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Response to Homelessness City Council Study Session January 09, 2023 ---PAGE BREAK--- Homelessness in the News As metro area shelters open, experts and activists argue that only opening them in extreme temperatures isn't enough. Loveland removes more than 50 ‘unauthorized encampments’ in nature area. RTD's lone homeless outreach coordinator looks back at first year on the job. Dougco Sheriff's Office to transport unhoused people to cities with more services. A Bus Ticket Forward: How the homeless are being shipped state to state. Denver to spend $3.9M to expand managed homeless campsites. Denver voters approve new tax for homelessness aid. Escaping the streets can be a struggle. Violence both a cause and a consequence of homelessness in Jeffco. ---PAGE BREAK--- Expectations ● A level of homelessness will always exist in our community ● Expect to transition 30% to 40% of the homeless population ● The issue will take time to address ● Addressing homelessness will have a financial and resource impact ● This is a community issue ● There are legal restrictions to consider when developing strategy ● Our police department cannot solve this issue alone ---PAGE BREAK--- Continuum of Homelessness Those who do not want assistance Those who do not want assistance or housing and prefer the lifestyle of homelessness Those who want assistance Those who are near or at homelessness and want help and assistance Those who are undecided Those who may want assistance but are either not yet ready or are undecided ---PAGE BREAK--- Scope of Presentation ● Tactical level detail ● Detail level of all research conducted ● Deep dive about the causes of homelessness ● Summarizing research ● Recommendations for immediate action steps ● Recommendations for intermediate and long-term policy decisions What the presentation is: What the presentation is not: ---PAGE BREAK--- Approach Premortem Strategy ● Gaining prospective hindsight - learning from others ● Understanding risk to avoid overconfidence in recommendations ● Involved cross functional teams and partners ● Identify potential failures in strategy and work backwards to recommendations ---PAGE BREAK--- Goal of the Presentation ●Engage the Council into a discussion of the issues ●Council provides policy direction on recommendations ---PAGE BREAK--- What problems are we trying to solve? Coordinate a regional response to homelessness Addressing the visible unhoused population in Olde Town Relocate homeless services from Olde Town to a more suitable location Aligning resources to address the visible unhoused population Stop homelessness before it begins Support homeless veteran efforts Supporting the homeless family and children population Address the homeless living in vehicles ---PAGE BREAK--- Why do we have homelessness? Job related issues, job loss, lack of affordable housing, poverty Economic Reasons Lifestyle Choice Physical and/or behavioral health challenges Fragile or troubled relationships Addiction Post Traumatic Stress Domestic violence, family dysfunction, sex assault ---PAGE BREAK--- What does homelessness look like in Arvada? Each segment requires its own type of response. Segment 1 Unhoused, visible homeless Segment 2 Nearly homeless Segment 3 Veteran homeless Segment 4 School children / families Segment 5 Homeless living in vehicles Segment 6 Chronic homeless ---PAGE BREAK--- What does homelessness look like in Arvada? Unhoused and chronic visible homeless *Incomplete data. All estimates are approximate 1,126 Received day sheltering services over 1 year period 200 Individuals unhoused 64 Individuals chronically homeless 28 Individuals received street outreach services 40 Individuals are veterans 128 Individuals are disabled ---PAGE BREAK--- What does homeless look like in Arvada? 142 were in emergency shelter 493 People experiencing homelessness in Jefferson County via 2022 data 164 were unsheltered 35 were in transitional housing 341 adults 133 families 19 youth PD CORE estimates between 125 and 175 individuals are homeless in Arvada Source: ---PAGE BREAK--- What does homelessness look like in Arvada? School Student Enrollment FRL Percentage Arvada High School 759 63% Arvada West High School 1,765 25% Pomona High School 1,185 39% Ralston Valley High School 1,813 8% ● Unknown numbers of homeless in vehicles ● Safe Parking Sites in Arvada that have served numerous homeless in vehicles ● Arvada Schools free and reduced lunch program Source: Jeffco Schools ---PAGE BREAK--- What does homelessness look like in Arvada? School Student Enrollment FRL Percentage Arvada K-8 617 82% Foster Elementary 399 59% Peck Elementary 193 59% North Arvada Middle 565 62% Source: ---PAGE BREAK--- Impact on the Business Community ● Human waste and sanitary concerns ● Theft ● Vandalism ● Some customers concerned about visiting Olde Town ● Business staff members concerned about safety ● Theft and safety inside the transit hub/parking garage ● Rising crime ● 11.3% of businesses put homelessness as one of the top 3 challenges ● Concerned about open fires in camps and encampments ● Need mental health first aid training for employees so they can help de-escalate situations In the Olde Town Area: Businesses in General ---PAGE BREAK--- What does homelessness look like in Arvada? ---PAGE BREAK--- What does homelessness look like in Arvada? ---PAGE BREAK--- What does homelessness look like in Arvada ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Survey Results Homelessness 18.2% ---PAGE BREAK--- Community Survey Results Homelessness 67.4% ---PAGE BREAK--- Police Perspective: C.O.R.E ●Community ●Outreach ●Resource ●Enforcement ---PAGE BREAK--- Police Perspective: Police Contacts ---PAGE BREAK--- Police Perspective Triangle of Services ● Rising Church ● Severe Weather Shelter ● Library McIlvoy Park ---PAGE BREAK--- Police Perspective: Success Story ---PAGE BREAK--- Police Perspective: Outreach ● Relationships with Recovery Programs ○ The Other Side Academy ○ Advocates for Recovery ■ At One Small Step Hearings ○ Harvest Farm - Live in Facility in Northern Colorado ○ Fort Lyon - Lamar, CO ○ One Small Step ● Built Strong Relationship with Rising ---PAGE BREAK--- ● Jefferson County Adult Protective Services ● JCMH / co-responders ● Arvada Housing Authority ● CDOT ● RTD ● AURA ● BID ● Library ● Railroad ● Churches ○ New Apostolic / Rising / Bridge ● Environmental Hazmat Services ● City Prosecutor's Office ● City Parks Department ● City Street’s Department ● Other City Homeless Team Police Perspective: Partnerships ---PAGE BREAK--- Police Perspective: Enforcement ● 4P (Private Property Partnership Program) ● ~1100 Arrests / Tickets in the last 3 Years from CORE alone. ● One Small Step ● Jefferson County Jail has re-opened ---PAGE BREAK--- Police Perspective: Mental Health ● Co-Responders ● Lack of Available Short Term / Long Term Resources ---PAGE BREAK--- Police Perspective: Cost $371,053 Calls for service $343,073 CORE Sergeants / Officers $226,189 Co-responders $64,452 Camp clean ups $1,004,768 2020 Total ---PAGE BREAK--- Legal Perspective There are three main legal considerations applicable to managing issues arising out of homelessness: 1. Due Process: Cities may not seize property without giving the property owner due process. Depending on the situation, due process may be required both before and after the property is seized. 2. Clear, Narrowly Tailored Rules: When enacting laws, cities should carefully craft understandable rules, avoiding vague terms and concepts like “loitering.” It is best practice to draft laws that create a clearly defined solution directed at solving a specific problem. 3. Non-Discriminatory Enforcement: Cities should enact and enforce criminal ordinances without consideration of a person’s status as “homeless.” Criminal consequences should flow from specific illegal conduct, not status. Arvada has, and regularly enforces, local ordinances which take these considerations into account. ---PAGE BREAK--- Court Perspective: Number of Cases Filed 733 Total number of OSS cases filed in 2022 4,669 Total number of cases filed (adult cases including criminal, traffic, animal and code) in 2022 16% Percent of total cases filed including adult criminal, traffic, animal and code violations were OSS cases 1,030 Total number of criminal violation cases filed in 2022 71% Percent of the total criminal violations filed in 2022 were OSS cases ---PAGE BREAK--- Court Perspective: One Small Step Court Outcomes 3 Number of Def’s successfully completed OSS 3 Number of OSS Def’s currently in treatment program 15 Number of OSS Defendants who have received housing 157 Number of OSS Defendants who currently have warrants 345 Total number of OSS cases in warrant status (many defendants have multiple cases) ---PAGE BREAK--- Housing Authority Perspective ~$205,000 Total spent on motel vouchers in 2022 $1800 Average per room motel cost $264,250 Total rental subsidy paid for formerly homeless clients $990 Average housing voucher per unit cost 42 Number of unhoused moved into permanent housing by homeless navigator in 2022 ---PAGE BREAK--- Why do this? ● Homelessness is a nation-wide issue ● Locally, residents and businesses are calling for action to address the issue ● Negative economic impact ● Assist those who need help with transitioning to housing ● Staff burnout ● Safety of homeless navigators, co-responders, other team members ● Divisive issue ○ Shift from wanting to help and support to wanting homeless out of the community ---PAGE BREAK--- Current Services Being Provided ● Severe Weather Shelter Network ● Safe Parking ● Heading Home ● Faith-based community ● Jefferson County Human Services ● Jefferson County School District ● Jeffco Homeless Coalition ● Beyond Home ● Arvada Housing Authority ● Hope House ● Community Table ● Jeffco Action Center ● Police services/Co responders ● Foothills Regional Housing ● Area Hospitals ● Jefferson Center for Mental Health ● Jefferson County public libraries ● AFPD ---PAGE BREAK--- Partners ● Jeffco Homeless Coalition ● MDHI ● Heading Home ● Jeffco Schools ● City of Arvada Departments ● Arvada PD ● AFPD ● Severe Weather Shelter Network ● DRCOG ● USICH ● Family Tree ● Jefferson County Government ● Adams County Government ● Jefferson County cities (Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, Golden) ● DU Housing and Homeless ● Community Table ● Jefferson Center for mental health ● Area hospitals ● NGO service providers ● Arvada Housing Authority ---PAGE BREAK--- Successful Models Leads overall metro Denver homeless coordination ● Built for Zero ● Coordinated Entry ● PIT Survey ● HMIS MDHI Adams County Tri-Cities County coordinates services with the Adams County Cities and service providers to deliver services. Cooperate and collaborate together and align with Arapahoe County and service providers to deliver services. ● DU research ● PESTEL analysis (Political, economic social, technology, environmental, legal) ---PAGE BREAK--- What should the City’s role be? ● Advocate to establish strong governance of a regional coordinating body ● Help lead the effort to develop regional strategic plan ● Assist in executing the strategic plan ● Help manage, coordinate, and collaborate with service providers who have the expertise for overall execution of strategy. Wrap around services ● Develop and execute on communications plan to residents and businesses ● Be a catalyst for change ● Engage in lobbying efforts for funding efforts The City should not become the service provider ---PAGE BREAK--- Recommendations Immediate Action Steps Intermediate Action Plans Long-Term Strategy ---PAGE BREAK--- Immediate Actions ● Identify Emergency Sheltering ● Establish outreach team in coordination with our homeless navigators and co-responders ● Contract with providers for camp, encampment, and debris clean up ● Hire second homeless navigator (funded and currently vacant) ● Hire homeless coordinator position ● Transition homeless from Olde Town ● Identify appropriate location outside of Olde Town to provide homeless services ● Cities and service providers use HMIS ● CPTED analysis of most problematic areas Tier 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- Immediate Actions ● Create a strong county/city governance structure ● Build interjurisdictional coordination (Arvada, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, Golden, and Jefferson County) ● Formalize data collection ● Contract for homeless study ● Engage in PESTEL analysis (Political, economic, social, technology, environmental, legal) ● Join Adams County MOU ● Perform an internal analysis of policies and other management tools. Part of our policy, process, and code provisions Tier 2 ---PAGE BREAK--- Governance Structure Jeffco Regional Coordination Policy Board Regional Homeless Coordinator Cities City Staff Housing Authority Lived Experience Advisory Board Service Providers Single Adult Service Coordination Family Service Coordination ---PAGE BREAK--- Intermediate Actions ● Implement recommendations from study & PESTEL analysis ● Establish data collection and analysis strategy for data driven approach ● Establish performance measures ● Align Service providers ● Navigation Center development board ● Engage with Built for Zero ● Participation with school district efforts ● Develop effective communication plan ● Web page development for resources and how to navigate services/system ● Build a grant/funding pipeline ● Continue support of Community Table and Safe Parking Program ---PAGE BREAK--- Long-Term Strategy ● Implement regional navigation center ● Implement regional family navigation center ● Expand Housing options ● Evaluate hotel/motel transitional housing model ● Non-profits/NGOs operate all but emergency services ○ Develop prevention strategy for individuals and families ○ Develop workforce programs ● Create Park Ranger program ● Create transitional and affordable housing options ● Elected officials advocate for legislation and financing to assist with issue ---PAGE BREAK--- Navigation Center Model Street Outreach Services Referrals Navigation Center Diversion Transitional Housing Emergency Sheltering Supportive Services Employment Services Exit to Permanent Housing ---PAGE BREAK--- Family Navigation Center Model School Referrals Family Referrals Community Referrals Navigation Center Prevention Services Eviction Prevention Family Support Housing Opportunities ---PAGE BREAK--- Financial ● Most of the recommendations unfunded ● Competing financial resources (stop doing list) ● Multiple City/County coordinated effort will assist with grants and other funding sources ● Grant funding opportunities are available at the state level and soon with the federal government (will need matching resources at local level) ● Develop system for receiving financial assistance from private parties/businesses ---PAGE BREAK--- Council Decision ● Questions ● Council discussion ● Policy direction to city team ---PAGE BREAK--- Thanks!