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5 <br /> <br />Homelessness is a national issue that cannot be effectively addressed locally without <br />collaboration and partnerships across the region, including all cities and the County. <br />While addressing homelessness in Santa Ana, staff look at ways to partner, collaborate, <br />and align goals and strategies with federal, state, and local policies, priorities, and <br />actions. <br />As one of the 13 Big Cities in California, Santa Ana receives a direct allocation from the <br />State of California along with the County of Orange and the City of Anaheim. City of <br />Santa Ana staff have worked closely with both the City of Anaheim and the County of <br />Orange for many years. Coordination on funding opportunities, services and programs <br />is on-going. While each entity is responsible for their own jurisdictions, it is agreed that <br />a regional approach to homelessness in delivering services, housing and programs is <br />necessary. In preparation of the HHAP3 application, these entities met to discuss <br />community goals and to conceptualize priorities. Later in the HHAP3 application <br />process, Cal Optima joined as a new partner. Cal Optima is looking at a new stream of <br />funding to be used partially for street medicine. The street medicine program would <br />provide preventative primary and urgent care on the streets. Santa Ana is eagerly <br />awaiting to have Cal Optima work alongside our street outreach and engagement team. <br />The City is also interested in partnering with Cal Optima for needed services related to <br />Special Purpose Housing Vouchers. <br /> <br />Non-profit homeless service organizations are often times funded by multiple cities. Each <br />of these non-profit organizations are tied to the Coordinated Entry System (CES); and are <br />required to participate in the Homeless Information Management System (HMIS.) City of <br />Santa Ana staff serve on the Board of the Continuum of Care (CoC) and participate in a <br />number of regional meetings, which include the Central Service Planning Area (SPA), the <br />Homeless Provider Forum, and Commission to End Homelessness and United to End <br />Homelessness. Meetings are usually well-attended by stakeholders, including homeless <br />service providers, community and faith-based organizations, public health and healthcare <br />providers, employment organizations, advocate groups and homeless and formerly <br />homeless individuals. <br /> <br />Santa Ana staff participate in Housing Placement Match meetings that allow housing <br />providers to share housing opportunities for homeless households who are eligible based <br />on an assessment and the community prioritization plan. County meetings are facilitated <br />by 2-1-1 Orange County and staff in attendance include those referral agencies who have <br />assessed an applicant. In addition, the City of Santa Ana holds its own match meetings <br />with the County to ensure that Santa Ana homeless residents are working on documents <br />to be eligible for all housing opportunities. <br /> <br />The Santa Ana Housing Authority coordinates directly with the CoC’s and Coordinated <br />Entry System (CES). Specifically, our Housing Authority has awarded 135 project-based <br />vouchers that have been tied to CES in which the service provider is required to refer <br />families from the CES list for each project-based voucher unit. In addition, the Santa Ana <br />Housing Authority has received 231 Mainstream Program vouchers that were <br />administered for individuals on the CES list and 46 Foster Youth to Independence