Motel violence showcases failures of homeless voucher program

On Sunday morning, the El Cajon, Calif., chief of police and the city manager asked Mayor Bill Wells to come in for an urgent meeting. They informed him that two homeless men were suspected of sexually assaulting an underage girl at a local Motel 6. The motel is one of eight in the city participating in San Diego County’s Regional Homeless Assistance Program, which gives homeless people vouchers for hotel rooms.

According to city officials, an employee with People Assisting The Homeless (PATH), the organization paying for the room, called the El Cajon Police Department to report suspicious circumstances involving a client. Lawrence Cantrell, 34, is a convicted felon who had been staying at the motel for the past five to six days after being kicked out of a different motel in San Diego for causing a disturbance, according to city officials.

This article originally appeared in WNG. Read the whole thing.