Housing Authority of Los Angeles County
Physical Address: 2600 Wilshire Blvd. | Los Angeles, CA 920057 Phone: 213-252-2500
Website: http://www.hacla.org/
Website: http://www.hacla.org/
In response to the United States Housing Authority in 1937, established by President Roosevelt to develop low-income housing to solve the national problem of inner-city overcrowding and substandard homes, Los Angeles established the Housing Authority of Los Angeles (HACLA)[1]. Though it was originally thought that the HACLA would simply oversee the building of public housing for the poor, World War II changed this dynamic. Over the next decade, in addition to ten public housing projects, the HACLA was given the task of creating housing for military service members, military families, veterans and civilian defense workers[2]. While many of these public housing projects were designed for ‘permanent’ (long-term use), some housing projects were designed for defense workers that would only be staying in the area short term. These short term housing projects, like Jordan Downs and the area now known as ‘Skid-Row’, would later contribute to blight that still exists in Los Angeles. After the war, the nation was hit by worries of socialism. Public Housing became seen as negative in the public eye and this lead to staff reduction of the HACLA and the closing of some of the public housing projects. Despite this negative backlash, the HACLA remains intact today and oversees 60 housing developments in the city of Los Angeles[3].
Service-Enriched Housing Programs & Activities
[4] [5] [6]
Jordan Downs Public Housing Project
Jordan Downs Redevelopment
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa teamed up with the HACLA to rebrand the Jordan Downs public housing community by redeveloping it into a community-based urban village. The HACLA purchased 21 acres adjacent to Jordan Downs with the plan to expand the number of homes available in the community and add resource offices to facilitate the needs of residents. In addition to these new additions, the HACLA begun one-for-one replacement of homes already existent in the community. According to the Jordan Downs website: (the redevelopment project) will also feature workforce housing units, market rate rental units and market rate homeownership units. In addition to the mixed-income housing, there will be mixed-use opportunities with retail services, high-tech light industrial, educational and recreational facilities, as well as enhanced community programs[7]. Mayor Villaraigosa states that this type of redevelopment redirects the focus away from the traditional “Affordable Housing Plan” that offers opportunities for all citizens to afford shelter, to a “Human Capital Plan” that offers access to a better quality of life for residents and the community as a whole.
Beyond changing the housing community so that those living in poverty are no longer sectioned off from the rest of the city, the mayor and the HACLA empowers the residents by allowing them to have a voice in the planning. The Jordan Downs Community Advisory Committee (JDCAC) is made up entirely of Jordan Downs residents and serves to voice the concerns of the community. Working together with the HACLA, they ensure that planning incorporates the needs of the residents, including ensuring that access to local assets is considered. According to the Jordan Downs site, this includes: schools, child care, health care, parks, community safety, environmental safety, social services, job creation, youth development, adult enrichment, opportunities for economic activity and collaborations with local community development corporations, faith-based institutions and others to maximize access for residents to sustainable resources. The mayor says that this is the first type of housing project redevelopment in the nation and he hopes it will pave the way for similar improvements nationwide [8].
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa teamed up with the HACLA to rebrand the Jordan Downs public housing community by redeveloping it into a community-based urban village. The HACLA purchased 21 acres adjacent to Jordan Downs with the plan to expand the number of homes available in the community and add resource offices to facilitate the needs of residents. In addition to these new additions, the HACLA begun one-for-one replacement of homes already existent in the community. According to the Jordan Downs website: (the redevelopment project) will also feature workforce housing units, market rate rental units and market rate homeownership units. In addition to the mixed-income housing, there will be mixed-use opportunities with retail services, high-tech light industrial, educational and recreational facilities, as well as enhanced community programs[7]. Mayor Villaraigosa states that this type of redevelopment redirects the focus away from the traditional “Affordable Housing Plan” that offers opportunities for all citizens to afford shelter, to a “Human Capital Plan” that offers access to a better quality of life for residents and the community as a whole.
Beyond changing the housing community so that those living in poverty are no longer sectioned off from the rest of the city, the mayor and the HACLA empowers the residents by allowing them to have a voice in the planning. The Jordan Downs Community Advisory Committee (JDCAC) is made up entirely of Jordan Downs residents and serves to voice the concerns of the community. Working together with the HACLA, they ensure that planning incorporates the needs of the residents, including ensuring that access to local assets is considered. According to the Jordan Downs site, this includes: schools, child care, health care, parks, community safety, environmental safety, social services, job creation, youth development, adult enrichment, opportunities for economic activity and collaborations with local community development corporations, faith-based institutions and others to maximize access for residents to sustainable resources. The mayor says that this is the first type of housing project redevelopment in the nation and he hopes it will pave the way for similar improvements nationwide [8].