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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-005 - Opposition to the County of Orange's Construction and OperationCITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 2020-005 A RESOLUTION OF THE SANTA ANA CITY COUNCIL DECLARING ITS OPPOSITION TO THE COUNTY OF ORANGE'S CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF A HOMELESS SHELTER ON YALE STREET AND ANYWHERE ELSE IN SANTA ANA UNTIL THE COUNTY OF ORANGE IS OPERATING A PROPORTIONAL AMOUNT OF SHELTER BEDS IN THE SOUTH SERVICE PLANNING AREA AS EXISTS IN THE CENTRAL AND NORTH SERVICE PLANNING AREAS WHEREAS, the growing homelessness crisis is a countywide and regional issue for which every city in throughout the County of Orange must take responsibility; and WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana has been spending nearly $17 million annually on homelessness -related matters and expects to increase that amount to about $25 million as the Santa Ana City Council has made finding solutions to this problem a top priority; and WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana's shelter, The Link, provides 200 beds for those experiencing homelessness, along with resources for housing, employment and social services; and WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana hosts the 200-bed winter shelter at the National Guard Armory and the operation of that facility continues to have negative impacts on the City of Santa Ana, its business owners, and residents; and WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana is contracting with City Net, a nonprofit social services provider that actively seeks out homeless individuals and works to place them in housing and connect them with resources to help them get back on their feet; and WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana has funded programs resulting in over 100 homeless individuals being placed in permanent housing this past year; and WHEREAS, Santa Ana is home to nonprofit organizations such as WISEPlace women's transitional housing program, which provides 60 beds along with supportive services for women experiencing homelessness, as well as the Salvation Army Hospitality House, which is a 75-bed residential emergency shelter for homeless men; and WHEREAS, the County of Orange has proposed a regional homeless services concept where the County of Orange would concentrate its efforts to locate shelters and provide services in the North, Central and South Service Planning Areas; and Resolution No. 2020-005 Page 1 of 3 WHEREAS, certain elected representatives and residents in the Central and South Service Planning Areas protested the construction and operation of homeless shelters in their communities, and as a result, the County of Orange staff and Board of Supervisors have made no further efforts to invest resources in locating shelters or services in those areas; and WHEREAS, City of Santa Ana officials, Santa Ana Unified School District Governing Board members, and residents have all expressed opposition to the Yale Transitional Shelter, also known as the Yale Street Shelter, and have not received the same response as representatives from the cities of Huntington Beach, Irvine and Laguna Niguel expressing opposition, leaving Santa Ana and its residents to believe that the County of Orange Board of Supervisors is more responsive to affluent cities such as Huntington Beach, Irvine and Laguna Niguel, at the expense of socioeconomically disadvantaged cities such as Santa Ana; and WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana has for too long suffered the negative impacts of the County of Orange disproportionately locating homeless support services in Santa Ana, thereby creating nuisance and adverse health and safety impacts, as well as causing the City of Santa Ana to suffer social and financial impacts in disproportion to other cities in Orange County; and WHEREAS, it is time for the Orange County Board of Supervisors to recognize that the City of Santa Ana has gone above and beyond to do its part in addressing the homeless crisis in the County of Orange by hosting nearly 1,000 shelter beds, contributing funding for supportive and affordable housing programs and spending millions of dollars a year to provide services and combat the impacts of homelessness; and WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana deserves to be treated fairly and equitably by the County of Orange, whereby the County of Orange proportionately locates homeless support services in all three Service Planning Areas, including the South Service Planning Area. NOW, THEREFORE, the Santa Ana City Council does hereby resolve as follows: Section 1. The challenge of confronting homelessness requires the active engagement and leadership of all levels of government, including all 34 Orange County Cities, and especially the County of Orange. Section 2. The City Council hereby opposes the County of Orange's construction and operation of the Yale Street Shelter and any homeless shelter in Santa Ana, and demands that the County of Orange proportionately locate homeless support services in all three Service Planning Areas, including the South Service Planning Area. Section 3. The City Council requests that the County of Orange take immediate action to not proceed with construction of the proposed Yale Street Shelter. Resolution No. 2020-002 Page 2 of 3 Section 4. The City Council directs the Clerk of the Council to distribute a copy of this Resolution to the County of Orange. Section 5. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption. Section 6. The Mayor shall sign this Resolution, and the Clerk of the Council shall attest and certify to the passage and adoption thereof. PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 18th day of February , 2020. APPROVED AS TO FORM: 4AC-4, /Z. CAn'7- s— Sonia R. Carvalho City Attorney AYES: Councilmembers NOES: Councilmembers ABSTAIN: Councilmembers Bacerra, Iglesias, Penaloza, Pulido, Sarmiento, Solorio, Villegas (7) ►i'a0F None (0) NOT PRESENT: Councilmembers None (0) CERTIFICATION OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY I, DAISY GOMEZ, Clerk of Council, do hereby attest to and certify the attached Resolution No. 2020-005 to be the original resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Ana on February 18, 2020. Date: (:� — 19f) aooD Resolution No. 2020-005 Page 3 of 3 . , ;..,.,..��, s,�•..