The White House has designated a swath of Los Angeles as one of five "Promise Zones" in the U.S., making these neighborhoods eligible for millions of dollars in federal resources to alleviate poverty. The designation gives Los Angeles preferential status for federal grants from numerous agencies, and could provide funding for affordable housing, public transit and bike lanes, education, public safety, and increased access to career and technical training through a partnership with the LA Community College District. The designated zone in LA stretches through Pico-Union, Westlake, Koreatown, East Hollywood and Hollywood.The four other zones are San Antonio, Philadelphia, southeastern Kentucky, and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The designation lasts for 10 years.

Read more in the LA Times.

The number of people living in poverty in Southern California  increased from 1.9 million in 1990 to 3.2 million in 2012. The U.S. Census estimates that when both income and the cost of living are taken into account 24% of Californians live in poverty, the highest poverty rate of any state. Stanford University and the Public Policy Institute have concluded LA County has the state’s highest poverty rate at 27%.

Read more HERE.