Title
Recommendation to Receive an Update on a Strategic Plan for Addressing Homelessness in Alameda. (Community Development 267)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On July 25, 2020, City Council held a planning workshop which included, in part, a discussion of City Council priorities for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-21. One identified priority was preparation of a Strategic Plan for addressing homelessness in Alameda. This report updates the City Council on the timing and approach for preparing the requested Strategic Plan.
BACKGROUND
On November 1, 2016, the City Council directed the Social Service Human Relations Board (SSHRB) to review the City of Alameda's (City) then current policies and procedures applicable to addressing homelessness. The task involved proposing revisions to current policies and providing recommendations to support the city's unhoused population. SSHRB's Homelessness Action Plan Work Group partnered with the Housing Authority and City staff and developed the Alameda Homelessness Report (Report), which was adopted by City Council on March 20, 2018.
The Report provides a summary of the state of homelessness in the city, assesses resources that support the unhoused population, and recommends policy options to address both symptoms and causes of homelessness. The Report established the following policy options to tackle homelessness in Alameda:
1. Services to Homeless Individuals - programs and policies focused on harm reduction, health and social support, benefits enrollment, and housing navigation. Initiatives under this policy recommendation include: the Homeless Outreach Team, the Community Paramedicine Program and Supplemental Case Management.
2. Temporary Shelter for the Homeless - non-permanent shelter options that can reduce the time homeless individuals spend on the street. This policy recommendation can be supported by establishing a Homeless Shelter, Winter Warming Shelter and the ...
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