Programs for Homeless, Poor to Share $6.48 Million

More than a dozen agencies serving Orange County’s poor and homeless were given an early Christmas gift Wednesday from federal housing officials who approved $6.48 million in grants that house and help people in need.

“It’s good news, it’s wonderful, we’re elated,” said Larry Haynes, executive director of Mercy House Transitional Living Centers of Santa Ana. “The money will dramatically improve the services we’re able to provide. This is a boost, a shot in the arm.”

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding $850 million in grants nationwide to help more than 330,000 homeless Americans get housing, job training, child care, mental health services and substance abuse treatment, said HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo.

Mercy House is part of a countywide coalition that will get $2.4 million, the lion’s share of the county’s federal grant. It will be used for shelter, food, counseling, transportation and other services for the county’s homeless population, which is estimated as high as 15,000 people.

In addition to shelter facilities, the aid will also help homeless women with children, disabled people, victims of domestic violence and residents living in transitional settings, such as motels and hotels.

Dan Miller, interim director of the county’s Housing and Community Development Department, was satisfied with the grant’s approval in view of last year’s rejection of the county’s application by HUD officials.

“We gave a higher priority this year for those types of programs to help homeless [people],” Miller said. “And, [the federal government] basically confirmed our priorities. We’re very pleased.”

In addition to Mercy House, other agencies that will get assistance include Laura’s House, a domestic violence shelter, Saddleback Community Outreach and Irvine Temporary Housing.

U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) announced the grants locally, and in a conference call with Cuomo and several county supervisors she spoke of the county’s need.

“This is just the sort of holiday news that warms the hearts of all of us,” Sanchez said. “Thanks to this federal funding, hundreds of our homeless, and those that suffer from physical impairments, will get the help that they need.”

In 1996, the county received $7.3 million in HUD funds for 22 projects. But last year, the application rejection left county officials baffled. The county sought $15.1 million but failed to make HUD’s funding cutoff when the application scored 12 points lower than it did the previous year.

After the denial, the county was forced to squeeze here and there in attempts to keep social service agencies helping the homeless operating. But Miller and agency directors acknowledged that services to the poor suffered as a result.

“It made us use money from other budgets,” Miller said. “All programs were affected by this in some way. Obviously, we didn’t meet the need for the homeless and it really impacts us now.”

With night temperatures dipping into the 30s, the plight of the homeless is again a major problem in Orange County, said Haynes, who added that the grant will help meet a serious need.

“We’ve estimated that there’s slightly more than 2,000 shelter beds in the county, and we have from a homeless population estimate that ranges from a low of 8,000 to a high of 15,000 people,” Haynes said. “To give you a better perspective, we have waiting lists of people at our facility of three to six months to get in. We probably turn away anywhere from 15 people on a slow day to as many as 50.”

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Housing Help

Several Orange County agencies will share $6.48 million in federal grants. The money will go mainly to help expand and secure transitional housing for homeless families and victims of domestic abuse.

Organization: Amount

Mercy House: $2,453,982

City of Tustin: $800,625

Laura’s House: $692,310

Interval House: $631,014

YWCA of Central Orange County: $627,000

Shelter for the Homeless*: $410,445

Human Options Inc.: $344,500

Irvine Temporary Housing Inc.: $215,203

Women’s Transitional Living Center Inc.: $113,481

Saddleback Community Outreach: $192,339

* With Orangewood Children’s Foundation

Note: Mercy House and Irvine Temporary Housing share their funding with six other agencies

Source: Orange County Housing and Community Development Department

Los Angeles Times