CA homeless shelter investigation evokes new laws

From CalMatters investigative reporter Lauren Hepler:

A brand new state invoice would add extra oversight to California homeless shelters after a CalMatters investigation uncovered that many taxpayer-funded amenities are stricken by violence, mismanagement and low re-housing charges.

Meeting Invoice 750 would construct on an present state legislation that was supposed so as to add primary checks on homeless shelter security and sanitation.

Because it stands, cities and counties are supposed to examine shelters and report back to the state after they obtain complaints. However our reporting revealed that simply 9 of California’s greater than 500 cities and counties had filed any experiences as of mid-last 12 months.

The brand new measure would add “teeth” to the legislation, writer and Asseblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva mentioned, by requiring annual shelter inspections, new grievance processes and harsher monetary penalties for communities that fail to file necessary experiences. Quirk-Silva, a Democrat who represents elements of Orange and Los Angeles counties, credited CalMatters’ reporting as inspiration.

• Quirk-Silva: “It was really some of your work that brought this issue of non-reporting to us. The numbers definitely showed that we had very little compliance.”

Advocates stress that the proposal gained’t deal with some severe issues at shelters. There’s nonetheless a extreme lack of inexpensive housing for shelter residents to maneuver onto, and the invoice focuses on constructing and security codes. That would restrict recourse for different points raised in shelter information, together with fraud allegations, intercourse crimes and amenities that kick out extra folks than they home.

• Eve Garrowa senior coverage analyst and advocate for the ACLU of Southern California: “This bill definitely does not at all address these other forms of abuse and malfeasance and sometimes crime. We need other forms of accountability. It really is still the Wild West out there.”

The state company that displays shelter experiences, the California Division of Housing and Neighborhood Growth, mentioned it doesn’t touch upon proposed laws. The Meeting Committee on Housing and Neighborhood Growth is anticipated to listen to the invoice quickly, and Quirk-Silva mentioned extra evaluation is forthcoming on potential prices to implement the measure.

A poisonous fumigant linked to elevated well being dangers is being utilized by 4 fumigation amenities within the metropolis of Compton and the Los Angeles neighborhood of San Pedro, South Coast Air High quality Administration District officers reported Thursday.

As CalMatters’ Alejandra Reyes-Velarde explains, methyl bromide is utilized by firms to kill dangerous pests on imported vegatables and fruits. California well being officers have categorised the chemical as a reproductive toxicant, which might hurt growing infants within the womb. Excessive ranges of short-term publicity could cause complications and nausea, whereas publicity over a 12 months or extra can result in neurological results, resembling studying and reminiscence difficulties.

For months, some residents in Lengthy Seaside, one other metropolis in L.A. County, have identified about methyl bromide: In January they discovered that two different amenities situated close to an elementary college had been doubtlessly emitting harmful ranges of the chemical — 5 years after air high quality officers first detected it.

• Theral Goldena longtime Lengthy Seaside resident and group advocate: “How do you know what’s causing your illness? We should be in crisis mode, and everybody wants to act like everything is okay.”

Native air high quality regulators haven’t analyzed the well being dangers of methyl bromide in close by communities, and officers say they don’t have plans to observe the air close to the San Pedro and Compton amenities.

Learn extra right here.

Throughout his first 12 months in workplace, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a legislation that known as for the creation of an training information system to trace scholar progress. However roughly a 12 months after the general public was anticipated to have entry to a few of the information, the challenge stays delayedwrites CalMatters’ Adam Echelman.

The Cradle-to-Profession Knowledge System is a multi-year, $24 million challenge that collects information from California preschools, Okay-12 districts, schools and job coaching applications. The info could be utilized by:

• Dad and mom to see faculty and employment outcomes of native elementary college districts;
• Faculties and faculty counselors to supply extra particular recommendation to college students;
• State applications to focus on what populations or districts want extra assist.

The workforce behind the challenge initially mentioned that a few of its information could be accessible by spring 2024, which then obtained pushed to fall 2024. Now a spokesperson for the information challenge mentioned information shall be publicly obtainable “this spring,” although no date was specified.

• Alex Barriospresident of the Academic Outcomes Partnership, an training information nonprofit: “This was a signature initiative by the governor. You’d think taxpayers would be asking: ‘Where is this thing?’”

Learn extra to know the explanations behind the delay.

Final month CalMatters’ Ben Christopher reported the saga of Adam Hardesty, the Carlsbad condo-owner who determined to show his storage right into a pint-sized condominium over the objections of his Householders Affiliation.

Hardesty claimed that state legislation, which promotes the event of accent dwelling models as a bottom-up resolution to California’s housing scarcity, is on his aspect. The HOA disagreed, warning Hardesty that he ran the danger of “legal consequences and unnecessary expense.”

These authorized penalties have arrived. On Wednesday Hardesty acquired discover that the HOA is suing him for breach of contract.

We’ll preserve you posted because the authorized battle continues.