L.A. secures $23 million for community revitalization in Pacoima-Sun Valley

 
01/02/2019

State Cap-and-Trade grant will support environmental projects, zero-emission transportation, and workforce development programs

LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that L.A. has been awarded $23 million in State Cap-and-Trade funding for environmental projects, zero-emission transportation, and workforce development programs in Pacoima-Sun Valley.

“The people of Pacoima-Sun Valley have been tireless in their pursuit of a healthier, more prosperous future for their children and grandchildren — and today that hard work is paying off,” said Mayor Garcetti. “These funds will help to improve public health, create good-paying jobs, and enhance the quality of life for Angelenos in an extraordinary community.”

The Department of City Planning and several community organizations were also awarded a $200,000 planning grant to position South L.A. for more significant state Cap-and-Trade funding in the future.

Both grants are administered by California’s Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) program, which is overseen by the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC), a committee formed by the state Legislature to advance local community revitalization efforts.

The Pacoima-Sun Valley TCC implementation grant will fund environmental initiatives and low-carbon transportation options that will reduce greenhouse gases — including 14 new battery-electric DASH buses to service Pacoima-Sun Valley, the installation of solar panels on 175 single-family homes, and the planting of 2,000 street trees to create shade for commercial and residential properties.

The funding will also finance safety improvements along 2.4 miles of City streets and over 900 feet of new sidewalks, as well as renovations at David M. Gonzalez Park — including the installation of a stormwater bioswale, walking paths, and nearly 100 trees. These improvements will create new jobs that Pacoima-Sun Valley residents can access through workforce development programs.

“This is a tremendous win for the Northeast San Fernando Valley,” said Councilmember Monica Rodriguez. “I look forward to working with our partners to reverse decades of injustice and accelerate greener, healthier neighborhoods for our kids and future generations.”

The programs are linked with an anti-displacement plan for businesses and residents, including efforts to bring existing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) up to code, which will enable homeowners to legally rent the units, delivering a new source of income for low-income families and bolstering the community’s affordable housing supply.  
 

“Fed up with decades of incompatible land uses and the burden of negative health impacts, the residents of the Northeast San Fernando Valley came together and crafted a real plan with real deliverables," said Councilmember Nury Martinez. "Through the Strategic Growth Council's proposed award of $23 million, it is clear that environmental justice neighborhoods not only have a voice, but they are the front line in the fight against climate change.”


The programs being funded through the TCC grant were developed by the “Green Together” collaborative, led by Pacoima Beautiful and including Community Partners, the Trust for Public Land, GRID Alternatives, Los Angeles Conservation Corps, Los Angeles Business Council, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge, the Department of Transportation, and the Bureau of Sanitation.

“This project will truly transform Pacoima and Sun Valley,” said Pacoima Beautiful Executive Director Veronica Padilla. “This investment in our community is a reminder that genuine community organizing and engagement leads to a sustainable, healthy community for us and for future generations.”

A $200,000 planning grant was also awarded to the Los Angeles Department of City Planning and South L.A. community organizations, including the Los Angeles Equity Alliance, Brotherhood Crusade, and South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z). The grant will fund the development of a “South L.A. Climate Commons Plan,” a climate resilience strategy to revitalize community spaces, create jobs, and prevent residents and businesses from being displaced.

"This award signifies a shift in the way we think about community planning and investment, acknowledging systemic injustice and marginalization facing low-income communities of color,” said Gloria Walton, President and CEO of Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education (SCOPE), an organization in the Los Angeles Equity Alliance. “The plan provides an opportunity for us as a city to grapple with critical issues like climate change, structural poverty, and displacement and to reimagine a more equitable and just future."

Since 2015, Mayor Garcetti has worked to secure nearly $160 million in Cap-and-Trade funding to support affordable housing, urban environmental programs, and zero-emission transportation options, including a $35 million TCC grant for Watts last year.

SOURCE: https://www.lamayor.org/la-secures-23-million-community-revitalization-pacoima-sun-valley



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