Loading...
The URL can be used to link to this page
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Home
My WebLink
About
PCD 2022-09-19 Item 1B - Discussion - Health Through Housing Community Engagement and Next Steps
Health Through Housing Overview and next steps for Health through Housing (HTH) September 19, 2022 La King County Kelly Rider Director of External Affairs King County DCHS N HTH Property Siting Process 4, Step 2: Consult to Agree Upon Site Requirements and City Process and Participants After initiating a potential HTH partnership, staff from the County and the city consult to agree upon two elements of a potential HTH partnership. The County and the city create a record of their mutually agreed-upon answers to the following two questions: 1. What are the necessary characteristics of properties to consider for HTH use? 2. Who will represent the city in steps 3, 4, and 5 of this process? HTH Engagement Options • Official City Council meeting: Hosted by City Council, with King County and other "experts" as lead presenters • Town Hall meeting: Co -hosted by County & City, with King County as presenter • Interested parties meeting: Meetings sponsored by interested parties, with presentation by King County and attendance by City representatives • Focus groups: Small group meetings with a focus on gaining feedback on particular questions • Other engagement options: • Phone calls • Flyer/doorbelling • City notice through e -newsletter distribution • King County and/or City website, blog posts, social media, etc. HTH Engagement Options Discussion Questions: • What property characteristics should be considered in identifying potential Health through Housing properties? • What is the best venue for your residents and businesses to provide input on these characteristics? • What is the best way to notify them we are seeking feedback? King County Health Through Housing Tukwila City Council Questions and Answers • Question: What characteristics are you looking for in a building? o Answer: Some of the characteristics in a building we are seeking include: ■ In good quality condition, likely constructed after 1990's and/or recently renovated ■ Interior hallway entrances ■ Building size of approximately 50-150 units ■ Preference (not requirement) for units with kitchens or kitchenettes • Question: What is the food access strategy for existing or future buildings without kitchens? o Answer: Buildings without kitchens receive a budget for food access. We are also working on a contract for nutrition services that would bring fresh produce, healthy options, and hygiene products on site multiple times after opening. • Question: What is your Reserve Policy? o Answer: Health through Housing maintains four separate reserves as detailed in the adopted (and attached) Implementation Plan. These include: ■ A Debt Service Reserve is equal to six months of debt service, ■ A 60 -day Rainy Day Reserve is consistent with the County's Comprehensive Financial Management Policies, ■ A Capital Reserve of $10 million allows for unexpected capital expenses, and ■ A Service/Operations Reserve supports unexpected operations expenses and is funded initially at $3 million, with an annual investment of $500,000 in 2022 through 2024 and $200,000 per year thereafter. In response to Council's questions in July, the County shared the following for the September 19, 2022 Planning and Community Development Committee meeting: • The List of Qualified Providers/Operators • Frequently Asked Questions • An example of a Statement of Equity Impact, from the Kirkland site Additional Council questions to be addressed at the September 19, 2022 Planning and Community Development Committee meeting: • Question: What research is available on the impact of supportive housing on surrounding communities • Question: What policy or code language reflects the County's 50 -year commitment More information can be found in the Health Through Housing Ordinance passed by King County at https://www.tukwilawa.gov/wp-content/uploads/KCHTH-Ordinance.pdf 15 LA1 King County Frequently Asked Questions: Health Through Housing Background Q: What is Health Through Housing? A: Health Through Housing (HTH) is a regional approach to address chronic homelessness at a countywide scale. Q: What is the goal of Health Through Housing? A: King County's paramount goal is to partner with local cities across the region to rapidly acquire and operate 1,600 units of affordable housing for residents experiencing or at risk of chronic homelessness while also reducing the serious racial -ethnic disproportionality of homelessness. All housing will include the supportive services people experiencing chronic homelessness need to achieve and maintain health and stability. Q: How is Health Through Housing funded? A: HTH is funded through a dedicated sales tax implemented countywide1. The State Legislature passed House Bill 1590 in 2020, which allowed jurisdictions to enact a 0.1% sales tax to finance construction of affordable housing and behavioral health facilities andoperations or services at affordable housing. In 2020, the King County Executive proposed, and the County Council approved this dedicated sales tax. In 2021, the State Legislature passed House Bill 1070, which clarified acquisition of property as an eligible use of these funds. Q: How long will the Health Through Housing program last? A: The housing program and the tax that supports it have no end date. It will be governed by the HTH Implementation Plan upon adoption by the County Council in 2021. The plan will govern operations through 2028 when a new implementation plan will be due. Q: How many Health Through Housing sites have been identified? A: To date (as of 1/18/2022), 10 sites have been purchased by King County: one each in Auburn, Federal Way, Kirkland, Redmond, and Renton and five properties in Seattle (north Seattle, Queen Anne and downtown). The County is looking to purchase two more locations in early 2022. Q: What is Permanent Supportive Housing? A: Permanent supportive housing (PSH), which pairs subsidized housing with case management and supportive services, is a proven solution to chronic homelessness. It has been shown to help people experiencing chronic homelessness not only achieve long-term housing stability, but also improve their health and well-being. Investments in PSH have helped decrease the number of chronically homeless individuals nationally by eight percent since 2007. PSH offers wrap around 1 Bellevue, Covington, Issaquah, Kent, Maple Valley, North Bend, Renton, and Snoqualmie chose to implement the sales tax independently. Therefore, sales tax collected from this revenue source in those cities is not part of the HTH effort. 1 16 services to foster housing stability, which may include case management, counseling, behavioral health supports, medical services, and meals. The types of services an individual receives will vary. Q: What will be the measure(s) of success? A: At the least, the program will measure success by the number of individuals moved from homelessness into stable housing and the percentage of those households who remain stably housed over time. King County is also finalizing performance measures to assess how many HTH residents enroll in Medicaid or other health insurance, how often they seek medical care, whether and how residents' health and wellbeing improves, the rate of residents to move on to other forms or permanent housing, and the numbers who gain employment or access other forms of income like veterans benefits or social security while living in HTH units. Selection of Health Through Housing Properties Q: How are properties selected? A: King County is committed to consulting with local cities and communities to identify potential properties and collaborate to ensure success. Properties are evaluated based on program criteria, local zoning and other regulatory requirements, access to transit and other amenities. In all cases, the County will only move forward with a HTH site if there is support from elected officials in the local jurisdiction. Q: Why is the program focused on buying hotels? A: The hospitality industry was one of the hardest hit financially as a result of COVID. A year later, the hospitality industry still has not rebounded and hotels are for sale at lower than normal prices. Thanks to HTH, King County has been able to take advantage of this moment in time to acquire properties both for immediate use and as future development properties. Q: How does the cost of purchasing hotels compare to new construction? A: The average cost to build permanent supportive housing is about $350K to $400K per unit or more, depending on where it is being built. In comparison, purchasing hotels during a depressed market is averaging around $270K per unit, a significant savings. Equally important, they are available for occupancy with very little renovation and are already furnished. Once the provider has been chosen and staffing is in place, the hotels can provide housing quickly and efficiently. HTH meets a critical need for this region. Q: Why did you not do more to engage community before the purchase? A: The County was engaged in purchase and sale negotiations with private parties and sought to negotiate fair and reasonable purchase prices for each property. It is difficult to conduct financial negotiations in a way that properly stewards public funding and protects against price escalation when community engagement and price negotiation occur simultaneously. Outreach and engagement have taken place with neighbors and businesses near the HTH locations and will continue in earnest as the service operators are identified and begin to take a leadership role in establishing connections with the local community. A significant piece of this will be discussions around operations and development of Good Neighbor Agreements with the community. 2 17 Population Served by Health Through Housing Q: Who will be served by Health Through Housing? A: The target population is people whose income is at or below 30% of the area median and who are experiencing or at -risk of chronic homelessness defined as: 1. An adult person with a disability who has been continuously homeless for a year or more OR 2. An adult person with a disability who has experienced multiple episodes of homelessness in the past three years for a combined 12 months. Q: Is there an income eligibility requirement? A: Yes. Individuals or households served through HTH must earn at or below 30% of Area Median Income (AMI). For a single person, that is about $24K/year. Q: Why is HTH focused on people experiencing chronic homelessness? A: The comprehensive services that will be available onsite through HTH make this an ideal home and setting for these individuals. People experiencing chronic homelessness have the greatest barriers to housing, including little or no income, have at least one disability, and have lived the longest without stable housing. Q: Are HTH facilities for single people only or will there be opportunities for couples or families? A: HTH is primarily purchasing former hotels and will transition these hotel rooms into single room homes for adults or adult couples. Single adults will not be expected to share units. Q: What is the difference between Health Through Housing and homeless shelter? A: HTH provides the safety and stability of a place to call home. Privacy. A door that locks. Their own bed to sleep in every night. A bathroom. A shower that doesn't require signing up for a time slot. Ready access to health and behavioral health treatment and services and a case manager to help navigate community systems. Studies show these elements create a base to begin to rebuild lives. Persons referred to HTH will also have been screened and assessed to aid in their housing placement, and persons who are referred to housing have often undergone some amount of stabilization whereas persons entering shelter may be coming directly from an institution like a hospital and will not always have been screened prior to seeking shelter. Resident Roles and Responsibilities Q: What are the residents' responsibilities? A: Each prospective resident will receive an individual assessment prior to placement in any HTH unit. Each resident must sign a code of conduct agreement, not dissimilar from a lease agreement in that it spells out the rules and obligations for tenancy. Each resident will pay one-third of their income, whether social security, disability or veterans benefits. Given that all tenants are very low- income, payment of one-third of their income represents a substantial investment in their housing. Q: Will there be rules for behavior for residents? A: Rules will vary by provider, but in general, permanent supportive housing (and emergency housing) sites have a code of conduct that is agreed upon at the time of entry. Residents are 18 3 required to comply with the terms of the agreement or risk eviction. These cover expectations for things such as rent responsibility, visitors, interpersonal behavior, etc. The rules are balanced with the recognition that people experiencing chronic homelessness will often require support as they transition into housing and adjust to a living situation with rules. The core principle behind housing first is that stable housing creates the foundation that makes it possible to address other needs. Operations Q: How soon will the buildings have occupants? A: King County will work with each host city and the onsite service provider to determine official occupancy dates. The first HTH facility opening for housing will be in Seattle in late September. The hope is to move most people in before the severe weather hits. Providers must be selected and hire staff. Another critical development piece prior to opening is community conversations on Good Neighbor Agreements. Q: Who will provide the onsite services? A: Onsite resident supports will be provided by non-profit organizations with expertise in providing PSH and serving diverse populations disproportionately experiencing homelessness. The County used a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to identify potential operators. Q: Will the City be involved in choosing an operator for the facility? A: Yes. The local city will participate in the selection of the HTH facility operators. Q: What is the onsite staffing plan? A: All HTH facilities will have 24/7 staffing. The actual staffing plan will be developed by the selected service provider, but will include onsite case management and access to health and behavioral health treatment and services. Every site will assess and adjust the staffing plan as needed. Q: How long can a resident stay? A: HTH is a housing program. There is no limit on length of stay. There will, however, be substantial onsite services, including housing counseling, so that residents who are able and want to move -on to other permanent housing receive the support to do so, opening up their HTH unit for another person to use. Q: Will residents have restrictions on access to come and go from the facility? A: No. This will be their home, and they will come and go as anyone would from their own home. Access by non-residents of the facility may be limited or restricted by the operator's guest policy. Q: What about guests or couch surfing? A: Residents can invite family and friends to visit their home. There will likely be a guest policy in place. Residents cannot invite others to move in. HTH staff will know who lives there and who does not. Only those who have been assessed and approved for residency will be allowed to live there. Q: How will you keep residents and businesses safe? A: Safety of residents and surrounding neighbors is critically important. Living unsheltered and 4 19 outside is life-threatening, and one of the most important functions of HTH is to bring at -risk and chronically homeless residents into safer places. To be clear, King County does not subscribe to stereotypes that depict persons experiencing homelessness as dangerous. Do some people who are homeless use or abuse substances? Yes, but so do millions of people across the country who struggle with addiction in the privacy of their own homes. The same is true for people experiencing a mental illness or living with some sort of life trauma. These challenges by no means are restricted only to those who are homeless. For HTH tenants, the expectation is that residents will abide by the code of conduct and if they can't or won't, they will have to leave. Q: What will be enforcement strategies from illegal activities in units or the surrounding area? A: The code of conduct pertains to the individual unit, the shared spaces in the housing project and the immediate vicinity of the housing site. Regarding the surrounding area, the onsite operator will be responsible for ensuring there are no illegal activities in the surrounding premises by HTH residents. Failure to abide by the code of conduct and the rules governing the housing means the resident will lose their apartment. The Good Neighbor Agreement will also likely include some discussion around expectations for the surrounding area. Q: What services will be provided to residents asked to leave/lose their apartments? A: Transition services will be provided to any tenant needing a different housing or shelter option. The operator will work with the County to identify an appropriate alternative placement. Q: Will there be security? A: All HTH sites will have 24/7 staffing. Permanent supportive housing buildings elsewhere in the county all have staff awake, alert and on duty around-the-clock. Should the need arise to increase or revise the staffing plan for any HTH site, the provider will do so. Q: Will drug and/or alcohol use be permitted in the individual units? A: Substance use that is legal in anyone's home will be legal in these homes. The onsite agency staff will directly engage anyone exhibiting problem behaviors due to substance use and offer treatment services. The provider will have the goal of preserving housing stability while offering immediate access to treatment and clear direction as to what is and isn't acceptable behavior. HTH units will have an elevated level of funding and access for onsite services, including behavioral health services. Tenants will not be required to abstain from use of drugs or alcohol as a precondition for accessing housing. Nor will they be involuntarily treated or be forced to accept treatment as a condition for ongoing residency. However, anyone who is unable to abide by the code of conduct and continuously disrupts housing for the other residents is at risk of expulsion. If that becomes necessary, case managers would work directly with the tenant to try to find a different housing situation that might be a better fit. Q: Is this a safe injection site? A: No. HTH creates homes. Any assertion that a HTH building would be a safe injection site is unequivocally inaccurate. Q: Are there background checks on the tenants in the facilities? A: It is important to note that the individuals moving in to HTH sites are all enrolled in the 20 Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Some will also be enrolled in the Veterans data system. Some will be enrolled in the Behavioral Health information system. They are not strangers to housing and human services. No one walks up and gets assigned a room —this is no longer a hotel and there are no walk-ins, ever. The assessment between case manager and prospective tenant will determine if the proposed location is a fit or if another option or location would be better. Any state or local laws, requirements, or restrictions in place for tenants in nearby apartment buildings in the same area will pertain to HTH residency as well. This would include sex offender registration and any exclusions to tenancy required in law. The goal is for the tenants to be successful in housing and for the housing to fit in the neighborhood. Q: If the goal is to help people transition into stability, what is the pathway to this goal? A: Housing stability is defined as not returning to homelessness. Therefore, if individuals move from chronic homelessness into HTH buildings, the program will have achieved success on that goal. As appropriate or as requested, onsite case managers will work with residents who want to move on to another type of housing once they have achieved improved health and stability. An example might be a person who stabilizes in a HTH hotel who wants to move to an apartment with a kitchen. As the program name emphasizes, access to healthcare is a key component of a person's overall health and wellness, and we know that people who do not have housing are profoundly challenged in accessing and benefiting from healthcare. This program will house people and then provide onsite and accessible services to help them gain health and stability. Q: Do you anticipate a high turnover rate? A: No, we do not expect a high turnover rate since this is creating homes, not shelter. For comparison, during 2020, according to the King County Regional Homelessness Authority System Performance data, 97 percent of households remained in permanent supportive housing. Q: How are you working to control COVID infection among homeless populations? Are you working to vaccinate the homeless population? A: Since March 2020, King County has been operating the Isolation and Quarantine system for the county and 80% of the people served have been folks who were unsheltered at the time of intake. One of the best interventions we have for people who live unsheltered, aside from a vaccine, is the ability to be in a single room setting. The data is also clear that living in a single room setting, as opposed to a congregate shelter, is one of the most effective ways to slow the spread of COVID. At the Isolation and Quarantine facilities, when people are leaving the facility and have a clear bill of health, staff coordinates a vaccine for them upon their departure. All the HTH locations will have healthcare services available and we believe we will be able to create higher rates of vaccination within these locations generally than unsheltered people living outside. Referrals Q: Why are you transplanting Seattle's homeless population to King County's other cities? A: It is a fact: People are experiencing homelessness in every part of King County— north, south, east, and west. It is simply not true to suggest that East King County, for example, does not have people who are living there every night without a stable home. We know that more than 6,000 6 21 people throughout King County do not have a place to sleep indoors tonight. Homelessness is a regional crisis and no one entity or jurisdiction can solve that crisis alone. People from the local community eligible for housing in a HTH site will be prioritized for placement in a location closest to the community they consider home whenever possible. Q: How can someone get referred to this property? A: Each HTH property will serve as a local resource for people experiencing chronic homelessness in that jurisdiction, while also being a component of a regionwide system of emergency and permanent supportive housing. King County will work with local jurisdictions to create referral pathways for area residents. In addition to local referral, referrals to HTH units will occur through King County's Coordinated Entry (CEA) system. Prospective residents will be assessed by a CEA team member to determine eligibility and whether this placement would be appropriate. Q: Should city residents be prioritized? A: An amendment to HB 1070, which gives the County authority to use these funds for acquisition of existing buildings, requires that" ...a county that acquires a facility under [this statute] must provide an opportunity for 15 percent of the units provided at that facility to be provided to individuals who are living in or near the city in which the facility is located, or have ties to that community." The 15 percent is considered a minimum. Q: How will local referrals work? A: The County and the onsite provider will collaborate with the local city on the local referral protocols and procedures for housing assignments: • The County and partner agencies, in coordination with the local jurisdiction and local service providers, will provide initial targeted street outreach to people living unsheltered in the local community. • The local jurisdiction will identify key local service providers and City staff that provide homeless outreach services in the local community. These individuals will work with the selected outreach team in providing referrals and creating a list of eligible individuals experiencing homelessness locally. Q: Is it true that the county will only guarantee 15% occupancy from the local area? A: Not true. State law requires a minimum of 15 percent of units set aside in a HTH hotel for local referrals. One thing that is exciting about opening HTH locations across the County is that we now have more housing that we can offer to people in their own communities. Because we don't force people to live in a particular housing unit, people typically prefer to live in housing near their existing networks and communities. Some people will even choose to remain homeless rather than accept housing that is far away from their friends and supports. The hope is that each site will house more than the minimum 15 percent from the local community and surrounding area. Roles and Responsibilities of Host Cities and Community Q: Who owns the properties? Will the host City incur any costs? 22 A: King County is purchasing HTH properties using funds made available by a new countywide 0.1% sales tax. This fund source allows the County to fully fund property acquisition, building operations including 24/7 staffing and case management for the life of the program, and any rehab or construction needed to convert the property to this use. The host cities will not incur any direct costs related to property acquisition, conversion, operations, or onsite services. Q: What is the City's role in HTH? A: The cities that join King County in HTH recognize that homelessness is a regional crisis that cannot be addressed by a single city on their own. They have made the choice to become a HTH partner. Each city will be responsible for processing permits where needed and providing any necessary emergency response to the HTH residents, just as the city does for any local resident. The City will participate in the selection of the onsite provider, and referral of local residents. The City will advocate for an effective program for those experiencing homelessness while maintaining public safety, economic stability, and allowing everyone in the community to thrive. Q: How will the City and community be involved in the Good Neighbor Agreement? A: Property operators and service providers are committed to being responsive to local jurisdiction and community concerns. Once the City and County have selected the onsite service operator, that provider will lead the community conversations with the neighbors to draft the Good Neighbor Agreement. King County is committed to HTH being a good neighbor and the County will work closely with the onsite provider to problem -solve issues or concerns that need to be incorporated into the service package, program, or site designs. The Good Neighbor Agreement is a very important component of the commitment to working together to achieve success. Q: Will there be volunteer opportunities for community members who want to help? A: The County anticipates many of the onsite service providers will welcome community involvement and participation. NOTE: Some host cities have also developed their own Health Through Housing FAQs specific to the city's policy and procedures. 8 23 24 0 0 0- 1(15 La, 0 0 ao a z 0 s aro z 0 L s t CD aw i 0 cc a, 0- 0 O C a) E a) aro co a co 2 a) Q 0 L C 0 0 U a-+ a x x s 3 0 H x x x X X X X x X X >. c 0 0 U in X XI c6 cuL 7 0 H X X X X X X X X X cu X X X d N X X X X X X X X X American Indian/Alaska Native Emergency Housing & Permanent Chief Seattle Club Supportive Housing in King County X X X Compass Housing Alliance Health Compass Housing Alliance through Housing RFQ Application X X X Congregations for the Homeless CFH Response to HTH REQ. X DAWN - Domestic Abuse Women's Network DAWN Qualifications for HTH RFQ DESC's Application for Health Through Downtown Emergency Service Center Housing X X X Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) LIHI's HTH RFQ Response X X X Plymouth Housing HtH Plymouth Housing X Snoqualmie Valley Shelter Services Snoqualmie Valley HTH X St. Stephen Housing Association HTH St. Stephen Housing Association RFQ The Salvation Army _ The Salvation Army X X _ X ULMS Health thru Housing Support Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle Services YMCA of Greater Seattle YMCA HTH Application X X X X YWCA Seattle -King -Snohomish YWCA Health Through Housing 25 N O 0 CL L a, O L 0. b.O a 0 2 s as O L 4-1 4.0t ra 2 26 N a) U aJ 0 Q Q 3 N a� 4I in i 0 x x x X X x X X x x x X X X X I X a, ns in.' x x X X X X X X x x X x x x x x I 1 x x <><>< x x x x x c 0 0 U ul es a) t 0 Z x x x x X X x 4, 0 0 0 U t 0 r X X X X X X X X c c x x x 0 fa x x X X x X X x x x -r Program Name Catholic Community Services of Catholic Community Services of King County King County American Indian/Alaska Native Emergency Housing & Permanent Chief Seattle Club Supportive Housing in King County Compass Housing Alliance Health Compass Housing Alliance through Housing RFQ Application Congregations for the Homeless CFH Response to HTH RFQ DAWN - Domestic Abuse Women's Network DAWN Qualifications for HTH RFQ DESC's Application for Health Downtown Emergency Service Center Through Housing Health Through Housing - ETS Evergreen Treatment Services - REACH REACH Friends of Youth Friends of Youth Kent Youth and Family Services Kent Youth and Family Services Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) LIHI's HTH RFQ Response Plymouth Housing HtH Plymouth Housing Public Defender Association Public Defender Association Renton Ecumenical Association of Churches REACH Health Through Housing Snoqualmie Valley Shelter Services Snoqualmie Valley HTH Solid Ground Solid Ground WA St. Stephen Housing Association St. Stephen Housing Association HTH RFQ The Salvation Army The Salvation Army The Sophia Way The Sophia Way ULMS Health thru Housing Support Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle Services YMCA of Greater Seattle YMCA HTH Application YWCA Seattle -King -Snohomish YWCA Health Through Housing _N 0 0 a) 0 dA C N z 0 s as 0 s s ra a) Street Outreach 4-1 c c 0 U in al s 0 0 cn X X X X X X X X X X C 0 0 o a.. H CO w .c 0 N X X X X X X X X I 0 U N INC t 0 Z X X X X X X X X X X X X X I X X X DESC's Application for Health Downtown Emergency Service Center Through Housing X X Health Through Housing - ETS Evergreen Treatment Services - REACH REACH X Kent Youth and Family Services Kent Youth and Family Services X 27 _N O 0 O CO O. O C a O •o 'r N C • le .7) 0 O • 'O s ct: as m O +-1 s C • z c E 2 • U 28 a c c 0 U +.• V) CU s a..' 3 0 N x x X X X X X X X X C 0 0 U ++ in CU C) t 0 0 N X X X X X 1 X X X X X X X XI X X U in ca v t 4., L O z X 4a C O O U t t 0 z X X X Provide Provider Program Name -East Coity 6322 44th Ave S WACC HtH Program African Community Housing and Services for African Diaspora Development Immigrants & Refugees Africatown Community Land Trust Africatown Community Land Trust American Indian/Alaska Native Emergency Housing & Permanent Chief Seattle Club Supportive Housing in King County X Eritrean Association in Greater Seattle Eritrean Association HTH Program Evergreen Treatment Services - Health Through Housing - ETS REACH REACH Kent Youth and Family Services Kent Youth and Family Services X Washington Black Trans Task Lavender Rights Project Force's The House I X Multi -Service Center MSC- Health Through Housing Urban League of Metropolitan ULMS Health thru Housing Seattle Support Services YWCA Seattle -King -Snohomish YWCA Health Through Housing Ul King County Department of Community and Human Services Leo Flor, Director 401 Fifth Avenue, Suite 500 Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 263-9100 Fax (206) 205-6565 TTY Relay 711 March 2, 2022 TO: James Lopez, Deputy City Manager for External Affairs FM: Leo Flor, Director, King County Department of Community and Human Services RE: Statement of Equity Impact for the Kirkland Health through Housing site at 10530 Northup Way, Kirkland, WA 98033 (Subject to future update and refinement) Key Findings of Kirkland Health through Housing Equity Impact Statement for 10530 Northrup Way, Kirkland, WA 98033 • Kirkland is among King County's healthiest and most resilient communities, and residents of Kirkland experience strong access to every determinant of equity. • This analysis does not identify any likely negative equity impacts upon the future residents of the planned Kirkland Health through Housing site. • This analysis does not identify any likely negative equity impacts of the planned Kirkland Health through Housing site upon the persons who reside or work near the planned site. • This analysis does identify that persons who are housed in the Kirkland Health through Housing site will by virtue of being housed in permanent supportive housing within Kirkland experience increased access to safety services, nutrition, human services, housing, job training, healthy built environments, supportive neighborhoods, and transportation, which are eight of the fourteen determinants of equity. • This analysis does identify and acknowledge that the community engagement process to -date about the Kirkland Health through Housing site has not included significant community comment identifying racial equity as a concern. King County will continue reviewing community feedback provided directly to the City of Kirkland and adjust this finding as warranted. • This analysis does identify that community engagement processes to -date have included consistent emphasis from community members about the importance of safety in their community, with a specific emphasis on the importance of safety in and around the school adjacent to the Kirkland Health through Housing site. King County shares the community's and City's emphasis on the importance of safety, including safety for residents of the Kirkland Health through Housing site, for students at the adjacent school, and for persons living and working near the site. King County appreciates Kirkland's recognition that persons of different races have different experiences of safety, and that efforts such as those captured in Kirkland's Resolution 5434 to ensure the safety and respect of Black people can contribute to 1 29 increasing equity for Health through Housing residents who identify as Black. Black persons are one of two races that experience disproportionate chronic homelessness in King County, making up approximately 27% of the chronically homeless population despite making up approximately 7% of the Countywide population and approximately 1.4% of the City of Kirkland population. While specific strategies to promote safety unless in the context of racial equity are outside the scope of this Statement of Equity Impact, King County and the City of Kirkland have separately memorialized shared principles and terms that the City of Kirkland approved on March 1, 2022 as Resolution 5522 and its accompanying Term Sheet. • Consistent with the King County Equity Impact Review Process, the Equity Impact Statement recommends ongoing community engagement and updates to this analysis so that any adverse equity impacts that may emerge can be identified and mitigated quickly while any opportunities for positive equity impacts may be identified and reinforced quickly. Summary of the Health through Housing Initiative King County's Health through Housing initiative invests in the premise that a person's ability to be housed is a fundamental component of that person's ability to gain and maintain health. The paramount goal of the Health through Housing initiative is the creation and operation of 1,600 units of affordable housing with housing -related services for eligible households in King County that are experiencing chronic homelessness or that are at risk of experiencing chronic homelessness.' In addition to the initiative's paramount goal, Health through Housing has seven ordinance -adopted supporting goals, the first of which is to annually reduce racial and ethnic disproportionality among persons experiencing chronic homelessness in King County.2 Implementation of the Health through Housing Initiative is guided by the Health through Housing Implementation Plan. King County adopted the Implementation Plan in King County Ordinance 19366. Health through Housing Equity and Social Justice Impact Review The Health through Housing Implementation Plan requires an Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) Impact Review for a Health through Housing property purchased in 2022 or later. The Ordinance -adopted Implementation Plan states that the ESJ Impact Review process seeks to avoid results in which housing for people experiencing homelessness is sited where housed people who live or work near the homeless housing are most willing to tolerate it, rather than where the people who live within the homeless housing are most likely to benefit from living. The impact review process ... seeks to reduce bias in siting decisions for homeless housing ....3 The Implementation Plan requires a Statement of ESJ Impact for any Health through Housing site, noting that the statement will not constitute [a] formal determination of feasibility but instead will result in a list of positive and negative potential ESJ impacts that may result from each property's potential 1 King County Code 24.30.030.3 2 Supporting Goal 1 is required by King County Code 24.30.030.A.1 3 Health through Housing Implementation Plan pages 43-44 30 2 use as a Health through Housing site, including countermeasures that the County and a city should consider to reduce negative ESJ impacts or to amplify positive ESJ impacts, if any.' The Implementation Plan specifies that the statement of ESJ impact will at a minimum include analyses of considerations about the impact of the Health through Housing building upon the persons who will live or receive services within the building and considerations about the impact of a Health through Housing building within a community. The analysis summarized within this memorandum is for the hotel located at 10530 Northup Way, Kirkland, WA 98033 ("the Kirkland Health through Housing site"). Assessment of the ESJ impact of the Kirkland Health through Housing site upon the persons who will live and receive services within the building As a matter of preliminary equity analysis, a person who goes from being unhoused (including being sheltered) to being housed with supportive services will in almost every regard benefit from gaining a home. The experience of homelessness and housing instability within King County correlates strongly with historical patterns of exclusion and systemic racism. It is not a coincidence that the two racial -ethnic populations that currently exhibit disproportionate rates of chronic homelessness in King County—County residents who identify as Black and as Native American—are the same populations who been subject to centuries of systemic oppression, including government -sectioned slavery, segregation, wide -scale dispossession of land, disparate treatment under the law, and disproportionality in incarceration. While the origins of these oppressions are centuries old, they remain active in the form of systemic racism even today. Data across numerous health and human services domains consistently identify residents who identify as Black and Native American as disproportionately experiencing poverty, homelessness, and criminalization.5 The Health through Housing initiative is designed to contribute to a reduction of racial -ethnic disproportionality in chronic homelessness. Providing supportive housing to persons experiencing chronic homeless with special care taken to ensure access for Black and Native persons experiencing chronic homelessness is a small but important step in achieving the Health through Housing initiative's purpose. • How will the Kirkland Health through Housing site can contribute to the reduction of racial ethnic disproportionality amongst persons experiencing chronic homelessness in King County? King County's approach in the Health through Housing initiative to reducing racial ethnic disproportionality amongst persons experiencing chronic homelessness will be three- fold: o First, some buildings within the Health through Housing portfolio will be operated by agencies who are representative of and specialize in being inclusive for populations who disproportionately experience chronic homelessness. One example is a not -yet -operating Health through Housing building that seeks an 4 Health through Housing Implementation Plan pages 43-44 5 On June 11, 2020, King County declared racism a public health crisis: https://kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/constantine/initiatives/racism-public-health-crisis.aspx. 3 31 operator with experience in housing and serving chronically homeless Native American residents. The Kirkland Health through Housing site is not currently slated for a similarly focused use and is currently planned for general use within the Health through Housing initiative. o Second, King County intends to fund centralized outreach contracts with agencies who specialize in reaching and serving persons of races and ethnicities who disproportionately experience chronic homelessness. The purpose of this centralized outreach capacity will be to assist and supplement outreach services operating in and around Health through Housing host communities so that local outreach and referral efforts are inclusive for persons who identify as a population that disproportionately experiences chronic homelessness. o Third, King County will through its contract with an operator will monitor the composition of residents of the specific site to contribute to the Health through Housing portfolio's overall reduction of racial ethnic disproportionality. In the event that a Health through Housing site demonstrates a pattern of preserving rather than reducing racial ethnic disproportionality, King County and the City may offer additional technical assistance and other supports to ensure that the building and its operator are creating a welcoming environment and properly tailored supportive services so that the initiative can meet the requirements of the Health through Housing Implementation Plan's Supporting Goal One. • How to operate, staff, and administer the Kirkland Health through Housing site to promote reduction of racial ethnic disproportionality amongst persons experiencing chronic homelessness in King County. The City of Kirkland has undertaken a specific initiative to ensure the safety and respect of Black people, committing through Resolution 5434 to several actions related to examining and dismantling institutional and structural racism in Kirkland. King County will support in all ways possible the goals of Resolution 5434 in the way that it provides for operations, staffing, and administration of the Kirkland Health through Housing site. As mentioned in the previous section, King County will also seek to contract with a centralized outreach provider who can augment and enhance local outreach efforts to increase access for persons who identify as a race that experiences disproportionate chronic homelessness. King County's Health through Housing Implementation Plan also requires implementation of the initiative's Strategy 4, the Capacity Building Collaborative. Strategy 4 will equip providers representative of communities who most disproportionately experience homelessness with resources and support to use their expertise and provide services in ways that can reduce racial -ethnic disproportionality among persons experiencing chronic homelessness. Over time, Health through Housing Strategy 4 will build the capacity of all community-based organizations to operate housing that serves their own communities. Strategy 4 will also create relationships between all Health through Housing organizations that enhance their ability to provide welcoming, affirming, and 32 culturally responsive services to communities who disproportionately experience chronic homelessness. • How the site's proximity or access to determinants of equity6 would benefit residents, including how beneficial access may be increased including how beneficial access may be increased with a particular focus on residents or participants who identify as members of communities that disproportionately experience homelessness Kirkland is among King County's most resilient, vibrant, and welcoming communities.' The City of Kirkland has strong access to all fourteen determinants of equity. This analysis identifies that persons who are housed in the Kirkland Health through Housing site will by virtue of being housed in permanent supportive housing within Kirkland experience increased access to safety services, nutrition, human services, housing, job training, healthy built environments, supportive neighborhoods, and transportation, which are eight of the fourteen determinants of equity. In particular, residents of the Kirkland Health through Housing site will gain access to housing, human services, safety services, and nutrition that will be substantial improvements to what is typically available to a person experiencing chronic homelessness. • Whether there are any conditions present that would exacerbate inequities among persons experiencing homelessness and how to mitigate or reverse those conditions. This analysis finds no condition present that would exacerbate inequities among persons experiencing homelessness other than that the general population of the City of Kirkland is less racially and ethnically diverse than King County as a whole and less racially and ethnically diverse than the Countywide population of persons experiencing chronic homelessness. A higher percentage of Kirkland's population identifies as White than the Countywide population, and a lower percentage of Kirkland's population identifies as a member of every other race and ethnicity tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau except for persons who identify as two or more races. The Census Bureau estimates that 5.7% of Kirkland's population identifies as being of two or more races while Countywide, 5.2% of Kirkland's population identifies as being of two or more races. A table depicting these data is available online through the U.S. Census Bureau. That table is also included within this document in a subsequent section. Based on these findings, if the racial -ethnic composition of the population residing within the Kirkland Health through Housing site exactly matches the City's overall population, then the population housed within the hotel would not contribute to reducing disproportionality amongst Black and Native 6 King County Ordinance 16948 identifies fourteen determinants of equity. They are community and economic development; community and public safety that includes services such as fire, police, emergency medical services; a law and justice system that provides equitable access and fair treatment; Early childhood development; Education; Equity in County Practices that eliminates all forms of discrimination; Food systems and access to affordable, healthy, and culturally appropriate foods; high-quality health and human services; Healthy built and natural environments; Housing that is safe, affordable, high-quality and healthy; Job training and Jobs; Neighborhoods that support all communities and individuals through strong social networks, trust among neighbors, and the ability to work together; Parks and natural resources; and transportation. Public Health -Seattle & King County's City Health Profiles depict Kirkland as fairing better than County and State averages on numerous indicators of health: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/data/city-health-profiles.aspx 5 33 communities. It is unlikely, however, that the hotel's resident population would exactly match the demographics of the City's population. This analysis does not have access to racial -ethnic data about the Health through Housing -eligible population currently living in Kirkland. Future development of such data may aid in refining and updating this analysis and informing future countermeasures. Assessing the ESJ impact of the Kirkland Health through Housing site within a community • Whether the building would be located in a community that may be more or less resilient because of historical patterns of investment and equity In consultation with Headwater People, King County introduced in 2020 the King County Equity Impact Awareness Tool to assess the resiliency of communities within the county when making siting decisions. The tool is available online.' The tool in its introduction notes that despite King County's overall wealth as a County, wealth and security are not equally distributed. The tool indexes communities' resilience by incorporating data on the racial -ethnic, economic, and age characteristics of a community. Using the most recent update of the community resiliency tool, Kirkland is among six King County communities that receives a zero -risk factor score, indicating that Kirkland is among the most resilient of the forty- eight King County communities that the index assesses. Because the Kirkland site is near the border of other assessed communities, it is also important to examine the resilience scores of those neighboring communities. The three neighboring communities (Bellevue - West, Bellevue -NE, and Mercer Island/Point Cities) score 1 or 2 for resilience risk factors, indicating that they are also among the County's most resilient communities. Based on these factors, this analysis determines that placement of the Kirkland Health through Housing facility is in one of the County's most resilient communities and therefore does not create risk of perpetuating historical patterns of investment and development that contribute to current inequities within King County. For comparison, the Kirkland Health through Housing site would become the 10th Health through Housing property within the initiative's portfolio of acquisitions, and the Kirkland site has the highest resiliency score (i.e., the lowest risk factor score) of any of the 10 sites. Health through Housing Location Compound Resiliency Risk Score 0 is the most resilient, indicating a community in which no risk factors are present). 8 is the least resilient, indicating a community in which all risk factors are present at the highest level. Seattle: Uptown 5 $ https://kingcounty.govtimedia/elected/executive/equity-social-justice/2020/COVID-19/OESJ-EIA- 942020.ashx?la=en 34 Seattle: Aurora 6 Seattle: Stone Way 6 Seattle: Argyle 5 Seattle: Pioneer Square 5 Renton 4 Auburn 3 Federal Way 6 Redmond 1 Kirkland 0 • What impact the property may have in reducing or increasing the diversity of the community The U.S. Census Bureau's data as accessed in March 2022, provide a July 2021 estimate for the population and demographics of the City of Kirkland. All Topics Population Estimates, July 1 2021, (V2021) King County, © Q Kirkland city, Washington Washington 6 NA NA i PEOPL Population 0 Population Estimates, July 1 2021, (V2021) ® Population estimates base, April 1, 2020, (V2021) O Population, percent change - April 1, 2020 (estimates base) to July 1, 2021, (V2021) B Population, Census, April 1, 2020 6 Population, Census, April 1, 2010 Age and Sex 8 Persons under 5 years, percent 6 Persons under 18 years, percent 9 Persons 65 years and over, percent 6 Female persons, percent Race and Hispanic Origin NA ® NA 6 NA 2,269,675 1,931,249 6 5.7% 6 20.0% 6 13.5% 649.7% 6 NA 6 NA 6 NA 92,175 48,787 6 6.5% 6 20.5% 6 13.1% 650.7% ® White alone, percent 6 66.2% 6 75.7% 6 Black or African American alone, percent (a) 6 7.0% 6 1.4% 6 American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent (a) 6 1.0% 6 0.3% 8 Asian alone, percent (a) 6 19.7% 6 14.4% 9 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent (a) 6 0.8% 6 0.1% O Two or More Races, percent 6 5.2% 6 5.7% 9 Hispanic or Latino, percent (b) 6 9.9% 6 7.7% White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent6 58.1% 6 71.2% Population Characteristics dd Veterans, 2015-2019 100,581 3,463 6 Foreign born persons, percent, 2015-2019 23.1% 23.3% The Census Bureau estimates include racial demographic population data that describe Kirkland's residents as being 75.7% White with the next highest percentage being 14.4% Asian. Relevant to the question of whether a Kirkland Health through Housing site would likely increase or decrease racial -ethnic diversity within the City of Kirkland, the likely effect based on the demographic characteristics of people experiencing chronic homelessness in King County is that the location would marginally increase the racial - 7 35 ethnic diversity of Kirkland. This effect should not be unduly emphasized, however, because the number of persons who will live at the Kirkland Health through Housing site would be fewer than 120 persons, and that number is too small to move percentages relative to Kirkland's overall population estimate of more than 92,000 persons. The graph below, copied from Figure 16 of the Health through Housing Implementation Plan, provides data on the racial composition of persons experiencing chronic homelessness in King County in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The graph illustrates that the two single races that are disproportionately chronically homeless in King County are persons who identify as Black or African American and American Indian or Alaska Native. Figure 16: Annual Chronic Homelessness in King County American Indian or Alaska Native Asian 17% 6% 7% 7% I___ 2% 2% 2% Black or African Native Hawaiian American Hispanic/Latino Multiracial or Other Pacific Unknown White Islander 2=% 27% 27% 10% 7% -- 5% 5% 5% I % 8% 5% 5% 5% 4% 2% 2% 2% I I • 2018 (n=8,064) • 2019 (n=8,719) 2020 (n=8,936) 60% 4=% 45 44% • Whether persons who reside or work near the potential property are also persons whose historical or current experience of inequity leaves them subject to a material risk of worsened inequity that would be directly related to the presence of a Health through Housing building. The Kirkland Health through Housing site is a hotel that has been operating in its current location for more than a decade. There is no other housing adjacent to the building, although there are single-family homes to the South of the site on the other side of Highway 520, there are residences to the East of the Health through Housing site on the other side of an office building, and there are residences to the Northeast of the Health through Housing site, on the other side of parking lots and a school. The presence of these residences indicates that the area is suitable for residential use and the Health through Housing site's use as permanent supportive housing is a conforming use to the existing zoning. 36 In addition to residences and a highway, there are business offices, a fast-food restaurant, and a private school either adjacent to or in the immediate vicinity of the Health through Housing site. This analysis does not attempt to classify the race and ethnicity of each person residing or working next to the Health through Housing site. There is no indication that the persons who reside or work near the Kirkland Health through Housing site are subject to a material risk of worsened racial inequity directly related to the future presence of a permanent supportive housing building as could be the case in other locations within the County that have historically seen patterns of underinvestment. This analysis recommends that King County's future community engagement and neighborhood agreement processes seek out additional information about persons residing or working near the potential property to inform strategies that may be helpful to counter and actual and material worsening of inequity that this initial analysis fails to identify. Language Access Implementation of recommendations within this Statement of Equity Impact and its future updates, including ongoing community engagement, will provide for increased language access to ensure that King County and Kirkland residents may participate in this process. The City of Kirkland web -based communications prioritize translations of written materials in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Persian, Portuguese, Hindi and Telugu. King County commits to making communications regarding this Statement of Equity Impact accessible to Kirkland and County residents in these languages. King County also commits to adjusting which languages in which it offers translations to best meet the needs of the Kirkland community. 9 37