The Unseen Damage : South-Central Homes Suffered in Quake--and They Need Aid

The Northridge earthquake joins an endless cycle of calamity from which there seems to be little relief. The residents of South-Central are still waiting for the aid promised from the ’92 riots. Some of the senior residents wonder what happened to the aid from the Watts riots in ’65.

There isn’t any question that the bulk of the relief should be allocated to those areas that were hardest hit. No one in South-Central wants help at the expense of their neighbors in the valleys. However, we need financial assistance, and we expect the leadership of our elected officials in acquiring it now .

Nature’s earthquake has hit at the heart of our community, our housing. The damages on an individual basis may not seem significant, but the cumulative impact is. The numbers, if and when anyone adds them up, will be staggering. Toppled chimneys, cracked plaster and broken appliances may cost each household several hundred to several thousand dollars. Those costs are on people who have no reserves left with which to pay: people on the edge, hanging on with their fingertips; working-class people without work; retirees whose homes are their only security; tenants who cannot afford to move.

The response by government must be on as many levels as are available. Officials need to understand that there is not one simple solution that will apply to all the diverse problems that exist. It is important and appropriate that the federal government offer its assistance through FEMA. Low-interest loans from the Los Angeles Housing Authority and county property tax assessment reductions are certainly going to be helpful as well. My neighbors and I have asked the help of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency.

I serve as chairman of the housing and planning subcommittee of the Project Area Committee, and have been, when necessary, a vocal critic of the CRA’s shortcomings. However, the damage caused by the quake mandates that we put any past differences behind us and cooperate in moving a program forward that will have a direct and immediate benefit in our community.

The CRA has the infrastructure and the bureaucratic mechanisms to help now. They have the project managers, the planners, the housing specialists and the field inspectors. They have the surveys, the studies, the loan officers, the community liaisons.

They also have something no other governmental entity has: community participation. Through the PACs, the CRA has instant access to neighborhoods that need the help. Neighbor to neighbor, members of the community can help identify and assist those in need.

With repairs will come jobs--small jobs to be sure, but jobs for local contractors. Jobs that will take men and women from our community and let them earn a paycheck. Those paychecks will bring respect back to our community. Those repaired homes will bring pride back to our community.