Desk Item.Item #6 - Unhoused Residents
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Finance Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 04/04/2023 ITEM NO: 6 DESK ITEM
DATE: April 4, 2023
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Discussion and Direction for Use of the Council Allocated $25,000 to Support
the Unhoused Residents of Los Gatos
REMARKS:
A Council Member had several questions (bold face type) and staff’s responses are provided
below.
1. Are there alternative options to provide transportation to county/nearby shelters?
Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) runs the public bus system . If the unhoused
residents had financial capacity, other options include, taxi, ridesharing, and other
transportation modes.
2. Does staff think the Moore proposal will be an effective use of funds? If so, why not in
budget? Is this truly one-time? Is it appropriate use of ARPA funds?
The staff have not evaluated the proposal. The Council needs to decide if it wants to fund
Council Member Moore’s proposal or direct funding to other priorities for the unhoused
residents. At this time Council has only directed $25,000 of American Rescue Plan Act
(ARPA) for support of the Los Gatos unhoused residents. Staff is preparing a Proposed
Operating Budget based on direction to date without presuming a particular outcome for
future Council actions. Yes, the Council has the discretion to use ARPA for its priorities as
described in previous communications to the Town Council.
3. This is a stopgap that works during severe weather episodes. For longer term solution,
have we considered support of SB 43 State Sen. Susan Eggman’s new legislation, that will
make it possible for County health officials to save more lives by requiring emergency
care?
The staff have not reviewed SB 43 and does not have a recommendation on this option.
PAGE 2 OF 2 SUBJECT: Discussion and Direction for Use of the Council Allocated $25,000 to Support the Unhoused Residents of Los Gatos DATE: April 4, 2023
REMARKS (continued):
4. Many of our unhoused are seniors. Is there coordination of the Moore proposal with the
CHSSC Mental Health recommendations and with other aspects of the Roadmap?
Staff is awaiting direction from Town Council regarding its priorities for unhoused residents.
Based on that direction, coordination with other entities, including Town Commissions, can
occur.
5. I believe there is a letter from a service agency withdrawing their proposal. Could that
proposal be provided please, and are there other details from others about their services?
The withdrawn proposal can be found in Attachment 6.
Additionally, Attachment 7 contains additional public comments received after the publication
of the staff report and before 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.
Attachments Transmitted with Staff Report:
1. Resolution 2021-023
2. 2020-2025 Santa Clara Community Plan to End Homelessness
3. Council Member Moore’s Proposal
4. Public Comments
5. ARPA Summary
Attachments Transmitted with This Addendum:
6. Withdrawn Proposal from Faith Community
7. Additional Public Comments
The accompanying proposal is the work of several faith community members* who through their
ministries work with the Town’s unhoused residents. It reflects years of this experience and also the
priorities put forth by several unhoused residents at two different forums in 2023.
It is our understanding that $25K of ARP Funds are available now for spending on priorities for our
unhoused residents. With this in mind, the $25K may best be directed to the immediate need for a 24 hr
porta potty (ies) and hotel vouchers or an account set up at town hotels for emergency needs of our
unhoused residents. It is also our understanding that $300K in Town grants will become available for
application June-July 2023. St Luke's Pantry will apply for a grant (having never received Town
financial support in the past) , and Los Gatos United Methodist Church will apply for shower cleaning
again.
Our proposal for future funding includes a permanent 24 hr accessible Town bathroom, permanent
funding for cleaning of showers without using the grant process, and a Case Manager. Left out of our
proposal is the need for an emergency shelter during a weather crisis. We recognize that these needs
cannot be addressed through $25K in funding. However, these are true needs for the Town and we hope
in the months and years to come their study and implementation can be realized.
*Jo Greiner, Pantry St Luke’s
Marna Taylor, Shower Ministry, Los Gatos United Methodist Church
Steve Hall, Ed Lozowicki, Tim O’Rorke & Sue Ahmadian, SVdP, St Marys
Page 1 of 3
ATTACHMENT 6
PROPOSAL TO SUPPORT UNHOUSED RESIDENTS
Presented to Los Gatos Town Council April 4, 2023
Submitted by members of the Downtown Faith Community: St Vincent de Paul, Los Gatos United
Methodist Church and St Luke’s Episcopal Church
1. Funding to support part-time Town Case Manager (CM) approx $20k-$40K
Need
Unhoused clients ( approximately 20 men and women) in town have a variety of unmet needs that not
only causes personal harm but societal harm as well. A lack of medical and dental care, lack of healthy
food, mental health problems, addictions, no safe housing, lack of personal safety, ongoing threats from
the environment, and difficulty accessing the bureaucracy for assistance leads to:
•clients living in unsafe areas around town
•lack of access to health care that leads to increased visits to the emergency room, increased
costs and more health problems for issues that could have been prevented
•interactions with the police due to untreated mental health conditions and addictions
•clients unable to access county, state and federal services that could remedy many issues
sighted above.
As an example of current conditions, in March 2023, an unhoused resident was severely beaten and
robbed in Town. Members of our faith community brought him to the hospital, secured and paid for 10
nights at a hotel for his convalescence, provided meals and replaced his sleeping bag, tent, clothes,
shoes and ID card. He suffers from mental health issues, which may have lead to his being beaten and
robbed. He still suffers from severe headaches and needs secure housing and regular medical care,
which he cannot begin to tackle without the aid of a regular, trusted, case manager
Case managers can make an enormous impact on the lives of these people. After the January 2023 rain
event, an unhoused resident staying at the temporary Red Cross shelter at Camden Community Center
took advantage of the services offered by a Case Manager on site. This resident secured temporary
housing (a tent) and was put on a waiting list and soon received a Tiny House placement.
Proposed Solution – Case Manager for the Unhoused
Duties of an Outreach CM could include:
•enrolling persons into the HMIS (Homeless Management Information System)
•helping secure benefits such as food stamps, social security and disability insurance
•navigating medical services
•connecting with housing resources including section 8 applications, short term shelters and
emergency shelters. We have been told that without a CM, clients have no chance of securing housing.
Outreach CMs in nearby Communities
In discussions with West Valley Community Health Services (WVCHS) we have learned that cities in
the West Valley area have funded CMs to serve their communities. We estimate that the needs of our
clients could be met with a .25 - .5 FTE CM, at the cost of $20K - $40K, perhaps shared with another
community.
Page 2 of 3
2. Funding for Cleaning of Showers for the Unhoused -$7,800
Need
Unhoused people without access to showers pose personal hygiene risks, as well as public health
concerns. Multiple health problems result from lack of cleanliness. Unshowered clients resort to using
public water sources and bathrooms to attempt to get clean. When the showers temporarily closed for
3 months in 2019 during COVID, residents and businesses complained that unhoused people were
severely unkept and dirty, and were causing more disturbances due to not being able to access a
shower. At the weekly Shower Ministry at Los Gatos United Methodist Church, clients receive apapp
shower, toiletries, fresh socks and underwear, a bag lunch and laundry vouchers provided by St Vincent
de Paul.
Proposed Solution
For the past 3 years, the town has generously provided partial payment for weekly cleaning the
showers as part of the Shower Ministry for the Unhoused at Los Gatos United Methodist Church. We
initially received funds as part of the town's response to the COVID pandemic. Since 2021 yearly we
have received $4,000 and $5,750 by successfully applying to the Town of Los Gatos Community Grant
Application for Non-profit Organizations.
We request that we no longer be asked to submit a yearly grant and subsequent report, but that due to
the ongoing essential need for weekly showers for the unhoused, the Town provides funding for a full
year as part of the budget process. Cost- $150/week, $7,800 per year
3. Public Restrooms
Need
Currently the Town does not have any public restrooms available downtown. This disproportionately
impacts the unhoused who have no homes, and by definition, no such facilities. This not only causes
individual concerns, but threatens public health and safety. The unhoused, and business customers and
owners would all benefit from public restrooms.
Proposed Solution
We recommend that the Town furnish public restrooms in the downtown area and include funding for
them in the 2023-24 capital budget. Also, as a temporary measure, we recommend the Town
provide portable toilets until permanent restrooms are completed.
Page 3 of 3
This Page Intentionally Left Blank
ATTACHMENT 7
From: Chris Wiley
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2023 5:48 PM
To: Maria Ristow <MRistow@losgatosca.gov>; Matthew Hudes <MHudes@losgatosca.gov>; Rob Rennie
<RRennie@losgatosca.gov>; Rob Moore <RMoore@losgatosca.gov>; Mary Badame
<MBadame@losgatosca.gov>
Cc: Laurel Prevetti <LPrevetti@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: For the 4th April Town Council Meeting
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Good Day Councilmen of Los Gatos,
The April 4th, 2023 Town Council meeting is planning to discuss allocating $100,000 to assist the needs of our community homelessness during the times of the extreme storms and terrible
weather. Refencing on the agenda is a request from Councilman Moore:
OTHER BUSINESS
• 6.Discussion and Direction for Use of the Council Allocated $25,000 to Support
the Unhoused Residents of Los Gatos.
Mr. Moore is asking in, attachment 3 for $100,000, towards this issue discussed above. He is requesting the Town:
a. Hotel Vouchers for $70,000 b. Public Restrooms and Trash Collection $20,000 c. Shower program for $10,000
No use me repeating the exact details of the aforementioned request - it is the agenda.
As discussed in detail in attachment 2. of the agenda - there is the report from the County of
Santa Clara the 2020-2025 Santa Clara Community Plan to End Homelessness. It is the County that has the charter to work the homeless. They are the ones that supply many of the services that are requested for in Mr. Moore's request in attachment 3.
The Town of Los Gatos needs to first ask themselves, "What is being done for the homeless now?". "How much money is being spent and by whom?". is not Los Gatos already spending time and money by our Police? is that data being collected and put in this request to show what was spent?
My fear is that The Town of Los Gatos is getting in other organizations/governmental lanes. No mention in Mr Moore's request is what is being done now for these
individuals. How many vouchers are available from the County for this service? what are the organizations helping now? Salvation Army? Catholic Charities? etc How much FEMA has helped our citizens on the mountains?
Mr Moore has mentioned in his newsletter that "We will be working with faith leaders, our nonprofit partners, the Los Gatos Police Department, and others to decide what solutions will create the best outcomes for these individuals.". Where are the notes and data from the outcome of these meetings? Are the places of Faith going to be supplying
vouchers? Are they going to have places for showers? Who are the non-profit partners and what will they be planning to contribute?
ATTACHMENT 7
The Town of Los Gatos
- has let the San Jose Water Company run the water
- the main sewer lines are run by West Valley Sanitation District(WVSD)
- the public transportation is run by Valley Transit Authority, etc.
My suggestion is that before we decide to contribute tax payer's money to the
homeless problem, we should find out first what the County is doing for us? How they
plan to supply vouchers, bathrooms, showers, etc. Have Mr. Moore lead up Town
meetings with the organizations mentioned above and see how they can come up with
a resolution working with the county.
Possibly, after Mr. Moore have exhausted all these sources, he may come back and talk
with the Town of how they can add to the mix.
Side Note: Recently there was a sad situation where a woman was killed by a hit and
run driver. Her daughter was also badly injured and the family dog killed. Instantly,
her community put up a "Go Fund me". In less than a week, they raised over
$100,000. Thousands of dollars above their goal of $100,000 and monies are still
coming in.
IN SUMMARY: Have Mr. Moore and his partner Miss Clark used up all the
recourses available before using our taxpayers funds. They have experience of
working with non-profits.
Chris Wiley
University Avenue Los Gatos, CA 95032
When sending from my i-devices plaese excuz my typpos. And I do make many. thanx
From: Kelly Mathews
Sent: Thursday, March 9, 2023 1:54 PM
To: Maria Ristow <MRistow@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Homelessness
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Dear Mayor Ristow,
Hello, Mayor Maria Ristow. I am Dexter Torres from RJ Fisher Middle School and for an
English project, we are assigned to talk about an important issue. I decided to talk to you about
homelessness in the community. You have done an amazing job already helping the community,
but I want to propose a new system to help solve homelessness in the community. I propose you
can make it easier to get into a home/apartment so homeless people can start working until they
can get back on their feet.
I propose we make an area with small houses that people could live in for free, but as a
requirement you would have to get a job. Unlike a homeless shelter, this provided safety and
privacy making it better then a homeless shelter. In this article “Going to shelters more
dangerous for U.S homeless” by NBC it states being in a homeless shelter can be dangerous and
people have a high chance of being stabbed or raped. With my house system we can eliminate
this by everyone having their own small home. We can also set up cameras and other systems to
make sure the housing area is safe.
You might think that could cost a lot of money to build all the houses, maintain them, and
have them on electricity. In this article “The Business Case for Ending Homelessness” it states
that ending homelessness can positively affect our economy. The article says Healthcare costs
are reduced by 59%, emergency department costs are decreased by 61%, and the number of
general inpatient hospitalizations is decreased by 77%. This will happen because the majority of
homeless people are lacking health insurance and are 5 times more likely to visit the emergency
department than the normal person. On average a homeless person can rack up 44,400 thousand
dollars of medical bills. Taking homeless people of the streets and helping them can help pay for
it self by saving money used from medical bills.
In conclusion, I propose a solution to help solve homelessness by building a small area
for individual housing units so people can get jobs and be safe until they get on their feet. Thank
you for your time.
Sincerely,
Dexter Torres