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HA - Authorization to Solicit Volunteer Enumerators and Donations of Refreshments for the 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count
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Meeting Date: January 9, 2017
Contact Person/Dept: Tevis Barnes/Community Development Dept.-Housing
Phone Number: (310)253-5782
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X]
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (01/04/17); Committee on Homelessness (12/13/2016); Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (12/13/2016)
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (12/20/16)
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Culver City Housing Authority Board (Board) authorize the Committee on Homelessness to work in conjunction with the Culver City Housing Authority (CCHA) to solicit volunteer enumerators and donation of refreshments for the 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count (Count).
BACKGROUND:
Annually, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) conducts a Homeless Count to better understand what homelessness looks like throughout Los Angeles City and County. The Count incorporates a street count, shelter/institution count, and homeless demographic survey. The street count is a point-in-time census that is conducted in late January between the hours of 8pm and 2am. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines homelessness as not having a regular fixed nighttime residence or sleeping in places not meant for human habitation (i.e. cars, campers, RVs, sideways, doorways). The Count enables LAHSA and local governments to account for the number of homeless individuals within its jurisdiction and understand the scope of homelessness. Information from the Count is essential in assisting jurisdictions in requests for funding.
The 2017 Count will start Tuesday, January 24th, 2017 in the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys and East Los Angeles County. The West Los Angeles and South Bay/Harbor Count will be conducted Wednesday, January 25th, 2017. The Metro, South Los Angeles and Antelope Valley Counts will be conducted on Thursday, January 26th, 2017.
To participate in the 2017 Count, jurisdictions must Opt-In or Opt-Out. Opt-In means the City will participate in and have the opportunity to get a full enumeration of the entire city by counting all 9 census tracts. In exchange for gaining a full enumeration, the City will be responsible for recruiting volunteers, providing a deployment site (The Culver City Senior Center has served as the deployment center during past homeless counts), and securing refreshments for the volunteer enumerators. There is a separate agenda item before the Council this evening recommending the Council to approve an Opt-In Agreement with LAHSA for the 2017 Homeless Count.
DISCUSSION:
At its regular meeting on August 30th, 2016, the Committee on Homelessness voted to form a subcommittee that would take the lead in working with Housing Division staff and LAHSA to coordinate the 2017 Count. Due to staff reductions as a result of the elimination of the Redevelopment Agency, the Housing Division is unable to conduct the 2017 Count without additional support. The Committee on Homelessness assisted the Housing Division to coordinate the 2013, 2015 and 2016 Homeless Counts. During previous Counts, the Committee on Homelessness was essential to coordinating the Counts and enlisted over 200 volunteer enumerators and solicited refreshments from various Culver City businesses such as Copenhagen Bakery, Tito’s Taco, Tub’s Fine Chili, the West Basin Water District, Seasoned Greetings, Starbuck Coffee and Sorrento Market.
The role of the subcommittee will be to communicate and coordinate with LAHSA, solicit volunteers, train volunteers in conjunction with LAHSA, obtain refreshments, coordinate the deployment center the evening of the Count and work with the Housing Division to coordinate with Culver City Police and Fire departments.
The subcommittee is comprised of Evlynne Householder who serves as the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Homelessness. Vice-Chair Householder has successfully solicited donations from Tito’s Taco, Tub’s Fine Chili and Copenhagen Bakery for the 2013, 2015 and 2016 Counts. Freddy Puza participated in the 2016 Count and assisted with public relations/outreach and trained volunteer enumerators. Kim Gibson also served on the subcommittee and participated in the 2016 Homeless Count by coordinating the deployment center. All the subcommittee members are motivated and capable of fulfilling the duties required to successfully coordinate the 2017 Count.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
There is no impact to the City’s General Fund or the CCHA budget.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Save the Date - Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count
MOTION:
That the Housing Authority:
1. Authorize the Committee on Homelessness to work in conjunction with the Culver City Housing Authority to solicit volunteer enumerators and donations of refreshments for the 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count.