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A map of Skid Row is depicted in a downtown LA mural. | Photo courtesy of Stephen zeigler/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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A Los Angeles Superior Court judge appointed a receiver Friday for the Skid Row Housing Trust, the nonprofit group that previously announced that it is no longer financially able to operate its 29 residential buildings.
In response to a petition filed by the city, a judge agreed to appoint Mark Adams of California Receivership Group, as receiver for the troubled nonprofit to begin addressing dilapidated conditions at many of the buildings.
One of the buildings overseen by the trust was one near Wall and Sixth streets, where three people were found dead this week of suspected drug overdoses and has been the subject of complaints about slum-like conditions.
City officials are hoping the appointment of a receiver will help save nearly 2,000 units of permanent, supportive housing.
“This is a bold and historic step towards making more housing available in Los Angeles, bringing more Angelenos inside and saving lives,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “This action will help us scale our programs to house more Angelenos as we face a crisis of 47,000 people sleeping on the street.”
City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto added, “This office is fully committed to brining to bear every tool in our legal and regulatory toolkit to prevent and reduce homelessness.”
City officials said the 29 buildings that were operated by the trust house approximately 1,500 tenants who are among the most vulnerable people in the city. Many of those tenants require health services, security and daily assistants, which the city is working with the county and other government agencies to provide.
Under the receivership, Adams will be able to rehabilitate 500 units under orders of abatement to make those units available for housing.
