No Easy Fix for Overcrowding

In the June 1 editorial “How Many Is Too Much?” which addresses the overcrowding issue facing Santa Ana and other cities in central Orange County, The Times stated: “Cities like Santa Ana are reeling from population increases caused by immigration, including crowded schools, sanitation, crime and the day-to-day wear and tear on streets, sewers and other public works.”

You also stated that “cities cannot expect to address these serious problems by simply exporting residents to the next town.” This last statement bothers me. We are not talking about diseases. We are talking about people seeking housing. Who is it who placed the mantle on Santa Ana and cities like it to provide housing for the immigrants coming into Orange County?

I live in Santa Ana, and I love living here. I agree that the recent ordinance was too simplistic and would have caused many hardships. But I also believe that “building more affordable housing,” as you suggest, is also simplistic. Santa Ana is one of the few remaining areas in Orange County where there is affordable housing. Where is the affordable housing in Newport Beach and Irvine? How many one-bedroom apartments in Mission Viejo and Huntington Beach rent to 10 people?

The overcrowding problems need to be addressed on a countywide basis and not city by city. We have many dedicated people working within our community and school system, but they cannot be asked to do the impossible. If we are asked to solve the overcrowding problem alone, we will reach the breaking point, and after the L.A. riots, we all know what that means.

Why can’t we adopt a two-tier housing occupancy ordinance? A city would not be allowed to pass more stringent occupancy ordinances until a set percentage of its housing was already at the maximum standard set by the state. This would take some of the pressure off the cities within the county that are already “reeling from population increases” and place a little more pressure on those which at the present time are not helping to solve the problems that must be faced by the county as a whole.

MARGARET MOOD, Santa Ana