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Politics Aug 10, 2022
LA Councilman Curren Price with the Joseph family who was one of dozens of people that were displaced. | Photo courtesy of Councilmember Price's Office
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The Los Angeles City Council instructed the city’s housing department Wednesday to look into how to provide permanent housing to remaining residents displaced by a fireworks explosion last year.
The June 2021 controlled detonation by the Los Angeles Police Department on East 27th Street, near San Pedro Street, sent 17 residents and first responders to hospitals, destroyed a bomb squad truck and damaged 22 residences, 13 businesses and 37 vehicles.
As of June 30 — one year after the incident — 18 families were still living in hotel rooms paid by for by the city. Twenty-three people in six households had been relocated to permanent housing. Eight more households were ready to relocate and searching for affordable units.
The city has spent more than $1.3 million in accommodations.
Councilman Curren Price, who filed the motion, noted that “since a number of displaced residents continue to live in temporary housing, there is a need to address barriers keeping them from relocating to permanent housing.”
The motion instructed the housing department to report back in 30 days on relocation consultants who could help the city in permanently housing the residents.
A preliminary investigation into the blast by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives’ National Response Team found that the LAPD bomb squad significantly underestimated, based on a visual assessment, the weight of explosive material being loaded into the containment truck for detonation.
Displaced families were initially housed in local motels through Price’s office, which also established a $1 million emergency fund, but the city later rented 29 “corporate housing” units fit for long-term residency.
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