that employ homeless people.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
S. Adopt three tiers in homeless employment programs with in-house employment,
nonprofit enterprises, and the competitive job market. Operate job placement
services in three tiers according to client's experience, stability, and the ability to adjust
to a workplace environment_ For individuals with the greatest barriers to employment,
offer in-house jobs connected to supportive housing with a strong residential culture.
Track in-house employees until they are ready for jobs at nonprofit operated businesses.
Case managers will recommend the competitive job market for clients when they are
ready to apply.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 45
WORKER SUPPORT SERVICES
OVERVIEW
With the advent of Welfare Reform and the subsequent CaIWORKS programs, government
assistance now depends on the consumer's ability to obtain and keep a position in the workforce.
Under the restrictions and time limits imposed by Welfare Reform, comprehensive countywide
support for people moving from joblessness into the workforce is an essential element to
reducing homelessness.
Support services for people looking for work must provide assistance in a variety of ways. The
progress of single working mothers can often be stifled by domestic violence. People who are
first time employees have a special need for financial support to supplement their incomes. In
addition, incomes of new employees are often inadequate to pay for housing and basic
necessities, and the possibility of returning to homelessness is a serious risk. In order to
successfully make the transition from homelessness to a life of employment and self-sufficiency,
many people will utilize these supports temporarily while they secure a job that pays a living
wage.
STRATEGY:
Enable people who are homeless and living with barriers to work to overcome their
difficulties and find success on the job by accessing income supports and offering assistance
to fragile people.
Priorities:
A. Expand programs providing people who are homeless access to existing public
benefits and providing skills to manage these benefits.
Q. Maintain a minimum level of income supports for those not making a living wage
under the Work First paradigm,and assist new members of the work force to find
necessary income supports.
C. Identify and alleviate the major barriers to employment for homeless individuals
with special needs.
D. Ensure life skills programs can meet the needs within the county while
maintaining a flexible,dignified service.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County homeless Continuum of Care Plan 46
PRIORITY A:
Expand programs providing people who are homeless access to existing public benefits and
providing skills to manage these benefits.
ACTION STEPS
NIGH PRIORITIES:
1. Expand Individual Development Account(IDA) programs targeted.for homeless
clients at job placement sites. IDA programs help homeless people save money for
housing, and even provides matching funds to help low income people reach their
financial goals more rapidly. These programs have had a successful beginning in several
local programs. In order to open these services to additional homeless people, it is
recommended that IDA programs begin at job placement sites, which do not yet offer
such services.
MEDIUM.PRIORITY:
2. Fund legal services to help more homeless people apply for SSI,and help assist SSI
recipients barred for substance abuse reapply under alternative categories. Also, have
county service providers screen GA cases for potential SSI eligibility with benefits clinics
in the shelters. Finally, provide training and technical assistance on SSI and VA benefits
for case managers.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
3. Improve the capacity of the payees who receive funds on the behalf of the social
security system. Federal law requires that payees receive SSI grants, a system that has
led to abuse and lacks a level of dignity that ought to be a basic part of serving SSI
recipients. Payees will be screened for experience in working with clients with special
needs.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
4. Training for medical providers on the SSI. application process. Every year, medical
providers, psychologists and any other professional who works with people seeking
mental health services must attend one course on the eligibility requirements of federal
laws and the forms necessary to receive aid. Every office given mental health advice
must have the Social Security manual on serving people who are homeless.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
5. Expand county money management programs to include a volunteer pool of tax
preparers who would help homeless people apply for current and past federal Earned
Income Tax Credits(FITC). Establish training and produce technical assistance
materials regarding FITC applications for case managers.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 47
PRIORITY B:
Maintain a minimum level of income supports for those not making a living wage under the
Work First paradigm, and assist new members of the work force to find necessary income
supports.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
Create a privately-funded income-subsidy trust and a privately-funded tuition trust focused
exclusively on homeless services. Establish a pool of funding from alternative sources to
provide technical assistance and actual benefits to homeless persons. Funds could be in the form
of hotel and food vouchers, rental subsidies,and other need-based expenses for those who are
not eligible for other public benefit programs or who are awaiting approval..
PRIORITY C.
Identify and alleviate the major barriers to employment for homeless individuals with
special needs.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
Provide domestic violence assessment and sensitivity workshops to services providers who work
at job placement and training programs. Expand current domestic violence programs into a
community-wide response strategy with visible and accessible services to victims at the
neighborhood level. Have service providers develop tools and techniques to serve client needs.
Create new ties between safe haven workers and job counselors and trainers.
PRIORITY D:
Ensure life skills programs can meet the needs within the county while maintaining a
flexible,dignified service.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. Maintain current levels of life skills services. Maintain the case management and life
skills services provided in existing homeless programs. Workshops on life skills cover
topics such as parenting, money management, nutrition, adult literacy, pre-employment
education,and apartment hunting.
RIGID PRIORITY:
2. Implement programs for homeless non-custodial fathers. Help non-custodial fathers
become more engaged as parents with counseling on legal and child support obligations.
In conjunction with the program,offer counseling on peer mentoring,anger management,
homeless services,and substance abuse.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County I lomeless Continuum of Care Plan 48
HIGH PRIORITY:
3. Foster dignity in case management and training programs. Expand case management
staffing to lower workloads. Staff sensitivity training could be conducted on a quarterly
basis, using different local advocacy groups to lead each session. The quality of these
services can also be improved by developing specific standards and criteria to guide case
managers in their work.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County 1-lomeless Continuum of Care Plan 49
B. OUTREACH AND HEALTH SERVICES
OVERVIEW
Homelessness is an agent of disease. People experiencing homelessness have the greatest need
for health care though they are among the least likely to receive treatment; they live in the
crucible of the street, in the elements, exposed to countless illnesses, and are easy targets for the
sources of drugs and violence.
The link between homelessness and health problems was established by a 1988 study by the
National Academy of Sciences;homeless people were 60 percent more likely to be hospitalized
each year than a member of the general population."' The prevalence of physical trauma
among homeless people has far outpaced the general population in deaths,hospitalizations, and
the incidence of rape and emergency room visits. Often wearing inadequate clothing and with
nowhere to go no matter what the weather, homeless people experience a high rate of heat stroke,
heat exhaustion and hypothermia. Skin infestations, lice, scabies, and peripheral vascular
diseases such as edema spread quickly due to poor hygiene and crowded living conditions.
Those who must forage in trashcans to live are plagued by food poisoning.
The expense of homelessness in a community is felt as much in the area of health care services
as in any other. With such a high rate of illness, homeless people are more likely to use the most
expensive health care services. At any given time, homeless people use one-fourth of all
inpatient hospital beds.""' According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine,
hospital visits by homeless people average four days longer than visits by non-homeless people.
That is approximately$2,414 more for every hospital visit."v A report done in Hawaii on
hospital admissions revealed that 1,751 homeless adults were responsible for 564
hospitalizations and $4 million in admission cost."' The rate of hospitalizations for psychiatric
care for a homeless person was 100 times more than non-homeless patients. Researchers
estimated that the cost was close to $2,000 per patient_
The long delay between onset and treatment is the cause of the number of health effects with
unusual severity recorded among homeless people. Shelter populations that receive little health
care are stricken by epidemics more often—in a 1988 study, 12% of shelters experienced an
epidemic of a diarrhea( disease."" Nights spent in the shelters and on the streets can exacerbate
chronic illnesses such as hypertension, cardiac failure, arthritis, bronchitis, and pulmonary
disease.
The traditional subpopulalions of homeless people—people physically or mentally disabled,
alcoholics, drug users, the elderly and children—have little prospect of escaping homelessness
without adequate health care. Homelessness poses a terrible threat to these populations,and
many are at risk of permanent injury. Children, for example, have less developed immunities to
bacteria, are at a heightened risk of becoming victims of violence and are unable to withstand
toxins. Moreover, premature births and prenatal drug exposure occur at higher rates among
homeless people and often result in permanent defects and higher rates of infant mortality.""
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 51
The fundamental principles of an effective service delivery system have been well established; _
these include outreach, accessible regional locations, a range of services,and a knowledgeable
medical staff. The county currently has a mobile medical outreach team run by Health Care for
the Homeless to treat sicknesses at the earliest opportunity. There are only eleven clinics that see
homeless clients across the county five days a week. The number of drug and alcohol treatment
centers has fallen in the last five years,and there are a limited number of mental health service
providers in the county. Besides the limited services, health service agencies invest very little in
homeless programs—one-twentieth of one percent of the HHS budget supports Health Care for
the Homeless, SAMHSA and homeless and runaway youth programming."'iii
HEALTH SERVICES: COHESIVE STRATEGY
Improve Access to Health Care Services for People in Crisis
The recommendations contained in this section address the need to expand the accessibility of
health services to help people avoid the threat of illness. This includes expanding the number of
mental health professionals and combining the regional mental health clinics with the regional
multi-service centers. This goal also calls for greater access to drug and alcohol treatment
programs for people within the homeless service system. In addition, new efforts must be made
to alleviate the conditions that lead to a high incidence of disease and infestation among
homeless people.
Objective: To enable people to avoid health crises, thereby preventing homelessiiess and
assisting those already homeless to regain their housing.
PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CARE AND TREATMENT
OVERVIEW
People experiencing homelessness have the greatest need for health care though they are
among the least likely to receive treatment. Currently,each region within Contra Costa
County is home to one county health center. Additional medical services are offered at the
Richmond Souper Center and the Bay Point Wellness Center. However, many homeless
people suffer from untreated ailments and are eventually hospitalized. Providing medical aid
to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness will help them avoid the crisis
situations that prevent them from stabilizing their lives and reentering the community. By
treating illnesses early, hospitals will be able to reduce the number of inpatient beds occupied
by people who are living on the street and have developed critical illnesses. Prevention
measures will also benefit most people who are homeless.
In the next five years, the county will improve the delivery system of current services to
homeless people through training and organization. In addition, efforts to prevent and alleviate
the harmful effects of the physical and social environment of homelessness will be intensified to
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 52
reduce the incidence of diseases and infestations that are so difficult to control among homeless
populations.
STRATEGY:
Intensify efforts to alleviate the harmful effects of the physical and social environment of
homelessness to reduce the incidence of disease and infestation that can have detrimental
health effects on people at-risk of homelessness.
Priorities:
A. Open up general healthcare services to people experiencing homelessness through
advocacy,outreach and sensitivity training.
B. Prevent the spread of disease and the severity of illnesses among homeless people
by providing information on health and hygiene, by offering early treatment,and
by bringing services to the patients.
C. Increase medical treatment available to homeless people by eliminating traditional
barriers to services, expanding existing services, and treating the most prevalent
health problems found on the street.
PRIORITYA:
MEDIUM PRIORITY:1
Open up general healthcare services to people experiencing homelessness through
advocacy, outreach and sensitivity training.
Utilize state Medicaid (Medi-Cal). Advocate for the expansion of eligibility criteria for
health care to extend to all homeless people. Help people utilize Medicaid(Medi-Cal).
With the coming of TANP, the Social Security Administration has seen a drop in the
number of people collecting Medicaid that coincides with the reduction of the federal
welfare roles. Why have the number of Medicaid recipients fallen with the welfare roles?
It is because people who are no longer eligible for welfare mistakenly believe that they
cannot receive assistance under Medicaid. It is a question of understanding Medicaid
eligibility, and in the next five years, case managers and program directors will work to
ensure people eligible for Medicaid understand they have an entitlement.
PRIORITY B:
NIGH PRIORITY:
Prevent tate spread of disease and the severity of illnesses among homeless people by
providing information on health and hygiene, by offering early treatment, and by bringing
services to the patients.
1 Implementation Priorities. HIGH PRIORITY means the action step should be implernented in Years 1-2,MEDIUM
PRIORITY means implementation during Years 3-5 and Low PRIORITY means implementation in the future.
200t-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 53
Develop a public education campaign to promote prevention. Provide homeless people
and service providers information on birth control,and on avoiding lice,scabies,
preventing HIV/AIDs, hepatitis, Tuberculosis, and STDs. Health Care for the Homeless
should approach people in food lines, at lunchrooms, in congregate living facilities, and
at schools to help them become aware of the causes and consequences of these ailments.
PRIORITY C:
Inerease medical treatment available to homeless people by eliminating traditional barriers
to services,expanding existing services, and treating the most prevalent health problems
found on the street.
ACTION STEPS
MEDIUM.PRIORITY:
1. Provide respite for hospital discharges. Local hospitals discharge patients who have
no permanent residence long before they are strong enough to survive on the street.
Within each regional service cluster there is a need for beds dedicated to people
recovering from illnesses and in need of medical attention. When these facilities are
developed, they will take referrals from the hospitals and provide a place to rest,and help
maximize nutrition for stays of up to 20 days.
HIGH PRIORITY:
2. Expand primary care in service regions. Strengthen overall medical services available
in multi-service centers. Expand health care to include:
✓ testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases
✓ birth control
✓ prenatal care—Provide outreach at government institutions to prevent homelessness at
time of discharge. Offer a broad range of integrated services from existing service
providers including substance abuse and mental health.
✓ pediatric care
✓ dental care—Provide vouchers and referrals to treatment for people living in the
shelters. Provide toothbrushes and toothpaste and descriptions of the affect
methamphetamines have on teeth and what a user can do to mitigate those effects.
Solicit dentists to provide care on a pro bono basis.
✓ podiatric care
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 54
MENTAL HEALTH: OUTREACH, TREATMENT
OVERVIEW
Any community seeking to end homelessness must address the needs of people chronically
living in the shelters and on the streets. Very few chronically homeless individuals are ever
likely to pay for housing through employment. Many could be dually diagnosed with mental
health issues and chemical dependencies. One study has demonstrated that there is a prevalence
of comorbidity—the combination of a mental illness and drug abuse—in the homeless
population."' In this report,42 percent of all homeless drug abusers could be diagnosed with a
mental illness.
Internal barriers, such as fear and denial, are very strong among dually diagnosed homeless
people. The persistent denial of personal health issues has been documented among people who
are dually diagnosed.xl The source of this reluctance may be the fear of losing control of their
lives by risking medical treatment. Some have admitted that they are afraid of being arrested and
mistreated during services. Others fear losing their children to Child Protective Services.
Currently,access to Contra Costa County mental health services is extremely limited and there is a
threat of a further reduction in services. There is an increasing need to involve the mainstream
service providers such as recipients of the Mental Health Performance Partnership Block Grant, the
Community Health Centers, Medicaid, Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with
Disabilities Program,and Veterans Medical Centers. In the homeless service system, only people
who are diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental health disorder and are at-risk of
hospitalization can obtain services. People with significant mental health disorders often fall short
of this diagnosis, and people with situational disorders are even less likely to find services.
County-funded mental health services targeted specifically for people who are homeless or at-risk of
homelessness include the three regional health service centers and the Antioch emergency shelter
operated by Phoenix Programs. In addition, the Health Care for the Homeless team's mental health
treatment specialist visits a variety of sites, including Contra Costa County's emergency shelters,
providing assessment and individual counseling. No diagnosis is required for these services.
The strategy over the next five years will focus on engagement through intensive outreach. This
program will establish a trusting relationship with clients that have largely been ignored in the
past. The outreach services will be the entry-point for a continuum of care leading to permanent
housing for homeless people with mental disabilities. The continuum will increase
communication and teamwork among providers and ultimately end cases of chronic
homelessness that have lasted for years.
STRATEGY:
Expand access to mental health services for people who are homeless or at-risk of
homelessness. This includes both those who have a severe mental health disability and
those in need of services to cope with a specific life crisis,such as homelessness.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 55
Priorities:
A. Expand outreach services to act as the entry point for the mental health continuum
of care of Contra Costa County.
B. Create a dignified, professional and comprehensive treatment service for people
who are homeless and mentally ill—integrate existing services into a seamless
continuum of care.
C. Increase efficiency and hours of operation at the mental health facilities by
combining the regional mental health clinics with the regional multi-service
centers.
PRIORITYA:
Expand outreach services to act as the entry point for the mental health Continuum of
Care of Contra Costa County.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. Expand outreach programs in existing services. Expand and unify existing programs
within each service region to conduct outreach to people who usually are not served.
Expand the outreach team of Health Care for the Homeless by integrating the Project
HOPE design. Allow outreach workers to use funds to purchase small goods or services
in order to build the confidence of homeless people who are slow to trust providers.
HIGH PRIORITY:
2. Coordinate with the social service institutions. Coordinate programs with the police
force, the mental health hospitals,county hospitals, private physicians, and correctional
institutions. Seek members from programs receiving funds from the Mental Health
Performance Partnership Block Grant, Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block
Grant, and the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Person with Disabilities Program.
Recommend that these mainstream programs track every client's housing status and keep
a record of the number of clients who are,or become,homeless.
Designate one homeless outreach officer within each law enforcement agency who will.
be responsible for working with the county's social service network and establish referral
protocols to help him guide other law enforcement officers. Establish a working group
with hospital staff to record the rate of homeless people with mental illnesses served.
Establish ties with courts and district attorneys to assist homeless people with mental
illnesses before they are prosecuted and jailed.
Low PRIORITY:
3. Recruit pro bono psychiatrists for outreach. Start a volunteer program to include
psychiatrists who work for a variety of agencies to serve homeless mentally ill on a pro
bono basis. Seek funding from the American Psychiatric Foundation. The project will
work concurrently with homeless service providers and the regional service centers.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 56
PRIORITY B:
Create a dignified, professional and comprehensive treatment service for people who are
homeless and mentally ill—integrate existing services into a seamless continuum of care.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. Provide mental health services that are integrated with housing and homeless
services. Identify financial sources to provide counseling services(e.g.,group,
individual and anger management counseling) in housing and service sites. Develop
more supportive housing designed for clients with mental health disabilities.
HIGH PRIORITY:
2. Increase the range of services for mental health treatment. Services will include a
range of new treatment and early intervention services. The new services should focus
on making early interventions to avert additional suffering and avoid hospitalization.
Psychiatric care and access to psychotropic medication should also be provided.
HIGH PRIORITY:
3. Ensure that the mental health system of care is able to accommodate dually
diagnosed patients. Ensure intensive case management is available for those dually
diagnosed. Integrate treatment and create treatment phases, including group sessions.
Keep clinicians abreast of new theories, practices, and procedures by making available
continuing education classes; provide longitudinal training for all continuum clinicians.
Services should be tailored to deliver the finest system of care possible. Contact patient
families and friends to try to involve people the patient knows on a personal level.
Doctors and service providers should be trained in cultural sensitivity and on the
relevance of culture for the various clients they see. Provide facilities with the means to
offer clients substitute activities to replace addictions.
HIGH PRIORITY:
4. Design the system of care to accommodate children. Many children suffering from
mental illnesses have few resources. Design the system of care to accommodate children.
Medical professionals working on a volunteer basis could supplement current staff.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 57
ALCOHOL AND DRUG TREATMENT
OVERVIEW
One of the most insurmountable health barriers to a stable life continues to be addictions to
chemical substances: chemical dependency can trap homeless people in a pattern of extreme self-
neglect
elfneglect and a learned indifference that can lead to years of lost opportunity. Homeless service
providers see a high number of chemically dependent clientele; SHELTER, Inc., Reach Plus
required treatment for 39 of 82 clients in the first four months of 2001. In Contra Costa County,
there are approximately 45 detox beds and over 200 drug and alcohol treatment beds, including
48 beds for families. In addition,there are 151 clean and sober transitional housing beds,
including 25 for families, and 53 transitional housing beds for people who are dually diagnosed
with a mental health disability. These beds serve all county residents and are not specifically set-
aside for people who are homeless. This is not enough capacity to serve nearly 1,000 people
who are homeless on any given night and in need of alcohol and drug treatment. Almost 200
people are dually diagnosed with a mental health disability, including over 65 adults who are in
families with children.
STRATEGY:
Expand access and success of substance abuse programs in treating homeless people by
providing accommodations for families and follow-up services.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. Expand the number of treatment beds for drug and alcohol treatment services
within Contra Costa County.
HIGH PRIORITY:
2. Expand the provision of beds for children at treatment centers. Expand the provision
of lodging for children at residential treatment programs so that mothers do not choose
between treatment and family separation. A possible alternative to keeping families
together at the service location is offering drug treatment to outpatients. It is
recommended that a program combining outpatient services with intensive case
management and rental subsidies be established. The rental subsidy would be for one
year,giving the family time to go through treatment and get back on stable footing. The
family would be able to access the treatment needed,obtain stable housing and receive
assistance in addressing other ancillary needs, such as employment and money
management.
HIGH PRIORITY:
3. Address the housing and service needs of homeless people who have completed drug
and alcohol treatment programs. Address the need for follow-up services after
completion-of a treatment program, including assistance in finding permanent housing,
2001-2006 Contra Costa County i iomeless Continuum of Care Plan 58
r
1(
.p
! case management, and continuing support groups, in order to help people both regain and
maintain stable housing and stay clean and sober.
Target beds at county operated residential treatment programs, for people who are dually
diagnosed as part of the new Continuum of Care for people with mental disabilities.
HIGH PRIORITY:
4. Maintain or expand the variety of treatment options for the service providers in the
Continuum of Care.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County I lorneless Continuum of Care Plan 59
C. SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
OVERVIEW
"Today most American communities plan how to manage homelessness—not how to end it."
Services are necessary for many homeless people,but homeless services must not become a
method of managing homelessness. Education,childcare, food, and clothing—this is a list of
services everyone in the community uses. It is unreasonable to expect a segment of the
population to get them exclusively from the homeless service system.
The homeless service system in Contra Costa County focuses on short-term support to assist
every individual to move into permanent housing. The resources for basic supportive services
have rapidly grown in the last five years: basic needs expanded to new levels, outreach begun for
many of the hardest-to-serve homeless populations, and the county's once piecemeal Continuum
of Care was reorganized into three regional service clusters.
Within each service cluster,homeless services have become collective efforts between public,
private,and faith-based organizations to shorten the experience of homelessness. Now, at the
heart of the county's Continuum of Care, the regional multi-service centers have measured up to
the challenge of serving large portions of the county. The Greater Richmond Interfaith Program
Souper Center in Richmond and the Phoenix Programs Multi-Service Centers act as the regional
entry-points for intake and case management. Each is equipped to help new arrivals with
provisions for basic needs that include a supply of vouchers, stores of personal items,and on-site
services. The services in this system are often given as a package designed to equip clients with
everything they need to become stable as quickly as possible.
SUPPORT SERVICES: COHESIVE STRATEGY
Expand the Availability of Key Support Services to Enable People to Regain their Housing
or Prevcnt its Loss
These recommendations focus on expanding key support services that enable people to address
the issues interfering with their ability to maintain stable housing without delay. The goal is both
to help prevent homelessness as well as to assist those already homeless to regain their housing.
The regional multi-service centers will be developed to coordinate client access to the full
service continuum. This includes recommendations for expanding subsidized childcare and free
and low-cost transportation coordinated through the multi-service centers. Also included here
are recommendations to provide for the many needs of homeless youth and runaways.
Objectives: To make information about prevention services, emergency assistance, suppol"t
services and affordable housing more readily available to people in need, to
providers, and to the community at-large.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 61
To provide regionally coordinated access to a broad range ofservices in order to
both facilitate prevention of homelessness and shorten the length of time of any
homeless episode.
To enable people to meet their basic needs for shelter,food, hygiene and a place
to be, until they can move back into housing.
To access mainstream programs and to collect data on the incidence of
homelessness among the clients of mainstream providers, in order to facilitate
future planning efforts in the prevention of homelessness.
BASIC NEEDS
OVERVIEW
What are the chances of finding a job if you have no place to go to take a shower and you've
worn the same clothes for weeks? Finding a place to bathe,enough food, or even a phone is a
real challenge for anyone experiencing homelessness. Even in a county that provides a full range
of resources for someone who is homeless, it is likely to take the entire day to fulfill the most
fundamental needs. According to a HomeBase study, homeless individuals spend over 37 hours a
week simply obtaining life's necessities. In a community without provisions for food, clothing,
or personal hygiene, escaping homelessness would be nearly impossible.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness recently reported that most homeless people identify
their major needs as employment, housing,and financial support to pay rents, though they most
often receive clothing, transportation assistance and help in getting public benefits."" Many
support services provided tend to prolong homelessness or do nothing to shorten the homeless
experience. It is recommended that the multi-service center focus its efforts on providing the
services that can best prevent homelessness or end a homeless crisis.
STRATEGY:
Expand regional multi-service centers to provide coordinated access to the full service
continuum, including information and referrals, prevention services, emergency assistance,
basic hygiene services,and support services.
Priorities:
A. Initiate planning across the county to enhance multi-service centers and expand
the network of existing public, non-profit, and faith-based services linked through
the centers. This will include consideration of how to facilitate greater
coordination of service delivery and information-sharing among providers.
B. Maintain existing services at the multi-service centers and expand multi-service
programs to help alleviate any unmet need among people experiencing
homelessness. _
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 62
C. Integrate the regional multi-service centers with the county mental health service
centers.
D. Integrate housing to quickly place homeless people as soon as space becomes
available.
E. Improve and expand food programs to provide people who are homeless the
physical well-being necessary to successfully locate housing, find work, and
stabilize their lives.
PRIORITYA:
HIGH PRIORITY:'
Initiate planning across the county to enhance multi-service centers and expand the
network of existing public, non-profit and faith-based services linked through the centers.
The multi-service centers will continue to build up the existing community service
networks in the county's three regions. Every multi-service center in the county will
offer access to a broad range of services through a combination of on-site service
provision at the lead agencies and concrete linkages with other providers in the region.
Three services—information and referral, case management and drop-in services, and
showers and laundry—form the core of the multi-service center around which other
services will be added and integrated over time.
In addition to these core services, each multi-service center is developing into a service
hub that responds to local needs. The regions will improve local multi-service centers to
respond to the opportunities and needs in the communities they serve.
PRIORITY B:
Maintain existing services at the multi-service centers and expand multi-service programs
to help alleviate any unmet need among people experiencing homelessness.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. Create a package of basic services and expand rnulti-service centers.
(A) Began in 1996, the network of multi-service centers do not yet run at full capacity—
hours of operation are still limited to the work week for most, and a full range of services
are not yet available. In the next five years, the multi-service centers should expand in
the following ways:
1 Implementation Priorities. HIGH PRIORn,Y means the action step should be implemented in Years 1-2,MEDIUM
PRIORITY means implementation during Years 3-5 and Low PRIORITY means implementation in the future.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 63
✓ Begin the expansion to include mental health services, with a possible full-
time nurse that handles intake at the center
✓ Set up showers and bathrooms at each center
✓ Increase hours of operation to seven days a week
✓ Have bimonthly coordination between center staff and housing providers
✓ Expand employment referrals and on-site job and vocational education
services
✓ Train staff on services available to homeless youth
✓ Connect the centers with mainstream programs for data collection on the
number of clients who become homeless.
(B) Create a comprehensive homeless basic services package using resources at multi-service
centers and from public, private, and faith-based programs within the regional service
cluster. (Shelters provide similar services.) Services at the center could include meeting
all of the following basic needs:
• Crisis counseling
• Referral services to health care and other service needs
• Phone, mail boxes, postal supplies, voicemail, and phone cards.
• Storage space
• Showers and restroorns
• Clothing
• Personal needs kit.
2. Establish quality control for the multi-service centers. Create a system for quality
review for multi-service centers countywide. Quality control will be handled by the
Contra Costa County Continuum of Care Board.
PRIORITY C":
HIGH PRIORITY:
Integrate.the regional multi-service centers with the county mental health service centers.
Begin the process of integrating the mental health centers with the multi-service centers_ Two
systems of centers have developed in Contra Costa County: one is designed to serve homeless
people diagnosed with a severe mental illness; the other established three regional service
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 64
clusters for all homeless people in the county. Operating two separate systems is inefficient and
inconvenient for clients when they come to one center seeking services offered at another.
PRIORITYD:
Integrate housing to quickly place homeless people as soon as space becomes available.
ACTION STEPS
NIGH PRIORITIES:
1. Integrate current system. Integrate current housing placement programs countywide. .
Share funds to create one comprehensive system available to all service providers, multi-
service centers and housing providers.
2. Track the number of available beds and the number of people turned away at each
service location. These numbers will be used to evaluate housing needs among homeless
populations within each regional service cluster.
PRIORITY E:
Improve and expand food programs to provide people who are homeless the physical well-
being necessary to successfully locate housing, find work, and stabilize their lives.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. Maintain existing pantries and meal services. Maintain all existing free dining rooms,
food voucher programs,and grocery programs that benefit homeless children and adults.
Expand in underserved areas including East County and weekends in West County.
NIGH PRIORITY:
2. Access Federal Food Stamp Program. Have applications for food stamps available at
all locations that serve homeless people. Staff will be trained in the eligibility and
application requirements of the food starnp program. Question clients on their success
with the program.
Low PRIORITY:
3. Provide sensitivity training. Provide staff at food pantries and lunchrooms training in
treating clients with respect and professionalism. Educate staff to identify and
communicate with clients who suffer from mental disabilities and from developmental
disabilities-
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 65
TRANSPORTATION
OVERVIEW
This Plan is designed to meet its goal of providing transit that can be used by people who are
working and living in local shelters and transitional housing. However, devising a strategy that
is both feasible and effective is a major challenge in Contra Costa County. There are three major
population centers in the county separated from each other by great spans of largely undeveloped
land. In the next five years,government investment in rapid transit has been adjusted down from
the levels invested in the 1990s. Therefore, the Continuum of Care will focus on making the
most from the resources that are already in place, advocating for revised routes in the current bus
lines to get services to the shelter opportunities in the county. The Continuum of Care will also
seek limited and controlled bus pass discounts to help working homeless people with
transportation without duplicating aid and support provided by other programs they may access.
PRIORITY A:
Expand the number of homeless people who use rapid transit services within the county.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. County will advocate for routes that travel from low-income communities, including the
routes between shelters and business centers, especially for express buses.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
2. Advocate for more reverse commute bus lines at lower rates to help people living in the
urban centers to travel to jobs located in suburban areas.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
3. Offer discounted passes for clients in case management. Transit passes should be
distributed to support case management services and provide an economically feasible
way for homeless people to travel to work and service locations. The passes could be
administered through collaboration between the county and Transit Authority. To avoid
a large loss in resources,case managers could sell monthly passes for five dollars, and the
only people eligible for the discounts could be those who are homeless and receiving case
management services. The county could also cap the number sold each month.
YOUTH EDUCATION AND SERVICES
OVERVIEW
Homelessness means a loss in opportunity. People who are homeless suffer from illnesses and
are incarcerated at a higher rate than the general population. Children have the most opportunity
at stake in a homeless episode. The more time spent in homelessness, the more severe the loss is
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 66
likely to be. Startling statistics collected by the National Coalition to End Homelessness
included the following:
79%of 49 homeless children in NYC scored at or below the 10th percentile for
children of the same age in the general population (Fox 1990);
• 13% of 147 homeless students in the sixth grade scored at or above grade level in
reading ability, compared with 37%of all fifth graders taking the same test(Fox
1993);
• 43%of children of 163 homeless families were not attending school;
• Attendance rate for homeless students is 51% vs. 84% for the general population
(Mazy and Hall 1990);
• 15%of 368 homeless students were long-term absentee vs. 3.5%general
population(NYC Public Schools 1991).
In Contra Costa County,on any given day, there are an estimated 934 families with children who
are homeless on the streets, in emergency shelters, transitional housing,or temporarily doubled-
up with friends and family. As the number of employed homeless people continues to rise,
access to affordable childcare will continue to be one of the most pressing needs of families who
are homeless. When childcare becomes scarce, parents are less likely to find employment,
access training, and seek out support services. Although several childcare programs do serve
homeless families, few have the flexibility to accommodate the odd hours of employees in
service sector jobs. With many low-income families working in the service industry, the greatest
need is for childcare centers that can serve clients on weekends and evenings.
STRATEGY:
Expand the availability of childcare programs and utilize the supports for homeless
children that are available through the public schools.
Priorities:
A. Offer more childcare services to homeless people who work -especially for those
working evenings and weekends.
B. Serve homeless children through supports within the public school system and the
public social support systems in order to foster learning, improve attendance, and
Promote positive social interaction.
B. Design life skills services for homeless youth living on their own.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County homeless Continuum of Care Plan 67
PmRiTYA:
Offer more childcare services to homeless people who work-especially for those working
evenings and weekends.
ACTION STEPS
MEDIUM PRIORITIES:
1. Expand current programs to evening and weekend daycare. Advocate for the
expansion of resources and hours of childcare center operation to accommodate
employees who work in service sector occupations. Address need for the care of sick
children and infants,as well as for drop-in childcare services.
HIGH PRIORITY:
2. Maintain and expand homeless families' access to mainstream childcare programs.
Create collaborations between homeless service providers and mainstream childcare
providers. Survey licensed childcare providers to determine if any additional capacity
exists. Support child advocate programs, maintaining the existing child advocacy
programs that have helped homeless families find appropriate available childcare.
HIGH PRIORITY:
3. Push for increased funding. Advocate at the state and federal level for increased
childcare subsidies for children of all ages and ensure that families who are leaving
welfare receive transitional childcare. Lobby to ensure childcare subsidies for low-
income children have a percentage that is set aside for homeless children.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
4. Solicit new volunteers. Increase volunteer participation in childcare programs serving
homeless children to improve the ratio between staff and children and provide more on-
on-one attention.
PRIORITY B:
Serve homeless children through supports within the public school system in order to foster
learning, improve attendance, and promote positive social interaction.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. Advocate for continued McKinney Child Education funding. Identify and advocate
for continued federal funds to support existing education programs in East and Central
County while maintaining the work done in West County. Work with the county to
ensure that it is applying for all available funds and that it allocates funds appropriately.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 68
NIGH PRIORITY:
2. Advocate for the Title I set-aside in school districts. Title 1 funding used by school
districts mandates an allocation of part of the school budget for children of homeless
families. Advocate to ensure that this money is being used efficiently and effectively.
HIGH PRIORITY:
3. Inform case managers and teachers.To improve supports within the classroom,
provide teachers with workshops on shelter procedures and dignity issues. Establish
cross training between school district personnel and case managers. Expediate the
enrollment of homeless children to minimize time away from school. Supply all school
staff serving homeless children with resource directories to make appropriate referrals for
services.
HIGH PRIORITY:
4. Avoid switching schools. When a family becomes homeless, allow children to remain in
the same school throughout the school year even when a family moves to a different
district. Provide the family transportation to enable the child to continue at the same
school. The absence of continuity has been shown to affect student performance; by
facilitating attendance in one school, teachers can foster student learning in a stable
classroom environment.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
5. Seek more supplies and tutors. Organize a volunteer donation program to collect and
distribute books and school supplies to homeless children. Expand existing tutor
programs to serve more students.
PRIORITY C:
Design life skills services for liomeless youth living on their own (including emancipated
children under 18,children from 18—25,and those aging out of foster care).
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. Equip homeless youth services for the full continuum of care. Expand homeless
youth services to provide vocational assessment and counseling, educational counseling,
and life skills training to help young people overcome the causes of homelessness.
HIGH PRIORITY:
2. Support group home children. Provide an organized service package for young adults
graduating from group homes and foster care. Before they leave on their own, connect
them with job placement and pre-employment services. rind transitional housing slots
for children without an income sufficient to secure housing.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 69
HIGH PRIORITY:
3. Create life skills training for teen parents. Ask service providers to create a new life
skills program tailored for teen parents. Include childcare, money management, and pre-
employment training.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
4. Expand emancipation services. Increase emancipation services available to homeless
youth, such as informational flyers describing the significance of being emancipated and
legal aid that the youth can use to become emancipated.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 70
D. HOUSING & PREVENTION
"This is one of the wealthiest counties in the country,and still affordability is a problem at every
level."
County Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier
OVERVIEW
Is there any question that housing is a necessity of modern life? Family, safety, health,.
employment, self-worth, community involvement, daily human interaction—every aspect of our
existence will swiftly be derailed if we cannot find a place to stay, whether it is subsidized
housing,an apartment, or a townhouse. As our society's understanding of poverty evolves, we
are beginning to view access to habitable shelter"l'r`as a universal legal right and housing as the
most reliable measure of poverty, more accurate than the unemployment rate and more telling
than measures of wealth.
While housing is possibly the most important factor in the fight to end homelessness, scarcity has
reached a critical level. In Contra Costa County, according to the National Low Income Housing
Coalition, 45 percent of all renters cannot afford fair market rents, and wages of poor renters
have fallen by 19 percent since 1990. The margin of low-income renters to low-cost rental units
has recently reached a new high of two renters for every unit. The pace of construction has
lagged as well, and in the past ten years one-third of the needed units have been built compared
to previous decades, while job growth continues to attract new residents.
Leadership is needed to take on the housing crisis in Contra Costa County. Meanwhile,
homeless service providers and social service agencies will continue to design housing programs
that support homeless people. With housing as the most extensive component of the Continuum
of Care,collaboration with the mainstream is of the highest import. The responsibility of
mainstream service providers to work toward reducing homelessness has been highlighted
throughout this Plan and in the national response to homelessness. "Homeless people have a
substantial history of prior contact with health and human services, so these treatment providers
need to explore the housing status of clients.""" Mainstream social and health service providers
should not only establish the housing status of their clients, they must make a positive investment
in housing those who are homeless.
According to the director of the Contra Costa County Office of Homeless Programs, 84 units of
affordable housing opened in the last month of 2000. On the heels of an additional emergency
shelter, the service providers in Contra Costa County have demonstrated that they are prepared to
keep pace with demand. Contra Costa County is committed to maintaining a diverse and
complete continuum of housing that will make an impact in the effort to end homelessness. The
need for expanding the supply of affordable housing is imperative with so many searching for
housing and many more at risk of losing their homes as costs continue to rise. Affordable
housing developers and community based organizations are prepared to continue to build even in
the face of increasing funding uncertainties, especially in federal programs including Section 8
housing subsidies, Section 8 vouchers and certificates, the size of CDBG and HOME programs,
and the competitive process of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Horneless Continuum of Care Plan 71
HOUSING: COHESIVE STRATEGY
Expand Affordable Housing Options in Order to Enable Homeless People to Achieve Long-
Term Housing Stability
These recommendations focus on the development of a range of housing options that meet
people's income and service needs,thereby enabling them to achieve stable housing and
maximum self-sufficiency. Included here are recommendations for developing more permanent
housing affordable to people with the lowest incomes and expanding the supply of permanent
supportive housing for people with on-going service needs. Also included is a recommendation
aimed at addressing the barriers to the development of housing and services for people who are
homeless or who have low incomes. In addition, there are recommendations calling for the
provision of housing locator services to help people find and retain housing as well as the
expansion of rental assistance funds to help people cover rent during a time of crisis.
Objectives: To provide a range of housing options that meet the income and service needs of
homeless people, thus enabling long-term housing stability.
To assist homeless people in accessing housing.
PREVENTION
OVERVIEW
If Contra Costa County's vision of prevention services was fully realized, the incidence of
homelessness would be dramatically reduced. The range of prevention programs is as diverse as
the population that the Continuum of Care was designed to serve. These programs identify
individuals at the brink of homelessness and help them keep their homes with temporary support
until they can make it on their own. Statistics on quality of life—as published by the Federal
Interagency Council on the Homeless—show that the effort made to prevent homelessness is the
most cost effective and compassionate approach, and Contra Costa County is invested ill
implementing these strategies.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County I Iomeless Continuum of Care Plan 72
STRATEGY:
Prevent the homelessness that occurs through evictions from rentals and foreclosures on
low-income families that are at-risk of homelessness.
ACTION STEPS
NIGH PRIORITY:'
1. Support existing and new emergency rental assistance programs strictly for
preventing homelessness (Contra Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated Plan,p.
75). Maintain programs that provide emergency rental assistance and services that help
low-income renters and homeowners, who would otherwise become homeless, remain in
their homes.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
2. Expand the resources for emergency rental assistance programs. Providers that offer
emergency housing assistance should reconsider the necessity of any eligibility criteria
that is based on applicants' future income.
All local community-based organizations that provide case management to homeless
people should help clients become aware of programs such as the One-Time Emergency
Assistance Grants planned by the Contra Costa County Housing Assistance Alliance
(Contra Costa County CaIWORKS Housing Assistance Action Plan &Implementation
Strategy, 2000, p. 26).
HIGH PRIORITY:
3. Support creative strategies to locate,secure, and make available housing affordable to
homeless people. Expand the resources of case managers working with homeless people.
Provide additional funds to work with landlords to help place clients. New funding could
be used to guarantee rent payments and security deposits, create master leases, and
develop new relationships with landlords.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
3. Expand availability of homeless prevention services. Continue to include prevention
services as part of the comprehensive service package offered in referrals and direct
assistance at the local multi-service centers and transitional housing programs.
Prevention services include life skills training, money management, legal assistance, and
subsidies. Educate case managers and clients in homeless prevention.
Explore partnership possibilities for referrals to the county's Tenant Counseling
Programs(Contra Costa County CaIWORKS Housing Assistance Action Plan &
Implementation Strategy, 2000, p. 26).
1 Implementation Priorities. HIGII PRIORITY means the action step should be implemented in Years 1-2,MEDIUM
PRIORITY means implementation during Years 3-5 and LOW PRIORITY means implementation in the future.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 73
EMERGENCY SH-ELTER
OVERVIEW
For many homeless people that live on the street, safety is found in emergency shelter. Until
prevention strategies are fully funded, sheltering remains an indispensable component in the
Continuum of Care since emergency shelter beds can be provided in rooms,housing units,
hotels, and in dedicated rentals. Intake at a shelter is the first place of contact.for many people
who use homeless services—they often provide the most basic needs in one location whether it is
food,clothing, or an in-house job. In the three regional service clusters that make up Contra
Costa County, the demand for shelters extends to the chronically ill, to homeless families, to
individuals, and to winter shelter space. This Plan reflects these needs and is designed to provide
solutions for the gaps that remain in services across the county.
STRATEGY:
Provide an adequate supply of emergency housing assistance for families, pregnant teens,
youth,and individuals.
PRIORITYA:
Expand emergency housing assistance and respite care for homeless people (See Contra
Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated Plan, p. 74).
ACTION STEPS
NIGH PRIORITIES:
1. Develop emergency shelter space for homeless youth. Create emergency programs
targeted to address the special needs of youth leaving foster care, exiting the juvenile
justice system, or learning to survive on the street. Emergency programs should provide
priority to pregnant teens and have the resources for specialized support and security. A
social worker with Contra Costa County has identified pregnant homeless teens as an
extremely vulnerable and sorely under-served population in need of emergency housing
in every region of Contra Costa County.
(Low priority: Advocate for financing needed to develop and use the former military
property now eannarked for homeless families and youth.)
HIGH PRIORITY:
2. Develop emergency shelter opportunities for homeless families(large and small,
with teenagers and boys over 10,and single dads with children). Create emergency
temporary assistance that accommodates working families—with longer hours of
operation, in-house day care,and case managers who can provide employment
- counseling and support. -
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 74
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
3. Develop respite care opportunities for homeless people leaving hospital care (see Health
Care and Outreach, Action Step C-1,p. 45).
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
4. Develop shelter opportunities for adult male and female homeless individuals.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
5. Actively initiate long-term engagement. Ensure that intervention is long-term and
continues after a client leaves the shelter. Although the client's willingness to continue
with a case manger is threatened by the circumstances of homelessness, each case
manager should actively engage with their clients in meetings at least once a.month.
PRIORITY B:
ACTION STEP
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
Ensure case management that is provided with sheltering has an adequate housing focus,
including housing specialists and locators.
Ensure that staff fulfill their duties as housing counselors at shelter programs. Current
lists of vacancies are already collected on shared housing and rentals, and independent
investigations into local affordable housing are also made. It is recommended that staff
create a link between current housing referral services and housing information and case
mangers, as an initial step in improving the information and referral process within the
county. Contact should be made with landlords and shared housing resources. Shelter
staff should also team with other local programs that are working with landlords and
Section 8 tenants to better utilize resources. Explore partnership possibilities to make
referrals to the county's Tenant Counseling l"rograms (Contra Costa County Ca1WORKS
Housing Assistance Action Plan & Implementation Strategy, 2000, p. 26).
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
OVERVIEW
While there is increased pressure to create more permanent housing as a system response to
homelessness, "home ownership does not make a good life""' free from the risk of
homelessness. Transitional housing is the most specialized of the homeless housing resources.
It provides a secure place for people with barriers to work,giving them the time they need to
stabilize their lives, land a job, and begin to save for a rental. There are many personal
challenges that can be overcome in transitional housing. Transitional housing may provide
temporary support for unskilled youth, people graduating from treatment programs, families, and
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 75
people suffering from chronic illnesses when they are prepared to leave an emergency shelter but
not ready to live on their own.
Transitional housing provides a community environment for homeless residents seldom seen in
other housing programs. The communities offered by transitional housing programs can help
chronically homeless people finally reach stability. The subpopulations that thrive in transitional
housing include battered women,people with mental and physical disabilities,and people
recovering from chemical dependencies(Contra Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated
Plan,p. 74). There are several non-profit transitional housing programs operating within the
county and one county owned facility(p. 74) with another online in May 2001. The two most
significant drawbacks to transitional housing may be the growing waitlists (with a twelve-month
delay between application and intake)and the lack of housing for program graduates.'Ivi
Service providers working in Contra Costa County are committed to continuing a strong
complement of transitional housing programs for people who are chronically homeless,have bad
credit, and multiple service needs. Transitional housing provides people with significant issues
more time to resolve them through services and case management enabling them to move into
stable housing.
STRATEGY:
Sustain the local transitional housing programs at the highest quality possible with
attention to a complete and effective service component and a safe environment for
homeless people.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. Plan ahead for funding to sustain existing transitional housing beds for homeless
people. Develop a community guide tracking system for locating sufficient grants,and
create a development plan to support resources coming into agencies. Seek financial
backing within the county from everyjurisdiction to establish a countywide support
system.
HIGH PRIORITY:
2. Support the development of additional transitional housing opportunity throughout the
county, including a transitional facility for homeless households in West County.
PERMANENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING
OVERVIEW
Market rents in Contra Costa County were up to $1,155 a month for a two-bedroom apartment,
which is affordable only for families making more than$16 an hour. While real estate values
soar to record highs, available affordable housing will continue to dwindle into greater scarcity.
Affordable housing—defined as a house or an apartment that consumes no more than 30 percent
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 76
of the tenant's adjusted gross income—will play a decisive role in the fate of many homeless
families.
Because the need for additional affordable housing has become so acute, the lag in building up
the current stock demands creative but realistic solutions. The Contra Costa County Homeless
Continuum of Care Plan 2001-2006 combines a number of approaches designed to preserve the
stock of existing affordable housing, and create new units that are affordable to low income
families. The top recommendation for developing new affordable housing is the acquisition,
rehabilitation and construction of additional rental units priced below the market rate. The
Contra Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated Plan supports this goal with a proposal to
fund new projects with the Redevelopment Agency Housing Set-Aside, tax-exempt bond
financing,the Community Development Block Grant, and the HOME program.
An expansion in housing advocacy services is also recommended to help people find and secure
affordable housing in the extremely tight Contra Costa County housing market. In order to
expand access to these important services, it is recommended that housing advocates be placed at
each of the regional multi-service centers and that case workers across the county work with
social service agencies to locate landlords and additional affordable housing.
STRATEGY:
Develop more housing affordable to homeless families and individuals using the homeless
service system.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. Develop additional units of housing throughout the county affordable to people who earn
30% of the area median income or less(See Contra Costa Consortium 2000—2005
Consolidated Plan, p. 67).
HIGH PRIORITY:
2. Advocate for new federal, skate,and local funding, tax incentives, fee waivers and
subsidy programs to support the development of housing affordable to very low income
and homeless people(See Contra Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated Plan, p.
67).
HIGH PRIORITY:
3. Rehabilitate existing affordable housing for homeless people in order to preserve the
current housing stock(See Contra Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated Plan,
p. 70). One example of an ongoing program is the low-interest loans offered to
rehabilitate any rental or owner-occupied unit that is priced for extremely low-income
renters. To extend affordability restrictions that may be expiring in the next five years,
owners should be offered deferred or residual receipts loans on condition of an extended
period of affordability.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 77
HIGH PRIORITY:
4. Advocate with local jurisdictions to offer incentives to developers, thus encouraging
the market to make an investment in affordable rental housing targeted to homeless
people(See Contra Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated Plan, p. 75). Offer, for
example, zoning regulations that can accommodate high-density affordable housing near
services, transportation and other appropriate areas. Partial fee waivers and subsidies
could also be offered for affordable housing projects that will house homeless people.
Expedite the zoning and permitting process. Provide dedicated staff to hand-walk
developers through the permitting process for housing projects intended for homeless
people. Strengthen and support the housing development activity of non-profit
community-based organizations.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
5. Explore and support new forms of accessing housing such as leasehold co-ops.
Tenant owned single room occupancy(SRO)housing created for homeless people has
proven to be,one of the safest and most sustainable affordable housing models in the
nation. After initial funding for rehabilitation or construction,these co-ops are paid for
by interim lease programs where tenants pay their installments with Section 8 vouchers
and the other kinds of public assistance they receive.
HIG14 PRIORITY:
6. Expand funding for damage deposits for homeless people. Fund programs that
provide landlords with a damage deposit and first and last month rent for tenants using
Section 8 vouchers. Pursue a joint project with the Landlord Damage Claim Fund
sponsored by the Contra Costa County Department of Employment and Human Services
and the local housing authorities (Contra Costa County CalIVORKS Housing Assistance
Action Plan &Implementation Strategy, 2000,p. 27).
HIGH PRIORITY:
7. Advocate for an increase in the number and value of Section 8 vouchers (See Contra
Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated Plan, p. 75). Advocate for a program to
provide project based Section 8 Certificates to support extremely-low income rental units.
The Section 8 voucher progratn provides an essential rental subsidy to many homeless
people. The utility of the program has been inhibited by an insufficient monthly subsidy
and a waitlist, which does not recognize the immediate needs of homeless people.
Community-based organizations and local jurisdictions should focus on improvements
for both issues. Also, the Contra Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated Plan calls
for a new preference for people with housing costs in excess of 50% of their gross
monthly income and for people who are homeless."""
2001-2006 Contra Costa County liomeless Continuum of Care Plan 78
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
OVERVw,w
Permanent supportive housing was intended to assist people who are unable to stabilize their
lives and lack a consistent resource of specialized services. The most effective programs provide
support for substance abuse, mental illnesses, HIV/AIDS,and chronic health conditions—with
marked success even where traditional treatment programs have failed. People who benefit from
permanent supportive housing face the greatest barriers to attaining stable lives on their own;
they have difficulty retaining work; and they rarely locate housing they can afford.
One of the most significant functions of permanent supportive housing in Contra Costa County is
the kind of support service providers can give to people diagnosed with mental disabilities.
Since the deinstitutionalization movement in the 1970's and the cuts to supportive services in the
years following, Americans with mental illnesses have been forced into the streets at a
precipitous rate. Many entered cycles of violence and illness that took them through emergency
rooms, the courts, and the jails. The advent of supportive housing programs marked the turning
point that may end this cycle of neglect. Through supportive and transitional housing programs,
communities have come to the aid of this abandoned segment of society. The community-based
organizations of Contra Costa County are committed to completing this work locally for
homeless people living with mental illness within its communities.
STRATEGY:
Expand the supply of permanent supportive housing for extremely-low income and homeless
people with on-going service needs.
PRIORITYA:
ACTION STEP
HIGH PRIORITY:
Increase the stock of supportive housing for homeless people with on-going service needs(See
Contra Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated Plan, p. 75). Supportive housing should be
developed for all homeless people for whom this model provides a significant appropriate life
opportunity.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County H0117CICSS Continuum of Care Plan 79
PRIORITY P,:
Maximize the resources available for supportive housing by identifying public and private
sources of capital funds and encouraging mainstream affordable housing developments to
include scattered site supportive housing units.
ACTION STEPS
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
1. Plan ahead for funding to sustain existing supportive housing beds. Develop a
community-wide grant tracking system for locating sufficient grants, and create a
development plan to support resources coming into agencies.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
2. Support Contra Costa County [dousing Alliance in their collaboration to begin new
supportive housing projects. The homeless service providers should seek access to
planned supportive housing. The new projects are part of the Contra Costa County
Department of Employment and liutnan Services action plan for 2001. Funding has been
identified from HOME, CDBG, and tax credits. To implement the project, the planners
will work with participants to identify the best sites and funding sources. The lead
agencies of the project will be DEHS and local housing developers. Initial budgets
project a cost of$80,000 to $130,000 a unit plus ongoing service costs (Contra Costa
County Cal WORKS Housing Assistance Action Plan & Implementation Strategy, 2000,p.
27).
HIGH PRIORITY:
3. Access mainstream funds for the services needed in permanent supportive housing.
Additional integrated services for homeless people would reduce the high cost of serving
homeless clients at social and health services, such as the criminal justice system, in
emergency rooms, and in extended hospital stays.
✓ Advocate for shared programming and funding in the legislature
✓ Charge Medi-Cal, the managed care system, and the criminal justice system to
fund integrated programs targeting those who are homeless.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 80
E. ADMINISTRATION, COORDINATION, FUNDING
OVERVIEW
Implementing the action steps in the Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan
2001-2006 requires administration, coordination, and funding. Strong community-wide
collaboration between the county, cities, and community-based organizations is an important part
of attaining each element of the Continuum of Care.
The Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Advisory Board (CoCB) provides a
forum for the county, city,and community to coordinate their response to homelessness, and it
serves as the oversight community group for preparation of the annual county-wide consolidated
HUD funding proposal. The Board of Supervisors appointed the CoCB to report to the Board on
the issues of homelessness in the county. The CoCB membership at this time is drawn from a
broad range of people, which includes housers, service providers, faith-based organizations,
municipalities, and formerly homeless people. The CoCB led the effort in drafting this Plan.
The CoCB will annually review the Plan, making revisions when necessary.
The Contra Costa County Director of Homeless Programs(COHP)guides the work of the CoCB,
participates in the planning process, oversees the operation of the Continuum of Care, and leads
the coordination of services. The COHP has the overall responsibility of coordinating
programming and planning at the local and county levels, thereby facilitating the work called for
in this Plan. The Contra Costa County Homeless Programs Director is the head officer of the
COHP and surveys homeless service providers for data used in planning and in the annual
federal funding process. The COHP Director should focus on bringing together the
organizations that serve homeless people, such as government departments, non-profit service
providers, and faith-based entities. Special attention to city-county programs, and intra-county
programs should take place in these coming five years. Finally, the Director should seek to
expand the role of the CoCB, giving it the responsibility of consolidating and coordinating
countywide fund-raising and data collection efforts.
The Association of Housing and Homeless Service Providers(AHHSP) represents the county's
homeless housing and service providers for advocacy,cross-training and networking, which
strengthens the implementation of Continuum of Care goals. AHHSP is independent of the
CoCB and CORP; AHHSP has two representatives on the CoCB.
The CoCB and the AHHSP both focus on educating the public on the realities of homelessness,
and pursue legislative opportunities for change.
Objectives: To enhance the effectiveness ofservice delivery and maximize the efficient use of
- all targeted mainstream resources.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 81
To facilitate coordination among all components of the system for purposes of
planning and service delivery, resource management and fiend-raising, and policy
and program development.
STRATEGY:
Coordinate homeless-related services and housing into one integrated Continuum of Care
system with the capacity for on-going strategic planning.
Priorities:
A. The COHP Director will support the work of three inter-related groups formed to
implement this Plan: the COCB, a County Departments Working Group on
Safety Net and Community Services Responding to Homelessness, and an Inter-
jurisdictional Cities-County Homelessness Coordination Committee.
B. The COHP Director will facilitate greater coordination at the level of service
delivery in each region and throughout the county's Continuum of Care and local
safety net services.
C. Develop a countywide management information system to facilitate collection
and analysis of data on homelessness and homeless services.
D. Reinforce mechanisms for consumer input into the development and operation of
the homeless services system.
E. Explore the development of new avenues for raising the resources necessary to
implement the Plan and fund housing and services to prevent and alleviate
homelessness.
F. Make an annual evaluation of the Plan.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Hometess Continuum of Care Plan 82
PRIORITYA:
The COHP Director will support the work of three inter-related groups formed to
implement this Plan: the COCB,a County Departments Working Group on Safety Net and
Community Services Responding to Homelessness, and an Inter-jurisdictional Cities-
County Homelessness Coordination Committee.
ACTION STEPS
HIGH PRIORITIES:
1. The COHP Director will lead the emergence of the CoCB as the:countywide forum
for monitoring implementation of all aspects of this Plan. The CoCB will develop
annual Board goals and a membership structure that supports the implementation of this
Plan. All aspects of Board operations(structure, composition, bylaws, attendance,
policy, term limits) should be revisited in Year-One of the implementation of this Plan.
Goals and objectives that support the Board's mission should be articulated in furtherance
of this Plan. Conflict of Interest rules to use in setting funding priorities should be
adopted. The relationship between the CoCB and AHHSP, the Working Group,
Coordinating Committee, the community, and elected officials throughout the county
should be defined in CoCB protocols. The COHP Director shall guide the efforts in
developing the CoCB. Special attention should be given to encouraging local entitlement
jurisdictions to actively participate in the CoCB. Having a Board with strong
jurisdictional representation will preserve the Board's continuing role in allocating
federal funding in the event of the creation of block granting for McKinney-Vento Act
funds. As follows, the Working Group and Coordinating Committee should each have a
seat on the CoCB.
HIGH PRIORITIES:
2. Create the County Departments Working Group on Safety Net and Community
Services Responding to Homelessness.
The Working Group should provide a forum for coordination among county departments
and agencies on policy, program and fiscal issues related to homelessness and prevention.
The Working Group's mission should be to ensure that departmental policies, programs
and budgeting are consonant with the Plan; to provide an inter-departmental perspective
to the Board of Supervisors on proposed policy changes affecting the county's response
to homelessness; and to facilitate joint planning, grant-writing and program development.
A major issue identified by local providers and homeless organizations nationwide is the
failure of the homeless service system to tap the resources of the appropriate mainstream
social safety net services."'iii As the homeless service system developed over the last
1 Implementation Priorities. Mai PRIORITY means the action step should be implemented in Years 1-2,MEDIUM
PRIORITY means implementation during Years 3-5 and Low PRIORITY means implementation in the future.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County I lomcless Continuum of Care Plan 83
five years, many safety net services have begun to rely on the Continuum of Care to aid
clients threatened by homelessness. The trend has led to an increase in the spread of
homelessness that the Continuum of Care was never designed to extinguish." See also
related action step B.4. in the next section.
The Working Group should intensify the efforts of the federal block grant-supported
social safety net and community service programs(a.k.a. mainstream agencies)to meet
the needs of homeless people and those at risk. Homeless and housing related questions
should be designed and inserted into intake/client assessment of all relevant programs, to
record the incidence and risk of homelessness among clients, to invest in prevention and
housing, and to then coordinate solutions throughout the Continuum of Care. The
Working Group should also establish awareness and sensitivity workshops for
government agency staff regarding the treatment of homeless clients.
The Working Group should participate in the regional planning meetings for the
development of multi-service centers in order to identify county resources that should be
linked to the multi-service centers and plan for how services will be coordinated
regionally and countywide.
Members of the Working Group should include all county departments and agencies that
have a role to play in addressing homelessness, including the following: Community
Development, Community Services,County Administrator's Office,County Counsel,
General Services, Health Services, Housing Authority, Office of Education, Workforce
Investment Board(WIB), Sherift's Department, Social Services and Veteran's Services.
Participation shall be mandated by county programs receiving government funds targeted
to homeless people, or whose reporting requirements and funding applications include
homelessness. Representation should be at the department head level.
The Working Group should be convened by the Contra Costa County Administrator's
Office and should meet regularly. The Working Group will be chaired by the CAO,and
staffed by the Contra Costa County Director of Homeless Programs. The Working Group
should send a representative to each meeting of the CoCB to report out major decisions
under consideration, for feedback from the CoCB on strategies under discussion,and to
report to the Working Group on CoCB activity.
HIGH PRIORITIES:
3. Establish an Inter-jurisdictional Cities-County Homelessness Coordination
Committee.
The Coordination Committee should provide a forum for coordination between the
county and all entitlement city departments and agencies on policy, program and fiscal
issues related to homelessness and prevention. The Coordination Committee's mission
should be to ensure that policies,programs and budgeting are consonant with this Plan;to
provide an inter jurisdictional perspective to the Mayors, City Council's,and Board of
Supervisors on proposed policy changes affecting the city and county response to
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 84
homelessness; and to facilitate joint planning,grant-writing, grant awards, and program
development.
The Coordinating Committee would have a mission of responding to homelessness by
allowing each community to offer basic human needs services, including food and
housing without regard to housing status. It will identify specific actions on which there
is a need for formal agreement between jurisdictions.
The Coordinating Committee should intensify the efforts of the mainstream social safety
net to record the incidence and risk of homelessness among clients, to invest in
prevention and housing. The Coordinating Committee should be convened under the
auspices of the City-County Relations Committee of the Mayor's Conference,and should
meet quarterly. The Coordinating Committee will be chaired by a Mayor's Conference
designee, and staffed by the Contra Costa County Director of Homeless Programs. All
local cities will be encouraged to participate. Participation shall be mandated by county
and city programs receiving government funds targeted to homeless people, or whose
reporting requirements and funding applications include homelessness. The
Coordinating Committee should send a representative to each meeting of(lie CoCB to
report out major decisions under consideration, for feedback from the CoCB on strategies
under discussion, and to report to the Coordinating Committee on CoCB activity.
PRIORITY B:
The COHP Director will facilitate greater coordination at the level of service delivery in
each region and throughout the county's Continuum of Care and with local safety net
services.
ACTION STEPS
NIGH PRIORITIES:
1. Develop strategies for discharge planning to prevent homelessness to conform to the
amended Section 402 of McKinney affecting all of HUD's homeless assistance programs.
The statute requires each government grantee to create a discharge coordination policy.
Develop practices and protocols to insure that publicly funded institutions, such as health
care facilities, foster care or other youth facilities, and correction programs, do not
discharge persons to the streets,or otherwise result in homelessness for this vulnerable
population. The COHP Director may work through the Work Group and Coordinating
Committee created above to accomplish this immediate objective, including identifying
funding sources and housing for those being discharged.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
2. Provide procedures for the sharing of information and the protection of client
confidentiality. The Contra Costa County Director of Homeless Programs will work
with homeless service providers to develop protocols and procedures that allow for the
sharing of appropriate information, while protecting client confidentiality. This
2001-2006 Contra Costa County iiomcicss Continuum of Care Plan 85
discussion should occur as part of the planning taking place in each region to develop
multi-service centers, which are the linchpin of regional service coordination. Multi-
service center case coordinators will play a lead role in coordinating the different
providers serving a particular client to ensure that one inter-disciplinary plan is developed
and that information-sharing occurs.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
3. COHP Director will promote the creation of agreements among homeless service
providers. There is a need for agreements among providers in each region and
throughout the county regarding the development of inter-disciplinary.service plans, the
sharing of information between providers in a manner that does not breach.client's rights,
and the process for ensuring that each client receives a coordinated service package.
Such cross-case management has already begun, and the COHP Director can expand
those achievements across the county to all appropriate homeless services.
HIG14 PRIORITIES:
4. Coordinate the Continuum of Care with mainstream programs, thereby opening
non-homeless services to homeless people. The COHP Director has been charged with
staffing the Working Group and Coordinating Committee under Priority A, potential
vehicles to achieving this goal. Throughout this Plan,action steps address the need to
involve the social service basic safety net and community services in the response to
homelessness. The COHP Director will particularly focus on the strategies seeking to
coordinate homeless assistance with each of the following mainstream health, social
service, and employment programs:
• Medicaid(Medi-Cal)
• State Children's Health Insurance Program
• TANF(Ca1WORKS)
• Food Stamps
Mental Health Block Grant recipients
• Substance Abuse Block Grant recipients
• Workforce Investment Act
• Welfare-to-Work Program
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
S. Tile CORP Director will take the lead in facilitating greater coordination at the
level of service delivery. Link with AARP. The need for greater coordination at the
level of service delivery is essential for two reasons. First, limited resources will be
expended more efficiently by eliminating duplication of services. Second, clients will
receive services without needless confusion.
One of the issues identified by both providers and clients is the duplication of case
management services between agencies. Sometimes a client will have several case
managers, each proscribing a different treatment plan. This is not only a waste of
resources, it is confusing to a client who may receive conflicting messages from their
case managers about what they need to be doing and when. Since many people have
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 86
intersecting issues that together caused their homelessness, in order to regain housing
they need a menu of different services that are coordinated together to address the full
range of their needs.
PRIORITY C.-
Develop
:Develop a Countywide Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to facilitate
collection and analysis of data on homelessness and homeless services.
HIGH PRIORITIES:
1. The COHP will staff planning sessions of the CoCB to develop HMIS that can enable
homeless service providers to collect uniform information about clients over time. All
agencies within the county serving homeless people will be asked to participate. This
information can help to improve services and planning as well as to more accurately
determine the size, characteristics, and needs of the county's homeless population.
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
2. Create an automated referral system. Develop a referral system using a proven
computer platform. This system should enhance the effectiveness of the housing network
and ensure facilities operate at maximum capacity. Clients would also benefit if the
system could improve the chance of matching residents with programs that fit their needs.
PRIORIT3'D:
Create mechanisms for consumer input into the development and operation of the homeless
services system.
ACTION STEPS
HIGIi PRIORITIES:
1. Conduct a yearly consumer survey. Information gathered should be analyzed by
agency directors to guide program development and shared with the CoCB. Feedback
from consumers about the operation of homeless programs is essential to ensure that
programs serve clients in the most effective and humane manner possible. Likewise,
consumer feedback is also needed on the system-wide level to inform the development of
programs, to prioritize needs and resources, and to craft public policy. Consumer input
was incorporated into the development of this Plan through the on-going participation of
consumers in the many community meetings where consumers were given the
opportunity to provide specific feedback on their needs and their experiences with the
existing system. This level of consumer participation is needed on an on-going basis to
guide the decisions made by the CoCB about homeless policy and programs.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Ilomcless Continuum of Care Plan 87
HIGH PRIORITIES:
2. Facilitate involvement of people who are homeless and unemployed as full
participants in the CoCB and other bodies addressing issues related to
homelessness. Three positions on the CoCB are designated for people who are currently
or formerly homeless. In order to ensure that homeless people have the ability to fully
and actively participate on the CoCB, it is recommended that the COHP and the CoCB
explore how to put effective recruitment and training mechanisms into place. For those
people who are interested, training could cover topics such as the role of the CoCB and
how to be an effective board member,how to effectively communicate.one's knowledge
and experience about homelessness,and how to develop leadership skills. Unemployed
homeless participants should be provided with travel and food vouchers as well as
payment for meetings attended to enhance the ability to participate. In the past, homeless
CoCB members have found it difficult to balance their duties with the CoCB and fulfill
their basic human needs at the same time; support will help reduce the hardship some
may endure while participating on the CoCB as a homeless member.
PRIORITY E:
Explore the development of new avenues for raising the resources necessary to implement
the five-year plan and fund housing and services to prevent and alleviate homelessness.
ACTION STEPS
MEDIUM PRIORITY:
L Advocate for additional financing or economic incentives for the developers of
housing that are affordable for families and individuals with very low incomes.
HIGH PRIORITIES:
2. Bring together a COCB subcommittee to identify new public and private funding
sources and identify the best ways to secure that funding. As new competitive grants are
offered,a coordinated effort will assure that homeless programs in Contra Costa County
access those funds and put them to use quickly and appropriately. In the field of
homeless assistance, many funding streams require collaboration or concerted efforts to
receive the funding.
PRIORITY R
Make an annual evaluation of The Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan
2001-2006.
HIGH PRIORITY:
1. The Contra Costa County Office of Homeless Programs will produce annual
reporting and strategy setting. The annual report will be done in coordination with all
Contra Costa County entitlement jurisdictions. The CORP will work with the CoCB to
set the annual homeless strategy. This work should lead to the evaluation of what has
been accomplished under the Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 88
2001-2006 and to set the priorities for the coming year. At present, this activity will
fulfill a portion of the HUD annual funding requirement. The annual report may also be
developed as a tool for communicating with the Board of Supervisors, Mayors, City
Councils,other elected officials, and the public.
HIGH PRIORITY:
2. The COUP Director will provide the ongoing evaluation of the progress of the
action steps. Appropriate and timely response will be taken on issues that arise in the
Continuum of Care. COHP will maintain the relations among the parties providing
services. COHP will track the new issues that could affect homeless services such as a
change in supply or regional crises. The COHP will evaluate the system-wide integrity
of available services and housing units.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 89
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200t-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 91
The following charts lay out in brief,by Section, all of the priorities and action steps selected by
the planning committee as Year 1 or Year 2 priorities. A priority for year one or two is a
commitment to commence action in the first or second year of the Plan toward achieving the
step.
Also stated is whether identical or similar action is already"Existing", or"Planned" in the
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Care Advisory Board subcommittees will oversee implementation of the action step.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 93
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APPENDIX A: TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
DEFINITIONS(Terns as used in this Plan.)
At-Risk of Homelessness, refers to people who have extremely low incomes who are
paying more than 30% of their gross monthly income for housing; have a disability,
physical, mental health, drug or alcohol addiction,or medical,that threatens their housing
stability; are in foster care, hospitals or the corrections system and have nowhere to go
upon discharge; or are threatened with the loss of their benefits due to cutbacks and
policy changes in federal, slate and local benefit programs.
Continuum of Care, refers to the full service delivery system including prevention,
outreach and assessment, emergency shelter, support services,transitional housing and
permanent housing.
Dually-Diagnosed/Co-occurring disorder or Comorbidity, refers to people who have a
combination of two of the following diagnoses: mental health,drug or alcohol addiction
and HIV/AIDS.
Extremely Low Income, refers to incomes, which are at or below 30% of the area median
income.
Family Household, refers to households that include at least one adult and children.
Homeless, refers to people who do not have permanent housing, including people living
on the streets or in parks, in shelters and transitional housing, in sub-standard housing,
and in vehicles or other places not designed for human habitation. This conforms to the
federal definition published in the Continuum of Care and HOPWA Programs
Application of 2001, which is as follows:
A homeless person is a person sleeping in a place not meant for human habitation or in an
emergency shelter;a person in transitional or supportive housing for homeless persons who
originally came from the street or an emergency shelter.
The following is the definition of homeless from the McKinney-Vento Act, 42 USC Sec.
11302 (1999):
In general ... the term'homeless'or'homeless individual or homeless person includes-...(1)an
individual who lacks a fixed,regular,and adequate nighttime residence;and(2)an individual who
has a primary nighttime residence that is (A)a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter
designed to provide temporary living accommodations(including welfare hotels,congregate
shelters,and transitional housing for the mentally ill);(13)an institution that provides a temporary
residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized;or(C)a public or private place not
designed for,or ordinarily used as,a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
Implementation Priorities. HIGH PRIORITY means the action step should be implemented
in Years 1-2, MEDIUM PRIORITY means implementation in the next three to five years
following, and Low PRIORITY means that these action steps are deemed good ideas to be
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 112
considered in the future. Many of the action steps in the Plan are interrelated and
therefore several may be listed under one goal statement. In addition, many action steps
may relate to more than one goal statement, therefore, one action step may be addressed
under several goals throughout the Plan.
Mainstream Pro rams. The federal block grant-supported social safety net and
community service programs available to the community at large and poor people. This
includes but is not limited to heatth,social service, and employment programs
funded through the following grants:
• Medicaid(Medi-Cal)
• State Children's Health Insurance Program
• TANF(Cal WORKS)
• Food Stamps
• Mental Health Block Grant
• Substance Abuse Block Grant
• Workforce Investment Act
• Welfare-to-Work Program
• Community Development Block Grant
• Community Services Block Grant
Youth /Young Adult refers to emancipated people between the ages of 14-25. The
definition also includes all youth under 18. Youth also refers to any child aged out of
foster care.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 113
APPENDIX B: LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ABBREVIATIONS
BOS—Board of Supervisors
CAO—County Administrator's Office
CBOs—Community-Based Organizations
CDD—County Community Development Department
CoCB—County Homeless Continuum of Care Advisory Board
COHP—County Office of Homeless Programs
CRA—City Redevelopment Agency
CSAS—County Community Substance Abuse Services Division
FBO—Faith-Based Organization
HA—Housing Authority
HHISN—Health, Housing,and Integrated Services Network
HICC—Homeless Inter-Jurisdictional Coordinating Council
HSD—County Health Services Department
MHD—County Mental Health Division
WIB /WIA—Workforce Investment Board/Workforce Investment Act
SSD—Social Services Department
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 114
APPENDIX C: DATA SOURCES
Continuum of Care Community Meetings
Designed to be inclusive,the planning process included five community meetings, held in
each of the supervisorial districts. These meetings solicited input on homelessness and its
solutions from community members, providers, faith-based organizations, the business
community, government staff, and people who are homeless or formerly homeless. Based
on this input and on countywide homelessness data, the CoCB Five-Year Plan
Subcommittee met seven times with key service providers and stakeholders to identify
priorities and develop action steps for each of the Plan's five chapters. The following list
summarizes the many comments the subcommittee considered.
EMPLOYMENT, INCOME, AND ASSETS
• Adopt a three tier job placement model.
• Maintain and expand in-house job programs.
• Give pre-employment support
• Ensure PIC/WIB One-Stops provide information and referrals,job listings,
resume services and linkages to life skills support and basic education.
• Offer workplace training for TANF recipients
• Open colleges for single parent families.
• Put vocational training before education.
• Increase the use of pre-employment training in tandem with temporary and
permanent housing developments.
• Create a rental subsidies program that is administered as part of
employment training programs and offer access to employment training and
placement services.
• Expand Building and Grounds to East County.
• Integrate job advancement into job placement services.
• Have County contracts contingent on a contractor's use of hiring targets for
people who are homeless, formerly homeless or receiving welfare.
• Maintain existing nonprofit based and independent homeless enterprises
established to train and employ homeless people.
• Explore new sheltered markets.
• Fund legal services to help more homeless people apply for SSI and help
assist SSI recipients barred for substance abuse reapply under alternative
categories.
• Raise the requirements of the payees who receive funds on the behalf of
social security system.
• Training for Medical Providers.
• Expand Rubicon's MMR program to include a volunteer pool of tax
preparers who would help homeless people apply for current and past
federal Earned Income Tax Credits(EITC).
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 115
• Give extra resources to job services at Rubicon and Phoenix to develop or
expand a program for Individual Development Accounts.
• Establish a pool of funding to provide in-kind aid,such as hotel and food
vouchers, for employed residents not qualified for aid under other programs
• Advocate at the state level to maintain current TANF benefit levels and
eligibility criteria. Advocate for a lower number of work hours required
over single parent families.
• Create a privately-funded income subsidy trust and a privately-funded
tuition trust..
• Provide domestic violence assessment and sensitivity training to services
providers who work at job placement and training programs.
• Develop non-traditional job opportunities for women.
• Maintain and expand Phoenix's ACCESS program to provide services and
job placement to additional consumers.
• Establish connections with local Department of Disabled Students to assist
clients with learning disabilities.
• Expand the number of bilingual case managers at job centers in Richmond
and at the County shelters.
• Establish a Work First policy for homeless refugees and immigrants enabling
them to enter the work force at any level to provide them with an income and
with experience in mainstream society.
• Establish a team of work advocates from existing staff who will call
employers on the behalf of employees if trouble arises and who will advocate
at the county-level for increased income subsidies.
HOUSING, ACCEPTANCE, PREVENTION
• Support existing and new rental assistance programs.
• Provide special subsidies for single parent working families.
• Create a rental guarantee program.
• Publicize services in homelessness prevention.
• Expand caseworkers' roles in tenant advocacy.
• Bring prevention services to at-risk youth.
• Bring prevention services into drug treatment facilities.
• Integrate prevention services into the procedures for releasing inmates from
local prisons and jails.
• Bring prevention services to the families of incarcerated criminals.
• Provide discharge planning for respite care.
• Intensify the county's public education campaign in the local newspapers
and television stations.
• Appoint a government aid to help site.
• Prepare ready-made advocacy briefs.
• Educate community leaders on the homeless crisis.
•
Engage newly elected officials early.
• Mobilize the interfaith community.
• -Strategize community acceptance with a local strategic team.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Ilomeless Continuum of Care Plan 116
• Adopt a countywide model for community acceptance.
• Utilize dispute resolution early on to avoid legal proceedings.
• Support special populations within existing shelter.
• Expand case management to include housing counselors.
• Provide quarterly dignity training for shelter staff.
• Enforce drug policies.
• Adopt and apply minimum standards of care for staff.
• Expand transportation to shelter locations.
• Provide more emergency shelter beds for pregnant teens.
• Prepare to replace expiring grants with new funds.
• Develop emergency shelter for youth.
• Develop emergency shelter for families.
• Expand housing services in emergency shelter..
• Investigate unused buildings as possible emergency shelter space.
• Train faith-based groups to be shelter providers.
• Give priority to in-term women in all family shelters.
• Engage at-risk immigrants.
• Dedicate shelter beds within each regional service cluster to people with
acute care needs.
• Advocate for state and federal financing for cleanup costs.
• Plan ahead for funding to sustain existing transitional housing beds.
• Create an automated referral system.
• Link clients with families and friends.
• Legislate to keep prices down.
• Advocate for expanded Section S.
• Expand the resources of tenant advocates.
• Equip tenant advocates to provide assistance to senior citizens.
• Expand funding for damage deposits.
• Continue necessary upkeep to existing affordable housing.
• Fund new housing with leasehold co-ops..
• Fight for affordable housing set-asides in new housing developments.
• Develop housing through abundant funding streams.
• Form a committee devoted to developing new housing strategies.
• Increase case management for finding and keeping housing.
• Recruit local landlords for Section S vouchers in every regional service
cluster.
• Prevent the conversion of affordable housing to market rates.
• Create an assistance program for affordable housing developments.
• Develop best practices in homeownership.
• Coordinate all housing and community plans with the Continuum of Care 5-
Year Plan.
• Develop Shelter Plus Care permanent funding source using models that have
been successful across the nation.
• Plan ahead for funding to sustain existing transitional housing beds.
• Offer more money management services.
• Fund for additional wrap-around services. -
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 117
• Unite clients with providers to develop reasonable_ accommodations for
residents with disabilities.
• Access mainstream funds for programming through HHISN.
• Bring services to members of subpopulations living in other housing.
• Supportive housing for dually diagnosed children and families.
OUTREACH AND HEALTH SERVICES
• Expand coverage of state Medicaid (Medi-Cal).
• Help people utilize Medicaid (Medi-Cal).
• Provide transportation from service providers to hospitals.
• Train medical practitioners in dignity issues.
• Unify and intensify county outreach efforts.
• Inform clients on Medi-Cal eligibility and applications.
• Offer referrals for prenatal care.
• Continue to place health workers at service locations.
• Increase diagnostic services in housing and support services.
• Develop a public education campaign to promote prevention.
• Provide respite and convalescent services for hospital discharges.
• Start an public education campaign to site programs.
• Expand primary care in service regions.
• Prepare HMOs for homeless clients.
• Treat high blood pressure.
• Help clients manage their diabetes.
• Continue case conferencing between providers.
• Expand integration among service providers.
• Advocate for increased Medi-Cal coverage for pregnant women and teenage
girls.
• Expand outreach programs in existing services.
• Adopt the single outreach client model.
• Maintain Concord's mobile health team.
• Coordinate with the police force.
• Recruit pro bono psychiatrists for outreach.
• Provide incentive funds.
• Provide mental health services that are integrated with housing and homeless
services. Fund in-house group sessions and classes.
• Open a shelter for homeless people with mental illness is in East County.
• Design a drop in center for homeless with mental illnesses.
• Increase the range of services for mental health treatment.
• Train shelter staff to identify mental illnesses
• Provide technical assistance to shelter and other front line staff to recognize
clients in crisis.
• Find low-cost or volunteer counselors.
• Establish a countywide referral procedure.
• Establish a multi-tiered housing continuum for dually diagnosed.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 118
• Design the mental health continuum of care to accommodate dually
diagnosed patients.
• Design the continuum of care to accommodate children.
• Continue to support uncertified recovery providers.
Hire bilingual staff at drug and alcohol clinics.
• Double general drug treatment capacity.
• Actively initiate long-term engagement.
• Modify programs for people with disabilities.
• Address the housing and service needs of homeless people who have
completed drug and alcohol treatment programs.
• Maintain existing family shelter programs.
• Address family dysfunction through child development services.
• Offer family based therapy.
• Ensure caseloads remain low.
• Provide beds for children at treatment centers.
SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
• Integrate current system.
• Keep a stock of nonprofit housing.
• Create a package of basic services and expand multiservice centers.
• Establish quality control for the multiservice centers.
• Integrate mental health centers with multiservice centers within the county.
• Maintain adult education services.
• Expand adult education and increase flexibility.\
• Increase strength of existing case management programs.
• Incorporate life skills into literacy.
• Connect literacy programs with services.
• On-site libraries.
• Maintain current levels of life skills services.
• Foster dignity in case management and training programs.
• Expand operations and locations.
• Implement programs for homeless non-custodial fathers.
• Maintain existing pantries and meal services.
• Access Federal Food Stamp Program.
• Further coordinate food distribution efforts at the Food Bank Network.
• Find volunteers for Summer/Breakfast Food Programs.
• Expand food storage.
• Create urban gardens.
• Coordinate Advertising.
• Provide sensitivity training.
• Reach people in SROs.
• Create nutrition guidelines.
• Seek kitchenware and food from local restaurants.
• Offer training to cooks.
• Integrate nutrition into money management and life skills programs.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 119
• Coordinate service providers and transit for special needs populations.
Interface with existing paratransit services to ensure that disabled and
elderly homeless people are being served by transit in their area. Ensure that
school buses are serving homeless housing and service sites.
• Expand route deviation night services.
• Advocate for a higher number of reverse commute lines..
• Offer tokens or vouchers.
• Offer discounted passes at providers.
• Establish shuttle bus para-transit system within every region.
• Subsidize taxi and shuttle services.
• Maintain childcare programs.
• Increase homeless families' access to mainstream childcare programs.
• Expand services to shelters.
• Push for increased funding.
• Solicit new volunteers.
• Pool mutual caregivers.
• Off—hour day care.
• Advocate for the Title 1 set-aside in school districts.
• Advocate for McKinney Child Education funding.
• I.nform case managers and teachers.
• Support Children Moving schools.
• Avoid moving schools.
• Include homeless issues in curriculums.
• Provide study environments.
• Seek more supplies and tutors.
• Equip homeless youth services for the full continuum of care.
• Support group home children.
• Create life skills training for teen mothers.
• Expand emancipation services.
• Create group home tutor programs.
2.001-2006 Contra Costa County liomeless Continuum of Care Plan 120
APPENDIX D: DATA SOURCES
In developing the Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan, extensive
research was made into the services, policies, and politics surrounding homelessness. A
great deal of information was found in the research library at HomeBase/The Center for
Common Concern, which has over 2,500 books, reports, and other publications on
homeless issues. In analyzing the homeless situation in Contra Costa County, the drafters
of Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan relied on the expertise of
service providers, the insights of many homeless people, and research in the field.
However, there were still several key documents that were used extensively to describe
homelessness in the local communities. The list that follows catalogs a few of the most
significant documents that were relied on throughout this process.
• 2001 Continuum of Care Homeless and Safety Net Providers Survey
• 2001 Results of the Social Service Department Homeless Assessment
• A Beginning Plan for Dealing with Homelessness in Contra Costa County, 1986
• Report to the Board of Supervisors on Homelessness in Contra Costa County and
Recommendations for Action,by the Task Force on Homelessness, July 1987
• Long Term Affordable Housing Solutions to Homelessness, by the Community
Homeless Action & Resource Team (CHART), April 1989
• Strategic Plan on Homelessness, by the Social Services Department,November
1989
• Symposium on Homelessness in Contra Costa County, Planning Session
Summary, October 1991
• A Homeless Prevention Plan: Creating Options and Opportunities for the
Homeless of Contra Costa County(1992-1995), by the Association of Homeless
& Housing Service Providers
• Report of the Contra Costa County Mental Health Advisory Board Ad Hoc
Planning Committee, June 1993
• Housing Report of the Contra Costa County Mental Health Commission, June
1994
• Contra Costa Consolidated Plan, FY 1995-1999
• Richmond Consolidated Plan, FY 1994-1997
• Contra Costa County Continuum of Care Homeless Plan 1996-2001.
• Contra Costa Consortium 2000—2005 Consolidated Plan.
• Contra Costa County CalWORKS Housing Assistance Action Plan &
Implementation Strategy 2001-2006.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 121
APPENDIX E: PARTICIPANTS AT COMMUNITY MEETINGS
Name and Affiliation
Carolyn Robinson
Senator Tom Torlakson's Office
Brian Arnold, Program Manager
Contra Costa County
Jim Nichols
Contra Costa County
Laura Lockwood, Director,
Capital Facilities & Debt Mgmt
Kathleen Hamm,CDBG Planner
Community Development Dept.
Mark Southard,CDBG Planner
Community Development Dept.
Aminta Mickles, Program Manager
CSAS
Robert Kajdan, Manager
CSAS
Lloyd Madden
Employment& Human Services Department
John Cullen, Director
Employment& Human Services Department
Coordinator
Family, Maternal and Child Health Program
Barbara Chase
FEMA Board
Carmen Beyer, Program Coordinator
HIV/AIDS Program
Robert McEwan, Executive Director
Housing Authority
Ralph Hoffman, Commissioner District III
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 122
Mental Health Commission
Ellen Danchik
Mental Health Department
Linda Cherry, Analyst
Mental Health Department
Jana Oxenreider
Prenatal Care Guidance Program
Patricia Martin, Community Health Worker
Prenatal Care Guidance Program
Andrea Dubrow, Executive Assistant
Public&Environmental Health Advisory Board
James Nichols, Lieutenant
Sheriff's Office
Drug Court Coordinator
Supervised Treatment& Recovery (STAR) Drug Court
Ruth Atkin
Veterans Affairs Department
Nancy Casazza, Board Member
West Contra Costa Health Care
Winston Rhodes, Senior Planner
City of Brentwood
Brooke Littman, Housing Manager
City of Concord
Teri House, Community Services Manager
City of Concord
Don Mort, Lieutenant
City of Concord Police Department
William Shinn
Concord Human Relations Commission
Dick Waldo, Vice Mayor
Town of Danville -
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 123
Rochelle Flotten, Assistant to the Town Manager
Town of Danville
David Boatwright, Housing Coordinator
Pleasant Hill Redevelopment Agency
Theresa Talley-Wilkerson
City of Richmond
Raymond Lambert
City of Richmond
Manuel Rosario, Deputy Director
Richmond Housing Authority
Kelsey Worthy, Administrative Analyst
City of San Pablo
Nancy Tataka, Vice Mayor
City of San Ramon
Sage Foster,Team Leader
County Health, Housing, Integrated Services Network
George Evans, Homeless Services Manager
County Crisis Center
Sharon Bernhus
County Emergency Family Shelter
Nurse Al, PHN
Health Care for the Homeless
James Aruna, Office Administrator
Headh Care for the Homeless
James Littlejohn, Executive Director
Boys &Girls Club of Martinez
Kathy Lafferty
Cambridge Community Center
Judy A. Moore, Director of Employment Services & Housing
Catholic Charities of the East Bay
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 124
Solomon Belette, Administrator for Community Services
Catholic Charities of the East Bay
Ron Pellurn, Housing Advocate
Catholic Charities of the East Bay
Ann Snyder
CCISCO
Dennis McCray, Associate Director-
Center Point, Inc.
Brian Arnold, Program Manager
Center Point, Inc.
Dan Ramirez
Center Point, Inc.
Sylvester L. Bayor, Office Manager
Chance to Begin, Inc.
Dave Shroeder
Community Center of Martinez
Tom Conrad, Executive Director
Contra Costa Interfaith Transitional Housing, Inc.
Liz Orlin, Program Officer
Corporation for Supportive Housing
Cassandra Youngblood
CSD
Bobbi Van
Deliverance House
Leslie Gallen,Client Services Specialist
Diablo Valley AIDS Center
Sue M.ankini, Program Coordinator
East Bay Detox— BiBett
Joan Carol Pickett, Director
Elizabeth's House Maternity Home Pregnancy Centers of Contra Costa County
Kirit MacDonald, Housing Services Specialist
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum.of Care Plan 125
Families First
Lindsay Johnson, Program Manager
Food Bank of Contra Costa& Solano
Andrew S. David
Food Bank of Contra Costa& Solano
Jubin Amber
Fresh Start
John Holloway
Fresh Start
Susan Prather
Fresh Stan
Mary Ann VanBuren, Executive Director
Friends Outside221
Janet Bruce
GRIP Souper Center
Al Coolidge
Independent Living Resource
Jackie Tillman, Board Chair
Loaves & Fishes of Contra Costa County
Richard Richardson, Executive Director
Loaves & Fishes of Contra Costa County
Merlin Wedepohl, Executive Director
SHELTER, Inc.
Jennifer Baha, Director of Program Services
SHELTER, Inc.
Kitty Duma, Progam Director of Pittsburg Family Center
SHELTER, Inc.
John Shanley, Executive Director
Mt. Diablo Habitat for Humanity
Isabel Paez, Family Relations Manager
Mt. Diablo Habitat for Humanity
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 126
Patti Pelosi, Director Clinical Resource Management
Mt. Diablo Medical Center
Joel Reskinoff, Medical Social Worker
Mt. Diablo Medical Center
Herb Putnam
NAMI
James Berquin, Executive Director
New Connections
Michael Barrington, CEO
Phoenix Programs, Inc.
Cheryl Maier
Phoenix Programs, Inc.
Judy Tiktinsky, Deputy Executive Director
Phoenix Programs, Inc.
Carlos Morales, Chief of Clinical Services
Phoenix Programs, Inc.
Nesbit Crutchfield
Phoenix Programs, Inc_
Anne Prescott, Member
Pinole Youth Committee
Carl B. Metoyer, Executive Director
Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc.
Ron Cooper, Executive Director
Saint Vincent De Paul Society
Judy Sparks
Saint Vincent De Paul Society
Shirley Krieg
Saint Vincent De Paul Society
Ginger Marsh
Soroptomist International United Way of the Bay Area
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 127
Ngozi Gloria Chukuu, Director
Supported Living Services Las Tampas, Inc.
The Salvation Army
Tranquillium Center
Hazel Wesson, Executive Director
AIDS Community Network
Tricia Halin, HIV Housing Advocate
AIDS Community Network
Rhonda Penkert, Executive Assistant
YMCA of Contra Costa County
Reporter
Contra Costa County Times
April Ann Hunter
Hunter Consulting & Associates
Lamont Campbell, General Manager
Hospice Thrift Stores
Eizo& Mary Kobayashi
Homeless/former homeless persons
Megan Monahan
Homeless/former homeless persons
Anita Roche
Homeless/former homeless persons
Zettie Roland
Homeless/former homeless persons
Dorothy Vance
Homeless/former homeless persons
Kay McVay, President
California Nurses Association
Mary Lou Laubscher
Citizen
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 128
Dean Coons
Citizen
Michael Shimansky
Citizen
Jean &Chuck Bush
Citizens
Frances Greene
Citizen
A C Hollister, MD
Health Committee of Contra Costa County Advisory Council on Aging
Doris & Ralph Copperman
Gray Panthers
Maribel Aguja
Housing Rights
Gwen Watson
League of Women Voters Alliance for the Mentally III
Marcy Orosco
Cassandra Madden, Project Assistant
Contra Costa College
Kenneth Reynolds, FOPS Assistant
Contra Costa College
Geri Cohen
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Rochelle Reed, Community Outreach
John Marsh Elementary School
Representative
Nystrom Elementary School
Cinda Wert Rapp
Teacher—Infant Program, West Contra Costa Unified School District
Mary Mangiapane
Christ the King
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 129
Jean Warkakis
Christ the King
Henrietta Griffith
Christ the :King
Ivan Wojnar
Christ the King
Pat Mooser
Christ the King
Barbara Hansen
Christ the King
Dolores Loague
Concord United Methodist Church
David Simmons, Minister
Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church
Pastor Don Smith
Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church
Florence Pierson
Social Justice Alliance of the Interfaith Council
Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
Temple Isiah
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum or Care Plan 130
APPHNDix F: ENDNOTES
'California Budget Project. Locked Out!California's Affordable Housing Crisis.
(Sacramento, CA: California Budget Project, May 2000): 17.
"California Budget Project: 15. The Fair Market Rent for 2001 in the county for a 2-
bedroom unit is $1,155. (Federal Register, 24 CFR Part 888, 2 Jan. 2001:168.)
"'Office on Homelessness, Department of Health Services, Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart: 736 individuals and 1,252
people in families are in need of permanent supportive housing.
'V Contra Costa County Consolidated Plan, (2001-2006): 22-3.
"California Budget Project: 44.
V'Association of Bay Area Governments,Projections 2000. Forecasts for the San
Francisco Bay Area to the Year 2020,(December 1999): 87.
V" Office on Homelessness, Department of Health Services, Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart.
Viii Office on Homelessness, Department of Health Services, Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart: 67%=1,086/1,618 and
10%=290/3,21 1.
See page 31 of the Homeless Plan.
"Office on Homelessness, Department of Health Services, Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart.
"Contra Costa County Consolidated Plan,(2001-2006): 27.
""Office on Homelessness, Department of Health Services, Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart: 66%=3,211/4,829.
See page 33 of the Homeless Plan.
""National Low Income Housing Coalition. Out of Reach: The Growing Gap Between
Housing Costs and Income of Poor People in the United States. (September 2000.
<http://www.nl lhc.org/cgi-bin/oor2000.pl?gctstate=on&getcounty=on&county=
contracostacounty&state=CA> website accessed 13 Feb. 2001).
"California Budget Project. Making Ends Meet.: How Much Does it Cost to Raise a
Family in California? (Sacramento, CA: California Budget Project, Oct. 1999): 20.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County[lomcless Continuum of Care Plan 131
See page 34 of the Homeless Plan.
CaIWORKS is the state of California's program under the Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families Act of 1996. The previous welfare legislation was the Aid To Families
With Dependent Children - Homeless Assistance Act. Here, to be consistent, all
references to programs funded under either of the welfare bills will be referred to by its
current name,CaIWORKS.
18 Methodology For Calculating The Estimated Yearly Count
A. Homeless Families: According to the Contra Costa County Social Services
Department, 3,750 families received assistance from CalWORKS in Fiscal Year 1994
(July 1994-June 1995). CalWORKS is a statewide program that is administered locally
by the Contra Costa County Social Services Department. The previous welfare legislation
was the Aid To Families With Dependent Children -Homeless Assistance Act. Here, to
be consistent, all references to programs funded under either of the welfare bills will be
referred to by its current name,CalWORKS. It provides two types of cash assistance to
homeless families: 1)Temporary Assistance to pay for motels or other temporary shelter
arrangements, and 2) Permanent Assistance to help with move-in costs for permanent
housing, including last month's rent, security deposit and utility hook-up costs. In order
to qualify for this assistance, families must be receiving or eligible to receive
CalWORKS, have no more than $100 in the bank or on hand(excluding the current
month's CalWORKS income), and they must be homeless. According to CalWORKS,
applicants are considered homeless if they do not have permanent housing, including
those who are living in a temporary shelter, residing on the streets or in a place not
designed for human habitation, or living temporarily doubled up with friends or family.
In Fiscal.Year 1994-95, families were not eligible to receive CaIWORKS if they had
received it in the previous 24 months. This limitation was changed on January 1, 1996 to
exclude families who have ever received it before in their lifetime.
The number of families who received CaIWORKS assistance in FY 1994-95 (3,750
families) was multiplied by the countywide number for the average size of a CalWORKS
family(2.77) to yield the number of family members(parents and children) who were
homeless at some point in FY 1994-95 (10,388). The number of families (3,750) was
also multiplied by the countywide average number of children in a CalWORKS family
(1.86) to yield the number of children who were homeless at some point in FY 1994-
95(6,975)-
3,750 (number of families who received CalWORKS)
x 2.77 (average family size)
1.0,388 family members who were homeless in FY 1994-95
3,750(number of families who received CaIWORKS)
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 132
x 1.86 (average number of children)
6,975 homeless children in FY 1994-95
These numbers are a known undercount. They are minimum figures that include only
those homeless families who received CAWORKS. They do not include many other
families who were homeless but did not receive CalWORKS, such as:
• Homeless families ineligible for CaIWORKS because of their immigration
status or because they did not meet the income and savings limitations necessary
to qualify;
• Homeless families ineligible to receive CalWORKS because they had already
received it in the previous 24 months;
• Homeless families who were eligible but who for whatever reason did not apply
for it.
An informal survey of family emergency shelters and transitional housing programs was
conducted by the Contra Costa County Health Services Department Homeless Program
revealed that 59% of the families who had stayed in the programs were either ineligible
for CalWORKS or did not apply for other reasons. This is an additional 662 families
who are not represented in the estimate based on the CaIWORKS numbers.
B. Homeless Individuals: According to the Contra Costa County Social Services
Department, 19,214 people applied for General Assistance(GA)during one year's time.
GA is a state-mandated, county-funded program that provides cash assistance to
individuals who are not eligible to receive assistance from other government programs.
The maximum monthly cash benefit is $300. GA regulations pay a grant to cover rent
(up to $158) directly to the landlord by the Social Services Department and the remainder
($142) is paid directly to the recipient to cover personal needs. Homeless people are
referred into the county emergency shelters and receive the $142 payment. If there is no
room in the shelters, they can receive the full $300 payment.
The number of GA applicants in one year(19,214)was multiplied by the percentage of
applications that were new(53.5%) to yield the number of unduplicated GA applicants
(10,279). The number of unduplicated GA applicants(10,279)was multiplied by the
percentage of approved GA applicants who declared themselves as homeless (28%) to
yield an estimate of the number of individuals who experienced an episode of
homelessness in one year(2,878).
19,214(number of GA applicants)
_x._535 (duplication rate)
10,279 unduplicated applicants in a year
1 ,279 (unduplicated applicants)
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Itomeless Continuum of Care Plan 133
x .28 (percentage of people who self-declare as homeless)
2,878 homeless individuals in a year
This number is a known undercount. It is derived from figures based only on people who
apply for GA and who declare themselves to be homeless. It does not include many other
people who were homeless, such as:
* Homeless people who did not apply for GA. Many people choose not to apply
because they do not think the low benefit level($300/month) is worth the
difficulty of complying with the program requirements, such as participating in
job search and/or alcohol and drug counseling.
Homeless people who receive GA but who do not declare themselves to be
homeless. Applicants are not required to identify themselves as homeless and
many people choose not to.
Data from 1994— 1995 was used to infortn the proportions of families and individuals
who experience homelessness in Contra Costa County. The actual numbers were updated
with year 2000 figures from the Health Services Department.
19 Methodology For Calculating The Homeless Population In Each Region
The breakout of homeless families by region is based on the relative proportions of the
CalWORKS caseload in West, Central, and East county. Fourty five percent of the
CalWorks caseload was in West county, 21% was in Central county, and 34% was in
East County.. The breakout of homeless individual adults by region is based on the
relative proportions of the GA caseload in West, Central, and East County. Fifty-five
percent of the GA caseload was in West County, 25% was in Central County, and 20%
was in East County.
20 Methodology For Calculating The Estimated Nightly Count
The Health Services Department maintains an unduplicated count of homeless people
receiving services each year. It is these numbers that update the base numbers, calculated
below.
A. Homeless Single Adults: According to the Contra Costa County Social Services
Department, the average monthly General Assistance(GA)caseload was 4,624 cases in
one year. Because the monthly caseload is the total number of all cases open at some
point during the month, it is higher than the average daily caseload. The average daily
caseload is about 85%of the average monthly caseload. Applying this percentage to the
average monthly caseload yields an average daily caseload of 3,930 cases(4,624 x .85).
The average daily caseload of 3,930 was multiplied by the percentage of approved GA
recipients who declare themselves as homeless (28%) to yield an estimate of 1,100
individuals homeless on any given night(3,390 x.28). This number is an undercount—
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 134
see Endnote I.B. for a more detailed explanation of the limitations of this estimate.
The calculation of the number of homeless men and women is derived by multiplying the
relative proportions of the number of men and women receiving GA by the overall
nightly estimate of the number of homeless individuals (1,100).
B. Homeless Families: The number of families who are homeless on any given night is
derived by averaging a low and a high-end estimate. The low-end estimate is based on
CalWORKS data. According to the Contra Costa County Social Services Department,an
average of five days of temporary shelter was provided for families who received
CalWORKS temporary assistance during a six-month period. Assuming that 5 days is
the average length of homelessness for families yields an estimated nightly count of 51
families. (365/days/yr divided by 5 days=73,and 3,750 families homeless over the
course of the year divided by 73 = 51 families homeless on any given night.)
Based on the experiences of providers serving this population as well as on surveys of
homeless families, the average length of homelessness for families is thought to be
considerably longer than 5 days. The discrepancy between the CalWORKS data and the
experiences of providers and many homeless families is likely due to the fact that
CalWORKS recipients do not include all homeless families and are not reflective of the
overall population of families who experience homelessness.
The high end estimate is derived from a survey conducted by the Contra Costa County
Health Services Department Homeless Program. Of the 192 people surveyed, 16
indicated that they had children living with them. Of these, 16 families, 6% had been
homeless less than I month, 25% had been homeless for one to three months, 50% had
been homeless for three months to one year, and 19% had been homeless for over one
year. In order to derive a nightly count of homeless families, this data on the length of
time homeless was applied to the yearly count using the following assumptions:
• Under one month assumes the family was homeless for exactly two weeks. The
yearly count is multiplied by the proportion of families homeless for under one
month (6%)and divided by 26.
• One to three months assumes the family was homeless for exactly two months.
The yearly count is multiplied by the proportion of fatnilies homeless for one to
three months(25%)and divided by 6.
•Three months to one year assumes the family was homeless for exactly six
months. The yearly count is multiplied by the proportion of families homeless for
three months to one year(50%) and divined by 2.
• Over one year assumes the family was homeless for exactly-one year. The
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Carc Plan 135
yearly count is multiplied by the proportion of families homeless for over one
year(19%).
Adding together the results of the four calculations yields an estimated nightly count of
1,81.6 families. (This methodology was developed by Shelter Partnership, Inc. of Los
Angeles.] This estimate is assumed to be a high end calculation because it is derived
from a small sample of families in emergency shelters, transitional housing, residential
treatment programs,etc. This sample cannot be assumed to be reflective of the overall
population of homeless families and is likely biased toward families who have been
homeless longer amounts of times.
An average of the low end and high-end figures yields an estimate of 934 families
homeless on a given night. The CalWORKS average family size and average number of
children(See Endnote LA.)were used to calculate estimates of the number of family
members(parents and children)and the number of children homeless on any given night.
Based on this, 2,587 family members were estimated to be homeless on any given night
in FY 1994-95, including 1,737 children.
21 In addition, to the lack of a random or scientific sampling process, the applicability of
the survey data is also limited by the fact that the surveys were filled out by the
respondents themselves_ The quality and completeness of the surveys is not consistent;
some people did not understand how to fill out certain questions and others chose not to
answer all the questions. Accuracy is particularly an issue with the questions that asked
people to self-report information on personal issues, such as mental health disabilities,
drug and alcohol use, and domestic violence. Given the differing motivations people
have in answering these questions, a precise estimate of the overall percentage of the
homeless population affected by these issues cannot be obtained solely by looking at the
proportion of people who identified themselves as having a particular problem on the
survey.
22 Department of Health Services. Year 2000 Data on Homeless People Served.
23 Office on Homelessness, Department of Health Services,Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart.
24 6,628 is the estimate of the number of homeless households in FY 1994-95 (2,878
adult only households plus 3,750 family households—see endnote I for sources). For
convenience, this number is used as the estimate of the number of homeless adults
although it is likely that some of the family households contained more than one adult.
25 113 of the 192 people surveyed (59%) indicated that they had a problem with drug or
alcohol use.
26 Source: Shelter, Inc. of Contra Costa County 200 APR.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 136
27 Urban Institute. Homelessness: The Programs and the People They Serve, Findings of
the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients. Technical Report.
(Washington: Urban Institute, Dec. 1999): 8-1.
28 Contra Costa County Health Services Department. Year 2000 Data on Homeless
People Served.
29 Association of Bay Area Governments,Projections 2000: Forecasts for the San
Francisco Bay Area to the Year 2020, (December 1999): 87.
30 32 of the 192 people surveyed(17%) indicated that they had a mental health disability.
31 Office on Homelessness, Department of Health Services, Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart.
32 Urban Institute: 8-1.
33 23 of the 192 people surveyed (12%) indicated that they had both a mental health
disability and a problem with drug or alcohol use.
34 23 of the 32 people(72%) who identified themselves as having a mental health
disability also said they had a drug or alcohol problem. 23 of the 113 people(20%) who
identified themselves as having a drug or alcohol problem also said they had a mental
health disability.
35 Office on Homelessness, Department of Health Services, Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart.
36 24 of the 70 women surveyed (34%) indicated that they or their family had a problem
with domestic violence.
37.Office on Homelessness, Department of Health Services, Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart.
38 Urban Institute: 4-9.
39 Contra Costa County Consolidated Plan, 2001-2006: 27.
41)Oftice on Homelessness, Department of Health Services, Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart.
41 Contra Costa County HIV/AIDS Housing Plan, 1996: 44, 49-50.
42 Contra Costa Consolidated Plan, 2001-2006: 27.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Carc Plan 137
43 Robertson, Marjorie J., and Paul A. Toro. "Homeless Youth: Research, Intervention,
and Policy."Practical Lessons: The 1998 National Symposium on Homelessness
Research. Eds. Linda B. Fosburg and Deborah A. Dennis. (Washington: Dept. of
Housing and Urban Development, Aug. 1999).
44 Robertson and Toro.
45 Office on Homelessness, Department of Health Services, Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart.
46 Kushel, Margot. Health Status of Homeless Persons. (Feb. 2001.
http://ww.igs.berkeley.edu:880/events/homeless/papers/Kushel PresentatioiVindex.htm
Website accessed 29 Mar. 2001).
47 39 of the 192 surveyed(20%) indicated that they had a physical disability.
48 39 of the 192 people surveyed(20%) indicated that they had a health problem. 19
(10%) said they had stayed in the hospital during the previous 12 months.
49 .Source: Shelter Inc., of Contra Costa County, 2000 APR.
50 36 of the 192 people surveyed (20%) reported that they had spent some time in jail in
the previous twelve months.
51 Kushel.
52 30 of the 192 people surveyed(16%) reported that they were veterans.
53 Office on Homelessness, Department of Health Services,Contra Costa County. 2001
HUD Continuum of Care Application. Gaps Analysis Chart.
54 103 of 167 survey respondents(62%) had a gross monthly income below$500,42
(25%)had an income in the range$50041000, 12 (7%) had an income in the range
$1000-$1500,4 (2%)had an income in the range$1500-$2000, 2 (1%) had an income ill
the range$200042500 and 4(2%)had an income over$2500.
55 California Budget Project. Locked Out!
56 Contra Costa Consolidated Plan, 2001-2006: 22.
57 40 of 184 survey respondents(22%) had not completed high school or the GED, 57
(31%) had completed high school or the GED, 61 (33%) had completed some college, 26
(14%) had obtained a degree.
58 Urban Institute: 3-6.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 138
59 32 of the 192 people surveyed (17%) were currently employed.
60 94 of 147 survey respondents(64%) were homeless more than one time.
61 Urban Institute: 4-9.
62 153 of 192 survey respondents said they use the bus or BART to get to appointments or
to work.
63 83 of 192 people surveyed (43%) had lived on the streets, 42 (22%) had lived in a
vehicle, 114 (59%)had been in a shelter or transitional housing, and 86 (45%)had stayed
with a friend.
64 National Low Income Housing Coalition.
65 National Low Income Housing Coalition.
X'x See Endnote iii.
xx Contra Costa County Consolidated Plan(FY 1995-1999): 20.
Xxi See Endnote lviii.
xx" See Endnote ii.
Loprest,P., Families Who Left Welfare: Who Are They and Hotiv are They Doing?,
(Urban Institute, 1999): 12.
xx.v See page 12 & 15.
Xx"See page 12 & 15.
See Endnote viii.
Stark L, "Barriers to Healthcare for the Homeless,"(1998).
See Endnote vii. There are an estimated 834 homeless people(individual adults and
adults in family households) who have a drug or alcohol problem. An estimated 244 are
dually diagnosed with a mental health disability and 310 are dually diagnosed with an
HIV/AIDS diagnosis. Overall, 66% of those with a drug or alcohol problem have some
type of dual diagnosis.
xxix See Endnote xlvi.
XXX See Endnote xlii.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 139
I
x"National Alliance to End Homelessness,A Plan: Not a Dream, 2000.
H.omeBase, Meeting the Health Care Needs of California's Homeless Popr.Ilation
xxx'u Kushe[, Margot B., "Health Status of Homeless"2001.
xxx" Salit S.A. 1998.
xxxv Rosenheck, R. 1999.
xxxVi Gross TP, "Shelters for Battered Women and Their Children: an Underrecognized
Source of Communicable Disease Transmission."
xxx"" Wright, "Poverty, Homelessness, Health Nutrition,and Children."
xxxv"' Walter Leginski, "Health Issues in Homelessness," Urban Homelessness & Public
Policy Solutions:A One Day Conference 2001. _
" 'x Stark L, "Barriers to Healthcare for the Homeless."
A of Stark L.
National Alliance to End.Homelessness,A Plan:Not a Dream, 2001.
Aii A Plan:Not a Dream, 2000.
xt"' See in general Stone,Shelter Poverty, 1993 (documents the development of access to
habitable shelter as a measure of poverty).
xt'" Walter Leginski, "Health Issues in Homelessness," Urban Homelessness & Public
Policy Solutions:A One-Day Conference, January 22,200 1.
xtv Bostic, Raphael W. "Homeless Population Dynamics and Policy Implications," Urban
Homelessness & Public Policy Solutions: A One Day Conference 2001 (Mr. Bostic is a
poverty expert for the Federal Reserve Board).
x["' cited in"Economic and Housing Issues in Homelessness," Urban Homelessness &
Public Policy Solutions:A One Day Conference 2001.
x1"" Currently most Section 8 vouchers are awarded to people who have never been at risk .
of homelessness according to Prof. Edgar O. Olsen of the University of Virginia at the
Urban Homelessness & Public Policy Solutions:A One-Day Conference, 2001.
xI""' Leginski, Walter, "Health Issues on Homelessness,"2001.
"x See id.
2001-2006 Contra Costa County Homeless Continuum of Care Plan 140