Proposal for larger homeless shelter in Santa Ana closes eventful month on homeless issues in Orange County
When the parties involved in the civil rights case over the clearing of the Santa Ana River Trail homeless encampments go back to federal court on Friday, Sept. 7, at least one city could present the presiding judge with what he’s waited months to hear: a potential agreement to open a shelter.
News of the proposed relocation of the Courtyard shelter at the Civic Center to a new site capped an eventful month on several fronts in the ongoing effort to address homelessness:
More shelter beds
Under a memorandum of understanding the Santa Ana City Council is set to consider on Tuesday, Sept. 4, the city and the county would relocate the Courtyard shelter to 3100-3120 W. Central Ave., a business park/industrial area in south Santa Ana near Fairview Street and Segerstrom Avenue.
Details of the pending agreement were included in the agenda packet for the upcoming city council meeting.
Related: Read the Memorandum of Understanding in full.
The cost to acquire the property is $13.5 million. The city would contribute $3.5 million in state grant funds to help acquire the building and make site improvements. The county would commit $10 million toward the purchase or lease.
The number of shelter beds would increase to 600. The Courtyard, a converted bus terminal that opened in October 2016, typically sleeps about 400 people nightly — a number that homeless advocates say amounts to overcrowding.
The proposed agreement would allocate 125 of the 600 beds to Santa Ana, with the remaining 475 beds “to serve the needs of the Central Service Planning Area,” which includes Santa Ana and eight other cities along with unincorporated Midway City: Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, Tustin, and Westminster.
The impact of homelessness on Santa Ana — and Anaheim — has been one of the issues raised before U.S. District Judge David O. Carter in the homeless lawsuit that has been unfolding since the county shut down the riverbed tent encampments.
At the last court hearing in early August, Carter tasked city and county officials with determining shelter locations in north, central and south county to house 1,550 homeless people.
Motel contract ends
The six-month, $1.7 million contract between the county and Baymont Inn & Suites in Anaheim to house homeless people from the riverbed encampments in need of mental health treatment ended on Friday, Aug. 31.
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But as of late Friday afternoon, seven people remained at the motel despite having been notified they could no longer stay there, according to Molly Nichelson, public information manager for the county.
Overall, the county had placed about 170 people from the riverbed encampments at the Baymont since late February. Some lived there with spouses and other partners.
In May, there were issues raised when about 30 of the Baymont residents said they were being evicted on short notice. People also complained about not getting adequate treatment from the staff of Telecare Corp., which provided mental health services at the Baymont under a county contract. The complaints triggered another court hearing with Judge Carter.
Things settled down when about half of those asked to leave were placed at another motel, a few were allowed to stay on at the Baymont, and the rest ended up elsewhere.
On Friday morning, one 35-year-old woman who declined to give her name said she and her husband had been at the motel for six months and were among those yet to leave. She said they would likely end up on the street again: “It’s just so stressful.”
But county representatives said alternatives were offered to all the Baymont residents that included room and board, licensed board and care facilities, independent living programs or reconnecting with their families. Most accepted the referrals, Nichelson said.
Placement for some has been complicated because of such issues as pet ownership or not wanting to share a room, Nichelson said.
“We’re negotiating to accommodate them and their needs,” Nichelson said. “The unfortunate thing is if they do not leave, we would have to take legal action against them to get them removed from the room. This is the last thing we want to do.”
There also were eviction issues unfolding with homeless clients that the county had placed at the La Palma Royale assisted living facility in Anaheim for 90-day recuperative care stays to address physical health issues. Homeless residents and their advocates said Friday they were being kicked out with no place to go.
Frances Sapien, 49, is in a wheelchair because of an ankle injury she suffered at the riverbed. It still has not healed, she said.
“I’ve got to figure out where to go on my own.”
Game changing legislation passes
Both houses of the state legislature passed AB 448 in late August to allow creation of the Orange County Housing Trust. Gov. Jerry Brown has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto pending bills.
Under a regional joint powers authority, the county and its 34 cities can compete as one for hundreds of millions of dollars in public and private funding to finance the construction of supportive housing for homeless people, and affordable housing for others with low incomes.
“Homelessness cannot be solved on the streets, and we need Permanent Supportive Housing as the backbone of our efforts to provide a full measure of wrap-around services,” said AB 448 co-author Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton) at its passage.