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SLO County red tags People’s Self-Help Housing project in Los Osos

June 30, 2021

By KAREN VELIE

People’s Self Help Housing is under fire after they allegedly clear cut approximately an acre of wetlands in Los Osos, all without a permit.

Wetland are complex ecological resources that are protected under state and federal laws. Situated in the heart of Los Osos, these coastal wetlands are home to egrets and herons.

Before clearing the lot, People’s Self Help Housing posted a sign saying they would be doing “weed abatement,” beginning on June 16. The housing agency then hired Tutt Tree and Crane to clear the lot, telling Mike Tutt it was a fire safety issue.

The willows removed were either dead or broken, and covered in vines, Tutt said.

After discovering the clearing of the designated wetland, San Luis Obispo County Code Enforcement posted a stop work order over the People’s Self-Help housing sign.

“Violation: Unauthorized work in designated wetlands/coastal zone,” according to the stop work order. “Penalty for violation, zoning requirements, Code Case 2021-00191.”

Calls to People’s Self Help Housing in SLO were answered by a recording that says, “This number is currently inactive.”


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Tutt-Tutt!


1

Why are wetlands regulated by four agencies: Regional Water Board; County Planning and Building; Department of Fish and Wildlife; Army Corp of Engineers? A good example of how gov’t needs structural change.


18

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Thats why!


20

Don’t forget the Coastal Commission plus probably others. Because of course we need multiple government entities, with multiple administrations all with multiple bloated salaries and benefit packages, how else will we survive.


30

This self help operation is a little sketchy….In My Opinion…


16

More than a little sketchy. They siphon millions of dollars from affordable housing fees developers pay and waste it on patronage jobs and gross construction mismanagement that no for-profit entity could sustain. I’ve seen this and can provide many examples spanning over a decade. And though they are completely funded by government they are exempt from all public records act requirements for disclosure. The used to be called the Duncan Group and it is still controlled by Jeanette Duncan. 100% pure corruption.


34

As a non-profit, their tax returns should be online.


12

They’re non-profit, they don’t pay taxes, they just use tax money as they wish. They file a Form 990 which tells you how much the execs get paid but not if they do anything or reveal incompetence and waste. That is the corporation part of non-profit corporation. Their books are not public like government agency budgets are.


5

They were never called “The Duncan Group.” The Duncan Group is their in-house accounting firm. They are two separate entities. Jeanette Duncan used to be at the helm of both but retired several years ago.

They are not “completely funded by government” but do receive a portion of their income from government agencies such as FHA. Most of their money comes from their income generating rental properties, donations, grants, gifts, and endowments. Their sweat equity homes are built with loans that are repaid by the home owners.

Their IRS 990 can be seen on line at guidestar.com and at charitynavigator.org.


7

Mazin is correct, if they are a registered 501c3 organization they are required to file every year.

Technically speaking, those filings are accessible to the public. True, they may be tax exempt, but are not exempt from filing.


2

Awwwwww come on it is to help build housing for the homeless. We are told that and are just suppose to ignore the problems these developments create or the laws they break dont you know.


13

Who would of thought that when you have a fire hazard adjacent to housing, a designated wet land becomes an excuse for interagency penalties or funding.


29

Crooks. Lock em up!


5

Gotta’ love “For Profit” businesses masked as philanthropic organizations in an effort to attain permits for low quality housing in nice areas ….


48

This isn’t the first time and won’t be the last time for PSHH of San Luis Obispo County. The organization has had numerous people who work their full time, get full time benefits and run their own side business full-time during the same hours of operation. Throw on top of it, a small non-profit that has roughly 30 Directors, yes 30 Director level and up personnel. However, the organization has less than 30 staff. It’s a top heavy organization that is all about securing grants and donations to take money and put it into their own pockets. I am surprised that that Adam Hill and former County Supervisor “Slick Jim” don’t have buildings named in their honor.


Throw on top of it, when Stewart Resnick’s company a couple years back took out a bunch of Oak Trees on private property not near a wetland the County went full throttle on them as far as enforcement went. Let’s see if the County under idiot Horton take this approach this time.


26