Council enacts strategy to battle Riverside homelessness
A strategy to reduce the number of homeless in Riverside by expanding public housing options is moving forward, utilizing an approach that an official said will entail “public, private and nonprofit sectors” working in concert to help people leave street life for good.
Riverside’s “Housing First” plan was introduced last year, and the Riverside City Council on Tuesday formally adopted the initiative in a 7-0 vote.
“Housing First has been shown to provide the best outcomes for some of the most at-risk people in Riverside,” said Emilio Ramirez, director of the Office of Homeless Solutions. “Working with our partners in the public, private and nonprofit sectors, we can go from managing homelessness to eliminating it.”
The Housing First initiative involves identifying chronically homeless people and placing them in long-term living spaces. By last count, there were roughly 400 chronically homeless individuals located within the city, according to the Office of Homeless Solutions.
The strategy will require securing publicly supported residential opportunities. Construction of a multi-family, multi-story complex was deemed viable, and 14 sites have been identified throughout the city for development.
A public comment period to solicit residents’ input about the approach began in early January and ended in mid-February. Finalizing where to construct the complex will require additional council consideration and votes.
“Much work remains, but the council is confident that this approach will help our city make the kinds of gains we all want in terms of reducing homelessness,” Councilman Chris MacArthur said. “It’s encouraging to see us move from managing the problem toward a pathway that will help us eliminate it.”
The Housing First concept not only focuses on living arrangements, but also job training and placement assistance, as well as connecting individuals with a range of services.
The council approved memoranda of understanding with the Riverside County Department of Behavioral Health and the Riverside County Housing Authority for programs in support of Housing First. Agreements were also signed with two private nonprofits — Path of Life Ministries and Step Up.
According to the city, roughly $2.8 million is spent annually on managing the impacts of homelessness, including cleaning up transient encampments and blight, as well as covering the cost of medical and mental health calls.
“Housing First has been credited with: helping homeless individuals stay in housing, instead of rotating back and forth between shelters and the streets; saving money compared to the funds spent on emergency calls; creating good neighbors; getting people with physical and mental illnesses into housing easier; and providing rules for tenants that enable them to stay housed long-term,” according to a city statement.
An overview of the plan is available at www.riversideca.gov/homelesssolutions/housing-first/ .
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