Final Report 2023-24

Recommendations 12

• R1
  HHSA and TCTFOH should maintain open communications and reach out annually to smaller communities or changing leadership to provide updates and resources to address the changing needs of unhoused individuals.
• R2
  TCTFOH should post meeting handouts and PowerPoint presentations online in case insuffi cient copies are available at the meeting and should also highlight on their websites progress and updates on projects.
• R3
  TCTFOH should reach out to the Veteran Community and extend an invitation to become a voting member to address specifi c needs of veterans in Tulare County.
• R4
  HHSA should develop a Tulare County Data Base on homeless services and make accessible to all stakeholders that work with unhoused individuals including county and state agencies, service providers, police departments, faith-based organizations, medical assistance agencies and the community. The database would reduce the time needed to obtain services and help coordinate the support needed to assist unhouse individuals sooner. REQUIRED RESPONSES: Tulare County Board of Supervisors Findings: F1- F4 , F6 Recommendations: R1-R4 INVITED RESPONSES: HHSA Findings: F1-F4 Recommendations: R1-R4 TCTFOH Findings: F1, F3, F4, F6 Recommendations: R1-R3
• R5
  Addiction counseling
• R6
  Mental health care, assessment, and counseling
• R7
  Positive, purposeful work to do throughout the day 21
• R8
  Food for pets and available shelters that welcome pets
• R9
  Available Water and food
• R10
  Laws to address mental health care Summary of Funding: Summary of Funds Funding Type Total High Level Summary HHSA Allocations (All Branches) $5,054,479.50 Programs and services that directly impact homeless clients specific to Fiscal Year 23/24 such as housing navigation, outreach, housing vouchers/deposit assistance, and similar activities or expenses HHSA – Homeless Org - 1150 $3,457,441.44 Operations and long-term support for permanent supportive housing. Many revenue streams are one-time funds ARPA Homeless Projects $3,250,000 One-time funds to assist with building new emergency and permanent housing units Passthrough Projects $54,510,000 One-time funds used to support new permanent housing in partnership with eligible developers. Funding needs to continue in order for Tulare County service providers to have the ability to provide services like showers, substance abuse help and other needs. They have been utilizing funds through several grants including funds from Treatment for Individuals Experiencing Homeless (TIEH), Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF), and Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homeless (PATH) as well as funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Most recently $500,000 additional funds were secured in the state budget and presented to Tulare County in February 2024. Further investigation on successful housing solutions found Housing First, a plan implemented in Finland more than 10 years ago, which has had great success in getting most homeless off the street and into housing. These are tiny apartments in hi-rise structures where residents share a common kitchen and recreation room. The residents also share the cleaning and maintenance tasks for the common area. Staff are there to provide support. Referrals to treatment programs are available upon request. Their plan does not restrict use of drug or alcohol as long as residents use it in the privacy of their own units. Funding for the construction and ongoing subsidies are provided by Finland’s Federal and State Governments. The newest project addressing the homeless crisis in Tulare County is the Visalia Navigation Center. The Visalia Navigation Center broke ground in April 2023. This low – barrier navigation center (LBNC) will have service enriched living quarters focused on guiding residents into permanent housing. The center will accommodate up to 100 temporary residents and provide access to an array of services through CSET and partner organizations. Based on the national Housing First approach, the “low barrier” aspect of the center will employ best practices to reduce common barriers to entry, including a resident’s need to bring partners and/or pets, store personal possessions, or adhere to religious beliefs. The “navigation” aspect of the center refers to the presence of case managers to connect residents to supportive services. On-site resources will include beds, showers, laundry facilities, meals, phone/mail services, animal kennels, storage space, and parking for residents. On-site services will include employment training, public benefi ts, health services, substance abuse and mental health services, and connections to permanent housing opportunities. Despite the multiple agencies working to alleviate homelessness in Tulare County, there is no common database of shared information about homeless individuals. Frequently asked Questions and information: How do I get help with homelessness in Tulare County? Permanent housing and comprehensive case management for individuals and families who have experienced chronic homelessness and have a verifi able disability, mental health issue, substance abuse, or HIV/AIDS. To start the referral process, contact the Kings-Tulare Homeless Alliance at 559-738-8733. Where can I get emergency hotel vouchers? Hotel/motel vouchers are provided to individuals who are receiving cash aid through CalWORKs for up to 30 days. If you are an individual adult and homeless and in need of housing, please call Home Connect at 1-800- 498-8847.
• R11
  Collection Maintenance
• R12
  Challenged Material B. Before a book is moved to a diff erent age appropriate section, a committee from within the library will review the book to determine, if it is in the correct section of the library, and is better suited for a diff erent age group, and/or does it go against anything within the Materials Selection Policy. C. The library is predicated on the Library users’ right to read and similarly, the users’ freedom from censorship by others. TCL fi rmly believes that while all of us are free to reject for ourselves books and other materials which we do not approve, we should not, and cannot, in the context of a free society, exercise this freedom to the point of censoring or restricting the reading freedom of others. (Material Selection Policy, Section X CHALLENGED MATERIAL). In September of 2023 the Governor of California signed AB1078 to ban book bans and textbook censorship in the State of California. This law bans censorship which prohibits book bans of instructional materials and strengthens California law requiring schools to provide all students access to textbooks.