Carlsbad addressing contentious homeless facility residents call a ‘crime hub’
CARLSBAD, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Concerns were raised Tuesday night in Carlsbad about an affordable housing facility that residents say is bringing crime to the area.
Just a few years ago, the City of Carlsbad took steps to create Windsor Pointe to help veterans struggling to find housing. However, some say it has only created more problems for the North County city.
Man grazed by gunshot while walking with girlfriend
The facility was first pitched in 2017 to serve veterans, but in 2020, the city communicated that the housing units would also house people once homeless with severe mental illness.
Carlsbad Police revealed Tuesday that since the facility opened back in 2022, there has been one attempted murder and a sexual assault arrest involving guests visiting residents at Windsor Pointe.
It’s that reality along with a slew of other issues surrounding the joint that brought residents to Carlsbad City Hall Tuesday.
However, for Windsor Pointe resident and Navy Veteran Lane Baldwin, the place he calls home has been a lifeline.
“This has been a godsend to have shelter down here,” Baldwin said.
He lives in one of the 50 affirmed housing units built on both Oak and Harding streets — land owned by the City of Carlsbad.
Supervisors OK 150 homeless sleeping cabins, safe parking site
“There are a lot of mental health problems, there’s a lot of drug addition, that’s very true, but what are they doing about it? Nothing,” said Baldwin, when asked about safety concerns shared by some Windsor Pointe and Carlsbad residents.
Half of those 50 apartments are for low-income families with the priority for veterans like Baldwin.
However, the other half is set aside for residents like Michael Mallory who was once homeless and diagnosed with a severe mental illness. He says having a home has allowed him to go to school and get the medical care he needs.
“When you’re out in the streets, you don’t have much of a way to take care of business because you’re always trying to survive,” said Mallory.
Others we talked to say Windsor Pointe is a home of crime, drugs, and a threat to the safety of nearby children.
“It’s near Jefferson elementary school, it’s near two Montessori preschools…The location for this just does not make any sense,” said Carlsbad resident Denis Jensen.
According to the Carlsbad Police Department, since the facility first opened its doors back in 2022, there have been 762 calls for service.
Daniel Vazquez has lived next door for the past 10 years and is a firsthand witness to the day to day stir.
“They told the little kids they were going to kill them…my little sister was playing outside, and one of the ladies screamed that out,” Vazquez said.
City staff found that 44% of the calls to CPD centered around mental health. 42% of the people arrested were guests not residents of Windsor Pointe. Police data also shows over half the number of calls come from seven of the 50 units.
“The community didn’t want this in our neighborhood from the get-go. We spoke to civic leaders and the city and essentially ignored the neighborhood,” Jensen said.
Jensen and many others have been asking for change for years now and that’s what packed the house at City Hall Tuesday. They hoped to find a solution with the city, county, and developers who all share jurisdiction over the property.
Jensen and many other residents say they’d like to see Windsor Pointe moved to a different location.
In a motion Tuesday, city leaders decided to push management at Windsor Pointe to have a better guest vetting policy given 42% of arrests made were visitors rather than residents.
They also plan to push for more security all while finding ways to make the units more accessible for veterans; the people the facility was promised to in the first place.
“The problem is not solved by closing it down and kicking people off to the street. If there is a security problem, beef up the security,” Baldwin said.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
