Thread: CA-OCEANSIDE: Overcrowded homes in council's cross-hairs

OCEANSIDE: Overcrowded homes in council's cross-hairs
By CRAIG TENBROECK - Staff Writer | Thursday, August 14, 2008 7:44 PM PDT ∞

50 comment(s) Increase Font Decrease Font email this story print this story OCEANSIDE ---- Apartments and homes crammed with people are creating tension in some Oceanside neighborhoods, according to City Council members, who took an early step this week to confront the issue.

At Wednesday's meeting, the council directed the city attorney to present them with options in three to four months for dealing with crowded homes.

In some neighborhoods, Councilman Jerry Kern said, "We have two or three or four families living in a house. We have seven, eight, nine cars parked around."

Many California cities are struggling with overcrowding, which is often linked to the immigration issue.

Addressing it can be tricky.

"We really face issues with regards to occupancy limits," City Attorney John Mullen told the council. "Those are set by state law, and generally, we're pre-empted from regulating that area."

Sometimes, cities will work around the perimeter of the issue. In the next month, the Escondido City Council will consider an overnight parking ordinance that some officials say is an attempt to curb overcrowding in the urban core.

Oceanside Councilman Jack Feller urged Mullen to explore all options.

"We maybe need to be the one that's on the cutting edge of trying to make this a public health and safety issue and stop this madness, because we're getting complaints every day," Feller said.

One north Oceanside resident, who asked not to be named, told the North County Times on Thursday that at least nine men live in the home across her street.

"It's like a flophouse," she said.

The post office has threatened to stop delivering her mail because cars are constantly parked in front of her mailbox, she said. And the neighbors' house has fallen into disrepair, she added.

"Bring on the ordinance," she said. "I'm so ready for it."

Wednesday's discussion started with Councilwoman Esther Sanchez's suggestion that the city do something to prevent mini-dorms ---- single-family homes with added bedrooms that are rented to students.

With the Sprinter up and running, she said, students are likely to start pooling funds and renting homes in Oceanside neighborhoods.

Local college are experiencing high enrollments, she said.

"They're going to have more students, and less places to live," Sanchez said.

Cities such as San Diego and San Marcos have passed mini-dorm laws that limit the number of allowable leases within a single-family home, Mullen said.

But Kern had more on his mind than just college students.

"I'd like to take a look at the whole global problem (of overcrowding) other than just the mini-dorm problem," he said.

Feller recalled visiting a two-bedroom apartment with the Oceanside Jaycees a few years ago to drop off Christmas presents. Six adults and 12 children lived there, he said.

"Your heart aches for those children, but something is wrong with the system that allows that to even occur," he said.

Contact staff writer Craig TenBroeck at (760) 901-4062 or ctenbroeck@nctimes.com




http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/08 ... 575d1c.txt

Wow...right here in my own hometown. The Sprinter runs near my house. I wish it didn't, but it was needed....and now this.

Oceanside better nip this one in the bud or they will end up like Escondido.

My first reaction to this was that I would have probably called the police and the DEA on my suspicions of a home with that many people and that many cars might be some very popular drug house.

Let's cut to the chase...these are ILLEGAL ALIENS! Oceanside is just a few miles from the Tijuana border...CALL ICE and the problem will disappear! Why is it that the Border Patrol is 'allowed' to catch IA's within
20 miles of the border, but ICE is not able to go door-to-door in border towns such as Oceanside...rounding up IA's who are living 20 to an apt???

Let's start 'profiling'!!! We don't have 20 Frenchmen or 20 Germans living like squatters...it's IA Mexicans and Central Americans! It's not rocket science!!!

Originally Posted by AmericanMe

Let's cut to the chase...these are ILLEGAL ALIENS! Oceanside is just a few miles from the Tijuana border...CALL ICE and the problem will disappear! Why is it that the Border Patrol is 'allowed' to catch IA's within
20 miles of the border, but ICE is not able to go door-to-door in border towns such as Oceanside...rounding up IA's who are living 20 to an apt???

Let's start 'profiling'!!! We don't have 20 Frenchmen or 20 Germans living like squatters...it's IA Mexicans and Central Americans! It's not rocket science!!!

Very well done AM! lets stop playing games and call this for what it is!! These are mexicans (and other SA hispanics), the majority of which are probably illegal. They set up shop as if they were still in tijuana, which is only about 30 miles to the south of Oceanside.

The police, ICE and city leaders of Oceanside can ignore common sense. This doesn't mean I have to!!

Originally Posted by NoBueno

Originally Posted by AmericanMe

Let's cut to the chase...these are ILLEGAL ALIENS! Oceanside is just a few miles from the Tijuana border...CALL ICE and the problem will disappear! Why is it that the Border Patrol is 'allowed' to catch IA's within
20 miles of the border, but ICE is not able to go door-to-door in border towns such as Oceanside...rounding up IA's who are living 20 to an apt???

Let's start 'profiling'!!! We don't have 20 Frenchmen or 20 Germans living like squatters...it's IA Mexicans and Central Americans! It's not rocket science!!!

Very well done AM! lets stop playing games and call this for what it is!! These are mexicans (and other SA hispanics), the majority of which are probably illegal. They set up shop as if they were still in tijuana, which is only about 30 miles to the south of Oceanside.

The police, ICE and city leaders of Oceanside can ignore common sense. This doesn't mean I have to!!

Exactly, NoBueno! It's common sense! Sheesh!

This is happening all over the country, it is one of most peoples main bitches....it tears apart their neighborhood and drives down home prices.

The problem is they live like this in Mexico to cut down the cost of living, they are use to it and see nothing wrong with it...just one more culture difference, they are bring to our towns and the United States, and we need to put a stop to it.