ARTICLE
Last week at the State Capitol, Governor Gavin Newsom gave his state of the state speech before the California Legislature. This annual event by California’s Governor is rich in tradition as well as an opportunity for the second year Governor to set the tone of his term in office. Newsom is coming off a very productive first year in office — with the largest financial reserves in memory. “California does not just benefit from a churning national economy, the Governor said, the Golden State drives it.” The state has averaged 3.8 percent GDP growth over the past five years compared with 2.5 percent nationally, Newsom said. “California can claim one in seven of all the new jobs created in the United States since 2010, and the state’s huge well of debt is gone,” he said. For all the wealth and all the leadership the state shows in fighting climate change and other critical issues, California cannot ignore that it is also home to a housing crisis that has led to hundreds of thousands of people living on the streets or in their cars. “Let’s call it what it is,” the governor said, “a disgrace.” You can read the full text of the Governor’s speech here: governor-newsom-delivers-state-of-the-state-address-on-homelessness While homeless populations in most states have declined recently, California’s jumped 16% last year to about 151,000 people, a problem that the governor said disproportionately affects minorities. Meanwhile, a statewide housing shortage has compounded the issue, driving up prices and contributing to more people fleeing California than moving in, the first time in 10 years the state has had a migration loss. We know that Santa Cruz County, despite the drop in last year’s point-in-time homeless count, the issue of homelessness is complex and difficult for our community to find common ground. There is a theme here, as well as across the state, that mental health, addiction to drugs and alcohol, policy changes to address mental health issues dating back to the 1950s and 1960s, and the lack of accessible and affordable housing options only compounds the problem. The city and county are working in a collaborative effort to find options, short time and long terms solutions. We know that homelessness has taken decades to create and cannot be solved overnight, in a month or even a year — but now with the siren bell of urgency coming from our Governor who wants to deliver new ideas with monies attached and is asking for all of us to be accountable to the crisis. Newsom announced last Wednesday that more mobile housing trailers are heading to Santa Clara, Riverside, Contra Costa and Sonoma counties, as well as the city of Stockton, after the temporary shelters were previously sent to Oakland and Los Angeles County. He also ordered the state to let local governments use 286 state properties, including vacant lots, fairgrounds, armories and other buildings, to help the homeless. The direction from the Governor can open doors to new ideas and opportunities to address the homelessness problems in our coastal city and county. We need to step up and answer the bell — take bold steps now. The Governor called for changes to a tax on millionaires approved by voters in 2004 to help those with mental illness who are homeless, among other efforts, and called on counties to spend the $160 million they already have from the tax more quickly. “Spend your mental health dollars by June 30, or we’ll make sure they get spent for you,” he warned county leaders. “It’s time to match our big-hearted empathy with tight-fisted accountability.” Is the Governor’s call to arms a challenge or a threat to take mental funds away if we don’t respond? To date, the county, the cities and local homelessness partners have worked diligently for over a decade to address homelessness. We just haven’t made the significant progress. This is not a point your fingers blame game — it is time to build the navigation center, increase the number of sleeping spaces inside, address safe sleeping spaces in appropriately defined locations away from parks and schools for public safety, move the mental health and addicted homeless population into facilities and stop the vicious cycle from street to jail to court and back to the street, look at policy options that are working in other cities and counties in our state and try something bold. A model to improve community outreach should work in tandem with current outreach efforts such as the Santa Cruz Police Department’s HERO team and Santa Cruz County HOPES team. The recent addition of these two programs working in collaboration is a giant step forward. While the CACH’s mission is limited to the mission described on the City’s website: http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/community/homelessness, there is momentum on the horizon. Summarizing the Governor’s comments last week, our (State) plan is to have a laser focus on homelessness to the level of the emergency crisis we face. Our state, our counties and our cities need to collaborate to make a lasting impact on the crisis our generation. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, we heard a lengthy report from the Community Advisory Committee on Homelessness (CACH) — (Item 13) a midterm policy recommendation to the City Council on the Agenda) to making a series of recommendations. http://scsire.cityofsantacruz.com/sirepub/cache/2/ghcsnnavaubummm4bxmvxfsl/493288402252020020455678.PDF The City Council accepted the report and modified the recommendations through a motion by Vice Mayor Donna Meyers that reflected the significant progress of the CACH’s work but instead of leading in one direction that the City should align our local plan with the Governor’s vision. The motion(s) passed with unanimous support of the entire council, with Council member Glover absent. Here are the list of recommendations moving forward: The recommendations that advanced Tuesday included: --A three-month pilot program for shower and laundry services with case management, not to exceed $10,000. --Fund a separate program for laundry and towel services through the Association of Faith Communities’ shower/laundry program (not to exceed $2,500). --The creation of new draft guidelines by May on what the city does with confiscated property, with analysis of best practices. --Increase the number of vehicles allowed to park overnight in sanctioned safe-parking programs, from three to five vehicles. A city council resolution could allow more than five vehicles in government-owned lots. --New city-sanctioned shelters and safe-sleeping sites should be staffed and include homeless clients in site management, operation and governance. --By the end of March, the city attorney is expected to draft an amendment to the city’s camping law that would outlaw overnight and daytime camps “in sensitive and at-risk areas,” according to the recommendation. Such areas include roads, walkways, private property, areas with imminent fire risk, areas within the city’s safe drinking water/watershed habitat map and areas within the city’s environmentally sensitive habitat map. --The amendment to the camping law would also prohibit “high density” unsanctioned camps, based on number of occupants or square footage. --The city council also wants the law to require the city staff or law enforcement to give information about legal homeless shelters such as at the Armory, before moving or citing people who sleep in restricted areas. --Below is a side by side comparison of Governor Newsom’s strategy and the City of Santa Cruz CACH plan. State of California (Governor Newsom) Santa Cruz (City Council, CACH) 1. Emergency Actions Mobile Housing Trailers - Executive order to provide mobile housing trailers, provide services for homeless families and seniors and identify all excess state land. First trailers have been deployed in Oakland and Los Angeles County. The next ones are being sent to Santa Clara, Riverside, Contra Costa, Sonoma Counties and the City of Stockton. Making available State properties-268 state properties, including vacant lots, armories and other state buildings are to be used by local governments for free, for homeless solutions. Establishment of a Strike Team - Have established a Strike Team across many agencies including Health & Human Services, Caltrans and the CHP, with the goal to break through bureaucratic barriers. Eliminate roadblocks to housing and shelter-Have signed two bills: a streamlined process for navigation centers statewide and exempt shelters and homeless housing from environmental review in LA. Pushing for new models of homeless housing-Promoting hotel/motel conversions and pre-fab and tiny homes. They will cut the red-tape to get to “yes” on such innovative ideas. 1. Emergency Actions Designated ADA Safe Sleeping Locations-The CACH is recommending the Council to support shelter and safe sleeping models that include staff to supervise the site and take responsibility for addressing issues that arise but also include substantive management, operational and governance roles for participants. There should be robust community engagement. The sites should have a clear contact person for nearby residents and businesses to engage with regarding site issues. “Outreach first” response to unsanctioned encampments – Law enforcement should only be used if outreach by social services staff have been unsuccessful or when crimes besides camping have occurred. There will be experienced and trained behavioral services staff that will be available 24/7, to share and collect real time data, including the needs of the individuals. Pilot Wisdom Council Process-This may not directly solve the problem of homelessness but CACH believes that it will be useful in creating a stronger and more collaborative understanding of our mutual desires for a safer, dynamic and healthy community where everyone is respected and supported. The cost for this will be $10,000 Public engagement services by a private contractor or consultant-Recommended to allocate $10,000 towards the community outreach. Establishment of a new ADA accessible emergency shelter program-Opening a new shelter in the City limits or with a shuttle from the city. Continue to fund the 1220 River Street shelter-The City should continue to help fund the 1220 River Street Shelter program by supporting the county to write a new contract with the Salvation Army. Motion to recommend city and county to collaborate after Gov. Newsom’s executive order (N-23-20) – City should request funding, property, and/or materials from the state as a consequence of the executive order. Amendments to the Camping ordinance – Amendments to the Camping Ordinance, Chapter 6.36 that should recognize Martin v. Boise and other human rights considerations. This means that the City will be limited in its options for managing outdoor sleeping until shortage of shelter beds and legal places to stay increases. Implement a pilot, three months, staffed shower/laundry program with case management- This initiative should not exceed 10 000 USD. Public engagement- The city should involve the public before making any decisions around the location of safe sleeping places. 2. Getting mentally ill people experiencing homelessness into treatment Reforming the Medi-Cal system- Have proposed CalAIM, a once-in-a generation reform to the Medi-Cal system based on the principle that physical health and brain health are inextricably linked. This is backed by a 695 USD budget request. “Health care and housing can no longer be divorced.” Reform of the behavioral health laws- There is a need to remove some of the conditions imposed on counties when implementing the laws so that there can be an expansion of who benefits from the laws. Reform of the Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63) – There will be no change in how much funding each County gets. Yet, the counties will have to focus their funding on street homelessness, foster youth and those involved in the criminal justice system. There must be an expansion of the services that it can pay for, especially addiction treatment. In addition, counties will have to spend more of what they have got by lowering the 33% threshold they are allowed to hold back. The current threshold, 40 of 58 states are above that, meaning that there is over 160 million USD unspent that could help people get off the streets into treatment. There will be increased accountability, meaning that if the health dollars are not spent before June 30th the state will make sure that they get spent for you. 2. Getting mentally ill people experiencing homelessness into treatment No recommendation- The CACH has not reached consensus on what recommendations could be made with regards to behavioral health treatment. 3. Increased Accountability through the proposed California Access to Housing Fund Matching resources to results - $1,5 billion have been allocated to help local governments. State aid has up until now been block-granted to local government by formula. Spending decisions have been unrestricted and locally driven. The resources have not matched the results. Proposal for a California Access to Housing Fund - This fund will be a new way in investing in homelessness solutions and will only be paying for what works. The fund will braid together state and philanthropic dollars, health care, mental health and social services. Capping all administrative costs at 10 %. The fund will help finance innovative housing models like hotel/motel conversions. It will stabilize and expand board and care homes and prevent homelessness by rent subsidies and rapid rehousing. There will be a clear metrics, measuring the number of new leases signed, new housing units built, number of people stabilized with rent subsidies and number of people moved off the streets. Newsom is calling for the investment of 750 million USD into this fund. There will be strict accountability for this fund, a “do-it or lose it” policy. 3. Increased Accountability through the proposed California Access to Housing Fund This action item is not in the CACH mission and work plan. 4. Creating a unified homelessness data system Track progress- By establishing a unified homeless data system to capture accurate and local information there will be a possibility to track progress and manage it. There needs to be strict responsibility and an understanding of the shared responsibility across every sector and community for this problem. 4. Creating a unified homelessness data system This is not in the CACH mission and work plan. 5. Build more housing Build housing for all income levels- the only way out of the “vicious circle” of not building housing is to massively increase the housing production. Last year the state secured new judicial penalties against cities that do not plan and zone for their fair share of housing. Eliminate red-tape and delays of building of housing- A commitment to reforms that will eliminate red-tape and delays of building of needed housing near transits and downtowns. The objective is to increase density in a way that promotes equity, affordability and inclusion. Holding local governments accountable for more density and more certainty that “units planned” actually become “units built”. 5. Build more housing This item is not in the CACH mission statement and work plan.
Last week at the State Capitol, Governor Gavin Newsom gave his state of the state speech before the California Legislature. This annual event by California’s Governor is rich in tradition as well as an opportunity for the second year Governor to set the tone of his term in office. Newsom is coming off a very productive first year in office — with the largest financial reserves in memory. “California does not just benefit from a churning national economy, the Governor said, the Golden State drives it.” The state has averaged 3.8 percent GDP growth over the past five years compared with 2.5 percent nationally, Newsom said. “California can claim one in seven of all the new jobs created in the United States since 2010, and the state’s huge well of debt is gone,” he said.
For all the wealth and all the leadership the state shows in fighting climate change and other critical issues, California cannot ignore that it is also home to a housing crisis that has led to hundreds of thousands of people living on the streets or in their cars. “Let’s call it what it is,” the governor said, “a disgrace.”
You can read the full text of the Governor’s speech here:
governor-newsom-delivers-state-of-the-state-address-on-homelessness
While homeless populations in most states have declined recently, California’s jumped 16% last year to about 151,000 people, a problem that the governor said disproportionately affects minorities. Meanwhile, a statewide housing shortage has compounded the issue, driving up prices and contributing to more people fleeing California than moving in, the first time in 10 years the state has had a migration loss.
We know that Santa Cruz County, despite the drop in last year’s point-in-time homeless count, the issue of homelessness is complex and difficult for our community to find common ground. There is a theme here, as well as across the state, that mental health, addiction to drugs and alcohol, policy changes to address mental health issues dating back to the 1950s and 1960s, and the lack of accessible and affordable housing options only compounds the problem.
The city and county are working in a collaborative effort to find options, short time and long terms solutions. We know that homelessness has taken decades to create and cannot be solved overnight, in a month or even a year — but now with the siren bell of urgency coming from our Governor who wants to deliver new ideas with monies attached and is asking for all of us to be accountable to the crisis.
Newsom announced last Wednesday that more mobile housing trailers are heading to Santa Clara, Riverside, Contra Costa and Sonoma counties, as well as the city of Stockton, after the temporary shelters were previously sent to Oakland and Los Angeles County. He also ordered the state to let local governments use 286 state properties, including vacant lots, fairgrounds, armories and other buildings, to help the homeless. The direction from the Governor can open doors to new ideas and opportunities to address the homelessness problems in our coastal city and county. We need to step up and answer the bell — take bold steps now.
The Governor called for changes to a tax on millionaires approved by voters in 2004 to help those with mental illness who are homeless, among other efforts, and called on counties to spend the $160 million they already have from the tax more quickly. “Spend your mental health dollars by June 30, or we’ll make sure they get spent for you,” he warned county leaders. “It’s time to match our big-hearted empathy with tight-fisted accountability.”
Is the Governor’s call to arms a challenge or a threat to take mental funds away if we don’t respond? To date, the county, the cities and local homelessness partners have worked diligently for over a decade to address homelessness. We just haven’t made the significant progress.
This is not a point your fingers blame game — it is time to build the navigation center, increase the number of sleeping spaces inside, address safe sleeping spaces in appropriately defined locations away from parks and schools for public safety, move the mental health and addicted homeless population into facilities and stop the vicious cycle from street to jail to court and back to the street, look at policy options that are working in other cities and counties in our state and try something bold. A model to improve community outreach should work in tandem with current outreach efforts such as the Santa Cruz Police Department’s HERO team and Santa Cruz County HOPES team. The recent addition of these two programs working in collaboration is a giant step forward.
While the CACH’s mission is limited to the mission described on the City’s website: http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/community/homelessness, there is momentum on the horizon. Summarizing the Governor’s comments last week, our (State) plan is to have a laser focus on homelessness to the level of the emergency crisis we face. Our state, our counties and our cities need to collaborate to make a lasting impact on the crisis our generation.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, we heard a lengthy report from the Community Advisory Committee on Homelessness (CACH) — (Item 13) a midterm policy recommendation to the City Council on the Agenda) to making a series of recommendations.
http://scsire.cityofsantacruz.com/sirepub/cache/2/ghcsnnavaubummm4bxmvxfsl/493288402252020020455678.PDF
The City Council accepted the report and modified the recommendations through a motion by Vice Mayor Donna Meyers that reflected the significant progress of the CACH’s work but instead of leading in one direction that the City should align our local plan with the Governor’s vision. The motion(s) passed with unanimous support of the entire council, with Council member Glover absent.
Here are the list of recommendations moving forward:
The recommendations that advanced Tuesday included: --A three-month pilot program for shower and laundry services with case management, not to exceed $10,000. --Fund a separate program for laundry and towel services through the Association of Faith Communities’ shower/laundry program (not to exceed $2,500). --The creation of new draft guidelines by May on what the city does with confiscated property, with analysis of best practices. --Increase the number of vehicles allowed to park overnight in sanctioned safe-parking programs, from three to five vehicles. A city council resolution could allow more than five vehicles in government-owned lots. --New city-sanctioned shelters and safe-sleeping sites should be staffed and include homeless clients in site management, operation and governance. --By the end of March, the city attorney is expected to draft an amendment to the city’s camping law that would outlaw overnight and daytime camps “in sensitive and at-risk areas,” according to the recommendation. Such areas include roads, walkways, private property, areas with imminent fire risk, areas within the city’s safe drinking water/watershed habitat map and areas within the city’s environmentally sensitive habitat map. --The amendment to the camping law would also prohibit “high density” unsanctioned camps, based on number of occupants or square footage. --The city council also wants the law to require the city staff or law enforcement to give information about legal homeless shelters such as at the Armory, before moving or citing people who sleep in restricted areas.
--Below is a side by side comparison of Governor Newsom’s strategy and the City of Santa Cruz CACH plan.
State of California (Governor Newsom)
Santa Cruz (City Council, CACH)
1. Emergency Actions
First trailers have been deployed in Oakland and Los Angeles County. The next ones are being sent to Santa Clara, Riverside, Contra Costa, Sonoma Counties and the City of Stockton.
2. Getting mentally ill people experiencing homelessness into treatment
3. Increased Accountability through the proposed California Access to Housing Fund
This action item is not in the CACH mission and work plan.
4. Creating a unified homelessness data system
This is not in the CACH mission and work plan.
5. Build more housing
This item is not in the CACH mission statement and work plan.