Update: Homeless and Housing Insecure Families Spend First Night In State-Owned Home

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MEDIA CONTACT: Arielle Sallai, ariellesallai [at] gmail.com

Update: Homeless and Housing Insecure Families Spend First Night In State-Owned Home

In the wake of Coronavirus, people who need healthy and safe housing demand that all publicly-owned homes and land be made available to those who need housing NOW

LOS ANGELES — Demanding action for homeless families at higher risk from Coronavirus, homeless and housing insecure families successfully moved into a vacant, state-owned property at 3135 Sheffield Ave in the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday, March 14, with scores of community supporters coming out in support. LAPD and California Highway Patrol have not made any orders to the group, but have consistently observed the house and supporters keeping watch outside.


At sunset, 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 15 the families, calling themselves “Reclaimers,” will host an interfaith Sunday service, inviting their new neighbors to join in prayer with safe distance between attendees, or online via a live stream that will be made available at reclaimingourhomes.org/sundayservice. They will be joined by Pastor Smart of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and other faith leaders.


“In times of crisis, we must continue to stand together and fight for the people in our communities who are the most vulnerable,” said Pastor Smart. “As Coronavirus forces us into isolation, Reclaiming Our Homes is a powerful reminder that not everyone has the ability to distance themselves from others. No one should be homeless in this crisis when there are homes available.”


The Reclaimers include moms Martha Escudero and Ruby Gordillo, and senior Benito Flores. Impacted by the housing crisis, and feeling even more urgency in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, they were inspired by Moms 4 Housing — a group of homeless moms from Oakland who occupied a vacant, investor-owned property to demand their right to housing.


“I don’t feel safe being homeless during this health crisis, and I need a place of my own to protect my children from the virus,” said Reclaimer Martha Escudero. “I’m scared for everyone who is one paycheck away from my situation, who may lose their jobs and then their housing because of the virus. If the state elected officials are serious about protecting the health and welfare of Californians, it should make these vacant homes available for people who need housing now.”


Dominique Walker, one of the mothers who reclaimed an investor-owned vacant property in Oakland with Moms 4 Housing shared, “The state should have been using vacant homes to house people all along. This pandemic is highlighting the profound injustice of a society that says some people deserve a roof over their heads and some don’t. Housing, like health care, is a human right.”


The Reclaimers call on the city and state to immediately use all vacant properties to house people who don’t have the ability to self quarantine during this unprecedented housing and public health crisis. They say we need all levels of government to make a massive investment in public and social housing so that everyone has a home.


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