San Mateo County officials scope ways to end homelessness

Becker was joined by County Executive Officer Mike Callagy, LifeMoves CEO Aubrey Merriman and Founder of DignityMoves Elizabeth Funk for a discussion on the ways the county and partner agencies are addressing homelessness.

The discussion comes soon after the county released updated figures from its One Day Homeless Count conducted on Feb. 24, which found its homeless population increased by 20%. In total, 1,092 people were found sleeping on the street, in tents or in vehicles, up from 901 three years ago. The number of those in shelters also grew, up to 716 from 611.

Still, county officials have vowed to end homelessness in the county by the end of the year, a goal labeled “Function Zero,” meaning homelessness would be rare, brief and never repeated.

To do that, Callagy said the county has been investing in interim and permanent housing with support from local jurisdictions, $145 million of state Project Homekey funding and philanthropist John Sobrato. In just more than a year, the county has purchased five hotels that have been transitioned into housing and secured enough funding and the land to develop a modern navigation center in Redwood City.

“It really is the issue of our lifetime. Certainly, we didn’t create this situation but we are in a position to eliminate what’s going on with homelessness and that’s what we’re trying to do right now,” Callagy said.

The panel participants agreed the first step to ending homelessness is access to housing. Once housed, other key resources can be provided to residents depending on their needs including employment readiness and medical and mental health support.

Another key area needing addressing though is record expungement, Merriman said. Without a clear record, unsheltered residents with a criminal past face additional hurdles in gaining gameful employment that can keep them off the streets for good.

“One of the things that we understand is people need different levels and types of support but everyone needs housing,” Merriman said. “It’s easier said than done but it’s really going to take some coordination. … What gets in the way is our own inability to see there is a finish line here that we can get to.”

Funk’s role and that of her agency are to help bridge the gap between knowing temporary housing is needed and building it by finding land where the project can get done affordably. DignityMoves, a spinoff of LifeMoves where Funk once served on the board, uses data from public agencies to find where a temporary shelter can be placed without causing too much concern with neighbors.

Placing a shelter can be a challenge. San Mateo County officials searched for roughly a decade before formalizing a land swap with Redwood City that allowed the navigation center project to move forward and those discussions were met by pushback from community members who argued the land should be used for a public park while also asserting it was an unfit area for a shelter given its proximity to a raw material processing plant.

And each hotel purchase received similar feedback of concern but with assurances that the sites would be properly managed, Callagy said many in the community began to see the value in hosting the sites.

Funk argued investing in interim housing projects is the fiscally responsible thing to do given that without steady housing, many who access other services are less likely to become self-efficient in the future.

“I think of this as a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece is super important and the whole is what needs to happen to have the whole picture,” Funk said. “No one piece makes the whole puzzle and solves the whole puzzle.”

Becker noted much is being done at the state level to address homelessness as well. As an example, Becker noted legislators are working to advance Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court, CARE Court for short, which would connect those with severe mental illness or addiction issues with a mandatory care plan.

And billions in state funding are also being dedicated to the issue, Becker said, noting about $3.5 billion is going toward ensuring jurisdictions have adequate detox spaces which are a vital mid-space for people in need of steady housing.

Collaboration at all levels of government and between private and public entities will be key in addressing the issue, the panelists agreed. Together, they shared confidence that San Mateo County could act as a model to replicate in other areas.

“This is an issue of a lifetime and it’s going to take an all-hands-on approach. Everyone’s got to get involved in this if we’re going to be able to solve it,” Callagy said. “If we’re not able to solve it I don’t know who will be able to. … Not trying is not an option.”

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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