Squatters Took Over Vacant Homes in Hollywood and It Didn’t End Well

A pair of vacant properties in Hollywood, CA started making news 10 days ago after residents complained a large group of squatters had taken over the homes and were creating a nuisance in the neighborhood.

“They cut the fence and lift it,” said Jennifer Martinez, a neighbor. “I’ve seen a lot of trespassers have drugs and weapons.”

The squatters appear to ignore the boarded-up windows, fencing, and posted signs that say, “closed to the public”.

The cellphone video shared with Fox 11 shows squatters breaking in day and night. Neighbors estimate there are about 20 of them living in the two properties along North Wilton Place…

“They’ve cut out the power for the streetlights to provide themselves with electricity,” said Martinez.

The drugs, noise, nudity and criminal behavior were a nuisance but when the police were called out, nothing seemed to change. The squatters would just disappear and then come back when the police were gone. The source of all this activity was another house next door which was receiving money from the city to house the homeless. Some of the homeless would hang out all day on the porch of their free housing and then jump the fence into the abandoned properties at night. But beyond all the nuisance this created, the real danger was the fires.

Make your reservations to come see our weekly fires at 1744 N Wilton in Hollywood, 2 abandoned homes are occupied with homeless squatters. Fire here last week as well, about 4 fires total. @CD13LosAngeles @LAPDHollywood @LAFD to the rescue, again & again and…. @MayorOfLA @ABC7 pic.twitter.com/8SIS3W1dwr

— keith johnson (@keith_johnson) April 17, 2025

Two weeks later at the same site there was another one:

Yesterdays fire at 1744 N Wilton Pl Hollywood was the 3rd one this month, the 7th since last year. Abandoned home taken over by homeless squatters. Yes the property has been fenced & boarded up, over & over. @HugoForCD13 @MayorOfLA Many calls to @LAPDHollywood & @LAFD for service pic.twitter.com/stkFIfrh6O

— keith johnson (@keith_johnson) April 30, 2025

Finally, there was enough media attention that L.A. City Councilmember Hugo Soto Martinez issued a statement saying he was working to have the site declared a nuisance.

“This property has become a serious concern for neighbors, and we’re taking urgent action through multiple routes to address this public safety matter as quickly as possible,” the statement read. “First, our office is coordinating with the Department of Building and Safety to begin the formal process of declaring this property as a public nuisance. The case is expected to go before the Board of Building and Safety Commissioners in May. If approved, the City can place a lien and take immediate steps to secure the site ourselves.“

So sometime later this month, the city would have held a vote and then eventually taken action to tear the building down. But as it turned out, the homeless squatters beat them to it. Last Thursday the building caught fire again and this time was heavily damaged.

The fire erupted Thursday morning at a two-story structure on the 1700 block of North Wilton Place around 2 a.m.

Crews from the Los Angeles Fire Department quickly responded to the scene. Video from bystanders showed a large fire crew presence working to extinguish the growing blaze.

“I wish they would have taken care of this earlier,” said neighbor Nathaniel Siri. “I wish they would tear all these [empty] houses down because these houses aren’t livable at this point. That’s been the case for years.”

Here’s a local news report on the fire.

LATEST: One of the homes in Hollywood we reported on last week, taken over by squatters, has burned down. Nearby residents are demanding accountability. #hollywood #losangeles pic.twitter.com/j8TR9yCeVW

— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) May 2, 2025

I can’t prove it but my guess is the city was happy to plod along at its usual pace when this was just a big nuisance for neighbors, but once the building was a danger to the homeless, who might have gone back in after the fire, they acted immediately to tear it down.

The councilman who had promised to have the site declared a nuisance got an earful when he showed up at the site after the fire.

Hollywood Residents Meet Councilman After Squatters Burn House Down @HugoForCD13
Was the 8th fire here that @LAFD put out. House was red tagged & torn down. Too bad councilman wasn’t here to help residents after the first fire(s). We deserve better! pic.twitter.com/zWEYscLIDu

— keith johnson (@keith_johnson) May 4, 2025

Meanwhile in Sacramento, just a day after the fire in Hollywood, Democrats voted down a bill which would have made it easier to evict squatters.

The bill’s author, Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, said, “When the rightful owner discovers that their property has been stolen by a trespasser, they dial 911, as most people in America would do. A police officer or a sheriff’s deputy shows up and says, ‘Sorry, we can’t help you.’ California is one of the only states where this nightmare is happening.”

“We’ve literally seen situations where the police officer or sheriff’s deputy advises the rightful property owner that they may be arrested for trespassing on their own property and for demanding that someone be removed. It is time for us to clarify in state law that squatters can be removed with due process,” DeMaio told the committee, as reported by The Center Square California…

Had it passed, AB 897 would have required individuals occupying a property without legal documentation to provide a valid lease or proof of rent payments within three days or face arrest. If documentation were provided, a hearing would have been scheduled within a week to determine its validity.

“Should the magistrate find the documentation is improper or fraudulent, the individual would be removed and subject to liability for damages and back rent based on the property’s fair market value,” The Center Square California reported.

So there you have it. Democrats are on the side of the squatters. That’s why stories like this keep emanating from California.