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Home My WebLink About00 - City Council Planning Session - HandoutJanuary 29, 2022 Planing Session City of Newport Beach Homeless Outreach Programs January 2022 Update The City of Newport Beach has adopted a comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness in the community and connecting individuals with appropriate resources and housing. The City's multi -pronged strategy is implemented by City elected officials, staff, contactors and volunteers. It also involves coordination with the County of Orange and other Orange County cities, and participating in state and federal programs. A summary of the various initiatives follows. City Response Homeless Ad Hoc Committee The Homeless Ad Hoc Committee is comprised of three City Council Members who meet with community representatives who have expertise in mental health, social services and homeless services, or are faith or business leaders. The Ad Hoc Committee has been meeting at least once month to discuss these issues. The City Manager's Office staff works closely with this committee. Homeless Outreach Team Natalie Basmaciyan serves as the City's fulltime Homeless Coordinator and Officer Cynthia Carter serves as the City's fulltime Homeless Liaison Officer. When Officer Carter is not on duty, a Sergeant, Lieutenant or another officer with expertise in homeless outreach assists with calls for service. Staff from Recreation, Park Patrol, the City Manager's Office and Public Works also provide support to the City's homeless outreach program. The Homeless Outreach Team has weekly coordination meetings. Rapid Response Team The Rapid Response Team is comprised of City staff from Public Works, Recreation and Senior Services, Fire/EMS, Police, and the City Manager's Office. The Rapid Response Team deploys as needed to remove trash/debris, and offer services if people are present. Services include access to the OASIS Senior Center resources, medical care, and referrals to local shelters. Good Giving Campaign The City launched a campaign to raise community awareness of the options available for those interested in helping people who are experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach. Monies raised have been used to purchase a new bicycle to help a newly housed individual get to and from his new job; to help another newly housed individual pay her rent when her work hours were temporarily reduced during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic; and to buy new clothing for a woman who decided to enter a sober living home. Citv Contracted Services City Net The City of Newport Beach contracts with City Net, a nonprofit that specializes in homeless outreach and service coordination. City Net employees are on duty in Newport Beach 5 days per week and on call to meet with individuals experiencing homelessness, develop relationships, and assess their needs. For those seeking services, City Net completes a Vulnerability Index and Housing Assessment for enrollment in the County's Coordinated Entry System to secure appropriate housing. City and City Net staff help the individuals to find housing and then assist with move in. Cost: $1 million for the term March 12, 2019 - February 25, 2022 Costa Mesa Temporary Bridge Shelter The Cities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa entered into a memorandum of understanding that provides Newport Beach with 20 of the 70 beds in Costa Mesa's new Temporary Bridge Shelter. Operating costs are partially funded by contributions from Hoag Hospital. Cost: $1.6 million one-time capital; $1 million per year operations Be Well OC Mobile Crisis Unit The City and Mind OC entered into an agreement to bring a mobile crisis intervention unit to Newport Beach and are currently in the process of designing and launching the program. The Newport Beach Be Well van will be staffed with a team of Mind OC licensed, mental health professionals who will work 12 hours a day, seven days a week, to assist those in the community that are dealing with mental health issues. This new service will work in concert with our Police and Fire Departments and our homeless response team. It will be operational in February 2022. Cost: $1.09 million for the term Oct. 1, 2021 — June 30, 2022 Permanent Supportive Housing The City issued a request for proposals and selected two developers to compete to develop a viable housing project with up to 50 units in Newport Beach. Each firm must identify a site and develop a concept to present to the City Council. Both firms are still working to identify a viable site. Budgeted City Contribution: $3 million Trellis International Community Impact Team Program The City entered into a grant agreement with Trellis International in September 2021. Trellis is a non-profit organization that works with homeless and housing insecure individuals by assisting them in re-entering the workforce and eventually returning to a self-sustaining level of employment. Trellis' Community Impact Team is a program wherein current and former homeless individuals serve in volunteer positions to participate in work projects in a city. Under the agreement, Trellis provides four -person volunteer teams and undertakes eight or more work projects each month. Cost: $30,000 for the term September 15, 2021 — September 14, 2022, Countywide Coordination Central SPA Per Federal Judge David Carter's direction, Orange County was divided into three Service Planning Areas (SPAs) — north, central and south. The cities within each region work together and with the County of Orange to identify, develop and share homeless response resources within each SPA. The Central SPA consists of Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Seal Beach, Fountain Valley, Tustin, Westminster and certain County unincorporated areas. If a County shelter is located within the SPA, cities can refer individuals seeking shelter beds to that location, if space is available. The County's 425 -bed Yale Center shelter is located within the Central SPA. The County of Orange operates a Cold Weather Emergency Shelter from December 2021 to the end of March 2022 in the City of Santa Ana. The 80 -bed shelter accepts referrals from law enforcement and social service agencies. City Net, the social services contractor for Newport Beach, and the Newport Beach Police Department refer people to this shelter. City Representation on Committees • City Manager Grace Leung and Assistant City Manager Tara Finnigan work closely with the City of Newport Beach Homeless Task Force Ad Hoc Committee responsible for advising the City Council. • Homeless Coordinator Natalie Basmaciyan participates in the following committees, meetings, and task forces: o City of Newport Beach Homeless Task Force Ad Hoc Committee o Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter Advisory Board o Costa Mesa Network for Homeless Solutions monthly meeting o Costa Mesa Network for Homeless Solutions Volunteers monthly meeting o Mind OC, Be Well OC Learning Collaborative quarterly meeting o County of Orange, Board of Supervisors biweekly meeting o County of Orange, Continuum of Care Board meetings and advisory committees o County of Orange, Coordinated Entry System weekly Match Meetings and advisory committee meetings o County of Orange Point in Time County Advisory Committee member o Orange County Housing Finance Trust quarterly meeting o County of Orange Commission to End Homelessness quarterly meeting o Chapman University's Orange County Family Violence Clinic Homeless - Domestic Violence -Sexual Assault (OCFVC Homeless -DV -SA) Task Force monthly meeting 0 2-1-1 OC Homeless Information Management System (HMIS) monthly meeting o Share Our Selves (SOS) case management meetings, as needed State and Federal Programs Emergency Housing Vouchers In 2021, The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released 70,000 Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV) across the country. The County of Orange received 1,035 EHV and 10 people experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach were awarded an EHV and are now locating housing. Each EHV covers 30% of a person's monthly rent. Project Roomkey In 2020, the State of California initiated Project Roomkey to shelter medically vulnerable and COVID-19+ people experiencing homelessness in motel rooms during the pandemic. The County of Orange contracted with Illumination Foundation, a local recuperative care nonprofit, to operate several motels. The City of Newport Beach placed 33 people into Project Roomkey motel rooms. Five people sheltered in Project Roomkey attained permanent housing at the conclusion of the program in late 2020. Project Roomkey changed service models in 2021 to shelter up to 150 COVI D-1 9 -exposed or positive people in one motel site to isolate them from congregate shelter settings. Project Homekey In 2020, the State of California initiated Project Homekey to convert motels and other appropriate buildings into Permanent Supportive Housing units for people experiencing homelessness. Permanent Supportive Housing provides low-income rental units with on-site social services for military veterans, senior citizens, or people in need of mental health care. The City of Stanton successfully converted two motels into Project Homekey properties in 2020. The Cities of Costa Mesa, Anaheim, and Huntington Beach applied to Project Homekey in 2021 to convert three motels into Permanent Supportive Housing. 4