Southwest Riverside County Gears Up To Tackle Homelessness

MURRIETA, CA — Strategies to address homelessness across Southwest Riverside County will be explored in coming months, with the city of Murrieta taking the lead.

Last week, the city publicized a Request for Proposals for "homelessness consulting services" to help build a "Regional Homeless Alliance." (The RFP document is available in electronic format at: https://www.murrietaca.gov/Bids.aspx.)

A joint powers authority — or JPA — between Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula and Wildomar to tackle homelessness on a regional front is being eyed and the consultant would help steer the effort. It would continue the efforts that began in 2016 when each city signed onto a joint resolution addressing the complex issue of homelessness from a regional perspective.

"Homelessness doesn't have boundaries," city of Murrieta spokesperson Dominique Samario explained.

The JPA would give each city a voice at the table, according to Samario.

An example of an existing Southwest Riverside County JPA can be found at the nonprofit Animal Friends of the Valleys in Wildomar. A JPA was signed in 2010, which led to construction of the AFV shelter at 33751 Mission Trail. Under the JPA, AFV provides animal services across Southwest Riverside County — including in the cities targeted for the homeless alliance.

"It is envisioned that the Regional Homeless Alliance could operate in a similar way," Samario said.

Currently, most Southwest Riverside County cities contract with social services organizations to assist law enforcement "quality of life" operations in local homeless encampments. Homeless residents are counseled on available housing and services — including mental health, addiction and medical — and offered relocation assistance. Some people accept the help — not everyone though. Cities tout small wins, but none have conquered homelessness.

The Regional Homeless Alliance would combine the individual efforts of each city and potentially bolster outreach and services, according to Samario.

Housing would be on the table for discussion, she said. For nearly two decades, nonprofit Project Touch has worked in the Temecula Valley to assist homeless individuals and has long advocated for a permanent shelter. The city of Lake Elsinore recently converted a former 19-room motel at 215 W. Graham Avenue into housing for homeless people, but this type of facility is unique in Southwest Riverside County.

"One of the elements that would be explored with the selected consultant is how we house homeless individuals in each city as a regional approach. It is important to ensure each city is contributing to the housing solution," Samario said.

The city of Murrieta has geared up to participate in the alliance, according to Samario. The city has a four-member community policing team and a community behavioral health assessment team. The city also hired a homelessness analyst.

The number of homeless people living on the streets and in vacant lots in Southwest Riverside County cities dropped compared to 2021 figures, according to the 2022 "Riverside County Point in Time Count" results released earlier this year.

While the numbers provide only a snapshot in time, the results showed 110 unsheltered people were encountered by Point in Time volunteers during the February 23-25, 2022, counts in the cities of Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula and Wildomar.

Murrieta is leading the regional effort to bring down the numbers thanks to a $500,000 federal grant it received earlier this year that will pay for the consulting services sought through the RFP.

The funding was requested by the city — with letters of support submitted by most of the other cities, according to Samario.

Rep. Ken Calvert secured the federal dollars for the city.

"The Southwest Riverside County regional homeless services project is a regional approach to addressing our homeless challenge and a proactive step by our local officials that is worthy of support," the congressman said. "The cities of Murrieta, Temecula, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, and Wildomar understand neither our community nor the homeless are well served when individuals or families are living on our streets or in encampments. By addressing the unique mental health, drug abuse, and economic challenges of individual homeless people and providing them with the corresponding assistance and services they need, we can make a positive impact."

The Riverside City Council on Tuesday night adopted a "Homeless Action Plan" that relies on expansion of affordable housing, additional emergency shelters and enhanced substance abuse treatment opportunities to get people off of its streets.

The plan was fashioned based on input from residents during community meetings, work on the part of the city's Housing & Homelessness Committee and strategy sessions involving staff from the Office of Homeless Solutions.