Homelessness Myths - Shelters

Homelessness is an issue about which there are many opinions and feelings. Unfortunately, it is also an issue around which there is a lot of misinformation...myths which are perpetuated by well-meaning people. The misinformation impairs our ability to formulate the best solutions for everyone, as it causes us to view the problem - and the people - erroneously. I would like to dispel some of these myths, specifically about the availability and accessibility of shelter in South Orange County. This is at the root of the belief that the people on our streets don’t want help because we supposedly have plenty of options for them. You will see that we do not.



You’ve perhaps heard of Laguna Beach’s Friendship Shelter. Did you know that Friendship Shelter is the only shelter for single adults in South Orange County? It has been said that we have plenty of shelter beds here for the people in town experiencing homelessness. We do not. In contrast to what is said, there are ZERO shelter beds in San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan, Mission Viejo, etc. for single adults (without children). Friendship Shelter, with its 45 beds, is the ONLY homeless shelter in all of South Orange County.



Did you know that in order to get a bed at Laguna Beach’s Friendship Shelter one has to arrive around 5 pm and get entered into a lottery? People with ties to Laguna have priority, so could theoretically occupy all 45 beds. Thankfully they don’t most of the time, leaving a few beds available. However, these are given by lottery, so when a person goes to Laguna they can - and often are - sent away if their number isn’t chosen.

When a person does get a bed for the night at Friendship Shelter, they must leave by 10 in the morning. They must come back later that day to get in the lottery again to have a bed for the next night. They don’t automatically keep their bed for another night. These coveted “beds” at the shelter are mats on a floor in one big room, but these 45 mats are all we have in all of South Orange County for single adults. 



People talk about the shelters Family Assistance Ministries (FAM) operates as two available shelters here in San Clemente. Neither is for the single men (without children) we see around town. They are for parents with children, and there are a couple beds reserved for single women without children. 



People also say that, if people want help, a local agency will put folks up in a motel. On rare occasions, FAM has done that, but only in very exceptional situations, like when the person was especially vulnerable AND there was a fool-proof plan in the works to get them somewhere the following day. There are very limited funds for these situations, and it is not something available to most people experiencing homelessness. 



I’ve also heard people say there are apartments with shelter beds in San Clemente operated by Friendship Shelter. This is not true. Friendship Shelter, and other organizations, have some “scattered site” apartments in various parts of South County, but those are “Permanent Supportive Housing” (PSH) units, and are not shelters. People need to be assessed and determined to be “chronically homeless,” AND have a disability, mental or physical, to qualify for PSH.

The lack of PSH units in Orange County is as bad as the lack of shelters (probably worse). There are extensive waiting lists; a recent count had over a thousand people waiting. This month alone, for example, the only people getting anything are people who have been homeless for more than 10 years. It is estimated that we need to develop approximately 2,700 units over the next few years to keep up with the rate of homelessness. But Permanent Supportive Housing is complex, and a subject for a subsequent discussion. Some of the people we see on our streets could be waiting for PSH units to become available. (Similar are “transitional programs” and rehabs, which are considered “high barrier” options. These are as insufficient in numbers and/or especially difficult to access.)



There are shelters in other parts of Orange County, including:“Courtyard” in Santa Ana, “Bridges” in Anaheim (also known as “Kraemer”), and the Salvation Army’s Hospitality House in Santa Ana. In addition, during some months of the year there are armories in Santa Ana and Fullerton that offer space on the floor for the night. 



Bridges is a shelter for North Orange County people. To get in to Bridges a person must go through an outreach worker - one can’t directly access it. It has 200 beds, and is most always full, turning people away, including when I called this week. 



Courtyard in Santa Ana is the largest of Orange County shelters, sheltering 400 people on a first-come, first-served basis. When I called this week it was full.



Hospitality House has 55 emergency beds, operates on the lottery system, and is “almost always full.” Once folks get a “bed” here they can stay for 21 days. Because of this, only one or two of the 55 beds open up each day, and many folks who have used their 21 days end up back on the street after.



There are more shelters - in Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Tustin, and a North County city not yet made public - coming on line in the coming months. These shelters will be for residents of these cities and/or these regions. These shelters are not intended to be for South County folks. 



Case Workers serving the homeless through local non-profits do not have shelters at the waiting for the people they endeavor to help. It is a much more complex and difficult process than is understood.



Feelings and beliefs about homelessness often come from one’s world view, BUT not everything is a matter of opinion, and not everything is up for debate. There are facts around these issues that we should factor in to our beliefs and then our actions. I hope we can put to bed these prevailing myths; the truth is - there are NO shelter beds in San Clemente; there are only 45 beds total in all of South County; shelters are very difficult to access; and there are not beds sitting empty every night in Orange County.

Maura Mikulec is a Master's-level Social Worker native to Capo Beach/San Clemente. Educated in New York City, Maura's experience working in the field of homelessness goes back decades.