Committee on Homelessness

Lodi Committee on Homelessness (LCOH) Meeting Minutes Meeting Date: Thursday, January 9, 2020 Meeting Time: 2:30 p.m. Meeting Location: Community Room (Lodi Police Department) Attendees: 26 (includes residents, city council member, committee members, and city staff/contract staff) Meeting Minutes: Called Meeting to Order: 2:30 p.m. Introductions Accept minutes of December 5th, 2019 Project Reports: a. HEAP Update: - Staff presenting preliminary findings at January 15th CC meeting – additional environmental review needed: sound analysis and soil samples needed to determine if can mitigate at both sites. - CEQA/NEPA – two levels of review; CEQA - How project impacts land around it; NEPA - What are conditions on property - At next meeting LCOH will report on results and recommendation from the council - End of February/beginning March will go to council b. San Joaquin CoC a. County-wide Regional Strategic Plan on Homelessness - outreach concluded. The plan draft should be ready around January 2020. Has short-term and long-term goals. Some items that may appear in plan: emergency long-term shelters recommending and improve section 8 vouchers. Section 8 Vouchers holders – there is a bad reputation however not always well-founded b. February 4th is next meeting and will have preliminary document reviewed. c. CoC will review governor’s budget for upcoming funding and preparing for notices of funding availability. d. Additional shelter beds in our communities appears to be common urgent need. e. Supportive housing will be more long-term and will require more funds. f. www.sanjoaquincoc.org – go to this website to gather more information g. Example City: Raised funds to guarantee that if landlord had maintenance issues, that they could draw from funds to cove costs from Section 8 Tenant repairs. Interestingly, they ended up not using it. There is stigma and fear around Section 8 tenants. h. City Police has started using HMIS to collect data c. Feed 500 a. Event to feed 500 people in the community; looking for nonprofits to determine eligibility and refer families; need places to store food; they already have funds for food; targeted to lower income; nonprofits will make recommendation for families to attend. Event is not targeted for homeless persons. Page 1 of 4  Lodi Committee on Homelessness (LCOH) Meeting Minutes b. March/April is estimated event date c. Looking for volunteers to serve food and for nonprofits to help with determining eligibility and providing referrals of families to the event. d. Low Barrier Shelter a. New Low Barrier Shelter Tour in Modesto/Stanislaus i. New shelter – full and has waiting list ii. Guidelines/rules: pets allowed with kennel, no drug testing, lockers to keep secured belongings, continental breakfast, set-aside beds for those with special needs; volunteers to work with animals that were not well socialized for the shelter; if didn’t use bed for 72 hours then go back to waiting list, can stay during the day at the shelter, each person has a case worker, behavioral health services are under construction across the street, veterans to get pets spayed/neutered/shots, to prevent bed bugs they would heat up personal belongings to reduce outbreak iii. Funded by City and County; operated by Salvation Army, not sure of liability / insurance b. Stockton shelter added 50 low barrier beds; Gospel Mission shelter added 50 beds no pets; however, only about 40% filled and one might be due to no pets allowed. c. Lodi Armory – looking into Other: di. Community Liaison Officer Report: - Officer P. (stand in for Officer Dan Schiele)– police receive steady number of calls, 70-80 per week, but overall seen a reduction in number of homeless over last few months - Cal Trans did a large clean-up recently - Focus areas: Zupo Field, overpass, and mainstreet - Working with mental health service providers and to coordinate finding housing dii. aStepUp.org a. Individuals from this group toured facilities and drafting a plan to create a new shelter; 6 months stay allowed per person. Potential 8,000 square foot building that could fit 150 beds; but still looking for property b. Uses philosophy of addressing the “pets, possessions, and partners” for individuals c. Looking for grant funds to help support on-going operations/maintenance; estimated$35 per person per day cost. d. Cleaning up encampments and will provide human services e. To reduce costs of clean-up by Cal Trans; and reduce costs to fire, emt, and police. f. Once graduated, look for programs to refer for next steps. g. Looking for funds from City/County and nonprofits. Members recommended going to County for operational, instead of City. City and County can do a joint agreement to fund programs. Personal individuals donations. Member recommended that grants are competitive and require experience, and they will have had no experience, so should partner with other nonprofits. diii. Salvation Army a. Recommends aim for 50 beds, Armory would be ideal. Talking to headquarters who is Page 2 of 4  Lodi Committee on Homelessness (LCOH) Meeting Minutes h. Grace and Mercy a. Golf Tournament April. Those interested in sponsoring or supporting, reach out to her. (Background: This program is a day-café for homeless, it also outsources food, supplies, materials to over 50 other ministries) i. Pastor Bill Cummins a. Lots of religious organizations in Lodi b. Homeless person moved into tent on the church property; the existing bathroom facilities at church used; church members rallied to give support, counseling, sober, job, last five years; moved back in with wife and just got a car, doing well. Only about 4 months that church housed in tent and helped. c. Second individuals – helped get his class a license back to be driver, helped him get his meds and therapy. Only about 4 months that church housed in tent and helped. d. If it took very little in expense for this church to help these two people – then other churches could do this as well. We could make an impact and for very little cost. Police to vet some people. e. Salvation Army helped with case management while Church covered cost of housing f. Churches coming together on east side – focus on recovery and homelessness. Two houses ready to open in Lodi. Coming up with resources to help. g. Member recommended that data on these individuals be entered into HMIS and that the CoC could provide training to church staff that are working with homeless. j. SB2 a. Permanent affordable housing funding – Lodi has allocation (and the County/Stockton) b. Discussed shared/partnered project for veterans housing project in Stockton; City provide funding this year, and county would return support the following year; or if Lodi supported funds for bed, then County would set-aside bed for Lodi resident. c. Committed to get back together to discuss more d. Add facilities to new tiny homes; every new home reduces overall cost (economy of scale) k. Gleeson Community Medical Center a. Outreach team attends Salvation Army Friday fair l. Adult and Teen Challenge a. Adding 13 beds for adult homeless by June 1st – low barrier shelter m. Showered with Love – will be at Gravity Church every Friday to provide showers for homeless n. Kingdom Community a. East-side movement by churches. First Sunday of every month at 5 p.m. at Horizon. o. County Social Security Office a. If know of anyone that has no benefits but are elderly or disabled, please refer to social security so they can receive benefits. b. Go to website www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount or 1-888-257-2641 (local Lodi Office) or 1-800-772-1213 (National) to access services. p. Salvation Army updates: a. Celebrate Recovery weekly started b. Looking for new case manager for homeless c. CPFF of SJ updates: Page 3 of 4  Lodi Committee on Homelessness (LCOH) Meeting Minutes i. Low-income tax assistance clinic beginning end of January q. LCOH a. Next LCOH meeting January 9th b. Information posted on website (LCOH has its own website now) including paper on shelters that succeed. www.lodi.gov/940/Homelessness c. Meeting agenda and minutes will be posted there. Page 4 of 4