๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ผ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ | About 200 tenants, including children, senior citizens, and those with disabilities, are facing homelessness after being told to leave the deplorabe downtown dormitory-turned-apartment building they call home.
Occupants were given a letter from the City of San Bernardino Community & Economic Development Department ordering them to cease using the building as an apartment complex. According to the notice, the building’s conditional use permit allows housing only for students enrolled in a now-closed sports university on D Street.
Tenants at 340 W. Fourth Street tell Everything San Bernardino they have been paying rent to on-site property manager Jeffrey Young, who talked with us Wednesday evening.
Young says there are 281 residents living in 131 rented rooms. Deposits were $1200 and monthly rent was $600, before a recent increase to $700. Each room has its own bathroom but no cooking facility There are 30 families with young children. No background or credit checks were required to move-in. Young said he wanted to provide a place for people to live that may not have been able to qualify for other housing. Some of the tenants moved in after being priced-out of other properties.
Building tenants tell Everything San Bernardino that the extremely short notice and two-week motel vouchers simply aren’t enough. One father tells us that he has five school-aged children and no money and no where to go.
At least one local community organization, a legal-aid team, and representatives from the So CAL Trash Army have been on scene working to assist tenants.
The ousting comes amid a growing interest in the downtown area and its planned revitization. Interestingly, the same company recently hired by the City to provide security at the Carousel Mall has been assigned to conduct “fire watch” patrols at the Fourth Street building.
The building was previously a dormitory for American Sports University students. It was built in 1960.
By Everything San Bernardino
Tadvantage of residents, as they are not permitted to allow families to live in a building meant for college students.
โThese units do not have their own bathrooms. They do not have their own kitchens and so people are cooking meals on an open flame or a hot plate,โ Kraus said.
The buildingโs owners, Fox Property Holdings, and the property management company did not respond to KTLAโs request for comment.
Now, itโs just a matter of time until residents are forced out โ it could be this Friday, though a sure answer is hard to come by โ and many say they have nowhere to go.
When asked where sheโd go if forced out, resident Gladys Smith was unsure.
โI really donโt know right now,โ she said.
Meanwhile, her daughter, Camille, expressed concern for the other children.
โI want all the kids thatโs here to have a good life,โ she said.
Despite the buildingโs condition, at least one resident said itโs a step up from their previous living arrangements.
โI was homeless for four years,โ said Angelina Khrone. โI refuse to be homeless again.โ
Slumlords switch property owners to avoid charges and make false claims to residents in process to steal money and private items of residents. No water in heatwave. Roofs falling on families in Barstow. Familes made homeless in San Bernardino & all around. THIS MUST BE STOPPED. Landlords using law enforcement to back them in this cruelty & injustices. Government allows this. Law enforcement backs it. This is INJUSTICE TO THE PEOPLE. Anyone accomplice to and whom allows such should be charged as criminals.
– POTUS CMWO
If you or anyone you know in SB COUNTY are dealing with a Slumlord please contact us!
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