Kriz: Another 30 People Died Without Fixed Abode in OC in October, County on Track for 400 Homeless Deaths for the Year

Another, 30 radical died without fixed abode successful Orange County successful October.  Their names are:

Juan RODRIGUEZ who died connected October 2nd successful Fullerton

Michael BELL who died connected October 3rd successful Anaheim

David AGUILAR who died connected October 3rd successful Buena Park

Dylan HAMMONS who died connected October 5th successful Huntington Beach

Yovani ABUNDEZ CASTANEDA who died connected October 5th successful San Juan Capistrano

Daniel MOUSSEAU who died connected October 5th successful Stanton

Mario ROMERO who died connected October 7th successful Santa Ana

Tracy MILLS who died connected October 9th successful Anaheim

Lisa PETERSEN who died connected October 10th successful Mission Viejo

Nicholas SANTEE who died connected October 10th successful Orange

Zachary KENNEY who died connected October 11th successful Capistrano Beach

Stephanie HIGAREDA who died connected October 11th successful Orange

Dung LE who died connected October 13th successful Westminster

Samuel RIVAS, SR who died connected October 14th successful Anaheim

Wade VENOSDEL who died connected October 15th successful Orange

Amber CASTILLO who died connected October 19th successful Irvine

Ralph MARIN who died connected October 20th successful Santa Ana

Dolly MERZOIAN who died connected October 21st successful Anaheim

Hoang TRAN who died connected October 21st successful Westminster

Eduardo BUSTAMANTE who died connected October 22nd successful Santa Ana

Dennis REY who died connected October 23rd successful Garden Grove

Allison WEEKLEY who died connected October 23rd successful Garden Grove

Allen HARRINGTON who died connected October 24th successful Costa Mesa

Sonya MURRAY who died connected October 25th successful Rancho Santa Margarita

Claudia KERR who died connected October 28th successful Tustin

Antwann GUTIERREZ who died connected October 29th successful Anaheim

Douglas SMITH who died connected October 29th successful Anaheim

Shahram RAK who died connected October 29th successful Irvine

Thomas TURNER who died connected October 29th successful Santa Ana

Jadeanne DOUGLAS who died connected October 30th successful Mission Viejo

This keeps the County connected way for astir 400 stateless deaths for 2024.  This volition beryllium astir 20% little than the 500 deaths recorded past year, but astir treble the 209 deaths recorded for 2019, the past afloat twelvemonth earlier COVID. 

In 2022, erstwhile the stateless decease complaint was opening to spike, the County empaneled a Commission chaired by OC Sheriff Barnes to look into the causes of the summation successful stateless deaths.  Since the decease complaint has decreased importantly this year, it’d beryllium worthy the clip to reconvene the Commission to discern what the metropolis and/or its constituent cities person improved to nutrient the lowered decease complaint this year.

In different matters connected the ground, it has continued to beryllium a vexation connected the portion of galore of america successful astatine slightest North OC to proceed to beryllium presented with families, often with tiny children oregon infants, being asked to hold for days astatine times for weeks to get into adjacent impermanent shelter.

A subordinate of a section work supplier said that successful October determination were 22 families with children with disabilities successful North OC who were waiting to get into shelter, and 32 families wherever the household caput was with a disablement who were waiting to get into shelter. 

This was brought up by america to the OC Board of Supervisors.  Members of the Fullerton Tri-Parish Homeless Collaborative and the county’s St. Vincent de Paul Society person subsequently had a rather productive gathering regarding this substance with Supervisor Chaffee’s office. 

Nevertheless the opacity of the strategy – we lone find retired that there’s a occupation and a backlog – erstwhile we inquire wherefore stateless families are coming to our congregations’ doors asking for assistance.

While nary 1 should beryllium homeless, I simply bash not recognize wherefore determination should beryllium immoderate families oregon seniors for that substance who find themselves stateless are connected the streets astatine all.  In different countries, including Britain, specified susceptible radical are instantly enactment into edifice rooms pending (re)placement into much imperishable housing. 

That determination wouldn’t beryllium wealth for this is simply a relation of simply not having asked.  Further, erstwhile the County is spending wealth connected keeping families with minors and seniors successful edifice rooms, determination comes to beryllium an inducement to marque the strategy work. 

Currently, problems are kept quiescent until the radical successful question travel to our doors.  Even then, determination seems to beryllium an inducement to “slow walk” resolving the problem. 

It should beryllium perfectly wide that nary kid nor elder should beryllium sleeping connected our streets.  If determination is simply a occupation making this so, it is not theirs, it is ours – the society’s (and this is virtually wherefore we person government, surely connected the section level, to support the communal welfare).   Further, this is 1 occupation that is surely solvable if we privation to lick it.

Until then, each clip a stateless household comes to america for assistance, we volition proceed to marque definite that the remainder of the County knows of the occupation until it is solved:  Again nary kid, nary senior, and situation 1 add, nary pistillate fleeing home unit should beryllium sleeping connected our streets.

Fr. Dennis Kriz, OSM, Pastor St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church, Fullerton.

Opinions expressed successful assemblage sentiment pieces beryllium to the authors and not Voice of OC.

Voice of OC is funny successful proceeding antithetic perspectives and voices. If you privation to measurement successful connected this contented oregon others please email opinions@voiceofoc.org.

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