Gov. Gavin Newsom goes to Fullerton to open first-of-its-kind homelessness command center
Teresa Posada has a lot to celebrate; it's the 85-year-old's birthday and she just moved into a new home.
After years of struggling with homelessness, she finally decided to reach out for help after a stranger tried to break into her car as she was sleeping inside.
"What am I going to do if he gets in?" she said. "He's probably going to take the car and kill me."
Gov. Gavin Newsom was in Orange County Thursday for the opening of the new HOPE (Homeless Outreach and Proactive Engagement) Center in Fullerton. It took 6 years to finally complete the $36 million unified command center created to coordinate resources and help people like Posada.
"What's happening in relation to homelessness in the state of California is unacceptable," said Newsom.
The command center will work with police liaisons, social workers, healthcare works and case managers to tackle the homelessness crisis in a comprehensive way.
Newsom hopes that the new center will help meld the resources of workers from nonprofits, cities, counties and law enforcement to take "it upon themselves to recognize that we all have component parts of the solution."
The HOPE Center will dispatch mobile teams to assist people living on the streets when they are ready to seek help.
"We want to see real results," Newsom said. "And we want to see them right now."
The office will act as a model for the rest of the state to help those like Posada celebrate another birthday and live a dignified life. She said she hopes to pay it forward by volunteering for the homeless.
"They need that special touch from somebody that will give them an ear to hear them," said Posada. "That's what I want to plan for the future. I want to be around them, listen to them and be there for them.
The Governor's Republican opponent, State Senator Brian Dally says Newsom has spent a lot of money on the homeless crisis but his efforts haven't gotten results.
