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HomeMy WebLinkAbout101719presentationWORKING GROUP TO ADDRESS HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS OCTOBER 17, 2017 ●UPDATE OVERVIEW ■Update -Subject Matter Experts •Encampments •Cleanup •Meetings with Property Owners ■Services •Coordinated Entry System Jody Ketcheside, Vice-Chair, Fresno Madera Continuum of Care •Multi-Agency Access Program (MAP) Points Dawan Utecht, Director, Department of Behavioral Health ■Impact of the City’s Unlawful Camping Ordinance & the Abatement Process •County Counsel’s Office Deputy County Counsel Kyle Roberson, County Counsel’s Office 2 BACKGROUND •Presentation -August 2016 ■Departments •Behavioral Health •County Administrative Office •County Counsel •Public Health •Public Works & Planning •Sheriff-Coroner’s Office •Social Services •Board Briefing Report -June 2017 ■Recommendations •Continued teamwork (County, City, Community & other agencies) •Increased awareness regarding panhandling & illegal dumping •Empowering property owners to assume responsibility for their property •Pursuit of permanent housing & services •Continued allocation for cleanup 3 FY 2016-17 TOTAL = $140,000 ENCAMPMENT & PUBLIC NUISANCE DEFINED •Any collection of individuals and/or temporary structures in the public or private space that constitutes a public nuisance •Any property or portion thereof which has become unsafe, injurious to health, indecent, or offensive to the senses 4 ENCAMPMENTS •Public health & public safety issues including human trafficking, used syringes, & human waste •Calls tracked by the Sheriff’s Office & prioritized based on: •Location •Population •Individuals associated with the location •Complaints •Calls for service 5 9 ENCAMPMENT CLEANUPS TO DATE Westlands (Mendota)(11/2015) Sierra Vista/Shields alley (1/2016) Princeton/Valentine (4/2016) Belmont/Hughes (5/2016) Shaw/Bryan (10/2016) Sierra Vista/Shields alley*(12/2016) Orange Ave (1/2017) 820 & 826 LaFayette (3/2017) 544 LaFayette (5/2017) Clinton/Valentine (8/2017) Princeton/Valentine*(9/2017) 6 Impacting Supervisorial Districts 1 & 3 * Visited twice 7 7.820 & 826 LaFayette (3/2017)820 & 826 LaFayette (TODAY) $ 68,478.78 ENCAMPMENTS TODAY •Larger County island and unincorporated area encampments have been addressed •Sheriff’s Office continues to track encampments •Advocacy groups are contacted •Property owners are involved 8 MEETING PROPERTY OWNERS •Contact •Sheriff’s Office •Public Works –Code Enforcement Unit •Public Health’s –Environmental Health Division •Due to nuisance or unsanitary conditions on the property (accumulating junk, rodents, combustible materials used for cooking or fire, & those that constitute fire health & safety hazards) •In response to a violation, an inspection is scheduled to verify compliance 9 MEETING PROPERTY OWNERS •Streamlined process for County islands and unincorporated areas •Owner’s responsibility •Steps to cleanup property •After cleanup, maintenance & monitoring 10 11 $ 43,000.00 3. Princeton/Valentine (4/2016) 10. Princeton/Valentine (9/2017) 11 Princeton/Valentine (TODAY) COUNTY SERVICES •Services, for the most part, are not tracked to identify those provided to homeless individuals •Include public safety, public health, mental health & social services 12 •Screening, assessment, & treatment of Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders •Housing services & supports for persons with serious mental illness receiving treatment in Fresno County Mental Health Plan programs •Multi Agency Access Point(s) provide screening & linkages for individuals to assist in housing readiness •Outreach engagement & linkage coordinators meet clients "where they are" in the streets, shelters, & other non-traditional settings, completing referrals to appropriate services •Mental health crisis services including 24/7 Crisis Stabilization Center, Crisis Intervention Team co-response with law enforcement 13 COUNTY SERVICES: DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COUNTY SERVICES: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH •Animal care services •Health Realignment for homeless encampment cleanup •Consultation on disposal of hazardous materials 14 COUNTY SERVICES: DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES •Transitional housing for current and former foster youth •Once per year homeless assistance for CalWORKs recipients •Emergency supportive housing for families involved in Child Welfare Services •Emergency Solutions Grant funded services including emergency shelter and outreach services outsourced to Community Based Organizations •General Relief for needy individuals and couples with no children •Medi-Cal eligibility and enrollment •Transportation assistance for recipients of public assistance •In the future….CalFresh restaurant meals program for the disabled, elderly and homeless 15 COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM Jody Ketcheside, Vice-Chair, Fresno Madera Continuum of Care 16 •Implemented by Fresno Madera Continuum of Care, as system for assessing needs & vulnerability of the homeless & prioritizing those most vulnerable for housing. •HUD requires an efficient system for funded bed utilization. •MAP Point is a Coordinated Entry resource, but the System is much more complex with many agencies participating. •Dollars contributed to housing programs by Fresno County = 17 COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM $850,000 in cash contracts BEDS •Emergency Shelter Beds/Safe Haven Beds (270 reported beds) Only 101 entering data into the Homeless Management & Information System database, which allows for tracking of who is in the beds & how long they stay; the majority of these beds have a 30-day time limit on stay per year. •Transitional Housing (111 beds) Time limited, temporary housing (24-month max stay) •Rapid Rehousing (167 beds) Time limited rental assistance, permanent housing •Permanent Supportive Housing (613 beds) Permanent housing without time limits. Services are attached to the housing 18 Total housing beds available for homeless = 891, with only 780 being permanent housing MULTI-AGENCY ACCESS PROGRAM (MAP) POINTS LINKING FRESNO COUNTY (URBAN & RURAL) RESIDENTS TO SERVICES Dawan Utecht, Director, Department of Behavioral Health 19 PARTNERS •Collaborative Lead Partner •Kings View Behavioral Health System •Collaborative Partners •Poverello House •Centro La Familia Advocacy Services 20 PURPOSE OF MAP POINTS •To provide clients with a single point of entry to access linkages/services •Behavioral Health •Social Services •Health Services •Housing Programs 21 LOCATION OF MAP POINTS •3 Urban Locations •Poverello House, 412 F. Street (2 FT Navigators) 1 Rural Transport, 1 Urban Transport) 1 Resource Coordinator) •Centro La Familia Advocacy Services, 302 Fresno Street ( 1 Navigator) •Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC) (Centro La Familia) Ambulatory Care (1 Navigator ) •5 Rural Locations •Selma, 2025 Grant Street (Kings View) 2 Navigators, 1 MAP Collaborative Program Manager •Mendota, Permanent Location (Centro La Familia) 1 Navigator •Coalinga, (Food Truck, Centro La Familia) 1 Pov Food Truck Navigator •Orange Cove (Food Truck, Centro La Familia) 1 Pov Food Truck Navigator •Reedley (Food Truck, Kings View) 1 Pov Food Truck Navigator •1 Mobile Food Truck has Additional Stops •Firebaugh, Huron, San Joaquin, Calwa, Parlier, Del Rey, Riverdale, & Sanger 22 SERVICES PROVIDED AT ALL MAP POINTS •1. Screenings •Dept. of Behavioral Health Community Screening Tool (CST) used by navigators to screen clients along with other assessment tools such as the VI -SPDAT* •CST screens for client needs in several domains representing all aspects of client’s life such as mental health, housing, medical & social services etc. •Navigators develop a client and/or family service & linkage plan & monitor for successful linkage to each •Advocacy provided to clients needing to maintain housing & utilities •Data for reporting will be gathered via electronic means •Transportation will be provided for clients for a warm handoff & successful linkage to needed services •2. Client Assistance in Obtaining Documents •Navigators assist with documents such as identification &social security cards, birth certificates, immigration related or other documents needed to access public benefits & housing programs *VI-SPDAT = Vulnerability Index –Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool 23 MAP POINT Collaborative Organizational Chart March 2017 April 2017 March 2017 24 IMPACT OF THE CITY’S UNLAWFUL CAMPING ORDINANCE 25 Deputy County Counsel Kyle Roberson, County Counsel’s Office DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE COUNTY & CITY •County maintains less public property in urban areas •Majority of County encampments found on vacant private property •City likely responds to more encampments on public property & property open to the public (i.e. commercial centers) 26 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COUNTY & CITY •Ordinance provides City law enforcement additional grounds to approach homeless individuals •County relies on State law & existing ordinance codes •Criminal Trespass •Public Nuisance •Impediments to Public Travel 27 COMPASSIONATE ENFORCEMENT •County partners with homeless advocacy groups •Homeless individuals provided 7 days notice to vacate •Homeless individuals connected with shelters & services 28 CONCERNS REGARDING CITY’S ORDINANCE •Goal of ordinance is to keep homeless population moving •Enforcement & threat of enforcement likely to result in greater migration of homeless from the City to the County •Increase in homeless population within unincorporated areas •Greater consumption of County resources 29 INDIVIDUAL COUNTY DEPARTMENT CONCERNS •Sheriff-Coroner •Behavioral Health •Social Services •Public Health •Public Defender’s Office •Probation •Public Works & Planning 30 KEY PROBLEMATIC PROVISIONS OF THE ORDINANCE SECTION 10-1703. VIOLATION. (a) “A violation of this article is a misdemeanor[.]” (b) “An individual charged with a violation of this article, in lieu of being taking to jail may, at the election of the citing police officer and with the consent of the individual, be taken to a facility providing social services related to mental health, housing, and/or substance abuse treatment.” (c) “As an alternative to a fine or jail sentence, the City would encourage the Court to grant diversion or probation with a condition the offender complete a rehabilitation program.” 31 SHIFTING THE BURDEN •County currently provides services to homeless populations within the incorporated & unincorporated areas of the County •City shifting responsibility regarding homeless to the County 32 ABATEMENT 33 ABATEMENT •Public Property Encampments •Private Property Encampments: County empowers property owners to cleanup their property •Current abatement regarding uncooperative property owners includes administrative fines & civil lawsuits •Court action lengthy process •Use of hearing officers more efficient method to abate 34