Grand Jury

MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY 2014-2015 • AUGUST 2015 MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY REPORT SUMMARY 6 HOMELESSNESS IN MARIN – A Call for Leadership 1 Chronic Alcohol Use with Justice-System Involvement Report. Report. San Rafael: Marin County Department of Health & Human Services, 2013. HomeBase - Legal and Technical Assistance. Report issued April 23, 2015 Right now in Marin County people are lying in doorways, living in cardboard boxes in open spaces and sleeping under freeway overpasses. Being homeless is harsh, even in Marin. In the absence of a govern- ment mandate to eliminate home- lessness, County leadership does not show any urgency to fi nd and create real solutions. e current approach is not eff ective; too many Marin County residents are still homeless and the negative economic impact is substantial. e Grand Jury conducted a six- month investigation that included interviews, research, and attendance at community meetings and home- less support centers. Based on this investigation, the Grand Jury recom- mends that the Marin County Board of Supervisors takes a strong, deci- sive leadership role in eliminating homelessness. e Board of Supervi- sors should direct the Chief Admin- istrative Offi cer to appoint a high- ranking offi cial with the authority to develop and execute a systemic plan to end homelessness and be accountable for the progress of that plan. is offi cial should reorganize budgets so that all expenditures are aligned to the plan and transparent to the public and s/he should closely coordinate the activities of the vari- ous service providers. Additionally, the Grand Jury be- lieves the total economic impact of homelessness in Marin County must be established and known by the public; costs incurred by the staff s of the public safety agencies (e.g., police, fi re, public works, district at- torney, public defender, jail and hos- pitals) and the negative impact on business activity must be included. e Grand Jury believes the total economic impact of homelessness in Marin is far in excess of the $15 mil- lion per year that the County reports spending. A recent Request for Pro- posal issued by the County estimated that, in just one year, 34 chronic inebriates, 32 of whom were home- less, cost the County $2,039,463 1 , or $59,984 per person, in public safety services. e Grand Jury found that munici- palities throughout Marin County direct the homeless to San Rafael where the majority of support ser- vices are located, creating a hub for the homeless in that city. e result- ing negative impact of homelessness on business activity and the overall quality of life in San Rafael should impel the County to assume leader- ship and work closely with San Ra- fael to eliminate homelessness. e Grand Jury believes that, de- spite the absence of a government mandate, there is a moral and eco- nomic imperative for the Board of Supervisors to undertake a strong leadership role to eliminate home- lessness in Marin County. FINDINGS F1. ere is no coordinated, fo- cused, systemic plan with a comprehensive budget to elimi- nate homelessness in Marin County. F2. Marin County has hired a Homeless Policy Analyst who coordinates activities but has no authority as the lead position on homelessness. F3. e funds Marin County re- ports spending on homelessness are not in a comprehensive bud- get, making it impossible for the public to know how and what funds are being spent to address homelessness. F4. Decisions about expenditures for the homeless are o! en reac- tive to government mandates or political pressure. F5. e majority of the homeless in Marin County are centered in San Rafael, which negatively impacts business activity and the overall quality of life in that community. F6. e majority of the homeless services in Marin County are located in San Rafael, prompt- ing other towns to direct the homeless to those services. F7. e total economic impact of homelessness in Marin County is not known, including the impact on business activity and the costs of public safety services (e.g. police, fi re, public works, district attorney, public defender, jail and hospitals), making it impossible for the public to know that the full economic impact is signifi cantly greater than perceived. F8. Multiple public agencies in Marin County (e.g. police, fi re, public works, district attorney, public defender, jail and hospi- tals) interact with the homeless regularly, but do not participate in the collaboration on home- lessness, so their valuable experience is not part of the planning. RECOMMENDATIONS R1. e Marin County Board of Supervisors assumes the lead- ership role and accountability for development and execu- tion of a systemic plan to end homelessness in the County that includes all relevant stake- holders. R2. e Marin County Board of Supervisors directs the Chief Administrative Offi cer to re- cruit a high-ranking offi cial with the authority to imple- ment the systemic plan to end homelessness. is offi cial should report directly to the Chief Administrative Offi cer and should be held account- able for the results of the plan. R3. e Marin County Board of Supervisors requires a com- prehensive County budget for homelessness that is clear to the public and includes rev- enues and expenditures from all departments and sources.

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