History of Planning & Development
Map of LA war time public housing locations [4]Impact of World War II
While gearing up for the war, an amendment was made to the 1937 Housing Act which created exemptions to the public housing low-income requirements for defense industry workers. The City Housing Authority (CHA), now known as the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), placed most of its resources and efforts to quickly developing housing for this population. With federal funding they converted all but one of their ten developments into defense housing, creating five permanent and 21 temporary public war housing projects [1]. The CHA developed the permanent structures with the intention of keeping the facilities, landscaping, and streets intact once the war ended. A list of these permanent projects can be found in Table 1.
Many residents of these new projects experienced hardships due to the locations of the projects. There was a lack of resources such a childcare and healthcare [2]. While planners had thought to develop childcare facilities on site at these projects, they failed to consider the distance of health care facilities. Many doctors refused to travel across the city to provide services. This affected the health of many workers and so the CHA worked together with the California Physicians' Services (CPS) to develop on-site affordable health care at the facilities [2]. This was a lesson for planners on how to develop multifamily developments and their surrounding communities in the future.
While gearing up for the war, an amendment was made to the 1937 Housing Act which created exemptions to the public housing low-income requirements for defense industry workers. The City Housing Authority (CHA), now known as the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), placed most of its resources and efforts to quickly developing housing for this population. With federal funding they converted all but one of their ten developments into defense housing, creating five permanent and 21 temporary public war housing projects [1]. The CHA developed the permanent structures with the intention of keeping the facilities, landscaping, and streets intact once the war ended. A list of these permanent projects can be found in Table 1.
Many residents of these new projects experienced hardships due to the locations of the projects. There was a lack of resources such a childcare and healthcare [2]. While planners had thought to develop childcare facilities on site at these projects, they failed to consider the distance of health care facilities. Many doctors refused to travel across the city to provide services. This affected the health of many workers and so the CHA worked together with the California Physicians' Services (CPS) to develop on-site affordable health care at the facilities [2]. This was a lesson for planners on how to develop multifamily developments and their surrounding communities in the future.
Impact of Racism & Racial Segregation on MultiFamily Housing
Another issue that arose within the war time housing projects was the need to house all defense workers during a time when neighborhoods were still heavily segregated across the country. Despite neighborhood segregation, defense workers were hired without consideration of race - this created a diverse mix of White, African-American, and Mexican-American workers. In particular, the African-American community grew 5 times as fast as the population as a whole[5] but were not welcome in many neighborhoods and they faced many issues of spatial racism. These families were "forced to live in old garages, broken-down store-fronts, deserted railroad coaches, thatched tents - all without sanitary conveniences" (Starr, 2005, pg. 56). In 1943, the area where many African-Americans settled was named "Bronzeville", and the city worked to address the policing, recreational, health and sanitary needs of this community. They also redirected many of these residents to a temporary housing project that was no longer needed - Jordan Downs.
Also during that year, plans were made to build a desegregated housing project for defense workers in Venice. Though the planners had the right to build the property the outcry from White property owners delayed the development drastically. Despite the opposition to ignore personal racism and build in accordance to the demands of the defense workers community, a 8-7 city council vote ruled that the property could not be built with the intent to integrate races and the underwriting bank refused approval to the Federal Housing Administration to build this project [4]. The National Committee to Abolish Discrimination pushed the city of Los Angeles to stop discriminating against people of color by forcing them to live in the slums of the city, to no avail. The overcrowding, racism, and discrimination of Black & Latino residents led to the Zoot Suit riots of 1943. This led to the development of better housing projects for people of color.
Impact of the Housing Market Crash of 2007
Blurb
Another issue that arose within the war time housing projects was the need to house all defense workers during a time when neighborhoods were still heavily segregated across the country. Despite neighborhood segregation, defense workers were hired without consideration of race - this created a diverse mix of White, African-American, and Mexican-American workers. In particular, the African-American community grew 5 times as fast as the population as a whole[5] but were not welcome in many neighborhoods and they faced many issues of spatial racism. These families were "forced to live in old garages, broken-down store-fronts, deserted railroad coaches, thatched tents - all without sanitary conveniences" (Starr, 2005, pg. 56). In 1943, the area where many African-Americans settled was named "Bronzeville", and the city worked to address the policing, recreational, health and sanitary needs of this community. They also redirected many of these residents to a temporary housing project that was no longer needed - Jordan Downs.
Also during that year, plans were made to build a desegregated housing project for defense workers in Venice. Though the planners had the right to build the property the outcry from White property owners delayed the development drastically. Despite the opposition to ignore personal racism and build in accordance to the demands of the defense workers community, a 8-7 city council vote ruled that the property could not be built with the intent to integrate races and the underwriting bank refused approval to the Federal Housing Administration to build this project [4]. The National Committee to Abolish Discrimination pushed the city of Los Angeles to stop discriminating against people of color by forcing them to live in the slums of the city, to no avail. The overcrowding, racism, and discrimination of Black & Latino residents led to the Zoot Suit riots of 1943. This led to the development of better housing projects for people of color.
Impact of the Housing Market Crash of 2007
Blurb
Current Planning & Development
Integration of Mixed-Use & Mixed -Income Planning into Multifamily Home Development & Redevelopment
Planners recognized the demand to make housing developments more than just housing facilities for families when they established the first public housing projects in the 1940s. With women accounting for a good portion of the defense workforce, there was a need for nurseries, preschools, and after-school extended day care to help provide supervision for their children. In addition, the planners wanted to create developments that had a sense of community - this gave call for open spaces for things likes social activities, sports, picnics, and other events that would bring neighbors out of their homes and talking with one another [2]. these issues, in addition to events such as the Zoot Suit riots, led planners to include residents in the planning process of development. Residents now sit on the board for redevelopment projects.
With today's mandates for inclusionary housing development, planners are being urged to not only integrate the many needs of residents but to also diversify neighborhoods. For that reason, many redevelopment projects not only include mixed-use planning but also include mixed-income housing plans. The Jordan Downs Revelopment Project is a great example of this.
Planners recognized the demand to make housing developments more than just housing facilities for families when they established the first public housing projects in the 1940s. With women accounting for a good portion of the defense workforce, there was a need for nurseries, preschools, and after-school extended day care to help provide supervision for their children. In addition, the planners wanted to create developments that had a sense of community - this gave call for open spaces for things likes social activities, sports, picnics, and other events that would bring neighbors out of their homes and talking with one another [2]. these issues, in addition to events such as the Zoot Suit riots, led planners to include residents in the planning process of development. Residents now sit on the board for redevelopment projects.
With today's mandates for inclusionary housing development, planners are being urged to not only integrate the many needs of residents but to also diversify neighborhoods. For that reason, many redevelopment projects not only include mixed-use planning but also include mixed-income housing plans. The Jordan Downs Revelopment Project is a great example of this.
[1] Page 47 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.[2] Page 54 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.
[2] Page 54-55 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.[2] Page 54 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.
[3] Page 56-59 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.[2] Page 54 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.
[4] [photo credit: Kevin Starr - Making a Better World (pg.50), 2005]
[2] Page 54-55 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.[2] Page 54 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.
[3] Page 56-59 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.[2] Page 54 - Starr, Kevin. “Homes for Heroes: Public Housing during World War II.” In Making a Better World: Public Housing, the Red Scare, and the Direction of Modern Los Angeles, 45-74. University of Minnesota Press, 2005.
[4] [photo credit: Kevin Starr - Making a Better World (pg.50), 2005]