HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes 94-85 Cold Weather Emergency Shelter Program RESOLUTION NO. 94-85
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
CITY OF PALM DESERT
TO: City Manager and City Council Members
FROM: Ken Weller, Emergency Services Coordinator
DATE: August 25, 1994
SUBJECT: Cold Weather Emergency Shelter Program
Recommendation:
By Minute Motion, adopt Resolution Number 94- 85 and forward to Governor Pete
Wilson.
Background:
After March 31 , 1995, Governor Wilson will close National Guard armories to the
sheltering of homeless for the Emergency Cold Weather Shelter Program
(E.C.W.S.P. ) .
Governor Wilson is citing financial hardship to repair armories as one reason to
stop the E.C.W.S.P. The second reason is since the creation of the program in
1987, he feels the counties have had time to create local full -time shelters.
As the homeless population increase the need for these types of programs are
essential .
Attached is our resolution in support for the Emergency Cold Weather Shelter
Program.
Prepared): Revie and Concur:
WELLER BRUCE A. ALTMAN
EMERGENCY SERVICES COORDINATOR CITY MANAGER
KW/wj
CITY COUNCIL ION:
APPROVED DENIED
RECEIVED OTHER
MEETING DATE ;
AYES: J ,C Nc_ 1,(_k-)jL"1
NOES: C
ABSENT: (Y\Q
ABSTAIN:
'.'ERIFIED BY: J r
:�wginal on File hity Clerk's Ot Ic.
RESOLUTION 94-063 OF "1IE BOARD-OF-SUPERVISORS-OF
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CALIFOI ' n
I/.1�7
RESuLUTION NO. 94-85
WHEREAS, since December 1987, when former Governor George Deukmejian created the Emergency
Shelter Program and authorized the use of the National Guard armories to augment existing homeless shelters
during periods of cold weather, and the Riverside County Board of Supervisors has supported the county-wide
Emergency Cold Weather Shelter Program (ECWSP) in the armories and other facilities since its inception;
and
WHEREAS, the program has sheltered 6489 individuals during the duration of the program and
provided 92,699 shelter bed nights through the end of the Fiscal Year 1992/1993; and
WHEREAS, the demand for emergency shelter services has escalated since the program was initiated,
and the recession forced many middle and low income families into homelessness; and
WHEREAS; the 422 full time shelter bedsavailable wittrirrthe-Conntp-are-utilized-by--clientele different
from those who utilize the armories; and
WHEREAS, the armories most often are used to shelter a combination of intact or single parent
homeless families who have been unable to find full time shelter and the "chronic homeless", single men and
women who have a 60% to 70% probability factor of suffering from serious mental illness or severe substance
abuse problems and are therefore detached from the regular homeless service network; and
WHEREAS, Governor Pete Wilson has notified the County that he plans to terminate the project after
Fiscal Year 1994/1995 without offering alternatives to assist the County in providing shelter beds to replace
those currently offered through the armories, or providing monetary assistance; and
WHEREAS, the County has worked, and will continue to work, vigorously with the various cities,
communities, churches and non-profit organizations to develop a homeless shelter network, resulting in an
average increase of 100 shelter beds per year since the start of the Riverside County Emergency Cold Weather
Shelter Program, and continues to work to identify alternatives to the armories; and
WHEREAS, the County recognizes and acknowledges the important and irreplaceable role played by
the armories when used to shelter homeless persons, and further recognizes and acknowledges that in spite of
the dramatic progress made toward increasing full time shelter beds, the number of homeless continues to
increase, which then increases the need for the use of the armories as emergency shelters.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the B rvisors urges Governor Wilson to
direct his staff to work toward assisting local government to increase the number of shelter beds, instead of
seeking to decrease it by closing the armories and that the Governor investigate military base use for the
National Guard and reconsider the previously announced closure of the armories to the homeless.
Roll Call:
Ayes: Huste Dunlap; C erns , love
Noes: No
Absent: ne
The foregoing is certified to be a true copy of a resolution adopted by said Board of
Supervisors on the date herein set forth.
GERALD A. MALONEY, le k f t -Board
(seal) By2G�
epeAg
1 1994