In what may be one of the fastest openings of an emergency homeless shelter, Santa Ana and its business and nonprofit partners took just 28 days to turn a vacant industrial building into an airy facility decorated with colorful murals and furnished with rows of new beds.
On Thursday morning, Nov. 15, officials proudly showed off the 200-bed Red Hill Avenue shelter they’ve named “The Link,” which was set to accept its first guests Thursday night.
Homeless provider Mercy House will operate the facility and offer clients services from meals, laundry and showers to mental health and addiction counseling and help finding jobs and permanent housing.
The shelter has beds for 90 men and 60 women in separate areas, a smaller room for up to five couples, and 40 beds in a family room. Up to 30 guests may keep a dog or cat with them.
Clients must have ties to Santa Ana and will be referred to the shelter by homeless service providers, the county health care agency and Santa Ana police.
“This facility, I believe, really embodies what’s possible when you don’t accept no for an answer,” Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido told local officials, homeless advocates and media.
