TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Nicky Petroff, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of an Update on the City’s Homelessness Initiatives (No Budget Impact) (City Manager Mirzakhanian).
RECEIVE AND FILE
Body
_________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive and file the report detailing various efforts and initiatives staff is undertaking regarding homelessness.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
The City has taken an active role in addressing homelessness both strategically and regionally. In doing so, the City continues to assist individuals experiencing homelessness in obtaining needed services while simultaneously ensuring public safety.
On a periodic basis, the City provides an update to the City Council and community regarding homelessness initiatives undertaken by staff as well as notable regional developments. The last comprehensive update was provided to the City Council on April 1, 2025. Since that time, there have been several significant developments at the local, regional, and County levels, including continued implementation of Measure A, expansion of South Bay regional homelessness programs, and a significant restructuring of Los Angeles County's homelessness services system.
DISCUSSION:
2026 Homeless Count
The annual Homeless Count was conducted on January 22, 2026, with 19 volunteers participating in the count along with City staff.
The Manhattan Beach count identified three individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness within the City.
Unsheltered Persons Counted
Persons on the Street - 3
Persons in Cars - 0
Persons in Vans - 0
Persons in RV’s or Campers - 0
Persons in Tents - 0
Persons in Makeshift Shelters - 0
Total - 3
Vehicles and Dwellings Counted
Cars - 1
Vans - 4
Campers/RV’s - 1
Makeshift Shelter - 0
Tents - 0
Total - 6
The City's annual Homeless Count results since 2018 are as follows:
• 2018: 41 individuals
• 2019: 21 individuals
• 2020: 15 individuals
• 2021: Cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic
• 2022: 9 individuals
• 2023: 9 individuals
• 2024: 2 individuals
• 2025: 2 individuals
• 2026: 3 individuals
It is important to distinguish between the number of actual persons counted and the number of vehicles and dwellings observed during the Homeless Count. In 2026, three unsheltered individuals were actually observed in Manhattan Beach. Separately, volunteers and outreach teams identified six improvised dwellings, consisting of one car, four vans, and one RV. The six dwellings do not represent six additional individuals. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) reports these as separate raw counts and does not apply a multiplier to estimate the number of individuals residing in the counted dwellings at the city level.
Regionally, the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count estimated 73,040 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County, representing a 1.2% increase from 2025 that LAHSA reported was not statistically significant. Unsheltered homelessness increased by approximately 3.3% Countywide to an estimated 49,002 people. LAHSA reported that the primary driver of the increase was a pause in new enrollments and permanent housing placements using Time Limited Subsidies (TLS) due to funding reductions. The resulting reduction in available rental assistance slowed movement through the rehousing system and contributed to a bottleneck in interim housing, including fewer available beds for individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Manhattan Beach Outreach Metrics
The City has utilized a dedicated homeless outreach navigator through Harbor Interfaith Services (HIS) since November 2021. On November 19, 2024, the City Council awarded RFP No. 1328-25 and approved a two-year agreement with HIS for continued homeless outreach and navigation services. The agreement has since been extended through November 30, 2027.
The City's outreach navigator regularly engages individuals experiencing homelessness throughout Manhattan Beach, connects individuals with available services, assists with obtaining identification and benefits, coordinates interim and permanent housing opportunities, and works with regional service providers to address individual needs.
HIS provides the City with monthly reports summarizing outreach activity, client outcomes, and progress toward the goals established in the agreement.
The following information reflects data from the 2025 calendar year and summarizes the reportable work completed by the City's homeless outreach navigator:
• 548 outreach interactions with individuals experiencing homelessness, including repeat interactions with the same individuals;
• 20 referrals to interim housing, of which 15 resulted in interim housing placements;
• Four referrals to treatment programs;
• 16 referrals to stable housing, all of which resulted in stable housing placements; and
• Two documented identification or benefit-related uploads.
Outreach activity frequently involves repeated engagement with the same individual over an extended period. Accordingly, the number of interactions should not be interpreted as the number of unique individuals served. Establishing familiarity and trust may take days, weeks, or months before an individual is willing to discuss available services or accept assistance. Housing placements and other successful outcomes may therefore represent numerous prior outreach interactions and coordination with multiple service providers.
Regional Homelessness Initiatives
The City continues to participate in regional homelessness efforts through the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) and partnerships with neighboring jurisdictions and service providers. SBCCOG coordinates homelessness services and resources throughout the South Bay, including coordination with County, State, and federal partners to identify housing and shelter opportunities and connect participating jurisdictions with available resources.
Current regional programs include client assistance, case management, housing navigation and retention, interim housing, rental subsidies, homelessness prevention, and legal services. SBCCOG's Client Aid Program provides flexible funding to assist individuals with immediate needs, facilitating housing, shelter, employment, or family reunification. Eligible expenses may include security deposits, application fees, transportation, document fees, employment-related expenses, and other forms of assistance.
SBCCOG also continues to support interim housing opportunities, including motel stays and SHARE! Collaborative Housing, as well as regional housing navigation and retention services. A regional Housing Retention Specialist provides ongoing support to individuals who have participated in SBCCOG and other regional prevention and housing programs, including connections to behavioral health, employment, income support, legal, and other community-based services intended to help individuals maintain housing stability.
Functional Zero Street Homelessness Program
On October 1, 2024, the City Council approved the City's participation in the SBCCOG Functional Zero Street Homelessness Program. The program supplements the annual Homeless Count by using person-level data to track individuals entering and exiting street homelessness. Each month, the City provides SBCCOG with its by-name list, including outreach interactions and updates from the previous month, which SBCCOG incorporates into its Functional Zero data to monitor housing status, length of time homeless, and progress toward resolution. SBCCOG also convenes monthly Functional Zero meetings with participating cities and regional service providers to review individual cases and coordinate appropriate interventions.
Since data collection began in January 2025, 34 confirmed exits from homelessness have been recorded through August 2026. Of those exits, 30, or 88%, occurred within 30 days of first contact, including 14 individuals who exited homelessness on the same day they were first engaged. Outcomes have included placements into shelter, shared housing, permanent housing, reunification, and other appropriate facilities. The data also reflects the transient nature of homelessness within Manhattan Beach, as individuals may enter and exit the community throughout the year. Functional Zero provides the City with an additional tool to evaluate these movements and measure outcomes beyond the annual point-in-time Homeless Count.
The program has also helped identify ongoing challenges, particularly individuals experiencing homelessness in vehicles and those with more complex needs who may require sustained engagement before accepting services. City staff and the Homeless Outreach Navigator will continue working with SBCCOG through monthly case conferencing to identify barriers, coordinate resources, and pursue opportunities to connect individuals with housing and supportive services.
SHARE! Collaborative Housing
In September 2023, SBCCOG began providing services and funding for the SHARE! Collaborative Housing program for the City. Since December 2021, when the City began utilizing SHARE! housing services, 52 individuals experiencing homelessness in Manhattan Beach have been placed into SHARE! housing. This includes nine individuals placed during calendar year 2025 and one additional individual placed in 2026 to date.
SHARE! continues to provide an interim housing option for individuals engaged by the City's Homeless Outreach Navigator while the navigator works to connect participants with longer-term housing and supportive services.
Measure A Implementation
Measure A, approved by Los Angeles County voters on November 5, 2024, took effect on April 1, 2025. The measure replaced Measure H with a one-half cent sales tax dedicated to homelessness services, homelessness prevention, and affordable housing programs.
When staff last reported to the City Council in April 2025, the funding structure and regional programs supported by Measure A were still being developed. Since that time, Measure A funding has begun supporting programs throughout the South Bay.
As part of the County's annual Measure A spending plan, funding is allocated through the Local Solutions Fund to cities, councils of governments, and unincorporated areas to support locally responsive homelessness programs. SBCCOG receives approximately $3.1 million in Measure A Local Solutions Fund funding to support homelessness services and resources throughout Service Planning Area 8 (SPA 8). Regional services supported through SBCCOG include client aid, case management, housing navigation and retention, interim housing, rental subsidies, legal services, and other assistance intended to help individuals obtain and maintain housing.
These regional resources are available to support individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Manhattan Beach, in coordination with the City's dedicated outreach services.
Measure A funding has also expanded homelessness prevention efforts within the South Bay. SBCCOG now administers the Renter Protection and Homeless Prevention Assistance Program, which provides assistance to households at imminent risk of homelessness. Eligible assistance may include rental support and other resources intended to prevent individuals and families from entering homelessness.
Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency
The Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) receives a portion of Measure A revenues to support affordable housing production and preservation and homelessness prevention.
In FY 2025/26, approximately $114.8 million, representing 30% of LACAHSA's budget, was dedicated to Renter Protection and Homeless Prevention (RPHP). SBCCOG received approximately $4.8 million to administer RPHP services throughout the South Bay, including assessment and referral, emergency rental and flexible financial assistance, temporary rental assistance, legal services, and renter education.
The program serves eligible renter households with incomes at or below 80% of Area Median Income that are at risk of housing instability. Financial assistance may include rental and utility assistance, rental arrears, security deposits, moving and relocation expenses, transportation, document fees, employment-related expenses, health care costs, and other housing stability expenses. Assistance may total up to $36,000 over a 24-month period, depending on eligibility and need.
As part of the regional implementation of the RPHP program, SBCCOG is utilizing prevention specialists to assist households at risk of homelessness. Manhattan Beach residents may be referred to a prevention specialist for eligibility assessment, emergency rental and financial assistance, temporary rental assistance, and connections to other supportive services. The specialist also assists participants in accessing other available resources and benefit programs based on individual needs.
Los Angeles County Homeless Services System Restructuring
In April 2025, staff advised the City Council that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors was considering restructuring the County's homelessness response system by consolidating funding and program oversight within a new County department.
Since that time, Los Angeles County established the Department of Homeless Services and Housing (HSH). The new department officially launched on January 1, 2026, as part of the County's effort to consolidate homelessness programs and improve accountability within the regional system.
A significant phase of the transition occurred on July 1, 2026, when HSH assumed direct administration of programmatic County funding previously administered through multiple entities, including the Chief Executive Office Homeless Initiative, the Department of Health Services Housing for Health division, and LAHSA.
As part of the transition, HSH now directly manages hundreds of work orders with County service providers supporting interim housing, rental subsidies, permanent supportive housing, and related homeless services.
LAHSA continues to operate as the lead agency for the Los Angeles Continuum of Care and retains responsibilities related to regional system coordination, federal funding, data, and other Continuum of Care functions. However, the transfer of County-funded programs represents a significant change in the division of responsibilities between LAHSA and Los Angeles County.
Staff will continue to monitor the transition and its potential impacts on homelessness services and on funding available to South Bay communities.
Redondo Beach Housing Initiative Court
The Council will recall that the City previously explored participating in Redondo Beach’s Housing Initiative Court in July 2021. At that time, due to a number of factors, including resistance from Los Angeles County, logistics, and cost, the Council directed staff to defer such exploration. The City is currently coordinating with Redondo Beach regarding potential participation in the Redondo Beach Housing Initiative Court, an existing diversion program serving individuals experiencing homelessness. Manhattan Beach has reviewed Redondo Beach’s proposal and conceptually supports moving forward with the program. Redondo Beach is currently coordinating with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Superior Court, and other participating agencies to establish the necessary protocols for Manhattan Beach cases. Following completion of that process, Redondo Beach is expected to provide the City with a draft agreement establishing participation and cost-sharing terms for City Council consideration.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive and file the report detailing various efforts and initiatives staff is undertaking regarding homelessness.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
After analysis, staff determined that public outreach was not required for this issue. The item was included on the agenda for this Council meeting, which was posted in accordance with applicable law.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City Council's consideration of an update regarding the City's homelessness initiatives is not a "project" as defined under Section 15378 of the State California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines because it does not have a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA, and no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
1. 2025 Manhattan Beach Outreach Program Outcomes