Homeless Agencies Confer on Strategies

More than 200 people who help Orange County’s homeless met Wednesday to discuss how they can better serve their clients--despite rising rents and home prices.

The meeting was the first effort of a new consortium of the Shelter and Hunger Partnership, Orange County Homeless Issues Task Force and county government. Together they hope to eradicate homelessness with a variety of measures.

“We are interested in attacking the problem of transitional housing all the way to the other end of the spectrum, which is the building of affordable housing,” said Karen Roper, the county’s homeless coordinator.

Leaders of nonprofit organizations, state and county officials and elected representatives attended the meeting, held in Costa Mesa and co-sponsored by The Times Orange County.

Among the topics discussed were the frustration of seeking federal funding, problems obtaining shelter permits from local governments and barriers to finding housing for the homeless.

In addition, participants discussed how to get better information on homeless people in the county and how to share it through the Internet and other means. A recent survey by the county’s department of Housing and Community Development showed more than 14,000 people are homeless each night in Orange County.

Roper said she hopes the group will meet four times a year.