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 county—s Homeless Management Information System showed 978 unduplicated people tied to Corona in the current fiscal year, she added.

Why it matters: Council members said the city—s effort — funded in part by roughly $5–6 million a year in Measure X expenditures and roughly $28 million in grant awards referenced by a councilmember — has prevented many people from remaining on the streets, but rising first‑time homelessness signals pressures in the housing market. Roper told the council that landlords selling units and limited rental supply in Corona push people into homelessness when they cannot find comparable housing.

Police and county officials and shelter providers described how legal, operational and capacity issues affect outcomes. The Corona Police Department—s chief said the department does not see a dramatic influx in habitual offenders but does see newcomers who need services. "To us, it's been fairly status quo," the chief said, adding that enforcement and diversion tools have a role but that long‑term solutions require treatment and housing capacity.

Speakers stressed limits on local authority to compel treatment. Roper and the police chief discussed recent and pending legal changes that influence local work: the Ninth Circuit case Martin v. Boise (which limited enforcement of anti‑camping rules without shelter capacity), state ballot measures and statutes shaping criminal penalties and mandatory treatment (Assembly Bill 109, Proposition 47 and the newly passed Proposition 36 were cited in the discussion), and SB 43, which expands criteria for conservatorship and mandated treatment but requires additional treatment bed capacity to implement. The chief warned counties lack sufficient "lockdown" or other mandated treatment beds and said expanded augmented board‑and‑care capacity will be necessary.

Roper described near‑term program developments: the city is finishing negotiations on a 20‑year Housing Assistance Payment agreement with the county to attach project‑based vouchers to a Fifth Street project, which Roper said would help Mercy House operate housing for chronically homeless residents and some families. She also noted the city—s motel program, Harrison Hope Center and outreach teams serve several hundred residents nightly; Mayor Steiner later repeated the figure, saying the city helps about 400 people a night.

Council members asked for more detail on the origin of people being contacted and whether newcomers are coming from other counties. Roper said roughly one‑third of calls to the city—s homeless help line are from Corona residents, about 44% are from outside Corona, and some contacts fail to follow through. The chief said many of the frequent offenders are residents with longstanding ties to Corona; nonresident newcomers who are not criminally involved typically accept help and are rehoused or returned to their origin.

Roper and county staff gave a timeline for data releases: the county—s final point‑in‑time count numbers were expected in April, with a full report likely in July. Roper cautioned that point‑in‑time counts are a limited snapshot and urged continued focus on HMIS and provider data for policy and resource decisions.

There was no council vote tied to the presentation; council members and staff requested continued legislative advocacy and coordination with the county on bed capacity and treatment options.

Looking ahead: Roper asked the council to anticipate the upcoming voucher agreement on the agenda in the near future and to continue supporting regional coordination on shelter, treatment beds and prevention resources.