Swordsmyth
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A group of homeless and housing-insecure Angelenos seized more vacant, publicly owned homes in El Sereno on Wednesday, arguing that government officials have failed to provide the shelter that’s necessary for them to remain healthy during the coronavirus pandemic.
The occupation followed a similar takeover Saturday, when two families and a man moved into one of the neighborhood’s dozens of empty homes — all owned by Caltrans. The state agency bought them years ago as part of a now-failed plan to extend the 710 Freeway.
The protesters have taken over 12 homes and plan to remain in the properties indefinitely, organizers said.
“With this health crisis and this housing crisis, we need every vacant house to be a home for those who don’t have a safe and stable place to sleep in,” said Ruby Gordillo, 33, while standing on the porch of a two-bedroom bungalow before moving in with her three children.
Gordillo and others involved in the protest have said they were inspired by a group of homeless mothers in Oakland. Late last year, those mothers took over a vacant, corporate-owned property and, after they were evicted, secured backing from Gov. Gavin Newsom to force the Bay Area property’s sale to a community land trust.
Like the Oakland moms, the protesters in El Sereno are affiliated with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, an organization that has advocated several statewide measures to expand rent control and tenant protections.
The LA protesters, who call themselves Reclaiming Our Homes, say their push is all the more urgent because of the spread of the coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19. Public health experts are calling for increasingly stringent measures, including asking people to stay indoors and to keep their distance from one another to slow the virus’ spread.
Though Newsom, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and other elected officials have called for housing homeless residents in hotels, motels and on public property, the families say they haven’t acted with enough urgency.
“Since they’re not, they’re being unjust,” said Martha Escudero, 42, who has spent the last 18 months sleeping on couches in East Los Angeles before moving into the Caltrans-owned home Saturday. “We have to do this.”
More at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/rea...ze-12-vacant-homes-in-los-angeles/ar-BB11pZjY
We are inches from a bolshevik revolution.
The occupation followed a similar takeover Saturday, when two families and a man moved into one of the neighborhood’s dozens of empty homes — all owned by Caltrans. The state agency bought them years ago as part of a now-failed plan to extend the 710 Freeway.
The protesters have taken over 12 homes and plan to remain in the properties indefinitely, organizers said.
“With this health crisis and this housing crisis, we need every vacant house to be a home for those who don’t have a safe and stable place to sleep in,” said Ruby Gordillo, 33, while standing on the porch of a two-bedroom bungalow before moving in with her three children.
Gordillo and others involved in the protest have said they were inspired by a group of homeless mothers in Oakland. Late last year, those mothers took over a vacant, corporate-owned property and, after they were evicted, secured backing from Gov. Gavin Newsom to force the Bay Area property’s sale to a community land trust.
Like the Oakland moms, the protesters in El Sereno are affiliated with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, an organization that has advocated several statewide measures to expand rent control and tenant protections.
The LA protesters, who call themselves Reclaiming Our Homes, say their push is all the more urgent because of the spread of the coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19. Public health experts are calling for increasingly stringent measures, including asking people to stay indoors and to keep their distance from one another to slow the virus’ spread.
Though Newsom, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and other elected officials have called for housing homeless residents in hotels, motels and on public property, the families say they haven’t acted with enough urgency.
“Since they’re not, they’re being unjust,” said Martha Escudero, 42, who has spent the last 18 months sleeping on couches in East Los Angeles before moving into the Caltrans-owned home Saturday. “We have to do this.”
More at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/rea...ze-12-vacant-homes-in-los-angeles/ar-BB11pZjY
We are inches from a bolshevik revolution.
