TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to work with the appropriate City departments and City Attorney's Office to report back at the next available City Council meeting on gaps in prevention, services and housing for individuals and families who are precariously housed or experiencing homelessness, as well as the costs, and opportunities to address these needs. The report should include a recommended funding strategy and implementation timeline for a dedicated local revenue source to address for housing opportunities for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, as well as early and late prevention strategies and services for those newly homeless and those experiencing chronic homelessness.
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach has experienced a 41 percent decline in the bi-annual point-intime count in the past six years. This is a one-day picture into who is in our City's shelters and on the streets. The decline is due to the incredible work of our Homeless Services team, the interdepartmental coordination with the Departments of Health and Human Services, Police, Fire, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Public Works, and our City Attorney.
The Health and Human Services Department brings in over $12 million annually in services to support homeless prevention efforts and supporting those who are homeless to achieve housing. However, we also know that between 3,000 to 4,000 peoplechildren, older adults, transitional aged youth, students, families, men and women-will become homeless each year in Long Beach. For some it will be temporary and for others, long-term. Currently, the City of Long Beach does not have the resources to build the number of housing units necessary for those needing low-income and homeless housing, nor does it have sufficient resources for prevention and services. The Continuum of Care funding through the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development provides rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing as well as some Domestic Violence supports, job training, and other support services. The Measure H funding to the City supports additional rapid-rehousing, outreach and case management services, as well as some homeless prevention services and the apartment owner incentives through the Housing Authority. Additional County resources also support veterans. However, these resources do not meet the growing need for services as housing becomes more difficult to access and rents increase.
In addition, we know that the primary causes of homelessness are loss of jobs/insufficient income, increasing rents, breakdown in family dynamics and domestic violence, and physical and behavioral health issues. Over 21,000 households (nearly 58,700 people) are precariously housed - meaning that their household income is only 30 percent of area median incomes (approximately $16,545 for a household), or they pay over 90 percent of their income for housing. We cannot stem the tide of homelessness without addressing these issues through a robust prevention strategy and funding, including training and employment opportunities, strengthening family dynamics, reducing domestic violence, and ensuring greater access and connection to physical and behavioral health services.
On May 2, 2017 the City Council started the discussion of identifying a new revenue source to address the housing shortage through the adoption of 29 recommendations on revenue tools and incentives and strategies for the production of affordable and workforce housing. On September 25, 2017, City staff returned to the City Council with one such option for a revenue source, outlining the cost of benefits of a housing bond that could meet some of the affordable housing need in our city. In May, Long Beach convened 30 community leaders through the Everyone Home Long Beach initiative to examine the root causes of homelessness and housing affordability, review the City's current efforts, and discuss a future roadmap for addressing homelessness in our community.
Additionally, on December 11, 2017, the City Council launched the "Everyone In" Economic Inclusion Initiative, which is a call to action to Long Beach leaders and stakeholders to be involved in implementing industry best practices and policies that emphasize economic inclusion for the region to create a local economy that includes and benefits every Long Beach resident. We must ensure that we meet the needs of those facing homelessness as well as those populations with barriers to housing including seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, working families, and students.
This agenda item is requesting City staff continue to build on the public discussion that has occurred over the past 14 months regarding a specific local revenue measure related to homelessness and affordable housing, and return to the City Council with a recommended strategy for consideration and public debate.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
[Timing Considerations]
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact of the requested report is existing staff time to create the strategy, assemble the data, and return to the City Council. It is expected that this be done within existing resources at the discretion of the City Manager. The resulting report from City staff will detail any additional fiscal cost or revenue potential.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
VICE MAYOR REX RICHARDSON,
NINTH DISTRICT
COUNCILWOMAN LENA GONZALEZ,
FIRST DISTRICT
COUNCILMAN AL AUSTIN,
EIGHTH DISTRICT
COUNCILMAN DEE ANDREWS,
SIXTH DISTRICT