REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
County Presentation - New Cold Weather Shelter Facility at 999 Hamlin Court, Sunnyvale (Information Only)
Report
BACKGROUND
For this agenda item, staff of the County of Santa Clara Office of Supportive Housing (OSH) will present information about the County’s planned retrofit of its property on Hamlin Court, to be used as the new North County site for the Cold Weather Shelter Program (CWSP). This Report to Council provides background information on this new CWSP facility and the coordination between the City and the County related to this effort.
The County has provided annual funding and in-kind support to the CWSP for many years. The CWSP is a county-wide winter shelter program operated by Home First Santa Clara County, a non-profit organization formerly known as Emergency Housing Coalition (EHC). The CWSP operates from the end of November through the end of March each year. The former National Guard Armory at Maude and Wolfe Road in Sunnyvale was used for the CWSP for over twenty years.
Following the national policy shift toward “housing first,” which focuses on permanent housing for homeless people rather than nightly shelters, the Armory was redeveloped in 2014 with City and County funding (Parkside Studios and Onizuka Crossing) and now provides a combined total of 115 units of permanent, supportive rental housing for very low income households. Forty-seven of these units are now occupied by formerly homeless tenants. Since that site was redeveloped, the City has supported the County and local stakeholders in their efforts to obtain a new North County site for the CWSP.
On July 15, 2014, staff prepared a Cold Weather Shelter Update (RTC No. 14-0675) in response to the County’s request for assistance in identifying a replacement facility for the North County CWSP.
On September 1, 2015, Council directed staff to work with the County of Santa Clara on a proposal for the County to establish a temporary shelter facility on City-owned property (a portion of the former Onizuka Air Station site located at 1180 Innovation Way) for the 2015-16 winter season only, until a permanent site could be obtained. The County held several community outreach meetings for the proposed temporary shelter, with the assistance of City staff. The County, with logistical support from City staff, installed a modular building at Innovation Way to serve as a temporary CWSP, as permitted by a license agreement between the City and County. This modular building had a nightly capacity of 100 beds and up to 125 beds during inclement weather episodes. The temporary facility was well received by clients, service providers, neighboring property owners, and the City, thanks to certain key operational measures agreed upon by the two agencies through a collaborative process. These measures included the use of a referral system and waiting list to fill the beds, rather than using the old system of client queuing at the former site each afternoon, which created a number of overflow-related, unintended impacts on the neighborhood around the Armory site. Other measures included 24-hour security at the facility, outreach workers on duty to address any neighborhood impacts, and a shuttle service to assist clients in getting to the facility.
As the Innovation Way site had already been committed to another use prior to the negotiation of the license agreement, the County had to vacate that property by April 30, 2016. At that time the County moved the modular structure to its new property at 999 Hamlin Court.
EXISTING POLICY
Housing Element Policy E.6
Participate in the County Collaborative on Affordable Housing and Homeless Issues [now called the Continuum of Care] to support its efforts to prevent and end homelessness. Facilitate and sponsor the provision of permanent supportive housing for homeless people. Support local service providers that offer facilities and support services to homeless individuals and families, and persons at risk of homelessness.
DISCUSSION
In September 2015, the County acquired an industrial property located at 999 Hamlin Court in Sunnyvale, which included a warehouse building, with the initial intent to use the building for storage of emergency supplies. On December 15, the County Board of Supervisors (Board) directed County staff to study the feasibility of using the Hamlin property for the CWSP. In March 2016, the County completed the feasibility study.
The City does not have permitting or regulatory authority over the proposed County project due to State law that exempts counties from local (city) land use jurisdiction when developing and using properties owned by the County for county services and facilities; shelters are included in this exemption.
In May 2016, County staff notified the City that the feasibility study of 999 Hamlin Court was complete and would be presented to the Board in June. The study findings, a recommended finding of exemption from environmental review, and a request for funding to retrofit the facility, were presented to the Board at a public hearing on June 21.
The County held two outreach meetings prior to the Board of Supervisors hearing. Notices of the meeting, which included a description of the project, were sent to property owners and tenants within 2,000 feet of the site. Sunnyvale staff assisted the County in sending notices. Sunnyvale staff attended the two community outreach meetings (one morning and one evening) held on June 13. County staff explained the project and took input on the proposed use of the site as a winter shelter facility. Attendees raised concerns about lack of sidewalks in the area, security, lighting, traffic control (stop sign), and overgrown vegetation near Mathilda and US Highway 101. Attendees also made general comments and suggestions about shelter operations. Sunnyvale staff has followed up by discussing pedestrian improvement options with County staff, trimming overgrown trees so that street lights are not blocked, and meeting with nearby tenants and property owners to discuss what they can do to increase lighting on their own properties.
On June 21, the County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on the planned retrofits to 999 Hamlin Court in order to accommodate the CWSP each winter, and associated funding request. City staff provided the attached comment letter, dated June 20, 2016 (Attachment 1), to the County regarding this proposal. City staff invited the County staff to make a presentation to the Sunnyvale City Council on August 9, 2016.
The Board approved the project and the requested funding and directed County staff to hold monthly working group meetings open to the public to discuss issues and concerns related to the shelter facility and operations. The Board also directed staff to provide a non-agenda report to the Board addressing the concerns raised at that hearing or in the comment letters.
On July 13, the County hosted the first of these monthly meetings at 999 Hamlin Court. The discussion focused mainly on the operational plan (Attachment 2), which is similar to the one used last year at 1180 Innovation Way, and on proposed site improvements. The operational measures which worked well last year are included in the new operational plan, such as the referral program, shuttle service and 24-hour security. City housing staff attended the meeting.
The warehouse building, once retrofitted, will have a nightly capacity of 125 beds, and will not include any additional capacity during inclement weather episodes. During the rest of the year, when the CWSP does not operate, the warehouse could be used to store County emergency supplies, as stated in the County’s pre-acquisition notice. County staff intends to move the modular building from the Hamlin property prior to the start of the CWSP operations so that on-site parking will be available.
City and County staff communicate frequently about the search for a replacement North County site for the CWSP and have been in close contact regarding the Hamlin Court site in particular since its acquisition by the County. City Housing staff have also been attending the CWSP planning meetings and other county-wide inter-agency meetings related to services and housing for homeless people for many years.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
Prepared by: Katrina L. Ardina, Housing Programs Analyst
Reviewed by: Suzanne Isé, Housing Officer
Reviewed by: Trudi Ryan, Director, Community Development
Approved by: Kent Steffens, Assistant City Manager for Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. City Letter to County dated June 20, 2016
2. CWSP Operational Plan