Concord Looks to Approve 3-Member CORE Response Team

by CC News January 28, 2025

written by CC News January 28, 2025

On Tuesday, the Concord City Council will look to approve funding to provide a three-member CORE team to assist with homeless services.

According to the City, if approved, the agreement with Contra Costa County Health Services would be for three years within the City of Concord and would not exceed $1.27 million ($397,594 for FY2023-24, $427,912 for FY2024-25, and $452,200 for FY2025-26).

CORE was established by the County to engage and stabilize homeless individuals living outside through consistent outreach to facilitate and/or deliver health and basic services and secure housing. CORE teams act as an entry point into the Contra Costa County Coordinated Entry System for unsheltered persons and families. CORE teams do not provide a crisis response. If in crisis, 911 should be called. Anyone can call 211 to notify CORE of an unsheltered individual who could benefit from CORE services. Because CORE at a county-wide level operates with a limited budget, the City of Concord has been funding extra and directed to Concord CORE services since 2017.

Concord has been working with Coordinated Outreach Referral and Engagement (CORE) since 2017—previously partnering with the City of Walnut Creek. In January of 2021, the City of Concord transitioned to a full time two-member team working solely in Concord. In November of 2021, the City added a third member to the CORE team, a Care Coordinator, to provide case management to unsheltered clients, in addition to the work of the CORE outreach team members. CORE is a County program that works to locate, engage, stabilize, and house individuals that are unsheltered. CORE acts as the entry point into County services and housing.

July 1, 2023 – June 30 2024: The team engaged in 3,338 contacts, of which 843 were unduplicated. Ninety-four (94) individuals were transitioned from the streets to shelter. Fifty-three (53) individuals were transitioned from the streets into permanent housing. The Concord Care Coordinator position worked with 475 individuals.
July 1, 2024 – November 30, 2024: The team engaged in 1,028 contacts, of which 366 were unduplicated. Twenty-five (25) individuals were transitioned from the streets into shelter. Twenty-eight (28) individuals were transitioned from the streets into permanent housing. The Concord Care Coordinator worked with 283 individuals.

The city admits that they failed to enter a timely contract extension with the County for last fiscal year—and the County continued to provide the services in good faith. This staff report presents a three-year contract to Council for approval, which will cover last fiscal year, this fiscal year and next fiscal year.

If Council does not approve funds in next year’s budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 to support this agreement, the County would cease to provide CORE services to Concord.

Editors note: Contra Costa County Point in Time Data

In 2024, the City of Concord showed the biggest decrease in homelessness with a 68 person drop. The county reported Concord (-68) has a homeless strategic plan and well-developed services for residents experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness, including case management, housing navigation, household budgeting, and short-term rental assistance.

Homeless numbers via Point in Time count: