The 2021 Comprehensive Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness (CSPAH) presently serves as a planning document enabling the City to be strategic in identifying ways to connect homeless individuals to resources and programs. The CSPAH identifies goals and strategic actions to address homeless solutions and prevention over the next five years including exploring development of a navigation center. A summary of current CSPAH activities is available on the City’s website at https://ggcity.org/endhomelessness.

In addition, the City’s Homeless Data Dashboard conveys the number of homeless and at-risk individuals assisted on a quarterly basis, as well as the funds expended to administer the six (6) eligible activities (Street Outreach, Emergency Shelter, Rapid Rehousing, Homelessness Prevention, and Workforce Development) at https://ggcity.org/endhomelessness/dashboard

At the June 14, 2022 meeting, the City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the cities of Fountain Valley and Westminster to jointly collaborate towards development of a navigation center including funding contributions towards construction and operations. Staff is pleased to report the MOU has been formally approved by both Fountain Valley and Westminster City Councils at their meetings on June 21 and June 22, 2022, respectively. (See Attachment No. 1 – MOU)  Negotiations towards a more comprehensive MOU detailing levels of funding commitments by the participating Central SPA cities and the County are in process.

Prospective Navigation Center Site

Identification of suitable and prospective industrial properties for a future navigation center has been significantly challenged due to limited real estate inventory. The current approach is to pursue and explore off-market property opportunities in conjunction with active dialogue with the local brokerage community.  

By way of background, a future navigation center is anticipated to support up to 80 to 120 individuals experiencing homelessness within the participating Central SPA cities. The navigation center will be referral-only based facilities with managed and controlled (transportation) access in and out. The 2022 Point In Time Count provides a summary of data related to sheltered and unsheltered individuals in Orange County. For Garden Grove, this most recent PIT count identified 391 homeless individuals. (Attachment No. 2 – 2022 PIT Count)

Community Outreach

For more information about Homelessness 101 and Navigation Center 101, the City recently hosted two educational webinars in collaboration Orange County United Way as part of the United to End Homelessness Initiative. Both webinars are recorded and available on the City’s Address Homelessness website as referenced above.

1)   Homelessness 101 Webinar (Attachment No. 3)

Presented by the City of Garden Grove and United to End Homelessness on Monday, June 27, 2022

Link to webinar recording: https://ggcity.org/navigation-center

2)   Navigation Center 101 Webinar (Attachment No. 4)

Presented by Cities of Garden Grove, Fountain Valley and Westminster, and United to End Homelessness on Monday, July 11, 2022

Link to webinar recording: https://ggcity.org/navigation-center

Staff are in multiple discussions regarding sites located in the Homeless Overlay District, in the southeast area of the city, and we expect to bring back details on a possible purchase-sale agreement at the August 9, 2022 City Council meeting. 

Funds have been budgeted in the Biennial Budget for FY 2021-2022 and FY 2022-2023 for the Navigation Center project.

It is recommended that the City Council:

• Direct the City Manager to continue exploration of potential navigation center site(s) and pursue negotiations towards site control, as appropriate.