City and county report interim operations and paused improvements at Elm Street respite center as operator ceased
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Summary
City staff said Downtown Streets Team ceased operating the Elm Street respite center in mid‑October; two former operators remain part‑time while four RFP proposals are under review and staff await City Council direction in February on potential relocation before finalizing contracts and site improvements.
Dana, a city presenter, told the Yolo County–City of Davis 2x2 that Downtown Streets Team informed the city on Aug. 29 that it would cease operations at the Elm Street respite/homeless navigation center and that the operator stopped services on Oct. 17. "As of now the respite center is open during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, generally from 8 to 4," Dana said, adding that two former Downtown Streets Team staff are working part time and the county homeless outreach team rotates through to support services.
Dana said the city issued a request for proposals and received four applications, but staff are delaying selection because the City Council asked staff to return on Feb. 17 with a discussion about possible alternative locations. "That request for a proposal will be seen, 4 potential applicants ... Those are currently under review, but we are holding off on making a selection because we were asked by our council to come back in February," Dana said.
Councilmembers and supervisors raised neighborhood concerns about litter and what one member described as "clutter" near the site. Dana said project manager Ronan McSeed and outreach staff work directly with people at the site, communicate expectations about tidiness, engage nearby businesses, and coordinate with Davis Police Department community‑oriented policing for compliance and trespass notices when needed. "We talk to them regularly about keeping the site clean while we're there in place," Dana said.
Staff said the city has approximately $25,000 allocated for exterior beautification of the city‑owned piece of the facility and additional CDBG funding earmarked for façade improvements for nearby businesses, but those improvements are on hold while the city evaluates whether the center will remain at its current location. "The dollars are still there," Dana said, "but we're not making those improvements because we don't know what's going to happen with that." City staff said accessibility upgrades and public‑works constraints are being considered in any decision.
County staff offered to convene relevant teams, including HHSA director Monica Morales, to compare data across navigation centers and identify joint responses to likely service contractions tied to funding changes. No contract award or relocation decision was made at the 2x2; staff will return to the City Council on Feb. 17 for direction that could trigger the RFP selection process or further changes to operations.
