We Won’t Be Left Behind Photo courtesy of juror, Daniel Gumpy the Yolo County Civil Grand Jury Addressing the Issue of

Recommendations 7

• R1
  Yolo County Grand Juries should conduct a yearly investigation regarding the issue of homelessness, similar to the current requirement that Grand Juries must follow with annual reporting of some aspect of Yolo County Detention Facilities.
• R2
  Yolo County Health and Human Services, in conjunction with the Homeless and Poverty Action Coalition, need to evaluate alternate screening tools to assess individuals experiencing homelessness. The Grand Jury is requesting an evaluation and determination if another form of assessment would be an improved screening tool to replace the VI-SPDAT form. This evaluation should be completed
• R3
  The information on all County webpages pertaining to homeless services, need to be updated by September 30, 2024. Web pages need to be updated annually, or more frequently if appropriate.
• R4
  Yolo County should ensure public meetings are always posted as mandated by the Brown Act.
• R5
  Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency should develop a routine schedule for employees to visit various shelters and respite centers around the County, be available to assist individuals who might need help filling out applications, and to answer questions they might have about accessing services. This schedule should be posted on the Health and Human Services webpage listing locations with days and hours staff will be available to provide assistance. The schedule and its online posting should be implemented
• R6
  The City of Woodland and the Yolo County Transportation District should renew efforts to establish bus service in the northwest industrial area of Woodland. The request for a bus stop should be included in the next SACOG Unmet Transportation Needs report submission.
• R7
  The Health and Human Services Agency should include in the service providers’ grant applications, a requirement that they provide timely information for the GIS mapping project and commit to updating the information as needed. This statement should be included in the applications prior to the next grant submission cycle. COMMENDATION Residents who told their stories regarding their homeless experiences: The Grand Jury interviewed several Yolo County residents who are or have been homeless and commends them for agreeing to be interviewed and to speak about their individual experiences. They shared details of their struggles in finding shelter, both emergency shelter and more permanent housing. They described times on the street when they didn’t feel safe. They spoke of help they received along the way that sustained them during very tough times. They were forthright and open-hearted in speaking about their lives. They spoke honestly about experiencing homelessness. Their openness reminded the Grand Jury that, amidst the complexities regarding funding and issues of communications, homelessness is really about people in our community, and their day-to-day challenges. City of West Sacramento: The Grand Jury commends the City of West Sacramento for developing and implementing a multi-level approach to the City’s concerns regarding homelessness. In 2016, the residents of West Sacramento passed Measure E which permanently increased the sales tax by one-quarter (0.25) percent. These funds are allocated to projects including “homelessness initiative” and “reducing community impacts of homelessness” [8]. With this tax revenue, the City is able to make significant and positive changes for its unhoused residents. This can be a model for other Yolo County jurisdictions to consider in their own communities. HPAC/HHSA GIS Mapping Project: The Grand Jury commends the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency and HPAC for undertaking the GIS Mapping project. The GIS Mapping initiative aims to create a centralized, interactive web application to streamline access to vital information for both homeless clients and service providers in Yolo County. REQUIRED RESPONSES Pursuant to Penal Code sections 933 and 933.05, the Grand Jury request responses as follows : ▪ Yolo County Board of Supervisors F-2, F-3, F-4, F-5, F-7; and R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5,