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How is Orange County Addressing Homelessness? <br /> <br />2021-2022 Orange County Grand Jury Page 5 <br /> <br />amount of money is being spent, the outcomes achieved, and whether this investment of public <br />dollars is making a difference. <br />METHOD OF STUDY <br />• Reviewed CoC contracts, budgets, and performance evaluations. <br />• Toured emergency shelters, food service providers, substance abuse and mental health <br />treatment programs, and the Collaborative Courts. <br />• Interviewed federal authorities, city managers, shelter providers, homeless outreach workers, <br />law enforcement personnel, county staff responsible for shelter and affordable housing, <br />mental health professionals, OC jail staff, and homeless individuals. <br />• Reviewed documents including the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness, Continuum of Care <br />Board minutes and reports, previous California Grand Jury reports, budgets, articles, and <br />litigation. <br />• Conducted internet research on homeless issues. <br />INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS <br />Orange County Continuum of Care Collaboration <br />Since 1998, Orange County has developed a comprehensive regional continuum of care to <br />address homelessness in Orange County. This collaboration covers Orange County’s 34 cities <br />and unincorporated areas. County departments and agencies, local governments, homeless, <br />housing, supportive service providers, and community groups (including non-profits, faith-based <br />organizations, interested business leaders, schools, individuals with lived experience, and many <br />other stakeholders) joined as participants with the shared mission to address homelessness. <br />The Orange County Continuum of Care Board (CoC), created in 2016, is the governing body for <br />the continuum of care, whose goal is to oversee and implement this strategic collaboration as <br />authorized by federal legislation.16 The CoC is comprised of diverse representatives of the <br />collaborative participants. <br /> <br />16 Subtitle C of Title IV of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, (42 U.S.C.11381-11389). <br />“James” abruptly found himself homeless and on the street at the age of 18 when his foster <br />parents said they had completed their obligation to him. With few resources, he turned to <br />friends who let him “couch surf”, and then out of desperation, enlisted in the military. After his <br />service, he returned to Orange County where found a friend to stay with and worked to get back <br />on his feet. His lifelong struggles with homelessness coupled with excessive anger issues, <br />addictions, and recovery from negative childhood experiences have required committing to <br />radical personal change. Today in his early 50s, James has a job, and a mission to serve his <br />community, teaching kids and helping the homeless with food, resources, and advice.