City of Alameda Works to Address Homeless Issues
Published on August 05, 2019
PRESS RELEASE
August 5, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sarah Henry, Public Information Officer
510-747-4714
City of Alameda Works to Address Homeless Issues
Alameda’s City Council is committed to working with community partners to address homelessness. The City supports the CARES for Alameda’s Homeless team (Collaboration Advancing Research, Efforts, and Supports), which is a business, nonprofit, and public partnership that explores and implements strategies to reach, support, and resolve the island’s homelessness challenges.
Every other year, the City participates in EveryOne Counts!, Alameda County’s effort to conduct a Point-In-Time (PIT) count of the local homeless population. This count is very important, as it informs local strategic planning, investment, capacity building, and advocacy campaigns to prevent and end homelessness. On January 30, 2019, Alameda assembled an enthusiastic group of volunteers to facilitate this biennial count, including elected officials, staff, and community members, who worked with trained guides who have lived experiences.
Overall, there are now 8,022 people experiencing homelessness in Alameda County, an increase of 43% from the PIT count two years ago, and the highest increase among Bay Area counties. Twenty-seven additional homeless people were counted in the City of Alameda, an increase of 13% from 204 to 231 homeless individuals since 2017. Of the 231 people experiencing homelessness in Alameda, 99 were women and children staying at Midway Shelter and individuals staying at the Warming Shelter and Operation Dignity Transitional Housing, and 132 were living in encampments, vehicles, and on the street. The percentage of those sleeping in tents, cars and vans, and recreational vehicles in the county have all seen triple-digit increases of up to 146%. For every one homeless person that was housed in Alameda County in the last two years, two more have become homeless. For more information about the latest Point-In-Time count, please download the full report at http://everyonehome.org.
CURRENT SITUATION IN ALAMEDA
The increase in Alameda’s homeless population is reflective of what is happening in the region. And while the island’s situation is less dramatic compared to neighboring cities, the issue in Alameda is palpable and visible. The safety of the public, including those who are experiencing homelessness, continues to be a priority for the City while ensuring that it complies with current laws. The 9th Circuit’s Boise decision prohibits displacement of homeless individuals from public spaces when no shelter or housing can be offered to them as an alternative. However, when their safety is at issue, posting the site and asking them to move may be necessary.
Such is the case at an encampment at Estuary Park, where up to 10 people will be asked to move on August 8, as the area will be utilized for construction staging for the adjacent phase of Alameda Landing development. For everyone’s safety, the City is fencing off the area and trespassing will not be allowed.
The CARES team, our community partners, the Police Department’s Homeless Liaison Officers, and staff from our Recreation and Parks Department and Community Development Department have developed a plan to provide a compassionate and humane process to support the occupants during the clearing of the encampment and moving forward. Thank you to the neighbors for their patience and compassion during this process.
ONGOING EFFORTS IN ALAMEDA
The City contracts with Operation Dignity to work throughout Alameda to provide mobile street outreach and case management services to homeless individuals in an effort to provide them with immediate welfare and harm-reduction support while working to get people house-ready and housed. The City is also working with Building Futures to provide intensive case management to the most high-risk homeless clients with complex needs in Alameda. Operation Dignity and Building Futures collaborate with the City’s Homeless Liaison Officers to coordinate outreach efforts on the island.
In July, the City Council approved a 2-year contract with the County to implement the City of Alameda’s Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) plan. In 2018, the state established HEAP, a $500 million block grant to provide immediate emergency assistance to counties and cities experiencing homelessness in California.
The City of Alameda’s allocation of $756,524 in HEAP grant funds will be used for a variety of projects, including a one-stop shop day center to provide refuge for the homeless during the day while connecting them to services and information, designated safe parking areas for those living in cars, the Warming Shelter, monthly dinners, rental assistance, installation of showers at the Warming Shelter, a homeless hotline, and more. Additional information about initiatives and efforts to address homelessness in Alameda can be found online at www.alamedaca.gov/homeless.