City Rolls Out Program to Clear Homeless Encampments, Provide Shelter

Pasadena has begun implementing a program aimed at clearing homeless encampments from state-owned properties while offering temporary shelter to those displaced.

The Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF) program, funded by a grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, focuses on clearing encampments on California Department of Transportation-owned or -managed properties.

Individuals are then placed in temporary shelter sites, primarily local motels.

As of August 26, 35 participants have been enrolled in the ERF program, with 13 already housed and another 13 ready for housing, according to information released Thursday by the office of Pasadena City Manager Miguel Márquez.

The ERF initiative is being implemented by the Pasadena Outreach Response Team (PORT), a partnership between the Pasadena Fire Department, Huntington Health, Union Station Homeless Services, and the Pasadena Public Health Department.

PORT provides field-based case management and housing navigation services for people experiencing homelessness in Pasadena. As of August 26, the team has 90 active enrolled participants, according to Márquez’s office.

In fiscal year 2024, PORT responded to over 1,100 field incidents involving people experiencing homelessness and diverted 445 9-1-1 dispatch calls. The team completed nearly 250 field-based screenings and biopsychosocial assessments while providing over 500 referrals for unhoused individuals not currently enrolled in PORT.

For those enrolled in the program, PORT has facilitated access to medical, dental, mental health, and substance use treatment services. The team has successfully placed 42 participants in stable housing, including 29 in permanent supportive housing.

The implementation of the ERF program represents Pasadena’s latest effort to address homelessness while providing supportive services to those in need.