Watsonville city officials are dealing with the issue of illegally built structures and converted garages in the wake of a fatal garage fire at a Coolidge Avenue home where 17 people were living, including the 7-year-old victim and her family who slept in the garage where a space heater sparked the blaze.
Officials said there simply is not enough affordable housing in the area, so people look for cheaper, often unsafe places to live.
Code enforcement officers said there are hundreds of illegally converted garages and other structures in Watsonville.
Officials said the garages often contain a variety of hazards because they have been modified with makeshift kitchens and heating systems.
Citations are issued to offenders, who generally convert the garage back to its proper use, but authorities said there are repeat offenders.
"Those generally receive the higher fines. We have a tiered set of fines. The first ones are $100 per violation. The second one is $200. The third is $500 per violation, so we would be applying those as appropriate for the repeat offender of a garage conversion," Watsonville city building inspector Rafael Adame said.
The city also has a relocation ordinance, which requires that a property owner who has been cited for a dangerous household provide up to three months rent and the city will pay for temporary housing. However, it can take months or years for tenants to recover money due to them.
Meanwhile, Watsonville police are conducting a criminal investigation into Wednesday's fatal fire, but said it is too early to say if any charges will be filed in the case.
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