11 - Laserfiche WebLink

BACKGROUND Eastern Alameda County 2011 Human Services Needs Assessment Findings Report In 2010, the City of Pleasanton partnered with the cities of Dublin and Livermore to update the 2003Tri-Valley Human Services Needs Assessment. They worked with its consultants, Resource Development Associates (RDA) to assess the current and future conditions of the Tri-Valley region's Human Services Delivery Network, identify service gaps, and provide recommendations to strengthen delivery efforts and identify service priorities for federal and local grant programs. Process RDA used a mixed method research approach that included quantitative and qualitative data sources. The 2011 Needs Assessment began with the development of the Eastern Alameda County Human Services Steering Committee, which included diverse leadership from City staff, former elected officials, commissioners and non-profit organizations. The committee was tasked with identifying key stakeholders, review findings, and developing a vision statement to help guide current and future activities associated with addressing human service needs in the Tri-Valley. RDA's analysis included U.S. Census, American Community Survey and Alameda County Social Service Agency data. They conducted 18 interviews with community leaders, 14 focus groups with social service recipients, developed a Hard to Reach Population Survey with over 300 responses, and a Social Service Provider Survey completed by over 70 representatives of 38 regional social service organizations that provided additional local data. In September 2011, community meetings were held in each of the three (3) communities with over 70 people in attendance. As a result of all the information obtained through RDA's research, 14 areas of concern were addressed in the final document including: Community Issues, Service Delivery Environment, Current Gaps in Services or Barriers to Improving Service, and Suggestions for Improvement. As a result, the following conclusions and recommendations related to the provision of human services in the Tri-Valley area were forwarded to the City Council for their review and consideration: Conclusions: • The demand for human services is increasing at the same time those resources to provide services are diminishing. • Public transportation limitations present a significant barrier to residents seeking human services. • An increase in ethnic diversity and linguistic isolation creates a barrier to accessing services and organizations are struggling to adjust. • There is not enough affordable housing to meet the growing demand. • Increased homelessness has amplified the demand for temporary shelters. Page 2 of 6