after days A firestorm ravages Pacific PalisadesMaya Lieberman is desperate to find a place to live. But unscrupulous landlords, who are raising prices, are making it difficult.
“The price hikes are insane, it's obscene,” the 50-year-old stylist told AFP. “I can't find anywhere for us to go.”
The massive fire that has been raging in Los Angeles since Tuesday has destroyed entire neighborhoods, reducing a large part of the city to ashes. More than 105,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes, while another 87,000 have been placed under additional evacuation warnings, as authorities try to reduce the death toll which has already reached 16. . On Sunday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said law enforcement also received 16 reports of missing people since the fire last week, adding that he expected the number to rise.
A fire devastated Pacific Palisades, a luxurious enclave that was home to celebrities like Billy Crystal and Kate Beckinsale, which – until this week – was one of the most desirable real estate in the United States.
With the area now under mandatory evacuation orders, even those whose homes escaped the fire may need to go elsewhere for the foreseeable future.
The higher than average incomes of those forced to leave their homes there appear to have attracted opportunists who see a chance to make money from the misery of others.
“We put in an application on a house … that was listed at $17,000 a month, and they told us if we didn't pay $30,000, we wouldn't get it,” Lieberman said. “They told me they have people who are willing to offer more and pay cash. It's absolutely crazy.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta Warned against price riseScams and other scam attempts He vowed at a news conference on Saturday that anyone trying to take advantage of wildfire victims would be held accountable. He said bad actors were already trying to take advantage of the shock and chaos created by the fires.
“We have seen businesses and landlords raising prices,” Bonta said at the briefing. “It's called price gouging. It's illegal. You can't do that. It's a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine.”