The City’s Homelessness Response team is proud to share recent updates about projects and ongoing programs that reflect our commitment to reducing and preventing homelessness.
Homelessness continues to be a complex issue that impacts everyone in San Luis Obispo. The City of San Luis Obispo is working to find a fair solution that respects the rights and dignity of unhoused residents while also addressing health, safety, and environmental concerns. Our goal is for all community members to have access to the resources they need to prevent and address homelessness.
What are we doing?
At a high level, here’s what the City is currently doing to prevent and address homelessness:
- We’re focused on expanding housing – including interim, permanent supportive, affordable, and workforce housing – in the City of SLO, in partnership with the County and local housing service providers.
- We are working directly with local homeless service providers and the County to coordinate our outreach, communications, and pilot program efforts to prevent and address homelessness.
- We have outreach staff with our Community Action Team, Mobile Crisis Unit, and Community Service Officers who are actively connecting unhoused community members with services – including mental health, drug and alcohol, and housing services – available throughout the county and the state.
Below are highlights of projects and programs in key focus areas:
General Updates
We’re excited to introduce the new faces of our Mobile Crisis Unit (MCU) team! Please join us in welcoming Alayna, our new Community Resources & Services Specialist, and Annie, our MCU intern. Alongside Justen, the County’s Licensed Psychiatric Technician, this team provides compassionate crisis support services to individuals in San Luis Obispo experiencing non-emergency behavioral and mental health challenges.
The MCU plays a critical role in reducing unnecessary emergency calls by responding to behavioral health crises before they escalate. By offering on-the-spot intervention and connecting individuals to long-term resources, the team helps improve outcomes for residents while easing the burden on emergency services.
We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Nyk, who led the MCU with dedication and made a lasting impact on our community. We’re proud of his next step pursuing a career in the fire service and wish him the best as he heads to the fire academy.
Regional Collaboration & Engagement
The City of San Luis Obispo and Good Samaritan Shelter outreach teams are continuing to engage with the community along the Bob Jones Bike Trail as construction moves forward. In the next couple of months, furniture and exterior furnishings are expected to be delivered for the site. Once the furniture arrives, we’ll call on volunteers such as individuals, families, service organizations, and community groups to help assemble pieces that will make WHV feel like home.
One of the most impactful ways to support Welcome Home Village is through their Adopt-a-Room Program. Families, organizations, and community members can furnish a studio with essentials like bedding, towels, kitchen supplies, and personal care items, plus thoughtful touches such as artwork and plants. These details will help create warmth and belonging for residents who have gone without for far too long.
About 20 units are still available to be adopted, and your support makes a lasting difference. To reserve a unit or learn more, contact Jack Lorenz at Jack@DignityMoves.org.
Communication
Point-in-Time Count Outreach Collaboration: The City's Communications team and Volunteer Program partnered with the County of San Luis Obispo to help recruit volunteers for the County’s Point-in-Time (PIT) Count to count each person experiencing unsheltered homelessness in San Luis Obispo County. Thanks to strong outreach and community engagement, the County not only met its volunteer goal but surpassed it, registering an impressive 263 volunteers to support this important initiative throughout SLO County, including right here in the City of San Luis Obispo.
A heartfelt thank you to the volunteers, community partners and staff, neighbors, and everyone who helped spread the word, especially to those who woke up extra early on January 27 to survey and connect with members of our unhoused community. Your dedication makes a real difference in shaping solutions to homelessness.
Data
Goal: Streamline internal and external data collection processes to enable timely and effective coordination of homelessness response efforts and provide analysis to inform best practices.
Point in Time Count Data Coming Soon: We anticipate receiving the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count results later this year and will share them with the community as soon as they are available. This data is essential for understanding homelessness trends, guiding local strategies, and securing state and federal funding for programs that make a real impact. By turning these insights into action, we can better allocate resources and strengthen efforts to reduce and prevent homelessness in San Luis Obispo and the county.
Pilot Programs
Goal: Collaborate with the County to develop scalable and replicable programs to connect those experiencing homelessness to a variety of shelter and housing options through timely outreach, and advocate for County implementation of successful programs.
Rotating Safe Parking Pilot Program: After years of planning, unhoused residents in San Luis Obispo who live in their vehicles now have a safer place to sleep at night. In September, the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO) officially launched the Community Safe Parking Pilot Program, partnering with local faith organizations and community sites to provide secure, rotating overnight parking locations.
The program offers 12 permanent spaces at 40 Prado Homeless Services Center and 12 additional spaces at six monthly rotating sites across the city. Each site provides basic amenities such as trash service, restrooms, and hand-washing stations. Participants undergo an intake process and background check before joining the program, which operates overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
This housing-focused program not only provides safety and stability but also connects participants to long-term housing solutions. Already, six participants have transitioned into permanent housing, and more are actively working toward that goal. This milestone reflects a collaborative effort between CAPSLO, the City of San Luis Obispo, and community partners to demonstrate how innovative approaches can create real pathways out of homelessness.
Read the Tribune’s recent article on the County’s Rotating Safe Parking Pilot Program.
Funding Opportunities
Goal: Proactively seek funding opportunities to meet localized needs as aligned with regional goals to prevent and address homelessness.
Beacon Studios Homekey Project: In partnership with People’s Self-Help Housing, this project that acquired and will refurbish a motel to create permanent supportive housing was funded through the state’s Homekey Program. PSHH received a tax credit award to complete further renovations including plumbing, community room, and additional units. The project is intended for transitional aged youth between the ages of 18-25 & individuals who are unhoused or at risk of becoming unhoused. Beacon Studios is currently anticipated to be complete in the summer of 2027.
These efforts are made possible through the collaboration between the City, County, regional partners, and local service providers. For more information, please visit www.slocity.org/homelessness.
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Media Contact: Sarah Cooper, Homelessness Response Administrative Specialist, scooper@slocity.org.
