Fight against homelessness in Redondo Beach continues

The Redondo Beach City Council continued the city’s fight to curb homelessness on Tuesday, authorizing agreements with the Los Angeles County Housing Authority and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health that officials hope will further the strides the city has already taken to combat its growing homelessness problem.

The 2016 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count found 216 homeless persons residing in Redondo Beach last January 27. That figure is a 31 percent increase over the 2015 count. Over the last two years, the city has made homelessness a key issue, forming task forces and authorizing the police department to take additional steps of its own.

“It’s a work in progress,” said District 3 councilman Christian Horvath. “It’s a super high priority, and everyone is working hard to do something about it.”

Through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, LACoHA is able to offer Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers. While Redondo does get federal aid to fund Section 8 low-income housing, the city can’t provide VASH assistance. The County, however, can.

The agreement with the LACoHA, as explained by LACoHA representative Darlene Hakins, streamlines the process in which homeless veterans would be able to find and live in low-income housing using VASH vouchers in Redondo Beach.

“If we wanted to send someone to Redondo Beach with a voucher in hand, they’d have to do additional paperwork and then come to your [housing authority] offices,” she said. With this agreement in place, the county and the city will be able to communicate without forcing a veteran to make unnecessary trips.

“With the type of population we’re dealing with, it’s sometimes hard to ask them to transfer to another housing authority when they’re challenged with comprehending what the process is currently,” Hakins said.

The agreement passed unanimously.

The council also unanimously approved an agreement with the the County Department of Mental Health that would place mental health clinicians in a patrol car with a Redondo Beach police officer to immediately offer assistance to homeless people within the city.

“What we’re seeing on the street, this is a way to completely cut out all of the middle stages that our officers see when they encounter someone who is homeless and ill,” said Police Chief Keith Kauffman.

RBPD’s hands, to this point, have been tied. If officers attempted to enforce anti-camping laws against homeless persons without offering assistance in finding temporary shelter, Kauffman said, the city could be exposed to legal liability.

The city’s agreements with the county and People Assisting The Homeless (a nonprofit organization that provides services to help the homeless find and transition into housing) are allowing RBPD to provide assistance, such as a recent attempt to help a transient woman find an affordable room for the night and connecting her with agencies such as PATH.

Kauffman also addressed a recent Homeless Task Force outreach that made 48 contacts with homeless in Redondo Beach that placed three people into temporary housing.

“We’ve reconnected some with social services, provided vouchers for IDs — that’s a huge success,” Kauffman said.

Mayor Steve Aspel mentioned a recent community Facebook posting, showing a man sleeping on the Redondo Pier in a tent.

“It showed the vile underbelly of some citizens,” he said, noting that as the discussion continued, it became more hostile. He then asked Kauffman what the public should do in those situations.

“Call us. A picture on Facebook will not get a response,” Kauffman said. “As issues come up, we want to be contacted to address them.”