93-year-old woman evicted after her building got sold to developer

Andrea Perez, 93, is heartbroken as she packs up the belongings she’s accumulated over four decades. "I feel very sad, very sad," she says.

After calling this rent-controlled fourplex home since 1984, Perez is being forced to leave—not for failing to pay rent, but because the building was sold to a new developer. Along with her daughter and grandson, who live next door in the same complex, she now faces eviction.

"This has been my home for 40 years," says Andrea.

Her grandson, Marcel Borbon, shares the frustration many tenants across Los Angeles are experiencing. He says, "We’re being evicted through no fault of our own, just so some company can make a buck off our living situation."

The developer is using the Ellis Act—a California law initially intended to allow small landlords to retire by evicting tenants in rent-controlled units. However, corporations and developers are now taking advantage of this law, pushing long-term tenants out to replace them with higher-paying ones.

"It’s a crime, it really is," says Andrea’s daughter, Gloria Mejia. Gloria adds, "Companies with mega-money are using this law to their advantage, evicting people and doing whatever they want with the properties."

According to the LA Tenants Union, this scenario is becoming increasingly common throughout the city. Tenants from various neighborhoods gathered in protest on Monday night, chanting slogans like:

"My landlord is a parasite! Fight, fight, fight!"

One protester expressed the disappointment felt by many renters: "We’re tired of this happening all over. It’s not mom-and-pop landlords anymore; it’s developers and corporations."

Andrea Perez also voiced her concerns about the skyrocketing rents. She said, "Four thousand, six thousand dollars… that’s a lot of money for one apartment."

With little time left, Andrea and her family must vacate their home by October 25.

A GoFundMe has since been launched for Andrea. Those looking to help can click here.