Meeting Information

MINUTES
SHELTER MONITORING COMMITTEE
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
10:00 AM
City Hall, Room 421
San Francisco, CA 94102
Members present:
Chair Quintin Mecke
Vice Chair Henry Belton
Secretary Aram Hauslaib  
 Committee Member Anthony Beliso
 Committee Member Elihu Hernandez
Committee Member Rita Lark
Committee Member Aubrey Moore
Committee Member David Nakanishi
Committee Member Maxine Pauson
Committee Member Ramses Teon-Nichols
Committee Member Amanda Thompson              
Committee Member Cindy Ward

 Members absent:
 Committee Member Diana Greer

 The meeting was called to order at 10:01 AM
 
I. MINUTES      
Action: Approved May 6, 2009 Minutes
m/s/c (Belton/Thompson/Unanimous)

Public Comment
Charles Pitts stated that his comments were not fully transcribed and the Bernice Casey [Committee staff] is missing entire public comments [within the Minutes].

II.  REPORTS      
A.         Human Services Agency  
Committee Member Cindy Ward reviewed the vacancy reports and stated that the family turn aways at Hamilton decreased from April to May going from 61 families in April to 13 in May. 
Committee Member David Nakanishi asked why the vacancy rate at Next Door continues to be low.

Briana Moore, Single Adult Shelters Programs Manager, stated that there were some changes at Next Door with the addition of 50 new beds and some changes to the beds assigned to the Veterans' Administration.  Ms. Moore stated that there would be no daytime access to the three big shelters [MSC South, Sanctuary, and Next Door] in the new fiscal year and that the extension policy was still in discussion.

B.  Department of Public Health (DPH)  
Committee Member Nakanishi stated that four of the nine investigations forwarded to DPH by the Committee has been investigated by the Committee and reports were pending.  Committee Member Nakanishi stated that there would be a possible cut to MAP which would than cease services to shelters during the day.  For more information on the DPH budget, Committee Member Nakanishi directed the Committee to DPH's web-site.

C.     Standard of Care (SOC)  
The Committee reviewed the Standard of Care methodology standard by standard and asked the Standards 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 19, 30, and 31 be pulled and discussed in a group setting before the next Committee meeting.  The Standard of Care report was moved to the July 1, 2009 Committee Meeting.

Public Comment
Kim Clark said that more time was needed to cover the Standards of Care.

Paul Weston commended the Committee by tackling each Standard one by one but cautioned the Committee regarding simplify methodologies and encouraged more analysis specifically regarding free laundry at larger sites such as MSC South and Next Door.

Alexis asked if the Standard of Care legislation was related to the Care Not Cash legislation [as it applies to Standard 29].

Briana Moore said that the methodology was a complicated issue for the Committee and that it was imperative to get shelter directors' feedback.

Marlon Mendieta said that the methodology could be a tool for each site and that the weight of a violation should be made clear to the site.

Mr. Michael Wright said that the front desk staff and the security at the Sanctuary were not doing their job.

Jill Jarvie said the Standard 11 prohibited smoking 20 ft from a child's play area and that DPH was currently working on training for Standard 31.
Tomas Picarillo stated that after an 18-month process to develop the Standards of Care that focus should be on enforcement rather than modification.

Charles Pitts said that Committee should post the draft methodology to the Yahoo groups and note certain parallels within the Standards of Care and the Shelter Training Manual.

III. OLD BUSINESS     
A. Tenderloin Area Services    
The Committee heard from members of the community regarding the impact of budget cuts slotted for the Tenderloin Area.

Jackie Jenks, the Executive Director Central City Hospitality House, stated that with the slotted closure of Tenderloin Health and the Self Help Center.  There would be no access to public restrooms with the closure, the highly enriched services would be gone as well as the peer-based counseling.

Elvis, with the Self Help Center, said the closures would be no place for people to drop-in and the City should find another place to chop money because the Tenderloin needs these services.

Mr. Wright said that the Tenderloin was already at a disadvantage and the access to computers at the Self Help Center provided a place for people to pursue employment.

Bonnie, with the Self Help Center, said that 80% of the people who use the services at the Self Help Center are either in shelter or work in shelters.  People seeking employment services receive one-on-one care.  If the site closes, there will be 300 people on the street.

Robert, a member of the public, said that he uses the services at Tenderloin Health and the Self Help Center, citing Tenderloin Health as the best location to get a 7-day bed reservation through CHANGES.  He said the closures amounted to war on the poor.

Abdullah, a member of the public, said that the Committee was being courageous having this meeting where people could talk about their concerns.

Tei, with Tenderloin Health, said that Tenderloin Health was a place were a state of art service model existed and that it was utilized by a myriad of populations, including those ravaged by HIV.  The closures amounted to cutting prevention services for hundreds in need.

Porter Davis, a member of the public, said that cutting programs which feed of each other will leave a whole population with no place to go.

Kim Clark, a member of the public, said that the Committee should hold a town hall to discuss the issues.

Action: Approved budget letter to the Board of Supervisors, co-authored by the Local Homeless Coordinating Board
m/s/c (MeckeTeon-Nichols/Unanimous)

Public Comment
Charles Pitts said that the Committee should post the letter on its website and distribute a press relief.

Ali Schalageter, with the Local Homeless Coordinating Board, stated that a letter from the two bodies would have a strong impact on the Board.

Chair Mecke said that the letter could be used by members of the Committee who wanted to testify before the Board.

IV. PUBLIC COMMENT     
Quintin Mecke re-opened Public Comment and reminded the public that the Standard of Care Report would be discussed at the July 2009 meeting.

Paul Weston, a member of the public, should use both qualitative and quantitative methods when developing its methodology and strive to be very detailed, very specific.

 Charles Pitts said that the Committee should create a Facebook profile.

V. INFORMATION REQUESTS     
A. Staff Report      
Ms. Casey provided a written staff report to the Committee.

B.   Information Requests    
The Information Requests will be discussed at the July meeting.
 
  ADJOURNMENT                           
 The meeting was adjourned at 12:47 PM.
To obtain copies of the agenda, minutes, or any explanatory documents, please contact Bernice Casey at 415.255.3653 or Bernice.casey@sfdph.org 72 hours before the meeting.

To obtain a disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services to participate in the meeting, please contact Bernice Casey at 415.255.3642 or Bernice.casey@sfdph.org at least two business days before the meeting.

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