HomeMy WebLinkAbout20 - Homeless Outreach Services UpdateQ �EwPpRT
CITY OF
s NEWPORT BEACH
`q44:09 City Council Staff Report
July 22, 2025
Agenda Item No. 20
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Tara Finnigan, Assistant City Manager - 949-644-3001,
tinnigan@newportbeachca.gov
PREPARED BY: Natalie Basmaciyan, Homeless Services Manager - 949-718-1991,
nbasmaciyan@newportbeachca.gov
TITLE: Homeless Outreach Services Update
ABSTRACT -
This report serves to update the City Council on the various elements of the City's
homeless outreach program for the period from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. It
contains summaries of the tasks accomplished under the program and the data collected
by City of Newport Beach staff and consultants.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
a) Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines
because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly
or indirectly;
b) Receive and file the Homeless Outreach Services Update and data reports for the
periods of July 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025, to June 30,
2025.
DISCUSSION:
In June 2023, the City Council set forth its approach to people experiencing
homelessness in Newport Beach through the adoption of Resolution No. 2023-41. The
resolution included a provision requiring the staff to report to the Council every six months
for two years on the City of Newport Beach's outreach to those experiencing
homelessness within the community. Staff inadvertently missed a reporting period and
therefore, this update on the City's outreach efforts is for the period from July 1, 2024,
through December 31, 2024, and the period from January 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025.
City staff and contractors continue to collect data related to their homeless -outreach -
related activities. The data reports are included as Attachment A.
Annual City Census Count
Under its agreement with the City, social services contractor People Assisting the
Homeless (PATH) is required to conduct an annual census to canvass people
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July 22, 2025
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experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach. The process includes surveying those
willing to be interviewed to gather information that will help the outreach team to better
connect an individual with services.
On November 21, 2024, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., PATH and City
representatives visited locations throughout the community to locate and survey people
experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach. The census found 11 people were
experiencing homelessness in the city and of those, six agreed to be interviewed.
The census result marked a significant reduction — of approximately 84% — in the City's
homeless population over the 11-month period from January to November 2024. In
January 2024, the County of Orange conducted the federally mandated Point in Time
Count and recorded 71 people experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach. Staff
attributes the reduction to several factors. The City Council adopted Ordinance 2024-19
in August 2024, which made updates to the Newport Beach Municipal Code and had the
desired effect of getting service -resistant individuals that were experiencing
homelessness to agree to accept services and begin the process for being housed.
Further, in December 2024, the Police Department changed its outreach -related staffing
level from a one -person, homeless liaison officer model to a four -member, quality of life
team model that allows for two -officer teams to provide outreach and services throughout
the community seven days a week. The four HLOs received special training on
conducting outreach, providing shelter referrals, and coordinating case management with
PATH. And, in July 2024, the City of Costa Mesa assumed responsibility for the housing
navigation service provided at the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter. The housing navigators
meet with shelter guests weekly to review and hold them accountable to their housing
and employment goals.
Shelter Referrals
Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter
Under an agreement with the City of Costa Mesa, there are 25 beds available at the Costa
Mesa Bridge Shelter for Newport Beach's exclusive use. When those 25 beds are full,
Costa Mesa allows Newport Beach to use up to six of the Costa Mesa -designated beds
for a per diem rate, if beds are available. From July 2024 to December 2024, 23 people
with Newport Beach ties entered the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter. During the same period,
Newport Beach utilized 112 Costa Mesa bed nights at the per diem rate of $155 per night.
From January 2025 to June 2025, 19 people with Newport Beach ties entered the Costa
Mesa Bridge Shelter. During the same period, Newport Beach utilized 8 bed nights at the
per diem rate of $160.27 per night. The increased per diem rate reflects a Consumer
Price Index increase that took effect July 1, 2024.
The Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter received a County of Orange grant to operate 15
Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) beds. If shelter guests are classified as BHBH
clients, they receive enhanced case management from their assigned Costa Mesa
housing navigator, allowances for move -in expenses, and ongoing behavioral health
resources once housed. The reclassification process can free up the Newport Beach beds
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July 22, 2025
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for other clients. Since the BHBH beds came online in July 2024, the City of Newport
Beach had three people re-classified as BHBH clients.
Other Shelters
Between July 2024 and December 2024, the PATH team placed people into other
shelters and programs to facilitate street exits. PATH placed 14 people into the Yale
Navigation Center. From January 2025 to June 2025, PATH placed six people at the Yale
Navigation Center. They also placed one person at Anaheim Bridges at Kraemer Place
due to the people having strong ties to other cities.
Individuals Housed
The outreach efforts of the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter housing navigators, City staff and
PATH resulted in nearly two dozen individuals being housed or reunified with family
between July 2024 and June 2025.
From July 2024 to December 2024, seven people who had been experiencing
homelessness in Newport Beach have been housed, including one placement into a
skilled nursing facility, and three people were reunified with family. From January 2025 to
June 2025, seven people were housed, including a placement into a skilled nursing
facility, and four people were reunified with family.
Permanent Supportive Housing
The City of Costa Mesa invited Newport Beach to participate in a project that is converting
the former Travelodge Motel at 1400 Bristol Street into 76 units of permanent supportive
housing and two units for on -site property managers. Permanent supportive housing
provides people with on -site case management, support services, and structure which
may not be available in independent living settings. The conversion project, led by
American Family Housing, is currently underway and is scheduled to be completed in late
2025.
The project is being funded through the State's Project Homekey program and with
financial contributions from the County of Orange and the Cities of Costa Mesa and
Newport Beach. The developer and the County, which will lease the units through its
Coordinated Entry System, have agreed to allow for "local preference" when leasing 28
of the units. This means that prospective tenants will be qualified, in part, based on their
connection to Newport Beach or to Costa Mesa. There will be local preference for 12 units
for Newport Beach and 16 units for Costa Mesa.
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Coordination
In March and April 2025, representatives from Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian
(Hoag) met with staff from the Cities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa to discuss shelter
and recuperative care referrals. Hoag's executive director of care management facilitated
two meetings and included the hospital's social workers and emergency department staff
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members to explain the medical parameters for admitting and discharging patients at
Hoag. In turn, City staff explained shelter referral requirements, such as ties to the cities
and mobility, and the need for other types of placements post -hospitalization such as
recuperative care, skilled nursing facilities, or assisted living communities. Three people
with Newport Beach ties benefited from this collaboration by being placed in recuperative
care rather than the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
Good Giving Program
Community members donated a total of $1,309.60 from July 1 to December 31, 2024,
and $120.77 from January 1 to June 30, 2025, to the Good Giving Program. Staff utilize
Good Giving program funds to assist people experiencing homelessness with expenses
such as buying clothes for job interviews or essential household items once they obtain
housing.
Federal Marsh Area Clean Up and Maintenance
In May 2025, the City and County assisted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army
Corps) with another cleanup of the federally protected marsh area located near Coast
Highway and the Santa Ana River. A proliferation of trash and debris associated with
homeless encampments continues to be a serious concern for the City and nearby
residents. The regional Army Corps office does not have the staff or heavy equipment
resources needed to accomplish the cleanup work and asked for City and County
assistance. The Newport Beach Police Department provided outreach assistance, and
the County had its homeless outreach team onsite, as well as members of its Public
Works Department present to help with the cleanup. City staff continues to monitor the
area and support the County's efforts to coordinate with the Army Corps to keep the area
clear.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City spent approximately $1.7 million during Fiscal Year 2024-25 on activities related
to homeless outreach and assistance.
July 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024*
Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter $663,980.00
PATH Outreach Services 67,601.03
Good Giving Program —Outreach Materials 455.00
Be Well OC Mobile Crisis Response Team 180,301.64
City Homeless Assistance 7,004.44
Total $919,342.11
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January 1. 2025. to June 30. 2025*
Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter $673,602.40
PATH Outreach Services 100,592.99
City Homeless Assistance 5,980.38
Total $780,175.77
*Tables do not include salaries and benefits of the homeless services manager or
the homeless liaison officers.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not
result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment)
and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA
Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no
potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of
the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENT:
Attachment A — Data Reports
20-5
Attachment A
DATA REPORT July 2024- December 2024
Category July-24 August-24 September-24 October-24 November-24 December-24 6 Month Total
CITY ACTION
Fire Department
Homeless Patient Contacts 36 40 29 23 30 35 193
Police Department
Calls for Service
138
152
133
108
106
86
723
Peninsula Enforcement Team Contacts
425
386
293
259
236
244
1843
Boardwalk/Quality of Life Program
198
193
45
150
123
130
839
PATH Referrals
30
59
9
32
16
14
160
Shelter Offered
57
71
9
40
28
30
235
NBMC Citations
72
67
10
32
37
51
269
CA Vehicle Code Citations
14
32
11
23
27
32
139
Tent -Related Contacts
12
8
2
11
4
0
37
Total Time (Hours)
930
936
847
953
930
1455
6051
Public Works Department
Calls for Service
33
38
45
31
22
28
197
Bins Used for Storage
10
8
10
19
11
13
71
Total Time (Hours)
48
52
61
45
35
36
277
Pressure Wash Locations
20
21
22
46
29
26
164
Bags of Debris Collected
56
31
37
28
40
6
198
Recreation & Senior Services Department
Homeless Contacts
6
35
36
18
19
19
133
Homeless Observed
33
64
100
41
12
20
270
Abandoned Property
1
15
15
8
6
7
52
Welfare Checks
1
12
2
3
5
4
27
1
20-6
Category July-24 August-24 September-24 October-24 November-24 December-24 6 Month Total
SUMMARY
Street Exits
Housed
2
1
1
3
3
0
10
Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter
1
1
2
1
3
3
11
Other Shelter
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Medical
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Death
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Total 3 2 3 4 6 3 21
Housing
From Street 0 1 0 1 0 0 2
From Shelter 2 0 1 2 3 0 8
Total 2 1 1 3 3 0 10
2
20-7
Category July-24 August-24 September-24 October-24 November-24 December-24 6 Month Total
PATH
Outreach/Contacts 63 50 40 38 30 34 225
Service Enrollments 14 5 3 5 12 4 43
Housing Placement 1 0 0 1 1 0 3
3
20-8
DATA REPORT January 2025- June 2025
Category January-25 February-25 March-25 April-25 May-25 June-25 6 Month Total
CITY ACTION
Fire Department
Homeless Patient Contacts 25 17 17 17 22 20 118
Police Department
Calls for Service
132
224
345
375
340
239
1655
Peninsula Enforcement Team Contacts
204
217
282
156
232
246
1337
Boardwalk/Quality of Life Program
126
159
317
257
318
59
1236
PATH Referrals
15
14
14
9
18
6
76
Shelter Offered
81
50
52
55
53
23
314
NBMC Citations
40
40
81
102
147
119
529
CA Vehicle Code Citations
36
35
53
22
34
26
206
Tent -Related Contacts
6
2
3
2
0
0
13
Total Time (Hours)
1481
1499
1542
1462
1563
*1334
8881
Public Works Department
Calls for Service
33
22
25
32
25
27
164
Bins Used for Storage
25
9
14
13
15
10
86
Total Time (Hours)
44
39
54
41
36
37
251
Pressure Wash Locations
25
26
35
41
49
43
219
Bags of Debris Collected
13
28
15
18
12
23
109
Recreation & Senior Services Department
Homeless Contacts
10
14
22
13
32
13
104
Homeless Observed
26
17
32
31
49
21
176
Abandoned Property
11
8
4
2
0
6
31
Welfare Checks
0
3
5
1
1
2
12
1
20-9
Category January-25 February-25 March-25 April-25 May-25 June-25 6 Month Total
SUMMARY
Street Exits
Housed
0
2
4
3
0
2
11
Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter
3
3
1
2
6
3
18
Other Shelter
0
0
1
0
4
2
7
Medical
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
Death
0
0
1
0
1
0
2
Tota 1 3 5 7 6 11 7 39
Housing
From Street 0 2 0 1 0 1 4
From Shelter 0 0 4 2 0 1 7
Tota 1 0 2 4 3 0 2 11
2
20-10
Category January-25 February-25 March-25 April-25 May-25 June-25 6 Month Total
PATH
Outreach/Contacts
66
86
103
103
134
116
608
Service Enrollments
7
14
14
23
18
25
101
Housing Placement
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
3
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