Displaced Californians face steep costs as officials warn against price gougingpublished at 08:42 Greenwich Mean Time
Image source, Getty ImagesPeople who have either lost their homes or are displaced by fire evacuation orders say price gouging incidents are preventing them from finding new accommodation.
Maya Lieberman, a 50-year-old stylist, tells AFP news agency that price gouging is “going haywire”, and that she is unable to find anywhere to live.
“We put in an application at a house… that was listed at $17,000 (£14,000) a month, and they told us if we didn’t pay $30,000, we weren’t going to get it. They told me they have people ready to offer more and pay cash. It’s absolutely insane,” Lieberman says.
TV producer Alex Smith, who has been forced to leave his home, says he has friends who booked hotels outside Los Angeles but were asked to pay more upon arrival.
Officials in California warn that people engaging in price gouging, looting, and scamming are breaking the law and will be held accountable. “We’ve seen businesses and landlords … jack up the price,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta told a news conference on Saturday.
“It’s called price gouging. It is illegal. You cannot do it. It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and fines,” he said, adding prices can only surge by 10% or less during disaster situations.
“This is California law [and] it’s in place to protect those suffering from a tragedy,” he said.
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