Evictions at Redondo Beach marina may result in dozens of unhoused residents

Imagine living in the same apartment for more than 40 years, paying the rent on time, having no issues, and suddenly being told you are being evicted.

That’s the situation for some King Harbor Marina residents in Redondo Beach who pay extra to live on their boats full time. 

Many of the residents are retirees on fixed incomes who have put their money into maintaining the small boats that have been their homes for years. They manage the fees for docking and usage of bathrooms and laundry facilities, which can add up to $1,000 a month. Finding an apartment for that amount, especially in the neighborhood they have called home for years, would be impossible.

Their boats are not new, and finding new slips in other marinas, where there are waiting lists, would also be next to impossible.

The community now includes younger residents who lost their jobs during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and are scraping by.  

People living on boats did not appear to get the same pandemic eviction protections that people renting apartments or houses get.

Lawyers who spoke to FOX 11's Christina Gonzalez say that marina owners have used the argument that the residents are not losing their "homes" which are boats, but "just the parking spaces."

The new leaseholder of the marina, Dr. Allen Ginsburg, who is the father of the former Redondo Beach Councilmember Jeff Ginsburg, took over the lease that the Guthrie family had for many years. 

FOX 11 was unable to reach him or anyone at  Majestic KHM LLC, the corporation listed for the lease.  

The Harbor Commission is putting the issue on their next meeting’s agenda after hearing about the eviction calls to people living in over 60 of the boats. They have some jurisdiction of the marina, but actual ownership of the property and lease approvals falls on the city of Redondo Beach.

Since the lease transfer last year there have been changes, like a new digital parking system, and layoffs of several staffers. But the elimination of liveaboards is a dramatic and unpopular step.

Interestingly, when we spoke to people who have their boats at the marina but don’t live on them, we heard them react just as angrily as the "liveaboards" as they are known.

"They take care of our boats" we heard again and again. 

Even though there is security on the property, having someone living next to their docked vessels is a "blessing" many said. They are the first line of defense if something unexpected happens- and they name things like a fire, a boat tied too loosely, or someone falling in the water after an injury. 

FOX 11 was told many of the calls to Harbor police have come in from someone living on a boat at the marina who noticed something wrong.

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After repeated emails and calls to city officials, FOX 11 did hear from the new City Manager, Mike Witzansky, who told us they were meeting with the new lease owner, and that he is putting a stop to all evictions at the marina, at least for now.

Discussion for other options is ongoing.  The Harbor Commission is putting the issue on their agenda and referring the matter to the City Attorney for review of the legality behind the evictions.

So for now, there seems to be a reprieve. 

So many others are facing the same situation, as new owners look for higher profits, which translate into the end of a lifestyle, and long-time communities that have been part of a unique lifestyle and the tapestry of marinas all over.

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