The City of Tulare understands that many of our family, friends, and neighbors are currently experiencing homelessness. The long-term goal of the City is to develop an emergency shelter for unhoused individuals to live as they transition back to permanent housing. Thanks to the approval of Measure Y, the City of Tulare is now able to begin the development of the permanent homeless shelter here in the City of Tulare. In the meantime, the City has obtained a grant through the State of California and established temporary encampment that can begin to address the needs of our unsheltered community members.    

Long-Term Solution Plan 
Shelter Rendering

Homeless Shelter Operator RFP

The City is issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP 24-792) to firms interested in serving as the operator of the City’s planned Emergency Homeless Shelter. The City has prepared RFP 24-792 (see link below) and is now posting it to firms that may be interested in submitting a proposal.

Emergency Homeless Shelter Operator RFP

Tentative Schedule:

Once a firm has been selected, City staff will negotiate the terms of an agreement.

Temporary Encampment

The goal of the temporary shelter is to address the needs of our unsheltered through providing a variety of social services; provide an encampment that is located a safe distance away from the Union Pacific railroad tracks, and begin to gather basic information as to the needs of our unsheltered population.

The Tulare Cares Temporary Encampment can house up to 178 unsheltered individuals. All individuals are voluntarily entering into the Tulare Cares program to ensure their needs are being met and to reduce unsheltered recidivism.

Please remember that in order to provide the highest level of support to these individuals:

• Do not dump any items at the encampment site.

• Do not harass, loiter, or solicit within the encampment area.

• Donations can be accepted but must be done by calling the number below.  

Temporary Homeless Encampment Presentation
Temporary Homeless Encampment Participant Package

There has historically been approximately 200 Tulare-based homeless individuals in the City. The City is assisting this population and addressing related issues through the operation of the City’s Temporary Homeless Encampment (located at E. Walnut Ave. and S. O Street). A permanent and the Homeless Shelter will be constructed at the Hillman Health Campus and completed within approximately 12 months.

The largest concentration of homeless encampments have been along the Union Pacific rail road. Tragically, there have been approximately a dozen homeless pedestrian versus train suicides over the past several years, including four in the past year alone. In response, the City has recently adopted a safety ordinance prohibiting encampments on private property, including the rail road, which will take effect on May 4, 2023. At that time, the City will require all encampments to be removed from rail road right of ways, and no encampments will be allowed to return.  We are anticipating that the majority of those eligible Tulare-based homeless individuals will then move to the City’s Temporary Encampment. Some may elect to occupy other areas of the City. The City asks for the community’s patience and support as we work over the next 30-45 days in helping those remaining homeless individuals find other code compliant areas in which they can relocate including if possible, their community of origin.

Other Resources

For General Information During Business Hours Call: (559) 684-4310
For General Information after hours & non-emergencies Call: (559) 687-2288
For Emergencies Call: 911
For Donations Please Call: (559) 366-1700