CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH
CITY COUNCIL
Regular Meeting Agenda - Addendum
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Closed Session 5:30 PM—Regular Session 6:00 PM
Council Chambers
1315 Valley Drive
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
CITY COUNCIL
Dean Francois, Mayor
Rob Saemann, Mayor Pro Tem
Mike Detoy, Councilmember
Ray Jackson, Councilmember
Justin Massey, Councilmember
Karen Nowicki, City Treasurer
APPOINTED OFFICIALS
Suja Lowenthal, City Manager
Patrick Donegan, City Attorney
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Brandon Walker, Administrative Services Director
Myra Maravilla, City Clerk
Carrie Tai, Community Development Director
Lisa Nichols, Community Resources Director
Angela Crespi, Deputy City Manager
Paul LeBaron, Police Chief
Joe SanClemente, Public Works Director
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990
To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Assistive Listening Devices (ALD) are available for check out at the meeting. If you require special assistance to participate in this meeting, you must call or submit your request in writing to the Office of the City Clerk at (310) 318-0204 or at [email protected] at least 48 hours before the meeting.
PARTICIPATION AND VIEWING OPTIONS
Hermosa Beach City Council meetings are open to the public and are being held in person in the City Hall Council Chambers located at 1315 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Public comment is only guaranteed to be taken in person at City Hall during the meeting or prior to the meeting by submitting an eComment for an item on the agenda. As a courtesy only, the public may view and participate on action items listed on the agenda via the following:
Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89968207828?
pwd=bXZmWS83dmxHWDZLbWRTK2RVaUxaUT092
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• Phone: Toll Free: (833) 548 0276; Meeting ID: 899 6820 7828, then #; Passcode: 472825 • Comment: Submit an eComment no later than three (3) hours before the meeting start time.
Supplemental Email: Supplemental emails are available for agenda items only and must be sent to [email protected]. Supplemental emails should indicate the agenda item and meeting date in the subject line and must be received no later than three (3) hours before the meeting start time. Emails received after the deadline but before the meeting ends will be posted to the agenda the next business day.
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Please be advised that while the City will endeavor to ensure these remote participation methods are available, the City does not guarantee that they will be technically feasible or work all the time.
Further, the City reserves the right to terminate these remote participation methods (subject to Brown Act restrictions) at any time and for whatever reason. Please attend in person or by submitting an eComment to ensure your public participation.
Similarly, as a courtesy, the City will also plan to broadcast the meeting via the following listed mediums. However, these are done as a courtesy only and not guaranteed to be technically feasible.
Thus, in order to guarantee live time viewing and/or public participation, members of the public shall attend in Council Chambers.
• Cable TV: Spectrum Channel 8 and Frontier Channel 31 in Hermosa Beach • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CityofHermosaBeach90254 • Live Stream: www.hermosabeach.gov/agenda
If you experience technical difficulties while viewing a meeting on any of our digital platforms, please try another viewing option. View City Council staff reports and attachments at www.hermosabeach.gov/agenda.
Pages
11. PROCLAMATIONS / PRESENTATIONS
*11.c COMMEMORATING WORLD PEACE MONTH
17. MUNICIPAL MATTERS
Staff is recommending City Council approve adding emergency item below. No final action will be taken. Item was meant to be included on agenda at the time it was published.
*17.d REPORT ON THE CITY’S OPTIONS REGARDING PUBLIC CAMPING ORDINANCES IN LIGHT OF CITY OF GRANTS PASS, OREGON V.
JOHNSON, ET AL., 24-CA-006
4 CONSIDERATION OF THE SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF
GOVERNMENTS GOOD NEIGHBOR PLEDGE, AND OPTION TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE FUNCTIONAL ZERO STREET HOMELESNESS
PROGRAM
(City Attorney Patrick Donegan and Deputy City Manager Angela Crespi)
Recommended Action:
Staff recommends City Council:
Receive a report on the current status of the City’s various prohibitions of public camping in the City and provide direction, if any, to staff on different or additional options related to public camping in light of the recent United States Supreme Court Case City of Grants Pass, Oregon v Johnson, et al., 603 U.S. __ (2024) (“Grants Pass”);
1. Discuss and provide direction regarding whether the City should adopt the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) Good Neighbor Pledge (Attachment 1) and
authorize the Mayor to sign the pledge on behalf of the City of Hermosa Beach; and
2. Discuss and provide direction regarding whether the City should participate in the South Bay Cities Council of
Governments (SBCCOG) Functional Zero Street
Homelessness Program.
3.
City of Hermosa Beach | Page 1 of 7
Meeting Date: October 8, 2024
Staff Report No. 24-CA-006
Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council REPORT ON THE CITY’S OPTIONS REGARDING PUBLIC CAMPING ORDINANCES IN LIGHT OF CITY OF GRANTS PASS, OREGON V. JOHNSON, ET AL.,
CONSIDERATION OF THE SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS
GOOD NEIGHBOR PLEDGE, AND OPTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FUNCTIONAL
ZERO STREET HOMELESNESS PROGRAM
(City Attorney Patrick Donegan and Deputy City Manager Angela Crespi) Recommended Action:
Staff recommends City Council:
1. Receive a report on the current status of the City’s various prohibitions of public camping in the City and provide direction, if any, to staff on different or additional options related to public camping in light of the recent United States Supreme Court Case City of Grants Pass, Oregon v Johnson, et al., 603 U.S. __ (2024) (“Grants Pass”);
2. Discuss and provide direction regarding whether the City should adopt the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) Good Neighbor Pledge (Attachment 1) and authorize the Mayor to sign the pledge on behalf of the City of Hermosa Beach; and
3. Discuss and provide direction regarding whether the City should participate in the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) Functional Zero Street Homelessness Program.
Executive Summary:
As requested by the City Council at its September 10, 2024 meeting, staff presents this report regarding the City’s current regulation on public camping in the City as well as analysis and possible regulatory options in light of the Grants Pass decision dealing with local ordinances prohibiting camping in public areas. The report also presents the Good Neighbor Pledge drafted by the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) in response to the ruling in Grants Pass. Finally, the report seeks City Council approval to participate in the next cohort of the SBCCOG Functional Zero Street Homelessness Program.
Background:
At its September 10, 2024 meeting, Councilmember Detoy requested, and Mayor Pro Tem Saemann and Mayor Francois supported, a future agenda item to discuss the Grants Pass Supreme Court decision regarding camping in public areas.
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Existing prohibitions on camping in the City are found in two parts of the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code (“HBMC”).
HBMC section 12.28.010 prohibits the public camping in City parks and states that:
“Within the limits of any public park or playground, no person shall: . . .
H. Camp or lodge, except in municipal automobile camps designated as such by the city manager”
HBMC section 12.20.240 regulates camping on the Strand or beach and states:
“No person shall camp on or use for overnight sleeping purposes any portion of the beach or Strand, or bring a house trailer or similar vehicle onto the beach or Strand, and a violation of this section shall be an infraction.” While not applicable in every public place in the City, the above stated HBMC provisions constitute the City’s regulatory regime as it pertains to camping in the City and prohibited the camping in City parks and the Beach/Strand. However, over the past few years there have been some pertinent court cases dealing with local regulation on camping that up until the most recent Grants Pass Supreme Court decision, restricted or narrowed what local cities in California could do to regulate public camping.
The two Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal cases that significantly narrowed the permissible scope of local regulation of public camping were the Martin v. City of Boise (“Martin”) and Johnson v. City of Grants Pass (“Johnson”) decisions.
In Martin, homeless individuals sued the City of Boise, Idaho, after being criminally prosecuted under city ordinances banning public camping. As relevant here, the Ninth Circuit held that the Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause of the Eighth Amendment “prohibits the imposition of criminal penalties for sitting, sleeping or lying outside on public property for homeless individuals who cannot obtain shelter.” Subject to some exceptions, Martin prohibited cities from arresting homeless individuals for involuntarily sitting, lying or sleeping in public when the city does not provide a shelter bed in its “jurisdiction” for that potential arrestee. In December 2019, the Supreme Court denied Boise’s petition to review this decision.
The Johnson decision came later and involved two Grants Pass, Oregon, camping regulations. The first allowed sleeping in public, but prohibited the use of “bedding, [a] sleeping bag, or other material used for bedding purposes.” The city argued that Martin’s holding was limited to prohibitions on sleeping in public. And on that basis, the city maintained that local regulations—such as a complete prohibition on the use of bedding, sleeping bags and related items—were permissible. The Ninth Circuit disagreed and concluded that the “only plausible reading” of the term “sleeping” in the context of Martin is that it “includes sleeping with rudimentary forms of protection from the elements.”
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The second regulation involved the city’s enforcement framework in light of Martin’s prohibition on imposing “criminal penalties for sitting, sleeping or lying outside on public property . . . .” Grants Pass preceded criminal enforcement by issuing civil penalties that— if violated—could then be punished criminally. The Ninth Circuit rejected this approach, reasoning that Martin’s holding applies to civil citations where “the civil and criminal punishments are closely intertwined.”
At its core, the question addressed in Grants Pass was whether “one specific provision of the Constitution—the Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause of the Eighth Amendment—prohibits the enforcement of public-camping laws.” The Supreme Court said no.
The Court explained that the Eighth Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause was adopted to “ensure that the new Nation would never resort” to formerly tolerated punishments considered to be “‘cruel’ because they were calculated to ‘superad[d] terror, pain, or disgrace’ and considered ‘unusual’ because by the time of the Amendment’s adoption, they have ‘long fallen out of use.’” The Court added that the Eighth Amendment is focused on “the method or kind punishment” that a “government entity may impose for the violation of criminal statutes”—not “whether a government may criminalize particular behavior in the first place or how it may go about securing a conviction for that offense.”
The Court observed that Grants Pass’s civil-then-criminal punishment framework was not “cruel and unusual” because the city imposed limited civil fines for first-time offenders, non-criminal stay away orders from public parks for repeat offenders, and a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail for those who violated the orders. The Court reasoned that this scheme of fines and jail time is a common practice among municipalities nationwide, who impose “similar punishments for similar offenses.”
The Court also rejected the Ninth Circuit’s rationale in Martin and Johnson that public camping ordinances (like Grants Pass’s) violate the Eighth Amendment by criminalizing an individual’s “status” as a homeless person. The Court observed that the camping laws at issue were not “status” crimes because they criminalized conduct (i.e., camping in public) and violations could occur regardless of whether the “charged defendant is homeless, a backpacker on vacation passing through town, or a student who abandons his dorm room to camp out in protest on the lawn of a municipal building.” In sum, the Supreme Court observed that the “Eighth Amendment serves many important functions, but does not authorize federal judges to wrest those rights and responsibilities from the American people and in their place dictate this Nation’s homelessness policy.”
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Good Neighbor Pledge
The SBCCOG distributed the Good Neighbor Pledge (Attachment 1) expressing a commitment to an approach that offers services and shelter as a cornerstone of our strategy to the South Bay Cities for their consideration. To date, the following entities have committed to sign the pledge:
Redondo Beach
Hawthorne
Rancho Palos Verdes
Rolling Hills Estates
Los Angeles Council District 15 Councilmember Tim Mcosker Supervisor Holly Mitchell
Supervisor Janice Hahn
Supervisor Kathryn Barger
Functional Zero Street Homelessness Program
The SBCCOG recently worked closely with the City of Redondo Beach on a program titled, “Functional Zero Street Homelessness.” The program aims to supplement the homeless count data as a tool to monitor homelessness in a community by ensuring that a community’s homeless services system is able to prevent homelessness whenever possible and ensure that when homelessness does occur, it is rare, brief and one-time.
Specifically, Functional Zero Street Homelessness is achieved when the number of people exiting street homelessness is greater than the number of people entering street homelessness, and the median duration of the current street population is less than 90 days. The SBCCOG provided a presentation on the program, which is included as Attachment 2.
As the SBCCOG prepares to announce its program results in Redondo Beach, they are ready to select and announce their next cohort of cities to participate in the program on October 30th. SBCCOG expressed its interest in exploring a beach cities program consisting of of Hermosa Beach, El Segundo and Manhattan Beach due to our existing cooperative relationship. The City of Manhattan Beach confirmed its intent to participate at its October 1, 2024 City Council meeting.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
September 10, 2024 Councilmember Detoy requested, and Mayor Pro Tem Seamann and Mayor Francois supported, a future agenda
item regarding the City’s current regulations on public camping and possible regulatory options in light of the Grants Pass decision.
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Discussion:
The Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision overruled the Ninth Circuit’s decisions in Martin and Johnson. Consequently, cities within the Ninth Circuit’s jurisdiction (which includes all of California) are now free to enact and enforce laws regulating public camping and to address possible other causes and conditions of homelessness in their respective jurisdictions.
Practically, while the Grants Pass decision is a step in the right direction in terms of local control, allowing the City to promulgate and implement laws the City Council deems appropriate, it is not a case that provides an easily implemented ultimate solution to the homelessness problem in the City. That is, the City will continue to take a “care first” approach seeking to provide mental health, housing services, and other services aimed at addressing the underlying causes of homelessness. City staff will continue to pursue multiple avenues and collaborative efforts with our governmental and non-profit partners to address this complex challenge including: HB Cares, Mobile Mental Health Team; Harbor Interfaith housing outreach services through the Beach Cities Partnership; Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, MET Team deployment; the Housing Initiative Court and CitiNet Homeless Survey with Redondo Beach; and the future exploration of a safe parking program to name a few (Attachment 3).
Formal enforcement processes (i.e., administrative citation/criminal charges, etc.) alone will often times not be enough when dealing with this subset of the population for a variety of reasons and will divert limited police and CSO resources away from other pressing issues. That is, this is likely not a problem that will easily be resolved via HBMC changes.
However, should the City Council believe it appropriate to possibly expand or modify the above mentioned regulations in the City dealing with camping in public spaces as one of a few tools the City has in trying to address this problem, staff would welcome that direction. Possible examples could include some or all of the following:
Expanding the public areas in the City where camping is prohibited. One specific area for consideration is the Green Belt. Because the HBMC delineates between City parks and the Green Belt, there could be some efficacy in including the Green Belt as an area where camping is prohibited.
Codifying all of the City’s prohibitions on camping into a single HBMC section or chapter for ease of reference and simplicity in reading the HBMC.
Good Neighbor Pledge
The Good Neighbor Pledge represents a commitment to an approach that offers services and shelter as a cornerstone of our strategy. Recognizing the controversial history of sweeps, the pledge confirms a commitment not to engage in practices that simply move individuals from one member city to another, understanding that such actions do not solve but only relocate the issue. Through this Good Neighbor Pledge, entities affirm their dedication to practices that prioritize coordination, offer services, and achieve
City of Hermosa Beach | Page 6 of 7
sustainable, long-term solutions. Staff recommends City Council consider adopting the pledge and authorizing the Mayor to sign the pledge on behalf of the City of Hermosa Beach.
Functional Zero Street Homelessness Program
If supported by City Council, staff would participate in the SBCCOG’s commendation program that allows the SBCCOG to track, monitor, and report on a City’s progress towards Functional Zero Street Homelessness. When enrolled, the SBCCOG team works collaboratively with enrolled cities and their homelessness teams to create tactical game plans that suit each individual city’s needs.
Operationally, the homeless response teams would meet in person once a month with SBCCOG staff to review cases and develop customized plans to coordinate regional resources. Because no two individual situations are alike, case conferencing can be beneficial to address service resistance or more complicated needs.
Based on the City of Redondo Beach’s experience, staff time to participate in the Functional Zero Street Homelessness Program is estimated to be minimal and likely limited to the monthly meetings. The primary program benefit would be the analytical support to track the inflow, outflow, and duration of homelessness in the City of Hermosa Beach. Staff recommends City Council consider authorizing staff to participate in the program so that it may be announced at its October 30th Functional Zero Celebration.
Environmental Review:
This discussion is not a “project” subject CEQA” because it has no potential to result in either a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment. (State CEQA Guidelines, § 15378(a).) In the alternative, the discussion falls within the “common sense” exemption set forth in State CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), which exempts activity from CEQA where “it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” General Plan Consistency:
This report and associated recommendation have been evaluated for their consistency with the City’s General Plan. Relevant Policies are listed below:
Governance Element
Goal 1. A high degree of transparency and integrity in the decision-making process.
Policy:
1.4 Consensus oriented. Strive to utilize a consensus-oriented decision-making process.
Goal 2 The community is active and engaged in decision-making processes.
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Policy:
2.6 Responsive to community needs. Continue to be responsive to community inquiries, providing public information and recording feedback from community interactions.
Land Use Element
Goal 2 Neighborhoods provide for diverse needs of residents of all ages and abilities, and are organized to support healthy and active lifestyles.
Policy:
2.6 Neighborhood preservation. Preserve and enhance the quality of residential neighborhoods by avoiding or abating the intrusion of disruptive, nonconforming buildings and uses
Fiscal Impact:
There are no fiscal impacts associated with the recommended actions.
Attachments:
1. Good Neighbor Pledge
2. Functional Zero Street Homelessness Program Presentation
3. City of Hermosa Beach Homelessness Response Activities Respectfully Submitted by: Patrick Donegan, City Attorney Concur: Myra Maravilla, City Clerk
Noted for Fiscal Schedule: Viki Copeland, Finance Director Legal Review: Patrick Donegan, City Attorney
Reviewed By: Angela Crespi, Deputy City Manager
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager
JOHNSON V. GRANTS PASS SUPREME COURT RULING
GOOD NEIGHBOR PLEDGE
Preamble:
As members of the South Bay Los Angeles communities, we stand at a critical juncture in addressing the challenges presented by homelessness and housing instability. In Johnson v.
Grants Pass the U.S. Supreme Court held that the enforcement of generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property does not constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. However, the Court noted that these public-camping regulations are not usually deployed as a front-line response “to criminalize homelessness”.
Instead, they are used to provide city employees with the legal authority to address “encampments that pose significant health and safety risks and to encourage their inhabitants to accept other alternatives like shelters, drug treatment programs, and mental-health facilities.” The Court further recognized that “Homelessness is complex. Its causes are many. So maybe are the public policy responses required to address it”.
In light of the ruling, and the Court’s language, we commit to an approach that offers services and shelter as a cornerstone of our strategy. Recognizing the controversial history of sweeps, we pledge not to engage in practices that simply move individuals from one member city street to another, understanding that such actions do not solve but only relocate the issue.
Through this Good Neighbor Pledge, we affirm our dedication to practices that prioritize coordination, offer services, and achieve sustainable, long-term solutions.
Principles:
Advance Care Coordination and Collaboration: We commit to enhancing care coordination among all stakeholders, including cities, unincorporated areas, social services, and community organizations, to offer comprehensive support. Continued collaboration with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments is essential in ensuring a unified and effective regional response.
Continue Our Investments: We commit to continue investing in solutions to solve and prevent homelessness. The SBCCOG will continue to be a partner in securing housing, shelter and services funding, knowing that existing investments like pallet shelters, homeless courts, and SHARE! Housing decrease street homelessness durations and increase public safety.
Training Our People: We commit to making it easier for people sleeping on the streets to access the local resources they need to once again become housed. As soon as is practicable, and NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 31, 2024, we commit that appropriate personnel will be fully aware of the resources available in our city so that they can help people experiencing homelessness more easily access these resources. The SBCCOG can assist cities with this education and training, especially as it relates to regional resources.
By embracing this pledge, we unite in our commitment to hold each other accountable in a South Bay defined by care, collaboration, and community. We recognize the challenges ahead but remain steadfast in our belief that together, we can build a future that honors the collective strength of our neighborhoods.
[Signature Line for Mayor, Supervisors & Council]
[Date]
SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS’
FUNCTIONAL ZERO STREET HOMELESSNESS
COMMENDATION PROGRAM
1
2 DEFINITION
Achieving Functional Zero Street
Homelessness requires the number of
people exiting street homelessness to be
greater than the number of people
entering street homelessness, and the
median duration of the current street
population is less than 90 days.
Street Outflow > Street Inflow
Functional Zero is a recognition that
homelessness can occur at any time, but
when someone does experience
homelessness, the experience is brief
and one time.
3 COMMENDATION PROGRAM
South Bay Cities Council of Governments’ (SBCCOG’s) Functional Zero Street Homelessness Commendation Program will track, monitor, and report on a City’s progress towards Functional Zero Street Homelessness.
SBCCOG will work collaboratively with enrolled cities and their homelessness teams to create tactical game plans that suit each individual city’s needs.
4 DATA COLLECTION
SBCCOG will monitor a city’s monthly performance in 6 month intervals. The City’s Outreach and Case Management Teams will send an assigned SBCCOG Data Analyst weekly reports on inflow and outflow. Additionally, the Teams will meet in person once a month with SBCCOG staff to case conference.
5 IMPACT
• SBCCOG will provide cities quarterly updates
• In addition to reporting Inflow, Outflow, and Duration, SBCCOG will also present demographic and psychographic data.
• Data will allow the SBCCOG Homeless Team to calibrate and advocate for the right regional resources
• Regional resources include: Client Aid, Time Limited Subsidies, Regional Shelters, Regional Permanent Supportive Housing, Mental Health Resources, SHARE Housing, and many more
• Example: SBCCOG Client Aid now accounts for 30% of all positive outcomes (security deposits, application fees, bus tickets and other reunification expenses) • LA County did not want SBCCOG to administer this pool of money. The SBCCOG had to strongly advocate for this.
6 STAFF TIME
Staff Time is minimal -
Per Redondo Beach City Attorney’s Office:
“Lila (case manager) states that she spends 1-2 hours per month for the functional zero meetings and about 15 minutes per month texting the COG her placements daily.
I may or may not join the monthly meetings depending on my availability.” – City Attorney Joy Ford
7 GRADUATION
When a city has achieved Functional Zero Street Homelessness for a minimum of 6 months, the city will have graduated from the Commendation Program! The SBCCOG intends to have an annual ceremony to celebrate city cohorts who have graduated from the program.
Sustainability: SBCCOG will continue to work with Graduated cities to ensure that Functional Zero Street Homelessness is maintained.
8 NEXT STEPS
Redondo Beach has been our first
pilot city • Expected to announce results in
the summer 2024
Currently seeking our next cohort of
cities
City of Hermosa Beach Homelessness Response Activities
Homeless Response Services
County of Los Angeles’ Coordinated Entry System (CES) via Harbor Interfaith Services The coordinated entry system connects people with a host of services based on their individual situations. Because individuals move between the beach cites, we have a regional approach wherein we provide wraparound services contract covering the beach cities of Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo and Hermosa Beach. City staff is in communication daily and meets at least quarterly with regional outreach representatives from Harbor Interfaith Services to share relevant information, assess service connections made, and identify community ‘hot spots’ where additional attention is needed
Mental Health Evaluation Team
The Hermosa Beach Police Department participates in collaborative outreach and response with Manhattan Beach PD, Redondo Beach PD, and a mental health clinician assigned by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH). Mobile Mental Health Pilot Program
Hermosa Beach was also the recipient of $1 million in federal funding to launch a mobile crisis response pilot program to provide help to people experiencing homelessness and mental health crises. U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu secured the funding at the request of the City of Hermosa Beach to develop and provide an alternate response model for mental health and behavior-related calls involving people experiencing homelessness in Hermosa. Prior to launching this pilot program this Summer, the Hermosa Beach Police Department was often the agency responding to calls involving unhoused residents who have mental health issues. The City is using the federal funding to engage and support a civilian team “HB Cares” that responds instead of the police when the calls involve non-emergency and nonmedical situations with individuals experiencing homelessness and in need of mental health services.
Housing Initiative Court
The Housing Initiative Court gives people experiencing homelessness the opportunity to avoid prosecution on nonviolent misdemeanor charges or municipal code violations in exchange for accepting judge-mandated services that can eventually lead to placement in housing. Through the Housing Initiative Court, people experiencing homelessness can ask a judge to dismiss their outstanding warrants issued by Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach in exchange for their successful participation in programs and services intended to improve their mental health, provide substance abuse counseling, assist them in seeking employment and eventually help them transition into permanent
housing. Individuals who do not have court cases are also welcomed to come and receive services from the many service providers who are in-person and onsite during the court session. While other cities have tried to become part of the Housing Initiative Program, the City of Hermosa Beach was able to move forward and we are very happy to be able to provide this innovative program to our unhoused residents. Safe Parking
The Hermosa Beach City Council approved funding in the FY25 budget to explore creation of an overnight safe parking program. Safe parking programs are designed to provide a safe place for people sheltering in their vehicles to park and typically offer several on-site services, including restrooms, handwashing stations, charging stations, and case management services.
Ongoing Monitoring
Geater Los Angeles Homeless Point In Time Count
The Homeless Count is a point-in-time census conducted annually by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and made possible through local volunteers. The Count is essential to learning where people experiencing homelessness are located, trends among various populations, and other update-to-date information that can inform local policies, strategies, and funding.
CityNet Census
Our newest effort is a partnership with the City of Redondo Beach and Citi Net to perform a census of our homeless population. The City Net census will supplement the data obtained from the Geater Los Angeles Homeless Point In Time Count. The City Net census will not only provide data to evaluate the effectiveness of homeless court for both cities but would also provide the City of Hermosa Beach valuable data upon which to base our homeless response programs and strategies.
Local and Regional Coordination
The City of Hermosa Beach actively participates in the following:
Beach Cities Partnership (Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and El Segundo) South Bay Cities Council of Governments Homeless Services Task Force South Bay Coalition to End Homelessness