Title
Strategies to Address Homelessness Plan Update
Description
This report provides the Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee with an update on the implementation of the City's Strategies to Address Homelessness Plan.
THIS ITEM IS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
Report
Summary
In March 2020, the City Council directed staff to develop a comprehensive Strategies to Address Homelessness Plan (Plan) to address the complex issues of homelessness in the City of Phoenix and propose strategies to mitigate the effects on those experiencing homelessness as well as the neighborhoods affected by it.
In June 2020, staff presented a framework and strategies to guide City efforts. At City Council direction, staff spent the summer gathering community input at multiple community meetings.
In October 2020, the City Council adopted staff recommendation that incorporated recommendations gathered during the public meetings. Among them was the creation of an 18 member task force (Task Force) to prioritize and provide ongoing feedback on the City’s efforts to deploy the Plan and to help encourage community support to address homelessness on a regional basis.
Since Plan inception, several recommendations have been implemented or are in progress. Further, the City Council approved funding in the budget for priorities that support the goal of addressing homelessness and responding to people in crisis. This includes ongoing funding in addition to one-time funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for services related to Mental Health and Homelessness. This funding has provided an opportunity to pilot innovative services and programs that support the Plan which are discussed in detail below.
Further, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) is leading an effort entitled Mobilizing the Regional Response to Homelessness. The purpose is to use a coordinated, regional approach to do the following: Reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness; Increase access to homeless assistance programs throughout the entire region; Strengthen the safety net for all people. The process has included research and data analysis, multiple outreach forums, community surveys, and stakeholder discussions. MAG members have been engaged in the process leading up to the approval of the Regional Strategy. MAG is in the process of developing an implementation plan which is scheduled to be presented to the Regional Council by the end of the calendar year.
The following provides an update on the Task Force, specialized shelter facilities, new services and initiatives in support of the City’s Strategies to Address Homelessness Plan.
Task Force and Strategies
In January 2021, the Task Force began meeting with the goal to prioritize strategies within the Plan and provide on-going community input on the City’s efforts. The Task Force has been meeting twice per month to review and prioritize strategies within the following individual strategy areas of:
- Outreach and Resources - how persons experiencing homelessness can access services;
- Mental Health - mental health challenges faced by persons experiencing homelessness;
- Workforce Development -employment barriers for individuals experiencing homelessness;
- Housing - housing needs to address homelessness;
- Clean-up -strategies to address encampment clean-ups and other neighborhood impacts;
- Communication - communication strategies;
- Policy - policy changes and data collection needs to address homelessness; and
- Neighborhoods - strategies to address neighborhood impacts of homelessness.
To date, the Task Force has held 15 meetings to prioritize the Plan and are working to provide final input.
Downtown Core Service Enhancements
The City Council approved a new Neighborhood Specialist for the 2021-22 fiscal year to serve within the area around the Human Services Campus in the downtown core. This position will work with businesses and neighborhoods to communicate and coordinate a team effort within the surrounding area by assisting neighborhoods in organizing community meetings, coordinating cleanups, and working with other City departments, partner agencies, and the business community to bring needed resources to the community. The Neighborhood Services Department (NSD) designated an experienced Neighborhood Specialist to fill this role, who is engaging with community members and other City staff assigned to efforts in this designated area. Additionally, the contract for dedicated downtown outreach services was awarded to Community Bridges, Inc. (CBI). CBI will be providing six dedicated navigators to the downtown area.
Housing and Shelters
One of the short-term strategies in the Plan was to utilize a hotel and provide temporary supportive housing for the most vulnerable populations. To achieve this goal, Project Haven was implemented. The City partnered with Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) and a local hotel in North Phoenix to open Project Haven. Envisioned as a haven for seniors experiencing homelessness and those most vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, Project Haven became a one-year piloted shelter model where all needed services were offered on-site. The specialized shelter featured private rooms for clients and a low case management ratio. On-site services included: Case management, behavioral health, medical services, benefit assistance, spiritual guidance, recreation services, meal services, laundering, housekeeping, and security. Additionally, the City provided funding for 40 Permanent Housing vouchers and 80 Rapid Re-Housing vouchers, allowing CASS to move vulnerable clients into housing solutions.
The results demonstrated the success of this model. Project Haven served 232 individuals, surpassing the initial goal of 100 individuals, and provided more than 28,300 nights of shelter. Additionally, 67 percent of clients exiting Project Haven went to a positive housing placement with 63 percent of clients leaving to permanent housing. The success of the project was due in large part to the availability of dedicated housing vouchers from the City and on-site wrap around services delivered through individualized care made possible by low case management ratios.
Award of Funds for Shelter Beds - Project Haven II and CBI
A total of $14 million of CARES Act Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) funding was available under a Shelter Facility RFP, of which $8 million was awared. City Council approved the award of $4 million to help CASS acquire and rehab a previous hotel to serve clients experiencing homelessness over the age of 55. Included in the action, the City Council directed staff to require in the contract for CASS to create an Advisory Committee created with a minimum of 50 percent community member participation and pre-approved by City staff, as well as requiring CASS to hold community meetings prior to the public hearing for a required Use Permit.
CASS has actively been working with neighborhood leaders to ensure the project includes elements that would help ensure the safety and security of their customers and have a positive impact on the surrounding community. CASS applied for a required Use Permit to operate at this site with a hearing held on Sept. 23. In anticipation of the hearing, CASS actively engaged with NSD and Phoenix Police staff, as well as neighborhood leaders to identify strategies to ensure success for this project and ongoing operations, including items resulting from a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) audit.
The Use Permit was approved on Sept. 23 with stipulations, including reference to a Good Neighbor Agreement, triggering the required 15-day appeal period. Staff anticipates the construction process will be completed, and the project will be closed, before June 30, 2023.
The City Council also awarded up to $4 million to CBI to help with the acquisition and facility improvement costs for a new emergency shelter bed facility focused on single adults experiencing homelessness. CBI targeted the Sunnyslope area as the area of focus for the facility based on the need they see in that community. At the time of proposal, they had not identified a specific location and continue to work with the community, potential partner non-profits, and City staff to identify a viable site. In their proposal, they included a proposed schedule that allowed through October to identify a site.
Remaining CDBG-CV Funds
After the $4 million awarded to CASS for Project Haven II and the $4 million awarded to CBI, $6 million remains of the original $14 million of CARES Act Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) funding available for the Shelter Facility. Staff are working on possible options for the City Council to consider for these funds, which could include:
- A new RFP to increase shelter bed availability in Phoenix;
- Fund proposals submitted under the Human Services Department’s CARES Act Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) RFP for homeless services recommended for award, but not funded due to limited funds;
- An RFP for HVAC upgrades to prevent the spread of communicable diseases; and
- Other CDBG-CV eligible public facility projects or public service programs
Staff will bring forth an item at a future Subcommittee meeting for detailed presentation, discussion and direction.
U.S. Vets
Providing funding to relocate and transitionally house veterans was another short-term strategy in the Plan. In October 2020, the City Council approved $10.5 million to support the United States Veterans Initiative (U.S. Vets), and U.S. Vets took possession of the property, located at 12027 N. 28th Drive. Once renovations are completed, in addition to providing stable housing for veterans and their families, supportive services such as case management, job skills development and other services will be offered onsite. The property’s residential rooms, conference rooms and commercial kitchen will increase U.S. Vets' capacity to provide permanent supportive housing and services for veterans in the metro Phoenix area.
Neighborhood Strategies
Staff continue to work with the community to reduce the impact of homelessness on neighborhoods. Significant progress has been made in key strategies identified in the plan, including using PHX C.A.R.E.S. data to drive community engagement, continued implementation of the Gated Alley Program Pilot, and partnerships to provide better access to public restrooms and heat relief stations and encourage healthy giving. Additionally, in working with the community, multiple departments are working together to provide additional support for the area around 27th Avenue and Northern Avenue, near the site of the proposed Project Haven II CASS project.
PHX C.A.R.E.S. Data to Drive Community Engagement
Staff developed a new approach using data to identify hotspots. In these locations staff would often open cases, resolve the immediate issue, and close the case, only for the issue to quickly return. The new approach involves partnership with property and business owners, as well as all city staff involved with any issues at the property. Once the hot spot is identified, staff identify owners and stakeholders responsible for maintaining impacted properties and engage them on site with all involved to walk the property and implement a plan of action plan, focusing on the principals of CPTED and the Broken Window Theory, which result in long-term solutions.
Emergency Solutions Grant - Contract Awards for Services
The Human Services Department issued a RFP to seek qualified consultant services with the capability to provide homeless services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The solicitation will make $9.1 million available for any homeless services eligible for one-time U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) ESG funding. Services funded under this RFP must prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. The RFP included evaluation criteria that considers alignment with the strategies and guiding principles of the Plan. As a result, 10 sub-recipients received awards from this RFP process and the execution of contracts were completed at the end of July (Attachment A).
Housing Phoenix Plan
The Housing Phoenix Plan (HPP) has a goal of creating or preserving 50,000 homes by 2030. Although a separate plan, the availability of housing is closely related to addressing homelessness. The following are applicable HPP updates as it relates to the Strategies to Address Homelessness Plan.
HPP Initiative 1: Prioritize New Housing in Areas of Opportunity
This initiative includes developing scoring criteria for housing in areas of opportunity and an important finding of the HPP was that the City needs to prioritize housing near important amenities. Through this initiative, the Planning and Development Department is developing an objective scoring mechanism and staff are currently working to map locations using Geographic Information System (GIS). Once finalized, this will be used to objectively communicate the benefits of having housing at the selected location.
HPP Initiative 3: Redevelop City Owned Land with Mixed-Income Housing
This initiative includes a phasing plan approved by the City Council in December 2020. The phasing plan identifies the anticipated release of RFPs for some of the identified City-owned parcels that would be ideal for affordable or mixed-income housing development. These parcels will be released for redevelopment over the next five years.
HPP Initiative 7: Expand Efforts to Preserve Existing Affordable Housing Stock
This initiative includes strategic acquisitions as well expanding the Rental Rehabilitation Program. In June 2021, two parcels located north of the northwest corner of Van Buren Street and Fifth Avenue were acquired in partnership with the Neighborhood Services Department for future development of affordable or mixed income housing within downtown Phoenix. Also, in June 2021, the Neighborhood Services Department’s Rental Rehabilitation Program was relaunched which addresses the preservation and affordability of eligible multi-family housing.
The most recent Housing Phoenix Plan Quarterly Report (Attachment B) shows the progress achieved between February 2021 to May 2021. The quarterly report provides a dashboard of completion, target dates, and status comments for each initiative.
Permanent Supportive Housing
The Plan also provides strategies for permanent supportive housing. The following are related updates.
In August 2020, Phoenix City Council authorized $500,000 of federal CARES Act funding to launch the Housing Department’s Landlord Incentive Program as an innovative strategy to help combat the shrinking number of units and fewer affordable housing opportunities for Phoenix Section 8 voucher holders. The Landlord Incentive Program incentivizes Phoenix landlords make their properties available to Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) holders. The program offers a $500 signing bonus to landlords that execute a Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contract. This incentive is paid to landlords who manage regular HCV, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers and mainstream vouchers, including landlords housing the homeless population. From September 2020 through September 2021, incentives were paid to 999 landlords, of which 127 were first-time Section 8 landlords.
Given the success of the program, the City Council approved $1 million of federal ARPA funding to replenish the funds for the Landlord Incentive Program and help continue to sustain/increase the affordable housing stock options in the community.
The City was awarded 390 Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs) authorized by ARPA. Eligible populations are individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Referrals are made by Coordinated Entry through a partnership with the Continuum of Care. Eligible populations will be referred by the Maricopa County Coordinated Entry System which centralizes and coordinates access to services for individuals experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
The City of Phoenix was awarded $21,254,777 for HOME Investment Partnerships Program - American Rescue (HOME-ARP) funding to help provide housing shelter and services for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Potential funding uses include funding for supportive services for non-profits; gap financing for the creation of permanent supportive housing or non-congregate shelters; and Administration. In the fall, staff plans to conduct listening sessions among community stakeholders regarding these funds.
Mental Health
A key component of the Plan is addressing individuals dealing with mental health situations that impact their ability to be successful in attaining housing security. The City Council approved $10.5 million for a Homelessness and Mental Health Program as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. This included approval of the recommendation to allocate $9 million to contract with local health care providers for outreach teams to connect residents throughout the City (based on heat maps) with mental health and substance abuse services, and physical health services. It also included approval to allocate the remaining $1.5 million to contract with local nonprofits to start a pilot outreach project to offer and provide services for those experiencing homelessness along the Salt River Project (SRP) canals and surrounding areas. Additionally, funds will be used to partner with an agency to create a pilot Phoenix Works program which will train and pay individuals experiencing homelessness to conduct beautification projects and landscaping duties.
Community Assistance Program
Within one-year or less of the Mental Health strategy, the Plan calls for the exploration of an alternative service delivery model for delivering services to individuals suffering from behavioral and mental health conditions requiring emergency crisis response. In relation to this strategy, as part of the FY 2021-22 budget, the City Council approved $15 million to expand the civilian based Community Assistance Program (CAP) housed in the Fire Department. This investment will provide expanded crisis response resources and reduce response times to residents experiencing mental and behavioral health issues. City staff will provide an update on CAP and efforts to date at the Oct. 26 City Council Policy Session.
These efforts form a collective effort in multiple strategy areas to address the issues surrounding homelessness, housing needs, services, mental health and the impacts on neighborhoods. The City Council has authorized significant investment through ongoing and one-time resources that is enabling the staff and providers to pilot new approaches and to target efforts in impactful ways. Staff will continue to work with the Task Force, the community, service providers and other stakeholders to address homelessness.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Housing, Human Services and Neighborhood Services departments.