The Anatomy of Public Corruption

Showing posts with label Bay Area Homeless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bay Area Homeless. Show all posts

The Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI)

The Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative (BHHI)

Connecting Dreamforce to Bennett

NOT Funded by a generous gift from Marc and Lynne Benioff and based at the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations, BHHI aims to be a trusted source for evidence-based practice, policy, and scalable solutions—turning evidence into action to prevent and end homelessnessm

Connecting Dreamforce to Bennett

NOT Funded by a generous gift from Marc and Lynne Benioff and based at the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations, BHHI aims to be a trusted source for evidence-based practice, policy, and scalable solutions—turning evidence into action to prevent and end homelessnessm

Connecting Dreamforce to Bennett

NOT Funded by a generous gift from Marc and Lynne Benioff and based at the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations, BHHI aims to be a trusted source for evidence-based practice, policy, and scalable solutions—turning evidence into action to prevent and end homelessnessm

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The Contra Costa Council on Homelessness

The Contra Costa Council on Homelessness

Meet the victim - friend, roommate, homeless and murdered in the jail.  
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Connecting NCR

The Point of Sale System

Homeless
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Rep. Adam Schiff on Impeachment, Homelessness & Tulsi Gabbard BayAreaHomeless.com

Content Pending very busy since I posted this information

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HOMELESS SOLUTIONS FOR WALNUT CREEK

For Pete Bennett a witness connected to the Contra Costa County Narcotics Enforcement Taskforce this is what homelessness means to Bennett. How much can you bleed? A lot where are my sons, cars, computers and music gear?






HOMELESS SOLUTIONS FOR WALNUT CREEK

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The ChallengeHomelessness has become an increasing problem in the Nation, State, Contra Costa County and in Walnut Creek. Through cooperation among city staff, volunteers, nonprofit and private organizations to address homelessness, Walnut Creek can make positive changes in the lives of the homeless, while also respecting the rights of home and business owners.
Creating SolutionsThe Walnut Creek Police Department partners with local and county Homeless service centers to provide assist to our homeless population.  In addition, the Walnut Creek Police Department participates in monthly meetings with community members, business owners, Trinity Center staff and City staff to network and coordinate the City’s activities for services and housing resources for the homeless. In addition, the Walnut Creek Downtown Association is committed to serving business owners by assisting the Police Officers and coordinating with business owners.
The various pages within the Homeless Solutions section of our website will introduce you to our Homeless Outreach Team, the efforts they make to address homelessness in Walnut Creek, and provide links to resources for those experiencing homeless. In addition, the site also provides a detailed description for business and property owners about their rights and various steps and actions to be taken pertaining to activities which may occur on their property. 

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HUD AWARDS NEARLY $2.2 BILLION TO LOCAL HOMELESS PROGRAMS


HUD No. 20-006
HUD Public Affairs
(202) 708-0685
FOR RELEASE
Tuesday
January 14, 2020

HUD AWARDS NEARLY $2.2 BILLION TO LOCAL HOMELESS PROGRAMS
Funding supports thousands of local homeless housing and service programs


WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson today announced nearly $2.2 billion in grants to support thousands of local homeless assistance programs across the nation. HUD's Continuum of Care grants will provide critically needed support to approximately 6,593 local programs on the front lines, serving individuals and families experiencing homelessness. This is the first of two announcements of Continuum of Care awards. View a complete list of all the state and local homeless projects awarded funding.
"A safe, affordable place to call home is key when creating a path toward opportunity and self-sufficiency," said Secretary Carson in Ohio, where he made the funding announcement. "The grants awarded today help our partners on the ground to reduce homelessness in their communities and help our most vulnerable neighbors."
HUD Continuum of Care grant funding supports a broad array of interventions designed to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness, particularly those living in places not meant for habitation, located in sheltering programs, or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Each year, HUD serves more than a million people through emergency shelter, transitional, and permanent housing programs.



HUD continues to challenge state and local planning organizations called "Continuums of Care" to support their highest performing local programs that have proven most effective in meeting the needs of persons experiencing homelessness in their communities.
In 2019, most of the country experienced a combined decrease in homelessness but significant increases in unsheltered and chronic homelessness on the West Coast, particularly California and Oregon, offset those nationwide decreases, causing an overall increase in homelessness of 2.7 percent. HUD's 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress found that 567,715 persons experienced homelessness on a single night in 2019, an increase of 2.7 percent since 2018 but nearly 11 percent decline since 2010. The number of families with children experiencing homelessness declined 5 percent from 2018 and more than 32 percent since 2010. Local communities also reported a continuing trend in reducing veteran homelessness across the country—the number of veterans experiencing homelessness fell 2.1 percent since January 2018 and by 50 percent since 2010.
The grants HUD is awarding include the following:
2019 Continuum of Care Grants (Tier 1)
State Number of Projects Amount
Alaska 30 $4,688,499
Alabama 50 $16,187,098
Arkansas 20 $4,166,349
Arizona 79 $39,667,766
California 761 $415,233,197
Colorado 51 $31,823,715
Connecticut 148 $53,925,797
District of Columbia 34 $21,068,602
Delaware 27 $7,825,678
Florida 309 $87,529,248
Georgia 169 $42,721,865
Guam 8 $1,119,247
Hawaii 30 $12,158,946
Iowa 41 $9,364,401
Idaho 27 $4,234,119
Illinois 368 $114,704,242
Indiana 89 $23,770,934
Kansas 40 $7,500,169
Kentucky 105 $23,141,762
Louisiana 142 $50,763,628
Massachusetts 217 $76,567,387
Maryland 157 $49,879,309
Maine 22 $13,121,653
Michigan 274 $73,362,763
Minnesota 202 $33,500,442
Missouri 135 $36,059,327
Mississippi 31 $4,892,316
Montana 14 $2,529,752
North Carolina 134 $26,659,517
North Dakota 18 $1,943,050
Northern Mariana Islands 1 $13,983
Nebraska 47 $8,767,133
New Hampshire 54 $7,702,743
New Jersey 223 $46,031,871
New Mexico 51 $10,506,434
Nevada 50 $16,051,105
New York 520 $214,895,469
Ohio 284 $106,811,990
Oklahoma 59 $8,354,106
Oregon 120 $37,289,231
Pennsylvania 459 $106,088,546
Puerto Rico 55 $18,596,380
Rhode Island 34 $7,308,810
South Carolina 53 $10,509,459
South Dakota 10 $1,299,930
Tennessee 119 $21,010,778
Texas 206 $101,332,807
Utah 48 $10,928,741
Virginia 136 $29,207,216
Virgin Islands 4 $188,753
Vermont 22 $4,572,629
Washington 166 $72,793,372
Wisconsin 81 $24,700,183
West Virginia 55 $8,601,585
Wyoming 4 $277,357
TOTAL 6,593 $2,163,951,389

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U.S. Supreme Court leaves in place ruling barring prosecution of homeless

DECEMBER 16, 2019 / 6:43 AM / A MONTH AGO

U.S. Supreme Court leaves in place ruling barring prosecution of homeless

(Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear Boise’s defense of its policy of sometimes prosecuting homeless people for sleeping in public after a lower court found ordinances in Idaho’s capital violated the U.S. Constitution’s bar on cruel and unusual punishment.





FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Supreme Court building in seen in Washington, U.S., November 13, 2018. REUTERS/Al Drago/File Photo
The justices left in place a 2018 ruling by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that fining or jailing homeless people for staying outside or in unauthorized places if a bed at an emergency shelter is not available is unconstitutional. The city had appealed that ruling, arguing that the decision threatened public health and safety.
U.S. cities have struggled over the years with how to address the issue of homelessness, putting in place various local laws.
The case centered on two Boise ordinances that prohibited camping or “disorderly conduct” by lodging or sleeping in public. The city said it needed to enforce the ordinances to prevent the formation of encampments that can lead to unsanitary conditions and crimes such as drug dealing and gang activity, and to keep public spaces accessible for residents, visitors and wildlife.
Six current or former homeless Boise residents who were prosecuted under the ordinances - Robert Martin, Robert Anderson, Lawrence Lee Smith, Basil Humphrey, Janet Bell and Pamela Hawkes - sued the city in federal court in 2009, arguing that the laws violated their constitutional rights.
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Each had been fined between $25 and $75. Five of them were sentenced to time served, while one twice served a single day in jail.
The 9th Circuit ruled that the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, which bars cruel and unusual punishment, prohibits punishing homeless people if there are more of them than there are available shelter beds. The ruling allowed the plaintiffs to seek an injunction against enforcement of the city’s ordinances.
“As long as there is no option of sleeping indoors, the government cannot criminalize indigent, homeless people for sleeping outdoors, on public property, on the false premise they had a choice in the matter,” the appeals court said.
Boise said it does not issue citations if the city’s three homeless shelters are full. The plaintiffs said that the two Christian-based shelters have policies to never turn away anyone for lack of space, and so police have continuously enforced the ordinances.
The 9th Circuit noted that those facilities could still refuse to shelter homeless people who exceed limits of the number of days they can stay or who object to mandatory religious programs.
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In appealing to the Supreme Court, Boise said the 9th Circuit’s “far-reaching and catastrophic” decision will undercut the ability of municipalities to maintain health and safety and imperil other laws such as those against public defecation and urination.
The plaintiffs called the city’s arguments “dramatically overwrought.”
Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham
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Homeless patrol making a difference in Walnut Creek

Homeless patrol making a difference in Walnut Creek

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By Leslie Brinkley
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- Walnut Creek this summer launched a new homeless patrol comprised of two police officers dedicated to following up on calls about transients. So far it's working, and other communities are looking to try something similar.

It all comes down to communication. Officers get to know the homeless by name, understanding their backstory to get them into the services and programs they need.

RELATED: Mobile hygiene unit for homeless 'CleanStart' launches in East Bay

On a ride-along, ABC7 news captured an arrest for possessing 10 grams of meth. Enough for 100 hits. It was in the possession of a homeless man living along the creek adjacent to Broadway Plaza shopping center-- he was arrested.

Officers connected with 66-year-old Wayne Malmgren who was once a guitarist. He was near the Whole Foods store in Walnut Creek with his wheelchair and several signs asking for assistance. Since his stroke, he has been homeless in Walnut Creek for a year.

Officer Domenick Clemente approached Wayne saying, "Hey Wayne-- you know the last time we spoke to you you were doing pretty well and you said you were waiting for housing so I want to find out how we can move this forward."

Malmgren said the officer's lookout for him.

RELATED: Looking for Answers: Homelessness in the Bay Area

"They make sure I don't screw up, which I can do. And trying to get me help."

Officer Clemente said, "Wayne knows he's doing really well. We're really proud of him. We're no longer getting six calls a day of a male drunk in the middle of the day lying in a crosswalk. "

Officers said 60 percent of the calls coming into Walnut Creek police are now about transients. Recently they moved out a camp on Jones Road wedged between the BART tracks and 680. There is a lot of garbage left behind that can cost tens of thousands of dollars to clean up.

Officer Gary Silva on the homeless patrol said, "The last individual I talk to on main street was from Pacheco. I said what are you doing here? He said I'm here to make money. I said how much did you make? He said $80. I said how long have you been here? He said 20 minutes. I said why did you come to Walnut Creek? He said because I can make more money here. I mean what do you say to that?"

RELATED: Fremont moves forward with homeless navigation center behind city hall

The police here say giving money can fuel drug addiction, that it's better to donate to agencies that can help the homeless like Trinity Center.

One officer said if they hold up a sign saying "anything will help" in this affluent community, they can make $40 an hour. At the holidays perhaps $100 an hour.
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The Vagrant Patrol and The Unarmed Constituent

This man Defrauded,Beaten, Arrested, Jailed, Ticketed. Federal Witness and Homeless

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WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- Walnut Creek this summer launched a new homeless patrol comprised of two police officers dedicated to following up on calls about transients. So far it's working, and other communities are looking to try something similar.

It all comes down to communication. Officers get to know the homeless by name, understanding their backstory to get them into the services and programs they need.

RELATED: Mobile hygiene unit for homeless 'CleanStart' launches in East Bay

On a ride-along, ABC7 news captured an arrest for possessing 10 grams of meth. Enough for 100 hits. It was in the possession of a homeless man living along the creek adjacent to Broadway Plaza shopping center-- he was arrested.

Officers connected with 66-year-old Wayne Malmgren who was once a guitarist. He was near the Whole Foods store in Walnut Creek with his wheelchair and several signs asking for assistance. Since his stroke, he has been homeless in Walnut Creek for a year.

Officer Domenick Clemente approached Wayne saying, "Hey Wayne-- you know the last time we spoke to you you were doing pretty well and you said you were waiting for housing so I want to find out how we can move this forward."

Malmgren said the officer's lookout for him.

RELATED: Looking for Answers: Homelessness in the Bay Area

"They make sure I don't screw up, which I can do. And trying to get me help."

Officer Clemente said, "Wayne knows he's doing really well. We're really proud of him. We're no longer getting six calls a day of a male drunk in the middle of the day lying in a crosswalk. "

Officers said 60 percent of the calls coming into Walnut Creek police are now about transients. Recently they moved out a camp on Jones Road wedged between the BART tracks and 680. There is a lot of garbage left behind that can cost tens of thousands of dollars to clean up.



Officer Gary Silva on the homeless patrol said, "The last individual I talk to on main street was from Pacheco. I said what are you doing here? He said I'm here to make money. I said how much did you make? He said $80. I said how long have you been here? He said 20 minutes. I said why did you come to Walnut Creek? He said because I can make more money here. I mean what do you say to that?"

RELATED: Fremont moves forward with homeless navigation center behind city hall

The police here say giving money can fuel drug addiction, that it's better to donate to agencies that can help the homeless like Trinity Center.

One officer said if they hold up a sign saying "anything will help" in this affluent community, they can make $40 an hour. At the holidays perhaps $100 an hour.

Check out more stories and videos about Building a Better Bay Area.


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Antioch to help the homeless with warming centers, showers, safe parking lots and more

It appears to be a step in the right direction where one Contra Costa City has placed focus on their problems. 
ANTIOCH — The city of Antioch is ready to put its words into action in efforts to provide tangible help for its homeless.
Nearly 10 months after establishing a committee and holding public workshops about its homeless encampments and how the unhoused can be helped, the City Council on Tuesday directed its staff to begin work on a list of improvements, such as providing more portable toilets, dumpsters, needle containers, showers, laundry help, motel vouchers, warming centers and safe parking lots for those living in vehicles.


In addition, as soon as a homeless coordinator is hired, that person will be directed to consider options for help with long-term transitional and permanent housing.
Though the increase in the number of homeless people in Contra Costa County has slowed in the past year, it is still rising, according to the city’s housing consultant, Teri House, who gave a presentation on housing and homelessness.
Increases were seen in the number of homeless disabled adults and single adults and seniors, the latter seeing a 97 percent rise since last year. The number of veterans and families who are homeless, meanwhile, is going down in the county, House said.
Rising rents especially pose a “significant challenge” for those who are extremely low-income, she said, pushing some into homelessness.
People who spend more than 32 percent of their incomes on housing are more likely to become homeless, House explained. An estimated 964 Antioch residents lost housing and sought help from a homeless program in 2018, she noted.
“This new study says 32 percent is a crucial benchmark for all of us to look at to see where our community stands and to adjust programs and allocation of resources so that we can help these households that are teetering on the edge of homelessness,” she said.
The imbalance of rising housing costs and smaller incomes hasn’t helped, either. From 2000 to 2015, studies show median rents in Contra Costa County have increased by 25 percent while the median income of renters has decreased by 3 percent, House said.
“Contra Costa County needs about 30,939 more housing units in order to meet the demand of lower-income renters,” she said.
But before taking such larger issues as affordable or permanent housing, City Manager Ron Bernal said staff members, based on the recommendations from recent committee workshops, had compiled a list of more immediate needs of those living on the streets.
“This has been a cooperative effort to get to this point. This is not an all-inclusive list, but it is something we wanted to bring back to you,” he said.
Among the items suggested were installing and servicing containers for needles at an annual cost of $2,500; adding a fourth portable toilet, which would bring the total cost to $5,000 a year; and buying mobile shower units or helping the current Shower Ministries nonprofit to add to its weekly services.
Councilman Lamar Thorpe, co-chair of the homeless encampment committee, however, questioned adding mobile showers, noting the city already has facilities that aren’t being used much of the time.
“I think we have to utilize the assets that we have in front of us as well, rather than reinventing the wheel somewhere else,” he said.
Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock suggested checking with other ministries that offer showers elsewhere.
“I know Shower Ministries serves a huge need,” she said. “There might be other organizations we can reach out to.”
Regarding portable toilets, Mayor Pro Tem Joy Motts suggested the city listen to the business community to decide on areas “where we’re having challenges.”
To help with immediate short-term shelter, Bernal said the city could work with hotels and motels to purchase vouchers that the county’s CORE Team would give to vulnerable homeless for temporary stays at an initial cost of about $10,000, assuming $100-per-night vouchers.
Another option would be funding warming centers either at public buildings such as the library or working with current programs like the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County’s “Winter Nights” rotating shelter coordinated through churches. Though the initial cost of the warming center, including startup, was pegged at $250,000, Lavonna Martin, county director of Health, Housing and Homeless Services, said it could be less if volunteers are used, as with “Winter Nights.”
Recommendations also included establishing a “safe place parking lot” for those living in cars or RVs, though city staff did not indicate where that would be. Such a program would cost about $35,000 for four months to get up and running and staff, Bernal said.
One of the biggest challenges facing the homeless is the lack of transitional and permanent housing, and the city could consider ways of providing both land and/or resources for services already available to help meet this need, he said. Examples included tiny houses, containers, huts and RV parks, all of which the unhoused resident coordinator, once hired, would investigate, he said.
Bernal added that total costs, which are not yet known, to implement the programs will require a budget amendment, which staff will present at the next council meeting.
One former Antioch transient, Jimmy Gordon, applauded his former landlord for allowing him to park his RV on his private property on Wilbur Avenue. He encouraged the council to allow situations like his, which was a lifesaver for him.
“Not all homeless people are hopeless dope fiends. Some just need a hand up, not a hand-out.”
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