EL CAJON, Calif. — City officials in El Cajon look to hold hotel and motel owners accountable who rent rooms to those with homeless vouchers and who are enrolled in other state programs.
This comes a little more than a week after two registered sex offenders were arrested at a Motel 6 for sexually assaulting a teenage girl at the motel. The two sex offenders are scheduled to appear in court early Wednesday.
In addition, the city's planning commission discussed whether or not to pull or suspend the Motel 6's permit as a result of the assault.
But that is not all, during the council hearing, city officials also announced that they have requested that the County Grand Jury look into what they call is a "misuse of taxpayer funds."
The city council approved putting new guidelines on motels such as requiring a monthly report to the city that includes how many rooms are used for emergency sheltering, duration of stays, the service providers using the room and the room rates.
The city wants to have organizations, who give out vouchers, to obtain special licenses and create plans for voucher recipients once they leave the motel.
"When I see an encampment outside a hotel I typically stop my car and try to figure out why they're there. Nine times out of ten they were discharged from a county run program for violating the rules," said Graham Mitchell, El Cajon City Manager.
El Cajon residents took to the podium and shared their thoughts on the vouchers.
"My mother utilized some of the services we have in San Diego County," Jenny said. She says she grew up in east county.
"There were times we didn't live at home because it wasn't safe. I don't know if we would've been recipients of hotel vouchers. I'm just saying I've benefited from some of the programs in San Diego," she said.
The city says it's still looking into a 90-day moratorium on new vouchers but has to consider the legalities that come with it.
WATCH RELATED: 2 registered sex offenders accused of attacking a teenage girl in El Cajon to be arraigned (March 2023).