City Manager’s Office
www.santa-ana.gov/cm
Item # 25
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
September 15, 2026
TOPIC: Ordinance Regarding Transport of Persons who Lack a Fixed, Regular, and Adequate Nighttime Residence
AGENDA TITLE
Adopt an Ordinance Amending Chapter 10 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code to Add Article XV to Establish Reporting of Transport of Persons Who Lack a Fixed, Regular, and Adequate Nighttime Residence
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Introduce an Ordinance for first reading and adoption adding Article XV to Chapter 10 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code to Establish Reporting of Transport of Persons Who Lack a Fixed, Regular, and Adequate Nighttime Residence.
ORDINANCE NO. NS-XXXX entitled AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA ADDING ARTICLE XV TO CHAPTER 10 OF THE SANTA
ANA MUNICIPAL CODE REGARDING REPORTING THE TRANSPORT OF
PERSONS WHO LACK A FIXED, REGULAR, AND ADEQUATE NIGHTTIME
RESIDENCE
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No
DISCUSSION
The City of Santa Ana has made substantial investments to address homelessness and its associated public health and safety impacts. These efforts include outreach and engagement services, contracting with CityNet to connect individuals with resources in the field, and operating the Santa Ana Navigation Center.
The city has received five (5) rounds of Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grants, the most recent amount being $5,878,393, in order to address the immediate homeless challenges. However, the availability of funding and services remains limited in comparison to the need for shelter, housing, behavioral health services, and other supportive resources.
As the County Seat, Santa Ana bears a disproportionately large burden of the homeless population in the region. In 2024, the City of Santa Ana reported 871 individuals
Ordinance Regarding Transport of Persons who Lack a Fixed, Regular, and Adequate Nighttime Residence
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experiencing homelessness. Consequently, for the 2025 budget cycle, the city spent $10.6 million from its general fund to address health and safety concerns attributable to the homeless population currently living here. Those funds would otherwise have been used to provide core services to residents.
The presence of service facilities and other county shelters, including the Santa Ana armory, has contributed to an influx of individuals experiencing homelessness who originate from outside city boundaries. In some instances, individuals are transported into Santa Ana by organizations without prior coordination or a confirmed housing or service plan.
When individuals are transported into Santa Ana without coordinated discharge planning or service linkage, the City’s limited shelter capacity, outreach services, and housing resources are strained more than they already are. These circumstances create a disproportionate service and financial burden on the City and reduce resources for individuals for whom Santa Ana has primary responsibility.
Given the continuing homelessness challenge and the limited availability of housing and supporting services, the city seeks to ensure improved coordination when individuals are transported into Santa Ana.
The proposed ordinance would add Article XV –Reporting of Transport of Persons Who Lack a Fixed, Regular, and Adequate Nighttime Residence to Chapter 10 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code (SAMC) establishing a reporting requirement for transportation of individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence into the City of Santa Ana.
The proposed ordinance would not prohibit transportation of individuals experiencing homelessness into the city. Instead, it establishes a minimal reporting and coordination framework designed to ensure continuity of care, protect public health and safety, and responsibly manage limited municipal resources.
Under the proposed ordinance, pre-scheduled drop-offs would be required to occur during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday through Saturday) to allow City staff and service providers to coordinate shelter placement, behavioral health services, and housing navigation.
Any organization or government entity, or any employee or agent acting on behalf of an organization or government entity, that intends to transport and drop off an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence within the City of Santa Ana must provide written notice (i.e. form of an email, website form, or application) to the City Manager and the Executive Director of the Community Development Agency at least 24 hours prior to the drop-off.
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The notice must include:
1. The name, address, phone number, and email address of the government entity or other organization providing the notice;
2. The date and time of the notification;
3. The staff person submitting the notification;
4. The full name (first name, last name, and middle initial), date of birth, phone number of the individual being transported and/or dropped off;
5. The location where the person named is being transported from;
6. The reason for transport (Shelter Placement, Family Reunification, Medical/Behavioral Health, Other: _____);
7. The name, address, phone number, and email of the organization to whom the person being transported is being delivered;
8. Whether the organization receiving the person being transported has confirmed the acceptance of the person prior to being transported;
9. A list of any conditions that the organization receiving the person being transported requires prior to their acceptance of that person;
10.The name and title of the staff person who has agreed to receive the person being transported;
11.The expected date, time, and mode of transportation by which the person is being transported;
12.The names and titles of staff members accompanying the person being transported;
13.Whether the person being transported requires any assistance to maintain Activities of Daily Living (Y/N);
14.The criminal justice status of the person being transported (i.e. Probation/Parole (County:_____);
15.Whether person being transported is required to be listed on Sex Offender Registry as per PC 290 (Y/N); and
16.Whether the person being transported has any Arson Related Restrictions (Y/N).
The proposed ordinance also requires any organization or government entity, or any employee or agent acting on behalf of an organization or government entity, who files a notice, as described above, and/or who transports and/or drops-off an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence within the City of Santa Ana, must provide a follow-up written notice (i.e. form of an email, website form, or application) to the City Manager and the Executive Director of the Community Development Agency within 24 hours after the drop-off.
The follow-up notice must include:
1. The name of the individual that was transported and/or the name of the person for whom the notice, as per the requirements of the notice above, was submitted;
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2. The exact drop-off location of the person that was transported;
3. The date and time of the drop-off;
4. Whether the person being dropped off was successfully placed into services;
5. The name and title of the staff member that accepted the person being dropped- off into their services; and
6. If the person was not transported and/or successfully placed into services, an explanation of why the person was not transported and/or successfully placed, including a description of what happened to the person and whether any follow- up contact has been scheduled.
The ordinance defines the phrase “lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence” consistent with commonly used homelessness definitions, including individuals residing in places not meant for habitation, temporary shelters, certain institutional settings, or exiting detention without a stable residence.
The ordinance includes explicit exemptions for lawful and necessary activities, including:
•Transportation for booking into jail or custody alternatives; •Transportation to licensed medical facilities;
•Transportation to verified social service or court appointments; •Transportation conducted by the City of Santa Ana within its jurisdiction; and •Public transit operations.
The purpose of the reporting requirement is to:
•Identify the place of origin of individuals transported into the City of Santa Ana; •Improve coordination with service providers to reduce the likelihood that individuals are released into unsheltered conditions;
•Facilitate interjurisdictional dialogue regarding shared responsibility and funding; and
•Ensure that limited city shelter and outreach resources are managed effectively.
To mitigate the financial burden and negative impacts associated with uncoordinated drop-offs, it is necessary to establish coordination with service providers and increase access to housing navigation, case management, and behavioral health support.
Research and local experience demonstrate that coordinated service planning significantly reduces the likelihood of individuals returning to chronic homelessness.
The ordinance regulates institutional transportation practices and does not restrict an individual’s right to travel or relocate. It does not criminalize homelessness and does not prohibit charitable acts or basic survival assistance as outlined in Government Code §53069.44.
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The City of Santa Ana, as a charter city, possesses authority under Article XI, Section 7 of the California Constitution to enact police, sanitary, and other regulations to protect public health, safety, and general welfare. The proposed ordinance constitutes a limited administrative reporting requirement intended to address identifiable fiscal and operational impacts while supporting a coordinated and compassionate response to homelessness.
The intent of the ordinance:
1. Ensure Coordination and Continuity of Services.
Advance notice allows City staff and service providers to confirm shelter availability, behavioral health needs, and housing navigation pathways to prevent individuals from being released into unsheltered conditions without support.
2. Promote Regional Accountability.
Reporting enables the City to identify jurisdictions of origin and engage in data- driven dialogue regarding shared responsibility, funding allocation, and regional planning.
3. Protect Public Health and Safety.
Individuals transported without a service plan face heightened risks of victimization, untreated medical or behavioral health conditions, and chronic homelessness. Coordinated discharge planning reduces the likelihood individuals will return to the streets without support.
4. General Welfare of Santa Ana.
Individuals are being transported into the city without coordination, straining limited resources including shelter capacity. This could reduce available resources for individuals for whom Santa Ana has primary responsibility.
Violations of the article will be addressed utilizing administrative citations pursuant to Chapter 1 of the SAMC. Unless otherwise specified herein, all administrative citations issued for violations shall be subject to the provisions set forth in Chapter 1, Sec. 1-21 of the SAMC, including, but not limited to, the administrative hearing and appeal process and the city's authority to use any civil remedy available to collect any unpaid administrative fines.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact associated with this action.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
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EXHIBIT(S)
1. Ordinance
Submitted By: Sylvia Vazquez, Deputy City Manager
Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager