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About CRA/LA
Facts at a Glance

CRA/LA's redevelopment work program is classified into five major categories by type of activity. Each activity type represents a CRA/LA priority in redevelopment:

  1. Economic Development
    Activities designed to improve the economic environment of a neighborhood through development that facilities expansion of existing businesses and attraction of new businesses, including retail, commercial, and industrial uses.

  2. Housing
    CRA/LA's housing set-aside funds, provided through tax increment financing are used for rehabilitation, homeownership and multifamily rental housing in redevelopment project areas.

  3. Public Improvements
    These are primary infrastructure-related activities such as street and sidewalk improvements, street lightning, facade improvements, etc.  These improvements enhance the aesthetics of a neighborhood, thereby making the neighborhood more competive for business retention and growth.

  4. Mixed Use
    These are developments that contain a variety of uses, such as housing, retail and community space on one project site.

  5. Community Development
    Activities designed to improve the overall livability of a neighborhood through the facilitation of public services such as transit centers, parks, public art, libraries, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 undefined Management Priorities

The CRA/LA has identified a number of important management initiatives and policies that we intend to pursue this year in addition to our priority development projects. These management initiatives are derived from the CRA/LA’s overall mission and reflect Agency-wide issues that impact redevelopment activities throughout our seven regions.

Opportunities
The South Los Angeles project areas are “resource limited,” meaning the tax-increment revenue they generate is too small to support significant work programs. In addition, the project area boundaries in South Los Angeles generally encompass only long, narrow commercial corridors that severely limit their use as readily developable sites. For these reasons, it has been difficult for redevelopment activities in South Los Angeles to reach the same level of investment found in other regions.

In spite of these obstacles, new housing developments are being proposed or are opening in South  Los Angeles, including eight new, single-family market-rate, ground-up, in-fill housing units completed along Florence Avenue in the Western/Slauson  area and 50 new single-family homes approved along the Broadway Corridor in Broadway/Manchester. In addition, a $40 million, mixed-use, 172-unit, for-sale condominium project by the Bedford Group will open soon along Santa Rosalia Drive in the Crenshaw-Baldwin Hills community. 

Private developers are beginning to recognize the opportunities we know exist in South Los Angeles. We plan to work cooperatively with other City departments to identify and prepare sites, eliminate bottlenecks in the approval system, resolve potential infrastructure problems that inhibit development and attract private investors with an easy-to-understand set of incentives to development.

In addition to ensuring that all of our project areas participate in our growth and success, I have established other key management priorities.

Creating Jobs
A key CRA/LA objective is to create quality, well-paying jobs in our redevelopment project areas through economic development projects and through policies that encourage job creation in projects receiving our assistance. In 2003, CRA/LA adopted policies requiring the payment of living wages in certain projects receiving a threshold level of financial assistance. We also expanded the inclusion of community benefit programs in larger scale projects, with provisions for local hiring for both construction and long-term, permanent jobs. 

In cooperation with the City Planning Department, the CRA/LA is identifying areas currently zoned for industrial use that have the greatest potential for quality job creation. Working with other agencies and departments, we will then define and remove barriers to job attraction in those areas, such as removing obsolete structures, improving the infrastructure, attracting private investment and, most critically, coordinating existing job skills and training programs with the skills and needs of targeted job sectors. 

Building Affordable Housing and Reducing Homelessness
Creating quality affordable housing is another major component of CRA/LA’s mission. Maintaining and expanding the supply of affordable housing is a state mandate for redevelopment agencies. However, in addition to satisfying a state mandate to set aside not less than 20% of tax increment and bond proceeds for affordable housing, since 2003, the CRA/LA has provided an additional 5% of funds for the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Through the end of FY06, over $21 million was available for this fund. The CRA/LA is also providing $10 million toward a $50 million Permanent Supportive Housing Initiative, funded as well by the Los Angeles Housing Department, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Initially, this fund is expected to create 300 units of housing for chronically homeless individuals, homeless families and youths and others at high risk of homelessness.

Enhancing Community Relations
The CRA/LA mission to revitalize communities throughout Los Angeles and its successful revitalization efforts are built on a foundation of community engagement. Our projects and programs vary from mixed-use residential developments to commercial façade improvements to construction of recreation and community service centers. All our communities are different and have unique needs. Because it is critical that we understand the needs and aspirations of the communities we serve and communicate accurate and timely information about our plans and programs, we are expanding our emphasis on community relations and outreach. 

Currently, the CRA/LA receives advice and input through a variety of sources. The most common are elected or appointed advisory committees. We also work closely with neighborhood councils since most of our redevelopment project areas are within the boundaries of one or more such councils. In addition, we are reaching out to more small businesses, schools, business improvement districts, chambers of commerce and arts organizations. We seek to gain more insights into community needs and expectations and to provide additional channels to disseminate redevelopment information, including how community members can access redevelopment assistance. One mechanism that will get increased usage is the recently initiated, “community context” attachments to board memoranda. These address the impacts of larger-scale developments on surrounding neighborhoods and identify community-based issues raised by these projects. We know that when the community is informed, involved and engaged, we create better projects that truly meet the needs of our City.

Being “Business Friendly”
Because the CRA/LA works in physically and economically challenged areas of the City, much of our effort is directed to reducing perceived and actual risk to attract private sector investment. To do so, CRA/LA must work to streamline approval processes, eliminate delays and uncertainties and facilitate private sector involvement. To that end, we are continually examining workflow processes to reduce inefficiencies and delays and to make the project review and approval process smooth and seamless, while assuring quality projects that create livable, sustainable communities. We seek to make our project areas the easiest locations for private sector investment and development.    

Improving the Livability of Our Urban Environment
As we attract new growth and investment in our project areas we must ensure that our efforts are informed by a commitment to sustainable development. Elegant density, transit-oriented development, superior design, energy-efficient buildings, investments in storm water capture and reuse, water-efficient landscaping, creation of pocket parks and community gardens, and expansion of our urban forest are all components of CRA/LA’s comprehensive approach to enhancing the livability of our neighborhoods. Even as we accommodate more residents and grow more jobs, CRA/LA will be doing its part to ensure that Los Angeles is the greenest big city in America.