Fillmore awarded $1.45 million HCD grant for encampment response and case management

City Manager Erica Herrera told the council the city has been awarded a grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to address homelessness and encampments, and staff may now publicly announce the award after the grant contract was finalized.

Herrera said the award totals $1,450,000 and will fund multiple activities including encampment cleanup and case management. The city will work with Spirit of Santa Paula to provide case management services and will contract with other organizations for cleanup and related services. Herrera said the award was previously under HCD embargo and the city was not able to publicly announce it until the contract was signed.

Herrera said staff will prepare a press release and a presentation to make details available to the public, and she said the grant will be a multiyear award that requires coordination between finance, the city manager’s office and partner organizations. The council asked whether a plan would be provided; Herrera responded that the city will include key partners in the press release and can prepare a presentation with the proposed budget allocations and partner roles.

Staff also noted related enforcement and outreach activities are scheduled: the homeless liaison unit will conduct a river-bottom fire‑prevention operation and outreach in Rio Vista Park; backpack medicine and additional cleanup operations are planned with partner agencies.

No council vote was required to receive the announcement; staff will return with implementation details and public materials.