YWCA Contradicts Santa Ana Official in Housing-Grant Flap

Amid a controversy over Santa Ana’s failure to apply for $66,000 in federal funds to assist the homeless, YWCA officials denied Friday that they had been asked to seek the money.

Santa Ana Mayor Dan Young said Friday that he had asked the city’s Housing Department for an explanation.

In published reports, city housing director Patricia C. Whitaker was quoted as saying that the YWCA was approached about applying for the funds.

But Mary Douglas, the YWCA’s executive director, said Friday: “No one from the city approached us and asked us about applying for any money.”

Douglas said she met with city housing officials--including community development director Cindy Nelson--three weeks ago to “share our financial plight.”

“This is a very critical point in time for us because we’re in desperate need of funds, or we’re going to have to close,” Douglas said. “But we were never asked by the City of Santa Ana about applying for any emergency funding.”

Nelson and Whitaker could not be reached for comment Friday.

A total of $50 million was scheduled to go to 322 cities and urban counties beginning this week. Santa Ana’s failure to seek its $66,000 share has embittered the county’s advocates for the homeless.

Spokesmen for some Santa Ana-based private shelters said they would have gladly applied for the funds, had they only known about them.

They said they are angry in part because homeless shelters in Santa Ana traditionally have provided beds and food for most of the county’s estimated 5,000 homeless individuals.

Pointing to this year’s $100,000 city grant to the new YWCA shelter, Mayor Young defended the city’s track record for helping private agencies and the homeless.

Young said the city is “anything but” opposed to seeking federal funds.

The decision by the Housing Department was never brought to the City Council’s attention, he said:

“The City Council was not even aware that the grant was available. This just happens to be a situation where we did not apply. I wish I could tell you why, but I’ve asked the staff to look into why and report back. . . . If they (city officials) can sort of revisit that issue and get back in line, well I’m confident the federal government will allow us to, especially if the funds were to be set aside anyway.”

Orange County has a homeless population estimated at about 5,000 people.

Special aid for the homeless was approved by Congress in a highly publicized vote three months ago.

Anaheim and Orange County submitted applications that have been approved. Anaheim is scheduled to receive $39,000, the county $79,000.

Inglewood, Glendale and El Monte also did not apply for funds.