Resilient Pacoima: A Plan For Building A Strong Community

[ABSTRACT ONLY; NO FULL TEXT] The neighborhood of Pacoima is an approximately seven square mile community located in the northeast region of the San Fernando Valley, surrounded by the city of San Fernando and Sylmar to the north, Lake View Terrace to the east, Shadow Hills and Sun Valley to the south, and Arleta and Mission Hills to the west. For centuries, the indigenous Tataviam tribe has inhabited Pacoima, or rather "Pacoinga Village," as it was called long before Jouette Allen purchased the land from U.S. Senator Charles Maclay in 1887 and formally founded the community. Though Allen anticipated that Pacoima would emerge as the next real estate destination for wealthy settlers traveling the Southern Pacific Railroad, the region's susceptibility to flooding proved Pacoima a land more suitable for agriculture. As the political and cultural movements of the 20th century transformed the demographic landscape of the Valley, namely with class and race playing a distinct role in land use and neighborhood boundaries, Pacoima remained a dignified, multi-generational, working class community. While Hansen Dam quite literally puts Pacoima on the map, many will recognize Pacoima as the hometown of famed "La Bamba" singer Ritchie Valens, while others visit the neighborhood to explore the street art along Mural Mile. Pacoima was and continues to be a primarily Latino community and exhibits the same sense of pride that was notably characteristic of the native Tataviam tribe. Pacoima in 2020 is a neighborhood of 103,689 residents. Its housing tenure boasts a rate of 61% owner-occupied homes - 22% higher than the average neighborhood rate in Los Angeles. Data shows that high school graduation and employment rates as well as median household income continue to grow in Pacoima, as job opportunities in retail, healthcare, and hospitality emerge as leading industries located within the community. While continued efforts to educate, house, and employ the current population have merit, certain characteristics of the neighborhood pose challenges for residents both now and in the near future. Geographically, Pacoima is categorized as a flood, fire, and liquefaction zone, making the neighborhood vulnerable to natural disaster. Transit is limited and roadway infrastructure has proven to be a threat to both drivers and pedestrians. The community lacks open space and fresh, slow-cooked dining options, jeopardizing community-wide health and wellness. These risk factors, however, are not unique to Pacoima; what is unique, though, is the community's willingness to address the state of the neighborhood head on and take steps toward strengthening the place that generations of families have called and still call home. A critical approach to creating a stronger community is to work toward a state of resilience. In planning, resilience implies that the conditions of a community will not only remain unaffected in the face of gradual or spontaneous change but will emerge from enduring such a change with the resources to continue building and growing. The types of changes that test resiliency vary, from natural disasters to housing crisis to pandemics. With a resiliency plan in place, neighborhoods such as Pacoima can prepare for change and feel confident in residents' ability to unite and problem-solve at a community-wide level. To create a resiliency plan for Pacoima, our team of researchers identified societal indicators that would enable us to analyze where Pacoima stands currently, and where there is room for improvement toward resilience. These indicators include employment, food resources, housing, crime, open space, energy use, transportation and transit, emergency preparedness, and community connection. While secondary data was collected via scholarly research, primary data sources were heavily relied upon for the most accurate and current representation of Pacoima. To retrieve this data, our team partnered with neighborhood organization Pacoima Beautiful to: 1) plan and facilitate community meetings that served as a venue for constructive commentary on the most pressing issues in Pacoima, according to residents; 2) connect with experts relative to each indicator for the purpose of one-on-one interviews; and 3) conduct community surveys - both online and in person - to gauge residents' level of concern for each indicator and to receive feedback and suggestions on our findings. What resulted is our interpretation of the state of Pacoima in relation to the identified indicators and through the eyes of the community, paired with our highest recommendations with respect to community concern and sense of urgency, in order to compile a thorough plan towards resilience. For a population to be resilient, it must have at its foundation a sense of community strong enough to endure societal and environmental changes. One factor that impacts sense of community is perception of safety. If neighbors do not feel safe around one another or outside of their homes, there leaves little opportunity to strengthen that communal bond. Crime rate contributes to this level of perceived safety; increased crime inherently lowers feelings of security. While the causes of crime often have complex psychological roots, population data resources and crime mapping technology serve as a starting point for assessing the current state of crime, in an attempt to prevent it. This data paints a foundational picture of crime: what offenses are being committed, where, and sometimes even by whom. The numbers allow for a comparison against other indicators of the state of a society, such as high school graduation, employment, and poverty rates, as well as median household income. Collectively, the data can provide insight into the concentration of crime in a community and pinpoint areas and demographics at higher risk; such methods were incorporated into this resiliency planning for Pacoima. Within the context of Los Angeles, Pacoima compares to the rest of the county on average as so: 47.7% of Pacoima residents have less than a high school education, whereas in greater Los Angeles the figure is 24.1%. Unemployment in Pacoima, as of 2017, was at 12.8%, compared to 7.8% in greater Los Angeles. In Pacoima, the highest percent of the population, 26.6%, falls into the Extremely Low-Income category, while in greater Los Angeles, the majority, 36.8%, falls into the Above Middle-Income category. The median household income for Pacoima is $47,655, and $57,952 in greater Los Angeles. As of 2019, Pacoima is ranked 65th most dangerous for Violent Crimes, and 100th most dangerous for Property Crimes out of 209 neighborhoods across the county. Over a six-month period, 164 Violent Crimes were committed in Pacoima, in addition to 577 Property Crimes, for an average of 91.1 crimes per 10,000 people. Feedback from community events and surveys reveal that the high presence of crime in Pacoima is not lost on its residents, and that crime rate is a prioritized concern. Areas of high crime are in plain sight: affordable housing projects, homeless encampments, and public open spaces and parks are all areas of observed crime and thus, areas known to avoid. Where the disconnect lies between high rates of crime and high rates of concern is in the reporting of crimes and the underutilization of community programs and aid. Survey results indicate that residents are at best indifferent to the police presence in Pacoima; the relationship between the community and the police is strained from decades of mistrust and mistreatment. This apprehension deters residents from seeking help and contradicts the institution of policing as a public good and service designed to defend communities. Through 2019, the task force assigned to Pacoima was smaller than neighboring communities as well. While there are dozens of organizations in place to protect victims of crime, such as those at risk of domestic abuse or youth gang initiation, as well as programs that provide assistance for those dealing with homelessness, addiction, or mental health issues, the research shows that outreach efforts seem to be lacking as most residents are unaware that these programs exist in the community. Feedback from the Pacoima Neighborhood Council did offer some promise for the future, though. First comes the success of a community-wide event in partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department and representatives from community outreach programs, called National Night Out. Second is a newly launched 10-officer unit stationed in Pacoima's San Fernando Gardens housing project, which plans to work with residents to address community-specific needs; officers will assume a mediator role rather than one of authority. Based on this analysis, our suggestion is a two-prong recommendation that will, if successful, strengthen the relationship between police and residents in Pacoima, and educate residents regarding the available resources in their community that focus on safety and wellbeing. The previously mentioned 10-officer task force, called the Community Safety Partnership, is an innovative and promising program that could decrease crime by repairing community-specific issues in the community rather than policing it, while simultaneously providing activities for children and families in cooperation with the officers, thus creating a network of familiarity and good faith. It is recommended that the City of Los Angeles be attentive to the progress of the Partnership and dutifully monitor its success; if the Partnership proves to be a positive update for Pacoima, then it is crucial that funding continues for the Partnership. Once the Partnership is established, the 10 officers should make it a priority to collaborate with community organizations that aim to help prevent crime and protect victims, in order to educate residents about this available aid. Whether in the form of community events, seminars, classroom visits, or the like, there should be an engaging and transparent system in place to increase outreach and usership. Crime rate is already a measured resource; however, consulting community feedback has revealed that the published crime rate may not be accurate, as residents do not always report crimes. It is necessary to not only compare crime rates before and after implementation of the Partnership but to also seek feedback from the community as to whether they feel the program is making a difference. Lower crime rates and higher community support will indicate that the recommendation is successful. With a decrease in crime, awareness of police and program aid, and stronger bonds between the residents and police, Pacoima will strengthen its sense of community and sense of safety. In response to any shocks or stresses, a community built on trust and security will be more resilient. If Pacoima residents, the City of Los Angeles, the Community Safety Partnership, and the affiliated community organizations can adopt this recommendation and make it a priority, it is likely that Pacoima will evolve into a safer, stronger community based on trust and protection, making for a more resilient neighborhood.