To address the issue of homelessness in Malibu, the City has maintained a proactive, service driven approach that strategically bridges outreach and enforcement while considering its impacts on the community. Some of those measures include the development of a strategic plan, increased collaboration with stakeholders throughout Los Angeles County, establishing a Homelessness Task Force, securing interim shelter bed opportunities for people experiencing homelessness in Malibu, and the formation of a working group to strengthen cooperation between the various agencies and organizations providing assistance within the community. 

The City currently provides funding for an Outreach Team and a Housing Navigator who work with landlords and shelter facilities throughout Los Angeles County to help people experiencing homelessness get off the streets and into housing. City staff conduct routine field checks to prevent the formation of new encampments, address public safety concerns related to homeless encampments in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and properly assist those who are experiencing homelessness in the City.  

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2026 HOMELESS COUNT SHOWS A CONTINUING REDUCTION IN PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN THE CITY

On Thursday, January 22, the City participated in the 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. City staff, representatives from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), the City’s Homeless Outreach Team, and community volunteers gathered at Malibu City to begin their count of census-designated areas within the City limits in order to look for individuals, families, cars, RVs, tents, and makeshift shelters.

In the City of Malibu, LAHSA’s raw data for 2026 showed 44 people experiencing homelessness — 33 individuals and 11 vehicles (cars, vans, RVs). The decrease is attributed to the Homeless Outreach Team’s continued housing placement success since first working in the City in 2017 and successful coordination of encampment removals by City staff in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Beaches & Harbors, and California State Parks. The Homeless Outreach Team has continuously helped PEH in Malibu exit homelessness through placement in permanent and interim housing, or family reunification. The Outreach Team made 46 housing placements in 2025, 72 in 2024, 51 in 2023, 67 in 2022, and 22 in 2021.

Since 2016, when the City started tracking the data, the City’s homeless population has continuously declined as follows:

• 2016 – 161
• 2017 – 178
• 2018 – 155
• 2019 – 154
• 2020 – 239
• 2021 – 157*
• 2022 – 81
• 2023 – 71
• 2024 – 69
• 2025 – 46 (21 individuals, 25 dwellings)
• 2026 – 44**

*LAHSA Count was cancelled, but an informal count was conducted in Malibu.

**Preliminary data, final numbers pending per LAHSA.

The City continues to partner with the Homeless Outreach Team and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to proactively identify and remove all encampments in City limits. The City, in partnership with our law enforcement, County, State, and outreach partners, cleared 44 encampments in 2025, 44 in 2024, 29 in 2023, 41 in 2022, and 58 in 2021.

People living in encampments are always given advance notice, outreach is conducted to offer services and shelter and/or housing. Any necessary environmental cleanup is conducted, and the sites are revisited to ensure that new encampments are not established.

The 2026 Homeless Count results reflect the continuing effectiveness of the City’s proactive approach to addressing homelessness in partnership with the Homeless Outreach Team, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the community at large. The City began contracting for homeless outreach services in 2017, beginning with two outreach workers and expanding in 2020 to include a housing navigator that is now a third outreach worker. The City recently extended the contract with The People Concern through 2027 to ensure continued homeless outreach success.

To read the press release, click here.

HOMELESSNESS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

August 28, 2024 - The City has compiled a Frequently Asked Questions on homelessness in Malibu in response to recent questions from community members, covering the City's actions and abilities to address homelessness, implications of recent court decisions, jurisdictions, encampments and more. See the complete FAQ.

Homeless Encampments

To report an encampment and for information about current encampment clean-up efforts, contact Public Safety Coordinator Luis Flores at 310-456-2489, ext. 236 or LFlores@malibucity.org.