City of Downey – Outreach & Engagement
March 2026
Client Interactions Clients Enrolled Positive Exits
Services (Case Management, Transportation, Documentation, Medical/Mental Health Treatment, etc.)
Management and referrals (City Net partners with outside agencies to connect clients with specific care requirements)
SUCCESS STORY
Document-Ready Clients (This process takes about 3-6 months on average to gather ID and Social Security cards, birth certificates, and medical documentation)
Case Managers received a call from an individual experiencing homelessness, who had heard about City Net's relocation services and wanted to explore reuniting with family in North Carolina. Case managers met with the client to explain the requirements of relocation, collaborating with Downey police to complete the client's background check during enrollment. While they waited to connect with a family member out of state, case managers assisted the client (continued on page 3).
Outreach teams focused on engaging clients along Firestone Boulevard, behind businesses such as the LA Fitness and restaurants, following several calls received in March. Case Managers helped individuals connect to mental health services, as well as referrals to an interim housing site.
SUCCESS STORIES
• (Continued from page 1) with obtaining a new copy of his birth certificate. Allowing him to have identifying documents would make his travel process smoother, and by the time he had completed his appointment, case managers heard from Downey Police that he was cleared for reunification services. City Net provided the client with a one-night hotel stay so that he was refreshed and well-rested for his trip home. On his travel day, case managers purchased a train ticket and food for the client, transporting him to Union Station in Los Angeles. As the team saw him off, the client thanked the case managers for their assistance and promised to check in once he makes it safely home.
• One morning in late March, City Net case managers met an individual at Crawford Park while conducting outreach. As the individual was enthusiastic about engaging with City Net, they shared their story about moving from Oregon to California for work but had been experiencing homelessness for the last five years, since the COVID-19 pandemic. The client had been relying on the generosity of community members to get by, but they were eager to work with an organization that could provide structured care. The case managers enrolled the client right away and took them directly to the Department of Public Social Services to apply for benefits such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and General Relief. Since the client was open to any immediate shelter placement, case managers referred them to the Salvation Army Bell Shelter. Once approved, they arranged transportation directly to the shelter and helped them complete their intake appointment.
• At the beginning of the month, case managers made contact with a client who had been staying behind an LA Fitness downtown. The client engaged with case managers and explained that he had been sleeping in his car since becoming unhoused but was interested in a shelter referral Case managers submitted referrals to LAHSA Interim Housing and HSH Housing for Health on the client's behalf and provided contact information for him to check in on his referral status. By the middle of the month, case managers received a notification from Housing for Health stating that the client was matched to First to Serve Coronado in Los Angeles And when the team called the client to inform him of the match, he accepted the placement enthusiastically. Before the end of the month, case managers had arranged transportation and accompanied the client to his intake appointment at First to Serve Coronado Upon entering the shelter, the client expressed his gratitude for the case managers' assistance.
• Case managers met with a client who was staying in her vehicle in parking lots along Firestone Boulevard. The outreach team had met with this client before and offered services whenever they encountered her, but she typically declined most assistance When the case managers met her in March, they offered to submit a referral to the Department of Mental Health, so that a representative could reach out to her through Telecare She agreed to the potential meeting and accepted contact information from City Net to proceed when the referral was approved. Case managers were able to set an appointment before the end of the month and met with staff from the Department of Mental Health to provide insight on what housing and mental health resources would benefit the client While the client is still trying to decide on the best path towards health and permanent housing, she thanked the team for arranging a meeting with Telecare and agreed to meet with them again in the future for further resources
