The City of Riverside continues to take a pro-active approach to addressing homelessness in our community in partnership with a wide-range of non-profit organizations, social service agencies, faith-based institutions and the community at-large. In June of 2003, the City Council adopted the “Riverside Community Broad-Based Homeless Action Plan.” Since its adoption, the City has actively pursued implementation of the 30 action-based strategies within the plan as well as other solution-based initiatives in collaboration with a broad range of community partners. Through this collaboration, the City of Riverside’s Homeless Assistance and Prevention Strategy has been successful in assisting many individuals and families move toward housing stabilization. The following is a brief summary of some of the major developments and initiatives underway.
(Click here to view the entire 2010 service highlights):

1. 2009 COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE HOMELESS CENSUS
   In January of 2009, the City of Riverside participated with the County of Riverside in the biennial homeless census as required by The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In the City of Riverside there were 632 individuals identified as being homeless on any given day based on the census results. This number represents an over 46% reduction from the point-in-time count conducted in 2007. Click here for more info...
   
   
2. Homeless Street Outreach Program
   The City of Riverside Homeless Street Outreach Team continues to provide daily mobile outreach and client service engagement focused on the “hardest-to-reach” and “service-resistant” populations on the streets, in service venues, and other locations where they can be found. The Outreach Team assists over 500 homeless individuals on the streets of Riverside annually. Click here for more info...
   
   
3. ONE-STOP MULTI-SERVICE CAMPUS
   The City of Riverside has established a “gateway to continuum of care” in a one-stop multi-service “campus-style” environment where homeless residents and those at-risk of becoming homeless in Riverside can access a wide range services and housing opportunities available in this community in one setting. The service campus includes the Riverside Access Center, the Riverside Community Shelter, “The Place” Safe Haven Supportive Housing and Drop-in Center, SmartRiverside Digital Inclusion Program and, coming soon, a Pet Kennel for service campus guests and a “Re-Start Center” for households starting over in new housing.
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4. EMERGENCY SHELTER PROGRAMS
   The City partners with Path of Life Ministries to operate the Year-Round Emergency Shelter program and Emergency Cold Weather Shelter program at the multi-service campus as well as the Family Shelter program on 3rd Street. Path of Life provides emergency shelter services to over 1,500 unduplicated homeless individuals and families with children at the two shelter facilities on an annual basis.
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5. Housing First Initiative/Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program
   The City is working with community partners to implement the best practice “Housing First” approach which emphasizes homeless prevention, rapid re-housing and home-based case management to facilitate housing stabilization and long-term retention. This effort currently includes the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP); the HUD SHP Permanent Supportive Housing Program; the Veteran’s Administration Supportive Housing initiative (VASH); the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program; and a new Shelter Plus Care “Street-to-Home” Project.
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6. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT / EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVES
   City staff is working with the County Workforce Development Agency and other community partners to facilitate new initiatives aimed at providing job skills training and placement opportunities in the manufacturing, computer technology, energy efficiency and renewable energy industries for homeless individuals and displaced workers.
   
   
7. Annual Funding for Social Service Providers
   The City Council annually allocates over $1,000,000 in funding to over a dozen public and private service agencies that assist homeless individuals and families and those at-risk of becoming homeless in Riverside with a wide-range of programs and services including homeless prevention, outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, mental health and substance abuse treatment services, domestic violence assistance, rental assistance, basic needs and emergency resources, and referral services.
   
   
8. Riverside Homeless Care Network
   Over 50 organizations, including nonprofit service providers, municipal service agencies, law enforcement, and faith-based institutions participate in monthly meetings of the City-sponsored Riverside Homeless Care Network (Network). The Network serves as a vehicle to facilitate effective communication, coordination, and collaboration within the continuum of care services to the homeless in the City of Riverside.
   
   
9. Riverside Project Homeless Connect
   The City of Riverside is one of over 200 jurisdictions across the nation that annually conducts “Project Homeless Connect”, a 1-day, 1-stop consumer-focused event where scores of service providers and volunteers are mobilized in one setting to assist hundreds of homeless individuals and families with real-time access to direct services and on-the-spot results including housing, employment, health care, benefits and much, much more.