Another twenty people “without fixed abode” died in OC in July, their names are:
Brian O’CONNELL who died on July 2nd in Santa Ana
Chris SPELLS who died on July 3rd in Newport Beach
Melissa HAWKINS who died on July 4th in Westminster
Kyle COST who died on July 6th in Fullerton
Charles KING who died on July 6th in Anaheim
Eldred POWERS JR. who died on July 6th in La Habra
Matthew FUNDERBURK who died on July 6th in Anaheim
Violet GALOIA who died on July 7th in Anaheim
Eric MENDOZA who died on July 8th in Santa Ana
Augustine DANIEL who died on July 9th in Orange
Elvis MOJICA-DELGADO who died on July 11th in Santa Ana
Scott BLACK who died on July 15th in Garden Grove
Raymond WARD who died on July 17th in Anaheim
Danielle ROMANOFF who died on July 18th in Orange
Hector PINEDA who died on July 19th in Santa Ana
Jerry CORRAL who died on July 20th in La Habra
Stephanie HUTCHISON who died on July 21st in Fountain Valley
Shinichi ANDO who died on July 23rd in Huntington Beach
Wayne DIXON who died on July 26th in Fullerton
Cleo JONES who died on July 31st in Anaheim
Additionally, one other person:
Cynthia GARDNER who died on June 1st in Costa Mesa
was added to the Coroner’s list this month. The numbers continue to be the lowest since 2021.
The County’s Homeless Death Review Committee will give us the first official understanding as to why the decline when it releases its next annual report (on 2024) early next year (in 2026).
Most believe that the decline in homeless deaths is due to a decline in drug overdoses in recent years. However, there could be a number of reasons for the decline, including a number of reasons for a decline in drug overdoses (if this proves to be the primary factor for the decline in deaths among OC’s homeless population).
And it would be useful to determine what those reasons are before the much of the policy landscape regarding homelessness changes as has been strongly signaled by numerous developments in Washington over the past month, including President Trump’s July 24th Executive Order largely on homelessness and his August 11th declaration of a Crime Emergency in Washington D.C.
These actions, if applied nationally, could significantly alter policy regarding homelessness here in OC, even as homeless deaths have declined over the past two years.
It would be a tragedy to not understand why deaths among OC’s homeless population have declined over these past two years, and thus to not be able to incorporate the lessons learned in whatever changes will come to be mandated from above.
Fr. Dennis Kriz, OSM, Pastor St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church, Fullerton.
Opinions expressed in community opinion pieces belong to the authors and not Voice of OC.
Voice of OC is interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. If you want to weigh in on this issue or others please email opinions@voiceofoc.org.