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Page 4 of 7 <br />City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org <br />Redwood City’s Encampment Resolution Strategy <br />Like many jurisdictions, the City continues to face challenges related to encampments. To address these <br />issues, the City has implemented several initiatives focused on proactive outreach, public health, and <br />safety: <br />1.Proactive outreach to encampment residents: Offering services, shelter, and housing, including <br />access to On-Demand Units at the San Mateo County Navigation Center as a bridge to shelter and <br />housing opportunities through San Mateo County’s Coordinated Entry System (CES). <br />2.Weekly encampment waste services: Aimed at mitigating health and safety issues and reducing the <br />impact of encampments on the community. <br />3.Encampment clean-up on City Property: Targeted at encampments on City land where health and <br />safety concerns arise, such as proximity to critical infrastructure, fire risks, criminal activities, <br />biowaste, hazardous materials, or obstructions to pedestrian or wheelchair access. <br />4.Coordination with other agencies: Providing advanced notice and offering services to homeless <br />individuals when CalTrans and other public agencies conduct periodic encampment clean-ups at <br />locations on their property. <br />5.Priority Shelter Placement: Offered services and immediate shelter placement whenever <br />encampment clean-ups are scheduled. <br />Between January 1 to August 31, 2024, there were a total of 46 encampment removals or clean-ups on <br />CalTrans, City, CalTrain, and Union Pacific Right of Way. <br />Collaboration <br />Collaboration is at the core of the City’s strategy and allows the City to leverage limited resources <br />effectively. Staff build on existing relationships with our unhoused residents and collaborate across City <br />departments, with multiple County departments and the State of California, and with multiple non-profit <br />community partners providing services in the field. This approach has enabled the City to obtain millions <br />of dollars in grants to address homelessness, and he CalTrans District 4 External Affairs Office Chief <br />recently cited Redwood City as a “role model” as CalTrans seeks to engage with local jurisdictions around <br />the Bay Area in encampment resolution efforts. <br />New Developments Related to Addressing Unsheltered Homelessness in Redwood City and San Mateo <br />County <br />Pacific Emergency Shelter (former Pacific Inn in Redwood City) Re-Opened – As of July 2024, the <br />County re-opened the 71-unit Pacific Emergency Shelter for single homeless adults, significantly <br />increasing the overall non-congregate units available for single homeless adults countywide. <br />The Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court Launched – On July 1, 2024, <br />San Mateo County became the second county in the Bay Area – after San Francisco – to launch the <br />CARE Court, intended to service individuals with untreated schizophrenia spectrum disorder or other <br />8.A. - Page 4 of 7 <br />134