Malibu Mayor Says Asking Church To Stop Feeding Homeless Was Not About Stopping The Meals

MALIBU (CBSLA) —    Members of a Malibu church told CBS2/KCAL9 last week that the mayor asked them to stop feeding the homeless.

They told Craig Herrera they were asked to stop feeding the homeless after Thanksgiving.

The controversial request raised eyebrows and headlines all over the city.

The mayor now says that what the Malibu United Methodist Church alleged is not true and that several members of the city council have gotten death threats.

"No they were never formerly asked to stop feeding the homeless. Not at all," says Malibu Mayor Skylar Peak.

He spoke with Herrera today via Skype. The mayor is out of town.

"We gotta bring the people together because this is something that the city is compassionate about. Maybe we need to do it in a different location," he said.

Mayor Peak says maybe a place away from the church and homes.

At Monday night's meeting, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lieutenant Jim Royal said the department received more than 3,000 calls citywide concerning homeless people from 2013 to 2017. "As you can see we have some issues especially with calls for service for the homeless population have essentially tripled." Royal said.

Candance Scott is a realtor in Malibu. She's working on a documentary about homeless people.

"People are confusing the real homeless people with the drug addicted people because they're both in the same bag," she said,

Scott says there is a problem but also wants the city to help.

"I'm not inhumane. I do think it's okay to feed them. I do think that they have to have supervision so when they leave the church they're not just dumped on a bus and said here you go here's Malibu. So what do they do? They want to get high. They break into homes they break into cars," said Scott.

Volunteers at Malibu United Methodist Church are now serving food. They expect 50 to 70 people. They do it every Wednesday evening.

Church leaders told Herrera bBecause of the response of the community the church will serve meals tonight and next Wednesday and then suspend the program here at the church. But  they hope to find another way to serve meals to those in need.