To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: JOY A. FORD, CITY ATTORNEY
STEPHANIE JOHNSON, QUALITY OF LIFE PROSECUTOR
TITLE
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DISCUSSION REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE CITY’S ENHANCED RESPONSE TO HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Enhanced Response to Homelessness Program was initiated by the City Attorney’s Office and Police Department in June 2019 at the request of the former Mayor and City Council as an additional response to homelessness. The Los Angeles County annual point-in-time (PIT) count is at its lowest it has ever been, counting seventeen (17) individuals on the street, twenty (20) individuals in the pallet shelter, and twenty-seven (27) vehicles, for a total of sixty-four (64).
BACKGROUND
In 2012, the Police Department conducted a field assessment of the City’s growing homeless population in the City to improve public safety and increase the City’s knowledge of this diverse population. In October 2013, the City Council adopted a Strategic Plan Objective assigning the former City Manager responsibility for convening a short-term working group on the issue of homelessness in the community, which convened in September of 2014.
In January of 2016, People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) was identified as a sole source provider to address homelessness issues. PATH had been selected by the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) to work with all SBCCOG member cities on homelessness. In that same year, the police department acquired a Department of Mental Health (DMH) Mental Health Emergency Response Team (MET) clinician who covered Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach. The Quality of Life Officer and Quality of Life Prosecutor positions were also created.
In 2017, the Police Department asked the City Council to approve an agreement with Harbor Interfaith to provide dedicated personnel to the City five days a week for homeless outreach and follow-up case management. In 2018, Manhattan Beach submitted a proposal to the SBCCOG for grant funding for a Beach Cities Housing navigation team, which consisted of two housing navigators and a supervisor.
On February 7, 2017, the City Council approved a letter of support for Measure H, a ¼-cent County sales tax to exclusively fund proven ways to reduce and prevent homelessness. After Measure H was passed, the former City Manager, Joe Hoefgen was subsequently appointed to serve as the South Bay representative on the 50-member Countywide Measure H Revenue Planning Committee. In order for the City to qualify for grant applications seeking Measure H funds, the City was required to complete a five-year plan to address homelessness, which was approved in April of 2019.
Around that time, former Mayor Bill Brand and former Councilmember Christian Horvath approached former City Attorney Mike Webb with rising concerns from residents regarding homelessness. In June, Mike Webb proposed the Enhanced Response to Homelessness Program as a pilot program, which was adopted in the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget.
Since 2019, the Enhanced Response to Homelessness Program developed the first multi-City outdoor homeless court in Los Angeles County to bring the justice system and needed services into the community to unhoused individuals with Hermosa Beach; contracted with City Net for additional homeless outreach and a census of the homeless populations in both Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach; obtained funding to build and expand the Pallet Shelter for transitional living and rent additional forms of bridge housing; assisted in creating a Project Based Voucher program for permanent supportive housing; employed a City Homeless Housing Navigator and City Homeless Housing Supervisor; initiated an Alternative Crisis Response to people suffering from mental health illnesses; received the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in Housing Programs and Innovation; and reached Functional Zero in Street Homelessness. Over eight million dollars ($8,000,000) in grants have been used to fund these programs.
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) coordinates the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. Moderated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and coordinated locally by LAHSA, the Greater Los Angeles PIT count is the largest homeless census count in the nation. On a specified date and time, volunteers from the community partner with Police Department personnel and homeless service providers to traverse the City to determine how many homeless individuals and families there are in the community.
Redondo Beach, located in Service Planning Area 8 (SPA 8) participated in the first homeless count in 2013 and in each subsequent count, there being no counts held in 2014 and 2021.
The unsheltered population is the total number of people counted by volunteers and the estimated number of people sleeping in the dwellings counted by volunteers. Until 2024, the total persons in uninhabitable dwellings were based on an extrapolation based on a sampling approach for each type (car, van, camper/RV, tent, or makeshift shelter). While this extrapolation reflected the county as a whole, it did not reflect the populations of individual cities, so starting in 2024, LAHSA released the raw data volunteers collected.
At its peak, the homeless population in Redondo Beach based on the PIT count was 261 in 2017. The results this year show a 75% decline. This sustained decline reflects the cumulative impact of the City’s strategic, data-informed, and compassionate response to homelessness.
The City’s ability to reduce its PIT count by 75% serves as a model for other communities facing similar challenges. While reaching Functional Zero in street homelessness is a significant milestone, the City recognizes that homelessness is a dynamic issue requiring continued vigilance, innovation, and collaboration. The City Attorney’s Office remains committed to sustaining its progress, adapting to emerging needs, and ensuring that all residents have access to safe, stable housing and supportive services.
COORDINATION
The City’s response to homelessness is a comprehensive, synchronized effort primarily by the City Attorney’s Office, Police Department, Fire Department, Public Works Department, Library, Finance Department, and Community Services Department, in coordination with the City Manager’s Office. The City also works with other agencies such as the SBCCOG, Harbor Interfaith, Clear Recovery Center, Swami, the County and the State.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget includes funding for the Enhanced Response Pilot Program, which also includes grants from the SBCCOG (Measure H and Measure A), Health Net, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Successor Agency funds, state Permanent Local Housing Allocation and funds from County of Los Angeles Homeless Initiative. It should be noted that there is a substantial amount of unaccounted staff time dedicated to the administration of the City’s homelessness programs. Staff in nearly every City Department is involved in the City’s program efforts.
Submitted by:
Joy A. Ford, City Attorney