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City unveils new homeless‑services dashboard; officials tout coordinated outreach and on‑site health services
Summary
El Paso de Robles staff unveiled a city dashboard tracking outreach-to-housing outcomes and reported partnerships (CapSlo, Oxford Family Circle) bringing healthcare into riverbed encampments; council and public debated shelter capacity and immediate needs.
El Paso de Robles’s homeless‑services manager presented a new city dashboard on April 21 that staff say will improve transparency about outreach, shelter access and progress toward permanent housing.
Ashley Hernandez, the city’s homeless services manager, told the City Council the dashboard covers Oct. 1, 2025–March 31, 2026 and provides pipeline metrics — outreach, service connections, shelter enrollments and housing placements — allowing staff and the public to track movement through the system rather than isolated activity counts.
“Even when outreach and services are working, outcomes can appear stagnant because permanent housing capacity is limited,” Hernandez said. She reported that county homelessness data reflected about 160 individuals in the quarter and city‑area shelter capacity of 75 emergency beds; during the quarter 85 people documented in the system were unable to access a shelter bed because of capacity constraints.
Hernandez highlighted service innovations and partnerships that are part of the city’s response:
- Mobile and on‑site health services: partner CapSlo’s mobile clinic began biweekly visits to the Selenus Riverbed; Oxford Family Circle will provide CalAIM navigation and can assist with deposits and move‑in costs up to $5,000 for eligible clients. - Clean‑and‑resilient public‑space pilots: an extended blue‑bag trash program and a pilot trash‑service agreement with Paso Waste designed to reduce litter in the Black Oak corridor at no additional net cost to the city. - Coordinated operations: a city interdepartmental homelessness work group (police, fire, public works, utilities, administrative services, community services) and the Community Action Team (CAT) that makes regular field contacts.
The presentation emphasized prevention and system metrics: over a recent six‑month period helper partners reported delivering more than 23,000 basic stabilizing services (meals, showers, laundry) through providers such as ECHKO, Hernandez said. The dashboard is intended to identify which strategies reduce emergency demand and increase housing exits.
Public commenters and several council members pressed staff on immediate gaps: Linda George and others urged faster action on warming shelters and accessible restrooms, and service providers described individuals who still lack immediate emergency beds. County staff present said the county’s point‑in‑time counts show reductions in unsheltered homelessness since 2022 and that improved HMIS participation has improved data capture.
“The dashboard gives us a clearer picture of pressures and where strategies are making a difference,” Hernandez said. Next steps include continuing quarterly updates to council, refining the dashboard and measuring outcomes over time. The council received the presentation; the city later approved a regional homeless compact with the county to align principles and inventory services.
