Salinas residents raise concern on plans for new homeless housing
By Ariana Jaso
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SALINAS, California (KSBW) — On Tuesday, dozens of Salinas residents flooded the building during the Salinas City Council meeting. People voiced their concern and made their message clear— they don’t want homeless housing put into their neighborhoods.
Salinas resident Eduardo Torres said to city leaders, “Just because it’s East Salinas doesn’t mean you guys can do that over there.”
During public comment, another woman said, “I, I don’t believe that that is an adequate place for them. Please consider another location for them.”
The two projects will convert two motels into housing for the homeless. The two motels are the Sanborn Inn and the Salinas Inn, just off Highway 101.
Community Development Director for the city of Salinas, Megan Hunter said, “They’re converting the rooms into basically these studio apartments. So they’re adding a little kitchenette into each of the units.”
Nearby neighbors expressed that they’re worried their neighborhood will turn into another Soledad Street, better known as Chinatown. They add that they’re also worried crime will surge in an area that already has a high crime rate.
Hunter emphasized that the project is critical in addressing the homeless crisis.
“If everyone has that idea of not neighborhood, then we’ll never have the services for the unhoused. So if we’re able to house people then we can actually improve the outcomes for the entire community,” Hunter said.
Hunter also tried to reassure people that the projects will be monitored.
“The operator will ensure that the site is clean, maintained and that the individual is on-site is supportive of wraparound services. So there will be case management. It’s not that we’re just throwing unhoused people in housing and saying good luck,” Hunter said.
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