War on Illegal Garage Units Softened

Fearing it would force thousands of tenants into the streets, the Los Angeles City Council delayed action Wednesday on a plan that would impose criminal fines against landlords who rent out illegally converted garage dwellings.

Instead, after an emotional debate that touched on the need for more affordable housing in Los Angeles, the council unanimously adopted a less controversial program that would educate residents on the dangers of living in garages.

The council put off for at least 30 days a vote on issuing $1,000 fines to landlords who rent out the unlawful dwellings. But there seemed to be little support among council members to ever enact the fines.

The crackdown appeared doomed after several council members who represent low-income neighborhoods blasted it because it did nothing to find new housing for evicted tenants.

“Why do we believe this will work without some interim strategy?” asked an angry Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg, who represents Hollywood and nearby neighborhoods. “Where are these folks going to go?”

The debate was quelled when Councilman Hal Bernson, who originally proposed the landlord fines, asked that the plan be sent to a special committee on garage dwellings for further study.

That committee was formed in response to two recent garage fires that killed eight people. City officials estimate that up to 200,000 people in Los Angeles live in more than 42,000 garage residences.

Despite nearly two hours of debate, several city officials worried that the problem is so complex that it may lie idle in the committee indefinitely.

“We have got to get this on the minds of everyone on the council,” said Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who represents parts of South Los Angeles. “There will be no perfect solution because of the gargantuan size of the problem.”

Bernson’s original motion was to charge landlords a $1,000 misdemeanor fine for renting out illegal garage dwellings. He also wanted to force them to help pay for the cost of relocating garage tenants.

The San Fernando Valley councilman also asked the city to support state legislation to seek felony charges against landlords if a tenant is killed or injured in a garage dwelling fire.

Bernson argued that his proposal was “not draconian.” He said he believes that there are plenty of vacant apartments in the city to house the garage tenants.

“We are not interested in throwing people into the streets,” he said. “We want to create safe and decent housing.”

But several tenants rights advocates who testified before the council disagreed, saying there is not enough affordable housing in the city to accommodate the estimated 200,000 garage tenants.

“Even if [garage dwellers] get relocation benefits, where are they supposed to go?” said Larry Gross, executive director of the Coalition for Economic Survival, a tenants rights group.

Under the current process, inspectors from the Department of Building and Safety issue a notice to landlords who rent out an illegal garage dwelling, giving them 30 days to vacate the structure.

If the landlord ignores the notice, the matter is turned over to a hearing officer in the city attorney’s office for resolution. If the landlord still refuses to cooperate, the city attorney can file criminal charges.

Councilman Richard Alarcon sought to modify Bernson’s proposal by giving landlords a 180-day amnesty period before a citation is issued so long as the garage dwelling does not pose a safety hazard. He offered no amnesty if the unit is considered a safety risk.

Maureen Siegel, chief of the city attorney’s criminal division, said criminal fines may not solve the problem because landlords can evict the tenants immediately or pay the fine and continue to rent the garage.