City’s Codes and a Mother of 11
On Aug. 26, you ran a story “Mother of 11 Cited: Her Home Too Crowded.” The story dealt with a woman who was raising 11 of her children in a two-bedroom house and this violated the City of Santa Ana’s code on overcrowding. It was also stated that she had housed people illegally in her garage and a trailer on the property. Apparently, there have been complaints from neighbors since 1985.
On Aug. 27, you ran a story “City Drops Overcrowding Citation Against Mother of 11,” because, as Councilman Ron May states, “We are not in the business of throwing out homeowners.”
In other words, if you own a house and crowd it with occupants which make the house and the neighborhood burst at the seams, that is OK even if it violates the very codes the city has enacted. What difference does it make whether or not someone is a homeowner if the law states that no more than six people may legally occupy the two-bedroom house? The City of Santa Ana is violating its own codes on overcrowded habitats.
SUSAN WILLIAMS
Brea
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