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Orange County supervisors mark Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, outline prevention, housing and food programs
Summary
Supervisors and county staff highlighted a $3 million homeless-prevention pilot, recent motel-to-housing conversions and food-distribution partnerships after county counts showed a rise in people experiencing homelessness. Officials emphasized prevention, navigation services and partner coordination.
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento (2nd District) opened the Board of Supervisors meeting on Nov. 19 by recognizing National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and outlining the county’s prevention-focused approach.
Sarmiento said economic stress is a leading cause of homelessness, citing a 2023 University of California San Francisco study, and pointed to local data showing a rise in the county’s point-in-time count. “We know that there are people in our county that suffer from being unhoused,” he said, and described efforts to move beyond treating symptoms to preventing homelessness.
Sarmiento described a $3,000,000 pilot homeless-prevention and stabilization program, in partnership with OC United Way, that will provide financial assistance and stabilization payments intended to help residents avoid eviction. “It’s a first-of-its-kind” pilot, he said, framing it as an early intervention to keep families housed.
Doug Beck, director of the Office of Care Coordination, told the board the county’s 2024 point-in-time count tallied more than 7,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night and highlighted ongoing county investments and partnerships. Beck noted that Second Harvest Food Bank distributes roughly 440,000 meals monthly through nearly 400 distribution sites and urged charitable and community participation during the holiday season.
Supervisor Katrina Foley (5th District) described district-level figures, including roughly 328 unhoused veterans identified locally and the recent conversion of a motel in Santa Ana into more than 30 housing units for veterans. Foley urged residents to use county resources and promoted an outreach event on Dec. 17 that will connect residents to benefit-enrollment help and distribute food and toys.
Board members and staff repeatedly emphasized prevention and navigation: using underperforming hotels and motels for housing, bolstering housing navigation and street medicine, and coordinating food distribution through networks like the OC Hunger Alliance and OC United Way. Several supervisors framed the measures as stopping the homelessness trajectory early and ensuring families maintain housing stability.
What happens next: Supervisors asked staff to continue reporting on the pilot’s early outcomes and on conversion projects such as Estrella Springs. The board did not take new legislative action on this item but folded the programs into ongoing county operations and grant-seeking efforts.
