- Judith Gutierrez
- (916) 319-2052
LOS ANGELES - Today, Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo presented a $1.5 million state budget allocation to the Los Angeles Regional Open Space and Affordable Housing (LA ROSAH) Collaborative for the Taylor Yard Equity Strategy (TYES), a community-driven effort prioritizing the needs of low-income communities to avoid displacement and to amplify community benefits, as the State continues important investments to transform the contaminated former railyard at Taylor Yard into healthy resilient green spaces.
In the coming years, Taylor Yard and the Los Angeles River will undergo major park, green infrastructure, transportation, and cultural projects that will benefit the surrounding communities and visitors from around the region, state, and beyond. TYES is thus a critical complement because it will document, develop, and implement innovative approaches for addressing the range of ways in which the new park may negatively affect adjacent neighborhoods.
“Through the state budget process, I am proud to have secured $1.5 million in much-needed funding for the Taylor Yard Equity Strategy project, a vital investment for the City of Los Angeles, which helps meet our housing development goals, green infrastructure projects, cleaning of contaminated soil and ultimately creating safe parks for families and children to enjoy,” said Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo. “Our communities are seeing massive changes and disruptions due to the high costs of rents and it’s become increasingly harder to achieve the American Dream of home ownership. Our goal is to ensure small businesses can thrive, families can prosper and that our focus remains steadfast on building inclusive, sustainable communities and where ultimately we are investing in the people of the City of Los Angeles.”
The State, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Board, and the City of Los Angeles have already invested millions of dollars in acquiring land, characterizing and cleaning up contamination, and building and improving park space at Taylor Yard. At least an additional $400 million will be invested at Taylor Yard in the coming years for cleanup and soil remediation, habitat restoration, and park development. However, these investments to improve green space on the River increase the likelihood of displacement for low-income residents in the surrounding communities.
"The City of Los Angeles is incredibly grateful to Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo for her support of the Taylor Yard Equity Strategy, which the Bureau of Engineering initiated as part of the revitalization work we are doing with the 100 Acre Partnership at Taylor Yard in Cypress Park," said City Engineer Ted Allen. "This effort is one of the first of its kind in Los Angeles, developed to address the potential impacts of gentrification along the Los Angeles River and allow low-income communities around the project to thrive in place, avoid displacement, and amplify community benefits. We are proud to be leading this effort with our community partners and the 100 Acre Partnership.”
The City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Resources Legacy Fund, the Trust for Public Land, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the University of California Los Angeles, and other public agencies, private philanthropy, nonprofits, and community-based organizations support the project.
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About Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo
Assemblywoman Carrillo was elected to serve in the State Assembly in December 2017. She represents the 52nd Assembly District, which includes East Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles, and South Glendale. She serves on the Assembly Committees on Appropriations, Emergency Management, Health, Labor and Employment, and the Joint Committee on Climate Change Policies. She also serves as the Chair of the Select Committee on Latina Inequities, Vice Chair of the Legislative Progressive Caucus, Commissioner for the California Film Commission, Commissioner for the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, and Member of the California Cultural and Historical Endowment Board.