O.C. Won’t Expand Armory Shelter Use

Orange County will not adopt new state guidelines that allow expanded use of National Guard armories as round-the-clock winter shelters for the homeless because it lacks the funds and the manpower, shelter officials announced.

Instead, armories in Santa Ana and Fullerton will continue to open only under a set of rigid weather guidelines that have been abandoned by virtually every other county in the state, according to state officials.

At least 14 counties that had been operating armories as shelters have indicated that they plan to open on a continuous basis, according to Beverly Passerello, shelter coordinator for the state Office of Emergency Services. They include Los Angeles, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Diego counties.

Officials in Orange County, however, say funds simply are not available to expand armory use. Moreover, more than $191,000 in federal funds requested by homeless program officials to operate the armories this year have yet to be approved.

The Federal Emergency Management Assistance Board is scheduled to meet Monday to decide on the request.

In addition, a trust fund set up for private donations and financial aid from cities is almost depleted, according to county officials, who complain that with a few exceptions, cities and the public have provided little in the way of money or staffing for the program.

“We had to do some real soul-searching because of our lack of resources,” said Maria Mendoza, Orange County’s coordinator of homeless programs. “We discussed the new policy and . . . realistically didn’t see how it would be feasible.”

County officials estimate the annual costs of operating the program for 30 nights at more than $255,000, including costs for in-kind services such as security, blankets and maintenance.

The county provides $130,000 to administer the program with other funding coming from federal, state and private sources.

The cities of Brea and Placentia have contributed to the trust fund, while Santa Ana, Fullerton, Garden Grove and Anaheim have provided staff for security and site management.

The Orange County shelter program would need at least an additional $200,000 to open continuously through the winter, local homeless advocates estimated.

These same advocates, bruised during recent county budget negotiations in which the program barely survived, acknowledged that they were reluctant to pressure the county to do more.

“At this point I don’t think it would be politically wise for us to push the county,” said Lee Podalak, president of the Orange County Homeless Issues Task Force.

The problems Orange County faces point to disarray in programs that sprang from government at its most altruistic. Armory shelter programs throughout Southern California are suffering financial strains and have changed the way they operate. Many counties have contracted out their programs to private agencies.

Aside from Los Angles County, mostly Northern California counties have pressed hardest for the new shelter policy, and the contrast appears to center on the differences in weather conditions in the two halves of the state.

“The weather is a real difference,” Mendoza agreed. “The weather is so changeable (in Orange County), one minute it’s raining and the next day it could be sunny and warm.”

Passerello conceded that armory operations have operated on a patchwork basis, but she said that the program has generally fulfilled its purpose.

“This program was a brand-new concept and there were definitely some kinks, but we perceive it as a lifesaving program,” she said.

Under emergency guidelines established in 1987 by then-Gov. George Deukmejian, armories open when the temperatures are forecast to fall below 40 degrees or below 50 degrees with a 50% chance of rain.

But homeless advocates have long contended that the 40-degree threshold was pointless and have argued that continuous operation was more cost-effective.

Most counties began operating armories on a three-day schedule--under the assumption that a cold snap will usually last for several days--and state authorities approved such plans.

Under new policies approved last month by Gov. Pete Wilson, counties now have the option of remaining open 24 hours a day, seven days a week through February.

Mendoza said the three-day armory schedule was explored but rejected because of cost constraints. She also noted that most of the counties that utilize the three-day schedule have contracted operation of their armory programs out to private agencies.

In fact, Orange County officials are also reviewing possible private operation of the shelter program and have begun talks with the Salvation Army about a package deal that would take effect next winter, Mendoza said.

Lt. Lee Lescano, Orange County coordinator for the Salvation Army, confirmed the talks and said a decision is likely to be made within a few months.

No budget for the program has been discussed, and it has not been determined how much money, if any, the county would save.

But Lescano said it is likely that his agency would request the resources to operate the armory program in a more “consistent” manner.

“Not necessarily 24 hours a day, but we do need some continuity,” said Lescano, who before coming to Orange County operated an armory shelter in Inglewood. “Our experience there was when we opened for longer stretches of time attendance increased pretty steadily.”

The Homeless Issues Task Force has taken no official position on the new policy, other than expressing hope that local armories open as often as possible.

Their apparent inaction has led to criticism from some in the homeless community who said the group should worry less about politics and more about homeless people who must suffer though cold nights.

“I think it is felt by a lot of people that the task force is not willing to step on any toes or be as aggressive as it might,” said one homeless activist who requested anonymity.

However, Podalak said there is real doubt about the effectiveness of the armory program in meeting the needs of the homeless.

“I think the armory is the least-favored program because we don’t have the capacity to provide other services along with it, such as job counseling and educational services,” she said. “So many of our other programs do that, and I think basically we would like to see more time and effort put into these programs.”