LEMON GROVE, Calif. — Neighbors rallied Saturday against a tiny homes project coming to the intersection of Sweetwater Road and Troy Street. They called on county leaders to hear their concerns about why the location is unfit for unsheltered people to live.
The county plans to put 70 sleeping cabins to provide short-term housing for unsheltered people. Originally, the state offered $10 million for 150 sleeping cabins in Spring Valley. After resident pushback, San Diego County rescinded the Spring Valley housing plan and Governor Newsom withdrew funding.
The county picked a new site for the project on Troy Street and Sweetwater Road on Caltrans-owned land. The lot is technically in Lemon Grove but is on the cusp of Spring Valley.
"What people don't understand is we're right on the border, so if you look at this fence, this fence is Lemon Grove, but the backside of that fence is Spring Valley," Gilbert Chavez with the Spring Valley 2024 Coalition said. "So really we are impacted, Spring Valley is impacted."
Since state funds were pulled for the project, the county is funding the $11.1 million project, plus another $3 million annually for operation. However, they may still ask for state funding.
The biggest reason residents say they don't want the sleeping cabins in Lemon Grove is because there are schools and homes nearby, which they said would put children in danger.
"There's already crime, why are we going to add to it? There's inherent dangers in society, but when you add an element who cannot function in their current state, you're opening a can of worms," resident Stephanie Becker said.
Neighbors also said Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe and other county leaders did not listen to them or their concerns. They want to sit down with leaders for a discussion.
"How about engaging the community? See if that is a good idea, get their input, get some kind of feedback and don't just throw it down our throats," Chavez said.
Supporters of the tiny homes said it's a good solution to help the homeless population. CBS 8 spoke with people in support of the project in July.
"I think we have a responsibility to help people get back on their feet," one person said.
"Some of these individuals have lost all hope in this world ... and we have to give them hope back," another said.
The plan for the project was unanimously approved by the County Board of Supervisors. The site is expected to be up and running in about two years.
CBS 8 reached out to Montgomery-Steppe's office for additional comment Saturday but did not hear back.
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