HomeMy WebLinkAbout 01/24/23 HOUSING AND HOMELESS COMMITTEE SPECIAL MTG(03
BAKERSFIELD
THE SOUND OF!�� 13
Staff: Committee Members:
Christian Clegg, City Manager Vice -Mayor Andrae Gonzales - Chair
Anthony Valdez, Assistant to the City Manager Councilmember Ken Weir
Jennifer Byers, Assistant Economic Development Director Councilmember Eric Arias
Juan Heredia, Administrative Analyst III
Special Meeting of the
Housing and Homelessness Committee
of the City Council - City of Bakersfield
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
12:00 p.m.
City Hall North, First Floor, Conference Room A
1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield CA 93301
AGENDA
ROLL CALL
2. PUBLIC STATEMENTS
a. Agenda Item Public Statements
b. Non -Agenda Item Public Statements
3. ADOPTION OF THE NOVEMBER 22, 2022, AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
4. STAFF REPORT
a) Staff update on the City's efforts to address homelessness
5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Discussion Regarding an Overview of the Committee's Work in 2022
b. Discussion and Recommendation Regarding a Family Reunification Initiative
c. Discussion and Recommendation Regarding a Homeless Prevention Program
d. Approval of the 2023 Committee Calendar
6. COMMITTEE COMMENTS
7. ADJOURNMENT
V
BAKERSFIELD
THE SOUND OF5w11s1I 'tZ-{t/
Staff: Committee Members:
Christian Clegg, City Manager Vice -Mayor Ken Weir -Chair
Anthony Valdez, Assistant to the City Manager Councilmember Patty Gray
Juan Heredia, Administrative Analyst III Councilmember Eric Arias
Regular Meeting of the
Homelessness Ad Hoc Commlflee
of the City Council - City of Bakersfield
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
12:00 p.m.
City Hall North, First Floor, Conference Room A
1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield CA 93301
AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
Meeting called to order at 12:00 p.m.
1. ROLL CALL
Committee Members present: Councilmember Ken Weir, Chair
Councilmember Patty Gray
Committee Members absent: Councilmember Eric Arias
City Staff: Christian Clegg, City Manager
Anthony Valdez, Assistant to the City Manager
Juan Heredia, Administrative Analyst
Josh Rudnick, Deputy City Attorney
Nina Carter, Homeless Services Principal
John Frando, Bakersfield Fire Department Chief
Andrae Gonzales, Bakersfield City Councilmember
Paul Saldana, Economic Development Director
Jenny Buyers, Assistant Director ECD
Karen Can, Bakersfield City Mayor
Zachary Meyer, Assistant Public Works Director
Carla Reyes, Clerk Typist
Additional Attendees: Members of the Public
2. PUBLIC STATEMENTS
a. Agenda Item Public Statements
None.
b. Non -Agenda Item Public Statements
None.
3. ADOPTION OF THE SEPTEMBER 27, 2022, AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
Councilmember Gray motioned to approve the September 27, 2022 Agenda
Summary Report as submitted. Motion approved with Councilmember Arias
absent.
4. STAFF REPORT
a. Staff update on the City's efforts to address homelessness - Valdez
Assistant to the City Manager Anthony Valdez provided the committee with
an overview of past topics discussed and an update on city partnership
data.
The process for the point -in -time count was reviewed. The date is set for
January 25, 2023, from 3 a.m. to 10 a.m.
A report was given on the recent meeting with Governor Newsom and city
mayors regarding homelessness funding recently withheld by the Governor.
Mayor Goh advocated for the restoration of the funds by emphasizing the
City's progress in addressing homelessness to the Governor.
The Committee was informed on staff's efforts through participating on a
steering committee to develop a regional action plan that will have
quantifiable outcomes, be accessible to everyone, address the needs of
the homeless sub populations, identify needed programs and possible
funding resources. It's anticipated the plan should be ready in a few
months.
Report to Committee. No action taken.
5. NEW BUSINESS
a. Discussion of homeless sub populations.
Joyme Stuart, Kern County Network for Children, The Dream Center,
provided information about the types of challenges facing youth (ages 18-
24) who are at risk of becoming homeless, as well as a summary on the
types of resources and services available for youth at the Dream Center.
Meeting of the Homelessness Ad Hoc Committee of the City Council - City of Bakersfield
Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 12:00 p.m. - Page 2
Lauren Skidmore CEO, Open Door Network, explained that her organization
serves individuals and families who are fleeing intimate partner violence,
sexual assault, child abuse, or human trafficking, and that they work closely
with Department of Human Services (DHS) and Bakersfield Police
Department (BPD). She summarized the various programs that are available
and noted the programs are aimed at preventing homelessness by keeping
families from becoming homeless. The shelters operated by the Open Door
Network are the first shelters to offer childcare. Construction on a new
shelter of approximately 380 beds for families will break ground next week.
Jeremy Oliver, Kern County Interim Director of Aging and Adult Services
spoke on the Home Safe Program which is funded by a grant from
California Department of Social Services to Adult Protective Services
programs to address adults who are homeless or at imminent risk of
homelessness due to abuse or neglect. He described the challenges in
finding acceptable housing if an individual has additional needs and the
reason some refuse to accept services even when needed.
Stacy Kuwahara, Behavioral Health Recovery Services spoke on the reasons
homelessness occurs and the types of services that are needed/offered
and the available resources. She explained the different types of housing
that are needed and the difficulties that come with each. Housing needs
must be available to everyone no matter the needs.
There was discussion on how to eliminate the red tape and state mandates
for housing as well as the different types of housing needed and the
obstacles that must be navigated to get it started.
Discussion only item. No action taken.
6. COMMITTEE COMMENTS
Councilmember Gray expressed her appreciation to the committee for their
commitment on fixing the homelessness "crisis". She said that the committee
needs to be better at letting the public know about what is being done to address
this issue.
Chair Weir agreed that Bakersfield residents need to be kept informed of the
efforts being made to address homelessness.
Meeting of the Homelessness Ad Hoc Committee of the City Council - City of Bakersfield
Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 12:00 p.m. - Page 3
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 1:40 p.m.
KEN WEIR, CHAIR
HOMELESSNESS AD HOC COMMITTEE
ATTEST:
JULIE DRIMAKIS, MMC
CITY CLERK and Ex Officio Clerk of
The Council of the City of Bakersfield
Meeting of the Homelessness Ad Hoc Committee of the City Council - City of Bakersfield
Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 12:00 p.m. - Page 4
(03
BAKERSFIELD
THE SOUND Ol f
Bakersfield City Council Housing & Homelessness Committee
//\\ Monthly Report: December 2022
FO (mod The City of Bakersfield contracts with Flood Ministries for street outreach
nuniswm services to unsheltered individuals.
1i
DeAveracember Report
Weekly
•
with homeless individuals in the field
City's Brundage Lane Navigation Center (BLNC) turn-aways due to lack of
dorm or et capacity includes field contacts, walk-in, and call -ins
Male
t24
Male with et
Female
Female with et
Cou le # of individuals
Couple with pet # of individuals
4
Male
0
Female
1
Cou le # of ind vidualsl
2
Monthly
Service Resistance
Total
Shelter referrals received for an individual from the following sources:
119
Executive Referrals & Elected Officials
City and County Staff
Email & Social Media
City and County Code Compliance
City and County Joint Evaluation Teams
Bakersfield Police Department & Kern County Sheriff's Office
County Park Rangers
Flood Ministries Front Desk
Flood Community Referral Line
Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services HAT, ROEM, etc.
Referred individuals who refused shelter
69
Percentage of individuals refusing service
58%
Page 1 of 2
City of Bakersfield contracts with
Mercy House to operate all
.MERCYThe
aspects of the City's Brundage Lane Navigation
Center (BLNC).
HOUSE
December
Report Weekly Maximum
Of Capacity
Average Capacity
Filled Weekly
Male
74
76i 97%
Female
51
54 95%
Couple
I# of individuals)
20
20 100%
' BLNC's maximum capacity is 150 beds. Each night four (4) beds are held open for the Bakersfield Police
Department to utilize which brings the functional capacity to 146.
The City of Bakersfield contracts with the Open Door Network for a
jobs program serving multiple City functions, including but not limited
to downtown ambassadors, green solid waste, high -way clean-up,
animal shelter, and sump cleaning. The new City -funded Open Door
nwragmtobe Network Jobs Center building was completed in December.
DecemberDecember
Report
Total2s Capacity
New Hired Em to ees
Current Employees
122 — 94 120%
Male
74 — -- —
Female
39 — -- —
Program Participants Placed in Permanent
3 24 -- -
Jobs
Page 2 of 2
V
BAKERSFIELD
THE SOUND 01`500 WVj 1390
MEMORANDUM
DATE: January 18, 2023
TO: Housing and Homeless Committee - Bakersfield City Council
FROM: Anthony Valdez, Assistant to the City Manager
Nina Carter, Homeless Services Principal
SUBJECT: New Projects: Family Reunification Initiative and Homeless Prevention - Rental
Assistance
Investments in Homeless Services
The City of Bakersfield's Homeless Services Unit works in close coordination with the County of Kern and
the Bakersfield -Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative (BKRHC) to assess and plan for community needs
related to homelessness and its impact on daily life. Thanks to the passage of the Public Safety & Vital
Services Measure (PSVS) - also known as Measure N - and substantial state and federal investments to
end the nation's current homelessness epidemic, the Bakersfield City Council has made significant
investments to transform the region's homeless services landscape.
While there is much more work to be done, overthe past few years the City of Bakersfield has aimed for
excellence and stewardship in funding over 500 new shelter beds, expanded Code Enforcement Rapid
Response Teams, additional Police Department Impact Teams, a new Park Ranger Program, a
restructuring of the Bakersfield -Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative, a doubling down on affordable
housing through the Economic and Community Development Department, and the creation of a new
restructured homeless team in the City Managers office. Bakersfield continues to push hard in
Sacramento for solutions to the root causes of our state's mental health, substance abuse and housing
crisis. These investments reflect a number of City Council goals including economic opportunity for all,
improved community character & quality of life, safety and resilience, and innovative and efficient city
government.
Family Reunification Initiative
The City of Bakersfield wishes to fund a dedicated street outreach and diversion team that will focus solely
on identifying individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of
experiencing homelessness, and reconnecting them with family, friends, or other personal support
networks by means of supportive services. The team would meet vulnerable populations where they are
in a way that is suitable to the target population of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
This includes expanding the outreach effort to include individuals who are discharged from medical and
correctional facilities into homelessness, or who are at risk of experiencing homelessness. The team
would be responsible for building relationships and communication with the various institutions that
discharge individuals.
The team will work with service partners throughout the City of Bakersfield to identify those at risk or
experiencing homelessness, engage the individuals and their families to offer supportive housing services,
assess the individual's needs and housing options, refer individuals into services and benefits, relocate
individuals through a warm hand-off to supportive networks, and follow up with the individuals to ensure
they remain In permanent housing.
In Calendar year 2022, the City of Bakersfield awarded funding to Flood Ministries for a small family
reunification pilot program that resulted in 19 individuals being reunified with their safety net. In Fiscal
Year 2022, housing navigators at the City's Brundage Lane Navigation Center reunified 11 guests with their
families. Staff believe that a city-wide team dedicated solely to family reunification can have continued
results in returning individuals to permanent housing.
The City estimates the cost of funding the program to a non-profit service provider including one (1) team
staffed with four (4) full-time equivalent (FTE) employees to be $300,000. This estimate includes
operations, program costs and transportation for a one-year term. Funding would come from the Public
Safety and Vital Services Fund.
Homeless Prevention — Rental Assistance
In August of 2022, the Federal Government established a process to reallocate unspent CARES
Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG-CV) intended to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the
impacts of COVID-19. These funds were reallocated to localities that could demonstrate a continued
and consistent capacity for coronavirus response efforts within the homeless service community.
Through this process the City of Bakersfield was granted $717,269.48 in reallocated CARES Emergency
Solutions Grant. The City received these funds in late 2022 and must expended FSG-CV funds by June 30,
2024.
Reallocated FSG-CV funds can be used for all eligible activities under the Emergency Solutions Grant
including: Street Outreach, Rapid Re -Housing Assistance, Emergency Shelter Operations, Homeless
Management Information System, Homeless Prevention, and Administration. Additional eligible
activities added through the CARES Act include: temporary emergency shelters, infectious disease
training, hazard pay, hand washing stations, portable bathrooms, landlord incentives, volunteer
Incentives, temporary cell phones, personal protective equipment, furniture and household furnishings
for homelessness prevention and rapid re -housing participants, coordinated entry system
enhancements, renters insurance, vaccine incentives, and sponsor -based rental assistance.
During the course of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA), the City of Bakersfield (in
partnership with the Housing Authority of the County of Kern) assisted over 6,000 families from
becoming homeless. However, the completion of the ERA Program in December 2022 has shown that
there remains a need for rental assistance as a result of the economic impacts posed by the Covid
pandemic. One way of addressing this need would be to use reallocated ESG-CV funds toward Homeless
Prevention -Rental Assistance. City staff estimates that by allocating the ESG-CV funds toward Homeless
Prevention approximately 100 families can be prevented from becoming homeless.
Homeless Prevention dollars differ from Emergency Rental Assistance funds as they focus on those most
vulnerable to becoming homeless. This includes households with an annual income that does not exceed
HUD's Very Low -Income Limit for the area. For reference, the Metro -Bakersfield 2022 limit for a family
of is $38,950. Eligible expenses under Homeless Prevention include housing relocation and
stabilization services and short -and/or medium -term rental assistance as necessary to prevent the
individual or family from moving to an emergency shelter or a place not meant for human habitation.
City staff recommends using $717,269 in ESG-CV Reallocated funds toward Homeless Prevention and
Administration.
Before use, City staff must take additional steps to access ESG-CV Reallocated funds including amending
the City's 2019 HUD Consolidated Plan. Staff is currently working on this amendment and anticipates the
release of an RFP for a Homeless Prevention Operator in late February 2023.
Staff recommends Committee recommendation that Council take up the two items above, Family Re-
unification Initiative, and ESG-CV Homeless Prevention at an upcoming City Council Meeting. Both items
add to the continued investments in Homeless Prevention within the City of Bakersfield.
Housing and Homelessness Committee Calendar
January 2023 Through December 2023
All meetings will be held at City Hall North, First Floor, Conference Room A
Ac oled'.
Homeless Ad Hoc Meetings L_jClty Council Meetings
12:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m. Closed Session 5.15 p.m. Public Session
Budget Hearing: 06/ Id, Budget Adoption: 6/26
F—Illudget Departmental Workshop Holidays - City Hall Closed
12:00 p.m.
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RECEIVED AND PLACED ON FILE AT 1/24/2023
COUNCIL MEETING OF
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BY: jWTHD,VY VALhE}
003
BAKERSFIELD
i SOUND OFp1$tMrff.�*
Bakersfield City Council
Housing and Homelessness Committee
January 23, 2023
By the Numbers — Flood Ministries Street Outreach
'Fhd the City of Bakersfield contracts with Flood Ministries for street outreach
wnlM s services to unshelfered Individuals.
1i
Contacts with homeless individuals in the field
11e
City's Brundage Lane Navigation Center LBLNCI Wrn-sways due io bck of
dorm w net co,oaciry ind.dDs field oontach, walk-in, and call -ins
74
BLNC turn aWays due to lack of Donn ca acit
22
Male
JS
Male with pot
2
emae
24
Female with pet
2
Couple N of individuals
1
Cou le with pet I#of indivagh
4
BLNC tun-awa due to lack of 1 ca c'
3
Male
a
Female
i
Couple F# of individuals
2
1/24/2023
By the Numbers - Flood Ministries Street Outreach
Some. Resistance
Shelter referrals received for an individual from the following sources:
Monthly
Total
119
Executive Referrals & Elected Officials
City and County Staff
Email & Social Media
City and County Code Compliance
City and County Joint Evaluation Teams
Bakersfield Police Department & Kern County Sheriff's Office
County Park Rangers
Flood Ministries Front Desk
Flood Community Referral Line
Kem Behavioral Health and Recovery Services HAT, ROEM, etc.
Referred indivitluals who refused shelter
69
Percents a of individuals refusing service
58%
By the Numbers - Mercy House/Brundage Lane
Navigation Center
City of Bakersfield contracts with Mercy House to operate all
.MERCYThe
aspects of the City's Brundage Lane Navigation Center (BLNC).
HOUSE
December
Filled Weekly
Average Capacity
s lnmtl Lana lillavinallon Center bads Mod 145 150• 97%
Maleli 74 1 76 1 97%
Female
51
54 i95%
Couple # of individuals
20
20 100%
- BLNC'e maximum capacity k 150 hells. Each night four 14) beds are held open for the 9akersf eld Police
Department to ufifil which brings the functional capacity to 146.
1/24/2023
By the Numbers — Open Door Network Jobs Program
The City of Bakersfield contracts with the Open Door Network for a
jobs program serving multiple City functions, including but not limited
to downtown ambassador, green solid waste, high -way clean-up,
animal shelter, and sump cleaning. The new City -funded Open Door
,.mogire'o Network Jobs Center building was completed in December.
Decemb
s s Capacity
•2•
NewlybeHired Em es 103 - -
CuaentEmployees 122 - 94 120%
Male 74 - -
Female 39 - - -
Program Participants Placed in Permanent 3 24 -- --
Jobs
Questions on Contractor Data?
BAKERSFIELD
THE SOUND OF fjeWlP 1q Fe
1/24/2023
Homelessness Ad -Hoc Committee
January - Review of City's homeless investments
February -Mental Health and Substance Abuse
March - Mental Health and Substance Abuse
April - Law Enforcement
May - Kern Medical Partnerships/Shopping Carts
June - Regional Homeless Action Plan
July - Tour expansion of Brundage Lane Navigation Center
August - Tour Open Door Network Jobs Program
September - Affordable Housing Investments and Plan
October - Presentation to Council
November - Homeless Sub -Populations
Key 2022 Homelessness Ad -Hoc Committee Accomplishments
• Accountability— Review of City's homeless programs and
monthly review of performance metrics
• Communication — New Homelessness Hub website
• Collaboration - First of their kind high-level discussions
• Strategic Planning - Start of regional strategic action plan
• Policy Development — Shopping Cart Ordinance
1/24/2023
0
Accountability
• Point -In -Time Count
• General Fund Expenditures
• City of Bakersfield Initiatives
• Quality of Life
• Homeless Prevention
• Homeless Services
• Affordable Housing
Further Discussion
Performance Metrics
Communication
10
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Homelessness 3.0 — Addressing Quality of Life
Homeless 1.0-2018-20
Homeless 2.0-2020.22
Hmeless3.0
Code Enforcement
Encampment Rapid Response
Teams
Addition of dedicated Kern River
parkway team.
Ensure all
residents can
enjoy public
spaces
Coordination of efforts by
City teams and partner
agencies through new
Olean Mes Infill teams for
litter. debris and illegal dumping.
Addition of dedicated Kern River
Parlmay team and expanded
capacity
Downtown efo-ha lard clean-up
teams to remove human waste.
Expansion of service area.
lead position In Cry
Manager's Office to
ensure eliklent
deploymeM W maximum
Ensuredbusinesses
Department
Re -Instate Police Teams.
Impact Teams.
Expansion of BPD Impact Teams.
mpact.
and businesses
feel safe
Downtown private security
panel services.
Expansion of service area.
14
1/24/2023
Homelessness 3.0 — Preventing Homelessness
Homeless 1.0 — 2018-20
Homeless 2.0 — 2020-22
Homeless 3.0
Administered $3Ao0ADo in
Assist residents at
federal and state grants for rapid
immediate risk of
rehousing efforts to keep people
homelessness
off the streets.
Administered $45.000,000 In
Assist residents in
federal rental assistance
need of rental
programs assisting over 1000
assistance due
families through a partnership
Allocate $700,000 in
to COVID-19
with the Housing Authority of the
federal funds to continue
County of Kern.
rental assistance for those
Open Door Networkjabs
impacted by COVID-19.
Provide job
program serving the City of
oppoduni0es for
Bakersfield's Animal Care
Individuals
Facility, Green -waste facility.
Freeway Litter Removal
facing
Program. Downtown Street
homelessness
Ambassadors and Clean Cities
Initiative.
15
Homelessness 3.0 — Providing Homeless Services
Move Individuals
into sh~ with
wrap around
services
Improve
oversight.
w
16
1/24/2023
Homelessness 3.0 — Developing Affordable Housing
Homeless 1.0-2018-20
Homeless 2.0-2020-22
Homeless 3.0
Housing and Neighborhood
Vffality Principal Planner at
Facilitate the
Economic and Community
development
Development
of affordable
Awarded s3,005,000 from
Awarded $2,126,813 from
state for
housing
Affordable Housing Trust Fund
state for Affordable Housing
Affordable Housing Trust
Trust Fund
Fund
Annual PSVS investment of
Annual PSVS investment of
$5.000,000 for gap funding.
Annual PSVS investment of
Fun
development
pm
$5,000,000 for gap funding.
Dedicated $75.000,OOOIn
$5,000,OOO for gap funding.
of affordable
103 City sponsored units
Federal ARPA Funds.
540 City sponsored units In
N P
housing
come online
219 City sponsored units
the development pipeline
come online
17
Homelessness 3.0 — Promoting Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Services
Homeless I 00-2018-20
Homeless 2.0-2020-22
Homeless 3.0
Kern BHRS group therapies at
Kern BHR5 added therapist to
Promote wrap
BLNC and referrals to
BLNC in December 2021.
around
Homeless Action Team.
HHAP 3 Wnding for Kern Medical
services at
local major
Pilot for dedicated psychiatrist
shelters
and one therapist in each
sheffer.
City advocates for CARE Court
serving individuals cycling in and
CARE Court
out of system with psychotic
implementation.
Improved
disorders.
access to
City sponsors planning for Kern
mental health
Mediml psychiatric emergency
and substance
department and in -patient
abuse services
substance abuse treatment
for Individuals
facility
Council direction an
in crisis
HHAP 3 Funding for Permanent
HHAP 4 Funding for
supportive Housing
large scale sober
development.
INIno facility.
18
1/24/2023
(03
BAKERSFIELD
1.sa DOF 15
Bakersfield City Council
Housing and Homelessness Committee
January 23, 2023
19
10
n
RECEIVED AND PLACED ON FILE AT
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The Obvious Answer to Homelessness
And why everyone's ignoring it
Danielle Del Plato
UVdatedat 2529.m. ET on December 22 2022.
When someone becomes homeless, the instinct is to ask what
tragedy befell them. What bad choices did they make with drugs or
alcohol? What prevented them from getting a higher -paying job? Why
did they have more children than they could afford? Why didn't they
make rent? Identifying personal failures or specific tragedies helps
those of us who have homes feel less precarious —if homelessness is
about personal failure, it's easier to dismiss as something that
couldn't happen to us, and harsh treatment is easier to rationalize
toward those who experience it.
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But when you zoom out, determining individualized explanations for
Americas homelessness crisis gets murky. Sure, individual choices
play a role, but why are there so many more homeless people in
California than Texas? Why are rates of homelessness so much
higher in New York than West Virgar ia+To explain the interplay
between structural and individual causes of homelessness, some who
studythis issue use the analogy of chldren phi ngrr calchairs. As
the game begins, the first kid to become chairless has a sprained
ankle. The next few kids are too anxious to play the game effectively.
The next few are smaller than the big kids. At the end, a fast, large,
confident child site grinning in the last available seat.
You can say that disability or lack of physical strength caused the
individual kids to end up chairless. But in this scenario, chairlessiress
Itself is an inevitability: The only reason anyone is without a chair is
because there aren't enough of them.
Now let's apply the analogy to homelessness. Yes, examining who
specifically becomes homeless can tell important stories of individual
vulnerability created by disability or poverty, domestic violence or
divorce. Yet when we have a dire shortage of affordable housing, its
all but guaranteed that a certain number of people will become
homeless- In musical chairs, enforced scarcity Is self-evident In real
life, housing scarcity is more difficult to observe —but its the
underlying cause of homelessness.
In their book, Homelessness Is a Housbg pi l m the University of
Washington professor Gregg Coburn and the data scientist Clayton
Page Aldern demonstrate that "the homelessness crisis in coastal
cities cannot be explained by disproportionate levels of drug use,
mental illness, or poverty" Rather, the most relevant factors in the
homelessness crisis are rent prices and vacancy rates.
Coburn and Aldern note that some urban areas with very high rates of
poverty (Detroit, Miami -Dade County, Philadelphia) have among the
lowesthomelessness rates in the country, and some places with
relatively low poverty rates (Santa Clara County, San Francisco,
Boston) have relatively high rates of homelessness. The same pattern
holds for unemployment rates. "Homelessness is abundant;'the
authors write, "only In areas with robust labor markets and low rates
of unemployment —booming coastal cities"
Why is this so? Because these "uperstar c t es," as economists call
them, draw an abundance of knowledge workers. These highly paid
workers require various services, which In turn create demand for an
array of additional workers, including taxi drivers, lawyers and
paralegals, doctors and nurses, and day-care staffers. These workers
fuel an economic -growth machine —and they all need homes to live in.
In a well -functioning market, rising demand for something just means
that suppliers will make more of it. But housing markets have been
broken by a policy agenda that seeks to reap the gams of a thriving
regional economy while failing to build the infrastructure —housing —
necessary to support the people who make that economy go. The
results of these policies are rising housing prices and rents, and
skyrocketing homelessness.
It's not surprising that people wrongly believe the fundamental causes
of the homelessness crisis are mental -health problems and drug
addiction. Our most memorable encounters with homeless people
tend to be with those for whom mental -health issues or drug abuse
are evident, you may not notice the family crashing in a motel, but you
will remember someone experiencing a mental -health crisis on the
subway
I want to be precise here. It is true that many people who become
homeless are mentally ill. It Is also true that becoming homeless
exposes people to a range of traumatic experiences, which can create
new problems that housing alone may not be able to solve. But the
claim that drug abuse and mental illness are the fundamental causes
of homelessness falls apart upon investigation. If mental -health
issues or drug abuse were major drivers of homelessness, then
places with higher rates of these problems would see higher rates of
homelessness. They don't. Utah, Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, West
Virginia, Vermont, Delaware, and Wisconsin have some of the highest
rates of mental illness in the country, but relatively modest
homelessness levels. What prevents at -risk people in these states
from falling into homelessness at high rates is simple. They have
more affordable -housing options.
With similar reasoning, we can reject the idea that climate explains
varying rates of homelessness. If warm weather attracted homeless
people in large numbers, Seattle; Portland, Oregon, New York City, and
Boston would not have such high rates of homelessness and cities in
southern states like Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi such
low ones. (There is a connection between unsheltered homelessness
and temperature, but it's not clear which way the causal arrow goes'.
The East Coast and the Midwest have a lot more shelter capacity than
the West Coast, which keeps homeless people more out of view.I
America has had populations of mentally ill, drug -addicted, poor, and
unemployed people for the whole of its history, and Los Angeles has
always been warmer than Duluth —and yet the homelessness crisis we
see in American cities today dates only -up Ihg 1980s. What changed
that caused homelessness to explode then' Again, it's simplelack of
housing. The places people needed to move for good lobs stopped
building the housing necessary to accommodate economic growth.
Homelessness is best understood as a "flow' problem, not a'stock'
problem. Not that many Americans are chronically homeless —the
problem, rather, is the millions of people who are precariously situated
on the cliff of financial stability, people for whom a divorce, a lost lob,
a fight with a roommate, or a medical event can result In
homelessness. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services
Authority, rcogIn k' 707 pevpllget rehoused daily cryss the County —
but 227 get pushed into homelessness. The crisis is driven by a
constant flow of people losing their housing.
The homelessness crisis is most acute in places with very low
vacancy rates, and where even "low income' housing is still very
expensive. A study led by an economist at Zillow shows that when a
growing number of people are forced to spend 30 percent or more of
their income on rent, homelessness spikes.
Academics who study homelessness know this. So do policy wonks
and advocacy groups. So do many elected officials. And polling
shows that the general public recognizes that housing affordability
plays a role in homelessness. Vet politicians and policy makers have
generally failed to address the root cause of the crisis.
Few Republican -dominated states have had to deal with severe
homelessness crises, mainly because superstar cities are
concentrated in Democratic states. Some blame profligate welfare
programs for blue -city homelessness, claiming that people are
moving from other states to take advantage of coastal largesse. But
the available evidence points in the opposite direction —in 2022, lust 4
percent of homeless people in San Francisco reported having become
homeless outside of California. Gregg Colburn and Clayton All
found essentially no relationship between places with more generous
welfare programs and rates of homelessness. And abundant other
research Indicates that social -welfare programs reduce
homelessness. Consider, too, that some people move to superstar
cities in search of gainful employment and then find themselves
unable to keep up with the cost of living —not a phenomenon that can
be blamed on welfare policies.
But liberalism is largely to blame for the homelessness crisis'. A
contradiction at the core of liberal ideology has precluded Democratic
politicians, who run most of the cities where homelessness is most
acute, from addressing the Issue. Liberals have stated preferences
that housing should be affordable, particularly for marginalized
groups that have historically been shunted to the peripheries of the
housing market. But local politicians seeking to protect the interests
of a cumbent homeowners &p d d 1,t gulaiions. lullsand
reins thathas �g the developrnemm of new houssrl
pt rr simple.
This contradiction drives the ever more visible crisis. As the h cr,11 e
J rob Anb nder has ezplai�ed in the 70s and'BOs conservationists,
architectural preservationists, homeowner groups, and left-wing
organizations formed a loose coalition in opposition to development.
Throughout this period, Absurder writes, "the implementation of
height limits, density restrictions, design review boards, mandatory
community input, and other veto points in the development process"
made it much harder to build housing. This coalition —whose central
purpose is opposition to neighborhood change and the protection of
home values —now dominates politics in high growth areas across the
country, and has made it easy for even small groups of objectors to
prevent housing from being built The results Trip C.S. Is now Tiurs
o,±omes snort of what its populat on needs.
Los Angeles perfectly demonstrates the competing impulses within
the left. In 2016, voters approved a $1.2 billion bond measure to
subsidize the development of housing for homeless and of -risk
residents over a span of 10 years. But during the first five years,
roughly 10 percent of the housing units the program was meant to
create were actually produced. In addition to financing problems, the
biggest roadblock was small groups of objectors who didn't want
affordable housing in their communities.
Los Angeles isn't alone. The Bay Area is notorious in this regard In
the spring of 2020, the billionaire venture capitalist Marc Andreessen
c ubtshed an essay 1t's Time to Build;' that excoriated policy makers'
deference to "the old, the entrenched" Vet it turned out that
Andreessen and his wife had go ous opposed the building of a
small number of multifamily units In the wealthy Bay Area town of
Atherton, where they live.
The small-c conservative belief that people who already live in a
community should have veto power over changes to It has wormed its
,,ynntp liberal ideology This pervasive localism is the key to
understanding why officials who seem genuinely shaken by the
homelessness crisis too rarely take serious action to address it.
The worst harms of the homelessness crisis fall on the people who
find themselves without housing. But It's not their suffering that risks
becoming a major political problem for liberal politicians in blue
areas. If you trawl through Facebook comments, Nextdoor posts. and
tweets, or just talk with people who live in cities with large
unsheltered populations, you see that homelessness tends to be
viewed as a problem of disorder, of public safety, of quality of life. And
voters are losing patience with their Democratic elected officials over
In a <021 poll conducted In Los Angeles County, 94 percent of
respondents said homelessness was a serious or very serious
problem. (To put that near unanimity into perspective, just 75 percent
said the same about traffic congestion —in Los Angeles') When asked
to rate, on a scale of 1 to 10, how unsafe' having homeless individuals
in your neighborhood makes you feel;' 37 percent of people
responded with a rating of 8 or higher, and another 19 percent gave a
rating of 6 or 7.InSeattle, Zparcew of res pordents to a ecent_Poll
said they wouldn't feel safe visiting downtown Seattle at night, and 91
percent said that downtown won't recover until homelessness and
public safety are acaressed. There are a lot of polls like this.
As the situation has deteriorated, particularly in areas where
homelessness overruns public parks or public transit, policy makers'
failure to respond to the crisis has transformed what could have been
an opportunity for reducing homelessness into yet another cycle of
support for criminalizing It. In Austin, Texas, 57 percent of voters
backed reinstalling Curuffal penalties for homeless encampments, in
the District of Columbia, 75 percent of respondents to a Washington
Post p4L said they supported shutting down "homeless tent
encampments' even without firm assurances that those displaced
would have somewhere to go. Poll data from Pp_7t�di, Seattle and
Los Angeles among other places, reveal similarly punitive sentiments.
This voter exasperation spells trouble for politicians who take
reducing homelessness seriously. Voters will tolerate disorder for only
so long before they become amenable to reactionary candidates and
measures, even in very progressive areas. In places with large
unsheltered populations, numerous candidates have materialized to
run against mainstream Democrats on platforms of solving the
homelessness crisis and restoring public order.
By and large, the candidates challenging the failed Democratic
governance of high -homelessness regions are not proposing policies
that would substantially increase the production of affordable
housing or provide rental assistance to those at the bottom end of the
market. Instead, these candidates —both Republicans and law -and -
order -focused Democrats —are concentrating on draconian treatment
of people experiencing homelessness. Even in Oakland, California, a
famously progressive city, one of the 2022 candidates for mayor
premised his campaign entirely on "reading homeless
encampments and returning order to the streets —and managed to
finish third in a large field.
During the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral race, neither the traditional
Democratic candidate, Karen Bass, who won, nor her opponent, Rick
Caruso, were willing to challenge the antidemocratic processes that
have allowed small groups of people to block desperately needed
housing. Caruso campaigned in part on empowering homeowners
and honoring "their preferences more fully;as Ezra Klenpur rt In rye
gpw York Tlrnrrs—which, if I can translate, means allowing residents
to block new housing more easily. (After her victory, Bass npddrd at
the need to house more people in wealthier neighborhoods —a tepid
commitment that reveals NI MBYsnnI coutinu ig hold on liberal
politicians)
"We've been digging ourselves into this situation for 40 years, and it's
likely going to take us 40 years to get out; Eric Tars, the legal director
at the National Homelessness Law Center, told me.
Building the amount of affordable housing necessary to stanch the
daily flow of new people becoming homeless Is not the project of a
single election cycle, or even several. What can be done in the
meantime is a hard question, and one that will require investment in
temporary housing. Better models for homeless shelters arose out of
necessity during the pandemic. Using hotel space as shelter allowed
the unhoused to have their own rooms, this meant families could
usually stay together (many shelters are gender -segregated, ban pets,
and lack privacy). Houston's success n combatting homelessness
—down E2 percent since 2011—suggests that a focus on moving
people into permanent supportive housing provides a road map to
success- (Houston is less encumbered by the sorts of regulations
that make building housing so difficult elsewhere.)
The political dangers to Democrats in those titles where the
homelessness crisis is metastasizing into public disorder are clear.
But Democratic inaction risks sparking a broader political revolt —
especially as housing prices leave even many middle- and upper -
middle -class renters outside the hallowed gates of homeownership.
We should harbor no illusions that such a revolt will lead to humane
policy change.
Simply making homelessness less visible has come to be what
constitutes "success" New York City consistently has the nations
highest homelessness rate, but it a not as much of an Election Day
issue as it is on the West Coast. That's because its displaced
population is largely hidden in shelters. Yet since 2012, the number of
households in shelters has grown by more than 30 percent —despite
the city sp n ingr glrlly S3 b Iliona Vgr(as of 2021) trying to
combat the problemThisis what policy failure looks Ilke. At some
point, someone's going to have to own it.
This ertlole bes been uadafed m olaory (be percentage of homeless people rvho
reported having moved m CelRorr,,, bem out aV,re
This article appears in the Jai ply Eery 20z3 Pont eamon win, the headline
The Iending RevoltThei Homelessness "Whenyou buya book nsing a link on this
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