Orange County’s homeless shelter program expected to continue at armory sites this winter, with possible restrictions in Fullerton

The California National Guard armories in Santa Ana and Fullerton are again expected to operate as places for homeless people to sleep at night during the winter.

The start date in Santa Ana is Dec. 1; Fullerton is less certain.

Fullerton is in talks with the county to place restrictions on access to the Brookhurst Street military facility in order to discourage walkups and “increased homeless encounters in adjacent neighborhoods,”  said Rebecca Leifkes, the city’s Housing and Neighborhood Services manager, in an email.

Armories

For years, the armories have traditionally operated as low-barrier, walk-up emergency homeless shelters during the night in winter months when the weather is cold and rainy.

Both sleep about 200 people, who must leave during the day, a situation that residents and city officials in both Fullerton and Santa Ana have said leads to an influx of homeless people lingering in their parks and neighborhoods.

Fullerton also wants measures taken to ensure that people who use the armory are processed through the county’s intake system “so they can be assessed for medical needs and future housing options,” Leifkes said.

County spokeswoman Molly Nichelson said on Monday that the county has not received a formal request in writing from Fullerton and could not comment at this time.

Other options?

Both the county and the city had anticipated not needing to open the Fullerton armory as a winter shelter because the Bridges at Kraemer Place shelter in Anaheim is now completed and has a capacity of 200 beds.

There was an agreement to stop using the armory once Bridges, which opened in May 2017 with half the number of expected beds, was built out.

As of Sunday, Oct. 21, Bridges had only 11 beds open — seven for men and four for women, Nichelson said.

A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in September involving a Boise, Idaho, case determined that cities can’t prosecute homeless people for sleeping on the streets if no alternative shelter was available. Such prosecution would amount to cruel and unusual punishment, the court ruled.

“The impact of the court case Martin v. Boise to cities is very real,” Leifkes said. ” After looking at all of our options, the armory is the best short-term response until more permanent beds are available in early 2019.”

Fullerton and the other 12 cities of north Orange County are working together to add shelter beds at two locations in Buena Park and Placentia, but those beds won’t be available until March, Leifkes said.

The county budgeted $1,039,075 for the winter shelter program, to again be operated by homeless services organization Mercy House.