New Santa Ana | Category Archives: homeless

The Santa Ana City Council to discuss the homeless crisis at a special meeting on Friday

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, homeless, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The Santa Ana City Council is conducting a special City Council meeting this Friday, March 30, 2018, at 9 a.m., at their Council chambers, located at 22 Civic Center Plaza.

The first half of this meeting is a closed session during which time the City Council will talk about their plans to illegally place a ballot measure on the June Primary ballot so they can extend their term limits.

The second half of the meeting gets more interesting. They are going to allow the public to comment as the City Council considers what they are calling a Short Term Homeless Plan. Continue reading→

The OC Board of Supervisors decided not to move the homeless out of Santa Ana

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, homeless, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: Homeless Solution Can Kicked Further Down the Road. Santa Ana Calls For Countywide Action on Homelessness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 27, 2018

Media Contact: Jorge Garcia, Assistant to the City Manager, (714) 586-6321

SANTA ANA, CA – Today, the Orange County Board of Supervisors reversed last week’s vote to designate three additional sites throughout Orange County as potential temporary homeless shelters. The action creates further delays in addressing a growing homelessness problem that the entire County is facing. The Board plans to revisit the matter in early April. Continue reading→

Santa Ana residents urged to speak at tomorrow’s Board of Supervisor meeting regarding the homeless

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, homeless, Michele Martinez, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Urgent Call to Action: Santa Ana we need to stand up and say no more…. Enough is enough!

By: Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Michele Martinez

Santa Ana has provided the largest share of assistance by any city in the county.

The Civic Center is the living room of Orange County but unfortunately, it has become ground zero for the homeless population. This regional crisis is impacting the quality of life for all residents, employees and visitors of Santa Ana.

I want to encourage all Santa Ana residents to attend the Board of Supervisors meeting this coming Tuesday, March 27, 2018, at 9am and ask the board to adopt a comprehensive homeless policy that states, “The County supports the equitable distribution of facilities and services throughout the Region, so that no one jurisdiction or community is impacted by providing more than its fair share of facilities and services”. Continue reading→

O.C. Supervisor Nelson aims to put the homeless at the Fairview Developmental Center

Posted on March 23, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Costa Mesa, homeless, Orange County, Shawn Nelson 1 Comment

Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson Joins California State Senator John Moorlach In Call to Open Fairview Developmental Center For Emergency Homeless Shelter

SANTA ANA, CA— In response to Federal Judge David O. Carter’s demand to immediately identify
a plan for emergency homeless shelters in Orange County, Orange County Supervisor Shawn Nelson is working with California State Senator John Moorlach to request he ask the State of California to take emergency action to open Fairview Developmental Center as an emergency homeless shelter.

The Fairview Developmental Center (FDC) occupies 114 acres of state-owned land and is centrally
located in Costa Mesa. The facility opened in 1959 and was originally designed to serve individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Utilizing infrastructure already in place will help expedite the transition of homeless from area motels to an improved triage center while satisfying the judge’s order to present a swift, realistic plan. Continue reading→

The County of Orange will spend $70M to set up more homeless housing outside of Santa Ana

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Andrew Do, homeless, Mental Health, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Homelessness Update

By O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do

On Monday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors directed staff to use $70.5 million of Mental Health Services Act funds for supportive housing and shelter for our homeless.

The Board also directed staff to enter into contract with American Family Housing for a 12-unit unrestricted site that can accommodate homeless couples. Continue reading→

Neighbors are opposing a new proposed bike trail near the Casa Bonita Neighborhood

Posted on March 19, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Bicycles, Crime, homeless, Neighborhood Associations, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The City of Santa Ana is proposing to open up the Santa Ana Riverbed to create a new bike trail that will affect residents living near the Casa Bonita Neighborhood from 1st to Willits & Raitt to the OC Flood Channel, according to an anonymous source.

Neighbors are concerned about this proposal as they allege that it will increase the chances of homeless encampments popping up again with so many of them having been recently displaced. They seem to gravitate towards riverbeds and bring with them increased crime including thefts from homes whose backyards will be exposed to the proposed new bike trail. The riverbed in question has been closed for some 30 years. Continue reading→

Orange County to audit $219M in mental health spending

Posted on March 15, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in homeless, Mental Health, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana, Calif. (March 15, 2018) – Orange County will audit more than $219 million in mental health spending in an effort to improve programs and better coordinate services with the county’s homeless response.

On Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a performance audit to identify and review all county mental health programs funded through the Mental Health Services Act. In approving the audit, the County intends to streamline hundreds of mental health programs that serve residents, including the estimated 52,500 Orange County teenagers living with a mental health condition. Continue reading→

Transient identified who died in Santa Ana’s Civic Center this weekend

Posted on March 13, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in homeless, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: UPDATE – Victim/Decedent Identified

Victim/Decedent Identified as Jesse Dean Dowell (44) transient Continue reading→

A man was assaulted and murdered at the Santa Ana Civic Center last night

Posted on March 12, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, homeless, Santa Ana, SAPD Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department

Advisory: Detectives Investigating a Homicide in the Civic Center Area

Victim: Pending Notification of Next of Kin

On Sunday, March 11, 2018, at 11:34 PM, Santa Ana Police officers responded to reports of an assault with a victim down in the Plaza of the Flags within the City of Santa Ana Civic Center. Orange County Fire Authority paramedics treated the victim at scene and declared him deceased at 11:52 PM. Continue reading→

Amazing video of the Santa Ana River Trail before and after the homeless were removed

Posted on March 3, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, homeless, Orange, Orange County, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Chairman’s Homelessness Update: After Clearing the Riverbed, Orange County Invests in Long-Term Solutions for Homelessness

Santa Ana, Calif. (March 2, 2018) – Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Andrew Do provides the sixth edition of his weekly update on the continuous and consistent progress in addressing homelessness.

SANTA ANA RIVERBED: BEFORE AND AFTER

The County delivered on its promise to motel-shelter all those living on the riverbed. Here is an aerial view of the riverbed before and after sheltering over 700 homeless individuals: Continue reading→

Homeless man arrested after police find a woman’s body at Talbert Regional Park

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Costa Mesa, Crime, homeless, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Costa Mesa Police Department

Advisory: Man arrested after police find woman’s body in Talbert Regional Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 28, 2018

COSTA MESA, Calif. – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) arrested a man today after the body of a woman was found in Talbert Regional Park.

At approximately 7:10 a.m., on Feb. 28, 2018, CMPD Dispatch received a call from a man advising he had found a female’s body in the Talbert Regional Park area. Police officers and detectives responded to the Talbert Nature Preserve, at 1299 Victoria Street, and located the male caller, identified as Daniel Correa, as well as the female’s body in the brush area nearby. Continue reading→

The new O.C. mental health facility will be located in Orange

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Andrew Do, Crime, Drugs, homeless, Orange, Orange County, Public Safety Leave a comment

Homeless Response: In 24 months, Orange County will open $26 million mental health facility

O.C.’s first publicly-owned mental health treatment facility

Santa Ana, Calif. (February 28, 2018) — With its largest homeless encampment now dismantled, Orange County is moving forward with a $26 million investment in the county’s first publicly-owned mental health treatment facility, to be located at 265 S. Anita Drive, in Orange, CA.

On Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of an office building in Orange that will be renovated into a treatment center for people with mental health and substance abuse problems. Continue reading→

Orange County paid $26M for property for a new mental health facility for the homeless

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in homeless, Mental Health, Orange County, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Homelessness: Orange County buys property for $26 million mental health facility

Orange County purchased a property that will become the county’s first publicly-owned mental health facility.

As part of its long-term response to homelessness through the county-wide System of Care, the County of Orange is building a $26 million mental health facility that will provide emergency mental health crisis stabilization, drug abuse treatment, and long-term residential psychiatric care. Continue reading→

OC taxpayers paid to house 700 homeless people in local motels

Posted on February 27, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, homeless, Orange County, Santa Ana 1 Comment

700 Homeless Individuals Along Santa Ana Riverbed Are Motel-Sheltered

The County has linked approximately 700 homeless individuals encamped on the riverbed to motels or shelters; clearing the Riverbed of all encampments.

Santa Ana, Calif. (February 26, 2018) — As of Monday, February 26, 2018, the individuals homeless individuals encampment on the Santa Ana Riverbed Trail has officially been cleared. This announcement comes after the County has ensured temporary shelter in the form of motel vouchers, shelter beds, and alternative housing placement for all individuals who were previously encamped along the riverbed. Continue reading→

The OC Sheriff will enforce trespass laws on the Santa Ana River Trail as of today

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Art Pedroza Posted in Anaheim, Crime, homeless, OC Sheriff, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCSD to enforce trespass laws following the voluntary transition of homeless individuals encamped along the Santa Ana River Trail

SANTA ANA, Ca. (Feb. 26, 2018) – As of 2 p.m. today, all individuals encamped along the Santa Ana River Trail in the project area between Ball Road in the city of Anaheim and Memory Lane in the city of Orange have voluntarily complied with the request to relocate. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will now actively enforce state trespass laws and will maintain high visibility patrols in the area. Continue reading→