An Orange County Grand Jury report showed “mixed” success in the county’s effort to address homelessness through the “Continuum of Care,” a series of nonprofits and government agencies tasked with ending homelessness in the region, with local concern remaining at an all-time high.
Though the county has over 5,700 homeless individuals, according to the 2022 point-in-time count, it is still about 17 percent—or about 1,100 people—less than the previous count in 2019 (pdf).
The county has taken several strategies to decrease these numbers, with varying degrees of success.
Among strategies reported to be working successfully is prevention investments, whereby funding to pay rent and utilities, as well as housing vouchers, reportedly increased the financial stability of individuals identified as “in danger” of becoming homeless….