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Orange County Coronavirus

County of Orange Continues to Struggle to Get Emergency Shelter Beds Online to Prevent COVID Spread

SPENCER CUSTODIO, Voice of OC

A homeless camp on April 10, 2019 on the Union Pacific railroad in near Cerritos Avenue and Anaheim Boulevard in Anaheim.

By Nick Gerda Nick Gerda | April 3, 2020
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Three weeks after the state called for thousands of new motel shelter beds in OC to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Orange County’s shelter capacity apparently has gone in the other direction – down – as the county struggles to quickly get beds online.


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Homeless people are at heightened risk for getting COVID and dying from it, which officials privately say could have devastating effects across the county, including further overall spread of the virus.

As of the last count, there were 4,000 unsheltered homeless people in Orange County, with existing shelters at or near full. In recent days, homeless people on the streets have said they’re trying to find shelter with social distancing so they can prevent getting COVID and spreading it.

Providing homeless shelter for people on the streets, with distancing between beds and isolation of people who are sick, is one of the key approaches urged by state and federal health officials for preventing COVID’s spread.

Three weeks ago, state officials called for 2,300 additional beds in OC, with social distancing, to prevent a spread of the virus that is believed to be especially deadly to homeless people – who generally are more elderly and medically frail than the general population. 

Orange County now appears to be further from that goal than when it was first set out. Officials initially had no backup plan when 400 county shelter beds at National Guard armories were about to be taken offline, and the replacement shelters have a total of 200 beds – a reduction of 200 beds overall. A new shelter opened this week in Placentia adds an estimated 100 beds, for a total reduction of 100 beds countywide.

County officials have been pursing about 1,000 new beds in Orange County – across a former youth camp, motels, and emergency structures on parking lots – and many of the beds remain weeks away from being online.

Among the challenges in getting the motels up and running is the county, which historically did not notify cities about plans for new shelters, is getting blowback from cities on motel shelter efforts.

In particular, Laguna Woods officials have publicly raised concerns about county efforts to shelter homeless people who have COVID symptoms at Ayers Hotel in their city.

“The City is deeply concerned with the County of Orange’s unilateral decision to place individuals afflicted with COVID‐19 right in the middle of the most concentrated community of older adults in Orange County” said Laguna Woods Mayor Noel Hatch wrote in a news release.

And county officials have been publicly and privately focusing on whether they will get reimbursed by the state or federal government for the motel costs.

In particular, they’ve focused on the damage bills from the Baymont motel in Anaheim after county officials sheltered homeless people with mental illnesses there in 2018. In that case, the county hired a contractor to run the motel who had significant tension with the homeless residents.

The contractor the county has hired to run the upcoming shelter beds, Illumination Foundation, generally has a far better reputation among homeless people and advocates than the Baymont contractor.

“We basically had to write a big check with one of the motels that suffered greatly,” said OC Supervisor Bartlett at the March 24 supervisors’ meeting, when discussing the topic of motel sheltering for homeless COVID patients. Bartlett currently is the president of California’s statewide association of counties, commonly known as CSAC.

There have also been signs that some county officials believe the 2,300 bed goal is too much.

“They had given us an initial number of 2,300 – that is probably a little much,” said Matt Miller, the Orange County’s chief real estate officer, said last Thursday, March 26, at a special meeting of county supervisors.

The county was taking “directions” from the state regarding the motel shelters, he added.

“Originally the state was going to enter into these [motel lease] agreements, and they have now ordered us to do so,” Miller told supervisors at the time.

The virus is actively spreading in Orange County, according to county health officials, and is predicted to keep growing in the coming weeks, leading to thousands of deaths statewide and between 100,000 and 240,000 deaths nationally.

With tourism effectively vanishing, thousands of motel and hotel beds are vacant across the county.

County officials have said their goal is to open three new types of shelter, for three groups:

  • For homeless people with COVID symptoms, motel and hotel beds with support services at multiple properties leased by the county and funded by state,
  • For homeless people without symptoms but who are over 65 years old or vulnerable medically, the former Joplin Youth Center in the Santa Ana Mountains,
  • For homeless people on the street who do not have symptoms, additional shelters that may include large “Sprung” structures on the parking lots at county regional parks.

The county owns 100 acres of largely vacant land near the 5 freeway in Irvine, which the city and county previously agreed could be used for emergency shelter. Officials have not publicly mentioned the property as being under consideration for emergency COVID shelter.

Weeks ago, the state reportedly was moving to lease about 1,000 beds at Marriott hotel in Anaheim for emergency COVID shelter. Those efforts apparently were handed off to the county and officials so far have not announced they’ve finalized a lease for the beds.

More than $1 billion in additional funding is coming to Orange County governments under the new federal stimulus bill, if it’s proportionally distributed as the law calls for. Meanwhile, county officials have been looking to dip into restricted reserve funds for mental health and CalOptima health services.

Nick Gerda covers county government for Voice of OC. You can contact him at [email protected].

What is COVID-19? Do I have it?

INFORMATION View the CDC website. View OC's website. View the latest OC case counts.

TRANSLATIONS See the county's guides in non-English languages. Learn key Coronavirus facts in Vietnamese and Spanish via VietRise. See VietRISE guides in Spanish and Vietnamese.

PROTECTION To limit exposure, the CDC recommends: wash your hands often, avoid close contact with others, cover your mouth and nose with a cloth mask when around others, cover coughs and sneezes, clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

SYMPTOMS The CDC identifies these key symptoms that can occur any time between 2 and 14 days after exposure: Fever or chills, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches,  headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea. If you suspect Coronavirus, CALL your primary medical provider.

EMERGENCY SYMPTOMS If you display any of the following emergency warning signs, seek immediate medical attention: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, or bluish lips or face.

RISK The CDC identifies people most at risk for serious illness: Older adults, and people who have serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease.

What is open?

RESIDENTS The County of Orange offers a list of notices and news on what guidance is given for families and persons.

SCHOOLS The latest information for the county is available from the Orange County Board of Education.

STATE GUIDE TO WHAT IS OPEN A full list of statewide guidelines for what is open and what is closed.

SOCIAL DISTANCING Staying away from other people is called "social distancing." The aim is to SLOW the spread of Coronavirus so as to not overwhelm the nation's health care systems and so that people in need can get help. The Washington Post explains: "The spread (of COVID-19) can be slowed, public health professionals say, if people practice "social distancing" by avoiding public spaces and generally limiting their movement."

What support is available?

STRESS & ANXIETY Stress and anxiety can be triggered by the situation and resources are available to help from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and from the American Psychology Association. Concern over this new virus can make children and families anxious, here are tips on talking with children about COVID-19.

MENTAL HEALTH The County of Orange offers a list of available mental health support services.

FIRST RESPONDERS The County of Orange offers these support services for first responders and health care workers.

BUSINESSES & ORGANIZATIONS The County of Orange offers a list of up-to-date guidelines for business and faith-based/community organizations.

FOOD ASSISTANCE Voice of OC offers a weekly list of available food pantries in Orange County. You can also apply for food benefits over the phone through the CalFresh program at 800-281-9799 or online.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Buses and trains still offer service, but routes have been reduced so make sure to check your route ahead of time.

HOMELESSNESS The County of Orange offers a list of available shelter beds and other resources.

GENERAL FINANCIAL HELP Here are some services:

  •   • Find information on unemployment and disability benefits.
  •   • The Orange County Social Services Agency, despite closing its lobby, is processing online filings for assistance programs. This includes emergency cash assistance for immediate needs like rent or medical bills. The phone line has averaged a 30 minute wait time and offers a callback service, but people are encouraged to apply for benefits online.
  •   • Residents can apply for any of these programs by calling 800-281-9799.

RESTAURANT OWNERS & EMPLOYEES You can find a detailed list of resources available to restaurant owners and employees

How can I help?

VOLUNTEERING A statewide guide offers examples of ways to volunteer safely during Coronavirus. Options include, but are not limited to: donating plasma, making cloth face masks and supporting local food banks. Orange County's Second Harvest Food Bank lists support options online.

DONATIONS An Orange County Community Resilience Fund has been started through the OC Community Foundation to raise money for local nonprofits and volunteer organizations.

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