City of LA recruiting community members for $8.5 million participatory budget pilot

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a pilot program that gives residents control over an $8.5 million budget, an initiative aimed at addressing racial and economic injustice.

"We're giving nine historically disenfranchised communities almost $9 million to decide where and how we will spend that money," said Garcetti on Thursday.

L.A. REPAIR, a pilot program, is under the city's civil rights department.

The nine communities selected include:

• Arleta - Pacoima

• Boyle Heights

• Mission Hills - Panorama City- North Hills

• Skid Row

• South Los Angeles

• Southeast Los Angeles

• West Adams - Baldwin Village - Leimert park

• Westlake

• Wilmington - Harbor Gateway

"These are communities where at least 87% of the people are people of color," said Garcetti.

At least 16% are living in poverty and unemployment rates are at least 15%, according to the city of L.A.

Data from the California Communities Environmental Health Screening tool shows these areas are more vulnerable to pollution than 80% of communities in the state, and they are among some of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is time to empower these communities, and no one knows the community better than the people who live here," said Capri Maddox, executive director of the L.A. Civil Rights Department.

The program was funded under the current fiscal year budget and continues through 2023.

Seventeen members from the nine communities will form the steering committee and can be as young as 16 years old.

Recruitment will be open through early June and the program will start with three communities this year before expanding in 2023.

To learn more or apply to become a steering committee member, visit repair.lacity.org