Irvine Puts $20M Toward First-Ever Homeless Shelter After Vote

IRVINE, CA — An Orange County city made major plans Tuesday toward addressing homelessness in the area by approving the purchase of two properties for a future shelter site.

Irvine City Council members voted 4-1 to put $20 million toward acquiring and upgrading the two adjacent buildings in the Irvine Business Complex along Armstrong Avenue.

City officials are exploring ways to transform the roughly 4-acre site into Irvine's first bridge shelter for homeless and at-risk people.

The shelter will include medical care, financial literacy and job training services, according to the city.

The site, dubbed "The Sanctuary" by city staff, is described in a staff report as "a crucial piece of infrastructure" key to the city's planned approach to homelessness, which officials called "The System" in the staff report.