Our Goal

Homelessness is a societal problem experienced by numerous persons who call the High Desert home. It has become prevalent in even the most affluent of areas. The City of Victorville is not immune and has been impacted due to its central location and the availability of needed services.

Code Enforcement's goal is to promote a positive City image and assist the community by addressing homeless encampments through responsive and proactive engagement.

Expanded Homeless Outreach Efforts

The City of Victorville continues to demonstrate its commitment towards assisting our homeless population, impacted residents and business owners and has expanded outreach efforts by assigning four full-time Homeless Engagement Officers (HEO’s). Our engagement officers continue to establish positive relationships with our homeless population encouraging them to accept shelter and services of and helping them take advantage of available local resources like substance abuse counseling, care for their animals, job placement and other types of living assistance. Our engagement officers undergo ongoing extensive crisis intervention training that includes:

• Identifying mental health signs and symptoms
• Identifying signs of dementia
• Recognizing psychiatric medication and resistance
• Understanding homelessness
• Detecting intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Familiarization of community and crisis services
• De-escalation tactics

This refined approach to homeless outreach is an essential community service that will allow our engagement officers to build rapport, trust, and improved communication with our local homeless community and assist impacted residents and business owners. The engagement officers work directly with the City’s shelter operator to assist homeless individuals with direct and immediate relief from living on the streets while providing them safety and links to community support services.

Enforcement Process

Noticing, Enforcement and Abatement: 

Code Enforcement assists the community with enforcement processes as well.  To accomplish this goal, Code Enforcement has established a procedure for dealing with encampments. In all cases, we recognize each and every individual is deserving of dignity and respect. 

Areas with a newly established encampment and moderate amounts of trash or debris:

• Police and Code Enforcement issue a notice of a planned abatement to occupants and return no sooner than 3 days later accompanied by a City Clean-Up Team to quickly remove small to moderate sized debris and store items of value for up to 90 days in an effort to prevent additional trash and debris from being generated by occupants.

Areas containing a large amount of debris or an encampment in an unsecured vacant structure (a person who settles in or occupies a piece of property with no legal claim to the property):

• In most cases the same process applies, however in instances where property conditions exist that encourage encampments, the property owner is notified by Code Enforcement of the need to abate the repeated nuisances. Police or Code Officers will also request the property owner submit a signed "Trespass Agreement" authorizing the City and its agents to act on their behalf. All parties will then work cooperatively to enforce the order and help ensure the property owner can access the property to clear the encampment and debris. Owners are encouraged to assess the property and determine if physical improvements, such as fencing and trespass signage, should be considered. The City also encourages and utilizes alternative board up materials, such as Secure View Products or Vacant Property Security (VPS) metal screen products.

San Bernardino County's HOPE Team

Our contract with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has enabled us to tap into additional resources for our homeless population. The Sheriff's HOPE Team has been a long time partner, helping us identify our homeless, connecting them with vital resources, and getting them the help they need.

San Bernardino County's InnROADS Team

Innovative Remote Onsite Assistance Delivery (InnROADS) is a field-based program that meets, engages, and provides treatment to youth, adults, and families within homeless communities.