HOMELESSNESS COMMITTEE UPDATES 2-10-21

Issues being addressed by the county:

Project Roomkey Extensions and Expansion with 100% Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Reimbursement (View Press Release)

Supervisors Hahn and Solis introduced a motion that directs the Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to report back to the Board in 15 days on opportunities for extending, renewing and/or expanding County contracted Project Roomkey sites, with the goal of housing our most vulnerable, including master leasing hotels and motels, and including those with fewer than 100 rooms, including potential funding sources; and instruct the County’s Legislative Advocates in Washington, D.C. to send a letter to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and the head of FEMA urging them to provide upfront the funds needed to extend and expand Project Roomkey or shorten the FEMA reimbursement timeframe.

This item was approved unanimously.

Creating Long Term, Cross Sector Coordination for a Sustainable and Just Food System (View Press Release)

Today’s motion is a follow-up to the Hahn-Kuehl motion from June 2020 that would establish a two-year LA County Food Equity Roundtable (Roundtable) in the Chief Sustainability Office that is funded by philanthropic dollars.  This Roundtable would represent a cross-sector and intergovernmental mix of stakeholders, co-led by the County and philanthropy, that would convene regularly to advance a mission broadly framed around the goals of promoting economic security, including, but not limited to, programs such as Cal Fresh and WIC, and building the capacity of food distribution programs and advancing food justice.  Over the course of the two years, the Roundtable will develop and implement a work plan and key initiatives, and would assess whether long-term continuation of the work would be beneficial. The vision would be to have a resilient, equitable, and sustainable food system through which every resident and family across LA County can access foods that optimize their health and well-being.

This item was approved unanimously.

Equitable Access to the COVID 19 Vaccine 

The Board of Supervisors introduced a motion that directs OEM and DPH to work with transit operators so they can provide transportation to vaccination sites. Supervisor Hahn has asked DPH to make sure they partner with Uber and other rideshare options to provide transportation to these sites.

This item was approved unanimously.

 

Burial Costs: Dignity for COVID 19 Victims and Support for their Families 

The Board of Supervisors introduced a motion that directs CEO to explore reimbursing residents for COVID-19 related burial costs through FEMA.

This item was approved unanimously.

 

Enhancing the Los Angeles County Rent Relief Program and Providing Flexibility to Tenants 

Supervisors Solis and Hahn introduced this motion that sets aside $110m of Coronavirus Funds to assist renters and property owners.  LACDA, the department, administers the program and will make modifications to the program.  Money will be available to renters when landlords refuse to submit documentation.

For more info, call 211 about the rent assistance program.

This item was approved unanimously.

 

Updating the County’s Eviction Moratorium to Extend and Clarify Tenant Protections 

The Board of Supervisors extended the moratorium until the end of February and updated tenant protections.

For more information for property owners and renters, please contact 833-223-RENT or rent.lacounty.gov or www.stayhousedla.org

This item was approved unanimously

 

Promoting Faith Community Involvement in the Countywide Movement to Prevent and Combat Homelessness 

The Board introduced this motion that seeks to employ a consultant that would be contracted to survey all the faith based organizations in the County. This survey would look at programs and services that the faith based organizations are already offering and how the county could come align its programs with what they are doing. Also the Board would receive recommendations towards the creation of a Faith Based Homeless Commission that would work with our partners to help our most vulnerable.

This item was approved unanimously.

 

CD15 Working Group on Homelessness

2/2/21 meeting notes, next meeting is March 2, 2021 at 7 pm.

CD15 Working Updates

  • Storage Facility: very successful
  • ABH Watts, 100 beds, 93& capacity during COVID
  • ABH San Pedro
  • ABH Wilmington
  • Project RoomKey
  • Project HomeKey:
  • Tiny Home Village:
  • Safe Parking San Pedro:
  • Safe Parking Harbor Gateway:
  • Safe Parking Watts:

Shari Weaver:

  • ABH San Pedro has faced significant challenges due to COVID transmission, forcing the site to go under quarantine multiple times since opening
    • Seven permanent placements since March, amidst the pandemic barriers
    • Site quarantine will be pulled on Monday, 2/8
    • Folks at both shelters who did not wish to quarantine for 14 days, are currently camping out on Gulch, Beacon, and Palos Verdes; this has led to the increase of tents and encampments
  • LA County vaccinations are working their way into the site sites.
    • Shelters are seeking to reach herd immunity to meet DPH standards and operate at full capacity
  • Recovery Rehousing; 65+, medically vulnerable
    • Will provide subsidies for up to 18 months (immediate temporary housing, and match them on the back end to guarantee long term housing plan)
  • Safe Parking
    • Will incorporate VOA and WLCAC into their partnership of service providers

Shannon Murray | Safe Parking

  • Safe Parking on Central Avenue
    • Housed four households in January
      • 74 yr. old woman who’s been in skid row for several years, total 15

Courtney Reed | Associate Director for SPA 8

  • Project HomeKey, Harbor Gateway
  • AJ Azara, housing director for PATH Ventures
    • Currently in permitting for all ADA improvements
    • Working with a general contractor to outline all of the renovations and expand the budget
    • Requesting additional funding for the aesthetics of the building
      • Deferred maintenance, roof leaks, ventilating the hallways, etc.
    • Construction and demolition scheduled to begin in two weeks
    • Expectant Open Date: Mid-April

Jennifer Leen | Director, Lease-Up, LA

  • LAHSA Put out an RFP in 2016 for all LeaseUp units acquired through this effort. The service provider is PATH.
  • LeaseUp is looking to acquire units and provide reliable rents for property owners
  • The goal is to match owners with empty apartments to homeless service agencies
  • Incentives available to property owners; holding fees to minimize loss while finding the applicant
  • $10K safety net- risk and management incentive
  • Vacancy loss funds in case match doesn’t work
  • Housing Specialist: assists applicants and property owners navigate through the process
  • Rent-ready tenants, case managers
  • Partner Toolkit: activities to engage large property managers, owners, etc., in an effort to end homelessness through housing resources.