Approval of the San Luis Obispo
County Regional Homelessness
and Affordable Housing Compact
and Receipt of Regional Homeless
Services Inventory
Ashlee Hernandez, MS
Homeless Services Manager
Linda Belch
Deputy Director, County of SLO
Recommendation (Option 2)
• Approve Resolution 26-XXX
approving the San Luis Obispo
County Regional Homelessness
and Affordable Housing Compact
and receive the Regional
Homeless Services Inventory.
3 4
5 What we’ve achieved so far
• Homeless Services Division
Established
• Homeless Management Information
System (HMIS) migration to new
platform
• Expanded shelter and affordable
housing
• Expanded Behavioral Health
Services including:
• Sobering Center
• Expanded Community Action
Teams (CATs)
• CARE Court implementation
• Pilot projects including:
• Rotating overnight safe parking
• Blue Bag programs
• Shelter community Queue
• Improved Point in Time Count process
• Strengthened Coordinated Entry
• Public facing data dashboards
• Established grant approval framework
using performance metrics
• Increased funding flowing into the county
• Strengthened regional collaboration
• Specific Housing Goals:
• 60% of Interim Housing Units Goal
• 38% of the way toward PSH Units
Goal
• 55% of the way toward Affordable
Units Goal
6 City of Paso Robles Specific
• City of Paso Homeless Strategic Plan
• Hired City of Paso Homeless
Manager
• Expanded shelter bed capacity with
ECHO expansion
• Expanded Permanent Supportive
Housing bed capacity with Project
Homekey
• Added warming center beds
• Launched Blue Bag program
• Established North County
Homelessness Network
• Expanded community outreach with
regular homeless focused
community meetings
• Expanded collaboration with City of
SLO homeless manager
• Development of Paso specific public
data dashboard
System Snapshot: Calendar Year 2025
• 5,676 Individuals served in HMIS participating programs • 1,195 Individuals experiencing homelessness for the first time
• 1,646 Individuals exited to permanent destinations
7 • 24% reduction in
total
homelessness
•
42% reduction
in unsheltered
homelessness
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1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
2024 2025
Year to Year Snapshot Comparison
Total persons served First time homeless exited to permanent destinations • 31.7% increase in the
number of persons
served
• 42.5% decrease in
first time
homelessness
• 44.4% increase in
exits to permanent
housing
Countywide Funding Landscape
12 Regional Homelessness and Affordable Housing Compact A Voluntary, Collaborative Framework
13 • Developed with all seven cities
• Modeled after regional housing coordination efforts
• Homelessness crosses jurisdictional boundaries; solutions must as well • Formalizes regional cooperation on planning, data, and funding • Ensures each jurisdiction retains full authority; no mandates or required financial commitments
Shared Principles
Treat All People with Dignity We affirm that individuals experiencing homelessness are members of our community and deserve respect, compassion, and equitable access to services.
Strengthen Regional Collaboration We will coordinate across jurisdictions to align services, share data, and pursue joint funding opportunities that advance local and regional plans.
Expand Housing and Services We will work to increase access to shelter, supportive housing, affordable housing and essential services, recognizing that housing is foundational to health and stability.
Share Responsibility and
Resources
We will equitably share the responsibility of addressing homelessness by advocating for and actively pursuing funding for homelessness and affordable housing and by engaging in collaborative planning.
Promote Transparency and
Accountability
We will share data, communicate clearly with the public, and evaluate progress together to ensure effective, responsive action.
Foster Community Well-Being and
Safety
We recognize homelessness as both a public health concern and a humanitarian crisis that requires a coordinated and compassionate response. We will manage encampments with empathy and collaboration, balancing the needs of individuals with neighborhood safety, public health, and environmental stewardship.
14 Homeless Services Regional Inventory
15 Provides summary of jurisdictional actions in response to homelessness including:
o Strategic Planning & Coordination
o Funding
o Planning & Zoning
o Services
o Data & Communication
What the Compact Does
• Formalizes regional collaboration
• Aligns jurisdictions around shared principles
• Improves eligibility and competitiveness for grants
• Enhances consistency in public communication
• Supports coordinated approaches to encampments, safety, and wellbeing
• Strengthens data-sharing and regional planning
16 What the Compact Does Not Do
• Does not transfer land-use or zoning authority
• Does not impose cost-sharing requirements
• Does not create a JPA or regional governing body
• Does not mandate specific programs or policies
• Does not limit or override any jurisdiction’s autonomy 17 Why Approval Matters
• Builds on strong existing collaboration
• Ensures we remain competitive for shrinking funding
opportunities
• Supports a more consistent, coordinated response across jurisdictions
• Enhances public accountability and transparency
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