<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/omeka-net/39333/archive/files/2966b70d760ec4d29850b058f30a040e.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI3ATG3OSQLO5HGKA&Expires=1528350653&Signature=XlOkL5ayH9eurdWyrBifhXSEoTY%3D"></a>Answers to Questions: About the Current Homelessness Crisis in the OC
Emergency Shelters (aka Emergency Housing) (Type of Homeless Housing)
Permanent Supportive Housing
Housing First
In late March and April of 2018, discussions erupted among many Southern Orange County residents about homelessness in the OC. In an effort to help the community know more about the history, the current situation, and potential solutions of homelessness, on May 31st, 2018, the Orange County Chinese Americans Parents Book Club (OCCAPBC) and Future Chinese Leaders of America (FCLA) organized a forum at 10 Corporate Park, Suite 120, Irvine. Professors Dr. David Snow, Dr. Jacob Avery, and Dr. Yang Su, three experts in researching homelessness, social inequality and poverty from Department of Sociology of UCI were invited to present their research results on the true cause of homelessness and the better initiative to combat it. People planning to attend the forum sent 8 questions to Jing Sun. Irvine For Everyone (I4E), a grassroots initiative that was launched on April 11, 2018 to change the dominant NIMBY narrative and help residents become informed, supportive neighbors, publicized the forum, and prepared this document. I thank Mr. Jing Sun for organizing the forum and allowing me to share about I4E. It is my honor to invite OCCAPBC and FCLA to join I4E and thank those members who’ve already signed-on. Resources plus opportunities for learning and service are included. Anita Coleman, Ph.D., Irvine, CA. June 1st, 2018
Anita Coleman
Garrett Dunbar
June 1, 2018
<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/omeka-net/39333/archive/files/60a886d8f6c75690f66d41e59de8c77c.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI3ATG3OSQLO5HGKA&Expires=1528605633&Signature=VVZcBdLQ5GN4dhR8zld1mKbqBgg%3D">https://s3.amazonaws.com/omeka-net/39333/archive/files/60a886d8f6c75690f66d41e59de8c77c.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI3ATG3OSQLO5HGKA&Expires=1528605633&Signature=VVZcBdLQ5GN4dhR8zld1mKbqBgg%3D</a>
<a href="https://medium.com/charis-research/some-facts-about-homelessness-in-the-oc-and-affordable-homes-in-irvine-babd10b4b019" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Some Facts About Homelessness in the OC and Affordable Housing in Irvine</a>
In March 2018 the Orange County Board of Supervisors, California, voted to use land that it owns in the City of Irvine near the Great Park, to erect temporary housing shelters for people vacated from the Santa Ana Riverbed (Santa Ana Skid River). The Irvine City Council held an emergency meeting on March 20, 2018. They listened to public comments and subsequently decided to go into litigation to stop the County from following its plan. Many stereotypes, mis-statements, and myths were casually thrown out by vociferous city residents on the social media NextDoor. There was “outrage” and protesting. They didn’t want the “homeless addicts housed near our homes,” people who “choose to be homeless,” “have refused services and continue to live a life of crime and drugs!” The original post on NextDoor was edited and blogged in an attempt to inspire Irvine residents to become informed, kind neighbors.
The 4-min blog post explains the economic reasons for homelessness and contains the definitive links to understand homeless and housing in the OC, including Irvine. The ground-breaking United Way/UCI/Jamboree Housing study, The Cost of Homelessness, and other important resources that explain the extreme housing shortages are all linked.
Anita Coleman
March 22, 2018
Orange County - California
<p>Housing is a Human Right OC, et al vs. County of Orange, Irvine, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Case 8:19-cv-00388, Filed 02/27/2019. South County Case Amended Complained 05/13/2019.</p>
Emergency Shelters (aka Emergency Housing) (Type of Homeless Housing)
Homeless persons
Homelessness
<p>In Housing is a Human Right OC, Orange County Catholic Worker, Emergency Shelter Coalition, et al vs. The County of Orange, The City of Irvine, The City of Aliso Viejo, The City of Dana Point, The City of San Juan Capistrano, The City of San Clemente, Case 8:19-cv-00388, Filed 02/27/2019.</p>
<p>Case 8:19-cv-00388 Document 1 Filed 02/27/19 (50 pages) the <a href="https://i4e.omeka.net/items/show/24" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Federal Lawsuit</a> from last year has been expanded. Five (5) South Orange County cities of Irvine, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, and San Clemente, are now sued for their treatment of homeless people and the lack of shelters. 50 pages. Class action suit. <br /><br />This is an action for injunctive and declaratory relief and damages for the individual plaintiffs pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for violations of Plaintiffs’ rights under the First, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, as well as federal statutory law applicable to individuals with disabilities.</p>
<p>Case revised to include 2019 PIT Count results 05/13/2019. <br /><span style="font-size:23.3px;font-family:serif;"></span></p>
Brooke Weitzman, Elder Law and Disability Rights Center
William Wise, Elder Law and Disability Rights Center
Carol A. Sobel, Law Office of Carol Sobel
Monique Alcaron, Law Office of Carol Sobel
February 27, 2019; Revised and refiled 05/13/2019
Complaint (Legal Document)
<a href="https://scng-dash.digitalfirstmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/South-County-homeless-lawsuit.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://scng-dash.digitalfirstmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/South-County-homeless-lawsuit.pdf</a>
Orange County, California, United States
<a href="Homelessness%20in%20OC%3A%202018%20Year%20in%20Review" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Homelessness in OC: 2018 Year in Review</a>
Nick Gerda
Voice of OC
24 Dec. 2018
Homelessness in OC: 2018 Year in Review
<a href="https://voiceofoc.org/2018/12/homelessness-in-oc-2018-year-in-review/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://voiceofoc.org/2018/12/homelessness-in-oc-2018-year-in-review/</a>
<a href="https://wraphome.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/NVL-Update-2016_Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">California’s New Vagrancy Laws: The Growing Enactment and Enforcement of Anti-Homeless Laws in the Golden State</a>
Homelessness
Homeless persons
Appendix has a list of the anti-vagrancy and other laws/ordinances against homeless people for some OC Cities. The Policy Advocacy Clinic prepared this 2016 update for the Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP). WRAP is a non-profit organization that was created to expose and eliminate the root causes of civil and human rights abuses of people experiencing poverty and homelessness. WRAP seeks to develop socially just solutions to all the barriers that prevent the ending of homelessness. ... This report updates the 2015 study on the enactment and enforcement of anti-homeless laws in California with new ordinance data from cities and updated arrest data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program. We find that California cities are enacting and enforcing anti-homeless laws in record numbers. In contrast with historical post-recession trends, arrests of people who are homeless continue to rise in spite of an improving economy. Further, cities appear to be arresting people increasingly based on their homeless status as opposed to any concrete unlawful behavior.
Policy Advocacy Clinic, Berkeley School of Law, University of California Berkely
2016
<strong>Recent Stories of Criminalization of Homeless Persons in the OC include:</strong> <br /><br /><strong>Note:</strong> Criminalization of homelessness has been going on for a while in the OC - see for example, this 2012 article by Amber Stephens in the Daily Titan, Cal State Fullerton student newspaper - <a href="https://dailytitan.com/2012/04/whats-left-criminalizing-societys-homeless/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://dailytitan.com/2012/04/whats-left-criminalizing-societys-homeless/</a> - but the stories listed below are only 2018 onwards. Generally, homeless people are criminalized by anti-vagrancy and anti-camping municipal ordinances, but recently cities in the OC have also added laws that make it unlawful to give food to homeless people. To learn more about how people are criminalized, you can read Sarma and Brand (2018) <a href="https://theappeal.org/the-criminalization-of-homelessness-an-explainer-aa074d25688d/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://theappeal.org/the-criminalization-of-homelessness-an-explainer-aa074d25688d/</a> and watch Prof. Jacob Avery's Vicious Circle video (15 mins long, 2019) to understand how homelessness and homeless people are criminalized - <a href="https://youtu.be/nqqcyjKeiz8?t=759" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://youtu.be/nqqcyjKeiz8?t=759</a><br /><br />Jan. 25, 2018. Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil. Anti-homeless laws crop up in Santa Ana in Line with a Statewide Trend, California Health Report. Available online: <a href="http://www.calhealthreport.org/2018/01/25/anti-homeless-laws-crop-santa-ana-line-statewide-trend/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">http://www.calhealthreport.org/2018/01/25/anti-homeless-laws-crop-santa-ana-line-statewide-trend/</a><br />Last accessed: May 13, 2019. <br /><br />April 3, 2018. Spencer Custodio. Moving started for Santa Ana's Civic Center Homeless, Voice of OC. Available online: <a href="https://voiceofoc.org/2018/04/moving-started-for-santa-ana-civic-centers-homeless/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://voiceofoc.org/2018/04/moving-started-for-santa-ana-civic-centers-homeless/</a><br />Last accessed: May 13, 2019.<br /><br />Sept. 5, 2018. Norberto Santa Ana, Jr. OC Lack of Progress on Homelessness is Tragic. Could it Soon be Illegal? Available online: <br /><a href="https://voiceofoc.org/2018/09/santana-oc-lack-of-progress-on-homelessness-is-tragic-could-it-soon-be-illegal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://voiceofoc.org/2018/09/santana-oc-lack-of-progress-on-homelessness-is-tragic-could-it-soon-be-illegal/</a><br />Last accessed: May 13, 2019.
Research Report
<a href="https://wraphome.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/NVL-Update-2016_Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://wraphome.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/NVL-Update-2016_Final.pdf</a>
California -- United States of America
<a href="http://www.ocgov.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=74312" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Building the System of Care</a>
Emergency Shelters (aka Emergency Housing) (Type of Homeless Housing)
A set of three distinct presentations describe how the OC Continuum of Care is being built. The first, Assessment of Homeless Services of the County in 2016 and the progress made since then as well as future plans. The second is, Mental Health Services Integration: Responding to Homelessness which describes funding, legislation, locations and plans for permanent supportive housing; and the third is the County Budget Overview.
Susan Price
Director of Care Coordination
County Executive Office
Richard Sanchez
Director, Health Care Agency
Frank Kim
County Executive Officer
County of Orange
April 17, 2018
Orange County
<a href="http://bos.ocgov.com/ceo/care/HOMELESS%20ASSESSMENT%20DCC%20REPORT_10.18.2016.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">An Assessment of Homeless Services in Orange County</a>
Susan Price (OC’s Continuum of Care Director aka The Homelessness Czar) assessment of homelessness services in Orange County and the need to do more. 43 pages. Includes glossary, program descriptions such as what does Continuum of Care mean? What is the Co-ordinated Entry system which is using the VI-SPDAT tool? Barriers, key findings, nature and number of homelessness in the OC, homelessness resources in the OC, laws and legislation, etc. are all described with graphics and text.
Susan Price, Director of Care Coordination, County Executive Office
<a href="http://www.ocgov.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Board of Supervisors, County of Orange</a>
[2016]
PDF
English
Report
Orange County - California
<a href="https://www.211oc.org/images/PIT-Final-Report-2017-072417.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orange County Continuum of Care 2017 Homeless Count and Survey Report Point In Time</a>
On a single night in January 2017, 4,792 people experienced homelessness in Orange County. Homeless people in Orange County are diverse: they are young and old, men and women, chronic and newly homeless, alone or in families. The
2017 count shows that homeless people comprise 0.15 % of the total population of Orange County. This report was Commissioned by 2-1-1 Orange County and Prepared by Focus Strategies.
Tracy Bennett, Director of Analytics and Evaluation, Focus Strategies
Genevieve Williamson, Chief Analyst, Focus Strategies
Samantha Spangler, Analytics Consultant, Focus Strategies
Courtney Jimenez, Analytics Intern, Focus Strategies
<a href="https://www.211oc.org/reports/point-in-time.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2-1-1 Orange County</a>
July 2017
PDF
English
Report
Survey
Orange County - California - United States
<a href="https://youtu.be/RZUlkU5oQ1M" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A Conversation on Poverty (video)</a>
A conversation between Mohammed Ally, attorney and founder of Orange County Poverty Alleviation Coalition and Irvine resident and researcher Dr. Coleman. Provides a good overview of the OC Homelessness crisis at this point in time, March - May 2018, introduces Irvine for Everyone, which Anita founded to advocate for homeless housing in Irvine. (http://tinyurl.com/irvineforeveryone)
Orange County Poverty Alleviation Coalition
2018
mp3
Video
<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/omeka-net/39333/archive/files/616f2a835ba2ab1dde87bfdcca8eed5e.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAI3ATG3OSQLO5HGKA&Expires=1528168453&Signature=pr1ZYDGBrCBERxaufCrE6rFw6Sk%3D" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orange County Catholic Worker v. Orange County, Case 8:18-cv- 000155, Filed 01/29/18</a>
Emergency Shelters (aka Emergency Housing) (Type of Homeless Housing)
Lawsuit filed by the Elder Law and Disability Rights Center in the US District Court for the Central District of California, Southern Division. 40 pages.
January 29, 2018
Orange County -- United States
<a href="http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB448" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AB-448 Joint Powers Authority: Orange County Housing Trust (2017-2018)</a>
A housing trust fund will be created for OC if CA passes AB 448 (Daly) 2018.
Below is excerpt introduced in response to the OC Homelessness crisis. Thanks to the tireless work of activists and advocates such as Orange County Poverty Alleviation Coalition and its founder attorney Mohammed Aly.
Introduced by Assembly Member Members Daly and Quirk-Silva
(Coauthors: Senators Bates, Moorlach, and Nguyen):
An act to amend Section 54930 of add Section 6539.5 to the Government Code, relating to local government. joint powers.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 448, as amended, Daly. Local governments: parcel taxes: notice.
Joint powers authorities: Orange County Housing Trust.
Existing law authorizes 2 or more public agencies, by agreement, to form a joint powers authority to exercise any power common to the contracting parties, as specified. Existing law authorizes the agreement to set forth the manner by which the joint powers authority will be governed.
This bill would authorize the creation of the Orange County Housing Trust, a joint powers authority, for the purposes of funding housing specifically assisting the homeless population and persons and families of extremely low, very low, and low income within the County of Orange, as specified.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of Orange.
Amended in Senate May 31, 2018
Irvine For Everyone
1-page position statement of I4E. The mission of Irvine for Everyone is to form a group of Irvine residents supporting the creation of a full spectrum of housing in Irvine.
April 15, 2018