Homeless Plan will receive a boost
Amid rising concern about California’s burgeoning homeless population, Manhattan Beach officials Tuesday offered a review of local plans being made to address the crisis.
Councilmembers at their regular meeting received updates on efforts being made to address the homelessness issue in Manhattan and the surrounding beach cities. Senior Management Analyst George Gabriel told the council that both the council’s previously approved plans and soon-to-be-available funding were helping the city “take an active role in reducing homelessness, strategically and regionally, in a humane fashion.”
While homelessness overall spiked significantly in 2019 — many cities reported double-digit percent increases, and Los Angeles County has almost 60,000 people experiencing homelessness — there were a total of 22 homeless individuals in Manhattan, a 56 percent decrease from 41 total homeless in 2018. Those figures come from Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority’s annual homeless count. This year’s version took place Jan. 22, the night after the council meeting.
Although homelessness has at past meetings drawn strong reactions from residents, the update on the city’s efforts Tuesday drew none, outpaced by vaping, city-wide beautification projects, and accessory dwelling units, all of which drew concern from residents. But in what may be a sign of ongoing interest in the issue, Gabriel reported that the registered volunteers for the Manhattan location of this year’s count had reached capacity. (Walk-on volunteers were welcome to participate, he added.)
Manhattan Beach’s numbers were lower than those of other South Bay Cities, including Torrance’s 226 homeless individuals and Redondo Beach with 175. But, in part out of recognition that those experiencing homelessness may move from city to city, local governments are increasingly exploring regional approaches to the problem.
Staff touted Manhattan’s partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to create the Mental Health Evaluation Team (MET), in which a mental health clinician is paired with a patrol unit of a municipal police department. The program has also begun in Hermosa Beach, Redondo, and other surrounding cities. MET works with police to provide assistance to homeless individuals police have deemed as in need of mental health services. The council also received an update on the Harbor Interfaith “Top Ten” list, an effort to ensure individuals most in need were able to access resources.
“The reason I like the Top Ten is its individuals, it’s names, and it humanizes these people,” said Councilmember Suzanne Hadley.
The South Bay Cities Council of Governments announced last week that it was expecting to receive more than $700,000 in “innovation funds for homeless services” from the county board of supervisors. That money, some of which will support planning and programs in Manhattan, combined with the Harbor Interfaith list, provided elected officials with a sense of legitimacy.
“It gives us more credibility,” said Mayor pro tem Richard Montgomery.