200-bed homeless shelter opens in Santa Ana

A 200-bed temporary homeless shelter opened Thursday in Santa Ana as part of an ongoing legal dispute launched by homeless advocates against several Orange County cities.

The Link will house homeless men, women and families and provide various support services to connect them with permanent housing.

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter has praised the city for the shelter and called it “a role model for the county.”

Carter is overseeing the lawsuit, which was filed in response to the removal of a tent city near Angel Stadium.

“Judge Carter wants to get things done, and I think we have strengthened his hand,” Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido said at the shelter’s opening event. “Other cities can’t say they can’t do it because we did it.”

With the addition of The Link, Santa Ana now accounts for 781, or about 70%, of the shelter beds in the county.

The fact is a rallying cry for the city. A major contributor to the ongoing lawsuit has been the inaction of south county cities.

“It’s unfortunate when other cities in the county don’t take on the issue,” Santa Ana Councilman David Benavides said at the event. “I am asking respectfully for all other cities in the county to follow.”

The shelter — located in a building in a commercial area on Red Hill Avenue — was completed in 28 days following the project’s announcement in late October.

The nonprofit Mercy House will run the facility. The Santa Ana-based organization also operates the Bridges at Kraemer Place shelter in Anaheim.

The Link shelter has four dormitories, bathrooms and a large dining area.

There are 90 beds for men, 60 for women, 40 for families and a room for up to five couples. There are also accommodations for pets.

A few large murals adorn the walls of the building, including one of Carter with the words, “The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.”

Brazil writes for Times Community News.

ben.brazil@latimes.com