Oroville funds a full‑time housing navigator with county to expand outreach, using opioid settlement money

The Oroville City Council voted to approve a one‑year memorandum of understanding with Butte County Department of Employment and Social Services to station a full‑time housing navigator in the city’s code enforcement office. The council passed the agreement after staff said the county would provide the navigator as a county employee and cover certain overhead; the city will pay $85,000 for the position for one year, billed quarterly and funded from the city’s opioid‑settlement allocation.

City Director Ron Belser described how the new navigator will work alongside the city’s existing community navigator, Bert Taylor, to connect people encountered by police, code enforcement and outreach with housing, behavioral‑health and social‑services programs. Belser said the county employee will be present in Oroville most weekdays and can provide transportation and direct enrollment in county programs, which helps the city avoid liability when moving people to services.

Bert Taylor, the city’s community navigator, told the council that the job requires a client‑centered approach: “There isn’t one size fits all… transportation is a huge issue,” he said, describing day‑to‑day outreach and frequent contacts with shelters and service providers. Butte County’s deputy director for housing and homeless services, Erin Murray, explained the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) that the county and providers use to coordinate case‑level data and reduce duplication.

Council members asked about sustainability and whether opioid settlement funds will be available beyond one year; staff said the settlement payments fall over a multiyear schedule and the city expects resources for several years but that long‑term funding will need separate direction. The MOU requires a 30‑day termination notice and quarterly reporting to the city. Council approved the memorandum by voice vote.