HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 2022-110 N.C.S. 06/20/2022Resolution No. 2022-110 N.C.S. Page 1
Resolution No. 2022-110 N.C.S.
of the City of Petaluma, California
APPROVING ADOPTION OF THE CITY OF PETALUMA STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 8698 - 8698.4
WHEREAS, the complexity and magnitude of the homelessness crisis and the limited supply of affordable
permanent housing in the City of Petaluma demonstrate that there is a significant and immediate need for interim
housing in the City, including emergency shelter, to protect the life, health, and safety of people experiencing homelessness; and
WHEREAS, strict compliance with the provisions of state and local regulatory statutes, regulations, and
ordinances prescribing standards of housing, health, safety, and environmental impact assessment may prevent,
hinder, or delay emergency housing measures that could be expedited through a Declaration of Shelter Crisis; and
WHEREAS, on September 25, 2020, Governor Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 2553, which extended certain provisions of the Shelter Crisis Law that originally only applied to specified cities (Oakland,
Berkley, and San Jose) to authorize any jurisdiction to declare a shelter crisis under California Government Code
Section 8698.2; and
WHEREAS, AB 2553 added Section 8698.4 to the Government Code, giving cities and counties regulatory flexibility regarding building codes and land use regulations and establishes a California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) exemption to expedite the construction of shelters, adds safe parking sites as an eligible form of
shelter, and extends the sunset of these provisions to January 1, 2026; and
WHEREAS, AB 2553 permits cities that proclaim local shelter crises to adopt an ordinance establishing reasonable local standards and procedures for the design, site development and operation of homeless shelters and
the structures therein, to the extent it is determined at the time of adoption that strict compliance with state and
local standards or laws in existence at the time of adoption would in any way prevent, hinder or delay the mitigation of the effects of the shelter crises, so long as the local standards at a minimum must meet the standards in the 2019 California Residential Code Appendix X, and California Building Code Appendix O, and any future standards adopted by the Department of Housing and Community Development related emergency housing or
emergency housing facilities, absent findings stating why the minimum standards cannot be met and how the
standards in the ordinance protect health and safety; and
WHEREAS, on September 13, 2021, the Petaluma City Council approved the declaration of a shelter crisis in accordance with Government Code Sections 8698 - 8698.4 and provisions of AB 2553; and
WHEREAS, AB 2553 requires that cities that declare a shelter crisis after January 1, 2021 develop a plan to address the shelter crisis, including, but not limited to, the development of homeless shelters and permanent supportive housing, as well as onsite supportive services by July 1, 2022; and
WHEREAS, the Housing Department led development of a comprehensive City of Petaluma Strategic Action
Plan to End Homelessness to guide the City’s homelessness policies, programs and investments during a three-year action cycle covering July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2024; and
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Resolution No. 2022-110 N.C.S. Page 2
WHEREAS, the Strategic Action Plan to End Homelessness, attached hereto as Exhibit A, addresses the requirements of AB 2553 to address the City’s declared shelter crisis, including but not limited to, the
development of homeless shelters and permanent supportive housing as well as onsite supportive services; and
WHEREAS, the proposed action is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, in that approving and adopting the City’s Strategic Plan to End Homelessness does not meet CEQA's definition of a “project,” because this an
organizational action by the City that does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change
in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and moreover, any future actions that result from the Plan will require its own CEQA analysis WHEREAS, City Housing Department staff will continue to review the plan to ensure alignment with the
Regional County of Sonoma Homelessness Strategic Plan.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of Petaluma as follows: 1. Declares that the above recitals are true and correct incorporates them herein as findings of the City Council.
2. Finds that the proposed action is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, in that approving and adopting the City’s Strategic Plan to End Homelessness does not meet CEQA's definition of a “project,” because this an organizational action by the City that does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change
in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and moreover,
any future actions that result from the Plan will require its own CEQA analysis. 3. Adopts the City’s Strategic Plan to End Homelessness (Plan), attached hereto and made a part hereof as Exhibit A, which takes effect on July 1, 2022 and terminates on June 30, 2024.
4. Authorizes the City Manager to make minor or non-substantive modifications to amend the Plan to ensure
alignment with County Regional plan.
Under the power and authority conferred upon this Council by the Charter of said City.
REFERENCE: I hereby certify the foregoing Resolution was introduced and adopted by the
Council of the City of Petaluma at a Regular meeting on the 20th day of June 2022,
by the following vote:
Approved as to
form:
__________________________
City Attorney
AYES: Mayor Barrett, Vice Mayor Pocekay, Barnacle, Fischer, Healy, King, McDonnell
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
ATTEST: ______________________________________________
City Clerk
______________________________________________
Mayor
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The City of Petaluma’s STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS
The City of Petaluma’s STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS
EXHIBIT A
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Acknowledgements
The City of Petaluma would like to thank the many
stakeholders, community members, people with lived
experience, and local service providers who participated and
provided valuable input for the development of this plan.
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This Strategic Action Plan
Homelessness is one of the great moral crises of our time. While it
is a complex issue affecting a wide array of public, private, local,
state, and national stakeholders, the City of Petaluma believes it
can and should play a critical leadership role in supporting our
most vulnerable community members. To that end, the vision and
strategies outlined herein will guide the City’s homelessness
policies, programs, and investments during a three-year action
cycle covering July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2024.
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Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
I.Process ………………………………………..……………. 6-11
II.Findings ……………………………………………..……. 12-21
III.Analysis ……………………………………..…………….. 22-30
IV.Vision ……………………………………..……………….. 31-36
V.Strategies …………………………………………………. 37-49
VI.Measuring Our New System …….…………………..….. 50-53
VII.Paying for Our New System ………………………..…… 54-58
VIII.Appendix / Glossary ………………………..…………… 59-65
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I. Process
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Interviewed representatives from the City, County,
Continuum of Care (CoC), and local service providers
Conducted two outreach trips to local encampments
and hosted a lived experience feedback session
Reviewed past reports and studies specific to
homelessness in Petaluma and Sonoma County
Evaluated parallel county, regional, state, and federal
planning processes
Completed a program inventory of local services
Phase 1: Discovery
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Reviewed available data sources to better quantify the
scale and scope of the need in Petaluma
Created a stakeholder map of local programs to chart
the lived experience of homelessness
Identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats within the current system of care
Developed a pathway to housing framework to better
identify gaps and opportunities in the current system
Phase 2: Analysis
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Have been iterating and reviewing the plan with staff
throughout the process
Have been working local service providers –executive
level and frontline staff –to ensure alignment
Hosted a community workshop to gather and
incorporate public feedback; included an online option
Final review and approval by the City Council
Phase 3: Feedback & Approval
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10
On May 31st, 2022, the City and local service providers hosted a
“community workshop” to provide information about current homelessness
programming, as well to solicit feedback for this Action Plan. Please visit www.cityofpetaluma.org/pathwaytohousing for more info.
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Created 25 new units of non-congregate, interim
housing at the People’s Village
Secured funding for 60 new units of permanent
supportive housing (PSH) at the Studios at Montero
Launched and continuing to refine a weekly By-Name-
List (BNL) outreach coordination meeting
Awarded $1.3M in funding through the State of
California’s “Encampment Resolution Grant”
Ongoing advocacy and best practice sharing with the
County and Continuum of Care (CoC)
Already Putting the Plan in Motion over the Last 12 Months
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II. Findings
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There is a significant and ongoing risk of more
Petalumans becoming homeless, especially among
seniors who are unable to keep up with the cost of living.
There are approximately 1,700 “extremely low-income”
(ELI) households in Petaluma, earning less than 30% of
the average median income.
Of all ELI households in Sonoma County, 26% are “all
senior” renters, and 33% are homeowners (typically seniors
on fixed incomes).
Approximately 3% of occupied dwelling units in Petaluma
are “overcrowded (more than one person per room), which
is significantly lower than the state average and potentially
signals relatively less risk of family homelessness.
Quantifying the Need: At-Risk
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ELI Households 60%
40%
15%
15%
HOMELESS -
UNSHELTERED
= 10 People
HOMELESS -
SHELTERED
NON-SENIOR
ELI HOUSEHOLDS
SENIOR
ELI HOUSEHOLDS
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According to data from the Petaluma Health Center,
approximately 750 unique households experienced
homelessness at some point in 2021.
At any given time, there are approximately 300 people
experiencing homelessness in Petaluma, approximately 50%
of whom are sheltered (much higher than the state average).
Based on the City’s by-name-list (BNL) outreach coordination
efforts, there are approximately 120 people experiencing
long-term, chronic homelessness in Petaluma.
This data suggests that at any given moment roughly half of
Petaluma’s homeless community is experiencing long-term,
chronic homelessness, while the other half are people
resolving their homelessness in a few short weeks or months.
Quantifying the Need:Currently Homeless
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= 1 PersonCurrently Homeless
120
180
CHRONICALLY
HOMELESS
NON-CHRONICALLY
HOMELESS
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26-question survey, co-created with City and provider
staff, targeted at programs (not organizations)
41 responses covering the full spectrum of programs,
including: shelter, employment, food, and outreach
In addition to questions about outcomes and access,
the survey asked about the three most common
incoming and outgoing referrals
After filtering for programs where at least 60% of
clients were homeless, mapped referrals to create a
stakeholder map of the local system of care
Program Inventory & Systems Map: Process
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A stakeholder map of local
homeless service
programs in Petaluma
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Programs are largely accessible: 85% Spanish speaking,
100% report trauma-informed, and comparable
graduation rates for homeless and non-homeless clients.
Program-level barriers do persist, mostly acutely around
access to transportation, shelter, and behavioral health
services (i.e., mental illness, substance abuse)
Deeper structural challenges are also present, such as
no clear “front door” for services and approximately
seven different backend data tracking systems.
Housing and shelter systems are largely behind firewalls
the City cannot control (currently few referrals to
Coordinated Entry and supportive housing).
Program Inventory & Systems Map: Insights
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In addition to street outreach, hosted a three-hour
lunch with financial compensation for participants
Multiple participants grew up in Petaluma; some were
newer to the area
Women, women of color, and LGBTQ+
Chronically homeless to newly homeless
An English language learner
Ages ranging from 20s to 60s
Lived Experience: Perspectives
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“Me and my dog all alone” … All agreed on
persistent feelings of isolation and loneliness.
“Drugs become more of a solution when change feels
impossible.”
Being in community, whether with COTS or DST,
makes people feel alive again.
Better outreach and marketing of services; most found
help through word-of-mouth / street outreach workers
Ok with smaller housing units; like the idea of both
permanent and transitional tiny home villages
Struggles with program design: “timing out,” not
having ongoing support, “institutional” settings
Lived Experience: Insights
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III. Analysis
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Strong institutional knowledge through anchor service
providers who have been doing this work for decades
At the same time, a willingness to innovate –
Downtown Streets Team, SAFE Team, People’s Village
Political will from the Council … to act urgently,
compassionately, and with a human-centered lens
Matching new funding to that will … financial
commitments from the City across multiple projects
Early, client-level collaboration around the “by-name-
list” (BNL) effort
Robust, existing prevention resources through the
Petaluma People Services Center
Analysis:Strengths of the Current System
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Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) has been serving
our community since 1988, providing emergency
shelter, food, and wraparound support services.
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In 2020, the City launched a local chapter of the Downtown
Streets Team (DST), providing additional outreach capacity,
workforce development services, and community-building
opportunities for people experiencing homelessness.
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In 2020, the City, County, and Petaluma People
Services Center launched the SAFE Team, a crisis
response alternative to local law enforcement.
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Petaluma removed from the main County service core
in Santa Rosa (e.g., HOST team, County IMDT)
A lack of effective landlord engagement efforts in
South County (and countywide for that matter)
Challenges getting local people placed through the
countywide “Coordinated Entry” system
At times uncoordinated and overlapping outreach
efforts
Difficulty supporting people in housing because of a
lack of ongoing services, especially for mental health,
substance use, and co-occurring conditions
Analysis:Weaknesses of the Current System
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Rapidly improving communication and partnership with the
County
Significant new funding opportunities (e.g., Project
Homekey, CalAIM, State encampment grant)
Petaluma is its own island … can pilot and test new ideas
and initiatives
Support countywide landlord recruitment efforts to
accelerate and expand housing placement opportunities
Continue to build community among people who are
homeless (e.g., peer support roles, a local social enterprise)
Not seeing all new supportive housing as “new buildings”
(e.g., better leverage housing vouchers, tiny homes / other
modular construction)
Analysis: Opportunities for the Current System
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Not including the lived experience perspective and fully
addressing remaining barriers to access
Insufficiently involving the broader community (e.g.,
education, ways to get involved)
Failing to address the cost-of-living imbalance pushing
more vulnerable people to the street
Insufficiently responding to the end of current
emergency rental assistance programs
Local providers not having clearly defined “theories of
change” that fit within a community-level pathway to
housing
Analysis:Threats to Progress Part 1
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Duplication and inefficiency from not aligning efforts
across partners, providers, and government agencies
Insufficiently addressing the gaps around mental health,
substance use, and co-occurring services
An erosion of trust among people experiencing
homelessness through criminal justice actions
An opaque and difficult to navigate housing system,
especially for people seeking help
Not building in financial sustainability for new and current
programming
An inability to hire and retain staff
Analysis:Threats to Progress Part 2
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IV. Vision
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Vision Statement
Our vision is to end long-term, chronic
homelessness in Petaluma by the end of
2024. In the process, we will create a crisis
response system that ensures homelessness
becomes a rare, brief, and one-time
experience in our community.
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STEP is an example of how to think about a more effectively
coordinated system of care.
S –Systems: The conditions that are making it more likely for
a personal crisis to result in homelessness
T –Triage: Creating a crisis response system that can quickly
prevent and divert people from homelessness
E –Engagement: Having a clear process for identifying and
coordinating care for people who are currently homeless
P –Placements: Orienting every point of engagement
towards permanent (or temporary then permanent) housing
STEP: A Template for a More Connected System of Care
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S T E P
SYSTEMS TRIAGE ENGAGEMENT PLACEMENT
UNABLE TO REHOUSE
SELF-RESOLVE
CRISIS
SHELTER
HOUSING PLACEMENTS
SYSTEM INFLUENCES -FEED THE CRISIS
PREVENTION
COORDINATED OUTREACH AND DATA COLLECTION
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S T E P
SYSTEMS TRIAGE ENGAGEMENT PLACEMENT
UNABLE TO REHOUSE
SELF-RESOLVE
CRISIS
SHELTER
PERMANENT HOUSING
COST OF HOUSING FINANCES
Production Living Wage
Preservation Income Supports
Protection Lack of Education
Mental Health
Services
Affordable Drug / Alcohol Treatment
Divorce
Bankruptcy
Foreclosure Natural Disaster
BIPOC Foster Youth
Seniors Reentry
LGBTQ
Clear Access Point Community Marketing
Real Person
Warm Handoff ReferralsFinancial Resources
Legal Resources
Project Manager By-Name-List
Release of
Information
Shared Data Tracking
Open HMIS System Inter-disciplinary
Outreach Teams Cahoots
Street Medicine
Meals / Pantry Showers
Clothing
Drug / Alcohol
Treatment Skilled Nursing Facility
Conservatorship Psychiatric Facility
COST OF LIVING
Congregate Non-Congregate
Hotel / Motel
Vouchers Safe Parking
Safe Sleeping Seasonal
PREVENTION
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
PERSONAL HARDSHIP
UNIQUE NEEDS
Roommate Conflict
Family Conflict
Veterans
COORDINATION
STREET OUTREACH
DROP-IN SERVICES
Proactive First Responders
Laundry
INTENSIVE CARE
FAMILY & FRIENDS
BELOW MARKET
RATE UNITS
“STEP DOWN” /
TURNOVER
SUPPORTIVE
HOUSING
ONE-TIME
ASSISTANCE
RAPID
REHOUSING
HOUSING
VOUCHERS
LANDLORD
ENGAGEMENT
HOME-SHARING /
ADUs / JADUs
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Using the STEP framework for community feedback
and prioritization during the May 31st Workshop
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V. Strategies
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#1: Create a “housing-focused” outreach system
#2: Increase permanent supportive housing units
#3: Explore shelter options for vulnerable sub-populations
#4: Improve the Petaluma Coordinated Entry access point
#5: Increase the City’s internal capacity to respond
#6: Tackle the root causes of homelessness
#7: Leverage the community to accelerate progress
#8: Build alignment with other cities and subregions
Strategies
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#1 Create a “housing-focused” outreach system that reorients every touch point towards housing placements, delineates provider outreach efforts, and establishes a framework for tracking and accountability
39
Workstream Owner 2022 2023 2024
Contract with / hire a by-name-list (BNL) project manager City
Provide training and other supports to improve BNL
process
City / County
Work with providers to refine outreach contracts City / COTS / DST
Increase County IMDT presence in Petaluma County
Advocate for improved an improved Release of
Information, open HMIS data system, and more
streamlined Coordinated Entry processes
City / County
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#2 Create and/or secure access to 200 new Permanent Supportive Housing units
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Workstream Owner 2022 2023 2024
Homekey 2.0 City / County/
Burbank / COTS
Homekey 3.0 City / County
Fund new housing case management (1:15 ratio)City
Secure new housing vouchers to pair with services County
Fund a 2-year landlord recruitment pilot program City / County / PPSC
Fold Veteran services into BNL efforts VA
Carve out supportive units in new affordable housing City
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The City, County, Burbank Housing, and COTS have
secured $15.7M in State Project Homekey funding to
create 60 new units permanent supportive housing in
Petaluma. (photo courtesy of the Petaluma Argus Courier)
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#3 Continue to evaluate and pilot innovative shelter models for vulnerable sub-populations
Workstream Owner 2022 2023 2024
100% utilization of low-barrier shelter at People’s Village City / COTS
Explore safe parking for vulnerable seniors priced out of
their homes
City / County
Explore new religious zone housing overlay to pilot new
public-private housing and shelter programs at faith-
based locations
City
Utilize grant funding from the State of California to
increase outreach, case management, and housing
options for people living in local encampments
City / County
Provide expedited review and fee waivers for privately-
sited, innovative shelter models
City
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In partnership with the City and County, COTS opened the
“People’s Village” in the spring of 2022 to create an
innovative, non-congregate shelter pilot program to serve
the most vulnerable Petalumans experiencing homelessness.
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Progress Serving the Most Vulnerable
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#4 Redesign Petaluma’s Coordinated Entry “Access Point” to a level where no Petaluman experiences homelessness for more than 90 days.
Workstream Owner 2022 2023 2024
Sustain emergency rental assistance efforts that began
during the Pandemic
City / Cunty /
Private
Use human-centered design to evaluate current process for
people seeking assistance
City / County /
Providers
As needed, roll out new marketing campaign and collateral City
45
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#5 Improve the City’s internal capacity to respond to homelessness
Workstream Owner 2022 2023 2024
Created a dedicated homeless service coordinator position City
Reconstitute PD’s “Community Impact Response Team”City
Join and support countywide data sharing agreements City
Standardize City’s statements of work with local providers City
Develop a data dashboard to measure progress City
Leverage contractors and other consultants to help staff
apply for State and Federal grant funding, provide training
and coaching, and drive countywide systems change
City
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#6 Commit to tackling the root causes of homelessness that are within the City’s control
47
Workstream Owner 2022 2023 2024
Support the creation of affordable housing through
alignment with the 2023-2031 Housing Element
City
Strengthen local tenant protection measures and increase
support resources (e.g., financial, legal)
City
Deploy flexible local money for the creation and/or
preservation of extremely low-income housing
City
Explore the feasibility of local increases to the minimum
wage to provide for a living wage
City
Support the creation of new and/or expanded local
behavioral health programming
City
Advocate for increased county, state, and federal funding
and access to safety net services
City
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#7 Leverage the spirit, compassion, and social capital of our community to accelerate progress
48
Workstream Owner 2022 2023 2024
Host more resource and information fairs for both the
public and people experiencing homelessness
City / Providers
Develop a training course or academy for community
members that want to be more involved
City / Providers
Create a community steering committee to convene and
build partnerships across key stakeholders
City
Develop fee waivers and expedited review for
community-based shelter and/or housing proposals
City
Create strategy and programs for better engaging
landlords and facilitating home-sharing opportunities
City / Providers
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#8 Spearhead cross-agency, cross-sector, and cross-jurisdictional alignment
Workstream Owner 2022 2023 2024
Ongoing going collaboration with other subregions City / Subregions
Develop shared funding agreements with the County
and other subregions
City / Subregions /
County
Advocate for subregional resource commitments from
the County
City / Subregions /
County
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VI. Evaluation
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Create a “Community Steering Committee” of local
stakeholders who can support systems change efforts
Publish monthly stats on the City’s website
Send out monthly newsletters with the latest stats
Align stats and data across other cities, subregions,
and County efforts
Present bi-annual informational items to Council
Holding Ourselves Accountable
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How many people are experiencing homelessness in
Petaluma?
For people experiencing homelessness, what percentage
are sheltered?
What is our current progress towards ending chronic
homelessness?
Are we preventing new homelessness? (distinguish 1st
time homelessness vs. returns to homelessness)
How long are people remaining homelessness? What is
the housing placement rate for City-funded programs?
Is our system equitable?
What Questions Do We Want to Answer?
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Draft Data Dashboard
How many people are currently
homeless?
What is our progress towards ending
chronic and veteran homelessness?
For people who are still unhoused,
what % are unsheltered?
Are we preventing new
homelessness?
What is our housing placement rate?
Is our system equitable?
Cumulative housed from BNL
Monthly # from BNL
Housing retention rate
# of PSH units created
Breakdown of intervention
# of people requesting help
% who became homeless
Lived experience representation
Race, gender, and ethnicity reports from HMIS
Language service availability
The rate of overcrowding in rental units
Annual # from PIT
Monthly # from BNL
Total # of shelter units
% of people sheltered
% of exits to permanent housing
Length of time in program
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VII. Funding
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City General Fund:$800K for direct homelessness
programming (e.g., COTS, DST); approximately $1M for
indirect support and programming (e.g., the SAFE Team)
Housing Development: Currently 337 affordable units in
development, leveraging $3.2M in City funding (could be
higher as projects progress)
In-kind Staff Time: Housing Manager, City Manager’s Office,
Police, Fire, Public Works, Planning
City-Directed State and Federal: $350k in annual federal
CDBG funding for homelessness prevention; $1.3M in one-
time State encampment funding; $1.5M in one on-time
federal ARPA funding
The City’s Current Funding for Homeless Services (as of FY21-22)
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Project Design: Innovative, replicable projects with clearly
identified impact objectives, developed in context of
existing evidence and aligned with clear long-term strategy
Collaboration: Effective, demonstrable collaboration among
city, county, service providers and/or other partners -with
proven success on prior projects
Leveraging: Availability of resources that complement the
requested funding -e.g., matching funds, and in-kind
contributions such as staff time, services, land or facilities
Implementation Capacity: Adequate systems and staffing for
data collection and analysis, project management, contract
compliance, and quality assurance
How the CityCanBetter Utilize County, State, and Federal Funding
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With approval of this plan, the City is establishing its
homelessness strategic priorities for the next three years
Staff will work to more clearly define the desired outcomes
for each strategy, as well as the level of need
Staff will work with funding partners to identify collaborative
and leveraged investment opportunities
Staff will use this information to develop new scopes of work
for local programs and services
Staff will then RFP new service contracts, with a focus on
outcomes-based performance
Implications for the City’s Funding Strategy for this Action Cycle
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Increasing the City’s internal coordination, grant writing, and
project management capacity
Leveraged opportunities to create new permanent
supportive housing
Continued support for Petaluma-based homelessness
prevention, shelter, and outreach services
Multi-year pilot programs with collaborative funding
commitments
Focus Areas for Future Funding
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VIII. Appendix
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ARPA -American Rescue Plan Act -A one-time infusion of
funding from the federal government in response to the
COVID-19 Pandemic
BNL -By Names List -A way to focus on housing the
most vulnerable (and often most service-demanding)
first by looking at individual needs and histories
Case Conferencing -Where service providers strategize
about individuals and how to best address their service
needs.
Case Management -Working with one client to address
their needs.
CDBG -Community Development Block Grant –Federal
funding to support local affordable housing and
economic development efforts
Glossary & Acronyms A -C
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Chronically Homeless -A federal designation for a person
experiencing long-term homelessness with a disabling
condition
Coordinated Entry System -A housing placement system
required to receive Federal and State funding that
coordinates care and reduces barriers to access
Continuum of Care -The governing body that determines
federal funding allocations and develops regional policies
for addressing homelessness.
COTS -Committee of the Shelterless -Service provider in
Petaluma and South County, operates Mary Isaak Center
Emergency Shelter
DST -Downtown Streets Team -outreach provider in
Petaluma
Glossary & Acronyms C-D
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HMIS -Homeless Management Information System -A
countywide system to collect data about people
experiencing homelessness
Homekey -A State program inviting localities to purchase
hotels and apartments and turn them into interim /
supportive housing
Housing First -Putting someone into housing first and
then supporting their recovery from homelessness
IMDT -The County’s Interdepartmental Multi-disciplinary
Team for serving people with complex needs
Interim Housing -Short-term housing placements in
emergency shelter
Glossary &
Acronyms
H
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Lived Experience -Persons who have been or are currently
homeless who serve as representatives for the unhoused.
PPSC -Petaluma People Services -A social safety net
provider in South County
PSH -Permanent Supportive Housing -Housing units with
services on-site, serving the chronically homeless
RFP -Request for Proposals -A competitive process for
awarding grant funding
SAFE Team -Petaluma’s crisis response alternative to Police
and Fire
VI-SPDAT -Vulnerability Index and Service Prioritization
Decision Assistance Tool –Assessment for housing needs
Vouchers -Subsidized housing whereby vouchers holders
pay 30% of their income to housing costs
Glossary &
Acronyms
L -V
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Built for Zero (national)
All Home (regional)
California Interagency Council on Homelessness (state)
Sonoma County Point-in-Time Counts (county)
The City of Petaluma’s Housing Element (city)
The City’s “Pathway to Housing” webpage (city)
Further Reading
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This report and strategic planning process was led by Andrew Hening Consulting, LLC.
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