Santa Ana installs portable restrooms for the homeless

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- The city of Santa Ana has installed three portable restrooms for the growing homeless population near the Civic Center.

The area near the Civic Center is currently a hub for the homeless to receive food and other services, but many who live there say that their biggest challenge is finding a restroom.

"We have to go behind the dumpsters, man," one homeless man, Roberto Arrellano, said.

During the day, homeless people use the restrooms at a vacant bus depot nearby, but at night there are far fewer options.

On Monday, the county installed portable restrooms that will be open 24 hours a day, but acknowledged those are only temporary solutions.

"Definitely we will look for more comprehensive permanent solutions in the future," Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do said.

The Orange County Employees Association believes more solutions are needed. They recently filed an action demanding the county to do something.

Susan Price has been hired by the Board of Supervisors to tackle the homelessness issue. She said she's going to look at what resources are currently available and how they are being used.

The homeless want to see bigger steps, such as a shelter.

"To take a shower, have hot water and everything. It would be OK. It would be better," Arrellano said.

Price said the new restrooms are an interim step.

"I could see them doing more. It's easy to say to do more, but within the realm of the funding, that's what it's really all about," a homeless man who identified himself as Magdaleno said.