Community fighting against tiny homes for the homeless
Lemon Grove residents say they didn't hear about the county's plan to put 70 tiny homes for the homeless community until the project was approved.
By Perla Shaheen
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LEMON GROVE, California (KGTV) — A painted car and a handful of posters made it clear: people in Lemon Grove feel like they were lied to.
“They said we were going to get to give input,” said resident Tina Cupp. “Then they took it downtown and voted on it without our knowledge.”
There’s an upcoming project to build tiny homes for the homeless in their city. However, residents say they didn’t hear about it until the project was approved.
“It’s the people of Lemon Grove’s tax dollars, and they’re using it without our support,” said Ken King.
These tiny homes have struggled to find a home for a while now. In 2023, County Supervisor Nora Vargas pushed to put them in Spring Valley on Jamacha Road. But after strong community resistance, Vargas and the board voted to move the tiny homes elsewhere. In July, they landed in Lemon Grove. Mayor Raquel Vasquez was a part of the decision but said it’s a county-led effort.
“I don’t have all the answers, but what I do know is that we can work in unity to make a difference,” Vasquez said.
The county wants to put 70 tiny homes in a vacant lot at the intersection of Sweetwater and Troy. There are homes nearby, Mount Vernon Elementary is one mile away, and some local businesses are right across the street.
“Putting homeless encampments across the street from a gas station high schoolers consistently frequent is not the solution we need,” said Ryan Asmar.
Asmar’s dad has owned Sweet Water Gas since 1988. Asmar says the homeless population will create an unsafe environment for customers and people living nearby. Another man showed me a petition signed by almost 500 people who agreed.
“They need to get actual facilities where they can treat the drug abuse, the mental illness,” Cupp said.
Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe tells us the project will take up to two years to complete. The county still needs to get permits approved, but people in Lemon Grove are hoping they can still make a change.
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