211 LA COUNTY

The free 2-1-1 phone line provides information on various LA County Services including food and shelter assistance.  The line is operated 24 hours/7 days a week and is multilingual.  Information can also be found on the website at www.211la.org Home for Good L.A.  Business leaders throughout the county committed to ending homelessness in the region and promoting permanent solutions. A joint initiative of United Way of Greater Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. 

Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority 

A City-County Joint Powers Authority that serves as the lead agency in the Los Angeles Continuum of Care, coordinating and managing over $70 million dollars annually in Federal, State, County, and City funds for programs that provide shelter, housing, and services to homeless persons.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness  

A nonprofit, non-partisan organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. 

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

A nonprofit organization that seeks to end homelessness among veterans by shaping public policy, promoting collaboration, and building the capacity of service providers.

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development 

HUD works in partnership with states and local governments to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes.

United States Department of Veterans Affairs 

Released a five year plan in 2009 to end homelessness among the nation’s veterans.

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness 

Coordinates the federal response to homelessness by creating a national partnership at every level of government and with the private sector to reduce and end homelessness nationwide. Read the national plan to end homelessness, Opening Doors.

Winter Shelter Program

The East San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless coordinates an Annual Winter Shelter Program during the winter months. The shelter locations rotate around the East San Gabriel Valley and bus service is provided to assist with transportation.  For more information, call (626) 333-7204 or email esgvch@aol.com. 

City of West Covina Homeless Resource Documents

• City of West Covina Homeless Plan
• Homeless Toolkit for Residents
• Homeless Toolkit for Businesses

Additional resources for members of the West Covina community that are low income, seniors, or those in danger of becoming homeless, may be found in our Community Services Resource Guide.

In 2017, there were 553,752 people* experiencing homelessness on any given night in the United States. In 2018, Closer to home, over 52,000 individuals** were estimated to be homeless on a typical night in Los Angeles County and in West Covina, 277 individuals** experiencing homelessness were counted.

People may become homeless due to lack of affordable housing, decreased employment opportunities, lack of affordable health care, mental illness, substance abuse or domestic violence. Other factors may come into play because no two stories are alike. While some West Covina residents lose their housing and become homeless, homeless individuals  also migrate to the City for a variety of reasons: it is perceived as safer than Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, generous residents allow and encourage panhandling, and a community with parks means access to public restrooms and/or showers. The impact of homelessness is significant and the San Gabriel Valley and Southern California as a whole has seen an increase in homeless over the past few years. 

The City of West Covina continues to work with its local and regional partners to combat homelessness.  While this issue is complex and multi-faceted, the City is committed to balancing public safety, overall health and well-being for our residents and businesses, as well as mitigating nuisance concerns. 

The City of West Covina has various resources to assist with the homeless population within our city.

Below you will find more information on how we as citizens can assist the City with our growing population of homelessness and items that might arise within our community:

Have you seen a Homeless Encampment? You can now report them to Homeless Encampments – CalTrans and Los Angeles County’s Response Programs as follows:

Reports of homeless encampments on the Interstate 10 or onramps/offramps may be reported to CalTrans by going online to https://csr.dot.ca.gov/ and clicking on “Customer Service Request” and from the drop down menu clicking on “Illegal Encampment” and then typing in the address/location or by calling (213) 897-3656.    

Reports of encampments in Los Angeles County areas may be reported to the nearby Sheriff’s Field Station.  They will coordinate with their Homeless Response Team to remove the encampments:

• Encampments to the east side of the City, reports may be filed with the Walnut-Diamond Bar Station at (909) 595-2264 or (626) 913-1715.

• Encampments to the south side of the City, reports may be filed with the Industry Sheriff’s Station at (626) 330-3322.

 

We thank you for helping us make the City of West Covina a better community. 

YOU HAVE RIGHTS

If you are an owner or operator of a business or commercial property and have concerns regarding issues of unwanted persons or criminal activity on your property, there are resources available to help you in addressing your issues successfully. 

Protecting Your Property: Taking the Proactive Approach

Many nuisance or criminal activities can be prevented by businesses and property owners taking a proactive approach to protecting private properties. Here are a few things businesses and property owners can do:

• Post signs on your property such as "No Trespassing"
• Secure trash enclosures
• Do not leave empty cardboard boxes where they are publicly accessible
• Reduce foliage that may be used as hiding spots for people/property
• Ensure adequate lighting
• Increase presence or implement private security measures
• Do not feed or give money to panhandlers

Enforcement and Contacting the City of West Covina: For life-threatening emergencies, please immediately call 9-1-1

When to Call the Code Enforcement Hotline at (626) 939-8426:

• Inhabiting of your or your neighbor's commercial property
• Abandoned shopping carts or other unclaimed property
• Excessive trash, debris, and outdoor storage

When to Call the Police Department at (626) 939-8500:

• Drug activity or the presence of drugs or paraphernalia
• Loitering outside of establishments that sell alcohol
• Trespassing
• Impeding access to businesses
• Aggressive panhandling

HOMELESS HAVE RIGHTS

Residents and businesses need to be mindful that while they have rights, so do homeless individuals.  The City of West Covina cannot legally remove a homeless person simply for being in a City park or public space.  Homeless individuals have a legal right to enjoy a park or public space during posted hours of operation, absent of illegal activity.