A few of Los Angeles’ nicest neighborhoods have turn into the touchdown spot for harmful homeless housing developments.
The models, typically whole condo buildings, have generated lots of, and in some instances greater than 1,200, police calls, The California Submit can reveal.
Data reviewed by The Submit present repeated LAPD responses to almost 50 publicly funded homeless housing developments throughout the town over a two-year interval.
Lots of the developments have been financed by way of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Homekey program, Los Angeles’ Proposition HHH bond measure, or each, which account for over $2 billion of taxpayers’ money.
Police information reveal repeated responses for assaults, home violence, batteries, tried suicides, psychological well being crises, narcotics exercise, robberies, legal threats and stories of pictures fired.
One of the vital hanging examples is 5050 Pico Boulevard, a contemporary condo constructing simply minutes from Beverly Hills and The Grove.
Initially marketed as luxurious residences with quartz counter tops, gated parking and upscale finishes, the event was as a substitute bought by way of Newsom’s Homekey program for roughly $35 million, or about $1.2 million per condo, and transformed into everlasting supportive housing.
Police information present officers have been dispatched to the property greater than 1,200 occasions over roughly two years, responding to assaults, batteries, home violence, psychological well being crises, welfare checks, trespassing, suspicious individuals and ambulance calls.
When The Submit visited the property, a memorial with candles sat exterior the doorway.
Neighbors mentioned a girl died after falling from the roof whereas allegedly beneath the affect of medicine. Authorities haven’t publicly confirmed the circumstances surrounding her demise.
House owner Raphael Swann mentioned he bought his townhouse in 2019 just some doorways down after reviewing plans for what he believed could be a luxurious condo improvement.
As an alternative, throughout the pandemic, the venture was transformed into homeless housing earlier than it ever opened.
“I used to be anticipating all this new building with the Metro opening was going to be a optimistic factor,” Swann mentioned. “Not this.”
“It’s extremely demoralizing,” Swann mentioned. “The town does completely nothing.” He mentioned neighbors have been by no means consulted earlier than the conversion and have by no means been invited to conferences to handle ongoing considerations.
Since 2020, Newsom’s Homekey program has dedicated roughly $1.3 billion to assist native governments buy resorts, motels and condo buildings for conversion into homeless housing.
Los Angeles metropolis and county companies have dedicated roughly one other $1.3 billion to renovate, full and function a lot of those self same tasks, bringing the regional public funding tied to Homekey developments to about $2.6 billion.
Many Homekey developments additionally obtained HHH funding, that means some tasks have been financed with each state and native taxpayer {dollars}.
“What precisely are we getting from our taxes?” mentioned Scott Meyers a Republican working for election to the U.S. Home to signify California’s thirtieth Congressional District, which incorporates giant components of Los Angeles County.
“We defer to future generations the price of any highway upkeep, and we squeeze funding away from fundamental metropolis providers, but we grant lots of of $600,000 condo models to vagrants which turn into crime scenes that may’t be addressed by our police and hearth departments as a result of they’ve suffered cutbacks of funding that was shell-gamed away to construct those self same condo models.
And it’s not simply “no oversight”, all of it goes utterly unmentioned by the Democrats in Metropolis Corridor, all the best way as much as our United States Congressional representatives,” mentioned Meyers.
One other high-profile instance is The Iris on Barry Avenue in West Los Angeles close to Sawtelle.
Initially deliberate as a luxurious condo constructing, the venture later obtained practically $7 million in Proposition HHH funding to transform a part of the property into everlasting supportive housing.
The event consists of 61 residences, together with 34 supportive housing models for previously homeless residents. Police information reviewed by The Submit doc repeated responses for assaults, batteries, home violence, tried suicides, burglaries and psychological well being emergencies.
The property additionally grew to become the main focus of one of many neighborhood’s most annoying crimes.
Prosecutors alleged Ishmail Bangura, whom police recognized as dwelling at The Iris, ran bare from the constructing on Feb. 27, 2025, earlier than allegedly breaking into a close-by condo, attacking a 3-year-old youngster and making an attempt to sexually assault a 63-year-old lady.
Bangura had been arrested twice within the days earlier than the assault.
He later pleaded no contest to assault with intent to rape, first-degree housebreaking and felony youngster abuse, whereas admitting he dedicated the crimes whereas launched on one other pending case.
Models in unfavorable neighbors are additionally a hotspot for police calls, taking over vital police assets.
601 San Pedro Avenue generated roughly 750 police calls, whereas close by 566 San Pedro Avenue logged about 840 responses involving fights, chopping accidents, stories of individuals armed with weapons and knives, pictures fired and narcotics exercise.
Different developments additionally generated vital police exercise. Officers responded about 390 occasions to 517 San Julian Avenue for trespassing, tried suicide and legal threats.
Neighboring properties at 527 and 543 Crocker Avenue generated greater than 420 mixed calls involving home violence, batteries, trespassing and stories of armed teams.
The California Submit requested remark from Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass.
