City of Laguna Hills City Council Council Members Mayor September 13, 2022 Don W. Caskey, Faia Dave Wheeler*

South Orange County SPA cities lack low-threshold emergency shelters resulting in more homeless encampments and individuals living on the streets. Response: Disagrees partially with the finding. While the South Service Planning Area (SPA) does have a few emergency shelters such as the One Step Ministry Host Home Program and the Friendship Shelter that operates the City of Laguna Beach's Alternative Sleeping Location (ASL) Emergency Shelter, the 2022 Point In Time Count did identify a total of 422 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness within the South SPA. This is an overall decrease of 116 individuals or a 21.56 percent decrease from the 538 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness identified during the 2019 Point In Time Count. Furthermore, the City of Laguna Hills contracts with non-profit Mercy House to provide homeless outreach services. Since the 2019 Point In Time Count, the City has reduced the number of individuals experiencing unsheltered 24035 El Toro Road • Laguna Hills, California 92653 • (949) 707-2610 • FAX (949) 707-2614 website: www.lagunahillsca.gov homelessness by 50 percent. The City, through Mercy House, is extremely effective in developing relationships with homeless individuals and families, and navigating them to appropriate resources and care resulting in fewer individuals living on the street. Accordingly, a lack of shelters does not appear to result in more homeless encampments on individuals living on the street. The County of Orange and cities within Orange County have been

inconsistent in collaboration for support of shelters and services, which has resulted in missed opportunities to end homelessness. Response: Disagrees wholly with the finding. The collaboration between the County of Orange, Orange County Continuum of Care and cities in Orange County has resulted in the creation of several shelters and services that better address unsheltered homelessness. Since the Orange County Board of Supervisor's adoption of the Orange County Housing Funding Strategy in 2018 and through the Orange County Housing Finance Trust, a total of 1,273 permanent supportive housing units have been completed, are in progress of funding, or currently under construction. The development of new permanent supportive housing and affordable housing is an existing and ongoing collaborative effort between the County of Orange, cities in Orange County, and the Orange County Housing Finance Trust. There are insufficient number of rental units available to those exiting

Emergency Shelters, resulting in the majority returning to homelessness when leaving the shelters. Response: Agrees partially with the finding. According to the Orange County Continuum of Care (CoC) Housing Inventory Count (HIC) 2022 report, there are 2,793 permanent supportive housing units for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Orange County. In the same year, the County of Orange and the Orange County Continuum of Care conducted the 2022 Point In Time Count, which identified 5,718 homeless individuals throughout Orange County. According to the Grand Jury report, permanent housing and permanent supportive housing has increased 13 percent from 3,261 in 2017 to 3,689 in 2021. Although the total number of permanent supportive housing units in Orange County has been increasing over recent years, an increase of total rental units available for all populations to those exiting Emergency Shelters may contribute to the reduction of homelessness.