A “NAVIGATION CENTER” for the homeless is being planned for Huntington Beach, with a 2019 opening foreseen (Shutters tock).

A second try at establishing a homeless shelter will come before the Huntington Beach City Council when it meets on Monday, April 15.

What’s proposed is a 75-to 90-bed 11,200-square foot “navigation center” located at 15311 Pipeline Lane.  That’s in an industrial area northeast of Graham Street and McFadden Avenue.

This center would be north of the first prospective site at 5770 Research Lane, a lease for which was pulled from the agenda for the April 1 meeting because of community outcry. That location was close to Marina Park and Marina High School.

Two open houses on the latest proposal will be held, one at the Pipeline address on Tuesday (April 9) from 4 to 6 p.m. That will be for businesses located near the site.

The second, intended for residents, will be held on Saturday, April 13 at the Huntington Beach Central Library (Goldenwest Street and Talbert Avenue) from 10 a.m. to noon.

The City of Huntington Beach is one of several Orange County government entities who are the subject of U.S. Ninth Circuit Court Judge David Carter’s efforts to cope with the growing numbers of the unsheltered. At issue, in part, is the legality of ordinances which making it illegal to sleep or camp in public spaces if no alternative is available.

If approved by the judge and the city council, the city plans to purchase the building and open the center sometime in 2019. According to a city press release, the center will:

• serve adult men, women and couples;
• have an approval process for potential clients, allowing no “walk ins or walk outs,” registered sex offenders or persons with open felony warrants;
• have a length of stay of up to 90 days, which could be extended if the homeless person was in the process of getting housing;
• provide services such as health care, counseling job training and more.

The center would be fenced in to prohibit loitering around the area.

For more on the issue, go to:

www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/homelessness.