Funds funneled to homeless issue

More resources to battle the problem of homelessness in Garden Grove will be mustered by the city, including the possibility of creating a mobile mental health services unit.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the city council, the allocation of $2,375,790 in already-available funds was approved on a 7-0 vote. The funding comes from federal community development block grants and other sources.

The council was told that in 2020, calls for service by Garden Grove residents increased by 48.9 percent over the previous year, with the greatest needs related to housing, food and shelter services.

Opportunities to expand homeless services include;

• Deployment of a mobile health services unit
• Evaluation of homeless shelter bed services
• Creation of crisis stabilization units
• Partnerships for workforce development and training.

While Garden Grove has added staffing to its Special Resources Team that has focused both on clearing homeless encampments and offering services to the unsheltered, the city does not have a shelter within city limits.

Such facilities, sometimes referred to as “navigation centers,” have recently been opened – as in Huntington Beach – or are in planning stages – as in Stanton.

The next meeting of the city council is scheduled for Feb. 23.