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By Daniela Torres
Video by ECM interns Daniela Torres and Jacob Pamus
April 14, 2023 (El Cajon)-- The first of four town halls in order to address homelessness in El Cajon was held on April 4, amidst concerns from the city’s residents.
Outrage and controversy have been sparked after the arrests of two sex offenders at a Motel 6 last month for allegedly sexually assaulting an underage girl. The offenders were placed there under the People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) motel voucher program funded by the County of San Diego.
Mayor Bill Wells was not at the meeting, however, he has been outspoken on limiting the amount of motel vouchers. He is expected to be at the three future meetings.
Captain Rob Ransweiler from El Cajon’s Police Department stated that homeless individuals who commit crimes generally aren’t being prosecuted due to the propositions that were put into place during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to reduce the amount of individuals held in prison.
Members from HomeStart were also present at the meeting. Homestart is an organization that has five different programs and provides eventual permanent housing to those who qualify.
Residents of El Cajon were surveyed before and after the meeting. In addition, every table participated in a group discussion after being given questions regarding the matter.One of the questions asked participants what the city should consider doing to address homelessness.
Afterwards, City Manager Mitchell told ECM's editor that in the before-and-after surveys, people's ideas about how to address homelessness were largely unchanged. But he said,"The thing that changed the most was when we asked is the city doing anything about homelessness? That actually changed dramatically."
“We should look at successful programs and see what’s working so that we can implement that here and help th homeless,” one El Cajon resident suggested.
City manager Graham Mitchell wants to strive for permanent housing and maintain the integrity of El Cajon neighborhoods. There have been financial, legal and jurisdictional limitations according to Mitchell.
Councilmember Phil Ortiz believes homeless individuals should receive help before being given permanent housing. Meanwhile, Steve Goble stated that housing should come first before providing services to those in need.
CARECourt was also brought up during the meeting. CARECourt is a new program created by Governor Gavin Newsom to ensure those deemed in need of mental healthcare but unable to consent to mental health treatment can be forced to go through court-ordered mental health treatment. Slated to roll out this year, CareCourt is currently being challenged though a lawsuit.
City leaders hope to reach a solution by bringing the community together to share thoughts on the homelessness crisis and brainstorm ideas to alleviate the problem. People are able to come together as a community and give their input on this nationwide crisis.
After the speakers, the audience broke into small groups, each with a member of the East County Homeless Task Force, to brainstorm ideas. City Councilmembers and the City Manager also participated to help make sure all voices had an opportunity to be heard.
The remaining forums on homelessness in El Cajon are:
Saturday, April 15, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Hillside Recreation Center, 840 Buena Terrace, El Cajon, CA 92020
Wednesday, April 26, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Wells Park Recreation Center, 1153 E. Madison Ave., El Cajon, CA 92021
Thursday, May 4, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Bostonia Recreation Center, 1049 Bostonia St., El Cajon, CA 92021
For additional information on the City’s current programs, visit www.elcajon.gov/homelessness or call (619) 441-1716.
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