Some Facts About Homelessness in the OC and Affordable Housing in Irvine

Anita Coleman

March 22, 2018

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.

Orange County - California