CENTRAL CITIES Navigation Center (City of GG).
By Jim Tortolano
Orange County Tribune
A report on Garden Grove’s efforts to cope with the problems associated with homelessness won raves from the city council on Tuesday night.
In the presentation led by Asst. City Manager/Community Development Director Ursula-Luna Reynosa it was noted that the number of unhoused people counted in 2024 was a 39 percent decrease from 2022.
“The impact is dramatic,” said Councilmember George Brietigam, going on to say that he believed that was the best record of any city he was familiar with.
In reporting to the council, various staff members reported on the functions and successes of the Navigation Center – a joint venture with the cities of Fountain Valley and Westminster.
Many of its residents have been connected with housing and others with employment. Sixteen of them have been been hired to work this summer at Angel Stadium.
Other key points included:
• change in the demographics of the homeless toward younger people with fentanyl abuse issues;
• prospects for more permanent supportive housing and
• the effects of the city’s anti-camping ordinance.
• new strategies to improve city efforts
Suggestions made by councilmembers included providing liaisons with the homeless who spoke Vietnamese, Spanish and other languages, as well as using the city’s website to publicize programs available to the unhoused.
