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Murrieta council approves $446,000 to sustain regional encampment-response program through July
Summary
The Murrieta City Council unanimously approved a $446,000 general‑fund contribution to sustain the Murrieta Creek Encampment Resolution Project through July 2027 while county and partner funding agreements are finalized. City staff reported the program has rehoused more than 100 people and exceeded early contract benchmarks.
Murrieta City Council voted unanimously Feb. 17 to commit $446,000 in general‑fund support to sustain the Murrieta Creek Encampment Resolution Project through July 2027 while staff works with the county and partner cities to secure longer‑term funding.
City homeless services manager Lindsey Sisti and regional coordinator Brian Ambrose told the council the state awarded Riverside County $12,600,000 for a regional homeless response covering southwest Riverside County; Ambrose said Murrieta’s portion of that regional allocation was $6.6 million to fund staff time and contracts. Sisti said the project has enrolled roughly 191 individuals, and a slide later in the presentation showed an enrollment figure of 195; both figures were presented along with a consistent number of 104 people placed in permanent housing so far. Sisti attributed the success to added outreach workers with CityNet, housing navigators, behavioral‑health staff and partnerships with organizations such as Project Touch and Health Care in Action.
Ambrose described the program’s scope: low‑barrier street outreach, emergency sheltering, case management, street medicine and permanent supportive housing. He said the Murrieta regional system can immediately shelter families and that the city has achieved “functional zero” homelessness for people willing to engage with services in recent years. He and Sisti warned that state and federal grant funding is inconsistent and that a local contribution is needed to bridge the gap while a county budget amendment and a five‑city memorandum of understanding (MOU) are finalized.
Councilmember Stone moved to fund the budget amendment; Mayor Pro Tem Holliday seconded. Councilmembers asked for clarifications about prior grant timing, county allocations and whether other cities would share the cost; Ambrose said the county had expressed interest in contributing additional funds and that several cities are negotiating an MOU to define shared responsibilities. The motion passed 5‑0.
The council’s action funds outreach and emergency shelter costs for the months leading to the June 2027 expiration of current grant allocations; Ambrose said staff expects further county funding decisions in the coming weeks and will return with updates. Councilmembers emphasized the program’s results and urged continued advocacy to secure sustainable county and state support.
Ending: Council asked staff to continue negotiating with county partners, to report back on MOU progress and additional county contributions, and to return to the council if funding assumptions change.
