L.A. becomes first city to receive two of the anti-poverty designations, bringing greater access to federal grants and other resources.
LOS ANGELES — Tens of thousands of South L.A. residents stand to benefit from programs to reduce poverty and expand opportunity now that their neighborhoods have been designated as a federal Promise Zone, Mayor Eric Garcetti and elected leaders from across the region announced Monday.
With today’s announcement, South L.A. will have greater access to federal grants and resources. There are now 13 urban Promise Zones across the nation. Los Angeles is the only city with two designations within its boundaries.
“A phenomenal coalition of community partners worked tirelessly to get us to this day. The Promise Zone designation will help build on the incredible things already happening in South Los Angeles,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “This will bring new resources, energy, and urgency into our movement to expand opportunity in all of L.A.’s neighborhoods. When you look at all that we’re achieving — from our historic minimum wage increase, to our promise of a free year in community college for hardworking LAUSD graduates — it is clear that our city is committed to ensuring that all Angelenos have the tools to reach their full potential. Washington is taking notice, and we’re grateful for the support.”
The South Los Angeles Promise Zone is home to nearly 200,000 people and includes the Vernon-Central, South Park, Florence, Exposition Park, Vermont Square, Leimert Park, and Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw neighborhoods. The area has an aggregated poverty rate of 45 percent — three times the national average — an unemployment rate of 12 percent, and high school dropout rates of nearly 50 percent.
In Fall 2014, a coalition of community leaders formed the South L.A. Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z) to develop a common vision and set of strategies that builds on ongoing anti-poverty work in the area. The coalition includes more than 50 partners, including Brotherhood Crusade; the City of Los Angeles; Coalition for Responsible Community Development; Community Coalition, CD Tech; LA Chamber of Commerce; LA Urban League, LA’s Promise, Los Angeles Unified School District, Move LA, Cal State Dominguez Hills, UCLA, and University of Southern California — among others.
