TITLE
Recommendation to, by motion of the City Council, request City Manager to provide a report to City Council during a City Council meeting within 30 days, on: (1) a status report about the ongoing efforts from the City of Long Beach to locate an alternate site for day treatment homeless facility, operated by Mental Health Association (MHA); (2) summary of the U.S. Army and U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) action if the City of Long Beach chooses not to accommodate MHA on the one acre Health Department property; (3) a timeline of events scheduled for the next 12 months concerning the transfer of the property.
DISCUSSION
In 2006, the U.S. Army declared as surplus property, the Schroeder Army Hall at Grand Avenue and Willow Street. Former City Manager, Jerry Miller established a citizen advisory committee to determine the reuse of the property. It was determined by the citizen committee that a new east side police substation would be the best reuse.
As a condition to acquire the property without charge, the citizen advisory committee was informed by the federal government that the City of Long Beach would have to accommodate a homeless services provider on site or at a site agreed to by the homeless services provider.
The citizen committee reviewed numerous proposals from homeless services providers and rejected all proposals allowing permanent housing or overnight treatment. Studies on the needs of the homeless indicated that a day time treatment program for mentally ill homeless was needed. Mental Health America (MHA) submitted a proposal to provide day time services and the citizen review committee selected MHA and the City Council concurred in the recommendation.
A proposal was submitted to the federal government to place MHA either on site with the police substation or on an adjacent one acre site next to the City's Health Department which provides a multitude of services to the homeless.
As a follow-up to the closed session on October 2, 2012...
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