EL CAJON CREATES SUBCOMMITTEE ON MOTEL VOUCHER PROGRAM FOR HOMELESS

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By Miriam Raftery

Photo, right: Councilmembers Phil Ortiz and Steve Goble

 

September 28, 2022 (El Cajon) – At yesterday’s El Cajon City Council meeting, the Council voted unanimously to create a subcommittee to help draft regulatory policy for motels operating with homeless vouchers. Councilmembers Steve Goble and Phil Ortiz will serve on the subcommittee.

 

Councilmembers and the City Manager also voiced frustration over problems caused by the county filling up motels in the city with homeless individuals using county-issued vouchers, concerns echoing those raised in a recent press conferenceCity leaders also expressed disappointment in the county’s failure to respond to complaints and by a threat from the Attorney General demanding that the city rescind warning notices sent to hotels exceeding a city limit on long-term occupancy by homeless instead of short-term travelers.  As ECM reported, the AG accused the city of violating California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.

 

The City also made its case that it has done more than its fair share to help the homeless in our region – far more than the county or neighboring cities in East County.

 

According to the Point in Time County, the city had 310 unsheltered people in January 2020. That fell to 185 in January 2021, a decline of 40.13%.  While the city has far more homeless people, the rest were in shelters; El Cajon is the only city in East County that funds a shelter in its city limits.

 

City Manager Graham Mitchell also raised questions over whether the County has inflated El Cajon’s homeless numbers with its motel voucher program. The County’s numbers showed a rise in the number of people in emergency shelters (ES) rising from 162 in 220 to 683 in 2022.  Graham voiced “shock” and asked “How was a 316% increase derived?” adding, “This begs the question: did the county contribute to this?”

 

He believes it is “disingenuous to use these figures against El Cajon.

 

The city presented a vigorous and compelling argument in defense of its actions to help the homeless.  The ratio of unsheltered to sheltered homeless individuals in El Cajon is low – just 0.17 percent. That’s far lower than County-owned lands including Lakeside, Spring Valley and Alpine) which have a staggeringly high ratio of 124 unsheltered homeless for every one sheltered homeless person.

 

“The County has the absolute worst record of sheltered tounsheltered. The County is the least qualified to lead any effort on homelessness,” Mitchell proclaimed.

 

El Cajon’s low rate of unsheltered homeless is no accident  In the past two and a half years since the pandemic began, the city has spent $2.5 million to support 12 different homeless programs including transitional and permanent housing attained primarily through the East County Transitional Living Center, as well as outreach, HomeStart vouchers, the Interfaith Shelter Network and a Way Back Home, a program uniting homeless people with families.

 

The County’s placement of numerous homeless individuals, including many from outside El Cajon, into motels in the city have also coincided with increased calls for fire and police services.  Fire calls increased by 69% in 2021 and 20% so far this year. Calls for police services rose 53% from fiscal year 2018-19 to fiscal year 2021-22.

 

Since the voucher program started, the areas immediately around the motels in the voucher program have seen a 133% increase in crimes involving weapons and a 138% increase in gun use during crimes, as well as a 24% increase in property damage and stolen goods, according to the city.

 

“We’re asking the county for an equitable solution,” says Mitchell.  The city is willing to provide for its own homeless people, but objects to the county importing homeless people from outside the city.  Mitchell voiced frustration that the County has so far failed to answer a list of questions he sent to the County a week and a half ago.

 

He also slammed the Attorney General’s letter to the city as a “false narrative.”

 

"Never did our police officers go door to door over three days,” he says, disputing a claim by the Attorney General that officers harassed homeless people in the voucher program.  “Our officers made 40-plus arrests around the eight motels, and 23 were connected to the county voucher program,” adding that seven more arrests were made yesterday, the day of the Council hearing.  
 

The subcommittee’s aim will be to dive into zoning program discussions, to talk with motel operators and make recommendations, working with staff on longer term zoning regulations for the future to protect against “this kind of intrusion from the county.”

 

That could be a tough line to walk, since the Attorney General’s warning letter also warned against any retaliation against motels for participating in the voucher program.  But the city could potentially offer positive incentives to motel operators to make other choices, such as some former motels in the city that owners opted to convert to affordable housing or other uses.

 

Councilman Ortiz noted that 8 of the county’s current 18 motels in the voucher program are in El Cajon, far more than any other city has. He suggested that properties with excessive violations of zoning rules can currently be required to go before the planning commission under the city’s deemed approved ordinance.  

 

Councilman Steve Goble asked whether the County has tried to contact motel operators in other non-participating areas.  He asked about participants in the program with outstanding felony arrest warrants, to which the Chief of Police confirmed, “Yes, They certainly did bring people in with active arrest warrants” as well as drug offenses. 

 

Goble voiced frustration at the limited options for the city to solve the problems. “California has a carve-out for income,” he said.  “I’m more concerned with vetting. We need to protect our people.” He faulted the county’s contractor for failing to screen out people with outstanding warrants, adding, “Motels seem to be using our police as security.” Goble also noted that the county contractor is profiting off placing those in the lvoucher program, “while the cost goes to taxpayers” for increased police and fire expenditures incurred by the city. 

 

He also voiced concern that negative reviews that motels with mostly voucher program residents are receiving will scare away tourists, perhaps forever. “This is a bad model, to use these motels for vouchers,” he says.  Goble asked where those with vouchers go after the 28 day limit, and Mitchell replied that they can be sent to another motel, with anecdotal reports that some have been shuttled back and forth between motels multiple times.

 

Councilmember Michelle Metschel said she has been talking with homeless people in  the city.  “I talked to a Mom, she’s disabled, with her daughter…No mom should have to be in a creepy motel. We have an obligation to help her,” she said, but added that the city also has a responsibility to prevent children from being victimized by bicycle thefts such as has occurred in the area.  “The voucher program was a good idea in the beginning, but it’s gotten out of hand,” Metschel concludes, citing “theft, trash, and drugs” brought into the area as a result. “How is that fair?”

 

She also voiced concern about a missing woman, wondering if she may have bene trafficked. “We had one who was trafficked at Magnolia,” a homeless camp recently shut down on county land just outside the city limits.

 

“I was homeless as a teen,  Metschel disclosed. “Everyone on this Council has done something to help them [homeless people] but we can’t just bring in more people than we can counsel.  She added that if the County had offered money for beds and more police calls, the city might have been more amenable. She also objected to the county not telling the city about its actions.  “We have to take a stand,” she concluded. “We have to fight for the city. We have to fight for our residents and for the homeless here – and we can’t be threatened. We haven’t done anything wrong. This is a humanity issue, and I think that politics needs to step out.”

 

Asked what the county does if someone is kicked out of the voucher program, city manager Mitchell opined, “My sense is they probably go to the curb in front of the motel.”

 

Councilman Ortiz said it’s important to differentiate between those who are situationally homeless, such as due to a job loss, vs. those who are chronically homeless, many of whom have addiction or mental illness issues.  He said the city has programs already to help the situationally homeless residents.  But he voiced concern over the “criminal element with regard to chronic homelessness – this is not the single mom or people down on their luck.”

 

Ortiz feels it’s “reasonable to look at land use..These were intended to be hotels, not for long-term stay. This is victimizing residents and our staff.”  He, too, called on the county to be equitable and reasonable in the number of motels taking vouchers in El Cajon vs. other areas.  He suggested the County has brought in many homeless from outside the city because “we are so good at it,” referring to the city’s success in getting homeless into permanent housing, “but that’s not fair.”

 

Ortiz also addressed accusations that the city leaders are not compassionate.  “I was homeless in college for five months,” he said, adding that he’s also had homeless relatives.  “Steve Goble brought a tiny home village to El Cajon,” adding that Goble helped build the tiny homes and also serves on the regional task force on homelessness. “Gary Kendrick opens his own house to give homeless people a place to live.  He noted that Mayor Wells for decades worked in psychiatry and nursing, working with homeless people and headlined a concert to benefit the homeless here.

 

“I’d be hard-pressed to find another elected body with the expertise and compassion we have here,” Ortiz said

 

He suggested that El Cajon Police could partner with Equus, the County’s contractor, to screen out voucher participants with active warrants and be sure they are not criminals.

 

The County, however, has previously told ECM that this is a “low-barrier” program. While those with active warrants and child molesters are not supposed to be included, people with other criminal convictions are allowed in the motel voucher program, but can be kicked out if they violate rules, such as by using drugs or committing new crimes.

 

Mayor Bill Wells said, “What we want is equity.” He noted that cities such as La Mesa, La Jolla and Carmel Mountain Ranch have zero motels taking vouchers. “The city of San Diego is 12 times our size, but has only two.”

 

The Mayor said he wants to “redefine our job. Our job is not to fix the regional homeless problem. Our job is to protect the citizens of El Cajon.”  He notes that residents polled cite homelessness as their number one concern, and he opposes the county bringing in homeless from other areas who often have mental health issues, addiction, or criminal backgrounds. He says residents want an end to filthy streets, crime and open drug use.

“Statistics show that we’re doing way more than others,” he said  of El Cajon’s efforts to help its own homeless, compared to other cities and the county.  He said the city does not need to become “designated as a homeless dumping ground to create homeless ghettos. That’s not fair and not equitable.”

 

Goble pointed out that the county is spending $37 million for its motel voucher program but only $10 million for sheslters. “It seems to me it should be the other way around,” he said.  “There needs to be on-site services, treatments,” citing the new tiny homes at Meridian Baptist Churcn as one of the city’s positive examples, where such services are now being provided to homeless women. 

Goble concluded, “That’s the long-term solution.”

 

 

 

 

 


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