Policy Pulse: December 5, 2025
- ACC-OC
- Dec 5, 2025
- 7 min read
This week, ACC-OC hosted a BOLD webinar providing an overview of the upcoming federal changes to HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program for FY 2025. These updates will influence how cities plan, coordinate, and administer homelessness services in the year ahead.
With Orange County’s $33 million in CoC funding at risk of not being renewed next year, more than 1,800 residents in Permanent Housing and 375 in Rapid Re-Housing could lose support and face returning to homelessness.
Our speakers provided a clear, accessible breakdown of these changes — including HUD’s shift away from a Housing-First approach and new caps on Permanent Supportive Housing funding.
Speakers included:
Doug Becht, Director, Office of Care Coordination
Nishtha Mohendra, Chief Program Officer, Families Forward & Vice Chair, Orange County CoC
Nichole Gideon, Secretary, Orange County CoC & Chair, Lived Experience Advisory Board
Becks Heyhoe-Khalil, Executive Director, United to End Homelessness & CoC Board Member
Kris Murray, Executive Director, ACC-OC (Moderator)
A recording of the webinar and the presentation slides are available for those who were unable to attend or would like to review the material. ACC-OC will continue to share educational resources as additional guidance becomes available.
ACC-OC was proud to participate in the Orange County City Managers Association (OCCMA) Annual Holiday Reception on December 3rd, represented by Executive Director Kris Murray and Director of Member Services Kathryn Morrison.
A special thank you to OCCMA for hosting another outstanding event—this year held at the beautifully restored and historic Grand Gimeno in the City of Orange. We look forward to continued collaboration and partnership in 2025!
ACC-OC’s Director of Member Services, Kathryn Morrison, attended the Fountain Valley City Council reorganization meeting, where the city honored Mayor Ted Bui for his tenure as mayor. The meeting also recognized the city’s continued commitment to public service and collaborative governance.
ACC-OC values Fountain Valley’s membership and is pleased to take part in moments that celebrate local leadership and community service.
Registration Closed – Event is now Full!
Thank you to our incredible co-hosts — ACC-OC, the League of California Cities OC Division, OCBC, and OC Tax — for helping make this year’s Annual Holiday Mixer a success. We also extend our sincere appreciation to our generous sponsors: West Coast Arborists, Jacob Green & Associates, Cityside Fiber, Woodruff & Smart, Kosmont Companies, Jamboree and Orange County Realtors.
We look forward to celebrating with everyone who registered!
ACC-OC is proud to serve as the SoCalGas Regional Energy Pathways Program Ambassador for Orange County, connecting cities and public sector organizations with energy-saving opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Through SoCalGas initiatives such as the Regional Energy Pathways (REP) Program and the Statewide Water Infrastructure and System Efficiency (WISE™) Program, eligible agencies can benefit from expert guidance, project support, and valuable financial incentives.
Program Highlights
Regional Energy Pathways (REP) Program
No-cost energy assessments to identify savings opportunities
Financial support for energy-efficient upgrades
Project management assistance and on-bill financing
Whole-facility energy audits and no-cost measures such as insulation, low-flow fixtures, and kitchen equipment improvements
Statewide WISE™ Program
Rebates for energy-efficient water and wastewater system improvements
Eligible measures include high-efficiency pump upgrades, VFD installations, boiler replacements, and insulation improvements
Available to water and wastewater pumping customers within PG&E, SCE, SoCalGas, and SDG&E territories
To learn more about how your city or organization can benefit, contact Marlene Barraza (mbarraza@accoc.org) to schedule a meeting or ask questions!
Large Public Sector Program | Public Direct Install Program |
Statewide WISE Program
Orange County Board of Supervisor Janet Nguyen
Supervisor Janet Nguyen invites community members to the First District Holiday Open House on December 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the County Hall of Administration North in Santa Ana. Guests can enjoy light refreshments, meet the Supervisor’s team, and celebrate the season with neighbors and local leaders. Parking is available at Lot P4.
City of Los Alamitos
The City of Los Alamitos is pleased to invite you to attend the Good Evening, Los Alamitos event on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at the Los Alamitos Community Center (10911 Oak Street, Los Alamitos, 90720), beginning at 6:30 p.m.
This annual event will highlight the City’s accomplishments over the past year, share exciting initiatives for the year ahead, unveil the citywide EV transportation program, and celebrate the strong partnerships that make Los Alamitos a vibrant and connected community.
Kindly RSVP by Friday, December 5, to Gabriela Martinez, Department Secretary at Gmartinez@cityoflosalamitos.org to confirm your attendance.
CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County
Join CLAOC for the inaugural launch of the AI for Water Management Professionals course, created in partnership with Moulton Niguel Water District, the California Data Collaborative, the Orange County Business Council, and UCI Division of Continuing Education. This course was made possible by a California Jobs First grant.
Hosted on Wednesday, January 14th, 2026 from 6–8 PM at Moulton Niguel Water District, this event introduces a first-of-its-kind progra
m designed to equip the next generation of water professionals with practical, responsible AI skills.
Be among the first to see how this program can empower your teams, support organizational goals, and shape the future of water management.
Celebrate this regional partnership and explore how AI upskilling can benefit your agency and the broader community.
City of Laguna Beach
Please bring New Coats for Kids (sizes S-L) for donation to:
Laguna Beach Police Department:
505 Forest Ave, Laguna Beach
The Collection boxes will be available
from Thursday, Nov 13th - Friday Dec 19th.
The coats are distributed to Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, and San Juan Capistrano Boys and Girls Club as well as other non-profit organizations. This year, we will have more than 45 collection boxes at County Administration and in the 5th District. Last year our office distributed more than 800 new coats for kids.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL KIMBERLEE (714) 834-3550 OR EMAIL KATRINA.FOLEY@OCGOV.COM
Santa Margarita Water District
SMWD is hosting a tour of the San Juan Capistrano Groundwater Recovery Plant, one of the District’s most impactful projects supporting local water reliability. Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD) is committed to enhancing local water reliability and reducing dependence on imported water through sustainable and innovative water infrastructure.
Infrastructure Bus Tour: San Juan Capistrano Groundwater Recovery Plant
(Hosted by Tim O'Neal, Chief Plant Operator, SMWD Operations).
State Treasurer's Office
Please join the State Treasurer's Office for a quarterly webinar series.
Receive updates and learn more about State Treasurer’s Office programs and resources that can benefit the communities you serve.
Topics will include:
Key Updates from the State Treasurer's Office
Supporting California's Small Businesses through the new Loan Participation Program
Supporting California's Health Facilities through the Healthcare Expansion Loan Program II
City of Dana Point
Join Dana Point Harbor for its 50th annual Boat Parade of Lights happening December 12, 13 & 14 from 6:30 - 8:00pm!
2025 Theme: Golden Jubilee - Carol of the Boats
Watch and enjoy from the shoreline or cruise the harbor to take in the merry magic with Captain Dave’s, Dana Wharf, and the Ocean Institute.
City of Fountain Valley
The City of Fountain Valley is accepting applications from volunteers to participate on Committees, Commissions and Boards. Appointments will be for two-year terms, unless otherwise stated. Candidates for appointment must be residents of Fountain Valley and 18 years of age or older. The deadline for application submission to the City Clerk is 6 p.m. on December 18, 2025.
City of Irvine
The City of Irvine invites the community to Illuminate Irvine Saturday, December 6, from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Great Park Palm Court Arts Complex. The event transforms the Palm Court into a sparkling winter wonderland with twinkling lights, festive music, and hands-on holiday fun for all ages.
City of Laguna Niguel
Join the Laguna Niguel Youth Committee in donating shelf-stable foods to Families Forward!
The Laguna Niguel Youth Committee encourages those interested in donating to drop off goods at Crown Valley Community Center starting Monday, December 1. Donations will be accepted between 8:00am-5:00pm through December 12.
Housing and Homeless Incentive Program (HHIP) Round 5 Notice of Funding Opportunity
CalAIM
The CalOptima Health's Housing and Homeless Incentive Program (HHIP) Round 5 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will be released on Monday, November 11, 2025. This funding opportunity supports the development or enhancement of permanent, affordable housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in Orange County.
The materials and application portal link will be available on the CalAIM webpage. All applications must be submitted by Friday, December 19, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PST.
Providers interested in responding are encouraged to attend CalOptima Health's virtual bidder’s conference to receive an overview of the funding opportunity.
Virtual Bidder's Conference Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 1:00 p.m. PST
Proposal Submission Deadline: Friday, December 19, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PST
Please Contact CalOptima Grants Management with any questions at:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
FY 2026 Brownfield Grant Opportunities
OCCOG’s Project Management Partner, Montrose Environmental, is available to support local agencies with potential grant opportunities as part of the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 EPA Brownfield Grants. The menu of available grants can be found at https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/marc-grant-application-resources. This will be the last grant competition with 400% more funding via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and no matching funds are required.
Eligible brownfield projects could include properties with older structures (e.g., built before the 1980s), which may contain regulated building materials (e.g. – lead-based paints, asbestos and PCBs) and properties with soil, groundwater and/or surface waters impacted with petroleum and/or hazardous substances (e.g. – former auto repair/gas stations, illicit dump sites, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities). Eligible applicants include cities, land clearance authorities, redevelopment agencies, regional councils, special districts, tribes, and non-profit organizations.
Brownfield grant types include:
Community-Wide Assessment: Up to $2M for Tribal applicants; used to complete a wide range of activities, including Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), cleanup/restoration/reuse plans. Funding can be used to support these activities on numerous sites over a 4–5-year grant implementation period. Funding is not limited to properties you already own and can be used to support land acquisition opportunities.
Cleanup: Up to $4M; used to complete remediation and restoration of one or more brownfield-impacted properties that you own.
Multi-Purpose: Up to $1M; used to complete a combination of assessment, cleanup, and reuse planning activities on one or more brownfield-impacted properties.
Guidelines are due to be issued shortly, with grant applications anticipated for November. Award announcements are scheduled to be made in May 2026, with implementation beginning in October 2026.
Please contact Chris Gdak at Montrose Environmental at cgdak@montrose-env.com or (425) 760-1342 for more details.
Department of Housing and Community Development
Permanent Local Housing Allocation/ 2023 PLHA NOFA
This program provides long-term funding to support affordable housing, homeless prevention programs, and other housing-related projects. Funds are allocated based on California jurisdictions’ housing needs.
Application Deadline: June 30, 2027
Samueli Foundation
LFI and Leadership Accelerator Program
The Leading for Impact (LFI) and Leadership Accelerator program, run by the renowned Bridgespan Group, provides scholarship-supported access to strategic coaching, leadership development and peer-learning opportunities for 100 nonprofit executive teams. Through a mix of classroom workshops, team-led projects and executive coaching, LFI equips leaders with the skills and tools to strengthen their organizations, drive long-term sustainability and increase their community impact. Participating organizations contribute a portion of the program cost, ensuring shared investment in their growth and success.
Application Deadline: December 31, 2025
Comments