Public Safety Committee to Weigh in on New Homelessness Measures, Including Pilot Court Program

The City Council’s Public Safety Committee will continue discussing local homeless initiatives that began at the City Council earlier this year.

At 4 p.m. on Wednesday in the Robinson Park Recreation Center, the committee will receive an update on several new initiatives to tackle homelessness. These initiatives focus on enhancing outreach services and exploring alternative legal solutions for unhoused individuals. The efforts include potential program expansions and a new pilot Homeless Court program.

The City Council held a study session on the Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision in September. At that meeting, some City Council members said the ruling should be used in a care-first way as a point of entry to provide unhoused people more service.

“The issue of homelessness is a very complicated issue. It’s not just about bricks or mortar or providing housing, it’s about mental health issues, addiction issues and housing and we have to treat it comprehensively,” Mayor Victor Gordo told Pasadena Now last month. “We can’t allow people to simply take over public spaces. It’s not healthy for the surrounding neighborhood and the city and our community. We have to have an approach that provides needed services to those that are struggling and brings them indoors to those services.”

The June ruling in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson found that enforcing generally applicable camping regulations does not violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

At a lengthy Council meeting, officials and community members debated whether Pasadena should change its policies in light of the decision. Some pushed for increased enforcement, while others advocated maintaining the city’s focus on services and housing.

The City Council referred key matters to the Public Safety Committee for further evaluation. These topics include the expansion of the Homeless Outreach Psychiatric Evaluation (HOPE) Team, increased funding for the Pasadena Outreach Response Team (PORT), and the implementation of a Homeless Court to provide alternative legal pathways for unhoused individuals facing minor criminal charges.

The City is also set to benefit from Measure A, a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in Los Angeles County in November 2024. The measure is expected to generate significant funding for homelessness prevention, affordable housing, and related services, beginning in 2025. Pasadena officials are closely monitoring the implementation of Measure A to ensure the city receives its share of the funding, which will support local efforts to address homelessness in the long term.

Designed to help homeless people facing low-level criminal charges, the court would offer defendants the opportunity to resolve charges through participation in rehabilitation programs, rather than through incarceration or repeated arrests.

The pilot program, which is expected to cost approximately $500,000 in its first year, would be funded through a combination of city and County resources. City officials have expressed hope that the program will reduce homelessness-related criminal activity while providing a more humane and effective alternative to traditional prosecution.

“No one is suggesting arresting people, we are simply saying let’s be thoughtful and comprehensive in our approach,” Gordo said. “It is inhumane for people to struggle with addiction and die in our public space.”

The program targets crimes often associated with homelessness, such as trespassing, petty theft, and public urination.

“The approach is about offering and providing and offering the court as a way to gain peoples attention and offer them an opportunity to access services and turn their lives around,” Gordo said.

Under the proposal, eligible individuals would be assessed for housing and support services at the time of their initial court appearance, with a case manager assisting them in obtaining identification, accessing services, and securing interim housing. The goal is to move participants toward permanent housing and self-sufficiency within six to nine months.

The HOPE Team, a collaboration between the Pasadena Police Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LADMH), has been a cornerstone of the city’s response to homelessness. The team pairs law enforcement officers with mental health professionals to respond to emergency mental health crises and connect individuals to housing and social services.

While the current program operates with three teams providing services from Tuesday to Saturday, there is a proposal to increase service hours and the number of clinicians to better address growing needs. However, challenges remain in securing funding and clinicians willing to work additional hours or weekends. City staff recommends maintaining the current program structure without budget changes, citing the high costs of expansion.

The PORT Team, which offers housing navigation, medical care, and case management, also faces funding challenges. In particular, grants supporting the team’s efforts are set to expire in 2025 and 2026, leaving a potential budget gap of more than $800,000. Staff is exploring stable funding sources to prevent service disruption but cautioned that funding through grants has been limited.