Baldwin Park staff confirm homeless count for Feb. 19; two motel conversions planned with local preference

Baldwin Park staff told the Parks and Recreation Commission on Feb. 3 that the regional homeless count will proceed on Wednesday, Feb. 19, with volunteer training at 7 p.m. and the count starting at 8 p.m., and described two planned motel-to-housing conversions that city officials expect to reserve first offers for Baldwin Park residents.

The update came after staff said county organizers would not change the count date for the district because moving nights could cause duplicate counts across neighboring cities. Manny, a city staff member speaking at the meeting, said the count will remain on the third Wednesday and the city will request volunteers and staff reinforcement.

Manny said the city will recruit additional personnel and asked commissioners to bring family and friends to help. “We will send you an email and follow-up with a text in regards to the link of where to sign up,” he said. Staff estimated they may bring about 20–25 extra staff to support counting and outreach.

Why it matters: The count is a federally and regionally coordinated point-in-time effort used by service providers and funders to estimate local need. Staff framed the motel conversions as part of the city’s near-term strategy to expand housing capacity for people experiencing homelessness.

Details on motel conversions and local preference

City staff described two hotel conversions that they said should open in roughly 18 to 24 months. Manny said one conversion is at a Motel 6 (about 70 units, described in the meeting as smaller “bachelor” units after conversion) and the other is at the Grand Park Inn (about 40 units). He said the projects will repurpose rooms, add kitchenettes, storage and counseling/office space.

“We put skin in the game. We provided vouchers… and we put a local preference. So all of those units need to be offered to Baldwin Park residents first,” Manny said. Staff said the projects rely on vouchers and service-provider partnerships and compared the support to existing federal housing voucher programs, noting residents may still contribute a portion of income for rent (the presenter compared the arrangement to Section 8–style vouchers).

Intake, providers and service partners

Staff said placement into the converted units will use a regional intake/registration portal referenced in the meeting as the EGMS system and will be managed by contracted providers. The meeting named CityNet (referred to in the discussion as “CityNet, AKA Kingdom Causes”) and Kingdom Causes as managers/partners, and cited working relationships with LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority) and an organization discussed as the Los Angeles County Addiction Centers (LACADA) for services and case management.

Discussion and limits

Commissioners asked whether residents in the city’s existing tiny-home or shelter programs would get priority. Manny said the city’s vouchers and local preference are intended to prioritize Baldwin Park residents but acknowledged placements will be coordinated through the regional system and providers; he said providers must register and preapprove participants through EGMS. Manny also noted that some individuals are “hard to reach” or decline services and that police and providers coordinate responses for people on private property or for potential mental-health holds.

Staff noted previous reductions in visible homelessness. Manny said the city has seen approximately a 70% decrease in homelessness locally over recent years, and he credited local efforts and conversions for part of the change.

What the commission directed or decided

There was no formal vote on the matters presented. Staff confirmed the county would not reschedule the count, requested volunteer sign-ups and said the city would deploy additional staff to avoid shortfalls on the night of the count.

Follow-up

Staff said they will send a sign-up link by email and text and will coordinate with providers to pre-register candidates for the converted units through the EGMS portal.