Irvine Officials Approve Plans to Develop Homeless Shelter

Irvine officials person approved the archetypal measurement successful gathering the archetypal stateless structure successful municipality — a location.

The assembly voted 4-1 Tuesday nighttime to o.k. a $20 cardinal acquisition of 2 adjacent buildings successful the Irvine Business Complex. 

The stateless structure is expected to connection beds successful summation to aesculapian care, lawsuit absorption and different services. 

City Manager Oliver Chi said the metropolis has already hired a Chief Health and Wellness Director who volition physique retired a unit that’s embedded successful the facility.

It’s slated to go the archetypal stateless structure successful the metropolis — thing residents heavy opposed six years agone erstwhile the thought was concisely floated by the OC Board of Supervisors. 

“We decidedly request to beryllium taking attraction of our stateless population,” Councilmember Kathleen Treseder said. “I perceive from residents they announcement the colonisation is increasing. As acold arsenic I recognize it’s mostly aged folks and women with children. We request to marque definite they are taken attraction of.”

Councilmember Mike Carroll voted no, saying it’s “extreme” to o.k. a acquisition that’s rushed and costly without robust assemblage feedback oregon immoderate committee oversight.

“You should not casually enactment your ballot down connected $20 cardinal connected a installation that could bring a batch of trouble to our metropolis if it isn’t afloat fleshed out,” Carroll said.

[Read: Is a Homeless Shelter Coming to Irvine?]

The gathering acquisition did not spell done immoderate committee review. Instead, it was rushed by unit who emphasized the value of moving rapidly to acquisition this tract earlier the accidental was lost.

Chi said successful bid to get the property, the metropolis was required to enactment down a nonrefundable $1 cardinal deposit by Oct. 24 — 2 days aft the point was introduced and approved by the assembly for the archetypal time.

The structure is portion of a larger, multi-pronged effort to code stateless and at-risk populations wrong the metropolis — a task called “The System.”

The System includes creating the stateless structure — meant to relation arsenic a span lodging installation — creating much transitional lodging and gaining power of much affordable lodging with section preferences. 

The task besides seeks to fortify the city’s mobile situation effect program. 

That effect squad was antecedently contracted retired done Be Well OC and volition soon beryllium brought in-house done the Irvine Police Department. 

The tract for the stateless structure — called “The Sanctuary” — is the archetypal large measurement successful this effort.

The metropolis is expected to adjacent connected the acquisition and hunt for an relation starting adjacent month.

At the archetypal assembly gathering successful November, unit is besides expected to bring distant an updated anti-camping ordinance for assembly discussion. 

It’s a determination officials crossed the region person been approving aft a Supreme Court determination this summertime gave cities much powerfulness to enforce anti-camping laws — citing radical for sleeping successful public.

The Supreme Court Justices’ ruling successful the Grants Pass v. Johnson lawsuit reversed the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal ruling successful Martin v. Boise, which mandated that cities indispensable supply a definite fig of beds earlier they tin propulsion stateless radical disconnected the streets. 

Other cities similar San Clemente, Aliso Viejo and Anaheim strengthened their anti-camping laws earlier this twelvemonth aft the Supreme Court decision. 

[Read: Is Orange County About To Enforce Anti-Camping Laws Again?]

17622 Armstrong Ave. successful Irvine connected Oct. 21, 2024. Irvine officials approved purchasing the gathering to make a stateless structure that’s expected to connection a assortment of services. Credit: ERIKA TAYLOR, Voice of OC

It’s not the archetypal clip officials person tried to found a structure successful Irvine.

In 2018, hundreds of radical protested against plans for a stateless structure successful Irvine, raising concerns astir cause usage and information risks for section children. Thousands besides showed up to an OC Board of Supervisors gathering to protestation the county’s proposal, which officials yet changeable down. 

A twelvemonth later, Irvine and 4 different southbound OC cities recovered themselves astatine the receiving extremity of a national lawsuit calling retired the region’s deficiency of shelters.

Some residents astatine Tuesday night’s gathering expressed interest that the structure would pull much stateless radical from extracurricular the metropolis looking for services.

“If Irvine does this, and it works the mode we deliberation it will, it’s going to beryllium precise successful,” 1 nonmigratory said. “What’s going to halt that installation from being overrun with stateless radical from different cities? Not to accidental they shouldn’t beryllium helped, but what’s going to halt that from happening?”

Chi said the structure could necessitate radical to person immoderate benignant of transportation to Irvine earlier they’re allowed in.

Councilmember Tammy Kim asked astir backing and billing, emphasizing the exemplary needs to beryllium sustainable due to the fact that a task similar this “could suck a metropolis dry.”

Chi emphasized that galore of the services offered astatine the aboriginal structure — aesculapian attraction and lawsuit absorption — could beryllium reimbursed done the state’s CalAIM program, which uses Medi-Cal dollars to amended healthcare, particularly for the stateless population.

The assembly is expected to bring backmost an update connected The System to assembly sometime adjacent year.

“I truly deliberation this inaugural is truly going to acceptable america isolated due to the fact that it’s comprehensive,” Kim said. “It’s a broad attraction exemplary that integrates aggregate facets that nary different metropolis has been capable to execute astatine this point.” 

“What makes this program truthful aspirational is the compassionate attraction that it brings.”

Angelina Hicks is simply a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her astatine [email protected] oregon connected Twitter @angelinahicks13

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