The South Bay Cities Council of Governments Partners with HERO Community Services to Deliver Case Management and Housing Retention Services in the South Bay

Newly Formed Organization Will Focus on Person-Centered Approach to Help Individuals in the South Bay Achieve Long-Term Housing Stability and Well Being  

TORRANCE, CALIF., November 12, 2025 – The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) has partnered with newly-formed HERO (Housing, Empowerment, Recovery and Outreach) Community Services to deliver person-centered, field-based outreach, case management and housing retention services designed to help individuals and families experiencing or exiting homelessness achieve long-term housing stability and wellbeing. Together they will collaborate to serve areas throughout the beach cities region and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Service Planning Area 8.  

HERO was retained by the SBCCOG through the South Bay’s allocation of voter-passed Measure A funds filtered through the Local Solutions Fund and the L.A. County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA), which designates dollars to assist SBCCOG-member cities to implement local services for the unhoused and those at risk of become unhoused. In total, the SBCCOG will manage more than $16 million annually through the half-cent sales tax—a 600% increase from what the SBCCOG previously received under the Measure H Homeless Services quarter-cent sales tax, which has been replaced by Measure A.  

“HERO’s mission aligns with our viewpoint that a set-it and-forget it, one-size-fits-all approach to homelessness doesn’t work.” said Ronson Chu, Homeless Services program manager for the SBCCOG. “As we work toward expansion of our successful Functional Zero Street Homelessness Program to all of our South Bay cities, we continue to fine tune a by-name system, which empowers cities to coordinate strategies tailored to meet the specific needs of individuals who are experiencing homelessness.”  

In 2024, the SBCCOG helped the City of Redondo Beach decrease its unhoused population by 90%, through the Functional Zero Street Homelessness program the SBCCOG developed in partnership with the city. Functional Zero is reached when the inflow of people experiencing homelessness is less than the median time spent unhoused is less than 90 days. The SBCCOG is now working with Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Torrance to expand the program. 

While the SBCCOG continues to move South Bay cities toward its Functional Zero accountability goal based on homelessness data collected and analyzed weekly, HERO Community Services will provide direct, field-based data collection, support and follow-up case management to individuals experiencing homelessness, while helping cities achieve their regional housing and community wellness goals.  

“The partnership between the SBCCOG and HERO is a natural alignment of values and operational strengths. The SBCCOG brings strategic regional coordination and data-driven oversight, while HERO contributes boots-on-the ground expertise, flexibility and in-person centered engagement,” said Josh Heinzman, president and chief executive officer, HERO Community Services.  

Joshua Heinzman and William Gray Jr., long-time leaders in Los Angeles County’s human services network, founded HERO Community Services in the fall of 2025. It emerged from Heinzman’s hands-on work with city and county partners, where he identified consistent gaps in responsiveness, relationship building, and real-time service delivery. Having led programs for non-profit and government funded agencies, including homeless services programs for the Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, he saw the need for a “smaller, intentionally right-sized organization,” focused on” quality, compassion and accountability, rather than large-scale bureaucracy.”  

“We formed HERO to bring a more human, relationship-centered approach to homeless and behavioral health services—one that treats every person as seen, heard and valued,” said Heinzman. “We recognized that many existing systems, though well-intentioned, had become too large and procedural to respond effectively to individual and city needs.” 

Services to Be Provided 

Specifically, HERO will provide comprehensive case management to help individuals connect to shelter, interim housing, and permanent housing options. It will provide housing navigation and documentation support, including assistance with ID and Social Security card replacement, application preparation, and problem solving to overcome barriers to housing. Its staff will also coordinate with the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, local treatment programs, and other supportive services to help clients manage behavioral health and substance abuse challenges.  

A housing retention specialist will work to support participants after they secure housing to remain housed and avoid a return to homelessness. This role will include home visits to assess stability and provide guidance on lease compliance and independent living skills. It will also include landlord mediation and support, assisting both tenants and property managers in resolving issues to prevent eviction. Other services will include connecting participants to community-based services, such as income support programs, employment resources, behavioral health care, transportation assistance for participants to attend medical, behavioral health or employment appointments and wellness check-ins to ensure continued stability.  

An additional consultant will play a strategic and operational role in aligning HERO’s housing and outreach programs with the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative. The CalAIM consultant will work to streamline participant access to CalAIM-funded services and collaborate with cities, housing navigators, behavioral health providers and health systems to expand access to other services such as housing transition and tenancy-sustaining services.  

“At the SBCCOG, we are very selective about who we partner with. We’re excited about working with HERO with the passion and breadth of experience they bring to the table to help us build homeless services capacity in the South Bay,” said Chu.  

 The SBCCOG also works with St. Margaret’s Center to support efforts for the unhoused in areas near Los Angeles International Airport, including Inglewood and the Watts Labor Community Action Committee in the City of Los Angeles communities within the SBCCOG subregion.   

ABOUT SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS:  

The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) is a joint powers government agency of 16 cities and the County of Los Angeles which share the goal of maximizing the quality of life and productivity of the subregion. Within this structure, cities and Los Angeles County maintain the qualities and characteristics that make them unique and independent, while also coming together collectively to address issues of common interest for a greater good of the communities through partnership, persuasion, performance, and advocacy. For more information about the SBCCOG visit http://southbaycities.org. 

###