California Democrats just got caught red-handed — again. This time, it’s not just about failed policy or bloated budgets. It's straight-up taxpayer fraud in broad daylight.
In Torrance, the Democrat-dominated Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is trying to ram through a 122-unit homeless hotel project under Governor Newsom’s “Homekey+” scheme.
But here’s the kicker: the County plans to pay $30 million for a building worth $10.2 million at most.
You read that right!
A $20 million grift, with taxpayer money, and not a dime reflects local consent, planning, or actual need.
Meanwhile, the 2025 LAHSA Point-in-Time Count (the County’s own data) shows:
- Only 50 unsheltered people in all of Torrance
- 171 individuals already housed in temporary shelters
So why is the Board of Supervisors still pushing this massive, top-down housing scheme that Torrance clearly doesn’t want or need?
Because it’s not about housing, it’s about politics and power.
Sound Suspicious? It Is!
With the release of the independent appraisal, the public now knows what Torrance officials have been warning about for months: this deal doesn’t pass the smell test.
Torrance Mayor George K. Chen nailed it:
“Our responsibility as a city is to listen to our residents and act in a way that reflects our community’s values. The results of this independent appraisal reinforce the concerns many in our city have already raised.”
With a price tag nearly three times the property’s market value, this is government price-gouging at its finest.
No public explanation has been given for this inflated price, no transparency on negotiations, and no accountability to the taxpayers footing the bill for this political trophy project.
This is exactly why people are losing faith in government. The rules don’t apply to the political elite, but the bill always lands in taxpayers’ mailboxes.
The Location Is a Disaster Waiting to Happen
This isn’t just about price — it’s about place. The hotel is near a middle school and directly adjacent to the Del Amo Fashion Center, the commercial heartbeat of Torrance.
That means more strain on city services, more pressure on public safety, and real risk to the stability the city has fought hard to maintain.
This isn’t urban planning. It’s political recklessness.
And a slap in the face to every resident, business owner, and first responder who’s worked to keep Torrance safe, livable, and strong.
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Local Leaders Fought Back
When the Torrance City Council unanimously opposed the County’s proposed Homekey+ conversion back in May, they weren’t being obstructionists. They were defending a well-functioning, locally driven homelessness strategy. Torrance already operates a 40-bed shelter, funds transitional programs, and enforces laws against illegal encampments.
This is not a city that turned its back on the issue. It’s a city that’s doing the job the County has failed to do. But instead of working with local leaders, the Board of Supervisors is more interested in forcing a prepackaged solution down the city’s throat.
The result?
A growing backlash from a community that sees what’s really happening — a County government more focused on politics than people.
The County Rejected Torrance’s Better Plan
What's worse, Torrance came to the table with real solutions. In early July, the city proposed two alternative sites: one at the Transit Center and another at the Civic Center campus. Both are city-owned, properly zoned, and better equipped to host supportive housing in a way that’s integrated, sustainable, and community-oriented.
The County’s response? Crickets.
They don’t want a partnership; they want submission. Torrance offered a smarter, more responsible path forward, and the County said no because it wasn’t their idea.
The Silent Crisis No One’s Talking About
But that’s not the whole story. Torrance seniors, like so many across the County, are quietly falling through the cracks — priced out of the city they spent a lifetime building.
Yes, L.A. County has programs. But no major initiative exists to expand age-restricted affordable housing at the scale this crisis demands. The waitlists are long. The options are few. And the pipeline for new senior housing is at a trickle.
Torrance is trying to change that — with incentives for age-restricted units, plans to repurpose underutilized sites, and a commitment to keeping longtime residents rooted in their neighborhoods.
That’s not just smart policy. That’s respect. That’s community. And it’s exactly what the County should be doing; not steamrolling local solutions.
A Warning Shot to L.A. County Cities
If the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors can do this to Torrance, they can do it to any city. The playbook is clear: Inflate the numbers, overrule local voices, waste taxpayer dollars, and label any opposition as cruel or ignorant.
But the real ignorance? Pretending that one-size-fits-all housing policies work everywhere. The real cruelty? Ignoring the people already fighting to fix these problems.
And the real injustice? Forcing a city to pay — both financially and socially — for a program it never asked for and will never support.
This is about way more than one overpriced hotel. It’s about who controls your neighborhood, your streets, and your wallet.
It’s time to show up. Speak out. And push back.
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