Supervisors set to form committee to tackle homeless challenges

Riverside County supervisors are slated to approve the creation of a committee Tuesday morning that could reduce homelessness countywide.

The committee will review ongoing strategies to tackle the problem and work with agencies to boost state and federal aid. 

Supervisors Manuel Perez and Karen Spiegel proposed the creation of the Homeless Ad Hoc Committee. They say the committee is a natural component of the "Homeless Action Plan" adopted by the board in 2018. 

Perez and Spiegel say the current level of funding that the county receives is far less than what is needed to eliminate homelessness, adding, “There is no quick or singular fix. This requires unique, thoughtful and collaborative strategies designed to reduce the current number of homeless individuals and families, increase access to and availability of affordable housing, maximize the alignment and effectiveness of current efforts and lay the foundation for additional meaningful investment." 

Tuesday’s meeting set for 9:30 a.m. at the County Administrative Center, and comes one day before the “Point in Time Homeless Count.” Volunteers will be canvassing areas starting early Wednesday morning to count the number of individuals living on the streets, in shelters and in cars.  

The 2019 census documented 2,811 sheltered and unsheltered homeless adults and minors throughout the county, compared to 2,310 in 2018. Spiegel and her staff are scheduled to take part in the count.