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Home My WebLink AboutRESO 9994 1 0160053_20210929_ay16 Resolution No. 9994 Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Declaring a Shelter Crisis R E C I T A L S A. The County of Santa Clara (the “County”) conducts a biannual census of the homeless population in the County, which includes sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons living in the City of Palo Alto (the “City”). This count serves as a baseline for understanding the homeless population in the region, capturing individuals and families sleeping in emergency shelters, transitional housing, as well as people living on the streets, in vehicles, abandoned properties, or other places not meant for human habitation. B. The County’s last count of the homeless population in Palo Alto was conducted in 2019. It showed that the population of homeless persons in Palo Alto had increased by 13% from 2017, from 276 to 313. In the same time span, proportion of unsheltered homeless Palo Altans grew. In 2017, 8% of homeless Palo Altans were sheltered. In 2019, only 4% of homeless Palo Altans were sheltered. C. A number of community-based organizations in Palo Alto provide food, financial assistance, and other services to those in need. These organizations include Destination Home, Dignity on Wheels, the Heart and Home Collaborative, and the LifeMoves Opportunity Services Center. Despite these efforts, a significant number of persons within Palo Alto are without the ability to obtain shelter. D. People experiencing homelessness are at a higher risk of injury, illness, and harm due to weather exposure and are likely to have inadequate access to other basic human services, such as utilities, sanitary waste facilities, and garbage services, which can have adverse consequences for themselves and their communities. This is especially true for unsheltered homeless persons. E. National analysis from the Journal of the American Medical Association noted that people experiencing homelessness bear a disproportionate burden of chronic illnesses and have been unable to consistently practice social isolation, causing them to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Studies from the early months of the pandemic in the United States demonstrated infection rates were substantially higher among homeless populations than among those with stable housing. F. Section 8698.2 of the Government Code of the State of California authorizes the City of Palo Alto to declare the existence of a shelter crisis upon finding that a significant number of residents are without the ability to obtain shelter, resulting in a threat to their health and safety. G. Section 8698.1 of the Government Code of the State of California provides limited immunity for ordinary negligence in the provision of emergency housing by opening DocuSign Envelope ID: 9FFE3E97-B417-4730-8CAE-ECFAD1C53749 2 0160053_20210929_ay16 public facilities to homeless persons and suspends strict compliance with housing, health, or safety standards to the extent that strict compliance would hinder the mitigation of the effects of the shelter crisis. Moreover, the City may, in place of such standards, enact health and safety standards to operate during the housing emergency consistent with ensuring minimal public health and safety. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto RESOLVES as follows: SECTION 1. The Council finds that a shelter crisis exists within the City of Palo Alto because a significant number of Palo Alto residents are without the ability to obtain stable housing or shelter, resulting in threats to their health and safety and for the reasons stated in the Recitals above. SECTION 2. The Council hereby declares a shelter crisis within the City of Palo Alto. SECTION 3. This declaration of shelter crisis shall be effective for a period of one year from the date of adoption unless extended by the Council. SECTION 4. The Council finds that the adoption of this resolution does not meet the definition of a project under Public Resources Code Section 21065, thus, no environmental assessment under the California Environmental Quality Act is required at present. Alternatively, the adoption of this resolution is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15269, Emergency Projects Undertaken for Specific Actions Necessary to Prevent or Mitigate an Emergency. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: September 27, 2021 AYES: BURT, CORMACK, DUBOIS, FILSETH, KOU, STONE, TANAKA NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST: __________________________ _____________________________ City Clerk Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED: __________________________ _____________________________ Assistant City Attorney City Manager DocuSign Envelope ID: 9FFE3E97-B417-4730-8CAE-ECFAD1C53749 Certificate Of Completion Envelope Id: 9FFE3E97B41747308CAEECFAD1C53749 Status: Completed Subject: Please DocuSign: RESO 9994 Resolution of the Council of the City of Palo Alto Declaring a Shelt... Source Envelope: Document Pages: 2 Signatures: 4 Envelope Originator: Certificate Pages: 2 Initials: 0 Danielle Kang AutoNav: Enabled EnvelopeId Stamping: Enabled Time Zone: (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) 250 Hamilton Ave Palo Alto , CA 94301 Danielle.Kang@cityofpaloalto.org IP Address: 199.33.32.254 Record Tracking Status: Original 10/29/2021 9:52:22 AM Holder: Danielle Kang Danielle.Kang@cityofpaloalto.org Location: DocuSign Security Appliance Status: Connected Pool: StateLocal Storage Appliance Status: Connected Pool: City of Palo Alto Location: DocuSign Signer Events Signature Timestamp Albert Yang Albert.Yang@CityofPaloAlto.org Assistant City Attorney City of Palo Alto Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 97.126.53.100 Signed using mobile Sent: 10/29/2021 9:53:57 AM Viewed: 10/29/2021 12:19:27 PM Signed: 10/29/2021 12:19:34 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via DocuSign Ed Shikada Ed.Shikada@CityofPaloAlto.org Ed Shikada, City Manager City of Palo Alto Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 107.77.230.114 Signed using mobile Sent: 10/29/2021 12:19:35 PM Viewed: 10/29/2021 3:18:24 PM Signed: 10/29/2021 3:18:35 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via DocuSign Tom DuBois tomforcouncil@gmail.com Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None) Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 24.5.55.204 Sent: 10/29/2021 3:18:36 PM Viewed: 10/29/2021 3:30:31 PM Signed: 10/29/2021 3:30:41 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via DocuSign Lesley Milton Lesley.Milton@CityofPaloAlto.org City Clerk Security Level: Email, Account Authentication (None)Signature Adoption: Pre-selected Style Using IP Address: 199.33.32.254 Sent: 10/29/2021 3:30:42 PM Viewed: 10/29/2021 3:31:04 PM Signed: 10/29/2021 3:31:11 PM Electronic Record and Signature Disclosure: Not Offered via DocuSign In Person Signer Events Signature Timestamp Editor Delivery Events Status Timestamp Agent Delivery Events Status Timestamp Intermediary Delivery Events Status Timestamp Certified Delivery Events Status Timestamp Carbon Copy Events Status Timestamp Witness Events Signature Timestamp Notary Events Signature Timestamp Envelope Summary Events Status Timestamps Envelope Sent Hashed/Encrypted 10/29/2021 9:53:57 AM Certified Delivered Security Checked 10/29/2021 3:31:04 PM Signing Complete Security Checked 10/29/2021 3:31:11 PM Completed Security Checked 10/29/2021 3:31:11 PM Payment Events Status Timestamps