highway authority, which bought them decades ago to make way for an extension of Interstate 710 that never got built. Now, what began as failed transportation policy has become failed housing policy, exacerbated by the kind of litigation and infighting that can make even the simplest issues in California tremendously hard to solve.
The 115 houses — including celebrity chef Julia Child’s former family home — are scattered along a five-mile stretch through east Los Angeles as well as nearby Pasadena and South Pasadena. The highway authority, Caltrans, purchased them in the 1950s and 1960s using the threat of eminent domain at a time when freeway construction was rampant nationally.
“I’m constantly in fear, every day, wondering what’s going to happen,” said Marsha Garcia, 56, a single mom and “reclaimer,” as the residents call themselves.They eschew the term “squatter,” with all its negative connotations. Garcia has given her home a welcoming feel, filling it with plants and decorating the walls with aphorisms like “Bless this home and all who enter.”Residents who live near the abandoned houses would love to see them occupied and fixed up the way Garcia has done.
“I would like to get into one of those houses,” said Valerie Martinez, 52, who lives with two dogs and two rabbits in a leaky RV parked on a median nearby. She said she’s tried unsuccessfully to talk to Caltrans about it, and has even considered breaking in, but “It says ‘no trespassing,’ I don’t want to go to jail.”Caltrans has spent $23 million on security to patrol the area to prevent people from busting into the empty homes.
Because Gavin's too busy trying to run Florida to pay attention to his own state....
They’re hoarding homes to drive up prices. Not rocket science.
Because empty homes don’t get taxed (until next year if new proposal approved)
The 'homeless' are losers without dignity who degrade what it means to be human.
GREED humanity (Then they wonder why a vagrant clips them over the head w. a cyderblock while they're out from behind the gates 😆...Should used DoorDash!)
Why don’t you focus on the crime ruining our great American cities…NYC, CHI, SF…good lord, are you reporting on this stuff that actually reflects real people’s lives. Those dem run cities are a joke and pathetic
Greeeeeeeeeeeeeeed
I’m sure it’s racist!!😂🙄