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Schipske To Change Schroeder Hall Deal
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| LOCKED UP. The gate is padlocked and the doors covered with paper at Schroeder Hall. —Gazette photo by Harry Saltzgaver |
By Harry Saltzgaver
Executive Editor
In the latest twist of the years-long saga of the Schroeder Hall Army Reserve Base reuse effort, Fifth District Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske says she will ask the federal government to waive a requirement to increase services for homeless people.
The city of Long Beach has applied to the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reuse the five acres at Willow Street and Grand Avenue to build a new East Division Police Substation. The City Council approved the application in December 2007 with only Fourth District Councilman Patrick O’Donnell voting no. HUD has yet to rule on the application.
In the meantime, a group of nearby residents and Neighborhoods First, a citywide advocacy group, has vocally opposed location of a mental health facility for the homeless population tentatively located on city land at Burnett Street and Grand Avenue, across the street from Schroeder Hall and next to the city’s Department of Health and Human Services headquarters. The application identified Mental Health of America, which already has a Long Beach location at 456 Elm St., as the service provider.
Schipske originally supported the proposal, but now says that the process was flawed.
“I’m asking to put this on the agenda because of my frustration with the process,” Schipske said. “I’ve asked informally several times whether we could get a waiver. I think we are doing enough for the homeless in Long Beach. We are certainly doing a lot more than a lot of other cities in Southern California.
“Of course we could do more; we could do more for every segment of our population. But it doesn’t do any harm to ask.”
MHA officials said several months ago that they would consider alternative locations, but no viable site has been found. Dennis Thys, director of the Community Development Department, told the council in September that it appeared unlikely an alternate site could be found. He warned that if the city did not provide a homeless service component in its plan, the federal government could use the entire Schroeder Hall property for homeless services, including low-income housing.
In her statement Dec. 30 announcing she would seek a waiver, Schipske cited a series of services for the homeless, including the Multi-Service Center, a recently completed 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness (which has not been approved by the City Council), emergency shelters, the Bethune Transitional School operated by the Long Beach Unified School District and more.
“The city of Long Beach has historically provided a great deal of services and programs for he homeless,” Schipske wrote in her statement. “The city of Long Beach continues to lead cities in Los Angeles County in addressing the needs of the homeless and this should be taken into consideration by the federal government.
“I am bringing this item to the full City Council because it was the full City Council that approved the application. Also, the residents who live adjacent to the proposed homeless services site and who are opposed to its location are not convinced that the city really will find an alternative site for the homeless program, and so we need a backup plan.”
Susan Price, the city’s Homeless Services officer, said most mental health services currently are provided at MHA’s downtown facility, a Long Beach Mental Health office at Long Beach Boulevard and Anaheim Street and at the Multi-Service Center, 1301 W. 12th St. Those services are not sufficient, she said.
MHA serves an average of 45 homeless people a day at its Elm Street site. A statement by MHA President Richard Van Horn says the company will continue to pursue the current agreement.
Opponents of the proposed mental health center at the health department site say the homeless mentally ill would not be supervised and could create a danger to neighborhoods. O’Donnell said his opposition is based in the possibility that it would deteriorate the quality of life of the neighborhoods.
According to Michael Johnson, manager of the health department’s Support Services Bureau, the department’s building at Willow and Grand now serve more than 100,000 people a year in its clinics, and see more than 700,000 people for administrative issues ranging from WIC (Women, Infants and Children support) to immunizations.
“We serve all segments of the population here,” Johnson said. “Clearly a portion of them are homeless. We have alcohol and drug rehabilitation, tuberculosis clinics, pre-natal services… It benefits the entire community, too. If we’re able to stop the spread of TB in a homeless person who might be washing your car or busing tables at a restaurant, that protects you.”
Although Schipske announced last week that she wanted the entire council to discuss and vote on the request, it won’t be on the agenda until the Jan. 20 meeting. That is because of the requirement to agendize items 12 days in advance, and the presentation after next Tuesday’s meeting of the Mayor’s State of the City address, which is cutting the council meeting short.
“I say again, it doesn’t hurt to ask,” Schipske said. “If they say no, the project goes to the next step. If they give us the land, we’d have to go through an Environmental Impact Report and so forth.”
The city of Long Beach has applied to the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reuse the five acres at Willow Street and Grand Avenue to build a new East Division Police Substation. The City Council approved the application in December 2007 with only Fourth District Councilman Patrick O’Donnell voting no. HUD has yet to rule on the application.
In the meantime, a group of nearby residents and Neighborhoods First, a citywide advocacy group, has vocally opposed location of a mental health facility for the homeless population tentatively located on city land at Burnett Street and Grand Avenue, across the street from Schroeder Hall and next to the city’s Department of Health and Human Services headquarters. The application identified Mental Health of America, which already has a Long Beach location at 456 Elm St., as the service provider.
Schipske originally supported the proposal, but now says that the process was flawed.
“I’m asking to put this on the agenda because of my frustration with the process,” Schipske said. “I’ve asked informally several times whether we could get a waiver. I think we are doing enough for the homeless in Long Beach. We are certainly doing a lot more than a lot of other cities in Southern California.
“Of course we could do more; we could do more for every segment of our population. But it doesn’t do any harm to ask.”
MHA officials said several months ago that they would consider alternative locations, but no viable site has been found. Dennis Thys, director of the Community Development Department, told the council in September that it appeared unlikely an alternate site could be found. He warned that if the city did not provide a homeless service component in its plan, the federal government could use the entire Schroeder Hall property for homeless services, including low-income housing.
In her statement Dec. 30 announcing she would seek a waiver, Schipske cited a series of services for the homeless, including the Multi-Service Center, a recently completed 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness (which has not been approved by the City Council), emergency shelters, the Bethune Transitional School operated by the Long Beach Unified School District and more.
“The city of Long Beach has historically provided a great deal of services and programs for he homeless,” Schipske wrote in her statement. “The city of Long Beach continues to lead cities in Los Angeles County in addressing the needs of the homeless and this should be taken into consideration by the federal government.
“I am bringing this item to the full City Council because it was the full City Council that approved the application. Also, the residents who live adjacent to the proposed homeless services site and who are opposed to its location are not convinced that the city really will find an alternative site for the homeless program, and so we need a backup plan.”
Susan Price, the city’s Homeless Services officer, said most mental health services currently are provided at MHA’s downtown facility, a Long Beach Mental Health office at Long Beach Boulevard and Anaheim Street and at the Multi-Service Center, 1301 W. 12th St. Those services are not sufficient, she said.
MHA serves an average of 45 homeless people a day at its Elm Street site. A statement by MHA President Richard Van Horn says the company will continue to pursue the current agreement.
Opponents of the proposed mental health center at the health department site say the homeless mentally ill would not be supervised and could create a danger to neighborhoods. O’Donnell said his opposition is based in the possibility that it would deteriorate the quality of life of the neighborhoods.
According to Michael Johnson, manager of the health department’s Support Services Bureau, the department’s building at Willow and Grand now serve more than 100,000 people a year in its clinics, and see more than 700,000 people for administrative issues ranging from WIC (Women, Infants and Children support) to immunizations.
“We serve all segments of the population here,” Johnson said. “Clearly a portion of them are homeless. We have alcohol and drug rehabilitation, tuberculosis clinics, pre-natal services… It benefits the entire community, too. If we’re able to stop the spread of TB in a homeless person who might be washing your car or busing tables at a restaurant, that protects you.”
Although Schipske announced last week that she wanted the entire council to discuss and vote on the request, it won’t be on the agenda until the Jan. 20 meeting. That is because of the requirement to agendize items 12 days in advance, and the presentation after next Tuesday’s meeting of the Mayor’s State of the City address, which is cutting the council meeting short.
“I say again, it doesn’t hurt to ask,” Schipske said. “If they say no, the project goes to the next step. If they give us the land, we’d have to go through an Environmental Impact Report and so forth.”
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David Settino Scott wrote on Jan 7, 2009 8:12 PM: