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Consideration of Citizen Petition by Ms. Elizabeth Venable
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Title
Consideration of Citizen Petition by Ms. Elizabeth Venable
Description
This report provides the City Council with information in response to the citizen petition submitted by Ms. Elizabeth Venable at the Sept. 20, 2023, Formal Meeting (Attachment A).
Report
Summary
On Sept. 20, 2023, Ms. Elizabeth Venable submitted a citizen petition to request that the City of Phoenix “continuously record and regularly report data”, “retroactively and moving forward”, related to the Office of Homeless Solution’s (OHS) engagement efforts around the Human Services Campus. Upon review by the Law Department, this submittal was determined to qualify as a citizen petition requiring action by the City Council.
Ms. Venable requests the following data be reported to Council and the “public/media” on a biweekly or monthly basis:
Locations of placements for each cleanup (engagement) in terms of name.
Number of constituents transported to each individual facility and location of each facility.
Number of constituents accepting/rejecting initial offers of shelter from each cleanup (engagement).
Length of stay of constituents in each facility in the following categories-Less than 1 whole day (24 hours), 1-7 whole days (1 week), 8-14 days (2 weeks), 15-21 days (3 weeks), 22-28 days (4 weeks), 29+ days (one month or more).
Reason for exit of the facility including but not limited to: 1. No exit; 2. Transfer to another facility; 3. Personal voluntary exit/choice to leave; 4. Disciplinary/violations of rules/emotional-behavioral disruption/drugs/weapons/other non-voluntary exit/not choice to leave; 5. End of program limitations on time.
Staff Response
The Office of Homeless Solutions provides aggregate data (Items 2 and 3) related to its engagement efforts near the Human Services Campus. Most recently, this information was provided during the September 13, 2023 report and presentation to the City Council Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee. Updated data is included in Attachment B. In the future, this information will continue to be provided via the Office of Homeless Solutions Program report provided to the City Council in the General Information Packet which is available to the public online.
With respect to information on individuals and families served including demographic information, shelter placements and outcomes (Items 1, 4, and 5), OHS is not able to release client-level data or personal identifiable information (PII). The City is legally obligated to protect personal information of any resident for whom services are provided, such as addresses of water and sanitation customers. Clients served through OHS have the same right to privacy and safety.
In addition, once clients enter shelter or homelessness-related service, they cease to become a client of OHS and become a client of the program entered. Homeless service programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development must use a common database called the Homeless Information Management System (“HMIS”) for tracking information on individuals and families served including demographic information, shelter placements and outcomes, which is the information sought in Items 1, 4, and 5 of Ms. Venable’s petition. The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) is responsible for the maintenance, confidentiality, and security of regional HMIS records. HMIS policies require confidentiality of client PII and prohibit public disclosure of the location where a particular client is housed. Additional confidentiality obligations apply in cases of family or domestic violence victims and shelters that serve these populations.
OHS intends to evaluate the overall success of clients receiving services through engagement efforts. Staff requested aggregate and anonymous information regarding clients served and will be providing a report to City Council and the public when that data becomes available.
Location
7th Avenue to 15th Avenue, Jefferson Street to the railroad tracks
Council District: 7
Recommendations
1. Approve the citizen petition in part by direction staff to provide additional requested information that can be publicly shared through regular reporting process.
2. Deny the citizen petition; information is already publicly available, while other information is with other agencies or is personal identifying information that cannot be publicly shared.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Office of Homeless Solutions.