By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
Please join us on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. in the Civic Center Community Room, 100 Civic Center Dr., for a free forum featuring Be Well OC.
Be Well OC began serving Newport Beach in February and is already making a big difference in our community.
Alyssa Guerrero, supervisor of the Newport Beach team, will present an overview of Be Well OC’s Mobile Crisis Unit and the wellness campus in the City of Orange. The presentation will include mental health and substance use treatment programs, the mobile team’s success stories, and Be Well OC’s role in assisting people in Newport Beach, including housed and unhoused people.
Be Well leads a coordinated system of mental health care and support that includes substance abuse services, crisis intervention, acute care, and recovery.
The forum is one in a series of public workshops this fall featuring agencies that work closely with the City of Newport Beach to provide services for people experiencing homelessness.
The first forum was in September with City Net, the City’s homeless outreach services provider; if you missed it you can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZBRLxzqJbw.
For more information on this and upcoming workshops, please see the series flier: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/72056/637965233105300000.
Jamboree Road Construction Update
Construction on Jamboree Road’s pavement rehabilitation and reclaimed water conversion has resumed. On October 11, the City’s contractor, All American Asphalt, began the paving operation, which will take place during nighttime hours to minimize traffic impacts. Nighttime lane closures will be required to complete this work safely and in a timely manner. Working hours for paving are Sunday night through Saturday morning, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Paving is scheduled to be completed by October 28.
This project is located on Jamboree Road between East Coast Highway and Ford Road. The contractor has completed installation of a new reclaimed water line and irrigation system for the medians, along with landscape improvements, replaced a collapsed storm drain pipeline, removed and reconstructed deteriorated concrete sidewalks and curb access ramps, and reconstructed the concrete median curbs. Remaining work includes overlaying the existing asphalt pavement with new rubberized asphalt pavement and installing new traffic signs and striping.
The entire project is expected to be completed in late November. Thank you for your continued patience throughout the construction.
Residents Invited to Free Fair Housing Workshop Oct. 25
The Fair Housing Foundation will host a Fair Housing Workshop via ZOOM, for Newport Beach residents, on Tuesday, October 25, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. This workshop is free and open to the public.
Attendees will learn about how they are protected under fair housing laws, what their rights and responsibilities as tenants and landlords are, and how to deal with tenant and landlord disputes.
The Fair Housing Foundation will explain state and federal fair housing laws, discuss state and federally protected classes, notices, security deposit, rent increases, how COVID-19 has impacted housing including moratoriums and the COVID 19 Tenant Relief Act, and much more.
The Fair Housing Foundation (FHF) serves Newport Beach residents through a contract with the City, supported by funds through the Community Development Block Grants. FHF educates the public about Fair Housing rights and responsibilities through workshops, trainings, and community events.
The foundation also provides mediation and counseling services through our housing assistance hotline at (800) 446-FAIR (3247) and walk-in clinics, and investigates issues of discrimination related to housing.
For more information, visit www.FHFCA.org.
Registration is mandatory. RSVP here https://bit.ly/3Cv9D3B
Fostering Interest in Nature Kicks off Fall 2022 Program
The City’s Recreation and Senior Services Department is excited to announce the return of the Fostering Interest In Nature (FiiN) program this fall, for 5th graders attending Title I (predominately low-income) elementary schools in Orange County.
FiiN kicked off on September 20 and will run through December 2. The 10-week program started in 2019 and operates in partnership with the Newport Dunes Resort and the Newport Bay Conservancy. The program includes a 3 night, 4 day science and nature camp.
This fall, 400 students are participating in nature-based activities such as kayaking, hiking, and viewing wildlife while engaging in marine biology, habitat ecology and conservation lessons at the Back Bay Science Center.
Students also get to sleep in tents along the water’s edge, roast marshmallows over the campfire, and create lifelong memories with their classmates.
Be Well Mobile Crisis Response Update
The Be Well mobile crisis response team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and EMTs, and works closely with the City’s police and fire departments.
This week the Be Well team:
- Responded to a situation involving a middle school student with suicidal ideations. The student was transported to a children’s hospital for evaluation and treatment.
- Assisted in a domestic situation involving suicidal ideations. The person received a referral to a psychologist for ongoing care and treatment.
- Helped a housed older adult who called the police to discuss his plans to commit suicide. The man accepted assistance from the team and scheduled a mental health appointment with the Veteran’s Administration.
- Assisted a housed older adult with acute dental pain and anxiety. The team made a dental appointment for the woman and followed up on her condition after her treatment.
- Transported one person to a crisis stabilization unit for treatment.
- Transported three people to services, shelter intakes, and appointments.
Homelessness Update
The City of Newport Beach provides a comprehensive response to address homelessness through a coordinated effort by City staff, contractors, partner agencies, and nonprofit groups.
This week, the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
- Housed a woman who experienced homelessness for two years. The woman moved into her new apartment in Aliso Viejo. She works in a medical office in Newport Beach.
- Continue to shelter people.Twenty people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are now sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
- Transported two clients to intake appointments at the new HB Oasis non-congregate transitional housing facility. HB Oasis is an older motel converted into transitional housing through the State’s Project Homekey initiative. Six other clients were temporarily housed in other motel while awaiting scheduled intakes into HB Oasis.
- Filed two reports for older adults with the County’s Adult Protective Services department.
Click here to view the latest homeless dashboard, which includes key monthly and yearly data on the City’s homeless response: https://www.newportbeachca.gov/trending/community-issues/homelessness/monthly-homeless-count.
