Recently, five city councilors from Monterey Park (Monterey Park) in the Chinese district of Los Angeles passed a unanimous resolution to investigate an apartment located next to Ding Fatzi Plaza and subpoena the owner of the apartment.
Reason: A "walker" reported it to the Mongolian city government after staying in the apartment's family hotel. After an investigation, it was found that the apartment had many problems, such as hygiene, fire protection, safety and other hidden dangers, in addition, it was also suspected of owing millions of dollars in taxes and fines.
As soon as the news came out, the operators of other family hotels in Mongolia panicked, and if all of them were banned, a large number of "walkers" would become homeless.
survey
The family hotel is in a poor environment
The apartment under investigation, located at 122 N Lincoln Ave, is located on the east side of the Fat Man Plaza in Monte City, and is said to have a total of 26 rooms, of which at least 24 are used as short-term rental houses, also known as "family hotels".
An inspection of the apartment by the city government in August last year found a large number of safety hazards, with a total of 232 beds in 24 units, with an average of 9.6 beds per unit, with the largest unit having 12 beds in one unit.
Judging from the photos released by the Mongolian city government, these beds are very simple, just built with a wooden plank, and even put a paint bucket and soy sauce bucket on the ground, with a wooden board on top of it, which can sleep two people, and the location of the above photo is a small living room, which has been converted into a small living room that can sleep at least nine people.
Another photo shows the bathroom in a mess, with a washing machine in a bathtub and a lot of ropes in the bathroom to dry clothes.
In addition, there is a lack of smoke alarms in the apartment rooms, and a large number of tenants use plug-in boards to pull wires indiscriminately, which is a safety hazard.
report
The "line-walker" reported it backhand after staying
Montenegro government lawyer Carl M. Karl H. Berger Timothy E Campen suggested that the municipality conduct a legal arraignment of the apartment owner and the person in charge.
The apartment is allegedly owned by a company and its administrator is Curt Wang, a man of Chinese descent. The reason for the investigation was first reported by a "line walker" in May last year, and later when a firefighter went to the apartment to rescue, he found a bad environment and also reported it to the city government.
In August last year, the city government issued a rectification notice after inspection, and as of April this year, the lack of smoke alarms and indiscriminate pulling of power lines have been corrected, but the occupants are still very crowded.
Campen revealed that the apartment had been illegally operating a short-term rental business for at least three years, and that it had owed the city $1.34 million in taxes and fines over three years at $15 a day for 200 beds.
Chita D
The origin of the family hotel
The existence of family hotels in Monte may have a history of more than 100 years! This is inseparable from the development of Chinese in the United States, and it is centered on Ding Fatzi Square and spreads to the surrounding areas.
Ding Fatzi Square used to be a transportation hub for Chinese Americans, and was also known as the "distribution center" for Chinese laborers. In the early years, there were no less than 100 interstate buses a week, and many Chinese laborers traveled from here to work all over the United States. The unemployed Chinese returned to Ding Fatzi Square from other places to look for work.
This situation continues to this day, so almost all the employment agencies of Chinese in Los Angeles are concentrated around Ding Fatzi Square, where a large number of new Chinese immigrants live here for a few days and then leave for various parts of the United States. There were also many laborers who returned to Los Angeles from the states in search of work, briefly living near Fat Guy Square.
In this case, the family hotel was born. Some put two bunk beds in the room, so that a room can accommodate 4 people, and the landlord also "packs oil and noodles" for only 15 dollars a day. This is very cost-effective for Chinese laborers who only live for a short period of three to five days.
They often return to Ding Fatzi Square from other states, find a job at the employment agency, and then leave, staying in the middle for as little as two or three days, or as much as a week, and staying in a hotel that costs hundreds of dollars a day is impossible. Family hotels are well suited to their needs in this regard.
What is even more rare is that in the case of inflation caused by "Bidennomics" and prices soared several times, the price of family hotels is still the same as ten years ago.
status quo
A large number of family hotels around Ding Fat Man Square
Of course, the $15 a day "oil and noodles" family hotel must have various problems, such as hygiene, fire protection, safety and other hidden dangers, but for a long time, most of the time has been peaceful, and it has continued to the present.
However, in the past year, with the large influx of "line walkers", it seems that there is not enough family hotels. Campen, a lawyer for the city government, also admits that these low-cost short-term rentals have been around for many years and that the number has increased significantly this year.
In fact, in addition to this kind of family hotel converted into an apartment, there are also many houses that have been converted into family hotels, especially in the neighborhoods around Ding Fatzi, many of which look like houses on the outside, but when they open the door, they are actually all turned into family hotels.
打击
"Walkers" or homeless
In 2020, the city introduced regulations that imposed a $1,000 fine on hotel operators, and if serious violators were classified as misdemeanors, they faced six months in prison.
Although the law prohibits it, there is still demand in the market, and these family hotels are actually still operating, especially after the sharp increase in "line customers", family hotels are in short supply, and there is a phenomenon of changing the entire apartment into a short-term rental house.
It's unclear how the city will handle the hotel, but many hotel operators have expressed "panic" and wonder if the city government will ban all of them altogether. If it is "one size fits all", it can have a huge impact, and a large number of "walkers" may become homeless.
In this regard, the mayor of Mongolia, Thomas Wong, said that while tackling illegal short-term rental housing, it is also necessary to ensure that tenants do not become homeless, and to provide resources from the government, communities, and non-profit organizations to them and take care of their situation.