Council's 2021 Homeless Policy Agenda

 By Sarah Owens and Michael Livingston     

 

Proposed 2021 Actions in the priority area called "Reducing Homelessness"

Updated 20 January 2021

Last night, City Council conducted a work session on the draft Strategic Plan Update.  This was a follow up to the November work session on the same subject.  See "City to Prioritize Hlessness Response" (20 November 2020).  Like the November work session, it was facilitated by a consultant from Moss Adams.

The City's annual strategic planning process calls for Council to set a "policy agenda" every year.  The idea is that the policy agenda should be consistent with the City's 5-year strategic plan, and let the community and, more importantly, staff know what to prioritize in the coming year.  It's part of the City's annual cycle of "developing the budget, policy and program evaluation, financial forecasting, and reporting on progress."  

This post focuses on the first and foremost of five priority areas for 2021, namely reducing homelessness (the other four are community resilience, improving resident access to city services, building great neighborhoods, and taking action on climate change).   

As in years past, the proposed 2021 policy agenda had the City continue doing what it's been doing with respect to the reducing homelessness priority.    

Gretchen Bennett in the City Manager's Office has been coordinating "collaboration between City, non-profits, and other entities..." since shortly after the pandemic hit Oregon.  And, the City's been pursuing some form of regional cooperation viz homelessness since Mayor Peterson formed the Mid Willamette Homeless Initiative five years ago.  See "MWHITF:  Goals and Expectations", (20 February 2016).

The City's been "pursu[ing] a housing-first support model" through the Salem Housing Authority's Homeless Rental Assistance Program (HRAP) since 2017.  See "Mayor Announces Ambitious Plan for Chronic Homeless"  (15 February 2017).

The City's been "explor[ing] options to implement a CAHOOTS-style first-responder model" since Councilor Nordyke first fell in love with the idea a year ago.  See  "Council Conducts 'Disjointed' Session on 'Non-Criminal' Policing"  (27 October 2020);  "News from the Continuum"  (17 October 2020);  "Work Session Dissipates Sit-Lie Support"  (24 November 2019).  

Since its inception, the City's been "play[ing] a lead role in developing an action plan for the regional Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance", not that it's made the slightest difference in reducing homelessness. 

To the extent that there have been any "regional efforts to address gaps in shelter beds" in the past couple of years, the City's been participating.  (Presumably this refers primarily to continuing to lobby  the state to pay for a low barrier shelter/nav center.)  See Thomas, J.  "City of Salem is again asking the Legislature to help fund housing and homeless projects."  (20 January 2021, Salem Reporter.)

"Updat[ing] the housing needs analysis to identify local needs and gaps" is a comprehensive planning requirement, and Salem Housing Authority has, for many years now, been "explor[ing] opportunities to create additional permanent supportive housing" -- and creating it. 

So "Pursue", "explore" (twice), "play a role in developing" a plan, "participate in efforts", and "update" a plan.  There is nothing new or at all ambitious here.  There are no defined outcomes.  Only HRAP can actually reduce homelessness over the coming year.   

January 19, 2021 Work Session on 2021 Policy Agenda

At the work session, Councilor Nordyke led out by saying she wanted to see an affordable housing action item.  Councilor Hoy noted that the City doesn't build affordable housing, but could "incentivize" it, and Nordyke agreed.  Councilor Phillips asked for reassurance that the City was still prioritizing the pursuit of navigation and sobering centers.  Mayor Bennett told him he thought they were implied in the CAHOOTS-related action, "because we gotta have someplace to respond from and to", he said.  The consultant said that they were also implied in the "coordinating collaboration"-related action, and that incentivizing affordable housing was slated for next year, after the City updates its housing needs analysis.  Nordyke said that made sense.  

To the Mayor's point about a mobile unit needing "someplace to respond from and to", Nordyke said that Tim Black from CAHOOTS had told Council most of their calls didn't require transport.  There was another back and forth between Bennett and Nordyke, following which Councilor Gonzalez noted how often he gets the same constituent questions, and said the City needed some kind of information hub, otherwise, "we're going to hit a lot of resistance" as the City tries to "move forward" with its plans, he said.  Phillips said it was his understanding that the navigation center could fill that role.  (Very unlikely.)  

Phillips also said the biggest benefit to the City would be a navigation center and a mobile unit together, "and in a perfect world, we would also get a sobering center."  (Phillips is an ER physician who objects to ER beds being taken up by non-acute homeless patients.)  After Councilor Andersen joined the meeting late, the consultant asked Council if it was satisfied with the language describing the role of regional collaboration.  Bennett, who has a seat on the Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance board but no longer attends meetings, called on Hoy to respond, and Hoy indicated satisfaction with the language.  The consultant then moved to the next priority area.                      

The final Strategic Plan Update and 2021 Policy Agenda will go to City Council for adoption in February.  Compare this year with last:  "Council Sets Ambitious 2020 Policy Agenda"  (19 February 2020).