Upward Bound House and the Budget: A Case Study in Successful Advocacy

Christopher Patrick King

Culver City has recently announced a series of community forums on the budget because of the short fall created by the elimination of the Redevelopment Agency.  The resulting “crisis” has thrown a number of important positions and programs into a state of flux.  Will programs be funded?  Will jobs be cut?  The Herculean Task before City Staff and the City Council is an important one as it decides how to spend limited resources.

Speaking from my point of view as a member of the Culver City Homelessness Committee, I feared that the tightening of our city’s resources could result in the weakest among us being left in even more dire situations.  For example, the city has traditionally funded $150,000 worth of Rental Assistance Program (RAP) Vouchers through the Redevelopment Agency Funds.  Additionally, Redevelopment Agency Funds supported a contract with the Saint Joseph’s Center, so that this organization could interface with and assist the homeless in our community.  A small amount of funding also went to city staff to oversee meetings related to the Housing Authority, such as the Homelessness Committee.

In April of this past year, I was speaking with one of the board members of Upward Bound House.  We were having a conversation about the upcoming budget discussion, and he expressed concern that the $150,000 of RAP Vouchers would not be renewed.  Members of the Culver City Housing Authority were telling him that these funds were not guaranteed to be renewed, especially given the elimination of their most recent source of funding—the Redevelopment Agency.  As a result, the Upward Bound House faced a tremendously problematic situation: no funding would mean that many of the families they house would be without the funds needed to stay at Upward Bound House.  Culver City was nearing a cliff at which point numerous families would have to leave Upward Bound and literally, become, once again, homeless.

 Upward Bound House is an organization with stringent rules and parameters.  Families living there can stay for only 90 days.  They receive social services, training on how to budget their funds, assistance in placing their children in local schools and assistance in job search opportunities.  The families must save the majority of their income in preparation for the permanent, supportive housing that they will be placed in after the 90 days, supplied by local landlords at market rates.  Adults must be sober.  Children must go to school.  They must actively seek employment each day.

The families who live in Upward Bound House, as the organization’s name implies, are “upward bound.”  They are moving in the right direction.  And yet, the budget crisis took on a poignant face: left without sufficient resources for apartments, these people would be forced to return to living in cars, overnight shelters or on the streets.  The fact that for $150,000, the city is able to supply the necessary RAP Vouchers to help keep Upward Bound House afloat, seemed like an all-too-simple decision to make.  And yet, there was no guarantee that the funding would be re-allocated from another part of the city budget to cover the vacuum that Redevelopment Agency funding left.

 In this situation, advocacy, and partnering with city leaders, saved the day.  In early April, Booker Pearson, one of the charismatic and unflagging members of the board of Upward Bound House met with me at the City Council.  We pulled a card, and asked to speak about items not on the agenda.  We both spoke passionately about the work that Upward Bound House does.  We spoke about the importance of organizations like the Saint Joseph’s Center that interface with homeless individuals in our city.  He spoke as a board member of Upward Bound, and I spoke as a Committee Member of the Culver City Homelessness Committee knowing from numerous reports, presentations and direct experience about the excellent work that these organizations do.  Mayor Mehaul O’Leary and Councilman Andrew Weisman asked that the staff look into our concerns and bring this back as an item to be discussed.  We stressed the importance of handling this issue before July 1^st when the funding would expire.

The next two months included more advocacy, and we did work behind the scenes to follow up and to ensure success.  Both Mr. Pearson and I sent emails and met with the Council Members.  We sent statistics and personal stories.  We were present but not pushy; persistent but not abrasive.  The Council Members seemed to take what we said seriously, and said that they understood the challenges of the budget but also understood our concerns.

The June 4th budget discussions marked the key point in the future of Upward Bound House and the Saint Joseph’s Center for their work in Culver City.  Mr. Pearson and I continued advocacy by email, phone and personal meetings with Council Members in the week just prior to June 4^th.  Then, the night of June 4^th brought what I can simply refer to as a small miracle.

Jeff Muir sat before the Council discussing the newly formed Housing Authority’s budget.  He said that a few changes had been made that had been left out of the original budget.  Before conversation even began, Mr. Muir announced that Staff had included the re-authorization of $150,000 of RAP Vouchers.  Additionally, they had budged for funding to maintain the contract with the Saint Joseph’s Center for them to continue their service to our community.  And finally, they authorized funds for a small amount of staff time to be spent in outside meetings related to housing issues.  It was a complete win for us!  I excitedly sent a text message to Mr. Pearson announcing the great news to him. 

       

The next day, June 5^th, Mr. Pearson brought 20 families and 30 children to the City Council Chambers.   The families he brought to the meeting had graduated and were living in Culver City due to the generosity and foresight of the RAP vouchers .  The $150k was indeed a blessing in that it will enable an additional 15 families move from Family Shelter to permanent housing in Culver City.  The parents and children spoke poignantly about their experience, and gratitude, for behind able to get back on their feet in a safe, supportive, educational environment like Upward Bound.

Members of the audience could not have known the time and work that went on not only at Council Meetings but also behind the scenes advocating with City Council.  We’re fortunate that the result was a positive one, and we’re grateful for it. 

This, I think, shows the power of individual citizens to effect great change through the political process.   Advocacy, when sustained, consistent and sincere, can yield tremendous results. 

Christopher Patrick King is a Member of the Culver City Committee on Homelessness.