Housing Grants Will Keep Young-Adults From Going Homeless In OC

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA — South Orange County officials have over $220,000 to spend housing young adults at-risk of becoming homeless, Sen. Patricia Bates, announced Wednesday. The funding is dedicated to helping 18- to 21-year-olds secure and maintain housing, with priority given to those in the foster care system.

Orange County's Social Services Agency received $221,210, while San Diego County's Child Welfare Services received the other $212,565, Bates reported.

Funding for the state grants comes from the Housing Navigators Program funded by the 2019-20 California state budget. The grants are part of a total allocation of $4,786,985 in program funds to California's counties.

"I appreciate the efforts of the California Department of Housing and Community Development to ensure every region receives its fair share of state resources to help house young adults who may become homeless," said Bates, a member of the Senate Housing Committee. "This funding will help more people during these especially challenging times."

Bates represents California's 36th Senate District, which includes most of southern Orange County along with Vista, Oceanside, Encinitas and Carlsbad.

The Housing Navigators Program provides funding to counties for the support of housing navigators to help people between the ages of 18 and 21 secure and maintain housing, with priority given to those in the foster care system.

The county may use the funding to provide housing navigation services directly or through a contract with other local housing assistance programs.

On June 9, Bates also announced that the CDHCD awarded funding to Orange and San Diego counties for transitional housing.

The program provides funding to counties for child welfare services agencies to help young adults aged 18 to 25 years find and maintain housing, with priority given to those formerly in the foster care or probation systems.