To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: MICHAEL W. WEBB, CITY ATTORNEY
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DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE NEXT PHASE OF THE ENHANCED RESPONSE TO HOMELESSNESS PILOT PROGRAM
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
To further the effectiveness of the Redondo Beach Enhanced Response to Homelessness Pilot Program, I am recommending that the Mayor and City Council give direction to 1) host the Homeless Court program (currently held in the Torrance Superior Court) once a month for one year; 2) prepare and bring back for City Council approval an MOU for Clear Recovery Center to donate $5,000 per month of professional clinical services for a mental health treatment program to assist the homeless, with the option to pay for additional services using funds from the SBCCOG grant; and 3) prepare and return for City Council approval the documents necessary to rent beds within a collaborative housing program in a nearby city within Spa 8.
BACKGROUND
The Enhanced Response Pilot Program was initiated by the City in June 2019 as an enhanced response to the impact of homelessness not only on individuals experiencing homelessness but also on residents and our local community. The City sought a variety of creative and novel efforts ranging from innovative policing, amending the municipal code, and utilizing the criminal justice system as tools to minimize impacts on the community while striving towards the goal of housing homeless defendants.
Homeless Court Homeless defendant cases represent a significant portion of the total criminal cases the City Prosecutor Division of the City Attorney's Office handles. The prosecution of individuals experiencing homelessness was modified to effectively and demonstratively curtail the cycle of drug, alcohol, quality of life, and theft offenses being committed. The prosecution has utilized, with marked success, a measured carrot and stick approach. Essentially, the message has been if misdemeanant defendants are willing to accept ser...
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