Whittier : Illegal Garage Apartments Prompt Task Force Study

The City Council last week approved forming a task force to study the problem of garages that have been illegally converted into apartments.

The seven-member task force will include representatives of the local Chamber of Commerce, Board of Realtors, City Council and city staff. The task force will also include two community members to represent the interests of low- to moderate-income families who could be displaced if the illegal apartments are eliminated.

Staff research indicates that perhaps hundreds of garages have been illegally converted into apartments in Whittier. The apartments do not comply with health and safety codes and increase population density enough to cause a strain on city services, officials said.

Suggestions for dealing with the problem have included stricter code enforcement and periodic inspection of rental units.