REPORT TO HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Recommend that the City Council Adopt a Resolution to Endorse Santa Clara County’s 2020-2025 Community Plan to End Homelessness
Report
BACKGROUND
In October 2015, the City adopted the 2015-2020 Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness (RTC No. 15-0403). The 2015-2020 Community Plan to End Homelessness was the first regional plan to address the challenges of homelessness, and the process was managed by the Continuum of Care (Destination: Home, was the lead), similar to the 2020-2025 Community Plan to End Homelessness.
While progress has been made in developing systems to alleviate homelessness, the challenges persist, and the 2020-2025 Community Plan to End Homelessness was prepared to continue to address those challenges through three key strategies, which are described in more detail later in this report.
The 2020-2025 Community Plan to End Homelessness was developed with feedback from about 8,000 individuals across the County, including people with lived experience of homelessness, subject matter experts, stakeholders and community members.
The City Council will consider this item on August 31, 2021.
EXISTING POLICY
Sunnyvale FY 2020-2025 Consolidated Plan
• Help people who are currently unhoused or at imminent risk of homelessness to obtain housing, employment or other sources of income, and adequate support services/networks to achieve stability.
o D) Continue to participate in county-wide policy, planning and coordination efforts such as the Continuum of Care and Community Plan to End Homelessness
Sunnyvale FY 2013-2023 Housing Element
• Goal E: Promote equal housing opportunities for all residents, including Sunnyvale’s special needs populations, so that residents can reside in the housing of their choice.
o E.6: Participate in the County Collaborative on affordable housing and issues related to homelessness to support efforts to prevent and end homelessness. Facilitate and sponsor the provision of permanent supportive housing. Support local service providers that offer facilities and support services to unhoused individuals and families.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The adoption of a Resolution to endorse a community plan to end homelessness does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
DISCUSSION
The Community Plan to End Homelessness is based on three main strategies, as explained in detail in Attachment 2:
1. Strategy 1: Address the root causes of homelessness through system and policy change.
2. Strategy 2: Expand homelessness prevention and housing programs to meet the need.
3. Strategy 3: Improve quality of life for unsheltered individuals and create healthy neighborhoods for all.
Much of the effort described in the Community Plan to End Homelessness relates to the work of various agencies that provide health care, housing, social services, and related services. Participating cities are being asked to support the Community Plan to End Homelessness by:
1. Endorsing the 2020-2025 Community Plan to End Homelessness.
2. Developing an Implementation Plan to address homelessness consistent with Strategy 3, including a priority for behavioral health services expansion.
3. Identifying resources (i.e., money and land) to contribute to interim housing solutions and expand land-use options for shelters.
While the City has not put together a formal Implementation Plan to support the County’s Community Plan to End Homelessness, the City has a variety of existing and future programs that support the city’s unhoused residents that align with the Community Plan to End Homelessness. For example, Sunnyvale recently allocated $26 million to three affordable housing developments (one of which is currently applying for Measure A funds), annually funds a HOME Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program for homeless and at-risk households, and provides funding each year for supportive service providers, such as Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence, YWCA and Bill Wilson Center.
In addition, the City has implemented various programs that are consistent with Strategy 3: “Improve the Quality of Life for Unsheltered Individuals and Create Healthy Neighborhoods for All,” such as:
• The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing (HPRR) program, which includes a financial literacy and tenant education component;
• The WorkFirst Sunnyvale program that provides employment training, job placement, and related supportive services for homeless individuals;
• Tenant-landlord dispute resolution services;
• Mobile hygiene and laundry services for homeless individuals and families; and,
• Various other programs funded through the City’s human services grants that provide supportive services to homeless clients
In addition, the City Council recently prioritized a future Safe Parking Program in the 2020 Housing Strategy, along with new strategies to promote increased affordable housing production in Sunnyvale. As staff implements these Strategies over the next few years, the Community Plan to End Homelessness will be a tool to ensure the program can meet the general needs of not only the Sunnyvale community but of the entire county.
As described above and in more detail in the City’s adopted Housing Element and the Consolidated Plan, the City’s past and ongoing efforts related to preventing and ending homelessness are consistent with the key strategies included in the Community Plan to End Homelessness.
To date, the Community Plan to End Homelessness has been endorsed by the County of Santa Clara, the cities of San Jose, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Morgan Hill and Milpitas.
In addition, the City’s endorsement of the Community Plan to End Homelessness may assist in obtaining future HUD approvals of the City’s future Action Plans by demonstrating the City’s commitment to regional efforts to end homelessness, and therefore may help the City maintain its CDBG and HOME grants in the future.
A draft resolution to endorse the Community Plan to End Homelessness is provided in Attachment 3.
FISCAL IMPACT
This action will not impact the General Fund. City endorsement of the Plan does not obligate the City to provide any funding or commit to any other actions related to the Plan. Endorsement of the Plan may be beneficial in maintaining the City’s eligibility for future CDBG and HOME grants.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, and by making the agenda and report available at the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Recommend that the City Council Adopt a Resolution to Endorse the 2020-2025 Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness.
Endorsement of the Community Plan to End Homelessness is consistent with existing City policy, long-range housing plans, and existing City-funded programs and projects.
Staff
Prepared by: Leif Christiansen, Housing Programs Analyst
Reviewed by: Jenny Carloni, Housing Officer
Reviewed by: Trudi Ryan, Director, Community Development Department
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Reserved for Report to Council
2. 2020-2025 Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness
3. Draft Resolution Endorsing the 2020-2025 Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness