Tarek El Moussa is 'flipping' an entire street to make a high-rise apartment building, but longtime residents say they're being evicted to make it happen

"Flip or Flop" HGTV star Tarek El Moussa, who has flipped and resold hundreds of houses for millions of dollars.

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• Tarek El Moussa's company TEM Capital is building a 138-unit apartment in Los Angeles.
• But current residents are being evicted so the project can move forward. 
• El Moussa said his team was going to "tear it down" to build the high-rise apartments. 

Residents of rent-stabilized apartments in Los Angeles say they're being evicted so Tarek El Moussa can build a massive apartment complex.

Tarek, 41, is in the process of acquiring and constructing an apartment complex in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, that will be called NOHO 138 through his real estate investing company TEM Capital.

The realtor starred on "Flip or Flop" with his ex Christina Hall for a decade and now films "The Flipping El Moussas" with his wife Heather Rae El Moussa, herself a star of Netflix's real estate reality show "Selling Sunset."

Tarek referred to the project as "the biggest flip" he will have ever done in a video where he offered viewers the opportunity to invest in what will become a 138-unit high-rise building. 14 of those units will be reserved for low-income residents, according to the project's website — at around 9% of units in the planned building, these low-income units may be a part of the Los Angeles Density Bonus program, where developers can essentially increase the building's height, square footage, or lot area in exchange for setting aside a certain number of units for affordable housing.

The HGTV star went on to say that his team has purchased multiple homes in the area to construct the complex on Hartsook Street. 

"We're literally buying all of this real estate, and what we're gonna do is we're gonna tear it down," he said.

Although more housing is needed in California, multiple residents who live in rent-stabilized apartments on Hartsook Street told KTLA5 they've received "Ellis Act" evictions so Tarek's project can move forward. These "Ellis Act" evictions do offer moving compensation for tenants between $7,000 and $25,000 and allow senior residents of 62 years or older a one-year extension to move. Residents also may request the "right of first refusal to move back in."

When contacted by Insider for this story, a representative for Tarek repeated a statement listed on the project's website that the buyers' "goal is to work closely and respectfully with the current tenants by providing proper move-out compensation."

"Once acquired, TEM Capital, HEM Capital, WJK Development Co., and Pyramid Development Group will sensitively navigate the situation and follow all city guidelines for new developments," the statement said. HEM Capital is Heather Rae's real estate investing company.  

But residents tell local outlets that's easier said than done.

"It was really triggering and traumatic and totally ignoring the fact that people still lived here," one resident, Clare Letmon, told CBS Los Angeles.

NOHO 138's website says three residents have yet to vacate their homes. Cathy Livas, 78, told CBS Los Angeles, "They might say they're going to start in August start tearing everything down but they can't until I'm out of here — and I'm not moving."

Heather Rae El Moussa is also investing in the project.

Raymond Hall / Contributor / Getty Images

Not only are skyrocketing rent prices a factor in the area but the previous landlord, Arthur Aslanian, is charged in federal court of — among other serious allegations, including an alleged murder-for-hire plot — using arson to try to illegally force residents out, The Los Angeles Times reported. 

Tarek's representative said in the statement sent to Insider that TEM Capital has no relationship with Aslanian.

"While we are aware that the previous owner of the property has been involved with several serious legal matters, the partners of NoHo 138 previously and currently do not have any involvement, connection or relationship with the seller, nor will they have any relationship in the future following the property transfer," the statement said. 

Although he's best known for his work on HGTV, it shouldn't come as a surprise to those watching Tarek closely that his ambitions have outgrown flipping California homes. 

During a March 2023 conversation with Insider, El Moussa pointed to house-flipping seminars, a solar company, and a home line he's creating with Heather Rae among his current list of business endeavors.

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