MALIBU- On Tuesday, August 3, the Malibu City Council announced that they are taking steps to amend the City’s Nuisance Code in an attempt to strengthen the City’s ability to address hazards posed by homeless encampments in Malibu.

During their July 21 meeting, the City Council appointed members to serve on the City’s new Homelessness Taskforce.

“Homelessness is a nationwide humanitarian crisis with severe local impacts to our community’s public health and safety, environment and quality of life that cannot be ignored,” said Mayor Paul Grisanti. “The new taskforce and the proposal to strengthen our Nuisance Code will give us more tools to address this crisis.”

The City Council first approved on reading proposed amendments to the City’s Nuisance Code that is focused on strengthening the City’s ability to hold property owners responsible for unabated nuisances on their property, such as brush fires that have been connected to a homeless encampment or that pose a fire risk. The amendments will return to the Council for a second reading and adoption at their next meeting on August 9.

The amendments would also give the City Manager authority to take action to address a nuisance.

The Council also appointed two members to the new Homelessness Task Force, which will be tasked with reviewing existing efforts, evaluating the need for an alternative sleeping location, developing strategies to mitigate the fire safety concerns of encampments located on underdeveloped private property and in open space, as well as issues related to homelessness.