Corona officials report rise in first‑time homelessness, urge treatment capacity and policy changes

Corona City Hall — The city—s Housing and Homeless Solutions manager told the City Council on March 19 that Corona has expanded a system of homeless services since adopting a strategic plan in mid‑2020 but is now seeing more people experiencing homelessness for the first time.

Karen Roper, Housing and Homeless Solutions Manager for the City of Corona, told the council that the city and partners have used Measure X funding and grants to build an "A to Z system of services" and that the city has helped dozens of households with prevention and placed hundreds into housing. "What has been completed in this short amount of time is actually unprecedented and remarkable," Roper said.

The presentation gave council members a snapshot of recent service metrics and trends and explained why officials see increases in first‑time homelessness. The data Roper presented included 88 households assisted through HUD homeless‑prevention funds, 281 housing placements through CityNet and Mercy House, about 112,004 shelter bed nights across motels and the Harrison Hope Center, and 745 unduplicated shelter clients served. CityNet outreach recorded 2,647 contacts and 776 engagements, Roper said. The…