City closes halfway house for women inmates

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- More than 600 women inmates, all nonviolent offenders

with records of good behavior, have been temporary residents of the House

of Sarah, a halfway house that prepares them for their reentry to

society.

But there will be no more.

In the latest in a series of group home code enforcement, the city

last week shut down the House of Sarah, the only state-licensed halfway

house within its borders.

Located in Mesa North, the home houses women inmates serving their

last 120 days of prison sentences. It had been a state Department of

Corrections referral facility for 21 years.

“It was a place for them to get structure,” said Marco Morales, a

parole agent for the corrections department’s Long Beach unit. “It’s all

about self-building and motivation to get themselves back into the

system. They get counseling to help make them accountable for their

actions, understand what they did, realize their errors and come to terms

with that. Then they learn to refocus their energy on a new direction and

turn their lives around.”

No plans to replace the halfway house have been brought to the city’s

attention, said Perry Valantine, assistant development services director

for the city.

The city’s decision to close the home came after the completion of a

developmental services study of nursing homes, halfway houses, alcohol

and drug recovery centers, foster homes and homes for disabled children.

The City Council directed developmental services staff to conduct the

study last year, citing concerns that too many group homes were coming to

the city.

“We’ve had issues with group homes within the neighborhoods,” said

City Councilwoman Libby Cowan. “Some group homes are not good neighbors.”

The study revealed that some group homes had violated city codes. This

summer, the city cracked down on eight such facilities, including

pressing misdemeanor charges on the owner of a “sober living home” on

Orange Avenue for allegedly operating in a residential zone.

The city’s code enforcement office did not receive any complaints

about the House of Sarah, said Sandi Benson, chief code enforcement

officer.

However, the home violated city codes that prohibit correctional

referral facilities near single-family dwellings and prohibit housing for

felons convicted of crimes involving controlled substances, according to

the study.

“We didn’t know [the home] was there,” Benson said. “We think it is a

very good thing they are doing. It’s just that in 1979, when the house

was founded, that use was not allowed and unfortunately isn’t allowed

now, either. We did everything we could, but unfortunately, group home

ordinances and codes just don’t allow any group homes to be in that

facility.”

The city gave the state corrections department 30 days to relocate the

women inmates, Benson said, allowing four of the women to be released and

the remaining two to be moved to a similar facility in San Diego.

The push to bring group homes into compliance with city codes benefits

the city’s other residents, Valantine said.

“We’re trying to bring residents in compliance with city standards so

residential areas can remain more residential, not commercial,” he said.

“We’re trying to avoid having people in a neighborhood where they’re

incompatible with the area. Group homes often have a large number of

people coming and going at all times, more like a hotel than a home.”

But Shylo White, a representative for the Sober Living Foundation,

said he thinks the community is losing out and that the need for halfway

homes is greater than ever.

“That’s ignorance and stupidity for you,” White said of the closure.

“People are doing a good thing trying to get well. Most people don’t know

that recovery really works, that people can get on with life and be

productive members of society. I would like to see a lot more of these

started to help people get some treatment and solve their problems.”