DATE: July 13, 2021
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Assistant City Manager
SUBJECT
Let’s House Hayward! Strategic Plan: Adopt a Resolution Approving the Let’s House Hayward! Strategic Plan
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) approving and adopting the Let’s House Hayward! Strategic Plan (Attachment III).
SUMMARY
On January 28, 2020, the Council approved the City’s Strategic Roadmap, which includes the priority area to Protect, Preserve, and Produce Housing. That priority area includes the project to create and implement a homelessness reduction strategic plan. On September 22, 2020, Council authorized an agreement with Homebase to prepare the five-year Let’s House Hayward! (LHH) Strategic Plan.
Since the project launch in October 2020, Homebase has conducted extensive best practice research and collected a wide range of data and input from City stakeholders. On April 20, 2021, staff conducted a Work Session with City Council to solicit feedback on the vision, goals, and priority projects identified in the LHH plan. During this meeting, Council provided important feedback on potential gaps in the current plan and opportunities to be more comprehensive in the City’s response to homelessness. Staff returned to the Homelessness-Housing Task Force (HHTF) on June 3, 2021, to address the Council’s feedback, review the implementation strategy for the plan, and review the three priority projects identified for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) stimulus funding for Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
Since the June 3, 2021, HHTF meeting, Homebase has integrated final feedback from HHTF members, public comment, and staff to produce the final draft of the LHH Strategic Plan, which is included as Attachment III for this item. The final LHH plan synthesizes community, Council, and staff input collected through listening sessions, community forums, focus groups, and interviews conducted from October 2020 through June 2021. The LHH plan begins with a comprehensive system and needs assessment that looks at the scope of homelessness and who experiences homelessness in Hayward, resources and services that are currently available in Hayward, and current gaps in resources and services. It then details the overarching goals for reducing homelessness in Hayward and the strategies and action steps required to achieve those goals. The timeline, costs, and staff effort to execute these strategies and action steps are outlined in the Implementation Summary Addendum in Attachment III.
Additionally, staff have continued to solicit feedback from the HHTF and Community Services Commission on the specific projects and programs to be funded with ARPA stimulus dollars, and Council will vote on a budget appropriation for those funds on July 13, 2021. Three projects from the first year of the LHH plan have been identified for ARPA funding:
1. Extend the Hayward Navigation Center Annex operations for 1.5 more years ($3 million)
2. Expand the Winter Warming Shelter to year-round operation, with Day Center hours, for one year ($2 million)
3. Create a Shallow Subsidy Homelessness Prevention program for up to three years ($1.5 million)
Further, $1 million in ARPA funds will be allocated to the Navigation Center to help ensure fiscal stability as the City’s budget recovers from the COVID crisis.
Staff recommends that the Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) approving the final Let’s House Hayward! Strategic Plan, which will begin implementation in Fiscal Year 2021-2022.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Staff Report
Attachment II Resolution
Attachment III Let’s House Hayward! Strategic Plan
Attachment IV Council Feedback
Attachment V Executive Summary