Commission to Address Homelessness Updates
New Appointments
The Commission to Address Homelessness (Commission) works in collaboration with the County of Orange (County), city governments, business sector, philanthropic organizations, community organizations, faith-based organizations, health care, public safety, and other interested stakeholders to address the County’s initiatives surrounding homelessness.
On December 2, 2025, the Board of Supervisors approved seven appointments to the Commission in the following seats: Lived Experience of Homelessness Representative, Behavioral Health Representative, Hospital Representative, two Continuum of Care Board Representatives, Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department Representative, and an At-Large Representative. Each seat will serve a two-year term from December 11, 2025, to December 10, 2027.
Anthony Trejo will serve as the Lived Experience of Homelessness Representative. Mr. Trejo is a Program Manager at HIS-OC overseeing the transitional housing program for families and transitional aged youth. Mr. Trejo has past lived experience of homelessness and has worked with other homeless service providers to provide street outreach and engage people experiencing homelessness with the goal of connecting them to shelter and/or other supportive services.
Dr. Veronica Kelley will serve as the Behavioral Health Representative. Dr. Kelley is the Director of the Orange County Health Care Agency where she plans, develops, implements, and coordinates a full range of behavioral health, public health and medical and institutional health services programs. Her prior roles include Chief of the County’s Mental Health and Recovery Services and the Director of Behavioral Health for San Bernardino County.
Mr. Nathaniel Shinagawa will serve as the Hospital Representative. Mr. Shinagawa is the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of University of California Irvine (UCI) Health. He oversees daily operations across the enterprise including UCI Medical Center, and the four (4) community hospitals. He is responsible for opening the new Irvine campus which includes a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated cancer center and 144 bed hospital.
Ms. Maricela Rios-Faust was re-appointed to serve as one of the Continuum of Care Board Representatives. Ms. Rios-Faust is the Chief Executive Officer for Human Options. She has 35 years’ experience in non-profit leadership and has served on the Orange County Continuum of Care Board for over eight years and currently serves as the Chair of the Domestic Violence Committee. As a regional leader, she commits to fostering cross-sector collaboration that unites stakeholders around innovative and effective countywide solutions to end homelessness and domestic violence.
Mr. Robert Morse was re-appointed to serve as the other Continuum of Care Board Representative. Mr. Morse has served on the Orange County Continuum of Care Board since January 2023 and is also actively involved with the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, the Costa Mesa Street Medicine Steering Committee, and the Life on the Streets Ministries. Mr. Morse experienced over 10 years of unsheltered homelessness and since ending his homelessness, he has dedicated himself to helping others.
Mr. Virgil Asuncion will serve as the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s Department (OCSD) Representative. Mr. Asuncion is the Commander at the Southwest Operations Division for the OCSD where he oversees the department’s Behavioral Health Bureau in Patrol Operations and manages the Chiefs of Police Services for eight cities in South Orange County. He is involved with developing OCSD staff training and creates sustainable, countywide strategies with accountability and compassion for those experiencing homelessness.
Dr. Joshua Bobko will serve as the At-Large Representative. Dr. Joshua Bobko is the Emergency Medical Services Director for the Orange County Fire Authority. He holds a Doctor of Medicine and currently oversees the medical care and training for more than 1,200 firefighters and paramedics, collaborates with county and state agencies to ensure equitable emergency response across diverse communities, and oversees integration between emergency medical services, hospitals, public health, and community partners. Dr. Bobko also designs and evaluates programs that improve access to care, reduce unnecessary emergency department utilization, and build pathways into supportive services.
OC Same-Day Solutions Fair
The Office of Care Coordination was scheduled to host the third OC Same-Day Solutions Fair (SDSF) on November 20, 2025, in the city of Placentia; however, the event was cancelled due to inclement weather. The event has been rescheduled to February 26, 2026, at the same location, the Placentia Presbyterian Church, 849 Bradford Ave, Placentia, CA 92870.
This SDSF will offer an opportunity for individuals currently experiencing homelessness to connect with same-day services, support and referrals from County and local agencies, including the OC Clerk Recorder and OC Public Defender. An official flyer for the event will be distributed to community partners when it is finalized.
The Point In Time Count is a count and survey of people experiencing homelessness on a given night during the last ten days in January. The Point In Time Count provides vital information that helps the County of Orange (County), and the Orange County Continuum of Care (CoC) better understand homelessness in the community and guides the response to homelessness. In 2026, the Point In Time sheltered count will occur on the night of January 26, 2026, and the Point In Time unsheltered count will begin the next morning on Tuesday, January 27 through Thursday, January 29, 2026. |
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Volunteer opportunities for the Everyone Counts OC 2026 Point In Time Count are available by Service Planning Area (SPA) and include early morning and late evening options. Please click on the link for a Deployment Center to volunteer in, and the link will direct to a registration form.
Volunteer Opportunities in Central SPA on Tuesday, January 27, 2026:
Volunteer Opportunities in North SPA on Wednesday, January 28, 2026:
Volunteer Opportunities in South SPA on Thursday, January 29, 2026:
Continuum of Care Program Notice of Funding Opportunity
In 2024, for the first time, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a two-year Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) as authorized by the 2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act. CoCs were required to submit one CoC Consolidated Application to be applicable for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 and FY 2025 funds, along with the FY 2024 CoC Priority Listing.
On July 3, 2025, HUD sent communication via the Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) Competitions mailing list announcing the intention to publish a NOFO for FY 2025 CoC awards. On Thursday, November 13, 2025, HUD released the FY 2025 CoC Program NOFO via Grants.Gov, which rescinded and superseded any mention of FY 2025 CoC funds within the 2024 CoC Program NOFO.
On December 8, 2025, HUD withdrew the FY2025 CoC Program NOFO and stated the intent to reissue a modified NOFO in advance of the deadline for obligation of available FY2025 funds. In response to the withdrawal of the NOFO, the Office of Care Coordination (OCC) paused the request for new and renewal project applications. However, despite the withdrawal of the FY 2025 CoC Program NOFO, the OCC, as the Collaborative Applicant for the Orange County CoC, recommended that all CoC partners continue moving forward with planning and preparation efforts.
On the morning of December 19, 2025, a court hearing related to the FY 2025 CoC Program NOFO took place. The judge in the case granted a preliminary injunction against HUD‘s decision to rescind the previous NOFO, thereby requiring HUD to maintain the status quo on its funding until a new NOFO is released following a process that fits congressional standards. Later that same day, HUD issued an updated FY 2025 CoC Program NOFO for public review and is awaiting court approval to open the application portal.
On December 23, 2025, the judge issued a written preliminary injunction ordered that HUD must preserve the "status quo ante" that existed under the FY24-25 NOFO, in part by taking steps to process eligible renewals for FY25. However, HUD is not ordered to obligate funding or grant any specific renewals at this time. The preliminary injunction directs HUD to take steps to process grants expiring in the coming year and requires HUD to communicate with communities and funding recipients about any steps they need to take so eligible renewals can be processed. A report on HUD’s plan and timeline is due to the court by December 30, 2025.
The OCC is continuing to monitor the status of the FY 2025 CoC Program NOFO and work diligently to ensure timely submission of a stand and competitive application.
Continuum of Care Board Nomination & Election
The Continuum of Care (CoC) Board nomination and election process is held annually from September through December, with the CoC Board members elected by the CoC General Membership in December and seated in January of the new calendar year. The Office of Care Coordination and Nominating Ad Hoc, on behalf of the Orange County CoC, facilitates the CoC Board nomination and election process, which includes review of the CoC Governance Charter and recommended revisions to the CoC Board composition, nomination and election process. The CoC Board approved the 2025 CoC Nominating Ad Hoc’s recommended revisions to the CoC Governance Charter on October 22, 2025.
At the CoC Board Meeting on December 17, 2025, seven candidates were appointed to the CoC Board for the term of January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028, inclusive of returning and new Board members. The results of the 2025 CoC Board nomination and election process yielded a broad representation of Orange County CoC partners, including diverse identities, backgrounds, and experiences of key partners in the community.
CES Policies and Procedures
The Office of Care Coordination worked to update the Coordinated Entry System (CES) Policies and Procedures, and revisions were recommended by community feedback and review of best practices.
The CES Policies and Procedures were updated to adjust shelter status effects on CES prioritization, removing the preference for households in shelter completely. Previously, the shelter preference only applied to households experiencing homelessness for less than one year. The update was made to simplify prioritization and ensure access to housing opportunities for people experiencing homelessness regardless of access and participation in shelter programs.
Additional revisions to the CES Policies and Procedures include in depth CES prioritization explanation, clarification on Access Points populations served, definitions for Open and Closed Access Points, clarification language on grievance procedures and dynamic matches, and more information on emergency transfers due to concerns related to domestic or other violence. The updated procedures also include a table of contents and glossary of common terms.
The CES Policies and Procedures were open for public feedback prior to approval by different Orange County Continuum of Care Committees, including the CES Steering Committee, the Lived Experienced Advisory Committee, the Policies, Procedures and Standards Committee, and by the Continuum of Care Board.
The current CES Policies and Procedures can be found here.
Coordinated Entry System Prioritization Updates
The Continuum of Care (CoC) Program requires the use and implementation of a Coordinated Entry System (CES) to prioritize individuals, families, and other special populations – such as Veterans, survivors of domestic violence and Transitional Aged Youth (TAY) – to housing and other supportive services. The Office of Care Coordination (OCC) serves as the CES Lead for the Orange County CoC and supports updating CES Policies and Procedures.
On July 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sent communication via the Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) Competitions mailing list announcing the intention to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for 2025 CoC awards. In the email, HUD invited CoCs to prepare an application focused on treatment and recovery, reducing unsheltered homelessness, reducing returns to homelessness, and increasing the earned income of participants. HUD announced significant changes within the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 CoC Program NOFO that were released on November 13, 2025, and December 19, 2025. Changes included a cap on investments in permanent housing resources, such as Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) or Rapid Rehousing (RRH). Thus, the Orange County CoC and OCC reviewed the current CES Prioritization Policy to create a prioritization for individuals and families who may be at-risk of homelessness, due to changes in CoC-funded permanent housing.
The OCC updated the CES Policies and Procedures in anticipation of the release of the FY2025 CoC Program NOFO, requesting feedback from CoC-funded agencies and members of the Orange County CoC Board. Updates to the CES Policies and Procedures included identifying and establishing new prioritized groups within the CES prioritization schema:
- CoC-Funded PSH households at-risk of homelessness due to CoC Program changes, and
- CoC-Funded RRH Households at-risk of homelessness due to CoC Program changes.
Households would be prioritized by anticipated program end date from soonest to latest date, and subsequently by the oldest approximate date homelessness began as entered in the household’s current CoC-funded program enrollment.
During the November 19, 2025, CoC Board Meeting, the updated CES prioritization schema was approved, which allows the OCC, as the CES Lead, to identify households at-risk of homelessness due to CoC Program changes and match them to other non-CoC Permanent Housing Programs made available through the Orange County CES. The OCC will coordinate with housing providers to ensure eligibility and movements between different permanent housing programs can continue to keep households housed.
The updated CES Prioritization Policy can be viewed here.
2-for-1 Match Piot Program
At the November 19, 2025, meeting, the Orange County Continuum of Care (CoC) Board approved a 2-for-1 Match Policy (Policy) for the Coordinated Entry System (CES). The Office of Care Coordination (OCC), as the CES Lead, developed and proposed this Policy at the request of partnering housing providers in Orange County in the interest of ensuring vacant housing opportunities are filled quickly, while maintaining a transparent and person-centered housing process. The Policy is voluntary, and housing providers may request to opt-in to this process for certain housing opportunity vacancies including new housing communities close to financing deadlines and units vacant for more than 15 days, subject to other criteria in the Policy and review by the OCC.
The OCC has worked with Access Points, and service providers to implement a six-month pilot for the Policy. The OCC will respond to the Policies, Procedures and Standards Committee, and the Lived Experience Advisory Committee with a formal data evaluation from the time-limited pilot.
All documents relevant to the Policy may be found here.
Supportive Housing Communities Updates
Three Supportive Housing Communities are in Lease Up
The Orion Apartments, in the city of Orange, is a senior affordable community developed by the USA Company and Riverside Charitable Corporation. The Orion has 166 units with eight (8) units designated for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for seniors aged 62 and older, who are Mental Health Service Act (MHSA) qualified, and experiencing homelessness. The eight units are supported with project-based vouchers issued by Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) in partnership with OC Health Care Agency (HCA). The Orion began leasing up at the beginning of December 2025.
Cartwright Family Apartments, in the city of Irvine, is a new community developed by C&C Development located in the Irvine Business Complex. In partnership with the HCA and OCHA, ten units are designated for households who are MHSA qualified and are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Cartwright Family Apartments is currently in the lease up process, which began in late August 2025.
Huntington Beach Oasis Apartments was a former Quality Inn Motel Project site operating as a Homekey Program interim housing for individuals experiencing homelessness and renovated by American Family Housing and National Core into a 63-unit complex. In partnership with the OCHA, 62 units were made available for people experiencing homelessness. Huntington Beach Oasis Apartments received its Certificate of Occupancy and began leasing up in September 2025. Move-ins began in December 2025, in time for residents to be in new homes prior to the holiday season.
Vacancies for any of these units will be filled through the Coordinated Entry System (CES). To access CES, contact the Virtual Front Door by calling 2-1-1 or contact a CES participating agency directly.
Annual Monitoring
The Office of Care Coordination (OCC) provides annual monitoring of 19 shelter programs countywide to ensure adherence to both Federal and State funding regulations, as well as compliance with the County of Orange’s (County) Standards of Care for Emergency Shelter Providers (Standards of Care). The OCC completed the first half of the annual monitoring process for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and has scheduled the remaining annual monitoring with County-funded program shelters. The goal of the annual monitoring process is to ensure quality assurance in the operation of emergency shelters. The OCC held a training on August 19, 2025, to review the monitoring process, required documentation, and concerns identified in the previous monitoring cycle. This training will be offered on annual basis to provide technical assistance and support.
Collaborative Vehicle-Focused Outreach in Lake Forest
Orange County Outreach & Engagement (OC O&E) has continued to enhance their presence in the community with the goal of engaging as many individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness as possible. OC O&E most recently partnered with the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s Department (OCSD) and the City of Lake Forest Outreach Team to conduct a vehicle-focused outreach effort aimed at engaging individuals living in their vehicles. While this practice is not typical for OC O&E, this collaboration allowed outreach to occur in a structured and secure manner, in partnership with Homeless Liaison Officers from OCSD to help ensure safety for both staff and the individuals served.
Prior to the outreach, OC O&E coordinated closely with OCSD and city partners to identify effective timing and approach. OC O&E staff offered culturally responsive services, resources, and connections to care. Having multilingual outreach staff available helped reduce barriers to communication and strengthened engagement with individuals served. This coordinated effort supported meaningful engagement while prioritizing safety, dignity, and voluntary participation.
During the outreach, OC O&E encountered an older adult living in a vehicle under unsafe conditions and experiencing significant health and mobility challenges. Through collaborative engagement and patient communication, the individual agreed to receive a medical evaluation and was transported by emergency medical services for further care. Behavioral health partners were consulted and updated to support appropriate follow-up and continuity of care.
This initial vehicle-based outreach demonstrated the value of collaboration in addressing complex and often hidden forms of homelessness. OC O&E looks forward to continuing to refine this approach and exploring opportunities to expand similar partnerships, with the goal of reaching individuals who are harder to engage and ensuring access to supportive services, healthcare, and pathways to stability.
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