TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to evaluate the feasibility of working with Get Help, a California Public Benefit Corporation, or a similar service, to develop City of Long Beach specific mobile and web-based applications for City staff and City of Long Beach residents who work with or interact with those experiencing homelessness and/or addiction or other mental health issues and report back within 60 days. The tool would provide updated real-time data on bed availability for shelters, rehab, detox, medical detox, and other types of public, private, and non-profit beds. The mobile and web-based applications would provide additional information to City of Long Beach employees and residents about services such as food pantries, showers, or locations to get ID vouchers.
DISCUSSION
Homelessness continues to be one of the most significant issues facing the City of Long Beach. The City is committed to confronting this problem head on and does this through the hard work of countless City departments ranging from the Health Department, to Police, to Fire, to Public Works, to Parks, Recreation and Marine, to the City Prosecutor, and many others. Long Beach has made major strides to develop creative approaches to address not only issues faced by individual people suffering from homelessness, but also the quality of life impacts our community feels as a result of homelessness. This includes developing a work program for homeless individuals to earn a day's wage, 1 efforts to reduce opioid addiction" and overdose developing a comprehensive approach to homelessness," 5 as well as creating a free online bike registration program, new ordinances on bike chop shops, 8 open space safety assessments, 9 funding additional Quality of Life Officers in the Police Department, and more HEART Units in the Fire Department.'? The City has also dedicated staff in the emergency dispatch call center to the issue of homelessness, 11 as well as pursuing a safe parking program,1213 creating a localized Neighborhood Impact Prosecutors to work more closely with police and judges to get people into services." a clinician added to our jails to offer services during a moment of respite." a partnership with CSULB to study homelessness,16 as well as the Everyone Home Initiative, 17 and the purchase of land for a homeless shelter."
On December 4, 2018 the City Council gave direction to City Staff to provide information on the current status of a wide range of supportive beds that exist in the City ranging from shelter beds, to rehab, to medical detox, and sobriety beds." On April 5th a memo was released responding to this request." Now, with this information available we are able to begin utilizing this data in a new technology focused way.
One of the difficult issues for our Homeless Outreach Team, Quality of Life Officers, and HEART units is finding beds that are available when someone is finally willing to accept services to get the help they need. It is documented that for a person struggling with homelessness to accept services, they need to be contacted for outreach an average of 17 times. This outreach is essential and is , the most important part of getting people off the streets and back on track. So, when someone finally says "yes," and is willing to accept the help they need, our City outreach teams need to be able to quickly know where they can take them at the push of a button to get the specialized care and assistance they need.
Get Help, is an app company that is working with cities to put real-time bed availability information in the hands of emergency response teams that work with homeless individuals to cut down on the delays and better take advantage of that often short moment when someone is willing to commit to services and take those life changing first steps." The Third District Council office with the City Manager's office, the Health and Human Services Department, Police Department, and Fire Department have met with this data and technology provider to receive information as well as ask questions about a City platform and begin the dialogue.
This web and mobile application-based technological approach to connecting individuals in need with services is an opportunity that the City of Long Beach should consider as we continue grappling with homelessness and its associated impacts. Making more efficient use of resources in Long Beach through the use of more agile technology can be an important way to make a significant difference in our fight against homelessness.
FISCAL IMPACT
Fiscal impact would be anticipated to be moderate.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
SUZIE PRICE
COUNCILWOMAN, THIRD DISTRICT
JEANNINE PEARCE
COUNCILWOMAN, SECOND DISTRICT
DEE ANDREWS
VICE MAYOR, SIXTH DISTRICT