AGENDA TITLE:
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Presentation on Current Initiatives and Future Opportunities to Address Homelessness in Lodi (CD)
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MEETING DATE:
October 7, 2024
PREPARED BY:
John Della Monica, Community Development Director
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RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive a presentation on current initiatives and future opportunities to address homelessness in Lodi.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of Lodi along with San Joaquin County, State of California, and the Country are experiencing a homelessness crisis. Recently the Point in Time (PIT) Count identified 262 unsheltered individuals and 154 sheltered, for a total of 416 individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Lodi. The PIT Count is a biannual survey of homeless individuals that takes place in the last week of January. The 2022 PIT Count showed 208 unsheltered individuals in Lodi.
Until recently, cities were limited in their options to respond to homelessness based on common interpretations of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit decisions in Martin v. City of Boise and Johnson v. City of Grants Pass. Under the guidance of those rulings, jurisdictions understood that enforcement of public camping laws required availability of alternatives such as shelter beds. Further, the decisions lacked clarity on whether there were reasonable restrictions municipalities could enforce. The lack of clarity exposed cities to lawsuits for taking certain enforcement activities. In June 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that cities can enforce laws that prohibit public camping and sleeping without violating the 8th Amendment.
Following the SCOTUS decision in July 2024, the Governor of California issued an executive order directing state agencies to act “with urgency” to remove homeless encampment from public spaces, “prioritizing those encampments that most threaten the life, health and safety of those in and around them.” The order encourages local agencies to do the same. Combined, the SCOTUS ruling and the executive order generated significant questions from local residents and businesses regarding how the City addresses homelessness in Lodi. Staff, along with state and local partners, researched the impact of these combined actions.
The special meeting will present information on how the City responds to homelessness and the potential for new activities based on the recent SCOTUS decision. The presentation will provide a broader perspective on the impact of homelessness and opportunities to partner for improved results. Prioritizing the needs of the community, the City gathered information and feedback over the last month through an online survey on homelessness. More than 1,200 responses were received from September 9 to September 30. The survey remains open and additional input from the community may be collected after the October 7 meeting. During the special meeting, City Staff will share the perspective of the Lodi community as reflected by the results of the survey to date.
Partners from CalCities and the California Department of Health Care Services will present information on current efforts to address homelessness statewide and potential funding opportunities that could relieve pressure on the City General Fund. Representatives from San Joaquin County Behavioral Health and SJ CARES will provide information on local efforts and opportunities for partnership. Representatives of local businesses and community organizations will share the information about the real impact of homelessness on their ability to operate in and reside in the community. City departments will share information about the resources and activities focused on responding to homelessness, and provide information about potential options to improve the City response to homelessness.
Implementation of potential options will be contingent on budget constraints and balancing the overall needs of the residents. For this reason, the City initiated the survey and invited the participation of local businesses and residents in the special meeting presentations. There will be an opportunity for public comment during the meeting to hear more from the community about the challenges associated homelessness crisis and the opportunities to improve how the City responds directly or through partnerships. As a special meeting, public comment will be limited to the specific topic of homelessness in Lodi.
Special Meeting materials, survey link, and the form to sign up for future information on Homelessness are available at the following link: <https://www.lodi.gov/1405/Homelessness-in-Lodi>.
Special Meeting Presentation Agenda:
• Introduction
• City of Lodi Community Survey on Homelessness Results
• State Agencies
o League of California Cities
o California Department of Health Care Services
• County Agencies
o San Joaquin County Behavioral Health
o SJ CARES
• Lodi Perspective:
o Business(s)
o Community Organization(s)
• Break (10 minutes)
• City of Lodi
o General: PIT Count Data and Expenditure Summary
o City Attorney’s Office
o Community Development Department
o Lodi Police Department
o Lodi Fire Department
o Public Works
o Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services
o Future Considerations
• Open for Public Comment
• Conclusion
SUMMARY OF CURRENT CITY OF LODI HOMELESSNESS STRATEGIES:
• Coordination with Lodi Committee on Homelessness established in 2014.
• Community Improvement, Police Department, and City Attorney’s office enforcement of code violations.
• Coordination of Emergency Response Services (Fire Department/Police Department).
• Public Works, Parks and Recreation, and Lodi Police Department encampment clean-ups.
o Contracted outreach team and County Services are notified to assist in providing resources.
o Community Improvement assists with private properties.
• Police Department Community Liaison Officer provides outreach and connects unsheltered individuals to resources and enforces code violations.
• Harmony Homes permanent Supportive Housing (4 units).
• Temporary Access Center and Emergency Shelter (49 overnight beds).
o Includes contracted Outreach Services and Neighborhood Clean-up.
• Safety Ambassador Patrols in designated area near Access Center.
• Development of permanent Access Center and Emergency Shelter (208 bed capacity - 106 initial and 102 flex bed space) with integrated Workforce Education Center.
• Construction of Transitional Housing Facility (40 units).
• Partnership with Housing Authority of San Joaquin on 110 units of Senior with Veteran preference affordable housing.
STRATEGIC VISION:
7H. Public Safety: Address strategic safety problem areas in the community.
8B. Public Well-Being: Partner with other entities to provide outreach, education and activities to engage diverse cultures and communities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
In Fiscal Year 2023-24, the City had nearly $8 million in direct homelessness costs. $4.25 million was for capital expenditures and the remainder of $3.7 million was for ongoing services. Over $1.8 million in expenditures came from the City General Fund or Parks or Library funds that are supported by the General Fund.
In the current Fiscal Year, 2024-25, the City had $694,791 in direct homelessness costs from July 1, through August 31, 2024. Of the total amount, $328,210 was capital expenditures and $366,181 was for operations. $291,954 in expenditures came from the City’s General Fund or Parks or Library funds that are supported by the General Fund for these activities.
The tables below display the City costs for FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25.
|
FY2023-2024 |
|
Departments |
General Fund & Supported Funds |
Utilities/Streets |
Grants/Community Development |
Total |
|
City Attorney (estimate) |
110,344 |
- |
- |
110,344 |
|
Community Development - Operations |
- |
- |
1,181,830 |
1,181,830 |
|
Community Development - CIP |
- |
- |
4,253,542 |
4,253,542 |
|
Police |
807,483 |
- |
- |
807,483 |
|
Fire |
388,870 |
- |
- |
388,870 |
|
Public Works |
- |
108,875 |
- |
108,875 |
|
Parks |
327,685 |
- |
- |
327,685 |
|
City wide services (Security & Biohazard Incentives) |
207,619 |
337,294 |
250,613 |
795,526 |
|
Total |
1,842,001 |
446,169 |
5,685,985 |
7,974,155 |
|
Operations Total |
1,842,001 |
446,169 |
1,432,443 |
3,720,613 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FY2024-2025 (July 1, 2024 through August 31, 2024) |
|
Departments |
General Fund & Supported Funds |
Utilities/Streets |
Grants/Community Development |
Total |
|
City Attorney |
31,780 |
- |
- |
31,780 |
|
Community Development - Operations |
- |
- |
46,122 |
46,122 |
|
Community Development - CIP |
- |
- |
328,210 |
328,210 |
|
Police |
129,055 |
- |
- |
129,055 |
|
Fire |
93,681 |
- |
- |
93,681 |
|
Public Works |
- |
18,506 |
- |
18,506 |
|
Parks |
16,220 |
- |
- |
16,220 |
|
City wide services (Security & Biohazard Incentives) |
21,218 |
9,599 |
- |
30,817 |
|
Total |
291,954 |
28,105 |
374,332 |
694,391 |
|
Operations Total |
291,954 |
28,105 |
46,122 |
366,181 |
FUNDING AVAILABLE:
Additional services discussed in the presentation are contingent on available resources and future budget appropriations. Continuation of current services levels is included in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 adopted budget.
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John Della Monica
Community Development Director
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Scott R. Carney
City Manager