L.A. apartments that felt like ‘jail’ seeing better days

Perhaps few places captured California’s notorious housing shortage and its effect on older folks quite like Cathay Manor.

The 16-story apartment building in Los Angeles’s Chinatown provides cheap units for a mostly older clientele. But tenants paid a costly price — living for years in moldy apartments, with a dilapidated laundry room and a pair of elevators that broke down about as often as the Santa Monica Freeway has traffic jams.

The elevator shutdowns became so frequent during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that elderly Cathay Manor residents described being trapped as virtual prisoners in their high-rise units. Those dependent on walkers and wheelchairs had to rely on friends and relatives to deliver food. One 86-year-old Chinese immigrant told The Times in 2021: “Living here, it’s like a jail.”

A settlement brings repairs

But protests from politicians, a federal Housing and Urban Development department investigation and a lawsuit by two nonprofit groups began to turn the tide. And now the nonprofits have announced a settlement that follows many improvements, including functional elevators and new ownership.

“For a long time, we felt ignored and forgotten,” Cathay Manor resident  Wai Wing Ng said in a statement after the settlement. “Some of us could not leave our apartments, and others had to risk our safety just to go down the stairs.”

The Cantonese speaker credited the two nonprofits — Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Southern California and Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County — with giving tenants a voice. He added: “Now the building is safer, repairs have been made, and we feel respected again.”

The precarious nature of housing for senior citizens has become painfully evident. People over age 50 now make up nearly 40% of those who don’t have regular shelter, according to a report by the California Budget & Policy Center. Today in Sacramento, more than 100 community leaders will gather and meet with legislative leaders, as the nonprofit Housing California holds its annual advocacy day to talk about the affordability crisis.

Elderly residents had to climb several flights of stairs to get to their apartments because the elevator at Cathay Manor was out of service for an extended period in 2021.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

The high demand for affordable housing in Chinatown

Despite the subpar conditions at Cathay Manor, the depth of the housing crisis is demonstrated every time a unit opens in the complex, one of the few affordable buildings in Chinatown, with some monthly rentals hovering in the $200-plus-a-month range. Those vacancies are met by hundreds of prospective tenants lining up, hoping to move in.

In announcing the legal settlement, the two nonprofits said the previous owners and managers had engaged in “a years-long pattern of abusive behavior that escalated significantly over the summer months of 2021 when both elevators broke down, forcing disabled seniors to climb low-lit, dangerous stairwells and leaving others trapped in their apartments for weeks.”

Nearly 200 tenants named in the lawsuit were represented by attorneys for the two nonprofits. Repairs of the elevators and laundry room followed, along with fixes for other long-standing habitability concerns. Residents received settlements ranging from about $1,000 to roughly $7,000. The federal HUD investigation led to a $1.5-million fine and a requirement that the owner sell the building, an action completed in June 2023.

Catherine Hwang, an attorney with the Asian justice organization, said the case had given the tenants, largely Chinese immigrants, “their deserved dignity and respect.” Neighborhood Legal Services attorney David Pallack noted that the tenants also received compensation for the harm they suffered, along with “real accountability and lasting changes that have made their homes safe again.”

Today’s top stories

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, left and fellow Republican candidate Steve Hilton are leading Democratic hopefuls in the race for governor.

(Jason Armond and Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Republicans top California’s race for governor

• A new poll shows two Republicans are leading by slim margins in the state’s 2026 race for governor as the June primary election fast approaches.
• The results appear to be mostly due to the state’s left-leaning electorate feeling uninspired by any single candidate in the crowded field of eight top Democrats.

‘Profoundly shocking’ allegations against Cesar Chavez

• The United Farm Workers union said it will halt celebrations of founder Cesar Chavez amid “troubling allegations” against the revered Chicano leader.
• The union did not detail the accusations against Chavez but said they were concerning enough for the organization to take action.

Southern California’s heat wave

• Southern California broke more than two dozen temperature records Tuesday, with Woodland Hills reaching 101 degrees.
• Heat warnings continue through Friday as forecasters predict this will be the hottest March heat wave on record.

What else is going on

• Airfares are set to take off as fuel prices soar higher.
• Rebecca Grossman murdered two boys when she sped through a crosswalk, a jury found. An appeals court agrees.
• California will get $540 million for water projects, the Trump administration announced.
• Edison executive pay soars despite the devastating Eaton fire
• Trump’s counterterrorism chief quits over the Iran war.
• Amazon speeds up deliveries in L.A. and elsewhere with a one-hour option.

Commentary and opinions

• The fuel shortages of the ‘70s were crazy. Columnist Patt Morrison asks, will we be running on empty again?
• Talk about rigged elections. In Montana, Republicans snub voters to anoint a U.S. senator, writes columnist Mark Z. Barabak.
• Hegseth has no place as the voice of American war, argues guest contributor Jon Duffy.

This morning’s must reads

Climate & Environment

California pledges to open 7% of its land and waters to Indigenous tribes — a step toward healing a 175-year-old broken promise

The new plan aims to bring at least 7.5 million acres of land and coastal waters under the care of Indigenous tribes — representing the acreage the U.S. promised and failed to hold for tribal reservations.

March 17, 2026

Other must reads

• Live theater is hurting. These L.A. artistic directors have plans to revive it.
• “KPop Demon Hunters” had a big night at the Oscars. Could it be a new day for Asian movies?
• Mammograms for men: Procedure, risk factors and what to expect.

For your downtime

(Karsten Petrat / For The Times)

Going out

• Art and entertainment: Here are 26 of the most exciting L.A. concerts, theater, art and dance events in spring.
• Theater and theme parks: Inside Knott’s Berry Farm, a tiny theater boasts rowdy shows and alums such as Steve Martin.
• Concerts: Los Angeles Philharmonic announces a new season without Dudamel but one as big and bold as ever.

Staying in

• Books: A new Sondheim biography reveals some shockers — and the dark side of genius.
• Documentary: “Meal Ticket” — premiering Thursday on Prime Video — goes deep into the real history of the incomparable McDonald’s All-American Games.
• Recipe: Here’s a recipe for spring onion home fry tacos.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.

A question for you: What are some of your favorite things to do during spring in California?

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally ... your photo of the day

California poppies bloom near the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve in Lancaster.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Kayla Bartkowski at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve State Natural Reserve, one of the many places to catch colorful blooms around SoCal.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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