Homelessness Strategic Plan

STRATEGIC Planning grant

The City secured a $50,000 grant in October 2017 from Los Angeles County to help fund the development of a Homelessness Strategic Plan. 

The goals of the Homelessness Strategic Plan are to assist homeless individuals in a more effective way, mitigate public health and public safety impacts, and align Malibu’s local efforts with those of the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative. Since 2016, two dedicated, full-time outreach workers from the non-profit The People Concern have been conducting outreach and offering services to the homeless population in Malibu, funded for the first two years by The Malibu Task Force on Homelessness with a contribution from the City. The program was fully funded by the City as of July 2018.

The Homelessness Strategic Plan was presented for review and comment at a community meeting on May 24, 2018. The Plan was unanimously adopted by the City Council at its Regular meeting on June 25, 2018.

The Malibu Homelessness Working Group, comprised of City staff, outreach workers, the faith community, and residents, meets on a monthly basis to review community and City efforts to execute the Plan.

Contact Us

  1. Susan Dueñas

    Public Safety Director
    SDuenas@malibucity.org
    Phone: 310-456-2489, ext. 313

  2. Luis Flores

    Public Safety Liaison
    LFlores@malibucity.org
    Phone: 310-456-2489, ext. 236

Housing navigation grant

Connecting the people experiencing homelessness in Malibu with permanent housing solutions is a key feature of the City's Strategic Plan. In January 2019, the City was awarded $76,660 from the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative to fund a pilot project expanding housing services for the homeless population in Malibu. Specifically, grant funds will be used to fund a Housing Navigator position for 18 months.

In coordination with the Malibu Homeless Outreach Team, the Housing Navigator will provide individualized support to people experiencing homelessness by helping each client develop a plan to address their barriers to housing, increase their income, and maintain and sustain permanent housing. Housing Navigators also spend time building relationships with landlords and educating them regarding the housing voucher program, which is crucial to increasing available housing opportunities for those experiencing homelessness. Because the housing process is time sensitive, having a knowledgeable individual who can work quickly and effectively is critical to housing more of our homeless neighbors.

Former outreach PILOT PROGRAM

In 2016, the City issued a grant to the Malibu Task Force on Homelessness (MTFH), an independent organization of community volunteers, to help fund a pilot project to bring professional services to Malibu's homeless population. MTFH entered into an agreement with The People Concern to bring two, full-time outreach workers from The People Concern to Malibu daily in order to locate, engage, and build relationships with homeless individuals in Malibu. They then connected the individuals with a fully-integrated system of care – including mental and medical health care, substance abuse services, and permanent supportive housing – provided by The People Concern and tailored to the unique needs of each individual.

As of September 30, 2018, the outreach team has successfully moved 33 homeless Malibu residents into permanent housing. An additional 15 individuals are currently in interim housing. Since the program began, more than 30 of the outreach team's clients received or were approved for housing vouchers, putting them on the path to permanent housing.

Beginning in July 2018, the City established a budget line item to directly fund its homelessness programming, including full funding of the outreach program provided by The People Concern. 

To leave a message for the Outreach Team about a particular homeless individual in need of non-emergency assistance, call 310-460-2638 or email MalibuOutreach@ThePeopleConcern.org.