LOS ANGELES — At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, more than a dozen families that were homeless or at risk of losing housing seized vacant, publicly owned homes in the El Sereno neighborhood, an action they said was driven by the astronomical costs of living in Los Angeles and the need to shelter from the virus.
Some have remained, taking advantage of a deal that allowed them to stay legally in single-family bungalows owned by the state. Families have planted gardens outside the homes and sent their children to neighborhood schools.
But now, nearly three years later, their leases are expiring, and they aren’t allowed to renew them. A standoff is emerging between public officials eager for the families to move out and some families that don’t want to.
