At its June 25 meeting, Malibu City Council unanimously voted to adopt Malibu’s Homelessness Strategic Plan. The plan is intended to enhance the use of existing resources for the homeless, align Malibu’s and Los Angeles County’s efforts and balance protection of public safety with humanitarian issues that face the homeless.
The city’s public safety manager, Susan Dueñas, presented her proposal at the meeting. When talking about principles, Dueñas noted, “We all agreed that if safety was not addressed, and was not a high priority, the rest really wouldn’t matter. We have to have safety in our community. For homeless people as well—it’s for everybody.”
In order to draft the plan, an advisory group worked with a consultant as a result of a community survey. Thirty representatives were picked by the group, all from various groups to carry out thoughts and concerns.
According to results released by Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) of the Greater Los Angeles County, Malibu’s homelessness population has decreased in recent years.
For more information, visit malibucity.org/homelessness or contact Susan Dueñas at 310.456.2489 ext. 313 or email sduenas@malibucity.org.