LA MESA, Calif. — A controversial proposal to tackle homelessness in La Mesa, by moving them to another community, is dead after it failed to gain support in a city council meeting Tuesday night.
The proposal floated the idea of using the rural community of Campo to house homeless residents currently in La Mesa.
A sixteen-acre site in Campo is now on the market for nearly $5.5 million dollars, and includes a post office, gas station, church, and even border patrol offices. Under this proposal, it would have also offered housing for homeless people currently in La Mesa, which is an hour away.
"They're just shoving them out here!" shouted Terria Steinhauer, who's lived in the Mountain Empire area her entire life.
"We already get all the pedophiles out here," she told CBS 8. "We don't need a bunch of homeless people living out here too!"
It's a sentiment echoed by her daughter, Katie McRoberts.
"I think that's crazy," she said. "Campo needs to be built up.... it doesn't need to be brought down anymore."
La Mesa city council member Laura Lothian proposed exploring the purchase, although specific details on exactly where the homeless would be housed, what services would be provided, and how they would be funded was not clarified.
"I just wanted to explore a huge parcel that used to be an army barracks," Lothian said, "instead of just people living on dumpsters and in parking lots."
This area does have historical significance, known as Camp Lockett during World War II, it was home to an all African-American cavalry unit until 1944.
It was previously up for sale back in 1994, and as recently as 2019.
"There's not many resources here," said Crystal Rivera, who lives in the community and works at Campo's community center.
She said that it is hard enough to provide those living here with what they need, although she is open to the idea of aiding the homeless.
"I feel like it would be harder for them for for us to help them," she told CBS 8. "I mean, we can help them in any ay that we can, but I don't know if that would be enough"
"There's no way that all the options have been exhausted in the city of La Mesa," added Kimberly Jaimes, who moved to Campo from La Mesa. She said that she and other families have safety concerns, if large numbers of homeless people were to move to her area.
"For parents like us, I think it would worry the majority of us that we're going to have that kind of situation so close," she said.
With this proposal not receiving the support by La Mesa's city council needed to advance, it's one fewer worry for this community.
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