South Central's Housing Problem

According to HUD, cost-burdened families are those “who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing” and “may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and medical care.” Severe rent burden is defined as paying more than 50 percent of one’s income on rent. Data from the Joint Center for Housing Studies tabulation 1960-2014, the Decennial Census, and 2001-2014 American Community Services, cost-burdened renters have been increasing across time. In 1960. 11.9% of renters were severely cost burdened and 23.8% of renters were all-cost burdened. Reaching a peak in 2010, 27.3% of renters were severely burdened and 50.2% of renters were all-cost burdened. A 15.4% increase for severely burdened renters and a 26.4% increase for all-cost burdened renters. Los Angeles has become one of the biggest coastal cities in America where rent has increased more than income

In the pre-civil rights era, the real estate industry openly blocked African Americans from moving into predominantly white neighborhoods either as homeowners or renters. Programs that were created by government to promote home-ownership were blocked for use by African Americans and other minorities. Government promoted home-ownership by insuring mortgages and lowering interest on those loans. This program created in 1934 essentially blocked use of these loans to African Americans neighborhoods by redlining those areas designating on maps in red as credit unworthy. White Americans, on the other hand, used these loans after World War II, which then adopted restrictive zoning laws that still effectively operate to make many homes unaffordable for lower-income black families (Jost, 2017, p. 261). The Federal Home Ownership Loan Corp.’s practice of designating predominantly minority neighborhoods created the new word of redlining. South Central Los Angles is an area located directly south of Downtown Los Angeles. This neighborhood stretches east to west along the 10 Santa Monica Freeway and runs north and south along the 110 Harbor Freeway. The South Central area is made up of various neighborhoods. Located on the west side are neighborhoods such as West Adams, Jefferson Park, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw, View Park-Windsor Hills, and Hyde Park. Located on the East side are neighborhoods such as Central-Alameda, Florence, South Park, and Florence and Firestone. Located on the South side are neighborhoods such as Watts, Willowbrook, Broad-Manchester, Westmont, and Athens. In the heart of South Central are neighborhoods such as Vermont-Slauson, Exposition Park, Vermont Knolls, Harvard Park, Gramercy Park, and Manchester Square. The Housing First and Rapid Re-Housing programs were utilized by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and helps homeless victims of domestic violence and related crimes. HUD serves about 1 million people including chronically homeless adults and families at imminent risk of homelessness (Katel, 2017, p. 207). Housing First is not a one-size fits all strategy and critics say families struggling with poverty, employability and lack of education don’t qualify for lifetime supportive housing, so rapidly rehousing them may not keep them from another bout of homelessness (Katel, 2017, p. 207). Some argue that shelters should be turned into temporary housing with educational, job-training, and other services on site. More has to be done to combat the problem of homelessness and some agencies argue that homelessness is not just about a lack of housing, it is embedded in a pattern of residential instability, a crisis of housing, but not separate to other issues like poverty and redlining (Katel, 2017, p. 208). Issues such as these will be analyzed and discussed to explore the effects these practices have on an area such as South Central Los Angeles. 

Neighborhoods in this region have a higher concentration in the black population showing greater than 8,926 residents in those neighborhoods. Historic South-Central, Central-Alameda, and University Park have an average of 4,463 black residents. Making this region of Los Angles primarily constructed of Black population. Diversity is not represented in this area as it is predominately made up of black population. 

The Hispanic population is mostly located on the eastern side of South Central Los Angeles. The Hispanic population in these areas such as Central-Alameda and Florence represent 40,000 or more residents. Both minority groups are living with each other competing for resources.

The Non-Hispanic White population is not represented in South Central Los Angeles. University Park represents the most white residents showing 6,000 residents in that area. The rest of South Central show less than 1,500 white residents.

Areas showing high renter-occupied housing units are Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw with 9,003 units. This finding is interesting because Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw also demonstrated high amounts of owner-occupied housing units. Other areas with high renter-occupied housing units are Vermont square with 8,405 units, Historic South-Central with 8,563 units, Florence with 7,712 units, Hyde Park with 7,187 units, Exposition Park with 7,024 units, Central-Alameda with 6,646 units, South Park with 5,235 units, and Watts with 6,356 renter-occupied housing units. Areas showing a low renter-occupied housing unit are shown to have a lighter shade. Those neighborhoods are Chesterfield Square, Harvard Park, Manchester Square, Gramercy Park. These neighborhoods represent 2,000-4,000 total units, and in all six areas half or less of the units are renter-occupied housing units. These finding suggest South Central residents are more likely to rent a housing unit rather than own a housing unit.

South Central that have high owner-occupied housing units and clusters that show low owner-occupied housing units. Map 3 legend demonstrates a high of 7,838 housing units, a median of 4,429 housing units, and a low of less than 1,000 owner-occupied housing units. Neighborhoods showing high owner-occupied housing units are in shown to be a darker shade. Neighborhoods showing darker shades are Hyde Park with 5,840 owner-occupied housing units, Vermont Square with 4,632 units, Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw with 4,031 units, Florence with 3,792 units, and Green Meadows with 3,516 owner-occupied housing units. Neighborhoods showing low owner-occupied housing units are represented in a lighter shade. Neighborhoods showing a lighter shade are Adams-Normandie with 1,054 owner-occupied housing units, University Park with 384 units, Chesterfield with 1,070 units, Harvard Park with 1,546 units, and all other areas representing a mean of 2,100 or below. These findings suggest South Central has more areas with less than 2,100 or less owner-occupied housing units. The opportunity for residents to own their own homes in South Central Los Angeles are not available. Only three areas in South Central demonstrate that residents have the opportunity to own their homes. 

Areas showing high renter-occupied housing units as demonstrated in the darker shade are Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw with 9,003 units. This finding is interesting because Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw also demonstrated high amounts of owner-occupied housing units. Other areas with high renter-occupied housing units are Vermont square with 8,405 units, Historic South-Central with 8,563 units, Florence with 7,712 units, Hyde Park with 7,187 units, Exposition Park with 7,024 units, Central-Alameda with 6,646 units, South Park with 5,235 units, and Watts with 6,356 renter-occupied housing units. Areas showing a low renter-occupied housing unit are shown to have a lighter shade. Those neighborhoods are Chesterfield Square, Harvard Park, Manchester Square, Gramercy Park. These neighborhoods represent 2,000-4,000 total units, and in all six areas half or less of the units are renter-occupied housing units. These finding suggest South Central residents are more likely to rent a housing unit rather than own a housing unit. South Central has a high rate of renter occupied housing units and those areas are also showing a high amount of complaints. 

Using an analysis feature on ARC GIS, a percent change map layer was created to represent how housing complaints have either increased or decreased from 2018-2019 as is displayed on Map 6. Darker green shaded clusters indicate an increase in complaints. Data for this layer is represented by tract geo-codes within district areas in South Central and features all block locations for those neighborhoods. Analyzing the data required averaging those geo-code locations within neighborhoods who display darker shades. Clusters located in the north that show a darker shade are Adams-Normandie that has an average of 122.5% increase in complaints from 2018-2019. Exposition Park shows an average of 212.5% increase in complaints. Clusters located in the east with darker shade of green are in Central-Alameda and Historic South Central neighborhoods displaying a 105% increase in complaints. Clusters located in the south with darker shade of green are Broadway-Manchester neighborhood having an average of 173.8% increase in complaints Clusters located in the west with darker shades are in Hyde Park having an average of 116.67% increase in complaints. Leimert Park has an average of 162.5% increase in complaints. West Adams, Baldwin Hills, and Crenshaw have an average of 283.33% increase in complaints from 2018-2019 having the highest percent in South Central. The majority of South Central reveal neighborhoods with increases in complaints rather than decreases in complaints. 

South Central household's have an income of $40,000 or less. These residents are at or below the poverty line of $50,000 household income.

South Central Los Angeles residents have a median household income of $40,000 or less. This map layers represents the residents who pay 50% or more of their household income on rent. All 28 neighborhoods in South Central score high. 2/3 of residents in the area are paying 50% or more of their income on rent when their median household income is at $40,000 or less leaving little room to be able to save funds.

South Central Los Angeles is a region of Los Angeles County containing 28 neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are disproportionately African American and show little no diversity within the region. They have been essentially redlined in South Central. Neighborhood segregation is alive and well in South Central with federal government programs such as Section 8 and federal programs that offer tax credits to developers who develop affordable housing units in the region. These neighborhoods represent an uneven ratio of owner-occupied housing units and renter-owned housing units. More residents live in a rental unit than a home-owner unit. This correlates with complaints in the region. The higher the amount of renter occupied housing units, the higher the amount of increase in complaints in those neighborhoods. Analyzing complaints in the region, neighborhoods experienced an increase in complaints from 2018-2019. In those neighborhoods there is a higher amount of renter occupied housing units than owner-occupied as some neighborhoods show a 3 to 1 ratio.

The Equal Opportunity Act of 1974 prohibited discrimination in the approval of credit applications on the bases of race, sex, national origin, marital status or receipt of public assistance, but HUD fails to enforce these practices that affect disproportionately African Americans, Hispanics, and minorities. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 gave dollar for dollar tax credits for developers to build or rehabilitate affordable housing. There has to be more accountability within these programs and policies. It starts with those at the top implementing and enforcing policies to help those minorities who are at risk. A check and balance system may be helpful to establish accountability and transparency. Developers, landlords, and real estate companies have to be held accountable for the actions they have taken throughout the years. Residents are complaining and those figures have only gone up and those families who are renting stay renters with little to no opportunity to become a homeowner. There is a need a to talk about HUD implementing more aggressively the affirmative marketing charge in the 1968 Fair Housing Act to eliminate segregated living patterns created by the FHA. To hold developers and landlords accountable requires the same effort by HUD to enforce and eliminate segregated patterns created by FHA a century ago. These policies of the past have generational effects as is evident in South Central.