Councilmember Curren D. Price Jr. introduced a motion in council Wednesday asking city departments to streamline the process for dealing with illegally converted properties that are posing safety concerns to residents. The motion comes less than a week after the councilmember discovered the sub-standard living conditions that dozens of residents were living under at 5700 S. Hoover. Last week, Councilmember Price secured relocation fees of up to $19,000 for residents at this property and he also obtained an extension for their evacuation from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“As we continue to see rents increase to record highs in our city, our housing stock remains scarce and we continue to have thousands of residents struggling financially. This has caused a significant spike in the number of people being forced into sub-standard living conditions like in the recent case at 5700 S. Hoover. As we continue to look for ways to address our affordable housing shortage, we need to do everything we can to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents,” said Price.
“I look forward to working with Building and Safety, the Housing Department and other departments involved, to make sure we remain vigilant and exercise greater enforcement of existing regulations with the ultimate goal being to protect residents,” he concluded.
The motion instructs the Housing and Community Investment Department, Building and Safety—with the assistance of the Los Angeles Fire Department and other appropriate departments—to report back on ways that the city departments can better communicate and coordinate to identify and close problem properties.
