Title
Recommendation to Review and Provide Feedback on Preliminary Goals and Strategies for the Homelessness Strategic Plan.
Body
To: Honorable President Christine Chilcott and Members of the Social Service Human Relations Board
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In January of 2021, staff began work on a new five-year Homelessness Strategic Plan to reduce and prevent homelessness in Alameda, and strengthen the physical health, mental health, and social service supports for our unhoused residents. Based on the evaluation and outreach completed thus far, staff is seeking feedback on a set of preliminary goals, strategies and action steps.
BACKGROUND
From 2017 to 2019, Alameda’s unsheltered population rose by 13%, to 231 individuals. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic left an even greater number of Alameda families and individuals at risk of, or directly experiencing, homelessness. The Alameda City Council has identified addressing homelessness as one of its priorities for 2020-2021.
After an update to City Council in October of 2020, work began on the new Homelessness Strategic Plan in January of 2021. Staff has provided monthly updates to the Social Services Human Relations Board (SSHRB) in January and February of 2021. The planning process is being led by Homebase, a nationally recognized expert on homelessness with extensive technical assistance and facilitation experience.
As part of Phase One of the strategic planning process, Homebase has completed an assessment of existing programs and systems in Alameda, and initiated the stakeholder engagement process. Stakeholder engagement at the time of the writing of this report has included a community kick-off meeting, the establishment and initial meetings of a Steering Committee and interviews and focus groups with service providers, individual City Council members, members of the business community, and City of Alameda (City) staff.
DISCUSSION
Based on the evaluation and outreach completed at the time of the writing of this report, Homebase has developed a set of preliminary goals, strategies, and action steps (Exhibit 1: City of Alameda Homelessness Strategic Plan: Emerging Goals & Strategies) with the objective of gathering feedback and direction for future iterations. In addition to soliciting feedback from the SSHRB, staff also presented the attached memorandum to the Steering Committee in mid-March and to the City Council on April 6. Feedback from the City Council is summarized below:
• Incorporate data into the final plan, including data that evaluates the effectiveness of existing programs.
• Consider whether Steering Committee members that receive funding from the City of Alameda have a conflict of interest.
• Ensure that the plan aligns with the Alameda County Plan to End Homelessness.
• Avoid getting too bogged down in data - effectiveness of programs can be hard to prove.
• Address homelessness prevention, including eviction protection, back rent payment, and utility support payment.
• Include a member with lived experience on the Steering Committee.
• Strengthen the navigation process to minimize the number of sources/agencies unsheltered community members must find their way through.
• Consider that non-congregate, individual accommodations may be preferred after the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Consider using an “opt-in” donation incorporated in Alameda Municipal Power bills to fund plan implementation.
• Coordinate with the Alameda Housing Agency.
• Make homelessness information on City’s website more prominent.
• Ensure that the plan has specific assistance for unsheltered seniors.
Upcoming engagement opportunities will include focus groups with individuals with lived experience and City staff, and continued Steering Committee meetings to guide the planning process. Feedback from these engagements, SSHRB meetings, a recently completed community-wide survey, other ongoing outreach, and input and direction from the City Council will be incorporated in future iterations of the attached memorandum. A more refined set of goals and strategies will be presented at a second community meeting later this spring, and the draft Homelessness Strategic Plan will come before the SSHRB in summer of 2021 for review, prior to being presented to the City Council for review and approval.
RECOMMENDATION
Review and provide feedback on preliminary goals and strategies for the Homelessness Strategic Plan.
Respectfully submitted,
Amanda Gehrke, Development Manager
Exhibit:
1. City of Alameda Homelessness Strategic Plan: Emerging Goals & Strategies