LOS ANGELES, CA –
Today the City of Los Angeles announced its plan to offer free condominiums to the homeless after the proposed ordinance narrowly passed a City Council vote. The program, initiated by Councilman Adam Seerte, was born out of an extreme need to cut down on the growing number of homeless crowding many Los Angeles neighborhoods.
Project rendering
“The homeless population is out of control,” Seerte said. “The shelters are full. Our police are overtaxed. Jails crowded. Long-term we feel it’s more cost-effective to give them condos.”
The condominium units will provide about a 1,000 sq. ft. and 2 bathrooms for a single occupant or couple. Families of four or more can qualify for units up to 3,000 sq. ft with 3 bedrooms and 3 baths.
The city qualified for federal grants approved by the Obama Administration which will help with construction plus the city plans to raise property tax to pay for the condo program.
The program is not without its critics.
“This is a joke,” Ted Malcory of the The Los Angeles Tea Party said. “What next? Are we going to give these homeless indoor hot tubs and saunas for their yuppie condos? Taxpayers should not have to bear this burden. Get a job!”
Deseree Jenkins with Homeless Habitat, the project’s real estate developer, disagrees. “I think the city and the Obama Administration are setting a new mold for how to treat our homeless citizens. This will clean up the streets, replace these ghettos with nice looking condos. Plus it’s going to help the construction market and the local economy grow. A lot of carpenters, plumbers, day laborers, etc. will be put to work on the project.”
Seerte also disagreed with the Tea Party’s stance: “We feel once homeless people have the pride of home ownership their self-esteem will increase and they’ll have the positive energy to confidently attack the job market.”
Seerte said the first condo building should break ground next summer in Downtown Los Angeles.