DATE: June 6, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nerland, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Resolution in Support of CSAC’s AT HOME Plan
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Adopt and Authorize the Chairman to execute a Resolution supporting the California State Association of Counties’ AT HOME Plan to address homelessness throughout California that supplements the meaningful progress and extensive efforts the County has already taken to help persons who are unhoused or are housing insecure.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will adopt a resolution supporting the AT HOME Plan proposed by the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) to establish identifiable expectations of responsibility, accountability, and sustainability for federal, state, and local agencies to address homelessness in our communities. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may choose not to approve, or revise the Resolution.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action.
DISCUSSION:
The County of Fresno acknowledges that homelessness is the preeminent humanitarian crisis for this country and generation. In acknowledging this crisis, the County has taken considerable action to address inequities throughout the region in its retirement investment strategies and comprehensive, coordinated homeless housing/services delivery system.
The County, through the Fresno County Employees’ Retirement Association (FCERA), has invested in underserved communities to create affordable rental housing that prevents homelessness and provides housing stability while directing FCERA to seek investment opportunities that not only benefit county employees but also achieve measurable and transparent, positive social impacts to reduce inequalities countywide. The County strongly believes that these investments, supporting County facilities and infrastructure, will stimulate affordable homeownership among the underserved and unhoused communities to create personal wealth for the affected populace.
The County also administers the Fresno-Madera County Continuum of Care which is made up of over a hundred different non-profit organizations and government agencies in the Fresno and Madera region with the sole purpose of providing a comprehensive coordinated homeless housing and services delivery system. Through its Departments of Behavioral Health and Social Services, the County directly provides extensive housing and supportive services to persons experiencing homelessness while funding the Multi-Agency Access Point Program to assist thousands of persons a year experiencing homelessness in gaining access and linkages to services.
To support and continue the meaningful progress and extensive efforts the County has already taken to help persons who are unhoused or are housing insecure, the County is pleased to support CSAC’s innovative approach to address homelessness. CSAC has recently introduced its comprehensive Plan to address homelessness across the state of California. The AT HOME Plan seeks to help persons that are unhoused or at risk of becoming unhoused in our communities. The plan includes six pillars that are essential to managing this humanitarian crisis by defining lines of responsibility, accountability, and sustainability among Federal, State, and local partners. The six pillars of Accountability, Transparency, Housing, Outreach, Mitigation, and Economic opportunity are crucial to effectively and equitably addressing homelessness by clarifying roles, responsibilities, and liabilities of stakeholders at all levels of government.
It is recommended that your Board approve the attached resolution supporting CSAC’s AT HOME Plan to comprehensively address homelessness. Supporting this Plan and its tenets will supplement all of the current actions and plans of the County to address homelessness by providing a structured framework for regional and statewide collective work in reducing the far-reaching effects of homelessness.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Resolution
CSAC AT HOME Presentation JUN 2023
CAO ANALYST:
Fine Nai