The California Department of Health Care Services (HCS) in 2016 awarded the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (HCSA) $140 million to implement a whole person care pilot program. The goal of the pilot, or AC3, is to build infrastructure that will improve integration, reduce unnecessary utilization of health care services, and improve health outcomes for homeless individuals and other ‘high utilizers’ of health care services.

In May 2013, the City of Bakersfield partnered with the Bakersfield Homeless Center (BHC) on an agreement to help solve the problem of highway litter after state budget cuts reduced Caltrans’ resources to clean up highways. The partnership developed an innovative freeway litter clean up program on the local freeways by members of the homeless community. The program would provide job training skills and increase employment opportunities for the homeless population and the problem of highway litter.

In 2015, the City of Citrus Heights faced the growing need of providing services to its homeless population. Post-recession, the city had experienced the reduction of services into the urban core. To address the homelessness need, the Citrus Heights Police Department conducted a survey of the homeless community and found there was a predominate desire to stay within the boundaries of the city even though most homeless resources were not available within the city limits.

On June 7, 2017, the Los Angeles County’s Homeless Initiative and LA Voice, a local multi-ethnic, interfaith organization of 60 congregations across LA County, hosted the county’s first Interfaith Summit on Homelessness, with support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

In response to persistent high visibility people on the street who were also high utilizers of expensive services, Marin County community began piloting a new approach called HOT (Homeless Outreach Team). Marin created its version of HOT based on what was being done successfully in San Mateo. 

The HOT process in Marin involved:

Originally created in 2009, Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF) has become a leading nonprofit in the Sacramento region working to end homelessness. The nonprofit has taken a collaborative approach to addressing homelessness by developing a regional effort with multiple stakeholders and partners working collectively on managing resources and services. In addition, SSF has focused on a data-driven and outcomes-based approach to ensure it is implementing effective strategies and practices.

In 2016, the City of San Diego and the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) partnered to launch the Housing our Heroes initiative and committed to getting 1,000 homeless veterans off the streets and into shelters or housing. This initiative is part of Housing First – San Diego, the SDHC’s three-year Homelessness Action Plan started in 2014.

To address the homeless crisis, the City of San José adopted a new ordinance in August 2017 that created a streamlined process for the allowance of temporary and incidental shelters without the requirement of an approved Development Permit. In ordered to be approved, the shelter must be registered with the city Housing Department and meet specific performance standards and other requirements.

San Mateo LifeMoves is using a multifaceted therapeutic service model to end homelessness in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. The model includes using modern housing in conjunction with intensive and tailored health services.

In 2016, Yuba County collaborated with local non-profits, faith-based organizations and the private sector to launch a temporary shelter community for its local homeless population. Faced with the problem of several encampments along surrounding rivers, the county created a 20-unit ‘tiny’ village of Tuff Sheds to relocate some of the homeless population. The Tuff Sheds are 12’ x 8’ tiny shelters with beds, windows and insulation. They do not have electricity or running water, but there are lavatories on-site as well as a nearby homelessness center that offers meals and showers.