Hafsa Kaka, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s senior advisor on homelessness, stopped by Santa Ana on Wednesday, Sept. 27, to check out the city’s Homeless Navigation Center and learn how state funding is being used to address needs.
The city’s 200-bed shelter, operated by the Illumination Foundation, opened in May 2022 for individuals and families, who are taken in on a referral basis and have access to a variety of support services to help navigate their way to permanent housing and financial stability. More than $14 million in state homelessness funding assisted the city in the purchase, construction and operation costs of the navigation center.
Kaka, along with Mayor Valerie Amezcua and other city and state staff, toured the facility and discussed other ways Santa Ana is tackling the homelessness crisis.
The visit to Santa Ana was a return to familiar territory for Kaka, who worked for the city in 2018.
“I’ve seen major progress,” she said. “I know that when I was first homeless service manager in Santa Ana years ago, it was sort of the beginning of jurisdictions coming together to address homelessness. Now I see that there is quite a bit of regional coordination happening, and to be able to see today’s 200-bed navigation center, it’s exciting to see how things have progressed.”
Currently serving 162 clients, the navigation center not only supplies guests with a place to sleep, but also connects them with workforce programs, skills assessments, permanent housing, substance abuse treatment and other services.
Queen Boston, who has stayed at the shelter for the last eight months, shared her own experience with Kaka, saying she was grateful for the staff that is helping her get back on her feet.
“I didn’t really want to be in a shelter, but I didn’t have a choice because I didn’t want to be back on the streets again,” Boston said. “But, it’s been great to me.”
Kaka said hearing testimonies from folks like Boston is why she does…
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