Item 234/2025
Final
City of Garden Grove
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
To:
Lisa L. Kim From: Ursula Luna-Reynosa
Dept:
City Manager Dept: Economic Development and
Housing
Date: 6/24/2025
Subject: Transmittal of the 5-Year Homelessness Strategy (July 2025 – June 2030). (Action Item)
OBJECTIVE
To transmit the updated 5-Year Homelessness Strategy (July 2025 - June 2030) to the City Council.
BACKGROUND
On March 11, 2025, City staff presented an update to City Council summarizing key milestones related to homeless response in Fiscal Year 2023 –24, and introducing the framework for the City’s new 5 Year Homelessness Strategy (July 2025 – June 2030). City staff introduced an outline that included the vision, mission, and strategic goals and objectives.
Homelessness remains one of the most complex and pressing issues facing the city of Garden Grove and the broader Orange County region . While the City has made significant investments in outreach, emergency shelter, and housing programs over the past five years, the 2024 Orange County Point -in-Time Count confirmed both the severity of the issue regionally and the effectiveness of Garden Grove’s interventions. Notably, the City recorded a 39% decrease in its homeless population since 2022 —one of the most substantial reductions in the region.
In response to this prog ress and the continuing need for regional a lignment and long-term planning, the City initiated the development of an updated five-year homelessness strategy.
The City retained consultant Susan Price, a public health and homelessness systems expert, to lead the evaluation and planning process. Her work included stakeholder interviews, policy and contract review, ride-alongs with outreach teams, and a system-wide SWOT analysis.
The result is a strategy rooted in lived experience, operational data, and best practices. The plan affirms a core belief that housing security is attainab le for all and charts a strategic course built around measurable objectives and community collaboration.
Item 234/2025
DISCUSSION
Since 2020, the City of Garden Grove has made notable strides addressing homelessness:
expanding outreach, launching housing voucher programs, partnering on mental health crisis response, opening the City’s first permanent supportive housing at Stuart Drive, and most recently, completing the Central Cities Navigation Center (CCNC) in partnership with the cities of Fountain Valley and Westminster. The CCNC, which added 85 low-barrier shelter beds to the region, is now the cornerstone of the City’s shelter and service response.
The plan responds to both encouraging and sobering data. According to the 2024 Poin t-in- Time Count, Garden Grove saw a 39% reduction in its unhoused population since 2022, a trend that reflects the impact of recent inv estments. However, homelessness continues to grow countywide, with the Central Service P lanning Area (SPA) representing 47% of all unhoused individuals in Orange County. The unsheltered population remains significant, and systemic issues—such as housing shortages, behavioral health service gaps, and fragmented regional coordination—continue to challenge long-term progress.
The strategy is structured around four central goals:
1. Enhance Communication and Community Engagement – To unify messaging, build trust, and ensure coordinated action among stakeholders and the public.
2. Enhance the Service Delivery System – To streamline access to housing and services and improve outcomes for those at risk or currently experiencing homelessness.
3. Leverage Partnerships, Funding, and Resources – To expand capacity, increase efficiency, and align regionally with other cities and county systems of care.
4. Improve Quality of Life – To balance compassionate service delivery with public safety and neighborhood preservation, ensuring that all residents, businesses, and visitors benefit from these efforts.
Each goal is supported by specific objectives, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and action items that will guide implementation and accountability over the five -year period. The plan prioritizes measurable results, cross -sector collaboration, and transparency in reporting progress to the public.
Ultimately, the updated Garden Grove 5-Year Homelessness Strategy (July 2025 – June 2030) is not just a policy document—it is a promise to the community. It reflects the City’s belief that homelessness can be addressed through thoughtful planning, sustained commitment, and a shared sens e of responsibility. By aligning values with action, the City seeks to reduce homelessness, improve public health and safety, and ensure that every resident who chooses a path toward housing stability is met with dignity, opportunity, and support.
Item 234/2025
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact for the City Council to receive and file the Garden Grove 5-Year Homelessness Strategy (July 2025 – June 2030).
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that City Council:
Receive and file the Garden Grove 5-Year Homelessness Strategy (July 2025 – June 2030).
ATTACHMENT
Garden Grove 5-Year Homelessness Strategy (July 2025 – June 2030)