The ongoing homelessness crisis in Fullerton, mirrored by statistics showing 434 individuals experiencing homelessness locally and over 7,300 countywide, underscores the urgent need for a fundamental shift in approach: a commitment to the “Housing First” model. While city initiatives like shelters and rental assistance programs provide essential services, they often serve only as temporary fixes—akin to placing a Band-Aid on a broken bone—while failing to address the root causes of homelessness.

The Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program, despite receiving over 200 applications, has only managed to approve four due to staffing shortages. This highlights a critical inefficiency: temporary assistance is constrained by limited resources and bureaucratic delays, ultimately leaving individuals without long-term stability. While funding initiatives like shelter services may offer immediate relief, they do not provide the permanency that vulnerable populations need to regain their footing.

Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Shana Charles’ proposal for a “street medicine” program is a valuable addition but remains another patch on an inadequate system. Without stable housing as the foundation, health improvements are unlikely to lead to sustainable change. Research consistently shows that individuals are more likely to achieve better health outcomes, stable employment, and reintegration into society when they have a permanent home.

The recent proposal by Councilmember Dr. Ahmad Zahra for a rent stabilization ordinance, met with resistance and attacks from Mayor Fred Jung and Councilmember Nick Dunlap. This highlights the community’s need for systemic change rather than temporary measures. Imposing a rent cap could help keep individuals in their homes and preventing the cycle of homelessness from starting in the first place.

The city’s current funding model, which is strained and predicts escalating deficits, further complicates temporary efforts and reinforces the need for a strategic pivot toward a Housing First approach. Such an approach not only provides permanent housing but also tailors supportive services to the individual’s needs, addressing behavioral health, substance abuse, and economic barriers in a holistic manner.

To truly combat homelessness, Fullerton must move beyond short-term solutions and invest in sustainable housing opportunities. This will require a reevaluation of funding priorities, collaboration with regional care systems, and a unified political will to address not only the symptoms but the systemic issues that perpetuate homelessness and costs tax payers more money year after year. Without this fundamental shift, any temporary measure will continue to be just a Band-Aid on a broken bone, failing to heal the underlying fracture of our housing crisis.

If you liked this article then you may like:

OC Grand Jury Report: Homelessness: Is Orange County Moving in the Right Direction?

Support our advertisers click an ad below.