Residents urge city to act after recuperative care home opens in residential block

Residents who live near a new recuperative care home told the Imperial City Council on March 5 that the facility’s presence in a single‑family neighborhood has raised safety and oversight concerns and asked the city to help them get more information.

The comments, made during public comment, were prompted after neighbors learned a for‑profit operator had opened what speakers described as a five‑bedroom “recuperative” or half‑way home that they said would house people experiencing homelessness or substance‑use issues for short stays.

The neighbors’ concerns centered on safety for children who wait at a nearby school bus stop, uncertainty about the facility’s licensing and oversight, and whether the operator has adequate staffing and services. “Having a halfway house in the middle of a resident neighborhood can raise concern about safety, property values, and overall community stability,” said Gerald Robinson, who identified himself as representing Springfield Homes on Kawila Drive. Robinson and other speakers said the home had been placed in an established neighborhood without advance notice to residents.

Pastor Sean Arviso, of Christ Community Church of Imperial Valley, said the facility manager told him the program would have a 90‑day maximum stay and would serve people who are homeless and have substance‑use problems. “There is a 90 day max stay and the target population of the people there is homeless and drug addictive,” Arviso said. He added that while congregation programs provide residential supports in nonresidential settings, the group believes facilities that serve this population should be located in commercial or industrial zones, not on a residential street.

Victor Reyes, who said he lives next door and works as a correctional officer, told the council he was concerned the operator is for‑profit, unregulated at the local level and that local police would bear the burden if residents relapsed or the program failed. “The taxpayers are the ones that if something happens, the local police department will have to come in and deal with the situation,” Reyes said.

Several neighbors described gaps between what the facility manager told them and what appears on the operator’s website. Elizabeth Corner, who said she lives directly next door, told the council that the manager’s descriptions did not match her research on program services and outcomes. She said the house is five bedrooms and the manager had described expectations and services that she could not verify. “He could not pin down any kind of job opportunities or health care opportunities that he was actually offering,” Corner said.

City staff said regulation and licensing of this type of facility are handled by the state. “This is classified…described as a recuperative facility,” said Tommy Garcia, assistant to the city manager. “The state does, classify these as a residential facility, so it meets the zoning area of a residential zoning area. And that being said, it so it doesn't trigger a CUP or further action from the city.” Garcia also said the City does not yet know whether the facility’s license has been approved and that staff are attempting to confirm the license status.

Garcia said the city would provide residents with the contact information for the state licensing agency — which staff identified as the state Community Care Division — and asked residents to follow up with the city manager’s office so staff could notify them when more information is available. “We will make available the contact information for the state agency, and we'll be able to provide more answers,” he told the council and residents.

Teachers and other residents asked whether additional safety measures — for example, police presence at the nearby bus stop — could be put in place while the city verifies the facility’s licensing and oversight. Mary Ann Jarvis, who said she teaches locally, asked, “Are there gonna be police officers with the kids while they were waiting for the bus?” Police and other departments told the council they were still gathering facts and had not yet developed a response plan.

Council members and staff asked those who want updates to leave contact information with the city manager’s office. Staff said they would collect names and contact details at an announced break and follow up when they have the state licensing records and other relevant information.

What’s next: City staff said they will try to confirm whether a state license has been issued for the address, will provide residents the state licensing contact, and will follow up with residents who left contact information. The council did not take formal action on the matter during the meeting.