The court filing seeking the injunction to stop the election was filed Friday, Nov. 3, on behalf of a Santa Ana resident after questions arose over which ward map should have been used in gathering signatures to force the recall vote. OC Superior Court Judge Craig L. Griffin said in Tuesday’s hearing that he needs more time to research the issue, and would come back to the matter after the election on Jan. 12.

Lopez was elected to the Ward 3 seat in 2020. The boundaries of that district were changed in 2022 based on the latest U.S. Census, and that map of the ward was used in calculating how many signatures needed to be collected to force the special election and what voters would receive ballots. OC Registrar of Voters Bob Page contacted city officials on Oct. 26 about whether the 2020 map of the ward should be been used.

“I don’t think that I was surprised by the judge’s unwillingness to take a stand here, but I also understand that he needs time to review all of the materials that were presented to him. And I think that’s fair,” Lopez said. “We just have major concerns about the voters that are being disenfranchised in our city who are Latino, who are renters, who are mobile home residents.”

Lawyers representing Guadalupe Ocampo argued in their filing that the recall effort should be considered invalid because if the 2020 map is applied its supporters failed to collect enough valid signatures. Also, because of the changes in the boundaries, more than 350 voters received ballots who shouldn’t have, their filing argues, and more than 1,100 people who should be able to vote in the election didn’t get a ballot, including Ocampo.

Tim Rush, chair of the group supporting the recall effort, said its proponents were somewhat confident the judge would not stop the recall especially with it being so far along. Ballots when out last month and voting is underway in the Nov. 14 special election. Rush also also said the group followed the instructions they were given when gathering signatures.

“I’m not exactly certain what this means that he’s going to rule on it in January,” Rush said. “Jessie, assuming we had enough votes to recall her, would be out of office before the judge rules in January. So what if he rules and says, ‘Well, the clerk should have used the old boundaries?’ I don’t know what that does. It would seem to me, and common sense would say, that the judge wouldn’t want to create that kind of chaos by allowing the vote to go forward now and then overturn the results of it in January, but who knows?”

The City Council deadlocked last week on whether voting should be canceled based on the questions raised. Without new guidance from the city, Page has said his office would continue to administer the recall election.

Lopez said she and her team will focus on reaching out to voters. “We’re seven days away and we want to, like everybody else, we want to make sure that we do everything that we can to defeat this illegitimate effort.”

Voting centers are open now until Nov. 14; which is also the date mailed in ballots need to be postmarked. More information on the recall election can be found at santa-ana.org/elections.

A “transformational” $50 million gift from Newport Beach philanthropist Richard Pickup is helping establish the center, which will not only work on research and to improve gaps in care for memory and cognitive disorders, but also create programs for patients’ family members who are also impacted by the effects of the often devastating diseases.

Pickup, who turns 90 next month, has directed several donations over the years toward advancing care for those dealing with dementia-related diseases. The Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute, a Hoag program that offers neurologic care and treatment, was established in 2017 after a $15 million donation. This new gift will create the Richard H. Pickup Center for Brain Health.

“We really need to change the model of how we do care for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Hoag realizes, and our community realizes, that the way we’ve done things is just not going to cut it,” said Aaron Ritter, director of the Memory and Cognitive Disorders Program at the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute.

“The idea is getting in front of this, doing things now and creating a model and programs that can actually help alleviate the suffering that comes with the disease, and also advancing new therapies and treatments that follow what we’ve done with cardiac care and diabetes care,” Ritter said. “It’s a huge change.”

Along with creating the new space on the hospital grounds, the $50 million gift will also go toward supportive programs for patients and their families with a focus on screenings, early detection and advancing technology, Hoag officials said.

Because care needs to go beyond patient treatment, Ritter said. Family members and loved ones often shoulder the burden and costs of care.

“It’s a family disease, so anybody that’s affected by dementia, you multiply it by two or three, the number of people that it takes to care for those people,” Ritter said.

“Yesterday, I saw somebody whose 21-year-old son has to move to Newport Beach to take care of his dad. He’s like, ‘I don’t know what to do. I won’t be able to make any money.’ Those are the stories we’re hearing,” Ritter said. “So how do we change that? How do we get the support and care for a 21-year-old who has to take care of their 65-year-old father? That’s the challenge that is faced by dementia care right now.”

There are warnings of a “Silver Tsunami” in the United States, as the population older than 65 grows quickly and people live longer.

Orange County’s population of older folks is growing by 15% annually, according to Hoag officials. And with aging comes several health concerns and diseases, including Alzheimer’s and dementia. Alzheimer’s rates in Orange County, Hoag officials noted, doubled between 2014 and 2021 and are projected to double again by 2040, requiring more experts in brain health and aging.

Ritter warned the medical industry hasn’t made as much progress for diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s as it has in other areas such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

“The rates of death from those have gone way down. And for Alzheimer’s, we haven’t seen the same outcome,” he said. “People are living longer, but they’re developing dementia. So the idea of taking care of people that are at risk for dementia, preventing dementia or treating dementia better, that’s a big part of treating the Silver Tsunami.”

The Richard H. Pickup Center for Brain Health will be a place to change that, he said. The center will be designed with a “whole-family” approach to care.

It starts with an accurate, timely diagnosis, Ritter said, and then with the family developing a treatment plan that addresses the areas in a person’s life that illnesses like dementia most impact. A whole-family approach to care covers those things, as well as the ways that the loved ones of a patient may need care as well.

“Right now we have in the United States something we call dementia neurology deserts. There are places where people can’t get a diagnosis, they can’t get answers as to what may be going on,” Ritter said. “Dementia always impacts driving, finances and medications, pragmatic things. Right now, Hoag supports the Alzheimer’s Families Center in Huntington Beach, which is a huge operation. About 100 families use those services every day.”

Pickup understands firsthand the struggles that families face when caring for a person with memory and cognitive disorders.

“I had a close brother of mine that was probably seven or eight years younger than I, and I went through the pain of just seeing him deteriorate so badly,” Pickup said. “I think at this particular point in my life, instead of supporting 75 different (causes), I said, ‘Let’s take this meaningful amount of money – we all have this great big desire to build this particular program up – let’s put it in there and see what these guys can do with it.’”

Pickup said he hopes the new center will help develop better awareness of memory and cognitive diseases, as well as earlier detection.

“There’s got to be some gaps in here that we certainly could cover to come along a little bit faster,” Pickup said. “There’s not a lot of money being spent individually in this particular disease, and maybe this will go for the home run we’re looking for.”

Councilmember Jessie Lopez is the focus of a recall effort that is now asking voters whether she should be removed from the Ward 3 seat she was elected to in 2020, which covers the north and northeastern parts of the city. The boundaries of that district were changed in 2022 based on the latest U.S. Census.

Monday night, the City Council deadlocked on whether voting should be canceled based on questions raised by county Registrar of Voters Bob Page about which map of the ward, 2020 or 2022, should have been applied to the recall. The 2022 map had been used in verification of the signatures and in mailing out ballots last month in the special election called for Nov. 14.

“The determination as to whether that means the petition was sufficient or insufficient, must be made by the city clerk. And, to call off the election, the City Council would have to rescind its resolution ordering the election,” Page said in an email Thursday. “As the city has done neither of those steps, the registrar of voters is continuing to conduct the election with vote centers opening this Saturday.”

On Oct. 26, Page sent a letter to City Clerk Jennifer Hall questioning which map should have been used, the one Lopez was elected under or the current configuration. He said a similar question raised in another county in the state prompted his question.

Page said the 2020 map of Ward 3 has more registered voters in its boundaries and would have required recall petitioners to collect more signatures to force the election; if the map was applied to verifying the signatures that were collected, the recall effort would have failed. It would also affect whether some voters got ballots, he said in his letter, asking the city to give him direction.

In response, City Attorney Sonia Carvalho wrote on Oct. 27 that her office was “distressed” by the registrar of voter’s lack of communication and asked twice whether Page would be rescinding his office’s verification of the signature petition certificate. Page provided correspondences between the city and county.

“The city should not be left alone in deciding how to proceed, based on the error, regardless of who is responsible for it,” Carvalho said. “Our question back to you is, would you proceed with conducting the election knowing what you now know about there being insufficient signatures to qualify the recall in the first place, assuming you used the wrong map?”

In an Oct. 30 letter back, County Counsel Leon Page said, “You twice request on behalf of the city that the registrar rescind his certificate” and also that “we read your letter as a modification of the city’s request” from June setting the required number of signatures to qualify since the 2020 map had more registered voters.

The county counsel reiterated in his correspondence that while the registrar is providing election services, the county is not able to decide what happens with the Nov. 14 election. Previously, Bob Page said the city clerk is the elections official for municipal elections – the Registrar of Voters is simply contracted by the city to provide election services – and that was why he was seeking direction from the city.

Laura Rossini, Santa Ana’s chief assistant city attorney, responded that same afternoon with an email to the county counsel office that the city “never asked or directed” the registrar to rescind his original certificate and requested it be corrected.

An hour later, the council met and was divided 3-3 on what to do. Councilmembers Johnathan Hernandez Thai Viet Phan and Benjamin Vazquez voted to stop the recall, saying continuing the special election would mean breaking the law. Mayor Amezcua, along with councilmembers Phil Bacerra and David Penaloza voted against canceling the election, with Penaloza arguing it was decision that should be left to a court.

Lopez could not be reached for comment, but previously said she and her team are looking into all legal options moving forward. As of Thursday afternoon no court filings appeared to have been submitted.

Ballots were mailed out to registered voters in the new 2022 version of Ward 3 in mid-Oct. Voting centers are set to open from Nov. 4 to 14. More information on the recall election can be found at santa-ana.org/elections.

Lopez was elected to Santa Ana’s Ward 3, in the north and northeastern part of the city, in 2020. The boundaries of that ward were changed in 2022 based on the latest U.S. Census.

In an Oct. 26 letter addressed to City Clerk Jennifer Hall, Registrar of Voters Bob Page questioned which map should have been used when counting the signatures on the petition that forced the special election asking whether Lopez should be removed from the council. It would also affect whether some voters got ballots, he said.

In his letter, Page asked the city to give him direction. Voting is already underway and the election ends Nov. 14.

Page said the 2020 map of Ward 3 has more registered voters in its boundaries and would have required recall petitioners to collect more signatures to force the election. A couple of neighborhoods were taken out of the ward in 2022, so some collected signatures would not be valid under the 2020 version.

The City Council discussed two options during Monday night’s special meeting – one was to call off the recall election and the other was to do nothing. Both motions failed for lack of majority support.

Councilmember Johnathan Hernandez, who voted to stop the recall along with councilmembers Thai Viet Phan and Benjamin Vazquez, said continuing the special election would mean breaking the law.

“To sit here and debate this today calls into question the ethics of some of my colleagues who took an oath to serve the residents of Santa Ana,” Hernandez said. “A vote against rescinding this recall is a vote in favor of corruption. It is a vote in favor of a city hall where corrupt politicians run your city.”

Hernandez also disclosed on the dias that City Attorney Sonia Carvalho’s professional opinion was that City Hall is “legally and ethically required” to rescind the certificate of sufficiency of the recall. The council was then reminded by Carvalho not to discuss closed session conversations.

Councilmember David Penaloza said because of “complex legal opinions” it was best for the city to take no action. It would be best, Penaloza added, for a court to decide the merit of the election.  His motion was supported by Mayor Valerie Amezcua and Councilmember Phil Bacerra.

“My position is the city of Santa Ana should not take responsibility for the Registrar of Voters’ errors,” Bacerra said.

Page said in an email Tuesday that the 2022 map was used before his office was asked to validate the signatures.

Previously Page said the city clerk is the elections official for municipal elections – the Registrar of Voters is simply contracted by the city to provide election services – and that was why he was seeking direction from the city. Page said Tuesday the Registrar of Voters will continue to conduct the recall election using the current map of Ward 3 until his office receives different directions from the city.

After receiving an email from the Kings County Registrar of Voters asking other county elections officials in the state for advice regarding a recall effort that involved officials elected before and after redistricting, Page said he re-examined the Santa Ana recall.

“My priority is to work with the city and city clerk to ensure that the voices of the voters in Ward 3 are heard. That includes properly examining the recall petition and providing access to vote in the election,” Page said. “Last week I determined that the current map of Ward 3 was used by the proponents, City Clerk and Registrar of Voters for the recall petition and election and then evaluated the potential impact of switching to the 2020 map of Ward 3.”

Lopez said she is not surprised by the council’s 3-3 deadlock, but she is disappointed.

“I know that it’s been a very tough 11 months when you have members up with the dais always yelling from the rooftops to follow the law, and here they are choosing to break the law because it benefits their campaign pockets,” Lopez said when reached Tuesday. “The people, the voters in the city are being disenfranchised. Never once did they put their constituents in the center of that decision-making process. They violated their own code of ethics last night.”

Lopez said she and her team are looking into all legal options moving forward, but did not give specifics.

Ballots were mailed out to registered voters in the new 2022 version of Ward 3 in mid-Oct. Voting centers are set to open from Nov. 4-14.

More information on the recall election can be found at santa-ana.org/elections.

Brown shepherded the diocese during a period of great growth from 1998 until his retirement in 2012, including seeing its membership in the county double and making the decision to purchase the 35-acre cathedral campus in Garden Grove, which has since become the centerpiece of the diocese.

Brown died Oct. 15 at the age of 86. 

Members of the Knights of Columbus flanked Brown’s casket Monday morning as the rosary was recited in Vietnamese, English and Spanish – the three most-used languages of the diocese – and congregants began to fill the cathedral.

Brown leaves behind a brother, Daniel Brown, sister-in-law, Jeanne Brown, and nieces and nephews and other family. Brown’s family had a private moment with the casket before pallbearers carried it to the alter as the funeral ceremony began.

A procession of clergy dressed in cream robes entered the quiet cathedral to start the service, followed by clergy from across the West Coast and abroad including Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose Gomez and Bishop Kevin Vann, who succeeded Brown when he retired.

“All of you here present are a witness to the ministry and the life that Bishop Brown offered to God and our local church,” Mahony said, opening the service and welcoming Brown’s family.

Rev. Msgr. Wilbur Davis, now retired and a priest in residence at Our Lady Queen of Angels in Newport Beach, delivered the homily, offering stories and memories of his friend.

While his work with the diocese is memorable, those close to Brown found he was not only a fierce leader, but also a great friend, Davis said.

“Bishop Brown gave so much of himself to us. He was an easy person to be with. He was gentle, kind, thoughtful,” he said. “He was also clear-minded, objective and strategic. He knew how to be a really good human being.”

Under Brown’s leadership, the diocese transformed to look more like the community of Catholics who worship at its many parishes, David said.

“Diocese and offices traditionally were heavily staffed by clergy, male clergy,” he said. “Which is fine, they were well chosen. But he had a mix there that was more Catholic. He had men and he had women. It was perfect.”

Brown also ordained the nation’s first Vietnamese Roman Catholic bishop in 2003 and one of the few Hispanic bishops in the United States in 2000.

Davis noted Brown’s love for travel. From his time studying in Rome through to his retirement, Brown had traveled much of the world, Davis said, adding that he would frequently tease Brown about the number of flyer miles he was accumulating.

“The seminarians and some of the priests as well loved to say that Bishop Tod never turned down a boarding pass,” David said lightheartedly.

But one country he returned to time and time again out of love for its landscape and people, David said. “He had 27 visits to Vietnam.”

Father Christopher Smith, rector emeritus of Christ Cathedral, said during a vigil Sunday for the late bishop that Brown had a confident presence that was contagious to those around him.

Brown had appointed Smith as the new cathedral’s rector in 2012.

“When Bishop Tod became a bishop, the motto he chose for his coat of arms was ‘Come Lord Jesus.’ This motto gives us an insight into his perspective in living a life in Christian faith. The invocation ‘Come Lord Jesus’ is exactly about paying attention to the present while looking with hope to the future,” Smith said. “Bishop Tod’s ministry in Orange was full of courageous, difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions. Decisions to build a safer and healthier environment in our parishes and our schools.”

Monsignor Tuan Joseph Pham, who served as Brown’s secretary and lived with him for six years, said the late bishop never raised his voice or spoke down to him. Brown was an important role model to him.

“We treated each other like brothers, like friends,” Pham said. “He was very genuine. A very kind, compassionate shepherd.”

At the time of his retirement, Brown said he hoped to be remembered “as having been a faithful shepherd, pastor, and that by means of my leadership they may have been drawn closer to the Lord.”

Brown will be temporarily laid to rest at the Cathedral Memorial Gardens on the Christ Cathedral’s grounds, but sometime next year will be moved to the St. Callistus Chapel and Crypts currently under construction beneath the cathedral. It is where all bishops will be buried in the future.

Councilmember Jessie Lopez was elected to Santa Ana’s Ward 3, in the north and northeastern part of the city, in 2020. In 2022, the boundaries of that ward were changed based on updated demographics from the latest U.S. Census. Now, questions are being raised about which map should be used when counting the signatures on the petition that forced a special election asking whether Lopez should be removed from the council.

Ballots have already been mailed out and voting is set to end Nov. 14.

In an Oct. 26 letter addressed to City Clerk Jennifer Hall, Page said the 2020 map of Ward 3 has more registered voters in its boundaries and would have required recall petitioners to collect more signatures to force the election. A couple of neighborhoods were taken out of the ward in 2022, so some collected signatures would not be valid under the 2020 version.

Also, Page pointed out ballots were mailed out using the 2022 version of the ward and about 1,186 people who voted in the ward in 2020 when Lopez was elected did not receive ballots and 357 voters who are new to the ward did.

“This difference between the old and current Ward 3 boundaries would have impacted whether the recall petition had sufficient valid signatures and who can validly vote in the recall election,” Page wrote in his letter.

The county office needs instruction from the city because in state law, Page said in response to questions, the city clerk is the elections official for municipal elections – the Registrar of Voters is simply contracted by the city to provide election services.

After receiving an email from the Kings County Registrar of Voters asking other county elections officials in the state for advice regarding a recall effort that involved officials elected before and after redistricting, Page said he re-examined his office’s own review and administering of the Santa Ana recall.

In his letter to the city, he said given state election laws for when new district maps are to be applied, “it appears that the old Ward 3 map boundaries should have applied.”

Tim Rush, chair of the recall campaign against Lopez, said he doesn’t agree with Page’s interpretation and that it’s too late to raise concerns.

“What kind of municipal chaos would ensue if we as the recall committee can’t rely upon what we’re told and given instruction in writing from the elections official who is the city clerk in the city of Santa Ana,” Rush said. “How are we supposed to operate when here we are halfway through, ballots have been sent out. People are collecting ballots. People are mailing them in. And now you raise your hand and say, ‘Oh, I think there was a mistake.’”

City spokesperson Paul Eakins said City Attorney Sonia Carvalho is reviewing “all legal options.”

Lopez is calling for the City Council to immediately hold a special meeting to call off the recall.

“Voters in Ward 3 are being disenfranchised,” Lopez said. “The most pressing issue here is that more than 1,000 of our American residents in our district have had their right to vote removed from this process. There is no possible way that this recall can move forward. There is no fair or reasonable cure for the irreparable harm caused by excluding the actual voters of the pre-redistricting map.”

If the recall election is canceled, it is unknown whether or not the Registrar of Voters would have to reimburse the city for recall-related costs. Page said, “We are still working toward a resolution at this time with the city regarding this matter.”

Ramirez was among dozens who gathered at a Curacao store in Fountain Valley to reunite with elderly family members from Jalisco, Mexico. The visit was made possible through a partnership Curacao has with Fundación Jalisco USA, a nonprofit dedicated to bettering the social, economic and educational development of people from the Mexican state.

The store hosted the reunion in its home furniture section, with waiting families sitting at the dining room tables. Germán Salazar Mauricio, an immigration lawyer with the nonprofit, played the emcee for the event, calling up each family one at a time, asking questions to draw out the suspense as their arriving family members were brought out from where they had been hidden behind a divider.

He asked Ramirez what she was feeling seconds away from seeing her parents again after moving from Mexico to Sacramento 24 years ago. She had few words to offer, saying simply “emocionada.” For her daughter standing with her, it was going to be the first time she met her grandparents in person; they were also meeting their great-grandson for the first time.

As her parents emerged from the backdrop, Ramirez went straight for her mom, the two hugging and crying; her father embraced his granddaughter for a long moment, talking quietly into her ear.

Then they stepped aside so the reunions could continue.

“The hugs after so long. The tears of happiness, sadness and joy,” Mauricio said. “That’s it. That’s dreams coming true.”

One by one, 25 families, many with balloons and flowers, welcomed their loved ones.

Soon Ramirez was taking her father’s suitcase to put in the car for the ride home as Francisco Ramirez Perez said, “Thank God that we finally can see each other. I feel nostalgic and passionate. We’re overcome with emotion because of so many years not seeing everyone.”

The Reuniting Families program is designed specifically for elders ages 57 and older who have children living in the United States. Fundación Jalisco USA helps them apply for their U.S. visas, which allow them to visit for one month before they return to Mexico. The program also supports the participants in applying for longer-term visas in the future.

The program almost sounded too good to be true, said Arturo Ramos, who along with his brother, hadn’t seen his parents in more than 20 years.

“I think at first I had my doubts because of scams, but the process was really straightforward,” Ramos said, adding that programs that support family reunification are crucial. Navigating immigration can be so difficult for families who aren’t experienced with visas and the rules.

Benjamin Estrada, general manager at the Curacao store, said he will never grow tired of seeing family members brought back together. This was the sixth round of reunions he’s hosted at the store.

“The program is really important, especially for most of the people who haven’t seen their parents for so long,” Estrada said. “But really, the takeaway is how a lot of times we don’t really appreciate that we could see our parents every day. When you see this, it gets people to appreciate their elders more.”

The discussion was the latest stop for Bonta in a series of 14 meetings he has been holding in cities around the state with elected officials, law enforcement officers and community members to discuss the best ways to tackle incidents of hate. The purpose of the meetings, which he’ll be wrapping up soon, is to inform policy-making and bring awareness to the hate communities are experiencing in California.

“Irvine is an incredibly diverse city,” Khan said at Monday’s meeting in Irvine. “However, we’ve not been immune to hate incidents or hate crimes in our city. We know this isn’t going away, and we have to do our part to make sure that our communities and our cities feel safe.”

Over the last five years, hate activity has been on the rise locally, according to the latest OC Hate Crimes Report. Hate crimes have increased by 75%, and hate incidents – action motivated by hateful bias that is not a crime – rose by 142%. Statewide, officials reported a 20.2% increase in hate crimes in 2022 (hate incidents are not reported for California).

There were 450 reported hate crimes and incidents in Orange County in 2022, and more than half of those were motivated by race, ethnicity or national origin bias.

Data like this helps tell the story, Bonta said, but behind every number is a person.

“We’re here to talk about how we can make a difference together,” Bonta said. “We’re here the (Department of Justice) to ask what do you need from us? What’s working in this community? How can we work better together?”

Yulan Chung, CEO of the South Coast Chinese Cultural Association, said when one person is affected by hate, the entire community feels it. She and other community members on the panel said they’d like to see more collaboration, accountability and funding go toward addressing anti-hate work.

Bonta said in his discussions with cities throughout California, one thing he has learned is the need for short-term and long-term plans.

“There are hate crimes happening now. They need prevention when possible and accountability if we’re unable to prevent them. That’s now,” Bonta said. “Long term, we need more education, more ethnic studies, more circles of cross-cultural awareness.”

Tuesday’s roundtable also included OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer, Irvine Police Chief Michael Kent and Amr Shabaik, legal policy director for the Los Angeles chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations. Other panelists were John Gutierrez with the Life and Hope Foundation, Christopher Meza, criminal justice chair for the NAACP, and Peter Levi, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.

One of the things that Irvine does is hold events that connect community leaders with state representatives, Khan said.

“My ears are on the ground all the time. I’m meeting with these community leaders almost on a daily basis with phone calls or emails. That’s how we’re able to react at a local level,” Khan said. “Make sure they have all the resources they need, connecting them with resources that maybe we don’t have at the local level. And at the end of the day, being that voice that says, ‘I’m here with you, I’m going to stand with you, and we’re going to do everything we can to protect you.’”

More than 600 people were asked about their living situation, community ties and their needs in the 76-question survey developed for the county agency by its Commission to End Homelessness and the nonprofit City Net.

Of the survey’s 642 respondents, 31 were at risk of homelessness and 25 were staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing or had other temporary arrangements, but 586 were experiencing “unsheltered homelessness.”

When leaders looked at the results of the last state-required counting of people living on the streets in 2022, called a point-in-time count, it left many wondering why as the homeless population was increasing, the county’s resources weren’t being utilized at the same rate.

So surveyors were sent back out in May with more questions, said Doug Becht, director of the OC Office of Care Coordination. “Our main focus was asking questions around why people aren’t currently utilizing services here in Orange County.”

There has been an investment in shelters and housing in the county and large encampments, like the ones that had grown along the Santa Ana riverbed and at the Civic Center, are no longer being seen. Homelessness in OC has changed in the last seven or eight years, Becht said.

“The profile of individuals that are experiencing homelessness on our streets has changed. And this survey helps us understand that change better and how our services need to change for them,” Becht said.

“We thought this would be a good opportunity to go out and ask folks why they’re not utilizing services,” he said, “for the goal of understanding how we shape our system to ensure that more people are interested in coming off the street and using the services we have to offer.”

More than half of respondents said they hadn’t been contacted by a street outreach person or a caseworker in the last three months, and the 27% who were approached said they did not get connected to available services.

The most success appears to have been with getting people connected with emergency shelters and transitional housing.

Most people told the surveyors hygiene services and housing search assistance would be the most helpful resources, as well as storage for their personal belongings and rental assistance, according to the report presented to the commission earlier in the week.

Becht said he doesn’t see this as a failure, but as a sign that the outreach strategies need to change.

“We’re interested in looking at should we be more strategic about where we go? Are there different times that we should be going out into the field? Are there different structures? At this point, all we have is the data and we’re just starting to reflect on what are the next steps,” Becht said.

For one, there’s a capacity issue, said Pooja Bhalla, CEO at the homeless services nonprofit Illumination Foundation, especially in south Orange County.

“One of the things that we see is individuals needing services need access to a bed at the moment,” Bhalla said. “It’s difficult when you’re out on the street and you’re talking to folks and they’re ready to go and there is no shelter bed.

“When you’re encountering someone out on the street, they are ready to receive services, there needs to be a way to get them to the services right away,” she said. “Sometimes that’s a struggle because beds aren’t available in every city.”

A little more than half of those surveyed reported a mental health condition; 49% of those who reported a substance use disorder said they either received treatment or wanted treatment, but could not access it. About 47% of the survey respondents said they had never been in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program before. This can mostly be attributed to the lack of available beds and safety concerns, experts said.

“What we saw ultimately was that this is a population that is interested and willing to engage with us and they’re interested in services and they’re interested in improving their own situation,” Becht said. “The key is that they want to feel respected, they want to feel heard and they want to feel safe.”

Most of the folks surveyed also shared that they have ties to the county – debunking a common myth – 77% reported that their last permanent address was in Orange County, 62% reported either attending or having attended school in OC and 57% reported having family in the county.

“It was validating for me to see that folks who responded confirmed that they were in that area because that’s where their community is, because there are preconceived notions that other cities may be sending unhoused members to different cities,” Bhalla said. “It’s really important to identify that because these are our neighbors experiencing homelessness. This could be someone that we knew, a family member, a friend. I think it’s important to highlight that we are taking care of our own neighbors experiencing homelessness.”

Doug Smith, for example, has lived in Orange County for much of his life, most recently in Santa Ana. He has been living at the Santa Ana Navigation Center for a little over a year now after struggling with substance use and lupus for several years, he said.

“Right when COVID hit, I quit my job and then just went on a run – just all of my credit cards. And I spent like six, seven months spending a lot of money stupidly,” Smith said. “When I started getting high, my euphoria from the methamphetamine told me just live minimally, throw all your stuff in the trash, and live on what you need instead of what you want. So I threw all my stuff away.”

He said he would see outreach workers, but was not approached by one.

“I was like, How do I get that? Then I would start talking to people and they gave me misinformation that you need to be seven years on the street or you have chronic homelessness. That’s not true,” Smith said. “I went to social services, and that social service agent said, ‘Doug, do you want to get better? Do you want to get out?’ I said yes.”

Smith said in no time he was connected with City Net, which took him to the navigation center where he received medical and dental attention.

The navigation center, run by the Illumination Foundation, operates using trauma-informed care, a model that the report says more shelters should operate under. Trauma-informed care, Bhalla said, means staff have the experience and expertise to build trust with the unhoused population.

“Some of our staff have had experiences first hand dealing with homelessness with a family member. They might themselves have experienced homelessness. So when they are talking to individuals out on the street, they are able to build that trusting relationship,” Bhalla said. “A lot of it comes down to understanding and informed care and using that approach when we are communicating with the unhoused population in a much kinder and dignified manner where they will open up to you and want to receive services because the person talking to them understands what it’s like to be in their shoes.”

Bhalla said to really make a change, nonprofits and city, county and state leaders need to work together. This survey, Becht said, will help those leaders in future policy and decision-making.

“We are at a crisis level, and if we all work together on solutions, we will see an impact,” Bhalla said.

There are beginning to be more great programs out there, she said, starting with the state’s health care services that are making resources more accessible.

“But we continue to lack housing resources and to build those housing resources, we need to work together as a city, a county, the nonprofits, to build more housing together.”

Paul Bersebach, photographer at the OC Register, contributed to this report.

The recall effort gathered enough signatures earlier this year to force the public vote; Ward 3 voters now have until Nov. 14 to cast their ballot.

Lopez’s term ends in November 2024. If she is recalled, it would be up to the City Council to appoint someone to finish the term, or they could call another special election to fill the seat.

The recall effort, led by the Santa Ana Police Officers Association, accuses Lopez of “defunding the police” and supporting “destructive policies that have encouraged landlords to raise rents,” according to its statement in support that is included with the voter guide. It also lists her opposition to a 2021 ordinance targeting street racing and support of an “outrageous hike” to fees charged housing developers.

“The Police Officers Association, yes, has been at the forefront, but they’re not the only people that are behind this. There’s a lot of grassroots people that are behind this recall. The issues are not just about the police,” Tim Rush, chair of the recall effort, said. “She’s completely out of sync with her ward, along with, I think, a majority of people in the city.”

Rush said the recall effort against Lopez is driven by her stance on issues such as rent control, public safety and police funding.

“I would just encourage people to think carefully and to make their selection,” Rush said. “You need to stop and ask, ‘What has Jesse done for our ward? What has she done?’ And the reality, is she’s she’s done next to nothing.”

Lopez, who voted in favor of rent control and establishing a police oversight commission, said that from the very beginning of her term there have been unjust expectations placed on her for being a young woman of color.

“I don’t come from a political dynasty. I wasn’t supported by any party. I didn’t receive any developer money. I grew up in a working class household,” Lopez said. “They thought, ‘How is this young Latina going to add anything of value?’ And I think we’ve been able to prove a lot of people wrong and defy some of those very negative stereotypes.”

Having grown up in Santa Ana, Lopez said she ran for City Council because of frustrations that the voices of her community were not being heard by the city leaders.

“I was always told growing up that if I had any grievances that there was a process in place for me to follow, which was come to the council and let your voice be heard. And we learned very early on that in this city that was not the case. Our voice was not going to be respected,” Lopez said. “That’s really why it was so important for for me, and so many people that supported me in 2020, to give this a try, because we knew that no matter how much research we presented to the council, how many community members came to the council, we did not have people out there that were 100% invested in seeing our community flourish in an equitable way for all Santa Ana families.”

Some of her highlights as a member of the council, she says, have been her work in getting pubic streets repaired, ensuring sidewalks are ADA compliant, adding amenities to public parks and adding more street lights for the safety of the public.

“Even when the council said there was no money, my job is to go and find it. And I did that for our residents,” Lopez said. “That was based on many conversations that we had with the neighborhood and what they wanted to see.”

Both Lopez and Rush encouraged residents to participate in this special election.

Rush said voters should ask what Lopez has done for their ward. The answer, he says, is close to nothing.

“Ward 3 residents need to decide if they want special interests to continue running their city,” Lopez said. “Or if they want people that were born and raised in the city that know it very well, that understand all of the complexities and the needs of their community to help make those policies that will impact Santa Ana families in a much better way.”

Voting centers will open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 4-10; from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 11-13; and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 14, at the OC Health Care Agency’s Public Health Learning Center, 1729 W. 17th St., and at the OC Registrar of Voters, 1300 S. Grand Ave.

Secure ballot dropboxes are also available for walk-up at the OC Health Care Agency center, for drive-thru at the Orangewood Foundation, and for walk-up and drive-thru at the OC Registrar of Voters. The ballot drop boxes are open 24/7 until 8 p.m. Nov. 14. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 14 and received within seven days.

More information on the voting guide and options can be found at santa-ana.org/elections.