Grover Beach City Council
August 25, 2025

Homelessness
Response Update
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City Manager Matthew Bronson
Police Chief Jim Munro
Background
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• Homelessness has been a long-standing issue in Grover Beach • Key City priority from FY 2021-22 through FY 2024-25
• Frequent Council updates from 2021-2024 on City’s response • Most recent update in April 2024:
• Initial implementation of camping ordinance
• Progress of “Cabins for Change” temporary housing facility • Request to waive Development Impact Fees for “Balay Ko on Barca” facility • Topics of tonight’s update:
• Second year implementation of camping ordinance
• Progress of both Cabins for Change and Balay Ko on Barca temporary housing facilities • Future challenges particularly with long-term funding Camping Ordinance Implementation
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• Ordinance adopted by Council on
March 27, 2023
• Established regulations on timing,
location, and manner of camping
• Prior to the ordinance, unregulated
and unauthorized camps in many
areas of the City
• Prominent in open space areas
Camping Ordinance Implementation
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• Enforcement led by Community Service Officers and Police Officers • Focus on voluntary compliance before citation and/or camp removal • Numbers since March 2023:
• 75 citations issued
• 50 Public Works crew hours and $122,367 in debris removal costs truckloads dedicated to refuse removal
• 0-3 camps observed and tagged per week (compared with 30-40 before) • Significant decrease in complaints from community members Camping Ordinance Implementation
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• Ordinance has been effective in
outreach and enforcement
• Improvement in safety and
appearance of open space area
• Staff does not see need for
additional fencing at this time
• Recommend decrease in noticing
timeframe from 72 to 48 hours
“Cabins for Change” Housing Facility
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• “Cabins for Change” opened in
December 2022
• 20-unit facility of its kind in the
county
• Located on County property at
1523 Long Branch Avenue
• Managed by 5Cities Homeless
Coalition (5CHC)
“Cabins for Change” Facility
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“Balay Ko on Barca” Housing Facility
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• “Balay Ko on Barca” opened in
July 2024
• 30-unit facility with similar
management as Cabins
• Located on City property leased
to 5CHC at 955 South 4th Street
• Operated by 5CHC and initial
funding by Balay Ko Foundation
“Balay Ko on Barca” Facility
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Key Metrics of Cabins and Balay Ko
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• Total of 230 participants (108 from Grover Beach)
• Average 3.1 years of being unhoused before program
• 106 participants have graduated to stable housing
• Average length of stay is 191 days
• 181 participants connected to health insurance and health care • 90% of participants have some degree of income
• 585 participants currently on the waitlist
Future Challenges
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• City has made substantial progress in addressing homelessness working with partner agencies including 5CHC and County • County has long prioritized homeless response and adopted San Luis Obispo Countywide Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness in 2022 • 12-month, 3-year, and 5-year objectives to reduce number of homeless individuals by 50% over five years
• Initial focus on sheltering capacity, homeless prevention, data sharing, and expanded case management and mental/substance abuse services • City working diligently with other cities and County to continue our individual and collective response
Future Challenges
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• Successful work predicated largely on one-time funding such as state and federal grants
• Ongoing funding will be needed to sustain and build on these efforts for housing and homeless services
• At the same time, State funding for homelessness is being reduced along with federal funding reductions
• Homeless Services Oversight Committee will continue its role in reviewing and determining funding and service priorities including $2.5 million in one-time County funding
Questions?
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