Spring Valley leaders oppose plan to seek $10 million from state after backlash

SPRING VALLEY, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — After Gov. Gavin Newsom scrapped a $10 million grant originally allocated for tiny homes in eastern San Diego County, local leaders considered requesting the funds back. However, not everyone was on board with the plan.

Anabel Caiazzo teared up over the issue of tiny homes when speaking with FOX 5/KUSI Tuesday night at a meeting with the Spring Valley Planning Group.

“They care more about people who don’t even care about themselves more than our kids,” Caiazzo said when referring the county’s decision to plant tiny homes nearby in Lemon Grove.

Caiazzo is just one concerned parent out of an angry crowd.

Residents are pleading with community leaders over a vacant lot on Troy St. in Lemon Grove, which is slated to house 250 homeless individuals.

Kenneth King, a Lemon Grove resident, voiced his concerns: “We were told that this is for mothers and children and people living in their cars, and that’s not the case.”

The homes were originally intended for the Spring Valley area, with a $10 million backing from the state. However, after slow movement, Newsom walked back on the funds.

“We’re asking for money that’s been allocated somewhere else, because we want to take care of Spring Valley. We’re sorry it’s being dumped into Lemon Grove,” a commission member said.

The mere consideration at the Spring Valley Community Planning Group meeting to request that $10 million once again, sparked uproar.

At one point, commissioners could barely get a word in. “No, no, no, I let you speak, now you let me speak, that’s only polite,” a commissioner said.

Neighbors wanted to leave the grant alone, worrying the money could go toward the tiny homes in Lemon Grove. Residents of both Lemon Grove and Spring Valley say the location affects both communities equally.

“No one can even tell whether the location on Troy Street is Lemon Grove or Spring Valley,” a resident noted.

The county plans to build 70 sleeping cabins and 180 spaces for housing-assisted programs. The project is expected to cost $11 million to build, with a nearly $3 million yearly upkeep.

“We’re upset because we’re going to be fitting the bill for this, which we don’t have the money to do,” King added.

The Spring Valley Planning Commission could not confirm if the money would have gone toward the tiny home project in Lemon Grove but shared a desire for the funding to help the homeless in East County.

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