Residents Say East Hollywood Tiny Homes Being Constructed For Temporary Housing Is A Safety Risk

Well, neighbors not happy about a new tiny home village under construction in East Hollywood. The development will give homeless people a temporary place to live. And neighbors told our Brittany Erman they're concerned about their safety, Brittany. Well, Leslie and Hunter, a new tiny home village is coming to the neighborhood, but not everyone is on board. The city says the goal is to get more people off the streets and into housing. But neighbors tell me they have concerns about safety. Dozens of new residents are expected to move into this East Hollywood neighborhood as construction begins on a 51 unit tiny home village. The goal is to turn this vacant lot into temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness. 50 50 good and bad. I mean, there's a lot of homelessness living in the streets. It's El Mendez lives right across the street from the future tiny home village near Sierra Vista Avenue. She says the project is bringing fear, not relief. A little bit scary. You know, sometimes they don't want to be in homes. They don't want to follow rules or be inside, and it's already dangerous at times in the night. They will hear them fighting. Neighbors tell us last year this area was filled with tense. They described dealing with everything from thefts to fires before the city cleared the encampment. For some people who live here, safety is still a concern. It's just a lot of gang affiliation, and I feel like bringing homeless close would just make it worse. They used to actually set up right there, and they would, like, start fires for no reason. City leaders argue this is exactly why the project is needed. We, in fact, did extensive outreach before we even decided to make this plan. Council member Hugo Solo Martinez says the city knocked on more than 700 doors before moving forward and claims 80% of residents supported the plan. I think neighbors recognize that encampments and homelessness already exist in the area, and what they were asking for us is to bring more resources. People need housing, people need help, and I think that this is a good start. Residents tell us they understand homelessness is a complicated issue, but they also want to feel safe in their own neighborhood. I support, but then I, like, care about the kids in their neighborhood that parents are fighting for the kids safety. Now, the city says the village will have on-site security. It's expected to open early next year. Live in East Hollywood, Brittany Herman, CBS LA. Brittany, thank you.