Code Enforcement personnel to start citing for illegal conversions.

They’re coming to your neighborhood: The new owners (or renters) who have 10-20 people living in a home designed for a standard family of four. You’d think that the overcrowded homes issue would be confined more to the more "economically challenged" areas of Santa Clarita, but they’re not!

You’ll find illegal garage conversions, illegal room add-ons, people living in motor homes parked in the driveway, and multiple people living in each bedroom in both the best and the worst areas in Santa Clarita. As long as the homes are kept clean and neat and the noise level is kept down, then this should be OK, right? Well… not if there are extra cars parked throughout the neighborhood (or on the lawn) or other factors that disrupt the surrounding neighborhood.

Although nearby residents can call the City to complain about the obvious violations (garage conversions, piles of trash, etc) there are really no rules in place to cover an "overcrowded" home. In an attempt to resolve this issue, a task force made up of City personnel, county fire and sheriff’s personnel and health department officials is being created.

According to the Daily News, this new task force will begin by patrolling Canyon Country residential areas looking for violations. They will first look at homes in the areas east of Whites Canyon Road, north of Soledad Canyon Road, up to Nadal Street and east to about Eaglecrest Avenue. Code enforcement officers will start around Stillmore Street, and then move to the area on the west side of Whites.

Homes that appear to be in violation of the building codes will first receive letters, and then they will be cited for the violations. Apparently assistance may be offered to those who qualify for help.

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