On May 6, 2020, City Council approved an agreement with Mercy House Living Centers to open and operate a 150-bed navigation center at 1900 East Brundage Lane known as the Brundage Lane Navigation Center (BLNC). The BLNC was designed to accept people with their partners, pets, and possessions, and provide a unique low-barrier environment where clients can be housed, cared for, and connected to housing. Client services include but are not limited to facility management and operation, routine facility maintenance and janitorial services, daily meals, laundry, transportation, coordination with partner referral entities, case management, housing navigation, job training, veteran’s services, animal care services, and on-site/off-site security. The BLNC also connects clients to on-site medical and mental health services provided by the County of Kern Behavioral Health Department and the Kern Medical Hospital Authority.
Recognizing the continued demand for shelter beds, City Council approved the physical expansion of the shelter on December 15, 2021, and the expanded BLNC operations budget on March 8, 2023 (mid-year budget request). This expansion includes an increase in shelter beds from 150 to 268, added pet capacity from 15 to 50 kennels (up to 100 pets served at one time), a 19-bed recuperative care dormitory, and an expanded service provider wing.
Staffing levels will also increase proportionally with an emphasis placed on enhanced services and security. To boost the high level of service already provided at BLNC, staff levels will be increased from a case manager to client ratio of 1:30 to a ratio of 1:25. This will enable Mercy House staff to provide a more intense level of service to those chronically homeless in the city and help reduce the time it takes to get people connected to housing. Mercy House will also add a Housing Locator who will focus on securing housing units for those waiting with vouchers in the shelter. Furthermore, to increase the safety of operations in the shelter and to lower costs to the City, Mercy House will replace some uniform security staff with Mercy House trained Red Shirt Safety Coordinators. While always retaining a presence of uniform security on site, replacing uniform guards with Mercy House staff (whose focus is to intervene in incidents before they escalate to the level where uniform security is required) creates a more dignified environment for clients resulting in better outcomes for clients and the program overall.
Staff recommends approval of Amendment (3) to Agreement No. 2020-061 between Mercy House and the City of Bakersfield for $6,210,264.42.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact is $6,210,264.42 in PSVS General Fund dollars for the operation of the Brundage Lane Navigation Center
COUNCIL GOAL:
The action aligns with City Council Goal 2 to collaborate with and assist supportive service providers in achieving progress towards a meaningful reduction in homelessness in the Bakersfield-Kern CoC region.