San Diego County Agency Votes to Explore Special District for Regional Homelessness Response

A new framework for the regional response to homelessness will be explored after a report criticizing the current structure was presented on Monday. The report, prepared by staff of the Local Agencies Training Commission (LAFCO) of San Diego County, proposes three models for a coordinating entity that would differ from the current arrangement, which is managed by the Regional Working Group on Housing Lack (RTFH), a private nonprofit organization.

The document questions the broad scope of RTFH’s responsibilities and its status as a nonprofit, which, according to the report, does not require it to hold public meetings or respond to requests for public records. The three options, based on models from other counties, call for creating a government entity that is accountable to the public and that would absorb or integrate elements of RTFH.

The three structures proposed by LAFCO staff are a municipal or county agency, a joint powers authority, and a special district. They are based, respectively, on models used in Santa Clara County, King County (Seattle), and Miami-Dade County.

On Monday, the commission made progress in exploring a special district but did not adopt the report as a final version. LAFCO unanimously approved a motion by San Diego City Commissioner and Councillor Stephen Whitburn to defer the matter to a later date and ask staff to submit information on the tasks required to examine whether a special district would be useful. According to LAFCO, creating a special district could require a measure subject to a popular vote, because it would need a specific source of income. The presentation said the Miami-Dade special district was financed by a food and beverage tax.

During the meeting, Whitburn praised RTFH and its work, describing its staff as dedicated and talented people who do everything they can within the current structure. He also expressed frustration with the situation facing homeless people and with the existing framework’s inability to curb the problem. “The care system for homeless people in our region is failing,” Whitburn said. “It is failing people who lack a home and is failing all residents who live here. The population of our entire region demands a more effective approach. We must create a better system.” His remarks point to a concern for people who have no home, a call to speak up for those who are vulnerable (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Neither the presentation nor the report was entirely critical of the region’s current structure, and at times they praised its work. LAFCO staff stated that their findings did not constitute recommendations, but they maintained a critical stance toward RTFH and explained their reasons. Meghan Traynor of LAFCO, who presented the report, said: “Over the last decade, the response to homelessness has become a permanent municipal function, with an administrative structure, established political guidelines and a recurring demand for public funds. This raises the central question of this document: Can the public, the residents and taxpayers who finance the system and to whom it is ultimately accountable, demand that the system respond to the needs of the people it serves?”

Tamera Kohler, executive director of RTFH, defended her organization in a letter sent before Monday’s meeting. In it, she asked the commission to postpone any decision on a new model, arguing that the LAFCO report, which exceeds 100 pages, contains numerous inaccuracies according to RTFH. During the meeting, however, Kohler said she was open to restructuring and welcomed proposals aimed at eradicating homelessness and improving accountability in the governance structure. “I will also say that there is always room for improvement, both in terms of transparency and coordination,” Kohler said on Monday. “If you decide to continue with this, I will offer you a dozen good options on various aspects.”

RTFH essentially acts as the administrator of the region’s Continuum of Care (CoC), a continuous care system. Its duties include conducting the annual household count at a given time, collecting data on homelessness, and managing millions of dollars in state and federal funds. A CoC aims to organize funding and programs for homeless people in a given area or region, and it is a prerequisite for receiving funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Spanish)