HomeMy WebLinkAbout18 - Biannual Update on Homeless Outreach ServicesTO:
FROM:
CITY OF
NEWPORT BEACH
City Council Staff Report
January 23, 2024
Agenda Item No. 18
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Tara Finnigan, Assistant City Manager - 949-644-3001,
tinnigan@newportbeachca.gov
PREPARED BY: Natalie Basmaciyan, Homeless Services Manager - 949-718-1991,
nbasmaciyan@newportbeachca.gov
TITLE: Biannual Update on Homeless Outreach Services
ABSTRACT:
In June 2023, the Newport Beach City Council adopted Resolution No. 2023-41, which
set forth the Council's approach to people experiencing homeless within the city. The
resolution included a provision requiring staff to report back to the City Council every six
months, for two years, on the City of Newport Beach's outreach efforts including, but not
limited to, the number of shelter beds acquired/accessed; the funds expended related to
homeless related services; the status of all City -directed initiatives; and what actions were
taken by the City's partners, providers and staff to enable individuals to successfully exit
the street. This report provides an update on the City's homeless outreach efforts for the
period from July 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
a) Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because
this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly;
and
b) Receive and file.
DISCUSSION:
Background
The City's homeless services program is managed by the City Manager's Office and
accomplished through a combination of staff and contractor resources. In 2023, the City
Council reestablished the Newport Beach City Council Homeless Ad Hoc Committee to
evaluate the services provided by the City's contractors and consider if additional services
were needed. The committee's work culminated in recommendations to the City Council
that ultimately led to the Council adopting Resolution No. 2023-41, which set forth the
Council's approach to people experiencing homeless within Newport Beach and included
a provision requiring staff to report to the City Council on the City's homeless outreach
efforts every six months.
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January 23, 2024
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Also, as a result of the ad hoc committee's recommendations, the Council adopted
Ordinance No. 2023-11, which prohibits interference with public access, unpermitted
structures on public property and certain conduct on public property. On August 12, 2023,
after providing outreach and education, the Newport Beach Police Department began the
phased implementation of the new ordinance, starting with addressing unpermitted
structures. All aspects of the ordinance have now been implemented.
Outreach Efforts July 1 — December 31, 2023
In accordance with Resolution No. 2023-41, this report provides an update on the City's
homeless outreach efforts for the period from July 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.
Baseline Count
The City Council desired to have an accurate baseline count of those experiencing
homelessness in Newport Beach in 2023 to help measure future actions and success.
Under its agreement with the City, City Net completed a census in late November of last
year. Staff is awaiting receipt of the final, detailed report; however, City Net has relayed
that it determined 68 adults and two children were experiencing homelessness in Newport
Beach at the time of the census. It should be noted that City Net includes in its count
individuals that responded to the survey and those that refused. For the November 2023
census, 40 people participated in the survey and 28 did not.
Shelter Beds
Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter
In June of last year, the City Council approved an amendment to the Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with the City of Costa Mesa to add five more Newport Beach
designated beds at the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter, for a total of 25 beds available for
Newport Beach's exclusive use. The beds were installed and available as of late
September.
Further, under the amended MOU, the City is now able to use up to six of Costa Mesa's
beds at $155 per bed, per day, when available. In early January of this year, Costa Mesa
had some of its beds available for the first time since the agreement was amended and
offered Newport Beach use of up to three beds. To date, Newport Beach has been able
to fill two of those beds.
Over the six-month period of July 1 — December 31, 2023, Newport Beach staff and
contractors were able to help 33 individuals enter the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
Yale Navigation Center
As a member of the County's Central Service Planning Area, individuals experiencing
homelessness in Newport Beach have access to the County's Yale Navigation Center,
when beds are available. During the six-month period, four individuals from Newport
Beach were accepted at the Yale Navigation Center.
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Illumination Foundation Meetin
Councilmembers Lauren Kleiman and Robyn Grant, along with City staff, met with
representatives of the Illumination Foundation in September to learn about the nonprofit's
recuperative care / medical respite program, and how the Newport Beach outreach team
can refer individuals needing medical care to the program. The Illumination Foundation
provides bridge housing where individuals experiencing homelessness can receive
medical oversight, case management and other resources while they recuperate. City
staff and its contractors have been informed of the program, but have not yet been able
to refer any individuals to the program.
City -Directed Initiatives
Permanent Supportive Housing
On July 11, 2023, the City Council approved a one-time allocation of $3,000,000 for a
proposed, permanent supportive housing project in the City of Costa Mesa. The 128-room
Travelodge North Motel, located at 1400 Bristol Street, would be converted into 78
housing units by American Family Housing via Project Homekey funding. Under the
agreement, the City would receive 12 units dedicated to people experiencing
homelessness that have Newport Beach ties. The County of Orange, the developer, and
the Cities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa (which also agreed to provide funding for
the project), are awaiting notice from the State of California Department of Housing and
Community Development as to whether the project has been approved under the
Homekey program. That decision is expected in the first quarter of 2024.
Good Giving Campaign
The City is working with RMG Communications to update the Good Giving donation
campaign with clearer messaging, a new video and promotional materials. The Good
Giving program encourages people to donate to the City or a local nonprofit rather than
handing cash or comfort items to people panhandling, as that practice can actually
prolong an individual's homelessness and prevent them from accepting services that
could help put them on a path to housing. Examples of how the City uses the donations
it receives to help support individuals interested in exiting the street include funding travel
expenses for family reunifications, purchasing household items when people move into
their new homes, or providing clothing for job interviews. From July 1 to December 31,
2023, the City received $3,280 in Good Giving donations.
Homeless Solutions Collaborative
Staff continues to host the Homeless Solutions Collaborative quarterly meeting to share
information on the City's homeless outreach initiatives, contracted services, and housing
placements. The Collaborative members represent local nonprofits, faith leaders and the
City of Costa Mesa. Meetings were held on July 27 and November 15, 2023.
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Amended Aareement for Be Well OC Mobile Crisis Response Team Services
On August 22, the City Council approved an amendment to the City's agreement with
Mind OC for the Be Well OC Mobile Crisis Response Team program. The amendment
called for a greater focus on the Be Well team proactively working with the community's
unhoused to help achieve street exits. The amended agreement includes program
enhancements such as having Mind OC provide housing navigation, increased case
management support, and expanded data collection and reporting. The amendment
extended the term of the agreement to June 30, 2024, and increased the contract amount
by $956,775.
Request for Proposals for Outreach Provider
City Net provides outreach and engagement consultant services to assist individuals
experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach to exit the street. With the term of the City's
current professional services agreement with City Net expiring on February 25, 2024, the
City issued a Request for Proposals for homeless outreach and engagement services in
December 2023. Staff is currently reviewing the proposals received and anticipates
bringing an agreement to the City Council in February.
Data Collection and Reaortin
City staff and contractors track their homeless -outreach -related activities monthly. Data
collected by the Police, Public Works and Recreation & Senior Services Departments, as
well as contractors, City Net and Be Well OC, is included as Attachment A. The attached
report also provides information, by month, on street exits and housing placements. For
the reporting period, there were 51 street exits and 10 individuals housed.
In addition, staff posts a monthly Homeless Data Dashboard on the City website which
features the total number of outreach contacts, expenditures and other metrics related to
homeless services outreach. This fall, staff added new data details and trends that
highlights expenses and street exits. The information can be found at
newportbeachca.gov/homeless.
Funds Expended
The City expended the following Between July 1 and December 31, 2023 in support of its
homeless outreach program:
Services in Support of Homeless Outreach
Expensed Jul 1- Dec 31
City of Costa Mesa: Bridge Shelter
$558,288
City Net: Homeless Outreach Services
$84,563
Be Well OC: Mobile Crisis Response Team
$339,754
RMG Communication: Good Giving Campaign Revamp
$8,085
City Homeless Assistance*
$7,366
Total**
$998,056
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Biannual Update on Homeless Outreach Services
January 23, 2024
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*The City has successfully received reimbursements for homeless assistance
expenditures in the amount of $7,569, covering all expenses through December 31 with
some leftover funding.
**This table does not include the salaries and benefits of Homeless Services Manager or
Homeless Liaison Officer
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City continues to allocate significant funding to support its homeless outreach
program. The Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget includes $3.1 million for Outreach Services
(City Manager's Office Account #0102041) with includes funding for contract services and
shelter beds.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not
result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment)
and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA
Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no
potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of
the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment A — Data Reports
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ATTACHMENT A
Category
July-23
August-23
September-23
October-23
November-23
December-23
6 Month Total
SUMMARY
Street Exits
Housed
1
2
3
0
2
2
10
Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter
5
4
8
5
6
5
33
Other Shelter
2
0
0
0
2
0
4
Medical
1
0
0
0
0
1
2
Death
1
1
0
0
0
0
2
Total 51
Housing
From Street 0 0 3 0 1 1 5
From Shelter 1 2 0 0 1 1 5
Total 10
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ATTACHMENT A
Category
July-23
August-23
September-23
October-23
November-23
December-23
6 Month Total
CITY ACTION
Police Department
Calls for Service
472
534
421
417
334
362
2540
Peninsula Enforcement Team Contacts
222
141
157
319
321
350
1510
Boardwalk/Quality of Life Program
21
7
31
13
13
15
100
City Net Referrals
8
0
2
0
1
5
16
Be Well Referrals
3
0
4
8
4
1
20
Shelter Offered
9
1
17
2
4
1
34
NBMC Citations
93
35
46
16
18
21
229
CA Vehicle Code Citations
14
7
19
8
3
18
69
Tent -Related Contacts
N/A
18
15
0
3
4
40
Total Time (Hours)
156.5
64
124.5
54
50.5
76
525.5
Public Works Department
Calls for Service
5
5
10
14
24
32
90
Storage Bins Used for Property
7
15
3
6
13
4
48
Pressure Wash Locations
1
2
0
2
4
0
9
Bags of Debris Collected
53
35
19
7
15
33
162
Total Time (Hours)
61
105
66
31
45
83
391
Recreation & Senior Services Department
Abandoned Property
19
22
26
10
8
7
92
Homeless Contacts
27
36
40
29
15
19
166
Homeless Observed
89
60
42
42
34
37
304
Be Well Referrals
0
1
5
4
2
1
13
Welfare Checks
6
16
7
4
3
7
43
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ATTACHMENT A
Category July-23 August-23 September-23 October-23 November-23 December-23 6 Month Total
CONTRACTOR
Be Well
Calls for Service
289
358
292
312
346
337
1934
Outreach
136
220
167
178
237
237
1175
Follow -Up
88
82
65
54
60
44
393
Dispatch
65
56
60
80
49
56
366
Service Provided
Welfare Checks
98
191
130
92
79
76
666
Homelessness
N/A
91
102
161
204
219
777
Mental Health
47
49
43
43
32
32
246
Substance Abuse
N/A
27
17
16
31
10
101
Total Time (Hours)
133
176
148
152
178
151
938
Average Time Spent (Minutes)
28
37
31
32
33
29
31.7
No Co -Response Required (%)
87
89
92
91
94.6
94
91.27
Average Response Time (Minutes)
10
11
8
9
10
11
9.83
No Co -Responders on Scene
250
317
268
284
332
317
1768
Police on Scene
31
36
23
28
14
17
149
Fire on Scene
4
3
3
1
2
3
16
Other on Scene
1
6
2
2
3
0
14
Transports
39
44
31
30
32
41
217
Be Well Sobering Center
6
12
6
6
7
4
41
Emergency Dept.
7
7
1
5
4
5
29
Homeless Services
5
4
3
5
3
1
21
Be Well Crisis Stabilization
4
3
5
3
3
7
25
Other Crisis Stabilization
4
3
2
1
2
2
14
Shelter
5
3
6
5
9
16
44
Private Residence
1
2
1
1
0
0
5
Other
7
10
7
4
4
6
38
Resources Provided
123
161
122
94
73
49
622
Assisted
120
163
93
123
154
127
780
No Contact Made
42
103
79
57
82
34
397
Declined Services
32
45
44
53
60
68
302
Supplies Provided
15
26
10
4
5
0
60
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ATTACHMENT A
Category
July-23
August-23
September-23 October-23 November-23 December-23 6 Month Total
CONTRACTOR
City Net
Outreach/Contacts
98
73
51 77 57 38 394
Service Enrollments
25
14
11 17 8 14 89
Housing Placement
2
1
2 0 0 0 5
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