Anaheim : Part of Church May Shelter the Homeless

A plan to convert part of a Seventh-day Adventist Church into a shelter for homeless families has won unanimous approval from the church’s board of directors and will go to the congregation for a vote on Oct. 5.

If the plan gets the congregation’s support, Christian Temporary Housing Facilities will lease space from the church, at 900 S. Sunkist St., to provide overnight housing for as many as 20 families. It would be the first instance of putting part of an Orange County church to such a use, Michael Elias, executive director of the housing group, said Monday after the directors’ approval.

“It’s been a dream of ours for some time to use churches as shelters,” Elias said.

The organization would use a $20,000 federal grant to lease the facility and pay for bedding and other items while continuing to search out other sources of cash.

Elias said his group received 23,000 requests from homeless people last year but could accept only about 3,700 of them at the organization’s Orange shelter. The facility is designed for about 16 people but usually accommodates 40 to 50 a night, he said.