The Avondale City Council on Oct. 6 unanimously adopted a five‑year strategic plan to guide the city’s response to homelessness, directing city staff to implement outcome targets the plan lists and to publish regular performance reporting.

City staff presented the final strategic plan and supporting principles, saying the effort builds on the SONAR outreach program’s work since 2022. The presentation said SONAR has engaged 329 individuals through 7,343 unique engagements and recorded 179 positive exits from homelessness during that period; staff provided outcome breakdowns showing 36% of exits to permanent housing, 34% to shelter, 12% to temporary housing and 18% to treatment.

The plan establishes measurable targets the city will track: a 25% increase in positive exits, a 30% increase in connections to treatment, a 50% increase in family placements to permanent housing, a 50% expansion in supportive service partnerships and a 25% reduction in people experiencing homelessness at any given time. Staff organized the plan around six goals: ensure sufficient housing supply, prevent eviction, facilitate temporary shelter and rapid referrals, refine a consistent citywide response (including encampment protocols and HMIS integration), strengthen partnerships for behavioral health and workforce supports, and increase transitions to permanent housing with case management and supportive services.

Staff said the Neighborhood and Family Services Department, through the Homeless Services Division and SONAR outreach, will implement the strategies and produce public reporting, including a dashboard and HMIS data use to track progress. The presentation emphasized “people first” engagement, data transparency, and elevating person‑first stories to build community support for the plan’s approaches.

Council members praised the outreach team’s results and implementation approach. Council member Conde and others said landlord engagement and eviction prevention are essential for keeping households housed. Council member White asked how outreach engagements are counted; staff explained that the engagement total reflects repeated contacts over time as teams build trust and relationships necessary to place people in housing or treatment.

Action taken: Council member Solorio moved and Council member White seconded a motion to adopt the resolution approving the five‑year strategic plan; the council voted to approve the resolution. Staff will implement the plan, track the stated outcomes and report progress to council.