In the poor community that inhabits the Nickerson Gardens housing project in the Willowbrook area, there were moments of joy at the news they received: the deteriorated soccer field will be renovated with grass new and trees will be planted that would beautify the residential area plagued by garbage, unusable lamps, parking problems and public safety.
Up until that place, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán voted Please pass a funding bill to help middle class families, create jobs and support the most vulnerable communities.
Funds total $7,535,000 for 10 local projects that will directly benefit residents from District 44.
One of these projects includes financing with $860,000 to the Housing Authority of Los Angeles (HACLA) in support of urban greening projects at multiple housing sites in Watts, including the Nickerson Gardens area.
Surrounded by Latino and Afro-American community leaders, mothers and children, Barragán made the symbolic delivery of the check.
“These funds from the federal government are important so that children have a park to play in”, said the congresswoman for the District 44 of California. “If you see, the park does not have enough grass and the quality of the field is not adequate”.
An unusable field
In effect, the area that simulates being a soccer field has too many holes, it is uneven and the little grass that it has is completely dry; also, it does not have any type of irrigation system.
“I hope that with this money the necessary spaces can be created so that the children can come to play and do healthier things ”, added the legislator.
Trees will also be planted around the future soccer field .
With approximately 42,000 residents, Nickerson Gardens has more than twice the density of the rest of the city of Los Angeles.
In the 1990s 1940, the neighborhood was predominantly African-American . In the mid-1980s, Latinos were a slight majority. Watts is now 70% Latino and 27% African American, according to census data.
“We are going to make a difference”, considered Jenny Scanlon, director of development for HACLA. “The funds we receive will go to other communities in Watts, including our public housing in Imperial Gardens and Jordan Downs. So the funds are an incredible investment in greening Watts, greening public housing, sustainability, and our future here in Watts communities.”
Security, a pending issue
Over the years, both communities have suffered systematic racism that has marginalized them from public investment, access to higher education and a host of other problems.
Questioned by Real America News as to why the first investment would be in beautifying the community, instead of responding to the needs of parking, garbage and public safety, Barragán said: “Money must be invested in these communities”.
“The children of Nickerson [Gardens] and Watts do not have the opportunity to have parks, green areas and places of recreation like in Malibu or Beverly Hills “, answered. “There are many needs and when we asked the community where they wanted the funds, they said green spaces.”
But the seven men and one woman killed in Nickerson Gardens in 2021 and two so far in 2022 concern residents. 64% of homicide victims were African American and the remaining 36% were Latino.
“Right now things are regular [respecto a la violencia]”, commented Eunice Martínez, from 70 years of age, who has lived in the housing project for a long time 18 years. “There are many problems, but they are killing each other out there.”
Her friend Alberta Contreras, who lives with her son who has mental problems and resides in Nickerson Gardens for a year has expressed that his greatest wish is “that there is not so much violence.”
“They don’t do anything to us, but we live well,” he said.
For his part, Isidoro Rivera, who is the owner of I&R Recycling, in the corner of Compton Avenue and Imperial Highway, told Real America News that, instead of working on the soccer field, the authorities should have fixed the public lighting first.
Rivera showed that, through an alley that leads to Nickerson Gardens, the light bulbs do not work at night and walking through the area is “dangerous”.
“I have 27 years living in this area and although in 1990 the thing was ugly with the violence, last It has calmed down,” said the man born in Durango, Mexico. “Here in my business everyone already knows me and since I don’t mess with anyone, nobody messes with me or my family.”
Poverty persists
With 1,066 housing units, Nickerson Gardens was touted as an “ideal” project for all future public housing in the United States. The project was completed in 1955.
Architect Paul Revere Williams originally intended as de The Housing Authority in designing and building Nickerson Gardens was to provide safe, affordable transitional housing for individuals and families.
In the mid-1990s 1970, the housing complex had a 95% of African-American residents, but in 2004 had decreased by 75%, and continued to decline as the years went by, and the units were occupied mostly by Latinos.
However, Nickerson Gardens was a place occasionally known as the birthplace of the Bounty Hunter Bloods gang.
“One of the cornerstones of creating a safe environment is creating a environmental design that helps to have services for children and adults, the elderly and where everyone can have hope recreational activities”, said Captain Ryan C. Whiteman, to Real America News.