When LA Taco ran a piece three days ago about the Inside Safe program unintentionally moving homeless people into a "public nuisance" motel, I already knew which one it was before I read the article. (But you should still read the article.)
There are several abated or empty hotels and motels on the map. The 108 Motel in South LA is a particularly bad one, perhaps even the worst. According to reporter Lexis-Olivier Ray, the motel has been plagued by violent crime and other issues for years.
In 2016, the owner (who has since "sold" it to a relative) claimed that he could not afford to hire a security guard. Surely someone so financially insolvent could simply sell the place to someone willing to deal with it properly? The motel is disgusting and unsafe, but the land must be worth something to someone. Frankly, this is one building that I would tear down without hesitation if it were up to me, and generally speaking, I'm not a fan of tearing down buildings (especially in lower-income areas where inexpensive housing is most needed).
The 108 Motel is in Marqueece Harris-Dawson's district, and to his credit, he's been trying to shut it down for quite some time. Hopefully his motion to fence off the property passes. People need safe places to sleep at night, and this particular motel is far from safe.
About C.C. de Vere
C.C. is a fourth-generation Angeleno and is horrified at what greed and hubris are doing to Los Angeles.
This website was built by her preservation pals at Esotouric.
