Buena Park Navigation Center/Homeless Shelter Opens

The city of Buena Park celebrated the grand opening of its first Navigation Center (homeless shelter with wraparound social services) on June 29.

The 149-bed facility, set to help homeless neighbors transition off the street and into temporary housing, will begin accepting residents this week. Residents will arrive through referrals from non-profit partners and North Orange County Police Department homeless liaison officers.

Construction on the Buena Park Navigation Center began just a year ago. The facility was built with repurposed shipping containers.

The facility, located at 6494 Caballero Blvd, will serve as a temporary homeless shelter for adults. The facility has 90 beds for men, 49 beds for women and 10 beds for couples. Medical offices, common areas, workstations, a kitchen, dog run, laundry room, and more make up the over 15,000 square-foot facility. The center’s operating model will offer round-the-clock security, services, and resources.

Partnerships between the city of Buena Park, the other north Orange County cities, the county of Orange, and countless other community organizations made this Buena Park Navigation Center possible.

For more information on how to donate, volunteer, or get involved, contact vanessar@mercyhouse.net, or call (714) 836-7188 ext. 172.

Local leaders participate in a ribbon cutting for the Buena Park Navigation Center.

Shelter Opening in Fullerton Soon

Last November, the Fullerton City Council approved a 150-bed recuperative care/navigation center for people experiencing homelessness at 3535 West Commonwealth Ave, to be run by local nonprofit Illumination Foundation.

A recuperative care facility assists people experiencing homelessness with medical issues who are discharged from a hospital, giving them a place to recover instead of sending them back onto the streets. The navigation facility would provide shelter and wraparound services to help folks not only recover, but to get into more stable housing.

Illumination Foundation currently runs 6 recuperative care centers. They are the largest provider of such services in the nation.

According to City Manager Ken Domer, renovations are currently being done on the building, and the center is likely to open by the end of July.

According to the last Orange County Point in Time count, there were 308 people experiencing homelessness in Fullerton.

Renovations are underway at the new recuperative care/navigation center in Fullerton. Photo by Ken Domer.