For City Council Meeting November 25, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Tanya Williams, City Manager
Title
Request City Council to Consider Approving a Memorandum of Understanding with the County of San Bernardino for the Operation of the West End Navigation Center.
(ACTION)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council consider approving a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the County of San Bernardino for the operation of the West End Navigation Center.
BACKGROUND
Homelessness presents increasing public health, safety, and fiscal challenges across the Inland Empire’s West End region. Encampments in parks, flood channels, freeway underpasses, and other public spaces strain municipal resources and impact quality of life. The City of Rialto continues to grow. With this growth comes more shopping centers and businesses that can be impacted by the homeless population. It has and will continue to be the Rialto Police Department’s mission to offer resources and aid to those experiencing homelessness, and at the same time offer a high-quality service and protection to our businesses and residents who live in and traverse our city.
The 2025 San Bernardino County Point-in-Time (PIT) Count documented 3,837 individuals experiencing homelessness countywide, including 2,636 unsheltered individuals living in vehicles, encampments, or other places not meant for habitation. Below is the 2025 PIT number of unsheltered individuals from some cities that will be participating in the West End Navigation Center to help reduce homelessness.
• Fontana: 271 unsheltered individuals
• Ontario: 258 unsheltered individuals
• Rancho Cucamonga: 113 unsheltered individuals
• Rialto: 52 unsheltered individuals
• Montclair: 38 unsheltered individuals
• Chino: 31 unsheltered individuals
• Upland: 33 unsheltered individuals
• Chino Hills: 3 unsheltered individuals
While the City of Rialto does not typically consider itself a West End city, the City was approached by neighboring cities to participate in this navigation center as part of a regional approach to addressing homelessness. A full copy of the MOU is included as Attachment 1.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
The West End Navigation Center (WENC), as outlined in the MOU, represents a regional solution that goes beyond traditional shelters or short-term motel vouchers. It is designed as a low-barrier, housing-focused service hub that reduces barriers, provides stability, and connects people directly to permanent housing.
The core features of the WENC include a total of 200 beds for unsheltered individuals, including 100 emergency shelter beds and 100 recuperative medical care beds, in addition to a sobering center. The operations of the navigation center will be 24/7, where the residents remain in place and their stability is prioritized. Individuals will be accepted based on referral only and all entries and exits are coordinated for safety and continuity.
The WENC is a one-stop service model that addresses behavioral health, substance use services, public health, transitional assistance, and workforce development. The Officer of Homeless Services (OHS) assists with housing navigation and Continuum of Care coordination. The WENC has a low-barrier design where guests may bring pets, personal belongings, and partners. The WENC also provides comprehensive support including meals, case management, benefits enrollment, transportation, and employment services.
Establishing a WENC outperforms other options in that traditional shelters often impose strict requirements (sobriety, ID, no pets/partners), have limited services, and require residents to leave during the day, disrupting stability. Motel vouchers provide short-term relief but are expensive, lack on-site services, and do not create pathways to permanent housing.
Navigation centers like the WENC provide low-barrier access, stable 24/7 housing, intensive case management, integrated health and social services, and a direct pathway to permanent housing. The WENC will provide benefits for individuals including providing a safe and stable environment, providing access to health care, behavioral health, and substance use treatment. Individuals will receive intensive case management, benefits assistance, housing navigation, and will have the ability to stay with their pets, belongings, and partners.
The WENC will provide immediate access to emergency beds that are not always available through other resources. Additionally, the WENC will take on the responsibility of case management.
Funding of the WENC :
San Bernardino County is investing $20 million to acquire the building, fully improved, from the City of Fontana. San Bernardino County’s operating reserves are $5 million in Capitalized Operating Subsidy Reserve (COSR). The annual operations will cost $3 million, which will be shared by San Bernardino County and the participating cities. The cost allocation will be reviewed every two (2) years. The city contributions include:
• Fontana: $1,000,000
• Rancho Cucamonga: $300,000
• Chino: $200,000
• Chino Hills: $200,000
• Ontario: $100,000 (limited partner)
• Montclair: $250,000
• Rialto: $250,000
• Upland: $250,000
• San Bernardino County Contribution: $450,000
The cost to operate the WENC for the first year is estimated to be $3 million. The operational cost is shared between participating cities and San Bernardino County. The portion the City of Rialto will contribute to the operations of the WENC is $250,000, which would guarantee the City of Rialto seven (7) emergency beds. If any additional beds need to be purchased, the rate is $125 per bed, per night. Charges will be invoiced monthly by the Facility Operator and must be paid in full within thirty days of receipt.
The City of Rialto’s participation in this MOU is intended to be in addition to the ongoing partnership that the City has with the Social Work Action Group, which has demonstrated considerable success in supporting the City’s need to provide housing for those who are unsheltered in our community.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The proposed action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines defines a project subject to CEQA. The proposed action is not included within the definition of a “project” and thus is exempt.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The proposed action is consistent with the following goal of the City’s General Plan:
Goal 5-8: Provide effective and comprehensive policing services that meet the safety needs of Rialto.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney's Office has reviewed the agreement and approved it as to form.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
Operating Budget Impact
The required contribution of $250,000 annually will be budgeted for in future fiscal years. The first payment for the operation of the facility is not required to be paid until Fiscal Year 2026-27.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
There is no impact on the Capital Improvement Budget.
ATTACHMENTS
(1) MOU for the West End Navigation Center