| OC Partnership was formed in 1998
in response to the observed need for a nongovernmental, facilitative
body that would bring social service providers within the county
together to share information and resources and define regional
homeless policy. OC Partnership exists to strengthen the network
of public and private agencies serving the homeless and those
at risk of homelessness in Orange County. Our goal is to assist
providers in being effective, efficient, informed and collaborative.
We work directly with hundreds of agencies and stakeholders
who comprise the Orange County Continuum of Care (CoC) - the
continuum of service providers who work to remove the barriers
preventing their clients from maintaining stable housing. Our
mission is to effectively end homelessness in Orange County
over the next decade. We will foster collaboration and partnerships
to end homelessness in Orange County.
Orange County is home to an estimated 8,333 persons without
shelter at any point in time according to the 2009 Point in
Time Homeless Count. Homelessness in Orange County is not
relegated solely to a specific demographic, nor is it necessarily
obvious. Those experiencing homelessness hail from every city
within the county and have faced diverse challenges contributing
to their homelessness. Many of those who experience homelessness
in the county are able to maintain jobs but are unable to
secure adequate housing given that Orange County’s housing
market is one of the most expensive in the nation. As a result,
a number of our residents are forced to live in cars, parks,
motels, homeless shelters or places not meant for habitation
and as they struggle to meet food, transportation, childcare,
and healthcare expenses. As a community, we cannot provide
services to homeless families effectively and efficiently
without the supportive infrastructure and critical communication
between all members of the community. As such, efforts to
end homelessness must be regional and involve a myriad of
stakeholders to be successful. OC Partnership is dedicated
to bridging the information gaps and working to increase the
capacity of Orange County service providers. We believe that
our mission is critically tied to the success of our service
providers and to the health and well-being of the region’s
most vulnerable citizens. |
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