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Commissioner Soby questioned if CRIL was seeing an increase in people needed their services. Mr. <br /> Galvan advised that an increase was being experienced especially as rents in the area are increasing, <br /> even for the rooms that many clients are renting in the homes of other people. <br /> CityServe of the Tri-Valley— Homeless Intervention and Crisis Stabilization Program —Christine <br /> Bietsch-Bahmani and Margaretann Fortner <br /> Ms. Bietsch-Bahmani advised that CityServe was requesting funding for their homeless intervention <br /> and crisis stabilization program that is in partnership with the cities of Pleasanton, Livermore, and <br /> Dublin to provide street outreach services for unsheltered individuals and care coordination for these <br /> individuals. She noted that CityServe partners with Open Heart Kitchen and travels around with them <br /> when giving out food to people on the streets. <br /> Ms. Fortner provided information about the care, coordination, and outreach that is vital in being able to <br /> get homeless people to move forward, advising that often work begins in a creek and goes beyond <br /> finding them housing, but multiple other things that have nothing to do with housing but everything else <br /> that's crisis-related in their lives including mental and physical health issues, financial stability, <br /> educational and vocation skills. All areas that CityServe provides help with collaboration from other <br /> organizations to make sure individuals receive the resources and services that they need. <br /> Commissioners were informed by Ms. Fortner that CityServe has worked with Goodness Village and is <br /> excited that five of the individuals they have worked with from Pleasanton are now housed there. <br /> Chairperson Galvin was provided information by Mr. Hernandez about funding being allocated to <br /> CityServe through the Human Services Commission, who noted the funding was for two different <br /> homeless prevention programs and funding they were requesting through the Lower Income Housing <br /> Fund was for trying to put people into permanent housing. <br /> Mr. Hernandez provided commissioners with details about the Pleasanton Homeless Outreach Team <br /> that consists of city staff and members of both the Pleasanton Police Department and CityServe. He <br /> noted that during the past year a total nineteen, formerly homeless people in Pleasanton, were placed <br /> in permanent housing. <br /> Ms. Bietsch-Bahmani and Ms. Fortner noted that it can take three to three and half years to <br /> permanently house someone who has been homeless. They discussed the issues of finding affordable <br /> housing for these individuals, dealing with their traumas, and putting them in place with the different <br /> service providers. Ms. Fortner noted that there 15,000 people in Alameda County who are on a <br /> coordinated entry list with only 300-500 units available at any given time, which means time must be <br /> spent collaborating with these individuals until something is available or a different route can be <br /> achieved. <br /> Commissioner Soby commented on the amount of time it is taking to work with homeless individuals <br /> and confirmed that CityServe continues to collaborate with people during this time. Ms. Fortner <br /> discussed the obstacles that come up when someone is homeless including mental health and <br /> addiction and how these people are often sleeping in their cars, going to local gyms to shower, heading <br /> to work, and then returning to sleep in their cars. <br /> Commissioner Soby asked about the number of individuals CityServe is working with each year and <br /> Ms. Bietsch-Bahmani advised that during the past year a total of seventy-four placements had been in <br /> the Tri-Valley, a big part of which was their partnership with Goodness Village. She also provided <br /> information about housing and care provided that took place in a local hotel that helped keep people <br /> stabilized. <br /> Chairperson Galvin questioned if CityServe participated in the meetings offered by James Paxson at <br /> Housing Commission <br /> March 17,2022 <br /> Page 4 of 10 <br />