LOCAL : Santa Ana Homeless Sweeps Hit
Homeless rights advocates today deplored the homeless sweeps at the county Civic Center in Santa Ana and blamed local governments and the county for refusing to find alternative housing for the homeless.
“The homeless are considered the new lepers of society,” said Jean Forbath, the chairwoman of the county’s Human Relations Commission. “We can’t push these people to one place and expect them to disappear. There is no island out there where we can put them.”
In a press conference today, Forbath and other advocates said the county must provide more detox beds and drug rehabilitation programs and develop single-room occupancy hotels for those who stay at the Civic Center.
On Aug. 15, the Santa Ana police launched a sweep that netted 64 homeless people who were cited for minor violations such as littering and urinating in public. The next week, the police arrested 26 people.
According to the Orange County Homeless Issues Task Force, there are 18 shelters in the county with 600 shelter beds. However, there are an estimated 10,000 homeless people in Orange County, almost half children under the age of 18.
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