To: ~le Herb Wesson and the Housing, Community, and Economic Development Committee
From Beth Mueller Member Central City Community Church, stakeholder in Skid Row
The church community hosted two public meetings, I 0-28-10 and 2-3-11 in order that the City and the Commission hear citizen suggestions as to how the HUD funds could be spent in the 3 ih Year Plan. As the Skid Row (SR) community was not scheduled for any public meetings we requested our own. Turnout was tremendous at 1 both gatherings; 80 attendees Oct 28 h, and approximately 60 at the Feb. 3'd meeting. My husband and I attended the October meeting at the Good Will on San Fernando Ave in October and approximately 6 citizens were there. There were at least 12 people representing the City at that meeting. The City sent 2 people to Skid Row for our October 28 111 meeting. Clearly the bulk of the input for the Plan came from the Skid Row community. We do not believe that our ideas are reflected in the Mayor's Plan. As of 2-15-11, the online Council File Management System records 1 emailed and 2 comment card suggestions for CF 10-2440. We know that the Skid Row community provided dozens of surveys and written suggestions.
The following is a list of ideas for changes to the 37111 Year Plan. Our community is on public record (audio and written) as having submitted many of these contributions already. We submit this document as further emphasis that we are paying attention to this Plan and the expenditure of HUD funds. We will continue to follow the process and make 1 our case with HUD directly. The Mayor's letter dated Dec 30 h, 2010 states that this "strategic plan focused on ... public service to help our most vulnerable population." Skid Row is the epicenter of homelessness and is surely considered a "most vulnerable population".
In addition to the list below, three themes emerged from the two public meetings held at Central City Community Church:
I. LAHSA is getting the same money to do the same things causing the same problems for the same people. There was an enormous outcry against the treatment of residents in LAHSA /SRO's. We are requesting serious oversight of the funds being spent on our behalf. Resident after resident spoke of disrespectful treatment, policies that keep people in "prison-like environments", acts of discrimination, and experiences of personal violations and predatory behavior. We have offered to work with LAHSA and they have accepted. However, we do not trust the system to police itself.
2. A second theme revolved around job creation and hiring. Several suggestions were made for the increase of hiring from the SR community. You will see several practical applications of this in the notes below. Along with this hiring
1 comes a need for employers to be educated about the special needs of employees coming from a recovery community, employees with felony convictions, and other special needs of the poor and under-housed. It would be beneficial for both employers and employees to have a clear understanding about AA, NA, (etc) meetings on-site, transportation baiTiers, prohibitions regarding travel if yon are on parole, considerations regarding access to showers, proper nutrition, and appropriate work place attire. Having a solid base of well educated employers will help ensure employee retention rates, and the development of a healthy, able workforce.
3. The availability of Permanent Supportive Affordable Housing was the third theme 1 in the SR community. From the 37 h Year Consolidated Plan we offer the following sites for consideration to develop increased housing:
Footnote# 63. Marlton Square- Could housing be built above the retail space?
64. Build Rehabilitation Industries- What is happening with the "smaller building in San Fernando" that they are moving out of?
67. Notiheast Valley Expansion- Could "off-site public improvements" include permanent supportive affordable housing?
72. Affordable Housing Trust Fund- How is this 5 million dollars broken down? Are we actively seeking developers, architects, etc who are interested and willing to build affordable, mixed-income, green-friendly, transit-accessible living opportunities? Who is investigating the successful work of other cities?
118. Slauson/Wall Greenspace and Affordable Housing- What kind of "affordable housing" will this be? Affordable to whom, for whom?
Other suggestions from the community related to projects in the Plan: Footnote# II. Cash for College- Direct the focus toward homeless youth, emancipated teens, youth of Veterans, find them where they are- not just at Job Fairs and Schools.
19. Human Relations Advocates- Hire an advocate from the Skid Row community for the Skid Row community. If not possible, match the advocate with a SR mentor to introduce the advocate to the community. Otherwise trust will be very difficult to develop.
22. LAHSA Streets or Services- Can we incorporate principles of Restorative Justice? This helps offenders understand the damage that their deeds do to a community, it allows victims to be heard, and offenders to make amends. Finally, restorative justice provides the means to return offenders to community and to vital participation in the health of their neighborhoods.
2 25. Community Arts Program- intended for "low income neighborhoods". The SR community has developed several forms of creative expression. See the Skid Row Artist Collective for example. Also, see "Making the Case for Skid Row Culture: Findings from a Collaborative Inquiry by the Los Angeles Poverty Department and the Urban institute by Maria Rosario Jackson and John Mal pede. (Referenced materials attached)
29. Computer Literacy Program- Project Tech- Place one of these centers in SR or enhance the services provided by the missions to offer classes to all (not just mission residents). We need "academic and college prep programs" for adults. Many residents of SR are in school and need regular, off-hours access to computers, tutors, software, and academic support.
30. LAHSA- Assistance to Homeless Families on Skid Row- Who is this person? Why is outreach a problem? Just look around SR, you'll find the homeless. Is this just another well-funded administrative position filled by someone who has never been homeless? What part of the $122,407 goes to the homeless directly? How much is the salary?
35. LAHSA- Gramercy Housing Group- This project reminds us of the very limited nature of housing for families. We agree that SR is not a healthy place for children. We would add that it is not a healthy place for anyone and that is why we are speaking up. Ignoring or pretending that children are not present in SR makes the problems worse. We need more affordable, very low income housing for all kinds of families including couples without children. And we need to make SR a healthy place for everyone.
41. Clean and Green- We request that LACC focus it's hiring on the Youth of SR.
43. Fresh Food Access Program- We request that this program work with the SR community to develop rooftop gardens where ground space is unavailable or cost prohibitive. Let's work together to introduce green technologies, such as gray water retrieval systems, the use of recycled materials, square foot gardening, solar panels, and composting for soil production. '
We further advocate for the study and implementation of roof top study spaces, sports courts, public performance spaces, and meditation areas. Imagine the view from above the city as the roof tops transform public space from concrete jungle to urban oasis.
(See #94 East Hollywood Gardening Achievement Center- $800,000 for Yz an acre! SR residents need parity!)
44. GRYD- Summer Night Lights- Include Gladys Park in the SNL program. Hire youth from the SR neighborhood. Give some of the most at-risk kids a chance to "gain positive work and personal growth by working in the SNL Program".
45. LAHSA- Special Economic Development Opportunities-CBDO- Use some of these funds to further advance the many entrepreneurial job opportunities coming out of SR.
3 Examples: Barber Shop, Personal Development Center, Women's Center, Gym, Thrift Store, Day Care facilities for working and student parents, Cultural Center, Medical and Dental clinic, Car wash, ID and document programs, Library, a real market/grocery store (not expensive convenience stores).
47. Office of Community Beautification- CRDO- Hire "disadvantaged adults" from the SR community. Use the proven software system developed by Tim Kephart (Nebraska) to photograph graffiti, chart it on the database system, provides ID oftaggers, implement restitution and achieve gang prevention. This is a highly effective, proven system! Check it out.
48. Day Laborer- Home Depot makes money having these "contractors" on their property. Home Depot customers use the labor to complete the construction/remodeling, projects they have purchased materials for. Home Depot should be paying for any facilities, ESL, water, coffee, waste disposal, benches, shade, etc needed to make this exchange a win-win-win situation. HUD money for homelessness should not be going directly to private sector for-profit business enhancements. Also, we could be using the Office of Dispute Resolution Services on these sites where necessary.
49. Clean Streets, Clean Neighborhoods- Why is $92,000 being spent in only District l? Again, at least hire youth from the SR community.
53. River Keepers- Hire from SR.
54- 57 Business Source Program- We request that one of the new Business Source Programs be located in the Skid Row area between Los Angeles St., East 3'd St., Alameda 1 St., and E. 7 h St. We would like to be a part of the selection process for the site location. Several ideas for small businesses have arisen from the Skid Row community. Examples: Barber Shop, Personal Development Center, Women's Center, Gym, Thrift Store, Day Care facilities for working and student parents, Cultural Center, Medical and Dental clinic, Car wash, ID and document programs, Library, a real market/grocery store (not expensive convenience stores). In short, the kinds of businesses all healthy communities have access to. We look forward to assisting these initiatives as they "start, operate and expand in Los Angeles". We have also developed relationships with private sector investors who support this priority.
58. CleanTech Business Incubator- Are there ways that CleanTech can work with Fresh Food Access Programs to combine the "development of emerging clean technology" with Community gardening principles and goals?
80. We request that half of the 1250 trees being planted in "the most-underserved communities in the city" be planted within the above mentioned boundaries of Skid Row. We also ask that one half of the "40 disadvantaged, low-income youth, ages 13-24" be hired from the Skid Row community.
4 83. Neighborhood Facility Improvements- Will these 4 positions serve the needs of the tenants once the buildings are completed? Are they another expensive layer of inadequate oversight?
131. Community Development Department- Capacity Builds LA- We request that these workshops be held in SR. We have offered the Central City Community Church as a site. 1 This offer was made at both the Oct 28 \ and Feb 3'd public meetings. We specifically need experts who can provide training from the initial idea phase through the entire process of starting a business or non-profit endeavor.
134. Department of Transportation- Include focus groups in SR. We want our ideas regarding transpotiation to be included in the transit study. We are qualified to "propose solutions to resolve access barriers by people who possess limited options and fall into the low to moderate income category." We also request that the Dash develop routes through and around SR. Talk to us!
135. eCivis Grant Locator Database Services- How does the public access the eCivis program? We request that the program be accessible to SR residents.
136. Fair Housing- We request that Fair Housing work directly with the people of SR. We will host gatherings, and focus groups to share our concerns and remediate the complaints of our community. We will continue to push for the needs of the "most vulnerable population". We are not going away.
5 ??(2-/ II
Findings from a Collaborative Inquiryby the Los Angeles Poverty Department and the Urban Institute
By Maria Rosario Jackson and John Malpede
This case study was developed for a11-d supported in part by the Arts & Civic Engagement Impact Initiative of Animating Democracy, a program of Americaris for the Arts, made possible with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
,.,,,,m"J'.~%ir-""· ·Anfrnatlng ·Democracy !tPwgram of Amorl<:aios f<>•th In the fall of 2008,john Mal pede, founding director of the Los Angeles Poverty Department (LAPD), and Maria Rosario Jackson, a senior research associate in the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute, began a collaborative inquiry about cultural vitality in the Skid Row community of Los Angeles. This inquiry has been part of the Arts & Civic Engagement Impact Initiative, developed by Animating Democracy; a program of Americans for the Arts. Early in this process, both Mal pede and jackson recognized they shared common beliefs about the .value of cultural participation in communities. Mal pede's beliefs are based in decades of work in con)munity~based activist performance art and theater. jackson's beliefs are based on 15 years of studying the presence and r:oles of arts and cultural participation in communities around the United States from an urban planning and public policy perspective. Malpede and Jackson agree that cultural parti~ipation ... includes active and pasSive participation at amateur-and professional levels in a wide range of venues; builds and strengthens social networks in the community that potentially lead to increased social capital and collective efficacy; provides residents with a range of emotional, intellectual, and social experiences important for personal development; and is essential in helping to create a healthy environment and nOrmatiVe neighborhood. With this in mind, they engaged in field research to begin to identify the presence of cultural activity in Skid Row and the key entities involved in creating opportunities for cultural participation. They saw this as a first step towards recommending recurrent data collection practices and tools that could bring into relief cultural assets in the Skid Row community, residents' cultural needs and aspirations, and the infrastructure required to make cultural participation possible. Malpede and Jackson believe that with this information community leaders can more effectively improve quality of life in the The Los Angeles Poverty Department {LAPD) is neighborhood. Without information about cultural dedicated to building community and to the artistic and activity, strategies for community improvement persona! development of its members--people who live are inherently incomplete and people.concerried and. work on Los Angeles' Skid Row. It creates challenging with positive neighborhood change cannot do their performance work that connects the realities, hopes, and best work.' Inclusion of art$ and culture in the dreams of people living in poverty to the social forces interpretation of community conditions and the that shape their lives and communities. formulation of community improvement strategies Urban Institute (UI), based in Washington, D.C, works . may catalyze new, better; and expanded ways of to foster sound public policy and effective government. thinking about neighborhood transformation It gathers data, conducts research, evaluates programs, processes and desired outcomes by both Skid Row offers technical assistance overseas, and educates on insiders and outsiders. social and economic issues. Urban Institute was founded in 1968, dUrilig President JOhnson's administration, as The scale and scope of thi~ work does not allow for the actual creation of the data collection tools an independent no~partisan entity that could provide and recommended practices. Rather, it provides analysis of the problems facing America's cities and their the basis from which such tools and plans for their residents. use can be developed. In very pragmatic terms, it is Jackson, Maria Rosario, Kabwasa-Green, F., and Herranz.J. Cultural Vitality in Communities: Interpretation and Indicators. Urban Institute. Washington, DC, 2006. ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.America.nsForTheArts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/ 2 necessary foundational work that makes possible the creation of a sound, well-grounded proposal for the recommended mechanisms to come to fruition. Malpede':md j~ckson's approach to collaborative inquiry in' Skid ftow is a bit different froin othe~ research that is part of the Arts' & Civic Engagement 'Impact Initiative. They take)t as a given that cultural activity is important and do not seek to quantify impacts of community-based or civically· engaged arts activity, nor make the case for'this kind of a.ctivity.lnstead, Malpede and JaCkson"s inteht to explore necessary data collection is (a) more about monitoring how and the extent to which opportunities for cultural participation are available to Skid Row residents and (b) empowering community leaders concerned with neighborhood improvement and quality of life with additional information to do their work more effectively. THE SKID ROW NEIGHBORHOOD Los Angeles 'County is the undisputed homele~s capital· of the United States with the largest homeless popuiation in the nation. ( 14.1,737 individuals "experienced homelessrless at some point during 2007. Skid Row, located just south and east of the city's civic and firlaricial centers, has the highest concentration of homeless people in Los Angele~ County, In an area that comprises 'roughly 52 city blot.ks, the homeless population of Skid Row (7,717 homeless· individuals projected annually) makes up approximately 7.5 percent of Los Angeles County's total homeless population. Residents range in age from children to the elderly, with the majority between 20 and 65 years of age. Of the four majqr ethnic groups, African Americans make up 64.7 percent of the homeless population and .. 12.5 percent are Hispanic, 13.3percent Caucasian, and 9.5 percent multi race or other. 2 The demographiC~ of homelessriess provide 'only one part of the picturE! of Skid Row and its residents. Since 1985, I>;.,,;;''"'""'" Museum at the more than 40 single-room octupancy hotels (SROs) have Galle~y, LA, July:A~g. 2008 been acquired by nonprofits and preserved as temporary Picture by. Pamela Miller. Macias and permanent housing. Many other people live in .hotels and apartm.ents on a permanent basis. Others move .from .one temporary housing· or un~housed situation in Skid Row to another. AU this means that most people in the neighborhood are long.term community members. Skid Row (known as "Central City East" by development interests) is a socially designed area. One hundred years of public policy decisions have concentrated missions, shelters, soup kitchens, an ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmericansForTheArts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/ 3 example, a "high tolerance" zone--one in which public safety and sanitation laws are poorly enforced if they are enfor~ed at aii.According to sources familiar with the area, lax law enforcement in recent years has given way to hyper enforcement of the Safer Cities Initiative; Jaws that are rarely enforced elsewhere-jay walking and siolen milk crates, for example-are stringently enforced on Skid Row: Despite the high conCentration 'of services specifically for ho~eless people, t~e area lacks or ~~ ill served by other b~ic public services. For exari1ple, there is a network of 25~cent shuttle bUSes that radiate from and conneCt all adJacent areas 'tO downtown. The only area not served bY this netWork . . . is Skid Row. A significant feature of the social design of the Skid Row area is a determined attempt to isolate its homeless and poor residents from the rest of the city. This isolation is not as evident in other cities with signific~nt homeless and poor populatiorts. San Francisco's Tenderloin or New York's Bowery, for example, are neighborhoods that also house theaters, restaurants, and retail businesses. One can't buy a newspaper or find a Post Office mailbox in Skid Row. Parks are not designed to be kid-friendly. One resident said, 'There's not a swing in the park. Not a sandbox. That's not an accident." Before the real estate bubble burst in 2008. it ushered gentrification into downtown Lqs Angeles. The adaptive reuse Of office buildings_. into living_ space·s brought several wave~ of newcomers into the neighborhood: the first were artists see~ing low~cost live/work sp~ce. More recently, a more affluent wave, mostly professionals, spEmd a ba!f million dollars or more on lu~ury.Co~dos, marketed as artist lofts. This influx has led to encro~chment. Over the past 30 years, the dimensions of Skid Row have shrunk significantly. Main Street currently is the front line of gentrification,Ten ye~.rs ago, it was Spring Street, which is one block to. the west of Main and so one block nearer to the Bunker. Hill Financial District.According to people·familiar with the cOrTimu~ity, there are 3.1ready forces mounting to move the front line one block further east and annex Los Angel~s Street from Skid Row to the. gentrified . 1 ' gallery row/old bank district".As development continueS, ~he <$isparities in s.ei:"Vices and amenities bestowed upon "new" downtowners versus ''old" dOwntowners-residents of Skid Row-are striking: Fo~ piimY y~_ars, a host of public a~d private agencies directed the poor-atid ·services for them-to this a,r.~a:. and' "aw~y frorTI ~ther areas. Skid Row was used·as a convenient means of ·avoiding p·olitically charged NJMSY{n6t in in}r baCkyard) situations. It beca·me the site for warehousing the poOr; more importan:tiY, it also b.ecarrie a Safe site for, visionary social innovation and experimental solutions ·to seemingly fntra~table social proble,rl_ls.The success of the!?e efforts, combined with the affor:dability of the area, resUft~d in the creatiOn ·.of a true neig~borho?d.This was a· somewhat .~n.intended .. conseq~ence of the socially designed and articulated.Skid Row containment policy. At this moment; the neighborhood of Skid Row is in-contention: it warehouses the poor, Is the locus of community~generative solutions, and it is the focus of development interests who want to "adaptively reuse affordable hotels by converting them to lofts for high-end rentals and sales. The term "Skid Row" is also in contention, as these Same development interests have tried to use "Central City East" instead. LAPD'SWORK The Los Angeles Poverty Department; despite the homeless status of many of its members, . has thrived for years from itS ddwht6wn outpost arld continues to offer theater that's often stunning in its honesty and lacking in pretension. -Constance Monaghan, LA Weekly, 1997 ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmericansForThe.Arts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/ 4 LAPD has been working in Skid Row since 1985, offering free performance workshops, cultural and educational activitie~ and events wid) and for the city's most disenfranchised and forgotten. At the time of its c~eation, it was the first theater for and by homeless people in tl]e nation and the first arts program of any kind for ·homeless people in Los Angeles. Its original goals-still in place-were to create community and to use the voices of the residents to convey the experience of living in Skid Movement Chain, a pe.rform~_nc;e piece that was Row to Los Angeles and to the nation. From its part of th~ UTOPIA/dystopia project inception, LAPD has recognized the inherently sqcial Picture by Pamela Miller Macias process of theater and.has used it in concert with . other means of Public educ~tion-organizing, partn'efing, atid. .~~tivism-to achi~ve its .community building goals. At the time of LAPD's founding, homelessness in the Skid Row area was dealt with primarily as a "beans and blankets" issue. From the outset, LAPD sought to engage the residents' hopes, dreams, and rational and spiritual power through cOllective creation·, CiVic engagement, and the creatYb:n of interpersonal bonds-the polar opposite of the "beans and blankets" warehousing approach. LAPD recognizes that the development of Skid ·Row as a multi~resourced neighborhood is the· civic manifestation of and the necessary condition for the continued personal diwelopment of its inhabitants. LAPD has partnered with neighborhood groups and nonprofits that sh~re a similar vision. These efforts haVe emerged as iOitiatiVes that support the development ofa·Viable.low-income neighborhood-one with basiC §er\/ices such-as transp-Ortation, de:cent housing,·sanitatio·rl,Krld-s.lfetY, · as well a·s 'social amenities slt'ch as restaurants, parks and public spaceS, commun'ity centers, and other meeting places. A significant portion of LAPD's work, esp'ecially since 2000, has documented and '· reported back (through ar'tmaking activities) ·on the development of the Skid Row community ari'd on how real estate developerS are pressuring., the neighbc>rnood. . Starting with its 2002 installation/performance series, Is There History on Skid Row?, and continuing with 2006 to 2011 activitles~UTOPIA/ dystopia, Skid Row History Museum, Skid RowWall{ofFame, and Walk the Talk-LAPD has used its' credibility in the neighborhood (and beyond) to design eventS that bring together ana make Visible·the cultural assets, both institutional and individual;of the neighborhood. LAPD has dohe t~is in order to articulate a cciuriter-narrative to the official (real estate development/city gcivemmerit) narrative that has sought to characterize Skid Row as a holding pen for dangerous transients: Through ali of these events, LAPD managed to work with' most of the groups in Skid Row and highlight their accomplishments, forging new relationships and continuing old ones· in the process. At the Roy and Edna Disney/CaiArts.Th~ater (REDCAT), LAPD created the. performance UTOPIA/ dystopia, which combined found texts--dty council meeting minutes, MayorVill.agariosa's inaugural address, first hand experience on the_ streets of Skid .Row, and fiction-to articulate both the developer narrative and the alternative community building narrative. ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmericansForTheA.rts.org/AnimatingDcmocracy/ 5 SCENE: MARKET MELTDOWN Kevin Michael Key There's only one thing that can stop the real estate madness: Market meltdown. Gotta make a deal, gotta make adeal. MOre and more. There gonna be. a lot of empty buildings besides Belmont High School. You need a set aside? You need a variance? Tax ·incentiVes? Take· Grand Avenue PLEASE. We know who the real addicts·are ... lt's these builders. It's these developers,but the city is their dealer, they're co-dependent-keeps supplying them with money ·for what! For more!...ln rooms of recovery sometime~ you hear ' people say, I'm an addict. What am I addicted to! More! One is too many and a thousand is never enough. During UTQPIA/dystopia, LAPP created a number of events that reached the community in different ways. The community performance piece, 220 Glimpses of Utopia, was 15 miqutes of beautiful movement that quite surprisingly fill~d th.e air, expanding everyone's reality, taking the edge off the· city at. rush hour. In a series of workshops, LAPP involved 220 people from Skid Row and artists and art studen,ts from around Los Angeles in envisioning and expressing what utopia looks· like to them. · Each group generated a movement. sequence, with the re~\-flting creation Peing a line of movemeryt on the side)"alks that extended the ten blocks from the heart of S;,id,Row to City Hall. Every person in the chain contributed so~e~hing of their own vision and moyer:nent. The chain of movement extended.unbroken throughout the community, and made dear that ~y true utopian vision (including one for the future of downtown Los Angeles) includes everyone afid excludes no one. It also brought together two groups of people who could not afford to live in the '.'artjst lofts" being created downtown: the long term residents of Skid Row and the artists and art students of Los Angeles. During the project UTOPIA/dystopia, LAPP also created ten performance/public conversation events that were specifically designed to spiral outward and bring more· community members. and groups into the cura.t<;>rial proc~s and construction of future events. LAPD invited some of th~ most.wi,d.efy recognized so.c.ial vis!O:naries from. the neighborhoo~st9re o~.ners, street '(e~dors, developers, street musician~~ a city att~rney, a formerly hom~?less addiction counselor,~ formerly homeless visual artist who became a loft dweller, etc. They wer:e asked to spea~ about ~tl'u~r people and in!tiatives that ;:hey valued. Through this process, LAPD and those involved became. aware of little known· community initiatives and initiators: a participant in one event would identify and invi~e a presenter for the next event. For instance, Dr. Dennis Bleakly, who works in a Skid Row medical clinic, invited Mr. Lee, a 75~year-old korean flute- master who runs a -~onvehience stOre. ·With his wife in the ~very heart of Sl>id Row. At one of the events, Mr. Lee played a flute medley that started with Korean traditional and moved to blues and gospel, bringing the house dowh. Another element of UTOPIA/dystopia was the visual arts exhibition, Skid Row History Museum, created by LAPD at The Box Gallery Qune-August 2008). The exhibition included artifacts and installation elements from a variety of neighborhood-generated arts and political action initiatives, archival contributions (documents, photos, videos) from numerous neighborhood groups, and a visual time!ine ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE "WWW.AmericansForTheArts.org/ AnimatingDemocracy/ 6 of the neighborhood from 1930 to the present. Springing from this exhibition will be the Skid Row Walk of Fame, the installation of images of 30 residents or local groups on lamppost plaques on the streets of Skid Row in the coming year (20 10). TheWalk of Fame will visibly recognize the community creating accomplishnl~nts-. of neighborhoo.d residents. Following the install~ticlh' of the Walk of Fame will be Walk the Talk, a peri pate* performance . stheduled for late 20 ro. 1;. vyill move from plaque to plaque.. and tell t[le story of each .person or group's accomplishme[>ts:liirough interviews and continued exchange during the rehearsal prpcess, LAPD hopes that most of ~h.e neighborhood will be involved in or pr,sent for th.e p~rf<:>rmance. Because LAPD has no producti0n space, it routinely works with other neighborhood groups to house W()rkshops, discussions,And performances.These groups include: the United· Coalition East. Prevention Project (UCEPP), $RO Housing Corporation, Los Angeles' Community Action Network (LA CAI).J), LAMP Community; and Church of the Nazarene. They often lend their spaces in support of individ~al and gr~up .~om~unity arts initiatives. LAPD has mani'&tlle~ lpngsi:iuJding relationships, including one with the Los Angeles Catholic Worker community, whereJoh.n ·Mal pede' first started as a volunteer 25 years ago.According to Malpede, · · this leads to an important point: Neighborhood initiatives consistently support other initiatives, each · one spawning otf'ler i'ndividuaj iryiti3.tives and group arts projects. The development of n·eighborhood initiatives thus ·grO~s ·in 'an ~~ganiC and exponential manner, and eventually reaches a critkal mass·for neighborhood transformation. · The Los Angeles Catholic Worker House, fo.unded in 19~0, enc\>ur.,.ged th.e founding pf Las. Familias del Pueblo and Inner City Law Center. Inner City Law, ~longwith Catholic Wor~~r, was instrumental in supporting LAPD,Justiceville, and. the Homeles~ness Organi~i~g Team .. While Catholic Worker had supported nights of poetry and music, LAPD became the first organization dedicated to arts activity on Skid Row, with Inner City Law and· LAMP providing workshops sites. Manuel "OG Man" Compito, an artist and leader in the Skid Row·community, realized his · potential as a visual artist at the LAMP arts project before going on to found OG's in Service and its many activities-such as Fathers Day, 3 on 3 Basketball League, jazz in the Park, and the painted trash can project. Melvin Ishmael Jotinson founded Dramastage Qumran after working with LAPD. Mal pede has often said that'>if you want to find a job or housing or·beCome active in a:. community where the social fubricis intact, one of the best ways to find out is word of mouth. Where the soda! fabric is weak, social services are relied on-more strongly. The social fabric of Skid Row, at this point, is·strong.enough that institutional initiatives have led to a plethora of'iildividual initiatives that are now themselves inspiring and encouraging further creative initiatives. According to Mal pede, the "containment policy'' for Skid Row (officially described as such in planning documents of the city and city redevelopment agency) has backfired, in the classic "watch out what you wish for cause it just might happen" mode. The containment and segregation of Skid Row has resulted in the grassroots creation of a real community. The largest concentration of affordable housing stock in Los Angeles County is in Skid Row. The officially propagated fiction-that Skid ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmericansForTheArts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/ 7 Row is a community of transients and that people can readily transition out of the neighborhood-belies the economic reality and the lack of adequate societal infrastructure to facilitate transition. The ideological contradiction of wishing the homeless and poor to disappear-<:oupled with the equally fanciful ideologically-based notion that they should be pulling themselves up by their own bo~tstraps, getting jobs and cars, and driving off to their riew neighborhoods-has insured the creation of a large, long-term group of neighborhood residents. Given the lack of public resources committed to the area, this group of residents has organized to provide and adVocate for the municipal services and civic rights that are routinely afforded wealthier neighborhoods. Despite Skid Row's poverty, LAPD's experience with its· residents reveals its amazing human and community strengths. The Sldd Row community has long been a generative site for visionary: answers tp social problems. The extent to which the Los Angeles Poverty Department's visiqnary efforts have been the work of community mem~ers, Skid Row History Museum at the however, has been largely. underappreciated. Without the civic Box Gallery, Chinatown, LA,July engagement of Skid Royts citizens, the largest concentration Aug.2008 of affordable housing stock in Los Angeles County would not Picture by Henriette Brouwers have been preserved. Additionally, neighborhood residents have created free recovery programs that have gen~rated the biggest drug ieCovet}' c~~ture anywhere in the United States. Examples of Skid. Row residents' resolve and resourcefulness follow. When the City of Los Angeles provided no trashcans for Skid Row, OG's in Service, an initiative of one long~term resident, created hand painted trashcans and distributed them in the neighborhood. During the real estate frenzy of the past decade, when the soaring California housing market meant that demand outstripped supply, the city council conspired with developers to turn over to them dedicated low~cost. hotel housing on Skid Row. A grassroots citizens' movement, centered at LA CAN, stopped this land grab strategy. However, the struggle for neighborhood recognition and survival continues. The proliferatiqn of Skid Row grasSroots cultural initiatives substantiates the achievements of a community that has oeen in jeopardy of being displaced and forgotten. R~sident driven cultural activities include theater, visual arts, photography, video, and music, as well as other forms of cultural expression--:·:neiihborhood environmental .and health initiatives, organized .fitness and sports activities, and events .organiz~d. around cultural holidays. As one resident put it, "Father's Day used to be quiet on Skid Row. Do you know what that does to a man's self esteem? We had to start our own Fathers Day (celebrations):' Skid Row's grassroots cultural initiatives compellingly defy stereotypes· of the poor and homeless and will perhaps stand against its residents' displacement for purely financial gain by the already rich. It is in this context that Malpede and Jackson's collaborative inquiry on cultural vitality has proceeded. . ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmericansForTheArts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/ 8 METHODOLOGY The collaborative inquiry process began with a series of convers~:t:ions between jackson and Malpede during which each discussed their work and areas of interest. Together they identified premises and ideas about what would' be most useful to pursue given LAPD's ongoing work and goals and those of its partners and colleagues in Skid Row. jackson and Malpede conducted in.itial interviews with leaders from five key organizations (mostly organizations that have partnered with LAPD on community 'Round Trip; recreation of an Allan Kaprow performances and projects, but are not primarily Happening on Skid Row, May 19, 2008 concerned with the arts).They interviewed Los Angeles Poverty Department's Ron Taylor · leaders from the Los Angeles Community Action Network (an activist organization dealing with Picture by Henriette Brouwers a wide range of community Concerns, iricluding civil and hUman rights, housing and tenants fights; poverty/wealth, women's issues,·Violence, a'nd fOod access); United Coalition East Prevention Project (an activist and' social service organization· that partners with and mobilizes the community to develop environmental solutions to problems' rel:ited to drug and alcohol usage), the LAMP Community (an organization working to end homelessn that collaborates with LAPD and colleague agencies in Skid Row). During ihese interviews, rE)sponden.ts were asi Having concluded these initial interviews;jackson and Malpede conducted tlhree focus group discussions-:-two with Skid Row. residents (nine and If ·respohdents, respectively) and one With leaders from various resident-focused agencies.working in the community (ten respondents).Among · these, LAPD was the only organization that was primarily cultural. In the focus. group discussions with residents, jackson delved more deeply into various aspects of cultural vitality. Specifically, she asked respondents to discuss the following: ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmerlcansForTheArts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/ 9 General impressions of the neighborhood The prevalence and nature of arts and cultural activity in Skid Row-type of activity, where it happens, who organizes it, if and why it matters, as well as barriers to cultural participati~n Their own arts and cultural practices, if any-the nature of it and why it matters • · Their aspirations for arts and culture in the Skid Row communlty.:..:_vision for .what they would like to see come to fruition in the next five years-and their thoughts about what it would take to make it happen .. lri the focus group discussion with community leaders, respondents were asked similar questions. However, they were also asked about the particular roles that their agencies might play in making cultural participation possible and more detailed questions about what it.would take to sustain and bolster culturaJ participation in the community. FINDINGS The focus group discussions proved to be insightful and passionate. All involved agreed that even in . the face of often extreme hardship {and; to some extent, because of it) arts and cultural activity is vitally important to the neighborhood. Respondents described participation in. many different kinds of cult.ural.ac~iv!tie~~performance, poetry, music.anq some vi,s:~al art. They affirmed the effects of arts and, cultural activity held by Malpede an.d Jackson and connected artistic and cultural expression . to both personal and community results. On the personal level, respondents talked about the importance qf basic expression and emotional outlets, and the ways in which ·engaging. in cr~ative activity help people feel more whole and empowered in· a- context that at times can be dehumanizing. It was evident from respondents that involvement in creative endeavors contributed to the development of leadership and problem solving skills. At the neighborhood level, respondents talked about how artistic and cultural activity' W.s seen as essential to (a)making.the community livable (creating the social fabric where people can connect with one another), (b) giving the community an identity, and (c)' cieating-a·context in-which reflection, eXpression, and ~ritical thirl.i The following are other key themes that emerged from the discussions.These themes inform our thinking about how to monitor various aspects of cultural vitality in. the Skid Row: community as well as how information about cultural vitality might best be us_ed _to improve conditions for re$ident$ of that community. Art Comes From the Ground Up When identifying community cultural assets, mOst community memberS cited cultural initi~ti~cis that came from the ground up. As one organizational representative put it, "[Art happens] all around us any place deemed 'safe' where you can sit and write or think and talk." While a number of community organizations of all sizes were cited ~ initiators and supporters Of neighborhood cultural initiatives, the perception of neighbor~ood.residents is that they rely largely .on themselves to create culture. A resident said,"Art happens in both parks and on the street1"· citingthe·exarnple of two groups of neighborhood percussio.nists. Other examples .of individual art initiatives included mural painting, poetry projects, and block parties. ARTS & CIVIC EljGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmericansForTheAtts.org/ AnimatingDemocracy/ 10 Based on Jackson's -research on arts and culture in oth~r communities, it appeared from the focus group discussions that Skid Row residents are more concerned with active participation and personal expres_sion-making. doing, and witnessing creative expression that is relevant to their everyday lives-than passive audience participation. Other communities also desire active engagement, but in Skid Row this desire app;ared to be more visceral-in no way an optional amenity. · ACcess and Separation ., ' J" While respondents identified many creative and artistically talented people and a good deal of ongoing cultural activity in the community, they also identified import;tnt barriers to such activity. They named creative needs that have not yet been mJat, disparities in how Skid Row residents have access to the ~sQurc;es they need for creative _expression and experi~nces compared to other neighboring communities, apd concerns ~bout cultural isolation from neighboring areas and also the broader Los Angel~s community. Focus group· respondents exp'ressed concern about access to safe spaces where cultural expression can happen-spaces available for performance or other kinds of expression that are unencumbered by red-tape, regulations, or concern for personal safety. They cited run-ins with the police, who enforce codes and regulations that ban some of the desired creative activity. Safe space for ~ultural expression was identified as extremely important. Respondents also wanted accesS to -n,·&tcirials and equipment-such as computers and musical instruments-to make art. Several respondents noted that many musicians in Skid Row long to play, but don't have the resources· to purchase instruments nor·~cess to such instruments even on a borrowed basis:They also cited Dig social service organizations.--in the Community that, control many of the rfFsourt.es--space and equipment-:-needed for cultural activity, but don't allow access. More· than one community member expressed frustration that-they, as permanent residents of the community, colild not use the cultural resourCes available at the missions (which only provide temporary shelter).As one ·community resident put it, "Wheh was the last time we had access to the basketball court in the mission!" Res~9ents al~o ide~tifled ~-need f~r'better communicati~n -~qut ~~ltural ~ctivity in the community. "It's impol't!!nt thatwe know what's going on-- Residents were also. concerned about their access to. emerging cultural. activity .in newly r An organizational representative sited: a problem stemming from blocks beins: promoted by developmentii1terests'as"gallery row.''"When we are not allowed to play music on the street, for example, our creativity is being suppressed. It's not okay that the police move you for 'drumming. I wish the polarization didn't happenc Clearly there are two artS communities within these 30 square ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmericansForTheArts.org/ AnimatingDemocracy/ II blocks. The rules of engagement are different, radalized.ln one, certain things are protected, and in the other, similar things· are suppressed." Another organizational representative succinctly summed Up the issue:'We want parity. Whatever happens for artiSts on Main and up, happens on Main and down:• It was pointed out by several people that the cultural agents on Skid Row have been th~ ones to. create opportunities for.all creative peOple to come together-new p~ople ffio~ing into the area "above Main Street" and long term residents. One organizational representative said, "We've created the space for creative exchange where all are welcome. We opened a spoken word gallery and space, and the first thing it did [was it] brought all the creative people together, not new downtown/old downtown. And now some of the ugallery row" and other groUps are also dOing the same, creating space of exchange among all creative people an9 tultures in dowhtoWn. In· som·e areas, galleries are encouraged;' This was one of many examples where individual Skid' RoW artists and organizations· took the initiative to break down the barriers between the long-standing and new community· residents. Respondents noted that even despite their efforts to si.Jrmoun~ barriers, there is still a sense of separation from the community at-large.As a representative from one of the large missions 11 commented, We have acting and mask making,_ but we~re struggling with how to get ,out beyond the walls of the community." A Place Where Culture Can Thrive Alongside the need for safe spaces where residents could be creative· and expressive, many community residents felt it was important for Skid Row to have a dedicated cultural center or designated area that could function as a cultural campus. HTheater groups need a place. to go, a stage for bands, spoken word, a building with state of the art equipment, where we could perform like others do:' Again part of the impetus for this, in addition tb genuine des"ire for expression, is parity with the more affluent areas of downtown. Reflecting on recent planning and development in nearby areas, one community mem~er astutely put it, "I'd like to see planning ahd culture linked. The planning process doesn't exist east of Los Angeles .Street; we're not even invited to sit at the table." Another resident formulated the cultural center idea as "a headquarters w~ere anyone with artistic talent could go ...with departments for music;· dance, sculpting. It would be a place of exchange fo~ all that's going on. a commonS like a campus." Re~pOndents alsO talked about the need to irltegrate cultural ame"nities with necessary afnenities that Currently do not eXist in the cOmmunity-such as shops . and offices. Residents and organizational leaders alike talked about different interpretations of spaces· designated for cultural activity-a full block, a larg~ building, a cluster of buildings. Reframing the Community: A New Image o_(SkJ(fRow Respondents from all three focus groups acknowledged that Skid Row has a valuable set of community assets-assets 'that are valuable not just for Skid Row, but also for the entire region and potentially fdr commUnities everywhere. They expressed that the presen"ce and iilffuericf! o~ these assets has to be acknowledged by others. Additionally, respondents feit that the image of the "neighborhood must change to accorrimodate the reality that it is a community with long term residents and families, not only a corT_Jmunity of single men in temporary impoverished conditions.. Respondents clearly saw arts and cultural activity as central to both of these concerns. They repeatedly identified the artistic talent of Skid Rovv residents and their resolve and initiative in organizing cultura! activity. as important community assets. Respondents also saw arts ~n~-~ultura.l activity as essential to creating a new image of Skid Row-a new way of envisioning and _talking about ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmeticansForTheArts.org/ AnimatingDemocracy/ 12 it. The reframing does· riot turn a blind eye to the poverty, problems, andneeds'of the communit)i. It provides a more balanced and realistic picture, making possible different approaches to it from internal (residents and organizations in the community) and external forces (city departments, foundations, developers, and others who do not live or work there but have an interest in Skid Row). Skid 'Row, as one organizational representative put it, "has been perceived ~s a place t~ dump what .you don't want, but the fact is th3.t Skid Row is the only answer in the·entire region for problems of ' homelessness and recoverY:' Skid Row has the infrastructur~ ·of orgil.M.izations and dedicated people who are not only improving the community, bu't are leading the way for how this can be done in other' communities. · · - . There was consensus that, despite its problems, the neighborhood should be recognized for its significant accomplishments, such as its large, active recovery community. Respondents also felt that Skid Row~~;side~ts ~ti'-Vf the wisdom that has bee_n ~isC?v¢f~~~-~p_g !s oP~~ti:qij_~f-j,~:r"~:?,~ '_neighbOrhood is that ·on_ce _you a~e given a safe space, B9sitive t~ings happ·e6." Another.'B.~~~oii ..s:atd,'fah therapy is part of reCovery:' Respond~nts;·~i~o said tha,sk;g Row is an area of exemplary tolerance where people of different rac~s an!) ~bilities live togeth~r ~espectfully.A community resident commented, and others agreed tha~"yVe do ript ju Advocates/Stewards of Cultu~ai Vitality. Respondents were concerned that there are:few entities i~_place thi!t serve as stewards of opportunities for cultural participation-people whose job it is to protect, cultivate, encourage, and expand cultural activity in the Skid Row community. There was repeated discussion of the need for something like an "arts commissioner" or"arts commission" from the cOmmunitY to coordinate and advocate for 1;he arts on Skid Row. "The reality is, our audience is 'us; the residents,. the com,munity memb~fs.Jn other: words, the purpose of art in the .community is to engage the.community as:· participants and a,s audience," said one respondent. Respondents reflected on the way things, work curren,ly:"When something.~tarts, the social service providers battle for control. [We need] a committee/ association so organizations don't bump heads." Residents and organizational leaders agreed that there is power when people are organized and that self-determination is important. "There ·is no ghiater joy tliin to let the people Who. live in Skid Row run Skid Row. At an open house, I was embarraS~ed, th6re was a gentleman who said something negative, he doesn't even like Skid Row, but he's making decisions about Skid Row," said one respondent. The repeated call for this type of leadership is itself an indicator of the importance that this kind of activity holds for Skid Row residents. ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmericansForTheArts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/ 13 IMPLICATIONS: DATA COLLECTION AND USE OF INFORMATION/ACTION Data Collecticm In the recommendations that follow, the recurrent collection of data is optimal. Baseline data with recurrent measures allows for trackirlg changes in issues with which people are ~oncerned- ' oppori:~:~ni1:ies for active engagem·el'1.t in ,arystic activity; the incidence of actual p~~ticipai:ion; spac_es where such. activity ca~·happen; organizations or iOdividuals who make such. at;tlvity possible; access to tools, materials, and equipment necessary for artmaki~g; and the presen~e Of talented Cre:ative people in the community, among other issues. Without such data. changes cannot be tracked and planning and program design is comproniised. Culturaflnventory Mal pede and Jackson beg~n with the notion that a cultural inventory would be beneficial to the Skid Row community. This was confirmed in the fieldwork. Community members, individuals, and organizational representatives indicate~ that th~ positive values, n~ighborhoOd accomplishments, and community wisdbm that come from cultural participation need to be represented and better un-derstood by the broader public. This would help Skid Row-to gain a fair· share of resources and parity with other communities. Additionally, respondents asserted that within the neighborhood there should be, at minimum, better communication of cultural resources. Better communication would allow all individual and organi~tional cyltural initiative~ to reach and Agents. & Assets, Detroit include more community f1!embers.At the same · Photo by Sjoerd Wagenaar time, )t would eleVate the profile of c'ulture in the community, which would benefit everyone. The field research provides insights into what· a cUltural inventory suitable for the Skid Row community should include. Conventional cultural inventories--efforts' to identify eXplicit arts agencies or arts venues and professional artists-are insufficient for Skid Row. While it is certainly important to identify the arts-specific organizations that do work in the neighborhood and the professional artists who-might be there, it is essential to also recogl)ize·the following: non:.afts ag~ncies that provi"d.e programming, space, or ot;her resources tl)at ma~t;! cuitural p~rticipation pOssible and the acti_vities or ~rograms With whic~ theY are 'involved; safe spaces where residents are engaged in arts and cultural practices ·(and what make them safe}; ~nd individual cultural leaders who have been responsible for organizing much of the grassroots organic cultural activity and the efforts with which they are associated. ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmericansForTheArts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/ 14 The interviews and focus group discussions conducted by Jackson and Malpede provide the basis for a future community charrette where Skid Row residents and stakeholders can validate, challenge, and add to the cultural infrastructure identified so far. Art;st/Creative .Registry Given what appears to be the high incidence of creative ·expression in·· the Skid Row community, the development of an artist or creative registry that illlows residents to identify their talents is an essential component of a cultural inventory. This could be an annual or biannual survey allowing people to list and describe the artistic activities in which they' are involved-where they do it, with whom, how often, any formal or informal training, the materials required for their work, if ariy, and any needs or preferences they would like to register in relation to their creative endeavors. If their work can be captured digitally or in any format that can be shared, efforts should be made to gather that as well. · " · Information gathered from this registry will overlap to some extent with the cultural inventory· suggested. This is a useful redundancy in that one method confirms information from the other source. PolicY ond Regulo~ion ASsessme~t The call for safe space in which people can exercise their· creativity suggests the needJor an ass~ssment of policies and zoning and-other regulations that can facilitate or.-impede cultural act!vi,ty in the Skid Row community. Building on some of the initial insights gleaned from th~ recent intervj~ws and focus group discussions, it would be .beneficial to find outwhat policies and regulations act as barriers or facilitators of cultural activity;Are these reasonable? What changes might be appropriate to optimize cultural vitality in Skid. Row? In this regard, it seems useful to enlist the assistance of those entities currently understoqd as gatekeepiws of sorts...,-the City Planning Department, police and ~re departments, parks and recreation, public works, as well as large agencies that have spaces that are perceived to be inaccessible to residents. ACtion Interviews and focus group discussions sugiest several possible uses of the data colleCtion efforts in Skid Row. First, the information provides content for 'cultural resource guides, a community cultural calendar, and potentially other tools that can help to advance arts and cultural practices. Second, the information can help develop a new image for the neighborhood. On a related note, the artist/ creative registry might reveal talented people within the community who can help with' the re imaging process and communicate that identity within and outside of Skid Row. Third, the information provides the basis from which to further develop the idea that safe spaces for creative expression, as well as a designated cultural space, would be beneficial for the community. Certainly, discussions about the viability, form, and function of such spaces can be more grounded and useful with this information. Last~ the idea of developing a·Skid Row arts commission or commissioner-a cultural advocate-would be informed by the data gathered. Moreover, if such an entity were created, the information gathered is essential for its effectiveness. ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AmcticansForTheArts.org/AnimatingDcmocracy/ IS In fac~ the information gathered is worthless unless· a neighborhood cultural adVocate uses the information gathered to ·harness the communications and advocacy capacity of the community's residents.An Important part of achieving this would be mutual recognition within the community of the role of individuals and organizational community cultural creators. This, in turn, would involve negotiatiOns that would make existing resources more widely available within the community, and, more importantly, greater recognition of the role of Skid Row residents in creating cult';Jre and· neighborhood. This recogni>ion, when exte~ded outside Ski.d Row, could be a powerful .means of re imaging the neighborhood in the greater public imagination. NEXT STEPS The Skid Row community was energized by the exchange gene~ated by the field re;earch. Mal pede and Jackson offered to meet with community members to present their report. They would convene the attendees from the three focus group sessions, thus bringing together some of the individual ant;! organ:izational cultural leaders. This could lead to other initiatives, such as making cUltural opportunities more widely available tq community members and making the case for Skid Row culture to multiple audiences. This: follow up meeting holds the promise of surprising positive outcomes and incre~ed a"'(areness of the cultural richness of the neighborhood. The willingness of people to work together to develop the cultural resources is very hopeful. It also holds out the possibility of using the evolving cultural richness of Skid Row to re-align public f)ercepticin of the area with current neighborhood rea:lity.The authors think universities within· the Los Angeles area would help with the design and implementation of the research and woUld find resources tO do sa. provided they·dealt with a consOrtium'·qf neighborhood members. Additionally, the authors think that what has happened and might happen in Skid Row as a result of their- work cOuld hive.iniplications for coriuTIUhity leaders· and service providers concerned With similar communities in other cities. * * * Maria Rosar}o jackson, Ph.D. is senior research associate, Metropolitan Housing and Communities Center and . director of the Culture~ Creativity, and Communities Program at the Urban Institute. john Malpede is founding, artistic director of Los:Angeles Poverty Department Copyright © 2009 Americans for the Arts ARTS & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IMPACT INITIATIVE www.AinericansForTheArts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/ 16 Entrepreneurial Ideas Generated By the Skid Row Community Public Meeting for CDBG Funding Hosted by Central City Community Church Rev. Jeffery Thomas Ph.D 10-28-10 I. Gang Reduction 2. Youth Services Programs 3. Bed bug remediation 4. Decontamination of industrial & commercially zoned land in Skid Row residential neighborhood 5. Reduction of Gang Violence on San Julian between 5111 and 6111 Sts. 6. Subsidize transitional housing specifically 7. Day Care facilities for working and student parents 8. Women's Center for retreat, self-esteem, life skills 9. Cultural Center for performing art exhibitions, musical concerts, spoken word sessions, etc. l 0. Medical and Dental services 11. Market/Grocery store in Skid Row- not convenience stores 12. Technical Assistance for Grant-writing !3. Rehab and restoration of buildings for affordable housing 14. Business Source Center 15. Affordable housing for those with criminal records 16. Car wash at 7'11 and Maple 17. Enhance Vital Document Program at Central City Community Church 18. Green space on roofs, roof-top gardens, sports courts, meditation gardens, coffee shops, study space, community meeting spaces 19. Smoke-free housing, SRO resident's advocacy 20. Fathering & parenting classes 21. Family reunification and family housing 22. Housing for Teen parents 23. Literacy for kids 24. Housing for those who are working, going to school, are clean, and have family 25. Skid Row library, lending shop for appliances, household goods, tools, etc oate:_--:~-e,~(z_:::!:-/..!..ltl_~ Subm.'tied in ftCA) Committee Gc-,mcil File No: ( 0~ z_y t./D. ·.:en i~o. ~ == _ ~:~:~'(_ To: Honorable Herb Wesson, Chair - Housing, Community, and Economic Development Committee 3-2-11 The Skid Row community organized, strategized and invited the City to hear our input at two meetings held October 28 111 and February 3'd. Eighty people attended October 28th and approximately 45 attended the second meeting. After thorough examination of the 37111 Year Plan, it is clear that our inpnt is not reflected. That is why we are here. In the spirit of cooperation, and rather than seeking new changes to the plan, we present the following 2 priorities in regards to the 3 7111 Program Year Plan: 1. (Footnotes 54- 57) We request that one of the new Business Source Programs be located in the Skid Row area between Los Angeles St., East 3'd St., Alameda St., and E. 7111 St. We would like to be a part of the selection process for the site location. Several ideas for small businesses have arisen from the Skid Row community. We look forward to assisting these initiatives as they "start, operate and expand in Los Angeles". We have developed relationships with private sector investors who support this priority. 2. (Footnote 80) We further request that half of the 1250 trees being planted in "the most-underserved communities in the city" be planted within the above mentioned boundaries of Skid Row. We also ask that one half of the "40 disadvantaged, low-income youth, ages 13-24" be hired from the Skid Row community. We recognize that we are engaging the system at the end of the process for the 37' 11 Year Plan. We have chosen 2 priorities that we believe are doable, and reasonable. We look forward to working within the system from the beginning for the 38 111 Year Plan. Thank you for your renewed and continued attention to the people of Skid Row. Peace always, Beth Mueller Stakeholder Member- Central City Community Church T hecabin 1(i/Jgmail. com oete: __-:;_::J.~.::....:....:....-~ ?J(z_/t! submitted In tf CtP Committee Council File No::JD~ 1-tftO . hA . ( 1 Good Morning City Reperesentives, and Lady's and Gentle Men, We the people of Downtown Los Angeles Skid Row Area would like to see a building designated specifically for a Personal Development Center/Life Skills Center, that will teach us the mechanics of human of behavior(\W\~c\ <9~\l><•t b T.-e.es ~rte vCIJ.J<3f" We believe .this is needed to help us Learn and develop skills to be able '\>4ffi:>h~} to get along in society and working environment. In This Consolidated Plan are there finances to develop this Center? 2 \ 3 4 •"0 r.e~ ,IJ(;u: ( Jv 0 V / .r/e (/\ R~ ;:;/Jv% II Jc~rry !lf/£~'?1& tt} .'J .. JJt ·il l·fw . lfjj.Af Le- 5 6 1 Good Morning City Reperesentives, and Lady's and Gentle Men, We the people of Downtown Los_ Angeles Skid Row Area would like to see a building designated specifically for a Personal Development Center/Life Skills Center, that will teach us the mechanics of human of behaviq;~~~~t We believe this is needed to help us Learn and develop skills to be able "'"'""""''l't~) to get along in society and working environment. In This Consolidated Plan are there finances to develop this Center? Date Print Name Address Phone rb·l S. tJl!/ n:drt) (~/3 J)()·/} Ljo 3 .8 cS'~'fr- TZ3 ~'!>~1:--&?F:; 2 I!. / 3 I k~ ------+-----·--·--+------+---·------+----- 1?~ /1~--~------~------~------+----- IW,rw------+------+------~------~----- { 'o/~---+------~------t------~--- lp~l------l------1------+------+--- i'b9)r------+-----+------i------+--- .~ n~ 7f~----~------~------~------~----- 72) "'-3) l-----+------l----~-----+---- r7(;r------+------+------l-----+----- ''XJ '----+------+------+-----+--- t79---+-----+-----1------1---- Dear City Representatives, Ladies and Gentle Men, February 16, 2011 My name is Rita Marie Arroyo; I'm 56 years old and a resident in the Downtown Skid Row Area. I have lived in Downtown Skid Row since 2004. In our last meeting I had asked if in this consolidated plan, if there was monies for Personal Development Center I Counseling Centers. The City Representative responded with directing my attention to a Facility, outside the Local Downtown Skid Row Area. We are in need of Personal Development Center/ Counseling Centers in the local Downtown Skid Row area. In the last seven years living in Downtown Skid Row, I watch people go from program to program and have little or no success at all, including myself. Every program offered the same thing, job readiness, dress for success, how to create a resume and having to save 75% of our income. We have also been offered transitional housing, which is about Three months, waiting for Permanente housing. If we have not attain any Permanente housing within the Three month period, we are back to another transitional housing or shelter home, like union rescue mission, new image shelter or the streets. We also are put on waiting Jist for housing with, Skid Row Housing and Skid Row Housing and Trust, for 6mos to 1 year. This is all good, but what about after you get a job? Or what about holding that job, or getting along with other tenants and with other co-workers ect. The people running these programs do not have the proper personal development skills themselves and lack life skill training to help the people of Downtown Skid Row. Their interest is making sure we signed in, so that they can get funded. There was no interest at all in helping reach some kind of hope in gaining personal and social skills. No fault of theirs, just lack of Personal Development Skills and the proper tools needed. Which puts some of us back where we started from, leaving us with no hope of ever gaining wholeness, security, belonging, stability destiny, and a sense of dignity. The people in Downtown Skid Row have pretty much lost hope of any real success in gaining wholeness, security, belonging, stability, destiny and a sense of dignity. I have talked to countless of people here in Downtown Skid Row and I have ask them why don't they get into these programs being offered, and like myself, we all say the same thing. We are just a number, treated disrespectfully and have many strict guide lines. Too many of us have been disappointed in our lives. What we need, is a place where we can learn about social skills and about ourselves and an understanding of why we do what we do, and the right social skills and proper life skills to achieve a future life for ourselves. I had the opportunity to work for a program funded by City of Los Angeles and this is what I experienced, a place of lack of interest, no motivation, no patients, and very disrespectful in dealing with the clients. The supervisors, employees and I did not know how to help the people here in this program. The employees let them know that they were not interested in what they had to say, just follow the program rules or get out, no compassion. The clients were treated very disrespectfully, which caused most of the them to quit and never return back to the program. Most of these people are back in their addictions getting high on drugs, alcohol and dealing drugs, just to comfort and help themselves, so they won't have to feel all the rejection, hopelessness, pain. This is a vicious cycle that we are going through, when does it end? One of the clients from this program had died from an overdose of drugs. He was found in a hotel room with a needle by his side. He was my client; I was so heartbroken, hurt and upset. I was fired because of not being able to cope with what I saw. My supervisor and co-workers have no proper tools and life skills training to help these people themselves. No fault of theirs, they just didn't have the tools, or the understanding how to address these problems the people have. This is why I step in and ask that we have Personal Development Centers I Counseling Centers right here in Downtown Skid Row. The majority of the people in Downtown Skid Row are survivors, of dysfunctional families, abandonment as children, survivors of domestic violence between parents, survivors of child abused, survivors of molestation, and survivors of rape, survivors as wards of the courts and survivors from the system. Who are repeating that cycle, never being able to experience a normal family life and a somewhat successful life. The majorities of the people of Downtown Skid Row, have been robbed of the proper tools in life, and are not able to be successful adults. So we run and medicate ourselves with drugs and alcohol to stop the frustration and emptiness and pain we feel and so, are mark as mentally ill and sent to mental health programs where we are diagnose as mentally ill and given medications that make us worst then when we got there. We are not crazy or out of our minds, we just never got the social skills we needed to function in society. Well someone please help. I can identify with the people in Downtown Skid Row. I was a child who survived abandonment as child and survived molestation and survived being a ward of the courts since 8 to 18 years. I was toss to and fro from foster home to foster home, McLaren Hall, Penny Lane, never able to developed stability, I was very angry at life and would not let anyone come into my life, rejected anything good that would try to come into my life. Did not know how to trust anyone or how to embrace life or enjoy life as a child, teenager, young adult, and adult. I lived in the streets, in parks and behind people's homes. My clothing came from their clothes lines. I fought to survey what I didn't know and never taught. Hoping and wishing that one day the right person would come along and help me to understand myself and why I had to have a raw deal in life and how to get out. As a young mother at 17 I was raped, verbally, emotionally abused and beat up, went through many abortions, dragged through the streets at 5 months pregnant by the city drug dealer who is the father of my three children, I began to sleeping pills and would overdose almost every time I took them. I was hopeless, homeless and didn't care. This is only part of what I had to experience because of no proper social skills and life skills in my life. I recently completed a class at a center where they were teaching "The Mechanics of Human Behaviors" a Personal Development class, where I was able to identify with the instructor was teaching. I was able to cry and vent out, and write my life story and confront these things that had happen to me and that have kept me from moving forward. I learned that these behaviors were taught to me and I repeated the cycle. I was taught new social skills to help me deal with these behaviors; I was able to share with others in the group what took place in my life .I cried and so did they. We all were excited to come back the next day. We all found a ray of hope in this Personal skill Development Class. Today I have hope for my future, and I have created an integrity structure for myself. I know where I want to go. Since then I have gotten Permanente housing, and seeking employment and I'm continuing to use my new tools in my daily life. I'm happy, hopeful, and have a sense of belonging, dignity and destiny. Today I take 100% responsibility for how I feel, think, and act. My point in saying all this is, I truly believe we are in need of Personal Development Center planted right here in the heart of Los Angeles Downtown Skid Row. This will not only help the people of Los Angeles Downtown Skid Row, but will also create new employment for people. There is a group of professionals ready to get busy. My passion and vision is to see the people in Downtown Skid Row find rest for their souls and to see centers planted in the Downtown Skid Row Area along with the surrounding Community's of City of Los Angeles. So again I ask the City Representatives, Ladies and Gentle Man, in this consolidated plan do we have monies for these Personal Development Center I Counseling Centers? Thank you Sincerely, Rita Marie Arroyo