In a joint statement to The Malibu Times, City Manager Reva Feldman and Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl announced Tuesday, March 20, that homeless dinners would resume in town—taking place at Malibu’s old county courthouse.
“We are very pleased to announce that men and women experiencing homelessness will be able to receive meals in Malibu again as part of a new joint partnership between the County of Los Angeles and the City of Malibu,” the statement read. “Specific details are still being worked out, but our plan is to begin providing meals at the Malibu Courthouse.”
The city and LA County worked with various residents, nonprofits, outreach workers and faith leaders to identify the space—which has also served as the location of other homeless outreach efforts such as Homeless Connect Day, where services are provided to members of Malibu’s homeless community.
The decision came about just about one week after a city council hearing in Malibu where council members said they were uneasy with the idea of providing meals to the homeless on city property, due to various concerns including safety.
It was safety concerns that initially caused the cancellation of dinners for the homeless at Malibu United Methodist Church, igniting an uproar that garnered national attention. Backlash from that decision, which came about just one week before Thanksgiving in November 2017, included threats of violence against city council members and other stakeholders.
On Tuesday, sheriff’s officials were not able to weigh in on how they view the new proposal, but law enforcement is keeping up to speed.
“It is our understanding that a plan is being developed to provide meals to the homeless at the old Malibu Courthouse,” Captain Josh Thai said in a statement provided by the station. “We are glad to see the various stakeholders working together, and we will be involved in the coordinated effort.”
City of Malibu held a taskforce meeting earlier in the day to develop the city’s Homeless Strategic Plan.
Malibu was one of 47 cities to receive a planning grant (ranging from $30,000-$70,000) from set-aside funds from the LA County Board of Supervisors’ Homeless Initiative, based on “localized blueprints” for how each city would work with its contractors to confront rising homelessness.
Public Safety Manager Susan Dueñas, who attended the meeting, said things are going well.
“We’re making really good progress,” Dueñas told The Malibu Times. “It’s been very beneficial to have all the different players in the room.”