OC Mental Health Facility Purchase To Aid Homeless In Crisis

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA — First steps were taken toward alleviating the homeless crisis in Orange County by cleaning up the Santa Ana Riverbed. On Wednesday, officials announced that money has been allocated for the purchase of an Orange County mental health facility.

This week, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved spending about $7.8 million to acquire a building in Orange, previously owned by the Fountain Valley School District. The location is perfect, according to Orange County Supervisors.

The board voted to acquire an office building at 265 S. Anita Drive. That building will be remodeled to allow the county health care agencies to provide services for the county's mentally ill and addicted through mental illness and substance abuse programs. The building is two stories and about 44,556 square feet on 2.1 acres of land. At present, the building is being leased to 18 private-sector tenants.

County officials expect to spend $1.2 million to relocate the building's tenants and $16.8 million on renovating and remodeling the building.

Officials hope to have the new facility up and running in two to three years. Mental health services and substance abuse treatment are directly linked to homelessness.

As part of its long-term response to homelessness through the county-wide System of Care, the County of Orange is building a $26 million mental health facility that will provide emergency mental health crisis stabilization, drug abuse treatment, and long-term residential psychiatric care.

Mental health experts, homeless advocates and non-profit leaders joined county officials at a Wednesday morning press conference that laid out the County's plan for long term services. The facility could open within 24 months. By renovating an existing building, the county expects to save $9 million and open 12 months sooner than a ground-up project.

"Homelessness is inextricably linked to mental health and substance abuse problems," said board Chairman Andrew Do. "This facility is a critical component of our long-term system of care -- to address the root causes of homelessness."

According to the Orange County Rescue Mission, “58 percent of the people who sought services from the mission in 2016 and 2017 self-identify as having a chemical dependency. And 33 percent stated that they have a mental illness.”

Supervisor Shawn Nelson said the plans are "far from being fully defined, but we just knew we needed that property."

Officials plan to "engage" with neighbors and city officials on the project.

"We'll do right by the neighbors," Nelson said.

Officials wanted to jump at acquiring the property because "it's very difficult to find property that isolated -- where it's between freeways and a river and in a cul de sac."

Ashley Ludwig Photo