Holding Landlords Accountable for Unsafe Conditions and Tenant Retaliation at Blue Butterfly Village

Case Overview

Our ClientS

Jade Easley

Jade Easley was a tenant at Blue Butterfly Village from 2015 until March 2026, when she moved out because she could no longer tolerate living at the property. Ms. Easley served in the United States Army from 2009 to 2018, and then became a reservist. She was unhoused for approximately one year before moving to the property.

Anesha Aird

Anesha Aird has been a tenant at Blue Butterfly Village since 2021. Ms. Aird served in the United States Navy from 2002 until 2022. She was unhoused for approximately two years before moving to Blue Butterfly Village.

Danielle Chavez

Danielle Chavez was a tenant at Blue Butterfly Village from 2015 until November 2025, when she moved out because she could no longer tolerate living at the property. Ms. Chavez served in the United States Army from 2006 to 2011. She was unhoused for approximately two months before moving to Blue Butterfly Village.

Ginevara Huff

Ginevara Huff has been a tenant at Blue Butterfly Village since 2015. She was unhoused for approximately three years before moving to Blue Butterfly Village.

Serena McNair

Serena McNair was a tenant at Blue Butterfly Village from 2016 until November 2025, when she moved out because she could no longer tolerate living at the property. Ms. McNair served in the United States Marine Corps from 1999 until 2004. She was unhoused for approximately two months before moving to Blue Butterfly Village.

Danielle McNeil

Danielle McNeil has been a tenant at Blue Butterfly Village since 2017. Ms. McNeil served in the United States Marine Corps from 1998 to 2007. She was unhoused for approximately ten months before moving to Blue Butterfly Village.

Paul Montalvo, Sr.

Paul Montalvo, Sr. has been a tenant at Blue Butterfly Village since 2016. Mr. Montalvo served in the United States Army from 1984 to 1992. He was unhoused for approximately three years before moving to Blue Butterfly Village.

Christopher Pearson

Christopher Pearson was a tenant at Blue Butterfly Village from 2015 until June 2026. He served in the United States Army from 2007 to 2011. Mr. Pearson was unhoused for approximately two and a half years before moving to Blue Butterfly Village.

Cecilia Umoetuk

Cecilia Umoetuk has been a tenant at Blue Butterfly Village since 2020. Ms. Umoetuk served in the United States Navy from 2009 to 2014. She was unhoused for approximately five months before moving to Blue Butterfly Village.

Tyshay Walker

Tyshay Walker has been a tenant at Blue Butterfly Village since 2016. She was unhoused for approximately one year before moving to Blue Butterfly Village.

Homeless veterans, survivors of domestic violence, and individuals with mental health disabilities were promised new, fully furnished affordable housing units and supportive services at Blue Butterfly Village, a publicly-subsidized development that opened in 2015. Over the following years, negligent management led to sewage backups, insect and rodent infestations, mold, unsafe conditions, and reduced supportive services. Management also harassed and retaliated against tenants who organized and advocated for better treatment.

In August 2026, Public Counsel and The People’s Law Project: Los Angeles filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of twelve current and former Blue Butterfly Village tenants against the companies responsible: Navy Village VOA Affordable Housing L.P., Navy Village VOA Affordable Housing LLC, Volunteers of America National Services, and Volunteers of America of Los Angeles.

The lawsuit details how these entities mismanaged the property, willfully reduced services, and refused to make repairs, allowing the property to become increasingly decrepit and hazardous; and how they harassed and retaliated against tenants for organizing to stand up for their rights.

Court

Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles

Status

Filed

Case No.

26STCV27101

Filed

08/27/2026

Public Counsel Legal Team

Lucas Oppenheim

Senior Supervising Attorney, Homelessness Prevention

Alisa Randell

Managing Attorney, Homelessness Prevention

our Co-Counsel

The People’s Law Project: Los Angeles

The People’s Law Project: Los Angeles (PLPLA) is a public interest law firm committed to vigorously advocating for the rights of the people of Los Angeles. Working in partnership with activists, labor unions, and community organizations, PLPLA is using the power of the law to achieve justice for our clients and create a fairer, more equitable world.

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