The Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Jan. 24 a temporary cold weather shelter for the homeless in Fullerton, ending a six-month search.
The facility will be located at Independence Park’s gymnasium, providing 90 beds, Doug Becht, the director of operations for the Orange County Health Care Agency, said during the board’s meeting.
Becht said the shelter will serve as an “immediate respite from cold weather” in addition to connecting the homeless to social services for permanent housing.
It will operate from Feb. 1 through the end of March or into April, depending on the need, from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. Each staying there will be provided a warm dinner, hot shower, and breakfast, Becht said.
He also said the gymnasium will be fenced off from the rest of the park “to ensure the smallest impact on the community.”
The county will also provide transportation at two shutter sites in Fullerton to bus the homeless in and out of the shelter, he said.
The non-profit People Assisting the Homeless, or PATH, will operate the shelter. The organization, which works throughout California, locates housing for the homeless and helps newly sheltered people remain in their homes.
The county agreed to pay the non-profit just over $595,000 from now until April 15 for their services, and another $7,500 per month to Fullerton for renting the facility.
Fullerton City Councilman Ahmad Zahra spoke during the meeting asking the board to approve the shelter in his district.
“We in Fullerton are committed to solving homelessness,” he said.
The county began looking for a cold weather shelter in July, according to Supervisor Doug Chaffee, but received no responses to its bid for a location.
In October, officials began negotiations with the Salvation Army to run such a shelter in downtown Santa Ana.
But the nonprofit backed out after facing opposition from Santa Ana city officials, who argued that surrounding cities do not do their part to address homelessness.
Chaffee said during the meeting that he is “very pleased” his hometown is providing the facility.
“I thank Fullerton for stepping up, and I look forward to the shelter opening rapidly,” he said.
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who is the former mayor of Santa Ana, said the county should look into rotating the responsibility for such among all Orange County cities and also expressed gratitude to Fullerton.
“Thank you for stepping up and providing that site. It’s been a tough season,” he said.
