Lawyers Liu Longzhu and Deng Hong held a press conference on the 25th, urging voters to abolish Senate Bill 330 and to reconsider the elected officials who support it. The two have recently led protests in Rosemead against the Maryvale transitional housing proposal, voicing concerns about the ongoing expansion of homeless centers in areas with significant Chinese populations, from Arcadia to Irvine. They believe that failing to abolish SB 330 in this election could have profound implications for the Chinese community.
Deng emphasized that as opponents of SB 330, they have achieved an 80% success rate. He clarified that the Maryvale transitional housing proposal is a project initiated by a religious group, not the government. By passing through the city council, the new standards set by the city government include a requirement that residents must be women, to prevent future exploitation of the proposal.
He pointed out that the real concern lies with the homeless initiatives being approved by the city government in Chinese neighborhoods. One such example is the Elara project in Arcadia, which will build 95 apartment units, 45 of which will be permanently allocated for homeless residents. This project is scheduled to begin next year and to be occupied by 2027. Transitional shelter housing is also set to be established in the Irvine area. The legal basis for these initiatives stems from SB 330, passed in California in 2019, which requires local governments to expedite homeless shelter construction applications. The California Attorney General has successfully sued multiple cities, resulting in heavy penalties for various local governments and direct state approval of proposals. Deng called on the public to use their votes to repeal SB 330 and to oppose the elected officials who support it.
Liu Longzhu emphasized that California has become a haven for the homeless, with numbers increasing from 120,000 in 2019 to 170,000 today. The government spends about $50,000 annually per homeless individual. In this election, the California government is also trying to raise $10 billion to address homelessness, which suggests there will be more homeless centers in Chinese communities. Cities with dense Chinese populations, such as Alhambra, San Gabriel, Monterey Park, Temple City, and Arcadia, are under threat from state government actions. He urged everyone to vote against Proposition 47 and harmful laws like SB 330 to ensure that homeless centers do not emerge in Chinese neighborhoods.
