LA taxypayer-funded homeless hotel slammed as boondoggle over $625K rooms

A hotel near Venice Beach that the city bought to transform into homeless housing remains empty after years of drawn-out delays and a ballooning budget.The former Ramada Inn on Washington Avenue has sat mostly vacant since 2020 as officials have scrambled to secure permits, subsidies and construction financing.Now the price tag for the stalled project is approaching $20 million, after the city plunked down a relatively paltry $8 million for the property in 2020.The skyrocketing tab to deliver the 32-unit project means rooms for the homeless will cost about $625,000 each.“Taxpayers spent millions to buy that building and years later it’s still sitting empty.That’s the definition of a boondoggle,” said Councilwoman Traci Park, whose district covers the site.The property at 3130 W.

Washington Blvd.was purchased in December 2020, with a plan for the hotel to operate as interim housing for the homeless.In October 2022, the site’s shelter program was shut down and homeless residents were moved out so the building could be converted into permanent supportive housing.At the time, then-Councilmember Mike Bonin supported transitioning the site from a short-term shelter to long-term housing.

But once the building was emptied, the project ran into permitting delays and a funding gaps.According to a January report from City Administrative Officer Matthew Szabo, the securing of permits alone dragged on for 20 months.Meanwhile, the project still didn’t have enough money to move forward.California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedInCalifornia Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, XCalifornia Post Opinion California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!California Post App: Download here!Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!Its nonprofit operator, PATH Ventures, had raised about $5.5 million from public and private sources but still faced a financing shortfall.City leaders ultimately approved $1.5 millio...