I'm pleased to announce that Caltrans has awarded $225,000 through its Caltrans Environmental Justice: Context-Sensitive Planning Grant to conduct community-based outreach in Virgil Village.
There were only three grants awarded in Los Angeles, and 19 awarded statewide, so are very excited about receiving these funds that are specifically targeted for transportation planning-related projects that:
- Promote environmental justice in local planning
- Contribute to the early and continuous involvement of low-income and minority communities in the planning and decision-making process
- Improve mobility and access for under-served communities, and create a business climate that leads to more economic opportunities, services and affordable housing
I'd like to recognize the Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI), which worked with my office to submit the application and will be managing the grant and outreach process. LANI has a long tradition of working on neighborhood revitalization projects through a community engagement model. In fact, this is the second time that LANI has worked in Virgil Village.
I’m looking forward to working with LANI and community members to get some great ideas for how we can improve on the work that has already been done.