Laguna Beach mayor says shelter options under review, urges South County regional approach to homelessness

Mayor Alex Runagi said Laguna Beach is weighing different options for the shelter in the canyon and urged regional collaboration among South County cities to address homelessness.

The topic arose after Runagi said City Manager Dave Kiff presented several options, including “potentially closing the shelter in the canyon,” during a recent City Council meeting. Tom Johnson, the program host, noted the item generated substantial public comment.

Runagi described the city’s approach as balancing compassion with public safety and said legal changes have shifted incentives for cities. “With the Supreme Court recently…overturned the Boise decision and through, a decision called Grants Pass,” Runagi said, “now…a city doesn’t have to have enough beds to be able to enforce anti‑camping laws,” a change he described as removing a previous incentive to build shelters.

The mayor said local police have reported increased calls for service near the shelter and that the city will continue to work with the Friendship Shelter and law enforcement to reduce impacts on downtown safety.

Runagi said the city cannot solve homelessness alone: “We could devote our whole budget to homelessness. Hypothetically…we wouldn’t be able to solve the problem because it requires regional…solutions.” He said he has invited South County mayors and city managers to meet in Laguna Beach to discuss shared strategies and to ask neighboring jurisdictions to “bear the burden” of regional responses.

As one potential site, Runagi raised a county-owned property he referred to as “Joplin,” describing it as a large facility used during COVID that could host supportive services, medical and psychiatric care and tiny homes. He said he will discuss the site with the county supervisor referenced in the interview.

Runagi said ongoing collaboration with the Friendship Shelter will focus on helping people exit homelessness while preserving public safety in commercial and downtown areas. He emphasized the need for regional shelter capacity and wraparound services, and said the city will continue conversations with the county and South County partners to pursue possible county-owned alternatives.

No formal decision was announced during the interview; Runagi described next steps as convening regional leaders and continuing operational collaboration between city staff, the shelter and police.