A proposal to transfer ownership of the Santa Clarita Emergency Winter Shelter from the city of Santa Clarita to non-profit organization Bridge to Home is among the items on the agenda for the City Council’s regular meeting at City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 26.

The council may move to authorize the City Manager or designee to execute the deed and other necessary documents, subject to City Attorney approval, to transfer the property located at 23029 Drayton Street in Newhall to Bridge to Home.

If approved, staff will work with Bridge to Home to process the necessary Temporary Use Permit to accommodate year-round shelter services.

The current Santa Clarita Valley Temporary Emergency Winter Shelter Program is operated by Bridge to Home on city-owned property located on Drayton Street in Newhall, off Railroad Avenue.

Transfer of ownership of this property to Bridge to Home and the amending the Temporary Use Permit for year-round shelter and services would allow Bridge to Home to be eligible to receive the maximum amount of Measure H funding.

Background
The current Santa Clarita Valley Temporary Emergency Winter Shelter Program is operated by Bridge to Home, a local non-profit organization, on property owned by the city of Santa Clarita, located at 23029 Drayton Street in Newhall.

The location of the winter shelter was determined in 2007 as part of a community Task Force effort led by the Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor. This Task Force was comprised of business, community, school, government, and non-profit leaders within the Santa Clarita Valley.

In February 2007, the City Council approved a recommendation made by the Task Force to site the winter shelter at three different locations in the Santa Clarita Valley over a nine-year period. The locations approved by the City Council as recommended by the Task Force included the city-owned Golden Valley Road property, city-owned Drayton property, and Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho in Castaic (Los Angeles County Jail), which is owned by the county of Los Angeles.

The plan was for the shelter to stay at each location for three consecutive years to minimize moving costs, which based on previous estimates provided by Bridge to Home, could cost as much as $180,000 to move six modular structures.

In the past, the moving costs were paid for by the Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor’s Office and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

In addition to minimizing moving costs, the intent of the rotation was to provide Bridge to Home time to find a permanent location for the shelter.

The shelter started operations at the city-owned Golden Valley Road property during the 2007-2008 winter season and remained at that location until March 2010. During the 2010-2011 winter season, the shelter moved to the city-owned Drayton property.

In August 2012, Bridge to Home met with city staff to request an extension to the Drayton lease which would allow the shelter to continue operations at the Drayton site for three additional consecutive winter seasons.

The City Council approved the lease extension at the February 12, 2013, City Council meeting, allowing Bridge to Home to remain at the Drayton site.

Bridge to Home has operated their temporary emergency winter shelter at the Drayton Street location since 2011. Operations have been renewed annually under the use of a Temporary Use Permit, which allows for the operation of the temporary emergency winter shelter on city-owned property from November to March each year.

City staff has researched alternate locations with no positive results.

Bridge to Home has indicated the Drayton site is their preferred site for a permanent location.

With recent focus on the local homeless population and availability of Measure H funding, the following actions are being considered:

· Transferring ownership of the city-owned property to Bridge to Home.
· Amending the TUP to allow for year-round shelter and services.

If approved, staff will work with Bridge to Home to process the necessary TUP amendment to accommodate year-round shelter services.

Measure H
Measure H was approved by Los Angeles County voters in March 2017 and will generate approximately $355 million annually for the next 10 years. According to LAHSA, all new funding for shelter programs will be for organizations operating 24-hours and 365 days per year.

LAHSA has already begun releasing requests for proposals (RFPs) for organizations to apply for Measure H funding for 21 specific strategies outlined in the Los Angeles County’s Homeless Initiative Plan.

The funding specific to shelter operations is expected to be released in October 2017. Transfer of ownership of the Drayton Street property from the city to Bridge to Home and the approval of a Temporary Use Permit to operate year-round would allow Bridge to Home to be eligible to receive the maximum amount of Measure H funding.

As a courtesy, the city mailed letters to surrounding property owners within 1,000 feet of the Drayton Street site on Monday, September 11, 2017.

This letter notified surrounding property owners of this item to transfer ownership of the property and approve year-round shelter operations being considered before the City Council at the regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, September 26, 2017.

View the complete City Council agenda for Sept. 26 here.