New homelessness strategy department outlines priorities, staffing and funding; council seeks details on capacity and outreach

Mark Camona (identified in the record as Mark/Marc Camona) presented an overview of the city's new Department of Strategy and Services for Homelessness, which he said was created to move the city from a primarily reactive, short-term response to a proactive strategy to reduce recurring homelessness.

"Nuestra misión es... asegurarnos que la situación de estar sin hogar no sea algo que se continúa, que recurre," Camona said, describing a focus on long-term strategies, coordinated partnerships and data-driven planning. He said the new department has an initial staff of 44 people drawn largely from existing housing divisions and that the team will prioritize prevention, shelter capacity, low-barrier housing and alignment with county and community partners.

Camona listed three priority areas for the coming year: reducing the number of people living on the street and addressing acute safety and health risks; finding permanent housing pathways for families and individuals; and building a longer-term strategy to increase shelter and supportive-housing capacity. He described operational tasks including managing funds and reporting, monitoring compliance, working with delegated agencies and coordinating with health, criminal-justice and county systems.

Councilmembers asked detailed operational questions. One councilmember asked how many staff would be assigned to district outreach and whether current outreach workers are sufficient; Camona confirmed the 44-person initial team and described plans to coordinate with council offices, neighborhood associations and nonprofit partners for district-level outreach. Members also raised retention concerns for field staff and the need for more mobile clinics, district entry points and partnerships with faith-based groups to build trust with people experiencing homelessness.

Camona referenced a budget allocation—"26,000,000" in the transcript—that has been broken down across program areas and said the department would oversee administration of those funds and produce regular reports to the council. Councilmembers requested a future report breaking down costs, capacity gaps and metrics for success; Camona and staff agreed to provide that follow-up information and to coordinate site visits and community tours for council offices.

The session closed after members agreed to receive upcoming reports and potential site visits; no formal vote on new policy or funding was taken during this meeting.