County Connects 477 Individuals Encamped on the Santa Ana Riverbed with Motels Stays, Shelter
Santa Ana, Calif. (February 21, 2018) — Delivering on its promise, the County of Orange and its contracted non-profit, CityNet, have connected 477 encamped individuals with motel stays and shelter since February 14, 2018.
Yesterday alone, which was the first day the Temporary Restraining Order was lifted by U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter, Orange County Health Care Agency provided 180 homeless residents in the Santa Ana Riverbed with housing in motels throughout the County. These homeless residents also receive transportation services as well food vouchers for the duration of their motel stay.
While county staff are working around the clock to locate more motel rooms, the work of evaluating and housing additional homeless residents has not stalled because of lack of capacity.
“The County has more than delivered on its promise under the court stipulation,” said Chairman Andrew Do, First District Supervisor. “We are continuing to offer services to help transition the remaining residents out of the riverbed. Our pace is not dictated by our capacity of temporary housing, but rather the time it takes to properly evaluate clients in order to make the appropriate housing and treatment recommendation. However, our work has increased due to a dramatic increase in the number of people who claim to be residents in the riverbed.”
Knowing there is increased service in the Santa Ana Riverbed, “County officials have witnessed people, including homeless advocates, transporting and dropping off people who are medically frail or families with children into the riverbed,” said Do. “These actions not only impede our current work but also leave these individuals in very vulnerable, and potentially dangerous, situations.”
Chairman Do requests that people stop engaging in such reckless and disruptive behaviors.
For additional information on the services the County is offering individuals encamped along the Santa Ana Riverbed, please see a recent County press release.
For additional information about the County of Orange, please visit www.ocgov.com.
If this is a temporary situation, what happens when their stay in these motels is over? And how irresponsible are homeless workers who are bringing an dropping people off at the river bed? People who should be encouraging honest behavior. And all at tax payers expense.