[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 176 (Friday, November 2, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1487-E1488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONSTITUENT COMMENTS ON SOBER LIVING HOME PROBLEMS
______
HON. DANA ROHRABACHER
of california
in the house of representatives
Friday, November 2, 2018
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise again regarding the hearing held
by the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice on
September 28, 2018, on the issue of sober living homes. At that
hearing, I had the privilege of testifying in support of my bill, H.R.
5724, to restore local oversight over sober living homes. As part of my
testimony, I submitted to the Subcommittee letters from many of my
constituents about problems with sober living homes caused by current
federal law preventing appropriate local oversight. For the benefit of
my colleagues and the American people, I include in the Record the
eighth group of these constituent letters below:
These are examples of what our neighborhood has had to
endure since the Sober living home has opened in our
neighborhood. As some of the new tenants moved in they
introduced themselves as a bunch of college students. These
tenants moved out within two weeks. We believe this was a
ploy by [REDACTED] get the start in the neighborhood without
attracting attention. Since they moved in, our neighborhood
has had to put up with cars parked illegally up and down the
street. When confronted, the tenants of the house use
profanity and extremely rude language and gestures.
The neighborhood is on constant alert due to activity on
our street and in and out of the house all hours of the night
and day. Specifically, one-night last week a tenant walked
out with a backpack around 1:00 a.m. and met with a stranger
who was dropped off in our neighborhood earlier. The two were
observed cooking heroin. The police were called and showed
up. The two ran off along with a third person waiting in the
sober living house back yard. When the police arrived this
person and the one doing the drugs went home to home trying
to get into houses. All of this was verified and collaborated
via the many cameras in the neighborhood. One vehicle kept at
the house, which is usually parked on the street, appears to
be a drop point. People drive up and place something in the
trunk and later a tenant will pick up whatever has been
dropped off and bring it into the house.
Our entire neighborhood has turned into a place where we do
not feel safe. Our children must call before they come home
so we can escort them into the house. The house has two
aggressive pit bulls who have gotten out and pinned a
neighbor inside her car unable to leave. When animal control
arrived, the dog was put in the house and one tenant said to
the officer it's not my dog and left.
These are examples of what our neighborhood has been
dealing with. Some other concerns are the property values as
several long time homeowners are already talking about
selling to get away from the element that has moved in. This
home in question is less than 1000 feet from a school. The
school has been notified and parents that drop off their kids
for school will be notified about this house. This can
negatively affect the attendance of the school.
The local police say there is nothing they can do, the city
council tell us there is nothing we can do, this is our
neighborhood and should not be driven out because of greed,
or loopholes in the laws and insurance scams. We would hope
Congress would give the local city's authority to regulate
and set rules for these kind of houses, and the ability to
shut them down for illegal activity.
Less Tait,
Huntington Beach, California.
____
My parents purchased their home in Huntington Beach, CA in
1977. I grew up in Huntington Beach, went to college and
returned to the city to build my life. I purchased my
residence in Huntington Beach in 2000. My family has loved
living in Huntington Beach. However, our lives drastically
changed in the last year.
The couple that lived next door to my parents purchased
their home 41 years ago as original owners. They raised three
children in the home like my parents. They unfortunately
passed away recently, and their children sold the home in
November 2017. For months the home was under construction,
but my parents didn't think much of it. Then earlier this
year we noticed the neighbor had a large white commercial
style van outside, installed a fire sprinkler system with a
red bell above the front door, and divided the bonus room
into two rooms. We discovered from the person renovating the
home that instead of a large family, it was going to house
single people. The property records show the home was
purchased by a lawyer representing a LLC business and that
LLC business was owned by a business called [REDACTED]. We
assume it is a sober living home for men, but it may be some
other type of facility operated by [REDACTED].
On February 24, 2018 was the first time I experienced a
problem. I went over to visit my parents from 8:30 am to 9:30
am. I sat in a chair in the family room. We had the windows
closed. I smelled a strong smoke smell in the home. I didn't
know where it was coming from. I left after one hour and had
a headache for six hours after.
From February 24, 2018 to April 8, 2018, I visited my
parent's home about ten times. Every time I visited I smelled
smoke in the home, backyard and/or front yard and experience
health symptoms (burning eyes, coughing, shortness of breath,
headache and/or feeling of sickness). I did not smell smoke
or experience health symptoms prior to February 24, 2018. I
experienced these symptoms even with the operation of
multiple HEPA filters purchased to get rid of smoke.
On Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018, at about 10:30 pm I came
to pick up some food. During the ten minutes I was at my
parent's home I coughed the entire time. I was not coughing
before coming to the home and didn't cough after I returned
to my car.
[[Page E1488]]
There was some pollutant entering my parent's home and garage
from next door that caused me to cough. During this visit I
didn't smell smoke, so it may have been a different chemical
coming from next door.
I am very concerned about the health impacts of the second-
hand smoke and chemicals I am being exposed to in my parent's
home. I filed a complaint with the City of Huntington Beach
code enforcement on April 8, 2018 following my Easter Sunday
experience. Due to the symptoms my parents were experiencing,
my mom contacted the South Coast Air Quality Management
District (SCAQMD) and filed multiple complaints about the
smoke; however, SCAQMD inspection staff stated they cannot
take action against a residence, even though the sober living
home is a business. Typically, SCAQMD will issue a notice of
violation for businesses causing air pollution and nuisance.
My parents also filed complaints with the City of Huntington
Beach code enforcement. In addition, they have been filing
complaints with the operator of the home, [REDACTED]. The
operator has made small changes, but my family is still
significantly impacted by the smoke and/or chemicals (a sweet
smell presumably vapes from e-cigarettes) nearly 24 hours a
day, every day.
My parents are elderly, have medical conditions that are
known to be exacerbated by smoke and chemicals (which are
also covered under the Americans for Disabilities Act), and
are constantly being exposed to indoor and outdoor air
pollution from the smoke and chemicals originating from next
door. I am worried about my parent's health and if the
exposure from the sober living home will cause premature
death. My niece and nephew are toddlers and I am concerned
about their health when they come visit their grandparents.
We smell the chemicals in the living room and kitchen where
we spend most of our family time. We are unable to use
bedrooms in the home because those rooms are filled with air
contaminants and are now unsuitable for sleeping. The sober
living home next door has caused significant stress and
caused emotional toll for my family.
Second-hand smoke has proven health impacts and according
to the Centers for Disease Control ``There is no risk-free
level of second hand smoke exposure; even brief exposure can
be harmful to health.'' In addition, the California Air
Resources Board has identified second hand smoke as a ``Toxic
Air Contaminant''. Reports are now coming out about the
health impacts of e-cigarettes.
In addition to having a sober living home next door to my
parents, eight homes down the street is a detox home owned by
[REDACTED]. The neighbor of this home is the child of another
original family in the neighborhood. The current family has
young children and has been negatively impacted by the detox
home from smoking, bad language, and too many vehicles
parking. In addition, the parents have found needles at the
local park, so their children no longer visit the park.
In the last couple months, I have noticed groups of people
standing on the curb in my condo complex smoking. In eighteen
years of living at my residence, I have never seen this
before and the general population smoking rates in California
are decreasing. I would not be surprised if there is a detox
or sober living home in my condo complex, but my homeowner
association says they are ``not allowed to ask.'' The
property next to mine is currently on the market and I have
decided if a detox or sober living home moves next door, I
will sell my property and ``cash out.'' I do not want to
handle the stress of another detox or sober living home.
Yesterday, I was driving down [REDACTED]. (a major street
in Huntington Beach). In a one mile stretch between
[REDACTED], I saw three addiction treatment centers on one
side of the road. Most likely each one of them has a network
of detox and sober living homes nearby. Huntington Beach is
now known on the Internet as the national ``Rehab Rivera.''
Huntington Beach property values are going to be
drastically impacted. Realtor Magazine published an article
on October 17, 2014, stating there is an eight to 17 percent
reduction in home values when homes are within one-eighth of
a mile from a residential treatment center. When my parents
attempt to sell their home and they disclose there is sober
living home next door and a detox home eight homes down the
street, it is common sense that the home will have a lower
value. If they don't disclose the location of the homes, they
can be sued by the buyer for non-disclosure. It is a lose-
lose situation for the large number of families that have
detox and sober living homes in their neighborhood.
When the health insurance runs out or a person is kicked
out for breaking the house rules, they are left on the
sidewalk. Many of these people become homeless since they
don't have the money to pay for transportation home. In
addition, when addicts relapse they can commit crimes to get
money for the next fix. I have noticed a significant increase
in number of homeless people in the city and heard reports
from neighbors of an increase property crime. Huntington
Beach used to pride itself as being one of the safest cities
in America and that was a major reason my family chose to
live in this community.
The sober living home next door to my parents has totally
changed my family's quality of life. Detox and sober living
homes should not be in residential areas. They should not be
able to destroy other residents' health, quality of life, and
property values. In addition, Huntington Beach should only
have the necessary facilities to serve our local population.
Preeti Ghuman,
Huntington Beach, California.
____
I live next door to a home rented out to [REDACTED], a
sober living business, in Huntington Beach, CA, for one year
& seven months. The clients are brokered from all over the
United States. The owner is making $9,000 in monthly rent
compared to the average of $3500.
A second home just sold in August on my side of the
street--three doors down and is also a so called sober living
home.
Never know who is coming and going--more than 6 in the
home--not counting the manager (who has a job and is not
monitoring the group on a regular basis). Fourteen last
summer.
One death in March--went unnoticed in the house for eight
hours before authorities were notified. Two drug overdoses--
last one in July called 911 himself.
Drug deals--at night
Needles thrown in my backyard
NOISE--any time--day & Night
Loud music, talking, screaming, cursing
Physical fights spilling onto street
Cars/motorcycles--on the street (3-7 at any given time)
Sex in cars
Cigarettes butts thrown all around my property.
Cigarette smoke--cannot sit outside, front & back
Trash overflowing from trash cans--maggots, flies, stench
Gum-wads spitted on my driveway
Trash in front of our house/street
House across the street fell out of escrow twice after
learning of SLH presence--Our property values going down
No longer live on a beautiful, peaceful, quiet street where
my grandchildren can visit.
Jeanne Kulpinski,
Huntington Beach, California.
____
1) All of them involve sketchy loud and obnoxious yelling,
or very loud talking.
2) They are up late hours.
3) Others have saws going at 7 am to cut gates in fences.
They don't care about neighbors. Not invested in neighborhood
since they're transients.
4) And the 3 are ALL together with the corporate office in
one of them too. So, the other 2 are acting in their BEST
BEHAVIOR so they're not bothering the boss and get kicked
out!
5) Biz belong in commercial areas, not residential!
6) And they need Local control & regulation like ALL BIZ
have to have! Why do they get special exception?
The law needs to be changed to fix the lack of supervision
& abuses!
1) Require city code enforcement & PD to monitor and cite
violations for abuses.
2) 3-Strikes & ur out of biz! SLHs would bring the hammer
down on violating clients to avoid losing that free $ gig.
3) Ban leaving those clients who run out of insurance $,
being kicked out on the curb. Use that obscene $ to pick them
up and transition them safely back to the real world. Sober
transition houses.
4) Ban more than 1 SLH in a single-family tract home.
#NoBizInResidential!
Bruce Wareh,
Huntington Beach, California
____________________