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How is Orange County Addressing Homelessness? <br /> <br />2021-2022 Orange County Grand Jury Page 10 <br /> <br /> <br />3. Shelter - Emergency shelter capacity increased over 40 percent from 2,665 in 2017 to 3,756 <br />in 2021, primarily in North and Central SPA cities. This increase helped to temporarily house <br />many of the homeless of Orange County. <br />Low-Threshold Emergency Shelters are open to all individuals whose behavior is consistent <br />with the shelter rules. This includes individuals who are suffering mental illness as well as <br />those who are still using drugs and alcohol. The County of Orange funds two such shelters, <br />BRIDGES in the North SPA and YALE in the Central SPA, but has been unsuccessful in <br />siting a shelter in South SPA. <br />Navigation Centers are emergency shelters that are funded by cities and other sources. <br />Shelters have opened in Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, <br />Placentia, Tustin, and Santa Ana. Additional shelters are operated by various non-profits and <br />faith-based organizations around Orange County. The OCGJ found that no low-threshold <br />emergency shelters had been opened in South SPA cities to meet the identified need. <br />Various levels of service are provided at the emergency shelters in addition to safe beds, <br />food, and showers. The low-threshold, multi-service county shelters work with the residents <br />to do the following: develop a plan to get into permanent housing; get job training and secure <br />a job; obtain benefits for which they qualify, such as veterans, general relief, disability, or <br />other public assistance; get into treatment programs to help with their substance abuse or <br />mental illness; receive medical care and needed medicine; and overcome other individual <br />challenges to independent living. <br /> <br />Note: Numbers include year-round and seasonal shelters, and 517 temporary COVID beds. 20 <br /> <br />20 HIC Report Year Over Year 2017-21, 211 OC, Orange County, 2021. <br />2665 2921 <br />3494 3584 3756 <br />0 <br />500 <br />1000 <br />1500 <br />2000 <br />2500 <br />3000 <br />3500 <br />4000 <br />2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 <br />Shelter Capacity