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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 05/27/2025 - Memorandum from Brittany Depew re Homelessness Update – May 2025Social Sustainability Department 222 Laporte Avenue PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522 970-221-6595 bdepew@fcgov.com CC: Executive Sponsors: Rupa Venkatesh, Assistant City Manager & Jeff Swoboda, Chief of Police Beth Yonce, Social Sustainability Department Director; Vanessa Fenley, Housing Manager MEMORANDUM Date: May 14, 2025 To: Mayor and City Councilmembers Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager Tyler Marr, Deputy City Manager Jacob Castillo, Chief Sustainability Officer From: Brittany Depew, Lead Homelessness Specialist Subject: Homelessness Update – May 2025 BOTTOM LINE Addressing homelessness in Fort Collins is a collaborative, multi-sector effort that involves dedicated, cross- departmental staff and funding resources from the City, the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care, nonprofit organizations, and community members to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring. Ongoing efforts address both short-term, targeted response and long-term, systemic approaches. Note: These memos have shifted from quarterly to biannual and will now be shared in alignment with seasonal shelter timing. Memos will come in May, after the Seasonal Overflow Shelter ends, and in November, after the non-SOS season ends. SHORT-TERM, TARGETED RESPONSE Staff and Partner Collaborative Response Homelessness Tactical Team (HTT) • This rapid response team, consisting of City staff and partner agencies, meets weekly to discuss needs related to homelessness in our community. • Ongoing projects include weekly site cleanup coordination; assessing mitigation options for hot spots; collaborative brainstorming to connect people to shelter, housing and services; and ensuring consistency in response across departments/agencies. Docusign Envelope ID: CD52C99D-58CC-45F9-822C-299577ECFFA2 • The focus of this team in the beginning of 2025 was building consistency and process to stay on top of sites needing cleanup with the new cleanup cadence of every other week; in 2024 cleanups were taking place weekly, but the 2025 cleanup budget has required a reduction in this frequency. Homelessness Policy Advisory Team • The Policy Advisory Team meets monthly, with a focus on policy needs and updates related to homelessness response. • The topics discussed in early 2025 were repeat offenses, trespass policy, and mitigation projects. • For mitigation projects, this team is working with FC Lean to create a policy for how to determine when larger-scale mitigation is appropriate and a supported use of additional funds. • This process has created a list of seven weighted criteria for assessing priority mitigation sites, and the final decision-making matrix is being drafted and tested. It will be used to rank sites by the end of Q2. • Mitigation projects, which are typically larger-scale and higher-cost, include things like clearing brush and debris, adding infrastructure to ditches and/or tunnels to reduce or eliminate options for camping, decrease risks to life safety, etc. They are meant as a larger investment up front to reduce cleanup costs long-term. Homeless Outreach and Proactive Engagement (HOPE) Team – Police Services • In Q1, the HOPE Team responded to 581 calls for service, held 36 community engagement events, provided 59 referrals to Outreach Fort Collins, issued 143 citations/arrests, recovered 23 stolen bicycles, towed 5 RVs/vehicles, and supported 179 site cleanups (total of 879 bags of refuse and 260 sharps) camp cleanups. • Case Highlight: Since September 2024, several people have been occupying a wooded area in Lee Martinez Park along the Poudre Trail. There have been several resource referrals, Outreach Fort Collins visits, citations, and arrests, but the individuals refused to leave. Due to the proximity to public trails and sensitive ecological habitats, many calls and emails of concern were received. In January, Officer Skaar drafted search and arrest warrants of the camp and its occupants. The camp was then cleaned up and closed for restoration. An overwhelming amount of property was diverted, 4 stolen bikes were recovered, and 19 arrest warrants were cleared. The conclusion of this case was made possible through the efforts of the FCPS HOPE team, District 1, Special Operations Group, Natural Areas Rangers, Park Rangers, the City Attorney's Office, Code Compliance, and Outreach Fort Collins. Docusign Envelope ID: CD52C99D-58CC-45F9-822C-299577ECFFA2 • HOPE Team & Outreach Fort Collins Collaboration o 50 unique individuals referred to OFC from HOPE in Q1 (8 previously unknown to OFC). o OFC had 267 contacts with all previously-referred HOPE clients, including 132 immediate needs education and resources, and 31 agency referrals. Site Cleanups • In Q1, over the course of 7 cleanup days (roughly every other week), 179 sites were cleaned, including 127 cleared with assistance from a contracted cleaning crew, and the remainder completed by Natural Areas staff, Parks staff, rangers, or other groups (including occupants of active camps volunteering to assist). • Of the sites that were cleaned, there were 260 sharps collected, 301 total person hours used, 151 cubic yards of waste (approximately 895 bags) collected, 45 cubic yards of metal recycling collected, and 44 shopping carts reclaimed. • At the end of 2024, there were approximately 39 sites awaiting cleanup (this does not include occupied sites or sites pending cleanup by other agencies). • During Q1, the average time from site identification to cleanup was 31 days. Due to the every other week cadence for cleanups, the range for this number has increased significantly; some sites are prioritized and cleaned up in a week while others are not prioritized and pushed back to a month or more. • To date, the average cost per cleanup is $6,485, which generally includes about 18 individual sites. • In Q1, approximately $45k was spent on contractor site cleanups. Extreme Weather Activations Extreme Cold • During the colder months, generally November-April, staff checks weather forecasts daily and activates the Emergency Weather Shelter Plan (EWSP) if any of the following criteria are met: o The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts overnight temperatures of zero degrees or below and/or issues a severe winter storm warning and/or a severe windchill advisory. Docusign Envelope ID: CD52C99D-58CC-45F9-822C-299577ECFFA2 • During an activation, shelter providers allow anyone seeking shelter to access services, even those on a current ban (the City funds additional security, if needed); Transfort also makes every effort to provide a shuttle between locations if an activation takes place on a day without regular bus service. • There were 7 nights of activation this winter season, all taking place in Q1: Night of Activation Actual Recorded Overnight Low January 7, 2025 -2℉ January 9, 2025 9℉ January 18, 2025 -8℉ January 19, 2025 -1℉ January 20, 2025 -11℉ February 11, 2025 5℉ February 12, 2025 -5℉ • During one of these cold snaps, the total shelter capacity for men was insufficient, even with the additional 70 beds at the overflow shelter. With support from various partners, including Precision Security, Peak Community Church, and Catholic Charities, the Fort Collins Rescue Mission was able to secure shelter options for all men and no one was turned away into inclement weather. • City staff and partners started conversations to build additional shelter options during emergency weather nights for the 2025-2026 season in the event capacity is, once again, not sufficient on the coldest nights. Heat Response Plan • Heading into the warmer months, the Heat Response Plan will be in place and activated as needed. • Utilizing the HeatRisk Map, operated by the National Weather Service, staff will activate the Heat Response Plan if the heat category is “red” or “major.” • When activated, the Murphy Center will extend their hours into the evening (if it’s a weekday) or open their hours for service, when they would otherwise be closed (if it’s a weekend). Docusign Envelope ID: CD52C99D-58CC-45F9-822C-299577ECFFA2 Seasonal Overflow Shelter • Seasonal Overflow Shelter has concluded for the year. • The auxiliary shelter, located at the City-owned building at 117 N. Mason, was operated by Fort Collins Rescue Mission, accommodated up to 70 men per night, and was open from November 4-April 28. • In January, the auxiliary shelter provided 1,624 nights of shelter to an average of 52 men per night; in February, there were a total of 1,622 nights of shelter provided to an average of 56 men per night; and in March, there were 1,733 nights of shelter and an average of 58 men per night. • In total, the shelter provided 8,849 nights of shelter and served 17,689 meals. • As mentioned above, City staff are collaborating with the Rescue Mission and other partners to confirm plans for the 2025-26 season. Along with capacity being insufficient on a couple of emergency weather nights, we also anticipate that the City of Loveland’s South Railroad Facility shelter site, with a total capacity of 75 beds, will be closing permanently at the end of September. This closure will likely increase the number of people seeking shelter in Fort Collins this upcoming winter season. LONG-TERM, SYSTEMIC APPROACHES Prevention & Supportive Services • Nonprofit agencies are assessing their resourcing needs and constraints into 2025 with major shifts in funding due to ARPA grants ending and shifts in federal funding. Shelters have continued to be near or at capacity for men, women, and families. • See nonprofit agencies’ updates in Appendix A Evaluation, Metrics, and Reporting Disruptive Behavior Data & Trends (from Outreach Fort Collins) • From January-March, OFC had 2,441 total community contacts, including engagement with 390 individuals experiencing homelessness. • There were 61 client contacts classified as “disruptive behavior” (40% decrease from Q4 2024) and 63 contacts classified as “escalated behavior” (22% decrease from Q4), 153 community calls for safety Docusign Envelope ID: CD52C99D-58CC-45F9-822C-299577ECFFA2 concerns (16% decrease from Q4) and 3 outgoing referrals to emergency responders (on par with Q4 numbers). • Compared to Q4, there was a 9% decrease in homeless contacts, 44% decrease in contacts with top 10 highest frequency clients, and 31% decrease in contacts at top 5 geographical hotspots. • Overall, OFC staff engaged with 390 unduplicated clients, offered immediate needs education and resources 565 times and completed 100 agency referrals. With warm weather and the closure of the overflow shelter at 117 N. Mason, there has been a noticeable increase in outreach engagements. • OFC’s service area, which runs along the College corridor from Willox to Trilby and includes Old Town, the Walmart and Home Depot area near Mulberry & Lemay, and both Transit Centers. Rates of Homelessness and Exits to Housing for Q1 (from Homeward Alliance, HMIS Lead Agency) • In Q1 2025, the total number of clients enrolled in the HMIS data system in Fort Collins was 2,641. • The total number of people experiencing chronic homelessness was 433 during this reporting period. • 70 households experiencing chronic homelessness were exited into permanent housing. Docusign Envelope ID: CD52C99D-58CC-45F9-822C-299577ECFFA2 • Please note: The HMIS data tracking system has been updated in its clarity, usage, and structure and the data may not be directly comparable to previous quarters. The system continues to get more sophisticated with more accurate reporting. Funding • For 2025, the Socia Sustainability Department is managing $1 million in funds for homelessness response, which will all be granted out to local partner agencies for prevention, supportive services, and sheltering. • $730k has been directly allocated to Outreach Fort Collins, Homeward Alliance/Murphy Center, the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care, and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). • For the first time ever, there is also $270k homelessness-specific funds as part of the Competitive Process. The Human Services and Housing Funding Board received 15 Homelessness Response and Prevention applications and finalized their recommendations in late April. These recommendations will be brought to City Council in June. Strategic Planning • Homeward Alliance has retained two consulting firms (JG Research & Evaluation and OMNI Institute) to oversee the development of a strategic plan for addressing homelessness in Larimer County. Docusign Envelope ID: CD52C99D-58CC-45F9-822C-299577ECFFA2 • From October 2024-September 2025, the firms will work with local municipalities, nonprofits, people with lived experience and other stakeholders to develop the strategic plan. • City staff have been involved since the inception of this project, providing support drafting the proposal, soliciting and reviewing proposals, and selecting the contractor. • Stage 1 (Planning & Background) and Stage 2 (Data Collection & Analysis) are complete. • The project is currently in Stage 3: Plan Design & Stakeholder Engagement, which includes community and elected officials surveys, focus groups, and strategic planning sessions. • Stage 4: Strategic Goals & Action Planning will begin in Q2, including an in-person visit from the consulting team. Docusign Envelope ID: CD52C99D-58CC-45F9-822C-299577ECFFA2 APPENDIX A Updates submitted by community partners (not all agencies provide updates each memo): • Catholic Charities o Emergency Shelter Update: The family dorm has stabilized after recent adjustments and is now at full capacity. Five families are on the waitlist, and the Family Housing Network is also full. Limited space remains available for single women. o Extended-Stay Program Update: The program has openings for men, women, and families. Intake processing is slower due to a vacant Intake Specialist position. Despite this, the program continues to achieve above-national-average success rates for housing placements. Partnership with Fort Collins Rescue Mission has strengthened to increase referrals of single men to the program. • Homeward Alliance o After five years with the United Way of Weld County serving as the Lead Agency for the Northern Colorado Continuum of Care, an RFP was issued to hire a new Lead Agency (a standard practice for all CoCs on this cadence). After a full application and review process, Homeward Alliance was identified and will serve as the new Lead Agency as of June 1, 2025. • Outreach Fort Collins o Recently published their 2024 Year in Review, which will be shared with City Council with a letter from the Executive Director in the coming weeks. Docusign Envelope ID: CD52C99D-58CC-45F9-822C-299577ECFFA2