AGENDA SUMMARY EUREKA CITY COUNCIL AGENDA DATE: May ...
AGENDA DATE: May 3, 2016 ITEM NO. E.1 AGENDA SUMMARY EUREKA CITY COUNCIL
TITLE: Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives, Inc. (AHHA) Proposal for Homeless Services DEPARTMENT:
City Manager
PREPARED BY:
Greg Sparks, City Manger
PRESENTED FOR:
☒Action
☐Information only ☐Discussion/Direction
RECOMMENDATION Deny the request for Housing Successor funds, and use of city owned property for a Sanctioned Tent Camp that transitions to a Tiny House Village. FISCAL IMPACT ☒No Fiscal Impact
☐Included in Budget
☐Additional Appropriation
COUNCIL GOALS/STRATEGIC VISION The City Council established three primary goals with the release of a request for proposals for homeless services: Preference for a private property site, no city funds, and a six month time limit. The proposal does not meet any of those criteria. DISCUSSION The City of Eureka released a RFP for Homeless Related Services on March 25, 2016. The proposal indicated that the City is seeking the services of an organization to develop and implement a strategy for the relocation of the homeless population that have been unable to locate shelter or housing to another site for a maximum period of six months. The shelter may take the form of a building(s), or land that can be utilized for tiny houses or tents. The scope of work noted that the budget shall not include city matching funds or any funding provided by the City. On April 22, 2016 AHHA submitted a proposal that had the following key provisions: 1. A Sanctuary Camp to Tiny House Village project to provide a legal, safe place for people to live, that includes food, health care, and services. The proposal calls for the creation of 3 Villages as transitional communities for both tent and car camping. 2. Cost: $51,330 per year for each 30 member site. The three sites would cost $153,990. Funding proposed to come from Housing Successor funds. Renters would pay $35/month. 3. Sites: Lot adjacent to the Fire Training Center; city lot near the foot of T Street near the bay, and another appropriate (un-named) site. They request that the
AGENDA DATE: May 3, 2016 ITEM NO. City, with the County, identify additional sites for tiny house villages that can be permitted under the Shelter Crises Declaration. 4. Management: Each camp would be managed 24/7 with a full time paid staff person and volunteers. ANALYSIS: 1. Concept: The proposal to create a sanctioned tent camp that transitions to a tiny house village is an appropriate concept. However, the proposal may be better suited as part of a longer term solution rather than six months. 2. Cost: The use of Housing Successor funds for a sanctioned tent camp has not been consistent with direction from the City Council. To date, the Council has authorized $50,000 in these funds for the expansion of the Betty Kwan Chinn Day Center that will provide 10 units of family housing with support services. 3. Sites: The site adjacent to the Fire Training Center is impacted by wetlands and does not meet the ESHA standards in the Shelter Crisis Declaration. The city lot near the foot of T Street next to the bay is not in an SB 2 zone and staff does not recommend the use of that site for a sanctioned tent camp. 4. Management: Appears to be adequate in the short term. One of the primary concerns addressed by the City Council in establishing the date of May 2, 2016 for eliminating encampments was to maintain a focus on Housing First strategies for city resources and to identify short term shelter space to address the immediate need for a legal place to sleep. The city has worked with St. Vincent de Paul, the Eureka Rescue Mission, the GECOP collaborative, and allocated the use of the city owned lot at Washington and Koster for overnight sleeping and other resources to accommodate the short term needs for housing. REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY:
☒City Attorney ☐City Clerk/Information Services ☐Development Services ☐Finance ☐Fire ☒Parks and Recreation ☐Personnel ☐Police ☐Public Works
ATTACHMENTS: AHHA Proposal
2
TITLE: Affordable Homeless Housing Alternatives, Inc. (AHHA) Proposal for Homeless Services DEPARTMENT:
City Manager
PREPARED BY:
Greg Sparks, City Manger
PRESENTED FOR:
☒Action
☐Information only ☐Discussion/Direction
RECOMMENDATION Deny the request for Housing Successor funds, and use of city owned property for a Sanctioned Tent Camp that transitions to a Tiny House Village. FISCAL IMPACT ☒No Fiscal Impact
☐Included in Budget
☐Additional Appropriation
COUNCIL GOALS/STRATEGIC VISION The City Council established three primary goals with the release of a request for proposals for homeless services: Preference for a private property site, no city funds, and a six month time limit. The proposal does not meet any of those criteria. DISCUSSION The City of Eureka released a RFP for Homeless Related Services on March 25, 2016. The proposal indicated that the City is seeking the services of an organization to develop and implement a strategy for the relocation of the homeless population that have been unable to locate shelter or housing to another site for a maximum period of six months. The shelter may take the form of a building(s), or land that can be utilized for tiny houses or tents. The scope of work noted that the budget shall not include city matching funds or any funding provided by the City. On April 22, 2016 AHHA submitted a proposal that had the following key provisions: 1. A Sanctuary Camp to Tiny House Village project to provide a legal, safe place for people to live, that includes food, health care, and services. The proposal calls for the creation of 3 Villages as transitional communities for both tent and car camping. 2. Cost: $51,330 per year for each 30 member site. The three sites would cost $153,990. Funding proposed to come from Housing Successor funds. Renters would pay $35/month. 3. Sites: Lot adjacent to the Fire Training Center; city lot near the foot of T Street near the bay, and another appropriate (un-named) site. They request that the
AGENDA DATE: May 3, 2016 ITEM NO. City, with the County, identify additional sites for tiny house villages that can be permitted under the Shelter Crises Declaration. 4. Management: Each camp would be managed 24/7 with a full time paid staff person and volunteers. ANALYSIS: 1. Concept: The proposal to create a sanctioned tent camp that transitions to a tiny house village is an appropriate concept. However, the proposal may be better suited as part of a longer term solution rather than six months. 2. Cost: The use of Housing Successor funds for a sanctioned tent camp has not been consistent with direction from the City Council. To date, the Council has authorized $50,000 in these funds for the expansion of the Betty Kwan Chinn Day Center that will provide 10 units of family housing with support services. 3. Sites: The site adjacent to the Fire Training Center is impacted by wetlands and does not meet the ESHA standards in the Shelter Crisis Declaration. The city lot near the foot of T Street next to the bay is not in an SB 2 zone and staff does not recommend the use of that site for a sanctioned tent camp. 4. Management: Appears to be adequate in the short term. One of the primary concerns addressed by the City Council in establishing the date of May 2, 2016 for eliminating encampments was to maintain a focus on Housing First strategies for city resources and to identify short term shelter space to address the immediate need for a legal place to sleep. The city has worked with St. Vincent de Paul, the Eureka Rescue Mission, the GECOP collaborative, and allocated the use of the city owned lot at Washington and Koster for overnight sleeping and other resources to accommodate the short term needs for housing. REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY:
☒City Attorney ☐City Clerk/Information Services ☐Development Services ☐Finance ☐Fire ☒Parks and Recreation ☐Personnel ☐Police ☐Public Works
ATTACHMENTS: AHHA Proposal
2
