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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 05071996 - C73 73 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS F&HS-01 5E L Contra FROM: FAMILY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE Costa 8, s County DATE: April 22, 1996 sTA-coiiK`� SUBJECT: STATUS REPORT ON THE COMPREHENSIVE HOMELESS PLAN AND COMMENTS FROM THE HOMELESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. RECEIVE the attached comments from the Homeless Advisory Committee. 2. REFER the attached comments from the Homeless Advisory Committee to the Public Health Director with the request that he take them into consideration in preparing the Comprehensive Homeless Plan. 3. REQUEST the Public Health Director to circulate the draft Comprehensive Homeless Plan to the Homeless Advisory Committee and members of the Board of Supervisors well in advance of the time for consideration of the draft Plan by the Family and Human Services Committee on June 10, 1996. BACKGROUND: On March 11, 1996, our Committee indicated that we would provide the Homeless Advisory Committee the opportunity to comment on the draft Comprehensive Homeless Plan prior to the time the Plan was finalized so their comments could be taken into account. We had hoped to have those comments on April 22, 1996. Unfortunately, the draft Plan is not yet ready for review. As a result, we met with Joanne Brooks-Washington, Chair of the Homeless Advisory Committee, on April 22, 1996, at which time Ms. Brooks-Washington provided our Committee with the CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BO D OMM TT E APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): MARK DeSAULNIER E ITH ACTION OF BOARD ON May 7, 1Q06 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) 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. ATTESTEDMay 77, 1996 Contact: PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF cc: See Page 2 SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BYjA'4'V1Lt' DEPUTY F&HS-01 7� attached general comments about the role of the Homeless Advisory Committee and some specific elements the Homeless Advisory Committee would like to see included in the draft Plan. Also present were Dr. Wendel Brunner and Brenda Blasingame from the Health Services Department and Mary Lou Laubscher, Ginger Marsh and Kathy Lafferty from the Homeless Advisory Committee. Dr. Brunner noted that staff is on schedule to have the draft Plan ready to circulate to all interested parties in May and that the final Plan will be ready for review by the Family and Human Services Committee on June 10, 1996. Concerns were expressed by those present about apparent proposals to alter the structure of the Homeless Advisory Committee and add County employees to it. Since neither the Committee nor staff had an opportunity to review the attached comments before the Committee meeting, we have asked that they be considered by staff in preparing the draft Plan and that we discuss them in more detail at the June 10, 1996 meeting of our Committee when we will be reviewing the draft Plan. cc: County Administrator Health Services Director Public Health Director Brenda Blasingame, Homeless Program Coordinator, HSD Pat Pinkston, Homeless Services, Public Health Division, HSD Homeless Advisory Committee (Via Dr. Brunner) -2- HOMELESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO: Family and Human Services Committee Supervisor De Salnier Supervisor Smith FROM: HAC (Homeless Advisory Committee DATE: April 18, 1996 REF: Homeless Draft Plan Recommendations HAC fully supports the creation of a Contra Costa County Homeless Plan. HAC congratulates those who coordinated, participated in and developed the document. 1. HAC recommends that this formal homeless plan contain a well defined timeline for implementation and for the establishment of measurable goals, both qualitative and quantitative. 2. HAC recommends that a significant part of the plan contain a well-developed homeless prevention strategy. Prevention is a key in solving the homeless problem. 3. HAC recommends that strategies to help homeless seniors be identified with in the document. 4. HAC recommends that HAC, in its present form with an expanded purview, be the catalyst for monitoring the implemented plan to help keep the Board informed of the progress of implementation. 5. HAC recommends that HAC, in its present form with an expanded purview, be committee to review homeless related housing and services proposals for funding and advise the Board of Supervisors on the allocation of all federal and state block grant funds according to homeless Plan priorities, including HUD, McKinney, HOME, HOPWA, CDBG and other funding sources. 6. HAC recommends that HAC, in its present form with an expanded purview, continue to advise the Board of Supervisors, County Departments on existing and proposed policies that affect people who are homeless or at-risk. 7. HAC recommends that HAC, in its present form with an expanded purview, continue to develop and implement its Speakers' Bureau, a community education campaign on homelessness. 8. HAC recommends that in its present form continue to advocate locally, but expand its advocacy to federal and state policy issues affecting people who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness in this county. 9. HAC recommends that its name not be changed to, nor a new board be created by the name of Contra Costa County Continuum of Care Board. (The present committee has name recognition, unless its changed to " Contra Costa County Homeless Advisory Board") tl 10. HAC recommends that its make-up best represent the make-up of the community and need not be changed from a 24 member committee to a 21 member one. The present make up is as follows: 3 Advocates of the homeless 3 Business Sector 3 City Representatives 3 Citizens 3 Consumers/currently or formerly homeless 3 Service Provider Organizations 5 Voluntary Organizations 1 Legal Services It is necessary to continue the committee in its present form, without County employee membership which would limit the ability of the committee to function as an independent advisory board to the Board of Supervisors. It would place county employees in a conflicting and precarious position if the advise offered to the Board of Supervisors depicted their particular department unfavorable. Many times it place employees in a justifying, protective, defensive, subjective mode rather than a responsible, accountable, proactive, objective mode. By having the Homeless Coordinator organize the meetings, conduct information gathering and analysis, facilitate decision-making and follow-up on actions taken by the Board (or Committee) turns out Committee independence into County control. It works best in its present form, these are provided at the pleasure of the committee. The Committee (or Board) is to and should represent the-make-up of the community at-large, not the make-up of County government, there are other committees recommended in the recommendations such as; The Homeless Management Team, Homeless Operations Team, and Homeless Inter-Jurisdictional Coordinating Council that could accomplish thus. Presently it is the responsibility of staff to report to HAC information on county homeless policies and programs. To bring to the committee pending policy changes that will affect / impact the homeless people of our county, so the committee can provide input to the staff and advise, in the form of recommendations, the Board of Supervisors on these changes and the impact to the community.