Photo Credit: Getty Images
Orange County supervisors are looking at options to help deal with a homeless situation along the Santa Ana riverbed before it becomes problematic.
In a 4-0 vote, OC supervisors signed off a new plan that provides around $750,000 to help transients in need get homeless services. The money is being giving to a contractor who will distribute it among several groups that will be able to offer services like health care, emergency shelters and more.
The new funds will be used in "triage operations, which include meeting basic bodily needs and emergency shelters," according to Supervisor Andrew Do.
The new program, which was approved by a vote of 4-0, follows new surveys of a rising homeless rate in Orange County. A recent census of how many homeless are in the area showed that it was increasing at a faster pace since 2015. The rate went up nearly 8% since the last one-night count. The federally mandated count recorded 4,792 homeless people, more than half of which were living without shelter.
The census of how many homeless are in the area is taken every two years in Orange County. During the last one-night count in 2015, surveyors documents 4,452 homeless in the area.