ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : New Hope for Homeless Families

Considering that single parents are the fastest-growing segment of Orange County’s homeless population, the opening of a shelter for homeless women and children in Orange in the next few weeks is timely and welcome. The shelter is an impressive accomplishment, deserving of all the plaudits it received this week from a host of city, county and federal officials.

The House of Hope was built entirely with private funds. More than half of the $1.5-million outlay came from craftsmen and builders working through HomeAid, the nonprofit organization of the Orange County chapter of the Building Industry Assn. HomeAid has done good work in erecting or refurbishing a number of homeless shelters.

Much of the money was raised in Orange, a fact that enabled the shelter operator, the Orange County Rescue Mission, to demonstrate convincingly to city officials that the House of Hope had the backing of their constituents. Thus the project avoided the “not in my back yard” reaction so common when such facilities are proposed.

Wisely, the building was designed to fit in with other structures in the city’s Old Towne section. A federal Housing and Urban Development official noted that many people fear that housing for the homeless will resemble “flophouses.” The House of Hope shows that such facilities can be attractive. The Orange County Rescue Mission made a good decision in choosing to spread the facility across three lots so homeowners on each side would not feel crowded.

The house will provide shelter, health care, child care and academic and vocational classes to 20 women and 25 children for periods ranging up to 18 months. This will give them time to acquire job training and learning skills. The number of homeless women and children in the county is estimated at 4,000 or more, so much more assistance is needed.

Women and children are the most vulnerable segment of the homeless, now found in every city in Orange County. The House of Hope is an extraordinary achievement, worthy of duplication elsewhere.