The City Council on Monday approved a $432,959 grant from the California Department of Transportation to expand the City’s MASH program, which focuses on neighborhood cleanup and job training.
The funding comes through the state’s California Cleanup and Employment Pathway program and will support the City’s “Clean and Green Pathways” effort. The program is aimed at removing bulky items, graffiti, and debris from public areas while providing paid work opportunities and training for people who face barriers to employment.
The grant runs from April 2026 through October 2027 and will be split across two fiscal years.
Councilmember Justin Jones supported the funding but raised concerns about how cleanup efforts are currently deployed, pointing to recurring issues in certain parts of the city.
“I’m glad we’re bringing in outside funding to expand this program, but we have to make sure we’re using these resources strategically,” Jones said. “We know there are areas especially in Districts 1, 3 and 5 and along the freeway where these issues come up over and over again. We shouldn’t just be waiting for a call to a council office or a CSC request every time.”
Jones asked about a plan to deploy the team in known hotspot areas instead of relying primarily on requests.
City Manager Miguel Márquez said staff has already begun identifying those areas and is prepared to work more closely with council offices.
According to Márquez, staff has developed a hotspot map to track recurring problem locations and plans to coordinate with council offices to expand those areas moving forward.
City Manager Márquez said MASH will supplement the work of Public Works.
The MASH program, which has been in place since the late 1970s, provides transitional jobs and hands-on training, particularly for individuals experiencing homelessness or economic hardship. Crews handle tasks such as graffiti removal, illegal dumping cleanup, and general maintenance throughout the city.
Participants are paid hourly wages and receive job training and support services, with the goal of helping them transition into more stable work.
The funding will be added to the Housing Department’s Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget.
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