SAVE OUR MID-CITY HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD

Mid-City Heights Preservation Group is organizing this fundraiser.

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URGENT!

PLEASE SUPPORT NEIGHBORS AS WE FIGHT AGAINST A SEVERE PUBLIC SAFETY CRISIS FACING ALL OF MID-CITY HEIGHTS.

WE MUST STOP ILLEGAL HOSTELS, DRUG REHAB FACILITIES, AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR FELONS & PEDOPHILES ON PROBATION, FROM OVERSATURATING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

DONATE TODAY!

In early March of 2023, neighbors were quickly noticing a change of element in our quiet neighborhood. There were crowds of strangers wheeling suitcases and wandering around the streets high, drunk, and dropping trash everywhere. Neighbors were harassed, followed, and woken up in the middle of the night with screaming and fighting. There was an immediate increase in phone calls to police, we saw LAPD answering calls with some arrests, and increased crime in our neighborhoods. There was a stabbing that took place in broad daylight in front of children. See the crime reports link listed below. We discovered those responsible were all coming from three of the recently built fourplexes on S. West View. Two of them were operating as illegal hostels charging $25 - $40 per night with 6 bunkbeds per room. The other was a short term transitional housing facility called Abundant Blessings. It houses felons and pedophiles on probation or parole, while they await their court dates.

A 13 year old girl was followed down her street and harassed by two men that came from that facility! Police received over 50 calls, including arrests, in 1 week. Our LAPD, senior lead officer, informed us this is the most calls ever recorded in the history of his working this area.

Immediately, a group of us united. Since then we have researched zoning laws, talked to city officials and neighborhood rights advocacy groups, and held signings for our community letter that we delivered to our city councilwomen, Heather Hutt. We did anything and everything to try and find out what was happening - and we did.

Real estate investors have targeted our area and used Karen Bass', State of Emergency Declaration on Housing and Homelessness, to their advantages. The city and developers have chosen Mid-City Heights as the area to oversaturate with these types of operations. The investors are getting paid very well by the city to house these individuals through LAHSA and similar organizations. That is why they are choosing not to rent units for long term residential purposes. They know the ramifications and burdens this brings to our community and they do not care. Their goal is put pressure on us to sell our homes faster and build more.

As of now, we know there are 22 buildings under development. Some with the owners using the same developers or contractors. We do not know the intended uses for all current construction at this time; however, along with the units that are already in operation, we know that 2 Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Centers are in the process of being built, just 1 street apart on S. Longwood Avenue and S Highland Avenue.

It’s been 9 months of pleading with our council person, Heather Hutt, to help us. We've asked her to investigate and place an injunction on these nefarious operations and developments which again, exist in the middle of a residential neighborhood! We have gotten nothing - zero action - no help.

IT’S TIME FOR LEGAL REPRESENTATION!

Our attorney is John Murdock (resume). He is well renowned and highly respected in this field of law. We are extremely lucky to have him and he wants to help us save our neighborhood. His initial retainer fee is $5,000. Our goal is to have him send the City of Los Angeles a letter of nuisance and abatement. From there we get a judgment for a temporary injunction which will bring these developments to a screeching halt, with the intent to make that temporary injunction, permanent. Developers will get the message. We will keep our neighborhood residential and safe for renters, homeowners, and local businesses. Everyone deserves a safe place to live, work, dine, and shop.

What we are seeking immediately from city officials:

A moratorium on further temporary, short term transitional, and rehabilitative housing between Adams Blvd. and Washington Blvd., from south to north, and Hauser Blvd. and Rimpau Blvd., from the west to east.
Closure of all such housing in existence with the exception of those that have been legally in existence on Washington Blvd.
Injunction on all new transitional housing in Mid-City Heights along with a pledge to investigate all new locations opening in Mid-City Heights for signs of oversaturation.
A Community Plan Implementation Overlay District (CPIO) for Mid-City Heights to honor our residential zoning and keep it primarily for renters and homeowners.

What we need immediately: $125

$125 is the initial suggested donation per household. If you able to give more or less, please do.
Again, $5,000 is the initial start up cost for the attorney to just start working on our case.
We paid the $5000 retainer to Mr. Murdock on MONDAY OCTOBER, 9th, 2023. He's started working on our case. He also came out for a tour of Mid-City Heights and personally saw these developments and witnessed illegal activity and code violations.
We will most likely need more than this. At this point, we cannot predict the total legal expenses. If we file a lawsuit, we will need all of this $10,000 raised, and even have to do more fundraising than this at a later date.
You may remain anonymous.

All funds raised will go toward legal fees.

All invoices of monies received and spent will be published for donors. If there are any remaining funds after the final payment to Mr. Murdock, we will ask you, contributing members, to vote (where majority rules), on what to do with any remaining monies (i.e. block party, individual refunds, community improvements, etc.)

Together, with the help of John Murdoch, we will provide an extra layer of security for all of us living in Mid-City Heights. If everyone pitches in, this is individually a small donation and an investment which will make a big impact to try and stop these types of transitional housing locations from operating. Without legal action, it is guaranteed that more of these sites will come. Some are already in development.

Just last week LA County federal judge, David O. Carter approved a mandate to increase transitional housing by 3,000 beds.

We pledge open communication and total transparency on our case and funding via Mid-City Heights Community Meetings, our "Mid-City Heights Neighborhood Group" Facebook Page, and through our neighborhood email list.

If you are not on that email list and wish to be added, please contact us here and let us know. Also, if you'd like a copy of this fundraiser emailed to you, in order to canvas your street and give to friends and neighbors who might not see this on social media, please contact us immediately.

WE MUST ACT NOW!

Help us save our neighborhood,

Barbara, Roxy, and Howard.

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