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2022-019 Street Outreach in the Denton County Housing Crisis Response SystemDate: March 25, 2022 Report No. 2022-019 INFORMAL STAFF REPORT TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL SUBJECT: Street Outreach in the Denton County Housing Crisis Response System BACKGROUND: Staff drafted an ISR in October 2021 (ISR 2021-091) that provided information on current homeless response resources and plans for future expansion. The Denton County Housing Crisis Response System (HCRS) is a coordinated effort among homelessness service agencies to prevent homelessness and find permanent housing for people who are experiencing homelessness. DISCUSSION: The goal of Street Outreach in the Housing Crisis Response System (HCRS) is to expand outreach efforts to vulnerable populations and connect them to shelter and/or permanent housing. Achieving this goal requires that Street Outreach programs collaborate with service providers throughout the housing process and utilize multiple strategies to assist people with obtaining permanent housing. The following is an overview of Street Outreach services provided throughout the HCRS continuum: • Street Outreach: Outreach to encampments and other unsheltered location focuses on building rapport by meeting people where they are staying and using person-centered, trauma-informed relationship building techniques. Outreach to unsheltered locations provides individuals immediate referrals to emergency shelter or temporary housing and various other resources (e.g., critical documents, employment) necessary for obtaining housing. • Coordinated Entry (CE) and the Housing Priority List (HPL): Denton uses a uniform process to quickly identify, assess, refer, and connect people experiencing literal homelessness to housing assistance programs. Households that have completed the CE assessment are referred to housing programs that will best meet their needs and added to the HPL to ensure the most vulnerable households are prioritized for housing. Street Outreach completes on the spot CE assessments, with the consent of the household, at unsheltered locations. • Diversion: Diversion is a client-centered, strengths-based approach to finding alternative housing solutions, short term or long term, to prevent homelessness or quickly exit from homelessness. Street Outreach uses problem solving conversations to help identify immediate housing options through case management, mediation, or financial assistance. • Emergency Shelter and Temporary Housing: Emergency shelter and temporary housing provides same day access to shelter for people experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence. The goal is to provide temporary shelter while assisting with locating permanent housing. Currently the City provides $400,000 to Our Daily Bread annually Date: March 25, 2022 Report No. 2022-019 through the General Fund for an Enhanced Shelter program at the Monsignor King Outreach Center (MKOC). Additionally, the City currently funds a temporary Hotel Voucher Program through the American Rescue Plan providing noncongregate funding at a local hotel. The City is remodeling a building at 909 Loop 288 that will serve as a 24/7 day and night shelter for people experiencing homelessness. MKOC will move their operations to the Loop 288 building when it opens, which is estimated to be December 2022. Shelter providers collaborate with Street Outreach by reserving bed space for people living unsheltered. Street Outreach communicates directly with shelter staff when an individual experiencing unsheltered homeless chooses to go to shelter and provides transportation to the shelter, if needed. • Permanent Housing: The permanent housing programs for households experiencing literal homelessness in Denton include Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Supportive Housing, and Homelessness Prevention for households who are at risk of homelessness. The City administers $100,000 of grant funding annually through the General Fund for Rapid Rehousing (RRH). The Community Services Advisory Committee (CSAC) receives applications for RRH and makes recommendations to Council. Currently, Our Daily Bread is the recipient of the RRH funding for FY 2021/22. Street Outreach works with households experiencing literal homelessness and provides referrals to the appropriate program after completing the CE assessment, and ongoing case management is provided until households are connected to a housing program. STREET OUTREACH TEAMS Street Outreach services in Denton are provided through teams from the Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) and Giving Hope, Inc. (GHI) Street Outreach Program. The City administers an annual $64,600 grant for Street Outreach. The CSAC receives applications for Street Outreach and makes recommendations to Council. Giving Hope, Inc. is the current recipient of Street Outreach funding for FY 2021/22. GHI Street Outreach staff consist of one Coordinator, and HOT staff consist of two Officers and one Stability Case Worker, who was hired in January 2022 and is a Licensed Professional Counselor. GHI staff conduct outreach to known encampments, parking lots, abandoned buildings, and wooded areas three times per week, one day with HOT and two days on their own. In addition to weekly collaboration with GHI Street Outreach, HOT responds to reports of new encampments and other locations where people may be staying unsheltered. Animal Services periodically accompanies GHI and HOT staff to encampments to provide free vaccinations for animals living in encampments and other unsheltered locations. People who are living unsheltered experience mental health and substance use conditions at a higher rate than those who are sheltered. The HOT Stability Case Worker supports households throughout the housing process and after obtaining permanent housing with the goal to maintain housing and engagement in mental health and substance use services. GHI’s Street Outreach grant provides financial assistance for substance use and behavioral health fees associated with Intensive Outpatient Program, Supportive Outpatient Program, and residential treatment. Date: March 25, 2022 Report No. 2022-019 HB 1925 went into effect on September 1, 2021, and prohibits camping in municipally owned public space, with exceptions, unless permission to allow such camping is received by the state. Prior to HB 1925, the City’s internal Homeless Response Team implemented a collaborative process to identify, assess, outreach, and if necessary clean sites where people are living unsheltered. The following data are gathered and analyzed by multiple departments to determine if/when an encampment should be cleaned: • Location (map with surrounding properties and ownership, general identifying description) • Site Conditions (size of area, # of individuals, active/abandoned, written & photo docs, etc.) • Outreach (description if prior interaction, dates and # of outreach attempts) • Public Safety Data (# and types of PD and FD calls, safety hazards, etc.) • Public Health (volume & makeup of trash, debris, hazards, nuisances, contamination, etc.) • Resident Concerns (complaints, quality of life issues) Parks and Recreation coordinates cleanup of any sites on public property. Community Improvement Services (CIS) works with private property owners when sites are on private property to clean and clear sites. Prior to any encampment being cleared, HOT and GHI collaborate to connect with people occupying the encampments to refer them to shelter and housing, and written notice of the area being cleaned is posted no less than fifteen (15) days in advance. The length of time to complete this process varies when there is not a threat to public health or safety, so that adequate time is provided to refer the individuals living at the site to shelter and other resources. When sites are determined to be an immediate threat to public health and safety the process for cleaning and clearing the site happens as quickly as possible. HB 1925 did not have any major impacts to the City’s current process other than to expedite the timeline of cleaning encampments on public property in some instances. Staff drafted an ISR in January 2022 (ISR 2022-005) providing information on a new initiative through the Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team. The Drop Program provides an opportunity for individuals experiencing homelessness to have a citation dropped provided they complete specific, achievable goals related to obtaining housing stability. FUTURE EXPANSION OF STREET OUTREACH Future goals for expanding outreach include implementing the Community Health Paramedic position to HOT funded through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The Community Health Paramedic, who was hired in March 2022, will go with HOT to unsheltered locations to provide medical assessments, basic medical care, and connect individuals living unsheltered to additional medical resources as needed. The goal for the paramedic position is to address basic healthcare needs of individuals living unsheltered and reduce the number of emergency room visits. STAFF CONTACT: Megan Ball, Community Services REQUESTOR: (List Council Member Name/Board, Commission or Committee/Staff Initiated) Council Member Armintor Date: March 25, 2022 Report No. 2022-019 PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS: Community Services, Denton Police Department