FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Robert Villegas
Communications Advisor
Office of Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento
Robert.Villegas@ocgov.com
(714) 673-4575
SUPERVISOR SARMIENTO TO INTRODUCE ROOM VOUCHER PILOT PROGRAM TO ADDRESS COLD WEATHER SHELTER NEEDS
The pilot program will address the lack of cold-weather shelter beds for kids and families.
Santa Ana, Calif. (December 19, 2024) – Today, Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento announced he will introduce an item before the Board of Supervisors to address the lack of cold weather shelter beds for families in the Second District.
“The County issued a Request for Proposals seeking partners, including cities, nonprofit organizations, and faith-based groups, to host weather-specific shelters,” said Sarmiento. “Although we offered funds to operate these sites, I was very disappointed to learn that no responses were received.”
Though the county currently operates 625 year-round shelter beds and funds over 850 more, the need remains to find solutions to help families and young kids facing these conditions on the streets. The pilot program has garnered support from cities and school districts in the Second District. It will house families in the city in which their children attend school to help with school attendance and to minimize transportation issues for the families.
“It is my hope and goal to ensure that no child or family goes unsheltered during extreme weather and that this pilot serves as a model for other cities in the County to provide for residents in need, during the winter,” indicated Sarmiento.
The proposed pilot program will set aside $150,000 in Second District discretionary funds and will work with local schools in the Second District, to provide room vouchers during periods of extreme cold weather. The program will identify unhoused families in the schools and invite them to opt into the program, so that when cold weather is expected, they can be contacted and receive vouchers and transportation for shelter, during the worst of the conditions.
Supervisor Sarmiento serves as Chair of the Commission to Address Homelessness and spearheaded efforts to launch a Homeless Prevention and Stabilization Pilot, a study on the use of small-scale housing as an option to provide additional affordable housing, and on creating a regional approach to providing shelter during inclement weather.
Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors in November 2022. He represents the Second District, which includes Santa Ana and portions of Garden Grove, Tustin, Orange, and Anaheim. For additional information visit https://d2.ocgov.com/supervisor