Types of Available Mutual Aid

According to some of the homeless people interviewed at the Santa Ana Civic Center, their available resources are as follows:

General Relief*: Approximately $270 per month. Homeless individuals were having difficulty applying for and receiving assistance due to insufficient documents.

Unemployment*: Homeless individuals claimed that they were having difficulty getting assistance by telephone.

Food Stamps*: Have limited choices of common, every day food products. For example, no sodas and no expensive meat.

Medical/ Medicare*

Homeless Shelters*: Limited supply in Santa Ana; usually for families or single women only; Salvation Army admits single men only; arrival time before 2PM is mandatory.

Transitional Housing*: Not many homeless people are aware of their existence or availablity. Those needing assistance can only apply for admission if they have already completed a homeless program. The entire application process can take up to several months.

Section 8* Housing voucher: government would be able to assist with rent subsidies; the waiting period is up to 5-7 years.

Local social services agencies

Government assistance* Department of Social Services: the department requires applicants to follow up quarterly and to fill out forms with current financial data. If the applicant does not have a mailing address or applicants do not return the data form every 3 months, benefits will be suspended.