The County of Orange and its contracted non-profit, CityNet, have connected 477 encamped people with motel stays and shelter since February 14, 2018.
Hundreds of other homeless people remain uprooted from the Santa Ana riverbed.
Last week, a temporary restraining order stalling officials from uprooting homeless people, was lifted by U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter.
The County of Orange and its contracted non-profit, CityNet, have connected 477 encamped people with motel stays and shelter since February 14, 2018.
Hundreds of other homeless people remain uprooted from the Santa Ana riverbed.
Last week, a temporary restraining order stalling officials from uprooting homeless people, was lifted by U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter.
Orange County Health Care Agency workers went to work, providing 180 homeless residents in the Santa Ana Riverbed with housing in motels throughout the county. These homeless residents also receive transportation services as well food vouchers for the duration of their motel stay.
While county staff are working around the clock to locate more motel rooms, the work of evaluating and housing additional homeless residents continues.
“The county has more than delivered on its promise under the court stipulation,” said Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do. “We are continuing to offer services to help transition the remaining residents out of the riverbed. Our pace is not dictated by our capacity of temporary housing, but rather the time it takes to properly evaluate clients in order to make the appropriate housing and treatment recommendation. However, our work has increased due to a dramatic increase in the number of people who claim to be residents in the riverbed.”
Knowing there is increased service in the Santa Ana Riverbed, “County officials have witnessed people, including homeless advocates, transporting and dropping off people who are medically frail or families with children into the riverbed,” said Do. "These actions not only impede our current work but also leave these individuals in very vulnerable, and potentially dangerous, situations."
For more information about the County of Orange, visit www.ocgov.com.
