On October 25, lawyers Liu Longzhu and Deng Hong held a press conference to rally public support for the repeal of California’s SB330 law and to call out elected officials who endorse it. This event comes on the heels of their recent efforts in Rosemead, where they led community opposition against the Maryvale transitional housing proposal.
During the press conference, Deng emphasized that their efforts as opponents have achieved an impressive 80% success rate. He explained that the Maryvale proposal is not a government initiative but rather a project proposed by a religious group. By passing it through the city council, the city set specific standards for the construction, including a requirement that residents be women to prevent future complications.
Deng pointed out that the real concern should be the increasing number of homelessness-related proposals approved by the city government in heavily populated Chinese areas. For example, the Elara project in Arcadia will feature 95 apartment units, with 45 set aside for permanent housing for the homeless, slated to break ground next year and welcome residents by 2027. Moreover, transitional shelters are also planned for the Irvine area. These developments are supported by the legal framework established by California’s SB330 law, enacted in 2019, which mandates that local governments cannot refuse or delay applications for homelessness shelters. The California Attorney General has already successfully sued several cities, leading to substantial penalties and direct state approvals for these projects. Deng urged the audience to use their votes to repeal SB330 and hold accountable the elected officials who support it.
Lawyer Liu Longzhu shared alarming statistics about the homeless situation in California, noting that the number has skyrocketed from 120,000 in 2019 to 170,000 today. The government is spending around $50,000 per homeless individual annually. In addition, the state is attempting to raise $10 billion for homelessness initiatives in the upcoming elections. Liu warned that this could lead to an influx of homeless shelters in Chinese communities, affecting densely populated areas such as Alhambra, San Gabriel, Monterey Park, Temple City, and Arcadia. He emphasized the need for residents to vote against harmful propositions like Proposition 47 and SB330 to ensure that homeless centers do not encroach upon Chinese neighborhoods.
