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Board approves $500,000 gap funding to keep Orange County family shelter open; questions linger over evaluation contract
Summary
The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved $500,000 in district discretionary funds to prevent closure of Homemade Family Care Center and unanimously passed related homelessness allocations; supervisors also debated a separate $100,000 contract with UC Irvine to evaluate a county homelessness-prevention pilot, raising questions about data confidentiality, comparison groups and whether the study should be funded from the program’s $3 million allocation.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors on June 4 approved a $500,000 allocation from third-district discretionary funds to keep the Homemade Family Care Center, a 56‑bed emergency shelter in the city of Orange, open for another year. Chair Wagner and multiple supervisors described the allocation as gap funding to buy time while staff and supervisors pursue longer-term financing.
Supporters said the Family Care Center provides low-barrier shelter for families and has sheltered 1,473 individuals representing 455 families since opening in 2017. Supervisor Foley and other members urged additional planning to secure sustainable funding beyond the one-year bridge. The motion passed unanimously.
Separately, the board approved a $100,000 contract with the University of California, Irvine, to evaluate a countywide homeless-prevention and stabilization pilot. The office sponsoring the pilot said the evaluation will include baseline, exit and an 18‑month follow-up survey and a matched comparison group to measure outcomes including housing stability, health and financial stability.
Several supervisors and public commenters pressed staff on contract details. Questions included why the evaluation cost was not drawn from the $3,000,000 program allocation previously authorized for the pilot, whether $100,000 was sufficient for the described scope, and how researchers would legally and practically assemble a comparison group and follow up over 18 months.
County Counsel and program staff said confidentiality is required for public‑assistance recipients and that the county intends to require de‑identified, aggregate reporting so board and public policy lessons can be drawn without exposing individual beneficiaries. Counsel said the contract uses previously vetted template language and that the county will review drafts and retain approval authority before public release.
Supervisor Sarmiento, who proposed the UC Irvine evaluation funding, said his office intended the $3,000,000 program funds to support direct aid to participants and offered to absorb the evaluation costs from his district funds rather than reduce benefits to participants. Chair Wagner and staff acknowledged the last‑minute distribution of the draft contract to board offices and committed to follow-up clarifications on methodology, confidentiality language and the contract’s reporting obligations.
What happens next: staff said they would de‑identify participant data for public reporting, and supervisors asked staff to return with any requested clarifications. The one‑year shelter funding will keep Homemade Family Care Center operating while the county seeks longer-term solutions.
