Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homeless Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Murrieta to Administer $6.6 Million Regional Grant to Expand Street Outreach, Rapid Rehousing
Summary
Murrieta accepted about $6.6 million from a regional encampment resolution grant and approved related agreements with CityNet to expand outreach, interim shelter and rapid rehousing services covering parts of Southwest Riverside County.
Murrieta — The Murrieta City Council voted April 1 to accept roughly $6.6 million from a regional encampment resolution award and to authorize related contracts and budget appropriations to expand homeless outreach and housing services in Southwest Riverside County.
City staff told council the larger regional award totals $12.6 million and Riverside County designated Murrieta to administer a portion. Lindsay Sisti, assistant management analyst for homeless services, said the Murrieta share will fund street outreach, temporary shelter, prevention and rental assistance across Murrieta, Wildomar, Menifee, Lake Elsinore and unincorporated areas of Temecula. "Murrieta was awarded about $6,600,000 to administer a portion of the project," Sisti said.
Why it matters: staff said the package builds on a service model Murrieta launched after the Martin v. Boise decision and aims to maintain a goal of "functional zero" — having a bed available for people ready to move toward stable housing. The grant also relieves some general-fund pressure by covering costs for existing staff and contractors, officials said.
What the grant pays for: staff provided a funding breakdown: approximately $2,900,000 for direct staffing (city and contracted staff), $206,000 for service coordination (vehicles, hygiene kits and similar expenses), $900,000 for interim shelter or bridge housing, and additional funds for rapid rehousing, prevention and diversion. A separate Housing Assistance Prevention (HAP) award of $144,000 will provide direct rapid-rehousing support, and CityNet was selected to administer both the HAP and encampment-resolution projects.
Services and capacity: officials said the program will add up to eight outreach and housing navigator positions that will serve the regional footprint and oversee referrals to shelter and treatment partners. Sisti described a multidisciplinary approach that includes medical outreach and behavioral health support, and noted the grants are 100% state-funded to the county and flow through Murrieta as the fiscal agent. She said rental assistance under the programs can be tailored to need; the maximum assistance can be up to 24 months but staff will provide the least amount necessary to stabilize each household.
Council reaction and vote: council members praised the city's integrated approach, the police-led community behavioral health assessment team (CBAT) and partnerships with Project Touch, Renewing Hope and healthcare providers. Council member Stone asked whether encampments along Murrieta Creek had been cleared; staff replied some encampments remain and that work will continue. The council approved the consent-item motion to accept the funds, authorize CityNet agreements and amend the budget; the motion carried unanimously, 4–0.
Next steps: staff said contracts and administrative actions required to deploy services will be brought forward and timeline details will be provided as implementation proceeds.
