EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Orange County represents a complex jurisdiction of interconnected systems impacted directly or indirectly by homelessness. Health care, criminal justice, child welfare, public transportation, economic and social, legislative and political systems all intersect with homelessness, with significant impacts in our local communities. This report represents a preliminary assessment of the key systems in place, with recommendations for next steps to provide the basis for an effective response to homelessness within Orange County. The solutions required are as diverse as the situation of homelessness is complex; it is a regional issue that requires strong collaboration, coordination, and leveraging of diverse resources. There are opportunities within the County organization, each of the 34 Cities and within the broader community. Leadership, creativity and talent exists throughout our community, within private business, universities, philanthropies, professional and civic organizations and faith-based sectors. I am committed to this work and will seek investments and contributions from every stakeholder in the County as we work together to alleviate the crisis of homelessness in Orange County. Regionally and across the state, our communities have experienced a visible increase in street homelessness, substance abuse, and a rise in petty crimes during the last 24 months. Law enforcement agencies and homeless service providers have increased alignment in an effort to proactively respond to exponentially rising calls for service to both systems to mitigate impacts locally. Although anecdotal, this notable increase may be attributed to legislative impacts from the realignment of state prison populations (AB 109) and Proposition 47, which reclassified nonviolent felonies as misdemeanors. However, it is important to acknowledge that there are many tributaries to homelessness. The next required biennial Point In Time Count, scheduled for Saturday, January 28, 2017, is expected to confirm this increase. The Point In Time Count process also provides important opportunities for outreach to homeless people, education for community volunteers and engagement with cities and service providers to work collaboratively on this essential project, which is funded by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A HUD competitive grant program overseen by a system known as the Continuum of Care is the primary resource for assisting those without permanent housing in Orange County. The intent is to provide transitional and permanent homes within a broader system of interconnected resources to prevent and end homelessness. OC Community Resources (OCCR) is the lead agency for the Orange County Continuum of Care. In 2009, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act created a Continuum of Care governance structure to facilitate a coordinated response to the crisis of homelessness. In Orange County, the Continuum of Care has been overseen by a public/private partnership, creating an imbalance in lead responsibilities for the CoC. The leadership, accountability and oversight for the homeless services system of care has eroded during this period of HEARTH Act implementation. There is a tremendous amount of planning, development, system design and policy work ahead to fashion a new structure that properly aligns these component parts to maximize system effectiveness and strategic planning efforts to better serve the County of Orange well into the future. Among the recommendations later in the report is a comprehensive redesign of the Continuum of Care governance structure in Orange County to maximize system effectiveness and strategic planning efforts.
Key Findings
Orange County has a large and diverse population, where services, housing availability and affordability, and other resource barriers exist due to a lack of regional and localized coordination. Countywide resource coordination is fragmented and not easily navigated by those experiencing homelessness. 2