LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – The mountains of garbage outside a Los Angeles residence dubbed the “Trash House” are back more than a year after sparking outrage in the community and prompting a massive cleanup by city crews in hazmat suits. 

local affiliate KTLA on Wednesday morning flew over the home, where bags of trash and debris surrounded the front and side of the residence, nearly covering a car that was parked in the driveway.

Furniture and discarded buckets could also be seen in the backyard of the home.

The saga of Trash House gained media attention in April of 2024 when neighbors told KTLA about the odorous plastic bags piling up in front of the home for months.

“I don’t really know what’s in that, so it could be anything,” one neighbor said at the time. “Probably stuff rotting, attracting rats and all sorts of things … And if something happens to his house or him inside, no one can get in.”

One day after reports aired, local Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky said her team would work “with urgency” to resolve the issue. Sanitation workers, some wearing hazmat suits, were seen soon after removing mountains of debris from the home. Many objects were found buried under the piles of rubbish, including a vehicle an old Toyota Celica.  

After being alerted to the situation, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass went to the location to see it for herself. “This is a fire hazard, and I worry about the individual there, this place catching fire, him losing his life,” Bass said in April. “This is just outrageous, and it will end today.”

At the time, the mayor also said that she had just found out about the situation and that Councilwoman Yaroslavsky had not been in her position very long.

“Both of us, as you know, are new. I am tracking this from last night to find out where complaints were lodged and what happened in the process,” the Bass said.

Even as the April cleanup was underway, some neighbors expressed concern that it would be a temporary fix.

“It’s nice, but what’s going to happen once they leave?” asked Charlie Topial. “Is he going to start all over again?”

On Wednesday, Yaroslavsky issued a statement about the trash growing once again around the home.

“Neighbors have lived with a health and safety hazard for far too long and it is completely unacceptable. Our office has pushed LADBS, the City Attorney, and the County for more than a year, flagged every complaint from neighbors, and demanded updates on every court hearing. This case shows how slow and fragmented the system is.”

The man living in the home, 70-year-old Raymond Gaon, has been described in the past as a “nice man,” but the trash problem has been recurring for years.

His sister, following the 2024 saga, said that Gaon is autistic and makes his money by recycling.