Relief in Lafayette as ‘Squatter Drug House’ Finally Demolished

After years of distress and complaints from residents, a notorious “squatter drug house” located in the 800 block of Omega Drive has been torn down. The demolition, which took place on Tuesday, August 13, marks the end of a long-standing blight in the neighborhood and relieves many who have lived in its shadow.

The house, which went up in flames last year, had been a significant source of concern for the community. Reports of illegal drug activity had plagued the property, drawing the attention of both local authorities and concerned residents. News 15 Investigates had previously highlighted the ongoing issues at the location, leading to increased scrutiny and, eventually, its removal.

For years, neighbors like Wanda Langlinais lived with the fear and frustration of having the house as a part of their community. “We are happy to see it go because it wasn’t a very good home in the first place,” said Langlinais. “We had a lot of riff raff going on and we never knew what was happening. The police was there every now and then and almost every day.”

The house had become a haven for squatters who lived inside without electricity, and this ultimately caused the fire that led to its initial abandonment. “There was no utility service to the house,” confirmed Alton Trahan with the Lafayette Fire Department.

Residents suspected that the problems at the house extended far beyond just illegal squatting. “We called it a crack house,” said one neighbor. Langlinais added, “It looked like that’s what it was. They had people going in and out at all times, carloads that would park there on the side of the street. People would come out and meet them, so I feel like that was probably drugs.”

Now that the house has been reduced to a pile of rubble, the neighborhood breathes a collective sigh of relief. “Feels good, really like it, a lot better. It needed to be down for quite a while. I don’t know whose fault it is that it hadn’t been but it’s good that it’s gone,” Langlinais expressed.

See the full report here from News 15.