Irvine city officials are considering purchasing some property to create what could become the first homeless shelter in the city.
It’s not the first time a homeless shelter has been considered in the city.
During the countywide federal lawsuit over homeless policies in 2018, Orange County Supervisors considered building a county-run shelter in the city – ultimately killing the proposal after staunch opposition from Irvine residents.
[Read: OC Supervisors Back Off New Homeless Shelters, Make Promise to Work With Cities]
Now, Irvine City Council members at Tuesday’s 4 p.m. meeting are slated to consider buying two buildings at 17572 and 17622 Armstrong Avenue to be used as a bridge shelter housing facility for the city’s homeless population and those at risk of homelessness.
It would cost the city approximately $18.5 million for the 3.66-acre site.
“As Irvine approaches a build-out condition, the City has seen noticeable growth in our local homeless population,” reads the staff report included with the meeting agenda.
“When coupled with the fact that Irvine has nearly 60,000 residents who receive their health insurance from CalOptima / Medi-Cal, the City Council has previously directed that staff work to develop an at-risk and homeless population response system now, before the situation deteriorates further.”
The move is part of a larger effort – a project called “The System” – to address homelessness in Orange County’s second largest city, home to roughly 315,000 people.
The staff report explains that after a shelter is established, the city will move toward instituting new homelessness and anti-camping regulations, develop more affordable and transitional housing options and institute more crisis intervention support systems.
Currently, the city’s homelessness services page mainly directs visitors to county services and partner programs.
It’s not the first time officials have tried to establish a shelter in the city.
In 2018, hundreds of people protested against plans for a homeless shelter in Irvine, raising concerns about drug use and safety risks for local children. Thousands also showed up to an OC Board of Supervisors meeting to protest the county’s proposal, which officials ultimately shot down.
A year later, Irvine and four other south OC cities found themselves at the receiving end of a federal lawsuit calling out the region’s lack of shelters.
That concern over needing a certain number of shelter beds largely changed this year after the Supreme Court Justices’ ruling in the Grants Pass v. Johnson case reversed the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal ruling in Martin v. Boise, which mandated that cities must provide adequate beds before they can push homeless people off the streets.
[Read: Is Orange County About To Enforce Anti-Camping Laws Again?]
Now cities no longer need to have shelter space available to cite someone for sleeping in public.
That prompted cities like San Clemente and Aliso Viejo — both of which were sued along with Irvine in 2019 — to strengthen their anti-camping laws earlier this year by removing the shelter bed rule that is no longer mandated by Martin v. Boise.
Anaheim officials also strengthened anti-camping laws with police officers clearing out parks and railways earlier this month.
If approved by the Irvine City Council, the two parcels would be redeveloped into a homeless shelter facility called The Sanctuary.
It would be a bridge shelter — meaning it would serve as a transitional space for homeless people who are yet to find permanent housing solutions.
According to the staff report, nearly 300 students in the Irvine Unified School District are classified as homeless or housing insecure.
Additionally, city staff detailed recent events that show the need for a shelter.
“A recent fire under the MacArthur Bridge, caused by a homeless encampment, highlighted the risk to the community and to those who are unhoused,” reads the staff report. “Additionally, following the Grants Pass decision, as jurisdictions begin to implement increased homeless enforcement activities, there is an increased risk of growth in our local unhoused population if the City takes no action.”
The shelter is expected to offer medical and behavioral health services, including short-term post-hospitalization stays.
If approved, the council is expected to search for an operator in November. The council is also expected to discuss an updated anti-camping law at a meeting next month.
Angelina Hicks is a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13
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