By Brooklynn Wong
It’s no secret that Buena Park has a homeless problem that’s become more and more prevalent in recent years.
But per an ongoing lawsuit, police and city officials cannot enforce anti-camping laws due to a shortage of shelters for people to go to.
So what’s the city to do?
Buena Park has a plan in the works, in the form of what would be called the “Buena Park Navigation Center.” It would be a temporary, transitional shelter at 7101 Lincoln Ave.
On the evening of Dec. 17, the city held an open house at Centralia Elementary, where police, various city officials and community organizations set up booths to provide information and answer the public’s questions about this proposed facility.
The school’s small gymnasium was packed with interested community members.
This January, the Santa Ana River Trail was vacated, forcing out roughly 700 people in search of new shelter, though cities did offer assistance at the time.
However a lawsuit was filed against several Orange County cities—not including Buena Park—for not having sufficient shelter for the people that had been evacuated.
And in February, District Court Judge David Carter said that anti-camping laws in the area could not be enforced unless more shelters were put in place.
Buena Park belongs to the North Orange County Service Planning Area (North SPA), which also includes Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Cypress, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Orange, Placentia, Villa Park, Stanton and Yorba Linda. The group of cities has been working this year to find the most strategic places for more North SPA shelters.
This Buena Park site is one of two proposed shelters in the group of cities.
The facility at 7101 Lincoln Ave. is a former furniture store that would receive upgrades and maintenance before opening, and 24-hour security once it is.
The Navigation Center will be a transitional, temporary shelter that will receive referrals only, no walk-ins. It will initially offer 100 beds.
If all goes according to plan, the Center will open in the middle of next year.
It will be fully funded by a grant the North SPA received from the state via the Orange County Continuum of Care Board.
Buena Park has experienced success in caring for its homeless, with collaboratives like Bright Paths, a city program that has been around since 2016, providing resources and connecting people in need with organizations to get them off the streets. It has helped 320 people successfully do as much, with a 92% retention rate. Buena Park Police Department also has two Police Liaison Officers that work directly to assist the city’s homeless.
However the issue continues to be a prevalent problem in the city, and most definitely in surrounding cities, such that Judge Carter has demanded regional efforts from all cities.
With this proposed Navigation Center, cities in the area will be able to both enforce anti-camping laws in order to keep parks, streets and neighborhoods tidy and safe for families, as well as provide homeless with needed services.
More information can be obtained at BuenaPark.com/NavigationCenter or by calling 714-562-3550.
