ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : A Sale That Could Cost Plenty

The wreckage caused by Orange County’s bankruptcy already can be seen, from laid-off county workers trying to pay bills to welfare recipients waiting in long lines because some offices have shut. The problems may soon become more widespread. Later this month the county plans to auction 19 parcels of land it owns. The sale was caused by the devastating loss of $1.69 billion last year by the county-run investment pool. Among the properties on the block will be five Santa Ana parcels that include Phoenix House, a 135-bed residential substance abuse program for adolescents and adults.

Losing the program conceivably could cost the county more money in the long run than it makes in the sale when costs of duplicating services or the social costs of doing without them are calculated. Phoenix House residents are assisted in getting off drugs and finding jobs. When they succeed, everyone benefits. A life racked by drugs, and often by crime, gets turned around and society gains a productive member rather than paying for treatment.

If the property is sold, the county, cities, businesses and Phoenix House must work together to maintain a system of treatment that has worked well for 17 years.

Phoenix House officials said they hoped to be able to buy the property themselves. But given the likely high cost, the officials admit their chances are slim. The county has not said how much it hopes to get from each parcel, and it reserves the right to reject low bids. The 12-acre complex that includes Phoenix House is valued at nearly $5 million.

The county long has leased the property to Phoenix House for $1 a year, rightly recognizing the good done by the program. In some cases, county-administered funds pay for part of the $20,000 to $25,000 a year that treatment costs. Sometimes judges require a defendant to enter the program as a condition of not being sent to jail.

If the City of Santa Ana or a private developer winds up with the property, a way to keep Phoenix House at the site should be sought. Failing that, some way must be found to keep the program in the county. There are lines of people waiting to get into drug addiction programs; the county can ill-afford to lose one.