Government officials and service providers from the nonprofit community across San Bernardino County gathered earlier this month for the annual Homeless Summit with a focus on long-term, innovative strategies to support youth and adults experiencing homelessness, the county announced Thursday.
This year’s theme was “The Cure for Homelessness is a Home” for the summit hosted by the county Office of Homeless Service and the county Homeless Partnership.
The summit assembles service providers and community partners for networking, education and discussions about homelessness and ongoing efforts to get people housed and connected with supportive services. Attendees discuss strategies and best practices while getting familiar with new initiatives to address the needs of county residents experiencing homelessness.
“The Homeless Summit reflects our shared commitment to improving outcomes for people experiencing homelessness,” Board of Supervisors Vice Chair and 5th District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. said in a statement. “By bringing our partners together, we strengthen our ability to support people experiencing homelessness and move closer to a community where everyone has a safe and stable place to call home,” said Baca, who also chairs the local Continuum of Care Board of Directors.
The 2026 summit, held March 5 at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Bernardino, opened with a keynote address by Jevon Wilkes, executive director of the nonprofit California Coalition for Youth. Wilkes shared lessons from his advocacy work, as well as his personal experience with homelessness and the foster care system. His remarks focused on the power of hope and the importance of mentorship and community support.
“A psychiatrist believed in me and saw me beyond my circumstances of homelessness,” said Wilkes. “A light was in me that she saw and decided to flame it so that I could get support.”
He talked about the evolution of California Coalition for Youth, starting with crisis hotlines and advisory boards and expanding to statewide organizing efforts that Wilkes said have helped secure billions of dollars in funding. He also emphasized that young people have long been key to effecting systemic change.
“In 1990, a year after I was born, young people were marching through the Capitol of California to elevate a comprehensive policy report so that the state could understand the severity of serving and reaching our young people experiencing homelessness,” he said.
Wilkes closed his address with emphasis on the need for long-term structural solutions such as state-supported financial aid for current and former foster youth. He added that breaking generational cycles within the system is crucial to reducing youth homelessness.
“This is the work that we do,” he said. “My life started from darkness, but the Lord blessed me with a light and a calling to move this work forward.”
Following Wilkes’ keynote address, a discussion panel titled “How Healthcare is Helping the Homeless Community” examined how care providers are shifting from treating symptoms to addressing the root causes of illness, such as housing instability, food insecurity and lack of transportation.
Panelists described programs under the state’s Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal program and managed care efforts that fund housing navigation, case management, recuperative care and street medicine. This represents a cultural shift in how providers of medical services are actively partnering with community organizations, according to panelists.
Dr. Takashi Wada, chief medical officer at Inland Empire Health Plan, emphasized the importance of addressing the underlying factors affecting health.
“You can’t keep someone healthy if you don’t address some of these social drivers,” he said.
Wada noted that some homeless patients struggle to manage chronic conditions such as diabetes.
“Some of these patients can’t get access to healthy foods, they don’t even have a refrigerator to store their insulin, and they don’t have transportation to get to those special appointments,” he said. “Without addressing everything comprehensively, we’re not going to get these individuals healthy.”
The panel concluded with an update on housing projects funded through the county Community Development and Housing and Behavioral Health departments, with an emphasis on the need for additional funding to increase the number of permanent supportive housing units.
“While we have multiple housing projects underway across county departments, most funding has gone toward short-term interventions rather than building permanent supportive housing,” Dr. Alyce Belford, deputy director of San the Behavioral Health Department. “We need more permanent housing, and additional funding is required to expand it.”
The next panel titled “Funding the Cure” gathered leaders from health care, philanthropy and government to explore strategies for sustaining programs and addressing social and economic factors that affect people’s health. Panelists emphasized that no single organization can solve homelessness alone and called for flexible funding, regional advocacy and coordinated efforts that balance immediate needs with long-term prevention.
“We have to advocate at the state and federal levels and make it clear that our region is performing,” Office of Homeless Services Chief Marcus Dillard said. “By using data and working together, we can ensure decision-makers understand the gaps and direct funding where it will have the most impact.”
The summit’s conclusion featured three sessions focused on housing solutions for aging adults, addressing youth homelessness and the “City Innovations” panel, which featured innovative and community-driven approaches to addressing homelessness.
During “City Innovations” officials from Fontana, Ontario, Redlands, San Bernardino and Victorville emphasized outreach, building trust and housing development as key to city-level efforts. Panelists agreed that individuals experiencing homelessness are often hesitant to accept services from unfamiliar providers, which means relationship-building is essential. Cities have developed specialized outreach teams with social workers, law enforcement officers and medical professionals “to connect people with services in a more compassionate way,” according to the county.
“One of the strategies that we’ve seen work is having a city-led outreach team,” said William Lamas, Victorville homeless solutions manager. “We have a homeless engagement team that’s comprised of five code enforcement officers, and their role is to go out and educate individuals about the services we offer. We also have Symba outreach and Symba Health providing the street medicine component. What we often see is that while outreach teams can make initial contact, individuals may be more willing to open up to nonprofit staff who are trained in trauma-informed care and client-centered approaches, and that’s what’s getting those individuals to accept shelter and housing.”
Panelists also noted the expansion of centralized service facilities, such as wellness and navigation centers, as a significant move in the right direction. Such centers offer a variety of resources in a one location, including shelter, medical and mental health services and case management. City officials reported that these approaches have helped transition more people into stable housing by streamlining access to support.
San Bernardino County Continuum of Care Vice Chair Shanikqua “Shaq” Freeman and Kevin Mahany, community development director of Symba Center, emceed this year’s event. Freeman is also the executive director of the nonprofit Knowledge and Education for Your Success.
“Across sessions, it was clear that addressing homelessness requires collaboration, innovation and investment,” county officials said.
More about the San Bernardino County Homeless Partnership is online at sbchp.sbcounty.gov/.
