For the fall 2018 semester, our POSC 395 Policy Research Internship students researched affordable housing in the Los Angeles District 11 Westchester and Del Rey communities. They presented their Community Plan Update suggestions to our partner, the office of Los Angeles County Councilmember Mike Bonin, District 11.

Holly Rampertab shared this about what she gained from her internship experience, “My research journey was certainly demanding, but very rewarding. With the guidance of my professors and partners, I gained experience in areas typically not seen in class and learned to be diligent in my individual research and reliable when synthesizing my findings with my team. From tackling a big problem and identifying a direction to take to designing a solution and applying our research and to formally presenting my work to our partners, this opportunity provided me with several ways to grow as a student.”

Project: Affordable Housing in District 11, Westchester and Del Rey

USC Students: Jocelyn Camacho, Kayla Koerting, Simon Luu, Holly Rampertab and Jackie Yim

Research Question: What are the effects of affordable housing in “high-market” community areas, like Westchester and Del Rey, in relation to issues such as: transportation, parking, and public safety for effective future land use, housing, or other related policy decisions that ultimately address the identified concerns in the community plans?

Policy Recommendations:

1. Parking and Transportation: 1) Eliminate mandatory parking, 2) Enact the Transportation Demand Management Program, 3) Redesign streets to accommodate other modes of transportation, 4) Implement the use of microtransit and 5) Encourage bike usage within the communities
2. Public Safety: 1) Foster a stronger sense of safety and well-being through the use of security cameras, social integration and cleaner neighborhoods and 2) Plan with local law enforcement to effectively place the urban canopy using CPTED principles to reduce crime and increase public open spaces

Read the group’s research into affordable housing in the Los Angeles District 11 Westchester and Del Rey communities here.

Watch the full video of their presentation here.