City approves firm to combat homelessness

City Council approved a firm that will start drafting a plan to prevent and combat homelessness in Santa Clarita on Tuesday.

L.A. County awarded the city of Santa Clarita a $50,000 grant from Measure H funds to be used on plan development. The city has taken bids on the contract but has settle on Analytic Insight to conduct the research into that will start the plan. The grant gives the city the first $25,000 upfront and then will give the

Now that the contract has been approved the next step will be to execute the contract and outline the criteria of the grant as given by LA County, according to Masis Hagobian, administrative analyst for the city manager’s office.

Analytic Insight, a survey and data analysis firm, won the contract to work with community leaders and stakeholders involved with the city’s homeless to create action points as part of the city plan. Action points will be used to outline a strategy to help combat homeless, according to city officials.

Their work will also be used to find gaps in services the city is unaware of currently, according to Masis.

Residents had the chance to comment on the motion during the council meeting Tuesday night.

The City Council ad-hoc committee on homelessness issues met Feb. 20 and requested that the grant be presented to the City Council. Councilmember Cameron Smyth, who formed the committee, said the committee wanted to bring it to the council so it can have public and council review. Any contracts worth $50,000 or less can be approved without council consent.

The city along with Analytic Insight will have until Jun 30 to present their plan to the county for approval.