DATE: November 3, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Paul Nerland, County Administrative Officer
SUBJECT: Update on the state of the Office of Housing and Homelessness
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Receive update on the state of the Office of Housing and Homelessness; and
2. Authorize the Office of Housing and Homelessness to assume operational management for the identified homelessness and housing programs and associated positions to the County Administrative Office from the Departments of Behavioral Health and Public Works and Planning; and
3. Direct staff to return to your Board within 12 months for an update on the Office of Housing and Homelessness.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended actions will authorize the Office of Housing and Homelessness (OHH), to assume operational control of the identified housing and homelessness programs and associated positions permanently from the Departments of Behavioral Health and Public Works and Planning (Departments) to the County Administrative Office (CAO) and to return to your Board within 12 months with an update on the state of the OHH. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board were not to approve the recommended actions, the transfer of operational management for the identified housing and homelessness programs would remain with the Departments. The creation of the OHH by your Board was intended to centralize housing and homelessness efforts and responsibilities through three phases. Not approving the recommended actions would prevent the CAO from centralizing the County’s housing and remaining homelessness efforts, which have historically been the responsibility of several County departments.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The recommendation transfers the operational management of the identified housing and homelessness programs in the Departments. The OHH would return to your Board at a later date with a Budget Resolution and Salary Resolution for the additional programs and related positions.
DISCUSSION:
Beginning in 2018, the Board of Supervisors began efforts towards a more centralized and regional approach to ending homelessness including a more active role coordinating these activities in the County Administrative Office. In June 2019, the Board adopted priorities considering input from the Directors of the Departments of Behavioral Health, Public Health, and Social Services and the 15 incorporated cities of the County. The priorities addressed jurisdictional boundaries, transportation, outreach, housing, data, direct services, and the preservation of public health and public safety. In addition, they were intended to be a comprehensive list that addressed the County and its15 incorporated cities and would be updated as necessary based on data-driven outcomes and at least once a calendar year. Those priorities were updated and approved by the Board in March 2022 and adopted by 14 of the 15 incorporated Cities.
Over the last several years, the Board has taken steps to centralize the oversight of the County’s efforts towards ending homelessness. On June 8, 2021, the Board approved reclassifying a Principal Administrative Analyst to a Program Manager over Homelessness. However, additional resources were not added at that time. With the FY 2023-24 Budget, the Board approved the creation of the position of the CAO Homelessness Program Manager to serve as a liaison and lead for the County on all homelessness response planning and programs conducted by County departments. Since then, the CAO has assessed the entire homelessness system and response infrastructure in our region, including the County’s homeless response functions, and determined that there is a need for centralization of homelessness functions throughout the system and in the County of Fresno.
On November 18, 2025, your Board approved staff’s recommendation to create the OHH. Since then, the Phase 1 of the OHH has been completed by operationally and administratively assuming oversight of the identified homelessness programs and related staff, most of which transferred over from the Department of Social Services (DSS). A total of nine positions make up the current organizational structure of the OHH as approved by your Board in the FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget. All nine of the positions are currently filled and are responsible for the administration of over $12 million of grant revenue specifically meant to address homelessness in our region. In addition to the programs assumed predominately from DSS, the OHH has undertaken new roles to the County, including that of Collaborative Applicant for the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC), which is responsible for the oversight of federal homelessness dollars allocated to the FMCoC, the Management Entity role, which is responsible for the local Coordinated Entry System, regionally coordinated street outreach efforts, as well as the Transitional Rent lead, a new CalAIM housing benefit.
Staff now recommends moving forward with Phase 2 of the centralization efforts by authorizing the OHH to assume housing and homelessness response roles and programs that are currently administered in the aforementioned Departments. Attachment A details a recommended organizational structure of the OHH Phase 2.
The centralization of the housing and homelessness response roles and programs, which make up Phase 2 of the OHH, ensures a continued focused vision on the County’s efforts to address the housing crisis and end homelessness directly guided by the Board of Supervisors. The recommended actions also continue the OHH’s efforts to streamline processes, increase accountability. reduce redundancies, standardize procedures and facilitate faster decision making.
Should your Board approve the recommended actions, CAO will work on the physical relocation of the staff currently assigned to the transferred programs in the aforementioned Departments to allow for better coordination and access to other related OHH functions as well as CAO staff and Board members and their staff.
Finally, should your Board approve the recommended actions, staff will return as soon as possible with a budget and salary resolution item to budgetarily transfer the identified staff and programs to the OHH.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI # 11, November 18, 2025
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Attachment A
CAO ANALYST:
Dylan McCully