Proposed ordinance would require hotels in LA to rent vacant rooms to unhoused
The Los Angeles City Council is set to consider an ordinance that would require hotels to offer up vacant rooms to the homeless whether they want to be a part of the program or not.
The proposed ordinance comes as federal funds for Project Roomkey, which helped house people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic, dry up, leaving city leaders to look for other options.
One of the proposed options is locating vacant rooms each at local hotels and requiring them to rent out those rooms to unhoused individuals.
Industry experts said the city won't go places like the Four Seasons because of the price tag, but would likely go to mom-and-pop run hotels.
"I have been homeless for almost four years. In December, it will be four years," Keith Robinson told CBSLA.
Robinson, with his dog, Chosen, thought that Project Roomkey was his ticket to permanent housing, but after almost two years after moving into the LA Grand Hotel, he's still waiting.
"Me not having good credit, and stuff like that, I couldn't get no permanent housing," he said.
Robinson said he's spent years in prison and said many Section 8 landlords reject him. Last week, he and hundreds of other living at the LA Grand received letters, telling them they had to be out by the end of the month. Only a few days later, they received another noticing saying they actually had a little more time, though were not told how much.
"I worry every day that they may come back with another notice and put us out," said another man, who because he has a dog is not allowed to stay at most shelters. "You don't know where you're going to lay your head. I've slept under a bridge, in the park, abandoned buildings."
With Project Roomkey now phasing out, the LA City Council on Friday will consider another homeless housing proposal. According to the proposed ordinance, hotels throughout the city will have to report by 2 p.m. each day the number of vacancies they have.
The city would then refer homeless people and families to those rooms in exchange for fair market value.
"We are not equipped to handle some of the issues that arise with the unhoused," Ray Patel, who owns the Welcome Inn in Eagle Rock, told CBSLA.
Patel, who is also the President of NE Los Angeles Hotel Owner's Association, said owners should have a say and not be forced into such a program. He said he also worries about the safety of his guests and staff.
"I am not saying all homeless people will cause problems, but it's been known to occur and we can't guess," he said.
CBSLA reached out to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which runs Project Roomkey, as well as Councilman Kevin de León, who represents Skid Row, though so far, neither have returned our requests for comment.
