Armory Program Should Be Extended : Use of National Guard Buildings Provides Much-Needed Shelter for O.C.’s Homeless

The annual use of state National Guard armories to house the homeless during cold weather was supposed to be a temporary solution. But for some counties, including Orange, the 5-year-old Armory Shelter Program has provided an important resource that is unmatched in their communities. The threat by the Wilson Administration to stop the program after the 1994-95 winter season would diminish greatly Orange County’s ability to house homeless people at a time of year when the need for shelter is greatest.

It’s good that the California Homeless and Housing Coalition plans to sponsor legislation this year to extend the use of the armories past the deadline set by Gov. Pete Wilson. Such legislation would be a lifesaver for Orange County.

Statewide, armories in 16 counties last year provided more than 200,000 shelter nights to people who otherwise might have been forced to sleep outside. In Orange County, about 6,000 shelter nights a year are provided, depending on the weather. In all, armories in Santa Ana and Fullerton boosted by 25% Orange County’s ability to shelter the homeless--a significant resource the county can ill afford to lose. Also, the armories provide the only place in the county where people aren’t required to meet specific criteria--such as being part of a family unit or involved in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program--to be housed for a night.

The Wilson Administration has its reasons for withdrawing the armories as a shelter resource for counties. When then-Gov. George Deukmejian authorized use of the armories in 1987, he did so with the thought that it would be a stopgap solution until communities figured out a better way. Some communities did and others, for many reasons, have not. Wilson is afraid that using the armories--many of which he says are not suitable as shelters--has become a way for some communities to avoid identifying more appropriate shelter space. He has given counties 2 1/2 years to work out local solutions.

Certainly, Orange County should be doing a better job of both providing shelter and low-cost housing for people on the lower rung. But it’s unfair to demand that the county come up with the kind of shelter space needed to replace the armories just as it is undergoing severe cutbacks from the state because of the recession.

Armories may not be the best designed shelters, but they are already in place and are relatively cheap to operate. Any county that needs them--and Orange County does--should be allowed to use them.