HomestoHousing:TheCapitalMotivesBehindtheCityofLosAngelesSocialHousing DevelopmentinChavezRavine
The Land. Thelocationofabuildingproposalisarguablyoneofthemostimportantfactorsin anybuilding'sdesign,asitdictatesthecontextinwhichthebuildingexists,historically,atthepresent moment,andforthefuture InthecaseofElysianHeights,theLosAngelesHousingAuthoritywasin searchofanareato‘save’withthemoneygrantedtothemfromtheFederalHousingActof19491,which wouldallowthemtodemolishanyneighborhoodtheycategorizedasa“slum”andreplacetheexisting homeswithaseriesofhigh-densityhigh-riseapartmentcomplexesinanattemptto“develop”these “blighted”areas 2.TheCityofLosAngelesfoundLaLoma,Bishop,andPaloVerdeastheperfect communitytoprojecttheirpoliticalagendaonto,categorizebasedonoutwardobservationratherthan in-depthresearch,andusethesystematicoppressionagainstfamilieswhoimmigratedfromMexicoas wellasMexicanAmericanstoultimatelyexploitthisareaforthecapitalgainofthecityratherthanthe
1 “Housing Act of 1949,” American Planning Association, accessed January 3, 2025, https://wwwplanning org/awards/2014/1949housingact htm
2 Alexander, Robert Evans and Bryant, Drayton S , “Rebuilding a City: A Study of Redevelopment Problems in Los Angeles” (Haynes Foundation, 1951) accessed November 12, 2024 https://hdl handle net/2027/mdp 39015027871386?urlappend=%3Bseq=3
people.Thethreemainareasthatwereflaggedfor‘improvement’bytheHousingAuthorityandCity Plannerswerethestateofthestructuresinthisarea,thehealthofthepopulation,andfamiliesinthe communityitself
ThefirstreasonfortheneighborhoodsofChavezRavinetobechosenasthelocationforthe ElysianHeightshousingprojectwasduetothecitymakingaconsciousefforttodiscredittheexisting structuresandcommunitycentersthatwerealreadyinplace ThehousesthatadornedthehillsofElysian Parkwerelabeledas“flimsy,substandardconstruction”and“homemade,”3 revealingthecity'sbias againsthousesconstructedbytheowners,as manypropertiesinChavezRavinehadtobe self-constructedduetoredlininginLos Angeles,whichmadeitnearlyimpossiblefor peopleofcolorandnon-citizenresidentsto obtainhousing4.IntheUCLAarchives, imagescanbefoundtoshowtheactualstate oftheneighborhood,whichappearstolook likeanyotheremergingLosAngelesvillageat thetime5 Furthermore,theareawassaidto have“noindustriesandfewsmallcommercial enterprises”andthat“noeffortwasmadeby thedevelopers[...]orpublicagenciesofthat timetoestablishanintegratedpatternforcommunitydevelopment,”6 furtherpushingforwardthe narrativethatthisneighborhoodwaslackingincommunityspaces,completelyoverlookingtheschool, church,andparkthatallactedasculturalcentersforthecommunity7.EvenRichardNeutra,thearchitect behindElysianHeights,consideredit“theloveliestsluminthemostcharmingsettingwhichthecountry canboast,”8 althoughperpetuatingthenarrativethatthisareawasaslum,itbecomesclearthateventhose workingontheprojectwereawarethatthiscommunitywasinapositiontobedemolished.
ThesecondmotivebehindthislocationfortheElysianHeightsSocialHousinginitiativewasthe city’sabilitytotakeadvantageofsystemicdiscriminationagainstMexicansandMexicanAmericans withinthehealthcaresystemthatallowedinaccurateandfalsifiedrecordstobeleveragedintheirfavor. Whensurveyingtheareaforanyhealthorhygienicthreats,thecityfoundthatthe“tuberculosisrates [were]twicecityaverage,”9 introducingtheideathatthiscommunityisathreattothecityatlarge,and expandingontheexistingxenophobicnarrativethat“depicted[immigrantsfromLatinAmerica]asthe agentsofdiseaseratherthanitsvictims”oftenusedasatacticforpolicyregardingtighterbordercontrol
3 “Rebuilding a City; a Study of Redevelopment Problems in Los Angeles, by Robert E. Alexander and Drayton S Bryant ”
4 Chavez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story, documentary, 2003, posted April 12 2020, by Jordan Mechner, YouTube (9:50 and 12:32) https://wwwyoutube com/watch?v=eBOtKhAAUHs
5 “Hillside View of Chavez Ravine | UCLA,” accessed January 4, 2025, https://dl libraryucla edu/islandora/object/edu ucla libraryspecialCollections latimes:2366
6 “Rebuilding a City; a Study of Redevelopment Problems in Los Angeles, by Robert E Alexander and Drayton S Bryant ”
7 Eric Nusbaum, “Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between,” n d
8 Alex Ross, “Richard Neutra’s Architectural Vanishing Act,” The New Yorker, September 20, 2021, https://wwwnewyorkercom/magazine/2021/09/27/richard-neutras-architectural-vanishing-act
9 “Rebuilding a City; a Study of Redevelopment Problems in Los Angeles, by Robert E Alexander and Drayton S Bryant ”
Sincethisperiod,researchershavefound“severalinstancesofcarcinomaofthelungsandother nontuberculousconditionshavebeenfoundwhichhadbeenclinicallyconsideredtuberculous”,revealing thattheevidencethesenumbersarebasedonmaybeinaccurate Inaddition,“manylifeinsurance companiesdeniedbenefitstofamiliesincasesoftuberculosis”whichletmanprivatepractitionersto recordadifferentcauseofdeathoutofrespectfortheaffectedfamily;however,“many[Mexicansand MexicanAmericans]weretoopoortoconsultaprivatephysicianorpurchaselifeinsurance,”making them“especiallylikelytobelabeledtubercularinofficialreports,”10 onceagainshowinghowprivatized healthcareinAmericacreatesinequitabletreatmentofpatientsbasedonsocioeconomicfactors
Finally,theovershadowingreasonthislocationwasaprimespacetobuildtheElysianHeights Socialhousingwastheintegralracismwithinthegovernmentalsystemsinplacethatrenderedthepeople ofChavezRavineasundesirabletothecity IntheglobalprojectMappingInequalitythatexposesthe governmentdocumentsbehindredliningintheUnitedStates,itshowsthatChavezRavinewas categorizedas“dilapidatedandinhabitedbyahighlyheterogeneousandsubversivepopulation”11 , perpetuatingtheideathatitsresidentswereinoppositiontothegovernmentandinvasivetothecityitself However,inthecourthearingsthattookplaceaftertheHousingAuthorityissuedthedisplacementofthe residents,awomancameforwardstatingthat“Mysondiedformyproperty,canyoureplacemyson?”12 bringingtolightthatthesepeoplehadasmuchstakeinAmericaasanyotherresident,beingpatriotic enoughtoleavetheirneighborhoodanddiefortheircountry,yetAmericawouldn’tevenprotecttheir neighborhoodlongenoughforthemtoreturntoit Thefatalflawintheproposedsocialhousingplanwas thepromisetogiveresidentsofChavezRavinefirstchoiceofunitswithinthenewcomplex,however ‘‘FederalLawdoesnotpermit[theresidentstoliveinpublichousing]unlesstheyarecitizens,’’notto mention“Homeownerswerealsoineligibleforpublichousing,”13 whichmeansthemajorityofthe populationwouldnotevenbepermittedtolivethere,onceagainprovingthatthecity'smotiveswerenot toimprovethisareabutrathertoostracizeanddisplacetheexistingpopulationforthebenefitsofthe city’simage,notthepeople'swelfare
Afterthedemolitionofthefourneighborhoodsin1959,thefearoftheCommunistPartyin AmericaledtotheElysianHeightsproposalneverbeingbuilt,andinsteadthelandwassoldtothe BrooklynDodgers,whobuilttheDodgerStadium,puttingLosAngelesonthemapofUSbaseball Thus, theCityofLosAngeles'trueintentionsbehindthesocialhousingschemeinChavezRavinewas ultimatelynottoimprovethelivingconditionsoftheexistingpopulationbutrathertoplaceahighervalue onthelandandthecityasawhole.Thebiasresearch,classism,andracialdiscriminationrootedinthe governmentsystemsofLosAngelesthatledtothisresultarestillintegraltothewaythecityrunstoday, ifnotevenmoreso It’svisibleinthedrasticdifferencebetweeneachneighborhoodyoupassthrough, eachtrainlineyoutake,andeveryparkyouvisit.Despitethis,thepeoplestillfindwaystocometogether, whetherattheorangish-brownparkbenches,thestadiumbleachers,orthefruitstanddownthestreet
10 Emily K Abel, “From Exclusion to Expulsion: Mexicans and Tuberculosis Control in Los Angeles, 1914–1940,” n d
11 “Mapping Inequality,” accessed November 8, 2024, https://dsl richmond edu/panorama/redlining/
12 Mechner, Chavez Ravine, at 11:30
13 Ronald W López, “Community Resistance and Conditional Patriotism in Cold War Los Angeles: The Battle for Chavez Ravine,” Latino Studies 7, no 4 (December 2009): 457–79, https://doi org/10 1057/lst 2009 38
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Abel, Emily K. “From Exclusion to Expulsion: Mexicans and Tuberculosis Control in Los Angeles, 1914–1940,” n d
American Planning Association “Housing Act of 1949 ” Accessed January 3, 2025
https://wwwplanning org/awards/2014/1949housingact htm
Chavez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story, 2020 https://wwwyoutube com/watch?v=eBOtKhAAUHs
HathiTrust “Rebuilding a City; a Study of Redevelopment Problems in Los Angeles, by Robert E Alexander and Drayton S Bryant ” Accessed November 12, 2024
https://hdl handle net/2027/mdp 39015027871386?urlappend=%3Bseq=3
“Hillside View of Chavez Ravine | UCLA ” Accessed January 4, 2025
https://dl libraryucla edu/islandora/object/edu ucla libraryspecialCollections latimes:2366
López, Ronald W “Community Resistance and Conditional Patriotism in Cold War Los Angeles: The Battle for Chavez Ravine ” Latino Studies 7, no 4 (December 2009): 457–79
https://doi org/10 1057/lst 2009 38
“Mapping Inequality” Accessed November 8, 2024
https://dsl richmond edu/panorama/redlining/ Nusbaum, Eric “Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between,” n d
Ross, Alex “Richard Neutra’s Architectural Vanishing Act ” The New Yorker, September 20, 2021
https://wwwnewyorkercom/magazine/2021/09/27/richard-neutras-architectural-vanishin g-act
FIGURES
“Kt1g50252r-D3e7482.Jpg (699×600).” Accessed January 4, 2025. https://cdn.calisphere.org/data/13030/2r/kt1g50252r/files/kt1g50252r-d3e7482.jpg.
“Hillside View of Chavez Ravine | UCLA.” Accessed January 4, 2025. https://dl.library.ucla.edu/islandora/object/edu.ucla.library.specialCollections.latimes:2366