“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.”–Andre Gide

In the mid-September letters column for the Observer, John H. made several good points, including one I’ve been hammering on for years: “Housing first, so you can BEGIN to solve the problems.” And further: “Housing as some type of reward for good behavior (is) not a problem-solving attitude.” I could not possibly agree more.

In the interim, we have to deal with the solutions, imperfect as they are, that are already in place. That primarily means homeless shelters. As indicated, this columnist has dealt with their shortcomings and advantages before, so some of this will be rehashed observations and facts with new input added.
The two biggest names that come up when it comes to addressing homelessness in Orange County are the Illumination Foundation (IF) and Mercy House (MH). Combined, they receive around $45 million from city and state governments to fund shelters and housing projects.

Mercy House, according to its annual report for 2024-2025, believes “that shelter is not the end goal…it’s the first step. A safe place to sleep is where healing can begin, stability can take root, and the path home becomes possible.” Fine-sounding words, but they ring hollow in these ears and those with whom I’ve shared shelter these past three years. Sleeping in congregate Housing can be difficult or outright impossible, especially if lights are left on all night. And without good sleep, everything–from making simple to do lists to executive decision-making–becomes equally problematic.

In this same report, Mercy House makes the astonishing assertion that their rapid rehousing program has a success rate of 92 percent, with the average time in shelter being around eight months. But what of those who spend years waiting, dealing with the turnover in housing navigators (I’ve had 6 in my 3 years) and the grinding, endless, banal routine that can lead to depression, stagnation and bed-rotting? What of those of us who start out with the highest of hopes, only to become more jaundiced as “clients” (the preferred terminology in the shelter industry) who’ve been sheltered for mere weeks are given Housing, while the rest of us are like the refugees in Casablanca, lacking letters of transit? They also claim to have served 9,043 individuals during the past year, but provide no data as to how many of these individuals received permanent supportive Housing.

The Illumination Foundation makes many equally laudable claims in its latest report: 91¢ of every dollar goes directly to programs; they maintain a 97% Charity Navigator rating; their financials are independently audited each year; oversight is provided by a highly engaged Board of Directors and finance committee. But some of these numbers tell a different story. For instance, IF reports that they served 7,282 clients last year, but only 1,211 ended up in permanent supportive Housing. That’s literally 1 in 7–a 14 percent success rate. Not something to brag about.

Being in a shelter in Orange County is like being in the lowest-caste in India–the “dalits,” or untouchables. And we are constantly made aware of our lowly status, while being expected to be thankful for congregate shelter and the numerous risks therein–rampant viral spread, sexual and verbal abuse, and filthy conditions among them.

Then there’s the issue of just getting into a shelter. There are around 4000 shelter beds in Orange County, but availability is low. It is estimated that, currently, around 1300 of these beds are occupied, yet a homeless person can expect to wait days, even months, just to get a bed in a shelter.
Add to that the daunting prospect of having to approach the local police department to speak with their homeless liaison officer, and doing so during banker’s hours. Most homeless people want zero contact with the police, for obvious reasons.

As far as permanent Housing goes, the news is even bleaker. Community Partners Realty, in their July 2025 report on housing availability in Orange County, noted that renters need to earn more than three times the minimum wage to afford the average rent on an apartment.

I have no reason to doubt the sincerity of Mercy House’s and the Illumination Foundation’s core mission. Where I have issues is on the ground floor, where we, the unhoused, must keep body, mind and spirit together despite all the aforementioned obstacles and indignities dropped in our paths. Perhaps if more of those millions went into actual Housing, as well as improving the upkeep of shelters and hiring of adequately trained personnel (like on-site psychiatric social workers and addiction counselors), the problem of rehousing would be less time-consuming and dispiriting. Until things change, this columnist will continue to heed Andre Gide’s wise words and persist in hammering away at the walls that separate the homeless from having homes.