Coyotes overtake abandoned housing development, vexing neighbors

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – In a region where the demand for housing outpaces its supply, a pack of coyotes have made a vacant construction site their home.

For months, residents in the dense West Hollywood neighborhood say they have complained about the coyotes. At night, the coyote howls echo through the development keeping residents awake. During the day, some dog owners say they worry about the safety of their furry companions.

This week, the neighborly dispute became a local spectacle after news outlets reported on the coyotes’ home, dubbed by a neighbor as the “coyote condos.”

Over the past week, the block has been flooded with onlookers and reporters and even a helicopter trying to capture an image of the coyotes from above. With all the attention, the pack has not been coming out as early. The howls come later and later into the night.

“It’s kind of like a cacophony of howls,” neighbor Collin Newman said, describing how the structure amplifies the coyotes’ cries in every direction. Newman, who has lived in the neighborhood for 10 years, captured the howls from across the street. “If you’ve ever seen ‘The Lion King,’ imagine a pack of hyenas in the middle of the wilderness. And there’s no escape.”

Neighbors say the site has been vacant for years. Already under construction in 2018, the development faced opposition from neighbors and the West Hollywood Planning Commission, according to an article from WEHOonline.

The city of West Hollywood said construction on the unfinished 22-unit condominium building was halted in 2024. It sits in a densely populated block of shoulder-to-shoulder apartment buildings, over a mile from any open wild space.

Across Los Angeles, coyote sightings are common. While some generally avoid human contact, others can lose their fear of humans and pose a risk, especially to dogs and cats.

“The scary part is when we walk the dogs.” Jesus Zavala, a neighbor, said while walking his Chihuahua, Zoe. “They can just come out and grab dogs, especially the small ones.”

But after four or five months, the coyotes are now commonplace, Zavala said, and he is no longer nervous about taking Zoe out at night. Many who walk their dogs in the neighborhood look unbothered. The fire hydrants and street signs are all fully utilized.

Under a full moon late Thursday night, the only howls came from curious onlookers hoping to get a glimpse of the pack.

“Look!” a family walking their dog said, pointing to a room on the third floor, where all they could see was the outline of a coyote. Soon it retreated into the shadows.

One car of people waited over an hour to hear the coyotes.

The city of West Hollywood follows a coexistence plan that favors nonlethal practices to reduce harm to humans. The city says the property owners are required to enlist the services of a wildlife control expert and take next steps. The owners did not return a request for comment.

Newman said he hopes there will be a resolution that makes people feel safe but also points out that there are a handful of other vacant structures in the area. First there were unhoused people squatting; now there are coyotes.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s theirs.” Newman said of the coyotes, “They’re the ones occupying it, living in it. They might have been paying rent. They probably got a good deal on it because it’s been just sitting there.”