Shelters Filling as Cold, Rain Send Homeless on Refuge Search

With rain forecast this weekend and the chill of winter already beginning to bite, cold-weather shelters in Orange County are at, or close to, their limit.

“I’m sure by 6 p.m. [Friday] everything will be at capacity here,” said Jim Palmer, director of the Orange County Rescue Mission, which has facilities in Santa Ana and Tustin. “Traditionally, the first week of a cold snap, this is always the case. Lots of people and not enough beds.”

Rain and hail fell in several areas of the county late Friday. There were no reports of damage.

Historically, during the winter months, the county has had problems helping a homeless population estimated at 15,000. In past years, officials waited until night temperatures dipped below 40 degrees to open two armories to the homeless.

However, the program has shifted in recent years. Now, the county’s shelter program does not begin until December and runs through March. Although it starts later in the year, the program runs for 120 days and provides food and shelter for at least 250 homeless people at National Guard armories in Santa Ana and Fullerton.

The armories and other shelters help only about 10% of the homeless people in the county.

“There are other ways that folks can get shelter,” said Karen Roper, the county’s homeless coordinator, noting that the county’s network of private, nonprofit agencies usually have motel vouchers for families.

The Salvation Army’s Hospitality House in Santa Ana was expected to be filled. A spokeswoman said colder nights were causing the homeless to seek refuge at the agency.

“But we only have room for 36 men and 16 women, and we have pull-out couches for women with children. We’re handing out blankets to those we can’t handle,” the spokeswoman said. “Of course, they’re asking for an extra blanket so most of them are walking away with two.”

Additional help with bed space is expected when the Navy signs final documents giving the Rescue Mission the go-ahead to begin refurbishing one of the military dormitories at the shuttered Tustin air base.

The Navy has already approved the mission’s application for a 192-bed shelter, Palmer said.

In Los Angeles County, the shelter program gets started next week. In preparation, workers are installing toilets, showers, carpeting and other amenities to transform warehouses and National Guard armories into refuges for large numbers of homeless men and women.

This year, 19 cold-weather shelters are expected to operate in Los Angeles County, providing about 2,100 beds.

From Nov. 18 to Dec. 15, most shelters are opened when the National Weather Service forecasts at least a 50% chance of rain or when the temperature is expected to drop below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Thereafter, the shelters are open continuously until Feb. 28.