$2-Million Boost Goes to Shelters

Orange County received an early Christmas gift Friday from the federal government: nearly $2.4 million to help the homeless at a time when the number of people needing shelter is rising.

The grant comes several weeks after the release of a county census that found the homeless population is climbing, in part because of skyrocketing rents that now average more than $1,000 a month.

The money will be divided among six projects, including a new, 40-bed transitional-housing shelter for homeless families recovering from substance abuse in a family member. Nearly $1 million will go to build housing for victims of domestic violence.

“It’s great news for us, especially the timing, and especially at Christmas,” said Karen Roper, who coordinates the county’s homeless prevention programs. “We asked for a lot more, but the competition is fierce out there. We’re just grateful that 1/8the federal Housing and Urban Development Department 3/8 recognized our need and the importance of our programs.”

HUD officials had warned Orange County and other jurisdictions that funding would likely be reduced this year because of a sharp rise in requests for money. HUD received more than $1.2 billion in grant requests nationwide this year. Roughly $750 million was available.

Orange County’s grant is about $4 million less than it received for similar projects last year, a drop that Roper said is indicative of the increase in funding requests nationwide. This year, Orange County officials asked for $7.3 million to pay for 13 projects. HUD officials based the awards on overall need and whether the program has already been given money in the past, she said.

But the outcome is much better than two years ago, when HUD rejected all $15 million in grant requests made by Orange County.

A report by the county’s executive office found that there are 14,086 homeless people in the county. The number represents an 18% jump over a 1998 study.

The county’s census defines a homeless person as someone who lives in a shelter, transitional living center or low-cost motel. The report was prepared by taking head counts at all local shelters as well as certain motels where families live for months at a time.

Three state armories that opened this month for the winter will provide about 300 additional beds, boosting the total number of shelter spaces available on a given night to about 3,500. The latest grant money should bring 131 additional beds to various segments of the homeless population, Roper said.

Operators of homeless shelters report an increase in the number of families seeking help, including some who simply can’t afford Orange County’s skyrocketing rents.

While the county estimates that 40% of the homeless population are substance abusers or have mental health problems, more than half simply don’t have the economic means to gain shelter.

The HUD grants will benefit a variety of projects aimed at help both mentally ill transients to homeless families:

* $921,112 to the Women’s Transitional Living Center for a 46-bed transitional housing project for victims of domestic violence.

* $312,375 to the John Henry Foundation for a 15-bed, permanent supporting housing project for homeless mentally ill.

* $103,824 to the Orange County Youth and Family Services for a 30-bed transitional housing project for homeless families.

* $346,719 to Shelter for the Homeless for a 40-bed transitional housing project for homeless families recovering from substance abuse in a family member. The agency also administers the county’s armories, Roper said.

* $388,629 to programs by Mental Health Assn. for outreach, assessment and case management services for the disabled with psychiatric illnesses and homeless adults.

* $324,450 to the Dayle McIntosh Center for case management, skills training and providing assistance for homeless disabled people.

While Orange County’s award this year falls “way short” of meeting its total homeless needs, Roper said officials are relieved just the same. They plan to ask HUD officials to critique the county’s homeless programs and project proposals, to glean suggestions on how they can improve their grant requests for next year.

“People need help. Lots of it,” she said.