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California Highway Patrol agents forcibly evicted people who had “taken over” vacant state-owned homes in El Sereno on Wednesday night – the day before Thanksgiving – amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Videos of the evictions, posted on Twitter, show dozens of officers crowding the streets near Sheffield Avenue and Poplar Boulevard around 7 p.m. as authorities moved door to door, evacuating those who had moved into the houses.
At least one CHP team has broken down the door of one of the houses, videos show.
The evictions came just hours after 20 families moved into homes owned by the California Department of Transportation, activists said, saying government officials failed to provide the shelter they needed to stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is not known how many people were evicted from the homes. The CHP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Caltrans owns dozens of homes in the area that were bought years ago as part of a now failed plan to extend Highway 710. In March, a group of homeless and insecure Angelenos in housing occupied another group of houses, citing the coronavirus.
Claudia Lara, a member of Reclaim and Rebuild Our Community, said families who moved in on Wednesday included children as young as 3 months old and people over 70 who lived in cars and campsites.
Lara said she watched officers descend on homes last night after the group concluded a press conference pleading for Governor Gavin Newsom’s support.
“To do this during the holidays is inhumane. It’s really irresponsible, ”she said. “Housing is a human right, and all families deserve a safe shelter, especially during the global pandemic.”
Housing activists sent a letter to Newsom on Wednesday informing it that people were entering the homes and asking for its support while those living in the homes used them to “shelter in place” during the pandemic.
“We people of color are certainly facing ‘the darkest winter’ not only because COVID-19 is on the rise again, but because for us the economic crisis has worsened and the eviction tsunami overshadows the already minimal number of affordable housing available. statewide, ”the letter said.
“Like you said, we are safer if we have the ability to quarantine ourselves and safely isolate ourselves in a home. We therefore ask you, as governor, to order Caltrans to allow new families to immediately turn on all their public services: heating, running water and electricity are essential for safe shelter. “
Newsom and his family are currently in quarantine at their Fair Oaks estate after his children were exposed in two separate incidents to a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
In response to Wednesday night’s evictions, Los Angeles City Councilor Kevin de León tweeted that his office had been working to secure hotel vouchers and “other quick relocation solutions” for people in immediate need , while negotiating with the State to guarantee permanent support for families.
De León, who was elected in March to represent the 14th district of the city council which includes El Sereno, said he contacted the governor this morning to “stress the need to restore these remaining properties”.
“It is unacceptable for anyone to be forced to spend Thanksgiving, or any day of the year, on the streets,” he said.
De León also criticized “the use of these physical methods of execution. The images I saw last night are heartbreaking and unacceptable. “
Records kept by the Times show that in 2015, 37 of the houses in El Sereno were classified as “uninhabitable,” including two dozen apartments. Over the years, residents have complained of break-ins, mold and vermin. This figure seems to have increased in recent years.
In a statement, Caltrans spokesman Matt Rocco confirmed the vacant homes along Highway 710 were “dangerous and uninhabitable.”
“As such, Caltrans asked the CHP to remove intruders so the properties can be re-secured and on-board,” said Rocco.
The agency worked with local governments to rent out several of its available properties for use as temporary emergency shelters, he added. He said the Los Angeles Housing Authority recently signed a lease to use 22 of the vacant properties owned by Caltrans for the city’s transitional housing program.
“As Caltrans continues to sell the remaining homes down the hall, it is committed to working with local entities and other stakeholders to ensure the properties are used for affordable housing,” Rocco said in the communicated.
In March, families who took over homes in El Sereno said they were inspired by a group of homeless mothers who took similar action in Oakland late last year. These women took over vacant property owned by the company and, after being evicted, gained the governor’s support to force the sale of the Bay Area property to a community land trust.
Times writer Liam Dillon contributed to this report.
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