People with untreated mental illness are at risk for homelessness without hospitals dumping them onto the streets. A year-long investigation into College Hospital Costa Mesa, accused of driving discharged patients to Skid Row, a downtown neighborhood with homeless squatters in Los Angeles, resulted in a $1.6 million settlement with the owners. The hospital is one of the properties privately held by College Hospital Enterprises, a company operating two psychiatric hospitals, three skilled nursing facilities, five partial-hospital programs, and two board-and-care facilities located in Los Angeles or Orange County.
