Over the years, community organizations, the City and individual residents had worked separately to help the homeless in Malibu. The increasing presence of people experiencing homelessness led to public health and safety concerns, along with a desire to provide compassionate, effective solutions. And, given the complex nature of the homeless challenge, it was clear the City needed a shared action framework. 

Stakeholder interviews, a Community Advisory Group (CAG) and input from almost 600 community members laid the foundation for a Strategic Plan centered on public participation and local knowledge. The CAG clarified the homeless issues, challenges and solutions and identified goals and actions for achieving them, as well as performance markers to monitor the plan’s progress. An early success was a joint partnership by the City of Malibu and the County of Los Angeles to provide meals to the homeless at the old County Courthouse in Malibu.  

The plan was funded through a $50,000 grant from the Los Angeles County Homelessness Initiative.