Homelessness: A COUNTYWIDE CRISIS
HB Homeless: By The Numbers
Homelessness is a growing crisis throughout Orange County. To quantify the scale of this crisis, the County and its partners conducted a Point in Time count in January 2019 and identified 6,860 sheltered and unsheltered individuals throughout the County. The majority (3,332) were identified in the Central Service Planning Area, which includes Huntington Beach and nine other cities. In Huntington Beach alone, 289 unsheltered (and 60 sheltered) individuals were identified through this count, which is a 143% increase in our unsheltered population since the last Point in Time count in 2017. As COVID-19 continues to impact the financial and housing security of residents, the number of homeless families and individuals are expected to increase and will require immediate solutions to address this crisis.
A brief report of the 2019 Point in Time count is available HERE.
In response, Homeless Shelters have opened in:
In an effort to comply with a Federal Mandate as well as recent case law, Martin v. Boise (2018), the following Orange County cities have constructed a shelter to address homelessness.
- Anaheim
- Santa Ana
- Tustin
- Laguna Beach
- Costa Mesa
- Placentia
- Buena Park
- Fullerton
- Newport Beach - Opening Soon
Beyond offering just shelter, navigation centers also provide access to comprehensive support services, such as vocational training, mental health services, transportation, and limited medical care. Without a shelter and a settlement agreement approved by Federal Judge David O. Carter, the City cannot legally prevent homeless encampments on public spaces, including parks and parking lots.
