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that with proper leadership the future is bright for both the County and Santa Ana. I also believe <br />that the County's homeless population should be treated with compassion and respect and they <br />should reciprocate the same back towards others. <br />I would like to help in some manner with the homeless situation in Orange County and Santa Ana. I <br />am concerned that it is very possible that normal Santa Ana residents' voices, such as my own and <br />my neighbors, are not being heard in the discussions that our officials are having and feel that my <br />point of view is shared by many in our community. I applaud the recent leadership we have seen <br />from everyone involved and although there has been frustration in the past, I am optimistic that we <br />can find both a short term patch and a long term solution. <br />I work in Irvine and commute through downtown Santa Ana on a daily basis. My eyes have been <br />opened and my heart softened over the years for those who are in need of shelter partly because of <br />where I live and my daily commute. As a resident of Santa Ana, I have encounters on a daily basis <br />with those who are having challenges of shelter, finances, and addiction. I do not livein an ivory <br />tower although my neighborhood may be more shelted than other parts of the community. <br />I urge anyone that feels that an immediate solution is not needed to the homeless situation that is <br />being felt in Santa Ana and Anaheim to volunteer to take all of those who are camping out at the <br />Plaza of the Flags in downtown Santa Ana as well as those who are strolling our streets on a daily <br />basis into their own neighborhood. This is a dire situation that needs immediate leadership by all <br />those involved and as such I thank you in advance for tackling this topic. <br />The Current Situation <br />The current homeless situation is unacceptable. It requires both immediate action as well as long <br />term strategic planning. I feel that everyone will be focusing on the long term solutions, which will <br />take months and years in order to accomplish. This is partly because no one wants to step up to the <br />plate and deal with the current homeless population and also because a longer term solution has an <br />opportunity to allow the status quo to remain and pass the problem along to the next set of elected <br />officials. There are a few notable exceptions with select cities such as Anaheim, Santa Ana and <br />partly the City of Orange who deal with the homeless population on a daily basis and therefore do <br />not have the luxury of only focusing on the long term. Regardless, immediate and swift action is <br />needed. <br />The concentration of homeless population in make shift housing has created an unsafe <br />environment at the Plaza of the Flags. As you know, this area is overcrowded, unsafe, unclean, <br />possibly a public health and safety hazard and is depriving my family and others in the City and <br />County of the opportunity to utilize the Civic Center for its intended and multiple purposes. Again, <br />it is not that there are one or two homeless individuals but instead it is the concentration of so <br />many in a tight space. <br />As we know, the downtown area also has the Courtyard homeless shelter. This is a better <br />environment than the crowd at the Plaza of the Flags due to the services and shelter provided. <br />However, with both of these in such close proximity it is a concern for all involved. <br />21Page <br />