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Let's talk about Oxnard's dirty little secret - the way that
families are being raised in Oxnard.
Overcrowded dirty homes where children denied decent basic housing,
secondary building convert to shack-up poor men, women and their
children. You see the men sitting outside drinking their beers, while
children run pass them, heading for the ice cream truck for the
second or third time in the same day. All you have to do is swing
down any street near the police department and city hall to see these
scenes. Is Oxnard City tp be the King of Mexican ghettos away from
Mexico?? Unless our elected officials wear blinders you know they see
these scenes too. Yet nothing happens to correct these scenes.
Housing in Oxnard is a total disgrace. We can approve 300k plus homes
yet can not get decent apartments. What apartments we have often
times contain 6 or more people in units built for only 1 or 2. You
say that's not true, take a trip through E street from Wooley to
second, especially 4th street area. Count the number of cars in the
area of single family dwellings. Are and should landlords of these
units be allowed to become slum lords? Oxnard has just cleaned up one
mess similar in the county.
What number of children should be allowed to grow up this way in
America? This is not Mexico! Oxnard officials take steps now and
place measures in place that will not allow the these terrible
housing situtations to exist in this city. This is happening outside
the doors of city hall and the police department. Overcrowding can
and does create illegal activities. Many of the current buildings are
unsafe, wiring in these old buildings are taxed beyond the loads they
should carry, water and sewage is also beyond safe levels. I say it's
time that Oxnard investigate and evaluate apartments operating within
the city limits. Give the landlords 6 months to clean up their messes
or have the city take over and manage the properties.
Children should have safe and clean homes to live in. Children should
have room to grow. Children should not be exposed to adult
lifestyles. Children should be learning to live and hold down jobs,
not sell drugs as they see it on the streets outside their homes.
Children have the right to expect that the government can and will
watch out for their well being as well as fat cat developers.
Debbie Kilpatrick
resident of Oxnard
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