Valley Grinch, four fugitives hiding in Slab City were apprehended. The locals also cut the fence to unlawfully use Coachella Canal as a swimming spot. Future plans The land is owned by the State of California. However, it is also reported that the land was purchased by a building contractor in September 1993. As of 2021, California had not yet decided to sell the land, but the Lands Commission is considering having the land appraised, and, if needed, allow for cleanup due to military waste from the 1950s. In 2015, several residents formed the Slab City Community Group in an effort to prevent a sale or to obtain 450 acres of Slab City in a trust, though this was contentious with other residents. A May 2020 article confirmed that the state was hoping to sell the land. "A sale could potentially go to energy companies ... Many residents worry that a deal could leave them without a community or place to live, as the lawless Slab City has become the last resort for so many." See also Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range References External links East Jesus Salvation Mountain Slab City: A haven for the homeless gentrifies On the Streets Ep. 9 (Los Angeles Times official YouTube) Slab City footage and interviews by Sherman George and Greg Durbin, University of California in San Diego Library Digital Collections 1988 San Diego Reader article on Slab City Living Without Laws: Slab City, USA (Vice official) 2004 New York Times article, login may be required. 2003 UK Guardian article. 2020 Photo-essay from The Guardian Slab City: the Legendary Lawless Town in the California Desert Counterculture communities Housing in California Imperial County, California Shanty towns in the United States Squats in the United States Unincorporated communities in California