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Politics & Government

Officials Take on Homelessness with New Task Force

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The voted to create a new task force Monday night to address, and aim to end, homelessness in Albany.

The task force is piggybacking on joint efforts begun recently by two city panels to discuss , and figure out how to help and serve them. (This group is at City Hall.)

Panelists on the subcommittee will "fold into" the task force to build on the efforts already underway, said city staff. 

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The new task force will "assist staff through research and community outreach" and help develop policy options for the City Council. The group "will lay the ground work for making decisions and allocating resources towards ending homelessness in Albany," according to the staff report prepared for the May 21 meeting. (The report is attached to this story as a PDF.)

The staff report noted a over the past several months about problems related to homelessness in the city, particularly in relation to . 

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As many as 75 people live in encampments on the Bulb, according to the city. 

"The Homeless encampment at the Albany Bulb is composed of homeless people between the ages of approximately 15 to 70, all races and ethnicity. Although there is no water, food, shelters or infrastructure; people have opted to live in this environment by creating temporary structures out of found materials and other supplies," according to a work plan for the task force included with Monday night's agenda. (It is attached to this story as a PDF.)

Other homeless individuals have set up camp on Albany Hill, according to one resident who addressed council members about the issue Monday night. 

City staff noted increased instances of panhandling, and shopping cart collections throughout the city.

"Community reaction has been mixed," noted the staff report, prepared by , "ranging from 'let it be' ... to 'something needs to be done'..."

Possible solutions proposed by community members have included "finding ways to have people , improving the conditions to assist them in staying, or investing in ."

are offered through agencies and organizations other than the city; these include the city of Berkeley, Alameda County, faith‐based organizations, and non‐profits. 

Rather than starting from scratch, Pollard suggested that the task force use Alameda County’s EveryOne Home program to set policies. She described the program as "a road map for ending homelessness in Alameda County by the year 2020."

According to the May 11 work plan for the task force, the EveryOne Home plan has five main facets: Prevent homelessness and other housing crises; increase housing opportunities for the plan’s target populations; deliver flexible services to support stability and independence; measure success and report outcomes; develop long‐term leadership and build political will. 

The task force will have up to nine members: up to two representatives from the ; up to two representatives from the ; and five additional people to be selected by the City Council.

The group will meet monthly and report back to the council every three months. The group will also create a survey tool to collect community input about homelessness.

According to the staff report, the task force will not have a fiscal impact on the city.

During public comment, however, one Albany resident asked whether task force meetings could be televised to increase community involvement. City staff said this could be investigated, but that there would be a cost.

Other residents and council members noted that, though much of Albany's homeless population resides on the Bulb, the issue needs to be addressed throughout the city.

Officials acknowledged that tackling homelessness would be a challenge.

"I hope it's not the rock that we push up and keep falling too far behind," said . "It's worth looking into and trying to do what we can." 

Task Force Selection Timeline 

  • May 21, 2012: Council Approval of Homeless Task Force 
  • May 22‐June 22: Application process for task force member selection 
  • June 25‐29: Review of applications by the Council 
  • July 2: Announce selection/appointment of Task Force Members at Council Meeting. 
  • Task Force start date, July 2012: First meeting of the task force/half day educational workshop 
  • Task force timeline: Meet once a month for up to 18 months 
  • Updates presented to council every three months beginning in January 2013 

Click the "Keep me posted" button for alerts when we write about homelessness in Albany. Read more here.

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