Orange County approves another $13.4 million for homeless shelters

Orange County continues to invest in shelters and outreach services for the homeless.

At its August 27th board meeting, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved $13.4 million to continue funding for three homeless shelters in Santa Ana and support services for homeless residents.

“The actions taken today create a pathway to improving our shelters and continuing to support our homeless population,” said Supervisor Do. “Now, more than ever, we need to ensure that individuals, who are experiencing homelessness, have access to resources that will lead them to become self-sufficient.”

Over the next five years, the $13.4 million allocation will support services at three homeless shelters.

• The Courtyard: The Courtyard first opened its doors on October 2016. Through Midnight Mission, the shelter offers connection to necessary services aimed to help guests experiencing homelessness get on a path of self-sufficiency. As of June 2019, the Courtyard provided an average nightly occupancy of 400 per night and 5,456 meals per week to individuals experiencing homelessness.

• SAFEPlace: SAFEPlace provides shelter to women, children, and families with supportive services and an opportunity for women to enter into transitional housing operated by WISEPlace for Women. Case managers provide personalized counseling to help each of the approximately 90 women they see each year, overcome issues that led to their unemployment and homelessness.

• Washington Place: The Washington Place program provides shelter for couples or households of two adults experiencing homelessness. They have served eleven couples and assisted three couples transitioning into permanent housing from April 9 to June 30 of this year.

“Orange County’s homeless shelters need to be properly equipped with the necessary resources to help individuals,” said Supervisor Do.

The County of Orange, budgeted over $68 million for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 in funding specifically for addressing homelessness. The County of Orange is developing a System of Care that is responsive to the needs of the individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Orange County.