City approves ECHO amendment, funding and shift to 90-day model amid neighborhood concerns

Paso Robles — The City Council on Tuesday reviewed the Paso Robles shelter operator El Camino Homeless Organization’s (ECHO) fiscal year 2024–25 end‑of‑year report and approved a third amendment to the supplemental memorandum of understanding that funds shelter staffing and operations.

City staff presented the amendment change and said it strengthens reporting, data sharing, and coordination between the city and ECHO. Ashley Hernandez, the city’s newly hired home services manager, told the council the amendment “reflects operational changes and also strengthens the partnership between the city and ECHO” by standardizing reporting templates, adding quarterly quality reviews, improving data sharing and referrals, and clarifying client consent for city participation in coordination meetings.

ECHO’s director, Wendy Lewis, summarized shelter outcomes and program shifts. ECHO operates 70 beds on its Paso campus and has been shifting to a 90‑day shelter model intended to improve housing outcomes. Lewis said ECHO’s approach has moved a larger share of people into permanent housing than the night‑by‑night model: “Last year between the two campuses, 353 individuals or children were helped into permanent housing and … out of those people that are placed into permanent housing, we see a 90 percent success rate that they're still in housing today.”

Lewis told the council that ECHO is proposing to discontinue the five “night‑by‑night” beds and reallocate those spaces to the 90‑day program because the 90‑day model produces higher housing outcomes and is more cost‑effective. She said ECHO will continue nightly community dinners, drop‑in showers, on‑site case management and a police‑fire crisis resource room. ECHO also reported that it has secured county funding for a 10‑bed weather‑based warming center beginning November 2025.

Council action and payment: Councilmembers moved to receive and file ECHO’s fiscal‑year report, to direct staff to distribute the payment for the reporting period, and to approve the third amendment to the supplemental MOU for FY 2025–26. The motions were approved unanimously. (Transcript discussion includes two nearby staff statements that referenced different payment figures; staff said earlier in the meeting the disbursement for the reporting period is in the adopted budget and mentioned $101,000, while the motion recorded at the dais referenced $111,000. Staff later confirmed the disbursement is budgeted and available.)

Neighborhood concerns and public comment: The ECHO presentation drew significant public comment from property owners and business operators near the shelter on Black Oak Drive who said they continue to experience loitering, trespass, theft, sanitation problems and safety concerns around the shelter area. Commenters urged more enforcement and neighborhood‑oriented mitigation. Residents and business owners said efforts by the police, code enforcement and city staff have recently increased and urged continued attention. Other commenters, including representatives of the Templeton Chamber of Commerce and several shelter service partners, urged continued funding and praised ECHO’s housing outcomes.

Program details and outcomes cited at the meeting: ECHO reported serving hundreds of unduplicated individuals through shelter stays, outreach and prevention programs. For the most recent reporting period ECHO presented figures showing thousands of total shelter stays, thousands of meals served across its campuses, thousands of food bags distributed and dozens of clients connected to permanent housing and employment; ECHO said placements continue to outpace prior years. ECHO staff also highlighted partnerships for on‑site mental‑health van services, probation outreach, and food and clothing programs.

What the amendment does: The third amendment formalizes the operational change from night‑by‑night beds to the 90‑day model, requires standardized reporting and quarterly reviews, and clarifies insurance, indemnification and termination language. The city attorney and staff said the amendment strengthens accountability measures and does not add a new fiscal impact for FY 2025–26 beyond the distribution already included in the adopted budget.

Why it matters: The city’s funding and the MOU define the local shelter capacity and the structure of case management that directs people into housing. The shift to a longer 90‑day program reflects a policy decision to prioritize placements with higher success rates over the nightly lottery system that staff and ECHO said led to a higher turnover and lower permanent‑housing outcomes.

Ending: Councilmembers stressed that the city and ECHO must continue to coordinate with police, code enforcement, businesses and county partners to address neighborhood impacts while preserving the shelter’s role in moving people into stable housing.