HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem A: Workshop on Homelessness
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UGENE ITY OUNCIL
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Workshop: City Council Priority Issue – Develop a Strategy to Help the Homeless in
Eugene
Meeting Date: May 17, 2006 Agenda Item Number: A
Department: Library Recreation and Cultural Services Staff Contact: Angel Jones
www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-6065
ISSUE STATEMENT
The City Council is asked to review and provide guidance to staff on refining its Priority Initiative to
“Develop a Strategy to Help the Homeless in Eugene.”
BACKGROUND
Understanding Homelessness: A Brief Synopsis
Homelessness is a problem that, left unsolved, destroys families, deeply hurts individuals with long-term
consequences, and has a significant, detrimental financial impact on the City and the community.
Poverty is generally the most common and obvious reason for homelessness. According to the 2000
Census, housing costs are no longer affordable to 20,000 very low-income local households, and only
about 4,000 subsidized housing units exist. Over 50% of renters in Eugene are paying more than 30% of
their income for housing. A health care situation or emergency often pushes households over the edge
financially, causing them to become homeless.
A City of Eugene staff team, aided by professionals from the Lane County Human Services
Commission, local service providers, members of the Eugene Human Rights Commission, and
community stakeholders, including the homeless themselves, has identified numerous options to either
assist the homeless population or address the local impacts of homelessness. Given the limited resources
available, each option is only an incremental step toward ending homelessness in our community. It is a
complex and expensive problem without a one-size-fits-all solution. Still, many in the community are
working collaboratively and independently toward abolishing homelessness.
Estimate of local homeless populations
On any given night in Eugene, between 1,500 and 1,800 homeless people, one-third of whom are
children, can be easily counted. This is unquestionably an underestimation of the entire homeless
population and those at risk of homelessness. For instance, the number of doubled and tripled
households is rising. One indicator of this phenomenon is that Food for Lane County reports serving a
similar number of individuals with food boxes, while the number of households receiving these boxes is
dropping. It also finds record numbers of people eating at the soup kitchen.
The Lane County Human Services Commission collects and analyzes data on homelessness from 16
different service providers. It reported 1,506 homeless youth and children in 2005: 66% under the age
of 12; 20% Hispanic; and 74% white.
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RELATED CITY POLICIES
Almost every year since 1987, one of the City Council’s annual goals has been related to homelessness
or to increasing the availability of low-income housing. Numerous documents have been adopted with
language related to this goal, including the HUD Consolidated Plan, the CDBG and HOME annual
statement of objectives and one-year action plan, the City’s Growth Management Goals and the
Residential Land Study.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
The council has several options to consider, each with its own cost and benefits.
1.Support a strategy to establish a stable funding source to address prevention, intervention, and
treatment of homelessness in Eugene by appointing a multijurisdictional (public/non-profit)
committee and charging the committee with the task of identifying a funding source, a revenue goal,
and an allocation process.
2.Approve the alternative funding plan recommended by the staff team in Attachment C
3.Direct the City Manager to develop a specific implementation strategy for one or more particular
options identified by the council within the specified funding limits; bring back to the council for
approval.
4.Continue current city activities to assist local homeless people, as noted in Tier 1, and not direct
additional resources at this time.
Details on these options are provided in Attachment B.
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager recommends Option 1 as outlined above.
SUGGESTED MOTIONS
Move to support a strategy to establish a stable funding source to address prevention, intervention, and
treatment of homelessness in Eugene by appointing a multijurisdictional (public/non-profit) committee
and charging the committee with the task of identifying a funding source, a revenue goal, and an
allocation process.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Lane County indicators
B. Council Options
C. Alternative staff recommended funding plan
D. Roster of staff team members
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Angel Jones
Telephone: 682-6065
Staff E-Mail: angel.l.jones@ci.eugene.or.us
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ATTACHMENT A
Other Lane County Indicators
The following numbers are estimates from different sources. They may overlap, so they should
not be added together to get a total. Eugene is directly impacted by a high percentage of these
individuals regardless of their most recent permanent addresses.
?
Families with children (includes families fleeing domestic violence)
Magnitude: 1,300 households assisted or turned away from emergency shelter annually
Womenspace Inc. receives 5,000 domestic violence calls annually
?
Youth and children, who are not with their families, or are part of a homeless family
Magnitude: 2,158 homeless students in Lane County schools, including 1,019 in Eugene
4J and Bethel Districts.
Unaccompanied minors totaled 232 for the 2004-05 school year.
Looking Glass counted 1,100 homeless youth in 2005.
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Adults without children living with them.
Magnitude: 356 provided with shelter motel assistance annually. 254 individuals either
received help or were turned away on the day of the January 2005 one-night count.
Womenspace sheltered 60 women without children during 2005.
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Single, chronically homeless, including persons with physical disabilities, chronic mental
illness and multiple diagnoses.
Magnitude: 280 identified for services annually
?
Veterans.
Magnitude: VA estimates 4,600 in Lane County
Descriptions of Some Homeless Populations
Situational vs. Chronic - There is a significant difference between a situational homeless episode
where someone becomes homeless due to a new or emerging set of circumstances, and chronic
homelessness, which is defined by the federal government as four episodes of homelessness in
the last three years, or being homelessness for a year or more.
Sometimes situational homelessness can be prevented and substantial anguish and public money
saved with early intervention. An isolated financial crisis, such as temporary loss of work due to
seasonal lay-offs or extended illness, may prevent a household from being able to afford a rent
payment. A one-time assistance payment might avoid eviction and a cascade of long-term
problems: a tainted credit report resulting in difficulty locating future housing; children in the
household eventually becoming homeless; and subsequently multi-generational homelessness.
This scenario, which is all too common, destroys households, and indirectly costs the public
many times more than the prevention opportunity. People with situational homelessness often
become chronically homeless if their initial crisis isn’t addressed, or if they are unable to remedy
the situations that placed them at risk.
Multiple diagnosis: With adults and youth an increasingly common challenge is people with
multiple diagnoses including psychiatric disabilities such as bi-polar disorders or schizophrenia,
developmental disabilities, addictions, and other physical disabilities. Many in this group are
chronically homeless, and are incapable of earning enough money to afford local housing.
Youth, some of whom have mental/emotional, developmental or physical disabilities, are
runaways, throwaways or are part of a homeless family. They are on the street or choosing
dangerous options for a variety of reasons, which may include a history of abuse at home. If not
helped, they often age into hard-core homeless adults, where they garner even less sympathy.
Families with children are comprised of both single parent and two parent families. They are
often homeless due to financial crisis brought on by a variety of factors, sometimes but not
always, due to poor choices. It’s common for at least one adult have a job. Their children are
(or can become) homeless youth. Often a one-time emergency payment could prevent
homelessness and a cascade of other financial problems.
Domestic Violence; Of the families with children who use the local emergency shelter system,
more than one-fourth are homeless because they are fleeing a violent situation at home. Various
national studies have found that between 25 and 50% of homeless women became so as a result
of fleeing domestic violence.
Single adults become homeless for numerous reasons: Many are disabled through a job or
military injury. Some have experienced abuse or homelessness for much of their lives. Others
struggle with addictions. Some simply don’t have the skills to earn enough money to afford a
place to live.
Veterans are identified separately because they have unique situational problems. Many are
profoundly impacted by post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) or other disabilities. Many have
come back from war to find that recreating the life they left is impossible, and become estranged
from society using alcohol or drugs to remedy symptoms of distress and anxiety.
ATTACHMENT B
COUNCIL OPTIONS
The Homelessness Action Planning Team is providing the following table of options for the
council to consider; detailed explanations are also provided.
TIER EXAMPLETYPE OF SERVICEFUNDING OR
ESTIMATED COST
Tier 4 A stable, long-Homelessness and Recommendation:
Identify a stable, long- term funding housing initiative appoint a committee;
term funding source source funding charge them to
recommend a funding
HOMELESS ACTION source, an annual
PLANNING TEAM revenue goal, and an
RECOMMENDATION allocation process.
Tier 3
Identify one or more
programs to financially
support now.
a. Fund prevention Permanent, Prevention and response To acquire existing
programs. subsidized housing: $16,000+
housing (also in New construction:
Tier 1) $75-100,000 (+/-)
One-time Prevention $400-500.00 per
emergency household. $25,000
payments to prevents 50+
prevent evictions households from
becoming homeless.
Youth/parent Prevention/Intervention Depends on degree of
reconciliations service
b. Fund emergency Expanded beds Emergency $6,000 per household.
shelter programs. or service To create a small, new
options at shelter: $50,000 for
emergency planning and over
shelters $400,000 annually to
operate depending on
size and target
population
c. Provide permanent Womenspace Emergency and To be determined:
supportive housing Shelter Permanent (likely in excess of
$25,000 per bed)
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Shankle Safe Permanent To be determined:
Haven (likely in excess of
$25,000 per bed)
Royal Avenue Permanent To be determined:
(likely in excess of
$25,000 per bed)
d. Increase days and First Place Day services $135,000
hours of service at Family Center
Access Centers.
Eugene Service Day services $35,000
Station
Looking Glass Day services $100,000
New Roads
Looking Glass Day Services $45,000
Station 7
Looking Glass Day $38,500
Station 7 Services/counseling
Reconciliation
sessions
e. Provide LTD Low-cost Day services $50,000, but any
transportation or free tokens amount would be
assistance. helpful
Tier 2
November 2005
Recommendations
Library access Improved library card Completed
access to the homeless
and to others
Internet Assistance to currently $144,000 (Telecom
assistance homeless fund proposal – much
of the cost will likely
be covered through
donated materials and
services)
Utility assistance Prevention $55,000
Safe and Sound Intervention and $70,000
Prevention
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Tier 1
Current City-Assisted
Service
Permanent Prevention and response Current federal pass-
Affordable through and local
Housing assistance is over $1
million; significantly
more is needed.
Human Services Broad range of social $1.4 million now.
Commission services Could be enhanced by
Funding any amount
Homeless Response to complaints; $81,500
Camping management of camp
Facilitation spaces
Contract
Looking Glass Emergency youth shelter $36,000
Station 7
Buckley House Detox treatment $28,300
White Bird – Emergency response $244,000 (includes a
CAHOOTS one-time increase this
year)
Tier 4: Identify a stable, long-term funding source. (Homelessness Action Planning Team
Recommendation)
Homelessness has emerged over the last 25 years in America primarily due to funding reductions
in housing, and in a variety of social and mental health services. Resolving the problem will
require increased funding. Nationally, many communities have identified a significant stable
funding source to support affordable housing and to address homelessness. The most effective
option with the greatest potential for measurable long-term results is to identify funding, along
with policy directives, and to use systems that are currently in place for allocations. The report of
the 1988 Lane County Task Force on Homelessness and Affordable Housing, a visionary
document that remains the blueprint for local efforts, calls for a priority on developing affordable
housing rather than increasing emergency shelter services. Numerous national studies have since
supported its conclusions.
Pro: Supports a comprehensive, long-term approach, which will probably deliver the most
effective response over time, since the local homeless population is documented to be almost
entirely from this area. Will slow the increase of homelessness and work towards its elimination.
Con: Is expensive and identifying secure funding sources is difficult, and may require a new tax
or fee. This competes with other community priorities and, if enacted by council, may be subject
to a public vote through referendum.
Cost: Might require costs associated with collecting funds and administering expenditures.
These administrative costs would be likely be covered by the new revenue stream.
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Tier 3: Identify one or more specific programs to financially support now.
a. Fund prevention programs.
?
Permanent subsidized housing
Since 1988, Eugene has focused on “Housing First,” now nationally-recognized as the best
practice. This model recognizes that before people can address their addictions or other
significant problems, they must first be housed. Homelessness would be hardly a problem in
America if people could afford a place to live.
Pro: Both a prevention and a response, depending on the situation; provides long term-benefits.
While initially very expensive, over time it is by far the least costly. With minimal supportive
services, housing stability improves significantly.
Con: Permanent housing is costly to build or acquire, and has become more challenging to
develop. People with psychiatric disabilities or significant barriers will not initially succeed in
housing, or be able to pay even minimal rent. Prevention programs may not immediately or
necessarily address needs of the already homeless.
TYPE OF SHELTER COST PER DAY
Permanent Housing $1.30 (estimate based on 30 years of use)
Emergency housing $133.00 average at Family Housing Program
(includes some services)
Hospital $600.00 (cheapest possible night at McKenzie
Willamette)
Lane County Jail $90.00+
?
One-time emergency payments to avoid evictions
Many households fall into homelessness due to a circumstance that could be prevented with a
one-time, emergency-assistance payment.
Pro: Providing energy assistance, reflecting the impact of City charges found on EWEB bills,
would ease the cost burden for low-income households, and prevent power shut-offs and
evictions. Short-term concentrated advocacy and counseling can give families the resources and
tools needed to avert future housing crises.
?
Youth and parent/guardian reconciliation
Youth may be forced out of the house, or leave against the parents’ wishes to become homeless.
Pro: Reconciliations between youth and their parents/guardians can often resolve the issues that
drove them to homelessness.
b. Fund emergency shelter programs.
The only publicly-assisted shelters for adults without children have a limited number of beds that
provide some level of treatment. Support services have declined resulting in either increased
selectivity in accepting clients or reduced positive long-term outcomes. Womenspace is the
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smallest domestic violence shelter in the state, turning away nearly half as many people as are
served even though the demand is among the greatest in the state. The demand for emergency
shelters remains; however, during the many conversations between City and County staff,
service providers and homeless people, the only requests for additional shelter space came from
members of the Human Rights Commission.
Examples
?
ShelterCare, Family Housing Program – families (18) and adults with psychiatric
disabilities or mental health crisis (10)
?
ShelterCare, Brethren Housing - families (4) and adults with psychiatric disabilities (10)
?
Eugene Mission – mixed (no public funding)
?
Looking Glass, Station 7 – youth (12 beds)
?
Catholic Community Services - motel vouchers and apartment units for families
?
Womenspace - domestic violence victims receive confidential shelter or motel vouchers
Pro: Humanely provides an emergency shelter for people who have no other place to live.
Con: New shelters are difficult to site and extremely expensive to operate. The Family Housing
Program on Highway 99 costs $660,000 annually for 28 former motel units, and Brethren
Housing in Springfield costs $200,000 for 9 units. Family Housing finds that each sheltered
household costs $6,000 during its term of service (about 45 days average). Womenspace
emergency shelter and 24-hour crisis response annually costs $316,000 for 15 shelter beds and
12-15 motel stays each month. The recently-closed Centro LatinoAmericano Shelter was small
and inadequately funded at $148,000 per year for about 20 beds. None of these shelters had rent
or mortgage expenses. Shelters only serve a limited population, due to their size constraints, and
the many who are homeless are not able to comply with operating rules and procedures. In order
to provide a new shelter for a particular population, a willing operator, a location, and a stable
long-term funding source must be identified.
Cost: The planning portion may cost up to $50,000. The annual operating expenses cannot be
estimated until a suitable location, capacity and specific target population are determined.
c. Provide permanent supportive housing.
People who are homeless often become traumatized by either the events leading up to their
predicament or by the situation itself. They may run from domestic violence situations or turn to
self-medication to ease emotional pain. Housing and other services such as resource advocacy,
counseling, or employment support, are often necessary to achieve longer term success. This
response is often targeted at the most difficult to serve chronically homeless people.
Examples:
?
Womenspace Shelter (domestic violence)
?
Shankle Safe Haven (severe persistent mental illness)
?
Royal Avenue Shelter (psychiatric disability)
?
Shelter Plus Care (special needs subsidies for adults with psychiatric disabilities)
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Pro: Housing is the first critical step. Serving a small number of these people would, in the long
term, save money in terms of police, emergency room, and other services.
Con: Funding for services is typically separated from the funding of housing programs, and
often unstable. Service-enriched housing can be particularly expensive and often the treatment is
slow and initially unsuccessful. Many people need to cycle in and out of housing and treatment
before achieving a level of success; therefore, the results, along the way, are not as gratifying.
d. Increase days and hours of service at Access Centers.
People who are not housed need
some level of community services in order to improve their situations. In each case, individuals
can obtain food, wash clothes, take a shower, receive mail and messages, and obtain limited
social services; however, shelters are either closed or operating with reduced hours and services
during evenings and weekends. For families, day care, homework assistance and other related
services are added. At New Roads, a health clinic is provided through Safe and Sound; also a
school, and opportunities for positive interaction with caring adults. Shankle Safe Haven
provides vocational services to participants who are motivated to return to the work force as they
stabilize their lives.
Examples
?
First Place Family Center (families) - operated by St. Vincent de Paul
?
Eugene Service Station (single adults) - operated by St Vincent de Paul
?
New Roads/Safe and Sound (youth) – operated by Looking Glass
?
Shankle Safe Haven Day Program (adults with psychiatric disabilities) – operated by
ShelterCare
?
Station 7 Daytime Program – operated by Looking Glass
Pro: A humane community response that helps both homeless persons and the community.
Increasing any hours of operation would be helpful.
Con: Provide services to homeless people, but does not include adequate resources to place
people in housing. Services prepare people for housing stability, but there are limited local
options that are affordable to very low-income households.
Cost: Extending the hours would range from a low of $35,000 at the Service Station to between
$93,000 and $120,000 per year at the other programs where operations cost significantly more
due to the nature of services and the population served.
$35,000 increases weekend and evening hours at the Service Station
$100,000 increases weekend and evening hours at New Roads
$135,000 increases weekend and evening hours at First Place Family Center
$45,000 enables daytime hours at Station 7
$38,500 funds youth/parent interventions and counseling to avoid homelessness
e. Provide transportation assistance.
LTD recently participated in a discussion of transportation approaches, which included an
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expansion of options for reduced price fares, bulk buying by service providers, and options for
non-peak hours. LTD is open to options and has informally suggested that they could match City
funds 1:1 in terms of providing tokens through social service programs.
Pro: Transportation is a challenging problem for homeless persons who need to get to
appointments for services, get to job interviews, and escort children to school, etc. Many cannot
afford bus service even at $1.00 one way and $2.00 for an all day pass. Assistance doesn’t solve
homelessness, but would improve the lives of homeless people.
Con: LTD is a single-purpose agency and generally does not give away its services, and is
reluctant to set up different classes of customers. Most riders are poor or disabled.
Cost: $50,000 - The demand is significant; any amount will be used.
Tier 2: Implementation of November 2005 staff recommendations.
Library access
Improved library card access is now provided to the homeless population as well as to other
Eugene residents.
Internet assistance
Homeless people, during the forums, discussed the growing need to access services, jobs, and
housing options through the Internet, and expressed their frustration in trying to find this access.
Nonprofit providers are working with the City on a $144,000 Telecom Grant to provide
additional computer access at the three access centers and shelter locations. This grant will
include the total potential costs; however, many of the materials and services will probably be
donated.
Utility assistance
EWEB’s Energy Share program currently runs out of money. While EWEB and rate payers
donate to this fund, the City's wastewater and stormwater funds do not. In 2004, the Energy
Share program paid off about $94,000 of delinquent city and regional wastewater and stormwater
charges in order to avoid the shutoff of services. Roughly $50,000 was applied to local city
charges, while the remaining estimated $44,000 was applied to regional sewer charges. City
staff continues to work on a strategy by which city and regional sewer and stormwater utilities
could contribute to the Energy Share program in much the same way that the EWEB electric and
water utilities do. We expect that discussions and the formulation of agreements around this
strategy will continue through summer 2006.
Safe and Sound
Safe and Sound, a public/private partnership related to youth homelessness, has received 70,000
in City assistance for three years for needed services to homeless and at-risk youth and has been
critical match money for other grants. The third year of funding is nearly over. A three-year
renewal is in the City Manager’s proposed budget. A permanent inclusion in the budget would
enable this amount to be adjusted annually for inflation.
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Pro: Each of the above items represents a response to a problem identified by the community or
staff. After considerable review, they were presented to the City Council in November 2005.
Con: Funds spent on these activities could, in some cases, be spent on other activities.
Tier 1: Current City-assisted service
Human Services Commission (HSC) Funding
The City contributes $1,019,808 in General Funds and $390,000 in Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) funds. These funds go to a range of services; most are directly related to
homelessness. The City’s CDBG contribution is limited to 15% of the total federal grant. Due to
federal grant reductions, the HSC contribution will be reduced by $40,000 in the coming fiscal
year.
Homeless Camping Facilitation Contract
The City contracts directly for $81,500 with St. Vincent dePaul to manage the on-street camping
complaints and camping space program.
Looking Glass Station 7
Eugene Police Department contributes $36,000 towards the provision of shelter beds.
Willamette Family Treatment
Buckley House, $28,300. Buckley House is facing budget cuts totaling $51,000 which mean the
loss of two treatment beds and critical mental health services that enable Buckley to serve—and
remove from the streets—adults with dual diagnosis and mental health crises.
White Bird CAHOOTS
Eugene Police Department contributes $244,000 for on-street crisis assistance
Pro: These services are under-funded and yet are proven to be effective and have been
established and reviewed regularly. Each represents elements of the public safety prevention and
intervention system that save money on the enforcement side.
Con: This $1.8 million in funding could be allocated to other key city services. While funding
in this area can be helpful, there aren’t enough HUD vouchers to support increasing the number
of housing units/beds at Shankle, Safe Haven and Shelter Plus locations. Building a new facility
would be an expensive, long-term project.
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ATTACHMENT C
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Primary Staff Recommendation
Support a strategy to establish a stable long-term funding source to address prevention,
intervention, and treatment of homelessness in Eugene by appointing a committee and charging
the committee with the task of identifying a funding source, a revenue goal, and an allocation
process.
2. Alternative Staff Recommendation
A. Continue current “Tier 1” activities
B. Continue current “Tier 2” activities
Add Safe and Sound contribution to City budget, allowing it to receive annual budget
adjustments. This is currently proposed to continue for three years at the flat $70,000
allocation that hasn’t been increased for three years.
C. Fund the following “Tier 3” activities
Fund one-time emergency payment to prevent homelessness $100,000
Provide emergency permanent housing assistance for victims
of domestic violence $50,000
Increase hours and services at day access centers $100,000
First Place Family Center,
Eugene Service Station
New Roads
Station 7
Provide matching funds for transportation assistance. $50,000
Total $300,000
ATTACHMENT D
Homeless Priority Issue Staff Team
City of Eugene staff
Angel Jones Executive Director Library, Recreation and Cultural Services/Administration
Connie Bennett Library Services Director Library, Recreation and Cultural Services/Library
Mike Magee Administrative Manager Library, Recreation and Cultural Services/Administration
Maureen Robeson Executive Assistant Library, Recreation and Cultural Services/Administration
Carolyn McDermed Police Lieutenant Police/Patrol
Sarah Medary Natural Resources Manager Public Works/Parks and Open Space
Greg Rikhoff Human Rights Program Manager Central Services/City Manager’s Office
Ron Roberts Police Lieutenant Police/Investigations
Richie Weinman Urban Services Manager Planning & Development/Community Development
Invited Participants
Pearl Wolfe Human Services Supervisor Lane County Health & Human Services
Nancy Waggoner Program Services Coordinator Lane County Health & Human Services
Hugh Massengill Human Rights Commissioner Lane County Human Services Commission