To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: MICHAEL W. WEBB, CITY ATTORNEY JOY ABAQUIN, QUALITY OF LIFE PROSECUTOR
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DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON OPTIONS FOR ENHANCED RESPONSE TO HELP ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS INCLUDING IMPROVED COORDINATION WITH THE COUNTY.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Enhanced Response to Homelessness Program was initiated by the City Attorneys' Office and Police Department in June, 2019 at the request of the Mayor and City Council as an additional response to the impact of homelessness not only on people experiencing homelessness, but also on residents and the community. The Program has gotten many people off the streets and into permanent housing by responding to community concerns and reducing barriers to permanent housing. As one of the City's six-month objectives, the Mayor and City Council wanted to receive a report on options for enhanced response to help address homelessness, including improved coordination with the County. To further improve our response to homelessness, the City Attorney's Office recommends that the City employ a Mental Health Clinician to improve our response to people suffering from a mental health crisis, develop an Education Campaign so that concerned residents can make donations to the Quality of Life Account that will be used to help people on the streets in a constructive way, and employ a part-time residential aid to manage bridge housing which would enable us to seek additional transitional housing in Service Planning Area 8.
BACKGROUND
Since 2019, the Enhanced Response to Homelessness Program developed the first outdoor homeless court in Los Angeles County to bring the justice system and needed services into the community to unhoused individuals; Pallet Shelter transitional living and additional forms of bridge housing; employed a City Homeless Housing Navigator; and obtained funding to build new permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness in Redondo Beach.
The Hous...
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