EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) — Neighbors in El Cajon spent Saturday afternoon gathered in a gymnasium, voicing concerns surrounding homelessness in the community.
The event at Hillside Park marked the second in a series of town halls hosted by the El Cajon City Council following a string of crimes El Cajon Police say are linked to San Diego County's homeless voucher program. That program allowed some people who are unhoused to temporarily move into motels.
"If the County of San Diego would leave us alone and let us deal with our own homeless problem, you would see a much different environment," said one city official addressing the crowd.
This was the second in a series of four town halls.
The city says once the fourth one is finished, it will compile a formal report.
The City of El Cajon says it provides the most housing resources for people experiencing homelessness out of any other city in the county per capita.
Some neighbor speculated whether the high level of resources are actually attracting homelessness.
Attendees were given surveys asking a series of questions, including "On a scale of 1 to 10, how big of an issue is homelessness to you?"
"To me, it's 10 because I see homeless people sleeping in grocery stores and that will make me feel unsafe," said Wei Holt, who lives in El Cajon.
Details for the final two town halls are below:
- Wednesday, April 26, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Wells Park Recreation Center, 1153 E. Madison Ave., El Cajon, CA 92021 - Thursday, May 4, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Bostonia Recreation Center, 1049 Bostonia St., El Cajon, CA 92021
