Redwood City Homeless Outreach and Encampment Clean-Up Efforts
When asked about the single most important issue facing Redwood City in a recent Community Satisfaction Survey, the top responses were affordable housing and homelessness
With housing and homelessness being the #1 priority of the City Council since 2019, Redwood City is committed to supporting our unhoused and housing insecure residents, and meeting our unique community housing needs for people at all income levels.
Homelessness requires action at all levels of government and we have partnered with the State and County of San Mateo on immediate and long-term solutions.
While we know there is still more to do, we have proven success at working with key partners, listening to our community, and breaking the mold with innovative approaches to addressing homelessness and affordable housing.
Prior to 2021, a key issue of concern for Redwood City residents was the number of people living in recreational vehicles (RVs) and parking on City streets. Many asked the City to address health, safety and environmental concerns. We heard these concerns and in turn, created the largest Safe Parking Program in the County. We have celebrated many successes of the program, which you can read more about here. We will continue to work with the City’s operator and non-profit partner, LifeMoves, to oversee the Temporary RV Safe Parking Program.
With the implementation of the Safe Parking Program well underway, we now often hear from residents about encampments in the City. Some concerns center on public health, environmental and safety impacts on the community and other concerns urge support for residents experiencing homelessness. In this blog post, learn more about our efforts with homeless outreach and encampment cleanups.
What is Redwood City Doing About Homeless Encampments?
Many encampments in Redwood City are located on state property owned or controlled by the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), such as property adjacent to Highway 101, along El Camino Real, and Woodside Road. Addressing these encampments requires coordination with CalTrans and working with their policies, timelines and resources. This makes it difficult to be as responsive as residents would like the City to be.
We have multiple levels of engagement with CalTrans to support their efforts to provide resources to individuals living on their property so that encampments can be removed. This includes coordinating with San Mateo County and other cities as other communities are experiencing the same challenges we face in Redwood City. CalTrans representatives have indicated that the three encampments at the Woodside Road/El Camino Real cloverleaf are on their list for clean-up. The first, located at Hazel/Linden was recently cleared, and we are waiting to hear when the other two — the encampment across from Bed, Bath and Beyond and the encampment across from Broadway Cleaners — will be addressed.
The City’s local non-profit partners (LifeMoves, Project WeHope, Street Life Ministries, Downtown Street’s Team (DST), Healthcare for the Homeless/Street Medicine) conduct regular outreach to individuals in each of the encampments, offering both basic services as well as options for emergency housing through the County of San Mateo’s Coordinated Entry System (CES). Once an individual accesses the Coordinated Entry System, they can receive services and get on a path for long-term housing. Immediately prior to any clean-up, homeless outreach workers visit the site again to offer resources in hope of providing shelter services, and provide information about how to retrieve any personal property that is removed from the encampment. We cannot force people to accept services, and we know that sometimes people need to be offered services many times before they choose to accept them.
The City has arranged for civilian homeless outreach workers to regularly visit encampments to offer shelter and basic services to our homeless residents.
CalTrans staff have suggested that we share the following resources for residents to request maintenance/repair and/or inquire about their services:
1. Submit a Customer Service Request, by visiting csr.dot.ca.gov
2. Download and utilize their Mobile app “CT Service” (App Store or Google Play)
3. Email: CaltransD4@dot.ca.gov
4. Call: (510) 286–6173
A Record $4.8 million in City Funding to Help House Individuals Experiencing Homelessness and Reduce Community Impacts Related to Encampments
In 2019, the City began to explore innovative ways to strengthen our efforts towards addressing and ending homelessness beyond the programs and services available in our county system. Over the last three years, the City has committed an exceptional $4.8 million in City funding to support members of our community experiencing homelessness.
Addressing the community impact of homeless encampments continues to represent a large investment. Various City departments strive to address the community impact of encampments, seeking to protect all members of the community from harm, keep garbage and other refuse levels down, mitigate environmental impacts, and minimize the risk of fires.
In 2021, our Public Works staff conducted 40 encampment cleanups, equating to 839 cubic yards of trash.
For many years, whenever there is a need for encampment residents to vacate due to health and safety issues, we have focused on providing advance notice prior to clean ups, storing personal property, and offering supportive services. Using this approach, we have been successful in gaining the cooperation of encampment occupants to move from the site without the need for arrest. No arrests for illegal encampments have been made since 2018.
Redwood City Awarded $1.8 Million in State Funds to Assist With Homeless Outreach and Encampment Cleanups
We recently received a $1.8M State grant to support our efforts to offer services and limit community impacts. Most of the grant will be used to support coordinated and expanded homeless outreach, increase encampment waste services, and fund restoration of selected encampment locations. As noted, most of the encampments along these corridors are on CalTrans property. We have shared our plans with local CalTrans superintendents who support our proposed efforts. We appreciate the State’s support and will continue to collaborate with all levels of government in urgently providing services and finding long-term solutions.
Pathway for Homeless Individuals to Gain Employment While Keeping the City Clean
In October 2019, the City began contracting with Downtown Streets Team (DST), a non-profit program that provides a pathway for homeless individuals to gain employment and permanent housing while keeping City streets clean and beautiful.
DST has space for 25 team members at any given time. Team members who remain consistent with the program are the ones most likely to transition into employment and housing.
One of the greatest strengths of the DST program is the peer support and growth opportunity as team members are able graduate to higher level of responsibility with the team over time and support one another in that process.
Beyond cleaning city streets, DST team members have been supporting the Encampment Waste Services Team. Together, they respond to illegal dumping and provide encampment waste services for homeless encampments where encampment residents collect their own trash to be picked up by DST. This approach has multiple benefits: it addresses important sanitation needs for the community and it allows Team members, who have experience with homelessness themselves, to connect with those living in encampments to encourage steps toward shelter and services. Peer outreach can be a highly effective means of engagement.
Key outcomes in 2021:
· 24 current Downtown Streets Team members (all currently or formerly unsheltered individuals); total of 109 unduplicated DST members since October 2019
· 15 team members placed in jobs; 2 non-team members placed in jobs
· 10 team members housed; 2 non-team members housed
· 31,268 volunteer hours by Downtown Streets Team members
· 323,868 gallons of trash/recycling collected
· 24 major multi-day encampment clean-ups
· Provided weekly encampment waste services in partnership with 33 people living in local encampments
· Offered resources and service connections to over 150 non-Team Members
Redwood City Takes Action to House Vulnerable Residents and Enhance Waterfront Access
On September 27, 2021, the City Council took action to advance multiple City priorities, including housing homeless residents, improving circulation and public safety, and preserving approximately 10 acres of City waterfront property for future community recreational uses. The City Council approved a property exchange of City-owned property located at 1469 Maple Street with the County of San Mateo for County-owned property located at 1580 Maple Street. This property exchange advances City Council priorities going back more than a decade, including housing, transportation, recreation and economic vitality. Read more here.
Converting Hotels Into Supportive Housing Through Project Homekey
The purchase and conversion of hotels benefits the City by providing needed permanent housing and emergency shelter for residents experiencing homelessness, and is a key step toward addressing the top two priorities we heard from residents through our recent Community Satisfaction Survey — housing and homelessness.
San Mateo County has recently purchased three hotels in Redwood City, to convert them into permanent affordable senior housing, emergency shelter and permanent extremely low- income affordable housing. Recently, the County was awarded a fifth State Homekey grant, amounting to $16 million, to aid our collective effort to provide shelter and housing to those experiencing homelessness. It is remarkable that the State is providing such a high level of funding to support local efforts on homelessness. In total, over $100 million has come to projects in Redwood City from Homekey funds. In addition, the City Council recently approved an additional $1.34 million towards rehabilitation costs, such as adding kitchenettes, ADA upgrades, etc. to convert one of the hotels into permanent affordable housing. The City is also working with the County on establishing a Redwood City resident preference for the converted hotel units.
Overall, the direct annual costs to the City for addressing issues related to homelessness and housing instability are more than double the loss to the City of the annual hotel tax revenue associated with the three hotel purchases.
Visit www.homekey.hcd.ca.gov for more information.
We are Here to Help
The City’s Fair Oaks Community Center is the entry point for our countywide homeless system of service and our City’s primary resource related to homeless service options. You can reach us at (650) 780–7500 or visit us at 2600 Middlefield Road.
How Can You Help?
If you see a homeless individual who might need services, you can tell them to call (650) 780–7500 or go to the Fair Oaks Community Center for services. Or you can call (650) 780–7500 and provide the location of the individual so that a homeless outreach worker can try to reach out to that individual to offer services.
If you see homeless encampments or other areas needing cleanup, notify the Police Department by contacting (650) 780–7118. Let the dispatcher know where the encampment is located, with as much detail as possible. If there is a medical, fire, or other emergencies, dial 9–1–1. Keep in mind non-emergency encampment clean-up requests will take time to address, as department personnel may need to post eviction notices around the area, and then need to coordinate with Public Works Services to schedule cleanup. Care needs to be given to the people living in the encampments. As indicated previously, many encampment locations in Redwood City are on CalTrans Right of Way and are subject to CalTrans policies, timelines, and resources.
You can also use the MyRWC app where you can submit information about homeless encampments or other areas needing clean-ups, including using a pinpoint to identify the exact area that needs to be addressed.
If you are able, you can also donate your time to local nonprofits, such as LiveMoves or Street Life Ministries, Samaritan House, or the Downtown Streets Team to help support our homeless residents.
