By Katrina Van Duzee/Garden Grove Journal
Tuesday’s Garden Grove City Council meeting marked the first gathering of the New Year and the council started things off with a short agenda.
Not only was newly appointed Councilmember Dina Nugyen absent, but the meeting, which typically lasts around two hours, lasted a brief 26 minutes.
Although short, the councilmembers voted 4-0 in a second reading to amend title nine of the municipal code regarding homeless shelters, transitional housing and supportive housing. The amendment was adopted in order to comply with the General Plan Housing Element and Senate Bill 2 passed by the state in 2008.
The goal of the Senate Bill is to address California’s homeless population by requiring cities to incorporate words in their General Plan Housing Element, which aid the development of homeless and low-income housing, according to a staff report.
Included in the amendment are detailed definitions for the different types of shelters, along with operating standards for the facilities.
A recent article in the Garden Grove Journal covered the issue of homelessness, in which some citizens expressed concerns with the city of Garden Grove’s level of involvement in providing aid for the homeless.
“We know we have a homeless problem, but it seems like the city is in denial,” said Garden Grove United Methodist Church and Orange County Congregation Community Organization member Shirley Kellogg.
City officials responded that the homeless problem was primarily a county responsibility.
