Tulare County board demands state action after HHSA relocates 22 residents from unsafe Porterville care home

County Health and Human Services Agency officials told the Tulare County Board of Supervisors on March 3 that Autumn Oaks, a licensed residential care facility in Porterville, had repeatedly received complaints and was found in unsafe, unsanitary condition during a county response. Dana Wild, division manager and director of the Kings–Tulare Area Agency on Aging, said county and regional partners relocated all 22 residents after an inspection that included photographs showing bed bugs and eggs on bedding, cockroach nests and live insects in a freezer, and raw food stored at unsafe temperatures.

Wild said the California Department of Social Services’ Community Care Licensing Division received 53 complaints about Autumn Oaks over a four- to five-year period and “no meaningful corrective action was taken.” Wild told the board that Community Care Licensing declined to assist with emergency measures during the county’s relocation efforts and that the governing board of the area agency on aging requested a formal letter to the governor and other state leaders demanding stronger enforcement and safeguards.

Board members described the conditions as “disgusting” and “appalling.” Supervisor Larry McCari, who led the motion, said local agencies and law enforcement performed parallel efforts to protect residents while the state was unresponsive. Public commenter Harry Garber, who identified himself as a former resident of Autumn Oaks, described cockroach infestations, unlocked medicine storage, and alleged improper access to residents’ bank cards. "It was the worst two months of my life," Garber said.

The board voted 5–0 to send a strongly worded letter supporting the KTAA governing board’s request and asking for: an immediate, comprehensive state investigation into the Community Care Licensing Division’s inaction; permanent revocation and lifetime nonrenewal of the operator’s license rather than an administrative surrender; full reimbursement to Tulare County for costs incurred in relocating and caring for residents; and a formal apology to the residents who were affected. The board instructed staff to prepare the letter and to use HHSA contact information to reach the relocated residents.

The board’s action supplements a broader local investigation; the district attorney’s office was reported to be coordinating with local law enforcement on any parallel criminal matters. The board recorded the unanimous vote immediately after public comment.

Next steps: staff will draft and send the board-approved letter and provide copies to the governor’s office, the California attorney general and Tulare County’s state and federal legislative delegations as requested by the board.