May 12, 2025
Drug use and multiple fires at an abandoned home in Los Angeles have created the “perfect scenario for disaster,” residents say.
“What we've been dealing with here is so difficult, because we’re always on the phone calling 911, calling our representatives, not getting a lot of answers,” a neighbor named Jeanne told CBS Los Angeles in a story published May 1. “We are a group of neighbors whose lives have been severely affected.”
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It’s a problem that’s been brewing for five years, according to the local broadcaster, after one Hollywood building was turned into short-term housing. Jeanne says things got worse after a nearby property was vacated.
Here’s what neighbors say has been going on, and how distressed properties can hurt home values.
Trouble in the neighborhood
The abandoned home — two doors down from the short-term housing facility — provided a convenient setting for illicit activity, says Jeanne.
“It was the perfect scenario for disaster,” she said. “The people that were buying drugs would then have a place to go over and do them.”
Since November, the abandoned property has been on fire at least seven times, reports CBS Los Angeles. Jeanne, who is a mother and a photographer, says she’s worried about embers sparking a blaze in her building.
“Our lives are in danger. Our property is in danger,” she said. “I have 30 years of photo archives as a photographer that are now at my mom’s, that I cannot bring here because I know they’re at risk.”
Jeanne blames the city for not intervening, calling the situation “a complete failure” on the part of local officials.
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Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez’s office told CBS Los Angeles in a statement that it’s working with the Department of Building and Safety to have the abandoned property declared a public nuisance. This may allow authorities to take action to protect residents, which can’t come soon enough for some.
“We can’t put up with it anymore,” Levi Freeman told CBS Los Angeles. “It’s not OK. I am terrified. I want these people removed from my neighborhood. I mean, what are we waiting for, for them to burn the whole place down?”
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How distressed properties can hurt your finances
The average home in Los Angeles’s Hollywood neighborhood is worth over $950,000, according to Zillow. But being within close proximity of a property in disarray can have a number of negative effects, including on a home’s value.
The Center for Community Progress says that research has “consistently shown” that abandoned and unkept properties lead to a reduction in value for surrounding properties. A report by the group cites multiple examples showing the impacts of vacant, abandoned and deteriorated properties on communities.
Public health is a top concern. Individuals living in derelict homes may be exposed to more toxins such as mold, lead and asbestos. The group also claims studies show vacant and run-down properties can attract criminal activity, including violent crime.
As for homeowners’ finances, the report says these types of homes in a neighborhood can both lower the value of surrounding properties and increase home insurance premiums. An increase in policy cancellations may be possible as well.
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Maurie Backman has been writing professionally for well over a decade. Since becoming a full-time writer, she's produced thousands of articles on topics ranging from Social Security to investing to real estate.
