Vacant homes painted bright pink in Mid-City neighborhood

MID-CITY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- They were just vacant homes, but when Matty Mo, known as "the most famous artist," was hired to add a splash of color, this mid-city neighborhood became an overnight sensation.

"A bunch of my fans and followers from Instagram helped out," Mo said. The project was done in about eight hours, according to Mo.

Scores of people are showing up to the area to take pictures of themselves, their children and even their pets.

Some residents are delighted by the attention, but other neighbors consider it an eyesore.

"I think it's horrible," one resident said. "It needs to go away. It downgrades the neighborhood and I see the purpose in it."

The firm hired to design a 45-unit complex with about four affordable housing units in place of the painted homes explains why it was done.

"Our purpose was to start a conversation on density and affordable housing and lack of housing across Los Angeles which has become huge problem," said Matthew Rosenberg of Rad Architecture.

"At demo, we're going to pick apart some of the building, keep the pink in some parts of it, sign it and have an auction to raise the money, donate all the money to an affordable housing initiative in Los Angeles and hopefully solve a bigger problem with this," Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg said the local neighborhood council approved the plan but there has been a holdup.

"The homes should stay," said resident Maxine Robinson. "We don't want a lot of apartment buildings in the area, period."

The Pico Neighborhood Council president told ABC7 it did approve the plan but wants the pink color removed.

"We're in favor of public art but we're a community and we all have to live together, and not everybody likes to wake up and look at bright pink across the street," said Brad Kane, president of the neighborhood council.

The property owner told Eyewitness News he didn't know the houses would be painted but said it will come off in a few days.

Meanwhile, Instagrammers, pink wall enthusiasts and a lot of kids just seem happy to have their pictures taken.