Letter: Still No Action on Sober-Living Homes in Los Angeles

Editor,

It has been five long years since Councilmember Greig Smith proposed a motion to regulate sober living homes. Since that time, this proposed legislation has evolved to what is now known as the Community Care Facilities Ordinance.  Due to needless and prolonged delays, we still have nothing.  The longer this legislation is delayed the more senseless crimes and deaths will result because of our city’s failure to take action and offer its residents some protection! 

There are now 44 Neighborhood Councils/Organizations that have urged city officials to pass a regulating Ordinance that will protect their respective communities from the non-stop crimes, loss in property values and other negative impacts.  Because the LAPD has witnessed crimes and abuse associated with group housing arrangements, Chief Beck is sending a written warning regarding weaknesses in the proposed CCFO as it stands.  He has listed several categories of “high risk” facilities and has proposed a series of recommendations that would tighten the current Ordinance.  Many of his solid recommendations warrant consideration and should be part of the proposed legislation.  These strengthening measures would offer protections on all sides – to the surrounding neighbors as well as the residents living inside these unregulated group houses.  One can only imagine the unspeakable abuse, threats, and terror that is secretly transpiring behind those closed doors, when no one is watching and when no one else knows.

The public deserves to be made aware of the unregulated group houses that are proliferating across the entire City of Los Angeles. 

Maria Fisk
Granada Hills