An AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles will be allowed to continue after a judge denied a motion by the city that it be dismissed.
The Healthy Housing Foundation (HHF), operates the Madison Hotel to "provide safe, decent and affordable housing to people with extremely low incomes, as well as to formerly homeless people, as part of AHF’s efforts to help alleviate Los Angeles’ homeless crisis," according to a press release from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
"In a visit to the Madison in October 2019, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti expressly promised that AHF would receive “concierge services” from city departments to help revive the Madison. However, to AHF’s dismay, the city not only failed to provide concierge services, but actually became a major obstacle to moving forward," the release said.
Attorney for AHF, Jonathan Eisenberg, told the Southern California Record that it could be awhile before the case is solved.
"Obviously the city could concede liability, but I doubt they're going to do that immediately, at least. And so it's hard to say. When the case will be resolved, usually the superior courts try to get cases resolved within a year or 18 months. But the L.A. County Superior Courts have been slowed down somewhat because of COVID," Eisenberg said.
The Los Angeles Mayor's Office did not respond to the Southern California Record's request for comment.
The Madison was the first of 11 multi-unit residences that AHF purchased in greater Los Angeles for the Healthy Housing Foundation to refurbish and to repurpose as homeless housing, according to the release. It sits on Skid Row, across from Los Angeles Fire Department Station No. 9.
The claim was denied as to the action that alleged the cross-defendants are at fault for any problems or conditions at the Madison that are the subject of the class action and therefore are equitably responsible for the damage, according to the judge's order.