Temecula city staff presented an annual update on the city’s homeless outreach and prevention work to the Temecula City Council, reporting a two-day local census that found 50 unique individuals experiencing homelessness in the city — down from 56 in 2023, a decrease staff described as roughly 10 percent. The presentation summarized program activity for 2024, recent encampment cleanups, counts and next steps including an emphasis on mental health and substance-use services.

The update was delivered by Lacey Sisler, the city’s homeless outreach administrator. “Today I will cover key topics, including a brief overview of our team, our programs, the most recent census update, program outcomes, RSO efforts, and take a look ahead at what's coming up next,” Sisler told council members. Sisler described a multiagency response that includes city staff, a contracted outreach team known as SWAG, a mobile crisis response unit provided through the county (identified in the presentation as UHS/RUHS), and law enforcement support from the city’s Community Outreach Resources and Engagement (CORE) team.

Why it matters: Sisler and other staff framed the findings as evidence that Temecula’s local, data-driven approach is yielding measurable exits from street homelessness while underscoring persistent barriers — especially untreated mental illness and substance use — that make engagement and long-term housing stability difficult. The city stressed a mix of direct services, cleanup and mitigation, and targeted financial assistance to sustain people in housing when possible.

Census and survey findings: The city’s two-day local census on Nov. 20–21 identified 50 unique individuals experiencing homelessness inside the city limits. Staff reported the following self‑reported characteristics from that local census: 66 percent reported a diagnosed mental health condition, 76 percent reported regular substance use (and 24 percent of respondents said they believed that substance use affected their housing status), 88 percent reported a history of arrests, 46 percent listed Temecula as their last permanent residence, and 74 percent reported being homeless in Temecula for more than a year. Sisler cautioned that the data are self‑reported and may understate some conditions.

Programs and results: Patrice Brown, a member of the city’s homeless outreach and prevention team, summarized program outcomes. Brown said city staff and SWAG “successfully assisted 135 individuals in exiting the streets” in 2024, and that since the outreach team began formal tracking in 2021 there have been 402 street exits. The Homeless Prevention and Diversion Program (HPDP), funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) dollars, provides short-term financial assistance for rent, security deposits, mortgage assistance and utilities. Staff reported that, for the current fiscal year, only $1,000 remains in a particular CDBG allocation (staff also reported $6,675 expended so far) and that HPDP helped three households (six adults and eight children) this year.

Flexible family assistance: The council earlier allocated $140,000 to a flexible family assistance program; that program launched Nov. 14, 2024. Brown said the city had expended $41,209 from that program by mid-December and that in December staff assisted six households (seven adults and nine children), including three households with members who have disabilities. Brown described one case in which a family fleeing domestic violence was placed in motel lodging immediately and later connected to transitional housing through Project Touch.

Encampment cleanups and impact mitigation: Staff described an expedited cleanup process launched in April 2024 and said the city coordinated two large-scale cleanups in 2024. At a site identified as Business Park Drive, staff reported 440 cubic yards of debris removed and more than 22 dangerous or unhealthy encampments cleared. At a location identified as Empire Creek, staff said crews cleared four encampments and removed 102 cubic yards of trash and 16 trash areas around high-traffic public spaces.

Law enforcement and legal changes: Lieutenant Pearson briefed the council on recent legal and procedural changes affecting enforcement. Pearson said Proposition 36, which passed in November 2024, rolls back some aspects of Proposition 47 and (as described in the presentation) increases penalties for certain drug- and theft-related crimes, adds options for diversion to treatment for people arrested for drug possession, and requires courts to warn sellers of illegal drugs that they can face murder charges if sales lead to a death. Pearson also told the council that a 2024 change requires trespass letters (often called “602 letters”) to be notarized, a step he said strengthens the legal enforceability of trespass warnings.

Next steps and priorities: Staff said priorities for the coming year include expanding service connections (notably helping eligible people obtain medical insurance), increasing outreach that explicitly addresses mental health and addiction, refining community education about how residents and businesses should respond to visible homelessness, and seeking funding streams that match city priorities (staff said some grant opportunities were not pursued because they required reductions in enforcement or halting cleanups). The city reminded residents that the next Point‑in‑Time count is scheduled for Jan. 22 at 5 a.m., and staff encouraged reporting urgent concerns to 911, nonemergency dispatch for non‑emergencies, or through the city’s app or city hall so outreach staff can respond.

Council and staff reaction: Councilmember Alexander praised staff and the contracted teams for a “compassionate approach” and cited local cases where the programs kept children in school and prevented family separations. Director Hunt and Director Stewart asked about data standardization and recommended more rigorous trend analysis to evaluate program effectiveness. Director Hunt suggested a sensitivity analysis comparing self‑reported survey data against administrative records to better understand reporting biases and to measure program “bang for the buck.” Staff agreed to continue refining evaluation and reporting methods.

What the presentation did not decide: The council did not take new formal action during the presentation; staff outlined program results, ongoing operations and recommended next steps but brought no specific ordinance, contract or new appropriation for an immediate council vote during this item.

Ending note: Staff emphasized continued collaboration with regional partners and the value of the city’s flexible, local approach as it pursues targeted interventions for people with chronic unsheltered homelessness and works to prevent family displacement.