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Housing First • Page 2 City adopted a five-year homeless service strategy. These strategies established the groundwork for homeless services in the City of Riverside including implementing the Hulen campus and the Homeless Outreach Team. This fifteen year old strategy has been effective but has plateaued in its ability to end homelessness. On October 11, 2016, City Council held a workshop to consider opportunities to improve homeless services in Riverside. City Council launched a discussion introducing a potential change in homeless policy, seeking to adopt a Housing First model. Staff returned to the City Council in January and June of 2017 with further updates on the effectiveness of the current homeless program in Riverside along with additional information on the proposed Housing First model. City Council directed staff to prepare a plan that strategizes the adoption and implementation of Riverside Housing First. Preparing the Housing First Plan In mid -2017, staff began a series of community conversations to introduce the Housing First concept to the residential and business community. Over the succeeding months, continuous and regular meetings were held throughout the City with community groups, church congregations, neighborhood organizations, economic development groups, local business organizations, and local academic and civic groups. These community engagements centered on the definition of Housing First, the needs in the Riverside community, and the integration of housing first units into local communities. The drafting of the Riverside Housing First Plan considered in this staff report was also announced, and that the Plan would receive public comment and redrafting before consideration before the City Council. Staff contracted with LeSar Development Consultants to assist in the research and drafting of the Housing First Plan, which was released to the public on Tuesday, January 2, 2018, and received public comment until February 12, 2018. The Office of Homeless Solutions received 142 comments via email, letter and social media. The various comments and staff responses are included in the Frequently Asked Questions document (Attachment 6). Staff and LeSar Development Consultants have identified major comment areas, and redrafted the Housing First Plan to reflect this guidance. The Riverside Housing First Plan that is presented to the City Council represents a compilation of data, best practices, and some of the public comments. DISCUSSION: Introduction The City of Riverside, working with our many partners, has been able to manage the homeless situation, including achieving housing for some of the homeless. These efforts require a significant amount of resources yet do not ultimately end homelessness for individuals and families. The homeless population will continue to grow, and if we continue doing what we have been doing, the problem will only get worse for the entire city. We understand that as we focus on housing the unsheltered homeless, there is much other work to be done to assist families and individuals on the edge and prevent more from becoming homeless — there are many agencies and organizations doing such work. The focus of Riverside Housing First is to house individuals and families in order to 1) effectively help get them on the sustained path to stability, and 2) to get them off the streets, out of the parks and river -bottom, and out of the business districts.