Title
Strategies to Address Homelessness Plan
Description
This report provides an overview of the outreach conducted by staff regarding the City’s adopted Strategies to Address Homelessness plan (Plan) as directed by Mayor and Council at the June 23, 2020 Policy meeting. Staff conducted 22 meetings, primarily virtual, where over 700 people participated and provided over 2,200 comments. The City also hosted an online survey where over 2,200 individuals took the full survey and provided over 3,700 comments on various elements of the plan. While dialogue with stakeholders is ongoing, this report also includes an overview of the updates incorporated into the Plan based on feedback from members of the community including individuals experiencing homelessness, service providers, neighborhood stakeholder groups, and representatives of the business community.
THIS ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
Report
Summary
Homelessness is an issue in every major city across the United States. According to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the definition of homelessness goes beyond not having a home. Homelessness is defined by the lack of a support system, resources, affordable housing, gainful employment, and access to medical and mental health treatment. It should also be noted that evictions are increasing across the country. According to the National Council of State Housing Agencies, it is estimated that in Arizona, by January 2021 there will be an estimated 170,000-250,000 households unable to pay rent and at risk of eviction resulting in 150,000 potential eviction filings. As such, it is vitally important to put forth strategies that address those experiencing homelessness while also preventing individuals and families from becoming homeless.
For Fiscal Year 2019-20, the city of Phoenix spent just under $20 million annually for services related to homeless solutions across several city departments. Of that $20 million, $4.1 million is spent annually with six community-based providers who provide services for single adults, families and youth experiencing homelessness. The services provided are emergency shelter, outreach and engagement, Veteran navigation, case management and rapid rehousing which provides short term rental assistance. Each of these agencies have specific performance metrics outlined in each contract and staff conducts regular and routine program monitoring to ensure contract compliance. Currently, each provider contract is meeting or exceeding the metrics outlined in their contract.
In January of 2020 city staff, at the request of Mayor and City Council, began an effort to develop a comprehensive plan to address the many needs of persons experiencing homelessness in Phoenix. Understanding that there are many different and complex reasons why an individual experiences homelessness in their lifetime, City staff, through extensive research and community outreach developed a plan to address the needs of persons experiencing or providing services to individuals experiencing homelessness. To that end, a team was assembled with over 40 staff representing 14 departments to find ways of bringing together the efforts across the city into a focused plan.
In response to the growing COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Phoenix, in April, received $9.6 million in Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) which was used in part to lease a hotel for one year to create a specialty shelter known as Project Haven. This shelter is serving seniors who are experiencing homelessness and who are most vulnerable to contracting COVID-19.
On June 23, city staff presented Council with a plan outlining strategies to address the complex challenges contributing to homelessness in the city of Phoenix, the plan was approved by Council 7-1. At the June meeting Council also directed staff to engage with the community to hear feedback and identify gaps and solutions from their perspective. The revised plan proposes strategies in eight key areas where staff believes effort, both internally and with external stakeholders, can have the greatest chance for success.
Between July 23 and Sept. 4, staff met with various stakeholders including individuals experiencing homelessness, service providers, neighborhood stakeholder groups, and the public at large during 22 primarily virtual meetings. Meetings were advertised through various electronic message distribution systems used by City departments, through Council member newsletters, and through the public meeting system the City advertises all public meetings. In addition to collecting comments during the meetings, the City hosted an online survey hosted at phoenix.gov/homelesshelp. In the survey participants were provided the opportunity to review individual components of the plan and leave comments specific to each section.
At the meetings, over 700 members of the public attended and participated and either submitted, or contributed ahead of the meeting, over 2,200 comments. Many of the comments inquired about the general state of homelessness in the region as well as on elements proposed in the initial draft of the Plan. From the online survey made available for the public to participate in, over 2,200 individuals took the full survey and provided over 3,700 comments on various elements of the plan. The information collection through the feedback meetings and through the public survey have been incorporated into the Plan (Attachment A).
Much of the feedback from the public included recommendations for a set of guiding principles to provide an overarching framework for the many different components of the Plan. The guiding principles listed below are a product of continued dialogue with neighborhood leaders, service providers, and the public at large; they include:
- Evidenced based practices
- Funding
- Homelessness will not be criminalized
- Housing first model
- Leading with services
- Partnerships
- Racial equity
- Reducing neighborhood impact
- Regional approach
- Transparency
Based on feedback from neighborhood community leaders, service providers and individuals experiencing homelessness, several elements of the Plan were solidified or added to, key points included:
- Addition of racial equity to the Plan
- Bi-annual resource days for youth and LGBTQ+
- Broaden specialized court system to address the homeless population
- Development of a task force for ongoing community feedback
- Enhanced commitment and communication with neighborhoods
- Evidence based practices
- Regional approach to homelessness is necessary
- Resource navigators for individuals in the criminal justice system
- Specialized, small, and scattered shelters
- Housing and supportive services for the justice involved
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
This item was first presented to and discussed by Council on June 23, 2020; Council approved the item 7-1. Stakeholder feedback was presented and discussed at the Land Use and Livability Subcommittee on Sept. 30, 2020.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Inger Erickson and the Human Services Department.