Paso Robles hires first ever homeless services manager
Ashlee Hernandez (left) takes the oath of office as Homeless Services Manager for the City of Paso Robles during a ceremony on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at City Park, led by Interim City Manager Chris Huot (right). Photo credit: Jill Beck, City of Paso Robles
Paso Robles becomes second city in county to create position
– The City of Paso Robles has appointed Ashlee Hernandez as its new Homeless Services Manager. The role, housed within the Community Services Department, was created to coordinate both internal and external efforts related to homelessness and behavioral health.
Paso Robles is the second city in San Luis Obispo County, after San Luis Obispo, to create such a position.
Hernandez will serve as the primary contact and coordinator for the city’s response to homelessness. The Paso Robles City Council identified homelessness as a priority in 2023. As part of its two-year budget cycle, the council allocated funding to hire a Homeless Services Manager, conduct a financial needs assessment, and create a communication plan to report progress to the public.
The Paso Robles Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness was approved by the city council in December. The document is available at www.prcity.com/Homelessness.
“We are excited to welcome Ashlee to our Community Services team as we work to address some of the root causes of homelessness in our city,” said Community Services Director Angelica Fortin. “Ashlee brings leadership and experience in building successful collaborations that improve services, as well as a strong ability to use data to drive informed decision-making.”
Before joining the city, Hernandez served as Director of the Fresno Community Health Improvement Partnership, where she led the development of California’s first evidence-based Community Health Worker HUB. The program aimed to connect individuals experiencing disparities, including homelessness, with services such as medical care, mental health and substance use treatment, housing support, and food assistance.
The HUB’s care coordination model connected residents with essential services while raising awareness of the connections between homelessness, health, and social needs. Hernandez partnered with county departments, healthcare providers, school districts, and community organizations to build a collaborative system and guide resource alignment through data.
Hernandez has lived in north San Luis Obispo County for the past 10 years. She holds a master’s degree in counseling and a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
More information about the city’s homelessness strategy is available at www.prcity.com/Homelessness.
