Placer Grand Jury investigates county response to homelessness

The Placer County Grand Jury took a close look at homelessness issues this year, finding homelessness is placing a burden on taxpayers and public safety. Through multiple interviews and a visit to the homeless camp at the DeWitt Center, the team of 19 grand jurors worked to understand the challenges and barriers the homeless experience in entering shelters and available services to gain insight to the day-to-day personnel and operations that work directly with the homeless and to identify who in Placer County takes ownership and responsibility for the strategies used in supporting the homeless. "The grand jury's investigation uncovered the fact that there is no single owner or leader in county staff overseeing the homeless issue," stated the grand jury report, which was released June 30. "The lack of information from Health and Human Services made it difficult to compile specific facts and figures needed to accurately report the number of homeless currently residing in Placer County." The grand jury also highlighted that Health and Human Services, which aids the homeless through several programs, "lacks knowledge as to the specific amount of funds available, allocated to the homeless, and how it is spent on remedying the problem." The report stated the grand jury's attempt to gain financial information was an "act of futility" because county officials were not able to provide answers. Through interviews, grand jurors learned reasons why the homeless at DeWitt refuse to enter a facility. Many have social, medical and mental health issues, which may impede their ability to make healthy, wise decisions that would improve their overall well-being, the report stated. Another factor is most campers don't want to conform to authority, maintain a schedule or assume any responsibilities, as would be required in a clean and sober high-barrier facility. Of the nearly 100 homeless who were camping at DeWitt while the grand jury was conducting its investigation, jurors discovered 98 percent decline services offered by county representatives twice a week. Jurors discovered alcohol and drug use was prevalent in the encampment, resulting in an average of one overdose a week and crimes such as assaults, thefts, drugs and public intoxication. Placer County Sheriff's Office statistics show 30 percent of calls for service (between March 2021 and February 2022) were transient related in North Auburn (where the DeWitt Center is located) compared with 7 percent of calls for the rest of Placer County. The county employs a Homeless Liaison Team, which includes six deputies who patrol the homeless 24/7. "Looking at the statistics provided, the grand jury questions how only six deputies can be expected to cover the entire county without drawing other deputies away from their assigned communities and duties," the report stated. The jurors went on to say the Homeless Liaison Team was doing an "effective job" and the officers have "excellent rapport and are caring and compassionate when dealing with the campers." The grand jury sought to determine total funding spent on homeless programs by the county as part of the Health and Human Services' quarter-billion-dollar budget. County officials interviewed could not expound on this subject because of their lack of knowledge of the financial aspect relating to homeless services, the report stated. "Because this financial information for homeless services is not available for review, neither the grand jury, nor the public, have any basis for understanding whether funds are being spent responsibly or effectively," the report stated. The report stated the homeless population was on the rise due to the Martin v. Boise ruling, which allows campers to not be removed from their encampment if there are no adequate shelters available to house them, such as low-barrier facilities. The county's camping ordinance is "inadequate," the report stated, as it doesn't discourage the continued use of encampments. According to the report, only 55-60 percent of campers at the Placer County Government Center are from Placer County. The report also highlighted the three previous contracted consultant reports on the homeless issue. The reports, which span nearly three decades, "address the same issues and appear to have similar findings and recommendations and have been ignored by previous and current county officials." The report concludes with recommendations for Placer County, including designating a homeless "czar" to oversee all county services and finances for the homeless. The recommendations include creating a Placer County homeless expense report for the public. Their recommendations also call for the county and all cities within Placer County to obtain funding and establish their own low-barrier homeless facilities. The report calls on the county Board of Supervisors to pass an "effective and enforceable" ordinance to manage and remove unsanctioned camping on county property. The recommendations also call on the Board of Supervisors to compare and evaluate the two prior homeless consulting reports "to determine why little or no action has been taken on the previous and almost identical report recommendations." Placer County has until Oct. 1 to issue a response to the grand jury's findings and recommendations. "We appreciate the Grand Jury's interest and attention to this challenging issue," said Acting Placer County CEO Jane Christenson. "At the Board of Supervisors' direction, staff has expanded our services and on-site presence in support of the unsheltered residents camping at the government center. Many of the recommendations identified by the Grand Jury have been developed and we look forward to sharing those details with the Grand Jury in our formal response, which should shed further light on the county's ongoing efforts to assist the unhoused in our community." Placer County homelessness was just one issue the grand jury investigated; its report also includes an examination of the city of Lincoln's financial state, cyber security in Placer County and the city of Colfax's citizen complaint process. The full Placer County Grand Jury 2021-22 Final Report is available online at http://www.placer.courts.ca.gov/general-grandjury-reports.shtml.