Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/tag/bus-terminal/)
Igmar Rodas, an outspoken member of the homeless community at the downtown Santa Ana Civic Center, spent a week chronicling his visits to the homeless shelter and service center the county just opened at the old downtown bus terminal.
Orange County First District Supervisor Andrew Do spent the night at the county’s newly opened homeless shelter and service center in downtown Santa Ana last Thursday. He said he “learned a lot” from the experience.
With the population of homeless people at the Civic Center ballooning to more than 450 and heavy criticism coming from the media and county officials, the Santa Ana City Council Tuesday declared a public health and safety crisis.
It’s widely assumed the abandoned terminal adjacent to the downtown Santa Ana Civic Center will be turned into a homeless shelter and service center. But supervisors have yet to unveil any concrete plans.
Local policymakers will be deciding on the purchase of Santa Ana’s abandoned bus depot that could help alleviate homelessness, holding a hearing proposed new voting districts in Garden Grove, and weighing in on Donald Trump’s “divisive rhetoric.”
Not many Civic Center homeless people stayed at the downtown bus terminal, which officials opened over the weekend as a shelter for El Niño rain storms. But those who did stay were grateful.
With more El Niño storms coming, Supervisor Andrew Do wants to shorten the 90-day escrow period so the structure can provide shelter to homeless people sooner rather than later.
The move was made to bring the city into compliance with a state Senate bill that requires cities to make land available for shelters.
The proposal to convert Santa Ana’s shuttered bus terminal into a year-round homeless shelter will be considered. Santa Ana officials are mounting an effort to stop it.
