Progress Continues on Addressing Homelessness
Mayor Arreguin tours the Golden Bear Homes, one of the newest permanent supportive housing communities in Berkeley with 43 units.
With continued investment in addressing homelessness on a local, regional, and statewide level, we are making further inroads in lifting people out of homelessness and into housing. This is a tedious process that takes immense resources and staff time, but is necessary to make a difference. Thanks to the generosity of Berkeley voters, the passage of Measure P has helped raise tens of millions of dollars that is being put to work. While there still is a long way to go, the advancements we have made in recent years are paying off with more opportunities and services to help people out of homelessness and by preventing those at risk of homelessness from losing their homes.
Measure P Funds Reduce and Prevent Homelessness
Since its passage on the 2018 ballot, Measure P has raised approximately $14 million annually for homeless services. The real property transfer tax provides funding for the creation of new permanent housing, improving street conditions and hygiene, homelessness prevention, and emergency shelter. During Fiscal Year 2022 (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022), the City spent $30.7 million on homelessness, with $15.7 million, or just over half of the funds coming from Measure P. These funds have been making a difference. Berkeley’s homeless population has declined in recent years despite increases to the regional homeless population.
Eight permanent housing projects have been funded through Measure P, providing dozens of units of housing with supportive services. Measure P is a major source for Insight Housing’s (formerly Berkeley Food and Housing Project) Hope Center, which provides 53 units of permanent supportive housing, 32 shelter beds, and 12 units of transitional housing.
Measure P is funding 17 different projects that address immediate street conditions and hygiene. These projects provide a wide range of services, including mental health crisis response, lockers, outreach workers, and portable toilets, as well as drop-in services such as showers and laundry, food, and case management. Outreach teams have made over 500 offers of shelter to those living on the streets.
168 new immediate shelter beds have been created as a result of Measure P. This has also expanded our emergency shelters, which helped provide shelter during the unusually cold and stormy winter season. It has also played an instrumental role in funding homeless prevention, such as the Housing Retention Program. This has helped keep hundreds of people in their homes, which has proven to be especially critical during the pandemic and now during the Transition Period of the Eviction Moratorium.
We have been able to use Measure P funds as leverage for additional funds through State programs, such as Homekey, which converts hotels and related properties into interim and permanent housing for formerly homeless individuals.
To learn more about the specific programs and projects being funded by Measure P, click here.
Homeless Response Team Makes Hundreds of Contacts
The Homeless Response Team (HRT) was launched in 2021, designed from best practices to address encampment resolution. By connecting individuals living in encampments to services and shelter, we are able to address health and safety impacts encampments pose to both encampment residents and the greater community. Through these efforts, we are able to clear encampments while abiding by court decisions that require jurisdictions to provide shelter to individuals before clearing an encampment. This is done in a way that does not result in criminalization.
Since September 2021, the HRT has provided over 500 shelter offers. While the overall acceptance rate of these offers is 43%, this nearly doubles to 84% when non-congregate shelter offers are made (such as a private room in a motel). Knowing that there is a much higher success rate for this kind of model, we have been expanding the number of non-congregate shelters. Just this week, the City Council approved a lease for the Super 8 motel, which will add 23 new rooms. This was made possible by a $4.9 million grant from the State, along with matching funds from Measure P.
Several major encampments have been cleared since the launch of the HRT, with residents being moved to shelters and on a path to permanent, stable housing. Currently, the HRT is focusing on encampments located at Northwest Berkeley’s Gilman District, which has one of the largest remaining encampments in the city.
Updated Budget Provides Biggest Measure P Investment to Date
The updated budget for Fiscal Year 2024 (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024), was approved a couple of weeks ago by the City Council. In total, almost $21.4 million is being invested in homeless services through Measure P, making it the biggest annual investment in Measure P funds to date. This includes:
$5.2 million for immediate street conditions and hygiene, including street medicine, mental health services, locker programs, toilets, and the Homeless Response Team
$7.5 million for emergency shelter, including the STAIR Navigation Center, various shelters including the winter shelter and inclement weather shelter.
$5.8 million for permanent housing, including step-up housing and one-time costs associated with the acquisition of the Russell Street property.
$1.9 million for homelessness prevention, including emergency housing assistance and anti-displacement programs.
When Measure P was passed in 2018, it was conservatively anticipated that $6-$8 million would be raised annually. But with interest rates near 0% between 2020-2022, more property transfers took place than anticipated, resulting in $12-$14 million in revenue being generated annually over the last couple of years. However, with interest rates now over 5% and likely to increase, we expect to see a cooldown in the real estate market, resulting in predicted annual revenue of $10-$12 million in the coming years. While this does mean that anticipated expenses for Measure P projects will surpass revenues, we expect we can continue to leverage funds from state and federal resources to provide funding for these services. Measure P is set to sunset in 2029, but can be extended via a ballot measure.
Looking Forward
Berkeley has punched above its weight when it comes to progressive, service-forward solutions to homelessness. As a result, we have been seeing a decrease in our homeless population despite an increase across the region (albeit at a slower pace compared to previous years). Last year, Alameda County adopted the Home Together 2026 Community Plan to take a 5-year regional plan to address homelessness. Over the past year, there has been a significant expansion of programs and resources across the county, with 25% more people served compared to the previous year. By applying the successes here in Berkeley on a countywide level, we can begin to not only see a continuation of the slowdown but a decrease in the homeless population across the county. With cities working together with Alameda County, and continued support from the State, we can continue to turn the tide on homelessness. As the President of the Alameda County Mayors Conference, I am committed to working with our partners in the County and State to provide the funding and services to address our homeless crisis.