Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council Regular Meeting of August 11, 2020
Title
CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION
APPROVING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE CITIES OF HERMOSA BEACH, MANHATTAN
BEACH, AND REDONDO BEACH REGARDING THE
IMPLEMENTATIONOF THE SOUTH BAY BEACH
CITIES HOMELESSNESS PROJECT
(Assistant to the City Manager Nico De Anda-Scaia)
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution approving a memorandum of understanding between the cities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach regarding the implementation of the South Bay Beach Cities Homelessness Project.
Body
Executive Summary:
As part of the City’s ongoing efforts to address homelessness locally and regionally, Hermosa Beach and its neighboring jurisdictions of Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach have partnered on various homeless initiatives which stand to serve our three communities. Individually, each of the three cities has developed and adopted their own City-specific Homelessness Plan. In a joint effort, the three cities then applied for and were awarded Measure H grant funding from the County of Los Angeles toward the collaborative implementation of these plans.
A key component of plan implementation is the expansion of available resources and providing in-person outreach services for homeless individuals within the community. Toward this end, the three cities conducted a Request for Proposals (RFP) and engaged Harbor Interfaith Services (HIS) for the provision of local homeless services as part of a South Bay Beach Cities Homelessness Program. To expedite the program, and as lead agency of the project, the City of Manhattan Beach approved a grant contract with the County of Los Angeles and a subcontract with HIS. The Resolution for City Council’s consideration this evening approves a memorandum of understanding between our three cities for the implementation of the South Bay Beach Cities Homelessness Project. This project will continue until February 28, 2021, with the possibility of future extensions pending approval and future funding from the County of Los Angeles.
Background:
In March 2017, the voters of Los Angeles County approved Measure H - legislation which raised the County sales tax in order to generate $355 million annually over a 10- year period toward funding homeless services across the County. Following passage of this legislation, and in an effort to bolster multi-jurisdictional partnerships, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors allocated $2,000,000 in one-time funding from the County general fund to support coordination efforts of Councils of Governments, and planning efforts for cities in the Los Angeles Continuum of Care (a regional planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for our region’s homeless populations).
In November 2017, the City of Hermosa Beach was one of 47 cities to be awarded County funding toward the development of a City Homelessness Plan. In July 2018, following a community-led effort over several months, the Hermosa Beach City Council unanimously adopted the City’s “Five-year Homelessness Plan” to serve as a comprehensive community road map for preventing and combating homelessness locally and regionally.
In November 2018, as part of a ‘Beach Cities Partnership’, the cities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach submitted a multi-jurisdictional proposal for joint Homelessness Plan Implementation grant funding through the County of Los Angeles.
In April 2019, the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative announced the award of ‘Measure H’ grant funding to the ‘Beach Cities Partnership’ totaling $330,666 for homeless resources coordination, training, and housing navigation services.
In September 2019, as the lead agency for the program, the Manhattan Beach City Council approved a Grant contract with the County of Los Angeles. Thereafter, the three cities developed specifications for a Homeless Implementation Initiative, conducted a Request for Proposals (RFP) and engaged Harbor Interfaith Services (HIS) for the provision of local homeless and housing navigation services as part of a South Bay Beach Cities Homelessness Project. The Project’s specifications and tasks include but are not limited to:
• Providing a full-time Homeless Coordinator/City Liaison to leverage the cities’ fiscal and administrative resources in order to systematize, coordinate and conduct various homeless efforts for enhancing and expanding regional access to services;
• Developing and implementing internal city-level homelessness response protocols and beach city regional response;
• Tailoring training materials and leading staff training sessions;
• Coordinating an annual tri-city homelessness stakeholder community meeting;
• Providing two full-time Homeless Case Managers to assist homeless individuals and families by completing Coordinated Entry System (CES) Assessments, maintaining case notes in Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s (LAHSA) Homeless Management Information System (HMIS); and
• Preparing homeless clients to become “document ready” and successfully connecting individuals to interim housing, treatment centers, and permanent housing.
To expedite the implementation of the program, and as lead agency of the project, the City of Manhattan Beach entered into a subcontract with the County of Los Angeles and Harbor Interfaith Services (included in Attachment 2). The project term with Harbor Interfaith Services will continue until February 28, 2021, with the possibility of future extensions pending approval from the County of Los Angeles.
Discussion:
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
The Resolution for City Council’s consideration this evening approves a memorandum of understanding formalizing the partnership between the three beach cities for the implementation of the South Bay Beach Cities Homelessness Project (Attachment 1).
The South Bay Beach Cities Homelessness Project aims to reduce homelessness in our three communities by leveraging shared resources and directly engaging individuals who are experiencing and/or at-risk of homelessness. Through regular outreach and engagement, HIS staff seek to establish meaningful connections between local individuals and essential supportive services with the ultimate goal of directing individuals into permanent supportive housing.
Ongoing HIS Services
HIS began providing services to the Beach Cities Partnership in January of this year. Attachment 3 of this report includes the most recent South Bay Beach Cities Program Report for the period of November 2019 through June 2020. As part of the initiative, staff from HIS and the partner cities meet regularly to monitor project deliverables, share information across agencies, and pivot services as necessary.
While the current pandemic and closures of key state and county government offices have impacted the timeframe for delivery of some key service areas, HIS staff continue to serve our communities full-time and place individuals in temporary and permanent housing through various County resources.
Community Meeting on Homelessness
As a key deliverable of this program, the Beach Cities Partnership had scheduled a tri-City Community Meeting on Homelessness for March 19, 2020 at the Joselyn Center in Manhattan Beach. Due to present circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic, this meeting was initially postponed to an undetermined date. City staff will pursue this event in a digital format and update the City Council once a date has been determined.
2020 Annual Homeless Count
In January of each year, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) coordinates a County-wide Homelessness Count to identify critical information about our region’s homeless populations. Trended over time, this data helps shape local policy and the allocation of resources across the County’s 88 cities. The City of Hermosa Beach has participated as a regional deployment site for local homeless counts for several years.
For the most recent point-in-time Count conducted on January 22, 2020, 4,560 people were identified as experiencing homelessness in the South Bay (SPA 8) region. Overall, homelessness rose by 3% in the South Bay, compared to a 12% increase in Los Angeles County overall. For the Beach Cities of El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach, unsheltered homelessness specifically rose +5% from 239 persons in 2018 to 250 persons in 2020. Those living in vehicles in the Beach Cities continues to rise, with a +10% increase in the same time-frame.
According to the latest Count, 29 individuals were identified as experiencing homelessness in Hermosa Beach. Of this number, 7 persons were identified as living on the street, with approximately 22 living in vehicles throughout the City. These figures indicate a slight increase in total homeless persons within the City’s borders from 2019.
The table below illustrates Hermosa Beach homeless count results for the past five years. Overall homelessness in Hermosa Beach has remained relatively stable, with the City’s total homeless population among the lowest in the region on a per-capita basis. Vehicular homelessness is rising slightly, consistent across the South Bay.
1. Totals are approximations that include visibly identified homeless and a conversion factor for vehicles and shelters where no individuals may be counted. While fewer individuals may have been counted in-person, the conversion factor allows LAHSA statisticians to estimate the number of “hidden homeless” within communities by applying a standard formula to account for potential homeless individuals. To view a full analysis on LAHSA’s conversion factors and proportions for vehicles, tents and makeshift shelters, click on the following link: <https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=3477-2019-greater-los-angeles-homeless-count-car-van-camper-rv-tent-and-makeshift-shelter-population-conversion-factors.pdf>
2. The following results are reported at the SPA level only: Domestic Violence Shelters, Youth Count results, and DPSS-issued motel vouchers.
3. Unaccompanied Minors on the Street data is only available at the SPA/Regional level.
Despite this moderate fluctuation and low homeless count figures in comparison to other cities, due to our small size and high population density, homelessness in Hermosa Beach remains highly visible and a key issue among local stakeholders. As a popular beach town and key tourist hub in the area, the number of homeless individuals living in town fluctuates significantly throughout the year. For access to the County’s full 2020 Homeless Count Results, click on the following link: <https://www.lahsa.org/news?article=726-2020-greater-los-angeles-homeless-count-results>
General Plan Consistency:
This report and associated recommendations have been evaluated for their consistency with the City’s General Plan. Relevant Policies are listed below:
Governance
1.6 Long-term considerations. Prioritize decisions that provide long-term community benefit and discourage decisions that provide short-term community benefit but reduce long-term opportunities.
2.6 Responsive to community needs. Continue to be responsive to community inquiries, providing public information and recording feedback from community interactions.
3.1 Increased access to services. Strive to provide access to facilities, programs, and services at times and locations that are convenient for residents and businesses.
4.3 Collaboration with adjacent jurisdictions. Maintain strong collaborative relationships with adjacent jurisdictions and work together on projects of mutual interest and concern.
Public Safety
4.7 Communicate risks. Regularly evaluate, identify, and communicate new hazard risks and incorporate into planning and programs.
5.1 Crime deterrence. Regularly evaluate the incidence of crime and identify and implement measures to deter crime.
5.7 Collaborate with neighboring jurisdictions. Cooperate and collaborate with neighboring jurisdictions and social services to maximize public safety and emergency services.
Fiscal Implications:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action. Deliverables to be performed by Harbor Interfaith Services as part of the South Bay Beach Cities Homelessness Project are funded by a grant award from the County of Los Angeles and distributed via the City of Manhattan Beach, lead agency for the tri-city program.
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 20-XXXX
2. Memorandum of Understanding - South Bay Beach Cities Homelessness Project
3. South Bay Beach Cities Program Report (November 2019 - June 2020)
Respectfully Submitted by: Nico De Anda-Scaia, Assistant to the City Manager
Concur: Paul LeBaron, Police Chief
Financial Analysis: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Legal Review: Mike Jenkins, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager