3A Public Hearing 2009 0921 - Laserfiche WebLink

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FY2008-2009 CAPER -5- September 21, 2009 to prevent homelessness. ECHO prevented five (5) households from being evicted, assisted two (2) households to get into housing, and provided information and support counseling for eighty- five (85) program applicants. • Tenant/Landlord Counseling Using CDBG funds, the City contracted with ECHO Housing for landlord/tenant counseling services to help maintain people in housing. Information and referral services were provided to 6871andlords and tenants from 312 households. In FY 2008-09, ECHO handled ninety-two (92) cases related to eviction and succeeded in preventing four (4) households from being evicted. Staff also assisted with one (1) retaliation case, fifty-nine (59) landlord/tenant inquiries related to repairs, thirty-three (33) cases regarding security deposits, twelve (12) instances involving rent increases, and eleven (11) occurrences of unlawful entry by a landlord. There were also 128 miscellaneous inquiries (e.g., noise, neighbor disputes, parking, etc.). ECHO staff, furthermore, assisted eight (8) households with conciliation/mediation services, and four (4) of these cases were resolved. Lastly, staff referred sixty (60) households, or sixty-nine (69) persons, to small claims court and forty-seven (47) households, or thirty-eight (38) persons, to other appropriate agencies. • Davis Street Family Resource Center Using Redevelopment Housing Set-Aside Funds, the City contracted with DSFRC for special housing services referring clients to rental opportunities in the City, including existing City below-market rate (BMR) units. These services aim to prevent those currently housed from becoming homeless. An average of twenty (20) callers a week inquired about housing assistance and the availability of affordable rental units. DSFRC staff assisted four (4) clients to enroll in waiting lists for BMR properties in San Leandro. An additional six (6) assisted clients found housing in non-BMR properties located in the neighboring cities. DSFRC continued to maintain its close relationship with Building Futures with Women & Children (BFWC) by providing supportive services, such as housing searches, employment counseling, emergency shelter, and clothing, to twenty (20) BFWC clients. DSFRC also sent updated BMR vacancy or waiting list information to BFWC to keep them informed of affordable housing opportunities for their clients. Priority: Build on inter-jurisdictional cooperation and further coordination and improvement of the Homeless Continuum of Care System. • After ten years of coordinating local efforts to address homelessness, the Alameda County- wide Continuum of Care Council transferred its responsibilities to Everyone Home and celebrated its final meeting in November 2008. Everyone Home is the community-based organization formed to coordinate the implementation of the Everyone Home Plan (formerly known as the Alameda County Homeless and Special Needs Housing Plan). The Everyone Home Plan is a comprehensive blueprint to end homelessness, including chronic homelessness by the year 2020, and address the housing needs of extremely low income persons living with serious mental illness and or HIV/AIDS. • As of June 30, 2009, the Plan has been adopted by the County and thirteen (13) cities. Piedmont will consider adoption this September. In addition, fifty-four (54) community based organizations have also endorsed the Everyone HOME Plan and are participating in implementation strategies along with the cities and county government.