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Resident urges La Puente to develop transitional supportive housing to address homelessness
Summary
Anthony Romero told the council that more than 100 people in La Puente experience homelessness nightly and urged the city to identify properties and partner with providers to create transitional supportive housing with integrated services such as case management and mental health care.
Anthony Romero, a graduate student in social work who said he works with system-impacted individuals and veterans, urged the La Puente City Council to prioritize development of transitional supportive housing, saying the policy would give residents stability and reduce long-term strain on public systems.
"Right now, more than a 100 individuals in La Puente are experiencing homelessness on any given night," Romero said, and described how transitional housing "gave me structure, accountability, and stability that I needed to rebuild my life." He asked the city to identify available or underutilized properties, form partnerships with trusted service providers and integrate supports such as case management, employment assistance and mental health care.
Romero framed the proposal as an investment rather than charity, saying stable housing enables people to contribute to the local economy and reduce public system costs. He recounted his own return to society without stability and credited transitional housing with helping him pursue a graduate degree and a career helping others.
The comment period did not include a formal council directive or vote on Romero's recommendations; council members and staff acknowledged the testimony and later noted shelter-related items approved on the consent calendar would help advance shelter services. No specific property, timeline or funding commitment was announced during the meeting.
The public comment was part of a broader evening that included other resident concerns and routine council business. Council members indicated staff follow-up on homelessness and shelter strategies would continue in future meetings.
